The Acadiana Advocate 12-31-2025

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W e d n e s d ay, d e c e m b e r 31, 2025

HAVING A BLAST

Area residents prepare to ring in the new year with fireworks

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Trader Joe’s buys land for location in Lafayette Company closes on property on Camellia Boulevard

BY ADAM DAIGLE

Acadiana business editor

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Popular specialty grocer Trader Joe’s made its Lafayette intentions official, agreeing to purchase just under 3 acres for a store near River Ranch.

The Monrovia, California-based retailer closed on a deal earlier this month for land at 1710 Camellia Blvd., land records show. Pine Farm Limited Partnership LAFAYETTE LLC, which Proposed site of is registered Trader Joe’s store to the Saloom family, was Cam the seller. ell ia B lvd.

A price was not disclosed.

S a l e d o c uments were ue Bl posted late Monday.

Staff map Company officials have not responded to requests for comment, but a source close to the deal indicated construction of the 13,500-square-foot store could be complete by midyear.

“Lafayette has been asking for this one for a long time,” Mayor-President Monique Boulet said. “I’m excited to see this officially move forward. Trader Joe’s choosing Lafayette is a strong indicator that we are headed in the right direction.”

Preliminary site work has begun at the corner of Camellia and Bluebird Drive. Trader Joe’s was approved for a building permit by Lafayette Consolidated Government in October, with work valued at $6.5 million.

The news comes days after officials in St. Tammany Parish announced a Trader Joe’s store will open in Mandeville.

It ends almost a year of speculation and permitting with Lafayette Consolidated Government after its Board of Zoning Adjustment approved a variance for the building in January, the first sign that Trader Joe’s was interested in opening a Lafayette store.

“Trader Joe’s investment reflects Lafayette’s continued growth and its appeal as a

ABOVE: Brad Thibodeaux carries a large fireworks package back to his cart on Tuesday at Louisiana Fireworks in Lafayette.

RIGHT: Cashier Makynzi Green scans a fireworks package for customer David Nicholas at Louisiana Fireworks on Tuesday.

Setting off fireworks is prohibited in Lafayette city limits, and they can only be used in the unincorporated areas of the parish, according to a Lafayette Fire Department statement.

ä Safety tips for responsible firework use, Page 1B. STAFF PHOTOS By LESLIE WESTBROOK

ä See TRADER JOE’S, page 4A

Northshore officials in dark about ICE facility

RFK Jr. has reshaped U.S. health policy in one year Trump’s second term has brought major changes to Health and Human Services

Report says detention center planned for Hammond

BY WILLIE SWETT

BY ALI SWENSON

Staff writer

Local officials in Tangipahoa Parish say they have little information about a possible detention facility for people arrested by ICE that The Washington Post has reported could be built in Hammond as part of efforts by President Donald Trump’s administration to speed up deportations.

Based on internal documents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Post reported Dec. 24 that the Trump administration was planning to build seven detention centers in industrial warehouses around the country to hold 80,000 immigrant detainees, identifying Hammond as one of

ä See NORTHSHORE, page 4A

WEATHER HIGH 61 LOW 30 PAGE 10A

Associated Press

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By ROD LAMKEy

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. arrives on stage at the inaugural Make America Healthy Again summit at the Waldorf Astoria on Nov. 12 in Washington.

WASHINGTON — In the whirlwind first year of President Donald Trump’s second term, some of the most polarizing changes have taken place within the Department of Health and Human Services, where Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has openly rebuffed the medical establishment as he converts the ideas of his Make America Healthy Again movement into public policy.

Since entering office in February, the health secretary has

Business ...................10C Commentary ................3B Nation-World ................2A Classified .....................8A Deaths .........................4B Opinion ........................2B Comics-Puzzles .....7C-9C Living............................5C Sports ..........................1C

overseen a dramatic reshaping of the agencies he oversees, including eliminating thousands of jobs and freezing or canceling billions of dollars for scientific research.

As part of his campaign against chronic disease, he has redrawn the government’s position on topics such as seed oils, fluoride and Tylenol. He also has repeatedly used his authority to promote discredited ideas about vaccines.

The department’s rapid transformation has garnered praise from MAHA supporters who say they long viewed HHS as corrupt and untrustworthy and have been waiting for such a disruption. And both Democrats and Republicans have applauded some of the agency’s actions, including efforts to encourage healthy eating and exercise,

ä See HEALTH, page 4A

101ST yEAR, NO. 184

2A ● Wednesday, December 31, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

U.S. commits $480M in funding to Ivory Coast

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast — The United States and Ivory Coast signed a health deal Tuesday requiring the U.S. to commit $480 million to the West African nation’s health sector as part of “America First” global health funding pacts that mirror the Trump administration’s foreign policy.

The signing in Ivory Coast’s capital of Abidjan covers areas such as HIV, malaria, maternal and child health, and global health security. It is the latest agreement the U.S. has entered with more than a dozen African countries, most of them hit by U.S. aid cuts.

U.S. aid cuts have crippled health systems across the developing world, including in Africa, where many countries relied on the funding for crucial programs, including those responding to outbreaks of disease.

The new health pact is based on the principle of shared responsibility with Ivory Coast committing to provide up to $292 million by 2030, representing 60% of the overall commitment, according to Ivorian Prime Minister Robert Beugré Mambé.

The Trump administration says the new “America First” global health funding agreements are meant to increase self-sufficiency and eliminate what it says are ideology and waste from international assistance. The deals replace a patchwork of previous health agreements under the now-dismantled United States Agency for International Development.

Analysts say the new approach to global health aligns with U.S. President Donald Trump’s pattern of dealing with other nations transactionally, using direct talks with foreign governments to promote his agenda abroad.

D4vd expected to be indicted in teen’s death D4vd is likely to be indicted by a grand jury for his suspected role in the murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the teenager whose mangled remains were found decomposing in the singer’s trunk in September, according to a report.

Sources tell TMZ that, contrary to previous reports, the Los Angeles grand jury hearing from witnesses in the case is not merely “investigative” and will indeed vote on whether to indict the 20-year-old “Romantic Homicide” crooner, real name David Anthony Burke. The Queensborn singer has been reportedly considered a suspect in Rivas’ death since at least November.

D4vd was at the start of a world tour when the dismembered remains of 15-year-old Rivas were found in his impounded Tesla on Sept. 8, though it’s believed Rivas died in the spring.

In late November, TMZ reported that the case was officially being investigated as a homicide, though officials were at odds over Rivas’ cause of death.

Earlier this month, the outlet reported that Robert Morgenroth, the head of D4vd’s record label and touring company, testified for the grand jury and was afterwards overheard telling his lawyer that Prosecutor Beth Silverman “was very pushy on why (he) didn’t call police.”

Subway shooting was self-inflicted, police say A man claimed he was shot inside a Manhattan subway station — only for investigators to determine his wound was selfinflicted, cops said Monday.

The suspect ventured into an off-limits section of the 57th Street station in Midtown, where he shot himself in the chest following an argument with a family member Sunday, cops said.

Officers found the suspect nursing his wound on the street above the station, where he told police he was the victim of a shooting, said police.

Medics rushed the suspect to Mount Sinai West for treatment, where his story broke down under further questioning, a law enforcement source told the Daily News.

Gary Grinshtein, 27, was arrested and charged with false reporting, criminal possession of a weapon, reckless endangerment and criminal trespass, cops said.

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Judge blocks defunding of CFPB Agency should continue getting money, ruling says

BY KEN SWEET Associated Press

NEW YORK — The White House cannot lapse in its funding of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a federal district court judge ruled on Tuesday, only days before funds at the bureau would have likely run out and the consumer finance agency would have no money to pay its employees.

Judge Amy Berman ruled that the CFPB should continue to get its funds from the Federal Reserve, despite the Fed operating at a loss, and that the White House’s new legal argument about how the CFPB gets its funds is not valid.

At the heart of this case is whether Russell Vought, President Donald Trump’s budget director and the acting director of the CFPB, can effectively shut down the agency and

lay off all of the bureau’s employees. The CFPB has largely been inoperable since President Trump has sworn into office nearly a year ago. Its employees are mostly forbidden from doing any work, and most of the bureau’s operations this year has been to unwind the work it did under President Biden and even under Trump’s first term.

Vought himself has made comments where he has made it clear that his intention is to effectively shut down the CFPB. The White House earlier this year issued a “reduction in force” for the CFPB, which would have furloughed or laid off much of the bureau.

The National Treasury Employees Union, which represents the workers at the CFPB, has been mostly successful in court to stop the mass layoffs and furloughs.

The union sued Vought earlier this year and won a preliminary injunction stopping the layoffs while the union’s case continues through the legal process.

In recent weeks, the White House has used a new line of ar-

gument to potentially get around the court’s injunction. The argument is that the Federal Reserve has no “combined earnings” at the moment to fund the CFPB’s operations. The CFPB gets its funding from the Fed through expected quarterly payments.

The Federal Reserve has been operating at a paper loss since 2022 as a result of the central bank trying to combat inflation, the first time in the Fed’s entire history its been operating at a loss. The Fed holds bonds on its balance sheet from a period of low interest rates during the COVID-19 pandemic, but currently has to pay out higher interest rates to banks who hold their deposits at the central bank.

The Fed has been recording a “deferred asset” on its balance sheet which it expects will be paid down in the next few years as the low interest bonds mature off the Fed’s balance sheet.

Because of this loss on paper, the White House has argued there are no “combined earnings” for the CFPB to draw on. The CFPB has op-

erated since 2011, including under President Trump’s first term, drawing on the Fed’s operating budget.

White House lawyers sent a notice to the court in early November, where they argued that the CFPB would run out of appropriations in early 2026, using the “combined earnings” argument, and does not expect to get any additional appropriations from Congress.

In her opinion, Berman said the OLC and Vought were using this legal theory to get around the court’s injunction instead of allowing the case to be decided on merits. A trial on whether the CFPB employees’ union can sue Vought over the layoffs is scheduled for February.

“It appears that defendants’ new understanding of “combined earnings” is an unsupported and transparent attempt to starve the CPFB of funding and yet another attempt to achieve the very end the Court’s injunction was put in place to prevent,” Berman wrote in an opinion.

A White House spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Nearly 25 IS fighters killed or captured in Syria, U.S. says

BY BEN FINLEY and KONSTANTIN TOROPIN Associated Press

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By TED SHAFFREy

Ryan Seacrest and Rita Ora, hosts of ‘Dick Clark’s New year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2026,’ stand in front of the New year’s Eve Times Square Ball on Tuesday in New york.

Police presence increased for Times Square ball drop

BY RONI JACOBSON and THOMAS TRACY

New york Daily News (TNS)

NEW YORK — More cops will be patrolling the Crossroads of the World during Wednesday’s New Year’s Eve celebration as the NYPD starts to employ a secondary screening process for revelers already inside the viewing pens waiting for the ball to drop, police said Tuesday.

Speaking at Times Square with Mayor Eric Adams, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the policing for Wednesday’s New Year’s Eve celebration will be “bigger” than last year’s, featuring more cops, both in uniform and in plainclothes, covering the celebration.

Currently, the NYPD’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism bureaus have found “no credible threats” against Times Square or the celebration, but additional officers will be brought in to conduct a “secondary screening of people inside the viewing pens” if necessary.

“We will have mobile screening teams walking around the pens if we see anything that looks suspicious,” Tisch said.

“We will have teams in place to do appropriate screening.”

Additional cops will also be at the entrances to Times Square, so that people entering the viewing pens can be screened for alcohol and other prohibited items more smoothly, said Tisch, who would not divulge how many cops will be in place as more than 1 million

people stand by to ring in 2026.

“We never tell you the exact numbers.

But rest assured, the entirety of the New York City Police Department is going to be working between Dec. 31 and Jan. 1,” Tisch said. “This is the biggest security event of the year.”

Mayor Adams said that every aspect of the NYPD will be utilized to protect Times Square, including Transit cops, Mounted and Harbor units, drone operators and canine teams.

“While we do not have any specific or credible threats regarding the New Year’s Eve festivities in Times Square, we are continually operating in a heightened threat,” Adams said, adding that some protests are also expected.

“While we acknowledge that the city will respect and protect people’s right to protest,” he said, “ … we will have zero tolerance for interfering with the celebration.”

The NYPD will also deploy “dedicated pickpocket teams, hotel response teams and additional uniform controls to address quality of life and public safety concerns,” Tisch added.

“Intelligence teams will also be monitoring social media for potential threats,” she added.

Adams said he’ll be working as mayor up until the last minute of his term, which will end at Times Square.

After that, he joked, “I’m looking forward to a single malt Scotch and a cigar.”

Seafood thefts make businesses crabby

BY HOLLY RAMER Associated Press

CONCORD, N.H. — Imagine the buffet.

Forty thousand oysters, lobster worth $400,000 and a cache of crabmeat all were stolen in separate incidents within weeks of each other in New England.

The first seafood vanished on Nov. 22 in Falmouth, Maine, where authorities suspect someone stole 14 cages full of oysters from an aquaculture site in Casco Bay. Many of the oysters were full-grown and ready for sale, and together with the cages were worth $20,000, according to the Maine Marine Patrol.

“This is a devastating situation for a small businessman,” said Marine Patrol Sgt. Matthew Sinclair.

The other two thefts happened in Taunton, Massachusetts, about 160 miles away. First, a load of crab disappeared

after leaving the Lineage Logistics warehouse on Dec. 2. Then, on Dec. 12, lobster meat destined for Costco stores in Illinois and Minnesota was stolen by a fraudulent trucking company, according to the broker who arranged the pickup.

“The carrier we hired impersonated a real carrier,” Dylan Rexing, CEO of Rexing Companies, said Tuesday. “They had a spoofed email address. They changed the name on the side of the truck. The made a fake certified driver’s license. It’s a very sophisticated crime.”

Lineage Logistics, Costco and Taunton Police did not respond to requests for comment, but Rexing said police told him about the crab theft from the same warehouse.

That kind of cargo theft has been a problem for over a decade, he said, but has gotten worse in recent years. “It happens every day, multiple times a day,” he said.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military said Tuesday that nearly 25 operatives of the Islamic State group were killed or captured in Syria this month following an ambush that killed two U.S. troops and an American civilian interpreter.

U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, said in a statement on X that 11 missions were carried out over the past 10 days and followed initial strikes against IS weapons sites and infrastructure on Dec. 19, which hit 70 targets across central Syria.

In the operations since, the U.S. military and other forces from the region, including Syria, killed at least seven IS members, captured others and eliminated four weapons caches, U.S. Central Command said.

Targets ranged from senior IS members who were

being closely monitored by military officials to lowerlevel foot soldiers, according to a U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations.

The official said a growing collaboration between the United States and Syria’s relatively new government meant that U.S. forces were able to attack IS in areas of the country where they previously did not operate. Syrian forces were the driving force behind some of the missions against the militant group this year, the official added.

The latest operations followed a Dec. 13 ambush that occurred near the ancient city of Palmyra while American and Syrian security officials had gathered for a meeting over lunch.

Two members of the Iowa National Guard and a civilian interpreter from Michigan were killed, while three other U.S. troops and members of Syria’s security forces were wounded.

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Israel halts operations of humanitarian groups Organizations didn’t meet new rules for working in Gaza, it says

because of data protection laws in Europe.

“It comes from a legal and safety perspective. In Gaza, we saw hundreds of aid workers get killed,” Low explained.

The decision not to renew aid groups’ licenses means offices in Israel and East Jerusalem will close, and organizations won’t be able to send international staff or aid into Gaza.

BY MELANIE LIDMAN and SAM MEDNICK Associated Press

JERUSALEM — Israel on Tuesday said it had suspended more than two dozen humanitarian organizations, including Doctors Without Borders and CARE, from operating in the Gaza Strip for failing to comply with new registration rules.

Israel says the rules are aimed at preventing Hamas and other militant groups from infiltrating the aid organizations. But the organizations say the rules are arbitrary and warned that the new ban would harm a civilian population desperately in need of humanitarian aid.

Israel has claimed throughout the war that Hamas was siphoning off aid supplies, a charge the U.N. and aid groups have denied. The new rules, announced by Israel early this year, require aid organizations to register the names of their workers and provide details about funding and operations in order to continue working in Gaza.

The new regulations included ideological requirements — including disqualifying organizations that have called for boycotts against Israel, denied the Oct. 7 attack or expressed

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ABDEL KAREEM HANA

Palestinians pass along a street surrounded by buildings destroyed during Israeli air and ground operations Tuesday in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City, Gaza Strip. support for any of the international court cases against Israeli soldiers or leaders.

Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs said more than 30 groups — about 15% of the organizations operating in Gaza — had failed to comply and that their operations would be suspended. It also said that Doctors Without Borders, one of the biggest and best-known groups in Gaza, had failed to respond to Israeli claims that some of its workers were affiliated with Hamas or Islamic Jihad.

“The message is clear: humanitarian assistance is welcome — the exploitation of humanitarian frameworks for terrorism is not,” Diaspora Affairs Minister

Amichai Chikli said.

Doctors Without Borders, also known by its French acronym MSF, said Israel’s decision would have a catastrophic impact on their work in Gaza, where they support around 20% of the hospital beds and a third of births. The organization also denied Israel’s accusations about their staff.

“MSF would never knowingly employ people engaging in military activity,” it said.

‘Exhausted local staff’ While Israel claimed the decision would have limited impact on the ground. the affected organizations said the timing — less than three

months into a fragile ceasefire — was devastating.

“Despite the ceasefire, the needs in Gaza are enormous and yet we and dozens of other organizations are and will continue to be blocked from bringing in essential life-saving assistance,” said Shaina Low, communications adviser for the Norwegian Refugee Council, which has also been suspended.

“Not being able to send staff into Gaza means all of the workload falls on our exhausted local staff,” Low said.

Some aid groups say they didn’t submit the list of Palestinian staff, as Israel demanded, for fear they’d be targeted by Israel, and

ing infiltrated by Hamas, using its facilities and taking aid. The United Nations has denied it. UNRWA, the top U.N. agency working with Palestinians, has denied knowingly aiding armed groups and says it acts quickly to purge any suspected militants.

After months of criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right allies, Israel banned UNRWA from operAccusations of exploitation ating on its territory in JanuAccording to the minis- ary. The U.S., formerly the try, the decision means the largest donor to UNRWA, aid groups will have their halted funding to the agency license revoked on Jan. 1, in early 2024. and if they are located in Israel, they will need to leave NGOs say Israel vague

by March 1. They can appeal Israel failed to confirm the decision. that the data collected from The Israeli defense body the new regulations wouldn’t that oversees humanitarian be used for military or intelaid to Gaza, COGAT, said ligence purposes, raising that the organizations on the serious security concerns, list contribute less than 1% said Athena Rayburn, the of the total aid going into executive director of AIDA, the Gaza Strip, and that aid an umbrella organization will continue to enter from representing over 100 orgamore than 20 organizations nizations that operate in the that did receive permits to Palestinian territories. She continue operating. noted that more than 500 aid “The registration pro- workers have been killed in cess is intended to prevent Gaza during the war.

“Agreeing for a party to the exploitation of aid by Hamas, which in the past the conflict to vet our staff, operated under the cover especially under the condiof certain international aid tions of occupation, is a vioorganizations, knowingly or lation of humanitarian prinunknowingly,” COGAT said ciples, specifically neutrality in a statement. and independence,” she said.

This isn’t the first time IsRayburn said organizarael has tried to crack down tions expressed their conon international humanitar- cerns and offered alternaian organizations. Through- tives to submitting staff out the war, Israel accused lists, such as third-party vetthe U.N. Relief and Works ting, but that Israel refused Agency, or UNRWA, of be- to engage in any dialogue.

Tatiana Schlossberg dies at 35

Grandchild of JFK had leukemia

BY MARC LEVY and SARAH BRUMFIELD Associated Press

Environmental journalist Tatiana Schlossberg, one of three grandchildren of the late President John F. Kennedy, has died after she was diagnosed with leukemia last year. She was 35.

Schlossberg, daughter of Kennedy’s daughter, Caroline Kennedy, and Edwin Schlossberg, revealed she had terminal cancer in a November 2025 essay in The New Yorker.

A family statement disclosing her death was posted on social media Tuesday by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.

“Our beautiful Tatiana passed away this morning.

She will always be in our hearts,” the statement said.

It did not disclose a cause of death or say where she had died.

Schlossberg told of being diagnosed with Schlossberg acute myeloid leukemia in May 2024 at 34. While in the hospital for the birth of her second child, her doctor noticed her white blood cell count was high. It turned out to be acute myeloid leukemia with a rare mutation, mostly seen in older people.

In the essay, “A Battle With My Blood,” Schlossberg recounted going through rounds of chemotherapy and two stem cell transplants and participating in clinical trials.

Schlossberg also criticized policies pushed by her mother’s cousin, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., in the essay, saying policies he backed could hurt cancer patients like her. Her mother had urged senators to reject his confirmation.

“As I spent more and more of my life under the care of doctors, nurses, and researchers striving to improve the lives of others, I watched as Bobby cut nearly a half-billion dollars for research into mRNA vaccines, technology that could be used against certain cancers,” the essay reads.

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HEALTH

slashing billions of dollars in research projects and the termination of $500 million in contracts to develop vaccines using mRNA technology.

Amid the cuts, Kennedy has proposed or funded some new research on topics related to his MAHA goals, including autism, Lyme disease and food additives.

Continued from page 1A and deals to lower the prices of costly drugs.

But many of the drastic changes Kennedy has led at the department are raising grave concerns among doctors and public health experts.

“At least in the immediate or intermediate future, the United States is going to be hobbled and hollowed out in its scientific leadership,” said Lawrence Gostin, a Georgetown University public health law professor who was removed from a National Institutes of Health advisory board earlier this year with a letter that said he was no longer needed. “I think it will be extraordinarily difficult to reverse all the damage.”

HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon denied any threat to scientific expertise at the agency and lauded its work.

“In 2025, the Department confronted long-standing public health challenges with transparency, courage, and gold-standard science,” Nixon said in a statement.

“HHS will carry this momentum into 2026 to strengthen accountability, put patients first, and protect public health.”

The overhaul comes alongside broader uncertainties in the nation’s health system, including Medicaid cuts passed by Congress this year and expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies that are putting millions of Americans’ insurance coverage in jeopardy.

Here’s a closer look at Kennedy’s first year leading the nation’s health agency:

Vaccine views ripple After many years spent publicly assailing vaccines, Kennedy sought during his confirmation process to reassure senators he wouldn’t take a wrecking ball to vaccine science. But less than a year later, his health department has repeatedly pushed the limits of those commitments.

In May, Kennedy announced the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would no longer recommend COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children and pregnant women — a move immediately

NORTHSHORE Continued from page 1A

the sites. The centers would serve as staging grounds for deportation, the Post reported.

The warehouse facility in Hammond would house 9,000 people, the Post said, but it was not clear where the facility would be or when construction would begin. The Post reviewed a draft solicitation for contractors, but it was not final and was subject to changes, the Post said.

“I do not know any details of site location and or accuracy of the Post article.

I have not received any information from the Feds on a proposed site,” Tangipahoa Parish President Robby Miller said in a statement.

Hammond Mayor Pete Panepinto said he had not heard from ICE, the Department of Homeland Security

MAHA gains momentum

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By MARK SCHIEFELBEIN

President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on Sept. 22, as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., left, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz look on. questioned by public health experts who saw no new data to justify the change.

In June, Kennedy fired an entire 17-member CDC vaccine advisory committee — later installing several of his own replacements, including multiple vaccine skeptics.

That group has made decisions that have shocked medical professionals, including declining to recommend COVID-19 shots for anyone, adding new restrictions on a combination shot against chickenpox, measles, mumps and rubella and reversing the longstanding recommendation that all babies receive a hepatitis B shot at birth.

Kennedy in November also personally directed the CDC to abandon its position that vaccines do not cause autism, without supplying any new evidence to support the change. While he left the old language on the website to keep a promise he made to Republi-

“or any other entity” about “such a facility.” Similarly, Hammond City Council member Carlee Gonzales said she did not have any information about the facility.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told The Washington Post she could not confirm their reporting. A spokesperson for Gov. Jeff Landry said Tuesday the office had no comment.

It was not clear from The Washington Post article if the facility would be within Hammond city limits.

“I don’t even know where they would put a warehouse with that many people,” Tangipahoa Parish Council member Louis Joseph said.

He questioned why local officials were not informed about the reported plans.

Joseph said he was reminded of the tragically fatal evacuation of a ware-

consolidate others into a new one focused on chronic disease and lay off some 10,000 employees on top of 10,000 others who had already taken buyouts.

While parts of the effort are still tied up in court, thousands of the mass layoffs were allowed to stand. Those and voluntary departures significantly thinned out the sprawling $1.7 trillion department, which oversees food and hospital inspections, health insurance for roughly half of the country and vaccine recommendations.

Kennedy also has fired or forced out several leaders at HHS, among them four directors at the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration’s former vaccine chief and a director of the Kennedy reconfigures HHS CDC whom he had hired less than Within two months of taking of- a month earlier.

