The Advocate 01-11-2026 by The Advocate

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Sid Edwards has plans for Baton Rouge blight after seeing Detroit, but others are wary

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Legal battle will decide desegregation orders’ future Louisiana says decades-old school cases are relics of past

BY PATRICK WALL

Staff writer

STAFF PHOTO By PATRICK-SLOAN-TURNER

East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sid Edwards listens to a presentation by the Detroit Economic Growth Corp. in Detroit on Monday. In Detroit, Edwards saw a city that turned around blight. Now, he looks to do the same in Baton Rouge.

The public schools in St. Mary Parish have been under a federal order to desegregate longer than Tia Paul has been alive. The oversight began in 1965, barring the School Board from sending Black students like Paul’s mother to different schools than White students and requiring it to eliminate the effects of segregation. It continued through Paul’s graduation from Patterson High School in 1995 and remains in place now as her daughter completes her junior year there. The orders gave Black students access to schools where they had been shut out, including formerly all-White Patterson High, which became 35% Black within several years and is still racially mixed today. They also spurred the board to take other steps, like recruiting more diverse teachers, and empowered families to call in the U.S. Department of Justice, as they did in 2016 when the district sought to close a majority-Black school. Yet by many measures, the district has become more racially imbalanced, with a larger share of schools that are disproportionately White or Black today than in 1975. Black students are suspended more often than their White peers and are less often referred for gifted and talented screening. Schools with more Black students have fewer certiﬁed teachers and more building defects, including moldy ceiling tiles, broken toilets and

ä See FUTURE, page 4A

BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER Staff writer

DETROIT — On Halloween weekend in 2010, Detroit burned. Vacant properties — Victorian homes with boarded windows, doors hanging loose and no one inside to protect them — became tinderboxes as arsonists moved through abandoned neighborhoods on the city’s infamous annual “Devil’s Night.” By Monday morning, Detroit had counted 169 ﬁres, most of them in long-abandoned houses. Wracked by economic decline, population collapse and on the brink of bankruptcy, the city was overwhelmed, leading an exhausted ﬁre chief to say: “Let them burn.” Today, that Detroit is long gone. In a little more than a decade, Detroit leaders figured out how to quickly take control of nearly 50,000 abandoned, blighted homes, tear down, sell or rehab structures. Whole neighborhoods that were once blighted are now revitalized. It’s a lesson many hope to learn from, including Baton Rouge MayorPresident Sid Edwards. “They’ve done it in Detroit, and they’re continuing to do it. So, why not us?” Edwards said after a trip to the city last week. “There’s no reason we can’t do the exact same thing.”

Project to study crevasses at end of Mississippi River Efforts will test methods of managing breaks

BY MIKE SMITH Staff writer

ABOVE: Weeds build up around an abandoned home on Pintail Street in Baton Rouge on Monday. LEFT: The remains of a burned out home stand on Lewis Street in Baton Rouge on Monday. STAFF PHOTOS By MICHAEL JOHNSON

ä See BLIGHT, page 3A

WEATHER HIGH 59 LOW 35 PAGE 8B

The Mississippi River runs wilder near its mouth, breaking its banks in locations that provide reminders of its power while posing problems for the country’s management of the mighty waterway. How best to deal with those problems — spanning shipping, coastal land loss and drinking water — is a growing concern that a new initiative is now set to tackle, with a focus on practical solutions. A grant from the National Science Foundation will support the effort that will include experts in Louisiana and beyond. The Baton Rouge-based Water Institute, the University of New Orleans, Nunez Community College and the California Institute of Technology will collaborate on the

ä See CREVASSES, page 6A

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6 people killed in Miss. rampage

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Ukrainian drones set fire to Russian oil depot

KYIV, Ukraine — A Ukrainian drone strike sparked a fire at an oil depot in Russia’s southern Volgograd region, officials said Saturday, after Russia launched a powerful hypersonic missile along with drones and other weapons that disrupted Kyiv’s power supply and heating. There were no immediate reports of casualties, Volgograd Gov. Andrei Bocharov was quoted as saying in a Telegram post published on the channel of the local administration. The post did not specify the damage, but said that people living near the depot may have to be evacuated. Ukraine’s General Staff said Saturday it had struck the Zhutovskaya oil depot overnight. In a statement on Telegram, it said the depot is supplying fuel to Russian forces, adding that damage was being assessed. Ukraine’s long-range drone strikes on Russian energy sites aim to deprive Moscow of the oil export revenue it needs to pursue its full-scale invasion. Russia wants to cripple the Ukrainian power grid, seeking to deny civilians access to heat, light and running water in what Kyiv officials say is an attempt to “weaponize winter.” Saturday’s attack came the day after Russia bombarded Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles overnight into Friday, according to Ukrainian officials, killing at least four people in the capital. For only the second time in the nearly 4-year-old war, it used a powerful new hypersonic missile that struck western Ukraine in a clear warning to Kyiv’s NATO allies.

Greenland’s party heads reject U.S. takeover

NUUK, Greenland — Greenland’s party leaders have rejected President Donald Trump’s repeated calls for the U.S. to take control of the island, saying that Greenland’s future must be decided by its people. “We don’t want to be Americans, we don’t want to be Danes, we want to be Greenlanders,” Greenland Prime Minister JensFrederik Nielsen and four party leaders said in a statement Friday night. Trump said again on Friday that he would like to make a deal to acquire Greenland, a semiautonomous region that’s part of NATO ally Denmark, “the easy way.” He said that if the U.S. doesn’t own it, then Russia or China will take it over, and the U.S. does not want them as neighbors. “If we don’t do it the easy way, we’re going to do it the hard way,” Trump said, without explaining what that entailed. The White House said it is considering a range of options, including using military force, to acquire the island. Greenland’s party leaders reiterated that “Greenland’s future must be decided by the Greenlandic people.”

Va. man pleads not guilty in pipe bomb case

WASHINGTON — A Virginia man has pleaded not guilty to charges accusing him of planting two pipe bombs outside the headquarters of the Democratic and Republican national parties on the eve of the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Brian J. Cole Jr., of Woodbridge, Virginia, entered the plea at a brief hearing on Friday. He is facing two counts of transporting and attempting to use explosives. Justice Department prosecutors have said that Cole confessed to placing pipe bombs outside the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee headquarters only hours before a mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol. Cole said he hoped the explosives would detonate and “hoped there would be news about it,” prosecutors wrote in court documents. After his arrest last month, Cole told investigators that he believed someone needed to “speak up” for people who believed the 2020 election, which Democrat Joe Biden won, was stolen and that he wanted to target the country’s political parties because they were “in charge,” according to prosecutors.

Suspect detained, faces murder counts

By The Associated Press

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JOSE LUIS MAGANA

Demonstrators march Saturday outside the White House in Washington protesting the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after Renee Good was shot to death by an agent in Minneapolis.

Anti-ICE protesters assemble across U.S. Demonstrators march after shootings in Minneapolis and Portland, Oregon

BY REBECCA SANTANA Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS — Thousands of people marched in Minneapolis on Saturday to protest the fatal shooting of a woman by a federal immigration officer there and the shooting of two people in Portland, Oregon. Minnesota leaders urged demonstrators to remain peaceful. The protest was one of hundreds planned for towns and cities across the country over the weekend. It came in a city on edge since the killing of Renee Good on Wednesday by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer. “We’re all living in fear right now,” said Meghan Moore, a mother of two from Minneapolis who joined the protest. “ICE is creating an environment where nobody feels safe and that’s unacceptable.” On Friday night, a protest outside a Minneapolis hotel that attracted about 1,000 people turned violent as demonstrators threw ice, snow and rocks at officers, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said. One officer suffered minor injuries after being struck with a piece of ice, O’Hara said. Twenty-nine people were cited and released, he said. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey stressed that while most protests have been peaceful, those who cause damage to property or put others in danger will be arrested. He faulted “agitators that are trying to rile up large crowds.” “This is what Donald Trump wants,” Frey said of the president who has demanded massive immigration enforcement efforts in several U.S. cities. “He wants us to take the bait.” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz echoed the call for peace. “Trump sent thousands of armed federal officers into our state, and it took just one day for them to kill someone,” Walz said on social media. “Now he wants nothing more than to see chaos distract from that horrific action. Don’t give him what he wants.” “We will fight with peaceful expression, in court, through public debate, and at the ballot box. Keep the peace. And keep the faith,” Walz said later in another post. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says its deployment of immigration officers in the Twin Cities is its biggest ever immigration enforcement operation. Trump’s administration has said

both shootings were acts of self-defense against drivers who “weaponized” their vehicles to attack officers. Connor Maloney said he was attending the Minneapolis protest to support his community and because he’s frustrated with the immigration crackdown. “Almost daily I see them harassing people,” he said. “It’s just sickening that it’s happening in our community around us.” He and other protesters, including children, braved subfreezing temperatures and a light dusting of snow, carrying handmade signs saying declaring, “DeICE Minnesota!” and “ICE melts in Minnesota.” They marched down a street that is home to restaurants and stores where various nationalities and cultures are celebrated in colorful murals. Steven Eubanks, 51, said he felt compelled to attend a protest in Durham, North Carolina, because of the “horrifying” killing in Minneapolis. “We can’t allow it,” Eubanks said. “We have to stand up.” Indivisible, a social movement organization that formed to resist the Trump administration, said hundreds of protests were scheduled in Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio, Florida and other states. In Minneapolis, a coalition of migrant rights groups organized the demonstration that began in a park about half a mile from the residential neighborhood where the 37-year-old Good was shot on Wednesday. But the large protest apparently did not deter federal officers from operating in the city. A couple of miles away, just as the demonstration began, an Associated Press photographer witnessed heavily armed officers — at least one in Border Patrol uniform — approach a person who had been following them. Two of the agents had long guns out when they ordered the person to stop following them, telling him it was his “first and final warning.” The agents eventually drove onto the interstate without detaining the driver. In Richfield, a suburb of Minneapolis, federal agents with their faces covered pointed their fingers at journalists and warned them to stay away as they detained a man outside a home improvement store. Protests held in the neighborhood have been largely peaceful, and in general there has been minimal law enforcement presence, in contrast to the violence that hit Minneapolis in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd in 2020. Near the airport, some confrontations erupted on Thursday and Friday between smaller groups of protesters and officers guarding the federal building used as a base for the Twin Cities crackdown.

U.S. launches new retaliatory strikes against Islamic State By The Associated Press WASHINGTON — The U.S. has launched another round of retaliatory strikes against the Islamic State in Syria following last month’s ambush that killed two U.S. soldiers and one American civilian interpreter in the country. The large-scale strikes, conducted by the U.S. alongside partner forces, occurred about 11:30 a.m., according to U.S. Central Command. The strikes hit multiple Islamic State targets across Syria. Saturday’s strikes are part of a broader operation that is part of President Donald Trump’s response to the deadly IS attack that killed Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, and Ayad Mansoor Sakat, the civilian interpreter, in Palmyra last month. “Our message remains strong: if you harm our warﬁghters, we will ﬁnd you and kill you anywhere in the world, no matter how hard you try to evade justice,” U.S. Central Command said in a

statement Saturday. A day earlier, Syrian ofﬁcials said their security forces had arrested the military leader of IS’s operations in the Levant. The U.S. military said Saturday’s strikes were carried out alongside partner forces without specifying which forces had taken part. The Trump administration is calling the response to the Palmyra attacks Operation Hawkeye Strike. Both Torres-Tovar and Howard were members of the Iowa National Guard. It launched Dec. 19 with another largescale strike that hit 70 targets across central Syria that had IS infrastructure and weapons. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces has for years been the U.S.’s main partner in the ﬁght against IS in Syria, but since the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar Assad in December 2024, Washington has increasingly been coordinating with the central government in Damascus.

WEST POINT, Miss. — A 24-yearold Mississippi man killed six people — his father, brother, uncle, 7-year-old cousin, a church pastor and the pastor’s brother — at three locations during a Friday night rampage in a rural area, authorities said. Daricka M. Moore was arrested at a police roadblock in Cedarbluff just before midnight after dozens of local, state and federal officers flooded the northeast Mississippi area. Moore was being held without bail Saturday at the Clay County jail in West Point on murder counts and ahead of an expected initial appearance Monday before a judge. Clay County District Attorney Scott Colom, who said he expects to pursue the death penalty, told The Associated Press that Moore would likely be appointed a public defender at that time. If charges are upgraded to capital murder before then, Moore will be ineligible for bail under state law. Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott said at a Saturday news conference that evidence and witnesses indicate that Moore was the only shooter and no other injuries have been reported. Investigators were continuing to interview Moore but do not currently know what may have motivated him, he added. “A situation like this, you’ve got a family member attacking their own family,” Scott said. “Whatever the reason is, we’re hoping that we’ll find out.” The shootings unfolded in an area of fields, woods and mostly modest homes about 125 miles northeast of Jackson. Investigators believe Moore first killed his father, 67-year-old Glenn Moore, his brother, 33-yearold Quinton Moore; and his uncle, 55-year-old Willie Ed Guines, at the family’s mo-

THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH PHOTO By BRADEN SIMMONS

Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott speaks Saturday during a news conference in West Point, Miss., after fatal Friday night shootings at three locations.

bile home on a dirt road in western Clay County. The sheriff said Moore then stole his brother’s truck and drove a few miles to a cousin’s house, where he forced his way in and attempted to commit sexual battery. Scott said Moore than put a gun to the head of a 7-year-old girl, whom he declined to identify, and fatally shot her. “I don’t know what kind of motive you could have to kill a 7-year-old,” he said. Scott said that according to witnesses, Moore then placed a gun against a younger child’s head, but she was not shot. It was not clear whether he did not pull the trigger or the gun misﬁred. “That’s how violent it was,” Scott said. The mother and a third child were also present, the sheriff said. Moore then allegedly drove to a small white frame church, the Apostolic Church of The Lord Jesus. There, Scott said, he broke into a residence, killed the pastor and his brother and stole one of their vehicles. Scott said the last two victims, the Rev. Barry Bradley and Samuel Bradley, lived most of the time in nearby Columbus but spent weekends on church grounds. Some Moore family members attend the church, Scott said. Moore was caught at a roadblock at 11:24 p.m. near where the second shooting occurred, Scott said, four and a half hours after the ﬁrst call came in.

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BLIGHT

step towards building real generational wealth in those Continued from page 1A areas.” A major tool for the land bank in Detroit is the nuiBaton Rouge leaders have sance abatement program long tried to figure out how it operates. With it, the land to speed up blight elimina- bank has a team of attorneys tion. After spending time who constantly file nuisance with Detroit leaders last cases against owners of week, Edwards’ team be- blighted properties. “We’re making the argulieves the Motor City offers some simple answers. ment that these vacant, Make it easier for the city- blighted properties are a parish to gain control of hazard to neighbors,” said abandoned, vacant proper- Detroit Land Bank Authorties. Remove politics from ity Director of Planning & the equation. CreAnalysis Robert Lin. “So, we’re askate a bona fide land bank with the power ing the judge to to obtain property, award us titles of rehabilitate it and the property if the put it back into the owner fails to seeconomy. cure, rehab or sell “Being a change the property.” agent is often met Slaughter Edwards’ chief with great resisoperations officer, tance,” Edwards said. “But Christel Slaughter, says Deyou’ve got to start some- troit’s process offers owners ample chances to address where.” This idea has alarmed issues before the city takes some other city leaders. control. “They start out Metro Council memwith people whose ber Cleve Dunn Jr. job it is to work with — a Black Democrat the owners who say, — says the changes ‘We’re going to crewould put power in the hands of mostly ate a contract. If you White Republican live up to your conofficials to decide tract, we’re gonna the fate of properwork with you,’ ” Dunn Slaughter said. ties in mostly Black The nuisance abatement neighborhoods. “They do not represent process is separate from the the area nor its people who process of condemnations — are most impacted by the and is much faster. Nuisance abatement blight,” Dunn said. “They do not look like the people who comes with strict penalties and quicker turnaround. are from these areas.” The court gives a property The Motor City’s methods owner the chance to fix a For decades, as auto- blighted property identified manufacturing jobs went as a nuisance, and if that overseas, Detroit’s blight doesn’t happen in a certain problem grew. A city built amount of time, it is turned for 2 million people eventu- over to the land bank. Detroit’s process largely ally bottomed out at roughly a quarter of that population. avoids the political arena. So, 12 years ago, then- But in Baton Rouge, most Mayor Mike Duggan pushed properties identified as blighted go through the for sweeping changes. Detroit poured resources Metro Council, who decide into its land bank and took whether to condemn a propadvantage of state laws to erty or how long owners speed up the process of ex- have to fix it. When Baton Rouge Metro propriating property. Over 10 years, the city acquired Council member Jen Racca more than 100,000 proper- heard the mayor was planties. ning a trip, she asked to The Detroit Land Bank come along. She agrees has demolished more than with the mayor’s office that 26,000 structures, sold an it would speed things up to additional 21,000 structures have courts handle these deand sold 31,000 side lots to cisions instead of elected ofneighbors. ficials — though she underThe scale of blight in Ba- stands that Detroit’s polititon Rouge is much smaller, cal climate is not the same but city officials argue a as Baton Rouge’s. similarly bold plan is need“That is one of the best ed. A 2019 study by LSU so- parts of Detroit’s program, ciology researchers found is that it doesn’t focus on that a person living within the council to make the detwo and a half blocks of a cision as to what happens to blighted building is 13 times the property,” Racca said. more likely to be a victim of “However, that’s a doublea homicide. edged sword, because there Mason Batts, executive are going to be council director of Edwards’ office, members that see that as left Detroit impressed by an issue. The makeup of the how quickly the city’s blight people of East Baton Rouge process moves. Parish does not reflect the The city offers neighbors same makeup as people in of recently demolished Detroit.” properties the opportunity Batts is quick to clarify to buy the land for as little that the mayor does not want as $100. This eases Detroit’s to make it easier for the burden to mow the grass and city-parish to take control maintain the property. of properties that are identi“Good neighbors are get- fied as blighted if people are ting the property. It’s rais- living in them. But it should ing Detroit’s property val- be easier acquire titles of vaues, and a lot of times these cant and abandoned homes, are in areas that have been he says. traditionally disinvested “If someone is dead, or in,” Batts said. “It’s a first they moved to California

STAFF PHOTO By PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER

East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Council member Jen Racca, center, and members of MayorPresident Sid Edwards’ administration observe a Detroit City Council meeting on Tuesday. or never even know they owned a property, haven’t paid their taxes, don’t have utilities connected, that kind of thing is what we’re focused on,” Batts said. “When you have an open, dilapidated structure ... that’s a public safety issue.” But none of the record 200 homes Edwards demolished last year were in the city-parish’s ownership, which makes it difficult for the city to play a part in getting those properties redeveloped and back into commerce. “Ultimately, it’s very, very difficult for us to actually get ownership of properties,” Batts said. The Legislature recently passed a law giving Baton Rouge blight court the ability to issue condemnations without a council vote. But the parish leaders have not been using it, arguing it is contrary to the parish plan of government. And the law still requires Metro Council involvement to acquire a property instead of simply demolishing derelict buildings.

Black leaders raise alarm But these process changes raise a fundamental question: How much say should elected ofﬁcials have in seizing a property? Edwards’ team argues that taking blight-ﬁghting out of the council’s hands could speed things up, and elected leaders would not have to answer to constituents trying to avoid the city-parish taking control of their property. “I think we’re really putting council members in a difficult position here,” Slaughter said. “What we learned in Detroit is there really are subject matter experts who work for the city that are trained to negotiate with people. I actually think it gives people a better chance of saving their property.” But Detroit does not have the political split that Baton Rouge does, Dunn points out. The Motor City is predominantly Black and its leaders are virtually all Democrats — Baton Rouge is starkly racially divided and its top leaders are mostly White Republicans. The city-parish’s Metro Council districts most affected by blight are represented by Black Democratic leaders.

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Dunn disagrees with the notion that the council is the problem when it comes to blight. He says he and his Black council colleagues have a responsibility to protect constituents from having their property wrongly taken away. “This is a very sensitive subject, specifically for Black people,” Dunn said. “Historically, federal, state and local governments in the United States have taken property away from Black individuals and Black communities through various discriminatory practices, including eminent domain of their property.” It’s one of the many reasons Dunn is vehemently against relinquishing power from the Metro Council in the blight process. “When they moved legislation through the state level last year, they pointed to New Orleans ... And with everything I read and researched, they’re doing amazing things in Detroit,” Dunn said. “But do you know what Detroit and New Orleans have in common? They have large populations of minorities and Black elected leadership. They’re both Black cities. That’s not what we have here.” State Sen. C. Denise Marcelle, D-Baton Rouge, said making it easier for the

government to take people’s property away is “a very thin line” to walk. “I’m apprehensive of making it easier to do that,” Marcelle said. “You have to look at all the aspects and the nuances. And there are many in the process.” For example: When a blighted property owner dies and the home is left to as many as eight or nine people, it can take a long time to notify all of them. But doing so is important, she says, as it keeps the cityparish out of legal trouble. “A problem in that whole process of condemnation is that a lot of times they don’t notify all of the heirs, and that’s where you come to the problem of getting sued,” Marcelle said.

‘We need to get serious’ Edwards’ team and Racca hope to institute a nuisance abatement program that mirrors some of Detroit’s practices. They also want to beef up the foundation in place for Baton Rouge to have a major land bank authority with Build Baton Rouge. Slaughter said the first steps toward change have already begun. Since returning to Baton Rouge, the Mayor’s Ofﬁce has met with attorneys to see how they can legally change the sys-

tem here. They also began to hold meetings with other council members on Friday, hoping to get them on board with the strategies they hope to employ. But if significant changes are to happen, it will likely mean buy-in or compromise from Black leaders. Dunn said he thinks there are inefficiencies to be identified in Baton Rouge’s current system and also believes legislation regarding clearing titles needs to be examined. “That’s where the delay is,” Dunn said. “There’s a need to look at policy that can speed that process up. A lot of investors borrow from a bank to invest in these properties. If the title is not clear, the bank is not going to help finance the project.” Racca, a White Republican, spent Friday morning meeting with Dunn and council member Carolyn Coleman — a Black Democrat — about the issue, and said she believes there is a compromise out there that also achieves real positive change. She said the idea of establishing a nuisance abatement program was wellreceived and agrees with Dunn that clearing titles is the most significant factor that slows Baton Rouge’s blight and condemnation proceedings. “Obviously, there’s some apprehension with regard to taking the power away from the council, and I understand that,” Racca said. “But I believe that we can move forward with a pilot program that allows us to look at the law, clear the title, and move things forward in an expeditious manner.” Edwards’ top aides say they intend to push the issue aggressively. “We’ve been tearing down these blighted properties and that’s helping a little, but we want them to get back into commerce with a clean title, and we don’t have that today,” Batts said. “There’s no point in us just going on like we’re doing now. We need to get serious like Detroit did.”

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FUTURE

Continued from page 1A pest infestations, according to the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, the legal nonproﬁt arguing in federal court that the orders should remain in place. “I see the same things going on now from when I was in school,” Paul said. St. Mary Parish is on the front lines of a legal battle to end the remaining school desegregation cases, which date back to the Civil Rights Movement era and are ongoing in about a dozen parishes. The state’s Republican leaders, who believe it is time to end the decadesold cases, have notched two recent victories: The Plaquemines Parish school district had its orders lifted last year, and a federal judge did the same for DeSoto Parish on Monday. Lawyers for the St. Mary Parish School Board say all “direct effects” of past segregation have been eliminated, and interim schools Superintendent Rachael Sanders said in a statement that the board is committed to supporting every student. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’s ofﬁce, which is leading the charge to dissolve the orders, argued Wednesday in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans that St. Mary’s case should be dismissed. To Murrill, Gov. Jeff Landry and other critics of the ongoing desegregation orders, they are relics of the past that handcuff local school boards and incorrectly attribute current conditions to past practices. “The problems of today are different than the problems of 60 years ago,” Murrill said in an interview this week. “They do not necessarily tether back to the vestiges of prior discrimination.” Under President Donald Trump, the Justice Department has joined Louisiana in seeking to dismiss several of the cases, including one in Concordia Parish now headed to the 5th Circuit. It is a sharp reversal for the agency, which brought many of the original desegregation lawsuits and for decades enforced the orders, and the latest example of the Trump administration pulling back from education and civil rights oversight. In court, attorneys for the Legal Defense Fund are trying to force St. Mary Parish and other school boards to prove they have complied with the orders before they are lifted, which is customary in desegregation cases. At least two U.S. District Court judges have rejected Louisiana’s bid to skip that process and dismiss the cases on procedural grounds, and 5th Circuit judges reviewing the St. Mary case asked skeptical questions Wednesday about that approach. Some civil rights groups and Black parents like Paul say it is irrelevant how old the desegregation orders

STAFF PHOTOS By BRAD KEMP

Reginald Weary, president of the St. Mary Parish NAACP chapter, said it’s possible for Black students to get an excellent education in the parish, but schools with more Black students often seem to have fewer resources.

The board rejected the deal. Just months later, Trump’s Justice Department joined Murrill’s ofﬁce in asking a federal judge to dismiss the case without a settlement or trial. U.S. District Court Judge Dee Drell declined, writing that “long established legal precedent” required a careful review of evidence before closing such cases. The parties appealed to the 5th Circuit. The U.S. Supreme Court has said that school districts seeking to end desegregation orders must show that all traces of racial discrimination have been erased in six areas, including building quality and student assignment to schools. Derek Black, a professor at the Tia Paul graduated from Patterson High School in St. Mary Parish, where her daughter University of South Caronow goes to school. Since before Paul was born, the district has been under federal lina School of Law, said it is desegregation orders. “nonsensical” to argue that a district can bypass that out for the incoming Trump process. are if racial disparities now helping to terminate. In St. Martin Parish, administration. persist. More can be done “It’s a fundamental rejecto ensure Black students where the department is receive an education that now seeking to withdraw is equal in quality to that from the case, it helped deof their White peers, they velop plans in 2023 for a new argue, but they fear school magnet school. In DeSoto boards will be less inclined and Plaquemines parishes, to take those steps without the agency’s staff was visitcourt oversight. ing schools and requesting “Litigation hanging over compliance data as recently their heads — that’s what as 2024. they need,” Paul said. “It That same year, the Jusgives them a motivation and tice Department proposed incentive to keep improv- a settlement in Concordia ing things because they’re Parish’s long-running case being watched and held ac- that included moving some students between majoritycountable.” White and majority-Black Outdated or necessary? schools. Some parents Until last year, the Justice railed against the deal at Department was actively a December 2024 forum, enforcing some of the same where an attorney in Murdesegregation orders it’s rill’s ofﬁce advised holding

 

tion of the rule of law,” he said. Critics of the order say they have outlived their use, draining school resources in a futile attempt to fix problems, such as racial imbalances, that today are caused by housing patterns, not discrimination. In a legal brief last year, Murrill’s office said the St. Mary School Board’s policies are “colorblind,” while the plaintiffs want “racial engineering.” Ruth Powers, a retired educator in Concordia Parish, said she believes in the importance of diversity but doesn’t think forcing schools to shift students around is the right way to go about it. “The answer is not dismantling the schools in a community in order to achieve some sort of forced racial balance,” she said. “All you’re going to do is create resentment.” Civil rights groups say the orders still are needed because some districts never fully uprooted the remnants of segregation. In the St. Martin Parish case, the judge found that the School Board’s failure to integrate a majority-White school had partly caused present-day housing patterns, not the other way around. Reginald Weary, president of the St. Mary Parish NAACP chapter, said it’s possible for Black students there to get an excellent education — as his daughters did at racially mixed Morgan City High School. But schools with more Black students often seem to have fewer resources, he said. Majority-Black Franklin Senior High School did not offer calculus one school year, while majority-White Berwick High School had two calculus classes, according to court filings. To Weary, the battle is no longer about putting Black and White students in the same schools. “Now we’re fighting for equality and quality education,” he said. “From that perspective, there’s still work to be done.”

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ 5A

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6A ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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CREVASSES

A new initiative aims to address the challenges posed by crevasses along the Mississippi River, like with Mardi Gras Pass in Plaquemines Parish, through innovative solutions and practical approaches.

Continued from page 1A project now getting off the ground. The idea is to develop and test methods of managing the man-made and natural breaks in the river after the main levee system that keeps it in place ends in Plaquemines Parish. While it may not be readily apparent to Louisianans, managing those breaks, or crevasses, is of high importance, affecting issues ranging from saltwater intrusion to global grain exports. The crevasses can also build land the way the river used to when it created south Louisiana thousands of years ago — a naturebased solution that could help deal with the state’s land loss crisis. Finding solutions to what scientists refer to as “flow loss” through the crevasses could provide the state and the nation with wide-ranging benefits, particularly as rising seas inundate more coastal areas. “It’s pretty well understood and sort of acknowledged by a lot of people that flow loss from the river in many different ways is going to be a large portion of how we deal with management of the Mississippi River going on into the future,” said Christopher Esposito, a research geoscientist with the Water Institute helping lead the project. “And so what we’re really looking at in this is developing creative ways of improving outcomes where there is flow loss.” An initial phase of the project has been awarded $500,000, with the potential for grants of up to $15 million over five years in the future. It has been given a convoluted name with a recognizable acronym: Coastal Resilience through Effective Versatile Adaptation and Sediment Strategies for Sea-Level Rise Engagement, or CREVASSE. Much of it will involve evaluating ideas already out there to determine their effectiveness and the best methods of using them. “Do you keep this particular cut open? Do you close it?” said Madeline FosterMartinez, an engineering and environmental science expert at UNO leading the project’s management. “But bringing this together so that nature-based solutions can actually be implemented, rather than these one-off type of things, to get something surprisingly innovative, even if it is very low-tech stuff that we’re talking about.”

Finding its level A prominent example of a crevasse is the huge break in the river bank across from Buras, now known as Neptune Pass. Previously, a small channel about 150 feet wide, it broke open dramatically with the extraordinarily high river of 2019. Until recently, it had been regularly diverting up to 18% of the river’s flow. There are benefits to that since the pass is building

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

land where it empties in Quarantine Bay by transporting sediment there — a naturally occurring river diversion project, research by scientist Alex Kolker and his colleagues has found. But there are also serious downsides. Because the river slows there, sediment drops to the bottom and accumulates, causing what the shipping industry calls “shoaling,” creating a hazard for large vessels and requiring additional dredging. The pull on the river’s current in that area is also a danger. In addition, modeling is showing that the combination of breaks in the lower river, particularly Neptune Pass, have contributed to the growing problem of saltwater intrusion up the Mississippi. When the river is low, saltwater travels up the channel from the Gulf, creating risks for drinking water supplies. The crevasses slow the river’s flow, aiding the salt water’s advance. The deepening of the river for shipping is also a major contributor to the problem. The Army Corps of Engineers completed work on a rock sill at Neptune Pass in October, reducing its flow to what recent measurements showed to be about 8% of the river, the Corps says, though that number will fluctuate across seasons. The sill includes a notch in the middle to allow recreational boats, water and sediment to pass through. In response to calls from coastal advocates, the Corps may also carry out later phases of the project that would involve placing terrace-like structures in Quarantine Bay to trap sediment making it through the sill for land-building. The Corps notes that it has long studied the crevasses, including with UNO and the Water Institute, and will continue to do so given their importance. “The crevasses and their development have influence on navigation, dredging operations and salinity intrusion, all of which are vital USACE missions,” it said in response to questions on the new project, using the abbreviation for the Corps. “The USACE has also in-

vestigated the role the creThe study joins several vasses play in land building others looking at manageand environmental restora- ment of the lower river. tion and have been actively They come at a key moinvolved in investigations of these phenomena in partnership with various entities, including those listed in the CREVASSE initiative.” While Neptune Pass has received much of the attention when it comes to crevasses on the lower river, there are a list of others, both naturally occurring and man-made. And there will almost surely be more in the future. They include Mardi Gras Pass downriver from Pointe a la Hache, Fort St. Philip downriver from Neptune, and West Bay, a man-made crevasse built for coastal restoration near the Mississippi’s mouth. Just closing them all off is not considered a viable option by many scientists, both due to coastal restoration and practical implications, though some in the shipping industry disagree. The river ﬁnds its level, so shutting it off in one location means it may create another crevasse elsewhere.

ochal Mississippi flood of 1927. One of those studies, known as MissDelta and led by scientists from Tulane and LSU, is funded by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Another sweeping study by the Corps is however paused due to lack of funding. Some in the shipping and navigation industry have regularly called for the crevasses to be shut, highlighting the effects on vessels as well as drinking water. Sean Duffy, head of the Big River Coalition representing those interests, said he hopes those issues are prominently considered. “It’s always great to study things, but in reality, the crevasses will cause problems for both navigation and civilization,” Duffy said. “We depend on the water from the river.”

ment, nearly a century since the construction of Email Mike Smith at the vast levee protection msmith@theadvocate. system built after the ep- com.

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‘Will cause problems’ The project will look at a wide range of options for how to manage them, both individually and as a system. That could include using more terraces, such as those planned for Neptune Pass, or other innovative ideas. Another example involves what are known as sand dams, which would be built at the entrance to a crevasse when ﬂow is low, then erode naturally when the river is high, with the washed-away sediment potentially building land. The project will focus on practical, applied science approaches. Nunez’s role, for example, will be developing a workforce to implement the ideas, led by Jaqueline Richard, chair of the school’s coastal studies. It is the ﬁrst National Science Foundation award for the Chalmettebased community college. Caltech geologist Michael Lamb will be involved in data synthesis and translation of it into practical recommendations.

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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ 7A

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Mass protests in Iran reach 2-week mark Authorities intensify crackdown

BY JON GAMBRELL Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Protests sweeping across Iran reached the two-week mark early Sunday, with the country’s government acknowledging the ongoing demonstrations despite an intensifying crackdown and as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world. With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difﬁcult. But the death toll in the protests has grown to at least 72 people killed and over 2,300 others detained, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. Iranian state TV is reporting on security force casualties while portraying control over the nation. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has signaled a coming clampdown, despite U.S. warnings. Tehran escalated its threats Saturday, with the Iran’s attorney general, Mohammad Movahedi Azad, warning that anyone taking part in protests will be considered an “enemy

IMAGE FROM IRAN STATE TV VIDEO

A man holds a device Friday to document burning vehicles during a night of mass protests in Zanjan, Iran. of God,” a death-penalty charge. The statement carried by Iranian state television said even those who “helped rioters” would face the charge. “Prosecutors must carefully and without delay, by issuing indictments, prepare the grounds for the trial and decisive confrontation with those who, by betraying the nation and creating insecurity, seek foreign domination over the country,” the statement read. “Proceedings must be conducted without leniency, compassion or indulgence.” President Donald Trump offered support for the protesters, saying on social media that “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!”

The State Department separately warned: “Do not play games with President Trump. When he says he’ll do something, he means it.” Saturday marked the start of the work week in Iran, but many schools and universities reportedly held online classes, Iranian state TV reported. Internal Iranian government websites are believed to be functioning. State TV repeatedly played a driving, martial orchestral arrangement from the “Epic of Khorramshahr” by Iranian composer Majid Entezami, while showing pro-government demonstrations. The song, aired repeatedly during the 12day war launched by Israel, honors Iran’s 1982 liberation of the city of Khorramshahr during the Iran-Iraq war. It

Trump pushes 1-year, 10% cap on credit card interest rates BY KEN SWEET and SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press

NEW YORK — Reviving a campaign pledge, President Donald Trump wants a one-year, 10% cap on credit card interest rates, a move that could save Americans tens of billions of dollars but drew immediate opposition from an industry that has been in his corner. Trump was not clear in his social media post Friday night whether a cap might take effect through executive action or legislation, though one Republican senator said he had spoken with the president and would work on a bill with his “full support.” Trump said he hoped it would be in place Jan. 20, one year after he took ofﬁce. Strong opposition is certain from Wall Street in addition to the credit card companies, which donated heavily to his 2024 campaign and have supported Trump’s secondterm agenda. Banks are making the argument that such a plan would most hurt poor people, at a time of economic concern, by curtailing or eliminating credit lines, driving them to high-cost alternatives like payday loans or pawnshops. “We will no longer let the American Public be ripped off by Credit Card Companies that are charging Interest Rates of 20 to 30%,”

Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. Researchers who studied Trump’s campaign pledge after it was first announced found that Americans would save roughly $100 billion in interest a year if credit card rates were capped at 10%. The same researchers found that while the credit card industry would take a major hit, it would still be profitable, although credit card rewards and other perks might be scaled back. About 195 million people in the United States had credit cards in 2024 and were assessed $160 billion in interest charges, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says. Americans are now carrying more credit card debt than ever, to the tune of about $1.23 trillion, according to figures from the New York Federal Reserve for the third quarter last year. Further, Americans are paying, on average, between 19.65% and 21.5% in interest on credit cards according to the Federal Reserve and other industry tracking sources. That has come down in the past year as the central bank lowered benchmark rates, but is near the highs since federal regulators started tracking credit card rates in the mid-1990s. That’s significantly higher than a decade ago, when the average credit card interest rate was roughly 12%.

The Republican administration has proved particularly friendly until now to the credit card industry. Capital One got little resistance from the White House when it ﬁnalized its purchase and merger with Discover Financial in early 2025, a deal that created the nation’s largest credit card company. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which is largely tasked with going after credit card companies for alleged wrongdoing, has been largely nonfunctional since Trump took ofﬁce. In a joint statement, the banking industry was opposed to Trump’s proposal. “If enacted, this cap would only drive consumers toward less regulated, more costly alternatives,” the American Bankers Association and allied groups said. Bank lobbyists have long argued that lowering interest rates on their credit card products would require the banks to lend less to highrisk borrowers. When Congress enacted a cap on the fee that stores pay large banks when customers use a debit card, banks responded by removing all rewards and perks from those cards. Debit card rewards only recently have trickled back into consumers’ hands. For example, United Airlines now has a debit card that gives miles with purchases.

has been used in videos of protesting women cutting away their hair to protest the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini as well. It also repeatedly aired video of purported protesters shooting at security forces with ﬁrearms. “Field reports indicate that peace prevailed in most cities of the country at night,” a state TV anchor reported Saturday morning. “After a number of armed terrorists attacked public places and set fire to people’s private property last night, there was no news of any gathering or chaos in Tehran and most provinces last night.” That was directly contradicted by an online video veriﬁed by The Associated Press that showed demonstrations in northern Tehran’s Saadat Abad area, with what appeared to be thousands on the street.

“Death to Khamenei!” a man chanted. The semiofficial Fars news agency, believed to be close to Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and one of the few media outlets able to publish to the outside world, released surveillance camera footage of what it said came from demonstrations in Isfahan. In it, a protester appeared to fire a long gun, while others set fires and threw gasoline bombs at what appeared to be a government compound. The Young Journalists’ Club, associated with state TV, reported that protesters killed three members of the Guard’s all-volunteer Basij force in the city of Gachsaran. It also reported a security official was stabbed to death in Hamadan province, a police officer killed in the port city of Bandar Abbas and another in Gilan, as well

as one person slain in Mashhad. The semiofficial Tasnim news agency, also close to the Guard, claimed authorities detained nearly 200 people belonging to what it described as “operational terrorist teams.” It alleged those arrested had weapons including ﬁrearms, grenades and gasoline bombs. State television also aired footage of a funeral service attended by hundreds in Qom, a Shiite seminary city just south of Tehran. Iran’s theocracy cut off the nation from the internet and international telephone calls on Thursday, though it allowed some state-owned and semiofficial media to publish. Qatar’s state-funded Al Jazeera news network reported live from Iran, but they appeared to be the only major foreign outlet able to work.

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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ 9A

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Congress considers possible actions after ICE killing

BY MATT BROWN and LISA MASCARO Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The killing of a Minnesota woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer is reverberating across Capitol Hill where Democrats, and certain Republicans, are vowing an assertive response as President Donald Trump’s aggressive deportation operations spark protests nationwide. Lawmakers are demanding a range of actions, from a full investigation into Renee Good’s shooting death and policy changes over law enforcement raids to the defunding of ICE operations and the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, in what is fast becoming an inflection point. “The situation that took place in Minnesota is a complete and total disgrace,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said as details emerged. “And in the next few days, we will be having conversations about a strong and forceful and appropriate response by House Democrats.” Yet there is almost no consensus among the political parties in the aftermath of the death of Good, who was behind the wheel of an SUV after dropping off her 6-yearold at school when she was shot and killed by an ICE officer. The killing immediately drew dueling narratives. Trump and Noem said the ICE officer acted in selfdefense, while Democratic officials said the Trump administration was lying and they urged the public to see the viral videos of the shooting for themselves. Vice President JD Vance blamed Good, calling it “a tragedy of her own making,” and said the ICE officer may have been “sensitive” from having been injured during an unrelated altercation last year. But Good’s killing, at least the fifth known death since the administration launched its mass deportation campaign, could change the political dynamic. “The videos I’ve seen from

“It looks like the fact that and stricter attitudes toward they’re handling it is a real newcomers to the United disgrace,” said Rep. Vicente a U.S. citizen, who is a White States. Republicans have em- Gonzalez, D-Texas, who rep- woman, may be opening the braced Trump’s hard-line ap- resents a district along the eyes of the American public, certainly of members of Conproach to portray Democrats U.S.-Mexico border. “Right now, you’re seeing gress, that what’s going on is as radicals. The Republican admin- humans treated like ani- out of control,” he said, “that this isn’t about apprehending istration had launched the mals,” he said. In September, a federal or pursuing the most dangerenforcement operation in Minnesota in response to immigration enforcement ous immigrants.” an investigation of the non- agent in Chicago fatally shot Republicans expressed profit Feeding Our Future. Silverio Villegas Gonzalez some concern at the shootProsecutors said the organi- during a brief altercation af- ing but stood by the adminiszation was at the center of ter Gonzalez had dropped off tration’s policy, defended the officer’s actions and largely the country’s largest COV- his children at school. In October, a Customs and blamed Good for the standID-19-related fraud scams, when defendants exploited Border Protection agent also off. a state-run, federally funded in Chicago shot Marimar “Nobody wants to see peoprogram intended to provide Martinez, a teacher and U.S. ple get shot,” said Rep. Rich ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARIAM ZUHAIB food for children. citizen, five times during a McCormick, R-Ga. Heading into the Novem- dispute with officers. The “Let’s do the right thing Lawmakers are considering what actions to take after ber midterm election, which charges against Martinez and just be reasonable. And the killing of a Minnesota woman by an Immigration and Democrats believe will hinge brought by the administra- the reasonable thing is not Customs Enforcement officer amid President Donald Trump’s on issues such as affordabil- tion were dismissed by a to obstruct ICE officers and aggressive deportation operations. then accelerate while they’re ity and health care, national federal judge. To Rep. Chuy Garcia, D-Ill., standing in front of your car,” outcry over ICE’s conduct Minneapolis yesterday are action to restrain the admin- has pressured lawmakers to Good’s death “brought back he said. “She made a mistake. heart-wrenching memories I’m sure she didn’t mean for speak out. deeply disturbing,” said Sen. istration’s tactics. “I’m not completely against of those two shootings in my that to happen, nor did he Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, in Several Democrats joined mean for that to happen.” a statement. calls to impeach Noem, who deportations, but the way district.” “As we mourn this loss of has been under fire from life, we need a thorough and both parties for her lack of objective investigation into transparency at the departhow and why this happened,” ment, though that step is she said. As part of the in- highly unlikely with Repubvestigation, she said she is licans in control of Congress. Other Democrats want to calling for policy changes, saying the situation “was restrict the funding for her devastating, and cannot hap- department, whose budget was vastly increased as part pen again.” The push in Congress for of Republicans’ sweeping tax more oversight and account- and spending bill passed last ability of the administra- summer. Connecticut Sen. Chris tion’s immigration operations comes as lawmakers Murphy, the top Democrat are in the midst of the annual on the subcommittee that appropriations process to handles Homeland Security fund agencies, including the funding, plans to introduce Department of Homeland legislation to rein in the agenSecurity, to prevent another cy with constraints on federal federal government shut- agents’ authority, including a down when money expires requirement that the Border Patrol stick to the border and at the end of January. As anti-ICE demonstra- that DHS enforcement offitions erupt in cities in the cers be unmasked. “More Democrats are aftermath of Good’s death, Democrats have pledged to saying today the thing that use any available legislative a number of us have been lever to apply pressure on saying since April and May: the administration to change Kristi Noem is dangerous. She should not be in ofthe conduct of ICE officers. “We’ve been warning about fice, and she should be imthis for an entire year,” said peached,” said Democratic 7450 Jefferson Hwy Hwy, Baton Rouge 121 Bass Pro Blvd Ste A A, Denham Springs Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla. Rep. Delia Ramirez, who The ICE officer “needs to represents parts of Chicago 225-383-8383 3 8383 225-665-5181 225 665 be held accountable,” Frost where ICE launched an enwww.rickeyheromans.com said, “but not just them, but hanced immigration enforceICE as a whole, the president ment action last year that reand this entire administra- sulted in two deaths. Immigration debates have tion.” Congressional Democrats long divided Congress and saw Good’s killing as a sign the parties. Democrats splinof the need for aggressive ter between more liberal

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Nicaragua says it’s freeing detainees after U.S. pressure By The Associated Press MEXICO CITY — Nicaragua’s Interior Ministry said Saturday the country would release dozens of prisoners, as the United States ramped up pressure on leftist President Daniel Ortega a week after it ousted former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. On Friday, the U.S. Embassy in Nicaragua said Venezuela had taken an important step toward peace by releasing what it described as “political prisoners.” But it lamented that in Nicaragua, “more than

60 people remain unjustly detained or disappeared, including pastors, religious workers, the sick, and the elderly.” On Saturday, the Interior Ministry said in a statement that “dozens of people who were in the National Penitentiary System are returning to their homes and families.” It wasn’t immediately clear who was freed and under what conditions. Nicaragua’s government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The government has been

carrying out an ongoing crackdown since mass social protests in 2018, that were violently repressed. Nicaragua’s government has imprisoned adversaries, religious leaders, journalists and more, then exiled them, stripping hundreds of their Nicaraguan citizenship and possessions. Since 2018, it has shuttered more than 5,000 organizations, largely religious, and forced thousands to ﬂee the country. Nicaragua’s government often accused critics and opponents of plotting against the government.

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10A ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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EDUCATION A S K T H E E X P E RT S

Early childhood advocates ready for big year After losing funds, efforts are ramped up

Q&A WITH LIBBIE SONNIER

BY ELYSE CARMOSINO Staff writer

With a new legislative session right around the corner, Louisiana’s early childhood education advocates are gearing up to ﬁght for more funding to increase options for the roughly 100,000 young children from low-income families who aren’t enrolled in any program. The effort comes after state lawmakers axed millions for early childhood education two years ago and as federal dollars for other programs like Head Start hang in the balance. Libbie Sonnier is CEO of the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children, a research and policy organization focused on children ages 0-4. In her seven years in the role, she’s worked to raise awareness about the importance of early childhood education for children and communities, and has advocated for more funding for programs. That’s proved difﬁcult in recent years, particularly after the state Senate cut $24 million from such programs in 2024. While $15 million was eventually reinstated following outcry from advocates who said the reduction would result in 2,000 infants and toddlers losing care access, the loss of the remaining $9 million meant that about 720 seats were still pulled and have not been restored. Access to early childhood education, such as day care and preschool, is crucial to improving student outcomes down the road, advocates say. One recent study from Tulane University found that low-income children who attended preschool programs were twice as likely to enter kinder-

PROVIDED PHOTO

Libbie Sonnier, chief executive officer of Louisiana Policy Institute for Children

garten with foundational reading skills compared to 4-year-olds who didn’t. One of the biggest challenges in the coming year will be making sure the state’s early childhood education programs maintain their current level of funding, Sonnier said, even as one program is projected to run out of money in the next few years. She added that another obstacle will be the need to continue to educate lawmakers and the public about the importance of early child care. “We wouldn’t think about not funding third or fourth grade, but we do think about not funding our birth to 4-year-olds,” Sonnier said. “If there’s not enough money, they’re the ﬁrst ones to get cut.” This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. What early education issues will you be focused on this year? We at minimum want to maintain the level of state funding

provide for their families, but we also know from longitudinal CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF LOUISIANA POLICy INSTITUTE FOR CHILDREN research that the benefits of children having access to quality early childhood education in those first five years of life pay divia social security number. What that we have in early childhood would that look like if we were dends. It’s at least a 15% return education in Louisiana, as well able to do that for children who on investment for every dollar as also think about how to codify enter the early childhood system? that we spend on children during the Early Childhood Education Then we would have more longithat time period. Fund, where we have five differAccess to early childhood edutudinal data to show the effectiveent sources of state revenue that offer a dollar-for-dollar match for ness of early childhood education. cation ensures that children are (local businesses that invest in The State Superintendent of Ed- less likely to end up in special early child care). ucation has intimated, with all the education, less likely to need Right now, the need for the gains in K-12, particularly around social services later, more likely fund is set to outpace what will that they’re going to graduate third and fourth grade reading be in the fund over the next year. from high school, more likely that levels, that early childhood has We’d like to start a discussion they’re going to read on grade been part of that success story, about how to ensure that the state and we need to be able to measure level. They’re going to have betmakes sure those funds are in the that in different ways and be able ter educational and economic outpot. Let’s say that the Early Child- to show that the cumulative effect comes for themselves and their of a quality education starting family, and they also have better hood Fund is short by $5 or $6 health as they age. million. How will the state ensure at a very young age can produce results that make us a stronger The benefits are long-lasting for that $5 or $6 million is in there? Louisiana. the child themselves, but it also Additionally, how do we ensure What roadblocks are you anticipating? benefits the family that they’re that families and providers of all It’s a continual effort for us to able to ensure their children are types for young children, birth educate our elected officials and safe, healthy and being educated through age 4, have the ability policy leaders around early child- so that they enter kindergarten to take part in public meetings under public meeting law, even hood education, so our roadblocks ready to learn. What else is happening in early educaif they can’t make it to Baton are people not understanding that Rouge? access to quality early childhood tion this year that people should be aware We learned a lot during COVID education is an economic and of? when we had public meetings workforce issue. Just the continued push to show virtually, and there was a law If parents aren’t able to go to the importance of it. At the end of put in place a few years ago perwork and school to provide for the day, early childhood education their children then that’s less is all parent choice. If a parent taining to increasing access to money in our economy. We know doesn’t want to put their child in public meetings, particularly for early education, they don’t have individuals with disabilities. How that we lose $1.3 billion annually due to child care breakdowns in to. But if they want to do that, do we expand that for families they should have access to quality and providers so that they can be the Louisiana economy. We keep having to make that early childhood education. involved in decision-making bodeconomic case. But we’ve got Access without quality isn’t acies without having to drive long people like our secretary of distances? cess because we know that high Are there any bills you’re working to pass Workforce (Susie Schowen) who quality has all those benefits, and really understands child care is this legislative session? poor quality can be harmful. And absolutely crucial to get parents Again, there’s this conversaso if a family chooses to put their in the workforce. It’s an economic child in an early childhood education around codifying the Early development issue. Childhood Education Fund, and tion setting, we need to ensure What are some of the benefits of early another thing we’re looking at is, they have access to quality setwe already have a system in place childhood education? tings. It’s really a two-generation apfor K-12 where every child who comes into the K-12 system has a proach. It’s about getting parents Email Elyse Carmosino at unique identifier that is used like into the workforce so they can ecarmosino@theadvocate.com.

WE’RE ASKING EXPERTS ACROSS THE STATE HOW TO TACKLE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FACING LOUISIANA SCHOOLS. HAVE AN IDEA? EMAIL PATRICK.WALL@THEADVOCATE.COM

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12A ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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LOUISIANA POLITICS

Speaker Johnson’s tiny majority just got even smaller WASHINGTON — Prospects for the LSU alumni who run the U.S. House were shaken Tuesday, the ﬁrst day of the 2026 session of the 119th Congress. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, and his chief lieutenant, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, knew that rabblerouser Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., was quitting. Then they learned Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., had died. LaMalfa’s death brings the Republican majority down to 218 — the bare minimum needed to control committees, set legislative agendas and administer House affairs. That raises the possibility, though unlikely, that RepubMark licans could lose the House Ballard majority through more deaths and resignations before November’s midterm congressional elections. That hasn’t happened since 1930. Democrats have 213 members. Four seats are vacant, with elections being held between the end of January and possibly June. Democrats will likely win two and Republicans should win two. The more immediate impact will be on Johnson’s ability to pass Republican versions of bills with primarily GOP votes. That’s a math question that needs to be calculated each day, he said. “We’ve been working with a razor-thin majority since I became speaker and at many points in the last year, we had a one- or two-vote majority at any given moment,” Johnson said, adding that the Republican majority “has demonstrated over and over and over that we defy expectations and make history.” Johnson rallied just enough GOP support to pass the sweeping One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which included tax cuts, eased regulation, increased border security, and a revamp of Medicaid and food stamps. “The margin is going to be as slim as it ever has been,” Scalise added. “You had a lot of the same stories, ‘Gee whiz, there’s no way they’ll be able to pass the reconcili-

Former state Rep. Romero gets USDA job

The U.S. Department of Agriculture last week announced former state Rep. Troy Romero’s appointment as Louisiana’s state director for rural development, where he’ll lead efforts to secure resources for rural communities. The main task of the job is to connect people and businesses in rural areas with ﬁnancial resources like grants and low-interest and guaranteed loans, Romero said. He gave as an example the $27 billion Meta data center project in Richland Parish Romero in northeast Louisiana. “All of the communities that surround it are going to need to be built up,” Romero said. “They’re going to need, you know, extra hospital space and rural clinics and restaurants.” USDA’s rural development section supports economic development, job creation and services like housing, health care, ﬁrstresponder services and utility infrastructure, according to its website. Romero resigned from his seat in the Louisiana Legislature on Dec. 14 and began his new job with the federal government the

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ROD LAMKEy

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-Benton, is joined by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, during a news conference at the Capitol on Wednesday. ation bill,’ until it passed because we came together as Republicans.” Johnson and Scalise can afford to lose only two Republican votes — provided every GOP rep shows up when the ballots are cast. On any given day, a handful of representatives from both parties may not be in Washington, which changes the math. For instance, this week, leadership had to work around the absence of Rep. Jim Baird, R-Ind. He is convalescing at home after a severe car wreck Monday night. Johnson and Scalise hustled Wednesday to overcome opposition from a dozen rightwing Republicans who had threatened

to vote against a procedural motion that could have derailed appropriations bills. Leadership negotiated a deal and the bills passed Thursday. By any measure, Johnson and Scalise — as well as Senate GOP leadership — are headed into a rocky 2026. The aggressive rhetoric President Donald Trump’s top aides use about acquiring Greenland has worried a number of Republicans. The killing of a Minneapolis woman protesting immigration agents and the shooting of a couple in Portland, Oregon, has focused some Republicans and nearly every Democrat to question

next day, he said. to preventable illness and death. He’s replacing acting DirecCassidy was responding to questor MaryAnn Pistilli and will tions about changes Health Secrebe based in Alexandria, tary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. though he’ll regularly issued Monday through the travel the state and meet Centers for Disease Conwith local leaders and oftrol and Prevention, which no longer recommend ficials, he said. routine vaccination of all The former state lawchildren for hepatitis A, maker said Gov. Jeff Capitol hepatitis B, RSV, rotavirus, Landry helped put his Buzz influenza, COVID-19 and name forward for the apSTAFF meningococcal, instead pointment. REPORTS shifting some vaccines to Romero was first electhigh-risk or shared decied to the Legislature in 2019 and ran again in 2023 unopsion-making categories. “I think it’s the wrong move for posed. He chaired the agriculall the reasons I’ve publicly said ture committee in the Louisiana before,” Cassidy said. House. Speaking as a doctor who In 2008, he founded and ran the specialized in liver disease, he company Sports Turf Specialists, described treating patients who which constructs athletic turf suffered or died from hepatitis A fields, though he sold the comand hepatitis B, diseases he empany a few years back. Before that, he worked in the sugar cane phasized can quietly cause damindustry. age for decades before symptoms He grew up in a farming family appear. in Welsh. Romero and his wife “It happens often enough that live in Lacassine between Welsh you don’t want it to happen to and Lake Charles. your child,” Cassidy said. “If we’re going to make America healthy again, you start off by using the safe vaccines that are out there.” Cassidy also warned that the U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy criticized decision risks undermining trust new federal vaccine guidance in vaccination at a time when during a press call Tuesday, callpreventable diseases are resurging the decision to scale back recommendations for several ing, citing two recent deaths in childhood vaccines “the wrong Louisiana children of pertussis, or move” and warning it could lead whooping cough.

Cassidy criticizes change in vaccine guidance

Trump’s controversial immigration policy. Five Republican senators Thursday joined Democrats to limit Trump’s war powers in the wake of his unilateral decision to not only capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to stand trial on drug trafficking charges but essentially to, in Trump’s words, “run” the oil-rich nation for an indeterminate time. Trump demanded on social media that the five Republicans “never be elected to office again.” The Venezuela bill could upset Senate efforts to work on the House-passed appropriations bills that need to be on the president’s desk by Jan. 30. Some House members are pressing a similar instrument, threatening another “discharge resolution” to force a vote. The once-rare maneuver to circumvent House leadership has become more frequent lately. There was the vote to release the Epstein files. And on Thursday, 17 House Republicans joined Democrats, against Johnson’s wishes, to extend the enhanced Obamacare tax credits that 22 million working Americans and small businesses use to pay for skyrocketing health insurance premiums on the Affordable Care Act marketplace. Johnson also has been the target of criticism from within the Republican Conference. Rep. Elise Stefanik, a New York Republican who had been in House leadership but won’t stand for reelection, called Johnson a liar and ineffective, though she walked back some of her comments. GOP Rep. Nancy Mace, who is running for South Carolina governor, has made similar disparaging remarks. “The Bible says you don’t worry about tomorrow. Today has enough troubles of its own,” Johnson said. “I’m not worried about the numbers. I don’t get up in apprehension or anxiety on any day. I get up every day with hope and anticipation to see what God is going to do for our great country.” Email Mark Ballard at mballard@ theadvocate.com.

Cassidy, who was the swing vote in conﬁrming Kennedy, said that he has had conversations with the administration at times when they have made changes to vaccination recommendations in the past, though he declined to give details of those conversations. “Now, obviously, they don’t always agree with me,” Cassidy said. “There are some times when I can tell you, the decision is made differently because of me registering my concern.”

Gov. Landry calls for Maduro’s execution Gov. Jeff Landry has said that captured Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro should be executed — but if that can’t happen, the Louisiana leader is happy to hold him at Camp 57, an immigration detention facility on the grounds of the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. The federal government has accused Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, of working with drug cartels to smuggle thousands of tons of cocaine to the United States. In an opinion piece published by Breitbart, Landry last week blamed Maduro for contributing to the opioid-related deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans. “Personally, I’d like to see Maduro executed for the crimes he

has committed against the people of the United States and the families left to mourn,” Landry wrote. “However, I would be well satisfied to see him and his wife spend the rest of their days at Camp 57 in Angola.” Critics of military action against Venezuela have questioned using overdoses as a justification, since fentanyl — the powerful synthetic opioid that has driven the spike in overdoses — mostly comes through Mexico, and many of the materials used to make it come from China. Venezuela plays a role in the transit of cocaine, which is responsible for far fewer overdoses. President Donald Trump’s administration carried out a military operation in Caracas on Jan. 3, taking Maduro into custody and flying him to New York, where he and his wife face narco-terrorism charges. On Monday, Maduro pleaded not guilty to federal drug trafficking charges at a courthouse in Manhattan. In a Fox News interview on Tuesday, Landry, a longtime ally of Trump, said the war on drugs has been discussed for decades and that millions of Americans have died because of illegal drugs. “And yet this is the first time a president really took the fight to them and said, ‘no more,’” Landry said.

