Members of a survey crew work in the 400 block of Johnston Street on July 1 in Lafayette. Lafayette Consolidated Government began lane closures June 30 to allow crews to collect data for the Johnston Street Segment 3 Improvement Project, a roadwork initiative addressing drainage, utilities and traffic infrastructure. Mayor-President Monique Boulet’s proposed budget would dedicate funds for critical repairs to Lafayette’s aging infrastructure.
Plan includes better drainage for older neighborhoods, recreation improvements
BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer
The proposed $830 million operating and capital budget for Lafayette and Lafayette Parish would dedicate $28.9 million to neighborhood drainage improvements, $4.6 million to recreation facility improvements and $750,000 to design the widening of East Broussard Road.
Lafayette Parish MayorPresident Monique Boulet on Tuesday presented the city and parish councils with her proposed budget for the fiscal year that runs from Nov 1 through Oct 31, 2027.
The councils will meet sev-
eral times in August to review the budget and propose changes. A public hearing is scheduled for Aug. 18 and final adoption is set for Sept. 10.
Boulet, in a news release, said the budget continues her administration’s emphasis on strategically investing in priorities that shape Lafayette’s infrastructure: keeping Lafayette moving, building for growth, protecting communities and strengthening everyday quality of life. If the budget is approved by the councils, Lafayette Consolidated Government employees would receive a 3% pay raise in 2026-27 and another 3% raise in 2027-28. The raise would
cost $8 million but would partially be offset by lower retirement spending due to rate cuts and lower mandatory government contributions.
Police and firefighters would receive a $3,000 pay raise spread over two years. Boulet is proposing critical repairs to Lafayette’s aging infrastructure that can increase construction costs. As major roadways are improved, she wrote in her budget message, she plans to modernize all nearby infrastructure, including drainage, electric grids, pedestrian and bike safety Johnston Street, the Interstate 49 Lafayette Connector,
University Avenue, College Road, the Oil District, Duhon Road and La. 89 are among the investments proposed in the 2026-27 budget.
The proposed budget also includes money to target congestion in some of the busiest parts of the city and parish, Boulet wrote. This includes $750,000 to start plans to widen East Broussard Road and $250,000 to upgrade traffic signals.
As several LCG mega flood projects conclude Bayou Vermilion Flood Control project, and Homewood and Coulee Ille Des Cannes detention
Entergy joins more than 220 companies in AI power pledge
Measure seeks to shield ratepayers from data center needs
BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer
tomers the increased costs for producing more electricity to fuel artificial intelligence data centers, President Donald Trump announced Thursday Gov Jeff Landry, Entergy CEO Drew Marsh and Richland Parish schools Superintendent Sheldon Jones all attended the ceremony in Washington, D.C., where Trump made the announcement
BY JOHN SIMERMAN, JAMES FINN and MATT BRUCE Staff writers
that I’m a criminal because everybody told them I was,” Murrill said in a lengthy interview Thursday a day after special prosecutor Laurie White dismissed the 16-count indictment that lit a political firestorm in Louisiana. The Republican
BY KRISTIN ASKELSON and JOEL THOMPSON Staff writers
St Landry Parish President Jessie Bellard said Thursday the parish is reversing its decision to end animal control services after an outpouring of public support and offers of assistance from nonprofit organizations. Bellard announced in a video posted to the parish government’s Facebook page that he is rescinding Wednesday’s decision, which would have ended animal control services effective immediately He said the announcement prompted residents and nonprofit groups to step forward with offers to
Illinois to annually honor Chicago teen Emmett Till
CHICAGO Illinois will annually honor Emmett Till, the Black teenager from Chicago whose 1955 murder galvanized the Civil Rights Movement and became a glaring example of failures in the justice system, under a new law Gov JB Pritzker signed Thursday
“Every policy that advances justice passed, every bill signed, every monument built, is in the spirit of the legacy of accountability and progress, every inch of which was fought for, often with blood,” Pritzker said. “Today we are building on that legacy.”
Speakers on Thursday at the Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ in Bronzeville, the location of Till’s funeral that in 2023 became a national landmark dedicated to Till and his mother, said the annual commemoration on Till’s birthday, July 25, will serve as a reminder of both the nation’s past moral failures and the possibility of working for a better future.
Till, who was in Mississippi visiting relatives, was abducted and killed in August 1955 after he reportedly whistled at a white woman shopkeeper Carolyn Bryant. He was 14 years old.
A jury of all White men found her husband, Roy Bryant, and his half-brother J.W Milam not guilty after just more than an hour of deliberation on Sept. 23, 1955. The pair confessed to killing Till months later in an article in Look magazine.
Alligator Alcatraz era formally ends in Florida
MIAMI Miami-Dade has resumed control of the former Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention camp, returning to the county a remote airfield previously used as a small airport for training landings and takeoffs, the county’s Aviation Department confirmed on Thursday
The news comes roughly a year after Gov Ron DeSantis seized the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport from Miami-Dade under emergency powers he claimed for himself based upon what he deemed a statewide crisis from illegal immigration. His administration converted the airfield into a temporary detention camp for people accused of federal immigration violations, a move the county criticized but did not fight in court.
Florida began moving detainees out of the camp weeks ago and on June 25 DeSantis made it official by holding a press conference at the site saying the detention facility had officially closed. That made it a matter of time before his administration formally turned the property back over to the county, and on Thursday a spokesperson for Miami-Dade’s Aviation Department confirmed the moment had arrived.
While Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said she’d like to see the airport and the roughly 20,000 acres of countyowned wetlands around it be converted into a federal park, that plan would require Florida’s cooperation and multiple regulatory and financial hoops.
Secret Service agent put on leave after leaks
A Secret Service agent assigned to protect Vice President JD Vance has reportedly been put on administrative leave amid an investigation into leaks of embarrassing information about his “inappropriate” travel requests.
The unnamed agent is suspected of being the anonymous source who revealed grousing among Vance’s team over his last-minute and questionable travel like using a Marine Two chopper for house-hunting trips in rural Virginia where the second family have found an expansive property to live part time.
The Secret Service and the FBI are investigating the leak which could be considered to be an unauthorized disclosure of operational details about its protection of Vance and his family
The most eye-catching claim in the original leaked story was that Vance planned to use the chopper for a golf lesson for his son at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. The trip was scrapped due to bad weather
BY PAUL WISEMAN and MAE ANDERSON AP business writers
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is going ahead with new double-digit tariffs on dozens of U.S. trading partners just as the clock runs out Friday on stopgap levies he imposed after a stinging defeat at the Supreme Court.
The United States will slap taxes of 10% to 12.5% on imports from 60 countries accounting for 99% of U.S. imports, charging that they have inadequately enforced bans on goods produced by forced labor
“The United States has had a forced labor import ban for nearly a century, and rigorously enforces it; it’s well past time for our trading partners to do the same,” said U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer “Today’s action will begin to correct what is both a human
rights abuse and distortive trade practice to improve the welfare of workers everywhere.
The new tariffs will take effect just as temporary 10% worldwide tariffs expire. Trump had turned to those temporary levies after the Supreme Court struck down his biggest and boldest tariffs in February
Now he’s tapping more durable tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which permits the president to impose import taxes and other sanctions against countries found to engage in “unjustifiable,” “unreasonable” or “discriminatory” trade practices.
Trump used Section 301 to impose big tariffs on China in his first term, and they survived court challenges
More Section 301 tariffs are likely coming: The U.S. Trade Representative’s office has launched a probe into whether 16 countries
— accounting for 70% of U.S imports — have overproduced goods, pushing down prices and putting U.S. companies at a disadvantage in global markets. The administration has yet to complete that investigation.
Trump, who argues that high tariffs will revive American manufacturing, last year overturned decades of U.S. policy that favored lower tariffs and ever-freer trade. Invoking the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), he imposed double-digit tariffs on imports from almost every country on Earth, saying America’s longstanding trade deficit amounted to a national emergency But the Supreme Court ruled that IEEPA did not authorize tariffs. The decision forced the administration to pay refunds to importers that had paid the tariffs. In response, Trump announced
Protesters crash news conference, politicians call for transparency
BY SCOTT BAUER Associated Press
MADISON, Wis. — Protesters burst into a Thursday news conference about the police shooting of a homeless man in Madison, taking the microphone from the police chief and arguing with some attendees who said they wanted to hear more about the investigation.
The group of roughly 20 protesters burst into the room at the Madison police station, shortly after Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and Common Council
President Sabrina Madison identified the man killed by police as Corey Ruiz, a homeless resident.
Ruiz was shot and killed Wednesday after police said he resisted arrest and injured an officer with a knife.
Police Chief John Patterson stepped away from the microphone when the protesters were shouting, and one man in the group took his spot at the podium. The event quickly devolved into a shouting match
One protester held a sign saying “Corrupt cops deserve to die too!!!” Moments earlier, the mayor said the shooting will be “rigorously investigated.”
“It does not matter who you are or what your past is, you should not lose your life as a result of an encounter with law enforcement,” Satya Rhodes-Conway said. Madison, for her part, said “Corey could have been my brother because my brother is homeless and he often rides a bike.”
Once the protesters quieted down, the chief resumed his presentation, promising his department’s full cooperation with the state investigation.
Police have released few details
The shooting has roiled Wisconsin’s capital city, with Gov Tony Evers calling for “transparency and accountability” and Madison community members gathering Thursday at a growing memorial.
None of the four officers who were detaining the man wore body cameras, but passersby recorded the confrontation on video, and accused the officers of overreacting.
“I thought, ‘Holy cow — what could have warranted that?’ It looked to me like they had him under control,” David OrtizWhittingham, who saw officers swarming and heard the gunshots, said Thursday.
“Even now, knowing about the knife, did he have to die for it? Could this have been de-escalated without him losing his life?”
The police chief released few details
Thursday, saying the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation into the officer-involved shooting must run its course.
Chief urges caution on conclusions
Patterson has urged caution in reading too much from the cellphone videos. He said none show the perspective of the officers, and additional video that hasn’t been released is being reviewed.
The officer who fired his weapon is a veteran of the force, the chief said. He and the three other responding officers will be placed on administrative leave pending an independent investigation.
Patterson said police were responding to calls that someone was attempting to enter parked vehicles, and the suspect fled on a bike before the officers surrounded him One deployed a taser but failed to control the man, Patterson said.
In the videos circulating online, the man can be seen standing before he’s brought to his knees as the officers struggle to force him into a prone position. Then he falls quickly to the pavement after what sounds like three gunshots, and seems motionless as the officers handcuff him behind his back. Arriving officers then escort one of the officers a short distance away
Questions about race, technology
The race of the officer who fired his gun on Wednesday and that of the man he killed were not released by police.
But Black advocacy groups, protesters and politicians spoke out against the crime and said they believe the man was Black.
The shooting also focused attention on the Madison Police Department’s lack of body-worn cameras. The force of around 500 is among the largest in the Midwest that doesn’t use the devices.
Madison said Thursday that she expects a police request for $400,000 to be approved, enabling the cameras to be phased in over the next three years Others lamented that cameras aren’t already being used.
10% worldwide tariffs under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. But he can only use Section 122 levies for 150 days; time runs out on them Friday
The administration initially proposed the forced labor tariffs last month. Since then, some countries have tightened forced labor enforcement and qualified for lower tariffs, said a senior administration official who spoke under condition of anonymity For example, the official said, the tariff on imports from India initially was set at 12.5% but now will be 10%.
Some products — including oil and gas and fertilizer — are exempted from the new tariffs announced Thursday. Also being spared are products that qualify for duty-free status under the USMexico-Canada Agreement, the North American trade pact Trump negotiated in his first term.
BY MATTHEW PERRONE Associated Press
WASHINGTON A panel of federal health advisers on Thursday narrowly recommended easing access to several peptides popular with wellness influencers and celebrities, despite warnings from government scientists that the chemicals haven’t been shown safe or effective.
In a series of votes, outside experts to the Food and Drug Administration advised the agency to drop current restrictions barring pharmacies from producing injectable peptides with names like BPC-157, TB-500 and KPV
The panel’s vote is not binding but is likely to embolden Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has described himself as a “big fan” of peptides and vowed to overturn FDA restrictions put in place under President Joe Biden.
Across several votes, the panelists voted 8-6, with one abstention, in favor of putting the peptides on FDA’s list of substances considered safe for pharmacy
compounding. If FDA follows that advice, telehealth companies are expected to ramp up marketing of the chemicals for wellness and cosmetic uses. Before the meeting, more than a half-dozen people with connections to the peptide industry were added to the panel, including doctors, pharmacists or consultants who work in the field. “I voted yes because it’s time to put this decision back in the hands of the patient, the physician and the pharmacist,” said David Pope, chief pharmacy officer of Xifin Pharmacy Solutions, after the vote on BPC-157.
The panel will vote Friday on three more peptides The positive votes came despite highly critical reviews from FDA staff scientists, who said there was little data that BPC157, TB-500 and the other chemicals can be safely used for medical purposes. Panel members with backgrounds in academia, rather than peptides, mostly voted against the substances, which are widely advertised on social media.
