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Multistate invasive species network launched

LsU AgCenter gets $1M to fight pink snails, feral hogs and more BY HALEY MILLER staff writer

sTAFF PHoTos By MICHAEL JoHNsoN

Land along strawberry Lane in the Hungarian settlement that is part of a proposed rezoning to industrial space shows signs of development in Albany on saturday.

‘The beginning of the end’

Louisiana’s Hungarian settlement residents worried about zoning changes BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD

staff writer

Five generations of Pete Pfiffner’s family have lived on his property for more than 100 years. “I’ve been here all my life,” Pﬁffner, 86, said sitting outside his house. In the front yard, red, white and green memorabilia — the colors of the Hungarian ﬂag — signal his residency in the largest rural Hungarian settlement in the United States, nestled between the

posted about a month ago, announcing a public meeting for a proposed rezoning of 37.32 total acres along Strawberry Lane from light commercial to heavy industrial. The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Livingston Parish Courthouse chambers. The zoning proposal has left residents of the Hungarian settlement, like Pfiffner, worried about how this could permanently change the area. “They want to come in here and take everything over, and we don’t want that,” Pfiffner said. Hungarian settlement resident Pete The proposed rezoning is for an exPfiffner sits outside his home near a pansion of PALA, an industrial conproposed industrial site that is planned struction firm specializing in metal in Albany on saturday. fabrication that has headquarters in Baton Rouge. It announced in August a rural towns of Albany and Springfield in $1.9 million investment to build a new Livingston Parish. ä see ZONING, page 5A But directly across his yard is a notice,

Clusters of hot pink apple snail eggs cling to reeds and cypress trunks, a backdrop fitting for either an alien invasion movie or a Floam commercial. As the snails advance in Louisiana’s waterways, they destroy aquatic ecosystems, eating their way through native flora and fauna and infecting other animals with parasites. Their presence can spell ruin for a rice crop or a crawfish pond. Hot and humid climates of the Mississippi River Valley are teeming with invaders like the apple snail that wreak havoc on ecosystems and agriculture. There’s the milky larva of the Mexican rice borer, which tunnels through rice stems and sugar cane stalks. There are packs of the notorious feral hog, infamous for its destruction of crop fields by rooting around the soil in search of plants and grubs. And there are “air potatoes,” a kind of yam that grows above ground on

ä see INVASIVE, page 4A

PHoTo PRoVIDED By THE LsU AGCENTER

Bright pink apple snail eggs are seen in a waterway. The LsU AgCenter is tackling the problem of invasive species in the Mississippi River Valley with a new consortium to detect and eradicate destructive non-native organisms.

4 magistrates play key role in East Baton Rouge courts

or dole out final dispositions in 2024. The changes took full effect Commissioners perform basic court operations to keep things moving criminal cases, they are pivotal to when Jermaine Guillory and Kory

BY MATT BRUCE staff writer

If judges elected to the 19th Judicial District are the engine that powers the East Baton Rouge state court, then its commissioners

WEATHER HIGH 56 LOW 32 PAGE 6B

serve as the pistons that help keep the motor revving smoothly. Commissioners are quasi-judges appointed by the 19th JDC’s panel of 15 elected judgeships. They have limited judicial powers that allow them to set bail, sign search

and arrest warrants, issue subpoenas, handle grand jury indictments, sign off on seizure orders for foreclosures and make recommendations to judges. While commissioners can’t accept guilty pleas, issue sentences

the court’s operations. Nicole Robinson, who currently serves as the 19th JDC’s senior commissioner, and Kinasiyumki “Kina” Kimble are the veterans of the lineup. Both were commissioners for years before the court implemented sweeping changes in

Classified .....................6C Deaths .........................7A Nation-World ................2A Comics-Puzzles .....3C-5C Living............................1C opinion ........................8A Commentary ................9A Metro ...........................6A sports ..........................1B

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Tauzin, a pair of former East Baton Rouge prosecutors, made the short move from the District Attorney’s Ofﬁce to the courthouse. “I love this job. I love working in and around St. Louis Street and

ä see MAGISTRATES, page 5A

101sT yEAR, No. 196

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Ukrainian drone attack in Russia kills 1

A Ukrainian drone strike killed one person and wounded three others in the Russian city of Voronezh, local ofﬁcials said Sunday. Meanwhile, thousands of residents were still without power in Kyiv, following an intense Russian bombardment. A young woman died overnight in a hospital intensive care unit after debris from a drone fell on a house during the attack on Saturday, Voronezh regional Gov. Alexander Gusev said on Telegram. Three other people were wounded and more than 10 apartment buildings, private houses and a high school were damaged, he said, adding that air defenses shot down 17 drones over Voronezh. The city is home to just over 1 million people and lies some 155 miles from the Ukrainian border. Ukraine’s General Staff said Sunday said its forces hit three drilling platforms operated by Russian oil giant Lukoil in the waters of the Caspian Sea. 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.

Thousands stranded in Finland amid freeze

HELSINKI — Thousands of tourists were stranded in northern Finland on Sunday after ﬂights at Kittilä airport were canceled due to severe cold. The temperature at the airport dropped to minus 34.6 degrees on Sunday morning, after several days of similar frigid weather, making de-icing of aircraft and other operations difficult, Finland’s national public broadcaster Yle reported. The deep freeze is expected to continue in Kittilä, which is located in Finnish Lapland in the sparsely populated north, on Monday, when the Finnish Meteorological Institute predicts temperatures of almost minus 40. Finns are generally used to frosty winter temperatures but this year’s cold, which has affected wide regions of northern, central and eastern Europe, is more severe than in other years. Heavy snowfall, high winds and icy roads have made travel difﬁcult in parts of Europe.

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Crackdown continues on Iran protests Death toll spikes to at least 544, activists say

BY JON GAMBRELL Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A crackdown on nationwide protests in Iran has killed at least 544 people and even more are feared dead, activists said Sunday, while Tehran warned that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators. Another over 10,600 people have been detained over the two weeks of protests, said the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years. It relies on supporters in Iran cross-checking information. It said 496 of the dead were protesters and 48 were with security forces. With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures. Those abroad fear the information blackout is emboldening hard-liners within Iran’s security services to launch a bloody crackdown. Protesters flooded the streets in the

PRoVIDED IMAGE FRoM VIDEo

A frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran shows protesters taking to the streets saturday in Tehran, despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world. country’s capital and its second-largest city on Saturday night into Sunday morning. Online videos purported to show more demonstrations Sunday night into Monday. President Donald Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran including cyberattacks and direct strikes by the U.S. or Israel, according to two people familiar with internal White House discussions who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. “The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters Sunday night. Asked about

CORRECTION In a story published Saturday about U.S. forces boarding another oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea, The Associated Press erroneously reported that five tankers have been seized since the United States ousted Nicolás Maduro as Venezuela’s president. The U.S. has seized three tankers since Maduro was removed from power.

ships in the region will be our legitimate targets,” Qalibaf said. “We do not consider ourselves limited to reacting after the action and will act based on any objective signs of a threat.” Lawmakers rushed the dais in parliament, shouting: “Death to America!” It remains unclear how serious Iran is about launching a strike, particularly after its air defenses were destroyed during the 12-day war in June with Israel. Any decision to go to war would rest with Iran’s 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The U.S. military has said in the Mideast it is “postured with forces that span the full range of combat capability to defend our forces, our partners and allies

Trump warns Cuba to make ‘deal’ before it’s too late

BY SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press AssoCIATED PREss PHoTo By ABDEL KAREEM HANA

A tent camp for displaced Palestinians stretches saturday across an area in Deir al-Balah in Gaza.

Hamas says it Nobel group: Peace Prize will dissolve its can’t be given away Gaza government

WASHINGTON — The organization that oversees the Nobel Peace Prize is throwing cold water on talk of Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado giving her recent award to President Donald Trump. Once the Nobel Peace Prize is announced, it can’t be revoked, transferred or shared with others, the Norwegian Nobel Institute said in a short statement on Friday. “The decision is final and stands for all time,” it said. The statement comes after Machado said she’d like to give or share the prize with Trump, who oversaw the successful U.S. operation to capture authoritarian Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. He is facing drug trafficking charges in New York. “I certainly would love to be able to personally tell him that we believe — the Venezuelan people, because this is a prize of the Venezuelan people — certainly want to give it to him and share it with him,” Machado told Fox News host Sean Hannity last week. “What he has done is historic. It’s a huge step towards a democratic transition.” Machado dedicated the prize to Trump, along with the people of Venezuela, shortly after it was announced. Trump has coveted and has openly campaigned for winning the Nobel Prize himself since his return to office.

Iran’s threats of retaliation, he said: “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.” The massive ongoing U.S. military deployment to the Caribbean is a factor that the Pentagon and Trump’s national security planners must consider. The threat to strike the U.S. military and Israel came during a parliamentary speech by Mohammad Baagher Qalibaf, the hardliner speaker of the body who has run for the presidency in the past. He directly threatened Israel, calling it “the occupied territory.” “In the event of an attack on Iran, both the occupied territory and all American military centers, bases and

and U.S. interests.” Iran targeted U.S. forces at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in June, while the U.S. Navy’s Mideast-based 5th Fleet is stationed in the island kingdom of Bahrain. Israel, meanwhile, is “watching closely” the situation between the U.S. and Iran, said an Israeli ofﬁcial, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to not being authorized to speak to journalists. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio overnight on topics including Iran, the ofﬁcial added. “The people of Israel, the entire world, are in awe of the tremendous heroism of the citizens of Iran,” said Netanyahu, a longtime Iran hawk. At the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV mentioned Iran as a place “where ongoing tensions continue to claim many lives,” adding that “I hope and pray that dialogue and peace may be patiently nurtured in pursuit of the common good of the whole of society.” Demonstrations were held in some international capitals in support of the protesters. A spokesperson said United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was “shocked” by reports of violence against protesters resulting in “scores of deaths” and called on Iranian authorities to use maximum restraint and restore communications.

Group says it will do so when new body takes over

BY SAMY MAGDY and JULIA FRANKEL Associated Press

CAIRO — Hamas said Sunday it will dissolve its existing government in Gaza once a Palestinian technocratic leadership committee takes over the territory, as mandated under the U.S.-brokered peace plan. But the group gave no specifics on when the change will occur. Hamas and the rival Palestinian Authority, the Palestinians’ internationally recognized representative, have not announced the names of the technocrats, who are not supposed to be politically affiliated, and it remains unclear if they will be cleared by Israel and the U.S. The “Board of Peace,” an international body led by Trump, is supposed to oversee the government and other aspects of the ceasefire that took effect on Oct. 10, including disarming Hamas and deploying an international security force. The board’s members have not been announced. Meanwhile, the postceasefire death toll continued to rise in Gaza, with Israeli gunfire killing three Palestinians, according to Palestinian

hospital officials. The ceasefire began with a halt in fighting and the release of hostages held in Gaza in exchange for thousands of Palestinians held by Israel. The deal is still in its first phase as efforts continue to recover the remains of the final hostage left in Gaza. An Egyptian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door information, said Hamas was sending a delegation to talks with Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish officials about moving to the second phase. In comments posted on his Telegram channel Sunday, Hazem Kassem, a Hamas spokesperson, called for speeding up the establishment of the technocratic committee. The Egyptian official said Hamas will meet with other Palestinian factions this week to finalize the committee’s formation. The Hamas delegation will be chaired by top negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, the official said. Trump has said the “Board of Peace” will monitor the committee and handle the disarmament of Hamas, the deployment of an international security force, additional pullbacks of Israeli troops and Gaza’s reconstruction. The U.S. has reported little progress on any of these fronts, though the members of the board are expected to be announced this week.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump on Sunday fired off another warning to the government of Cuba as the close ally of Venezuela braces for potential widespread unrest after Nicolás Maduro was deposed as Venezuela’s leader. Cuba, a major beneficiary of Venezuelan oil, has now been cut off from those shipments as U.S. forces continue to seize tankers in an effort to control the production, refining and global distribution of the country’s oil products. Trump said on social media that Cuba long lived off Venezuelan oil and money and had offered security in return, “BUT NOT ANYMORE!” “THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA — ZERO!” Trump said in the post as he spent the weekend at his home in southern Florida. “I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.” He did not explain what kind of deal. Hours later, Cuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, responded on X by saying “those who turn everything into a business, even human lives, have no moral authority to point the finger at Cuba in any way, absolutely in any way.” The Cuban government said 32 of its military personnel were killed during the American operation last weekend that captured Maduro. The personnel from Cuba’s two main security agencies were in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital, as part of an agreement between Cuba and Venezuela. “Venezuela doesn’t need protection anymore from the thugs and extortionists who held them hostage for so many years,” Trump said Sunday. “Venezuela now has the United States of America, the most powerful military in the World (by far!), to protect them, and protect them we will.”

Trump also responded to another account’s social media post predicting that his secretary of state, Marco Rubio, will be president of Cuba: “Sounds good to me!” Trump said. Trump and top administration ofﬁcials have taken an increasingly aggressive tone toward Cuba, which had been kept economically afloat by Venezuela. Long before Maduro’s capture, severe blackouts were sidelining life in Cuba, where people endured long lines at gas sta-

tions and supermarkets amid the island’s worst economic crisis in decades. “Those who hysterically accuse our nation today do so out of rage at this people’s sovereign decision to choose their political model,” DíazCanel said in his post. He added that “those who blame the Revolution for the severe economic shortages we suffer should be ashamed to keep quiet” and he railed against the “draconian measures” imposed by the U.S. on Cuba.

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MISSISSIPPI

Suspect arrested after fire damages synagogue BY CHARLOTTE KRAMON and JAKE OFFENHARTZ Associated Press

Congregants and leaders vowed to rebuild a historic Mississippi synagogue that was heavily damaged by fire and an individual was taken into custody for what authorities said Sunday was an act of arson. The fire ripped through the Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson shortly after 3 a.m. on Saturday, authorities said. No congregants were injured in the blaze. Photos showed the charred remains of an administrative ofﬁce and synagogue library, where several Torahs were destroyed or damaged. Jackson Mayor John Horhn conﬁrmed that a person was taken into custody following an investigation that also included the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force. “Acts of antisemitism, racism, and religious hatred are attacks on Jackson as a

whole and will be treated as acts of terror against residents’ safety and freedom to worship,” Horhn said in a statement. He did not provide the name of the suspect or the charges that the person is facing. A spokesperson for the Jackson FBI said they are “working with law enforcement partners on this investigation.” The 160-year-old synagogue, the largest in Mississippi and the only one in Jackson, was the site of a Ku Klux Klan bombing in 1967 — a response to the congregation’s role in civil rights activities, according to the Institute of Southern Jewish Life, which also houses its ofﬁce in the building. “That history reminds us that attacks on houses of worship, whatever their cause, strike at the heart of our shared moral life,” said CJ Rhodes, a prominent Black Baptist pastor in Jackson, in a Facebook post. “This wasn’t random van-

MIssIssIPPI ToDAy PHoTo By ALLEN sIEGLER

Zach shemper, president of Beth Israel Congregation, stands in ashes saturday outside the congregation’s temple in Jackson, Miss., hours after the building was damaged by fire. dalism — it was a deliberate, targeted attack on the Jewish community,” Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of The Anti-Defamation League, said in a statement. “That it has been attacked

again, amid a surge of antisemitic incidents across the US, is a stark reminder: antisemitic violence is escalating, and it demands total condemnation and swift action from everyone,” Green-

blatt said. The congregation is still assessing the damage and received outreach from other houses of worship, said Michele Schipper, CEO of the Institute of Southern

Jewish Life and past president of the congregation. The synagogue will continue its regular worship programs and services for Shabbat, the weekly Jewish Sabbath, likely at one of the local churches that reached out. “We are a resilient people,” said Beth Israel Congregation President Zach Shemper in a statement. “With support from our community, we will rebuild.” One Torah that survived the Holocaust was behind glass not damaged in the fire, Schipper said. Five Torahs inside the sanctuary are being assessed for smoke damage. Two Torahs inside the library, where the most severe damage was done, were destroyed, according to a synagogue representative. The ﬂoors, walls and ceiling of the sanctuary were covered in soot, and the synagogue will have to replace upholstery and carpeting.

Greenland faces many difficulties in rare earth mining Harsh environment, lack of infrastructure hinder efforts

BY JOSH FUNK and SUMAN NAISHADHAM Associated Press

Greenland’s harsh environment, lack of key infrastructure and difficult geology have so far prevented anyone from building a mine to extract the sought-after rare earth elements that many high-tech products require. Even if President Donald Trump prevails in his effort to take control of the Arctic island, those challenges won’t go away. Trump has prioritized breaking China’s stranglehold on the global supply of rare earths ever since the world’s number two economy sharply restricted who could buy them after the United States imposed widespread tariffs last spring. The Trump administration has invested hundreds of millions of dollars and even taken stakes in several companies. Now the president is again pitching the idea that wresting control of Greenland away from Denmark could solve the problem. “We are going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not,” Trump said Friday. But Greenland may not be able to produce rare earths for years — if ever. Some companies are trying anyway, but their efforts to unearth some of the 1.5 million tons of rare earths encased in rock in Greenland generally haven’t advanced beyond the exploratory stage. Trump’s fascination with the island nation may be more about countering Russian and Chinese influence in the Arctic than securing any of the hard-to-pronounce elements like neodymium and terbium that are used to produce the high-powered magnets needed in electric vehicles, wind turbines, robots and fighter jets among other products. “The fixation on Greenland has always been more about geopolitical posturing — a military-strategic interest and stock-promotion narrative — than a realistic supply solution for the tech sector,” said Tracy Hughes, founder and executive director of the Critical Minerals Institute. “The hype far outstrips the hard science and economics behind these critical minerals.” Trump confirmed those geopolitical concerns at the White House Friday. “We don’t want Russia or China going to Greenland, which if we don’t take Greenland, you can have Russia or China as your next door neighbor. That’s not going to happen,” Trump said The main challenge to mine in Greenland is, “of course,

expand the supply of rare earths outside of China during the one-year reprieve from even tougher restrictions that Trump said Xi Jinping agreed to in October. A number of companies around the world are already producing rare earths or magnets and can deliver more quickly than anything in Greenland, which Trump has threatened to seize with military power if Denmark doesn’t agree to sell it. “Everybody’s just been running to get to this endAssoCIATED PREss FILE PHoTo By KWIyEoN HA point. And if you go to Greenland, it’s like you’re going Tourists kayak on June 16 in front of Nuuk Cathedral in back to the beginning,” said Nuuk, Greenland. Greenland’s harsh environment, lack of Ian Lange, an economics prokey infrastructure and difficult geology have so far prevented fessor who focuses on rare anyone from building a mine to extract rare earth elements. earths at the Colorado School the remoteness. Even in the south where it’s populated, there are few roads and no railways, so any mining venture would have to create these accessibilities,” said Diogo Rosa, an economic geology researcher at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland. Power would also have to be generated locally, and expert manpower would have to be brought in. Another concern is the prospect of mining rare earths in the fragile Arctic environment just as Greenland tries to build a thriving tourism industry, said Patrick Schröder, a senior fellow in the Environment and Society program at the Chatham House think tank in London. “Toxic chemicals needed to separate the minerals out from the rock, so that can be highly polluting and further downstream as well, the processing,” Shröder said. Plus, rare earths are often found alongside radioactive uranium. Besides the unforgiving climate that encases much of Greenland under layers of ice and freezes the northern fjords for much of the year, the rare earths found there tend to be encased in a complex type of rock called eudialyte, and no one has ever developed a proﬁtable process

to extract rare earths from that type of rock. Elsewhere, these elements are normally found in different rock formation called carbonatites, and there are proven methods to work with that. “If we’re in a race for resources — for critical minerals — then we should be focusing on the resources that are most easily able to get to market,” said David Abraham, a rare earths expert who has followed the industry for decades and wrote the book “The Elements of Power.” Last week, Critical Metals’ stock price more than doubled after it said it plans to build a pilot plant in Greenland this year. But that company and more than a dozen others exploring deposits on the island remain far away from actually building a mine and would still need to raise at least hundreds of millions of dollars. Even the most promising projects can struggle to turn a profit, particularly when China resorts to dumping extra materials onto the market to depress prices and drive competitors out of business as it has done many times in the past. And currently most critical minerals have to be processed in China. The U.S. is scrambling to

PUBLIC NOTICE EAST FELICIANA PARISH REGISTRAR OF VOTERS VACANCY The East Feliciana Parish Police Jury is soliciting applications from qualified individuals seeking an appointment as the East Feliciana Parish Registrar of Voters. A qualified applicant is a registered voter who satisfies the experience and/or education requirements established in Section 18:52(B) of the Louisiana Election Code. Applicants must submit an application along with a cover letter, current resume with a list of references, evidence of voter registration, and any other materials pertinent to the qualifications, knowledge, experience, and ability. Letters of recommendation, though not required, are preferred. Applications are due no later than 5:30pm on January 29, 2026. Applications must be submitted in person to Parish Secretary-Treasurer Yamesha Harris, 12064 Marston Street, Clinton, Louisiana 70722. Once the application period has closed, qualified applicants will be contacted to schedule interviews. The Police Jury will make a final appointment on or before March 31, 2026.

of Mines. Many in the industry, too, think America should focus on helping proven companies instead of trying to build new rare earth mines in Greenland, Ukraine, Africa or elsewhere. A number of other mining projects in the U.S. and friendly nations like Australia are farther along and in much more accessible locations. The U.S. government has invested directly in the company that runs the only rare earths mine in the U.S., MP Materials, and a lithium miner and a company that recycles batteries and other products with rare earths. Scott Dunn, CEO of Noveon Magnetics, said those invest-

ments should do more to reduce China’s leverage, but it’s hard to change the math quickly when more than 90% of the world’s rare earths come from China. “There are very few folks that can rely on a track record for delivering anything in each of these instances, and that obviously should be where we start, and especially in my view if you’re the U.S. government,” said Dunn, whose company is already producing more than 2,000 metric tons of magnets each year at a plant in Texas from elements it gets outside of China. Funk reported from Omaha, Nebraska, and Naishadham reported from Madrid.

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Minneapolis on edge after shooting of Renee Good BY REBECCA SANTANA, MIKE HOUSEHOLDER and MARK VANCLEAVE Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS — Federal agents carrying out immigration arrests in Minnesota’s Twin Cities region already shaken by the fatal shooting of a woman rammed the door of one home Sunday and pushed their way inside, part of what the Department of Homeland Security has called its largest enforcement operation ever. In a dramatic scene similar to those playing out across Minneapolis, agents captured a man in the home just minutes after pepper spraying protesters outside who had confronted the heavily-armed federal agents. Along the residential street, protesters honked car horns, banged on drums and blew whistles in attempts to disrupt the operation. Video of the clash showed some agents pushing back protesters while a distraught woman later emerged from the house with a document that federal agents presented to arrest the man. Signed by an immigration ofﬁcer, the document — unlike a warrant signed by a judge — does not authorize forced entry into a private residence. A warrant signed by an immigration ofﬁcer only authorizes arrest in a public area. Immigrant advocacy groups have done extensive “know-your-rights” campaigns urging people not to

INVASIVE

Continued from page 1A fast-growing vines, crowding out native plants. A new multistate initiative led by the LSU AgCenter aims to detect these and other invasive species before their populations reach exponential levels — and manage the numbers of those already established. The Mississippi River Invasive Species Consortium will develop and implement techniques for monitoring and removing nonnative organisms, with eradication being the goal for some emergent species. “We’re moving goods across the nation so rapidly,” LSU AgCenter entomologist Rodrigo Diaz said. “In that process, some of our ecosystems don’t have a way to defend themselves.” The new consortium, launched with $1 million in federal funding that was announced Tuesday, will include the University of Arkansas and Mississippi State University. Experts from other land-grant institutions in the Mississippi River Valley will join the consortium as it develops, Diaz said. The initiative will address the abundant invasive species in Louisiana such as giant salvinia, feral hogs, Chinese tallow trees, air potatoes, apple snails, Mexican rice borers, Asian carp, citrus greening, guava rootknot nematodes and emerald ash borers. The invading plants and animals, often introduced through trade and travel, can crowd native species, alter ecosystems and present challenges for

AssoCIATED PREss PHoTo By JEN GoLBECK

People stand near a memorial on sunday at the site where Renee Good was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis. open their doors unless agents have a court order signed by a judge. But within minutes of ramming the door in a neighborhood ﬁlled with single-family homes, the handcuffed man was led away and soon gone. More than 2,000 immigration arrests have been made in Minnesota since the enforcement operation began at the beginning of December, said Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin.

immigration enforcement campaign — is bracing for what is next after 37-year-old Renee Good was shot and killed by an immigration ofﬁcer Wednesday. “We’re seeing a lot of immigration enforcement across Minneapolis and across the state, federal agents just swarming around our neighborhoods,” said Jason Chavez, a Minneapolis city council member. “They’ve deﬁnitely been out here.” Chavez, the son of Mexican imMinneapolis still tense migrants who represents an area The Twin Cities — the latest tar- with a growing immigrant popuget in President Donald Trump’s lation, said he is closely monitor-

ing information from chat groups about where residents are seeing agents operating. People holding whistles positioned themselves in freezing temperatures on street corners Sunday in the neighborhood where Good was killed, watching for any signs of federal agents. More than 20,000 people have taken part in a variety of trainings to become “observers” of enforcement activities in Minnesota since the 2024 election, said Luis Argueta, a spokesperson for Unidos MN, a local human rights organization. “It’s a role that people choose to take on voluntarily, because they choose to look out for their neighbors,” Argueta said. The protests have been largely peaceful, but residents remained anxious. On Monday, Minneapolis public schools will start offering remote learning for the next month in response to concerns that children might feel unsafe venturing out while tensions remain high. Many schools closed last week after Good’s shooting and the upheaval that followed.

Who should handle investigation? While the enforcement activity continues, two of the state’s leading Democrats said that the investigation into Good’s shooting death should not be overseen solely by the federal government. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and U.S. Sen. Tina Smith said in

sources and natural habitats and love seeing LSU on the cutting edge of such important work,” Letlow, R-Baton Rouge, said in a release. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, and Sen. John Kennedy, R-Madisonville, also played a part in obtaining the funds, said LSU AgCenter Chief Administrative Ofﬁcer Hampton Grunewald. “Every state is seeing effects of nonnative species on the food and ﬁber sector, affecting agricultural economies,” Grunewald said. “This PHoTos PRoVIDED By THE LsU AGCENTER is a plan to work with other A pack of feral hogs runs through a field at the LsU universities to try to help AgCenter Bob R. Jones-Idlewild Research station in Clinton reduce that impact and give

on June 6, 2023.

The Mexican rice borer is seen feeding on a rice plant. agriculture.

A billion-dollar problem Invasive species cost North America over $26 billion annually in recent years, according to the National Invasive Species Information Center. “This funding will allow us to coordinate detection, identiﬁcation, research and best management practices to mitigate these threats

and protect our region’s vital agricultural and natural resources,” LSU AgCenter Senior Vice Chancellor Matt Lee said in a release about the consortium. Diaz said the AgCenter set its sights on launching the consortium in the past three years. The idea was to address the problem of invasive species across states in the Mississippi River Valley as a team, he said. “Several colleagues at the LSU AgCenter thought, you know, other states are also dealing with the same problems,” Diaz said. “So, we need to be getting together.” Rep. Julia Letlow, who sits on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, helped secure the funding. The dollars will reach the consortium through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. “I’m committed to protecting our agricultural re-

separate interviews Sunday that state authorities should be included in the investigation because the federal government has already made clear what it believes happened. “How can we trust the federal government to do an objective, unbiased investigation, without prejudice, when at the beginning of that investigation they have already announced exactly what they saw — what they think happened,” Smith said on ABC’s “This Week.” The Trump administration has defended the officer who shot Good in her car, saying he was protecting himself and fellow agents and that Good had “weaponized” her vehicle. Todd Lyons, acting director of ICE, defended the officer on Fox News Channel’s “The Sunday Briefing.” “That law enforcement officer had milliseconds, if not short time to make a decision to save his life and his other fellow agents,” he said. Lyons also said the administration’s enforcement operations in Minnesota wouldn’t be needed “if local jurisdictions worked with us to turn over these criminally illegal aliens once they are already considered a public safety threat by the locals.” The killing of Good by an ICE officer and the shooting of two people by federal agents in Portland, Oregon, led to dozens of protests across the country over the weekend.

our producers the most tools that they can possibly have to remain economically viable.” Louisiana is particularly vulnerable to invasive species because of the Mississippi River and the region’s mild winters, Diaz said. The situation is worse in Florida and Hawaii, but still a signiﬁcant challenge for the Bayou State, he said. “That’s fascinating, how the ecosystem facilitates or prevents the establishment of an invasive species,” Diaz said. “It’s beautiful, it’s complex.” The consortium’s work will be a mix of applied research

and outreach efforts, Diaz said. It is still in the early stages, with researchers currently focused on developing priorities and deciding how best to allocate funds. “We’re going to be working on programs about early detection, thinking about how we develop better monitoring techniques so we can ﬁnd invasive species in the landscape and start implementing control measures early,” Diaz said. “Once these invasive species become out of control, think about apple snails or the nutria, management becomes really expensive.”

