The Acadiana Advocate 12-21-2025

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Meta details water needs for AI data center Records show more than 23M gallons per day could be used

BY JOSIE ABUGOV Staff writer

STAFF PHOTOS By BRAD BOWIE

Efforts are in place to modernize Johnston Street, one of Lafayette’s busiest and most important corridors. The revitalization initiative has $28.5 million from local, state and federal sources for design and early improvements, aiming to halt the decentralization of the city’s commercial hub.

Revitalizing Johnston Street

Mayor initiates ambitious plan for city’s urban core with improvements to attract more businesses Sara and Hesham Saymeh, owners of Roul’s Deli, display two burgers at the site of their future location at the corner of Whittington Drive and Johnston Street in Lafayette on Wednesday.

BY ADAM DAIGLE and STEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writers

At each table inside Roul’s Deli is a roll of paper towels.

They are there for a reason. Hamburgers there have gained a following.

They’re advertised as “juicy, juicy” burgers, and that’s accurate.

The staff starts out with a half pound of meat, and the seasoning and everything else is done by hand.

While smash burgers seem to be popular of late, Roul’s is going the other way, co-owner Hesham Saymeh said.

“It’s just a good, old-fashioned juicy homemade hamburger,” he said. “I feel like that’s kind of timeless, you know? And we take pride in that.”

Roul’s Deli has four locations in the Baton Rouge area and another in Shreveport. A Lafayette location is expected to open by late 2026 after the ownership group bought property at 2201 Johnston St. in October.

Saymeh, who co-owns the businesses with his sister, Sara, had for years eyed the property along a stretch of Johnston Street that has not seen new construction in years.

It’s been a concrete slab since at least 2008, maybe longer.

It’s in what local officials are calling the urban core of Lafayette, an area that served as the center of Lafayette decades ago before residential and commercial growth hol-

lowed out the center of the city.

Saymeh sees it differently. He could have opened near the corner of Kaliste Saloom Road and Ambassador Caffery Parkway, but he would have been one of perhaps two dozen places that offer a good hamburger.

At this spot on Johnston Street, he might be one of a handful for a mile or two.

ä See REVITALIZING, page 4A

Meta has detailed for the first time the large amount of water its artificial intelligence data center being built in rural northeast Louisiana will require, estimating the average daily use for the massive facility will be comparable to what around 17,000 residents consume each day.

Water use by new data centers has become a major concern nationally as construction ramps up to feed the race to develop AI, with dwindling reserves blamed on the expansive computer warehouses in some states.

Meta says consumption for its Louisiana facility will be sustainable, and state officials have agreed, citing modeling that has not raised significant concerns.

Independent water researchers, however, caution that the facility’s actual use should be monitored closely, stressing the potential for negative effects if it consumes as much water as allowed.

They also note a lack of state monitoring related to such water use, a gap that Louisiana officials similarly pointed out.

The data center in Richland Parish is registered to consume more than 23 million gallons of water

ä See META, page 11A

ICE deported La. detainees despite judges’ orders Trump administration blames system, errors

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

The federal government has deported Louisiana ICE detainees against judges’ orders at least three times since August — and each time, lawyers for the agency have blamed the removals on delays in the system or administrative errors.

The people wrongly deported include a man sent to Haiti nearly a month after a judge ordered the government not to remove him from the country; a man sent to Laos following a similar order that officials said they did not receive until after his plane took off; and a transgender woman taken to Mexico despite a judge’s order blocking her return there because she was at risk of being tortured.

ä See DEPORTED, page 9A

WEATHER HIGH 77 LOW 64 © D. YURMAN 2024

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Business ......................1E Deaths .........................2B Nation-World................2A Classified .....................7D Living............................1D Opinion ........................4B Commentary ................5B Metro ...........................1B Sports ..........................1C

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101ST yEAR, NO. 174

2A ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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EPSTEIN FILES

At least 16 images disappear from website

BY MICHAEL R. SISAK and DAVID B. CARUSO Associated Press

NEW YORK — At least 16 files disappeared from the Justice Department’s public webpage for documents related to Jeffrey Epstein — including a photograph showing President Donald Trump — less than a day after they were posted, with no explanation from the government and no notice to the public.

The missing files, which were available Friday and no longer accessible by Saturday, included images of paintings depicting nude women, and one showing a series of photographs along a credenza and in drawers. In that image, inside a drawer among other photos, was a photograph of Trump, alongside Epstein, Melania Trump and Epstein’s longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

The Justice Department did not say why the files were removed or whether their disappearance was intentional. A spokesperson for the department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Online, the unexplained missing files fueled speculation about what was taken down and why the public was not notified, compounding long-standing intrigue about Epstein and the powerful figures who surrounded him. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee pointed to the missing image featuring a Trump photo in a post on X, writing: “What else is being covered up? We need transparency for the

American public.”

The episode deepened concerns that had already emerged from the Justice Department’s much-anticipated document release. The tens of thousands of pages made public offered little new insight into Epstein’s crimes or the prosecutorial decisions that allowed him to avoid serious federal charges for years, while omitting some of the most closely watched materials, including FBI interviews Epstein with victims and internal Justice Department memos on charging decisions.

Scant new insight in disclosures Some of the most consequential records expected about Epstein are nowhere to be found in the Justice Department’s initial disclosures, which span tens of thousands of pages.

Missing are FBI interviews with survivors and internal Justice Department memos examining charging decisions — records that could have helped explain how investigators viewed the case and why Epstein was allowed in 2008 to plead guilty to a relatively minor state-level prostitution charge.

The gaps go further.

The records, required to be released under a recent law passed

by Congress, hardly reference several powerful figures long associated with Epstein, including Britain’s former Prince Andrew,

renewing questions about who was scrutinized, who was not, and how much the disclosures truly advance public accountability Among the fresh nuggets: insight into the Justice Department’s decision to abandon an investigation into Epstein in the 2000s, which enabled him to plead guilty to that state-level charge, and a previously unseen 1996 complaint accusing Epstein of stealing photographs of children.

The releases so far have been heavy on images of Epstein’s homes in New York City and the U.S. Virgin Islands, with some photos of celebrities and politicians.

There was a series of never-before-seen photos of former President Bill Clinton but fleetingly few of Trump. Both have been associated with Epstein, but both have since disowned those friendships.

Neither has been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein and there was no indication the photos played a role in the criminal cases brought against him.

Despite a Friday deadline set by Congress to make everything public, the Justice Department said it plans to release records on a rolling basis. It blamed the delay on the time-consuming process of obscuring survivors’ names and other identifying information. The department has not given any notice when more records might arrive.

That approach angered some Epstein accusers and members of Congress who fought to pass the law forcing the department to act.

Instead of marking the end of a

yearslong battle for transparency, the document release Friday was merely the beginning of an indefinite wait for a complete picture of Epstein’s crimes and the steps taken to investigate them.

“I feel like again the DOJ, the justice system is failing us,” said Marina Lacerda, who alleges Epstein started sexually abusing her at his New York City mansion when she was 14.

Records redacted, lack context Federal prosecutors in New York brought sex trafficking charges against Epstein in 2019, but he killed himself in jail after his arrest.

The documents just made public were a sliver of potentially millions of pages of records in the department’s possession. In one example, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Manhattan federal prosecutors had more than 3.6 million records from sex trafficking investigations into Epstein and Maxwell, though many duplicated material already turned over by the FBI. Many of the records released so far had been made public in court filings, congressional releases or freedom of information requests, though, for the first time, they were all in one place and available for the public to search for free.

Ones that were new were often lacking necessary context or heavily blacked out. A 119-page document marked “Grand Jury-NY,” likely from one of the federal sex trafficking investigations that led

to the charges against Epstein in 2019 or Maxwell in 2021, was entirely blacked out.

Trump’s Republican allies seized on the Clinton images, including photos of the Democrat with singers Michael Jackson and Diana Ross. There were also photos of Epstein with actors Chris Tucker and Kevin Spacey. But none of the photos had captions and no explanation was given for why any of them were together.

The meatiest records released so far showed that federal prosecutors had what appeared to be a strong case against Epstein in 2007 yet never charged him.

Transcripts of grand jury proceedings, released publicly for the first time, included testimony from FBI agents who described interviews they had with several girls and young women who described being paid to perform sex acts for Epstein. The youngest was 14 and in ninth grade.

One had told investigators about being sexually assaulted by Epstein when she initially resisted his advances during a massage.

Another, then 21, testified before the grand jury about how Epstein had hired her when she was 16 to perform a sexual massage and how she had gone on to recruit other girls to do the same.

“For every girl that I brought to the table he would give me $200,” she said. They were mostly people she knew from high school, she said. “I also told them that if they are under age, just lie about it and tell him that you are 18.”

Lawmakers weigh impeachment for Bondi over omissions in release

BY KEVIN RECTOR and MICHAEL WILNER Los Angeles Times (TNS)

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers unhappy with Justice Department decisions to heavily redact or withhold documents from a legally mandated release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein threatened Saturday to launch impeachment proceedings against those responsible, including Pam Bondi, the U.S. attorney general.

Democrats and Republicans alike criticized the omissions, while Democrats also accused the Justice Department of intentionally scrubbing the release of at least one image of President Donald Trump, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., suggesting it could portend “one of the biggest coverups in American history.”

Trump administration officials have said the release fully complied with the law,

and that its redactions were crafted only to protect victims of Epstein, a disgraced financier and convicted sex offender accused of abusing hundreds of women and girls before his death in 2019.

Rep. Ro Khanna, DCalif., an author of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which Bondi required the release of the investigative trove, blasted Bondi in a social media video, accusing her of denying the existence of many of the records for months, only to push out “an incomplete release with too many redactions” in response to — and in violation of — the new law.

Khanna said he and the bill’s co-sponsor, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., were “exploring all options” for responding and forcing more

disclosures, including by pursuing “the impeachment of people at Justice,” asking courts to hold officials blocking the release in contempt, and “referring for prosecution those who are obstructing justice.”

“We will work with the survivors to demand the full release of these files,” Khanna said. He later added in a CNN interview that he and Massie were drafting articles of impeachment against Bondi, though they had not decided whether to bring them forward.

Massie, in his own social media post, said Khanna was correct in rejecting the Friday release as insufficient, saying that it “grossly fails to comply with both the spirit and the letter of the law.”

The lawmakers’ view that the Justice Department’s document dump failed to comply with the law echoed similar complaints across the political spectrum Saturday, as the full scope of

redactions and other withholdings came into focus.

The frustration had already sharply escalated late Friday, after Fox News Digital reported that the names and identifiers of not just victims but of “politically exposed individuals and government officials” had been redacted from the records — which would violate the law, and which Justice Department officials denied.

Among the critics was Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who cited the Fox reporting in an exasperated post late Friday to X. “The whole point was NOT to protect the ‘politically exposed individuals and government officials.’

That’s exactly what MAGA has always wanted, that’s what drain the swamp actually means. It means expose them all, the rich powerful elites who are corrupt and commit crimes, NOT redact their names and protect them,” Greene wrote.

Items from Edmund Fitzgerald sell for $150,000

BY ED WHITE

Associated Press DETROIT — A life ring and a piece of a lifeboat from the Edmund Fitzgerald were sold at auction Friday for $150,000, a month after the 50th anniversary of the famous ship’s sinking in Lake Superior with 29 men aboard.

The relics were discovered by a carpenter in 1975 along the shore in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. There were no survivors when the ore carrier perished in a tremendous storm and plunged 535 feet to the lake bottom.

“I’m dumbfounded,” longtime owner Larry Orr, 77, said. “I never believed in a million years it would go for that much money. Shocked.”

Orr was curious about the shipwreck and found the

lery that sits a block away from Mariners’ Church, where a bell solemnly tolls on each anniversary of the sinking. The name of the buyer was not disclosed.

Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot memorialized the ship in 1976 with an iconic ballad, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.”

For decades, Orr, who lives in Yulee, Florida, had allowed a Michigan museum to display the artifacts. He said he decided to sell them because he needed money.

Orr recently had agreed PHOTO PROVDED By RANDAL SMITH to give them to the state of A rare life ring from the 1975 shipwreck of the Edmund Michigan as part of a $600,000 settlement in a completely Fitzgerald is displayed Oct. 12 outside Detroit. unrelated misconduct lawsuit against state police. But the life ring and a wood piece was known, went down. from a lifeboat while taking The sale was handled by state agreed to return them a break from his job, eight DuMouchelles, a Detroit after The Associated Press days after the “Fitz,” as it auction house and art gal- wrote about the strange deal.

Blue Origin completes first space flight with wheelchair user

BY SANA PASHANKAR Bloomberg News (TNS)

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin completed a suborbital joyride Saturday with a six-person crew, including the first wheelchair user to reach space and one of SpaceX’s first engineers.

The flight took off at about 8:15 a.m., and the capsule

landed roughly 11 minutes later in West Texas.

The launch marked the 16th human spaceflight for Bezos’ tourism company using New Shepard, a small craft built to send people on short trips to the edge of space, as well as to conduct research missions.

The passengers included Michaela Benthaus, an aero-

space engineer at the European Space Agency who was injured during a mountain biking accident in 2018.

Hans Koenigsmann worked at SpaceX for two decades, most recently as the company’s vice president of avionics, before retiring in 2021.

While Blue Origin doesn’t disclose its price for a seat

on one of its tourism flights, rival space tourism company Virgin Galactic charges around $600,000 for a similar experience.

In April, pop star Katy Perry, Bezos’ fiancee Lauren Sánchez and CBS News host Gayle King took the flight, becoming part of the first all-female crew to go to space in more than 60 years.

In a release of documents from the Epstein family estate by the House Oversight Committee this fall, Trump’s name was featured over 1,000 times — more than any other public figure.

“If they’re taking this down, just imagine how much more they’re trying to hide,” Schumer wrote on X. “This could be one of the biggest coverups in American history.”

Several victims also said the release was insufficient.

“It’s really kind of another slap in the face,” Alicia Arden, who went to the police to report that Epstein had abused her in 1997, told CNN. “I wanted all the files to come out, like they said that they were going to.”

White House officials and

Justice Department leaders rejected the notion that the release was incomplete or out of compliance with the law, or that the names of politicians had been redacted.

“The only redactions being applied to the documents are those required by law — full stop,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.

“Consistent with the statute and applicable laws, we are not redacting the names of individuals or politicians unless they are a victim.”

Other Republicans defended the administration.

Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chair of the House Oversight Committee, said the administration “is delivering unprecedented transparency in the Epstein case and will continue releasing documents.”

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U.S. forces stop oil tanker off coast of Venezuela

BY KONSTANTIN TOROPIN and AAMER MADHANI Associated Press

WASHINGTON — U.S. forces on Saturday stopped an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela for the second time in less than two weeks as President Donald Trump continues to ramp up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

The pre-dawn operation comes days after Trump announced a “blockade” of all sanctioned oil tankers coming in and out of the South American country and follows the Dec. 10 seizure by American forces of an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that the U.S. Coast Guard with help from the Defense Department stopped the oil tanker that was last docked in Venezuela. She also posted on social media an unclassified video of a U.S helicopter landing personnel on a vessel called Centuries.

A crude oil tanker flying under the flag of Panama operates under

the name and was recently spotted near the Venezuelan coast, according to MarineTraffic, a project that tracks the movement of vessels around the globe using publicly available data. It was not immediately clear if the vessel was under U.S. sanctions.

“The United States will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund narco terrorism in the region,” Noem wrote on X. “We will find you, and we will stop you.”

The action was a “consented boarding,” with the tanker stopping voluntarily and allowing U.S. forces to board it, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Pentagon and White House officials did not immediately respond to a requests for comment.

Venezuela’s government in a statement Saturday characterized the U.S. forces’ actions as “criminal” and vowed to not let them “go unpunished” by pursuing various legal avenues, including by filing

complaints with the United Nations Security Council.

“The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela categorically denounces and rejects the theft and hijacking of another private vessel transporting Venezuelan oil, as well as the enforced disappearance of its crew, perpetrated by United States military personnel in international waters,” according to the statement.

Trump following the first tanker seizure, of a vessel named the Skipper, this month vowed that the U.S. would carry out a blockade of Venezuela. It all comes as Trump has ratcheted up his rhetoric toward Maduro and warned that the longtime Venezuelan leader’s days in power are numbered.

And the president this week demanded that Venezuela return assets that it seized from U.S. oil companies years ago, justifying anew his announcement of a “blockade” against oil tankers traveling to or from the South American country that face American sanctions.

Trump cited the lost U.S. investments in Venezuela when asked

Judge nixes conviction of 1 of 2 men found guilty of killing Jam Master Jay

BY JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press

NEW YORK — A judge Friday voided the conviction of one of the two men found guilty of the 2002 killing of RunD.M.C. star Jam Master Jay, ruling that there wasn’t enough evidence that the man had a motive to kill the hip-hop luminary.

The reversal marked another stunning and confounding turn in one of the hip-hop world’s most elusive cases.

It stymied investigators for nearly two decades before two arrests were made in 2020, and authorities had hailed the 2024 convictions as finally getting justice for one of rap’s pioneers.

Jam Master Jay, born Jason Mizell, worked the turntables in Run-D.M.C. as the group helped hip-hop gain mainstream popularity in

the 1980s with such hits as “It’s Tricky” and a fresh take on Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way.” Mizell was 37.

In Friday’s ruling, U.S. District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall granted Karl Jordan Jr. an acquittal on the murder charges — a request she had denied when his lawyers made it during the trial.

An eyewitness testified that he saw Jordan shoot the DJ — his own godfather — in his Queens recording studio on Oct. 30, 2002. A onetime tenant in Jordan’s home also testified that he overheard Jordan admit to the killing.

But during more than 18 months of post-verdict presentations, Jordan’s lawyers argued that the evidence didn’t support prosecutors’ claims about his alleged motive: revenge for a failed drug deal.

Jordan had not yet been

sentenced on the murder charges, but he remains behind bars awaiting trial on drug charges from many years after the killing.

Prosecutors said they were reviewing the ruling.

Separately, the judge denied co-defendant Ronald Washington’s bid for an acquittal or a new trial.

Witnesses testified that Washington blocked the door during the shooting and ordered one of the DJ’s aides to get on the ground.

But the judge concluded that the evidence about a drug-beef motive was stronger against Washington than against Jordan. There was testimony that bad blood between Washington and a Baltimore-based drug seller torpedoed a potential sixfigure cocaine deal involving Jordan, Washington and Mizell.

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about his newest tactic in a pressure campaign against Maduro, suggesting the Republican administration’s moves are at least somewhat motivated by disputes over oil investments, along with accusations of drug trafficking. Some sanctioned tankers already are diverting away from Venezuela.

“We’re not going to be letting anybody going through who shouldn’t be going through,” Trump told reporters earlier this week. “You remember they took all of our energy rights. They took all of our oil not that long ago. And we want it back. They took it — they illegally took it.”

U.S. oil companies dominated Venezuela’s petroleum industry until the country’s leaders moved to nationalize the sector, first in the 1970s and again in the 21st century under Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chávez. Compensation offered by Venezuela was deemed insufficient, and in 2014, an international arbitration panel ordered the country’s socialist government to pay $1.6 billion to ExxonMobil.

The targeting of tankers comes as Trump has ordered the Defense Department to carry out a series of attacks on vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean that his administration alleges are smuggling fentanyl and other illegal drugs into the United States and beyond.

The administration has justified the strikes as necessary, asserting it is in “armed conflict” with drug cartels aimed at halting the flow of narcotics into the United States.

Maduro faces federal charges of narcoterrorism in the U.S. The U.S. in recent months has sent a fleet of warships to the region, the largest buildup of forces in generations, and Trump has stated repeatedly that land attacks are coming soon.

Maduro has insisted the real purpose of the U.S. military operations is to force him from power.

White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said in an interview with Vanity Fair published last week that Trump “wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle.”

4A ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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REVITALIZING Continued from page 1A

“We love how Lafayette does not play about food,” Saymeh said. “A lot of people want to play in the higher-traffic areas, but we feel it’s our niche to be a little bit farther away and form our own identity. I’m sure it would work for us, but we find joy in being in a spot where we feel unique.”

Saymeh’s take on the location is rare. For years, businesses have flocked to the middle of Lafayette Parish in what has become the area’s commercial hub, in the southern part of the city.

Outside of downtown Lafayette, few restaurants or retail shops are located in the middle of the city.

Mayor-President Monique Boulet is seeking to change that. In October, she launched the Johnston Street and Louisiana Avenue Revitalization Initiative, a plan to modernize one of Lafayette’s busiest and most economically important corridors.

The effort has $28.5 million from local, state and federal sources available for design and early improvements. It’s a chance to end decades of neglect of what was once the city’s main commercial strip and stop the hollowing out of the city’s urban core.

Johnston Street still has tons of traffic, but the number of places worth stopping for is decreasing.

“Johnston Street is the heart of the city, right?”

Boulet said. “It’s stagnant, and that’s depressing. It goes to the university, and it’s not really providing the utility the university needs for its students.

“The first four or five times I said it publicly, I kind of had to gasp, because I was like, ‘Why would you step into a monster (issue) like this?’ But as I’ve brought it up, I actually haven’t found one person who doesn’t think it’s a good idea.”

Pecot said. “Now you can’t keep going farther out. Now you’ve got to start looking at Johnston Street again.

You’ve got to start looking at infill now.”

What to do

PROVIDED RENDERING

This rendering shows Johnston Street with modernized intersections and improved accessibility.

up against a wooded area.

Sprawl happens, but now Lafayette is in a position to be forced to look inward for development as the outlying cities have also swelled in boundaries and population.

There’s no more acreage to grow out.

“Now I think we’ve got a pretty healthy footprint,”

How we got here Back before the interstate highway came to Lafayette Parish, U.S. 90 and U.S. 167 were the main roads for motorists coming into or leaving Lafayette. That allowed the intersection of Cameron Street and University Avenue to become the commercial hub of Lafayette, said Lynn Guidry, a former Lafayette Parish Council member who has given presentations on how Lafayette has grown over the years.

It was the post-World War II era when Americans fell in love with their automobiles. But since the University underpass did not exist then, there were often delays at the railroad crossing, and residential construction was booming on lots down Johnston Street. Once the South College Center and the Oil Center opened and began to flourish, University Avenue began to stagnate and Johnston Street became a bustling corridor, Guidry said.

“Once growth chooses a particular direction, changing that momentum proves

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE

Vehicles travel along Johnston Street in Lafayette on Wednesday.

moves outside, it’s kind of like what Dallas, Texas, was doing when their downtown was turning to nothing,” said Curry, who has a Dallas store. “What Dallas did was turn it into an opportunity zone to give people tax breaks and everything else (to build), which I think is a genius idea. Without that, nothing would have ever happened with it.”

Boulet’s agenda for the corridor is ambitious. It includes comprehensive drainage improvements, upgrading utilities to remove the aging utility poles, more efficient intersections and traffic flow, improved sidewalks and bike lanes and landscaping and design improvements, and more funding is expected via grants, state approvals and allocations from LCG’s capital improvement program budget, she said.

Improvements can happen more quickly now that LCG has acquired ownership of much of Johnston Street from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. But it would have to be done in a manner that will not disrupt businesses, said Rex Moroux, associate broker and partner at Scout Real Estate.

Improvements could unlock some of the commercial properties that have sat on the market for months.

Pecot said two projects could launch in the coming months that involve demolishing older buildings on Johnston Street and replacing them with “some really cool stuff.”

“For local operators and longtime Lafayette (people), Johnston is like this mystery,” Moroux said. “It’s like, ‘It’s got the traffic count and the eyeballs, but I don’t want to touch it.’ There are definitely spots that should work and don’t, and a lot of them are on Johnston. Many things go into that, but I would love to see Johnston operate, flow and look a hell of a lot better.”

As owner of Sneaker Politics and its five locations across Louisiana and Texas, Derek Curry had a significant learning curve while developing The Forum on the former Gattitown site at 4533 Johnston St. It’s now home to a handful of businesses, including popular drink shop Swig, and the next step is building 240 apartments at the site.

Building on the site of former commercial properties came with its challenges, he said, including permits that took longer than anticipated and underground tanks left from a dry cleaning business.

Now four years after going public with the idea — one that drew applause from the audience that day — he is still bullish on building in the center of Lafayette.

“It’s the center of La- Email Adam Daigle at fayette, and if everything adaigle@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE

Sara and Hesham Saymeh, owners of Roul’s Deli, plant a sign at their future location at the corner of Whittington Drive and Johnston Street in Lafayette on Wednesday. to be exceedingly difficult,” he said.

Decades later, that cycle has played out again. Johnston Street has stagnated, and it’s compounded by the lack of proper planning that happened during the height of its growth phase.

Now what you have is a corridor with overcrowded and aging signage, power poles up against the road, tangled wires and gridlocked traffic, Guidry said.

It’s been an issue for so long that he recalls being part of a Johnston Street Redevelopment Committee just after he graduated from the University of Southwestern Louisiana in 1971.

“It’s the backbone of our community and it’s ugly as

s*** and everybody knows that,” said Ryan Pecot, senior retail leasing and development adviser with Stirling Properties in Lafayette.

“LCG needs to be investing in Johnston Street. If it’s power lines over here and drainage over there, I don’t think it matters. When the private community sees the public entity investing in the backbone, you’ll see more private investment follow.”

Johnston Street’s evolution, Pecot noted, is how cities often grow over decades. Businesses follow residential rooftops, and he can recall in 1980 when Target opened its first Louisiana store at the corner of Johnston and Ambassador Caffery Parkway that bumped

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EDUCATION

Absences soar amid Texas measles outbreak It wasn’t just sick kids who were out

with measles, Seminole Superintendent Glen Teal said in a statement.

Beyond the students who were directed to stay home, it’s unclear how many families may have kept children out of school on their own as a precaution.

But there’s a good argument that parental concern played a role, said Jacob Kirksey, a Texas Tech University education policy professor who was not involved in the study but reviewed it.

“If you’re hearing on the news or you’re seeing that there is just an illness outbreak more broadly, the parents are going to be predispositioned to just be more hesitant to send their kids to school,” he said.

BY MAKIYA SEMINERA and DEVI SHASTRI Associated Press

When a measles outbreak hit West Texas this year, school absences surged to levels far beyond the number of children who likely became sick, according to a study, as students were excluded or kept home by their families to minimize the spread of the disease.

Absences in Seminole Independent School District, a school system that served students at the heart of the outbreak, climbed 41% across all grade levels compared with the same period the two previous years, according to the Stanford University study.

The preliminary study, which has not been published or finished a formal peer review, offers a glimpse at the toll on student learning from the spread of measles, a highly contagious disease that has crept up in communities around the U.S. with low vaccination rates.

In Texas and nationally, about two-thirds of measles cases have been among unvaccinated children. When measles is spreading, public health officials respond by excluding unvaccinated students from schools.

“The costs of that absenteeism are just not among the sick kids, but all the kids who are kept out of school as a precaution,” said Thomas Dee, a Stanford economist and education professor who co-authored the study.

Measles is airborne and poses severe risk for young children.

In 2000, the illness was declared eradicated in the U.S., thanks to the widespread usage of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.

In recent years, more parents have sought exemptions to school requirements for the shots, and most states are below the 95% kindergarten vaccination rate that

Other states with outbreaks

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

In Texas and nationally, about two-thirds of measles cases have been among unvaccinated children. When measles is spreading, public health officials respond by excluding unvaccinated students from schools. experts say is needed to prevent outbreaks.

In Seminole Independent School District, only 77% of kindergartners were vaccinated against measles in the 2024-2025 school year, according to state health department data.

The measles upsurge there launched the United States’ worst measles year in more than three decades, sickening 762 people across Texas in seven months.

That number could have been even higher. The Texas Department of State Health Services says there were an additional 182

potential measles cases reported in March 2025 among children in surrounding Gaines County that the state excluded from its count due to lack of information.

Absenteeism extended Using state data, the study estimated 141 Seminole district students had confirmed measles cases. It found the increase in school absences was approximately 10 times what would be expected from just those students missing class.

State health officials recommend that people sick with measles or

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suspected measles isolate at home until four days after they get the telltale rash. State guidance calls for unvaccinated or otherwise vulnerable students to be excluded from school for up to 21 days after exposure to measles.

Children from preschool to first grade had the most pronounced spike in absences — a 71% increase from the past two school years, according to the study.

Most student absences amid the outbreak were due to local health requirements for children to stay out of school if they may have been exposed to somebody diagnosed

Outbreaks in other states, such as South Carolina, also have produced spikes in school absenteeism.

More than 165 people, including 127 students from three schools, were in a 21-day quarantine as of Tuesday because they were unvaccinated or otherwise vulnerable to getting sick.

Some children have been quarantined twice due to new cases, said Dr. Linda Bell, state epidemiologist for the South Carolina Department of Public Health.

“Vaccination continues to be the best way to prevent the disruption that measles is causing to people’s education, to employment and other factors of people’s lives in our communities,” Bell said.

Missing out on learning time can have long-term implications for a child’s success.

Schools have been dealing with learning loss from the COVID-19 pandemic, which contributed also to elevated rates of chronic absenteeism.

More frequent absenteeism also puts a strain on teachers’ ability to educate their students. Most educators aren’t trained on how to handle instructional pacing when a large chunk of their students are absent, Kirksey said.

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Walk of Fame plaques praise Trump, deride his foes Two plaques of explanatory text are seen beneath a framed portrait in the space for former President Joe Biden on the Presidential Walk of Fame.

The space where Biden’s portrait should be instead has a picture of an autopen.

BY MATT BROWN and BILL BARROW Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has affixed partisan plaques to the portraits of all U.S. commanders in chief, himself included, on his Presidential Walk of Fame at the White House, describing Joe Biden as “sleepy,” Barack Obama as “divisive” and Ronald Reagan as a fan of a young Trump.

The additions, first seen publicly Wednesday, mark Trump’s latest effort to remake the White House in his own image, while flouting the protocols of how presidents treat their predecessors and doubling down on his determination to reshape how U.S. history is told.

“The plaques are eloquently written descriptions of each President and the legacy they left behind,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement describing the installation in the colonnade that runs from the West Wing to the residence. “As a student of history, many were written directly by the President himself.”

Indeed, the Trumpian flourishes include the president’s typical bombastic language and haphazard capitalization. They also highlight Trump’s fraught relationships with his more recent predecessors.

An introductory plaque tells passersby that the exhibit was “conceived, built, and dedicated by President Donald J. Trump as a tribute to past Presidents, good, bad, and somewhere in the middle.”

Besides the Walk of Fame and its new plaques, Trump has adorned the Oval Office in gold and razed the East Wing in preparation for a massive ballroom.

Here’s a look at how Trump’s colonnade exhibit tells the presidential story.

AP PHOTO By MARK SCHIEFELBEIN

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALEX BRANDON

New plaques of explanatory text have been placed underneath presidential portraits in the colonnade at the White House in Washington.

ciously and unfairly as President Abraham Lincoln and President Donald J. Trump would, in the future, be.”

Donald Trump With two presidencies, Trump gets two displays.

Each is full of praise and superlatives — “the Greatest Economy in the History of the World.” He calls his 2016 Electoral College margin of 304-227 a “landslide.”

Trump’s second-term plaque notes his popular vote victory — something he did not achieve in 2016 — and concludes with “THE BEST IS YET TO COME.” Meanwhile, the introductory plaque presumes Trump’s addition will be a White House fixture once he is no longer president: “The Presidential Walk of Fame will long live as a testament and tribute to the Greatness of America.”

Republican Richard Nix- one of his regular targets, on’s plaque states plainly the media — this time across that the Watergate scandal multiple centuries: Andrew Jackson’s plaque says the line: “In 2016, President led to his resignation.

George W. Bush While Trump spared most seventh president was “unClinton’s wife, Hillary, lost George W. Bush, who nota- the Presidency to President deceased presidents of justifiably treated unfairly harsh criticism, he jabbed at by the Press, but not as vibly did not speak to Trump Donald J. Trump!”

An aide to Clinton did not when they were last together at former President Jim- return a message seeking my Carter’s funeral, appears comment. to win approval for creating the Department of Home- Other notable plaques land Security and leading The broadsides dissipate the nation after the terrorist the further back into history attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. But the plaques go. the plaque decries that Bush Republican George H.W. “started wars in Afghani- Bush, who died during stan and Iraq, both of which Trump’s first term, is recogshould not have happened.” nized for his lengthy résumé An aide to Bush didn’t before becoming president, return a message seeking along with legislation includcomment. ing the Clean Air Act and Americans with DisabiliBill Clinton ties Act — despite Trump’s The 42nd president, once a administration relaxing enfriend of Trump’s, gets faint forcement of both. The elpraise for major crime legis- der Bush’s plaque does not lation, an overhaul of the so- note that he, not Clinton, first cial safety net and balanced pushed the major trade law that became NAFTA. budgets.

Lyndon Johnson’s plaque But his plaque notes Clinton secured those achieve- credits the Texas Democrat ments with a Republican for securing the Civil Rights Congress, the help of the Act of 1964 and Voting 1990s “tech boom” and Rights Act of 1965 (seminal “despite the scandals that laws that Trump’s adminisplagued his Presidency.” tration interprets differentClinton’s recognition de- ly than previous administrascribes the North American tions). It correctly notes that Free Trade Agreement, an- discontent over Vietnam led other of his major achieve- to LBJ not seeking reelecments, as “bad for the Unit- tion in 1968.

Democrat John F. Kened States” and something Joe Biden Trump would “terminate” nedy, the uncle of Trump’s

By Amanda McElfresh | amcelfresh@theadvocate.com Joe Biden is still the only during his first presidency. health secretary, Robert F. This article is brought to you by LSU Eunice. president in the display not (Trump actually renegotiat- Kennedy Jr., is credited as to be recognized with a gild- ed some terms with Mexico a World War II “war hero” Hannah Cordes, a student in the LSU Eunice Diagnos- sionals to ensure the education stays up-to-date and ed portrait. Instead, Trump and Canada but did not scrap who later used “stirring tic Medical Sonography (DMS) program, has earned applicable to the field. They also attend professional rhetoric” as president in op- national recognition as one of 13 students selected development conferences to learn from industry and chose an autopen, reflecting the fundamental deal.)

His plaque ends with the position to communism. his mockery of Biden’s age as an Emerging Leader by the Society of Diagnostic academic leaders. and assertions that Biden Medical Sonography.

“Thosegiveusachancetoseethenewtechnologies was not up to the job.

This prestigious honor recognizes students that are becoming available, collaborate with other Biden, who defeated and early-career professionals who demonstrate colleges and learn from their expertise,” Thibodeaux Trump in the 2020 election exceptional promise in advancing the sonography said. “This field is like a big family where we all help and dropped out of the 2024 profession through academic excellence, service and each other and make sure we are on top of our game.” leadership. Cordes is the first LSUE student to ever Thibodeaux added that Cordes’ honor is validaelection before their pendreceive the honor. tion that the LSUE program is strong enough to earn ing rematch, is introduced “I’ll work with the other students in my cohort national recognition, putting it on the same level as as “Sleepy Joe” and “by to learn about the field of sonography, what can be larger institutions. far, the worst President in improved, what the biggest challenges are and why it “We’re producing great healthcare professionals American History” who is so important in the medical field,” said Cordes, an andgreatleaderswhowilltakecareofourcommunities “brought our Nation to the Abbevilleresident.“Ithinkitwillbeagreatopportunity and families,” she said. “Employers look at resumes brink of destruction.” to gain leadership skills and apply those in my career. from LSUE graduates because they know the quality Two plaques blast Biden One of my goals is to create a positive atmosphere and of the education we provide. We’ve built a strong for inflation and his energy work environment for my future coworkers and the reputation and we want to maintain that.” and immigration policy, best possible environment for my patients.”

Cordes is already becoming a leader in the sonography among other things. The Cordes originally considered a career in veteri- field. She is president of the LSUE Student Sonography text also blames Biden for nary sciences. But, after earning a bachelor’s degree, Society, where she has played a key role in strengthRussian President Vladimir she became intrigued about how that care could be ening student engagement and fostering a culture of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine translated to human patients. Upon taking her first excellence within the program. Under her leadership, and asserts falsely that Biden sonographyclassatLSUE,Cordessaidsheimmediately the society has expanded networking opportunities, was elected fraudulently. knew she had found her career path. hands-on skill development, continuing education Biden’s post-White House “I found it so interesting. I was pretty much activities and advocacy for the profession. She has office had no comment on obsessed right from the start,” she said. “Since then, also helped enhance peer mentorship by connecting his plaque.

I’ve definitely grown in my confidence. LSUE does a seniors with incoming cohorts, easing the transition

Barack Obama

The 44th president is described as “a community organizer, one term Senator from Illinois, and one of the most divisive political figures in American History.”

The plaque calls Obama’s signature domestic achievement “the highly ineffective ‘Unaffordable Care Act.” And it notes that Trump nixed other major Obama achievements: “the terrible Iran Nuclear Deal … and “the one-sided Paris Climate Accords.”

An aide to Obama also declined comment.

presents

LSU Eunice sonography student named top emerging leader in the field, signaling national success for program

great job teaching us in the classroom and sending us on clinical rotations early in the program. That gives us a chance to gain experience in the field while learning pathologies in the classroom. It’s a great way to have a well-rounded education.”

Madison Harmon, a 2020 LSUE DMS graduate, has seen firsthand how that training can be applied.

After earning her degree, Harmon worked in a local trauma center, then transitioned into outpatient imaging. Recently, she returned to LSUE as the DMS clinical coordinator.

“ThesonographyeducationatLSUEisveryrelevant to the actual field,” Harmon said. “The classes and the clinical rotations provide an amazing foundation that each student needs. Once they have that foundation, they can build on it and build their confidence. They are definitely learning all of the skills they need to succeed.”

Bridget Thibodeaux, LSUE DMS program director, said the college’s faculty and administrators frequently communicate with area medical profes-

into the program’s rigorous curriculum.

“Her initiative, professionalism and passion for patient care make her an outstanding representative of our program and a deserving recipient of this national honor,” Thibodeaux said.

CordescreditedLSUE’sclose-knitenvironmentfor helping her thrive, both academically and personally.

“I love how much the teachers and administrators here care about each and every student,” she said. “The campus is not too big, so it feels like everyone knows one another. It’s truly a caring environment where everyone wants you to succeed.”

The LSUE Associate of Applied Science in Diagnostic Medical Sonography program prepares students to become entry-level sonographers in the areas of abdomen and obstetrics/gynecology. Program graduates are eligible to take the national licensing exam. The program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.

Visit www.lsue.edu/academics/dms/index.php to learn more.

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LOUISIANA POLITICS GOP insurrection on Obamacare haunts Johnson WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson’s usual calm expression hardened last week after learning that a handful of Republicans had joined a Democratic effort to force a vote on extending for three years tax credits that help 24 million working Americans — 293,000 in Louisiana — pay for health insurance policies.

True, the Benton Mark Ballard Republican was doing what most of his GOP members wanted — let the Obamacare subsidies end Dec. 31 as scheduled — but his party’s majority is only two seats, so the defections amount to a challenge to his leadership.

“When you have a razor-thin margin, as we do, then all the procedures in the book people think are on the table, and that’s the difference,” Johnson said.

The sixth successful “discharge petition” during Johnson’s 26-month tenure as speaker circumvents his ability to set the House’s agenda.

It forces the full House to vote in January on extending the enhanced Affordable Care Act marketplace subsidies at a time leadership wants to focus on appropriations bills — or face another government shutdown come Jan. 30.

The speaker’s gambit was to focus attention on the legislative wins for Republicans earlier this year. He also wanted to avoid an extension of the enhanced tax credits on a plan most Republicans have tried to kill over the past 15 years.

Instead, Johnson forwarded legislation that didn’t include an extension but aimed at lower

Bill targets Chinese ‘seafood dumping’

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, wants to see more money collected from efforts to stop Chinese “seafood dumping” go directly to Louisiana seafood producers.

“Dumping” is a market tactic in which a country sells food products at prices lower than the cost of producing them, which can drive U.S. producers out of business, Cassidy’s office said in a news release. The U.S. collects “dumping duties” on food that Capitol comes from counBuzz tries that employ STAFF the tactic.

REPORTS In 2000, Congress passed a law that required Customs and Border Protection to give the money collected from those duties to American farmers and others who are affected by dumping, the release says. But due to various delays, much of that money has not been paid out — and has gathered significant interest.

Cassidy and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., have introduced a bill that would require CBP to pay $38.5 million in accrued interest to the U.S. ag-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-Benton, waits as Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, right, steps up to speak as Republicans discuss a plan to address growing health care costs on Tuesday in Washington. prices for everyone buying health care insurance, not just the 7% who bought their policies on the Affordable Care Act market-

place. The Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act included ways to manage drug costs and a cost-sharing mecha-

ricultural sector, including $10.6 million for crawfish producers.

“Louisiana’s crawfish industry is more than just a business — it’s our culture. We’re standing up to China’s illegal attempts to hurt our producers, our processors, and our way of life,” Cassidy said in a news release.

It’s not just seafood. In the news release, Thune said South Dakota honey producers are also suffering from Chinese “dumping.”

“South Dakota honey producers deserve a level playing field,” Thune said in the release. “This bipartisan legislation helps ensure fair treatment for affected domestic producers and strengthens their ability to compete globally.”

cleanup, housing and rebuilding after disasters like hurricanes.

Kennedy’s Helping Eliminate Limitations for Prompt Response and Recovery Act, co-sponsored with Democratic Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, would allow contracts to last up to a year when needed.

The bill would also require a report from DHS to Congress on whether the change saves money and affects waste, fraud and abuse.

The bill now goes to the House of Representatives.

Senate passes John Kennedy’s FEMA bill The U.S. Senate last week passed a bill sponsored by Sen. John Kennedy, R-Madisonville, that changes rules for FEMA emergency contracts after disasters.

Currently, the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the disaster response agency, has a rule that cuts off some emergency contracts after 150 days. That can interrupt federally-funded agreements for

UnitedHealthcare agrees to big Medicaid contract UnitedHealthcare has agreed to provide Medicaid coverage for over 300,000 people for 90 days through the first three months of the year, the Louisiana Department of Health announced Thursday.

The agreement came after the Health Department earlier this month abruptly decided against renewing a one-year contract with the company to provide Medicaid coverage. That contract had already been greenlit by legislators in late November and was set to take effect Jan. 1.

The decision blindsided state lawmakers, some of whom raised concerns that the sudden

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nism to lower all health care premiums by 11% in 2027.

Republicans, even those who signed the discharge petition, narrowly passed the bill on a partyline vote Wednesday night.

Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Lafayette, praised the plan Johnson backed.

“This bill is just a small correction. I supported the effort, but we have a tremendous amount of bad policy baked into the ACA,” he said.

But for Rep. Troy Carter, DNew Orleans, the GOP measure seemed more like talking points for Republicans to deflect attention onto Democrats.

“We’re just days away from the deadline and Republicans are scrambling to push through an unserious proposal at the 11th hour. People aren’t stupid; they can see this,” Carter said. “Without these extensions, their premiums will skyrocket. Health care is not a luxury; it is a fundamental human right.”

More telling, however, was Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley, of California, who took the unusual step of scolding Johnson on the floor of the House.

The legislation “does not address the problem immediately before us,” Kiley said. “I have been extremely critical of the House speaker for refusing to put any measure to extend these tax credits on the floor.”

Kiley also voted for the bill.

The mutiny began when moderates were denied an attempt to add a two-year extension to the legislation.

Three Pennsylvania Republicans and one from New York signed the Democratic discharge petition out of fear that enough of their constituents would be angered at the premium spike that they would lose in the November

2026 midterms.

Republicans, including those who back the discharge, contend that Democrats are interested in developing a political issue for the midterms in hopes of regaining the majority in the House and perhaps the Senate.

Rep. Mike Lawler, a New York Republican who signed the petition, said the issue is to allow time to fix Obamacare without forcing his constituents to pay double.

Lawler’s district is along the Hudson River and includes the birthplace of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. About 11,400 people — 1.5% of his constituents — rely on enhanced credits to help pay for their Affordable Care Act marketplace policies.

Johnson has almost four times as many ACA constituents — 40,773 or 5.3%, according to KFF — in a district along the Sabine River that includes the birthplace of Gov. Huey Long.

But Johnson’s 4th Congressional District gave 50 percentage point margins to President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. Vice President Kamala Harris barely won New York’s 17th Congressional District by 2 percentage points. Democrats have targeted Lawler for the midterms.

Lawler predicted the Democrats’ three-year extension will pass the House in January. The Senate then would come up with a bipartisan compromise with a shorter extension and some costsaving aspects.

“We’ll deal with it in January,” said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson. “These things take a lot of twists and turns.”

Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate.com.

change would cause problems for patients. A legislative committee held a hearing on Tuesday to question Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill and Health Department officials on why they wanted to cancel the contract with just weeks remaining in the year.

“Thank you to the legislators and our managed care plans for working together to put patients first,” Health Secretary Bruce Greenstein Greenstein said in a statement Thursday afternoon. “This extension gives us more time to take an even more thoughtful approach to transitioning members to new plans.”

“Continuity of care is our highest priority, so members can continue accessing their services without disruption,” Greenstein said.

UnitedHealthcare spokesperson Christina Witz said the company agreed to the arrangement at the Health Department’s request and with guidance from the Louisiana Legislature.

“This extension is for the sole purpose of allowing for a more orderly and seamless transition for our members to other Man-

aged Care Organizations to help prevent gaps in care and give health care providers a chance to enter into new contracts with these organizations,” Witz said.

The company is “disappointed” it can’t provide access to health care for Louisiana Medicaid participants after March 31, but it “will continue to work in partnership with the state throughout the transition process,” Witz said.

Senate health committee chair Patrick McMath, R-Covington, applauded the threemonth extension and said he has the “utmost faith” McMath in health officials’ ability to navigate the next 90 days and ensure people’s health care isn’t disrupted.

“It’s important that we make sure that we thank the legislative leadership, Secretary Greenstein, his team, the governor, the attorney general, as well as the team at United for, again, prioritizing Louisiana lives,” McMath said.

In addition to UnitedHealthcare, the state also contracts with five additional private health care companies to provide Medicaid coverage to about 1.4 million people.

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DEPORTED

Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., speaks while joined on a video call by a man who he said was a U.S. military veteran deported to South Korea during a hearing of the House Committee on Homeland Security on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 11.

Continued from page 1A The cases illustrate how, in President Donald Trump’s rush to deport people in record numbers, immigration officials are prone to making mistakes, immigration lawyers say. Those lawyers report seeing removals occur against judges’ orders more frequently; in some cases, they have questioned the administration’s regard for the law.

“Unlawful removals like these, and at this rate, where they’re happening constantly across the country, betray an Executive that is completely unconstrained by the law, acting however it wants whenever it wants, with reckless disregard for people’s lives and safety,” said Bridget Pranzatelli, an attorney for the National Immigration Project who represents people being detained in Louisiana.

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, did not respond to multiple requests for comment but has repeatedly said its deportation campaign is making the country safer by getting criminals out of the U.S. Many recent deportees and detainees, however, do not have criminal records.

Jeremy Jong, a New Orleans-based immigration attorney, said removing people against judges’ orders is happening “more than usual because there’s so much pressure from above to keep on moving people — to move people through the system faster and faster and faster.”

Some advocates also fear that the judiciary’s response to such removals has been too tepid to deter the Trump administration from continuing the practice.

“The government should not simply be allowed to decry inadvertence and escape all consequences for their illegal ‘errors,’ ” said Nora Ahmed, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana, which has handled two such cases in the state. “What it shows is that such actions are worthy of nothing more than a slap on the wrist and so they will continue.”

Though it is not a border state, Louisiana is a key cog in Trump’s deportation machine due in part to its large detention capacity: The state has the second-most ICE detainees behind Texas. It also has a holding facility near an airport in Alexandria, which has become a hub for deportation flights.

Louisiana cases In July, lawyers for a man from Haiti, who was being held in an ICE facility in Pine Prairie, filed a lawsuit arguing the man could not be legally deported or detained because he had temporary protected status.

That status is sometimes granted to immigrants from countries where conditions are unsafe. It allows them to work in the United States without being deported.

In response to the filings, federal Judge James D. Cain Jr., a Trump appointee in the Western District Court of Louisiana, blocked the man’s removal from Louisiana. Officials put the man on a removal flight but halted his deportation the day Cain’s order was issued, according to court records.

One month later, he was deported to Haiti anyway.

Government lawyers said the man’s removal was a mistake, the result of a miscommunication between the Chicago ICE office, which scheduled his removal, and

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARK SCHIEFELBEIN

the New Orleans ICE office, which oversaw his deportation flight.

The government said it would return the man to the U.S. after he got a Haitian passport, and Cain declined to hold ICE in contempt of court because he did not believe officials purposely violated his order, he wrote in a Sept. 16 decision.

As of Oct. 6, the man had not been returned to the U.S., his attorneys said in a brief. They did not return multiple requests for comment on the status of the man’s case, and ICE did not say whether he was back in the country.

In the months after the man’s deportation, two other Louisiana cases emerged.

Chanthila Souvannarath was deported to Laos in October after federal Judge Shelly Dick, of Louisiana’s Middle District Court, a Barack Obama appointee, issued an order temporarily blocking his removal because of his claim to U.S. citizenship. Officials said they did not learn of the order until several hours after his flight left the country.

Lawyers for Souvannarath, who was initially held in a Laos jail and later released, fought for his return. Dick declined a motion to order him brought back because she found he could fight his case from Laos — still, she said, officials had violated her order, if not intentionally.

Then, in November, the U.S. deported a transgender woman to Mexico even though a judge had blocked her return there after finding she was at risk of being tortured due to her gender identity.

The government said Britania Uriostegui Rios was “inadvertently” removed.

Officials allowed her back into the U.S. about a week after she was deported, according to court records.

In court filings, Uriostegui Rios’ lawyers said she briefly went into hiding in Mexico and feared the trip back to the border. When she first made it to a checkpoint, officials turned her away, even after the U.S. had said she would be allowed back in, her lawyers said. She was allowed in the following day, according to court records.

cause his directive to turn the migrants’ flights around in midair was verbal and was not included in his written order.

The contempt investigation has been paused after an appeals court temporarily granted the Trump administration’s request to halt the proceedings.

On Dec. 5, a federal judge

in Texas called a man’s deportation to Guatemala “blatant lawlessness” because, over a decade beforehand, an immigration judge had blocked the man’s return there. The judge, David Guaderrama, an Obama appointee, ordered the government to bring the man back to the U.S.; officials told Guaderrama the man returned on Dec. 11, according to a Dec. 16 ruling. The man’s attorney declined to comment.

Three other cases have also drawn national attention.

In March, the Trump administration sent Kilmar Abrego Garcia to a prison in El Salvador even though a judge had blocked his return to that country after finding he had a reasonable fear of gang persecution. Officials called his deportation an “administrative error” and ultimately returned him to the U.S. following a court order.

In June, a New York federal appeals court ordered

the government to return Jordin Alexander MelgarSalmeron, who was deported to El Salvador about half an hour after the court canceled his removal order.

Melgar-Salmeron was briefly held in Louisiana ahead of his deportation flight, the Investigative Post, a New York-based news outlet, reported.

And in November, a 19-year-old college student who came to the U.S. at age 8 and was flying home to Texas to surprise her family for Thanksgiving was detained at Boston Logan International Airport. Two days later, Any Lucia Lopez Belloza was deported to Honduras after a judge ordered the government not to move her out of Massachusetts.

The government has argued the judge lacked jurisdiction because Lopez Belloza had already been removed from the state.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Aviation careers take flight through SOWELA’s new paid apprenticeship model

By Amanda McElfresh, amcelfresh@theadvocate.com This article is brought to you by the Louisiana Community and Technical College System.

A national drama The Louisiana deportations come as similar cases from across the country make national headlines, sometimes raising questions about whether the administration is intentionally defying the judiciary.

Late last month, a federal judge began a criminal contempt of court investigation after the administration in March left hundreds of Venezuelan migrants in El Salvador despite his order not to.

Attorneys for the government argued they did not violate the judge’s order beA new partnership in Southwest Louisiana is demonstrating how colleges and employers can co-design programsthatmeetrealworldneedswhilegivingstudents a direct path to high-paying careers.

This year, SOWELA Technical Community College in Lake Charles and Citadel Completions received approval from the Louisiana Workforce Commission State Apprenticeship Council to launch the state’s first Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) two-year apprenticeship program. This innovative model allows students in SOWELA’s Aviation Maintenance program to attend classes in the mornings and work paid apprenticeships at Citadel in the afternoons.

“Having the ability for students to work while they go to school is a tremendous help to both the employer and the student,” said Steve Barding, a Citadel aircraft maintenance supervisor and an adjunct instructor at SOWELA. “I’ve had apprentices on the plane while I’m doing engine runs and maintenance checks. They have a whole tactile world of experiences that will hopefully inspire them to continue on this career path.”

The idea for the apprenticeship program came from students who spoke about balancing school with family responsibilities and financial obligations. Apprentices start at a pay rate of $22 per hour, with raises as they earn additional certifications through SOWELA’s Aviation Maintenance program. If offered a full-time position at Citadel after completing the program, new graduates can earn up to $29 per hour.

“This is another great example of industry partnering witheducationtodevelopaskilledandqualifiedworkforce,” said SOWELA Chancellor Dr. Neil Aspinwall. “As I always state, SOWELA is in the workforce development business, and this apprenticeship program provides our Aviation Program students a great opportunity to earn while they learn with the potential for a great career in the aviation industry.”

That opportunity was appealing to Titus Acoff, a studentinthefirstAMTapprenticeshipcohort.Acoffwas originally studying computer information systems, but grewconcernedwhenhesawhisroommatestruggletofind work in the field. Acoff attended an aviation convention and learned about the role of aircraft mechanics. He was quickly hooked on the idea.

“It was something I had never really looked into, but once I found out about what aircraft mechanics do and how much of a need there is, I knew I had found what I was looking for,” Acoff said. “It was truly by the grace of God that this opportunity was bestowed upon me. The program has been amazing, especially being able to put my hands on a plane and see the processes up close. Plus, I know I’ll always be able to get a job, so this is a career that comes with a lot of stability and opportunity for growth.”

