The Acadiana Advocate 12-22-2025

SSHOUGH’S BIG DAY, STINGY DEFENSE EARN SAINTS A WIN OVER JETS 1C THE

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Insurers seem uninterested in dropping policyholders via new law Lone company taking advantage of the repeal of the ‘three-year rule’

BY SAM KARLIN Staff writer

STAFF PHOTOS By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Donald Schexnayder walks past the storage silos that hold soybeans at R Schexnayder & Sons LLC in Erwinville on Thursday. President Donald Trump’s $12 billion payments come as Louisiana farmers face serious headwinds.

‘ONLY A FIRST STEP’ Louisiana farmers see $12B relief payments as a lifeline

Donald Schexnayder holds a handful of soybeans from one of the storage silos in Erwinville on Thursday.

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON — With about half of Louisiana’s — and the nation’s — farmers facing dire financial straits, agricultural communities are hoping the $12 billion shortterm relief ordered by President Donald Trump earlier this month will be enough to offset losses from trade wars, tariffs, depressed commodity prices and increased planting costs.

“We’re struggling,” Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Mike Strain said Tuesday, after returning from a weeklong trip to London in search of new markets to sell Louisiana’s crops. “About 50% of our farmers are facing significant challenges.”

China stopped buying American soybeans in retaliation for tariffs Trump imposed. Though China recently agreed to start purchasing soybeans again, “Louisiana experienced the greatest absolute decline, with agricultural exports to China down $1.85 billion,” the digital publication Farm Flavor noted in its analysis of U.S. Department of Agriculture export data.

“The commodity prices, what the farmer receives, has declined dramatically since 2021, 2022,” Strain said. “But on the other side, production expenses, the cost of production, is still continuing to rise; it’s 12% above

ä See FARMERS, page 5A

Louisiana lawmakers passed a controversial law last year that gave insurance companies more leeway to drop policyholders, part of a fierce debate over how to tame ever-rising homeowners insurance rates that have reached crisis levels.

Consumer advocates and Democrats warned at the time that the state could expect mass cancellations of policies, exacerbating a crisis that has already hammered Louisiana homeowners.

Insurance executives and Republicans, meanwhile, argued the change was needed to bring Louisiana more in line with other states and to invite competition into the market.

New data shows little has changed after the state repealed the policy known as the “threeyear rule,” which banned insurers from dropping policyholders who had been customers for three years.

ä See INSURERS, page 5A

Coast Guard seizes another oil tanker Trump intensifies targeting of Venezuelan vessels

BY AAMER MADHANI Associated Press

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The U.S. Coast Guard on Sunday was pursuing another sanctioned oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea as the Trump administration appeared to be intensifying its targeting of such vessels connected to the Venezuelan government.

The pursuit of the tanker, which was confirmed by a U.S. official briefed on the operation, comes after the U.S. administration announced Saturday it had seized a tanker for the second time in less than two weeks.

The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly about the ongoing operation and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Sunday’s pursuit involved “a sanctioned dark fleet vessel that is part of Venezuela’s illegal sanctions evasion.”

ä See TANKER, page 4A

Keeping the culture alive Everyday spaces reshape traditions for Lao immigrants in Iberia Parish

homeland left behind.

For Xanamane, those informal spaces are more than childhood memories. They are the foundation of his research and the message he hopes to share: That culture is not preserved only in monuments or institutions, but in the ordinary places where people live, gather and adapt.

Through his work, Xanamane seeks to

BY JA’KORI MADISON show how immigrant communities susStaff writer tain identity not by resisting change, but When Phanat Xanamane was growing by reshaping their surroundings to make up in New Iberia, the Lao community room for tradition.

Born in a refugee camp in Thailand and didn’t gather primarily at a temple. Instead, people gathered on porches, in raised in New Iberia, Xanamane grew up garages and around gardens, everyday ä See CULTURE, page 4A spaces remade from memories of a

WEATHER HIGH 77 LOW 64 PAGE 12C

Classified .....................4A Living............................7C Opinion ........................2B Comics-Puzzles .. 9C-11C Metro ...........................1B Sports ..........................1C Deaths .........................4B Nation-World................2A

Traditional finger dancing is performed during a parade celebrating the Lao New year at the Lao community of Lanexang Village in Broussard in April.

FILE PHOTO

By LEE BALL

101ST yEAR, NO. 175

2A ● Monday, December 22, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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FROM WIRE REPORTS

Israel’s Cabinet OKs 19 West Bank settlements

TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel’s Cabinet has approved a proposal for 19 new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, the farright finance minister said Sunday, as the government pushes ahead with a construction binge in the territory that further threatens the possibility of a Palestinian state.

That brings the total number of new settlements over the past few years to 69, a record, according to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has pushed a settlement expansion agenda in the West Bank. The latest ones include two that were previously evacuated during a 2005 disengagement plan.

The approval increases the number of settlements in the West Bank by nearly 50% during the current government’s tenure.

In 2022, there were 141 settlements across the West Bank. After the latest approval, there are 210, according to Peace Now, an anti-settlement watchdog group.

Settlements are widely considered illegal under international law. Smotrich’s office said the Cabinet approval came Dec. 11 and that the development had been classified until now.

The approval comes as the U.S. pushes Israel and Hamas to move ahead with the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, which took effect Oct. 10. The U.S.-brokered plan calls for a possible “pathway” to a Palestinian state, something the settlements are aimed at preventing.

The Cabinet decision included a retroactive legalization of some previously established settlement outposts or neighborhoods of existing settlements, and the creation of settlements on land where Palestinians were evacuated, the Finance Ministry said. Settlements can range in size from a single dwelling to a collection of high-rises.

The ministry said two of the settlements in the latest approval are Kadim and Ganim, which were two of the four West Bank settlements dismantled in 2005, as part of Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. There have been multiple attempts to resettle them after Israel’s government in March 2023 repealed a 2005 act that evacuated the four outposts and barred Israelis from reentering the areas.

Power restored to most in S.F. after big outage Power was restored Sunday morning to the bulk of the 130,000 homes and businesses in San Francisco impacted by a massive outage a day earlier that caused major disruptions.

The Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s outage map showed more than 16,000 customers remained without power. PG&E said earlier its crews were working Sunday to restore electricity in several neighborhoods and small areas of downtown San Francisco following Saturday’s outage.

PG&E said it could not provide a precise timeframe for when the power would be fully restored.

The outage left a large swath of the northern part of the city without power that began to grow in size. At its peak, the outage represented roughly onethird of the utility company’s customers in the city.

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Ukraine talks ‘constructive’

White House envoy says he held ‘productive’ talks with Kyiv, European representatives

By The Associated Press A White House envoy said Sunday he held “productive and constructive” talks in Florida with Ukrainian and European representatives to end the nearly four-year war between Russia and Ukraine.

Posting on social media, Steve Witkoff said the talks aimed at aligning on a shared strategic approach between Ukraine, the United States and Europe.

“Our shared priority is to stop the killing, ensure guaranteed security, and create conditions for Ukraine’s recovery, stability, and long-term prosperity. Peace must be not only a cessation of hostilities, but also a dignified foundation for a stable future,” U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy said.

The talks are part of the Trump administration’s monthslong push for peace. Trump has unleashed an extensive diplomatic push to end

the war, but his efforts have run into sharply conflicting demands

by Moscow and Kyiv. Putin has recently signaled he is digging in on his maximalist demands on Ukraine, as Moscow’s troops inch forward on the battlefield despite huge losses.

Witkoff’s assessment comes as negotiations have been proceeding with Russia as well. A Kremlin envoy said Saturday that the talks were pressing on “constructively” in Florida.

“The discussions are proceeding constructively. They began earlier and will continue today, and will also continue tomorrow,” Kirill Dmitriev told reporters in Miami on Saturday. There were no immediate updates on the talks with Russia on Sunday.

Dmitriev met with Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported.

For Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram Sunday that diplomatic efforts were “moving forward quite quickly, and our team in Florida has been working with the American side.”

The Kremlin denied Sunday that trilateral talks involving Ukraine, Russia and the U.S. were under discussion, after Zelenskyy said Saturday that Washington had proposed the idea of three-way discussions.

“At present, no one has seriously discussed this initiative, and to my knowledge it is not being prepared,” Russian President Vladimir Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said, according to Russian state news agencies.

In Ukraine, the country’s human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets on Sunday accused Russian forces of forcibly removing about 50 Ukrainian civilians from the Ukrainian Sumy border region to

Russian territory.

Writing on Telegram, he said that Russian forces illegally detained the residents in the village of Hrabovske on Thursday, before moving them to Russia on Saturday.

Lubinets said he contacted Russia’s human rights commissioner, requesting information on the civilians’ whereabouts and conditions, and demanding their immediate return to Ukraine.

The French presidency on Sunday welcomed Putin’s willingness to speak with President Emmanuel Macron, saying it would decide how to proceed “in the coming days.”

“As soon as the prospect of a ceasefire and peace negotiations becomes clearer, it becomes useful again to speak with Putin,” Macron’s office said in a statement.

“It is welcome that the Kremlin publicly agrees to this approach.”

Multiple gunmen open fire at pub in S. Africa, killing 9

BY MICHELLE GUMEDE and ALFONSO NQUNJANA Associated Press

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ANTHONy UPTON

People celebrate the winter solstice sunrise Sunday at Stonehenge, a world-famous prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain, England.

Thousands cheer sunrise on winter solstice at Stonehenge

By The Associated Press LONDON — Thousands of people cheered and danced around Stonehenge as the sun rose over the prehistoric stone circle on Sunday, the winter solstice.

The crowds, many dressed as druids and pagans, had gathered before dawn, waiting patiently in the dark and cold field in southwest England. Some sang and beat drums, while others took time to reflect among the huge stone pillars.

Many make the pilgrimage to the stone circle every summer and winter and consider it a spiritual experience. The ancient monument, erected between 5,000 and 3,500 years ago, was built to align with the movement of the sun on the solstices — key dates in the calendar for ancient farmers.

English Heritage, the organization that manages Stonehenge, said some 8,500 people celebrated Saturday at the monument

GET IN TOUCH

PA PHOTO By ANDREW MATTHEWS

People take part in the winter solstice celebrations Sunday at Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England. on Salisbury Plain, about 75 miles southwest of London.

It added that its livestream of the festivities drew over 242,000 views from around the world.

Sunday is the shortest day of the year north of the equator, where the solstice marks the start of astronomical winter. It’s the

opposite in the Southern Hemisphere, where it is the longest day of the year and summer will start.

The winter solstice is when the sun makes its shortest, lowest arc, but many celebrate it as a time of renewal because days will get a little longer every day until late June.

One of last Pearl Harbor survivors dies at 105

BY JENNIFER PELTZ and JAIMIE DING

Associated Press

World War II Navy veteran Ira “Ike” Schab, one of the dwindling number of survivors of the 1941 Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, has died. He was 105.

Daughter Kimberlee Heinrichs told The Associated Press that Schab died at home early Saturday in the presence of her and her husband.

Schab With his passing, there remain only about a dozen survivors of the surprise attack, which killed just over 2,400 troops and propelled the United States into the war.

Schab was a sailor of just 21 at the time of the attack, and for decades he rarely spoke about the experience.

But in recent years, aware that the corps of survivors was dwindling, the

BEKKERSDAL, South Africa — Nine people have died and at least 10 others were wounded after a group of gunmen carried out a shooting at a South African pub during the early hours of Sunday, authorities said.

The incident occurred in the township of Bekkersdal, 28 miles west of Johannesburg. It is the second mass shooting in South Africa in three weeks.

About 12 unknown suspects in a white minibus and a silver sedan opened fire at pub patrons at KwaNoxolo tavern, in the Tambo section of Bekkersdal and continued to shoot randomly as they fled the scene, according to police.

Maj. Gen. Fred Kekana, the acting provincial commissioner of Gauteng, told the AP at the scene that the gunmen, some of whom wore balaclavas, had one

AK-47 rifle and several 9-millimeter pistols.

Police did not release information about the victims, but police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili confirmed that an e-hailing driver was among those caught in the crossfire. She said the driver had just dropped off a client. “He was shot and killed,” she told The Associated Press.

The motive for the shooting is unknown. A manhunt for the suspects in the multiple gunshot event has been initiated by Gauteng Serious and Violent Crime Investigations in collaboration with the Crime Detection Tracing Unit.

There have been several mass shootings at bars — sometimes called shebeens or taverns in South Africa — in recent years, including a mass shooting carried out by multiple suspects in an unlicensed bar that left at least 12 people dead and 13 injured earlier this month.

centenarian made a point of traveling from his home in Beaverton, Oregon, to the annual observance at the Hawaii military base. “To pay honor to the guys that didn’t make it,” he said in 2023.

This year he did not feel well enough to attend, and less than three weeks later, he passed away.

Born July 4, 1920, in Chicago, Schab was the eldest of three brothers. He joined the Navy at 18, following in the footsteps of his father, he said in a February interview for Pacific Historic Parks.

On what began as a peaceful Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941, Schab, who played the tuba in the USS Dobbin’s band, was expecting a visit from his brother, a fellow service member assigned to a nearby naval radio station. Schab had just showered and donned a clean uniform when he heard a call for fire rescue.

He went topside and saw another ship, the USS Utah, capsizing. Japanese planes roared through the air.

“We were pretty startled. Startled

and scared to death,” Schab recalled in 2023. “We didn’t know what to expect, and we knew that if anything happened to us, that would be it.”

He scurried back below deck to grab boxes of ammunition and joined a daisy chain of sailors feeding shells to an antiaircraft gun above. His ship lost three sailors, according to Navy records.

Schab spent most of the war with the Navy in the Pacific, going to the New Hebrides, now known as Vanuatu, and then the Mariana Islands and Okinawa, Japan.

After the war he studied aerospace engineering and worked on the Apollo spaceflight program as an electrical engineer for General Dynamics, helping send astronauts to the moon.

Speaking at a 2022 ceremony, Schab asked people to honor those who served at Pearl Harbor.

“Remember what they’re here for.

Remember and honor those that are left. They did a hell of a job,” he said.

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Official defends partial release of Epstein files

BY AAMER MADHANI and ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON Associated Press

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday defended the Justice Department’s decision to release just a fraction of the Jeffrey Epstein files by the congressionally mandated deadline as necessary to protect survivors of sexual abuse by the disgraced financier.

Blanche pledged that the Trump administration eventually would meet its obligation required by law. But he stressed that Blanche the department was obligated to act with caution as it goes about making public thousands of documents that can include sensitive information.

Friday’s partial release of the Epstein files has led to a new crush of criticism from Democrats who have accused the Republican ad-

ministration of trying to hide information.

Blanche called that pushback disingenuous as President Donald Trump’s administration continues to struggle with calls for greater transparency, including from members of his political base, about the government’s investigations into Epstein, who once counted Trump as well as several political leaders and business titans among his peers.

“The reason why we are still reviewing documents and still continuing our process is simply that to protect victims,” Blanche told NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “So the same individuals that are out there complaining about the lack of documents that were produced on Friday are the same individuals who apparently don’t want us to protect victims.”

Blanche’s comments were the most extensive by the administration since the file dump, which included photographs, interview transcripts, call logs, court records and other documents. But

some of the most consequential records expected about Epstein were nowhere to be found, such as FBI interviews with survivors and internal Justice Department memos examining charging decisions. Those records could help explain how investigators viewed the case and why Epstein was allowed in 2008 to plead guilty to a relatively minor state-level prostitution charge.

Trump, who was friends with Epstein for years before the two had a falling-out, tried for months to keep the records sealed. Though Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, he has argued there is nothing to see in the files and that the public should focus on other issues.

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

But Democratic lawmakers on Sunday hammered Trump and the Justice Department for a partial

release.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., argued that the Justice Department is obstructing the implementation of the law mandating the release of the documents not because it wants to protect the Epstein victims.

“It’s all about covering up things that, for whatever reason, Donald Trump doesn’t want to go public, either about himself, other members of his family, friends, Jeffrey Epstein, or just the social, business, cultural network that he was involved in for at least a decade, if not longer,” he said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Blanche also defended the department’s decision to remove several files related to the case from its public webpage, including a photograph showing Trump, less than a day after they were posted.

The missing files, which were available Friday but no longer accessible by Saturday, included images of paintings depicting nude women, and one showed a series of photographs along a credenza and in drawers. In that image, in-

side a drawer among other photos, was a photograph of Trump, alongside Epstein, Melania Trump and Epstein’s longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.

Blanche said the documents were removed because they also showed victims of Epstein.

Blanche said that Trump photo and the other documents will be reposted once redactions are made to protect survivors.

“It has nothing to do with President Trump,” Blanche said. “There are dozens of photos of President Trump already released to the public seeing him with Mr. Epstein.”

The thousands of Epstein-related records posted publicly offer the most detailed look yet at nearly two decades worth of government scrutiny of Epstein’s sexual abuse of young women and underage girls. Yet Friday’s release, replete with redactions, has not dulled the clamor for information given how many records had yet to be released and because some of the materials had already been made public.

Turning Point conference showcases GOP unity, discord

BY JONATHAN J. COOPER and SEJAL GOVINDARAO

Vance as “the one person” who subscribes to the “core idea of the Trump coalition,” which Carlson said was “America first.”

Turning Point spokesperson Andrew Kolvet framed the discord as a healthy debate about the future of the movement, an uncomfortable but necessary process of finding consensus.

“We’re not hive-minded commies,” he wrote on X. “Let it play out.”

Associated Press

PHOENIX — The next presidential election is three years away, but Turning Point USA already knows it wants Vice President JD Vance as the Republican nominee.

Erika Kirk, leader of the powerful conservative youth organization, endorsed him on opening night of its annual AmericaFest convention, drawing cheers from the crowd.

But the four-day gathering revealed more peril than promise for Vance or any other potential successor to President Donald Trump, and the tensions on display foreshadow the treacherous waters that they will need to navigate in the coming years.

The “Make America Great Again” movement is fracturing as Republicans begin considering a future without Trump, and there is no clear path to holding his coalition together as different factions jockey for influence.

After a weekend of debates about whether the movement should exclude figures such as antisemitic podcaster Nick Fuentes, Vance came down on the side of open debate.

“I didn’t bring a list of conservatives to denounce or to deplatform,” Vance said Sunday during the convention’s closing speech. He de-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JON CHERRy

Vance was close with Charlie Kirk. After Kirk’s assassination on a college campus in Utah, the vice president flew out on Air Force Two to collect Kirk’s remains and bring them home to Arizona.

“I’m honored to be on Turning Point’s team,” Vance said.

Vance appeared to have the edge for the 2028 nomination as far as Turning Point attendees are concerned.

“It has to be JD Vance be-

cause he has been so awesome when it comes to literally any question,” said Tomas Morales, a videographer from Los Angeles. He said “there’s no other choice.”

Trump has not chosen a successor, though he has spoken highly of both Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, even suggesting they could form a future Republican ticket. Rubio has said he would support Vance.

Turning Point backs Vance

Kirk, who took over Erika Kirk greets Vice President JD Vance during Turning Point asErika Turning Point’s leader USA’s AmericaFest 2025 Sunday in Phoenix. when her husband, Charlie cried “self-defeating purity tests” and said there was a place for you in the movement “if you love America.”

“We don’t care if you’re White or Black, rich or poor, young or old, rural or urban, controversial or a little bit boring, or somewhere in between,” Vance said.

He did not name Fuentes, but his comment came in the midst of an increasingly contentious debate over whether the MAGA movement should include Fuentes and his followers.

A post-Trump party?

The Republican Party’s identity has been intertwined with Trump for a decade. Now that he is constitutionally ineligible to run for reelection, the party is starting to ponder a future

without him at the helm.

So far, it looks like settling that question will require a lot of fighting among conservatives. Turning Point featured arguments about antisemitism, Israel and environmental regulations, not to mention rivalries between leading commentators.

“Who gets to run it after?” asked commentator Tucker Carlson, summing up the core fight in his speech at the conference. “Who gets the machinery when the president exits the scene?”

Carlson said the idea of a Republican “civil war” was “totally fake.”

“There are people who are mad at JD Vance, and they’re stirring up a lot of this in order to make sure he doesn’t get the nomination,” he said. Carlson describe

Kirk, was assassinated, said Thursday that the group wanted Vance “elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible.” The next president will be the 48th in U.S. history.

Turning Point is a major force on the right, with a nationwide volunteer network that can be especially helpful in early primary states, when candidates rely on grassroots energy to build momentum. In a surprise appearance, rapper Nicki Minaj spoke effusively about Trump and Vance.

Kirk’s endorsement carried “at least a little bit of weight” for 20 year-old Kiara Wagner, who traveled from Toms River, New Jersey, for the conference.

“If someone like Erika could support JD Vance, then I can too,” Wagner said.

Thousands gather to mourn victims of Australia attack

BY ROD McGUIRK

Associated Press

MELBOURNE, Australia — Thousands of mourners gathered under tight police security at Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach on Sunday evening to mark a week since two gunmen targeting a Jewish festival killed 15 people. Since then, Australian governments have been galvanized into action on countering antisemitism and tightening already strict national gun controls.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, his predecessors John Howard and Scott Morrison, and Governor-General Sam Mostyn, who represents Australia’s head of state King Charles III, were among the dignitaries at the commemoration that drew more than 10,000 people.

“This has to be the nadir of antisemitism in our country,” New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies President David Ossip told the crowd. “This has to be the moment when light starts to eclipse the darkness.”