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ZONING

the proposal after residents called him. He has distributed flyers to settlement Continued from page 1A residents alerting them about the rezoning hearing. The ﬂyer says: “This will shop and expand its operations, with some Livingston be the beginning of the end Parish leaders celebrating for the Hungarian settlethe expansion for adding 14 ment.” direct new jobs and retainSettlement history ing 35 current employees. Next to the proposed reHungarians first arrived zoning site on Strawberry in Louisiana in 1896 because Lane, PALA already oper- of the opportunity to work ates a 70,000-square-foot at the Brackenridge Lumfabrication facility under ber Mill, located where Ina light commercial zoning terstate 12 and La. 43 now classiﬁcation, according to intersect. the parish zoning map that The original founders realwent into law last year. ized it was a suitable place to Parish Council member live and work at the mill, and Joe Erdey, who was raised by 1910, 65 families lived in in the Hungarian settle- the community. Today, an esment, was informed about timated 150 to 200 families

A sign along strawberry Lane in the Hungarian settlement gives notice for an upcoming rezoning hearing.

in the justice system,” Guillory said. “There had already been a lot of groundwork done on the front end of justice, where Commissioners’ Court is positioned. “And if you think about it, ‘call out’ — first appearances — is the emergency room of our justice system,” he continued. “No matter which side you’re on, you’re in perpetual crisis. So we’ve got to be very careful not to discount and undermine how important and how essential that appearance is for all involved.” The court now has four commissioners after adding Guillory and Tauzin to the bench in July 2024. The quartet has taken a leading role in setting bail for detainees shortly after their arrests and keeping a watchful eye on those defendants after they’ve posted bond to ensure they’re complying with the conditions of their pre-trial release. Known as “Commissioners’ Court,” it’s part of a comprehensive effort to increase oversight and bolster the court’s overall efficacy. The 19th JDC’s decisionmakers say Commissioners’ Court has taken shape over the past 18 months, with a few tweaks along the way. It reflects a sea change in the district court’s philosophical approach to handling an ever-growing docket of criminal cases in the parish. “It’s a model that is more efficient and it’s just less costly,” said Donald Johnson, the 19th JDC’s chief judge. “Hopefully, it will get us to a point where we’re getting more to the merits, rather than the delays in the system.”

The process Commissioners juggle an array of duties. They handle cases until a defendant is formally charged and arraigned. At that point, a judge inherits the docket. Traditionally in the 19th JDC, district judges assigned to the court’s criminal docket handled a cycle of duty week rotations. That was the week when each judge would preside over what’s known as “call outs,” the daily afternoon hearings when arrestees make their ﬁrst appear-

and search warrants during their duty weeks. Commissioners primarily reviewed prisoner applications for post-conviction relief and handled scores of lawsuits that prisoners across the state file against the Department of Public Safety and Corrections over disciplinary infractions, medical treatment and conditions inside the state penitentiaries. Under the Commissioners’ Court paradigm, duty weeks now cycle among Robinson, Kimble, Tauzin and Guillory, with each handling between 150 and 200 cases during their week. They’ve spearheaded the daily call-outs over the past 18 months in addition to reviewing prisoner lawsuits and making recommendations to judges on the prisoners’ bids to have their sentences reduced or their convictions vacated. The commissioners have also taken an increased role in monitoring domestic violence arrestees. The court has carved out a separate call-out docket for the glut of domestic violence-related arrests. Each day, accused abusers appear before a commissioner who handles first appearances in domestic cases for the week. They hear what’s known as Gwen’s Law, or 313 hearings, to determine if defendants pose an imminent threat that warrants keeping them jailed without bail and to decide what steps are necessary to keep victims safe. “Previously, we were getting things done because the DAs did their work, the court did its work, the sheriffs did their work and the public defenders did their work,” 19th JDC Judicial Administrator Diana Gibbens said. “But it was a lot of inefficiencies and a lack of communication. And an extreme lack of trust. So we’re bringing everyone together … to figure out how we can all work together to not duplicate function, fix lapses where we can make people’s jobs easier so that we can serve the community more effectively.”

Raised by a single mother in Carencro, he watched her work two and three jobs to send him to private schools growing up. That work ethic rubbed off on him. When he came to Baton Rouge to attend LSU, he worked several jobs to pay his way through undergraduate and law school. In 2002, then-DA Doug Moreau hired Tauzin, and he spent six years as an appellate attorney handling post-conviction relief applications for the prosecutor’s office. He became a line attorney and eventually worked his way up to section chief in one of the 19th JDC’s criminal courts. Now his career has come full circle, in a sense, back to one of the roles where he began. “I’ve always been interested in doing this work. So when they created these two new positions, I had aspirations of doing it and that’s where I went,” Tauzin said. “A good prosecutor always sees things on both sides, and you’re seeking justice from the DA’s ofﬁce. That’s what I’ve always strived for. So in that manner, it’s not a whole lot different. It’s just in these cases, I guess I do have a little more power in a limited capacity because you can weigh both sides and make a decision — at

least preliminarily — before it goes to a judge.” For Guillory, the job of commissioner is about stabilizing people in crisis. Guillory was raised an only child in Lake Charles and had a natural knack for public speaking. He grew up interested in TV shows like “Law & Order” and took an interest in litigation almost instinctively. Like Tauzin, his professional career was born in the Capital City’s downtown legal corridor. He fell in love with the profession as a student law clerk for former Baton Rouge City Court Judge Trudy White and followed her when she was elected to the 19th JDC bench in 2009. He spent another year clerking for her in the state courthouse before joining the DA’s ofﬁce. There, he practiced criminal law, family law and everything in between and was named chief administrative officer for the DA in 2020. It was a baptism by ﬁre as Guillory helped navigate the agency through the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing shutdowns. “Justice had to keep operating,” he said. “People were still being arrested; their cases still had to be processed. That was an interesting time.” It was a time in which Guil-

sTAFF PHoTo By MICHAEL JoHNsoN of Hungarian descent live in the area, but many of them are only part Hungarian. The community has two Hungarian organizations: the Árpádhon Hungarian Settlement Cultural Association and the Hungarian Settlement Historical

ances. Judges set bonds and MAGISTRATES were on-call to sign arrest

Continued from page 1A

Society. The historical society opened the Hungarian Settlement Museum in an old school building in 2017. The settlement also celebrates the Hungarian Harvest Dance Festival in October — Pﬁffner is serving

as festival king — and the Strawberry Lane for over 30 Hungarian Heritage Day in years, near a proposed new RV park on the street. the spring. “Livingston Parish has Not going anywhere had a history of doing this,” Pfiffner’s daughter Lisa he said about development Aranyosi and her husband, near residential areas. The Strawberry Lane resiNathan Miller, live on the road behind Pﬁffner’s house dent, like many of his neighand said the neighborhood bors, supports businesses isn’t meant for big develop- coming in — just not at this scale. ment. “I don’t think you’ll find “This little road is not meant to hold trafﬁc,” Miller anyone for it. … People don’t said about Strawberry Lane. want to live like that,” RobBut if the development erts said. goes forward, the HungarErdey, the parish councilian families say they won’t man, said the proposed debe going anywhere. velopment has left him won“We want to keep our Hun- dering what the settlement garian settlement like it is,” will look like in the future. “This isn’t a one-time Aranyosi said. “Ain’t nobody thing,” Erdey said. “There’s going to run us off.” Mark Roberts has lived on no end in sight.”

Guillory

Kimble

Robinson

Tauzin

ary 2013, after former Commissioner Rachel Pitcher Morgan retired. The Zachary native and lifelong Chicago Cubs fan is the court’s longest-tenured commissioner. Robinson said she believes in a philosophy of thoroughly informing litigants of their rights and treating them with kindness and respect in her courtroom. Kimble is a central Louisiana native, born and raised in Oakdale, a rural community at Louisiana’s crossroads. Her father was a corrections officer at the Federal Correctional Institute in her hometown and retired as a chaplain there. By the time Kimble passed the bar, becoming the first attorney in her family, both her parents had become ministers. Kimble is a Southern Law graduate who spent five years as a line attorney for the East Baton Rouge Public Defender’s Office before she was appointed to be a commissioner in March 2018. She credits her father with encouraging her to go into law and said her mission is to see the big picture so she can make informed decisions that have positive impacts on the people in her court. “Not only am I in this position to serve the judges, but also to serve the people in the community that come into my courtroom,” she said. “They have concerns that they don’t necessarily know how to address. And there are so many root causes for that concern may be. Even if it’s crime. I try to think of ways we can stop it now and give them tools the court The four corners can provide that can help Robinson was District rehabilitate so they don’t reJudge Richard “Chip” Ward’s offend.” Tauzin worked at the DA’s law clerk for several years before the court appointed office for 22 years before her commissioner in Janu- he became a commissioner.

lory said he learned invaluable lessons on leadership. He recognizes that, of the hundreds of defendants and victims who enter his courtroom on a weekly basis, many are appearing with their lives in shambles. Their ﬁnances may be in disarray, and the lives of domestic violence victims have likely been shaken, with some having to choose between safety and keeping a roof over their heads. “Those are the kind of choices a lot of victims have to make. So that’s why it’s important you intervene as best as you can to try and balance all that,” Guillory said. “You’re seeing people at their lowest — and I want to emphasize, this is the defendant and victim. The people that walk through those doors a lot of times, you’re talking about if not the worst day of their lives, it relates to one of their worst days. It’s what has kept me in this building and in and around this system for years. The work is long and hard. But this place has an awesome power and ability to heal and to restore. So anytime you’re feeling a little overworked and overwhelmed, I know my center comes back to what I’ve been able to see as far as lives being transformed and people being saved.”

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6A ■ Monday, January 12, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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METRO NEWS

FMOL Health, Orion Lab partner up Providers to expand lab services

BY IANNE SALVOSA

staff writer

Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health and Orion Laboratories are launching a partnership this year to expand access to lab services for patients and providers statewide. The joint venture will bring Orion’s Baton Rouge-based services, like test ordering and results delivery, to FMOL Health’s system,

which serves Acadiana, the Baton Rouge area, the northshore and northeast Louisiana, making testing more convenient for the hospitals. FMOL Health also serves Jackson, Mississippi, but the partnership will not extend to non-Louisiana facilities. The system will hire about 50 employees to meet the needs of the partnership. A FMOL spokesperson said the system cannot release details on what the partner-

Man accused of dealing drugs from auto shop

ship will look like because it is in its early stages. FMOL Health currently provides lab testing services through Labcorp and the joint venture with Orion will expand options for patients and providers. The partnership will start this year and will gradually take effect throughout FMOL Health locations in the state. “At FMOL Health, we believe that investing in partnerships with other innovative local healthcare leaders like Orion Laboratories strengthens our ability to serve

patients across the region,” said E.J. Kuiper, the president and CEO of FMOL Health, in a release. “Together, we are privileged to offer additional options that will ultimately make it easier for our patients and providers to access high-quality lab services, right here at home.” Orion Laboratories provides testing from cardiology to women’s health for hospitals, government agencies, health systems and physicians. It is headquartered in Baton Rouge, with an ofﬁce on Corporate Boulevard, and is the larg-

est independent lab in Louisiana. “For the past eight years, our team has built a reputation for diagnostic accuracy and responsiveness to the clinicians we serve,” David Slaughter, the CEO and co-founder of Orion Laboratories, said in the release. “Partnering with FMOL Health allows us to scale those capabilities across a broader network — expanding access to coordinated testing, supporting reliable operations and continuing to invest in Louisiana’s laboratory workforce and healthcare infrastructure.”

PINK-A-Boo

suspect also faces gun charges

BY QUINN COFFMAN staff writer

A 40-year-old Baton Rouge man with previous drug convictions has been arrested, accused of selling fentanyl out of a Siegen Lane auto body shop. Agents with the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office’s Gang Intelligence and Enforcement unit made covert purchases of fentanyl from the man at Collision Works on Siegen Lane, according to a release from the Sheriff’s Office. Tevoris Rhines, 40, of Baton Rouge, was arrested Thursday on multiple counts of possession with intent to distribute both fentanyl and methamphetamine, as well as multiple gun charges. Sheriff’s Office agents began their investigation into Rhines in December, after being tipped off that he was dealing fentanyl out of the Collision Works building, the release states. During the investigation, two controlled buys of fentanyl were carried out. Both sales were made from Collision Works. Hours of surveillance from agents also revealed other locations involved in Rhine’s dealing, according to the release. Search warrants were granted for Collision Works, an Elm Drive residence and two of Rhines’ vehicles. In total, 9.5 grams of fentanyl were seized, estimated as 95 lethal doses by the Sheriff’s Office, as well as 12.25 ounces of meth and 5 grams of marijuana. A digital scale with meth residue was also seized. Rhines was booked on three counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and a count of possession of drug paraphernalia. A 12-gauge shotgun, bolt-action rifle and semiautomatic 9 mm rifle were also seized during the searches, police said. Rhines has previous drug convictions that prohibit him from owning a firearm. He was released from active probation in November 2024 for a 2018 conviction for possession with intent to distribute a Schedule II substance. Rhines was booked on three counts each of possession of a firearm with a controlled substance and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Speaking to authorities after his arrest, Rhines said all the drugs located on his person and at his home were his, police said. He also told police two of the three firearms were his, the Sheriff’s Office said.

sTAFF PHoTo By MICHAEL JoHNsoN

A pink plywood ﬂamingo cutout, a mascot for the Spanish Town Mardi Gras Parade, peers out of a window on the second ﬂoor of Baton Rouge Magnet High School on Thursday. This year’s parade is scheduled for Feb. 14.

1 killed, 1 arrested in fatal shooting BY OLIVIA TEES staff writer

A TikTok argument between two women led to one shooting the other to death at a north Baton Rouge home, Baton Rouge police said. Officers were dispatched around 2 p.m. Thursday to 1735 Columbus Dunn Drive. There they found Kassidy Jackson, 18, suffering from a gunshot wound. Jackson was transported to Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, where she died, according to an arrest warrant. Paulasia Banks, 19, turned herself in to Baton Rouge po-

lice, accompanied by her attorney, later that day. Banks was arrested and booked on a count of first-degree murder. Police said Jackson was at her home on Columbus Dunn Drive with her girlfriend when she answered a knock on the door. Banks and two men forced their way inside the home, the arrest affidavit says. Banks demanded to know why she had not heard from Jackson between noon and 1:30 p.m. that day, police said. Banks also discovered that Jackson had blocked her on TikTok, according to the affidavit. Banks then started fighting in the kitchen with Jackson’s girl-

friend, who was able to leave the room and check on a child in another part of the home, police said. The woman then heard a gunshot in the kitchen and found Jackson on the ﬂoor with a gunshot wound, she told police. Banks and the two men left in a vehicle registered to Banks after the shooting and did not attempt to help Jackson, police said. Banks told investigators she and Jackson had been dating for several months. The unidentiﬁed girlfriend told police that Banks and Jackson were not dating. Banks also told police she met

with a man in the neighborhood to borrow his gun to “check on” Jackson, police said. At the house, Banks confronted Jackson in the kitchen, police said. At one point, the gun fell out of Banks’ pants, but she retrieved the weapon, police said. Jackson, meanwhile, was able to push Banks out of the house and slammed the kitchen door shut, the afﬁdavit says. Banks told police she shot through the door, hitting Jackson. It is unclear how many shots were ﬁred. Banks is also accused of aggravated burglary. The investigation remains ongoing.

Man shot dead on porch, Baton Rouge police say A man was fatally shot on the porch of a house in downtown Baton Rouge CRIME on Saturday BLOTTER n i g h t , a c staff cording to Baton Rouge reports police. Gregory Lee, 31, was found by police bleeding from a gunshot wound around 11:10 p.m. in

the 1100 block of Convention Street. Lee died at the scene, police said. The investigation is ongoing.

driveway, according to Baton Rouge Police. Police found E’myeri Walker, 17, suffering from a gunshot wound at the 4600 block of Wood Street around 4:55 p.m. Walker died at the scene. A second victim inside the car was shot and transported A 17-year-old boy was to a local hospital with nonkilled in north Baton Rouge life-threatening wounds. Walker was a student at on Saturday afternoon while sitting inside a vehicle in a Northdale Academy.

Police identify teen fatally shot inside car

ast Baton Rouge Parish schools Superintendent LaMont Cole said in a news release on Sunday that the district is heartbroken by the senseless violence that killed Walker. “The loss of a young life to violence is devastating and deeply felt across our school community,” Cole said. “There are no words that can fully ease this pain, but

we stand together in mourning and in support of one another.” Police have no motive or suspects at this time. This investigation is ongoing. To contact a crime reporter at The Advocate, email policereporters@ theadvocate.com or call (225) 388-0369.

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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Monday, January 12, 2026 ■ 7A

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Trans sports ban case heads to high court Teen athlete in case knows upcoming season could be her last

BY MARK SHERMAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Becky Pepper-Jackson finished third in the discus throw in West Virginia last year though she was in just her ﬁrst year of high school. Now a 15-yearold sophomore, PepperJackson is aware that her upcoming season could be her last. West Virginia has banned transgender girls like Pepper-Jackson from competing in girls and women’s sports, and is among the more than two dozen states with similar laws. Though the West Virginia law has been blocked by lower courts, the outcome could be different at the conservativedominated Supreme Court, which has allowed multiple restrictions on transgender people to be enforced in the past year. The justices are hearing arguments Tuesday in two cases over whether the sports bans violate the Constitution or the landmark federal law known as Title IX that prohibits sex discrimination in education. The second case comes from Idaho, where college student Lindsay Hecox challenged that state’s law. Decisions are expected by early summer. President Donald Trump’s Republican administration has targeted transgender Americans from the first day of his second term, including ousting transgender people from the military and declaring that gender is immutable and determined at birth. Pepper-Jackson has become the face of the nationwide battle over the participation of transgender girls in athletics that has played out at both the state and federal levels as Republicans have leveraged the issue as

a fight for athletic fairness for women and girls. “I think it’s something that needs to be done,” PepperJackson said in an interview with The Associated Press that was conducted over Zoom. “It’s something I’m here to do because ... this is important to me. I know it’s important to other people. So, like, I’m here for it.” She sat alongside her mother, Heather Jackson, on a sofa in their home just outside Bridgeport, a rural West Virginia community about 40 miles southwest of Morgantown, to talk about a legal fight that began when she was a middle schooler who finished near the back of the pack in cross-country races. Pepper-Jackson has grown into a competitive discus and shot put thrower. In addition to the bronze medal in the discus, she finished eighth among shot putters. She attributes her success to hard work, practicing at school and in her backyard, and lifting weights. PepperJackson has been taking puberty-blocking medication and has publicly identified as a girl since she was in the third grade, though the Supreme Court’s decision in June upholding state bans on gender-affirming medical treatment for minors has forced her to go out of state for care. Her very improvement as an athlete has been cited as a reason she should not be allowed to compete against girls. “There are immutable physical and biological characteristic differences between men and women that make men bigger, stronger, and faster than women. And if we allow biological males to play sports against biological females, those differences will erode the ability and the places for women in these sports which we have fought so hard for over the last 50 years,” West Virginia’s attorney general, JB McCuskey, said in an AP interview. McCuskey said he is not aware of any other transgender athlete in the

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Associated Press

NEW YORK — Thousands of nurses at some of New York City’s biggest hospitals could go on strike Monday during a severe flu season, three years after a similar walkout forced some of the same medical facilities to transfer some patients and divert ambulances. The looming strike could impact operations at several of the city’s major private hospitals, including Mount Sinai in Manhattan, Monteﬁore Medical Center in the Bronx and NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Nearly 15,000 nurses could walk off the job early Monday if a deal is not reached, amounting to the largest nurses strike in city

history, according to Nancy Hagans, president of the New York State Nurses Association. As of Sunday morning, little progress had been made at the bargaining table, Hagans said. A vast majority of the union’s nurses voted to authorize the strike last month. Like the 2023 labor fight, this year’s dispute involves a complicated array of issues, claims, counterclaims and hospital-by-hospital particulars. Once again, staffing levels are a major flashpoint: Nurses say the big-budget medical centers are refusing to commit to — or even backsliding on — provisions for manageable, safe workloads. This time, the nurses’ union also wants guardrails on hospitals using artificial intelligence, plus more workplace security measures. A gun-

Associated Press

LONDON — Britain is discussing with NATO allies how it can help beef up security in the Arctic to counter threats from Russia and China, a government minister said Sunday. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the talks are “business as usual” rather than a response to recent threats by President Donald Trump to take over Greenland. Trump said Friday that he

would like to make a deal to acquire Greenland, a semiautonomous region of NATO ally Denmark, to prevent Russia or China from taking it over. “We are going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not,” Trump said Friday. Greenland, with a population of around 57,000, is defended by Denmark, whose military is dwarfed by that of the U.S., which has a military base on the island. Denmark’s prime minister has warned that a takeover

St. Joseph Cathedral, 412 North Street, at 11 a.m.

Malone, Maureen

AssoCIATED PREss PHoTo By JosE LUIs MAGANA

Heather Jackson, left, and Becky Pepper-Jackson sit sunday outside the U.s. supreme Court in Washington. state who has competed or is trying to compete in girls or women’s sports. Despite the small numbers of transgender athletes, the issue has taken on outsize importance. The NCAA and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committees banned transgender women from women’s sports after Trump signed an executive order aimed at barring their participation. The public generally is supportive of the limits. An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll conducted in October 2025 found that about 6 in 10 U.S. adults “strongly” or “somewhat” favored requiring transgender children and teenagers to only compete on sports teams that match the sex they were assigned at birth, not the gender they identify with, while about 2 in 10 were “strongly” or “somewhat” opposed and about one-quarter did not have an opinion. About 2.1 million adults, or 0.8%, and 724,000 people age 13 to 17, or 3.3%, identify as transgender in the U.S., according to the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law. Those allied with the administration on the issue paint it in broader terms than just sports, pointing to state laws, Trump administration policies and court rulings against transgender people. “I think there are cultural, political, legal headwinds all supporting this notion that it’s just a lie that a man can be a woman,” said John Bursch, a lawyer with the conservative Christian law firm Alliance Defending Freedom that has led the legal campaign against transgender people. “And if we want a society that respects women and girls, then we need to come to terms with

man strode into Mount Sinai in November, and a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room this week; both men ultimately were killed by police. The private, nonprofit hospitals involved in the current negotiations say they’ve made strides in staffing since 2023. Some of them suggest the union’s demands, taken as a whole, are far too expensive. Scores of nurses rallied Friday in Manhattan, insisting their primary concern was proper caregiving and accusing the medical centers — whose top executives make millions of dollars a year — of greed and intransigence. “My hospital tries to cut corners on staffing every day, and then they try to fight

Britain in talks with NATO to counter Russia, China in Arctic BY BRIAN MELLEY

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that truth. And the sooner that we do that, the better it will be for women everywhere, whether that be in high school sports teams, high school locker rooms and showers, abused women’s shelters, women’s prisons.” But Jackson offered different terms to describe the effort to keep her daughter off West Virginia’s playing fields. “Hatred. It’s nothing but hatred,” she said. “This community is the community du jour. We have a long history of isolating marginalized parts of the community.” Pepper-Jackson has seen some of the uglier side of the debate on display, including when a competitor wore a T-shirt at the championship meet that said, “Men Don’t Belong in Women’s Sports.” “I wish these people would educate themselves. Just so they would know that I’m just there to have a good time. That’s it. But it just, it hurts sometimes, like, it gets to me sometimes, but I try to brush it off,” she said. One schoolmate, identified as A.C. in court papers, said Pepper-Jackson has herself used graphic language in sexually bullying her teammates. Asked whether she said any of what is alleged, Pepper-Jackson said, “I did not. And the school ruled that there was no evidence to prove that it was true.” The legal fight will turn on whether the Constitution’s equal protection clause or the Title IX anti-discrimination law protects transgender people. The court ruled in 2020 that workplace discrimination against transgender people is sex discrimination, but refused to extend the logic of that decision to the case over health care for transgender minors.

Thousands of N.Y. nurses set to strike Monday BY JENNIFER PELTZ

Thibodeaux, George Ernest

would threaten NATO. The U.K. agrees with Trump that Russia and China are increasingly becoming more competitive in the Arctic Circle, Alexander said. “Whilst we haven’t seen the appalling consequences in that part of the world that we’ve seen in Ukraine, it is really important that we do everything that we can with all of our NATO allies to ensure that we have an effective deterrent in that part of the globe against (Russian President Vladimir) Putin,” Alexander told the BBC.

historic gains we made three years ago,” said Sophie Boland, a pediatric intensive care nurse in the NewYork-Presbyterian hospital system. The hospitals, meanwhile, have called the union’s strike threat “reckless.” They vowed in a statement Thursday to “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Hagans, the union president, has also stressed that patients should not delay care during a potential strike.

First Baptist Church, 529 Convention Street, at noon.

Smith, Patricia

Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, 185 Eddie Robinson Sr. Drive, at 11 a.m.

Obituaries Ryall, Beverly Ann

Pick up your cross and follow me, I will prepare a place for you, is a promise of everlasting life, an intimate communion with God in heaven, this is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Beverly Ryall was a very special and devotion loving daughter, sister, and a caring friend firsthand, who passed away on Sunday January 4, 2026, at the age of 72 years old, with her family by her side. Beverly Ann Ryall was born on August 16, 1953, in New Orleans, La and was a longtime resident of Baton Rouge, La. She was a proud graduate of the Redemptorist High School Class of 1971. And, now, she went off to LSU University, earned and achieved a Certified Public Accountant Degree in 1974. She was on the dean/honor list each year during her college education. She then entered the job market and worked for several different corporations and from then on, she entered the corporate world and even opened her own CPA Firm. Beverly was a CPA for 52 years. Beverly enjoyed playing racquetball and working out for many years. She is survived by her brothers, Michael J. Ryall and David Ryall (Wife, Ginger); of Monterey, La, her nephews; Michael J. Ryall Jr. and Charles A. Partin III (Wife Kelli), Jason M. Partin (Wife Danielle), Cody Beard; and her nieces Kobi L. Ryall and Brandi and husband, Josh Currey; cousins; Great Nephews and Great Nieces. She is preceded in death by her parents James W. Ryall sr. and Beverly H. Ryall, brother James W. Ryall Jr, sisters Jane and Mary Ann Ryall. Paternal grandfather and grandmother James L. Ryall and Orelline Schexnaildre Ryall and maternal grandfather and grandmother John F Honold and Amella Mevran Honold. Relatives and friends are invited for a memorial service at Rabenhorst Funeral Home, 825 Government St Baton Rouge, La 70802 on Friday January 16, 2026 for a visitation beginning at 5:00PM until 9:00PM. Visitation will continue on Saturday, January 17, 2026 at 9:00AM until 11:00AM. And a burial will follow at Greenwood Cemetery, 5190 Canal Blvd. New Orleans, La. "She ain't heavy, She's our sister"

George Ernest Thibodeaux passed away on Tuesday, January 6, 2026 at the age of 75. George was born on August 7, 1950 in Bogalusa, LA, the second son of Raymond and Vernice Thibodeaux. He graduated from Bogalusa High School and went LSU where he completed an undergraduate degree and obtained an MBA from UNO. George married his college sweetheart Mary Ellen Meyer Thibodeaux in 1972, and was a devoted father to his 3 daughters and 6 grandchildren. George worked hard and had pride in his professional contributions, but was enjoying his retirement even more! His loves in life were his wife, his kids, his grandchildren, LSU sports, and kung pao chicken! George is preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Vernice Thibodeaux and his brother Wayne Thibodeaux. He is survived by his wife Mary Ellen Thibodeaux, daughters Lisa St. Germain (Brad), Lauren Picou (Joseph), and Kristin Bernard (Rogan), his brother Steve Thibodeaux (Janet), sister-in-law Laura Thibodeaux, and grandchildren David, Andrew, Ava, Grace, Sienna, and Hazel. George was also close to his nieces and nephews and their families. George was a devoted member of St. Angela Merici parish in Metairie, and then St. Jude parish in Baton Rouge where he attended mass. A mass will be held at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. New Orleans, LA on Thursday, January 15, 2026 at 11:00am with a reception immediately following. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Hospice of Baton Rouge. https: //www.hospicebr.org/ George's family would like to thank the care providers at Baton Rouge General, Ollie Steele Burden Manor, and Hospice of Baton Rouge for their support and compassion.

