The Acadiana Advocate 12-24-2025

Rabalais: Taking stock of Kiffin’s new wave of LSU coaching additions 1C THE

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‘A beautiful sight’

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La. National Guard to deploy in New Orleans Gov. Landry says troops to stay through Mardi Gras

BY MATTHEW ALBRIGHT and BEN MYERS

Staff writers

STAFF PHOTOS By MICHAEL JOHNSON

A line of nearly finished structures rests atop the levee for the annual Christmas Eve bonfires in Gramercy on Friday.

After weeks preparing, St. James residents set to gather for bonfire tradition

About 350 members of the Louisiana National Guard will deploy to New Orleans for two months, helping to beef up security in the French Quarter for New Year’s Eve, the Sugar Bowl and Mardi Gras, according to a news release.

They will also more generally support law enforcement and “enhance capabilities, stabilize the environment, assist in reducing crime and restoring public trust,” according to a news release. The operation will last through February.

Gov. Jeff Landry announced the deployment on “The Will Cain Show” on Fox News.

“Look, we know how to make cities safe, and the National Guard complements cities that have high crime problems,” Landry said.

Landry cited President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops, including some from Louisiana, to Washington, D.C. The soldiers currently serving in the

Landry

ä Court rejects request to overturn Guard ruling.

PAGE 2A

ä Trump reveals more about Landry’s Greenland envoy role.

ä See GUARD, page 5A PAGE 5A

OPELOUSAS

BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT

Staff writer

The bonfires will burn tonight.

The wooden pyramid structures sit along the levee near Gramercy, looming above River Road. For weeks, residents from the surrounding communities have hauled logs and chain-sawed them to create the bonfires, preparing for the Christmas Eve lighting at 7 p.m.

It is a tradition that dates back more than a century, and various theories have been floated for its origin. Popular explanations include lighting the way for Catholic parishioners journeying to Midnight Mass or blazing a path for “Papa Noel,” according to the Louisiana Folklife website. In a 1990 Southern Folklore article by Marcia Gaudet, she proposed it was started by French immigrants in St. James Parish between 1880 and 1900.

ä See TRADITION, page 3A

Shelter expands to transitional family housing

Unused property becomes a safe space for women, children

BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer

Cowen Wiggins tosses a long log in a bonfire structure for the annual Christmas Eve bonfires along the levee on Friday.

With few long-term housing options available locally, Opelousas City Council member Chasity Davis has opened an unconventional space as transitional housing for women and children.

After running an emergency shelter for nearly a year, Davis has now converted what was originally intended as a day care property into transitional housing.

The journey began in 2024 with the opening of the emergency shelter, located in the upstairs area

ä See SHELTER, page 7A

WEATHER HIGH 78 LOW 58 PAGE 8A

Business ......................6A Living............................5C Nation-World................2A Classified .....................4B Lottery..........................4B Opinion ........................2B Comics-Puzzles .....7C-9C Metro ...........................1B Sports ..........................1C

101ST yEAR, NO. 177

2A ● Wednesday, December 24, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Mexican plane crashes in Texas; 5 killed

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Russell Brand faces new rape charges in U.K.

LONDON — British authorities on Tuesday brought new counts of rape and sexual assault against comedian Russell Brand, who is already facing similar charges involving four women.

The U.K.’s Crown Prosecution Service said the new charges — one count of rape and one of sexual assault — against Brand were in relation to two further women. The alleged offenses took place in 2009, the CPS said.

Brand, 50, had already been charged in April with two counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault. The charges were brought following an 18-month investigation sparked when four women alleged they had been assaulted by the controversial comedian.

Prosecutors said that these offenses took place between 1999 and 2005 — one in the English seaside town of Bournemouth and the other three in London.

Brand pleaded not guilty to those charges in a London court earlier this year.

He is expected to appear next in court on Jan. 20, in relation to the two new charges brought against him. A trial has also been scheduled for June next year and is expected to last four to five weeks.

Student loan borrowers may see wages garnished WASHINGTON — The Trump administration said on Tuesday that it will begin garnishing the wages of student loan borrowers who are in default early next year.

The department said it will send notices to approximately 1,000 borrowers the week of Jan. 7, with more notices to come at an increasing scale each month.

Millions of borrowers are considered in default, meaning they are 270 days past due on their payments. The department must give borrowers 30 days notice before their wages can be garnished.

The department said it will begin collection activities, “only after student and parent borrowers have been provided sufficient notice and opportunity to repay their loans.”

In May, the Trump administration ended the pandemic-era pause on student loan payments, beginning to collect on defaulted debt through withholding tax refunds and other federal payments to borrowers.

Louvre tightens security after $102M jewel heist PARIS — A freight lift rose up on its crane Tuesday toward the Louvre Museum — but this time it wasn’t jewel thieves. It was workers installing security bars on the window used to break into the Paris landmark’s Apollo Gallery in October’s stunning heist.

The world’s most-visited museum is slowly coming to terms with security failings exposed by the theft, while investigators hunt for missing crown jewels worth $102 million.

With the Louvre closed Tuesday, maintenance workers in security helmets and high-visibility vests mounted a freight lift to a second-floor balcony to secure new metal bars outside a now-infamous window.

Powerball jackpot soars again, now at $1.7B The Powerball jackpot has jumped to an eye-popping $1.7 billion, after the 46th drawing passed without a big winner.

The numbers drawn Monday night were 3, 18, 36, 41, 54 and the Powerball 7.

Since Sept. 6, there have been 46 straight drawings without a big winner.

The next drawing will be Christmas Eve on Wednesday, with the prize expected to be the fourth-largest in U.S. lottery history.

Powerball’s odds of 1 in 292.2 million are designed to generate big jackpots, with prizes growing as they roll over when no one wins. Lottery officials note that the odds are far better for the game’s many smaller prizes.

There are three drawings each week.

The estimated $1.6 billion jackpot goes to a winner who opts to receive 30 payments over 29 years through an annuity.

BY HALLIE GOLDEN and MEGAN JANETSKY Associated Press

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By NAM y. HUH

Law enforcement officers stand guard earlier this month as protesters gather outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility in the Chicago suburb of Broadview, Ill.

Court rejects request to overturn Guard ruling Trump administration wants to send troops to Chicago

BY MARK SHERMAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to allow the Trump administration to deploy National Guard troops in the Chicago area to support its immigration crackdown, a significant defeat for the president’s efforts to send troops to U.S. cities.

The justices declined the Republican administration’s emergency request to overturn a ruling by U.S. District Judge April Perry that had blocked the deployment of troops. An appeals court also had refused to step in. The Supreme Court took more than two months to act.

Three justices — Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch — publicly dissented.

The high court order is not a final ruling but it could affect other lawsuits challenging President Donald Trump’s attempts to deploy the military in other Democratic-led cities.

“At this preliminary stage, the Government has failed to identify a source of authority that would allow the military to execute the

laws in Illinois,” the high court majority wrote.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh said he agreed with the decision to keep the Chicago deployment blocked, but would have left the president more latitude to deploy troops in possible future scenarios.

The outcome is a rare Supreme Court setback for Trump, who had won repeated victories in emergency appeals since he took office again in January. The conservative-dominated court has allowed Trump to ban transgender people from the military, claw back billions of dollars of congressionally approved federal spending, move aggressively against immigrants and fire the Senate-confirmed leaders of independent federal agencies.

Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker applauded Tuesday’s decision as a win for the state and country.

“American cities, suburbs, and communities should not have to faced masked federal agents asking for their papers, judging them for how they look or sound, and living in fear that President can deploy the military to their streets,” he said.

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson, on the other hand, said the president had activated the National Guard to protect federal personnel and property from “violent rioters.”

“Nothing in today’s ruling detracts from that core agenda. The Administration will continue working day in and day out to safeguard the American public,” she said.

Alito and Thomas said in their dissent that the court had no basis to reject Trump’s contention that the administration needed the troops to enforce immigration laws. Gorsuch said he would have narrowly sided with the government based on the declarations of federal law enforcement officials.

The administration had initially sought the order to allow the deployment of troops from Illinois and Texas, but the Texas contingent of about 200 National Guard troops was later sent home from Chicago.

The Trump administration has argued that the troops are needed “to protect federal personnel and property from violent resistance against the enforcement of federal immigration laws.”

Major Russian attack kills at least 3, cuts power Officials say more than 650 drones, dozens of missiles fired at Ukraine

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BY ILLIA NOVIKOV Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine — Russia fired more than 650 drones and three dozen missiles at Ukraine in a large-scale attack that began during the night and stretched into daylight hours Tuesday, officials said. At least three people were killed, including a 4-year-old child, two days before Christmas.

The barrage struck homes and the power grid in 13 regions of Ukraine, causing widespread outages in bitter temperatures, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, a day after he described recent progress on finding a peace deal as “quite solid.”

The bombardment demonstrated Russian President Vladimir Putin’s intention of pursuing the invasion of Ukraine, Zelenskyy said in a post on the Telegram messaging app. Ukrainian and European officials have complained that Putin is not sincerely engaging with U.S.-led peace efforts.

The attack “is an extremely clear signal of Russian priorities,” Zelenskyy said. “A strike before Christmas, when people want to be with their families, at home, in safety. A strike, in fact, in the midst of negotiations that are being conducted to end this war. Putin cannot accept the fact that we must stop killing.”

U.S. President Donald Trump has for months been pressing for a peace agreement, but the negotiations have become entangled in the very different demands

A small Mexican Navy plane transporting a young medical patient and seven others crashed Monday near Galveston, killing at least five people and setting off a search in waters along the Texas coast, officials said.

Four of the people aboard were Navy officers and four were civilians, including a child, Mexico’s Navy said in a statement to The Associated Press. Two of the passengers were from a nonprofit that provides aid to Mexican children with severe burns, including transports to a Galveston hospital.

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Luke Baker said at least five aboard had died but did not identify which passengers.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Mexico’s Marines said in a statement that it is sending “its deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this tragic accident.”

The crash took place Monday afternoon in Galveston Bay near the base of the causeway that connects Galveston Island to the mainland. Emergency responders and search teams rushed to the scene near the popular beach destination along the Texas coast that is about 50 miles southeast of Houston.

Sky Decker, a professional yacht captain who lives about a mile from the crash site, said he jumped in his boat to see if he could help. He said he picked up two police officers who directed him through thick fog to a nearly completely submerged plane. Decker jumped in the water and found a badly injured woman trapped beneath chairs and other debris.

“I couldn’t believe. She had maybe 3 inches of air gap to breathe in,” he said. “And there was jet fuel in there mixed with the water, fumes real bad. She was really fighting for her life.”

PROVIDED PHOTO

A house is damaged Tuesday after a Russian strike in Zhytomyr region, Ukraine.

from Moscow and Kyiv.

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said Sunday he held “productive and constructive” talks in Florida with Ukrainian and European representatives. Trump was less effusive Monday, saying, “The talks are going along.”

Initial reports from Ukrainian emergency services said the child died in Ukraine’s northwestern Zhytomyr region, while a drone killed a woman in the Kyiv region, and another civilian death was recorded in the western Khmelnytskyi region, according to Zelenskyy.

Russia launched 635 drones of various types and 38 missiles, Ukraine’s air force said. Air defenses stopped 587 drones and 34 missiles, it said.

It was the ninth large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine’s energy system this year and left multiple regions in the west without power, while emergency power outages were in place across the country, acting Energy Minister Artem Nekraso said. Work to restore power would begin as soon as the security situation permitted, he said.

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TRADITION

Continued from page 1A Either way, St. James Parish residents, young and old, will continue the tradition this Christmas Eve with families and visitors from around the world swapping stories on the levee. Here are three from this year’s tradition:

Passing the torch Paulina resident Seth Melancon, 40, has been building bonfires with his family since he was a kid.

“My dad was here this weekend and helped Saturday a good bit,” he said on Dec. 17. “I had two other friends that came and helped. Normally, I got a pretty big crew; my crew is kind of shrinking a little bit. I had a few friends pass away and a few others busy with work.”

This year’s 13-foot-tall bonfire follows the classic pyramid-shape design.

Growing up, Melancon said, his family built its fire closer to the bridge; now, it is located across from his father’s auto repair shop.

Work moves fast, too.

“This weekend they didn’t have anything here,” he said on Dec. 17. “This Saturday we just started putting it up.”

Asked why he continues the work every year, Melancon said it was about keeping the tradition alive.

“I don’t know. It’s just a yearly ritual, I guess,” he stated. “I’ve been doing it since I was a little kid. Hopefully, my son will one day take it over, and I won’t have to build it no more; I’ll just sit by the fire and hang out.”

Dedicated to a brother The week before Christmas, Lutcher resident Jarmel Beckett, 25, was using a chain saw to cut logs for his bonfire’s kindling. Unlike many of the other fires, the one he helped build is shaped like a box.

“This right here, man, this is a beautiful sight to see on Christmas Eve. All the bon-

STAFF PHOTOS By MICHAEL JOHNSON

The sun sets over a bonfire tower on the levee that will be part of the traditional Christmas Eve bonfires in Gramercy on Friday. fires lit up, all the hard work everybody put into it,” he said. “Everybody sees the lighting of it, the fun of it, the party of it, but nobody’ll know the hard work, the going in the woods, cutting trees, gas — it takes a lot of hard work to build a bonfire, man.”

The fire will raise awareness for the group Wildlife or No Life, which was founded by Beckett’s uncle, Dwayne Winfield. The group helps educate children about hunting and fishing and gets

them outdoors, Beckett explained, adding that the bonfire will have a banner for the group.

This year’s fire is also dedicated to Beckett’s brother, who died this past year. As he said, the most important part of the tradition can be summed up in one word: family.

“Seeing all the family, seeing this small community called Lutcher, Louisiana, and Paulina and Gramercy, all of us come together as one and enjoy what we have:

this tradition that has been going on for years before I was even born,” he said.

Cane reed firecrackers Mickey Roussel, 69, of Lutcher, has been building Christmas Eve levee bonfires for most of his life and thinks “everybody should have it on their bucket list.”

“A group of us been doing this since I was in high school,” he said. “So now we’re all in our 60s and 70s, but we still do it because the tradition is pretty neat.”

Not much has changed in those intervening years.

The bonfires have shrunk to a maximum height of 15 feet for safety reasons, though, and he said the time it takes to build them has likewise shrunk, because they now have trucks and trailers to help haul the wood. Beyond that, everything else remains about the same — including using reeds as natural firecrackers.

“In the ’30s and ’40s they didn’t have fireworks,” Roussel said. “For the bam-

boo, every joint pops, so when you stack it against the wood, and you light it, it’s like a bunch of firecrackers going off,” he said.

Thousands, including people across the world, journey to River Road for the festivities. As the bonfires rage on the levee, residents shoot fireworks off toward the river.

“Christmas Eve is neat,” he said. “I’m 69 years old.

I’ve never been anywhere else for Christmas Eve. Anywhere else.”

Dream Address Awaits

A special Lane Train complete with a cutout of LSU football coach Lane Kiffin sits atop the levee for the annual Christmas Eve bonfires in Gramercy on Friday.

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Trump reveals more about Landry’s envoy role President calls governor a ‘dealmaker-type guy’

BY MATTHEW ALBRIGHT Staff writer

President Donald Trump says Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry’s new role as special envoy is a “big deal,” because the U.S. needs Greenland for its national security.

“If you take a look at Greenland, you look up and down the coast, you have Russian and Chinese ships all over the place,” Trump said in response to questions at a news conference Monday afternoon. “We need it for national security. We have to have it.”

Trump announced Landry’s special envoy role in a Truth Social post on Sunday night. Landry has said the role “in no way affects my position as governor of Louisiana.”

Greenland is an independent territory of Denmark. The largest noncontinent island in the world, it is home to about 57,000 people.

It is strategically significant as a

buffer between North America and the Arctic and North Atlantic regions.

The island is also rich in rare earth minerals used in modern technological devices. But Trump, in his news conference, said he was interested in the island for national security reasons, not for its resources.

Greenlandic and Danish officials were outraged by Trump’s announcement of a special envoy, saying the U.S. “cannot annex another country.” That outrage continued Tuesday.

Henrik Dahl, a member of the European Parliament from Denmark, posted a reply on X to a video Landry posted Monday saying, “Hey Louisiana, I’m not going anywhere!”

“I am pleased that you intend to remain at home in Louisiana. You and your administration have no business in Greenland,” Dahl responded. “Your imperialist fantasies of taking over Greenland have no place in the twenty-first century. We will regard you as an enemy of both the Danish state and the Danish and Greenlandic peoples should you persist in these

Trump said Landry would be a good negotiator with Greenland because “he’s a deal guy, he’s a dealmaker-type guy.”