The crowd booed Albanese when Ossip acknowledged his presence. Opposition leader Sussan Ley, who had said that a conservative government led by her would reverse a decision made by Albanese’s center-left Labor Party government this year

to recognize a Palestinian state, was cheered.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has lashed out at Albanese over the attack on the Hannukah celebration, saying “your call for a Palestinian state pours fuel on the antisemitic fire.” Netanyahu has repeatedly sought to link widespread calls for a Palestinian state, and criticism of Israel’s military offensive in Gaza following Hamas’ 2023 attack, to growing incidents of antisemitism worldwide.

Images of the victims, aged 10 to 87, were projected at the commemoration.

“Waltzing Matilda” was sung in honor of the youngest victim, whose Ukrainian parents gave their Australian-born daughter what they described as the most Australian name they knew.

A widely acclaimed hero of the massacre, Ahmed al Ahmed, sent a message of support from his hospital bed. The Syrian-born immigrant was shot after wrestling a shotgun from one of the gunmen.

“The Lord is close to the broken-hearted. Today I stand with you, my brothers and sisters,” he wrote.

Beyond the famous beach, people around Australia united with Sydney’s stricken Jewish community by light-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARK BAKER

People attend a ceremony to mark the National Day of Reflection for victims and survivors Sunday at Bondi Beach in Sydney following the shooting on Dec. 14.

ing candles and observing one minute of silence at their homes at 6:47 p.m. to remember the moment the massacre unfolded. Television and radio networks across Australia also fell silent.

The federal and New South Wales state governments declared Sunday a national Day of Reflection to mark Australia’s worst mass shooting since 35 died in Tasmania state in 1996.

Albanese had earlier announced a review of federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies following the attack, which was inspired by the Islamic State group.

Indigenous leaders held a traditional smoking ceremony on Sunday morning at the waterfront Bondi Pavilion, where an impromptu memorial has grown as flowers and heartfelt messages have accumulated. The memorial is to be cleared on Monday.

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4A ● Monday, December 22, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

CULTURE

Continued from page 1A learning the story of how his parents fled Laos as refugees in the 1970s and immigrated to the United States in 1981.

“Growing up surrounded by our community, I saw how people didn’t just survive, they recreated home where they could,” Xanamane said.

Like many Lao families who eventually settled in Iberia Parish, his family was sponsored by the Catholic Diocese of Lafayette, which established one of Louisiana’s most concentrated Lao communities.

That history shaped Xanamane’s path as a scholar, he said. His work examines how Lao immigrants have maintained cultural identity in an unfamiliar place like south Louisiana, focusing on how everyday American spaces are reshaped to recover what was lost when families have to leave their homeland.

He refers to that process as “architectural prosthesis,” the idea that buildings and landscapes act as cultural extensions.

“When immigrants come here, they lose certain cultural functions,” Xanamane said. “Architecture becomes a way to recapture that. It’s not a perfect copy. Just like a prosthetic isn’t a real arm, but it helps people continue.”

Xanamane’s family helped

establish the local Buddhist temple and operated an Asian grocery store that became both a cultural and commercial hub for immigrants.

“That store wasn’t just a place to buy food,” he said.

“It was where people shared information, language and a sense of belonging.”

Today in Iberia Parish, that adaptation appears in garages turned into gathering spaces, extended porches used as kitchens and meeting places, and homes designed for indoor-outdoor living practices made possible by south Louisiana’s subtropical climate. A Buddhist temple placed in a rural neighborhood, a backyard garden that is full of herbs and peppers, and a porch that functions as both living room and meeting hall: These all serve as reminders of life in Laos, reshaped in Acadiana, according to Xanamane.

And because Louisiana’s climate mirrors Laos in many ways, Lao families garden year-round, growing those traditional herbs and peppers, and hunt and fish in nearby swamps or rivers as a way to maintain agricultural traditions passed down from generations.

“When you think about it, Louisiana has the perfect roots for what people from Laos are used to,” Xanamane said. “The weather, the land, it does resemble home.”

Wat Thammarattanaram,

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eration preserved traditions while building new lives in Acadiana.

New world, old Lao ways

FILE PHOTO By LEE BALL

Members of the Lao community in Broussard take part in a Thak Baht ceremony at the Lao Temple of Wat Thammarattanarm during the Lao New year celebrations in April. Many families from Laos ended up in the Acadiana area after fleeing their country in the 1970s. the Buddhist temple at the heart of Lan Xang Village, sits in a rural neighborhood where Iberia, St. Martin and Lafayette parishes meet.

Home to about 400 people, the community transforms on weekends and during major festivals, becoming a

gathering place that draws visitors from across the region.

Lao people have maintained a presence in Iberia Parish for more than 40 years, and the temple stands as both a spiritual anchor and a symbol of how the first gen-

As Lao New Year celebrations have gained visibility online, new challenges have emerged.

Xanamane points to viral videos that have attracted more than a million views, drawing outsiders to the temple who are eager to dance, film and participate, and sometimes without understanding the sacred nature of the space.

“There’s a responsibility now to educate,” he said.

“We want people to enjoy themselves, but also to be respectful. These aren’t just festivals; they’re ancestral traditions.”

Globalization and digital culture have also reshaped how younger generations connect to Lao identity, Xanamane said. Many now learn about their heritage through YouTube, TikTok or social media influencers rather than elders. While that access has helped some reconnect, it has also flattened cultural meaning.

“You can watch someone cook a Lao dish online,” he said, “but that doesn’t teach you how to grow the ingredients, raise the chickens or understand why that food matters.”

Language loss remains the community’s biggest concern. While many traditions

remain strong, fewer young people speak Lao fluently, complicating intergenerational teaching.

“That’s where design and community planning come in,” Xanamane said. “Do we create educational spaces?

Do we design places that invite younger generations to engage?”

A recent addition to the monastery reflects that shift: An open-air pavilion built near the entrance was designed not for ritual but as a welcoming space.

“It’s the first structure built with outsiders in mind,” Xanamane said. “And outsiders don’t just mean non-Lao people. It also means younger generations who feel disconnected.”

Xanamane’s work extends beyond academic research.

He has documented Lao culture for the Library of Congress, helped organize the Lao New Year festival and is applying for state grants to support elders passing traditions to younger generations.

For Xanamane, his research goal isn’t just about keeping traditions alive. He wants people to understand that identity isn’t fixed but built in everyday actions and spaces.

“I hope my work becomes an entry point,” he said. “A way for people to begin their own journey of cultural reawakening to ask who they are and where they come from.”

.theacadianaadvocate.com ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MATIAS DELACROIX

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Evana, an oil tanker, is docked at El Palito port in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, on Sunday.

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TANKER

U.S. oil companies dominated Venezuela’s petroleum industry until the Continued from page 1A country’s leaders moved to nationalize the sector, first The official said the ves- in the 1970s and again in the sel was flying a false flag 21st century under Maduro and under a judicial seizure and his predecessor, Hugo Chávez. Compensation oforder.

The Pentagon and Depart- fered by Venezuela was ment of Homeland Security, deemed insufficient, and in which oversees the U.S. 2014, an international arbiCoast Guard, deferred ques- tration panel ordered the tions about the operation to country’s socialist governthe White House, which did ment to pay $1.6 billion to not offer comment ExxonMobil. on the operation.

Maduro said in Saturday’s prea message Sundawn seizure of a day on Telegram Panama-flagged vesthat Venezuela has spent months sel called Centuries “denouncing, targeted what the challenging and White House dedefeating a camscribed as a “falsely flagged vessel oper- Trump paign of aggresating as part of the sion that goes Venezuelan shadow from psychologifleet to traffic stolen cal terrorism to oil.” corsairs attacking The Coast Guard, oil tankers.” with assistance from He added: “We the Navy, seized a are ready to accelsanctioned tanker erate the pace of called Skipper on Maduro our deep revoluDec. 10, another tion!” part of the shadow fleet of Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., tankers that the U.S. says who has been critical of operates on the fringes of Trump’s Venezuela policy, the law to move sanctioned called the tanker seizures a cargo. It was not even flying “provocation and a prelude a nation’s flag when it was to war.” seized by the Coast Guard.

“Look, at any point in President Donald Trump, time, there are 20, 30 govafter that first seizure, said ernments around the world that the U.S. would carry out that we don’t like that are eia “blockade” of Venezuela. ther socialist or communist It all comes as Trump has or have human rights violaratcheted up his rhetoric to- tions,” Paul said on ABC’s’ ward Venezuelan President “This Week.” “But it isn’t the job of the American solNicolás Maduro.

This past week Trump dier to be the policeman of demanded that Venezuela the world.” return assets that it seized The targeting of tankers from U.S. oil companies comes as Trump has oryears ago, justifying anew dered the Defense Departhis announcement of a ment to carry out a series of “blockade” against oil tank- attacks on vessels in the Caers traveling to or from the ribbean and eastern Pacific South American country Ocean that his administrathat face American sanc- tion alleges are smuggling fentanyl and other illegal tions.

Trump cited the lost U.S. drugs into the United States investments in Venezuela and beyond.

At least 104 people have when asked about his newest tactic in a pressure cam- been killed in 28 known paign against Maduro, sug- strikes since early Septemgesting the Republican ad- ber. The strikes have faced ministration’s moves are at scrutiny from U.S. lawmakleast somewhat motivated ers and human rights activby disputes over oil invest- ists, who say the adminisments, along with accusa- tration has offered scant tions of drug trafficking. evidence that its targets are Some sanctioned tankers indeed drug smugglers and already are diverting away that the fatal strikes amount to extrajudicial killings. from Venezuela.

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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 Govern‐ Consolidated ment Building, located at 705 West University Av‐ Lafayette, enue, Louisiana, until 3:00 p.m.

Central Time on the 23rd day of January, 2026 for the following: 167118.5.2215 AIR COOLED HEAT EXCHANGER 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 virtually join the bid opening via Zoom using the following link: https://us02web.zoom. us/j/82601264391? pwd=ONOObn3LXpH hybK4sZWbzAjTtag9Xi.1.

Scope of Work: The scope of Work shall con‐ sist of all engineering, design, fabrication, test‐ ing, packaging and deliv‐ ery of an Air Cooled Heat Exchanger and its acces‐ and including sories manufacturer's field ser‐ vices at the Job Site. All Work shall be completed between January 2, 2027, and July 1, 2028 In accordance with RS 38:2212 Louisiana electronic Bids may be submitted on Vendor Ac‐ cess (https://lafayettecs dgovla.tylerportico.com/ va/vendor-access/ registration).Official Bid Documents are available Vendor Access on (https://lafayettecsdgov la.tylerportico.com/va/ vendor-access/ registration). For ques‐ tions related to the elec‐ tronic bidding process, please call Central Bid‐ ding at 225-810-4814. Bid‐ ders may request the electronic bid package from Morgan Broussard mcbroussard@ at LafayetteLA.gov.

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Public Notices Bids/Proposals

g 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, check or certified 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.

Bidders wishing to sub‐ mit their bid electroni‐ cally must first be regis‐ online with tered Lafayette Consolidated Government as a poten‐ tial supplier at the web‐ site listed above. Bidders submitting bids electron‐ ically shall include all documents in one (1) combined PDF file with bookmark(s) and are re‐ quired to provide one (1) hard copy within fortyeight (48) hours from bid through the opening mail. Bidders providing bids my mail, shall in‐ clude one (1) hard copy with all documents in one (1) combined PDF file with bookmark(s) and are required to provide an electronic copy in one (1) USB flash drive. 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.

SUBMISSION OF CONFIDENTIAL, PROPRI‐ ETARY, OR TRADESECRET INFORMA‐ TION (SEE LA. R.S. 44:3.2(D) As a public entity, Lafayette Consolidated Government is subject to the Louisiana Public Records Law, which may require submissions of Bidders to be a public record. Pursuant to La. R.S. 44:3.2(D), Bidders who submit documents or information they be‐ lieve to be proprietary or trade secret must clearly mark each page or piece of information which is, in the Bidder’s opinion, proprietary or trade se‐ cret and must also sub‐ mit with such informa‐ tion a cover sheet that reads as follows in bold type: DOCUMENT CONTAINS CONFIDENTIAL PROPRI‐ ETARY OR TRADE SECRET INFORMATION A sample cover sheet with this statement is in‐ cluded with the bid docu‐ ments.

La. R.S. 44:3.2(D) requires Lafayette Consolidated Government to make a determination as to whether a Bidders sub‐

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

mission is in fact propri‐ etary or trade secret in‐ formation within thirty (30) calendar days of the Bidder’s submission.

Bids must be signed in accordance with LRS Title 38:2212(B)5. A Cor‐ porate Resolution or written evidence of au‐ thority authorizing the person signing the bid is required 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 upon request by contact‐ ing Purchasing & Prop‐ erty Management Divi‐ sion, located at 705 West Avenue, University Louisiana Lafayette, upon payment at-cost per set, non-refundable, made payable to the Lafayette Consolidated Government. NOTE: NO CASH WILL BE ACCEPTED ONLY CHECKS OR MONEY ORDERS MADE PAYABLE TO LAFAYETTE CONSOLIDATED GOVERN‐ MENT. Bid Documents shall be available until twenty-four hours before the bid opening date.

Questions relative to the bidding documents shall be directed to Morgan Broussard by email at mcbroussard@ lafayettela.gov.

Within one (1) week upon receipt of the Invitation to Bid, Bidders are en‐ couraged to confirm in‐ tent to submit a bid by replying to the "Invita‐ tion to Bid" email sent by Broussard Morgan (mcbroussard@ lafayettela.gov).

Bidders are requested to attend a non-mandatory pre-bid meeting, which will be held on January 7, 2026 at 2:00 pm. CST in the Engineering Confer‐ ence Room 2 at the LUS Operations Center lo‐ cated at 1314 Walker Rd., Lafayette, LA 70506. Bid‐ ders unable to attend the pre-bid in person can at‐ tend by joining through Zoom using the following link: https://us02web. zoom.us/j/89130808378? pwd=b588m4DrbP6EjO3 BgrUdgaT2zQpEFt.1. Al‐ ternatively, a meeting in‐ vite can be forwarded to you via email by contact‐ ing Morgan Broussard at (337) 291-8263 or mcbroussard@ lafayettela.gov.

Each bid shall be accom‐ panied by a certified check, cashier’s check, or bid bond payable to the Lafayette Consoli‐ d d h

225-383-0111 Public Notices Bids/Proposals

y 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 approved bonding of 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‐ check, cashier’s fied 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) working days.

No bidder may withdraw his bid for at least fortyfive (45) calendar days after the time scheduled for the opening of bids.

Each bid shall be submit‐ ted only on the bid form provided with the speci‐ fications. The successful bidder will be required to performance execute and labor and material payment bonds in the full amount of the contract as more fully defined in the bid documents.

In accordance with Pub‐ lic Bid Law, bids are valid for a period of forty-five (45) calendar days from the time of the opening of bids.

Bids will be evaluated by the Owner based on the lowest responsible and responsive bid submitted which is also in compli‐ ance with the bid docu‐ ments. The Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause in accor‐ with LA R.S. dance 38§2214.B. The Lafayette Consoli‐ Government dated strongly encourages the participation of DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprises) in all con‐ tracts or procurements let by the Lafayette Con‐ Government solidated for goods and services d l b d i l

Public Notices Bids/Proposals g and labor and material.

To that end, all bidders and suppliers are en‐ couraged to utilize DBEs business enterprises in the purchase or sub-con‐ tracting of materials, supplies, services and labor and material in disadvantaged which businesses are available.

Assistance in identifying said businesses may be obtained by calling 337291-8410.

PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated Government PUBLISH DATES: 12-22-25, 12-28-25, 1-4-26 DPR 1001993 171102 Dec. 22, 28, 2025, Jan. 4, 2026 $331.98

PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO BIDDERS Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received until 11:00 AM, Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at the Scott City Hall Building, 125 Lions Club Road, Scott, Louisiana and shall thereafter be opened and publicly read aloud for: DULLES DRIVE OVERLAY The project will consist of patching and overlay‐ ing a section of Dulles Drive within the City of Scott. Bids received after the time specified above will not be considered.

The Specifications and Documents may be ex‐ amined and obtained at the City Hall building of the City of Scott, 125 Lions Club Road, Scott, Louisiana 70583 upon the payment of $80.00 for each set. Deposits on the first set of documents furnished bono fide prime bidders will be fully refunded upon re‐ turn of the documents no later than ten days after receipt of bids. On other sets of documents fur‐ nished to bidders the de‐ posit less actual cost of reproduction, will be re‐ funded upon return of the documents no later than ten days after re‐ ceipt of bids. If the Bid‐ der intends to have the shipped, specifications prior prepaid arrange‐ ments must be made with a third-party courier or parcel shipping ser‐ vice. No specifications shall be released without the above deposit in re‐ ceipt at City Hall build‐ ing. The Specifications and Documents shall be available until twentyfour (24) hours before

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

the time scheduled for the opening of bids.

Bids shall be submitted inside a sealed envelope addressed to City of Scott showing the name of the project as above and the name of the Bid‐ der. Any Bidder submit‐ ting a bid in the amount of $50,000.00 or more shall be a licensed con‐ tractor in accordance with Louisiana R.S. 37:2150-2164 and shall show the license number on the front of the sealed envelope in which the bid is enclosed. The Bid‐ der shall hold a license with the classification ‘Highway, street and bridge construction’ or its subclassification ‘Highway, street and bridge construction – Permanent or paved highways and streets (asphalt hot and cold plant mix)’ as issued by the State of Louisiana Li‐ censing Board for Con‐ tractors. Bids submitted not in accordance with these requirements shall be rejected and returned unopened to the Bidder.

Bids must be submitted on the Bid Form included in the Specifications and the Documents.

Each bid shall be accom‐ panied by a Certified Check, Cashier’s Check, or Bid Bond payable to the City of Scott, the amount of which is not to be less than five (5) percent of the total bid.

This surety shall be given as a guarantee that the bidder will execute the contract should it be awarded to him in con‐ formity with the Docu‐ ments. A Performance Bond and a Payment Bond each in the full amount of the contract must be completed upon award of the contract by the successful bidder.

No Bidder may withdraw the submitted bid for at least forty-five (45) days after the time scheduled for the opening of bids, except to withdraw bids in accordance with Title 38 of the Louisiana Re‐ vised Statutes.

CITY OF SCOTT, LOUISIANA /s/ Jan-Scott Richard, Mayor /s/ Shelley Gautreau, Clerk 169626-DEC 15-22-JAN 53T $139.96

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FARMERS

Continued from page 1A that five-year average. So, the cost has gone up, but the price the farmers receive went down.”

Trouble for La. farms Strain is trying to persuade the financial community that, despite several unprofitable harvests for Louisiana farmers, the Trump money could be used to reduce producers’ debts and help obtain the loans necessary to plant next year’s crop in February and March.

Only about 46% of Louisiana farms are expected to be profitable in 2026, Strain said, citing a recent American Bankers Association survey of the lenders who write agricultural loans. That percentage has dropped each year from 80% in 2023, according to the report.

The loans, of course, vary depending on the size of the spread, but average up to $1.5 million, Strain said.

Without the money to continue, more Louisiana farmers will leave the fields.

Louisiana already is losing farms — down to about 25,006 individual farms in census data from 2022, the latest available, before commodity prices declined and planting costs increased.

That’s why the banks will end up with the largest share of the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program money.

The money comes from the proceeds of tariffs and is aimed at helping farmers who have struggled to sell crops because of “unfair market disruption,” Trump said Dec. 8.

“This relief will provide much-needed certainty as they get this year’s harvest to market and look ahead to next year’s crops,” Trump said during the White House announcement.

Trump won voters living in rural areas by 40 points, 69% of the rural total, in the 2024 presidential election,

INSURERS

Continued from page 1A Documents from the Louisiana Department of Insurance show that nearly a year after the change went into effect, only one company has filed the paperwork necessary to cancel policyholders who were previously protected by the three-year rule.

That company, Foremost Insurance, an affiliate of Farmers Insurance, canceled under 5% of its three-year-rule policies, meaning it doesn’t need approval from the Insurance Department. Insurers are only required to notify the department, but do not need approval, if they want to cancel policies under the three-year-rule.

Foremost, which has about 2% of Louisiana’s home insurance market, has also raised rates on several thousand homeowner policies in the past year. Spokesperson Luis Sahagun said the increase reflected the risk level of the homes, along with inflation and other factors.

“As part of an ongoing risk management program, we have notified LDI of our plan to nonrenew a small portion of our existing customers,” Sahagun said.

It’s not clear why other companies are not yet taking advantage of the law, and some could still cancel policyholders in the coming years. State Farm and SureChoice, the two largest insurers doing business in the state, declined to comment.

But the lack of interest in using the new law is the latest indication that Louisiana’s insurance crisis has, for the most part, remained stubbornly unchanged more than four years after Hurricane Ida sent the market into turmoil.

State Rep. Gabe Firment, who sponsored the law repealing the three-year rule, said he wasn’t aware that only one company had used it so far. Still, he said the law was part of a package of changes having a positive impact on the market. He

and ranches for generations to come. In real time, we are experiencing the consequences of farm policy that is woefully outdated. The farm safety net can’t keep up with today’s economic realities. Input costs remain high, trade relationships are uncertain, access to affordable health care is in danger and the stress on rural communities continues to grow.”

The American Farm Bureau in October calculated that farmers have lost up to $50 billion in 2025 because of increased costs and lower prices. Breaking down losses per acre, per crop, the report concluded that, for instance, soybeans lost about $154 per acre.

Louisiana plants about 1.2 million acres of soybeans, most of which are sold to China.

Farmers in southwest Louisiana predominantly plant rice, and are experiencing STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON significant losses per acre, according to the American Donald Schexnayder holds soybeans from one of the storage silos at R Schexnayder & Farm Bureau report. In Sons LLC in Erwinville on Thursday. north Louisiana, producers primarily grow corn, soyA combine beans and cotton, also at a unloads loss for the past two years.