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

Can La. follow Florida’s strategy of bringing insurance costs down? Louisiana homeowners have been facing an ongoing insurance crisis since 2023, but Florida homeowners are now seeing rates decrease. So, what is Florida doing differently? Reinsurance is insurance bought by insurance companies. Insurance is the management and assessment of risk. Home insurers in high-risk states like Florida and Louisiana must be able to buy reinsurance to transfer some of their risks to the reinsurer. In Florida, reinsurance takes up almost two-thirds of the average local insurance company’s premium. After 2022, Florida reinsurance premiums increased 65%, which had to be passed on to the policyholders. To provide an additional source of reinsurance capacity for Florida insurers, the legislature created the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (FHCF) in 1993 and by 2022, had capitalized it with $11.3 billion. In 2024, Florida designed a complex strategy using layers of coverage to attract more reinsurance companies. Its 2025 “risk transfer tower,” with coverage extending up to $12.9 billion, put state-run Citizens Insurance at risk for the first $2.6 billion of losses; the second layer has FHCF liable for $3.6 billion and reinsurance for $400 million; and the third layer covers $4.2 billion of losses with reinsurance and capital markets using catastrophe bonds. If a massive, rare event happens with losses above the $10.8 billion covered by the above layers, then policyholders might face extra charges totaling $560 million, with reinsurance covering the remaining $1.440 billion. In summary, Florida is at risk for $6.2 billion of the first $6.6 billion of storm losses. The result: Florida home insurers are cutting rates with one of the state’s largest insurers filing for an 8.4% statewide rate cut. Since January 2024, 33 insurers have filed for rate decreases, and 17 new insurance companies have entered the Florida market. Florida has solved their reinsurance problem; has Louisiana?

Look at what administration has done at home, abroad The U.S. has invaded another country without a Congressional declaration of war, planning to proﬁt from its oil. The U.S. is sinking alleged drug dealers at sea, then killing any survivors. The U.S. is using jack-booted, masked and armed ICE agents to attack and jail citizens and immigrants. The U.S. claims that these immigrants are murderers, rapists and other criminals, when research demonstrates that about 3% have criminal records in the U.S. or their country of origin. Through Supreme Court-approved gerrymandering and legislative action, the U.S. is making sure that Black and Brown people do not have meaningful representation in Congress. Through administrative actions, the U.S. is lying about the role of racism in our present and past functioning. Through legislation and administrative action, the U.S. is denying global warming, giving China and India leadership in alternative energy production and helping to harm our world through carbon fuel and petrochemical pollution. Through administrative and legislative actions, the U.S. is suppressing the use of vaccinations, leading to more illnesses, death and lost wages. And through blatant corruption, the U.S. is allowing President Donald Trump’s family, political supporters and friends to proﬁt from nice governmental deals and decisions. And the Republicans are supporting the president accused of over 15 sexual assaults of women when they voted to impeach Bill Clinton for inappropriate, consensual sex with an adult intern. Through it all, Republicans are either supportive or silent. Republicans are people of the lie, who support neither good governance, truth, Christian values or patriotism.

sTAFF PHoTo By JILL PICKETT

Meeting attendees listen as opposition to a data center proposal is discussed during the public comment portion of a combined administrative conference and regular meeting held by the shreveport City Council on Dec. 18 in shreveport.

Elected officials need to listen to constituents We need economic development in so many ways. Seeing the economic situation in Shreveport improve can help with things like crime, deteriorated infrastructure and a stagnant economy. I believe that we had a golden opportunity to make this happen with the recent data center debate. Many people agreed that this data center would be a great move in evolving the city of Shreveport and Caddo Parish. The main problems that people had revolved around issues with noise, its dependence on our drinking water source at Cross Lake and the fact that it would increase trafﬁc congestion dramatically. For this reason, the majority of residents were in opposition to this move. Commissioner Kenneth Epperson held a meeting in which many people came out in support and opposition of this plan. During this meeting, a plan was presented, with maps, identifying a location that would allow the company

to come here to Caddo Parish but would address every concern that the citizens brought to the committee. This area would not interfere with a neighborhood because it was located far away. It also would address the concerns with noise and trafﬁc. The location is situated between the Red River and Wallace Lake. This would satisfy the concerns regarding Cross Lake, our drinking water source. To me, this was a no-brainer. After hearing this, if I were on the city council, I would have been inclined to vote against the current plan and to postpone a vote so that we could look at the new location. Instead, as if the decision had been made ahead of time, the council unanimously approved this plan. While I’ll likely never understand what made them ignore the people that elected them and the plan that seemed to gain instant traction, I do understand the weight of my vote.

TONY WILLIAMS shreveport

Leave national debt worries behind, since Congress seems oK with it Letter writer Eric Kalivoda was correct: Both parties, the Democrats and Republicans, contribute to the ever-increasing national debt. I, too, was once concerned with this issue. Then, one day like a bolt of lightning out of the blue, it occurred to me that none of the billions, trillions — whatever it is — of dollars is real. It’s all imaginary! It would seem that Congress has ﬁgured

STEVE GARDES Lafayette

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

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

JOSEPH KEEGAN Baton Rouge

Looking at a silver lining in Greenland

this out as well, since they don’t seem to be at all concerned about it, and, in fact, they never even talk about it, much less do anything about it. I sleep so much better since I had this epiphany, or possibly, as some wise person once said, ignorance is bliss.

Initially, the newspaper headline “Landry to press Greenland to join U.S.” made me angry. After all, doesn’t Gov. Jeff Landry have enough on his plate here in Louisiana? But I quickly revised my position due to practical reasons: The longer Landry is in Greenland, the less damage he can do in Louisiana. My sincere apologies to the good folks in Greenland.

JOE T. SMITH Baton Rouge

Partisanship makes our politics unrecognizable For many years, I have watched with some degree of fascination the dialogue between our two major political parties as they expressed what direction the country should follow. While the discussions were often heated, many of our legislators would attempt to work together to ﬁnd some compromise to bring about a common good. That process seems to be lost now. The anger and hatred that permeate our political system now, the pointing of the ﬁnger at the other party, the accusations of why things fail when both parties practice the same actions have become shameful events in the way our government functions. However, what has become even more fascinating to me is how a political group claims a connection to the Christian faith when its practices have little to do with the teachings of Jesus. The letter to the Galatians 5:22-23 lists the “fruits of the Holy Spirit,” practices that are characteristics of the faith and spirit

that would indicate that we are practicing what we preach. How many politicians today are deﬁned by those characteristics of love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control? Even differing opinions once were coupled with integrity. No longer. Perhaps if politicians were not allowed to blame the other party verbally, things would change. Perhaps if it were illegal for them to overspend a budget, things would change. Perhaps if they were not paid during government shutdowns, things would change. Perhaps if their salaries and the extra monies they receive were limited to a reasonable amount, things would change. Sadly, except for the ballot box, those who might make a reasonable change are the ones who are in our government. Is it time to clean house in favor of those who care for their citizens?

JOHN SINGLETON Baton Rouge

Ask tough questions of illegal immigrants I read your long, sympathetic article on the illegal immigrant who went to nursing school. I have a few questions: Did she or her parents receive welfare, SNAP or housing assistance? Did she receive grants or reduced tuition? Did she receive other taxpayer assistance? If the answer to any of these is yes, she should have to pay it all back and then be deported.

RALPH HOWE Baton Rouge

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COMMENTARY What did the right vote for? “The voters that voted for me are thrilled,” insists President Donald Trump. “They said, ‘This is what we voted for.’ ” But is that true? Above all, Trump supporters voted for lower grocery prices, more jobs and a brighter economic future. Not a single U.S. family is better off today because Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro sits in a Brooklyn jail. And this profound disconnect — between what Trump is focused on and what voters care about — gives Democrats an enormous opportunity as the Steve Roberts midterm election year begins. Before American forces captured Maduro, a CBS poll found that 70% of voters opposed military action in Venezuela and 87% did not consider that country a “major threat” to U.S. interests. Right afterward, a Reuters Ipsos survey reported that only 1 in 3 supported the raid while 72% expressed concern that the U.S. “will become too involved” in that South American country. Meanwhile, ﬁnancial frustration is intensifying. In the CBS survey, only 1 in 3 rated the economy as good. Fully two-thirds of voters said Trump’s policies were driving grocery prices up, while only 14% gave him credit for bringing them down. Rep. Ro Khanna of California expressed this emerging Democratic campaign theme in the Washington Post: “What Americans want is an American president that’s going to care about them ... and I think what this shows is the president’s more concerned about what’s going on in Venezuela, what’s going on in Argentina than he is on what’s going on in Pennsylvania and Ohio.” Of course, many MAGA True Believers will support Trump no matter what he does or says. And as GOP pollster Whit Ayres noted in the Post after the Maduro raid, “One of Trump’s strengths in public opinion polls is that he’s viewed as strong, and not indecisive or weak, and in that sense this plays to his strength.” Trump also argues that in the long run, American control of Venezuela will beneﬁt voters by increasing energy supplies and reducing illicit drugs. Perhaps. But in the short run, in this election cycle, economic woes remain the dominant political issue. As the new year began, those troubles deepened for 24 million Americans who buy health insurance on the public marketplace. COVID-19-era subsidies that reduced premiums were allowed to expire by the Republican-controlled Congress, and policyholders are fac-

AssoCIATED PREss PHoTo By EVAN VUCCI

President Donald Trump dances as he walks off stage after speaking to House Republican lawmakers during their annual policy retreat last week in Washington, D.C. ing an average increase of 114% on those premiums, according to the authoritative website KFF. Close to 5 million people will have to give up insurance coverage entirely. Democrats are already running ads featuring this quote from Marjorie Taylor Greene, the former Trump supporter who broke with the president and quit Congress: “Not a single Republican ... has given us a plan to help Americans deal with their health insurance premiums DOUBLING.” Trump’s Venezuelan adventure poses another huge political problem with his own supporters — he promised to do exactly the opposite, to avoid new foreign entanglements. As he vowed to a room full of West Point graduates in 2020: “We are ending the era of endless wars.” Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, one of the few Republican lawmakers willing to criticize Trump openly, said he was making the same fatal mistake that led other presidents to invade countries like Afghanistan and Iraq. “Those we claim to be liberating suffer worse than under the previous regime,” Paul wrote on his website. “Will we ever learn?” “This is what many in MAGA thought they voted to end,” Taylor Greene posted on X. “Boy were we wrong.” Trump also ran as a born-again

populist denouncing “the Swamp,” the K Street lobbyists and their corporate masters who exploited ordinary hardworking Americans. And yet Trump has openly boasted that by deposing Maduro, he’s enabling American oil companies to exert control over Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, the largest in the world. “VENEZUELA is not about drugs; it’s about OIL and REGIME CHANGE,” Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, another rare Republican willing to criticize Trump, wrote on social media. “This is not what we voted for.” Moreover, there is growing fear in Republican ranks that Trump’s appetite for regime change will trigger further attempts to destabilize the leadership in places like Colombia, Cuba and even Greenland. “I don’t think our nation wants to be into nation-building and to be trying to create a government for another country, especially after the Afghanistan situation,” Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia told The Hill. So, are Trump voters really “thrilled” with his latest outburst of outrage? Is this what they voted for? For a growing number, the answer is no. Email Steven V. Roberts at stevecokie@gmail.com.

There are times to put down cellphones making visual. The year opened with what could be Ordinary police actions now one of the most horrifying viddraw swarms of novices trying eos of 2026. to nab good video of violence. At 1:30 a.m. in a basement Sometimes they interfere with bar at a Swiss ski resort, flames police work. started dancing on the ceiling. Among other stock commands, Instead of rushing upstairs to police tell the photogs to “Move flee the room, many celebrants Froma back,” “Get behind the tape,” lifted their cellphones toward Harrop and “Back up for your own the blaze, eager to record the safety.” thrilling moment to share with Sometimes the amateurs put themfriends worldwide. And their videos show other raised selves in danger, especially when arms holding phones to capture a scene there’s an active shooter. Sometimes that quickly turned horrific. At least 40 they interfere with evidence — shell people died as the initially small fire casings, blood trail, dropped items. exploded to quickly engulf the entire Sometimes they interfere with pararoom — a terrifying event bearing medics trying to get through. the hallmarks of a flashover. Some of Everyone, it seems, can play paparazthe dead and badly burned surely inzi. Some wannabes hang out at nightcluded patrons at Le Constellation bar clubs to get a shot of a celebrity, local in Crans-Montana who stayed back to or international. The rules vary. Many take video. clubs ask cellphone videographers to So many of us these days seem to get consent from the subject before fancy ourselves news photographers. taking pictures. Clubs generally don’t We go nowhere without video equiplike flashes. And, nowadays, they may ment, our cellphone and can easily load allow phone cameras but ban bulky the images onto our social media feeds, photographic gear. That’s a reversal from the preaffording us automatic ability to pubcellphone days when clubs routinely lish widely. banned cameras to protect the privacy But in dangerous or violent situations, the amateurs are not necessarily of their guests. Copacabana didn’t alequipped to assess risk. In chaotic war low unauthorized cameras. Nor did the conditions, such as the recent conflicts original Stork Club. That’s why there’s in Gaza and Ukraine, several profesno photographic record of Ernest Hemingway getting in a fist fight with sional photojournalists have died. Lewis E. Lawes, then warden of Sing Thirteen were killed covering the Sing prison. Vietnam War. Some were ambitious Studio 54 had strict rules on guests or freelancers trying to capture a career-

anyone else taking pictures. Cameras were forbidden to stop clubgoers from pestering the famous attendees, particularly the celebrities who wanted to let their hair down and didn’t want to get caught in an unﬂattering angle or at otherwise awkward moments. Club owner Steve Rubell also wanted control of the visual record. The nocamera rule is why there are surprisingly few photos of the goings-on. The photo record emphasizes just rafﬁsh fun, like that overused picture of Bianca Jagger riding through the club on a white horse. Back then, there were no pocket cellphones. Cameras couldn’t be easily hidden. (You needed specialized cameras for that.) With cellphones, there’s little way of knowing from a distance whether someone is making a phone call, sending a text or taking videos. For those reasons, health clubs establish no-cellphone zones in women’s locker rooms. That means doing nothing that could justify using phone/ camera. There is a market for amateur celebrity pics. They usually must be taken in a public location, be unusual — not youknow-who walking along the street — and be of good quality. California has an especially strict anti-harassment law covering such matters. There are clearly times to put down the cellphone. Lots of times. Froma Harrop is on X, @FromaHarrop. Email her at fharrop@gmail.com.

Venezuela: It all depends on the meaning of the word ‘run’ There have been two parts to the political world’s reaction to the American operation that deposed and captured Nicolas Maduro. The first part was to marvel at what Brit Hume called the “extraordinary level of skill, technology and daring” on the part of American forces and leadership. Hume noted that the U.S. performance, when considered Byron alongside the flawless attack on York Iran’s nuclear program, sent to the world “precisely the opposite signal from that sent by the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan.” The second reaction emerged after President Donald Trump’s press conference announcing the action. “We’re going to run [Venezuela] until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said. “…So we are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.” With that, much of the attention to the Venezuela matter turned away from the military and intelligence aspects of the operation to a simple and absolutely vital question: What did Trump mean by “run”? The president explained to some degree but still left a lot of questions. A reporter asked, “What is the mechanism by which you’re going to run the country? Are you going to designate U.S. officials to coordinate?” “Yes,” answered Trump. “It’s all being done right now. We’re designating people. We’re talking to people. ... We’re going to let you know who those people are.” When asked who would take part, Trump said, “It’s largely going to be, for a period of time, the people that are standing behind me.” Behind Trump at that moment were Secretary of State Marco Rubio, War Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine. The next morning, Rubio hit the morning shows to flesh out the administration’s position. He explained that the United States will not be “running” Venezuela in the sense of appointing its officials, rewriting its laws and manning its offices. Instead, the U.S. aims to steer Venezuelan officials away from corruption in the nation’s oil business, away from narcotics trafficking, away from mass migration and toward better relations with the United States. “Right now we have to take the first steps, and the first steps are securing what’s in the national interest of the United States and also beneficial to the people of Venezuela,” Rubio told NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Rubio stressed that the key to the plan is the oil that supports the country’s entire economy. “We don’t need Venezuela’s oil,” he said on NBC. “We have plenty of oil in the United States. What we’re not going to allow is for the oil industry in Venezuela to be controlled by adversaries of the United States. Why does China need their oil? Why does Russia need their oil? Why does Iran need their oil? They’re not even in this continent. …This is where we live, and we’re not going to allow the Western Hemisphere to be a base of operation for adversaries, competitors and rivals of the United States.” The United States has tremendous “leverage” over Venezuela, Rubio said, because the U.S. can block the country’s oil transactions. “We have a quarantine on their oil,” he told ABC’s “This Week.” “That means their economy will not be able to move forward until the conditions that are in the national interest of the United States and the interests of the Venezuelan people are met.” Will the plan work? The early statements about it, both from Trump and Rubio, are at such a level of generalization that it is hard to visualize what the proposal will really involve. But the key to things, at least from the perspective of U.S. politics, is how much, and for how long, Venezuela will require intense U.S. effort and attention. The important thing is for Trump to stabilize the situation in Venezuela quickly. The sooner Trump can accomplish a “safe, proper and judicious transition,” the better. If Trump can pull that off, the critics will in retrospect seem alarmist, Trump’s opponents will be wrong again, and Trump will have a success, even as he focuses on domestic issues in midterm campaigning. If he can’t pull it off, he’ll have big trouble. Byron York is on X, @Bryon York.

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M o n d ay, J a n u a ry 12, 2026

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LSU football lands ﬁrst QB under Kiffin Elon redshirt freshman Clark transferring to LsU

BY KOKI RILEY staff writer

Elon redshirt freshman quarterback Landen Clark is transferring to LSU, he told The Advocate Sunday. Clark threw for 2,321 yards and had 18 touchdown passes this past season. He also ran for 614 yards and 11 scores en route to becoming the CAA Co-Offensive Rookie of the Year and a ﬁnalist for the Jerry Rice Award. The latter honor recognizes the top FCS freshman in the nation. LSU beat out Michigan, Kentucky and James Madison for Clark’s services. Clark is the ﬁrst quarterback LSU has added out of the transfer portal. LSU has brought multiple quarterbacks onto campus for visits, including Cincinnati transfer Brendan Sorsby, Arizona State transfer Sam Leavitt and Southern Cal transfer Husan Longstreet. Sorsby has committed to Texas Tech, but Leavitt and Longstreet are still potential starting options for the Tigers. The Tigers needed to rebuild their quarterback room this offseason after their

ä see QB, page 6B

sTAFF PHoTo By MICHAEL JoHNsoN

LsU guard MiLaysia Fulwiley finishes a layup at the buzzer past Texas guard Bryanna Preston in the third quarter on sunday at the PMAC. LsU won 70-65.

HOLD ’EM LsU stuns Texas, picks up elusive win over sEC’s top-ranked team

BY REED DARCEY staff writer AP FILE PHoTo By BEN MCKEoWN

Elon quarterback Landen Clark carries the ball during a game against Duke on Aug. 28 in Durham, N.C. Clark is the first quarterback LsU has added out of the transfer portal.

LSU coach Johnson talks upcoming baseball season

Once the LSU women’s basketball team beat Georgia, coach Kim Mulkey and Flau’jae Johnson could breathe easy and repeat the refrain. They said the sky wasn’t falling on their season — even though they had lost their first two SEC matchups for the first time in the past five years. Then they proved it. On Sunday, the No. 12 Tigers survived their semiannual rock fight with Texas in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. LSU won 70-65, picking up one of the most impressive regular-season wins of the Mulkey era. “They were tough tonight,” Mulkey said. “We were tough tonight, start to finish. Even if we would have lost, we were tougher than we were a couple of games ago.” This kind of victory has eluded LSU in recent years. Before Sunday, the Tigers (16-2, 2-2 SEC) had dropped

staff writer

LSU baseball’s 2026 season will ofﬁcially get underway on Monday, the ﬁrst day coach Jay Johnson and his coaching staff will be allowed to instruct their team in the new year. To preview the upcoming season, Johnson sat down with The Advocate to discuss LSU’s rotation, starting battles on the position player side, LSU’s health and more.

Starting rotation spots

ä see JOHNSON, page 6B

ä see LSU, page 3B

LSU outlasts ’Horns in ﬁrst-class hoops thriller

BY KOKI RILEY

Senior right-hander Zac Cowan, sophomore right-handers Casan Evans and William Schmidt, junior right-hander Cooper Moore, redshirt junior right-hander Jaden Noot, sophomore left-hander Cooper Williams and freshman right-handers Marcos Paz and Reagan Ricken will begin the season working in multi-inning roles, Johnson said. Redshirt junior right-hander Gavin Guidry may also join that group, but Johnson noted that his buildup heading into the season will be different from the group

all seven games they’ve played against AP top-five SEC opponents since Mulkey’s tenure began in 2021. Her LSU teams were 0-5 against South Carolina and 0-2 against Texas, but 58-10 against the league’s other 13 teams. Two of those losses came in the past two weeks. LSU lost to top-12 Kentucky and Vanderbilt to begin this season’s SEC slate, which upped the stakes for the first half of its scheduled doubleheader with No. 2 Texas. The Tigers needed to play better defense and grab more rebounds. They did both on Sunday. The Longhorns’ star point guard, senior Rori Harmon, scored only two points in 28 minutes, and their star forward, junior Madison Booker committed six turnovers. Texas (18-1, 3-1) shot 44% from the field and turned the ball over 17 times. LSU, on the other hand, pulled 19 boards off the offensive glass, which it used to score 13 second-chance points.

sTAFF PHoTo By MICHAEL JoHNsoN

LsU guard Mikaylah Williams, left, celebrates with teammate Flau’jae Johnson after a Texas foul in the first quarter on sunday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

showed they are not dead. Not to be The chartered bus that carried counted out. Not after this signature the Texas women’s basketball team 70-65 victory over No. 2-ranked Texto LSU’s Pete Maravich Assembly Center had the name “Champion” as on an electric Sunday afternoon stamped on all sides. inside a packed PMAC. Maybe the Longhorns will “Kim challenged her kids end up that way, cutting and they played with more down Southeastern Conjuice today,” Texas coach Vic Schaefer said. ference and/or NCAA title The atmosphere for Sunnets. On this Sunday, it was a day’s game was appropridream deferred, a prayer ately electric, given that it Scott unanswered against an LSU came during football playoff Rabalais season. LSU distributed team hungry — and perhaps desperate — for a signature white T-shirts on all the seats victory. in the PMAC’s lower bowl and elec“It doesn’t matter how much taltronic light-up wristbands that ﬁlled the entire arena with purple lights. ent we have,” Tigers point guard The late Bob Weir of the Grateful Jada Richard said. Dead would have felt right “In games like this, the hungry teams win.” ä see RABALAIS, page 3B After an 0-2 SEC start, the Tigers

2B ■ Monday, January 12, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS On TV MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL 6 p.m. Navy at American U. CBssN WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL 6 p.m. Alabama at Missouri sECN GOLF 1 p.m. Bahamas Golf Classic Golf

NBA 6:30 p.m. Boston at Indiana NFL 7:15 p.m. Houston at Pittsburgh NHL 6 p.m. seattle at N.y. Rangers MEN’S SOCCER 11:15 a.m. Al Nassr at Al Hilal

IN BRIEF

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

Peacock ABC, EsPN NHLN Fs2

2 p.m.

Paris FC at Paris saint-Germain Fs2 TENNIS 5 a.m. ATP and WTA Tennis 4:30 p.m. ATP and WTA Tennis UNRIVALED BASKETBALL 6:30 p.m. Mist vs. Phantom TNT 7:45 p.m. Laces vs. Lunar owls TRUTV

OLYMPICS

Malinin leads strong U.S. team into Milan World champion, ice dance duo to anchor figure skating team

BY DAVE SKRETTA

Associated Press

ST. LOUIS — World champions Ilia Malinin and the ice dance duo of Madison Chock and Evan Bates will anchor one of the strongest U.S. Figure Skating teams in history when they head to Italy for the Milan Cortina Olympics in less than a month. Malinin, fresh off his fourth straight national title, will be the prohibitive favorite to follow in the footsteps of Nathan Chen by delivering another men’s gold medal for the American squad when he steps on the ice at the Milano Ice Skating Arena. Chock and Bates, who won their record-setting seventh U.S. title Saturday night, also will be among the Olympic favorites, as will world champion Alysa Liu and women’s teammate Amber Glenn, fresh off her third consecutive national title. U.S. Figure Skating announced its full squad of 16 athletes for the Winter Games during a made-forTV celebration Sunday. “I’m just so excited for the Olympic spirit, the Olympic environment,” Malinin said. “Hopefully go for that Olympic gold.” Malinin will be joined on the men’s side by Andrew Torgashev, the all-or-nothing 24-year-old from Coral Springs, Florida, and Maxim Naumov, the 24-year-old from Simsbury, Connecticut, who fulfilled the hopes of his late parents by making the Olympic team. Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova were returning from a talent camp in Kansas when their American Airlines flight collided with a military helicopter and crashed into the icy Potomac River in January 2025. One of the last conversations they had with their son was about what it would take for him to follow in their footsteps by becoming an Olympian. “We absolutely did it,” Naumov said. “Every day, year after year, we talked about the Olympics. It means so much in our family. It’s what I’ve been thinking about since I was 5 years old, before I even know what to think. I can’t put this into words.” Chock and Bates helped the Americans win team gold at the Beijing Games four years ago, but they finished fourth — one spot out of the medals — in the ice dance competition. They have hardly finished anywhere but first in the years since, winning three consecutive world championships and the gold medal at three

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Sunday that he spoke briefly with team president and CEO Ed Policy after the Packers’ 31-27 NFC wild-card playoff loss to the Chicago Bears on Saturday night in the biggest playoff collapse in franchise history. LaFleur expected to meet with Policy again either later Sunday night or Monday. But he declined to comment on whether he expected to keep his job after the Packers (9-8-1) made their third straight playoff appearance but lost their final five games. “That’s not the focus right now, to be honest with you,” LaFleur said. “We’re fresh off this loss. My sole focus is on our players, our team and just trying to find ways to get better.”

Ravens interview Chiefs OC Nagy for coach job

AssoCIATED PREss PHoTo By JEFF RoBERsoN

Gold medalist Ilia Malinin arrives for the medal ceremony after the men’s free skate competition at the U.s. Figure skating Championships on saturday in st. Louis.

AP PHoTo By sTEPHANIE sCARBRoUGH

Madison Chock and Evan Bates perform at the U.s. Figure skating Championships on sunday in st. Louis. straight Grand Prix Finals. U.S. silver medalists Emilea Zingas and Vadym Koklesnik also made the dance team, as did the Canadian-born Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko, who became eligible for the Olympics in November when her American citizenship came through. Liu was picked for her second Olympic team after brieﬂy retiring following the Beijing Games. She had been burned out by years of practice and competing, but stepping away seemed to rejuvenate the 20-year-old from Clo-

vis, California, and she returned to win the first world title by an American since Kimmie Meissner stood atop the podium two decades ago. Now, the avant-garde Liu will be trying to help the U.S. win its first women’s medal since Sasha Cohen in Turin in 2006, and perhaps the first gold medal since Sarah Hughes triumphed four years earlier at the Salt Lake City Games. Her biggest competition, besides a powerful Japanese contingent, could come from her own teammates: Glenn, a first-time

Olympian, has been nearly unbeatable the past two years, while 18-year-old Isabeau Levito is a former world silver medalist. “This was my goal and my dream and it just feels so special that it came true,” said Levito, whose mother is originally from Milan. The two pairs spots went to Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea, the U.S. silver medalists, and the team of Emily Chan and Spencer Howe. The top American pairs team, two-time reigning U.S. champions Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov, were hoping that the Finnish-born Eﬁmova would get her citizenship approved in time to compete in Italy. But despite efforts by the Skating Club of Boston, where they train, and the help of their U.S. senators, she did not receive her passport by the selection deadline. “The importance and magnitude of selecting an Olympic team is one of the most important milestones in an athlete’s life,” U.S. Figure Skating CEO Matt Farrell said, “and it has such an impact, and while there are sometimes rules, there is also a human element to this that we really have to take into account as we make decisions and what’s best going forward from a selection process. “Sometimes these aren’t easy,” Farrell said, “and this is not the fun part.”

IOC happy as new hockey arena is almost ready BY DANIELLA MATAR Associated Press

MILAN — The International Olympic Committee says it’s impressed with the new hockey arena for the Milan Cortina Games, even if parts of it still look like a building site. The Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena will be one of the focal points of the games next month with NHL players returning to the Olympics for the first time in more than a decade. However, the venue has also been the focal point of the buildup with construction delays and other matters causing concern. It is finally ready — or at least almost. The ice rink is in place and most of the seating, but there is still an abundance of plastic sheeting, while some areas such as the locker rooms are far from finished. “What I see personally is an extraordinary seating bowl and this venue … looks fantastic,” IOC Olympic Games executive director Christophe Dubi said Sunday. “The last time I came was before Christmas, and this is radically different. So, so much progress. Anyone involved here, hat off. “There’s only one way to go, and

LaFleur expects to meet with GB exec to talk future

AssoCIATED PREss PHoTo By LUCA BRUNo

The santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, pictured sunday, is nearly finished, organizers say. that is the view of the experts … and what they tell us, ﬁrst class.” The NHL has previously expressed concern about ice quality due to construction delays with deputy commissioner Bill Daly saying the league would not send its players if there were any safety concerns. The IOC shared some of those worries. “Although we were facing a lot of difﬁculties, we always had a very strong plan,” Dubi said.