That tracks what Landry said in a video posted to social media Monday, in which he talked about his special envoy role.

“The president said, ‘Y’know what? You went to Korea one time and came back with a steel mill.

Could you go to Greenland and talk to them about the opportunity of being a part of the United States?” Landry said.

Landry was referring to Hyundai’s plans for a massive new facility in Ascension Parish, which is expected to cost more than $5 billion and create up to 1,300 jobs.

It’s not clear who first apASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By EVAN VUCCI President Donald Trump announced Gov. Jeff Landry’s special envoy role proached whom about Landry’s role. In his video, Landry said in a Truth Social post on Sunday night. Landry has said the role ‘in no Trump called to ask him to help way affects my position as governor of Louisiana.’

Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

But Trump said at his news notions of unilaterally altering the they have no military protection,” conference, “I didn’t call him; he international legal status of sover- the president said. “They say that called me.”

Denmark was there 300 years ago “He’s very proactive,” Trump eign countries.”

At the news conference, Trump or something with a boat. Well, said. “He’s a great guy.” dismissed concerns from Europe. we were there with boats too, I’m “I don’t know, they say Denmark, sure. So, we’ll have to work it all Contact Matthew Albright at but Denmark has spent no money, out.” malbright@theadvocate.com.

GUARD

Members of the Louisiana National Guard patrol the grounds of the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 7. The National Guard will deploy 350 troops to New Orleans in January and February.

Continued from page 1A nation’s capital will return to Louisiana by the end of the month to join the New Orleans operation, the release said.

“They’re going to be here in New Orleans. It’s going to further help us crack down on the violence,” Landry said.

New Orleans Mayor-elect Helena Moreno said the deployment is welcome, since it comes at no cost to the city and “plays an important role in strengthening public safety.” Moreno also called on the Trump administration to give strong consideration to the city’s request to give New Year’s Eve and the Sugar Bowl a “SEAR-1” threat rating — the highest security level, which would unlock federal tactical support, intelligence gathering, cyber risk assessment and other resources.

“I look forward to a coordinated effort among our local, state and federal agencies to ensure the height of our major event season is safe and enjoyable for the people of New Orleans and those in town visiting,” Moreno said in a statement.

In a statement, the New Orleans Police Department and the city of New Orleans said they welcome the National Guard to New Orleans and the ongoing partnership.

“These are the sons and daughters of Louisiana, and their presence is a force multiplier that supports local public safety efforts,” the statement said. “Alongside the dedicated men and women of the NOPD, this partnership will help us sustain progress and keep our neighborhoods safer.”

The deployment is under federal Title 32 status, which means the National Guard will continue to report to Landry and leader Maj. Gen.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By JOSE LUIS MAGANA Thomas Friloux, but the operation will be paid for by the federal government. Landry thanked Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth for approving the plan.

The National Guard has previously deployed in New Orleans for major events, particularly at the beginning of this year after the Jan. 1 terrorist attack on Bourbon Street.

“We’ve mobilized multiple times this year to support efforts in New Orleans, and are ready to do so again for the next two months,” said Friloux. “We will focus on a uniformed presence to enhance the quality of life of our residents and visitors in partnership with Troop Nola of the Louisiana State Police and the New Orleans Police Department.”

The deployment is smaller than the one Landry asked for in an October letter to Trump.

Then, he requested 1,000 troops to “deploy throughout the state to urban centers, supplement law enforcement presence in high-crime areas,

provide logistical and communication support, and secure critical infrastructure,” Landry’s letter said.

Guard deployments in other cities have drawn major controversy. Officials in Memphis, Portland, Los Angeles and Chicago have sued the Trump administration for sending or planning to send troops into their jurisdictions,

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calling it an illegal abuse of federal power.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to grant the administration’s request to block a federal judge’s order barring a deployment of National Guard troops to the Chicago area.

“At this preliminary stage, the Government has failed to identify a source of authority that would allow the military to execute the laws in Illinois,” the high court majority wrote.

News of the deployment also comes as federal immigration authorities pursue a sweeping crackdown on illegal immigration in the New Orleans region. As of last week, “Operation Catahoula Crunch” had resulted in the detention of about 350 people, federal authorities said.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

6A ● Wednesday, December 24, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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BUSINESS T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M/news/business

DOW 48,442.41 79.73 0.17%

NASDAQ 23,561.84 133.01 0.57%

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

S&P 500 closes at another record

NEW YORK — Stocks closed at another record on Wall Street Tuesday following a surprisingly strong report on economic growth over the summer.

The U.S. government’s first assessment of economic growth during the third quarter also showed that inflation remains high. A separate report showed that consumer confidence continued fading in December. All of it added to a complicated picture of the economy.

The latest record for the S&P 500 came even as most stocks within the benchmark index lost ground. Technology stocks, which have been the main force pushing major indexes to records all year, once again were able to counter weakness elsewhere in the market.

The S&P 500 rose 31.30 points, or 0.5%, to 6,909.79, surpassing the record set earlier in December. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 79.73 points, or 0.2%, to 48,442.41. The Nasdaq composite rose 133.02 points, or 0.6%, to 23,561.84.

Nvidia jumped 3% and was the biggest force helping to push the market higher. It is among several big tech companies with outsized valuations that tend to have more impact on the broader market’s direction. Google’s parent company, Alphabet, rose 1.5%.

Novo Nordisk jumped 7.3% after U.S. regulators approved a pill version of the blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy, the first daily oral medication to treat obesity.

Markets close early Wednesday for Christmas Eve and remain closed for Christmas.

Consumer confidence slumps to lowest level WASHINGTON — Consumers’ confidence in the economy was shaken in December as Americans grew anxious about high prices and the impact of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs.

The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell 3.8 points to 89.1 in December, the fifth straight monthly decline and approaching the 85.7 reading from April, when Trump rolled out his import taxes on U.S. trading partners. November’s reading was upwardly revised to 92.9.

A measure of Americans’ short-term expectations for their income, business conditions and the job market remained stable at 70.7, but still well below 80, the marker that can signal a recession ahead. It was the 11th consecutive month that reading has come in under 80. Consumers’ assessments of their current economic situation tumbled 9.5 points to 116.8.

Write-in responses to the survey showed that prices and inflation remained consumers’ biggest concern, along with tariffs, despite repeated claims by President Trump that inflation is a hoax.

Drivers seeing lower gas prices this holiday This holiday season, many U.S. drivers are getting the gift of lower gas prices.

According to data from motor club AAA, December has been the cheapest month for prices at the pump this year. The national average for unleaded gasoline has stayed below the $3 mark since Dec. 2, falling to its lowest level of about $2.85 a gallon on Monday.

That figure has inched up slightly since, sitting at closer to $2.86 a gallon Tuesday — but overall, consumers hitting the road ahead of the Christmas holiday will likely continue to see mild prices.

As always, some states have cheaper averages than others, due to factors ranging from nearby refinery supply to local fuel requirements. Hawaii had the highest average of about $4.44 a gallon on Tuesday, per AAA — followed by $4.30 in California and $3.92 in Washington. Oklahoma had the lowest average at about $2.30 per gallon.

S&P 500 6,909.79 31.30 0.46%

EURO 1.1792 -0.0002 -0.02%

CRUDE OIL 58.38 0.37 0.64%

GOLD 4,482.80 38.20 0.86%

6-MO T-BILLS 3.6 0.0 0.0%

30-YR T-BONDS 4.83 -0.01 -0.21%

U.S. GDP surges in third quarter It’s the fastest pace in two years

BY MATT OTT

AP business writer WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy grew at a surprisingly strong 4.3% annual rate in the third quarter, the most rapid expansion in two years, driven by consumers who continue to spend in the face of ongoing inflation.

U.S. gross domestic product from July through September — the economy’s total output of goods and services — rose from its 3.8% growth rate in the April-June quar-

ter, the Commerce Department said Tuesday in a report delayed by the government shutdown. Economists surveyed by the data firm FactSet forecast growth of just 3% in the period.

As has been the case for most of this year, the consumer is providing the fuel that is powering the U.S. economy. Consumer spending, which accounts for about 70% of U.S. economic activity, rose to a 3.5% annual pace last quarter.

That’s up from 2.5% in the AprilJune period.

A number of economists, however, believe the growth spurt may be short-lived with the extended government shutdown dragging on the economy in the fourth quar-

ter, as well as a growing number of Americans fatigued by stubbornly high inflation.

A survey published by the Conference Board Tuesday showed that consumer confidence slumped close to levels not seen since the U.S. rolled out broad tariffs on its trading partners in April.

“The jump in consumer spending reminds me a lot of last year’s (fourth quarter),” said Stephen Stanley, chief U.S. economist at Santander. “Consumers were stretching. So, as was the case entering this year, households probably need to take a breather soon.”

The seemingly divergent paths between how consumers say they are feeling and how much money

continues to be spent may be more evidence of what is known as a “ Kshaped economy.” In that situation, the income of wealthier Americans is on the rise, due to stock market gains and growing investments, while lower-income households struggle with stagnant pay and higher prices.

“The latest data on household spending indicates continued strong gains in consumer spending, particularly on services,” wrote Michael Pearce, chief U.S. economist for Oxford Economics. “We think that reflects the K-shaped consumer recovery, with spending growth driven by older, wealthier households while those on low and more moderate incomes struggle.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

HOLIDAY SALES UP BUT PACE LAGS Data reveals shoppers are more focused

Sunday. That’s above its 3.6% forecast for the overall season, but also lower than last year’s 4.1% increase during the same period.

Shoppers “blended online and in-store shopping to find the best deals and maximize conBY ANNE D’INNOCENZIO venience,” said Michelle Meyer, chief econoAP retail writer mist at Mastercard Economics Institute.

The figure, not adjusted for inflation, exNEW YORK — Consumers stepped up gift giv- cludes sales from automotive dealerships ing during the first seven weeks of the holi- and gas stations, but includes business from day shopping season, according to new data restaurants. Mastercard SpendingPulse released Tuesday. But uncertainty about the didn’t have an inflation-adjusted figure availeconomy is making shoppers more targeted able. in their buying.

From Nov. 1 through Sunday, cash and A focused shopper credit card sales rose 4.2%, which is less Retailers say customers are being selecthan the 4.8% increase during the same pe- tive and focused this year on gifts while riod a year ago, according to Visa’s Consult- holding off on the usual holiday decor spending & Analytics division. ing. Many households are struggling with The data, which exclude sales from auto higher prices for groceries, rent and importdealerships, gas stations, and restaurants, ed goods hit by tariffs. The latest job report, are not adjusted for inflation or the impact released by the Labor Department last week, from President Donald Trump’s tariffs. also shows a souring employment picture.

When adjusted for inflation, retail sales As a result, consumers have been gloomrose a more modest 2.2% for the first sev- ier. Consumers’ confidence in the economy en weeks of the holiday period, according fell in December, marking the fifth straight to Visa’s U.S. principal economist Michael monthly decline as Americans grew anxious Brown. That compares with the inflation ad- about high prices and the impact of Trump’s justed 3% in the same year-ago time frame. sweeping tariffs, according to the latest “It’s certainly not a spectacular season,” reading from The Conference Board.

Even with those anxieties, shoppers reBrown told The Associated Press. “It’s sort of an average holiday season, given concerns main resilient. When all the numbers are in, about macroeconomic growth and inflation. Visa expects holiday sales data will be more There’s still a lot of uncertainty among the or less in line with its prediction of a 4.6% consumer population.” sales increase between November and DeMastercard SpendingPulse, which also cember. tracks cash and credit card spending, said Several of the holiday season’s busiest that sales rose 3.9% from Nov. 1 through shopping days are still ahead, including the

day after Christmas and the first Saturday after the holiday, according to Sensormatic, which tracks retail foot traffic.

RetailNext, which measures real-time foot traffic in physical stores, noted there was a 5.4% decline in customer traffic on Saturday compared with last year. So-called “Super Saturday” typically competes with Black Friday as the busiest shopping day of the season. The drop suggests that Americans are spreading their trips across the final weeks before Christmas and are sticking to shopping lists, according to Joe Shasteen, global manager, advanced analytics at RetailNext.

Still, the overall data from Visa and Mastercard are in line with the forecast from the National Retail Federation, the nation’s largest retail industry trade group. It expects sales over November and December of between $1.01 trillion and $1.02 trillion.

That would be up 3.7% to 4.2% over last year.

Figuring out consumer behavior this season has been challenging after a 43-day federal government shutdown interrupted the publication of U.S. economic data, including retail sales.

The Commerce Department reported last week that sales at U.S. retailers and restaurants were unchanged in October from September, dragged down by electric car sales after the Trump administration allowed government subsidies for those vehicles to expire.

According to Visa, e-commerce sales rose 7.8% for the first seven weeks of the period, fueled by promotions that started early in the season.

Big Tech tells foreign employees to avoid traveling out of country

BY NILESH CHRISTOPHER Los Angeles Times (TNS)

Big Tech companies, including Apple, Google, Microsoft, and ServiceNow, have warned employees on visas to avoid leaving the country amid uncertainty about changing immigration policy and procedures.

Following an attack on National Guard members in Washington, the Trump administration expanded travel bans earlier this month, and beefed up vetting and data collection for visa applicants. The new policy now includes screening the social media history of some visa applicants and their dependents.

Soon after the announcement, U.S. consulates began rescheduling appointments for future dates, some as late as summer 2026, leaving employees who required appointments unable to return.

“Please be aware that some U.S. Embassies and Consulates are experiencing significant visa stamping appointment delays, currently reported as up to 12 months,” noted an email sent by Berry Appleman & Leiden LLC, the immigration firm that represents Google.

The advisory also recommended “avoiding international travel at this time.”

Business Insider earlier reported on the travel advisories.

Microsoft’s memo noted that

much of the rescheduling is occurring in India, in cities such as Chennai and Hyderabad, and that new stamping dates are as far out as June 2026.

The company advised employees with valid work authorization who were traveling outside the U.S. for stamping to return before their current visa expires. Those still in the U.S. scheduling upcoming travel for visa stamping should “strongly consider” changing their travel plans.

Apple’s immigration team also recommended that employees without a valid H1-B visa stamp avoid international travel for now.

ServiceNow, a business software company, similarly issued an ad-

visory recommending that those with valid visa stamps return to the U.S. Microsoft declined to comment on its memo.

Apple, Google and ServiceNow did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Companies warned that delays due to enhanced screening is for H-1B, H-4, F, J and M visas.

H-1B is a high-skilled immigration visa program that allows employers to sponsor work visas for individuals with specialized skills.

The program, capped at 85,000 new visas per year, is a channel for American tech giants to source skilled workers, such as software engineers.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Wednesday, December 24, 2025 ● 7A

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Explosion rocks Pennsylvania nursing home People trapped following collapse

BY MARK SCOLFORO, MARC LEVY and TASSANEE VEJPONGSA Associated Press

BRISTOL, Pa. — An explosion at a nursing home just outside Philadelphia collapsed part of the building and left people injured and trapped inside, authorities said.

A plume of black smoke rose from Silver Lake Healthcare Center in Bristol Township, as emergency responders across the region rushed there, joined by earthmoving equipment.

Authorities said there were injuries, but had yet to say whether there were any fatalities.

Police Lt. Sean Cosgrove said there were injuries, but that he wasn’t aware of any critical injuries.

“A lot of the details at this point are still unknown,” he told reporters at the scene.

Residents had been evacuated by emergency responders, bystanders and staff, he said.

Bucks County emergency management officials said they received the report of an explosion at approximately 2:17 p.m. and said a portion of the building was reported to have collapsed. Ruth Miller, a Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency spokesperson, said her agency had been informed that people were trapped inside.

“I saw smoke and I saw car after car after car was a fire truck or ambulance from all over the city, from all over,” said state Rep. Tina Davis, whose district includes the facility and approached the scene in her car.

The cause of the explosion was unclear.

Nils Hagen-Frederiksen, press secretary at the Pennsylvania Pub-

PHOTO PROVIDED By WPVI-TV/6ABC

First responders are on the scene of a fire after an explosion at a nursing home in Bristol Township, Pa., on Tuesday. lic Utility Commission, said investigators from the safety division were headed to the scene.

Hagen-Frederiksen said first responders and emergency management officials were describing it as a gas explosion, but that won’t be confirmed until his agency can examine the scene up close.

SHELTER

aware of the shelter’s location.

She said operating the shelter and transitional home requires resources, many of which she’s funded personally or through donations while awaiting federal nonprofit approval.

Immediate needs include beds, bedding, cleaning supplies and feminine hygiene products, as well as volunteers to make minor repairs.