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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ 13A

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Venezuelan locals struggle with crumbling economy Trump’s promised renaissance brings some hope

BY REGINA GARCIA CANO and MATT SEDENSKY Associated Press

CARACAS, Venezuela — At the White House, President Donald Trump vows American intervention in Venezuela will pour billions of dollars into the country’s infrastructure, revive its once-thriving oil industry and eventually deliver a new age of prosperity to the Latin American nation. Here at a sprawling street market in the capital, though, utility worker Ana Calderón simply wishes she could afford the ingredients to make a pot of soup. “Food is incredibly expensive,” says Calderón, noting rapidly rising prices that have celery selling for twice as much as just a few weeks ago and 2 pounds of meat going for more than $10, or 25 times the country’s monthly minimum wage. “Everything is so expensive.” Venezuelans digesting news of the United States’ brazen capture of former President Nicolás Maduro are hearing grandiose promises of future economic prowess even as they live through the crippling economic realities of today. “They know that the outlook has significantly changed but they don’t see it yet on the ground. What they’re seeing is repression. They’re seeing a lot of confusion,” says Luisa Palacios, a Venezuelan-born economist and former oil executive who is a research scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University. “People are hopeful and expecting that things are going to change but that doesn’t mean that things are going to change right now.” Whatever hope exists over the possibility of U.S. involvement improving Venezuela’s economy is paired with the crushing daily truths most here live. People typically work two, three or more jobs just to survive, and still cupboards and refrigerators are nearly bare. Children go to bed early to avoid the pang of hunger; parents choose between ﬁll-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CRISTIAN HERNANDEZ

A woman sits in front of a store in the Petare neighborhood of Caracas, Venezuela.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MATIAS DELACROIX

People exchange U.S. dollars for Venezuelan bolivars at a street market in Caracas, Venezuela. ing a prescription and buying groceries. An estimated 8 in 10 people live in poverty. It has led millions to flee the country for elsewhere. Those who remain are concentrated in Venezuela’s cities, including its capital, Caracas, where the street market in the Catia neighborhood once was so busy that shoppers bumped into one another and dodged oncoming traffic. But as prices have climbed in recent days, locals have increasingly stayed away from the market stalls, reducing the chaos to a relative hush. Neila Roa, carrying her 5-month-old baby, sells packs of cigarettes to passersby, having to monitor daily fluctuations in currency to adjust the price.

“Inflation and more inflation and devaluation,” Roa says. “It’s out of control.” Roa could not believe the news of Maduro’s capture. Now, she wonders what will come of it. She thinks it would take “a miracle” to fix Venezuela’s economy. “What we don’t know is whether the change is for better or for worse,” she says. “We’re in a state of uncertainty. We have to see how good it can be, and how much it can contribute to our lives.” Trump has said the U.S. will distribute some of the proceeds from the sale of Venezuelan oil back to its population. But that commitment so far largely appears to be focused on America’s interests in extracting more

oil from Venezuela, selling more U.S.-made goods to the country and repairing the electricity grid. The White House hosted a meeting with U.S. oil company executives to discuss Venezuela, which the Trump administration has been pressuring to open its vastbut-struggling oil industry more widely to American investment and know-how. In an interview with The New York Times, Trump acknowledged that reviving the country’s oil industry would take years. “The oil will take a while,” he said. Venezuela has the world’s largest proven oil reserves. The country’s economy depends on them. Maduro’s predecessor, the ﬁery Hugo Chávez, elected in 1998, expanded social services, including housing and education, thanks to the country’s oil bonanza, which generated revenues estimated at some $981 billion between 1999 and 2011 as crude prices soared. But corruption, a decline in oil production and economic

policies led to a crisis that became evident in 2012. Chávez appointed Maduro as his successor before dying of cancer in 2013. The country’s political, social and economic crisis, entangled with plummeting oil production and prices, marked the entirety of Maduro’s presidency. Millions were pushed into poverty. The middle class virtually disappeared. And more than 7.7 million people left their homeland. Albert Williams, an economist at Nova Southeastern University, says returning the energy sector to its heyday would have a dramatic spillover effect in a country in which oil is the dominant industry, sparking the opening of restaurants, stores and other businesses. What’s unknown, he says, is whether such a revitalization happens, how long it would take and how a government built by Maduro will adjust to the change in power. “That’s the billion-dollar question,” Williams says. “But if you improve the oil industry, you improve the

country.” The International Monetary Fund estimates Venezuela’s inflation rate is a staggering 682%, the highest of any country for which it has data. That has sent the cost of food beyond what many can afford. Many public sector workers survive on roughly $160 per month, while the average private sector employee earned about $237 last year. Venezuela’s monthly minimum wage of 130 bolivars, or $0.40, has not increased since 2022, putting it well below the United Nations’ measure of extreme poverty of $2.15 a day. The currency crisis led Maduro to declare an “economic emergency” in April. Usha Haley, a Wichita State University economist who studies emerging markets, says for those hurting the most, there is no immediate sign of change. “Short-term, most Venezuelans will probably not feel any economic relief,” she says. “A single oil sale will not fix the country’s rampant inflation and currency collapse. Jobs, prices, and exchange rates will probably not shift quickly.” In a country that has seen as much strife as Venezuela has in recent years, locals are accustomed to doing what they have to in order to get through the day, so much so that many utter the same expression “Resolver,” they say in Spanish, or “figure it out,” shorthand for the juryrigged nature of life here, in which every transaction, from boarding a bus to buying a child’s medicine, involves a delicate calculation. Here at the market, the smell of fish, fresh onions and car exhaust combine. Calderon, making her way through, faces freshly skyrocketing prices, saying “the difference is huge,” as the country’s official currency has rapidly declined against its unofficial one, the U.S. dollar.

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THE GULF COAST Residents, officials question $84M Destin waterfront park 4-acre Fla. site expected to open in 2027

BY POET WOLFE Staff writer

SUN HERALD PHOTO By SCOTT WATKINS

The back porch of Flamingo Landing in Gulfport, Miss., features a turfed patio with seating.

Popular restaurant expanding to third Mississippi location BY JUSTIN MITCHELL Staff writer

The owner of a popular Mississippi restaurant with locations in Pass Christian and Ocean Springs is taking a chance on a waterfront building in Gulfport, Mississippi, that once housed an eatery from a New Orleans dining group. Jourdan Nicaud is opening Bacchus on the Bluff at 8813 Lorraine Road, an area that has become more popular in recent years as a slew of development brings new housing, dining and shopping to the Cowan-Lorraine Road corridor. The restaurant will replace Flamingo Landing, which closed in August after two years in business. It was the ﬁrst Mississippi venture for Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts, a group that owns more than a few well-known spots in New Orleans including

Cafe Mesparo, Boulevard American Bistro, Flamingo A-Go-Go and The Bombay Club. Nicaud, who has ties to New Orleans and owns several restaurants on the Mississippi Coast, with his brother, Field Nicaud, said the goal is to open Bacchus on the Bluff in March. It is situated along Bayou Bernard and will have the same menu as Bacchus on the Beach in Pass Christian and Bacchus on the Bayou in Ocean Springs. The Bacchus restaurants are known for casual coastal fare, the Monday night pork chop special, a variety of oysters and more on the seafood-forward menu. Nicaud said there will also be a downstairs bar and a boat launch for water access. The new Lorraine Road location is situated between U.S. 90 and Interstate 10 and is about a 90-minute drive from New Orleans.

I T ’ S

Residents and city officials in Destin opposed plans last Tuesday for a new $84 million waterfront park on Holiday Isle, citing concerns that the 4-acre lot could become a commercial hub that increases traffic from tourists and disrupts life for locals. Florida recently purchased the site to build a public park with trails, pavilions and approximately 100 parking spaces. It is scheduled to open in March 2027. Once slated for an eight-story condominium, the project is part of an effort to expand access to the Gulf Coast city’s beaches amid ongoing local tensions over limited shoreline, as privately owned beaches and vendor operations have contributed to overcrowding. The plan also comes as more vacationers, drawn by less crowded beaches, turn to the Mississippi and Alabama Gulf Coast. Neighboring the tourist-heavy Norreigo Point, the waterfront park would bring far less traffic, noise and marina congestion than the original development concept, officials said in the project management plan. But several council members pushed back in the meeting held by the Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners, raising concerns with county staff members, including parks director Jeff Peters, commissioner Drew Palmer and deputy county administrator Craig Coffey. Destin council member Torey Geile argued that the board overseeing the project has “limited knowledge on the zoning guidelines and the land development regulations,” adding that a resi-

T I M E

PROVIDED PHOTO By FACEBOOK

Florida purchased land on Holiday Isle in an effort to expand access to Destin’s beaches, city officials said. dential dock would create less traffic. Destin council member Terésa Hebert emphasized the impact on nearby residents, saying that anything beyond a beach with limited parking spaces would be “a detriment to those who live there who have enjoyed their peace and quiet and don’t want to have anything extra to create more havoc and noise and disruption.” County officials said in the project management plan that the waterfront park would complement Norriego Point by offering amenities not suitable for a beach, including concession stands and food trucks. A one or two-story building would also house a small tourism office, food services and an event space. Altogether, the site could generate between $500,000 to $1 million in revenue during Destin’s busiest tourism season, from March to October, according to the plan. Earlier this year, officials announced plans for another project, Tarpon Beach Gulf Front Park, which will feature 340 feet of public beach access, restrooms

and nearly 50 free parking spaces. At the groundbreaking ceremony for the $16.75 million project, Mayor Bobby Wagner said the park was about “reclaiming the beaches for our residents, for our tourists.” Wagner has also said Destin aims to “buy and build more public beaches over the next two years. But at Tuesday’s meeting, he said residents appeared to be forced to accept a project they did not support. “The current plan seems to be getting shoved down our throats through possible pretenses that the state is requiring you guys to do,” Wagner said. “So, either you’re getting arm barred or we are feeling arm barred through the state.” He added that the project “shouldn’t be about profit margins. It should be about quality of life.” Peters, Palmer and Coffey did not respond to the concerns of residents, council members and Wagner at the meeting, but Okaloosa County created a form where people can submit questions or comments about the park.

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Poor communities are threatened by aging sewers Crucial aid is slashed under Trump

a human biologist at Washington University in St. Louis. That’s why the need for help is urgent and the struggle to get it so frustrating, advocates say. Funding from the COVIDera American Rescue Plan Act will make some sewer upgrades in Shaw, where 50 years ago Black residents won a federal civil rights lawsuit seeking the same services as White residents, including sewers. But much more work is needed and the city of fewer than 1,500 can’t afford it, said state Rep. Otis Anthony.

BY TAMMY WEBBER, MICHAEL PHILLIS and M.K. WILDEMAN Associated Press

CAHOKIA HEIGHTS, Ill. — Yvette Lyles thought of the modest brick ranch home as a Christmas present for her family. It was close to a state park where she and her kids could picnic, fish and enjoy the outdoors. A place to make memories. But she soon learned her southern Illinois community had a big problem: Recurring floods from heavy rains sent untreated sewage into streets, yards and homes where they buckled floors, cracked walls and destroyed belongings. The first time it happened after they moved in, her family was trapped inside for days. “I had to turn my back so my children wouldn’t see me cry,” Lyles said. Cahokia Heights, a mostly Black city where about one-third live in poverty, is among scores of communities nationwide with aging and decrepit wastewater systems that can put people and their homes at risk. Exposure to untreated sewage, which can enter homes by backing up through plumbing or via floods after rainwater overwhelms sewer systems, can cause illness. Such problems are often in rural areas or declining cities without the money or expertise to fix problems on their own. Now, hundreds of millions in grants and loans promised by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and former President Joe Biden’s administration to address racial and economic disparities have been canceled or targeted for elimination under President Donald Trump. The Trump administration eliminated the Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Justice office as part of its war on diversity, equity and inclusion, along with grants to hundreds of projects for infrastructure and climate adaptation in underserved communities. That included $14 million to install septic systems in majority-Black Alabama counties where many residents must pipe sewage from their homes onto their own property because it has nowhere else to go. In Thomasville, Georgia, the EPA canceled a $20 million grant, almost half to address aging sewer lines in historically Black neighborhoods. The agency said it didn’t align with administration priorities. The Trump administration also has proposed deep cuts to state revolving loan funds for drinking and wastewater projects. The Biden-era infrastructure bill allocated nearly $50 billion to those funds, with almost half meant for disadvantaged communities. Congress is considering a compromise bill that rejects

Progress in peril ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS By MICHAEL PHILLIS

yvette Lyles points to the spot on her wall reached by floodwaters in Cahokia Heights, Ill.

Standing water attracts mosquitoes near homes in Cahokia Heights, Ill. the deepest cuts, but would allow lawmakers to direct about half the money to pet projects, rather than allowing states to allocate it. “Since day one, the Trump EPA has been crystal clear that the Biden-Harris Administration shouldn’t have forced their radical agenda of wasteful DEI programs and ‘environmental justice’ preferencing on the EPA’s core mission of protecting human health and the environment,” the agency told The Associated Press. Advocates, though, say some of the worst health and environment problems are in long-overlooked minority communities, including many that lost funding. “The mischaracterization of it as DEI really masks how severe this problem is in the United States,” said Catherine Coleman Flowers, who founded the Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice and helped bring attention to the plight of people in Lowndes County, Alabama. “It’s an infrastructure issue,” she said. “It’s health and dignity.”

Decades of decline When it rains hard, sewage sometimes backs up in Patricia Johnson’s toilet and bathtub in her modest Cahokia Heights home, a problem that’s gotten worse over the years. Mosquitoes breed in the standing water. “It is just bad,” Johnson said. “I am just sad because I have never experienced water being such a problem as it is out here.” Sewer overﬂows have long been a problem. A 2024 settlement with the U.S. Justice Department requires the city to invest an estimated $30 million in upgrades, and ofﬁcials told a court they’ve

worked to divert floodwater and made other repairs. The city wouldn’t comment, but records show at least $41 million in mostly state and federal funds have been spent or sought for upgrades, with the city’s engineering firm saying tens of millions more are needed. The city said in a recent court filing that finding money is more difficult under Trump. That includes hoped-for funding from a Federal Emergency Management Agency infrastructure program — which a federal judge recently ruled was unlawfully ended by the Trump administration — to address flooding in Cahokia Heights and other St. Clair County communities. What’s more, the city lost $1.1 million the House had appropriated for a sewer project last year. The Trump administration now says that FEMA program is under review. At least 17 million Americans are served by the roughly 1,000 wastewater systems nationwide in serious violation of federal pollution limits when they discharge to local waterways. And at least 2.7 million are served by the most troubled — wastewater systems concentrated in rural areas that have consistently and repeatedly violated clean water rules and whose customers earn, on average, nearly $12,000 less per household than the U.S. average. At the same time, flooding and water quality needs over the next two decades have ballooned to at least $630 billion, according to federal data. Some of those places are stuck with oversized systems they can’t afford to maintain as residents and industry have moved away.

And some rural areas have neither sewers nor functioning septic systems, with an estimated 2.2 million Americans lacking adequate indoor plumbing, according to the EPA. The dire conditions can threaten residents’ health. In Shaw, Mississippi — a poor, majority Black town where sewers back up into homes during heavy rains — a 2023 study found that 38% of a small sample of children tested were infected with intestinal parasites like hookworms and 80% had high levels of intestinal inflammation. In Lowndes County, some residents were sickened by hookworms linked to raw sewage. And Lyles, the Cahokia Heights mom, who is among those who joined a lawsuit over the flooding, said she was infected with H. pylori, a common bacteria that can cause gut inflammation, which she believes came from sewage exposure. She said her doctor thought she must have traveled to a different country. There is a misperception that such conditions aren’t common in the U.S. anymore, said Theresa Gildner,

Some conservatives don’t believe the federal government should help fund such projects at all, or that minority and underserved communities should receive special consideration. Instead, poor places need policies that grow the local economy so they can invest in infrastructure improvements, said Jack Spencer, a senior research fellow for energy and environmental policy with the conservative Heritage Foundation. There still are major sources of financing. In November, the EPA announced $6.5 billion for wastewater and drinking water projects through a loan program, plus another $550 million that would be handed to states. There’s a smaller U.S. Department of Agriculture program that supports these needs, too. But the poorest places will have a harder time getting any of that money, said Sri Vedachalam, a water and climate expert at the infrastructure consulting firm Corvias Infrastructure Solutions. Many struggling communities lack the money, staffing or expertise to conduct needed studies and engineering reports and fill out extensive applications, experts said. The Trump administration

also canceled tens of millions in funding to centers that provided help, creating another hurdle, advocates say. The EPA says it still funds technical support to rural, small and tribal communities. “If we’re telling communities, ‘You need to pull yourself up by your bootstraps or ﬁgure this out for yourself,’ OK,” said Rebecca Lewison, executive director at the Center for Energy and Environmental Justice in California, which lost $8 million from a Biden-era grant to help struggling communities. “But to be able to do that, you need assistance.” Many communities are at a loss about what happens now. In Alabama, Sherry Bradley said she reworded any material describing a project to install specially engineered septic systems in Lowndes and two other rural counties, trying to stay under the radar as Trump began cutting grants. “‘Environmental justice,’ we took that out. We took out ‘poverty,’” said Bradley, executive director of the nonproﬁt Black Belt Unincorporated Wastewater Program, which already had received $8 million for the project. Also deleted: “African American,” “climate change,” “disadvantaged” and “Gulf of Mexico.” But the grant was canceled anyway, leaving hundreds of residents in limbo. Money from earlier grants helped install 160 systems in Lowndes County and will pay for about 30 more, Bradley said. State health officials say 600 have asked for help. Bradley said people are constantly asking when it will be their turn to get a septic system. “When I look at their faces, I see that they’ve lost hope and that’s not a good feeling,” said Bradley, choking back tears. “We are the forgotten ones.”

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Witness dispute delays murder trial Ankle-monitoring employee failed to report violations, attorney says

BY AIDAN MCCAHILL Staff writer

A high-profile trial to determine whether an ankle monitoring company, its owner and an employee were responsible for a murder-suicide that shocked the St. Francisville community is expected to be delayed, after prosecutors appealed a court decision this week denying their use of a

key expert witness. The owner on trial and the expert witness in question are former business partners. The case stems from the death of Peggy Rayburn, a well-known St. Francisville resident who was killed by her estranged husband, Marshall Rayburn, in September 2021. At the time, Marshall Rayburn was out on a $100,000 bond and

under a restraining order that barred him from going near Peggy Rayburn. She had reported to police that he had been drugging and raping her for years before ﬁling for divorce. In the weeks before the murder-suicide, Rayburn repeatedly violated his bond by stalking his estranged wife — despite wearing an ankle monitor that tracked his location on a minute-

by-minute basis. One night, he parked down the road from her home, wrapped his monitor in foil and duct tape to block its signal, then shot Peggy Rayburn and a neighbor who tried to intervene before turning the gun on himself. At no point during that night, or in the preceding weeks, did American Electronic Monitoring, a Tupelo, Mississippi-based ankle

monitoring company responsible for tracking Rayburn, notify authorities. In 2022, a grand jury charged the company, its owner, Van Hopkins, and employee Deborah Shirley with negligent homicide. Prosecutors say Shirley, who was responsible for monitoring Rayburn’s movements, failed to report multiple violations to law enforcement, including on the night of the murder. At the time,

ä See WITNESS, page 2B

PROVIDED PHOTO By LSU

LSU System President Wade Rousse, left, and Chief Financial Officer Brandi Bush Roberts

LSU president names new CFO Brandi Bush Roberts will oversee statewide finances

BY MATTHEW ALBRIGHT

Staff writer

A top LSU financial administrator is moving up to a new role as chief financial officer of the LSU system, President Wade Rousse announced Friday. Brandi Bush Roberts is a longtime LSU official who has been serving as chief of staff to the executive vice president for finance and administration. She will report directly to Rousse and oversee financial operations across all the universities in the system, according to a news release. “Dr. Roberts is a proven, mission-driven leader with the technical expertise and steady judgment required to help guide the LSU System’s financial future,” Rousse said in the release. “Her record of service and her commitment to transparency and accountability will strengthen our ability to invest strategically in

STAFF PHOTOS By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Monica Murphy encourages protesters to blow kisses to hecklers during a protest of the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency organized by Indivisible Baton Rouge at the corner of Jefferson Highway and Corporate Boulevard on Saturday.

RISING VOICES ABOVE: Gabriela DeJean, of LSU Students for a Democratic Society, leads a chant during an anti-ICE protest. LEFT: Jessica Converse leads a crowd in chants during an anti-ICE protest.

ä See LSU, page 2B

Charge downgraded for Judge to retire from District Court Alvin Batiste Jr. mom in toddler’s death had been in role But now state prosecutors are conState no longer believes vinced it was actually Cardwell’s livein boyfriend who struck the fatal blows she inflicted deadly that killed Nevaeh. The state reduced injuries, prosecutors say Cardwell’s murder indictment to a

charge of second-degree cruelty to a juvenile this week. During a Tuesday afternoon hearing Staff writer inside the 19th Judicial District CourtAbout four years ago, Lanaya house, Cardwell pleaded not guilty Cardwell was indicted for second-de- to the amended charge, according to gree murder in the death of her 2-year- court records. District Judge Fred old daughter Nevaeh Allen. At that Crifasi set a Jan. 27 hearing and set time, authorities believed Cardwell’s Cardwell’s trial to begin Feb. 2. attack on her daughter led to the todä See MOM, page 2B dler’s death.

BY MATT BRUCE

for 23 years

BY AIDAN McCAHILL Staff writer

18th Judicial District Court Judge Alvin Batiste Jr. is set to retire at the end of the month, after 23 years of serving citizens of Iberville, West Baton Rouge and Pointe Coupee from the bench. Colleagues weighing in on his career described a man known for unwavering compassion and fairness.

“I’ve practiced before many judges,” said District Attorney Tony Clayton. “He’s the quintessential jurist. Batiste He’s fair, he’s conscientious, he‘s compassionate,” adding he couldn’t remember a case where Batiste didn’t exude those qualities. “In law enforcement and prosecution, we always want to have the heavy hand and hit ’em hard,” said Iberville Parish Sheriff Brett Stassi. “But he would show me and tell me how compassion could

be added in that, when it was needed.” Born in New Orleans, Batiste, 70, moved to Baton Rouge as a child when his father, the late, great jazz clarinetist Alvin Batiste, launched a jazz institute at Southern University. He would later attend Southern for undergrad and law school, beginning his legal career in 1981 as an officer and lawyer for the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General Corp. After his honorable discharge in 1985, he worked as a public defender in East Baton Rouge,

ä See JUDGE, page 2B

2B ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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Acadiana chef offers new twist on king cakes MOM

Continued from page 1B

Tasting flights mix savory, sweet, traditional, novel BY JA’KORI MADISON

Staff writer

In Louisiana, king cake is more than dessert. It’s a tradition. This Carnival season, an Acadiana culinary creator is offering a new twist on sampling the flavors. Instead of committing to a single cake, customers can experience a variety of flavors at once, said Javashia Guy, of GraceFull Creations and the creator of King Cake Flights. From praline pecan and banana pudding king cakes to jalapeno cream cheese and other savory options, the flight allows customers to sample multiple flavors in one sitting. Guy’s king cake flavors also include Oreo cheesecake, Gentilly, crawfish boudin and apple crisp, all of which can be ordered whole, as part of a flight or as a single piece. “I didn’t want to be like everyone else,” Guy said. “I love traditional, but I wanted to give people a variety experience with king cake.” Her most popular flavors include the praline pecan and banana pudding king cakes, while the crawfish boudin king cake remains a standout for those willing to try something savory. Last Carnival season, she debuted the crawfish boudin king cake, made with croissant-style dough, stuffed with boudin and cheese, and topped with a spicy crawfish queso. The cake went viral across social media platforms, introducing her to a much wider audience and reinforcing her belief that king cake can be more than one thing. “The crawfish king cake is always a hit,” Guy said. “That creation showed me people were ready for something different.” Her praline pecan king cake also stands out, topped with a hardened, crunchy crust that pairs perfectly with the soft dough beneath. “That crunch is what makes it Southern,” Guy said. “It’s hardened on top but easy to break apart, so you can share it.” The Gentilly and apple crisp king cakes lean fully into familiarity. The Gentilly flavor is iced in vanilla and topped with fresh strawberries and blueberries, while the apple crisp king cake channels comfort food, with cooked-down apples and

PROVIDED PHOTOS

King Cake Flights allow customers to sample a variety of sweet and savory flavors in one sitting. caramel layered into the filling and finished with a crisp topping made from broken pieces that mimic a traditional apple crisp. The most challenging flavor to perfect was the jalapeno cream cheese king cake topped with bacon. Guy knew savory belonged in the flight, but achieving balance took time. “That one kept me up,” she said. “I needed something savory that wouldn’t overpower everything else.” Despite its ingredients, it is intentionally mild and even if your spice tolerance is low, it still works, Guy said. Social media has played a central role in Guy’s growth. With more than 200,000 followers on TikTok, she has turned online engagement into real-world success. During the pandemic, she leaned into TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook not just for content, but as business tools. That led her to extend her business beyond desserts. Guy also sells seasonings, runs a catering business and has written multiple cookbooks, including a Louisiana-focused 337 cookbook and a date-night themed book complete with playlists. She has also published an illustrated children’s book focused on kitchen

LSU

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our campuses, our people, and our statewide impact.” The LSU Board of Supervisors recently separated the job of system president and chancellor of the flagship campus in Baton Rouge, with Rousse in the former role and James Dalton in the latter. Former president William Tate was responsible for both. Roberts, who has a doctorate in higher education administration from LSU, spent more than a decade overseeing financial operations for LSU Auxiliary Services. Then, as chief of staff to LSU’s executive vice president for finance and administration, she played a major role in handling LSU’s $3.6 billion budget. The release points to Roberts’ role in reducing the university’s property insurance premiums by $1.5 million. Rousse and Dalton are replacing many top positions at LSU after top leaders left around the same time as Tate — including Kimberly Lewis, the former vice president for finance and administration, who followed Tate to Rutgers University.

she told police she had fallen asleep, according to court filings. The trial was scheduled to begin on Jan. 12, but on Wednesday, District Attorney Sam D’Aquilla filed an appeal challenging the court’s decision to block Matt Dennis, director of the New Orleans-based Assured Supervision Accountability Program, from serving as an expert witness. The writ, filed with the Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal, argues that Dennis is qualified, having worked as a bail bondsman for over 30 years and in ankle monitoring for 11. Yet Dennis is also Hopkins’ former business partner. For years, the two ran a monitoring program together in New Orleans. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dennis accused Hopkins of seeking to jack up prices. In a scathing letter, he said his partner had become fixated on profits while losing sight of their shared mission: protecting public

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JUDGE

Continued from page 1B then as an assistant attorney general for the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. Batiste moved to Iberville in 1992, where he opened a law ﬁrm with his late wife. After working as the parish’s chief administrative officer in the late ’90s and early 2000s, he ran for judgeship in Iberville in 2002. “It’s been the highest honor of my life to be elected by the citizens of Iberville Parish,” he said. “The faith and trust they placed in me to do the job.” He ran unopposed in Division

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C for the next two decades, handling tens of thousands of criminal, civil, family and juvenile cases. The wealth of experience shaped him into a natural mentor for younger judges. “He’s gonna be missed because he’s always been a good role model,” said District Judge J. Kevin Kimball. “He always handled himself in a professional manner.” “He has always been a trusted mentor to me,” said District Judge Elizabeth Engolio. “He has served our community with integrity and unwavering commitment. ... I will truly miss him.” Batiste said the biggest change he’s seen throughout his career is the rise of gun violence, both in

Among the king cake creations from Javashia Guy is crawfish boudin. safety, all with the goal of creating generational legacy. “I really love what I do,” Guy said. “Being able to create, share and see people enjoy something I made means everything to me.” For those looking to place an order for King Cake Flights, single

pieces or whole cakes, pickup is available at 1 p.m. on Saturdays only. King Cake Flights are $25, regular whole king cakes are $25, specialty king cakes are $35, and crawﬁsh king cakes are $55. Orders must be prepaid at the time of ordering and can be placed by calling (337) 967-8762.

safety. “We all agreed on day one that profit would not be our motive, and I alone still believe this,” Dennis wrote in the March 2021 letter. “I will not allow you to victimize my customers for your personal gain.” Now, Dennis could sit opposite Hopkins on the witness stand, helping a jury decide whether his former partner’s actions amount to negligent homicide, a charge that carries up to ﬁve years in prison and a $5,000 ﬁne. D’Aquilla said Dennis, whose company supervises 400 individuals in Orleans Parish — as well as those in other parishes and in the state of Michigan — was one of the few viable experts in the Southern United States. “They don’t have a lot of experts in that field. We really searched around,” D’Aquilla said. “We need somebody to explain the process. We don’t want to get into the middle of the trial and need to get him qualified. It’s gonna delay it more.” According to the writ, Dennis has also helped shape recent state legislation. In 2024, Act

746 was passed, requiring ankle monitoring companies to notify law enforcement within 24 hours of a defendant’s violation, and imposing stricter penalties for failure to do so. The law was largely a response to the Rayburn case, which officials have described as the first of its kind. “This is the first one that was ever indicted. We started it,” said D’Aquilla. Before the law passed, D’Aquilla said ankle monitoring was a largely unregulated wild west where oversight varied by jurisdiction. Some agencies partnered with specific companies, while in other areas judges recommended firms they knew or defendants simply picked one themselves, paying about $10 a day. Many arrangements were informal, based on verbal agreements between law enforcement and monitoring providers. “They didn’t have to do anything, and they didn’t do anything,” said D’Aquilla. “But (the laws are) getting stronger every legislative session.” D’Aquilla said he expects the trial to begin in the summer, which would be nearly five years after Peggy Rayburn’s death.

urban and rural areas of the three parishes he’s served. “That’s the sad part about it,” he said. “It seems as if most of the young kids, rather than resolving their differences through nonviolence, the first thing they are doing is picking up their gun.” Yet some things remain the same. Batiste recalled one of his first civil cases, in which the plaintiff in East Baton Rouge argued the burning of sugar cane stubs across the Mississippi River was causing respiratory illness. Last week, the Baton Rouge and St. George fire departments received calls about ashes falling from the sky for the same reason. “That was one of my first cas-

es,” he said. “It is still an issue.” He plans to spend retirement traveling and gathering his father’s previously unreleased music. Batiste said he’ll miss the people he worked with the most, including court personnel, district attorneys, sheriffs and his staff: administrative assistant Gwen Carter and court reporter Cassie Chenevert. Looking back, Batiste said he’s most proud of embodying the same compassion and fairness others have long seen in him. “Everyone that appeared in my court, I tried to treat them the same way I would want to be treated,” he added. “That’s with respect and opportunity to be heard.”

The amended indictment erases the prospect of a mandatory life sentence for Cardwell. She still faces up to 20 years in prison if a jury finds her guilty of juvenile cruelty. She’s remained behind bars awaiting trial since September 2021. Cardwell was arrested days after Nevaeh’s death. According to court records, Cardwell was in the bathroom preparing to go to work that morning when Nevaeh picked up her contact lenses and ripped one. Cardwell became enraged and struck her daughter in the torso with a closed fist. Nevaeh fell backward and hit her head on a cabinet before her mother “forcefully grabbed” her and took her to another room. Neveah was crying and had a large bruise on her forehead when she came out of the room. P h i l l i p K e g a n G a r d n e r, Cardwell’s then-fiancé, told Baton Rouge police that from the next room, it sounded like “two adults fighting.” Gardner said he returned to the family’s Belaire apartment along West La Belle Avenue after dropping Cardwell off at work that morning. He had Nevaeh, her 3-year-old sister and 11-month-old brother with him. According to Gardner’s story to investigators, Neveah complained of a stomachache and refused to eat when he tried to feed the young children later that morning. He told her to lay down on the couch, and she fell asleep. When he tried to wake her up hours later, Nevaeh was unresponsive even when he gently slapped her face. He said she had bubbles in her mouth, her face had begun to turn blue, and she had no pulse. He lifted her arm, and she was so limp that her limb fell back onto the couch. Gardner said he performed CPR in an attempt to resuscitate Nevaeh, but she remained unconscious. He told officers he stuffed Nevaeh’s lifeless body into a suitcase, then drove to Mississippi, where he buried the child’s remains in a shallow grave deep in the woods along the Pearl River. When he returned home, Gardner reported Nevaeh missing and told authorities she’d possibly been kidnapped from the family’s apartment. Dozens of law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, spent four days searching for Nevaeh across two states. Hundreds of first responders frantically scoured until Gardner confessed that he dumped Nevaeh’s remains and made up the story of her disappearance to conceal Cardwell’s attack on the child. Gardner was tried for his role in the child’s death last May and a jury found him guilty of seconddegree murder and obstruction of justice at the end of the two-week trial. Crifasi sentenced him to life in prison. Prosecutors believed for years it was Cardwell’s beating that killed Nevaeh. But during Gardner’s trial, East Baton Rouge Deputy Coroner Yen Van Vo testified that the girl suffered at least 12 distinct blows to the head. Vo is the forensic pathologist who conducted Nevaeh’s autopsy, and she attributed the toddler’s death to her head wounds. Vo testified that the effects of those blows would’ve been immediately apparent. Video surveillance showed Nevaeh leaving home with the family after Cardwell allegedly struck her in the stomach and returning home with Gardner later that morning. She was walking upright and showed no effects of any injury in the videos. During an Oct. 16 hearing, Assistant District Attorney Kathleen Barrios Heap said that convinced prosecutors it was Gardner who inflicted the fatal head injuries while he was alone in the apartment with Nevaeh and the two other toddlers. State prosecutors also recovered evidence that Gardner never clued Cardwell in on the kidnapping hoax, and she believed her daughter was missing for days, along with law enforcement. Cardwell rejected a plea deal during that October hearing that would have capped her sentence at 10 years.

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Kenner chief welcomes Border Patrol presence Keith Conley’s close ties with feds stir mixed reactions ahead of reelection campaign BY LARA NICHOLSON Staff writer

Over the last month, the whereabouts of U.S. Border Patrol agents in the New Orleans area at any given time have largely been a mystery to the public, the media and most public ofﬁcials. But one person has gotten a head’s up from time to time: Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley. Conley has cooperated with Operation Catahoula Crunch since the Border Patrol began operations in the New Orleans area in December. That has led to a rapport with Commander-At-Large Gregory Bovino that Conley said includes 15-minute notices of Border Patrol activity about to happen in Kenner. As Border Patrol completes the first month of its south Louisiana operation, Conley has emerged as the main elected ofﬁcial publicly supporting federal agents’ presence while he oversees law enforcement for the city with the highest Hispanic population per capita in Louisiana and the site of the most immigration enforcement activity recently. Conley called Kenner the “opposite of a sanctuary city” on Fox News before the operation and later ordered a police blockade to separate federal agents from protesters and media following behind, the first time a local police department assisted Border Patrol operations, according to Bovino. In the last month, Conley has received over 100 interview requests, according to campaign manager Greg Buisson, as other Kenner and Jefferson Parish officials stay mum on the issue to avoid political backlash. In return, Bovino has sung Conley’s praises on social media and provided information on agents’ whereabouts that Border Patrol has provided to police counterparts in other Democratic cities, including New Orleans Mayor-elect Helena Moreno. Border Patrol operates independently of the Kenner Police Department and did not share strategic operation plans with Conley, however. “I welcome it, because if you don’t have communication then you really don’t know what’s going on,” Conley said in an interview. “I’m not the kind of guy that likes to get blindsided by anyone.” Buisson added that Conley’s support will likely pay off in the long run when it comes to seeking additional federal support through grants. “He understands how government really works,” Buisson said. But Border Patrol’s presence — and Conley’s response to it — have drawn a mixed response from constituents. Kenner residents, immigration advocates and

New Orleans officials alike have accused federal agents of using a dragnet approach based on racial profiling and have called on Kenner police to end their cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement under the Kenner Police Department’s controversial 287(g) agreement, spearheaded by Conley. “The damage to our community’s trust is a burden we all share,” Greg Piper, a Kenner resident, told the Kenner City Council on Thursday night. “Chief, I’m asking you to consider terminating the 287(g) agreement. … Doing this would be a powerful gesture to restore the bonds that have been broken.” Conley said his focus is on getting those who are undocumented with criminal backgrounds off the street — which to him has been a long-standing issue — and that he welcomes whatever additional resources or manpower are offered. “It (immigration) is on a political stage now, but to me, it is still what it’s always been, just law and order,” Conley said. “I hope that’s what it is for everybody else that’s working toward that end.” Conley said he believes Border Patrol operations have targeted undocumented immigrants with the “worst of the worst” criminal backgrounds, and that they aren’t “just roaming the streets going for undocumented people.” He added that social media has been flooded with misinformation and “clickbait,” and said that protesters who take actions like blowing whistles at federal agents “distracts from the mission.” Conley also said his department will investigate any allegations of profiling by police officers brought to the department. In response to concerns from the Hispanic community, Conley said his department is also compiling a list of “most wanted” individuals with illegal status so the public can assist in identifying and arresting them. “The only thing I can do is just be open, honest and transparent,” Conley said. “I’ll still get called a racist, I’ll still get called a liar. I’m good with that. That comes with the job, but I’m always going to be called honest and transparent.” Fewer than 10% of the people captured in Catahoula Crunch’s first week had criminal backgrounds. Nationally, research suggests that undocumented immigrants commit crimes less than U.S.-born people. In May, voters will decide whether they want Conley, a Republican, to serve another term as chief. “If you’re appalled by Border Patrol, you should be appalled by Keith Conley’s decision to collaborate with

ICE,” said Rachel Taber, an organizer with Union Migrante who is seeking to run opposition candidates in all Kenner races this spring. Beating Conley could be difficult, though, given Kenner’s heavily Republican voting base. Conley said he would welcome a challenger and that his constituents have often expressed to him their support for his handling of the Border Patrol’s presence. Kenner Mayor Michael Glaser and several City Council members praised Conley’s leadership of the Police Department but declined to comment on BorSTAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER der Patrol issues. At Thurs- Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley, right, chats with some of his staff on Monday. Conley has day’s City Council meeting, cooperated with Operation Catahoula Crunch since the Border Patrol began operations in Conley said crime decreased 15% overall last year, which the New Orleans area in December. follows a steady downward trend in recent years. in 2022, as well as a collec- force model, which allows cense will result in an arrest. “A 30-year policy here tion of police news releases officers to enforce some Before Border Patrol detailing arrests of undocu- immigration activity dur- in Kenner is if you’re drivConley said Bovino called mented people accused of ing routine police duties, ing and never been issued a personally to notify him various violent crimes since such as identifying undocu- driver’s license, you’re going of Catahoula Crunch the then. mented immigrants at DUI to jail,” Conley said. “That’s weekend before its launch. Without documentation to checkpoints and sharing just the way it’s been, and Conley asked how he could identify suspects, he said, that information with ICE. I’m not changing that.” support the agents. crimes at all levels become Across the river, Gretna Conley argues that the “Really?” Bovino asked significantly harder to solve. police also joined the task 287(g) program is a “force him, seemingly surprised, “I was screaming for force program in August. multiplier” for Kenner poConley recalled. help,” he said. “This was beConley said he told Landry lice and offers them access Over the next month, Bo- fore Gov. Landry and before about the program after to additional information, vino would have sporadic President Trump, and we joining, prompting the gov- training and equipment exchanges with Conley. He just weren’t getting much ernor to sign Louisiana’s law at no cost to the departshowed up unannounced to traction.” enforcement agencies onto ment. He said officers arKenner police’s headquar287(g) as well. rest undocumented imA spokesperson for Gov. migrants during “every ters while Conley was at a 287(g) controversy dentist appointment, and Kenner police joined the Jeff Landry did not return a shift” for varying levels of waited an hour for him to 287(g) program under the request for comment Friday crime. return. He made a surprise jail enforcement model in evening. “I can’t discriminate as to Critics, including Taber, what laws I’m going to enappearance at a Kenner Po- March after the Trump adlice Academy graduation ministration began promot- have said that Kenner’s force or what laws I’m not, the following night. And in ing participation. Under 287(g) agreement more of- because that would make his office, Conley displays that model, police officers ten punishes undocumented me a tyrant,” Conley said. Bovino’s “challenge coin,” have access to databases to immigrants who are pulled “I don’t think you want to a token of respect in law en- see whether a suspect in jail over for minor traffic viola- elect somebody that’s goforcement circles. has an immigration detainer tions, not those with major ing to come in and pick and The U.S. Department of placed on them rather than criminal backgrounds. State choose.” Homeland Security said requesting federal agents to law prohibits undocumented Friday that the agency has screen suspects themselves. people from getting driver’s Email Lara Nicholson at made 560 arrests in the New Kenner police have since licenses, while city law says lnicholson@theadvocate. Orleans area but did not re- also joined the 287(g) task that driving without a li- com. spond to a separate request for comment regarding Conley. Conley, a Metairie native, was elected as police chief in 2022 with 69% of the vote. He has built a lengthy political résumé that includes stints as chief administrative officer to former Jefferson Parish President Mike Yenni as well as holding seats on the Jefferson Parish Council and Kenner City Council. He also served as Kenner city attorney and a Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputy for 21 years. During and after that campaign, Conley said business owners and community leaders, including from the Hispanic community, expressed concerns regarding border issues and an increase in undocumented immigrants, even as candidates from the election cycle cited polls showing that most Kenner residents felt safe. Conley pointed to recruitment efforts by the 18th Street Gang out of Bonnabel High School that the department began investigating

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Obituaries Adam, Verdi

Verdi Adam passed away peacefully on December 30, 2025, surrounded by family and friends. Verdi was very kind and loved his family and friends more than anything. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Ugur Adam; his daughter, Suna Adam (Ben Fontenot); and his grandchildren, Kent Knaus (Shay Westman), Erol Knaus (Hannah Knaus), and Tamer Knaus (Annie Villarubia). Verdi was born August 7, 1930, in Istanbul, Turkey, and attended Robert College, graduating in civil engineering in 1952. Verdi then moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he received his M.S. in civil engineering from LSU in 1954. His career began with the then Louisiana Highway Department, later LaDOTD, where he became an internationally recognized expert in the areas of paving, structural materials and pavement design. He served as Chief Engineer for the Offices of Highways and Aviation, Director of Construction and Maintenance Division, and Materials and Research Engineering of DOTD. Verdi also served as the Chief of Paving and Structural Materials Group of the U.S. Department of Transportation, where he assisted the U.S. Congress and FHWA in formulating national transportation policies. He also served as Chairman of the Board of the Louisiana Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, and he taught highway engineering courses at LSU as an Adjunct Associate Professor. Verdi was appointed to the Louisiana Highways and Transportation Hall of Honor in 1998 and was awarded the Industry Recognition Award in 1970 for his outstanding contributions to the asphalt pavement industry. Verdi was appointed to the LSU College of Civil and Environmental Engineering Hall of Distinction honors in 2002. Verdi retired from state government in 1986 after a 32-year career. Verdi then went on to spend 33 years as president of GEC, Inc where he grew and ran a state-wide firm of over 200 employees in design, planning, and management of a diverse array of projects for hundreds of Federal, state, local, and private clients nationwide. Verdi was heavily involved in projects such as designing sections of I-49, serving as the engineering firm of record for the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, the Louisiana TIMED Program which included portions of the John James Audubon Mississippi River Bridge and 500 miles of improved roads across Louisiana. Verdi retired from GEC in 2019 at the age of 89. There will be a Celebration of Life on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, from 2:00pm to 5:00pm at City Club, Baton Rouge.

Cooper, Patrick Brooks

Dr. Patrick Brooks Cooper passed away on January 8, 2026, peacefully at home and surrounded by family after a two-year battle with cancer. He was born March 11, 1949, in Minden, Louisiana, and raised in Springhill. Pat earned his Bachelor of Science, Master of Education, and Specialist of Education degrees from Louisiana State University, and completed his Doctorate of Education at the University of Northern Colorado. Pat lived a life of uncommon purpose, guided by faith, humor, and a fierce belief that the most vulnerable among us de-

serve joyful and unwavering advocacy. A lifelong champion of underdogs, his attention was always drawn to those most often overlooked—children with disabilities, families in crisis, and young people navigating systems that failed to see their full humanity. His career began teaching children with emotional and behavioral disabilities at the Blundon Home in Baton Rouge, where he showed a rare ability to see possibility where others saw only problems. He went on to supervise student teachers at Southern University and LSU, before joining the Louisiana State Department of Education. There, he served in multiple leadership roles, including Assistant Superintendent for the Office of Special Education, becoming a powerful advocate for children and families with special needs. Pat later returned to LSU as Executive Assistant to Chancellor Wharton, where he worked on academic initiatives and—much to his delight—served as liaison to the LSU Athletic Department, securing legendary 50-yard-line tickets treasured by friends and family for decades. The fullest expression of Pat's vision came during his years as Superintendent of Schools in West Feliciana Parish, McComb, MS, and Lafayette, LA He believed deeply in educating the whole child—from birth through career or college—and led districts to implement Birth-to-Five programs, teen parenting centers, on-campus daycare, and integrated mental health services. In West Feliciana Parish, he helped create the state's first fully integrated school health model operated by a school district. During his tenure in McComb every school was renovated or rebuilt, graduation rates rose from 75% to 90%, and juvenile crime dropped by 70%. Pat also challenged communities to confront racial and economic divides honestly, believing progress required truth and reconciliation. His innovative use of public and private funding led to national work in Washington, DC with the National School Health Education Coalition, where he testified before Congress on early childhood education and systemic reform. After Hurricane Katrina, Pat returned to New Orleans to help create the Mahalia Jackson Early Childhood and Family Learning Center, a groundbreaking hub providing coordinated services for families with dignity and care. Though he authored numerous publications and consulted in more than 45 states, accolades never mattered to Pat. What mattered were the children steadied, the families seen, and the educators inspired to teach with rigor and compassion. Beyond his work, Pat was a devout Catholic with a legendary sense of humor. He loved his family fiercely, delighted in movies, and remained forever loyal to Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan. He could make a room laugh as easily as he could make it think. Pat was preceded in death by his parents, Ellis and Ione Cooper; siblings Mike Cooper, Ellis Cooper, and Crin Del Henry; and nephews Alex Cooper and Kelly O'Neal. He is survived by his daughters, Brooke Pickett Lindhout (Joris) and Kelly Pickett-Gutierrez (Blas Isasi), their mother Susan Mayo Cooper, and his grandsons, Juno Pickett Lindhout and Alfie PickettGutierrez. He is also survived by his siblings Nancy Oliver (Saul), Steve Cooper (Debbie), and Donald Cooper (Anita), along with many beloved nieces, nephews, and grandnieces and nephews. To honor Pat's legacy, donations may be made to Zero to Three, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, or the Southern Poverty Law Center. A Mass will be held at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Minden, Louisiana, on Saturday, January 24, at 11:00 a.m. A reception will be held from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM on 2026-01-24 at St. Paul's Catholic Church, 410 Fincher Road. A reception will be held from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM on 2026-01-24 at St. Paul's Catholic Church Parish Hall, 410 Fincher Road.

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deGeneres, Amile Gross

Amile Gross deGeneres, former long time resident of Clinton, passed away on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. He was 82 years old and was a former employee of James River Corporation. Memorial visitation will be at Charlet Funeral Home in Zachary on Monday Jan. 12, 2026 from 2pm until 5pm. Memorial service will begin at 4pm. He is survived by his 2 children, Tim deGeneres and wife, Lelia and Amy deGeneres and Bennie Rimes. Sister-in-law, Kathy deGeneres. 5 grandchildren, Kalyn Metcalfe and husband, Troy, Beaux Tanner, Kailey Tanner and husband, Josh, Lane deGeneres and Dalton deGeneres. 4 great grandchildren, Tanner Metcalfe, Olson Metcalfe, Jennings Metcalfe and Ajax Delaughter. He is preceded in death by his parents, Leonard and Olevia deGeneres and his brothers, Lloyd and Leonard deGeneres, Jr. Amile was a 1963 graduated of Clinton High School. He enjoyed fishing and was a cattle farmer for many years. Share sympathies at www.CharletFuneralHome. com.

DePaula, Frank J.

Dr. Frank J. DePaula, born on February 17, 1935, in Hammond, Louisiana, passed away peacefully on January 7, 2026, at the age of 90. He was a longtime resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Frank proudly served his country in the United States Air Force before beginning a distinguished career in dentistry. He was a graduate of Loyola University School of Dentistry in New Orleans and devoted 48 years to the practice of dentistry, serving his patients with skill, integrity, and compassion. He was a respected member of the Louisiana Dental Association and served on the Louisiana State Board of Dentistry, contributing significantly to the advancement of his profession. Deeply rooted in his faith, Frank was an active member of St. Thomas More Catholic Church, where he served in various leadership positions and participated faithfully in volunteer and prayer ministries. His commitment to service extended into the community through his involvement with the Lions Club, where he served as President and was honored as Lion of the Year. Frank was an avid golfer and longtime member of Fairwood Country Club and Greystone Golf and Country Club. He took great pride in "shooting his age" and delighted in sharing the story of his hole-in-one at the age of 82. A skilled carpenter and the family's beloved "Mr. Fix-It," there was no problem he could not solve and no repair he could not handle. His weekends, and later his retirement, were devoted to caring for his meticulously maintained lawn, a true labor of love admired by all who passed by. He was preceded in death by his parents, Steve and Phyllis DePaula. Frank is survived by his loving wife of 70 years, Carolyn McCarty DePaula; his children, Dawn (Mike) Knuckles, Dina (Bill) Dow, and Stephen (Karen) DePaula; his grandchildren, Daniel DePaula, Matthew DePaula, Keith DePaula, Emily Martinez, Amie (Joshua) Martinez Duke, Andrew (Carlee) Knuckles, and Bradley (Veronica) Knuckles; two great-grandchildren; his brother, Joseph (Josie) A. DePaula; and numerous beloved nieces and nephews. Visitation will be held on January 16, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 11441 Goodwood Blvd., Baton

Rouge, LA 70815. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 10:00 a.m. Committal services will take place at Greenoaks Memorial Park, 9595 Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70815, at 11:15 a.m. Pallbearers honored to serve are Daniel DePaula, Matthew DePaula, Keith DePaula, Andrew Knuckles, Bradley Knuckles, Joshua Duke, Bill Dow, and Rick Davis. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Catholic Community Media (Radio), St. Thomas More Catholic School, or the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN).

after at Plains Presbyterian Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to A Place of Restoration (A.P.O.R.), P.O. Box 1182, Gray, LA 70359. Share sympathies, condolences, and memories

Hardy, Dorothy Amman

Hall Jr., John Douglas

and she especially cherished the time she spent with her grandchildren. The family requests that visitation be observed on Saturday, January 17, 2026, from 11:00 AM until time of services. A Rosary will be recited at 1:00 PM at Martin & Castille's Southside location. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mrs. Dorothy Amman Hardy's name to The Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation (5526 West 13400 South, #510 Herriman, Utah 84096) or to Moncus Park: Lafayette Central Park, Inc. (2901 Johnston Street, Suite 304, Lafayette, LA 70503). View the obituary and guestbook online at www.mourning.com Martin & Castille SOUTHSIDE, 600 E. Farrel Road, Lafayette, Louisiana 70508, 337-984-2811

LaFleur, Cedric

Doug Hall, Jr., age 33, passed away peacefully on January 02, 2026. Born on March 10, 1992, Doug was the devoted husband to Daniela Hall; beloved son of John Douglas Hall, Sr., and Paige Parker Hall; and a loving brother to Magen A. Hamil, husband Corey. He was a proud uncle to Samuel Douglas Hamil and was joyfully awaiting the birth of his daughter, Harlow Grace Hall. His memory will live on forever in their hearts. Doug was the grandson of Gilbert S. Parker, Jr., Patricia A. Parker, Charles R. Hall, Sr., and Lucille M. Hall. He was also cherished by his many aunts, uncles, and cousins, whose lives he touched deeply. Pallbearers are Bobby Bynum, Jr. Bryan Hall, Brandon Lee, Brendon Legett, Cade Leblanc, Danny Beier, John Vinson and Taylor Guilbeau. Doug was a devout Christian, whose faith was central to his life, guiding his actions and inspiring those around him. We know he is now with Jesus. Doug proudly served in the United States Marine Corps from 2010 until his honorable discharge in 2018. During his service, he exemplified honor, integrity and dedication. He loved life deeply—cherishing moments with his loving wife, traveling, fishing, hunting, and sharing adventures with family and friends. He was witty, fun-loving and always wanted the best for everyone. He valued his mission trips to Mexico and Honduras, where he was able to provide spiritual guidance and lived out his walk of faith through service to others. In serving others, Doug found his own faith profoundly deepened, often saying that he learned far more from those he served than he could ever have given in return. His vibrant personality and generous spirit made him loved by all who knew him. Doug's kindness, strength, and unwavering loyalty touched many lives, and his legacy of love, faith, and service will be forever cherished and continue to inspire us all. Funeral services are being handled through Charlet Funeral Home in Zachary, La. Services will be at the First Baptist Church in Zachary, LA. Visitation will be from 9:0011:30, and a celebration service will begin at 11:30 with his burial immediately

Memorial Services will be held on Saturday, January 17, 2026, at 1:30 PM in Martin & Castille's La Fleur de Lis Chapel for Dorothy Amman Hardy, age 81, who passed away on Sunday, January 4, 2026, in Lafayette, Louisiana. Deacon Robert Klingman will officiate at the services. Dorothy Amman Hardy of Lafayette died on January 4, 2026. Born on June 5, 1944, in Monroe, Louisiana, Dottie was the daughter of Frederic Charles Amman, Jr. and Dorothy Turpin Amman. She graduated from Neville High School in 1962 and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Hollins College in 1966. While at Hollins, Dottie spent a year abroad in France, which sparked a lifelong love of travel. She was one of a few women who entered LSU Law School in 1966 and received her Juris Doctor in 1969. Following law school, Dottie served as a law clerk for Judge Herbert W. Christenberry of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana in New Orleans. After taking time away from her profession to raise her children, Dottie resumed her career as a judicial clerk to Judge George Bradford "Bumpy" Ware, Sr. and Judge John D. Trahan of the Fifteenth Judicial District Court of Louisiana. She was preceded in death by her parents and by her first husband, George Washington Hardy, III. She is survived by her husband, William Francis Bailey of Lafayette, Louisiana; her three children, Donna J. Hartley of Dallas, Texas, Melissa Amman Hardy of Lafayette, Louisiana, and George Washington Hardy, IV of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; her stepchildren, John Holbrook Hardy, David Hill Hardy, Allison Elizabeth Hardy, Jennifer Bailey Frederick, William Francis Bailey, Jr., Christopher Burns Bailey, and Kate Bailey Labue; her beloved grandchildren, great grandchildren, and greatgreat grandchildren; her sister, Evelyn Amman Hahn of Atlanta, Georgia and her brothers, Frederic Charles Amman III (Martha) of Monroe, Louisiana and Corbin Turpin Amman of Houston, Texas. Dottie was an active community volunteer who greatly enjoyed traveling, cooking, and entertaining. Above all, she was a loving daughter, wife, mother, and grandmother who treasured her family deeply. She found joy in art, music, travel, and bringing people together,

Cedric Simon LaFleur, 94, a resident of Morgan City, passed away peacefully at his home on January 8, 2026. Cedric was born on March 30, 1931 in Grand Prairie, LA. He was raised and attended school in Ville Platte, LA later moving to Berwick and finally settling in Morgan City to raise his family. Cedric married Rowena Fusilier LaFleur on August 19, 1950 and had six children. They were married 65 years until her death in 2016. They were strong supporters of Holy Cross Catholic Church and Holy Cross Elementary/Central Catholic High School (Central Catholic School). They raised their children, grandchildren, and greatgrandchildren to love God and value Catholic education. Cedric was known for hard work as an entrepreneur, his leadership in various capacities in municipal leadership, and most of all his generosity and dedication to his family and friends. Cedric began delivering milk for Borden's across southern Louisiana from Berwick to Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Donaldsonville, Thibodaux, Morgan City, and surrounding areas. Along with Rowena, they opened LaFleur Dairy in 1954 and distributed Borden's milk until selling the company to a grandson in 2006. For over 50 years, Cedric ran a successful business delivering milk to stores across the southern region of Louisiana and into parts of Mississippi. Over the years, he also owned or co -owned businesses such as LaFleur Offshore in Galveston, TX, LaFleur/ Hebert Plymouth Chrysler car dealership, and Oceanside Seafood. One of Cedric's proudest accomplishments was his municipal leadership in Morgan City. In 1971, he was elected as a City Council Member and served on the Council until 1983. He served as Mayor Pro-Tem under "Doc" Brownell. Cedric was elected Mayor of Morgan City in 1983 and remained in office until 1993. During that time, Cedric led the city through Hurricane Andrew, one of the most powerful and destructive hurricanes to hit Morgan City at that time. In addition to his po-

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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ 5B

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litical career, Cedric is proud to have served as Chairman of the LEPA Board of Directors (Louisiana Energy and Power Authority) from July 1987 to January 1990. He served as a Director on the LEPA Board of Directors from September 13, 1984 to May 23, 1990. Cedric was one of only five LEPA Directors to serve consecutive years as Chairman since its start in 1979. In remembering Cedric's life, his biggest and proudest accomplishment was his family, in which he was known as "Papa". He was blessed to have such a large family. His children and grandchildren fondly remember the numerous family vacations and gatherings planned by Papa and Momee. Papa and Momee took their six children traveling to almost every state on extended vacations. Their love for traveling has been passed down through generations of grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. Papa also had a love of horse racing driven by family ties to the sport. If you ever wondered where Papa and Momee were, they were usually traveling in the camper and/or at the horse races. His family remembers him most by his love and devotion for family, strong Catholic faith, tireless work ethic, unwavering business instincts, successful and dedicated local leadership, and his never-ending generosity and support for family and friends. Papa will always be the strongest person we know and love. Cedric will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by his wife, Nita Inez Moses LaFleur; four daughters: Jolene LaFleur Holt and husband Jamie, Peggy LaFleur, Debby LaFleur Acosta, Monica LaFleur Acosta and husband David Sr. (Bubba) all of Morgan City; 14 Grandchildren: Angel Case, Michael Baker Jr., Scott Blanco, Amanda Smith, Dawn Sharp, Maurita Morell, Jeremy Leftwich, Rachel Blanco, Sarah Theriot, Alaina Black, Katie Rock, Laura Leftwich, Jay Bryant, and Peyton Acosta; 35 Great Grandchildren; five Great-Great Grandchildren. Cedric was preceded in death by his parents; Simon H. and Edna LaFleur; one brother, Rodney LaFleur; one son, Michael Stephen LaFleur; one daughter, Patience LaFleur Bryant; one Great Grandson, Brendan Verrett; two sons-in-law, Gary J. Acosta and Anthony Blanco. Pallbearers to serve: Michael Baker Jr., Scott Blanco, Jeremy Leftwich, Jay Bryant, Peyton Acosta, Zachary Case, Nicholas Case and Luke Cunningham. Visitation will be held Wednesday, January 14, 2026 at Twin City Funeral Home fro 6:00 pm until 9:00 pm. The visitation will resume Thursday, January 15, 2026 at Holy Cross Catholic Church from 9:00 am until 11:00 am. A Mass of Christian burial will commence at 11:00 am. Burial will follow in the Morgan City Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be given to Central Catholic School.