On top of staffing cuts, he has fice, Kennedy announced a sweeping restructuring of HHS that overseen significant cuts to scienwould shut down entire agencies, tific research. That includes NIH can Sen. Bill Cassidy, he added a disclaimer saying it remained because of the agreement.

Public health researchers and advocates strongly refute the updated website and note that scientists have thoroughly explored the issue in rigorous research spanning decades, all pointing to the same conclusion that vaccines don’t cause autism.

Kennedy has promised a wideranging effort to study environmental factors that potentially contribute to autism and in an Oval Office event with Trump in September promoted unproven and in some cases discredited ties between Tylenol, vaccines and the complex brain disorder.

house in Independence where nursing home owner Bob Dean had housed over 800 patients during Hurricane Ida. The largest new commercial construction project permitted by Tangipahoa Parish government in the past three months was 7,541 square feet in Kentwood, according to weekly reports of new building permits on the parish website. Similar data was not immediately available on the city of Hammond’s website, but The Times-Picayune submitted a public records request for city permit data.

Trump has sought to expand the country’s immigrant detention capacity and already repurposed some of the nation’s prisons for that purpose, including the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. Congress has appropriated an additional $45 billion for immigration detention centers.

The large detention ware-

houses, which would also be in Virginia, Texas, Arizona, Georgia and Missouri, would all be close to major logistics hubs, the Post article reported. Interstate 55 and Interstate 12 intersect in Hammond, which is also home to the New Orleans Air and Marine Branch of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Rachel Taber, an organizer with the New Orleansbased immigrant advocacy

to our thriving region.” quirky culture.

TRADER JOE’S Joe’s A typical Trader Joe’s It will build next door to

Continued from page 1A

vibrant place to do business,” said One Acadiana President and CEO Troy Wayman. “Supporting new businesses that create jobs, drive economic activity and enhance quality of life is at the core of our mission. We proudly welcome Trader

store employs about 80 and offers a starting wage of $17-$22 an hour, reports indicate.

It’s the latest on the popular grocer, which opened a New Orleans store in August as part of 21 openings across 13 states. It’s known for its low prices, organic and specialty items, its wine and cheese selections and

the site of a planned beer garden after the Lafayette City Council granted the applicant a conditional use permit and rezoned the property.

The applicant, BE Holdings, is expected to close on the property next month.

Email Adam Daigle at adaigle@theadvocate.com.

REASON 100

Because it’s worth it.

Kennedy started using the phrase “MAHA” on the campaign trail last year to describe his crusade against toxic exposures and childhood chronic disease, but 2025 was the year it became ingrained in the national lexicon.

In his tenure so far, the health secretary has made it the centerpiece of his work, using the MAHA branding to wage war on ultraprocessed foods, pressure companies to phase out artificial food dyes, criticize fluoride in drinking water and push to ban junk food from the program that subsidizes grocery store runs for low-income Americans.

The idea has even spread beyond Kennedy’s agency across the federal government.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has appeared with Kennedy to promote fitness with pull-up displays. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy teamed up with Kennedy in early December to announce $1 billion in funding for airports to install resources like playgrounds and nursing pods for mothers and babies. And Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin recently announced he is working toward unveiling a MAHA agenda with health-related goals for his own department.

MAHA has earned widespread popularity among the American public — even as it has endured some administration foibles. In May, for example, HHS faced scrutiny for releasing a MAHA report that contained several citations to studies that didn’t exist.

But to the extent that the initiative has included calls to action that aren’t based on science — such as urging distrust in vaccines or promoting raw milk, which is far more likely than pasteurized milk to lead to illness — critics say it can be dangerous.

group Unión Migrante, said it was “emblematic of the cruelty of this system” that immigrants were “going to be stored inhumanely in warehouses as if they were products and not human beings.”

In addition to the seven large-scale warehouse facilities, the Post reported the Trump administration was also planning to build 16 smaller warehouses, where up to 1,500 immigrant de-

tainees would be processed for a few weeks before being sent to the larger warehouses.

One of the locations for those 16 small warehouses was listed as Port Allen, the Post reported.

The warehouses used for the detention centers would be modified, including by adding housing units with showers and restrooms, a medical unit and a kitchen, the Post said.

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China flexes blockade capabilities near Taiwan

BY JOHNSON LAI and KANIS LEUNG Associated Press

TAIPEI, Taiwan — China’s People’s Liberation Army staged a second day of largescale military drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, unleashing a live-fire show of force as part of what it called “Justice Mission 2025” to demonstrate its ability to deter any external support for the island it claims as part of its sovereign territory.

Taiwanese officials said some of China’s live rounds landed closer to the island than before.

The maneuvers increased tension around the Taiwan Strait as 2025 drew to a close, but the impact extended beyond military pressure into everyday life.

Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration was notified that seven temporary “dangerous zones” had been set up around the strait.

Xinhua, China’s official news agency, posted a commentary late Monday saying the drills sent an unequivocal message: That Beijing is always ready to prevent anything that tries to split Taiwan from China. Each escalation, it said, would be met with stronger countermeasures.

“By currying favor with the United States through obsequious loyalty gestures and promoting arms pur-

chases, the DPP is binding the entire island of Taiwan to its catastrophic secessionist chariot, disregarding public opinion,” it wrote, referring to Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party.

The PLA’s Eastern Theater Command sent destroyers, frigates, fighters and bombers to the waters to the north and south of the island to test its ability in sea-air coordination and blockading. Its ground forces carried out long-range, live-fire drills in the waters to the island’s north. They also organized live-fire training alongside simulated long-range joint strike with air, navy and missiles units, in the waters to Taiwan’s south, achieving what command spokesperson Li Xi called “desired effects.”

Hsieh Jih-sheng, deputy chief of the general staff for intelligence at the Taiwanese Defense Ministry, said some of the 27 rockets detected in the waters near Taiwan fell within its 24-nautical-mile line. “The landing points of rounds definitely were closer to Taiwan compared to the past,” he said.

“This is a message it deliberately wants to convey.”

He condemned the drills.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said it had detected 130 aircraft, including fighters and bombers, 14 military ships and eight other official ships around the island between 6 a.m. Monday and 6 a.m. Tuesday. Its forces kept monitoring and deployed aircraft, navy ships and coastal missile systems in response. Ninety of the Chinese aircraft crossed the median line of the strait.

A Chinese military balloon was also spotted, it said.

The ministry later said it detected 71 aircraft, 13 military ships and 15 coastal guard and official vessels as of 3 p.m. Tuesday, in addition to four other warships in the western Pacific. A total of 941 flights were affected by the drills, it said.

“The military power is not necessarily the strongest, but the scale of the drills has become larger each time compared to the last,” Hsieh said. He accused Chinese forces of trying to influence public morale and undermine trust in the Taiwanese military and government.

China has vowed to seize the island, by force if necessary. Beijing sends warplanes and navy vessels Aircraft, balloon detected toward the island on a nearTaiwan President Lai Ch- daily basis.

Chinese Defense Ministry ing-te said Tuesday his territory would act responsibly spokesperson Zhang Xiaoby neither escalating con- gang said the drills served flict nor provoking disputes. as a stern warning to “Tai-

wan independence” separatist forces and external forces, without naming any countries.

Last week, Beijing imposed sanctions against 20 defense-related U.S. companies and 10 executives, following a Washington announcement of large-scale arms sales to Taiwan valued at more than $10 billion.

Under U.S. law, Washington is obligated to assist Taipei with its defense, a point that has become increasingly contentious with China over the years.

Beijing slams Japan On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump said that while he was not informed of the military exercise in advance, neither was he particularly worried about it. He touted his “great relationship” with Chinese President Xi Jinping and suggested he didn’t think Xi

was going to attack Taiwan.

The Taiwan issue also heightened China-Japan tensions. Beijing has expressed anger at a statement by Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, saying its military could get involved if China takes action against the democratically ruled island.

There remains widespread overall suspicion in China about Japan that goes back generations to when imperial Japan brutally took over parts of China in the years before World War II. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi slammed both Japan and Taiwan’s “pro-independence forces.”

“Japan, which launched the war of aggression against China, not only fails to deeply reflect on the numerous crimes it committed, but its current leaders also openly challenge China’s territorial sovereignty, the historical conclusions of World War

II, and the postwar international order,” he said Tuesday during an event in Beijing.

China, Wang added, “must be highly vigilant against the resurgence of Japanese militarism.”

China and Taiwan have been governed separately since 1949, when the Communist Party rose to power in Beijing following a civil war. Defeated Nationalist Party forces fled to Taiwan, which later transitioned from martial law to multiparty democracy.

Chen Wen-chin, chairman of the Keelung District Fishermen’s Association in Taiwan, said the group started radio broadcasting every hour from Monday to inform fishermen about where China’s exercises took place, urging them to avoid danger.

“The Chinese military exercises have prevented fishermen from fishing, which is their livelihood,” Chen said.

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DOJ pushed to prosecute man only after mistaken deportation, judge’s order says

BY TRAVIS LOLLER

Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A newly unsealed order in the criminal case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia reveals that high-level Justice Department officials pushed for his indictment, calling it a “top priority,” only after he was mistakenly deported and then ordered returned to the U.S. Abrego Garcia has pleaded not guilty in federal court in Te n n e s s e e to charges o f h u m a n Abrego Garcia smuggling.

He is seeking to have the case dismissed on the grounds that the prosecution is vindictive — a way for President Donald Trump’s administration to punish him for the embarrassment of his mistaken deportation.

To support that argument, he has asked the government to turn over documents that reveal how the decision was made to prosecute him in 2025 for an incident that occurred in 2022.

On Dec. 3, U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw filed an order under seal that compelled the government to provide some documents to Abrego Garcia and his attorneys. That order was unsealed on Tuesday.

Earlier, Crenshaw found that there was “some evi-

dence” that the prosecution of Abrego Garcia could be vindictive. He specifically cited a statement by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on a Fox News program that seemed to suggest that the Department of Justice charged Abrego Garcia because he had won his wrongful deportation case.

Rob McGuire, who was the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee until late December, argued that those statements were irrelevant because he alone made the decision to prosecute, and he has no animus against Abrego Garcia.

In the newly unsealed order, Crenshaw writes, “Some of the documents suggest not only that McGuire was not a solitary decision-maker, but he in fact reported to others in DOJ and the decision to prosecute Abrego may have been a joint decision.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee released a statement saying, “The emails cited in Judge Crenshaw’s order, specifically Mr. McGuire’s email on May 15, 2025, confirm that the ultimate decision on whether to prosecute was made by career prosecutors based on the facts, evidence, and established DOJ practice.”

The email referenced was from McGuire to his staff stating that Blanche “would like Garcia charged sooner rather than later,” according to Crenshaw’s order.

The human smuggling charges stem from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee where Abrego Garcia was pulled over for speeding.

There were nine passengers in the car, and state troopers discussed the possibility of human smuggling. However, he was ultimately allowed to leave with only a warning. The case was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations, but there is no record of any effort to charge him until April 2025, according to court records.

The order does not give a lot of detail on what is in the documents that were turned over to Abrego Garcia, but it shows that Aakash Singh, who works under Blanche in the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, contacted McGuire about Abrego Garcia’s case on April 27, the same day that McGuire received a file on the case from Homeland Security Investigations. That was several days after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Abrego Garcia’s favor on April 10.

On April 30, Singh said in an email to McGuire that the prosecution was a “top priority” for the Deputy Attorney General’s Office, according to the order. On May 18, Singh wrote to McGuire and others to hold the draft indictment until they got “clearance” to file it. “The implication is that ‘clearance’ would come from the Office of the Deputy Attorney General,” Crenshaw writes.

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Extreme Midwest cold follows winter storm lll

BY HOLLY RAMER and JULIE WALKER Associated Press

Now comes even more frigid weather in the U.S. Midwest.

Extreme cold with nearzero degree wind chills descended upon parts of Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin, forecasters said Tuesday, even as utilities worked to restore power to thousands of customers after heavy snow and strong winds pummeled parts of the Midwest, Great Lakes and the Northeast this week.

The cold front follows a system that barreled across the Midwest and parts of the Great Lakes with strong winds and a mix of snow, ice and rain. Forecasters said it intensified quickly enough to meet the criteria of a bomb cyclone, a system that strengthens rapidly as pressure drops.

Nick Korstad, who lives in the Big Bay Point Lighthouse on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Lake Superior, called the storm the strongest he has seen since he moved there in 2018, with gusts up to 75 mph rattling the house as waves pounded the cliffs below. The storm knocked out power for about 40 hours, darkening the lighthouse beacon and forcing him to rely on oil lamps and fireplaces.

“When winds reach this magnitude, the entire house

HERALD-PALLADIUM PHOTO By DON CAMPBELL

A couple explore a field of ice-covered dune grass Tuesday at Tiscornia Beach in St. Joseph, Mich., after a winter storm moved through southwest Michigan.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ROBERT F. BUKATy

An ice fisherman starts his auger before drilling a hole in the ice on Long Lake on Tuesday in Harrison, Maine, after a freezing rainstorm Monday. rumbles, the windows flex and you can feel the pounding of the waves against the sandstone cliff,” Korstad said Tuesday.

Wisconsin’s forested Northwoods region will see temperatures drop as low as minus 10 degrees, said Cameron Miller, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Wisconsin.

“On New Year’s Eve wind chills could be down to the negative 20-25 degree range there,” Miller added.

Nationwide, nearly 74,000 customers were without power Tuesday, with more

than a third of them in Michigan, according to Poweroutage.us.

Frigid air will spread across much of the eastern two-thirds of the country, the weather service said, powering the lake-effect “snow machine” in areas downwind of the Great Lakes.

In New Jersey, an animal shelter scrambled Tuesday to line up foster homes for at least 30 dogs after snow damage to some of its kennels. Snow from a weekend storm apparently tumbled from a neighboring roof onto roofing that covered rear

sections of about a quarter of the roughly 125 kennels at the Associated Humane Societies’ shelter in Newark, social media manager Olivia Gonzalez said.

Repairs can’t begin until the animals move elsewhere.

After a social media appeal, two dogs were settled in foster households, though six new stray dogs came into the shelter, Gonzalez said.

Snow totals in some areas of western and upstate New York could reach up to 3 feet this week, forecasters said.

Strong winds on Monday knocked down trees and pow-

er lines across the region.

Video posted on social media showed people struggling to walk in the wind. Just south of Buffalo in Lackawanna, Diane Miller was blown off the front steps of her daughter’s house and landed in some bushes. She wasn’t seriously hurt. “I opened her door and the wind caught me, and I went flying,” Miller told WKBW-TV. Temperatures across parts of the Northeast will be below normal heading into New Year’s Day, said weather service meteorologist Andrew Orrison.

On the West Coast, strong Santa Ana winds with isolated gusts topping 70 mph brought down trees in parts of Southern California where recent storms had saturated the soil. Extreme

winds hampered an air rescue attempt on Monday in mountains east of Los Angeles where three hikers were found dead. Blustery conditions were expected through Saturday, along with thunderstorms.

Cold is the norm this time of year in Alaska — but it’s been “unusually cold for unusually long for December” in Fairbanks, said weather service meteorologist Jacob Troyke. Temperature readings late this month have plunged as low as minus 48 degrees.

Road crews have struggled to keep up with the snow in Juneau, Alaska’s capital. The city shattered a December monthly snowfall record of 54.7 inches set at its airport in 1964, receiving more than 63 inches so far.

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Demonstrators, including Nadine Siler, of Waldorf, Md., dressed in a frog costume, hold up signs at a designated protest point in front of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts on Dec. 20 in Washington.

Kennedy Center cancellations grow

BY MEG KINNARD Associated Press

The Kennedy Center is ending the year with a new round of artists saying they are canceling scheduled performances after President Donald Trump’s name was added to the facility, prompting the institution’s president to accuse the performers of making their decisions because of politics.

The Cookers, a jazz supergroup that has performed together for nearly two decades, announced their withdrawal from “A Jazz New Year’s Eve” on their website, saying the “decision has come together very quickly” and acknowledging frustration from those who may have planned to attend.

Doug Varone and Dancers, a dance group based in New York, said in an Instagram post late Monday they would pull out of a performance slated for April, saying they “can no longer permit ourselves nor ask our audiences to step inside this once great institution.”

Those moves come after musician Chuck Redd canceled a Christmas Eve performance last week.

The announcements amount to a volatile calendar for one of the most prominent performing arts venues in the U.S. and cap a year of tension in which Trump ousted the Kennedy Center board and named himself the institution’s chairman. That led to an earlier round of artist pushback, with performer Issa Rae and the producers of “Hamilton” canceling scheduled engagements while musicians Ben Folds and Renee Fleming stepped down from advisory roles.

The Cookers didn’t mention the building’s renaming

or the Trump administration but did say that, when they return to performing, they wanted to ensure that “the room is able to celebrate the full presence of the music and everyone in it,” reiterating a commitment “to playing music that reaches across divisions rather than deepening them.”

The group may not have addressed the Kennedy Center situation directly, but one of its members has. On Saturday, saxophone player Billy Harper said in comments posted on the Jazz Stage Facebook page that he “would never even consider performing in a venue bearing a name (and being controlled by the kind of board) that represents overt racism and deliberate destruction of African American music and culture. The same music I devoted my life to creating and advancing.”

According to the White House, Trump’s handpicked board approved the renaming. Harper said both the board “as well as the name displayed on the building itself represents a mentality and practices I always stood against. And still do, today more than ever.”

Richard Grenell, a Trump ally whom the president chose to head the Kennedy Center after he forced out the previous leadership, posted Monday night on X, “The artists who are now canceling shows were booked by the previous far left leadership,” intimating the bookings were made under the Biden administration.

In a statement Tuesday to The Associated Press, Grenell said the “last-minute cancellations prove that they were always unwilling to perform for everyone — even those they disagree with politically.”

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PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received either electroni‐ cally at https://lafayet tecsdgovla.tylerportico. com/va/vendor-access/ registration or in the of‐ fice of the Purchasing Di‐ vision at the Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment Building, located at 705 West University Av‐ Lafayette, enue, Louisiana, until 10:00 AM Central Time on the 29th day of January, 2026 for the following: FREM BOUSTANY DRIVE EXTENSION PHASE 2 (VINEYARD TO VINCENT ROAD) BRIDGE CROSSING (ISAAC VEROT COULEE) and will, shortly there‐ after, be opened and read aloud in the Council Briefing Room located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, LA. Bids received after the above specified time for open‐ ing shall not be consid‐ ered and shall be re‐ turned unopened to the sender. Bidders are en‐ couraged to attend the bid opening virtually by using the following link https://us02web.zoom. us/j/84024208563? pwd=PIGOpVZFYQyMIEg zKc9bJf3K2rgkfW.1 Meet‐ ing ID: 840 2420 8563 Passcode: 573774 Scope of Services: This work shall consist of, but not be limited to, con‐ struction of a 5 span (125’) cast-in-place con‐ crete bridge with precast piles, with concrete road‐ approaches, way drainage channel regrad‐ ing and flexible revet‐ ment installation, clear‐ ing and grubbing, grad‐ ing, earthwork, and sub‐ drainage.

All surface work to be completed within 250 days from is‐ suance of Notice to Pro‐ ceed.

In accordance with Louisiana RS 38:2212., may submit vendors their bid electronically at the website listed above.

Bidding Documents are available to view only at the website. Bidders may request the electronic bid package from h l

You may place your ad 7 days a week, 24 hours a day online at www.theadvocate.com or call Monday-Friday 8am-5pm

225-383-0111

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

p g Heather Kestler at hkestler@lafayettela.gov

y Government, Public Works Administration Building located at 1515 East University Avenue, Lafayette, LA.

p contractor successful will be required to exe‐ cute performance and labor and material pay‐ ment bonds in the full amount of the contract as more fully defined in the bid documents.

Bidders wishing to sub‐ mit their bid electroni‐ cally must first be regis‐ online with tered Lafayette Consolidated Government as a poten‐ tial supplier at the web‐ site listed above. Bidders submitting bids electron‐ ically are required to pro‐ vide the same docu‐ ments as bidders sub‐ mitting through the mail as soon as available.

Only a bid bond, certified check or cashier’s check shall be submitted as the bid security. Electronic copies of both the front and back of the check or bid bond shall be in‐ cluded with the elec‐ tronic bid.

Bids must be signed in accordance with LRS Title 38:2212(B)5. A Cor‐ porate Resolution or Cer‐ tificate of Authority au‐ thorizing the person signing the bid is re‐ quired to be submitted with bid. Failure to sub‐ mit a Corporate Resolu‐ tion or Certificate of Au‐ thority with the bid shall be cause for rejection of bid.

Copies of the bidding documents except for Section C – “Standard Specifications for Roads, Drainage, Bridges and Other Infrastructure 2023 Edition” are available at the Office of Purchasing upon request located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, LA 70502 upon payment of $295 per set, non-refundable.

NOTE: NO CASH WILL BE ONLY ACCEPTED CHECKS OR MONEY OR‐ DERS MADE PAYABLE TO CONSOLI‐ LAFAYETTE GOVERNMENT. DATED Copies of Section “C” Standard Specifications Roads, Drainage, for Bridges and Other Infra‐ structure” 2023 Edition are available from the Public Works Department at 1515 E University Av‐ Building A, enue, Lafayette LA 70501. Bid shall be Documents available until twentyfour hours before the bid opening date. Questions relative to the bidding documents shall be ad‐ to Heather dressed at hkestler@ Kestler lafayettela.gov.

Contractors are re‐ quested to attend a prebid meeting, which will be held on January 14, 2026 at 10:00 AM in the small conference room, Lafayette Consolidated bli

Each bid shall be accom‐ panied by a certified check, cashier’s check, or bid bond payable to the Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government, the amount of which shall be five percent (5%) of the base bid plus additive al‐ ternates. If a bid bond is used, it shall be written by a surety or insurance company currently on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Management Service list approved bonding of companies which is pub‐ lished annually in the Federal Register, or by a Louisiana domiciled in‐ surance company with at least an A-Rating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide to write individual bonds up to ten percent (10%) of policyholders’ surplus as shown in the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide, or by an insurance com‐ pany in good standing li‐ censed to write bid bonds which is either domiciled in Louisiana or owned by Louisiana resi‐ dents. The bid bond shall be issued by a company licensed to do business in Louisiana. The certi‐ check, cashier’s fied check, or bid bond shall be given as a guarantee that the bidder shall exe‐ cute the contract, should it be awarded to him, in conformity with the con‐ tract documents within ten (10) days.

No contractor may with‐ draw its bid prior to the deadline for submission of bids. Withdrawal of bids thereafter shall be allowed only pursuant to LA R.S. 38§2214.C. Other‐ wise, no bidder may withdraw his bid for at least forty-five (45) days after the time scheduled for the bid opening of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided within the specifications. The successful bidder will be required to execute per‐ formance and labor and material payment bonds in the full amount of the contract as more fully defined in the bid docu‐ ments. No contractors may withdraw his bid for at least forty-five (45) days after the time scheduled for the open‐ ing of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided with the specifications. The f l

Bids will be evaluated by the Purchaser based on the lowest responsible and responsive bid sub‐ mitted which is also in compliance with the bid The documents.

Lafayette Consolidated Government reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause in ac‐ cordance with LA R.S. 38§2214.B. Contractors or contract‐ ing firms submitting bids the amount of in $50,000.00 or more shall certify that they are li‐ contractors censed under Chapter 24 of Title 37 of the Louisiana Re‐ vised Statutes of 1950 and show their license number on the front of the sealed envelope in which their bid is en‐ closed. Contractors shall be licensed for the clas‐ sification of “HIGHWAY, STREET AND BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION”. Bids in the amounts specified above which have not bid in accordance with the requirements, shall be rejected and shall not be read. Additional informa‐ tion relative to licensing may be obtained from the Louisiana State Li‐ censing Board for Con‐ tractors, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The Lafayette Consoli‐ Government dated strongly encourages the participation of DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprises) in all con‐ tracts or procurements let by the Lafayette Con‐ Government solidated for goods and services and labor and material.

To that end, all contrac‐ tors and suppliers are encouraged to utilize DBEs business enter‐ prises in the purchase or sub-contracting of mate‐ rials, supplies, services and labor and material in disadvantaged which businesses are available.

Assistance in identifying said businesses may be obtained by calling 2918410.

PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated

Place a Classified ad?

1-800-960-6397

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Government PUBLISH DATES: 12/31,1/4, 1/11 DPR 1000484 170241-dec 31-jan 4-11-3t $222.00 PUBLIC NOTICE --REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Notice is hereby given that sealed proposals will be received in the of‐ fice of the Purchasing Di‐ vision at the Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment Building, located at 705 West University Av‐ Lafayette, enue, Louisiana, until 4:00 p.m.

Central Time on the 30th day of January, 2026 for the following: RFP EMERGENCY STANDBY MATERIALS AND SERVICES and will, shortly there‐ after, be opened and the NAMES ONLY read aloud in the Office of Purchas‐ ing located at 705 West Avenue, University Lafayette, LA. Proposals received after the above specified time for open‐ ing shall not be consid‐ ered and shall be re‐ turned unopened to the sender. Sealed proposals must be hand carried or mailed to the address listed above.