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BY ELENA BECATOROS, FATMA KHALED andCOLLIN BINKLEY Associated Press
CAIRO— Yemen’sIran-backed
Houthi rebels said they attacked twoSaudi oiltankers in theRed SeaonThursday,potentially widening the Iran war as international oiltopped $100 abarrel.
The Houthis have threatenedto shut down another key trade route, with the world economyalready reeling from Iran’sclosureofthe Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile,Iran and the U.S. have steppeduptheir attacks as they vie for control of the strait, through which afifth of the world’soil andgas transited in peacetime, setting off ascramble for alternativeroutes.
As the U.S. carried outa12th night of strikes across Iran, President Donald Trump threatened “major military punishment” against the Houthis if their attacks on ships continue.
“Iftheydothisagain, the U.S. will hold Iran responsible, in that the Houthis are aSurrogate and/or Proxy of Iran, and major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis,
Iraq’sPrime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, center,reviews an honor guard as he is welcomed by the Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, left, during his official welcoming ceremony in Tehran on Thursday
themselves,” Trump wrote on social media.
Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi of Iraq,whichhas close tiestoboth theU.S. and Iran, was in Tehran on Thursday to call for peace and dialogue, and he promised not to allow Iraqiterritory to be used for attacksonIran,his office said. AlZaidi metwith Trumpearlier this monthinWashington.
An Arab diplomat said Gulf
states areincreasingly pessimisticaboutfinding an off-ramp.The diplomat,speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, said regional countries like Pakistan andTurkey continue to push for de-escalation.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterreswarned Thursday that the region is beingpulled“intoan ever-widening circle of confrontation” with one crisis feeding anoth-
er and every escalation triggering thenext.
‘Doublewhammy’ on oil
TheHouthis’ SABA news agency saidthe rebels hadstrucktwo tankers, the Encelia and the Layla, in the RedSea, leading to fires on both. There were no reports of casualties.
Bab el-Mandeb, at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is avital shipping chokepoint connecting the RedSea to the Gulf of Aden. Around 12% of the world’s trade, including afourth of global container traffic, passes through there, moving between Europeand Asia via Egypt’sSuez Canal.
TheHouthi attacksput at risk oil shipments from Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu port on the Red Sea and present a“double whammy” on top of thedisruption in the Strait of Hormuz, said maritime data andanalysis firm Lloyd’sList Intelligence.
Saudi Arabiahas diverted millions of barrels aday of oil exports to Yanbu via an overlandpipeline as the warhas bottled up the Persian Gulf.
The Houthi threat “raises questionsonthe viability of this route,” Lloyd’ssaidinslides accompanying an online webinar Thursday
Both sidesdig in over strait
Iran says it has the right to manage traffic and potentially charge fees in the Strait of Hormuz, which wasopen to all and toll-free before thewar.Ithas attacked ships using aroute through the strait that is overseen by U.S. forces andintended to be outsideTehran’scontrol.
In response to Iran’sattacks, the U.S. began the widening campaign of strikes across Iran and restored anaval blockadeofIran’sports. U.S. Central Command said it has redirected 12 commercial vessels and disabled one since the blockade resumed nine days ago.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would adopt an “eye for an eye” policy on U.S. strikes against its infrastructure. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio retorted that Trump’spolicy is “a head foraneye.”
“The price will continue to get higher every single night until they come to their senses,” Rubio told reporters while traveling in the Philippines for aregional summit.
Iran’shealth ministry said Thursday that 55 people have been killed and 629 have been wounded since renewed U.S. airstrikes began on June 27.
BY AAMER MADHANI, COLLIN BINKLEY andMICHELLE L. PRICE Associated Press
WASHINGTON PresidentDonald Trump on Thursday appeared to add acondition to the newly signed agreementwith Saudi Arabia for acivilian nuclear program,saying the deal would require the kingdom to normalize its relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords.
When the deal was announced Wednesday,neither the U.S.Energy Department nor the Saudi government made any mention of it being contingent on the kingdom’s relations with Israel Trump’ssocialmedia post aday later asserting thatthe agreement was subject to the Saudis joining the accords was unexpected and almost certain to complicate any final
approval. The accords approved in 2020 expanded the number of Arab andMuslim-majority nationswith diplomatic tieswith Israel.
Getting Saudi Arabia to join wouldbeamonumental diplomatic achievement.The Saudis have previously made clear that normalizing relations with Israel would first require theestablishment of aclear path for Palestinian statehood.
IsraeliPrimeMinister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejectedthe idea of Palestinian statehood as being untenable for his country’ssecurity
The Republican president also said the pactdoes not allow for enrichment of uranium. Nonproliferationexperts have raised concerns that the deal fails to include guardrails to prevent enrichment of uranium to weapons-grade levels.
Trump said the agreement “will be approved, but is totally subject
to SaudiArabiajoining thevery respectedand successfulAbraham Accords.”
When asked by areporter why thecondition was not mentioned in the initial announcement, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president was the “final dealmaker” and has called on Saudi Arabia to join the accords “on numerous occasions.”
The Saudi Embassy in Washington declined to commentThursday on Trump’sassertions about the deal. Netanyahu’s officeina statement applaudedthe prospect of Saudi Arabia joiningthe accords as a “historicleap forwardfor peace in the Middle East.”The statement madenomention of the deal to bolster Saudi’scivil nuclear program. Trumphas sought to build on the accords, which also formalized
Cassidyvotes againstresolution in Senate
BY MARYCLARE JALONICK Associated Press
WASHINGTON The House on Thursday narrowlypassed a resolution to halt U.S. military action in Iran, sending a warning to President Donald Trump for the second time as the war has escalated The 214-208 vote requiring congressional approval for the war came just before the Senate narrowly rejecteda similar resolution, 47-49. Though the votesforced by Democrats are largely symbolic, they are meantas asignal to the Republican president that his supporton Capitol Hill is chipping away
The war has had “no clear mission, no strategy,noend goal,” said Washington Rep Pramila Jayapal, aDemocrat who led the resolution on theHouse floor
The House resolution passed after ahandful of Republicans voted with Democratstoend the war Butthe vast majorityof Republicans in bothchambers voted to back the war and cede congressional war powers to Trump.
When the Senate passed awar powers resolution on Iran forthe first time in June, Trump called the four Republicans whovoted for it “losers” and thenreprimanded them at aSenate GOP luncheon thenextday Sen.BillCassidy, oneof the Republicans who had voted with Democrats, said afterward that he had
commercialtiesbetween Israel and someArab and Muslim-majority nations. Saudi Arabia is the mostimportant Arab power in the Middle East,and Trump believes thekingdom joining the accords is critical to establishing long-term stabilityinthe region.
Thenew nucleardealisexpected to last 30 yearsand involveU.S firms in the program’sdevelopment.The agreementcould allow for the building of auranium-enrichment facility in Saudi Arabia following ajoint U.S.-Saudi study, according to apersonfamiliar with thematter whowas not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity
The deal does not include the International Atomic Energy Agency’s“additional protocol,” which would allow formoremonitoring, inspections and verification, ac-
cording to asecondperson familiar with the agreement.
Enrichment is not an automatic path to anuclear weapon —a nation also must master other steps, including the use of synchronized high explosives, forinstance. But it does open the door to weaponization, which has fueled concerns over Iran’sprogram
As details of the deal emerged Wednesday,opposition on Capitol Hill and elsewhere began to snowball, withRepublicansand Democrats both questioning the wisdom of the agreement. Conservative commentators who have generally supported Trump’spolices asked why the president would give Saudi Arabia sucha deal without getting anything in return. Then on Thursday, Trump abruptly announced that the deal is contingent on the Saudis joining the accords.
clashedwith Trumpoverthe issue. He said he told Trump directly that he neededto give moredetails to the public about the conflict.
“This was supposed to last fourweeks. It’slasted four months,” said Cassidy,who hadjust lost reelection in aprimaryafter Trump endorsed one of his opponents. “Our originalobjectives have not been achieved.”
Trump argued back, Cassidy later told reporters, and he told thepresident that he wouldn’tchange his vote until he got abriefing. The White House laterrelented giving Cassidya one-onone meeting, and the Baton Rouge Republican changed his vote in alate-night doover votebefore the Senate left for atwo-week recess.
Cassidy voted againstthe resolution again Thursday
Continued from page 1A
“This is agreat example of what happenswhen you let your voice be heard,” Bellard said. “The decision woke up alot of people who can actually help.”
Bellard said several nonprofit organizations have expressed interest in partnering with the parish to help offset the shelter’soperating costs.
“If we can cut down some of this expense, then it’sa doable thing for the parish,” he said.
According to Bellard, the parish’sannual cost to operate theshelter has increased from about $200,000to $250,000 in previous years to nearly $650,000 today
Bellard said he hopes the organizations that pledged assistance will follow through on their commitments.
“Even if they don’t, we still have good energy here,”he said. “Wedefinitely gotto make some decisions.”
On Wednesday,Bellard announced the parish would discontinue animal control
Continued from page1A
“These companies are spending tremendous amounts of money in these communities,” Trump said at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencyevent The new commitments mean that signatories to Trump’s“Ratepayer Protection Pledge” account for about 80% of all power delivered to U.S. homes and businesses, he added.
Landry and the other signatories didn’tparticipate in the public portion of the event —though Trump did name-check the governor, saying he was “smart” and “popular.”
Landry was overheard afterward asking if Trump would attend afootball game with him. Trump responded he will as the president left the event.
Concerns aboutpower
Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram,is building amassive data center in Richland Parish. Landry and other Louisianaofficialshave heralded the plant as atransformative economic development win. But they have also faced concerns that the power-
services, sayingthe parish needed to focus its limited resources on responsibilities required by law.The announcementdrewwidespread criticism from residents and animal advocates concerned about theimpact on public safety and animal welfare.
Louisianastate lawdoes not require parishes to provide animal controlservices. According to the Humane SocietyofLouisiana, less than half of Louisiana parish governmentsare currently operating animal control programs.
The decision to suspend animal control services came one day afterparishofficials discussed the government’s deteriorating finances duringa special budget meeting. According to the parish’s most recent audit,St. Landry Parish government spentabout$2million more than it collected in revenue during fiscal year 2025.
Bellard also pointed to long-standing disputes with the St. Landry ParishSheriff’s Office over parish-funded inmatehousingand medical expenses. He saidthose
hungry centers will jack up utility bills: Aconsultant for the Public Service Commission,which regulatesutilities in Louisiana, recently said thedatacenterwas driving theneed for Entergy to purchase anew power plant for $1.8 billion, costing ratepayers an averageof$8 amonth
Entergy andMeta have said the consultant is incorrect andthat the tech company is paying for all its own power needs.
Landrylastmonth signed an executive order stating that data centerprojects must have their benefits to residents“evaluated and balanced” against their use of electric generation, water andland.
Trump said “smart” people support building data centers in their communities as AIis an emerging industry and the facilitiesbeingconstructed will create alot of jobs. The data center boom is to service the expanding use of remoteservers and the internet cloud to help increase visuals, develop applications and other internet functions.
Trump cameupwith the pledge earlierthis year as businessesand homeowners around the country saw theirutility billsescalate, and the burgeoning AI industrysought tomore open
Adog named Bosco looks out of his enclosure at St.Landry Parish Animal Control in Opelousas in January2023. After public outcry, the parish is reversing its decisiontoend animal control services.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By
LESLIE WESTBROOK
legally requiredcosts have consumed an increasing share of the parish’sbudget Forseveral years, St Landry Parish government has been in conflict withthe Sheriff’s Office over parish government’sobligation to provide funds forparish inmates in out-of-parish facilities.Additionally,according to Bellard, the parish has spentsubstantially more on healthcare for inmates, as it is mandated to coverthose costs forthe first 24 hours theyare hospitalized. Bellard referenced these obligations in speaking about why animal control services are being discontinued, pointing out that much of this mandatoryspendingis still unfunded.
“Weare legally obligated to allocateresources to house, feed and care for all pretrial inmates,” Bellard said. “Becausethere is no statutory mandate requiring the operation of an animal control program, we must prioritize these legally binding obligations.”
Email Kristin Askelson at kaskelson@theadvocate. com.
database centers that requirelotsmorepower than is usually available.
Monthly residential electricitybills have increased 8.8% on average nationwide since2025,according to Electric Choice,a Tyler, Texas, service that compares federal data to calculate electricity rates.
“They’rejust verylarge. They go on for miles.They also throw off alot of money,” Trump said of the data centers.
Oppositionwas pushing some of thecompanies to startlooking overseas for locations, with Chinabeing a mainbeneficiary,Trump said The costsofexpanding electricity generation and transmission in most jurisdictions, including Louisiana, is paid for by autility company’scustomers.
Entergy Corp., whose subsidiariessell power to most of Louisiana, was oneof theutilitycompanies signing the pledge. The utility agreed to protect its current customers from cost-shifting in Meta’sRichlandParishproject.Customerscan expect to save $2.65 billion over 20 years, according to thecompany
Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate. com.