“Now, having a plan does not mean that you’re going to get there, but there was so much oversight and so much expertise thrown at this venue with probably the best engineers, the best Ice Meister, everything that could be thrown at that venue was thrown. “So, did I ever have doubts? No. Was I concerned? Certainly. Because if you were here six months ago, it didn’t look this way, I can tell you. It’s incredible what they’ve done, really incredible.”

Dubi was speaking on the final day of a long-awaited, three-day test event at the arena. The original test event scheduled in December didn’t happen because of the construction delays. The one scheduled this weekend — the final league and cup games of the domestic season — is less than a month out from the women’s competition. The NHL is expected to release a statement at the end of its visit to the new arena, with a delegation having spent time here over the past three days. The International Ice Hockey Federation can see no barrier to the NHL returning to the Olympics for the first time since 2014, especially after having simulated Olympic conditions at the test event with three matches a day on Saturday and Sunday. The players themselves said they were happy with the quality of the ice. Canadian James Livingston, who plays for the Wipptal Broncos, said he was sure his compatriots in the NHL would be fine. “I mean we all grew up playing on ponds back in Canada, so I’m sure that whatever gets thrown at them, they’re gonna adapt and they’re gonna enjoy it,” he said.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Baltimore Ravens have interviewed Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy for their head coaching vacancy. Baltimore ﬁred longtime coach John Harbaugh on Tuesday. Since then, the Ravens have acknowledged interviewing Vance Joseph, Davis Webb, Klint Kubiak, Kevin Stefanski and the 47-year-old Nagy. Nagy was the coach of the Chicago Bears from 2018-21, going 34-31 and making the playoffs twice. He was AP NFL Coach of the Year in 2018, when Chicago won the NFC North. He’s also been on the staff for two Super Bowl-winning Kansas City teams, although the Chiefs fell to 6-11 this season.

Vonn’s World Cup race canceled due to weather

ALTENMARKT-ZAUCHENSEE, Austria — Lindsey Vonn lost the chance for another World Cup race win Sunday when a super-G was canceled because of the weather conditions. The 41-year-old United States star won a downhill on the same course Saturday but “strong snowfall in the night and strong wind on the top” prevented Sunday’s race, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation said. “The current conditions do not meet the necessary safety standards,” FIS said. No details were given of rescheduling the race later in the season. The cancellation leaves just two women’s super-G races before the Milan Cortina Olympics open Feb. 6. The first is at Tarvisio, Italy, next Sunday and the other is Jan. 31 at Swiss resort Crans-Montana.

No. 1 Sabalenka wins Brisbane final vs. Kostyuk

BRISBANE, Australia — Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka won her second consecutive Brisbane International title and 22nd career singles crown after a straight-sets victory over Marta Kostyuk on Sunday. Sabalanka appeared in her third straight Brisbane ﬁnal and the Belarusian looked comfortable as she won 6-4, 6-3 in Pat Rafter Arena. Kostyuk went hard early by attacking Sabalenka’s second serve, clawing back an early break with sublime drop shots that briefly rattled the world No. 1. However, Sabalenka’s relentless intensity and match smarts proved decisive as she exploited the oppressive Brisbane humidity with punishing baseline rallies to clinch the opening set in 40 minutes.

Kim qualifies for LIV Golf by earning his way back

LECANTO, Fla. — Anthony Kim gets another season on LIV Golf, finishing among the top three players over the final 36 holes of the qualifying tournament at Black Diamond who get a full year on the Saudi-funded league. Kim, who stepped away from golf for 12 years amid drug and alcohol struggles, had a 1-under 69 to make it with two shots to spare. “I’m not here to prove everybody wrong, I’m here to prove myself right,” Kim said. Richard T. Lee of Canada had a 65 and was medalist by five shots over Bjorn Hellgren of Sweden, who had a 64. Lee finished at 11-under 129. Kim was six shots behind. Kim, 40, reached as high as No. 6 in the world in 2008, the year he played on a winning U.S. team at the Ryder Cup.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Monday, January 12, 2026 ■ 3B

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‘We’re trying to adjust on the ﬂy’ LsU trying to find rhythm without key player Thomas

ä Kentucky at LSU, 6 P.M.WEDNEsDAy, EsPN

BY TOYLOY BROWN III staff writer

LSU knew that a fast-paced basketball game spelled trouble against No. 11 Vanderbilt. It couldn’t prevent pockets of uptempo play, allowing 50 ﬁrst-half points and trailing by as many as 20. Scoring in bunches is what the undefeated Commodores do. They are adept at getting steals, have multiple players who can drain 3-pointers several feet behind the line and have a point guard in Tyler Tanner, who can score at all levels and is a pest on defense. All those aspects showed in LSU’s 84-73 defeat on Saturday at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tennessee. LSU (12-4, 0-3 SEC) seemed set for a blowout that would exceed the pre-game projections that had it a 141/2-point underdog. How was a worse drubbing prevented? The Tigers guarded better against Vanderbilt (16-0, 3-0) and embraced a more deliberate offense that was much needed without junior point guard Dedan Thomas, who is out with a lower leg injury. LSU is still in the process of adapting to playing without Thomas, who averages a team-high 16.2 points on 49.3% shooting, an SEChigh 7.1 assists and only 1.8 turn-

sTAFF PHoTo By HILARy sCHEINUK

LsU coach Matt McMahon speaks with guard Max Mackinnon on the bench during a game against south Carolina on Jan. 6 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Mackinnon had a season-high 27 points on sunday at Vanderbilt. overs per game. “We’re trying to adjust on the fly here,” coach Matt McMahon said on the LSU sports radio network. ”We’ve prepared for five, six months to play at a breakneck pace with DJ out in the open ﬂoor, really feeding off our transition

game. That’s not our strength right now. So to your point, got to try and control tempo a little more. We’ve got to execute, especially our offball screening on our offensive side of the ball to get some better quality shots for our team. And I thought because we took care of

the ball more in the second half, we weren’t in transition defense as much, where they really hurt us in the ﬁrst half.” The off-ball screens worked well in freeing up Max Mackinnon. The senior had a season-high 27 points on 9-of-16 shooting, four rebounds

LSU

Continued from page 1B

AssoCIATED PREss PHoTo By KEVIN KoLCZyNsKI

Pelicans forward Zion Williamson shoots over orlando Magic forward Noah Penda during a game on sunday in orlando, Fla.

Pels ﬁzzle in fourth quarter, fall to Magic BY ROD WALKER staff writer

Poole, who has struggled lately, had one of his best shooting games since joining the Pelicans. He went 6-for-8 on 3-pointers. Poole wasn’t the only major contributor off the bench. Karlo Matkovic scored 11 points and Yves Missi scored seven points to go with his five rebounds and four blocked shots. “I thought they were great,” Borrego said about the bench. “Poole made some big plays, and obviously, he got going offensively. Yves was fantastic in the first half. “ Rookie center Derik Queen, fresh off his second career doubledouble in Friday’s win over the Washington Wizards, had 10 points and six assists. Jeremiah Fears, the other rookie starter, finished with 16 points, four rebounds and three assists. Fears missed a layup with 2:01 left that would have cut it to 120-119. Instead, the Magic scored four straight points to push Orlando’s lead to 124-117. It was one of several Pelicans miscues in the fourth quarter. The Pelicans have lost their last eight games against the Magic. Their last win against Orlando came in December of 2021. The Pelicans now hit the midway point of the season with a 9-32 record and have lost 10 of their last 11 games. They return home to play back-to-back games Tuesday and Wednesday against the Denver Nuggets and Brooklyn Nets. “We’ve got to have more poise and execute down the stretch,” Borrego said. “But you’ve got to make plays. Bottom line. All of us. That’s my job to keep helping put us in position, but ultimately, we’ve got to go make plays.”

For a little over three quarters Sunday, it was the New Orleans Pelicans who had all the magic. Even Jordan Poole’s off-balanced, left-handed 3-pointer as the shot clock expired late in the third quarter found its way through the nets at Kia Center. But none of it mattered in the end. The Pelicans unraveled in the fourth quarter and saw their misery continue against the Orlando Magic with a 128-118 loss. “Same thing,” said Pelicans interim head coach James Borrego. “We just keep putting ourselves in these positions. You’ve got to make plays.” Late in this game, the Pelicans didn’t. They couldn’t make enough shots. They turned the ball over. And on the other end of the court, Orlando’s duo of Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane took over. “It happened in (last week’s) Lakers’ game,” Borrego said. “Their two guys (LeBron James and Luka Doncic) made plays and tonight Orlando’s two guys made plays. Paolo and Bane drove on us and got to the rim. We can look at our offense, but we gave up 37 points (in the fourth quarter).” Borrego’s team got outscored 3720 in the final quarter. The Pels led 98-91 going into the fourth quarter. Poole made a 3-pointer with 9:04 left that gave the Pelicans a 107-98 lead. But the Magic answered with a 22-8 run. Bane and Banchero scored 21 of the Magic’s last 23 points and finished with 27 and 23 points, respectively. Orlando’s Anthony Black finished with 26. Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with 22 points, while Trey Murphy Email Rod Walker at rwalker@ and Poole scored 21 points each. theadvocate.com.

Mikaylah Williams led the Tigers to the win. She tallied 20 points, seven rebounds, four assists and a career-high five steals after shooting 7 of 13 from the field and 2 of 4 from beyond the arc. Star senior Flau’jae Johnson, freshman forward ZaKiyah Johnson, sophomore guard Jada Richard and junior transfer guard MiLaysia Fulwiley each chipped in 10 points. Fulwiley also forced three turnovers. “That was kind of a hard game to watch in the first half,” Mulkey said, “but if you’re a true basketball junkie, that was an enjoyable game to watch. Because both teams (played) hard-nosed defense. Everything came hard in what you tried to do. It was just good, hard-nosed basketball.” Mulkey’s right. The Tigers and Longhorns tend to play physical, low-scoring games. Sunday’s clash was no exception. Texas wouldn’t let LSU score around the rim in the first half. Each time a Tiger drove the lane, she’d meet a taller, longer defender — one of the Longhorns who teamed up to force LSU to miss each of its first five layups and 11 of its first 15 field goals. The Tigers eventually figured out how to score, however, thanks in large part to their active defense. Texas turned the ball over 11 times in the first half alone, equaling its season average, and LSU converted eight of its last

RABALAIS

Continued from page 1B at home. It was a rock show from tip to horn. LSU coach Kim Mulkey was a light-up wristband herself, decked out head to toe in gold lamé, complete with wet, matted blonde hair in the postgame news conference from a post-win locker room dousing. This was her first regularseason win at LSU against a top five-ranked SEC rival. But to say this was her biggest win in five seasons on the bayou? Well, she was having none of that. “Why, because they were ranked second in the country?” Mulkey asked. Then she mockingly patted herself on the back. “Every game in my world is big. All of them. I respect every opponent.” And she demands that her opponents respect her Tigers. “If we’re going to get beat, they’re going to have to make plays to beat us,” she said. “The first two losses, they did. But it wasn’t for a lack of preparation.” This was, predictably, a tightly contested affair. ESPN gave LSU a scant 51% chance of winning, which spoke to what it would

sTAFF PHoTo By MICHAEL JoHNsoN

LsU guard ZaKiyah Johnson makes a move to the hoop against Texas guard Ashton Judd in the second quarter on sunday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

and four assists. The Tigers controlled the tempo better thanks to a run of stops due to a more connected defense in the second half. Freshman guard Mazi Mosley only had three points but was the team’s top perimeter defender because of his aggression. The 6-foot-5, 169-pound guard had six rebounds, two assists and played a season-high 27 minutes. LSU sophomore center Robert Miller was a strong rim deterrent and coupled that with nine points on 3-of-3 shooting. “I thought both of those guys had had a significant impact on the flow of the game today,” McMahon said. The fourth-year coach liked the growth that his team showed, outscoring Vanderbilt 35-32 in the second half and shooting 3% better from the field by the game’s conclusion at 46%. Despite that, LSU knows that its hopes of claiming an NCAA Tournament berth rely on Thomas’ availability. “I know it comes across as coach speak, but he truly is day-to-day,” McMahon said. “He’s made incredible strides ... he’s out of his boot, he’s off crutches, he’s moving. He’s in treatment 15, 16 hours a day. He wants to be back. He’ll be right back in (treatment) as soon as we land in Baton Rouge tonight and we’ll see how quickly we can get him ready to go. But he’s fighting like crazy to get back to the court.” LSU’s next game is against Kentucky at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

ing the third-quarter buzzer and giving the Tigers a 50-39 lead to bring into the fourth. Williams then helped LSU seal the win. First, she drove the lane and dropped a bounce pass to ZaKiyah Johnson, setting up a layup that gave the Tigers a 63-57 lead. Then she saved a broken possession by draining a fadeaway 3-pointer at the end of the shot clock. That shot widened the LSU lead to seven at the 1:20 mark of the fourth. “That’s what great players do,” Texas coach Vic Schaefer said. “They make plays. She had to make a play in that moment, and boy, she did.” LSU’s 19 offensive rebounds were the most they’ve grabbed against an SEC opponent so far this season. Before Sunday, no Division I team turned the ball over fewer times per game than Texas, which was averaging only 10 giveaways per game. The Longhorns committed that many turnovers in the ﬁrst half of Sunday’s game alone and wound up with a season-high 17. The Tigers last picked up a regular-season win over an AP toptwo team in 2008, when it went on the road in February to beat No. 1 Tennessee. Next up for LSU is a road game against No. 5 Oklahoma set to tip off at 2 p.m. next Sunday. The Sooners lost at home to No. 18 Ole Miss on Thursday and on the road to No. 6 Kentucky on Sunday.

nine field goals of the second quarter. That hot stretch included the free-throw-line jumper that Richard drained to beat the halftime buzzer and ignite the PMAC crowd. In the third, LSU kept its offense rolling. Williams stepped into a transition 3-pointer on the right wing. Fulwiley found freshman forward Grace Knox open for a layup that put the Tigers ahead by 11. Then Fulwiley sprinted down the ﬂoor and Email Reed Darcey at reed. euro-stepped into a runner, beat- darcey@theadvocate.com.

take for either team to pull out a crucial SEC victory. The beautiful game it was not. This was not Arsenal versus Aston Villa. But a premier matchup in a premier women’s basketball league, it certainly was. A tough, physical, best two-out-of-three falls fight (A rock fight? At times) that reestablished LSU as an SEC and national contender after sobering back-to-back losses to start the month to Kentucky and Vanderbilt. How did LSU do it? As former Tiger great Angel Reese said, LSU assistant Bob Starkey once told the team, “No rebounds, no rings.” LSU trailed in the rebounding fight early and was outscored 12-2 in the paint at one point. But the Tigers roared back to win the rebounding battle 4435 and closed the paint points deficit to 34-32. This with massive reserve Texas center Kyla Oldacre pounding LSU inside for 16 points and 16 rebounds. “It’s what I try to preach to them,” Mulkey said. “It’s like the holy trinity we cook with — onions, celery, bell peppers. I tried to put some humor into this game. If you protect the ball, rebound and defend, that’s the holy trinity. “I’m sure that was kind of a hard game to watch, but if you’re

a true basketball junkie, that was an enjoyable game to watch. Both teams played defense and it was good hard-nosed basketball.” The hard-nosed basketball will have to continue. For both teams. LSU’s next game is next Sunday at current No. 5 Oklahoma — both teams will likely be in the AP top 10 — while Texas has to go to South Carolina on Thursday. That’s scheduling double jeopardy that had Schaefer blasting the SEC office throughout his postgame news conference. “There are people in the (SEC) office paid to run women’s basketball,” Schaefer said. “But that’s fine.” This won’t be the last time LSU and Texas meet this season. The Tigers go to Austin on Feb. 5 for the second half of their homeand-home regular-season series. That they could meet in the SEC tournament or deep into the NCAA tournament would not be surprising in the least. Maybe a championship will be on the line then. After this win, you have to include LSU in that conversation once again. For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

4B ■ Monday, January 12, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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NFL PLAYOFFS

Purdy, 49ers eliminate reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles BY DAN GELSTON AP sportswriter

AssoCIATED PREss PHoTo By CHRIs o’MEARA

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen gets up after collecting a first down near the Jacksonville Jaguars end zone in the second half of an AFC wild-card playoff game on sunday in Jacksonville, Fla.

Allen leads Bills over Jaguars on the road BY MARK LONG

AP pro football writer JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Josh Allen took a pounding, doled out punishment and delivered Buffalo its first road playoff victory in more than three decades, 27-24 over Jacksonville in the AFC’s wild-card opener Sunday. With linebacker Devin Lloyd bearing down on him, Allen found Brandin Cooks for 36 yards just before the two-minute warning and then capped the go-ahead drive with a 1-yard touchdown run in which Jacksonville let him score. On the play before his score, Allen gained 10 yards on a sneak, refusing to go down while being pushed and pulled to the goal line. “Just trusting everybody on the field,” Allen said. “Great win, great team win. All we’ve got to do is play our game, find a way to win a football game. We’re on to the next.” Buffalo will play at Denver or New England next week, a chance to build a road winning streak after a decades-long skid. “We got to go do it again. We got to go do it again,” Allen said. Focused on getting rid of the ball quickly and negating Jacksonville’s pass rush most of the game, Allen completed 28 of 35 passes for 273 yards and a touchdown. He ran for two scores, was sacked just once and played turnover-free football. Khalil Shakir caught 12 passes for 82 yards for the Bills. It was necessary considering

NFL rushing leader James Cook was mostly bottled up, finishing with 46 yards on 15 carries. “You know, we’re going to play for each other, we’re gonna fight to the very last second, and you saw that here today,” Allen said. Buffalo (13-5) intercepted a deflected pass on Jacksonville’s final drive to seal the victory. The Bills had been 0-5 on the road in the playoffs under coach Sean McDermott, starting with a 10-3 loss at Jacksonville in the 2017 wild-card round. The Bills had dropped eight consecutive postseason games on the road since winning at Miami in the 1992 AFC championship game. It had been the NFL’s second-longest, active road playoff skid. The Jaguars (13-5) took the lead with 4:03 to play on Trevor Lawrence’s third TD pass of the game, but they couldn’t hold it against the NFL’s reigning MVP. Lawrence completed 18 of 30 passes for 207 yards, with TD throws to Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington and Travis Etienne. Washington finished with seven catches for 107 yards. Coach Liam Coen surely will get questioned for not running the ball more against one of the league’s most porous run defenses. Etienne and rookie Bhayshul Tuten combined for 118 yards on just 14 carries. Allen, meanwhile, showed his toughness. He twice ended up in

the medical tent in the first half but didn’t miss a snap. He got hammered in the head twice during one play, with Josh Hines-Allen landing on the side of his helmet right after teammate Travon Walker tackled him to the ground. His left ear appeared to be bleeding, but he got checked out and returned. Allen later slammed his right hand into the helmet of right guard O’Cyrus Torrence after releasing the ball. And he completed the injury trifecta when his left leg got bent awkwardly on his 2-yard TD run. Allen stayed on the ground following that last hit from HinesAllen and gingerly walked to the sideline and back into the tent. But, as usual, the 6-foot-5, 237-pounder powered through and was back on the ﬁeld making plays.

A missed opportunity The Jaguars had a chance to tie the game at the end of the first half, but Cam Little was wide left on a 54-yarder. The miss ended a streak of 20 consecutive field goals made for the second-year pro from Arkansas. Little kicked the two longest field goals in NFL history this season — a 68-yarder at Las Vegas and a 67-yarder last week against Tennessee. He got a chance after the Bills were flagged for being offside following a 34-yard completion that got Little into range.

Houston’s Anderson, Al-Shaair built strong bond despite different religions BY KRISTIE RIEKEN AP sportswriter

HOUSTON — Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. and linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair were brought together by football, but it is a relationship forged by faith. Anderson, a Christian, and AlShaair, a Muslim, didn’t let religious differences divide them. Instead, they leaned into their shared piousness to build a bond through faith that has paid dividends both on and off the field. “I’m a Christian through and through, but I also think it’s very important to see how other people … think and how they feel about certain things,” Anderson said. Added Al-Shaair: “I’m open about my faith and I use my faith and the things I’ve experienced in conversations with guys and the same for him. So, every time we talked we were always hitting on the same cylinder, like dang that’s exactly how I feel … so, I feel like it just worked out perfectly.” Before they lead the Texans’ topranked defense into the postseason against the Steelers on Monday night, these captains will find a quiet place away from the game-day chaos for a private talk to center themselves and discuss their faith. Anderson, who was named a firstteam AP All-Pro on Saturday, and Al-Shaair, a first-time Pro Bowler who leads the team with 103 tack-

ä Texans at Steelers.

7:15 P.M. MoNDAy, EsPN, ABC les, aim to help Houston get its ﬁrst road playoff win. Anderson said Al-Shaair has given him a boost from the moment he arrived in Houston before last season. Those pregame chats, though, might mean the most. “I could truly say our talks before the game really help me,” Anderson said. “We try not to miss that talk before the game and that really helps both of us just get in that mindset and both of us really just (knowing) what we’re doing it for, why we’re doing it, and everything like that.” Though there are fundamental differences in their religions, they both have values they feel are universal. “Although Azeez is a Muslim and I’m Christian, we share a lot of the same similarities with our faith and our morals and beliefs,” Anderson said. “Talking to Azeez … it’s kind of the comparison, but it also leads back to just being a moral person … and having great values, and I think the biggest thing that we talk about is how we treat others.” They also exchange stories of faith working in their lives and conﬁde in each other with personal doubts and worries related to the physical game they play. “Just (about) trusting God, believing in God and knowing it’s

God’s timing and really just being there for each other,” Anderson said. “Whether it’s a story from the Quran or a story from the Bible, it really doesn’t matter because we’re both sharing our faith and we both know who we believe in, which is God.” The pair have grown so close that Al-Shaair says it sometimes feels like they’re the same person. On the day both were selected to the Pro Bowl this season, in separate interviews both players noted that the honor meant more because they shared it and each mentioned their faith-based relationship. “But that’s just how me and him have always been since we’ve met each other,” Al-Shaair said. “It’s like we’re literally just kind of in each other’s brains.” As a Muslim, growing up mostly in Florida, Al-Shaair has had relationships with Christians his entire life. The opposite isn’t true for Anderson, who was raised Baptist in suburban Atlanta. “Oh no, no, no, I didn’t know any Muslims growing up,” Anderson said with a laugh. Anderson said he didn’t even meet a Muslim until he trained with current Titans linebacker Ali Gaye while preparing for the combine. He isn’t sure why some people are so reticent with those who don’t share their beliefs, but he has found it illuminating.

PHILADELPHIA — Brock Purdy threw a go-ahead 6-yard touchdown pass to Christian McCaffrey late in the fourth quarter, San Francisco used a trick play on a TD toss from wide receiver Jauan Jennings, and the 49ers eliminated the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles with a 23-19 wild-card victory Sunday. The 49ers head to top-seeded Seattle next weekend for an NFC divisional playoff game. The NFC West rivals split the season series. “We just focused on one play at a time,” McCaffrey said. “We knew it was going to be a 12-round fight. That’s what we kept saying. We just had to stick to it. No matter what happened during the game, good or bad, we just keep trusting each other and ended up winning.” Purdy threw for 262 yards and got the road win in Philadelphia he failed to get three seasons ago when he was injured in a dismal outing in Philadelphia in a loss in the NFC title game. Purdy had two passes intercepted in this one by All-Pro cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, but the Eagles scored just three points off the turnovers. The 49ers could head to Seattle without star tight end George Kittle, who was carted off the field with a right Achilles tendon injury late in the first half. The Eagles — who won a Super Bowl on a trick play — were foiled by one when Jennings was pitched the ball and rolled right and hit McCaffrey on a 29-yard touchdown. The score on the first play of the fourth quarter gave the 49ers a 17-16 lead. Jennings had 66 yards receiving and 48 rushing in addition to his TD pass. The Eagles would only get Jake Elliott’s 33-yard field goal in the quarter for a brief 19-17 lead. Philadelphia was again doomed by a lethargic offensive effort under embattled offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo that cost it a shot at a repeat championship. Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts threw for only 168 yards and a touchdown and the Eagles failed to build off a 13-10 halftime lead by totaling only 36 total yards in the third quarter on 16 plays. Hurts was incomplete on a lastgasp fourth-and-11 attempt with 43 seconds left that ended their final drive. “Our team fights,” McCaffrey said. “I love this group so much. I don’t have enough good things

AP PHoTo By CHRIs sZAGoLA

san Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy reacts to a touchdown pass to 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey during the second half of a wildcard playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles on sunday in Philadelphia.

to say about it. I’m proud to be a part of this team.” The game never reached its offensive slugfest potential after the teams traded touchdowns on their opening drives. Purdy, rendered ineffective by a torn ligament in his right elbow on the opening drive against the Eagles in a disastrous NFC title game loss three seasons ago, completed all three passes for 74 yards and capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Demarcus Robinson. Robinson had 111 yards receiving. The Eagles tied it on a 1-yard sweep by Dallas Goedert, their red zone go-to ace with 11 TD receptions who became the ﬁrst tight end to rush for a score in NFL postseason history. The Eagles turned again to Goedert on fourth down when Hurts hit him for a 9-yard TD that made it 13-7. Eddy Pineiro kicked a 36-yarder for the 49ers that cut it to 13-10 at halftime.

Heat of the moment Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown had to be separated from coach Nick Sirianni by chief security ofﬁcer Dom DiSandro during a sideline blowup late in the ﬁrst half. Brown ripped off his helmet in frustration and yelled more in Sirianni’s direction after the Eagles punted to end a drive.

Another postseason pick A day after he was named to the 2025 NFL All-Pro Team, Mitchell had his ﬁrst two interceptions of the season. Mitchell has four career postseason picks, but none in two full regular seasons.