Lasseigne, Judy

Judith "Judy" Businelle Lasseigne, 84, of Prairieville, Louisiana, passed away peacefully on January 2, 2026, surrounded by her loving family. Services will be held at Resthaven Gardens of Memory and Funeral Home, 11817 Jefferson Hwy, Baton Rouge LA 70816 on January 17, 2026. Visitation will start at 9:00 AM and the service will begin at 10:30 AM, with inurnment to follow at Resthaven Gardens of Memory. Born in Plaquemine, Louisiana, on August 3, 1941, Judy grew up with a deep appreciation for family, faith, and music. She graduated from St. John High School in Plaquemine, Louisiana, in 1959 and continued her education at Spencer's Business College. Judy began her professional career with DOW Chemical and later worked for Exxon and ended her career at Cabela's, where her warm personality and strong work ethic left a lasting impression on colleagues and customers alike. Judy is survived by her devoted husband of 63 years, Henry Lasseigne;

her children, Robert Lasseigne (Kim) and Jeffery Lasseigne (former daughter in law Laura); and her grandchildren, Austin Lasseigne (Maggie), Landon Lasseigne (Stevie LeJeune), Grace Lasseigne, Hope Forbes (Fox), TeJay Butters (Tori), and Derek Butters (Chasity Smith). She is also survived by her great-grandchildren, including Jane Lasseigne, Emmett Butters, Ella Butters, Breelie Smith, Beaux Dillon Butters, and Meredith Butters. She leaves behind her siblings, Betty Ann Legendre (Ronald), Kathleen Stockman, and John Wayne Businelle (Margaret); and numerous nieces and nephews who cherished her dearly. Judy was preceded in death by her parents, John H. and Theresa Daigle Businelle; her brothers, Thomas Marvin Businelle and Richard "Rigby" Businelle; her in laws Donald Stockman and Brenda Blanchard Businelle, and her greatgrandson, Bently Butters. Judy will be remembered for her gentle spirit, her unwavering love for her family, and the joy she brought to others through music. Her legacy will live on in the hearts of all who knew and loved her.

Mackin, Cooper Richerson

Cooper R. Mackin, 92, died peacefully in Roanoke, Va., on Friday, January 2, 2026, after a brief illness. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, the Rev. Mary Ruetten Mackin; three children, Michele Mackin (Mark), Patrick Richerson Mackin (Shana), and Daniel Barragy Mackin (Carrie); five grandchildren, Ashley Mackin, Jessica Mackin (Thomas), Emily Fucello (Jarred), Allison Mackin (Jacob), and Pamela Fucello; five greatgrandchildren; three brothers, John Mackin (Cheryl), Steve Mackin (Linda), and Jimmy Mackin (Joy); and four sisters, Cecelia Hughes, Janis Winslett (Stan), Sylvia Odom (Wayne), and Leah Washburn (George). He was predeceased by his first wife, the late Catherine Barragy, in 1984; his father, the late Thomas Richerson Mackin, in 1973; his mother, the late Muriel Green Mackin, in 2005; a baby sister, Gloria, in 1951; a brother, the late Dan Mackin, in 2007; and a brother, the late Tom Mackin, in 2021. Dr. Mackin was born on April 26, 1933, in Selma, Alabama, and grew up there. He lived in New Orleans for 42 years, from 1963 until 2005, when he and his wife moved to Roanoke in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He served in the United States Army from 1953 to 1955. He held a master's degree in English from Tulane University (1958) and a Ph.D. in English literature from Rice University (1962). He was a long-time faculty member at the University of New Orleans (1963 to 1997), where he was a Professor of English specializing in 17th century English literature, and where he served successively as Chairman of the English Department, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost, and Chancellor. He was an active member of St. John's Episcopal Church in Roanoke. He was a faithful member of the choir, and at one time a member of the handbell choir too, as well as a volunteer receptionist. Also, he completed the four-year program in Education for Ministry. A memorial service will be held at St. John's Episcopal Church in Roanoke at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. John's Episcopal Church, 1 Mountain Ave., SW, Roanoke, VA 24016. Arrangements entrusted to Oakey's Funeral Service - South Chapel, Roanoke, VA (540) 989-3131.

Malone, Maureen Evelyn Morrow

Overstreet Guillory, Elizabeth Denise

Maureen Evelyn Morrow Malone, a beloved mother and grandmother, cherished friend and dedicated educator, passed away peacefully Dec. 31, 2025, at her daughter's home in Baton Rouge. She was the devoted wife of the late Col. Doyle Ragan Malone. Maureen's life was marked by her unwavering commitment to education and her love for children, friends and family. She exuded joy through her unforgettable smile, cheerful greetings, constant stream of song and even the pep in her high-heel clicks down the school hallway. Born in Marksville on Nov. 23, 1942, Maureen was raised in the traditions of Catholicism and Cajun French culture. Maureen attended Presentation Academy, graduated from Alexandria's Bolton High, and earned her bachelor's degree from Northwestern State University. She completed postgraduate work at the University of Hawaii and LSU. A passionate educator, Maureen devoted 38 years to shaping young minds, first in Dallas then Baton Rouge. She found her home at Jefferson Terrace Elementary among talented and caring teachers, administrators and staff. She radiated positivity and was known for her exceptional ability to teach effectively, mentor teachers, motivate students to want to do their best in school and life, and make every student feel important. She was honored as East Baton Rouge Parish Elementary Teacher of the Year in 1999 and as a state Teacher of the Year finalist. Among her nearly 1,000 students, whom she cherished, were countless sibling sets, generations from the same families and even students who later married one another. She kept their mementos and remembered their faces, names and stories until the end. Thanks to a dear Jefferson Terrace friend, Maureen met Doyle, whom she married Sept. 2, 1972, at First Baptist Church. They shared a grand life with respect, laughter, adventure, service and deep love for 48 years. In celebrating an anniversary, Maureen described their "Never-Ending Road to Happiness," shaped by the births and successes of their children and grandchildren, military travels, business growth, and the significance of their neighborhood life. Maureen was an active member of the Kenilworth community, serving on the civic association board, including as president. She helped organize the annual 4th of July Parade and embraced neighborhood traditions. Her gardening passion and festive spirit earned her Resident of the Year, Christmas Luminaries honors and Yard of the Month. She was preceded in death by her parents, Jeannette Gremillion Morrow and Russell Alphonse Morrow, and her husband, Doyle. She is survived by her daughters, Brandi Malone and Nancy (Brian) Gautreau, of Baton Rouge; son, Brett (Britney) Malone, of Concord, N.C.; stepson, Barry Todd Malone, of Texarkana, Ark.; brother, Gary (Priscilla) Morrow, of Pineville; and treasured grandchildren Rome, Marigny, Everett and June Gautreau and Harvey Malone. Family and friends are invited to celebrate Maureen's remarkable life Jan. 12 at First Baptist Church, 529 Convention St., Baton Rouge. Visitation begins at 10:30 a.m., with services at noon. Burial will follow at Louisiana National Cemetery, 303 W. Mount Pleasant Road, Zachary. Maureen was teaching to the very end — to smile, choose joy, share love and pass a good time. As she expressed in a yearbook poem to students, "My wish to all of you, my friends, is happiness as you move on. Love, Mrs. Malone."

Elizabeth "Denise" Overstreet Guillory departed this life peacefully on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Liz was office manager at Hall Davis and Son Funeral Services for 20 plus years. She was born on April 9, 1956, to the late Nias Overstreet, Jr. and Chardia Louise Mason Overstreet. Denise was united in holy matrimony to Charles "Charlie" Patrick Guillory on November 30, 1974. Together, they shared many years of love, commitment, and devotion until his passing. She is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Charles "Charlie" Patrick Guillory; her brother, Nias Jerome "Steve" Overstreet; her parents, Nias Overstreet, Jr. and Chardia Louise Mason Overstreet; her father-inlove, Allen Guillory, Sr.; and her mother-in-love, Shirley Mae Batiste Guillory. She leaves to cherish her precious memory her loving and devoted daughter, Mitzi Danita Guillory; her sister, Marva Louise Overstreet Jolivette; her sisterin-love, Cynthia Lewis Overstreet; her devoted friend, Russell Banks; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives, and dear friends. Pastors and congregations of St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church, Cosmopolitan Evangelistic Baptist Church, St. John Missionary Baptist Church, and Little Zion Baptist Church of Opelousas, LA are invited to attend the services. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at Hall's Celebration Center, 9348 Scenic Highway, Baton Rouge, LA. Visitation will resume on Thursday, January 15, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. until Funeral Services beginning at 11:00 a.m. with Rev. Andrew P. Amedee, Pastor of Cosmopolitan Evangelistic Baptist Church officiating. Entombment will follow at Heavenly Gates Cemetery, Baton Rouge, LA. Active Pallbearers will be Hall Davis and Son and Staff. Honorary Pallbearers are Levar Gauthier, Brandon Charles, Spencer Gauthier, Ronnie Gauthier, Joseph L. Williams, Brian Overstreet, Russell Banks, Dwight Forest, Kevin Johnson, Charles Mason, Jr., and Darryl Mason. Services Entrusted to Hall Davis and Son Funeral Services.

Post, Bryan Simmons

Bryan Simmons Post was born in Baton Rouge on May 22, 1941 and passed away on January 5, 2026 due to complications from Alzheimer's disease. A devoted wife, mother, and teacher, Bryan left a mark on generations of her students. She was preceded in death by her husband, Raymond G. "Skipper" Post Jr., her father, Dr. William McHugh "Mac" Simmons, her mother, Phoebe Bryan Simmons, her sister, Laurie Simmons Plaisance, and her brother, William "Bill" McHugh Simmons, Jr. She is survived by her son, Raymond G. Post III (Jenny), her daughter, Wendy Martin (Patrick), and her cherished grandchildren, Raymond O. Post (Gaby), Mia Martin, Jordan Post, and Andrew Post, as well as her sister, Suzanne Homan. Her sister-in-law, Antoinette "Toni" Post, also mourns her passing. Bryan was widely known as the wife of architect and AIA President Skipper Post, and served him well in support of his ambitions. She married the "tall Catholic boy," whom she first asked out in 8th grade. She was as devoted to him as he was to her, and they shared a long and happy life together. Bryan's own professional calling was teaching. In 1963, immediately after graduating from LSU and just four years after graduating from Baton Rouge High School herself, Bryan began teaching physical education at BRHS. A year

later, she moved to Broadmoor High and began teaching math before taking a few years off to raise Ray and Wendy. When they started school, she returned to her alma mater, where she taught advanced math to Baton Rouge's brightest students for 25 years. In 1982, she was inducted into the BRHS Hall of Fame. After taking a short break upon retiring from BRHS, she returned to teaching in 2003, spending several years at Episcopal High and Bishop Sullivan before retiring for good after 37 years of teaching. She often said, "I love teaching, I really do. It never crossed my mind to do anything else." In addition to her teaching career, Bryan was an active civic leader, serving with distinction in the Junior League and many other charitable organizations. Bryan was known throughout Baton Rouge as a superb hostess, regularly entertaining their friends at the home that she and Skipper designed and built, and where they raised their children. Bryan was also an avid outdoors enthusiast, whether boating, skiing, or hiking in the mountains. More than anything, she loved being a grandmother to Raymond, Jordan, Andrew, and Mia. Visitation Monday, January 12 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm at Rabenhorst Funeral Home, 825 Government Street, and Tuesday, January 13 from 9:00am to 10:00am at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, with a funeral mass immediately following. Burial will follow at Greenoaks Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Hospice of Baton Rouge or Baton Rouge High School Foundation.

Smith, Michael 'Shane'

his sister, Shannon Smith Heully, of Baton Rouge; brother, Todd Smith, of Boulder, CO; niece, Sarah Anderson of Grand Rapids, MI; nephew Casey Anderson of Taipei, Taiwan; and dear friend Robn Cook of Baton Rouge. He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Laurie Smith Anderson; and brother, Scott Smith. Shane's family extend their thanks to Hospice of Baton Rouge, Dr. Joseph Benton DuPont, Jr., and Dr. Stephen V. Gordon for all they did for Shane and to Robn for the kind, loving care she showed him for many years. A graveside service will be held Tuesday, January 13, at noon at Greenoaks Memorial Park, 9595 Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge. Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Baton Rouge, 3600 Florida Blvd. Baton Rouge, LA 70806.

Smith, Patricia B.

Patricia B. Smith, age 74 and a resident of Baton Rouge, LA passed away on Sunday, January 4, 2026. She is survived by her loving husband Larry D. Smith and her daughter, Brandi Leigh Smith. Preceded in death by parents Walter and Ethel Lee Bowie. Visitation will be held on Monday, January 12, 2026 at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, 185 Eddie Robinson Sr. Dr., Baton Rouge, LA from 9:00am until Funeral Services begin at 11:00am with Rev. Fred Jeff Smith, officiating. Interment: Greenoaks Memorial Park. Services Entrusted to Hall Davis and Son Funeral Services.

Michael "Shane" Smith died peacefully on January 3, 2026, at his Baton Rouge home. He was 59. Born on March 22, 1966, to Dr. William E. and Gay Smith in Baton Rouge, Shane is remembered fondly as a brother, uncle, and friend who possessed a rare Southern charm not quickly forgotten. A generous man of few words, Shane was well-spoken when he cared to be. Serving for many years as the maître d' at Mansurs let Shane express his warm, gracious hospitality and appreciation for fine dining. In his earlier years, he also enjoyed shopping and dining on Chicago's Magnificent Mile. Shane is survived by

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OPINION

6B ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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

OUR VIEWS

2025 brought more encouraging news on crime across La. The new year brought something to celebrate across Louisiana: Key indicators of violent crime continue to decline in cities across the state. There were 121 murders in New Orleans in 2025, a 3% drop from the 125 in 2024. More significantly, the total represents an impressive 55% decline compared to just three years earlier, when the city’s homicide rate led the nation. In Shreveport, the number of criminal homicides dropped 19% year over year, from 52 in 2024 to 42 in 2025, the lowest number since before the COVID pandemic struck. In Lafayette, police say they investigated 10 homicides in 2025, down from 18 a year earlier and a record of 29 in 2023. Murders in Baton Rouge also dropped to prepandemic levels. There were 94 homicides in the city in 2025, down from 113 the prior year, marking a bright spot in an otherwise difficult first year in office for Mayor-President Sid Edwards. It’s true that violent crime is down nationally over that period, but the picture still varies by jurisdiction. The progress is admittedly slower in Baton Rouge than it is elsewhere. And in a discouraging sign for public safety, the city continues to have trouble attracting and retaining police officers. It recently had to cancel a police academy due to lack of interest. “I think we’re actually trending in a good direction, although the numbers are still unacceptable,” District Attorney Hillar Moore said. But we are particularly encouraged by the news out of New Orleans, where the year-overyear drop in murders looks more pronounced if you factor out the terrorist truck attack on Bourbon Street in the year’s first hours, a tragedy that left 14 dead. The homicide total fell for the third straight year to a 50-year low, and the progress has outpaced national improvements. The number of nonfatal shootings in the city dropped a modest 3%, but carjackings and armed robberies fell substantially, by 35% and 28%, respectively. The figures reflect good, smart work across multiple agencies and in coordination with community groups, all of which predates the recent arrival of federally funded Louisiana National Guard troops to New Orleans’ tourist core. Among the contributing factors are the New Orleans Police Department’s more sophisticated use of technology, forensics and ballistics, at a time when the agency continues to face a staffing shortage. Conviction rates have also improved, something District Attorney Jason Williams attributes in part to his attorneys working more closely with police investigators to build cases. Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick highlighted the department’s fruitful collaborations with the Louisiana State Police’s Troop Nola as well as with National Guard troops deployed by the state for the Bayou Classic during Thanksgiving weekend. We’d add in proactive efforts to address the roots of crime by everyone from the city health department to the district attorney’s office to outside groups such as the NOLA Coalition, which was formed in the dark days of 2022 and now includes more than 600 civic and community organizations. We’re also glad that incoming Mayor Helena Moreno is promising to stay the course, and that Gov. Jeff Landry is vowing to continue supporting her efforts and those of leaders across the state. It makes sense not to upend what’s working, and what could turn our state into something it’s rarely been when it comes to fighting crime: a model for how do it right.

‘Goth heron’ is dead, but questions remain In the waning days of 2025, an ominous portent appeared in Slidell. It came in the form of a big, black bird, stalking purposefully through the spaces near Davis Landing Road, sometimes afﬁxing an unnerving gaze at those who stopped to take a look. No one was sure where it had come from Faimon or how it had gotten Roberts there. They just knew that they couldn’t take their eyes off it. As such, the bird quickly became kind of a quasi-celebrity. Birders ﬂocked to get a sighting of it or to take pictures, begging through their lenses for one of its beady glares. The bird often obliged. Debate raged in online birding communities about what kind of bird it was. After some debate, amateur ornithologists decided it was a great blue heron. But it wasn’t blue or gray. If it was a heron, it would have to be melanistic, an extremely rare, though not completely unknown, condition in herons. Spotting a melanistic heron is a sort of holy grail for many birders. The possibility of such a specimen patrolling ditches on the northshore only amped up the bird’s popularity. Social media users dubbed it the “Goth

PROVIDED PHOTO

A bird spotted near Slidell prompted debate among birders about what kind it is.

Heron” and chattered excitedly about its presence. Those who got pictures posted them along with exultant messages. “A once in a lifetime sighting,” one exclaimed. “Had to check it out for myself …. how beautiful!” said another. Alas, it was not to last. Some who had seen the bird observed it vomiting. Other strange behaviors were reported. Earlier this week, a birder named Greg Capranica went to see the bird and found it dead in a ditch near the road. He immediately contacted the Audubon Society and other ornithologists to make sure it was responsibly collected and studied. Capranica told me that the bird smelled of creosote and appeared to

be stained rather than melanistic. Its downfeathers appeared white, he said. That, as well as the bird’s size — small for a great blue heron — have led some to surmise that it wasn’t a heron at all, but a great white egret. Both that species and this particular member’s fate are well known to Louisianans. Egrets are a regular feature of waterways, and we’ve all seen the pictures of birds covered in oil from environmental disasters. The goth heron’s (or egret’s) death has only raised more questions: What was the substance and where did it come from? And how did it get on the bird? We may never know. And fortunately for us, Americans aren’t like the ancient Romans, who believed the behaviors of birds were omens for the future. Those who interpreted those signs were called “augurs.” What the goth heron augurs us is impossible to say. Investigators will pore over how the bird got stained and whether they can trace the source of the contamination. They will also use DNA and other tests to establish exactly what kind of bird it was. As for whether it’s an omen, maybe we just hope for the best. Email Faimon A. Roberts III at froberts@theadvocate.com.

How to boost letter’s chances of getting published At the start of the year, I like to reparency with our readers. All letters mind readers of our guidelines for let- we publish must come from real peoter submissions. We do receive ple, and we favor letters from a large volume of letters, and writers in our coverage areas. we can’t print them all, unfortuOccasionally, we will publish a letter from someone outside of nately. our region, but there has to be a But readers who follow a compelling reason. We want to few simple guidelines have a foster discussion among local greater chance of seeing their Arnessa people on issues that matter to opinion in print. Garrett them. First, we do not allow profanLastly, we ask that letter ity or personal attacks. While writers limit their submissions to one public ofﬁcials are fair game for critievery three months. That ensures we cism, we generally reject letters that have a variety of letters from readers, use denigrating nicknames or vulgar rather than the same ones featured references. We are trying to create a over and over. If you are a frequent forum for civil debate, and that starts writer, please know that we will read by requiring all to use civil language. your submission, but we will reject it Next, we do have a 300-word limit if we have published a letter from you for letters. recently. Any letter longer than 300 words That’s about it. Please note that we will be cut or rejected. We need a word limit in order to get in as many of your do edit letters for accuracy and clarity. We fact-check all letters, and letters letters as we can. We also require letter writers to give with dubious or unveriﬁable facts will be rejected. their full name and city of residence. We appreciate all those who take the We do not allow pen names or anonymous letters. This is so we have trans- time to write to us. We spend a great

deal of time making sure our letters reﬂect your views. We look forward to hearing from you in the new year. We are always looking for new ways to make our letters section more engaging. Turning to our letters inbox, we received 63 letters for the period Jan. 1-8. Though the attack on Venezuela may have been a surprise, it was no surprise that many of you wanted to weigh in. We received 13 letters on the topic, making it the hottest topic of conversation that week. Next in popularity was the ongoing immigration crisis, which prompted six letters from readers. And rounding out the top three, there were four letters on the ﬁfth anniversary of the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. With Congress back in session, we are sure there will be lots of hot topics to come. We’ll be waiting to hear from you. Arnessa Garrett is Deputy Editor | Opinion Page Editor. Email her at arnessa.garrett@theadvocate.com.

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ARNESSA GARRETT STEPHANIE GRACE WILL SUTTON QUIN HILLYER FAIMON ROBERTS

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ 7B

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COMMENTARY I support ICE — but it needs a reset A 37 year-old woman in Minnesota is dead at the hands of ICE agents, while Louisianans can think that “there but the grace of God went we.” The only proper response by the Trump administration — necessary for public safety and the public good — would be to announce at least a temporary suspension of its aggressively, quite literally extra-ordinary use of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Before exploring those two interrelated points, this columnist should note that Quin my own predilections usuHillyer ally run well in favor of law enforcement in general and specifically against widespread leniency for illegal immigrants. On multiple occasions, I have opined in defense of police when national or local media was portraying them as villains, and in years past, I’ve even gone so far as to donate several times to the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund, which supports officers who defended themselves in the line of duty. Yet even as I strongly support ICE’s legal mission and am predisposed to give law officers the benefit of the doubt, I should — we all should — bow to prudential considerations. No matter how one interprets the multiple videos of the killing of Renee Good, there can be absolutely no doubt of two conclusions. First, no matter whether the shooting officer had legally defensible excuses for fir-

AP PHOTO By BEN HOVLAND

The scene of a deadly ICE shooting from Wednesday in Minneapolis.

ing his weapon, it is abundantly clear that both he and the ofﬁcer at Good’s window did not come close to properly safe, deescalatory procedures while handling the situation. This is not even debatable. This sort of tragically incompetent enforcement was not just predictable, but already had been predicted repeatedly, when the Trump administration so rapidly doubled ICE’s size while dropping its recruitment standards and cutting training time in half. The result, all over the country, in videotaped incidents too numerous to count, has been the presence of amped up agents acting in egregiously belligerent ways: forcibly throwing women to the ground even if they aren’t resisting, repeatedly threatening or even detaining people for exercising constitutional rights to video activity on public streets and the like. Of course, nobody has the right to ob-

struct agents in the course of their duties, but bystanders have every right to video them, protest them and even annoy them. Indeed, the bystanders have more of an incontrovertible right to do that than the agent had in firing his gun at Good. Yet not once has Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, much less President Donald Trump, asked officers to be more careful, to respect constitutional rights, to tone down their bellicosity. Contrarily, all Noem and Trump have done for a full year is ratchet up the rhetoric. The second conclusion stems from the evidence of that undue pugnaciousness. Namely, if the administration’s goal is public safety and the greater good (a big “if”), the current tactics are clearly counterproductive. If the administration really wants to target the worst of the criminal element among the illegal population, it need not use such extravagant shows of force while scaring local communities and citizens. It should partner with local law enforcement, which has every reason to want to apprehend those same criminals regardless of whether they are “undocumented.” If ICE develops information that locates and identifies a dangerous illegal immigrant, give the info to the local police and let police, who have superior training, make the arrest while ICE just provides backup. Meanwhile, let ICE concentrate mainly on the border, while, in the interior, apprehending less dangerous illegal immigrants for deportation proceedings only upon probable cause.

The massive sweeps by hyped-up, poorly trained agents are fomenting fear and civil unrest. Yet there is in no way anything so urgent about rounding up peaceful immigrants that it justifies the massive use of force. Having made its point and inspired significant “self-deportation,” the administration now should step back and use quieter, less combustible tactics. This, essentially, is what Mayor-elect Helena Moreno was requesting in December when border patrol officials targeted New Orleans. She was 100% wise to do so. Unless agents are dealing with a deliberately obstructive “sanctuary city,” the point should be to engender trust and cooperative public safety. Louisiana was lucky nothing awful happened. It is a simple fact that ICE has made numerous mistakes by detaining actual citizens and by deporting people who are protected by court order. Its frequent unreasonableness struck home here in Louisiana with the nationally publicized detainment of Mandonna “Donna” Kashanian, who literally had cooperated with immigration authorities for 47 years. It took the intervention of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, to free Kashanian, but most detainees don’t have access to a majority leader. For the sake of public unity and calm, the Trump administration must learn that, despite rallying cries to the contrary, moderation in pursuit of justice is indeed a virtue — and it’s usually essential. Email Quin Hillyer at quin.hillyer@ theadvocate.com

Cantrell governed with an attitude, and showed us its limits of making restaurants and bars Eight years ago, LaToya smoke-free. And it cast her as the Cantrell stormed into the New Orleans mayor’s office with an at- fresh face running against a pair titude. This week she’ll leave with of politically pedigreed opponents seeking to replace an outgoing one, too. mayor who hailed from That the voting public a legendary family and views her brash personalgoverned very much as an ity quite differently now insider. compared to when she was Her elevation made first elected says much sense at the time. Under about her roller coaster of Mitch Landrieu, New a public life. Stephanie Orleans largely emerged As the Cantrell era from its long post-K doldraws to a close, it’s worth Grace stepping back in time to drums, but after eight remember what made her years, fatigue always popular in the first place. sets in. Unlike the technocratic, She was scrappy and self-made, practiced outgoing mayor, the a onetime neighborhood activblunt-spoken Californian, nickist who rejected the supposedly named “Teedy,” was unpolished expert theory that her beloved, and often profane. She drew votes low-lying Broadmoor should be across traditional political, geosacrificed to the flood plain after graphic and racial lines, one more Hurricane Katrina. Instead, she way she seemed like a new type led in a well-organized, inspirof mayor for a new New Orleans. And in her best moments during ing revival, the type that other her first term, she was. Cantrell flooded neighborhoods sought to took on the powers in Baton emulate. Rouge and landed the Fair Share The reputation she made as agreement to claw back tourism head of the Broadmoor Improvetaxes for infrastructure improvement Association propelled her to the City Council, where she ments. When it became clear that took on the difficult challenge Carnival 2020 had been a super-

spreader event, she brushed off complaints and imposed strict COVID protocols that brought the numbers down, and many of her constituents cheered her heartfelt pleas to keep others safe. But her defiance too easily and too often crossed over into defensiveness. From the beginning, she resisted advice and stood by appointees who were ill-suited for their jobs for too long. She survived a clownish recall attempt but instead of rising above it, she lashed out angrily at its supporters. Particularly in her second term, she met the City Council’s newfound aggressiveness with behavior that very much justified the restraints they sought to put on her. She made a mess of trash contracts, traveled too much and too luxuriously on the city dime, took up with her bodyguard and allegedly lied about it, leading to an August federal indictment that still hangs over her head. She irresponsibly spent the COVID relief money that flowed in, leaving her successor Helena Moreno, the council vice president, with a massive financial shortfall.

She did get some things right, including the choice of Anne Kirkpatrick as police superintendent and health director Jen Avegno’s work on public health-based crime prevention initiatives. That Moreno is not changing course on public safety is notable. She also focused needed attention on getting unhoused people into shelter and addressing the city’s vulnerability to climate change. Some important landmarks happened on her watch, from exiting the federal police consent decree to the completion of a new power station for the Sewerage & Water Board. In hindsight, a more complete picture of the hits and misses will emerge, as it always does. In the moment, though, there is the attitude, expressed not as candor but as petulance that borders on self-pity. The mayor rarely takes questions these days, or does much to effectively highlight her accomplishments. Among her last moves in ofﬁce were pointless vetoes of the council-passed budget and of council members’ attempt to stop

her from spending city money recklessly in her administration’s waning days. On both, she was easily overridden. I’ve observed multiple mayor transitions, and this period reminds me most of the ﬁnal days of Ray Nagin, the last outsider to follow an insider — Marc Morial — and fall precipitously from public grace. Morial, like Landrieu, was the son of a strong mayor who possessed an encyclopedic understanding of how city government works. Moreno shows signs of being far more like them than Cantrell, even though she too served on the council after moving to the city as a young adult. If there’s a lesson to this pretty predictable cycle, it’s that the mayor of New Orleans can be tremendously powerful — but only if the person in that position understands how to work the job’s various levers. Because as both the city’s voters and the candidates they elect keep learning, attitude only gets you so far. Email Stephanie Grace at sgrace@theadvocate.com.

No Ruby Bridges? Then give me Frederick Douglass. Anybody who spent enough a pocket. That was traditional. time in elementary school has But that didn’t mean I was stuck heard of the Mayﬂower, the U.S. in the 1700s or the 1800s when it Constitution, the Declaration of came to history. Independence, the Revolutionary I favor sneaks, soft-sole shoes; War and the Gettysburg Address. pullover, collared and T-shirts; Anybody who spent enough time jeans and casual slacks. But that in elementary school has doesn’t mean I bow to and heard of Frederick Douexpect others to lift Beyonglass, even if that lesson cé to Ruby Bridges level was during Black History and push Denzel WashingMonth in February. And ton to Frederick Douglass nearly everybody who heights. spent enough time in eleBut c’mon. Why would we Will celebrate our nation’s 250th mentary school has heard Sutton anniversary this year and the name of and seen the identify only “traditional” famous painting of Ruby moments in our rich history? Why Bridges. wouldn’t we include Ruby Bridges But apparently President Donald Trump’s administration wants and Frederick Douglass? Way back in 1996, the U.S. to stop history at a certain point Congress formed the Citizens in time and exclude more incluCommemorative Coin Advisory sive parts of our history in favor Committee. This expert group of, gulp, “traditional” history. of coin people focused on comTraditional. Wow. memorative coins. In 2003, the I once wore button-down, ironed U.S. Congress abolished that and starched dress shirts, somegroup, creating the Citizens times with French cuff links, with Coinage Advisory Committee pleated dress pants, wingtip shoes (CCAC). They’ve operated each year since, meeting regularly, and often with a Mont Blanc pen discussing history, numismatics with the white tip peeking from

and even sculpture. They’ve done the same work under Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden. The group includes people appointed by the U.S. secretary of the treasury. The secretary was Steven Mnuchin in Trump’s first term. Trump’s second-term Treasury secretary is Scott Bessent. Mnuchin made news during his tenure, but not involving coins. Not many know it was Bessent who axed the Bridges and Douglass coins. Now you know. The stingy, specific and all-socareful CCAC proudly endorsed some special coin designs, including coins recognizing women’s suffrage, the abolition of slavery and the civil rights movement. Specific recommendations were sent to Bessent and the U.S. Mint leadership, which reports to the treasury secretary. Perhaps they might’ve approved a coin recognizing women cooking in kitchens and doing laundry, the creation of the Ku Klux Klan and White supremacist movements. They rejected the experts’ recommen-

dations. Coins recognizing the Mayflower, the Gettysburg Address and the Revolutionary War were added to the list. I have quibbles and qualms about each of those, but I’d be OK with keeping those — along with the others. Ruby Bridges is a history maker. At 6 years old, she was one of the first Black children to integrate a White school, attending William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans. Her parents made the decision to enforce the U.S. Supreme Court’s Brown vs. Board of Education ruling, which prohibited segregation. She was one of four New Orleans girls to integrate White schools on Nov. 14, 1960, and the one whose defiance and struggle was memorialized by artist Norman Rockwell in one of his most famous paintings, “The Problem We All Live With.” Bridges is about my age, so maybe that’s part of the problem. On the table but not approved by the CCAC is a special 2026 coin recognizing Trump. I’m sure he’d love that. But might that require a change in U.S. law?

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

“No head and shoulders portrait or bust of any person, living or dead, and no portrait of a living person may be included in the design on the reverse of speciﬁed coins,” reads one part of the 2020 H.R. 1923 law passed by the 116th Congress (2019-2020) and signed by then-President Donald Trump. Bridges and Trump are alive and well as of this writing. Though I’d love a Bridges coin and I’d give away a Trump coin, I’ll call that a draw and let it go. But why not my man Fred? I’ve got Douglass on my desk. He’s in books I can reach. I was recognized by a Black journalists group with a Douglass sketch because they knew how much I love Fred and what he was all about. Please take Trump off the table. I’ll give you Bridges. I’ll take the Mayﬂower, the Revolutionary War and the Gettysburg Address. But give me women’s suffrage, the abolition of slavery and the Civil Rights Movement. And Frederick Douglass. Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.

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

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Baton Rouge Weather TODAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Sun and high clouds

Partly sunny

Partly sunny 10%

Sunny

HIGH

LOW

HIGH

59° 35°

LOW

HIGH

56° 34°

LOW

HIGH

59° 43°

LOW

HIGH

62° 38°

ALMANAC

LOW

HIGH

53° 33°

Weather News by Meteorologist Balin Rogers

LOW

59° 41°

TEMPERATURE

High/low Normal high/low Record high Record low

75°/64° 62°/41° 80° in 2009 12° in 1962

THE NATION

24 hours through 5 p.m. Sat. Month to date (normal) year to date (normal)

1.20” 2.76” (2.07”) 2.76” (2.07”)

Longview 58/31

TODAY

GOOD

READING 30 MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

Port Arthur 62/44

FLOOD STAGE 24-HOUR STAGE CHANGE Memphis 34 -4.80 -0.78 Vidalia-Natchez 48 15.30 +0.16 Red River Landing 48 18.30 none Baton Rouge 35 7.00 +0.20 Donaldsonville 27 3.60 -0.10 Reserve 22 3.11 +0.36 New Orleans 17 1.90 -0.26 MISSISSIPPI

OHIO 40

11.25

+1.37

3.87

+5.30

18 29 8

1.68 18.63 2.31

+2.68 +8.56 +0.72

13 15

6.69 1.21

+4.02 +0.44

47 34 29 20 12 6

6.26 4.33 3.96 3.16 2.40 2.01

none +0.14 +0.17 +0.25 -0.20 +0.24

COMITE AMITE

Near Darlington Denham Springs Port Vincent TICKFAW

Montpelier Holden Simmesport Melville Krotz Springs Butte La Rose Bayou Sorrel Morgan City

New Orleans 61/41

Lake Charles 62/37

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

Houma 62/36

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

TIDES HIGH

FT.

LOW

FT.

HIGH

Lake Pontchartrain (Tchefuncte River) 2:21a Shell Beach 8:12p South Point, Marsh Island 2:21p Cypremort Point 4:44p Grand Isle (Barataria Pass) 4:27p Mississippi River (Southwest Pass) 3:41p Wine Island 5:35p

0.3 0.9 1.1 0.7 0.6 0.8 0.7

2:48p 7:11a 3:32a 7:03a 3:41a 2:14a 4:43a

-0.1 -0.2 -0.3 -0.4 -0.2 -0.3 -0.3

----- --------- ----8:32p 0.9 6:01p 0.9 ----- --------- --------- --------- -----

SUN AND MOON Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today

ATCHAFALAYA

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

Baton Rouge 59/35

Lafayette 61/34

Beaumont 63/40

RIVER STAGES

Hattiesburg 60/32

Alexandria 58/33

Many 57/31

SOURCE: LOUISIANA DEQ AND AIRNOW.GOV

-0s

Jackson 54/30

AIR QUALITY YESTERDAY

-10

Monroe 56/32

Shreveport 59/34

PRECIPITATION

Near Olive

Saturday.

AROUND THE REGION

BATON ROUGE THROUGH 5 P.M. SATURDAy

Cairo

We are done with all the heavy rain and thunderstorms, and now a much cooler and drier weather pattern will emerge. Expect sunshine filtered by higher level clouds for your Sunday. Highs will be much lower, in the upper 50s. Overnight, cold air will move in with lows settling in the mid-30s. One more night will feature lows in the 30s before our temperatures slightly rise ahead of our next front. This will bring clouds and a few showers on Wednesday before another cooldown. Lows will be near freezing to end the week with highs in the 50s. Sunshine will also return before another front approaches

FT.

LOW

FT.

TODAY City

Austin Boston Dallas Fairbanks Honolulu Houston Las Vegas Louisville Miami Minneapolis

Lo W

63 34 pc 44 27 r 60 38 s -4 -38 sn 81 71 sh 62 43 pc 59 39 s 38 27 sf 83 70 pc 29 26 c

MONDAY Hi

64 42 pc 39 32 pc 64 42 s -32 -43 c 79 62 sh 61 45 pc 62 43 s 47 34 s 76 67 c 38 32 s

SOLUNAR TABLE

7:03 a.m. 5:23 p.m. 12:55 a.m. 11:58 a.m.

NEW

FIRST

FULL

LAST

JAN 18

JAN 25

FEB 1

FEB 9

MAJOR

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MAJOR

5:27a 11:38a 5:49p 6:08a 12:19p 6:31p 6:50a 12:38a 7:13p 7:33a 1:20a 7:57p 8:18a 2:05a 8:43p 9:05a 2:51a 9:31p 9:53a 3:40a 10:19p

TODAY City

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

MONDAY

Lo W

44 61 80 44 71 33 59 39 71 74

24 s 41 pc 50 pc 31 pc 47 s 26 sf 26 pc 30 s 43 s 48 c

52 54 69 44 71 38 50 53 73 69

33 s 44 pc 54 pc 32 s 45 s 29 pc 30 s 42 s 46 s 54 pc

67 49 51 63 38 19 62 41 54 25 61

42 s 45 r 35 s 40 pc 12 sn 14 sn 39 pc 38 c 33 s 17 c 36 pc

70 53 52 67 29 24 63 52 52 23 49

55 pc 47 pc 36 c 43 s 24 sn 7 sn 43 pc 46 r 42 pc 16 c 38 s

THE WORLD

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

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

Lo W

MINOR

------1:02p 1:45p 2:30p 3:18p 4:06p

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

34 84 55 25 35 71 54 31 82 70 58

31 c 67 pc 39 s 8 s 32 c 54 pc 46 r 26 s 65 pc 60 pc 43 s

46 86 58 31 50 68 51 38 81 66 54

43 r 68 pc 44 pc 28 c 45 r 51 s 39 pc 35 i 63 sh 59 pc 41 pc

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

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

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S u n d ay, J a n u a ry 11, 2026

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Kiffin ramping up search for LSU’s next QB Coach travels to Tennessee to meet with Leavitt as school hosts Longstreet

BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

PROVIDED PHOTO By LSU ATHLETICS

LSU gymnast Courtney Blackson scored a 9.825 in her debut with the Tigers at the Sprouts Collegiate Quad meet on Saturday at Maverik Center in West Valley City, Utah.

STRONG START

As LSU continues to search for new quarterbacks in the transfer portal, two primary targets have emerged in recent days for head coach Lane Kiffin and his staff. Kiffin and others flew Friday to Knoxville, Tennessee, to meet with former Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt before he began a visit to Miami, sources told The Advocate. LSU then started hosting Southern Cal quarterback Husan Longstreet, a former five-star recruit, on a visit Saturday. Leavitt had spent the previous two days on a visit with the Volunteers, and LSU staff saw him before he went to Miami. Kiffin posted two pictures from Knoxville, including one of the airport, on his social media accounts. It is believed Leavitt’s decision may

ä See LSU, page 7C

LSU gymnastics team ties for first in controversial season opener; Chio wins all-around, Blackson shines in debut

BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer

Great scoring, some predictable ﬁrst-meet wobbles, and a controversial ending. Everything you could imagine from a season opener was on display for the No. 2-ranked LSU gymnastics team in its nationally televised season opener Saturday in the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad. First, the scoring. LSU and preseason No. 1 Oklahoma tied for ﬁrst with scores of 197.500, while Tigers sophomore Kailin Chio won the all-around, edging out twotime U.S. Olympian Jordan Chiles of UCLA. Oklahoma, however, took home the team trophy thanks to a rarely used tiebreaker. The Sooners’ sixth-place scores in each of the four events, which are discarded when counting the team score, were better than the Tigers’ sixth-place scores. LSU coach Jay Clark was pleased with his team’s overall performance and resilience, but still felt his Tigers

should have won the meet outright. The controversy stemmed from sophomore Lexi Zeiss’ score on balance beam in the second spot on LSU’s final rotation. One of the event’s two judges initially lowered Zeiss’ routine from a 10.0 to a 9.90 start value, thinking Zeiss had done a “D” instead of “E” element in her routine, “E” being the more difficult. Clark filed a successful scoring inquiry to get Zeiss’ start value raised, moving her score from 9.80 to 9.85. However, Clark argued that the judge who initially lowered the start value should have given Zeiss a 9.90. Instead, that judge kept her score at 9.85, Clark said. “A 9.875 (by Zeiss) would have won the meet,” he said. LSU still had a chance to claim the outright victory on the Tigers’ final routine of the meet, with junior Konnor McClain, the 2024 Southeastern Conference balance beam champion, anchoring the event. Unfortunately for LSU, McClain had at least two balance checks and only

ä See GYMNASTICS, page 2C

Mulkey looks to improve Fulwiley’s role with LSU BY REED DARCEY

ä Texas at LSU 2 P.M. SUNDAy, ESPN

Georgia had three defenders in position. Most players would’ve abandoned this kind of uneven fast-break chance, choosing instead to apply the brakes, wait for some teammates to make it down the ﬂoor and set up a possession. But MiLaysia Fulwiley is not like most players. So she pressed the gas and ﬂew past those Bulldog defenders. Three seconds later, she was in the paint, dropping a routine layup off the glass and through the rim. “She has some things you can’t teach,” Flau’jae Johnson said. But Fulwiley still has some things she needs to learn. Coach Kim Mulkey reiterated that point on Thursday, when the LSU women’s basketball team picked up a 21-point road win over Georgia in its third SEC matchup of the season. That game reminded the No. 12 Tigers (14-2, 1-2 SEC) that Fulwiley has a unique blend of athleticism and skill that she can

use to singlehandedly change the complexion of games. The junior transfer guard from South Carolina flashed that ability both against the Bulldogs and in LSU’s first two league contests. Fulwiley has also shown, however, that she still hasn’t kicked her tendency to undo those game-changing plays she creates by making a key mistake or two — be it a costly turnover, a defensive lapse or a needless foul — at important moments of games. Mulkey is trying to help Fulwiley find a way to minimize those miscues ahead of LSU’s showdown with No. 2 Texas, which tips off at 2 p.m. Sunday (ESPN) in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. If the Tigers want to beat a top-five SEC team for the first time since 2014, then they’ll need their prized transfer guard to play more like she did in the win over Georgia and less like she did in the losses to Kentucky and Vanderbilt.

Staff writer

ä See FULWILEY, page 6C

AP FILE PHOTO By PHELAN M. EBENHACK

Delta Stars quarterback Husan Longstreet throws a pass during the OT7 tournament on May 4, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. LSU hosted Longstreet as it continues to search for its next quarterback.

A look at how Saints should attack this offseason The New Orleans Saints’ 2025 season is in the books. The Saints’ 6-11 ﬁnish was just one game better than a year ago, but their prospects are much more promising thanks to the emergence of rookie quarterback Tyler Shough. If the Saints can produce another strong offseason, Jeff there’s reason to believe Duncan they can vie for the NFC South division title. Here’s one man’s opinion on how they can get there. This list is ordered chronologically and is a plan for how I would attack the offseason, rather than what I think the Saints will do:

LSU guard MiLaysia Fulwiley

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

1. Give Brandon Staley a raise Staley authored one of the best coaching jobs in the league this season. The Saints defense improved from 30th to ninth under Staley’s command, and he did it without many high-end additions in the offseason while transitioning to a new 3-4 scheme. Players have universally praised Staley’s

ä See DUNCAN, page 8C

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BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS On TV

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL 11 a.m. Illinois at Iowa Fox 11 a.m. St. Joseph’s at Richmond USA Noon Memphis at FAU ESPN2 2 p.m. Wright St. at Oakland ESPN2 2 p.m. North Texas at Wichita St. ESPNU 4 p.m. Cincinnati at UCF ESPN2 4 p.m. Northwestern at Rutgers Peacock 5 p.m. Ohio St. at Washington Peacock WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL 11 a.m. Boston College at Virginia Tech ACCN 11 a.m. G. Mason at G. Washington CBSSN 11 a.m. Villanova at Providence TRUTV Noon North Carolina at Notre Dame ESPN Noon Louisiana Tech at Liberty ESPNU 1 p.m. Florida St. at Miami ACCN 1 p.m. Duquesne at VCU CBSSN 1 p.m. Pittsburgh at Louisville CW 1 p.m. UConn at Creighton TRUTV 1 p.m. Georgia at South Carolina SECN 1 p.m. St. Louis at Loyola of Chicago USA 2 p.m. Illinois at Penn St. BTN 2 p.m. Texas at LSU ESPN

3 p.m. 3 p.m. 3 p.m. 4 p.m. 4 p.m. 5 p.m. 5 p.m. 6 p.m.

Clemson at Georgia Tech ACCN Ohio St. at Maryland Peacock Oklahoma at Kentucky SECN Iowa at Indiana BTN Duke at Stanford ESPN SMU at NC State ACCN Mississippi St. at Ole Miss SECN UCLA at Nebraska BTN COLLEGE WRESTLING Noon Maryland at Wisconsin BTN FIGURE SKATING 1 p.m. U.S. Championships NBC GOLF 9 a.m. LIV GOLF Promotions 2026 FS1 1 p.m. Bahamas Golf Classic Golf HORSE RACING 1 p.m. America’s Day at the Races FS2 2 p.m. America’s Day at the Races FS1 IIHF GIRLS HOCKEY 4 p.m. U.S. vs. Czechia NHLN NBA 2 p.m. New Orleans at Orlando WAFB NBA G-LEAGUE 3:30 p.m. Cleveland at Texas NBATV

IN BRIEF

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

NFL Noon Buffalo at Jacksonville CBS 3:30 p.m. San Francisco at Philadelphia FOX 7:20 p.m. L.A. Chargers at New England NBC NHL 1 p.m. New Jersey at Winnipeg NHLN 7 p.m. Vegas at San Jose NHLN SKIING 2 p.m. Freestyle World Cup CNBC SKIING/SNOWBOARDING 3 p.m. Freestyle World Cup NBC MEN’S SOCCER 7:30 a.m. Arsenal at Portsmouth ESPN2 7:55 a.m. H. of Midlothian at Dundee CBSSN 10:50 a.m. Nice at Nantes FS2 12:30 p.m. Barcelona vs. Real Madrid ABC TENNIS 5 a.m. United Cup Tennis 4:30 p.m. ATP and WTA Tennis UNRIVALED BASKETBALL 6:30 p.m. Breeze vs. Rose TRUTV 7:45 p.m. Vinyl vs. Hive TRUTV WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL 3 p.m. Grand Rapids at Atlanta CBSSN 6:30 p.m. Atlanta at Austin ESPN2

Glenn wins third straight U.S. title Stunning free skate performance lifts her past Liu, Levito

BY DAVE SKRETTA

Associated Press

ST. LOUIS — On the ice, Amber Glenn was putting together another brilliant free skate, landing the opening triple axel that has become her hallmark and eventually putting the final touches on a program destined to earn her a third consecutive U.S. Figure Skating title. Off the ice, Alysa Liu was cheering her on. With her newly dyed halo hairdo going viral, had stuck Late Friday Liu around after her own spectacular showing inside of the packed Enterprise Center, and she didn’t seem to care Friday night that Glenn was about to push the reigning world champion to the silver medal. “She trains so hard,” Liu said, “and to skate a clean program, it’s so deserving.” Glenn ultimately finished with 233.55 points to become the first back-to-back-to-back national champ since Michelle Kwan’s last title in 2005, while Liu wound up second with 228.91 points. Isa-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By STEPHANIE SCARBROUGH

Amber Glenn reacts to seeing her scores after competing during the women’s free skating competition at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Friday in St. Louis. beau Levito earned the bronze medal with 224.45 points and, more than likely, the ﬁnal women’s spot on the American squad headed for the Winter Games. The ofﬁcial team announcement comes Sunday. “I felt like I was going to throw up. My stomach has been bothering me all day. Woof,” Glenn said. “Fake it ‘till you make it. I took that to heart. I was just trying to get in touch with my body and get a feel for the ice, and I think my years of experience kicked in.”

Earlier in the night, Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov defended their pairs title despite a couple of mistakes, including a scary moment when Mitrofanov was nearly clipped by Efimova’s skate. They finished with 207.71 points to outdistance Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea, who were second with 197.12, and the team of Katie McBeath and Daniil Parkman. Now comes a nervous wait to see whether Efimova and Mitrofanov can compete at the Olym-

pics. Although Mitrofanov is a U.S. citizen, born in Wisconsin and raised in Texas, the 26-year-old Efimova was born in Finland and has competed for Germany and Russia along with her native country. Only citizens of the nation they represent are eligible for the Olympics, though, and while Mitrofanov and Efimova are married and she has a green card, she has not received an American passport yet. The Skating Club of Boston, where the couple trains, has been working with U.S. senators and U.S. Figure Skating officials to get the three-year waiting period for citizenship expedited. But time is running out before Sunday’s deadline to announce the team. The Americans have qualified the maximum three women’s spots on the Olympic team. They only have two spots in pairs. Efimova and Mitrofanov would get one, should her citizenship get approved at the last minute. Kam and O’Shea are near locks to make their first Olympic team, while McBeath and Parkman are unable to go because he likewise does not have U.S. citizenship. That could leave U.S. Figure Skating to make a judgment call on the second pairs team it sends to the Milan Cortina Games.

Out of LIV Golf, Koepka tries to return to PGA Tour BY DOUG FERGUSON Associated Press

Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka, just over two weeks after defecting from Saudi-funded LIV Golf, has applied to have his PGA Tour membership reinstated. The next step belongs to the tour, which has suspended players for joining the rival league, even if they never had PGA Tour membership. Two people with knowledge of Koepka’s application conﬁrmed Friday he has started the process to rejoin the tour. They spoke on condition of anonymity because it has not been made public. Koep-

GYMNASTICS Continued from page 1C

posted a 9.65 that the Tigers didn’t count toward their team total. All that aside, Clark was happy with the way his team battled through its few shaky routines and first-meet nerves to post a strong season-opening score. “I thought it was great,” he said. “We had some very uncharacteristic mistakes we haven’t seen in training and some unexpected things that happened, but we handled it. “This meet won’t matter in a week. The value of it is we learned already we can stay the course when we face things like that and beat anybody. That’s the silver lining. We already know how to ﬁght. Every team has to learn that, and I’d rather learn that now rather than later.” Coming off a dazzling freshman campaign in which she won the NCAA vault title and 22 other individual crowns, Chio’s performance was even more impressive considering she rolled an ankle in

ka’s manager at Hambric Sports, Blake Smith, said he would not have a comment at this time. ESPN ﬁrst reported Koepka’s application. With one year left on his LIV contract, the Saudibacked league announced Dec. 23 that he would no longer be part Koepka of the LIV Golf League and his captaincy of Smash had been turned over to Talor Gooch. “Brooks is prioritizing the needs of his family and staying closer to home,” said Scott O’Neil, the CEO of LIV Golf, who

described the departure as amicable and mutual. The tour policy has been players having to sit out one year from their last LIV appearance, but that was only for nonmembers, such as Laurie Canter. The Englishman was a part-time LIV player, and he qualiﬁed for The Players Championship last March one year and a month after last playing a LIV event in Las Vegas. Brian Rolapp, who took over as CEO of PGA Tour Enterprises last summer, will face one of his ﬁrst early decisions on a pathway back for LIV Golf players wanting to return. His case will be reviewed by Rolapp, along with

Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad at West Valley City, Utah T1. #1 Oklahoma 197.500 (Vault — 49.350, Bars — 49.475, Beam — 49.500, Floor — 49.175) T1. #2 LSU 197.500 (Vault — 49.325, Bars — 49.550, Beam — 49.350, Floor — 49.275) 3. #4 UCLA 197.000 (Vault — 49.275, Bars — 49.425, Beam — 49.125, Floor — 49.175) #5 Utah 195.900 (Vault — 49.600, Bars — 49.375, Beam — 47.875, Floor — 49.050)

Oklahoma awarded team trophy based on sixth-place scores in each event. Individual (includes ﬁrst place and all LSU competitors) All-around — 1. Kailin Chio, LSU, 39.600; 2. Jordan Chiles, UCLA, 39.575; 3. Avery Neff, Utah, 39.500; T4. Madison Ulrich, LSU, Addison Fatta, Oklahoma, 39.450. Vault — 1. Avery Neff, Utah, 10.0; T5. Madison Ulrich, Kailin Chio, LSU, 9.90; T12. Lexi Zeiss, Victoria Roberts, LSU, 9.85; T15. Courtney Blackson, LSU, 9.825; 24. Amari Drayton, LSU, 9.25. Bars — T1. Courtney Blackson, LSU, Ella Zirbes, Utah, 9.95; T3. Konnor McClain, LSU, 9.925; T6. Ashley Cowan, Madison Ulrich, LSU, 9.90; T13. Lexi Zeiss, LSU, 9.875; T17. Kailin Chio, LSU, 9.85. Beam — T1. Kailin Chio, LSU, Hannah Scheible, Faith Torrez, Oklahoma, 9.95; 6. Kylie Coen, LSU, 9.90; T8. Lexi Zeiss, LSU, 9.85; T11. Kaliya Lincoln, Madison Ulrich, LSU, 9.825; 20. Konnor McClain, LSU, 9.65. Floor — 1. Jordan Chiles, UCLA, Mackenzie Estep, Oklahoma, 9.925; 3. Kailin Chio, LSU, 9.90; T4. Emily Innes, LSU, 9.875; T11. Nina Ballou, Madison Ulrich, LSU, 9.825; 24. Amari Drayton, LSU, 9.025. Attendance: N/A

preseason practice. The sophomore only performed on uneven bars in the Tigers’ exhibition meet on Jan. 2. Chio started with 9.90s on floor and vault and also tied for first individually on balance beam with a 9.95, equaling her career high. Chio shared first place on beam with Hannah Scheible and Faith Torrez from Oklahoma. Chio finished with a 39.600 all-around score to Chiles’ 39.575. Madison

Ulrich, an LSU transfer from Denver, tied for fourth in the allaround competition with a 39.450. “Last week we didn’t know if she would be able to do one, two or four events,” Clark said of Chio. “But it worked out in our favor.” LSU newcomer Courtney Blackson, a transfer from Boise State who retired from gymnastics in 2025, perhaps stole the meet from the Tigers’ perspective. After debuting with a 9.825 on vault, she

the policy board and player directors. That includes Tiger Woods, who chairs the Future Competition Committee. Koepka, and other PGA Tour members who left for LIV and were seen as damaging the tour, presumably would face any number of penalties. But the tour’s longtime policy has been to never publicize discipline. The application comes one day after Rolapp sent a memo to players that the Player Equity Program is being expanded to include current year performance. Koepka already was with LIV when the tour began its ﬁrst-of-akind program, with equity grants ﬁrst being awarded in April 2024.

followed that with a career-hightying 9.95 on bars, sharing top honors with Utah’s Ella Zirbes. “I couldn’t have done it without my teammates and coaches,” a smiling Blackson said in a TV interview. “They supported me through this whole entire journey. It was just practice, practice, practice, rely on your numbers, have confidence and have fun.” “That’s why we took her,” Clark said. “That’s what we thought we would get. She’s a competitor. When the lights came on, that was a great sign.” The Tigers’ lineups were sprinkled throughout with first-timers, expected after LSU lost senior allarounders Haleigh Bryant and Aleah Finnegan from last year’s team. Nine of the Tigers’ 24 routines were by first-year LSU gymnasts or first-time performers. That included a 9.85 from Belle Chasse’s Victoria Roberts, the only Tiger gymnast from Louisiana. LSU stays on the road next week for its SEC opener at No. 12 Georgia. First vault is set for 6 p.m. on the SEC Network. The Tigers’ home opener is Jan. 23 against Kentucky.

Ticket prices soar for CFP national championship

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The good news: There are tickets out there for the Indiana-Miami matchup in the College Football Playoff national championship game. The bad news: They’ll cost you. In the moments after Indiana ﬁnished rolling past Oregon on Friday to win the Peach Bowl 56-22, clinching a spot in the CFP title game on Jan. 19 against Miami — on Miami’s home ﬁeld, no less — ticket prices for the matchup soared. As of Saturday afternoon, TicketData — which tracks activity across a number of sites — said the lowest get-in price to Hard Rock Stadium was just under $3,600 per ticket, including fees. Some seats available on sites like StubHub, TickPick and Ticketmaster were offered for more than $10,000 on Saturday.

Falcons begin interviews for head coach position ATLANTA — The Atlanta Falcons interviewed Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver on Saturday as they began their search for a coach. The interviews came immediately after the team named Matt Ryan president of football. In the newly created position, Ryan will lead the searches for coach and general manager. The Falcons ﬁred coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot after the completion of an 8-9 season. It was the team’s eighth consecutive losing season. The Falcons ﬁlled the president of football position before launching interviews for the new coach.

Organizers confident NHL will play in Milan arena MILAN — Olympic organizers are “100%” confident the NHL won’t pull out of the Milan Cortina Games with the new ice hockey arena finally ready. Or almost. Construction delays and other concerns about the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena have drawn headlines ahead of the NHL returning to the Winter Olympics and the women’s tournament opening on Feb. 5. The NHL has expressed concern about the construction and quality of the ice surface. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said last month in Winnipeg that the league would not send its players if there were any safety concerns. When Andrea Francisi, chief games operations officer for Milan Cortina, was asked Friday how confident he was NHL players would participate, he said, “100%, 100%.”

Fischnaller, Greiner close in on U.S. luge berths

WINTERBERG, Germany — USA Luge is likely sending three women and two men to the singles races at next month’s Milan Cortina Olympics, after Emily Fischnaller and Matthew Greiner appeared to clinch spots with their World Cup finishes on Saturday. The International Luge Federation has not officially told national teams yet how many spots they have earned in the Milan Cortina fields, but the expectation — after Saturday’s fifth and final singles Olympic qualifier of the season — is that it’ll be Summer Britcher, Ashley Farquharson and Fischnaller on the U.S. women’s team, with Jonny Gustafson and Greiner on the U.S. men’s team. USA Luge plans to announce its Olympic nominations on Monday.