BY RUSS BYNUM Associated Press
Tropical Storm Bertha made asecondlandfall Thursdaynear theTexasLouisiana state lineafter grazing southern Louisiana in aslow crawl that triggered heavy surf and some flooding along theGulf Coast.Forecasters said more flooding waspossible as heavyrains moved onshore intosoutheast Texas. Bertha moved inland about 75 miles northeast of Galveston, Texas, on Thursday afternoon, the National HurricaneCenter said. Three hours later it remained atropical storm, though its maximumsustained winds had dropped to 40 mph. More weakening was expected overnight.
Thick clouds associated with Bertha prompted SpaceX to calloff Thursday evening’splannedStarship launchfrom the southern tip of Texas. The spaceskimming test flight was rescheduled for Friday,when theforecastcalledfor clear skies.
No deaths or significant damage have been reported sinceBertha formed Monday in theGulf of Mexico south of theFlorida Panhandle. Thestorm caused some coastal flooding as its center first struckland WednesdayinLouisiana southwest of New Orleans, butits heaviest rains stayed over the Gulf waters.
That rainfall south of the storm’scenter beganmoving inland along Texas’ southeastern coast Thursdayafternoon. Atropical storm warning remained in effect from Sargent,Texas, to the Vermilionand Camer-
on Parish line in Louisiana.
The hurricane center said Bertha could cause up to 2 feet of stormsurge along the coast and trigger isolatedflash flooding from heavyrains in coastal and south Texas.
Tropical storm force winds on Thursday extendedasfar as 140 miles fromthe storm’scenter thehurricane centersaid.
Still, forecastersexpected the storm to weaken as it moved over inland Texas and dissipate by Friday Businesses stay open
In Galveston, an island city of 53,000 people southeast of Houston, local officials urged residents to brace for a“windy day” and secure anyoutdoor objects that mightbecomeairborne projectiles.
“While no significant impacts areforecast, some gusty storms mayblow through the island throughoutthe day,” Galveston’s Office of Emergency Management said in aFacebook post Thursday The Galveston Historic Seaportcanceled its sightseeing boat tours Thursday afternoon as aprecaution, butwas otherwiseoperating normally,said employ-
ee Jesi Hahn.
“We’lldefinitelybeopen,” Hahn said. “Weusually close forbig hurricanes.” At the nearby Harbor House Hotel and Marina, employee Justin Timber said he wasn’taware of any canceled reservations.
“Itseems likeanormal day,”hesaid. “Restaurants areclicking. Everything’s great.”
Stormtopples asign
Electrical outages across the Gulf Coastwereminimal,according to the website poweroutage.us. Still, Bertha’spassage wasn’t harmless. In Pensacola, Florida, officialsclosedanarea around astorm-damaged beach boardwalk, Mayor D.C. Reeves said Thursday on Facebook. He posted a photo showing part of the boardwalk’ssupport structure rippedaway anda fence damaged nearby Strong gales earlier in the week knocked over a WaffleHouse sign onto a carinPanama City Beach, Florida. Heavy surf and the threat of riptides had prompted warnings at Gulf Coast beaches for swimmers to stay out of the water
Continued
ponds —Boulet wants to address flooding in older neighborhoods built from the 1960s through 1980s plagued by poor drainage. The proposed budget dedicates $28.9 million to drainagemaintenance and infrastructure investments focused on finding solutions to areas such as downtown,Broadmoor,Doucet Road, Tolson Road, Anselm Coulee, Johnston Street, Belle Fontains, Isaac Verot Lateral 4and Mimosa Place. Improvements to recreation fa-
Continued from page1A
heaped much of the blame on District Attorney Jason Williams and Mayor Helena Moreno, saying she has reason to suspect Williams held influence over the grand jury despite his recusal a month before the indictment on charges of publicintimidation and malfeasance in office.
Murrill concedes the fingerprintsremainblurryon the blockbuster indictment, but she argues that Williams,atminimum,led the grand jury off the rails and said she won’tsoon forgetit.
“They incited this and they fed it. They promoteda false interpretation of law,” Murrillsaid. “And whetherthey directly put agrand juror up to it or not, other individual agencies will have to determine. But you can’tsay they hadnohandinit. Whether they directly incited the grand jury,Ican’tsay.”
The indictment accused Murrill of crimes when she wroteto warn Williams, Moreno and five City Council members that they could lose their jobs for backing an election for acitywide court clerk.
New Orleans City Council President JP Morrell, one of thecouncil memberson the receiving end of Murrill’sletters,said Thursday that New Orleans city officials are focused on the city instead of the mudslinging. Gov.Jeff Landry on Wednesday questioned whether Morrell should lose his law license over backing the election that Murrill warned about.
“The peopleofthe state have real problems and pursuing vendettas is beneath all of our offices,”Morrell said.
Murrill, meanwhile, said Thursdayshe suspects a rolefor Williams evenafter hisoffice recused.
“I have information indicating that Laurie White made aphone call to administrative staff at the Louisiana Supreme Court” requesting supportafter the indictment dropped andthat she “stated she had been getting assistance from the DA’s Office.” White denied making that comment to anybody at the Supreme Court.
“This case was prosecuted by me, myself andI,” she said. Murrill pressed the case for state and federal inves-
cilities andrenewed commitment to Lafayette’sParks, Arts Recreation and Culture Departmentare apriority after significant cuts in past years, she wrote. Boulet is proposing an additional $600,000 in operating funds and $4.6 million in capital investments in thePARC Department. That includes improvements to park restroom renovations and upgrades at recreation centers, including the Martin Luther King Recreation Center and Girard Park. Fundingfor parks and recreation centers in theproposed budget, Boulettoldthe councils,ispartof along-rangeplan to modernize Lafayette’srecreation centers.
tigationstofind out,“which I think they should do jointly,” she said. “Everybody needs to have afull investigation to determine whether there was illegal conduct.”
Murrill said she’sheard a federal probehas gotten underway butsaidshe hadn’t heard directly from investigators. ALouisiana State Policespokesperson declined to comment.
Since Murrill and Landry’s attacks erupted on Wednesday,Williams hasnot respond to requestsfor comment so far
Murrill continued an attack she launched Wednesday at anews conference with Landry shortlyafter White dismissed theindictment In dismissing thecase, White citedletters this week from the elected officials who Murrill wrotetoinMay urging White to reconsider theJuly 2indictment.Williams’ letter cited athreat to apartnershipwithMurrill’s officethathedescribed as “a hallmark of my administration.”
White also cited“extraordinary interference” in a casethatLouisiana Supreme Court quickly froze while castingdoubt on the validity of the charges against Murrill.
Chargesonthe table
White’sdismissal of the case cameasan ad hoc judge,RobertChaisson, was due to rule on subpoenasissued by Murrill’sattorneys for records from Williams andWhite that might reveal the originsofthe grand jury inquiry.
Laura Cannizzaro Rodrigue, one of Murrill’sattorneys, said Thursday that she expectsafederal investigation to pick up where those subpoenas left off in seeking those records and others. Murrill said shemay suedown the road for maliciousprosecution “Right now, I’m happy to sit and let federal and state investigators (review)this matter to determine whether there was jury tampering,”Murrill said. “That, to me,isthe larger concern.”
Veteran former federal prosecutorswho are not involved in the case said a federal review of the grand jury processcould potentially hinge on questions of whether Murrill’scivil rights were violated Federal law makes it a crime to “deprive aperson of aright or privilege” that’s protectedbyfederal law or theU.S. Constitution.
“The most plausible federal theoryofinvestigation would be the criminalcivil rightsstatute,” said Andre Lagarde, alawyer for the Social MediaVictims Law Center and aformer federal public corruption prosecutor in New Orleans.
Investigators could be using the civil rightsstatute as a“guide”for grounds to prosecuteacriminal case saidformer federal prosecutor MattComan, who led the trial of former Mayor Ray Nagin.
In the past, federal prosecutorshavewieldedthe civil rights statuteagainst state and local lawenforcement officers accused of serious misconduct.The statute played asignificant roleafter HurricaneKatrina, when the JusticeDepartment charged five New Orleans police officers in the fatal shooting of two innocent civilians on the Danziger Bridge and asubsequent cover-up.
The former officers each were convicted and handed sentences ranging from three to 12 years.
The Justice Department’s Washington, D.C.-based Civil Rights Division has undergone dramatic changes since President Donald Trump took office, as Trump’spick to head thesection,Harmeet Dhillon,has fired veteran employees and reshaped the kinds of cases theoffice pursues. Washington-based officials within that division have historically been key decision-makers on whether to file civil rights charges in jurisdictions around the country Calls for afederal investigationinto Murrill’sindictment began the day after grand jurors handeditup, when U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Lafayette, wrote to FBI Director Kash Patel asking for aprobe of “significant questions regarding theproperapplication of the law” in the process.
An FBIspokesperson this week confirmed the bureau’s NewOrleans FieldOffice received theletter butdeclinedtoconfirm or deny a probe, citing agency policy AssistantFBI Director Catherine Treadwell wrote to Higgins’office on Thursday that the congressman’s concerns had been “routed to the appropriatepersonnel” and declining furthercomment, according to acopy of theletter Neither the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Orleans nor JusticeDepartment headquarters in Washington
D.C., responded to multiple inquiriesabout afederal probe.
When the FBI receives atip it considers credible, agentsperform a“preliminary assessment” to weigh grounds to open aformal investigation, then seek agreement from prosecutors. Afterthat, “things like grand jury subpoenas and search warrantsbecomeavailable tools,” Lagarde said.
An investigation regarding apublic figure like Murrill would typically be assigned to an outside federal prosecutor,possibly one based in Washington, D.C., Coman said.
Doomed partnership
Murrill insistedThursday that Williams,despitebeing apurported victim, had aresponsibilitytotell the grand jury that she was shielded by the First Amendment and the public intimidation law didn’tapply to her letters.
But in aTVinterview shortly after Murrill’sletters, Williams called her actions “an abuse of power.” Murrill said thatonly stoked thepublic flames.
“The DA is the first line of defenseagainstroving grandjurieswalking around perceiving crimes to be committedinthe community,” Murrill said. “Especially in this environment we’re in now that everyone whose feelings are hurt thinks a crime has been committed against them.”
According to Williams, his office recused after the grandjurysaiditwanted to pursue chargesagainst Murrill, whoargued Thursday that Judge Leon Roche and White also had aresponsibility to rein in the grand jury Murrill said she last spoke with Williamsaround Mardi Grasand described abroken trust.
“We’ve had avery cordial, professional and good personal relationship. IlikeJason. That’swhy this is so disappointing to me,” she said.
“It wasn’tjust apolitical act or alegal misunderstanding. It was an attack that affected me very deeply and personally,” she added. “Ifthey come to your houseand try to burnyour house down, and your family is in it, they’re in the house —that’sthe threat of putting me in jail.I havefourchildren. Ihave agrandchild on the way.”
Murrill, Williams and Landry were all smiles in November 2023, whenthey stood together inside Caesars Superdome to announce apartnership to empower the Attorney General’sOffice to prosecute Louisiana State Police cases in New Orleans.
Murrill and Williamsfinalized thehistoric agreement twomonths later as Landry waslaunching Troop NOLA, the dedicated State Police
unit thathas fueled hundreds of cases under the agreement.
Williamsheralded the partnership with the AttorneyGeneral’s Office as a“hallmark of my administration” in hisletterlobbying White to reconsider the indictment against Murrill. He crediteditfor helping yield the mostdramatic crime reductions in modern NewOrleans history MetropolitanCrimeCommissionPresident Rafael Goyeneche describedhigh stakes over the agreement, which he expects to survive. Williams “could unilaterally end the attorney general’s ability to prosecute casesin OrleansParish. But if he does, it’ll probably result in theState Police pulling out, because theirpresence is predicated on the fact that the cases thattheymake are going to be prosecuted by the AG’sOffice,” Goyeneche said.
“It’sgoing to remainintact because they seehow important it is forpublic safety in the city.”
Murrill said the agreement doesn’trequire much interaction between the two offices and that she has “no intentionofwithdrawing” her prosecutors from Orleans Parish, though her officeispushing to have Roche recusedfrommore than 50 cases. She saidshe has no plans to seek recusalsfrom other judges.
BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer
Louisiana officials want to award Motorola a $54 million, no-bid contract for police technology including body cameras, dashcams and radios, but some lawmakers are raising concerns about a lack of public scrutiny on the deal.
“It shines a bad light that we’re rushing through something that is so important,” said state Sen. Gerald Boudreaux, D-Lafayette.
That would bring more credibility to the deal and avoid the perception that state leaders are trying to “slide something in for Motorola,” Boudreaux said.
He said lawmakers should “hit the brakes” on the contract approval and instead hold a special hearing to review the details and give the public and other vendors a chance to weigh in.
During a budget committee meeting Thursday, officials from Louisiana State Police and the Office of Technology Services, the statewide IT agency told legislators that Motorola is offering big savings for the technol-
ogy and that having one company provide all of the equipment will improve its functionality and public safety “What it’s going to allow us to do is get much deeper discounts for state agencies, local sheriffs’ departments and local police departments for the same equipment that we all use, and it’s gonna lock us in at those discounts for 10 years,” said Evelina Broussard, chief information officer for the state.