49ers’ tight end Kittle tears Achilles tendon BY DAN GELSTON

AP sportswriter

PHILADELPHIA — George Kittle’s season was over, a torn right Achilles tendon for the star tight end that dampened the mood in a playoff win that kept the San Francisco 49ers in the hunt for a Super Bowl. Yet Kittle, perhaps knowing the worst, clapped for his 49ers’ teammates even as he was carted off the ﬁeld late in the ﬁrst half of Sunday’s wild-card playoff game at Philadelphia. “I think everyone’s just hurting for Kittle,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. Kittle missed the celebration after Brock Purdy threw a goahead 6-yard touchdown pass to Christian McCaffrey late in the fourth quarter and the 49ers eliminated the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles with a 2319 wild-card victory Sunday. The 49ers head to top-seeded Seattle without Kittle next weekend for an NFC divisional playoff game. Kittle was pushed out of bounds on a 6-yard reception and grabbed the back of his lower right leg. He was ruled out for the rest of the game. Kittle is a key part of both the run and pass game for the 49ers, but played in just 11

games this season because of injuries. He missed five games with a hamstring injury and missed a Week 17 game with an ankle injury. The catch against the Eagles was Kittle’s first of the game. “This team has carried the character of George Kittle throughout the entire year,” McCaffrey said. “Since I got traded here, he’s the heart and soul of the entire team. It’s a tough loss. When he’s not playing, it means a lot. When you lose a leader like that, you never really lose him because his presence is still in the locker room. “His energy is still here.” Kittle had 57 catches for 628 yards receiving and seven touchdowns this season. He honored Grateful Dead founding member and big 49ers fan Bob Weir with “DEAD FOREVER” on tape around his left ankle. Weir’s death was announced Saturday. He was 78. Shanahan also all but ruled out All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner’s return against the Seahawks. Warner dislocated and broke his right ankle in a loss at Tampa Bay on Oct. 12. Warner was a first-team AllPro in three straight seasons and four of the last five, making the Pro Bowl in each of those four seasons.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Monday, January 12, 2026 ■ 5B

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Bears rally from down 18 points to beat Packers LATE SATURDAY

BY ANDREW SELIGMAN AP sportswriter

CHICAGO — Caleb Williams dropped back, pump-faked and found DJ Moore wide open down the sideline for the go-ahead touchdown. His latest clutch throw propelled the Chicago Bears to yet another improbable comeback win and kept their breakout season going for at least another round of the postseason. Williams came through in his playoff debut, throwing a 25-yard touchdown pass to Moore with 1:43 remaining, and the Chicago Bears rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat the rival Green Bay Packers 31-27 in a wild-card game on Saturday night. The NFC North champion Bears (12-6) extended their resurgent first season under coach Ben Johnson with their seventh fourth-quarter comeback victory. They split two down-to-the-wire games with Green Bay in the regular season, and this one turned out to be a thriller when it looked like it would be a breeze for the Packers (9-8-1). Chicago trailed 21-3 at halftime and 21-6 through three quarters, only to outscore Green Bay 25-6 in the fourth on the way to its first playoff win in 15 years. “True belief,” Williams said. “Belief. That’s all you need. You got belief in the coaches that they’re gonna call the right play at the right time. You got belief in the players on the field that you’re gonna make the right play at the right time.” After Williams connected with Moore to give the Bears their first lead since it was 3-0, Jordan Love led Green Bay into Chicago territory. But on third down at the 28,

AssoCIATED PREss PHoTo By NAM HUH

Chicago Bears’ DJ Moore catches a touchdown pass during the second half of a wild-card playoff game against the Green Bay Packers on saturday in Chicago. he dropped the snap, scrambled and heaved a pass to the end zone with no time left. Jaquan Brisker deﬂected the ball, setting off a wild celebration — and a curt handshake between Johnson and Packers coach Matt LaFleur. The Bears will host a divisionalround game next weekend. “We just keep plugging along,” Johnson said. “We keep ﬁghting. We’ve been proving that this year. That’s who we are, that’s what we do.” Chicago pulled within 21-16 on D’Andre Swift’s 5-yard run early in the fourth quarter. The Packers

responded, with rookie Matthew Golden breaking three tackles and leapfrogging a fourth defender on a 23-yard catch-and-run for his ﬁrst career touchdown, making it 27-16. Brandon McManus missed the extra point wide left. The Bears went 76 yards, with Williams throwing an 8-yard touchdown pass to Olamide Zaccheaus and hitting rookie Colston Loveland for the 2-point conversion to make it 27-24 with 4:18 remaining. The Packers then drove to the Chicago 21, only to come away with nothing when McManus missed wide right on a 44-yard ﬁeld goal

attempt. The Bears responded with the go-ahead touchdown drive and hung on for their ﬁrst playoff win since the 2010 team beat Seattle in the divisional round at Soldier Field. They had lost three straight in the postseason, starting with a loss to Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in the NFC championship game that season. Green Bay dominated Chicago for years. But the momentum in the NFL’s longest-running rivalry seems to be turning, with the Bears beating the Packers for the third time in the past ﬁve games. “We’re here and I’m going to

be here for a while, is my plan,” Williams said. “Be in a bunch of games, be in these moments and come out victorious. That’s the mindset for right now this year. That’s also the mindset for the future.” The Bears envisioned nights like this when they drafted Williams No. 1 overall last year, and when they hired Johnson in the offseason. Williams delivered after a shaky start, throwing for 361 yards and the two late touchdowns. He completed 24 of 48 passes and was intercepted twice. Loveland caught eight passes for a career-high 137 yards for the Bears, who had closed the regular season with tight losses to San Francisco and Detroit. The Packers dropped their ﬁnal five games. That certainly was not what they envisioned when they acquired star pass rusher Micah Parsons from Dallas in late August and sent expectations soaring. The two-time All-Pro suffered a season-ending knee injury in a Week 15 loss at Denver, and the defense struggled without him. “I know we fought through a lot of adversity this year,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “Unfortunately we didn’t do enough to overcome that adversity. That’s all of us collectively. We’ve got to do more.” Love threw for 323 yards and four touchdowns after missing the ﬁnal two regular-season games. He hadn’t played since a helmet-tohelmet hit from Chicago’s Austin Booker in the second quarter of a Week 16 loss at Soldier Field.

SCOREBOARD Odds Sports Betting Line NFL Monday

FAVORITE Houston

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

College Football Monday, Jan. 19

CFP National Championship Miami Gardens, Fla. FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U Indiana 7½ 7½ (48½)

NBA

Monday

FAVORITE at CLEVELAND Boston at TORONTO at DALLAS LA Lakers at LA CLIPPERS

LINE 13½ 5½ OFF 4½ 9½ 5½

O/U (250½) (224½) (OFF) (220½) (228½) (224½)

Monday

FAVORITE LINE North Carolina Cent. 1½ Grambling 2½ at SE LOUISIANA 1½ at HOWARD 10½ at LAMAR 7½ at SFA 8½ Navy 1½ at BETHUNE-COOK. 3½ at NORFOLK STATE 5½ South Carolina State 1½ at PRAIRIE VIEW A&M 2½ at ALABAMA STATE 7½ Texas A&M-CC 4½ at MCNEESE 13½ UT Rio Grande Valley 2½ at ALABAMA A&M 6½ at TEXAS SOUTHERN 12½

NHL

UNDERDOG at MORGAN ST. at FLORIDA A&M New Orleans Delaware State Hou. Christian Incarnate Word at AMERICAN Southern Maryl.-E. Shore at COPPIN STATE UAPB Alcorn State at E. TEXAS A&M Nicholls State at NW STATE Jackson State Miss. Valley St.

Monday

FAVORITE LINE UNDERDOG at N.Y RANGERS -142 Seattle Tampa Bay -153 at PHILADELPHIA Carolina -153 at DETROIT at BUFFALO -113 Florida at MONTREAL -184 Vancouver at MINNESOTA -182 New Jersey Edmonton -170 at CHICAGO Dallas -118 at LOS ANGELES at COLORADO -254 Toronto

LINE +119 +128 +128 -107 +152 +152 +142 -102 +206

Pro basketball NBA Conference glance EASTERN CONFERENCE W 28 25 24 24 21 22 22 20 19 18 17 14 11 10 8

L 10 14 14 16 16 18 18 19 21 20 22 25 25 28 31

Pct .737 .641 .632 .600 .568 .550 .550 .513 .475 .474 .436 .359 .306 .263 .205

GB — 3½ 4 5 6½ 7 7 8½ 10 10 11½ 14½ 16 18 20½

W Oklahoma City 33 San Antonio 27 Denver 26

L 7 12 13

Pct .825 .692 .667

GB — 5½ 6½

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

WESTERN CONFERENCE

26 23 22 24 21 19 17 15 14 13 9 8

Saturday’s games UNDERDOG Miami (FL)

UNDERDOG Utah at INDIANA Philadelphia Brooklyn at SAC Charlotte

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

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

14 13 13 15 18 21 22 23 25 25 32 30

.650 .639 .629 .615 .538 .475 .436 .395 .359 .342 .220 .211

7 8 8½ 8½ 11½ 14 15½ 17 18½ 19 24½ 24

Cleveland 146, Minnesota 134 Indiana 123, Miami 99 Chicago 125, Dallas 107 L.A. Clippers 98, Detroit 92 San Antonio 100, Boston 95 Charlotte 150, Utah 95 Orlando 128, New Orleans 118 Memphis 103, Brooklyn 98 New York 123, Portland 114 Toronto 116, Philadelphia 115, OT Oklahoma City 124, Miami 112 Minnesota 104, San Antonio 103 Denver 108, Milwaukee 104 Phoenix 112, Washington 93 Atlanta at Golden State, n Houston at Sacramento, n Utah at Cleveland, 6 p.m. Boston at Indiana, 6:30 p.m. Philadelphia at Toronto, 6:30 p.m. Brooklyn at Dallas, 7:30 p.m. L.A. Lakers at Sacramento, 9 p.m. Charlotte at L.A. Clippers, 9:30 p.m.

Orlando 128, New Orleans 118 NEW ORLEANS (118)

Murphy III 8-15 2-2 21, Williamson 9-14 4-5 22, Queen 4-8 2-3 10, Fears 7-12 0-0 16, McGowens 2-4 0-0 6, Matkovic 4-4 2-2 11, Peavy 1-6 0-0 2, Missi 3-4 1-1 7, Hawkins 1-2 0-0 2, Poole 7-11 1-2 21. Totals 46-80 12-15 118.

ORLANDO (128)

Banchero 7-16 9-10 23, Penda 2-6 3-4 9, Bitadze 7-10 0-0 14, Bane 9-18 8-8 27, Black 9-10 5-7 26, Cain 0-0 0-0 0, Isaac 0-1 0-0 0, da Silva 4-7 4-4 16, M.Wagner 3-7 2-2 8, Richardson 1-3 0-0 3, T.Jones 1-4 0-0 2. Totals 43-82 31-35 128. New Orleans 26 33 39 20 — 118 Orlando 26 32 33 37 — 128 3-Point Goals—New Orleans 14-26 (Poole 6-8, Murphy III 3-7, Fears 2-3, McGowens 2-4, Matkovic 1-1, Peavy 0-3), Orlando 11-24 (da Silva 4-5, Black 3-4, Penda 2-3, Richardson 1-2, Bane 1-4, Bitadze 0-1, T.Jones 0-1, Banchero 0-2, M.Wagner 0-2). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—New Orleans 26 (Murphy III 7), Orlando 39 (Bitadze 13). Assists—New Orleans 27 (Murphy III, Queen 6), Orlando 27 (Banchero 8). Total Fouls—New Orleans 25, Orlando 16. A—19,059 (18,846)

NBA Leaders

261 318

162 157

FG 181 208 157 157 269 216 339 211 154 174

Gobert, MIN Ayton, LAL Williams, PHO Queta, BOS Antetokounmpo, MIL Duren, DET Jokic, DEN Zubac, LAC Allen, CLE Claxton, BKN G Jokic, DEN 32 Towns, NY 35 Gobert, MIN 39 Clingan, POR 35 Zubac, LAC 33 Duren, DET 31 Ware, MIA 38 Johnson, ATL 36 Nurkic, UTA 31 Adebayo, MIA 30

OFF 97 102 152 158 115 127 129 52 85 50

Jokic, DEN Cunningham, DET Giddey, CHI Doncic, LAL Johnson, ATL Harden, LAC Ball, CHA Murray, DEN Mitchell, MIA Nembhard, IND

G 32 33 30 29 36 35 29 35 36 30

Assists

Monday’s games

G Doncic, LAL 29 G.-Alexan., OKC 37 Maxey, PHI 34 Mitchell, CLE 36 Jokic, DEN 32 Brown, BOS 36 Edwards, MIN 32 Brunson, NY 35 Curry, GS 29 Markkanen, UTA 32 Leonard, LAC 28 Cunningh., DET 33 Durant, HOU 33 Avdija, POR 39 Porter, BKN 29 Harden, LAC 35 Booker, PHO 35 Murray, DEN 35

FG Percentage

33 36

Rebounds

Sunday’s games

Scoring

Powell, MIA Johnson, ATL

784 853

23.8 23.7

FGA 250 305 239 241 414 341 560 349 259 298

PCT .724 .682 .657 .651 .650 .633 .605 .605 .595 .584

TOT 389 401 440 378 353 330 396 369 303 287

AVG 12.2 11.5 11.3 10.8 10.7 10.6 10.4 10.2 9.8 9.6

DEF 292 299 288 220 238 203 267 317 218 237

AST 351 321 270 254 297 278 226 262 263 211

AVG 11.0 9.7 9.0 8.8 8.3 7.9 7.8 7.5 7.3 7.0

Pro football Wild-card Playoffs Saturday’s games

L.A Rams 34 Carolina 31 Chicago 31, Green Bay 27

Sunday’s games

Buffalo 27, Jacksonville 24 San Francisco 23, Philadelphia 19 New England 16, L.A Chargers 3

Monday’s game

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

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

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

Conference Championships Sunday, Jan. 25 AFC

AFC lowest remaining seed at AFC highest remaining seed

NFC

FG 299 403 364 374 339 391 319 360 272 306 272 306 304 309 266 257 295 315

FT 273 302 188 184 203 201 183 187 151 189 160 202 185 309 110 268 244 136

PTS 967 1182 1043 1071 948 1062 930 1015 833 894 779 882 864 1018 750 895 893 886

AVG 33.3 31.9 30.7 29.8 29.6 29.5 29.1 29.0 28.7 27.9 27.8 26.7 26.2 26.1 25.9 25.6 25.5 25.3

NFC lowest remaining seed at NFC highest remaining seed

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

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

College football College Football Playoff Semiﬁnals

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

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 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

Sunday’s games

No games scheduled.

Monday’s games

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.

Men’s national scores Sunday’s games EAST

Iona 74, Canisius 48 Manhattan 79, Niagara 70 Marist 71, Rider 49 Purdue Fort Wayne 79, Robert Morris 74 Quinnipiac 70, Sacred Heart 60 Saint Peter’s 76, Merrimack 63 Siena 67, Mount St Marys 50

SOUTH

Florida Atlantic 89, Memphis 78 Saint Joseph’s 67, Richmond 65 UAB 87, East Carolina 85, OT UCF 73, Cincinnati 72

MIDWEST

Detroit Mercy 94, Cleveland State 84 Green Bay 80, Northern Kentucky 78 Illinois 75, Iowa 69 Milwaukee 95, IU Indianapolis 83 Wichita State 78, North Texas 67 Wright State 94, Oakland 84

SOUTHWEST

Charlotte 74, Rice 73

3-13 4-4 10, Hines 0-0 0-0 0, ZaKiyah Johnson 5-7 0-0 10, Totals 26-67 15-19 70 Texas 11 14 14 26 — 65 LSU 11 19 20 20 — 70 3-Point Goals—Texas 4-12 (Booker 2-4, Lee 2-7, Judd 0-1), LSU 3-13 (F.Johnson 1-3, Richard 0-4, Williams 2-4, Fulwiley 0-2). Assists—Texas 9 (Harmon 3, Preston 3), LSU 12 (Williams 4). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds— Texas 35 (Oldacre 16), LSU 44 (Joyner 9). Total Fouls—Texas 17, LSU 15. Technical Fouls—None. A—13,200.

Women’s national scores Sunday’s games EAST

Drexel 67, Hofstra 38 George Mason 59, George Washington 46 Illinois 92, Penn State 76 Northeastern 72, Monmouth 67 Ohio State 89, Maryland 76 Stony Brook 56, North Carolina A&T 51 Towson 79, UNC Wilmington 68 Villanova 85, Providence 55

SOUTH

Auburn 60, Florida 50 Belmont 81, Northern Iowa 62 Campbell 45, William & Mary 43 Charleston 88, Hampton 75 Georgia Tech 58, Clemson 55 Kentucky 63, Oklahoma 57 Louisiana Tech 86, Liberty 72 Louisville 86, Pittsburgh 46 Miami (FL) 89, Florida State 73 Murray State 95, Drake 67 South Carolina 65, Georgia 43 Syracuse 79, Virginia 60 Tennessee 85, Arkansas 50 VCU 61, Duquesne 54 Virginia Tech 78, Boston College 56

MIDWEST

Bradley 79, Indiana State 74 IUPUI 70, Wright State 59 Illinois State 82, Evansville 71 Iowa 56, Indiana 53 Loyola Chicago 71, Saint Louis 64 Michigan 86, Wisconsin 60 Minnesota 63, USC 62 Northwestern 73, Rutgers 54 Notre Dame 73, North Carolina 50 Purdue 78, Washington 72, OT UConn 95, Creighton 54 West Virginia 83, Iowa State 70

SOUTHWEST

FAR WEST

Hawai’i 67, UC Irvine 66

Women’s state schedule Saturday’s games

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

Sunday’s games

Louisiana Tech 86, Liberty 72 LSU 70, Texas 65

Monday’s games None scheduled.

No. 12 LSU 70, No. 2 Texas 65 TEXAS (18-1)

Booker 10-16 2-3 24, Carlton 3-3 1-2 7, Cunningham 0-4 0-0 0, Harmon 1-7 0-0 2, Lee 3-11 4-5 12, Sidberry 0-0 0-0 0, Oldacre 6-9 4-6 16, Judd 0-5 0-0 0, Preston 2-2 0-2 4, Totals 25-57 11-18 65

LSU (16-2)

Joyner 3-8 0-0 6, Knox 2-5 0-2 4, Flau’jae Johnson 4-14 1-1 10, Richard 2-7 6-6 10, Williams 7-13 4-6 20, Koval 0-0 0-0 0, Fulwiley

Baylor 79, Kansas 64 Oklahoma State 63, Colorado 56 TCU 77, Arizona State 46 Vanderbilt 91, Texas A&M 51

FAR WEST

California 61, Wake Forest 52 Duke 67, Stanford 60 Michigan State 85, Oregon 81

Transactions HOCKEY

National Hockey League CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS — Sent G Drew Commesso and Ds Stanislav Berezhnoy and Kevin Korchinski to Rockford (AHL). NEW JERSEY DEVILS — Reinstated F Evgenii Dadonov and D Johnathan Kovacevic from injured reserve. NEW YORK RANGERS — Sent F Anton Blidh to Hartford (AHL). VANCOUVER CANUCKS — Recalled G Nikita Tolopilo and D Victor Mancini from Abbotsford (AHL). Sent C Elias Pettersson to Abbotsford. Placed G Thatcher Demko on injured reserve.

SOCCER

Major League Soccer MINNESOTA UNITED FC — Announced head coach Eric Ramsay will join West Bromwich Albion of the English Championship.

SUNDAY’S FAIR GROUNDS RESULTS POST TIME: 12:45 PM

Track Condition: fast

First Race — Purse $14,000, Claiming $5,000, 3 yo’s & up, Six Furlongs

4-Maybe Eye’ll Call (Ortiz J.) $4.60 $3.80 $3.00 5-Custom Cadillac (Murrill M.) $3.40 $2.40 1-Righteous Freedom (Mudd J.) $3.00 Also Ran: Gypsy Squall, Catchin Drama, Name the Time, Patek. Late Scratches: I Bet You Wont Race Time: 1:11.57 Exacta (4-5) $8.50; Superfecta (4-5-1-3) $6.13; Trifecta (4-5-1) $13.30

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

6-R. Crest (Pedroza, Jr. M.) $3.40 $2.40 $2.10 3-Big Nickel (McMahon C.) $4.00 $2.40 1-Running Ragged (Hernandez C.) $2.80 Also Ran: Mr. Ronnie, (dq)Blame Me Seriously, Duvee. Race Time: 1:12.42 Daily Double (4-6) $7.00; Exacta (6-3) $5.90;

Superfecta (6-3-1-4) $5.37; Trifecta (6-3-1) $6.05

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

5-Half Way There (Curtis B.) $5.00 $2.20 $2.10 6-Louisiana Wildlife (Castillo I.) $2.10 $2.10 2-Lacey’s Kat (Riquelme J.) $6.60 Also Ran: Grand Encore, Its Wild Again, Seeking a Soldier, Torpedo Charlie. Late Scratches: Tsuperman Race Time: 1:11.32 Daily Double (6-5) $5.20; Exacta (5-6) $3.40; Superfecta (5-6-2-4) $21.88; Trifecta (5-6-2) $14.40; Pic 3 (4-6-5) $9.50 Claimed: Louisiana Wildlife ($5,000.00, Owner: Lovern, Jason and Lovern, Pamela Belk, Trainer: Antonio Alberto)

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

3-Big Salt Lick (Castillo I.) $12.00 $4.20 $2.60

7-Indian Cat (Ortiz J.) $3.00 $2.10 2-Cobblestone Bridge (Lopez P.) $2.20 Also Ran: Jr’s Gift, American City, Wayllen Richard. Late Scratches: Dromas Race Time: 1:42.36 Daily Double (5-3) $15.30; Exacta (3-7) $17.80; Superfecta (3-7-2-4) $14.26; Trifecta (3-7-2) $25.00; Pic 3 (6-5-3) $18.00

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

7-Clarestown (Murrill M.) $58.40 $17.60 $8.60 4-Star’s Image (Loveberry J.) $3.40 $2.40 10-Upturned Brim (Pedroza, Jr. M.) $4.40 Also Ran: Bourbon Boss, Covey (GB), Sawyer Fox, Treaty, Our Determination. Late Scratches: Ooey Gooey Chewy, Briterdayzahead Race Time: :57.14 Daily Double (3-7) $239.30; Exacta (7-4) $86.30; Superfecta (7-4-10-6) $97.86; Trifecta (7-4-10) $192.05; Pic 3 (5-3-7) $302.85; Pic 4

(6-5-3-7) $553.65; Pic 5 (2/4-6-5-3-7) $2,778.05 Claimed: Star’s Image ($15,000.00, Owner: Baron Racing Stables (Dwight D. Baron), Trainer: Joe Sharp), Upturned Brim ($15,000.00, Owner: Gem City Racing LLC, Trainer: J. Desormeaux)

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

4-Rothko (Pedroza, Jr. M.) $2.60 $2.40 $2.10 1-Mingo (Castillo I.) $4.20 $2.20 2-Crazy Diamond (Lopez P.) $2.20 Also Ran: Lahainaluna, Suspiciously Named. Late Scratches: Bestball Race Time: 1:37.46 Daily Double (7-4) $68.40; Exacta (4-1) $5.20; Superfecta (4-1-2-6) $2.41; Trifecta (4-1-2) $5.45; Pic 3 (3-7-4) $237.40

Seventh Race — Purse $56,000, AOC $20,000, 4 yo’s & up, One Mile 4-B. of All Bosses (Ortiz J.) 6-Fran’s Star (Lopez P.) 1-Calicoco (Castillo I.)

$3.20 $2.40 $2.40 $4.80 $3.80 $5.60

Also Ran: Big Chopper, Slick and Fast, Passing Judgment, Sonya Knows Better, Wayside Drive, Cypress Gold, Brittany’s Dream. Late Scratches: Pegaso, Sunday Breeze Race Time: 1:36.41 Daily Double (4-4) $3.10; Exacta (4-6) $8.80; Superfecta (4-6-1-3) $15.56; Trifecta (4-6-1) $22.70; Pic 3 (7-4-4) $76.50

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

9-Sonofaship (Graham J.) $25.00 $10.80 $7.60 1-Sono (Loveberry J.) $4.20 $3.40 $6.00 3-The Speedy One (Mudd J.) Also Ran: Oak Hill Lg, Drewmazing, Hooray Austin, Malaki Empire, Samurai’s Grandson, Bet On Bobby, Apriority Rocket. Race Time: 1:11.25 Daily Double (4-9) $31.90; Exacta (9-1) $50.50; Superfecta (9-1-3-2) $124.57; Trifecta (9-1-3) $194.95; Pic 3 (4-4-9) $24.85; Pic 4 (7-3/44/5/12-9) $825.20; Pic 5 (3-7-3/4-4/5/12-9) $4,527.85; (5-3-7-3/4-4/5/12-9) $15,570.00

6B ■ Monday, January 12, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

lll

Baton Rouge Weather TODAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

High clouds

Increasing clouds

Clouds, sun 10%

sunny

High clouds

Partly sunny 10%

HIGH

LOW

56° 32°

LOW

59° 43°

LOW

HIGH

64° 35°

LOW

HIGH

51° 31°

ALMANAC

LOW

HIGH

61° 42°

LOW

57° 34°

TEMPERATURE

62°/42° 62°/41° 84° in 1898 10° in 1982

PRECIPITATION

THE NATION

Longview 58/36

TODAY

GOOD

MODERATE

READING 38 MAIN PoLLUTANT Ozone

MAIN PoLLUTANT Ozone

soURCE: LoUIsIANA DEQ AND AIRNoW.GoV

RIVER STAGES FLOOD STAGE 24-HOUR STAGE CHANGE Memphis 34 -5.50 -0.70 Vidalia-Natchez 48 15.40 +0.05 Red River Landing 48 18.60 +0.30 Baton Rouge 35 6.90 -0.10 Donaldsonville 27 3.60 none Reserve 22 3.03 -0.08 New orleans 17 1.90 -0.03 MISSISSIPPI

OHIO 40

13.34

+2.09

7.86

+3.99

18 29 8

10.25 23.34 2.70

+8.57 +4.71 +0.39

13 15

8.63 6.39

+1.94 +5.18

47 34 29 20 12 6

6.78 4.60 3.85 3.22 3.40 1.35

+0.52 +0.27 -0.11 +0.06 +1.00 -0.66

COMITE

Near olive AMITE

Near Darlington Denham springs Port Vincent TICKFAW

Montpelier Holden ATCHAFALAYA

simmesport Melville Krotz springs Butte La Rose Bayou sorrel Morgan City

-0s

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

Jackson 54/32

Baton Rouge 56/32

Lafayette 58/36

Beaumont 59/41 Port Arthur 59/45

Hattiesburg 54/31

Alexandria 57/34

Many 57/33

AIR QUALITY YESTERDAY

-10

Monroe 55/34

Shreveport 57/37

24 hours through 5 p.m. sun. 0.00” Month to date (normal) 2.76” (2.28”) year to date (normal) 2.76” (2.28”)

Cairo

High clouds will carry over into Monday. Winds will be relatively light with afternoon highs running a few degrees below average in the mid-50s. As skies clear out on Monday night, that will set the stage for temperatures to flirt with the freezing mark along and north of the I-10/12 corridor by morning. sensitive plants will need protection, and ensure pets have access to warm shelter. Temperatures will gradually rise after with highs close to 60 on Tuesday and even higher on Wednesday. It’s worth noting these readings are right on pace with seasonable averages. This modest warmup will coincide with a weak disturbance that could bring a few sprinkles or light showers late Tuesday night. Any rainfall will be insignificant.

AROUND THE REGION

BAToN RoUGE THRoUGH 5 P.M. sUNDAy

High/low Normal high/low Record high Record low

Weather News by Meteorologist Malcolm Byron

New Orleans 55/42

Lake Charles 58/38

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

Houma 59/36

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

TIDES HIGH

FT.

LoW

FT.

HIGH

FT.

LoW

FT.

Lake Pontchartrain (Tchefuncte River) 2:42a shell Beach 8:39p south Point, Marsh Island 3:09p Cypremort Point 5:38p Grand Isle (Barataria Pass) 5:00p Mississippi River (southwest Pass) 4:15p Wine Island 6:08p

0.3 1.0 1.3 0.9 0.7 0.9 0.8

3:10p 8:07a 4:09a 7:44a 4:09a 2:36a 5:11a

-0.2 -0.4 -0.5 -0.6 -0.4 -0.5 -0.5

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

SUN AND MOON sunrise today sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today

TODAY City

Austin Boston Dallas Fairbanks Honolulu Houston Las Vegas Louisville Miami Minneapolis

Lo W

63 45 pc 40 31 pc 64 41 s -26 -46 c 80 63 sh 62 46 pc 63 42 s 48 34 s 78 68 c 39 34 s

TUESDAY Hi

64 44 pc 44 37 pc 67 46 s -28 -32 sn 80 69 s 62 46 pc 67 46 s 57 42 pc 79 67 sh 43 15 pc

SOLUNAR TABLE

7:03 a.m. 5:23 p.m. 1:51 a.m. 12:30 p.m.

NEW

FIRST

FULL

LAST

JAN 18

JAN 25

FEB 1

FEB 9

MAJOR

MINOR

MAJOR

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 10:43a 4:30a 11:09p

TODAY City

Nashville New orleans orlando Philadelphia Phoenix Pittsburgh Raleigh st. Louis san Diego Tampa

TUESDAY

Lo W

52 55 70 45 73 38 52 52 72 68

33 s 42 pc 54 pc 31 s 46 s 29 pc 28 s 38 s 43 s 54 pc

60 59 74 50 71 46 59 60 73 71

43 pc 48 s 58 c 40 s 47 s 39 pc 39 s 40 c 47 s 58 c

69 53 52 67 33 25 62 52 53 23 48

55 s 47 c 36 c 42 s 30 sn 9 sn 42 pc 43 r 41 pc 18 c 38 s

73 51 53 68 36 17 64 53 60 27 61

54 c 39 r 42 r 45 c 33 c 6 sn 41 pc 44 c 48 c 21 c 43 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 Tue. Wed. Thu. Fri. sat. sun.

Lo W

MINOR

---1:02p 1:45p 2:30p 3:18p 4:06p 4:56p

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

44 86 58 31 49 67 51 38 82 68 54

41 r 68 pc 44 pc 28 sn 45 r 51 pc 41 pc 35 i 63 pc 59 c 40 s

48 88 60 36 50 63 45 42 82 75 45

42 c 70 pc 44 c 33 c 44 c 53 pc 33 r 36 c 62 pc 62 pc 43 sh

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.

Bregman agrees to $175M contract with Cubs BY JAY COHEN

AP baseball writer CHICAGO — All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman has agreed to a $175 million, ﬁve-year contract with the Chicago Cubs, according to two people familiar with the deal. The people spoke to The Associated Press on Saturday night on condition of anonymity because the agreement was pending a physical. The contract includes a no-trade provision allowing Bregman to block deals without his consent. Bregman, who turns 32 in March, was back on the market for a second straight offseason. AssoCIATED PREss FILE PHoTo By CHARLEs KRUPA He also was pursued by the Cubs before he signed a $120 million, Boston Red sox third baseman Alex Bregman fields a groundout hit by three-year contract with Boston Baltimore orioles’ Jordan Westburg during the first inning of a game at last February, with opt-outs after Fenway Park on Aug. 18 in Boston. each of the ﬁrst two seasons. He decided to test free agency again after hitting .273 for the Red 114 games, his fewest since 2021. a quadriceps injury. Sox with 18 homers and 62 RBIs in Bregman missed all of June with He earned $40 million in his one

JOHNSON

Aase — the No. 35 left-handed pitcher in the nation, according to Perfect Game — underwent Tommy John surgery last March and will likely miss the entire 2026 season.