Poland beats U.S. in mixed doubles decider

SYDNEY — Poland reached the United Cup ﬁnal after Katarzyna Kawa and Jan Zielinski beat Coco Gauff and Christian Harrison 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3) in a mixed doubles decider. Poland will face Switzerland in Sunday’s ﬁnal. Kawa and Zielinski were decisive once again, having won the mixed doubles decider in the quarterfinals against Australia. Sixtime Grand Slam singles champion Iga Swiatek rushed over to join the celebrations. Earlier, Gauff beat the No. 2-ranked Swiatek 6-4, 6-2 to force a mixed doubles decider. Fourth-ranked Gauff, the French Open champion, evened the matchup at 1-1 at the team event after Hubert Hurkacz beat Taylor Fritz 7-6 (1), 7-6 (2) in the singles opener at Ken Rosewall Arena.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ 3C

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Murphy wasted no time getting to top of 3-point list Kenneth Murphy III goes by Trey, perhaps the first hint that he would someday grow up to become a prolific 3-point shooter. And if that wasn’t enough to convince you, maybe taking a look at the crib his parents had for him when he was an infant might. If it were up to Albeda Murphy, Trey would have just had a regular crib like most 1-year-olds. But her husband, Kenny, insisted the crib have a basketball goal on it. It’s almost as if Trey Murphy was born to do what he’s doing. Murphy, who is only 25 and in his fifth season with the New Orleans Pelicans, became the franchise’s all-time leader in 3-pointers last Sunday in a loss to the Miami Heat. Murphy surpassed former teammate CJ McCollum, who became the franchise leader in January 2025 when he eclipsed Jrue Holiday. Murphy vowed after that game last January that McCollum’s name wouldn’t stay in the record book. “It won’t be long,” Murphy said that night. “That’s all I have to say. It’ll be taken down. It’s like having a bar set for me.” Less than a year later, Murphy proved to be a man of his word. Murphy tied McCollum’s record of 692 3-pointers with 3:58 left in the second quarter of last week’s game in Miami. He broke the record with 39.8 seconds left in the half.

Rod Walker “It’s pretty cool,” Murphy said. “You always want to leave your mark somewhere on and off the court, and I feel like this is something to show on the court.” Murphy needed just 285 games to set the record and join a list of some of the greats of the game. The Pelicans’ franchise record (709 and counting for Murphy going into Sunday’s game against the Orlando Magic) is the fewest among all NBA franchises. (The franchise is in just its 24th season.) The Los Angeles Clippers’ franchise record (820 by Paul George) is the second-lowest. But as long as Murphy stays a Pelican, you can expect him to push the record to a place where it will stand for a long time. Murphy is in one of his hottest stretches since entering the league. He’s made at least six 3-pointers in his past three games. That’s seven in Friday’s win against the Washington Wizards, six in Tuesday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers and seven on his record-setting day against the Heat. It’s the ﬁrst time he’s made six treys in three straight games. He’s averaging 34.6 points over

the past three games, including a career-best 42 points in the loss to the Lakers. “At the end of the day, we didn’t get the win, so it doesn’t really matter,” Murphy said after his career-high night. That’s been the case for Murphy and the Pelicans for most of these past two seasons. The Pelicans are 9-31. They’ve lost nine of their past 10 games, making it hard to appreciate what the Pelicans’ most consistent all-around player has done. Murphy leads the team in minutes played. His 21.7 points rank second on the team behind Zion Williamson. His 6.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists rank second behind Derik Queen. His 1.7 steals rank second behind Herb Jones. “He deserves a ton of credit,” said Pelicans interim head coach James Borrego. “He’s put the work in. He’s a tremendous worker. He’s going to have a wonderful career here. He’s already put up some big numbers. I’m proud of him. He’s fantastic and keeps growing every year and adding to his game. He’s tremendous and deserves all the credit for that.” His parents deserve some of the credit, too. His mom remembers the youth basketball days when Trey would run up and down the court with his hands in his pockets. The solution? Trey’s dad threw away every pair of shorts that had pockets. Or the time when Trey was around 5, when his dad started

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Pelicans forward Trey Murphy shoots the ball as Lakers forward Jake Laravia defends on Tuesday at the Smoothie King Center. ä Pelicans at Magic. 2 P.M. SUNDAy,WAFB

coaching him. “That first year, he was really bad, and he didn’t score a point,” Kenny Murphy recalled. But over time, he got better and better. By the fourth grade, he started draining 3s. By the eighth grade, he was one of the best shooters in the area. “He’s been at it ever since,” the elder Murphy said. Murphy’s first NBA 3-pointer came in the season opener of his rookie season. He went scoreless in the first

half of that game in the Smoothie King Center against the Philadelphia 76ers. “I hadn’t scored the entire ﬁrst half,” Murphy recalls. “I was nervous and a little angry about that.” He made his very ﬁrst one with 1:56 left in the game on an assist from Kira Lewis. He made his second one less than a minute later on an assist from Naji Marshall. That one was from 28 feet. Trey Murphy was just getting started, doing what he was born to do. Email Rod Walker at rwalker@ theadvocate.com.

WNBA, players’ union fail to reach new CBA; negotiations continue BY DOUG FEINBERG Associated Press

NEW YORK — The WNBA and its players’ union weren’t able to agree to a new collective bargaining agreement by the Friday night deadline, and now the league enters a “status-quo” period with no new extension reached. Negotiations will continue with the current CBA still in effect. The league and the players had two previous extensions, with the most recent expiring Friday night. The sides met several times last week but are still far apart on many key issues, including salary structure and revenue-sharing. “Despite demonstrating our willingness to compromise in order to get a deal done, the WNBA and its teams have failed to meet us at the table with the same spirit and seriousness,” the union said in a statement. “Instead, they have remained committed to undervaluing player contributions, dismissing player concerns, and running out the clock.” If a new CBA isn’t agreed upon soon, it could delay the start of the 2026 season. It’s already delayed the expan-

sion draft for Toronto and Portland. “As the league experiences a pivotal time of unprecedented popularity and growth, we recognize the importance of building upon that momentum,” the WNBA said in a statement issued after the deadline had passed. “Our priority is a deal that signiﬁcantly increases player salaries, enhances the overall player experience, and supports the long-term growth of the league for current and future generations of players and fans.” The last CBA was announced in the middle of January 2020, a month after it had been agreed to. It could easily take two months from when a new CBA is reached to get to the start of free agency, which was supposed to begin Sunday. The WNBA, under U.S. labor law, has a status-quo obligation to allow teams to send out qualifying offers under the expired CBA agreement. Both sides could agree to a moratorium that would result in a pause of all free agency activities until a new CBA is ratiﬁed. The league offered one, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke to The Associated

Press on Friday night on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the negotiations. With no moratorium in place, the league has told its teams that they can send out qualifying offers to free agents beginning on Sunday, according to the person. Those offers would go to players who were restricted free agents or ones that the teams wanted to give the franchise tag to. Because neither the players nor the teams have any idea what the new salary structure and salary cap would be in the new CBA, it would be a worthless process for now. The league’s most recent offer last month would guarantee a maximum base salary of $1 million in 2026 that could reach $1.3 million through revenue sharing. That’s up from the current $249,000 and could grow to nearly $2 million over the life of the agreement, the person told the AP. Under the league’s proposal, players would receive in excess of 70% of net revenue — though that would be their take of the proﬁts after expenses are paid. Those expenses would include upgraded facilities, char-

ter flights, five-star hotels, medical services, security and arenas. The average salary in 2026 would be more than $530,000, up from its current $120,000, and grow to more than $770,000 over the life of the agreement. The minimum salary would grow from its current $67,000 to approximately $250,000 in the first year, the person told the AP. The proposal would also financially pay star young

players like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers, who are all still on their rookie contracts, nearly double the league minimum. Revenue sharing is one of the major sticking points in the negotiations. The union’s counter proposal to the league would give players around 30% of the gross revenue. The player’s percentage would be from money generated

before expenses for the ﬁrst year and teams would have a $10.5 million salary cap to sign players. Under the union’s proposal, the revenue sharing percent would go up slightly each year. “Make no mistake. Pay equity is not optional and progress is long overdue,” the union statement said. “We urge the league and its teams to meet this moment. The players already have and will continue to do so.”

Numbness, Burning, Tingling?

Curse of Nico: Latest injury leaves Mavs stuck with Davis BY KEVIN SHERRINGTON

The Dallas Morning News (TNS) DALLAS — Nico Harrison is gone, but his curse on the Dallas Mavericks lingers. Anthony Davis — the guy Nico gave up a generational icon to get; the guy who was supposed to lead the Mavs where Luka Doncic couldn’t — is reportedly out at least six weeks and maybe as much as six months with ligament damage in his left hand, meaning his trade value before the deadline next month just blew up in their faces. Unless the Mavs could ﬁnd another general manager who, like Nico, would take on damaged goods. Maybe you remember that when Nico traded Doncic to the Lakers last February, Davis was hurt then, too. Abdominal strain. Then, when he ﬁnally played, he strained an adductor and was out six weeks. He missed 14 games in November with a strained calf. Then another adductor strain last month, and now this.

Nearly a year since the trade, Davis has played a total of 29 games. He’s been pretty good when available, but he hasn’t made a difference. Certainly not like Luka has for a Lakers team without LeBron James. You could argue it’s not a fair argument because Luka’s played in almost twice as many games, and that would be my point. The Mavs made Luka’s conditioning and availability twothirds of their argument for trading him. Defense was the other. Yet they gave up a 26-year-old MVP candidate who’d missed 15 games a year over his sixyear career for a guy who’d averaged 27 absences over the same time period. They don’t call him “Street Clothes” for nothing. The best result for the Mavs would have been if he could have remained healthy until the Feb. 5 deadline and they could have unloaded him, thus clearing cap space going into next season and reaping 50 cents on the dollar in talent return. There’s no salvaging the Luka deal, if

that’s what you were hoping. The damage is done. The best they could do is cut their losses, tank, hope for another lottery hit and build around Cooper Flagg, who’s ﬂourished nicely. Our Mike Curtis reported that the Hawks’ trade of Trae Young to Washington might have cleared cap space for a potential Davis deal. Might have gotten a nice young player such as Zaccharie Risacher. No such chance now. Even if Davis could have done what seems like the impossible and remained available, he’s reportedly complicating his trade value with requests of a contract extension. Good luck with that. He’s due $58.5 million next season and has a player-option for $62.8 million the year after. A little pricey for a guy who’ll celebrate his 33rd birthday in March in street clothes. Maybe they can ﬁnd a taker for Davis this summer, but I wouldn’t count on it. Looks to me like they’re stuck with him. The curse of Nico lives on.

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ALL-METRO FOOTBALL

SMALL SCHOOLS OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF YEAR

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

SMALL SCHOOLS DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF YEAR

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Dunham quarterback Elijah Haven finds a gap in the Live Oak defense on Sept. 11 at Olympia Stadium. The junior passed for 3,929 yards and 62 touchdowns while accumulating a state-record 73 total TDs in leading the Tigers to the Division III select state title.

U-High defensive lineman Lamar Brown celebrates after blocking the extra point against Dunham on Aug. 28 at Parkview Baptist. The LSU offensive line signee dominated the defensive line of scrimmage with 29 tackles, nine tackles for loss, three sacks and two forced fumbles.

ELIJAH HAVEN DUNHAM, JUNIOR • QUARTERBACK

LAMAR BROWN UNIVERSITY HIGH, SENIOR • DEFENSIVE LINEMAN

Each season, the expectations rise for Dunham quarterback Elijah Haven, and each season, he’s not just met the bar but soared above it. The junior set single-season state records for touchdown passes (62) and total TDs (73). He also set the state record for career total touchdowns (180) — and he still has another season to play. If that wasn’t enough, Haven guided the Tigers to the Division III select state title.After falling short in the state title in 2024, he raised his level of play this year to help finish the job for Dunham in the Caesars Superdome. The 6-foot-5, 215-pounder finished his year with 3,929 yards passing, 62 touchdowns and seven interceptions on a 72.5% completion percentage. Haven ran for 847 yards and 11 touchdowns on 127 carries. For those reasons, Haven was selected The Advocate’s All-Metro small schools offensive

University High senior defensive lineman Lamar Brown made plays on defense, offense and special teams for the Cubs this year. The 6-foot-4, 285-pound senior rarely took a snap off on either side of the ball and made some of the team’s biggest plays of the season on defense. Against Madison Prep in the Division II select quarterfinals, the Cubs clung to a 3230 lead but faced a driving Chargers offense with less than a minute to go. Madison Prep reached the Chargers 32 when quarterback Dylan Reed began to scramble. Brown slipped through a double team and chased down Reed, bringing him down from behind and poking the ball out in the process. The forced fumble sealed the win to send U-High to the semifinals.

player of the year. His season culminated in a 34-17 win over Calvary Baptist in the Division III select championship game in New Orleans. He was named MVP after he threw for 271 yards and three touchdowns on 21-of-29 passing. He ran for 136 yards and two touchdowns. Dunham coach Neil Weiner noted Haven’s leadership and unselfishness which has continued to grow. “I don’t think it’s even something that he has to intentionally think about,” Weiner said.“I think it’s just who he is.” Haven credited his teammates for helping him accomplish the lofty numbers and heights the team achieved. “Just making sure the guys know they can lean on me,” Haven said.“That’s been a huge improvement in the way I’ve been able to lead the team this year.”

Jackson Reyes

SMALL SCHOOLS ALL-METRO OFFENSE

The LSU signee finished the year with 29 tackles, nine tackles for loss, three sacks and two forced fumbles. For those reasons, Brown was selected The Advocate’s All-Metro small schools defensive player of the year. University High coach Andy Martin noted his effort playing on both sides of the ball. “If he could play every single rep, he would,” Martin said. “He’s a kid who’s hungry to play. If we ask him to go run through that wall, he’s going to figure out a way to do it.” Martin also noted his leadership. “We’ve had some really good ones come through here,” Martin said.“He’s going to be one of the best that’s come through, and it’s because of everything around him. From his character, to the way he plays.To every part of it.”

Jackson Reyes

SMALL SCHOOLS ALL-METRO DEFENSE

QB ELIJAH HAVEN Dunham 6-5, 215, Jr.

RB TAJ CALLAHAN Episcopal 6-0, 185, Sr.

ATH JAJUAN JACKSON St. James 6-1, 205, So.

DL ELIOT TRAHAN Dunham, 5-9, 195, Sr.

LB JOHN ROB DAIGLE Ascension Catholic 5-11, 190, Jr.

FLEX TREVOR HAMAN Dunham 6-0, 195, Sr.

WR KEYON ROBINSON Madison Prep 6-1, 196, Sr.

RB VAUGHN BLANCHARD Ascension Catholic 6-4, 255, Sr.

ATH LANDON JOHNSON Madison Prep 6-0, 184, Jr.

DL DECALEB GREEN Donaldsonville 6-5, 185, Jr.

LB CANNON WALKER Madison Prep 6-2, 215, Sr.

FLEX MAX RIBES Episcopal 5-8, 155, So.

WR JAKIAS VILLANUEVA St. James 5-7, 155, Sr.

OL CHRISTIAN COMEAUX Dunham 6-2, 215, Sr.

ATH LAWSON DIXON University High 5-11, 185, Sr.

DL LAMAR BROWN University High 6-4, 285, Sr.

DB JYE BLAINE St. James 5-11, 170, Jr.

RS/FLEX TY’KIMION FORD Slaughter Charter 6-2, 175, Sr.

WR JARVIS WASHINGTON Dunham 6-4, 185, Sr.

OL CARNELL SMITH Madison Prep 6-2, 321, Sr.

K GAVIN HIGGINS Parkview Baptist, Sr. 5-11, 185, Sr.

DL JOSH BARBER Ascension Catholic 6-0, 240, Sr.

DB JAVEN HOLMES Madison Prep 6-3, 205, Sr.

P MARIO GONZALES Donaldsonville 5-7, 180 Sr.

WR TREVIN SIMON Ascension Catholic 5-10, 190, Sr.

OL DARNELL SMITH Madison Prep 6-2, 325, Sr.

DL NOLAN ZENON St. James 6-0, 190, Sr.

DB JACOB JULIEN Ascension Catholic 5-10, 170, Jr.

RB MARQUISE FRANKLIN Parkview Baptist 5-9, 195, So.

OL WILLIE WILLIAMS Parkview Baptist 6-2, 300, Sr.

LB LANE MIXON University High 6-0, 194, Sr.

DB ERIN MOORE University High 5-11, 180, Sr.

SMALL SCHOOLS COACH OF THE YEAR NEIL WEINER DUNHAM After years of deep playoff runs, Dunham coach Neil Weiner and his Tigers rose to the top of the high school football mountain this year by winning the Division III select state title. Weiner coached Dunham to a 13-1 record and its first state title since 2004.The win also marks his first state title won as a head coach. He credited the fight his team showed throughout the season for their success.Weiner pointed to their response in the team’s lone

loss against St. Charles. After falling behind, Dunham remained composed and engineered a comeback attempt that fell just short in a 27-21 loss. “I saw the way that we responded to that,” Weiner said.“I knew we had something pretty special.” Dunham’s run to a title included a 49-48 win against Lafayette Christian in the semifinals.The Tigers trailed 48-41 late but scored a touchdown

and two-point conversion with less than two minutes left.A late interception sealed it. In the state title game, Dunham trailed Calvary Baptist early but remained composed and scored 20 straight points to take a lead they never gave up. “Our kids are awesome,” Weiner said.“They just don’t flinch, they really don’t. It’s been that way the last several years.” STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON Jackson Reyes Dunham coach Neil Weiner

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ 5C

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ALL-METRO FOOTBALL LARGE SCHOOLS OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF YEAR

FILE PHOTO By APRIL BUFFINGTON

LARGE SCHOOLS DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF YEAR

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Denham Springs quarterback Da’Jean Golmond led a high-octane yellow Jackets offense that averaged 42.8 points per game. The 6-foot-1 senior passed for 2,544 yards and 32 touchdowns while rushing for 377 yards and 10 more scores.

Catholic defensive back Blaine Bradford anchored a strong Bears defense from his safety spot. The Ohio State signee had 60 tackles, two tackles for loss and one interception as the Bears won the District 4-5A title and advanced to the Division I select semifinals.

DA’JEAN GOLDMOND DENHAM SPRINGS, SENIOR • QB

BLAINE BRADFORD CATHOLIC HIGH, SENIOR • DB

Denham Springs boasted one of the most electric offenses in the area this season and Da’Jean Goldmond was the orchestrator. The 6-foot-1 senior guided an offense that averaged 42.8 points per game. He passed for 2,544 yards with 32 touchdowns and seven interceptions on a 61.4% completion percentage. He also ran for 477 yards and 10 touchdowns on 74 attempts as the yellow Jackets finished 8-2. Golmond’s 32 scoring passes broke the record of 27 set by Luke Lunsford. For these reasons, Golmond was selected The Advocate’s All-Metro large school offensive player of the year. After a 2-2 start to the season, Denham Springs rolled past Southern Lab 41-14. Golmond finished with six total touchdowns and 239 yards passing, hitting on 20-of-26 attemps. Before that game, Denham Springs coach Brett Beard had a simple message for his

quarterback. “Pull the trigger, let it rip and let’s go,” Beard said.“Just trust your eyes. I trust you.” The win sparked a six-game winning streak to close out the year.The yellow Jackets scored more than 60 points in two games, and more than 50 points in others during that stretch. The successful finish helped Denham Springs win a share of the District 5-5A title with East Ascension. In the team’s final game of the regular season, Denham Springs was tied 26-26 with St.Amant in the second half. Golmond engineered a run of 28 straight points to lead his team to a 54-26 win. He finished with five total touchdowns and 209 yards passing. The yellow Jackets entered the playoffs as the No. 4 seed, which was the school’s highest seeding since 1999 during the power rankings system era. Jackson Reyes

Catholic senior safety Blaine Bradford wreaked havoc on offenses all season long for the Bears. The Bears allowed just 16.2 points per game in 13 games, and Bradford’s impact played a key role. The hard-hitting defensive back finished the year with 60 total tackles, 49 solo tackles, two tackles for loss and one interception. He played a key role in helping Catholic finish the year with a 10-3 record, a District 4-5A title and a Division I select semifinals finish. For his efforts, Bradford was selected The Advocate’s All-Metro large school defensive player of the year. Catholic coach Hudson Fuller noted Bradford’s maturity level and leadership as two aspects that stand out about him as a player. “Just his maturity level from the day that I met him, you could tell he was a special kid,” Fuller said of the Ohio State signee.“He’s a phenomenal athlete, but more so, he’s a

phenomenal person.” Bradford anchored a defense that held ubertalented Edna Karr to 17 points in the Division I select semifinal. Despite losing the game 17-10, the seven-point margin was the closest game the eventual champion Cougars played all season against Louisiana high schools. While he made several big-time plays on the field, he also looked to leave his mark off the field. One of the senior’s goals for his final season of high school football was to see the younger players grow as leaders throughout the year. “If I see that,” Bradford said,“I feel like I’ve left my mark in the right way.” Fuller reinforced Bradford as a leader on the team. “He connects with all teammates on all levels,” Fuller said.“He leads from the front in a vocal way, but also just leads by example. He will be someone that, as we look back, had a profound influence on our program.”

Jackson Reyes

LARGE SCHOOLS ALL-METRO OFFENSE

LARGE SCHOOLS ALL-METRO DEFENSE

QB DA’JEAN GOLMOND Denham Springs 6-1, 205, Sr.

RB JOURDEN HICKERSON St.Amant 6-0, 185, Jr.

ATH PATRICK GALES Brusly 5-9, 173, Sr.

DL DARREYUS SCOTT Denham Springs 5-10, 230, Sr.

LB JAKE JARREAU Central 5-8, 195, Sr.

FLEX JAVON JARIUS East Ascension 6-1, 175, Sr.

WR DA’SEAN GOLMOND Denham Springs 6-1, 195, Sr.

OL BLAISE THOMASSIE Catholic 6-4, 265, Sr.

ATH BRYSTEN MARTINEZ East Ascension 6-6, 308, Sr.

DL CADEN PARQUETTE Lutcher 6-0, 250, Sr.

LB CADEN ALLYN Denham Springs 5-10, 180, Sr.

FLEX JOHN RUSSELL DEMOSS Catholic 5-11, 185, Sr.

WR CASH DAVIS Live Oak 6-0, 160, Jr.

OL REGGIE TRUSCLAIR Plaquemine 6-2, 268, Jr.

ATH COOPER BABIN St.Amant 6-0, 180, Sr.

DL TYRONE MORGAN Woodlawn 6-4, 240, Sr.

DB BLAINE BRADFORD Catholic 6-1, 207, Sr.

RS/ATH JAYDEN URSIN East Ascension 6-2, 165, Jr.

WR ETHAN KIMMIE Zachary 6-3, 190, Jr.

OL JAYDEN MICHAEL Lutcher 6-4, 300, Sr.

K BEN JONES St. Michael 6-1, 175, Sr.

DL RYAN JENKINS Plaquemine 5-11, 275, Sr.

DB RODERICK BINGHAM Plaquemine 6-1, 170, Sr.

P CHRISTIAN COSEY Zachary 6-2, 155, Sr.

RB ZAIDEN FOSTER Liberty 5-9, 205, Sr.

OL GRAHAM HARRIS Central 6-2, 300, Sr.

LB DYLAN SHELMIRE Zachary 6-0, 215, Sr.

DB MICAH LEVY East Ascension 6-1, 210, Jr.

RB JAYDEN MILES Catholic 6-2, 203, Jr.

OL ENGLAND PHILLIPS Dutchtown 6-2, 290, Sr.

LB HARRISON KIDDER Catholic 6-1, 210, Sr.

DB CAYDEN RANDALL Woodlawn 6-0, 190, Sr.

LARGE SCHOOLS COACH OF THE YEAR HUDSON FULLER CATHOLIC HIGH Catholic enjoyed another successful season under Hudson Fuller, who earned The Advocate’s All-Metro large schools coach of the year. The Bears finished 10-3, won the District 4-5A title and made it to the Division I select semifinals.

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After consecutive losses dropped Catholic to 3-2 midway through the season, he coached Catholic to five straight wins to close the regular season and finished unbeaten in district play. The Bears won all of their league games by double figures. In Catholic’s final three games

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of the regular season, the Bears notched wins over Scotlandville,Woodlawn and Zachary — all by more than 30 points. Catholic won its first two playoff games by double figures. Jackson Reyes

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STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Catholic coach Hudson Fuller

ONE great state FOUR great apps

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LSU loses to Vanderbilt, falls to 0-3 in SEC play BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SCOTT THRELKELD

Tulane guard Rowan Brumbaugh, shown shooting a 3-pointer over Memphis guard PJ Haggerty last season, and the Green Wave hit a program-record 19 treys against UTSA on Saturday.

Brumbaugh, Tulane dominate UTSA BY GUERRY SMITH Contributing writer

After hitting two free throws with two seconds left to cap a dramatic comeback one-point win at Texas-San Antonio last season, Tulane point guard Rowan Brumbaugh took care of matters much earlier this time. With the Green Wave leading 13-11 near the midpoint of the first half, he came up with a steal off a rebound under the basket and converted an incredibly difficult reverse layup while falling down that hit high off the backboard. He followed with consecutive 3-point shots, sinking a free throw for a 4-point play when he was fouled on the second one as Tulane went on a 15-0 run in less than three minutes. Ball game. The Wave did not mess around with the struggling Roadrunners at all, draining a school-record 19 3-pointers in 42 attempts on its way to an 85-52 demolition on Saturday at the Convocation Center. The blowout allowed coach Ron Hunter to empty his bench in the final two minutes, and when walkon Jake Shapiro hit a trey with 30 seconds left for his first basket of the year, Tulane was on the verge of its most lopsided victory in 12 years of American Conference play. It settled for the second largest after the Roadrunners made a 3 with 19 seconds left — trailing only a 97-63 rout of Tulsa at home in 2021-22. Surging Tulane (12-4, 3-0), which has won its first three conference games for the first time since 1996-97, pulled back into a tie with Temple at the top of the league. Texas-San Antonio (4-12, 0-4), which lost its ninth in a row, already had a 40-point league defeat at Florida Atlantic on its ledger. The Roadrunners shot 18 for 53 (34.0%) and committed 16 turnovers. “I can tell we’ve grown up,” Hunter said. “Earlier in the season when we played teams that were really struggling, we would win by four or six and could never get over the hump. Our kids handled their business early. Defensively, we took their will away.” Brumbaugh played up to his

preseason American Conference player of the year billing, leading the Wave with 23 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals while tying his career high with six 3s. Curtis Williams broke out of a shooting slump (23 of 82 in the past seven games) with 22 points while matching Brumbaugh’s six treys, mostly on wide-open looks from the corner. Asher Woods hit back-to-back 3s that stretched the lead to 28-11, finishing with 17 points and seven rebounds. Tulane took full advantage of Texas-San Antonio’s soft zone defense. On one exhibition-like second-half possession, the Wave passed up about six open shots while whipping the ball from side to side before Williams hit an uncontested 3. Tulane’s previous high for 3s in a game was 16 in a tripleovertime loss to Central Florida in 2014-15. Its most in regulation had been 15. The Wave’s 22 assists were a season high. “We’re becoming a confident team,” Hunter said. “A lot of times you win games and feel good about yourself, but there’s a difference between feeling good and confident. Now we’re confident on both ends of the floor, and that’s when you start stacking wins and believe you can win every game.” Tulane played without backup center Percy Daniels, who tweaked his left knee in practice on Friday. When starting center Tyler Ringgold picked up two early fouls, Davion Bradford played seven minutes in the first half after not logging that much time in any previous game. Daniels will not be out for long. “If we were further down the season, we probably would have played him,” Hunter said. “This was a precaution.” Tulane returns home for games against UAB on Wednesday and North Texas on Sunday. “We’re not taking any days off defensively right now, and as long as we do that, then we’ll have a chance every night,” Hunter said. “We’ve got two really good games coming at home and have to be ready to hold serve.”

No. 1 Arizona stays undefeated as Peat scores 20 vs. TCU BY SCHUYLER DIXON AP sportswriter

FORT WORTH, Texas — Freshman Koa Peat had 20 points and seven rebounds, Anthony Dell’Orso and Jaden Bradley scored 17 points apiece and top-ranked Arizona beat TCU 86-73 on Saturday. The Wildcats (16-0, 3-0 Big 12) never trailed while extending the school’s best start since going 21-0 in 2013-14. The victory came a few hours after No. 2 Michigan’s 91-88 loss to Wisconsin reduced the number of undefeated teams to ﬁve. Tanner Toolson scored 20 points for the Horned Frogs (11-5, 1-2), who dropped to 1-11 against No. 1 teams in a second loss this week to a ranked opponent. TCU fell at No. 22 Kansas 104-100 in overtime on Tuesday. Motiejus Kirvas had 10 rebounds and eight points for Arizona, which had a 10-game streak

of winning by at least 19 points stopped. It was the longest such streak since Duke won 10 in a row by at least that many points in 2003-04. The Wildcats’ 20-point lead in the second half was down to seven after Toolson’s 3-pointer with 6:56 remaining when Dell’Orso answered with a 3 late in the shot clock, Peat scored and Dell’Orso hit a baseline jumper for a 72-58 edge. TCU trailed by 21 in the ﬁrst half but was within nine soon after the break when Arizona made ﬁve consecutive shots during an 11-2 run that ended with consecutive 3-pointers from Ivan Kharchenkov, Bradley and Brayden Burries. Bradley had a chance for a four-point play, but missed the free throw before Burries’ 3 answered TCU’s lone bucket during the surge and put Arizona up 56-36.

Without Dedan Thomas, LSU basketball looked out of sorts and unequipped at times against No. 11 Vanderbilt, the top-ranked team in the Southeastern Conference. LSU trailed by as many as 20 points in the first half. Regardless, the team fought especially hard on defense in the second half. LSU even brought an edge when Robert Miller and Mazi Mosley were talking to Vanderbilt’s Devin McGlockton and the players had to be separated. No technical fouls were handed, but that was the first time this season that a moment like that occurred. That fearlessness against Vanderbilt helped the Tigers trail by as few as seven points with 8:55 left in the game. However, that wasn’t enough to overcome LSU’s talent disadvantage as it fell 84-73 to Vanderbilt on Saturday at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tennessee. LSU (12-4, 0-3 SEC) entered as a 14.5-point underdog to Vanderbilt (16-0, 3-0), which has tied its best start to a season in program history. “I thought once we settled into the game, we did a better job executing,” Matt McMahon said on the LSU sports radio network. “We guarded well enough, certainly from the floor in the second half. “We had two possessions where we’ve got it down to seven, and those were two of our few turnovers we had in the second half … and never could get any closer.” Max Mackinnon had a seasonhigh 27 points, four rebounds and four assists. Marquel Sutton had 13 points and six rebounds. LSU outscored Vanderbilt 35-32 in the second half. Thomas missed his third consecutive game for LSU due to a lower leg injury. The junior runs LSU’s offense, averaging a team-high 16.2 points on 49.3% shooting, an SEC-high 7.1 assists and only 1.8 turnovers per game. McMahon said after the game that his point guard remains dayto-day and has been “in treatment 15, 16 hours a day.” LSU needed a heightened level of urgency from the opening tip after its most recent 10-point home loss to South Carolina, when the Tigers trailed 24-5 after about 6 minutes. They got off to a better start against Vanderbilt, but still were down 13-7 by the first media timeout at the 15:54 mark. The Commodores’ Tyler Tanner showed early why he entered the game averaging 17.1 points on 52.8% shooting overall, 5.6 assists and 2.6 steals. At halftime, the sophomore point guard had 11 points and three steals. Tanner’s speed demanded switches on screens. LSU’s Mike Nwoko was forced to guard Tanner in space, which was challenging for the 6-foot-10, 260-pound center.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GEORGE WALKER IV

LSU forward Michael Nwoko, right, steals the ball from Vanderbilt guard Duke Miles during the second half on Saturday in Nashville, Tenn. The 6-9 Sutton, who had nine points on 1-of-9 shooting in the previous two games combined, was not able to take advantage of smaller defenders in the first half. The Commodores’ energetic defense forced seven first-half steals and breakout chances that led to scoring runs. The top scorer for Vanderbilt early was Tyler Nickel. The 3-point specialist had 15 points and 4 of 7 3-pointers in the first half. Mackinnon did his best to match the scoring burst as he had 14 at halftime and two 3s. LSU had some moments in the first half that were beneficial to keeping the game within striking distance. Freshman point guard Jalen Reece was a part of LSU’s fight back when it went on a 9-0 run after back-to-back 3-pointers from Reece, who entered shooting, and a 3-pointer from Mackinnon to cut the deficit to 39-28 with 4:51 left in the first half. At halftime, it trailed 52-38. The true comeback run came when sophomore forward Miller and freshman guard Mosley entered the game with 17:21 left in the second half. McMahon said their “energy” and “athleticism” played a major factor in helping LSU get back into

the game. The duo provided the aggressiveness that the Tigers needed on defense. Miller, the only active returner, displayed good touch around the hoop and was a deterrent around the rim on defense with his 6-10 height and 7-5 wingspan. Miller had nine points on 3-of-3 shooting, two rebounds and a block in 17 minutes. He fouled out with 20 seconds remaining. The 6-foot-5, 169-pound Mosley helped shift the intensity on the court, despite going 1 of 6 from the ﬁeld. He checked in at the 11:20 minute mark of the ﬁrst half, which is as early as he played this season. Mosley was active as an on-ball defender and was also a reason for LSU drawing non-shooting fouls that helped it enter the one-and-one bonus after about seven minutes in the second half. He played a season-high 27 minutes and had three points, six rebounds and two assists. Mackinnon’s second half was one of his most impressive of the season. The 6-6 senior used his shooting prowess to attack closeout defenders and score around the midrange and painted area. LSU’s next game is against Kentucky at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

FULWILEY

Continued from page 1C “You can’t take away what she does offensively,” Mulkey said. “So what you try to do is make her understand the value defensively is as important, if not more important, than what you do offensively, especially late in the games.” Fulwiley struggled in LSU’s SEC opener against the No. 6 Wildcats. She missed five of the six shots she took, and most of them were layups she usually converts. She also picked up her second and third fouls late in the second quarter, putting herself in foul trouble that prevented her from playing more than 17 minutes. In the next game against the No. 7 Commodores, Fulwiley tallied 13 points, seven rebounds, six assists and two steals. But she also turned the ball over ﬁve times and made a costly error on defense late in the fourth, when she floated toward the ball and out of position, leaving the sharpshooting freshman guard Aubrey Galvan open in the corner. She drained a 3-pointer, and Vanderbilt took a 60-58 lead with two minutes left in the game. Mulkey has said that Fulwiley tends to take unnecessary risks when she’s fatigued, as she did in the loss to the Commodores. LSU was outscored by six points in the career-high 35 minutes she played. Fulwiley and Mulkey discussed the defensive lapses between the contests against Vanderbilt and Georgia. That’s when it dawned on Mulkey that Fulwiley wasn’t usually on the ﬂoor when the Game-

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU guard MiLaysia Fulwiley scores against UT-Arlington center Jeanne Rodriguez on Dec. 21 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. cocks needed to close out a tight game in the previous two seasons. “She said, ‘Coach, I’m gonna get better,’ ” Mulkey said. “I’m gonna get better. I know I gamble. I take chances. I get a little bit fatigued.’ “It’s easy for me to say, ‘Take her out. Get her out.’ And then that next transition basket, she might score for you. So it’s a ﬁne line between making her get better and understanding she’s never had to play late in a ballgame and be disciplined on the defensive end.” LSU did not have to ﬁght through a close game against Georgia, in part because Fulwiley played one of the best conference games of her career. On offense, she made six of her nine shots, assisted three buckets and even drew a gamehigh seven fouls. On defense, Fulwiley grabbed four rebounds, blocked four shots

and forced two turnovers. The Tigers outscored the Bulldogs by nine points in the 26 minutes she played. Fulwiley turned in that kind of performance throughout nonconference play. In those 14 matchups, she averaged 15.1 points and four steals per game while shooting 54% from the ﬁeld. LSU just never found itself in a close battle. Its smallest margin of victory was 16 points. Now that the Tigers have begun playing tougher teams and closer games, Fulwiley has shown Mulkey exactly what she still needs to learn. So the dazzling fast-break layups like the ones she converted against Georgia can have a net positive effect on LSU’s toughest games. “It’s my job to continue to teach,” Mulkey said, “to make her get better, to make her understand the value of, ‘I can’t sub you offensedefense. We need you to do both.’ ”

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ 7C

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Tulane adds tight end Bolyard from Duke

LSU NOTEBOOK

BY GUERRY SMITH Contributing writer

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU football coach Lane Kiffin, shown at an introductory press conference on Dec. 1, gained Tennessee offensive lineman William Satterwhite from the transfer portal on Saturday.

LSU adds Tennessee OL Satterwhite out of portal BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

Tennessee redshirt freshman offensive lineman William Satterwhite has signed with LSU out of the transfer portal, the school announced Saturday. Satterwhite played 137 snaps at center this past season across eight games, according to Pro Football Focus. He didn’t start a game, but saw action against Arkansas, Alabama, Kentucky and Florida. Before then, he was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2024 and the No. 12 interior offensive lineman in the nation, according to the 247Sports Composite. Satterwhite is the third offensive lineman LSU has signed out of the transfer portal, but he’s the ﬁrst addition from the FBS ranks. JaKolby Jones, who was once committed to Georgia Tech, has spent the

last two years at Copiah-Lincoln Community College. Ja’Quan Sprinkle started 27 games over the past three years at North Carolina Central, an FCS school. Despite signing three offensive linemen out of the portal, LSU is nowhere near finished adding pieces up front. The Tigers have lost eight offensive linemen to the portal this offseason, and starting right guard Josh Thompson is not eligible to return.

LSU lands another wide receiver West Florida redshirt sophomore wide receiver Tyree Holloway has signed with LSU out of the transfer portal, the school announced on Saturday. Holloway had 34 catches for 661 yards and eight touchdowns this past season for the Argonauts, a Division II school. After beginning his career at Chowan University, Holloway transferred to West

Florida after his freshman year. He missed all but three games in his ﬁrst season at West Florida due to a season-ending injury. He is the seventh wide receiver LSU has added out of the transfer portal, joining Illinois transfer Malik Elzy, McNeese State transfer Josh Jackson, Florida transfer Eugene Wilson, Kansas State transfer Jayce Brown, Old Dominion transfer Tre Brown and Hawaii transfer Jackson Harris. LSU needed to remake its wide receiver room following this season. The Tigers lost ﬁve wideouts to the transfer portal and the majority of their starters from this year are off to the NFL, including Zavion Thomas, Aaron Anderson and Barion Brown. Of the five wideouts that have entered the portal, redshirt sophomore Kyle Parker was the only one who snatched more than two passes.

Hoosiers’ dominant CFP run could put them in the mix for best of all time

AP FILE PHOTO By ROSS D. FRANKLIN

Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt warms up before a game against Houston on Oct. 25 in Tempe, Ariz. LSU football coach Lane Kiffin traveled to Tennessee to meet with Leavitt.

LSU

BY CHARLES ODUM AP sportswriter

ATLANTA — Undefeated Indiana did more than just justify its place as the top seed in the College Football Playoff with its lopsided 56-22 rout of Oregon in the Peach Bowl semifinal. The Hoosiers also made a statement about their bid to be considered as one of the top teams in college football history if they can complete their perfect season in the national championship game against No. 10 Miami. Indiana (15-0, No. 1 CFP) was led by Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza’s five touchdown passes in Friday night’s overwhelming win. The balance shown by the Hoosiers, with championship-level play on offense, defense and special teams, was just as impressive. Clearly, Indiana boasts more than just a star quarterback. The defense ranked second in the nation in points, yards and rushing yards allowed. The Hoosiers ranked 10th in rushing before Kaelon Black ran for 63 yards and two touchdowns against the Ducks. The defense forced three turnovers, each setting up a touchdown. “I think when you have good people and they buy in and they prepare the right way, we have a lot of those kind of guys,” said Indiana coach Curt Cignetti, who credited defensive coordinator Bryant Haines. “They’re high-character, smart guys that can play and coach Haines puts them in position to make plays and put the offense in conflict and attacks. And on the other side of the ball, too, in special teams as well, we’ve been very consistent in all three phases.” Mendoza will return to his hometown of Miami for the national

Tulane transfer portal addition Vance Bolyard will not have to wait long to see his former school. Bolyard, a 6-foot-5, 240-pound rising redshirt junior tight end who committed Friday, played for the past three years at Duke, which will be the Green Wave’s opening opponent next Sept. 5 in Durham, North Carolina. “I’m excited for it,” he said. “That will be awesome.” Duke’s loss to Tulane this past September was one of only two games in which Bolyard did not participate this season, when he logged 85 downs, mostly on special teams. He did not catch a pass in three years with the Blue Devils after signing as a 3-star recruit in 2023 — he had honorable mention ACC tight end Jeremiah Hasley in front of him this season — but he expects to play a much bigger role with the Wave. Bolyard said he also visited East Carolina and Connecticut before choosing Tulane. He sampled jambalaya, charbroiled oysters and alligator for the ﬁrst time at a local restaurant and loved all three, but his reason for picking the Wave boiled down to trust. “I just felt welcome there,” he said. “Some of the visits I would go on, I just felt a little on edge, and it just didn’t feel like that. I felt like I could be myself. I liked talking ball with them, and I feel like I can get a lot better under coach Hall and coach Spotts (tight ends coach Tyler SpottsOrgeron).”

Continued from page 1C

AP PHOTO By BRyNN ANDERSON

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza kisses the trophy after the Peach Bowl playoff semifinal against Oregon on Friday in Atlanta. championship game against Miami on Jan. 19. It will be the ﬁrst national title game in Indiana history. It also will be an opportunity to complete one of the most impressive seasons for any team in history. The runaway win over Oregon followed a similarly crushing 38-3 win over Alabama in the Rose Bowl CFP quarterfinal. Indiana outgained Alabama 407-193, a stunning margin against the proud Crimson Tide. Based on the demonstration of balance, power, defense and big plays in the CFP, it is not too soon to compare Indiana with the 2019 LSU and 2020 Alabama teams when considering the greatest teams in recent history. Oregon coach Dan Lanning sounded convinced after his Ducks were overwhelmed in the Peach Bowl. The semiﬁnal ranked as one of the biggest blowouts in CFP history, behind only Georgia’s 65-7 demolition of TCU in the national

championship game following the 2022 season. “You see a really complete team,” Lanning said. “And I think they obviously have a great chance to keep it going and have unbelievable success.” The Hoosiers are favored by 7 1/2 points against Miami, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Indiana will bring momentum and confidence to the national championship game. Mendoza, who was almost perfect against Oregon while completing 17 of 20 passes for 177 yards, says the Hoosiers just need to remain on track. “I think it’s really just playing our brand of football, playing the Indiana Hoosiers football, that even though it is the national championship, we don’t have to do anything that is out of character,” Mendoza said. “We just gotta play our brand of football, and that’s what has led us to this point in 15 wins this season.”

Bolyard said he would enroll in May after graduating from Duke. Tulane is thin at tight end after Justyn Reid (17 catches, three touchdowns) and Anthony Miller (five catches, one TD) entered the transfer portal (Miller chose Arizona State on Friday) and Johnny Pascuzzi (12 catches, 158 yards) finished his eligibility. Tulane also secured a commitment from former Boston College offensive tackle Ryan Mickow, another rising redshirt junior, on Friday, a source confirmed. Mickow (6-foot-7, 317 pounds), who had offers from Georgia Tech from South Florida out of Florida football power St. Thomas Aquinas High, started against Nebraska in the Pinstripe Bowl in 2024 and appeared in 24 games over the past two years, primarily on special teams. He also had limited duty at left and right tackle. In other news, redshirt senior wide receiver Garrett Mmahat announced he was returning for the Wave while running back Arnold Barnes and wideout Jimmy Calloway entered the portal. Mmahat (10 catches, 124 yards) was slated to start the season opener against Northwestern before foot injuries limited him to five games. Barnes, a Booker T. Washington product who was the Wave’s most experienced returning running back, rushed 51 times for 217 yards but had only 10 carries in the final seven games. Calloway, a Louisville transfer who was expected to play a bigger role, caught three passes for 52 yards.

come down to LSU and Miami. Leavitt, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound redshirt sophomore, has two more seasons of eligibility. He threw for 4,513 yards with 34 touchdowns and nine interceptions over the past two seasons. He also rushed for a combined 749 yards and 10 scores. Leavitt suffered a foot injury in September and ultimately underwent season-ending surgery, making it unclear how much he’ll be able to practice in the spring. Longstreet was the No. 25 overall recruit and the fourth-best quarterback in the 2025 class coming out of Centennial High in Corona, California, according to the 247Sports composite. He spent one season as a backup at USC behind Jayden Maiava before entering the transfer portal Thursday. Longstreet is ranked as a top 20 player in the portal by On3 and 247Sports. LSU quickly brought in Longstreet on a visit, as LouisianaSports.net first reported. Longstreet completed 86.7% of his passes for 103 yards and one touchdown while playing in four games this past season. He also rushed 11 times for 76 yards and two scores. After taking a redshirt, he has four more years of eligibility.

LSU’s quarterback search has taken multiple twists over the past week. Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss decided to resign with the Rebels if he received a waiver for a sixth year of eligibility, which was denied Friday by the NCAA. LSU last weekend hosted former Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who signed with Texas Tech. Leavitt arrived in Baton Rouge on Monday afternoon for a visit, and he sat courtside with Kifﬁn at an LSU men’s basketball game Tuesday night. While he was still in town that night, Washington quarterback Demond Williams announced he would enter the transfer portal. Sources said LSU had interest in Williams, but he decided Thursday to stay with the Huskies. At the same time, LSU hosted Elon transfer quarterback Landen Clark for a visit that began Friday after he ﬁnished a trip to Michigan. It has also extended an offer to junior college quarterback Tre Guerra. LSU has an empty quarterback room at the moment. Fifth-year senior Garrett Nussmeier exhausted his eligibility, and sophomore Michael Van Buren and redshirt freshman Colin Hurley entered the transfer portal. Van Buren, who said multiple times he wanted to return amid the coaching change, committed to South Florida.

8C ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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NFL

Stafford gets first nod for AP All-Pro BY ROB MAADDI

AP pro football writer Matthew Stafford beat out Drake Maye, while Myles Garrett, Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba were unanimous choices for the 2025 Associated Press NFL AllPro Team. Bijan Robinson is the running back while Christian McCaffrey earned the All-Purpose spot. Ja’Marr Chase is the third wide receiver and tight end Trey McBride got 49 of 50 first-place votes. Will Anderson Jr. and Micah Parsons joined Garrett at edge rusher. Jeffery Simmons and Zach Allen were selected as interior defensive linemen. “That’s great. Needed that for real,” said Parsons, who had surgery to repair a torn ACL and won’t be playing in the playoffs for the Packers. “Look forward to trying to get back to that same status this offseason.” The 37-year-old Stafford received 31 first-place votes to Maye’s 18 to earn All-Pro honors for the first time in his 17-year career. Josh Allen got the other vote. Stafford was first in the NFL with 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns. His passer rating of 109.2 was second only to Maye, who finished at 113.5. Maye had 4,394 yards passing and 31 TDs. Last year, Lamar Jackson was the first-team All-Pro quarterback and Allen was the AP NFL MVP. “That’s amazing,” Stafford said when he heard the news. “I did not see that coming. Played a lot of years. A lot of respect for this game. A lot of respect for the other guys who do what I do. It’s not an easy thing to do. It means a lot.” Stafford is the second player ever to be named a first-team AllPro for the first time in his 17th season or later, according to the

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARK J. TERRILL

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford walks off the field after a game against the Arizona Cardinals on Jan. 4 in Inglewood, Calif.

SAINTS WR CHRIS OLAVE EARNS SECOND-TEAM ALL-PRO HONORS For the first time in his career, Chris Olave can call himself an All-Pro. The Associated Press included the New Orleans Saints wide receiver in its prestigious end-of-year honors, naming him a second-team All-Pro. Olave enjoyed the best season of his career in 2025, ranking top-10 in the league this season in receptions (100), receiving yards (1,163) and receiving touchdowns (9) — all of which were career highs. He was on track to play in a full 17-game season for the first time in his career, which was a goal of his after missing 10 games because of multiple concussions last season, but he missed Week 18 after doctors discovered a blood clot in his lung. Olave was the only Saints player to appear on the All-Pro list. Luke Johnson

Heyward’s play remains ageless at 36 but he knows the clock is still ticking BY WILL GRAVES AP sportswriter

PITTSBURGH — Cam Heyward can do the math. Then again, it’s not that hard. The longest-tenured defensive player in Pittsburgh Steelers history knows he has far more football behind him than he does in front of him. How much more is anybody’s guess, though if you watch him on any given snap — when the seven-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle’s motor appears to run just as hot at 36 as it did at 21 — it might be longer than you think. Still, Heyward learned long ago that opportunities like the one that arrives Monday night, when the AFC North champion Steelers (10-7) host the Houston Texans (12-5) in the opening round of the playoffs, don’t come around that often. The 15-year NFL veteran didn’t think he’d be this deep into the twilight of his career still looking for his first Super Bowl appearance. Yet lingering over the one hole on a resume that figures to receive Hall of Fame consideration whenever the time comes will do him no good. Yes, he’s aware the Steelers haven’t won a playoff game in nearly a decade. And yes, he knows Pittsburgh will be an underdog every step of the way, including at home against a Texans team that will walk into Acrisure Stadium searching for the first road postseason victory in franchise history. But Heyward knows he can’t control the past. He has no idea what the future holds beyond Monday night. All he can do is “take the biggest bite” of an apple that might not have many bites left. “I’m trying to prep for one game,” Heyward said. “That’s it there. And just put the most amount of effort I can in that game.” Effort has never been an issue for a player who never met a whistle he didn’t try to play through. For proof, look no further than the first snap of last week’s thriller against Baltimore. There Heyward was, chugging

30-plus yards downfield in an effort to chase down Ravens star running back Derrick Henry. Heyward’s journey ended when teammate James Pierre crashed into him, sending Heyward briefly to the bench. By the next series, he was back out there on a night he tied for the team lead with seven tackles and shoved younger brother Connor into the end zone for a touchdown while filling in as the pusher in Pittsburgh’s version of the tush push. “He cares hard,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “Got big shoulders. He wants the responsibility of leading.”

A Steeler ‘through and through’ It’s something Heyward has never run away from. Considering the legacy of both his family — his father is former NFL running back Craig “Ironhead” Heyward — and his predecessors in black and gold, he didn’t have a choice. The wide-eyed rookie who once sat rapt in meetings absorbing what he could from mentors Casey Hampton, Brett Keisel and Aaron Smith, is now quite literally the graybeard doling out those same lessons to rookie Derrick Harmon, who was in second grade when the Steelers selected Heyward in the ﬁrst round of the 2011 draft. Tomlin called Heyward a Steeler “through and through,” even if there were some who openly wondered about that during training camp, when Heyward skipped some — but not all — of the 11-on-11 sessions in search of a reworked contract. He even threatened to sit out some regular-season games before agreeing to an amended deal on the eve of the opener against the New York Jets. “Hold-ins” like the one Heyward staged have become increasingly common in recent years. The mixed reaction for a player so firmly entrenched in Pittsburgh — Heyward’s 228 regular-season games with the club rank second to former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger — was not.

DUNCAN

Continued from page 1C coaching this season. If Staley stacks another year like one on his résumé, he’ll be a popular head coaching candidate next year. Rewarding him with a pay raise and an “assistant head coach” title would send a positive message to the rest of the staff.

2. Sign Olave, Taylor to extensions Olave and Taylor have earned the security of a long-term contract and are future core players. Both are productive, in their primes and improving. They’re exactly the kind of players you commit to long-term. The Olave contract might be complicated by the need for provisions to protect the team because of his injury history, but he has earned a deal similar to the four-year, $130 million deal his college teammate Garrett Wilson received from the Jets last year. Taylor, meanwhile, ranked among the team leaders in tackles (83), tackles for loss (7), interceptions (2) and passes defensed (11). He was a catalyst in the defense’s remarkable improvement.

3. Hire Jon Gannon The former Cardinals head coach is going to be a popular candidate for a defensive coordinator job, so the chances of landing him are remote. But if, for some reason, he falls through the cracks, the Saints would be wise to bring him aboard. Gannon is close friends with Staley, and the two run essentially the same scheme. Gannon is a respected defensive mind who would bolster the staff and be an ideal coordinator-candidate-in-waiting should Staley land a head coaching job next offseason.

4. Bring back Davis and Jordan The 30-something defensive captains continued to defy Father Time and enjoyed career renaissances in Staley’s 3-4 scheme. Davis led the Saints with 143 tackles, and Jordan led the team in sacks (101/ 2), tackles for loss (15) and quarterback hits (15). Both are team captains and have stated their desire to keep playing and stay in New Orleans. Not sure I would have said this before the season, but both deserve another year, based on production not loyalty. I don’t think the Saints rally from the 1-8 start this season without their steady leadership.

5. Give Hill a retirement send-off Full disclosure: I have no idea what Hill wants to do in 2026. He

Elias Sports Bureau. Kicker Gary Anderson also made it for the first time in his 17th season, in 1998. Before Stafford, the longest wait for a quarterback was Fran Tarkenton, who was an All-Pro for the first time in his 15th season, in 1975. The Denver Broncos, the AFC’s No. 1 seed, had four first-team players and two second. Allen, left tackle Garrett Boles, left guard Quinn Meinerz and special teamer Devon Key made the first team. Cornerback Patrick Surtain II, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and safety Talanoa Hufanga made the second team. Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell and slot cornerback Cooper DeJean made the roster in

their second seasons. Houston’s Derek Stingley Jr. got 41 firstplace votes to lead the voting at cornerback. Chiefs center Creed Humphrey, Bears left guard Joe Thuney and Lions right tackle Penei Sewell along with Meinerz are repeat selections. Garrett, who broke the NFL’s single-season sack record with 23, is a five-time All-Pro. Parsons is a three-time first-teamer and once made the second team. “That’s crazy,” Anderson said about joining Garrett and Parsons. “It means a lot. It’s such a blessing. I have to give credit to my guys. I wouldn’t be here without them.” Baltimore’s Kyle Hamilton and Chicago’s Kevin Byard are the safeties. Detroit’s Jack Campbell and Miami’s Jordyn Brooks are the linebackers. San Francisco fullback Kyle Juszczyk rounds out the offense. Eighteen players are first-timers, including five on special teams. Key, Vikings kicker Will Reichard, Ravens punter Jordan Stout, Bills kick returner Ray Davis and Titans rookie punt returner Chimere Dike are the first-timers. Jaguars long snapper Ross Matiscik made it for the second time. Dike is the fourth rookie since 2020 to make the team. “That’s awesome,” Dike said. “Everyone wants to be All-Pro one day and that’s one of the goals I set at the beginning of the season for my career and to be able to do that in my first year, I’m just thankful (special teams) coach (John Fassel) and my teammates had belief in me.” This was the fourth year for the AP’s new voting system. Voters chose a first team and a second team. First-team votes are worth 3 points, second-team votes are worth 1.

be drafted this high. Love is an exception, one of the few backs worthy of a Top 10 selection. He’s the most explosive playmaker in this draft, regardless of position, and this Saints offense desperately needs juice. In fact, it’s the team’s top offseason priority. The Saints ranked last in the NFL in explosive plays. They can’t continue to rely solely on Shough to execute 10- and 12-play scoring drives every game. Love is STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD the kind of explosive playmaker the Saints need to complement Saints tight end Taysom Hill chats Shough’s passing skills, someone with Chris Olave after a game who can score in chunks rather against the New york Jets on Dec. 21 than bites. His sprinter’s speed at the Caesars Superdome. helped him produce 39 runs of 10 or more yards last season. Check out his 98-yard TD run vs. Indimight want to keep playing. But ana in the 2024 College Football he sure sounded like a guy ready Playoff as evidence. Love would to call it a career after the Saints’ immediately become RB1 and home finale against the Jets. Hill allow Alvin Kamara to move into turns 36 in August and has taken a a complementary backup role, physical pounding over the years. which best suits him at this stage He’s earned more than $60 million in his nine-year career. Not bad for of his career. a former undrafted free agent. If he elects to retire, the Saints should 9. Draft Bell and Keenan give him a send-off befitting one Here’s your second-day haul. The of the most unique, dynamic and receiving corps desperately needs popular players in team history. a third wheel, someone with a complementary skill set to Olave and 6. Sign Jenkins in free agency contested-pass-catcher Devaughn Vele. The Saints finished last in The Saints have to run the ball the NFL in yards-after-catch averbetter in 2026. That starts with age. Add a receiver who can turn a upgrading the offensive line. 5-yard crosser into a 15-yard thirdFinding a starting left guard in down conversion, and this Saints free agency is Job 1. Quality ofoffense could take off. Ja’Lynn fensive linemen are hard to find, so they don’t come cheap. But the Polk and Trey Palmer were intriguing in-season additions, but both Saints final have the cap room are question marks. Louisville’s to make it happen. Cleveland’s Chris Bell is a Mississippi native Teven Jenkins is still only 27 with dynamic run-after-catch and would bolster the team’s run ability. He’s also Shough’s former blocking, which should be a priteammate. His draft status is comority this offseason. He finished plicated by ACL surgery, but that the season as the eighth-highest could help the Saints’ ability to ranked guard, according to Pro acquire him at a bargain in Round Football Focus. By comparison, 2. Keenan, meanwhile, is exactly Cesar Ruiz was the Saints’ highwhat NFL teams look for in a runest-ranked guard at No. 61, and stuffing interior lineman. He’d be a former Saints guard Trevor Penyounger, cheaper replacement for ning was No. 69. Davon Godchaux at nose tackle. A 7. Sign a veteran backup QB speedy edge rusher is another posHaving the most inexperienced sibility here. quarterback room in the league 10. Draft a punter — any punter was a fun, compelling storyline last season. But it doesn’t need a I know most folks view punters second chapter. As Shough takes as an afterthought, but this is an the reins of the offense in Year underrated offseason priority. 2, he would benefit greatly from Kai Kroeger finished near the bothaving a veteran to mentor him tom of the league in every major and help him learn the ins and punting statistic, including dead outs of modern NFL quarterback- last in EPA per punt. Fortunately ing. The Saints will have plenty for the Saints, it’s a good year for of options here, but I’d look hard punters in the NFL draft. Brett at Tyrod Taylor, Marcus Mariota Thorson (Georgia), Palmer Wiland Carson Wentz. liams (Baylor), Tommy Doman (Florida) and Ryan Eckley (Michi8. Draft Love at No. 8 gan State) are all top prospects. The club needs to invest a lateToss out the conventional wisdom that running backs shouldn’t round draft pick in one of them.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ 9C

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NFL PLAYOFFS

Stafford’s late TD pass lifts Rams past Panthers BY STEVE REED

AP sportswriter

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Matthew Stafford threw a 19-yard go-ahead touchdown pass to Colby Parkinson with 38 seconds to lift the Los Angeles Rams to a dramatic 34-31 wild-card round win over the Carolina Panthers in the opening game of the NFL playoffs on Saturday. Stafford finished 24 of 42 for 304 yards with three touchdown passes and an interception, while Puka Nacua had 10 receptions for 111 yards and two total touchdowns as the Rams (13-5), who were 10 1/2-point favorites, advanced to the divisional playoffs. Bryce Young threw for 264 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score for Carolina (8-10), which finished the season losing four of its final five games. Jalen Coker had career highs with nine receptions for 134 yards with a touchdown and Chuba Hubbard ran for 46 yards and two touchdowns. The Panthers fell behind 14-0 early, but stormed back to take a 24-20 lead on Hubbard’s second

touchdown of the run game early in the fourth quarter. Stafford, who was selected as an All-Pro earlier in the day, led the Rams back down on the ﬁeld and found Kyren Williams for a 13-yard touchdown strike over the middle for a 27-24 lead. Los Angeles appeared to be in charge after getting a stop on defense giving Stafford the ball back. But a holding penalty put the Rams behind the sticks and forced a punt, which Isaiah Simmons blocked to set the Panthers up the Rams 30. Four plays later, Young found Coker in the left corner of the end zone for a 7-yard scoring strike to give Carolina a 31-27 lead 2:39 left, sending the home crowd into a frenzy. But Stafford quickly moved the Rams 71 yards in seven plays with Panthers two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn on the sideline with a concussion, ﬁnishing it off with a perfectly placed pass to Parkinson near the right side of the goal line. Parkinson, who had two TDs last week, forced his way into the end zone for the score.

dog. Carolina won 31-28 on Nov. 30. Carolina’s last attempt to move into field-goal range ended when Jimmy Horn dropped a fourth down pass from Young. Carolina was hoping the return of former quarterback Cam Newton to Bank of America Stadium to hit the “Keep Pounding” drum before the game would give the Panthers a little extra mojo early, but things didn’t start well. After the Rams defense came up with a stop on fourth down at midfield on Carolina’s opening drive, Stafford quickly moved the offense downfield and found Nacua for a 14-yard touchdown pass over the middle for a 7-0 lead. Nacua made it 14-0 on a 5-yard ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ERIK VERDUZCO run following Young’s intercepLos Angeles Rams tight end Colby Parkinson, center left, celebrates his tion. touchdown catch with wide receiver Puka Nacua during the second Carolina cut the lead 17-14 at half of an NFL wild-card playoff game against the Carolina Panthers on halftime after a 1-yard touchdown Saturday in Charlotte, N.C. run by Hubbard and a 16-yard scramble by Young, the second“Yeah, total team effort,” Staf- to clean up, but found a way to win longest TD run of his career. The Rams had a chance to build ford said. “Obviously had some it late. I believe in my teammates, on the lead, but Nacau dropped a mistakes along the way. I turned I know they believe in me.” It was nearly the second time potential third TD on a pass down it over, we had a punt blocked, didn’t score before the half when this season the Rams lost to the the right sideline from Stafford we probably should have. So, a lot Panthers as a 10 1/2-point under- just before halftime.

