The Advocate 02-03-2026 by The Advocate

EL EC TI ON 20 26

Attacksbegin in race forU.S.Senate

Cassidyreleasesad targetingLetlowaspolls puther in lead

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy and U.S.Rep

JuliaLetlow are suddenly engagedina pitched battle as Cassidy tries to fend off her and otherRepublican challengers in hisrace for reelection this year

On Saturday,asuper PACsupporting Cassidy launched aTVadthat slammed “liberal Letlow.”

The ad linked Letlow to two leading Democrats —former President Joe Biden and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi —and accused her of voting with Biden morethanany of theother four Republican membersofLouisiana’scongressional delegation.

On Sunday, Letlowresponded by playingher strongest card.

“I am so proudtohaveearned the endorsement of President Donald Trump, andnow I’llcontinue ﬁghting alongside him to secure our borders and to continue to grow our economy,”Letlow posted on X, formerly known as Twitter She also said: “Well, it didn’ttake long for Bill Cassidy andhis never-Trumper, pro-impeachmentallies to begin attackingme.”

Officials: NorthLa. escapees stole bus

BY AIDAN McCAHILL Staff writer

Twoofthe inmates who broke out of anorth Louisiana prison last week —both being held there for crimes committed in Baton Rouge —tookaschool busand ledofﬁcers on ahigh-speed chase into Arkansas before being apprehended, authorities said.

An East CarrollParishresident says he later held another two escapees at gunpoint until deputies arrived to taketheminto custody

Twomore were found nearby in Mississippi, one in Alexandria and another within a fewmilesofthe facility

“They lost power; they lost everything As aresult of that,those inmates were there without heat, without electricity.”

Theopening salvo by the pro-Cassidy super PAC, LouisianaFreedom Fund, and Letlow’sresponse took place nearly two weeks before candidates qualify forthe race over athreedayperiodbeginning on Feb. 11. The closed Republican primary which also allows unafﬁliated voterstoparticipate —isonMay 16.

Three different polls show Cassidy trailing in head-to-head races against Letlow and another Republican challenger state Treasurer John Fleming.

Besides Letlow and Fleming, three other Republicanshavealso announced intentions to run in theSenate race: state Sen. Blake Miguez, Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta and St. Tammany Parish Council member KathySeiden. No major Democratic ofﬁce holder has announced plans to run yet Pearson Cross, apolitical science

Emeril openingrestaurantinBR

Steakhouse will be at L’Auberge Casino &Hotel

BY MADDIE SCOTT Staff writer

Emeril Lagasse is partnering with L’Auberge Casino &Hotel to open asteakhouse in Baton Rouge. Famed chef and restaurateur Lagasse was raised in Massachusetts and has cooked in kitchens across the world, from Paris, France,toNew York and, of course,inNew Orleans, where hiscurrent restaurant earned two Michelin stars. Set to open later this year, Emeril’sChop House in L’Auberge will be his take on the classic American steakhouse. The new restaurant will have 175 seatswitha private dining room, bar and lounge area.

L’AubergeCasino in Baton Rougeispartnering withchef Emeril Lagasse toopenasteakhouse.

“With Emeril’sChop House, we are excited tocreate arestaurantthatdelivers thevery best —exceptionalsteaks, the freshest seafood, signature dishes you won’tﬁnd anywhere

else,and handcraftedcocktails that completethe dining experience,” Lagassesaidinanews release. “It’sabout the best

ä See EMERIL, page 5A

BY OLIVIA TEES Staff writer

The 16-year-old arrested in the shooting at theClinton Mardi Gras paradeonSaturday —which injured five people, including a 6-year-old girl— will be charged as an adult, while afourth person was arrested Mondayinthe incident At acourt hearing Monday, it wasdeterminedthat MalikLiggins would be moved to an adult detention center,according to East Feliciana Parish SheriffJeff Travis.

“Considering thenatureofthe offense and the charges that were presented under the children’s code, Article 305, we’re able to

Louisiana State Police said all eight inmates who broke outof Riverbend Detention Center near Lake Providence early Frida y morningwere considered violentoffenders,including four being held on murder charges. Fourwere accusedofcrimesin East Baton Rouge and one in Lafayette.

East Carroll ParishSheriff Wydette Williams said Sundaythat the ice storm that swept through theregiondaysearlierplayeda roleinthe escape. The detention center had lost power but wasrunning on generators at the time, he said.

Williams declined to release additionaldetails, but onelocal ofﬁcialsaidthe breakout may have begun with adisturbance after the

ä See ESCAPEES, page 5A

movethe proceeding from ajuvenile court to an adult court,” Travis said.

Liggins is accused of counts of attempted second-degree murder, reckless discharge of aﬁrearmat aparade or demonstration, andobstruction of justice.

Phillip “Choppa” Williams, 25, was arrested in Baton Rouge on Monday by the Louisiana State PoliceFugitive Task Force on the samecounts, Travis said. Williams has prior convictions of aggravated battery,aggravated assault with afirearm andaggravated criminal damage in Baton Rouge. Williams is the fourth person to be arrested in the shooting. Noah Basquine, 19, of Ethel, was arrested Saturday on the same counts as Liggins and Williams.

page 7A

STAFF FILEPHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

KOFI DARDEN, EastCarroll Parish Police Juryvice president

PHOTOS

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Va. man in ‘au pair affair’ case convicted

A Virginia man having an affair with the family’s Brazilian au pair was found guilty Monday of murdering his wife and another man that prosecutors say was lured to the house as a fall guy Brendan Banfield, a former IRS law enforcement officer, told police he came across Joseph Ryan attacking his wife, Christine Banﬁeld, with a knife on the morning of Feb. 24, 2023. He shot Ryan and then Juliana Magalhães, the au pair, shot him, too.

But officials argued in court the story was too good to be true, telling jurors that Brendan Banfield set Ryan up in a scheme to get rid of his wife. It later came out that Brendan Banfield and Magalhães had been having an affair

The verdict comes after the gruesome and complicated double homicide was catapulted into mainstream media in Brazil, the U.S. and elsewhere in the world Magalhães pleaded guilty to manslaughter in 2024 and testiﬁed against her former lover at trial. She said they had impersonated Christine Banfield, a pediatric intensive care nurse, on a website for sexual fetishes. She said they used the site to lure Ryan to the house for a sexual encounter involving a knife, staging the scene to look as if they had shot an intruder who was attacking the wife.

Punxsutawney Phil sees shadow, officials say

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of wintry weather Monday, a forecast sure to disappoint many after what’s already been a long, cold season across large parts of the United States. His annual prediction and announcement that he had seen his shadow was translated by his top hat-wearing handlers in the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club at Gobbler’s Knob in western Pennsylvania.

The news was greeted with a mix of cheers and boos from the tens of thousands who braved temperatures in the singledigits to await the annual prognostication. The extreme cold kept the crowd bundled up and helped keep people on the main stage dancing.

Usually guests can come up on stage and take pictures of Phil after his prediction but this year the announcer said it was too cold for that and his handlers were afraid to keep him out too long Instead, the audience was asked to come to the stage, turn around and “do a selﬁe.”

The Punxsutawney club says that when Phil is deemed to have not seen his shadow, that means there will be an early spring. When he does see it, it’s six more weeks of winter Phil tends to predict a longer winter far more often than an early spring

Turkey seeks to broker U.S.-Iran talks

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Turkey is attempting to bring both the U.S. and Iranian officials to the negotiating table, possibly by the end of the week, in hopes of easing the threat of U.S military action against Iran. Neither the U.S. nor Iran has confirmed whether they plan to take part in any negotiations. Two Turkish officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media, said Turkey is trying to organize a meeting between U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian leaders. The meeting could take place as soon as the end of the week, one of the officials said The military has moved the USS Abraham Lincoln and several guided-missile destroyers into the Middle East, but it remains unclear whether President Donald Trump will decide to use force against the Iranian government, as he has suggested he might do in retribution for their devastating crackdown on last month’s protests.

An Arab diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting has not been conﬁrmed said there had been discussions about Turkey hosting a high-level meeting to bring Arab and Muslim countries together with the United States and Iran.

Noem: DHS officers to get bodycams

Move comes after two killed by officers in Minnesota

BY REBECCA SANTANA Associated Press

WASHINGTON Every Homeland

Security ofﬁcer on the ground in Minneapolis, including those from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, will be immediately issued body-worn cameras, Secretary Kristi Noem said Monday, in the latest fallout after the shooting deaths of two U.S. citizens at the hands of federal agents. Noem said the body-worn camera program is being expanded nationwide as funding becomes available

“We will rapidly acquire and deploy body cameras to DHS law enforcement across the country,” Noem said in a social media post on X. The news of the body cameras comes as Minneapolis has been the site of intense scrutiny over the conduct of federal officers after two U.S. citizens protesting immigration enforcement activities in the city were shot and killed.

It is the latest apparent effort by the Trump administration to ratchet down tensions after the shootings triggered protests and widespread criticism.

In the immediate hours after ICU nurse Alex Pretti’s death, Noem went on the offensive, saying several times that Pretti “came with a weapon and dozens of rounds

of ammunition and attacked” ofﬁcers, who took action to “defend their lives.” Other administration ofﬁcials painted a similar picture.

Multiple videos that emerged of the shooting contradicted that claim, showing Pretti had only his mobile phone in his hand as officers tackled him to the ground, with one removing a handgun from the back of his pants as another officer began firing shots into his back.

Homeland Security has said that at least four Customs and Border Protection officers on the scene when Pretti was shot were wearing body cameras. The body camera footage from Pretti’s shooting has not been made public.

The department has not responded to repeated questions about whether any of the ICE ofﬁcers on

Medical evacuees from Gaza head for Egypt

Rafah crossing reopens

BY SAMY MAGDY and JOSEF FEDERMAN Associated Press

CAIRO A small number of medical evacuees from

Gaza entered Egypt on Monday as the Rafah border crossing reopened, marking a key step in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire but a mostly symbolic one. Few people will be allowed to travel in either direction and no goods will pass through.

About 20,000 Palestinian children and adults needing medical care hope to leave the devastated territory via the crossing, according to Gaza health officials. Thousands of other Palestinians outside the territory hope to enter and return home.

The crossing had been closed since Israeli troops seized it in May 2024. The number of travelers is expected to increase over time if the system is successful. Israel has said it and Egypt will vet people for exit and entry

Ambulances waited for hours at the border before ferrying patients into Egypt, the state-run Al-Qahera News satellite television channel showed. The

office of the North Sinai governor confirmed that the first Palestinian patient crossed.

It was unclear if anyone had been allowed into Gaza.

Before the war, Rafah was the main crossing for people moving in and out of Gaza. The territory’s handful of other crossings are all shared with Israel.

Under the terms of the ceaseﬁre, which went into effect in October, Israel’s military controls the area between the Rafah crossing and the zone where most Palestinians live.

Violence continued across the coastal territory Monday. Gaza hospital ofﬁcials said an Israeli navy ship had fired on a tent camp, killing a 3-yearold Palestinian boy Israel’s military said it was looking into the incident.

Rajaa Abu Mustafa stood outside a Gaza hospital where her 17-yearold son Mohamed awaited evacuation. He was blinded by a shot to the eye last year as he joined desperate Palestinians seeking food from aid trucks outside the southern city of Khan Younis.

“The health ministry called and told us that we will travel to Egypt for (his) treatment,” she said.

About 150 hospitals

across Egypt are ready to receive patients evacuated from Gaza through Rafah, authorities said But the isolated crossing is separated from Cairo by a six-hour drive. The Egyptian Red Crescent said it has readied “safe spaces” on the Egyptian side of the border to support those evacuated.

More than 10,000 patients have been evacuated from Gaza since the war began, according to the World Health Organization. But Israel’s seizure of the Rafah crossing brought the pace of evacuations to a crawl, with an average of 17 patients a week leaving for most of the time since.

Israel has banned sending patients to hospitals in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem since the war began, cutting off what was previously the main outlet for Palestinians needing medical treatment unavailable in Gaza.

U.N. ofﬁcials on Monday called on other countries to take in more patients from Gaza “so that everyone receives the treatment they need.”

Gaza residents said the reopening of the crossing also promises the return of family members who ﬂed earlier in the war

Musk joins his rocket, AI businesses into single firm before expected IPO

BY BERNARD CONDON and MATT O’BRIEN AP business writers

NEW YORK Elon Musk is joining his space exploration and artificial intelligence ventures into a single company before a massive planned initial public offering for the business later this year His rocket venture, SpaceX, announced on Monday that it had bought xAI in an effort to help the world’s richest man dominate the rocket and artificial intelligence businesses. The deal will

combine several of his offerings, including his AI chatbot Grok, his satellite communications company Starlink, and his social media company X. Musk has talked repeatedly about the need to speed development of technology that will allow data centers to operate in space to solve the problem of overcoming the huge costs in electricity and other resources in building and running AI systems on Earth.

It’s a goal that Musk said in his announcement of the deal could become

much easier to reach with a combined company

“In the long term, spacebased AI is obviously the only way to scale,” Musk wrote on SpaceX’s website Monday, then added in reference to solar power, “It’s always sunny in space!” Musk said in SpaceX’s announcement he estimates “that within 2 to 3 years, the lowest cost way to generate AI compute will be in space.”

It’s not a prediction shared by other many companies building data centers, including Microsoft.

the scene of the killing of 37-yearold mother of three Renee Good earlier in January were wearing the cameras.

The shootings, and the narrative coming from some in the administration, sparked demands for accountability, including among some Republicans.

President Donald Trump sent his border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis to take control of operations there, displacing Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, who has become a lightning rod for criticism in the various operations he’s joined in cities like Chicago and Los Angeles.

The Justice Department has also opened a federal civil rights investigation into Pretti’s shooting, which it has not done in the case of Good

‘Today’ show host’s mom missing in Ariz.

Authorities suspect crime

BY JACQUES BILLEAUD Associated Press

The disappearance of the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie over the weekend is being investigated as a crime based on what authorities saw at her home, an Arizona sheriff said Monday Asked to explain why investigators believe the Tucson-area home is a crime scene, Pima County Sheriff

Chris Nanos said Nancy Guthrie has limited mobility and said there were other things indicating she did not leave on her own, but he declined to further elaborate.

“I need this community to step up and start giving us some calls,” Nanos said during a news conference.

The sheriff said Guthrie, who lived alone, was of sound mind.

“This is not dementia related. She’s as sharp as a tack. The family wants everyone to know that this isn’t someone who just wandered off,” Nanos said, adding that she needs her daily medication.

Guthrie was last seen about 9:30 p.m. Saturday at her home in the Tucson area and her family reported her missing around noon Sunday, the sheriff said.

Nanos said a family member received a call from someone at church saying Guthrie wasn’t there, leading family to search for her at her home and then calling 911.

Searchers were using drones and search dogs to look for her, Nanos said. Search and rescue teams were supported by volunteers and Border Patrol and the homicide team was also involved, he said. It is not standard for the homicide team to get involved in such cases, Nanos said.

“This one stood out because of what was described to us at the scene and what we located just looking at the scene,” Nanos said Sunday He was not ruling out foul play On Monday morning, Nanos said search crews worked hard but have since been pulled back.

Even so, a sheriff’s helicopter ﬂew over the desert Monday afternoon near Guthrie’s home in the afﬂuent Catalina Foothills area on the northern edge of Tucson. Savannah Guthrie issued a statementonMonday NBC’s “Today” show reported.

“On behalf of our family, I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and messages of support,” she said. “Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear Nancy.”

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ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ABDEL KAREEM HANA

Juman Al-Najjar, a 3-year-old Palestinian patient, looks out from a vehicle with other patients in Khan younis on Monday as they head to the Rafah crossing, leaving the Gaza Strip for medical treatment abroad.

Trump urges quick vote to end partial shutdown

BY LISA MASCARO AP congressional correspondent

WASHINGTON President

Donald Trump implored the House on Monday to end the partial government shutdown, but neither Republicans nor Democrats appeared ready to quickly approve the federal funding package he brokered with the Senate without ﬁrst debating their own demands over immigration enforcement operations.

Democrats are refusing to provide the votes House Speaker Mike Johnson RBenton, needs to push the package forward as they try to rein in the Trump administration’s deportation operations after the shooting deaths of two Americans in Minneapolis That’s forcing Johnson to rely on his slim GOP majority, which has its own complaints about the package, to fall in line behind Trump’s deal with Senate Democrats.

Voting could begin as soon as Tuesday, which would be day four of the partial shutdown. The Pentagon, Homeland Security and other agencies saw their funding lapse Saturday And while many operations at those depart-

ments are deemed essential, and still functioning, some workers may go without pay or be furloughed.

“We need to get the Government open, and I hope all Republicans and Democrats will join me in supporting this Bill, and send it to my desk WITHOUT DELAY,” the president wrote on social media

“There can be NO CHANGES at this time,” Trump in-

sisted. “We will work together in good faith to address the issues that have been raised, but we cannot have another long, pointless, and destructive Shutdown.”

The stalemate points to a difﬁcult week ahead as Johnson relies on Trump to help muscle to the package to passage.

The president struck a deal last week with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck

Schumer in which Home-

land Security would only be funded temporarily, though Feb. 13, as Congress debates changes to immigration enforcement operations. The Senate overwhelmingly approved the package with the rest of the government funding ahead of Saturday’s deadline.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries made it clear Monday that his side

sees no reason to help Johnson push the bill forward in a procedural step, something that the majority party typically handles on its own.

With Johnson facing a revolt from his own Republican ranks, Jeffries is seizing the leverage it provides Democrats to demand changes to immigration operations.

“On rare occasions have we stepped in to deal with Republican dysfunction,” Jeffries said at the Capitol.

Democrats are demanding restraints on Immigration and Customs Enforcement that go beyond $20 million for body cameras that already is in the bill Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Monday that ofﬁcers on the ground in Minneapolis, including ICE, will be immediately issued body-worn cameras, and the program would be expanded nationwide as funding is available.

But Democrats are pressing for more. They want to require that federal immigration agents unmask — noting that few, if any, other law enforcement agencies routinely mask themselves in the U.S. — and they want officers to rely on judicial, rather than administrative,

warrants in their operations. They also want an end to roving patrols, amid other changes. Jeffries said the administration needs to begin negotiations now, not over the next two weeks, on changes to immigration enforcement operations. Certain Democrats, however, are splintering with the leader, and pushing for quicker passage of the funding package to avoid government disruptions. At the same time, House Republicans, with some allies in the Senate, are making their own demands, as they work to support Trump’s clampdown on immigrants in the U.S. The House Freedom Caucus has insisted on fuller funding for Homeland Security while certain Republicans are pushing to include other measures, including the SAVE Act, a longshot Trump priority that would require proof of citizenship before Americans are eligible to participate in elections and vote.

Johnson and GOP leaders said they would be talking with lawmakers to see what it will take to win over support.

Clintons agree to testify in House Epstein investigation

BY STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press

WASHINGTON Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton agreed late Monday to testify in a House investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, but the Republican leading the probe said an agreement had not yet been ﬁnalized.

Rep. James Comer, the chair of the House Oversight Committee, was advancing criminal contempt of Congress charges against both Clintons Monday evening for defying a congressional subpoena when attorneys for the Clintons emailed staff for the

Oversight panel, saying the pair would accept Comer’s demands and “will appear for depositions on mutually agreeable dates.”

The attorneys requested that Comer, a Kentucky Republican, agree not to move forward with the contempt proceedings Comer, however said he was not immediately dropping the charges, which would carry the threat of a substantial ﬁne and even incarceration if passed by the House and successfully prosecuted by the Department of Justice “We don’t have anything in writing,” Comer told reporters, adding that he was open to accepting the Clintons’ of-

fer but “it depends on what they say.”

The last-minute negotiating came as Republican leaders were advancing the contempt resolution through the House Rules Committee — a final hurdle before it headed to the House floor for a vote. It was potentially a grave moment for Congress, the first time it could hold a former president in contempt and advance the threat of prison time.

Comer earlier Monday rejected an offer from attorneys for the Clintons to have Bill Clinton conduct a transcribed interview and Hillary Clinton submit a sworn declaration. He insisted that

Father of detained 5-year-old disputes government assertion

Man says he did not abandon his young son

BY MIKE CATALINI, STEVE

KARNOWSKI and SHARON LURYE

Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS The father of a 5-year-old boy who was detained by immigration ofﬁcers and held at a federal facility in Texas denied government accounts Monday that he abandoned his son last month while being pursued by authorities.

As the pair returned to Minnesota, Adrian Conejo Arias, who is originally from Ecuador, told ABC News that he loves his son, Liam, and would never abandon him, disputing statements from the Department of Homeland Security, which alleged that Arias had left his child in a vehicle. He also said his son got sick while in federal custody but was denied medicine.

Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that Arias ﬂed on foot before he was arrested, “abandoning his child.” She said Immigration and Customs Enforcement ofﬁcers stayed with the boy

“The facts in this case have NOT changed: The father who was illegally in the country chose to take his child with him to a detention center,” she said.

McLaughlin did not address Arias’ statement that his son was denied medication while in custody

Arias also said he was arrested unjustly and contended he was in the country legally, with a pending court hearing for asylum.

The comments come after a federal judge ordered over

the weekend that the pair be freed. They were released Sunday and returned to Minnesota, according to Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas.

The family’s arrest and release unfolded during President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration, which has led to daily protests that included the shooting deaths of two American citizens by federal ofﬁcers.

The president last week ordered his top border adviser to oversee the crackdown days after the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse at a Veterans Affairs hospital. Border czar Tom Homan suggested that mistakes have been made, but he said agents would continue to enforce federal law and called on local and state officials to cooperate with federal ofﬁcers.

Even as neighbors celebrated the boy’s return, police said school in the Minneapolis suburb of Columbia Heights, where he attends class, was canceled after bomb threats were called in. Authorities said they did not ﬁnd any dangerous devices, and school was set to resume Tuesday

Even before the threats, the district has felt under siege. Over two dozen parents of students at Liam’s school, Valley View Elementary, have been detained, Principal Jason Kuhlman said Friday in an interview, leaving children without their caretakers.

“We hate Mondays. And it’s because we ﬁnd out how many of our parents were taken over the weekend,” Kuhlman said The school started offering online schooling last week because many parents were afraid to come to school, even with volunteers patrolling school grounds

during drop-off and dismissal times. Almost 200 students were absent one day in a school of around 570, said Kuhlman, compared to normal days when only 20 or 30 kids are absent.

The boy’s detention drew outrage as images of immigration officers surrounding the young boy in a blue bunny hat and Spider-Man backpack began to surface.

McLaughlin said ICE did not target or arrest the boy and she repeated assertions that his mother refused to take him after his father’s apprehension. His father told ofﬁcers he wanted Liam to be with him, she said.

McLaughlin also said last month that the child was abandoned and that ofﬁcers tried to get the mother to take custody of the child. “Ofﬁcers even assured her she would NOT be taken into custody.”

Neighbors and school ofﬁcials said federal ofﬁcers used the child as “bait,” telling him to knock on his house’s door so his mother would come out DHS disputed that description.

Marcos Charles, acting executive associate director of ICE enforcement and removal operations, faulted the father for “abandoning his child in the middle of winter in a vehicle.” He told reporters one ofﬁcer stayed with the child while others arrested the father

The government said the boy’s father entered the U.S. illegally from Ecuador in December 2024. The family’s lawyer said he has a pending asylum claim that allows him to stay in the U.S.

The vast majority of asylum-seekers are released in the United States, with adults having eligibility for work permits, while their cases wind through a backlogged court system.

both Clintons sit for sworn depositions before the committee in order to fulﬁll the panel’s subpoenas.

A letter from the committee to attorneys for the Clintons indicated that they had offered for Bill Clinton to conduct a 4-hour transcribed interview on “matters related to the investigations and prosecutions of Jeffrey Epstein” and for Hillary Clinton to submit a sworn declaration.

“The Clintons do not get to dictate the terms of lawful subpoenas,” Comer said.

The former president and

secretary of state had resisted the subpoenas for months after the Oversight panel issued subpoenas for their testimony in August as it opened an investigation into Epstein and his associates. Their attorneys had tried to argue against the validity of the subpoena. However, as Comer threatened to begin contempt of Congress proceedings, the Clintons started negotiating toward a compromise. The Republican-controlled Oversight committee advanced criminal contempt of Congress charges last

month. Nine of the committee’s 21 Democrats joined Republicans in support of the charges against Bill Clinton as they argued for full transparency in the Epstein investigation. Three Democrats also supported advancing the charges against Hillary Clinton. Bill Clinton’s relationship with Epstein has reemerged as a focal point for Republicans amid the push for a reckoning over Epstein, who killed himself in 2019 in a New York jail cell as he faced sex trafﬁcking charges.

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President Donald Trump asked the House on Monday to end the partial government shutdown.

Victims report threats after Epstein file release

DOJ says it’s

fi

xing redactions

BY MICHAEL R. SISAK, LARRY NEUMEISTER and PHILIP MARCELO Associated Press

NEW YORK The Justice Department said Monday that it had withdrawn several thousand documents and “media” related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein after lawyers complained to a New York judge that the lives of nearly 100 victims had been “turned upside down” by sloppy redactions in the government’s latest release of records.

The exposed materials include nude photos showing the faces of potential victims as well as names, email addresses and other identifying information that was either unredacted or not fully obscured.

The department blamed it

on “technical or human error.”

In a letter to the New York judges overseeing the sex trafficking cases brought against Epstein and confidant Ghislaine Maxwell, U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton wrote that the department had taken down nearly all materials identiﬁed by victims or their lawyers, along with a “substantial number” of documents identiﬁed independently by the government.

Clayton said the department has “revised its protocols for addressing ﬂagging documents” after victims and their lawyers requested changes. Documents are promptly pulled down when flagged by victims, then evaluated before a redacted version of the document can be reposted, “ideally within 24 to 36 hours.”

Two lawyers for Epstein victims wrote the court Sunday seeking “immediate judicial intervention” because

of what they described as thousands of instances when the government had failed to redact names and other personally identifying information.

Eight women who identify as Epstein victims added comments to the letter to Judge Richard M. Berman. One wrote that the records’ release was “life threatening.” Another said she’d gotten death threats after 51 entries included her private banking information, forcing her to try to shut down her credit cards and accounts.

“There is no conceivable degree of institutional incompetence sufficient to explain the scale, consistency, and persistence of the failures that occurred particularly where the sole task ordered by the Court and repeatedly emphasized by DOJ was simple: redact known victim names before publication,” the lawyers, Brittany Henderson and Brad Edwards, wrote.

South enters second week of biting cold, prolonged outages

BY GARY D ROBERTSON, TRAVIS LOLLER and RUSS BYNUM

RALEIGH, N.C.

Four homes blasted by icy winds on an eroding North Carolina island collapsed into the ocean and Florida farmers anxiously waited for frozen plants to thaw Monday as people across the eastern half of the United States coped with more than a week of sub-freezing weather Thermometers hovered below freezing throughout the day Monday across the northern U.S. from the Dakotas to Maine, and subfreezing temperatures were forecast to return to the Southeast overnight, reaching into parts of northern Florida. As residents of the Carolinas and Virginia dug out from deep snow more than 70,000 homes and businesses in Tennessee and Mississippi began a second week without electricity since an earlier snow and ice storm inﬂicted severe damage on power lines and utility poles. In hard-hit Nashville, Tennessee, Terry Miles said Monday was his ninth day without power Miles said he has been living with his wife and their dog in a bedroom that he tried to insulate by hanging up blankets. He’s cooking and heating water outdoors on a propane grill. On Sunday someone loaned him a small gas generator with enough power to run a couple of space heaters.

“We’re roughing it,” Miles said. “I’ve been camping before and had it easier than this. I feel like Grizzly Adams.” The death toll has surpassed 110 in states afﬂicted by the dangerous cold since Jan. 24.

In New York City Mayor

Zohran Mamdani said Monday that hypothermia played a role in the deaths of 13 people found dead outside in the bitter cold, according to preliminary ﬁndings. More than a dozen other suspected hypothermia deaths were reported in Indiana, Louisiana, South Carolina and Texas.