This contract is intended to be used in preparation for and/or in response to, emergencies or disas‐ ters. The intent of the warded contract is for vendors to provide addi‐ tional products, services, and personnel resources on an as needed basis for disaster response. It is critical that these sup‐ port operations are up and operating as soon as possible once a need has been identified. Vendor interested in submitting a proposal must comply with all terms and condi‐ tions described in this solicitation and support attachments. Proposers shall submit one (1) marked original, three (3) copies marked exact copy, and one (1) elec‐ tronic copy (USB or CD) of the proposal which meets the specific tech‐ nical criteria set forth herein. In addition, pro‐ poser shall submit one (1) redacted copy of the proposal shall be submit‐ ted in a sealed envelope and shall be clearly marked Redacted Copy b i h f h

py bearing the name of the project, firm submitting the redacted copy and date.

Proposals the should be sent to 705 West University Avenue, Lafayette, LA 70506 at‐ tention Heather Kestler.

Copies of the RFP specifi‐ are available cations upon request at the Pur‐ chasing Office located at 705 West University Av‐ Lafayette, LA enue, 70506. Telephone number 291-8071(Attn: (337) Kestler) Heather hkestler@lafayettela.gov.

RFP specifications shall be available until twentyfour (24) hours before the proposal opening date.

No Vendor may withdraw his proposal for at least sixty (60) days after the time scheduled for the opening of proposals.

Each proposal shall fol‐ the instructions low listed in the RFP regard‐ ing submittal of their proposal.

Proposals will be evalu‐ ated by the Purchaser based on the evaluation criteria outlined in the Request for Proposals.

The Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government re‐ serves the right to reject any and all proposals or any portions thereof, to waive informalities and to select the material that best suits its needs.

The Lafayette Consoli‐ Government dated strongly encourages the participation of DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) in all con‐ tracts or procurements let by the Lafayette Con‐ Government solidated for goods and services and labor and material.

To that end, all contrac‐ tors and suppliers are encouraged to utilize DBEs business enter‐ prises in the purchase or sub-contracting of mate‐ rials, supplies, services and labor and material in disadvantaged which business are available.

Assistance in identifying said businesses may be obtained by calling 2918410.

PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated Government PUBLISH DATES: 12/31, 1/4, 1/11 DPR # 928605 171493-dec 31-jan 4-11-3t $104.28

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Wednesday, December 31, 2025 ● 9A

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Buddhist monks persist in peace walk despite injuries

By The Associated Press ATLANTA — A group of Buddhist monks is persevering in their walking trek across much of the U.S. to promote peace, even after two of its members were injured when a truck hit their escort vehicle.

After starting their walk in Fort Worth, Texas, on Oct. 26, the group of about two dozen monks has made it to Georgia as they continue on a path to Washington, D.C., highlighting Buddhism’s long tradition of activism for peace.

The group walked its latest segment through Georgia on Tuesday from the town of Morrow to Decatur, on the edge of Atlanta. Marking Day 66 of the walk, the group invited the public to a Peace Gathering in Decatur on Tuesday afternoon.

The monks and their loyal dog Aloka are traveling through 10 states en route to Washington, D.C. In coming days, they plan to pass through or very close to Athens, Georgia; the North Carolina cities of Charlotte, Greensboro and Raleigh; and Richmond, Virginia, on their way to the nation’s capital city.

The group has amassed a huge audience on social media, with more than 400,000 followers on Facebook. Aloka, who is named after a Sanskrit word meaning enlightenment, has its own hashtag, #AlokathePeaceDog. The group’s Facebook page is frequently updated with progress reports, inspirational notes and

ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION PHOTO By ARVIN TEMKAR

Buddhist monks on a ‘Walk for Peace’ pass through Trilith in Fayetteville, Ga., on their way from Texas to Washington, D.C., on Monday. poetry.

“We do not walk alone. We walk together with every person whose heart has opened to peace, whose spirit has chosen kindness, whose daily life has become a garden where understanding grows,” the group posted recently.

The trek has not been without danger. Last month outside Houston, the monks were walking on the side of a highway near Dayton, Texas, when their escort vehicle, which had its hazard lights on, was hit by a truck, Dayton Interim Police Chief Shane Burleigh said.

The truck “didn’t notice how slow the vehicle was going, tried to make an evasive maneuver to drive around the vehicle, and didn’t do it in time,” Burleigh said at the time. “It struck the escort vehicle in the rear left, pushed the escort into two of the monks.”

One of the monks had “substantial leg injuries” and was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Houston, Burleigh said. The other monk with less serious injuries was taken by ambulance to another hospital in suburban Houston. The monk who sustained the serious leg injuries was expected to have a series of surgeries to heal a broken bone, but his prognosis for recovery was good, a spokeswoman for the group said.

Buddhism is a religion and philosophy that evolved from the teachings of Gautama Buddha, a prince turned teacher who is believed to have lived in northern India and attained enlightenment between the 6th and 4th centuries B.C. The religion spread to other parts of Asia after his death and came to the West in the 20th century. The Buddha taught that the path to end suffering and become liberated from the cycle of birth, death and reincarnation, includes the practice of non-violence, mental discipline through meditation and showing compassion for all beings.

While Buddhism has branched into a number of sects over the centuries, its rich tradition of peace activism continues. Its social teaching was pioneered by figures like the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh, who have applied core principles of compassion and non-violence to political, environmental and social justice as well as peace-building efforts around the world.

Feds in Minnesota focus on alleged fraud at day care centers

By The Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS — A surge of federal officers in Minnesota follows new allegations of fraud by day care centers run by Somali residents.

President Donald Trump has previously linked his administration’s immigration crackdown against Minnesota’s large Somali community to a series of fraud cases involving government programs in which most of the defendants have roots in the east African country.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi

Noem and FBI Director Kash Patel both announced an increase in operations in Minnesota this week. The move comes after a right-wing influencer posted a video Friday claiming he had found that day care centers operated by Somali residents in Minneapolis had committed up to $100 million in fraud.

Tikki Brown, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families, said at Monday news conference that state regulators took the influencer’s allegations seriously.

Noem posted on social

media that officers were “conducting a massive investigation on child care and other rampant fraud.”

Patel said the intent was to “dismantle large-scale fraud schemes exploiting federal programs.”

Minnesota has been under the spotlight for years for Medicaid fraud, including a massive $300 million pandemic fraud case involving the nonprofit Feeding Our Future. Prosecutors said it was the country’s largest COVID-19-related fraud scam and that defendants exploited a state-run, fed-

erally funded program intended to provide food for children.

In 2022, during President Joe Biden’s administration, 47 people were charged.

The number of defendants has grown to 78 throughout the ongoing investigation. So far, 57 people have been convicted, either because they pleaded guilty or lost at trial.

Most of the defendants are of Somali descent.

Numerous other fraud cases are being investigated, including new allegations focused on child care centers.

In news interviews and

press releases over the summer, prosecutor Joe Thompson estimated the total loss from all fraud cases could exceed $1 billion. Earlier this month, a federal prosecutor alleged that half or more of the roughly $18 billion in federal funds that supported 14 programs in Minnesota since 2018 may have been stolen.

Trump’s immigration enforcement in Minnesota has focused on the Somali community in the MinneapolisSt. Paul area, which is the largest in the country.

Trump labeled Minnesota

Somalis as “garbage” and said he didn’t want them in the U.S. About 84,000 of the 260,000 Somalis in the U.S. live in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.

The overwhelming majority are U.S. citizens. Almost 58% were born in the U.S and 87% of the foreign-born are naturalized citizens.

Among those running schemes to get funds for child nutrition, housing services and autism programs, 82 of the 92 defendants are Somali Americans, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Minnesota.

European, Canadian leaders discuss U.S.-led peace efforts in Ukraine war

BY ILLIA NOVIKOV and KATIE MARIE DAVIES Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine — Leaders from Europe and Canada held talks Tuesday on U.S.-led peace efforts to end the nearly fouryear war between Russia and Ukraine, as Moscow and Kyiv sparred over Russian claims, denied by Ukraine, of a mass drone attack on a lakeside residence used by President Vladimir Putin.

The virtual meeting included European leaders as well as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, heads of European institutions and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, according to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

“Peace is on the horizon,” Tusk told a Polish Cabinet meeting. But he added: “It is still far from a 100% certainty.”

It was the first meeting of European leaders since U.S. President Donald Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Florida resort on Sunday.

Trump insisted that Ukraine and Russia are “closer than ever before” to a peace settlement.

Zelenskyy on Tuesday announced plans for upcoming meetings with officials from about 30 countries, dubbed the Coalition of the Willing, which support Kyiv’s effort to end the war with Russia on acceptable terms.

National security advisers from those countries aim to meet in Ukraine on Saturday, followed by a meeting of the countries’ leaders next Tuesday in France, he said on social media.

“We are moving the peace process forward,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz,

who attended Tuesday’s talks, said in a post on X. “Transparency and honesty are now required from everyone — including Russia.”

His pointed reference to Russia came after Russian and Ukrainian officials exchanged bitter accusations over Moscow’s allegations that Ukraine attempted to attack the Russian leader’s residence with 91 long-range drones almost immediately after Trump’s Sunday talks with Zelenskyy.

The claims and counterclaims threatened to derail peace efforts. “I don’t like it. It’s not good,” Trump said Monday after Putin told him about the alleged attack.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha noted Tuesday that Russia “still hasn’t provided any plausible evidence” to support its allegations.

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ALMANAC

AIR QUALITY

LAFAyETTE THROUGH 5 P.M. TUESDAy

YESTERDAY

TEMPERATURE

High/low Normal high/low Record high Record low

GOOD

51°/37° 62°/44° 83° in 1971 14° in 1917

TODAY

PRECIPITATION

MODERATE

24 hours through 5 p.m. Tue. 0.00” Month to date (normal) 7.58” (4.78”) year to date (normal) 72.41” (62.63”)

MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

SUN AND MOON Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today

MAIN POLLUTANT Nitrogen oxide

READING 45

7:04 a.m.

5:18 p.m.

2:27 p.m.

4:07 a.m.

SOURCE: AIRNOW.GOV

FULL

LAST

NEW

FIRST

JAN 3

JAN 10

JAN 18

JAN 25

THE NATION AND WORLD Today City

LOUISIANA FORECAST

RIVER STAGES MISSISSIPPI

Monroe 63/40

Shreveport 65/40

Jackson 60/37

Longview 65/41

Many 64/38

Hattiesburg 60/35

Alexandria 64/38

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

Cairo COMITE

Near Olive

Baton Rouge 62/38 Beaumont 66/42

Port Arthur 64/45

Lafayette

AMITE

Near Darlington Denham Springs Port Vincent

New Orleans 59/42

Lake Charles 62/41

TICKFAW

Montpelier Holden

Houma 61/39

ATCHAFALAYA

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

TIDES HIGH

First FT. LOW

Lake Pontchartrain (Tchefuncte River) 4:11a 0.6 Shell Beach 10:21p 1.5 South Point, Marsh Island 3:34p 1.8 Cypremort Point 7:00p 1.9 Grand Isle (Barataria Pass) 6:41p 1.1 Mississippi River (Southwest Pass) 5:59p 1.5 Wine Island 7:49p 1.4

4:12p 9:47a 5:06a 9:15a 5:15a 3:38a 6:17a

FT.

HIGH

Second FT. LOW

FT.

-0.4 -0.5 -1.2 -0.4 -0.7 -0.9 -0.9

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

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

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

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

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

Simmesport Melville Krotz Springs Butte La Rose Bayou Sorrel Morgan City

FLOOD STAGE 24-HOUR STAGE CHANGE

34 48 48 35 27 22 17

-3.40 16.50 19.30 6.90 3.80 2.73 1.60

none +0.87 +0.90 +0.60 +0.40 +0.03 -0.20

40

11.90

+0.39

19

-1.41

none

18 29 8

-0.94 10.24 0.89

-0.02 -0.01 -0.27

13 15

2.06 0.89

+0.03 -0.01

47 34 29 20 12 6

5.08 3.19 2.99 2.13 1.70 1.81

none -0.30 -0.15 -0.50 -0.60 -0.05

Austin Boston Dallas Fairbanks Honolulu Las Vegas Louisville Miami Nashville

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

Thursday

Hi

Lo

W

Hi

Lo

W

City

70 33 66 -38 82 56 39 65 48

40 27 43 -44 70 45 31 47 32

s c s pc sh pc pc s s

74 31 70 -36 82 52 39 69 48

54 16 56 -47 72 44 28 53 38

pc pc pc s sh sh c s s

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

46 90 54 37 42 70 40 39 72 72 55

40 73 41 34 33 55 33 33 60 62 44

c pc r sn s pc pc c c c pc

43 91 55 37 41 68 43 39 73 72 52

36 72 39 34 33 53 32 35 54 55 44

r pc pc sn c pc pc c c s r

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

-10

-0s

0s

8:00a 8:57a 9:58a 11:01a 12:04p 12:38a 1:37a

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Minor

Major

1:44a 8:31p 2:41a 9:30p 3:42a 10:31p 4:45a 11:33p 5:49a ---6:51a 1:05p 7:50a 2:02p

Minor

2:15p 3:13p 4:14p 5:17p 6:19p 7:19p 8:14p

Thursday

Lo

W

Hi

Lo

W

59 58 34 70 30 51 43 71 59

42 40 29 58 14 34 26 62 49

s s c c sn s pc sh s

67 66 33 67 19 52 36 66 66

54 45 22 58 14 30 29 56 51

s s pc sh sf pc pc sh s

62 41 50 69 15 19 67 39 50 24 55

43 33 29 41 3 7 50 32 34 19 42

s s s pc c sn c s pc c pc

70 43 46 71 6 14 66 38 54 33 49

50 35 39 43 -3 -1 51 35 45 29 40

pc pc pc s sn c sh c c c c

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

SOLUNAR TABLE

Major

Today

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

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.

Hi

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

METRO

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 31, 2025

1bn

Rules tweaked for 3rd-party candidates Would affect Supreme Court, BESE elections

BY MATTHEW ALBRIGHT Staff writer

Louisiana is lowering the number of petitions third-party candidates need to obtain in order to run in special elections for a seat on the state Supreme Court and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

The state is moving next year to a closed party primary system. Un-

der the new rules, candidates for the two major political parties, Republicans and Democrats, sign up to run by paying a filing fee during a qualifying period, as all candidates previously did. But third-party candidates will now need to obtain petitions signed by qualified voters in their districts in order to be placed on the ballot.

For seats on the high court and

the education board, 1,000 signatures would be required under the new system. But, because the two seats were vacated and the state is moving to fill them on a shortened timeline, Gov. Jeff Landry signed executive orders reducing the number of signatures necessary to 150, the Secretary of State’s Office said in a news release Tuesday.

The open Supreme Court seat is

District 1, which covers Livingston, Orleans, St. Bernard, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington parishes. Justice Will Crain left the seat after President Donald Trump selected him as federal judge for the New Orleans area.

The BESE open seat is for District 1, which covers Jefferson, Orleans, St. Tammany and Tangipahoa parishes. It was vacated by Paul Hollis, who Trump picked to run the U.S. Mint.

The deadline for candidates to

submit nominating petition signatures is Jan. 30. Republican and Democratic candidates will sign up to run from Feb. 11-13.

The party primary is May 16, with a runoff scheduled for June 27 if no candidate gets a majority. The general election is Nov. 3.

Under the new closed party primary system, Republicans vote for Republican candidates and Democrats vote for Democrats. Voters with no party affiliation can choose to vote in either primary.

Over 30 eateries closed in 2025 Number highest since 2022

BY ADAM DAIGLE

Acadiana business editor Here’s a question that gets tossed around on social media every time a big-name restaurant closes: Does Lafayette have too many places to eat?

It’s hard to say.

Our yearly recap of the restaurants and cafes that closed in 2025 totaled 32, the highest amount since 2022. But the recount is in no way scientific, so it’s hard to use that to answer the question.

And if you’re looking for a why, rising costs have continued to put the squeeze on the industry.

Data from August, the latest federal data available, shows costs increased industrywide 3.9% compared to 12 months ago.

With that in mind, sales were up slightly. Total receipts in Lafayette Parish through October were up 5% from a year ago, according to data from the Lafayette Economic Development Authority.

This year’s list of closings is less a chance for misery of what’s closed but more of a salute to the folks brave enough to run a restaurant.

The Lafayette area and Acadiana lost some restaurants that came on the scene with some fanfare and hype (SoLou, Viva La Waffle) and others that kind of left everyone scratching their heads (all KFC locations? Really?).

For the record, we tracked 27 closings in 2024, 19 in 2023, 34 in 2022, nine in 2021, 13 in 2020 and 18 in 2019.

Here are some of those notable eateries that closed: SoLou: The Baton Rouge-based upscale eatery announced its plans to move into the former Grub Burger Bar in June 2024, but just over a year later it closed abruptly.

A note on the door from owners Peter and Michelle Sclafani indicated it would close immediately.

Sclafani is founder and CEO of the Making Raving Fans Hospitality Group, which owns SoLou and Portobello’s Grill. The group also opened P-Beau’s in Denham Springs, which closed last year, citing “increasing pressures of inflation, rising rent, insurance costs, and other outside factors.”

All KFC locations: The last three locations for the longtime American brand in southwest Louisiana quietly closed over the summer, ending a seven-year run in the market.

Folks in south Louisiana love their fried chicken, which makes this one kind of a head scratcher.

Locations at 200 Kaliste Saloom Road and 3328 Ambassador Caffery Parkway closed this year along with a location in New Iberia. All three are operated by KBP Foods, the largest KFC franchisee in the United States.

Here’s the funny part about the Ambassador location: It will soon be occupied by Louisiana Famous Fried Chicken (side note: it’s based in California).

Viva La Waffle: A four-year run of

ä See EATERIES, page 4B

Shoppers browse a wall of fireworks on Tuesday at Louisiana Fireworks in Lafayette.

STAFF PHOTOS By LESLIE WESTBROOK

Don’t go out with a bang Officials urge caution using fireworks around New year’s

Staff report People across Lafayette Parish may already be popping fireworks ahead of the New Year, but the Lafayette Fire Department wants to remind residents of the rules and safety tips.

Setting off fireworks is prohibited in Lafayette city limits and can be used only in the unincorporated areas of the parish, according to a Fire Department statement.

Residents outside the city can set off fireworks between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m., with hours of use extended to 1 a.m. for Jan. 1.

Residents are asked to use extreme caution when using fireworks. Fire- Brad Thibodeaux and his son Maks, 11, use an app to watch videos of fireworks for works can cause serious injury and sale. unintentional fires.

Here are a few safety tips for re- place them on a stable surface. nearby for fires. n Avoid aiming at people or property. n Dispose of fireworks safely by wetsponsible firework use: n Maintain a safe distance of at least n Adults should always handle fire- ting down the detonated firework to 200 feet away from structures, vehi- works. prevent reignition. n Do not use fireworks under the inn Never dispose of fireworks in trash cles and debris. n Move away promptly after lighting containers. fluence. n Light one firework at a time. n Follow directions provided on the the firework. n Never light fireworks in your hand; n Keep a bucket of water or a hose fireworks’ packaging.

Lafayette area plans Christmas tree pickup

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

Lafayette residents looking to dispose of live (now dead) Christmas trees are asked to place them on the curb on your regular garbage collection day.

Acadiana Waste Services, which has the garbage, trash and recycling contract with Lafayette Consolidated Government, will collect the trees for residents in the city of Lafayette and unincorporated parts of the parish.

“This is in perpetuity, not just this week,” said Bess Foret, environmental quality manager with LCG. So if your Christmas tree becomes a Mardi Gras tree that you take down in February, they’ll still pick it up curbside.

The trees must be free of ornaments, lights, tinsel and flocking, and the tree stand must be removed.

The trees will be taken to LCG’s Dean Domingues Compost Facility, 400 Dugas Road, Lafayette, where they will be ground down into nutrient-rich mulch, according to Caylee Deshotel LeGrande, LCG senior communications specialist.

If you prefer to drop your tree off yourself, the compost facility accepts trees free of charge with an ID showing you live in Lafayette or unincorporated Lafayette Parish.

LCG officials ask that you not discard old, broken or unwanted strings of Christmas lights in your garbage or recycling bins.

These items require special processing.

LCG offers the following dropoff locations through Jan. 11 for discarding strings of light. Some of the red bins are indoors and may be inaccessible Jan. 1 and weekends: n Lafayette City Hall, 705 W. University Ave., indoors n Lafayette Public Library, 301 W. Congress St., downtown Lafayette, indoors n Lafayette Animal Shelter, 410 Dugas Road, Lafayette, outdoors n Acadiana Campground, 1201 E. Alexander St., Lafayette, outdoors n Acadiana Park Nature Station, 1205 E. Alexander St., Lafayette, outdoors n Comeaux Recreation Center, 411 W. Bluebird Drive, Lafayette, outdoors

n Dupuis Recreation Center, 1212 E. Pont des Mouton Road, Lafayette, outdoors n Girard Park Recreation Center, 500 Girard Park Drive, Lafayette, outdoors n Heymann Park Recreation Center, 1500 S. Orange St., Lafayette, outdoors n Martin Luther King Recreation Center, 309 Cora St., Lafayette, outdoors n Robicheaux Recreation Center, 1919 Eraste Landry Road, Lafayette, outdoors n East Regional Library, 215 La Neuville Road, Youngsville, outdoors n South Regional Library, 6101 Johnston St., Lafayette, indoors n West Regional Library, 501 Old Spanish Trail, Scott, indoors.

OPINION

2B ● Wednesday, December 31, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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

OUR VIEWS

IN MEMORIAM 2025

The lives they led inspire all of La.

As 2025 comes to a close, we remember those Louisianans we lost this year whose lives and stories changed our world in big and small ways.

The tragedy on Bourbon Street on Jan. 1 claimed the lives of 14 people, 10 of whom were natives or residents of this state. They were students and parents, friends and neighbors, sons and daughters who lit up so many lives. We are sorry that we will never know what they might have contributed to our future.

The state also lost some political titans this year, including J. Bennett Johnston, a Democrat who represented Louisiana for 24 years in the U.S. Senate; E.L. “Bubba” Henry, a state House Speaker in the 1970s who was instrumental in the constitutional convention of 1973; Louis Lambert, who served in either the state Senate or the Public Service Commission every year except two from 1972 to 2004, and Jay Batt, a Republican businessman who served on the New Orleans City Council for four years.

Also in the political realm, pollster Verne Kennedy and environmental activist William “Willie” Fontenot, who worked behind the scenes, will be missed.

In our Capitol City, other than politicians, few figures loomed larger than televangelist Jimmy Swaggart, who died July 1 after running one of the largest international ministries from his Baton Rouge headquarters before his well-publicized fall from grace in the 1980s.

The business community mourned visionary leaders like Jim Bernhard, who built The Shaw Group to a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Baton Rouge, and Joe C. Canizaro, an influential real estate developer whose projects changed the skyline of downtown New Orleans.

Our prolific music community lost some singular talents including, Tommy McLain, the king of swamp pop in the 1950s and ’60s; songwriter and guitarist Tony Haselden, who was responsible for some of LeRoux’s biggest hits; Lillian Bouttél’Etienne, the jazz and gospel singer who was a musical ambassador in Europe for her New Orleans hometown; Cajun fiddler Ellis Vanicor of the Lacassine Playboys and bluesman Leroy Williams, better known as Guitar Lightnin’ Lee. The music community also grieved Sidney Smith, the New Orleans photographer who documented the careers of the Allman Brothers, Paul McCartney and Led Zeppelin.

Louisiana is a place that honors its food traditions. So we remember those who contributed to promoting and preserving our foodways, including New Orleans baker Steve Himelfarb, known as “the cake man;” Merline Hebert, who ran Lafayette’s beloved Creole Lunch House; Tom Fitzmorris, the longtime restaurant critic and author; and Pableaux Johnson, a New Orleans photographer and foodie famous for his red beans.

In the arts, noted Baton Rouge photographer A.J. Meek, who captured Louisiana landscapes and people, and Auseklis Ozols, a Latvian-born artist who founded the New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts, leave a lasting legacy.

And we would be remiss not to acknowledge one loss that hit close to home: Doug Manship, former publisher of The Advocate, contributed much to journalism in our state and beyond.

There are so many others who gave their time and talents to making our communities better who defy categorization, such as former Mr. America Red Lerille, who operated a Lafayette fitness club for decades, and Mary Jane Marcantel, who was a neighborhood advocate in Baton Rouge’s Spanish Town and the first paralegal in Louisiana. Then there’s the meteorologist from New Orleans, John McCarthy, whose name should probably be known more widely. His weather fascination led him to help develop an alert system for airports around the country that likely has saved thousands of lives. Think of him the next time you get on a plane.

These lives and so many others that we don’t have space to list here show that the wealth of this great state is truly in its people. We lost some remarkable ones in 2025. Now, it’s up to the rest of us to fill the void they leave.