Another student, Bryce Lee Chapman, was looking for a new career path after serving in the military. He had jumped out of dozens of helicopters and C-130s and had always admired the aircrafts’ capabilities. When he heard about the apprenticeship program, he felt it would be the next logical step for him.

“I’vealwaysbeenfascinatedwithmechanics,soIknew

this was for me from the moment I opened my first book in my first class,” he said. “It’s absolutely fascinating to me. I can’t tell you how fun and interesting it is to learn how these engines are moving people through the sky every day.”

David Linscomb, SOWELA’s aviation maintenance program coordinator, said the college’s partnership with Citadel has helped make the apprenticeship program so successful. In addition to giving students the chance to earnalivingwagewhileinschool,thecompany’sfeedback ensures that SOWELA is teaching relevant skills.

“I don’t know of any other school in the region that has as many live aircraft on site as we do,” Linscomb said. “Our main goal is to create a workforce pipeline so students have a place to work once they finish the program, so we go to Citadel and other industry partners when we’re making decisions about the curriculum and what we are teaching. Their input is valuable and their buy-in is very important.”

SOWELA’s associate degree program is a federally regulatedAviationTrainingSchoolcertifiedbytheFederal Aviation Administration. Once training is complete, students are prepared to sit for the FAA Airframe and Powerplant certifications. According to instructor surveys and industry partners, SOWELA’s placement rate for the program is 90% within the first six months.

Linscomb added that the apprenticeship program not only teaches students how to be an aircraft mechanic, but how to be a good employee – something that Citadel and other partners have emphasized is crucial to a person’s professional success. That well-rounded approach has helped make the program so successful that other companies have expressed interest in creating similar models.

“We spend a lot of time talking about how important it is to show up every day, show up on time, be ready to work, have a good work ethic and followthe rules,” he said.

According to the Aviation Technician Education Council, the U.S. is expected to have a shortage of about 25,000 certified aircraft mechanics by 2028. But, thanks to the success of the SOWELA program, Barding has renewed optimism that those positions will be filled by current students who will bring dedication and passion to their work.

“ThebiggesttakeawayIhaveseenfromthisapprenticeship program is hope,” Barding said. “We went through some dark times in aircraft maintenance four or five years ago because there weren’t people coming up to replace those who were retiring. Now, with the apprenticeships and involvement with SOWELA, our future is looking really bright. We have some great people in training. It has changed my outlook on the future of this industry.

I know we will be okay.”

Registration for SOWELA’s Aviation Maintenance program is open, with Spring 2026 classes starting January 12. For more information or to apply, visit www.sowela.edu/apply or contact onestop@sowela. edu. Scholarships and financial aid are available for those who qualify.

10A ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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THE GULF COAST Casino bringing Christmas to life

Hangout Fest’s cancellation about artists, mayor says

BY POET WOLFE

Beau Rivage creates family-friendly holiday display

BY JUSTIN MITCHELL Staff writer

Mississippi Coast casinos have long been a tourist destination for gamblers looking to roll the dice or insert pennies in hopes of striking it rich.

The allure of the large, waterfront resorts with amenities like spas, nightclubs and fine dining restaurants mostly appeal to adults looking for a weekend getaway, a one-stop shop for a bachelor or bachelorette party or a place to host a Mardi Gras ball. In recent years, several Gulf Coast casinos have doubled down on adult-only fun, with some only allowing guests 21 or older into the pool or buffet.

But one Biloxi casino has garnered a reputation as a family destination in the month of December, just in time for Santa Claus to come to town.

The sprawling atrium at the Beau Rivage has transformed into a winter wonderland for years, becoming a popular — and free — spot for families during the holiday season.

The closer Christmas Day approaches, the busier the Beau Rivage gets with children taking selfies near the gingerbread toy factory and stressed parents wrangling a matching family and asking a stranger to snap a photo of their group in front of the larger-than-life nutcrackers or Christmas tree.

“We will refuse to let them go back to the acts we’ve had before, so they couldn’t do it,” Craft said.

“So, they canceled the 2026 event, but they’ve got time now to pursue the type of talent we want on our beaches, to invite the right audience that we want on our beaches.”

At a community meeting in June, Craft went further in contrasting the audiences the festivals attracted, saying that Hangout brought in “young kids with their daddy’s credit cards” who were on “a free leash,” according to a report by AL.com.

Compare that to 2025 when Wallen’s festival drew “an older group that had their own credit card,” Craft said.

“And you could certainly see that they were more disciplined,” he added in the AL.com report.

“There were less problems. … Really, it was a much better behaving crowd.”

Wallen’s edition likewise drew in “a little more mature of an audience, a little more disposable income, a little more discretionary income,” Brown said. He added there wasn’t any issue with Hangout itself, describing the concerts as safe and well-produced.

In the end, Brown said, the decision to seek a different slate of artists comes down to revenue.

“Sand in My Boots” generated a $70 million economic impact in South Baldwin County, home to Gulf Shores, according to local media reports, while previous Hangout Fest weekends usually bring in about $45 million for the Alabama Gulf Coast.

“Having people come to town and stay overnight and use this as a vacation, as well as a concert is really the big goal,” Brown said, “And the producers nailed it with that event that they brought here in 2025.”

Staff writer

PROVIDED PHOTOS By BEAU RIVAGE

The 2025 Beau Rivage holiday display features a flying Santa Claus and reindeer.

The Beau Rivage Christmas atrium is full of Christmas trees.

Work on the holiday display begins before Thanksgiving, the casino said Thursday. The horticulture team fills the atrium with about 2,200 poinsettias. A life-sized St. Nick, along with his sleigh and reindeer, are hoisted in the air and appears to be flying at the entrance of the casino.

The focal point in this year’s display, the Beau Rivage said, is the gingerbread toy factory with a smoking chimney. There’s also a 10-foot gingerbread clock tower, animated elves, 12-foot toy soldiers, a 20-foot Christmas tree and oversized ornaments.

The atrium is open to guests of all ages to enjoy the holiday mag-

ic. The casino also pumps fresh pine scent during the holiday, so it smells of a fresh-cut Christmas tree.

Families can go on a self-guided tour of the holiday display and take as many photos and videos as desired.

The casino also offers other Christmas events for families this month, including multiple showings of “A Christmas Story: The Musical,” which features two actors from Louisiana. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased on Beau Rivage’s website.

Like all casinos, the Beau Rivage is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

At a Gulf Shores City Council meeting earlier this month, Mayor Robert Craft announced the cancellation of next year’s Hangout Music Festival, the three-day event each summer that transforms Alabama’s white sand beaches and generates tens of millions of dollars for the Alabama Gulf Coast.

The announcement comes more than six months after Morgan Wallen took over the festival, curating the “Sand in My Boots” edition as a showcase of Southern musical talent, including rap artists like 2 Chainz and Three 6 Mafia appearing alongside country singers including Riley Green and Hardy, with Wallen closing out the weekend.

Wallen’s takeover — and his presence as a polarizing figure after a video surfaced of him using a racial slur — stirred debate among festival fans, many of whom viewed the 2025 edition as a shift in the festival’s direction. Hangout Fest has long been known for its eclectic identity, mixing genres like EDM, rock and pop.

But it drew positive responses from some fans as well, with 40,000 tickets selling out in 90 minutes — a turnout the festival hadn’t seen in years, according to Grant Brown, the recreation and cultural affairs director for the city of Gulf Shores.

The 10-year franchise between the city and the festival’s producers, AEG Presents, expired after this year’s event. Although the City Council approved a two-year extension, the “really compressed timeline” made it difficult for producers “to start contracting with the type of artists they wanted to bring back for the 2026 festival,” Brown said.

Craft — who, along with AEG Presents, could not be reached for comment — expressed a similar Email Poet Wolfe at poet.wolfe@ sentiment at the meeting. theadvocate.com.

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The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● 11A

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META

Continued from page 1A per day, or 8.4 billion gallons per year, according to state records and the company itself. If it were to max out that allowed capacity for a year, it would use more than all of Google’s data centers combined in 2023.

But Meta says those limits are substantially higher than what it will actually use annually. According to the company, the data center will use between 500 to 600 million gallons per year once it is up and running in 2028, or an average of 1.5 million gallons per day.

While far less, it is still more than three times higher than the company’s most water-intensive data center, according to Meta’s 2024 sustainability report.

The company explains that its water use, necessary to cool the constantly running server network spread across the sprawling facility, will primarily occur in warmer months. For more than half the year, no water would be needed to cool the servers.

The higher figures are needed for especially hot times of year, when the most water will be used, Meta says.

The water will be drawn from the Mississippi River Alluvial Aquifer, which also supplies communities and farms in the surrounding area, and it will be cycled through a “closedloop” system similar to a giant car radiator.

Meta has agreed to voluntarily submit its annual reports of water use for its first five years of operation, said Patrick Courreges, a spokesperson for the state’s energy department, which registers the wells.

The company is pledging to stick to its promises, while Gov. Jeff Landry’s economic development agency says the jobs and revenue the project will bring to one of Louisiana’s most impoverished regions must be taken into account.

“Gov. Landry has made it clear that we do not pursue projects that put our citizens at risk or disadvantage,” said Emma Wagner, a spokesperson for Louisiana’s economic development agency.

Water researchers at LSU, Tulane and elsewhere nonetheless expressed concern over the maximum amounts permitted for the facility.

They note that there is no state regulatory body tasked with monitoring Meta’s water usage or the condition of the aquifer over time.

“There’s no incentive for (Meta) to use less water because they don’t have to pay for it, and it’s not regulated or reported,” said Christopher Dalbom, director of the Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy.

‘They should be concerned’ Meta’s Louisiana data center, expected to cost $27 billion, will be the company’s biggest such facility worldwide and a centerpiece in its race to build “superintelligence” faster than competitors like Google and OpenAI. It is slated to create thousands of construction jobs and include up to 500 permanent workers.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has spoken of further expanding the data center to a size that would rival the footprint of Manhattan, though some analysts have expressed doubt over whether that is realistic. President Donald Trump also praised the massive size of the facility, called “Hyperion,” the father of the sun in Greek mythology.

In addition to its water requirements, its staggering energy demands will increase Entergy’s electricity needs by around 30% in Louisiana.

That has been the subject of a separate heated debate.

Meta conducted a third-party study to evaluate groundwater availability and the impact of pumping on the aquifer, a company spokesperson said. It received approval from state officials confirming that the maximum pumping would not impact local systems.

The company’s testing found that its water usage would not cause any land sinking, which would also be harmful to its own facility.

Courreges, the state Department of Conservation

and Energy spokesperson, said the department’s models suggest there would be no serious environmental concern.

He said there may be some subsidence, but not to the point where it would be “detrimental” to residents and the water table, according to what has been presented so far.

“Everything has some impact,” Courreges said.

Frank Tsai, the director of the Louisiana Water Resources Research Institute at LSU, agreed that if Meta only used the lower amount it predicted — versus its maximum allowance — the aquifer would not likely be negatively impacted.

However, long-term pumping at the maximum registered 23 million gallons per day could harm the environment around the site, Tsai said. The facility will draw from one of the most-pumped aquifers in Louisiana, already vulnerable to overuse.

Tsai’s team ran a 17-year simulation assuming Meta withdrew the maximum daily allowable amount. It found that groundwater levels dropped over 65 feet beneath some areas of the facility.

Lower water levels can lead to permanent land sinking and salt water creeping into supplies. The threat of salty drinking water has been a longstanding issue in Baton Rouge, for example, due to overpumping of the aquifer used for that area.

In rural Richland Parish, there are scores of agricultural and domestic wells near the planned facility, including around 50 within a mile of Meta’s perimeter. Tsai’s preliminary data showed that the impacted area, called the “cone of depression,” extends beyond the data center’s 70-football-field size.

“If the groundwater level is lower, you need more energy to lift the water,” Tsai said, speaking of his analysis of the maximum levels allowed. “So it will cost more money to the farmers.”

Agricultural wells are not predicted to run dry under the maximum scenario, Tsai said, though there are likely smaller, shallower domestic wells in the area that are not registered with the state.

Public records also note the possibility of unregistered wells near the facility.

Under the worst-case maximum scenario, those with some of the shallower wells “should be concerned about whether they are going to have enough water to drink or not,” Tsai said.

‘No actual scrutiny’ In Louisiana, water is less regulated than energy, and industrial users are not required to report how much they consume.

Meta is required to register new wells with the state

energy department, and the oversight essentially stops there. Louisiana’s energy agency doesn’t maintain an inventory of water use in the state, and there is no local water authority in the area that regulates usage.

“There’s no actual scrutiny on the use of public resources,” said Tyler Gray, who was secretary of the state Department of Conservation and Energy until September. Courreges, the department spokesman, confirmed the lack of regulatory power.

Gray Gray said that Meta initially asked for “too much” water, so the company reduced the numbers.

From July to September 2024, Louisiana officials warned Meta’s subsidiary company, Laidley, that nine wells that would be used to cool the facility posed similar environmental risks to the surrounding areas that Tsai’s model found.

Those issues included acute water level decline, reduced water quality and possible land sinking. The state also noted the presence of existing water wells within a mile radius of Meta’s proposed wells.

“That’s the limit of our authority, saying: ‘We think there’s a concern; we see where you might want to do this differently,’” Courreges said. “And they did scale it back.”

In May 2025, the state registered six of these wells, determining in a letter that they “should not adversely affect water withdrawal from other registered water wells in the area or to the sustainability of the aquifer.”

The pumping rates for these six wells totaled around 36 million gallons per day, but those figures have since been lowered to 23 million gallons per day. Meta maintains that even the 23 million per day maximum rate would not adversely affect the aquifer.

‘Massive amount of water’ In Meta’s “closed-loop” system, liquid circulates through and minimizes the need for constant additions of water.

The servers are cooled further by air — essentially a system of fans. New water is only needed when the temperature exceeds 90 degrees and winds are gusting in a specific pattern, the company says. Meta predicts that no additional water will be used for over half of the year.

Data centers using closedloop systems consume less water than evaporative models that transform a steady influx of water into steam, ultimately vented out of the facility. But the less waterintensive method needs more energy, which means

more water for the fossil fuelpowered gas plants running Meta’s data center in the first place. A spokesperson for Entergy said water for two of the electricity plants will come from the nearby town of Delhi.

“Ironically, you might be using more water,” said Melissa Scanlan, the director of the Center for Water Policy at the University of WisconsinMilwaukee and the author of a national analysis on data center water consumption.

In 2023, data centers in the U.S. directly used around 17 billion gallons of water to cool their servers, plus an additional 211 billion gallons of water for electricity generation powering the facilities, according to a report from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Large facilities can use up to 5 million gallons per day.

Scanlan said that the water demands are unclear for a massive data center in the Great Lakes region, as part of OpenAI’s Stargate Program, but that one million gallons per day is “the highest figure” that has been reported for that project.

Another frequently cited example involves a Meta data center in Georgia. Families living next to it saw their taps go dry, and the surrounding county is on track for a water crisis, The New York Times reported. Meta cast doubt on whether it was to blame for the problems.

Mark Davis, director of the Tulane Center for Environmental Law, is worried about the cumulative impact

of water-hungry industrial projects, including the data center. One facility might not wreak irreparable damage, he said, but building “facility after facility after facility” could lead to problems.

He pointed to Louisiana’s long history of environmental damage left behind by industry: timbering canals, oil and gas canals and abandoned oil wells, among others.

“Are we going to do it again?” he said.

Jesse Washington, the mayor of nearby Delhi, said residents in the 2,000-person town have expressed worry

about the water supply, which draws from the same aquifer.

To ensure that everyone has enough water, Washington said that Meta drilled another well around three months ago that connects to the town’s main line.

Based on analysis from engineers, he said he feels “pretty good” about the data center’s water demands and Delhi’s ongoing ability to serve its residents. But he wants to stay prepared as Meta’s project unfolds.

“We really don’t know what it’s going to do until it’s in full swing,” Washington said.

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A Grand Finale: Pelican Credit Union embraces the holiday spirit with an unforgettable car giveaway

By Stevie Cavalier Licciardi | stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com This article is brought to you by Pelican Credit Union.

From the day-to-day of helping member-owners reach their financial goals to witnessing how random acts of kindness can snowball into community-changing events, 2025 has been a year filled with growth, generosity, and memorable experiences for the Pelican Credit Union family. To cap off the year with good tidings, Pelican chose to celebrate with one very special surprise for their members—a car giveaway.

“There is a lot of bad news in the world, and Pelican is consistently planning initiatives like this to instill hope and positivity,” said Leigh Porta, Chief Growth Officer at Pelican Credit Union. “The gift of a brand-new reliable vehicle can truly uplift a family, and we wanted to show our members appreciation by providing a life-changing prize during tough economic times.”

With nearly 12,000 member entries, anticipation for the giveaway of a 2026 Honda CR-V was buzzing throughout Louisiana. The contest was open for a little over a month and members of any of Pelican’s 18 branch locations could enter to win.

On the evening of December 15, 2025, the long-awaited announcement was scheduled to take place at Pelican’s Pineville branch.

Plans were in motion, and branch staff eagerly prepared for the celebration. The appointment time scheduled for the lucky member to arrive passed with no sign of him. After more than an hour of unanswered calls, disappointment settled in.

“Just as soon as we were about to give up, Terrance answered the phone,” Porta said, who was present for the giveaway. “He said he had been struggling to jump his car so he could take his wife to work.”

Overjoyed by the fortuitous timing, the Pelican staff sprang into action, bringing the winner to the branch and ensuring his wife made it to work. Upon his arrival at the Pineville Branch, confetti and applause erupted as Terrance Beauregard was announced as the winner of the new Honda CR-V. “This car giveaway was a perfect example of the heart of Pelican,” said Jeff Conrad, Chief Executive Officer of Pelican Credit Union. “We had no idea what Terrance and his wife were going through, but in the end, they were the perfect couple to win the car at an ideal time in their life.”

Beauregard joined Pelican Credit Union in July 2025 at the recommendation of his wife, who is a proud, longtime member. As a not-forprofit, member-owned financial institution, Pelican deeply values the integral role members play in the success of the credit union, as well as the interconnectedness that they champion across the state.

“The car giveaway is part of our #PelicanPays initiative, where we capture the generous spirit of the credit union and pay it forward in our communities,” said Porta. “Our team is proud to work here, and our members are proud to belong here. One of our core values is ownership, and these good deeds strengthen that pride for employees and members.” #PelicanPays began with a few small acts of kindness—a gas giveaway here, a free lunch there—and has taken on a life of its own. In 2025, Pelican hosted two community giveaways, partnering with local grocery stores to distribute $50 worth of groceries to shoppers. The credit union also offered a special opportunity over the summer, paying up to $10,000 of personal debts for winning members.

The joy of generosity is contagious, and Pelican is thankful to witness how the domino effect continues to lead to bigger and better ideas for giving back. Inspired by moments like this, the Pelican family looks ahead to 2026 with anticipation for the new and unexpected opportunities to come. Stay up to date on all of Pelican’s exciting initiatives by following the credit union – @pelicancu.

For more information on Pelican Credit Union, visit: www.pelicancu.com.

12A ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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S u n d ay, d e c e m b e r 21, 2025

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$7M soybean facility announced Plant to take over former Garan site in Kaplan is referred to as the former Garan Manufacturing site, according to a Kaplan Mayor Mike Kloesel on news release.

Soja Foods LLC, the new tenant, Friday announced plans for a new 144,000-square-foot soybean pro- will repurpose the long-standing cessing plant representing a $7 mil- industrial site, bringing renewed manufacturing activity and a siglion to $9 million investment.

The plant will be located in what nificant investment to Kaplan and Staff report

Vermilion Parish, the mayor said.

The mulitmillion-dollar investment will modernize and renovate the facility, bolstering the processing of soybeans into various products from more than 80 million acres of soybeans grown annually in the United States.

The new processing facility will utilize advanced technology that does not rely on chemicals or gases in the production process. Instead, the extraction process will use only specialized equipment, water and heat, with natural gas used solely to heat the water required for processing.

The facility, once operational, is expected to create at least 40-50

jobs, the news release states.

Refurbishing the building is expected to take between nine months and a year. It will include upgrades to the building, installation of specialized equipment, training employees and preparing the facility to meet food-grade standards.

Soja Foods is scheduled to take possession of the property Jan. 1 to begin renovations.

STAFF PHOTO By JILL PICKETT

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill talks Thursday about Operation Access Denied at the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office in Ruston, joined by representatives of partner organizations.

Murrill: Sting nets 67 arrests North La. operation targeted sex offenders

BY BRIAN McCALLUM Staff writer

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill on Thursday, along with representatives from about 30 law enforcement agencies in a Ruston news conference, touted the arrest of 67 people for crimes largely involving contact with juveniles via the internet.

The announcement was made during a news conference in Ruston. All 67 were previously convicted as sex offenders, according to a news release by the Attorney General’s Office. Seven of those arrested are from Caddo and Bossier parishes.

Suspects were identified and arrested from Nov. 1 through Dec. 1.

The initiative, Operation Access Denied, was coordinated by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and brought together sheriffs and other law enforcement personnel. Murrill said it was one of the largest roundups ever in the state.

“Since I’ve been elected, it’s been my priority to target people who commit crimes against children,” she said.

SEEING RED

ABOVE: Laurie Bellard, left, wears Christmas attire Saturday for the 10K during the 2025 Cajun Country Run at Acadiana Park in Lafayette. RIGHT: Runner Crystal Guidry, center, channels Santa as she starts the 5K trail run along with others.

STAFF PHOTOS

By BRAD KEMP

ä See STING, page 2B

Sulphur neighbors band together yearly to light street Annual tradition brings cheer for over a decade

BY COURTNEY PEDERSEN Staff writer

PROVIDED PHOTO

Community members gather to sing on Pecan Street in Sulphur recently.

For more than a decade, residents of one street in Sulphur have joined together to fill their neighborhood with Christmas cheer.

In 2013, one of the Pecan Street neighbors, who was involved with the Brimstone Historical Society, suggested that the residents band together and line the sidewalk with Christmas lights, Pecan Street resident Tina Jacobs said.

“The first year we all, every neighbor, put lights down the sidewalk, and we each put up a Christ-

mas tree in the front yard and did our own little decorations,” Jacobs said. “Then it just got bigger as time went on, and now the whole entire street, all the way from one end to the other, decorates.”

This year, houses on the entirety of Pecan Street are decorated to the nines with lights, cutouts and many other decorations as spectators make their way to the popular street every night.

“I always have people come up to us and thank us for doing this,” Jacobs said. “They come each year. They remember things from the year before, or they’ll say, ‘We came to see what’s the new item you put out this year,’ so I think they love it.”

Most of the lights and decorations are up by the beginning of December, although some go up as

early as the day after Halloween, and will be up for the entirety of the month, turning on at 5:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. daily with activities throughout the month that are free to the public.

Jacobs said that when it comes to decorating the street, the entire neighborhood is involved, as they all help one another out.

“Me and my husband, we help those that can’t put out lights, and the other neighbors help also,” Jacobs said. “Everybody really just gets in there and helps one another get it done, because it takes a lot.”

For Jacobs and most Pecan Street residents, decorating for the next year starts right after Christmas when lights and decorations go on sale.

ä See LIGHT, page 2B

2B ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Fitch downgrades N.O. bond rating

Obituaries Nix, Donald W. 'Don'

In a statement, Moreno’s LaToya Cantrell’s City faces investor concern about financial stability Mayor administration hadn’t yet transition team said the

BY BEN MYERS Staff writer

Another major ratings house downgraded New Orleans’ credit this week, signaling widening concern among investors about the city’s financial stability. The Fitch Ratings downgrade on Wednesday follows a similar action in October by Moody’s Ratings, which cited a structurally imbalanced city budget, economic headwinds and other factors.

Despite the downgrades, Fitch and Moody’s both continue to rate the city’s bond issuances as worthy of investment, though they are also warning of future downgrades if the city doesn’t improve its fiscal management.

New Orleans now rates an A- on Fitch’s scale, meaning the city is seen having a strong ability to meet its financial commitments, but could “be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions,” according to Fitch’s website. Any additional downgrade would drop the city into Fitch’s

middle tier, where the risk of default increases.

Fitch noted “a precipitous decline in New Orleans’ financial resilience,” evidenced by the city’s recent decision to issue $125 million in short-term debt to cover payroll expenses. The assessment also noted “an uncertain path to resolving a large structural imbalance and management instability.”

Fitch also assigned a negative rating watch, meaning an additional downgrade could be coming after further evaluation, which is expected in the next six months. The negative outlook should concern city officials as much as the rating itself, said Rebecca Mowbray, CEO of the Bureau of Governmental Research, a nonpartisan public policy watchdog.

“They only downgraded it incrementally, but the language is quite strong and quite specific,” Mowbray said. “What they’re telling the city is they’re going to be watching closely, and so it is imperative that the

city make sound financial decisions in the next six months.”

The city’s bond ratings determine the cost of borrowing, including an upcoming $510 million bond sale that voters approved in November for a range of infrastructure and housing projects. Lower ratings can make it more difficult to attract investors and can lead to higher interest rates.

It’s not clear when the bond sale will take place, and Mowbray said the Moreno administration should carefully consider the timing.

“You’ve got these two ratings agencies that have downgraded. But on the optimistic side, Fitch is saying they’re going to take another look in the next six months. It’s a possibility that something could be better in six months,” Mowbray said.

Moody’s criticized the city’s use of reserves to balance the 2025 city budget in its October report. At that time, the extent of the city’s $160 million spending deficit wasn’t clear, and

disclosed a cash shortage that led to the payroll crisis.

The Moody’s report came just days after Cantrell proposed a significantly reduced 2026 city budget, which the council disregarded in favor of plan that Moreno advocated.

Cantrell vetoed the Moreno budget, citing concerns over $75 million in new revenue that Cantrell said hadn’t been verified. The council on Thursday voted unanimously to override the veto, and Moreno has said she will convene a meeting of the city’s Revenue Estimating Conference on her first day to formally evaluate the new revenue. Moreno takes office on Jan. 12.

Fitch highlighted the veto and noted Cantrell’s concerns, without opining on the budget the council passed — but it said further analysis is coming.

“Fitch will review details of the final adopted budget, the reasonableness of its underlying assumptions and the extent to which it establishes a path for the city to return to structural balance,” the Fitch report said.

Fitch report “largely reflects fiscal challenges that the incoming administration is confronting.”

“Mayor-elect Moreno has already taken steps to right the ship, including putting forward a balanced budget with increased revenue that was unanimously approved by the City Council,” the statement said. “We are committed to charting a more sustainable path forward for New Orleans.”

The Cantrell administration did not respond to a request for comment.

Council member Lesli Harris, who will chair the budget committee starting next year, said the downgrade “underscores the urgency of the work ahead.”

Harris said she will maintain strict oversight of city payroll and other spending.

“I am confident that with disciplined budgeting, transparency and strong coordination, we are on track this year to improve our credit rating,” Harris said.

Email Ben Myers at bmyers@theadvocate. com.

STAFF PHOTOS By JILL PICKETT

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill addresses the media about Operation Access Denied on Thursday at the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office in Ruston.

Duplicate posters show mugshots of individuals arrested during the operation.

STING

Continued from page 1B “I would put the message out there that if you’re a registered sex offender and you’re not supposed to be on the internet, you should stop.”

Among the charges brought against those taken into custody were first-degree rape, computer-aided solicitation of a juvenile and possession of child sexual abuse material.

Murrill said the number of cybertips the task force has received this year has reached more than 26,000, and 516 arrests have been

made. The activity has resulted in 64 children rescued from abusive circumstances.

She did not rule out future operations but did not offer specific plans.

“There won’t be one place to hide across the state if you’re looking to harm our children,” she said.

“We will leave no stone unturned in doing everything we possibly can to protect the children of Louisiana.”

Email Brian McCallum at brian.mccallum@ theadvocate.com and follow Brian McCallum-Advocate, @AdvocateBr91011 on X.

Steve Lassalle, deputy director of the Division of Probation and Parole of the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections, discusses the operation.

LIGHT

Continued from page 1B “One year we bought these big, tall candy canes, and we bought enough for the whole street,” Jacobs said. “And one year, we just ended up getting a whole bunch of colored lights. So, just after Christmas, everybody goes out and tries to find the sales.”

While some decorations and themes stay the same, Jacobs says many residents try to switch up the placement of decorations each year.

On Sunday, Pecan Street will be visited by Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus and PROVIDED PHOTO the Grinch from 6 p.m. to Pecan Street in Sulphur is strung with lights and filled with 8 p.m. During the event, the street will be closed to Christmas decorations in December 2024.

traffic and only accessible for walkers.

“I talked to the mayor and my City Council (representative), and they said they would let us close the street for two hours while we run that event, because kids are everywhere and they’re running and it’s dark, although we have Christmas lights,” Jacobs said. “It’s still dark. But, I don’t want anybody getting hurt. I want everybody to have a good time and be safe.”

Jacobs said at least 1,000 people attended the Santa Claus event last year.

In fact, she said the reactions from community members and attendees are her favorite part of doing the lights each year.

“My favorite part is seeing the little kids and the

families. The entire family comes out, and they walk the street, and you can hear the little kids all excited about whatever it is they see that they love,” Jacobs said. “They (come) up to us and say ‘This is our tradition. We do this every year. Please don’t stop (doing this).’ ”

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A Catholic Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, December 23, 2025 in Delhomme Chapel of the Flowers for Donald "Don" Wayne Nix, 78, who passed away on December 17, 2025, surrounded by his family, after a short and hard-fought battle with cancer.

Fr. Michael Russo, Pastor of St. Anne Catholic Church - Youngsville, will conduct the memorial services.

Interment will take place at a later date in St. Anne Catholic Cemetery.

Don, a long-time resident of Lafayette, was the son of the late Clayton Thaggard Jack Nix and the former Florieda Robar.

Though Don was born in Hinton, OK on December 11th, 1947, he grew up in New Orleans. Don was a 1966 graduate of St. Aloysius High School and then USL in 1971, where he was proud alumni of Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity.

Don began his professional accounting career at Union Texas Petroleum in Houston. He later went on to work for Texas A&M Development Foundation in Bryan, TX. In 1986, he moved his family back to Lafayette then began working with Hamilton Medical Group. Throughout his career as a CPA, Don worked the longest with Burch, Marcus, Pool, Krupp, Daniel, and Babineaux (now J. G. Gallagher) and most recently worked at Superior Performance.

Don was an avid tennis player and a die-hard Ragin' Cajun fan & supporter. Prior to his illness, Don was almost always found on the tennis court, or working out at Red Lerille's Health Club. Don always loved supporting his children whether it be piano concerts, marching band performances, or dance recitals & competitions. He was their number one supporter throughout their lives.

Don is survived by his wife of 53 years, Mary Ann Bonhage Nix; two daughters, Elizabeth A. (Brandon Tubbs) Nix and Emily N. (Lance) Theriot; grandchildren, Aubrey Theriot, Rhett Theriot, Landon Theriot, Abigail Tubbs and Caroline Tubbs; sister, Adriane Grimes Kennedy, of Hutchinson, KS; brother-inlaw, Robert "Bobby" (Suzanne) Bonhage; nephews, Colin (Arielle) Kennedy and Blake Bonhage; nieces, Georgette (Eric) Fortino, Dionne (Don) Magner, and Krissy Kennedy; as well as many cousins and extended family members.

He was preceded in death by his beloved son, Foster Clay Nix; his parents, Florieda R. (Arthur) Grimes and Thaddeus C. Nix; sister, Jackie Nix (Ralph) Uzee; and brotherin-law, Joseph "Joey" Bonhage.

The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Delhomme Funeral Home Bertrand on Monday, December 22, 2025 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Visiting hours will continue on Tuesday, December 23, 2025 from 9:00 AM until the time of service.

Don's family would like to extend a heartfelt "thank you" to Hospice of Acadiana, Food with Love, and the Miles Perret Cancer Center.

Personal condolences may be sent to the family of Donald "Don" W. Nix at: www.delhommefuneralho me.com Donald "Don" W. Nix and his family were cared for and entrusted final arrangements to Delhomme Funeral Home, 1011 Bertrand Drive, Lafayette, LA.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● 3B

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OPINION

4B ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M/opinions

OUR VIEWS

Brighter state budget forecast bodes well for future Fiscal hawks in Louisiana got an early Christmas present last week when the Revenue Estimating Conference, a group that tracks the state budget, released its latest forecast. It shows that the state is on track to see $217 million more in tax revenue than state leaders anticipated when lawmakers put together the budget in the spring. Next year, the picture looks just as rosy, with the forecast adjusted upward by $214 million.

The new forecast means that rather than a shortfall of $131 million, the state should have a surplus of about $159 million when the new fiscal year starts July 1 and lawmakers begin hammering out a new budget.

With this increased ability to maneuver, we hope they look at shoring up some of the critical needs in our state, particularly investments in health care and higher education, which seem perennially under threat. But uncertainty around the national economy should lead them to act with restraint.

We note that a series of tax changes championed by Gov. Jeff Landry during his first year in office is largely responsible for this state of affairs. In November 2024, the Legislature passed a tax package that included getting rid of tax breaks once thought to be sacred cows, eliminating the state’s graduated income structure in favor of a flat 3% personal income tax rate and a flat 5.5% for corporations and raising the state sales tax to 5% for five years, after which it will drop to 4.75% The architect of this plan was former Revenue Secretary Richard Nelson, who has recently departed for a job as head of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System. We have to say we watched with admiration as Nelson single-mindedly fought for a complete overhaul of the tax code he argued would help make Louisiana more competitive among Southern states.

And he bravely sought in this most recent session to hold the line as lawmakers let some tax exemptions creep back in.

While we supported the tax package, we had our concerns, primarily with the shift to more reliance on sales taxes, which generally affect the poorest the most. Louisiana has one of the highest sales taxes in the nation, so we hope that once revenues from the new tax structure become predictable, the Legislature will revisit the issue.

But there is no arguing with results. Even if income tax revenue is down, it’s not down by as much as predicted. Sales tax revenue is up more than expected. And growth in income and wages appears strong at 4%.

Landry and his administration have shown a willingness to tackle issues often thought to be intractable in our state, and for that, they should be congratulated. We are beginning to see some of the big bets they made pay off. That’s good news for the state’s bottom line and its future.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE ARE OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’s city of residence.

The Advocate | The Times-Picayune require a street 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.

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The struggle and hope of joy Joy has long been a component of the Those men who were lighting canretail landscape this time of year. I’ve dles in prayer — Hersh Goldberg-Poseen it on department store lin, Eden Yerushalmi, Ori Daniwindows in Manhattan — most no, Alex Lobanov, Carmel Gat amusingly nearby St. Francis and Almog Sarusi — were all of Assisi Church. Of course, ultimately murdered by Hamas. even if you are the easiest Evil may have taken their lives, person in the world to please, but they held on to joy. May that there is no consumer exchange Kathryn memory be a blessing to all who that will deliver true joy. And are left both righteously angry Jean yet, in the face of hardship and at their murder, now part of the Lopez torture, joy is possible. That chronicles of our world’s cruelty which is so casually referred to in to the Jewish people — and a challenge order to make a sale is one of the most to never let go of joy, and fight for the hard-fought and enduring treasures. freedom to pursue it for as long as we A video recently unearthed by the each have breath left in us.

Israeli Defense Forces shows Israeli A Catholic priest imprisoned by Nahostages taken in the Oct. 7 attack in zis in 1944 wrote about joy as well. His captivity holding a Hanukkah service. meditations would be smuggled out on In their suffering, there was a confistrips of paper.

“The conditions for true joy have dence in God, faith and even joy. There nothing to do with conditions of our exis a spirit of victory that lives in resilience — or makes resilience possible terior life, but consist of man’s interior — that insists on joy, because it’s what frame of mind and competence, which evil hates. And so, in the hostages’ make it possible now and again for insistence on community when they him to sense, even in adverse external were being physically inundated by circumstances, what life is basically darkness, there was a stubborn, aweabout,” Father Alfred Delp wrote from Tegel Prison, before he was executed some joy that even terrorism couldn’t by hanging in February 1945. kill.

“Is there any point in bothering about joy?” he wrote. “Is joy not among those luxury items of life that have no place in the meager private area tolerated in wartime conversations? Certainly it has no place in a prison cell where someone is pacing back and forth, his hands in irons, his heart swelled by all the winds of longing, his head filled with worries and questions.” As you may expect from a man who devoted his life to God and his service, Delp did contend that joy didn’t have to do with who was in political power or your purchasing power.

It’s all about relationship with God. “How should we live so that we are capable — or can become capable — of true joy? This question should occupy us more today than it has in the past,” Delp reflected.

Man’s earthly life may be exterminated, but joy does not die. Not with God. And you can’t buy that, even in December; you can only live it and be someone’s encounter with it in union with the perfection of the divine.

Email Kathryn Jean Lopez at klopez@ nationalreview.com.

’Tis the season to avoid holiday cliches The holidays are upon us, and at this are able to give a scathing critique in a single line. Some point to a contradictime of year, I’m always reminded of the admonition of one of my former tion or highlight a hypocrisy in a few bosses in the newspaper busishort paragraphs. That requires more skill sometimes than writness many years ago.

He vowed to rap anyone ing an essay on a topic. While I on the knuckles who used recognize that some topics need the phrase “‘tis the season” fuller exposition, here’s to tighter to describe anything that prose. happened in the month of That brings me to our great Arnessa retiring cartoonist Walt HandelsDecember. This was in the Garrett man. days before more strict HuImagine having a job where you man Resources departments had to fill a thimble out of a firehouse frowned upon corporal punishment in without spilling a drop. the workplace, and it was part of his That’s kind of like a political cartoonlarger crusade against cliches that he felt were the lazy writer’s crutch. It ist’s job. News keeps happening all the was also a reminder that good writtime, and the cartoonist has to select what to focus on, then what to say and ing requires precision, and choosing how to draw it in a fixed space. No one cliches may just mean you don’t have much to say. It also may mean it’s time did it better than Walt, and we will all miss him here. We cannot ever be to wrap up your story. grateful enough to work with such a I appreciate the letters that can say much in very few words. Some writers talent.

As the year comes to a close, we’ve asked you to send in your letters on who should be the Louisianan of the Year.

This project of the Editorial Board looks at who made the biggest contributions to the news this year. We will unveil our choices in the last week of the year, but we are eager to see your opinion as well. Send your responses to letters@theadvocate.com.

I do not have the count of letters for you this week, but we hope to before the year is done. In the meantime, have a happy holiday and don’t end up on the naughty list or get all lit up like a Christmas tree. Here’s wishing you peace on earth as you make merry and deck the halls — because ‘tis the season, after all.

Arnessa Garrett is Deputy Editor | Opinion Page Editor. Email her at arnessa.garrett@theadvocate.com.

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The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● 5B

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COMMENTARY Help me rediscover the best of Louisiana It soon will be time for a road trip. And, dear readers, I need your help.

Louisiana has so much to offer, so many attractions and unique cultural treasures and, yes, so many quirks as well, that it provides a cornucopia for columnists. Then again, because one need Quin not move around Hillyer much at all to find rich material for reporting and writing, it’s all too easy to remain relatively rooted.

I’ve been guilty of that. As this year nears its end and I considered stories I never got around to writing, I realized that it has been 11 long years since the last time I really toured Louisiana. The Interstate 10 corridor and points south have been my stomping grounds, but I admit I’ve been no more than a few miles north of the interstate (other than by electronic communication) in more than a decade.

That needs to change.

I hasten to say that changing that state of affairs should be a joy. The last time I really, consciously “did Louisiana” was a hoot. I’ve never had so much fun writing an article in my life.

The occasion was a magazine piece I was doing on the closing stretch of the 2014 U.S. Senate race between incumbent Democrat Mary Landrieu and her Re-

publican challenger, Bill Cassidy.

I zipped back and forth across the Mississippi River, across the Atchafalaya Basin, across the interstate — across the state.

In Opelousas, Landrieu’s campaign — minus the candidate herself, who was campaigning elsewhere — hosted Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., at a huge meeting hall with a stage. Someone randomly drove up with a trailer with several live cows. Bands on the stage alternated between pure funk and Cajun/ zydeco/fais-do-do music as couples spun across the dance floor.

Booker looked and acted, for good reason, as if he had never had so much fun on a campaign trail.

The day before in New Iberia, New Orleans then-mayor Mitch Landrieu, representing his sister in what I remember as a Legion Hall or Lions Club, or something like that, had a packed luncheon crowd hanging on his every word.

There was a combination in his speech of easy theatricality and yet down-home realism that would surely be unfamiliar to political audiences in, say, Wyoming or Kentucky or just about any other state.

The next day, back across the marsh in Gonzales, Cassidy campaigned at a huge expo center amid dozens of livestock stalls (empty) as Native Americans celebrated some drum-accompanied ceremony two pavilions away. In the other direction, another pavilion hosted a gun show. And as the

having my email inbox overflow, I want your suggestions. I am looking for both newsworthy developments and events and for people or places that have uniquely Louisianan character. I want to know who I should talk to, where I should go, what I should see.

I know I want to make stops in Winnfield and Natchitoches, but apart from that, my itinerary is wide open.

Look at your town’s or parish’s calendars for the spring season, think of your area’s stories you think are undertold, consider local traditions outsiders may not understand. Then write me about them at the email that appears at the end of this column. Politics, culture, business: You decide. If you think it’s newsworthy, let me know.

Don’t send me huge tomes. Just FILE PHOTO By JOHN MCCUSKER send a paragraph or two, preferPrancing prawns groove to the Trombone Shorty Academy at the second ably complete with internet links with more information in case I Louisiana Shrimp Festival/Shrimp Aid held Oct. 18 in New Orleans. want to read more. Don’t spend a ton of time on it, as I probably won’t even be able to reply to all think, is there such a wonderful various juxtapositions of Indian the notes I receive. If I do not reagglomeration of food, music, princesses and guns and horse friendliness, literature, sports, ply, please do not be offended, as stalls and politics played out, my local customs and so much, so alsometimes emails get lost in the mind flashed back to a Gonzales shuffle. But please do know that I Jambalaya Festival, complete most infinitely, more. with an even-more-than-prototypAll of which leads to this, to how will attempt to read and consider each suggestion you send. ically vibrant small-town parade, you as readers can help me.

Louisiana, give me your best.

Sometime this spring, say bethat I had enjoyed years before.

It all was terrific. tween mid-March and mid-May, I I am eager for a new re-exploraThere’s more personality in will put together a trip of five or tion.

Louisiana than anywhere else in six days throughout Louisiana, to America. And that was all just reacclimate to the state’s heart Email Quin Hillyer at quin. for politics. Nowhere else, I truly and marrow. And, at the risk of hillyer@theadvocate.com

Let’s hear it for the rhetorical firefighters to talk about specific policies, inAfter conservative activist Charlie Kirk was murdered in cluding homelessness.

September, Adrian Bruneau, the The effort led to an invitation chair of the Orleans Parto speak to the Forum for Equality, an LGBTQ ish Republican Executive rights organization. In Committee, looked for a general, Bruneau said, the way to create something conversations were progood out of something awful. ductive and led to at least So he decided to post an shared understandStephanie some open invitation on social ing and connection.

Grace media, modeled on Kirk’s I thought of Bruneau’s frequent request to “ask personal initiative reme anything.” cently when I came across a post “As the leader of the Republisomewhere on the internet, comcan Party in New Orleans I invite paring those who engage in the anyone who wants to sit down ugly, divisive and dehumanizing and talk to contact me,” Bruneau rhetoric that dominates Ameriwrote. “It’s all about respect. We can political life these days to may agree on some things, we arsonists, and likening those who may disagree, we might find we are motivated to tamp down the have a lot in common.” division as firefighters. As a sociHe got a handful of takers, ety, the author of the post wrote, mostly acquaintances. Some “had we’re paying way too much ata lot of frustration with” Donald tention to the arsonists, when we Trump’s lack of civility. To them, should be lifting up the rhetoriBruneau said he tried to explain cal firefighters instead. the president’s “psychology,” And I have to say that Bruneau including his New York outer is far from the only such fireborough attitude. Others wanted fighter I’ve heard from lately. In

fact, here in Louisiana, they’re all around us.

For the last several years, a group of New Orleans civic leaders calling themselves “The Neutral Ground” has hosted several discussions on topics such as education and incarceration.

Members commit to “influence our discourse for the better,” to “think independently,” to “treat others who disagree with us with respect” and to “model this behavior for others.” (Note: I’ve moderated several of these sessions, and this newspaper is a partner).

This fall, there was a different but similarly themed gathering called “Pop the Bubble.” Held in New Orleans at “Beanlandia,” the headquarters of the Krewe of Red Beans (also moderated by me), the cheeky twist here was that organizer Devin De Wulf had cat videos ready to play, in case tensions rose too high.

A more formalized program has been underway since the summer in Baton Rouge, led by

the Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs at LSU and the Public Affairs Research Council.

The “Common Ground Project” aims to offer opportunities for students and community members to engage constructively across ideological lines and viewpoints.

The project has hosted several gatherings and plans a survey to collect information on political polarization in the state.

Also looking to get in on the trend is Ellevate Louisiana, a nonpartisan women’s policy group founded by Julie Stokes, a former Republican legislator who experienced blowback firsthand when she sought to work with Democratic colleagues and then-Gov. John Bel Edwards to solve the state’s fiscal problems.

The group held a brainstorming session earlier this month.

I’m sure there are more out there, acting individually or collectively, because I’m quite sure there are more people in our state and in our country who see

value in coming together, rather than tearing ourselves apart.

Bruneau thinks so, too. In his view, it’s the internet’s algorithms that are stoking the polarizing tone.

“They set us up to act like babies, when we should be discussing, not dehumanizing,” he said. “I personally detest it when all we’re hearing is from the extremes.”

He noted that he grew up with another model, his Republican father, former state Rep. Peppi Bruneau, who worked with the Democrats who back then dominated state politics.

And he’s following in his father’s footsteps as a transition committee member for New Orleans Mayor-elect Helena Moreno, a Democrat.

“Helena and I are a living example. We want the city to live up to its full potential,” he said.

There, does that sound so hard?

Email Stephanie Grace at sgrace@theadvocate.com.

The reality of affordability is not a hoax “From the day I take the oath of ics” and failed badly. Reality is office, we’ll rapidly drive prices not a hoax. down and make America affordInflation is running at 3%, down from its peak under able again.” That was DonBiden, but still a burden ald Trump, speaking at a for working families. Galcampaign rally in Pennsylvania last year. But this lup’s latest economic conyear, he is denouncing risfidence index plummeted last month to its lowest ing costs as a “Democrat point since July of last hoax” and “Joe Biden’s Steve inflation crisis” and deRoberts year. Just 27% said the U.S. economy is improvclaring, “affordability is the greatest con job.” ing, while 68% said it’s Trump has always been a show- worsening.

In a Politico survey, almost half man, focused on the next episode say the cost of living in the U.S. is of his reality series. “the worst they can ever rememThat mindset works well when he’s the challenger, the outsider, ber it being,” and that view is held conducting a campaign that goes by 37% of 2024 Trump voters. from rally to podcast, from TikAbout 1 in 4 American households are living paycheck to paycheck.

Tok to Truth Social, employing The percentage of subprime borhis superb performance skills to win the day. rowers who are late on car loans But today he is the president, has doubled to an all-time high. the nation’s leader. He is responYet Trump seems focused on issible for the state of the economy, sues that don’t matter to the dayand blaming others for rising to-day lives of these struggling prices and strained budgets families — deporting immigrants, doesn’t work. He can’t talk — or bombing alleged drug runners, perform — his way out of trouble. building ballrooms, lusting after Biden tried that with “Bidenomthe Nobel Peace Prize.

Trump will never run for office again, but Republicans who will be on the ballot next year are increasingly worried about this disconnect between the president and the voting public.

“Any Republican who refuses to admit we have an affordability problem is not listening to the American people,” former House speaker Newt Gingrich, a Trump loyalist, said on CNN. “It’s real because the American people think it’s real. I cannot overstate that — in a free country — it’s the people who define what is real, not the politicians.”

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Pennsylvania Republican defending a district Trump lost in 2024, says Trump is in denial about affordability anxiety. “Believe me — I hear it every day back home. It’s real,” he told CNN. Soon, those stresses could get even worse.

COVID-era subsidies that helped about 22 million Americans pay for health insurance are about to run out, and many face a doubling of their premiums. But the president and Republicans in

Congress seem incapable of devising any sort of remedy.

Trump has never been interested in the tedious business of policymaking, and when he does acknowledge the issue of affordability, he offers unworkable proposals reeking of showmanship and branded with his name — $2,000 rebate checks financed by tariff revenue or 50-year mortgages that would produce some short-term benefits but also create huge long-term burdens.

In a way, Trump is a victim of his own success. The president fills the national stage and screen.

He’s everywhere all the time — dominating TV and social media, closing agencies and firing workers, hosting visitors, posting memes and boasting about being the most powerful and successful president of all time.

But all that self-glorification can backfire when he tries to blame Biden for the most critical problem facing voters. It’s a profoundly mixed message. And it rings false.

“Voters aren’t going to go, ‘I

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE ARE OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the

voted for Trump to better the economy, but Biden just hamstrung (him) too much,’” Republican strategist Barrett Marson told Politico. “Voters are going to very quickly forget about Joe Biden and just as quickly turn their ire to Trump unless things get better.”

Trump’s a victim of another factor as well: his own ego, his refusal to admit any sort of weakness or failure, his intractable inability to identify with the suffering of others. Gingrich understands this flaw in Trump and explains: “Psychologically, he hates to admit being in a hole. His whole career is built around forcing the positive.”

Trump has now embarked on a campaign to generate a more upbeat public mood, starting with a rally in Pennsylvania in which he summarized his party’s message: “They caused the high prices, and we’re bringing them down.” But voters know that’s not true.

Email Steven Roberts at stevecokie@gmail.com.

writer’s city of residence. The Advocate | The Times-Picayune require a street 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 A LETTER, SCAN HERE

6B ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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ALMANAC

AIR QUALITY

LAFAyETTE THROUGH 5 P.M. SATURDAy

YESTERDAY

TEMPERATURE

High/low Normal high/low Record high Record low

GOOD

75°/41° 64°/45° 79° in 2017 21° in 1901

MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

READING 42

TODAY

PRECIPITATION

GOOD

24 hours through 5 p.m. Sat. 0.00” Month to date (normal) 7.02” (3.02”) year to date (normal) 71.85” (60.87”)

MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

SUN AND MOON Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today

FIRST

7:00 a.m.

5:12 p.m.

8:30 a.m.

6:39 p.m.

DEC 27

SOURCE: AIRNOW.GOV

FULL

LAST

NEW

JAN 3

JAN 10

JAN 18

THE NATION AND WORLD Today City

LOUISIANA FORECAST

RIVER STAGES MISSISSIPPI

Monroe 62/56

Shreveport 63/55

Jackson 67/58

Longview 61/55

Many 67/56

Hattiesburg 74/60

Alexandria 72/59

Memphis Vidalia-Natchez Red River Landing Baton Rouge Donaldsonville Reserve New Orleans OHIO

Cairo COMITE

Near Olive

Baton Rouge 80/64 Beaumont 78/64

Lafayette

Port Arthur 76/64

AMITE

Near Darlington Denham Springs Port Vincent

New Orleans 78/63

Lake Charles 79/63

TICKFAW

Montpelier Holden

Houma 79/62

ATCHAFALAYA

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

TIDES HIGH

First FT. LOW

Lake Pontchartrain (Tchefuncte River) 7:47a 0.6 Shell Beach 2:01a 1.5 South Point, Marsh Island 12:37a 1.5 Cypremort Point 10:08p 1.6 Grand Isle (Barataria Pass) 10:10p 1.1 Mississippi River (Southwest Pass) 9:24p 1.4 Wine Island 11:18p 1.3

FT.

7:43p -0.2 1:27p -0.3 8:30a -0.7 12:29p -0.2 8:59a -0.5 7:09a -0.6 10:01a -0.6

HIGH

Second FT. LOW

FT.

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Forecasts and graphics, except KATC forecasts, provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2025

N O R T H A M ER I CA’S

Simmesport Melville Krotz Springs Butte La Rose Bayou Sorrel Morgan City

34 48 48 35 27 22 17

-7.50 11.80 17.10 6.00 3.70 2.33 2.30

-0.65 -0.44 +0.30 -0.60 -0.50 -0.57 -0.19

40

7.89

-1.09

19

-1.39

-0.01

18 29 8

-0.77 10.66 1.86

-0.06 -0.16 +0.10

13 15

1.78 1.20

-0.23 -0.08

47 34 29 20 12 6

5.23 3.59 3.33 2.60 2.60 2.17

+0.28 +0.14 -0.36 -0.21 +0.20 -0.83

The World Amsterdam Bangkok Barcelona Berlin Brussels Cairo Dublin Frankfurt Havana Hong Kong Jerusalem

Lo

W

Hi

Lo

W

City

67 45 59 -26 84 67 43 83 52

52 23 50 -37 74 47 28 72 31

s pc r s sh pc s sh pc

75 35 72 -28 82 69 55 81 59

67 29 64 -37 72 49 48 73 54

pc s pc s sh pc pc pc pc

New Orleans Orlando Philadelphia Phoenix Pittsburgh Raleigh St. Louis San Diego Tampa

50 91 61 44 53 75 49 46 84 80 59

40 73 44 37 37 55 44 35 70 63 41

c s pc c c pc c pc t s pc

44 91 52 41 45 72 50 43 82 74 60

37 74 39 32 33 55 41 34 69 64 42

pc s pc c pc pc sh pc s s pc

Kuwait City London Madrid Mexico City Montreal Moscow New Delhi Paris Rome Stockholm Tokyo

Hi

Today

Monday

Lo

W

Hi

Lo

W

78 80 46 81 32 59 43 67 79

63 58 26 53 18 27 32 54 59

c s s s s s pc pc s

73 77 39 80 38 49 52 65 80

58 61 32 57 32 34 45 55 64

c pc pc s pc s pc c s

67 51 46 72 31 34 67 53 61 39 66

46 45 31 49 12 32 51 45 46 27 48

s sh r pc sf c pc r pc s sh

70 51 44 67 22 34 68 52 61 34 53

51 42 37 49 10 13 53 38 52 27 39

pc c pc pc sn c pc pc c c pc

Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.