On the East Coast, where a weekend bomb cyclone brought heavy snow and fierce winds, the National Park Service said four unoccupied homes along North Carolina’s Outer Banks collapsed into the Atlantic Ocean since Sunday A bystander recorded one of them toppling into the water Photos taken by the agency showed piles of debris along the shoreline in the village of Buxton

The Outer Banks’ narrow, low-lying barrier islands have been eroding for years as rising seas swallow the land Prior to the latest storm, more than two dozen houses, usually built on stilts at the water’s edge, had collapsed since 2020. Most fell in extreme weather In Florida, where some farmers spray water on their fruit trees and plants ahead of freezing weather

Berman, who presided over Epstein’s sex trafﬁcking case, scheduled a conference for Wednesday

Also Monday, a section of the Justice Department’s Epstein files website that had contained public court records from Epstein and Maxwell’s criminal cases and civil lawsuits was no longer functioning.

A message seeking comment on the website issue was left for the Justice Department.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in an interview Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” that there have been sporadic errors in redacting, or blacking out, sensitive information but that the Justice Department has tried to work quickly to address them.

“Every time we hear from a victim or their lawyer that they believe that their name was not properly redacted, we immediately rectiﬁed that And the numbers

we’re talking about just so the American people understand, we’re talking about .001% of all the materials,” Blanche said.

Dozens of Associated Press reporters analyzing the ﬁles have so far found multiple occasions where a name was redacted in one document, only to be left exposed in another version of the same ﬁle.

In other places names and email addresses are crossed out but not fully blackened out, so they’re still visible.

Other text redactions can be easily overridden by simply double clicking on them to reveal the hidden text underneath.

The Justice Department has said all nude or pornographic images were redacted from the 2,000-some videos and 180,000 images in the release, even if they were commercially produced, as the agency considered all women depicted in the images as potential

victims. But reporters with The New York Times still found dozens of uncensored photos of naked young people with their faces unredacted. The newspaper said the images have since been largely removed or redacted after it notiﬁed the Justice Department. It said some of the images appeared to have been taken on the beach at Epstein’s private Caribbean island while others are in a bedroom setting. In another instance, the AP found a set of more than 100 images of a young, unidentified female lounging on a bed, standing on a beach and at other summertime locations while wearing a short top. The images are almost fully blacked out so only the person’s arms and legs are clearly visible, save for the very last image, a proﬁle photo that is completely unredacted and reveals her face.

to help protect them from even deeper cold, fern growers were waiting Monday for a protective layer of ice coating their plants to melt away so they could assess damage. Florida got so cold over the weekend that the Tampa-St. Petersburg area saw snow ﬂurries and coldstunned iguanas were motionless on the ground.

The timing was especially awful for fern growers, who had been busy shipping plants to reach retailers ahead of Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14.

“It is just terrible timing,” said Victoria Register, director of sales and marketing at FernTrust, a growers’ cooperative in Seville, Florida.

“It’s right in the middle of our busiest shipping time of the entire year.”

In Tennessee, frustrations were growing with the Nashville Electric Service over lingering outages after the earlier storm knocked out power to about 235,000 homes and businesses — about half its customers.

More than 20,000 remained without electricity Monday after more than a week, and won’t be fully restored until Feb. 9, the utility said.

By The Associated Press

SPRINGFIELD,Ohio — A federal judge on Monday blocked President Donald Trump’s administration from ending temporary protections that have allowed roughly 350,000 Haitians to live and work in the U.S.

U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington granted a request to pause the termination of temporary protected status for Haitians while a lawsuit challenging it proceeds.

The TPS designation for people from the Caribbean island country was scheduled to expire Tuesday

“We can breathe for a little bit,” said Rose-Thamar Joseph, the operations director of the Haitian Sup-

port Center in Springﬁeld, Ohio. “It is not a final victory, because a judge cannot redesign a country for TPS or extend the TPS, but it means a lot for us.”

Earlier Monday, two dozen faith leaders and hundreds of congregants in Springfield sang and prayed together in support of Haitian migrants who feared their protected status could end this week. They were hopeful that the federal judge might intervene. Reyes said in an accompanying 83-page opinion that plaintiffs were likely to prevail on the merits of the case, and that she found it “substantially likely” that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem preordained her termination deci-

sion because of “hostility to nonwhite immigrants.”

“During the stay, the Termination shall be null, void, and of no legal effect,” the judge said in her two-page order, adding that for now, the termination has no bearing on their ability to work and to be protected from detention and deportation. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin denounced the ruling as “lawless activism.”

“Haiti’s TPS was granted following an earthquake that took place over 15 years ago,” she said in a statement “It was never intended to be a de facto amnesty program, yet that’s how previous administrations have used it for decades.”

PHOTO PROVIDED By NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

Debris from collapsed homes litters the shoreline on Monday in the Outer Banks village of Buxton, N.C.

La.artists bringhomea fewGrammyAwards

JonBatiste, PJ Morton among thewinners

BY KEITHSPERA Staff writer

New Orleans andLouisiana art-

istseked outa handful of wins during the pre-telecast portion of the 2026 Grammy Awards on Sunday Jon Batiste, the Kenner native and St. Augustine High School and New Orleans Center for the Creative arts graduate,added to hisextensive Grammy collection as “Big Money” was named Best Americana Album. Batiste didn’tfare as well in the Best American RootsPerformance or American Roots Song categories. He lost to Mavis Staples in the former and “I’m With Her”inthe latter

During the Sunday night CBS Grammy telecast, Batiste performed alongside Lauryn Hill and others as part of the show’s“In Memoriam” remembrance of recently deceased musicians.

The Best Regional RootsMusic Album category was guaranteed to produce alocal winner,asall ﬁve nomineeswere Louisiana afﬁliated.

That winner turned out tobe“A Tribute to the King of Zydeco,” an all-star tribute to CliftonChenier peggedtothe 100thanniversary of his birth. Released viasouthwest Loui-

ESCAPEES

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facility lost heat amidfreezing temperatures.

siana musicianJoel Savoy’sValcour Records, the album consists of songs written by or associated with Chenier,all redone by Louisianamusicians collaboratingwith special guests, including The RollingStones TheStonescontributedtheir take on the zydeco standard “Zydeco Sont Pas Salés.” Mick Jagger sings in Creole French atop afoundation laid down by aband of Cajun and zydeco musicians, including accordionist Steve Rileyand Chenier’s old drummer,Robert St. Julien. TheStones’ contributionwas producedbysouthwest Louisiana guitarist C.C. Adcock; he also produced Lucinda Williams’ collabo-

ration with85-year-old swamp pop legend Tommy McLain. Joel Savoy and LosLobos’ Steve Berlin produced thealbum’sother 10 tracks. The other nominees inthe Regional Roots Music category includedPreservation Hall Jazz Band keyboardist Kyle Roussel for“ChurchofNew Orleans;”Corey Henry &the Treme Funktet for “Live At Vaughan’s”; Preservation Brass &Preservation Hall Jazz Band for “For FatMan”; and Trombone Shorty &the New Breed Brass Bandfor “Second Line Sunday.” New Orleans-based guitarist Samantha Fish didn’ttake home the Best ContemporaryBlues Album

for her “Paper Doll.” Instead, the award went to Robert Randolph’s “Preacher Kids.” “Young Fashioned Ways,” a cross-generational Louisiana blues summit from91-year-old Bobby Rush and Kenny Wayne Shepherd, lost out in the Best Traditional Blues Album category to fellow Louisiana native Buddy Guy’s“Ain’tDone With the Blues.”

PJ Morton, the St. Augustine High Schoolgraduate who is a member of Maroon5aswellasa solo R&B/gospel artist, received multiple nominations for his collaboration with Houston-based contemporarygospelartistDar-

rel Walls. Their “Heart of Mine” album wonBest Gospel Album but their“Amazing” didn’twin Best ContemporaryChristianMusic Performance/Song. The singer Ledisi, whospent her childhood in NewOrleansbefore moving with her family to California, wasnominated forBest TraditionalR&B Performancefor “Love YouToo.” Leon Thomas won that award forhis “Vibes Don’tLie.” Thomas’ “Mutt” also bested Ledisi’s“TheCrown” forBest R&B Album SaxophonistBranford Marsalis, who movedback to NewOrleans in 2024 after decades of living in North Carolina, received aBest Jazz Instrumental Album nominationfor his quartet’s “Belonging,” areimagining of the 1974 Keith Jarrett album of the samename. But another New Orleans native,NOCCA graduate andjazz pianist Sullivan Fortner,won for “Southern Nights,” atribute to Allen Toussaint credited to “Sullivan Fortner Featuring Peter Washington &Marcus Gilmore.”

After NOCCA, Fortner earned degrees from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and the Manhattan School of Music. He was a longtime memberofbands led by vibraphonistStefonHarrisand trumpeter Roy Hargrove.Fortner released his debut album as a leader,“Aria,” in 2015. In 2025, Fortner won Best Jazz Performance for his collaboration with singer Samara Joy on the song “Twinkle Twinkle Little Me.”

“They lost power; they lost everything,” said Kofi Darden, vice president of theEastCarrollParishPolice Jury.“As esul f HugoMolino— who were later captured in Lake Village, Arkansas, following a high-speedpursuit By Friday afternoon, State Policealso announced 29-year-old Trenton Taplin hadbeen capturednearthe facility by theEast Carroll Parish Sheriff’sOfﬁce.

Molino, Wheeler andTaplin all fa charges in Ea at gunpoint until authorities arrived minutes later Frasier added that sheriff’s deputies toldhim the two men were 22-year-old Destin Brogan and 19-yearoldKopelon Vicknair. They were among the ﬁnal escapees taken into custody,along with 21-year-old Krisean Sa-

linas,who was captured in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Brogan faces second-degree murderand obstruction of justice charges in East Baton Rouge Parish, where policesay he admitted to shootingaman in the head after an argument Vicknair is accused of kill-

ing an 18-year-old in Lafayette under similar circumstances. State Policesaidthe arrests were ajoint operationinvolving the FBI, U.S. MarshalsService, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and several local agencies —among them,the YazooCity andAlexandria police departments. Because of limitedspace at its aging prison, East Baton Rouge regularly pays other parishes to hold its inmates,often those awaiting trial. About 380 were being held in East Carroll Parish at the timeofthe escape.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByRICHARD SHOTWELL

NewOrleans nativeJon Batiste holdshis award for Best Americana Album for ‘Big Money’ at the Grammy Awards on Sunday in Los Angeles.

BRIEFS

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

U.S. to create reserve for rare earth elements

WASHINGTON The Trump administration plans to deploy nearly $12 billion to create a strategic reserve of rare earth elements, a stockpile that could counter China’s ability to use its dominance of these hard to process metals as leverage in trade talks.

The White House confirmed on Monday the start of “Project Vault,” which would initially be funded by a $10 billion loan from the U.S. Export-Import Bank and nearly $1.67 billion in private capital. The minerals kept in the reserve would help to shield the manufacturers of autos, electronics and other goods from any supply chain disruptions.

During trade talks last year spurred by President Donald Trump’s tariffs, the Chinese government restricted the exporting of rare earths that are needed for jet engines, radar systems, electric vehicles, laptops and phones.

China represents about 70% of the world’s rare earths mining and 90% of global rare earths processing That gave it a chokehold on the sector that has caused the U.S. to nurture alternative sources of the elements, creating a stockpile similar to the national reserve for petroleum.

Judge says New York can resume wind project

A federal judge on Monday ruled that an offshore wind project aimed at powering 600,000 New York homes can resume construction, the ﬁfth such project put back on track after the Trump administration halted them in December.

In clearing the way for Sunrise Wind to proceed, Judge Royce Lamberth found that the government had not shown that offshore wind is such an imminent national security risk that it must halt in the United States.

President Donald Trump has said his goal is to not let any “windmills” be built and often talks about his hatred of wind power His administration froze ﬁve big offshore wind projects on the East Coast days before Christmas, citing national security concerns. Developers and states sued to block the order White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers has repeatedly said during the legal battle over the pause that Trump has been clear that “wind energy is the scam of the century” and the pause is meant to protect the national security of the American people.

Danish company Orsted sued the administration over halting both Sunrise Wind and its Revolution Wind for Rhode Island and Connecticut. In a preliminary injunction hearing on Sunrise Wind at the U.S District Court for the District of Columbia on Monday, Lamberth cited many of the same reasons that he used when he ruled in January that construction could continue on Revolution Wind.

Sunrise Wind said it would resume work as soon as possible New York and the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

New York’s attorney general, Letitia James, sued the Trump administration over halting Sunrise Wind and Empire Wind because she said the pause threatens New York’s economy and energy grid.

Labor Department delays January jobs report

WASHINGTON The Labor Department, citing the partial federal government shutdown, said Monday that it will not release the January jobs report Friday as scheduled.

In a statement, the department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics said: “Once funding is restored, BLS will resume normal operations and notify the public of any changes to the news release schedule.” It is also postponing the December report on job openings, which was supposed to come out Tuesday

The jobs report and other key economic statistics were previously delayed by a record 43-day government shutdown last fall. Economists had expected the January jobs report to show that employers added 80,000 jobs last month, up from 50,000 in December

Trump to lower tariffs on India

Modi agrees to stop buying Russian oil

BY JOSH BOAK, AAMER MADHANI and RAJESH ROY Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump said Monday that he plans to lower tariffs on goods from India to 18%, from 25%, after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to stop buying Russian oil. The move comes after months of Trump pressing India to cut its reliance on cheap Russian crude. India has taken advantage of re-

duced Russian oil prices as much of the world has sought to isolate Moscow for its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Trump said that India would also start to reduce its import taxes on U.S. goods to zero and buy $500 billion worth of American products.

“This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week!” Trump said in a Truth Social post announcing the tariff reduction on India.

Modi posted on X that he was “delighted” by the announced tariff reduction and that Trump’s “leadership is vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity.

“I look forward to working closely with him to take our partnership to unprecedented heights,” Modi said.

Trump has long had a warm re-

lationship with Modi, only to ﬁnd it complicated recently by Russia’s war in Ukraine and trade disputes.

Trump has struggled to make good on a campaign pledge to quickly end the Russia-Ukraine war and has been reluctant since his return to ofﬁce to place pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has simultaneously imposed tariffs without going through Congress to achieve his economic and foreign policy aims.

The announcement of the agreement with India comes as his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and sonin-law Jared Kushner are expected to hold another round of three-way talks with Russian and Ukrainian officials in Abu Dhabi later this week aimed at ﬁnding an endgame to the war, according to a White House ofﬁcial who requested anonymity to describe the upcoming

Disney reports strong ﬁrst quarter earnings

Entertainment company warns international tourism on decline

BY MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP business writer

The Walt Disney Co. posted a strong first quarter, powered by box-office hits “Zootopia 2” and “Avatar: Fire and Ash.”

But the entertainment giant cautioned that in the second quarter, its Experiences division, which includes its theme parks, will likely see modest operating income growth due in part to a decline in visits from international tourists to the U.S.

There’s been a drop in foreign visitors to the U.S. attributed to several factors, including President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, tariffs, an immigration crackdown and repeated jabs about the U.S. possibly trying to acquire Canada and Greenland.

Disney earned $2.4 billion, or $1.34 per share, for the three months ended Dec. 27. It earned $2.64 billion, or $1.40 per share, a year ago.

Removing one-time charges and costs, earnings were $1.63 per share. That’s better than the $1.57 per share that analysts polled by Zacks Investment Research expected.

Disney, based in Burbank, California, reported revenue of $25.98 billion Wall Street was calling for slightly higher revenue of $25.99 billion.

Revenue for Disney Entertain-

ment, which includes the company’s movie studios and streaming service, climbed 7%, while revenue for the Experiences division, rose 6%

“We are pleased with the start to our fiscal year and our achievements reflect the tremendous progress we’ve made,” CEO Bob Iger said in a statement on Monday “We delivered strong box office performance in calendar year 2025 with billion-dollar hits like Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire and Ash, franchises that generate value across many of our businesses.”

The Experiences division, which includes Disney’s six global theme parks, its cruise line, merchandise and video game licensing reported operating income climbed 6% to $3.31 billion and revenue hit a record $10 billion. Operating income rose 8% at domestic parks. Operating income increased 2% for international parks and Experiences. Disney said attendance at domes-

tic parks edged up 1%.

The company took note over the quarter of weakening international tourism, so it pivoted marketing, sales and promotional efforts toward its domestic audience, which helped keep its park attendance up Chief Financial Ofﬁcer Hugh Johnston said during the company’s conference call. In the Sports segment, operating income declined to $191 million from $247 million as an increase in advertising revenue was offset by higher programming and production costs and a drop in subscription and afﬁliate fees. The company said that a temporary dispute with YouTube TV dragged down operating income by about $110 million.

Disney and YouTube TV reached a new deal to bring channels like ABC and ESPN back to the Googleowned livestreaming platform in November, ending a blackout for customers that lasted for over two weeks.

Stocks climb as gold, silver prices keep falling

BY STAN CHOE AP business writer

NEW YORK — U.S. stocks rose on Monday following sharp swings that shook ﬁnancial markets overnight, including tumbles for Asian stocks. Gold and silver prices sank further following their latest wild moves. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 added 0.5% and snapped a three-day losing streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 515 points, or 1.1%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.6%.

Stocks of companies that make computer storage helped lead the market, adding to gains from last week following several proﬁt reports that topped analysts’ expectations. Airlines and cruise-ship operators were also strong, beneﬁting from a sharp easing of oil prices.

The center of action in ﬁnancial markets was again precious metals, where momentum has suddenly halted after gold’s price roughly doubled in just 12 months. Gold briefly dropped below $4,500 per ounce in the overnight

hours, down more than $1,000 from its high point reached just last week It then climbed back above $4,800 before settling at $4,652.60, down 1.9% from Friday

Silver’s price has been on an even wilder ride recently, and it swung from a 9% loss overnight to a modest gain and back to a loss of 1.9%.

Gold and silver prices had surged as investors looked for safer things to own amid a wide range of worries, including a Federal Reserve that may be set to become less independent, a U.S. stock market that critics say is expensive, threats of tariffs and heavy debt loads for governments worldwide.

Their prices cratered on Friday, including a 31.4% plunge for silver Some on Wall Street saw it as a result of President Donald Trump’s nomination of Kevin Warsh as the next chair of the Fed. Warsh’s reputation as a former Fed governor may have raised expectations that he may keep interest rates high to ﬁght inﬂation, which would reduce the need to hide out in gold and silver for

meeting.

The announced tariff reduction comes days after India and the European Union reached a freetrade agreement that could affect as many as 2 billion people after nearly two decades of negotiations That deal would enable free trade on almost all goods between the EU’s 27 members and India, covering everything from textiles to medicines, and bringing down high import taxes for European wine and cars.

The deal between two of the world’s biggest markets also reﬂected a desire to reduce dependence on the U.S after Trump’s import tax hikes disrupted established trade ﬂows. While the cost of Trump’s tariffs have largely been borne by American businesses and consumers, the taxes can reduce trade volumes among countries.

Tabasco maker taps industry vet as CEO

BY ADAM DAIGLE

Acadiana business editor

The McIlhenny Co. has named a new CEO following the retirement of the founder’s great-greatgrandson from the position last April.

The Iberia Parish-based maker of Tabasco products announced Monday that Nestle USA executive Adam Graves has taken over the position, effective last week to replace Harold Osborn, who retired after ﬁve years leading the company Graves, a veteran of the packaged goods industry with 20 years at Nestle, was recently president of its pizza and snacking division, which sold popular products such as DiGiorno and Tombstone pizzas and Hot Pockets.

Graves brings a growth mindset emphasizing empowerment, collaboration and a respect for tradition, McIlhenny ofﬁcials said.

His previous jobs include president at Nestlé Waters Canada, general manager of Purina Pet Care Latin America and group business manager at Nestlé’s North American food and beverage unit.

“Leading McIlhenny Company and the iconic Tabasco brand is the role of a lifetime,” Graves said.

The Tabasco brand is poised for signiﬁcant growth. Christian Brown, the company’s board chair and fifth-generation McIlhenny family member, said Graves’ experience made him an ideal candidate to lead the company during what Brown called “an exciting juncture.”

“Gen Z cravings for ever-spicier and more exciting foods continue to drive signiﬁcant growth in the hot sauce category globally and create an unparalleled opportunity for the Tabasco brand,” Brown said.

protection. But many on Wall Street are also skeptical of that initial reading and say the expectation from Trump is likely that Warsh will cut interest rates, something the president has been demanding. That could give the economy a boost but also worsen inﬂation over the long term.

The Fed’s chair has a big inﬂuence on the economy and markets worldwide by helping to dictate where the U.S. central bank moves interest rates. That affects prices for all kinds of investments, as the Fed tries to keep the U.S job market humming without letting inﬂation get out of control.

The recent swoons for gold and silver may also simply mark the return of gravity for two investments whose price shot very high, very fast. They’re likely more about the washout for some traders who had borrowed money to bet on metals’ prices continuing to soar, rather than about a wholesale change in expectations for demand for metals, according to Darrell Cronk, chief investment ofﬁcer for Wealth & Investment Management at Wells Fargo.

Founded in 1868, the McIlhenny Co. is one of the oldest familyowned-and-operated companies in the U.S. Its founder, Edmund McIlhenny, had been wiped out ﬁnancially by the Civil War but found a market in New Orleans for the pepper sauce he made at home on Avery Island In 2019, the company had 220 employees and sold products in 197 countries and territories. Email Adam Daigle at adaigle@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JAN RISHER

Tabasco, the hot sauce created 158 years ago by Edmund McIlhenny, is produced by the McIlhenny Co. on Avery Island in New Iberia.

PROVIDED PHOTO By DISNEy

Jason Bateman voices Nick Wilde, left, and Judy Hopps is voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin in ‘Zootopia 2.

Continued

Jascent Scott, 26, of Baker, was arrested Saturday on counts of illegal carrying of a weapon and resisting an ofﬁcer Police do not believe Scott was involved in the shooting.

The Sheriff’s Office has identified a fifth suspect in connection with the shooting, and has obtained an arrest warrant for D’Treylin White, 18, of Jackson, according to Bill Cox, chief criminal deputy The shooting occurred about 12:20 p.m. across from the Clinton Courthouse on St. Helena Street.

The “Mardi Gras in the Country” parade was no more than 15 minutes into its route when dozens of gunshots rang out.

SENATE

Continued from page 1A

professor at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, ﬁnds it noteworthy that the Louisiana Freedom Fund would launch the attack ad so early

“This shows the seriousness of the threat that Julia Letlow poses to Bill Cassidy,” Cross said.

“The Cassidy campaign and their aligned super PAC realize they have a limited window to introduce and deﬁne Letlow before she can introduce herself to Louisiana voters.”

What the polls are saying

The pro-Cassidy super PAC’s attack ad comes as polls begin to surface with alarming numbers for the second-term senator

While the Cassidy campaign said its own polling is more optimistic, showing him winning the ﬁrst primary, it does show he has ground to make up in a head-tohead matchup.

The worst news for Cassidy comes from veteran New Orleans pollster Greg Rigamer He surveyed Republican primary voters for prominent business lobbyist Alton Ashy, who has dozens of federal and state clients and who helped organize a major fundraiser for Letlow during the just-completed Washington Mardi Gras.

The poll showed Letlow leading the field with 27%, followed by

At the scene, the crime lab collected 29 bullet casings from a riﬂe and two handguns, said Sam D’Aquilla, the district attorney for East and West Feliciana parishes.

“This was a terrible thing for gunshots to be ﬁred with all these people in here. It’s horrible,” Travis said.

Liggins was originally counted as one of the five victims in the shooting. While the other victims are in stable condition, Travis said one woman who was shot is likely to be paralyzed from her injuries.

Travis expects to arrest three to four more people over the next few days.

“We’re going to do everything in our power to make sure it does not happen again and to bring justice to these individuals and justice to the victims,” Travis said.

Cassidy with 21%, Fleming with 14% and Miguez with 5%. About 6% favored other candidates, who were not identiﬁed, while the rest said they hadn’t decided who to support.

Rigamer’s poll found that only 22% of Republican primary voters believe Cassidy deserves reelection, while 63% favored giving someone else a chance.

Head-to-head in a Republican runoff, Letlow led Cassidy, 57% to 22%. The question may have skewed the result somewhat in her favor because it identiﬁed her as “Trump-endorsed Julia Letlow.”

Fleming led Cassidy, 45% to 28%, the poll found.

If Rigamer’s numbers are correct, this would mean Cassidy has limited chances to grow his support and win because he’s already so well-known among Republican voters in Louisiana.

Rigamer interviewed 600 voters 85% were Republicans and 15% were unafﬁliated voters who can vote in either party primary — Jan 20-22.

“I did this for clients at the federal level,” said Ashy, who helped organize fundraisers for Gov Jeff Landry and Letlow during Washington Mardi Gras. “We wanted a good indication of what’s going on in the race. We didn’t ask leading questions. It’s a purely independent view of the situation as it stands today.”

The Cassidy campaign, however, said its polling shows him leading in the primary, and that he would

ultimately win the June 27 runoff election.

“We are extremely conﬁdent in our results that show Sen. Cassidy with a double-digit lead on the full ballot as well as signiﬁcant movement to the Senator once voters learn more about how the Senator’s record of delivering conservative accomplishments for Louisiana stands in stark contrast to Julia Letlow’s record,” the Cassidy campaign said Monday Cassidy’s poll, taken by Public Opinion Strategies, a veteran Republican firm, showed him with 32% of the Republican primary vote, followed by Letlow with 21%, Fleming 16%, Miguez 9% and Seiden with 1%. The rest were undecided.

But the Cassidy campaign acknowledged that its own poll showed Letlow leading him by six points in a two-person race, 46% to 40%.

The campaign added, however that its polling also showed 57% of primary voters “prefer the candidate with the experience to get things done above all measures.”

The campaign also said Cassidy led Letlow 69% to 22% once voters “were informed” of the records of Cassidy and Letlow

The Cassidy survey was conducted from Jan. 20-22 of 600 likely Republican primary voters.

Meanwhile, a poll taken for Fleming showed him soundly defeating Cassidy in a head-to-head election, 44% to 26% — a similar number to Rigamer’s poll. The rest

were undecided.

“My record is that I have voted more conservatively than either one of them,” Fleming, who served in the House from 2009 to 2017, said of Cassidy and Letlow “I’m one of nine founders of the House Freedom Caucus, which was created to anchor conservatism in the Republican House of Representatives.”

The Fleming survey was conducted by Baton Rouge pollster John Couvillon from Jan. 12-14 of likely Republican primary voters. Letlow jumped into the race on Jan. 21, three days after Trump endorsed her Seiden lamented the attack on Letlow, saying, “I wish we lived in a world where each person could tell their story and platform like I chose to do on my website, but that’s not reality.”

Skrmetta and Miguez didn’t immediately respond to messages on Monday

The bigger picture

On Monday, the Cassidy campaign said it and the Louisiana Freedom Fund raised $1.4 million during the just-completed Washington Mardi Gras, adding to his big fundraising advantage. Under federal law, Cassidy cannot coordinate his activities with the Louisiana Freedom Fund.

The Cassidy campaign noted it is spending $500,000 to launch the ﬁrst TV ad in the race last week. In it, Cassidy highlights that Trump signed a Cassidy-sponsored law

that toughens laws against fentanyl distributors.

Cassidy won reelection in 2020 with Trump’s backing after voting strongly with the president during his ﬁrst term. But Cassidy voted afterward to convict Trump on an impeachment charge of inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol by his supporters. Trump began bad-mouthing Cassidy, and his poll numbers plummeted. Cassidy has voted consistently with Trump since he took office again a year ago and rarely misses an opportunity to praise the president.

Polls show Trump remains enormously popular among GOP voters.

Rigamer’s poll found that Trump had a favorable rating of 76% and an 18% unfavorable rating among Republican primary voters. Landry had a 74% favorable rating and a 24% unfavorable rating.

Cassidy had a 35% to 51% favorable to unfavorable rating, while Letlow’s split was 43% to 10%. Fleming had a 44% to 10% favorable to unfavorable rating. Miguez, unknown to most Republican primary voters, had a 15% to 6% favorable to unfavorable split in Rigamer’s poll.

If no candidate receives more than 50% in the May 16 Democratic and Republican primaries, the top two ﬁnishers will face off in a head-to-head runoff on June 27. The runoff winners will advance to the November general election.

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

the Clinton Mardi Gras Parade on Saturday

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LOUISIANA AT LARGE

Adventure in simplicity

“I want to pick up my purse, get in the car and go.”

That’show Opal Broussard describes her plans for the move she and her husband, Harvey Broussard, are making at the end of this month,when they leave their New Iberia house of 50 years and head to Vermont Opal Broussard turns79this week. Harvey Broussard follows in July.They have already bought necessities for asmall apartment they’ve rented in Vermont near the campground where they’ve spent summers for the past decade.