Continued from page 1A of an existing business. The shelter features one large open room with six beds and a shared bathroom, offering free housing. It serves as an immediate safe haven for women and children facing homelessness, financial hardship or unsafe living situations.

This fall, Davis opened a transitional home through the C. Davis Foundation to provide longer-term support.

Residents who are employed but still waiting for permanent housing, or who need more privacy, move from the shelter to the threebedroom home, which allows one family per room.

“There’s no deadline to leave,” Davis said. “The longest someone has stayed was about four months, and by then we were able to help them get a job, save money and move into housing.”

They pay $150 a month and split utilities to build independence and prepare for living on their own. When the shelter is full, the transitional home can temporarily serve as an extension, with no rent required.

“I don’t want to handicap them,” Davis said. “That’s why the transitional home has a rent fee. I want them to know how to function on their own once they leave.”

The program grew from a long-standing lack of lo-

Davis said there was talk of using a nearby school as a temporary evacuation area.

The nursing home is about 20 miles northeast of Philadelphia.

Jim Morgan, president of the Bristol Township School Board, said district buses would take people from the nursing home to

PHOTO PROVIDED By CHASITy DAVIS

Opelousas City Council member Chasity Davis has opened a space that was formerly intended for a day care as transitional housing for women and children. cal resources. Davis said Opelousas had been without a shelter for years, and she often received calls asking where women and children could go.

“After a while, I realized I already had the space. I just needed to make it safe and usable,” she said.

Since opening the transitional home, several residents have moved into public housing. One woman received keys to her apartment last week, and another is expected to move within two weeks. Others are working toward goals such as earning GEDs, obtaining

driver’s licenses and securing employment. Residents also receive counseling services at no cost.

“To see women who left the shelter nearly a year ago still working and still in their homes shows this model works,” Davis said.

“I haven’t had anyone lose housing after leaving.”

Safety and confidentiality are key concerns, particularly for residents in domestic violence situations. Davis avoids posting identifying information online, uses security cameras on the properties and coordinates with Opelousas police, who are

a reunification center at Truman High School. He said officials were working on setting up beds and providing water and other needs to residents. As of 4 p.m. no one had showed up at the school, Morgan said.

“It’s just so sad — it’s that hopeful time of year. This is just something that is sad for everybody and the families and the workers that are there. I hope there’s positive results from this. We don’t know at this point,” Davis said.

According to Medicare.gov, the 174-bed facility underwent a standard fire safety inspection in September 2024, during which no citations were issued. But Medicare’s overall rating of the facility is listed as “much below average,” with poor ratings for health inspections in particular.

Associated Press reporter Holly Ramer in Concord, N.H., contributed to this report.

Clothing donations are accepted. Transportation also remains a major challenge, as some of the residents secure jobs but lack reliable vehicles.

Davis recently partnered with a donor to provide one woman with a car and a year of insurance and is seeking additional support to expand transportation for others.

“To me, success is when they can maintain a house-

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hold long term, save money and eventually come back and share their story,” Davis said.

Families seeking help can usually contact law enforcement, who then will connect them with local community agencies like Davis for an intake and assessment.

Email Ja’kori Madison at jakori.madison@ theadvocate.com.

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8A ● Wednesday, December 24, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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ALMANAC

AIR QUALITY

LAFAyETTE THROUGH 5 P.M. TUESDAy

YESTERDAY

TEMPERATURE

High/low Normal high/low Record high Record low

MODERATE

79°/57° 63°/45° 81° in 1931 9° in 1989

MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

READING 55

TODAY

PRECIPITATION

GOOD

24 hours through 5 p.m. Tue. 0.00” Month to date (normal) 7.43” (3.50”) year to date (normal) 72.26” (61.35”)

MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

SUN AND MOON Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today

FIRST

7:02 a.m.

5:14 p.m.

10:21 a.m.

9:38 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 75/62

Shreveport 77/64

Jackson 77/57

Longview 76/64

Many 77/60

Hattiesburg 75/56

Alexandria 76/60

FLOOD STAGE 24-HOUR STAGE CHANGE

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

Cairo COMITE

Near Olive

Baton Rouge 77/59 Beaumont 77/64

Lafayette

Port Arthur 74/63

AMITE

Near Darlington Denham Springs Port Vincent

New Orleans 74/58

Lake Charles 76/61

TICKFAW

Montpelier Holden

Houma 77/58

ATCHAFALAYA

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

TIDES HIGH

First FT. LOW

Lake Pontchartrain (Tchefuncte River) 9:37a 0.6 Shell Beach 4:14a 1.4 South Point, Marsh Island 1:49a 1.4 Cypremort Point 11:21p 1.4 Grand Isle (Barataria Pass) 11:52p 0.8 Mississippi River (Southwest Pass) 11:09p 1.0 Wine Island 12:28a 1.1

FT.

9:25p -0.1 2:21p -0.3 10:19a -0.5 2:20p 0.0 10:29a -0.3 8:51a -0.4 11:31a -0.4

HIGH

Second FT. LOW

--------8:55p 1.4 -----------------

---------------

FT.

---------------

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

N O R T H A M ER I CA’S

Simmesport Melville Krotz Springs Butte La Rose Bayou Sorrel Morgan City

-4.30 11.60 16.10 5.60 3.60 1.86 2.40

+3.06 -0.41 -0.20 -0.10 +0.10 -0.23 +0.24

40

18.25

+1.48

19

-1.36

+0.05

18 29 8

-0.84 10.59 1.82

-0.03 +0.13 +0.13

13 15

2.07 1.08

+0.33 -0.02

47 34 29 20 12 6

4.66 3.01 2.89 2.05 2.60 1.67

+0.15 +0.07 -0.02 -0.15 none -0.34

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

Lo

W

Hi

Lo

W

City

81 39 77 8 82 64 60 80 71

65 27 63 -18 71 52 57 66 60

pc sn pc sn pc sh sh s sh

79 39 78 -11 82 67 64 80 72

65 15 64 -26 71 49 55 64 63

pc c pc c pc r sh pc pc

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

37 93 57 30 35 71 45 37 82 77 58

26 76 46 19 23 52 41 28 61 64 43

pc pc c s s pc pc pc s s pc

33 93 53 29 33 70 45 36 82 67 59

26 74 48 19 25 55 38 29 59 56 41

s pc r s s pc pc s s s pc

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

Hi

Today

Thursday

Lo

W

Hi

Lo

W

74 79 47 74 38 68 67 69 81

58 57 32 60 32 44 52 60 60

pc s pc c c s c r s

74 79 45 73 44 67 59 68 78

62 58 25 57 31 42 58 59 59

pc s sh sh sh pc c r s

72 43 51 70 26 22 69 41 55 31 49

52 34 33 49 20 20 47 30 49 26 45

pc pc s pc pc sn pc s r s sh

67 42 46 70 26 30 68 38 60 37 56

50 33 30 46 -2 28 49 28 45 32 46

c s c pc c c c s pc pc sh

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 Thu. Fri. Sat. Sun. Mon. Tue.

Major

Minor

2:20a 8:32a 3:11a 9:23a 4:00a 10:11a 4:47a 10:58a 5:32a 11:44a 6:19a 12:08a 7:07a 12:53a

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34 48 48 35 27 22 17

Austin Boston Dallas Fairbanks Honolulu Las Vegas Louisville Miami Nashville

Thursday

Hi

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Major

Minor

2:43p 8:55p 3:34p 9:45p 4:22p 10:33p 5:09p 11:21p 5:57p ---6:45p 12:32p 7:36p 1:22p

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

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W e d n e s d ay, d e c e m b e r 24, 2025

1bn

Federal grant supports UL program $200K set to boost rural businesses

BY ASHLEY WHITE

Staff writer

Rural businesses in Acadiana could receive more technological and expert support with a $200,000 grant.

The Louisiana Immersive Tech-

nologies Enterprise Center, in partnership with the Louisiana Entrepreneurship and Economic Development Center and the Office of Innovation Management at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, received the grant recently from the U.S. Department

of Agriculture.

The grant will help fund the creation of the Rural Economic Development and Innovation Initiative. REDI will assist in the creation and elevation of small rural businesses and help ensure longevity and success, according

to a news release from UL. Director of UL’s Office of Innovation Management Chad Lacomb and his team think the initiative can help reduce barriers that rural entrepreneurs face, according to the release.

“The business world moves quickly, and without access to advanced resources and technology, innovative rural businesses

risk being left behind,” Lacomb said in a statement. “Thanks to the USDA Rural Development Grant, we can give them a real chance to compete.”

Lacombe said he hopes the initiative will help launch local startups, attract investment and spur job growth, in turn transforming rural communities into hubs of creativity and economic opportunity.

Abbeville to get upgrade for water treatment City won’t need to pay back $5.9M loan coming from fund

BY KRISTIN ASKELSON Staff writer

The city of Abbeville water system is using a $5.9 million fully forgivable loan awarded by the state’s drinking water revolving loan fund program to upgrade its existing water treatment plant, according to a news release from the city.

The construction project, which began over the summer and is expected to continue through the end of next year, includes an upgrade of the existing water treatment plant located at the corner of the La. 14 bypass and Alphonse Street.

Engineer Emily Faulk, of Sellers & Associates, said the upgrades became necessary to effectively treat levels of manganese in the water.

The improved plant will continue to meet minimum treatment requirements and will provide redundancy for the city’s water treatment plant with the construction of a new solids contact clarifier, a new waste sludge pump station and a new sludge thickener with a withdrawal pump station, according to the release.

The additional treatment units will create system redundancy and eliminate the need for a complete bypass of the treatment process should the system require maintenance or suffer equipment failures or damage due to weather events, Faulk said.

Faulk said the city is also using a $4.045 million grant from Louisiana’s Water Sector Program and a $509,000 grant from the Delta Regional Authority to completely fund the water system construction project with grant funds.

The city of Abbeville water system provides drinking water for more than 4,800 water customers. The system currently manages three water wells.

“The existing treatment plant has not had a major improvements project since 2010 when the city replaced the existing clarifier equipment, and over time it has become more susceptible to corrosive damage and the need for repairs has become evident,” Faulk said.

Faulk said the system uses lime softening treatment to reduce the harshness of the local water, which can be caused by high levels of iron, manganese, calcium and magnesium in the local aquifer.

The forgivable DWRLF loan, which requires no payback, is part of a federal loan program that targets the removal of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances and other emerging contaminants listed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

“Thus, the EPA broadened eligibility for use of these funds to also include any contaminants listed on the EPA’s Contaminant Candidate Lists (CCL) 1 through 5, and LDH is mostly receiving applications for using these funds on manganese removal projects, because manganese is one of the contaminants included in the CCL,” said Dan MacDonald, deputy chief engineer at the Louisiana

ä See ABBEVILLE, page 4B

STAFF PHOTOS By BRETT DUKE

TWO TURTLE DOVES? ABOVE: Members of Blood, Sweat, and Bonfires gather on the Mississippi River levee beside their Christmas Eve bonfire in Garyville on Friday.

RIGHT: Tucker Guidry, 7, slides down the Mississippi River levee as a Christmas Eve bonfire in the shape of two ducks towers above him.

Foodborne illnesses can spike around holidays Keep your guests safe with these tips

BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer

There is nothing like a bout of food poisoning to spoil the holiday cheer.

Around 48 million Americans come down with foodborne illnesses annually, with cases spiking around the holidays when families gather to share meals, according to the National Consumers League. Common forms of food poisoning include E. coli, salmonella and listeria infections, as well as the “winter vomiting disease,” or norovirus.

LSU AgCenter consumer food safety specialist Shannon Coleman shared tips to keep food safe and minimize the risk of foodborne illness this season.

Take your temperature When it comes to holiday spreads, Coleman recommends “having ways of keeping the cold foods cold and the hot foods hot.”

That means the casseroles, the Christmas ham and the charcuterie board shouldn’t be left out for hours and allowed to reach room temperature.

Hot, cooked food should be kept at 140 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer to prevent bacteria from growing, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service. The temperature for cold perishable food shouldn’t exceed 40 degrees.

Coleman said products like coolers, Crock-Pots and food warming mats can help maintain safe temperatures at a buffet table.

“I would say a common thing people should start doing is find-

ing different tools that can help she said.

“Over-the-counter bleach is the maintain the safety of their prodNo. 1 tool,” Coleman said. ucts,” Coleman said.

Wash your hands

Follow directions

As a host or a guest bringing food to a gathering, it is critical to wash hands regularly while cooking, Coleman said. Handwashing helps prevent the annual Christmas party from becoming a superspreading event for illnesses like norovirus.

Norovirus is the top cause of foodborne illness in the U.S., according to the Cleveland Clinic. It can spread through contaminated food — raw shellfish is a frequent transmitter.

Handwashing and sanitizing surfaces are crucial, “so that you’re not making someone sick or having any incidents of crosscontamination when you’re prepping the food,” Coleman said.

Bleach solutions are recommended for disinfecting at home,

Food safety can also be compromised if people don’t follow established procedures for athome food preservation, such as canning and fermenting, Coleman said.

Family recipes might follow recommended practices, but to be safe, Coleman said scientifically tested recipes are the best way to go.

Improper canning can cause deadly illnesses like botulism.

The bacteria thrive in low-oxygen, low-acid environments.

“Our recommendation is to use a tested recipe,” Coleman said.

“Those tested recipes can come from the USDA, the National Center for Home Food Preservation at UGA and many of the cooperative extensions.”

2B ● Wednesday, December 24, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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

OUR VIEWS

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, even in 2025 Santa’s existence was proved conclusively in 1897 by Francis P. Church, of The New York Sun. His editorial is reprinted here as a public service: Is there a Santa Claus? We take pleasure in answering at once and thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun: Dear editor: I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says “If you see it in The Sun it’s so.” Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?

Virginia O’Hanlon 115 W. 95th St. Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see.

They think that nothing can be which is not comprehended by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to our life its highest beauty and joy.

Alas, how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childish faith then, no poetry, no romance, to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished. Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies!

You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove?

Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders that are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart.

Only faith, fancy, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory behind. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! He lives and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

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

identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’s city of residence.

The Advocate | The Times-Picayune require a street address and phone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor, The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@ theadvocate.com.

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YOUR VIEWS

We’ve tied our hands on coastal protection For those not paying attention, your headline, “La. shifts strategy for coastal restoration,” accurately describes but may disguise the enormity of the underlying tragedy. We have indeed shifted our strategy, from something that works to something that can’t work.

Here is what underlies the simple yet terrifying arithmetic: Our coast is sinking, and the sea is rising. These are not projections about what might happen, but measurements of what is happening.

The man-made land bridges proposed as substitutes for diversions are short-term fixes, the equivalent of children building a sandy dike around their castle on a beach. The tide is rising.

The river built our coast, interacting with the tide. Only the river can rebuild any semblance of that coast.

Our only hope is to trap as close to 100% of the sediment the river carries

Free market is failing to control health care costs Certain politicians are saying the solution to halting rising health care costs is to privatize and that the “market” will determine the costs of drugs and health care services.

This would be true if health care were a commodity like a car or a subscription service like cable TV. It is not.

My brother did not wake up one morning and decide to purchase a nice big case of leukemia. He did not walk into his physician’s office to make that order, then ask for the sale price.

I know my mother-in-law did not walk into her doctor’s office and order a lifetime subscription to Parkinson’s disease.

Diseases and accidents strike at any moment and at any age. No one walks through a door, goes through the drive-thru or signs in online to purchase them.

According to balancingeverything. com, “about half a million Americans file for bankruptcy every year because of medical bills.” The average medical bill for a hospital stay in the U.S. is $5,220 per day.

Insurance companies operate as “free market” enterprises — most are for-profit organizations. We have all seen how this model has kept prices “affordable.” We have all experienced what medical services these companies will and will not cover to keep their stock prices up.

(What a scam!)

What company does not need healthy Americans working for it?

Why shouldn’t every American receive basic, quality health care?

There are prosperous, democratic, countries around the world that operate successful medical care services without putting their families into crushing debt. Our politicians decry this as “socialism” rather than shared affordability.

We need to develop and adopt a different health care model. We need to elect people who truly represent the Americans who elect them.

as possible. Sand, the only fraction that can be dredged, is 20%. The suspended mud is 80%. Brown water that escapes into the Gulf is our coast’s precious lifeblood, bleeding away.

The diversions Gov. Jeff Landry canceled would have been but a modest beginning, capturing just 10% of the flood.

But after decades of science and unprecedented public involvement, he canceled them without a single public hearing and squandered hundreds of millions of spent dollars.