-10

-0s

0s

10s 20s 30s 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s 90s 100s 110s

SOLUNAR TABLE The solunar period schedule allows planning days so you will be fishing in good territory or hunting in good cover during those times. Major periods begin at the times shown and last for 1.5 to 2 hours. The minor periods are shorter.

Today Mon. Tue. Wed. Thu. Fri. Sat.

Major

Minor

Major

Minor

11:34a 5:50a ---- 6:16p 12:32a 6:45a 12:57p 7:10p 1:27a 7:39a 1:51p 8:03p 2:20a 8:32a 2:43p 8:55p 3:11a 9:23a 3:34p 9:45p 4:00a 10:11a 4:22p 10:33p 4:47a 10:58a 5:09p 11:21p

Shown are areas of precipitation and high temperatures for the day.

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SPORTS

T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M

|

S u n d ay, d e c e m b e r 21, 2025

JE T S AT SAIN T S • NOON SUNDAy • CBS

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Saints defensive end Chase young stops Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle during the first half of a game at the Caesars Superdome on Dec. 14.

Redirected Chase

1cn

Getting to know LSU’s bowl opponent Houston LSU faces Houston on Saturday in the Texas Bowl, a rare meeting between two relatively close schools.

Only 272 miles separate the two campuses, but this will be just the fourth game between Scott the Tigers and Cougars, Rabalais the first in a bowl and the first since 2000. LSU holds a 2-1 edge. ä LSU vs.

Chances are, you don’t Houston, know much about the 8:15 P.M. University of Houston SATURDAy, ESPN or the Cougars football program other than the names. Here’s eight things to get you acquainted:

1. The school

Saints DE young focuses on player he is now, not ‘generational’ hype

A relative newcomer compared to other major universities in Texas, the University of Houston was founded in 1927 as Houston Junior College.

Primarily a teachers college, it shared a campus with a local high school, not becoming UH until 1934, not having its own campus until 1939 and not becoming a state institution until 1963. These days, UH is booming with a record 48,972 students this fall on three campuses in the Houston area.

BY MATTHEW PARAS

2. Meet the Cougars

Staff writer

Chase Young insists he was labeled a bust four games into his career.

This seems highly unlikely, if not outright false. For one, the New Orleans Saints defensive end, then with Washington, doesn’t specify who wrote him off.

And at that point in the season, Young had racked up 21/ 2 sacks in his first three outings before a groin injury forced him out

of the lineup in Week 4.

A bust? Who would jump to such conclusions so early on?

Memory can be a fickle thing. The closest thing that comes to meeting Young’s claim was a Washington Post column from weeks later that declared he wasn’t meeting expectations — written right before the seven-week surge that propelled Young to the Defensive Rookie of the Year award and helped push the Commanders into the playoffs.

But standing at his locker, days before Sunday’s game against the New York Jets, Young has a larger point to make about the narratives that follow him.

“I got hurt and they said I was terrible,” Young said. “Then I got a contract. Now, I’m good. So now what? You know what I’m saying? I could care less what anybody ever said.”

For a man who supposedly doesn’t hear

ä See YOUNG, page 4C

UL men’s hoops puts end to 10-game slide

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

UL’s 10-game losing streak is over with an exclamation point.

The Ragin’ Cajuns led from tip to final buzzer Saturday for a convincing 76-62 road win over UL-Monroe at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.

The Cajuns are 2-11 overall and 1-1 in league play, while the Warhawks fell to 3-10 and 0-2.

UL will play Norfolk State at 2 p.m. Dec. 28 before returning to Sun Belt play at home against South Alabama at noon Dec. 31.

“I’m just so elated and excited for these guys,” UL assistant coach Josh White said.

White served as the lead coach Saturday because head coach Quannas White was suspended for one game because of his ejection at Southern Miss on Thursday.

As soon as the game ended, the Cajuns sprinted to the locker

room to celebrate the big win with their head coach.

“We couldn’t wait to get back there to coach Q,” Josh White said. “Just as I am, he’s so excited for these guys. To keep fighting and to overcome all the adversity that they’re going through, I’m just happy we continuing to grow and move in the right direction.”

Saturday was the kind of shooting game the Cajuns haven’t enjoyed this season, hitting 52% from the floor. UL made a season-high 10 3-pointers on 21 attempts.

Perhaps the biggest illustration of how different this game was for UL was De’Vion Lavergne, who scored a careerhigh 16 points. After struggling from the field for most of the season, the bench erupted when Lavergne knocked down an offbalance 3-pointer with 1:08 left

Houston, led by second-year and former Tulane coach Willie Fritz, went 9-3 this season and tied for fourth in the Big 12 at 6-3. Houston athletic director Eddie Nunez, who arrived in 2024 from the University of New Mexico, worked at LSU for 14 years and rose to be deputy athletic director. The Cougars are led on offense by former Texas A&M quarterback Conner Weigman. A dual threat, he’s thrown for 2,475 yards and 21 touchdowns this season with nine interceptions, and he has rushed for 844 yards and 11 touchdowns. Wide receiver Amare Thomas was a first-team All-Big 12 selection with 59 catches for 906 yards and 10 TDs. Defensively, the Cougars are led by All-Big 12 defensive lineman Carlos Allen (team-high 75 tackles) and cornerback Latrell McCutchin (46 tackles, nine PBUs).

3. Houston’s Heisman Born in Galveston, Texas, Andre Ware became the Cougars’ first and only Heisman Trophy winner in 1989.

Ware went to UH in 1986 but was ruled academically ineligible, forcing him to attend nearby Alvin Community College where he worked two jobs to pay for tuition before rejoining the Cougars program in 1987. After a solid season in 1988 (2,507 yards passing, 25 touchdowns), Ware and Houston took off in 1989 as he threw for 4,699 yards and 46 touchdowns while setting 26 NCAA records. The Cougars averaged 53.5 points per game in a 9-2 season that did not include a bowl because of NCAA probation. Ware won the Heisman by just 70 points over Indiana running back Anthony Thompson, 1,073-1,003.

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

UL guard De’Vion Lavergne scored a career-high 16 points to help ä See UL MEN, page 6C the Cajuns claim a 76-62 road win over UL-Monroe on Saturday.

4. Game of the century Say “Game of the century” to LSU

ä See RABALAIS, page 3C

Without Kiffin, Ole Miss rides out Wave

BY BRETT MARTEL AP sportswriter

OXFORD, Miss. — Trinidad Chambliss ran for two touchdowns and passed for another, and No. 6-seeded Ole Miss looked unfazed by the defection of coach Lane Kiffin, beating No. 11-seeded Tulane 41-10 on Saturday in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

Scoring runs of 20 yards by Kewan Lacy and 4 yards by Chambliss gave Ole Miss (12-1) a 14-0 lead before eight minutes had elapsed in ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JAMES PUGH the coaching debut of Pete Golding, who was promoted from defensive Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss scores a touchdown against coordinator after Kiffin left for Tulane on Saturday in Oxford, Miss.

LSU on Nov. 30.

Next up for Golding and Ole Miss: a CFP quarterfinal against No. 2 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1 Tulane (11-3) and quarterback Jake Retzlaff moved the ball effectively at times, but the Rebels — who beat the Green Wave 45-10 on Sept. 20 — remained comfortably ahead throughout. Cornerback Jaylon Braxton had an early interception, and the Rebels’ defense had multiple fumble recoveries and fourth-down stops.

While Kiffin had asked to keep coaching Ole Miss through the playoff even while working for its Southeastern Conference rival, athletic director Keith Carter would not allow it. So the Rebels entered

arguably the most significant game ever played at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium with a new coach — not to mention an unprecedented level of looming staff and roster uncertainty for a team contending for a national title.

In Mississippi’s famed Grove, artwork around tailgate tents depicted Kiffin in a negative light, including one showing him on a Christmas “naughty” list, with Golding in the “nice” column.

When Golding walked onto the field during warm-ups, the crowd roared. Fans continued cheering as Eli Manning, a former Ole Miss QB

ä See TULANE, page 3C

2C ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS On TV MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL 11 a.m. Pittsburgh vs. Penn St. BTN Noon Vanderbilt at Wake Forest CW Noon Ole Miss vs. NC State ESPN Noon Southern U. at Baylor TNT 2 p.m.

Cincinnati at Clemson ESPN 2 p.m.

Oregon St. at Arizona St. ESPN2 3 p.m.

North Florida at Miami ACCN 3 p.m.

UC Santa Cruz at Southern Cal BTN 3 p.m.

La Salle at Michigan Peacock 3:30 p.m. UConn at DePaul FS1 5 p.m.

Campbell at Minnesota BTN 5 p.m.

Oregon vs. Gonzaga Peacock 7 p.m.

N. Dakota at Nebraska BTN WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL 11 a.m. Kennesaw St. at Miami ACCN 11 a.m. NC State at Davidson CBSSN Noon Kansas at Iowa St. ESPN2

1 p.m.

North Florida at Clemson ACCN 1 p.m.

Texas at S. Dakota St. CBSSN 1 p.m.

Texas-Arlington at LSU SECN 5 p.m.

Oregon vs. Stanford ESPN 7:30 p.m. Southern Cal vs. California ESPN WOMEN’S COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL 2:30 p.m. NCAA Tourn.: Tex.A&M vs. Kentucky ABC COLLEGE WRESTLING 1 p.m.

Oklahoma St. at Nebraska BTN GOLF 10:30 a.m. PNC Championship Golf 12:30 p.m. PNC Championship NBC HORSE RACING 1:30 p.m. America’s Day at the Races FS1 3:30 p.m. America’s Day at the Races FS2 NBA G-LEAGUE 11 a.m. Austin vs. Maine NBATV Noon Grand Rapids vs. Raptors ESPNU 1:30 p.m. Greensboro vs. San Diego NBATV 2:30 p.m. Stockton vs. Salt Lake ESPNU

IN BRIEF

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

4 p.m.

Noblesville vs. Santa Cruz NBATV 5 p.m.

Wisconsin vs. South Bay ESPNU 7:30 p.m. Delaware vs. Texas ESPNEWS NFL Noon N.y. Jets at New Orleans CBS Noon L.A. Chargers at Dallas Fox 3:25 p.m. Pittsburgh at Detroit CBS 7:20 p.m. New England at Baltimore NBC NHL Noon Washington at Detroit NHLN 6 p.m.

Toronto at Dallas NHLN MEN’S SOCCER 5:30 a.m. Pisa SC at Cagliari CBSSN 7:25 a.m. Rangers at Heart of Midlothian CBSSN 7:35 a.m. AS Monaco FC at AJ Auxerre FS2 10:20 a.m. L.S. Vendée at Stade Rennais FS2 10:30 a.m. Man. United at Aston Villa NBC TENNIS 11 a.m. Next Gen Finals: Final Tennis

Defense rules the day at Senior Bowl

BY MIKE COPPAGE Contributing writer

Defense is mostly an afterthought in all-star football games.

It starts at the top, where the NFL plays touch football in the All-Pro game, but defenses ruled in the inaugural Acadiana Senior Bowl on Saturday at Lafayette Christian.

Defenders weren’t the only ones distributing licks, as Team Heritage quarterback Khyrie Francisco of St. Martinville leveled his shoulder and jolted the crowd with head-on collisions against opponents from Team Legacy in a 21-0 win for his team.

Francisco threw a long touchdown to Lafayette High’s Kaleb Faulk on the game’s second play, and co-MVP Montana Brown of Eunice threw touchdowns to coMVP Draylon August of Lafayette Christian and Abbeville’s Cameron Samuels, the final score with under a minute left.

“We thought it would be a shootout when Team Heritage threw that bomb, but the defenses turned it on really quick, which doesn’t surprise me, given the quality of coaches on each side of the ball,” said bowl administrator and LCA head coach Matt Standiford.

Co-MVP Kendrick Cahee of Lafayette High intercepted two passes for Team Heritage, which held opposing quarterbacks Luke Baudoin of Church Point and Catholic High’s Xander LaBauve to 4-of-22 passing for 43 yards.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

Lafayette High defensive back Kendrick Cahee intercepted two passes in Saturday’s Acadiana Senior Bowl all-star game at Lafayette Christian.

“I told the kids it’s a little harder to come here and play offense with guys you’re not familiar with,” Standiford said. “On defense, you just put your hand on the ground and go.”

Later in the first half, Northside’s Kavin Mouton blocked a field goal attempt by Team Heritage, but Team Legacy was penalized for rushing too many players — another sign of the relaxed rules in all-star games that favor offenses.

Brown capitalized on the mistake, finding August for a 20-yard touchdown. August also intercepted a pass. Southside defensive backs Cameron Allen (Legacy) and Emanual Collins (Heritage) each intercepted a pass — on opposing teams.

“Brown did a great job commanding the offense,” Standiford said. “We were planning to play Francisco at safety, but he came here, played quarterback and did some good things.”

Francisco was held to negative rushing yardage — like the other quarterbacks — but began the game 5-of-6 passing for 116 yards.

He completed a 50-yard strike to August as well.

The struggling Team Legacy offense tried running the Wildcat with Northwest’s Ke’Von Johnson taking direct snaps, but he was bottled up (16 carries, 35 yards) by a defensive front spearheaded

by Southside’s Shamar Broussard, Westgate’s David Antoine, LCA’s Jayden Arceneaux, Iota’s Mason Lantz, Cecilia’s Braylon Jones, St. Martinville’s Kohen Clues and Erath’s Jahlil Charles.

St. Martinville’s Christian Cleary forced a fumble on one play which Clues recovered.

“Clues stepped up and made a lot of tackles in the run game, and you could tell he was one of the guys out there organizing and getting people ready to go,” Standiford said.

Also, Lafayette High’s Claude Alexander and Northside’s Paul Cluse made a number of good defensive plays.

Representatives from four colleges were present to watch and evaluate players. Nicholls State, which holds a verbal commitment from Allen, was among the colleges in attendance.

“I want to thank everyone who came out today,” Standiford said.

“It went better than expected. We knew we’d have a decent turnout with over 95 local players, but to have over 400 people was great.”

PREP REPORT Basketball Boys at Southside High

Welsh vs. St. Amant 54, Welsh 12 (girls) Lacassine 77, Welsh 35 (boys) Midland 51, Lacassine 34 (girls) Midland 65, South Beauregard 58 (boys)

Lafayette High 59, Thibodaux 55 St. Louis 46, St. Martinville 33 Zachary 80, Ellender 39 David Thibodaux 59, Evangel 45

Breaux Bridge 34, Welsh 32 (girls) Breaux Bridge 72, Welsh 43 (boys) Crowley 56, S. Beauregard 44 (boys) Midland 53, St. Amant 36 (girls)

Southside Tournament

Saturday’s Games

Friday’s games

Other games Boys basketball

Saturday’s games

Lafayette High 62, St. Louis 55 David Thibodaux 43, Plaquemine 34 Southside vs. Ellender Captain Shreve vs. Zachary

Northside 81, New Iberia 56 Carencro 56, Cecilia 54 Central Catholic 64, Erath 35 Berwick 64, Kaplan 60 Vermilion Catholic 49, St. Edmund 44 Iota 65, Basile 35

Teurlings Round Robin

Boys at Teurlings Catholic

Friday’s Games

Jackson, Ohio 75, St. Thomas More 59

Jeanerette 59, Family Christian 37

East Iberville 53, North Vermilion 38

NORTH VERMILION (38) Jayvin Gage 6, Zarian Gage 10, RJ Conway 2, Jose Sotomayor 4, Eli Dubois 4, Kylan Martin 2, Mason Dauterive 7, Johnny Aubrey 3. Totals: 8 (4) 10-17.

EAST IBERVILLE (53) Jordan Scharnett 21, AJ Wilson 7, Chris Reed 2, Collin Banks 19, Isaiah Johnson 4. Totals: 18 (5) 2-5.

North Vermilion 7 12 11 8 38 East Iberville 24 10 13 6 53 3-pointers - NV: Z. Gage 2, Dauterive 2; EI: Scharnett 3, Wilson 1, Banks 1. Total Fouls: NV 8, EI 15.

Mamou 41, Ascension Episcopal 29

MAMOU (41) Ernest Dugas 3, Javion Charles 5, Jamison Wiltz 10, Mauri Edwards 2, Braxton Ardoin 15, Braylen Griffin 3, Mattio Mazzae 3. Totals: 15 (3) 2-5.

ASCENSION EPISCOPAL (29) DJ Kelly 6, Christian Huggard 12, Ian Trawick 2, Jack Boudreaux 8, TJ Ledet 1. Totals: 7 (4) 3-5.

Mamou 14 6 9 12 41 Ascension 6 5 7 11 - 29 3-pointers - Mamou: Charles 1, Griffin 1, Mazzae 1; AES; Kelly 1, Huggard 2, Boudreaux 1. Total Fouls: Mamou 9, AES 7.

Teurlings 50, Acadiana Renaissance 39

TEURLINGS (50) Brewer Cain 6, Teyerance Alfred 6, Landon LeMaison 4, Jordan Sinegal 14, AJ Price 15, Bryson Moore 2, Gary LaBue 3. Totals: 18 (4) 2-13.

ACADIANA RENAISSANCE (39) Dane David 12, Kruise Olivier 3, Karson Buggs 7, Karter Domontier 11, Kristian Aubrey 6. Totals: 8 (6) 5-7.

Teurlings 17 6 12 15 50 ARCA 11 11 15 2 39 3-pointers - TEUR: Cain 2, Price 1, LaBue 1; ARCA: David 4, Olivier 1, Domontier 1. Total Fouls: TEUR 8, ARCA 12.

Catholic-NI 66, Church Point 51

CATHOLIC (66) Leyton Mitchell 9, Karon Eugene 17, Wilfred Andrus 11, Jules Davis 2, Joab Trosclair 17, Grayson Varnado 2, Jacob Mineville 8. Totals: 23 (1) 17-32.

CHURCH POINT (51) Grant Bertrand 1, Noah Wiltz 10, Kylan Monroe 1, AJ Chachere 5, Brennan Citizen 4, Jarrison Reese 29, Luke Baudoin 1. Totals: 12 (3) 18-30.

Catholic 11 17 19 19 - 66 Church Point 9 16 21 12 - 51 3-pointers - CATH: Andrus 1; CP: Chachere 1, Reese 2. Total Fouls: CATH 24, CP 25.

Notre Dame 37, ESA 22

NOTRE DAME (37) R Hetzel 8, A. Hoffpauir 20, T. Savant 6, L. Swacker 3. Totals: 12 13-27.

EPISCOPAL SCHOOL ACADIANA (22) Jesse LeJeune 6, Anison Meaux 2, Turner Gachassin 3, Colby Huffman 4, Jackson Strain 1, Tripp Kordisch 3, Ryan Minniex 3.

Dame 8 4 16 9 37 Notre ESA 4 4 9 5 - 22 3-pointers - ESA: Gachassin 1, Kordisch 1.

Total Fouls: ND 15, ESA 23.

Saturday’s Games

Mamou 64, North Vermilion 31

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE

Teurlings Catholic’s De’Von Warren shoots during a game against Westminster at the Teurlings Round Robin Tournament on Thursday.

Acadiana Renaissance vs. Church Point Parkview Baptist vs. Catholic-NI, n Teurlings vs. Opelousas Catholic, n ESA vs. Westminster-Lafayette, n

Family Christian 53, Loreauville 42

LOREAUVILLE (42) Darrell Ceasar 6, Steve Ceasar 4, Zedric Giarratano 3, Christopher Jones 5, Blaise Romero 11, Jakayrn Butler 11, Nijil Nora 2. Totals: 14 (2) 8-18.

FAMILY CHRISTIAN (53) Cade Austin 19, Marcus Anderson 9, Asher Bolander 5, Cyre Bellamy 3, Letraiila Woodward 15, RJ Smith 2. Totals: 10 (8) 9-16.

Loreauville 2 12 15 13 – 42 Family Christian 11 12 14 16 - 53 3-pointers – LOR: Butler 2 ; FCA: Austin 3, Bolander 1, Bellamy 1, Woodard 3, . Total Fouls: LOR 13, FCA 17.

Comeaux 53, East Iberville 51

COMEAUX (53) Charles Lee 14, Khali Johnson 8, Jakari Frank 10, Amontee Abraham 3, Rashad Bessard 3, Terrance Roy 12, Braylen Ward 2. Totals: 16 (4) 8-14.

EAST IBERVILLE (51) Trochon Johnson 5, Chase Joseph 13, Jordan Scharnett 10, Chris Reed 2, Collin Banks 17, Isaiah Johnson 4.

Totals: 15 (4) 9-10.

Comeaux 11 10 8 18 53 East Iberville 11 6 16 14 – 51 3-pointers – EI: T. Johnson 1, Banks 3; COM: Johnson 2, Bessard 1, Roy 1. Total Fouls: EI 16, COM 13.

Coca-Cola Classic

Boys at Lafayette Renaissance

Friday’s Games

Liberty 46, Patterson 41 Westgate vs. Donaldsonville Terrebonne 42, Abbeville 38 Marksville 48, Hannan 36 Lafayette Renaissance 67, Rayne 66

Saturday’s Games

Rayne vs. Abbeville Hannan vs. Patterson East St. John vs. Westgate-Donaldsonville winner EG3-Texas vs. Liberty McKinley vs. Marksville, n Lafayette Renaissance vs. Terrebonne, n

Acadiana Tournament

Girls at Acadiana High, Lafayette Christian

Friday’s Games

Lafayette High 40, Buckeye 34

Liberty 44, New Iberia 32 West Monroe 44, Woodlawn 39 E.D. White 36, Barbe 33 Karr 55, Alexandria 48 Zachary 46, Lafayette Christian 35

Acadiana 71, Central Lafourche 27

ACADIANA (71) Brea Moncada 2, Brooklyn White 14, Jayla Carmouche 25, Izzy Ledet 10, Destini Fandong 8, Antoinette Sittig 12.

Totals: 30 (2) 5-9.

CENTRAL LAFOURCHE (27) Avery Bollinger 10, Jennifer Hester 3, De’Kylah Ingram 13.

Totals: 5 (2) 11-15.

Acadiana 26 28 6 11 71 C. Lafourche 11 4 8 4 27 3-pointers - ACAD: Carmouche 1, Sittig 1; CL: Bollinger 2. Total Fouls: ACAD 16, CL 10.

Saturday’s Games

Lafayette High 35, West Monroe 30 Zachary 65, Barbe 24 Buckeye 44, Karr 32 E.D. White 45, New Iberia 30 Liberty 65, Tioga 57 Lafayette Christian 47, Woodlawn 44 Central Lafourche vs. Cecilia

Acadiana 53, Cecilia 30

CECILIA (30) L. Savoy 5, L. Hill 9, J. Shelvin 12, L. Williams 4. Totals: 11 (1) 5-11 ACADIANA (53) Brea Moncada 5, Brooklyn White 9, Jayla Carmouche 13, Izzy Ledet 14, Destini Fondong 6, Antoinette Sittig 6.

Totals: 18 (3) 8-12.

Cecilia 6 3 13 8 30 Acadiana 11 16 14 12 53 3-pointers - CEC: Shelvin 1; ACAD: Ledet 2, Moncada 1. Total Fouls: ACAD 18, CEC 13.

St. Landry Parish Tournament

Boys, girls at Beau Chene High

Friday’s Games

Beau Chene 40, Eunice 22 (girls) Opelousas 58, North Central 37 (girls) JS Clark-Port Barre vs. Northwest (girls) Opelousas 64, Beau Chene 47 (boys) Northwest 61, North Central 57 (boys)

Midland Spectacular

Boys, girls at Midland High

Thursday’s Games

Lacassine 57, Crowley 56 (boys) Lacassine 68, Breaux Bridge 30 (girls) Breaux Bridge 65, Midland 47 (boys) Midland 56, Northside 52 (girls)

Friday’s Games

ST. THOMAS MORE (59) John Michael Charbonnet 2, Matthew Cook 14, Ryan Robertson 22, Davis Lerille 1, Michael Lacour 13, Xarian Babineaux 7. Totals: 13 (7) 12-21.

JACKSON (75) Chase Maurer 13, Kaden Loy 26, Jackson Bowen 8, Mason Morris 15, Carter Muhleman 2, Ethan O’Byrne 11.

Totals: 13 (14) 7-7.

STM 21 11 17 10 59 Jackson 20 17 17 21 75 3-pointers - STM: Cook 3, Robertson 3, Lacour 1; JACK: Maurer 3, Loy 5, Bowen 2, Morris 1, O’Byrne 3. Total Fouls: STM 7, JACK 13.

Girls basketball Friday’s games

David Thibodaux 54, Pine Prairie 42 Ascension Episcopal 33, Patterson 24 West St. Mary 62, Erath 14 Central Catholic 74, Delcambre 36 Church Point 49, Acadiana Renaissance 28 Catholic-NI 39, Crowley 29 St. Edmund 59, Vermilion Catholic 37 St. Joseph’s 68, Lafayette Renaissance 18 Highland Baptist 52, Delcambre 16 Teurlings 60, West Feliciana 47

Soccer

LSU receiver Anderson declares for NFL draft

LSU redshirt junior wide receiver Aaron Anderson declared for the NFL draft Saturday, making it official that he will not use his final year of eligibility.

The decision was expected after Anderson participated in LSU’s senior night ceremony and accepted an invitation to the East-West Shrine Bowl. He announced the decision in social-media post.

Anderson, a New Orleans native, was one of LSU’s top wide receivers when healthy the past two years. He caught 106 passes for 1,341 yards and five touchdowns during his career.

As a five-star recruit in the 2022 recruiting class, Anderson signed with Alabama out of Edna Karr High. He spent one season with the Crimson Tide, but he did not play because of a knee injury.

Kuchar team leads by 2 at PNC Championship

ORLANDO, Fla. — Matt Kuchar and his college-bound son made birdie on all but three holes for a 15-under 57 to build a two-shot lead over John Daly and his college son in the PNC Championship on a gorgeous Saturday when both sons carried the load in a scramble format.

Cameron Kuchar, who is going to TCU next year, drilled a driver and hit wedge to a foot on the first hole for birdie. Matt Kuchar followed with a drive, wedge and a putt for birdie on the next. That’s when Cameron got the idea to keep track of “solo birdies” made on their own shots.

The game within a game — Cameron won — carried them to the low score at the Ritz-Carlton Club and a chance to win the Willie Park Trophy.

Paul says jaw is broken after KO loss to Joshua

MIAMI — Jake Paul’s jaw was broken in two places in his loss to former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in Miami.

Joshua scored a sixth-round knockout victory over Paul, who posted on Saturday an X-ray of his damaged jaw.

“Double broken jaw,” the YouTuber wrote on Instagram. “Give me Canelo in 10 days.” In a separate post from what appeared to be a hospital room, he added: “thanks for all the support I’m OK.” Joshua ended the heavyweight bout with a powerful punch to Paul’s jaw, sending the American to the canvas for the fourth and final time. Paul was counted out as he struggled to get to his feet.

Concerns were raised in the buildup due to the mismatch in size and skills. Paul weighed in at 216 pounds, and Joshua at 243.

Lugers Mueller, Haugsjaa get World Cup win for U.S.

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — Marcus Mueller and Ansel Haugsjaa won their first World Cup men’s doubles race on Saturday, prevailing on USA Luge’s home track at Mount Van Hoevenberg with a two-run time of 1 minute, 27.509 seconds.

Martins Bots and Roberts Plume of Latvia were second, and Yannick Müller and Armin Frauscher of Austria took third.

In women’s doubles, USA Luge got a medal as well. Austria won the race, with Selina Egle and Lara Kipp getting their 15th World Cup victory, with Dajana Eitberger and Magdalena Matschina of Germany placing third. The bronze went to Americans Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby.

Boys Destrehan 3, New Iberia 2 Catholic-NI 1, Menard 1 E.D. White 3, ESA 0 Live Oak 1, North Vermilion 0 Teurlings 3, University 1 Mandeville 1, Acadiana 0 Ascension Episcopal 8, Cecilia 0 Delta Charter 5, Lafayette Renaissance 4 Rapides 6, Highland Baptist 1 St. Thomas Aquinas 1, Acadiana Renaissance 1 Brother Martin 2, Teurlings 1 Denham Springs 2, Lafayette High 0 Highland Baptist 3, Delta Charter 1 Rapides 7, Lafayette Renaissance 1 Lafayette High 3, Walker 0 Southside 4, West Jefferson 1 Vermilion Catholic 5, Westgate 1 Westminster 2, St. Martinville 0 St. Thomas Aquinas 1, Lafayette Christian 0

Ascension Episcopal 8, Cecilia 0

Goals: Rusty Trotter 1, Hayes Trotter 1, Parker Roberts 1, Hayes Beaullieu 1, Lane Girouard 2, Hudson Campbell 1. Assists: Cameron Foret 2, JP Rholdon 1, Hayes Trotter 1, Lane Girouard 2, Rusty Trotter 1.

Girls

Catholic-NI 1, New Iberia 0 Teurlings 2, Northlake Christian 0 ESA 9, Westgate 0 David Thibodaux 2, Highland Baptist 0 Westminster 1, St. Martinville 0 Sam Houston 2, Highland Baptist 1 Vermilion Catholic 7, Opelousas Catholic 0 Acadiana Renaissance 3, Neville 0 Mandeville 1, North Vermilion 0 West Monroe 1, Acadiana Renaissance 0 Zachary 1, Teurlings 0 Lafayette High 5, Acadiana 0 West Monroe 1, Southside 0

ASU coach Dillingham signs 5-year extension

TEMPE, Ariz. — Kenny Dillingham insisted he had no interest in leaving Arizona State. All he wanted was for his program and assistant coaches to get the resources they needed to be successful.

Dillingham got his wish on Saturday, signing a five-year contract extension that will raise his salary to an average of $7.5 million per year and increase the salary pool for his assistants to $11 million — one of the highest in the Big 12.

Dillingham, 35, had been reportedly in the mix for high-profile jobs, insisting after a win against West Virginia that he wasn’t going anywhere. The ASU alum became the youngest coach in the FBS when he was hired at 32 and, after an injury-plagued first season, led the Sun Devils to the Big 12 championship.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● 3C

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Freshman Toney lifts Miami past A&M

WR redeems himself with late TD after fumble

BY KRISTIE RIEKEN

AP sportswriter

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Malachi Toney’s tiebreaking 11-yard touchdown reception with less than two minutes left lifted No. 10 seed Miami to a 10-3 victory over No. 7 Texas A&M on Saturday in the College Football Playoff.

Mark Fletcher had a career-high 172 yards rushing to help the Hurricanes (11-2) advance to the Cotton Bowl to face second-seeded Ohio State on Dec. 31.

Miami has won five straight since dropping two of three games.

“Forty-plus days ago, we were lower than low and found a way to just bring a different level of energy every single day and lift each

other and the program up,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. “And here we are with a chance to keep playing, and that’s all that matters now, 1-0.”

Toney’s big play came a series after what looked like a devastating mistake for the freshman. Toney made a reception, but Dalton Brooks knocked the ball out and Daymion Sanford recovered it on the Texas A&M 47 with about seven minutes to go. Teammates surrounded a visibly upset Toney on the bench, encouraging him and trying to keep him positive.

“You saw the entire team just go right to him after the fumble,” Cristobal said.

“Everybody trusts him. A lot of the reason we are here today is his playmaking abil-

ity. ... They knew that there was going to be some more football to be played, and he was going to be a big part of the reason we were going to have a chance to pull out the game.”

He and Miami’s offense got another chance when Rueben Bain sacked Marcel Reed on two of three plays on the ensuing drive to force a punt.

A career-long 56-yard run by Fletcher on the first play of the next drive got the Hurricanes to the Texas A&M 30 with about three minutes to go.

Miami used four more runs by Fletcher to get into scoring position before Toney took the short toss from Carson Beck and dashed into the end zone.

The Aggies had a chance

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SAM CRAFT

Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney returns a punt against Texas A&M during the second quarter Saturday in College Station, Texas. Toney’s 11-yard touchdown reception with less than two minutes remaining gave the Hurricanes a 10-3 win. to tie it after that, but Bryce Fitzgerald intercepted a pass for the second time — this time in the end zone — to end it.

The Hurricanes used a

suffocating defensive performance to stifle Texas A&M’s powerful offense, which entered the game averaging 36.3 points a game.

They harassed Reed into a

mistake-filled performance that included a first-quarter fumble along with the interceptions.

They sacked him seven times and flushed him out of the pocket and forced him to try to make tough throws again and again.

He was 25 of 39 for 257 yards but was unable to get the Aggies in the end zone for the first time this season.

“We thought this season obviously could have been a lot better than what it ended at, but we’re proud of what we accomplished,” Reed said. “We’re growing.”

After getting the last at-large bid in the playoff thanks to their win over Notre Dame in the opener, the Hurricanes now move on, with a chance to win their first national championship since 2001 in their first appearance in the CFP.

No. 1 Indiana looks to defy its painful past against Bama

BY CLIFF BRUNT

ä Rose Bowl: Alabama

Alabama and Indiana couldn’t have more different football histories.

This Indiana team couldn’t be more unlike the program’s painful past.

Alabama will play No. 1 Indiana in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1 in a national quarterfinal matchup between a blue blood and the ultimate upstart. Alabama is one of the most successful programs in college football, with six national titles this century.

Indiana has never won a New Year’s Six game and has no bowl victories since 1991.

Alabama (11-3) is well aware that this Indiana team is different. The Hoosiers (13-0) feature Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, and Indiana coach Curt Cignetti has been AP Coach of the Year the past two seasons.

The Hoosiers beat previous No. 1 Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game, showing they can handle a traditional power.

“We know they’re a special team and they’ve got a special season going, so it’ll be a great challenge for us,” DeBoer said.

Indiana looks forward to playing in the Rose Bowl, for years the assigned destination for the Big Ten champion.

“Obviously it’s the granddaddy of them all with a lot of great tradition involving the Big Ten, so we’re excited

about that,” Cignetti said.

“At the end of the day, you know, it’s a football game.

“We’ll approach it like every other game.”

Both coaching staffs have been involved with the other program. Cignetti was an assistant at Alabama from 2007 to 2011. DeBoer was offensive coordinator at Indiana in 2019, and defensive coordinator Kane Wommack was a defensive assistant there for three seasons.

Alabama proved it doesn’t worry about opponent or situation when the ninthseeded Crimson Tide rallied from a 17-point deficit to beat Oklahoma 34-24 on the road in the first round on Friday night.

“Man, I just think we’re a resilient team,” Alabama linebacker Deontae Lawson said. “Even though we were down 17-0, we didn’t really look at the scoreboard. We know Coach DeBoer always says keep playing and the game will come back to you.

That’s been our mindset all year.”

Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said the comeback against Oklahoma shows that the Crimson Tide are ready for the next step.

“That’s the guys I know,” he said. “That’s the fight that I saw all the way back in August and in spring, and just seeing it come to life today, the last thing I told them was job not done. We’re still rolling.”

vs. Indiana, 3 P.M. JAN. 1, ESPN

AP sportswriter

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ROGELIO V. SOLIS

Tulane quarterback Jake Retzlaff is pursued by Ole Miss linebacker Princewill Umanmielen on Saturday in Oxford, Miss.

TULANE

Continued from page 1C and two-time Super Bowl winner with the New York Giants, greeted the new Rebels coach on the sideline.

On the opposite sideline was Tulane coach Jon Sumrall, who was permitted to keep coaching the Green Wave after being hired by Florida. His hopes of returning to Tulane’s home city of New Orleans to prepare

RABALAIS

Continued from page 1C football fans and they’ll probably recall the Tigers’ 2011 win at Alabama. To a Houston fan, that phrase refers to a landmark 1968 college basketball game between Houston and UCLA, the first nationally televised regular-season college basketball game ever. Played before more than 52,000 fans in the Astrodome, No. 2 Houston and Elvin Hayes beat No. 1 UCLA and Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) 71-69. The Bruins got their revenge on the Cougars, however, routing Houston 101-69 in the national semifinals at that year’s Final Four in Los Angeles.

for the Sugar Bowl were dashed, and he’ll be packing up for Gainesville, Florida, to join the Gators.

Chambliss, who briefly left the game late in the first half after a big hit during an 11-yard scramble, finished with 282 yards passing. Lacy rushed for 87 yards before heading to the locker room in the fourth quarter with an apparent left shoulder injury. De’Zhaun Stribling caught five passes for 79 yards, including a 13-yard TD.

LSU transfer Logan Diggs added a 3-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Retzlaff finished with 306 yards passing and a TD for Tulane, whose loss dropped non-power conference teams to 0-3 in CFP games (with James Madison playing at Oregon later Saturday night). Jamauri McClure gained 84 yards on 15 carries.

The Green Wave could not afford a poor start on defense and got exactly that as the Rebels scored

two TDs on their first seven offensive plays. As in the teams’ first meeting, Tulane moved the ball in spurts, finishing with 421 yards, but could not sustain drives long enough to score.

Kiffin’s absence didn’t inhibit the Rebels’ explosiveness on offense — at least not against a team from the Group of Five. The Rebels finished with 497 yards of total offense, including four plays that went for 25 yards or more.

5. Cougar sign

Houston Zoo before being distributed for that semester’s graduation ceremony.

boys coach Tom Landry …

Masters champions Nick Faldo, Fred Couples and Fuzzy Zoeller … Journalist Dan Rather … Singer Kenny Rogers … “Star Trek” actor Brent Spiner … Actor brothers Dennis Quaid and Randy Quaid … CBS sports announcer Jim Nantz … “The Big Bang Theory” actor Jim Parsons … Mary Kay cosmetics founder Mary Kay Ash … 10-time Olympic track and field medalist Carl Lewis …

Two-time Olympic gold medal gymnast Shannon Miller … Landry’s restaurant chain owner and Houston megabooster Tilman Fertitta.

Like the Hook ‘em Horns hand sign Texas fans make, Houston fans make a cougar paw sign by folding in the ring finger and thumb of their right hand into the palm. The tradition began in 1953, when Houston’s first live cougar mascot, Shasta I, lost a toe in a cage door on the way to a game against Texas. According to UH, Texas fans mocked the cougar’s injury, but Houston fans soon adopted the gesture as a symbol of school pride.

6. Lord of the rings Houston’s current live cougar Mascot is Shasta VII. A school tradition calls for each graduating student’s class ring to spend a night inside a case placed in Shasta’s enclosure at the

7. Phi Slama Jama Basketball was showtime at Houston in the early 1980s, earning the nickname “Phi Slama Jama” from Houston Post sportswriter Thomas Bonk.

Led by coach and Houston alum Guy Lewis, “Texas’ tallest fraternity” reached three straight Final Fours from 1982-84. Featuring future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, the Cougars went 88-16 but were denied a national championship when they fell in a stunning upset to NC State in the 1983 final.

8. Other famous alumni Hall of Fame Dallas Cow-

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REASON 92

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ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By NATE BILLINGS

Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, right, and wide receiver Germie Bernard celebrate their 34-24 win against Oklahoma on Friday night in Norman, Okla.

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4C ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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SAINTS GAMEDAY

ROSTERS

FOUR THINGS TO WATCH

SAINTS No. Player Pos Ht Wt Exp College 0 Ugo Amadi SAF 5-9 201 7 Oregon 1 Alontae Taylor CB 6-0 199 4 Tennessee 2 Spencer Rattler QB 6-0 211 2 South Carolina 4 Kool-Aid McKinstry CB 5-11 199 2 Alabama 6 Tyler Shough QB 6-5 219 0 Louisville 7 Taysom Hill QB 6-2 221 9 ByU 11 Dante Pettis WR 6-1 195 7 Washington 12 Chris Olave WR 6-0 187 4 Ohio State 15 Mason Tipton WR 5-11 187 2 yale 20 Pete Werner LB 6-3 242 5 Ohio State 21 Justin Reid SAF 6-1 207 8 Stanford 25 Rejzohn Wright CB 6-2 193 2 Oregon State 26 Terrell Burgess S 5-11 202 5 Utah 27 Isaac yiadom CB 6-1 188 8 Boston College 28 Danny Stutsman LB 6-3 236 0 Oklahoma 29 Quincy Riley CB 5-11 195 0 Louisville 30 Audric Estimé RB 5-11 227 2 Notre Dame 31 Jordan Howden DB 6-0 209 3 Minnesota 32 Kai Kroeger P 6-3 213 0 South Carolina 33 Jonas Sanker SAF 6-1 210 0 Virginia 34 Evan Hull RB 5-10 209 2 Northwestern 39 Charlie Smyth K 6-4 210 1 None 41 Alvin Kamara RB 5-10 215 9 Tennessee 43 Michael Davis CB 6-2 196 9 ByU 44 Isaiah Stalbird LB 6-1 215 1 SD State 49 Zach Wood LS 6-3 255 9 SMU 51 Cesar Ruiz OL 6-4 316 6 Michigan 53 Jaylan Ford LB 6-2 240 2 Texas 54 Jonah Williams DE 6-5 275 5 Weber State 56 Demario Davis LB 6-2 248 14 Arkansas State 58 Chris Rumph II DE 6-2 244 5 Duke 68 Torricelli Simpkins III OG 6-5 312 0 South Carolina 71 Kelvin Banks Jr. OT 6-5 315 0 Texas 72 Asim Richards OL 6-4 307 3 North Carolina 74 Xavier Truss OL 6-7 320 0 Georgia 75 Taliese Fuaga OT 6-6 324 2 Oregon State 77 Dillon Radunz OL 6-6 301 5 ND State 79 Luke Fortner OL 6-4 307 4 Kentucky 81 Kevin Austin Jr. WR 6-2 200 2 Notre Dame 83 Juwan Johnson TE 6-4 231 6 Oregon 87 Foster Moreau TE 6-4 250 7 LSU 88 Jack Stoll TE 6-4 247 5 Nebraska 90 Bryan Bresee DT 6-5 305 3 Clemson 92 Davon Godchaux DT 6-3 330 9 LSU 93 Nathan Shepherd DT 6-4 315 8 Fort Hays State 94 Cameron Jordan DE 6-4 287 15 California 95 John Ridgeway III DT 6-5 321 4 Arkansas 96 Carl Granderson DE 6-5 261 7 Wyoming 97 Khristian Boyd DT 6-2 320 2 Northern Iowa 98 Jonathan Bullard DE 6-3 290 10 Florida 99 Chase young DE 6-5 264 6 Ohio State

KEEP ON SHOUGHIN’

COOK ’EM

1

2

Rookie Tyler Shough has shown he’s the Saints’ quarterback of the future. He solidified that last week in the comeback victory over the Carolina Panthers when he completed 9 of 12 passes (that includes a spike to stop the clock) on the last two drives. Shough is 3-3 since taking over as the starter and has a chance to finish the season 6-3 with remaining games against the Jets, Titans and Falcons. Shough needs to keep building on what he’s done so far, especially against a defense that has zero interceptions this season.

While the Saints may have found their quarterback, the Jets are still searching. Undrafted rookie Brady Cook will make his second start Sunday because first-year coach Aaron Glenn wants to continue evaluating him. Cook completed 22 of 33 passes for 176 yards last week but also threw three interceptions and was sacked three times. Saints defensive coordinator Brandon Staley will try to make things uncomfortable for Cook.The Saints should be able to take advantage of an offense that ranks last in the league in passing (147 yards per game).

RUN IT

RIDE THE MOMENTUM

3

4

Neither team has been great at stopping the run. The Saints are yielding 130.6 yards per game, which ranks 26th in the league. The Jets are giving up 137.2 yards (29th in the NFL). The Saints could be down to their fourthstring back. Kendre Miller and Devin Neal are out for the season, while Alvin Kamara is still dealing with a knee/ankle injury. That leaves Audric Estime, Evan Hull and Taysom Hill. Shough was the leading rusher last week, finishing with 32 yards on eight carries. He may have to carry much of the load again Sunday.

The Saints have won two games in a row and three of their last five heading into their home finale. It’s a chance to end the season in the Dome on a high note and give fans something to be optimistic about for next season.The Saints have won just two home games this season and are 5-11 over the past two seasons. So getting backto-back wins in the Dome to close out the home schedule could build some much-needed momentum.

The Dome hasn’t roared this season like it used to, but another win could be the start of big things for 2026.

Rod Walker

JETS 2 Tyrod Taylor QB 6-1 217 15 3 John Metchie III WR 5-11 187 3 4 Brady Cook QB 6-2 215 0 6 Nick Folk K 6-1 222 18 7 Justin Fields QB 6-3 227 5 9 Will McDonald IV DE 6-4 245 3 11 Jermaine Johnson LB 6-5 254 4 14 Austin McNamara P 6-4 204 1 15 Adonai Mitchell WR 6-2 205 2 16 Tyler Johnson WR 6-1 208 5 18 Isaiah Williams WR 5-10 185 2 21 Brandon Stephens CB 6-1 215 5 25 Jarius Monroe SAF 6-2 205 1 27 Malachi Moore DB 5-11 196 0 29 Jarvis Brownlee Jr. CB 5-10 194 2 31 Khalil Herbert RB 5-9 212 5 32 Isaiah Davis RB 6-1 220 2 33 Jordan Clark CB 5-9 184 0 34 Kene Nwangwu RB 6-1 210 5 35 Dean Clark SAF 6-1 206 0 36 Ja’Sir Taylor CB 5-10 185 4 37 Qwan’tez Stiggers CB 6-0 197 2 42 Thomas Hennessy LS 6-2 246 9 43 Cam Jones LB 6-2 227 3 44 Jamien Sherwood LB 6-2 216 5 45 Kobe King LB 6-1 250 0 47 Andrew Beck FB 6-3 255 6 51 Kiko Mauigoa LB 6-2 233 0 53 Mykal Walker LB 6-3 230 6 55 Braiden McGregor DE 6-6 267 2 56 Quincy Williams LB 5-11 230 7 58 Mazi Smith DT 6-3 337 3 61 Max Mitchell OL 6-6 307 4 65 Xavier Newman OL 6-2 297 3 66 Joe Tippmann C 6-6 313 3 69 Payton Page DT 6-4 300 0 70 Armand Membou OT 6-4 332 0 71 Josh Myers C 6-5 310 5 72 Micheal Clemons DL 6-5 263 4 74 Olu Fashanu OL 6-6 312 2 75 Alijah Vera-Tucker G 6-5 308 5 76 John Simpson OL 6-4 330 6 78 Jay Tufele DT 6-3 305 5 79 Chukwuma Okorafor T 6-6 320 7 82 Arian Smith WR 6-0 179 0 84 Stone Smartt TE 6-4 226 4 85 Mason Taylor TE 6-5 251 0 86 Jelani Woods TE 6-7 253 4 89 Jeremy Ruckert TE 6-5 250 4 91 Jowon Briggs DT 6-1 313 2 95 Eric Watts DL 6-5 277 2 97 Harrison Phillips DL 6-3 307 8 99 Khalen Saunders Jr. DL 6-0 324 7

Virginia Tech Alabama Missouri Arizona Ohio State Iowa State Florida State Texas Tech Texas Minnesota Illinois SMU Tulane Alabama Louisville Virginia Tech S. Dakota State Notre Dame Iowa State Fresno State Wake Forest CFL Duke Indiana Auburn Penn State Texas Miami (FL) Fresno State Michigan Murray State Michigan Louisiana Baylor Wisconsin Clemson Missouri Ohio State Texas A&M Penn State USC Clemson USC W. Michigan Georgia Old Dominion LSU Virginia Ohio State Cincinnati UConn Stanford Western Illinois

INJURY REPORT SAINTS OUT: RB Alvin Kamara (knee/ankle), OL Asim Richards (ankle), C Cesar Ruiz (ankle) QUESTIONABLE: DT Nathan Shepherd (ankle/ knee),WR Mason Tipton (illness),TE Zaire MitchellPaden (knee)

JETS

OUT: LB Francisco Mauigoa (neck),TE Mason Taylor (neck), DE Eric Watts (concussion) QUESTIONABLE: QB Justin Fields (knee), QB Tyrod Taylor (groin/knee)

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Saints defensive end Chase young gets the crowd into the game against the Carolina Panthers during a game at the Caesars Superdome on Dec. 14.

YOUNG

Continued from page 1C or care about the “outside noise,” Young has heard it all.

He has heard the draft analysts who hyped him up as a “generational” prospect, a savior who would rescue his hometown team. He has heard the praise that comes when delivering on that promise, only to have it disappear when such a horrific knee injury derailed his career. He has heard how his star status faded, how fans and media debated whether he was a bust — for real this time — after his unceremonious fall from the top.

He has been in the NFL long enough for the pendulum to swing back around quietly, now that he has become one of his team’s most important defenders — all while Young discovered what truly matters, like being a father and taking better care of his body.

“Just watch what happens in the next couple years,” Young said. “Then what (will they say)?”

‘A tough tag’ When describing Young’s impact on the Saints this season, Carl Granderson uses a phrase that Young couldn’t escape in the pre-draft process.

“Chase Young, he’s just a generational player,” Granderson said.

Asked what makes the pass rusher once-in-a-generation, Granderson pointed to where most people would — his tape in college. At Ohio State, Young overwhelmed opponents on a weekly basis with a rare combination of speed, power and craftsmanship that resulted in a fourth-place fin-

ish for the Heisman Trophy.

He finished with 161/ 2 sacks in just 12 games, a total he said would have been even higher had he not been suspended for two games.

“That’s just crazy work,” Granderson said.

“I was unblockable that year,” Young said recently.

Even six years into Young’s NFL career, that kind of tape occasionally shows itself. Just look at last Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers.

To wreck Carolina’s secondto-last drive, Young lined up wide near tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders. But as soon as the ball was snapped, and Sanders started to run his route, Young rushed toward left tackle Ikem Ekwonu and drove him straight back to knock over quarterback Bryce Young.

The first-down sack changed the game. Carolina got into such an unfavorable downand-distance that it was forced to punt and set up New Orleans’ game-winning drive.

But here’s the thing about that play, and it speaks to why it’s hard for any player to live up to being labeled as generational: Young admitted he used the same move three other times throughout the game without much success.

“It worked that time,” he said.

The 26-year-old could have perhaps gotten away with using the same move over and over in college, where the athletes are smaller and slower than NFL players. But as a pro, Young has had to fine-tune his techniques. This year, the New Orleans coaching staff has emphasized being more precise with his hands at the top of his rush to turn his regular pressures into sacks.

Last season, Young began to develop a better feel for preparing a pass-rush plan.

In Washington, he relied too much on a stutter step that negated his power.

But that fine-tuning, not to mention the difference in talent, means Young hasn’t come close to replicating his numbers at Ohio State. He has yet to have a double-digit sack season as a pro.

The Saints still see him as a “premium” player, defensive coordinator Brandon Staley said.

“Those types of words get thrown out far too regularly,” Staley said. “It’s definitely not fair to many, nearly impossible to live up to something like that. Everybody held Chase in the highest regard … but generational, that’s a tough tag for anybody to live up to.”

Staley will note how much Young has accomplished, despite that tag. There’s hardware from his rookie season and then when the Commanders traded him in 2023, Young made the Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers. San Francisco lost that game, but Young recorded a sack on the biggest stage.

And in a conversation with Young this year, Staley wanted to remind the pass rusher of something else: his age.

“He’s only 26 years old,” Staley said. “His best is in front of him. He’s just got to keep competing hard and believing in himself to get there.”

Fitting in In his second year with the Saints, months after re-signing on a three-year, $51 million contract, Young is on pace for the best year of his career, even after missing the first five weeks because of a calf

injury that lingered far longer than initially anticipated.

Young has six sacks in nine games, putting him two away from a career-high with three games to play. His 32 pressures, according to Next Gen Stats, lead the team. And his pressure percentage of 18.4% is not only a personal best but the fourth-best rate among edge rushers with at least 150 pass rushes. He’s even converting pressures into sacks at a better clip, which has long been the knock on him.

It might be tempting to suggest that this growth was the result of Young leaving his hometown. Young grew up in Upper Marlboro, Maryland — less than 30 minutes from where he’d play home games for the Commanders. Drafting Young brought immediate excitement to the area, and thencoach Ron Rivera went as far as to tell fans that he hoped the pass rusher could become the next Darrell Green — a Hall of Famer who spent 20 years with the franchise.

Did he just need to get away from it all?

Young chuckled.

“I was a Pro Bowler my rookie year,” he said. “Nah, I could play anywhere in the world and I’ll be fine.”

But anywhere turned out to be New Orleans, and that has left a positive impression on Young. He appreciated, for instance, the Saints’ patience as he worked his way back to full health earlier this season.

In October, as questions about Young’s absence lingered, coach Kellen Moore took an unusual step to rule out the edge rusher early in the week so he could “simplify” the re-

ä See YOUNG, page 5C

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● 5C

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OFFENSIVE LEADERS Saints

Jets

PASSING

Player

Cmp-Att-Pct Yds TD Int

Spencer Rattler Tyler Shough

174-256-68 144-216-66.7

1586 1484

8 6

RUSHING

Player

Att

Alvin Kamara Devin Neal Kendre Miller Spencer Rattler

Net

131 57 47 31

5 5

Avg TD

471 206 193 167

3.6 3.6 4.1 5.4

1 1 1 0

RECEIVING Player

Rec Yards Avg TD

Chris Olave Juwan Johnson Rashid Shaheed Alvin Kamara Devaughn Vele Brandin Cooks

82 62 44 33 25 19

896 644 499 186 293 165

10.9 10.4 11.3 5.6 11.7 8.7

6 3 2 0 2 0

PASSING

Player

Cmp-Att-Pct Yds TD Int

Justin Fields

XPM XPA FGM FGA

Charlie Smyth

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By PHELAN M. EBENHACK

New york Jets quarterback Brady Cook runs with the ball against Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen during a game on Dec. 14 in Jacksonville, Fla.

Rebuilds collide as Jets visit Saints

BY BRETT MARTEL AP sportswriter

The New Orleans Saints and New York Jets have gone through major staff and roster changes in the past year, the result being seven victories between them 15 weeks into the season.

Their parallel rebuilding projects under first-year coaches — and now also featuring rookie quarterbacks — will occupy the same field Sunday when they meet in the Caesars Superdome.

“They’re somewhat similar to how we operated when they let some players go from that team, some veterans,” Jets coach Aaron Glenn, a former Saints secondary coach, said of the changes in New Orleans.