They are not packing boxes. They are not renting astorage unit. They are giving it allaway, which is how Icame to hear about their big adventure.

I’ve known the Broussards for 15 years. Years ago, Iwent to their home for abook club discussion. Irecognized then that it was ahouse full of carefully chosen things —the kind that hold stories.

The Broussards contacted me shortly after the August ﬁre that destroyed our home. They asked me to come by and see if there was anything we could use. I said yes, grateful, but notfully understanding what they were doing. When Ivisited their home in mid-January,the larger picture came into focus.

They are giving their things to friends and local nonproﬁts. They realized their daughter was collecting her own stuff and didn’tneed theirs.

So, what to do with the daybed for their grandson?The rolling desk for their sofa? The Bordallo Pinheiro green cabbage dishes? This is all accumulated evidence of decades lived carefullyinone place.

“I used to make bread, and we had sourdoughjars all over the place,” Harvey Broussard said of afoldable prooﬁng box.

The couple has one daughter, and they arepractical people. Likemany who reach their late 70s, they have been thinking about what comes next.

They don’twant their only child left with the emotional and logistical weight of sorting through alifetime of belongings. They don’twant her tohave to clean out ahouse making a thousand decisions in the fog of grief. They don’twant her tobe responsible for arrangements that could be made now,while they are very much alive.

Abook helped set theirplan in motion. “All That Remains,” by Sue Black, led them tomake arrangements to donate their bodies to science. If they diein Louisiana, they will donatetoTulane. If they die in Vermont,they have made arrangements with the University of Vermont They don’tspeak of their decisions in amorbid way.Everything is practical and intentional, including their choice of Vermont.

In 2012, they went all the way to Eugene, Oregon, to buy aspeciﬁc camper.Itwas the onlyone in the country with the lighter interior ﬁnish they wanted. The only problem was that they didn’town atruck. So they boughta truck the same day They drovetoOregon.Atthe camper lot, they took afew lessons. Opal Broussardclimbed behind the wheel, drove the camper off the lot and through the mountains of Northern California, until she backed itneatly into its space at acampground. For several summers, they chose adifferent state to explore in their camper: Arkansas, Georgia, Texas, Florida, Alabama.

“Like Arkansas,” Opal

ä See RISHER, page 2B

Councilmemberarrested

Joel Robert accusedoftryingtohit manwithcar

BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer

Ascension Parish Council member Joel Robert was arrested in a Gonzales road rage incident, accused of trying to strike aman with his car Robert, 45,turned himselfin

Monday morning and was booked into the Ascension Parishjail around 10 a.m. on one count of aggravated assault.Heposted abail of $2,500just after noon,records show Police said the incident happenedonJan.2whena driverinadvertently cut off Robert while

ASCENSIONPARISH

merging andpulled into the Chips To Go parking lotonBurnside Avenue, unaware that Robert had followed him

As the manattempted to photographRobert’slicense plate, police say Robert drove erratically through the parking lot,

“Once in the parking lot, the suspect approached the victim in an apparentstate of anger,” a newsrelease says. “As the victim attempted to walkaway,the suspectstruckthe driver-side window of the victim’svehicle with his hand.”

Always measuretwice

HILARy SCHEINUK

Post Malone performs on the Altar Stageduring the final dayofthe 2019

Landry’s chiefof staffmovingon

BY TYLERBRIDGES and ALYSE PFEIL Staff writers

Kyle Ruckertisstepping down as Gov.Jeff Landry’s chief of staff to oversee an outside PACthat’sworking for Landry’sreelection next year

Landry announced the move Monday,without disclosing Ruckert’sreplacement.

Ruckert will chair Protect LouisianaValues, which was created just before Landrytook ofﬁce to promotehis agenda.

Voodoo Music and Arts Experience in NewOrleans. Post Malone will perform as partofLSU Athletics’ Death ValleyLivestadium series on May23. Ruckert

Post Malone,Jelly Roll to play

Ticketsgoon sale Friday for May23concert

BYPATRICK SLOAN-TURNER

Staff writer

LSU has announcedthe second of two major concertsscheduledto playatTiger Stadium this spring.

Multiplatinum artist Post Malone andthree-time Grammy winner Jelly Roll will perform as part of LSU Athletics’ Death Valley Livestadium series on May 23, the universityannounced Mondaymorning Theconcert will take placeless than two months after singer-songwriterZach Bryan is set to play the stadium March 28. In November,LSU Athleticsjoined the Baton Rouge Area Foundation,

theGreater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership and Visit Baton Rouge to announce Death Valley Live, a new initiative aimed at bringing major entertainment and special events to Tiger Stadium Presales of tickets will take place at 10 a.m. Friday.Tosign up, fans must submit their information at livemu.sc/postmalone by 10:59 p.m. Wednesday Post Maloneand Jelly Roll’sstop in Baton Rouge is part of theduo’s “The BIG ASS Stadium Tour Part 2.” The two concerts are the ﬁrst time Tiger Stadium has hosted amajor artist sinceGarthBrooks played the venue in 2022.

In November,the East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Council approved atax deal that wouldreturn city-parish sales taxrevenue collected on thetwo dates at the stadium to entertainment promoters.

“Kyle has been an instrumental part of thetremendous progress we have madeinreducing crime, the largest taxcut in Louisiana history, drastically improving education scores, and reforming insurance to reducecosts,” Landrysaid in a statement. “While leaving our ofﬁcial ofﬁce, Kyle’scontinued leadershipatProtect Louisiana Values will take our message directly to thepeople to accomplish even bigger and bolder improvementsfor Louisiana.” Thenew positionputs Ruckert in afamiliarrolebecause he has been perhaps thepreeminent Republican political operative in Louisianaover the past decade. He has been akey strategistfor then-U.S. Sen. David Vitter,for U.S. Sen. John Kennedy’s reelection campaign in 2022 andfor the governor During the 2023 campaign, Ruckert served as an adviser to Landry,who wonoutright in the primary.Ruckert also oversaw the Louisiana Coalition for aConservative Majority,a superPAC thatraised millions of dollars fromwealthy business owners and spentheavily

to winall seven Senate races it targeted and15ofthe 16 House races it targeted Taking over theProtect Louisiana Values PAC“is asmart move foreveryoneinRuckert’s political orbit because he’ll have alot of ﬂexibilitytoassist important donors with work that’simportant to them,” said Mary-Patricia Wray,a lobbyist in Baton Rouge who also workson political campaigns.

Protect Louisiana Values is anonprofit group setupasa 501(c)(4)social welfare organization,astatus thatallowsitto spend money on political activity without disclosing its donors. Thegroup advocates “for Governor Jeff Landry’spolicy agenda andseekstosupport conservativeleaders engaged in the process of moving Louisiana forward,” according to its website.

Protect Louisiana Valueshas playeda roleinsomehighproﬁlemoments connected to Landry. Forexample,ithelped secure funding to bring alive tiger to an LSUgame at Death Valley in 2024 and waspart of arrangements for an appearance last year by U.S. Health Secretary RobertF.Kennedy Jr.atPennington Biomedical Center.It’salsobacked the governor’sagenda on auto insurance and major tax code changes. At the PAC, Ruckert will work

See LANDRY, page 2B

STAFF FILEPHOTO By SOPHIAGERMER

STAFFPHOTO By

Construction crews measure their site recently along Gourrier Avenue south of LSUinBaton Rouge.

Report: UNO needs $46M in tech upgrades

School seeks

improvements ahead

of return to LSU system

BY MARIE FAZIO Staff writer

The University of New Orleans needs some major improvements — including nearly $50 million in technology upgrades — as the struggling school seeks to rebuild ahead of its return to the LSU system, according to a new report.

The report by university officials and business leaders includes a laundry list of upgrades and changes they say will help stabilize UNO’s ﬁnances and grow its enrollment as it gets set to join the LSU system this year Any upgrades most likely would happen after the governance change, which is scheduled for July 1

The recommendations — which also cite nearly $60 million in deferred maintenance costs and ﬂoat a number of other ideas, including an on-campus hotel — would cost well over $100 million.

It’s unclear where the money would come from, or how much of the bill the Legislature would

cover after allocating $23 million last year to help clear some of UNO’s longstanding debt. University ofﬁcials say the changes could help raise revenue by boosting enrollment.

LSU system President Wade Rousse said in a statement that the system is evaluating the transition committee’s recommendations. He cautioned that there is “not an endless supply of money to support this effort,” suggesting that many of the changes will have to funded through cost savings at UNO.

“While additional funding from the state may be needed, we will rebuild UNO primarily through fiscal discipline, stronger management and by making the tough choices a struggling institution demands,” Rousse said. “It will not be easy, but we remain committed to restoring UNO to its rightful place as a thriving, urban university.”

Enrollment, revenue

Released in December, the report was produced by a transition committee tasked with shepherding UNO through its change in governance. The committee is made up of 23 executive members from LSU, UNO and local industries, along with dozens of other people who will advise the committee on speciﬁc issues related to the transi-

tion, including ﬁnance, real estate and academics.

The dozens of recommendations in the report all reinforce the message that UNO must grow its enrollment, which has dropped to about 6,000 students from its peak of 17,000 students before Hurricane Katrina.

The enrollment decline culminated in a full-blown ﬁnancial crisis last year, which led the university to enact layoffs and furloughs, freeze hiring and spending freeze and close dilapidated buildings.

Amid the crisis, state legislators voted last year to move the school from the University of Louisiana system back to the LSU system, which governed UNO from its founding in 1956 to 2011.

In the report, the transition committee characterized the shift as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to ﬁnancially stabilize UNO, modernize its operations, boost enrollment and position it to attract people to the state.

“Combining the brand equity of LSU with that of New Orleans could be the most catalytic economic development project that the city of New Orleans has seen in decades,” the report said.

Recommended upgrades

Steady enrollment is key to fi-

nancial stability, the report said.

Noting that tuition revenue is expected to be down by about $3 million in the fall due to shrinking enrollment, the transition committee recommended hiring an enrollment consultant and expanding online classes.

The report also flagged millions of dollars in infrastructure upgrades that it said UNO needs, adding that all of the school’s “critical” information technology infrastructure is past its useful life.

The $46.1 million in IT upgrades include Wi-Fi, cybersecurity and classroom technology improvements. It would cost more than $13 million for UNO to integrate its systems with LSU on Workday, a platform for billing, registration, ﬁnancial aid processing and other services.

The report also cited $59 million in deferred maintenance costs, including $3 million in near-term repairs to student housing. The report said more speciﬁc details about deferred maintenance will be available after the state conducts its annual assessment and the university releases the ﬁndings of a facilities-usage survey.

“Physical campus conditions directly influence enrollment growth, student retention, fac-

Oshun rolls in Scotlandville despite weather

BY BRIANNA MEEKS Southern University

The Krewe of Oshun parade moved through the heart of Scotlandville on Saturday afternoon, despite windy and cold conditions.

Children stood along the parade route, snug in their puffer jackets against the afternoon’s temperatures in the mid- to upper 30s.

Joining the annual Mardi Gras celebration in north Baton Rouge were trumpets and band students from McKinley High School, their banner front and center as they stepped in sync.

Then came the band from Scotlandville Magnet High School in black and gold. And the band from the Madison Preparatory Academy, whose leader stomp-jumped through the air And much more.

The day’s chill reduced the turnout — from around 5,000 last year to much less Saturday but not the enthusiasm of those in the parade or watching along the route starting on Howell Boulevard, then running to 72nd Avenue and Scenic Highway before ending on Harding Boulevard near Southern University

Onlookers showed their appreciation with claps mufﬂed by gloves. Children, their arms encased in coats, held bags seeking treats.

Philip Shelley, in his ﬁrst year as band director at Scotlandville High, said it was important for children to come out and witness the parade even in chilly weather “Kids need to be out there and

see positive activities in neighborhoods and see positive interactions,” Shelley said.

For Shamia Walker a senior at Scotlandville High School, the parade marked her ﬁnal time marching with the band and a chance to inspire younger children watching along the route.

“Doing this and doing it in the cold weather, it doesn’t matter

We still have to do it,” said Walker, who plays mellophone in the band.

Watching the parade, Pat McAllister-LeDuffe, a Southern University sociology graduate, said the

Scotlandville Mardi Gras parade’s history is about bringing the community together

“Having a day,” she said, “where I can see police and they’re not coming for a shooting or something, but a day of enjoyment for the family.”

The parade’s organizer Byron Washington, said the Krewe of Oshun emphasizes the importance of celebrating Black culture in Scotlandville for Baton Rouge natives and of building community, no matter what the weather “Because when we celebrate

our culture and heritage in Mardi Gras, we want to have consistency,” Washington said. “And whether it be really, really hot or cold like this, Mardi Gras is going all around south Louisiana.”

The krewe’s name draws from African history and mythology

The name Oshun traces back to a revered African queen and the Yoruba goddess of wealth, prosperity and beauty

Ann Clark founded the Krewe of Oshun in 1966 to create a Carnival organization that expanded access to Mardi Gras, a celebration long dominated by the wealthy That same year the krewe received its official Carnival permit and secured the ﬁrst Friday night parade slot of the Mardi Gras season, a highly sought-after position, according to the Krewe of Oshun website.

Ryan Thompson, the parade’s grand marshal said the parade is important because it underscores that representation for all is everything. Thompson also is an attorney and graduate of the Southern University Law Center

“It was just a pleasure for me to see the kids come out, even in the cold weather, waving and smiling,” Thompson said.

This story was reported and written by a student with the support of the nonproﬁt Louisiana Collegiate News Collaborative, an LSU-led coalition of eight universities funded by the Henry Luce and John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur foundations.

Continued from page 1B

Broussard said “I had no idea how beautiful Arkansas is.” Eventually, their wandering took them to Vermont, a place Opal Broussard had wanted to see since elementary school when she read a story about a traveling circus there. Once they found Vermont, the pattern changed. They stopped choosing a new state each year and went back to

Vermont They fell in love with a campground on Lake Champlain, becoming part of a community that returns year after year Opal Broussard has learned to play mahjong and has made great friends. Harvey Broussard has met fellow musicians and plays guitar by the lake. “I always thought I’d love Lake Champlain,” Opal Broussard said. “And I do.” Last year, after nine consecutive Vermont summers, they rented a small apartment outside Burlington, about 30 miles from

the campground. It’s next door to friends from the campground. They furnished it simply Opal Broussard has no regrets about letting go of things. Harvey Broussard admits he sometimes wonders whether he’ll need something later, but he is fully in the spirit of their adventure. He’s already set to play his guitar for a new young friend who will perform at his school later this spring in Vermont. On Monday morning, Opal Broussard came across a quote attributed to Buddha and shared it with her husband — and then

ulty recruitment, and LSU New Orleans’ competitiveness in the region,” the report said.

Other actions that the transition group recommended for UNO include:

n Use artificial intelligence to automate student support services such as routine academic advising, class registration and financial aid assistance, which would leave staff members to students with complicated cases, the report said.

n Work with Ben Franklin High School, which has outgrown its campus nearby and has offered to purchase or lease university space to expand. The report suggested Milneburg Hall, which the university decommissioned last year because of its poor condition.

n Explore the possibility of an on-campus hotel that would be used for hands-on training by students in the hospitality, restaurant and tourism program and possibly generate revenue for the university

n Consider upgrading the Lakefront Arena, which is used for concerts, the Cove, an on-campus space for students, and the Engineering Complex so it can better match modern maritime defense and shipbuilding sectors.

ARRESTED

Continued from page 1B

intentionally aimed his car toward the man and nearly struck him.

Robert did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Gonzales Police Department said the incident remains under investigation. Robert is facing a defamation lawsuit after he posted public statements online about the spouse of a top parish government ofﬁcial.

LANDRY

Continued from page 1B

with “senior Advisors Brent Littleﬁeld, Courtney Guastella, and Jay Connaughton who are working to drive PLVs message,” Littleﬁeld said in a statement.

As Landry’s chief of staff, Ruckert kept a low public proﬁle as he helped keep the governor’s agenda on track. Lobbyists and legislators said he acted at times as an enforcer for the governor, warning that his boss would punish those who didn’t support his agenda.

In a text response, Ruckert said he was too busy to be interviewed and didn’t have anything to add to the ofﬁcial statements.

Ruckert did receive one piece of unwanted publicity when it was disclosed last April that he was part of a group that included Landry and several prominent legislators who traveled to Texas to go turkey hunting and talk politics with several prominent trial attorneys, including Gordon McKernan.

While working as a political strategist before becoming the governor’s chief of staff, Ruckert also worked as a business lobbyist, and that led to questions in 2024 about possible conﬂicts of interest

He and his wife, Lynnel Ruckert, who has her own extensive career as a Republican staffer, operated a Baton Rouge-based ﬁrm called Bold Strategies. The two met as congressional staffers for Vitter Kyle Ruckert turned over his lobbying clients to Lynnel when he became executive director of Landry’s transition team in October 2023.

read it aloud to me:

“In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved how gently you lived and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.”

The Broussards are leaving New Iberia without the weight of what they no longer need They’re excited about the future and clear-eyed enough to know they can always come back. At an age when many people tighten their grip, the Broussards are loosening theirs — trusting that what matters most doesn’t need to be packed

State law prohibits Ruckert from lobbying the Governor’s Ofﬁce for the next two years, but he can lobby legislators — many of whom he helped elect Ruckert has longtime ties with one of the two most powerful legislators, Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie. They were fellow members of Jesuit High School’s class of 1992. Henry was on the wrestling team, while Ruckert played basketball.

PHOTO PROVIDED By BRIANNA MEEKS

The South Pike High School Band from Magnolia, Miss., marches along the route of the Krewe of Oshun parade Saturday in north Baton Rouge.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Opal and Harvey Broussard, of New Iberia, look toward their Canadian musician friend Daniel Campbell at a singalong on Lake Champlain in Vermont.

Stewart, Jean Ascension BaptistChurch at 12pm

Obituaries

Belton,Martha Ann Alexander

Martha Ann Alexander Belton, age 74, passed away peacefullyonJanuary 25, 2026, at approximately 4:00 PM CST, at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana with her husband by her side.

Martha was born on January 18, 1952, in Lake Charles,Louisiana.She was awoman of deep faith andwas raised in aclose and loving family. Martha was thedaughter of Murphy Alexander and Louise Francois Alexander, both of whom preceded her in death. Martha's brothers Ulysses Alexander and Roland Alexander also preceded her in death.

On April 27, 1990, Martha married the love of her life, Willard "Will"J.Belton,in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Together they shared many years of devotion, partnership, and family life.

Martha dedicated much of her professional life to serving the community through her employment with the City of Baton Rouge. She was known for her commitment, strength, and care for others.

Alifelong Catholic, Martha's faith was an important part of her life, and she was close to her church communityatSt. Thomas More Catholic Church in Baton Rouge. Martha is survived by her beloved husband, Willard J. Belton, and by extended family members and loved ones who will cherish her memory, including nieces, nephews, and friends.

Those who knew Martha will remember her as adevoted wife, athoughtful and caring woman. She was someone who worked hard to ensure her family was protected and prepared. Her love, faith, and quiet strength will remain an enduring legacy.

At this time, the family will hold arrangements privately with herblended family daughters Deadra Rahaman andJarvia R. Belton, niece Lisa Howard, Rosa Baldon, and close friends and clergy: Carloyn Bowen, Paula Martin, Minister Ray Kelly, Minister Tedrick Gross, George Bailey, Lawrence Triggs, Jr Matthew T. Butler, Trina Hall, and many others.

uary29, 2026, at his home in Zachary. Anative of Pierre Partand alongtime resident of Zachary,Tommy was aman of unwavering faith, remarkable patience,and acalm, steady presence that anchored everyonearound himespecially his belovedfamily. Visitation willbeheldon Wednesday,February 4, 2026, at CharletFuneral Home, Inc. in Zachary from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM,and on Thursday, February 5, 2026, at St. John the Baptist CatholicChurch in Zachary from 9:30 AM until 11:30 AM. The Rosary will be prayedat11:30AM, followed by the Mass of Christian Burialat12:00 PM. Burial willfollow at AzaleaRest Cemetery Tommyissurvived by his belovedwifeof61 years, Sherald Gaudet Daigle; his daughter, StephanieMcHugh (ThomasMcHugh III "Tem"); his son, Samuel "Sammy"Daigle (Melissa GainesDaigle); hissisters, IlarMabileand Ilene Bernuchaux; his grandchildren, WhitneyDaigle, Alexis Daigle,Burke Daigle II, Haley Odom, Thomas McHugh IV, Kenlee McHugh, Charlie Daigle, andStorm Lantrip Jr.; and his great-grandchildren, Emma Mounce,Rheid Havard, MaryEllis Odom, Miller Odom, and Mac McHugh. He was precededin death by his son, Burke Daigle; his parents, Cyril Daigle Jr.and Elma Daigle; hissister, TerryBlanchard; his nephew, Ryan Blanchard; and his brothers-inlaw, R.J.Gaudet, Ivan Bernuchaux, and Herman Mabile. PallbearerswillbeSam Daigle,Tem McHugh, Burke Daigle II, Charlie Daigle, Thomas McHugh, Aaron Odom,and Rheid Havard. Honorarypallbearersare Chad Oliphant, Evan Thibodeaux and Storm Lantrip Jr Tommywas endlessly lovingand supportive of his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. His legacy of love, faith, and devotion to family willremainforever in the hearts of allwho were blessed to know him.

Gilly, Branson Leigh

Branson Leigh Gilly, a native and resident of Baton Rouge, LA, passed away on Sunday, February 1, 2026, at the ageof26. He was aloving son, brother, and friend. He enjoyed his family,friends,music,travel,adventure, cooking, reading, gaming, and his dogs. He was precededin death by his paternal grandmother, Marilynn BordelonGilly; and his maternalgrandfather, MichaelJ.Uter.Heissurvivedbyhis loving dogs, Bunny and Franklin;parents,KristenUter Mayeux andhis stepdad, Kenny, and Leigh Gilly and his stepmomLisa;siblings, Nathan Gilly, Josephine Gilly, DavisGilly, Emory Mayeux, and Britton Mayeux;maternal grandmother,Emily VanHorn Wilbert; paternal grandfather, Joe WilliamGilly; and numerous aunts,uncles, and cousins. Visitation will be held at Resthaven FuneralHome, 11817 Jefferson Hwy.Baton Rouge, LA 70816, on Thursday, February5,2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Visitation will continueatResthaven Funeral Home onFriday, February6,2026, from9:00 a.m. until Memorial Service at 10:00a.m. Familyand

friends may signthe online guestbookorleavea personalnote to thefamily at www.resthavenbatonroug e.com

Robert Trent Hagen, betterknown as BobHagen to family and friends and "Popeye" to his seven grandchildren. Passed away peacefully on Sunday, February 1, 2026, at thecrossing in Baton Rouge, LA. He is survived by his wife Deborah Berger Estevens Hagen, his sons David (Skyy) Hagen from Utah and John Hagen from Georgia and hisstep-children Ryan (Genna) Estevens, and Leigh (Michael) Marvin from Central,LA. Hismother Barbara Germany, his brotherRay (Belinda) Hagen and their twochildren Heather and JosephofJena, LA,aunt Jan Cornwell (Frank Morris) from Longview, TX, He was also survivedbyhis seven precious grandchildrenHope Hagen from Utah, Jacob Hagen from Gonzales, LA, Aaronand Isabella Estevens, Nicholas,Sam and Walker Marvin fromCentral,LA. Precededindeath by hisfather Olney Hagen, belovedstep-father Clyde Germany, and his aunt Sue EllenHarmon, and hismaternal grandparents Era Marie (Snooks) and Ermon Ray (Corny)Cornwell.The family extendsspecials thankstoDrJonathan Weldon, Dr.I.Joseph Albergamo at theBaton Rouge Clinic fortheir expert care, thestaff of Landmarkof Baton Rouge, especially Marissa, thebestcaregiver in theworld, and Skottie LaCroix, and theentire staff of The Crossing,and Resthaven Funeral Home. He was highly patriotic, a man of greatintegrity who lovedtomake people laugh. He was thelifeof theparty and alwaystried to make people comfortable.Hewillbedearly missed.There willbeno services at this time. Family and friends are welcome to make donations St Jude's Children's Hospital in his name. If youare wantingtomake atoast, please make your next toast to theman, themyth, thelegend -Bob Hagen.

Ihaverun my race, I havefought agoodfight,I havekeptthe faith.Now those golden bellshave rung forme, and Iamhappy to be withmyLordand my lovedones who have gone before me.

Surroundedbylove, Dorothy "Jean" Stewart Nicholswas calledhome on January 29th, 2026, at

theage of 88. Alongtime resident of Gonzales, Louisiana, Jean liveda life marked by steadfast faith and aquiet strength that guidedher through every season. The valuesshe embodied and thelove she shared so freely willcontinue to live on through those who knew and loved her.

Jean was born on August 5th, 1937, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to Willie and Alberta Easley. She builta dedicatedcareer as an HR Manager with Badons Employment Agency, where she worked faithfully formany years beforeretiring.Known for her strong work ethic leadership,and resilience, Jean approachedall that she did with commitment and care.

Awoman of deep and enduring faith,Jeanwas a devoted member of Lanier Baptist Church, where she taught Sunday schoolfor 38 years, and later Ascension Baptist Church. Outside of church, she was a loyal regular at her local Merle Norman, proudly maintaining her skincare routine throughout her life. She was also apassionate basketball fan, and wherever Jean was, if agame was on, it couldbefound playing on thetelevision. Herenthusiasm forthe sportwas wellknown and always gladly accommodated.

Jean was precededin death by her sisters,Mildred Smart and JoyShaw; her first husband, love of her life,and thefather of her children, James Rudolph Stewart;and her belovedhusband of many years, Walter Nichols. Together, Jean and Walter shared aloveofadventure as chartermembers of the Holiday RamblerRVClub

She is survivedbyher children, CarolynCline Dennis Stewart Sr and Keith Stewart; her sisters, WandaBauerleand Judy Wood; as wellasnumerous grandchildrenand great-grandchildren.

Afuneralservicewillbe held at AscensionBaptist Church on Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026. Visitation will beginat10:00 a.m.,followed by theservice at 12:00 p.m. Burial willtake place immediately afterward at GreenoaksCemetery

The family wouldliketo extend their heartfeltgratitude to allthose who providedcare, comfort, and compassion to Jean in her laterdays. Your kindness, patience, and dedication didnot go unnoticed and brought greatpeace to bothJeanand her loved ones. The support and care shown during this time will always be remembered and deeply appreciated Stimac, MaryForeman

Mary Foreman Stimac, age 69, of Central City, Louisiana, passed away peacefully on January 31, 2026.

Mary was bornon March 22, 1956, in Clinton, Louisiana, to Haroldand Bernice Foreman, both who preceded her in death. She was raisedinBaker, Louisianaand was agraduateofBaker HighSchool

Mary was afaithful Christian and adevoted followerofBethany World

Prayer Center.Her faith wasthe foundation of her life and hersourceof strength.Mary will be remembered for herabundantlove, an incredible sense of humor and nononsense approach to life. Herlaughterwas music to theears andbroughtjoy to those around her. Above all else, Mary'sgreatest joywas herfamily, andshe treasured thelaughter they shared together.She especially cherished her role as "Mimi"and deeply lovedher grandchildren, whowerethe lightofher life.

Throughout herlife, Mary wasknown for her strongworkethicand dedication to herprofession Sheowned and operated a Real EstateAbstracting businessand also worked as aLandman andRight of Way Agent.

Mary is survived by her best friendand loving husband of 48 years, JonStimac;her daughter, Lindsey Saba, husband Brian Saba of Seabrook, Texas; and herbeloved grandchildren, Emmory Saba, Arwyn Saba, andEli Saba. She is also survived by hersister, PollyMetcalf, husband Gerald Metcalf of La Porte, Texas, alongwith numerousnieces andnephews whoshe dearlyloved. Mary wasprecededin death by herdaughter Brooke Stimac.

Thefamilyfinds comfort in knowing that Mary is nowinthe presence of her Lordand joyfullyreunited with herbeloved Brooke in heaven

Servicestobeheld at Greenoaks Funeral home 9595 Florida Blvd Baton Rouge,LA, on Friday, February 6, 2026, with visitation from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., gravesideservice to immediatelyfollow at Greenoaks Memorial Park.