YOUR VIEWS

Corporate partnerships a lifeline for community Access to quality health care should never be a privilege — it’s a fundamental right. Yet, for thousands of Louisiana residents, barriers such as cost, lack of insurance and transportation make even basic care unattainable.

At Love Impact Coalition, we work tirelessly to bridge that gap through free one-day clinics offering dental, vision and medical services statewide.

These events provide everything from eye exams and prescription glasses to dental cleanings, extractions, maternal health education and cancer screenings — all at no cost to patients.

But this work cannot happen in

isolation. It requires a community of partners who believe in health equity and are willing to invest in it. That’s why support from companies like ExxonMobil is so critical. Earlier this year, ExxonMobil stepped up as a premier sponsor for our Baton Rouge Free Health Clinic at the River Center, helping us serve over 600 patients in a single day. Their commitment went beyond financial contributions — they provided volunteers, English language interpretation services for attendees and donated 25 laptops through the Capital Area Corporate Recycling Council to strengthen our digital ac-

cess for events. Additional funding from ExxonMobil will allow us to expand our reach with events in Opelousas and two more Baton Rouge area clinics in 2026.

These partnerships are more than sponsorships; they are lifelines for the individuals who need them most. When businesses invest in health initiatives, they help create a ripple effect — improving health outcomes, fostering trust and building stronger, more resilient neighborhoods.

DONNA COLLINS-LEWIS president/executive director, Love Impact Coalition

State should be asking tough questions, not just cheering on Hyundai plant I am tired of LED Secretary Susan Bourgeois referring to the proposed Hyundai steel plant in St. James Parish as a “clean” steelmaking operation, as she did recently during an interview on LPB. There is simply no such thing.

According to the industry publication Steel Technology, these are some of the sources of toxic waste from steelmaking: n Steel slag: Generated in steelmaking processes such as basic oxygen furnaces and electric arc furnaces. n Dust and sludge: Fine particles and sludge are collected from air pollution control systems and water treatment facilities. n Spent refractories: Worn-out materials from linings of furnaces and other high-temperature processing units. n Gases: Emissions such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides.

Not to mention a host of dioxins and furans, whose scientific names you can’t

even pronounce, that are byproducts of electric-arc furnace processes.

If all this were taking place in Richland Parish, where the new Meta data center is being constructed, it might not be such a concern. But this plant will be located on the Mississippi River, from which numerous downriver communities draw their water.

Steel-making is very different from the industries that are located there now. Yet, there is not a single mention of an environmental management plan or waste disposal plan in any of the glowing pronouncements by state officials.

Air and water are two of our most precious natural resources, and both are being put at risk by this new steel plant.

It is time to drop the rah-rah and start preparing to manage what could be a very different and difficult newcomer to Louisiana’s Ruhr Valley.

BILL HUEY Baton Rouge

Thanks to community support, we can help those in need As 2025 draws to a close, we reflect with gratitude on the impact we’ve made together this year. Thanks to your generosity, Nash House has continued to serve our community, support those in need and advance our mission. While our name has changed from Family Promise of Acadiana to Nash House, our commitment to helping homeless families achieve and sustain their independence has remained the same for the past 21 years.

Because of your support, this year we were able to assist families with shelter, meals, financial aid and permanent housing. We were also excited to move into the new house, which will allow us

to grow and expand the program. This means we can serve more families as we continue and complete renovations. Being able to serve more families is critical as the need for shelter beds in our community is ever-growing.

The adults we serve work hard to provide a safe and nurturing environment for their children. Your assistance enables us to give them a hand up, as well as the skills they need to rebuild their lives. These opportunities are only available because of the generosity of our community.

RENEE MENARD executive director, Nash House

LSU coaching saga exposed what state’s business, political elite care about Where are we as a society?

What is it that we value? Where we put our money is a good indicator of our values.

I have always been a huge college ball fan and especially a LSU Tiger fan. But I can’t help but feel we (we being our entire athletic-crazed society) have lost our way.

While families are struggling to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads, state entities, business leaders, alumni, etc., were willing to invest millions (millions!) to bring “the best” football coach to LSU and to pay off fired coaches.

Many of these same business owners and state leaders worked to defeat a minimum wage bill in Louisiana in 2024.

So while the new coach is guaranteed a salary of more than a million dollars/month, Louisiana’s hourly wage earners are guaranteed no more than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.

Is it any wonder that Louisiana consistently ranks as one of the states with the highest poverty rate? “Let them eat cake” is attributed to Marie Antoinette when she was told her peasant subjects were without bread to eat. While the source of the quote is questionable, the sentiment for where we are as a society is apt to our current situation here in Louisiana.

NELL AUCOIN NAQUIN Baton Rouge

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COMMENTARY

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Jari Honora is a family historian at the Historic New Orleans Collection in New Orleans.

2025 LOUISIANAN OF THE YEAR

JARI HONORA

Historian connected pope’s heritage — and our own — to the world It wasn’t just another day in May for historian and genealogist Jari Honora and Catholics across the world. Beloved Pope Francis had died. Cardinals were in Rome meeting in a conclave to decide who would follow as pope.

Since there was no C-SPAN gavel-togavel coverage, no livestream and no audio feed, the masses had no idea what was happening as the cardinals did what cardinals do when they have to choose someone from their ranks to lead the world’s more than 1.4 billion Roman Catholics.

There were rumors and speculation about which cardinal might be elevated. Maybe someone who hailed from the growing Catholic populations in places like Africa and Asia.

Maybe someone from Rome to return the papacy to classic Italian roots.

But on May 8, after white smoke wafted from the Vatican in the traditional sign of that a new pope has been selected, Cardinal Dominique Mamberti announced from a Vatican City balcony that Cardinal Robert Prevost, a native of Chicago who had spent much time in Peru, was the choice of the conclave. He would be called Pope Leo XIV. Prevost.

That’s a French-sounding name, Honora thought.

Striking paydirt Within minutes, he was online researching the new pope’s ancestry. It’s what he does as a family historian at the Williams Research Center of the Historic New Orleans Collection. Soon, Honora realized he was on to something, a find that led this Louisianan to international acclaim.

Using his knowledge of Census records and other historical documents, Honora quickly discovered that the new pope had New Orleans and Louisiana Creole roots.

Not only was this new pope the first from the United States, but his family history reflected the complex currents of migration and reinvention that is the American story.

And surprisingly, it wasn’t his father’s side, which bore that French-sounding name, but his mother’s side where those Louisiana connections lay buried.

“Our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, has Creole of color roots from New Orleans on his mother’s side!” Honora posted on his

Facebook page soon after the announcement. “What a great connection for our local population!”

As the news circled the globe, Honora was soon being sought for interviews with far-flung news outlets.

Others built on the pope’s family tree, but nothing changed in the basic outlines that Honora discovered.

The pope’s mother, Mildred Martinez, was the daughter of Joseph Martinez and Louise Baquié, who hailed from New Orleans’ 7th Ward. In the 1900 Census, they are described as Black, and in some records, Joseph Martinez’s birthplace is listed as Haiti.

Honora found a marriage license indicating that the pope’s maternal grandparents were married in 1887 at Our Lady of Sacred Heart on Annette Street in the 7th Ward. Mildred Martinez’s older siblings were born in New Orleans.

But by the time the family migrated — sometime between 1910 and 1912 — to Chicago, where the pope’s mother was born, they were listed as White in records.

The impact of the find In 2025, there were plenty of Louisianans who made important contributions, but no other Louisianan had the kind of global impact that reminded us why our state and its unique place in history matter so much.

It may be hard for some to imagine today as we wrestle with out-migration, coastal erosion and other challenges, but New Orleans was a bustling crossroads for a significant part of our country’s history. Newcomers, immigrants and others looking for a better life mixed here like nowhere else.

Especially for free people of color, it was one of the few places that offered the opportunity to build vibrant communities and economies.

That the grandparents of a pope came from this Louisiana tapestry is more than fitting. In a state that has more than 1 million Catholics, Pope Leo’s heritage is a source of pride. We look forward to the pope’s first American tour, where we hope Louisianans can welcome him to his ancestral homeland with the joie de vivre we’re known for.

On a more personal level, the discovery of the pope’s lineage has led to several

branches of his family who were divided by time, space and race, rediscovering their common ties — at least once over a meal. What could be more Louisiana than that?

Historian’s history Honora had the ability to uncover the pope’s roots so quickly because he is steeped in Louisiana history and culture.

Honora was 9 years old when he asked his grandmother about her grandparents.

The two of them often had familial ancestry conversations, and Honora’s curiosity about genealogy developed at the New Orleans Main Library as he researched alongside others who were many years older.

A certified genealogist, one of only three Black genealogists in the country to achieve that rank, Honora isn’t just looking at the family trees of celebrities. He has helped many families around the state learn about their roots — particularly those who have questions about their Creole heritage.

A New Orleans Uptown native, he graduated from St. Augustine High School and Tulane University. After researching his own family history since his childhood, Honora knows that his Louisiana heritage has roots along Bayou Lafourche and the German-Acadian coast, dating back more than two centuries.

As he researched the pope’s family history, Honora discovered that the leader of the Roman Catholic Church has an immigrant background that is truly universal, with Black Creole, French and Italian heritage.

Honora’s quick, deep research uncovered a colorful papal family history that engaged communities across the state. It also prompted reflection on the nature of race, migration and what history gets told — all things that have come under scrutiny in recent years.

Honora’s work makes him our Louisianan of the Year because it opened a new lens not only on our history, but also on our present-day dilemmas.

It reaffirms that looking for connections with others rather than differences is the better way to honor our ancestors. The pope’s story has much to teach us. We are grateful to historians like Honora who help us unlock the lessons of the past.

At the end of the year, the Editorial Board recognizes Louisianans who have made significant contributions to their fields, our country and the world in 2025. Tuesday, we announced our four runners-up for Louisianan of the year. you can read about them online in the Opinions section.

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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One year later, Bourbon Street carries on amid the grief The party continues long after New year’s Day attack

BY JENNA ROSS Staff writer

Jennifer Jones was a rainbow in motion. Each inch of her outfit, from the parasol she was waving above her head to her stepping, twirling, kicking feet was covered in colorful feathers, tulle or beads.

It was 5 p.m. and a bit of light remained in the sky, but the party had already started on Bourbon Street.

Jones was bopping to R&B pumped from an empty bar, to a beat blasting from a passing car, to a wisp of a tune from a tourist’s cellphone.

But earlier that Sunday evening, stepping onto her city’s most famous street, her thoughts had turned dark. The New Orleans resident was remembering the events of a year ago, when a man had barreled his truck down this iconic stretch of bars and restaurants, commerce and commotion, killing 14 people and injuring more.

Jones squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. “Something was completely off about the energy of the city that night,” she said. “I was down by the river, and at midnight, when we were counting down, it was like, look-over-your-shoulder energy.”

Looking over her own shoulder, now, Jones caught sight of the twinkling canopy of pink, red and purple flags suspended over the street, a memorial called “Second Line in the Sky.” Tourists behind her were snapping selfies with the memorial as a backdrop.

But when Jones looks at the flags, she sees the faces of those who died, the families she prayed for, the secondlines where she danced.

Barricades, brass bands On a recent night along Bourbon Street, with New Year’s Eve and the Sugar Bowl approaching, there was a tension in the way buskers and sports fans, locals and tourists were thinking about last year’s attack, if they were thinking about it at all. The celebration beside the grief.

The party beside the pain.

Just after 6 p.m., police arrived in a golf cart with swirling lights. A pair of officers jumped out, pulling temporary barricades into place. They moved from intersection to intersection, jumping, pulling, drilling.

The barricades were a security measure, but revelers quickly found other uses for them. A drunk woman straddled one. A couple, watching a brass band, rested their fluorescent green hand grenade cocktails on another. A man hopped onto a yellow one, dancing, his hips shaking,

EATERIES

Continued from page 1B

town from Arkansas, where “there’s not crap to do,” with her two friends, retirees Becky Burks and Cheryl Neelon.

They sported beads, a boa and “fun meter” buttons that, over the course of the day, had been inching closer to “max.”

Last year at this time, they’d been staying at the Royal Sonesta on Bourbon, passing by, over and over, the cherry picker that Jabbar would eventually crash into, ending his rampage. On New Year’s, they’d gotten back to their room around 2 a.m. before the hotel was evacuated.

They weren’t sure what was happening and wouldn’t be for hours.

As the details emerged over days and weeks, Fraser was glued to her TV and her phone. She returned to New Orleans, her happy place, in February, visiting the makeshift memorial, trying to process it all.

“Those people that lost people,” she said, fanning her STAFF PHOTOS By ENAN CHEDIAK face as she teared up, “you just feel for them.”

Tourists and revelers walk down Bourbon Street in New Orleans on Sunday.

Despite the sadness, despite the fear, the trio decided to return this year for New Year’s Eve. Violence, especially gun violence, can happen anywhere, they said, describing a man who showed up to their local grocery store with a sawed-off shotgun.

“You can’t let someone that’s going to do something stupid stop you from doing things in your life,” Fraser said.

They had beads to hand out and a band to see, so they continued down Bourbon Street, their arms around Jennifer Jones dances with some street performers playing each other’s shoulders.

Louis Usea advertises to passersby for the Beach on

by one of the street barricades.

Bourbon while wearing a shark suit. his tongue out.

Near the intersection of Bienville Street, a couple paused to look down at the barricades and up at the lights. Cynthia Becker, a sixth-generation New Orleanian and Boston University professor, was with her husband, Addi Ouadderron.

They were in town for a friend’s 60th birthday brunch. The city felt different than it did even in the summer, Becker said, with storefronts empty, houses for sale and the French Quarter quiet.

“New Orleans is the pits right now,” she said. “In my opinion, it’s really gone down.”

She thinks that has less to do with concerns over another terrorist attack than with President Donald Trump’s policies hurting international tourism. But she noted that some of her friends won’t come down to Bourbon Street anymore.

It’s just too upsetting.

‘I’m used to it’ By 6:30 p.m., young kids were still commonplace, riding on their fathers’ shoulders. Other kids drummed buckets, men set up chess sets on folding tables and a tarot card reader lit a candle. Bars competed

n Shade Tree Café, Broussard n Newk’s Eatery n PJ’s Coffee, Pinhook Road n PJ’s Coffee, Scott n PJ’s Coffee, Johnston Street n Subway, Ambassador Caffery Parkway n Coffeeweed Cottage n Callihan’s restaurant on Pinhook. n Broaddus Burger, West Congress Street n Starbucks near Acadiana Mall n Ninety9 Bistro.

a local favorite came to an end in April when it closed its doors. “It’s just not working out here,” co-owner Tim Metcalf said.

Yet it created a space for a popular Louisiana brand, Off The Hook, to move in.

Here are other restaurants that closed in 2025: n Southern Spread, Abbeville n Zorba’s, Youngsville n The French Press, downEmail Adam Daigle at town Lafayette n Walk-On’s, Broussard adaigle@theadvocate.com. n Twins, Youngsville n Coffee Dash, Maurice n La Pizza Mia, Broussard n Swamp Dog Cafe LOTTERY n Cajun Donuts & KolachMONDAY, DEC. 29, 2025 es, Broussard PICK 3: 7-3-5 n Rocket 87 PICK 4: 9-0-4-7 n Sole Haus Kitchen, PICK 5: 5-7-6-6-9 Carencro n Lit Pizza, Youngsville POWERBALL: 11-19-34n Pizza Artista, Broussard 48-53 (21) n Morain Coffee Co. n Twin Peaks Unofficial notification, n Blaze Pizza keep your tickets. n Everbowl

for customers with crass signs, 3-for-1 drink specials and throbbing bass lines.

The stretch between Christmas and New Year’s Eve is slow every year, a bartender at an empty daiquiri place noted, declining to give his name.

As the machines spun icy sugar behind him, he questioned whether the National Guards would make people feel safer — or just kill the vibe.

Miguel Cidranes leaned against the door at the Beach on Bourbon, watching as his co-worker, a man in a puffy blue shark suit, danced in the street with a sign: “NO COVER.” Cidranes checks driver’s licenses, then pats patrons down, feeling for weapons. On New Year’s Eve, the bar might add to those checks, waving metal detectors, he said, speaking the day before officials announced plans for heightened security in the district.

“You don’t want somebody in the bar, drinking with a gun on them,” he said.

“That’s a problem.”

Cidranes had been working at the Tropical Isle a year ago, when ShamsudDin Jabbar, a military veteran from Houston in-

spired by the Islamic State, swerved onto the sidewalk and barreled down the street. Police shut down the corridor, confining tourists and workers. But Cidranes said he wasn’t scared.

“I’m used to it,” he said.

Contact reporter Jenna Ross at jenna.ross@ theadvocate.com.

“I’m from here.”

‘Feel for those people’

Down the street, at a table in the front window of the Funerals Today Drinkery, were a trio of women giggling over mar- Savant, Lee Fountain Memorial Funeral Home, tinis. Monica Fraser was in

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Olave coming up big

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W e d n e s d ay, d e c e m b e r 31, 2025

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Echo Chambliss

Saints WR wrapping up strong season

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

The numbers say a lot about what Chris Olave has meant to the ns Saints this season.

After another strong performance against ä Saints the Tennessee at Falcons. Titans in which NOON SUNDAy, he caught eight passes for 119 FOX yards and a touchdown — his third straight game with a scoring grab, and his second straight with more than 115 yards receiving — Olave ranks among the NFL leaders in receptions (100), receiving yards (1,163) and receiving touchdowns (nine).

“He’s unbelievable, man,” quarterback Tyler Shough said.

“I think his greatest strength is his steadiness. He shows up every single day.”

All are career highs for the No. 11 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. But considering what Olave has been through, they do not necessarily reflect what is truly important to him.

ä See OLAVE, page 3C

PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss answers a question during Allstate Sugar Bowl media day on Tuesday at the Sheraton Hotel in New Orleans. Chambliss and the No. 6 Rebels take on No. 3 Georgia in a College Football Playoff game on Thursday in the Sugar Bowl.

Despite surrounding noise about his 2026 status, Ole Miss QB focused on CFP

BY JEFF DUNCAN

ä Georgia

Trinidad Chambliss isn’t thinking about 2026 right now.

He has more pressing matters at hand, like trying to win a national championship for the Ole Miss Rebels.

But while the star quarterback focuses on the present, a rematch with Georgia in the Allstate Sugar Bowl quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff on Thursday at the Caesars Superdome, his future hangs in the balance.

The outcome of his waiver re-

7 P.M. THURSDAy. ESPN

Staff writer

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

Saints wide receiver Chris Olave pulls in a 19-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Shough in the third quarter against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday in Nashville, Tenn.

vs. Ole Miss.

quest to the NCAA for a sixth season of eligibility will be one of the biggest stories of the offseason, a transaction that directly will affect the 2026 SEC and CFP race. The immediate future of the Ole Miss football program — along with that of one of its main rivals, LSU, where former Rebels coach Lane Kiffin now resides —

request.

Some, presumably from Mississippi markets, even apologized for having to repeatedly ask about it.

The genial and thoughtful Chambliss did his best to politely deflect questions about the topic and his future. But eventually, he opened up on the matter, saying he is confident he will be granted an extra year of football once the NCAA returns to business in early January.

“I feel like my case is very strong,” Chambliss said. “I

ä See CHAMBLISS, page 3C

Walk-on guard Mejia ‘glue’ guy for Cajuns

UL women get first win of year behind Price’s 30

Alabama at UL. Loyola-N.O. transfer äNOONSouth WEDNESDAy, ESPN+ helping spark UL men

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

Since the exhibition games, there never was a question about UL freshman Amijah Price’s raw talent.

On Monday, Price’s potential was on full display with a 30-point performance to lead UL to its first win of the season in a 97-56 blowout ä Troy at UL. over NAIA opponent Dillard at the 4 P.M. THURSDAy, Cajundome.

The win snapped an 11-game losESPN+ ing streak heading into the return of Sun Belt play against Troy at 4 p.m.

Thursday.

“I was feeling hungry,” Price said. “Just coming off of Christmas break and then coming off the loss to Southern Miss, I was just feeling hungry. I was feeling that we needed to win. They kept expressing that we needed it, and we got it. So I had no choice but to go in there.”

Needing to knock off some rust since their last game Dec. 20 at Southern Miss, the Cajuns got off to a sluggish start. A Price layup off of a Mikaylah Manley feed gave UL an 8-6 lead with 4:36 left in the first quarter.

Once Price followed with one of her three 3-pointers and Manley made a 3 of her own at the 3:01 mark, the Cajuns opened up an 18-8 lead on the Blue Devils and never looked back.

Price, who shot 11 of 19 from the field, is the first UL player to reach the 30-point mark since Brandi Williams scored 32 against UL-Monroe on Feb. 13, 2021.

“This could do a lot for me,” Price said. “This actually builds my confidence up. So going back into conference, I feel like I’ll be good.”

Price also had five rebounds, four assists and a steal.

“I thought we did some good things,” UL coach Garry Brodhead said. “Coming out of Christmas, you just want this game to be kind of a tuneup game

might hinge on the decision.

“I can’t put too much thought into that,” Chambliss said Tuesday during a Sugar Bowl media session at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown New Orleans. “I’m just focused on the game right now, but hopefully we’ll get an answer shortly after.”

Given Chambliss’ star power and potential free agent status, it was no surprise that he was the center of attention at the Sugar Bowl media event.

A steady stream of reporters approached the podium during his one-hour session to inquire about the status of his waiver

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

UL guard Amijah Price puts up a scoop shot against East Texas A&M forward Tiani Ellison on Dec. 2 at the Cajundome. Price scored a season-high 30 points in UL’s 97-56 win over Dillard on Monday.

before you go back into conference, and I thought we did some good things.”

Also in double figures for the Cajuns were Manley with 17 points and seven rebounds, Kahlen Norris with 14 points and seven boards, and Imani Daniel with 12 points and eight rebounds.

“This game, knocking down shots and being able to find my shot again and just having more confidence

ä See PRICE, page 3C

When the season began, former Loyola of New Orleans standout Milan Mejia wasn’t expected to play a prominent role for the UL Ragin’ Cajuns.

But as UL prepares for a noon Wednesday Sun Belt game against South Alabama in the Cajundome, his contributions are far more critical than most antici- Mejia pated.

“He is the glue to this team,” UL coach Quannas White said after Sunday’s 63-54 win over Norfolk State.

In that victory, Mejia began both halves with 3-pointers to set UL off on a good course in a game the Cajuns never trailed.

He finished with 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting from 3-point land.

“Milan wasn’t recruited by a lot of Division I schools, but he is a Division I player because of his toughness,” White said. “Milan is tough, and that’s what he brings to this team. He fights and that’s the type of guys that I love and want to be around, and he’s earned it.”

The walk-on truly appreciates his opportunities this season, but White is also quite thankful for what he brings to the team.

“He came up to me right after the game and talked to me about how much he appreciates me,” White said. “I said, ‘Man, I appreciate you.’ Having that kid on this team at practice every single day, his leadership and how hard he fights and plays.

It’s a blessing to have that kid on the team.”

Mejia has started five of 13 games while averaging 4.5 points 1.6 rebounds and 21.5 minutes.

“I just want to do everything that I can to help the team,” Mejia said. “I have confidence in myself. I thought I was going to play for sure. That’s just my personality, but, I mean, having the opportunity that coach Q’s given me has been very much a blessing. I’m just trying to do everything I can every single day to make us better as a group so we can win games.”

The Cajuns have won two straight games after dropping 10 in a row.

UL is 3-11 overall and 1-1 in the Sun Belt while South Alabama comes in 9-4 and 1-1.

“Every game, I feel like we have the same goals — limit our

ä See MEJIA, page 3C

2C ● Wednesday, December 31, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS On TV MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL 11 a.m. Wake Forest at NC State ESPN2 11 a.m. Tulane at East Carolina ESPNU 1 p.m.

Virginia at Virginia Tech ACCN 1 p.m.

Stony Brook at William CBSSN 1 p.m.

Clemson at Syracuse ESPN2 1 p.m.

Rice at Tulsa ESPNU 3 p.m.

Georgia Tech at Duke ACCN 3 p.m.

North Texas at Memphis ESPN2 3 p.m.

Wichita St. at UAB ESPNU 4 p.m.

UConn at Xavier PEACOCK

5 p.m.

7 p.m.

DePaul at Villanova FS1 St. John’s at Georgetown FS1 WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL 11:30 a.m. Ohio St. at Purdue BTN 1 p.m.

UCLA at Penn St. PEACOCK 2 p.m.

UConn at Providence PEACOCK COLLEGE FOOTBALL 11 a.m. Iowa vs. Vanderbilt ESPN 1 p.m.

Arizona St. vs. Duke CBS 2 p.m.

Michigan vs. Texas ABC 2:30 p.m. Nebraska vs. Utah ESPN 6:30 p.m. Miami vs. Ohio St. ESPN

IN BRIEF

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

BOYS IIHF HOCKEY noon Switzerland vs. Slovakia 2:30 p.m. Czechia vs. Latvia 5 p.m.