“They’re actually trying to build their core of young guys and get those guys a lot of playing time to see exactly how they’re going to operate for the future of that team — somewhat similar to us.”

The Saints (4-10) have seen more hopeful signs lately under first-year coach Kellen Moore. New Orleans has posted consecutive victories over division rivals Tampa Bay and Carolina, who are tied atop the NFC South.

“Obviously, they’ve been doing a pretty good job the last two weeks,” Glenn said, touching on Saints rookie Tyler Shough’s 3-3 record as a start-

YOUNG

Continued from page 4C covery process.

Moore didn’t have to do that.

Beyond the tactical advantage that most coaches would try to gain by concealing a player’s status, the Saints also weren’t shy about their expectations entering the season for Young.

Defensive end Cam Jordan said he wanted to see waves, not splashes. Linebacker Pete Werner, who was also Young’s college teammate, said the former Ohio State star had to be on “his game” come the fall.

If there was any frustration about Young’s rehab, it didn’t spill out publicly. That wasn’t the case in Washington, where Young’s approach to rehabbing his torn ACL away from the facility in Colorado before the 2022 offseason occasionally caused a stir.

“Sometimes you try and put timelines on everything; everyone wants timelines, but sometimes that’s just not the way things work out,” Moore said.

“It makes you want to play for an organization when things like that happen,” Young said of the support.

Mom’s approval Young may say he doesn’t care about what people say, but

er. “This quarterback is really showing things that we saw on tape. They think that he can be a pretty good quarterback.”

Moore praised Shough’s “composure,” which “showed up a bunch” as the Saints scored 10 points in the final five minutes to pull out a 20-17 comeback victory over Carolina last Sunday.

The Jets (3-11) have lost four of five and this week fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks after allowing 48 points in a loss to Jacksonville.

Moore anticipates an effective response from the Jets, based on his memory of when he and Glenn squared off as coordinators in 2023. Moore was with the Los Angeles Chargers then and Glenn with Detroit.

“Always had a ton of respect for Aaron,” Moore said. “Obviously, we know he’s building something.”

The game marks the debut of Chris Harris as the interim defensive coordinator for the Jets.

Harris, a former NFL safety, was hired by Glenn as the defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator. Glenn noted that he spoke with Harris when he was considering defensive coordinator candidates before hiring Wilks.

“He did a really good job in that interview,” Glenn said.

“He’s more than capable.”

The Jets enter the game with

that’s not completely true.

Case in point: Carla Young.

“I’d rather be recognized by my mom, who’s always in my corner,” he said.

That doesn’t mean she’s an easy grader. When he was a rookie, Carla famously gave her son a “C+” through the first half of the season because he didn’t lead the league in sacks.

She was pleased, though, when Young returned a fumble for a touchdown later that season.

In a charming moment, Young turned over his postgame news conference to his mom — who just so happened to be on FaceTime with him during the session.

“Oh, my gosh, I’m just so worn out,” she said then. “It was just outstanding. I couldn’t even believe it. I was in shock.

He got it and kept trucking!”

Five years later, she’s still the same woman.

“Knowing Chase, he’s the right man to listen to a mom like his,” said Werner, whose parents are friends with the Youngs from their time tailgating at Ohio State games. “She’s great. She comes to every single game. She’s always going to be his biggest fan and his biggest critic.”

Werner has seen how her son has changed in that time. The linebacker noted back in August that Young had “matured

no interceptions, an NFL record for the most games without one to start a season.

New York also tied San Francisco, which ended its drought earlier this season, for the longest interception drought at any point of 14 games.

The Jets are also challenging the NFL mark for the fewest interceptions in a season. The 2018 49ers had only two in 16 games.

Jets QB Brady Cook has appeared in just two games — both losses — and will be making his second start. So far, not so good for the Missouri product. He’s completed 57.1% of his passes for 339 yards with one TD and five interceptions.

“It’s an opportunity for me to lead this team once again and try to go get a win on the road,” Cook said. “It’s really as simple as that.”

Some of Cook’s family and friends were shown in the stands throughout the CBS broadcast of the Jets’ previous game at Jacksonville. His parents were among those there to see his first NFL touchdown pass.

“That was awesome for them to have that moment and for me to see their live reaction,” Cook said. “That’s kind of rare. ... So, that was a pretty cool moment for me as well.”

Cook said his parents and other relatives will be in the Superdome on Sunday.

a lot” as a player, someone who understood how his team needed him to perform.

But that maturity extends to Young’s personal life, as well.

These days, he said he goes out less than he used to. He only discovered “the other day” that Louisiana has open-container laws, two years after moving to the south.

“I think I’m at a different stage,” Young said. “I just go to work and go home, but I don’t need to be (anywhere else). I really don’t be doing too much outside of here.”

The birth of his son Ace, who is now 15 months old, had a lot to do with that. Becoming a father has been “cool,” Young said. He landed on the name after taking his own and removing the “Ch,” but went with the conventional spelling.

Ace, he said, has kept him grounded. Where he might have been tempted to hit “the streets” in the past, especially in a new city, Young has a better reason to stay in.

“I got to come home,” Young said. “If I was the only dude in the house, I wouldn’t have to.”

That’s the only generation that Young is concerned about living up to at the moment.

Email Matthew Paras at matt.paras@theadvocate.com

5

5

4

5

1259

RUSHING

Player Breece Hall Justin Fields Isaiah Davis

7

1

Att

Net

Avg TD

213 71 37

900 383 217

4.2 5.4 5.9

3 4 1

RECEIVING Player

Rec Yards Avg TD

Mason Taylor Garrett Wilson Breece Hall John Metchie Jeremy Ruckert Adonai Mitchell

44 36 32 22 20 18

369 395 323 191 163 236

8.4 11.0 10.1 8.7 8.2 13.1

1 4 1 2 1 2

KICKING

KICKING Player

128-204-62.7

Player

XPM XPA FGM FGA

Nick Folk

21

21

25

26

DEFENSIVE LEADERS TACKLES Player

Demario Davis Peter Werner Jonas Sanker Alontae Taylor Kool-Aid McKinstry Justin Reid Carl Granderson Nathan Shepherd Chris Rumph II Davon Godchaux Danny Stutsman Bryan Bresee Cameron Jordan Jordan Howden Chase Young Quincy Riley Isaac Yiadom Isaiah Stalbird

TACKLES

Tot Solo Ast TFL Sk 123 72 69 63 62 60 43 41 41 39 39 36 34 28 26 25 23 22

61 45 41 43 49 33 29 19 23 12 17 15 23 17 15 22 17 11

62 27 28 20 13 27 14 22 18 27 22 21 11 11 11 3 6 11

5 4 3 5 3 1 8 3 2 2 0 5 9 1 7 0 1 1

0 2 0 1 0 0.5 4.5 2 1 0 0 2.5 6.5 0 6 0 0 1

Player

Jamien Sherwood Malachi Moore Brandon Stephens Quincy Williams Isaiah Oliver Tony Adams Harrison Phillips Francisco Mauigoa Andre Cisco Jermaine Johnson II Jarvis Brownlee Quinnen Williams Jowon Briggs Will McDonald M. McCrary-Ball Azareye’h Thomas Sauce Gardner Michael Clemons

Tot Solo Ast TFL Sk 129 76 66 63 55 49 46 45 41 37 36 32 28 26 23 22 20 20

58 44 45 31 29 31 17 16 26 18 24 17 14 16 11 13 15 9

71 32 21 32 26 18 29 29 15 19 12 15 14 10 12 9 5 11

6 2 4 8 0 3 4 0 1 4 1 7 6 10 1 2 0 3

1 0 0 3.5 0 1 0.5 0 0 3 0 1 3 7 0 0 0 1

INTERCEPTIONS Player

Tot Yards Avg

Kool-Aid McKinstry 3 Alontae Taylor 2 Justin Reid 1 Quincy Riley 1 Jonas Sanker 1

0 21 49 0 0

0.0 10.5 49.0 0.0 0.0

TD PD 0 0 1 0 0

10 7 4 8 4

TEAM STATS OFFENSE PER GAME Yards gained: 296.8

OFFENSE PER GAME Yards gained: 275.5

Plays: 60.0

Plays: 56.3

PASS 203.4

RUSH 93.4

PASS 34.2

RUSH 25.8

Turnovers: 1.43 INTERCEPTIONS 0.79

FUMBLES 0.64

PASS 147.9

RUSH 128.5

PASS 28.8

RUSH 27.5

Turnovers: 1.43 INTERCEPTIONS 0.79

FUMBLES 0.64

DEFENSE PER GAME Yards allowed: 311.2

DEFENSE PER GAME Yards allowed: 337.3

Turnovers forced: 1.14

Turnovers forced: 0.21

PASS 180.6

RUSH 130.6

INTERCEPTIONS 0.57

FUMBLES 0.57

SCORING PER GAME

SCORED ALLOWED

SCORED ALLOWED

23.7 16.1

RUSH 137.2

INTERCEPTIONS 0.00

FUMBLES 0.21

SCORING PER GAME

SCORED ALLOWED

SCORED ALLOWED

28.4

23.4

19.9

2025

PASS 200.1

19.7

2024

23.8

19.9

2025

2024

CONVERSION SUCCESS

CONVERSION SUCCESS

Third down

Third down

Fourth down

Fail

36.8%

34.5%

39.1% 60.9%

63.2%

65.5%

Convert

Fail

Fail

Convert

Convert

Fourth down

53.6%

Fail

46.4%

Convert

STAFF PREDICTIONS JEFF DUNCAN

MATTHEW PARAS

LUKE JOHNSON

ROD WALKER

SAINTS 21, JETS 13: I get the feeling this game might be closer than we expect, especially if the Saints start slowly again. But the Saints have a decided edge in two key areas: quarterback and defense. This might be the game Quincy Riley gets his first NFL picksix.

SAINTS 27, JETS 17: A few weeks ago, this game felt like a toss up.

Since then, Tyler Shough has the Saints feeling hopeful about the future, while the Jets are simply hoping the future gets here faster.

New york has the look and feel of a team that has waved the white flag.

SAINTS 27, JETS 10: The Jets may play better defensively than they have of late after firing defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. But they have a lot of injuries, not to mention they traded away their two best defensive players. The Saints have been playing well, so I’ll take them.

SAINTS 24, JETS 10: It’s been a while since I’ve felt this sure about a Saints win. The momentum they’ve built over the past two weeks will carry over. The defense dominates, and Tyler Shough continues to prove he’s the future, capping off the Saints’ home slate with a win.

6C ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Frontcourt starters not a given for Mulkey ä Texas-Arlington at LSU. 1 P.M.

BY REED DARCEY

Staff writer

SUNDAy, SECN

For each of her first four seasons at LSU, coach Kim Mulkey chose a group of starters and stuck to it.

She set a starting lineup in November or December and hardly ever changed it once the Tigers crossed into January and February.

This year, that approach will change. Mulkey knows which guards will start — Jada Richard, Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams. But she’s less sure which post players will occupy the two frontcourt spots. All four of them — ZaKiyah Johnson, Grace Knox, Kate Koval and Amiya Joyner — will rotate in and out of the starting lineup throughout SEC play.

“I don’t know from game to game which ones I’m gonna start,”

Mulkey said Tuesday, “so there’s no two that are gonna always play together.”

Mulkey already has used four different starting lineups. She could try out a fifth Sunday when LSU hosts Texas-Arlington at 1 p.m.

(SEC Network) in the penultimate nonconference game of the season.

The two post players who start likely will play about the same number of minutes as the pair who come off the bench.

The No. 5 Tigers (12-0) are deep and balanced. Eleven contributors are playing more than 12 minutes per game, and no one is playing more than 25. Seven players are scoring at least 10 points per contest, and no one is scoring more than 16.

The balance is most evident in the frontcourt. Johnson, Koval, Knox and Joyner each see the floor for an average of 18 minutes per game.

“I feel like we can go in with each other,” Knox said, “and use different strengths and just be able to score the ball, whether we have two bigs or two smalls or one and one.

“I feel like it works out pretty well with the style of play that we want.”

Koval and Joyner are the bruisers. Koval is a 6-foot-5 sophomore who transferred to LSU from Notre Dame. Joyner is a 6-2 senior who spent the first three years of her career at East Carolina.

They’re the Tigers’ two leading rebounders, and they’re each converting more than 60% of their field-goal attempts.

Johnson and Knox are the athletic freshmen. Both were highprofile recruits, and both have impressed in the first dozen games of their collegiate careers.

Knox has the third-best field-goal percentage (72%) among Division I players who are taking at least five shots per game. Johnson has the highest scoring average among all of LSU’s post players (11.8 ppg). She and Knox are two of the nation’s eight freshmen who are both scoring at least 10 points and grabbing at least five rebounds per game for a power-conference team.

“We’re the smaller posts,” Johnson said, “and we can use our speed to our advantage. So I just think it helps a lot. You can look at different lineups and switch it up and just figure different things out.”

On Tuesday in a 58-point win over Morgan State, Mulkey started Johnson next to Joyner for the fifth time this season. The Tigers outscored the Bears by 18 points across the 15 minutes in which they shared the floor.

Johnson has started next to both Koval and Joyner, while Knox has started next to both Johnson and Koval, but not Joyner.

Once LSU starts facing SEC opponents, Mulkey will let the matchup dictate which combination of post players she puts on the floor to begin games — something she hasn’t done since she began her tenure in Baton Rouge.

“That will change the entire year,” Mulkey said, “because all four of them can play, and they can all four help us. It will really depend on the scouting report.”

Second half dooms UL women’s quest for first win

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

It’s hard to believe when looking at the final score of Southern Mississippi’s 76-58 win over the UL women, but the winless Ragin’ Cajuns actually led by three points at halftime.

Whatever happened during in-

termission sparked the Golden Eagles in a big way as they put together a 14-0 run early in the third quarter to end UL’s upset hopes in a hurry.

UL is now 0-11 overall and 0-2 in league play on the season while Southern Miss improved to 9-4 overall and 2-0 in league play.

The Cajuns led by as many as six

points in the first half, largely because of outrebounding Southern Miss 25-15 in the half and the Eagles going 2-of-16 shooting behind the arc. Southern Miss entered the game 19th nationally with 9.3 made 3-pointers per game, but it finished Saturday’s game 4 of 27.

Jakayla Johnson made all four of her deep shots to lead the Eagles

with 20 points. Also enjoying a big game was Sakyia White with 16 points on 6-of-6 shooting and eight rebounds. Also reaching double figures were Meloney Thames with 13 points and five rebounds, and Hayleigh Breland with 12 points and nine boards.

The Cajuns were led by Imani Daniel with 15 points on 6-of-10

shooting and eight rebounds.

Amijah Price added 12 points and boards.

Stephanie Mosley provided some production off the bench with 11 points and five rebounds.

The Cajuns will try for their first win against Dillard at home Dec. 29 before returning to league play against Troy on New Year’s Day.

SCOREBOARD Odds

EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division

Sports Betting Line NFL Sunday

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG at N.O. 2½ 4½ (40½) NY Jets at DALLAS 2½ 1½ (49½)LA Chargers Tampa Bay 2½ 3 (45½) at CAR Buffalo 8½ 10½ (42½) at CLE Cincinnati 2½ 1½ (50½) at MIAMI Minnesota 1½ 2½ (43½) at GIANTS Kansas City 11½ 3½ (37½) at TEN Atlanta 1½ 2½ (47½) at ARIZONA at DENVER 3 3 (45½) Jax at HOUSTON 11½ 14½ (37½) Las Vegas at DETROIT 6½ 6½ (50½) Pittsburgh at BAL 2½ 2½ (47½) New Eng

Monday

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG San Francisco 6½ 5½ (46½) at IND

College Football

New York Toronto Boston Philadelphia Brooklyn

W 19 17 16 15 7

L 8 11 11 11 19

Pct .704 .607 .593 .577 .269

GB — 2½ 3 3½ 11½

Orlando Miami Atlanta Charlotte Washington

W 15 15 15 9 4

L 12 13 14 18 21

Pct .556 .536 .517 .333 .160

GB — ½ 1 6 10

Detroit Cleveland Chicago Milwaukee Indiana

W 21 15 12 11 6

Southeast Division

Central Division

L 6 14 15 17 21

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Monday

Southwest Division

Tuesday

San Antonio Houston Memphis Dallas New Orleans

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG Utah State 1½ 2½ (52½) Wash St Boca Raton Bowl FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG Louisville 9½ 7½ (44½) Toledo New Orleans Bowl FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG W. Kentucky 3½ 4½ (55½) S. Miss Frisco Bowl FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG UNLV 3½ 4½ (62½) Ohio

W 20 16 13 11 6

Northwest Division

Pacific Division

Friday

L.A. Lakers Phoenix Golden State Sacramento L.A. Clippers

GameAbove Sports Bowl FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG Northwstrn 12½ 10½ (43½) C. Michigan Rate Bowl FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG Minnesota 3½ 2½ (47½)New Mexico First Responder Bowl FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG UTSA 8½ 8½ (59½) Florida Intl

NBA

FAVORITE at ATLANTA Toronto at NEW YORK at MINNESOTA San Antonio Houston SACRAMENTO

LINE 5 4½ 8½ 12 15½ 12

O/U (245½) (220½) (235½) (221½) (239½) (229½)

UNDERDOG Chicago at BRKLYN Miami Milwaukee at WASH at

FAVORITE at N. KENTUCKY Penn State at NC STATE Vanderbilt at OKLAHOMA ST at NOTRE DAME at BRADLEY at ALABAMA at ARIZONA ST at CLEMSON at MICHIGAN UConn at ILLINOIS ST at CAL Milwaukee at MINNESOTA at IOWA STATE at IDAHO STATE Gonzaga UC Irvine Idaho at NEBRASKA at UTEP

NHL

W 19 15 13 6 6

Friday’s Games

GB — 7 9 10½ 15

LINE UNDERDOG 2½ Charleston (SC) 1½ at PITTSBURGH 5½ Ole Miss 5½ at WAKE FOREST 19½ CSU Fullerton 15½ Purdue Fort Wayne 5½ Southern Illinois 21½ Kennesaw State 12½ Oregon State 6½ Cincinnati 38½ La Salle 14½ at DEPAUL 10½ Indiana State 8½ Columbia 7½ at CLEVELAND ST 13½ Campbell 37½ Long Beach State 3½ UC Davis 12½ at OREGON 1½at NORTH DAKOTA ST 2½ at CAL POLY 29½ North Dakota 5½ Norfolk State

L 7 8 14 17 22

Pct .741 .667 .481 .393 .214

GB — 2½ 7 9½ 14½

L 3 6 10 16 16

Pct .893 .769 .643 .407 .385

GB — 4 7 13½ 14

L 7 12 15 21 21

Pct .731 .556 .464 .222 .222

GB — 4½ 7 13½ 13½

Sunday

FAVORITE LINE UNDERDOG Washington -113 at DETROIT Colorado -174 at MINNESTA at DALLAS -204 Toronto New York -119 at NASHVILLE at UTAH -120 Winnipeg Ottawa -137 at BOSTON at PITTSBRGH -114 Montreal at NEW JRSEY -149 Buffalo at EDMONTON -162 Vegas

Pro basketball NBA

UL MEN

LINE -107 +145 +168 -101 +101 +115 -106 +125 +136

x-Seattle x-L.A. Rams San Francisco e-Arizona

W L T Pct PF 12 3 0 .800 443 11 4 0 .733 457 10 4 0 .714 344 3 11 0 .214 302

PA 279 299 293 388

West

e-Eliminated from playoffs x-clinched playoff spot Thursday’s Games Philadelphia 29, Washington 18 Green Bay at Chicago, n

Sunday’s Games

Buffalo at Cleveland, noon Cincinnati at Miami, noon Kansas City at Tennessee, noon L.A. Chargers at Dallas, noon Minnesota at N.Y. Giants, noon N.Y. Jets at New Orleans, noon Tampa Bay at Carolina, noon Atlanta at Arizona, 3:05 p.m.

Jacksonville at Denver, 3:05 p.m.

Las Vegas at Houston, 3:25 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Detroit, 3:25 p.m.

New England at Baltimore, 7:20 p.m.

Monday’s Games

San Francisco at Indianapolis, 7:15 p.m.

College football Tuesday’s game

68 Ventures Bowl Delaware 20, UL 13

Thursday’s games Xbox Bowl

Arkansas State 34, Missouri State 28

Friday’s games

Myrtle Beach Bowl

Kennesaw State 41, Western Michigan 6

Gasparilla Bowl

N.C. State 31, Memphis 7

College Football Playoff

First round No. 11 Alabama 34, No. 8 Oklahoma 24

Saturday’s games

College Football Playoff

First round No. 10 Miami (Fla.) 10, No. 7 Texas A&M 3 No. 6 Ole Miss 41, No. 17 Tulane 10 No. 19 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon, n

Monday’s game

New England Buffalo e-Miami e-N.Y. Jets

W L T Pct PF 11 3 0 .786 382 10 4 0 .714 411 6 8 0 .429 296 3 11 0 .214 276

PA 276 324 324 397

Jacksonville Houston Indianapolis e-Tennessee

W L T Pct PF 10 4 0 .714 376 9 5 0 .643 323 8 6 0 .571 392 2 12 0 .143 225

PA 292 228 303 394

Pittsburgh Baltimore e-Cincinnati e-Cleveland

W L T Pct PF 8 6 0 .571 336 7 7 0 .500 335 4 10 0 .286 314 3 11 0 .214 226

PA 326 320 437 332

x-Denver L.A. Chargers e-Kansas City e-Las Vegas

W L T Pct PF 12 2 0 .857 342 10 4 0 .714 315 6 8 0 .429 328 2 12 0 .143 196

PA 261 284 268 363

W L T Pct PF 9 5 0 .643 320 6 7 1 .464 407 4 10 0 .286 291

PA 271 420 375

Philadelphia Dallas e-Washington

PA 338 281 345 307

Old Dominion 24, South Florida 10

NFL AMERICAN CONFERENCE

East

Chicago Green Bay Detroit e-Minnesota

W L T Pct PF 10 4 0 .714 365 9 4 1 .679 348 8 6 0 .571 428 6 8 0 .429 289

North

Cure Bowl

Pro football

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

PA 354 317 341 332

Wednesday’s games

Chicago at Atlanta, 2:30 p.m.

Miami at New York, 5 p.m.

Toronto at Brooklyn, 5 p.m.

Milwaukee at Minnesota, 6 p.m.

San Antonio at Washington, 6 p.m.

Houston at Sacramento, 9 p.m.

West

W L T Pct PF 7 7 0 .500 327 7 7 0 .500 264 5 9 0 .357 281 4 10 0 .286 226

Salute to Veterans Bowl

Saturday’s Games

North

Tampa Bay Carolina e-Atlanta e-New Orleans

Jacksonville State 17, Troy 13

Houston 115, Denver 101 Boston at Toronto, n Dallas at Philadelphia, n Indiana at New Orleans, n Charlotte at Detroit, n Washington at Memphis, n Phoenix at Golden State, n Orlando at Utah, n.

Portland at Sacramento, n L.A. Lakers at L.A. Clippers, n

South

396

Saturday’s Games

Boston 129, Miami 116 Philadelphia 116, New York 107 San Antonio 126, Atlanta 98 Chicago 136, Cleveland 125 Minnesota 112, Oklahoma City 107

East

2 12 0 .143 300

Seattle 38, L.A. Rams 37, OT

Sunday’s Games

COLLEGE BASKETBALL Sunday

W 25 20 18 11 10

Oklahoma City Denver Minnesota Portland Utah

Wednesday

Hawai’i Bowl FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG Cal 1½ 1½ (54½) Hawaii

Sunday

Pct .778 .517 .444 .393 .222

e-N.Y. Giants

South

“We’re so close. We’re still fighting. It’s easy to give up, but we’re Continued from page 1C still fighting.”

Jaxon Olvera continued his good season with 17 points, four reto put a bow on the win. Lavergne bounds and three assists. Dorian was 6-of-10 shooting and 3 of 4 Finister also came through big again with 15 points, seven assists from behind the arc.

“Man, we’re right there, we’re and three rebounds for the Cajuns.

Todd Jones added a spark off the right there,” Josh White said.

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Boise, Idaho Utah St. vs. Washington St., 1 p.m. (ESPN)

Tuesday’s games Boca Raton Bowl

Boca Raton, Fla. Louisville vs. Toledo, 1 p.m. (ESPN)

New Orleans Bowl

New Orleans Western Kentucky vs. Southern Miss, 4:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Frisco Bowl

Frisco, Texas Ohio vs. UNLV, 8 p.m. (ESPN)

Wednesday’s game Hawai’i Bowl

Honolulu Cal vs. Hawaii, 7 p.m. (ESPN)

Dec. 26 games

GameAbove Sports Bowl

Detroit Central Michigan vs. Northwestern, noon (ESPN)

Rate Bowl

Dallas FIU vs. UTSA, 7 p.m. (ESPN)

Thomas 32 4-9 5-7 0-3 4 0 14 Miller 23 0-0 1-4 0-4 0 3 1 Reece 14 1-3 0-1 1-1 0 1 2 King 11 1-5 0-0 0-0 1 3 3 Zipper 6 1-4 0-0 0-0 0 0 3 Carter 3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 Totals 200 25-4619-27 5-28 13 17 78 Percentages: FG .543, FT .704.

3-Point Goals: 9-22, .409 (Sutton 3-4, Mackinnon 3-5, Thomas 1-3, Zipper 1-3, King 1-5, Reece 0-1, Tamba 0-1).

Team Rebounds: 1. Team Turnovers: None.

Blocked Shots: 3 (Miller, Nwoko, Sutton).

Turnovers: 8 (Thomas 3, Nwoko 2, Sutton 2, Mackinnon).

Steals: 8 (Reece 2, King, Mackinnon, Miller, Nwoko, Sutton, Tamba).

Technical Fouls: None.

SELU 36 29 — 65 LSU 50 28 — 78 A_7,479 (13,215).

FCS Playoffs

Villanova (12-2) vs. Illinois St. (11-4), n Montana St. 48 Montana 23

College basketball State men’s schedule

Thursday’s games

Southern Miss 62, UL 54 Grambling 80, Norfolk State 68

Friday’s games

Grambling 81, Hampton 72 LSU 78, Southeastern 68

Saturday’s games

Northwestern State 108, SUNO 55 UL 76, UL-Monroe 62 Portland State at Tulane, n

Sunday’s games

State women’s schedule

Southern at Baylor, noon Nicholls at Pacific, 6 p.m.

UL 76, ULM 62 UL

FG FT

Thursday’s games Reb

Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS

Jones 23 4-6 1-3 2-8 1 3 9 J.Lewis 12 3-4 0-0 0-0 2 5 8 Finister 36 4-9 5-6 1-3 7 2 15 Lavergne 37 6-10 1-2 1-8 2 0 16 Mejia 23 1-4 0-0 0-0 0 4 3 Olvera 31 7-15 1-3 0-4 3 2 17 Woodson 18 2-4 1-2 0-0 3 4 5 Collins 8 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 Ratliff 7 0-1 1-2 0-0 0 0 1 Evans 5 1-1 0-0 0-2 1 2 2 Totals 200 28-5410-18 4-25 19 23 76 Percentages: FG .519, FT .556.

3-Point Goals: 10-21, .476 (Lavergne 3-4, J.Lewis 2-2, Finister 2-4, Olvera 2-5, Mejia 1-3, Ratliff 0-1, Woodson 0-2).

Team Rebounds: 4. Team Turnovers: None.

Blocked Shots: 4 (Finister, Jones, Ratliff, Woodson).

Turnovers: 6 (Olvera 3, Lavergne 2, Finister).

Steals: 7 (Finister 2, Jones, Lavergne, Mejia, Olvera, Woodson).

Technical Fouls: None.

FG FT Reb

ULM

Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS

Sondors 24 2-5 8-10 0-1 0 1 13 K.Lewis 38 5-11 3-5 0-5 1 2 16 Molofeev 24 1-2 2-2 0-1 1 2 4 Russell 36 3-11 4-4 0-1 2 2 11 Brodnex 35 2-9 7-10 3-9 5 4 11 Diaz 18 1-2 0-0 0-3 1 0 3 Bamisile 16 1-1 0-0 0-3 0 3 2 Caster 5 0-1 2-2 0-0 0 1 2 Ball 2 0-0 0-0 1-1 0 0 0 Hartman 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 Totals 200 15-4226-33 4-24 10 16 62 Percentages: FG .357, FT .788.

3-Point Goals: 6-15, .400 (K.Lewis 3-6, Diaz 1-1, Sondors 1-2, Russell 1-4, Brodnex 0-2).

Team Rebounds: 6. Team Turnovers: 1.

Blocked Shots: 3 (Bamisile, Brodnex, Molofeev).

Turnovers: 13 (Russell 4, K.Lewis 3, Molofeev 2, Bamisile, Brodnex, Caster, Sondors).

Steals: 3 (Bamisile, Diaz, K.Lewis).

Technical Fouls: None.

UL 39 37 — 76 ULM 25 37 — 62 A_1,347 (7,085).

Late Friday LSU 78, SELU 65 SELU

FG FT

Reb

Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS

Elyzee 28 3-9 1-2 2-5 1 4 7 Gaines 30 3-7 2-3 1-4 1 3 8 Booker 7 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 Hmschmr 33 5-13 2-2 1-4 3 2 15 Pickett 18 3-5 1-2 0-0 1 3 7 Myles 33 5-10 3-4 2-6 0 2 15 Forrest 27 4-9 2-2 1-5 1 1 11 Etim 10 0-1 0-0 1-2 0 0 0 Lawrence 6 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 1 0 Shoemaker 6 1-2 0-0 1-1 0 1 2 Edison 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Totals 200 24-5611-15 9-27 8 18 65 Percentages: FG .429, FT .733.

3-Point Goals: 6-25, .240 (Hemschemeier 3-9, Myles 2-7, Forrest 1-5, Pickett 0-1, Shoemaker 0-1, Elyzee 0-2).

Team Rebounds: 2. Team Turnovers: 1.

Blocked Shots: 2 (Hemschemeier, Myles).

Turnovers: 8 (Hemschemeier 3, Elyzee, Etim, Gaines, Pickett, Shoemaker).

Steals: 5 (Elyzee, Forrest, Gaines, Hemschemeier, Shoemaker).

Technical Fouls: None.

FG FT Reb

LSU

Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS

Phoenix New Mexico vs. Minnesota, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN)

First Responder Bowl

Nwoko 24 Sutton 33 Tamba 22 Mackinnon 31

6-6 7-9 1-2 4-8

6-7 2-2 2-2 3-4

2-6 1-9 1-4 0-1

1 1 2 4

4 1 4 0

18 19 4 14

bench with nine points on 4-of-6 shooting with eight rebounds.

Perhaps the most encouraging statistic in the game was 19 assists to just 10 for the Warhawks.

The Cajuns committed only six turnovers to 14 for UL-Monroe.

The rebounding was a virtual deadlock with UL-Monroe winning 30-29.

“These guys did a great job of taking care of the ball, you know, especially on the road,” Josh White said. “I think that played a huge factor, a tremendous factor in us winning.”

The Cajuns dominated the paint points 32-12 and were ahead 25-7 in points off the bench.

“This team is steady push-

UIW 79, UNO 68 Nicholls 70, Houston Christian 47 Baylor 77, Southern 60

Friday’s games None scheduled.

Saturday’s games

Tulane 76, Delaware State 44 Texas State 79, UL-Monroe 69 Southern Miss 76, UL 58 Memphis 70, Southeastern 66 Louisiana Tech 97, Central Baptist 42

Sunday’s ames

Mercer/Detroit Mercy at Tulane, TBA Lamar at Northwestern State, TBA Texas-Arlington at LSU, 1 p.m.

Southern at Southern Methodist, 4 p.m.

Transactions Major League Baseball American League CLEVELAND GUARDIANS — Signed RF Stuart Fairchild to a minor league contract.

BASKETBALL

National Basketball Association NBA — Fined L.A. Lakers G Marcus Smart $35,000 dollars for an obscene gesture towards a game official during halftime of the Dec. 18th game at Utah.

FOOTBALL

National Football League ATLANTA FALCONS — Waived WR/KR Jamal Agnew. Signed CB C.J. Henderson to the active roster.

BALTIMORE RAVENS — Placed LB Teddye Buchanan on injured reserve.

BUFFALO BILLS — Signed DE Matt Judon to the practice squad. Released DE Morgan Fox. Activated WR Mecole Hardman Jr. from injured reserve.

CHICAGO BEARS — Activated LB Tremaine Edmunds from injured reserve.

CLEVELAND BROWNS — Placed RT Jack Conklin on injured reserve. Signed S Christopher Edmonds to the active roster.

DALLAS COWBOYS — Activated CB Trevon Diggs from injured reserve. Placed CB DaRon Bland on injured reserve.

DENVER BRONCOS — Activated LG Ben Powers from injured reserve.

DETROIT LIONS — Placed S Kerby Joseph on injured reserve. Activated G Christian Mahogany from injured reserve.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS — Signed OT Chukwuebuka Godrick and QB Chris Oladokun to the active roster. Signed RB Dameon Pierce to the active roster. Waived RB Elijah Mitchell. Placed LB Leo Chenal and OT Jawaan Taylor on injured reserve.

LOS ANGELES RAMS — Fired Special Teams coordinator Chase Blackburn.

MIAMI DOLPHINS — Signed CB Ethan Robinson to the active roster. Placed DB Elijah Campbell on injured reserve.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS — Signed CB Dwight McGlothern Jr. to the active roster.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS — Signed K Charlie Smyth to a three-year contract.

TENNESSEE TITANS — Signed DTs Cam Horsley and Shy Tuttle to the active roster.

HOCKEY

National Hockey League BUFFALO SABRES — Placed D Conor Timmins on injured reserve.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING — Placed F Brandon Hagel on injured reserve. Recalled F Jakob Pelletier from Syracuse (AHL). Recalled F Jack Finley from Syracuse (AHL).

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS — Recalled G Alexei Kolosov from Lehigh Valley (AHL) under emergency conditions.

MINNESOTA WILD — Activated F Vinnie Hinostroza, D Jacob Middleton, D Jonas Brodin.

ing the envelope, it gets better,” Josh White said. “Coach Quannas has done an unbelievable job of building this culture, and these kids are feeding on it, and the most important thing, they stay believing.”

Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.

LIVING

T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M

|

S u n d ay, d e c e m b e r 21, 2025

1dn

Danny Heitman AT RANDOM

From my perch, I live with Christmas all year long I’ve been a magazine editor for the past five years, working on a second floor fashioned from what was once an attic.

It’s a quiet, peaceful place where, with my closeness to the roof, I’m the first to learn when rain arrives to drum the shingles.

My private roost has other quirks.

A low space where the beams meet the eaves isn’t good for much else, so we use it to store odds and ends, including the office Christmas decorations.

That’s how, in a small and abiding way, I’ve come to live with Christmas all year long.

It’s there in April as I walk to my desk with a cup of coffee and spot a plastic tub of holiday ornaments sealed in their seasonal dormancy, like tulip bulbs waiting to sprout. In the depths of August, when temps here in Louisiana reach triple digits, I take comfort in the Christmas tree carefully boxed in cardboard a few feet from my keyboard.

Its presence points to the cycle of time — how summer, whatever its perils and pleasures, will eventually yield to something else. There’s solace in knowing that nothing, even hurricane season, lasts for long.

Autumn nudges me to see the holiday treasures beneath my office roof with new eyes.

When the air cools and the afternoons grow shorter, I know that winter is arriving in a few weeks. For months now, like a fairy-tale kingdom in the trance of sleep, Christmas has rested silently in its nest of cartons and crates. Soon, the spell of the calendar will wake it up.

As the man who counts Christmas as his constant companion, I get to be the one who breaks its slumber. Each December, I start fetching the office decorations from their dusty corner and hauling them downstairs.

Before the migration began this month, I stood at the top of my workplace stairs for a bit and savored the moment.

Memories returned from distant Decembers when I perched at the top of other stairs and longed for Christmas to bloom. My childhood bedroom was on the second floor, and I’d join a sister in our chilly stairwell each Christmas morning and wait for permission to clamber down the steps and see our presents.

Those mornings taught me the magic of anticipation, the essence of any happy soul. In a world wounded by worry, Christmas renews our sense of life as an exercise in expectation rather than dread.

STAFF PHOTOS By BRAD BOWIE

Participants in the Fightingville Holiday Stroll walk along Lafayette Street on Dec. 13 in Lafayette. The walk, which toured the Fightingville neighborhood, featured dancing, choreography, art installations and poetry before concluding at Basin Arts.

BRING ON THE CHEER

From ‘Fightingville’ to festive, Lafayette neighborhood celebrates progress with a holiday stroll

BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL

W

Staff writer

hen James Proctor moved into LaPlace, colloquially called “Fightingville,” six years ago, there was a lot to be desired in the neighborhood on the edge of downtown Lafayette.

Residential lots were left empty after houses burned down one by one over the years. Some homes were abandoned and facing disrepair. The sidewalks were a visible reminder of homelessness from the nearby shelter and charity kitchen, and the shade trees sometimes served as a gathering spot for illicit activities.

Proctor used the term “depleted” to describe the neighborhood’s history, a condition many core urban neighborhoods across America have faced.

Those communities were once lively and bustling — centers of life and business in an America of the past — a time before sprawl and neighborhood flight from the city’s core became the default.

Urban flight left neighborhoods like LaPlace showing signs of a downward trajectory.

While the core issues remain

Candice Leigh reads her original poetry during the Fightingville Holiday Stroll in Lafayette. unresolved, the neighborhood has made significant progress over the past few years.

“When I moved here, there were three drug dealers within walking distance of my house; now there are none. There are still issues, right? But we’re seeing slow and steady progress of people moving in, fixing up houses, and in general starting to develop a neighborhood vibe.”

It’s something that should be celebrated and, most importantly, shown off, Proctor, treasurer of the LaPlace Coterie, said.

That was the intention of the inaugural Fightingville Holiday Stroll that happened Dec. 13.

Neighborhood residents and others were invited to sip on hot chocolate, look at dazzling Christmas

ä See STROLL, page 4D

ä See AT RANDOM, page 4D

Did 1940s sightings lead to plans for a UFO conference in La.?

While UFO sightings were rampant in central Louisiana between 1947 and 1955, reports were coming from throughout the state. Mystery still surrounds saucer-like lights snapped by the Coast Guard in 1952.

FILE PHOTO

BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer

During the Atomic Age, launched in 1945, the detonation of the atomic bomb ushered in Cold War politics, nuclear energy and Godzilla.

That’s also when objects began appearing seemingly en masse in the sky throughout Louisiana, particularly in Alexandria, a fact that prompted Kyle Watt’s inquiry.

“I once heard that a national conference on UFOs was once organized in Alexandria but never happened,” the Zachary resident said. “It was supposed to happen in the 1940s. Is this true? And if it is, why not?”

Yes, it’s true, and the year was 1947, long before the 2020s, when popularity of unidentified flying objects have soared to an all-time high through such popu-

lar television series as “Ancient Aliens.”

These days, the mysterious flying machines are officially known as unidentified anomalous phenomena or unidentified aerial phenomena, but most people still use the term UFO. Mention UFO, and people begin thinking of spaceships, specifically flying saucers.

“And that’s what most people

ä See CURIOUS, page 4D

2D ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

AcA’s annual Pelican Ball celebrates champions of the arts The ever-popular Pelican Ball drew hundreds to the celebration on Dec. 6, at the Acadiana Center for the Arts in downtown Lafayette. The party had everything, from music and dancing to flowing champagne. It also had an important purpose — to honor those who have helped shape the arts in Acadiana.

PHOTO By KRIS WARTELLE

This year, the AcA recognized two Lafayette arts patrons, John Chappuis

Kris Wartelle

and Renee Roberts.

Chappuis is a local attorney who has been an influential member of the

PHOTO By KAyLA MCDONALD

Courtney and Gabriel Bourgeois PHOTO By KRIS WARTELLE Jamie Baldridge, Elijah List, Austin Sarver, Sam Oliver and Taylor Davis

John Chappuis and Sam Oliver

Jimmy Rees, Jeannine Lanoux, Kay and Dan Rees

AcA. Officials say the organization is growing because of individuals like Chappuis, who have utilized their resources for the greater good. Chappuis has not only donated funds to the AcA, he has also used his legal skills to assist when

PHOTO

By KRIS WARTELLE

needed. He created AcA’s bylaws, which have helped reinforce programs like Arts in Education and moved the AcA into the future. Chappuis was also instrumental in lobbying for a new building to house the AcA. He led a fundraising drive that

PHOTO By KAyLA MCDONALD

paved the way for a new state-of-the-art facility for Renee Roberts, Terrance Michael Morgan

and Misty Morgan

the organization.

Roberts, a former director of Arts in Education

at the Arts Council, helped to expand the program that would bring Acadiana’s artists into classrooms and make the arts accessible to people of all ages and economic backgrounds.

Roberts’ early efforts paved the way for the AcA’s flourishing Arts in Education program to exist in 135 schools across Acadiana, employing more than 50 teaching artists.

In fact, officials say the idea for the painted pelicans you see around Lafayette came from a trip Roberts took to Chicago.

PHOTO By KAyLA MCDONALD

Don Sargent and Bree Sargent

PHOTO By KRIS WARTELLE

Kim Pontiff, Jill and Bob Laroussini

PHOTO By KRIS WARTELLE

Askley Bourque, Nic and Lacie Richard

The fundraiser now helps fund AcA’s Arts in Education programming.

From the reception to honor patrons, to the ballroom decked out in holiday décor filled with joy, the Pelican Ball delighted guests with whimsy and merriment. We love this event because the cause is so important to our culture. Congratulations to John Chappuis and Renee Roberts. Thank you for all you have done to make the AcA so special in our community.

TODAY IN HISTORY

By The Associated Press Today is Sunday, Dec. 21, the 355th day of 2025. There are 10 days left in the year.

Today in history: On Dec. 21, 1988, a terrorist bomb exploded aboard New York-bound Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 people aboard the Boeing 747 and 11 on the ground. The blast occurred about 40 minutes into the flight from London and claimed the lives of citizens from 21 countries, including 190 Americans.

Also on this date: In 1620, Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower went ashore at present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts, for the first time.

In 1864, during the Civil War, Union forces led by Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman concluded their “March to the Sea” when they captured Savannah, Georgia.

In 1891, the first basketball game, devised by James Naismith, is believed to have been played at the International YMCA Training School (now Springfield College) in Springfield, Massachusetts.

In 1913, the first newspaper crossword puzzle, billed as a “Word-Cross Puzzle,” was published in the New York World.

In 1976, the oil tanker Argo Merchant broke apart near Nantucket Island off Massachusetts almost a week after running aground, spilling 7.7 million gallons of oil into the North Atlantic.

In 1991, 11 of the 12 former Soviet republics formally proclaimed the birth of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

In 2020, President-elect Joe Biden received his first dose of the coronavirus vaccine on live television as part of a growing effort early in the pandemic to convince the American public the inoculations were safe.

In 2023, a student opened fire at Charles University in Prague, killing at least 14 people and injuring more than 20 in the Czech Republic’s worst mass shooting.

Authorities said the 24-year-old student, who had a license to own eight guns and no criminal record, killed himself as police closed in.

Today’s Birthdays: Actor Jane Fonda is 88.

Singer Carla Thomas is 83. Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas is 81. Actor Samuel L. Jackson is 77. Film producer Jeffrey Katzenberg is 75. Tennis Hall of Famer Chris Evert is 71. Actor Jane Kaczmarek is 70. Country musician Lee Roy Parnell is 69. Actor-comedian Ray Romano is 68. Actor Kiefer Sutherland is 59. Actorfilmmaker Julie Delpy is 56. Golf Hall of Famer Karrie Webb is 51. French President Emmanuel Macron is 48. Actor Rutina Wesley is 47. Actor Steven Yeun is 42.

Actor-producer-writer Quinta Brunson is 36. Actor Kaitlyn Dever is 29. Actor Madelyn Cline is 28.

PHOTO By KAyLA MCDONALD

Frank Neuner, John Chappuis and Rany Haynie

PHOTO By KAyLA MCDONALD

Deborah Simeral, Dayna Haynie, Jessica Gerami and Ken Simeral

Stop commenting on post-illness hair Dear Miss Manners: I had cancer Gentle Reader Unfortunately, last year and lost my hair. I’m there is no legal way to stop fine now, but my hair is growfoolish people from informing others how they look. They ing back super curly. Every seem to think it useful day, people make comto point out to tall peoments about it: “Oh, your hair! It’s so curly!” ple that they are tall, to It’s a painful reminder the short that they are when I’m trying to feel short, and so on. Fat, normal again. I’ve tried thin — anything noticeexplaining that I’m upset able.

Judith about my looks and don’t And if they are chalMartin lenged, they claim to like to be reminded, but MISS then they argue that it be giving compliments.

MANNERS looks good.

Even your tears have Every woman at probably not prompted church brings it up, not realthe offender at the gym to realize that she had erred. izing it’s hard for me to hear dozens of these comments. One Rather, she likely thought that woman at the gym commented you were just oversensitive (a countercharge often lobbed by loudly every day, even after rude people). It is a wonder she I asked her to stop. I finally didn’t announce that. burst into tears.

So Miss Manners can offer It will take two years for my little hope that you can retrain hair to be long and feminine again. Any ideas on how to stop those who are determined to comment on appearances. the comments in the meanSorry. time?

She can only caution you not to respond. A silent, humorless stare should at least stop them from elaborating on their remarks.

Dear Miss Manners: In a supermarket, I had a conversation with the family of a very noisy child, about 6 years old. I protested the noise, while Mom defended it vigorously.

I walked away and continued my shopping. A few minutes later, the store manager stopped by to tell me that “disrespecting children” was against store policy and would not be tolerated. She referred me to the company website, but of course, I could find no such policy statement.

Why must members of the public be disrespected by unruly, misbehaving, noisy children, and then defended by adults who should know better?

I am not a fan of authoritar-

ian or permissive parenting, and believe in the principle of a community of equal dignity.

Sometimes, a parent should address the noisy behavior of a child rather than ignore it — especially in a public place, where it can affect and upset other people. As in this case.

What is your view on this?

Gentle Reader: That indeed, a parent must sometimes deal with a disruptive child in public. It’s not easy or fun, but Miss Manners dares say that every parent has to go through it.

But why did you? Unlike the parent, you were in the enviable position of being able to move to another aisle, away from the noise. Why didn’t you?

Send questions to Miss Manners to her email at dearmissmanners@gmail. com.

Preserve cursive writing, which is a lost art Dear Heloise: I read with great interest the letter from Sharon, in Middletown, Ohio. I, too, mourn the loss of cursive writing and know many young people who are able to text on their phones with impressive speed but are unable to write their own names.

Printing their signatures like first graders do is all they can Hints from manage.

Heloise Here is another very sad example of this: My nephew teaches anatomy in a small medical teaching facility. The clocks on the classroom walls throughout the facility were changed to digital clocks. The reason?

Because of students’ complaints that analog clocks were too difficult for them to read to figure out the time! Mind you, these young people are there to eventually become nurses or doctors. How sad is this? — Alice,

in Virginia Alice, I imagine parents will have to teach their children at home if they want them to learn cursive writing or read analog clocks. — Heloise

‘Nut’ your ordinary hint Dear Heloise: Recipes frequently contain pine nuts, which can be pricey. I substitute them with sunflower kernels or shelled sunflower seeds.

They taste good. I put them on salads, sandwiches, pasta, etc.

— Thomas “T” D., in Kenner Thomas, great hint! By the way, you do store nuts in the fridge when you use them, right? Nuts contain oil, which can spoil and turn rancid.

Make sure to place them in an airtight container. When they’re ready to be used, toast them on a cookie sheet in an oven set to 350 F for 10 minutes, or microwave them in a bowl for 11/ 2 minutes. — Heloise

Best bet for butter Dear Heloise: Do I need to re-

frigerate butter? — Melody T., in Houston Melody, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA.gov), butter should be refrigerated in its original packaging until you are ready to use it. After using it, cover the stick of butter and place it back into the refrigerator.

Butter is mostly fat, so it is less likely to be besieged by bacteria, unlike a product that is mostly made of water. So, softening the butter before a meal on the countertop is fine.

— Heloise

Cruising Dear Heloise: My husband wants to go on a cruise ship next year, but it sounds boring to me. What do people do on a ship besides eat and stare at the water? — Kelsey H., in Scottsbluff, Nebraska Kelsey, there’s usually a lot to entertain you on a cruise.

You’ll dock at various ports with enough time to do some

exploring and maybe taste the local foods. You can get a massage, get a pedicure and manicure, go for a swim if they have a pool, or go dancing with your husband. Many cruise lines have art galleries or offer seminars and classes that are fun to take.

Consult with a travel agent who can explain all the options that are available on each cruise line. — Heloise

Extra clothing Dear Heloise: I lost 80 pounds and would like to donate my former wardrobe to someone who could use these expensive items. Do you have a recommendation? — Lacy T., in Hazlehurst, Mississippi Lacy, the list is endless — a women’s shelter, Salvation Army, and Goodwill, to name a few. You might also call a local church and ask them for recommendations. — Heloise Send a hint to heloise@ heloise.com.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● 3D

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TRAVEL

Yurt stay worth the price and weirdness Stop in Texas Hill Country by way of El Paso

BY JAN RISHER Staff writer

When I told my husband we were spending the night in a yurt, he looked at me like I’d suggested we sleep on the roof of a moving car.

He went along anyway — either worn down by years of my “great ideas” or choosing blind confidence because they usually work out.

I had never seen our destination yurt, the Cara Ger, and driving through the dark on curvy two-lane highways in the Texas Hill Country didn’t exactly inspire confidence in my husband. But I had one ace up my sleeve: the price of the stay.

Based on that alone, I had a feeling it would be nice.

Yes, it would have been better to have arrived earlier — so that we could have enjoyed the beautiful landscape — but we were driving back to Louisiana from El Paso, and the miles were longer than the day.

How we got there At this point in life, I try to stay in interesting places whenever possible. I do a little research and find cool, restored spots — like the incredible Settles Hotel in Big Spring, Texas, where we stayed on our way to El Paso.

If you know Texas geography and are thinking, “Big Spring isn’t on the way to El Paso from south Louisiana,” you’re right. But we needed to go through Shreveport and wanted to visit my husband’s cousin in Dallas. Remarkably, that detour added only about 45 minutes to our long 14-hour drive to El Paso.

That extra three-quarters of an hour was a win: we stayed in a 1,000-square-foot suite at the Settles Hotel for $179 a night. The whole place was swanky, and the food was good. I could have stayed a while. I highly recommend the

The Cara Ger luxury yurt rents for about $320 per night.

STAFF PHOTO

By JAN RISHER

places El Paso among the world’s leading children’s museums.

The trip home by way of the yurt

stacle if nature called in the night.

But alas, he can’t wait to return.

The Yurtopian Resort calls its accommodations “luxury” yurts — and they aren’t joking. We sat by the fire in the cold, watched the stars, and I finally persuaded my husband into the hot tub.

All in all, the trip, which we made to attend a funeral, could have been profoundly sad — and even though the sadness is still with us, the special places we found and shared along the way made the overall experience so much more than it could have been.

My husband agrees that the whole experience was glorious — the quiet of the Texas hills, the warmth of the yurt, and what may be the world’s most comfortable bed, made for one of the best nights’ sleep either of us has had in a long time.

We left the Texas hills carrying both the sadness we came with and the unexpected and welcomed warmth of a night well spent.

For the drive home, we took the more direct “low road” — InterThe yurtopian Hill Country Resort features seven ‘luxury’ yurts. Its sister state 10 all the way. For our interproperty in Dripping Springs, Texas, is 46 acres with 11 yurts. esting overnight stop, I chose the Yurtopian Hill Country Resort We loved walking through the near Wimberley, Texas.

Settles Hotel if you’re ever drivlargely revitalized downtown.

By then, it was quite cold, and ing near Big Spring.

We stopped by the new Mexieven I began to wonder if the yurt Out on the town of El Paso might be a bridge too far. But I reacan American Cultural Center In El Paso, we stayed at The and stumbled upon multiple free soned that about a third of MongoPlaza Hotel Pioneer Park, which workshops. lians still live full-time in yurts — Not only did we help make over- and it’s much colder there than in earned a coveted Michelin Key. Like The Settles Hotel, it too was sized Christmas piñatas for the the Texas Hill Country. originally opened in 1930. It was city’s holiday celebrations, but we Plus, as mentioned, this yurt was restored and reopened in 2020 also crafted hojalatas (small tin pricey — about $320 for the night, and is located in the middle of ornaments) with a skilled artist which is well beyond what I’d usudowntown El Paso, right beside teaching us the steps along the ally pay. the city’s central plaza, which was way. The center hosts free workBut after a tough few months hosting Winterfest throughout the shops every weekend. and a missed big trip due to a month of December.

From there, we walked to the house fire, I decided we deserved On weekend nights, live music new $72 million La Nube STEAM a splurge. I’m glad we did.

— mostly high-quality mariachi Discovery Center, El Paso’s new Even my husband came around — filled the air. There was an ice- children’s museum, which recently — though he did have a moment skating rink, hot chocolate and won the 2025 Hands On! Children of concern when we arrived in the lights a’plenty. It was like a winter in Museums Award — a global dis- dark and realized the bathroom wonderland and could easily be a tinction shared by only two other and kitchen were outside, and the Email Jan Risher at jan.risher@ Christmas destination. museums in the United States that in-deck hot tub would be an ob- theadvocate.com.

PROVIDED PHOTO

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER

By Christopher Elliott

Refund promised after involuntary downgrade, but it’s still missing I booked a business class seat for my American Airlines flight from St.Thomas to Charlotte, but 45 minutes before boarding, a gate agent told me my seat was broken and I’d have to move to the main cabin.They promised a refund for the fare difference plus a $500 inconvenience fee.

Another agent printed a new boarding pass but kept changing the compensation amount — first $200, then $300.

I accepted, assuming I Christopher could resolve it later.

But when I submitted Elliott a refund request online, American denied it.The airline’s customer relations department also rejected my claim, and emails to corporate contacts only got generic replies.