The Office of Technology Services is asking for permission from legislators to enter into a 10-
Work is underway on the L.J. Alleman Middle School expansion and renovation project in Lafayette on Thursday The year-and-a-half-long construction project will replace the school’s original building with a new administrative space and front office, library and classrooms. The project will also include the creation of a wraparound student drop-off and pick-up lane designed to alleviate morning and afternoon traffic backups on Roselawn Drive and West Bayou Parkway
STAFF PHOTOS By LESLIE WESTBROOK
It brings the bird population to 84, officials say
BY KRISTIN ASKELSON Staff writer
Louisiana’s whooping crane reintroduction program set a record this spring, with 10 chicks fledging during the 2026 nesting season, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced Wednesday The total is the highest recorded since the state’s experimental reintroduction program began in 2011 and surpasses the previous record of eight fledged chicks in 2022 Wildlife officials said it is also the highest number recorded by any whooping crane reintroduction program
Eighteen of the 20 nesting pairs successfully hatched chicks this season
The record year brings Louisiana’s whooping crane population to 84 birds including 32 that hatched in the wild. The first wild-hatched chick in the state’s reintroduction effort was born in April 2016, marking the first whooping crane hatch in Louisiana in more than 75 years.
“As the population gets older, we see some of the breeding pairs have more success, probably because of experience,” LDWF biologist Sara Zimorski, who oversees the project, said in a statement
“We have some pairs that are rock solid. They’re consistently successful. It’s like they have figured it out.” She added that even pairs
year “sole source” contract with Motorola for portable radios, body cameras, dashcams, software that manages video streams and other data, and the statewide radio system used by various law enforcement agencies, according to a document provided to lawmakers summarizing the request.
The two-page document says Motorola is the only company that can offer all of the policing equipment together as one unified system, and Motorola’s “guaranteed
$54M Motorola deal would buy bodycams, other police tech ä See CONTRACT, page 2B
79 cases and six hospitalizations have been reported
BY MARGARET DeLANEY Staff writer
Cases of cyclospora continue to climb in Louisiana, with 79 total cases including six hospitalizations reported by the Louisiana Department of Health as of Thursday — a jump from 43 cases including five hospitalizations reported the previous week.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found a link between cyclospora and shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico from Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.
On July 17, Taylor Farms initiated a recall of all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico. The recall includes iceberg lettuce sold at retail stores and restaurants. It also includes other recalled products distributed to food service customers, according to the CDC. Neither the CDC nor state officials, however have reported any connection to Louisiana cyclospora cases. Nationally, there have been 1,644 people infected with cyclospora between May 13 and July 13. There have been 94 hospitalizations and no deaths reported.
The Health Department gets notice of cyclospora cases as soon as they
BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer
A 27-foot-long hot dog on wheels has rolled into Lafayette on Thursday with one mission, according to Hot Doggers Nacho Dog Norah and Cookout Caroline: bringing lots of smiles and a little “wienerabilia.” The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile planned
of governmentsallege antitrustviolations
BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER
Staff writer
Baton Rouge could soon join dozens of local governments across the country in suing the nation’s largestfire truck manufacturers over alleged antitrustviolations and if it does, Louisiana’sformer governor would try the case.
On Wednesday,the EastBaton Rouge Parish Metro Council approved an agreement with the FishmanHaygood law firm where former Gov.JohnBel Edwards is now apartner —to explore filing an antitrustlawsuit.
Over the past year,anumber of lawsuits have been filed across the
country against three manufacturers. Los Angeles County,Milwaukeeand other local governments haveaccused Pierce Manufacturing RosenbauerAmerica and REV Group of working together to limit competition, charge higherprices andforce fire departments to wait years for new engine andladder trucks.
Thethree companies belong to atrade group calledthe Fire Apparatus Manufacturers Association, and they own about 70% of the market, according to data from the International Association of Firefighters. In 2017, REV Group acquired Ferrara FireApparatus, which is based in Holden.
Money has been tight in the city-parish’sbudget over the past few years, and Christel Slaughter,
chiefoperations officer for the mayor-president, said rising costs of firefighting equipment is an issue.
“It’sastronomical,” Slaughter said. “And when one is ordered, yousometimes have to wait even two years for it to be delivered. It’sa burden.”
In testimony before the U.S. Senatein2025, union leaders told lawmakers that the average price of ladder trucks hadrisenfrom around $589,000 in 2020 to nearly $1.1 million in five years.
The cost of anew fire engine can range from $2 million to about $2.5 million
BatonRouge has one of the highest-rated departments in the country,which keeps insurance rates low
“But alot of that rating is based
on your water pressure, it’sbased on the number of engines you have rolling, on how manypeople you have on those trucks,” said cityparish Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Jeff LeDuff. “So having the equipment is essential. Delays andthese costs are an issue.”
Governor turned litigator
Edwards servedasLouisiana’s 56th governor from 2016 to 2024. After leaving office, he joined Fishman Haygood andwas elected partner in February this year, where he hasworkedalongside the firm’sbusiness and litigation teams
Beforehis political career,Edwardsworked as acivil attorney in Amite.
Edwards was presentatWednesday’scouncil meeting and said the agreement between the city-parish
and his law firm comes with no cost to taxpayers. If alawsuit is filed andthere is afavorable outcome in whichthe city-parish is awarded funds, then Fishman Haygood would be paid apercentage.
The former governor did not speak at Wednesday’smeeting about the details of apossible lawsuit, advising the council against discussing legal strategies publicly Slaughter said Edwards and the firm approached the mayor-president’steam abouta possible case and saw the other suits being filed across the country
“He obviously brings alot to the table, and his firm brings alot to the table,” Slaughtersaid. “So,we think we’re in very good hands.” Email Patrick Sloan-Turner at patrick.sloan-turner@ theadvocate.com.
discounts would result in approximately$40 million in savings.”
Several state agencies would be covered by the contract, including State Police, the Office of Juvenile Justice, theDepartmentof Public Safety and Corrections, theGovernor’sOffice of Homeland Security and EmergencyPreparedness, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheriesand others,the summary says. Broussard said the total value of the contract over 10 years is $54 million.
Her office is working toward finalizingthe proposed contract, which should be ready forreview bylawmakers next month, Broussard said Lt. Col. Robert Burns, chief administrative officer for Louisiana State Police,said theproposal would result in big savings for the state, technology that worksbetter and improvementstopublic safety Local police departments and sheriff’soffices would not be required to use the Motorola equipment, though they would have the option, Burnssaid
Lawmakersraise questions
Lawmakers pressedfor more details on the rationale for the no-bid contract, however Rep. Tony Bacala, R-Prairieville, said stateofficials should present options from other companies, provide acost comparisonand detail why theyare choosing to go with Motorolainstead of other companies.
“I think it’savalid question,” he said. “The public needs to know theanswer.”
In the meantime, Burns acknowledged that state officialswere essentially asking
legislators to “take our word for it” that Motorola has the best offer
The budget committee is allowed to vote as soon as next month to approve the deal, though it isn’trequired to, said chair Rep. Jack McFarland. He said whether theytake avoteiscontingent on first seeing adraft of the contract proposal and state officials’ addressing lawmakers’ concerns.
Sen. Regina Barrow, D-BatonRouge, said she is “definitely not inclined” to vote on the costly 10-year contract until they have more details.
Aday earlieronWednesday,aseparate legislative committee that handles
technology mattersauthorized theno-bidcontract negotiations to proceed, a requirement under state law.That committeegave oneday’s notice thatitwas taking up the Motorola contract.
Motorola’scurrent contract forthe statewide radio system, the Louisiana Wireless Information Networks, is up in 2030. However,a separate state contract for Axon body cameras and dashcams expired this year,and that givesofficials achanceright now to negotiate adeal with Motorola to provide the radio system, cameras andother software, whichwill savethe state money,Burns said.
Continued frompage1B
“Anyone who is stopping by to see us should just expect to have afun conversation, learn about the Wienermobile and take some fun pictures,” said Norah.
The Hot Doggers said one of the best parts of traveling is seeing people’sreactions when they spot the Wienermobile.
Part of that fun comes from the languagethey use. TheHot Doggers use plenty of food-themed puns
Continued from page1B
are confirmed through lab results in hospital medical records. The parasite is diagnosed througha gastrointestinal pathogen panel, aone-hour,highly sensitive stool test that simultaneously detects the DNA or RNA of multiple bacteria, viruses and parasites causing diarrhea.
“This is arare one,” said Dr.Katie Taylor, who runs infection control and out break managementatOur
throughout their travels, including phrases like “keep it Oscar” and“have arelish theday.” Inside, the vehicle is designed around the colors and theme of aclassic hot dog, featuringketchup- and mustard-inspired decorations, red and yellow seats, and according to Caroline, a“mustardrunway”floor
TheHot Doggers have also renamed everyday vehicle featurestomatch thetheme, including a“bun box” instead of aglovebox,a“bun roof” instead of asunroof, and a“shot bun” seat instead of ashotgun seat
“When people see theWienermobile, it is alwaysjust apriceless reaction,”Norah said. “On the highway people are waving at us, honkingatus, taking pictures and videos of us.”
TheWienermobilewas scheduled to visit the Rouses on Camellia Boulevard and East Milton Avenue on Thursday. It will also visit the Children’sMuseum of Acadiana in downtown Lafayette from 10 a.m. to 2p.m. Friday
Email Ja’kori Madison at jakori.madison@ theadvocate.com
Continued from page1B
that did notsuccessfully fledge chicks gained valuable breeding experience.
One breedingpair that failed to hatch achick in 2025 successfully fledged onethis year.The season also marked the first fledged chick produced by apairofcranesthat wereboth hatched in the wild in Louisiana The reintroduction programbegan in 2011 when wildlife officials released 10 juvenile whooping cranes at theWhite Lake Wetlands Conservation Area in Vermilion Parish, marking the return of wild whoopingcranes to Louisiana forthe first time since1950. Whooping cranes are protectedunderthe federal Endangered Species Actand Louisiana law. Wildlife officials ask anyonewho sees awhooping crane to observe it from adistanceand report the sighting to LDWF.Anyonewho witnessessuspicious activity involving the birds should contact the department’sEnforcement Division.
Lady ofthe LakeHospital in BatonRouge. “(Cyclospora) tendstolast longer andmay improve and relapse before it completely resolves.”
Thethresholdfor hospitalization, sitting at six people so far in Louisiana, rests primarily on dehydration
“Louisiana has slightly higher than normal levels going around right now,” Taylor said. “The center of where this is happening is aroundMichigan.” What is cyclospora? lo is infec
are exposed when ingesting contaminated food or water
“Asfar as we know,humans are the only animal that gets sickwith this parasite,” said Dr.Obinna Nnedu, an infectiousdisease physician at OchsnerMedical CenterinNew Orleans.
“Dying from cyclospora is extremely rare.”
The parasite spends half itslife cycle in thesoil and half in the body.Lettuce species andberries are common sources of cyclospora because theygrow close the und erries
cooked. (Cookingkills the parasite.)
“Whathappens is some form of sewage or stool that hasthisorganism in it gets into thesoil of where this produce is being grown, and then gets on that produce through the soil,” Taylor said.
Thereare some other parasites thatwill go into the body andinfect more than one organ system.
“This is not one of those,” Taylor said.
Previous outbreaks in Louisiana and the United
“If youhavediarrhea that is prolonged, thatgoes on for more than two days unstopped, you maywant to talk with your physician,” Nnedu said.
Common symptoms of cyclospora include:
n Watery diarrhea n Loss of appetite n Weight loss n Cramping n Bloating n Increased gas n Nausea n Fatigue. il
Ford to partner with Chinese automaker
Ford and Chinese automotive company Geely Auto announcedplans on Thursday to jointly manufacture lowandzero-emission vehiclesat Ford’sValencia, Spain factory
The partnership is abid to reignite Ford’s offeringsfor the European auto market as the legacy carmaker seeks to compete with the likesoffast-moving Chinese companies thatare rapidly dominating auto sales acrossthe globe.
In the U.S., policy all but locks Chinese firms out of the market —though American automakersstill partner with companiesinChina forproduction, and Chinese vehicles are making inroads in North America more broadly.
The joint venture, pending regulatory approval, will be owned two-thirds by Ford and one-third by Geely,which also owns brands such as Volvo, Polestar and more.
The two companiessaid they will focus on five vehicles. Under the partnership,Ford plans to continue production of theFord Kugaplug-in hybrid vehicle,aswell as anew Bronco SUV, production for which will begin in 2028. Geely plans to make two electric SUVs atthe plant, the first of which is also scheduled tobegin production in 2028.
The automakers saidthey will also jointly develop anew “multi-energy” crossover model to arrive in 2028.
Filings forjobless aid fewest since 1969
WASHINGTON U.S. applications for jobless benefits tumbledto thelowest level in more than five decades last week as layoffs remain historically low despite global economic uncertainty
Thenumber of Americans applying forunemployment benefits in the week ending July 18 declined by 22,000 to 187,000, theLabor Department reported Thursday.That’sthe fewest number of weekly applications since the week ending Sept. 6, 1969, according to LaborDepartment data
It’salso well below the215,000 new applications forecast by analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet.