Our survival is not guaranteed. No matter what we do, the sea may ultimately win. But what is certain is that we can’t win without harnessing the power and riches of the river.

Landry set us back at least a decade in our struggle to hold out against the rising sea. There may not be time to recover from his arrogant folly.

DAVID MUTH New Orleans

Lawmakers should work to help small business As a small business owner, I believe it is critical that we have a seat at the table when our elected officials are deciding policies that affect our businesses, our employees and our communities.

That’s why I traveled to Washington, D.C., recently with nearly 60 local entrepreneurs as part of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Summit to talk to Sen. Bill Cassidy and Sen. John Kennedy about the opportunities and challenging realities of owning and growing a small business in Louisiana.

I hope hearing directly from us helped them understand how vital it is for policymakers to stay connected to the people creating jobs and opportunity on Main Street.

In all, more than 2,000 small busi-

ness owners traveled from across the country for this summit. It was a reminder of our strength and determination: Even as we navigate higher costs and hiring challenges, we’re continuing to innovate and invest in our communities.

According to a Goldman Sachs survey, 78% of small business owners remain confident about growth and 74% plan to expand operations in the year ahead.

Partnership between government and small business is key to sustaining that momentum. By working with us, lawmakers can help create the steady environment needed for Louisiana’s economy to flourish.

ERIC HAYES owner, SyCON International Lafayette

PHYLISS LEAR Opelousas

Americans’ approval doesn’t match what they support Ron Faucheux’s column on Dec. 13 contained some interesting and not surprising statistics. Two of them warrant comment. The first is that Congress has only a 10% favorable rating.

The second is that small business is trusted more than big business by a 50% to 14% margin.

Congress has a 10% favorable rating

Hegseth won’t go down well in history

but about a 90% reelection rate.

Small business is trusted more than big business by a 50%-14% margin, but our neighborhoods are filled with Amazon, UPS and FedEx trucks.

POGO said it best, “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

Thank goodness Pete Hegseth wasn’t Secretary of Defense on DDay.

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Bob Carr, New Orleans broadcaster, dies at 98 He and his wife, Jan, were the ‘first family of N.O. television’

BY DOMINIC MASSA Contributing writer

Bob Carr, a New Orleans broadcasting icon who spent more than 65 years hosting and producing programs on local television and radio with his wife, Jan, died Friday at Christwood Retirement Community near Covington. He was 98.

Carr was among the last members of a generation of broadcasters who made their mark during the earliest days of New Orleans television.

He and Jan came to the city in 1960, a little more than a decade after WDSU signed on the air as the city’s first TV station. As a married couple for 71 years and the parents of four children whom they frequently mentioned on air, they were called “the first family of New Orleans television.”

They became household names throughout the 1960s and ’70s for their appearances on WDSU, first on a morning show called “Second Cup,” then the station’s hugely popular “Midday” show.

On both, their segments focused on family, parenting, fashion and lifestyle topics, all punctuated with cheery conversation.

That continued well into their 90s, as they produced and hosted programs at their retirement home, where Bob recorded interviews with residents and staff on his iPhone. Even after his wife’s death in 2022 and as he battled cancer, Carr continued producing the show on a regular basis. In a 2021 Times-Picayune interview, he jokingly called the show the Carrs’ “last cup.” It followed the formula that had worked magic for them for decades: bantering back and forth, chatting, interviewing and listening to people’s stories.

“If I don’t get up in the morning and do something like this, I feel like I’m going to die,” Bob Carr

Bob Carr

PROVIDED PHOTOS

said. “If I’m not with people or doing something, I just go to bed. I hate to say the show is like therapy but being in this business, people generate your energy.”

Born Nov. 20, 1927, in Battle Creek, Michigan, Carr grew up in Painesville, Ohio. After serving in the U.S. Army in Italy, he enrolled in the Carnegie Institute of Technology, now Carnegie Mellon University, where he met Janet Lee Fitzsimmons. The two theater students married a year later and graduated in 1952.

The couple worked as co-hosts in television in West Virginia, where they became parents, and their family life became on-air material as well.

In 1960, a friend recruited them for a job in New Orleans at WWL Radio, whose studios were then located in the Roosevelt Hotel. A husband and wife broadcast team was such a novelty at the time that management had to ask the Jesuits of Loyola University, which owned WWL, for permission to hire them.

“Our two-hour daily program consisted of chitchat on a wide range of child-rearing or marital topics, for which we did research or drew from our own experiences. Our program also played recorded music and there were daily interviews with local guests and famous stars, some of whom

were appearing at the Blue Room two floors below,” Carr wrote in his 2010 book, “Raising Our Children on Bourbon: A French Quarter Love Affair.”

As the Carrs’ radio audience grew, WWL also briefly added Bob Carr as co-host of the morning show that preceded theirs. It was hosted by Sid Noel, who created and portrayed Morgus the Magnificent for WWL-TV. After 18 months at WWL Radio, the Carrs learned WDSU-TV was adding a new morning show to its lineup and were encouraged to audition by then-WDSU producer Al Shea, who would become the station’s entertainment critic and a lifelong friend.

“We really owe our career in broadcasting in New Orleans to Al, because he’s the one that first kind of identified us and said there may be an opportunity for you at Channel 6,” Bob Carr said in a 2003 WYES-TV interview.

They got the job, and after two years on “Second Cup,” in 1963, the Carrs moved to WDSU’s “Midday” show, the daily program whose cast included local TV legends Terry Flettrich, Wayne Mack, Nash Roberts and Shea. The Carrs’ family and lifestyle segments continued to resonate with viewers.

Bob Carr also did celebrity interviews for the show as well as segments on men’s and women’s fashions, winning awards for his reporting.

After leaving WDSU when the station was sold in 1972, Bob Carr drew on his list of contacts and joined International House, which later became the World Trade Center of New Orleans, where he led delegations of local business leaders on trips to India, China, Russia and dozens of other countries, frequently with Jan along for the trip. He retired from the position in 1998.

But the Carrs never really retired. Jan had kept her hand in broadcasting after leaving WDSU and recruited Bob as her co-host on a series of new TV and radio shows, including on WBYU and later WGSO radio. They also

Archival photo of Bob and Jan Carr and family wrote articles for and edited Prime Magazine, a publication for senior citizens.

The Carrs were inducted into the New Orleans Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 1994 and honored with a lifetime achievement award from the Press Club of New Orleans in 2003.

When not on air, the Carrs gave generously of their time to local charities and nonprofits. Carr was also very active as a leader of Christ Church Cathedral for more than 50 years. His interest in architecture led him to restore several historic homes on Bourbon Street, in the Garden District and on Esplanade Avenue. In his 80s,

he also wrote two books: “Raising Our Children on Bourbon: A French Quarter Love Affair” and “The Packard Limousine: A Boy’s Journey During the Great Depression.”

Survivors include four children: Timothy Carr of St. Charles, Missouri; Tammy Richardson of Rome, Georgia; Tom Carr of Atlanta; and Tiffany Rieveschl of New Orleans; seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

Email Chad Calder at ccalder@ theadvocate.com.

FEMA to push roadwork deadline by six months New Orleans officials say extension not enough

BY BEN MYERS Staff writer

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is nearing an agreement to give New Orleans six more months to wrap up ongoing road projects, which would provide relief for city leaders and residents sick of unfinished, crumbling streets.

Louisiana Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack said Tuesday that FEMA officials told him they will extend a Dec. 31 deadline to spend $1.7 billion in federal roadwork grants until the end of June once city, state and federal officials finalize a list of projects the extension will cover.

The half-year extension would temporarily ease fears that dozens of tornup city blocks would be left in limbo with no way to pay for more work. But it would still fall far short

of the three-year extension city officials say is needed to fully spend the roadwork grants.

Waguespack told Mayorelect Helena Moreno and other City Council members at a meeting Tuesday that some planned projects would be canceled. He said it’s unclear if FEMA would allow for another extension after midyear.

“Some of these projects, the reality is we can’t wrap them up in six months. But maybe there are several that we can, and maybe we kind of prioritize resources and focus on those,” Waguespack said after the meeting.

FEMA did not immediately respond to an inquiry.

Speaking from the dais as the council’s vice president, Moreno expressed gratitude for the pending deal but said her incoming administration would request a longer extension.

“Six months is so limited for long-term planning, so that’s my concern,” Moreno said. “But at least if we get an extension beyond the first of the year and into the first few months, we can

keep projects going and we don’t have to do a hard stop.”

City officials have said they need until the end of 2028 to complete a decadeold program that has already been scaled back as project budgets ballooned and some have taken far longer than expected.

Under the program, the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, or GOHSEP, acts as steward for the federal dollars and administers the $1.7 billion to the city in piecemeal amounts based on anticipated invoices, provided the city can reasonably spend the money by a FEMA-imposed deadline.

Roughly $500 million from the FEMA grant is still unspent, according to a document GOHSEP provided.

FEMA has allowed at least three extensions and has already frowned on extending work until the end of 2028. The city first requested a 2028 extension last year, when the deadline was set for March of this year. FEMA allowed just an additional nine months

to the current end-of-year deadline. In August, Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration again requested a three-year extension.

Cantrell’s team also kicked off projects worth about $100 million, despite not having the extension locked down. Other projects — with an uncertain price tag — have encountered delays.

Earlier this month, city officials said they would suspend work on open projects if FEMA didn’t grant an extension, since it was unclear if funding would be available to pay for them.

At the same time, the city was telling residents in planned construction zones that work would begin soon. Cantrell on Dec. 18 reversed course and said any decisions to halt work

would fall to Moreno, who takes office on Jan. 12.

Waguespack, the steward of $125 million short-term revenue bonds the cashstrapped city is relying on to make payroll, then warned that such spending might threaten the city’s finances to the point that he wouldn’t approve further bond withdrawals. The Bond Commission in November allowed the city to rely on a short-term bond fund, provided that Waguespack approves weekly draws and is allowed to monitor city finances.

Waguespack said Tuesday that he approved a $12 million draw from the payroll fund based on FEMA’s assurances that it will allow a six-month extension for the roadwork.

It’s not yet clear how

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Continued from page 1B Department of Health.

MacDonald noted that the state has been awarded approximately $11 million each year of BIL-EC funds for the five years of the federal mandate.

“EPA’s broadened view of the funding source has allowed water systems, like the city of Abbeville, to obtain forgivable loans to improve water quality,” LDH Chief Engineer Steven Joubert said. “It’s a unique view that provides the potential for major improvements to water quality for those water systems battling discolored water complaints.”

Congress established the

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much money would become available with a sixmonth extension, or which projects could realistically be finished in the next six months.

“The good thing is, there will be an extension granted. It’s just a matter of what projects will fall under it, and for how many dollars,” Waguespack said.

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Saints’ bonding activities are paying off; vibes are high

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU coach Lane Kiffin pumps his fist during a news conference on Dec. 1. LSU announced 11 new hires to Kiffin’s staff on Monday.

TAKING STOCK

Weighing in on Kiffin’s new wave of coaching additions at LSU

O

fficial information and access has been scarce coming out of the LSU football program since Lane Kiffin was introduced on Dec. 1 and we found out on Dec. 7 that the Tigers were going back to the Texas Bowl to face the Houston Cougars.

Monday, a big batch of information came flooding out of the campus, as the school announced 11 new hires to Kiffin’s staff for the 2026 season.

We’re not going to run down every name here, just hit the highlights, starting with:

Scott Rabalais

Weis is one of those coaches who has been at the centerpiece of all this rather dizzying back and forth between LSU and Ole Miss. He’s been hired by LSU but has been allowed by Kiffin to continue calling plays as long as the Rebels are Offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. in the CFP. Kiffin, of course, was denied the opportunity to coach Ole Miss in the Weis called plays for Ole Miss on Satplayoffs himself by the school’s adminisurday in the Rebels’ 41-10 romp over Tulane in the first round of the College tration.

Football Playoff. He’s expected to call the New Ole Miss coach Pete Golding made plays again New Year’s Day as Ole Miss a subtle jab in his former boss’ direcfaces Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, though tion after the Tulane win, folded into his that hasn’t been 100% confirmed. praise of Weis.

“I had zero concern with Charlie Weis calling this game for this one reason,” Golding said. “Charlie Weis could not afford not to call a hell of a game. All he’s heard his whole life, ‘Lane Kiffin’s offense,’ ‘Lane Kiffin’s offense.’ So this is his one opportunity for people to realize Charlie Weis calls the offense. Just like he’s done all year.”

In trying to throw a little shade in Kiffin’s direction, Golding, Lane’s former defensive coordinator, really cast a little back on Ole Miss.

If he wants to point out that Ole Miss’ offensive success hasn’t been all because of Kiffin, that’s fair. But both Kiffin AND Weis will be running the offense at LSU next season. It’s hard to imagine the Rebels will be as prolific offensively without them — something I figure Golding knows deep down.

Ohio St., Miami set for nostalgic CFP showdown

ä See RABALAIS, page 4C

A paintball outing helped the New Orleans Saints beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

A trip to “Five O Fore Golf and Entertainment” led to a win against the Carolina Panthers.

A day of community service work was enough to dominate the New York ä Saints at Jets.

Titans. NOON All right, so maybe SUNDAy, CBS those three activities — all of which the Saints did this offseason — don’t directly translate to New Orleans’ three-game winning streak. But there was tight end Juwan Johnson on Sunday, dressed in a festive Christmas sweater, addressing reporters and maintaining that the team-wide bonding did, in fact, make a difference.

“When you get to the top, like December, it really pays off,” Johnson said. “You really know who you’re going to war with.”

The Saints may not be at the very top — they’re just 5-10 and eliminated from playoff contention — but the vibes are high as they’ve been this season after their recent surge.

Players, though, will note that even as success has started to come their way, those vibes were always in good shape — yes, even when the Saints started the season at 1-8. That’s not the case everywhere, they say. And as cliché as that can sound, that

ä See SAINTS, page 4C

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan congratulates defensive end Chase young after recovering a fumble by New york Jets quarterback Brady Cook on Sunday at the Caesars Superdome.

Reece’s hustle turned tide in LSU’s victory

Guard helped Tigers avoid upset vs. PVAM

BY TIM REYNOLDS AP sportswriter

BY TOYLOY BROWN III

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — The last time Ohio State and Miami met in a postseason football game, the Hurricanes spent a couple of seconds celebrating a victory that gave them back-to-back national championships.

And then The Flag came out.

The Hurricanes stopped celebrating. They haven’t celebrated a title since.

It was Ohio State vs. Miami in the Fiesta Bowl, the national championship for the 2002 season.

Miami leads 24-17 in overtime, Ohio State throws into the end zone on fourth down, the ball hits the ground, one official signals it was an incomplete pass, and the game ends.

Miami wins. Except it wasn’t over. Miami doesn’t win. Another official called pass interference to extend the drive, the Buckeyes scored to tie the game, then scored again in the second overtime and won the national title 31-24.

Next week, they meet again in a postseason game — the Cotton Bowl, with Ohio State being the team seeking back-to-back national titles. The Buckeyes (12-1) and Hurricanes (11-2) will face off in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal on New Year’s Eve. “It’s going to be a challenge for us offensively, but it’s a challenge that we’re looking forward to,” Miami quarterback Carson Beck said. “But we do recognize how talented they are, and we’re going

A Mike Nwoko pass was bounced off the extended hand of Marquel Sutton.

The LSU turnover with 53 seconds remaining in its eventual 104-90 win over Prairie View was not a moment that necessitated a moment of defensive hustle to ensure a win.

That didn’t matter to Jalen Reece. The 6-foot 18-year-old sprinted 94 feet of the basketball court to emphatically reject a fast-break layup off the glass.

The effort epitomized the intensity the freshman point guard brought in his season-high 23 minutes during the Monday victory at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. His game-changing energy led to coach Matt McMahon heaping praise unprompted on his backup.

Had it not been for the spark from the Orlando, Florida, native, the Tigers could have been upset at home as they trailed by as many as 10 points and allowed Prairie View to make 10 of 13 3-pointers

Staff writer

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SAM CRAFT

Miami coach Mario Cristobal reacts to a play against Texas A&M in a first-round CFP game on Saturday in College Station, Texas. ä Cotton Bowl: Miami vs. Ohio State.

6:30 P.M. DEC. 31, ESPN

to have to come and execute.”

And in fairness, the Hurricanes of 2002 did not execute as well as they needed against Ohio State.

They turned the ball over five times and gave up four sacks. But all anyone remembers is the fourthdown play where Craig Krenzel threw to the right corner of the end zone, intended for Chris Gamble.