After weeks of back-and-forth, I still hadn’t received a dime.Why won’t American Airlines honor its promise? — Laura MacLennan, Gurnee, Ill. American Airlines should have

immediately refunded the fare difference and honored its compensation offer.

Under Department of Transportation rules, passengers downgraded from a higher class of seating to a lower class are entitled to a refund for the difference in price. But if an agent offers an additional $500 for the inconvenience, then American Airlines should follow through.

But as good as that sounded, I’m almost certain that the agents either misspoke or that you misunderstood them. The reason they kept changing the amount at the ticket counter was that they needed to calculate the fare difference.

Now, here’s the thing: Airlines usually calculate these types of refunds by the book, although I’ve witnessed a few shenanigans in the past. For example, for an

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involuntary downgrade, I’ve seen tions, including the names of emthem recalculate the price of your ployees and the time of your inseat based on that day’s fare. teraction. You say you had asked And, as you probably know, the for the names of the gate agents, walk-up economy class fare can “but they gave me a hard time be almost as much as an advance- about that, and I felt weird trying purchase business class ticket to zone in on their name tags.” (and maybe more). Airlines can I see you escalated this to the deny their customers any fare American Airlines executives adjustment based on that kind of listed on my consumer advocacy funny math. site, Elliott.org. Unfortunately, at At first, I suspected that was the the time you contacted me, the problem — a fare recalculation executives had switched email that left you with nothing. And addresses (maybe to hide from you say you did, too. Technically, customers like you), and thereAmerican Airlines could try some fore, your requests were going funny math, and it would be com- into the void.

Don’t worry, my research team pletely legal. But it’s definitely not has fixed that. Anyway, the point the right thing to do. is, the executives should have You might have been able to avoid this by asking the agent for never abandoned their emails, and they should have responded a written confirmation of the refund. While verbal assurances are to you.

If you ever get into a situation common, a paper trail is critical. like this, it’s best to look up the Always document your interac-

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DOT rules and make sure the airline is following them. Vague promises of $500 in compensation that change by the minute are not reliable — especially if the airline doesn’t put it in writing.

I contacted American Airlines on your behalf. The airline checked its records and claimed that you had not been downgraded, but instead moved to a different business class seat. You sent them a boarding pass that confirmed you sat in economy class.

American Airlines issued a $300 travel credit and $226 for the fare difference.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him at elliottadvocacy. org.

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Christmas à la Louisiane: It’s a bit unique

BY MYRNA BERGERON Contributing writer

There is no snow, the grass is still green, but the calendar insists that it is December — this is Christmastime in Louisiana.

Once twinkling outdoor lights begin to appear in our neighborHuman hoods, we enter Condition into the spirit of joy with our community. It is amazing that we welcome the same holiday stories, the same Yuletide music and still look forward to hearing them.

The time has come to pull down those noisy attic stairs and climb up to retrieve all the ornaments, ceramic Santas and tinsel needed to decorate our houses. The old crèche set is a family treasure.

Even though one of the figures, a shepherd, has only one arm and one of the sheep is missing a leg, it will still have a place of honor near our Christmas tree.

How enchanting it is to decorate our homes with the variety

of fresh greenery available in our area. Glossy dark green magnolia leaves, scented bright green pine branches, sprays of red holly berries with their jagged green leaves and chocolate brown pinecones. They’re all beautiful and plentiful. Many of the fir trees that we use as Christmas trees

will have traveled many miles to get to us. The very idea of bringing an entire, live tree inside our living space is an outlandish but exciting.

Christmas was not always peaceful within our household of two adults, seven children and two cats. Stuff happens! Like the

time when, just before guests were to arrive for our annual extended family gathering, the electric meter partially fell off our house, leaving us without electricity. There were no lights, no oven to cook in, and teenage girls needing hair dryers. Thanks to an electrician willing to work on Christmas Eve, we regained electric power. For a short while, we were in panic mode.

During Yuletide, the kitchen is one of the busiest places with all the holiday food preparation.

The kitchen delivers delicious aromas as well as joyous noises throughout the house. What will the entrée be, tender pork roast or perhaps the customary roast turkey? Whatever is decided upon, it will be preceded by a cup of steaming gumbo with rice and followed with a cup of rich, hot Louisiana coffee.

Here in south Louisiana, tradition plays an important part in our lives and Christmastime presents us with a unique legacy. On Christmas Eve, we look forward to the arrival of Papa Noel or

Father Christmas to town by placing great, bright bonfires along the top of the levees bordering the Mississippi River. Participating family groups begin building their bonfire creations weeks ahead. What an enchanting sight it is to see the winter darkness speckled by blazing fires lighting the way for miles along both sides of our great river.

What a wonderful time of the year. All the colors, lights, sounds and traditions of the season fill our hearts with love and happiness. Each Christmas brings new memories to treasure. Bon Noël!

Merry Christmas!

— Bergeron lives in Baton Rouge.

Advocate readers may submit stories of about 500 words to The Human Condition at features@theadvocate.com or The Advocate, Features, 10705 Rieger Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70809. There is no payment, and stories will be edited. Authors should include their city of residence.

STROLL

Continued from page 1D lights hung on homes of one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods, and watch street performances that included dance lessons and spoken word poetry — provided by the recently opened Basin Arts, a nonprofit arts studio located on Buchanan Street.

Beyond being a fun event for the neighborhood, the goal was to melt some of the preconceived notions people may have about the neighborhood, or at least to challenge them, Proctor said.

“Members of the coterie have been wanting to have a festival to highlight the progress the community has made and make it appear on people’s maps as a place worth living in, visiting,” Proctor said.

Talks about the holiday stroll began in earnest sometime during the summer, said Basin Arts Director Clare Cook. Coterie members were considering ways to bring holiday cheer to the community.

Cook would eventually reach out to Proctor to suggest working on a project together for the art stu-

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE

Corey Frank leads a Zydeco dance lesson during the Fightingville Holiday Stroll on Dec. 13 in Lafayette. dio’s Window Wonderland display, which connects local artists with downtown businesses to paint holiday window displays. Over the years, the event has culmi-

CURIOUS

Continued from page 1D were reporting in Louisiana in 1947 — saucer-shaped spaceships,” said Michael Wynne, author and central Louisiana historian. “There were so many of these sightings, and they were all reported by Alexandria’s local newspaper, The Town Talk.”

The UFO capital of the world In fact, it was the newspaper’s managing editor and columnist, Adras Laborde, who organized the national conference. Laborde was inducted into the Louisiana Political Hall of Fame in 2012 after a career stretching from the mid 1940s to the early 1990s.

He was fairly new at the newspaper when he supported the idea of staging a national UFO conference at Alexandria’s downtown grand hotel, the Hotel Bentley.

“He was one of its biggest promoters,” Wynne said. “It was going to be the first of its kind, but it didn’t happen. Why? Because Adras Laborde and his committee required at least 10 out-of-state people who had made sightings to commit to coming to Alexandria, but they only two out-of-state people signed up.”

Meanwhile, almost 80 Louisianans who had filed sightings registered for the event. And central Louisianans continued filing their reports.

Wynne has transcribed these reports in his book, “It Came From Outer Space!: Flying Saucers Visits To Louisiana,” for which he did extensive research not only on the conference but the sightings.

“The mass sightings were only for a short period, from August to December in 1947,” Wynne said.

“Adras had scheduled the conference for December of that year.

Alexandria was considered the UFO capital of the world, and it’s kind of ridiculous to have called off the conference because they only had two out-of-state people

nated in live performances on either Vermilion or Jefferson Street, Cook said.

“I called him up, and I was like, ‘Hey, I have a proposal.

Could we work together

where you guys (coterie) are gonna source the lights and really motivate from the inside the neighbors to decorate their own homes’?” Cook said.

This year, instead, the

ena in the lower Louisiana region, which, at the time, was still Spanish territory,” Wynne said.

The phenomenon allegedly passed in Baton Rouge at night on April 5, 1800. Dunbar’s description of the sighting is detailed: “It was first seen in the South West, and moved so rapidly, passing over the heads of the spectators, as to disappear in the North East in about a quarter of a minute. It appeared to be of the size of a large house, 70 or 80 feet long. ...

“It appeared to be about 200 yards above the surface of the earth, wholly luminous, but not emitting sparks; of a colour resembling the sun near the horizon in a cold frosty evening, which PROVIDED IMAGE By THE LOUISIANA may be called a crimson red.

POLITICAL HALL OF FAME When passing right over the heads of the spectators, the light on the Adras Laborde, managing editor surface of the earth, was little and columnist for the Alexandria short of the effect of sun-beams, Daily Town Talk, spearheaded the though at the same time, looking effort to stage a national UFO another way, the stars were visconference in Alexandria in 1947. ible, which appears to be a confirmation of the opinion formed of its who signed up between 60 and 80 moderate elevation. In passing, a in-state people who had commitconsiderable degree of heat was felt but no electric sensation.” ted to it.”

A phenomenon in the sky

The Air Force gets involved

But, as noted in Wynne’s book, sightings were taking place throughout the state, one as far back as 1801.

“The first documented sighting was in a letter sent to Thomas Jefferson in 1801,” Wynne said.

“And that sighting was in Baton Rouge.”

The letter was from Natchez, Mississippi, resident Thomas Dunbar, who sent it about a month before Jefferson’s presidential inauguration. Jefferson also was serving as president of the American Philosophical Society, which was founded by Benjamin Franklin.

The organization published Dunbar’s letter in Volume 6 of its newsletter, “Transactions of the American Philosophical Society.”

“Dunbar was a member of the society and was also a diligent investigator of natural phenom-

The object was seen crashing in a wooded area, but caused no cataclysmic damage. Could it have been a meteorite? Wynne says no.

“It is believed that what Dunbar describes, if accurate, was not a meteorite, because an object of this size, entering Earth’s atmosphere at a speed typical of objects falling to earth from space, would have left a much larger trace of itself,” Wynne said. “For example, scientists estimate the size of the iron meteor that created Arizona’s Meteor Crater at roughly 50 meters.”

As for the reason for the influx of 1940s UFO sightings in central Louisiana, Wynne said there is no definitive explanation.

The area was home to England Air Force Base, which logged the reports through the Air Force’s Project Blue Book, which have recently been released by the Na-

Winter Wonderland performances would be part of the community’s first holiday stroll. The stroll ended at Basin Arts, where residents could watch another dance

tional Archives.

“And the sightings were extremely detailed, not only the statements from the people, but also in how the Air Force addresses these cases,” Wynne said. “And then the Air Force, in turn, investigated the people who reported the sightings.”

Wynne also researched data from the National UFO Reporting Center, which documented reports from throughout Louisiana.

“It’s just raw data that hasn’t been investigated,” he said.

Flying objects with orange lights Finally, he zeroed in on central Louisiana through The Town Talk’s barrage of news reports.

“The Air Force would just downplay them, saying, ‘Oh, there was a weather balloon or there were airplanes in the area, and we can’t talk about it at this time,” Wynne said. “But the accounts just proliferated from, from ‘47 through as late as 1955. In fact, the sightings became so overwhelming that they became old hat. People stopped paying attention, and it just died out.”

That is, until 1978, when Steven Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” hit movie theaters.

“That reinvigorated the sightings,” Wynne said. “People weren’t embarrassed to talk about them anymore.”

Looking now at all the descriptions, Wynne has found a running theme — most people identified the flying objects as saucershaped with orange lights.

Did they really see these spaceships? Well, the people who saw them apparently believed it, so much that they were willing to bear witness at a national conference.

Do you have a question about something in Louisiana that’s got you curious? Email your question to curiouslouisiana@ theadvocate.com. Include your name, phone number and the city where you live.

performance by the studio’s students.

“It felt exciting and important to take a similar idea of a performance or sort of a live event night, but to ground it in our new neighborhood,” Cook said.

The community has already taken a liking to Basin Arts’ new space, which opened in October, Cook said. Their previous location on Clinton Street didn’t reflect the robust, community-centered ethos the studio strives for.

“The ability to open the doors and to have people who live within the community walk over. We already have people that are taking dance classes that live down the block,” Cook said.

Proctor said that he hopes to bring the event back next year. He added that other events, such as a glow bike ride or a similar event during Mardi Gras season, might also prove successful.

He personally thanked Basin Arts for their support of the event.

“It was a great success.”

Proctor said, “I think it was a big hit, and we will absolutely be looking to extend this into next year. More families, bigger route, more houses and more lights.”

STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Workers assemble a towering Christmas tree in the atrium of One Canal Place in New Orleans on Nov. 16.

AT RANDOM

Continued from page 1D All of this came to mind the other day as a work friend climbed our office stairs to help me bring down Christmas. Others joined us, and before long, the splendor of the season was spilling into the room. Blue and silver baubles claimed their perfect spot on the resurrected tree, its lights a constellation that we admired as avidly as Magi scanning the desert sky.

Christmas had risen from its boxes, claiming our hearts once again.

Email Danny Heitman at danny@dannyheitman.com.

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BOOKS OUR FAVORITE BOOKS OF 2025

We opened up the floor in the newsroom to see which books our reporters loved this year, ranging from old favorites they enjoy re-reading to ones they read for the first time. Below are six suggestions.

“The Eight,” by Katherine Neville and “Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years,” by Diarmaid MacCulloch “The Eight,” a book I re-read this year for the first time in more than a decade, is a 1988 novel that’s part thriller, part historical fiction and part mystery, with a tinge of ‘The Da Vinci Code”-style intrigue.

One storyline, set in Revolutionary France, follows the adventures of Mireille, a novice nun who has been given a sacred object to keep and protect from those who would seek it and the power it may possess. A second storyline, set in the 1970s, follows a young computer specialist, Catherine Velis, as she attempts to collect certain antiquities requested by a New York-based antiquities dealer.

Both women are caught up in a long-running game that they must understand before they can try to win. The book’s puzzles, adventure and historical settings kept me turning pages to the end.

“Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years” is a book I read for the first time this year. Diarmaid MacCulloch is one of the most accomplished scholars of Christianity of the last century. But this is no ivory-tower esoterica; his writing is engaging and easy to read.

This book is a magisterial portrayal of the three millennia of thought and deed that result in what we now consider Christianity. The book is perhaps best for those who have some grounding in the history and theology of the church, because while it’s very accessible, there is a broad sweep of time periods, characters, movements and ideas to track. For those looking for a book that is both survey and in-depth study, they could do little better than this masterpiece. — Faimon Roberts, columnist/editorial writer “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” by Douglas Adams An old favorite is “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” which has a light and absurd tone that the English do so well. It both is and isn’t as nerdy as it sounds, and the movie version is a great adaptation.

The story is a good reminder that even a fantastical life far in the future is limited by humanity’s tendency to do dull, dumb things. Living in New Orleans, one scene comes to mind frequently. In order to confront the beings responsible for earth’s impending annihilation, the protagonist must first defeat the root of all evil: mind-numbingly slow bureaucracy! — Lauren Walck, New Orleans features editor “I, Robot,” by Isaac Asimov Generative AI is developing in ways so astonishing that it challenges how we perceive or define consciousness. If you can converse with an AI, if an AI can write something that moves, if people can fall in love with an AI ... is that consciousness?

Isaac Asimov never saw ChatGPT, but he anticipated decades ago that AI would challenge how we think about machines and about ourselves. If you like sci-fi, you probably already know his “Three Laws of Robotics” and the fascinating challenges and dilemmas they present. If you’re not, I’d suggest this book is as relevant as ever.— Matt Albright, politics editor “Tree of Smoke,” by Denis Johnson and “Lonesome Dove,” by Larry McMurtry “Tree of Smoke” is a beautifully written, violent novel about the CIA’s involvement in the Vietnam War and the agency’s own corruption. Through following multiple points of view and plot lines on both sides of the conflict, Johnson explores family, betrayal, exporting American values and — what resonated with me most — faith (mostly Christian, but also eastern spirituality) in the midst of chaos and death.

The book is very dark and entertaining and sometimes confusing — just like the book’s mythic figure Colonel Sands, one of my all-time favorite characters.

“Lonesome Dove” defines the meme: “the masculine urge to get up and leave.” It’s a classic Western about a group of south Texas ranchers who decide to steal a bunch of cattle and set their sights on Montana.

The story takes place post-Civil War during the last days of the Wild West, with the book’s two main protagonists restless, ex-Texas rangers desperately trying to hold onto the excitement of the old days. The basic question here that resonated with me is whether it’s worth giving up stability and family for a life of adventure.

It’s a long but easy read — hilarious, lewd and a very masculine book (though it is my mother’s favorite!).— Aidan McCahill, West side reporter

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● 5D

‘Homesick’ exposes toxic aftermath of FEMA trailers Once a beacon of hope, temporary homes made many residents sick

BY RIEN FERTEL Contributing writer

“Homesick” by Nicholas Shapiro, Duke University Press, 256 pages.

The holiday season is a time for homecomings and family gatherings, staying in, snuggling down and enjoying the comforts Review of home — which makes Nicholas Shapiro’s “Homesick” an apt but unconventional read to end the year on.

“Homesick” is, at the surface, a biography of the emergency housing provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: the infamous FEMA trailer. Along the way, Shapiro, a professor and environmental researcher at UCLA who spent 15 years interviewing and advocating for trailer residents, presents a crucial story about the homes we inhabit and how they’re killing us.

In the months immediately following Katrina, the federal government awarded trailer manufacturers over $2 billion in no-bid contracts to churn out over 120,000 mobile homes. Distributed across the Gulf Coast, and centered in and around New Orleans, FEMA trailers provided housing for over 300,000 residents.

“Long before they became a symbol of protracted and painful recovery,” Shapiro concedes, “FEMA trailers were cornerstones of the infrastructure of hope.”

Despite their cramped quarters, most often 250 square feet, and thin walls, the trailers performed their utilitarian tasks: to be cheap, temporary and portable.

“It was all the space I could handle,” a New Orleanian told the author.

“It’s like living in a Swiss Army knife,” a Plaquemines Parish resident boasted. “What more could you ask for?”

The biggest ask, it turns out, was for homes that didn’t make inhabitants sick.

“From the engineered wood that gave form to most surfaces in these trailers,” Shapiro writes, “toxic chemicals, most notably formaldehyde, were continuously wriggling free of their bonds and into breathing space in a process known as ‘offgassing.’ ” Because off-gassing is temperature and moisture-dependent, as the heat and humidity rise throughout the day, season to season, all those surfaces — walls, floors, ceilings, cabinetry and doors — leach increased levels of formaldehyde into a trailer’s enclosed atmosphere.

Made from methane, and used in home construction materials since the 1950s, formaldehyde is the most common and most understood indoor-air pollutant. This naturally occurring gas responsible for so much of our modern housing is also “an irritant, an allergen, a neurotoxin and a known human carcinogen.” Formaldehyde causes more cancer than any known air pollutant, by far.

FEMA trailers represent the largest formaldehyde exposure

FILE PHOTO

A tattered American flag is planted in front of a Federal Emergency Management Agency trailer in New Orleans in 2007.

in human history, with many residents experiencing levels of toxicity two to three times higher than the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s recommended limits.

Jeremy, a New Orleans pastor in Mid-City, lived in a trailer with his family going on five years when Shapiro interviewed him.

“You could really feel the formaldehyde,” he said.

Over time, his family members suffered from bronchitis, chronic fatigue, nasal congestion, insomnia and eye irritation.

Another New Orleanian, Marquisha, was 13 when she moved into a trailer and was soon diagnosed with asthma and pneumonia.

“Every time I went up in there, my head would hurt a lot,” she told Shapiro.

“It burns my eyes and I am getting headaches every day,” someone wrote on the website of Gulf Stream, the leading FEMA trailer manufacturer.

“I have tried many things, but nothing seems to work. PLEASE, PLEASE HELP ME!!”

Never stepped foot in a FEMA trailer? Shapiro says don’t count your blessings.

“Nine out of every ten breaths in your life,” he writes, “will take place in enclosed spaces where the air is suffused with chemicals that are off-gassing from construction materials and the myriad commodities that fill our daily lives.”

Over the course of a day, the average American gulps down 18 pounds of “industrially textured air.” Our homes are literally making us homesick.

This is a tough read, in terms of subject matter and Shapiro’s occasional descent into academese, one in which levity only comes in the form of absurdity.

Formaldehyde was only one of many problems for trailer residents, including crumbling

pipes, moldy siding and electrical outlets that spontaneously combusted. Keys provided by FEMA could often unlock multiple trailers, resulting in simple and frequent break-ins.

Shapiro profiles Frank Renda, a senior environmental scientist working for the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, who raised alarms over a 2007 report that downplayed the long-term health risks of inhabiting a FEMA trailer. Punished for insubordination, Renda was reassigned to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In his new office, in a new building, he soon started developing rashes.

The CDC ran tests, discovering that the office’s formaldehyde levels were double the recommended limit.

Some 90,000 residents would join litigation against the trailer manufacturers. (The Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama state courts let FEMA off the hook, declaring the agency not liable for providing housing to needy Americans.) In this continuing black comedy of fatal errors, many litigants received checks with their names misspelled.

Not that the meager settlements helped much. Debra, of Gentilly, collected $32.02. Mac, of Mid-City, received a settlement check totaling $228.07, then promptly died.

“I’m concerned at this point now the formaldehyde trailer has brought me to the point of almost killing me,” he told Shapiro after filing his lawsuit. “I want to find a detox. I want to get this ... out of me. It ain’t out.

I can feel it. I’m still contaminated.”

After a brief moratorium due to the lawsuits, FEMA offloaded the trailers on the secondary market, reselling upward of 150,000 units at fire-sale prices.

(The government had ordered many thousands more trailers than they ever deployed).

Additionally, the government donated at least 1,000 units to Indigenous tribal governments hard up for housing.

Twenty years later, people are still living in FEMA trailers scattered throughout the nation.

Sometimes the residents are unaware of their home’s history; often it’s their only opportunity for secure, though not safe, shelter.

The trailers can be easy to spot. Look for the government signs pasted on windows, with bold, red lettering that reads: “NOT TO BE USED AS HOUSING.” Rien Fertel is the author of four books, including, most recently, “Brown Pelican.”

THIS WEEK’S BESTSELLERS FROM PUBLISHERS WEEKLY HARDCOVER FICTION

1. “The Widow” by John Grisham 2. “The Secret of Secrets” by Dan Brown 3. “The Correspondent” by Virginia Evans 4. “Alchemised” by SenLinYu 5. “Brimstone (deluxe ed.)” by Callie Hart 6. “Return of the Spider” by James Patterson 7. “Always Remember” by Charlie Mackesy 8. “Mona’s Eyes” by Thomas Schlesser 9. “The Dark Is Descending” by Chloe C. Peñaranda 10. “Nash Falls” by David Baldacci

HARDCOVER NONFICTION

1. “The Let Them Theory” by Mel Robbins 2. “The Miracles Among Us” by Marc Siegel 3. “How to Test Negative for Stupid” by John Kennedy 4. “The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The Essential Recipes” by Ree Drummond 5. “1929” by Andrew Ross Sorkin 6. “Guinness World Records 2026” by Guinness World Records 7. “Puzzle Mania!” by Joel Fagliano 8. “The Look” by Michelle Obama 9. “Heart Life Music” by Kenny Chesney 10. “Nobody’s Girl” by Virginia Roberts Giuffre

TRADE PAPERBACK

1. “Until He Comes” by Tsarfati/Stagner 2. “Sweet Venom” by Rina Kent 3. “The 2026 Old Farmer’s Almanac”

by Old Farmer’s Almanac 4. “Murder at Holly House” by Denzil Meyrick 5. “Merry Christmas, You Filthy Animal” by Meghan Quinn 6. “Theo of Golden” by Allen Levi 7. “The God of the Woods” by Liz Moore 8. “Housemaid” by Freida McFadden 9. “Merry Murdle” by G.T. Karber 10. “Good Spirits” by B.K. Borison

6D ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

LOUISIANA BAKES Three tasty treats to gift from your kitchen

The holiday season is a time for warmth, generosity and connection, and few gifts capture that spirit better than homemade food and baked goods.

Giving food as a gift is more than a practical gesture; it’s deeply personal.

For many, food is a love language — a way to express affection, gratitude and care without Olivia Regard words. A batch of cookies, a loaf of bread or a jar of spiced nuts reflect the gift of your time, intention and thoughtfulness — qualities that store-bought items can sometimes lack.

These gifts can also evoke nostalgia and remind the recipient of shared meals and cherished celebrations.

Creative and thoughtful packaging adds an extra layer of charm: decorative tins, festive boxes or reusable jars transform simple treats into memorable presents. By including a handwritten recipe card, you can elevate the gifting experience, sharing not only a tasty treat but also a favorite or treasured family recipe.

The three recipes below will minimize your time in the kitchen during the hectic holiday season yet result in special gifts you will enjoy giving and your recipient will appreciate. The packaging can be simple cellophane bags tied with festive ribbon or place the homemade treat in something useful and reusable that your recipient can enjoy for months or years to come.

Gift the cheese straws in a festive tin, the biscotti with a mug for tea or coffee, and the spiced nuts in a reusable jar.

Ultimately, sharing food during the holidays is about more than just taste — it’s about creating moments of joy and a connection that endures long after the last bite.

lll

Gingerbread Biscotti

Yields 30 to 34 slices.

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons ground ginger 1 ⁄8 teaspoon ground cloves A few grinds of fresh cracked black pepper (about 1/4 teaspoon) 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt 1/2 cup dark brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 11⁄3 cups toasted, chopped nuts or white or dark chocolate chunks (optional) 1 large egg white

PHOTO By OLIVIA REGARD

Cheese Straws, Rosemary Roasted Pecans and Gingerbread Biscotti

Cheese Straws

Yields 2 dozen or more depending on size and shape of straws.

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 7 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, coarsely grated 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 tablespoon half-and-half or heavy cream 1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 2. Add the cheese, butter, flour, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes to a food processor. Pulse the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.

3. Add half-and-half and process until a dough ball forms.

4. Turn dough on to a lightly floured surface and knead a few

times. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough into an 8-inch-by-10-inch rectangle that is 1⁄8-inch thick. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

5. With a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough into thin strips. Note: The straws can be any length; feel free to tailor the size to your needs.

6. Gently transfer the strips to a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake the straws on the middle rack for 12 to 14 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Let cool completely.

Note: Cheese straws can be made up to one month ahead of time. Store cheese straws in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week or in a freezer for up to one month.

Cheese straws will disappear quickly at a party.

Rosemary Roasted Pecans ⁄3 cup fresh rosemary 1/4 cup olive oil 2 teaspoons fresh cracked black pepper 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 2 teaspoons kosher salt 5 cups pecan halves

1

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 2. Remove rosemary leaves from the stem and place leaves on a cutting board. Using a rolling pin, crush the leaves, releasing the oil from the rosemary. Coarsely chop.

3. Mix rosemary, olive oil, pepper, sugar and salt in a bowl. Stir in pecans and toss to coat.

4. Place pecans on rimmed baking sheet and roast for 17-20 minutes, tossing/shaking the pan midway through baking. Let cool.

1. Heat oven to 350 F. 2. Line one large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.

3. In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together granulated and brown sugars with the melted butter. Whisk in the two large eggs and vanilla until fully incorporated.

5. Add the wet ingredients along with any optional additions (nuts or chocolate) to dry mixture and stir to combine.

6. Using floured hands, divide dough in half and transfer each half to the prepared baking sheet.

Form the dough into flattened logs ( around 11 inches long by 3 inches wide by 3/4-inch thick).

7. Whisk egg white in a small bowl until foamy and brush over top and sides of each log.

8. Bake the logs until golden brown (approximately 20 minutes).

9. Transfer to cooling rack and let cool for 25 minutes.

10. Gently transfer each log to a cutting board. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut logs on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-wide slices.

11. Arrange slices, cut side down, on baking sheet and bake for 7 to 10 minutes, until golden underneath. Flip each biscotti and bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool on rack completely.

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The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● 7D

lll

.theacadianaadvocate.com Merchandise

The Classified Advertising Department will be closed on Thursday, December 25 to observe the Christmas holiday

EARLY DEADLINES FOR OUR ADVERTISEMENTS

CATS RAGAMUFFIN & RAGDOLL KITTENS www.CatsByFrancy.com/kittens $700up! Reg. Shots & Guaranty 337-230-3150 WANT TO BUY I buy old bourbon bottles. Wild Turkey, Weller, Old Grand Dad etc.

Call or text $300 (225)456-3434

PRINT ADVERTISING WORKS

DEADLINE..........RUN DATE Thurs., Dec 18 - 3pm .......... Wed., Dec 24 Fri., Dec 19 - 3pm............... Thurs., Dec 25 Fri., Dec 19 - 3pm............... Fri., Dec 26 Tues, Dec 23-3pm ............... Sat/Sun Dec 27, 28 Wed., Dec 24 - 3pm ............ Mon., Dec 29 Fri., Dec 26 - 3pm............... Tues., Dec 30

DISPLAY ADS 24 HOURS EARLIER

Public Notices

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO BIDDERS Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received either electroni‐ cally at https://lafayet tecsdgovla.tylerportico. com/va/vendor-access/ registration or in the of‐ fice of the Purchasing Di‐ vision at the Lafayette Consolidated Govern‐ ment Building, located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, Louisiana, until 3:00 pm Central Time on the 6th day of January, 2026 for the following: EMPLOYEE FORMS

LABOR

UNI‐

and will, shortly there‐ after, be opened and read aloud in the Pur‐ chasing Office located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, LA. Bids received after the above specified time for open‐ ing shall not be consid‐ ered and shall be re‐ turned unopened to the sender. Bidders are en‐ couraged to attend the bid opening virtually by using the following link https://us02web.zoom. us/j/84602284959? pwd=EjPQSBy1HUYLMrN W8ms0aCuvrYPghx.1 Meeting ID: 846 0228 4959. Passcode: 456697 In accordance with Louisiana RS 38:2212. vendors may submit their bid electronically at the website listed above.

Vendors may request the bid package electroni‐ cally from Thomas Me‐ trejean at tgmetrejean@ lafayettela.gov. Vendors wishing to submit their bid electronically must online with register Lafayette Consolidated Government, in order to establish an account.

Vendors submitting bids electronically are re‐ quired to provide the same documents as bid‐ ders submitting through the mail as soon as avail‐ able. Only a bid bond, certified check or cashier’s check shall be submitted as the bid se‐ curity. Electronic copies of both the front and back of the check or bid bond shall be included with the electronic bid.

Bids must be signed in accordance with LRS Title 38:2212(B)5. A Cor‐ porate Resolution or Cer‐ tificate of Authority au‐ thorizing the person signing the bid is re‐ quired to be submitted with bid. Failure to sub‐ mit a Corporate Resolu‐ tion or Certificate of Au‐ thority with the bid shall be cause for rejection of bid.

Copies of the bidding documents are available at the Purchasing Office located at 705 West Uni‐ versity Avenue, Lafayette, LA 70506. Tele‐ phone number (337) 2917187 (Attn: Thomas Me‐ trejean). Bidding docu‐ ments shall be available until twenty-four (24) hours before the bid opening date.

Each bid shall be accom‐ panied by a certified check, cashier’s check in the amount of $500.00 or bid bond payable to the Lafayette Consolidated Government, the amount of which shall be five percent (5%) of the base bid plus additive alter‐ nates. If a bid bond is used, it shall be written by a surety or insurance company currently on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Management Service list of approved bonding companies which is pub‐ lished annually in the Federal Register, or by a Louisiana domiciled in‐ surance company with at least an A-Rating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide to write individual bonds up to ten percent (10%) of policyholders’ surplus as shown in the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide, or by an insurance com‐ pany in good standing li‐ censed to write bid bonds which is either domiciled in Louisiana or owned by Louisiana resi‐ dents. The bid bond shall be issued by a company licensed to do business in Louisiana and counter‐ signed by a person who is under contract with re‐ siding in this state. The certified check, cashier’s check, or bid bond shall be given as a guarantee that the bidder shall exe‐ cute the contract, should it be awarded to him, in conformity with the con‐ tract documents within ten (10) days.

No bidder may withdraw his bid for at least fortyfive (45) days after the time scheduled for the opening of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided with the specifications.

Bids will be evaluated by the Purchaser based on the lowest responsible and responsive bid sub‐ mitted which is also in compliance with the bid documents.

The Lafayette Consolidated Government reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause in ac‐ d i h

Public Notices Bids/Proposals j cordance with LA R.S. 38§2214.B. The Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government strongly encourages the participation of DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) in all con‐ tracts or procurements let by the Lafayette Con‐ solidated Government for goods and services and labor and material.

To that end, all contrac‐ tors and suppliers are encouraged to utilize DBEs business enter‐ prises in the purchase or sub-contracting of mate‐ rials, supplies, services and labor and material in which disadvantaged business are available.

Assistance in identifying said businesses may be obtained by calling 2918410.

PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated Government PUBLISH DATES: 12-17-25, 12-21-25 DPR # 1003494 170243-dec 17-212t $95.68 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO BIDDERS Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received either electroni‐ cally at https://lafayet tecsdgovla.tylerportico. com/va/vendor-access/ registration or in the of‐ fice of the Purchasing Di‐ vision at the Lafayette Consolidated Govern‐ ment Building, located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, Louisiana, until 3:00 pm Central Time on the 5th day of January, 2026 for the following: RECYCLING SERVICES AT LCG FACILITIES and will, shortly there‐ after, be opened and read aloud in the Office of Purchasing located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, LA. Bids received after the above specified time for open‐ ing shall not be consid‐ ered and shall be re‐ turned unopened to the sender. Bidders are en‐ couraged to attend the bid opening virtually by using the following link https://us02web.zoom. us/j/81293894645? pwd=xygEk4ahKKWN8P2 J1f04llshrDpWvS.1 Meet‐ ing ID: 812 9389 4645 Passcode: 55123 In accordance with Louisiana RS 38:2212. vendors may submit their bid electronically at the website listed above.

Vendors may request the bid package electroni‐ cally from Thomas Me‐ trejean at tgmetrejean@ lafayettela.gov. Vendors wishing to submit their bid electronically must register online with Lafayette Consolidated Government, in order to establish an account.

Vendors submitting bids electronically are re‐ quired to provide the same documents as bid‐ ders submitting through the mail as soon as avail‐ able. Only a bid bond, certified check or cashier’s check shall be submitted as the bid se‐ curity. Electronic copies of both the front and back of the check or bid bond shall be included with the electronic bid.

Bids must be signed in accordance with LRS Title 38:2212(B)5. A Cor‐ porate Resolution or Cer‐ tificate of Authority au‐ thorizing the person signing the bid is re‐ quired to be submitted with bid. Failure to sub‐ mit a Corporate Resolu‐ tion or Certificate of Au‐ thority with the bid shall be cause for rejection of bid.

Copies of the bidding documents are available at the Purchasing Office located at 705 West Uni‐ versity Avenue, Lafayette, LA 70506. Tele‐ phone number (337) 2917187 (Attn: Thomas Me‐ trejean). Bidding docu‐ ments shall be available until twenty-four (24) hours before the bid opening date.

Each bid shall be accom‐ panied by a certified check, cashier’s check in the amount of $500.00 or bid bond payable to the Lafayette Consolidated Government, the amount of which shall be five percent (5%) of the base bid plus additive alter‐ nates. If a bid bond is used, it shall be written by a surety or insurance company currently on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Management Service list of approved bonding companies which is pub‐ lished annually in the Federal Register, or by a Louisiana domiciled in‐ surance company with at least an A-Rating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide to write individual bonds up to ten percent (10%) of policyholders’ surplus as shown in the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide, or by an insurance com‐ pany in good standing li‐ censed to write bid bonds which is either domiciled in Louisiana or owned by Louisiana resi‐ dents. The bid bond shall be issued by a company licensed to do business in Louisiana and counter‐

225-383-0111 Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

signed by a person who is under contract with re‐ siding in this state. The certified check, cashier’s check, or bid bond shall be given as a guarantee that the bidder shall exe‐ cute the contract, should it be awarded to him, in conformity with the con‐ tract documents within ten (10) days.

Copies of the bidding documents are available at the Office of Purchas‐ ing located at 705 West University Avenue, Lafayette, LA 70502 upon payment at-cost per set, non-refundable.

NOTE: NO CASH WILL BE AC‐ CEPTED - ONLY CHECKS OR MONEY ORDERS MADE PAYABLE TO LAFAYETTE CONSOLI‐ DATED GOVERNMENT. Bid Documents shall be available until twentyfour hours before the bid opening date. Questions relative to the bidding documents shall be ad‐ dressed to Morgan Broussard at mcbrous‐ sard@LafayetteLA.gov

No bidder may withdraw his bid for at least fortyfive (45) days after the time scheduled for the opening of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided with the specifications.

Bids will be evaluated by the Purchaser based on the lowest responsible and responsive bid sub‐ mitted which is also in compliance with the bid documents.

The Lafayette Consolidated Government reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause in ac‐ cordance with LA R.S. 38§2214.B. The Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government strongly encourages the participation of DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) in all con‐ tracts or procurements let by the Lafayette Con‐ solidated Government for goods and services and labor and material.

To that end, all contrac‐ tors and suppliers are encouraged to utilize DBEs business enter‐ prises in the purchase or sub-contracting of mate‐ rials, supplies, services and labor and material in which disadvantaged business are available.

Assistance in identifying said businesses may be obtained by calling 2918410.

PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated Government PUBLISH DATES: 12-17-25, 12-21-25 DPR # 993648 170375-DEC 17-21-2T $95.26 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received either electroni‐ cally at https://lafayet tecsdgovla.tylerportico. com/va/vendor-access/ registration or in the of‐ fice of the Purchasing Di‐ vision at the Lafayette Consolidated Govern‐ ment Building, located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, Louisiana, until 10:30 AM Central Time on the 8th day of January, 2025 for the following: Tree Trimming Feeders

of

LUS

and will, shortly there‐ after, be opened and read aloud in the Office of Purchasing located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, LA. Bids received after the above specified time for open‐ ing shall not be consid‐ ered and shall be re‐ turned unopened to the sender. Bidders are en‐ couraged to call into the bid openings via Zoom using the following link: https://us02web.zoom. us/j/83355417735? pwd=oQZKzXFRXF9cf6t T2vVoJ1b8a49FeO.1.

Scope of Services: The Contractor shall trim the entire overhead primary, secondary, fiber optic communication facilities and individual services for each feeder. The Con‐ tractor shall remove trees, clear vines and vegetation, remove wood waste, and spray herbi‐ cides. All work shall be coordinated on a daily basis with LUS’ Tree Trim‐ ming Supervisor. The Contractor shall notify LUS’ customers of tree trimming work prior to working an area and shall receive written ap‐ proval before removing any tree.

In accordance with Louisiana RS 38:2212 electronic Bids may be submitted at the website mentioned above. For questions related to the electronic bidding process, please contact Morgan Broussard at mcbroussard@ lafayettela.gov. Bidders may request the elec‐ tronic bid package from Morgan Broussard at mcbroussard@ lafayettela.gov.

Bidders submitting bids electronically are re‐ quired to provide the same documents as bid‐ ders submitting through the mail as soon as avail‐ able. Only a bid bond, certified check or cashier’s check shall be submitted as the bid se‐ curity. Electronic copies of both the front and back of the check or bid bond shall be included with the electronic bid.

Bids must be signed in accordance with LRS Title 38:2212(B)5. A Cor‐ porate Resolution or Cer‐ tificate of Authority au‐ thorizing the person signing the bid is re‐ quired to be submitted with bid. Failure to sub‐ mit a Corporate Resolu‐ tion or Certificate of Au‐ thority with the bid shall be cause for rejection of bid.

Contractors are required to attend a mandatory pre-bid meeting, which will be held on December 22, 2025 at 10:00 AM in the FOC Conference Room at Lafayette Utili‐ ties System located at 1314 Walker Road, Lafayette, LA. Each bid shall be accom‐ panied by a certified check, cashier’s check, or bid bond payable to the Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government, the amount of which shall be five percent (5%) of the base bid plus additive al‐ ternates. If a bid bond is used, it shall be written by a surety or insurance company currently on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Management Service list bonding of approved companies which is pub‐ lished annually in the Federal Register, or by a Louisiana domiciled in‐ surance company with at least an A-Rating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide to write individual bonds up to ten percent (10%) of policyholders’ surplus as shown in the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide, or by an insurance com‐ pany in good standing li‐ censed to write bid bonds which is either domiciled in Louisiana or owned by Louisiana resi‐ dents. The bid bond shall be issued by a company licensed to do business in Louisiana. The certi‐ fied check, cashier’s check, or bid bond shall be given as a guarantee that the bidder shall exe‐ cute the contract, should it be awarded to him, in conformity with the con‐ tract documents within ten (10) days.

No contractor may with‐ draw its bid prior to the deadline for submission of bids. Withdrawal of bids thereafter shall be allowed only pursuant to LA R.S. 38§2214.C. Other‐ wise, no bidder may withdraw his bid for at least forty-five (45) days after the time scheduled for the bid opening of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided within the specifications. The successful bidder will be required to execute per‐ formance and labor and material payment bonds in the full amount of the contract as more fully defined in the bid docu‐ ments. No contractors may withdraw his bid for at least forty-five (45) days after the time scheduled for the open‐ ing of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided with the specifications. The contractor successful will be required to exe‐ cute performance and labor and material pay‐ ment bonds in the full amount of the contract as more fully defined in the bid documents.

Bids will be evaluated by the Purchaser based on the lowest responsible and responsive bid sub‐ mitted which is also in compliance with the bid documents.

The Lafayette Consolidated Government reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause in ac‐ cordance with LA R.S. 38§2214.B. Contractors or contract‐ ing firms submitting bids in the amount of $50,000.00 or more shall certify that they are li‐ censed contractors under Chapter 24 of Title 37 of the Louisiana Re‐ vised Statutes of 1950 and show their license number on the front of the sealed envelope in which their bid is en‐ closed. Contractors shall be licensed for the clas‐ sification of “LANDSCAP‐ ING, GRADING AND BEAU‐ TIFICATION” and the Gen‐ eral Foreman shall be re‐ quired to be licensed as a “UTILITY ABORIST”.

Bids in the amounts specified above which have not bid in accor‐ dance with the require‐ ments, shall be rejected and shall not be read.

Additional information relative to licensing may be obtained from the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government strongly encourages the participation of DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprises) in all con‐ tracts or procurements let by the Lafayette Con‐ solidated Government for goods and services and labor and material.

To that end, all contrac‐ tors and suppliers are encouraged to utilize DBEs business enter‐ prises in the purchase or sub-contracting of mate‐ i l li i

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

g rials, supplies, services and labor and material in which disadvantaged businesses are available.

Assistance in identifying said businesses may be obtained by calling 2918410.

q with bid. Failure to sub‐ mit a Corporate Resolu‐ tion or Certificate of Au‐ thority with the bid shall be cause for rejection of bid.

PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated Government PUBLISH 12/10/25, 12/21/25 DPR 996578

DATES: 12/14/25,

169342-dec 10-14-21-3t $211.68 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received either electroni‐ cally at https://lafayet tecsdgovla.tylerportico. com/va/vendor-access/ registration or in the of‐ fice of the Purchasing Di‐ vision at the Lafayette Consolidated Govern‐ ment Building, located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, Louisiana, until 10:00 AM Central Time on the 15th day of January, 2026 for the following: ASPHALT SPEED LUMPS (INFRARED HEATING TECHNOLOGY) and will, shortly there‐ after, be opened and read aloud in the Council Briefing Room located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, LA. Bids received after the above specified time for open‐ ing shall not be consid‐ ered and shall be re‐ turned unopened to the sender. Bidders are en‐ couraged to attend the bid opening virtually by using the following link https://us02web.zoom. us/j/82130256230? pwd=GRHTmPCUIXzKq9V KMTYc0fiPR5fI5t.1 Meet‐ ing ID: 821 3025 6230 Passcode: 670781 Scope of Services: The contractor shall provide all labor, materials (ex‐ cept as other noted), and equipment to install as‐ phalt speed humps using infrared heating technol‐ ogy at 20 locations. The project also includes the installation of temporary traffic control and other associated work.

All work to be completed within 120 days from is‐ suance of Notice to Pro‐ ceed.

In accordance with Louisiana RS 38:2212., vendors may submit their bid electronically at the website listed above.

Bidding Documents are available to view only at the website. Bidders may request the electronic bid package from Heather Kestler at hkestler@lafayettela.gov Bidders wishing to sub‐ mit their bid electroni‐ cally must first be regis‐ tered online with Lafayette Consolidated Government as a poten‐ tial supplier at the web‐ site listed above. Bidders submitting bids electron‐ ically are required to pro‐ vide the same docu‐ ments as bidders sub‐ mitting through the mail as soon as available.

Only a bid bond, certified check or cashier’s check shall be submitted as the bid security. Electronic copies of both the front and back of the check or bid bond shall be in‐ cluded with the elec‐ tronic bid.

Bids must be signed in accordance with LRS Title 38:2212(B)5. A Cor‐ porate Resolution or Cer‐ tificate of Authority au‐ thorizing the person signing the bid is re‐ quired to be submitted i h bid il b

Bids will be evaluated by the Purchaser based on the lowest responsible and responsive bid sub‐ mitted which is also in compliance with the bid documents.

The Lafayette Consolidated Government reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause in ac‐ cordance with LA R.S. 38§2214.B.

sity Avenue, Lafayette, LA 70502 upon payment of $35.00 per set, non-re‐ fundable. NOTE: NO CASH WILL BE ACCEPTED ONLY CHECKS OR MONEY ORDERS MADE PAYABLE TO LAFAYETTE CONSOLI‐ DATED GOVERNMENT. Copies of Section “C” Standard Specifications for Roads, Drainage, Bridges and Other Infra‐ structure” 2023 Edition are available from the Public Works Department at 1515 E University Av‐ enue, Building A, Lafayette LA 70501. Bid Documents shall be available until twentyfour hours before the bid opening date. Questions relative to the bidding documents shall be ad‐ dressed to Heather Kestler at hkestler@ lafayettela.gov.

The Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government strongly encourages the participation of DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprises) in all con‐ tracts or procurements let by the Lafayette Con‐ solidated Government for goods and services and labor and material.

To that end, all contrac‐ tors and suppliers are encouraged to utilize DBEs business enter‐ prises in the purchase or sub-contracting of mate‐ rials, supplies, services and labor and material in which disadvantaged businesses are available.

Assistance in identifying said businesses may be obtained by calling 2918410.

You may place your ad 7 days a week, 24 hours a day online at www.theadvocate.com or call Monday-Friday 8am-5pm

NEWS 24/7 ON

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Contractors or contract‐ ing firms submitting bids in the amount of $50,000.00 or more shall certify that they are li‐ censed contractors under Chapter 24 of Title 37 of the Louisiana Re‐ vised Statutes of 1950 and show their license number on the front of the sealed envelope in which their bid is en‐ closed. Contractors shall be licensed for the clas‐ sification of “LIMITED SPECIALTY SERVICES”.

Bids in the amounts specified above which have not bid in accor‐ dance with the require‐ ments, shall be rejected and shall not be read.

Additional information relative to licensing may be obtained from the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

HAPPY HOLIDAY

Pets

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated Government

Copies of the bidding documents are available at the Office of Purchas‐ ing located at 705 West University Avenue, Lafayette, LA 70502 upon payment of $50.00 per set, non-refundable.

NOTE: NO CASH WILL BE ACCEPTED ONLY CHECKS OR MONEY OR‐ DERS MADE PAYABLE TO LAFAYETTE CONSOLI‐ DATED GOVERNMENT. Bid Documents shall be available until twentyfour hours before the bid opening date. Questions relative to the bidding documents shall be ad‐ dressed to Heather Kestler at hkestler@ lafayettela.gov.

Contractors are re‐ quested to attend a prebid meeting, which will be held on December 30, 2025 at 10:00 AM in the large conference room, Lafayette Consolidated Government, Public Works Administration Building located at 1515 East University Avenue, Lafayette, LA. Each bid shall be accom‐ panied by a certified check, cashier’s check, or bid bond payable to the Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government, the amount of which shall be five percent (5%) of the base bid plus additive al‐ ternates. If a bid bond is used, it shall be written by a surety or insurance company currently on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Management Service list bonding of approved companies which is pub‐ lished annually in the Federal Register, or by a Louisiana domiciled in‐ surance company with at least an A-Rating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide to write individual bonds up to ten percent (10%) of policyholders’ surplus as shown in the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide, or by an insurance com‐ pany in good standing li‐ censed to write bid bonds which is either domiciled in Louisiana or owned by Louisiana resi‐ dents. The bid bond shall be issued by a company licensed to do business in Louisiana. The certi‐ fied check, cashier’s check, or bid bond shall be given as a guarantee that the bidder shall exe‐ cute the contract, should it be awarded to him, in conformity with the con‐ tract documents within ten (10) days.

No contractor may with‐ draw its bid prior to the deadline for submission of bids. Withdrawal of bids thereafter shall be allowed only pursuant to LA R.S. 38§2214.C. Other‐ wise, no bidder may withdraw his bid for at least forty-five (45) days after the time scheduled for the bid opening of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided within the specifications. The successful bidder will be required to execute per‐ formance and labor and material payment bonds in the full amount of the contract as more fully defined in the bid docu‐ ments. No contractors may withdraw his bid for at least forty-five (45) days after the time scheduled for the open‐ ing of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided with the specifications. The contractor successful will be required to exe‐ cute performance and labor and material pay‐ ment bonds in the full amount of the contract as more fully defined in the bid documents.

PUBLISH DATES: 12/21, 12/28 DPR 977933

12/17,

169345-dec 17-21-28-3t $211

PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received either electroni‐ cally at https://lafayet tecsdgovla.tylerportico. com/va/vendor-access/ registration or in the of‐ fice of the Purchasing Di‐ vision at the Lafayette Consolidated Govern‐ ment Building, located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, Louisiana, until 2:45 PM Central Time on the 15th day of January, 2026 for the following: 600 Block Brentwood Im‐ provements and will, shortly there‐ after, be opened and read aloud in the Council Briefing Room located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, LA. Bids received after the above specified time for open‐ ing shall not be consid‐ ered and shall be re‐ turned unopened to the sender. Bidders are en‐ couraged to attend the bid opening virtually by using the following link https://us02web.zoom. us/j/84977964889? pwd=cJNfsARmP9BqsBS 9Sjf2cAZ04ba4f2.1 Meet‐ ing ID: 849 7796 4889 Passcode: 023470 Scope of Services: The scope of the project in‐ cludes but may not be limited to the construc‐ tion to upgrade the exist‐ ing subsurface drainage outfall on the 600 block of Brentwood Drive to in‐ clude changing an exist‐ ing cross drain. All work to be completed within 30 working days from is‐ suance of Notice to Procced.

In accordance with Louisiana RS 38:2212., vendors may submit their bid electronically at the website listed above.

Bidding Documents are available to view only at the website. Bidders may request the electronic bid package from Heather Kestler at hkestler@lafayettela.gov Bidders wishing to sub‐ mit their bid electroni‐ cally must first be regis‐ tered online with Lafayette Consolidated Government as a poten‐ tial supplier at the web‐ site listed above. Bidders submitting bids electron‐ ically are required to pro‐ vide the same docu‐ ments as bidders sub‐ mitting through the mail as soon as available.

Only a bid bond, certified check or cashier’s check shall be submitted as the bid security. Electronic copies of both the front and back of the check or bid bond shall be in‐ cluded with the elec‐ tronic bid.

Bids must be signed in accordance with LRS Title 38:2212(B)5. A Cor‐ porate Resolution or Cer‐ tificate of Authority au‐ thorizing the person signing the bid is re‐ quired to be submitted with bid. Failure to sub‐ mit a Corporate Resolu‐ tion or Certificate of Au‐ thority with the bid shall be cause for rejection of bid.

Copies of the bidding documents except for Section C – “Standard Specifications for Roads, Drainage, Bridges and Other Infrastructure 2023 Edition” are available upon request at the Of‐ fice of Purchasing lo‐ cated at 705 West Univer‐

Contractors are re‐ quested to attend a prebid meeting, which will be held on January 6, 2026 at 9:30 AM in the large conference room, Lafayette Consolidated Government, Public Works Administration Building located at 1515 East University Avenue, Lafayette, LA. Each bid shall be accom‐ panied by a certified check, cashier’s check, or bid bond payable to the Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government, the amount of which shall be five percent (5%) of the base bid plus additive al‐ ternates. If a bid bond is used, it shall be written by a surety or insurance company currently on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Management Service list bonding of approved companies which is pub‐ lished annually in the Federal Register, or by a Louisiana domiciled in‐ surance company with at least an A-Rating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide to write individual bonds up to ten percent (10%) of policyholders’ surplus as shown in the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide, or by an insurance com‐ pany in good standing li‐ censed to write bid bonds which is either domiciled in Louisiana or owned by Louisiana resi‐ dents. The bid bond shall be issued by a company licensed to do business in Louisiana. The certi‐ fied check, cashier’s check, or bid bond shall be given as a guarantee that the bidder shall exe‐ cute the contract, should it be awarded to him, in conformity with the con‐ tract documents within ten (10) days.

No contractor may with‐ draw its bid prior to the deadline for submission of bids. Withdrawal of bids thereafter shall be allowed only pursuant to LA R.S. 38§2214.C. Other‐ wise, no bidder may withdraw his bid for at least forty-five (45) days after the time scheduled for the bid opening of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided within the specifications. The successful bidder will be required to execute per‐ formance and labor and material payment bonds in the full amount of the contract as more fully defined in the bid docu‐ ments. No contractors may withdraw his bid for at least forty-five (45) days after the time scheduled for the open‐ ing of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided with the specifications. The contractor successful will be required to exe‐ cute performance and labor and material pay‐ ment bonds in the full amount of the contract as more fully defined in the bid documents.

Bids will be evaluated by the Purchaser based on the lowest responsible and responsive bid sub‐ mitted which is also in compliance with the bid documents.

The Lafayette Consolidated Government reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause in ac‐ cordance with LA R.S. 38§2214.B. Contractors or contract‐ ing firms submitting bids in the amount of $50,000.00 or more shall certify that they are li‐ censed contractors under Chapter 24 of Title 37 of the Louisiana Re‐ vised Statutes of 1950 and show their license number on the front of the sealed envelope in which their bid is en‐ closed. Contractors shall be licensed for the clas‐ sification of “HIGHWAY STREETS AND BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION” or “HEAVY CONSTRUCTION”.