Sumrall

December 22, 1947January27, 2026 With aheavy heartour precious mother, Delores Diane SumrallGriffin, passed away on Tuesday, January27, 2026. Shedevotedher life to herchildren,Tonia andTrey, creating ahome filledwith love andlaughter. Shenever wantedtobethe center of attention, butshe was always theheart of our family. Shealways sacrificed herselffor herchildren to have thebest she couldgive them.She taughther childrenhow importantfamilywas to life.Everyone said shewas such agoodlistenerand truly caredfor others and showed it in so many ways.Her childrenalways received acard for every "holiday" -Valentine's Day, St.Patrick'sDay, etc. Thesewill always be BIG to us!She wasthe STRONGEST woman we have ever met especially becoming awidowatthe young age of 29. Delores SumrallGriffin wasjust 78 years youngwhenthe Angels took hertoHeaven. Shewas born on December 22, 1947, to A.C.and MaxineSumrallinBogalusa, LA, movingtoBaton Rouge at 18 years old. She and herbest friendTanaWeiner LaPorte lived in theGarden District andwentto businessschool. She remembers meeting Price LeBlancwhenshe worked

in theWYNKradio station building.Delores married thelove of herlife, Jerry WayneGriffin,onJuly21, 1968. Havingher first child, Tonia, ayear and aday later.Thena bouncingbaby boy, Trey, came to enrich ourlives in seven years thereafter.She was always supportive of herchildren's endeavors from dance recitals to sports. Deloreswas adedicated andloyal accountant for theLouisiana Department of PublicSafety -Officeof MotorVehicles: Finance Department, for over 40 years. Herworkethic was exceptional andaccurate; shealways called the bank on "penny errors". Her yard washer haven. She lovedbirds, flowers and butterflies. Shewas a great seamstress making all of Tonia's babyclothes anddresses growingup. Sheeven made Tonia and Trey's Halloween costumeseven into adulthood. Sheloved having "projects" just like herFather.She is survived by her children, ToniaGriffin and Trey Griffin;brother,Abner Sumrall, (Sarah); and nieces andnephews, Michelle Learn, JonMicah Sumrall, AmieBlore, Stacey Hodges(Robby), Chad Griffin (Victoria), Chris Griffin (Stacey), Beth Petty (Byron), ErinSowers (Brian), and Stephen Hale; sisters-in-law,Janet Puckettand Sandy Griffin; and brothers-in-law,PhilPuckettand Mark Hale;and many close friends, especially Karen Pelton,CourtneyCharette,Norman Charette, HelenGuelfo, Clark Brooks, Ronnieand Carol Depew, Kenand GingerSpears, andDale and Diane Songy. Deloresis preceded in death by her husband, JerryWayne Griffin;parents, A.C.and MaxineSumrall; in-laws, Hollis andErnestineGriffin; brother-in-law, DonGriffin; sister-in-law,LoriHale; niece, RobynHale; and best friend, TanaLaPorte andher daughter, Autumn Please join us in celebratingher life at agraveside service at Greenoaks Memorial Park, 9595 Florida Blvd Baton Rouge,LA, on Thursday, February 5, 2026, at 12 pm. Burial will immediatelyfollow.Family andfriends are invited to sign the online guestbook at www.greenoaksfuneral. com

Griffin, Delores Diane

Hagen, Bob 'Popeye'

Stewart, Jean

Daigle, Thomas Joseph

Thomas "Tommy" Daigle,age 80, passed away peacefully on Jan-

This weekend’sshooting ata parade in East FelicianaParish remindsusasthe Carnivalseason gets into full swing that even in our celebrations, Louisiana residents often can’tescapethe toll of violence. And it shouldnot be that way.

On Saturday,shortly afterthe “MardiGras in the Country” parade began rolling through the streets of the tiny town of Clinton, shots rang out. Live video on social media showed paradegoers running for cover,aonce beautiful dayturned into ascene of chaos. Five people,including a 6-year-old girl, were hitbybullets. In addition, aman was hit by aﬂeeing car and awoman was trampled by the crowd.Thankfully,all are expected to survive, though one victim could be paralyzed as aresult, ofﬁcials said.

Malik Liggins, 15, Noah Basquine,19, and Phillip “Choppa” Williams,25, were arrested inconnection with the shooting. Liggins will be triedas an adult.

Ofﬁcials say more arrests could be forthcomingasgang activity is suspected. To ﬁreintoa crowd of revelers requires arecklessnessthat we cannotcomprehend —the crime labcollected 29 bullet casings from the scene. But in acountry awash in guns, and astate intent on letting nearly anyone carry one with little oversight, wecan no longer say such tragedies are shocking. Indeed, we have seen it beforeatCarnival events— and not justinNew Orleans, where the most stringent law enforcement efforts are focused.Lastyear, two people were killed and a dozen injured at Mardi Gras celebrationsinMamou, prompting the cancellationofsomeevents this year In 2024, New Orleans sawtwo peopleshotnear Canal Street on MardiGrasjust asfestivities were coming to an end.

This is despite the best efforts of law enforcement and city officials to keepeveryone safe. We are glad to see that New Orleans requestedand received aSpecial Event Assessment Rating 1 for the height of the Carnivalparade season,as it did for the first time last year. There will be an expanded presence of federal agents as well as the usual cadre of state troopers, New Orleans Police Department officers andpersonnelfrom local sheriff’s offices around the state. But their hard work has its limits. Violence of the kind displayed in Clintonmust be addressed at acultural level.

Of course, the shootingled to aspate of headlines around the country,anotherblackeye for our state as we showcase what makesour culture unique

That is unfortunate because atCarnival, the best of Louisiana is on display asthousands come together from all walks of lifein arareoutpouringofcommunal joy.Ittakes months of planning and the talents of awholehostofcreative people to put on this show

Sadly though, all it takesisone person with a gun to spoil it for everyone.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’scity of residence

TheAdvocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address andphone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@ theadvocate.com. TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE

Building successful passengerrail corridors is notaneasytask, yet it can be done. Amtrak’sMardi Gras service, twice daily between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama,has demonstrated remarkable promise and garnered great riderenthusiasm. This success could never have been accomplished without the complete cooperation of CSX and Norfolk Southernfreight railroads.

The Louisiana Association of Railroad Passengers receives frequent requests about twothings: theextension of the servicetoPensacola and passenger servicetoBaton Rouge.LARP hasbeen advocating for servicetoBaton Rouge sinceits inception in 1980.

One of the largest hurdles for service

to BatonRouge is traversing the freight rail corridorinJefferson Parish. Coordination and cooperation from all six Class 1railroads that converge on East Bridge Junction, as well as the New OrleansPublic Belt,would be required for the project tobeasuccess. Even with afreight rail alliance, the track rights would passa great distance from the airport Passengerrail service between New Orleans and BatonRouge would be woefully incompletewithout astop at the airport. Thereare closer options which, if considered in afuture study, would allow for atrain station by the old airportterminal and avoid freight rail interference, whichcan cause sig-

niﬁcant delays. The alternative is the old L&A rail corridor,which is clearly visible on the riverside of Airline Drive. This corridor is anearly contiguous 6.5-mile rightof-way from Orleans Parish to Kenner Junction, where the passenger service could merge onto the CPKC and progress to Baton Rouge. Elevation of the track would be necessary to remove grade crossings. But service to the airport would be worth it. JOHN ADRIANI, JR. secretary, Louisiana Association of Railroad Passengers on behalf of JOHN SITAJR.,president ANDREWC.LODRIGUSS,vicepresident LOUIS BANGMA, treasurer

Iamoutraged. The murder of two U.S. citizens by federal immigration agents without accountability is unacceptable and unAmerican.

First,there was the murder of Renee Good on Jan. 7. Then we had themurder of Alex Pretti on Jan. 24. The videos in each case are clear.They were engaged in nonviolent protests. One was in her car,driving away from the scene and posed no risk to theofficer The other was trying to help afellow citizen to her feet after she was pushed down by masked federal officers. He was surrounded, forced to theground by several officers, disarmed, and while one of the officers was walking away

I’ve sat back and observed enough on this issue, that as the Courts decide (erroneously,inmyopinion) to re-rereview theissue, perhaps afew more public words will help.

Afavored argument of the governmentisthat such government-oriented items as the Pledge of Allegiance or the Declaration of Independence can be viewed as religious, while ignoring the history that thepledge didn’toriginally contain “God.” Secular items that are vaguely religious are afar cry from displaying areligious-only item, that being theTen Commandments, and then claiming there is some secular context to them. The Commandments cannot be taken

with his gun, he was shot multiple times while lying face down on the ground. This is murder and the ofﬁcers involved should be prosecuted.The fact that the Department of HomelandSecurity is preventing thelocal police from investigating themurderand that bystander videos show that DHS’saccount is alie reeks of coverup. The escalation of violence by the Trumpadministration needs to be stopped. They are now deﬁning anybody who opposes theirpolicies as “domestic terrorists.” This is fascism plain and simple. Areyou fordemocracy or autocracy? It has becomethat stark.

JACOBY CARTER Lafayette

out of context, not even to claim they are abasis for our laws, which they aren’t. OurFounding Fathers even makesuch statements, contrary to the revisionist effortsofmodern religio-political lobbyists. From the ﬁrst words of adeity that demands his creation kneels before him,tothe honest Hebrew text endorsing slavery and the subservience of women, any whowantthe Ten Commandments has to take them IN CONTEXT,for to do otherwise is to be dishonest.Which is contrary to No.9, about false witness, which manyapply as lying in general.

NATHAN MEAUX Crowley

Awarning to allour European, Canadianand world allies. Be warned not to trust President Donald Trump on his Greenland compromise statement or other admissions. The world has seen howhehas renegedonpromises, dealsand tariffs. Trump calls himself the master of the deal.Trump main deal-making compromise: Coerce! Coerce! Coerce! If you don’tagree with him, he will coerce, renounce, claim breach of trust or increase tariffs to getthe win. As we have seen,the Trump administrationand his MAGA allies do notbelieve in international rulesorlaws.

Cautionand foresight need to be present in dealings with our president. Should he think he is notthe winneronthe Greenland compromise, he will do whatever he needstoprevail.

He recently said the China deal with Canada was agood deal Now he renounces the CanadaChina trade deal and plans to increase100% import tariffs on Canadiangoodstothe U.S. Coerce, coerce, coerce —the same oldsongagain. Thanks andbesafe.

BJ RIEDIE Belle Chasse

Cleve Dunn’s indictment hits BR at thewrong time

Baton Rouge is certainly in asorry situation right now

City-parish government is laying off hundreds of employees, there is amassivebudget crunch and, on Wednesday,sitting Metro Council member Cleve Dunn was indicted on nine counts, including theft, bribery,fraud and conspiracy

Dunn’sisthe ﬁfth indictment in the three-year old probe that has already charged three contractorsand aformer executive at the long-troubled Capital Area Transit System, or CATS

The bombshell clearlymarksanescalation of the case. Of course, Dunn is presumed innocent until proven guilty, but the indictment still sent shock waves through Baton Rouge’spolitical establishment.

The basics of the allegations are these: former CATS executive Pearlina Thomas, who also hasbeenindicted, steered aseries of fraudulentcontracts to companies for administrative work for the agency. They used the moneyto campaign for aCATStax renewal. And in one of the cases, the company,which had been founded by Dunn, turned around and sent most of themoney to another company owned byDunn, according to arresting documents.

Dunnmust have known he was in the crosshairs. Those previous indictments, handed up early this month, listed an unindicted co-conspirator as “C.D.,” identiﬁed by sources to this newspaper’sPatrick Sloan-Turner as

Noem

Dunn That didn’tstop Dunn from heading to Washington Mardi Gras on Wednesday,whereheapparently expected to partyand schmooze with politicos from around the state. But almost by the time he had arrived, agrand jury had handedupthe charges against him.

Saturday morning, he surrendered himself to authorities back in Baton Rouge before bonding out later in the day on a $25,000 bail.

Thecharges against Dunn —and theremay bemore to come as the investigation is ongoing —add another layer of trouble to the already dysfunctional state of city-parish government

Certainly,the rooting out of corrupt ofﬁcials —and again,Dunn and the others havenot been proven to have beencorrupt —isa good thing

But that won’tmatter to many in the parish, whose trust in their elected leadership is at an extremely low ebb.

Lastyear’sbroad defeat of MayorPresidentSid Edwards tax rededication plan,which he branded Thrive EBR, was just thelatest sign of the widespread voter discontent

This year,even agencies that have typically gotten high marks from local voters, such as thelibrary system, may ﬁnditharder to get even tax renewals passed. Andfunding for certain parishwideofﬁces, like district attorney and coroner,isamatter of dispute between city-parish government and the mu-

nicipalities, and could be headed for litigation.

Baton Rouge, and by extension, East Baton Rouge Parish,still faces deep racial divides, manyofthem laid bare during thelengthy ﬁght over the incorporation of St.George. Distrust and, in somecases,outright dislike, are rampant on bothsides of FloridaBoulevard and in every corner of the parish.

Dunn, alongtime parish political operator and one of ﬁve Black Democrats on the 12-member council, has represented aNorth Baton Rouge district since 2021. His indictmentatthe hands of staunchly Republican Attorney General Liz Murrill will feel to some like it is politically and or racially motivated. On theother side, many of the parish’sconservative voters will use Dunn’sindictmentasfurther justiﬁcation for their rejection of anything that comes from City Hall. For them, regardless of what ajury determines, Dunn is already guilty,and probably just thetip of the iceberg. This is atoxic mixture.

Many of Dunn’scolleagues on the council and in citygovernment probably weren’tsurprised by Wednesday’s developments. But they certainly didn’twelcome them, either They already have aherculean task to trytopull Baton Rouge out of its torpor This case only makes that job much harder

Email Faimon A. Roberts III at froberts@theadvocate.com.

isn’tthe only reason Americansshouldnot trustICE

Language we usecan help heal or wound each other

Cal

Thomas Ancient proverbs can be helpful in adjusting our language and behavior in ways that can beneﬁt every generation. They have become ancient because they work. One example: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but aharsh word stirs up anger “ (Proverbs 15:1). It means calm, patient and kind words can deescalate conﬂict, while harsh, angry responses provoke further rage. Tryitsometimewhen you are in an argument with someone. Display humility,orsay “I can see how you feel that way,but mayIshare my view?”

The language we use to communicate with one another can heal or wound, producing positive, or negative results.

The latest of many examples is language used by President Trump, members of his administration, Minnesota governor TimWalz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey over their differing views on ICE agents seeking to arrest violent criminals.

President Trump has called Walz “Whacked Out” and “Grossly Incompetent.” Asked if he would call the governor,Trump said, “Why would Icall him? The guy doesn’thave a clue. He’samess.”

George Will

When Kristi Noem was —what? informed? reminded? —that her meeting with North Korea’sdictator Kim Jong Un, which she reported in aprepublication manuscript of her memoir, never happened, this did not ruffle her sang-froid.She placidly said thatthe “anecdote” about the meetingwould be “adjusted” before the book was published Today,Noem, aformer member of Congress and formergovernor of South Dakota, is secretary of homeland security,under whose supervision Immigration and Customs Enforcement operates. There are, however,many reasons, beyond Noem’snature, that multiplying millions of Americansdo not and should not trust ICE. Much has been saidabout thesocial ripples from what began with theintroduction of the smartphone. Some consequences, such as instant access to torrents of information, are excellent Others, such as addictiveaccess to oceans of rubbish, are awful. Butaninsufficiently appreciated benefit of this device is that most Americans most of the time are carrying video cameras. Governments around the world are using myriad technologies, some of them sinister,tosurveiltheir populations. U.S. governments —national, state local —are not impervious to the temptation to overdo this. But today,asalutary effect of theubiquity of smartphones is thesurveillance of the government by citizens. Including those exercising their constitutional right to petition governmentfor redress of grievances, and people watching other people do this Graphic journalismcan changethe world. It did so in May 1963, when Theophilus Eugene “Bull” Connor, commissioner of public safetyin Birmingham, Alabama, used bodyslamming fire hoses and snarling dogs against young Black civil rights demonstrators. The nation was appalledand, asimportant, embarrassed by photos and videos of what was being done in its streets by government. Minneapolis is today’sBirmingham Citizens with smartphones are supplementing journalists in gatheringfacts. It is infuriating, yet grimly sublime, that the current national administration, which will not stop banging on

abouthow it is restoring America’s greatness, is incessantly embarrassing (aboutGreenland, vaccines and much else). Theadministration requires an addition to thetypologies of government:loutocracy Foraglimpse of what government of, by and forlouts looks like, ﬁnd on the internet the video, taken by acitizen in Minneapolis,inwhich aparticipant in the excitement of amelee —tear gas and other instruments for combating citizens—exclaims: “It’slike ‘Call of Duty’! Socool huh?” “Call of Duty” is avideo game,away from which some newagentswere perhapslured by the signing bonuses, some up to $50,000, that have fueled the agency’s breakneckexpansion. Policingisa hard, dangerous profession.Done well, it demands of its practitioners discipline and judgment, and deserves from society arespect approachingreverence. The current administration, by erasing the distinction between police workand military operations—byallowing marauding ICEmen to pose as police —has grievously wounded the dignity of policing. This is unsurprising. In aJuly 2017 speech to alaw enforcement audience, President Donald Trumpurged police, “don’t be too nice” to suspectstaken into custody.The International Association of Chiefs of Police responded tartly: “Managing use of force is one of the most difﬁcultchallenges faced by law enforcementagencies.” They “develop policies and procedures, as well as con-

Homeland Security

SecretaryKristi Noem speaks Saturdayduring a news conference at Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Washington.

ASSOCIATED

PRESS PHOTO By JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON

duct extensive training, toensure that any use of force is carefully applied and objectively reasonable.”

Trust,including trust in government, is the glue that gives successful societies the cohesion requisite for collaborativedynamism. It is calamitous when government forfeitsthe public’strust. Butwhen, as today,such forfeiture occurs, assume theworst.

Today,itismore than prudent, it is good citizenship toassume that everythingICE says, and everything the administration says in support of its deportation mania, is untrue until proved to be otherwise. Or,asNoem might say until it has been “adjusted.

Someadministration loutshave said that the most recent (as of this writing) person killed in Minneapolis by afederal ofﬁcer was a“would-be assassin” and, of course, a“domestic terrorist.”

Because Republicans control congressional committee gavels, and because today’spresident controls congressional Republicans, there will be no oversight of ICE’srampages. The Senate, which disgraced itself by conﬁrming Noem and others unqualiﬁed for Cabinet positions, is especially unlikely to suddenly acquire the inconvenience of aconscience.

So, expect more killings, and more political smearing of the victims. That ICE’sdisgraces will continue is, in its revolting way,apromisekept: loutocracy

Email George Will at georgewill@ washpost.com.

He eventually called him. Trump also said Walz and Frey have been “inciting insurrection,” “spreading misinformation” and using “dangerous rhetoric,” such as comparing ICE agents to the Gestapo and Walz comparing children he claimed are afraid to leave their homes to Anne Frank. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem called protesters “domestic terrorists.” Frey said ICE should “get the f***” out of Minneapolis. Trump’suse of language, even foul language, to demean and diminish his political opponents is nothing new.Such language diminisheshim and the office of the presidency None of this latest exchange of nuclear rhetoric has been helpful in producing a resolution of the tensions or resolving the problem of undocumented immigrants in the city and state. In fact, escalating and using vile rhetoric is guaranteed to make things worse. It can also fire up one’spolitical base and raise money On this latter point Ihave twostories. One involved apastor of alarge Florida church who had decided to dabble in politics. He told me of criticism he had received for sending out so many negative letters about how he saw the condition of the country.Hedecided to try apositive letter and described the response this way: “No one sent any money.” The second story is acorollary to the first. I once asked atop fundraiser for conservative causes why he never sent any positive letters to donors. He replied: “You can’traise money on apositive.” How cynical is that?

Youmight make money and shore up your base by denouncing others and using foul language, but the result is adeeper and wider divide and ahatred of fellow Americans. Ronald Reagan maybethe best example of how to lower the rhetorical temperature and not make enemies more than one might expect from members of the opposition. Reagan said things like “Our friends on the other side” and “The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they’re ignorant, it’sjust that they know so muchthat isn’tso.” Reagan rarely engaged in personal attacks. It wasn’this nature, but he also believed he would rather win the issue than demean an opponent. The result? He often got Democrats to work with him on issues important to the country As some of the ICE agents begin to withdraw from Minneapolis, the left will likely claim victory,but at what cost? The original issue of undocumented immigrants, some of whom may be criminals, who remain in Minneapolis and the fraud involving some Somali immigrants and misspent taxpayer money have yet to be resolved. Using better language would be agood place to start.

Email Cal Thomasattcaeditors@tribpub. com. He is on X, @CalThomas.

Faimon Roberts

Ozone 70/53

Saints land 1stNFL game in France

BY JEFF DUNCAN Staff writer

TheNew Orleans Saints will play the ﬁrst-ever NFL game in France, the team and league announced

Monday

The game is part of the NFL’srecord nine-game International Series for the 2026season. Although the release did not specify adate or opponent, media reports over the weekend indicated the Saints

will play theCleveland Browns on Oct. 25.

“Weare excitedtobeselected to playinthe ﬁrst regular season gametobeheld in France,” Saints ownerGayle Benson said in anews release. “Thismoment is special not only because ofthe strong cultural connectionbetween Louisiana and France, but also because we will compete before agrowing Saintsfan base in Paris.”

NFLcommissioner Roger

Goodellformally announced the International Series at his stateof-the-league news conference

Monday

“Paris is one of the world’sgreatest sporting and cultural cities with tremendous success in hosting global eventsthat unitefans on the biggest stages,” Goodell said in arelease. “Playing our ﬁrst-ever regular season game at theimpressive Stade de France, together with the New Orleans

Saints,underlines ourcontinued globalgrowth ambitions and we look forward to bringing the NFL to our passionate fans in France.”

The announcement comes after months of speculation andnegotiationsbetween league and French officials. In November,Saints president Dennis Lauscha said he expected the Saints to play a gameinFrance as early as 2026, but as recently as last month, it appeared the game would be pushedbackto2027toallow French officialsmoretimeto meet NFL demands at Stade de France, where the game will be played. In recent weeks, the sides moved quickly to complete the deal in time to meet the league’s deadline.

Inside thebubble

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

One of the ﬁrst things associatecoach BobStarkeydoes after agameissift through the ﬁlm. It’s not always apleasant undertaking, especially when the LSU women’sbasketball team plays as poorly as it did in aloss to Kentucky on Jan. 1.

What Starkey saw in his rewatch of the Tigers’ worst rebounding performance of the last ﬁve seasons was anew problem. Andnew problems need new solutions. So Starkey drew on his 40 years of experiencetosearchfor aﬁx, andwhen the lightbulblit up inside his head,he relayed the ideatoteam staff member

Emily Ward.

“Weneed to orderabubble,” Starkey recalled telling her Arebounding bubble,that is.A hard, clear,plastic, circular shell with14protrudingbumps. It looks almost like the bottom of acarton of eggs, and it snaps on to therim,sealing off the cylinder and sending shots ﬂying into the air at unpredictable angles. It trains rebounding instincts.

LSU hadn’tusedabubble in practice before, at least not since coach Kim Mulkey hiredStarkey to her staff in 2022. Nowthe No.5 Tigers(21-2,7-2 SEC) popitonto therim “just about everyday,”

The NFLhas targeted Paris as apriority international market in recent years as league officials

Pelicans go cold in 2nd half against Hornets

BY RODWALKER Staff writer

TheNew OrleansPelicanswere about as cold as the temperature outside of the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Monday

The Pelicanscollapsedinthe second half of a102-95 loss to the surging Charlotte Hornets. ThePelicansled 64-49athalftime, thenscored just 31 points the rest of the way. They scored just 13 points in the fourth quarter

“Wehad four layups andwemissed them,” Pelicans interimcoach James Borrego said. “Either you miss them or you make them.I thinkwehad good looks there, at least in the third quarter.They picked up their aggression. They got to the free-throw line more. Butingeneral, you’ve gottoscore more than31points in ahalftoget a win.”

Trey Murphy scored 27 points to go withfour assiststolead the Pelicans (13-39). Zion Williamson ﬁnished with 14 points and 11 rebounds, his fourth double-double in the last six games. It was the 26th straight game Williamson has played in. That’sthe most consecutive games Williamson hasplayedin his career Charlotte (23-28) has wonseven straightgames,the longestactivewinning streak in the NBA.

Because of inclement weather,the NBAchanged Monday’sgame time from 6p.m. to 2p.m. The earlier start didn’tseem to affect the Pelicans early on.Theyfellbehind 7-0, then outscored the Hornets 30-16 the rest of the quarter fora30-23 lead. The Pelicansaddedtothat lead by outscoring the Hornets 34-26 in the second quarter.The Pels led by as manyas22points in the quarter

Things fell apart in the second half after Charlotte scored the first 10 points. The fourth quarterwas more of the same. ThePelicansstarted the quarter in adrought that lasted almost five minutes. The first points didn’t comeuntil Murphy hit three free throwswith 7:27 left.

ThePelicansallowedjust 102 points,

After LSU dismantled Alabama 10363 on Sunday afternoon, LSUwomen’s basketball coachBob Starkey thought Alabama coachKristy Curry could use a hug —and an explanation.

“He said they hadn’tplayed that well all year,” Curry said afterward. Indeed the Tigers had not.Not against aquality opponent,atleast.

basketball andwornsneakers. “Wewerejust cookingonboth ends of the court,” LSU coach Kim Mulkey said. Everything aboutthe way the Tigers playedwas top notch. Theyshot 56.1% from the ﬂoor,including 47.6% from 3-point range.Theyoutrebounded the Tide 43-28. Alabama shot only 34.4% for the game, partiallybecause the Tigers had11blocks. Cooking

AP PHOTO By NELL REDMOND

Pelicans forward Trey Murphydunks against the Charlotte Hornets during the first halfofagame in Charlotte, N.C., on Monday.

LS UA TT EX AS •8P.M .T HU RS DA y• ES PN

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson goes up for arebound over Arkansas forward Jenna Lawrence, center,and LSU forward Grace Knox, right, on Thursdayatthe Pete Maravich Assembly Center

ä See SAINTS, page 4C

Louisville rises to sixth in AP poll

BY DOUG FEINBERG

Associated Press

Louisville moved up to sixth for its best ranking in four years in The Associated Press women’s Top 25 basketball poll released Monday UConn remained the unanimous No. 1 from the 31-member national media panel. The Huskies are the lone undefeated team in women’s college basketball and kept that streak going Sunday with a 96-66 rout of thenNo. 15 Tennessee. UConn has won 39 consecutive games dating to last season. UCLA, South Carolina and Texas remained behind the Huskies in an unchanged top four The Bruins had an impressive win over then-No. 8 Iowa on Sunday The Hawkeyes dropped

to 10th. The Longhorns topped then-No. 10 Oklahoma on Sunday as well. The Sooners fell to 11th. The rest of the top 10 shufﬂed.

LSU moved back up to ﬁfth, and Louisville climbed to its highest ranking since 2022 after wins at Stanford and Cal Vanderbilt dropped two spots to seventh after a loss to Ole Miss. Michigan and Ohio State were next. It’s the Buckeyes’ ﬁrst appearance in the top 10 in a year

Falling Tigers

Princeton fell four spots to No. 23 after ending a 15-game winning streak Friday in a loss to rival Columbia. The Tigers rebounded with a victory over Cornell the next day Princeton was having its best year since going undefeated during the regular season in 201415.

Conference supremacy

The SEC has a record 10 teams in the poll for the second consecutive week. The Big Ten is next with seven The Big 12 has four teams, the Atlantic Coast Conference has two, and the Big East and Ivy League each have one.

Games of the week

No. 17 Duke at No. 6 Louisville, Thursday. First place in the ACC will be on the line. The Blue Devils have a 13-game winning streak and the Cardinals have won 14 straight.

No. 2 UCLA at No. 8 Michigan,

Sunday The top two teams in the Big Ten will face off when the Bruins visit the Wolverines UCLA hasn’t lost a conference game this season, while Michigan has just one loss.

Michigan jumps UConn for No. 2 in poll

BY DAVE SKRETTA Associated Press

Arizona remained the unanimous No. 1 in the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll Monday while Michigan jumped over UConn and into second place following wins over previously unbeaten Nebraska and rival Michigan State. The Wildcats, who are off to a school-record 22-0 start earned all 59 votes from a national media panel to stay atop the poll for the eighth consecutive week. UConn and Michigan were followed by Duke and Illinois in rounding out the top ﬁve.