Weekly filings for unemploymentbenefits are considered a proxy for layoffs and are close to areal-time indicator of the healthofthe U.S. job market.
“The economic crisis caused by the energy supply shock is notoveryet,” said Carl Weinberg,chief economist at High Frequency Trading. “But the labor market has yet to show any sign of wear and tear from the surge in oil prices.”
In its expansive Junejobs report earlier this month, the government reported that employerspulled back on hiring, adding only57,000 jobs. Amazon cuts jobs within AI team
Amazon’sartificial general intelligence organization is the company’slatest targetfor workforce reductions evenas the e-commerce giant continues to heavily investinAI.
On Thursday,an Amazon spokespersonconfirmed the layoffs butdeclined to share details, including the number of layoffs and the typesofrolescut.
Over the last several years, Amazonhas developed its own generative AI models, primarily throughits Amazon Nova and Amazon Titan foundation model families.Those models havesimilarconcepts to OpenAI’s GPT or Anthropic’sClaude models. However,Amazon’smodels are builtprimarily for businesses or computer programmers.
Artificial general intelligence or AGI, is ahypothetical branch of AI that surpasseshuman intelligenceand gains autonomy.
An Amazon spokesperson said building large AI models remain apriority
The layoffs add to morethan 30,000 job cuts at Amazon over the past 10 months amid efforts to slim itsheadcount and restructure.
BY STAN CHOE Associated Press
NEW YORK Brentoil shot to its highest pricesince May after increasedfighting in theMiddleEast on Thursdaythreatened to slow the global flow of crude. At the same time, sharp drops for two of Wall Street’s most influential companies, Alphabet and Tesla, yanked the U.S. stock market to itsworst loss in amonth Stocks fell under thepressureof
rising oil prices,which raise costs forbusinessesand erodetheir customers’ abilitytospend. The price for abarrel of Brent crude oil, the international standard, jumped 7% to settle at $100.69.
It touched $102 during the day, thehighest price since May for themostactively traded Brent contract in the market. The cause: attacks on two Saudi oil tankers in theRed Sea.
That threatens another avenue that oilcompaniesuse to move their crude from theMiddle East to customers worldwide,along with theStrait of Hormuz. It was just afew weeks ago that
Brenthad dropped below$72 per barrel, roughly back to where it was before the United Statesand Israel attacked Iran to begin their war, on hopesthata wind-down in thewar wouldfully reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Thejumps in oilprices will worsen inflation, just when it had begun to decelerate by more than economists expected. That in turn could push the Federal Reserve andother central banks to raise interest rates, which would slow economies and undercut prices for stocks and other investments.
The European Central Bankheld its main interest rates steady at its
meeting Thursday. Buttraders are bettingona 36% chance the Fed will hike thefederal funds rate at its meeting next week.That’sup from the nearly 12%probability seen aweek ago, according to data from CME Group. An increase by the Fed would be the first since 2023.
Higheroil prices pushedthe yield of the 10-year Treasury up to 4.69% from 4.67% late Wednesday and from just 3.97% before the war with Iran began. That’sasignificant increase, and it’salready brought long-term U.S. mortgage ratestotheir highestlevelsin nearly ayear
BY CATHY BUSSEWITZ, MAE ANDERSON and ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP business writers
NEWYORK Already feeling pinched since the start of theIran war,consumers are likely to feel more painahead as oilprices pushedpast$100 abarrelThursday amid renewed fighting and militarystrikesthathave left globaloil supplies stranded in theMiddle East.
The elevated price marked aturn from loweroil prices enjoyed briefly whenhostilities between theU.S. and Iran waned in June.
Brent crude,the internationalstandard,last reached$100 abarrelinMay
Companies that produceand sellfresh food,schoolsuppliesand anything that gets shipped using fuel reported costimpacts from an earlier spike in energy prices after theU.S. andIsrael attacked Iran.They’re likely to continue passing some of their increasedexpenses to consumers.
“Since everything reliesonpetroleum in our economy, for good or ill, if the cost of petroleumgoes up,theneverythingelse goes up as well,”said Joe Adamski, amanaging directoratprocurement services company
ProcureAbility
Gasoline prices return to $4
The U.S.price for regulargasoline averaged$4.09 agallon Thursday,15cents more than aweek ago, anddrivers in moststates were paying $4 or more, according to AAA.
“Given thetypicallag alongthe oil industry’s supply chain, prices at the pump are poised to keep rising at leastinto next week,” said Pavel Molchanov,aninvestment strategy analystatinvestment bank Raymond James.
Shoppers paying more forgroceries
Grocery prices generally rise with oilbecausefarmersuse dieselfuel to power equipment, while many food products are transported by trucks that require fuel.
“Oil at $100 doesn’tmake food prices jump right away,but it does put upward pressure acrossthe food supply chains,especially for categories that depend heavily on trucking, cold storage and packaging,” said Miguel Gomez, aCornell Universityprofessor who directs theschool’sFood Industry Management Program. Freshproduceand dairy could feel alarger impact because theyrequire refrigeration during delivery.
Grocery chain AlbertsonsonThursday lowered its2026 fiscal outlook, citing pressure on itscore grocerybusiness anda pullback in consumer spending.
Higher fuel costs for ships, trucks and air carriers can trickle down to consumers and businesses that depend on shipping.UPS, FedEx and other shipping services introduced fuel surchargesand other fees as fuel prices increased.
Consumerspullingback
Rural lifestyle retailerTractor SupplyCo. reducedits annualsales outlook on Thursday,
citing in part higherfuelprices during its spring sellingseason that weighed on customer spending.
“Our customers often drive longer distances to shopfrequently in pickup trucks, many of which arediesel-powered, making them especially sensitive to higher fuel costs,” CEO HalLawtontold analysts.
Lawton said customers are still investing in theirpets, animals,farms andproperties, but shopping has become “more deliberate. Customers areconsolidating trips, prioritizing needs-based purchases and taking a more measuredapproach to discretionary spending.
Higher prices forback-to-schoolshoppers
The Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America trade groupwarned in areport Wednesday that increasing freightand materialcosts, alongwith rising tariffs costs, werecreating bigchallenges forthe footwearindustry as families prepare forbackto-school shopping and companies plan for the remainder of the year
Matt Priest, CEOand president of the trade group, said someofits members have cited 25% priceincreases for petroleumbased materialsusedinfootwear manufacturing due to the Middle East conflict. Those costs could eventually translate into roughly a5%increase in the cost of finishedfootwear products soldtoconsumers, Priestsaidin the report.
BY JOSH FUNK AP transportation writer
OMAHA,Neb.— Union Pacific struck adeal with CanadianNational to secure that rival’ssupport forits proposed$85 billion acquisition of Norfolk Southern railroad. The deal to createthe nation’s first transcontinental railroad has beendivisive withinthe industry becauseitwould concentrate so much market power in the hands of onecompany that would control more than 40% of all railtraffic and reduce the numberofmajor freightrailroads in theUnited Statesdown to five. BNSF,CPKC and CSX railroads all strongly op-
pose the merger,but nowCanadian National said it will support it after winning concessionsfromUnion Pacific.
The U.S.Surface Transportation Board is justbeginningtoreview the proposed$85 billionmerger, but it has demanded more informationfromthe railroads by the end of the month before it will move forward. Shippers have also lined up on bothsides of thedeal with someexcited about the promises of faster cross-country deliveries while other companies mainly in thechemical and agriculture industriesworry about the possibilityof higher rates and serviceproblems. UP CEOJim Vena said he be-
lieves these agreements with Canadian National will address many of thecompetitiveconcernswith the merger because CN will gain permission to be able to serve any customers that will see significantly reduced shipping options after themerger.And CN will take over NorfolkSouthern’sownership of smallerrailroadsinSt. Louis and Kansas City to ensure the merged railroad will never control the majority of those operations. Canadian National will also gain access to tracksbetween St.Louis andKansas City where there was themost overlap between UP and NS, and CN will be able to use akey rail yard in Kansas Citythat will help that railroad compete better forbusiness to andfrom Mexico. Union Pacific will get the ability to move more traffic around the congested tracks in Chicago. “Asthe railindustry considers significantstructural change, it is essential that customers continue to benefit from meaningful competition and choice,” CN President and CEO Tracy Robinson said. But BNSF spokesperson Zak Andersensaidthese agreementsshow what canalready be accomplished through cooperative agreements betweenrailroadswithoutall the disruptions of amerger that would leave many customers with fewer competitive shipping options.
Every hurricane season, meteorologists track storms to prepare for their effects. Emergency managers trainand preposition supplies for their communities.Elected officialsdeclarestates of emergencyinadvance of landfall.But long before any of that happens, the first line of defense against acatastrophic hurricane is already doing its quiet, essential work. It is not alevee. It is not apumpstation. It consists of our wetlands and barrier islands Coastal Louisiana’swetlands are among the most consequential natural systems in the world They are home to some of the most productive fisheries in North America, anursery for species that feed the entire Gulf Coast. They are an economic engine supportingthe energy maritime and seafood industries that drive Louisiana’seconomy. And they are an importantbuffer and shock absorber,standingbe-
Natalie Robottom GUEST COLUMNIST
tween theGulfand themore than two million peoplewho call south Louisiana home. Ispent yearsserving thepeople of St.John the Baptist Parish, acommunity that knows firsthand what it means to live in hurricane country with dwindlingnatural protection.After multiple major floods, the West Shore Leveeisunder construction. But levees are one of the last protections of ourMultiple Lines of DefenseStrategy against flooding.The first lines of defense are ourcoastal ecosystems. As board chair of Pontchartrain Conservancy,Iwork alongside scientists and partners who are fighting to restore defense systems that have been lost. We are losing too much, too quickly
The now-familiar numbers are staggering.Since the 1930s, Louisiana has lost more than 2,000 square miles of land —anarea roughlythe size of Delaware. A football field of wetlands disap-
pears every 100 minutes. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 alone converted an estimated 100 square miles of marsh to open water in days. Hurricane Ida, in 2021, may have erased another 106 square miles of marsh. Each acre of wetland lost brings the water one step closer to our front doors, schools and hospitals.
The science is clear.Coastal wetlands absorb and slow storm surge, and can mean the difference between acommunity surviving astormand being destroyed. These protective features of our coastal wetlands reduce thecosts of our levees and extend their life. Every mile of wetland we lose brings more risk to people and propertyinthis region.
The coast has always been our first line of defense against hurricanes. Recognizing this, Pontchartrain Conservancy developed theMultiple Lines of Defense Strategy designed to explain how our ecosystems and infrastructure work together to
As geopolitical instability reshapes global energy markets and allies increasingly looktothe United States for reliable supply,Louisiana and our nation face acritical question: Will we continue to lead on energy or voluntarily limit one ofour greateststrategic advantages?
The answer starts offshore.
expertise.Itisalack of access and longterm certainty.Offshore projects often take adecade or moretomove fromleasesale to production. The decisions policymakers make todaywill determine America’senergyposition well into the 2030s andbeyond.
help save ourcoast. In the simplest terms,natural features of our coast (such as barrier islands, marshes and ridges) complement man-made features (such as levees) to protect the greater New Orleansarea from hurricanes. No single line of defense is sufficient on its own. The natural lines of defense generally protect the man-made lines of defense, which in turn protect ourcommunities. Thus, thework of coastal restoration is not merely environmental stewardship. It is public safety.Itis emergency management. It is the mostcost-effective form of hurricane protection. Louisiana has the plans. The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority’sMaster Plan outlines the path forward with clarity and scientific rigor.In2025, CPRA delivered what it called someofthe mostimpactful work in its history —12new construction starts, 9,216 acres of wetlands restored or enhanced, nearly five miles of levees strength-
ened. This is real progress, and it should be recognized.
But the pace of restoration does not match the pace of loss. Every year,projects becomeharder and moreexpensive. Every year we debate, the marsh retreats alittle further.Wehave too little time and money to start over with new strategies and plans. The Pontchartrain Conservancy coined the Multiple Lines of Defense Strategy twodecades ago —the idea that natural systems, structural protection, and community preparedness worktogether.We believe in that strategy.But the natural line of defense has to actually be there forittowork.
The looming peak of hurricane season reminds us of how vital our coast is in being the first line of defense that protects this region we call home.
Natalie Robottom is the former parish president of St.Johnthe Baptist Parish andcurrently serves as board chairofthe Pontchartrain Conservancy
At atime of rising global energy demand, expanding access to U.S. offshore oil and natural gas resources —particularly in the South-Central Gulf of America, an area that correspondstothe waters offshore of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama proposed withinthe federal government’soffshoreleasingprogram —isone of the clearest opportunitiesto strengthen American energy security, reinforce economic growth and maintain U.S. geopolitical influence.