Miami cornerback Glenn Sharpe defended, Gamble didn’t make the catch, line judge Derick Bowers motioned the pass was incomplete and the Hurricanes started to jump for joy. Sean Taylor threw his helmet so high in the air in celebration that parts of it broke upon landing.

Then Terry Porter, the back judge, made the call.

ä See CFP, page 4C

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU guard Jalen Reece puts up a layup against Prairie View forward Keeshawn Mason on Monday night at the PMAC.

in the first half.

“I thought Jalen Reece’s impact on the game was massive,” McMahon said. “I thought he had teeth to him on the defensive side of the ball. He was physical. He got up into the ball and pressured it and really, I thought he was fantastic.

I thought it changed the complexion of the game for us in the second half, his efforts. And so really proud of Jalen. I just thought he was awesome.”

Grittiness on the perimeter

ä See REECE, page 4C

2C ● Wednesday, December 24, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Four teams lead Pro Bowl picks Ravens, Broncos, 49ers and Seahawks lead with 6 players selected to Pro Bowl

AP pro football writer

O’Hearn, Pirates agree to two-year, $29M deal ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JULIO CORTEZ

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, center, runs the ball against the Cowboys on Sunday in Arlington, Texas.

Herbert is one of five Chargers selected to the Pro Bowl. ers left tackle Trent Williams is the fourth offensive lineman selected to 12 Pro Bowls since 1970, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Bruce Matthews (14), Randall McDaniel (12) and Will Shields (12).

Colts guard Quenton Nelson is the second offensive lineman to be selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his first eight career seasons since 1970, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Thomas (10).

Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase is the third wide receiver to be se-

lected to the Pro Bowl in each of his first five seasons since 1970, joining Tyreek Hill (8) and A.J. Green (7).

Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons is the first defensive player to be named to the Pro Bowl in each of his first five career seasons since Aaron Donald (10).

Jalen Ramsey, a seven-time Pro Bowl cornerback, made it as a free safety in his first season with the Steelers.

Player selections were determined by the consensus votes of

fans, players and coaches, with each group’s vote counting as one-third toward the total tally.

This is the fourth year of the Pro Bowl Games after the NFL eliminated its full-contact allstar game and replaced it with weeklong skills competitions and a flag football game.

The events will be played in San Francisco ahead of the Super Bowl. Pro Football Hall of Famers Jerry Rice (NFC) and Steve Young (AFC) will coach the teams in the flag football showdown on Feb. 3.

Tomlin says he supports suspended WR

BY WILL GRAVES

AP sportswriter

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin doesn’t condone the actions that led to wide receiver D.K. Metcalf’s two-game suspension by the NFL following an in-game altercation with a fan, but added Metcalf has his full support during the appeals process.

The league punished the twotime Pro Bowler by forcing him to sit out the first-place Steelers’ final two games and fining him for taking a swipe at Detroit Lions fan Ryan Kennedy in the second quarter of what became Pittsburgh’s 29-24 victory.

Tomlin said Metcalf shared his side of the story with him, but declined to get into specifics.

“I won’t discuss what he and I discussed,” Tomlin said. “I think I’ve been pretty clear there.”

Former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson said on a podcast late Sunday night that Metcalf told him Kennedy used a racial slur and verbally disparaged Metcalf’s mother, an allegation that Kennedy denied through his attorneys on Monday.

Tomlin cited Metcalf’s appeal hearing and what he described as “legal ramifications,” though he did not define what those might be. An email to the attorneys representing Kennedy by The Associated Press was not immediately returned.

Metcalf remained in the game and finished with four receptions

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By RyAN SUN

Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf, shown with Lions cornerback Rock yaSin on Sunday in Detroit, was suspended by the NFL for two games after an in-game altercation with a fan. for 42 yards. Kennedy left his seat to meet with stadium security at Ford Field but was allowed to return.

Asked if the Steelers have any in-game protocols in place to try and mitigate interactions such as the one between Metcalf and Kennedy, Tomlin said, “We certainly may, but I might not be privy to it because my eyes and attention is (on) what’s going on on the field” and made it a point to credit the team’s “top notch security group.”

Tomlin would not elaborate on what his reaction was to seeing the video of the confrontation, though he acknowledged what he called the rise in “volatile rhetoric” in sports at all levels.

“Not only (in) our business, (but) college, youth sport parents,” he said. “I think it’s just a component of sport that’s developed and developed in a big way in recent years, and it’s unfortunate.”

There were reports that when Metcalf played for Seattle, he

reported Kennedy to team personnel when the Seahawks visited Detroit. Tomlin did not speculate when asked if there’s anything more teams can do to protect players in those situations.

“Me speaking on it and speaking on it in detail and particularly expressing my opinion regarding things doesn’t help the circumstance in any way,” he said.

Metcalf’s suspension means Pittsburgh (9-6) will be without its top pass catcher as it tries to lock up the AFC North title on Sunday in Cleveland. His absence means Roman Wilson, who has been a healthy scratch the past two weeks as the Steelers have opted to go with experienced veterans Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Adam Thielen, will likely get an opportunity to return to the lineup.

Tomlin did not rule out the return of star outside linebacker T.J. Watt, who has missed each of the past two games while recovering from surgery to repair a partially collapsed lung sustained during a dry needling treatment. Tomlin said Watt has been in the team facility lately and is “hopeful” Watt will be cleared to practice.

The Steelers need to win one of their final two games or have Baltimore lose one of its final two games to win a division title for the first time since 2020. The longtime rivals are scheduled to meet in Pittsburgh in Week 18.

Vikings to start Brosmer at QB against Lions

BY DAVE CAMPBELL

ä Lions at Vikings. 3:30 P.M.

EAGAN, Minn. — J.J. McCarthy has a hairline fracture in his throwing hand that will keep him out of Minnesota’s upcoming game against Detroit, making Max Brosmer the starting quarterback this week.

Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said after practice on Tuesday that further examination of McCarthy’s right hand revealed the small fracture, after initial X-rays at the stadium on Sunday were negative for broken bones. McCarthy was injured late in the second quarter against the New York Giants and unable to properly grip the ball, forcing the Vikings to turn to Brosmer.

With the Vikings hosting the Lions on Thursday as part of the NFL’s holiday tripleheader on

Christmas, there was too little time for McCarthy to recover.

O’Connell said his ability to play in the season finale against Green Bay on Jan. 3 or 4 would simply depend on his grip.

McCarthy has played in just 81/ 2 of a possible 33 games in the NFL since he was drafted 10th overall in 2024, with a torn meniscus in his right knee keeping him out his entire rookie season, a badly sprained right ankle costing him five games this season and a concussion sidelining him for another.

Brosmer started for McCarthy that time on Nov. 30, when the Vikings lost 26-0 at NFC-leading Seattle after the undrafted rookie threw four interceptions.

AP pro football writer

LSU offisive lineman Echols plans to transfer

LSU offensive lineman Coen Echols announced Tuesday that he plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal.

Echols, a redshirt freshman, started seven games at left guard this season. He was a four-star recruit in 2024, and now he’s the second young offensive lineman who has decided to leave LSU. Carius Curne — a former top-100 recruit who started five contests this year as a true freshman — was the first.

As of Tuesday, 11 LSU players are planning to transfer. Three of them filled significant roles in 2025: Curne, Echols and defensive tackle Ahmad Breaux.

LSU will face Houston in the Texas Bowl at 8 p.m. Saturday (ESPN). The transfer portal opens for all players on Jan. 2.

BY ROB MAADDI

Six Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks were selected for the Pro Bowl Games.

The defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, along with the Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Chargers, are sending five players.

Reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen, Drake Maye and Justin Herbert are the AFC quarterbacks. Sam Darnold, Dak Prescott and Matthew Stafford are the QBs for the NFC. Kansas City’s Travis Kelce was selected for his 11th Pro Bowl, tied with Jason Witten for the second-most among tight ends, behind only Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez (14).

Nineteen players were chosen for the first time, including Eagles cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, Dolphins running back De’Von Achane and Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens.

Chargers tackle Joe Alt was selected even though he played only six games before sustaining a season-ending ankle injury.

The AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars (11-4) only had one player selected: long snapper Ross Matiscik.

The Jets, Saints and Vikings were the only teams without a representative.

San Francisco’s Kyle Juszczyk is heading to his 10th Pro Bowl, the most ever by a fullback. Nin-

IN BRIEF

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

THURSDAy, NETFLIX.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By FRANK FRANKLIN II

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Max Brosmer passes against the New york Giants during a game on Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J.

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates took another step toward being a contender in 2026, agreeing to a $29 million, two-year contract with All-Star first baseman/outfielder Ryan O’Hearn designed to give one of the worst offenses in the majors a boost.

A person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the deal includes $500,000 annually in performance bonuses. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because it was not yet official.

O’Hearn receives the first multiple-year free agent deal the Pirates have agreed to together since 2016. The left-handed O’Hearn is coming off the best season of his big league career. He hit .281 with 17 home runs and 63 RBIs in 2025.

Jets QB Fields placed on injured reserve, ends season

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The New York Jets are placing quarterback Justin Fields on season-ending injured reserve with a knee injury that has sidelined him the past three games.

Coach Aaron Glenn announced the decision on Tuesday to sit Fields for the final two games.

Fields, who signed a two-year, $40 million deal — with $30 million guaranteed — with New York in March, was the starter for most of this season until he was benched in favor of Tyrod Taylor last month.

Undrafted rookie Brady Cook is set to make his third consecutive start Sunday against New England. Taylor will be the backup.

Fields went 2-7 as the Jets’ starter with seven touchdowns and only one interception for 1,259 yards.

Venus WIlliams weds Andrea Preti in Florida

PALM BEACH, Fla. — Venus Williams and Andrea Preti are married, the tennis great announced Tuesday on social media.

Williams and Preti became wife and husband over the weekend in Palm Beach, Florida, as part of a five-day celebration.

After becoming the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match in July, the 45-year-old Williams gave thanks to her fiance, who was in the stands at the DC Open.

Preti is a Danish-born Italian model and actor, according to the website IMDB. Williams hadn’t played in a tournament in 16 months until entering the event in Washington.

The seven-time Grand Slams singles champion plans to play in a 33rd straight season on the WTA Tour.

MIssouri LB Wilson files suit against Georgia

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri pass rusher Damon Wilson II claims that the athletic department at Georgia is trying to illegally punish him for entering the transfer portal in a lawsuit filed by the linebacker in state court Tuesday in Boone County, Missouri.

Wilson transferred to the Tigers last January after signing a 14-month deal with Georgia’s booster collective to capitalize on his name, image and likeness. He received $30,000 in an initial payment on a $500,000 deal before entering the transfer portal.

Georgia filed a lawsuit last month claiming that Wilson owed its athletic department $390,000 in liquidated damages for leaving the team. Wilson’s countersuit claims that his former school is using such damages to “punish” him for his decision to leave.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Wednesday, December 24, 2025 ● 3C

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Westgate takes big step by reaching tourney final

BY MIKE COPPAGE Contributing writer

Westgate High was the surprise team of the Coca-Cola Classic boys basketball tournament.

The Tigers, who don’t start any seniors, had only played two games before the tourney and were shorthanded because of the flu, but coach Oliver Winston’s team blew out East St. John and handed host Lafayette Renaissance its first loss before losing to a red-hot Marksville team in the final 73-48.

“We were able to hit some shots last night,” Winston said of Sunday’s 76-64 win over LRCA, which was ranked by MaxPreps in the state’s overall top 10. “We didn’t do a good job defensively tonight.

Marksville is good. They’re very good. They have a couple of seniors who can really go.”

Marksville (11-1), which finished as Division III nonselect runner-up last season and is No. 1 in the power ratings with double-digit wins over Class 5A powers Alexandria and Natchitoches-Central, led 19-3 after the first quarter.

“They eliminated us from being able to get transition buckets and

with us not hitting shots, that really limited our scoring,” Winston said.

Westgate (3-2) fought back in the second quarter, pulling within 23-13 and holding the Tigers from central Louisiana without a field goal for more than six minutes.

But Marksville scored the final five points of the half and built a 35-15 lead in the third quarter behind 15 points from tourney MVP Armonii Benjamin, who won two state titles at Avoyelles Public Charter before transferring when his dad became MHS head coach.

“We played with a lot more energy, a lot more intensity, and we knocked down shots,” Winston said of the semifinal win over LRCA. “We were able to knock down shots, get them out of what they wanted to do defensively, and get transition (points).”

Cayden Lancelin and Dakylon Joseph were named to the AllTournament team for Westgate.

Antonio Quetel scored a team-high 11 points against Marksville, and Lancelin added 10. Joseph came up big in the semifinals after attending his grandmother’s funeral earlier in the day.

“We got to grow up,” Winston said. “We’re still a little immature.

We have to be able to play consecutive games at a high level. Right now, we’re just playing at a high level for one game. We have to be able to do it for multiple games.”

Among the absentees for the final were Westgate players Caemon Crockem, Noah Antoine and Brock Mitchell.

“That’s no excuse,” Winston said.

“We had 10 people. We should be able to win a game like that.

Marksville showed they’re a dominant program, and we have to do a better job.”

Marksville beat EG3, a basketball academy based in Houston, Texas, in the semifinals. The Tigers haven’t lost since a one-point setback in the season opener against J.S.Clark (without their football players).

“Just persevering,” Marksville coach Okie Benjamin said of his team’s success. “Doing a good job of following our game plan, our principles: that’s defending, rebounding and taking care of the ball. We’ve been doing those things, and that has allowed us to win some games.”

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

Westgate guard Cayden Lancelin brings the ball upcourt against Marksville during the final of the Coca-Cola Classic on Monday at Lafayette Renaissance.

PREP REPORT Basketball

Point-St. John winners

Darrell Mitchell Holiday Classic

STM Sunkist Shootout

(Boys, girls at St. Martinville)

Friday’s Games

(Boys at St. Thomas More)

Friday’s Games

10 a.m. – Teurlings vs. Menard 11:15 a.m. – Lafayette Renaissance vs. St. Louis 12:30 p.m. – Sulphur vs. Ellender 2 p.m. – Shaw vs. Lafayette Christian 3:15 p.m. – Vandebilt vs. Neville 4:30 p.m. – Church Point vs. St. John XXIII 6 p.m. – Terrebonne vs. St. Thomas More 7:15 p.m. – Catholic-NI vs. Westgate

Saturday’s Games

10 a.m. — Shaw-LCA vs. LRCA-St. Louis losers 11:15 a.m. — Teurlings-Menard vs. CatholicWestgate losers 12:30 p.m. — Vandebilt-Neville vs. Church Point-St. John losers 2 p.m. – STM-Terrebonne vs. Sulphur-Ellender losers 3:15 p.m. – Teurlings-Menard vs. CatholicWestgate winners 4:30 p.m. – Shaw-LCA vs. LRCA-St. Louis winners 6 p.m. – STM-Terrebonne vs. Sulphur-Ellender winners 7:15 p.m. – Vandebilt-Neville vs. Church

2 p.m. – St. Martinville vs. Lafayette High (boys) 3:30 p.m. – Loreauville vs. Rayne (boys) 4 p.m. – Beau Chene vs. Westgate (girls/ aux. gym) 5 p.m. – Comeaux vs. Breaux Bridge (boys) 6 p.m. – St. Martinville vs. New Iberia (girls/ aux. gym) 6:30 p.m. – Cecilia vs. Northside (boys)

Saturday’s Games

1 p.m. – New Iberia vs. BBHS-Comeaux winner (boys) 2:30 p.m. – Franklin vs. Loreauville-Rayne winner (boys) 4 p.m. – Cecilia-Northside winner vs. Peabody (boys) 4 p.m. – Cecilia vs. Beau Chene-Westgate winner (girls/aux. gym) 5:30 p.m. – Loreauville-Rayne vs. CeciliaNorthside losers (boys) 6 p.m. – Breaux Bridge vs. SMSH-New Iberia winner (girls/aux. gym) 7 p.m. – SMSH-Lafayette vs. BBHS-Comeaux losers (boys)

Northwest Holiday Classic (Boys, girls at Northwest High)

Friday’s Games

1:30 p.m. – Douglass vs. North Central (boys) 3 p.m. – Washington-Marion vs. Beau Chene (boys) 4:30 p.m. – Northwest vs. Livonia (boys) 6 p.m. – Eunice vs. Karr (boys) 7:30 p.m. – Opelousas vs. Ville Platte (boys)

Saturday’s Games

Noon – Scotlandville vs. Ville Platte (girls) 1:30 p.m. – Northwest vs. Central Lafourche (girls) 3 p.m. – Eunice-Karr vs. Washington-MarionBeau Chene losers (boys) 4:30 p.m. – Opelousas-Ville Platte vs.