“We value steadiness,” said Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd, whose team visits Oklahoma State on Saturday before a four-game grinder against Kansas, Texas Tech, BYU and Houston. “A lot of people talk about momentum, momentum, momentum. I understand what momentum is, but I think there’s way more value in being steady and consistent.”

If the Wildcats beat the Cowboys, they would set a school record with their 23rd consecutive win. This bunch is currently tied with Arizona teams from 1914-17 that won 22 in a row under its arena namesake, Pop McKale, over a three-year span. Gonzaga remained at No. 6 while Iowa State and Houston climbed one spot apiece. The Huskers fell four spots to No. 9 after losses to Michigan and the Illini, while the Spartans fell three spots to No. 10 after beating Rutgers and their

own loss to the Wolverines. The losses by Nebraska left only Arizona and No. 23 Miami (Ohio) unbeaten in Division I men’s college basketball. “Obviously, back-to-back losses, we just have to look at the ﬁlm and learn from it,” Huskers forward Pryce Sandfort said. “Keep our heads high and ﬂush it as we get ready for Rutgers this week.” Miami (Ohio) bumped up one from last week and is at its highest point since it was No. 22 on Nov 30, 1998.

“The further you go,” RedHawks coach Travis Steele said following a win over Northern Illinois on Saturday, “the harder it gets.”

Rising and falling Kansas, Vanderbilt and St. John’s made up the most ground this week, climbing three spots apiece, while the Volunteers — who were ranked as high as No 13 this season climbed back into the poll at No. 25 after two weeks out of it. Tennessee returned at the

pense of Alabama. The Crimson Tide had the ﬁfth-longest active poll streak snapped at 42. Update on the

Packers add Gannon as defensive coordinator

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Former Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon is joining the Green Bay Packers’ staff as defensive coordinator

Coach Matt LaFleur announced the hire of Gannon on Monday Gannon will take over for Jeff Haﬂey, who left after two seasons when the Miami Dolphins hired him as head coach. The Cardinals ﬁred Gannon the day after their season ended with a ninth straight loss. Gannon went 15-36 in three years, including a 3-14 record this past season. Gannon had been the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive coordinator for two seasons before Arizona hired him. In his second season in Philadelphia, the Eagles ranked second in the NFL in total defense.

Florida State OC Malzahn announces retirement

TALLAHASSEE,Fla.— Florida State offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn announced his retirement from coaching Monday The 60-year-old Malzahn spent last season with the Seminoles after serving as head coach at UCF (2021-24), Auburn (2013-20) and Arkansas State (2012). He won the 2010 national championship as an offensive coordinator at Auburn.

“After 35 years, it’s time for me to step away from coaching,” Malzahn said in a statement. “I am excited to spend more time with my family and focus on the next chapter of my life.”

Coach Mike Norvell promoted co-offensive coordinator and receivers coach Tim Harris to be the Seminoles’ offensive coordinator FSU led the Atlantic Coast Conference in total offense and rushing offense in 2025.

Winningest VCU women’s hoops coach O’Boyle fired RICHMOND,Va Virginia Commonwealth ﬁred coach Beth O’Boyle, who was in her 12th season leading the women’s basketball program, the school announced Monday The Rams are 8-15 overall and 4-7 in the Atlantic 10 Conference this season. Hired in 2014, O’Boyle is the winningest coach in school history, going 191-168. She led the school to the regular-season A-10 title in 2019 and the conference tournament title and an NCAA Tournament bid in 2021. VCU went 7-22 in 2022-23, then won 26 games the next season — the nation’s biggest turnaround. Rams assistant coach Kirk Crawford will serve as the interim coach for the rest of the season.

Arbitrator rules embattled Rozier should get salary

MIAMI An arbitrator has decided Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier should be receiving his $26.6 million salary for this season despite being on administrative leave while facing federal gambling-related charges, the National Basketball Players Association said Monday Rozier’s paychecks for this season have been placed into an interest-bearing account. While the collective bargaining agreement between the league and its players allows for the withholding of salary in certain situations, the union argued that Rozier’s case did not apply Rozier was arrested in October as part of a sprawling probe that saw charges brought against more than 30 people, including Portland coach Chauncey Billups.

Southern recovers in OT to knock off Jackson St.

The Southern men’s basketball team coughed up a 21-point lead in the ﬁnal 10 minutes of regulation before knocking off Jackson State 96-91 in overtime Monday in Jackson, Mississippi. The Jaguars (9-13, 5-4 SWAC) took a 75-54 lead on a pair of free throws by Michael Jacobs with 9:49 remaining, but the Tigers (6-16, 5-4) responded with a 30-9 run to send the game to an extra ﬁve minutes. After Jackson State scored the first three points of overtime, Southern scored 10 of the next 11 on a run that was kick-started by a 3-pointer from A.J. Barnes. Fazi Oshodi led Southern with 26 points. DaMariee Jones recorded a double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Malek Abdelgowad chipped in 14 points and eight rebounds.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JESSICA HILL

UConn guard Azzi Fudd, center, and forward Serah Williams, right, celebrate after a basket by guard Kayleigh Heckel, left, in

game against Tennessee on Sunday in Hartford, Conn.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By AL GOLDIS Michigan coach Dusty May, center, and the Wolverines bench react during a game against Michigan State on Friday in East Lansing, Mich.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By NELL REDMOND

Pelicans forward Karlo Matkovic drives to the basket against Charlotte Hornets center Ryan Kalkbrenner, right, during a game in Charlotte, N.C., on Monday.

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which is usually enough to win a game. But the offense didn’t do its part.

“I like where our defense is at,” Borrego said. “I think the defense is giving us a shot. We said that’s where we’re going to hang our hat the rest of the year Now we’ve got to ﬁnd some more offense.”

It didn’t help that the Pelicans got outrebounded 59-34.

“I thought we were disruptive defensively upfront,” Borrego said. “We were switching a lot of their stuff and taking them out of their patterns. But then you’ve

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as Starkey told The Advocate before their 103-63 win over No. 21 Alabama on Sunday

The device, which costs about $160, helped LSU tighten up a problem area. After the Tigers dropped close games to Kentucky and Vanderbilt to start 0-2 in SEC play, Mulkey began to question their toughness.

The primary reason why? They weren’t grabbing nearly enough rebounds. They let the Wildcats pull 17 off of the offensive glass, then gave up two crucial fourthquarter boards to the Commodores off of missed free throws.

Now LSU is on a seven-game winning streak — the SEC’s longest active string of victories. It’s still in contention for both a conference regular-season title and an NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed It also hasn’t lost a rebounding battle since their ﬁrst matchup of league play

“I think the Kentucky game woke us up,” Mulkey said Thursday “We were outrebounded, and we were, I would say, embarrassed. We should have been. And I think since that game, we have really, really done a better job

“And it’s coming from everybody It’s not just your four post players. It’s coming from our perimeter players, and we’re the kind of team that has to do that this year.” Few things are more important to Mulkey than rebounding. Her teams can’t just be OK in that area. They have to excel at it or else they’ll start losing the possession battles they’re built to win. Defense would start to suffer, and transition offense would lie dormant. Everything would fall apart. For the past three seasons, Mulkey could enjoy the luxury of having either one or two of the

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LSU is playing as February opens.

A month that will determine a great deal about this season for the Tigers, whether they can cut down SEC championship nets and whether they can make a run at a second NCAA title.

Mulkey couldn’t ask for much more heading into such an important time frame, especially in three key areas: Rebounding: LSU solved its rebounding woes that led to an opening SEC loss to Kentucky on New Year’s Day The Tigers have outrebounded all eight opponents they’ve faced since then. Six times in that span, LSU has wiped its opponent off the boards by a double-digit margin. The LSU guards are rebounding

Aguilar ﬁles lawsuit seeking additional year of eligibility

ByTheAssociated Press

KNOXVILLE,Tenn. — Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar has filed a lawsuit as he bids for an extra year of eligibility that would allow him to play this fall.

The complaint filed Friday in Knox County Chancery Court in Tennessee argues that Aguilar should be allowed a fourth year of playing Division I football rather than having the years he spent in junior college count against his eligibility The Knoxville (Tennessee) News Sentinel ﬁrst reported on the lawsuit

got to ﬁnish with the boards, and obviously we didn’t get that done at the level we needed to.”

LaMelo Ball led the Hornets with 24 points, eight rebounds and ﬁve assists.

For the Pelicans, Derik Queen ﬁnished with 16 points and eight rebounds.

The Pelicans are now 3-3 with the starting lineup of Williamson, Murphy, Queen, Herb Jones and Saddiq Bey Guards Jordan Poole and Jordan Hawkins didn’t play for the ﬁfth consecutive game.

The Pelicans play at the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday in the team’s final game before Thursday’s NBA trade deadline.

Email Rod Walker at rwalker@ theadvocate.com

best glass cleaners in the history of women’s college basketball in her locker room. Angel Reese and Aneesah Morrow were responsible for 37% of all the rebounds LSU grabbed from 2022-25.

Now they’re both gone. And LSU didn’t have one or two players ready to replace their production on the boards. Its ﬁve frontcourt players are all newcomers, to both the Tigers and the SEC.

Four of them saw the floor against Kentucky and they combined to grab just 13 rebounds.

Mikaylah Williams was the only contributor who corralled more than ﬁve. Flau’jae Johnson and MiLaysia Fulwiley pulled down one apiece.

Perhaps they just needed some time to adjust to the SEC’s size and muscle Or something that could instill the toughness that they need to pursue boards — like a rebounding bubble.

LSU has cleaned the glass as well as any of its league peers since the calendar ﬂipped to 2026.

The Tigers will enter their rematch with No 4 Texas on Thursday with the top average rebounding margin in the SEC (+12.6). Only one team in the league has a better offensive rebounding rate than LSU, according to Her Hoop Stats, and only two have a higher defensive rebounding rate.

“Kim put in some rebounding drills,” Starkey said. “Some of her favorite rebounding drills that generally you don’t do in the middle of the season cause you (could) get a player hurt They’re pretty violent drills. But we needed to do something to change our attitude about rebounding.”

LSU is far from the only team that uses a rebounding bubble. On the men’s side, Houston coach Kelvin Sampson is known to champion the odd-looking contraption. In 2023, his top-seeded Cougars were even bounced out of the postseason in the Sweet 16 by a Miami team that, coincidentally, had also

better, and the post player rotation of Kate Koval, Amiya Joyner

Grace Knox and ZaKiyah Johnson has been doing the job no matter which combination is on the court.

The fact that LSU leads the nation in rebounding margin (+19.3) can’t just be attributed to a light nonconference schedule anymore.

“It’s toughness and grit,” Johnson said. “How much do you want the ball? It should be ours.”

Point guard play: The rise of sophomore Jada Richard to meet the challenge of running the point for the Tigers may be the biggest reason for the seven-game winning streak and greatest hope for trophy gathering come March and April. Coming into the season, there was a legitimate question about whether South Carolina transfer MiLaysia Fulwiley, Richard or someone else would run the point in Mulkey’s high-octane offense.

Aguilar played at Diablo Valley (California) Community College from 2021-22 before transferring to Appalachian State, where he spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Aguilar then transferred to Tennessee and completed 67.3% of his passes for 3,565 yards with 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions this past season.

He also redshirted at City College of San Francisco in 2019 before his 2020 season was canceled due to the pandemic.

“Aguilar needs relief now to know whether he should report to spring practice or prepare for the NFL draft,” the complaint says.

Aguilar is seeking an emergency temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction requiring the NCAA to permit him to play one more season for Tennessee in 2026.

Aguilar had recently removed himself from the list of plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit that Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia had ﬁled in federal court Pavia’s law-

suit had challenged an NCAA rule that counts seasons spent at junior colleges against players’ eligibility for Division I football.

Pavia initially sued the NCAA in November 2024 and won a preliminary injunction that allowed him to play for Vanderbilt in 2025. He ﬁnished second in the Heisman Trophy balloting and helped Vanderbilt go 10-3.

The NCAA appealed the Pavia ruling but issued a blanket waiver that granted an extra year of eligibility to former junior college players whose situations were similar to the Vanderbilt quarterback.

“Despite Pavia’s injunction, the NCAA’s blanket waiver for JUCO players and the record-breaking successes of the 2025 season, the NCAA decided to enforce the JUCO rule again in 2026,” the complaint says. “It refuses to grant waivers, even on an individual basis, to any athletes who ask

broken out the bubble. The Hurricanes did so earlier in the year after suffering a string of losses. Mulkey and Starkey didn’t wait for things to spiral. They ordered the bubble as soon as the rebounding problem surfaced. When it’s stuck on the rim, LSU’s so-called

Fulwiley is an amazing talent but prone to making too many turnovers to adequately ﬁll that role. Richard has been both an excellent ballhandler and an improving point producer — on Sunday the Opelousas native scored 16 points, the second time in the past three games she has led the Tigers in scoring. Richard is the best true point guard LSU has had since Alexis Morris led the 2022-23 Tigers to the NCAA title, a key component for any top-shelf Mulkey team.

Defense: LSU always has been able to score this season the Tigers lead the nation in scoring, scoring margin, bench points and points per 100 possessions But as Mulkey is fond of saying, defense leads to offense, especially for a team like LSU so eager to run the fast break. The Tigers are also fourth nationally in ﬁeld goal percentage

“Dream Team” — a practice squad of male undergrad students shoots onto the bubble, and if the Tigers don’t rebound the guaranteed miss, they have to run.

“I think that’s something that we kind of have in the back of our heads (going) into the game,” Wil-

defense. Richard has been a big part of that as well, not only taking the scoring pressure off of Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams but also turning in to the defensive stopper Mulkey has been looking for on this team.

“Jada Richard is our glue,” Mulkey said. “She’s our coach on the ﬂoor You can’t get off Jada (defensively) because she will light you up. She’s proven she can defend. She understands angles and foot speed with who she’s guarding.” Three baskets a buzzer beater by Kentucky, and a couple by Vanderbilt in LSU’s 65-61 loss the next game in Nashville — are all that separates the Tigers from being 23-0 at this point. It was always going to take some growth to get here, but LSU is here. The Tigers (21-2,

that their junior-college years not be counted against them. The NCAA has given no rational explanation for that disparate treatment.”

Although Pavia now plans to enter the NFL draft, he continued his lawsuit to assist other former junior college players. Norris’ complaint notes that a ruling on the Pavia case won’t come until at least Feb. 10.

“This sequence of events put Aguilar in an untenable position,” the complaint says. “He cannot wait much longer to know whether he is eligible to play college football in 2026.”

According to the complaint, Aguilar removed himself from the Pavia case and ﬁled his own lawsuit in hopes of a quick ruling Norris wrote that Aguilar has a spot on Tennessee’s roster waiting for him and that he could make about $2 million playing college football this year.

liams said Jan. 11 after the Tigers’ win over Texas. It’s not just the bubble. LSU has other ways of driving home the point that rebounding matters. Starkey, for example, had about a dozen of Reese’s “Mebounds” Tshirts sitting in boxes somewhere since before the season began He and Mulkey were waiting for the right time to dust them off and give them to the players, so they decided to drape one on every chair in the locker room before practice ended the Tuesday after the loss to Vanderbilt.

Every player also has an LSU football helmet. Each time one of them grabs more than 10 rebounds, she gets a sticker for it.

“Nobody’s better at it than Kim,” Starkey said. “Kim’s really good at calling out somebody who’s not rebounding, but she’s even better at going nuts over somebody who is.

“I tell people all the time. Sure, she gets on players. But you ought to hear how loud she is when she praises them.”

Mulkey will keep stressing the need to clean the glass through the last seven games of the regular season. That stretch includes matchups with both Texas and South Carolina — two of the country’s most physically imposing teams.

LSU can position itself to land a No. 1 tournament seed for the ﬁrst time since 2006 if it takes even one of those games and also avoids stumbling down the stretch.

The Tigers won’t win either contest if they don’t grab enough rebounds. They learned that lesson quickly this season, not long after Starkey dug into the tape of the Kentucky loss and decided to order the bubble.

Does it look like his idea was the right solution?

“So far,” Starkey said. “But it’s like anything. If we stop emphasizing (it), I’m sure it’ll drop off again.”

7-2 SEC) are a half-game back of South Carolina (7-1 in SEC). A lighter three-game stretch helped LSU get back into contention, but now the Tigers’ SEC fate hangs in the balance in the next three contests. No. 5 LSU goes to No. 4 Texas on Thursday, goes to face struggling Auburn on Sunday, then returns home for a prime-time showdown with No 3 South Carolina on Feb. 14. If LSU can win those games, it would set the Tigers up as the team to beat for the SEC title.

“We’ll see where this winds up,” Mulkey said. “It’s fun to be in the mix. We don’t have to rely on any teams winning or losing. Go win seven straight and we might win an SEC title. If not, make sure you did all you can.” For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU guard Mikaylah Williams pulls in a rebound in front of Arkansas guard Taleyah Jones on Thursday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GEORGE WALKER IV Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar looks to throw a pass during the Music City Bowl against Illinois on Dec. 30 in Nashville Tenn.

Manninga polarizing case forHallofFame

Editor’snote: Information for this column was compiled from the presentation made by Gary Meyers of the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee.

Beckham Jr., to Cleveland after thestar receiver grew disgruntled.

beatingagainst the 49ers to win the2011 titlegame, also in overtime.

Goodellsays18games ‘not agiven’for NFL

BY ROBMAADDI AP pro football writer

SAN JOSE, Calif. Notsofast on an 18-game NFLseason.

Aweek afterNew England Patriots ownerRobert Kraft made it seem inevitable,NFL commissioner Roger Goodellsaidexpanding theregularseasonto18 games is “not agiven.”

“Wehavenot hadany formal discussionsabout it and, frankly, very little, if any,informal conversations,” GoodellsaidMonday at his annualstate of theNFL news conference aheadofthe Super Bowl.“I’ve heard people talk aboutitinthe context. It is not a given that we will do that. It’s not something we assume will happen. It’ssomething we want to talk about with the union leadership.”

LastTuesday,Kraftmade it seem 18 games was aforegone conclusion.

“I want to tell you guys that we’re going to push like the dickens now to makeinternational (games) moreimportant with us,” Kraft told98.5-FMlast week.”Everyteamwillgoto18 (regular-season games) and two (preseason games) and eliminate oneofthe preseason games, and everyteam every year will play one game overseas.”

Clearly,word reached Goodell.

we got to 18 (regular season) and two(preseason), that’snot an unreasonable thing.”

He’s walked it back previously but not to this point.

The NFL added a17th game in 2021 in the mostrecent CBA. Goodell also said Monday that the NFL will look into New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch and his association with Jeffrey Epstein after his name showed up more than 400 times in files released by the U.S. Justice Department regarding Epstein.

The debate overEli Manning’s Hall of Fame candidacy is oneofthe most polarizingin recent memory There’slittle middle ground when it comes to Manning, the former Isidore Newman School standout who starred for the New York Giants from 2004-19 and is oneof15 finalists for the Class of 2026. Critics point to his career 117117 regular-season record and lack of All-Pro selections to question his worthiness.They cite his mediocre 84.1 passer rating and 366-244touchdown-to-interception ratio. While those numbers are part of his story,they don’tcapture the essence of his greatness. Manning was aquarterback defined by durability,legendary postseason performances and a knack for delivering under the most intense pressure. Acloser look reveals acareer not just worthy of Canton but also one that embodies the very definition of aHall of Famer Manning’scritics fixate on the .500 record, but it didn’tstop Dan Fouts (86-84-1) and Warren Moon (102-101) from earning gold jackets. Manning’srecord in his first eight seasons (2004-11) was 69-50, ahealthy 58% winning mark

Thesubsequent eight seasons, where his record fell to 48-66, were aproduct of organizational decay. The infrastructure around Manning collapsed as general manager Jerry Reese dismantled two championshiprosters and was forced totrade the team’s best offensive weapon, Odell

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expandthe international series to new cities across the globe. The 80,698-seat Stade de France is the national stadium of France and the largest sporting facilityin thecountry.Itserved as thehost site for various events at the 2024 Summer OlympicGames,including the opening and closingceremonies.

Thegameistechnically oneof nine home games on the Saints’ 2026 schedule. Team officials said season-ticket holders will be given a10% price reduction on tickets and parking to reﬂect the cost of the lost game on the home schedule. Fully paid season-ticket holders willreceive acredit and refund. Season-ticket holders alsowill be allowed priority presale access to alottery fortickets for the Paris game.

This will be theSaints’fourth game abroad since theNFL launched the International Series in 2007. They played in Lon-

Thetrue, undeniable argument forManning lies in thepostseason. He is oneof 13 quarterbacks to wintwo or more Super Bowls But Manningdidn’t just win two SuperBowls.Hewas theMVP bothtimes, orchestrating dramatic fourth-quartercomebacksto upsetTom Brady and the mighty New EnglandPatriots twice.

Theﬁrst one prevented the 2007 Patriots from completing an unprecedented19-0season. Trailing 14-10 with less than three minutes left, Manning marched the Giants 83 yardsfor thego-ahead score, throwing the game-winning 13yard touchdown passtoPlaxico Burresswith 35 seconds left.

In the2011 Super Bowl, he erased a17-15 deﬁcit with less than four minutesleft by orchestratinganine-play,88-yard drive that ended ina6-yard touchdown runbyAhmad Bradshaw with57 seconds remaining “(Manning) played his best football in the biggestgames most notably in theSuper Bowl, former Patriots coaching legend Bill Belichick said. “Hehad two game-winning drives at the most critical times of theseason; otherwise, we would have won eight SuperBowl titles.”

In those two Super Bowl runs, Manning threw 15 touchdown passes and just two interceptions. He set an NFL postseason record during his 2011 postseason run with 1,219 yards passing.

Manning’spostseason legend is bolstered by his 5-2 career record in road playoff games. He remains the only quarterback to beat both Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers in the playoffs at Lambeau Field. He survivedsubzero temperatures to beat Favre in overtime in the NFC championship and endured aphysical

donin2008, 2017and 2022. The Saints previouslyplayed exhibition games in Tokyoand Mexico City

Thehistoric Stade de Franceis theonly stadium to have hosted aFIFAWorld Cup,Rugby World Cup, UEFAChampionsLeague ﬁnal andUEFAEuropean Championship final. Italsoplayed a prominentroleinthe 2024 Olympic Games.

The International Series has grown from asingle game per year in England to arecord ninegame schedule in sixcountries next season.

League ofﬁcials hope to expand theInternational Series to afull slate of 16 games, with each team playing one international game per season, by the end of the decade.

“The ambition that we have is to be aglobalsport,” Goodell said Monday.“We’re hearing from cities all over the world. I’ve said many times that 16 (international) games is important for us.Ithink we’re well on our way. Some of thegreatest cities in the world are asking us (to be apartofthe

“Eli is one of the toughestplayers I’veever been around,” former Giants coach TomCoughlin said. “Great player in thebig moments,anunbelievable teammate, and ahard worker.Ijust can’t say enough about the guy,and I know there’snoway we win those championships without him.”

Beyond the statistics, Manning epitomized the intangible core principles of the Hall of Fame commitment, integrity,courage, respect and excellence. His210 consecutive starts rank thirdalltime for aquarterback and speak to his commitment. Hislegendary performances in hostile conditionsinthose NFC championship games speak tohis courage. As do his 42 game-winning drives, which are more than 23 Hall of Fame quarterbacks, including Joe Montana and Roger Staubach. Fiveofthose were in theplayoffs

“He was agreat player in this league for along time,” Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells said.

“Highly productive and had alot of great moments.And playing in New York is different.Believe me, Iknow.It’snot like other places. Buthedealt with it, and he beat thebest team in the history of the league twice in the Super Bowl. Imean, what more do you have to do?”

Fair or not,quarterbacks are judged by wins, losses, championships and moments —the kind that deﬁne careers and forge legacies.Manning ranks 11th all-time in passing yards and touchdowns. He won multiple Super Bowls.And on top of it all, he delivered two of the greatest moments in NFL history

He didn’tjust participateinhistory. He wrote it.

That’snot aborderline résumé.

That’sa Hall of Fame résumé.

international series).”

In 2023,the Saints weregranted the international marketingrights in France —the ﬁrst NFLclubto select and be awarded the French market —aspart of the league’s global markets program. Theinitiative awards NFL clubs marketing rightsinmarkets outside of theU.S. to build brand awareness and fandom through fan engagement, events and commercial opportunities

OwnerGayle Bensonand linebacker Demario Davis led aSaints contingent that visited Paris in July to market and promote the team. Bensonalso has cultivated relationships withU.S. French ambassador Charles Kushner and Prince Albert II of Monaco, who shehosted in her suiteatthe Superdome for Super Bowl LIX last year Earlier this year,the Saintsannounced astrategic partnership with theParis Musketeers,who playinthe European League of Football, through which the team hopestogrowthe American game whilealsoincreasingits own brandvisibility in France.

He mentionedthatthe NFL Players Association will be goingthrough aleadership transition and that the conversation will be complex. Goodell pointed out player-safety concerns, competitive issues, the potential need to addanother byeand roster sizes as areas that have to be addressed through collective bargaining.

The current CBA between the NFL and its players’ union expires in 2030.

“As(the NFLPA) determines theirpriorities, we are doing the same at the ownership levelso that whenweget together, we can address these issues together,” Goodell said. The momentum for an 18th game took off when Goodell made an appearance on the “Pat McAfee Show” at the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit andsaid: “I’d rather replace apreseason game with aregular-season (game) any day,that’sjust picking quality.If

“Absolutely we will look at all thefacts,” Goodell said. “We’ll look at the context of those and try to understand that. We’ll look at howthatfalls underthe (league personal conduct) policy Ithink we’ll take one step at a time. Let’sget the facts ﬁrst.” Tischsaidlastweek he knew Epstein and that they “exchanged emails aboutadult women” and “discussed movies, philanthropy andinvestments.” ButTisch,76, deniedgoing to Epstein’sisland and wasnever charged in the investigation.

Epstein killed himself in aNew York jail cellinAugust 2019, a monthafter being indicted on federal sex trafficking charges. The documents weredisclosed underthe EpsteinFilesTransparency Act, thelaw enacted after months of public andpolitical pressure that requires the government to open its filesonthe late financierand his confidant andonetime girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell.

LSUreceivesnopenalty in unreported NILdeals case

BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

LSU has resolved an inquiry from theCollege Sports Commission over unreported name, image and likeness deals.

The school said in astatement Monday night that any “non-reporting hasbeen resolvedwith no disciplinary action.”

“Anydeals that require submission to NIL Go have been submitted,” LSU spokesperson Zach Greenwell said. “Weappreciate the CSC’s prompt review and resolution.”

LSU received notice Jan. 15 from the CSC that at least one athlete wasbeing investigated for apotential rules violation, according to an email obtained by The Advocate through apublic records request. While it was the ﬁrst known example of amajor athletic programbeing looked into by the CSC, severalother schoolsrecentlyreceivedsimilar inquiry letters. The inquiry at LSU was not related to thefootball program, asource said. Other details are unknown

“The College Sports Commissionisinvestigating whether amemberofone of your institution’ssports teams failed to report oneormorethird-party Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) dealsinaccordance with appli-

cable rules,” the CSC’shead of investigations, Katie Medearis, wrote Jan. 15 to LSUathleticdirector Verge Ausberry Medearis asked to set up a phonecallwithAusberry or a member of LSU’scompliance staffwithin thenext week.The inquiry wasresolved18daysafter the initial email.

Greenwellsaidina previous statementthatLSU has“been in regularcommunicationwith the CSC since the organization’s formation and appreciate their ongoing collaboration and guidance.”

The CSC previously indicated that it reached out to several schools about investigations into unreported NIL agreements. As part of the House settlement, everydeal of more than$600 must be approvedbya clearinghouse calledNIL Go.The clearinghouse is supposed to determine whether dealshavea valid business purpose and fall within a reasonable range of compensation.

The CSC is the newenforcement arm within college sports that wasset up last summer when the House settlement took effect, bringing with it new rules around player compensation. It is designed to police spending by the schools and verify the legitimacy of NILdeals between athletes and third parties.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By SETH WENIG Newyork Giants quarterback Eli Manning lookstopassasNew Orleans Saints defensiveend CamJordan rushes him during the firsthalf of agame on Sept. 18, 2016, in East Rutherford, N.J.