SCOREBOARD High school basketball Ascension Catholic 76, Thrive Academy 46 Thrive Academy 12 13 13 8 — 46 Ascension Catholic 38 15 11 12 — 76 Scoring: THRIVE: E. Porter 17, A. Holliday 15, J. King 10, J. Washington 4. ASCENSION CATHOLIC: K. Schexnayder 16, G. Fernandez 15, C. Anthens 11, Simon 8, J. Julien 8, J. Barber 7, H. Turner 6, H. LeBouef 5. 3-Point Goals: Thrive 7 (Parker 5, Holiday 1, King 1); Ascension Catholic 5 (Fernandez 3, Schexnayder 2, LeBouef 1). Records: Thrive 2-10; Ascension Catholic 6-1

Odds Sports Betting Line NFL Sunday

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG Buffalo 1½ 1 (51½) at JAX at PHILA 3½ 5½ (44½) San Fran at NEW ENG 3½ 3½ (45½) LA Chargers

Monday

FAVORITE Houston

NBA

OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG 3 3 (38) at PIT

Sunday

FAVORITE LINE at ORLANDO 6 at MEMPHIS 4½ at TORONTO OFF New York 4½ at MINNESOTA OFF at OKLAH. CITY OFF at PHOENIX 13½ at DENVER OFF at GOLDEN ST. 7 Houston 12½

O/U UNDERDOG (234½) New Orleans (224½) Brooklyn (OFF) Philadelphia (231) at PORTLAND (OFF) San Antonio (OFF) Miami (229½) Washington (OFF) Milwaukee (236½) Atlanta (222½) at SAC

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Sunday

FAVORITE LINE UNDERDOG at RICHMOND 8½ Saint Joseph’s (PA) at IOWA 1½ Illinois at DETROIT MERCY 7 Cleveland State at FLORIDA ATL. 1½ Memphis at IONA 11½ Canisius Quinnipiac 5½ at SACRED HEART at ROBERT MORRIS 5 Purdue Fort Wayne Northern Kentucky 2½ at GREEN BAY UAB 8 at E. CAROLINA at RICE 1½ Charlotte at SAINT PETER’S 1½ Merrimack Marist 11½ at RIDER Siena 3½ at M. ST. MARY’S at MANHATTAN 6½ Niagara at OAKLAND 4½ Wright State at MILWAUKEE 11½ IU Indianapolis at WICHITA STATE 6½ North Texas Northwestern 4½ at RUTGERS at UCF 3½ Cincinnati at WASHINGTON 1½ Ohio State

Pro basketball EASTERN CONFERENCE Detroit New York

L 10 14

24 23 21 22 21 20 19 18 17 13 11 10 8

14 16 15 18 18 18 21 20 21 25 24 27 31

.632 .590 .583 .550 .538 .526 .475 .474 .447 .342 .314 .270 .205

4 5½ 6 7 7½ 8 10 10 11 15 15½ 17½ 20½

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

W 32 27 25 25 23 22 23 21 19 16 15 14 13 9 8

L 7 11 13 14 13 13 15 18 20 22 23 25 24 31 30

Pct .821 .711 .658 .641 .639 .629 .605 .538 .487 .421 .395 .359 .351 .225 .211

GB — 4½ 6½ 7 7½ 8 8½ 11 13 15½ 16½ 18 18 23½ 23½

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Friday’s games

Pct .737 .632

GB — 4

Washington 26 24 34 23 — 107 3-Point Goals—New Orleans 11-34 (Murphy III 7-16, Fears 2-4, Peavy 1-4, McGowens 1-5, Hawkins 0-1, Matkovic 0-1, Poole 0-1, Queen 0-2), Washington 11-35 (George 3-6, Carrington 3-8, Branham 2-3, T.Johnson 2-5, Coulibaly 1-2, A.Johnson 0-1, Champagnie 0-2, Middleton 0-2, Sarr 0-2, Vukcevic 0-4). Fouled Out—New Orleans 1 (Peavy), Washington None. Rebounds—New Orleans 51 (Queen 16), Washington 40 (Champagnie 9). Assists—New Orleans 30 (Queen 12), Washington 24 (Carrington, Champagnie, Coulibaly 4). Total Fouls—New Orleans 22, Washington 23. A—16,563 (20,356)

Pro football

Sunday, Jan. 11

Buffalo at Jacksonville, noon (CBS) San Francisco at Philadelphia, 3:30 p.m. (FOX) L.A Chargers at New England, 7 p.m. (NBC/ Peacock)

Monday, Jan. 12

Houston at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. (ESPN/ABC)

Conference Championships Sunday, Jan. 25 AFC

Cleveland 146, Minnesota 134 Indiana 123, Miami 99 Chicago 125, Dallas 107 L.A. Clippers 98, Detroit 92 San Antonio 100, Boston 95 Charlotte at Utah, n

NFC

NFC lowest remaining seed at NFC highest remaining seed

Super Bowl LIX Sunday, Feb. 8 At Santa Clara.

New Orleans at Orlando, 2 p.m. Brooklyn at Memphis, 2:30 p.m. New York at Portland, 5 p.m. Philadelphia at Toronto, 5 p.m. Miami at Oklahoma City, 6 p.m. San Antonio at Minnesota, 6 p.m. Milwaukee at Denver, 7 p.m. Washington at Phoenix, 7 p.m. Atlanta at Golden State, 7:30 p.m. Houston at Sacramento, 8 p.m.

Conference Championships winners, 5:30 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)

Murphy III 13-24 2-3 35, Williamson 12-14 7-13 31, Queen 7-13 0-0 14, Fears 9-15 1-1 21, McGowens 2-6 1-2 6, Matkovic 1-2 0-0 2, Peavy 4-9 0-0 9, Missi 1-5 1-2 3, Alexander 0-0 0-0 0, Hawkins 2-5 3-3 7, Poole 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 51-95 15-24 128. George 6-13 0-0 15, Middleton 2-5 0-1 4, Sarr 5-11 4-8 14, Coulibaly 2-6 3-6 8, T.Johnson 3-7 4-4 12, Branham 2-3 4-4 10, Gill 0-0 0-0 0, Vukcevic 4-14 7-10 15, Champagnie 6-12 0-0 12, A.Johnson 3-6 0-0 6, Carrington 4-10 0-0 11. Totals 37-87 22-33 107. New Orleans 28 32 40 28 — 128

Grambling at Florida A&M, TBA Southern at Bethune-Cookman, 6 p.m. UNO at Southeastern, 6 p.m. Nicholls at McNeese, 6:30 p.m. Texas-Rio Grande Valley at Northwestern State, 6:30 p.m.

Nwoko 3-5 0-2 6, Sutton 5-11 2-2 13, Tamba 3-5 0-2 6, Mackinnon 9-16 6-6 27, Reece 2-9 0-0 6, Mosley 1-6 0-0 3, Miller 3-3 3-4 9, King 1-3 1-1 3, Carter 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 27-59 12-17 73.

VANDERBILT (16-0)

McGlockton 2-5 0-0 4, Nickel 6-12 3-3 19, Okereke 5-7 1-2 12, Miles 4-10 8-8 17, Tanner 7-18 6-7 20, Washington 3-5 4-5 11, James 0-4 0-0 0, Bing 0-2 1-2 1, Harris 0-0 0-2 0. Totals 27-63 23-29 84. Halftime—Vanderbilt 52-38. 3-Point Goals— LSU 7-20 (Mackinnon 3-6, Reece 2-5, Sutton 1-3, Mosley 1-4, Carter 0-1, King 0-1), Vanderbilt 7-30 (Nickel 4-10, Okereke 1-2, Washington 1-2, Miles 1-5, Bing 0-1, McGlockton 0-2, James 0-3, Tanner 0-5). Fouled Out—Miller. Rebounds—LSU 34 (Nwoko 7), Vanderbilt 34 (Nickel 10). Assists—LSU 14 (Mackinnon 4), Vanderbilt 13 (Miles 5). Total Fouls—LSU 17, Vanderbilt 17. A—9,399 (14,316).

Northwestern State 65, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 49 McNeese 77, Southeastern 55 North Texas 59, Tulane 53 Nicholls 79, UNO 64 South Alabama 73, UL-Monroe 67 Grambling 67, Bethune-Cookman 60 Texas State 55, UL 43 Florida A&M 60, Southern 57

Pro hockey

Semiﬁnals

NHL Conference glance

Thursday Fiesta Bowl, Glendale, Ariz. No. 10 Miami 31, No. 6 Ole Miss 27 Friday Peach Bowl, Atlanta No. 1 Indiana 56, No. 5 Oregon 22

EASTERN CONFERENCE Carolina Detroit Tampa Bay Montreal N.Y. Islanders Buffalo Philadelphia Washington Pittsburgh Toronto Boston Florida New Jersey N.Y. Rangers Ottawa

National Championship

Miami Jan. 19 No. 10 Miami vs. No. 1 Indiana, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN)

College basketball Men’s state schedule, scores Saturday’s games Troy 90, UL 70 Vanderbilt 84, LSU 73

GP 45 46 43 45 45 43 43 45 43 44 45 44 44 46 44

W 28 27 27 25 25 24 22 23 21 22 24 23 22 20 20

L OT Pts 14 3 59 15 4 58 13 3 57 14 6 56 15 5 55 15 4 52 13 8 52 16 6 52 13 9 51 15 7 51 19 2 50 18 3 49 20 2 46 20 6 46 19 5 45

Columbus

WESTERN CONFERENCE

43 132 151

GP W L OT Pts GF GA Colorado 44 33 4 7 73 179 99 Dallas 45 26 10 9 61 157 129 Minnesota 46 26 11 9 61 146 125 Vegas 42 19 11 12 50 133 132 Edmonton 44 22 16 6 50 149 148 San Jose 44 23 18 3 49 141 155 Seattle 43 20 15 8 48 119 126 Utah 45 22 20 3 47 137 127 Los Angeles 43 18 15 10 46 115 122 Chicago 45 19 19 7 45 129 142 Anaheim 45 21 21 3 45 150 168 Nashville 44 20 20 4 44 122 146 St. Louis 45 17 20 8 42 112 157 Calgary 45 19 22 4 42 116 135 Winnipeg 43 16 22 5 37 126 135 Vancouver 44 16 23 5 37 121 158 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Top three teams in each division and two wild cards per conference advance to playoffs.

Friday’s games

Washington 5, Chicago 1 Winnipeg 5, Los Angeles 1 Utah 4, St. Louis 2

Saturday’s games

Boston 10, N.Y. Rangers 2 Calgary 2, Pittsburgh 1 Colorado 4, Columbus 0 San Jose 5, Dallas 4, OT Tampa Bay 7, Philadelphia 2 Carolina 3, Seattle 2 Buffalo 5, Anaheim 3 Detroit 4, Montreal 0 Toronto 5, Vancouver 0 Florida 3, Ottawa 2 Chicago 3, Nashville 0 N.Y. Islanders 4, Minnesota 3, OT Los Angeles at Edmonton, n St. Louis at Vegas, n

Sunday’s games

Saturday’s games

Louisiana Tech at Liberty, noon Texas at LSU, 2 p.m.

College Football Playoff

NEW ORLEANS (128)

Monday’s games

Sunday’s games

College football

Late Friday New Orleans 128, Washington 107

No games scheduled.

Women’s state schedule

AFC lowest remaining seed at AFC highest remaining seed

Sunday’s games

LSU (12-4)

L.A Rams 34 Carolina 31 Green Bay at Chicago, n

AFC lowest remaining seed at Denver, TBD NFC lowest remaining seed at Seattle, TBD AFC two remaining seeds at higher seed, TBD NFC two remaining seeds at higher seed, TBD

Saturday’s games

Southern Miss 70, UL-Monroe 60 Louisiana Tech 70, Delaware 68 NW State 79, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 78 McNeese 73, Southeastern 61 Tulane 85, Texas-San Antonio 42 Bethune-Cookman 74, Grambling 65 Nicholls State 90, UNO 77 Florida A&M 67, Southern 59

No. 11 Vanderbilt 84, LSU 73

Wild-card Playoffs Saturday, Jan. 10

Divisional Playoffs Saturday, Jan. 17 and Sunday, Jan. 18

Boston 125, Toronto 117 New Orleans 128, Washington 107 Philadelphia 103, Orlando 91 L.A. Clippers 121, Brooklyn 105 Oklahoma City 117, Memphis 116 Atlanta 110, Denver 87 Phoenix 112, New York 107 Golden State 137, Sacramento 103 Portland 111, Houston 105 Milwaukee 105, L.A. Lakers 101

WASHINGTON (107)

NBA Conference glance W 28 24

Boston Toronto Philadelphia Cleveland Orlando Miami Atlanta Chicago Milwaukee Charlotte Brooklyn Washington Indiana

GF 155 145 153 151 134 140 132 148 140 148 151 135 115 120 141

GA 135 142 114 148 125 134 127 130 134 140 146 142 137 135 148

New Jersey at Winnipeg, 1 p.m. Pittsburgh at Boston, 4 p.m. Columbus at Utah, 6 p.m. Washington at Nashville, 6 p.m. Vegas at San Jose, 7 p.m.

Transactions FOOTBALL

National Football League ATLANTA FALCONS — Hired Matt Ryan as president of football. BUFFALO BILLS — Signed LB Baylon Spector to the active roster. Placed WR Joshua Palmer on injured reserve. CHICAGO BEARS — Activated CB Kyler Gordon from injured reserve. WASHINGTON COMMANDERS — Hired David Blough as offensive coordinator.

HOCKEY

National Hockey League BUFFALO SABRES — Recalled D Zac Jones from Rochester Americans (AHL). CAROLINA HURRICANES — Activated D Jaccob Slavin from injured reserve. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS — Recalled G Stanislav Berezhnoy from Rockford (AHL). COLORADO AVALANCHE — Recalled F TJ Tynan from Toronto (AHL). EDMONTON OILERS — Assigned D Riley Stillman to Bakerﬁeld (AHL). FLORIDA PANTHERS — Placed D Seth Jones on injured reserve. Recalled F Sandis Vilmanis from Charlotte (AHL).

SUNDAY’S FAIR GROUNDS ENTRIES Post Time:12:45PM First Race, $14,000, Claiming $5,000, 3 yo’s & up Six Furlongs 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08

Righteous Freedom I Bet You Wont Gypsy Squall Maybe Eye’ll Call Custom Cadillac Patek Name the Time Catchin Drama

J Mudd 6-1 E Murray 8-1 C Hernandez 4-1 J Ortiz 3-1 M Murrill 5-2 O Chavez 12-1 C McMahon 12-1 H Rea 8-1

Second Race, $17,000, Claiming $12,500, 4 yo’s & up Six Furlongs

01 02 03 04

Running Ragged C Hernandez Blame Me Seriously I Castillo Big Nickel C McMahon Mr. Ronnie J Graham

5-1 5-1 7-2 4-1

05 06

Duvee Razor Crest

P Lopez M Pedroza, Jr.

9-2 5-2

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08

Tsuperman Lacey’s Kat Its Wild Again Grand Encore Half Way There Louisiana Wildlife Torpedo Charlie Seeking a Soldier

D Magnon 9-2 J Riquelme 20-1 H Rea 20-1 E Nieves 6-1 B Curtis 5-2 I Castillo 2-1 J Mudd 5-1 S Vives 20-1

01 02

Dromas Cobblestone Bridge

C McMahon 15-1 P Lopez 9-2

Third Race, $14,000, Claiming $5,000, 3 yo’s & up Six Furlongs

Fourth Race, $19,000, Claiming $15,000, 4 yo’s & up One Mile Seventy Yards

03 04 05 06 07

Big Salt Lick Jr’s Gift Wayllen Richard American City Indian Cat

I Castillo 7-2 H Rea 12-1 D Magnon 10-1 M Pedroza, Jr. 5-2 J Ortiz 2-1

Fifth Race, $22,000, Claiming $15,000, 4 yo’s & up Five Furlongs

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

Sawyer Fox D Magnon Treaty J Graham Our Determination C McMahon Star’s Image J Loveberry Ooey Gooey Chewy I Castillo Bourbon Boss P Lopez Clarestown M Murrill Briterdayzahead S Vives Covey (GB) C Hernandez Upturned Brim M Pedroza, Jr.

10-1 12-1 10-1 3-1 10-1 4-1 20-1 8-1 6-1 5-1

Sixth Race, $54,000, Maiden special weight, 4 yo’s & up One Mile

01 02 03 04 05 06

Mingo Crazy Diamond Bestball Rothko S. Named Lahainaluna

I Castillo 3-1 P Lopez 5-1 J Graham 20-1 M Pedroza, Jr. 6-5 J Loveberry 8-1 J Ortiz 4-1

01 02 03 04 05 06 07

Calicoco (I Castillo120 5-1 Cypress Gold (B Hernandez, Jr.120 15-1 Big Chopper (H Hernandez120 12-1 Boss of All Bosses (J Ortiz122 3-1 Pegaso (J Graham120 4-1 Fran’s Star (P Lopez120 6-1 Wayside Drive (F Geroux120 15-1

Seventh Race, $56,000, AOC $20,000, 4 yo’s & up One Mile

08 09 10 11 12

Brittany’s Dream (E Nieves120 20-1 Passing Judgment (D Cannon120 6-1 Slick and Fast (M Pedroza, Jr.122 12-1 Sonya Knows Better(C McMahon12015-1 Sunday Breeze (C Hernandez120 8-1

Eighth Race, $15,000, Claiming $5,000, 4 yo’s & up Six Furlongs

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

Sono (J Loveberry121 7-2 Oak Hill Lg (D Magnon121 8-1 The Speedy One (J Mudd116 20-1 Hooray Austin (M Pedroza, Jr.121 5-1 Malaki Empire (H Rea116 8-1 Drewmazing (C McMahon121 6-1 Bet On Bobby (B Curtis121 12-1 Apriority Rocket (J Ortiz121 4-1 Sonofaship (J Graham121 8-1 Samurai’s Grandson (E Nieves121 8-1

SATURDAY’S FAIR GROUNDS RESULTS Track Condition: sloppy

First Race — Purse $30,000, Starters allowance $50,000, 4 yo’s & up, One And One Sixteenth Miles

5-You Belong Here (Loveb. J.) $11.20 $5.20 $3.00 4-Main Beach (Ortiz J.) $3.20 $2.60 2-Flamingproposition (Castillo I.) $3.20 Also Ran: White Whale, Django, Arthur’s Court. Late Scratches: Just Bernie Race Time: 1:44.81 Exacta (5-4) $18.40; Superfecta (5-4-2-6) $37.80; Trifecta (5-4-2) $44.10

Second Race — Purse $19,000, SOC $10,000-$5,000, 4 yo’s & up, Six Furlongs

$34.80 $9.40 $4.40 5-Mamba Out (Murrill M.) $5.20 $3.40 3-Hittin My Stride (Cannon D.) 2-Berlaine (Magnon D.) $2.20 Also Ran: Chaparrita, Slam Diego, Crusin Like a Cat, Diamonds Joy. Late Scratches: Unbridled Lunar Race Time: 1:11.49 Daily Double (5-5) $96.40; Exacta (5-3) $111.30; Superfecta (5-3-2-8) $247.89; Trifecta (5-3-2) $160.45

Third Race — Purse $22,000, Claiming $15,000, 4 yo’s & up, One Mile Seventy Yards

2-Cincy’s Anna (Pedroza, Jr. M.) $8.00 $3.60 $2.80 8-Izzy’s Monster (Ortiz J.) $3.00 $2.80 1-Im Singled Up (Mudd J.) $5.00 Also Ran: Sally’s Suprise, Lady Jeopardy, Blueberry Eyes, Lofty Heights. Late Scratches: Pickin Ana Grinnin Race Time: 1:44.55 Daily Double (5-2) $150.20; Exacta (2-8) $12.40; Superfecta (2-8-1-5) $21.12; Trifecta (2-8-1) $38.45; Pic 3 (5-5-2) $263.80

Fourth Race — Purse $54,000, Maiden special weight, 3 yo, One Mile Seventy Yards

16-Powered by Family (Ortiz J.) $6.40 $3.60 $2.60 14-Abilene (Lopez P.) $4.40 $4.00 1-Authentic Beauty (Hernandez, Jr. B.) $5.80 Also Ran: Lewinsky, Real Drama, Harpermarie, Angelic Katie, Mo Town Renee, She’s an Earner, Speightress. Late Scratches: Ocala Gala, Mothertwotheblues, Champagne Party, Bugs Malone,

Strada Del Sogno, Adorable Moments Race Time: 1:42.61 Daily Double (2-16) $17.00; Exacta (16-14) $13.50; Superfecta (16-14-1-11) $105.26; Trifecta (16-14-1) $75.90; Pic 3 (5-2-16) $189.80

Fifth Race — Purse $100,000, Stakes, 4 yo’s & up, Six Furlongs

1-Blue Fire (Ortiz J.) $4.20 $2.10 $2.10 5-Secret Faith (McMahon C.) $2.10 $2.10 2-Beleout (Murray E.) $2.10 Also Ran: Custom Design, Hopeitsmyluckyday. Late Scratches: Six String Race Time: 1:10.09 Daily Double (16-1) $9.10; Exacta (1-5) $3.30; Superfecta (1-5-2-4) $1.55; Trifecta (1-5-2) $2.40; Pic 3 (2-16-1) $16.30; Pic 4 (5-2-2/3/5/8/10/13/16-1) $446.50; Pic 5 (5-52-2/3/5/8/10/13/16-1) $4,309.95

Sixth Race — Purse $55,000, Allowance, 4 yo’s & up, Five And A Half Furlongs

10-Lovely Emma (Ortiz J.) $13.80 $8.20 $5.40 4-Betty’s Dance (Lopez P.) $7.00 $4.20 5-Dashin’ Diva (Hernandez H.) $8.60 Also Ran: Bet Towinit, Sweet Darlin, Get Back Loretta, Watering, I’m Mo Joke, Some-

thing Stronger, Annie’s Joy. Late Scratches: Swoonatra, Custom Design, You’ll Be Back, Miss Lonelle, September Magic Race Time: 1:03.85 Daily Double (1-10) $15.00; Exacta (10-4) $50.50; Superfecta (10-4-5-11) $651.31; Trifecta (10-4-5) $340.60; Pic 3 (16-1-10) $26.25

Seventh Race — Purse $55,000, Allowance, 4 yo’s & up, One Mile Seventy Yards

7-Chasten (Geroux F.) $6.40 $3.60 $2.80 2-Rising Inﬂation (Castillo I.) $3.00 $2.40 8-Union Mist (Cannon D.) $4.20 Also Ran: Sierra November, La Reynita, Clearly a Test, Bundle. Late Scratches: Anonima Race Time: 1:42.67 Daily Double (10-7) $23.30; Exacta (7-2) $7.00; Superfecta (7-2-8-6) $13.70; Trifecta (7-2-8) $14.45; Pic 3 (1-10-7) $21.60

Eighth Race — Purse $100,000, Stakes, 4 yo’s & up, Five And A Half Furlongs

9-Lotsandlots. (Hern., Jr. B.) $3.60 $2.40 $2.10 1-Big Trouble (Cannon D.) $2.60 $2.10 7-Sporting Lady (Ortiz J.) $3.00

Also Ran: Harbor Springs, Banterra, Party Pauline. Late Scratches: Serving Time (GB), Rue Lala, Gavea (GER) Race Time: 1:03.11 Daily Double (7-9) $4.90; Exacta (9-1) $3.90; Superfecta (9-1-7-6) $2.10; Trifecta (9-1-7) $5.10; Pic 3 (10-7-9) $23.10

Ninth Race — Purse $100,000, Stakes, 4 yo’s & up, Six Furlongs

5-El Dinero (Loveberry J.) $4.80 $2.60 $2.40 4-Hay Jude (Ortiz J.) $4.40 $3.20 2-Sir Wellington (Lopez P.) $3.80 Also Ran: Carpis, Strong Promise, Benoit, Sounds Like Power, Bron and Brow. Late Scratches: Geaux Sugar, He’s Late Again Race Time: 1:10.34 Daily Double (9-5) $4.30; Exacta (5-4) $10.60; Superfecta (5-4-2-9) $40.00; Trifecta (5-4-2) $30.65; Pic 3 (7-9-5) $10.20; Pic 4 (10-72/5/8/9-5/6/8) $72.20; Pic 5 (1-10-7-2/5/8/95/6/8) $190.10; (2/3/5/8/10/13/16-1-10-72/5/8/) $220.32

10C ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

lll

OUTDOORS PROPOSED 2026-27 HUNTING SEASONS Proposed seasons dates for resident game and migratory waterfowl/birds were outlined by the Wildlife Division of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries during Tuesday’s Wildlife and Fisheries Commission meeting in Baton Rouge. Public comment on these season dates will be accepted through 4 p.m., March 5 and can be sent to Jeff Duguay, LDWF Wildlife Division, P.O. Box 98000, Baton Rouge, LA 70898-9000 or email: jduguay@wlf.la.gov

RESIDENT GAME

STAFF FILE PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Whistling ducks fly past Holy Name of Jesus Church near Audubon Park in New Orleans on Dec. 17, 2024. The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission approved a proposed groundbreaking season on black-bellied whistling ducks.

Twice as nice

Duck hunters, coastal anglers benefit from commission

BY JOE MACALUSO Contributing writer

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission had two surprises for Sportsman’s Paradise outdoorsmen last week. During its January meeting Tuesday, the commission approved a proposed groundbreaking season on black-bellied whistling ducks. Finally, it appears our state’s wild waterfowlers will have a second special hunting season — Oct. 3-11 on the whistlers — to go along with a second nineday September (19-27) teal season. The October dates will bridge the gap until the “big duck” season opens Nov. 14 in our state’s West Waterfowl Zone and Nov. 21 in the East Zone. The second surprise was reserved for coastal fishermen, especially those who spend multiple days away from landings. Wildlife and Fisheries managers were charged by the state Legislature (Act 36 of the 2024 session) to come up with regulations for holding fish fillets in boats while traveling from remote camps and multday fishing trips back to landings. If all goes according to form, as early as late May coastal anglers will be allowed to have speckled trout and redfish fillets in their boats. The existing regulation banned this practice, a rule fishermen didn’t like because they couldn’t pro-

NOTEBOOK cess their catches in remote locations. The new regulations will allow fishermen to transport by water speckled trout fillets at a minimum size of 8 inches and a maximum of 13 inches with an allowance of eight fillets measuring more than 13 inches to accommodate the daily creel limit of two speckled trout measuring longer than 20 inches. It will also allow redfish fillets to be 10 and 18 inches long with no allowance of a fillet measuring longer than 18 inches. That’s because current creel limits prohibit keeping redfish measuring longer than 27 inches. And, because the speckled trout possession limit per angler is 30 (a two-day limit, 15 per day), each angler aboard will be limited to an on-the-water possession of 60 speckled trout fillets and 16 redfish fillets. Furthermore, the new requirement demands “filleted fish shall have sufficient skin remaining on the fillet to allow for identification of the species. Fillets shall be segregated by species into plastic bags or plastic containers (marked with date caught, angler and angler’s license number) that are marked by species to allow for easy identification.” In other action, the commission learned that a new electrofishing program in the coastal areas is produc-

ing significantly different data than the old seining method, and elected Andy Brister (Lake Providence) to chair the seven-man board and Nathan Wall (Springfield) to take the vice-chairman spot. Otherwise, the presentation of the proposed 20262027 hunting seasons dates and regulations dominated the meeting. Amendments to these plans came from Brister and Jonathan Walker. Brister’s came in Deer Area 1, where, he said, the age class of bucks needed to be improved and offered a change in the three antlered/three antlerless limit to one antler, either an antlered or antlerless deer and four antlerless deer. Walker sought to move the ban on the use of internal combustion engines during the waterfowl seasons from 2 p.m. to noon on wildlife management areas with little conflict between waterfowl hunters and fishermen. Both amendments were approved, the latter noting an exception for the Pass a Loutre and Atchafalaya Delta WMAs. Other changes to the hunting seasons from previous years is a proposed youth-only squirrel hunting weekend set for the fourth weekend in September on private lands, and an allowance for properly licensed disabled veterans and disabled hunters to “hunt deer with any legal weapon during the primitive firearms season in each deer hunting area.”

DEER Either-sex deer take allowed unless there is a bucks-only season in progress. Archery season allows either-sex deer to be taken except when a bucks-only firearms season is in progress. Daily limit remains 2 (1 antlered/1antlerless). Season limit remains 6 (no more than 3 antlered/4 antlerless) in Deer Areas 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9; Deer Area 4, 4 season limit (2 antlered or 2 antlerless); Deer Area 10, 3 season limit (not to exceed 2 antlered or 2 antlerless); Deer Area 1 proposed change to 6 per season (1 antlered, 1 either-sex & 4 antlerless). Area 1: Archery, Oct. 1-Jan. 31; Primitive Firearms, Nov. 14-20 & Jan. 25-31; Modern Firearms/still-hunt only, Nov. 21Dec. 11 & Jan. 4-24; with/without dogs, Dec. 12-Jan. 3; youth-only and honorably discharged veterans, Oct. 24-30. Area 2: Archery, Oct. 1-Jan. 31; Primitive Firearms, Oct. 24-30 & Jan. 18-24; Modern Firearms/still hunt only, Oct. 31Dec. 9; with/without dogs, Dec. 10-Jan. 17; youth-only and honorably discharged veterans, Oct. 10-16. Area 3: Archery, Sept. 19-Jan. 15; Primitive Firearms, Oct. 10-16 & an. 4-10; Modern Firearms/still-hunt only, Oct. 17-Nov. 29; with/without dogs, Nov. 30-Jan. 3; youth-only and honorably discharged veterans, Sept. 26-Oct. 2. Area 4: Archery, Oct. 1-Jan. 31; Primitive Firearms, Nov. 14-20 & Jan 25-31; Modern Firearms/still-hunt only, Nov. 21Dec. 11 & Jan. 4-24; with/without dogs, Dec. 12-Jan. 3; youth-only and honorably discharged veterans, Oct. 24-30. Area 5: Archery, Oct. 1-15, bucks only & Oct. 16-Feb. 15; Primitive Firearms, Nov. 14-20, either sex & Jan. 25-31, bucks only; Modern Firearms/still-hunt only, Nov. 21-Dec. 11, bucks only except either-sex take allowed Nov. 21-22 & Nov. 27-29; with/without dogs, Dec. 12-Jan. 24, bucks only except either-sex take allowed Dec. 1213 & Dec. 19-200; youth-only and honorably discharged veterans, Oct. 24-30. Area 6: Archery, Oct. O 1-15, bucks only & Oct. 16-Feb. 155; Primitive Firearmss, Nov. 14-20 & Jan. 25--31; Modern Firearms//still-hunt only, Nov. 21-Decc. 11; with/ without dogs, Decc. 12-Jan. 24; youth-only annd honorably discharged veteraans, Oct. 2430. Area 7: Archery, Sept. 19-Jan. 15;;

Primitive Firearms, Oct. 10-16 & Jan. 4-10; Modern Firearms/still-hunt only, Oct. 17-Nov. 29; with/without dogs, Nov. 30-Jan. 3; youth-only and honorably discharged veterans, Sept. 26-Oct. 2. Area 8: Archery, Sept. 19-Jan. 15; Primitive Firearms, Oct. 10-16 & Jan. 4-10; Modern Firearms/still-hunt only, Oct. 17-Nov. 29; with/without dogs, Nov. 30-Jan. 3; youth-only and honorably discharged veterans, Sept. 26-Oct. 2. Area 9: Archery, Oct. 1-15, bucks only & Oct. 16-Feb. 15; Primitive Firearms, Nov. 14-20, either sex & Jan. 25-31, bucks only; Modern Firearms/still-hunt only, Nov. 21-Dec. 11, bucks only except either-sex take allowed Nov. 21-22 & Nov. 27-29;with/without dogs, Dec. 12Jan. 24, bucks only except either-sex take allowed Dec. 12-13 & Dec. 19-20; youthonly and honorably discharged veterans, Oct. 24-30. Area 10: Archery, Sept. 19-Jan. 15; Primitive Firearms, Oct. 10-16 & Jan. 4-10; Modern Firearms/still-hunt only, Oct. 17-Nov. 29; with/without dogs, Nov. 30-Jan. 3 youth-only and honorably discharged veterans, Sept. 26-Oct. 2. RABBITS: Oct. 3-Feb. 28, statewide, private lands only. QUAIL: Nov. 21-Feb. 28, statewide, private lands only. SQUIRRELS: Statewide: Oct. 3-Feb. 28 & May 3-25 (2027), statewide, private lands only. Special youth-only weekend Sept. 26-27, private lands only. TURKEY (2027): Area A: April 3-May 2. Area B: April 3-25.Area C: April 3-18. youth/Physically Challenged weekend: March 26-28. MIGRATORY BIRDS/WATERFOWL BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCKS: Oct. 3-11, statewide. DOVES: South Zone: Sept. 5-20, Oct. 17Nov. 29 & Dec. 12-Jan. 10; North Zone: Sept. 5-27, Oct. 10-Nov. 15 and Dec. 19-Jan. 17 . DUCKS, COOTS & MERGANSERS: West Zone, Nov. 14-Dec. 6, Dec. 19-Jan. 24 with youth-only & veterans-only weekend Nov. 7-8; East Zone, Nov. 21-Dec. 6 & Dec. 19-Jan. 31 with youth- & veteransonly days Nov. 14 & Feb. 6. GEESE: East & West Zones, Nov. 14-Dec. 6 & Dec. 19-Feb. 7. Includes Canada, blue, snow & Ross’ & specklebellies.Take of Canada geese prohibited in portions of Cameron & Vermilion pparishes. GEESE/CONSERVATIO ON ORDER: East & West Zones, Dec. 7-18 & Feb. 8-March 7. Limited to take of bluue, snow and Ross’ geese only. No daaily nor possession limits. Hunters allowed to use electronic calls and shotguns cappable of holding more than three shells. RAILS/ /GALLINULES: Seppt. 19-27 & Nov. 7-Jaan. 6, statewide. SNIPE: Oct. 31-Jan. 10 & Jan. 25-Feb. 28, stateewide. TEAAL: Sept. 19-27, stateewide. WOO ODCOCK: Dec. 18-Jan. 31, sstatewide.

CALENDAR MONDAY

RED STICK FLY FISHERS PROGRAM: 7 p.m., Bluebonnet Regional Library, 9200 Bluebonnet Blvd, Baton Rouge. Open to the public. Also: Feb. 9, March 9, April 13, May. 11, June 8, July 13, Aug. 10, Sept. 14, Oct. 12, Nov. 9. Email Brian Roberts: roberts.brian84@ gmail.com. Website: rsff.org

TUESDAY

GULF COUNCIL SHALLOWWATER GROUPERS MANAGEMENT PUBLIC MEETING: 6 p.m., Wildlife and Fisheries ofﬁce, 200 Dulles Dr. in Lafayette. Management plans for yellowmouth, yellowﬁn and black groupers and scamp. Also virtual public meeting 5 p.m., Jan. 21. Website: gulfcouncil.org

WEDNESDAY

LA. OYSTER TASK FORCE MEETING: 10 a.m., Lakefront Airport, 6001 Stars and Stripes Blvd., New Orleans. OTF Legislative Committee meeting, 9 a.m., same venue. BUGS & BEERS: 6:30 p.m., Skeeta Hawk Brewing, 455 N. Dorgenois St, New Orleans. Casual ﬂy tying. Open to public. Also Feb. 11, March 11,

April 8, May 14, June 10, July 8, Aug. 12, Sept. 9, Oct. 14, Nov. 11, Dec. 9. Email A.J. Rosenbohm: ajrosenbohm@gmail. com. Website: www.neworleansﬂyﬁshers.com.

THURSDAY

MORGANZA-TO-GULF PUBLIC MEETING: 2-4 p.m. & 6-8 p.m., Barry P. Bonvillain Civic Center, 346 Civic Center Blvd., Houma. Also: Jan. 20, 2-4 p.m. & 6-8 p.m., Bollinger Sisters Suite, University Dining & Conference Center, Nicholls State, Thibodaux. Public comments on Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction Project. ACADIANA FLY RODDERS PROGRAM: 6 p.m., Pack and Paddle, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette. Open to public. Also Feb. 19, March 19, April 16, May 21, June 18, July 16, Aug. 20, Sept. 17, Oct. 15, Nov. 19, Dec. 17.Email Darin Lee: at cbrsandcdc@gmail.com. Website: acadianaﬂyrodders. org

SATURDAY

NSCA SPORTING CLAYS: Kickoff Shotgun Blast, Bridge View Gun Club, Port Allen. Also same venue Feb. 7,

March 21, April 11, May 16, June 13, July 11, Aug. 8, Sept. 19, Oct. 17 & Nov. 7. THE FLY HAIR CO. DEMONSTRATION: Noon-5 p.m., No Wake Outﬁtters, 1926 Airline Drive, Metairie. Fly ﬁshing.

HUNTING SEASONS

DEER/PRIMITIVE FIREARMS: Through Jan. 11, State Deer Areas 3, 7, 8 & 10. DEER/MODERN FIREARMS: Through Jan. 11, State Deer Area 2, with/without dogs. DOVES: South Zone, through Jan. 11; North Zone, through Jan. 18;. DEER/MODERN FIREARMS: Through Jan. 18, State Deer Areas 1 & 4, still-hunt only. DEER/PRIMITIVE FIREARMS: Jan. 12-18, State Deer Area 2. DEER/ARCHERY: Through Jan. 15, State Deer Areas 3, 7, 8 & 10. Either-sex take allowed. DEER/MODERN FIREARMS: Through Jan. 18, State Deer Areas 5 & 9, with/without dogs, bucks only. DEER/MODERN FIREARMS: Through Jan. 18, State Deer Areas 6, with/without dogs. DEER/PRIMITIVE FIREARMS: Jan. 19-31, State Deer Areas 1, 4 & 6, either-sex take allowed.

DEER/PRIMITIVE FIREARMS: Jan. 19-31, State Deer Areas 5 & 9, bucks only. DUCKS/WEST ZONE: Through Jan. 25, includes coots & mergansers. DUCKS/EAST ZONE: Through Jan. 31, includes coots & mergansers. DEER/ARCHERY: Through Jan. 31, State Deer Areas 1, 2 & 4. Either-sex take allowed. WOODCOCK: Through Jan. 31, statewide. GEESE/WEST ZONE: Through Feb. 1. Includes Canada, blue, snow & Ross’ & specklebellies. Take of Canada geese prohibited in portions of Cameron & Vermilion parishes. GEESE/EAST ZONE: Through Feb. 7. Includes Canada, blue, snow & Ross’ & specklebellies DEER/ARCHERY: Through Feb. 15, State Deer Areas 5, 6 & 9, either-sex take allowed. QUAIL, RABBITS & SQUIRRELS: Through Feb. 28, statewide, private lands only. SNIPE: Through Feb. 28, statewide.

LOTTERY HUNT

YOUTH RABBIT HUNT: Jan. 30 application deadline for ﬁve youth hunters (ages 10-17)

Nassau groupers in state/federal waters. CLOSED SEASONS: Red snapper; greater amberjack; gray triggerﬁsh; blueﬁn tuna; gag, goliath & Nassau groupers in state/federal waters. Commercial greater amberjack season closed.

on Dewey Wills WMA Feb. 21. Youths must have hunter safety certiﬁcation, have 20-gauge or .410 shotgun & wear Hunter Orange. Other rules & details, email Cliff Dailey (WMA supervisor): adailey@wlf.la.gov

FISHING/SHRIMPING

SHRIMP: Outside waters open statewide; fall inshore season closed in Zones 2 & 3 & portions of Zone 1. OPEN RECREATIONAL SEASONS: Flounder; lane, blackﬁn, queen and silk snappers & wenchmen among other snapper species; all groupers except closed for goliath &

LDWF UPDATES

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S u n d ay, J a n u a ry 11, 2026

1dn

Ms. Rachel is a modern-day Mister Rogers. This was my ﬁrst encounter with her. I’ve started 2026 with a song loved by millions. It’s new to me, but it’s now chiseled into my brain. One verse goes like this: “Icky sticky sticky sticky sticky bubble gum, bubble Herman gum, bubble Fuselier gum Icky sticky sticky sticky sticky bubble gum, bubble gum, bubble gum Makes your hands stick to your head And you pull ’em, and you pull ’em, and you pull ’em away!” It turns out that bubble gum also sticks to your elbows, tummy, ears, knees, mouth and other body parts. Who knew? Apparently 68 million people — that’s how many times the video has been viewed in its ﬁve years on YouTube. This same singer’s YouTube channel has amassed 13.5 billion views. Yes, that’s billion with a B.

STAFF ILLUSTRATION

PROVIDED PHOTO By AMAZON

‘100 First Words’ is researched and written by the youTube phenomenon and educator Ms. Rachel.

Folks who keep track of such things estimate the creator’s net worth is between $10 million and $50 million. Perhaps it’s time to dust off my accordion and come up with some icky sticky zydeco. The bubble gum song was my introduction to Ms. Rachel, a beloved educator and entertainer for babies, toddlers and their parents. Credit for the revelation goes to Tatum, my grandson who just turned 1. Tatum’s vocabulary is limited to “yah” and “dah” right now. But I bet he’ll be saying “icky sticky” right after he starts walking. Tatum’s world stops when Ms. Rachel is on TV. There’s no

ä See MS. RACHEL, page 4D

Mardi Gras is coming! Send us your ball stories and photos

The Advocate will publish Mardi Gras ball stories from Carnival krewes in and around the Baton Rouge area. Stories and photos should be emailed at least two weeks before the ball to mardigras@theadvocate.com. Stories should include the names of the ball captain, court and the ball’s theme. No costume descriptions will be included. Provide one photograph of the king, queen and ball captain, and photos of the court in groups of three or more. We will do our best but cannot guarantee date of publishing. Photos should be jpg attachments with a resolution of 300 dpi or more. Those in photo(s) should be identiﬁed from left to right. Do not send more than three photos in a single email. Also, please include contact name and phone number.

Mor e t han ‘Callin’ Baton Rouge’: Capit al cit y ment ioned in ot her not able song s BY JAN RISHER, ROBIN MILLER and MADDIE SCOTT Staff writers

In Baton Rouge, one song sums up the city to a degree that it rarely needs naming. It’s the one people shout in unison, the one that rumbles stadiums and registers on seismographs. It’s mandatory for wedding receptions, tailgates and moments when the city wants to hear itself reﬂected back. “Callin’ Baton Rouge” is woven into the city’s identity. It is shorthand for home, whether you live in the Capital City or not. But Baton Rouge shows up in other songs, too — not as loudly, not as proud. In those lyrics, the city is an opening line, a passing reference, a place someone is headed or leaving behind.

Busted flat Was Kris Kristofferson really

busted flat in Baton Rouge to inspire the first line of “Me and Bobby McGee”? Kristofferson wrote the song in 1969 at the suggestion of Monument Records producer Fred Foster. The two, therefore, shared writing credit. The song was first recorded that same year by country-pop singer Roger Miller of “King of the Road” fame. Then, Janis Joplin did her take on the song in 1971, and it’s her voice that most people hear at any mention of that first line. But, as Kristofferson told “American Songwriter” magazine in 2021, the line doesn’t exactly refer to a specific place within the city but to a journey in between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Kristofferson, who had trained as a helicopter pilot in the military, said he wrote the song while working in the Gulf of Mexico. Earlier, after he completed a tour

of duty in Germany, the Army offered him a job teaching at West Point. Kristofferson, the son of a U.S. Air Force general, turned it down to pursue a career in songwriting. He told the magazine: “At the time I was flying around Baton Rouge. That is probably why Baton Rouge and New Orleans were in it. But it was an idea that Fred Foster had given to me. He called up one time when I was about to go back down to the Gulf for another week of ﬂying and he said, ‘I got a song title for you: Me and Bobby McGee.’” Kristofferson said the idea of a “writing on assignment” gave him writer’s block at ﬁrst. “But then the idea just started growing in my head,” the late singer-songwriter said. “And I can remember when the last line came

ä See SONGS, page 4D

Were German POWs imprisoned in La.? Buildings in the Prisoner-of-War SubCamp No. 7 in Port Allen were surrounded by wire fences and monitored by guard towers during World War II. PROVIDED PHOTO By WEST BATON ROUGE MUSEUM

BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer

Ernest Gueymard spent Dec. 15, 1943, at Prisonerof-War Sub-Camp No. 7 in Port Allen for a feature story for the State-Times, The Advocate’s then-afternoon sister newspaper. “The swish-swish of the cane knife is resounding over West Baton Rouge’s broad sugar ﬁelds as wielded by sturdy young German prisoners of war,” Guey-

mard wrote. There were approximately 300 “broad-shouldered young men” who were living in the Port Allen prison of war sub-camp in 1943. “The prisoners, who appear to be in their early twenties, are grappling with an industry new to them and are doing fairly well,” Gueymard reported.

ä See CURIOUS, page 4D

2D ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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COMMUNITY

PROVIDED PHOTO

BREC BREC was recognized at the 2025 Louisiana Recreation & Park Association’s annual state conference for ongoing commitment to excellence, innovation, equity and community impact across East Baton Rouge Parish. Shown are, from left, Dodi Falcon (BREC), Robert Johnson, Katrina Ward (BREC), Kristin Stratton, Tisha Smith, Aimee Hebert, Grand Stafford, Grayson Touchard, Ronnie Rantz and Melissa Thaxton.

BREC earns numerous awards and accolades

Numerous BREC leaders, programs and partners were recognized at the 2025 Louisiana Recreation & Park Association’s annual state conference Nov. 18–20 in Baton Rouge. Katrina Coots Ward was elected as the incoming LRPA president. Ward is serving as BREC’s interim assistant superintendent of recreation and brings 20 years of statewide leadership experience, a strong record in equity-focused improvements and extensive community engagement expertise to her new role. Also, Dodi Falcon was named LRPA District 3 chair. In this role, she will support regional collaboration and professional development across the district. BREC’s Green Force received the Innovation in Conservation Award for increasing volunteer participation, expanding handson environmental restoration projects and establishing a successful community-pow-

ered conservation model. BREC’s IYP3 systemwide master plan was honored for advancing equitable park access through data-driven planning, prioritizing underserved neighborhoods and embedding health equity standards across the system. The Walls Project — Baton Roots at BREC’s Howell Park was recognized for its innovative approach to community wellness, combining urban farming, education and workforce development to expand fresh food access and support healthier lifestyles. Sydney Parish, outdoor adventure program coordinator, received this recognition for her rapid professional growth, leadership across multiple BREC programs and dedication to expanding outdoor recreation opportunities. The late Lillie Gallagher (award accepted by Stanley Springs and Peter Davis) was honored for outstanding leadership with Friends of City Park, including strengthening fundraising, partnerships and community engagement.

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Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre ‘The Night at the Nutcracker’ was held at the Raising Cane’s River Center Theatre for Performing Arts on Dec. 19. The event was an opportunity to see a ‘Nutcracker’ dress rehearsal, with the audience having a private showing and being able to witness the inner workings of the show. Gathered are, from left, Greg Bodin, Katie Bodin, Emelia Perkins, Rebecca Acosta, Sanford Placide and Christine Perkins.

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Baton Rouge Caledonian Pipes and Drums Local bagpiper Stanley Masinter participated in the 84th Pearl Harbor Day parade in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Dec. 7. Masinter, standing 15th from right, was selected to play with the band Pipes On Parade, made up of bagpipers and drummers from 14 states and five countries. Additionally, the band performed a memorial at the battleship USS Missouri.

St. Patrick Catholic Church The St. Patrick Catholic Church Tuesday morning Scripture study had its annual Christmas party at the home of Arlene Carroll on Dec. 16. Shown are, from left, seated, Shirley Warfel and Jane Pinto; standing, Priscilla Oliver, Statia Cancienne, Arlene Carrol, Dee Ann Paisan and Deborah Gabriel.

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Baton Rouge Bammers Mah Jong Group The Baton Rouge Bammers Mah Jong Group celebrated the birthday of founding member Kay Callander at the home of co-founder Lisa Hester on Dec. 17. Shown are, from left, Hester, Julie Reynolds, Diane O’Quin, Erin Camden, Pattie Lesage, Kim Dunaway, Lisa Boudreaux, Beverly Hodges, Betty Boudreaux, Callander, Faith Ourso, Sherry Eubanks, Janelle Welchel, Liz Wincup and Cathie Ryan.

BR Ballet Theatre to hold audition for programs

Each year, Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre brings celebrated dance companies to Baton Rouge to FYI BR audition regional staff dancers for limited reports spots in their prestigious programs. Summer intensives provide dancers with an opportunity to study under some of the most renowned dance instructors in the country. This year, auditions will consist of four separate classes, each for one of the respective companies, spread out across the months of January and February. Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre is welcoming the Nashville Ballet

from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 11, Next Generation Ballet – Patel Conservatory from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Jan. 25, and Milwaukee Ballet from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 22. All auditions will be held at The NeuroMedical Center Studio at The Dancers’ Workshop at 10745 Linkwood Court, Baton Rouge. Each company has speciﬁc audition requirements, and dancers are encouraged to ﬁnd more information at batonrougeballet. org/national-auditions/.

Thriller authors to give book talk The Conundrum Bookshop and Bayou Sara Brewing Co. will present author Ashley Elston in conversation with Jumata Emill

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as they discuss Ashley Elston’s new book “Anatomy of an Alibi,” which comes out Jan. 13. The event will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Jan. 15 at Bayou Sara Brewery, 11943 Ferdinand St. Both authors’ books will be available on-site for purchase and available online.

Course on Jewish literature offered Baton Rouge will have a window and guided tour of a unique genre of Jewish literature in the new six-week course by Rabbi Peretz Kazen of Chabad at LSU & Greater Baton Rouge. Beginning Jan. 26, in-person at 11 a.m. and again at 6 p.m. on Zoom, participants will uncover 30 true stories

Transform Your Windows. Transform Your Space.

captured in Captivating Cases in Rabbinic Responsa. Imagine holding a handwritten letter presenting a 13th-century legal dilemma about a shipwrecked merchant; receiving a politically charged inquiry from a 16th-century monarch seeking legal justification to annul his marriage; hearing a life-or-death ethical question whispered under a guard’s watch in Auschwitz; or evaluating a modern inquiry regarding the ethical boundaries of artificial intelligence in legal practice. For more than 1,200 years, rabbis have adjudicated such realworld cases using legal reasoning — examining precedent, equity and evolving scientific knowledge. This course, developed by

the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute, offers students a glimpse into how Jews have lived across the ages and the values they have held dear. Captivating Cases in Rabbinic Responsa is approved as continuing legal education in Louisiana. Like all JLI programs, this course is designed to appeal to people at all levels of knowledge, including those without any prior experience or background in Jewish learning. All JLI courses are open to the public, and attendees need not be afﬁliated with a particular synagogue, temple or other house of worship. Interested students may call (225) 267-7048 or visit ChabadBR. com/JLI for registration and other course-related information.

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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ 3D

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TRAVEL Soak in views above the clouds at Lookout Mountain Georgia’s Cloudland at McLemore Resort a cozy stay

BY CHERÉ COEN Contributing writer

Lookout Mountain’s name sometimes belies the reality. The peak that straddles Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee, containing Southern landmarks such as Rock City and Ruby Falls with its pinnacle overlooking Chattanooga, reaches about 2,400 feet above sea level to provide a remarkable view of Southern landscapes. When it’s sunny, that is. This is why one of its natural highlights, a gorge with dramatic waterfalls under the Georgia government umbrella, was labeled Cloudland Canyon State Park. And the newest resort to grace the mountain named Cloudland at McLemore Resort. This golf club and resort destination includes a 245-room hotel situated so high that it’s literally above the clouds when weather rolls in. Such was the case when I visited this Curio Collection hotel by Hilton in the northwest corner of Georgia. At ﬁrst my guest room offered a breathtaking sunny view stretching for miles into Alabama, then rain clouds rolled in and suddenly I was looking down upon the water vapor. It hardly mattered, for both experiences added to the charm of the weekend, one a chance to explore the southern tip of the Appalachian Mountains and the other to relax and savor this gorgeous new hotel.

taurant with a nod to the alliance between Scotland and France in 1295, serves up both Scottish and French cuisine, in addition to exquisite cocktails, wine selection and, of course, a variety of scotch. Visitors may hike the multiacre property through mountain terrain, lounge by the cliff-edge infinity pool or dip into waters that slip over the mountain’s edge (don’t worry, you won’t) or enjoy a meal at Skyside, where the horizon seems to stretch forever (that is, on noncloudy days). Other restaurants include Croft, perfect for casual meals and cocktails, and The Pocket Café for quick bites and craft coffees. If you’re like me and enjoy a nice rainy day, especially this time of year, head to the resort’s cozy library with its walls of books (many local and Southern authors), roaring fireplace and comfy chairs. On the day the clouds rolled in I retreated to this oasis, found a good book and sipped a glass of wine by the fire. The expansive wall of windows that allowed me to enjoy the clouds made the experience doubly wonderful. PHOTOS By CHERÉ COEN The main lobby offers a masVisitors to Cloudland can lounge by the cliff-edge infinity pool or dip into waters that slip over the mountain’s sive fireplace as well, along with original artwork and numerous edge (don’t worry, you won’t). ways to exhale and relax.

Hikes down into the canyon at Cloudland Canyon State Park provide visitors with some of the finest waterfalls in the South.

The resort Cloudland at McLemore Resort sits on a property that includes the award-winning McLemore Highlands Course reimagined by Bill Bergin and Rees Jones and featuring dramatic elevation changes and a top ﬁnishing hole as the 18th runs along the cliff edge from tee to green. It’s been named the 22nd best hole in America by Golf Digest and a top 10 ﬁnishing hole in the world according to LINKS Magazine. The resort’s latest course, The Keep, boasts over a mile of cliff-

Be sure to enjoy a meal at Skyside, where the horizon seems to stretch forever on noncloudy days. edge play. In addition to the hotel’s 2,000-feet-up dramatic views from guest rooms and several dining options is a 20,000-squarefoot conference center, spa and ﬁtness center. Auld Alliance, the resort’s signature ﬁne-dining res-

The mountain Chattanooga is a 30-minute drive away and Atlanta, Huntsville and Nashville approximately two hours each. Even closer to Cloudland are Lookout Mountain’s many attractions at the Tennessee end. For those who love a combination of escape with city life, the resort is situated to satisfy. Not far into Alabama lies the quaint town of Mentone with its unique restaurants, art and the natural beauty of DeSoto State Park. Cloudland Canyon State Park lies about 15 minutes from the resort on the Georgia side and hikes down into the canyon provide visitors with some of the ﬁnest waterfalls in the South. For those who prefer only an escape into nature, the resort makes for an ideal getaway. For more information about the resort and its special offers, including golf packages, visit www. mclemoreresort.com.

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER By Christopher Elliott

Travel insurance won’t reimburse for ﬂight delay to India Last August, my dream trip to India imploded before takeoff.A delayed flight from Orlando to Atlanta caused me to miss my connection to Paris. Delta Air Lines rebooked me 25 hours later through London, costing me for hotels, meals Christopher $270 and taxis. I’d wisely Elliott bought Trawick International travel insurance, which covers a trip disruption. But SureGo Claims, their administrator, became a nightmare.They demanded endless documents, assured me everything was received, then denied my claim with a lie: “Your delay was only 3 hours.” SureGo falsely claimed my Atlanta-to-Paris flight was delayed (it wasn’t — I’d missed

it entirely!).The Delta documentation I provided clearly showed a 25-hour disruption. When I appealed, SureGo demanded another 40 to 60 days, after already torturing me for five months. I know $270 is a small amount, but that’s how they trap you: too little to sue, enough to make you quit.This feels like a scam where they bank on the customer’s exhaustion. I’ve spent hours on calls, resending paperwork, and being ghosted. How can a company fabricate facts to avoid paying such a modest, valid claim? — Christine Porter,Apopka, Fla. Trawick International should have honored your claim immediately. Your policy’s trip delay coverage, which is standard in most travel insurance plans, typically kicks in after 6 to 12 hours. Your

25-hour disruption wasn’t borderline — it was excessive. I’m not sure how SureGo Claims investigated your case, but it certainly seems to have misread the basic facts of your claim. In doing so, it violated fundamental insurance principles of good faith and fair dealing. Florida statutes explicitly prohibit insurers from failing to adopt and implement standards for the proper investigation of claims or misrepresenting pertinent facts. You did right by keeping records of your calls, but you might have ﬁxed this faster with a more thorough paper trail. If you have to call an insurance company, always ask for an email conﬁrma-

tion. Otherwise, it’s your word against theirs. The escalations were problematic and not at all what we’re accustomed to seeing with Trawick, which has an otherwise good reputation for fast claims. You could have appealed your case to one of Trawick’s executives. I publish their names, numbers and emails on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. I’m puzzled by this case. Most claims like this are automatic and processed quickly. If you give your travel insurance company your ﬂight itinerary — you can usually do that online — it will track your ﬂight and pay your claim within hours if something goes wrong.