Theopportunity is significant, but it will not remain open indefinitely
Arecent analysis from Energy and Industrial Advisory Partners found thatopening the South-CentralGulf of America to development could support more than 133,000 jobs, contribute $11.3 billion to U.S. GDP and add more than 470,000 barrels of oil equivalent perday by 2040. That is not marginalproduction. It is ameaningful addition to secure, American-controlled energy supply In Louisiana,supported GDPisprojected to reach just over $1.6 billionin 2040. Over the 10-year period between 2031 and 2040, supported GDPinLouisiana is anticipated to average around $725 million. Offshore drilling and natural gas exploration and development would also significantly expand employment opportunities. In Louisiana alone,employment is projected to reach just over 18,000 jobs by 2040.
Importantly,this is not aspeculative frontier.The Gulf of Americaisalready among the most productive offshore energy regions in the world, backed by decades of infrastructureinvestment, technological innovation and ahighly skilled workforce. Expansion would build on that existing foundation, allowing new production to come online more efficiently and at lower cost than many competing global projects.
The need to open new offshoreareas is becoming more urgent. Independent research from Rystad Energy shows that future Gulf productiongrowth increasingly depends on deepwater development, while legacy shallow-water production continues to decline.Without access to new offshore opportunities, maintaining current productionlevels will become increasingly difficult over time. For offshore energy,the challenge is not alack of technology,investment or
When access is delayed or constrained, investment slows and future supply becomes less certain. When access is expanded andleasing remains predictable, investment follows, production grows and America’sposition as aglobal energy leaderisstrengthened. Thisisfundamentally an energy security issue. Expanding domestic offshore productionreduces reliance on lessstable foreignsources,strengthens supply resilienceand helps shield consumers fromglobalvolatility.Inanincreasingly uncertain world, maintaining control over moreofour own energy future is essential. Toooften, energy debates in Washington treatinaction as the safer option. It is not. If theUnited States restricts offshore development, global demand for oil and natural gaswill not disappear.Production will simply shift to other countries, many with weaker environmental standards, less transparency and greater geopoliticalinstability
The path forward is straightforward.
The United States should expand access to newoffshoreareas, including the South-Central Gulf of America, while advancing arobust and predictable offshoreleasingprogramthat gives companiesthe long-term certainty needed to invest. These are practical, proven policiesgrounded in decades of successfuloffshoredevelopment in the Gulf of America.
Thanks to states like Louisiana leading the way,America already has the resources,infrastructure and workforce necessary to remain aglobal energy leader.Whatisneeded now is policy alignment thatrecognizes offshoreenergyasa strategic national asset, not a resourcetobesidelined.
The longerthe United States delays expanding offshore access, thegreater the risk that investment and energy leadership move elsewhere.
The South-Central Gulf of America presents aclear opportunity to strengthen energy security,support economic growth and reinforce America’srole as theworld’s leading energy producer But offshore development requiresaccess, and the time to act is now
GiffordBriggs is theGulfCoast region director for the American Petroleum Institute
Gov.Jeff Landry has spent weeks making his feelings about New Orleans unmistakable. He said thecity “thinks they’re so special,” declared that the old axiom “where goes New Orleans, so goes thestate” no longer applies and accused Mayor Helena Moreno of treating the state “as an ATM.”
He has vetoed tens of millions in city funding, helped strip New Orleans of 10 elected positions including nine judgeships and stifled abond-commission request tolet the city borrow from private banks to manage cash flow
Iserved as astate legislator for16 years, lieutenant governor for six and mayor of New Orleans for eight. I worked with six governors from both parties and hundreds of legislators statewide. Governors have quarreled with New Orleans mayorsbefore, over crime, money, who runs what. Butnoone has misunderstood or hated New Orleansquite like Jeff Landry
promoting tourism, Iused the analogy of agumbo at ahistoric New Orleans restaurant. The seafood comes from the coastal parishes, the rice from southwest Louisiana, the andouille from River Parishes —all in the samepot. The port here exports soybeans and other goods from North Louisiana to the world. We have to be one team, because Louisiana is getting lapped by our neighbors on economic development and population growth.
Even his own economists disagree with his central premise. Stephen Barnes, who sitsonthe state’sRevenue EstimatingConference, has said New Orleansremains the state’slargest cluster of economic activity —avery different claim than “New Orleans no longer matters.”
The numbers show New Orleans is the state’slargest economic engine, not adrain. OrleansParishpunches above its weight on thestate’sbiggest revenue sources, income and sales tax,thanks to its incomes, property values and retail spending
Visitor spending approached $10 billion in 2023, drawing morethan 18 million visitors. The hotel industry alone generated nearly $9 billion in economic impact in 2025, supported more than 51,000 jobs, and contributed $1.2 billion in taxes —asector Landry himself called “a crown jewel of ourstate’s economy” this spring.
The same story holds for trade, healthcare, higher education and federal research dollars. The PortofNew Orleans, for example, is the gateway to the global economy for 38 states.
Louisiana’sbrand overseas —the reason conventions, film productions and international tourists choose the state —isinseparable from New Orleans. Acity supplying a disproportionateshare of statetaxes, brand recognition and cultural export value isn’t “special” in the dismissive sense Landry means. It’s specialbecause it generates revenue and brand value others cannot replace. Undercutting the city’sfinances andcapacity to govern itself doesn’thelp Louisiana’s budget;iterodes an asset the rest of the staterelies on.
The rest of the state needs New Orleans as much as New Orleansneeds the rest of thestate. When Iwas lieutenant governor
Ifear the governor believes this fight helps him politically,borrowing from the Trump-era playbook of red-state governors limiting blue cities. Tennessee cut Nashville’sMetro Council in half and took control of its airport authority.Mississippi expanded Capitol Police jurisdiction across Jackson and installed state-appointed judges there. Texas has preempted local authority in Austin. We’ve seen the same pattern in Birmingham,St. Louis andKansas City.But Iknowthe people of Louisiana understandour unique value. Landrymay also be attackingNew Orleans to obscure his own record. Louisiana ranks last in U.S. News’best states, with woeful marks in crime, economy,fiscal stability,education and health care. CNBC rated it the 4th-worst quality of lifeinthe country; WalletHub ranked it the worst state to live in. Tulane’sMurphy Institute ranked Louisiana dead last this year,driven by poverty,child mortality,single-parent households, low-birthweight births and life expectancy.Even stripping New Orleans out of the FBI crime data, Louisiana would still rank among the worst in violent crime. Of course, no single governor is responsible forevery ranking. But it is worth noting Landry has spent mostofthe last 15 years in government —inCongress, eight years as attorney general and now as governor Louisiana is asmall, poor state. We won’t out-compete Texas, Georgia or Tennessee by fighting ourselves. Every dollar spent stripping elected offices and blocking loans forNew Orleans is adollar not spent closing the pension gap, lifting our kids out of last place, fixing our coast or keeping young people from leaving forAtlanta and Houston. None of this meansNew Orleans is beyond criticism. But afair accounting of who’s carrying weight for whom has to start with the fact that NewOrleans isn’tthe cause of Louisiana’sproblems. We are asource of goodwill and economic strength forthe whole state. It’s timetoend the waronNew Orleans. We all do better when we partner together to moveLouisiana forward.
Mitch Landrieu is aformer legislator, lieutenant governor and mayor of New Orleans.
Candidates whobelong to theDemocratic Socialists of America have made asplash in recent elections in Newyork,Michigan andelsewhere.The term“socialism”carriesmuch baggageinAmericanpolitics,but victories by the party seem to indicatethat couldbechanging.What doessocialism meaninthe context of today’s politics? Are these candidates promising something different than what wascalled socialisminthe past, and which votersare responding to theirmessage? Here are twoperspectives:
What did the countryever do to White college graduates to makethemfeelso disaffected from its economic and political system?
The wave of socialist victories in Democratic primaries is being driven by well-educated White voters who are more extreme than the rest of the Democratic coalition. The latest evidence is anew poll in the closely watched Democratic primary for aSenate seat in Michigan. The AOC-endorsed, Israel-hating insurgent, Abdul El-Sayed, has had momentum, but is now narrowly trailing the establishment candidate, Haley Stevens. According to aDetroit News survey, Stevens is ahead by aboutseven points, with demographic advantages that are very telling.
prospectofaworker revolution, and then looked around the room and saw no workers, only intellectuals and activists like themselves.
Lowry
Stevens, agoofy White lady, leadsElSayed by a3-to-1 margin among Black voters. On the other hand,El-Sayed, a person of colorfullyvested in the left’s Third Worldist agenda, leadsamong White voters, 51-39%.
Stevens, acareer apparatchik andpolitician, leads among noncollege-educated voters, 56-34%, whereas El-Sayed, who has been endorsed by theWorking Families Party,isahead with college-educated voters, 48-41%.
The respective strengths of thetwo candidates runagainst thegrain of what you might expect in arace betweena conventionalDemocrat anda radical, yet accord with what we’ve seen in campaign after campaign.
Socialistsmay imaginethemselvesthe champions of people of color and of workers,but their movement is, by andlarge, most attractive to Caucasian associate professors of sociology who think they haven’tachieved the station in life that they deserve.
It’sless aproletarian phenomenon than aproject of frustrated Ph.D.candidates andmedium-level professionals
Because many socialist candidates have immigrant backgrounds, it canbetempting to consider the movementasfundamentally afunction of immigration, when that’snot true.
A2021 survey of DSAmembers found that they were disproportionately White, at 85%, and disproportionately had collegedegrees (80%) or ahigher degree (35%).
This leaves them in asimilar predicament to pioneering communists and socialistsinEurope whotalked upthe
Thegood news for DSA-aligned candidates is that college-educated White people are very reliable voters who can make abig difference in the kind of low-turnout primaries where anti-establishment, leftwing candidates thrive.
Arecent analysis in The New York Times noted that Zohran Mamdani-endorsed socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier defeated Rep. Adriano Espaillat in amarquee New York City congressional primary while winning high-education and higher-incomeareas; Espaillat, in contrast, won in majorityHispanicand lower-incomeareas.
Another Mamdani pick, Brad Lander similarly wiped up in high-incomeand high-education areas while crushing Rep. Dan Goldman, whose strong performance in low-income parts of thedistrict didn’t save him.
Socialistic economics may have appeal to working-class voters in theory,but the DSAcouples its economics with extreme views on cultural issues that have very little appeal with non-college-educated voters. Taxthe rich? Sure. Transcend the genderbinary? No, thanks —whatever that means.
That the average Black Democrat is more moderate and pragmatic than the averageWhite Democrat may prove the ultimate check on whether an AOC-type candidate can claim the big prize of the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028.
It’sone thing to appeal to theso-called CommieBelt in New York City, the young, highly educated, diverse neighborhoods in Queens and Brooklyn that so strongly backed Zohran Mamdani; it’squite another to win over theolder, religious African American voters in, say, SouthCarolina’sI-95 Black Belt.
In the2020 primaries, Bernie Sanders ran acampaign of great verve and ideologicalenergy,while Joe Biden stumbled from one early setback to another —yet, Black Democrats decided that the former vicepresidentwas the safer choice, and that was theend of Sanders.
In short, the workers of the world may oneday unite, but not behind asocialist vessel forthe grievances of ideologically exotic, college-educated White people. Rich Lowry is on X, @RichLowry
Self-described ‘socialists’ arejustthat, socialists
I’ve come to expect pushback on my columns from readers whodisagree. I enjoy the back-and-forth. Occasionally,however,Iencounter aresponse so off the wall that Iamtoo speechless to dive intothe fray.This happened afew weeks ago, when I wrote about the rising socialist faction stirring up Democratic politics.
“Why are you callingthem socialists?” somereaders demanded.
Feebly,Iresponded, “Because they call themselves socialists.”It’sliterally in the nameof their organization: Democratic Socialists of America. Butisn’tthere adifference between theUnion of Soviet Socialist Republics and democratic socialism?That was the question from readers who were scandalized by my remark that “aging Gen Xers who thought that socialism had been decisively refuted by thefall of the Berlin Wall have been refuted ourselves” as DSAmembers won primary after primary Indeed, if we start with the word “democratic,” those differences are interesting to consider Istandbymyassertion that the Soviet Union’sdemise cast along pall over the word “socialism” —atleast for those who had not already recoiled from thepurges, famines and censorship. Igrew up on the Upper West Side, one of the remaining redoubts of socialism in theReagan era, and watched as the toppling of the Berlin Wall crushed the last hopes that central planning could work. Encountering asocialist holdout in the 1990s was as quaint as finding someonewho still believed in alchemy. This makes thecurrentrenaissance all the more remarkable.Yet what’s also striking is how little the movementresembles the socialists Iremember from my youth Sure, you can see the common ancestry in spots —notably Darializa Avila Chevalier,who recently won theDemocratic nomination forNew York’s13th Congressional District, and whose now-deletedtweets occasionally sounded borderlineLeninist. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a member of theDSA,promoted aplan for government-owned grocery stores that certainly gave off old-school socialist vibes.
But broadly,the party seemsfar from traditional socialists —doctrinaire, immersed in the deep lore of the movement, obsessed with details of their proposed systems. The DSA’s platform seemscuriously sparse by contrast, moreofa vibe than afive-year plan. Notethat Mamdani couched his grocery proposal as apilot project and has now delayed it. That’ssome comfort to Democrats whomight want afew moregovernment programs, but don’tactually want the government to nationalize their Chevy Tahoes. They can insist that the socialists aren’treally socialists under the old meaning of the word; really, they’re just good progressives who want social democracy —you know,a Scandinavian-style welfare state.