U.S. vs. Sweden 7:30 p.m. Canada vs. Finland NBA noon Golden State at Charlotte 2:30 p.m. Phoenix at Cleveland 6 p.m.

New york at San Antonio 6 p.m.

New Orleans at Chicago MEN’S SOCCER 9:10 a.m. Al Ittihad at Neom SC 11:15 a.m. Al Hilal at Al Kholood

NHLN NHLN NHLN NHLN NBATV NBATV NBATV KNGC FS2 FS2

Ohio St., Miami clash in Cotton Bowl

BY STEPHEN HAWKINS AP sportswriter

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Cotton Bowl has certainly gotten much more significant for Ohio State during three trips in a row to the game.

This time, the second-seeded Buckeyes (12-1) are defending national champions as they get ready to play College Football Playoff first-timer Miami (11-2, CFP No. 10 seed) in a quarterfinal game there Wednesday night. The Cotton Bowl last January was a CFP semifinal game when Ohio State beat Texas for the third of four wins needed last postseason for a sixth AP national title.

As for the first of those appearances in North Texas two years ago, that was the last season before the CFP expanded from four to 12 teams and when it wasn’t the Cotton Bowl’s turn as one of the playoff games. The Buckeyes arrived then coming off a regular season-ending loss to rival Michigan after a 10-0 start. Their starting quarterback (Kyle McCord) had transferred and NFL-bound All-American receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. opted out of playing in what was a 14-3 loss to Missouri.

“Just more stakes than the first game I’ve ever played in here. ...

Now it’s a bowl game with the playoffs on the line, so it just means more,” senior receiver Carnell Tate said Monday on the field at AT&T Stadium.

“It wasn’t CFP, so I felt like the job was not accomplished. We kind of fell short of our initial goal, and then when we played here, our quarterback ended up transferring. It was a whole lot of stuff going on,” senior cornerback Davison Igbinosun said. “It was definitely a tough game. It really didn’t feel like a typical Ohio State game, and then here last year and back in the playoffs, and that was a great game.”

Ohio State hasn’t played since losing 13-10 to No. 1 Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game matchup of undefeated teams on Dec. 6, and still got a first-round bye.

Miami, which is 24 years removed from its last national title, made its CFP debut with a 10-3 win in the first round at No. 7 seed Texas A&M on Dec. 20. The Hurricanes made the 12-team playoff field even after not making the Atlantic Coast Conference title game

Cowboys waive CB Diggs, ending career with Dallas

FRISCO, Texas — The Cowboys waived cornerback Trevon Diggs on Tuesday, ending a tumultuous final season a game early in a Dallas career that never lived up to the promise of a 2021 All-Pro performance that included 11 interceptions.

The move came five days before Dallas’ season finale Sunday at the New York Giants, with the Cowboys (7-8-1) already guaranteed to miss the playoffs for the second year in a row. Diggs will be a free agent after clearing waivers.

The season began with Diggs playing in the opener, earlier than expected coming off the recovery from his second major knee surgery in two years.

Diggs’ departure was a culmination of factors, including performance and off-field issues.

Patriots WR Diggs denies allegations in assault case

Patriots star Stefon Diggs is facing criminal charges in connection with an alleged assault and strangulation that the wide receiver “categorically denies,” according to the organization and multiple published reports.

“The New England Patriots are aware of the accusations that have been made regarding Stefon Diggs,” the organization said in a statement Tuesday morning. “Stefon has informed the organization that he categorically denies the allegations. We support Stefon.”

Diggs is charged with felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery charges, according to court documents. An arraignment is set for Jan. 23, two days before the AFC championship.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JAy LAPRETE

Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate runs a route during a game on Oct. 4 in Columbus, Ohio. The reigning national champion Buckeyes face Miami on Wednesday in the CFP quarterfinals. ä Miami vs. Ohio State. 6:30 P.M.

QBs on championship teams

and that league’s champ (five-loss Duke) not getting a bid.

When the Hurricanes left Dallas after a 26-20 overtime loss at SMU on Nov. 1, their second loss in three games after a 5-0 start, they weren’t even sure they would make the playoff. Now they are back in Texas for their second playoff game in a row and with another five-game winning streak.

“That was a low point for us in the season, and in that locker room, it was as simple as a decision has to be made,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said Monday. “It came down to the simplicity of taking all the clips of us in our first five games and putting it on a reel and just letting it play. No audio, no one’s talking, no nothing. Just shut the lights, remind ourselves of who we are. And there’s nothing more powerful than the power of choice.”

Heisman Trophy finalist Julian Sayin with Ohio State and Miami’s Carson Beck have both been part of national championship teams.

Now the two most accurate FBS passers are trying to win a title as a starting quarterback.

Sayin was the Buckeyes backup last year behind Will Howard. Beck transferred to Miami after being at Georgia from 2020-24, when he was a youngster on the Bulldogs’ backto-back national championship teams in 2021 and 2022 — he did get some late snaps in that second title game, a 65-7 romp over TCU. The Cotton Bowl will be the first CFP game for Sayin, the sophomore who has thrown for 3,323 yards with 31 TDs and six interceptions. He has completed 78.4% of his passes (279 of 356). Beck made his first CFP start going 14-of-20 for 103 yards and a touchdown on a windy day in College Station. He has completed 74.5% of his passes (277 of 372) for 3,175 yards, 26 TDs

WEDNESDAy, ESPN.

and 10 interceptions.

Back-to-back chances Miami’s last shot at back-to-back national championships ended in a double-overtime loss to Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 3, 2003, before most of the current players were born and the only other time these teams have met in a bowl game.

Ohio State, which won the first CFP national championship at AT&T Stadium at the end of the 2014 season, is now trying to win consecutive national titles for the first time. The Buckeyes are in their seventh CFP overall, and are the only team to appear in five of the last seven — all of those since Ryan Day became their head coach.

The only other time the Hurricanes played in the Cotton Bowl was at the end of the 1990 season, their last as an independent before moving to the Big East. They beat Texas 46-3 in Cotton Bowl Stadium.

Work is paying off for LSU men’s defense

BY TOYLOY BROWN III

ä LSU at Texas A&M. 3 P.M.

LSU basketball players were itching to return to the practice court after a few days off for Christmas break.

Coach Matt McMahon said his players’ excitement to get back to work stemmed from a desire to sharpen a defense that gave up a season-high 90 points against Prairie View on Dec. 22.

“I thought our guys came back from Christmas break really hungry,” the fourth-year coach said. “I think there was some disappointment, some things that happened on the defensive side of the ball in our last game before the break.”

The heightened focus in that area before LSU’s final nonconference game produced the desired results as the team took down Southern Miss 90-62 on Monday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

Dedan Thomas said the coaching staff made defense a priority in practice.

“The coaches were really on us,” said Thomas, who had 22 points and 12 assists against Southern Miss. “Credit to (Prairie View), they made some really big shots.

I mean, they really pushed us. So this whole week after the Christmas break, we just knew that we had to prove that we’re actually a really good defensive team. I feel like we played a lot better at the 3-point line, especially.”

The defensive connectivity was

ends of the court, and that’s what we’re going to need as we go into SEC play.”

Nwoko, a Mississippi State transfer, was asked about his five blocks in 26 minutes.

“I was just jumping, to be honest,” he said. “I kind of just went up and blocked the ball.

There really wasn’t much to it, and shout out to my guys, they really put me in a position to go up and block those shots. They weren’t fouling, so I was able to go up there and get the ball and block it.”

Max Mackinnon also raised his defensive level, as the 6-foot-6 guard was active as a team defender. His best moment was a passing-lane steal that he took to the other end for a layup.

“It was a great rotation that he made,” McMahon said. “That was a big play. They beat us baseline. I think a week ago that would have been a layup against our team, but Mike Nwoko came over and did a great job off the baseline and sealing it off, and Max made the perfect rotation that got us that breakaway layup.”

LSU isn’t satisfied with just one good defensive performance. The Tigers want to carry it over to 2026 when Southeastern Conference play begins.

Staff writer

SATURDAy, ESPNU.

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU guard Rashad King, left, and guard Jalen Reece defend Southern Miss guard Chiante’ Tramble during a game on Monday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. evident on the perimeter and around the basket, as LSU allowed 30.6% shooting overall, 3 of 14 from the 3-point line and registered a season-high 11 blocks.

The biggest defensive star was center Mike Nwoko, who had a career-high five blocks to go along with 22 points and six rebounds.

“Probably my favorite stat from the game,” McMahon said of Nwoko’s five blocks. “We’ve really challenged him to provide that rim presence for us. (He) was really aggressive, coming over and fixing some things that went wrong for us on the defensive end. So I thought he was fantastic on both

LIV Golf still waiting on world-ranking decision

LIV Golf will end the year with no decision whether the Official World Golf Ranking will approve the 54-man league to receive ranking points like golf’s other tours around the world.

The OWGR also said tournaments that are played over 54 holes or even 36 holes will have a reduction in points compared with standard 72-hole events.

OWGR chairman Trevor Immelman had said two weeks ago one hurdle was the vast majority of LIV players were invited to join instead of earning their way, as is the case with the other 24 tours that are part of the OWGR system.

An update sent Wednesday said only that the board continues to evaluate the application the Saudifunded league submitted in June.

Class of ’26 point guard Rippey commits to Duke

Duke has won the basketball recruiting battle for Deron Rippey Jr., the top-rated point guard in the Class of 2026.

Rippey, listed at 6-foot-2, was pursued by nearly every top basketball program in the country, including North Carolina and Kentucky. He narrowed his list to five schools: Duke, N.C. State, Texas, Tennessee and Miami.

Rated as the nation’s No. 1 point guard recruit in the 247sports composite rankings, Rippey announced his decision Tuesday afternoon on the CBS Sports College Basketball YouTube channel, saying Duke was his destination.

Rippey is playing this season for Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J., and is ranked 16th nationally

by ESPN.

Marlins acquire outfielder Ruiz from Dodgers trade

LOS ANGELES — The Miami Marlins acquired outfielder Esteury Ruiz from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night in a trade for minor league right-hander Adriano Marrero.

The speedy Ruiz led the American League with 67 stolen bases for the Athletics in 2023. He is a career .241 hitter during four major league seasons with four teams, but excels as a baserunner and a defender.

The Dodgers acquired Ruiz from the A’s last April, and he was a littleused reserve when he was in the majors for the back-to-back World Series champions. Ruiz batted .190 in 19 games for Los Angeles, largely playing as a defensive replacement or a pinch runner.

The Marlins designated infielder Eric Wagaman for assignment to make room on their 40-man roster.

H

lll

New york Giants quarterback Eli Manning and Saints quarterback Drew Brees talk after the Saints beat the Giants 33-18 on Sept.

30, 2018, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

OLAVE

Continued from page 1C

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL DeMOCKER

Closer to Canton

Brees, Evans, Eli Manning, Wayne named Pro Football Hall of Fame finalists for 2026

BY JEFF DUNCAN Staff writer

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 could have a strong New Orleans flavor.

Four of the 15 modern-era finalists announced by Hall of Fame officials Tuesday have local ties, including former New Orleans Saints standouts Drew Brees and Jahri Evans, and New Orleans natives Eli Manning and Reggie Wayne.

Joining the quartet in the finalist group are: ■ Seven players — Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Luke Kuechly, Adam Vinatieri, Terrell Suggs, Darren Woodson and Marshal Yanda — who advanced to the finalist stage a year ago.

■ Three candidates in their first year of eligibility in Larry Fitzgerald, Frank Gore and Jason Witten.

■ Kevin Williams, a defensive tackle who played his final season in New Orleans in 2015, is a finalist for the first time in his sixth year of eligibility.

The 15 finalists will be considered for induction by a 50-member selection committee at its annual meeting before Super Bowl LX. Finalists must receive at least 80% support from the selection committee to join the Class of 2026. The Class of 2026 will be announced at the NFL Honors show Feb. 5 in San Francisco.

Five other finalists — Ken Anderson, Roger Craig and L.C. Greenwood (seniors); Bill Belichick (coach); and Robert Kraft (contributor) — also are candidates for the Class of 2026. Voting on these five is conducted separately as its own group distinct from the modern-era players. A minimum of one person and a maximum of three from these combined categories may be elected under the Hall’s current bylaws.

Brees is trying to become the first Saints player to be elected on the first ballot of his Hall of Fame candidacy. He would join Rickey Jackson (Class of 2010), Willie Roaf (2012), Morten Andersen (2017) and Sam Mills (2022) on the list of Hall of Famers who played the majority of their careers in New Orleans.

Brees led the Saints to their only Super Bowl title in 2009 and is the only player in club history to win the league’s Offensive Player of the Year Award, which he did in 2008 and 2011. He was a 13-time Pro Bowler and retired as the NFL career leader in completion percentage at 67.7%.

Hall of Fame finalists Class Of 2026 modern-era finalists

Offense (10)

QB (2): Drew Brees, Eli Manning RB (1): Frank Gore WR (3): Larry Fitzgerald, Torry Holt, Reggie Wayne TE (1): Jason Witten OL (3): Willie Anderson, Jahri Evans, Marshal Yanda

Defense (4)

DB (1): Darren Woodson LB (2): Luke Kuechly, Terrell Suggs (also DE) DL (1): Kevin Williams

Special teams (1)

K (1): Adam Vinatieri

His 80,358 career yards passing rank second to Tom Brady.

For 11 seasons, Evans anchored one of the most prolific offenses in NFL history and became one of the most decorated offensive linemen ever for the Saints. He was named to the NFL All-Decade Team for the 2010s and earned first-team All-Pro honors four times. He was inducted into the Saints Ring of Honor last season. Evans has been a finalist the last three years.

Manning passed for more than 57,000 yards and 366 touchdowns during his 16-year career with the Giants. A first-round draft pick in 2004 out of Ole Miss by the then-San Diego Chargers, Manning was quickly traded to the Giants, where he led the club to six playoff appearances, three NFC East titles and two Super Bowl wins.

Manning, a former Isidore Newman standout, was a finalist last year, his first year of eligibility. He is trying to join older brother Peyton to become the first set of brothers to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Peyton Manning was inducted in 2021.

Wayne, who starred at John Ehret High School, is a finalist for the seventh consecutive year. He had 14,345 yards on 1,070 receptions with 82 touchdowns for the Colts from 200114. He ranks 10th all-time in both receiving yards and receptions, and was a six-time Pro Bowler. He earned first-team AP All-Pro honors in 2010.

He didn’t miss a game between 200212, and his streak of 189 consecutive games played is the third-longest by a wide receiver in NFL history.

The Class of 2026 can consist of three to five modern-era players under the Hall of Fame’s bylaws. In addition to 15 modern-era finalists, the selection committee will discuss three senior finalists, a coach finalist and a contributor finalist as potential members of the Class of 2026.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will be enshrined in August.

That may be better encapsulated by the number 16, as in 16 games played, which is exactly how many games his team has participated in this season. And it’s a safe bet that when the 17th game arrives Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, Olave will add to that total.

This is important because of his history.

“It’s going to be my first time in my NFL career playing 17 (games),” Olave said. “It means a lot. One of my main goals this year was to play all 17, playing through injuries, playing through all that. I’m super grateful.”

It was around this time last year that Olave was weighing his football mortality at 24 years old. He endured multiple concussions in his 2024 season, which was cut short by the final concussion in his eighth game.

Those injuries were not a new phenomenon, dating back to his college days at Ohio State.

Concussions are scary. Even as Olave has tried to put them in the past, they have sometimes come to revisit him — as was the case earlier this season, when the Saints played in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the first time since the injury that ended his 2024 season.

Olave suddenly felt anxious when he took the field, a sensa-

CHAMBLISS

Continued from page 1C don’t see a reason why they should deny it, quite frankly.

I mean, I have a lot to back up what I’m stating, what I’m putting in front of them, so it’s just up to the NCAA.” Chambliss’ case is complicated.

That’s why he recently hired prominent attorney Tom Mars to handle it.

Mars has extensive experience in NCAA eligibility cases and is an expert at navigating the thicket of mind-numbing NCAA bylaws and byzantine legalese.

Ole Miss filed a waiver petition for Chambliss to receive a sixth year of eligibility Nov. 16. He is seeking a medical redshirt for the 2022 season when he was at Ferris State, an NCAA Division II program in Michigan, where he started his collegiate playing career after taking a traditional redshirt season in 2021.

Chambliss said he was unable to play games in 2022 because of a respiratory condition that ultimately led to surgery to remove his tonsils.

ESPN reported last week that there were indications the NCAA needed more information before making a decision.

Chambliss’ representatives reportedly submitted 91 pages of medical records to the NCAA to substantiate his case.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Wednesday, December 31, 2025 ● 3C tion he wasn’t prepared for that day. Thankfully, his support system was there to help ease him back to neutral, and he followed with a 104-yard effort in the win. “(My father) was out there solo in the stands by himself,” Olave said after that game. “I had to go talk to him pregame and just to loosen up my mind.

It helped me a lot.”

There have been other injuries. More of the regular, physically nagging ones.

He’s cropped up on the injury report with an ankle issue this season. He has had to navigate a back injury throughout this season, one that flared up late last week in the days before the game.

Normally, Olave tries to sleep in on game day, but he arrived much earlier than usual to Nissan Stadium last Sunday — nearly five hours before kickoff — to get treatment before he took the field and torched the Titans.

“I’m hurting right now,” Olave said after the game. “Just a lot of treatment, just trying to stay on top of it.”

The injuries have piled up and led to other questions from the outside about whether he was too slightly built to withstand the punishment of a brutal game, and about whether he is worth an investment from the Saints when his contract expires at the end of next season.

The questions have changed to a degree. The numbers suggest he is one of the NFL’s premier receivers, but there are

Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

Mars reportedly sent Ole Miss a seven-page letter, which has since been forwarded by the school to the NCAA Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement, which will decide Chambliss’ fate. At stake for Chambliss, according to Mars’ letter, are millions of dollars as one of the top returning quarterbacks in college football next season.

“I feel like I deserve another year,” Chambliss said. “I’ve only played three seasons of college football, and I feel like I deserve to play four.”

Chambliss finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting this season after leading Ole Miss to one of the most successful seasons in school history. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound senior completed 66.6% of his passes and threw for 19 touchdowns while rushing for 506 yards and eight touchdowns.

He passed for a touchdown and ran for two more in a 41-10 victory over Tulane in the CFP first round.

Before that game, he told reporters in Mississippi that he hasn’t decided where he will attend college if his waiver request is successful.

“I’d have to consider what the best situation is for me,” he said. “What I feel most comfortable with. Who I trust the most.”

Ole Miss is expected to fight hard to keep him. But LSU, which will have a wide-open quarterback situation in the wake of Garrett Nussmeier’s departure, also will be inter-

ested. In addition to Kiffin, the Tigers will have Chambliss’ current offensive coordinator, Charlie Weis Jr., on staff next season.

Chambliss said he has not communicated with Kiffin since he left Ole Miss for LSU last month. He said his parents and representatives also were not talking to the Tigers new head coach.

“I don’t think that’s even allowed right now,” he said. “I liked coach Kiffin a lot. I didn’t have a problem with him. He brought me in here, took a chance on me, recruited me in the portal. So yeah, I mean, I hope that me and coach Kiffin’s relationship grows from here on out.”

Meantime, Chambliss’ future will continue to dominate discussions at water coolers and online message boards throughout the region.

Chambliss laughed incredulously when asked whether he was aware of the interest his situation has created among fans and media.

He said he regularly receives texts and direct messages on social media about the situation.

As much as he tries to tune it out, he said the outreach is impossible to ignore.

“For sure,” he said. “People text me, DM me. So yeah, I definitely get texts about that.”

He was asked whether a lot of those texts are coming from LSU fans.

“A lot of fans have texted me,” he said with a smile.

anecdotal counterarguments — the missed opportunity at a go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter against Miami a few weeks ago being the latest data point suggesting Olave falls somewhere short of the nebulous elite category.

But considering where he has been in the last year and change, maybe it is a better idea to reframe the questions and start to wonder how far he has come since last year, when he faced uncertainty about his future as an athlete.

Olave did not make the Pro Bowl this year. His numbers, while exceptional, probably will not land him on an All-Pro team at the conclusion of the season.

His best shot at postseason recognition may come in the form of Comeback Player of the Year, though a superb 2025 season from Christian McCaffrey to help power the 49ers toward the top of the NFL standings may render that moot. Limited to four games last season, McCaffrey leads the NFL with 2,069 scrimmage yards and has an outside chance at recording 1,000 yards as a rusher and receiver for the second time in his career.

But even if the postseason accolades don’t come, Olave has come a long way from the version that took the field at the start of this year. He has put many of the questions to bed.

MEJIA

PRICE

turnovers, defensive rebound and just make sure we’re sitting down on defense,” Mejia said. “If we do those things, the wins are going to come.”

A recent common opponent suggests the two teams may not be worlds apart. The Jaguars beat UL-Monroe in Monroe 96-92 in double overtime on Dec. 17. South Alabama actually trailed 71-57 with 3:16 left in regulation, while UL never trailed in its 76-62 road win over the Warhawks on Dec. 20.

The Jaguars then lost a 67-65 nailbiter at Texas State last Saturday.

South Alabama averages 74.9 points and gives up 69.7 points per game. The Jaguars make 15 free throws a game to only nine by their opposition. The Cajuns haven’t been as fortunate in that area, only averaging 10.2 made free throws compared to 18.9 for their opponents.

“South Alabama has an athletic team,” White said. “We’re going to see a lot of zone.

We saw a lot of zone (Sunday) … matchup zone. So I think this game against Norfolk State is going to actually help us against South Alabama because that’s what we just played against. Having them run zone prepared us for the next game.

“We just got to do a good job of taking care of the ball and keep playing together and for each other.”

The Jaguars are led by four double-figure scorers in Chase Harris (17.2 points per game, 4.9 rebounds per game), Adam Olsen (16.3 pts, 3.2 rebs), Peyton Law (12.5 pts, 6.0 rebs) and Jayden Cooper (10.8 pts, 2.5 rebs).

South Alabama commits only 9.7 turnovers a game. UL also has been really good in that category with only 13 combined turnovers over the last two games.

The Cajuns are led by two double-figure

was big for me,” Manley said.

“Just being able to see that I can knock down shots when I’m in rhythm, you know, just letting the game come to me.”

Manley said more emphasis on her game in practice during the holidays paid off in her 7-of-13 shooting performance.

“After practice, I just got a little more shots up,” she said. “I was focused on my footwork and just being able to shoot, like, with confidence and not overly jumping in the air which I sometimes … just staying on balance, just taking a good shot.”

UL outrebounded Dillard 49-30.

“Anytime we get 50 rebounds, or 49 rebounds, that’s pretty good,” Brodhead said. “I’m noticing the assists, too. It’s like we didn’t really talk about assists, but we had 17 assists, and that’s usually not our game.”

Continued from page 1C

Continued from page 1C

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

UL guard Milan Mejia, right, goes for a steal against Norfolk State forward Devon Ellis on Sunday at the Cajundome. The Cajuns host South Alabama at noon Wednesday. scorers in Dorian Finister (12.6 pts, 4.9 rebs) and Jaxson Olvera (12.6 pts, 4.6 rebs).

“We’re going for over .500 (in Sun Belt play),” Finister said. “I feel like we have all the tools to do it, and, you know, the ball rolling right now. Everybody’s confident, everybody’s hooping and everybody’s playing extremely hard. So, you know, getting over .500, it’s going to do a lot for us.”

Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@theadvocate. com.

Sun Belt men’s standings Arkansas State Georgia Southern Troy South Alabama Appalachian State Coastal Carolina Texas State Southern Miss Georgia State Old Dominion UL Marshall James Madison Louisiana-Monroe

Conference W L Pct 2 0 1.000 2 0 1.000 1 0 1.000 1 1 .500 1 1 .500 1 1 .500 1 1 .500 1 1 .500 1 1 .500 1 1 .500 1 1 .500 0 1 .000 0 2 .000 0 2 .000

All games W L Pct 9 4 .692 10 5 .667 8 5 .615 10 4 .714 8 6 .571 8 6 .571 8 6 .571 7 7 .500 4 10 .286 4 10 .286 3 11 .214 8 5 .615 7 7 .500 3 11 .214

Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.

Sun Belt women’s standings Conference All games W L Pct W L Pct Arkansas State 2 0 1.000 11 3 .786 Marshall 2 0 1.000 11 3 .786 Geogia Southern 2 0 1.000 9 3 .750 Southern Miss 2 0 1.000 9 4 .692 Texas State 2 0 1.000 6 6 .500 Troy 1 0 1.000 10 2 .833 James Madison 1 1 .500 9 5 .642 Georgia State 1 1 .500 6 8 .429 Old Dominion 0 1 .000 8 5 .615 Appalachian State 0 2 .000 7 5 .583 South Alabama 0 2 .000 7 5 .583 Coastal Carolina 0 2 .000 7 7 .500 UL-Monroe 0 2 .000 5 6 .455 UL 0 2 .000 1 11 .083

4C ● Wednesday, December 31, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

Westgate wins Sunkist Shootout lll

Tigers overcome STM in defensive battle

BY ERIC NARCISSE

Staff writer

Westgate boys basketball coach Oliver Winston knows his Tigers are comfortable playing in both high-scoring and low-scoring games.