Bids in the amounts specified above which have not bid in accor‐ dance with the require‐ ments, shall be rejected and shall not be read.

Additional information relative to licensing may be obtained from the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government strongly encourages the participation of DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprises) in all con‐ tracts or procurements let by the Lafayette Con‐ solidated Government for goods and services and labor and material.

To that end, all contrac‐ tors and suppliers are encouraged to utilize DBEs business enter‐ prises in the purchase or sub-contracting of mate‐ rials, supplies, services and labor and material in which disadvantaged businesses are available.

Assistance in identifying said businesses may be obtained by calling 2918410.

PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Government PUBLISH DATES: 12/21, 12/28 DPR 1000481

169973-dec 17-21-28-3t $220.05 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received either electroni‐ cally at https://lafayet tecsdgovla.tylerportico. com/va/vendor-access/ registration or in the of‐ fice of the Purchasing Di‐ vision at the Lafayette Consolidated Govern‐ ment Building, located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, Louisiana, until 3:00 PM Central Time on the 15th day of January, 2026 for the following: ISAAC VEROT LATERAL 7 IMPROVEMENTS AT BECKY LANE and will, shortly there‐ after, be opened and read aloud in the Council Briefing Room located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, LA. Bids received after the above specified time for open‐ ing shall not be consid‐ ered and shall be re‐ turned unopened to the sender. Bidders are en‐ couraged to attend the bid opening virtually by using the following link https://us02web.zoom. us/j/84871136961? pwd=CwJkoKvE2bsS4gC AyVB6gF0FYIu1Gf.1 Meet‐ ing ID: 848 7113 6961 Passcode: 295212 Scope of Services: The scope of the project con‐ sists of the removal of concrete erosion protec‐ tion and replacing with ABM erosion protecting at Becky Lane. Work will include excavation near utilities and work adja‐ cent to the roadway.

Concrete curbing will be required. All work to be completed within 60 working days from is‐ suance of Notice to Pro‐ ceed.

In accordance with Louisiana RS 38:2212., may submit vendors their bid electronically at the website listed above.

Bidding Documents are available to view only at the website. Bidders may request the electronic bid package from Heather Kestler at hkestler@lafayettela.gov Bidders wishing to sub‐ mit their bid electroni‐ cally must first be regis‐ tered online with Lafayette Consolidated Government as a poten‐ tial supplier at the web‐ site listed above. Bidders submitting bids electron‐ ically are required to pro‐ vide the same docu‐ ments as bidders sub‐ mitting through the mail as soon as available.

Only a bid bond, certified check or cashier’s check shall be submitted as the bid security. Electronic copies of both the front and back of the check or bid bond shall be in‐ cluded with the elec‐ tronic bid.

Bids must be signed in accordance with LRS Title 38:2212(B)5. A Cor‐ porate Resolution or Cer‐ tificate of Authority au‐ thorizing the person signing the bid is re‐ quired to be submitted with bid. Failure to sub‐ mit a Corporate Resolu‐ tion or Certificate of Au‐ thority with the bid shall be cause for rejection of bid.

Copies of the bidding documents except for Section C – “Standard Specifications for Roads, Drainage, Bridges and Other Infrastructure 2023 Edition” are available upon request at the Of‐ fice of Purchasing lo‐ cated at 705 West Univer‐ sity Avenue, Lafayette, LA 70502 upon payment of $35.00 per set, non-re‐ fundable. NOTE: NO CASH WILL BE ACCEPTED ONLY CHECKS OR MONEY ORDERS MADE PAYABLE TO LAFAYETTE CONSOLI‐ DATED GOVERNMENT. Copies of Section “C” Standard Specifications for Roads, Drainage, Bridges and Other Infra‐ structure” 2023 Edition are available from the Public Works Department at 1515 E University Av‐ enue, Building A, Lafayette LA 70501. Bid Documents shall be available until twentyfour hours before the bid opening date. Questions relative to the bidding documents shall be ad‐ dressed to Heather Kestler at hkestler@ lafayettela.gov.

Contractors are re‐ quested to attend a prebid meeting, which will be held on January 6, 2026 at 10:00 AM in the large conference room, Lafayette Consolidated Government, Public Works Administration Building located at 1515 East University Avenue, Lafayette, LA. Each bid shall be accom‐ panied by a certified check, cashier’s check, or bid bond payable to the Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government, the amount of which shall be five percent (5%) of the base bid plus additive al‐ ternates. If a bid bond is used, it shall be written by a surety or insurance company currently on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Management Service list bonding of approved companies which is pub‐ lished annually in the Federal Register, or by a Louisiana domiciled in‐ surance company with at least an A-Rating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide to write individual bonds up to ten percent (10%) of policyholders’ surplus as shown in the A.M.

RECOVERED BICYCLES BICYCLES ITEM NO.

DATE RECEIVED

CASE NUMBER

LOCATION FOUND

MFG/BRAND NAME

COLOR

1

1/1/2025

25-000063

831 E. BROUSSARD ROAD

SHIMANO ELECTRIC

YELLOW/BLACK WHITE

2

01/14/20025

25-00012627

300 FELICIE DRIVE

TREK ALPHA 4300 BIKE

3

1/16/2025

25-00014482

400 GUILBEAU ROAD

BIKE WITH REAR CARGO MOUNT

RED

4

1/30/2025

25-28930

900 E. UNIVERSITY AVENUE

SCHWINN PATHWAY MOUTAIN BIKE

BLACK/WHITE

5

2/1/2025

25-29894

302 BOSSIER STREET

SCHWINN BIKE

BLUE

6

2/16/2025

25-46090

1802 ERASTE LANDRY ROAD

OZONE 500 EXHILARATE 27.5INCH MOUNTAIN BIKE

7

3/12/2025

25-65259

220 ISAIAH

OZONE MOUNTAIN BIKE

8

3/12/2025

25-65259

220 ISAIAH

RIDLEY ROAD BIKE

WHITE TURQUOIS/ BLACK

9

3/12/2025

25-70689

506 VILLAGE LANE

BIKE

10

3/18/2025

25-76780

100 ALONDA DRIVE

CAMPING SURVIVALS

169970-593473-dec 14-21-2t $ 132.66

12/17,

GREY

8D ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Best’s Key Rating Guide, or by an insurance com‐ pany in good standing li‐ censed to write bid bonds which is either domiciled in Louisiana or owned by Louisiana resi‐ dents. The bid bond shall be issued by a company licensed to do business in Louisiana. The certi‐ fied check, cashier’s check, or bid bond shall be given as a guarantee that the bidder shall exe‐ cute the contract, should it be awarded to him, in conformity with the con‐ tract documents within ten (10) days.

Copies of the bidding documents except for Section C – “Standard Specifications for Roads, Drainage, Bridges and Other Infrastructure 2023 Edition” are available at the Office of Purchasing located at 705 West Uni‐ versity Avenue, Lafayette, LA 70502 upon payment of $100 per set, non-refundable.

NOTE: NO CASH WILL BE AC‐ CEPTED - ONLY CHECKS OR MONEY ORDERS MADE PAYABLE TO LAFAYETTE CONSOLI‐ DATED GOVERNMENT. Copies of Section “C” Standard Specifications for Roads, Drainage, Bridges and Other Infra‐ structure” 2023 Edition are available from the Public Works Department at 1515 E University Av‐ enue, Building A, Lafayette LA 70501. Bid Documents shall be available until twentyfour hours before the bid opening date. Questions relative to the bidding documents shall be ad‐ dressed to Heather hkestler@ Kestler at lafayettela.gov.

No contractor may with‐ draw its bid prior to the deadline for submission of bids. Withdrawal of bids thereafter shall be allowed only pursuant to LA R.S. 38§2214.C. Other‐ wise, no bidder may withdraw his bid for at least forty-five (45) days after the time scheduled for the bid opening of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided within the specifications. The successful bidder will be required to execute per‐ formance and labor and material payment bonds in the full amount of the contract as more fully defined in the bid docu‐ ments. No contractors may withdraw his bid for at least forty-five (45) days after the time scheduled for the open‐ ing of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided with the specifications. The contractor successful will be required to exe‐ cute performance and labor and material pay‐ ment bonds in the full amount of the contract as more fully defined in the bid documents.

Bids will be evaluated by the Purchaser based on the lowest responsible and responsive bid sub‐ mitted which is also in compliance with the bid documents.

The Lafayette Consolidated Government reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause in ac‐ cordance with LA R.S. 38§2214.B. Contractors or contract‐ ing firms submitting bids in the amount of $50,000.00 or more shall certify that they are li‐ censed contractors under Chapter 24 of Title 37 of the Louisiana Re‐ vised Statutes of 1950 and show their license number on the front of the sealed envelope in which their bid is en‐ closed. Contractors shall be licensed for the clas‐ sification of “HIGHWAY STREETS AND BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION” or “HEAVY CONSTRUCTION” Bids in the amounts specified above which have not bid in accor‐ dance with the require‐ ments, shall be rejected and shall not be read.

Additional information relative to licensing may be obtained from the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government strongly encourages the participation of DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprises) in all con‐ tracts or procurements let by the Lafayette Con‐ solidated Government for goods and services and labor and material.

To that end, all contrac‐ tors and suppliers are encouraged to utilize DBEs business enter‐ prises in the purchase or sub-contracting of mate‐ rials, supplies, services and labor and material in which disadvantaged businesses are available.

Assistance in identifying said businesses may be obtained by calling 2918410.

PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated Government PUBLISH DATES: 12/21, 12/28 DPR 1000447

12/17,

169972-DEC 17-21-28-3T $222 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received either electroni‐ cally at https://lafayet tecsdgovla.tylerportico. com/va/vendor-access/ registration or in the of‐ fice of the Purchasing Di‐ vision at the Lafayette Consolidated Govern‐ ment Building, located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, Louisiana, until 10:15 PM Central Time on the 15th day of January, 2026 for the following: Bertrand Drive-Phase 1A Subsurface Communications Rebid and will, shortly there‐ after, be opened and read aloud in the Council Briefing Room located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, LA. Bids received after the above specified time for open‐ ing shall not be consid‐ ered and shall be re‐ turned unopened to the sender. Bidders are en‐ couraged to attend the bid opening virtually by using the following link https://us02web.zoom. us/j/81880700638? pwd=GtQ7Xryr5bm4lHu UKdBaSN4aXmGPrZ.1 Meeting ID: 818 8070 0638 Passcode: 910853

Scope of Services: The scope of the project con‐ sists of the installation of a communication con‐ duit duct bank network with associated hand‐ holds. The base bid will include installing the conduit duct bank by di‐ rectionally boring. The additive alternate in‐ cludes installing the con‐ duit duct bank by trench‐ ing and boring. All work to be completed within 90 working days from is‐ suance of Notice to Pro‐ ceed.

In accordance with Louisiana RS 38:2212., vendors may submit their bid electronically at the website listed above.

Bidding Documents are available to view only at the website. Bidders may request the electronic bid package from Heather Kestler at hkestler@lafayettela.gov Bidders wishing to sub‐ mit their bid electroni‐ cally must first be regis‐ tered online with Lafayette Consolidated Government as a poten‐ tial supplier at the web‐ site listed above. Bidders submitting bids electron‐ ically are required to pro‐ vide the same docu‐ ments as bidders sub‐ mitting through the mail as soon as available.

Only a bid bond, certified check or cashier’s check shall be submitted as the bid security. Electronic copies of both the front and back of the check or bid bond shall be in‐ cluded with the elec‐ tronic bid.

Bids must be signed in accordance with LRS Title 38:2212(B)5. A Cor‐ porate Resolution or Cer‐ tificate of Authority au‐ thorizing the person signing the bid is re‐ quired to be submitted with bid. Failure to sub‐ mit a Corporate Resolu‐ tion or Certificate of Au‐ thority with the bid shall be cause for rejection of bid.

Contractors are re‐ quested to attend a mandatory pre-bid meet‐ ing, which will be held on January 7, 2026 at 9:30 AM in the large confer‐ ence room, Lafayette Consolidated Govern‐ ment, Public Works Ad‐ ministration Building lo‐ cated at 1515 East Uni‐ versity Avenue, Lafayette, LA. Each bid shall be accom‐ panied by a certified check, cashier’s check, or bid bond payable to the Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government, the amount of which shall be five percent (5%) of the base bid plus additive al‐ ternates. If a bid bond is used, it shall be written by a surety or insurance company currently on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Management Service list bonding of approved companies which is pub‐ lished annually in the Federal Register, or by a Louisiana domiciled in‐ surance company with at least an A-Rating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide to write individual bonds up to ten percent (10%) of policyholders’ surplus as shown in the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide, or by an insurance com‐ pany in good standing li‐ censed to write bid bonds which is either domiciled in Louisiana or owned by Louisiana resi‐ dents. The bid bond shall be issued by a company licensed to do business in Louisiana. The certi‐ fied check, cashier’s check, or bid bond shall be given as a guarantee that the bidder shall exe‐ cute the contract, should it be awarded to him, in conformity with the con‐ tract documents within ten (10) days.

No contractor may with‐ draw its bid prior to the deadline for submission of bids. Withdrawal of bids thereafter shall be allowed only pursuant to LA R.S. 38§2214.C. Other‐ wise, no bidder may withdraw his bid for at least forty-five (45) days after the time scheduled for the bid opening of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided within the specifications. The successful bidder will be required to execute per‐ formance and labor and material payment bonds in the full amount of the contract as more fully defined in the bid docu‐ ments. No contractors may withdraw his bid for at least forty-five (45) days after the time scheduled for the open‐ ing of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided with the specifications. The contractor successful will be required to exe‐ cute performance and labor and material pay‐ ment bonds in the full amount of the contract as more fully defined in the bid documents.

Bids will be evaluated by the Purchaser based on the lowest responsible and responsive bid sub‐ mitted which is also in compliance with the bid documents.

The Lafayette Consolidated Government reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause in ac‐ cordance with LA R.S. 38§2214.B. Contractors or contract‐ ing firms submitting bids in the amount of $50,000.00 or more shall certify that they are li‐ censed contractors under Chapter 24 of Title 37 of the Louisiana Re‐ vised Statutes of 1950 and show their license number on the front of the sealed envelope in which their bid is en‐ closed. Contractors shall be licensed for the clas‐ sification of “MUNICIPAL AND PUBLIC WORKS CON‐ STRUCTION”, “ ELECTRI‐ CAL”, OR “ TELECOMMU‐ NICATIONS LOW VOLT‐ AGE”.

Bids in the amounts specified above which have not bid in ac‐ cordance with the re‐ quirements, shall be re‐ jected and shall not be read. Additional informa‐ tion relative to licensing may be obtained from the Louisiana State Li‐ censing Board for Con‐ tractors, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government strongly encourages the participation of DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprises) in all con‐ tracts or procurements let by the Lafayette Con‐ solidated Government for goods and services and labor and material.

To that end, all contrac‐ tors and suppliers are encouraged to utilize DBEs business enter‐ prises in the purchase or sub-contracting of mate‐ rials, supplies, services and labor and material in which disadvantaged businesses are available.

Assistance in identifying said businesses may be obtained by calling 2918410.

PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated Government PUBLISH DATES: 12/17, 12/21, 12/28 DPR 1000483 170237-dec 17-21-28-3t $223.26

PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received either electroni‐ cally at https://lafayet tecsdgovla.tylerportico. com/va/vendor-access/ registration or in the of‐ fice of the Purchasing Di‐ vision at the Lafayette Consolidated Govern‐ ment Building, located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, Louisiana, until 2:30 PM Central Time on the 15TH day of January, 2026 for the following: URBAN ASPHALT STREET OVERLAY AND REHABILI‐ TATION 2026 and will, shortly there‐ after, be opened and read aloud in the Council Briefing Room located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, LA. Bids received after the above specified time for open‐ i h ll b id

lll

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

p p ing shall not be consid‐ ered and shall be re‐ turned unopened to the sender. Bidders are en‐ couraged to attend open‐ ing virtually by using the following link https:// us02web.zoom.us/j/ 81485217619?pwd=r48 YIpNwZflRsFe99QLYjFn fjXDMdi.1 Meeting ID: 814 8521 7619 Passcode: 960050

g may be obtained from the Louisiana State Li‐ censing Board for Con‐ tractors, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

y draw its bid prior to the deadline for submission of bids. Withdrawal of bids thereafter shall be allowed only pursuant to LA R.S. 38§2214.C. Other‐ wise, no bidder may withdraw his bid for at least forty-five (45) days after the time scheduled for the bid opening of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided within the specifications. The successful bidder will be required to execute per‐ formance and labor and material payment bonds in the full amount of the contract as more fully defined in the bid docu‐ ments. No contractors may withdraw his bid for at least forty-five (45) days after the time scheduled for the open‐ ing of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided with the specifications. The contractor successful will be required to exe‐ cute performance and labor and material pay‐ ment bonds in the full amount of the contract as more fully defined in the bid documents.

Scope of Services: The work shall consist of, but is not limited to, the con‐ tractor supplying the labor, equipment, super‐ intendence, material, etc. to furnish and install as‐ phalt, soil cement base course, striping reflec‐ tors, drainage pipe, as‐ phalt speed lumps, park‐ ing lot improvements and all other incidentals associated with this work for those streets identified in the specifi‐ cations contained in the bid documents. LCG re‐ serves the right to add additional streets, park‐ ing lots, drainage, etc., to this listing should addi‐ tional funding become available. All work is to the completed within one hundred twenty (120) working days from the issuance of the No‐ tice to Proceed.

In accordance with Louisiana RS 38:2212., vendors may submit their bid electronically at the website listed above.

Bidding Documents are available to view only at the website. Bidders may request the electronic bid package from Heather Kestler at hkestler@lafayettela.gov Bidders wishing to sub‐ mit their bid electroni‐ cally must first be regis‐ tered online with Lafayette Consolidated Government as a poten‐ tial supplier at the web‐ site listed above. Bidders submitting bids electron‐ ically are required to pro‐ vide the same docu‐ ments as bidders sub‐ mitting through the mail as soon as available.

Only a bid bond, certified check or cashier’s check shall be submitted as the bid security. Electronic copies of both the front and back of the check or bid bond shall be in‐ cluded with the elec‐ tronic bid.

Bids must be signed in accordance with LRS Title 38:2212(B)5. A Cor‐ porate Resolution or Cer‐ tificate of Authority au‐ thorizing the person signing the bid is re‐ quired to be submitted with bid. Failure to sub‐ mit a Corporate Resolu‐ tion or Certificate of Au‐ thority with the bid shall be cause for rejection of bid.

Copies of the bidding documents except for Section C – “Standard Specifications for Roads, Drainage, Bridges and Other Infrastructure 2023 Edition” are available at the Office of Purchasing located at 705 West Uni‐ versity Avenue, Lafayette, LA 70502 upon payment of $35.00 per set, non-refundable.

NOTE: NO CASH WILL BE ACCEPTED ONLY CHECKS OR MONEY OR‐ DERS MADE PAYABLE TO LAFAYETTE CONSOLI‐ DATED GOVERNMENT. Copies of Section “C” Standard Specifications for Roads, Drainage, Bridges and Other Infra‐ structure” 2023 Edition are available from the Public Works Department at 1515 E University Av‐ enue, Building A, Lafayette LA 70501. Bid Documents shall be available until twentyfour hours before the bid opening date. Questions relative to the bidding documents shall be ad‐ dressed to Heather Kestler at hkestler@ lafayettela.gov.

Each bid shall be accom‐ panied by a certified check, cashier’s check, or bid bond payable to the Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government, the amount of which shall be five percent (5%) of the base bid plus additive al‐ ternates. If a bid bond is used, it shall be written by a surety or insurance company currently on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Management Service list of approved bonding companies which is pub‐ lished annually in the Federal Register, or by a Louisiana domiciled in‐ surance company with at least an A-Rating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide to write individual bonds up to ten percent (10%) of policyholders’ surplus as shown in the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide, or by an insurance com‐ pany in good standing li‐ censed to write bid bonds which is either domiciled in Louisiana or owned by Louisiana resi‐ dents. The bid bond shall be issued by a company licensed to do business in Louisiana. The certi‐ fied check, cashier’s check, or bid bond shall be given as a guarantee that the bidder shall exe‐ cute the contract, should it be awarded to him, in conformity with the con‐ tract documents within ten (10) days.

No contractor may with‐ draw its bid prior to the deadline for submission of bids. Withdrawal of bids thereafter shall be allowed only pursuant to LA R.S. 38§2214.C. Other‐ wise, no bidder may withdraw his bid for at least forty-five (45) days after the time scheduled for the bid opening of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided within the specifications. The successful bidder will be required to execute per‐ formance and labor and material payment bonds in the full amount of the contract as more fully defined in the bid docu‐ ments. No contractors may withdraw his bid for at least forty-five (45) days after the time scheduled for the open‐ ing of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided with the specifications. The successful contractor will be required to exe‐ cute performance and labor and material pay‐ ment bonds in the full amount of the contract as more fully defined in the bid documents.

Bids will be evaluated by the Purchaser based on the lowest responsible and responsive bid sub‐ mitted which is also in compliance with the bid documents.

The Lafayette Consolidated Government reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause in ac‐ cordance with LA R.S. 38§2214.B. Contractors or contract‐ ing firms submitting bids in the amount of $50,000.00 or more shall certify that they are li‐ censed contractors under Chapter 24 of Title 37 of the Louisiana Re‐ vised Statutes of 1950 and show their license number on the front of the sealed envelope in which their bid is en‐ closed. Contractors shall be licensed for the clas‐ sification of “HIGHWAY STREET AND BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION”. Bids in the amounts specified above which have not bid in accordance with the requirements, shall be rejected and shall not be read. Additional informa‐ tion relative to licensing b b i d f

The Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government strongly encourages the participation of DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprises) in all con‐ tracts or procurements let by the Lafayette Con‐ solidated Government for goods and services and labor and material.

To that end, all contrac‐ tors and suppliers are encouraged to utilize DBEs business enter‐ prises in the purchase or sub-contracting of mate‐ rials, supplies, services and labor and material in which disadvantaged businesses are available.

Assistance in identifying said businesses may be obtained by calling 2918410.

PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated Government PUBLISH DATES: 12/21, 12/28 DPR 1000478

12/17,

169686-dec17-21-28-3t $221.34 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received either electroni‐ cally at https://lafayet tecsdgovla.tylerportico. com/va/vendor-access/ registration or in the of‐ fice of the Purchasing Di‐ vision at the Lafayette Consolidated Govern‐ ment Building, located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, Louisiana, until 10:00 AM Central Time on the 22nd day of January, 2026 for the following: War Memorial Building Roof Replacement and will, shortly there‐ after, be opened and read aloud in the Council Briefing Room located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, LA. Bids received after the above specified time for open‐ ing shall not be consid‐ ered and shall be re‐ turned unopened to the sender. Bidders are en‐ couraged to call into the bid openings at the fol‐ lowing phone number 337-291-5100.

The bid opening will be available to attend via zoom. Attendance is not mandatory. The pass‐ code is 805335 and the in‐ vite link is https:// us02web.zoom.us/j/ 89013411082?pwd=pzz A2BhUxuYbMaKNFNg bzatSTV8nBD.1 .

The meeting will be at the time of the bid opening.

Scope of Services: The work shall consist of, but not limited to, furnishing all material, labor, tools, and supervision for the re-roofing of the War Memorial Building Roof Replacement. All work shall be completed within 180 calendars days from the issuance of the Notice to Proceed.

The contractor shall also pay Liquidated Damages in the sum of one thou‐ sand five hundred dollars ($1,500) per calendar day beyond the completion date in which the work is no complete, beginning with the first day beyond completion time.

In accordance with Louisiana RS 38:2212., vendors may submit their bid electronically at the website listed above.

Bidding Documents are available to view only at the website. Bidders may request the electronic bid package from Keirston St. Amant at kstamant@lafayettela. gov 337-291-8034.

Bidders wishing to sub‐ mit their bid electroni‐ cally must first be regis‐ tered online with Lafayette Consolidated Government as a poten‐ tial supplier at the web‐ site listed above. Bidders submitting bids electron‐ ically are required to pro‐ vide the same docu‐ ments as bidders sub‐ mitting through the mail as soon as available.

Only a bid bond, certified check or cashier’s check shall be submitted as the bid security. Electronic copies of both the front and back of the check or bid bond shall be in‐ cluded with the elec‐ tronic bid. Keirston St. Amant at kstamant@ lafayettela.gov Bids must be signed in accordance with LRS Title 38:2212(B)5. A Cor‐ porate Resolution or Cer‐ tificate of Authority au‐ thorizing the person signing the bid is re‐ quired to be submitted with bid. Failure to sub‐ mit a Corporate Resolu‐ tion or Certificate of Au‐ thority with the bid shall be cause for rejection of bid.

Pre-ordered copies of the bidding documents will be available with a de‐ posit of $50.00 per set (NOTE: no cash shall be accepted, only check or money order made payable to Lafayette Consolidated Govern‐ ment) at the office of Prouet Architecture & En‐ gineering, LLC ATTN: Brandy LeBlanc (337-2376517) located at 100 Cen‐ tral St, Ste 200, Lafayette, LA 70501. Ordered Bid Documents shall be available until twentyfour hours before the bid opening date. Questions relative to the bidding documents shall be ad‐ dressed to Keirston St. Amant at kstamant@ lafayettela.gov Contractors are re‐ quested to attend a prebid meeting, which will be held on January 7, 2026 at 10:00 AM in the War Memorial Building, Bldg.B located in General Mouton Ave. parking lot 2100 Jefferson St., Lafayette, LA 70501.

Each bid shall be accom‐ panied by a certified check, cashier’s check, or bid bond payable to the Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government, the amount of which shall be five percent (5%) of the base bid plus additive al‐ ternates. If a bid bond is used, it shall be written by a surety or insurance company currently on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Management Service list bonding of approved companies which is pub‐ lished annually in the Federal Register, or by a Louisiana domiciled in‐ surance company with at least an A-Rating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide to write individual bonds up to ten percent (10%) of policyholders’ surplus as shown in the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide, or by an insurance com‐ pany in good standing li‐ censed to write bid bonds which is either domiciled in Louisiana or owned by Louisiana resi‐ dents. The bid bond shall be issued by a company licensed to do business in Louisiana. The certi‐ fied check, cashier’s check, or bid bond shall be given as a guarantee that the bidder shall exe‐ cute the contract, should it be awarded to him, in conformity with the con‐ tract documents within ten (10) days.

No contractor may with‐ d i bid i h

Bids will be evaluated by the Purchaser based on the lowest responsible and responsive bid sub‐ mitted which is also in compliance with the bid documents.

The Lafayette Consolidated Government reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause in ac‐ cordance with LA R.S. 38§2214.B. Contractors or contract‐ ing firms submitting bids in the amount of $50,000.00 or more shall certify that they are li‐ censed contractors under Chapter 24 of Title 37 of the Louisiana Re‐ vised Statutes of 1950 and show their license number on the front of the sealed envelope in which their bid is en‐ closed. Contractors shall be licensed for the clas‐ sification of “Building Construction”. Bids in the amounts specified above which have not bid in accordance with the requirements, shall be rejected and shall not be read. Additional informa‐ tion relative to licensing may be obtained from the Louisiana State Li‐ censing Board for Con‐ tractors, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government strongly encourages the participation of DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprises) in all con‐ tracts or procurements let by the Lafayette Con‐ solidated Government for goods and services and labor and material.

To that end, all contrac‐ tors and suppliers are encouraged to utilize DBEs business enter‐ prises in the purchase or sub-contracting of mate‐ rials, supplies, services and labor and material in which disadvantaged businesses are available.

Assistance in identifying said businesses may be obtained by calling 2918410.

PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated Government PUBLISH DATES: 12/17, 12/21, 12/28 DPR 1000230 170840-dec 17-21-28-3t $234.42 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received either electroni‐ cally at www.centralbidd ing.com or in the office of the Purchasing Divi‐ sion at the Lafayette Consolidated Govern‐ ment Building, located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, Louisiana, until 10:30 AM Central Time on the 22nd day of January 2026 for the following: Lafayette Fire Station 13 Roof Replacement and Interior and Exterior Water Damage Repairs and will, shortly there‐ after, be opened and read aloud in the Council Briefing Room located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, LA. Bids received after the above specified time for open‐ ing shall not be consid‐ ered and shall be re‐ turned unopened to the sender. Bidders are en‐ couraged to call into the bid openings at the fol‐ lowing phone number 337-291-5100. The bid opening will be available to attend via zoom. At‐ tendance is not manda‐ tory.

The passcode is 478962 and the invite link is https://us02web. zoom.us/j/83462331545? pwd=DeeuINizbEavpQa bcsIyeOUpEbj2OG.1 . The meeting will be at the time of the bid opening.

Scope of Services: Scope of work includes, but is not limited to, renovation of the interior of the building by removals and replacement of existing ceilings, light fixtures, and HVAC Ductwork.

Paint interior. Installa‐ tion of new spray foam insulation at existing roof deck. Installation of retrofit Standing Seam metal roof and metal sof‐ fits. Coating existing ex‐ terior wall finishes. Work shall be completed within 150 calendar days.

In accordance with Louisiana RS 38:2212., vendors may submit their bid electronically at the website listed above.

Bidding Documents are available to view only at the website. Bidders may request the electronic bid package from Keirston St. Amant at kstamant@lafayettela. gov.

Bidders wishing to sub‐ mit their bid electroni‐ cally must first be regis‐ tered online with Lafayette Consolidated Government as a poten‐ tial supplier at the web‐ site listed above. Bidders submitting bids electron‐ ically are required to pro‐ vide the same docu‐ ments as bidders sub‐ mitting through the mail as soon as available.

Only a bid bond, certified check or cashier’s check shall be submitted as the bid security. Electronic copies of both the front and back of the check or bid bond shall be in‐ cluded with the elec‐ tronic bid.

Bids must be signed in accordance with LRS Title 38:2212(B)5. A Cor‐ porate Resolution or Cer‐ tificate of Authority au‐ thorizing the person signing the bid is re‐ quired to be submitted with bid. Failure to sub‐ mit a Corporate Resolu‐ tion or Certificate of Au‐ thority with the bid shall be cause for rejection of bid.

Copies of the bidding documents are available at the Office of Purchas‐ ing located at 705 West University Avenue, Lafayette, LA 70502 upon $98.87 payment of (Ninety-eight dollars and 87/100) per set, non-re‐ fundable. NOTE: NO CASH WILL BE ACCEPTED ONLY CHECKS OR MONEY ORDERS MADE PAYABLE TO LAFAYETTE CONSOLI‐ DATED GOVERNMENT. Bid Documents shall be available until twenty four hours before the bid

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

opening date. Questions relative to the bidding documents shall be ad‐ dressed to Keirston St. Amant at kstamant@ lafayettela.gov.

Contractors are re‐ quested to attend a prebid meeting, which will be held on January 6, 2026 at 10:00 AM at the Lafayette Fire Station 13 located at 6507 Johnston Street, Lafayette, LA 70503.

Each bid shall be accom‐ panied by a certified check, cashier’s check, or bid bond payable to the Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government, the amount of which shall be five percent (5%) of the base bid plus additive al‐ ternates. If a bid bond is used, it shall be written by a surety or insurance company currently on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Management Service list bonding of approved companies which is pub‐ lished annually in the Federal Register, or by a Louisiana domiciled in‐ surance company with at least an A-Rating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide to write individual bonds up to ten percent (10%) of policyholders’ surplus as shown in the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide, or by an insurance com‐ pany in good standing li‐ censed to write bid bonds which is either domiciled in Louisiana or owned by Louisiana resi‐ dents. The bid bond shall be issued by a company licensed to do business in Louisiana. The certi‐ fied check, cashier’s check, or bid bond shall be given as a guarantee that the bidder shall exe‐ cute the contract, should it be awarded to him, in conformity with the con‐ tract documents within ten (10) days.

No contractor may with‐ draw its bid prior to the deadline for submission of bids. Withdrawal of bids thereafter shall be allowed only pursuant to LA R.S. 38§2214.C. Other‐ wise, no bidder may withdraw his bid for at least forty-five (45) days after the time scheduled for the bid opening of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided within the specifications. The successful bidder will be required to execute per‐ formance and labor and material payment bonds in the full amount of the contract as more fully defined in the bid docu‐ ments. No contractors may withdraw his bid for at least forty-five (45) days after the time scheduled for the open‐ ing of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided with the specifications. The contractor successful will be required to exe‐ cute performance and labor and material pay‐ ment bonds in the full amount of the contract as more fully defined in the bid documents.

Bids will be evaluated by the Purchaser based on the lowest responsible and responsive bid sub‐ mitted which is also in compliance with the bid documents.

The Lafayette Consolidated Government reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause in ac‐ cordance with LA R.S. 38§2214.B. Contractors or contract‐ ing firms submitting bids in the amount of $50,000.00 or more shall certify that they are li‐ censed contractors under Chapter 24 of Title 37 of the Louisiana Re‐ vised Statutes of 1950 and show their license number on the front of the sealed envelope in which their bid is en‐ closed. Contractors shall be licensed for the clas‐ sification of “Building Construction”. Bids in the amounts specified above which have not bid in accordance with the requirements, shall be rejected and shall not be read. Additional informa‐ tion relative to licensing may be obtained from the Louisiana State Li‐ censing Board for Con‐ tractors, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government strongly encourages the participation of DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprises) in all con‐ tracts or procurements let by the Lafayette Con‐ solidated Government for goods and services and labor and material.

To that end, all contrac‐ tors and suppliers are encouraged to utilize DBEs business enter‐ prises in the purchase or sub-contracting of mate‐ rials, supplies, services and labor and material in which disadvantaged businesses are available.

Assistance in identifying said businesses may be obtained by calling 2918410.

PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated Government PUBLISH DATES: 12/17, 12/21, 12/28 DPR 1000474 170846-dec 17-21-28-3t $237.97 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received either electroni‐ cally at https://lafayet tecsdgovla.tylerportico. com/va/vendor-access/ registration or in the of‐ fice of the Purchasing Di‐ vision at the Lafayette Consolidated Govern‐ ment Building, located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, Louisiana, until 2:30 PM Central Time on the 8th day of January, 2026 for the following:

Public Notices Bids/Proposals y (120) working days from issuance of the Notice to Proceed.

In accordance with Louisiana RS 38:2212., vendors may submit their bid electronically at the website listed above.

Bidding Documents are available to view only at the website. Bidders may request the electronic bid package from Heather Kestler at hkestler@lafayettela.gov Bidders wishing to sub‐ mit their bid electroni‐ cally must first be regis‐ tered online with Lafayette Consolidated Government as a poten‐ tial supplier at the web‐ site listed above. Bidders submitting bids electron‐ ically are required to pro‐ vide the same docu‐ ments as bidders sub‐ mitting through the mail as soon as available.

Only a bid bond, certified check or cashier’s check shall be submitted as the bid security. Electronic copies of both the front and back of the check or bid bond shall be in‐ cluded with the elec‐ tronic bid.

Bids must be signed in accordance with LRS Title 38:2212(B)5. A Cor‐ porate Resolution or Cer‐ tificate of Authority au‐ thorizing the person signing the bid is re‐ quired to be submitted with bid. Failure to sub‐ mit a Corporate Resolu‐ tion or Certificate of Au‐ thority with the bid shall be cause for rejection of bid.

Copies of the bidding documents except for Section C – “Standard Specifications for Roads, Drainage, Bridges and Other Infrastructure 2023 Edition” are available at the Office of Purchasing located at 705 West Uni‐ versity Avenue, Lafayette, LA 70502 upon payment of $35.00 per set, non-refundable.

NOTE: NO CASH WILL BE ACCEPTED ONLY CHECKS OR MONEY OR‐ DERS MADE PAYABLE TO LAFAYETTE CONSOLI‐ DATED GOVERNMENT. Copies of Section “C” Standard Specifications for Roads, Drainage, Bridges and Other Infra‐ structure” 2023 Edition are available from the Public Works Department at 1515 E University Av‐ enue, Building A, Lafayette LA 70501. Bid Documents shall be available until twentyfour hours before the bid opening date. Questions relative to the bidding documents shall be ad‐ dressed to Heather hkestler@ Kestler at lafayettela.gov.

Each bid shall be accom‐ panied by a certified check, cashier’s check, or bid bond payable to the Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government, the amount of which shall be five percent (5%) of the base bid plus additive al‐ ternates. If a bid bond is used, it shall be written by a surety or insurance company currently on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Management Service list of approved bonding companies which is pub‐ lished annually in the Federal Register, or by a Louisiana domiciled in‐ surance company with at least an A-Rating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide to write individual bonds up to ten percent (10%) of policyholders’ surplus as shown in the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide, or by an insurance com‐ pany in good standing li‐ censed to write bid bonds which is either domiciled in Louisiana or owned by Louisiana resi‐ dents. The bid bond shall be issued by a company licensed to do business in Louisiana. The certi‐ fied check, cashier’s check, or bid bond shall be given as a guarantee that the bidder shall exe‐ cute the contract, should it be awarded to him, in conformity with the con‐ tract documents within ten (10) days.

No contractor may with‐ draw its bid prior to the deadline for submission of bids. Withdrawal of bids thereafter shall be allowed only pursuant to LA R.S. 38§2214.C. Other‐ wise, no bidder may withdraw his bid for at least forty-five (45) days after the time scheduled for the bid opening of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided within the specifications. The successful bidder will be required to execute per‐ formance and labor and material payment bonds in the full amount of the contract as more fully defined in the bid docu‐ ments. No contractors may withdraw his bid for at least forty-five (45) days after the time scheduled for the open‐ ing of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided with the specifications. The successful contractor will be required to exe‐ cute performance and labor and material pay‐ ment bonds in the full amount of the contract as more fully defined in the bid documents.

Bids will be evaluated by the Purchaser based on the lowest responsible and responsive bid sub‐ mitted which is also in compliance with the bid documents.

The Lafayette Consolidated Government reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause in ac‐ cordance with LA R.S. 38§2214.B. Contractors or contract‐ ing firms submitting bids in the amount of $50,000.00 or more shall certify that they are li‐ censed contractors under Chapter 24 of Title 37 of the Louisiana Re‐ vised Statutes of 1950 and show their license

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

number on the front of the sealed envelope in which their bid is en‐ closed. Contractors shall be licensed for the clas‐ sification of “HIGHWAY STREET AND BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION”. Bids in the amounts specified above which have not bid in accordance with the requirements, shall be rejected and shall not be read. Additional informa‐ tion relative to licensing may be obtained from the Louisiana State Li‐ censing Board for Con‐ tractors, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

LafayetteLA.gov or 337291-8263.

Bidders are requested to attend a mandatory prebid meeting, which will be held on December 17, 2025 at 10:00 A.M. in the LUS Executive Confer‐ ence Room, LUS Opera‐ tions Center located at 1314 Walker Rd., Lafayette, LA.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Each bid shall be accom‐ panied by a certified check, cashier’s check, or bid bond payable to the Lafayette Consolidated Govern‐ ment, the amount of which shall be five per‐ cent (5%) of the base bid plus additive alternates.

If a bid bond is used, it shall be written by a surety or insurance com‐ pany currently on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Man‐ agement Service list of approved bonding com‐ panies which is pub‐ lished annually in the Federal Register, or by a Louisiana domiciled in‐ surance company with at least an A-Rating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide to write individual bonds up to ten percent (10%) of policyholders’ surplus as shown in the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide, or by an insurance company in good stand‐ ing licensed to write bid bonds which is either domiciled in Louisiana or owned by Louisiana resi‐ dents. The bid bond shall be issued by a company licensed to do business in Louisiana. The certi‐ fied check, cashier’s check, or bid bond shall be given as a guarantee that the bidder shall exe‐ cute the contract, should it be awarded to him, in con‐ formity with the contract documents within ten (10) days.

Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received either electroni‐ cally at https://lafayet tecsdgovla.tylerportico. com/va/vendor-access/ registration or in the of‐ fice of the Purchasing Di‐ vision at the Lafayette Consolidated Govern‐ ment Building, located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, Louisiana, until 3:00 PM Central Time on the 8th day of January, 2026 for the following:

No contractors may with‐ draw his bid for at least forty-five (45) days after the time scheduled for the opening of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form pro‐ vided with the specifica‐ tions. The successful contractor will be re‐ quired to execute perfor‐ mance and labor and material payment bonds in the full amount of the contract as more fully defined in the bid docu‐ ments.

LUS Administration Building HVAC Replacement Acs #9-17

Bids will be evaluated by the Purchaser based on the lowest responsible and responsive bid sub‐ mitted which is also in compliance with the bid documents.

The Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government strongly encourages the participation of DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprises) in all con‐ tracts or procurements let by the Lafayette Con‐ solidated Government for goods and services and labor and material.

To that end, all contrac‐ tors and suppliers are encouraged to utilize DBEs business enter‐ prises in the purchase or sub-contracting of mate‐ rials, supplies, services and labor and material in which disadvantaged businesses are available.

Assistance in identifying said businesses may be obtained by calling 2918410.

PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated Government PUBLISH DATES: 12/14, 12/21 DPR 1000473

12/10,

169248-DEC 10-14-21-3T $220.71 PUBLIC NOTICE ---

and will, shortly there‐ after, be opened and read aloud in the Council Briefing Room located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, LA. Bids received after the above specified time for open‐ ing shall not be consid‐ ered and shall be re‐ turned unopened to the sender. Bidders are en‐ couraged to join the bid opening in person or call into the bid opening via Zoom using the following https://us02web. link: zoom.us/j/84874965414? pwd=7oCzde2JNcvvDDx no1kVRUdzufvXEx.1.

Scope of Services: The scope of work shall con‐ sist of, but not limited to, the HVAC replacement ACs units #9-17 in the Lafayette Utilities Sys‐ tem Building located at 1314 Walker Road, Lafayette, Louisiana.

The work shall consist of the Base Bid only. All work shall be completed in 180 calendar days.

In accordance with Louisiana RS 38:2212., vendors may submit their bid electronically at the website listed above.

Bidding Documents are available to view only at the website. Contractor may request the bid package electronically from Morgan Broussard at mcbroussard@ LafayetteLA.gov or 337291-8263.

Contractors wishing to submit their bid electron‐ ically must first be regis‐ tered online with Lafayette Consolidated Government as a poten‐ tial supplier at the web‐ site listed above.

Contractors submitting bids electronically are re‐ quired to provide the same documents as con‐ tractors submitting through the mail or by hand delivery. Regard‐ less of the bid results, the vendor will have 48 hours from opening of the bids to provide the Lafayette Consolidated Government the original bid documents. Only a bid bond, certified check or cashier’s check shall be submitted as the bid security.

Electronic copies of both the front and back of the check or bid bond shall be in‐ cluded with the elec‐ tronic bid. If a vendor fails to provide the origi‐ nal hard copies of the bid documents within 48 hours of the bid opening, their bid shall be considered nonre‐ sponsive.

Bids must be signed in accordance with LRS Title 38:2212(B)5. A Cor‐ porate Resolution or Cer‐ tificate of Authority au‐ thorizing the person signing the bid is re‐ quired to be submitted with bid. Failure to sub‐ mit a Corporate Resolu‐ tion or Certificate of Au‐ thority with the bid shall be cause for rejection of bid.

Copies of the bidding documents are available at the office of Purchas‐ ing & Property Manage‐ ment ATTN: Morgan Broussard (mcbrous‐ sard@lafayettela.gov) lo‐ cated at 705 West Univer‐ sity Avenue Lafayette LA 70506. Bid Documents shall be available until twenty-four hours before the bid opening date.

Questions relative to the bidding documents shall be addressed to Morgan Broussard at mcbroussard@

Contractors or contract‐ ing firms submitting bids in the amount of $50,000.00 or more shall certify that they are li‐ censed contractors under Chapter 24 of Title 37 of the Louisiana Re‐ vised Statutes of 1950 and show their license number on the front of the sealed envelope in which their bid is en‐ closed.

Contractors shall be licensed for the classification of “ME‐ CHANICAL WORK”. Bids in the amounts specified above which have not bid in accordance with the requirements, shall be rejected and shall not be read. Additional informa‐ tion relative to licensing may be obtained from the Louisiana State Li‐ censing Board for Con‐ tractors, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government strongly encourages the participation of DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprises) in all con‐ tracts or procurements let by the Lafayette Con‐ solidated Government for goods and services and labor and material.

To that end, all contrac‐ tors and suppliers are encouraged to utilize DBEs business enter‐ prises in the purchase or sub-contracting of mate‐ rials, supplies, services and labor and material in which disadvantaged businesses are available.

Assistance in identifying said businesses may be ob‐ tained by calling 2918410.

PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated Government PUBLISH DATES: 12/10/25, 12/14/25, 12/21/25 DPR 1002612 169254-dec 10-14-21-3t $198.84

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RURAL ASPHALT STREET OVERLAY AND REHABILITATION 2026 and will, shortly there‐ after, be opened and read aloud in the Council Briefing Room located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, LA. Bids received after the above specified time for open‐ ing shall not be consid‐ ered and shall be re‐ turned unopened to the sender. Bidders are en‐ couraged to attend the bid opening virtually by using the following link https://us02web.zoom. us/j/88963287097? pwd=5ymUUddOlEKKjgp vgGSjTbDQjKLpQk.1 Meeting ID: 889 6328 7097 Passcode: 072771

Scope of Services: The work shall on consist of, but is not limited to, the contractor supplying the labor, equipment, super‐ intendence, material, etc. to furnish and install as‐ phalt, soil cement base course, striping, reflec‐ tors, drainage pipe, as‐ phalt speed lumps, park‐ ing lot improvements and all other incidentals associated with this work for those streets identified in the specifi‐ cations contained in the bid documents. Lafayette Consolidated Govern‐ ment reserves the right to add additional streets, parking lots, drainage, etc. to this listing should additional funding be‐ come available. All work is to be completed within one hundred twenty ( )

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TALKING BUSINESS New LSU dean eyes challenges, opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs 3E

How Louisiana’s community colleges are preparing the construction workforce 5E

BUSINESS T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M

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S u n d ay, d e c e m b e r 21, 2025

1en

TOYS devivre

Over almost six decades, Le Jouet has outlasted most of its brick-and-mortar counterparts in Louisiana through Katrina, the internet and more

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

Elm “Buddy” Wood Jr. greeted holiday shoppers on a recent Tuesday as the morning sun beamed through the glass front doors of Le Jouet toy store on Airline Drive.

In a room behind him, store employees were tearing off sheets of colorful paper from huge rolls mounted to the wall as they wrapped presents. In the showroom, customers hunted for treasures among the roughly 10,000 toys, games, dolls, hobby supplies and bikes on display as traffic raced by just outside the shop’s side windows.

It was a cheerful scene inside the business that Wood has run for 57 years. And it’s one that really hasn’t changed all that much over those decades, even though outside Le Jouet’s bright yellow walls almost everything about the roughly $42 billion U.S. toy business is different.

IDEAS &

INNOVATION

STAFF PHOTOS By SOPHIA GERMER

ABOVE: Mike Tippie works on a bicycle at Le Jouet, below, on Airline Drive in Metairie. TOP: Elm ‘Buddy’ Wood Jr. credits the longevity of the toy store he’s led for 57 years to loyal customers, nostalgia, an expert staff, an accessible location and ‘willing to do whatever it takes.’

Le Jouet is the last big toy store standing in greater New Orleans after a quarter-century of competition from online retail decimated the ranks of its brick-and-mortar counterparts.

More than 700 national Toys R Us stores, including at least eight in Louisiana, closed by 2018 after the chain retailer failed to compete with the convenience of Amazon and other digital marketplaces.

All of the state’s KB Toys were gone nearly a decade earlier. Just this year, Victoria’s Toy Station in downtown Baton Rouge and Magic Box Toys in New Orleans both closed. Today, the majority of toy and hobby sales take place online.

Yet, there’s Le Jouet, which has endured hurricanes, recessions and changing consumer behavior to remain a haven for shoppers looking for a new Barbie doll, wooden train set or Fisher-Price playset — just like they did several generations ago.

ä See LE JOUET, page 2E

Experts point to reasons behind state’s tourism slump

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

Heading into 2025, tourism officials in New Orleans and Louisiana had reason to be hopeful.

New Orleans was still on a high from megastar Taylor Swift’s wildly successful multiday stop in October 2024 as part of her “Eras Tour.” Super Bowl LIX, and the well-heeled visitors it promised to bring, was right around the corner.

And the yearslong slump triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic was over.

But the new year brought curve balls from which local and state hospitality leaders are still reeling.

It started with a fatal impacted travel across Louramming attack on Bour- isiana, reducing the numbon Street in the wee hours ber of foreign visitors to of New Year’s Day and con- the state by as much as 15% tinued weeks later with a to 20% over the previous snowstorm that impacted year. Canadian travelers, one of the largest national who typically accounted for 1 in 3 foreign visitrade show on the books. In May, a nators to Louisiana, were particularly tionally publicized sensitive to Trump’s jailbreak in New tariffs and musings Orleans highlighted about making the public safety chalcountry the 51st lenges that local state, state tourism officials had been officials said. trying to address. Nungesser “We’re just not Road construction in the French Quarter and getting any Canadian visiimmigration raids added to tors,” said Lt. Gov. Billy the woes.

Nungesser, who heads the More broadly, President Louisiana Department of Donald Trump’s new trade and immigration policies ä See TOURISM, page 2E

STAFF FILE PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Luggage is packed into an SUV as visitors depart New Orleans on Feb. 10, the morning after Super Bowl LIX.

Revenue per available room, or RevPAR, the industry standard for measuring the financial health of the hotel sector, was slightly up, according to estimates, but that’s in part because room rates were higher as a result of inflation.

2E ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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LE JOUET

takes away all the magic from the experience.”

Wood said keeping that magic alive for customers is a top priority for his eight-person team, which includes several people who have worked at the store for decades.

“You have to treat everybody well,” he said. “They got in their car and came all the way here. They might have come from Houma. We have to give them the best experience they could have.”

Continued from page 1E Wood attributes its longevity to loyal customers, nostalgia, an expert staff and an accessible location on the edge of a wealthy New Orleans suburb. A large selection and free gift-wrapping services also are key. And the Le Jouet bike department, as old as the store itself, has been an important revenue driver over the years.

But at age 81 and with the job getting more demanding, Wood is reluctant to make any predictions about the future of the business he built.

“I don’t want to brag about longevity when no one can predict the future, but I’m in awe that we’re still here,” he said. “I think it’s because we’ve been willing to do whatever it takes.”

Decades of growth Le Jouet began in 1968 when Wood, then 24 years old, joined his father, Elm Sr., and several partners to open a seasonal toy business — originally called Toy City Discount Inc. — in a building next to the family’s lumber company on Airline. They bought merchandise from a local distributor and got to work selling train sets and dolls to holiday shoppers.

In 1972, after Wood went into the business full-time, he gave the store its current name, using the French word for “toy,” despite worries that no one would know how to spell or pronounce it. Over time, the other partners departed, and Wood continued to operate with lots of help from family and friends.

He said the early 1970s bike boom, when everyone wanted to ride trendy new “10-speeds,” provided a huge early sales boost.

Then, like the country’s new cycling enthusiasts, he and his team settled in for a long ride over the next five decades, with plenty of ups and downs along the way.

In 1984, Wood moved Le Jouet into a new, roughly 20,000-squarefoot building that features an expansive second-floor warehouse that connects to downstairs via a conveyor belt. In that same decade, a national chain store, called Lionel Playworld, opened across the street, but it didn’t last long by Le

‘One day at a time’

STAFF PHOTOS By SOPHIA GERMER

yolande Hull shops for her nieces and nephews at Le Jouet toy store in Metairie. Le Jouet is the last big toy store standing in greater New Orleans after a quarter-century of competition from online retail decimated the ranks of its brick-and-mortar counterparts.

Mike Melancon and Buddy Wood wrap and bag gifts.

Jouet standards.

“They closed the day after Christmas and put a sign on the door directing all complaints to Houston,” Wood said.

Le Jouet, meanwhile, kept on rolling through the 1990s and early 2000s until Hurricane Katrina, which brought business to a halt.

The store had 30 inches of water throughout, so Wood’s team threw out all merchandise from lower shelves, then tore out and replaced the drywall themselves. Wood said he didn’t have flood insurance, so his entire payout was about $4,000, but he said he made a healthy profit

that year by buying and reselling the stock from a competitor who decided not to reopen after the storm.

“That deal more or less paid for all the repairs we had to do,” he said.

Online shopping vs. toy stores As Wood would soon find out, the temporary disruption of Katrina was nothing compared with the long-term changes caused by the internet — but Le Jouet has survived by focusing on things online retailers or big box stores don’t provide: carefully curated inven-

TOURISM

Culture, Recreation and Tourism.

“We’ve had a few, because several people had already booked their trips before (Trump’s) comments were made, but we’re not seeing any new bookings right now.”

A hard sell

Highs and lows Though it’s too soon to say what final year-end visitor numbers will look like, hotel occupancy through November suggests a softer market in New Orleans. Occupancy was down about 5% over 2024, with the city’s downtown and French Quarter hotels averaging about 60% compared with 65% the previous year, according to data from STR provided by New Orleans & Co. Revenue per available room, or RevPAR, the industry standard for measuring the financial health of the hotel sector, was slightly up, according to estimates, but that’s in part because room rates were higher as a result of inflation.

New Orleans & Co. CEO Walt Leger points out that 2024 was something of a banner year for New Orleans, which attracted more than 19 million for only the second time ever. The first was in 2019. Being down somewhat Leger from those highs doesn’t necessarily mean the year was bad; it just wasn’t as great as the year before.

Leger said “2025 was a year with some extreme highs and some extreme challenges. And it all started on Jan. 1.”

tory, personal service and an active bike sales and service department, which accounts for roughly 20% of the store’s overall revenue.

Another key to the store’s success is the free gift wrapping.

Throughout the year, customers pour in on Fridays and Saturdays on their way to birthday parties, and they can leave with a wrapped gift in a few minutes.