Jeff Duncan

AP PHOTO By MATT yORK

Goodell

PHOTOS By APRIL BUFFINGTON

Southern Lab rides Wesley’s hot shooting to win over LCA

BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer

She opened the scoring for her team with a 3-pointer midway through the ﬁrst quarter against Lafayette Christian on Monday night.

Seconds later, she caught the ball and buried her second three. Kittens coach Krystal Flowers knew right then Wesley was due for a big night.

“I saw it in her eyes,” Flowers said. “When she hit that second one, I said, ‘Oh, she’s on fire tonight.’” Wesley continued to rain threes and finished with 32 points and eight 3-pointers as Southern Lab (23-4) ran away with a 65-44 home win.

“She had a ﬁre night,” Flowers said. “That’s something she could do every single night, and I think that the defense is what started that for her.” Wesley led both teams in scoring. Kittens senior Asia Patin ﬁnished with 10 points and was honored before the game for crossing the 2,000-point mark for her career

“She’s the blueprint,” Flowers said about Patin and her achievement. “I’m really happy for that kid. She’s a great kid. I know the work she’s put in.” The Kittens fell behind early 4-0

after going scoreless in the ﬁrst four minutes of the game. After Wesley got the scoring going, she went 4-of-4 from beyond the arc to help get Southern Lab back into the game.

Four free throws from two Kittens and Wesley’s fourth triple helped Southern Lab close the quarter on a 7-0 run to take a 19-10

PREP REPORT

Doyle at Albany, 7 p.m. Girls Monday Central Private 47, Pearl River 42 Scotlandville 50, GEO Next Generation 38 Port Allen 56, Madison Prep 6 Collegiate Baton Rouge 42, St. James 40 Southern Lab 65, Lafayette Christian 44 Brusly 52, Phoenix 35 Southern Lab 65, Lafayette Christian 44

LafayetteChristian 10 7 7 20 44 SouthernLab 19 10 22 14 -65

SCORING: Southern Lab: Kori Wesley 32 Asia Patin 10, Dalana Earl 8, Bre’Aile Clark 6, Jamya Cain 4, Kaytlynn Hawkins 3, Kaliyah Brown 2; Lafayette Christian: Paityn Dean 13, Kenadie Jackson 11, Logan Boutte 9, Shanna Simien, 7, Braelyn Green 3, Savanna Westbrooks 1 3-POINTGOALS: Southern Lab 10 (Wesley 8, Patin 1, Hawkins 1) Lafayette Christian 3 (Dean 3) RECORDS: Southern Lab 23-4, Lafayette

lead after one quarter

The Knights (18-7) scored five straight to begin the second quarter The Kittens relied on consecutive put-back layups to stretch the lead to eight points Southern Lab closed the ﬁrst half on a 10-2 run to take a 29-17 lead at the break.

Wesley’s defense excelled to start the third after she stole the ball at midcourt and broke away for a layup. She scored again after Kaliyah Brown stole the ball and dished an assist to her

“We’re a defense-first team,” Flowers said, “like Kori Wesley, I don’t know anybody in the state who’s a better defender than her She loves playing defense.”

Knights’ Paityn Dean answered with a triple, but Southern Lab’s defense continued to force turnovers. Southern Lab used a mix of defense and rebounding to go on a 12-1 run to take a commanding 4521 lead late in the third.

Wesley closed the quarter with another triple to give her team a 51-24 lead after three.

The Knights failed to claw back, and Southern Lab rolled to the win.

Flowers said she saw cohesiveness from her team and was pleased with her team’s efforts in crashing the boards.

“That’s one of the things that we have been lacking all season,” Flowers said. “It kept the game rolling and built their conﬁdence up with the scoring.”

Christian 18-7

Tuesday Walker at Prairieville, 5 p.m.

Family Christian Academy at Northlake Christian, 5 p.m. Madison Prep at Glen Oaks, 5 p.m. Istrouma at Donaldsonville, 5:30 p.m. St. Joseph’s Academy at Zachary, 5:30 p.m. Dutchtown at St. Amant, 6 p.m. Live Oak at East Ascension, 6 p.m. Central at Scotlandville, 6 p.m. Slaughter Community Charter at Maurepas, 5:30 p.m. Mt. Hermon at Central Private, 5:30 p.m. Brusly at Belaire, 6 p.m. Livonia at Breaux Bridge, 6 p.m. St. Michael at Broadmoor, 6 p.m. Lutcher at Vandebilt Catholic, 6 p.m. McKinley at Tara, 6 p.m. West Feliciana at Plaquemine, 6 p.m. Doyle at Albany, 6 p.m. Collegiate Baton Rouge at Helix Mentorship

Ranked third in world at 45, Rose says he still has ‘gas in the tank’

BY DOUG FERGUSON Associated Press

SAN DIEGO Justin Rose doesn’t pay attention to his age no matter how much he gets reminded. His victory Sunday in the Farmers Insurance Open was historic on a couple of fronts. At age 45, he became the oldest winner of a tournament that dates to 1952. He became the ﬁrst wireto-wire winner at Torrey Pines in 71 years. He broke the 72-hole tournament record at 23-under 265, beating by one the mark held by Tiger Woods (1999) and George Burns (1987). He also moved to No. 3 in the world, making him the secondoldest player behind Vijay Singh to be ranked that high. Rose must not have received the memo. The PGA Tour is supposed to be a young man’s game

“Yeah, listen, I don’t read into it,” Rose said. “I don’t buy into the narrative of it, but I take the pride out of it, that I’m doing something that’s not easy to do. But I don’t wake up in the morning and believe that narrative, either.”

He left Torrey Pines a year ago at No. 55 in the world He ended the year at No. 10 having lost another playoff at the Masters (to Rory McIlroy), won the FedEx Cup playoff opener and qualiﬁed for his seventh Ryder Cup appearance. He was the oldest player on the team by seven years. There’s that age thing again.

But it’s no less remarkable considering how the numbers are dwindling.

Rose is among just 10 players 40 or older who have full PGA Tour status That includes 50-year-old Tiger Woods, who last played in 2024 because of injuries, and 62-year-old Vijay Singh, who took a career money exemption and probably won’t play but a few times this year

Harris English, the previous winner at Torrey Pines who qualiﬁed for the Ryder Cup last year, is 36 and found himself not taking anything for granted.

“I don’t know how much time I have left, maybe 10 years,” English said last week at The American Express. “It’s getting way more competitive.”

Joel Dahmen is trying to make do on conditional status this year He’s 38.

“The tour is so deep,” he said.

“These kids are so good. I think nine or 10 guys have their cards who are over 40.” The others with full cards

40 and over are Brice Garnett, Chris Kirk, Alex Noren, Adam Scott, Webb Simpson, Jhonattan Vegas and Gary Woodland. The age really isn’t an issue. Rose works hard, keeps ﬁt and has added speed.

It’s the motivation, the willingness to keep trying to improve when he has already accomplished so much — U.S. Open title, Olympic gold medal, reaching No. 1 in the world, and one of the few players who can claim victory on all six continents where golf is played.

“I’m still loving it,” Rose said. “I’m still working hard. You’ve got to love it to work hard. I still believe there’s good stuff in front of me.”

Woods was his motivation on Sunday Rose had a six-shot lead and focused on little goals to keep him pointed in the right direction. He wanted to expand his lead for the third straight day And he was aware the tournament record was 266, last matched by Woods in 1999. No one got closer than six shots — his lead at the start — and he won by seven. And closing with six pars gave him the tournament record.

“Those days or those weeks or those rounds are deﬁnitely showing me that the gas is still in the tank,” Rose said. “Obviously, accessing it is the job now How do I do that more often? That’s always the trick, but at least knowing it’s there builds a lot of conﬁdence.

His goals are clear The next chance is April at Augusta National. Rose not only joins Ben Hogan as the only players who twice lost a playoff in the Masters, he has played with the Masters champion three times on Sunday — McIlroy last year, Sergio Garcia in 2017 and Jordan Spieth in 2015.

He also has six top 10s in the majors since turning 40. But his lone title was the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion.

Rose doesn’t want to end as a one-time major champion, regardless of a career that is all but certain to land him in the World Golf Hall of Fame

“I think I just need to be patient with myself when the weeks slip by that aren’t great and just know that it’s still there,” he said. “Just know I’m pretty good at gearing up for the weeks I want to play well and having that experience to do that.

“Listen, I’d love to ﬁnd a way to play well every single week,” he added. “But if I can ﬁnd a way to hone in on the weeks that I really want to play well, that would be enough for me to chase down some of the goals I have left in my career.”

McMahon gives update on point guard Thomas’ injury

Foot injury will be reevaluated before game vs. Georgia

BY TOYLOY BROWN III

Staff writer

LSU coach Matt McMahon gave an injury update on Dedan Thomas, who missed the team’s most recent game, on his radio show Monday The fourth-year coach said his starting point guard reaggravated his left foot injury around the ﬁrst media timeout of the Tigers’ 80-66 loss against Mississippi State on Wednesday

“He reinjured the foot, came out, got it retaped, really tried to battle

through, but was unable to do so successfully,” McMahon said on his radio show Monday “A lot of pain on Thursday, so the decision was made to rest it.”

Thomas continued playing against the Bulldogs and ﬁnished with 14 points four assists and zero turnovers in 28 minutes. McMahon said the team will reevaluate him Thursday ahead of its game against Georgia at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center Thomas missed his sixth game in Southeastern Conference play in LSU’s 92-87 overtime win at South Carolina on Saturday The junior, averaging a team-high 15.3 points and an SEC-high 6.5 assists, traveled with the team and didn’t wear a boot on his foot.

The UNLV transfer originally injured his foot Jan. 2, a day before the Tigers’ 75-72 SEC-opening loss to Texas A&M. In the ﬁve straight games Thomas missed, they went 1-4, beating only Missouri 78-70 on Jan. 17 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center LSU, which is already without Jalen Reed for the season because of a left Achilles injury will rely on senior guard Rashad King and freshman Jalen Reece to fill in while Thomas is out King, a Northeastern transfer, is coming off his fourth start of the season. Against South Carolina, he had a season-high 18 points, seven rebounds, three assists and one turnover. Reece is averaging 3.8 points, 2.5 assists and 1.0 turnover this season.

Lafayette Christian’s Paityn Dean tries to maintain control of the ball as Southern Lab’s Kori Wesley defends during their game on Monday at Southern Lab

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK LSU guard Jaden Bobbett, left, speaks with guard Dedan Thomas during a game against Kentucky on Jan. 14 at the PMAC Thomas reaaggravated a foot injury during the Tigers’ loss to Mississippi State on Wednesday.

Southern Lab’s Kori Wesley goes up for two as Lafayette Christian’s Kenadie Jackson defends on Monday.

Rose

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DENIS POROy

Justin Rose hits out of a bunker on the 14th hole of the South Course at Torrey Pines during the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open on Sunday in San Diego.

PMAC to host debut of Breaux documentary

BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer

The week-to-week competition is always the most important thing with LSU gymnastics, but this week the current Tigers will share the spotlight in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center with a tribute to the program’s past.

On Wednesday night, the PMAC will host the premiere of the SEC Storied documentary “The Fighting Tiger,” chronicling the life and legacy of former LSU gymnastics coach D-D Breaux

The event begins at 6:30 p.m. and is free to the public. The documentary will get its ﬁrst showing on the SEC Network at 9:30 p.m. Feb. 13, immediately after LSU’s home meet with Auburn on the network.

“It is very appropriate that she be celebrated in the same vein as her generation of coaches like Suzanne Yoculan, Sarah Patterson and Greg Marsden,” said current LSU gymnastics coach Jay Clark who Breaux brought in to be her lead assistant in 2012.

“They all had similar battles, but D-D had a steeper hill to climb because she didn’t always have the support of the AD early on.

“It will be nice to celebrate D-D’s career and look at the foundations of what we currently get to enjoy.”

Latest rankings

Despite improving its season average from 197.467 to 197.519, LSU slipped from No. 2 in the RoadtoNationals.com national rankings to No. 3 after Florida posted a 198.050 on Friday in a win over Arkansas. That score by the Gators tied the Tigers’ best season score two weeks ago against Kentucky LSU, Florida, Oklahoma (198.425) and UCLA (198.150) were the only schools to surpass the 198 mark in January

Individually, Tigers sophomore Kailin Chio continues to lead the nation on balance beam with a 9.969 average after a 10.0 on beam against Kentucky and a 9.975 this past Friday at Missouri. Chio is also third nationally on vault (9.931) and ﬁfth in the all-around

(39.500).

Fifth-year senior Courtney Blackson is ﬁfth nationally on uneven bars (9.919), while junior Amari Drayton is tied for seventh on beam (9.925). Sophomore Kaliya Lincoln is tied for ninth on ﬂoor (9.919).

On Penn State

With the Southeastern Conference now having nine gymnastics programs with the addition of Oklahoma in 2025, one school always has a bye from SEC dual meet competition. This week that team is LSU, as the Tigers host No. 14 Penn State at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center Because it is a nonconference meet, it will be seen streaming only on SECNetwork+.

“I want to bring in recognizable teams,” Clark said. “Name-brand teams. Penn State is a Big Ten school and has a rich tradition in our sport. We owe it to our fans to bring in good competition, schools they’re familiar with.”

Because it’s a nonconference meet, LSU will be able to have gymnasts do exhibition routines in addition to the six in each rotation

who will be eligible for team scoring and individual titles.

“It gives us a greater variety of people,” Clark said, “people we can get out there who might not otherwise have been in the lineup.”

In, not out

Clark was accompanied to Monday’s weekly gymnastics news conference by freshman Nina Ballou and junior Madison Ulrich, a transfer from Denver

Since Clark became co-head coach with Breaux in 2019 and solo head coach after the 2020 season, LSU has brought transfers into the program but never lost one, a rarity in today’s transfer portal-heavy world of college athletics.

“I’m proud of that,” Clark said. “We try to approach that with guardrails in place. We don’t take just anyone.”

LSU has two other transfers who joined the roster this season: Blackson, who competed four years at Boise State, and senior Emily Innes from Washington.

“The (current gymnasts) accept people coming into the program and don’t see them as a threat,” Clark said.

Southern to play

BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

Southern released its full 2026 football schedule on social media on Sunday

The Jaguars will play ﬁve home football games at A.W Mumford Stadium. Their ﬁrst home game will be on Sept. 5 against Kentucky State. Homecoming will be on Oct. 3 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Of Southern’s 12 regularseason games, ﬁrst-year coach Marshall Faulk will see his team play nine fellow Southwestern Athletic Conference teams. The three out-of-conference opponents are Kentucky State on Sept. 5, at Houston on Sept. 12 and Louisiana Christian on Sept. 19. The 53rd annula Bayou Classic against Grambling is set for

SCOREBOARD

0-0

Totals240:00 34-8522-2713-5916 19 102 Percentages: FG .400, FT .815. 3-Point Goals: 12-50, .240 (Knueppel 4-12, Ball 3-14, Williams 2-4, Miller 2-12, Sexton 1-3, James 0-1, Bridges 0-4) Team Rebounds: 11. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: 3 (Kalkbrenner 3). Turnovers: 16 (Knueppel 4, Ball 2, Bridges 2, Kalkbrenner 2, Miller 2, Green, James, Sexton, Williams) Steals: 3 (Ball 2, Miller). Technical Fouls: None. NewOrleans 30 34 18 13 — 95 Charlotte 23 26 29 24 — 102 A_17,263 (19,077). T_2:18 College basketball State men’s schedule Sunday’s games Tulane 78, Memphis 76 Monday’s games Lamar 73, Southeastern 54 Stephen F. Austin 67, McNeese 60 UNO 94, East Texas A&M 85 Nicholls 61, Northwestern State 58 Southern 96, Jackson State 91 OT Grambling 74, Alcorn 50 Tuesday’s games No games scheduled. Wednesday’s games UL-Monroe at Old Dominion, 2 p.m. UL-Lafayette at James Madison, 6 p.m. New Mexico State at Louisiana Tech, 6:30 p.m. Men’s national scores Monday’s games EAST Boston University 72, Holy Cross 64 Howard 72, Coppin State 53 Penn State-Altoona 97, Pittsburgh-Bradford 86 Shepherd 84, Shippensburg 57 SOUTH

6 (tie), Corey Conners and Jordan Spieth, 69.033. 8, Jacob Bridgeman, 69.047. 9, Harry Hall, 69.163. 10, Hideki Matsuyama, 69.281. DrivingDistance 1, Aldrich Potgieter, 329.8. 2, Gary Woodland, 326.1. 3, Min Woo Lee, 326. 4, Chris Gotterup, 325.8. 5, Michael Brennan, 325.7. 6, Corey Conners, 324.3. 7, Scottie Schefﬂer, 323.9. 8, Sudarshan Yellamaraju, 323.5. 9, Isaiah Salinda, 321.8. 10, Jesper Svensson, 321.3. Driving Accuracy Percentage 1, Chan Kim, 83.33%. 2, Andrew Putnam, 79.76%. 3, Michael Block, 78.57%. 4, Joel Dahmen, 77.68%. 5, Blades Brown, 76.79%. 6, Si Woo Kim, 73.81%. 7, David Lipsky, 72.32%. 8 (tie), Harry Higgs and Adam Long, 71.43%. 10, 2 tied with 70.54%. GreensinRegulationPercentage 1, 10 tied with .00%. TotalDriving 1, Aldrich Potgieter, 15. 2, Blades Brown, 21. 3, Corey Conners, 23. 4, Min Woo Lee, 25. 5, David Ford, 49. 6, Rickie Fowler, 50. 7, Adam Scott, 51. 8, Jesper Svensson, 52. 9, Matt Fitzpatrick, 56. 10, 2 tied with 63. SG-Putting 1, Davis Riley, 1.940. 2, Kris Ventura, 1.901. 3, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, 1.716. 4, Michael Kim, 1.573. 5, Jake Knapp, 1.501. 6, Karl Vilips, 1.432. 7, Sam Ryder, 1.344. 8, Matt Kuchar, 1.308. 9, Zach Johnson, 1.232. 10, Kevin Roy, 1.199. BirdieAverage 1, Scottie Schefﬂer, 8. 2, David Lipsky, 6.13. 3, Jacob Bridgeman, 6. 4, Justin Rose, 5.86. 5, Harry Higgs, 5.67. 6, Robert MacIntyre, 5.63. 7, Davis Riley, 5.6. 8, Si Woo Kim, 5.58. 9, Stephan Jaeger, 5.57. 10, 4 tied with 5.5. Eagles(Holesper) 1, Aldrich Potgieter, 30. 2, Joel Dahmen, 36. 3, Tony Finau, 40.5. 4 (tie), Michael Brennan and Michael Kim, 42. 6, Sahith Theegala, 43.2.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Former LSU gymnastics coach D-D Breaux pumps her fist at the crowd after the NCAA gymnastics championships on April 20, 2024, at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, where LSU won its first NCAA gymnastics title.

It’s OK to like

lichens

Editor’snote:This is the second in athree-part “What’s on my tree?” series about organisms that are commonly found growing on trees in Louisiana. Read the ﬁrst part at lsuagcenter.com.

When we see strange-looking growths on our trees,our ﬁrst instinct is to panic. Is there something wrong? Is it adisease? A parasite?

In the case of lichens, it’sneither In fact, these scaly,greenish-gray patches that often show up on tree branches are friends,not foes —and fascinating ones at that. Lichens are made up of two organisms. There’s afungal organism that provides structure, retains moisture and facilitates attachment to trees, shrubs, rocks, walls, fences pretty much anything in the landscape that is stationary And there’saphotosynthetic organism, usually algae or cyanobacteria, that generates food for both.

Remember learning about symbiosis in your grade-school biology lessons? This is aperfect example. Lichens don’tharm the trees or otherobjects they attach to. They are epiphytes,sotheyget all the nutrientsand water they need from the sunlight andair

There are thousands of species of lichens that grow in many different forms.Some are flat and crusty,some have leaflike structures that protrude outward and some have hairy filaments. While most lichens here in Louisiana are amoss-like hue of gray,other shades exist around the world, including white,pink, orange, greenand evenneon colors. One more interesting fact about lichens: They can survive arctic temperatures, desert conditions and everything in between. Because many trees have shed theirleaves forthe winter, lichens are abit more visible than normalright now.The lack of leaves means fewer visual distractions that conceal lichens in other seasons, and it also gives lichens greater accesstosunlight, fueling their growth. If you see lichens prominently at other times of the year, they may be offering you an important clue. Take some time to assess the tree they are on: Is its leaf canopy thinner than it should be? Sparse canopies, which let in more sunlightand encourage lichen growth, are asign of stress —which could have awide variety of causes. Just remember that it’snot the lichens’ fault. After all, they’re quite likeable.

Readythe yard to attractbirds as they begintheir migratory patterns throughLouisiana

BY COLETTE DEAN Contributingwriter

Longer days ahead mean migrating birds will soon be making their way back from Central and South America to Louisianafor aquick stopover or to stay all summer to breed andnest.

“Millions of birds will migratethrough theMississippi Flyway to Louisiana as early as February through March, with peak migration mid to late April,”saidJanePatterson, president andeducation chairman of theBaton Rouge

Audubon Society

Given Louisiana’sproximity to the ﬂyway,chances areexcellent that residents see one or more of these colorful songbirds at their feeders. If planning starts now,they’ll have a perfect host yard for these ﬂyingvisitors.

Patterson said that birds can be attracted to the home landscape if four basic needs are provided: food, water,shelter

and aplace to nestand raise young. In the South, permanent residents like the Northern cardinal, mockingbird,bluejay Carolina chickadee and wrens are already getting their nests ready thismonth.These birds are poking around in thick foliage for possible nest sites, so if someonetypically prune trees and shrubs in early spring, waiting afew weeks will avoid ruining apotential nesting spot

Apile of dead leaves and twigs might seem messy,but to birds it’s agoldmine for food,shelterand building materials, so it’simportantto leaveleaves or stickpilesin theyard.

Charles Fryling, retired professor of landscape architecture at LSU, and co-author of “Attracting Birds to Southern Gardens,” explained thatbirds thrive when agarden has layers, including ground cover,

in the wings

Greekand Lebanese restaurant closesafter 13 years

Indigo buntings maybeattracted to seed feeders but also to natural foodsources in your yard.

PROVIDED PHOTOS By JANE PATTERSON

Thistle(nyjer)feeders canbeveryattractivetoAmerican goldfinches and pine siskinsinwinter

LSU AGCENTERPHOTO

By OLIVIA McCLURE

are harmless organisms that often appear on tree branches.

Wine makesfor aproblematic ‘default gift’

Dear Miss Manners: Ihave just receivedadelivery notice that two bottles of wine are on the way to me. This is thefourth such delivery,from aﬁnancial professional whomanages some of my accounts. I have always sent anice thank-you afterward.

The problem: Idon’t drink wine!Ijust give it to someone whodoes appreciate it. What bothers me is that while Iamnot an alcoholic, Ihave close friends and family who are. Ithink it is quite thoughtless for aprofessional hoping to curry favor to send agift that could be really offensive, or even harmful, to someone. Whatifhe sent abox of cigars to someone

whowas tryingtoquit smoking?

My husband says, “People just give wine. Nobody thinksabout it.” ShouldIjust keep saying “thankyou”and not mentioning that it ends up in other hands?

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

Gentle reader: Not all presents succeed, which is a goodreason not to direct them to people you know nothingabout, as abusiness ploy.

Kind-hearted folks keep telling Miss Manners that donating to charity in other people’shonorshould, in effect, replace the custom of giving presents. Those having an event —a wedding,birthday partyorsuch —that is associated with presents, butwho don’twant stuff,

often suggest making acharitable donation instead. Those who don’t know what to give makedonationsinthe names of people to whom they owe presents.

Anddonating to charity is the common solution for disposing of unwanted presents, but that is kind of problematic in this particular case. It often is, when the recipient has no interest in —or even objects to —the charity.

Andwhat ashameitwould be to destroy theancient custom of exchanging symbols of thoughtfulness.

If this werefrom friends, it would be unkind to let them know how thoughtlesstheir presentswere. Butabusinessacquaintance who is not expected to know your preferences may be thanked and then

It pays to keep an eyeonyour feeders. AHammondhomewas lucky enough to host a broad-billed hummingbird one winter— a rare visitor to Louisiana.

BIRDS

Continued from page1D

shrubs and taller trees. This diversity offers food, nesting sites andprotection from predators. Native plantssuch as wildflowers, berry bushes and trees attract local insects and provide seeds and fruit that birdslove. Insectsalso mean soft caterpillars —a major food source for baby birds The Audubon Society has alist of “plants for birds” on its website. Plug in a ZIP code to learn the plants for that area. Audubon’s goal is to have its membership plant amillion native plants for birds, Patterson said. The society also has a website link called “plants for hummingbirds,” listing nectar-rich varieties. Eastern bluebirds, chickadees,wrens and prothonotary warblers are cavitynesters and will be scopingout territories and nest boxes. The end of February and early Marchwill see yellowthroated warblers and prothonotary warblers darting in and out of wooded areas and Louisiana swamps for nest-building.

If you one is inclined to put up abirdhouse, make sure it’s mounted 5to10feet off the ground, facing awayfrom direct sunlight andstrong winds. Abaffle, dome or cone-shaped barrier placed underneath abirdhouse and feeders will deter squirrels and other predators When setting up multiple bird feeders, vary their heights to create amulti-level buffet, mimicking nature Black-oil sunflower seeds appealto mostseed-eating species. Peanuts are good for jays (and squirrels too, so beware). Millet attracts doves, sparrows and buntings. Mealworms, fresh or dried, are treats for robins, chickadees, bluebirds and wrens. Leave dead flower heads on plants throughfalland winter so birds can pickat the seeds.

Clean feeders regularly Moldy or stale food can be harmful; this is particularly important for hummingbird feeders. Hang hummingbird feeders near ﬂowering plants to attract insects that hummingbirds need for protein.

Patterson saidawater feature is one of the most important items neededto

BEGINNING BIRDWATCHING CLASS

March2,9,16and 23 l LSU HilltopArboretum, 11855 Highland Road, Baton Rouge l Fourweekly sessions, with field trips on following weekends.

$50. l 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

March 3, 10, 17 and 24, Coquille Park, 13505 La. 1085, Covington

Classincludes lecture and bird walk at thesame location

Cost is $50.

The classesare taught by Jane Patterson, current president and educationchair forBatonRougeAudubon Society.Thisclass will cover the basics needed to getinto birdwatching, andbinoculars and field guides andhow to chooseand usethem.There will be lots of exercises and skillbuilding.Also, atalk about howtotakethese newfound skills intothe field.

NOTE: Those having taken this class previously are welcome to takeitagain. Beginning in the spring, there will be adiscounted “field trips only” option forthose whohave previously takenthe class. In order to reservea spot,sign up as aclass member,and a 50%refund will be givenonce registered at eventbrite.com

Things to remember

Classwill belimited to 10 people

Class will be held in the large meeting room at Hilltop. Enter Hilltop from Highland Road. Field trips will be scheduled for the weekends followingthe classes at various locations near Baton Rouge.Therewill be binocularstoborrow for the birdwalks

Classeswill also be available through the LSU OsherLifelong Learning Institute(OLLI) Camellia City chapter.One must be an OLLImemberto register.Tosign up,visit ce.lsu. edu/olli/#olli-explore-courses.

attract birds, as they need fresh water for drinking and bathing.

“Chooseashallow dish with arough bottom so the birds can grip the edge. Add-

ing afew ﬂat stones inside the dish is good for smaller species toperch on,”she advised.

Birdsare also fondofmoving water,soadding adripor mistfeature or asmall dripping fountain is apositive enhancement.

“Place abirdbath near a shrub or tree, ideally notin themiddle of thelawn; birds need asafe place to perch while they preen after they bathe,” she said.

Once the birds have found their yard, it’simportant for theowner to protect them.

Reduce pesticide use, which is harmful for them and their food sources.

n Keep your cat inside.