So, when the Tigers, who entered the Sunkist Shootout averaging nearly 70 points per game, found themselves locked in a defensive battle against tournament host St. Thomas More on Monday, Winston wasn’t concerned about how his team would react.

“We’re used to it because that’s the way it is at practice when we play each other,” Winston said.

“Nobody is going to get a lot of points, so I knew they weren’t going to panic. So, if the game was going to be in the 20s or the 30s, they are OK with that.”

Winston was right, as the Tigers defeated the Cougars 37-35 to win the Sunkist Shootout championship.

“At the end, I don’t think either one of us wanted it,” Winston said of the final seconds in the game in which there were multiple turn-

overs by both teams. “We kept giving the ball to each other. …

It’s one of those situations where I feel like our youth played a little bit into it, but these kids have been together so long that they are extremely resilient. It didn’t matter how big the crowd was or how the game flow was, they are going to stay together.”

With the Tigers clinging to a 3735 lead and less than five seconds remaining, Westgate’s Cayden Lancelin solidified himself as the tournament’s most valuable player by blocking a game-winning 3-point attempt as time expired to preserve the victory for the Tigers.

“I thought we played our game (Monday), and they beat us at our game,” Cougars coach Danny Broussard said.

Considering the Tigers and the Cougars pride themselves on playing defense, Winston admits he was happy the officials allowed the teams to play with some physicality.

“Defensively, that’s the way we play. We want to play hard,” Winston said. “It was a good game be-

cause the refs let us play the game.

So, it wasn’t a free-throw shooting contest. Everybody was physical within the limits.

“But that kind of a game, it helps us because it is a low-scoring game, so we really have to execute.

That gave us an opportunity to kind of execute a couple of things.

Anytime you get a change of pace, it really helps you down the road.”

Offensively, the Tigers were led

by Lancelin, who finished with a team-high 10 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block, while the Cougars were led by Ryan Robertson, who had a game-high 15 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block.

Broussard cited rebounding as the deciding factor in the loss to the Tigers.

“The difference between (Sunday) against Neville and (Monday) is we didn’t give up second shots,” Broussard said. “They are active, so give them credit. They are very active on the boards, and we just didn’t do a good job. We’re a fundamental team, but on a night like (Monday) when you don’t block

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

Westgate guard Antonio Quetel looks to pass the ball during the Tigers’ win over St. Thomas More in the Sunkist Shootout final on Monday. out like that, it’ll hurt you against a team like this.

“We didn’t do a very good job of blocking out on the boards and their athleticism came into play and they got second shots on us a lot.”

For the Tigers, the win is just another step to where they ultimately hope to be by season’s end.

“It’s December,” Winston said when asked about the significance

of winning the tournament. “We’ll find out later on. Me and coach (Galen) Archangel, who has been with me for over 20 years, we always say be very careful of us if you let us get out of December over .500 because all my guys play football, and it usually takes us a little while.”

Email Eric Narcisse at enarcisse@theadvocate.com.

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTS STM Sunkist Shootout

Classic

(Boys at St. Thomas More)

(Boys, girls at St. Martinville)

Shaw 55, Vandebilt 45 St. John 59, Teurlings 55

Cecilia 26, Beau Chene 23 (girls) Northside 79, Franklin 64 (boys) Lafayette High 65, Rayne 36 (boys) New Iberia vs. Westgate (girls) Peabody 58, New Iberia 36 (boys)

Monday’s Games

Basile 51, LRCA 45 (girls)

Monday’s Games

Westgate 37, St. Thomas More 35

ST. THOMAS MORE (35): Mack Tasman 3, Matthew Cook 4, Ryan Robertson 15, Michael LaCour 4, Xarian Babineaux 3, Landon Ortte 6.

Totals: 12 (3) 2-2.

WESTGATE (37): Jackilion Roberson 5, Cayden Lancelin 10, SHadon Lee 4, Dakylon Joseph 6, Antonio Quetel 4, Zyier Stokes 3, Chance Archangel 5.

Totals: 13 (3) 2-3.

St. Thomas More 10 8 8 9 — 35 Westgate 14 3 11 9 — 37 3-pointers — STM: Tasman 1, Robertson 1, Babineaux 1; WGATE: Joseph 2, Stokes 1. Total Fouls: STM 10, WGATE 11.

LRCA 53, Neville 49

NEVILLE (49): Allen Fisher 16, Foster Phillips 2, Franco Santiago 3, Stephon Simmons 2, Konner Mason 5, Jayden Austin 10, Parker Robinson 6, Jeremy Smith 5.

LAFAYETTE RENAISSANCE (53): Turbo Gordon 3, Cayman Washington 13, Gabriel Duhon 2, Evan Ledoux 10, Ansenio Charles 2, Xavier Baker 9, Chance Paddio 6, Bubba Etienne 8.

Neville 7 13 22 7 — 49 LRCA 13 10 14 16 — 53 3-pointers — NEV: Robinson 3, Smith 1; LRCA: Gordon 1, Ledoux 1, Baker 1, Etienne 2. Total Fouls: NEV 16, LRCA 13.

Darrell Mitchell Holiday

Northwest Holiday Classic (Boys, girls at Northwest High)

Monday’s Games

Beau Chene 46, North Central 39 (boys) Peabody 48, North Central 21 (girls) Edna Karr 53, Opelousas 43 (boys) Ville Platte 57, Northwest 49 (girls) Washington-Marion 68, Northwest 47 (boys)

Vermilion Catholic Yuletide Classic (Boys, girls at Vermilion Catholic)

Monday’s Games Erath 46, ESA 40 (boys)

EPISCOPAL ACADIANA (40): Jesse LeJeune 14, Thomas Breaux 6, Anson Breaux 8, Turner Gachassin 4, Colby Huffman 2, Tripp Kordisch 6. Totals: 10 (5) 5-12.

ERATH (45): Kaelon Gage 2, Jahlil Charles 3, Ayden Tallmore 19, Luke Langlinais 13, Tor’ryon Alfred 2, Oscar Monsivas 7. Totals: 10 (4) 14-18.

ESA 5 16 12 7 — 40 Erath 10 7 14 14 — 45 3-pointers — ESA: LeJeune 3, T. Breaux 1, Kordisch 1. Total Fouls — Erath 14, ESA 16.

BASILE (51): Kiyah Brown 5, Aykara Lavergne 12, Caearcy Ivory 18, Harmonie Vallerie 2, Kately Matt 11.

Totals: 17 (2) 11-18.

LAFAYETTE RENAISSANCE (45): Jaila Walker 7, Kami Gotch 2, Cam Meaders 2, Tayler John 1, Kemani Fuselier 9. Totals: 15 (2) 9-17.

Basile 12 8 15 16 — 51 LRCA 9 13 11 12 — 45 3-pointers — BAS: Brown 1, Ivory 1; LRCA: Fuselier 1. Total Fouls: Basile 15, LRCA 17.

Kaplan 42, Vermilion Catholic 40 (boys)

KAPLAN (42): Ethan Cambell 2, Rashad Boudreaux 14, Conner Stubblefield 7, Beau Stelly 5, Kevin Small 10, Grayson Broussard 4.

Totals: 14 (2) 8-10.

VERMILION CATHOLIC (40): Dominic Gautreaux 14, Austin Nguyen 2, William Simon 8, Ty LeBlanc 14, Beckett Brantley 2. Totals: 8 (0) 24-27.

Kaplan 3 10 13 16 — 42 Vermilion Catholic 8 14 6 12 — 40 3-pointers — KAP: Boudreaux 1, Stubblefield 1. Total Fouls: KAP 20, VC 10.

Ascension Episcopal 42, Notre Dame 36 (boys)

ASCENSION EPISCOPAL (42): DJ Kelly 3, Christian Huggard 19, Ian Travilr 3, Jack Boudreaux 3, Austin Adams 5, Nick Dukes 7, Eli Grus 2. Totals: 10 (4) 10-18.

NOTRE DAME (36): A. Hoffpauir 18, T. Savant 8, L. Frank 9, B. Metzel 1.

Totals: 6 (5) 9-17.

Ascension Episcopal 10 12 12 8 — 42

Notre Dame 8 7 12 9 — 36 3-pointers — ESA: Huggard 1, Travilr 1, Boudreaux 1, Adams 1; ND: Hoffpauir 1, Savant 1, Frank 3. Total Fouls: ESA 17, ND 21.

Avoyelles 54, Abbeville 47 (boys)

AVOYELLES (54): Orlando Jacobs 10, Chris Barnes 13, Kingston Rouse 8, Terraj Valant 1, Terrance Valant 1, Kobe Smith 4, Daron Jenkins 17.

Totals: 10 (6) 16-26.

ABBEVILLE (47): Jacolby Campbell 8, Chayson Gray 13, Kaylin Fletcher 5, Cameron Samuels 5, Kobe Vital 5, Nigel Baudoin 9, Andrew Payton 2.

Totals: 16 (1) 12-21.

Avoyelles 9 13 18 14 — 54 Abbeville 11 13 13 10 — 47 3-pointers — AVOY: Jacobs 2, Barnes 3, Jenkins 1; ABB: Fletcher 1. Total Fouls: AVOY 19, ABB 22.

Tuesday’s Games

Basile 60, Delcambre 34 (girls) Acadiana Renaissance 60, Kaplan 48 (boys) Kaplan vs. Erath (girls) Abbeville vs. Notre Dame (boys) Southside vs. Vermilion Catholic (girls) Ascension Episcopal vs. Avoyelles (boys)

Beal & Hebert Invitational (Girls at Teurlings Catholic)

Monday’s Games

Iowa 85, Teurlings 54

St. Thomas More 49, St. Charles 18

ST. CHARLES (18): C. Smith 15, L. Drovin 3.

ST. THOMAS MORE (49): M. Blanchard 2, Aubrey Broussard 5, Kate Laragy 13, Amelia Guchereau 12, Bailey Puhekker 8, Ali Puhekker 3, Tymber Joubert 6.

St. Charles 2 7 13 6 — 18 STM 19 13 7 10 — 49 3-pointers — STC: Drovin 1, Smith 1; STM: Broussard 1. Total Fouls: STM 10, STC 7.

Carencro 37, Church Point 34

CHURCH POINT (34): Lainey Sennet 5, Macie Monroe 8, Kaylee Duplechain 7, 4, Courtney Williams 8, Markis Gabble 2.

CARENCRO (37): Maycie Broussard 8, Cassidy Jones 11, Kna’Qeria Benjamin 6, Jaylie Reed 10, Ke’loni Broussard 2.

Church Point 6 9 11 8 — 34 Carencro 6 9 8 14 — 37 3-pointers — CP: Sennet 1, Duplechain 1; CAR: Jones 2. Total Fouls: CP 22, CAR 14.

North Vermilion 64, Jeanerette 17

NORTH VERMILION (64): Bre Keere 8, Chloe LeBlanc 4, Celeste Reeves 3, Ellery Dupuy 4, Reagan Sonnier 17, Stevie Brasseaux 10, Rhyan Dubois 2, Kenzi Monceaux 11, Josei McKaithane 5.

JEANERETTE (17): Ja’Du Ranagu 4, Jamie Borel 4, Trae’lyn Frederick 9.

North Vermilion 16 23 14 11 — 64 Jeanerette 8 5 4 0 — 17 3-pointers — NV: Reeves 1, Monceaux 1, Sonnier 1. Total Fouls: NV 10, JEAN 15.

Breaux Bridge 52, DeRidder 39

DERIDDER (39): Aniya Scott 10, Ja’Leena Miller 16, Carlyn Smith 8, Daja Davis 2, Shakayla Tucker 3.

BREAUX BRIDGE (52): Amyrie Boutte 2, Da’Kyreen Williams 9, Kerianna Norman 1, Jaidan Patt 12, Leyla Galentine 21, Layla Jernigan 7.

DeRidder 7 13 5 14 — 39 BBHS 11 16 16 9 — 52 3-pointers — BBHS: Williams 1, Patt 1, Jernigan 1. Total Fouls: DER 16, BBHS 14.

Tuesday’s Games

Teurlings 63, Jeanerette 43 Breaux Bridge 52, DeRidder 39 Iowa 73, St. Thomas More 30 North Vermilion vs. Carencro Teurlings vs. Church Point

Kendall/Brad Fontenot Holiday Shootout (Boys, girls at St. Edmund) Monday’s Games

Sacred Heart- VP 56, Elton 27 (boys) St. Edmund 43, Mamou 34 (girls) Iota 39, Basile 29 (boys) Pine Prairie 56, Elton 33 (girls) Pitkin 67, Westminster 65 (boys) Lacassine 56, St. Edmund 45 (girls) Lacassine 69, St. Edmund 33 (boys) Iota 53, Sacred Heart-VP 40 (girls)

Tuesday’s Games

9 a.m. – Boys consolation game Westminster 60, St. Edmund 22 (boys) Sacred Heart-VP vs. Elton (girls) Sacred Heart-VP 41, Iota 31 (boys) 3 p.m. – Lacassine vs. Mamou (girls) 4:30 p.m. – Boys championship game 6 p.m. – Pine Prairie vs. Iota (girls)

SCOREBOARD Odds NFL Saturday

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG at TAMPA BAY 3 2½ (44) Carolina Seattle 4½ 1½ (49½) at SF

Sunday

FAVORITE OPEN at CINCINNATI 8½ Dallas 1½ at JAX 4½ at HOUSTON 4½ at ATLANTA 5½ at MINNESOTA 1½ at LA RAMS 4½ at NE 2½ at CHICAGO 1½ Kansas City 6 at DENVER 2½ at PHIL 4½ at BUFFALO 9½ Baltimore 3

College Football

TODAY O/U UNDERDOG 7½ (44½) Cleveland 3½ (51½) at GIANTS 12½ (47½) Tennessee 10½ (39) Indianapls 3½ (43½) N.Orleans 6½ (36½) Green Bay 7½ (46½) Arizona 10½ (45½) Miami 3 (50½) Detroit 5½ (36½) at VEGAS 12½ (37½) Chargers 7 (41) Washington 7 (38½) NY Jets 3½ (41½) at PITT

Wednesday

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG ReliaQuest Bowl Vanderbilt 3½ 5½ (46½) Iowa Sun Bowl Duke 1½ 3½ (49½) Arizona St. Citrus Bowl Texas 4½ 7 (48½) Michigan Las Vegas Bowl Utah 13½ 14½ (51½) Nebraska Cotton Bowl Ohio State 9½ 9½ (40½) Miami (FL)

Thursday

Orange Bowl Oregon Rose Bowl Indiana Sugar Bowl Georgia

Friday

1½

2½

(51½) Texas Tech

6½

7

(48½)

Alabama

6½

6½

(55½)

Ole Miss

14½

(57½)

Rice

Armed Forces Bowl Texas State 6½ Liberty Bowl Navy 6½ Duke’s Mayo Bowl Mississippi St. 2½ Holiday Bowl Arizona 1½

7

(54½) Cincinnati

3

(53½)Wake Forest

2½

(52½)

LINE OFF OFF OFF 6½ OFF 2½ OFF OFF OFF

O/U UNDERDOG (OFF) Golden State (OFF) Minnesota (OFF) Orlando (235½) Phoenix (OFF) New Orleans (237½) New York (OFF) Denver (OFF) Washington (OFF) Portland

NBA

Wednesday

FAVORITE at CHARLOTTE at ATLANTA at INDIANA at CLEVELAND at CHICAGO at SAN ANTONIO at TORONTO at MILWAUKEE at OKLAHOMA CITY

College basketball Wednesday

FAVORITE at FURMAN Lamar at NC STATE Tulane at RHODE ISLAND at LEHIGH at FLORIDA ATLANTIC Buffalo South Alabama at NAVY Wofford at TULSA at OLD DOMINION at MONMOUTH Radford Clemson at DAYTON

SMU

LINE UNDERDOG 4½ Mercer 2½ at E. TEXAS A&M 9½ Wake Forest 1½ at E. CAROLINA 11½ Loyola Chicago 4½ Army 15½ UTSA 6½ at NOR. ILLINOIS 3½ at UL 6½ Boston U. 1½ at W. CAROLINA 13½ Rice 1½ Appalachian St. 1½ Campbell 1½ at S.C. UPSTATE 2½ at SYRACUSE 17½ Fordham

Bucknell at ELON at PENNSYLVANIA George Mason at VCU Virginia at WILLIAM & MARY at TROY Charleston Southern High Point Towson Colgate Winthrop Northeastern at DUKE George Washington at MEMPHIS at SAINT LOUIS at MARSHALL at UAB at DENVER SFA at TEXAS A&M-CC at NORTH DAKOTA ST UConn at UT RGV at VILLANOVA at UNC WILMINGTON St. John’s

1½ at HOLY CROSS 2½ Charleston (SC) 14½ NJIT 7½ at LA SALLE 10½ St. Bonaventure 3½ at VIRGINIA TECH 10½ Stony Brook 9½ Texas State 11½ at GARDNR-WBB 10½at UNC ASHEVILLE 4½ at HAMPTON 6½ at LAFAYETTE 8½ at LONGWOOD 4½ at N.C. A&T 23½ Georgia Tech 2½ at RICHMOND 11½ North Texas 20½ St. Joseph’s (PA) 13½ Georgia State 2½ Wichita State 9½ UMKC 8½ at NTHWSTN ST. 3½ New Orleans 10½ South Dakota 12½ at XAVIER 4½ Nicholls State 13½ DePaul 12½ Drexel 8½ at GEORGETOWN

Pro football NFL Glance AMERICAN CONFERENCE

East

y-New England x-Buffalo e-Miami e-N.Y. Jets South x-Jacksonville x-Houston e-Indianapolis e-Tennessee North Pittsburgh Baltimore e-Cincinnati e-Cleveland West y-Denver x-L.A. Chargers e-Kansas City e-Las Vegas

W L 13 3 11 5 7 9 3 13

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .813 .688 .438 .188

PF 452 446 337 292

PA 310 357 386 468

W L 12 4 11 5 8 8 3 13

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .750 .688 .500 .188

PF 433 366 436 277

PA 329 265 374 437

W L 9 7 8 8 6 10 4 12

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .563 .500 .375 .250

PF 371 400 396 259

PA 363 372 472 361

W L 13 3 11 5 6 10 2 14

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .813 .688 .375 .125

PF 382 365 350 227

PA 308 321 314 420

W L 11 5 7 8 4 12 3 13

T 0 1 0 0

Pct .688 .469 .250 .188

PF 362 454 332 347

PA 301 477 434 422

W L 8 8 7 9 7 9 6 10

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .500 .438 .438 .375

PF 297 364 334 289

PA 364 397 384 364

W 11 9 8 8

T 0 1 0 0

Pct .688 .594 .500 .500

PF 425 388 328 462

PA 396 344 330 397

NATIONAL CONFERENCE East

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

L 5 6 8 8

W L T Pct PF PA 13 3 0 .813 470 289 x-Seattle x-San Francisco 12 4 0 .750 434 358 x-L.A. Rams 11 5 0 .688 481 326 e-Arizona 3 13 0 .188 335 451 e-eliminated from playoffs; x-clinched playoff spot; y-clinched division

Monday’s Game

Atlanta 27, L.A. Rams 24

Saturday, Jan. 3

Carolina at Tampa Bay, 3:30 p.m.

Seattle at San Francisco, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 4

Cleveland at Cincinnati, noon Dallas at N.Y. Giants, noon Green Bay at Minnesota, noon Indianapolis at Houston, noon New Orleans at Atlanta, noon Tennessee at Jacksonville, noon Arizona at L.A. Rams, 3:25 p.m.

Detroit at Chicago, 3:25 p.m.

Kansas City at Las Vegas, 3:25 p.m.

L.A. Chargers at Denver, 3:25 p.m.

Miami at New England, 3:25 p.m.

N.Y. Jets at Buffalo, 3:25 p.m.

Washington at Philadelphia, 3:25 p.m.

Baltimore at Pittsburgh, 7:20 p.m.

LATE MONDAY Atlanta 27, L.A. Rams 24

L.A. Rams 0 0 17 7 — 24 Atlanta 7 14 3 3 — 27 First Quarter Atl—B.Robinson 4 pass from Cousins (Gonzalez kick), 6:16.

Second Quarter Atl—Bates 34 interception return (Gonzalez kick), 8:30.

Atl—B.Robinson 93 run (Gonzalez kick), 1:28.

Third Quarter LAR—FG Mevis 35, 11:08.

Atl—FG Gonzalez 56, 7:46.

LAR—Ferguson 27 pass from Stafford (Mevis kick), 5:06.

LAR—Verse 73 blocked field goal return (Mevis kick), :31.

Fourth Quarter LAR—Nacua 11 pass from Stafford (Mevis kick), 2:52.

Atl—FG Gonzalez 51, :21.

A—69,313.

LAR Atl First downs 16 15 Total Net Yards 363 345 Rushes-yards 20-115 33-219 Passing 248 126 Punt Returns 3-23 0-0 Kickoff Returns 3-80 4-93 Interceptions Ret. 0-0 3-66 Comp-Att-Int 22-38-3 13-20-0 Sacked-Yards Lost 3-21 0-0 Punts 2-45.0 5-49.2 Fumbles-Lost 0-0 0-0 Penalties-Yards 4-35 7-42 Time of Possession 30:15 29:45 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING—L.A. Rams, K.Williams 13-92, Corum 6-18, Rivers 1-5. Atlanta, B.Robinson 22-195, Allgeier 10-23, Cousins 1-1.

PASSING—L.A. Rams, Stafford 22-38-3-269.

Atlanta, Cousins 13-20-0-126.

RECEIVING—L.A. Rams, Parkinson 6-53, Nacua 5-47, Smith 4-67, K.Williams 3-38, Ferguson 2-54, Mumpfield 2-10. Atlanta, B.Robinson 5-34, Sills 3-37, Mooney 2-35, Pitts 2-16, D.London 1-4.

MISSED FIELD GOALS—Atlanta, Gonzalez 37.

Pro basketball NBA Monday’s Games

Phoenix 115, Washington 101 Milwaukee 123, Charlotte 113 Miami 147, Denver 123 Toronto 107, Orlando 106 Golden State 120, Brooklyn 107 Minnesota 136, Chicago 101 Houston 126, Indiana 119 Oklahoma City 140, Atlanta 129 Cleveland 113, San Antonio 101 New York 130, New Orleans 125 Portland 125, Dallas 122

Tuesday’s Games

Philadelphia at Memphis, n Boston at Utah, n Detroit at L.A. Lakers, n Sacramento at L.A. Clippers, n

Wednesday’s Games

Golden State at Charlotte, noon Minnesota at Atlanta, 2 p.m.

Orlando at Indiana, 2 p.m.

Phoenix at Cleveland, 2:30 p.m.

New Orleans at Chicago, 6 p.m.

New York at San Antonio, 6 p.m.

Denver at Toronto, 6:30 p.m.

Portland at Oklahoma City, 7 p.m.

Washington at Milwaukee, 7 p.m.

LATE MONDAY

N.Y. Knicks 130, New Orleans 125 FG FT Reb NEW YORK Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS Anunoby 37:05 8-22 6-6 2-11 1 3 23 Diawara 17:49 7-9 0-0 0-1 0 0 18 Towns 29:58 4-9 2-2 2-12 4 4 12 Bridges 34:50 3-5 0-0 1-5 10 2 6 Brunson 35:32 10-23 3-3 0-3 10 1 28 McBride 18:27 4-8 4-4 2-3 2 2 14 Yabusele 15:52 3-5 0-0 1-2 1 2 9 Clarkson 13:13 3-6 2-2 0-2 1 0 9 Kolek 12:12 2-5 1-2 1-2 5 1 7 Hukporti 11:40 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 2 0 McCullar Jr. 8:58 1-2 0-0 0-0 1 1 2 Jemison III 4:24 1-1 0-0 1-1 0 1 2 Totals 240:00 46-95 18-19 10-42 35 19 130 Percentages: FG .484, FT .947.

3-Point Goals: 20-44, .455 (Brunson 5-10, Diawara 4-4, Yabusele 3-4, Kolek 2-4, Towns 2-4, McBride 2-5, Clarkson 1-3, Anunoby 1-8, Bridges 0-1, McCullar Jr. 0-1).

Team Rebounds: 6. Team Turnovers: 1.

Blocked Shots: 4 (Towns 2, Anunoby, Bridges).

Turnovers: 8 (Anunoby 2, Yabusele 2, Bridges, Brunson, Clarkson, Kolek).

Steals: 8 (Anunoby 3, Bridges 2, Diawara 2, McBride).

Technical Fouls: None.