Continued from page 1B of potential starters because he missed all of last season with a back injury. “I believe he has the pitch mix to go deep in the game,” Johnson said, “but we also need to keep him healthy.” After losing Michael Braswell, Daniel Dickinson and Ethan Frey, the Tigers added three transfers — senior Brayden Simpson, fifthyear senior Seth Dardar and junior Trent Caraway — and brought back fifth-year senior Tanner Reaves to help fill voids at second base, third base and designated hitter. Those three positions are up for grabs heading into the year. “I really like where Tanner is at as a fifth-year senior,” Johnson said. “I like the experience that he got, so he’s obviously right at the forefront of that. “We brought Seth and Brayden in, with the belief that the amount of college at-bats that they have, the experience, the maturity, that they can make a positive contribution.” Johnson views Dardar and Simpson as capable defenders at first, second and third base. Sophomore

sTAFF FILE PHoTo By HILARy sCHEINUK

LsU coach Jay Johnson walks to the dugout ahead of first pitch in Game 4 of the College World series against Arkansas on June 14 at Charles schwab Field in omaha, Neb.

John Pearson, who earned some playing time as a freshman, may also figure into the mix at first, third and DH. Caraway played 64 games at third for Oregon State a year ago.

Healthy Tigers

Continued from page 1B

LSU will enter this season with three fewer positional players than it had a year ago. The Tigers had 21 players on the positional player side in 2025. This year, they only have 18. “I think it helps,” Johnson said, “as long as, again, you stay healthy.”

A Tennessee transfer has left

Moore set to return

Redshirt freshman left-hander Ryler Smart has transferred to a junior college after spending the fall with LSU, Johnson said. Smart transferred to LSU over the summer after sitting out his freshman year due to injury. Sliding into his spot on the roster is senior right-hander John Shahrdar, who transferred to LSU from Northwestern State and is with the team as a walk-on. “This time of year is really important to get the team ready,” Johnson said. “He threw strikes, helped us scrimmage more often in the fall, and is going to do that (in the preseason).”

LSU redshirt junior center Braelin Moore decided to return to school instead of entering the NFL draft, the school announced Sunday. Moore started 12 games for LSU this past season, only missing the regular season ﬁnale because of a foot injury. He received SEC offensive lineman of the week honors after LSU’s season-opening win against Clemson, and after suffering an ankle sprain a week later, quickly returned to play in almost every game. LSU has to rebuild its offensive line after nine offensive linemen entered the transfer portal. LSU has four others who can return next season, and only one of them, redshirt freshman offensive tackle Weston Davis, started

Johnson didn’t have any new injuries to report following the Tigers’ winter break. Except for freshman left-hander Jonah Aase, LSU was also healthy throughout Email Koki Riley at the fall. koki.riley@theadvocate.com.

Star honors for a third time. Chicago finished second in the NL Central last year with a 92-70 record. The Cubs reached the playoffs for the first time since 2020 before getting eliminated by Milwaukee in a five-game Division Series. The Cubs used Matt Shaw at third base last season, and the rookie played stellar defense while batting .226 with 13 homers, 44 RBIs and 17 steals in 126 games. Shaw also can play second base, but Nico Hoerner is a two-time Gold Glove winner at the position. There could be another trade on the horizon to clear up the team’s infield situation, or Shaw could move into a super-utility role with Bregman’s arrival. The addition of Bregman was the second major move by the Cubs in a matter of days. They acquired righthander Edward Cabrera in a trade with the Miami Marlins on Wednesday.

remaining scholarship quarterbacks — sophomore Michael Van Buren and redshirt freshman Colin Hurley — entered the transfer portal and ﬁfth-year senior starter Garrett Nussmeier ran out of eligibility. LSU has also failed to sign a quarterback in each of its last two recruiting classes. The Tigers do, however, hold a commitment from Class of 2027 four-star recruit Peyton Houston.

Fewer positional players

Position battles

season with Boston, of which he received $15 million last year. The Red Sox owe him $5 million in January 2028 and $2 million each June from 2035-44. Bregman played his first nine seasons with the Houston Astros, winning World Series titles in 2017 and 2022 — although the ﬁrst of those yielded a sign-stealing scandal that earned Bregman and his teammates plenty of scorn. When the Gold Glove winner joined the Red Sox, they already had All-Star Rafael Devers at third base. Boston asked Devers to move to DH, and the team’s relationship with the slugger soured to the point that Devers was traded to San Francisco in June. Boston ended up leading the major leagues in errors, but the Red Sox did return to the postseason for the first time in four years. Bregman’s OPS of .822 was his best since 2019, and he earned All-

sTAFF PHoTo By MICHAEL JoHNsoN

LsU center Braelin Moore decided to return for another season instead of entering the NFL draft, the school announced sunday. games this year. Davis played in 12 games with 10 starts. Besides Moore, LSU has also added three offensive linemen from the transfer portal, signing Tennessee transfer William Satterwhite, junior college transfer JaKolby Jones and North Carolina Central transfer Ja’Quan Sprinkle. The turnover was expected after LSU’s offensive line struggled throughout the year. LSU hired new coach Lane Kifﬁn, and he did not retain offensive line coach Brad Davis, replacing him with Eric Wolford. A longtime SEC assistant, Wolford has coached at South Carolina, Alabama and Kentucky in the past nine years. He was most recently at Kentucky. Staff writer Wilson Alexander contributed to this report.

LIVING

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

M o n d ay, J a n u a ry 12, 2026

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ALZHEIMER’S Q&A

A TAs T E oF NAT URE CAN PRoVIDE BALANCE AND CAL M DURING T HE WoRK DAy Ways to work with loved ones to keep their assets safe, secure How can I prevent my loved one, who has younger-onset Alzheimer’s, from giving away his money all the time?

GETTy IMAGEs ILLUsTRATIoN

Harmony on the job

BY CATHY BUSSEWITZ

Wellness writer

NEW YORK

he crisp crinkle of fallen leaves beneath your feet. The swish and trickle of water moving through a stream. A breath of crisp, fresh air. Spending time in nature can be invigorating or produce feelings of peace and calm. But many professions allow little time or access to the outdoors during the workday. After a youth spent climbing trees and playing soccer, Anna Rose Smith found it difficult when her first job as a psychotherapist in Utah required working in a windowless office. So she spent her lunch breaks outside, walking to nearby fountains or gardens. She picked up flower petals or leaves from the ground and brought them back to her desk, where she would listen to recorded bird songs, sometimes incorporating the soothing chirps into sessions with clients. ä see BALANCE, page 2C

Taylor Swift leads iHeartRadio award nominations BY MARIA SHERMAN AP music writer

NEW YORK — Pledge allegiance to her hands, her team, her vibes: Taylor Swift once again leads the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Bad Bunny Carpenter Swift Award nominees with nine. She’s followed by Bad Bunny, Sa- honor the most played artists of brina Carpenter and Alex War- the year on its stations and app. ren, who are tied with eight each. Last year, Swift and country singThe iHeartRadio Music Awards er Morgan Wallen led the nomi-

nees with 10 each. She also led the nominees in 2024 and in 2023, when she tied with Lizzo and Harry Styles. This time around, Swift is up for song, artist, pop artist, pop song of the year, best lyrics, best music video, favorite on screen, favorite tour style as well as the new to 2026, fan-voted category favorite TikTok dance.

“This is an annual awards show made exclusively for fans, celebrating the biggest songs and artists they’ve loved listening to on iHeartRadio stations and our iHeartRadio app all year long,” said John Sykes, president of entertainment enterprises and Tom Poleman, chief programming ofﬁcer of iHeartMedia in a joint statement.

ä see AWARDS, page 2C

Giving away money is common in individuals with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Whether it is writing checks to various charities or just giving dollar bills to family members, the practice can be very troublesome to caregivers. Investigate serving as your loved one’s durable power of attorney for finances. This will enable you to have control over his assets and to monitor how he is spending them. Allow him to be a part of this decision, if possible, and explain your concerns about organizing and paying the bills. If he is resistant to your assistance, perhaps another family member or friend could talk to him and convince him that giving you power of attorney would be beneficial. Make notes of the organizations and/or individuals requesting money from him and contact them to remove your loved one from their mailing list. You may have to be persistent and make this request many times before the solicitation eventually stops. Your loved one may have specific groups or organizations to which he would like to donate money, so work together with him to assure him that this will be handled. Additionally, make sure his phone number is listed on the DO NOT CALL registry, (888) 382-1222. You can also assist your loved one in his financial transactions by setting up automatic payments for bills that are due on a regular basis. Sorting through his mail to protect him from scams, setting up a post office box to eliminate solicitations, and even changing his phone number can all assist in preventing your brother from being a victim of financial abuse or fraud. You should also limit your loved one’s access to credit cards and/or checkbooks. Sometimes it is helpful to give just a small amount of cash to affected individuals as this can ease his/her worry over finances. A “dummy” checkbook can also be created that your loved one could carry with him and write checks to anyone without having to worry about him misusing funds. Money means control and being diagnosed with younger-onset Alzheimer’s means that this control will someday fade. It is the last bit of independence for affected individuals and careless spending occurs when they want to continually maintain that sense of independence and manage their personal finances. It is important that you work together with your loved one to keep assets safe and secure. Dana Territo is an Alzheimer’s advocate and author of “What My Grandchildren Taught Me About Alzheimer’s Disease.” She hosts “The Memory Whisperer.” Email her at thememorywhisperer@gmail. com.

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Turmeric not a likely cause of gastrointestinal issues Dear Doctors: I am a 67-year-old physically active man. I was taking turmeric three times a day for several weeks to reduce workoutrelated inflammation. I ended up in the hospital with an abscess and small intestine perforation. I have read excess turmeric may cause this. Please comment. Dear reader: Turmeric is a flowering plant in the ginger family. This plant is native to India and has been used as a spice for more than 4,000 years. In addition to lending a sweet, earthy flavor to a wide range of dishes, turmeric contains a number of biologically active compounds. Perhaps best known of these is curcumin. Curcumin has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and possibly antiviral properties. Historically, traditional Chinese,

Dr. Elizabeth Ko Dr. Eve Glazier AsK THE DoCToRs

Indian and Thai medicine have used turmeric. More recently, it has become a go-to in alternative medicine in the U.S. Turmeric and curcumin are used for a number of health conditions. They can ease pain and inﬂammation and reduce stiffness. They can also help with the decreased movement from conditions such as osteoarthritis. A body of research has found

that curcumin can derail some biochemical pathways involved in inﬂammation. This includes blocking the activity of signaling molecules that contribute to joint pain and swelling. These mechanisms, along with the antioxidant qualities it has, have increased interest in curcumin. It may be an aid in managing the chronic lowgrade inﬂammation and oxidative stress that are biomarkers of metabolic disease. One problem researchers have bumped into is that, when taken by mouth, curcumin is poorly absorbed by the body. The ability for a substance to be absorbed is known as bioavailability. This is an important aspect of any kind of medication. When someone ingests turmeric, only small amounts of the curcumin it con-

tains can enter the bloodstream. So dietary supplements add certain substances to improve absorption. This can include piperine, which is a black pepper extract, and dietary fat. Although turmeric and curcumin can be beneﬁcial, it is possible for overuse to cause gastrointestinal side effects. These can include stomach discomfort, indigestion, nausea, loose stools and diarrhea. That said, there is no credible evidence that this would lead to an intestinal perforation or abscess. These are serious conditions that typically arise from infection, obstruction, reduced blood ﬂow or underlying disease. Also, an abscess or an intestinal perforation would take far longer to develop than a few weeks of turmeric use.

When a serious medical event occurs with, or closely follows, a change in routine, like adding a supplement, it is understandable to infer a connection. Based on what we know about turmeric and curcumin and the timing in your case, this connection seems unlikely. They are probably not the direct cause of your intestinal issues. However, because turmeric can affect bleeding risk and interact with certain medications, we urge you to let your medical care providers know you have been using it. Send your questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla. edu, or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o UCLA Health Sciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024.

Mix, match fashion Dress code for common areas when tucking shirts Dear Heloise: Recently, someone asked why someone would just tuck the front of their shirt into their pants. This is done to show off the belt buckle. A belt buckle can be a ﬁne piece of jewelry, so one shouldn’t have it covered up by an untucked shirt. But one might not like having their whole shirt tucked in because it may cause wrinkles under your pants. — David B., in Camarillo, California

carcass, including the skin, into the original container with the lovely “juice” that remains. Instead of discarding the remains, I pop it into a small covered pot with a few inches of water and simmer for 10-20 minutes. After it cools, I strain it and am always amazed at what a savory broth I have and how much tender chicken I can glean from the bones in the strainer. I refrigerate or freeze Hints from this, and it produces at Vinegar to the rescue Heloise least 2 servings of deliDear Heloise: For about cious soup! I often add four days straight, my husband some onion, celery or whatever found animal feces on our back tidbits I have on hand. — Fran C., in deck, up toward the house in a Tucson,Arizona rural location. The only animal Cursive is important that he had seen was a raccoon. At my suggestion, he rinsed the Dear Heloise: Both manuscript deck with vinegar and water at and cursive writing should be a about a 1:4 ratio. The next day — part of a child’s education. Each and ever since — there were no one contributes to a child’s ﬁne more feces. — Lynda S., in Ohio motor development, as well as Lynda, vinegar has many uses their ability to write and deciand will kill a number of odors. pher sounds, words and eventuNot only will raccoons stay ally language. All of this contribaway, opossums, skunks and arutes to their ability to express themselves, think critically, and madillos also ﬁnd vinegar unfasocialize within all the framemiliar and unappealing. — Heloise works of their life. Rotisserie chicken hint Teach cursive because the child gains — not loses — no Dear Heloise: When I purchase matter where they are in life! a rotisserie chicken, as soon as And grandparents, you will be the other groceries have been able to communicate with ease put away, I start the process of rendering as much of the tender, in cursive language, which is savory meat while the product is very important when teaching children about their ancestry. — still warm. The meat separates from the carcass so much easier Janice S., via email this way. Then I immediately use it or refrigerate it for later use. Send a hint to heloise@heloise. I return the remainder of the com.

TODAY IN HISTORY By The Associated Press Today is Monday, Jan. 12, the 12th day of 2026. There are 353 days left in the year. Today in history: On Jan. 12, 1969, the biggest upset in Super Bowl history occurred as the New York Jets of the American Football League defeated the Baltimore Colts of the National Football League 16-7 in Super Bowl III, played at the Orange Bowl in Miami. Also on this date: In 1932, Hattie W. Caraway, of Arkansas, became the ﬁrst woman to win election to the U.S. Senate after initially being appointed to serve out the remainder of the term of her late husband, Thaddeus. In 1948, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Sipuel v. Board of Regents of University of Oklahoma, unanimously ruled that state law schools could not discriminate against applicants on the basis of race.

AWARDS

Continued from page 1C Squaring off against Swift in the artist of the year category are Wallen, Carpenter, Bad Bunny, Benson Boone, Chris Brown, Jelly Roll, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga and Tate McRae. And in song of the year, Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia” will face off against Wallen’s “Love Somebody,” Carpenter’s “Manchild,” Boone’s “Sorry I’m Here For Someone Else,” Doechii’s “Anxiety,” Shaboozey’s “Good News,” Warren’s “Ordinary,” Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “Luther,” Leon Thomas’ “Mutt” and Myles

In 1959, Berry Gordy Jr. founded Motown Records (originally Tamla Records) in Detroit. In 2010, Haiti was struck by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake that the Haitian government estimated killed some 300,000 people. Today’s birthdays: Author Haruki Murakami is 77. Filmmaker Wayne Wang is 77. Football Hall of Famer Drew Pearson is 75. Writer Walter Mosley is 74. Media personality Howard Stern is 72. Filmmaker John Lasseter is 69. Broadcast journalist Christiane Amanpour is 68. Actor Oliver Platt is 66. Basketball Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins is 66. Entrepreneur Jeff Bezos is 62. Musician-ﬁlmmaker Rob Zombie is 61. Rock singer Zack de la Rocha (Rage Against the Machine) is 56. Rapper Raekwon (Wu Tang Clan) is 56. Singer Melanie Chisholm (Spice Girls) is 52. Hockey Hall of Famer Marián Hossa is 47. Actor Issa Rae is 41. Singer Zayn Malik is 33. Actor Nathan Gamble is 27.

Smith’s “Stargazing.” Fans can vote in several categories including favorite Broadway debut, favorite TikTok dance, favorite debut album, best lyrics, best music video, favorite on screen, favorite tour photographer, favorite soundtrack, favorite tour style, favorite tour tradition and favorite K-pop collab. Social voting takes place at iHeartRadio.com/awards and will close March 19 at 11:59 p.m. PDT for all categories. The 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards broadcasts live from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles at 7 p.m. on March 26 on Fox. It will also air on iHeartRadio stations across the U.S. and on the app.

Dear Miss Manners: In my high-rise anyhow. It was based on the polite fiction condominium building, I must that the porch appearance is not leave my flat and travel (generpublic, but only a momentary deally via carpeted hallways and elevators) to various common tour from bed to breakfast, where areas in the building to robes and slippers are perdeposit trash and collect missible. mail. The whole building, In your case, the availincluding all common arable fiction is that of using the swimming pool. Or eas, has a single, guarded gym, if the building has entrance, through which one. You know that the reonly residents and guests Judith may pass. lated outfits are customarMartin ily tolerated in your buildWhat must I wear in MIss these common areas? May ing, whereas you would MANNERs I dash down in stocking not know what might of(or bare) feet to mail a letfend guests in a hotel. But Miss Manners cautions ter or empty my garbage? (Most you not to test your neighbors’ people are shod in the hallways.) limits. Being even rudimentarily Must I (a male) wear a shirt and/ dressed requires sparing them or proper shorts? Not all resiyour bare chest and feet. dents do this, as we have a pool, Dear Miss Manners: For several too. years, it has been my pleasure to Does it matter if the area is carpeted? Closed to the public? Is host three longtime friends — a married couple and her brother, there a general rule? Is the rule a particular friend of mine — to a different in a hotel or apartment collective birthday dinner at our building? favorite restaurant. We do this in I am aware of Miss Manners’ lieu of separate birthday lunches rule regarding collection of one’s at a lesser establishment. The morning newspaper from one’s restaurant we go to is considered driveway — to wit, neighbors doupscale for our rural area, which ing so are considered invisible. But I do not see how to apply it in I mention only to show that this is a special occasion. this context. It has always been most enjoyGentle reader: We’ll make it apply. It’s just been sitting around idly, able, until this past year. All was

BALANCE

Continued from page 1C “It helps to just have that reminder that these things are going on outside,” Smith said. “I can remember, no matter what happens in this room or with my job today, there’s still going to be birds singing.” Getting to trees or shorelines can be challenging during work hours, especially in cold weather and urban environments. But there are ways to enjoy the outdoors and to bring the natural world into your place of work, even if it’s a windowless cubicle.

Al fresco meetings Scheduled meetings don’t have to take place indoors. An in-person appointment can happen on a park bench. Smith sometimes suggests a “walk and talk” meeting at a nearby greenway. Mobile devices mean virtual get-togethers also aren’t limited to conventional work spaces. You can also attend Zoom meetings while walking a woody path. Smith will ask if she can participate in an online meeting with her smartphone and headphones, allowing her to “still be able to get sunlight on my face or see water and plants and birds,” she said. “I do deﬁnitely feel more calm,” Smith, who grew up in South Dakota but now lives in a more moderate climate in North Carolina, said. “I think it helps with focus as well. I’m just feeling more peaceful and optimistic.” Atlantic Packaging, a sustainable packaging manufacturer headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina, encourages employees to hold meetings in the courtyards of its facilities or while taking a walk, said Becca Schusler, the company’s wellness director. The company added ﬁg trees and native plants to its Charlotte location. It launched a nature challenge in 2024 in which employees tracked the time they spent outdoors while dog walking, eating meals, attending meetings or watching a sunset. Participants uploaded photos into a group chat from their workstations around the U.S. “It was just so wonderful because we got sunrises in the mornings, sunsets at night from all different areas, from the beach to the mountains in Nevada,” Schusler

AP ILLUsTRATIoN By PETER HAMLIN

Getting to trees or shorelines can be challenging during work hours, especially in cold weather and urban environments.

said. Some employees reported they felt like they handled stress better as a result of spending more time outside, she said.

Just walk

ﬁne until the wife struck up a political conversation with a man at a nearby table. The two conversed for a considerable time. I felt sure this man’s companion must have been irritated. I certainly was, but I didn’t know how to politely redirect the wife’s attention to our table. Nor did her husband or brother say anything. My feelings were hurt to be treated so. Fortunately, the couple soon ﬁnished their meal and left the restaurant. I still wonder what I might have said. Gentle reader: “Sophie! Shall we ask to have your dinner reheated?” “Sophie, we’re ready to order dessert now.” Or the most enticing, although it requires a prepared follow-up: “Sophie! We need your opinion on something!” Miss Manners suggests this only to repair the immediate situation, for yourself and your other guests. Let’s not talk about the content of the overheard talk.

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.

dows can provide a connection with nature. The designers who laid out Ford’s new headquarters placed offices in the center of floors so exterior walls with tall windows could be enjoyed by everyone in collaborative spaces, Kolstad said. During Smith’s windowless office days, she kept a pothos plant in the room. The greenery didn’t need much light and survived with the dose it got when Smith moved it to spend weekends in a colleague’s office that had a window. “If it’s really ugly weather, extreme, then I think that’s where windows are truly a godsend,” she said. To catch some sunshine and feel the wind on your face during a commute, consider biking all or part of the way. Many cities and towns have bicycle sharing programs. A warm coat and mittens can keep you from getting too cold while pedaling. Layer up with a neck gaiter, balaclava or hat under your helmet. Erin Mantz, who works in Washington, D.C., as vice president of marketing for public relations firm Zeno Group, walks to a Pilates class before work four times a week, often before the sun rises. On the days she works from home, she takes breaks to walk her dog on the meandering paths in her neighborhood. Mantz said that as a child living in Chicago, she often played at the park with neighborhood friends while bundled up in winter gear. She found it difficult to maintain her connection with nature when she had prior jobs that called for working in an office full-time. “Growing up Gen X, we were always running around outside, and you have that great feeling of freedom and fresh air,” she said. Now that she has a hybrid work schedule, she’s realized that spending time outdoors helps her feel relaxed and destressed. “It’s so good for me,” Mantz said. “The fresh air reminds me of that youthfulness of being outside, and I think it’s physical and mental, honestly. I feel reinvigorated.”

Separate from meetings, a group of Atlantic Packaging employees get together for “Walk it out Wednesdays,” a weekly time to take strolls together. “It helps provide a quick break in the day where they can reset and refocus,” Schusler said. The Ford Motor Company also has encouraged employees to move outdoors. When it redesigned its Dearborn, Michigan, headquarters in 2025, the automaker included native plants, walking paths and outdoor pavilions, and suggested people use the grounds for meetings. The parking lot was put further away from the main building by design so people would walk for a few minutes by tall grasses, rocky outcroppings, bridges and ﬂowers. “We are very careful about how we are engineering space so that our brains and our bodies react positively,” said Jennifer Kolstad, Ford’s global and brand design director. “Designing for human Share your stories and questions health is our priority, our respon- about workplace wellness at cbussewitz@ap.org. Follow sibility.” AP’s Be Well coverage, focusing Find the light on wellness, ﬁtness, diet and When temperatures dip and mental health at https://apnews. more time is spent indoors, win- com/hub/be-well.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Monday, January 12, 2026 ■ 3C

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bIG nAte

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zodIAC cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Reach out to someone who has something to offer you in return. Networking events will change how you see yourself and encourage you to finish what you start. AQuARIuS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Dig deep; get to the bottom of any issue that arises before you add your opinion. It's best to have clarity regarding hidden financial or emotional costs before you discuss lifealtering matters with someone. PIScES (Feb. 20-March 20) Take the plunge and try something new. A positive attitude will give you the edge in competitive situations. Confidence, along with dedication and discipline, will help you bring about positive change. ARIES (March 21-April 19) Go over every detail with care. An opportunity may have hidden costs or fail to deliver what you expect. You are best off doing the work yourself rather than depending on others to do things for you. Protect your reputation. TAuRuS (April 20-May 20) You are in a good position; all you have to do is follow through. Initiate the changes that will benefit you most, and don't hesitate to reshape your surroundings to suit your needs. Personal growth is favored. GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Acting in desperation or initiating change without a proper plan in place will slow you down or cost you. Take your time, observe and work on details that can affect the outcome. cAncER (June 21-July 22) Procrastination is the enemy. Size up situations and make changes without hesitation. You stand

to gain ground whether you are dealing with relationships, interest groups, work, institutions or government agencies. LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Pent-up anxiety will wear you down. It's best to address emotional issues as they arise rather than stewing about them. Communication is key in keeping matters at home or at work running smoothly. VIRGo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Talks will lead to positive change. Participate in networking functions or activities that encourage you to interact with like-minded people. Travel, learning and broadening your circle of friends will pay off. LIBRA (Sept. 23-oct. 23) Take your time, relax, rethink your next move and pour your energy into making your space conducive to the things you enjoy doing most. Avoid people trying to push you in a direction that you don't like. ScoRPIo(oct.24-nov.22)Embracechange. Do your research, communicate, position yourself and take the initiative to make things happen. Leave nothing to chance or up to someone else. Self-improvement and love are in the stars. SAGITTARIuS (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Choose your battles wisely. Get your facts straight before you sign up for or agree to domestic changes. Put your energy into improvements you can do yourself that will lower your overhead. The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

For better or For WorSe WonderWord

peAnUtS

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY CeLebrItY CIpher Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

ToDAy'S cLuE: S EQuALS J

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon FAMILY CIrCUS

dooneSbUrY

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Sudoku InstructIons: Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday. Saturday’s Puzzle Answer

BaBY BLueS

BLondie

THe wiZard oF id

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La TimeS CroSSword

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Monday, January 12, 2026 ■ 5C

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Bridge By PHILLIP ALDER As regular readers know, I do a lot of bridge teaching. In the summer, I travel around the country running “bridge camps without tents.” They usually last three days, but I did one for only two days in Birmingham, Ala., in October one year. In the winter, I teach in Florida and

garfield

my car gets almost as good a workout as I do. The first lesson I taught that season featured deals in which declarer had to handle the trump suit with care. This week, let’s look at six of them. First, how should South try to make four spades after West takes the first three tricks with his high clubs, then shifts to a heart?