That’snot really true —the DSA candidates whohave recently elbowed establishment Democrats aside wantsomething moretransformational than abigger safety net. But one could argue that it’sfunctionally true of how socialists will govern, because there’slittle appetite outside of progressive primary voters for radical change, or the taxes to pay for it. In fact, we seem to be experiencing something of atax revolt.
Today’sAmerica is an aging society with alooming entitlement crisis and wage growth that is not even outpacing inflation. Any big expansion of the welfare state will mean significantly curtailing the disposable incomeof the middle class.
The rise of the neo-socialists reflects frustrated older dreamsofa European-style social democracy Obamacare wasthe high-water mark of that hope, but its architects lacked amandate forthe requisite taxes or true disruption of the status quo, so they settled formodest patches rather than comprehensive reform. Disappointed socialists have decided we must transform existing political and economic frameworks, rather than working inside them
That was also the understanding of the socialists of yore. The difference is that they were clearer about what that would entail —which is whythey never got very farpolitically MeganMcArdle is on X, @asymmetricinfo.
First-year coachusesspotlight to explain— again— whyhespurned OleMissand whyLSU is agood fit
BY JON BLAU
Staffwriter
TAMPA, Fla. The question LaneKiffin receivedThursdaywas meandering, beginning with all of thewinsand highly-ranked recruitingclasses he accumulated in six seasons at Ole Missand ending with his controversial comments in Vanity Fair.
If Oxford, Mississippi, didn’t have the“diversity” challenges Kiffin described in the magazine, does he believe those numberscould havebeen even better?
“I had afeelingthat was going somewhere,” Kiffin interjected from the SEC media days podium, smiling as he started an equally windinganswer.
He made,admittedly,adifficult decision taking the LSU job. This might not seem related,but he recently watchedatelevision specialonHulkHogan,who died in July 2025,and there were two people Kiffin believed would never leavethis earth. His dad, Monte, thelegendaryBucsdefensive coordi-
BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer
Even before Rummel safetyGavin Cooper took his first huge step forward as a high school football player,the UL Ragin’ Cajuns were interested.
So when it came time for Cooper to make his commitment from ahost of offers that also included GeorgiaState, Oregon State, Troy and Old Dominion, the decisionwas an easy one for the senior Raiders’ defensive back.
“The Cajuns have actually been talking to me sincemy 10th gradeyear,”Cooper said. “Yes, they’ve been showing interest in me for awhile. That’sabig reason the decision was easy for me.”
The 6-foot, 205-pounderdiscovered last season how much he’d improved over his first two seasons at Rummel in Metairie Overall, though, Cooper is ecstatic with howwellhis highschool career hasgone so far
“It’sgone even better than Ithought,”
nator,and The Hulkster
“It just made me reflect really on,like,I can’t be so concerned aboutlittlethings andwhatpeople say,”Kiffin said. “You’ve got to makedecisions.”
He may never find an explanation that resonates with everyone, but Kiffinatleasttried to use the SECmedia days stage to explainwhy he’srepresenting his leaguerecord third conference school as ahead coach.
His apologies may never satisfy Ole Miss partisans afterheleft before aCollege Football Playoff run and later characterized Oxford as he did. He said Thursday he believes his quoteonthe difficulties of recruiting Black athletes to Mississippi was “factual,” but he may have chosen the wrong words at the wrong time.
He knowshecan be as detailed as humanlypossible aboutwhy he took theLSU job, andhemay stillfailto convince people. That’smaybe why he held back from adding onemoredata pointafter hisHulk Hoganrefrain.
Cooper said. “Inninth and10th grade Ihad my fair shareoftroubles —mostly understanding all the little things Ineeded to do. Butoncemy11thgrade year came, it all just camenatural to me. Iwas able to just lock in on what Iwas supposed to do and I hadagreat year.”
Listed as asafety,Cooper said he’s played everything from linebacker to safety during hishighschoolcareer. He’s been playing thepopular star position requiring both run-stopping and coverage skills— as asenior,and he’s expecting to beginhis career at UL in that same spot
“I wouldsay I’m anatural in the box back to my days of playinglinebacker,” Cooper said. “I plan to work on my coverage skills alittle more this year.Ihad one pick last year. This year,I’d liketohave five or six.” Cooper gotaninterception andcontributed to the stingy Rummel defense limitingHoly Cross to 107 total yards in a24-0 opening-round playoff win.
Tigers coachtopic of conversation all week
Don’t have an opinion.” Kiffinand LSU finally had their turn Thursday in person in the SEC media days spotlight at the TampaMarriott Water Street.
Kiffinreally washere all four days. In the air.Being mentioned either by the reporters and pundits covering the league’s enormous kickoffevent or by the other players and coaches themselves. Whichever side of the Kiffinfence you come downon—Adonis or troll, to use points of reference from Georgia coach Kirby Smart —LSU’s first-year coach was THE story of SEC Media Days2026. Texas quarterback Arch Manning, he of the New Orleans quarterbacking House of Manning, got his due attention. And the aforementioned Georgia Bulldogs, going for their third straight SEC title forthe first timesince the days of Herschel Walker were also headline grabbers. But let’sbereal. Kiffinisthe most
BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer
UL’s seasoned head coaches were disappointed to seeBryan Maggard leave Lafayette after adecade of leading the Ragin’ Cajuns as athletic director
appreciation forthe impact Maggard, whorecently took the job as deputyathleticdirector at Missouri,had on UL’s
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Ascension Parish wins doubleheaderto advancetoLittle League regional
BY MIKE COPPAGE Contributing writer
LafayetteLittle League’s season didn’tend theway it wanted, but the all-star squad reached the state tournament final for the first time since 2021.
On Wednesday at St. JulienPark in Broussard, Ascension Parish avenged aloss to Lafayettein Game 1ofthe tournamentbywinning adoubleheader to advance to the Southwest Region in Waco, Texas.
“It was awesome,” Lafayette coach CharlieBabineaux said of his team’ssummer.“This group of kids worked theirtails offand gave us all they had.” Lafayette jumped outtoa3-0 lead in the third inning of thefirst game on Wednesday.Jack Fontenot’ssingle scored Bryce Meaux (walk), and Mason Fontenot laced atriplethatdrove in JackFontenot and Mason Breaux (single). Ascension Parish answeredin the bottom half of the inningwith three runs. Lafayette turned an apparent double play with the bases loaded to escape the frame unscathed, but the umpireruled that theLafayette catcherdidn’t touch home plate before making the relay throw to first, whichbeat the batter
“It was abig call that could’ve dictated the game and tournament, but you know what? We’ll
Lafayette baserunner Bryce Meaux yells after scoring arun against Ascension Parish during the state Little League Baseball championship game on WednesdayatSt. Julien Park in Broussard.
keepmoving,” Babineauxsaid. Ascension Parish, which had to win six games in fivedays, scored
the winningrun in the bottom of thesixth inning to prevail 4-3. “Welost theopening gameto
Lafayette,” AscensionParish coachKyleSuire said.“They’rea real good team. Our kids are very mentally tough. Theykept fighting. There wasnever any doubt in ourdugout that we were going to win.”
In the final game, Ascension Parish got out to an 8-0lead behind pitcher Luca Drago, who allowed four hits and one run over four innings.Heleft the game after Harry Sturlese doubledto open thefifth inning forLafayette
“I just think he wasfilling up thezone and pitching to contact,” Babineaux said of Drago.“We weren’treally able to square up on him. He was able to eat up our lineup pretty good forawhile.”
Deano Babineaux’sdouble drove in Sturlese, andEli Vidacovich’sRBI groundout scored Babineaux to makeit8-2. Jack Fontenot doubled in thesixth for Lafayette,whichwasn’tableto score again “Even on Day 1, every timewe came to the park, Icould see our guys expected to win,” Suire said. “Everytime we needed akid to showupand throw agame, that guy did it.”
MasonFontenot, Co’en Onezime and Breauxeach hada hit in Game 2. Jake Waller,Jack Fontenot, Babineauxand Onezime (triple) collected hits in Game 1. In thefirst gameofthe tourney, Lafayette scored all its runs in the fifthinning of a3-1 win. Sturlese got the win after pitching 42/3 innings in relief.Meaux’sline drive to right field with twoouts scored all three runs. Dean LeBlanc, Sam Tasman and CamThibeaux rounded out the 12man roster forLafayette.
BY ERIC NARCISSE Staff writer
Participating in theKiwanis Club of Lafayettehigh school football jamboree is something Lafayette Christian Academy has wanted to do for quite some time. This year,the Knights will get their chance.
As aresult of the closing of Comeaux High School, Lafayette Christian was chosen to replace the Spartans in this year’s jamboree “First of all, it is abig honorto be able to play in this jamboree,” Knights coach Matt Standiford said. “It’sliterally the trademark jamboree in thearea. I think it’sareally(good)event forour kids to be apartof. I’m glad they were able to work it out for us to participate, because we are super excited.”
The two-day event will beheld on Thursday,Aug. 27 and Friday, Aug. 28 at UL’s Cajun Field. The Knightswill face St. Martinville in the last game on Aug. 28.
“Not only are you playing against really good competition, but you get achance to playat Cajun Field,” Standiford said. “Wehad eightkids to go play college ball last year and that’sa large number for us. Butthe majority of our kids are never going to be able to play at thenext level, so this is an opportunity for them to play in acollegestadium. The venue is top notch.” Being addedtothe schedule is something Standiford said will be beneficial for his players.
“From alogistical standpoint, it is tough finding teamsto schedule for ajamboree,” Standiford said. “There’sa lotthat goesonbehind the scenes that people don’trealize. Not only finding an opponent,but the fees you have to pay to host ajamboree. It’sastruggle. Now we don’thave to worry aboutthat because we get to playlocally and in front of apacked house.” Standiford said talks of the
Lafayette Christiancoach Matt Standiford will leadhis team in the Kiwanis
jamboree in lateAugust.
Knights participatinginthe Kiwanis Jamboreebegan in March of 2025. When newsbroke of Comeaux Highclosing, Standiford was approached again about taking part.
“InMarch of 2025, Itoldthem that if asituationever opened up thatwewould like to be considered,”Standiford recalled.
“This year,with all of the rumors aboutComeaux closing, I wasapproached about it.There was alot of talks back and forth,
but aroundthe first week of May they calledusand asked if we were interested in theopportunity.” Before hisKnights play in the jamboree, Standiford will first have to standatthe podium duringthe annual Crying Towel Luncheon. Although he isn’texpected to win, Standiford said he wouldn’tdelegate an assistant coach to standinhis place.
“I’ll probably end up doing it,”hesaid. “It’sfunny because I
Raiderssign No. 1pick
Mendoza to 4-year deal
HENDERSON,Nev.— Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, thetop overall pick in this year’s draft, signed afouryear,$57.27 million contract with the LasVegas Raiders on Thursday The Raiders hold afifth-year option.
Mendoza was the last of theRaiders’10draft picks to sign.
“I’m excited to getthisthing signed,”Mendoza said on theteam’s social media post. “I’m excited to be apartofthe silverand black. Can’t wait.”
He ran thethird-team offense in organized team activities and minicamp,but is expected to take on a larger role in training camp, which begins Wednesday Veteran KirkCousins, whosigned afree-agent contract worth $20 million guaranteed, enters camp as the No. 1quarterback.
Braves’ Acuña could return from IL for Baltimore series
ATLANTA Braves right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr.could be activated from the injured list and return to thelineup forthe team’s threegameseries in Baltimore startingFriday,Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said Thursday Acuña is scheduledtoplay Thursday night with Triple-A Gwinnett.
Acuña wasplaced on the injured list with aleft hamstring strain on June 9, thesecondtime this season it prompted atrip to the IL.Acuña missed 15 games in Maywiththe sameinjury
The 2023 MVP has played seven minor league games during his rehab assignment, three with the Bravesrookie league affiliate in Florida andfourwith Triple-A Gwinnett.
Mavericksre-signCisse after reports of offer from Knicks DALLAS The Dallas Mavericks have re-signed restricted free agent Moussa Cisse in the wake of multiple reports thatthe second-year center had signed an offer sheet with the New York Knicks. The team didn’tdisclose the terms in the deal announced Wednesday According to multiple reports, the Mavericks matched the Knicks’ offer on a$4.7million, two-year contract.
Cisse went undraftedout of Memphis last year andspentthe season with the Mavericks on atwo-way contract.The 6-foot-11 Cisse gives Dallas depthatcenter behind Dereck LivelyIIand Daniel Gafford.
Cisse tiedRoy Tarpley’sDallas rookierecord of 20 rebounds in the 2025-26 season finale against Chicago.
Osborne becomes1st living inductee to Nebraska HOF LINCOLN, Neb.— TomOsborne, who coached Nebraska to threenational championships in the1990s andended hiscareer with one of the highest winning percentages in college football history on Wednesday became the first living personvoted into the state historicalsociety’sNebraska Hall of Fame. The state legislature in April passed alaw paving theway for the89-year-oldOsborne’s entry Thelaw set aside the stipulation that aperson must be deceased at least 35 years before he or she can be considered. The hall of fame commissionvoted 7-0infavor of Osborne’sinduction.