FG FT Reb NO Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS Bey 36:34 9-21 4-5 2-6 6 3 26 Williamsn 28:51 11-16 10-12 3-5 2 2 32 Queen 28:30 3-13 1-2 2-9 6 2 7 Fears 22:11 2-5 0-0 0-4 4 0 4 Murphy III 38:17 8-16 0-0 0-6 2 1 21 Poole 25:50 7-14 8-8 1-3 1 2 26 Looney 23:58 1-3 0-0 5-9 3 1 2 Missi 14:21 1-2 0-0 3-6 2 0 2 Hawkins 11:45 1-3 0-0 0-2 1 2 2 Peavy 9:44 1-3 0-0 0-0 0 2 3 Totals 240:00 44-96 23-27 16-50 27 15 125 Percentages: FG .458, FT .852.

3-Point Goals: 14-36, .389 (Murphy III 5-10, Bey 4-10, Poole 4-10, Peavy 1-1, Hawkins 0-1, Fears 0-2, Queen 0-2).

Team Rebounds: 8. Team Turnovers: 1.

Blocked Shots: 8 (Looney 2, Queen 2, Williamson 2, Hawkins, Poole).

Turnovers: 11 (Bey 2, Murphy III 2, Queen 2, Williamson 2, Fears, Hawkins, Missi).

Steals: 6 (Bey 2, Williamson 2, Fears, Queen).

Technical Fouls: None.

New York 37 35 24 34 — 130 New Orleans 41 34 28 22 — 125 A: 17,041 (16,867). T: 2:24.

College football Bowl glance Dec. 29

Birmingham Bowl Birmingham, Ala. Georgia Southern 29, Appalachian State 10

Dec. 30

Independence Bowl Shreveport, La. Coastal Carolina vs. Louisiana Tech Music City Bowl Nashville, Tenn.

Tennessee vs. Illinois Alamo Bowl San Antonio No. 16 Southern Cal vs. TCU, n

Dec. 31

ReliaQuest Bowl

Tampa, Fla. No. 13 Vanderbilt vs. No. 23 Iowa, 11 a.m.

(ESPN) Sun Bowl El Paso, Texas Arizona St. vs. Duke, 1 p.m. (CBS) Citrus Bowl Orlando, Fla. No. 14 Texas vs. No. 18 Michigan, 2 p.m. (ABC) Las Vegas Bowl Las Vegas No. 15 Utah vs. Nebraska, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN) College Football Playoff Quarterfinals At Cotton Bowl, Arlington, Texas No. 10 Miami at No. 3 Ohio St., 6:30 p.m.

(ESPN)

Jan. 1

College Football Playoff Quarterfinals At Orange Bowl, Miami Gardens, Fla. No. 5 Oregon at No. 4 Texas Tech, 11 a.m.

(ESPN) At Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.

No. 9 Alabama at No. 1 Indiana, 3 p.m. (ESPN) At Sugar Bowl, New Orleans No. 6 Ole Miss at No. 2 Georgia, 7 p.m. (ESPN)

FCS Playoffs Monday

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 Tuesday

Grambling 90, Centenary 58 Southeastern at Incarnate Word, n

Wednesday

Tulane at East Carolina, 11 a.m.

South Alabama at UL, noon Stephen F. Austin at Northwestern State, 3:30 p.m.

UNO at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 3:30 p.m.

Nicholls at Texas-Rio Grande Valley, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday

Southern Miss at UL-Monroe, 4 p.m.

Friday

Lamar at McNeese, 6 p.m.

Louisiana Tech at Middle Tennessee, 6:30 p.m.

LSU 90, Southern Miss 62

SOUTHERN MISS (7-7): Binet 2-5 0-0 4, Weeks 3-10 6-8 12, Brumfield 1-6 2-2 4, Carruth 0-4 0-0 0, Lewis 3-7 1-2 9, Izay 5-8 1-2 11, Hart 0-5 6-6 6, Diagne 3-6 2-2 9, Tramble 0-1 1-2 1, Cowherd 0-1 0-0 0, Paymon 2-6 2-5 6, Brandon 0-2 0-0 0, Patino 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 19-62 21-29 62.

LSU (12-1): Nwoko 10-13 2-4 22, Sutton 3-10 3-4 9, Tamba 3-3 2-3 9, Mackinnon 6-16 0-0 15, Thomas 8-11 4-4 22, Miller 0-0 2-2 2, Reece 0-2 3-6 3, Carter 1-4 0-0 3, King 0-2 0-0 0, Mosley 1-1 0-0 3, Zipper 0-0 2-2 2, Bobbett 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 32-62 18-25 90.

Halftime—LSU 41-30. 3-Point Goals— Southern Miss 3-15 (Lewis 2-3, Diagne 1-4, Brumfield 0-1, Cowherd 0-1, Patino 0-1, Paymon 0-1, Hart 0-4), LSU 8-26 (Mackinnon 3-9, Thomas 2-2, Mosley 1-1, Tamba 1-1, Carter 1-4, King 0-2, Reece 0-2, Sutton 0-5).

Rebounds—Southern Miss 34 (Binet, Weeks, Lewis, Izay, Hart 4), LSU 42 (Tamba 15).

Assists—Southern Miss 12 (Lewis 4), LSU 19 (Thomas 12). Total Fouls—Southern Miss 22, LSU 22. A—7,995 (13,215).

State women’s schedule

Tuesday

UTSA 65, Tulane 63

Wednesday

Stephen F. Austin at Northwestern State, 1 p.m.

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 31, 2025

Want to read more in 2026?

5cn

Bistrology offers a Latin-inspired brunch concept with a bar, specialty coffees, lush decor and decadent menu offerings.

PHOTOS By LOGAN GLOVER

Here’s how to revive your love of books

BY ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN AP writer

NEW YORK — People stop reading in adulthood for lots of reasons.

But it’s never too late to turn the page on old habits and start again.

Curling up with a good book can reduce stress, increase creativity and boost empathy. A recent analysis of U.S. government data found that the percentage of Americans who read for pleasure during an average day has fallen to 16% in 2023 from 28% in 2004. That includes not just books but audiobooks, ebooks and periodicals like magazines.

Some people say they’re fatigued from years of assigned reading in school. Others don’t have the time or would rather zone out by doom-scrolling on social media. And many just got out of the habit.

“It’s difficult for people who are really tired and busy to think about getting into reading if it’s not something they’re used to,” said Jacqueline Rammer, director of Menomonee Falls Public Library in Wisconsin.

For those looking to set reading goals or resolutions in 2026, here’s how to get back into the habit.

Choose the right book When picking your next book, avoid dense nonfiction or a 500page doorstop.

“Your first book should be something that you think will be joyful,” said Jocelyn Luizzi, a software engineer from Chicago who blogs about books.

Everyone’s taste is different, so get recommendations from a variety of places including friends, booksellers and online communities like BookTok. Rammer and her staff ask library visitors: What was the last book, TV show or movie that you really enjoyed? Then, they look for similar genres or themes.

Many libraries offer access to a service called NoveList which suggests “read-alikes” for various books and authors.

Set a reading routine To create a habit that sticks, “start by scheduling reading into your day,” said Gloria Mark, an attention span expert with the University of California, Irvine.

Read five pages during a lunch break or right before bed.

If you’re reading a physical book, Mark said to avoid distractions by keeping phones and laptops out of sight.

But experimenting with other formats can make reading more convenient. E-books are portable and audiobooks are a good candidate to accompany chores or the morning commute. You can likely access both for free by downloading an app called Libby and signing in with a library card.

Try to read in a quiet setting, but don’t be afraid to make it a social activity. Many cities in the U.S. and around the world host silent book clubs where people read their own books together in coffee shops and libraries.

Setting a reading goal for the year or joining a local library’s winter reading challenge can help with motivation — but if it feels like added pressure, don’t do it.

ä See BOOKS, page 6C

OUT TO

BRUNCH Lafayette set to welcome this spot’s first La. location

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

It’s been a good year for brunching in Acadiana.

Last December, brunch restaurant Toasted Yolk Cafe opened at 2512 Kaliste Saloom Road, offering the hearty breakfast-meets-lunch favorites that make this weekend meal an event — chicken and waffles, bloody marys and mimosas, a variety of eggs Benedicts and more.

The arrival of Toasted Yolk was followed by Ruby Slipper‘s debut in Lafayette. Founded in New Orleans in 2008, Ruby Slipper reminds guests that brunch is meant to be decadent. Between glazed French

toast bites and bread pudding pancakes, big flavors make for a memorable experience, especially with a crowd (allowing for more sampling).

Why do people love brunch? It’s a meal that gives you permission — to eat dessert for breakfast, to have a cocktail before 2 p.m., to try a plate-sized omelet. Brunch is also a relaxed meal, often taken on a Saturday or Sunday with a group of friends all enjoying their day off.

Lafayette is set to welcome a new, highly-anticipated brunch spot in the new year: Bistrology, a concept that began in Florida and

ä See BRUNCH, page 6C

Bistrology’s drinks menu is focused on specialty coffees.

THE BEST THINGS WE ATE THIS WEEK

Variety is the spice for this week’s selections Staff report

Pimento cheese balls at Eliza; fried green tomatoes at Parrain’s

n Eliza, 7970 Jefferson Highway, Baton Rouge;

Parrain’s, 3225 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge

PROVIDED PHOTOS By RANDy BERGERON

Pimento cheese balls at Eliza

We usually sail past the appetizers, saving room and calories for the main event (entree). However, two recent occasions have prompted us to pay more attention to that first column on menus.

A pimento cheese lover since childhood, Eliza’s pimento cheese ball appetizer sounded too good to pass by. It was scrumptious, from the three spheres’ light, slightly crunchy exterior to the cheddar cheese and sambal oelek (Indonesian chili paste) within. Balancing out the slight spiciness of the chili paste was a satisfyingly sweet hibiscus pepper jelly dipping sauce.

A sprinkling of fresh parsley flakes com-

Fried green tomatoes at Parrain’s pleted the attractive presentation.

I see this dish as a pleasing add-on to drinks at the inviting bar after work.

Meanwhile, Parrain’s fried green tomatoes appetizer also deserves your attention.

ä See BEST, page 6C

6C ● Wednesday, December 31, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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BRUNCH

BEST

boasts contemporary design, Latin-inspired flavors and a drinks menu focused on specialty coffees.

Bistrology is set to open at 3905 Ambassador Caffery Parkway, where a Chili’s once stood, on Jan. 12.

Owner Ruben Chavez, who also owns several El Paso Mexican Grill restaurants in the region, said it will be a completely new environment for brunch in Lafayette.

“The decorations, how the place looks, the food, service, coffee — it’s different from all of the other brunch places. I wanted to bring the concept to Louisiana,” said Chavez. His favorite menu item is the chicken and waffles.

A second Bistrology location in Youngsville will follow the Lafayette opening, according to Chavez. The Youngsville restaurant will be at 2810 Chemin Metairie Road, where Cajun Market Meats used to be located.

It may be shaping up for 2026 to be the year of brunch in Lafayette Parish. If you’re ready to make brunch plans to bring in the new year, there are plenty of spots offering a classic brunch experience in Lafayette — distinct from the popular diner breakfast found at places like Hub City Diner, which places less emphasis

The four lightly breaded and fried tomato slices are taken to the next level by being topped with a well-seasoned crawfish ravigote, sweet and tangy balsamic reduction drizzle and garnish of fresh green onions and parsley.

— Judy Bergeron, Features assistant editor

Continued from page 5C

Continued from page 5C

BOOKS

Continued from page 5C Shannon Whitehead Smith, a book blogger from the Atlanta area who also works in marketing, says scrolling through lists of other people’s reads on social media and trackers like StoryGraph encourages her to keep the habit.

“Seeing all these other

STAFF PHOTO By JOANNA BROWN

Bistrology will open on Jan. 12 at 3905 Ambassador Caffery Parkway in Lafayette. It will be the Florida-based, Latin-inspired brunch chain’s first Louisiana location, with a second to follow in youngsville. on morning cocktails.

Several of these restaurants specialize in dinner service through the week, and offer a unique brunch menu on weekends. Check with the location for brunch hours, reservation availability and menus: n Another Broken Egg Cafe, 112 Rue Promenade n Bon Temps Grill, 1211 W. Pinhook Road n Bonefish Grill, 1912 Kaliste Saloom Road n Ema’s Cafe, 5520 Johnston St. n Hideaway on Lee, 407 Lee Ave. n Market Eatz, 819 E Broussard Road n Mercy Kitchen, 1312 Verot School Road

n Park Bistro, 407 Brook Ave. n Parish Biscuit Company, 1120 Coolidge St. n Ruby Slipper, 4701 Ambassador Caffery Parkway n Social Southern Table & Bar, 3901 Johnston St. n Spoonbill Watering Hole, 900 Jefferson St. n Sunday’s Soda Fountain, 431 Jefferson St. n The French Press, 3822 Ambassador Caffery Parkway n Toasted Yolk, 2512 Kaliste Saloom Road n Whiskey & Vine, 507 W. Pinhook Road.

Email Joanna Brown at joanna.brown@ theadvocate.com.

Routine readers say the people reading motivates me to put my phone down habit helps them stay curious and pick up this book that’s and release the stress of the sitting beside me,” she said. day. Rammer, the library director, reads mysteries rife Feel free to skip a read with twists and turns, and If a book feels particu- romances that cycle through larly sluggish, it’s OK to put roller coasters of emotions.

Most of all, she likes books it down and start another.

Reading “shouldn’t feel like that end with a “happily ever a burden,” said Jess Bone after.”

“I think the guarantee of with University College London, who analyzed the knowing that things are gosurvey data about American ing to end up OK is really adults reading for pleasure. reassuring,” Rammer said.

TODAY IN HISTORY

By The Associated Press Today is Wednesday, Dec. 31, the 365th and final day of 2025. This is New Year’s Eve. Today in history: On Dec. 31, 1879, Thomas Edison first demonstrated his electric incandescent lights for the public by illuminating some 100 bulbs in and around his laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey.

Also on this date: In 1904, New York’s Times Square saw its first New Year’s Eve celebration, with an estimated 200,000 people in attendance.

In 1972, baseball player Roberto Clemente, 38, was killed when a plane he chartered and was traveling on crashed shortly after takeoff from Puerto Rico while carrying relief supplies for earthquake-devastated Nicaragua.

In 1985, singer Rick Nelson, 45, and six others were

killed when fire broke out aboard a plane that was taking the group to a New Year’s Eve performance in Dallas.

In 1995, the syndicated comic strip “Calvin and Hobbes,” created by Bill Watterson, came to an end after a 10-year run.

In 1999, Russian President Boris Yeltsin resigned, making Prime Minister Vladimir Putin acting president.

In 2019, the health commission in the central Chinese city of Wuhan announced that experts were investigating an outbreak of respiratory illness and that most of the victims had visited a seafood market in the city; the statement said 27 people had become ill with a strain of viral pneumonia, which would eventually be known as COVID-19.

In 2022, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who had become the first pontiff in 600 years to resign as pope,

died at age 95.

In 2024, a power blackout hit nearly all of Puerto Rico as the U.S. territory prepared to celebrate New Year’s, leaving more than 1.3 million people in the dark. A private utility company said more than 700,000 clients had their lights back on by later that night.

Today’s birthdays: Actor Anthony Hopkins is 88. Rock musician Andy Summers (The Police) is 83. Actor Ben Kingsley is 82. Filmmaker Taylor Hackford is 81. Fashion designer Diane von Fürstenberg is 79. Actor Tim Matheson is 78.

Actor Bebe Neuwirth is 67.

Actor Gong Li is 60. Author Nicholas Sparks is 60. Businessman Donald Trump Jr. is 48. Singer-rapper PSY is 48. Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri is 46.

Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Gabby Douglas is 30. Actor Hunter Schafer is 27.

Turkey cranberry melt from La Madeleine

n 2207-I Kaliste Saloom

Road, Lafayette

Sometimes I get a craving for a sandwich. With no Publix around (it really is the superior place for a sub), I turn to La Madeleine.

My go-to recently has been the turkey cranberry melt, a seasonal item I can’t get enough of.

It comes with roasted turkey breast, cranberryapple stuffing, provolone cheese, mayonnaise and cranberry sauce all on a cranberry roll. It comes with a side and costs about $10.

It’s quick and delicious.

And if you have some time to spare, eating your meal inside by the fireplace makes it that much cozier.

— Ashley White, education reporter

STAFF PHOTO By ASHLEy WHITE

The turkey cranberry melt at La Madeline

Red Curry and Tom Yum Soup from Thai Pepper

n 5958 Florida Blvd., Baton

Rouge

Being from Louisiana, I love spice. But menu items often claim to be spicy with an underwhelming guise. Not when it comes to Thai Pepper.

This was the first time I have had a red curry. I ordered my food to-go, selecting the spice level option as hot.

I also got one of my favorite kinds of soup, Tom

STAFF PHOTO By MADDIE SCOTT

Red Curry, Tom yum Soup and Rice from Thai Pepper Yum, which is a refreshing, lemongrass soup with mushrooms and cilantro.

The curry was comprised of chicken, eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers and basil, and the coconut base was creamy and popped

with flavor.

Thai food never disappoints, and it always hits the spot when I’m craving something light but comforting.

— Maddie Scott, features reporter

The American Red Cross of Louisiana is here all year.

YEARS

Local support. Local impact.

The American Red Cross in Louisiana

TONIGHT 9PM

KLPB 24

www.lpb.org

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.

lpb.org/lpb50-gifts

Be the help Louisiana needs. redcross.org/louisiana

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Wednesday, December 31, 2025 ● 7C

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FrAnK And erneSt

bIG nAte

zItS

For better or For WorSe

zodIAC CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Set standards that will carry you where you want to go. Life choices begin with you and your ability to make things happen. Let desire lead the way.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Make your surroundings more inviting or userfriendly. How you organize and set up workstations for projects will affect your productivity. Stick to your plans and budget.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Don't neglect or underestimate the extent of a job or project. If you take something on or make a promise, fulfillment will be necessary to protect your reputation.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Take a unique approach to personal money management, and you'll find a way to make your dollars stretch. Don't trust someone else to handle your finances or possessions.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Do what you enjoy doing most, and you'll gain momentum and insight into how you want to spend your time. Home improvements offer adequate space to pursue your dreams.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Explore new possibilities. Visit places of interest and consider making a move if it justifies the means. Listen to your heart, not to what others try to lead you to believe.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Don't put off what requires your attention now. The

sooner you put your chores behind you, the better you will feel. Change will make room for a new adventure.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Check your motives before you engage in something questionable. An opportunity will turn into a lesson if you aren't specific regarding what you are willing to contribute.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) You can have fun if you mix and mingle today and if you don't make promises you'll regret. Stick to the basics and map out your game plan with precision and detail.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Stick close to home, protect what you've worked so hard to achieve and put your energy into tying up loose ends. Avoid traps, review information and take ample time to respond.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Consider your options and embrace what you find most appealing. Personal and professional partnerships can improve if you communicate openly and honestly regarding what you are willing to contribute.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Be sure to stick to what's feasible. Be diligent and inquisitive when an offer seems too good to be true. Ask questions and opt out if you sense a hidden agenda or cost.

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

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: y EQUALS M

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon FAMILY CIrCUS

dooneSbUrY

8C ● Wednesday, December 31, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

CurTiS

Hi and LoiS

lll

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 31, 2025 ● 9C

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B.C.

Bridge

BY PHILLIP ALDER The book “Bridge Crosswords” by Jeff Chen (Master Point Press) is what it sounds like: 52 crosswords with a bridge theme, although most of the clues are not bridge related. The crosswords vary in complexity from easy (Monday New York Times level) to challenging (Thursday NYT difficulty).

And you will probably enjoy “Bridge Table or What’s Trump Anyway?” by Maggy Simony (Booklocker.com). The author looks primarily at social bridge, but many famous players are mentioned.

There is only one deal included — see today’s diagram. It purportedly cost John Bennett of Kansas City his life on Sept. 29, 1929. He and his wife, Myrtle, had been playing a “friendly” session against neighbors Myrna and Charles Hoffman. It first appeared in The Bridge World magazine and is surely an invention.

After a very light opening bid, an overcall and a thin jump to four spades, West led the diamond ace, then shifted to the club jack. Declarer won in his hand and took the percentage play in trumps, cashing the king and ace. Now he had to go down. Mrs. Bennett, realizing that her husband could have won 10 tricks, made some uncomplimentary comments about his ancestry. Mr. Bennett leant across the table and slapped his

garfield

Pearls Before swiNe

hagar the horriBle

wife. She went into the bedroom, came out with the family gun, and killed her husband.

However, she walked free from the court because she was charged with murder one, which requires the crime to be premeditated, which this clearly was not. She should have been charged with manslaughter. © 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 — tInsEL: TINT-sel: Threads or strips of a material used to

Bizarro

marmaduKe

produce a sparkling appearance.

Average mark 21 words Time limit 35 minutes Can you find 28 or more words in TINSEL? YEstERDAY’s WoRD — CAnVAssInG caning canvas casing caving acai acing again angina assign avian naan

vain vang vinca visa saga sang sans saving scan sign sing

snag gain

loCKhorNs hidato Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

today’s thought “Why let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”

1 Corinthians 10:12

Pride can hurt us. Let’s humble ourselves before the Lord. He will take care of His own.

— G.E. Dean

10C ● Wednesday, December 31, 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 48,367.06 -94.87 -0.20%

NASDAQ 23,419.08 -55.27 -0.23%

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Meta buys startup AI agent Manus

DETROIT — Meta is buying artificial intelligence startup Manus, as the owner of Facebook and Instagram continues an aggressive push to amp up AI offerings across its platforms.

The California tech giant declined to disclose financial details of the acquisition. But The Wall Street Journal reported that Meta closed the deal at more than $2 billion.

Manus, a Singapore-based platform with some Chinese roots, launched its first “general-purpose” AI agent earlier this year. The platform offers paid subscriptions for customers to use this technology for research, coding and other tasks.

“Manus is already serving the daily needs of millions of users and businesses worldwide,” Meta said in a Monday announcement, adding that it plans to scale this service — as Manus will “deliver generalpurpose agents across our consumer and business products, including in Meta AI.” Xiao Hong, CEO of Manus, confirmed that it would continue to sell and operate subscriptions through its own app and website.

Some of Manus’ initial financial backers reportedly included China’s Tencent Holdings, ZhenFund and HSG.

Gmail users can swap email address names Google has finally answered users’ cries, allowing Gmail users to swap out embarrassing teenage email addresses.

Gmail account holders can now change their existing @ gmail.com address while retaining their data and services.

Once changed, old email addresses will remain active, and users will continue to receive emails sent to both the old and new addresses.

Saved data connected to earlier addresses, including photos, messages and emails, will not be affected.

The ability to change Google Account email addresses is gradually rolling out to all users, Google noted on its support page.

Gmail users who want to switch to more anonymous email addresses or felt burdened by the email addresses they chose as kids celebrated the update on social media.

Members of the transgender community and others who have changed their names were also happy as the new options let them distance themselves from their former names.

Competing services such as Microsoft Outlook have long allowed users to easily change their primary address by adding an “alias.”

Google only allows accounts that end in @gmail.com to make changes, and the new address must also end in @gmail.com.

Tesla broadcasts downbeat sales Tesla took the unusual step of publishing a series of sales estimates indicating the outlook for its vehicle deliveries may be lower than many investors were expecting.

The carmaker posted estimates to its website showing analysts on average expect the company to deliver 422,850 cars in the fourth quarter, down 15% from a year earlier. That compares with a Bloombergcompiled average of 440,907 vehicles, an 11% drop.

While Tesla’s investor relations team has compiled sales estimates and shared averages selectively with analysts and investors for years, the company hasn’t published the figures in the past.

Tesla’s sales plunged early in the year as the company retooled production lines at each of its assembly plants for the redesigned Model Y, its most popular vehicle.

That period also coincided with Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk playing a polarizing role in the Trump administration.

S&P 500 6,896.24 -9.50 -0.14%

EURO 1.1746 -0.0002 -0.02%

CRUDE OIL 57.95 -0.13 -0.22%

GOLD 4,370.10 43.10 1.00%

6-MO T-BILLS 3.61 0.0 0.0%

30-YR T-BONDS 4.81 0.01 0.17%

Analysts predict a stock rally in ’26 There’s optimism among the angst

BY ALEXANDRA SEMENOVA and SAGARIKA JAISINGHANI Bloomberg News (TNS)

At the big banks and the boutique investment shops, an optimistic consensus has taken hold: The U.S. stock market will rally in 2026 for a fourth straight year, marking the longest winning streak in nearly two decades.

There’s plenty of angst about the risks to the bull run that’s pushed the S&P 500 Index up some 90% since its October 2022 low. The artificial intelligence boom could turn to bust. The economy — and the Federal Reserve’s interestrate decisions — could defy ex-

pectations. And President Donald Trump’s second year could bring even more unanticipated shocks than his first.

But strategists are marching in lockstep optimism, with the average year-end S&P 500 forecast implying another 9% gain next year.

Not a single one of the 21 prognosticators surveyed by Bloomberg News is predicting a decline.

“The pessimists have just been wrong for so long that people are kind of tired of that schtick,” said veteran market strategist and longtime bull Ed Yardeni. He expects the S&P to finish next year at 7,700 — up 11% from Friday’s close — yet even he finds the lack of dissent a little concerning.