Northwest-Livonia losers (boys) 6 p.m. – David Thibodaux vs. WashingtonMarion-Beau Chene winner (boys) 7:30 p.m. -Northwest-Livonia vs. DouglassNorth Central winners (boys)

Vermilion Catholic Yuletide Classic

(boys) 5:30 p.m. – Vermilion Catholic vs. Delcambre (girls) 7 p.m. – Vermilion Catholic vs. Delcambre (boys)

3:40 p.m. – St. Thomas More vs. Iowa 5 p.m. – North Vermilion vs. Carencro 6:20 p.m. – Teurlings vs. Church Point

10 a.m. – VC-Delcambre vs. ARCA-ESA losers (boys) 11:30 a.m. – Avoyelles-Erath vs. CrowleyAscension (boys) 1 p.m. – Kaplan vs. Notre Dame (boys) 2:30 p.m. – Kaplan vs. Southside-Basile winner (girls) 4 p.m. – ARCA-ESA vs. Avoyelles-Erath winner (boys) 5:30 p.m. – VC-Delcambre vs. Erath-LRCA winners (girls) 7 p.m. – Abbeville vs. Ascension-Crowley winner (boys)

(Boys, girls at St. Edmund)

Saturday’s Games

Beal and Hebert Invitational (Girls at Teurlings Catholic)

Monday’s Games

(Boys, girls at Vermilion Catholic)

Friday’s Games

10 a.m. – Southside vs. Basile (girls) 11:30 a.m. – Ascension Episcopal vs. Crowley (boys) 1 p.m. – Erath vs. Lafayette Renaissance (girls) 2:30 p.m. – Avoyelles vs. Erath (boys) 4 p.m. – Acadiana Renaissance vs. ESA

1 p.m. – DeRidder vs. Breaux Bridge 2:20 p.m. – North Vermilion vs. Jeanerette 3:40 p.m. – Church Point vs. Carencro 5 p.m. – St. Thomas More vs. St. Charles 6:20 p.m. – Teurlings vs. Iowa

Tuesday’s Games

1 p.m. – Teurlings vs. Jeanerette 2:20 p.m. – St. Charles vs. DeRidder

Kendall/Brad Fontenot Holiday Shootout Saturday’s Games

9 a.m. – Elton vs. Mamou (girls) 10:30 a.m. – Elton vs. Westminster (boys) Noon – St. Edmund vs. Pine Prairie (girls) 1:30 p.m. – Pitkin vs. Sacred Heart-VP (boys) 3 p.m. – Lacassine vs. Sacred Heart-VP (girls) 4:30 p.m. – Iota vs. Lacassine (boys) 6 p.m. – Basile vs. St. Edmund (boys)

Monday’s Games

9 a.m. – Elton-WCA vs. Pitkin-SHVP losers (boys) 10:30 a.m. – St. Edmund vs. Mamou (girls) Noon – Iota-Lacassine vs. Basile-St. Edmund losers (boys) 1:30 p.m. – Pine Prairie vs. Elton (girls) 3 p.m. – Elton-WCA vs. SHVP-Pitkin winners (boys) 4:30 p.m. – St. Edmund vs. Lacassine (girls) 6 p.m. – Iota-Lacassine vs. Basile-St. Edmund winners (boys) 7:30 p.m. – Iota vs. Sacred Heart-VP (girls)

SCOREBOARD Hole-in-one

Arizona

Kevin Boudreau Course: Joseph M. Bartolomew Sr. Hole, yardage: No. 5, 96 yards Club selection: Pitching wedge Witnesses: Lenny Lapuyade, Steve Simone

Odds NFL Thursday

FAVORITE at WASH Detroit at KAN CITY

Saturday

OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG 3½ 4½ (50½) Dallas 2½ 1½ (48½) at MIN 4½ 4½ (44½) Denver

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG at CHARGERS 1½ 1½ (39½) Houston at GREEN BAY 1½ 2½ (40½) Baltimore

Sunday

FAVORITE Seattle Jacksonville Tampa Bay New England Pittsburgh New Orleans at CIN at LAS VEGAS at BUFFALO at SAN FRAN

Monday FAVORITE LA Rams

OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG 1½ 7½ (42½) at CAR 1½ 6½ (47½) at INDY 1 5½ (46½) at MIAMI 1½ 13½ (42½) at NY JETS 2½ 3½ (33½) at CLE 3½ 2½ (39½) at TEN 4 7 (53½) Arizona 2½ 1½ (41½) NY Giants 1½ 1½ (43½) Philadlph 3 3 (52½) Chicago OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG 8½ 8½ (49½) at ATL

College Football Wednesday

Hawai’i Bowl Cal

Friday

1½

1½

GameAbove Sports Bowl Northwestern 12½ 10½ Rate Bowl Minnesota 3½ 2½ First Responder Bowl UTSA 8½ 8½

Saturday

Military Bowl Pittsburgh 6½ Pinstripe Bowl Clemson 3½ Fenway Bowl Army 3½ Pop-Tarts Bowl BYU 3½ Arizona Bowl Fresno State 3½ New Mexico Bowl North Texas 5½ Gator Bowl Missouri 7½ Texas Bowl Houston 1½

Monday

Birmingham Bowl Ga. Southern 3½

Dec. 30

Orange Bowl Oregon Rose Bowl Indiana Sugar Bowl Georgia

Jan. 2

1½

Hawaii

(43½)

C.Mich

(47½) N. Mexico (59½) Florida Int’l (57½) E. Carolina

3½

(48½) Penn State

8½

(46½)

UConn

4½

(55½)

Ga. Tech

4½

(42½)Miami (OH)

2½

(55½) S. Diego St.

6½

(48½)

Virginia

2½

(41½)

4½

(59½) App. State

Dec. 31

Jan. 1

(54½)

7½

Independence Bowl Louisiana Tech 9½ 8½ Music City Bowl Tennessee 8½ 2½ Alamo Bowl USC 6½ 4½

ReliaQuest Bowl Vanderbilt 4½ Sun Bowl Duke 1½ Citrus Bowl Texas 5½ Las Vegas Bowl Utah 14½ Cotton Bowl Ohio State 9½

LSU

(50½) C. Carolina (60½)

Illinois

(57½)

TCU

2½

(51½)

SMU

NFL AMERICAN CONFERENCE

East

x-New England x-Buffalo e-Miami e-N.Y. Jets South x-Jacksonville Houston Indianapolis e-Tennessee North Pittsburgh Baltimore e-Cincinnati e-Cleveland West

W 12 11 6 3

L 3 4 9 12

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .800 .733 .400 .200

PF 410 434 317 282

PA 300 344 369 426

W 11 10 8 3

L 4 5 7 12

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .733 .667 .533 .200

PF 410 346 419 251

PA 312 249 351 403

L 6 8 10 12

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .600 .467 .333 .200

PF 365 359 359 246

PA 350 348 458 355

Pct .800 .733 .400 .133

PF 362 349 337 217

PA 295 301 294 386

W 9 7 5 3

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

W 12 11 6 2

L 3 4 9 13

T 0 0 0 0

NATIONAL CONFERENCE East

y-Philadelphia e-Dallas e-Washington e-N.Y. Giants South Carolina Tampa Bay e-Atlanta e-New Orleans North x-Chicago Green Bay Detroit e-Minnesota West

W 10 6 4 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

W 8 7 6 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

Pct .733 .633 .533 .467

PF 387 364 452 305

PA 354 303 374 320

W 11 9 8 7

L 4 5 7 8

T 0 1 0 0

W L T Pct PF PA x-Seattle 12 3 0 .800 443 279 x-San Francisco 11 4 0 .733 392 320 x-L.A. Rams 11 4 0 .733 457 299 e-Arizona 3 12 0 .200 321 414 e-eliminated from playoffs; x-clinched playoff spot; y-clinched division

Thursday’s Games

Dallas at Washington, noon Detroit at Minnesota, 3:30 p.m.

Denver at Kansas City, 7:15 p.m.

Saturday’s Games

Houston at L.A. Chargers, 3:30 p.m.

Baltimore at Green Bay, 7 p.m.

Sunday’s Games

Arizona at Cincinnati, noon Jacksonville at Indianapolis, noon New England at N.Y. Jets, noon New Orleans at Tennessee, noon Pittsburgh at Cleveland, noon Seattle at Carolina, noon Tampa Bay at Miami, noon N.Y. Giants at Las Vegas, 3:05 p.m.

Philadelphia at Buffalo, 3:25 p.m.

Chicago at San Francisco, 7:20 p.m.

Monday’s game

L.A. Rams at Atlanta, 7:15 p.m.

4½

(46½)

Iowa

3½

(49½) Arizona St

7½

(45½)

Michigan

16½

(50½) Nebraska

9½

(42½) Miami (FL)

1½

(52½) Texas Tech

6½

6½

(48½)

Alabama

6½

6½

(56½)

Ole Miss

Armed Forces Bowl Texas State 9½ Liberty Bowl Navy 3½ Duke’s Mayo Bowl Mississippi St 2½ Holiday Bowl

1½

Pro football

10½

(59½)

Rice

6½

(53½) Cincinnati

2½

(56½)

W.Forest

Pro Bowl rosters AFC Offense

QUARTERBACK: Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills; Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers; Drake Maye, New England Patriots RUNNING BACK: De’Von Achane, Miami Dolphins; James Cook, Buffalo Bills; Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts FULLBACK: Patrick Ricard, Baltimore Ravens WIDE RECEIVER: Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals; Nico Collins, Houston Texans; Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens; Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos TIGHT END: Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders; Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs OFFENSIVE TACKLE: Joe Alt, Los Angeles Chargers; Garett Bolles, Denver Broncos; Dion Dawkins, Buffalo Bills OFFENSIVE GUARD: Quinn Meinerz, Denver Broncos; Quenton Nelson, Indianapolis Colts; Trey Smith, Kansas City Chiefs CENTER: Creed Humphrey, Kansas City Chiefs; Tyler Linderbaum, Baltimore Ravens

Defense

DEFENSIVE END: Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans; Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders; Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns INTERIOR LINEMAN: Zach Allen, Denver Broncos; Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs; Jeffrey Simmons, Tennessee Titans OUTSIDE LINEBACKER: Nik Bonitto, Denver Broncos; Tuli Tuipulotu, Los Angeles Chargers; T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers INSIDE LINEBACKER: Azeez Al-Shaair, Houston Texans; Roquan Smith, Baltimore Ravens CORNERBACK: Christian Gonzalez, New England Patriots; Derek Stingley Jr., Houston Texans; Pat Surtain II, Denver Broncos; Denzel Ward, Cleveland Browns FREE SAFETY: Jalen Ramsey, Pittsburgh Steelers STRONG SAFETY:Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore Ravens; Derwin James Jr., Los Angeles Chargers

Special teams

LONG-SNAPPER: Ross Matiscik, Jacksonville Jaguars KICKER: Cameron Dicker, Los Angeles Chargers PUNTER: Jordan Stout, Baltimore Ravens RETURN SPECIALIST: Chimere Dike, Tennessee Titans SPECIAL-TEAMER: Ben Skowronek, Pittsburgh Steelers

NFC

Offense

QUARTERBACK: Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks; Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys; Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams RUNNING BACK: Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions; Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers; Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons FULLBACK: Kyle Juszczyk, San Francisco 49ers WIDE RECEIVER: Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams; George Pickens, Dallas Cowboys; Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks; Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions TIGHT END: George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers; Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals OFFENSIVE TACKLE: Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions; Trent Williams, San Francisco 49ers; Tristan Wirfs Tampa Bay Buccaneers OFFENSIVE GUARD: Chris Lindstrom, Atlanta Falcons; Tyler Smith, Dallas Cowboys; Joe Thuney, Chicago Bears CENTER: Drew Dalman, Chicago Bears; Cam Jurgens, Philadelphia Eagles

Defense

DEFENSIVE END: Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions; DeMarcus Lawrence, Seattle Seahawks; Micah Parsons, Green Bay Packers INTERIOR LINEMAN: Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles; Leonard Williams, Seattle Seahawks, Quinnen Williams, Dallas Cowboys OUTSIDE LINEBACKER: Brian Burns, New York Giants, Jared Verse, Los Angeles Rams; Byron Young, Los Angeles Rams INSIDE LINEBACKER: Zack Baun, Philadelphia Eagles; Jack Campbell, Detroit Lions CORNERBACK: Jaycee Horn, Carolina Panthers; Devon Witherspoon, Seattle Seahawks FREE SAFETY: Kevin Byard III, Chicago Bears; Antoine Winfield Jr., Tampa Bay Buccaneers STRONG SAFETY: Budda Baker, Arizona Cardinals

Special teams

LONG-SNAPPER: Jon Weeks, San Francisco 49ers KICKER: Brandon Aubrey, Dallas Cowboys PUNTER: Tress Way, Washington Commanders RETURN SPECIALIST: Rashid Shaheed, Seattle Seahawks SPECIAL-TEAMER: Luke Gifford, San Francisco 49ers

Pro basketball NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division

New York Boston Philadelphia Toronto Brooklyn Southeast Division Orlando Miami Atlanta Charlotte

W 20 18 16 17 8

L 8 11 11 13 19

Pct .714 .621 .593 .567 .296

GB — 2½ 3½ 4 11½

W 16 15 15 9

L 13 14 15 20

Pct .552 .517 .500 .310

GB — 1 1½ 7

Washington Central Division Detroit Cleveland Chicago Milwaukee Indiana

5

22

.185

10

W 23 16 13 11 6

L 6 14 15 18 23

Pct .793 .533 .464 .379 .207

GB — 7½ 9½ 12 17

W 21 17 13 11 8

L 7 9 16 19 22

Pct .750 .654 .448 .367 .267

GB — 3 8½ 11 14

W 26 21 19 12 10

L 3 7 10 17 18

Pct .897 .750 .655 .414 .357

GB — 4½ 7 14 15½

W 19 15 15 7 7

L 8 13 15 21 22

Pct .704 .536 .500 .250 .241

GB — 4½ 5½ 12½ 13

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Southwest Division San Antonio Houston Memphis Dallas New Orleans Northwest Division Oklahoma City Denver Minnesota Portland Utah Pacific Division L.A. Lakers Phoenix Golden State L.A. Clippers Sacramento

Monday’s Games

Honolulu Cal vs. Hawaii, 7 p.m. (ESPN)

Friday’s games GameAbove Sports Bowl

Detroit Central Michigan vs. Northwestern, noon (ESPN)

Rate Bowl

Cleveland 139, Charlotte 132 Boston 103, Indiana 95 New Orleans 119, Dallas 113 Denver 135, Utah 112 Oklahoma City 119, Memphis 103 Golden State 120, Orlando 97 Detroit 110, Portland 102

Tuesday’s Games

Brooklyn at Philadelphia, n Washington at Charlotte, n Chicago at Atlanta, n Milwaukee at Indiana, n New Orleans at Cleveland, n Toronto at Miami, n Denver at Dallas, n New York at Minnesota, n Oklahoma City at San Antonio, n L.A. Lakers at Phoenix, n Memphis at Utah, n Detroit at Sacramento, n Orlando at Portland, n Houston at L.A. Clippers, n

Wednesday’s Games

No games scheduled

Thursday’s Games

Cleveland at New York, 11 a.m.

San Antonio at Oklahoma City, 1:30 p.m.

Dallas at Golden State, 4 p.m.

Houston at L.A. Lakers, 7 p.m.

Minnesota at Denver, 9:30 p.m.

LATE MONDAY New Orleans 119, Dallas 113

DALLAS (113): Flagg 5-11 5-10 16, Washington 3-7 0-0 8, Davis 16-28 2-3 35, Marshall 7-10 0-0 15, Nembhard 2-13 0-0 4, Martin 2-2 0-1 4, Gafford 1-3 1-2 3, Hardy 1-5 2-2 4, Thompson 7-17 1-3 20, Williams 2-8 0-0 4.

Totals 46-104 11-21 113.

NEW ORLEANS (119): Bey 7-17 5-5 19, Murphy III 4-12 2-2 11, Queen 7-12 5-6 19, Fears 4-14 3-4 12, Jones 4-7 0-0 9, Williamson 10-14 4-4 24, Matkovic 2-4 0-2 5, Peavy 0-1 0-0 0, Alvarado 2-4 0-0 6, Poole 4-12 4-4 14. Totals 44-97 23-27 119.