In south central Louisiana, soybeans in a field off La. the main crop is sugar cane, which is doing better.

30 south of West Baton Rouge Parish LSU in Baton farmer Donald Schexnayder Rouge. says he and his two brothers primarily grow soybeans, STAFF PHOTO By corn and some sugar cane.

JOHN BALLANCE They plan to use the Bridge Assistance to offset the increasing expenses.

“Everything from fertilizer to insurance to machinery has gone up. So, this is going to help bridge some of that gap,” he said.

The son of a farmer, according to the Pew Re- vide up to $11 billion of release the payment rates Schexnayder’s dad had instilled in his sons to set the $12 billion to be sent in Monday. search Center.

The One Big Beautiful Bill February to producers who National Farmers Union aside money for down times, Act, signed into law July 4, farm row crops, such as soy- President Rob Larew was which come every seven or provides stronger protec- beans, corn, cotton and rice. appreciative of the Trump eight years. “ Yo u p l a n f o r i t , ” tion for row crop farmers. The rest will go to specialty initiative but warned it may Schexnayder said. “We’re not be enough.

But those aspects of the law crops like sugar cane.

“Short-term payments, not going to be spending The exact amounts each don’t take effect until October 2026, noted U.S. Depart- farmer receives, up to while important, are only a ment of Agriculture Secre- $155,000, will be based on first step,” Larew said in a how many acres are planted statement. “What we truly tary Brooke Rollins. with a particular crop using need are long-term structurWhere does the money go? a formula. The U.S. Depart- al fixes that restore viability The assistance will pro- ment of Agriculture will and stability to family farms

noted that even if companies aren’t canceling policyholders, they benefit from new policies not being subject to the three-year rule.

Firment, a Pollock Republican, said homeowners should shop around with different insurers and agents, saying some find lower rates by comparing policies.

“Things have improved slower than what we hoped,” he said. “But if you look at the affordability crisis across all sectors … that’s impacting people. If groceries are more and gas is more and electricity is more, then man, when insurance is still so high, it just hurts that much more.”

Flurry of changes After he took office in 2024, Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple pushed for a slew of changes to address the state’s “heavyhanded” regulations on insurance companies. Temple, a Republican, is a former insurance executive.

His predecessor, Jim Donelon, championed the three-year rule as a way to help ensure continued coverage for policyholders who otherwise could be dropped. Donelon also used tax incentives to lure smaller insurers to the state, but many of them went belly-up after the particularly busy 2020 and 2021 hurricane seasons.

The Legislature, which is dominated by Republicans, passed Firment’s bill in 2024 to phase out the three-year rule on a largely party-line vote. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, who took a back seat on homeowners insurance issues last year, signed the bill into law, though he has since said the pro-industry reforms aren’t working.

The bill went into effect in January 2025. By then, lawmakers had also suspended the 10% surcharge adding to the cost of homeowners’ insurance with Citizens, the insurer of last resort. Temple and other Republican leaders embraced the move to bring down the costs of Citizens in part to prevent an influx of homeowners from having to pay more af-

ter being canceled by their insurer.

John Ford, spokesperson for the Insurance Department, said the three-year rule hurt Louisiana’s market by making insurers and reinsurers hesitant to invest here. And he noted that Louisiana was the only state with such a law.

“Insurers move slowly, and the three-year rule nonrenewal plan submission process is new as of this year,” Ford said. “We may see more insurers go through that process as they learn more about it, but now that insurers can effectively manage their risk, they are likely more comfortable with their overall books of business.”

Little change to crisis Meanwhile, though, homeowners’ insurance rates have continued rising since Temple’s package of bills became law. While the Insurance Department recently touted SureChoice’s decision to cut rates for homeowners, that same company had raised rates by a larger amount months earlier. State Farm raised rates this fall, citing hurricane risk. And through November, homeowners across the state saw an average rate hike of about 5%.

And Landry’s strategy — a controversial new law that allows Temple to reject “excessive” rate increases — has also not made a difference. Temple has vowed not to use the new authority, saying it would harm the market.

Rodney Braxton, head of the industry group Insurance Council of Louisiana, said insurers likely don’t feel the need to cancel more policies under the threeyear rule because the market is stabilizing.

But while Louisiana hasn’t had a major hurricane in four years, he added that insurance costs go up every year, regardless of whether there’s a catastrophe, because of inflation and other factors. Homeowners will likely continue to see small increases in costs in the coming years, he said.

money on new equipment or replacing equipment that needs to be replaced. … I think we can survive and others like us can survive.”

Direct costs of operation include fuel, labor, seed, chemicals, fertilizer, chemical applications — whether that’s from an airplane or a sprayer, and irrigation costs, said Michael DeLiberto, an agricultural economist at LSU. “That’s not counting machinery financing, that’s not considering family living expenses, that’s not considering land rent.”

For example, he said, a Louisiana farmer may spend $1,000 to grow 190 bushels of corn per acre. The market price needs to be between $3.86 per bushel to pay minimal expenses and $5.42 to cover all expenses, he said.

The price per bushel for delivery in December is $4.80.

“He’s going to be able to cover direct costs and his machinery costs. But he’s not able to cover general overhead. He’s not going to make a profit,” DeLiberto said.

His recent study of Louisiana agriculture paints the picture of farmers juggling low commodity prices, high input costs, inflation along with market disruptions, trade uncertainty and a lack of competitiveness of U.S. exports overseas.

Many of those issues are being addressed. But the question is how fast.

“No farmer is set up to weather consecutive four or five years of tight to nonexistent or negative margins,” DeLiberto said. “Farmers are optimistic, but I think, if 2026 is as challenging as 2025 was, 2027 is going to be very, very concerning for farm survivability.”

Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate. com.

“A lot of people were scared there would be a wholesale dropping of clients,” he said. “It’s just something that offers insurance companies more ability to manage their risk.”

Andreanecia Morris, head of the nonprofit HousingNOLA, lobbied against the repeal of the three-year rule in 2024, warning it would hurt policyholders.

Now, Morris said the data showing only one company has canceled policies under the new law shows the three-year rule “was not the problem.”

Instead, Louisiana should dedicate more funding to building stronger roofs, which have led to lower insurance premiums for thousands of people and gotten them off the rolls of Citizens, she said.

“Ending three-year rule, ending consumer protections,” she said. “Are we going to see in 2026 a Legislature that’s ready to take the next step?”

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Former inmate awarded $250K in damages Lawsuit stemmed from ‘extremely violent’ attack at Catahoula jail

BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer

Waitstaff tend to a packed house during Pamplona’s Miracle pop-up on Thursday in Lafayette.

STAFF PHOTOS By BRAD BOWIE

Miracle pop-up A Christmas tradition grows at Pamplona

BY JOANNA BROWN

Staff writer

There’s something about over-thetop Christmas decor that makes an outing feel like a movie.

Pamplona Tapas Bar, 631 Jefferson St., in downtown Lafayette makes the most of that effect each December, with lights, Review ornaments, Christmas villages, wrapping paper and other notes of holiday cheer decorating every inch of the cozy restaurant.

Driving the point home, beloved holiday movies are an ever-present theme in the decor, with the leg lamp from “A Christmas Story” in one corner and a projector playing films like “Home Alone” in another section.

Staff close the restaurant for almost a week before Thanksgiving each year to decorate, transforming the building from the haunted-house-meetsfine-dining vibe during their popular Halloween pop-up into a festive wonderland. Keen-eyed diners will notice quirky vestiges from the spooky season, such as a skeleton dressed up like Santa Claus.

Pamplona’s seasonal pop-ups are so popular there is a $5 nonrefundable fee to book a table (donated to

Christmas decor fills the entryway during Pamplona’s Miracle pop-up.

Lafayette nonprofits such as Acadiana Center for the Arts, Moncus Park and Festival International de Louisiane) — and reservations sell out fast. Closer to Christmas, some people take to social sites like Facebook to hunt down a suddenly open table — walk-ins may get lucky with an abandoned reservation or a seat at the bar.

The Christmas party vibes are a great reason to check out Pamplona this time of year — but its year-round menu of tapas and shareable platters, inspired by Spanish and Mediterranean flavors, truly shine. Dishes like bacon-wrapped dates, shrimp in garlic

broth, duck fat fries and muhammara (a spread that originated near Syria, with crushed almonds, piquillo peppers, pomegranate and warm pita bread) make the night truly something to remember.

One Pamplona dish that truly transports me to a holiday state of mind is a perfect plate of escargot floating in butter and garlic, with a fluffy loaf of ciabatta for dipping. It’s a unique experience in the Lafayette dining scene and one that elevates an already special night out.

ä See MIRACLE, page 4B

A jury recently awarded $250,000 to a man who was stabbed, beaten and scalded with a hot liquid inside a Catahoula Parish jail after he proved that state prison officials failed to implement safety measures to protect inmates from attacks by other prisoners.

At the end of a four-day trial at the U.S. Middle District of Louisiana courthouse, jurors found former Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections Secretary James LeBlanc and Seth Smith, DOC’s operations chief, liable for the August 2022 attack on Robert Young.

Young was a detainee awaiting trial at the Catahoula Correctional Center when he was attacked by two convicted prisoners housed at the jail to alleviate overcrowding at state-run DOC penitentiaries.

According to Young’s federal lawsuit, the inmates stabbed Young five times in the back, then poured a boiling hot liquid on his face. He suffered first- and seconddegree burns to an eye.

Young’s attorneys convinced a jury that LeBlanc and Smith violated the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment by creating conditions of confinement at the Catahoula Parish jail that “impermissibly punished” Young, and the prison officials failed to implement policies to prevent such a dangerous environment.

ä See ATTACK, page 4B

Veteran continues to make a difference

Area events on the schedule for Carnival

11 years after his death, man still giving back through fund

Staff writer

BY COURTNEY PEDERSEN

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR

Mardi Gras is coming early in 2026, with a few parades rolling as early as January. Fat Tuesday is Feb. 17.

Ironically, or not, the date for the Bacchanalian celebration of Mardi Gras is determined in part by religion and in part by the moon.

Mardi Gras is the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of the Lenten religious season that leads to Easter.

Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the first full moon that occurs after the spring equinox — March 20 in 2026 — which is the beginning of spring.

Therefore, Mardi Gras falls anywhere between Feb. 3 and March 9.

Scheduled Mardi Gras parades and festivities in Lafayette and Acadiana in 2026 include: n Bayou Mardi Gras Parade, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Jan. 17, New Iberia n Carencro Mardi Gras Parade, 11 a.m.

Jan. 31. From Carencro High to Carencro Community Center

n Vermilionville Courir de Mardi Gras (chicken chase), Feb. 8, Vermilionville Living History Museum and Folk Life Park, 300 Fisher Road, Lafayette n Krewe of Allons Kick-Off Parade, 6:30 p.m. Feb. 13, Jefferson Boulevard to Cajun Field, Lafayette n Festival de Mardi Gras á Lafayette, Feb. 13-17, Cajun Field. Live music, carnival rides, food n Lafayette Children’s Parade, 12:30 p.m. Feb. 14, starting near main library on Lafayette Street to Cajun Field, Lafayette n Krewe of Bonaparte Parade, 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 14, Jefferson Boulevard to Cajun Field, Lafayette n Youngsville Parade, 11 a.m. Feb. 14, Youngsville STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE n Eunice Lil Mardi Gras Courir/chicken young revelers shout for beads as the 2025 King’s Parade rolls on a run for children, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. windy Fat Tuesday in Lafayette.

Feb. 14, starting at Eunice Recreation Complex, 461 Sittig St. n Krewe de Canailles walking parade, fayette n Queen Evangeline Parade, 6 p.m. Feb. n Scott Mardi Gras Parade, 11 a.m. 16, Jefferson Boulevard to Cajun 7 p.m. Feb. 6, downtown Lafayette n Krewe of Rio Parade, 6:30 p.m. Feb. Field, Lafayette Feb. 7, Scott n Cankton Courir de Mardi Gras, 7 a.m. n Lundi Gras Boucherie, 8 a.m. to 7, Jefferson Boulevard to Johnston Street to Cajun Field, Lafayette to 6 p.m. Feb. 7, Cankton 6 p.m. Feb. 16, 1717 Veterans Men Krewe des Chiens Parade (dog pan Grand Marais Mardi Gras Parade, ä See CARNIVAL, page 4B rade), noon Feb. 7, downtown La- 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 7, Jeanerette

Staff writer

A Lake Charles electrician, outdoorsman, veteran and weekend chef is still making an impact on southwest Louisiana 11 years after his death.

Throughout his life, Wayne Simmons, a U.S. Air Force veteran, lived modestly and accumulated more funds than most individuals could imagine, according to a release from the Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana.

When he was diagnosed with terminal cancer, Simmons decided to use his money to support others after he was gone. So, Simmons met with Reed Mendelson, his longtime financial adviser, and discussed ways he could leave gifts to causes close to his heart.

“I suggested to him, because of my involvement with the Community Foundation, that instead of giving a one-time gift of hundreds of thousands of dollars, he could

ä See VETERAN, page 4B

2B ● Monday, December 22, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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

White Christians aren’t putting MAGA before God I write this letter in response to the opinion of Linda Meredith of Monroe in the Dec. 8 edition titled “White Christians can’t serve God, MAGA.” Meredith states that, “You can no longer call yourself a Christian while supporting MAGA policies,” and that “White Christians who support President Trump are doomed to eternal punishment.”

Since Meredith chose to quote Scripture in her admonishment of White Christians, a few passages come to mind I would like to share with her: “Judge not, that ye be not judged” (Matt 7:1), “Or how can you say to your brother, Let me remove the speck from your eye; and look, a plank is in your own eye” (Matt 7:4).

As a “White Christian,” I do not serve Trump; I serve only God, my Creator and Savior. We would all be better served to pray for our elected officials for God’s wisdom and guidance and replace hate with love, since love conquers all.

STEVE FECKE Baton Rouge

Compassion for immigrants must be tempered by reason Americans have always been a caring, generous people. Recently, this is quite evident in the many letters in support of illegal immigrants. However, our caring and generosity must be tempered with common sense.

Being here illegally is a crime.

You can’t have a country without vetting and processing those who would like to come in. First and foremost, do they want to be Americans? If not, they don’t belong here.

Secondly, few, if any, illegal immigrants contribute to the tax base. They’re paid in cash and Uncle Sam sees naught. Yet, they get tremendous benefits from the federal government, utilizing a huge amount of our tax money.

Let them apply for citizenship properly and contribute as they should, and we will welcome them with open arms!

KERRY P. REDMANN Mandeville

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE ARE OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are

published identifying name and the writer’s city of residence. The Advocate | The Times-Picayune require a street address and TO SEND US A LETTER, phone number SCAN HERE 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.

Arguments for Commandments in classrooms ignore precedent

FILE PHOTO

Several major auto insurance businesses are reducing rates in Louisiana as fewer drivers are on roadways commuting to work.

Louisiana never learns right lessons on insurance Guest columnist André Comeaux’s suggestion that Louisiana should fix its auto insurance crisis by repeating the 1975 Medical Malpractice Act is the kind of idea that makes you wonder if some people look at a decades-long train wreck and think, “Let’s do that again — but faster.”

As a patient rights advocate, permit me to point out the obvious: the 1975 Medical Malpractice Act is not a model. It’s a disaster, propped up only by the insurance industry’s fond memories of how well it worked out for them.

In 1975, the act was hawked as the miracle cure for high malpractice premiums that would also improve patient access to care.

Fifty years later, premiums remain among the highest in the land, access among the worst, and Louisiana proudly boasts one of the most cruel, most restrictive malpractice systems in the United States.

If the goal was to prove that caps don’t work, congratulations — we nailed it.

The American Medical Association repeatedly ranks Louisiana among the

most expensive states for malpractice insurance. Their 2020 Tort Reform Report noted that while caps reduce payouts, they “have not stabilized premiums in highlitigation-risk states such as Louisiana.” A masterpiece of efficiency — if you’re an insurance carrier. And deception.

Independent broker MedPLI reports the same: Louisiana remains a premium hot zone. The 1975 act didn’t reduce or even stabilize premiums; it simply shifted the burden onto our most catastrophically injured victims.

And the medical malpractice cap doesn’t only limit “pain and suffering.”

Louisiana caps economic damages too.

Lost income. Lifetime earnings. Taxpayers now support these victims instead of the negligent health care providers and their insurers.

Comeaux’s siren song has too often waylaid Louisiana’s legislators into the rocks of folly while enriching the already rich.

Don’t fall for it again.

CHIP WAGAR attorney and director of the Patient Rights Advocacy Forum

Vote for Trump was not a vote for terrorizing hard-working immigrants As a proud American, a man of faith and someone who deeply loves this country, I feel compelled to speak out about something happening right here in Kenner — something that should concern every person who believes in fairness, justice and compassion.

I have supported President Donald Trump since the moment he came down the escalator at Trump Tower. I believed in his message of restoring American strength, securing our borders and removing violent criminals from our communities. Like many Republicans, I still support strong borders and sensible immigration enforcement. But what we are seeing unfold locally goes far beyond the mission of keeping Americans safe.

In Kenner, an entire Latino community — made up of hardworking families, churchgoers, taxpayers and parents of Americanborn children — is living in fear. Many were admitted under the previous administration, granted work permits and told they could build a life here. Now, despite having clean records and deep ties to the community, they are being treated as targets simply because of their skin color or heritage.

These are not rapists, gang members or violent offenders. They are our co-workers, neighbors and friends — people who contribute to our economy and our churches.

Many are married to U.S. citizens.

Many have lived here for years. And yet

STAFF PHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK

Candles are lit during an interfaith prayer vigil for immigrants in the St. Charles Center for Faith and Action in New Orleans on Dec. 4. they find themselves terrified of losing everything they have built.

As a lifelong Republican and a Trump supporter, I never believed my vote would contribute to this kind of suffering. I believed we were going after “the worst of the worst,” not peaceful families trying to live honest lives.

It is time for us as a nation to demand a humane, reasonable and responsible approach. Those who can be vetted, who have clean records and who contribute to their communities deserve a pathway to stability — not fear.

TIMOTHY JAMES Kenner

Andrea Picciotti-Bayer’s guest column claiming that mandatory Ten Commandments displays are “well within American tradition” ignores both constitutional precedent and the realities of today’s public schools.

The U.S. Supreme Court has already ruled on this issue. In Stone v. Graham (1980), the Court struck down a nearly identical law, ruling that posting the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms violates the Establishment Clause because it lacks a secular purpose. A federal appeals court recently reached the same conclusion regarding Louisiana’s newest mandate. Tradition does not outweigh the Constitution.

The article also assumes that because early American education sometimes included religious content, the government may now promote specific religious doctrine in public schools.

But historical practice is not a free pass for state endorsement of religion.

Our constitutional system has developed precisely to protect the religious freedom of every student including those who are Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, nonreligious or belong to smaller faith communities.

Public schools must remain neutral spaces. Requiring a sacred text in every classroom does not simply teach moral values; it effectively elevates one religious tradition above all others.

Children who do not share that tradition can feel singled out or excluded, especially in a setting where attendance is mandatory.

We can absolutely teach ethics, respect and responsibility without treating a particular religion’s commandments as the state’s official moral code.

Civic values do not require government endorsement of religious doctrine.

No one is trying to remove religion from society. However, the government should not be in the business of instructing students directly or indirectly on which religious beliefs are correct.

Protecting religious liberty means ensuring that public institutions do not favor one faith.

Mandatory religious displays are neither constitutional nor inclusive, and they have no place in our classrooms.

KARL ALBRITTON Central

What does LSU football have to show for the millions?

The definition of stupidity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results.

Whoever is responsible for hiring Lane Kiffin is the poster child of stupidity. In 2021, Brian Kelly was offered a 10-year contract for $95 million. At the time, Notre Dame was 11-2 and headed to a bowl game. Today, we are on the hook for $54 million as a payout while Kelly is laughing all the way to the bank. Incidentally, we just made the final payment to Ed Orgeron, completing his $16 million buyout.

Fast forward to 2025. Lane Kiffin gets offered a similar contract: $91 million for seven years. Ole Miss is 11-1 and made it to the College Football Playoff. Kiffin jumps ship and is headed to LSU. Ring any bells yet? To add insult to injury, if Ole Miss goes deep into the playoffs, LSU is on the hook to pay Kiffin an extra $150,000 to $1 million, depending on how far Ole Miss goes. Is this the definition of insanity?

They say that tax dollars are not used to pay him. I guarantee that game tickets, parking, concessions and student fees for the Tiger Athletic Fund will all increase exponentially. Is a national championship really that important? And don’t forget the amount of money ($30 million) Kiffin will get for the transfer portal.

DAVID BOHNET Slidell

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The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Monday, December 22, 2025 ● 3B

4B ● Monday, December 22, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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MIRACLE

Continued from page 1B

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE

Patrons fill the bar during Pamplona’s Miracle pop-up on Thursday in Lafayette.

ATTACK

Continued from page 1B As part of its Dec. 11 verdict, the jury awarded Young $50,000 in compensatory fees for his injuries and ordered LeBlanc and Smith to pay him $100,000 apiece in punitive damages, court records show.

Young was represented by a team of New Orleans attorneys from the Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center in New Orleans. They argued the attack unleashed on him was “part of a pattern of pervasive violence” at Catahoula Correctional Center due to insufficient policies for classifying inmates and housing them in a way to mitigate conflicts.