I contacted Starr Companies, Trawick’s underwriter. A few weeks after our inquiry, Trawick approved a claim for $300 per person, which is more than you claimed, calling it trip delay coverage. I should note that you also continued fighting for Trawick to honor the claim, and it was likely pressure from all sides that finally led to this successful resolution. Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting at elliottadvocacy.org.

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4D ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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After six tries, Lucy the cat ﬁnds her perfect home BY JANE HONEYCUTT Contributing writer

After my fourth rescue cat died in his sleep at age 16, I was determined not to adopt another. However, I missed having a pet and went to Companion Animal Alliance, CAAWS and Cat Haven Human once again. Lucy, Condition who was originally brought to Cat Haven after she and her siblings were found in a car engine eight years ago, had been adopted as a kitten but returned. Returned not once, but ﬁve times. This time, she’d been at the shelter eight months, watching probably 100 other residents leave with their new families. A staff member told me it seemed she’d lost all conﬁdence and had with-

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Lucy was returned to the shelter five times before Jane Honeycutt got a look at her, and Lucy’s a loser no more. drawn to avoid another rejection. Cats do not like change, and she’d been stuffed in a carrier and taken out and returned repeatedly.

A favorite of the staff because of her long stay with them, she would occasionally show affection for them but mostly hid in her bed. The ﬁrst time I went into her room, she eventually came out and sat on my lap a few minutes. The next time I went, she refused to show even a whisker. The cave-like bed was her safe place. Lucy’s a calico with unusual markings, even for her type. Her face is half black and half orange — sort of like the Phantom of the Opera. One leg is tan, another is black and two are multicolored. Her green eyes are her most striking feature. After reading a heartfelt plea in the Cat Haven newsletter for someone to adopt her, I decided to return there and bring Lucy home. If she didn’t like a quiet

house where there were no animals or children to treat her unkindly, she was truly unadoptable. To facilitate the adoption, the staff said she could stay with me for a month instead of the usual two-week trial period. I picked her up on a Wednesday and settled her upstairs. For the first few days, she hid under the coffee table and rarely came out, even to eat. When I decided to leave the door to her room open a few nights later, she spent part of the night at the end of my bed. Progress! In the meantime, I notified Cat Haven to finalize the adoption. Even if she wasn’t behaving like I wished she would, she had not misbehaved in any way and certainly deserved a home. Weeks later, she seeks me out to make biscuits (a rhythmic knead-

SONGS

Advocate readers may submit stories of about 500 words to The Human Condition at features@theadvocate.com or The Advocate, Features, 10705 Rieger Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70809. There is no payment, and stories will be edited. Authors should include their city of residence.

And maybe that’s the point. Not every place in a great song is meant to be held up to the light. Some exist briefly, then slip back into the blur of the road — remembered not because they were named loudly, but because they were part of the journey. — Jan Risher, Louisiana culture editor

Continued from page 1D to me. I was driving to the airport in New Orleans, and the windshield wipers were going into the line about the ‘windshield wipers slappin’ time, I’s holdin’ Bobby’s hand in mine … .’ And it ﬁnished the song for me.” — Robin Miller, features writer

Belmont Avenue

A not-so lonely night Mick Jagger may have spent a lonely night in spring of 1975 in Montauk, New York, at the “Memory Motel,” but the June 1, 1975, Baton Rouge night that the song references was crowded by any standards. Del Moon, who was at the concert that night, remembers that the then-LSU Assembly Center, now Pete Maravich Assembly Center, was the largest events facility between Houston and Atlanta in 1975. The night was the kickoff for the Rolling Stones’ Tour of the Americas. They were the biggest name in rock ‘n’ roll. The opening night at the Center was meant to have two separate shows. But, the notoriously late band did what they did well in 1975 — they were late getting started, put on a great show and just never stopped playing. When it came time for the second

ing motion made with the front paws on a human) and spends time with me while I read or work on the computer. She still likes time alone, but, when I look for her upstairs, she’s lying out in the open, not hiding. Each day she becomes more comfortable and playful. Lucy’s no longer a loser, but a winner who’s found the perfect home. — Honeycutt lives in Baton Rouge.

STAFF PHOTO By MADDIE SCOTT

Lucinda Williams spent part of her childhood on Baton Rouge’s Belmont Avenue, releasing a song about it in her 2001 album ‘Essence.’ show to start, the crowd waiting outside literally took some of the doors off the hinges to get inside, according to Moon. In his book, “The Greatest Shows on Earth,” the late Bill Bankhead, who ran the PMAC back in 1975, wrote that “both shows were sellouts with ‘festival seating,’ ” and “the real fun began when the band decided not to break between the two shows and continued playing even after the second show was to have begun.” Moon, who now lives near

CURIOUS

Continued from page 1D The story goes on, describing the continuing day in the life of these prisoners, but the opening paragraphs, alone, are enough to answer Craig Bridges’ question. “I’ve heard that there was a POW camp in Port Allen during World War II, but where was it?” the Baker resident asked. “And how many prisoners did it house?” The camp was located behind where the West Baton Rouge Museum is now, according to Lauren Davis, West Baton Rouge Museum’s curator. “A state historic marker stands at the spot where a reconstructed concrete water fountain from the camp still stands,” Davis said. The marker was erected in 2011 by the West Baton Rouge Historical Society at 849 6th St. in Port Allen, pointing out that the water fountain is the only remaining structure of the POW sub-camp, which was a satellite facility of the larger Camp Plauche downriver in Harahan. Then again, there is one other surviving structure from the camp, which now serves as the museum’s juke joint. The sub-camp operated from 1943 to 1946, housing between 500 and 774 German prisoners-ofwar captured in North Africa and throughout Europe. Modern-day markers of its boundaries are Louisiana Avenue on the north, Michigan Avenue on the south, 8th Street on the west and 6th Street on the east. Gueymard, in his 1943 article, added that the the camp was situated on the old West Baton Rouge Parish fairgrounds near Port Allen’s community center. U.S. Army Capt. C.W. Weltzin was the commander. He said the prisoners’ living facilities were minimal, and their needs were met. “The camp consisted of tents with wooden ﬂoors, each housing several prisoners,” the historic marker reads. “There were sepa-

Tampa, Florida, estimates that around 30,000 people were crowded into the PMAC that night. Even so, Baton Rouge barely registers in “Memory Motel.” Midway through the 7-minute song, Jagger sings, “I got to ﬂy today on down to Baton Rouge. My nerves are shot already. The road ain’t all that smooth.” It’s a passing line, easy to miss, delivered without emphasis. Baton Rouge isn’t the point of the song. It isn’t even the

destination. It’s a mile marker. Released in 1976 after long months on the road, “Memory Motel” is a departure from the Stones’ earlier bravado. It’s a song that sounds tired in a way only fame can make a person. It’s about drifting, distance and loving something you can’t quite hold on to anymore. The reference to Baton Rouge almost feels disorienting — like hearing your name spoken softly in a crowded room. It’s there. You’re sure of it. But the song doesn’t pause to explain.

consisted of tar-papered buildings within a barbed wire enclosure of two separate 10- to 12-foot-high fences. Guard towers were placed at strategic points within the enclosure.” The museum points out that not everything went smoothly in the beginning. There was one incident between the prisoners and the locals, when “a strike ocSTAFF PHOTO By ROBIN MILLER curred at the camp after the 240 A Louisiana state historic marker prisoners there refused to work in order to show solidarity for one stands at the location of the punished detail of prisoners.” German Prisoner-of-War SubIn retaliation, the prisoners Camp No. 7 in Port Allen. The white were only allowed bread and wastructure next to it was a water ter until the strike was over. They fountain used in the camp. lasted about three days. But that seems to be the only documented outward show of rate buildings for the kitchen, contention during the camp’s mess hall and showers. Due to operation. Gueymard’s article wartime labor shortages on the traces the prisoners’ assimilation home front, prisoners were used into their new surroundings, beon local sugar plantations, Cinginning with their learning how to clare, Poplar Grove, Westover, chop sugar cane stalks. Smithfield, Devall and Alma. “When the men got into the Ranging in age from 19 to 52, the field, the planters soon found prisoners were paid 80 cents a that the prisoners had no trainday for an 8 to 10 hour workday, six days a week.” ing whatsoever in cutting cane, Meanwhile, Davis points to the and the recruits had to learn West Baton Rouge Museum’s web- from the beginning,” Gueymard site, westbatonrougemuseum.com, wrote. “Few speak English, so the which dedicates a page to the par- problem was made more acute ... the work of the prisoners has ish’s World War II experience. been fairly good but not excellent. “The state of Louisiana had the However, planters are glad to get third largest number of Prisoner what they can.” of War camps in the U.S., behind Meanwhile, Port Allen residents California and Texas,” the musenaturally were curious about um’s page said. “There were five main camps for Axis prisoners in their POW neighbors. Gueymard details an instance Louisiana and a number of satelwhen the prisoners arrived on a lite camps.” The five camps were Camp Rus- Sunday afternoon, and residents from Port Allen lined up at the ton in Lincoln Parish, Camp ClaiCommunity Center pool benches borne in Rapides Parish, Camp to see the prisoners. On the other Livingston in Rapides and Grant side of the fence, the prisoners parishes, Camp Polk in Vernon lined up to look at the Americans. Parish and Camp Plauche in Or“It was all very funny, and leans Parish. Sub-Camp No. 7 was everybody began laughing, the among the satellites. prisoners and the Americans,” “German prisoners were Gueymard wrote. brought here on November 19, And what, exactly, did the Port 1943,” the museum’s page continAllen residents see? Gueymard ues. “The U.S. War Department described the prisoners as husky, had standard requirements for broad-shouldered but not overly the construction of POW camps, and this camp was built according tall. He said they often engaged in horseplay while in the field. to these conditions for approxi“The boys seem to take their mately 350 prisoners. The camp

Born and raised in Lake Charles, Lucinda Williams released “Bus to Baton Rouge” in her 2001 album “Essence,” a release packed with slow, sentimental tracks detailing past and present romances. In “Bus to Baton Rouge,” she sings of memories of a house on Belmont Avenue, which is a residential street running a little over half a mile from City-Brooks Community Park. She wrote that the house was “built up on cinder blocks off of the ground,” the “driveway was covered with tiny white seashells,” “honeysuckle grew all around” and “a ﬁg tree stood in the backyard.” She describes what she remembers of the house’s interior with an air of bittersweet sorrow. She wrote, “There are other things I remember, as well. But to tell them would be just too hard.” In just under 6 minutes, Williams’ ballad to a house

plight good-naturedly and are a jovial lot — not sullen — while at work in the ﬁelds,” the reporter wrote. On the outside, the museum’s page states, Port Allen residents collected musical instruments for the Germans at the camp and hosted dances for them at the Community Center. “People from West and East Baton Rouge recall how the young German men would often whistle at local girls as their work convoys passed,” the museum’s web page continued. “On the weekends, girls would try to talk to the young men through the fence from houses that backed up to one side of the camp on Michigan Avenue. Friendships developed between some farmers and POW laborers as well.” In 1945, two German prisoners escaped, determined to celebrate their third Christmas post captivity outside the camp. The StateTimes reported on Dec. 26, 1945, that local law enforcement arrested the duo, Heinrich Knuepe and Goenter Lessner, both 25, at the Star Night Club on Plank Road. “Just how far they got with their celebration was not learned, but they had apparently done little drinking when they were nabbed,” the article stated. After Sub-Camp No. 7’s 1946 closure, German POWs were sent to various locations, primarily within the allied occupying zones in Germany for processing, labor or repatriation. But Port Allen made a good impression on some. “Several prisoners corresponded with residents,” the museum’s page states. “After leaving, one even stated that he wished he were back in Louisiana because of the difﬁculties of getting food in war-torn France, where he had been transferred.” Do you have a question about something in Louisiana that’s got you curious? Email your question to curiouslouisiana@ theadvocate.com. Include your name, phone number and the city where you live.

in Baton Rouge carries conflicting emotions many would think of a long-ago breakup you can’t shake off. The slow rhythm, carried by an upright bass, ties with Williams’ soft, country vocals, forging a poignant tribute that punches straight to the heart. In July 2009, Williams sang the song live at Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, England, and gave some context behind the song before performing it. “I wrote this about, kind of a glimpse of part of my childhood growing up in Louisiana, describing my grandmother’s house there,” she said. “My mother’s mother.” It’s unclear what the address is or if the house is still standing. But next time you’re driving along Belmont Avenue and see honeysuckle growing by a ﬁg tree, just know that the vicinity played a role in stirring a Louisiana girl’s journey into stardom. — Maddie Scott, features writer Baton Rouge may be best known for the song people shout together, but these other mentions paint a fuller picture. Sometimes the city isn’t the chorus. Sometimes it’s the ﬁrst line, the memory, the mile marker — there for those paying attention.

MS. RACHEL

Continued from page 1D crying. His bottle can wait. All eyes are Ms. Rachel, who is Rachel Griffin Accurso, a modern-day “Mister Rogers.” She and her husband Aron created nursery rhymes, puppets and skits that have earned them 18.5 million YouTube subscribers and a Netflix series. Her songs and movements aren’t random. Based on child development research, her presentations are designed to teach children letters, numbers, colors, shapes, animals and more. Ms. Rachel and her husband were inspired by their son, Thomas, who did not speak until he was 2 years old. With little helpful media available, they created a YouTube channel to fill in the gap. I admit I’ve totally missed the Ms. Rachel train. My children, now grown, came up with “Blue’s Clues,” SpongeBob SquarePants and Barney, the “I love you, you love me” dinosaur. Even Barney generated $500 million in retail sales back in the 1990s. The field remains lucrative and crowded. Tatum’s eyes were also glued to Lenny Pearce, who uses electronic dance music to teach toddlers about fingers, shoulders, knees, toes and “Row Row Row Your Boat.” He’s got 161,000 YouTube subscribers and an upcoming Toddler Techno Tour of Australia and New Zealand. Wait. Where’s my accordion? Herman Fuselier is executive director of the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission. A longtime journalist covering Louisiana music and culture, he lives in Opelousas. His “Zydeco Stomp” show airs at noon Saturdays on KRVS 88.7 FM.

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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ 5D

A saucy shrimp and spaghetti, with good bread for dipping Shrimp and spaghetti (a saucy seafood aglio e olio)

BY MICHAEL DIRESTO Contributing writer

The story of how this meal became a DiResto family tradition begins around 1950 and with an unlikely family member establishing it — my grandfather, Pete DiResto, or Pop Pop. Unlikely, because Pop Pop, as far as anyone in the family can recall, did not cook any other dish, since his wife, Agnes, my grandmother, was quite the cook. This recipe didn’t technically originate with Pop Pop, but rather, he picked it up while eating at a restaurant blocks away from his home in Rockaway Beach, New York. A neighborhood place called Mangone’s (pronounced mahn-GOHN-eez) was a lunchtime spot, serving food primarily for a hungry blue-collar crowd of laborers. There were mostly men in the crowd, but some women, all of whom worked with their hands. In other words, Mangone’s was the type of place where workers of modest means could get a hearty meal for a modest price — the same considerations, then or today, for anyone trying to put food on the table for a family on a budget. With a predominantly Catholic clientele, Fridays were the day when workers from the ﬁsh market would deliver fresh seafood to Mangone’s cook Patsy (a man) whose specialty, and crowd favorite, was shrimp and spaghetti. The recipe was not particularly fancy or innovative — it used the same ingredients of a traditional pasta aglio e olio (garlic and olive oil) — except Patsy prepared it by making about double the amount of sauce, served with bread for sopping it up, making the meal go further. A small but historical footnote for this family tradition is that around this same time, when my father was 10 years old, he and his friends would catch pigeons and sell them to Mangone’s, receiving anywhere between 10

Serves 4-5 people; recipe by the DiResto family, by way of Patsy 1 pound large headless, shell-on shrimp 1 cup extra virgin olive oil 6 large garlic cloves, two of them peeled and cut in half; the rest sliced into thin slivers 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 2 ⁄3 cup finely minced flat-leaf (Italian) parsley Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano (Parmesan) or Pecorino (Romano) cheese for serving 1 pound spaghetti, plus 1 tablespoon sea salt 3 cups of pasta water

A finished bowl of Michael DiResto’s shrimp and spaghetti with bread to 25 cents each, depending on their size, which Patsy would use to prepare squab, whether roasted or braised. Payment for the boys was also sometimes supplemented with a serving of shrimp and spaghetti. Ten years later, that same pigeon-catching boy was a man of 20 bringing his girlfriend home for dinner for the ﬁrst time. Nervousness probably prevailed because not only would she be meeting my father’s parents, brother and sisters, but all eyes would be ﬁxed on this young Scandinavian woman for her reaction to tasting a meal prepared by the Italian family patriarch. Would she appreciate the simple, inauspicious-looking dish of shrimp and spaghetti? My father wasn’t so sure. Turns out, she loved it, especially the part about sopping up

the sauce with bread. (My father had to warn her to lean forward and keep her napkin at hand to guard against drips ruining her best blouse.) From that day forward and in the years after they were married, shrimp and spaghetti was my mom’s favorite dish. As kids, we also came to appreciate it as the meal for special occasions, with my dad preparing it without fail on Mother’s Day and my mom’s birthday. Even as recently as two years ago, when I ﬂew my wife and kids from Baton Rouge to New York to celebrate my mother’s 80th birthday, there was my dad boiling three different pots of pasta to feed a house ﬁlled with extended family and my mother’s childhood friends. Just as for Patsy, this is a recipe that, with just a little math, you can easily double or

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON triple the ingredients depending on the size of the crowd you are serving. There are also other variations — like adding broccoli for a greener version. My dad will tell you that his father took Pasty’s recipe and improved it; he took his father’s recipe and made improvements; then my brother did likewise, as did I, with my secret weapon of using Louisiana shrimp since I moved to Baton Rouge 30 years ago. We all say our own version is the best, and we’re all correct. Marilyn Theresa Tveter DiResto passed away almost two years ago. Almost two weeks ago, on Dec. 31, her birthday, I began working on this article and collecting what I needed to prepare the recipe, to honor her memory. She would have been 82, and had she been here, she would have asked you to pass the bread.

1. Peel and devein shrimp and transfer to bowl. Drizzle with a splash of olive oil, add salt, pepper and red pepper ﬂakes, mix well and let marinate for 5 minutes. (Do not discard the shrimp shells but place them in zipper bag and freeze for future use.) 2. In a Dutch oven, add 1/4 cup of olive oil and the halved garlic cloves. Set heat to medium-high and cook, turning garlic occasionally until it turns brown on all sides (be careful not to burn), then discard. 3. When oil is shimmering, add shrimp in a single layer and cook for two minutes, until bottoms are pink/ orange and crisp, then turn over, cook for another two minutes, then transfer to plate. Reduce heat, add the remaining 3/4 cup olive oil, and scrape up any shrimp bits with wooden spatula. 4. In the meantime, bring large pot of water to boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Cook pasta to al dente, reserving 3 cups of salty, starchy pasta water. Strain pasta and add it to a saucepan. 5. Add slivered garlic to the Dutch oven and cook over medium-low heat for one minute, being careful not to burn it. Pour in the pasta water and bring pot to simmer, whisking to keep mixture from separating. When fully mixed, scoop out one cup of sauce, add it to the pasta, and toss to combine. 6. Return the shrimp to the Dutch oven, add the parsley, stir, and cover, returning for a simmer for 4 minutes. 7. Serve pasta in large bowls and evenly distribute the shrimp and extra sauce on top of each bowl. Serve with freshly grated cheese and good bread for dipping.

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6D ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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Le Cercle de Bacchus presents 9 debutantes for 2026 Le Cercle de Bacchus, Baton Rouge’s oldest presentation ball, honored nine debutantes at the organization’s 67th annual ball on Jan. 3 at the Renaissance Hotel. n Emma Grace Abadie, daughter of Jessica and Steven Abadie, a graduate of St. Joseph’s Academy who attends LSU. She was escorted by Taylor Rotolo. n Sarah Isabelle Bonner, daughter of Allyson Adams Bonner and Dr. Everett James Bonner Jr., a graduate of St. Joseph’s Academy who attends LSU. Otey White III escorted her. n Olivia Louise Butler, daughter of Renee Provenzano Butler and Kevin Henry Butler, a graduate of St. Joseph’s Academy who attends Ole Miss. She was escorted by Carter Rome. n Emma Grace Coghlan, daughter of Mary Riker Coghlan and Charles Paul Coghlan Jr., a graduate of St. Joseph’s Academy who attends LSU. Jeff Angers escorted her. n Anna Katherine Harrell, daughter of Cheryl Tucker Harrell and James Alan Harrell, a graduate of Episcopal High School who attends LSU. She was escorted by Ryan Whittington. n Ashlynn Reneé Howell, daughter of Lori Schega Howell, DVM, and Todd

PROVIDED PHOTO

Le Cercle de Bacchus debutantes are, from left, Emma Grace Coghlan, Ashlynn Reneé Howell, Riley Elizabeth Wilson, Gia Genevieve Picarella, Abigail Elizabeth Pennington, Sarah Isabelle Bonner, Anna Katherine Harrell, Emma Grace Abadie and Olivia Louise Butler. Howell, M.D., a graduate of St. Michael the Archangel High School who attends Texas A&M University. Bernard Mistretta escorted her. n Abigail Elizabeth Pennington, daughter of Kelli and Dennis Alan Pennington, a graduate of Episcopal High School who attends the University of Alabama. She was escorted by Mark Mestayer. n Gia Genevieve Pi-

carella, daughter of Manuella and Dr. Emile Anthony Picarella Jr., a graduate of St. Joseph Catholic School (Madison, Mississippi) who attends LSU. Thomas Donaldson escorted her. n Riley Elizabeth Wilson, daughter of Piper and Brad Wilson, a graduate of St. Joseph’s Academy who attends LSU. She was escorted by Thomas Doiron. The 2026 Bacchus Board of Directors includes Presi-

dent Ethan Gettys, Vice President Bobby Burnett, Treasurer Andrew Hoover, Secretary Spencer Thomas, Ball Chairman Camden Pfeiffer and Sergeantat-Arms Harper Doerr. Andrew Sanli and Charlie Groves served as ushers and the mother’s liaisons were Whittney Higginbotham Greene and Linda Gibson. Dixon McMakin was the master of ceremonies.

Officers are, from left, Camden Pfeiffer, ball chairman; Spencer Thomas, secretary; Ethan Gettys, president; Andrew Hoover, treasurer; and Harper Doerr, sergeant-at-arms.

Husband refuses to have responsibility, help with basic tasks Harriette Cole SENSE AND SENSITIVITy

Dear Harriette: My husband and I got into a ﬁght, and I feel like it revealed a lot about what he thinks about me. For context, I was going on a work trip for two days, and I asked my husband if he could take care of the dog and be there when the handyman came over to ﬁx our bathroom sink. I had already scheduled the time when the handyman was going to come and had the money laid out for payment.

My husband said it wasn’t his responsibility to take care of issues around the house or our dog. He wanted to go to hang out with his friends instead. What hurt the most wasn’t just that he said no to helping out while I was gone, but how he dismissed something that felt like a normal part of being married. It made me feel like he believes the responsibilities of our home and shared life are

all my job, and that my work matters less than his social plans. Now I’m questioning whether this is about one argument or an imbalance in how we view responsibility, respect and teamwork in our marriage. Am I overreacting, or is this a red ﬂag that I shouldn’t ignore? — Taken for Granted Dear Taken For Granted: I spoke to a matrimonial lawyer who told me that, going into marriage,

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couples need to be aware of partners who are potential gold diggers or labor diggers. The latter are people who expect their partner to do most of the labor in the relationship without either compensation or appreciation of the value of that service. She cautioned that this happens often for women who handle most — if not all — of the household duties. There is tremendous value in that work, and it should be acknowledged.

Yes, you should speak to your husband about how he reacted to your request. If you have been handling all the household duties all along, he may be surprised at your reaction. Talk to him. Help him to understand your desire for the two of you to share family duties. This may not be easy to do. Send questions to askharriette@harriettecole. com.

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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ 7D

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TODAY IN HISTORY By The Associated Press Today is Sunday, Jan. 11, the 11th day of 2026. There are 354 days left in the year. Today in history: On Jan. 11, 1908, the Grand Canyon was established as a national monument by President Theodore Roosevelt. The move protected it from mining and other activities until it became a national park in 1919. Also on this date: In 1861, Alabama became the fourth state to declare its secession from the Union. In 1935, aviator Amelia Earhart began what would be the first solo flight from Hawaii to California, completing the 2,400-mile flight across the Pacific to Oakland in just under 19 hours. In 1964, U.S. Surgeon General Luther Terry issued “Smoking and Health,” a report that concluded that “cigarette smoking contributes substantially to mortality from certain specific diseases and to the overall death rate.” In 2002, the first al-Qaida prisoners from Afghanistan arrived at the U.S. military’s Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba. In 2010, Mark McGwire admitted to The Associated Press that he’d used steroids and human growth hormone when he broke baseball’s home run record in 1998. In 2021, House Democrats introduced an article of impeachment against President Donald Trump, charging him with “incitement of insurrection” after the attack on the U.S. Capitol building five days earlier. In 2024, U.S. and British forces bombed more than dozen sites used by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen, in a massive retaliatory strike for the militant group’s attacks on international cargo ships and other targets in the Red Sea. Today’s birthdays: Filmmaker Alfonso Arau is 94. Golf Hall of Famer Ben Crenshaw is 74. Jazz guitarist Lee Ritenour is 74. Olympic swimming gold medalist Tracy Caulkins is 63. Filmmaker Malcolm D. Lee is 56. Singer Mary J. Blige is 55. Actor Amanda Peet is 54. Actor Devin Ratray is 49. Actor Aja Naomi King is 41. Singer and former competitive swimmer Cody Simpson is 29.

Host pulls out leftovers at holiday dinner mother still does not think she Dear Miss Manners: My parents was wrong in this; I feel that it invited my family over for New Year’s Day to celebrate. As I like was rude. Gentle Reader: Perhaps this is to cook, I prepared two entrees how she deﬁnes “family to be reheated when we style”? got there. Yes, this was inconI put in time and effort to prepare a meal they siderate, but if it was a would enjoy. My parents dinner for just the famwere going to make some ily, formal rules are a bit pasta and also picked up more relaxed. At least Judith bread. she offered samples. And Martin if that was all the rest of Upon our arrival at their MISS house, my mother took out the group was getting of MANNERS some leftovers to heat up. her dinner, they still had The leftovers were from room for yours. a restaurant where they’d eaten Rather than harbor anger, Miss the night before, on New Year’s Manners suggests that you might Eve. Not only that, she offered take this as gentle teasing. The her leftovers for everyone to next time you invite your mother sample. over, tell her, “I will be making I was slightly offended, as I duck a l’orange — unless, of had just prepared all of this food course, you want to bring over for them. My mother’s argument any leftover fries you have lying was that her leftovers would around.” not hold till the next day. My Dear Miss Manners: I gave Christ-

mas dinner to two separate neighbors on Christmas Day. It’s been a week, and they have not returned the plates. I’m very annoyed at their lack of concern. Do I have a right to be upset? Gentle Reader: Did you ask for them back? Of course your neighbors should have thought to return them on their own, but if ye do not ask, ye may not receive. Miss Manners suggests that instead of silently seething, you send them a note asking when would be a convenient time for you to pick up your plates. This is neither impolite nor terribly difﬁcult. You do, after all, know where they live. Dear Miss Manners: I would like some advice on who should handle an anniversary gift return. My husband and I received a gift that had been ordered online by our relatives (who live blocks

from us). Unfortunately, the item was damaged and needed to be returned. We repackaged the item into the box and planned on giving it back to the family so they could print the return label and drop off the package at a post ofﬁce or shipping store. But instead, they asked us to do it. When asked why, they said they “didn’t know how to return an item.” We took care of it, but shouldn’t it have been their responsibility? Gentle Reader: Was it gracious of them? No. But you were already out and about. Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, www. missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Keep outdoor flag hems free from fraying Dear Heloise: People spend their hard-earned money on outdoor flags only to have the hems fray in a short time from weather. If you turn the hem over and restitch on a sewing machine, Hints from the edges will not Heloise become ragged from the elements. I especially like to see the American flag flying fray-free in the wind. — Brenda Richardson, in Shelbyville, Kentucky

Revisiting the check engine light Dear Heloise: Regarding Jim and his check engine light fix, after 40+ years in the automotive industry, I have seen my share. Be advised that the check engine light monitors numerous items. Some are a simple fix like Jim’s; others are far more complex and expensive to repair, especially, if neglected or not diagnosed properly or promptly. Many autopart chain stores provide a complimentary scan of exactly what the issue is. Once determined, then the plan to repair can begin. That is my first stop, as soon as

the check engine icon lights up on any of my cars, particularly if traveling. — Dan “The Car Man” Centerville, in Ohio

Clocks and more Dear Heloise: Alice from Virginia’s comment about digital clocks and cursive handwriting reminded me of a quip I heard that tickled my septuagenarian funny bone. How to mess with the mind of a millennial: Lock the millennial in a room with: an analog clock; a rotary telephone; a cash register that does not tell you how much change to give a customer; a manual typewriter; a necktie; and a road atlas. Write the instructions on how to use these in cursive. — Dan Klein, via email Dan, quips aside, all these skills (using a road atlas, reading an analog clock, etc.) seem like lost arts! It sounds like a great opportunity for a funny septuagenarian to teach the younger kids a thing or two. — Heloise

your columns until recently. I’m 81 years old, and when I recently started asking the butcher questions, he looks at me like, “Have you been in the convent or prison that a woman your age doesn’t know these things?” So, ﬁnding your column has indeed been “a “ﬁnd.” — Patricia, via email

Cookie lovers Dear Heloise: We are cookie lovers and have several favorites that we buy regularly. I have three containers for them that are not see-through. I clip the picture of each one from the package and tape it to the lid. No more opening every container to ﬁnd the cookie you want! — Sharon Smith, in Fairfield Township, Ohio

Scaring away snakes Dear Heloise: To scare away smaller snakes, get some heavy black yarn, braid it into large “scare snakes,” and scatter them around your yard. Smaller snakes will avoid them. — Bennye, via email

Thanks from a latecomer

Two sprays only

Dear Heloise: Since I am not the least bit domestic, I hadn’t paid much attention to your mom’s or

Dear Heloise: Gentlemen of all ages — years ago, while I was at a department store, I overheard

a lady explain to her teenage son, who was about to sample a cologne, that all he needed to do was to give two light sprays into the space in front of him and then to walk into the mist. Sound advice! — D.G., in Chino Hills, California

Dressing cleans drain Dear Heloise: My brass drains get discolored. I accidentally spilled some Thousand Island dressing in the sink, and when it came into contact with the brass drain, it lightened it. So, I promptly used more to polish both drains! — Judy P., in Boerne,Texas

Factory-trained technicians Dear Heloise: I am a retired appliance technician who was factorytrained with all appliances but LG. One thing to request when your appliance is down is that you only want factory-trained technicians. After 45 years in the business, I know that most companies send anyone. So, please ask this question ﬁrst, or when the technician comes or calls, ask them if they are factory-trained on this appliance. — Joe W., via email Email heloise@heloise.com.

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8D ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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BOOKS Retired professor explores history as a reader, writer

UNSHAKEABLE

TIES

Although he retired from a long career as a law professor at LSU in 2011, Patrick H. Martin continues to lead a busy life. Martin, who turns 81 this month, has served as an adjunct professor at LSU in his specialty, oil and gas law. He and his AT RANDOM wife, Ann, who teaches in the English department at LSU, live in Clinton. “We built a house in 1998 on 130 acres just at the edge of town and have been here ever since,” Martin told me. He added a brief inventory of what guests can expect: “Horses, chickens, cats, dogs, random raccoons, opossums, skunks, many deer.” Visitors to the Martins’ home can also expect to see lots of books. He mentioned Erik Larson’s “Demon of Unrest,” which chronicles the start of the Civil War, and Joad Raymond Wren’s “The Great Exchange,” a look at the early days of journalism, as recent finds. Martin is partial to historical fiction, even taking a stab at writing a few novels himself. His “In a Foreign Country — Journeys of a Southerner” series follows the adventures of a New Orleans lawyer in the 19th century. “The books are self-published,” Martin told me. “At my age, no agent is likely to take me on, and agents are indispensable in getting a publisher.” National surveys consistently show declines in reading for pleasure. Martin is an outlier, so I met him for coffee to discuss why he finds reading important. “It’s who I am,” he said. “Our very identity is based on words. If I were not doing what I’m doing, I’d probably be in linguistics.” How did his reading bug start? “My father was an engineer,” Martin said. “My mother was well-read, and her mother read Shakespeare. I still have my grandmother’s notes from her reading of Shakespeare.” He’s revisited Shakespeare recently for another book project. Martin encourages law students to read history because it helps cultivate “an understanding of the legal system and how history gives rise to practice.” His appreciation for history deepened when he took classes at LSU from T. Harry Williams, the celebrated historian known for his biography of Huey Long. Classic literature can yield insights about the law, too. Martin has used “Antigone,” an ancient Greek play that contemplates the conflict between divine law and human law, to illustrate key points of legal philosophy. Excerpts from Aristotle, Shakespeare and Charles Dickens have also figured into his classes. “Melville has a wonderful passage in ‘Moby Dick’” that can be used to better understand legal theories related to oil and gas, Martin pointed out. A former midshipman in the U.S. Navy, Martin also enjoys building ship models. He sees similarities in his ship-building and his writing. “Each is a learning experience requiring research and craftsmanship,” he told me. “In neither building a model nor writing a book do I feel a need to seek anything but excellence.”

Tayari Jones’ new novel explores bonds of sisterhood in the Deep South’s Civil Rights Era

Da Danny anny Heitm Heitman man

BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer

“Kin” by Tayari Jones,Alfred A. Knopf, 348 pages The novel “Kin” by Tayarii Jones is a journey of sisterhood in the Deep South during segregation and the Civil Rights Movement. Two o motherless girls, Vernice and Annie, bond throughoutt their childhood over the absence of their biological mothers. Jones, a graduate of Spelman College, University of Iowa and Arizona State University who lives in Atlanta, is a New York Times best-selling author of four novels, most notably her Oprah’s Book Club selection, “An American Marriage.” Published in 2018, “An American Marriage” was awarded the Women’s Prize for Fiction, the Aspen n Words Prize and an NAACP P Image Award. It has been published in two dozen countries. More like sisters than friends, the two girls in “Kin” choose divergent paths as teenagers that shape their adult lives. Vernice, orphaned after the violent death of her parents, grows up under the strict guidance of her aunt. Vernice is able to pursue her dreams of social acceptance and family through attending Spelman College in Atlanta, where she encounters Black sisterhood, affluence, inequality and power. Annie, left in the care of her grandmother after being abandoned as an infant, is haunted by her mother’s absence and runs away to chase down her mother. Her spontaneous travel takes her from Mississippi to Memphis, Tennessee. Along the way, she finds unexpected trials, love and friendship. Vernice and Annie are desperate for family, and their first person perspectives alternate chapter by chapter, which provides insight into their strained lives. Fated to walk different paths from childhood and driven apart by distance and time, the two women are connected through letters and an unshakeable tie. “Kin” is set in the fictional small town of Honeysuckle in south Louisiana from 1941 to the 1950s and then in Memphis and Atlanta in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It’s more than a book on friendship. It’s an intergenerational exploration of Black women’s varying lives and choices. Jones scavenges the depths of girlhood and womanhood in a critical time in America. The brutal

inequality of the South paired with the rich culture of Black women and their relationships with each other portrays a nuanced experience of femininity. A recurring theme Jones uses in “Kin” is a hoodoo belief that if someone puts dirt in the pocketbook of someone they love, they’ll return. Her prose and characterization are like those pinches of soil. Her words remain long after the book ends, and her phrases and sentences demand to be read aloud. Although the novel contains much heartbreak and tragedy, it’s one that can be read again and again. In “Kin,” the protagonists’ search for love and family guide them to unforeseen circumstances that haunt each of them in different ways. The people they encounter throughout their lives become their PROVIDED PHOTO found families, for better or for worse, yet they consider each other Tayari Jones, New york Times besttheir only kin. selling author and author of ‘An The novel will be published and American Marriage’ and new novel, available at local bookstores on ‘Kin.’ Feb. 24.

Email Danny Heitman at danny@ dannyheitman.com.

PHOTO By DANNy HEITMAN.

Patrick H. Martin holds a copy of ‘Fire on the Mississippi,’ one of the novels in his ‘In a Foreign Country — Journeys of a Southerner’ series.

THIS WEEK’S BESTSELLERS FROM PUBLISHERS WEEKLY HARDCOVER FICTION

1. “The Correspondent” by Virginia Evans 2. “Alchemised” by SenLinYu 3. “The Widow” by John Grisham 4. “The Secret of Secrets” by Dan Brown 5. “The Intruder” by Freida Mcfadden 6. “Brimstone (deluxe ed.)” by Callie Hart 7. “We Who Will Die (deluxe ed.)” by Stacia Stark 8. “Mona’s Eyes” by Thomas Schlesser 9. “Always Remember” by Charlie Mackesy 10. “Quicksilver (deluxe ed.)” by Callie Hart

HARDCOVER NONFICTION

1. “1929” by Andrew Ross Sorkin 2. “Stop, in the Name of God” by Charlie Kirk 3. “Nobody’s Girl” by Virginia Roberts Giuffre 4. “Good Things” by Samin Nosrat 5. “How to Test Negative for Stupid” by John Kennedy 6. “The Look” by Michelle Obama 7. “The Miracles Among Us” by Marc Siegel 8. “The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The Essential Recipes” by Ree Drummond 9. “Puzzle Mania!” by Joel Fagliano 10. “The Overthinker’s Guide to Making Decisions” by Joseph Nguyen

TRADE PAPERBACK

1. “Theo of Golden” by Allen Levi 2. “In Your Dreams” by Sarah Adams 3. “Dungeon Crawler Carl” by Matt Dinniman 4. “The Housemaid” by Freida McFadden 5. “The God of the Woods” by Liz Moore 6. “Solo Leveling, Vol. 14” by Chugong. Ize 7. “The Atomic Habits Workbook” by James Clear 8. “Caught Up” by Liz Tomforde 9. The Surrogate Mother” by Freida McFadden 10. The Tenant” by Freida McFadden

UnitedHealthcare’s La.-Miss. CEO shares ways to lower insurance costs 4E

How Bollinger Shipyards is building 4 polar icebreakers in Houma 7E

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

S u n d ay, J a n u a ry 11, 2026

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Gulf Coast facilities equipped to process Venezuela oil

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MATIAS DELACROIX

Vehicles drive past the El Palito refinery in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, on Dec. 21. The supply of Venezuelan oil to the U.S. has declined since the ’90s and Gulf Coast refineries started sourcing most of their heavy crude from other countries, namely Canada.

As U.S. mulls rebuilding South American country’s diminished infrastructure, experts point to La.’s ‘baked-in’ capacity BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

Shortly after the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. special forces, President Donald Trump made clear that his rationale for ordering the raid included gaining access to Venezuela’s abundant crude oil reserves. The move drew condemnation from Latin American nations and cheers from opponents of Maduro’s socialist regime. And while experts say it’s too soon to say what exactly that might mean for the South American country’s ailing oil industry, if new supplies of Venezuelan crude start flowing, refineries along the Gulf Coast, including a dozen or so in Louisiana, will likely be the beneficiaries. The state’s third-largest refinery, CIT-

GO in Lake Charles, was owned by the Venezuelan government until recently. And most of Louisiana’s reﬁneries were built during a period when Venezuela’s oil industry was closely tied to the U.S., and are designed to process the type of heavy, sour crude that is plentiful in Venezuela. “The jury is still out on whether this will all work out in Venezuela,” said Eric Smith, associate director of the Tulane EnerSmith gy Institute. “But for the Gulf Coast, I think it will be good. We have a long-term, baked-in demand for heavy crude to make our reﬁneries run right.”

PROVIDED PHOTO

The Lake Charles CITGO Refinery, the state’s third-largest refinery, was ä See OIL, page 2E owned by the Venezuelan government until recently.

La. companies taking bite out of $1.7B dog day care industry BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

A couple of decades ago, if you were headed out of town and didn’t have anyone to look after your dog, you’d drop it off at the vet for a couple of days. And when you were at work, your pup waited until you got home, chewing your slippers and eyeing the carpets with questionable intent. Today, pet owners can send their dogs for daytime visits or overnight stays to facilities that feel like four-legged sleepaway

IDEAS &

INNOVATION

which generates about $1.7 billion annually in the United States, according to industry reports, and is expected to grow by nearly 9% a year through this decade. As U.S. pet ownership has reached record levels, and more pet owners treat their four-legged friends like family members, the range of products and services available to them has grown dramatically. Pet day care, with its evolving menu of upgrades and experiences, is one of the fastest-growing sectors. In Louisiana, both franchisees STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER of national chains and locally Camp Bow Wow owners Jason and Scarlett Dalton watch over some of owned doggie day cares are vying for a piece of the action, with the dogs under their care at their Metairie location. dozens of businesses operating in camps or amusement parks, com- and more. the state and several more openplete with luxury suites, live video Welcome to the modern — and ing each year. streams, ball pits, splash pools booming — pet day care industry, Husband-and-wife business

partners Scarlett and Jason Dalton, who live in downtown New Orleans, have been major contributors to the category’s growth as the largest franchisees of Camp Bow Wow, a national chain that has grown to more than 200 locations since it was founded in the early 2000s. The Daltons’ 14 locations, including ﬁve in Louisiana, gross roughly $16 million annually and employ 300 people. From their unique vantage point, they’ve witnessed the birth of an industry while capitalizing on its growth. “There really wasn’t day care two decades ago, just traditional veterinarian boarding,” Scarlett Dalton said. “Now the sky’s the limit.”

ä See INDUSTRY, page 2E

2E ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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What’s in, what’s out for INDUSTRY 2026 ﬁnancial health From local dog groomers Continued from page 1E

If last year was about holding our ﬁnancial breath, 2026 will be about playing defense. Amid many Americans’ concerns about afMichelle fordability, Singletary the end of THE COLOR remote-work OF MONEy ﬂexibility for large swaths of employees and the expiration of subsidies that kept health insurance premiums manageable, many rules have shifted. Here is what’s “in” and “out” for your money this year:

fordable.

Algorithmic price gouging

Out: Unchecked dramatic pricing increases. We’ve become accustomed to ride-hailing companies increasing prices in response to demand and to airlines hiking airfares during peak holiday travel days. But should we tolerate this trend for everyday consumer goods? Using technology — notably, artificial intelligence — companies can change their prices frequently. You have to be an attentive consumer if you want to avoid being gouged by price increases. I purchased two electric buffet servers just before Health insurance Christmas because I was Out: The subsidy safety net. hosting our large family gathering. I decided to add a The nation’s uninsured third one for my next party. rate is projected to climb But the online price had for the first time in years jumped by 46% ahead of as premiums rise in the New Year’s Eve. Affordable Care Act marInstacart ended a priceketplace, leaving an untold testing program “that renumber of Americans one medical emergency away sulted in different prices for from bankruptcy. the same item at the same The federal governstore,” the company said in a blog post. ment was shut down for In: Setting a breaking 43 days last year because point. Democrats were demandInstacart quickly learned ing that Republicans extend that consumers weren’t pandemic-era health law happy with its experiment. subsidies. The premium “At a time when families tax credits used to lower are working exceptionconsumers’ monthly health insurance bill expired at the ally hard to stretch every end of 2025. grocery dollar, those tests Average marketplace raised concerns, leaving premiums are projected to some people questioning increase by 26%, and some the prices they see on Inenrollees will see their costs stacart,” the company said. double or triple if the en“That’s not OK.” While you may accept hanced tax credits expire. As a result, 1 in 4 enrollees surge pricing to hail a ride on a rainy day, you don’t in the federal marketplace will “very likely” go without have to tolerate it for many other discretionary purinsurance, according to a poll by KFF, a nonpartisan chases. If an algorithm is health policy organization. pushing a pricing premium, “Without the subsidies, wait or walk away. my monthly premiums will Remote work increase by nearly $750 a month,” said a 63-year-old Out: Working from home California man quoted in the full-time. KFF report. “My budget is In 2025, many major tight as it is, and there’s no companies announced they way I can afford that addiwanted employees back in the office. Executives tional hit.” pitched the policy change as But the cost increases a way to improve workplace aren’t limited to the federal collaboration and communimarketplace; if you get insurance through your job, cation, but some employees you probably experienced suspect it was more about sticker shock during open filling office space. Managenrollment. A survey from ers want us to be “innovathe consultancy Mercer also tive” when it benefits them, forecast higher costs: Based but they’re stuck in the past on projections from more when it comes to remote than 1,700 employers, health work flexibility. benefit costs per employee In: Commuter budgeting. are projected to increase Like it or not, the commutby 6.5% — the highest since er tax is back, so you’ll have 2010. to adjust your budget acIn: Dropped coverage. cordingly. Resist defaulting For millions of families, back to old habits of buying health insurance will move lunch at work or justifying from a “must-have” to “can- a higher clothing allowance because you have to go back not afford.” into the office.

Ad-free streaming

Out: Commercial-free streaming without an added charge. After luring cable cutters with promises of no commercial breaks, streaming services now offer you a choice: pay a premium for ad-free viewing or accept constant advertising interruptions. In: Binge and bail. Are you using these services enough to justify the cost? Tired of your streaming expenses feeling like a utility bill? A Deloitte survey published in March found that 47% of consumers say they pay too much for the streaming services they use. The average streaming subscriber has four paid streaming services totaling $69 per month, a 13% increase from 2024. Here are ways to save on streaming in 2026: n Watch what you want, then cancel. Many of your favorite shows can take a year or more to return with new episodes, so get a price break while you wait. n Subscribe to fewer streaming services and use the savings to upgrade to adfree content. n There’s also the option of sharing costs: Netﬂix now allows account holders to share their subscription with someone outside their household for a reduced monthly fee. Actively managing your subscriptions can make these services more af-

Jokes about moving home Out: “Failure to launch” humor. With housing inventory low, rents high and the cost of buying a home out of reach for many, living with your parents should no longer be a punch line. In: Multigenerational living. Done right, it’s a strategic wealth-building move. If you can, moving back in with your parents or rooming with relatives to pay down debt or save for a down payment on a home is smart math.

Hosting etiquette Out: Guest invoice. For many people, hosting the celebration they want is ﬁnancially out of reach. As a result, some believe it’s acceptable to charge guests. But as more people struggle, there may be greater pushback against this trend. (Oh, how I hope so!) If you have to collect money for your celebration, you’re not hosting a party — you’re selling tickets. In: Living within your means. This means potlucks, scaled-down events and the return of the “house party” instead of renting a venue or hosting a large restaurant celebration. In 2026, live and celebrate the life you can truly afford. Email Michelle Singletary at michelle.singletary@ washpost.com.

Scarlett Dalton began her pet care career by launching a mobile dog grooming business in a converted postal van in 2004 in Covington. She had dreams of eventually opening a boarding facility that would be a “posh pet hotel.” She and Jason Dalton learned about Camp Bow Wow a few years later when they saw an ad in an airline magazine. They opened their first camp in 2009 in Covington. Five years later, they doubled the northshore facility’s size from 6,000 to 12,000 square feet. In 2017, they opened a second outpost in Mobile, Alabama, setting the stage for a dozen more openings or acquisitions over the next decade. Now the Daltons’ business footprint stretches from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Boca Raton, Florida, and as far north as Indianapolis. At least four more camps are in development. At their facilities, customers spend about $30 a day for day care and about $50 per night for overnight stays, although both prices can climb depending on location and services requested. Grooming provides 10% of overall revenue, but the option is limited by the number of trained groomers the Daltons can employ, and it’s a tough job to ﬁll. “People are very particular about their dogs’ haircuts,” Jason Dalton said. Boarding and day care contribute almost equally to the company’s bottom line, but the ratio varies by area. “In Covington, there are more single-income households, so people don’t need day camp as much, but they use our boarding services because they travel frequently,” Jason Dalton said. “In Mid-City, where many people work in hospitality, it’s the opposite.” Like all pet care businesses, the Daltons face headwinds that include staffing challenges, inflation, regulation compliance, rising insurance costs and potential oversaturation as more competitors enter the market. Franchise fees are in the $50,000 range for new franchisees and $35,000 for existing operators looking to expand, but the cost to open a new location is likely to hit $1 million for renovations, equipment, inventory, permits and other expenses, the Daltons say. They own eight of their buildings and

OIL

Continued from page 1E

‘Built for heavy sour’

Louisiana’s 15 crude oil refineries account for about one-sixth of U.S. refining capacity and can process nearly 3 million barrels of oil per day. The two largest, Marathon Petroleum near LaPlace and ExxonMobil in Baton Rouge, together produce more than 1 million barrels a day. Most were built in the 1960s and 1970s and later modified so they could process heavy sour crude — which is dense with a highsulfur content and, therefore, more difficult to break down into gasoline, jet fuel and other usable products. At the time, the U.S. was importing more oil than it was producing domestically and exporting, as it does now, and Venezuela was a key trading partner. That all changed in the late 1990s, when Hugo Chavez came to power. In the years that followed, Venezuela nationalized its oil industry and expelled most of the U.S. companies doing business there. The supply of Venezuelan oil to the U.S. declined and Gulf Coast refineries started sourcing most of their heavy crude from other countries, namely Canada. While the refineries have adjusted, a new source of heavy sour crude would allow them to maximize capacity that is currently not being used. According to the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, an

PROVIDED PHOTO

Dogs play at The Dog House bar in New Orleans’ Mid-City neighborhood. As U.S. pet ownership has reached record levels, and more pet owners treat their four-legged friends like family members, the range of products and services available to them has grown dramatically. lease the other six. Monthly overhead costs range from $50,000 to $70,000. To boost gross revenues above that threshold, the Daltons have created systems to increase efﬁciency, including hiring regional leadership teams and a nationwide facilities manager to keep their network of buildings and equipment in working order. In 2018, they rolled out digital tools, created by New Orleans-based custom software company LookFar, to manage dayto-day operations. It was a far cry from the early days, when employees would keep track of details on a dry-erase board behind the check-in counter. “If a dog comes in with a blanket, toys and a full bag of food, we have to make sure everything makes it home,” Jason Dalton said. “When we built that software, the business really took off.” The Daltons aren’t the only franchisees with multiple locations in Louisiana. Lafayette native Trey Boone pivoted from real estate development to dog day care in 2015, opening the ﬁrst franchise Boone location of The Dog Stop outside of the company’s home state of Pennsylvania. Today, he’s the company’s area rep, overseeing five Louisiana franchises, and he owns and operates one in Lafayette and another in Baton Rouge. Like the Daltons, Boone hosts special events at his center, including an upcoming “Stranger Things”themed party and photo opportunity.

industry trade group, nearly 70% of U.S. refining capacity runs more efficiently with heavier crude. “Louisiana refineries were built for heavy sour,” said Tyler Gray, director of Energy Innovation at the LSU Energy Institute. “If you have the capacity — equipment on site — to proGray duce things you’re not producing, then you’re not operating as efficiently as you could be.” That could also help refineries generate higher profits, though Smith said profitability is not a problem for most of the refineries operating in the state. “The refineries were profitable before Venezuela expropriated their oil fields and they were profitable after,” he said. “They have gone father afield to obtain heavy crude, but they are still profitable.”

Challenges Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world, roughly 300 billion barrels, which is more than Saudi Arabia, Iran and Canada combined. But in a global oil market that produces around 109 million barrels a day, Venezuela is only a small player. The country produces some 1.1 million barrels a day. After nationalization, the industry deteriorated and lacks the infrastructure and expertise to get it out of the ground.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Michelle Cheramie is the founder of Zeus’ Place, which provides pet boarding, day care and grooming services in New Orleans.

Dog-eat-dog competition?

the celebrity dog from a Terrebonne Parish animal shelter. A few miles away, Courtney McWilliams operates MaryMac’s Doggie Retreat. There are dozens more ventures like these statewide, concentrated in urban areas, which also are home to a few businesses that serve people as well as their pets, such as The Dog House bar in New Orleans’ Mid-City neighborhood. The nearly 2-year-old operation is an Astroturfcovered play area and a bar where owners can get a drink, a slice of pizza or other snacks. Owners sign their pets up for memberships and show proof of vaccinations so the four-legged patrons can access the play area. Still more competition for dog owners’ dollars come from smartphone apps like Wag! and Rover, which connect pet owners with gig workers who will provide walks, babysitting and other services. The apps offer GPS tracking and other digital services designed to provide peace of mind. All of these businesses, whether digital or brickand-mortar, have one thing in common: They are built on America’s love affair with pets — dogs in particular — and show that people are willing to open their pocketbooks to care for their four-legged loved ones. “The industry was definitely more transactional 25 years ago,” Scarlett Dalton said. “Now, the dogs aren’t just family members of our customers; they become family members for our staff.”

While franchise owners have the advantage of national sales and marketing muscle behind their operations, locally owned facilities are competing by leaning into personal service. Just outside the LSU gates in Baton Rouge, Amanda Floyd, founder of Royal Treatment Pet Manor & Grooming Spa, has been in the pet care business since 2011, moving to Floyd a bigger building in 2018 that allowed her to focus on boutique day care and boarding services. “People don’t want to put their dogs somewhere; they want them to have experiences,” she said, listing movie nights and “Shark Week”-inspired activities as some of her 30-person team’s innovations. Floyd said her thousands of customers choose to support a locally owned business and come to her for smaller caregiver-to-dog ratios and more intimate settings. “We make sure the dogs aren’t overwhelmed,” she said. “They have their friend groups, and we add to them appropriately.” Her business, which cares for up to 40 dogs at night and up to about 80 during the day, has grown to exceed $1 million in annual revenue. In New Orleans, Michelle Cheramie launched Zeus’ Place pet boarding and grooming business in 2005 and has become a familiar name in the New Orleans animal rescue community, Email Rich Collins at rich. famously rescuing Scrim collins@theadvocate.com.

The Venezuelan government has prevented most foreign oil companies from operating there for the past two decades. Today, only Chevron operates in Venezuela, through a joint venture with the government, producing about 250,000 barrels a day, about half of which makes it to the Gulf Coast for refining. None of those challenges are expected to be quickly resolved, even if big oil companies were suddenly given access to Venezuela’s oil fields. Trump said he thinks Venezuela’s decimated oil industry could be rebuilt in less than 18 months with U.S. support. He envisions major oil companies returning to Venezuela to make those investments and profit from its oil industry. But given the unrest and decades of badly damaged infrastructure, it’s unlikely to top the list of places oil companies would choose to invest, experts said. Rystad Energy, a consulting firm, estimates it would take $54 billion of oil and gas investment over the next 15 years to keep Venezuela’s oil production flat at around 1.1 million barrels per day, and that with additional investment over two to three years an additional 300,000 barrels per day could be added. Going beyond 1.4 million barrels per day would require an additional $8 billion to $9 billion per year, the group said. Still, Smith said that the U.S. could get its hands on the small amount of oil that is currently exported from

Venezuela and going to reﬁneries in China. “Technically they are repaying a loan,” Smith said. “But we have claims against that oil and could get it fairly quickly and it would come to the Gulf Coast for reﬁning.”

‘Interesting to watch’ In the wake of the U.S. invasion on Venezuela last week, Gov. Jeff Landry predicted that oil and gas service companies would “have an opportunity to go and do business there.” He also said the state’s port system stood to benefit. Those opportunities could came later, energy experts say. What is more likely in the short term is that the major international companies will aim for more production off the coast of Venezuela, which also has proven reserves, and move the crude to nearby countries like Trinidad and Tobago or St. Croix. “They have refineries and experience running it,” Smith said. Down the line, he believes, Gulf Coast refineries will get a piece of the action. “The first thing that will see U.S. investment is upstream offshore oil fields,” he said. “Once there is a functioning government, banking system, and the like, then you’ll see onshore migration. “Eventually, refineries here will benefit. It’s going to be interesting to watch.” The Associated Press contributed to this report. Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@ theadvocate.com.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ 3E

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THIS IS

70K

NEW JOB OPPORTUNITIES

76B

NEW INVESTMENT

TOP 10 STATE FOR DOING BUSINESS

…AND WE’RE JUST GETTING STARTED.

LOUISIANANOW.BIZ

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TALKING BUSINESS A S K T H E E X P E RT S

Insurer: Options are key to lowering health costs BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

At a time when health insurers are under ﬁre for raising premiums and rejecting claims while health care costs continue to rise, Christine O’Brien is trying to grow UnitedHealthcare’s book of commercial business in Louisiana and Mississippi — two of the poorest and sickest states in the country. She has her work cut out for her. Though UnitedHealthcare is the largest health insurer in the U.S., with nearly 27 million “covered lives” through its individual and employer-sponsored group plans, the company has less than onefourth of the commercial market share in Louisiana and Mississippi, which are dominated by Blue Cross and Blue Shield. O’Brien sees opportunities amid the challenges. A New Orleans native, O’Brien didn’t get her start in the health insurance industry. Rather, her ﬁrst job was at Hibernia Bank in the benefits department, where she learned about group health plans from the inside. She went on to become Hibernia’s senior vice president for human resources before being named chief human resources officer at First Bank and Trust. In 2010, she moved to UnitedHealthcare, where she says her experience working with employees gave her a unique perspective on the real needs of employers and their employees. In November, she was named CEO of UnitedHealthcare’s Louisiana and Mississippi markets, where she oversees sales and account management for the company’s commercial customers and their 440,000 covered lives.

Q&A WITH CHRISTINE O’BRIEN

PROVIDED PHOTO By JEFF STROUT

Christine O’Brien was named CEO of UnitedHealthcare for the Louisiana Mississippi region in November 2025. In this week’s Talking Business, O’Brien discusses rising health care costs, what insurers can do about it and the unique health challenges present in Louisiana and Mississippi. The interview has been edited for clarity and length. Health insurance rates went up this year for employers by more than 6%. What was behind the increase? We saw an average increase of about 6.5%, the highest we have seen in about 15 years and that really was because of higher utilization patterns — people are going to the doctor more and getting care more. The specialty drugs, like the GLP-1 drugs (for obesity), and general inﬂation also factored in. The rates really do vary depending on company, the plans they have and the claims volumes.