“Without it, we might still be in business, but it’s a big plus,” Wood said.

Many items at Le Jouet sell for similar prices at Walmart and other discount retailers, but Wood said the store doesn’t guarantee the lowest price, counting instead on the added value of his staff’s expertise and other services to bring customers in.

“If someone comes in and asks us to match a price, the answer will never be yes,” Wood said. “Amazon will sell items below cost just because they know it will attract customers who will buy other things.”

Metairie resident Yolande Hull is among those who appreciate that approach.

“I’m old-school,” she said while perusing the store’s aisles recently to find gifts for her nieces and nephews. “Kids today don’t know what it’s like to walk around a big toy store and see everything in one Email Rich Collins at rich. place,” she said. “Buying online collins@theadvocate.com.

up 1.9%, while the average daily room rates were up 3.9%.

“We’re seeing the numbers come in a little better than we thought we would,” she said.

Continued from page 1E

STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

While the state as a whole has experienced a lull in tourism in 2025, a notable exception has been Baton Rouge, which had a healthy year due to the United States Bowling Congress Open Championship drawing more than 58,000 visitors during the five months the tournament was held at the Raising Cane’s River Center.

An increase in the number of New Orleans’ short-term rental units, which are not counted in the hotel occupancy surveys, also impacted occupancy rates on paper, while failing to account for a certain percentage of the visitor population.

Still, anecdotally, hotels, restaurants and attractions that rely heavily on visitors have felt the downturn and remarked on it as the year comes to a close. Audubon Nature Institute CEO Michael Sawaya recently told his board that visitor numbers were down, in part, because tourism in general is down.

Elsewhere in the state, the story was much the same, according to Assistant Secretary of Tourism Doug Bourgeois.

“We’re looking at some of the big booking engines that we work with, and they are saying, ‘Hey, people aren’t booking in Shreve-

port or in Lafayette like they used to,” he said.

One notable exception was Baton Rouge, which had a healthy year due to the United States Bowling Congress Open Championship, which drew more than 58,000 visitors during the five months the tournament was held at the Raising Cane’s River Center.

Another factor fueling what tourism officials said was a growth year for the capital region was the popularity of amateur youth sports events, such as the Kidder Marucci World Series. The competition brought 127 14-andunder to 17U baseball teams from as far away as South Korea.

According to Visit Baton Rouge President and CEO Jill Kidder, hotel-motel tax revenues through November were up more than 6.5% over 2024. The occupancy rate was

Despite the nearly full parking lot on a weekday morning, Wood said he still feels like his store exists under the radar.

“Many people come in and say, ‘I’ve passed here for 30 years, and I finally had to stop to see what was inside,’ ” he said.

Part of the reason for its low profile is that Wood does virtually no advertising, except for a few posts on social media. Instead, he relies on word-of-mouth promotion.

Despite that low-key approach, the start of this decade brought record sales for the store.

“The pandemic was our best two years in history,” Wood said. “We were considered essential workers, so we could open. Bicycle sales went bananas.”

Wood said the size of the business has stayed relatively constant since the store’s 1980s expansion.

Paradoxically, the closure of Toys R Us, which had a harder time than independent stores competing with online vendors, provided a boost that persists to this day.

The staff expands slightly every November and December to handle the holiday rush, which accounts for more than 40% of Le Jouet’s annual sales.

Wood is reluctant to take any victory laps or make promises about the future of the retail mainstay he’s led for nearly six decades.

Instead, he says he’s lucky to really enjoy everything involved in running the business — ordering merchandise, wrapping gifts, fixing bikes, helping customers and keeping everything über organized — but he’s realistic about how long he can keep things going.

Said Wood: “It’s one day at a time here.”

At a promotional event in Canada earlier this fall, Nungesser handed out samples of Tabasco ice cream at train stations, as he does every few years for the Congrès Mondial Acadien. It’s a way to elevate the state’s profile and encourage travelers to visit Louisiana, whose Acadiana region was settled in the 1700s by French, Catholic Canadians.

This year, it was a hard sell, he said.

“The message was clear when we were in Canada that, until the president apologizes or he’s out of office, they don’t see this going away,” Nungesser said. “I don’t know how true that is. I don’t know if that time doesn’t heal this a little bit. But it surely has us concerned about that Canadian market.”

It’s not only Canadian visitors who are staying away, however.

Bourgeois said high profile incidents about foreign travelers to the U.S. being detained at airports and border crossings have had a chilling effect on the international travel market. And that was before federal Border Patrol officers descended on Louisiana to round up undocumented migrants.

“Countries in the Visa Waiver Program are still coming, just not in the degree they were before,” said Bourgeois, who noted that the number of German tourists in particular are down.

Looking ahead On the plus side, British travel

to the state is still strong, helped in part by nonstop air service between New Orleans and London on British Airways.

“Even though the dollar is strong, the pound is still stronger,” Bourgeois said. “I think that’s our strongest market and one that continues to travel despite what’s going on in the world.”

New Orleans officials also point to the accolades the city got from the national media and organizations affiliated with the Super Bowl.

The positive publicity, Leger said, goes a long way toward reinforcing the city’s reputation as a resilient, world-class destination for visitors.

The city recently snagged a spot on the Unesco Creative Cities Network, recognized for its music, and three local restaurants received stars in the inaugural Michelin American South guide.

Several new events are on the calendar for 2026, including the Rockin’ 1000 in January and the Hondo Rodeo Fest in April.

In Baton Rouge, officials are looking forward to the Death Valley Live concert series in Tiger Stadium. Zach Bryan, a multiplatinum country artist, will perform at the first show, set for March 28.

The headliner for the second concert, which will happen on May 23, has yet to be announced.

“We’re working to bring in more events and create more opportunities,” Leger said. “We think 2026 will be a little more stable and predictable.”

Timothy Boone and Jonah Meadows contributed to the reporting of this story.

Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@theadvocate. com.

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TALKING BUSINESS A S K T H E E X P E RT S

LSU dean aims to help students ‘manage their own destiny’

BY RICH COLLINS

Staff writer

Throughout a nearly two-decade academic career at the University of Tennessee, and also during stints working for American Airlines, US Airways and IBM, professor T. Russell Crook has been laserfocused on business strategy and entrepreneurship, penning 40 articles on the topic.

Now, Crook is bringing that specialization to his new role as dean of the LSU E.J. Ourso College of Business, where he is charged with leading the strategic direction of a 6,000-student college while supporting innovation and building connections with Louisiana industry and government.

Crook said business education has changed over the decades, with today’s students less interested in abstract theory than in wanting to dive right into realworld business challenges. Technology, meanwhile, is changing the way business gets done and how schools teach it.

Crook, who was named to the position in May after a nationwide search and took over in July, said he’s taking those factors into account as he meets with every member of his 150-person team of faculty and staff. They are helping him create a strategic plan that will guide LSU’s business school over the next decade.

This conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity.

You were at LSU rival Tennessee for nearly two decades. Is it an adjustment moving to the land of purple and gold?

You know, it’s a switch, but in many ways, it feels like home. My dad went to school here and played golf here in the late 1960s. According to him, he was hanging out with

Q&A WITH T. RUSSELL CROOK

PROVIDED PHOTO By BRET LOVETRO

T. Russell Crook’s career has been laser-focused on business strategy and entrepreneurship and he’s bringing that specialization to his new role as dean of LSU’s E.J. Ourso College of Business.

Pistol Pete Maravich at the time.

So I grew up a fan.

My family and I loved Tennessee. It was amazing. We were there for 18 years. But when this opportunity presented itself, I had to pursue it.

You started in the corporate world and then joined academia. Why the switch?

A professor asked me if I’d consider joining the profession. I said, “No, you guys don’t make enough money.” But then life happened, and I got cancer during the latter part of my MBA program, and I had to go through chemotherapy and radiation. That experience gives you tremendous clarity on what you want to do with the rest of your life.

I had some student loans I needed to pay off, and then once I got them down to a respectable number, I went back and got the Ph.D. and decided that I wanted to help young people achieve their potential.

How has business education changed from when you started?

We weren’t talking about business analytics 20 years ago. We

were talking about statistics, but not necessarily how that can help businesses become more profitable and grow.

Also, if you think about modern-day students, they’re always stimulated by technology, right?

They’ve got earbuds in or are always doing something. So we have to rise to the occasion to get their attention in a meaningful way to be able to educate them.

Our job has changed in terms of the content and how we actually teach, which includes putting a premium on experiential learning.

We’re also trying to become more innovative. To do that, you have to be willing to experiment.

You have to be willing to fail fast and learn.

What are the other big changes?

We’re talking more about purpose. You know, when you come to LSU, what we really want you to do is spend some time discerning your value system, what you want to be and then start to pursue opportunities and organizations that are aligned with that value system.

There are a lot of things that

haven’t changed. Communication is still quite important. But some of the more theoretical and abstract classes are giving way to more to technical skills.

I just wrote about a New Orleans college student who won a school pitch competition for her gecko-farming business. How important is entrepreneurial support like that to LSU going forward?

It’s going to be central.

Think about the young student with the gecko business that can grow and scale and be sustainable and create a very nice income for her over time. Even if it doesn’t, it’s taught her some important lessons in life, and she’s had to be gritty to start it. She had to be creative, and she had to take a risk.

We want students to think that way, whether they’re starting their own companies or whether they’re going to work for someone else. They’re going to do better in life, and they’re going to be more impactful.

Are schools providing more classes in entrepreneurship because there’s demand from students or because the internet and social media make it easier to launch a new venture?

There certainly has been a lot more demand for these programs.

People are interested in owning a business and creating meaningful change. Also, members of this generation have seen generations before them go through layoffs and they may want to manage their own destiny more if they can.

Think about LSU alumni Kurt Ainsworth, whose Marucci bat company has displaced the Louisville Slugger as the official bat of Major League Baseball. He saw a problem, and he developed a solution to solve it. And then he dreamt big, and that’s what we want.

We’re also trying to connect some dots across the university, working with other colleges like the College of Engineering. Maybe you come up with a technical solution there and then the business school is uniquely situated to say,

“Hey, there may be something there to create a business model around.” We’re trying to find more collaborative opportunities with the ultimate goal of benefiting our state economically.

LSU is so big, it seems hard to keep track of all the ideas and intellectual property coming out of the different departments.

That’s a great point. I think there’s opportunities there. We’re going to build an MBA course that assesses the technology that comes through our tech transfer office. Some of them may have tremendous potential, and we can use the MBA program as a vetting tool and provide consulting to our other internal stakeholders.

How is artificial intelligence affecting what you do?

It’s changing everything, and we are embracing it. We’ve got classes on prompt engineering, teaching students to ask the right questions.

We’re doing it because employers are demanding it. Let’s not pretend that it’s not going to matter.

What’s top of your to-do list right now?

To finish one-on-one meetings with everybody in the college. I meet with everyone and get to know a little bit about them. Then we’ll begin a formal strategic planning process. We’ll get a committee together because it can’t just be my vision; it has to be our vision together. The goal is for me to have a set of priorities to really act on for the next five to 10 years.

What food do you miss most and what’s your best new food discovery since you’ve been in Louisiana?

I miss the Tennessee barbecue, but I’ve eaten more fresh fish since I’ve been here and it’s incredible.

I’m one of the few people that I’ve heard that has lost weight after moving here, which I’m really happy about. And I love the spice here as well. Louisiana is an amazing place. I’m thrilled to be part of this great university and community.

Email Rich Collins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com.

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4E ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Adult gift wish lists can be money grabs ’Tis the season for tackling holiday gift lists, but for many, the joy is gone.

The pleasure of picking out a unique gift you believe someone will appreciate has been replaced by the mandatory “wish list,” Michelle a trend that is Singletary at its worst for THE COLOR wedding regisOF MONEy tries.

Givers feel less guided and more compelled to choose the specific color, size or brand listed to avoid disappointing the recipient.

If you ignore a carefully curated list or, heaven forbid, go rogue and choose something whimsical that you think the person might cherish, you risk the wrath of the receiver — or at the very least an obviously disappointed look.

A Reddit user complained about a relative who sent a group email with a Christmas list for her and her children.

The note said she would accept only gifts from the list.

“On her list was expensive perfumes, links to expensive clothing items, and designer handbags,” the poster wrote.

“I was livid.”

Is it me or are more adults feeling emboldened to list extraordinarily expensive items that they would probably never purchase for themselves?

These exchanges bring to mind the demanding refrain from the Spice Girls hit “Wannabe.”

“Yo, I’ll tell you what I want, what I really, really want. So tell me what you want, what you really, really want.”

When did the joy of giftgiving turn into a tedious, transactional chore?

But wait, Michelle, you might protest. How much money is wasted each year on unwanted gifts? Isn’t a list helpful in reducing returns?

It’s true, many gifts are unwanted and ultimately returned. The National Retail Federation reported before Thanksgiving that retailers expect 17% of holiday sales

to be returned, which is just slightly below last year. It’s no surprise that 72% of retailers are adding or raising fees on some return methods, another NRF report found.

This reasoning might lead folks to conclude that gift lists are a way to be financially responsible. Why bother with the worry of finding the “right” present when you have a specific directive that prevents returns and guarantees recipients get precisely what they want?

After all, we encourage children to send a letter to Santa with their hearts’ desires. And when they’re older and figure out Santa’s actual address, we cut out the jolly middleman and his elves and gladly accept their handwritten wish lists.

Here’s the difference.

Adulthood means you set aside childish behavior. The tantrums some adults throw when they don’t get what they really, really want reminds me of the spoiled, entitled Veruca Salt in “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,” when she sings: “If I don’t get the things I am after, I’m going to scream!”

I’m not totally against lists.

They can be helpful to the gift-giving-challenged like me.

But the lists veer into dictatorial demands when people insist you stick strictly to what they requested. Or they sulk or complain — sometimes right to your face — when you instead choose to surprise them with something you think they might like.

But I’ll indulge a debate over gift or registry lists.

Here are some common questions from their proponents.

Does it make sense to burden loved ones with guessing what you want, potentially leading them to spend money on something you’ll never use or will regift?

There’s a risk in leaving it up to someone else to find the perfect gift. And we have come to believe that the perfect present demonstrates how well someone knows you or how much they care.

But gifts shouldn’t be seen

that way. They are given to show that you care, not to gauge the level of your love.

Some of my memorable, nonlist presents were original, creative, homemade items.

With so many people crunched for time, doesn’t having a list save them time, and isn’t time money?

The value of a gift is in the sentiment behind it. Sure, lists are an efficient way to communicate what you want. But registries and gift lists have become more like money grabs than an expression of thoughtfulness.

Is the surprise worth the risk of wasting money?

OK, so if you believe that, why even wrap gifts anymore? That seems a waste of time.

We could simplify everything by just giving people money to buy what they want.

Of course, that’s what has led to the rise of gift cards.

Right now, an envelope full of unused gift cards sits next to my computer. I don’t want to spend them on necessities like lotion, so I keep them, planning to buy something meaningful to show appreciation.

But I dislike shopping, so they just keep piling up.

I miss the anticipation and excitement from being surprised.

Isn’t the goal of gift-giving to bring joy to the recipient?

While there’s inherent unpredictability in holiday gift-giving, focusing solely on the recipient’s joy misses something in current gift exchanges: The pleasure the giver derives from giving.

When you hand over a nonnegotiable list, there’s no need for genuine thought. The classic phrase “it’s the thought that counts” becomes irrelevant. The giver is reduced to little more than a personal banker. Where’s the joy in that?

While it’s OK to have expectations or feel let down by a gift, the adult response is to accept whatever you receive graciously.

Email Michelle Singletary at michelle.singletary@ washpost.com.

BUSINESS BRIEFS

Tropical Smoothie to open in Youngsville

to open a location there.

The group still owns the land at 1915 Chemin MeA Tropical Smoothie Café tairie, and Crist said they will open in the Mill Com- have no plans yet for it. mons shopping center in Youngsville.

The chain was approved for a building permit from the city at 1821 Chemin The building that housed Metairie Parkway Suite 1 the Twin Peaks restaurant recently, documents show. in Lafayette will reopen as It will occupy the space a steak and seafood restaulikely last held by Zorba’s, rant possibly next spring. which closed in January.

Work is expected to beTropical Smoothie Cafe gin on the building at 5801 franchisees BJ Crist and Johnston St. after the appliGus Rezende bought just cant was granted a buildunder an acre at 1915 Che- ing permit to work on the min Metairie Road almost the 9,000-square-foot buildfour years ago and planned ing last week by Lafayette

Eatery to open in Twin Peaks space

Consolidated Government.

Work is valued at $50,000, record show.

The restaurant, called Trois Roux, will offer local cuisine, said Beau Polvadore, director of operations for the restaurant group led by Jim Clark, who also owns The Toasted Yolk Café in Lafayette and Twin Peaks in Baton Rouge.

Work on the building will include converting the front patio area into a closed private dining area, Polvadore said, along with a stage for live music.

Twin Peaks closed during the summer after being open for nearly 11 years.

BUILDING PERMITS Issued Dec. 10-16

Commercial alterations

MEDICAL: 1214 Coolidge St., description, renovation of existing space to accommodate an additional MRI suite at Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center; applicant, AQ Studios; contractor, The Lemoine Co.; $1.6 million.

MEDICAL: 1105 E. Kaliste Saloom Road, description, addition of eight new patient rooms and supporting spaces at Our Lady of Lourdes Heart Hospital; applicant, Moliere; contractor, Kent Design Build; $5.4 million.

SCHOOL: 222 W. Milton Ave., description, metal storage building for Milton Elementary School; applicant and contractor, Bergeron’s Metal Buildings; $44,906.

SCHOOL: 100 Leon Drive, description, metal storage building for Woodvale Elementary School; applicant and contractor, Bergeron’s Metal Buildings; $44,906.

SCHOOL: 1500 W. Willow St., description, metal storage building for J Wallace James Elementary School; applicant and contractor, Bergeron’s Metal Buildings; $44,906.

INDUSTRIAL: 103 Oil Patch Road, Broussard, description, canopy; applicant and contractor, GIR Solutions; $3,276.

New commercial

RETAIL: 601 S.W. Evangeline Thruway, description,

office building for used car dealership; applicant and contractor, Wheels N Deals Auto Sales; $200,000.

SCHOOL: 1801 Kaliste Saloom Road, description, new storage building for Middlebrooks Elementary School; applicant and contractor, Bergeron’s Metal Buildings; $100,000.

RESIDENTIAL: 131 Digby Ave., description, two buildings with five townhome units in each; applicant, Pecot & Co. Architects; contractor, Judice Site Contractors; $350,000.

Commercial demolition

RESIDENTIAL: 131 Digby Ave., description, demo for townhomes; applicant, Pecot & Co. Architects; contractor, Judice Site Contractors; $25,000.

OTHER: 3806 Ambassador Caffery Parkway, description, demolition of former Chick-fil-A restaurant; applicant and contractor, Lloyd D. Nabors Demolition; $29,500.

New residential

107 E. MILTON AVE.: Master Builders and Specialties, $54,250.

103 COGBURN WAY: DSLD, $166,625.

326 LA 720, DUSON: Southwest Louisiana Builders, $517,000.

120 MILLIE PARK DRIVE: Mako Built, $203,125.

109 WILLOW CREEK DRIVE: DSLD, $193,000.

111 WILLOW CREEK DRIVE: DSLD, $193,000.

113 WILLOW CREEK DRIVE: DSLD, $175,625.

115 WILLOW CREEK DRIVE: DSLD, $157,625.

112 WILLOW CREEK DRIVE: DSLD, $166,625.

110 WILLOW CREEK DRIVE: DSLD, $193,000.

100 LUNETTA LANE: DSLD, $215,250.

108 LUNETTA LANE: DSLD, $175,625.

110 LUNETTA LANE: DSLD, $157,625.

112 LUNETTA LANE: DSLD, $166,625.

114 LUNETTA LANE: DSLD, $215,250.

111 THICKET WAY: DSLD, $175,625.

120 KNOLL CREST LANE: DSLD, $193,000.

118 KNOLL CREST LANE: DSLD, $175,625.

95 STONE HILL ROAD: Krewe Construction & Development, $615,500.

201 ROSENSTIEL COURT: DSLD, $167,250.

201 EGRET ROAD, YOUNGSVILLE: Blue Lake Homes, $655,500.

206 SABAL GROVE LANE, YOUNGSVILLE: Blue Wing Builders, $410,000.

200 GIREER ROAD, YOUNGSVILLE: Hebert Building Specialties, $470,000.

117 APPLETON LANE, YOUNGSVILLE: Level Construction & Development, $289,848.

Built on principles.

Committed to progress.

Each year brings new opportunities to lead with purpose — and our values continue to define how we show up.

From safety and integrity to excellence and accountability, we hold ourselves to the highest standard in every operation, every decision, and every partnership.

Because our values aren’t just statements.

They’re the way we work.

Founded in 1939 on the banks of the Mississippi River, IMTT is North America’s leader in storing bulk liquids that travel the country and the world, supplying people and communities with the products they need in their everyday lives. Learn more at IMTT.com.

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The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● 5E

AROUND THE REGION

State’s community colleges preparing construction workforce

BY IANNE SALVOSA

and the state purchased land for a training center last month where RPCC will train students in skills specific to the steel mill as part Baton Rouge Community College of a high-level two-year associate construction management profesdegree program. sor Gery Frie wore a few hats beIt wasn’t always this way. The fore teaching. state used to loop in the commuHe started his own carpentry business, specializing in construcnity colleges in the discussions on incoming projects after the projtion repairs and renovations. He enrolled in seminary school for a ect was underway, LeBoeuf said, short period in hopes of becoming putting the system behind the a Catholic priest. Frie said jokgame. The relationship between LCTCS and its partners is now ingly he got into teaching to scope more “current” and “collaboraout the best pupils to work for his construction company. tive,” he said.

But all jokes aside, teaching “In order to continue to attract students is meaningful to Frie, companies to Louisiana and talent, and he enjoys keeping up with his you can’t do it without the ecosysgraduates via LinkedIn. tem partnership that we have,” “I can flip through there and see LeBoeuf said. He said this prohow well they’re doing over the STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS vides “a leverage to attract new years, but then also feel jealous businesses as well as you’re able Student Grant Wells, right, smiles as an electrical field tester chirps, that they’re making more money to say, ‘these are my partners to detecting electricity from a cord, during a class demonstration by Gery than me,” he said joking. help you and your company come Frie, left, a construction professor, at Baton Rouge Community College’s be successful here in Louisiana.’ ” He’s not wrong — total conAfter the projects are anstruction wages in Louisiana in Mid City campus.

2009, when BRCC’s construction nounced to the public, LED Fastmanagement program was found- to construction projects in the of Education, which assessed the Start, the agency’s workforce dearea. Over the past decade, the capacity of workers the state can velopment arm, creates a profile ed, was $6.9 billion, according to Louisiana Community and Techni- recruit and train and potential to give the colleges a heads up on Federal Reserve Bank data. By the workforce needs. Then, Fast2024, it nearly doubled to $11.7 cal College System has developed labor sources.

LeBoeuf said the report helped billion. a framework with Louisiana Start receives a staffing plan from Concurrently, the seats in Frie’s Economic Development and other LCTCS respond “exceptionally the company leading the project well” to the industrial boom at classes have become increasingly state partners to assess and fill that details job descriptions and filled. In 2009, he started with 40 the state’s construction workforce the time, and the system is taking identifies the specific skills rethe task force’s framework and students in the program, and now, needs. quired. applying it to the current slate of 440 students are enrolled.

“We’re not behind the scenes,” The division meets with each projects.

Industrial construction is boom- BRCC Chancellor Willie E. Smith community college at least once He said the state’s community said. “We’re in front to make sure every six months to discuss ing, with more than $98.1 billion colleges are brought into planmeeting the demand of the 65 worth of projects under construc- we’re training students on the skills they need for those jobs.” to 70 projects FastStart has on tion and another $119.1 billion ning conversations with agencies awaiting a final investment deciand companies looking to enter or its docket at a time. Mark Bond, expand in Louisiana. They discuss LED FastStart’s senior director sion slated for the next few years. Leading the way of workforce solutions, said in the Louisiana Works, the state’s In 2013, there was $4.9 billion in gaps between the workforce’s last decade, the division has imcurrent skills and the skills workforce commission, projects industrial construction spending the construction industry to emin the state, positioning Louisiana needed to fulfill projects and how proved the sharing of resources as the No.1 state in industrial con- the community colleges can fill between the community colleges, ploy 140,235 workers by 2032. the gaps with short-term training connecting projects with colleges That’s an 11.5% increase over the struction value that year. programs. that have the programs to fit their number of construction workers LCTCS Vice President for EduThe timing of LCTCS’ discusneeds on the other side of the employed in 2022. And with the cation Chandler LeBoeuf recalls need to replace members of the 2013 as a similar era to now, when sions with state partners varies on state.

“They’re looking to us as a voice aging workforce, construction the state needed a large number the project. With the $5.8 billion of industry as we just help them companies are searching for emof construction laborers, electriHyundai steel mill in Ascension align their programs and support Parish, conversations between ployees. cians and more. The system led that workforce pipeline,” Bond River Parishes Community ColThe onus to train and cultivate a craft workforce development the construction workforce has task force in partnership with lege, Hyundai and the state began said. typically fallen on community LED, Associated Builders and when the automotive company Homegrown talent colleges, which offer trade skill Contractors, Louisiana Board of was entertaining the idea of comdegrees in a few years connected Regents and the state Department ing to the Pelican State. LCTCS In conjunction with Meta’s $27 Staff writer

billion data center in Richland Parish, Louisiana Delta Community College has developed a fourweek data center technician program, with the first class starting in February. The data center is expected to create 5,000 construction jobs and 500 operational jobs.

LCTCS provided more than $250,000 in rapid response funds to Delta to develop the data center technician program and expand its construction laborer, HVAC and electrician programs.

Students in the program will learn construction site safety and basic life support, common courses in Delta programs, and learn data center-specific topics like fiber installation, fiber optic theory and hardware usage and installation. Kelsey Vallee, the executive director of adult education and workforce initiatives at Delta, said the program will bring in contractors from the Meta project to try to set students up with job interviews for the data center.

“We want to improve our local citizens so they have the opportunities, because that’s what’s going to change our communities,” Vallee said.

Removing the stigma By 2033, employment in the construction industry will reach 8.3 million nationally — its highest point in the past 50 years — according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Frie said the industry’s wages can be enticing: Some of his students who take his courses and already have construction experience can earn up to six figures after they graduate. Other graduates can start earning $80,000.

While some may view construction as unsustainable work, there’s a stability to the industry that people don’t recognize, Frie said.

At times when major construction projects are dwindling, workers can shift to refurbishment and renovation projects.

“Even for people getting started, they can make a good living on this kind of work,” he said.

Our Commitment to Operational Reliability Continuous investments in our underground natural gas infrastructure ensures business continuity when it matters most.

We are Delta Utilities.

deltautilities.com

Louisiana born.

Louisiana based.

700 jobs retained

150+ jobs created

6E ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Gallagher: Lessons in Resilience An article from Gallagher

On the recent 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the Gallagher team has been looking back at the experience and how it shaped today’s insurance industry.

Nancy Sylvester is an area executive vice president at Gallagher, based in Baton Rouge. She recently shared her story of Hurricane Katrina, the challenges the insurance industry faced and how resilience shaped the path forward.

With damages exceeding USD200 billion, Katrina not only altered

Blackhawk helicopters were constantly flying overhead,

the city’s physical landscape but also reshaped global

transporting the injured from New Orleans to Louisiana State

perspectives on disaster preparedness and response. Today,

University (LSU), where the athletics department became a

20 years after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, its impact

makeshift emergency hospital. The LSU student body even

remains deeply felt across the affected communities as the

donated clothing to those in need, and you could see people

costliest and one of the five deadliest hurricanes in US history.

wearing purple and gold, the colors of the university. It was a touching display of humanity after Hurricane Katrina, with

Q: Take us back to August of 2005. How did you experience the

everyone welcomed and cared for as best as possible.

landfall of the hurricane?

I live in Baton Rouge, 70 miles from New Orleans. That weekend, my oldest son was fishing in the Gulf of Mexico and when we

Q: How have your clients’ perspectives on extreme weather risks evolved since Hurricane Katrina?

urged him to come back inland, what should have been an hour’s

Before Katrina, redundancies were often viewed as unnecessary

drive took about 12 hours due to the worsening conditions. The

expenses. Today, having backups is understood as essential.

news reports initially said things were under control, but by

Clients now prioritize strengthening buildings to ensure their

lunchtime on Monday, the levees began breaking and things

facilities can endure severe weather, addressing all potential

quickly spiraled out of control.

exposures on supply chains or backup power, for example.

Everyone is focused on preventing business interruption claims

Q: What were the first days like when family and friends sought shelter at your home, far from the most affected areas?

and avoiding closing their doors because, once they do, they may never open again. We know that FEMA [Federal Emergency

I welcomed my family from New Orleans, expecting it to be

Management Agency] has stated 40% of companies don’t reopen

manageable, but soon found myself hosting 26 people. I slept

after a disaster, and another 25% fail within one year.

under my dining room table, the only private space left.

Wandering into the kitchen at night, I’d meet strangers saying,

As a community, we’re also massively investing in roof resilience

“I work for your cousin. He said it would be OK.” I reassured

to withstand strong winds and prevent piercings. When damage

everyone, “Yeah, everything’s fine.”

or loss occurs, my clients aren’t interested in just rebuilding what was there before; they’re focused on constructing to newer codes

Q: How was daily life impacted in the aftermath of

and following the highest building standards

Hurricane Katrina?

My usual 15-minute drive to the office would take hours due to the crowds seeking refuge in Baton Rouge and just trying to get somewhere else. Schools also faced a sudden surge in students, and the school offices would announce where people could

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO OF NANCY’S FULL INTERVIEW

find food.

AJG.com | The Gallagher Way. Since 1927.

© 2025 Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., and affiliates & subsidiaries | GGBUS103204

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● 1S

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Stores will close at 7pm Christmas Eve and remain closed Christmas Day. PRICES GOOD WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17TH - WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24TH, 2025

SAVE 70 ¢

USDA GRADE A SANDERSON FARMS

Fresh Whole Chicken

99

LB

¢ LB

LIMIT 2

HALF

Hormel Cure 81 Spiral Sliced Ham

99

¢

SAVE $ 00 2 LB

LB

LIMIT 1

SAVE $ 30 2

LARGE TROPICAL

Golden Pineapples

1

$ 19

16 OZ QUARTERS SALTED OR UNSALTED

Rouses Butter

5

2/$

LIMIT 4

SAVE up $ 58 to 3 When You Buy 2

SAVE up $ 58 to 3

When You Buy 2

8 - 16.3 OZ SELECTED

Pillsbury Crescents, Cinnamon Rolls or Grands Biscuits

4

2/$

24 PACK 12 OZ

Coke, Pepsi, Sprite, Dr. Pepper or Mountain Dew

9

SAVE up $ 02 to 5

$ 97

flip over for more

2S ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Planning an Event?

Rouses is here to help!

Please contact your local Rouses or email catering@rouses.com to place an order.

NOW TAKING ORDERS FOR

HOLIDAY DINNERS! Traditional Dinner Choose a ham or turkey:

10-12 lb.* Spiral Ham (Serves 4-6) 10-12 lb.* Oven Roasted Turkey (Serves 4-6) 10-12 lb.* Cajun Turkey (Serves 4-6) 16-18 lb.* Oven Roasted Turkey (Serves 6-8) 2.5 lb.* Small Turkey Breast (Serves 4-6)

Holiday sides included

2 lbs. Cornbread Dressing 2 lbs. Green Bean Casserole 2 lbs. Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes 1 pint Turkey Gravy 1 pint Cranberry Orange Relish 12 ct. Dinner Rolls

*Weight before cooking. • All dinners are sold as ‘Heat and Eat’ • Food will not be hot when picked up. Dinners take 1 to 2 hours to reheat—Instructions included with dinners.

additional holiday sides Spinach Madeline Cornbread Dressing Oyster Bienville Dressing Shrimp & Mirliton Dressing Cranberry Orange Relish Sweet Potato Casserole Green Bean Casserole Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes

Corn Pudding Macaroni & Cheese Dirty Rice Dressing Turkey Gravy Carrot Soufflé Roasted Creole Carrots Garlic Green Beans Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon Seafood Eggplant Crawfish Cornbread Dressing

Getting into the holiday spirit 750 ML

Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

SAVE SAVE $ 2400 $26 39

59 99

750 ML

Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

6360

$

$

Lowest Price Allowed by Law! 750 ML

Bonanza Cabernet Sauvignon

14

$

99

SAVE $ 00 8

750 ML

Pizzolato Organic Prosecco, Rosé or Moscato

1499

$

750 ML

Fireball Cinnamon or Blazin’ Apple Whisky

11

$

99

Jack Daniel’s Black Label

20

Corazon Blanco Tequila

19 99

$

750 ML

750 ML

$

750 ML

47

Glenlivet 12 Year Scotch Whisky

4299

$

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● 3S

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4

2/$

32 OZ

Kitchen Basics Stock

40 OZ

Crisco Vegetable Oil

3

$ 99

Rouses Family Recipe

6

$ 49

HALF GALLON

Rouses Egg Nog

8 OZ BAR

Prairie Farms Cream Cheese

5

3/$

Rouses Pineapples

6 - 10.5 OZ

4

6

Rouses Artichoke Hearts

6

2/$

Little Debbie Christmas Cakes

Sister Schubert’s Dinner Rolls

2/$

12 - 14.1 OZ SELECTED

1 - 2 OZ SELECTED

McCormick Extracts

limited time only

7

2/$

10 CT SELECTED

Birds Eye Steamfresh Vegetables

2/$

20 OZ CAN CRUSHED, SLICED OR CHUNK

4

2/$

10 - 14.4 OZ SELECTED

Rouses Small Sweet Peas

3

$ 99

8 OZ

Hershey’s Cocoa

5

4/$

15 OZ CAN

5

$ 49 *

* when you buy $100 or more in participating gift cards shown below.

OFFER VALID: 11/28/25 - 12/24/25. Subject to availability. See gift cards for details, terms, conditions and (if applicable) fees. All trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Product may not be available in all states. The gift cards featured are not sponsors or otherwise affiliated with this company. Valid once per transaction. In-Store purchase only.

Rouses gift cards are not included in purchase offer. Gift cards must be purchased with a debit card or cash only. One4all Gift Cards are issued by Pathward®, N.A., Member FDIC.

beer, wine & spirits

CRYSTAL CLEAR SPHERES 750 ML

Miller Lite, Coors Light, Bud Light or Yuengling

750 ML

Traveller Blended Whiskey

31

$

750 ML

Belle Glos Dairyman or Frank Family Pinot Noir

34

$

99

750 ML

Don Julio or Casamigos Tequila Reposado

49

$

99

99

$ 99 24

750 ML

Amaretto di Amore or Fireball Yule Nog

11

750 ML

Guesswork Napa Valley Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon

19

$

99

12 PACK 12 OZ

Heineken Premium Lager

17

$

49

SAVE Woodford $ 00 Reserve, 1 1792 Small Batch

24 PACK 12 OZ

$

49

750 ML

Louis Latour Les Pierres Dorees Pinot Noir or Daou Cabernet Sauvignon

21

$

99

12 PACK 11.2 OZ

Stella Artois Lager

16

$

99

or Jefferson’s VSB Bourbon

30

$

99

750 ML SELECTED

Joel Gott Wine or La Griffe de Barreyres Bordeaux

14

$

99

8 PACK 355 ML

High Noon Sun Sips

750 ML

Cabernet Sauvignon

92 POINTS

16

$

99

750 ML

Taittinger or Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label

55

$

99

4 PACK 12 OZ

16

$

SAVE John Sloat $ 00 Napa Valley 6

99

Cutwater Cocktails

9

$ 99

Prices good at Baton Rouge, Zachary, Gonzales, Prairieville, Lafayette, New Iberia and Youngsville locations December 17th thru December 24th, 2025.

4S ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Stores will close at 7pm Christmas Eve and remain closed Christmas Day.

PRICES GOOD WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17TH - WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24TH, 2025

30

30 OFF

$

100% PREMIUM USDA ANGUS CHOICE BEEF

standing Scan For Recipe!

SAVE $ 12 1

1

LB

8

$ 77

LIMIT 2

13

Fresh Louisiana $ Lump Crab Meat

1

99 Boneless

Pork Loin

Yellow Onions

3

2/$

SAVE $ 98 2

When You Buy 2

SAVE up $ 98 to 1

Tasteful Selections Potatoes

6

2/$

When You Buy 2

Blue Plate Mayonnaise

2

$ 87 Louisiana Local 24 - 32 OZ

Edwards Pie

5

$ 97 18.5 - 19 OZ CAN

Progresso Soup

5

3/$

SAVE Community $ 72 1 Coffee

3

$ 99

Fresh Gourmet Bacon Pieces 30 OZ JAR

1

$ 12

5

10 - 12 CT SINGLE SERVE OR 10 - 12 OZ BAG

Brisket

2 LB PACK

Pero Farms Green Beans

6

$ 99

1

12 COUNT PACK

King’s Hawaiian Dinner Rolls

6

2/$

8

10/$

3

$ 97

5

$ 87

Ground Beef

LB

SAVE up $ 10 to 2

SAVE Pecan Pieces $ 00 1

10 OZ CHOPPED OR HALVES

Fisher Walnuts

r in ouUCE D PROpartment de

4

$ 99

$ 99 7 Pecan Halves 2 SAVE PARTY SIZE SAVE $ 11 $ 30 Tostitos, Doritos, 1 2 Fritos or Cheetos 12 OZ ISLAND PECAN COMPANY

8.25 - 15.8 OZ BAG SELECTED

$ 88

Vegetables

When You Buy 3

LB

Fresh Gourmet Crispy Onion Topping

Rouses Chunk, Sliced or Shredded Cheese

SAVE $ 32 Libby’s 2

Tony Chachere’s Injectable Marinade

VALUE PACK

$ 99

3.5 OZ

Louisiana Local

17 OZ

Ground Fresh In Store Several Times Daily!

8 OZ ISLAND PECAN COMPANY

8 OZ PACK

14.5 - 15 OZ CAN SELECTED GREEN BEANS, CORN OR SWEET PEAS

SAVE up $ 78 to 3

LB

Extra Savings through Christmas!

24 OZ BAG

2.5 - 2.8 OZ PACK

LB

LB LB

SAVE

PRIME BEEF $ 47 USDA $ 99 93% Lean Whole Boneless

HALF

EXTRA BONUS DEALS! 3 LB BAG U.S. #1

5

$ 99

LB

LB

LB

10/15 Count Louisiana Shrimp

LB

SAVE $ 00 1

SAVE $ 22 1

8 OZ

SAVE 2

WILD-CAUGHT HEAD-ON

Boneless Top Sirloin Steak $ 00

LB

SAVE $ 00 2

(Minimum 3 bones or more roast)

USDA PRIME BEEF

LB

$ 27

Standing Rib Roast

OFFER VALID DECEMBER 17TH THRU DECEMBER 24TH, 2025

SAVE $ 22 6

Boston Butt Pork Roast

100% PREMIUM USDA ANGUS CHOICE BEEF

Limit one per purchase per customer. Void if altered, reproduced, exchanged, sold, purchased, or where prohibited or restricted by law. No monetary value. Valid at any Rouses location. Coupon valid December 17th thru December 24th, 2025.

With Coupon VALUE PACK

ROUSES STORE COUPON

4

$ 99

SAVE Kraft Deluxe up $ 90 to 4 Mac & Cheese

9.4 - 14 OZ SELECTED

When You Buy 2

or Velveeta Shells & Cheese

SAVE up $ 98 to 2

When You Buy 2

5

2/$ 16 - 32 OZ

Best Choice Half & Half or Heavy Whipping Cream

2

$ 99

Louisiana Local

Prices good at Baton Rouge, Zachary, Gonzales, Prairieville, Lafayette, New Iberia and Youngsville locations December 17th thru December 24th, 2025.

Make the holiday lighter PAGE 3

DISCOVERy | INNOVATION | LIVING WELL

HEALTH

LOUISIANA

N O L A.C O M & T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M

|

S U N D AY, D e c e m b e r 21, 2025

Molly Kimball 1N

How to quickly use a lifesaving AED

BY MARGARET DELANEY Staff writer

WHAT WE NEED

The idea of eating 30 plants a week is ‘nutrionally unimpeachable’

BY MARGARET DELANEY

carrot sticks or one strawberry. Herbs, spices, garlic, tea and coffee also count, but only for a quarter of a point.

Meanwhile, different colored verA 2018 study found people with the most diverse plant diets had the sions of plants, like red and yellow bell healthiest guts — a finding that later peppers, count separately as a point morphed into a buzzy mantra: eat 30 each, since different colored plants plants a week. contain slightly different amounts of Since 1991, Americans have been vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. told to “eat five a day.” Most don’t. Only “(Different colored-vegetables and 1 in 10 American adults actually hit fruits) have all sorts of different comthat target, Centers for Disease Conpounds when they’re broken down.

They feed good bacteria that differtrol and Prevention data shows.

In 2018, researchers behind the Britent varieties of that good bacteria can thrive on,” Phipps said. “It’s good to ish and American Gut Project introgive ‘good-bacteria food’ to your miduced a punchier goal: instead of five a day, aim for 30 different plants a week. crobiome.”

The exact number isn’t the point, Dr. Some items don’t count — like white Travis Phipps said. Diversity is. rice, potatoes and juices. The objective Phipps, a family physician for priis to start with bolstering diversity, and worry about quantity later. mary care and wellness at Ochsner, “The idea of the 30 does seem pretty said the “challenge” comes down to daunting,” Phipps said. promoting a more resilient gut microHe was trying to count them out in biome through diverse foods. his lunch. With some flaxseed crackThe advice to eat 30 plants a week is based on the project’s study of thouers, blackberries and a chicken salad, the chicken salad had oregano, onions, sands of people — or, more specifically, bell peppers and celery — which gave their poop. Lower microbial diversity him seven different plants in one meal. has been linked in studies to chronic The 30-Plant Challenge Making simple switches could be the conditions including obesity and high To diversify diet, and the gut microblood pressure, though scientists em- biome, the 30-Plant Challenge can help key. Phipps recommends buying variphasize the relationships are complex. jump start a healthy diet by assigning a ety packs of peppers and tomatoes to A wider variety of gut bacteria pro- point system to fruits and vegetables. get different colors. Or you can add Every individual plant counts as one salad mixes to encourage a variety of vides a basis for better overall health and well-being: greater resilience to “plant point,” even if it’s only a small lettuce leaves or new spices in dishes withstand pathogens, better digestion amount of that plant, like a couple of you already make.

Staff writer

and better brain function. According to Phipps, a healthy gut can fight off more infections and reduce inflammation.

Trillions of bacteria live inside the gut — that includes the stomach, large intestine and small intestine. Gut bacteria help break down food and produce certain vitamins. “(Gut health) plays a really broad role in the body,” Phipps said.

Other nutrition experts agree.

According to Joan Frank, assistant program director at the University of California, Davis department of nutrition, the idea of eating 30 plants a week is “nutritionally unimpeachable” and excellent for health unless a person has gastrointestinal problems that may make fiber hard to digest — in which case, proceed with caution.

“However, some people don’t have access to a variety of different plants.

We would hate for people to think, ‘I can’t do this because I can’t afford it,’” she said. “You certainly get benefits from eating as many plants as you can.”

Your fast track to recovery ochsner.org/LafayetteOrtho

Cheyenne A. | Orthopedic Patient

Watching someone collapse from sudden cardiac arrest is a scary experience — but knowing what to do can save a life. Quick action and knowing how to use a device like an automated external defibrillator, or AED, can be the difference between life and death, so learning the basics of how to use one is important.

Medically, a cardiac arrest is different from a heart attack, which is a blockage in the heart that stops blood flow.

Sudden cardiac arrest is a medical emergency that occurs when a sudden electrical malfunction causes the heart to stop beating, resulting in an unexpected loss of heart function, breathing and consciousness. According to the American Heart Association, over 350,000 sudden cardiac arrests occur outside of a hospital each year, and less than 10% of victims survive.

Without a heartbeat, blood circulation to the brain and other vital organs ceases instantly. Brain damage begins within minutes.

Aaron Webb, a physician assistant and paramedic, trains professionals and community members on emergency medicine for Acadian Ambulance in Lafayette. The first step in an emergency, according to Webb, is to set up a “chain of survival.”

When someone collapses, assign duties firmly. Indecision is common in emergencies. Indicate one person to start CPR, another to call 911 and one more to grab the nearest AED. After calling 911, which should always be the first response to a sudden cardiac arrest, the combination of CPR and the use of an AED can increase survival rates to 38%.

“The AED will determine if it needs a shock or not,” Webb said.

“So don’t be afraid to get [the AED], turn it on and follow the prompts.

It’s gonna take the guesswork out.”

AEDs are designed to be used by the general public and most devic-

ä See AED, page 3X

PROVIDED PHOTO By JILL MOORE

MoNa Armstrong places the defibrillator pads on the dummy from the automated external defibrillator (AED).

2X ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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HEALTH MAKER

Rare drug saves babies from botulism BabyBIG treatment relies on blood donors

BY JONEL ALECCIA AP health writer

When Alessandro Barbera was rushed to a California hospital with infant botulism in October, his father had barely heard of the disease, never mind the rare and costly treatment that likely saved the newborn’s life.

Now, however, Tony Barbera is deeply grateful for BabyBIG, the sole antidote to the paralyzing and potentially deadly illnesses linked to contaminated ByHeart infant formula.

“It is hugely remarkable,” said Barbera, 35, whose son is slowly recovering.

The botulism outbreak tied to ByHeart formula has sickened at least 39 babies across in 18 states since August — and showed the value of the treatment made from blood plasma donated by a small group of scientists and other volunteers.

“This is almost like a miracle,” said Dr. Vijay Viswanath, a pediatric neurologist at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, who has treated several children with botulism during his career — including one in the current outbreak.

“Prior to the discovery of BabyBIG, some of these hospitalizations would take two or three months,” Viswanath said, if infected children recovered at all.

Licensed in 2003, BabyBIG is the brand name for human botulism immune globulin, an IV medication that uses antibodies from volunteers vaccinated

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS By TERRy CHEA

Nancy Shine, a 76-year-old retired biochemist in California who was vaccinated against botulism because she worked with the lethal germ in a lab, contributed to three batches of the antitoxin produced between 2008 and 2019.

against botulism to help ba- California Infant Botulism bies too young to fight the Treatment and Prevendisease on their own. tion Program, which Arnon founded. Under state law, Relying on donors fees from the sale of the The treatment was the drug are used only to fund brainchild of the late Dr. the botulism program.

The medication relies on Stephen Arnon, who was a scientist with the Califor- donors like Nancy Shine, nia Department of Public a 76-year-old retired bioHealth. In 1976, Arnon and chemist in California who colleagues identified the was vaccinated against botrare form of botulism that ulism because she worked affects infants younger with the lethal germ in a lab. than 1 — and then spent his Arnon first recruited Shine 45-year career figuring out and other scientists for the how to treat it. The disease BabyBIG project two deoccurs when babies ingest cades ago because their botulism spores that germi- blood produced high levnate in the intestine and pro- els of antibodies, the blood duce a dangerous toxin that proteins that neutralize the attacks the nervous system. botulism toxin.

The early protocol reMore than 3,700 children worldwide have been treat- quired the volunteers to ed with BabyBIG since Ar- receive boosters doses of non and his team conducted an investigational botulism a pivotal clinical trial in Cal- vaccine also used by the U.S. ifornia in 1997 that showed military and then undergo a the medication could short- procedure that harvests the en hospital stays and reduce blood plasma that contains the need for breathing ma- antibodies against botulism types A and B. chines.

“It was not very pleasProduced in small batches every five years, BabyBIG ant to be vaccinated with,” costs nearly $70,000 per Shine recalled. “There were treatment, according to the a lot of side effects, like big

BabyBIG is the brand name for human botulism immune globulin, an IV medication that uses antibodies from volunteers vaccinated against botulism to help babies too young to fight the disease on their own. welts where you got vaccinated and a little bit of pain.”

Still, Shine contributed to three batches of the antitoxin produced between 2008 and 2019.

“It’s probably the highlight of my career that I actually was able to participate in this project and donate plasma,” Shine said. “We made a product that could save infants’ lives.”

Development hurdles Because infant botulism is rare, with fewer than 200 cases reported in the U.S. each year, finding funding and other resources to develop the BabyBIG treatment took nearly 15 years and $10.6 million — and faced substantial hurdles, Arnon noted in a 2007 article.

Today, about 30 people on average provide plasma for each batch of BabyBIG, California health officials said.

Batch 8, the latest edition, is being manufactured now at a Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. plant near Los Angeles, according to Giles Platford, president of the company’s plasma-derived therapies unit. The company contracts with California officials to produce BabyBIG on a “notfor-profit basis,” Platford said.

Some of the earliest donors, like Shine, have aged out of the BabyBIG program, which collects blood from adult volunteers up to age 70. New donors are accepted, but they must enroll in a clinical study directed by the California health department and agree to receive a booster dose of a different investigational botulism vaccine.

California officials estimate they have enough BabyBIG in reserve to last until next summer, based on current projections. The

ByHeart outbreak is part of a worrisome rise of at least 107 infant botulism cases treated in the U.S. since August, said Dr. Jessica Khouri, senior medical officer for the state program.

Shine recently received a booklet filled with photos and letters from families whose children have recovered from botulism after receiving BabyBIG. “It’s really wonderful. I read a couple each day,” she said. “Every single one of them makes you want to cry.”

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Nordic people know how to find light in the darkest months

BY STEFANIE DAZIO Associated Press

The Nordic countries are no strangers to the long, dark winter.

Despite little to no daylight — plus months of frigid temperatures — people who live in northern Europe and above the Arctic Circle have learned how to cope mentally and physically with the annual onset of the winter blues, which can begin as early as October and last into April for some.

The winter solstice will occur Dec. 21, marking the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. While sunlight increases daily after that, winter won’t be over for a while yet.

The Associated Press spoke to experts in Norway, Sweden and Finland about the winter blues.

Here’s how they suggest looking for light, literally and figuratively, during the darkest months of the year:

Maintaining sleep Dr. Timo Partonen, a research professor at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, said the dark winter affects our circadian rhythm.

With limited daylight, our internal body clocks cannot reset or synchronize properly and it throws off our sleep. We may sleep longer in the winter, he said, but we don’t wake up refreshed and can remain tired the rest of the day.

Partonen recommended trying a dawn simulator, sometimes known as a sunrise alarm clock, to gradually light up your bedroom and ease you awake.

In addition to being more tired, we’re more likely to withdraw from others socially in the wintertime.

We’re more irritable, Partonen said, and more prone to fights with friends.

It’s important to maintain our relationships, he said, because symptoms rarely improve in isolation.

And since keeping up with exercise is also key to combating the winter blues, consider inviting a friend along for a workout.

It could also help keep off the wintertime weight gain — typically 2 to 5 kilograms (4 to 11 pounds) a year, Partonen said — that’s fed by cravings for carbohydrates, especially in the

People enjoy the sunny weather at the Helsinki Cathedral in Helsinki, Finland. evenings.

Light therapy encouraged Millions of people worldwide are estimated to suffer from seasonal depression. Also known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, patients typically have episodes of depression that begin in the fall and ease in the spring or summer. A milder form, subsyndromal SAD, is recognized by medical experts, and there’s also a summer variety of seasonal depression, though less is known about it.

Scientists are learning how specialized cells in our eyes turn the blue wavelength part of the light spectrum into neural signals affecting mood and alertness. Sunlight is loaded with the blue light, so when the cells absorb it, our brains’ alertness centers are activated and we feel more awake and possibly even happier.

Researcher Kathryn Roecklein at the University of Pittsburgh tested people with and without SAD to see how their eyes reacted to blue light.

As a group, people with SAD were less sensitive to blue light than others, especially during winter months. That suggests a cause for wintertime depression.

In severe cases, people need clinical support and antidepressant medications. Christian Benedict, a pharmacology professor at Uppsala University in Sweden, suggests light therapy for people with SAD as well as those who have a milder case of the winter blues.

“It’s not like it’s a fate, an annual or a seasonal fate, and you cannot do anything about it,” Benedict said. “There are possibilities to affect it.”

A routine of morning light therapy, using devices that emit light about 20 times brighter than regular indoor light, can be beneficial for both people with and without SAD. The light therapy helps to kickstart your circadian rhythm and increases serotonin in your brain, Benedict said.

Research supports using a light that’s about 10,000 lux, a measure of brightness, for 30 minutes every morning. Special lights run from $70 to $400, though some products marketed for SAD are not bright enough to be useful. Your insurance company might cover at least part of the cost if you’ve been diagnosed with SAD. Partonen recommended using

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SERGEI GRITS

both a dawn simulator and a light therapy device each day before noon.

Yale has tested products and offers a list of recommendations, and the nonprofit Center for Environmental Therapeutics has a consumer guide to selecting a light.

A positive outlook And don’t forget to, well, look on the bright side. It’s crucial to embrace winter instead of dreading it, according to Ida Solhaug, an associate professor in psychology at the University of Tromsø, also known as the Arctic University of Norway — the world’s northernmost university.

Prioritize a positive outlook as a survival strategy and learn to appreciate the change in seasons. It’s a typical Norwegian way of thinking, she said, that can make all the difference when there’s very little daylight for months.

“It’s part of the culture,” she said.

And don’t forget to take advantage of both outdoor and indoor hobbies, she said. Inside, channel hygge — the Danish obsession with getting cozy — and snuggle up on the couch with blankets and

a movie.

But don’t hibernate all winter.

After the film finishes, head outside with a thermos for fika, the traditional Swedish coffee break.

Even during cloudy days, a quick walk in the fresh air will help, she said. And if you’re brave enough, do a cold plunge like many people in the Nordics.

Solhaug tries to jump into the frigid waters off the coast of Tromsø, an island 217 miles north of the Arctic Circle, at least once a week, adding that it makes her feel revitalized during the long winter.

“Challenge yourself to look for light in the darkness,” she said.