“Under the leadership of James LeBlanc and Seth Smith, the Department of Public Safety and Corrections heavily relies on a partnership with Louisiana sheriffs to hold over half of the people in the department’s legal custody in what they call local facilities,” said Elizabeth Cumming, one of the plaintiff’s lead attorneys. “These defendants walked away from their re-

sponsibilities to corrections staff, the public and prisoners under that partnership, despite knowing that the Catahoula facility was understaffed, overcrowded and extremely violent. Mr. Young got hurt as a result.”

The Catahoula Correctional Center already had a documented history of violence that included fatal stabbings and brutal beatings by the time Young arrived there in April 2022.

That violence carried on even after Young’s arrival, his lawsuit noted.

In November 2022, Montrell Rogers was stabbed to death by as many as eight other inmates. Reports indicate Rogers told jail guards he would be killed if they placed him in the same housing dorm with the attackers, but staff ignored him. Minutes later, he was found dead in his cell.

Young’s attack happened Aug. 8, 2022. He was exercising in a housing dorm with 66 beds when at least two inmates rushed him.

His attorneys said the attack was sudden and unprovoked.

After they stabbed and burned him, Young tried to signal for help, but no guards were monitoring the

tier, according to the claims he made in his federal complaint. Young went to the shower to wash away the blood from his wounds and two more inmates tried to attack him. Young managed to escape the second wave of attackers and signaled for help again. This time, an officer removed him from the housing dorm, and he was taken to a local hospital to be treated. He spent several days in intensive care.

Shortly after the violent ordeal, he accepted a plea deal and was transferred to a work release facility.

LeBlanc and Smith were the final defendants left standing when the case went before a jury this month. Federal court records show Young reached settlements with former Calcasieu Sheriff Tony Mancuso, the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Catahoula Parish Sheriff’s Office, Catahoula Sheriff Toney Edwards and seven guards and wardens on duty at the Catahoula Parish jail the day of Young’s attack.

According to the lawsuit, Young originally was arrested and booked on a nonviolent charge in Calcasieu Parish. Damage from Hur-

During Pamplona’s Miracle pop-up (an event part of a nationwide movement to transform bars and restaurants during the holiday season, started in New York in 2014), cocktails take pride of place and are dressed up to go along with the rest of the restaurant. This season, Pamplona has crafted a special cocktail menu that includes 14 themed cocktails, Nice and Naughty shots, and three nonalcoholic options like the Silent Night, which is crafted with tart cherry, chocolate, orange acid and soda.

ricane Laura in 2020 forced Calacasieu Parish to send its inmates to other parish jails, which is how Young wound up awaiting his trial date at the Catahoula Correctional Center.

Catahoula was one of several sheriff-run and private local jails across Louisiana that DOC officials began partnering with in 1996 to house convicted prisoners who already had been sentenced to state penitentiaries. The so-called “outcamp” system was set up to alleviate overcrowding at state prisons that were at capacity.

But according to Young’s lawsuit, nearly half of Louisiana’s sentenced population is housed at non-DOC facilities.

While the outcamp partnerships tasked local jails with providing secure housing for pretrial detainees who had yet to be convicted, Young argued the Catahoula jail had no oversight, not enough staff or supervision to investigate alleged attacks and no efficient risk assessments to manage the inmate population.

What resulted was a system where convicted prisoners were routinely mixed

I loved a cocktail named for a famous line in “Die Hard” that featured three kinds of rum, pineapple and an ube and coconut orgeat — a flavored simple syrup perfect for tiki drinks. It was served in a jolly Santa mug, which is also available for purchase on Pamplona’s booking site, along with other items in its Miracle glassware store.

Another favorite drink, the Run Run Reindeer, was a mulled wine reduction with prosecco, lemon and aromatic bitters. With its diverse menu of tapas and drinks (including a great wine list) there’s something to please every palate — while the vibes bring nostalgia and cheer to all.

into the same dorms with pretrial inmates, the plaintiff argued.

Court filings indicate DOC placed the blame on negligence by the local jail, noting that neither LeBlanc nor Smith were involved in day-to-day operations at the Catahoula Correctional Center.

Young’s attorneys insisted that DOC and Catahoula jail officials allowed the inmates to foster an unchecked atmosphere of “rampant violence.” They said authorities ignored the extreme levels of violence at Catahoula and took no action to devise a housing plan to safely classify inmates in custody, despite a string of severe beatings and deadly attacks.

“This case is all about responsibility and accountability,” Cumming said in her closing argument. “As you heard from Mr. Young and multiple witnesses who worked at Catahoula, in 2022 it was a facility in crisis. It was understaffed.

It was overfilled. There was no plan to hold prisoners safely. And it was extremely violent.”

Obituaries Guidry, Rose Ann

Rose Ann Guidry, 83.

Visitation will be on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, from 9:00 am until the Christian Catholic Service at 11:00 am at Fountain Memorial Funeral Home.

Online obituary and guest book may be viewed at www.fountainmemorialfun eralhome.com.

Fountain Memorial Funeral Home and Cemetery, 1010 Pandora St., 337-981-7098 is in charge of arrangements.

How to place an Obituary Notice EMAIL:

obits@theadvocate.com OR CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION:

225-388-0289

How to place a Memorial Ad An “In Memory Of” ad, is a way to pay tribute to your loved one.

This remembrance is often printed on the anniversary of a loved one’s death.

The deadline is two days prior to the day you want your ad to appear.

TO PLACE A MEMORIAL AD GO TO:

obituaries.theacadianaadvocate.com, click submit an obituary and select create a memoriam.

Email Matt Bruce at matt. bruce@theadvocate.com.

Dream Address Awaits

PROVIDED PHOTO

The Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana gives $20,102.35 from the Wayne Simmons Endowment to the Salvation Army on Dec. 11.

VETERAN

Continued from page 1B create a fund that would give to these charities forever,” Mendelson said in the release.

Mendelson suggested that Simmons establish an endowment fund, a charitable fund where donations are invested and earnings are distributed annually.

Wholeheartedly embracing the idea, Simmons used his more than $1 million in life savings to create the Wayne Simmons Endow-

CARNIVAL

Continued from page 1B morial Highway, Eunice. Hog butchering, food, dancing n Lafayette King Gabriel’s Parade, 10 a.m. Feb. 17, Jefferson Boulevard to Cajun Field, Lafayette n Lafayette Mardi Gras Festival Parade, 1 p.m. Feb. 17, Jefferson Boulevard to Cajun Field, Lafayette n Lafayette Independent Parade,

ment Fund to benefit the organizations that held deep personal meaning for him.

It officially took effect when he died in March 2014.

In December, the fund celebrated its 11th year of annual gifting and donated the largest endowments in its history.

The fund annually supports The Salvation Army, a place where Simmons’ parents frequently donated; the American Cancer Society, reflecting his battle against cancer; and the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home, which had a special place in his heart, the release states.

2:30 p.m. Feb. 17, Jefferson Boulevard to Cajun Field, Lafayette n Greater Southwest Pageant and Grand Ball, 8 p.m. Feb. 17, Heymann Center, College Road, Lafayette n Eunice Courir de Mardi Gras & Chicken Run, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Feb. 17, starting at Northwest Community Center Pavilion, 501 Samuel Drive, Eunice n Opelousas Mardi Gras Parade and Celebration, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Feb. 17, Opelousas

On Dec. 11, each of the three nonprofit organizations received $20,102.35 as representatives from the charities gathered to receive their checks in honor of Simmons.

The donation is the largest to date from the endowment for each of the charities.

“Wayne Simmons’ story is a testament to how ordinary people can create extraordinary impact,” the release states. “Through thoughtful planning and a deep commitment to his community, his legacy lives on, improving lives year after year after year.”

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M o n d ay, d e c e M b e r 22, 2025

SAINTS

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HIGH NOTE RECORD: 5-10 UP NEXT: AT TENNESSEE TITANS, NOON SUNDAy, CBS

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Saints wide receiver Chris Olave scores a touchdown on a 23-yard pass from quarterback Tyler Shough as New york Jets safety Dean Clark follows during the second half on Sunday at the Caesars Superdome. The Saints won the last home game of the season 29-6.

Shough, Saints dismantle Jets in most complete game of the year

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

Here is how far the New Orleans Saints have come in recent weeks: They are now salting away wins by trying to get their beloved players big moments late in games that have already been wrapped up.

So, after referees nullified an 18yard Taysom Hill touchdown catch in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 29-6 win against the New York Jets, head coach Kellen Moore just kept going

back to the well.

“Opportunities were certainly going his way toward the end of the game, yes,” Moore said with a smile.

The Saints’ next five offensive plays all featured Hill in some way. There were two more passes thrown his way. After a defensive stop, the next drive started with two Hill runs.

It was the fifth one that finally did the trick: Lined up at quarterback on third and 5, Hill faked a handoff,

ä See SAINTS, page 4C

Pelicans look to extend win streak in meeting vs. Dallas

New Orleans’ home finale win points to better things to come winnable games against the The Who Dat chants started Tennessee Titans and Atlanta with about nine minutes left Falcons up next.

Sunday, which tells you all Those two games are on the you need to know about what road, though. the New Orleans Saints did to This was the Saints’ last the New York Jets.

Rod chance to give the home The surging Saints needed a Walker crowd something to feel good convincing beatdown win like about in a season where that this one in their final home hasn’t always been the case. This game of the season. was one last time to make the type The 29-6 victory was the third in of impression that would make a row for the Saints, with a chance of ending the season on a five-game ä See WALKER, page 5C winning streak with potentially

Outgoing Tulane trio sees the good through rough ending

BY ROD WALKER

ä Mavs at Pelicans 7 P.M. MONDAy, KNGC

Yes, James Borrego was thrilled to see his New Orleans Pelicans push their winning streak to four with Saturday’s 128-109 victory over the Indiana Pacers.

But the Pelicans’ interim head coach wants more.

“Pleased, but never satisfied,” Borrego said. “That’s the mentality right now.”

The Pelicans had just one four-game winning streak last season.

Now they have a chance to make it five in a row Monday night when they host the Dallas Mavericks. A win would give the Pelicans their first five-game winning streak since the 2022-23 season.

Not even the 49-win team in 2023-24 reeled off five consecutive victories. They did put together six different four-game win streaks, though.

The Pelicans improved to 7-22 with Saturday’s win. The average margin of victory during the winning streak is 14 points.

“I’m pleased with the progress, and I’m pleased with these four games,” Borrego said. “I’m proud of the group. They are putting in the effort. This is not (the time) to pat ourselves on the back and be satisfied. That’s not the process we are talking about. The goal is that every day we are pounding the rock and getting better. Then on to the next challenge.”

The next challenge is a Mavericks team that has won seven of its past 10 games.

The Pelicans and Mavs (11-18) split their first two games in Dallas. The Pels squeaked out a 101-99 victory in early November, but the Mavs got revenge two weeks later with a 118-115 win.

The Pelicans are coming off two of their more impressive wins. They rallied from a 25-point deficit to beat the Houston Rockets on Thursday and followed that up with

A historic season ended very badly for outgoing Tulane coach Jon Sumrall and senior leaders Jake Retzlaff and Sam Howard, but they were able to look past the hurt of Saturday’s 41-10 College Football Playoff demolition at the hands of Ole Miss and savor the good times.

For Sumrall, the weekend was exponentially tougher because of the death of his father, George, on Thursday night. Already handling two jobs at the same time (Florida and Tulane), he had to deal with the grief of losing a loved one.

“It’s been hard,” he said. “I’m not going to deny it.”

Sumrall found out about his father’s death STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER when he called his mother while driving to his office on Friday morning. He asked her Tulane coach Jon Sumrall walks on the sideline during the first half of a College what he could do, and she said she was handling it and would come to the game, where

ä See PELICANS, page 2C

ä See TULANE, page 3C

Staff writer

BY GUERRY SMITH Contributing writer

Football Playoff game against Ole Miss on Saturday in Oxford, Miss.

2C ● Monday, December 22, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Masters field reaches 86 players Tournament is adding 13 players who will finish year in top 50 of world rankings

BY DOUG FERGUSON Associated Press

Ryan Gerard made his 10,000mile trip worth the effort Sunday when he was runner-up at the Mauritius Open, good enough for him to join 13 other players who qualified for Masters invitations by finishing the year in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking.

That brings the field to 86 players who are likely to compete — a list that includes Tiger Woods, who has not announced whether he is playing — going into the new year.

Players can still earn invitations by winning a PGA Tour event (opposite-field events excluded) or getting into the top 50 a week before the Masters.

While the final world ranking will not be published for another week, there are no other tournaments that affect the top 50 and the OWGR already has projected the top 50. Sam Stevens will finish at No. 50 by a narrow margin over Taylor Pendrith of Canada.

Alex Noren at No. 11 is the highest-ranked player who was not already eligible, courtesy of

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

Rory McIlroy reacts after winning in a playoff against Justin Rose after the final round at the Masters on April 13 in Augusta, Ga. This year’s event runs from April 9-12. two wins in England, including the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

Kristoffer Reitan of Norway (Nedbank Golf Challenge), Michael Kim (French Open), Sami Valimaki of Finland (RSM Classic) and Michael Brennan (Utah Championship) all won tournaments in the fall that helped secure their spots in the world ranking.

The others who will finish in the top 50 are Aaron Rai, Max Greyserman, Rasmus Hojgaard, Min Woo Lee, Si Woo Kim and Johnny Keefer.

Brennan and Keefer present unique cases. Brennan spent most of 2025 on the PGA Tour Americas circuit, two steps down from the PGA Tour. He won three times and had nine other top-10 finishes.

And then he received a sponsor exemption to the Bank of Utah Championship and won his first PGA Tour title that moved him into top 50.

Keefer was on the Korn Ferry Tour and won twice, allowing him to break into the top 50 and narrowly hold down his spot.

The Masters altered its criteria this year, eliminating an invita-

tion to the FedEx Cup Fall events and replacing that with national opens around the world. Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen of Denmark got in by winning the Australian Open, while Marco Penge (Spanish Open) and Tom McKibbin of LIV Golf (Hong Kong Open) also qualified.

The Masters is keen on keeping the field under 100 players — not since 1966 has it exceeded that number — and it would appear to be on track to stay that way. Two spots will be filled by the Latin America Amateur Championship in January and the South African Open in February.

There are 12 main PGA Tour events before the Masters on April 9-12, with four of them big events in which most of the field already will be eligible.

Woods did not play a tournament in 2025, first because of a ruptured Achilles tendon, and then because of a seventh back surgery. His recovery is close to allowing him to play, and he’s likely to be healthy enough before the Masters.

Gerard was at No. 57 in the world when he chose to go to Mauritius, a small island in the Indian Open, for a tournament co-sanctioned by the European tour and Sunshine Tour of South Africa. He needed to finish fourth and lost in a playoff to Jayden Schaper.

Si Woo Kim went to the Australian Open and finished third, giving him enough points to move into the top 50.

Fifth-ranked LSU women score 100 again

BY REED DARCEY

Staff writer

It took the LSU women’s basketball team only about five minutes to take control of the game it played on Sunday against TexasArlington — the penultimate nonconference tune-up of its season.

The No. 5 Tigers (13-0) built a quick 17-point lead over the Mavericks in the first quarter and eventually won 110-45, crossing over the century mark for the 10th time this season and winning by more than 60 points for the fifth time this year. No other Division I team has scored at least 100 points more than six times.

“The defense was better,” coach Kim Mulkey said. “We just didn’t shoot the ball good.”

A pair of frontcourt players led LSU back over the 100-point mark. Freshman Grace Knox scored a career-high 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds. Senior East Carolina transfer Amiya Joyner notched 14 points and 11 boards to post her fourth double-double of the season.

The Tigers also received 23 energetic minutes from MiLaysia Fulwiley. She scored 23 points, pulled down seven rebounds, blocked four shots and stole away five possessions, providing a spark during a game in which LSU shot an efficient 49% from the field.

But that field-goal percentage is the second-lowest the Tigers have posted this season.

“We just missed too many open looks,” Mulkey said, “but I thought we were trying to stop straightline drives and keep people out of the paint, and I thought for the

PELICANS

Continued from page 1C a win over Indiana, where they almost led wire-to-wire. The only time the Pelicans trailed was 4-3 early in the game. The Pelicans scored 44 points in the first quarter.

“You want to be a team when someone is in your house, you throw the first punch,” Borrego said after Saturday’s win. “And we need to get there. We want to be a team that throws the first punch and keeps punching. I felt that today. We had a couple lighter

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson, right, drives past UT-Arlington center Jeanne Rodriguez in the first quarter on Sunday at the PMAC. most part we did better. But man, it would be fun to shoot the ball better and play a little bit better defense and see what we really could look like.”

LSU started to pull away from the Mavericks around the time Fulwiley — the star South Carolina transfer guard — first checked into the game. The Tigers led 13-7 halfway through the first.

Then Joyner grabbed an offensive rebound and flipped a pass to Flau’jae Johnson, who stepped into an open 3-pointer from the right wing. Fulwiley took a 3 of her own on the next possession, then found a way to rebound her own miss and turn it into a layup.

Fulwiley later drove the lane,

spun around and dished to Joyner, setting her up to convert a threepoint play. Knox then notched six quick points, which she scored either at the rim or from the freethrow line, to officially put LSU on pace to score 100 again. “(Knox) is just an athlete,” Mulkey said. “Good lord, you can’t block her out. You can’t keep her from flying to the boards. She finishes in traffic. She works really hard defensively for a freshman.

She’s going to make mistakes, but her mistakes are done with effort.

“She might have had her best game here, since she’s been at LSU.” The Tigers hit the century mark in each of the first eight games

blows, but we were in general trying to throw some punches that landed. In general, from start to finish, we did that.”

Zion Williamson, in his third straight game coming off the bench after returning from his injury, tied a season-high with 29 points in Saturday’s win. The game before that, it was Saddiq Bey with a season-high 29 against the Rockets. Last Sunday, it was Trey Murphy and Jeremiah Fears, each scoring 20 points, that put the Pels over the Chicago Bulls.

“We’ve got a lot of guys who can make it happen,” Williamson said.

“With the talent we’ve got, it can be anybody’s night.”

The four-game winning streak is the second-longest active streak in the NBA, trailing only the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs have won five straight heading into their game Sunday against the Washington Wizards.

“It’s not easy winning in the NBA,” Williamson said. “When you do get wins, you enjoy them for that night and go on to the next game.”

Monday’s game is a chance for the Pelicans to do something they were unable to do the past two seasons.

Email Rod Walker at rwalker@theadvocate.com.

they played this season, setting an NCAA record in the process.

All those performances were balanced, efficient offensive showings — just like the one LSU put together on Sunday.

Seven Tigers scored at least five points, and five finished with at least 10. Johnson (14 points) and sophomore point guard Jada Richard (10 points) joined Knox, Joyner and Fulwiley in double figures. Richard also tallied a careerhigh four steals.

Star junior Mikaylah Williams had an uncharacteristically cold shooting day. She finished with seven points after shooting only 1 of 6 from the field and missing all four 3-pointers she attempted.

UTA shot only 23% from the field and turned the ball over 34 times. Only two Mulkey-era LSU opponents have given away more possessions than the Mavericks did on Sunday, and just four have posted a lower field-goal percentage.

LSU has now scored at least 110 points in seven games — more than twice as many as the Division I team with the second-most 110-point games (Texas).

Every active LSU player saw the floor against UTA except ZaKiyah Johnson, a freshman forward who took part in pregame warm-ups but watched the game from the bench. Mulkey characterized her absence as a slap on the wrist, saying “it ain’t a big deal.”

Mulkey said ZaKiyah Johnson will return to the floor when LSU wraps up nonconference play next Sunday at home against Alabama State. The Tigers’ 16-game SEC slate begins Jan. 1 with a home matchup against No. 12 Kentucky.

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Pelicans center Derik Queen is guarded by Indiana Pacers guard Garrison Mathews on Saturday at the Smoothie King Center.

White Sox add Murakami with $34M, 2-year deal

CHICAGO — The rebuilding Chicago White Sox added Munetaka Murakami to their lineup on Sunday, agreeing to a $34 million, two-year contract with the Japanese slugger.

Murakami, 25, joins a promising group of young hitters that also includes Colson Montgomery, Kyle Teel and Chase Meidroth. The White Sox finished last in the AL Central this year with a 60-102 record, a 19-game improvement from the previous season.

Murakami gets a $1 million signing bonus payable within 30 days and salaries of $16 million next year and $17 million in 2027.

Murakami hit 56 homers in 2022 to break Sadaharu Oh’s record for a Japanese-born player in Nippon Professional Baseball while becoming the youngest player to earn Japan’s Triple Crown.

Blackburn staying with Yankees for $2 million

NEW YORK — Right-hander Paul Blackburn is remaining with the New York Yankees, agreeing Saturday to a $2 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

A former All-Star, Blackburn can earn an additional $500,000 in performance bonuses for innings: $100,000 each for 80, 90, 100, 110 and 120.

Blackburn, 32, gives the Yankees pitching depth for a rotation that will be without Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón at the start of the season. Cole is expected to return to the Yankees in May or June following Tommy John surgery on March 11, and Rodón is projected back in late April or May after surgery on Oct. 15 on his left elbow.

Bell signs $7 million, 1-year contract with Twins

MINNEAPOLIS — First baseman Josh Bell and the Minnesota Twins have finalized their $7 million, one-year contract.

The sides agreed to terms Monday, pending a physical, and the Twins announced the deal Friday.

Bell gets a $250,000 signing bonus payable by Feb. 1 and a $5.5 million salary in 2026. The contract includes a $10 million mutual option for 2027 with a $1.25 million buyout for Bell, who also gets a hotel suite on road trips.