Pearls Before swiNe

In the auction, South might rebid three no-trump, which works well here

of the tricks, must draw trumps without

as long as North takes a spade finesse.

loss. With eight cards missing only the

And, yes, South might initially respond

queen, declarer should finesse, not play

two spades, a strong jump shift show-

for the drop — “eight ever.” But should

ing 13-16 high-card points and either an

he finesse immediately, or only after

excellent one-suiter or a good two-suiter

first cashing the ace?

with length in both responder’s suit and opener’s suit. South, who needs the rest

hagar the horriBle

wuzzles Each Wuzzle is a word riddle which creates a disguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD = GOOD AFTERNOON

PiCKles

Previous answers:

mallard fillmore

word game InSTRucTIonS: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

ToDAy’S WoRD — VARSITy: VAHR-sih-tee: The principal squad representing a

Bizarro

marmaduKe

school, especially in a sport. Average mark 14 words Time limit 25 minutes Can you find 20 or more words in VARSITY? SATuRDAy’S WoRD — SoPHoMoRIc scoop scrim scrimp shim ship shoo shop shrimp smirch smooch spoor

oomph pooh poor porch posh prim primo prism prom promo hoop

hops micro miso mooch moor morph mosh rich romp room chimp

chip chirp choir chomp chop coho coir comp coop corm corps

crimp crisp crop

loCKhorNs hidato Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

today’s thought “Quench not the Spirit.” 1 Thessalonians 5:19

When God speaks, obey. — G.E. Dean

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FURNITURE Lexington Bedroom Set, Must Sell, Look & Make Offer 225-369-1675

PUBLIC NOTICE --ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Sealed bids will be re‐ ceived for the Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) by the Procure‐ ment Department, Room 5055, 2401 Westbend Parkway, New Orleans, Louisiana 70114, until 1:00 PM CST on Thursday, February 5, 2026. Bids shall be publicly opened and read aloud at that time and place, and a tabulation will be made for consideration by the Owner in award‐ ing the Contract. Bids received after the above-designated date and time will not be opened and will be re‐ jected. ANY PERSON REQUIRING SPECIAL ACCOMMODA‐ TIONS SHALL NOTIFY THE ORLEANS PARISH SCHOOL BOARD OF THE TYPE(S) OF ACCOMMO‐ DATION REQUIRED NOT LESS THAN SEVEN (7) DAYS BEFORE THE BID OPENING. FOR: Multi-Sport Venue in Eastern New Orleans and Lower Ninth Ward 4290 Almonaster Avenue New Orleans, LA 70126 PROJECT NUMBER: ITB 26-FAC-0053 Complete Bidding Docu‐ ments may be obtained from: City Blueprint & Supply Co. 1904 Poydras Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Attn: Reproduction De‐ partment plan‐ room@cityblueprin t.com (504) 522-0387 Bid documents will be emailed by Architect or a downloadable link will be provided to obtain bid documents in PDF format at no charge. All Bids must be accom‐ panied by bid security equal to five percent (5%) of the sum of the Base Bid and all Alter‐ nates, and must be in the form of a certified check, cashier's check or the Orleans Parish School Board Bid Bond Form written by a surety com‐ pany licensed to do busi‐ ness in Louisiana, signed by the surety's agency or attorney-in-fact. Surety must be listed on the current U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Management Service list of approved bonding companies as approved for an amount equal to or greater than the amount for which it ob‐ ligates itself in the Bond, or must be a Louisiana domiciled insurance company with at least an A - rating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best's Key Rating Guide. If surety qualifies by virtue of its Best's listing, the amount of the Bond may not exceed ten per‐ cent of policyholders' surplus as shown in the latest A.M. Best's Key Rating Guide . The Bid Bond shall be in favor of the Orleans Parish School Board, and shall be accompanied by ap‐ propriate power of attor‐ ney. No Bid Bond indicat‐ ing an obligation of less than five percent (5%) by any method is accept‐ able. The successful Bidder shall be required to fur‐ nish a Performance Bond and a Payment Bond written by a company li‐ censed to do business in Louisiana, in an amount equal to 100% of the Con‐ tract amount. Surety must be listed currently on the U. S. Department of Treasury Financial Management Service List (Treasury List) as ap‐ proved for an amount equal to or greater than the contract amount , or must be an insurance company domiciled in Louisiana. If the Surety is not listed on the Trea‐ sury Lis t, and has less than an " A-" rating (as shown in the latest edi‐ tion of A.M. Best' s Key Rating Guide) the maxi‐ mum Contract amount for which that Surety may provide a Bond is $500,000.00(Five Hundred Thousand Dollars), or fif‐ teen percent of the Surety’s policyhold‐ ers' surplus (as shown by Surety's most recent financial statements filed with the Louisiana Department of Insur‐ ance), whichever is less. If the Surety is not listed on the Treasury List, and has at least an “A”- rat‐

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

ing or better (as shown in the latest edition of A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide), the maximum Contract amount for which that Surety may provide a Bond is fifteen percent of the Surety’s policyholders' surplus (as shown by Surety's most recent financial statements filed with the Louisiana Department of Insurance. The Bond shall be signed by the surety's agent or attor‐ ney-in-fact, and shall be in favor of the Orleans Parish School Board. A PRE-BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, January 21, 2026 at George W Carver HS, 3059 Higgins Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70126 Attendance at this con‐ ference is NOT required but highly encouraged and Bidders are advised that they will be required to state on the Bid Form that they are familiar with the Project site lo‐ cated at 4290 Almonaster Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70126 Bids shall be accepted from Contractors who are licensed under LA. R.S. 37:2150-2163 for the classification of Building Construction. Bidder is required to comply with provisions and require‐ ments of LA R.S.38:2212 (A)(1)(a). No bid may be withdrawn for a period of forty five (45) days after receipt of bids, except under the provisions of LA. R.S. 38:2214. The Owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause. In ac‐ cordance with La. R.S. 38:2212 (B)(1), the provi‐ sions and requirements of this Section, those stated in the advertise‐ ment bids, and those re‐ quired on the bid form shall not be considered as informalities and shall not be waived by any public entity. NOTICE OF PUBLIC FUNDING: Notice is hereby given that this Project is to be financed in whole or in part by federal or other funds which will not be readily available at the time the Bids are re‐ ceived. As a result, pur‐ suant to La. R.S. 38:2215, the Owner is exempt from the requirement of acting to award the Con‐ tract or reject all Bids within forty-five (45) cal‐ endar days of receipt of the Bids. Pursuant to this Statute, the Owner specifically reserves the right to hold all Bids for greater than forty-five (45) calendar days. The Orleans Parish School Board shall incur no obligation to the Con‐ tractor until the Contract Between Owner and Con‐ tractor is fully executed. INCORPORATION OF IN‐ STRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS INTO ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS The Instructions to Bid‐ ders contained in the Bid Documents (referenced above), and all require‐ ments contained therein, are incorporated into this Advertisement for Bids as if completely set forth herein. By: Mr. Paul Lucius Executive Director of Procurement Insertion dates: (1) W (2) W (3) W Monday, January 5, 2026 Monday, January 12, 2026 Tuesday, January 20, 2026 172321 Jan. 5, 12, 20, 2026 3t $327.34 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO BIDDERS SP# 937 Sealed bids will be re‐ ceived by the Procure‐ ment Section of the Divi‐ sion of Administration, 1201 N. 3rd. St., 2nd. Floor, Suite 2-160, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at 10:00 A.M. for the follow‐ ing: RFx No. 3000025801, Gen‐ erator Installation ELMHS, 1/27/26 RFx No. 3000025763, Deck Barge for LDWF, 1/28/26 RFx No. 3000025804, *Rebid * Grain Bin Instal‐ lation - DOC, 1/28/26 Bid proposal forms, in‐ formation and specifica‐ tions may be obtained by accessing the bid num‐ ber in LaPac at www.doa. Louisiana.gov/osp or from the procurement section listed above. No bids will be received after the date and hour specified. The right is re‐ served to reject any and ll bid d i

Public Notices Bids/Proposals j y all bids and to waive any informalities. Amy Vincent Director of State Procurement FAX (225) 342-8688 173254-jan 12-1t $12.87 PUBLIC NOTICE --PBV INDEPENDENT IN‐ SPECTOR The East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority (EBRPHA) is accepting proposals for a qualified vendor to per‐ form residential property inspections in accor‐ dance with Federal hous‐ ing quality standards for its Project Based Voucher (PBV) program. Official bid documents can be downloaded at www.cen tralbidding.com or at www.ebrpha.org begin‐ ning February 12, 2026. Questions related to the RFP should be submitted via www.centralbidding. com or email to dmejia@ ebrpha.org by 4:30 PM CT, Friday, March 6, 2026. Proposals may be sub‐ mitted electronically via www.centralbidding.com or in writing to 4731 North Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 70806, by 4:30 PM CT, Friday, March 13, 2026, in accordance with the RFP. No proposals will be re‐ ceived after the specified date and time. THE RIGHT IS RESERVED TO REJECT ANY AND ALL BIDS AND TO WAIVE INFORMALI‐ TIES. 173047 Jan. 12, 18, 25, Feb. 1, 8, 15, 22, March 1, 8, 2026, 9x $133.92

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE --Notice is hereby given that Old Hickory Fleeting and Barge Service, LLC has applied for a 401 Water Quality Certifica‐ tion to install two anchor piles and two barge monopiles, establish a ten-acre stockpile site, complete improvements to an access road, and construct an access ramp to support an ag‐ gregate offloading oper‐ ation on the right de‐ scending bank of the Mississippi River off LA Hwy. 405 near White Cas‐ tle in Iberville Parish. Old Hickory Fleeting and Barge Service, LLC is ap‐ plying to the Louisiana Department of Environ‐ mental Quality, Office of Environmental Services for a Water Quality Certi‐ fication in accordance with statutory authority contained in the LAC 33:IX.1507.A-E and provi‐ sions of Section 401 of the Clean Water Act. Comments concerning this application can be filed with the Water Per‐ mits Division within ten days of this notice by ref‐ erencing WQC 251121-01, AI 249404 to the following address: Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality Water Permits Division P.O. Box 4313 Baton Rouge, LA 708214313 Attn: Water Quality Certifications Comments may be sub‐ mitted by email to DEQWaterQualityCertifica‐ tions@la.gov. A copy of the application is available for inspec‐ tion and review at the LDEQ Public Records Center at 602 North Fifth Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70802, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The available information can also be accessed electronically on the Electronic Docu‐ ment Management Sys‐ tem (EDMS) on the LDEQ public website at www. deq.louisiana.gov. 173586 Jan. 12, 1t $214.27 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE OF OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON PROPOSED SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND FUTURE PIPE INDUSTRIES, INC. The Louisiana Depart‐ ment of Environmental Quality and Future Pipe Industries, Inc. (Respon‐ dent), Agency Interest Number 22750, have en‐ tered into a proposed settlement agreement, Settlement Tracking No. SA-AE-25-0092 concern‐ ing the State's allega‐ tions of environmental violations by Respondent at its facility in East i h

Baton Rouge Rental AREA 3 3Br 2Ba cnt a/h, w/d conn $1050 2Br 1Ba utils pd $950. + Dep 225-810-0775

AREA 3

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 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

Legal Notices

y Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, which allega‐ tions are set forth in Con‐ solidated Compliance Order & Notice of Poten‐ tial Penalty, Enforcement Tracking No. AE-CN-2300604.

g may also be used under the timber mats to es‐ tablish a level surface for safe operation of equip‐ ment. A ramp will be used to span the shore‐ line and load and offload materials and equipment from the barge to land. No dredging or propwashing is required to facilitate barge access. Existing roads and drive‐ ways will be restored to preconstruction condi‐ tions upon completion of use by CP Express in co‐ ordination with landown‐ ers. Approximately 100 cy of gravel will be used as fill. NOTICE the La. Dept. of Conservation and Energy, Office of Permitting and Compliance (OPC) has received a request to ex‐ tend for the referenced Coastal Use Permit in ac‐ cordance with La. R.S. 49:214.21-214.41, and the rules of the Coastal Man‐ agement Program. Appli‐ cations for the proposed work may be inspected at 617 North 3rd Street, Room 1078, Baton Rouge, LA or on the OPC web page at: https://denr. louisiana.gov/page/ public-notices. Copies are available; costs apply. Written comments are solicited from the public, but must be re‐ ceived within 10 days of this notice, preferably uploaded directly to our electronic record, but may be emailed, or mailed to: OPC Adminis‐ trator, Kyle Balkum, P.O. Box 44487, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-4487. All com‐ ments must contain the appropriate CUP number and the commenter's full name and contact infor‐ mation. Below are the referenced applica‐ tion(s): CUP NUMBER: P20240027; Email: sarah. robert@la.gov (Amended, Extended) Name: Bollinger Ship‐ yards Lockport, Llc, c/o Elos Environmental, Llc 607 West Morris Avenue Hammond, La 70403 Attn: Brian Fortson Location: Lafourche Parish, LA; Lat. 29-36-29.24N, Long. 90-2927.42W (see plats for ad‐ ditional coordinates); Section 71 & 72, T17SR19E; 8365 LA-308, Lock‐ port, 70374. Description: Proposed maintenance dredging of approx. 350' x 81' of Bayou Lafourche adjacent to the Bollinger Facility in Lockport. The proposed dredging will maintain access to the facility along Bayou Lafourche and accommo‐ date a vessel launch from the facility. The ex‐ cavated material will be transported on a barge and deposited in a nonwetland location south of the Bollinger Facility. Approx 5,082 cy of mater‐ ial will be displaced by project activities.

The Department of Envi‐ ronmental Quality will accept comments on the proposed settlement for the next forty-five (45) days. The public is in‐ vited and encouraged to submit written com‐ ments to the Louisiana Department of Environ‐ mental Quality, Office of the Secretary, Legal Divi‐ sion, Post Office Box 4302, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70821-4302, At‐ tention: Oscar Magee, At‐ torney. All comments will be considered by the De‐ partment of Environmen‐ tal Quality in reaching a decision on whether to make the settlement final. Terms and conditions of the proposed settlement agreement may be re‐ viewed on the Depart‐ ment of Environmental Quality's website at www.deq.louisiana.gov, by selecting About LDEQ, Enforcement, and Settle‐ ments. The document may also be viewed at, and copies obtained from, the Louisiana De‐ partment of Environmen‐ tal Quality, Public Records Center, Room 127, Galvez Building, 602 North Fifth Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802. To request a copy of the proposed settlement, submit a completed Pub‐ lic Record Request Form (DEQ Form ISD-0005-01). The form and instruc‐ tions for completion may be found on the DEQ Website at the following address: http://deq. louisiana.gov/assets/ docs/General/PublicR ecordsRequestForm.pdf, or by calling the Cus‐ tomer Service Center at 1-866-896-5337. Pursuant to La. R.S. 30:2050.7(D), the Depart‐ ment of Environmental Quality may hold a public hearing regarding this proposed settlement when either of the fol‐ lowing conditions are met: 1) a written request for public hearing has been filed by twenty-five (25) persons, by a gov‐ ernmental subdivision or agency, or by an associa‐ tion having not less than twenty-five (25) mem‐ bers who reside in the parish in which the facil‐ ity is located; or 2) the secretary finds a signifi‐ cant degree of public in‐ terest in this settlement. For further information, you may call the Legal Division of the Louisiana Department of Environ‐ mental Quality at (225) 219-3985. 173406-jan 12-1t $352.10 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE the La. Dept. of Conservation and Energy, Office of Permitting and Compliance (OPC) has received the following application(s) for a Coastal Use Permit (CUP) in accordance with La. R.S. 49:214.21-214.41, and the rules of the Coastal Management Program. Applications for the pro‐ posed work may be in‐ spected at 617 North 3rd Street, Room 1078, Baton Rouge, LA or on the OPC web page at: https:// denr.louisiana.gov/page/ public-notices. Copies are available; costs apply. Written comments are solicited from the public, but must be re‐ ceived within 25 days of this notice, preferably uploaded directly to our electronic record, but may be emailed, or mailed to: OPC Adminis‐ trator, Kyle Balkum, P.O. Box 44487, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-4487. All com‐ ments must contain the appropriate CUP number and the commenter's full name and contact infor‐ mation. Below are the referenced applica‐ tion(s): *******CUP NUM‐ BER: P20250916; Email: Melissa.sherman2@la. gov; Name: Venture Global Cp Express, Llc c/o Burns & Mcdonnell Engineering Company, Inc. 5600 AMERICAN BLVD W SUITE 300 BLOOMING‐ TON, MN 55437 Attn: Ross Hargrove Location: Cameron Parish, LA; Lat 30-0-36.36N, Long -93-1344.76W; 11272 Highway 384 Lake Charles, 70607 Description: Proposed site preparation will in‐ volve placement of tim‐ ber mats in upland areas and temporary utilization of existing driveways and gravel access. The workspace will be mowed and minor ground leveling may be required prior to place‐ ment of the timber mats. Aggregate placed on a geotextile fabric base l b d d

173549-JAN 12-1T $47.78 PUBLIC NOTICE --PURSUANT TO LA. R.S. 42:19.1 NOTICE OF CONSIDERATION OF ACTION REGARDING AD VALOREM TAX NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Zachary Community School Board, acting as the gov‐ erning authority of the Zachary Community School System, Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana (the “Sys‐ tem”), will meet on Tues‐ day, February 10, 2026 at 7:00 p.m., at its regular meeting place, the Zachary Community School Board Ofﬁce, 3755 Church Street, Zachary, Louisiana, at which time there will be considera‐ tion of action regarding the calling of an election to authorize the levy and collection of an ad val‐ orem tax for the purpose of providing additional support to public ele‐ mentary and secondary schools within the Sys‐ tem and for any lawful school purposes, includ‐ ing paying salaries and beneﬁts of school sys‐ tem personnel. 173224-jan 12-1t $39.54

Legal Notices

Square 251, Swart Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐ nicipal No. ( ) South Street. By virtue of the provi‐ sions of Louisiana Re‐ vised Statute 47:2201 et seq. and Metropolitan Council Ordinance num‐ ber 19504, the Parish of East Baton Rouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐ cated property. You have been identified as a party who might have a vested or contingent in‐ terest in said property, which was assessed in the name(s) of Alfred Smith, and was adjudi‐ cated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in the year of 1993 for unpaid taxes for the year of 1992. The sale will take place in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your inter‐ est in the property will be terminated if you do not redeem the property by making all required payments to the tax col‐ lector listed below or file a lawsuit in accordance with law within SIXTY (60) DAYS of the date of the first publication of this notice, or the record‐ ing of an act transferring ownership, if later. Tax collector: East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff 222 St. Louis Street, 2ND Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810 173263 Jan 12, 19, 2t $79.68 PUBLIC NOTICE --Recquisition 11297719 NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROPERTY Rose Ann Shavers, J. Don‐ ald Morgan, Pearl Shavers, Viola Beatrice Shavers-Prosser, Lula Mae Shavers-Williams THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐ TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THE FOL‐ LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA MAY BE TERMINATED BY OP‐ ERATION OF LAW IF YOU DO NOT TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW: Lot 11, Square 2, Abram‐ son Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐ nicipal No. ( ) N. 24TH Street. By virtue of the provi‐ sions of Louisiana Re‐ vised Statute 47:2201 et seq. and Metropolitan Council Ordinance num‐ ber 19710, the Parish of East Baton Rouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐ cated property. You have been identified as a party who might have a vested or contingent in‐ terest in said property, which was assessed in the name(s) of Rose Ann Shavers, et al., and was adjudicated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in the year of 2020 for un‐ paid taxes for the year of 2019. The sale will take place in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your inter‐ est in the property will be terminated if you do not redeem the property by making all required payments to the tax col‐ lector listed below or file a lawsuit in accordance with law within SIXTY (60) DAYS of the date of the first publication of this notice, or the record‐ ing of an act transferring ownership, if later. Tax collector: East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff 222 St. Louis Street, 2ND Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810 173279 Jan. 12, 19, 2t $81.70

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

DOGS CKC YORKIES or SHORKIES - (yorkies arewith papers) all are vet checked with shot and worming will meet in Gulfport $400 (334) 467-3416

WORKS

Legal Notices

Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐ nicipal No. ( ) Scenic Highway.

Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐ nicipal No. ( ) Judith Drive

By virtue of the provi‐ sions of Louisiana Re‐ vised Statute 47:2201 et seq. and Metropolitan Council Ordinance num‐ ber 19709, the Parish of East Baton Rouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐ cated property. You have been identified as a party who might have a vested or contingent in‐ terest in said property, which was assessed in the name(s) of Bradley Williams, et al., and was adjudicated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in the year of 1998 for un‐ paid taxes for the year of 1997. The sale will take place in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your inter‐ est in the property will be terminated if you do not redeem the property by making all required payments to the tax col‐ lector listed below or file a lawsuit in accordance with law within SIXTY (60) DAYS of the date of the first publication of this notice, or the record‐ ing of an act transferring ownership, if later. Tax collector: East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff 222 St. Louis Street, 2ND Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810 173282 Jan. 12, 19, 2t $79.02 PUBLIC NOTICE --Recquisition 11297719 NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROPERTY Larry Alexander THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐ TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THE FOL‐ LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA MAY BE TERMINATED BY OP‐ ERATION OF LAW IF YOU DO NOT TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW: Lot 51 Cypress Heights Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐ nicipal No. ( ) Cypress Glen Ave. By virtue of the provi‐ sions of Louisiana Re‐ vised Statute 47:2201 et seq. and Metropolitan Council Ordinance num‐ ber 19701, the Parish of East Baton Rouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐ cated property. You have been identified as a party who might have a vested or contingent in‐ terest in said property, which was assessed in the name(s) of Larry Alexander, et al., and was adjudicated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in the year of 2022 for unpaid taxes for the year of 2021. The sale will take place in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your interest in the property will be terminated if you do not redeem the prop‐ erty by making all re‐ quired payments to the tax collector listed below or file a lawsuit in accor‐ dance with law within SIX (6) MONTHS of the date of the first publica‐ tion of this notice, or the recording of an act trans‐ ferring ownership, if later. Tax collector: East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff 222 St. Louis Street, 2ND Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810 173423 Jan. 12, 19, 2t $79.02 PUBLIC NOTICE --Recquisition 11297719

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROPERTY

Affordable Housing Solu‐ tions Nationwide, LLC; Louisiana Secretary of State; Republic Property Group, Inc., C/O David M. Ferell; J.P. Morgan Chase Bank

Lot 3pt.,

Lot 22 Square 10 Scotland Heights

STORE.THEADVOCATE.COM

Legal Notices

Recquisition 11297719

THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐ TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THE FOL‐ LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA MAY BE TERMINATED BY OP‐ ERATION OF LAW IF YOU DO NOT TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW:

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PUBLIC NOTICE ---

Bradley Williams

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

Automotive FREE RENT 225-351-7449

Recquisition 11297719

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

AREA 4

NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROPERTY

Alfred Smith

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

5364 Jackson 2BR's 1BA, Rent $500, Dep $300 225-357-6436

PETS • SUPPLIES • SERVICES • OBITUARIES • LOST & FOUND

DOGS 1 Male & 1 Female Yorkie. De-wormed. Ready to go! 225-394-0367

AREA 5 1BR $550, 2BR $650 Tigerland. $500 Deposit. 225-475-1737

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

PLACE YOUR PET SERVICES INFORMATION IN THE PET SERVICES DIRECTORY TODAY! • IT IS FAST AND EASY! • CALL 225-383-0111

Monday – Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

225-383-0111 • 504-636-7435 337-234-0174

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Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Offer includes: 2021 BMW 4 SERIES Vin WBA73AP09MCF13463

America’s Auto Auction Baton Rouge 225-778-3737

DISPLAY ADS 24 HOURS EARLIER

Public Notices

PUBLIC AUCTION Truist Bank & Regional Acceptance Thursday, January 29, 2025 at 9:00 AM

For more sale registration, sale attendance, or other sale related information, please contact

On the go.

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

AREA 5 1 & 2 BR Apts, W/D, C A/H, Starting at $850/mo Deps vary 225-315-0930

AUCTIONS

America’s Auto Auction Baton Rouge 3960 Blount Road, Baton Rouge, LA, 70807

On your phone.

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

MISC FOR SALE SMALL SOLID BLACK THROW PILLOWS MANY AVAILABLE! EACH $5 225-752-7273

Sale open to the public on listed vehicle(s) only

GET FULL DIGITAL ACCESS

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

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

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

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

classiﬁeds.theadvocate.com | 225-383-0111 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of David Newman, is requested to contact Attorney Raushanah S. Hunter in reference to a pending legal matter at (225) 356-5252. 173653-Jan 12-14, 3t $97

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

By virtue of the provi‐ sions of Louisiana Re‐ vised Statute 47:2201 et seq. and Metropolitan Council Ordinance num‐ ber 19703, the Parish of East Baton Rouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐ cated property. You have been identified as a party who might have a vested or contingent in‐ terest in said property, which was assessed in the name(s) of Afford‐ able Housing Solutions Nationwide, LLC et al., and was adjudicated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in the year of 2018 for unpaid taxes for the year of 2017. The sale will take place in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your interest in the property will be terminated if you do not redeem the prop‐ erty by making all re‐ quired payments to the tax collector listed below or file a lawsuit in accor‐ dance with law within SIXTY (60) DAYS of the date of the first publica‐ tion of this notice, or the recording of an act trans‐ ferring ownership, if later. Tax collector: East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff 222 St. Louis Street, 2ND Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810 173424 Jan. 12, 19, 2t $83.06 PUBLIC NOTICE --Recquisition 11297719 NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROPERTY Hazel Hicks Franklin THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐ TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THE FOL‐ LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA MAY BE TERMINATED BY OP‐ ERATION OF LAW IF YOU DO NOT TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW: Lot D Green Franklin Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐ nicipal No. ( ) Green Franklin Road. By virtue of the provi‐ sions of Louisiana Re‐ vised Statute 47:2201 et seq. and Metropolitan Council Ordinance num‐ ber 19706, the Parish of East Baton Rouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐ cated property. You have been identified as a party who might have a vested or contingent in‐ terest in said property, which was assessed in the name(s) of Hazel Hicks Franklin, et al., and was adjudicated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in the year of 2011 for unpaid taxes for the year of 2010. The sale will take place in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your interest in the property will be terminated if you do not redeem the prop‐ erty by making all re‐ quired payments to the tax collector listed below or file a lawsuit in accor‐ dance with law within SIXTY (60) DAYS of the date of the first publica‐ tion of this notice, or the recording of an act trans‐ ferring ownership, if later. Tax collector: East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff 222 St. Louis Street, 2ND Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810 173425 Jan. 12, 19, 2t $79.02 PUBLIC NOTICE --Recquisition 11297719 NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROPERTY Alimisha Horton, Katie Hickman, The Estate of Ernest Hickman THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐ TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THE FOL‐ LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA MAY BE TERMINATED BY OP‐ ERATION OF LAW IF YOU DO NOT TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW:

Legal Notices

Street. By virtue of the provi‐ sions of Louisiana Re‐ vised Statute 47:2201 et seq. and Metropolitan Council Ordinance num‐ ber 19696, the Parish of East Baton Rouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐ cated property. You have been identified as a party who might have a vested or contingent in‐ terest in said property, which was assessed in the name(s) of Alimisha Horton, et al., and was adjudicated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in the year of 1989 for un‐ paid taxes for the year of 1988. The sale will take place in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your inter‐ est in the property will be terminated if you do not redeem the property by making all required payments to the tax col‐ lector listed below or file a lawsuit in accordance with law within SIXTY (60) DAYS of the date of the first publication of this notice, or the record‐ ing of an act transferring ownership, if later. Tax collector: East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff 222 St. Louis Street, 2ND Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810 173283 Jan. 12, 19, 2t $79.68 PUBLIC NOTICE --Recquisition 11297719 NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROPERTY Wyema Lee THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐ TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THE FOL‐ LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA MAY BE TERMINATED BY OP‐ ERATION OF LAW IF YOU DO NOT TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW: Lot 4pt., Square 251, Swart Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐ nicipal No. ( ) South Street. By virtue of the provi‐ sions of Louisiana Re‐ vised Statute 47:2201 et seq. and Metropolitan Council Ordinance num‐ ber 19503, the Parish of East Baton Rouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐ cated property. You have been identified as a party who might have a vested or contingent in‐ terest in said property, which was assessed in the name(s) of Wyema Lee, et al., and was adju‐ dicated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in the year of 1987 for unpaid taxes for the year of 1986. The sale will take place in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your inter‐ est in the property will be terminated if you do not redeem the property by making all required payments to the tax col‐ lector listed below or file a lawsuit in accordance with law within SIXTY (60) DAYS of the date of the first publication of this notice, or the record‐ ing of an act transferring ownership, if later. Tax collector: East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff 222 St. Louis Street, 2ND Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810 173274 Jan. 12, 19, 2t $79.68 PUBLIC NOTICE --Recquisition 11297719 NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROPERTY Edison Scott THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐ TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THE FOL‐ LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA MAY BE TERMINATED BY OP‐ ERATION OF LAW IF YOU DO NOT TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW: Lot 4 Square 11 North Baton Rouge

Lot 57, Square 3, Fortune

Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐ nicipal No. ( ) Scotland Avenue.

Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐ nicipal No. ( ) Paige

By virtue of the provi‐ sions of Louisiana Re‐ vised Statute 47:2201 et

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Monday, January 12, 2026 ■ 7C

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8C ■ Monday, January 12, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate Legal Notices

seq. and Metropolitan Council Ordinance num‐ ber 19708, the Parish of East Baton Rouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐ cated property. You have been identified as a party who might have a vested or contingent in‐ terest in said property, which was assessed in the name(s) of Edison Scott, et al., and was ad‐ judicated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in the year of 2019 for unpaid taxes for the year of 2018. The sale will take place in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your inter‐ est in the property will be terminated if you do not redeem the property by making all required payments to the tax col‐ lector listed below or file a lawsuit in accordance with law within SIXTY (60) DAYS of the date of the first publication of this notice, or the record‐ ing of an act transferring ownership, if later. Tax collector: East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff 222 St. Louis Street, 2ND Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810 173296 Jan. 12, 19, 2t $79.02

PUBLIC NOTICE --Recquisition 11297719 NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROPERTY Gladys Mobley Cantley, Marvin Lewis Mobley, Helen Mobley Boudreaux, Don’l Mobley, Glen Mobley, Betty Joy Mobley Teater THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐ TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THE FOL‐ LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA MAY BE TERMINATED BY OP‐ ERATION OF LAW IF YOU DO NOT TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW: Lot 180 La Belle Aire Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐ nicipal No. ( ) La Margie Ave. By virtue of the provi‐ sions of Louisiana Re‐ vised Statute 47:2201 et seq. and Metropolitan Council Ordinance num‐ ber 19669, the Parish of East Baton Rouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐ cated property. You have been identified as a party who might have a vested or contingent in‐ terest in said property, which was assessed in the name(s) of Gladys Mobley Cantley, et al., and was adjudicated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in the year of 2019 for unpaid taxes for the year of 2018. The sale will take place in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your interest in the property will be terminated if you do not redeem the prop‐ erty by making all re‐ quired payments to the tax collector listed below or file a lawsuit in accor‐ dance with law within SIXTY (60) DAYS of the date of the first publica‐ tion of this notice, or the recording of an act trans‐ ferring ownership, if later. Tax collector: East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff 222 St. Louis Street, 2ND Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810 173284 Jan. 12, 19, 2t $82.38

PUBLIC NOTICE --Recquisition 11297719 NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROPERTY Levell Jones, Jr. THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐ TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THE FOL‐ LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA MAY BE TERMINATED BY OP‐ ERATION OF LAW IF YOU DO NOT TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW: Lots 9 & 10, Square 20, Scotland Addition Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐ nicipal No. ( ) Badley Road. By virtue of the provi‐ sions of Louisiana Re‐ vised Statute 47:2201 et seq. and Metropolitan Council Ordinance num‐ ber 19697, the Parish of East Baton Rouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐ cated property. You have been identified as a party who might have a vested or contingent in‐ terest in said property, which was assessed in the name(s) of Levell Jones, Jr., and was adju‐ dicated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in the year of 2018 for unpaid taxes for the year of 2017. The sale will take place in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your inter‐ est in the property will be terminated if you do not redeem the property by making all required payments to the tax col‐ lector listed below or file a lawsuit in accordance with law within SIXTY (60) DAYS of the date of the first publication of this notice, or the record‐ ing of an act transferring ownership, if later. Tax collector: East Baton Rouge i h h iff

Legal Notices

g Parish Sheriff 222 St. Louis Street, 2ND Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810

p believed to bear on Mu‐ nicipal No. ( ) Fig Street.