Presumably, Louisiana and Mississippi would have high utilization rates because we have some of the worst health outcomes in the country. Yes, in newly released rankings from the United Health Foundation foundation, Louisiana ranks 50th and Mississippi is 48th. It is based on 37 different metrics — everything from obesity, chronic illness, mental health access to mental health specialists. But our cost of care is not significantly higher. It’s very average, per member, per month for Louisiana and Mississippi compared to other states. Outcomes are an overall health indicator, but there is no strong correlation between outcomes and health costs per se. How is UnitedHealthcare trying to make health care more affordable? What do you tell your teams to say when they are selling

these plans to companies? One way is through plan design. It’s important when a client or broker selects a plan that they select one that is affordable for their members. What has happened over time, as premiums have continued to increase, clients opt to increase the deductibles because it makes the plans more affordable. We try to give them several different options, a plan with a $1,000 deductible and another with a $2,500 deductible. Obviously, the premiums for the plan with the $2,500 deductible will be lower. We try to design plans that can provide access but at an affordable price point. For example? We have a new plan that completely removes the deductible and only has co-pays. It is an appdriven plan, so when you need to seek care, you go to the app, type in the care you need and get a Zillow-style map that shows the prices in your area for whatever the procedure you need, like an MRI or a knee scope. Then, you choose the provider you want based on the price and you only pay that price. Higher cost does not always equate higher value. What we have been able to do with the data we have through the algorithm behind the app is price the providers by the highest value. We also have two other plans in partnership with hospital systems. We have value-based contracts with them and are able to tier the beneﬁts so that members are incentivized to go to the higher quality providers. How do you define value? Providers that are on a valuebased contract with us are encouraged to meet certain value-based guidelines when providing care. For example, they have a lower readmission rate to the hospital. They have higher preventative utilization rates. Their diabetic or high-blood-pressure patients get

regular screenings and follow-up care. So let’s say my company wants one of these plans. What does that look like as a practical matter for me, the employee? You still have the option of going to any provider. I have gone to the same OB-GYN for my entire adult life and I don’t want to change. But if I hurt my back, the app will show me which orthopedist is the highest-value orthopedist and I can make a choice based on that kind of data. A growing number of companies are choosing to go the self-insured route. What percentage of your clients are self-funded and what does that mean? About 60% are self-funded, which means we administer the plan. But we do more than just pay the claims. We provide the network and the savings that go along with that. Just as important, we provide care management and advocacy programs. For a self-funded client, it is more of a member-based opportunity and there are certain items that a client can choose to offer or not offer I’ve written about rising health care costs and all the strategies insurers use, and things are only getting worse, not better. It is something that keeps me up at night and something I focus on — ﬁguring out how we can make health care accessible and affordable for our clients and our members. What should employers be thinking about in 2026? It’s important that clients look beyond the premium numbers and focus on things that can actually help their claims trends. That means making sure that their members are getting preventative care and making sure when members choose care, they choose the right site of care and go to a higher value and higher quality provider. Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@theadvocate. com.

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AROUND THE REGION

N.O. returns to the drawing board on affordable housing BY ANTHONY MCAULEY Staff writer

New Orleans’ signature affordable housing policy has failed to produce what it promised — and now the city’s incoming mayor faces a harder, more fundamental question: how to encourage developers to build housing at all. A city-commissioned report released late last year concluded that a law requiring developers in parts of the city to set aside units at below-market rents should be scrapped. The City Planning Commission endorsed that recommendation shortly afterward, marking a quiet but decisive retreat from a policy once seen as a cornerstone of the city’s affordability strategy. The conclusion puts the issue squarely before Mayor-elect Helena Moreno as she prepares to take office: whether New Orleans should continue trying to mandate affordability in a weak housing market or rethink its approach to development more broadly in a city struggling with population loss, high construction costs and a STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER chronic shortage of feasible proj- HRI Communities is planning to turn the former Touro-Shakspeare Home in New Orleans into 52 apartments ects. The stakes are high for Moreno, for low-income seniors. As the city struggles to reset its policies aimed at encouraging developers to build who has said the city needs 55,000 affordable housing, some experts like Mike Sherman, a veteran development adviser, point to untapped new affordable housing units and potential in rehabilitating blighted or abandoned properties. that she would streamline processes to make it easier for developers market reality. of homes already sit abandoned. an approach that shifts from manto build them. Her team did not “I never understood why we New Orleans, he said, does not have dates to incentives, while streamrespond to a request seeking com- thought we were part of some a supply problem so much as a de- lining bureaucracy, and using city boom town that could just say, ‘Oh, mand problem. assets strategically to stimulate ment. you’re building, well, we’re also goThe result, developers say, was construction. Sticks and carrots “You need clear rules, efficient ing to require that you do these oth- a policy that acted as a deterrent The policy at issue in the plan- er things,’ ” said Josh Collen, presi- rather than a catalyst — a “stick” permitting, and ways to reduce ning commission report was ad- dent of HRI Communities. “The approach in a market that needed costs,” said Mike Sherman, a vetcarrots. eran development adviser who opted in 2019 during a brief period policy never really made sense.” Zach Kupperman, a developer worked under former Mayor Mitch Brian Gibbs, a longtime New when New Orleans’ real estate market appeared to be gaining mo- Orleans developer who in recent active in both hotels and housing, Landrieu. “Otherwise, projects mentum. The law, called Manda- years has shifted heavily into af- said the law added another layer of stall or never start.” Sherman highlighted the untory Inclusionary Zoning, required fordable housing, said the core complexity and risk in an already developers in the Central Business problem was simple math. Even difficult environment. New hous- tapped potential in existing strucDistrict and French Quarter to market-rate projects, he said, now ing in New Orleans is expensive to tures, pointing to blighted or abanmake at least 10% of new units af- often require subsidies to pencil build, he said, while local incomes doned properties that could be often cannot support the rents re- rehabilitated for moderate-income fordable, with a 5% requirement in out. In that context, Gibbs said, it quired to make projects viable. residents. Adaptive reuse, he said, surrounding areas, or pay a fee in made little sense to mandate belowallows the city to expand affordlieu of building the units. But developers say the policy re- market rents in a city where popu- Clear rules, efficient permitting ability while keeping costs lower lied on assumptions that no longer lation has fallen by roughly 10% Developers and some housing ex- than new construction. The “soft-second” program of— and perhaps never — matched over the past decade and thousands perts say that the city should adopt

fers a model for what can work. Introduced under the Landrieu administration, the program provided forgivable loans of up to $65,000 to moderate-income ﬁrst-time buyers in storm-damaged areas, with lower-income families qualifying for larger amounts. Borrowers worked directly with banks while the city managed administrative underwriting, allowing families just below the area median income to purchase homes. Sherman said the program “nailed people right at that threshold who had just missed the ability to buy a home,” but funding ran out and was never replenished, illustrating the challenge of sustaining targeted affordability programs.

Aligning incentives, public assets Clear, predictable processes are also critical for developers to take risks, Collen said. HRI Communities recently navigated complex ﬁnancing and regulatory hurdles to complete projects on Esplanade Avenue and Touro-Shakspeare in Algiers. “If you structure the financial picture properly and the city makes it predictable, you can deliver units without cost-prohibitive mandates,” he said. Gibbs, whose NSA East Apartments project will convert a derelict former Navy complex in the Bywater into nearly 300 affordable units, said city-owned land is another key lever. Moreno has indicated that reforming how the city manages its property portfolio will be a priority, and Gibbs sees it as essential for expanding housing quickly in areas near jobs and services. Kupperman noted that beyond land, New Orleans must address high construction costs relative to local incomes. Streamlining permitting, reducing fees and providing incentives, he said, can make the difference between a viable project and one that never reaches the drawing board. Email Anthony McAuley tmcauley@theadvocate.com.

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PEOPLE IN BUSINESS Staff report South Louisiana businesses and nonproﬁt groups recently announced the following promotions and new hires.

Baton Rouge

Donovan Blakney has been appointed the chief operating officer of Sensiva Health, a health care solutions c o m p a n y. Blakney joined Sensiva as director of operaBlakney tions in 2020 and later became vice president of operations. He succeeds Ben Williamson, who was promoted from chief operating ofﬁcer to CEO in September 2024.

Ross Aguilar has been promoted to president of Descote, a wholly owned North American subsidiary of the French valve manuAguilar facturer Lesli Harris, recently elected Descote S.A.S. Previously the vice presi- to a second term on the New dent of sales and market- Orleans City Council, has joined the ing, Aguilar succeeds Mark law firm BakFucich, who was promoted to chief strategy officer to er Donelson focus on global strategy and as special long-term growth. counsel in the commerRoss Reilly has been named cial litigation president of the outdoor digroup. Harvision of Lamar Advertising Harris ris previousCo. ly practiced Reilly most recently served at Stone Pigman Walther as the advertising display Wittmann and Kelly Hart & company’s vice president of Hallman and worked as chief mergers and acquisitions and of staff and executive counspecial projects. sel to the president of Loyola He started his career with University. the company a decade ago, managing leasing and develDr. Susan Ovella, a lifelong opment at its New Orleans New Orleans-area resident office before serving as vice who is board-certified in both president and general man- internal medicine and pediager for the Baton Rouge atrics, has joined the Covingmarket. ton-based Avala Physician Network. Ovella, who served New Orleans as chief resident while at Jessica Barnes has been LSU New Orleans, will begin named the new national sales seeing patients Feb. 2. manager of Jess Waltman has been elected the Ernest N. Morial Con- a member of the law firm vention Cen- Gordon Arata. Waltman preter, where viously pracshe will be ticed law in responsible Mississippi, for prowhere he served as moting the Barnes president of center and the Young securing new events. With Lawyers Diexperience in hospitality, corporate sales and nonprofit Waltman vision of the management, Barnes will Mississippi work closely with New Or- Bar, as well as a term as a leans & Co., lead site visits for commissioner on its board. prospective clients and negoWhit Slocum has been protiate facility-use contracts.

moted to managing director of the investment banking ﬁrm Chaffe & Associates Inc. Slocum, who Caswell Slocum previously worked as an associate director at UBS, joined Chaffe’s corporate finance group in 2011 as a vice president and later became a shareholder.

Campo

Quillen

Fool’s Take: Ask the Fool: Your Microsoft long term mortgage lives on Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is a ubiquitous brand in computing, and that works to its advantage in the age of artiMotley ficial intelFool ligence. Hundreds of millions of people use Microsoft Office and Windows-based software products, providing a large installed base of users to help pay back its AI investments. Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure powers not only its enterprise cloud services but also its consumer-facing services. It has over 900 million monthly active users using AI features across its products. Microsoft 365, which includes Office, has over 400 million paid subscribers. New AI features help drive healthy demand for these software products. Across the business, Microsoft enjoys strong momentum. Its recent quarterly revenue of $77.7 billion was an increase of 18% year over year. The company’s remaining performance obligation (expected earnings based on long-term business contracts) reached $392 billion in the recent quarter, for a year-overyear growth rate of 51%. Microsoft’s stock recently traded at a forward-looking priceto-earnings ratio near 30. Analysts have projected annualized earnings growth of nearly 14% over the next several years. This should fuel solid returns for Microsoft investors through at least 2030. (The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Microsoft stock and options.)

Guedry

Hollowell

Hoskin

Ainsworth

Lindsey

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Zepeda

Six Louisiana attorneys have been elected as new partners of the Baton Rouge law firm Kean Miller, effective Jan. 1. Chelsea Caswell, Forrest Guedry and Katilyn Hollowell have joined the Baton Rouge office; Lauren Hoskin and Georgia Ainsworth joined the New Orleans office; and Brian Lindsey joined the firm’s office in Lafayette.

Marcus Campo, of NOLA Build Construction and Design, has been elected and installed as the 2026 president of the Home Builders Association of Greater New Orleans. Bruce Layburn, of JBL Lafe Jones has been appointProperties, was elected as vice president; Anthony Quil- ed as the CEO of United Way of Central len, of Quillen Construction Louisiana, Group, became treasurer; effective and Nicholas Zepeda, of Right Feb. 1. 4U Construction, became Jones is secretary last month at chief operthe organization’s annual awards reception at Docville ating ofﬁcer Farm in Violet. and executive vice Jones Around Louisiana president Sharisee Schwinn has been proof Louisiana Central, the moted to senior vice presi- regional economic develd e n t a n d opment organization that chief opera- serves a 10-parish region in tions officer central Louisiana. He previof First Na- ously spent nearly 15 years tional Bank as CEO of Louisiana Eye and of Louisiana. Laser Center. Schwinn, an 18-year vet- Do you have personnel eran of the changes to share or other Schwinn bank, most ideas for our business covrecently served as vice presi- erage? Drop us a line at biztips@theadvocate.com. dent of digital banking.

What happens to my mortgage if I die before paying it off? — W.P., Fort Myers, Florida Mortgage payments will still need to be made, and that responsibility will fall to the cosigner or co-borrower on the loan, if there is one. Failing that, whoever inherits the home will likely be responsible for continuing to make payments. If you had mortgage protection insurance, it should cover the principal and interest payments for your loan, with the money going directly to your lender. (Note that MPI is different from private mortgage insurance, which is insurance for the lender; many borrowers are required to get PMI if they’re buying a home with a down payment of less than 20%.) Because a mortgage is a “secured” loan, the lender may foreclose on the property in the case of discontinued payments. But often, a home is sold when its owners have passed away — to pay off debts or because no one wants to or can keep the home. Make your wishes clear in a will regarding who should inherit your home when you die. An estate lawyer can help you not only with your home, but also with how to minimize taxes and best pass on your assets. What are the best books about Warren Buffett? — C.S., Watertown, Wisconsin There are many. Roger Lowenstein’s “Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist” provides a solid review of his personal and business history, as well as his investment philosophy. Learn from Buffett himself in Carol J. Loomis’ “Tap Dancing to Work: Warren Buffett on Practically Everything, 1966-2013.”

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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ 7E

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MADE IN LOUISIANA

How Bollinger will build 4 new polar icebreakers BY JONAH MEADOWS Staff writer

Bollinger Shipyards has finalized a $2.1 billion contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security — first announced last fall — to produce four new Arctic Security Cutters for the U.S. Coast Guard. The vessels, which will be built at Bollinger’s Houma shipyard, will be capable of breaking through 4 feet of ice, traveling more than halfway around the globe and remaining at sea for two months at a time. The deal is part of a partnership between the U.S., Canada and Finland to accelerate the production of a new generation of icebreakers at a time when President Donald Trump is focused on “restoring America’s maritime dominance” and catching up to competitors in shipbuilding. With a price tag of more than $500 million each, construction of the vessels will support more than 1,000 jobs at peak production, company officials said. “The Arctic Security Cutter is one of the most consequential and time-sensitive shipbuilding programs in U.S. Coast Guard history,” Ben Bordelon, president and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards, said in a Dec. 29 statement after the contract was finalized. Lockport-based Bollinger is no newcomer to defense contracting. The company has built 187 cutters for the Coast Guard over the past 40 years and has a separate deal with the Coast Guard to build the next generation of heavy polar icebreakers, known as the Polar Security Cutters, at its shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi. The company is leveraging that experience to build the Arctic cutters, which are being produced on an expedited schedule, company officials said. The vessels will be roughly the length of a football field, weigh 9,000 tons and be powered by 7,200-kilowatt diesel engines. They’re being designed and engineered mostly by a Canadian com-

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Bollinger Shipyards in Houma was awarded a contract in December to build four Arctic Security Cutters, which are designed to have interoperability with the Canadian Coast Guard’s fleet of Multi-Purpose Icebreakers being used in the Arctic. Two others are being built in Finland. pany, Seaspan Shipyards, and will be a variant on an existing model of icebreaker being built for the Canadian Coast Guard.

From shipyard to sea trial It’ll take more than 3,000 tons of steel to make the vessels — and not just any steel. The new class of icebreakers will be built out of a thick, high-strength steel that allows it to cut through a meter of ice at 4 knots, or about 4.5 mph. Huge plates of steel will arrive at the shipyard by truck. The plates will be heated using specialized equipment, then bent and molded around a frame and welded into place. The work will take place both inside the massive warehouse at the shipyard and outside. In some respects, the vessels will

be much like the dozens of other naval vessels Bollinger has built over the years. But they’ll have special features that include rotating thrusters, ice-strengthened propellers and advanced sonar and radar arrays, according to procurement documents. Unlike most military vehicle programs, development of the cutters is proceeding relatively rapidly. Experts say that’s because the project relies on an existing, proven design. Bollinger’s first cutter is expected to take just over two years from its first welds to its final tests. Once assembly of the first vessel is underway, Bollinger will be able to have multiple boats under construction at the same time at the same shipyard, company spokes-

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person TJ Tatum said. The first vessel is scheduled to roll off the production line in 2028. But it will spend the next year in the water — first at the dock, where subcontractors will bring the vessels up to U.S. government specifications by adding specialized communication equipment, any weaponry and other technology. Then, the freshly minted cutters will head to sea trials, with a specialized team from the shipyard teaching its Coast Guard customers how to use the vessel. Its new crew will then put it through its paces on the water before its eventual delivery, scheduled for 2029.

Coast Guard plays catch-up

model of U.S. icebreakers in more than a quarter-century, ensuring the Coast Guard’s ability to control and defend the U.S.’s northern border and marine routes “against adversaries’ aggressive economic and military actions in the Arctic,” according to acting Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday. The U.S. has just three vessels capable of polar operations, two medium and one heavy. That’s less than half of the eight to nine polar icebreakers Coast Guard representatives say it requires to meet its operational needs in polar regions. “In Alaska, the exclusive economic zone is huge,” said Peter Rybski, a retired U.S. Navy commander who lives in Finland and writes a newsletter about icebreakers. “And even though we stopped exploring oil in there, we’re now claiming the extended continental shelf, and we have almost no ability to patrol it outside of summertime.” The trilateral partnership between the U.S., Finland and Canada — dubbed the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort, or ICE Pact — was first announced in July 2024 after years of delays and cost overruns in past domestic icebreaking. In addition to the four vessels set to be built by Bollinger in Houma, two others will be built in Finland. In order to build some of the new ships abroad, Trump signed a memorandum of understanding with Finland to build four Arctic Security Cutters in Finland and “up to seven” more at U.S. shipyards at a total cost of more than $6.1 billion. Senior Bollinger ofﬁcials have traveled to Finland and Canada multiple times since the pact was ﬁnalized, Tatum said. “This close working relationship will continue through the life of the program as it transitions to a full U.S.-built program,” Tatum said.

Email Jonah Meadows at jonah. The vessels will be the ﬁrst new meadows@theadvocate.com.

8E ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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Gallagher: Lessons in Resilience An article from Gallagher

On the recent 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the Gallagher team has been looking back at the experience and how it shaped today’s insurance industry. Nancy Sylvester is an area executive vice president at Gallagher, based in Baton Rouge. She recently shared her story of Hurricane Katrina, the challenges the insurance industry faced and how resilience shaped the path forward.

With damages exceeding USD200 billion, Katrina not only altered

Blackhawk helicopters were constantly ﬂying overhead,

the city’s physical landscape but also reshaped global

transporting the injured from New Orleans to Louisiana State

perspectives on disaster preparedness and response. Today,

University (LSU), where the athletics department became a

20 years after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, its impact

makeshift emergency hospital. The LSU student body even

remains deeply felt across the affected communities as the

donated clothing to those in need, and you could see people

costliest and one of the ﬁve deadliest hurricanes in US history.

wearing purple and gold, the colors of the university. It was a touching display of humanity after Hurricane Katrina, with

Q: Take us back to August of 2005. How did you experience the

everyone welcomed and cared for as best as possible.

landfall of the hurricane? I live in Baton Rouge, 70 miles from New Orleans. That weekend, my oldest son was ﬁshing in the Gulf of Mexico and when we

Q: How have your clients’ perspectives on extreme weather risks evolved since Hurricane Katrina?

urged him to come back inland, what should have been an hour’s

Before Katrina, redundancies were often viewed as unnecessary

drive took about 12 hours due to the worsening conditions. The

expenses. Today, having backups is understood as essential.

news reports initially said things were under control, but by

Clients now prioritize strengthening buildings to ensure their

lunchtime on Monday, the levees began breaking and things

facilities can endure severe weather, addressing all potential

quickly spiraled out of control.

exposures on supply chains or backup power, for example. Everyone is focused on preventing business interruption claims

Q: What were the ﬁrst days like when family and friends sought shelter at your home, far from the most affected areas?

and avoiding closing their doors because, once they do, they may never open again. We know that FEMA [Federal Emergency

I welcomed my family from New Orleans, expecting it to be

Management Agency] has stated 40% of companies don’t reopen

manageable, but soon found myself hosting 26 people. I slept

after a disaster, and another 25% fail within one year.

under my dining room table, the only private space left. Wandering into the kitchen at night, I’d meet strangers saying,

As a community, we’re also massively investing in roof resilience

“I work for your cousin. He said it would be OK.” I reassured

to withstand strong winds and prevent piercings. When damage

everyone, “Yeah, everything’s ﬁne.”

or loss occurs, my clients aren’t interested in just rebuilding what was there before; they’re focused on constructing to newer codes

Q: How was daily life impacted in the aftermath of

and following the highest building standards

Hurricane Katrina? My usual 15-minute drive to the office would take hours due to the crowds seeking refuge in Baton Rouge and just trying to get somewhere else. Schools also faced a sudden surge in students, and the school offices would announce where people could

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO OF NANCY’S FULL INTERVIEW

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OPEN SUNDAY 9 ASCENSION 36408 RUE LAMONTE CT. PRAIRIEVILLE, LA 70769 1:00PM - 3:00PM

BEAUTIFUL 3bd, 3.5ba,w/ office, split floor plan. a MUST See Primary Suite BATH w/ dble walk-in shower, steam room & soaking tub. Gourmet KITCHEN w/ 4.8 X10 ft granite island, GE Mangum Cook top, Dble ovens, blt-in Refrig, ice maker, wine cooler. Formal Living w/ fireplace. Outdoor areas w/ Covered Patio, fireplace, Gas BBQ, Pergola & Putting Green. Dble garage w/ work area & hobby room. WHOLE House generator.

$673,000

11800 Marston Street • Clinton • 2 & 3 Bedroom Units • Handicap Units Available

hh oo m e s . t h e a d v o c a t e . c o m

16849 Monitor Avenue Newly Updated! A Must See! Lg 4BR/2.5BA w/New Vanity Counter Top Cent H/A, Painted Int & Ext, Ceramic FL Thru out, Den w/FP Kit Cab w/New Cook Top & DW, New Light Fix & Doors Rear Dbl Carport & Lg Fenced b.y. Call Charles for your showing @ 225-266-4078 Roy Carter Realty, 225-357-6436

AREA 2 5723 Hartford Ave. Glen Oaks Area Off Greenwell St., Comp. Updated! 3BR 1.5BA, w/New C H/A New Light Fixtures & Windows Freshly Painted Int/Ext, & Ceramic FLR throughout Call Charles for your showing @ 225-266-4078 Roy Carter Realty 225-357-6436

Clinton Plaza

Phomes

AREA 4

Baton Rouge Real Estate For Sale

You Belong Here

TONY DESSELLE 225-247-9393 BETTER HOMES & GARDENS / TIGER TOWN 225-755-7022

AREA 7 57728 Grove Rd, 3BR 2BA, 2200sqft, Sml Apt in back, Upgrades, $200k+ (pending apprais) (225) 776-0404

Baton Rouge Rental AREA 1 Nice 3Br/1Ba Brick, cen A/C, Heat $850/mo $500/dep. Call 225-387-6033 AREA 1 Nice Sub. 3Br/2Ba Brick, Cent A/C heat $1250/m $600/d 225-387-6033 AREA 3 3Br 2Ba cnt a/h, w/d conn $1050 2Br 1Ba utils pd $950. + Dep 225-810-0775

FREE RENT 225-351-7449 AREA 4 NO CREDIT CHECK/LEASE! Fully furnished apartments ALL BILLS PAID including premium cable & WIFI. Pet Friendly. Stay where you're appreciated! Call 225-434-4161

You Belong Here

TDD/TTY 1-800-846-5277

Audubon Apartment

This institution is an equal opportunity provide.

5180 Burnett Road • St. Francisville • 2 & 3 Bedroom Units • Handicap Units Available

You Belong Here

AREA 5 1 & 2 BR Apts, W/D, C A/H, Starting at $850/mo Deps vary 225-315-0930 AREA 5 1BR $550, 2BR $650 Tigerland. $500 Deposit. 225-475-1737

ROOMS FOR RENT Furnished Rooms. $125/wk. $500/mo. 225-933-7560

SHOP TODAY!

Order newspaper page reprints of any day

• On-Site Management • Laundry Facilities

store.nola.com

225-635-6625

Clinton Manor

TDD/TTY 1-800-846-5277

9800 Plank Road • Clinton

You Belong Here

This institution is an equal opportunity provide.

Bent Tree Manor

• On-Site Management • Laundry Facilities

225-683-3954

12778 Plank Road • Baker

You Belong Here

TDD/TTY 1-800-846-5277

• 1& 2 Bedroom Units • Handicap Units Available

Westport Village

This institution is an equal opportunity provide.

2420 Commercial Drive • Port Allen • 1, 2 & 3 Bedroom Units • Handicap Units Available

You Belong Here

• On-Site Management • Laundry Facilities

225-774-0909 TDD/TTY 1-800-846-5277

This institution is an equal opportunity provide.

TDD/TTY 1-800-846-5277

9889 Hooper Road • Baton Rouge

You Belong Here

This institution is an equal opportunity provide.

• On-Site Management • Laundry Facilities

Mugs, shirts, hats, posters, books.

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Something for everyone at the Advocate Store!

This institution is an equal opportunity provide.

NEWS 24/7 ON

• On-Site Management • Laundry Facilities

225-346-8377

Tanglewood Apartments • 1, 2 & 3 Bedroom Units • Handicap Units Available

MOBILE HOME 1, 2 & 3 BR mobile homes, $675 & up 6061 Plank Rd. CALL 225-978-4653

AREA 4

• On-Site Management • Laundry Facilities

225-683-5665

• 2 & 3 Bedroom Units • Handicap Units Available

AREA 5 655 North St. Subsidized eff Apts cpabr.org 225-383-5551. TDD/TTY /711RELAY

STORE.ADVOCATE.COM

Baker Plaza 2290 Manhatten Drive • Baker • 2 Bedroom Units • Handicap Units Available

• On-Site Management • Laundry Facilities

225-774-0909 TDD/TTY 1-800-846-5277

This institution is an equal opportunity provide.

WEEKLY BATON ROUGE AREA

RATES REPORTED JANUARY 8, 2026

MORTGAGE RATES

Rate column provided by Liberty Mortgage Information Service • Call 225-361-6565 to have your company added to “ad”

CRAIG COLEMAN

HANCOCK WHITNEY 225-664-1314 • Craig.Coleman@hancockwhitney.com HancockWhitney.com/Craig-Coleman • NMLS 684734

BETH H. HOLDEN

HANCOCK WHITNEY 225-381-0428 • Beth.Holden@hancockwhitney.com HancockWhitney.com/Beth-Holden • NMLS 699394

NATE BEECHAM

HANCOCK WHITNEY 225-248-7428 • Nathaniel.Beecham@hancockwhitney.com HancockWhitney.com/Nate-Beecham • NMLS 115300

JARED GARY

JUDE BRIDWELL

1-800-256-4636 • HANCOCKWHITNEY.COM 30 YEAR FIXED

6.25% / 0 points / APR - 6.47%

15 YEAR FIXED

5.75% / 0 points / APR - 6.09%

HANCOCK WHITNEY 225-229-8783 • Bill.Holt@Hancockwhitney.com hancockwhitney.com/bill-holt • NMLS 148394

30 YEAR FHA - VA

5.625% / 0 points / APR - 6.04%

ANGEL LEWIS

15 YEAR FHA - VA

5.50% / 0 points / APR - 5.93%

ADJUSTABLE

Jumbo sofr 10/1 Arm

SPECIAL

30RD - 5.50% / 0 / APR - 6.07%

JEREMY WEIMER

HANCOCK WHITNEY 225-978-2592 • Jeremy.Weimer@hancockwhitney.com hancockwhitney.com/jeremy-weimer • NMLS 175288

BILL HOLT

HANCOCK WHITNEY 225-603-2505 • Jared.Gary@hancockwhitney.com HancockWhitney.com/jared-gary • NMLS 88626

HANCOCK WHITNEY 225-413-6094 • Angel.Lewis@hancockwhitney.com hancockwhitney.com/angel-lewis • NMLS 700876

TIM DUBNANSKY

MICHAEL HEBERT

HANCOCK WHITNEY 225-252-6976 • Tim.dubnansky@hancockwhitney.com hancockwhitney.com/tim-dubnansky • NMLS 82027

HANCOCK WHITNEY

HANCOCK WHITNEY 225-603-1777 • Jude.Bridwell@hancockwhitney.com hancockwhitney.com/jude-bridwell • NMLS 92661

HANCOCK WHITNEY 225-715-1133 • Michael.Hebert@hancockwhitney.com hancockwhitney.com/michael-hebert • NMLS 79769

DIRECT ACCESS: www.theadvocate.com CLICK HOMES >> THEN MORTGAGE RATES Quotes above are based on loan amount equal to or above $200,000 • Conventional loan max is $484,350; Jumbo loans exceed $484,350• NQ - No Quote • Special programs include BA (Balloon), B (Bond), CS (Construction), CV (Convertible), J (Jumbo), LL (Lot Loan), RD (Rural Development) • Quotes are not guaranteed and are subject to change daily • Info provided by LIBERTY MORTGAGE INFORMATION SERVICE - 225.361-6565 • Points listed do not include Origination Fee (normally 1% of loan amount) • Rates quoted are for 30 day lock • For additional information on mortgage programs, call the lender.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ 3F

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classifieds.theadvocate.com Search Search& &Place PlaceAds AdsOnline Onlineatatclassifieds.theadvocate.com classifieds.theadvocate.com* Call * Call -Friday Us Monday-Friday 8AM-5PM at 225-383-0111 8AM-5PM at 225-383-0111

Announcements Anyone knowing the whereabouts of any succession representative, known or unknown heirs of Mary Singleton, please contact Kendra L. Harris, Attorney, (225) 200-8999. 173481-1/10-11-12-3t $97.00 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Clinton W. Broussard, please contact Attorney Jason May at (225) 955-7255. 173333-1/10-11-12-3t $85.00

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Jamesean Dunbar please contact Atty. Benjamin Beychok at (225) 9060050. 173093-Jan 9-11, 3t $85

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of John W Augustus please contact Atty. Benjamin Beychok at (225) 9060050. 173084-Jan 9-11, 3t $85 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Jude Warren Moran please contact Atty. Benjamin Beychok at (225) 906-0050. 173089-Jan 9-11, 3t $85 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of of Linda Brooks and Jerry Brooks Jr please contact Benjamin Beychok at (225) 906-0050. 173098-Jan 9-11, 3t $85 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Reginald Gatlin, Kenneth Lemar Gatlin, Kimla Gatlin, Jason Lee and Robin Hayes please contact Atty. Benjamin Beychok at (225) 906-0050. 173100-Jan 9-11, 3t $97

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., The Advocate’s ClassifiedAdvertising Departmentwill be closed on Monday, January 19th. RUN DATE

DEADLINE

Tuesday, Jan. 20........Thursday, Jan. 15 - 2pm Wednesday, Jan. 21...Thursday, Jan. 15 - 2pm

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of the Succession of Alex Banks Sr and Bessie Banks please contact Atty. Benjamin Beychok at (225) 9060050. 173088-Jan 9-11, 3t $97 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Tony's Rental Properties LLC please contact Atty. Benjamin Beychok at (225) 906-0050. 173095-Jan 9-11, 3t $85 Has anybody seen or know the whereabouts of Mr. Tyree Walker. If so, please contact Attorney Donald R. Dobbins at (225) 256-2935. 173152-Jan 11, 1t $56.30 If anyone has knowledge of the whereabouts of Norma Jean Henderson Williams (possible last known address(s): 9174 Sharon Hills St, Baton Rouge, LA 70811) who is afﬁliated with Zerling Williams, then please contact Attorney Raven Jamerson via email at cavalierlawofﬁce@gmail.com or via telephone at (225) 757-5483. 173504-JN 10-12, 3T $157

Reporting you can trust on stories that matter

DISPLAY ADS 24 HOURS EARLIER

SECURITY

Employment ADMINISTRATIVE Clerk of City Court/ Judicial Administrator The City-Parish Government has an opening for Clerk of City Court/Judicial Administrator. This is a full time, un‐ classified professional court adminis‐ trative, supervisory and record keeping / management position in the Baton Rouge City Court. The full job descrip‐ tion can be found at: https://city.brla.gov/dept/hr/occdesc. asp?GetTitle=7930 Desirable Qualifications: Juris Doctorate Degree and at least six years of progressively responsible ex‐ perience in an administrative/profes‐ sional capacity; or an advanced degree and ten years of progressively respon‐ sible court administration experience, including seven years of supervisory experience in a court system. A certi‐ fied court management certificate may be substituted in lieu of minimum ex‐ perience and training. Louisiana Li‐ censed Attorney preferred. Salary: $73,836 - $123,392 Excellent Benefits Package Application Information: Applications accepted through 5:00 p.m. January 2 - 31, 2026. Submit cover letter with resume showing education and judicial / court administration ex‐ perience, including 3 references to: Dept of Human Resources Recruiting Division 1755 Florida Street Baton Rouge, LA 70802 Office: (225) 389-3132 Fax: (225) 389-4962

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WORK

Pets / Pet Services Directory PETS • SUPPLIES • SERVICES • OBITUARIES • LOST & FOUND

DOGS AKC Golden Retriever's, S&W, Parents on site. (601) 303-3627

CATS RAGAMUFFIN & RAGDOLL KITTENS www.CatsByFrancy.com/kittens $700up! Reg. Shots & Guaranty 337-230-3150

DOGS CKC YORKIES or SHORKIES - (yorkies are with papers) all are vet checked with shot and worming, shorkies $450 will meet in Gulfport yorkies $600 (334) 467-3416

DOGS Belgian Malinois - Dogs hail from work‐ ing lines, OFA certified for hips and el‐ bows, solid, black and sable pups ready to go. Parents on premises. Call 504-220-2980. $1800 DOGS CKC Reg. Teddy Roosevelt Terrier Pup‐ pies, $200 call (225)-251-2380

CLASSIFIEDS.THEADVOCATE.COM

(part-time/evenings) To view the full job postings and appli‐ cation requirements, please visit https://www.northshorecollege.edu/ resources/career-opportunities EEO/AA/ADA OFFICE CLERICAL Law firm of less than 20 attorneys seeks an in-house legal Billing Clerk for full time employment in either its Baton Rouge (downtown) or Alexandria of‐ fice. This person will be responsible for billing and collections including duties of data entry in billing software, inter‐ facing with multiple types of billing portals, generating invoices through various means (i.e., U.S.mail, email, and uploading online), running reports in‐ cluding accounts receivable and taking appropriate steps to secure follow-up on overdue invoices. Working hours are Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., however, some flexi‐ bility is possible. The company offers a comfortable work environment with a competitive compensation and bene‐ fits package, commensurate with ex‐ perience. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment. Please click “apply” to submit your resume for immediate consideration or email re‐ sume to: resume68@gmail.com

GENERAL HELP Coastal Spray Co. is hiring 4 Groundskeeping Workers for their 15515 Knox Dr., Baton Rouge LA loc. Du‐ ties: Mow, gather & remove litter, apply pre/post emergent herbicides in drainage canals using motorized back‐ pack sprayers. Involves bending, stooping, standing, walking, repetitive movements & lifting up to 45 lbs. fre‐ quently & working in extreme temps. Winter/inclement weather equip. re‐ pair/maint.; dormant tree/shrub prun‐ ing; Req. employer-paid drug test. No ed. or exp. req. Uniforms provided at $5/wk. Opt. medical/vision/dental ins. offered w/ employer contribution de‐ pendent on plan selected. Submit re‐ sumes to: P.O. Box 419 Bellaire, TX 77462 or email to: jkilpatrick@coastalspray. com or at https://www.louisianawo rks.net#https://www.louisianaworks. net Refer to job order # 1636210

For a complete list of opportunities and beneﬁts, visit BRGeneral.org/Careers or call Human Resources for more information at 225-381-6464.

BRGeneral.org/Careers

Public Notices

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE --Ronald Andrews, M.D. of‐ ﬁce closure in Baton Rouge after 25 years ef‐ fective February 25, 2026. After Feburary 25, 2026 patients will no longer be seen at 10608 Coursey Blvd. Suite B Baton Rouge, LA 70816. Records will be maintained elec‐ tronically and may be ob‐ tained by sending with sign authorized release to DrAndrewsrecords@ gmail.com. Thank you for allowing me to care for you and your family all of these years. 172939-jan 7-14-8t

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GENERAL HELP The Diocese of B.R. Child Nutrition Pro‐ gram is seeking FT school Cafeteria Mgrs., Cooks, & Porters. HS Diploma or Equiv. and BG Check req. Apply at www.cnpbr.org/employment

Campus Safety & Security Coordinator

Join Our Nursing Team

PLACE YOUR PET SERVICES INFORMATION IN THE PET SERVICES DIRECTORY TODAY! • IT IS FAST AND EASY! • CALL 225-383-0111 DOGS 1 Male & 1 Female Yorkie. De-wormed. Ready to go! 225-394-0367

Northshore Technical Community College is currently recruiting for the following position at the Livingston Campus:

Scan the QR code CANCEL ANYTIME

Merchandise

AUCTIONS PUBLIC AUCTION Truist Bank & Regional Acceptance Thursday, January 29, 2025 at 9:00 AM Offer includes: 2021 BMW 4 SERIES Vin WBA73AP09MCF13463 Sale open to the public on listed vehicle(s) only America’s Auto Auction Baton Rouge 3960 Blount Road, Baton Rouge, LA, 70807 For more sale registration, sale attendance, or other sale related information, please contact America’s Auto Auction Baton Rouge 225-778-3737 FURNITURE Lexington Bedroom Set, Must Sell, Look & Make Offer 225-369-1675

CAMPING GEAR Camp Tent 9x9 Dome, Canopy, Slp Bag, 2 Lant, 2 Burner Stv, 48qt Ice Chest & All Access. Retail for $375 selling for $275 225-610-8411 after 2:00pm MISC FOR SALE SMALL SOLID BLACK THROW PILLOWS MANY AVAILABLE! EACH $5 225-752-7273

SHIPPING CONTAINER Shipping container for sale 45’x102” tall excellent condition $4500.00 call (225) 316-4148 ask for David

Automotive DOMESTIC TRUCKS 2018 Ford F150 XLT For Sale. Everything works $9999! 225-445-2981 FORD F900 Ford F900, 1990, 7.8 L, auto trans, runs great, $4K (225) 225-316-4148 David

4F ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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SIMPLE ELECTRIC

Professional work • Lic/Ins/Bond. 40+ years experience

House calls | NoFixNoPay 225-803-8241 | THECOMPUTERDOCTORx.com

Call 225-921 2633

CALL FOR SPECIAL PRICING! INSTALL NEW ROOFS, J-W METAL, ROOFING* SHINGLES, FLAT, & REPAIRS.

MILITARY DISCOUNTS

40 years experience

$125 First Visit - 1 Computer

No job too smalll/large

STOP ALL LEAKS! CARPENTRY & PAINTING Lic/Ins. 225-205-9537 *Senior Citizen Discount

Swimming Pool Fill-In’s FIBERGLASS - GUNITE - LINER 20 Years of Experience - Licensed and Insured

Call Casey For a Free Estimate

225-329-9502

pooldemolitionbycasey.com

STEVE ROBINS

We are your go to company for your Gutter and Patio Top installations

HEATH WISE

VETERAN OWNED

WISE GUY’S GUTTERS & PATIOS DENHAM SPRINGS, LA 70726 WISEGUYSGUTTERSANDPATIOLA.COM GOLDDOG3447@YAHOO.COM

CALL 225-305-3776 FOR YOUR FREE ESTIMATE

INSURED Residential Rentals

Commercial Leasing

CALL BILLY • (225) 445-3139 • 40 YRS. SERVING BR

JOHNNIE BOYS

APPLIANCE REPAIR Window Air Conditioners, Washers & Dryers, Freezers & Refrigerators

ALL Work Guaranteed.

Thank You for Your Consideration

Call 225-301-7575

Chris Keating Owner/Operator

PARKING LOT STRIPS HOUSES/BUILDINGS PARKING LOTS DRIVEWAYS/PATIOS

Hot Water • Cold Water Residential • Commercial Licensed • Insured Free Estimates!

Phone: (225) 665-2799 Fax: (225) 664-4372 Office: (225)978-2084 2090 Elmer St. Denham Springs, LA 70726

SHERWOOD TV & APPLIANCES *In-Home major appliances serviced at a charge.

WASHERS, DRYERS, REFRIGERATORS, FREEZERS, ELECTRIC & GAS RANGES

SHERWOOD MINI-STORAGE

MINI-WAREHOUSE (CLIMATE & REGULAR), MOTOR HOMES & BOAT STORAGE UP TO 45’ DEEP

11756 Florida Blvd. Baton Rouge 70815

225-275-6900

FREE ESTIMATE!

Reasonable Rates for Quality Work!

Quality Care Q Roofing & Maintenance R

• All Types Roofing & Repairs • Fllashings • Sheet Metal • Dry Wall • Carpentry C • Painting • Masonry • Flooring • Electrical Spe cialty Ventilation and Insulation

KEVIN ROBERTS La. Lic. # 64014

(225) 603-2125 Cell KMRNBR55@GMAIL.COM

HandyMan

Call For A Free Estimate • I Look Forward To Working With You

Rooﬁng Replacement & Repairs • Carpentry Painting • Drywall Repairs • Pressure Washing Tractor Work/Grading • Concrete Work • Remodeling Swimming Pool Fill ins • Decks & Fences

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ON ALL TV’S THAT NEED REPAIR WHEN BROUGHT INTO THE SHOP!!

RUSSELL CARPENTER ZACH CARPENTER

Home Repairs

PROPERTIES & HOME CARE

225-290-1980 / 225-993-9204

tree trimming/flower bed clean up/flower bed designs/irrigation/ lighting pathways/prune & mulch/weeding/drainage/sod/pergola deck/power washing/stump grinding/consulting available

All work 35+ years of guaranteed experience No job to locally! big or small • Flashing • Gutters • Siding • Tree Pruning • Carpentry • Fences

Call 225.925.0610

(225) 603-2125

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FIND AND FIX LEAKS ON ANY ROOF

Member of the BBB Licensed & Insured FREE Verbal Estimates to BR Residents 50 Years Experience Pruning & Trimming of Large Trees Small Tree Removal

Denham Springs & Gonzales

LIGHTING 15% OFF! READY FOR GAME DAYS!

LEAK SPECIALIST

tree service

Doors & Door Hardware

Install & Repair Commercial • Residential Call Daniel 225-436-2759

WINTER SPECIAL YEAR-ROUND HOLIDAY

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• Doors • Tile • Painting • Windows & Door Awnings • Pressure Washing • Bathroom & Kitchen Repairs • Porch Roof and Metal Patio Covers

225-733-1560 Professional Chimney Sweep & Inspections

225-338-6922

ROOF LEAKS STOPPED Free Estimates Licensed & Insured

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Big Jim Construction

New Roofs Roof N R f or Repairs R i on Any A Type T R f Roofing • Painting • Carpentry

Over 50 Years Experience

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All Work Warrantied

Brothers Carpentry and Flooring LLC

ATTIC STAIRS • DOORS • Installation & Replacement • Fully Insulated Units • Licensed & Insured • FREE Estimates • Senior & Military Discounts

CALL TODAY! [225-252-8331]

FIREWOOD W Burns Farm | Seasoned firewood

Chimney Cleaning • Pest Guards New Chimney Cap Installation • Fire Box Crack Repair Insured

10% OFF 225-503-5681

E J’s Masonry Quality Work

Brick  Block  Concrete Stucco Work Carpentry  Clean-up & Haul Debris Rooﬁng  Pressure Washing & Restriping Parking Lots  Painting No job too small!

225-229-0963

Gerald Burns 28630 Juban Rd., Denham Springs LA 70726 225-937-3112

LAGNIAPPE SERVICES, LLC

Year-Round Lawn Care South Baton Rouge

One Time, Some Time, Any Time or Every Time... We don't mind!

Residential & Commercial Grass Cutting, Gutter Cleaning, SPRING Clean-Up & Bush Trimming

Gerard “Gaston” Gravois

(225) 329-8737

To advertise here, please call (225) 383-0111

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ 1S

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YOUR LEGAL COMPASS THROUGH

LIFE

FREE ESTATE PLANNING WORKSHOP INCOME TAX SEASON IS HERE - WATCH OUT FOR THOSE ESTATE, GIFT AND CAPITAL GAINS TAXES, TOO!

CALL

225-224-8099 TO REGISTER!

POCHE ESTATE PLANNING LAW FIRM 4960 Bluebonnet Blvd., Suite C, Baton Rouge, LA 70809

2S ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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ACT NOW TO PUT YOUR PLAN IN PLACE IN JUST 6-7 WEEKS Yes, knowledge is power, and the choice is yours. But you MUST ACT NOW to put your estate plan in place. It all starts by attending one of Laura Poche’s free educational events which makes it clear that regardless of your net worth, if you want to preserve your hard-earned assets or have people in your life you need to protect or have causes that you want to promote, EVERY PERSON NEEDS A LEGAL ESTATE PLAN. Let Laura Poche and her professional and knowledgeable staff make this process as easy as possible so you can live with PEACE OF MIND.

BATON ROUGE

Monday, January 26 Poche Law Office 4960 Bluebonnet, Ste. C 2:00pm - 4:30pm

REFRESHMENTS PROVIDED AFTER

BATON ROUGE

Tuesday, January 27 Mestizos 2323 S. Acadian Thruway 11:00am - 1:30pm

LUNCH PROVIDED AFTER

BATON ROUGE

Wednesday, January 28 Poche Law Office 4960 Bluebonnet, Ste. C 5:30am - 8:00pm

DINNER PROVIDED AFTER

BATON ROUGE

Thursday, January 29 Poche Law Office 4960 Bluebonnet, Ste. C 9:30am - 12:00pm

LUNCH PROVIDED AFTER

CALL 225-224-8099 TO REGISTER!

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ 3S

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LAURA POCHE INVITES YOU TO ATTEND A FREE WORKSHOP TO LEARN HOW TO:

• Minimize or avoid death tax.

• Make sure your estate utilizes the exemption available for deaths occurring in 2026. • Properly setup your Will or Living Trust so there will be no tax upon the death of the first spouse regardless of the size of the estate.

• Ensure that your heirs receive a step-up in tax basis - not just when the first spouse dies but again when the surviving spouse dies.

• Utilize the 2026 annual gift tax exclusion to make gifts of $20,000 per year per person during your lifetime to reduce your taxable estate at your death...and MUCH MORE!

CALL 225-224-8099 TO REGISTER! POCHE ESTATE PLANNING LAW FIRM 4960 Bluebonnet Blvd., Suite C, Baton Rouge, LA 70809

4S ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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INCOME TAX SEASON IS HERE WATCH OUT FOR THOSE ESTATE, GIFT AND CAPITAL GAINS TAXES, TOO! Everyone wants to avoid tax. When people think about avoiding taxes, they usually think about avoiding income tax. But Louisiana residents must be concerned with several types of taxes when they are planning their estates.

FEDERAL ESTATE TAX - DID YOU KNOW?

The federal estate tax applies to estates of people who are residents in any of the 50 states. When it applies, it is significant. Essentially, when a person dies, we must add up the fair market value of everything the deceased owned - their house, cars, bank accounts, IRA’s, 401(k)’s, life insurance, stock, businesses they own, real estate and more. Effective January 1, 2026, the federal estate tax exemption amount is $15,000,000 per person ($30,000,000 for married couples) for deaths occurring in 2026. The estate tax rate remains at 40%.

WHAT ABOUT THE SURVIVING SPOUSE?

Before 2010, each spouse had an estate tax exemption. If the estate of the first spouse to die did not use their exemption, it would be lost, and the surviving spouse could not use any of the exemption of the first spouse to die. However, in 2013, “portability” was kept in place - the surviving spouse can now increase their exemption by the amount of the unused exemption amount of the deceased spouse who died after 2010. But portability must be exercised timely.

HOW TO AVOID CAPITAL GAINS TAX

The tax that often creeps up on people is capital gains tax. Capital gains is paid when you sell an asset that has appreciated in value. Example: you buy a stock for $20,000 and later sell the stock for $100,000. You will have $80,000 of capital gain, and you must pay tax on this. How you structure your bequests to your spouse and your family can have a significant impact on how much capital gains tax your heirs will have to pay. When you die, your assets will be “stepped-up” and your heirs will get a new value.

GIFTS OF $20,000 PER YEAR PER PERSON (USED TO BE $10,000 PER YEAR PER PERSON)

You may have heard you can donate or give $20,000 each year per person without gift tax consequences. Typically, no one pays gift tax on a gift regardless of the value of the gift. A sizeable gift will have estate and gift tax consequences.

IMPORTANT GUIDELINES FOR OUR WORKSHOPS:

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CALL 225-224-8099 TO REGISTER! POCHE ESTATE PLANNING LAW FIRM 4960 Bluebonnet Blvd., Suite C, Baton Rouge, LA 70809

Mindful eating in world of multitasking PAGE 3

DISCOVERy | INNOVATION | LIVING WELL

HEALTH

LOUISIANA

N O L A.C O M & T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M

S U N D AY, J A N U A rY 11, 2026

Molly Kimball 1N

Trouble catching ZZZZ’s?

Try these strategies when sleep becomes elusive BY SHANTELL GOMEZ Contributing writer

ASSOCIATED PRESS ILLUSTRATION By PETER HAMLIN

LAUGH M IT OFF

BY ALBERT STUMM | Associated Press

Doctor’s orders? ‘Belly laugh at least two to five days a week’

elanin Bee curves her spine like a stretching cat as she lets out a maniacal, forced laugh. The quick-fire pattern of manufactured giggles —“oh, hoo hoo hoo, eeh, ha ha ha”— soon ripples into genuine laughter, and she giddily kicks her feet. She’s practicing what she calls Laughasté, a hilarious yoga routine she created that is a descendant of “laughter clubs” that emerged in India in the 1990s. It feels awkward at first, but you fake it till you make it, she said. “It’s about allowing yourself to be OK with being awkward,” said Bee, a Los Angeles comedian and speaker. “Then you’re going to find some form of silliness within that is going to allow you to laugh involuntarily.” The laughter clubs were based on the common-sense notion that laughter relieves stress. But a good laugh is also good for your heart, immune system and many other health benefits, said Dr. Michael Miller, a cardiologist and medical professor at the University of Pennsylvania. “Like we say, exercise at least three to five days a week,” Miller said. “Belly laugh at least two to five days a week.”

The study of laughter

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By ASSGAUTAM SINGH

Members of laughter clubs participate in a laughter competition for the elderly to celebrate the 2007 World Laughter Day in Mumbai, India.

Although luminaries from the ancient Greeks to Freud have opined on the roots and implications of laughter, the modern study of laughter — gelotology — began emerging in the 1960s. Stanford University psychologist William F. Fry, one of gelotology’s founders, drew blood samples from himself while watching Laurel and Hardy. He discovered that laughter increased the number of immuneboosting blood cells.

ä See LAUGH, page 2X

Getting a good night’s sleep can be tricky. When life gets busy and stress piles up, falling and staying asleep can become a challenge. Many notice this shift in their 40s, when sleep that used to come easily now takes more effort. Things like a partner tossing and turning can be disruptive. Even the temperature of a bedroom can make a difference. Experts generally recommend keeping the bedroom cool — around 68 degrees — to support deeper sleep. But temperature is only one piece of a much larger puzzle. Good sleep isn’t just about collapsing into bed after a long day. Bedtime routines such as going to sleep at the same time each night, white noise and sipping chamomile tea, signal that it’s time to relax. Blackout curtains, weighted blankets and the right pillow can all promise some sweet relief. There is no shortage of supplements and devices that claim to support a restful night. Despite the modern packaging, many of these solutions have been around for some time. What has changed is the level of stimulation filling everyone’s waking hours — and often follows them straight into bed. Overstimulation is a major obstacle to sleep. The never ending tasks, constant notifications and racing thoughts can push the nervous system into overdrive. According to Dr. Kevin Hargrave, a board-certified neurologist specializing in adult neurology, sleep medicine and neuroimaging in Lafayette, sleep deprivation shows up in far more ways than one. Mood changes and irritability are often the first sign. Focus and decision-making become more difficult. Appetite becomes dysregulated, leading to cravings and overeating. Immune function weakens, making it easier to get sick. “Insufficient sleep increases the risk of car crashes, workrelated accidents and medical issues, including increased risk of hypertension and diabetes, and the downstream consequences of these, including heart attack and stroke,” Hargrave said. For adults, most research points to at least seven hours of sleep per night for optimal functioning. Teens and children require even more, as sleep supports brain development, emotional regulation and physical growth. Still, many people insist they feel fine on five or six hours. Some are genuinely wired to need less sleep, known as “short sleepers.” But they are the exception.

ä See SLEEP, page 2X

April S. | Tobacco Cessation Specialist

2X ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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HEALTH MAKER Mammograms may indicate heart disease risks

ized system for documenting BAC gence tool, the team measured the tion or cost, Nudy pointed out. ings. Breast arterial Instead, the data already exist on in radiology reports, although CanBreast arterial calciﬁcation, or severity and progression of calciﬁBAC, is relatively common, ap- cation in breast arteries over time. routine mammograms performed ada has proposed a grading framecalcification linked to pearing They found that nearly 1 in 5 for breast cancer screening. work. in an estimated 15%-25% cardiovascular health of screening mammograms. Yet it women had detectable vascular If breast arterial calcification In this study, researchers used

BY ROBERTA BURKHART

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS)

Routine mammograms are best known as a front-line tool for detecting breast cancer. But new research suggests the same X-ray images may also offer an early warning sign for cardiovascular disease — the leading cause of death among women. A study presented at a Dec. 3 Radiological Society of North America meeting found that calcium deposits visible in the arteries of the breast can help predict a woman’s future risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke and death. The ﬁndings add to growing evidence that mammograms may hold untapped value beyond cancer screening. The condition that mammograms can detect — and act as an early warning of heart problems down the road — is called breast arterial calcification, said Matthew Nudy, an assistant professor of medicine and public health sciences at Penn State College of Medicine, who presented the ﬁnd-

is not routinely reported. Despite often being discernible on routine mammograms, radiologists do not typically report the presence of these calcifications “because there’s no known association between this breast arterial calciﬁcation and breast cancer,” Nudy said. That omission may represent a missed opportunity — particularly for women, who often face delays in cardiovascular diagnosis. More than 60 million U.S. women — about 44% — have some form of heart disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heart disease can affect any age and is the leading cause of death for women across the country. In 2023, it was responsible for about 1 in 5 deaths, nearly 305,000 women, per the CDC. In the new Penn State study, researchers analyzed data from 10,348 women who had undergone at least two mammograms at a U.S. academic medical center, with an average of 4.1 years between scans. Using an artificial intelli-

calcification at baseline. More importantly, the severity and progression of that calcification mattered. Women with worsening calcium buildup faced significantly higher risks of major cardiovascular events — up to double the risk for those with the most severe scores, Nudy explained. One of the most striking findings was how quickly changes could occur. “We saw progression of this BAC, or breast arterial calcification, in as little as one year,” Nudy said. “So I think it just goes to show that cardiovascular risk is something that changes all the time.” Women who initially showed no calcification but developed it later had a 41% higher risk of cardiovascular events and death over an average 5.6 years of follow-up. Risk climbed even higher for women whose calcification advanced from mild to moderate or severe levels. Unlike coronary artery calcium scoring — a CT scan is sometimes ordered to assess heart disease risk — identifying BAC does not require additional testing, radia-

were routinely reported, Nudy said, the next step would not be panic — but evaluation. “At the very least, these patients should have a cardiovascular disease risk assessment,” he said, noting that this typically includes blood pressure and cholesterol checks, use of risk calculators and, when appropriate, preventive therapies such as statins, blood pressure medications and lifestyle changes. The research may be especially relevant given long-standing disparities in women’s heart health. “We know that women face a lot of disparities when it comes to cardiovascular care, compared to men,” Nudy said. “They’re more likely to be diagnosed at later stages of cardiovascular disease … and we also know that women are less likely to get” treatment for the condition. Breast arterial calciﬁcation, he said, “could be something that we use to improve that.” One major hurdle remains: inconsistent reporting. Currently, there is no standard-

AI to quantify calcification efﬁciently across thousands of images. “If we were to run a research study where we had to have multiple radiologists analyze multiple mammogram images from over 10,000 participants, that would take a lot of time and a lot of money,” Nudy said. AI, he added, made the process scalable and standardized. Still, important questions remain unanswered — including whether identifying BAC leads to meaningful changes in patient care and outcomes. Further answers may be on the horizon. Nudy is leading additional research using mammograms from the federally funded Women’s Health Initiative, one of the largest and longest-running studies of chronic disease in menopausal women. For now, the ﬁndings highlight a new way clinicians may one day use an already familiar test — not just to detect cancer, but to help prevent heart disease before symptoms ever appear.

SLEEP

Continued from page 1X “If people sleep less than seven hours during the workweek but then need to ‘catch up’ during the weekends, that is a sign that they would beneﬁt from sleeping a little more each weeknight,” Hargrave said. Screens are among the most signiﬁcant disruptors of sleep. Blue light delays melatonin production, while social media and late-night scrolling keep the brain alert when it should be winding down. “Electronic screens and social media are an enemy of proper sleep schedules to some,” Hargrave said. “Putting away electronic screens and social media a few hours before bedtime would be a good strategy.” Other immediate improvements include early morning sunlight exposure and regular exercise, both of which help regulate circadian rhythms. For those who cannot realistically extend sleep time due to work or life demands, quality becomes critical. “Avoiding late caffeine and abstaining from alcohol might help one’s limited sleep be of better quality,” Hargrave said. “Late night caffeine may decrease slowwave sleep, also known as deep sleep. Alcohol can induce sleep; however, it may produce increased awakenings during the night and worsen conditions like sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome.” Sleep environment also matters. Supportive mattresses can help prevent discomfort that leads to nighttime waking. Even small details — wearing socks to keep body temperature regulated — can make a noticeable difference. At its core, sleep is not just a biological function but a daily practice. It requires consistency and cues that signal calm and rest to the nervous system. The tools may vary, but the core principles remain the same: darkness, quiet, routine and time. Sleep tips: n Keep bedrooms cool, dark, and quiet (around 68°F). n Stick to a consistent bedtime and wake time. n Limit screens and social media one to two hours before bed. n Try white noise, blackout curtains, or weighted blankets to reduce disturbances. n Sip chamomile tea before bed. n Avoid late caffeine or alcohol, which disrupt deep sleep. n Get morning sunlight exposure and exercise regularly. n Comfortable mattress and pillows can make a difference. Tip: Check with your doctor about any sleep supplements that could help. A lack of sleep can make or break a day. Too many restless nights in a row can quietly erode physical health, emotional resilience and overall quality of life. Rest restores far more than energy. It restores balance. In a world that celebrates productivity and constant motion, sleep remains one of the most powerful — and underrated — forms of self-care.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By CHRIS CARLSON

Class members participate in a laughter yoga class on Main Beach in Laguna Beach, Calif.