“That’s where my counter instincts come out: Things have been going my way for so long that it is

kind of worrying that everyone else seems to have become optimistic,” he said. “Pessimism is on the out right now.”

The sentiment was reinforced by the market’s volatile year, when early 2025 selloffs unleashed by DeepSeek’s potential challenge to U.S. AI companies and Trump’s chaotic trade war threatened forecasters’ optimistic targets.

As the S&P 500 slid toward a bear market by tumbling almost 20% from mid-February through early April, strategists slashed their forecasts at the fastest pace since the COVID-19 crash — only to wind up bumping them back up as stocks staged one of the swiftest comebacks since the 1950s.

The massive investment in AI — which has been poured into data-center construction and

high-powered computer chips — has continued to push up the five tech giants that were responsible for nearly half of the S&P 500’s advance this year.

If the Wall Street forecasters are correct in 2026, stocks are heading for their longest stretch of annual gains since the lead-up to the Global Financial Crisis.

Like virtually everyone else, the analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. were surprised by the turmoil that swept through stocks early this year.

By April, when Trump’s trade war rocked markets, they abandoned the positive outlook they had heading into 2025. They became the most bearish among the strategists tracked by Bloomberg, predicting the S&P would end 2025 down 12%.

ENTERING A NEW ERA

Legendary Warren Buffett steps back as Greg Abel to guide Berkshire Hathaway

BY JOSH FUNK Associated Press

OMAHA, Neb. — Greg Abel faces the challenge of taking over Berkshire Hathaway from the legendary Warren Buffett later this week.

Many regard Buffett as the world’s greatest investor after he grew Berkshire from a struggling New England textile mill that he starting buying up for $7.60 a share in 1962, to the massive conglomerate it is today with shares that go for more than $750,000 a pop. Buffett’s personal fortune of Berkshire stock is worth roughly $150 billion even after giving more than $60 billion away over the past 20 years.

Berkshire for decades has routinely outpaced the S&P 500 as Buffett bought up insurance companies like Geico and National Indemnity, manufacturers like Iscar Metalworking, retail brands like Dairy Queen, major utilities and even one of the nation’s biggest railroads, BNSF. Along the way, Buffett bought and sold hundreds of billions of dollars of stocks and profited handsomely from his famously long-term bets on companies like American Express, Coca-Cola and Apple.

Berkshire has struggled to keep that pace in recent years because it has grown so huge and also struggled to find new and significant acquisitions. Even this fall’s $9.7 billion acquisition of OxyChem probably isn’t big enough to make a difference in Berkshire’s profits.

Investors will be watching closely to see what changes Abel might make in Berkshire’s trajectory, but don’t expect any seismic shifts.

Buffett isn’t going anywhere and Abel has already been managing all of Berkshire’s noninsurance businesses since 2018. Buffett will remain chairman and plans to continue coming into the office each day to help spot new investments and offer Abel any advice he asks for.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTOS

Berkshire Hathaway’s Greg Abel, at left with a stockholder, has already shown himself to be a more hands-on manager than Warren Buffett, but he still follows the Berkshire model of autonomy for acquired companies.

Berkshire Hathaway Chairman and CEO Warren Buffett’s personal fortune of Berkshire stock is worth roughly $150 billion even after Some changes are likely giving more than $60 billion away over the CFRA Research analyst Cathy Seifert said past 20 years. it is natural for Abel to make some changes in the way Berkshire is run. Taking a more traditional approach to leadership with nearly 400,000 employees spread across dozens of subsidiaries makes a lot of sense, she said.

But Berkshire operates under an extremely decentralized structure that trusts its executives with significant decisions. Everyone associated with the company has said there are no plans to change that.

The world learned that Abel was to become the designated successor at Berkshire in 2021 when Buffett’s longtime business partner, the late Charlie Munger, assured shareholders at an annual meeting that Abel would maintain the company’s culture.

Part of Buffett’s sales pitch to company

founders and CEOs thinking of selling their companies has always been that Berkshire would largely allow them to continue running their companies the same way as long as they delivered results.

“I think the investment community would likely applaud Greg’s management style to the degree that it sort of buttons things up,” Seifert said. “And if it helps performance, that can’t really be faulted.”

Abel plays an active role Abel has already shown himself to be a more hands-on manager than Buffett, but he still follows the Berkshire model of autono-

my for acquired companies. Abel asks tough questions of company leaders and holds them accountable for their performance.

Abel did announce some leadership changes earlier this month after investment manager and Geico CEO Todd Combs departed, and Chief Financial Officer Marc Hamburg announced his retirement. Abel also said he’s appointing NetJets CEO Adam Johnson as manager of all of Berkshire’s consumer, service and retail businesses. That essentially creates a third division of the company and takes some work off of Abel’s plate. He will continue to manage the manufacturing, utility and railroad businesses.

Abel will eventually face more pressure to start paying a dividend. From the beginning, Berkshire has held the position that it is better to reinvest profits rather than making quarterly or annual payouts to shareholders.

But if Abel can’t find a productive use of the $382 billion cash that Berkshire is sitting on, there may be a push from investors to start paying dividends or to adopt a traditional stock buyback program that would boost the value of shares they hold. Currently, Berkshire only repurchases shares when Buffett thinks they are a bargain, and he hasn’t done that since early 2024.

Still, Abel will be insulated from such pressure for some time since Buffett controls nearly 30% of the voting power in the stock.

That will diminish gradually after his death as his children distribute his shares to charity as agreed.

Interest rate cut a close call for some Fed officials, minutes show

BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER

AP economics writer

WASHINGTON — Some Federal Reserve officials who supported cutting a key interest rate earlier this month could have instead backed keeping the rate unchanged, minutes released Tuesday show, underscoring the divisions and uncertainty permeating the central bank.

At their Dec. 9-10 meeting Fed officials agreed to cut their key interest rate by a quarter point for the third time this year, to about 3.6%, the lowest in nearly three years. Yet the move was approved

by a 9-3 vote, an unusual level of dissent for a committee that typically works by consensus.

The minutes underscored the deep split on the 19-member policymaking committee over what constitutes the biggest threat to the economy: weak hiring or stubbornly elevated inflation. If a sluggish job market is the biggest threat, then the Fed would typically cut rates more. But if still-high inflation is the bigger problem, then the Fed would keep rates elevated, or even raise them. Just 12 of the 19 members vote on rate decisions, though all participate in discussions.

The minutes showed that even some Fed officials who supported the rate cut did so with reservations. Some Fed officials wanted to wait for more economic data before making any further moves, the minutes said. Key economic data on jobs, inflation, and growth were delayed by the six-week government shutdown, leaving Fed officials with only outdated information at their meeting earlier this month.

The minutes don’t identify specific officials. But how they vote is public, and two policymakers dissented in favor of keeping rates unchanged: Jeffrey Schmid, the

president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, and Austan Goolsbee, president of the Chicago Fed. The third dissent was from Fed governor Stephen Miran, who was appointed by President Donald Trump in September and favored a half-point cut.

At its December meeting, the Fed also released quarterly economic projections, which also showed the extent of the divisions on the Fed committee. Seven officials projected no cuts in 2026, while eight forecast two or more reductions. Four supported just one cut.

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Debra Bendily

Mary Bourque

Metairie, LA 10/5/1950-9/9/2025 Tharp Sonthiemer Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 3/10/1935-11/16/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Baton Rouge, LA 11/30/1954-8/21/2025 Rabenhorst Funeral Home & Crematory - Government Street

Baton Rouge, LA 6/21/1932-2/2/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home in Lafayette

Kay Montgomery Albrecht

Annette Auzenne

Nolan Benoit

Benjamin Bowie

Lafayette, LA 1/29/1949-11/1/2024 Neptune Society

Lafayette, LA 5/27/1956-10/22/2024 David Funeral Home of Lafayette

Carencro, Louisiana 12/2/1939-7/26/2025 Melancon Funeral Home Carencro

Lafayette, LA 4/17/1922-9/13/2025 Walters Funeral Home

Allyce Alexander

Pauly Azar

Kerney Bergeron

Lula "Lu" Breaux

Baton Rouge, LA 9/27/2025

Lafayette, LA 1/11/1977-9/3/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home - Downtown

Lafayette, LA 11/2/1936-12/6/2024

Lafayette, Louisiana 4/30/1930-12/24/2024 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

Rosario Aloisio

Anna Bacque

Tiffany Bergeron

Delores Broussard

Lafayette, LA 2/13/1931-5/19/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 2/12/1940-4/26/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 12/14/1979-6/21/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 8/22/1948-9/1/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Nancy Broussard Prince

Frank Ancona, Sr.

Frances Barbato

Lafayette, LA 6/12/1941-11/28/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Marianne Villermin Bienvenu

2/24/1951Delhomme Funeral Home

Lafayette, Louisiana 3/13/1933-7/1/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

Mark Andrus

Tiger Bech

William Thomas Black, III

Pensacola, FL 9/15/1955-11/25/2024 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

New York, NY 1/27/1997-1/1/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 10/6/1943-6/12/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

Mary Arabie

Donald Begnaud

Madison Bolinger

Lake Charles, LA 6/30/1947-1/18/2025 Johnson Funeral Home in Lake Charles

Lafayette, LA 10/20/2024 Walters Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 3/16/1995-3/9/2025 Delhomme Funeral Home in Lafayette

Mark Arciaga

Sally Belanger

Ronald Bonner

Walker, Louisianna 6/4/1953-1/24/2025 Seale Funeral Service Denham Springs

Youngsville, LA 5/12/1931-2/9/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 3/15/1960-4/14/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 11/4/1938-6/26/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home - Downtown

Charles Bruder Lafayette, LA 3/22/1940-10/27/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Judy Bruno Youngsville, LA 6/19/1946-11/24/2024 Frioux-David Funeral Home

Carol Butcher-Kerr Lafayette, LA 5/10/1954-10/14/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

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Syble Cruse

Mary Domingue

Curtis Dupre

Lafayette, LA 7/22/1934-9/24/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 2/8/1942-11/10/2024 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

8/24/2024 Cypress Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 6/20/1934-2/28/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Mary Carmichael

Annie-Laurie Daigle

Monsignor Charles Dubois

Jean Edwards

Opelousas, Louisiana 8/19/1929-2/15/2025 Melancon Funeral Home Carencro

Woodlands, Texas 2/2/1998-1/12/2025 Rasberry Family Funeral Home

Lake Charles, LA 11/5/1939-6/23/2025 Johnson Funeral Home in Lake Charles

Calcutta House, LA 12/7/1946-2/26/2025 Neptune Society in Kenner

Lynne Castle

Melba Daigle

Martin DuCote M.D.

Robert Elder

Lafayette, LA 4/2/1942-11/8/2024 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 11/9/1935-7/4/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 3/20/1933-1/16/2025 Delhomme Funeral Home Lafayette

Lafayette, LA 11/19/1943-12/22/2024 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

John Erny

Rhonda Chiasson

Irène Daley

Norma Ducote

Breaux Bridge, LA 1/16/1967-3/10/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 12/7/1927-7/26/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 3/7/1931-11/16/2024 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 8/8/1947-8/7/2025 Delhomme Funeral Home

Yvonne Compton

Jane deGravelles

Steven Dugal

James Faulk

Arnaudville, LA 1/13/1937-1/17/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 3/13/1930-9/24/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Mandeville, LA 10/27/1964-2/3/2025 Grace Funeral Home in Covington

Lafayette, Louisiana 7/15/1952-5/8/2025 Delhomme Funeral Home Lafayette

Lawrence Cox

James DeLaune

Martin Duhè

Sidney Flynn

Broussard, LA 4/14/1958-10/21/2025 Frioux Funeral Home

Zachary, LA 1/19/1947-6/2/2025 Church Funeral Services in Baton Rouge

New Iberia, LA 12/11/1962-3/15/2025 Pellerin Funeral Home

Baton Rouge, LA 2/18/1926-2/23/2025 John Kramer & Son Funeral Home in Alexandria

Velma Coycault

Brandon Desormeaux

Emily Duhon

Lou Fontenot

Grand Coteau, LA 11/10/1929-7/4/2025

Lafayette, LA 12/18/1982-5/24/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 1/23/1938-9/18/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

Timothy Creswell

Elsie Domingue

Judy Duhon

6/9/1938-4/2/2025 Vincent Funeral Home in Abbeville

Lafayette, LA 5/3/1930-11/28/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 8/4/1941-5/23/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 1/3/1933-2/25/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Marilyn Fontenot Lafayette, LA 6/14/1931-1/1/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

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Hewitt Gomez

Robert 'Bob' Guree, Jr.

Renola Hebert

Baton Rouge, LA 11/26/1942-11/23/2025 Church Funeral Services in Baton Rouge

Lafayette, LA 10/31/2024 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 7/3/1958-12/9/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 10/8/1934-12/15/2024 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Shirley Foreman

Karen Goodrich

Judith Hadley

Emily Hendrix

Baton Rouge, Louisiana 11/11/1938-6/27/2025 Duhon Funeral Home of Rayne

Lafayette, Louisiana 5/6/1946-12/15/2024 Delhomme Funeral Homes, Inc.

Winter Springs, Florida 9/4/1946-9/11/2025 Delhomme Funeral Home Lafayette

Lafayette, LA 8/1/1930-5/9/2025 Louisiana Funeral Services & Crematory in Broussard

William Francez

Glenn Goudeau

James Hammond

Carleen Hidalgo

Armadillo de Los Insante, San Luis Potos, Mexico 5/27/1955-10/10/2025 Delhomme Funeral Home Lafayette

Marksville, LA 6/21/2025 Melancon Funeral Home in Bunkie

Lafayette, LA 2/19/1946-12/10/2024 Neptune Society

Lafayette, LA 2/28/1944-1/14/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Jonathan Fremin

William Grigsby

Pamela Hammond

Bliss Higgins

Lafayette, LA 8/27/1964-1/12/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

DeRidder, LA 11/7/1940-11/4/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

12/22/1947-5/22/2025 Jacob Schoen & Son Funeral Home in New Orleans

Baton Rouge, LA 2/25/1958-11/12/2025 Rabenhorst Funeral Home & Crematory - Government Street in Baton Rouge

Leora Fuselier

Bette Grubb

Carl Hanks

Matthew Hillman

Lafayette, Louisiana 9/25/1927-5/7/2025 Walters Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 8/28/1935-1/22/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 11/19/1935-8/12/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 9/1/1982-3/5/2025 Walters Funeral Home in Lafayette

Rose Mari Gahn

James Guilbeau

Charles Hardy

Clothilde Sonnier Hills

Lafayette, LA 1/25/1963-10/10/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 4/12/1938-11/17/2024 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 1/30/1946-9/6/2025 Delhomme Funeral Home

Scott, Louisiana 6/3/1924-3/27/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

Kenneth Gauthier

Beverly Guillory

Horace Harrington

Elsie Hindelang

Lafayette, LA 11/9/1940-8/19/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 11/17/1930-5/6/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 1/28/1947-12/22/2024 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Breaux Bridge, Louisiana 6/4/1945-2/12/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

Kevin Gayle Sr.

Jennifer Guillory

Paul Hebert

Floyd Hindelang, Jr., M.D.

11/8/2024 Martin & Castille Southside

Lafayette, LA 6/3/1930-8/19/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 11/25/1942-6/28/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 11/1/2024 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

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Winchester Jordan

Dr. Nathan Landry

Louis Ledet, Jr.

Lafayette, LA 1/23/1931-8/4/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Houston, TX 4/4/1970-10/7/2024 Just Cremations Texas in Lufkin, TX

Lafayette, LA 9/4/1957-6/17/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 8/16/1948-8/20/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Sandra Hoffmann

Patrick Juneau Jr.

Dwayne Langlois

Ethel Leger

Lafayette, LA 7/11/1943-9/13/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 12/31/2024 Delhomme Funeral Home in Lafayette

Arnaudville, LA 8/3/1961-8/4/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 11/22/1932-4/12/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Richard Hollier Jr.

James Kates

Robért Larroque

Ida Leger

11/19/1927-11/6/2024 Delhomme Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 9/6/1925-4/10/2025 Hanner Funeral Service in Atlanta, TX

Lafayette, LA 1/16/1959-6/13/2025 Professional Funeral Services

Lafayette, LA 12/30/1931-4/18/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Betty Hollingsworth

Stephen B. Knouse

John Lastrapes V

James Leger

Lafayette, Louisiana 2/4/1930-3/9/2025 Delhomme Funeral Home Lafayette

Lafayette, Louisiana 3/10/1947-11/8/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

Baton Rouge, LA 12/23/1941-1/24/2025 Rabenhorst Funeral Home & Crematory - Government Street

Lafayette, LA 4/28/1937-12/27/2024 Delhomme Funeral Home Lafayette

Glenda Huval

Julie Kroger

Chris LaValle

Michael Leonard

Youngsville, LA 10/27/1937-3/28/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home in Lafayette

Lafayette, LA 6/26/1956-12/22/2024 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 1/29/1953-9/15/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 4/10/1985-9/6/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Evelyn Ibert

Allie LaGrone Dickerson

Clebert LeBlanc

Red Lerille

Baton Rouge, LA 11/24/1934-10/12/2025

Lafayette, Louisiana 7/14/1935-10/17/2025 Hawthorne Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 10/6/1934-11/16/2024 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 6/9/1936-3/14/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home in Lafayette

Hephzibah Idami

Gary Lamson

Essie LeBlanc Jr.

Beverly Longman

Lafayette, LA 12/25/1941-9/18/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 5/13/1950-4/3/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 2/20/1943-2/15/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Eunice, LA 9/23/1931-1/30/2025 Ardoin's Funeral Home of Eunice, Basile & Elton

Dr. James Jeansonne

Margaret Landry

Kathleen LeBouef

Joseph Lorenz

Baton Rouge, LA 9/10/1949-8/30/2025

Carencro, LA 8/15/1933-11/10/2024 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 10/7/1949-8/4/2025

Lafayette, LA 8/27/1953-12/15/2024 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

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Bonnie Mashburn

Jennifer Milliman

Calvin Newsom

Lafayette, LA 11/21/1941-12/10/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Broussard, Louisiana 10/9/1944-4/13/2025 Delhomme Funeral Home Lafayette

Lafayette, LA 1/19/1959-11/30/2024 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 9/22/1952-4/10/2025 Cypress Funeral Home and Crematory

Carolyn Lynd

Carmel McElyea IV

Willine Mohar

Boi Nguyen

Lafayette, LA 8/9/1945-1/14/2025 Science Care

Garrison, TX 12/28/1987-11/2/2024 Crawford-A. Crim Funeral Home

Gautier, MS 9/13/1937-8/25/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 2/12/1934-12/22/2024 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Patsy Mahfouz

Alice McFillen

William Moore, III

Donnah Nicks

Lafayette, Louisiana 7/23/1935-8/12/2025 Delhomme Funeral Home Lafayette

Lafayette, La 8/12/1949-11/15/2024 Louisiana Funeral Services & Crematory

Lafayette, LA 8/29/1931-11/30/2024 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 3/30/1952-2/21/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Trish Mancuso

Lucille McGee

Rose Moss

Jimmie Ortego

Lafayette, LA 9/24/1932-1/31/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 12/22/1935-3/28/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Carolyn Murtagh

Lessleen Owen

Lafayette, LA 4/24/1935-6/13/2025 Williams & Southall Funeral Home

Lafayette, Louisiana 4/13/1928-4/7/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

Joseph Petro

Lafayette, LA 4/24/1958-5/15/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home -Southside

Brentwood, TN 2/23/1936-1/25/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Kathryn Manning

Sandra Melancon

Lafayette, LA 9/15/1988-10/30/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

St. Martinville, LA 10/4/1949-9/27/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Betty Marquardt

Eleonore Metrejean

Roy Naumann

11/3/2024 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

New Orleans, LA 3/12/1930-11/10/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 10/31/1934-11/29/2024 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Marilyn Martin

Hazel Mhire

Annie Nelson

Lafayette, LA 8/2/1930-7/23/2025 Delhomme Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 3/9/1930-3/11/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Brandon, MS 5/31/1929-5/12/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home - Southside

Rita Martin

Joseph Millet

Cecilia Neustrom

Ville Platte, LA 10/29/1932-10/20/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 10/27/1950-5/17/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 11/8/1947-5/28/2025 Walters Funeral Home

Lafayette, Louisiana 12/22/1930-5/30/2025 Delhomme Funeral Home Lafayette

Viola Pitre Lafayette, LA 11/2/2024 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Benjamin Pooler, II Lafayette, Louisiana 9/15/1943-10/27/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

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L.J. Romero

Dorothy Shepard

Adele Smart

Lafayette, LA 1/30/1941-3/7/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 11/19/1928-7/26/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 8/13/1939-1/21/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 9/16/1936-1/28/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

Elaine Prather

Glynn Rozas

Dolores Shipley

John Smith

Lafayette, LA 1/15/1932-1/22/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 8/24/1930-5/10/2025 Delhomme Funeral Home Lafayette

Lafayette, Louisiana 8/25/1929-6/28/2025 Delhomme Funeral Home Lafayette

St. Francisville, LA 12/2/2024 St. Francisville Funeral Home

Keenan Price

Jacob "Jake" Rushing

Grace Shoop

John Soileau

Scott, LA 6/16/2003-9/21/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, Louisiana 7/16/1991-11/9/2024 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

Baton Rouge, LA 3/15/2025 Greenwood Funeral Home in New Orleans

Washington, LA 9/27/1930-10/30/2024 Lafond-Ardoin Funeral Home

Jessie Silvas

Walter Soileau

Lafayette, LA 1/9/1933-5/18/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Houston, Texas 8/31/1936-2/27/2025 Brookside Funeral Home Cypress Creek

James Simmons Jr.

Beulah Stephan

5/11/2025 Syrie Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 10/23/1920-4/25/2025 Delhomme Funeral Home

Helen Simon

Mary Stockmeyer

Lafayette, LA 12/1/1929-2/3/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

11/18/1931-10/17/2024 Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home

Nancy Van Eaton Broussard Prince Lafayette, Louisiana 11/4/1938-6/26/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

Robert Reed 9/21/1941-11/30/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Rosalie Richardson Lafayette, LA 10/23/1924-6/2/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home - Downtown

Ronnie Russo Lafayette, Louisiana 8/10/1948-12/16/2024 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

Eula Saucier Lafayette, LA 9/9/1939-2/12/2025 Delhomme Funeral Home in Lafayette

Franklin Sauter Lafayette, LA 4/18/1934-6/23/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Patsy Dixie Robert

Lt. Col. Carl Scherer Jr., USAF Ret.

William Sirmon Jr.

Russell Craig Strait, DDS

Gulfport, Mississippi 10/28/1932-11/25/2025 Saint Angela Merici Catholic Church

Youngsville, LA 3/25/1935-8/30/2025 Lafond-Ardoin Funeral Home in Opelousas

Luling, LA 2/1/1943-3/11/2025 L. A. Muhleisen & Son Funeral Home in Kenner

Lafayette, Louisiana 6/26/1943-11/21/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

Helen Skolfield

Mildred (Millie) Sturlese

Mandeville, LA 8/3/1934-10/13/2025 E.J. Fielding Funeral Home in Covington

Lafayette, LA 11/6/1926-5/19/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

Jerome Romero Lafayette, LA 4/22/1951-4/23/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

Lorris Schexnaider Lafayette, LA 4/11/1940-2/28/2025 Delhomme Funeral Home in Lafayette

8 ● Wednesday, December 31, 2025 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Samuel Sumwalt

Barry Thompson Sr.

Sherryl Verdugo

Classie Williams

Covington, LA 4/16/1951-1/15/2025 E. J. Fielding Funeral Home in Covington

Crowley, LA 4/30/1938-9/9/2025 Geesey-Ferguson Funeral Home in Crowley

Lafayette, LA 12/6/1944-6/22/2025 Delhomme Funeral Home

Baton Rouge, LA 10/1/1930-10/18/2025 Hall Davis & Sons Funeral Service in Baton Rouge

Emily Svendson

Valerie Trahan

Dr. Preston Webre Jr.

Boulder, CO 4/26/1940-7/21/2025 Greenwood & Myers Funeral Home in Boulder, CO

Dallas, TX 9/1/1935-11/8/2025 Geesey-Ferguson Funeral Home - Crowley

Lafayette, LA 8/17/1949-10/19/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

Emma Ruth Williams

Loretta Theall

Mary Anna Tullier

Fred Werner

Lafayette, LA 11/6/1936-12/9/2025 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 5/5/1935-11/17/2024 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 3/28/1947-9/9/2025 Delhomme Funeral Home

John Thibodeaux

John Turner

George White

Lafayette, LA 3/4/1943-12/1/2024 Fountain Memorial Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 8/14/1931-7/24/2025 Cypress Funeral Home

Lafayette, LA 9/22/1951-11/1/2025 Martin & Castille Funeral Home

IN Memoriam

A tribute to our lost loved ones...

Lafayette, Louisiana 4/21/1924-7/11/2025