A durable switch-hitter with power, Bell projects to help fill a void at first base and designated hitter for the Twins in his 11th major league season. He hit .237 with 22 home runs and 63 RBIs this year for Washington.

Humphries Armbruster ends Germans’ streak

Kaillie Humphries Armbruster has won dozens of races in her bobsled career. The victory she got Sunday was like none of the others. It was her first since she turned 40. And it was her first since becoming a mother.

With the Milan Cortina Olympics less than two months away, Humphries Armbruster seems to be hitting her best form once again. She teamed with Emily Renna to win a World Cup two-woman race in Sigulda, Latvia, her first victory on the circuit since winning a monobob race on that same track on Feb. 18, 2023.

The victory by Humphries Armbruster also snapped a 20-race World Cup winning streak for Germany in the two-woman event, dating back to Jan. 22, 2023, in Altenberg.

Schwarz scores World Cup giant slalom victory

ALTA BADIA, Italy — Marco Schwarz won the World Cup giant slalom Sunday on the classic Gran Risa course where Marco Odermatt, the dominant skier of his generation, had won five of the past six giant slaloms.

Schwarz got a wire-to-wire win by protecting his first-run lead to finish 0.18 seconds ahead of Lucas Pinheiro Braathen of Brazil.

“This victory means a lot to me,” said Schwarz, who missed almost a full year of racing through injury since his previous win in a slalom in December 2023. “It’s good for the soul, good for the whole team,” he said, after hugging thirdplaced Austria teammate Stefan Brennsteiner in the finish area.

Odermatt placed sixth, trailing 0.82 behind Schwarz’s two-run time.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Monday, December 22, 2025 ● 3C

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL James Madison puts up fight, but Group of 5 teams still have much to prove

BY ANDREW DESTIN AP sportswriter

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ROGELIO V. SOLIS

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss dives into the end zone for an 8-yard rushing touchdown against Tulane during their game in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Saturday in Oxford, Miss.

Ole Miss embraces rematch with Georgia at Sugar Bowl

BY CHRIS BURROWS

ä Georgia vs Ole Miss.

OXFORD, Miss. — The Mississippi Rebels head into a second successive rematch in the College Football Playoff — this time facing the only team to beat them this season.

Ole Miss (12-1) defeated Tulane 41-10 Saturday in the opening round, nearly matching a 45-10 regular season home triumph over the Green Wave in the fourth week of the regular season.

Next up for the sixth-seeded Rebels is a clash with third-seeded Georgia (12-1), the Southeastern Conference champs, in the quarterfinal round at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on Jan. 1.

The Bulldogs defeated visiting Ole Miss in a 43-35 shootout on Oct. 18, rallying from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

“We’re looking forward to playing them again,” said wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling, who had his team-high sixth touchdown catch of the season against Tulane.

“Georgia is impressive. But there were things in that game that we could have done better.”

Unlike the first meeting, the Rebels have been through extensive changes, topped by Pete Golding replacing Lane Kiffin as coach two days after the final game of the regular season.

Kiffin departed for LSU on Nov. 30, opening the door for Golding,

who had served three years as the Rebels’ defensive coordinator.

Ole Miss made a seamless transition in Golding’s head coaching debut in the lopsided home win over Tulane. The Rebels will be hoping for a carryover effect in the Sugar Bowl, a neutral site with historical ties for both programs.

“I know how much it means to be playing in New Orleans,” said Golding, who grew up not far from the Big Easy in Hammond, Louisiana. “We will enjoy this one tonight and tomorrow we start preparing for Georgia.”

While the Bulldogs began the season as a favorite for a CFP berth, Ole Miss’ emergence was less predictable.

Early uncertainty regarding the Rebels’ prospects stemmed from the fact they had to replace 20 starters — and then move former Division II quarterback Trinidad Chambliss to the starting role after an early season injury to opening week starter Austin Simmons.

“We never doubted that we were a playoff team when the summer practice started,” Chambliss said.

“There were doubters that thought we would be a mid-tier SEC team, maybe. We knew we were a playoff team.”

Georgia and Ole Miss now join Alabama and LSU as the only

Associated Press

7 P.M. JAN. 1, ESPN

teams to appear in the Sugar Bowl at least 10 times. But this Sugar Bowl will be the first in 60 years featuring two SEC squads.

That 1964 game also featured Ole Miss. Their opponent was Alabama, with a 12-7 win in the old Tulane Stadium during snowy weather — which doesn’t happen in New Orleans that often.

Postseason history aside, the Ole Miss players and coaches were quick to dismiss words and phrases such as revenge or payback in the postgame news conference.

Instead, the theme focused on opportunity and respect.

In the regular season contest, both offenses combined for 10 touchdowns and more than 850 yards of total offense. The Rebels scored touchdowns on five consecutive possessions while Georgia never faced a punting situation — a fact not lost on Ole Miss defenders such as defensive tackle Will Echoles.

“We’ve talked about that, and we talked about it again tonight after the game. I mean, we’ve got to do everything better,” Echoles said.

“That was a bad game for our defense — a really bad game. Period.

We know we will have to play our best game.”

TJ Dottery, the leading tackler for the Rebels, added: “Physicality. That’s what Georgia brings. But that’s what I look forward to, is the physicality of the game.”

Oregon bracing for stiffer test from Texas Tech

TULANE

Continued from page 1C she joined his wife and his brother to support him.

“I loved my dad,” he said. “I’m a lot of who I am because of how he raised me, and I can smile knowing that I’m going to live a life that’s going to honor my dad. He watched us today. He’s probably got some questions about how we played, just like I do. I just don’t have to hear them tonight from him. I’m sure I’ll hear them from my mom, though.”

Sumrall’s next game will be as coach of Florida against familiar American Conference foe Florida Atlantic on Sept. 5, but he celebrated what Tulane accomplished in winning the American Conference despite returning only five starters from 2024.

“While the outcome tonight sucks — I’m not happy with it, and there’s nothing about it I feel good about — I still feel good about this football team because we hoisted a championship trophy two weeks ago,” he said. “I told them that in 30 or 40 years, they’ll bring them back for a celebration. I’ll probably need a cane to walk around and celebrate with them, but I’m going to celebrate.”

Retzlaff, who transferred from BYU in late July, and Howard, who played the latter part of the season with a fractured fibula, will be part of that celebration. Retzlaff’s last game with the Wave was a threeturnover performance, but Tulane would have been nowhere near the CFP without him after he set a school record for quarterbacks with 16 touchdowns rushing.

“To get to come here, it’s been just an unbelievable blessing,” he said. “The way they took a chance on me so late, when they could have easily said no, they said,

EUGENE, Ore. — Perhaps it was James Madison going for it twice on fourth down on its first drive of the game.

Or, maybe it was coach Bob Chesney calling for a wide receiver pass on the Dukes’ second series of the evening. Even 12thranked James Madison successfully pulling off a fake punt could have adequately explained what the scoreboard failed to convey.

It was clear that the fifth-ranked Oregon Ducks were in a different class than their visitors in a 51-34 win in a College Football Playoff first round matchup Saturday at Autzen Stadium. Oregon led 48-13 midway through the third quarter before the Dukes added three late touchdowns to make the final score appear closer than the game really was.

“I think the scoreboard itself, every time we got down there we kind of shot ourselves in the foot,” Chesney said. “If we did not do that, if we did not end with 13 penalties, is this a little bit of a different game? Maybe. But at the same point in time, that’s a tough offense to stop, and I think it’s tough for a lot of teams in the entire country to stop.”

With James Madison’s loss, Group of Five teams fell to 0-4 all-time in CFP games. No. 17 Tulane fell 41-10 to No. 6 Mississippi on Saturday, too, while Penn State beat Boise State 3114 in last year’s Fiesta Bowl. Alabama topped Cincinnati 27-6 in a 2022 CFP semifinal at the Cotton Bowl.

Following their loss to Ole Miss, Green Wave head coach Jon Sumrall brushed aside any notion of his team not belonging among the last 12 standing.

“We’re our conference champion and the rules are what they were, and I think there should be access for at least one G5 team moving forward,” Sumrall said. “I do. I think you should have given the American champion an opportunity before the ACC champion this year because we beat the ACC champion. So Duke won the ACC Championship; we beat them.”

To Sumrall’s point, Tulane beat a pair of Power Four teams in Northwestern and Duke, but those schools combined to go 1411 in 2025.

James Madison, meanwhile,

lost to its only Power Four opponent this season, with Louisville beating it 28-14 in a game in which the Dukes mustered just 263 yards of total offense. Most of the season, James Madison ran with the ball with ease against its opponents, rushing for over 300 yards in a game five times and over 200 yards in a game nine times.

But on Saturday, the Dukes mostly abandoned the run after quickly falling behind, and instead often turned to Sun Belt Player of the Year and quarterback Alonza Barnett III, who attempted a career-high 48 passes in the contest. Even so, Barnett was confident his team belonged in the CFP over other Power Four schools.

“I believe people saw that we were meant to be on this level.

When you look at the Power Four teams and whatever, the destiny is really — the ball is in your court. You control your own destiny,” Barnett said. “Most of those teams that didn’t make it, they controlled their own destiny, and we handled what we could handle and we didn’t give into outside noise.”

Among Group of Five schools, James Madison did fare the best of any of them on offense in the CFP. The other three programs scored a combined 30 points in their respective playoff games, a total James Madison eclipsed against the nation’s eighth-ranked scoring defense.

But where the Dukes fell flat was slowing down the Ducks’ ninth-ranked scoring offense.

Oregon ran the ball with ease, averaging more than 7.7 yards per attempt against James Madison’s run defense that entered the contest allowing the second-fewest yards per game in the country.

As has often been the case in matchups between Power Four and Group of Five teams, the greatest discrepancies existed in the trenches. To a man, James Madison could not adequately match up with Oregon, just as Tulane couldn’t with Ole Miss and many other Group of Five programs before them both failed to do.

“I think there were moments today where I feel like we could play with them,” Chesney said. “ And I think that today, the complimentary football, and us playing in the way we needed to just did not exist.”

BY ANDREW DESTIN

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Tulane linebacker Sam Howard, left, and quarterback Jake Retzlaff hug following a College Football Playoff loss to Ole Miss on Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss. yeah, bring it on. Everybody in the program embraced me. I’m so grateful for that because it didn’t feel like I was showing up to a new team the first day of school. It felt like I was showing up to a bunch of guys who wanted me to be around.

It made my transition so easy.”

Howard made six tackles as he and his teammates tried in vain to slow down a prolific Rebels offense that hung more than 40 points on the Wave for the second time this year.

“Tulane has been one of the highlights of my life so far,” he said after a journey that took him from original walk-on status at FCS Austin Peay to 113 tackles and 20 wins in two years with the Wave. “We’re going to live forever, man. They’re like my brothers. Jake is like my brother. We just met in August but we feel like we’ve been together forever because this team is that special.”

Howard played a huge role in making the Wave’s season special.

“He’s the heartbeat of this team,” defensive coordinator Greg Gasparato said. “It’s just a good reminder to everybody, that’s what you recruit. You recruit warriors

that are going to hold everybody to their highest level.”

The overmatched Wave could not find that level against Ole Miss, falling behind by double digits midway through the first quarter, never getting closer than 11 and watching the game really get out of hand in the second half.

“I love those guys,” offensive coordinator Joe Craddock said. “It’s really hard to look at some of them knowing that it might be the last time they ever play college football or football in general and maybe the last time I get to coach them.”

Craddock and Gasparato almost certainly will not return — both are expected to join Sumrall at Florida — but they saw a bright future for the program. Just as Tulane used its loss to Army in the 2024 American Championship game as motivation for winning it this season, it expects the playoff defeat to be a galvanizing force in 2026.

“Moving forward, our guys know what it feels like,” Gasparato said.

“We got where we wanted to go, and now when we get there (again), what are we going to do with it?”

ä Oregon vs. Texas Tech.

AP sportswriter

7 P.M. JAN. 1, ESPN

COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. — Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi did not mince words when assessing the fifth-ranked Ducks’ defensive performance in a 51-34 win over No. 12 James Madison in a College Football Playoff game.

While three of James Madison’s touchdowns came after Oregon built a 48-13 lead, Lupoi was still upset with the Ducks allowing a whopping 509 yards of offense.

“It’s a bittersweet feeling that we get to move on and very thankful for that,” Lupoi said. “But if we played anywhere remotely close this next game the way we did in the second half, we’re going to have a disappointed feeling after the game.”

What looms next for Oregon (121) is a bout with Texas Tech in a quarterfinal game at the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1. The Ducks opened as a 1 1/2-point favorite, per BetMGM College Football odds.

The fourth-ranked Red Raiders (12-1) should pose a much stiffer test for Oregon than James Madison did, considering they have the top run defense in the country and one of the best defenses in the nation overall.

Only three opponents have rushed for over 100 yards in a game against Texas Tech this season, and no team has rushed for over 200 yards against them since Arizona State did so in a 26-22 loss to the Sun Devils on Oct. 18.

“Texas Tech is a really great team, a really good defense,” wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan said.

“Keeping our composure, everybody just going out there and doing our (job) should be the key for us.”

It’ll be critical for Oregon to avoid

some of the mistakes that plagued it against James Madison, albeit none of them too consequential. While the Ducks established the run against a defense that ranked second in the nation in total yards allowed per game on the ground and Oregon quarterback Dante Moore threw four touchdown passes, he also tossed a pair of interceptions.

Moore, who has started all of 13 games for the Ducks in his Oregon career, has quickly learned of the standard coach Dan Lanning expects of his team, and that his latest performance left plenty of room for nitpicking ahead of a critical clash with the Red Raiders.

“Everybody knows how Coach Lanning is. He’s psycho,” Moore said. “He’s going to make sure he’s going to pressure us at practice. He’s going to put that fire under us and it’s needed.”

No fly zone Oregon’s secondary struggled a bit in the second half against Sun Belt Player of the Year Alonza Barnett III, who completed 23 of 48 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns. The 323 total yards passing allowed by the Ducks was their second-most yielded all year. USC had 330 on Nov. 22 in a 42-27 win.

Oregon’s third-ranked pass defense will be challenged again in the Orange Bowl by Texas Tech, which is led by fifth-year quarterback Behren Morton and features the second-ranked scoring offense. Morton leads the Big 12 in completion percentage (67%) and has tossed 22 touchdowns against just four interceptions.

4C ● Monday, December 22, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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SAINTS 29, JETS 6

BY THE NUMBERS

SAINTS NOTEBOOK

New Orleans 29, N.Y. Jets 6 N.Y. Jets 3 3 0 0 — 6 New Orleans 3 6 7 13 — 29 First Quarter NYJ—FG Folk 29, 10:38. Drive: 8 plays, 26 yards, 4:01. Key Plays: Cook 12 pass to I.Williams; Cook 4 pass to I.Williams on 3rdand-12. N.Y. Jets 3, New Orleans 0.

NO—FG Smyth 35, 6:31. Drive: 13 plays, 43 yards, 4:07. Key Plays: Hill 1 run on 3rdand-1; Shough 10 pass to Ju.Johnson on 3rd-and-5; Shough 6 pass to Tipton on 3rdand-10. N.Y. Jets 3, New Orleans 3.

Second Quarter NO—FG Smyth 49, 14:18. Drive: 8 plays, 35 yards, 3:59. Key Plays: Shough 20 pass to Olave; Shough 17 pass to Hill. New Orleans 6, N.Y. Jets 3.

NYJ—FG Folk 36, 12:38. Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 1:40. Key Play: Cook 25 pass to I.Davis.

N.Y. Jets 6, New Orleans 6.

NO—FG Smyth 36, 1:31. Drive: 15 plays, 73 yards, 5:46. Key Plays: Shough 15 pass to Austin; Shough 9 pass to Olave on 3rdand-10; Hill 2 run on 4th-and-1; Shough 15 pass to Ju.Johnson; Shough 12 pass to Tipton. New Orleans 9, N.Y. Jets 6.

Third Quarter NO—Olave 23 pass from Shough (Smyth kick), :41. Drive: 12 plays, 93 yards, 5:20. Key Plays: Shough 12 pass to Estime; Shough 18 pass to Olave; Estime 4 run on 3rd-and-3.

New Orleans 16, N.Y. Jets 6.

Fourth Quarter NO—FG Smyth 50, 11:09. Drive: 5 plays, 14 yards, 1:36. Key Play: Tipton 12 run. New Orleans 19, N.Y. Jets 6.

NO—FG Smyth 39, 5:17. Drive: 10 plays, 23 yards, 3:51. Key Plays: Sanker 29 interception return to N.Y. Jets 44; Estime 5 run on 3rd-and-3; Shough 11 pass to Olave on 3rdand-9; Shough 7 pass to Hill on 3rd-and-18.

New Orleans 22, N.Y. Jets 6.

NO—Olave 38 pass from Hill (Smyth kick), 1:54. Drive: 3 plays, 44 yards, 00:56. New Orleans 29, N.Y. Jets 6.

A—70,043.

NYJ NO FIRST DOWNS 12 23 Rushing 5 6 Passing 6 17 Penalty 1 0 THIRD DOWN EFF 2-15 8-17 FOURTH DOWN EFF 2-4 1-2 TOTAL NET YARDS 195 412 Total Plays 63 78 Avg Gain 3.1 5.3 NET YARDS RUSHING 64 84 Rushes 20 25 Avg per rush 3.2 3.36 NET YARDS PASSING 131 328 Sacked-Yds lost 8-57 3-18 Gross-Yds passing 188 346 Completed-Att. 22-35 33-50 Had Intercepted 1 0 Yards-Pass Play 3.047 6.189 KICKOFFS-EndZone-TB 3-0-0 8-8-6 PUNTS-Avg. 5-46.2 1-46.0 Punts blocked 0 0 FGs-PATs blocked 0-0 0-0 TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE 76 83 Punt Returns 0-0 2-10 Kickoff Returns 2-76 2-44 Interceptions 0-0 1-29 PENALTIES-Yds 7-54 3-30 FUMBLES-Lost 1-1 1-1 TIME OF POSSESSION 28:42 31:18 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING—N.Y. Jets, Hall 16-54, Davis 3-8, Cook 1-2. New Orleans, Hill 12-42, Estime 5-19, Tipton 1-12, Shough 2-8, Hull 5-3.

PASSING—N.Y. Jets, Cook 22-35-1-188. New Orleans, Shough 32-49-0-308, Hill 1-1-0-38.

RECEIVING—N.Y. Jets, Smartt 5-34, Davis 4-52, I.Williams 4-25, A.Mitchell 3-43, Ruckert 2-14, Hall 2-9, T.Johnson 1-7, Metchie 1-4.

New Orleans, Olave 10-148, Johnson 8-89, Hill 4-36, Tipton 4-29, Estime 3-17, Austin 2-18, Moreau 1-5, Stoll 1-4.

PUNT RETURNS—N.Y. Jets, None. New Orleans, Pettis 2-10.

KICKOFF RETURNS—N.Y. Jets, I.Williams 1-42, Nwangwu 1-34. New Orleans, Pettis 2-44.

TACKLES-ASSISTS-SACKS—N.Y. Jets, Sherwood 7-4-1, Q.Williams 6-5-0, Moore 5-3-0, J.Clark 3-2-0, Stiggers 3-2-0, McDonald 3-1-1, D.Clark 3-1-0, Walker 2-5-0, Phillips 1-4-0, Stephens 1-4-0, Saunders 1-2-0, J.Johnson 1-1-0, McGregor 1-1-0, Briggs 1-0-1, King 1-0-0, Tufele 0-1-0. New Orleans, Taylor 5-2-1, Jordan 4-0-2, Reid 3-6-0, McKinstry 3-2-0, D.Davis 2-6-0, Stutsman 2-3-0, Shepherd 2-1-1, Godchaux 2-0-0, Sanker 1-4-0, Ridgeway 1-3-0, Granderson 1-2-0, Rumph 1-1-1, C.Young 1-1-1, Riley 1-1-0, Werner 1-1-0, Stalbird 1-0-1, Williams 1-0-1, Ford 0-2-0, Bresee 0-1-0, Bullard 0-1-0.

INTERCEPTIONS—N.Y. Jets, None. New Orleans, Sanker 1-29.

MISSED FIELD GOALS—New Orleans, Smyth 61.

OFFICIALS—Referee Clay Martin, Ump Steve Woods, HL Jerod Phillips, LJ Brian Perry, FJ Dave Hawkshaw, SJ Alonzo Ramsey, BJ Greg Wilson, Replay Bryant Thompson.

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C then dropped back and saw a wide open Chris Olave — Olave only being in that position because he heard what the play call was and demanded to be on the field for it.

Hill’s 38-yard touchdown pass to Olave in the closing minutes capped off the Saints’ win in style.

That play had little to do with the outcome of the game, but probably says just as loud as anything else how much has changed since a difficult start to the season.

New Orleans is riding a threegame win streak, which is a modest achievement until viewed through the lens of what has happened here lately.

There have been 32 win streaks of at least three games in the NFL this season. But for the Saints, it’s the first three-game win streak in three years.

Some of the traditional winning football things have powered this turnaround. Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough continued his excellent play, throwing for a careerhigh 308 yards. A consistently tough defense made life miserable for the opposing quarterback, undrafted rookie Brady Cook, sacking him eight times and forcing a pair of turnovers.

But there also exists an undeni-

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

New Orleans Saints kicker Charlie Smyth kicks a 39-yard field goal as Kai Kroeger holds the ball during the second half of the game against the New york Jets on Sunday at the Caesars Superdome.