LAUGH

Continued from page 1X In 1995, Dr. Madan Kataria, a physician in Mumbai, got wind of the emerging research as editor of a health magazine while researching an article on stress management. To combat his own stress, he started the ﬁrst daily laughter club in a park. It ballooned from a handful of participants to more than 150 within a month, he said. After the group quickly ran out of jokes, Kataria created exercises that activated the diaphragm, and he incorporated yogic breathing exercises, light stretches and deliberately silly sounds and movements. “We were faking in the beginning and within seconds, everybody was in stitches,” Kataria said.

Why is laughter good for you? Miller began studying laughter in the 1990s. Showing funny movies to study participants, he found that laughter produces endorphins in the brain that promote beneﬁcial chemicals in the blood vessels. Nitric oxide, for example, causes blood vessels to dilate, which lowers blood pressure, inflammation and cholesterol. The combination reduces the risk for a heart attack, he said, and the endorphins are natural pain killers. “When you’ve had a really good laugh, you feel very relaxed and light,” said Miller, who is also chief of medicine at the Philadelphia Veterans Administration, where he is implementing a

“Really, it’s not about forcing yourself to laugh. It’s like activating your laughter muscles, getting rid of your mental inhibitions and shyness. Then the real laughing is childlike laughing, unconditional laughing.” DR. MADAN KATARIA laughter therapy program. “It’s like you’ve taken pain medication.” Forced laughter — or simulated mirth, in academia — may even be more beneficial than spontaneous laughter, said Jenny Rosendhal, a senior researcher of medical psychology at Jena University in Germany. Rosendhal completed a metaanalysis of 45 laughter studies, among other research, and found that laughter-inducing therapies decreased glucose levels, the stress hormone cortisol and chronic pain. They also improved mobility and overall mood, especially in older populations. Because humor is subjective, it is hard to measure. That’s why much of the more recent research has focused on laughter yoga and similar programs that provoke sustained bouts of laughter during 30- to 45-minute sessions, Rosendhal said. Laughter yoga is particularly effective for people who might not feel like laughing, such as those struggling with depression or cancer patients, she said. With simulated laughter, the physiological mechanisms are the

same, such as additional inhaling, exhaling and muscle activity that also improves mood. “The well-being comes through the back door,” she said. “You start with an exercise, and then the spontaneous laughter comes later because it’s funny to see people laughing.”

How to laugh more During a recent video call, Kataria said the trick is to learn to laugh for no reason. He and others in laughing yoga classes around the world have created hundreds of exercises that help. The simplest: Get together with another person, look in each other’s eyes and repeat the sound “ha” for a full minute. Or try the “breathe in and laugh.” Bring your hands to your chest on a deep inhale, hold your breath for three seconds, and burst out laughing on the exhale while extending your hands forward.

In laughing yoga classes, people may pretend to greet each other like aliens, crawl around like their favorite animals, or tap their temple as if a light bulb went off, exclaiming, “Aha! ha ha ha!” Kataria suggested bringing laughter into your daily life, even at things that might not seem funny. Demonstrating “credit card bill laughter,” he held out his hand as if looking at a statement, and burst into a roiling, infectious laughter. For inspiration, you could log into one of the three dozen free online American laughter clubs recognized by Laughter Yoga International. “Really, it’s not about forcing yourself to laugh,” he said. “It’s like activating your laughter muscles, getting rid of your mental inhibitions and shyness. Then the real laughing is childlike laughing, unconditional laughing.”

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU The Louisiana Health Health editions will also section is focused on profile people who are providing in-depth, personal advancing health for the accounts of health in the state of Louisiana. state. This section looks Do you have a health at medical innovations, story? We want to hear from health discoveries, state and you. national health statistics Email margaret.delaney@ and re-examining tried and theadvocate.com to submit true methods on ways to live health questions, stories well. and more.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ 3X

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Eat Fit Live Fit

Molly Kimball RD, CSSD

B R O U G H T TO YO U BY

Mindful eating in a world of multitasking This week’s column is written by Brittany Craft, RDN, LDN, who leads the Eat Fit nonproﬁt initiative at Ochsner Health

making things fresh, embrace that too. A colleague once told me, “You are worth the extra 30 seconds it takes to slice a tomato for your sandwich.” That stuck with me.

Put Down the Screen(s) and Savor

It’s tempting to work through lunch, I know. But with so much of the day already spent looking at a screen, could you spare 30 minutes to reﬂect on your day or talk with a friend instead? Taking a mental break helps you taste your food, notice fullness cues and return to work more focused than if you’d powered through. While you eat, be mindful about what you are consuming: • What does it taste like? • What’s the texture? • What colors are on your plate? • Are you getting full? These small moments of awareness are the heart of mindful eating.

Embrace a Dirty Plate

Actually plate up your food. Sure, it’s easier to eat snacks out of the package, but plating gives you a clearer sense of portions and adds a bit of legitimacy and enjoyment to your meal. It’s a meal, not a grazing board, and it’s something you can slow down to enjoy.

he start of a new year gives us a rare moment to reﬂect, a natural pause to notice what’s supporting us and what’s quietly wearing us down. For me, working from home has been one of those double-edged realities. I love the calm of my home office, the absence of traffic and the comfort of yoga pants. But remote work also means constant access to the kitchen, meetings that spill into one another, and more days than I’d like to admit when “lunch” is eaten with one hand, while I’m typing with the other. Even with the best intentions, meals can become rushed, distracted or forgotten entirely. Our culture celebrates multitasking and efficiency. But when it comes to fueling ourselves well, that pace can work against us. In our Eat Fit world, we talk often about nourishment — and nourishment is about more than what’s on the plate. It also requires being present enough to notice how we eat. Rather than seeing nutrition as another task, I like to view it as an act of care: supporting your energy, focus and well-being so you can show up fully

for everything you want to accomplish. Here’s how to approach mindful eating, even in a world built for multitasking.

Plan Ahead with Food You’ll Actually Look Forward To

Planning ahead helps. The key is choosing foods you’re genuinely excited to eat. When something delicious and nutritious is waiting in the refrigerator, it becomes the easy choice. Planning can also include prepping. Ask yourself honestly: “Will I really chop an apple midday, or do I need it pre-sliced?” “Do I prefer doing everything on Sunday, with one cutting board and one knife, prepping veggies and fruit for the week?” And if you’re someone who enjoys

Try to include the two P’s — produce and protein — at every meal, along with a complex carbohydrate and/or a healthy fat. It’s a simple structure with big beneﬁts: carbs give you energy, and protein or fat provides staying power. This could look like: • Apple slices with almond butter • Sliced bell peppers or whole-grain crackers with hummus • Berries and Greek yogurt • Small piece of fruit and a hard-boiled egg • Whole-grain toast with mashed avocado

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

Most of us walk around at least mildly dehydrated. Dehydration can mimic hunger, sap energy and make it harder to stay focused. Keep water nearby and schedule water breaks if you have to. If plain water feels boring, try herbal teas, sparkling water or fruit-infused water. Hydration supports digestion, helps regulate appetite and keeps energy steadier throughout the day.

What Mindful Eating Means to Me Mindful eating is a way to slow down amid the constant hum of work and to-do lists. These small, intentional moments don’t just fuel my body, they remind me to care for myself, to pause and to show up fully for the people and work I love. To me, mindful eating isn’t about perfection. It’s about noticing, appreciating and honoring ourselves in a busy world. When we do that, even in tiny ways, it makes all the difference.

Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD, is a registered dietitian with Ochsner Health and founder of Ochsner’s Eat Fit nonproﬁt initiative. For more wellness content, tune in to Molly’s podcast, FUELED Wellness + Nutrition, and follow @MollykimballRD and @EatFitOchsner on social media. Email nutrition@ochsner.org to connect with Molly or schedule a consult with her team.

BY THE NUMBERS

Obesity in America In 2024, at least 1 in 4 adults in all U.S. states and territories had obesity.

1 IN 4 ADULTS IN ALL U.S. STATES HAVE OBESITy In 2024, at least 1 in 4 adults in all U.S. states and territories had obesity. These states had the highest percentage of adults with obesity in 2024, in descending order: n West Virginia with 41.4%, n Mississippi with 40.4%, n Louisiana with 39.2%, n Alabama and Arkansas with 38.9%, n Indiana with 38.4%, n Kansas and Nebraska with 37.6%, n Wisconsin with 37.4%

Focus on the Two “P’s”

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35.1% to 38%

More than 38%

WA S H . WASH. MON T. MONT.

n and Kentucky with 37.2%. These states had the lowest percentage of adults with obesity in 2024, in ascending order: n Colorado with 25%, n Hawaii and Massachusetts with 27%, n New Jersey with 27.7%, n Vermont with 29%, n California with 29.1%, n New york with 29.5%, n Florida with 29.6% n and Montana and Utah with 31%.

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L A. LA.

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FL A. FLA. H AWA I I HAWAII

Louisiana: 39.2% Staff graphic

Source: CDC

Many products contain hidden added sugars Some healthy food labels may be misleading

BY ALBERT STUMM Associated Press

Many consumers feel pride in avoiding the glazed pastries in the supermarket and instead opting for “all natural” granola that comes packed with extra protein. Same goes for low-fat yogurts “made with real fruit,” organic plant-based milks and bottled “superfood” smoothies. Buyer beware: Healthy grocery buzzwords like those often cover up an unhealthy amount of sugar. Added sugars are difficult to spot quickly because many companies use clever marketing to distract consumers, said Nicole Avena, a professor of neuroscience and psychiatry at Mount

Sinai Medical School and Princeton University who has studied added sugars. Avena said while some healthforward brands know people are starting to become aware of the hazards of added sugars, “a lot of the bigger brands don’t worry so much about people’s health.” Here’s how to spot hidden sugars and what to do about it.

What to look for Along with saturated fat and salt, eating excess sugar is linked to heart disease, obesity, diabetes and other health risks. The average American consumes 17 teaspoons of added sugar a day, which adds up to 57 pounds per year, according to the American Heart Association. About half of that comes from beverages, but much of the rest is sneaked into cereal, salsa, prepared sandwiches, dairy products, bottled sauces and baked goods, including many brands of

whole-grain bread. To help control sugar intake, start by checking the nutrition label. Since 2021, food companies have been required to list the quantity of added sugars separately from total sugar content. But the plan backfired, Avena said. Companies reduced common sweeteners like reﬁned beet sugar and high-fructose corn syrup but added alternatives, such as monk fruit and the sugar alcohol erythritol, which aren’t considered “added sugars” under FDA regulations. “Now our foods are even more sweet than they were back in 2020,” Avena said.

What should you do? Collin Popp, a dietitian and professor at NYU Langone Health, said the current FDA recommendation allows for some ﬂexibility. People should get no more than 10% of their calories from added

sugar, which amounts to about 50 grams per day if eating 2,000 calories, or a bit more than what’s in a typical can of soda. But that might be too ﬂexible, Popp said. “I would actually like to see that be less than 5%, and closer to zero for some, if they have diabetes or prediabetes,” he said. The key is to be mindful of what you’re eating, even if the product seems healthy or if the package is labeled organic, Popp said. Roasted nuts, plant-based milks and wasabi peas, for example, can include a surprising amount of added sugars. So can English muffins and Greek yogurt. One Chobani black cherry yogurt, for example, has zero grams of fat but 9 grams of added sugar, or more than 2 teaspoons. Silk brand almond milk has 7 grams per cup. Popp recommends taking control of how much sugar goes

into your food. That could mean buying plain yogurt and adding honey or berries, or asking the barista if you can put your own oat milk into your coffee.

Taking from one column Although they lower the calorie content of foods, artiﬁcial sweeteners like stevia and sugar alcohols may not be better because they can encourage people to overeat, Avena said. She said research shows that sweet ﬂavors are what activate the reward center of the brain, not the sugar itself. That’s not to write off sugar alternatives, including allulose for people with Type 1 diabetes since it doesn’t affect blood sugar. But for the general public, minimizing dependence on the overall sweetness of food is key to improving health, she said. “Don’t let the food companies decide how much sugar you’re eating,” Avena said.

4X ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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Tips to get in shape for

2 26

Vows to exercise consistently and lose weight are among the most common New Year’s resolutions. Fitness centers are typically busy in early January, but the crowds tend to thin out as the year progresses.

Beating the odds involves ﬁnding ways to keep these resolutions from losing steam within a few weeks. A structured approach can help you overcome these challenges.

5 tips to make your ﬁtness resolutions stick A common mistake is trying to change too much too quickly. To set yourself up for success, create goals that are SMART:

Speciﬁc

Measurable

Clearly deﬁne what you want to accomplish. Instead of a vague goal like “get in shape,” aim for something speciﬁc, such as “run a 5K” or “gain 2 pounds of muscle.”

Track your progress. This could mean logging your workouts, noting the weights you lift or timing your runs.

3 Achievable

Set realistic goals. If you are new to exercise, don’t commit to working out seven days a week. Start with two or three days, and build from there.

Realistic

Your goals should align with your lifestyle. Instead of completely avoiding your favorite foods, try limiting them to once a week. Small, sustainable changes are more effective than drastic ones.

Time-bound

Give yourself a deadline. For example, “I want to gain 2 pounds of muscle by May 2026.” A target date creates a sense of urgency and helps you stay focused.

Big victories are motivating, but so are small ones. Frame your main ﬁtness goal as a series of smaller challenges and celebrate your progress along the way.

8 morning habits that may help you lose weight 1

Drink electrolytes before coffee.

Get sunlight in the morning to boost weight loss results.

Hydration in the morning is one of the simplest and most effective daily habits for weight management. Within 15 minutes of waking, drink 12 to 16 ounces of water with an electrolyte solution or a pinch of sea salt and lemon. Wait 30 minutes before your ﬁrst cup of coffee.

Morning sunlight signals your body’s circadian rhythm that it’s time to wake up, energize and metabolize. Getting sunlight before noon improves sleep quality at night and helps regulate hunger hormones during the day.

Eating 30 grams of protein before 10 a.m.

Get quality sleep.

Eating protein early in the day stabilizes your metabolism and hormones for the next 24 hours. Include 30 grams of protein in your ﬁrst meal each day. Try Greek yogurt with chia seeds and nuts, a veggie omelet with avocado, or a smoothie with protein powder, spinach and berries.

Consistent sleep is the backbone of every healthy morning routine. When you sleep well, your metabolism functions more efficiently, your hunger hormones stay balanced, and your morning energy levels remain steady.

Set daily eating goals.

Read food labels.

Practice morning mindfulness.

Be consistent.

Morning planning creates structure and prevents impulsive eating later in the day. When you decide what to eat before noon, you eliminate guesswork and are more likely to stay aligned with your nutrition goals.

Mindfulness each morning strengthens the mental focus required for consistency. When you begin your day with awareness and calm, you are less reactive to stress and more likely to follow through with healthy choices.

Checking food labels each morning, whether for your breakfast choices or prepped meals, reinforces awareness and accountability. It helps you identify hidden sugars, reﬁned oils and artiﬁcial ingredients that can slow your progress.

Consistency matters more than intensity. Sustainable progress isn’t about willpower or restriction; it’s about repetition.

What are the benefits of strength training after age 40? Our bodies begin to lose muscle mass in a process called sarcopenia, which can start as early as our 30s. This leads to declines in strength, balance and mobility. Strength training is one of the best ways to combat sarcopenia. Experts recommend incorporating resistance training two to three times per week. Pair this with a protein-rich diet to support muscle repair and growth. Balance and flexibility exercises can further reduce fall risk and promote overall fitness.

Whether lifting weights, using resistance bands or performing bodyweight exercises, strength training stimulates muscle growth and improves overall ﬁtness. The key to maintaining a New Year’s health and ﬁtness routine is to be stronger than your excuses.

Ochsner Health is the leading nonproﬁt healthcare provider in Louisiana, Mississippi and across the Gulf South, delivering expert care at its 47 hospitals and more than 370 health and urgent care centers. Ochsner is nationally recognized for inspiring healthier lives and stronger communities through unmatched expertise, quality and digital connectivity. In 2024, Ochsner’s more than 40,000 dedicated team members and 4,900 employed and affiliated physicians cared for 1.6 million people from every state in the nation and 63 countries. To learn more about how Ochsner empowers people to get well and stay well, visit www.ochsner.org.

GOODNESS | HOPE | SOLUTIONS

INSPIRED

LOUISIANA

N O L A.C O M & T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M

S U N D AY, J A N U A rY 11, 2026

Q&A: La. 4-H program creates young leaders PAGE 2

11N

Jan Risher LONG STORy SHORT

A little cringe can go a long way PHOTO PROVIDED By MEAGEN MORELAND

New Orleans Women and Children’s Shelter employees celebrate in the Keesler Federal Credit Union suite at the Nov. 23 Saints game against the Falcons.

‘Hope lives here’ New Orleans homeless shelter changes lives with help from credit union, Saints

BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer

In the Keesler Federal Credit Union suite at the Superdome, sparkly black and gold revelry paraded through the door. Dawn BradleyFletcher, CEO of the New Orleans Women and Children’s Shelter, led her crew into the suite for the Nov. 23 Saints vs. Falcons game, complete with pompoms, sequins and lots of laughter. The gameday fun was the result of a partnership between Keesler Credit Union, the New Orleans Saints and the New Orleans Women and Children’s Shelter. Keesler Credit Union chose the shelter as their Kicks for Kids beneficiary. Every time the New Orleans Saints made a field goal, the credit union donated $1,000 to the shelter. The Saints kickers have raised $30,000 for the 2025 season. Keesler chose the New Orleans Women and Children’s Shelter as the beneficiary of the 2025 Kicks for Kids campaign. Last year was the Covenant House, for which they raised $27,000. “We want to help the community get stronger,” said Michele Rabalais, the director of corporate sponsorships at Keesler. “The Saints came up with Kicks for Kids for our community giveback. The New Orleans Women and Children’s Shelter was a perfect fit for us.” Bradley-Fletcher has been with the shelter since 2008, shortly after it opened, when Jackie and Dan Silverman, the founders of New Orleans Women’s and Children’s Shelter, interviewed her to be their first employee. Bradley-Fletcher has been there since, through several moves and expansions of the shelter. “I told them that everything that they were doing I wanted to be a part of,” BradleyFletcher said. She says that she loves showing up to the shelter every day to make sure that the families have an opportunity to do better and to grow.

PROVIDED PHOTO

New Orleans Women and Children’s Shelter participants put their hands together during Thanksgiving festivities.

The New Orleans Women and Children’s Shelter staff poses with Saints cheerleaders and Keesler Federal Credit Union employees during the Nov. 23 Saints game. PHOTO PROVIDED By MEAGEN MORELAND

In 2025, the shelter moved into a new facility in MidCity, the converted and renovated Lucky Inn, and doubled its capacity. They have now assisted over 4,700 parents and children recovering from homelessness, with less than 2% returning to the streets. Bradley-Fletcher and her team achieve this success through holistic care, empathy and wraparound care. As the leading homeless shelter for intact families — including fathers and sons — in the region, the New Orleans Women and Children’s Shelter is commit-

ted to breaking the cycle of homelessness while keeping families together through coordinated, family-centered, holistic support and services. “At the shelter, our goal is to make sure that our families understand and know that there is another opportunity to be successful in life,” Bradley-Fletcher said. “When they cross the sill of our doors, they do not have to think about being homeless. This is an opportunity to get on your feet and to become stable forever.” The shelter provides a safe environment where parents

don’t have to think about where their next meal is coming from or how they’re going to pay bills — all are covered until they are able to transition to housing, and then services continue for 18 more months. The shelter promotes stability and consistency with meals at designated times and rooms for each family with new sheets, towels and toiletries. Anything they are given while at the shelter, they take with them to their new residences. Daily chore

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We are living in the golden age of polish. Carefully worded emails, often crafted with the help of AI. Beautiful kitchens. Perfect beds. Tables set just so. Meals plated to impress. Outfits assembled with intention. Families styled and camera-ready. The list of idealized vignettes goes on and on. We are surrounded by smoothness — curated feeds, practiced answers, personal branding — to the point that awkwardness now sticks out like the cranberry juice stain on my grandmother’s white tablecloth. I make this observation after decades of experience. Awkwardness has been my specialty. The flip side of the cringe is that awkwardness can open us up to others. It has a way of unlocking doors that polish never does. Awkward moments have also provided the genesis for some of my closest friendships. Like that time I unknowingly dropped my panties in the aisle of a plane and left them there for 10 minutes as the group of strangers I was traveling with for the next week sat behind me and debated on what to do. David D’Aquin ultimately tapped me on the shoulder and told me I had dropped something. It was a horrible, mortifying moment. That said, more than 17 years later, he remains one of my best friends. Or that time long ago, when I way overpacked for a yearlong trip to teach English in Slovakia, and the girl in line behind me at the ticket counter watched in horror as I opened my giant suitcases and rearranged my melange of peculiarities, including a one-pound canned ham. My goal: to finagle getting all of my bits and bags across the sea without costing the small fortune I didn’t have. I finally made the packing Tetris work — and 33 years later, that girl is another of my closest friends. Much of my experience has been living proof of what Lindsay Godwin wrote in Psychology Today: while awkwardness feels isolating, it often has the opposite effect. I could fill pages with plenty of other, nontravel related and less memorable awkward moments. Those occasions have filled my days to the point that I realize that my awkward meter may be somewhat broken — maybe that’s because I’ve come out on the good side of awkward so many times. I like when we ask questions at the table, and everyone gets a chance to share. Yes, doing so can feel a little funny, but it can also lead to magic and connection.

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STAFF PHOTO By JAN RISHER

David D’Aquin, of Atlanta, and Jan Risher canoe at Lake Martin in St. Martin Parish.

2Y ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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INSPIRED DISCUSSIONS A S K T H E E X P E RT S

La. 4-H program creates young leaders in agriculture Staff writer

BY LAUREN CHERAMIE

Q&A WITH LANETTE G. HEBERT

Lanette G. Hebert, based in Rayne, serves as the southwest 4-H regional coordinator for the LSU AgCenter, bringing over 35 years of service to Louisiana’s 4-H youth development programs. Throughout her tenure, she has worked to empower youth, strengthen volunteer networks and build programs that foster leaderHebert ship, citizenship and essential life skills. Last year, Hebert had a hand in hosting the Growing Careers … Beyond the Rice Field pilot program — an effort to introduce high school youth to the science and business of rice production, sponsored by the Louisiana Rice Promotion Board. Hebert’s passion for community and education reﬂects her belief that investing in young people creates a stronger, brighter future for Louisiana. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. What does your role with the AgCenter look like, beyond the rice field program? We develop educational programs, and one that we’ve focused on is ag awareness. Out of our advisory process, someone suggested that we focus on the rice industry, since the LSU AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Sta-

tion is within the southwest region. Do you plan to host another Beyond the Rice Field program in the future? We’re going to propose that we do it every other year. We highlight all careers available in the ag industry, whereas this one was targeted just on the rice industry, so we plan to alternate them — one general ag awareness program and then the rice program. What activities and curriculum did the students participate in for the rice field program? We really called upon the professors at the rice research station. They went out with entomologists into the rice fields, looked for bugs and then evaluated the bugs and discussed how they would impact the rice crop. In our agronomy lab, they took home seed plots and did different treatments on them. They learned about drones and got to fly drones. Every one of the six sessions highlighted the careers, but then also did some type of hands-on activity. How are young people integral to the future of Louisiana agriculture? That’s the driving force behind our ag awareness program, especially with this rice field day, is a con-

SHELTER

Continued from page 1y assignments and parenting classes help reinforce positive habits and create routines for successful living once they leave. Each family works with case managers to build a life plan — education, workforce development, financial literacy and affordable housing needs — tailored to their unique situations. The wraparound services approach includes programs both in the shelter and after the families move out, including transportation, workplace uniforms and soft skill developments. “Hope lives here,” Brad-

RISHER

Continued from page 1y Granted, I now realize that I don’t always register some conversations as awkward and eventually realize that what I appreciated as an exchange in getting to know someone better, in fact, pushed someone else’s

cern for young people who are entering careers that are agriculture-based. We cooperate with the College of Ag at LSU to highlight those careers, from fashion merchandising to food science to agronomy. We’re trying to expose them to a vast array of career opportunities in agriculture and what educational opportunities are available to them. With our rice ﬁeld day, we emphasized internships and high school job opportunities that would expose them to see if they’d like this career choice. One of the key things we’re trying to do is develop their awareness of the careers but also give them hands-on opportunities. How does 4-H develop leadership skills and teach students the soft skills needed in the workforce? The ag awareness program is just one of the things we offer. Our statewide forage program offers opportunities in three core areas besides agriculture: STEM, healthy living and citizenship and leadership. We start the 4-H program in fourth grade, and a lot of that is where they are exploring and learning about the different subject matters. As they stay with us in the 4-H program, we transition that into leadership. If a fourth grader starts off interested in the nutrition

PROVIDED PHOTO

Participants in LSU AgCenter’s Growing Careers … Beyond the Rice Field program participate in hands-on activities that simulated daily work of scientists and professors in the rice industry. project and cooking, they’re learning how to measure ingredients, but we’re hoping, by 10th grade, they’re conducting the workshop for the fourth grader. Louisiana 4-H is pretty unique. We have seven statewide leadership boards where we focus on subject matter and developing leaders in those areas. Every parish also has a team leadership program. That club focuses very heavily on leadership development. How does 4-H work with external partners in the state — farmers, researchers, etc. — to bolster the

program? We’re always looking for community collaborators who are aligned with the missions of our 4-H program. The rice ﬁeld day was a great example. It was awesome to see the passion that our researchers, research associates, extension faculty and farmers have for their career paths. That’s always something, when we ﬁnd a partner that has the same goal and passion of reaching young people and sustaining an industry. Our STEM program is

ley-Fletcher said over the hired her. “We all have within our cheers and music of the Suhearts to do this mission,” perdome suite. Coleman said. “We’re taking More than a shelter families from homelessness For 63-year-old Sydney and poverty to one of stabilColeman, a 13-year employee ity and self sufﬁciency, and of New Orleans Women and we do it every day — one Children’s Shelter and the ex- family at a time, meeting ecutive assistant, the shelter them where they are at.” Coleman says she goes is more than a shelter. It’s a family place where families to sleep thinking about the have their own private rooms shelter and wakes up thinkand private bathrooms. ing about the shelter beHaving been homeless cause her prayer is to see with her own children ear- homelessness end in her lier in her life, Coleman lifetime. Bradley-Fletcher says her has a unique perspective and heart for the families entire staff is full of hard at the shelter. Another workers who genuinely care program, House of Ruth, about the mission, which helped her get on her feet, speaks to the quality of their and she continued to work work. Donna Perkins, director there until it closed, which was when Bradley-Fletcher of shelter operations, has

worked with the organization for 16 years. Her favorite aspect of the job is getting the families into shelter and knowing they are off the streets. She loves ﬁxing up the rooms and stocking them with what each family needs — and then seeing their faces when they walk into the rooms. On Dec. 1, the New Orleans Women and Children’s Shelter was selected as one of 32 grant recipients of the Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez Bezos Day 1 Families Fund, meaning another $1.25 million pledged to the shelter. Bradley-Fletcher says this additional gift is truly transformational for the

shelter and means more families will come into safety, to work toward ensuring no child in the community sleeps outside. Over the next ﬁve years, the organization will use the grant to strengthen and expand programming and support for the families they serve. As for the New Orleans Saints, the team continues to be involved with the shelter, coming through for holidays, special occasions and the Kick for Kids initiative. When the season ends, the Saints and Keesler Federal Credit Union will present the check to Bradley-Fletcher and her team, helping ensure more families in New Orleans have a safe place to call home.

from a deep-seated human need to belong — and that awkward moments feel like they threaten social standing, even if only temporarily. From my experience, I believe the trick is working through the awkward and embracing the cringe. Being brave enough to put it out there and laugh at it goes a long way toward tak-

ing away the sting. Because the truth is that awkwardness can bruise. The awkward moment unpaired with a demonstration of one’s ability to laugh at oneself can become something else entirely, a verboden moment to ignore and never mention again. Those moments can close doors, not open them. They are the times that make so

many of us avoid awkward at all costs. Not every awkward moment is redeemable. And yet, they are still worth the risk. I admit that in the moment when D’Aquin tapped me on the shoulder, and I realized what had fallen from the overhead compartment — and that 20 people had been looking at

buttons. “At its core, awkwardness is rooted in a fear of judgment,” Godwin wrote. “When we make a mistake, do something embarrassing, or ﬁnd ourselves in an uncomfortable situation, we worry that others will see us as incompetent, unprofessional, or socially inept.” She says the fear comes

Another big gift

really growing right now, so robotics gives us a lot of opportunity to partner with local people as well. We have things like job interview contests, and we work with HR departments to do mock interviews. We’re always trying to connect with people throughout the site to highlight their careers and passions for different subject matters that pertain to our young people. Email Lauren Cheramie at lauren.cheramie @theadvocate.com.

PROVIDED PHOTO By MEAGEN MORELAND

Dawn Bradley-Fletcher, CEO of the New Orleans Women and Children’s Shelter, stands at the suites at the Superdome during the Nov. 23 Saints game.

my unmentionables for 10 minutes, I wanted to crawl under the seat in front of me. These days, though, I’m happy to be living proof that experiencing, growing from and reframing awkward moments does have its upsides. Email Jan Risher at jan. risher@theadvocate.com.

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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ 3Y

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‘Building connections’

Baton Rouge zine scene promotes accessible self-expression BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer

Folded, sometimes stapled and small enough to slip into a pocket, the tiny booklets distributed by the Baton Rouge Zine Club are the opposite of going viral. It’s a portable medium. It’s DIY. In a digitally saturated world, where content simultaneously lives forever and is forgotten with a swipe of the thumb, the zine encourages a tactile engagement with art and ideas. “Everything just sort of goes by on a scroll on the phone,” said Sophie Ziegler, a member of the Baton Rouge Zine Club. “It’s nice to have small analog things that we can hold on to, that you can use and then re-find and rediscover.” Though New Orleans might be considered the state’s cultural and artistic center for activities like zine making, the Baton Rouge Zine Club and Louisiana Zine Fest offer spaces outside of the Crescent City for people to explore self-publication and bond with others in the community over an accessible and inclusive medium. “A lot of the events that are like this happen in New Orleans, so the first motivation was to do something for those of us not in New Orleans and for those of us in different parts of the state to be able to participate,” Ziegler said. “Inexpensive self-publication” is the standard definition of the zine, Ziegler said. The medium is low budget and welcoming to anyone interested in exploring ideas artistically, they said. “There’s not a large editing process that a lot of these go through,” Ziegler said. “What that means is you get to communicate very directly to the people you share zines with.”

The Baton Rouge zine scene held the first Louisiana Zine Fest in August 2025. The event, hosted at the East Baton Rouge Parish Library, brought zine-related workshops and vendors to the Main Branch on Goodwood Avenue, covering topics from zine construction to content. Several hundred people attended the event. Gabriella Lindsay, who started the south Louisiana, queer identity-focused zine “Cher,” said the small-batch nature of zines and their ability to speak directly to readers makes them uniquely positioned as an art form to build community. They also provide a publishing platform with a low barrier to entry for local artists and writers to share their work, she said. “They are not meant to go viral,” Lindsay said. “They are meant to start conversations with each other and bring connection, and I think that’s really valuable right now.” Zines are often tied to countercultural and niche movements, both historically and practically because they are inexpensive to produce, Ziegler said. Science fiction fans in the 1930s helped popularize the format in American culture, but even religious pamphlets share many elements of the zine, they said. “A zine is particularly adept at communicating thoughts that might not have more mainstream ways of circulating,” Ziegler said. With queer stories specifically, zines can articulate people’s experiences with sexuality and gender in a way that leads to understanding, according to Lindsay. “I read somebody’s zine about their gender fluidity,” Lindsay said. “If they told me, ‘I’m gender fluid,’ that would be a way of un-

PHOTOS PROVIDED By BATON ROUGE ZINE CLUB

ABOVE: Baton Rouge Zine Club members make zines together during a meeting in October. RIGHT: An informational zine for the Baton Rouge Zine Club is displayed. derstanding them. But because I was able to read their zine, read their experience, read their deﬁnition of gender ﬂuidity for them, I was able to understand them so much better than just the label of it could.” The Baton Rouge Zine Club currently meets at the Wonderground creative space off Myrtle Walk in Baton Rouge. Ziegler emphasized that everyone is welcome to join the zine-making and sharing time. “They’re fun ways to work out ideas,” Ziegler said. “A lot of people have told me they’re really important ways to get back to creative endeavors in general. The stakes are really low. If you don’t like your zine, you can throw it away.” Plans are in the works for Louisiana Zine Fest in 2026. “We want to keep it as Louisiana focused as possible to make sure those of us in Louisiana have a venue, have a chance to meet,” Ziegler said. “The large part of this is about building connections in communities.”

Helping Small Businesses Thrive

Rewriting the Rules: R LaQueda Ricks Turns HR Expertise into a Growing Business

fter more than two decades in human resources, LaQueda Ricks understood the complexities of people and policy, and had become a trusted leader in her ﬁeld. She spent years helping organizations structure HR departments, guide leadership development, and champion workplace equity. Now she was ready to do it on her own terms. As a result, 4D HR Consulting was born; a ﬁrm named for the four pillars that guide its work: Discover, Design, Develop, and Deliver.

“The tips the Shell LiveWire program gave me were game changers. It helped me connect with my audience and build my platform.” L AQUEDA RICKS | 4D HR CONSULTING

Introduced to the Shell LiveWire program through Louisiana Economic Development (LED), LaQueda saw it as a chance to take 4D HR to the next level. “You have to learn everything, from accounting to branding,” she explained. Through Shell LiveWire, LaQueda dug into proﬁt and loss statements, budgeting, and branding. She reﬁned her messaging, began leveraging social media, and even had posts go viral; something she attributes directly to what she learned in the program. Since completing Shell LiveWire, LaQueda is positioning 4D HR for national partnerships, all while staying rooted in her mission: Aligning people, policy, and performance.

Ready to grow your business? Applications for the 2026 Shell LiveWire Louisiana program are open through January 26, 2026 for businesses from Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Mary, and Terrebonne Parishes. All industries welcome.

Apply now at www.shell.us/livewire.

shell.us/louisiana | #PoweringProgress

4Y ■ Sunday, January 11, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

FAITH & VALUES lll

Buddhist nun supports Denver’s homeless BY FIONA MURPHY Contributing writer

On a cool morning in Denver, a 70-year-old Buddhist nun pedaled their electric tricycle beneath highway overpasses and along cracked bike paths, slowing as they approached tents tucked against concrete embankments or someone sleeping under a bridge. The small trailer fastened to the trike carried bottled water, bagged lunches, socks, gloves, Narcan, tents and hand warmers. The cyclist, Kelsang Virya, who uses they/them pronouns, has become a familiar presence to many people living on Denver’s streets over the past ﬁve years. The nun — who helped found Mutual Aid Monday, which now feeds more than 400 vulnerable and unhoused people a week — scans the grittiest parts of the city for familiar faces. “I think I know most people here,” Virya said after handing out supplies at a homeless encampment on the outskirts of Lakewood, where about 30 people who were gathered around tents and wearing winter jackets approached them for water and food, saying “ma’am” and thanking the nun profusely. Just before Virya arrived at the camp, the nun had stopped under a bridge to check on a man who appeared to have passed out, likely after using fentanyl, an extremely powerful opioid that has become Colorado’s leading cause of drugrelated deaths in the past ﬁve years. “He wouldn’t show me his face,” Virya said. “When I saw him under the bridge, it’s like whatever pops into my head is the mantra that’s needed.” As Virya engages in what they call “street outreach,” the work of Mutual Aid Monday, or MAM, they feel most drawn to, the nun keeps a rotation of Tibetan Buddhist mantras running quietly in their mind. Emerging from the dark shade of an overpass, Virya

will often whisper their primary mantra, Om Mani Padme Hum, associated with the Buddha of compassion and believed to relieve suffering. Virya turns to it instinctively whenever they encounter someone in distress. Virya grew up Lutheran in Wisconsin but as an adult, while raising children and working in hospice care, they began reading Thich Nhat Hanh and Pema Chödrön before eventually ﬁnding their way to Tibetan Buddhism. “What really drew me to Buddhism was the compassion,” they said. Virya was ordained more than 15 years ago and follows a tradition in which daily vows, prayers and study shape monastic life. “I retake my vows every day,” they said. “I haven’t missed in 15 and a half years.” After checking that the man under the bridge did not need Narcan, Virya murmured the Om Tara Tuttare Ture Soha mantra under their breath, saying it was the one that surfaced first because Tara is “the rescue Buddha.” “I would be so depressed,” Virya said. “I could not do this work. I have to have my faith that grounds me every day and is a refuge.” This work began for Virya in 2019, when they and their granddaughter started taking bagged lunches to large encampments across Denver. They had moved to the city 12 years earlier to be closer to their son, after having spent the three previous years living at a monastery in New Mexico. In 2020, amid the pandemic and as homelessness surged in the city, the nun began showing up at encampment sweeps several times a week to protest, as police were often reportedly poking holes in people’s tents, damaging personal property and handing out tickets. Denver has long enforced an unauthorized-camping ordinance, commonly known as the urban camping ban, which prohibits sleeping in public spaces and has shaped how homelessness is

PHOTO PROVIDED By FIONA MURPHy

Buddhist nun Kelsang Virya uses a tricycle and buggy to distribute items during street outreach to unhoused populations on Nov. 18 in Denver. managed in the city for more than a decade. The policy has made encampment sweeps a regular feature of life for people living on the streets, often forcing them to move with little notice and limited access to shelter. But after an unhoused person told Virya the police came down harder after protestors left, Virya changed tactics. The next day, the nun showed up with coffee and doughnuts in a small red wagon instead. “Just be there for them and listen to them,” they said. As they spent more time at camps, Virya began to recognize another gap. Unhoused people were losing not only their belongings during sweeps, but also any opportunity to tell city leaders what was happening to them. So Virya and a small group of activists brought their idea to the steps of the City and County Building. Monday nights at City Hall, when public comment is held, have historically drawn unhoused residents and advocates seeking to be heard. And it was there the group established Mutual Aid Mondays. “We decided that maybe we’d have a place where they could come and get food and gear, and the other half was to try to encourage folks to go into City Council,” Virya said. “That’s why it’s on Monday … so they could let them

know what’s going on on the streets.” The idea was simple: offer food, gear and a safe place to gather so people could step out of the encampments, get what they needed and, if they chose, go inside and speak during public comment. “Virya cooked up a lot of food and was in their kitchen on Sunday, all day, preparing for Monday,” said Jess Wiederholt, a Denver activist, mother of seven, practicing Presbyterian and one of the founding members of MAM. “And then the rest of us all brought something, you know. So like, I was the pasta person.” What began with about 50 people and a handful of volunteers serving food has expanded into a weekly scene outside City Hall that unfolds into a temporary village, where up to 50 volunteers unload tents, sleeping bags and hygiene kits, lay out Narcan supplies on folding tables and even set up a barber’s chair. In the early days, Virya cooked with whatever they could source from local food banks, mostly oatmeal and ﬁsh casserole. Today, the organization relies largely on donations through platforms such as Patreon, and Virya recently received a $2,000 transportation grant from the city that paid for the electric tricycle.

“Haircuts come almost every week,” Virya said. “It just gives people so much self-esteem, you know, to get their hair done.” Virya has also come to be known for driving a white van across Denver on the coldest winter nights, circling encampments with blankets, heaters and food, calling out for anyone who might need a ride to a hotel room where they could safely spend the night. Many unhoused Denverites still recall those late-night searches as the difference between danger and survival. “During cold nights, for 24 hours straight, Virya would be going to every nook and cranny in Denver to ﬁnd people,” said Raymond, who has been unhoused in Denver for six years. “When it was life and death, she was there.” In 2025, about 10,774 people in the Denver metro area were experiencing homelessness, including those staying in shelters and transitional housing. A 2025 Metro Denver Homeless Initiative study puts the average number of people on the streets any given night at 785 to 2,149 in the larger Denver metro area, which Virya conﬁrms. Jerry Burton, a Marine veteran and former unhoused activist who now works with the Housekeys Action Network, has been involved

with Mutual Aid Monday since its earliest days. Now, he moves through the weekly gathering passing out flyers about low-income housing resources. This as Virya’s dream, Burton said. “MAM started out of protest. Now, we are trying to help people here, the unhoused neighbors, to become a better member of society by providing the necessity that I think that every man, woman and child should have, and that’s a place of their own.” On a chilly Monday evening in late November, Wiederholt and Virya stood near a clothing distribution station staffed by several volunteers who, Virya noted, probably didn’t know them. The two reflected on how the organization has grown, and what that growth says about the city they have devoted so much of their lives to. “Something has to drive you to do this work,” Wiederholt said. “And for Virya and me, that was our faith. No matter what that faith is, we believe in the dignity of human beings. That’s a big part of who we are and what we believe. And so we were out here because of that.” In the past year, Virya has begun to step away from MAM’s expanding daily operations, hoping to return to the rhythm of monastic life that first grounded their work. “I felt like my spiritual practice was suffering a little bit,” Virya said. “It wasn’t that my faith had dwindled or anything. I just wasn’t having enough time, and I felt like I was not the person I wanted to be.” Each day, Virya recites their vows, prays, meditates and studies Buddhist texts. Still, they spend several days a week visiting encampments on their tricycle, offering supplies, conversation and whispering ancient mantras under their breath. They say that connecting one-on-one with people on the street can feel a bit like spreading the calming practice of meditation.

Inside a closing Minn. prison, a radical shift in how inmates live BY EMMY MARTIN and NATHANIEL MINOR Contributing writers

Editor’s note: This story, created by Emmy Martin and Nathaniel Minor for The Minnesota Star Tribune is part of the Solutions Story Tracker from the Solutions Journalism Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to rigorous reporting about responses to social problems. Louisiana Inspired features solutions journalism stories that provide tangible evidence that positive change is happening in other places and in our own communities — solutions that can be adopted around the world. The B-East cell hall at Stillwater prison was once a place of echoing lockdowns and razor-edged tension. “Some things that’ll never leave,” said Lt. Sam Marks, recalling the stabbings, selfharm and overdoses that reverberated through the four tiers of steel and concrete. But since the Department of Corrections began the process of closing the prison this fall, an experiment has taken root in the newly opened space. Inside, incarcerated people tend herb gardens, line up for “shape-ups” in a resident-run barbershop, debate books in a discussion group, and help run a prison tattoo shop. The transformed space is an “earned living unit,” or ELU, that trades privileges for accountability. Since the unit opened about two months ago, multiple staff and residents said, the unit has not faced a lockdown. “The interaction between inmates and the staff has changed, a complete 180,” Marks said. “We’re building something together.” DOC Commissioner Paul

PHOTO PROVIDED By ALEX KORMAN

Inside Cell Hall A-East at Stillwater prison in Bayport, inmates move freely and also are allowed to pursue more interests. Staff said there are fewer disciplinary actions. Inmates say the rhythm is different and there is more opportunity. Schnell said the department will use Stillwater’s remaining years to reﬁne the ELU model here and expand it to other facilities. A parallel unit at Faribault prison launched around the same time. The ELU sits inside Stillwater’s historic cellblocks, but the daily rhythm is different. Men move freely between units, work, the gym and other spaces during the day, residents said. The old black line in the middle of the main corridor — which incarcerated people were once forbidden to cross — is gone. The unit offers “more freedom, more movement, more opportunity and access to other commissary options,” Schnell said. Eligibility is based on an application and past behavior. Most cells are single-occupancy; some residents receive a second cell for study or projects. The block now includes air fryers, pizza ovens, weight equipment, video games and hobby spaces. Damon DiMartino, 50, convicted of promoting prostitution, said he spends much of his time in that spare cell, where he grows peppers

and four types of basil under lights. He used to sneak dandelions and other weeds from the yard back to his cell to grow and was punished for it. “I can’t believe they’re letting us do this,” he said as he tended to plants. DiMartino and other inmates use the herbs in homemade lasagna and pizza. “When there’s nothing to do, I just kind of sit in here for a moment,” DiMartino said. “This is about as free as I’m going to get for a while — a few more years anyway.” Incarcerated people can also decorate their cells as they wish. Brandon Cox, 39, who is serving a life sentence for a conviction of first-degree murder, asked tattoo artist Daniel Gonzalez to paint murals on his walls, including one of his son. Inmates described town halls, unit mission statements and shared standards that, staff said, are sometimes “more robust” than DOC rules. The climate shift has been immediate. “Being here for almost two months and never seeing a ﬁght,” Cox said. “You can’t be in prison and experience

that. It shows that the guys are really here for the program, and the guys are really here to better themselves and uplift everybody.” Keith Grube, 59, serving a life sentence for first-degree murder, has cycled through Rush City, Moose Lake and Lino Lakes. He called Stillwater’s ELU “hands down” the best. “This is a prison only if you want to act like a prisoner,” he said. “If you want to act like this is a community, then this is a community.” Staff and residents acknowledged the human side of Stillwater’s transition — friends transferred statewide, programs paused, longtime officers reassigned. And also a recurring concern: whether concentrating highly motivated residents in the Stillwater ELU and transferring out “heavy hitters,” as Marks described it, pushes troubled dynamics elsewhere in the state. The Stillwater units before the changes shifted prisoners averaged a lockdown a quarter, the DOC said. The DOC transferred 262 people from Stillwater to Rush City, now operating at about 94% capacity, according to DOC data. Overcrowding can increase violence, Schnell said, citing the recent death of Stephen Washington after an alleged altercation with his cellmate and the August assault of four correctional officers at Rush City. Schnell said the department is tracking incidents closely but emphasized that the ELU is built around riskbased placement, not displacement. Inmates must apply to the unit. In the two months since they opened, three inmates at Stillwater and

three in Faribault have been removed from the units, according to the DOC. So far, he said, DOC has found no evidence that Stillwater’s phased closure has caused new violence at other prisons. “The reality is, anytime you have higher populations, higher numbers of people, you’re going to have an increase in problems,” Schnell said. He said he remains confident prisons are adequately staffed. Staffing levels across the entire system are higher now than in 2019, when the prison population was more than 1,000 people larger. The self-governance ethos extends to programs that inmates built themselves, which are now part of the ELU. Stillwater’s two-year-old tattoo program operates like an outside apprenticeship, overseen by a full-time DOC administrator. Apprentices practice on synthetic skin, complete sanitation courses and test for licensure through the Minnesota Department of Health. Two early apprentices paroled this year and were hired as tattoo artists right away, staff member Justin Jiminez said. One placed second at a tattoo convention. Licenses for the two artists, Daniel Gonzalez, 28, and Courtney Ocegueda, 29, hang on the wall. Practice skins show crisp linework and color studies. Staff say DOC-permitted tattooing reduces hepatitis transmission behind bars. In a chair, Gonzalez — serving time for seconddegree murder and assault — layered color into a multisession dragon tattoo across Matthew Fahey’s back. Fahey, 40, imprisoned for first-

degree criminal sexual conduct, criminal sexual predatory conduct and kidnapping, sat patiently through his fifth session. “I’ve always wanted to be a tattoo artist, but I never thought it was possible,” Gonzalez said. “Sometimes it can be expensive.” Residents also built a barbershop they named Street Cuts. Joe Soltis, 69, serving a life sentence for first-degree murder, had pushed for a shop for decades. After the ELU launched, residents converted part of a recreation room into a full-service barbershop, complete with graffiti lettering and paintsplatter floors. Soltis hopes the unit will eventually start an accredited barber school. Earlier this year, the Legislature ordered Stillwater to close by June 2029. Already, 60% of Stillwater’s population has been transferred, and the remaining inmates are in the ELU, substance abuse or restrictive housing units. Schnell said the Stillwater closing so far has met budget targets, with total cuts reaching $48 million by 2029. The 111-year-old facility has an estimated $180 million in deferred maintenance. Schnell said the prison population statewide is about 8,300, down from about 10,000 in 2019, allowing the DOC to absorb Stillwater’s residents. Planned capacity at Stillwater during the wind-down is about 550, down from roughly 1,180 before the closure decision. Long-term, DOC is considering expansions at other prisons and may seek bonding for improvements at St. Cloud, which has significant infrastructure needs.

SUNDAY, JANUArY 11, 2026

CURTIS / by Ray Billingsley

SLYLOCK FOX / by Bob Weber Jr.

GET FUZZY / by Darby Conley

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE / by Chris Browne

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM / by Mike Peters

ZIGGY / by Tom Wilson

SALLY FORTH / by Francesco Marciuliano & Jim Keefe

ZITS / by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE / by Stephan Pastis

wonderword

scrabble grams

word game

directions: Make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. Add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. All the words are in the Official SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

instructions: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

For more information on tournaments and clubs, email NASPA – North American SCRABBLE Players Association: info@scrabbleplayers.org. Visit our website: www.scrabbleplayers.org. For puzzle inquiries contact scrgrams@gmail.com. Hasbro and its logo SCRABBLE associated logo, the design of the distinctive SCRABBLE brand game card, and the distinctive letter tile designs are trademarks of Hasbro in the United States and Canada. ©2026 Hasbro. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

cryptoquote AxyDLBAAxR iS LONgFELLOW One letter stands for another. in this sample, A is used for the three L’s, x for the two O’s, etc. Single letters, apostrophes, the length and formation of the words are all hints. Each day the code letters are different.

AnsWers to ALL PuZZLes Are on inside BAcK PAGe

todAY's Word — LiGneous: LIG-neeus: Of or resembling wood. Average mark 49 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 66 or more words in LIGNEOUS?

Sudoku

ken ken instructions: 1 - Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 through 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating. 2 - The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners. 3 - Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner.

instructions: Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

hidato directions: Complete the grid so that numbers 1–132 connect horizontally, vertically or diagonally.

AnsWers to ALL PuZZLes Are on inside BAcK PAGe

Los angeLes Times sunday Crossword puzzLe — Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis “repair worK” By JiLL singer aCross 1 Bottom of a platter? 6 Singer Guthrie 10 Actress Mireille 14 Beta preceder 19 Solo 20 Shakespearean king 21 Catholic leader 22 Prepare for a long drive 23 Santa Ana __ 24 Miami-__ County 25 Risks a “TMI” response 27 Irresistibly cute river animal? 30 Video game thief Sandiego 31 Learning ctr. 32 Pastoral people of Kenya 33 Actor Sean 36 Equivalent 38 Update a cartographer’s work 42 “Get that pool float out of my way!”? 47 Fury 49 Obey, with “by” 50 Early show since 1975, briefly 51 Aspiring atty.’s hurdle 53 Freelancer’s job 54 __ a one 55 Question about a new romantic partner? 61 Ostrich kin 62 Sausages served with sauerkraut, for short 63 Sonoma product 64 Swimmer’s unit 65 “Have a bite” 67 Juniper-flavored liquor 68 Huge favors

72 Zoo doc 73 Prayer ender 75 Astonish 77 “__ Maria” 78 Photo taken as milk spreads over a table? 83 Figure skating gold medalist Nathan 84 Email signature info 85 Catches 86 Apple variety 87 Bars under cars 88 Gulf of Mexico structures 91 Goo or ga, for a baby? 96 Show off in the mirror 97 Give a hoot 98 Davenport citizen 99 G-Shock watchmaker 102 Some British sports cars 104 Superficially attractive 108 Working the barbecue at the corn festival? 114 Unit in Chagall’s “Four Seasons” 115 “Another thing ... “ 116 Pay stub data 118 K.T. of country music 119 Airline figs. 120 Narrow inlets 121 Basketball great Shaquille 122 Ignominy 123 Hall of Fame safety Ronnie 124 Chooses, as a replacement 125 Square down 1 Glimpsed 2 __ crest: pelvis part 3 Disco legend

Summer 4 “Return of the Jedi” forest moon 5 Brit’s close pal 6 Like some pasta 7 __ admiral 8 British title 9 Cookies similar to Trader Joe’s Joe-Joe’s 10 Momentous 11 Bossa __ 12 Enticing words on a gift box 13 Sealy rival 14 Fundamentally 15 Less raked 16 Home of the Spectacled Bear Conservation Society 17 Shades 18 Church recess 26 Soon-to-be grads 28 Musician and radio host John 29 The Tritons of the NCAA 34 Gold block 35 Spanish “Stop!” 37 Honeydew, e.g. 39 Crèche figures 40 Opposin’ 41 Simon of “The Boys” 42 Impressionist Édouard 43 “The Light We Carry” writer Michelle 44 Self-replicating malware 45 Ice cream maker Joseph 46 Paddle kin 47 Shipbuilding wood 48 Employ 52 Take to court 55 Cuneiform, e.g. 56 Panama, for one 57 “Dallas” surname 58 __ and yang 59 Wise one 60 Massage locale

62 Page 66 Den sets 67 X, Y, or Z intro 68 Purse 69 Hindi title 70 Rejoice with pride 71 Get a feeling about 73 Clerical robe 74 “Supernatural” actor Collins 75 Rare Italian violin

goren Bridge

76 “__ Man”: Village People hit 78 Mustang roof option 79 Successor 80 French pronoun 81 __ Vegas Raiders 82 Global finance org. 83 Hired ride 87 Was almost out of 89 Win back 90 Waiting, perhaps

wuzzLes

92 Coveted territory in the air? 93 Brickmaker 94 “That’s disgusting!” 95 Angler’s supply 97 “__, ergo sum” 100 “I know this is wrong,” from an editor 101 Spy collection 103 Like some watches

105 Silas of the Continental Congress 106 Enthusiastic 107 Anticipate with fear 108 Engineered foods, for short 109 __ Hashana 110 Cuba, por ejemplo 111 Like an open can of soda, eventually

112 Director Kazan 113 “Right now!” 117 Underhanded

super Quiz

Obvious shift?

Take this Super Quiz to a Ph.D. Score 1 point for each correct answer on the Freshman Level, 2 points on the graduate Level and 3 points on the Ph.D. Level.

North’s jump to four spades showed a spade fit with a terrible hand, usually 0-3 points. North would have bid only three spades if he thought he had anything useful. West started with the ace and king of diamonds, then continued with the queen of diamonds. South ruffed with the 10 of spades and cashed the ace and king of spades to draw trumps. He cashed the ace and king of hearts before leading the eight of spades to dummy’s nine. In dummy for the only time, South had to decide what to do. He made the winning decision when he led the 10 of diamonds. He was delighted to see East discard a heart. South discarded his low club, conceding the trick to West. West was not at all happy about this as he had to either lead a club away from his king or give up a ruff-sluff. 10 tricks either way and South made his contract. West could have done better. Surely his partner would have high-lowed in diamonds on the first two tricks if he had a doubleton. There was no chance that the queen of diamonds would win the third trick. He could have shifted to a trump at trick three. Declarer can still arrange

SUBJECT: ABBREVIATED

7. 8 L on a S.

FORMS

Answer________

Provide the long form

8. 12 N on a C.

of the shortening. (e.g., 24 H in a D. Answer: Twenty-four hours in

Answer________ 9. 4 L on a T. Answer________

a day.)

10. 18 H on a G C. Answer________

FRESHMAN LEVEL 1. 60 S in a M. Answer________

PH.D. LEVEL

2. 4 S in a D of C.

11. 7 W of the W.

Answer________

for the nine of spades to be a dummy entry, but he will have no better choice than to take the club finesse for his contract and the defense would have prevailed. Was this an obvious shift? What do you think?

3. 6 Z in a M.

12. 12 S of the Z.

Answer________

4. 90 D in a R A.

13. 15 M on a D M C.

Answer________

5. 12 M in a Y.

14. 9 L of a C.

Tannah Hirsch welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, Ny. 14207. E-mail responses may be sent to gorenbridge@ aol.com. © 2026 Tribune Content Agency

Answer________

Answer________ 15. 12 D of J. Answer________

GRADUATE LEVEL 6. 365 D in a Y. Answer________

ANSWERS TO ALL PUZZLES ARE ON NEXT PAGE

zodiaC CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Gather information, verify facts and refuse to let anger infiltrate your conversations. Be a good listener and a genuine friend, and you’ll build strong relationships with people you can count on. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Mull over facts, figures and formalities that need your attention. When something is dragging you down, it’s time to implement changes that reflect how you feel and what you want. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) An opportunity will grab your attention if you socialize or participate in an event that excites you. Being part

of a movement that improves your community or serves a purpose will be gratifying. ARIES (March 21-April 19) Balance, gratitude and integrity are necessary. Don’t expect favors, and beware of people trying to scam you or tempt you. Question everything and say no with certainty. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Focus your time and energy on what matters most to you, and you will create exactly what you desire and achieve the comfort you deserve. Apply for something you want. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Bide your time and do your research before

you make a move that can affect you emotionally or financially. A change may be your desire, but how you move forward and what motivates you must be worthwhile. CANCER (June 21-July 22) Exercise your rights. Participate in something that matters to you. A partnership with someone special will grow into something more substantial if you share your feelings and intentions. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Emotional matters will escalate if you don’t address issues head-on. If you are willing to communicate and compromise, problems will be much easier

to fix. Be a leader; seek a position of influence. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Getting back to basics, such as nature or an activity you enjoy, will be uplifting and make you reconsider your lifestyle. Visit a friend or participate in an event that broadens your awareness. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) The time you spend contemplating what’s meaningful to you and who you want to be around will encourage more nurturing and motivate you to plan your next move. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Share your thoughts, socialize and participate

in the changes you endorse. The opportunity to do something meaningful will align you with people who can bring your suggestions to life. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Be observant, and you’ll ward off conflicts. You can’t please everyone, but you can make your life easier by minimizing your involvement in other people’s dilemmas. The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

dustin / by Steve Kelley & Jeff Parker

Answers to puzzles super quiz 1. Sixty seconds in a minute. 2. Four suits in a deck of cards. 3. Six zeros in a million. 4. Ninety degrees in a right angle. 5. Twelve months in a year. 6. 365 days in a year. 7. Eight legs on a spider. 8. Twelve numbers on a clock. 9. Four legs on a table. 10. Eighteen holes on a golf course. 11. Seven Wonders of the World. 12. Twelve signs of the zodiac. 13. Fifteen men on a dead man's chest. 14. Nine lives of a cat. 15. Twelve disciples of Jesus. SCORING: 24 to 30 points — congratulations, doctor; 18 to 23 points — honors graduate; 13 to 17 points — you’re plenty smart, but no grind; 5 to 12 points — you really should hit the books harder; 1 point to 4 points — enroll in remedial courses immediately; 0 points — who reads the questions to you?

Cryptoquote Answer Saturday's Cryptoquote: There's a thin line between to laugh with and to laugh at. — Richard Pryor

word GAme Answer legion lenis lens lesion lien lieu line ling lingo lion loge login loin lone long lose losing

lounge louse lues luge lune lung lunge ingle insole isle genius genus glen glue goes gone guile

guise noel noes noise nose egis elusion ogle onus using sign silo sine sing singe single sling

sloe slog slue slug slung snug soigne soil sole soling sone song soul suing sung

sudoKu Answer jumble Answer

Crossword Answers

jeFF mACnelly’s shoe / by Gary Brookins & Susie MacNelly

sCrAbble Answers

FoXtrot / by Bill Amend

wuzzles Answers

Ken Ken Answers

hidAto Answers