Dallas 34 29 24 26 — 113 New Orleans 36 21 22 40 — 119 3-Point Goals—Dallas 10-33 (Thompson 5-12, Washington 2-3, Flagg 1-1, Marshall 1-2, Davis 1-3, Hardy 0-4, Nembhard 0-4, Williams 0-4), New Orleans 8-34 (Alvarado 2-4, Poole 2-8, Jones 1-2, Matkovic 1-3, Fears 1-4, Murphy III 1-4, Peavy 0-1, Queen 0-2, Bey 0-6). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Dallas 57 (Davis 17), New Orleans 51 (Queen 11). Assists—Dallas 29 (Nembhard 8), New Orleans 28 (Queen 6). Total Fouls—Dallas 19, New Orleans 16. A—16,978 (16,867)

College football

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

First Responder Bowl

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

Saturday’s games Military Bowl

Annapolis, Md. Pittsburgh vs. East Carolina, 10 a.m. (ESPN)

Pinstripe Bowl

Bronx, N.Y. Clemson vs. Penn St., 11 a.m. (ABC)

Fenway Bowl

Boston UConn vs. Army, 1:15 p.m. (ESPN)

Pop-Tarts Bowl

Orlando, Fla. No. 12 BYU vs. No. 24 Georgia Tech, 2:30 p.m.

(ABC)

Arizona Bowl

Tucson, Ariz.

Fresno St. vs. Miami (OH), 3:30 p.m. (CW Network)

New Mexico Bowl

Albuquerque No. 23 North Texas vs. San Diego St., 4:45 p.m. (ESPN)

Gator Bowl

Jacksonville, Fla. No. 25 Missouri vs. No. 20 Virginia, 6:30 p.m.

(ABC)

Texas Bowl

Houston LSU vs. No. 21 Houston, 8:15 p.m. (ESPN)

FCS Playoffs Semifinals Illinois St. 30, Villanova 14 Montana St. 48, Montana 23

Jan. 5

FCS Championship Nashville, Tenn.

No. 2 Montana St. (13-2) vs. Illinois St. (12-4), 6:30 p.m. (ESPN)

College basketball State men’s schedule Monday’s games

Louisiana Tech 90, Dallas Christian 37 LSU 104, Prairie View A&M 90

LATE MONDAY LSU 104, Prairie View 90

PRAIRIE VIEW (5-7): Dunning 0-0 0-0 0, Wells 3-6 0-0 7, Horne 6-12 9-10 24, Joseph 11-20 7-8 34, Williams 0-1 0-0 0, Madimba 3-4 8-8 16, Mason 3-7 0-0 7, J.Thomas 0-2 2-2 2, Mitchell 0-2 0-0 0, Bolton 0-0 0-0 0, Foster 0-0 0-0 0.

Totals 26-54 26-28 90.

LSU (11-1): Nwoko 5-9 8-9 18, Sutton 4-9 1314 21, Tamba 3-5 3-4 10, Mackinnon 3-9 4-4 12, D.Thomas 5-9 11-13 21, Reece 2-7 2-2 8, King 5-9 1-1 13, Miller 0-0 1-2 1. Totals 27-57 43-49 104.

Halftime—Prairie View 56-51. 3-Point Goals— Prairie View 12-21 (Joseph 5-9, Horne 3-4, Madimba 2-2, Wells 1-1, Mason 1-4, Mitchell 0-1), LSU 7-19 (King 2-5, Mackinnon 2-5, Reece 2-5, Tamba 1-1, D.Thomas 0-1, Sutton 0-2). Fouled Out—Dunning, Wells, Tamba.

Rebounds—Prairie View 18 (Madimba 7), LSU 35 (Sutton 11). Assists—Prairie View 11 (Horne 5), LSU 15 (D.Thomas 7). Total Fouls— Prairie View 31, LSU 21. A—8,174 (13,215).

Tuesday’s game

Tuesday’s games

Ohio State 89, Grambling 63

Boca Raton Bowl

UL-Monroe at Kansas State 1 p.m.

Norfolk State at UL, 2 p.m.

Louisville 27, Toledo 22

New Orleans Bowl

Western Kentucky vs. Southern Miss, n

Sunday’s games

State women’s schedule

Frisco Bowl

Monday’s game

Wednesday’s game

Sunday’s games

Ohio vs. UNLV, n

Grambling 97, LeTourneau University 33

Hawai’i Bowl

Southeastern at Texas, 1 p.m.

Alabama State at LSU, 3 p.m.

4C ● Wednesday, December 24, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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RABALAIS

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By PETER MORRISON

Brooks Koepka acknowledges the crowd on the fifth green during the first round of the British Open on July 17 at the Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland.

Koepka is first player to defect from LIV Golf

BY DOUG FERGUSON

AP golf writer

Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka became the first player to defect from LIV Golf, a significant blow to the Saudi-funded league that raises questions whether the PGA Tour will find a way for him to return.

LIV Golf posted an announcement to its website under a statement that Talor Gooch is the new captain of the Smash team that Koepka had led.

Scott O’Neil, the new CEO of LIV, said Koepka and LIV “amicably and mutually agreed” that Koepka will no longer compete in the league.

“Brooks is prioritizing the needs of his family and staying closer to home,” O’Neil said. “We appreciate the significant impact he has had on the game and wish him continued success, both on and off the course.”

LIV does not disclose contracts, though it was believed Koepka had another year left from when he joined in June 2022.

The PGA Tour policy banning players who have joined the rival league requires them to sit out for one year from their last participation. LIV ended its season on Aug. 24.

Koepka began his career on the European tour and would have access to play there. He played four European tour events this year, finishing fourth in the French Open a week before the Ryder Cup. He played in the 2023 Ryder Cup, but was not a consideration this year because of his form.

Blake Smith, Koepka’s manager at Hambric Sports, said there would be no comment beyond a

CFP

Continued from page 1C It did not go over well with everyone; even ABC analyst Dan Fouts twice said “bad call” while watching replays.

Porter has said over the years that he simply took an extra moment to make sure he got the call right.

“If you make a call and it’s right, the call goes away. If you make a call and the call is wrong, it never goes away. Ever,” Porter told the Stillwater News Press for a story published in August about his entry into that state’s officiating Hall of Fame. “So just take your

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C camaraderie helped the Saints weather a brutal start to the season. The losses still hit hard, but Johnson and others said they channeled that frustration into healthy habits of seeking improvement.

“This is the best locker room I’ve ever had,” Johnson said, six years into his career.

Johnson said he feels that way because of how players stuck together during the first half of the year. No one turned on each other or blamed others for their mistakes, he said. And Johnson said coach Kellen Moore deserves a lot

statement released through LIV Golf that Koepka is grateful for his time at LIV. “Family has always guided Brooks’s decisions, and he feels this is the right moment to spend more time at home,” the statement said. “Brooks will continue to be a huge supporter of LIV Golf and wishes the league and its players continued success. Brooks remains passionate about the game of golf and will keep fans updated on what’s ahead.”

The PGA Tour, while not offering any substance, took the rare step of acknowledging the move involving a player who is no longer a member.

“Brooks Koepka is a highly accomplished professional, and we wish him and his family continued success,” the tour said in a statement. “The PGA Tour continues to offer the best professional golfers the most competitive, challenging and lucrative environment in which to pursue greatness.”

Koepka had alerted the PGA Tour of his plans before the LIV announcement, according to one person aware of communication.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because it has not been publicly disclosed.

The first step for Koepka to return would be to re-apply for membership. He was not among the LIV players who were part of the antitrust lawsuit filed against the PGA Tour in 2022.

Koepka, who spent 47 weeks at No. 1 in the world in 2018 and 2019, was one of the biggest signings by LIV when it launched in 2022. He had been coping with injuries and later suggested he might not have joined had his health been better.

He had been part of a meeting

at the 2022 U.S. Open with top PGA Tour players a week earlier encouraging them to rally around the tour. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan had even gone to Koepka’s wedding in the Caribbean weeks before he jumped over to LIV. Koepka was the first LIV player to win a major in 2023 when he won the PGA Championship at Oak Hill for his fifth major. Bryson DeChambeau won the U.S. Open the following year.

Koepka won five times on LIV Golf, but he had only two top 10s — his best was a runner-up — in 2025 and finished 31st in the standings of the 54-man circuit. He missed the cut in five of the eight tournaments he played outside LIV this year, including three majors.

A blunt speaker, Koepka had expressed frustration earlier in the year that LIV wasn’t as far along as he hoped it would be.

His departure leaves DeChambeau and Jon Rahm, both two-time major champions, as the biggest draws in the league that also includes Ryder Cup player Tyrrell Hatton.

LIV did not say how Koepka would be replaced. The league has signed only Victor Perez and Laurie Canter for the 2026 season, which starts in February in Saudi Arabia. It has a “promotions” tournament in January where two players can gain entry into LIV. The league also is awaiting word on its application to become part of the Official World Golf Ranking system.

One of the sticking points has been LIV selecting players for its circuit, which is different from the other tours that are part of the ranking system.

time and try to get it right. That’s what we all want to do. When you walk out at night, out of the place — football, basketball, I don’t care — you just want to have gotten it right.”

Beck wasn’t even two months old when the Miami-Ohio State title game was played. What happened on Jan. 3, 2003, in theory, won’t matter much to either side.

After all, most of the players in this game weren’t even born when that happened.

“We’re focused on the present,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. “We’re focused on the present.”

But matchups are often about history, about nostalgia. The teams have played twice since

that Fiesta Bowl — Ohio State won in 2010, Miami won in 2011 — but those games are registering nary a blip of attention right now.

“I think games like this, with two storied programs, I think people are always going to want to pull out history and draw comparisons and all that other stuff,” Cristobal said. “And moments like that, they’re valid.

They’re real. It’s what makes college football awesome, the pageantry. But this game is the 2025 Hurricanes and Buckeyes going after it, to be determined by the 22 guys on the field one snap at a time. That’s going to be the focus. That’s where all our attention will be.”

of credit for instilling that mindset.

Moore, too, was the one who planned for the numerous offseason activities — even if it meant skipping a day or two of on-field work. It was something he had in mind from the beginning, raising the idea in his interview with Saints general manager Mickey Loomis. He advocated for the Saints to hold part of training camp in Southern California, for instance, to have the team build chemistry over a long season.

“It’s easy to talk about, ‘Hey, we need to have great team chemistry,’ ” Loomis said before the season. “No kidding. OK, how do you create that? What do you do to create that?”

Those answers not only won Loomis over, enough to hire Moore, but they also led the first-year coach to earn his players’ respect.

That was also going to have been earned by how he led in a number of other areas, but fostering those relationships early on played a key role in the Saints’ willingness to stay together.

“It’s huge because … all that bonding and getting to know each other, this is the time when everybody’s tired and the season is long,” defensive end Chris Rumph said. “That’s when you fall back on all the things you did in the offseason. Like, ‘Hey, man. This is what we wanted. I’m here with you.’ ” On Monday, Moore said adversity is part of every season, and a

tackles at his alma mater. Kiffin initially targeted former SyraContinued from page 1C cuse co-defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson, but he instead took a co-defensive coordinator RB coach Kevin Smith and D-line post at Texas A&M. It’s a bigger title for Robinson, Smith will also be LSU’s aswho, of course, was not going to sistant head coach, completely eclipse Blake Baker once Kiffin duplicating the role Frank Wilretained him. son, LSU’s interim head coach Of perhaps equal or greater from late October through the importance is whether star Texas Bowl, held on Brian KelSouth Carolina defensive end ly’s staff. Reports have been, of course, that Wilson will be head- Dylan Stewart will follow Lucas to Baton Rouge for what ing to Ole Miss to fill Smith’s would be expected to be one spot on Golding’s staff after the more season of college ball beTigers play Houston.

Will there be a player or two to fore entering the NFL draft. A complication with that may be be named later in this “trade”? that Lucas will coach defensive Perhaps. There is rampant tackles and not edge rushers, a speculation that Ole Miss star group expected to continue to be running back Kewan Lacy will the purview of current LSU astransfer to LSU after the CFP (remember the transfer portal sistant Kevin Peoples. window opens Jan. 2, mere Chris Kiffin, Co-DC and LBs hours after the Sugar Bowl).

What that would mean for inThe exact responsibilities for Lane’s brother, who has been cumbent LSU running backs both an analyst and linebackHarlem Berry and Caden Durers coach at Ole Miss, weren’t ham is unknown. It’s possible entirely clear. What is almost even that one of them could follow Wilson to Oxford, Missis- certain, considering how much LSU spent to keep Blake Baker, sippi. is that this still going to be No matter what happens, the Tigers will need multiple backs. Baker’s defense to run. Chris This is one of those critical areas Kiffin’s role on the staff may where the $25-30 million for ros- fall under a new definition in college football, where schools ter building LSU promised Kifare allowed to employ as many fin to lure him here will almost assistant coaches as they would certainly come into play. like but with only 10 of them Sterling Lucas, defensive line (plus the head coach) permitted to recruit off campus. Chris KifLucas’ arrival from South Carolina ends a somewhat fin’s term sheet has not yet been fraught search to replace formade public. mer LSU All-American Kyle Williams, who leaves after one Email Scott Rabalais at season of coaching defensive srabalais@theadvocate.com

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

Ole Miss offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. is seen before a game between Ole Miss and Arkansas on Nov. 2, 2024, at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark.

REECE

Continued from page 1C defense was something LSU lacked. It struggled to contain the lethal off-the-dribble scores of Prairie View’s 34-point scorer Tai’Reon Joseph, who played at Scotlandville High School. Reece embraced guarding him at times and taking chances by applying more pressure on the ball and off the ball.

His one steal, one block and four rebounds undersell his impact in making Prairie View less comfortable above the 3-point arc. Reece coupled that with some typical point guard production, accumulating eight points,

two assists and no turnovers.

That steady play was useful and paired nicely with another bench riser in Rashad King. The 6-6 senior had a season-high 13 points and three blocks in 20 minutes.

Their performances were appreciated by starter Pablo Tamba, who had 10 points and nine rebounds before fouling out in 24 minutes.

“I had two fouls in the first half, so I had time to sit on the bench and talk with them a lot,” said Tamba, a graduate student transfer. “They were super engaged in the game. They were really talking to all our teammates about how to guard the guys or how to stay engaged. So, they didn’t surprise me when they went out there and got the job done.”

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU guard Jalen Reece drives between Prairie View guards Jannoy Thomas, left, and Tai’Reon Joseph on Monday night.

32: Tyler Shough’s 32 passing attempts in the first half of Sunday’s game are tied with former LSU star and Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow for the most in a first half this season. Shough’s 49 attempts were tied for the 11th most all year.

25%: As good as the Saints’ pass rush was against the Jets, they only registered a pressure rate of 25% — the seventh-lowest rate of the week entering Monday’s action. But they were super effecStats to know tive when they managed to get 13: That’s the number of game pressure: Eight of the Saints’ 11 balls that Moore gave out after pressures turned into sacks. New Sunday’s win over the Jets. Eight Orleans’ eight sacks were the went to the defense, four to the fourth-most by a team this year. offense and one to the kicker, according to a postgame locker room Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com video shared by the Saints.

team has to prepare for it.

It turns out that preparation even extended to a local bowling alley, nearly five months before they crushed the Jets.

“God, it’s a fun environment to be in,” tight end Taysom Hill said.

“We all know the postseason stuff is off the table, but everyone’s still cherishing every opportunity (we) get and I think that, that’s pretty unique and special.”

LIVING

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

|

W e d n e s d ay, d e c e m b e r 24, 2025

5cn

THE BEST THINGS WE ATE THIS WEEK

Gift your palate big flavors this holiday Staff report

Chicken shawarma plate and crepe n Starbox Falafel, 4353 S. Sher-

wood Forest Blvd., Baton Rouge

I’m a sucker for chicken shawarma, and this spot down South Sherwood Forest Boulevard not only has great food, but my plate came packed with heaping portions.

The chicken shawarma plate comes with pita bread and a choice of three sides. I got the rice pilaf, salad and hummus.

The mound of chicken tasted tender and well-seasoned. The salad was fresh, and the hummus was creamy.

I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but on this particular evening, a chocolate and pistachio crepe piqued my interest. The chocolatey goodness came with strawberries, balancing the rich flavor with something fresh.

— Maddie Scott, features reporter

STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE

Colin Cormier dishes pies during a surprise opening of Central Pizza on Sept. 30 in Broussard.

Fresh starts

Lafayette welcomed 26 new and returning restaurants this year

BY JOANNA BROWN

STAFF PHOTO By MADDIE SCOTT

Staff writer

Chicken shawarma plate from Starbox Falafel

Looking back at this year in Lafayette’s dynamic restaurant scene, we saw both old and new favorites make moves — some to second locations, and others to spots that solidified their commitment to a historic building, or a more central neighborhood.