Outdoor cats are one of the biggestthreatstooutdoor birds, especially during nesting season when young birds are vulnerable. In the U.S., it’sestimatedthatcats kill 2.4 billionbirdsayear,so the best solution is to keep kitty indoors.

n Reduce outdoor lights. Spring brings nighttime visitors like owls, so reduce artiﬁcial lighting at night so as not to disrupt their behavior andencourage them to visit theyard.

n Make windows birdsafe. Each year,millionsof birds die from windowcollisions. To prevent crashes, add window decals or patterned ﬁlm, closeblinds or curtains during peak daylight hours, and move feeders closer to windows so birdsdon’t buildupspeed before impact

Once the yard is prepared, sit back and enjoy the music of birds chirping in the garden. Allthat is needed is a pair of binoculars and abird guide to keep track of all the visitors.

Patterson suggests using the Merlin Bird ID App to help identify bird calls.The app is afree tool from the Cornell LabofOrnithology designedtoidentify birds via photos, sound recordings or descriptions, covering thousands of species worldwide. Planning now will make for an enjoyable spring of backyard birdwatching.

This articlewas supplied by the Louisiana Master NaturalistsofGreater Baton Rouge,which seeks to advance awareness, understanding and stewardship of the natural environment.For more information, emailinfo@ lmngbr.org.

told, “Actually,wedonot drink.”

Andyour husband is correct that wine has becomemerely a default offering, especially as host presents. Never mind that this used to be considered insulting —not because of anything related to alcohol problems, but because it insinuated that the host’s wine wouldn’tbedrinkable.

Dear Miss Manners: Iretired afew years ago. Iuse words like stewardess, actress and waitress. My sister tells me that these words are no longer in use.

Arethese words obsolete? Has thewoke mob been tampering with our dictionary?

Yes, various jobs are no longer gender-speciﬁc.

Miss Manners would be sorry to think that retirement had leftyou oblivious to the dynamics of life, which, indeed, lexicographers must follow.You may not always like the way the world evolves, but to deny it is to condemn yourself to social stagnation.

Sendquestions to Miss Manners at herwebsite, www missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mailtoMiss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City,MO 64106.

Gentlereader: Surely you must have been wide-awake enough to notice that the person whodelivered your peanuts on an airplane wassometimes male, and that another malesometimes took your order at the local eatery

Parent considersoptions afterson’s poor decision

Dear Harriette: My son moved away acouple of monthsago. At thetime, he told me that he was able to transfer his job,which would makethe movethat much moreseamless. Lastweek, he called me to tell me that his employmentcontract will terminateinthe next few weeks. I asked him where this was coming from, and he admitted that he knew all along that this was one of the conditions of his temporary ofﬁce transfer This is all news to me. He says he’sbeen applying and interviewing aton, but he still hasn’tsecured a new job My son has asked wheth-

er I’dbewilling to help him with living expenses if things don’tchange in the next fewweeks. Ican’ttell if I’m upset because he was dishonest or because Ithink the movewas apoor decision. Iwant him to realize that he can’t always use me as a safety net. Iwant him to grow up, be moreresponsible and start making wiser, morethorough decisions. Should Ilet him fend for himself so he can learn alesson in adulthood? Is there away to help him and get through to him?

Safety Net

Dear Safety Net: Have a direct conversation with your son. Let him know how disappointed you are that he wasdishonest with you —and ultimately with himself.Point out that he is at the age where he needs to be able to take care of himself.Give him either a timeline or aset amount of money that you will give him before you intend to stop. (A timeline is probably better forsomeone whoisnot disciplined about money.) Tell him he has to ﬁgure out his lifeby then or learn how to fend forhimself without you as his fallback.

Sendquestions to askharriette@ harriettecole.com or c/oAndrewsMcMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St.,Kansas City,MO 64106.

When spraying abakingpan

Dear Heloise: Ibake alot of bread to give as gifts. Iuse nonstick cooking spray to grease my loaf pans. My husband suggested that I open the dishwasher and spray the pans over the top rack. This way,it’s easy and clean! Marian B.,inNew Orleans Oh,deer!

Dear Heloise: Ioften saw manydeer by theside of the road during their rutting season. Ifound that ﬂashing my lights sometimes confused thedeer,and they would still run intothe roadway However,sounding my horn was most effective because thedeer could always tell where thesound was coming from, and they would run theother way KenW., in Trenton, New Jersey

Physical newspapers

old days when an actual print newspaper arrived at the house in the morning. Here in our part of Oregon, Ican get the local paper by mailthree days a week, and it costs a fortune. Ithink the price of paper,the cost of homedelivery and the lack of advertisers forprint media is causing the problem.I hope Marvin can ﬁnd asolution. Thanks foryour column, Heloise.

Dear Heloise: For Marvin Tiffany of York, Nebraska, Iagree about missing the

ByThe Associated Press

Today is Tuesday,Feb. 3, the34th day of 2026. There are 331 days left in the year

Todayinhistory: On Feb.3,1959, which would become known as “the day themusic died,” rock ’n’ roll stars Buddy Holly,Ritchie Valens and J.P.“The Big Bopper” Richardson died in asmall plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa.

Also on this date:

In 1870, the15th Amendmenttothe U.S. Constitution,granting Black American men theright to vote, was ratiﬁed.

In 1913, the16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, providing for afederal income tax, was ratiﬁed.

In 1917, theUnited States broke off diplomatic relationswith Germany,the sameday an American cargo ship, theSSHousatonic, was sunk by aU-boat

—SaraJ in Lebanon, Oregon Sara, there is nothing as certain as change. The news, which wasprinted on paper,was astaple in nearly every homein America formany years. Many of us learned to read by reading the comics with asibling or aparent. The ﬁrst page that somemen read in the morning or the evening was the sports page. And Ithink we all liked to read the advice columns.

TODAYINHISTORY

off Britain (after the crew was allowed to board lifeboats).

In 1943, during World WarII, the U.S. transport ship SS Dorchester,which was carrying troops to Greenland, sank after being hit by aGerman torpedo in the Labrador Sea; only some230 of the 900 aboard survived.

In 1966, the Soviet probe Luna 9became the ﬁrst man-made object to make asoft landing on the moon

In 2007, atruck bomb exploded in abusy street market in Baghdad, killing morethan 100 people in one of the deadliest single attacks in the Iraqi capital.

In 2015, aMetro-North Railroad commuter train slammed into an SUV stuck on the tracks at a suburban rail crossing 20 miles north of NewYork City,killing ﬁve train passengers and the SUV driver and injuring about 30 others.

Imiss these days, but I doubt they’ll ever come back. We receive the news much faster now,sometimes even minute by minute as it happens. We get weather warnings faster, which has saved lives. With the disadvantages of losing aphysical newspaper came new advantages. —Heloise ID tags forhorses Dear Heloise: Arecent suggestion forattaching identiﬁcation tags to horses’ bridles (or halters) is only useful fortimes when the horse is being ridden. When the horse is in the pasture or even in a stall, it is not safetokeep them bridled or haltered because they can catch it on something and injure themselves while trying to get free. It’s better to braid the tag into their mane. Susan H., in Bandera,Texas Sendahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

In 2023, morethan three dozen freight cars of a train carrying hazardous materials derailed near East Palestine, Ohio, close to the Pennsylvania line. The derailment prompted an immediate evacuation and the intentional burning of toxic vinyl chloride three days later that sent ﬂames and acrid smoke in the air Today’sbirthdays: Foot-

Harriette Cole SENSE AND SENSITIVITy

Hints from Heloise

PROVIDED PHOTO By JANE PATTERSON

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Be a leader, not a follower. Gravitate toward security and maintaining what you already have. Put your energy into detail, precision and perfection as you move forward.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Sit tight and let whatever is happening around you unfold naturally. Focus inward and pay attention to relationships and how you can connect in ways that will help you get along better.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Think before you act, especially when money or your career is at stake. Put more energy into helping others and finding ways to make your life more efficient.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Play by the rules and pay attention to detail, and you'll make headway. Be wary of anyone using manipulative tactics to push you in a questionable direction.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Put your best foot forward and rise to whatever task requires your undivided attention. Be bold, do your best and refuse to let anyone's negativity or ego stifle your glory.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Be open to suggestions and willing to try new things. What you learn will open doors to all sorts of new and exciting pastimes and people. Make your space user-friendly.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Refuse to let anyone put demands on you. Question, communicate and change what isn't working for you. Do your best and expect the

same from your colleagues. Pay attention to high-pressure situation.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Keep your emotions in check and your eye on what you want to achieve. Be the go-getter, the one to ask questions and put everything in its place. The bolder you are, the more respect and help you will receive.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Refuse to let excessive behavior and procrastination win when you have so much to gain by pitching in and making a difference. Socializing and networking can lead to promising opportunities.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Learn through observation, and don't be afraid to ask questions or walk away. A change of heart will encourage you to find a path that better suits your preferences and your budget.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Put your energy into moneymaking opportunities and investing in yourself and your future. Mix and mingle with people just as vibrant and eager as you.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Sort through investments, financial and legal documents, and any medical issues that need attention. A couple of healthy lifestyle changes can make a difference to your mobility, clarity or longevity.

FAMILY CIrCUS

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

toDAy's cLuE: u EQuALs F

CeLebrItY CIpher

better or For WorSe

FrAnK And erneSt

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon

bIG nAte

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers1 to 9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s PuzzleAnswer

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

By PHILLIP ALDER

The International Bridge Press Association jury does a tough job in choosing the annual award winners in four categories: bidding, declarer play, defense and juniors.

This deal, which would have been my junior winner, could have also been in the declarer-play list. South was Adam Kaplan of New Port Richie, Fla.

In the auction, one club showed 16-plus points; four clubs was a control-bid (cuebid); four spades was Roman Key-Card Blackwood; five clubs indicated one keycard (an ace or the heart king); five clubs asked for the heart queen; and six hearts showed that card and denied a side-suit king.

After winning with dummy’s spade ace, declarer cashed the heart ace. When East dropped the 10, South deduced that hearts were 3-1. He cashed dummy’s club king, played a club to his ace, and led his last spade. If West had found the best defense, discarding a diamond, declarer would have won with dummy’s spade king and ledanotherspade,discardinghisremaining diamond — the key play. Probably East would have led a spade, but Kaplan would have ruffed high, played a diamond to dummy’s ace, ruffed dummy’s diamond seven, and crossruffed the rest of the tricks.

Instead, West trumped the second spade and returned his third heart. Kaplan claimed, saying that he would discard his last diamond on dummy’s spade king and ruff his two low clubs on the board. Brilliant, especially for someone who was only 16 years old. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

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

InstRuctIons:

toDAy’s WoRD — MInoRIty: muh-NAR-ih-tee: A percentage equaling less than half of a total.

Average mark 17 words Time limit 30 minutes Can you find 23 or more words in MINORITY?

WoRD — oFFsHoRE

loCKhorNs

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

hidato

mallard

CITY OF ST.GEORGE BY COUNCIL MEMBER MURRELL:

ORDINANCE NO. 2026-001

TO GRANT AFRANCHISE TO THE CITY OF BATON ROUGEEAST BATON ROUGE PARISH/EAST BATON ROUGE SEWERAGE

COMMISSION FOR USE OFTHE PUBLIC WAYS TO MAINTAIN, EXTEND AND OPERATE ASEWERAGESYSTEMAND SELL

SEWER SERVICE WITHIN THE CITY OFST. GEORGE AND TO PROVIDE FOR RELATED MATTERS

Section 1: Franchise Grant. City of Baton Rouge-East Baton Rouge Parish/East Baton Rouge Sewerage Commission (hereinafter “EBROSCO”) authorized to do and doing business in the State of Louisiana, and its successors and assigns, be and it is hereby granted the right, privilege, and franchise, for aperiod of twenty-five years (25) fromJanuary 1, 2026, to erect, construct, install, maintain and repair asanitary sewer system made up of pipes, mains, lift stations, treatment plants, and all necessary apparatus and appurtenances (the “Sewerage System”) in, under,along, and through certain public streets, avenues, alleys, roads, highways and other public ways of and within the City of St. George (the “City”), and for theprovision of sewerage service to the City and its inhabitants; provided that said Sewerage System shall be so installed and maintained as to cause minimum interference with the drainage or passage of any public street, avenue, alley,road, highway,orother public place of and within the City.Notwithstanding the above, this franchise shall not become effective unless and until acopy of this ordinance is executed as “accepted” by an appropriate EBROSCO representative. Section 2: Franchise Fee. In consideration of the foregoing and as full compensation for the operations ofEBROSCO under the franchise herein granted, EBROSCO, its successors, and assigns shall pay to the City,quarterly,and within thirty (30) days after the end of each calendar quarter,asum on money equal to zero(0%) percent of the Gross Receipts of EBROSCO from the provision of sewerage services to customers within the corporate limits of the City,during the preceding calendar quarter Gross Receipts does not include any amounts received or collected by EBROSCO as line-itemed taxes or excise fees that arethen paid to the State, City,Parish or other governmental entity or agency Section 3: Provision of Sewerage Service. The right, privilege, and franchise herein is granted upon the condition that EBROSCO shall furnish and deliver sewerage services to the City and its inhabitants at rates approved by the EBROSCO and charged uniformly to like users within the EBROSCO service area.

Section 4: Transfer.EBROSCO shall not sell or transfer its Sewerage System or any rights under this franchise to another without prior approval of the St. George City Council, and no sale or transfer,even if so approved, shall be effective until the vendee or assignee shall file an instrument approved as to form and legality by the St. GeorgeCity Attorney accepting the terms and conditions of this ordinance and agreeing to comply therewith.

EBROSCO of

asubdivision of

System or

Rouge/East

Section 5: Retention of Rights. EBROSCO shall, at all times during the life of its franchise hereunder,besubject to the lawful exercise of the police power by the City and to such reasonable regulations as the City may hereafter establish by resolution or ordinance. To this end, the right is specifically reserved by the City to adopt, in addition to provisions contained in existing applicable ordinances, such additional regulations as it shall find necessary in the exercise of the police power,provided the same arereasonable and not prevent EBROSCO from providing Sewerage Services hereunder

Section 6: Permits.

EBROSCO shall obtain all necessary permits from the Louisiana Department of Highways, the City,and/or any other governmental agency having jurisdiction over streets, levees, and other public ways in the City prior to any use of or constructioninsuch streets and other public ways. EBROSCO is not required to pay any permit fees to the City for work to be performed in the public ways.

Section 7: Minimum Interference/Code Compliance. All facilities that arepart of the Sewerage System erected or installed by EBROSCO within the City shall be so located as to cause minimum interference with the proper use of streets, alleys, and other public ways and places, and to causeminimum interference with the rights or reasonable convenience of property owners who adjoin any of the said streets, alleys, or other public ways and places. All structures, lines, and equipment shall be constructed and maintained in accordance with all City ordinances and regulations, good utility practices, and in material compliance with any applicable codes and standards.

Section 8: Restoration. In case of any disturbance of ground, pavement, sidewalk, driveway,orother surfacing, EBROSCO shall, in accordance with regulations now or hereafter applicable to the making of such cuts in the manner required by such regulationsand approved by the appropriate City department, shall further replace and restore, or reimburse the City for the replacement or restoration of, all ground, paving, sidewalks, driveways, or surface of any right-of-way,servitude, street or alley disturbed, in as good condition as before said work was commenced.

Section 9: Relocation and Removal.

A. In the event that the City desires to alter or change the grade of any street, alley,orother public way,orvacate and abandon same, or construct apublic improvement, the work on which cannot be accomplished because of thelocation of EBROSCO’sSewerage System, or should the public interest otherwise requireit, EBROSCO,upon reasonable notice by the City,shall forthwith remove,relay or relocate its structures, lines, equipment and other facilities at its own expense. Along with the notice, the City shall provide areasonable schedule for when EBROSCO must complete the removal or relocation of its facilities. In the event the City incurs additional expenses related to its public improvement project caused by relocation delays directly caused by EBROSCO,the City may assess, and EBROSCO shall be obligated to pay,all such actual additional costs incurred by the City due to EBROSCO’s delay.IfEBROSCO disputes whether the schedule was reasonable or whether it directly caused the delay,EBROSCO may seek resolution for such dispute through binding arbitration in accordance with the then current Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association. Such arbitration shall be conducted in East Baton Rouge Parish, at atime and place determined by the arbitrator(s). Each partyshall bear half of the costs of arbitration, provided that the arbitrator(s) may awardthe prevailing party some or all of the costs of arbitration. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 9tothe contrary,the abandonment of astreet or other public way shall not requirethe removal or relocation of EBROSCO’s Sewerage System and EBROSCO may reserve the right to maintain its Sewerage System within such abandoned street or other public way notwithstanding abandonment thereof, unlessnotice is provided to EBROSCO by the City as provided above.

B. Should EBROSCO no longer use or foresee afutureuse of portions of its Sewerage System or specificequipment or facilities located within the public way,itshall remove such portions of the System, equipment, or facilities in atimely manner C. Should EBROSCO refuse or fail to remove or relocate its Sewerage System or portions thereof as provided in any provision of this Ordinance, the City shall have the right to do the work, or cause it to be done, and the cost thereof shall be chargeable to EBROSCO and collection may be made by court action or otherwise.

Section 10: Location of Facilities. Upon any inquiry from the City EBROSCO shall promptly and without delay provide the City with information in sufficient detail to assurethe City of being currently advised as to the location of the areas served by EBROSCO.Specificlocation, size, and type of EBROSCO’sunderground facilities areavailable through participationinthe Louisiana Underground Utilities and Facilities Damage Prevention Law or Louisiana One Call. If EBROSCO does not have sufficient information of recordtodetermine the location of its facilities, then EBROSCO is required to advise the City and fully cooperate with the City’scontractor by locating or exposing,ifnecessary,the facilities to enable the contractor to avoid or minimize damages and delays during construction.

Section 11: Insurance. EBROSCO shall secureand maintain liability insurance policies insuring it as named insured and naming the City,and its elected and appointed officers, officials, agents, and employees as additional insureds and with the coverages listed in Title 2, Chapter 5, Section 2:508 of the City Code of Ordinances (or in such other ordinance as may be later enacted). Section 12: Indemnification. EBROSCO agrees to defend, indemnify and hold the City and its elected and appointed officials and officers, employees, agents and representativesharmless from andagainst any and all injuries, claims, demands, judgments, damages, losses and expenses, including reasonable attorney’sfees

This ordinance having been

to avote; the vote

For: Cook, Dellucci, Edmonds, Himmel, Monachello, Murrell, Talbot Against: Absent /Abstaining /Recused: Introduced on January 13, 2026 and adopted on January 27, 2026.

Lorraine Beaman, City Clerk Delivered to MayoronJanuary 28, 2026.

Lorraine Beaman, City Clerk

Approved:

Dustin Yates, Mayor

Received from Mayor on ______________, 2026

Ordinance published in The Advocateonthe day of _________, 2026 ACCEPTANCE

EBROSCO, by and through ,its duly authorized representative hereby

Acceptsthe grants of franchise set forth in the above ordinance including all termsand conditions set forth therein.

Name___________________________

CITY OF ST.GEORGE BY COUNCIL MEMBER COOK:

ORDINANCE NO. 2026-002

AN ORDINANCEESTABLISHINGTHE CITYOFST. GEORGE ADOPT-A-STREET ANDADOPT-A-SPOT PROGRAM; AUTHORIZING THECITYTOENTER INTOCOOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENTS WITH PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS; ANDOTHERWISEPROVIDING WITH RESPECTTHERETO.

SECTION 1. PURPOSE

The purpose of this Ordinance is to establish the City of St.George

Adopt-A-Street and Adopt-A-SpotProgram as acooperative public endeavor between the City and participating community groups, civic organizations, businesses, and individuals forthe purpose of litter abatement, beautification, and enhancement of public rights-of-way.The Program promotes civic engagement, reduces municipal maintenance costs, and supports the public health, safety,and welfareofthe citizens of St.George

SECTION 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM

Thereishereby established the City of St.George Adopt-A-Street and Adopt-A-Spot Program (“Program”). The Program shallbeadministered by the Department of Public Works or such other department or official as designated by the Mayor.

SECTION 3. DEFINITIONS

A. “Adopter” means any qualified group, organization, business, or individual approved to participate in the Program.

B. “Adopted Area” means asegment of public roadway,right-of-way,or municipal property approved for adoption.

C. “Cooperative Endeavor Agreement”(“CEA”) means the written agreement between the City and the Adopter which sets forth mutual responsibilities and obligations.

D. “Clean-UpActivity” means the collection and removal of litter and debris in accordance with Program guidelines.

SECTION 4. AUTHORIZATION FOR COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR

AGREEMENTS The Mayor,orhis designee, is hereby authorized to execute Cooperative Endeavor Agreementswith Adoptersfor the implementation of this Program. Each CEAshall:

1. Identify the Adopted Area;

2. Establish duties of both parties;

3. Containindemnification and hold-harmless provisions;

4. Specify the term,renewal, and termination procedures; and

5. Incorporate by reference the Program guidelines and safety rules.

SECTION 5. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CITY

The City shall:

1. Designate the Adopted Area approved forparticipation.

2. Provide garbage bags, safety vests, and related materialssubject to availability

3. Install and maintain program signage acknowledging the Adopter

4. Remove filledbags and collected debris after each Clean-Up Activity

5. Provide safety training materialsand guidance as necessary

SECTION 6. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ADOPTER

The Adopter shall:

1. Conduct aminimum of four (4) Clean-Up Activities per year,unless otherwise specified in the CEA.

2. Ensureall volunteers comply with applicable safety rules, trafficlaws, and Program guidelines.

3. Notify the City at least seventy-two (72) hours beforeeach scheduled Clean-Up Activity

4. Keep accurate participation records if required by the City

5. Complywith all indemnification, waiver,and hold-harmless requirements set forth in the CEA.

SECTION 7. SAFETY REQUIREMENTS

AllAdopters and volunteers shall comply with mandatory safety rules provided by the City,including but not limited to wearing high-visibility vests, maintaining awareness of trafficconditions, prohibiting children under twelve (12) years of age in roadway cleanups, and adhering to weather-related precautions.

SECTION 8. TERM, RENEWAL, AND TERMINATION

A. Each CEAshall be valid for aterm of two (2) years unless otherwise stated.

B. Adopters in good standing shallhave aright of first renewal,subject to the City’sdiscretionand availabilityofAdopted Areas.

C. Either party may terminate the CEAfor convenience with thirty (30) days’ written notice.

D. The City may remove an Adopter forfailuretocomplywith Program rules, safety requirements, or obligations under the CEA.

SECTION 9. SIGNAGE AND PUBLIC RECOGNITION

Uponexecutionofa CEAand completion of the first Clean-Up Activity the City shall install asignacknowledging the Adopter.All signage shall remainthe property of the City and may be removed at any timeatthe City’sdiscretionorupon termination of the CEA.

SECTION 10. APPLICABILITY

This Ordinance applies to all municipal roadways, rights-of-way,and other areas designated by the City as eligible foradoption.

SECTION 11. EFFECTIVE DATE

This Ordinance shall become effective immediatelyupon adoption by the City Council of the City of St.George, Louisiana.

This ordinance having been submitted to avote; the vote thereon was: For: Cook, Dellucci, Edmonds, Himmel,Monachello, Murrell, Talbot Against: Absent /Abstaining /Recused: Introduced on January 13, 2026 and adopted on January 27, 2026.

Lorraine Beaman, City Clerk

Delivered to Mayor on January 28, 2026.

Lorraine Beaman, City Clerk

Approved:

Dustin Yates, Mayor

Received from Mayor on 2026

Ordinance published in The Advocateonthe day of 2026

CITY OF ST.GEORGE

BY COUNCIL MEMBER

TO REZONEA2.59-ACREPARCEL, TRACT X-1OFTHE HARELSON PROPERTY, TO LC2 (LIGHT COMMERCIAL TWO) AND TO PROVIDE FOR RELATED MATTERS (14050 TigerBend Road)

WHEREAS, an application made on behalf of PowerHouse Enterprises, LLC to rezonea2.59acretract from the B1 (Transition), R (Rural), andNC(Neighborhood Commercial) zoning districts to the LC2 (Light CommercialTwo)zoning district; and WHEREAS, the split zoning of the parcel wasthe result of a consolidation of three lots into one lot in 2015; and WHEREAS, the subject property is currently usedfor an approximately 10,800 sq. ft. commercialgym building andassociated parking andthe applicanthas indicated its desiretoconstructanaddition to the building andcontinue to operate the commercial gym; and WHEREAS, nearby properties arezonedR (Rural), C1 (Light Commercial), NC (Neighborhood Commercial), andLC1 (Light Commercial One); and WHEREAS, the proposed addition would cause the size of the building to exceed the LC1 building maximum, but the property anduse will meet alluse andbulk requirements (size, setbacks, etc.) of the LC2 zoning district; and WHEREAS, apublic hearing washeldonJanuary 5, 2026, before the City of St. George Zoning Commission, afterwhichthe Commission recommendedgranting the request to rezonethe subject property to LC2. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the St. George City Council, State of Louisiana,asfollows: Section 1: Subject Property.The Subject Property is the parcel described in Exhibit Aattached hereto andmade apart hereof.

Section 2: Rezoning.The Subject Property is hereby rezoned from the B1 (Transition), R(Rural), andNC(Neighborhood Commercial) zoning districts to the LC2 (Light CommercialTwo)zoning districttoallow the construction andoperation of an expanded commercialgym.

Section 3: Conflicts.The specifictermsand conditions of this Ordinance shall prevailagainst otherordinances of the City to the extent thatthere maybeany conflict. Except for the foregoing, the use of the subject property is subject to the terms of allapplicable ordinances and regulations of the City of St. George,including anyamendment thereto. Section 4: Severability.Ifany provision of this Ordinanceisdeclared invalid by acourt of competent jurisdiction, the otherprovisions shall remain in full force andeffect Section 5: Effective Date.This ordinanceshall be effective upon publication. This ordinance having been submitted to avote;the vote thereon was: For: Cook, Dellucci,Edmonds, Himmel, Monachello, Murrell, Talbot Against:

LorraineBeaman,City Clerk

DeliveredtoMayoronJanuary

LorraineBeaman,City Clerk

Approved:

on 2026

Ordinance published in The Advocateonthe day of 2026

EXHIBIT A TRACT X-1OFTHE HARELSON PROPERTY, IN SEC. 60, T7S, R2E, GREENSBURG LAND DISTRICT,CITY OF ST.GEORGE, EAST

Minutes of Regular Meeting of the Mayor and Council Members of the City of St.George, State of Louisiana, held on Tuesday,January 27, 2026, at 5:00 pm at the St.George Fire Dept, 14100 Airline Hwy St.George, LA 70817

I. Preliminary Business: 1. Call to Order: Mayor Dustin Yatescalledthe meeting to orderat 5:00 p.m. 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Roll Call: Present: Council Member Cook, Council Member Himmel,

4. Approval of Minutes: Motion by Council Member Murrell, seconded by Council Member Himmeltoapprove the minutesof the January 13, 2026 council meeting.

AYES: Cook, Himmel, Edmonds, Monachello, Dellucci,Talbot, Murrell NAYS: None ABSENT:

5. Presentation by Brandon Boylan on December financials.

6. Presentation by DPWdirector,Landon Tims.

7. Public safety report given by ChiefToddMorris andSargent Joshua Mitchell with Louisiana State Police.

II. New Business (Items for Public Hearing and Action)

(1)Motion by Council Member Murrell, seconded by Council Member Himmeltoapprove Ordinance Authorizingthe City of St. George to Enterinto Utility Franchise Agreements with East Baton Rouge Parish SewerSystem for the Use of Public Rights-of-Way.(Council Member Murrell) Public comment wasopened with the following speakers: Monty McNutt

AYES: Cook, Dellucci,Edmonds, Himmel, Monachello, Murrell, Talbot

NAYS: None ABSENT:

(2)Motion by Council Member Edmonds, seconded by Council Member Cook to approve Ordinancetoprovide for adoption of procedures for volunteers to maintain public properties. (Council Member Cook) Public comment wasopened with the following speakers: Jonathon Babin, Jessica

AYES: Cook, Dellucci,Edmonds, Himmel, Monachello, Murrell, Talbot

NAYS: None ABSENT:

(3)Motion by Council Member Himmel, seconded by Council Member Dellucci to defer Commission Case: T25-04 &Z25-06 -Toamend Title 7ofthe St. George Unified Development Code to change how alcoholic beverage sales land usesare allowed; rezoneall NC-AB,C-AB-1, andC-AB-2 property to otherdistricts; andtoprovide for relatedmatters for 30 days.