173289 Jan. 12, 19, 2t $79.02 PUBLIC NOTICE --Recquisition 11297719 NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROPERTY Elouise Scott Villier, Lor‐ raine Scott Ridgley, Linda Kleinpeter, Odessa Am‐ beau, Carrie Lee Am‐ beau, Ernest Ambeau THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐ TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THE FOL‐ LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA MAY BE TERMINATED BY OP‐ ERATION OF LAW IF YOU DO NOT TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW: Lot 48, Square 14, South Baton Rouge Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐ nicipal No. ( ) Georgia Street. By virtue of the provi‐ sions of Louisiana Re‐ vised Statute 47:2201 et seq. and Metropolitan Council Ordinance num‐ ber 19261, the Parish of East Baton Rouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐ cated property. You have been identified as a party who might have a vested or contingent in‐ terest in said property, which was assessed in the name(s) of Elouise Scott Washington, et al., and was adjudicated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in the year of 1998 for unpaid taxes for the year of 1997. The sale will take place in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your interest in the property will be terminated if you do not redeem the prop‐ erty by making all re‐ quired payments to the tax collector listed below or file a lawsuit in accor‐ dance with law within SIXTY (60) DAYS of the date of the first publica‐ tion of this notice, or the recording of an act trans‐ ferring ownership, if later. Tax collector: East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff 222 St. Louis Street, 2ND Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810 173403 Jan. 12, 19, 2t $82.38

PUBLIC NOTICE --Recquisition 11297719 NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROPERTY Fahmee Sabree THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐ TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THE FOL‐ LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA MAY BE TERMINATED BY OP‐ ERATION OF LAW IF YOU DO NOT TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW: Lots 20-A and 21, Square 2, South Baton Rouge Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐ nicipal No. ( ) Lorri Burgess Avenue. By virtue of the provi‐ sions of Louisiana Re‐ vised Statute 47:2201 et seq. and Metropolitan Council Ordinance num‐ ber 19519, the Parish of East Baton Rouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐ cated property. You have been identified as a party who might have a vested or contingent in‐ terest in said property, which was assessed in the name(s) of Fahmee Sabree, and was adjudi‐ cated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in the year of 2017 for unpaid taxes for the year of 2016. The sale will take place in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your inter‐ est in the property will be terminated if you do not redeem the property by making all required payments to the tax col‐ lector listed below or file a lawsuit in accordance with law within SIXTY (60) DAYS of the date of the first publication of this notice, or the record‐ ing of an act transferring ownership, if later. Tax collector: East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff 222 St. Louis Street, 2ND Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810 173417 Jan. 12, 19, 2t $79.68

PUBLIC NOTICE --Recquisition 11297719 NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROPERTY FARMCO INC. C/O Gerald Ruple THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐ TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THE FOL‐ LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA MAY BE TERMINATED BY OP‐ ERATION OF LAW IF YOU DO NOT TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW: Lot 4, Square 30, Swart Improvements b li d b

thereon

By virtue of the provi‐ sions of Louisiana Re‐ vised Statute 47:2201 et seq. and Metropolitan Council Ordinance num‐ ber 19699, the Parish of East Baton Rouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐ cated property. You have been identified as a party who might have a vested or contingent in‐ terest in said property, which was assessed in the name(s) of FARMCO, INC., et al., and was adju‐ dicated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in the year of 2009 for unpaid taxes for the year of 2008. The sale will take place in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your inter‐ est in the property will be terminated if you do not redeem the property by making all required payments to the tax col‐ lector listed below or file a lawsuit in accordance with law within SIXTY (60) DAYS of the date of the first publication of this notice, or the record‐ ing of an act transferring ownership, if later. Tax collector: East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff 222 St. Louis Street, 2ND Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810 173418 Jan. 12, 19, 2t $77.66

PUBLIC NOTICE --Recquisition 11297719 NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROPERTY Joseph Dunbar THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐ TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THE FOL‐ LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA MAY BE TERMINATED BY OP‐ ERATION OF LAW IF YOU DO NOT TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW: Lot 10, Square 33, Pros‐ perity Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐ nicipal No. ( ) Alliquipa Street. By virtue of the provi‐ sions of Louisiana Re‐ vised Statute 47:2201 et seq. and Metropolitan Council Ordinance num‐ ber 19698, the Parish of East Baton Rouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐ cated property. You have been identified as a party who might have a vested or contingent in‐ terest in said property, which was assessed in the name(s) of Joseph Dunbar, et al., and was adjudicated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in the year of 2017 for un‐ paid taxes for the year of 2016. The sale will take place in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your inter‐ est in the property will be terminated if you do not redeem the property by making all required payments to the tax col‐ lector listed below or file a lawsuit in accordance with law within SIXTY (60) DAYS of the date of the first publication of this notice, or the record‐ ing of an act transferring ownership, if later. Tax collector: East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff 222 St. Louis Street, 2ND Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810 173421 Jan. 12, 19, 2t $79.02

PUBLIC NOTICE --Recquisition 11297719 NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROPERTY Leola D. Chatman and Louise C. Dent THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐ TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THE FOL‐ LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA MAY BE TERMINATED BY OP‐ ERATION OF LAW IF YOU DO NOT TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW: Lot 17pt., Square 30, Swart Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐ nicipal No. ( ) Pear Street. By virtue of the provi‐ sions of Louisiana Re‐ vised Statute 47:2201 et seq. and Metropolitan Council Ordinance num‐ ber 19700, the Parish of East Baton Rouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐ cated property. You have been identified as a party who might have a vested or contingent in‐ terest in said property, which was assessed in the name(s) of Leola D. Chatman et al., and was adjudicated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in the year of 2017 for un‐ paid taxes for the year of 2016. The sale will take place in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your inter‐ est in the property will be terminated if you do not redeem the property by making all required payments to the tax col‐ lector listed below or file a lawsuit in accordance with law within SIXTY (60) DAYS of the date of the first publication of this notice, or the record‐ ing of an act transferring ownership, if later. Tax collector:

lll

Legal Notices

East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff 222 St. Louis Street, 2ND Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810 173345 Jan. 12, 19, 2t $79.02 PUBLIC NOTICE --Recquisition 11297719 NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROPERTY Jane York and Dan Collins THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐ TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THE FOL‐ LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA MAY BE TERMINATED BY OP‐ ERATION OF LAW IF YOU DO NOT TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW: Lot 21, Square 39 South Baton Rouge Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐ nicipal No. ( ) Kentucky Street. By virtue of the provi‐ sions of Louisiana Re‐ vised Statute 47:2201 et seq. and Metropolitan Council Ordinance num‐ ber 19263, the Parish of East Baton Rouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐ cated property. You have been identified as a party who might have a vested or contingent in‐ terest in said property, which was assessed in the name(s) of Jane York, et al., and was adjudi‐ cated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in the year of 2017 for unpaid taxes for the year of 2016. The sale will take place in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your inter‐ est in the property will be terminated if you do not redeem the property by making all required payments to the tax col‐ lector listed below or file a lawsuit in accordance with law within SIXTY (60) DAYS of the date of the first publication of this notice, or the record‐ ing of an act transferring ownership, if later. Tax collector: East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff 222 St. Louis Street, 2ND Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810 173422 Jan 12, 19, 2t $79.68

PUBLIC NOTICE --Recquisition 11297719 NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROPERTY Sharon Drapp Marks THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐ TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THE FOL‐ LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA MAY BE TERMINATED BY OP‐ ERATION OF LAW IF YOU DO NOT TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW: Lot 57pt., Kean Place Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐ nicipal No. ( ) Prescott Road. By virtue of the provi‐ sions of Louisiana Re‐ vised Statute 47:2201 et seq. and Metropolitan Council Ordinance num‐ ber 19704, the Parish of East Baton Rouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐ cated property. You have been identified as a party who might have a vested or contingent in‐ terest in said property, which was assessed in the name(s) of Sharon Drapp Marks, et al., and was adjudicated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in the year of 2022 for unpaid taxes for the year of 2021. The sale will take place in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your interest in the property will be terminated if you do not redeem the prop‐ erty by making all re‐ quired payments to the tax collector listed below or file a lawsuit in accor‐ dance with law within SIX (6) MONTHS of the date of the first publica‐ tion of this notice, or the recording of an act trans‐ ferring ownership, if later. Tax collector: East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff 222 St. Louis Street, 2ND Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810 173409 Jan. 12, 19, 2t $79.02

PUBLIC NOTICE --Recquisition 11297719 NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROPERTY Justine L. Walker, Isaac Walker, Jr., Talana Walker THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐ TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THE FOL‐ LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA MAY BE TERMINATED BY OP‐ ERATION OF LAW IF YOU DO NOT TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW: Lot 227+, Colonial Hill Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐ nicipal No. ( ) N Acadian h

Legal Notices

p Thwy W. By virtue of the provi‐ sions of Louisiana Re‐ vised Statute 47:2201 et seq. and Metropolitan Council Ordinance num‐ ber 19702, the Parish of East Baton Rouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐ cated property. You have been identified as a party who might have a vested or contingent in‐ terest in said property, which was assessed in the name(s) of Isaac Walker et al., and was adjudicated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in the year of 2017 for un‐ paid taxes for the year of 2016. The sale will take place in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your inter‐ est in the property will be terminated if you do not redeem the property by making all required payments to the tax col‐ lector listed below or file a lawsuit in accordance with law within SIXTY (60) DAYS of the date of the first publication of this notice, or the record‐ ing of an act transferring ownership, if later. Tax collector: East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff 222 St. Louis Street, 2ND Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810 173413 Jan. 12, 19, 2t $79.02

PUBLIC NOTICE --Recquisition 11297719 NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROPERTY Herman Roberson THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐ TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THE FOL‐ LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA MAY BE TERMINATED BY OP‐ ERATION OF LAW IF YOU DO NOT TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW: Lot 5pt., Square 253, Swart Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐ nicipal No. ( ) South Street. By virtue of the provi‐ sions of Louisiana Re‐ vised Statute 47:2201 et seq. and Metropolitan Council Ordinance num‐ ber 19516, the Parish of East Baton Rouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐ cated property. You have been identified as a party who might have a vested or contingent in‐ terest in said property, which was assessed in the name(s) of Herman Roberson, et al., and was adjudicated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in the year of 1989 for un‐ paid taxes for the year of 1988. The sale will take place in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your inter‐ est in the property will be terminated if you do not redeem the property by making all required payments to the tax col‐ lector listed below or file a lawsuit in accordance with law within SIXTY (60) DAYS of the date of the first publication of this notice, or the record‐ ing of an act transferring ownership, if later. Tax collector: East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff 222 St. Louis Street, 2ND Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810

Legal Notices

Cook) (3) Zoning Commission Case: T25-04 & Z25-06 To amend Title 7 of the St. George Uniﬁed Devel‐ opment Code to change how alcoholic beverage sales land uses are al‐ lowed; rezone all NC-AB, C-AB-1, and C-AB-2 prop‐ erty to other districts; and to provide for re‐ lated matters. Zoning Commission vote: Motion to recommend approval by Travis Thorn‐ ton; seconded by Laurie Marien. YEAS – Travis Thornton, Laurie Marien, Jason McAllister, Bobby McKey, Billy Aguillard. NAYS - 0. Motion passed and T25-04 & Z25-06 was recommended for ap‐ proval. (4) Zoning Commission Case: Z-25-0100 – To re‐ zone a 2.59-acre parcel on Tract X-1 of the Harel‐ son Property from B1 (Transition), R (Rural), NC (Neighborhood Commer‐ cial) to LC2 (Light Com‐ mercial Two) and to pro‐ vide for related matters (14050 Tiger Bend Rd.) Zoning Commission vote: Motion to recommend approval by Travis Thorn‐ ton; seconded by Laurie Marien. YEAS – Travis Thornton, Laurie Marien, Jason McAllister, Bobby McKey, Billy Aguillard. NAYS - 0. Motion passed and Z-25-0100 was rec‐ ommended for approval. III. Items for Public Hear‐ ing and Action (1) To Pledge the 2% Sales and Use Tax levied in the Harveston Eco‐ nomic Development Dis‐ trict established by the Metropolitan Council of the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge to be used to ﬁ‐ nance cost of infrastruc‐ ture development and to provide for related mat‐ ters. (2) Appointment of St. George Fire Protection Board of Commissioners (Current Commissioners: Chairman Darryl Ourso, Commissioner Chris Rosendahl) (3) Resolution to approve the City of St. George 2025 Hazard Mitigation Plan. (4) Resolution authoriz‐ ing Mayor to expend $305,849 for sidewalk im‐ provements in Barclay Place. (5) Resolution to endorse MoveBR/DOTS Solutions for Highland/Pecue (6) Resolution to dedica‐ tion of franchise fees. IV. Other Business: An‐ nouncements • City Council Meeting is Tuesday, January 13, 2026 at 5:00 pm • City Hall is closed Mon‐ day, January 19 for Mar‐ tin Luther King, Jr Day • Chamber of Commerce meeting is Monday, Janu‐ ary 26, 2026 at 6:00 pm at Grace Life Fellowship Church • City Council Meeting is January 27, 2026 at 5:00 pm • Board of Adjustment Meeting-Monday, Febru‐ ary 2, 2026 at 5:00 pm • Planning Commission Meeting-Monday, Febru‐ ary 2, 2026 at 6:00 pm • Zoning Commission Meeting-Monday, Febru‐ ary 2, 2026 at 6:00 pm • Administrative Hearing is Friday, January 16, 2026 at 9:00 am and 1:00 pm ADJOURNMENT 173373-jan 12-1t $59.01

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

173336 Jan. 12, 19, 2t $79.02

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 PUBLIC NOTICE --ST. GEORGE CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING AGENDA January 13, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. St. George Fire Dept 14100 Airline Highway St. George, LA 70817 Documents for Item III & IV will be posted at https://stgeorgela.gov Broadcast Live at https://www.youtube. com/@St.GeorgeLouis iana

I. Preliminary Business (1) Call to Order (2) Pledge of Allegiance (3) Roll Call (4) Approval of Minutes of the December 9, 2025 Council Meeting (5) November Financials Report (6) Monthly Activity Re‐ port (7) DPW Presentation II. Introduction of Ordi‐ nances for Public Hear‐ ing on January 27, 2026 (1) Ordinance Authoriz‐ ing the City of St. George to Enter into Utility Fran‐ chise Agreements with East Baton Rouge Parish Sewer System for the Use of Public Rights-of-Way. (2) Ordinance to provide for adoption of proce‐ dures for volunteers to maintain public proper‐ ties. (Council Member

PUBLIC NOTICE --A. CALL TO ORDER Commissioner Slaughter called the meeting to order at 6:40 p.m., on Monday, December 01, 2025, at the Zachary City Hall located at 4700 Main Street, Zachary, LA B. INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance were carried over from previous meet‐ ing. C. OPENING PROCEEDURES 1. ROLL CALL MEMBERS PRESENT Mindy Slaughter Jared Watkins Tommy Womack Christi Murphy MEMBERS ABSENT Christina Price James Peay Jason Floyd 2. READING OF CITY POLICY RELATIVE TO OPEN MEETINGS An opportunity for public comment shall be ob‐ served before a vote is taken on any agenda item. Once recognized by the presiding officer, the person afforded the floor, shall identify the agenda item upon which he or she wishes to pro‐ vide comment and shall limit his or her com‐ ments to matters that are strictly relevant to that agenda item. Com‐ mentary shall not exceed three (3) minutes per person. No dialogue be‐ tween Planning and Zon‐ ing board members and the public shall be per‐ mitted at these meet‐ ings, except to clarify the nature of questions and/or comments. The presiding officer re‐ serves the right to limit and/or terminate any commentary when deemed necessary or outside of public deco‐ rum. 3. CHANGES/ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA The motion was made by Commissioner Slaughter The motion was sec‐ onded by Commissioner Womack

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

To move the Consent Agenda items 1A, 1B, 1C to New Business 1A, 1B, 1C. YEAS: Slaughter, Watkins, Womack, Mur‐ phy NAYS: None ABSENT: Price, Peay, Floyd ABSTAINED: None D. READING OF THE MINUTES 1. Approval of minutes of the November 03, 2025, regular meeting and Min‐ utes of the November 12, 2025, Special Planning meeting and approve them as written. The motion was made by Commissioner Womack The motion was sec‐ onded by Commissioner Slaughter To approve minutes of the November 03, 2025, regular meeting and Min‐ utes of the November 12, 2025, Special Planning meeting and approve them as written. YEAS: Slaughter, Watkins, Womack, Mur‐ phy NAYS: None ABSENT: Price, Peay, Floyd ABSTAINED: None E. PRESENTATION OF DELEGATON F. ANNOUNCEMENTS G. PLANNING The consent agenda con‐ sists of items with no outstanding issues that do not require plan amendments, text amendments, variances, or waivers. Consent agenda items may be ap‐ proved with a single mo‐ tion without a public UNLESS re‐ hearing, moved from the consent agenda and placed in the regular agenda order. Items placed on the Con‐ sent Agenda by the Plan‐ ning & Zoning Staff will not have time allocated for speaking, UNLESS there is a member of the Planning & Zoning Com‐ mission of the public at the meeting who wishes to speak on the item. In such cases, the item will be removed from the consent agenda and placed in the regular agenda order for discus‐ sion. 1. Consent Agenda 2. Old Business 3. New Business a. COB-2-25 (5568 & 5608 Main Street) — Proposed combination of lots for Lots 1-A & 2 into Lot 1 of the Roger P. Gay Estates, on property located at 5568 & 5608 Main Street, Zachary, La 70791 Commissioner Slaughter opened the PUBLIC HEARING at 6:45 p.m. There being no one to speak in favor of or against the Combination of Lots, Commissioner Slaughter closed the PUBLIC HEARING at 6:45 p.m. The motion was made by Commissioner Slaughter The motion was sec‐ onded by Commissioner Womack To approve COB-2-25 (5568 & 5608 Main Street) — Proposed combination of lots for Lots 1-A & 2 into Lot 1 of the Roger P. Gay Estates, on property located at 5568 & 5608 Main Street, Zachary, La 70791. YEAS: Slaughter, Watkins, Womack, Mur‐ phy NAYS: None ABSENT: Price, Peay, Floyd ABSTAINED: None b. RESUB-9-25 (21490 & 21520 Old Scenic High‐ way) — Proposed resub‐ division of lots for Lots G-2 & G-3 into Lots G-2-A, G-2-B, G-3-A & G-3-B of the E.D. Annison Sr. Place, on property lo‐ cated at 21490 & 21520 Old Scenic Highway, Zachary, La 70791 The motion was made by Commissioner Womack The motion was sec‐ onded by Commissioner Murphy RESUB-9-25 To table (21490 & 21520 Old Scenic Highway) — Proposed re‐ subdivision of lots for Lots G-2 & G-3 into Lots G-2-A, G-2-B, G-3-A & G-3B of the E.D. Annison Sr. Place, on property lo‐ cated at 21490 & 21520 Old Scenic Highway, Zachary, La 70791. To table upon owner’s re‐ quest. YEAS: Slaughter, Watkins, Womack, Mur‐ phy NAYS: None ABSENT: Price, Peay, Floyd ABSTAINED: None c. SP-11-25 (6461 Zachary-Slaughter High‐ way) — Proposed site plan of a meat market on Lot L of the Irvin Lutschg Tract, on property lo‐ cated at 6461 Highway 19, Zachary, La 70791. Commissioner Slaughter opened the PUBLIC HEARING at 6:50 p.m. Dorothy and LoRon White, 6136 Old Scenic Hwy., Zachary, LA, were present to speak in favor of the Site Plan. There being no one else to speak in favor of or against the Site Plan, Commissioner Slaughter closed the PUBLIC HEAR‐ ING at 6:51 p.m. The motion was made by Commissioner Watkins The motion was sec‐ onded by Commissioner Womack SP-11-25 To approve (6461 Zachary-Slaughter Highway) — Proposed site plan of a meat mar‐ ket on Lot L of the Irvin Lutschg Tract, on prop‐ erty located at 6461 High‐ way 19, Zachary, La 70791. YEAS: Slaughter, Watkins, Womack, Mur‐ phy NAYS: None ABSENT: Price, Peay, Floyd ABSTAINED: None d. Review and approval of the 2026 Deadline Cal‐ endar The motion was made by Commissioner Womack The motion was sec‐ onded by Commissioner Slaughter To approve the 2026 Plan‐ ning and Zoning Deadline Calendar. YEAS: Slaughter, ki k

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min g Watkins, Womack, Mur‐ phy NAYS: None ABSENT: Price, Peay, Floyd ABSTAINED: None e. Commission discussion of Work‐ shop/Commission Work Day to Mark-up Compre‐ hensive Master Plan Draft. The motion was made by Commissioner Womack The motion was sec‐ onded by Commissioner Watkins To approve no comments for the Master Plan Draft after December 31, 2025, with a Workshop/Com‐ mission Work Day to Mark-up Comprehensive Master Plan Draft, meet‐ ing to be set at the Janu‐ ary 5, 2026 regular meet‐ ing. YEAS: Slaughter, Watkins, Womack, Mur‐ phy NAYS: None ABSENT: Price, Peay, Floyd ABSTAINED: None H. REPORT OF THE CITY PLANNER I. REPORT OF THE CHAIRMAN J. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was ad‐ journed at 6:59 p.m. ____________ Karen Burdette Recording Secretary ______________ Mindy Slaughter Chairman Karen Burdette, Recording Secretary CITY OF ZACHARY PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE STATE OF LOUISIANA 173527 Jan. 12, 1t $114.59 PUBLIC NOTICE --A. CALL TO ORDER Commissioner Slaughter called the meeting to order at 6:05 p.m., on Monday, December 01, 2025, at the Zachary City Hall located at 4700 Main Street, Zachary, LA B. INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance by Commis‐ sioner Slaughter. C. OPENING PROCEEDURES 1. ROLL CALL MEMBERS PRESENT Mindy Slaughter Jared Watkins Tommy Womack Christi Murphy MEMBERS ABSENT Christina Price James Peay Jason Floyd 2. READING OF CITY POL‐ ICY RELATIVE TO OPEN MEETINGS An opportunity for public comment shall be ob‐ served before a vote is taken on any agenda item. Once recognized by the presiding officer, the person afforded the floor, shall identify the agenda item upon which he or she wishes to pro‐ vide comment and shall limit his or her com‐ ments to matters that are strictly relevant to that agenda item. Com‐ mentary shall not exceed three (3) minutes per person. No dialogue be‐ tween Planning and Zon‐ ing board members and the public shall be per‐ mitted at these meet‐ ings, except to clarify the nature of questions and/or comments. The presiding officer re‐ serves the right to limit and/or terminate any commentary when deemed necessary or outside of public deco‐ rum. 3. CHANGES/ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA The motion was made by Commissioner Slaughter The motion was sec‐ onded by Commissioner Womack To move the Consent Agenda item 1A to New Business 1A. YEAS: Slaughter, Watkins, Womack, Mur‐ phy NAYS: None ABSENT: Price, Peay, Floyd ABSTAINED: None

D. READING OF THE MINUTES 1. Approval of minutes of the November 03, 2025, meeting and approve them as written. The motion was made by Commissioner Womack The motion was sec‐ onded by Commissioner Slaughter To approve minutes of the November 03, 2025 meeting and approve them as written. YEAS: Slaughter, Watkins, Womack, Mur‐ phy NAYS: None ABSENT: Price, Peay, Floyd ABSTAINED: None E. PRESENTATION OF DELEGATON F. ANNOUNCEMENTS G. ZONING The consent agenda con‐ sists of items with no outstanding issues that do not require plan amendments, text amendments, variances, or waivers. Consent agenda items may be ap‐ proved with a single mo‐ tion without a public hearing, UNLESS re‐ moved from the consent agenda and placed in the regular agenda order. Items placed on the Con‐ sent Agenda by the Plan‐ ning & Zoning Staff will not have time allocated for speaking, UNLESS there is a member of the Planning & Zoning Com‐ mission of the public at the meeting who wishes to speak on the item. In such cases, the item will be removed from the consent agenda and placed in the regular agenda order for discus‐ sion. 1. Consent Agenda 2. Old Business 3. New Business a. RZ-11-25 (21490 & 21520 Old Scenic High‐ way) — To rezone Lots G2 & G-3 of the E.D. Anni‐ son Sr. Place from Estate Residential (RE) to Neigh‐ borhood Commercial

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

(CN), on property located at 21490 & 21520 Old Scenic Road, Zachary, La 70791. Commissioner Slaughter opened the PUBLIC HEARING at 6:12 p.m. Jimmy Baker, 1237 Mid‐ way Rd., Slaughter, LA was there to speak in favor of the rezone. Diane Fletcher, 21363 WJ Wicker Rd., Zachary, LA was there to speak against the rezone. There being no one else to speak in favor of or against the rezone, Com‐ missioner Slaughter closed the PUBLIC HEAR‐ ING at 6:21 p.m. The motion was made by Commissioner Slaughter The motion was sec‐ onded by Commissioner Womack To Table - RZ-11-25 (21490 & 21520 Old Scenic High‐ way) — To rezone Lots G2 & G-3 of the E.D. Anni‐ son Sr. Place from Estate Residential (RE) to Neigh‐ borhood Commercial (CN), on property located at 21490 & 21520 Old Scenic Road, Zachary, La 70791. To table upon owner’s request. YEAS: Slaughter, Watkins, Womack, Mur‐ phy NAYS: None ABSENT: Price, Peay, Floyd ABSTAINED: None H. REPORT OF THE CITY PLANNER I. REPORT OF THE CHAIRMAN J. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was ad‐ journed at 6:41 p.m. ____________ Karen Burdette Recording Secretary ________________ Mindy Slaughter Chairman Karen Burdette, Recording Secretary CITY OF ZACHARY PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE STATE OF LOUISIANA 173536 Jan. 12, 1t $73.49

PUBLIC NOTICE --ZACHARY COMMUNITY SCHOOL BOARD MINUTES Special Board Meeting Expulsion Appeal December 16, 2025 The Zachary Community School Board Meeting was held on December 16, 2025, at 6:00 pm at 3755 Church Street, Zachary, Louisiana, 70791. The Invocation was led by Mr. Dayton. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mr. Talbot. Board Members Present: Dr. Lathon, Mr. Talbot, Mr. Mackie, Mrs. Free‐ man, Mr. Gaines, Mr. Dayton. Board Members Absent: Dr. Taylor-Jarrell, Mr. Hughes, Dr. London EXPULSION HEARING TW Parent decided to have closed hearing. Mr. Mackie moved to go into Executive Session in the Hearing of TW. Mr. Gaines seconded the motion. There was no public comment. VOTE: YEAS 6 NAYS 0 AB‐ SENT 3 Mr. Hughes moved to come out of Executive Session and go back into the regular Board Meet‐ ing. Mr. Dayton seconded the motion. There was no public comment. VOTE: YEAS 6 NAYS 0 AB‐ SENT 3 Mr. Gaines moved to af‐ ﬁrm the expulsion as stands. Mr. Talbot sec‐ onded the motion. There was no public comment. ROLL CALL VOTE: Dr. Lathon – Yea, Mr. Tal‐ bot – Yea, Mr. Mackie – Yea, Mrs. Freeman – Yea, Mr. Gaines – Yea, Mr. Dayton - Yea. YEAS 6 NAYS 0 ABSENT 3 ADJOURN: Mr. Dayton moved to ad‐ journ. Dr. Taylor-Jarrell seconded the motion. There was no public comment. VOTE: YEAS 6 NAYS 0 AB‐ SENT 3 Dr. Elecia Lathon - Presi‐ dent Ben Necaise – Superin‐ tendent 173134-JAN 10-1t $54.03

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