After all, as many Nordic people say, there’s no such thing as bad weather — only bad clothing.

Finland’s President Alexander Stubb, too, had some tips for how to tackle Nordic winters. When asked in an interview with The Associated Press last month how to survive the cold season, he had some very specific advice.

“Take an ice bath and then followed up by a sauna and do one more ice bath, one more sauna, then a shower and go out there.

You’ll manage,” Stubb said.

Dazio reported from Berlin.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● 3X

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Eat Fit Live Fit

Molly Kimball RD, CSSD

B R O U G H T TO YO U BY

Three habits to make the holidays feel lighter and brighter

T

he stretch of days between now and the end of the year can feel like a blur, especially when filled with celebrations, expectations, travel, gatherings and unfinished to-dos that somehow stack themselves higher every day. And yet, underneath all of that, most of us want the same thing: to actually feel good during the holidays. Not perfect, not wildly different, just genuinely good in our minds and bodies as the year winds down.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve covered everything from brain health strategies with neurologist James Rini, MD, to navigating family dynamics with neuropsychologist John Sawyer, MD, plus zero-proof holiday cocktails, better-for-you baking ideas, and wellness-centered gift giving. For this final stretch of the holiday season, I’ve been thinking about how we can feel our best, not by adding more, but by strategically incorporating a few behaviors that can truly shift how this time of year impacts us.

These are the three I keep coming back to:

1. Follow the Gratitude Thread

Most of us are familiar with the idea of a gratitude list. It’s a simple way to reflect on what’s good in our lives, especially when seasons feel chaotic. But recently, I came across a concept that goes one layer deeper, the gratitude thread. Instead of listing ten things you’re thankful for, you choose one, then trace its roots backward to the story behind the gratitude.

It becomes less about a list of what we’re grateful for and more about defining what made them possible.

For example, if you’re grateful for a friend who’s been a steady presence for you, trace things back and think about how you first met. Was it a chance introduction at an event you almost skipped, or was it a mutual friend who brought you together? Or was it a

decision years ago, like a job you took, a class you joined or a move you made that put you in the right space to cross paths?

That’s the beauty of the gratitude thread.

It gives us a fuller picture of our lives and helps us recognize the seemingly small choices and connections that have added up to something so meaningful.

Try choosing just one thing you’re grateful for, then take 90 seconds to mentally trace it back. See where the thread leads you.

2. Choose Your Holiday Anchor Moments

There’s a lot we can’t control this time of year; however, we can choose a handful of experiences that matter to us and help make everything else feel more manageable.

Holiday anchor moments are the two or three experiences you create or plan for yourself, knowing they’ll help you feel centered and fulfilled. They don’t need to be elaborate. Often, the simpler they are, the better.

It might be a walk around the neighborhood with someone you love, morning coffee before anyone else is awake or strolling through hotel lobbies to enjoy holiday decorations.

These moments can take the pressure off the rest of the season. If everything else is busy and imperfect and unpredictable — which it will be — and if the only things that went smoothly this season were

your anchor moments, it will still be a meaningful holiday.

Everything else becomes the bonus layer.

3. Clear the Internal Clutter

When we think of clutter, most of us picture the physical kind: closets, countertops or our email inbox. But during the holidays, the clutter that can wear us down the most is often internal. It’s the mental and emotional noise that builds when we’re stretched thin.

Clearing this kind of clutter can shift our entire experience of the season.

This might look like opting out of something you’ve been quietly dreading or letting go of the pressure to attend every invitation. It could be silencing notifications or muting text threads that spike your stress levels or giving yourself a day — or even a designated Cora Crockett and William Bruno at The Roosevelt window of time — with nothing Hotel’s light display in New Orleans scheduled, on purpose.

These small resets can create A Better Way to Feel Good a surprising level of relief. They free up our This Season mental and emotional space so that we can Feeling good during the holidays doesn’t focus more fully on the parts of the season require perfection or big changes, but that matter to us. it does require intention: a moment of

gratitude that traces back farther than we expected, a couple of meaningful anchor moments, and the decision to clear out the internal noise that keeps us from being fully present.

These small shifts can help the season feel lighter and allow us to actively experience and enjoy it, rather than rushing right through.

Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD, is a registered dietitian with Ochsner Health and founder of Ochsner’s Eat Fit nonprofit initiative. For more wellness content, tune in to Molly’s podcast, FUELED Wellness + Nutrition, and follow @MollykimballRD and @EatFitOchsner on social media.

Email nutrition@ochsner.org to connect with Molly or schedule a consult with her team.

BY THE NUMBERS

LOUISIANA ADULTS MEDICATED FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE Nearly half of U.S. adults — about 120 million people — have high blood pressure. That’s approximately 119.9 million Americans.

Louisiana had the fourthhighest rate of high blood pressure in the country, with 39.9% of adults reporting a diagnosis by a health professional in 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, which are the leading and fifthleading causes of death in the United States.

With nearly 40% of Louisiana adults with a diagnosis of high blood pressure, an average 79% of them take high blood pressure medication.

Louisiana is just slightly over the U.S. average for adult with high blood pressure who took medication in 2023 at 78%.

These parishes had the highest percentage of adults with a high blood pressure diagnosis who take high blood pressure medication, in descending order: n Tensas Parish with 85.1%, n Bienville Parish with 82.7%, n Pointe Coupee Parish with 81.8%, n St. Helena and Union parishes with 81.7%, n Claiborne Parish with 81.6%, n Webster Parish with 81.5%, n St. James Parish with 81.4%, n Red River Parish with

81.1%, n and Morehouse Parish with 81%.

These parishes had the lowest percentage of adults with a high blood pressure diagnosis who take high blood pressure medication, in ascending order: n Lincoln Parish with 74%, n Vernon Parish with 74.8%, n LaSalle and Grant parishes with 75.7%, n Livingston Parish with 76.1%, n Allen Parish with 76.2%, n St. Bernard and East Carroll parishes with 76.6%, n Ascension Parish with 76.7%, n Tangipahoa Parish with 77%, n and Beauregard and Lafayette parishes with 77.5%.

Blood pressure medication in Louisiana The estimated prevalence of adults with high blood pressure who took blood pressure medication in 2023.

Webster Webster Caddo Caddo

Ouachita Ouachita

Richland Richland

Caldwell Caldwell

Franklin Franklin

Winn Winn

78.1% to 79%

Madison Madison

Jackson Jackson

Red Red River R iver

DeSoto DeSoto

77.1% to 78%

East East Carroll C arroll

Lincoln Lincoln

Bienville Bienville

Less than 77%

West West Morehouse Carroll Morehouse Carroll

Union Union

Claiborne Claiborne

Bossier Bossier

79.1% to 80% 80.1% to 81%

Tensas Tensas

Catahoula Catahoula Natchitoches Natchitoches

Grant Grant

Sabine Sabine

Beauregard Beauregard

Concordia Concordia

Rapides Rapides

Vernon Vernon

Avoyelles Avoyelles

Allen Allen

More than 81%

LaSalle LaSalle

Evangeline Evangeline

State average: 79%

W. Feliciana W. Feliciana E. Feliciana E. Feliciana

Tangipahoa Tangipahoa

St. St. Helena H elena Pointe Pointe St. Landry St. Landr y C Coupee oupee

Washington Washington

EBR EBR

St. TTammany St. ammany Livingston Livingston Acadia A cadia St. John St. John Iber ville Iberville Lafayette St. Lafayette Ascension A scension Orleans Orleans St. Martin Martin JJefferson efferson St. James St. James St. St. Iberia Iberia Assumption Assumption St. Bernard St. Bernard Charles Charles Vermilion Vermilion WBR WBR

Calcasieu Calcasieu

Cameron Cameron

JJefferson efferson Davis Davis

St. Mary St. Mar y

Lafourche Lafourche

Plaquemines Plaquemines

Terrebonne Terrebonne Staff map Source: CDC

AED

Continued from page 1X es feature audible voice prompts that guide the user through the process. However, the general steps for using an AED are as follows: n Turn on the AED and follow any audio and visual prompts. n Open the person’s shirt and wipe their bare chest dry. If the person is wearing any medication patches, use a gloved (if possible) hand to remove the patches before wiping the person’s chest. n Attach the AED pads and plug

in the connector. n Push the “analyze” button and allow the AED to analyze the person’s heart rhythm. n If the AED recommends delivering a shock to the person, make sure that no one is touching the person — and tell everyone to “stand clear.” Once clear, press the “shock” button. n Begin CPR after delivering the shock. If no shock is advised, begin CPR right away. Perform two minutes of CPR and continue to follow the AED’s prompts. If there are obvious signs of life, discontinue CPR and monitor breathing for any changes in condition.

Not all AEDs are made alike;

some have the capability to instruct faster, slower or more effective CPR, others have more video and visual cues and so on.

“Just because the AED does all of the work, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t seek help or training,” Webb said. “Trainings mentally prepares you for that situation. It’s easy to freeze or hesitate or forget to hit the power button. We’re human.”

For AED training sessions or to get CPR certified, the American Heart Association has an ongoing online network tracking upcoming classes and training sessions across the U.S. at atlas.heart.org.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU The Louisiana Health section is focused on providing indepth, personal accounts of health in the state.This section looks at medical innovations, health discoveries, state and national health statistics and re-examining tried and true methods on ways to live well.

Health editions will also profile people who are advancing health for the state of Louisiana.

Do you have a health story?

We want to hear from you.

Email margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com to submit health questions, stories and more.

4X ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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How to manage

stress If you’re feeling anxious, you’re not alone. Researchers have found that Americans are feeling increasingly anxious. Managing your anxiety levels is a good idea, both for your mental and physical health.

Here are ways to feel better: 1

Unplug from social media and the news. The 24/7 news cycle only fuels our anxieties. Drop the remote, stop reading the social media posts, and do something else. Take a walk or listen to music you enjoy and clear your mind.

2

Show some compassion. Research shows that being generous and kind to others makes us happier. Find a volunteer activity you enjoy, whether it’s helping at a food bank, nursing home or animal shelter.

3

Be productive. Clean out a closet, tidy up your tool shed, or get some exercise.

You’ll feel accomplished and in control.

4

Don’t engage. If someone wants to argue about controversial topics, you can simply say, “I’d prefer not to discuss it,” and leave it at that.

5

Check in with your doctor. If you’re feeling chronic anxiety, discuss with your doctor or healthcare provider. Anxiety and stress can affect your blood pressure and heart health, so don’t ignore it.

What is holiday heart syndrome?

While the festivities bring cheer, they also tempt us with indulgent food, excessive alcohol, elevated stress and packed schedules that can negatively affect heart health. In fact, research shows that more heart attacks occur in December and January than at any other time of the year.

Making the best of holiday visits Making your holiday plans? Planning to visit the in-laws? While some folks have easy relationships with their partner’s family, these relationships are tough for others. These tips can help you make it through the holidays with your in-laws with more peace and less stress.

1

Throughout the day, take a few moments to practice deep breathing. If you’re feeling anxious, deep breathing can relax both your body and mind.

2

Try to be diplomatic. Recognize that it’s unlikely you can change major family dynamics by returning the little (or big) jabs you receive. Try to be patient and understanding, and if you feel disrespected or undervalued by your in-laws, ask your partner to address it with them directly.

3

If it helps keep the peace, stay at a hotel rather than staying at your in-laws’ house. Sure, you may have to spend all day in their home, but knowing you have your own space to escape to at the end of the day can make the stress more tolerable.

4

Concentrate on the kids. Most grandparents adore their grandkids.

Allow your children to spend as much time as they want with their grandparents. Even if you don’t get along with your in-laws, they might have a healthier relationship with your children. And putting the focus on the kids takes the focus off you.

5

Team up with your partner. If you are not comfortable with a situation, that should apply to both of you. You shouldn’t have to address your concerns alone. Come up with a special code word or signal to alert your partner that it may be time to retire for the evening.

6

Distract. Make plans for an outside activity or event with your family.

Surprise your in-laws with an event to distract from any tension. Focus on the kids and have a good time. Brownie points if you give your inlaws three activity options and allow them to choose.

7

Practice self-care. Making decisions that prioritize your mental health and well-being is not being selfish. It’s smart. If you need to take a break, go for a walk or take the kids out shopping or to a local park.

There’s nothing wrong with practicing “you time.’’

8

Focus on the prize. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel and remind yourself that the visit is only temporary.

Take each moment day by day.

You’ve got this!

The good news is that you can protect your heart and still enjoy the holidays by making simple yet meaningful changes. Here are five practical tips to help you celebrate safely while caring for your heart.

Practice moderation with food and drinks: Overeating, particularly of high-fat or salty foods, can elevate blood pressure and cholesterol levels, putting unnecessary strain on your heart. Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to irregular heart rhythms or even a condition known as “holiday heart syndrome.”

Try eating smaller portions and mixing nonalcoholic drinks into cocktail hour.

Manage stress to lighten the load on your heart: Chronic stress, especially during this season, can increase blood pressure and trigger unhealthy coping mechanisms like overeating or drinking too much. To stay grounded amidst the chaos, take time each day to relax and recharge when you can.

Stay active: Physical activity helps regulate blood pressure, improves circulation, and boosts mood by releasing endorphins, your body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Sneak in activity by taking family walks after meals, dancing to festive music, or opting for stairs instead of elevators when shopping.

Seek support for depression: Stress, loneliness or unmet expectations can lead to feelings of sadness or depression, all of which can take a toll on your heart health.

If you’re feeling down, don’t keep it to yourself. Talk to a trusted friend or family member about how you’re feeling. If emotions persist, consider reaching out to a healthcare professional for guidance and support.

Recognize symptoms of a heart attack: Symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea and profuse sweating may seem subtle but require immediate attention. Women, in particular, may experience atypical symptoms such as fatigue, difficulty sleeping or shortness of breath in the weeks leading up to a heart attack.

If you or a loved one experience symptoms, seek emergency care immediately. It’s better to err on the side of caution. Healthcare providers would much rather rule out a false alarm than delay treatment for a potentially life-threatening condition.

Ochsner Health is the leading nonprofit healthcare provider in Louisiana, Mississippi and across the Gulf South, delivering expert care at its 47 hospitals and more than 370 health and urgent care centers. Ochsner is nationally recognized for inspiring healthier lives and stronger communities through unmatched expertise, quality and digital connectivity. In 2024, Ochsner’s more than 40,000 dedicated team members and 4,900 employed and affiliated physicians cared for 1.6 million people from every state in the nation and 63 countries. To learn more about how Ochsner empowers people to get well and stay well, visit www.ochsner.org.

GOODNESS | HOPE | SOLUTIONS

INSPIRED

LOUISIANA

N O L A.C O M & T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M

|

S U N D AY, D e c e m b e r 21, 2025

Q&A: Teacher revolutionizes adoption PAGE 2y

1N

2025 Inspirit Award 20 ds Jan Risher

We are e pleased to announce the 2025 Inspirit Award winners. In inno ovative, courage eatured eous, compelling and compassionate ways, the Louisianans fe in this se ection, both this week and next, are looking to solve problems today to improve tomorrow for our state. They serve a variety of communities and a each I Award winner works to make the world a better place.

Inspirit

LONG STORy SHORT

Winter solstice: A good night for reading

They include Juan Jorge Gershanik, Chanice Holmes, James Joseph Jayla, Kate Migues, Charles Smith and Kristi Trail.

The winners were selected from a field of nominations received from the general public. The nominations were reviewed by a newsroom panel who selected six Inspirit Award winners. — Jan Risher, Louisiana culture editor

An adult movement class at Dancing Grounds gives participants a freedom to express themselves.

PROVIDED PHOTOS

FREEDOM IN MOVEMENT New Orleans dancer ensures dance is accessible to all

BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer

For New Orleans native Chanice Holmes, dancing is more than exercise, sport or art. Dancing is a method of expression and healing.

Through her position as program director of Dancing Grounds, Holmes works to ensure dance is accessible for children and adults in New Orleans. The nonprofit organization develops young leaders, promotes health and wellness, and advocates for social change through inclusive and accessible dance programs reaching New Orleans residents of all ages.

Holmes, who has worked with Dancing Grounds for eight years, is a winner of the 2025 Inspirit Award for her commitment to accessible dance programming in her community. Audrey Stewart, a mother of a Dancing Grounds student, says that the studio is a place of safety.

She nominated Holmes for the award because she believes Holmes has the spirit and compassion to assist students and families however she can.

“Dancing Grounds means home,” Holmes said. “It feels very important to have a space like this that allows folks to come as they are, be authentic to who they are, and create a space that we want to be echoed out into the world.”

Holmes was born and raised in New Orleans and attended The Willow School, which was formerly Lusher Charter School. She danced from a young age, and through her school’s art program, she was recruited to attend Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts, dance and arts management.

INSPIRIT WINNER She began her journey with Dancing Grounds as an in-school dance teacher for elementary to high school youth, then progressed to the Dance for Social Change coordinator and then co-director.

“I just fell in love with working with the kids,” Holmes said. “I wanted to do so much in terms of how youth are supported.”

Holmes imbued Dancing Grounds’ youth programming with her belief that young people are change makers ready to build healthy, thriving communities, who only need supportive spaces that allow them to thrive and be heard.

Emerging artists Laura Stein and Jessi Donley founded Dancing Grounds in March 2012. They shared a common vision for bringing the local dance community together and providing more quality, accessible dance programming. Dancing Grounds started in Stein’s Bywater home. The organization grew over time and moved to a larger studio at 3705 St. Claude Ave. Dance for Social Change, the organization’s flagship initiative, inspires New Orleans youth to use their artistic talents to enact positive social change. The organization also supports dance artists in the city with rehearsal space, workshops and artist-in-residency opportunities.

Since 2012, Dancing Grounds has reached over 3,500 young people, 8,000 adults and 12,000 audience members.

“Folks who come into our space as adults, or who start in our space as young people, grow and evolve with us,” Holmes said. “We’re emerging artists. We are growing, full people. We hope that every time a person comes to Dancing Grounds, they experience that feeling of home.”

A safe space Children can dance with Dance for

Chanice Holmes is programs director at Dancing Grounds in New Orleans.

Social Change from preschool to high school. Stewart says that this continuity of relationship through the years allows kids the freedom to be who they are.

Her son, Zay, 11, joined Dancing Grounds when he was 5 years old. Stewart says she has witnessed how Holmes has cultivated a culture of artistic excellence while providing a safe space for students to be their whole selves.

Holmes and Stewart agree that New Orleans can be a tough place for affordable arts programming, but having a consistent place to build friendships and gain skills goes a long way. With Holmes at the helm, the Dance for Social Change program improved students’ academic outcomes, their wellness through healing movement and their connections to mental health care.

Holmes adjusts the program to ensure it provides the right support.

After learning that many young people struggled to access clinical mental health care, she formed a partnership with

ä See DANCER, page 2Y

The winter solstice practically begs for a comfy chair and a big ole book by a fire.

Since middle school, I’ve loved reading long books during the long nights of winter. My favorites are epic historical sagas — like the ones Ken Follett writes. I love his Kingsbridge series. I first read “Pillars of the Earth” nearly 25 years ago, in the days right after the Sept. 11, 2001, nightmare.

The perspective the book offered — about fictional events set amid real historical ones between the years 1123 and 1174 — provided some context of how these big things had transpired. The book not only reminded me that our generation didn’t corner the market on evil but also that the driving factors of humanity are constant.

Since I first read “Pillars of the Earth,” I’ve gobbled up all four additional books in the Kingsbridge series. They, like the “Star Wars” movies, have not been released in chronological order.

I’m a fan of Follett’s work because his research offers insights into history and helps me connect the dots between the often disparate pieces of history that I learned about in school. His books push me to understand things I’ve never paused to consider — like how a spinning jenny worked and how a simple machine helped reshape commerce and fashion.

Follett goes beyond the technology of the various eras he writes about to cover social issues, too — like the rise of Methodism in England and the push for literacy among common people to read the Bible, which challenged established institutions.

My love for reading good historical fiction (and the occasional references I make to his work) makes some of my historian friends shake their heads. Even so, I feel like Follett’s books offer a beautiful jumping-off point to learn about other time periods for someone who appreciates an overview and doesn’t have time to write a dissertation.

This fall, I was excited to see that Follett had a new book out, called “Circle of Days.” It is a fictionalized story of the building of Stonehenge and takes place around 2500 BCE. Since no one really knows all of the hows and whys of Stonehenge, Follett did a deep dive with archaeologists to piece together how the people of the Salisbury Plain in England might have lived, worked and believed.

Follett says he read books like Mike Pitts’ “How to Build Stone-

ä See RISHER, page 2Y

PROVIDED PHOTO

Ken Follett’s ‘Circle of Days’ is a fictionalized story about the making of Stonehenge.

2Y ● Sunday, December 21, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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INSPIRED DISCUSSIONS A S K T H E E X P E RT S

Teacher revolutionizes adoption knowledge in schools So much of adoption Mother commits to normalizing process isstories.

Q&A WITH KATE MIGUES the in-between — normal TEACHER, MOTHER people living normal lives. through awareness and education

INSPIRIT WINNER

BY LAUREN CHERAMIE Staff writer

In 2023, Kate Migues started Placed, a nonprofit organization that opens up the conversation around adoption and how to talk about it with empathy and respect.

Placed specializes in adoption education for people of all ages, especially students in public high schools that are required to teach adoption in health education.

Migues, an adoptive mom of two and a certified teacher with 15 years of experience, was awarded the 2025 Louisiana Inspired Inspirit Award for her commitment to normalizing adoption through awareness and on-site educational programs. Since starting Placed, she has been to 52 schools, taught 304 classes and taught more than 6,400 students.

The name Placed, often used in adoption, emphasizes the thoughtful process of providing a child with a stable and loving home.

What inspired you to establish Placed?

I taught high school since 2008. I was teaching chemistry at Catholic High in New Iberia. My husband and I adopted two children during that time, and I was asked to teach a health class.

While looking through the curriculum, I found that every student in Louisiana who takes health is required by the state to learn about adoption. I went to our curriculum coordinator and asked for resources, and she said, “Oh, no, we don’t have to do that.”

She suggested that we reach out to other schools to see what they’re doing, and no one knew what I was talk-

ing about. It was put in place by the legislature in 2006 and then expanded upon, and it’s required, but there was no information given to teachers to cover it appropriately.

I saw an opportunity for a merging of two things that I love, which are teaching and the adoption world. I saw that there was a need and felt equipped to at least try to fill that need.

How was your adoption process with your own children?

We had a contested adoption with our youngest. Our kids have the same birth mom and different birth dads. Our son’s birth dad contested the adoption. We had to figure out if his birth father did what he needed to do to establish his parental rights.

To make a long story short, he had not done what was needed, but that doesn’t make him a bad dad. He just didn’t know what he didn’t know.

We still have a very good relationship with him. He has often said that people need to know what adoption is. He thought it was like foster care. Instead, he can continue doing what he needs to do and still see Sam. He told us, “Why are people not talking about this?”

That experience was another push to start Placed and let people know what a beautiful gift adoption can be.

What do people get wrong about adoption?

A lot of times, we read things on social media or see things on the news. It’s always going to be the terrible stories or the Hallmark

DANCER

at high risk of disconnection from work and school have participated in paid internships.

Dance for Social Change also allowed more than 250 participants to gain college and job readiness skills through designing, producing and performing a multidisciplinary original performance and film.

The majority of Dancing Grounds participants are New Orleans public school students, between the ages of 6 and 18. At least 80% of participants are Black, and 70% are girls. A significant majority are eligible for free and reduced-price lunch and come from historically disenfranchised New Orleans neighborhoods, including the 9th Ward, 7th Ward and New Orleans East.

“I heard a student the other day just raving about a class like, ‘Oh my gosh,

Continued from page 1y Children’s Bureau of New Orleans to link the teenagers in need with clinical care via their enrollment in Dance for Social Change.

Holmes collaborates with other city youth service organizations to build a network of support. Partnerships with the New Orleans Health Department and Mayor’s Office of Youth & Families help young people make key connections across citywide programs, services and resources.

‘I’m fed every time I teach’ Since the first graduating class in 2019, 100% of Dancing Grounds participants have matriculated to college upon high school graduation. In the past three years, more than 30 participants ages 16 to 18

If we don’t know that exists, then there’s kids who are missing out. There’s families who are missing out.

Whenever you described the situation with your son’s birth father, it reminded me of grace. What has this process taught you about having grace for people who may be different from you?

OK, I have a smile on my face right now. A little backstory: I had a student we lost to a tragic car accident, and her name was Grace. Her death was one of the things that made my husband and me look at each other after nine years of infertility and say, “Life is short, and if we’re gonna do this, we better do it.”

The adoption process was very quick for us, but we walked into that hospital room and they said her name is Eliza Grace. I thought, “OK, God, I see what to do in here.”

I think that grace is something that we’re all given

by God, even when we don’t deserve it. That’s kind of the point, right? Grace is something that we can either take and expect, or we can take it, turn it around and give to others.

We can only do what we can with the information we have. A lot of times, people make uninformed decisions.

Once you know more, you can do better. That’s what grace allows us to do.

At the time, it felt like Sam’s birth father was the enemy. But we didn’t know his situation. Grace is giving other people the benefit of the doubt.

What progress has Placed made since 2023? Can you tell us about the curriculum that you’ve implemented in schools?

I go into health classes in

I had the worst day. But coming in, I feel so great after class. I feel like I was pushed and challenged, and then I also feel like I got what I need. It was like medicine,’ ” Holmes said.

“And then I’m thinking about a teacher who also came in heavy. I was recording class, and I saw the smile on her face. I was like, ‘How you doing?’ And she said, ‘You know, I’m fed every time I teach.’ This space is a transformative space.”

Fuel the movement In January, Holmes got word that Dancing Grounds lost its National Endowment of the Arts funding, which totals $120,000 of their budget. This cut meant loss of some staff members and adjustments to class offerings. Now down to a staff of five, Dancing Grounds is stretching to

PROVIDED PHOTO

In 2023, Kate Migues started Placed, a nonprofit organization that opens up the conversation around adoption and how to talk about it with empathy and respect. Placed specializes in adoption education for people of all ages, especially students in public high schools that are required to teach adoption in health education. public and private schools, and we look at adoption from each of the three sides of the adoption triad: n How can we be better friends to people who were adopted or have experienced foster care, using adoptionpositive language? n How can adoption be the option of hope for someone who is experiencing an unexpected pregnancy? n What does it look like to be an adoptive or foster parent one day, and what is the need for that?

In public schools, I present Option Hope, which is stateapproved curriculum. I have a Culture of Life program that I present in Christian schools, where you can have

make sure students aren’t impacted.

The organization is building reserve funds through a fundraising campaign called Fuel the Movement 2025. The campaign will secure affordable classes for its young people and adults.

Stewart says Holmes’ faithful commitment to Dancing Grounds is inspiring to her. She will do anything to keep Dancing Grounds alive.

Holmes’ leadership style reflects her teaching practice, which she says is grounded in improvisation of feeling and spirit.

“Giving and receiving are intertwined in the culture of New Orleans — persevering through things that may be holding you back,” Holmes said. “Dance transforms and can shift the energy. It’s connected to spirit and grounding. And I think New Orleans is a very spiritual place.”

those pro-life conversations.

In what way have students changed their opinions on adoption?

Everyone, at some level, knows someone who was adopted or who has been in foster care. If nothing else out of it, you can at least understand what their perspective is — where they’re coming from and how to be a better friend.

Something that shocks students is how common open adoptions are, where there is some level of communication between the child who was placed for adoption and their birth parents. They’re shocked at the fact that birth parents who choose to place their child for adoption are given all of these choices.

They can choose the family

RISHER

Continued from page 1y henge” and made repeated visits to the site and the Westwood quarry. He walked the possible routes the stones traveled, trying to understand the logistics and the sheer human effort involved.

In Follett fashion, the story focuses on both the technical “how-to” and the social motivations. He used his imagination to fill in the gaps of what is known about the lives and beliefs of the Neolithic people, who had figured out enough about time and seasons to be motivated to move massive stones hundreds of miles.

Which brings us back to the winter solstice — that hinge point of the year when everything in the northern hemisphere

that the child goes into, their name and how often they want to see the child.

They’re also surprised to learn that it’s completely free for birth parents and adoptive parents have to do an FBI background check.

Overall, the students may have one friend or cousin who has a friend who was adopted, and whatever their story is, that is what that person thinks adoption is — whether it’s good or bad.

It’s interesting to see their eyes open up and realize that adoption is a beautiful, lifegiving option, and people who were placed for adoption have the same kind of normal life as them. They just have some extra family members.

starts tilting toward light again.

The people who built Stonehenge noticed this turning, too. They tracked it with shadows and stones and sheer determination.

We have technology galore to measure time now, but I still like to track it with a good book and a quiet chair.

Maybe that’s the thread Follett keeps reminding me of: Across centuries, people have always looked for ways to understand the dark and mark the return of light.

And every year, on this longest night, I’m grateful for storytellers who help me mark the turning — and for a warm home where, in the days to come, I’ll be surrounded by those I love, old and young.

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

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A lifelong connection to Lake Pontchartrain Kristi Trail drives conservation work along the shore

BY JAN RISHER Staff writer

Long before she ran Pontchartrain Conservancy, Kristi Trail was a kid on the lakefront, swimming in water most people learned to avoid because of its pollution. Even so, that early connection to the lake shapes the work that led to her 2025 Inspirit Award.

Trail has served as the executive director of the Pontchartrain Conservancy for nine years. The award recognizes her work protecting the water, land and communities across the 16 parishes in the Pontchartrain Basin.

During her tenure, the organization has nearly doubled its staff from 16 to more than 30, reflecting its expanding environmental and education work.

As the organization has grown, Trail keeps returning to the thought that first drew her to this work: how people are able to experience the lake itself.

Trail says that when it comes to lakefront swimming, the northshore has easier access than the southshore which is complicated because of the amount of infrastructure.

That access question, she said, is part of a larger conversation about reconnecting people with the lake — a conversation that often leads to Lincoln Beach, a place many residents haven’t been able to access for decades.

Trail is pleased that the city of New Orleans is working hard to reopen Lincoln Beach, which is expected to be done in 2026, because the space holds a significant place in New Orleans’ history. Established

PROVIDED PHOTOS

Kristi Trail, executive director of Pontchartrain Conservancy, winner of 2025 Inspirit Award

INSPIRIT WINNER in 1938, it provided a haven for the Black community.

For Trail, its reopening represents a step toward restoring not just access, but the relationship people once had with the lake.

“We take credit for cleaning up the lake and are so excited for people to go out and enjoy our beautiful lake,” Trail said.

Trail remembers the “Save our Lake” campaign that started in 1989, when a group of residents and scientists came together to raise concern of the region’s environmental challenges. That effort led to the creation of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, the organization that later became the Pontchartrain Conservancy.

Those early efforts laid the groundwork for the monitoring and restoration work the Pontchartrain Conservancy focuses on

today. One of Trail’s goals is for the lake to become top of mind again for people in south Louisiana. She believes the organization’s long-term water-quality improvements are helping move it in that direction.

“Sometimes people don’t even think about the lake because they don’t look at it,” she said. “We want to make it beautiful — to make it something people want to look at.”

Since 2001, Pontchartrain Conservancy has released weekly water-quality reports to help residents understand conditions at swimming spots and other recreational areas around the basin.

“The lake is a very dynamic system,” Trail said.

“It changes on a daily basis, but on a long-term trend, it’s good and improving.”

But Trail and her staff are using their resources to educate and inform beyond the shores of Pontchartrain by offering teacher training

Lincoln Beach in New Orleans is not yet open to the public, but the city of New Orleans is expected to reopen it in 2026. across the state. The trainings focus on a variety of water issues — from marine debris, the effect of microplastics, water quality, types of flooding and more.

The staff development classes usually take place on Saturdays at the Lighthouse Museum — or in schools across Louisiana.

Teachers receive a $100 stipend for participating in the training, plus a kit of supplies to take back to their classrooms.

“Our goal is to work with teachers teaching earth sci-

ences to build hyper-local activities so they can teach about the wetlands in south Louisiana,” Trail said.

She said the number of students visiting the interactive Lighthouse museum for hands-on programs continues to grow each year.

“Under Kristi’s leadership, Pontchartrain Conservancy was awarded an EPA Gulf Guardian Award (given to agencies making positive impacts on the Gulf of Mexico’s health) for its work in STEM education in 2024, showing how

impactful this work is not just in Louisiana but across the Gulf coast,” wrote board chair Dickie Brennan in his nomination of Kristi Trail for the Inspirit Award.

Trail says she loves the work — the unpredictability of the days, the conversations with residents and the chance to explain what’s happening in and around the basin in large groups and one-on-one.

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

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FAITH & VALUES American Jew tradition includes Chinese food, movies

BY SAMIRA MEHTA

yong Lu demonstrates, Chinese restaurants were also eager to cater to American Jews: They wanted to develop white, American clientele, and here were some right in their neighborhoods.

As restaurant owners learned that Jews often eschewed pork, some began to offer traditional dishes with chicken instead — allowing more observant Jews to eat “kosher style,” without eating explicitly forbidden food. Today, there is wide variation in Jewish dietary practices, making Chinese food even more accessible for most Jews.

By the end of the 20th century, “Chinese food and a movie” had become the trope of Jewish Christmas. Because most Chinese immigrants were not Christian, their restaurants are often open on Dec. 25. And indeed, they are often filled with Jews.

Contributing writer

There is a meme that circulates every holiday season, an image of a sign in a restaurant window. “The Chinese Restaurant Association of the United States would like to extend our thanks to the Jewish people,” it says. “We do not completely understand your dietary customs … but we are proud and grateful that your GOD insists you eat our food on Christmas.”

Is the sign real? Perhaps not; the fact-checking site Snopes found no evidence of the association even existing. But the joke’s popularity points to a tradition cherished by many American Jews — Chinese food on Christmas.

But why would Jews, who do not celebrate Christmas, have Christmas traditions?

Like many minority groups, Jews have always created ways of adapting to the societies in which they live, but whose culture they do not totally share. And one thing that means is a collection of Christmas traditions, varying by time and place. Many of them came up in interviews for my book “Beyond Chrismukkah: The Christian-Jewish Interfaith Family in the United States.”

Old World festivities Long before Jews came to the United States, some of them celebrated Christmas — participating in many of the cultural traditions, even as they avoided the religious part of the holiday.

According to Jordan Chad, author of “Christmas in Yiddish Tradition,” Jewish folklore about the holiday appears as early as the late 1300s. Plenty of Jewish communities in Europe spent Christmas Eve dancing and drinking, feasting and gambling — as many of their Christian neighbors did, when those neighbors were not in church.

Other scholars have argued that these traditions grew out of attempts to avoid studying Jewish religious texts on a Christian holiday. But Chad demonstrates that, over centuries, those customs came to celebrate the revelry of the season — though not the birth of Jesus.

Even in the 20th century, scholars such as Yaniv Feller have found, many middle- and upperclass German Jews embraced a

Movies, volunteering and more

Chinese food has become a staple of many Jewish Americans’ traditions each Dec. 25. secular Christmas, complete with a tree, a traditional dinner and presents. After all, some of those Christmas traditions stem less from religion than folk traditions and industrialization.

Given that long history, Jewish Christmas traditions are not necessarily a sign of Americanization.

That said, in the United States, Christmas is so culturally powerful — a day that almost everyone has off, and that the majority of Americans spend with their kith and kin — that many non-Christian immigrants celebrate it in a secular way, with family visits, Santa and a tree. They do not necessarily do the religious parts of the holiday, but they may well deck the halls. Certainly, my own Hindu relatives do.

And many Jews celebrate Christmas in some way because they are part of interfaith families — whether their own immediate family or extended relatives with whom they spend the day. Today, estimates place the American Jewish interfaith marriage rate as high as 50%.

Kosher-style Chinese For plenty of contemporary Jews, however, it is profoundly important not to celebrate a secular version of Christmas. Starting in the 1970s, in fact, when American Jews were particularly worried about rising rates of interfaith marriage, many of the rabbis willing to perform ceremonies for Jewish-Christian couples made them promise to not have a Christmas tree. This happened despite the fact that, at the time, many American Jews did have Christmas trees in their homes.

Even if Jews do not want to deck the halls, though, many still have the day off. Meanwhile, their nonJewish friends, families and coworkers are busy and much of the world is closed. And so many Jews have developed their own ways of marking the day.

The Chinese food tradition is particularly famous. In fact, during Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan’s 2010 confirmation hearings, when Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham asked her where she had been on Christmas Day, she

GETTy IMAGES

responded, “Like all Jews, I was probably at a Chinese restaurant.”

The first written mention of Jews eating Chinese food on Christmas Day comes from 1935, when, according to The New York Times, a man named Eng Shee Chuck brought chow mein and toys to a New Jersey Jewish orphanage.

His generosity was probably not why Jews started going to Chinese restaurants on Christmas; it is more likely that they were already doing so. The two communities lived cheek by jowl in many American cities, where immigrants of different sorts ended up in the same neighborhoods. And Chinese food contains little dairy, meaning it rarely violated Jewish dietary laws against mixing milk and meat.

Most Chinese cuisines do use pork and shrimp, which is forbidden by kosher laws. But many Jewish customers were happy to make an exception, especially if the forbidden food was tucked in a dumpling or otherwise out of sight — at least outside their own homes.

As new research by New York University graduate student Shi-

The same tends to be true for movie theaters. In 2012, I saw “Les Misérables” on Christmas Day in a theater that seemed to be a who’s who of the Atlanta Jewish community. In fact, the movies and the Chinese food are often paired, whether out on the town or at home, streaming with takeout.

Jewish museums are often open and are another popular destination in cities that have them.

And some Jews use Christmas Day for travel. At least in eras past, plane tickets were notably cheaper than the days around the holiday.

Another Jewish Christmas tradition is simply to go to work, so as to let Christian colleagues have the day off. Many Jewish doctors and nurses are on call, or staff the emergency room or the intensive care unit, so that their colleagues can be home.

Still other Jews perform charitable deeds on Christmas: They staff soup kitchens and food banks, bring holiday cheer to nursing homes and hospital patients, or deliver gifts to children in shelters.

Living in a culture that largely closes down each Dec. 25, many Jews have found ways of making meaning in the day — be that sharing family time over beef and broccoli, followed by a holiday blockbuster, or working to make sure that more of their colleagues can have a family day. And those, too, are Christmas traditions.

New innovation could make solar farms more wildlife friendly

BY KENDRA CHAMBERLAIN Contributing writer

Editor’s note: This story, created

by Kendra Chamberlain for Columbia Insight, is part of the AP Storyshare. Louisiana Inspired features solutions journalism stories that provide tangible evidence that positive change is happening in other places and in our own communities — solutions that can be adopted around the world.

You’re an elk. You’re on your annual migration from the mountains to lower-elevation feeding grounds, the same route traveled by countless generations of your ancestors.

An obstacle blocks your path.

You’ve encountered nothing like it before. A high, metal fence.

Behind the fence, massive, sharp angled panels reflect sunlight with intensity foreign to your concept of the world.

What now?

Solar energy is great. But it comes with costs. One of these is impact on wildlife.

Habitat connectivity has emerged as an environmental concern related to renewable energy facilities like large solar farms.

Utility-scale projects degrade habitat and typically include sixto eight-foot-high fencing, which severs migration corridors and bars wildlife access to habitat and resources.

“Solar facilities impact fauna through habitat loss and fragmentation, altered microclimate and creation of novel habitat,” according to a 2025 report published in the journal ScienceDirect. “The rapid transformation of landscapes necessitates urgent research into biodiversity impacts of solar facilities worldwide.”

Some developers are getting the message.

At a proposed solar installation in southern Oregon, the renewable energy company Invenergy has plans to build a wildlife corridor and a nearly 2,000-acre conserva-

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Oxbow Solar farm is located in Ventress. At a proposed solar installation in southern Oregon, the renewable energy company Invenergy has plans to build a wildlife corridor and a nearly 2,000-acre conservation area to help offset the ecological impacts of industrial-scale construction in a largely undeveloped wilderness. tion area to help offset the ecological impacts of industrial-scale construction in a largely undeveloped wilderness.

Chicago-based Invenergy is the global renewable energy company behind the Diamond Solar Project, a proposed 200-megawatt facility located near the junction of U.S. Route 97 and Oregon Route 138, nicknamed the “Highway of Waterfalls.” The location is just east of Diamond Lake in the Umpqua National Forest and northeast of Crater Lake National Park.

The project passed a milestone in October when the Klamath County Planning Commission approved permits to install 406,000

solar panels and on-site battery storage on a 1,560-acre plot of forested land.

The land is owned by the private investment firm Shanda Group.

Founded by Chinese billionaire Tianqiao Chen and other family members, Shanda Group is the second largest foreign owner of land in the United States.

Chen owns nearly 200,000 acres of forestland in Oregon’s Klamath and Deschutes counties.

Wildlife and solar mitigation The Diamond Lake project site is home to wildlife including deer and elk. It includes access to important water resources, accord-

ing to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

“We were concerned about an impediment to migration, as well as blocking off a water source,” ODFW’s Jeremy Thompson told Columbia Insight. Thompson served as the department’s energy coordinator while the Diamond Solar proposal was created. “There are some water sources through that corridor that showed use by ungulates, both deer and elk in that area.”

ODFW offers energy siting guidance to help inform designers of large developments on ways they can minimize or mitigate impacts to local habitat and wildlife.

In the case of the Diamond Solar proposal, Thompson said ODFW staff asked Invenergy to include a wildlife corridor that runs through the facility to offer a way for ungulates to move through the land.

The company and ODFW settled on a 600-foot-wide wildlife corridor.

Thompson said the inclusion of wildlife passages in solar buildouts is becoming common, though it’s still a relatively new concept.

“We’ve worked with multiple companies to try to institute passage through solar farms, especially as we talk about some of the larger solar farms that are being proposed in north-central Oregon,” said Thompson. “We just haven’t seen one that’s been constructed yet.”

ODFW hopes to conduct research using collared deer and game cameras to determine if the corridor is successful.

“The science isn’t sound yet on how wide that corridor needs to be for animals to feel comfortable using it,” said Thompson.

Renewable energy projects across the country have begun attempting to accommodate wildlife in their designs, in hopes of reducing environmental harm.

Design tweaks include fencing with holes large enough to allow small animals to slip through, and passages or corridors for larger animals.

Early evidence suggests these features can be successful.

The Nature Conservancy, for example, tracked a variety of small animals slipping through wildlifefriendly fencing at a solar facility in North Carolina.

The Diamond Solar Project also includes a 1,900-acre conservation area, which is meant to replace habitat lost to the solar facility.

That land is also owned by Shanda Group.

Construction of the Diamond Solar Project is expected to take two years. Invenergy plans to have the facility finished by 2029.

SUNDAY, December 21, 2025

CURTIS / by Ray Billingsley

SLYLOCK FOX / by Bob Weber Jr.

GET FUZZY / by Darby Conley

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE / by Chris Browne

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM / by Mike Peters

ZIGGY / by Tom Wilson

SALLY FORTH / by Francesco Marciuliano & Jim Keefe

ZITS / by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE / by Stephan Pastis

wonderword

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directions: Make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. Add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus.

“Blanks” used as any letter have no point value.

All the words are in the Official SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

instructions: 1. Words must be of four or more letters.

2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

todAY's Word — cHocoLAte: CHAWKlit: Roasted, ground cacao seeds with flavoring added.

Average mark 51 words Time limit 62 minutes Can you find 66 or more words in CHOCOLATE?

For more information on tournaments and clubs, email NASPA – North American SCRABBLE Players Association: info@scrabbleplayers.org. Visit our website: www.scrabbleplayers.org. For puzzle inquiries contact scrgrams@gmail.com.

Hasbro and its logo SCRABBLE associated logo, the design of the distinctive SCRABBLE brand game card, and the distinctive letter tile designs are trademarks of Hasbro in the United States and Canada. ©2025 Hasbro. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

cryptoquote AxyDLBAAxR iS LONgFELLOW One letter stands for another. in this sample, A is used for the three L’s, x for the two O’s, etc. Single letters, apostrophes, the length and formation of the words are all hints. Each day the code letters are different.

AnsWers to ALL PuZZLes Are on inside BAcK PAGe

Sudoku

ken ken instructions: 1 - Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 through 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating.

2 - The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners.

3 - Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner.

instructions: Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

hidato directions: Complete the grid so that numbers 1–132 connect horizontally, vertically or diagonally.

AnsWers to ALL PuZZLes Are on inside BAcK PAGe

Los angeLes Times sunday Crossword puzzLe — Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis “Big sHoTs” By scott Hogan aCross 1 Béla Fleck’s instrument 6 Pricey German imports 10 Italian wine 14 Chaps 18 Not very approachable 19 Source of a scoop 20 Overly caffeinated, perhaps 21 Social sci. major 22 Big shot in the bulb industry?

25 K 26 Henry VI’s school 27 __ of Man 28 Luv 29 Take in 31 Cards 33 Squandered 35 Big shot in the sci-fi awards industry?

37 Put on a pedestal 40 Fort __, Florida 41 Wash and wear?

42 Big shot in the paver industry?

44 Shrewd 45 Stocky antelope 48 Green house?

49 Trending 50 Fabled messages 52 “If I were in your __ ... “ 54 Withdraw, with “out” 55 Salty one 57 Salty five 58 Skills assessment 60 Spots 61 Big shot in the podiatry industry?

64 “Daaaaang!”

66 Drawing (in) 67 Big shot in the treasure-hunting industry?

71 Make fast

again 72 Concert gear 76 Old sub titles?

77 Positively reinforces 79 Shrill bark 80 Home of the world’s largest irrigation project 81 Source of some travel reservations?

83 Put away 85 Arequipa’s land 86 Baton Rouge sch.

87 Drywall supports 89 Big shot in the champagne glass industry?

92 Battery terminal 93 Blah 94 Edmonton NHL team 95 Big shot in the cab industry?

98 Folk-rock supergroup, familiarly 99 Soapy residue in a sink 100 Come out 101 Sanskrit honorific 102 Ruler who commissioned the Taj Mahal, for one 104 Slight advantage 108 Game that can only be played right-handed 109 Big shot in the refrigeration industry?

114 “Tell Mama” singer James 115 Per __ 116 Serpentine 117 Place for a cross 118 Show the way 119 Actor Postlethwaite 120 Scandinavian capital 121 Plot inconsistencies down

1 Hay bundle 2 Came down to earth 3 Off-limits 4 Antihero played

by Keanu Reeves 5 Many times o’er 6 Sprinkle with holy water, e.g.

7 Combo, say 8 Make a parting gesture 9 Chicago WNBA team 10 Like the subject of a Carly Simon classic 11 Gerund maker 12 Medical research org.

13 Umbrella shape, typically 14 Does not disturb 15 Sneeze sound 16 Closers 17 Gives the cold shoulder to 20 Asks for more catnip, perhaps 23 Advanced, as gadgets 24 “Infected be the air __ they ride”: Macbeth 30 Part of some security checkpoints 32 Vex 34 Jean Valjean’s story, familiarly 35 Get well 36 Large garden planters 37 Head monk 38 Fall in folds 39 Money makers 40 Descriptive piece of HTML code 43 Zeroing (in on) 44 Holiday singer 45 Tender prelude?

46 State bird of Hawaii 47 Space race initials 51 Third in a ring 53 Wife of Hägar the Horrible

56 Shows up for duty 57 Four Tops singer Benson 59 Until midnight 60 IRS tracking info 62 Render obsolete 63 Blue, in Burgundy 65 Had to pivot to plan B, say 67 Out of room 68 Wading bird in Egyptian art 69 Japanese-

goren Bridge

Peruvian fusion chain 70 Third key in a reboot sequence 71 Sleeve style 73 “Poppycock!”

74 Prep chef’s knife 75 San Antonio team 78 Enters the room airily 81 Grand Slam Tokyo discipline 82 Paradise 84 Multiple ages

wuzzLes

operation founded in 1925 99 Panasonic subsidiary 101 Swivel around 103 “Inferno” setting 105 Tuning knob 106 Out of the park 107 Pulls the plug on 110 Individual 111 Province between Man. and Que. 112 Prefix with

cache 113 Bat wood

super Quiz Take this Super Quiz to a Ph.D. Score 1 point for each correct answer on the Freshman Level, 2 points on the graduate Level and 3 points on the Ph.D. Level.

Opportunity missed

American expert Bart Bramley was South, in today’s deal.

North did well to pass, as no game makes for North-South.

In fact, only a heart lead defeats four spades by East-West. It is hard to fault West for not bidding. He had a misfit for partner’s suit and, with only 12 highcard points opposite a pre-empt, no real reason to think there might be a game his way.

Bramley won the opening club lead, an obvious singleton, with dummy’s ace. He led a heart to his king and West’s ace, and West shifted to a trump. Bramley won in dummy with the nine and ruffed a heart in his hand.

He crossed back to dummy with the ace of diamonds and led another heart, this time discarding a club from his hand.

West won with the queen, but he had nothing but spades remaining and he had to give Bramley the king of spades for his ninth trick.

This was nicely played by Bramley, but the defense could have done better. West should unblock his queen of hearts when Bramley ruffs a heart,

85 Tree on South Carolina’s flag 88 “In summary ... “ 90 Government Grant?

91 Simu of “Barbie” 92 Overseas 93 Hanging in the theater 95 Put off 96 Really get into a role 97 Airline that grew from a crop-dusting

SUBJECT: HISTORICAL PEOPLE (e.g., Explorer in the service of Spain who reached the Americas in 1492.

Answer: Christopher Columbus.)

FRESHMAN LEVEL 1. American president who led the Union during the Civil War. Answer________ 2. Emperor whose codification of laws still forms the basis of French civil law.

Answer________ 3. Indian nationalist and spiritual leader who developed the practice of nonviolent disobedience.

Answer________ 4. He commanded the Continental Army during the American Revolution.

Answer________ 5. King of Macedonia who overthrew the Persian Empire.

Answer________

and then East must rise with his jack when Bramley leads the third heart from dummy.

Fancy footwork by East-West, but it would defeat the contract.

Would you have found the winning defense?

Tannah Hirsch welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, Ny. 14207. E-mail responses may be sent to gorenbridge@ aol.com. © 2025 Tribune Content Agency

ANSWERS TO ALL PUZZLES ARE ON NEXT PAGE

GRADUATE LEVEL 6. Former South African prisoner who became the nation’s first democratically elected president.

Answer________ 7. Physicist who formulated the special theory of relativity.

Answer________

8. Roman military and political leader who defeated Pompey and became dictator.

Answer________ 9. His theory of gravity was supposedly inspired by the sight of a falling apple.

Answer________ 10. Charismatic U.S. civil rights leader who campaigned against segregation. (1929-1968) Answer________ PH.D. LEVEL 11. French chemist (born in Poland) who won two Nobel prizes.

Answer________ 12. Playwright and poet who is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language.

Answer________ 13. This Italian painter, sculptor and scientist was the most versatile genius of the Italian Renaissance.

Answer________ 14. This Egyptian queen was noted for her beauty and charisma.

Answer________ 15. He was the founder of modern communism.

Answer________

zodiaC SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) A change will rejuvenate you. Take what you enjoy doing to the next level and look for opportunities to use your skills to improve your performance, lifestyle and prospects.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Put your energy where it counts, and you’ll make an impression on someone who has something to offer you in return. Don’t settle for less when you can have more.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Don’t hesitate to host a gathering, but be smart about it and get everyone to pitch in

and help. You don’t want to be too tired to enjoy yourself. Say no to people asking for donations.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Discipline will pay off, and the results you get will make you feel good about helping others. Participation is the name of the game, so don’t sit back when you have so much to offer.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Take time to rest, rejuvenate and pamper yourself. The festive season can be draining if you take on too much financial, physical or emotional debt. Take charge of your happiness and enjoy yourself.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Stretch your imagination and delve into something intriguing. Look for opportunities in your area of expertise and community, and you’ll discover an opening that reflects your interests.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Discuss your thoughts and plans with someone who understands your situation.

Knowing you have options will make it easier to let go of burdens you carry out of guilt.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Do your best, and it won’t go unnoticed. How you delegate tasks and take care of

time-sensitive situations will give you an advantage over anyone trying to horn in.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Take the liberty of asking questions. Let your charisma shine through and your unique approach to life captivate the imagination of those you deal with.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) It’s best to listen, absorb and observe. The way you handle family dynamics and treat those with whom you share space, expenses and plans will affect how your festive season plays out.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) You can’t please everyone. Too many prom-

ises will lead to exhaustion. Offer to do only what you can, and walk away from demanding individuals trying to take advantage of you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Travel, interact and share with people you find mentally stimulating. Life is about quality, not quantity. Trust your instincts and set aside time to do what makes you happy.

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

dustin / by Steve Kelley & Jeff Parker

Answers to puzzles super quiz 1. Abraham Lincoln. 2. Napoleon Bonaparte.

3. Mahatma Gandhi. 4. George Washington.

5. Alexander the Great. 6. Nelson Mandela.

7. Albert Einstein. 8. Julius Caesar. 9. Isaac Newton. 10. Martin Luther King Jr. 11. Marie Curie. 12. William Shakespeare. 13. Leonardo da Vinci. 14. Cleopatra. 15. Karl Marx.

SCORING: 24 to 30 points — congratulations, doctor; 18 to 23 points — honors graduate; 13 to 17 points — you’re plenty smart, but no grind; 5 to 12 points — you really should hit the books harder; 1 point to 4 points — enroll in remedial courses immediately; 0 points — who reads the questions to you?

Cryptoquote Answer Saturday's Cryptoquote: I used to be Snow White, but I drifted. — Mae West

word GAme Answer cache cachet catch chalet chat cheat cholate cleat cloche clot cloth clothe coach coal coat coca cochlea

coco cocoa coho cola cole colt cool coot cote hale halo halt hate heal heat helot hole

hoot hotel oath ocelot oleo lace latch late lath lathe leach loath loathe locate loot loth ache

achoo aloe alto taco talc tale teach teal tech thole tole tool each echo etch

sudoKu Answer jumble Answer

Crossword Answers

jeFF mACnelly’s shoe / by Gary Brookins & Susie MacNelly

sCrAbble Answers

FoXtrot / by Bill Amend

wuzzles Answers

Ken Ken Answers

hidAto Answers