Zoning Commission vote: Motion to recommend approvalbyTravis Thornton; seconded by Laurie Marien.YEAS– TravisThornton, Laurie Marien,JasonMcAllister, Bobby McKey, Billy Aguillard.NAYS-0 Motion passed andT25-04 &Z25-06 wasrecommendedfor approval.

AYES: Cook, Dellucci,Edmonds, Himmel, Monachello, Murrell, Talbot NAYS: None ABSENT:

(4)Motion by Council Member Himmel, seconded by Council Member Monachello to approve Commission Case: Z-25-0100– To rezone a2.59-acreparcel on Tract X-1ofthe Harelson Property from B1 (Transition), R(Rural), NC (Neighborhood Commercial) to LC2 (Light CommercialTwo)and to provide for relatedmatters (14050 Tiger BendRd.)

Zoning Commission vote: Motion to recommend approvalbyTravis Thornton; seconded by Laurie Marien.YEAS–Travis Thornton, Laurie Marien,JasonMcAllister, Bobby McKey, Billy Aguillard.NAYS-0 Motion passed andZ-25-0100 wasrecommendedfor approval. Public comment wasopened with no speakers.

AYES: Cook, Dellucci,Edmonds, Himmel, Monachello, Murrell, Talbot

NAYS: None ABSENT:

Meeting adjournedat5:34pm.

Meeting minutesapproved on________________.

DustinYates,Mayor Attest:

Lorraine Beaman, City Clerk

175880-612960-feb3-1t

PUBLIC NOTICE

REQUISITION11297722

OFFICIAL PUBLIC NOTICE OF THE REGULARZONING MEETING OF THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL OF THEPARISHOFEAST BATONROUGE ANDTHE CITY OF BATONROUGE Notice is hereby givento allcitizensofthe City of BatonRouge,Parishof East BatonRouge andto allother interested per‐sons,ofthe introduction at theregular meetingof theMetropolitanCouncil of theCityofBaton Rougeand ParishofEast BatonRouge,heldon January14, 2026, of the proposed ordinances,the titles of whichare set forthhereinafter,and that public hearingwill be held thereonbythe Metropolitan Councilat 4:00 P.M.,Wednesday February 18, 2026, in the CouncilChambers(Room 348) on thethird ﬂoor of theCity-Parish Govern‐mental Building in this City,these proposed or‐dinances beingentitled as follows:

ORDINANCE

Amending theCompre‐hensiveZoningMap of theCityofBaton Rouge andParishofEastBaton Rouge, as containedin andmadepartofthe “Uniﬁed Development Code “, as amendedso as to change thezoning on thepropertylocated at 954and 962 Jennifer Jean DriveTorezone from LimitedResidential (A3.1) to Neighborhood Commercial(NC)on property locatedonthe northsideofJennifer Jean Drive, east of NicholsonDrive,onprop‐erty noworformerly knownasLots2 and3 of University SouthSubdivi‐sion.Section 66, T7S, R1W, GLD, EBRP,LA (Council District 12Racca) CASE 1-26

ORDINANCE

Amending theCompre‐hensiveZoningMap of theCityofBaton Rouge andParishofEastBaton Rouge, as containedin andmadepartofthe “Uniﬁed Development Code “, as amendedso as to change thezoning on thepropertylocated at 4631 Franciscan Drive To rezone from Single Family Residential(A1) andHeavy Commercial Two(HC2) to HeavyCom‐mercialTwo (HC2)on property located on the east side of Franciscan Drive, southofInterstate 10,onpropertynow or formerly knownasTract C-2ofOur Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital Section55, T7S, R1E, GLD, EBRP,LA(CouncilDistrict 11 -Adams) CASE 3-26 ORDINANCE

g (LC1) on property located on thewestsideofPlank Road,north ofThomas Road,onpropertynow or formerly knownasa por‐tion of LotA-1-A of the BrownTract.Section 53, T5S, R1E, GLD, EBRP,LA (Council District 2- Ken‐ney) CASE 4-26

ORDINANCE Amending theCompre‐hensiveZoningMap of theCityofBaton Rouge andParishofEastBaton Rouge, as containedin andmadepartofthe “Uniﬁed Development Code “, as amendedso as to change thezoning on thepropertylocated at 8150 Hooper Road To rezone from HeavyCom‐mercial(C2)toZeroLot Line Residential(A2.6)on property locatedonthe southsideofHooper Road,westofHickcock Drive, on property nowor formerly knownasTract C-1-Aofthe W.W. Hubbs Tract. Section15, T6S, R1E, GLD, EBRP,LA(Coun‐cilDistrict5 -Hurst) CASE 5-26

ORDINANCE

Amending theCompre‐hensiveZoningMap of theCityofBaton Rouge andParishofEastBaton Rouge, as containedin andmadepartofthe “Uniﬁed Development Code “, as amendedso as to change thezoning on thepropertylocated at 136 SouthAcadian ThruwayTorezonefrom LightCommercial(C1)to CommercialAlcoholic Beverage (bar and lounge) (C-AB-2) on prop‐erty locatedonthe west side of SouthAcadian Thruway, southofNorth Boulevard, on aportion of property noworfor‐merlyknown as Lots 8 and10ofOgden Park Subdivision, Square 3. Section81, T7S, R1E, GLD, EBRP,LA(CouncilDistrict 10 -Coleman) CASE 6-26

ORDINANCE

Amending theCompre‐hensiveZoningMap of theCityofBaton Rouge andParishofEastBaton Rouge, as containedin andmadepartofthe “Uniﬁed Development Code “, as amendedso as to change thezoning on thepropertylocated at 2566 68THAvenue To rezone from Single Fam‐ilyResidential (A2) to Medium DensityMultiFamily Residential(A3.2) on property locatedon thesouth sideof68thAv‐enue,westofNotting‐hamStreet,onproperty noworformerlyknown as Lot8-A of Bank Addi‐tion Subdivision. Section 37, T6S, R1W, GLD, EBRP LA (Council District 2 –Kenney) CASE 7-26

REQUISITION11297721

NOTICE OF INTENTION TO DECLAREADJUDICATED TAXPROPERTY

SURPLUS AND TO SELL SAME UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF LSAR.S. 33:4720.10 ET SEQ AND LSA-R.S. 33:4712.

Authorizing the Metropolitan Counciltodeclarethe following properties previously adjudicated to East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, surplus property, and to authorize the sale of said properties to the indicated persons, their agents or assigns for the consideration mentioned (Minimum BidAmount), or to the highest offeror who submits their offer with acertified

ORDINANCE St.James,France, and Europe Street (multiple right-of-way)Proposed revocation of portions of St.James,Franceand Eu‐rope Street rights-of-way locatedsouth of Govern‐ment Street,westofSt. PhillipStreet,adjacentto Squares4S, 5, 6, 9, 10 and 11S within Beauregard Town, Section49, T7S, R1W, GLD, EBRP,LA (Council District 10Coleman) RV-4-25 174327 Feb. 3, 10, 17, 3t $259.63

theLDWFmain ofﬁce,2000 QuailDrive, BatonRouge,LA. The public is invitedtocom‐ment on this permit re‐questfor aperiodof forty-ﬁve (45) days. Re‐h ld b

The resolution was thereupon signed by the President ProTempore, attested by theCouncil Administrator,and declaredtobe adopted. The resolution provides as follows: RESOLUTION NO. 59158

Aresolutionproviding for canvassingthe returns anddeclaringthe result of the special election held in the Downtown Development District of the City of Baton Rouge (the “District”), on Saturday,October 11,2025,for the purpose of authorizing the renewal of the levy and collection of aten (10) mills ad valorem tax, for aperiod of five (5)years,beginningwiththe tax collection for the year 2027, and annually thereafter to and including the year 2031; and providing for other matters in connection therewith.

BE IT RESOLVED by the Metropolitan Council of the Parish of East Baton Rouge and City of Baton Rouge, acting as the governing authority of the Downtown Development District of the City of Baton Rouge (the “District”):

SECTION 1. That this Metropolitan Council does now proceed in open andpublic session to open the envelope containing the official tabulations of votes cast at the special election held in the District on Saturday, October 11, 2025, for the purpose of authorizing the renewal of the levy and collection of aten (10) mills ad valoremtax,for aperiod of five (5)years beginning with the tax collection for the year 2027, and annually thereafter to and including the year 2031, to be used entirely and exclusively for the planning, development, management, operation and improvement of the facilities, public improvements and services of the District, said tabulations having been prepared and certified by the East Baton Rouge Parish Clerk of Court, and this Metropolitan Council does now further proceed to examine, count and tabulate such votes and to examine and canvass the returns and declarethe result of the special election.

SECTION 2. That aProces Verbal of the canvassofthe returns of said special election shall be made and that acertified copythereof shall be forwarded to the Secretary of State, BatonRouge, Louisiana, who shall recordthe same in her office; that another certified copy thereof shall be forwarded to the Clerk of Courtand Ex-Officio Recorder of Mortgages in and for the Parish of East Baton Rouge (the “Parish”), who shall recordthe same in the Mortgage Records of the Parish; and that another copy thereof shall be retained in the archives of the Metropolitan Council.

SECTION 3. That the results of said special election shall be promulgated by publication in the manner provided by law,after receipt from the Secretary of State’soffice of the actual cost of holding the said special election, as required by La. R.S. 18:1292(B)(2).

SECTION 4. This resolution shalltakeeffect immediately

This resolution having been submitted to avote, the vote thereon was as follows: YEAS: Laurie Adams, Denise Amoroso, Carolyn Coleman, Rowdy Gaudet, Twahna P. Harris, Dwight Hudson, Darryl Hurst, Anthony Kenney,Aaron Moak, BrandonNoel, Jennifer Racca NAYS: None

ABSENT:Cleve Dunn, Jr

ABSTAIN: None

Done, approved and adopted on this, the 14th day of January,2026. By: /s/ Ashley Beck

By: /s/ Brandon Noel Council Administrator President ProTempore

STATEOFLOUISIANA PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE

I, ASHLEY BECK, certify that Iamthe duly qualified and acting Council Administrator of the Metropolitan Council of the Parish of East Baton Rouge and City of Baton Rouge, the governing authority of the Downtown Development District of the City of Baton Rouge.

Ifurther certify that the above and foregoing is atrueand correct copy of an excerpt from the minutes of ameeting of said MetropolitanCouncil held on January 14, 2026, providing for canvassing the returns anddeclaringthe result of the special election held in the Downtown Development District of the City of Baton Rouge (the “District”), on Saturday,October 11,2025,for the purpose of authorizing the renewal of the levy and collection of aten (10) mills ad valorem tax, for aperiod of five (5)years,beginningwiththe tax collection for the year 2027, and annually thereafter to and including the year 2031; andproviding for other matters in connection therewith. IN FAITH WHEREOF,witness my official signatureand the impress of theofficial seal of said City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, on this, the 14th day of January, 2026. /s/Ashley Beck Ashley Beck,Council Administrator (SEAL)

PROCES VERBAL

PROCES VERBALAND PROCLAMATION OF THE CANVASS OF THE

VOTES CAST AT THE SPECIALELECTION HELD IN THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT OF THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2025.

BE IT KNOWN ANDREMEMBERED that on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at four o’clock (4:00) p.m., in the Council Chambers, City Hall, Third Floor,Room 348, 222 St. Louis Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, its regular meeting place, the Metropolitan Council of the ParishofEastBaton Rouge and City of Baton Rouge, acting as the governing authority of the Downtown Development District of the City of Baton Rouge (the “District”), and being the authority ordering the special election held in the District, on Saturday, October 11, 2025, with the following members present: Council Members:Laurie Adams,DeniseAmoroso, Carolyn Coleman, Rowdy Gaudet, Twahna P. Harris,Dwight Hudson, DarrylHurst, Anthony Kenney,Aaron Moak, Brandon Noel, Jennifer Racca.

Therebeing absent: Cleve Dunn, Jr. did, in open and public session, open the envelope containing the official tabulations of votescastatthe said special election as prepared and certified by the East Baton Rouge ParishClerk of Court, and did examine, count and tabulate such votes, and did examine and canvassthe returns of the said special election, therehaving been submittedatsaid special election the following proposition, to wit:

PROPOSITION

Shall the Metropolitan Council of the ParishofEastBaton Rouge and City of Baton Rouge, acting as governing authority of the Downtown Development District of the City of Baton Rouge, be authorized to renew the levy and collection of aten (10) mills ad valorem tax on all property subject to taxation within the boundaries of the Downtown Development District of the City of Baton Rouge (the “Tax”) (an estimated $741,390 is reasonably expected at this time to be collected from the levy of the Taxfor an entireyear), for aperiod of five (5) years,beginning with the tax collection for the year 2027, and annually thereafter to and including the year 2031, and shall the proceeds of said Tax(after paying the reasonable and necessary expensesofcollecting and administering the Tax, if any), be usedentirely and exclusively for the planning, development, management, operation and improvement of the facilities,public improvements and services of the Downtown Development District of the City of Baton Rouge?

Pursuant to the requirements of La. R.S. 18:1285, aNotice of Special Election was publishedin The Advocate on the following dates:Thursday August7,2025, Thursday,August 14, 2025, Thursday,August 21, 2025 and Thursday,August 28, 2025. The Notice of Special Election has been attached hereto as ExhibitA and the proof of publications has been attached hereto as Exhibit B, in accordancewith the requirements of La. R.S. 18:1293. Therewas found by said count and canvassthat the following votes had been castatthe said election FOR and AGAINST,respectively,the

Noel Ashley Beck,Brandon Noel, Council Administrator President ProTempore

EXHIBIT A NOTICE OF SPECIAL ELECTION (On file with the Metropolitan Council) EXHIBIT B PROOF OF PUBLICATIONS (On file with the Metropolitan Council)

PROCLAMATION

I, BRANDON NOEL, the undersigned President ProTemporeofthe Metropolitan Council of the ParishofEast Baton Rouge and City of Baton Rouge, the governing authority of the Downtown DevelopmentDistrict of the City of Baton Rouge (the District”), do hereby declare, proclaim and announce the result of the special election

DadriusLanus,Carla Powell Lewis, and Michael Others Present: LaMont Cole,Superintendent; Adam Smith, Deputy Su‐perintendent;Gwynn ShamlinJr.,General Counsel; CatashaEd‐wards, ChiefAcademic Officer; Taylor Gast,Ad‐ministrative Director of Communications;Amy Jones, ChiefTechnology Officer; Lisa Smothers ChiefOfficer-HumanRe‐sources; JamesCrochet ChiefBusinessOpera‐tionsOfficer; John Mc‐Cann,Interim ChiefOper‐ations Officer; Kelly Lopez, ChiefFinancial Of‐ficer; LauraWilliams ChiefofSchools; Kwesi Gilbert, ChiefofPlant Op‐erations;StaceyDupre ChiefofSupport and SpecialProjects; Tiffany Jenkins, ChiefStudent Services Officer

B. Minutes 1. MeetingMinutes Approval of theSchool Boardminutes of theNo‐vember 6, 2025, Commit‐teeofthe Wholemeet‐ing, andthe November 20, 2025, RegularBoard meeting, as publishedin theOfﬁcial Journal. Movedby: PatrickMartin Seconded by:Cliff Lewis Yea Mark Bellue Shashonnie Steward, CliffLewis,NathanRust, EmilySoulé,and Patrick Martin Motion Carries6-0

C. InformationOnly 1. MonthlyFinancial Re‐port

2. PersonnelChanges

D. Receiveas Information

1. Update from theSu‐perintendent E. ReportsfromBoard Appointees to Commit‐tees/Agencies

F. Itemsfor Consideration

1. StudentExpulsion Discussion/Considera‐tion of arequest to ap‐peal astudent expulsion. Motion to hear theap‐peal at theJanuary Regu‐larMeeting

Movedby: PatrickMartin Seconded by:Nathan Rust

3. Superintendent PerformanceEvaluation Discussion regardingthe resultsofthe Superinten‐dent's performanceeval‐uation for2025. G. Organizational Items 1. Announcementof Meetings H. Adjournment Therebeing no further business, theBoard ad‐journedbyacclamation

LaMont Cole

Secretary/Treasurer EBRP School Board

Shashonnie Steward School BoardPresident 176019 Feb. 3, 1t $53.96

PUBLIC NOTICE East BatonRouge Parish School System SpecialMeetingDec152025 Minutes Monday,December15, 2025 at 5:00 PM 1050 SouthFosterDrive BatonRouge,LA70806 A. MeetingOpening 1. Invocation andPledge of Allegiance TheInvocationwas led by School BoardPresi‐dent Shashonnie Stew‐ard, andthe Pledge of Al‐legiance wasled by School BoardVice-Presi‐dent MichaelGaudet. 2. Call to Orderand Roll Call Themeetingwas called to orderbyBoard Presi‐dent Stewardat5:10PM. MembersPresent: Mark Bellue,Dadrius Lanus

Gilbert, ChiefofPlant Op‐erations B. Itemsfor Consideration 1. Contract Renewal: GeneralCounsel Motion to renewGeneral Counsel’s(GwynnSham‐lin) employment con‐tract.

Movedby: CarlaPowellLewis Seconded by:CliffLewis Yea DadriusLanus,Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Steward, CliffLewis,and MichaelGaudet Nay Mark Bellue,Emily Soulé, andPatrick Martin Motion Carries5-3

C. Next Meeting Dates/Announcements 1. Announcementof Meetings

D. Adjournment

Therebeing no further business, theBoard ad‐journedbyacclamation

LaMont Cole Secretary/Treasurer EBRP School Board Shashonnie Steward School BoardPresident 176032 Feb. 3, 1t $31.72

StoreLicense Tax (Mayor)(Introduced 1/13/2026)

Ordinance2026-5Alco‐holicBeverageTax (Mayor)(Introduced 1/13/2026)

Ordinance2026-7, an or‐dinancetoamend,sup‐plementand re-enact City of BakerCodeofOr‐dinances ArticleV,Sec‐tion 44 concerning Civic Center andMunicipal Building lease/rent fees andtoprovide forother mattersregarding the same (Mayor)(Intro‐duced1/13/2026) Ordinances canbe viewed in full at City Hall 3325 Groom Road,Baker Louisiana70714, Monday throughThurs‐dayfrom7:00a.m 5:30 p.m.

In accordance with the rulesofconduct of the BakerCityCouncil meet‐ings,any person desiring to be heardrelativeto anyofthese ordinances andmatters forpublic hearingmay contactthe Clerkofthe BakerCity Council, City of Baker, Louisiana, P. O. Box707, Baker, Louisiana, 70704-0707, in writing, andanopportunitywill be offeredtospeak dur‐ingthispublichearing In accordance with the Americans with Disabili‐ties Act, if youneed spe‐cial assistance,please contactAshleyWilliams at 225-778-0300, describ‐ingthe assistance that is necessary. Angela Canady Wall, LCMC,Clerk of Council City of Baker, Louisiana cc: Mayorand Council Members Department Heads City Attorney Advocate 175878-feb3-1t $35.77

AmyJones,Chief Technology Ofﬁcer; LauraWilliams,Chief of Schools; andKwesi

2. StudentExpulsion Discussion/Considera‐tion of arequest to ap‐l d l i q p peal astudentexpulsion Boardindicated atechni‐calissuewithreviewing the ﬁle.The matterwill be resetonthe January RegularMeeting.

MINUTES CITY COUNCIL MEETING CITY OF BAKER PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE STATEOFLOUISIANA COUNCIL CHAMBERS 3325 GROOM ROAD, BAKER, LOUISIANA 70714 www.youtube.com/@bakerforward January 27, 2026 -6:00 p.m.

TheCity Council of the City of Baker,Louisiana, metinregular session on January 27, 2026, with the following members in attendance at the meeting:

MAYOR Darnell Waites COUNCIL MEMBERS Desiree Collins Cedric Murphy Dr.Charles Vincent Robert Young

ABSENT Rochelle Dunn

CALL TO ORDER –Mayor Waites presided.

The invocation was given by Council Member Murphy

ThePledge of Allegiance was led by Council Member Vincent. Public comments will be allowed on all agenda items. Such comments shall not exceed 3minutes and shall be confined to the agenda item and any proposed disposition thereof.***

DISPOSITION OF THE MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

The motion was made by Council Member Vincent, seconded by Council Member Murphy to approve the minutes of the meeting held on January 13, 2026.

The mayor called for public comments or questions.

Vote was called for YEAS: Collins, Murphy,Vincent, Young NAYS: None

ABSENT:Dunn

ABSTAIN: None

The motion passed with avote of 4-0.

RECOGNITIONS

PLANNING AND ZONING MATTERS

RESOLUTIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS

1. Proclamation declaring February 2026 Heart Month in the City of Baker (Vincent)

The proclamation was read by Angela Machen.

The motion was made by Council Member Vincent, seconded by Council Members Collins/Young to accept the proclamation.

Themayor called for public comments or questions.

Vote was called for YEAS: Collins, Murphy,Vincent, Young NAYS: None

ABSENT:Dunn

ABSTAIN: None The motion passed with avote of 4-0.

2. Proclamation declaring February 2026 National Cancer Prevention Month in the City of Baker (Vincent) The proclamation was read by Angela Machen.

The motion was made by Council Member Vincent, seconded by Council Member Collins to accept the proclamation.

The mayor called for public comments or questions.

Vote was called for YEAS: Collins, Murphy,Vincent, Young NAYS: None

ABSENT:Dunn

ABSTAIN: None The motion passed with avote of 4-0.

The mayor asked that all remaining agenda items be tabled until the next meeting due to the weather

The motion was made by Council Member Vincent, seconded by Council Member Murphy to table all remainingagenda items until the next meeting.

The mayorcalled for public comments or questions.

Vote was called for

YEAS: Collins, Murphy,Vincent, Young

NAYS: None

ABSENT:Dunn

ABSTAIN: None The motion passed with avote of 4-0.

NEW BUSINESS

PUBLIC MEETING

1. Adopt Ordinance 2026-1Sales &Use Tax(Mayor)

NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING City of Baker, Louisiana In accordance with the Open Meetings Lawat R.S. 42:26,etseq TheMayor andCouncil of theCityofBaker Louisiana, will meet on February 10, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at theBaker City Hall in theCouncil Cham‐bers,3325 Groom Road, Baker, Louisiana70714 andvia www.youtube com/@bakerforward, at whichtimea public meetingwillbeheldfor adoption of thefollow‐ing: Ordinance2026-1Sales & UseTax (Mayor)(Intro‐duced1/13/2026) Ordinance2026-2Insur‐ance LicenseTax (Mayor) (Introduced1/13/2026) Ordinance2026-3Occu‐pational LicenseTax (Mayor)(Introduced 1/13/2026) Ordinance2026-4Chain SUBSCRIBE TODAY

3. Adopt Ordinance 2026-3 Occupational License Tax(Mayor) (Introduced 1/13/2026)

4. Adopt Ordinance 2026-4 Chain StoreLicense Tax(Mayor) (Introduced 1/13/2026)

5. Adopt Ordinance 2026-5 Alcoholic Beverage Tax(Mayor) (Introduced 1/13/2026)

6. Adopt Ordinance 2026-7, an ordinance to amend, supplement and re-enact City of Baker Code of Ordinances Article V, Section44 concerning Civic Center and Municipal Building lease/rent fees and to provide for other matters regarding the same (Mayor) (Introduced 1/13/2026)

ANNOUNCEMENTS/COMMENTS

1. The Rotary Club of Baker in partnershipwith the City of Baker offers free ACT prep on Mondays at 6:30 in the meeting room at the municipal center (Collins)

2. February Black History Monthprogram at the Baker Branch Library etc. (Vincent)

APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS

ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS

CONDEMNATIONS

REPORTS ON BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS

1. Planning and Zoning Commission

2. Annexation Review Committee

3. Economic Development Team

4. HeritageMuseum/Related Committees

5. ABC Board 6. Other Special Committees

a. Buffalo Festival b. Prayer Breakfast

c. Strategic Planning Committee

d. Citizens AdvisoryBoardtoLaw Enforcement

e. Main Street District Committee

ADJOURN

The motionwas made by CouncilMember Vincent seconded by Council

Member Murphy to adjourn.

YEAS: Collins, Murphy,Vincent, Young

NAYS: None

ABSENT: Dunn

ABSTAIN: None

The motionpassed with avoteof4-0.

CITY OF BAKER

PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE

STATEOFLOUISIANA

I, Angela Canady Wall, certify that IamClerk of the Councilfor the City of Baker,Louisiana, and that the above and foregoing is acopy of the minutes of aregular meeting of the Councilfor the City of Baker,Louisiana held on January 27, 2026.

Angela Canady Wall, LCMC Clerk of Counci

MINUTES

BOARDOFCOMMISSIONERS

CITY OF BAKER

NORMAN E. “PETE” HEINE MEMORIAL GARDENS

PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE

STATEOFLOUISIANA 3325 GROOM ROAD

BAKER,LA70714 January 27, 2026

The City Councilofthe City of Baker,Louisiana, sitting as the Board of Commissioners for Norman E. “Pete” Heine Memorial Gardens, met in regular session on January27, 2026, with the following members in attendance at the meeting:

COMMISSIONERS

DesireeCollins CedricMurphy Dr.Charles Vincent DarnellWaites RobertYoung

ABSENT Rochelle Dunn

CALL TO ORDER –Commissioner Waites presided.

DISPOSITION OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

The meeting was called to order and the motionwas made by Commissioner Waites, seconded by Commissioner Vincent to approve theminutes of the meeting held on January 13, 2026. Commissioner Waites called forpublic comments or questions.

Vote was called for YEAS: Collins, Murphy,Vincent, Waites, Young

NAYS: None

ABSENT: Dunn

ABSTAIN: None

The motionpassed by avoteof5-0.

PUBLIC NOTICE

NEW BUSINESS

OTHER NECESSARYBUSINESS

1. Monthly Business Report

2. OtherReports

3. Items Requiring Action

ADJOURN There wasnootherbusiness to come beforethe commission. The motion wasmadebyCommissionerWaites, seconded by CommissionerVincent to adjourn

CommissionerWaitescalledfor public comments or questions. The meeting wasadjourned.

CITYOFBAKER PARISH OF EASTBATON ROUGE STATEOFLOUISIANA

I, Angela Canady Wall, certify thatIamClerk of the Council for the City of Baker,Louisiana,and thatthe aboveand foregoing is acopy of the minutesofa regularmeeting of the BoardofCommissioners for the NormanE.“Pete”Heine Memorial GardensheldonJanuary 27, 2026.

Angela Canady Wall, LCMC

Clerk of Council

MINUTES BOARDOFCOMMISSIONERS

BAKER CONSOLIDATED UTILITIES SYSTEM CITYOFBAKER PARISH OF EASTBATON ROUGE STATEOFLOUISIANA 3325 GROOM ROAD BAKER, LA 70714 January 27, 2026

The City Council of the City of Baker, Louisiana,sitting as the Board of Commissioners for the Baker ConsolidatedUtilitiesSystem, met in regular session on January 27, 2026, with the following members attending: COMMISSIONERS DesireeCollins Cedric Murphy Dr.Charles Vincent Darnell Waites Robert Young

ABSENT Rochelle Dunn

CALL TO ORDER –CommissionerWaitespresided.

DISPOSITION OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

The meeting wascalledtoorder andthe motion wasmade by CommissionerWaites, seconded by Commissioners Murphy/Vincent to approve the minutesofthe meeting held on January 13, 2026. CommissionerWaitescalledfor public comments or questions.

Vote wascalledfor YEAS: Collins, Murphy, Vincent, Waites, Young NAYS: None

ABSENT:Dunn

ABSTAIN: None

The motion passedbya vote of 5-0.

PUBLIC NOTICE

NEW BUSINESS

OTHER NECESSARYBUSINESS

1. Monthly Business Report

2. OtherReports

3. Items Requiring Action

ADJOURN There wasnootherbusiness to come beforethe commission.The motion wasmade by CommissionerWaites, seconded by Commissioners Murphy/Vincenttoadjourn

YEAS: Collins, Murphy, Vincent, Waites, Young NAYS: None

ABSENT:Dunn

ABSTAIN: None

The motion passedbya vote of 5-0.

CITYOFBAKER PARISH OF EASTBATON ROUGE

STATEOFLOUISIANA

I, Angela Canady Wall, certify thatI am Clerk of the Council for the City of Baker,Louisiana,and thatthe above andforegoing is acopy of the minutesofa regularmeeting of the BoardofCommissioners of the Baker ConsolidatedUtility SystemheldonJanuary 27, 2026.

Angela Canady Wall, LCMC

Clerk of Council