That was the case for one longtime favorite, The Ground Pat’i on Johnston Street. Two Lafayette locations of this hamburger restaurant, on Johnston Street and Kaliste Saloom Road, had closed by early 2024 — but this year saw the return of Ground Pat’i at its historic home near the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, serving its signature char-grilled burgers in the heart of the city.

Incidentally, that move made way for the Toasted Yolk, a popular brunch cafe, to come to Lafayette.

At the tail end of last year, they opened in Ground Pat’i’s former location at 2512 Kaliste Saloom Road.

Popular Lafayette restaurants Dumpling Hour, Central Pizza and the Churros Boutique all opened second locations this year, making moves to Youngsville and Broussard in an expansion of operations across the parish. 2025 even featured a second act from one of

Veal Piccata n Maison LaCour, 11025 N. Har-

rell’s Ferry Road

Going to Maison LaCour is a treat under any circumstances.

We ended up going at 5:30 p.m. on a Tuesday — and it was like taking a little vacation in the middle of the week.

The veal piccata was tender with a creamy lemon butter sauce on the side. The veal was served with green beans and a potato. The dish was delicious and satisfying — the whole experience even better.

Reservations are required.

— Jan Risher, Louisiana culture editor

STAFF PHOTO By JAN RISHER

Maison LaCour’s veal piccata is tender with a creamy lemon butter sauce on the side.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

A plate of lasagna is served up at the new Italian restaurant Cugino in Lafayette. our most prominent restaurateurs, Gene Todaro. After years of opening restaurants in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, the founder of Marcello’s staked new ground in Lafayette this year with a new Italian fine dining concept — Cugino, on South College Road, in the former Tchoup’s Midcity Restaurant building.

We counted 26 restaurants — and four additional coffee and drinks shops — that opened around Lafayette Parish this year, with a couple

of exciting new spots in New Iberia, such as Lizzie’s — a fullservice restaurant and patisserie from pastry chef Elizabeth Shensky Hansen and her husband, chef Erik Hansen. The Shensky family are also behind popular Iberia Parish drive-thru and barbecue joint Caribbean Ice Company, which opened a second location in New Iberia this year.

Check out our list, and let me know

ä See NEW, page 6C

Curly fries n Ton’s Downtown, 500 Jefferson

St., Lafayette

You know how sometimes, when you go out to eat, in your heart, you know you’re really just there for the fries?

Ton’s, in downtown Lafayette, offers curly fries that remind you of your high school cafeteria days. That crisp, zesty, springy curl is exactly what’s needed in the middle of a busy day — and that’s why I’ve started periodically having curly fries for lunch.

Paired with one of Ton’s fresh vegetable and fruit juices, it’s practically the perfect meal, especially if you’re there for the fries.

— Joanna Brown, staff writer

‘HOPE IS … THE MOST IMPORTANT’

Holiday ornaments decorate Belgian shop all year long

A holiday ornament of a British phone box hangs on a shelf in the Christel Dauwe Collection ornaments shop.

AP PHOTO By VIRGINIA MAyO

BY VIRGINIA MAYO

Associated Press

ANTWERP, Belgium — Getting ready for the holiday season has never been stressful for Christel Dauwe — after all, her holiday period lasts all year long in her Christmas ornament shop in the Belgian city of Antwerp.

Her collecting began in her teenage years, and she now has more than 64,000 ornaments in

her personal collection and another 18,000 displayed in her shop, the Christel Dauwe Collection.

“My personal wish is to have a Christmas museum, where ornaments and the idea of Christmas can be on permanent display,” she told The Associated Press.

But until that day comes, her small shop uses every corner to display its vast inventory.

ä See ORNAMENTS, page 6C

6C ● Wednesday, December 24, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Happy holidays to everyone

FILE PHOTO By ROBIN MAy

The new Artmosphere owners, chef Marcela Bennett and Justin Bennett, prepare to serve Italian meatballs and Sunday sauce at the grand opening and ribbon cutting on Nov. 21.

NEW

Continued from page 5C

it is required by law that one must call to locate buried utilities before digging.

Second, not all utilities are buried at a minimum depth.

Some may only be placed a few inches below grade level. Third, this could actually be quite dangerous if it comes into contact with buried power lines or gas lines. — Glen P., via email Glen, excellent advice.

By planting trees in the correct areas of your yard, you might also avoid utility problems from the tree roots in the years to come.

Most cities will not charge for someone to come out and locate the water lines, electrical lines, etc. This is a case of “better to be safe than sorry.” — Heloise Send a hint to heloise@ heloise.com.

TODAY IN HISTORY

which of these spots you can’t wait to try — or if there’s something coming in 2026 you’re really excited for.

By The Associated Press

Restaurants that opened in 2025 n Artmosphere, 902 Johnston St. n Bonne Vie Macarons, 105 St. Landry St. n Cajun Dugout Sports Bar & Grill, 1001 Savoy Road, Youngsville n Caribbean Ice Company, 826 E. Admiral Doyle Drive, New Iberia n Cava, 4220 Ambassador Caffery Parkway n Central Pizza, 1581 S. Bernard Road, Broussard n Churros Boutique, 2761 E Milton Ave., Youngsville n Cugino, 117 S. College Road n Downtown Acai, 521 Church St., Youngsville n Dumpling Hour, 1911 Chemin Metairie Parkway, Youngsville n Felipe’s Cantina, 4016 Highway 90 E, Broussard n Fishbox Sushi, 530 Settlers Trace Blvd. n Ground Pat’i, 2303 Johnston St. n Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, 1921 Chemin Metairie Parkway, Youngsville n Lizzie’s, 105 E. Main St., New Iberia

From all of us at Heloise Dear readers: Tonight is Central, happy holidays Christmas Eve, and I’m and have a joyful reminded of somenew year! — Heloise thing I heard a wise man say many Floss picks years ago: “You may not particuDear Heloise: A recent reader comlarly like someone, but try to love them mented that she in the spirit of man- Hints from washes her hands Heloise and uses hand kind.” sanitizer before It’s at this special flossing. I suggest that she time of year that we seem look into using floss picks. to remember the turbuThese handy items have a lent times of the past 12 small section of floss that months. But we try to remain hopeful that one day, is attached to a plastic hanthe whole world might stop dle. They greatly reduce all wars, practice tolerhow much time your hands ance, look for the good, and are in your mouth. They can also be a substitute for change whatever is bad. a toothpick. — Dan O., via email It’s a time to forgive, even if you can’t forget. It’s also Call the utility company a time to work toward a better world — a peaceful Dear Heloise: I wanted to world that we can hand off write in about the idea of to the next generation. planting shrubberies. First,

STAFF FILE PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

Books and macarons are on display at Bonne Vie Macarons in Lafayette. n Loft 18, 405 Albertson Parkway, Broussard n Marco’s pizza, 1001 Savoy Road, Youngsville n Noodles and Dumplings, 5621 Johnston St. n Off the Hook, 101 Liberty Ave. n Ruby Slipper, 4701 Ambassador Caffery Parkway n Sbarro, 1701 N University Ave. n Shane’s Loaded Mac Bar, 1043 Johnston St. n Sharks Fish & Chicken, 312 Jefferson Blvd. n Smalls Sliders, 803 Bertrand Drive n Southern Classic Chicken, 4603 Johnston St. n Toasted Baguette, 114 Meadow Farm Drive.

Coffee and drinks shops that opened in 2025

bassador Caffery Parkway n She Brews It, 2015 Cameron St. n Starbucks, 3225 Louisiana Ave. n Swig, 4533 Johnston St.

Coming soon: n Bistrology Brunch & Coffee, 3905 Ambassador Caffery Parkway, Lafayette n Louisiana Famous Fried Chicken, 3328 Ambassador Caffery Parkway, Lafayette n Mama’s Fried Chicken, 101 E. Admiral Doyle Drive, New Iberia n Roncalli, 2815 Johnston St., Lafayette n Roul’s Deli, 2201 Johnston St. n Santa Picanha, 406 Garfield St., Lafayette.

Today is Wednesday, Dec. 24, the 358th day of 2025. There are seven days left in the year. This is Christmas Eve. Today in history: On Dec. 24, 1914, during World War I, impromptu Christmas truces began to take hold along parts of the Western Front, principally between British and German soldiers but also involving French troops.

Also on this date: In 1814, the United States and Britain signed the Treaty of Ghent, which would end the War of 1812 following ratification by both the British Parliament and the U.S. Senate.

In 1851, fire devastated the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., destroying about 35,000 volumes (about two-thirds of the library’s collection).

In 1865, several veterans of the Confederate Army formed a private social

club in Pulaski, Tennessee, that was the original version of the Ku Klux Klan.

In 1913, 73 people, most of them children, died in a crush of panic after a false cry of “Fire!” during a Christmas party for striking miners and their families at the Italian Hall in Calumet, Michigan.

In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower supreme commander of Allied forces in Europe.

In 1992, President George H.W. Bush pardoned former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger and five others in the Iran-Contra scandal.

In 2013, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II granted a posthumous pardon to codebreaker Alan Turing, who was criminally convicted of homosexual behavior in the 1950s.

In 2018, a series of explosions ripped through fireworks workshops in Tultepec, a town just north of Mexico City, leaving at

least 24 people dead and dozens injured.

In 2024, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe survived its record-breaking closest approach to the sun, hurtling 3.8 million miles above its fiery surface. Since its 2018 launch, the probe has completed numerous other close fly-bys to observe solar wind and other events.

Today’s birthdays: Immunologist Dr. Anthony Fauci is 85. Filmmaker Lee Daniels is 66. Basketball Hall of Fame coach Jay Wright is 64. Singer Ricky Martin is 54. Novelist and film producer Stephenie Meyer is 52. TV host Ryan Seacrest is 51. Rock singer Louis Tomlinson (One Direction) is 34. NFL wide receiver Davante Adams is 33.

NEWS 24/7 ON

Did we miss one? Email Joanna Brown at joanna. n 7 Brew Coffee, 4308 Am- brown@theadvocate.com.

The American Red Cross of Louisiana is here all year.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By VIRGINIA MAyO

Owner of the Christel Dauwe Collection ornaments shop, Christel Dauwe, wraps boxes of holiday ornaments at her shop in Antwerp, Belgium.

ORNAMENTS Continued from page 5C

Its wares include birds of every feather, fruit arrangements, cars, angels, snowmen and other figurines, ranging from a few euros for a wood laser-cut Cathedral of Antwerp to more than 500 euros ($580) for a special ornament of Alexander the Great on horseback.

The store began 35 years ago as an antiques shop, selling a few ornaments on the side, but Dauwe wanted to try selling more.

On the suggestion of a Polish au pair, Dauwe and her husband traveled to Poland and found a factory that could produce exactly the ornaments she wanted. The only catch was that 200 piec-

es of each design had to be ordered at a time.

They returned home deflated.

“After second thoughts though, we decided to order 20 shapes of 200 each, and one day they arrived — all 4,000 of them. We gave some away and the rest we put in the shop and, well … that’s the story from there,” she said.

The original Polish factory still supplies many of the shop’s ornaments, in addition to 32 other European companies.

“There is an ornament here for everyone. We’ve had people come in who say they have a new pet or even a new car and we try to match an ornament to them.

In the end the goal is not to have some kind of posh tree decorated all with the same colors and Christmas balls.

The goal of ornaments is to make you smile,” she said.

Some ornaments are more personal. And one year there was an ornament of Christel herself, designed by her husband as a surprise.

She’s been asked to provide ornaments for weddings and other events as well.

As far as having Christmas all year round, Dauwe says she is never bored with it.

Twice a year she goes around the shop and dusts each ornament individually. She has met people from all over the world, and entertains diehard locals who stop into the store just for a morning chat.

“There are two ways to go with Christmas. It’s either the nostalgia of the past or the hope for the future,” she said. “Hope is what is the most important to me. It’s what keeps you going.”

Local support. Local impact.

The American Red Cross in Louisiana

serves 4.65 million residents across all 64 parishes and extends hope to communities across the nation and around the world. When you support your local Red Cross, you make a direct impact in your community.

Powered by generosity.

The Red Cross is not a government agency. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that relies on the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors to carry out our humanitarian mission.

Red Cross supporters provide a beacon of hope. From helping during disasters, to providing lifesaving training and supporting military communities, the Red Cross is there when help can’t wait.

Be the help Louisiana needs. redcross.org/louisiana

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Wednesday, December 24, 2025 ● 7C

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zodIAC cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Maintaining discipline and sticking to your original game plan will get you where you want to go at a price you can afford. Choose well-thought-out ideas and stay within your budget.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Jump into action, do your part and make fond memories with the ones you love. Put your best foot forward, and the love you get in return will be the best gift ever.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) You've got everything under control. Don't let consumption be your downfall. Be the good Samaritan, the one who looks out for others and offers a helping hand wherever and whenever necessary.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Do the legwork necessary to ensure you aren't caught off guard by those who try your patience during the festive season. It's up to you to protect yourself from any fallout that comes your way. tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Mixed emotions will set in, leading you to question whether what you are donating or dealing with is worthwhile. Travel, visits and gatherings with loved ones you don't get to see very often will be enlightening.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Review the year gone by, weigh the pros and cons, and establish what to put to rest and what to carry forward. Look at the big picture, but once your vision is clear, take a minimalist approach to how you proceed.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) It's the thought that counts, and last-minute shopping can be time-consuming if you don't have a plan or the cash on hand. Cap your spending; it's the thought, not what you spend on a gift, that counts.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Offering help, money or time is admirable, but don't let anyone take advantage of your kindness. Charity begins at home this year.

Look around, and support loved ones.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Participation will be called for. Attend fundraisers, mix business with pleasure or lift the spirits of someone who is down and out.

Emotions will be close to the surface.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Everybody has a story. Don't judge; show compassion.

Manage your consumption to avoid the consequences and regrets that follow indulgence, especially when mixing business with pleasure. scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Leave yourself plenty of time to get to where you want to go. Traveling at this time of year can be stressful. Stay calm and enjoy the moment. It's a time to make memories, not regrets. sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Proceed with patience and good intentions. A gracious attitude and a big smile will help deter anyone from taking their frustrations out on you.

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 D

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon FAMILY CIrCUS

dooneSbUrY

8C ● Wednesday, December 24, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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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.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

BaBY BLueS

BLondie

THe wiZard oF id

nea CroSSwordS

La TimeS CroSSword

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Wednesday, December 24, 2025 ● 9C

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B.C.

Bridge

By PHILLIP ALDER Most of my columns are clear-cut. This oneismuchlessso.However,manyyears ago, my then partner, David Greenwood, and I discussed grand slams. These are major point winners ... and losers. We knew that most authorities recommend leading a trump against a grand. It is assumed that a pair will not bid seven unless its trump suit is solid. So, to avoid giving away a trick, a trump lead has to be safe.

We decided that we could cash in on this. We agreed to bid seven if we knew the only missing key-card was the trump queen. Then, if the lead was a trump, it would pick up the queen for us; if the lead was from a side suit, we would play the opening leader for the trump queen. We went three for three, and this was playing against internationals, not beginners.

(We were using an early form of Roman Key-Card Blackwood called Byzantine Blackwood, when we could find out about the trump king and queen.)

The declarer in today’s deal would have benefited from joining our discussion.

South opened with a weak two-bid.

North used Blackwood, then jumped to seven diamonds. (Yes, he might have bid seven no-trump.)

West led the heart jack. South knew that with nine trumps, the odds favored

garfield

Pearls Before swiNe

hagar the horriBle

playing out the ace and king. So, he won with his heart queen, played a trump to dummy’s king, and returned the diamond 10 toward his ace — unlucky.

You, though, will know to finesse through West. And if you believe in this theory, you will finesse on the first round, in case West has all four trumps! © 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 — sHItAKE: she-TAH-kee: A dark Asian mushroom.

Bizarro

marmaduKe

Average mark 19 words Time limit 35 minutes Can you find 27 or more words in SHITAKE? yEstERDAy’s WoRD — IDEntIty indie deity dent deny diet dine dint ditty edit

entity nitid tend tent tide tidy tied tine tint

tinted tiny titi yeti

loCKhorNs hidato Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

today’s thought “And the angel said to them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”

Luke 2:10 Great joy comes to those who put their faith in Jesus, the Savior of the world. — G.E. Dean

10C ● Wednesday, December 24, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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that forge our belief that reporting the truth – for our readers, for our city – is a responsibility we must fulfill no matter the cost.

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We’re asking our readers and the Acadiana community at large to help us reach our $100,000 fundraising goal by the end of the year. Your tax-deductible donation goes solely to our public service reporters, editors and photographers in the field.

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