Kicker Smyth ties Saints record

BY MATTHEW PARAS, ROD WALKER AND LUKE JOHNSON Staff writers

Charlie Smyth might have been the only person in the Caesars Superdome disappointed when Taysom Hill threw a touchdown bomb to Chris Olave late in Sunday’s 29-6 win for the New Orleans Saints. Well, besides those on, or rooting for, the New York Jets, of course.

Hill’s touchdown cost the Irish kicker a chance at setting his own Saints record.

“I didn’t know the circumstances for Taysom, so whenever I heard that, I was super pumped up for him,” Smyth said, referring to the possibility that Sunday’s contest could have been his teammate’s last home game.

The 24-year-old will have to settle for a tie instead.

In just his fourth game with New Orleans, Smyth tied a franchise record with five field goals made. He still had a shot to break the record beyond Hill’s score, but he missed a 61-yarder before halftime.

Still, it was an impressive day for Smyth, whose makes came from 35, 49, 36, 50 and 39 yards.

Smyth, who didn’t start kicking

able other. For as bad as this team has been at times this year, it never fractured. Several players praised the head coach and the culture in the locker room for keeping this season on the rails when it could have gone sideways.

“The reality is there’s been, there’s been no quit in anybody in that locker room, and everyone’s still competing and playing for one another,” Hill said. “And, God, that’s a fun environment to be in.”

They also sense the beginning of something brewing.

Shough is a big part of that. The rookie played a large part in delivering a win for the fourth time in his seven starts. Sunday, he needed to elevate an offense that was playing without its top three running backs, its starting right guard and the receiver he’s come to lean on in recent weeks.

So New Orleans leaned on Shough. He dropped back to pass more than 50 times against the Jets, completing 32 of his 49 attempts for 308 yards and a score.

After the game, Shough was lamenting the missed opportunities.

“We left a lot out there, quite frankly,” Shough said.

It took the Saints almost three full quarters to find the end zone, which they did when he hit Olave for a 23-yard score on a beautifully designed play in which Olave beat man coverage by running a wheel route underneath two in-breakers

an American football until August 2023, also nailed his two extra points.

During the game, the team’s public address announcer revealed Smyth’s record to the crowd and the kicker was seen making a hand gesture that indicated he wanted “one more” shot to make Saints history.

He didn’t get it, but reiterated that he was happy for Hill. The feat was last done by Blake Grupe in 2023.

“It’s been unreal,” Smyth said.

Another milestone for Olave Chris Olave joined some elite company Sunday.

Late in the third quarter, Olave caught his 90th pass of the season.

He is one of just five players in Saints history to catch that many passes in a season.

He joins Michael Thomas, Jimmy Graham, Marcus Colston and Joe Horn.

Thomas did it four times, including the 2019 season when he caught an NFL record 149 passes.

Horn caught 90 passes in a season twice, while Colston and Graham did it once.

That wasn’t the only milestone for Olave.

Olave also eclipsed the 1,000-

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Saints quarterback Tyler Shough runs the ball against the New york Jets on Sunday at the Caesars Superdome. Shough threw for a career-high 308 yards.

from the inside position in a threeman bunch.

Olave finished with 10 catches for 148 yards and two touchdowns — all either matching previous career bests or setting new ones.

But while Shough was not satisfied, the fact is that he led 10 drives and all but three of them ended with a scoring opportunity. New

yard mark for the season. It’s the third time the fourth-year receiver has had 1,000 receiving yards in a season. He also did it in his first two seasons after finishing with just 400 yards last season, when he played in just eight games.

The only other Saints’ pass catchers to have three such seasons are Colston (5), Thomas (4), Eric Martin (3), and Horn.

Injury report

Orleans punted just one time Sunday, a feat they’ve only managed twice since Drew Brees retired.

And Shough did not have to do it alone, either.

Though the offense too frequently bogged down in Jets territory, kicker Charlie Smyth was there to pick them up.

New Orleans turned to Smyth earlier this season after its patience with incumbent kicker Blake Grupe had worn thin. Smyth has been a revelation since, and that was especially true Sunday.

In his fourth game of American football at any level, Smyth matched a franchise record by successfully knocking five field goals through the uprights Sunday. His only miss came from 61 yards out at the end of the half, a kick that had plenty of leg but sailed wide to the left of the uprights. He has now made nine of his 11 attempts this season.

The Saints defense didn’t need everything Smyth and the Saints offense provided.

New Orleans allowed just 195 net yards of offense against the Jets. Just two of New York’s 63 offensive plays gained more than 20 yards, and its long run went for 7 yards. Meanwhile, the Saints stacked the negative plays against the Jets.

Cam Jordan recorded sacks on consecutive plays, continuing his late-career resurgence. Nathan Shepherd, whom the Jets drafted

in 2018, got one back against his old team with a strip sack of Cook.

Chase Young got one, but so too did corner Alontae Taylor, linebacker Isaiah Stalbird and reserve defenders Jonah Williams and Chris Rumph. That is eight sacks in total, accounting for 57 lost yards.

“The shout-outs took a while in the locker room, because there was a bunch of guys making plays today,” Moore said.

And when the Jets were finally able to get the ball going forward, the Saints were there to make them pay for that, too.

Rookie safety Jonas Sanker spent a good chunk of the game waiting for the Jets to run a particular route out of a particular formation. He knew he had to drive on it hard when he saw it.

Sure enough, in the fourth quarter, New York tried it on a fourth-down play and Sanker jumped the route for his second career interception.

It all added up to the Saints’ most convincing win of the season. The 29 points scored represented the offense’s best output this season.

Ditto for the six points allowed by the defense.

There won’t be a playoff matchup waiting for this team at the end of the regular season. But with two games left to play, it is clear it is playing for something else.

Tight end Foster Moreau and defensive tackle Bryan Bresee both left Sunday’s game with injuries and did not return.

Moreau left in the third quarter with an ankle issue that stemmed from what coach Kellen Moore described as a “hip drop” tackle.

Bresee left the game with a knee injury on the ensuing Jets drive, as he had to be helped off the field Streak snapped by the athletic training staff after The Saints finally won their first the Saints recorded a third-down game in their black alternate hel- stop.

Moore said he’d have more submets, which debuted in 2022.

Before Sunday’s win against the stantive updates Monday for both New York Jets, the Saints were of his injured players.

0-6 in their black helmets. Starting with a 28-25 loss to the Min- Odds and ends nesota Vikings in London, they Cam Jordan led the final Who Dat proceeded to lose their next five chant of the season … New York games in the alternates by an av- finished Sunday’s game with 195 net yards of offense. It was the erage of 8.8 points per game.

Maybe Sunday’s win was a re- second time this season the Saints sult of a completely new uniform held a team below 200 yards of tocombination: New Orleans wore tal offense … Three Saints rookthe gold alternate jerseys that ies received fines from last week’s they’d debuted in Week 1 against win against Carolina: Devin Neal was the Arizona Cardinals, but this fined $5,015 for a violent gesture, uniform featured matching gold Kelvin Banks was fined $11,593 for pants. New Orleans wore black taunting and Danny Stutsman was pants in its Week 1 loss. fined $6,095 for illegal use of the helmet.

Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Monday, December 22, 2025 ● 5C

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SAINTS 29, JETS 6 THREE AND OUT: JEFF DUNCAN’S TOP THREE TAKEAWAyS FROM SAINTS LAST HOME GAME OF THE SEASON

1

SHOUGH WAS OFFENSIVE CATALYST Saints quarterback Tyler Shough carried the offense for the second consecutive week, completing 32 of 49 passes (61%) for 308 yards and a touchdown. It was the first 300-yard passing game of Shough’s NFL career. The rookie sliced and diced the Jets defense with a high-precision, short passing game. Saints coach Kellen Moore has leaned heavily on this offensive strategy in recent weeks and Shough has proven to be effective at finding open receivers with quick, short strikes.

2

JORDAN IS AN AGELESS WONDER Saints defensive end Cam Jordan keeps defying Father Time. The Saints veteran continues to have a breakout season at the age of 36. He single-handedly derailed the Jets’ final drive before halftime with back-to-back sacks. He now has a team-high 81/2 sacks on the season. This is the ninth season of his 15-year career with at least eight sacks. His 130 career sacks moved him ahead of Rickey Jackson (128) for 17th on the NFL’s all-time list.

3

THE DEFENSE DOMINATED It was another strong performance by the Saints defense, which held the Jets without a touchdown and sacked rookie quarterback Brady Cook a season-high eight times. Seven different Saints defenders recorded sacks. The Saints limited the Jets to just 12 first downs and 195 yards total offense while holding them to 2 of 15 thirddown conversions. The defense has made a striking improvement in the second half of the season under first-year coordinator Brandon Staley.

‘A SPECIAL DAY’

Possible final Dome game sees Jordan, Hill deliver for Saints

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

Before they played in Sunday’s win over the New York Jets, Cam Jordan and Taysom Hill processed what could have been their last game at the Caesars Superdome almost entirely differently.

Jordan was well-prepared for the possibility. The 36-year-old defensive end received a whopping 24 field passes for his family and friends, so they could enjoy the moment with him. Another 10 to 15 or so got access to his suite, he said. His sister flew in from Germany. His brother came from Arizona. Throw in his dad, cousins, agent and manager in the mix. Jordan knew it was going to be a party.

Hill? His family was there, too. But the moment didn’t hit the 35-year-old until he was driving on the way to the stadium, thinking about the last nine years and what they had meant.

Hours later, recalling his commute, Hill started to cry.

“You just try to take it all in,” Hill said. “We had a great experience here tonight. I don’t know what the future holds for me, but it was a special day for me and my family.”

If this was it for Jordan and Hill in the Dome, they delivered quite the performances to go out on.

Jordan had back-to-back sacks on Jets quarterback Brady Cook and climbed his way up the all-time sack leader standings, while Hill threw a 38-yard touchdown and set an NFL record in the Saints’ home finale of the 2025 season.

The two will be free agents after the year, but have not made a decision — at least publicly — on whether they want to keep playing. The Saints would also need to show interest in retaining them, something that remains to be seen.

But on a day when rookie quarterback Tyler Shough topped 300 yards for the first time, and the Saints received contributions from a long list of young players, Jordan and Hill — two of the team’s oldest players — reminded plenty of people not to count them out just yet.

“Those guys are the best,” coach Kellen Moore said. “They’ve done this for a very long time in this league. They are the ultimate lead-by-example guys, and for them, the effort they put into

reached new levels last year due to a position coach he disliked, former defensive line coach Todd Grantham, and his reduced role. But the two sides have since smoothed their relationship thanks to a new staff and a role that better suits him. Though he’s played less than half the snaps since Chase Young’s return, Jordan is happy the Saints are at least using him at edge rusher.

“Apparently, I’m not a nose tackle,” said Jordan, who is now 17th on the NFL’s official all-time sack list.

Hill’s performance, by contrast, was more unexpected. Since coming back from a serious knee injury, and combined with his age, Hill had lacked his usual explosiveness and wasn’t nearly as effective when called upon. That again looked like it was going to be the case Sunday when he fumbled on the Saints’ opening drive and the Jets recovered.

But fittingly, Hill made up for that mistake by contributing in a number of ways. He converted a fake punt. The quarterback caught four passes for 36 yards, becoming the first player in the Super Bowl era to have at least 1,000 yards passing, rushing and receiving.

STAFF PHOTOS By DAVID GRUNFELD He even appeared to haul in a touchSaints tight end Taysom Hill runs up the middle for a first down against the New down, though the score was wiped out york Jets during the first half of the game on Sunday at the Caesars Superdome. by a penalty.

Then there was the touchdown pass, this season … it’s really, really special. possibly the quarterback’s last. Moore “You even watch it on the field: These said afterward that he was determined guys are playing really good football to get Hill a score once his receiving right now.” touchdown was negated, something Between the two, Jordan’s day was Hill said he could tell by the play calls less of a surprise. The pass rusher that immediately followed. had already shown throughout the Others recognized the gesture, as year that he could contribute. His 81/ 2 well. Up late in the fourth, Chris Olave was supposed to be out of the game sacks lead the Saints, and with his two when he learned that the Saints were sacks Sunday, Jordan earned another about to call the play for Hill to air it $800,000 as part of a contract bonus out. from his reworked deal in the offseaOlave wasn’t going anywhere. son. Jordan considers the payment a “I definitely wanted to be a part of “recouping” of what he was owed, in that,” Olave said. part because he believes he can still “Honestly, I was a little bit surprised perform at a high level. He has long when it came in,” Hill said with a smile, said he only needs an opportunity to later adding, “God, it was a great way show what he can do. to seal a game.”

Even if Jordan never lost confidence When the game was over, both playalong the way, his year has changed perceptions. Instead of wondering ers made sure to soak in the moment a if Jordan will — or should — retire, little while longer — just in case this Saints fans likely wonder what it will was it. Jordan posed for photos on the cost to bring the pass rusher back for Superdome turf with his family, who a 16th season. New Orleans has needed were holding up multiple “fat heads” his production, which is at its highest Saints defensive end Cam Jordan of Jordan’s head shots throughout his since 2022, when he also finished with 15-year career. Hill also lingered with starts the Who Dat chant before a 8.5 sacks. his group, though he stopped to take Jordan even saw the dynamic shift game against the New york Jets on pictures with security guards and othfirsthand by how those closest to him Sunday. er workers. approached his potential final game in Then, eventually, they made their the Dome — a storyline he admittedly man, the way I almost body-slammed way to the exits, unsure if they’d be went through in 2024. a coach.’ I said, ‘Hey man, it might be here again next year.

“This year, everybody texted me headed this way.’ And then now, every(for tickets),” Jordan said. “Last year, body’s trying to parktake.”

Email Matthew Paras at matt.

I was texting everybody. I said, ‘Hey, Jordan’s frustration with the Saints paras@theadvocate.com

RESULTS

Sept. 7

L

20-13

Sept. 14

L

26-21

Sept. 21

L

44-13

Sept. 28

L

31-19

Oct. 5

W

26-14

Oct. 12

L

25-19

Oct. 19

L

26-14

Oct. 26

L

23-3

Nov. 2

L

34-10

Nov. 9

17-7 W Nov. 23

L

24-10

Nov. 30

L

21-17

Dec. 7

WALKER

Continued from page 1C fans want to return to the Dome next season and make the building as loud as it used to be. This was a chance to show Saints’ fans that the future is indeed bright.

First-year Saints head coach Kellen Moore knew how important that was, which is why he made finishing up in the Dome with a bang a point of emphasis all week.

“Let’s finish off the right way,” Moore said. “This has been an awesome place for building something really special. When we play in this Dome, special things can happen.

We’ve allowed the last couple wins to help the crowd get into it and we can build from there.”

Let’s be clear.

Beating the lowly Jets (3-12) won’t have the national media raving about the Saints on Monday morning. And it shouldn’t.

But if you’re a Saints fan, you can probably stick your chest out a little further this offseason knowing that Moore seems to have this team head-

ing in the right direction. You’ll be able to talk a little bit more smack this summer than you did this past one. The Saints took care of business against the Jets, which hasn’t always been the case. Moore somehow steadied the ship. A team that was once 1-8 has now won four of its past six games to improve to 5-10.

With two games remaining, the Saints have already exceeded the 4.5 over/under on wins that the oddsmakers in Vegas projected.

And they probably have exceeded the expectations of first-year Jets coach Aaron Glenn.

Glenn, who played for the Jets and Saints and was once a Saints assistant, only did a virtual interview with the team in January when the head coaching position was open. Instead, he accepted the Jets’ job.

But Sunday made one thing clear.

The Saints are in a much better position than the Jets. The Saints have found their quarterback in rookie Tyler Shough, who threw for over 300 yards for the first time in his career.

The Jets, meanwhile, will go into the offseason still trying to find theirs.

The Saints sacked Jets undrafted rookie Brady Cook eight times and

intercepted him once.

The Saints’ defense and the development of Shough look promising.

Especially considering Shough was playing behind a makeshift offensive line and with very few of the weapons the Saints started the season with.

The Saints led just 9-6 at halftime, but outscored the Jets 20-0 the rest of the way. The day went so well for the Saints that Moore couldn’t even remember how many game balls he passed out after the game.

“I’ll have to tally them up later,” Moore said. “It was a healthy list.”

It ended up being 13. They ranged from old timers like Cam Jordan (2 sacks) and Taysom Hill (1 TD pass, 42 rushing yards, 36 receiving yards) to rookies like Shough (308 passing yards) and kicker Charlie Smyth, who had never played in an NFL game until three weeks ago. Smyth tied a franchise record with five field goals.

“I see a bright future with all the guys we have,” Jordan said. “I’m mad it took us this long to find some success. Once you find some success, you find out how to win. Winning, for some reason, feels better. The drinks, lemonade or whatever you like to drink, goes down smoother.”

And the Who Dat chants become a little louder. And sometimes when the game gets out of hand, those chants come a little sooner. This time, they came just moments after rookie Jonas Sanker picked off a pass with 9:17 left to pretty much seal this win. The Saints were leading 22-6 at the time, plenty of cushion against a team like the Jets.

“It’s momentum,” said Saints safety Justin Reid. “We are building something here. We are not tucking away.

We are not coasting. We can attack the offseason feeling confident in who we are and what our identity is, so we can come in next year and dominate the division. We are the best team in the NFC South right now. Unfortunately, we can’t make the playoffs.”

But in a season that started with so much frustration, they can still give the fans something to cheer about.

Reid was born and raised in Louisiana, so he knows how important that is.

“When you win, the whole city glows,” Reid said. “The whole city is happy. Everyone has a great time.

The bars are going to be full tonight.”

A win like Sunday’s should have the Dome full, too, when the Saints return home next season.

W

24-20

Dec. 14

W

20-17

Dec. 21

29-6 W

Dec. 28 at Titans Noon

TBD Falcons TBD

6C ● Monday, December 22, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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NFL ROUNDUP

Panthers beat Bucs to take over NFC South

By The Associated Press CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The playoffstarved Carolina Panthers left the locker room Sunday happy, but not yet satisfied.

The Panthers finally figured out a way to beat Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a 23-20 victory that gave them sole possession of first place in the NFC South with two games remaining. But they are well aware they may need to do it again in Week 18 to earn their first division title in a decade and snap a seven-year playoff drought.

Carolina (8-7) could wrap up with the NFC South next Sunday with a win over Seattle and a Tampa Bay (7-8) loss to Miami. However, if the Bucs beat the Dolphins, Carolina would need to beat Tampa Bay in the regular-season finale to end the Bucs’ four-year reign as division champions.

Panthers coach Dave Canales said the team’s locker room is filled with “hope and belief” that the

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JACOB KUPFERMAN

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan celebrates after scoring against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday in Charlotte, N.C. franchise’s fortunes could be about to change.

“Everything is right in front of us still,” Canales said. “To give ourselves a chance to play meaningful football at this time of the year, those guys have earned that. They

have earned because of the work they put in and being accountable to each other.”

And because third-year quarterback Bryce Young continues to make big plays when it matters most.

Young threw for 191 yards and two touchdowns, and rookie safety Lathan Ransom intercepted Mayfield with 42 seconds left. Of Young’s 14 wins as an NFL starter, 12 have come on game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime.

CHARGERS 34,COWBOYS 17: In Arlington, Texas, Justin Herbert threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score and the Los Angeles Chargers closed in on a playoff spot with a victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

The Chargers’ fourth consecutive victory gave them a chance later in the day to clinch their second postseason berth in two seasons under coach Jim Harbaugh. Los Angeles (11-4) would be in with a loss or tie by either Indianapolis or Houston.

Dak Prescott had TD passes on his first two drives but couldn’t find the end zone again for Dallas, which was eliminated from the playoffs for the second year in a row with Philadelphia’s NFC East-clinching victory at Washington on Saturday.

The Cowboys (6-8-1) have lost three in a row since a three-game winning streak that put them over .500 for the only time in coach Brian Schottenheimer’s first season.

BENGALS 45, DOLPHINS 21: In Miami Gardens, Florida, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow threw for 309 yards and four touchdowns in a rout of the Miami Dolphins.

The former LSU star rebounded from his first time being shut out, and the Bengals put together one of their most complete games of the year, despite having little at stake.

Miami (6-9) and Cincinnati (5-10) were both eliminated from playoff contention last week, but the teams insisted they were still motivated for the final three games of the season.

Ja’Marr Chase caught nine passes for 109 yards. Tee Higgins had an athletic 9-yard touchdown grab in the first quarter. And former Dolphin Mike Gesicki added a 17yard TD before doing the Griddy in front of his old team.

TEURLINGS (61) Brewer Cain 8, Landon LeMaison 2, Jordan Sinegal 14, AJ Price 22, Trae Olivier 2, Bryson Moore 2, Gary LaBue 3, Jordan Gaspard 7. Totals 12 (5) 9-15.

OC 8 13 9 16 — 4 6 Teurlings 14 20 13 14 — 61 3-pointers — TEUR: Cain 2, Price 2, LaBue 1; OC: Marcel 1, Tezeno 2; Total Fouls: TEUR 13, OC 15.

5:40 p.m. – Third place game 7 p.m. – Championship game

PREP REPORT Southside Tournament

3-pointers – DT: Dalcourt 1; PLAQ: Jenkins 2, Henderson 2, Griffin 1. Total Fouls: DT 13; PLAQ 16.

(Boys at Southside High)

Friday’s Games

Southside 56, Ellender 53

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

Saturday’s Games

Lafayette High 62, St. Louis 55 David Thibodaux 43, Plaquemine 37 Southside 56, Ellender 53, (OT) Zachary 79, Captain Shreve 55

Lafayette High 62, St. Louis 55

LAFAYETTE (62) Jaleel Sinegal 14, Kaleb Johnson 2, Sprague Hebert 4, Andrew Drew 17, Chase Holiday 4, Kamron Brown 21. Totals: 12 (9) 14-17.

ST. LOUIS (55) Nic Devall 3, Brayden Francis 2, Micah Turner 6, Dreylon O’Key 21, Joe Devall 10, Landon Mason 9, Ram Durrousseau 4.

Totals: 12 (10) 4-7.

Lafayette 18 13 19 12 — 62 St. Louis 20 19 13 3 — 55 3-pointers – LAF: Brown 2, Drew 2, Sinegal 3; STL O’Key 4, Devall 3, Mason 2. Total Fouls: LAF 13, STL 20.

David Thibodaux 43, Plaquemine 37

DAVID THIBODAUX (43) K. Williams 5, J. Dalcourt 18, Boston Sledge 16, K. Davis 4.

PLAQUEMINE (37) J. Jenkins 10, C. Griffin 5, D. James 1, T. Henderson 10, R. Bingham 3, W. Provo 4, J. Royal 3.

David Thib 15 6 16 6 – 43 Plaquemine 5 8 13 11 — 37

SOUTHSIDE (56) Jon Armstrong 19, Jonathan Armstrong 2, Ryder Jackson 13, Taylor Williams 16, Bentley Stewart 6.

ELLENDER (53) Travonta Allridge 8, Jordan Williams 16, Chavez Collins 8, Ziky White 14, Keiren Mosely 2, Bernie Dunmiles 2, Patrick Sosa 3.

Southside 8 15 13 12 8 — 56 Ellender 12 14 13 10 5 — 53 3-pointers – SOU: Stewart 2, Williams 3, Jackson 2; ELL: Williams 1, White 1, Sosa 1.

Total Fouls: SOU 20, ELL 20.

Teurlings Round Robin

(Boys at Teurlings Catholic)

Friday’s Games

Westminster-Lafayette 73, Loreauville 53 Jeanerette 59, Family Christian 37 Mamou 41, Ascension Episcopal 29 East Iberville 53, North Vermilion 38 Teurlings 50, Acadiana Renaissance 39 Notre Dame 37, ESA 22 Catholic-NI 66, Church Point 51

Saturday’s Games

Family Christian 53, Loreauville 42 Comeaux 53, East Iberville 51 Ascension Episcopal 57, Jeanerette 44 Mamou 64, North Vermilion 31 Church Point 55, Acadiana Renaissance 41 Catholic-NI 50, Parkview Baptist 49 Teurlings 61, Opelousas Catholic 46 Westminster-Lafayette 63, ESA 43

Catholic-NI 50, Parkview 49 (OT)

PARKVIEW BAPTIST (49) Landon Rippie 2, Will Goza 11, Miles Brumfield 7, Jaden Cotton 3, Ahmir Howard 2, Kyan Trahan 1, Kaden Irwin 15, Grant Harrington 8. Totals: 7 (8) 12-16.

CATHOLIC (50) Layton Mitchell 12, Karon Eugene 2, Wilfred Andrus 4, Andrew Trappey 2, Joab Trosclair 10, Grayson Varnado 9, Jacob Minieville 11. Totals: 21 8-14.

Parkview 9 19 9 2 10 — 49 Catholic 14 6 11 8 11 — 50 3-pointers — PARK: Goza 2, Brumfield 1, Cotton 1, Irwin 3, Harrington 1. Total Fouls: PARK 15, CATH 16.

Westminster-Lafayette 63, ESA 43

EPISCOPAL SCHOOL ACADIANA (43) Jesse LeJeune 3, Anison Meaux 7, Turner Gachassion 2, Colby Huffman 3, Ryan Miniex 10, Jackson Strain 10, Tripp Kordisch 4, Lewis White 4. Totals: 9 (7) 4-8.

WESTMINSTER-LAFAYETTE (43) Zade Prejean 14, Zeph Prejean 14, Zach Ortis 5, Mason Andrus 2, Ben Andrus 17, Trey Peace 11. Totals: 16 (8) 7-12.

Westminster 14 17 12 10 — 63 ESA 5 12 11 15 — 43 3-pointers — ESA: LeJeune 1, Meaux 1, Huffman 1, Strain 2, Kordisch 1, White 1; WCAL: Zaid Prejean 2, Zeph Prejean 1, Andress 3, Ortis 1, Peace 1. Total Fouls: ESA 13, WCAL 12.

Teurlings 61, Opelousas Catholic 46

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

(Girls at Acadiana High&Lafayette Christian)

Saturday’s Games

(Acadiana High games) Lafayette High 35, West Monroe 30 Zachary 65, Barbe 24 Acadiana 53, Cecilia 30 Karr 44, Buckeye 32 (Lafayette Christian games) E.D. White 45, New Iberia 30 Liberty 65, Tioga 57 Lafayette Christian 47, Woodlawn 44 Central Lafourche 59, East Iberville 33

St. Landry Parish Tournament (Boys, girls at Beau Chene High)

Saturday’s Games

Saturday’s Games

Beau Chene 78, North Central 52 (boys) Opelousas 60, Northwest 58 (boys) JS Clark 42, Opelousas 34 (girls) Northwest 53, North Central 39 (girls)

Rayne vs. Abbeville Hannan vs. Patterson East St. John vs. Westgate-Donaldsonville winner EG3-Texas vs. Liberty Marksville 60, McKinley 43 Lafayette Renaissance 78, Terrebonne 48

Midland Spectacular

(Boys, girls at Midland High)

Friday’s Games

Sunday’s Games

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

2 p.m. – Losers bracket semifinals 3:20 p.m. – Fifth place semifinals 4:40 p.m. — Fifth place semifinals 6 p.m. – Winners bracket semifinals 7:20 p.m. – Winners bracket semifinals

Saturday’s Games

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

Monday’s Games

OPELOUSAS CATHOLIC (46) Maurice Marcel 18, Roderick Tezeno 19, Taysea Talbot 3, Kaleb Tezeno 6. Totals. 15 (3) 7-13.

Acadiana Tournament

3 p.m. – Losers bracket finals 4:20 p.m. – Fifth place game

SCOREBOARD Odds

NATIONAL CONFERENCE East

Sports Betting Line NFL Monday

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O-U UNDERDOG San Francisco 6½ 5½ (46½) at IND

College Football Monday

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O-U UNDERDOG Utah State 1½ 2½ (52½) Wash St

Tuesday

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

Wednesday

Hawai’i Bowl FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O-U UNDERDOG Cal 1½ 1½ (54½) Hawaii

Friday

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

Pro football NFL Glance AMERICAN CONFERENCE East New England Buffalo e-Miami e-N.Y. Jets

W 11 11 6 3

L 3 4 9 12

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .786 .733 .400 .200

PF 382 434 317 282

PA 276 344 369 426

Jacksonville Houston Indianapolis e-Tennessee

W 11 10 8 3

L 4 5 6 12

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .733 .667 .571 .200

PF 410 346 392 251

PA 312 249 303 403

Pittsburgh Baltimore e-Cincinnati e-Cleveland

W 9 7 5 3

L 6 7 10 12

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .600 .500 .333 .200

PF 365 335 359 246

PA 350 320 458 355

South

North

West

x-Denver L.A. Chargers e-Kansas City e-Las Vegas

W 12 11 6 2

L 3 4 9 13

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .800 .733 .400 .133

PF 362 349 337 217

PA 295 301 294 386

Gasparilla Bowl

Southern Miss 76, UL 58 Memphis 70, Southeastern 66 Louisiana Tech 97, Central Baptist 42

N.C. State 31, Memphis 7

W y-Philadelphia 10 e-Dallas 6 e-Washington 4 e-N.Y. Giants 2

L 5 8 11 13

T 0 1 0 0

Pct .667 .433 .267 .133

PF 349 424 309 313

PA 289 454 404 412

College Football Playoff

W Carolina 8 Tampa Bay 7 e-Atlanta 6 e-New Orleans 5

L 7 8 9 10

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .533 .467 .400 .333

PF 287 347 307 255

PA 337 377 360 338

First round No. 10 Miami (Fla.) 10, No. 7 Texas A&M 3 No. 6 Ole Miss 41, No. 17 Tulane 10 No. 5 Oregon 51, No. 19 James Madison 34

W 11 9 8 7

L 4 5 7 8

T 0 1 0 0

Pct .733 .633 .533 .467

PF 387 364 452 305

PA 354 303 374 320

W L T x-Seattle 12 3 0 x-L.A. Rams 11 4 0 x-San Francisco 10 4 0 e-Arizona 3 12 0 e-Eliminated from playoffs x-clinched playoff spot y-clinched division

Pct .800 .733 .714 .200

PF 443 457 344 321

PA 279 299 293 414

South

North

x-Chicago Green Bay Detroit e-Minnesota

West

Thursday’s games

Seattle 38, L.A. Rams 37, OT

Saturday’s games

Philadelphia 29, Washington 18 Chicago 22, Green Bay 16, OT

Sunday’s games

Buffalo 23, Cleveland 20 Carolina 23, Tampa Bay 20 Cincinnati 45, Miami 21 L.A. Chargers 34, Dallas 17 Minnesota 16, N.Y. Giants 13 New Orleans 29, N.Y. Jets 6 Tennessee 26, Kansas City 9 Atlanta 26, Arizona 19 Jacksonville 34, Denver 20 Houston 23, Las Vegas 21 Pittsburgh 29, Detroit 24 New England at Baltimore, n

Monday’s games

San Francisco at Indianapolis, 7:15 p.m.

College football Tuesday’s game Salute to Veterans Bowl

Jacksonville State 17, Troy 13

Wednesday’s games Cure Bowl

Old Dominion 24, South Florida 10

68 Ventures Bowl Delaware 20, UL 13

Thursday’s games

Sunday’s games

First round No. 11 Alabama 34, No. 8 Oklahoma 24

Mercer-Detroit 70, Tulane 67 Northwestern State 60, Lamar 57 LSU 110, Texas-Arlington 45 Southern Methodist 74, Southern 62

Saturday’s games

College Football Playoff

TEXAS-ARLINGTON (6-6)

Mila Reynolds 2-10 2-2 6, Kira Reynolds 1-7 5-6 7, Atchison 2-10 0-0 6, Haizlip 1-3 2-2 5, Amiyah Reynolds 1-4 1-2 3, Bello 0-2 0-0 0, Rodriguez 1-1 2-3 4, Goudeau 0-4 1-2 1, Robinson 2-7 3-5 7, Sellers 2-4 2-2 6, Totals 12-52 18-24 45

Boise, Idaho Utah St. vs. Washington St., 1 p.m. (ESPN)

Tuesday’s games

LSU (13-0)

Boca Raton Bowl

Joyner 6-7 2-3 14, Koval 2-7 3-3 7, Johnson 6-10 0-2 14, Richard 3-6 3-4 10, Williams 1-6 5-8 7, Knox 10-18 5-6 25, Yarnevich 1-3 2-5 4, Bourrage 0-2 0-0 0, Fulwiley 9-15 5-8 23, Hines 2-8 1-1 6, Totals 40-82 26-40 110 Texas-Arlington 10 11 14 10 — 45 LSU 27 30 26 27 — 110 3-Point Goals—Texas-Arlington 3-15 (M.Reynolds 0-5, Atchison 2-6, Haizlip 1-1, Goudeau 0-3), LSU 4-16 (Johnson 2-3, Richard 1-2, Williams 0-4, Fulwiley 0-3, Hines 1-4). Assists—Texas-Arlington 5 (M.Reynolds 2), LSU 18 (Johnson 4). Fouled Out—Texas-Arlington Bello, LSU Koval. Rebounds—Texas-Arlington 29 (Atchison 5), LSU 62 (Knox 12). Total Fouls—Texas-Arlington 28, LSU 22. Technical Fouls—Texas-Arlington Team 1. A—11,163.

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)

Monday’s games

Charlotte at Cleveland, 6 p.m.

Indiana at Boston, 6:30 p.m.

Dallas at New Orleans, 7 p.m.

Utah at Denver, 8 p.m.

Memphis at Oklahoma City, 8:30 p.m.

Detroit at Portland, 9 p.m.

Orlando at Golden State, 9 p.m.

INDIANA (109)

First Responder Bowl

Atlantic Division

FCS Playoffs

Villanova (12-2) vs. Illinois St. (11-4), n Montana St. 48 Montana 23

College basketball State men’s schedule Saturday’s games

Northwestern State 108, SUNO 55 UL 76, UL-Monroe 62 Tulane 63, Portland State 61

Sunday’s games

Baylor 111, Southern 67 Nicholls at Pacific, n

Monday’s games

Tulane 76, Delaware State 44 Texas State 79, UL-Monroe 69

REASON 93

The lack of meaningful public service journalism creates a power vacuum while leaving the community voiceless.

Southwest Division Oklahoma City San Antonio Denver L.A. Lakers Houston Minnesota

W 25 20 20 19 17 18

New Orleans 128, Indiana 109

L 6 8 11 11 12 12 13 14 15 15 17 19 19 22 21

Pct .786 .704 .607 .593 .586 .571 .536 .517 .500 .464 .393 .321 .269 .214 .192

GB — 2½ 5 5½ 5½ 6 7 7½ 8 9 11 13 14 16 16

L 3 7 7 8 8 10

Pct .893 .741 .741 .704 .680 .643

GB — 4½ 4½ 5½ 6½ 7

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Saturday’s games

State women’s schedule

W 22 19 17 16 17 16 15 15 15 13 11 9 7 6 5

10 11½ 12 13 14½ 14½ 18 18½ 19

Chicago 152, Atlanta 150 Miami at New York, n Brooklyn 96, Toronto 81 Milwaukee at Minnesota, n San Antonio at Washington, n Houston at Sacramento, n

NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE Detroit New York Boston Philadelphia Toronto Orlando Miami Cleveland Atlanta Chicago Milwaukee Charlotte Brooklyn Indiana Washington

.536 .483 .464 .429 .379 .370 .250 .241 .214

Sunday’s games

Rate Bowl

Dallas FIU vs. UTSA, 7 p.m. (ESPN)

13 15 15 16 18 17 21 22 22

Houston 115, Denver 101 Boston 112, Toronto 96 Philadelphia 121, Dallas 114 New Orleans 128, Indiana 109 Detroit 112, Charlotte 86 Washington 130, Memphis 122 Orlando 128, Utah 127, OT Portland 98, Sacramento 93 L.A. Clippers 103, L.A. Lakers 88 Golden State 119, Phoenix 116

Late Saturday

Phoenix New Mexico vs. Minnesota, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN)

15 14 13 12 11 10 7 7 6

Saturday’s games

Pro basketball

Friday’s games

Kennesaw State 41, Western Michigan 6

No. 5 LSU 110, Texas-Arlington 45

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Dallas Christian at Louisiana Tech, 1 p.m.

Prairie View A&M at LSU, 6 p.m.

Myrtle Beach Bowl

LeTourneau University at Grambling, noon

Monday’s game

Xbox Bowl

Arkansas State 34, Missouri State 28

Monday’s games

Phoenix Golden State Memphis Portland Dallas Utah L.A. Clippers New Orleans Sacramento

Mathurin 2-9 0-0 4, Siakam 6-14 8-11 22, Huff 3-8 3-3 9, Nembhard 2-11 2-2 7, Q.Jackson 1-3 0-2 2, I.Jackson 1-4 2-4 4, Walker 2-11 2-3 7, Wiseman 3-5 0-0 6, Furphy 7-10 3-3 18, Mathews 2-2 1-2 7, McConnell 8-10 0-0 16, Thompson 3-7 0-0 7. Totals 40-94 21-30 109.

NEW ORLEANS (128)

Bey 6-14 5-5 18, Murphy III 5-8 5-5 17, Queen 8-8 0-0 17, Fears 2-6 1-2 5, H.Jones 2-6 0-0 5, Williamson 9-14 11-13 29, Matkovic 3-5 0-0 6, Peavy 3-4 0-0 8, Missi 2-3 0-0 4, Alvarado 1-5 0-0 3, Hawkins 0-2 0-0 0, Poole 4-10 7-9 16.

Totals 45-85 29-34 128.

Indiana 27 22 30 30 — 109 New Orleans 44 20 34 30 — 128 3-Point Goals—Indiana 8-42 (Mathews 2-2, Siakam 2-7, Furphy 1-3, Nembhard 1-4, Thompson 1-5, Walker 1-8, McConnell 0-2, Q.Jackson 0-2, Huff 0-4, Mathurin 0-5), New Orleans 9-27 (Peavy 2-2, Murphy III 2-5, Queen 1-1, H.Jones 1-2, Alvarado 1-4, Bey 1-4, Poole 1-7, Fears 0-1, Matkovic 0-1). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Indiana 42 (Huff 6), New Orleans 49 (Queen 10). Assists—Indiana 28 (McConnell 8), New Orleans 25 (Poole 6). Total Fouls—Indiana 26, New Orleans 25.

A—16,434 (16,867)

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M o n d ay, d e c e M b e r 22, 2025

7cn

Caregivers should be observant of patients’ feet How important is proper foot care for someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia?

Rome opens long-awaited Colosseum subway station, with displays of unearthed artifacts

BY DAVID BILLER

Associated Press

bureaucratic and funding delays and, crucially, the archaeological excavations necessary, given the underground ruins of imperial Roman and medieval

ä See COLOSSEUM, page 8C

AP PHOTO By ALESSANDRA TARANTINO

A view of the remains of Roman barracks are on display in the Porta Metronia new subway station designed as a museum.

GETTY IMAGES PHOTO

ROME — Rome opened two subway stations in December — one deep beneath the Colosseum — that mix the modernity of high-tech transport with artifacts from an ancient era.

Commuters and tourists entering the station beside the iconic amphitheater can view displays of ceramic vases and plates, stone wells and suspended buckets, as well as the ruins of a cold plunge pool and thermal bath from a first-century dwelling. Screens show the excavation process — serving both to delight archaeology enthusiasts, and justify why it has taken so long to open the station.

The multibillion-euro Metro C subway line has been in the works for two decades but has been slowed by

THE QUEEN OF DISCO

Donna Summer receives posthumous Hall induction

BY MARIA SHERMAN

the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the hall said.

Summer, who died in 2012 at NEWYORK — There are giants, and age 63, was welcomed into the then there is Donna Summer. The Songwriters Hall Dec. 16 at a cerQueen of Disco and then some, emony at The Butterfly Room at known for such timeless tunes as Cecconi’s in Los Angeles. It was “Love to Love You Baby,” “I Feel led by Academy Award-winning Love,” “Bad Girls,” “Dim All the songwriter Paul Williams. SumLights,” “On the Radio” and “She mer’s husband, Bruce Sudano and Works Hard for the Money,” has ä See SUMMER, page 8C been posthumously inducted into

AP music writer

Donna Summer performs at the Nobel Peace concert in Oslo, Norway, on Dec. 11, 2009.

AP FILE PHOTO By JOHN McCONNICO

As we age, our feet flatten and become wider and the fatty padding wears down, leaving bones and joints more exposed to wear and tear.

Injuries can occur from a simple blister to bunions and calluses and conditions such as neuropathy, ingrown toenails and skin breaks can compromise other health conditions.

Foot disorders can lead to a diminishing gait and a potential fall risk in persons with Alzheimer’s, which is why proper foot care should not be ignored.

Since most people with Alzheimer’s cannot verbalize if they are experiencing foot discomfort, it is helpful for the caregiver to be observant in any changes in physical or emotional well-being. The caregiver should watch the pattern of their loved one’s walking; i.e., does he or she seem unsteady, walking more slowly, or even shuffling while walking. Since skin on the feet becomes more fragile with aging, bunions, corns and calluses can form on the feet, in addition to being prone to ingrown toenails or fungal infections. These conditions can cause soreness and discomfort, making the affected individual reluctant to walk.

Additionally, if the person with Alzheimer’s is also a diabetic, the caregiver should be vigilant in proper foot care because even a small cut on the foot can lead to a severe infection, which could become very serious.

Comfortable, well-fitting shoes can make all the difference in the affected person’s mobility so a good pair of walking shoes that are precisely measured and fit for the individual is recommended. Oftentimes, older adults and affected individuals are inclined to wear slippers all day, which encourages shuffling rather than walking and can also be a source of slips and falls.

Caregivers can make a regular habit of washing their loved one’s feet nightly with warm soap and water, drying the feet fully, then applying moisturizer and finishing by covering the feet with breathable cotton socks for comfort and warmth.

This practice can promote relaxation prior to sleep.

Additionally, keeping toenails trimmed is another important element of foot care, and if trimming toenails causes the affected individual to experience fear or anxiety, the caregiver can try creating a spa-like environment, using lavender aromas, soft music, and possibly giving something to the affected person to distract him or her. If the caregiver is uncomfortable or is having difficulty trimming toenails, he or she can go to a local nail care clinic that specializes in caring for senior feet or seek a podiatrist who offers these types of foot care services.

Lastly, caregivers should monitor any foot sores. The heels of the feet are a common location for bedsores because the affected individuals are resting their feet on a footstool, mattress or other surface that leads to tissue breakdown from skin irritation and pressure on the heels. To prevent this type of condition, caregivers can prop the ankles on a foot rest so that the heels of the feet are not touching anything.

In any case with foot conditions, a visit to the podiatrist or primary care physician is recommended.

Dana Territo is an Alzheimer’s advocate and author of “What My Grandchildren Taught Me About Alzheimer’s Disease.”

She hosts “The Memory Whisperer.” Email her at thememorywhisperer@gmail. com.

8C ● Monday, December 22, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Morton’s neuroma causes sensation of pressure Dear Doctors: This weird thing keeps happening where it feels like the sock in my left shoe has gotten wadded up underneath the ball of my foot. Every time I check, nothing is wrong. Is something wrong? My health insurance isn’t very good, so deciding to see a doctor is a big deal.

Dear reader: The dilemma in your letter — whether or not you can afford to see a doctor — is unfortunately not uncommon. For many people, the first response to a possible illness is the mental mathematics of how it will play out in their budget. But it’s important to know that delaying a visit runs the risk that a small or manageable problem can escalate into something more serious. In the end, this can be even more

Dr. Elizabeth Ko Dr. Eve Glazier ASK THE DOCTORS

expensive. We hope that the information we share here can help you in your final decision.

The sensation that you have described of a lump or mass beneath the ball of the foot sounds like a condition known as Morton’s neuroma. People with this diagnosis often use the same image of a wrinkled or balled-up sock that you shared with us. It’s

caused by a pinched nerve in the foot, typically between the third and fourth toes. The pressure on the nerve causes it to send faulty data to the brain, including sensations of fullness, pressure and constriction. The brain then offers a logical interpretation: There’s an object beneath your foot.

There are multiple causes of Morton’s neuroma. Physical injury to the forefoot is one. It could be the effects of ill-fitting shoes, including those that are too tight, too loose or with heels that are too high. It can also be caused by biomechanical problems such as flat feet or high arches, which require specialized support for stability.

Conditions such as hammer toe and bunions are also considered

risk factors for this condition.

The repetitive impact that is a part of sports such as running, tennis and basketball can also give rise to a neuroma.

A reason to see a doctor is to rule out a stress fracture or a break. This would be done with an X-ray. The neuroma itself may be identified with a physical exam to locate the source of the tenderness or the presence of a mass.

Some people find the condition improves with a change of footwear.

Flat-soled shoes with a padded insole and a roomy toe box prevent constriction. Custom shoe inserts, known as orthotics, can also offer relief. In some cases, medications to manage inflammation or pain may be prescribed. When the condition is severe, surgery may

become an option.

If you have Morton’s neuroma, your activities, the mechanics of your gait or your choice of footwear may unknowingly worsen the condition. For this reason, we urge you to see your doctor. They can assess the possible causes of the condition and offer a diagnosis. And if you share your financial concerns, most doctors will work with you on a solution that will address the problem and also protect your budget.

Send your questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla. edu, or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o UCLA Health Sciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024.

COLOSSEUM

‘Grinch’ won’t hold spot

civilizations in its way.

“The challenge was ... building it under such a large amount of groundwater and at the same time preserving all the archaeological finds that we found during the excavation, and all this while preserving everything that is above,” said Marco Cervone, construction manager for the consortium building the subway line, led by Webuild.

The total cost of the line’s 31 stations — three-quarters of which are now operational — will reach around $8.3 billion and be completed by 2035, according to the press office of the city-owned company that has contracted the works.

Rome inaugurated another station this month, Porta Metronia, located one stop away from the one beside the Colosseum and likewise at a depth of about 100 feet.

It features a nearly 260foot military barracks dating to the start of the second century, found at a depth between 22 and 39 feet, according to Simona Moretta, the scientific director of the excavation.

“Surety that it was a military building is given by the fact that the entrances to the rooms are not facing each other, but are offset, so that the soldiers could leave the rooms and get in line without colliding in the corridor,” the archaeologist told reporters.

Soldiers would either have been part of the emperor’s

Dear Miss Manners: I was her she really needed to in line at a busy cosmetask the people she was in ics store. The line wasn’t front of to hold her place. moving very fast when the The man behind her said woman behind me asked he would. me to save her All through my place: She said an wait and checkout, employee had forshe continued to loudly tell everyone gotten to give her who would listen something, and she how rude I was, and had to get it. I was I was even called a approximately fifth Judith in line and there Martin Grinch.

I felt embarwere at least that MISS many people waitrassed and hurt, and MANNERS I feel like I didn’t ing behind me. do anything wrong I looked at the by denying her request. people behind her and I I personally would never told her no — but before I could explain why I wasn’t ask anyone to do this for me; I would have left the comfortable holding her line, gotten my item and place, she called me rude then gotten back in line at and proceeded loudly to the end. say how mean I was that I Gentle reader: Standing in wouldn’t do this for her at line has gotten hazardChristmas.

At the same time, the ous. You are far from the woman in front of me only one to report being turned around and also be- insulted while waiting to check out. rated me — but this womEverybody seems to be an also didn’t step up and disgruntled and defensive. say she would do it. I told

Continued from page 7C

SUMMER

Continued from page 7C their daughters Brooklyn Sudano and Amanda Sudano Ramirez were in attendance.

“Donna Summer is not only one of the defining voices and performers of the 20th century; she is one of the great songwriters of all time who changed the course of music,” said Williams in a statement. “She wrote timeless and transcendent songs that continue to captivate our souls and imaginations, inspiring the world to dance and, above all, feel love.”

Summer’s smooth blend of R&B, soul, pop, funk, rock, disco and electronica launched numerous chart-

AP PHOTO By ALESSANDRA TARANTINO

Ancient Roman finds dating back to the second century B.C. are on display in the ‘Colosseo’ new subway station, designed as a museum to showcase the archaeological finds uncovered during its construction, in Rome. guard or stationed there for city security, she added.

There’s also a home with well-preserved frescoes and mosaics. A museum within the station will be opened in the future, Moretta said.

Digging near the center of Rome means coming in the contact with three millennia of civilizations built atop one another. So far, the consortium building Line C has found more than 500,000 artifacts, according to WeBuild.

In order to work in the delicate archaeological area, the company has employed techniques including freezing the ground to stabilize soil, as well as so-called sacrificial diaphragms — concrete walls built perpendicular to perimeter walls that are demolished as excavation advances.

As the subway line continues onward past the Colosseum, it will run underneath more of the world’s most important cultural heritage

sites — Trajan’s Column and the Basilica of Maxentius, the largest building in the Roman Forum — as well as some of Rome’s prized Renaissance palaces, churches and the Vatican.

The next stop along the line is Piazza Venezia, the veritable heart of Rome’s center. Subway cars will arrive at a depth of 157 feet when it opens in 2033, Cervone said.

Once completed, Line C will run a total of 18 miles, of which 12 miles will be underground, and carry up to 800,000 passengers daily.

Tourists planning to visit the Colosseum and other sites in Rome’s historic center will be able to bypass the eternal city’s notoriously snarled surface traffic — made even worse in recent years by the construction projects themselves.

topping hits in the ’70s and ’80s as well as three multiplatinum albums. She won five Grammys. She was unstoppable — both as a performer and a writer.

“It’s important to me because I know how important it was for Donna,” said Sudano in a news release. “The backstory is, with all the accolades that she received over her career, being respected as a songwriter was always the thing that she felt was overlooked. So, for her to be accepted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame I know that she’s very happy … somewhere.”

The Songwriters Hall of Fame was established in 1969. A songwriter with a notable catalog of songs qualifies for induction 20

years after the first commercial release of a song.

The annual Songwriters Hall of Fame gala does not usually include posthumous inductions; those are reserved for separate events.

Songwriter Pete Bellotte — known for his work with Summer on “Hot Stuff,” “I Feel Love” and “Love To Love You Baby” — is a current nominee for the 2026 Songwriters Hall of Fame class. “Love To Love You Baby” was co-written with Summer and producer Giorgio Moroder. One of Summer’s best-known hits, the song has been sampled many times, including in tracks by Beyoncé, LL Cool J and Timbaland.

The 2026 inductees will be announced early next year.

Paolo Santalucia contributed to this report.

U.S. Brig. Gen. Anthony C. McAuliffe rejected a GerToday is Monday, Dec. 22, man demand for surrender, the 356th day of 2025. writing “Nuts!” as his ofThere are nine days left in ficial one-word reply. Allied the year. forces, at a heavy cost, Today in history: would decisively turn back On Dec. 22, 1984, New the Germans’ last major York City resident Bernhard offensive on the western Goetz shot and wounded front in Europe. four young Black men on a In 1990, Lech Walesa Manhattan subway, allegtook the oath of office as Poland’s first popularly ing they were about to rob him. (Goetz, a White man in elected president.

In 2010, President Barack what became known as the Obama signed a law allow“Subway Vigilante” case, was later acquitted of ating gay, lesbian and bisexual tempted murder and assault Americans to serve openly in the military for the first charges but convicted on a time, repealing the “don’t weapons possession charge ask, don’t tell” policy that and served eight months of allowed gay and lesbian sera one-year sentence.)

Also on this date: vice members to serve as In 1944, during the World long as their sexual orientaWar II Battle of the Bulge, tion was not public.

Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners. com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail. com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Dryer sheets wreak havoc works as well as a dryer Dear Heloise: I wish you ball. — Heloise wouldn’t keep printing hints that use dryer Cheese clumps sheets. Dryer sheets are not our friends.

Dear Heloise: How Not only do they add do you prevent to our landfills, they grated cheese in a wreak havoc on our zip-close bag from dryers and leave a lumping up in the Hints from refrigerator? — Jack waxy trail. (Not to Heloise R., in Garland,Texas mention the smell of cheap perfume that Jack, add a little they leave on our clothes.) cornstarch or flour to the I don’t use them and don’t grated cheese and seal the need to iron my clothes. bag very tightly. — Heloise Just don’t leave your Dirt-free nails clothes sitting in the dryer for long periods of time. — Dear Heloise: I keep a bar of Lois M., via email soap in my shed and scrape Lois, many people today my nails with it so that I have very busy schedules. have soap under my nails.

Taking time to iron clothThen I put on my gloves and do yard work this way. ing, pillowcases, sheets When you wash your hands and other items takes up afterward, your nails will time that they don’t have. be clean. — Barbara G., via email Personally, I don’t use dryer sheets very often.

Sunblock I save money, do not increase the landfill, and stay Dear Heloise: Perhaps some up late sometimes to get other reader has already my blouses ironed. But this responded to the sunblock is my choice. hint, but using a sunblock Some people prefer to with a SPF of 15 or higher use dryer balls, and I have is a little low. Dermatoloone friend who uses a gists recommend a SPF of tennis ball and swears it 30 or higher to protect

yourself against skin cancer, and they say that you should reapply it every two hours (or more frequently if you are sweating or swimming). — Fred S., via email

Wall safe Dear Heloise: We had a wall safe and kept our valuables in it in a house in Turks and Caicos. The house was broken into, and the burglars tore the safe out of the wall and took it as well as our valuables. A wall safe is not reliable. — Larry R., via email Larry, an in-floor safe is harder to pull out. (As some of readers have assured me.) But actually, the safest place would be a safety deposit box at a bank. Thieves find a number of hiding places in the home and don’t seem to care if they do an enormous amount of damage while looking for your valuables. People who make a living by stealing know of all the secret hiding places. — Heloise Send a hint to heloise@ heloise.com.

Friend can’t take annual vacation

TODAY IN HISTORY

By The Associated Press

And Miss Manners notices that this includes you.

This was not a question of breaking into line, but of being momentarily absent from it. Is it really such a crime to dash out and pick up another item and then return to the line? Did you at least begin with an apology for not doing so?

All of you clung to your own abstract sense of justice over an extraordinarily trivial matter to prevail over the obligation of common courtesy. It makes for a very unpleasant society. Merry Christmas.

In 2018, a 34-day federal government shutdown began in Donald Trump’s first presidency, following a stalemate between Congress and the White House on appropriations matters including funding for Trump’s proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Today’s birthdays: Actor Hector Elizondo is 89. Baseball Hall of Famer Steve Carlton is 81. Broadcast journalist Diane Sawyer is 80. Golf Hall of Famer Jan Stephenson is 74. Rapper Luther “Luke” Campbell is 65. Actor Ralph Fiennes is 63. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas is 55. Actor and singer Vanessa Paradis is 53. Actor Brooke Nevin is 43. Singer-actor Jordin Sparks is 36.

tradition. The truth is, I’m Dear Harriette: I want to barely keeping up with my take a vacation with my bills, and a vacation just best friend, but I don’t isn’t possible. I’m worried have the money to do so she’ll be disapright now, and I feel incredibly embarpointed or think less of me. I’ve even rassed about it. thought about tryWe typically take a trip together eving to put the trip on a credit card, but ery year, and it’s I know that would something we both Harriette make my situation look forward to Cole worse. because it helps us SENSE AND I’m torn between reconnect and make SENSITIVITy being honest with memories. This my friend and tryyear, however, everything is different: I lost ing to save face. I keep my job a few months ago practicing the conversaand had to take another job tion in my head, but every that pays a lot less just to version makes me embarstay afloat. rassed. I want to handle I’ve been avoiding the this in a way that protects vacation conversation both our friendship and my because I don’t want her dignity. How should I tell to think I’m unreliable or my friend that I can’t go on that I don’t care about our a trip this year? — No Vacay

Dear No Vacay: If your friend truly is your “best friend,” she should understand. Tell her the truth: This has been a tough year for many people, including you. Your friend needs to know right away that you cannot take the trip. This will give her a chance to change her plans. Admit that you are embarrassed and disappointed in your circumstances right now.

Obviously, you wanted to honor your tradition, but you have to pass this year.

The end.

Send questions to askharriette@ harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Monday, December 22, 2025 ● 9C

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FrAnK And erneSt

bIG nAte

zItS

zodIAC cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Put your energy where it brings the highest returns. Today is about acknowledging your attributes and putting them to work for you. Change is up to you; don't sell yourself short.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Combine energy and creativity, and you'll come up with a plan to launch in the new year.

Change is within reach if you use your skills to align with your dreams, hopes and wishes.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Think twice before you jeopardize your chance to advance. Personal and professional gain begins with a positive attitude, insight and knowing how to work a crowd.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Reach out and connect with people who have something to offer you. Don't sit back when you have so much to gain by participating. Focus on turning an opportunity into a new beginning. tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Observe what's happening around you. Take advantage of an opportunity to participate in something that can broaden your awareness or point you in a worthwhile direction.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Find something you feel passionate about and sign up to help. Volunteering at this time of the year can be rewarding and connect you to a group that will have an impact on how you live. cAncER (June 21-July 22) Address issues that have not been dealt with, and take

a firm position. Don't fear opposition; offer solutions and get the ball rolling.

It's time to leave the past behind you.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Enjoy the festivities. Take every opportunity to share your vision and to drum up support.

Change is on the horizon if you are willing to step up and do your part, but don't neglect loved ones or take them for granted.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Say less and do more. Closely observe how others react to a tricky situation, and take physical action to clear a passage forward for those who share your beliefs.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Stop and rethink your plans. Too much of anything will work against you. Overspending, making unrealistic promises or letting your emotions lead the way should be avoided. scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Focus on whatever you feel passionate about. It's up to you to make your own opportunities and to go the distance to ensure your plans gain momentum and attract the right people. sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Keep an open mind, but don't cave under undue pressure. Listen dutifully, but be ready to defend your thoughts, perspective and choices. Honesty is the best policy.

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

For better or For WorSe WonderWord

peAnUtS

SALLY Forth

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

toDAy's cLuE: P EQuALs F

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon FAMILY CIrCUS

dooneSbUrY

10C ● Monday, December 22, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

CurTiS

Hi and LoiS

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Sudoku 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 Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Saturday’s Puzzle Answer

BaBY BLueS

BLondie

THe wiZard oF id

nea CroSSwordS

La TimeS CroSSword

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Monday, December 22, 2025 ● 11C

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Bridge

By PHILLIP ALDER Thomas Fuller, a prolific English writer who died in 1661, said, “Learning makes a man fit company for himself.”

Bridge learning makes a man or woman fit company for partner.

Bridge bidding also revolves around fit — fit is fantastic; misfit is miserable.

For example, look only at the North hand.

West opens one spade, North passes, East raises to two spades, South makes a takeout double, and West jumps to four spades.

What should North do?

The North hand is good news and bad news. It has 10 high-card points when it might have had none. And all of those points are in the suits where partner has promised length. But the balanced nature of the hand and doubleton spade suggest that there might be three or four losers.

However, bidding has two potential pluses: Five of a minor might make; and even if it would not, perhaps the opponents will misjudge and bid five spades, which surely will be too high.

So North ought to bid — but what?

He should advance with four no-trump, showing at least two places to play and asking partner to select the trump suit.

(It cannot be Blackwood; how could North be thinking about a slam?)

garfield

Pearls Before swiNe

hagar the horriBle

Here, South would bid five clubs. If left there, South will probably ruff the spade-king lead, draw trumps ending in his hand, play a diamond to dummy’s queen, and return a diamond to his 10. If so, he will make the contract.

And if West bids five spades, North can double and collect 500 for down two. © 2025 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

wuzzles Each Wuzzle is a word riddle which creates a disguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD = GOOD AFTERNOON

PiCKles

Previous answers:

mallard fillmore

word game InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3.

Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

toDAy’s WoRD — LAZuLItE: LAH-zhu-lite: An azure-blue mineral.

Bizarro

marmaduKe

Average mark 13 words Time limit 25 minutes Can you find 19 or more words in LAZULITE? sAtuRDAy’s WoRD — GREEDILy geld gelid gild gilder gird girdle girl glee glide glider greed

greedy grey greyed grid gyre reed reedy reel relied rely ride

ridge rile edge edger edgier edgily edgy eerily eery eider elder

elegy elide eyed eyelid deer deli diel dire dirge dreg drily

dyer idle idler idly ledge ledger leer leery lied liege liger

lyre yield

loCKhorNs hidato Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

today’s thought “I will bless the Lord, who has given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” Psalms 16:7-8 The Lord speaks to me through the night. It’s a blessing. He is always speaking.

Are we listening? — G.E. Dean

12C ● Monday, December 22, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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ALMANAC

AIR QUALITY

LAFAyETTE THROUGH 5 P.M. SUNDAy

YESTERDAY

TEMPERATURE

High/low Normal high/low Record high Record low

GOOD

81°/67° 63°/45° 80° in 1948 16° in 1901

MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

READING 27

TODAY

PRECIPITATION

GOOD

24 hours through 5 p.m. Sun. 0.06” Month to date (normal) 7.08” (3.18”) year to date (normal) 71.91” (61.03”)

MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

SUN AND MOON Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today

FIRST

7:01 a.m.

5:13 p.m.

9:12 a.m.

7:39 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 72/63

Shreveport 73/67

Jackson 70/57

Longview 74/66

Many 74/61

Hattiesburg 71/52

Alexandria 74/59

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

Cairo COMITE

Near Olive

Baton Rouge 77/56 Beaumont 76/64

Port Arthur 74/62

Lafayette

AMITE

Near Darlington Denham Springs Port Vincent

New Orleans 74/59

Lake Charles 76/59

TICKFAW

Montpelier Holden

Houma 76/57

ATCHAFALAYA

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

TIDES HIGH

First FT. LOW

Lake Pontchartrain (Tchefuncte River) 8:25a 0.6 Shell Beach 2:54a 1.5 South Point, Marsh Island 1:06a 1.5 Cypremort Point 10:49p 1.6 Grand Isle (Barataria Pass) 10:46p 1.0 Mississippi River (Southwest Pass) 10:01p 1.3 Wine Island 11:54p 1.3

FT.

8:22p -0.2 1:54p -0.4 9:06a -0.7 1:04p -0.2 9:35a -0.5 7:48a -0.5 10:37a -0.6

HIGH

Second FT. LOW

FT.

---------------

---------------

---------------

---------------

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

Simmesport Melville Krotz Springs Butte La Rose Bayou Sorrel Morgan City

FLOOD STAGE 24-HOUR STAGE CHANGE

34 48 48 35 27 22 17

-7.70 11.80 16.50 5.90 3.70 2.21 2.30

-0.19 -0.04 -0.60 -0.10 none -0.12 +0.01

40

13.06

+5.17

19

-1.40

-0.01

18 29 8

-0.83 10.54 1.86

-0.06 -0.12 none

13 15

1.73 1.14

-0.05 -0.06

47 34 29 20 12 6

4.53 3.03 3.08 2.24 2.60 2.34

-0.70 -0.56 -0.25 -0.36 none +0.17

Austin Boston Dallas Fairbanks Honolulu Las Vegas Louisville Miami Nashville

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

Tuesday

Hi

Lo

W

Hi

Lo

W

City

74 33 73 -28 83 66 54 80 58

65 29 63 -38 75 49 50 72 53

pc s pc s sh pc sh pc pc

79 34 79 -14 80 63 62 79 62

65 31 64 -21 72 52 48 68 57

pc sn pc s sh pc c pc c

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

45 91 51 42 46 71 51 41 82 74 60

38 75 43 33 34 53 44 35 70 64 42

pc s c c c pc c c s s c

41 92 51 37 42 69 49 44 82 75 56

32 75 45 28 30 53 43 32 64 66 40

c s c c c pc c c t sh pc

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

Hi

Today

W

Hi

Lo

W

74 78 41 81 40 51 54 66 79

59 62 33 55 34 35 45 57 64

c pc pc s pc s pc c s

76 80 42 77 46 61 61 68 79

59 58 37 60 32 46 48 64 61

s pc r c r pc pc sh s

70 52 44 68 20 35 68 52 61 35 52

51 42 33 50 17 11 52 38 51 26 40

pc c c pc sn c pc c pc pc sh

71 47 46 68 24 13 70 43 61 32 52

55 39 34 50 19 9 50 36 48 23 41

pc c pc pc sn c pc pc sh c s

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 Tue. Wed. Thu. Fri. Sat. Sun.

Major

Minor

Major

Minor

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 5:32a 11:44a 5:57p ----

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

ONE great state Scan to download

Scan to download

FOUR great apps

Scan to download

Scan to download

Tuesday

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