After retiring from coaching after the 1997 season, Osborne was a three-term congressman.
again
WASHINGTON President Donald Trumpfeted Shohei Ohtani,FreddieFreeman andthe WorldSeries champion Los AngelesDodgers at theWhite House on Thursday, calling the team “one of the great brands anywhereinthe world” during aRoseGarden event celebrating their secondtitle in as many years.
called my dad, whowas the offensivecoordinator at Westminster Christian (Opelousas) under Tommy Badon, the otherday and told him he hadtogive me some insight on the luncheon. It’sgoing to be really interesting. Ijust have to figure outhow to get my point across, make it agood time and enjoyable for everybody.”
Email Eric Narcisse at enarcisse@theadvocate.com.
Trump said the Dodgers edging theToronto Blue Jays in Game 7 last fall capped “a hell of aseries.” He indicatedhewas surprised to learnthe Dodgers had neverbefore won consecutive titles. TheDodgers gave Trump what looked like areplica of aWorld Series ring. Thatprompted Trump to exclaim: “Wow.DoI have to report this? Idon’twant to report this” before slipping the ring into the inside pocket of his suit jacket.
04:28:18. 6. Raúl García Pierna, Spain, Movistar Team, 04:28:33. 7. Pablo Castrillo, Spain, Movistar Team, 04:30:51. 8. Lenny Martinez, France, Bahrain Victorious, 04:30:56.
9. Remco Evenepoel, Belgium, Red Bull — Bora — Hansgrohe, same time.
10. Tom Pidcock, United Kingdom, Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, same time.
Also: 3. Matteo Jorgenson, United States, Team Visma ‘ Lease a Bike, 04:27:06. 18. Matthew Riccitello, United States, Decathlon CMA CGM Team, 04:30:56 25. Quinn Simmons, United States, Lidl-
Trek, 04:32:12. 44. Sepp Kuss, United States, Team Visma ‘ Lease a Bike, 04:40:04. 62. Sean Quinn United States, EF EducationEasyPost, 04:43:32. Overall Standings: 1. Tadej Pogacar, Slovenia, UAE Team Emirates XRG, 64:35:13. 2. Remco Evenepoel, Belgium, Red Bull — Bora — Hansgrohe, 64:39:45 3. Isaac Del Toro Romero, Mexico, UAE Team Emirates XRG, 64:42:04. 4. Paul Seixas, France, Decathlon CMA CGM Team, 64:42:24. 5. Juan Ayuso, Spain, Lidl-Trek, 64:44:35
6. Mattias Skjelmose, Denmark, Lidl-Trek, 64:45:27. 7. Lenny Martinez, France, Bahrain Victorious, 64:48:03. 8. Tom Pidcock, United Kingdom, Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, 64:48:11 9 Jordan Jegat, France, TotalEnergies, 64:49:17. 10. Richard Carapaz, Ecuador, EF EducationEasyPost, 64:56:13.
Also: 16. Sepp Kuss, United States, Team Visma ‘ Lease a Bike, 65:35:50. 20. Sean Quinn United States, EF EducationEasyPost, 65:54:36. 21. Quinn Simmons, United States, Lidl-Trek, 65:55:08. 25. Matteo Jorgenson, United States, Team Visma ‘ Lease a Bike, 66:11:44
33. Matthew Riccitello, United States, Decathlon CMA CGM Team, 66:36:55
Withdrew Stage 18 Brandon McNulty, United States, UAE Team Emirates XRG, 60:57:21. Major League Baseball American League glance
Bueno, Peru, 6-2, 6-4. Andrey Rublev (1), Russia, def. Timofey Skatov, Kazakhstan, 6-1, 6-1. Luciano Darderi (2), Italy, def. Pedro Martinez, Spain, 6-0, 6-1. Men’s Doubles
Quarterfinals Titouan Droguet and Kyrian Jacquet, France def. Santiago Gonzalez and Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela, Mexico, 6-4, 6-3. David Pel and Sander Arends (3), Netherlands, def. Diego Hidalgo, Ecuador, and Alejandro Tabilo, Chile, 2-6, 6-3, 10-7. Rafael Matos and Orlando Luz (2), Brazil, def. Joao Domingues and Tiago Torres Portugal, 6-4, 6-2. WTA Livesport Prague Open results Thursday At TK Sparta Praha Prague Purse: $283,347 Surface: Hardcourt outdoor Women’s Singles Round of 16 Lanlana Tararudee, Thailand, def. Nikola Bartunkova (4), Czechia, 7-6 (4), 3-6, 7-6 (6). Lilli Tagger, Austria, def. Mai Hontama Japan, 6-4, 6-4. Sara Bejlek (3), Czechia, def. Maria Timofeeva, Russia, 6-1, 6-1. Barbora Krejcikova (2), Czechia, def. Lucie Havlickova, Czechia, 6-4, 6-2. Women’s Doubles Quarterfinals Hao-Ching Chan, Taiwan, and Miyu (1994) Kato (3), Japan, def. Alana Smith, United States, and Weronika Falkowska, Poland,
N.O. native joins team on a two-way contract
BY ROD WALKER Staff writer
The New Orleans Pelicans have signed their hometown draft pick
Jaron Pierre, the former St. Augustine High standout selected in the second round in June’s NBA draft, signed a two-way contract with the Pelicans The Pelicans announced the signing Thursday morning.
Pierre, who finished his collegiate career at SMU, was drafted with the No. 58 overall pick. He was the only draft pick the Pelicans had this year
Joe Dumars, the Pelicans’ executive vice-president of basketball operations, spoke after the draft
Continued from page 1C
Primarily recruited by UL assistant coach PJ Burkhalter, Cooper said UL liked “my off-ball skills in the box and also cover skills man-to-man. When coach PJ got a glimpse of me in practice, that’s when they pulled the trigger.
Cooper’s physical ability in the box is pretty established, but he also sees himself as versatile.
“I’ve never played outside corner, but I can play a little high safety.”
Adding experience at the star position is critical for the Cajuns. Redshirt senior Maurion Eleam is slated to start there this season. When he suffered a midseason injury the level of play slipped at that position.
Star sophomore cornerback Brent Gordon would likely back up Eleam there this fall and redshirt freshman Jayden Gloston will be competing for that job next season, but depth there is needed.
As a senior, Cooper plans “to be working on my strength. I’m at 205 right now, so I’m going to be working on both my strength and speed.”
Overall, Cooper is one of 16 current UL commitments. The other offensive commitments include tight end Bryce Coleman, tackle Adarius Hines of East View High in Texas, tackle Noah Ernst of Angleton High in Texas, tackle Philip Cenac of Vandebilt Catholic, wide receiver Robert Taylor of Ferriday, Plaquemine wide receiver John Walker and quar-
Continued from page 1C
“There’s always been a great relationship with Trey I hope that lasts all year.”
Football coach Michael Desormeaux and track coach Tommy Badon agreed.
“I’m really confident in him to be able to lead us through this turnover and this change,” Desormeaux said. “Where it goes from there, I don’t know, but Trey is someone that I think has done a really good job in his role. He has been really good at what he does.
“I think he’s bought into the Acadiana community He’s really built some really good relationships with people that have made a lot of things possible since he’s gotten here, mainly being the (renovations of the) stadium.”
With the search for Maggard’s replacement barely under way, the coaches acknowledged times are different. Athletic directors may need to be more involved in fundraising and finances than their predecessors.
“We definitely need to find new ways and be innovative in bringing in more money in our university,” Badon said.
“I think the financial part of it is a bigger part of it,” Desormeaux said. “I’m not saying it’s the biggest part of the job, but it’s a huge part.
“If you want to have success, there’s no secret that you’ve got to, got to find a way to fund your programs.”
Deggs concurred.
“When you talk about a leadership position, it’s going to be about managing people first and foremost,” Deggs said. “But with the challenges we’re facing now, it’s very, very important to have a strong fundraising background as well and if you have somebody familiar with south Louisiana and NIL, even better.”
All three coaches said Maggard’s replacement could stand replicating some of his skills.
“If you look at from when he took over 10 years ago to now, I
about what the team liked about the 6-foot-5 guard.
“We’re trying to hit on every pick that we bring in here,” Dumars said. “We don’t take any of them for granted. There’s a certain type of player that we are looking for We are looking for guys who are competitive. We are looking for guys who have toughness And we are looking for guys who really want to be here in New Orleans. Jaron checks the box for all of those.”
Pierre averaged 17.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists during his one year at SMU. He scored a career-best 21.6 points per game the year before at Jacksonville State. Pierre shot 37% on 3-pointers at SMU, the fourth school he attend-
ed. He began his college career at Southern Miss before transferring to Wichita State.
Continued from page 1C
But Kiffin reached the next microphone, and he offered his point anyway
“I didn’t really want to say it,” Kiffin said. “But when you talk about the change in places, somebody said it the other day ‘He’s been (at LSU) six months, and he’s had more five-star signings and commits than he did in the previous six years combined.’
“That’s kind of proof to me of the decision and of the combination of the two, us and LSU.”
Kiffin doesn’t like to speak in the third-person. But it’s the “Lane Kiffin Effect,” he said.
LSU has the branding, the history the 100,000-seat stadium.
“Then you put that with us, with our systems,” Kiffin said, and it should amplify everything.
He pointed out that a dozen LSU players are slated to have NIL deals with Nike this season. No other school has more than eight.
terback Tam Anderson of West Brook High in Texas
On defense, there’s defensive lineman Kobe Smith of Avoyelles, University High’s defensive lineman Maison Smith, edge rusher Omosefe Ayemere of Elkins High in Texas, St. Thomas More linebacker Landen Ortte, defensive end Ansinneo Charles of Lafayette Renaissance, safety Jabriran Blake of Wylie High in Texas and cornerback Caleb White of Summer Creek High in Texas.
Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com
think that there’s been a tremendous improvement in so many different areas,” Badon said. “I think that he did a great job of moving us forward as a Division I program.
“I think the hiring of (football coach Billy) Napier was a big deal. I think some of the people that he’s got currently are a big deal. I just think he’s done a good job of hiring coaches. I really do.”
In addition to the increase in Sun Belt championships during Maggard’s tenure, Desormeaux said he hasn’t forgotten Maggard’s leadership during COVID-19.
“There were programs in the state where COVID just killed them,” Desormeaux said. “For us, I thought COVID ended up being an advantage for us. Part of that was the facilities we have, but another big part of that was him being a great leader
“He was very open minded in trying to find ways for us to continue to operate like we needed to within the rules to have success. Everybody was on edge during that whole process, but he was a steady voice for us. I thought he did a great job during that time.”
All three coaches said they felt supported during Maggard’s stint.
“Personally, I’ll always be grateful,” said Desormeaux, who was hired in December of 2021 to replace Napier “When someone puts that much faith in you to be the leader of a program, that’s something you can never really quantify how much it means to you.”
“Absolutely,” said Deggs, a former assistant who was promoted to head coach in 2018. “Bryan’s always been good to me. He was great to work for and above and beyond that, he was a good friend.
He has a lot to be proud of.
“He’s at an age in his career, starting to have grandkids and kids getting married. They’re not living anywhere close to you, that those things start to take priority So congrats to him and Kerry They did a fine job representing us.”
“It means everything I grew up watching the Pelicans. So playing for the Pelicans is beautiful.”
JARON PIERRE, Pelicans guard
Pierre played in three games for the Pelicans during Summer League play in Las Vegas He averaged 10 points and 1.7 rebounds. His best game came against the Phoenix Suns when he scored 16 points and grabbed three rebounds.
“JP has been the constant,” said Pelicans’ Summer League coach God Shammgod “He’s a rookie and still trying to find his way But he’s being aggressive defensively and offensively. JP is a hard
Ole Miss to LSU and attempted to raid the Rebels’ roster
Kiffin was asked directly if his reputation as “the coach who left his team” has made it more difficult to build trust with recruits and their families.
“People were saying that would be a big thing. They don’t (ask),” Kiffin said. “They wanna know how they’ll be coached, how do they fit into the program, and what’s their NIL deal.”
For the first three days of SEC media days, other schools’ coaches and players were peppered with questions about Kiffin They provided answers that were colorful and cold.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel joked that Knoxville needs to be well-stocked with golf balls and mustard bottles for Kiffin’s next trip to Neyland Stadium.
Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy, who was courted to Baton Rouge but stayed in Oxford, was asked to describe his relationship with Kiffin and plainly described him as his “old head coach last year.” And that was it.
worker He’s a gamer.”
On his two-way deal, Pierre will split time between the Pelicans and the Laketown Squadron, the Pels’ G League affiliate that will play its games in Kenner this season. NBA teams are allowed to have three players on a two-way contract
Those players are allowed to be active for up to 50 NBA games.
During his introductory news conference following the draft, Pierre talked about how special it is for him to start his professional career in his hometown.
“It means everything,” Pierre said. “From watching those games when I was young to now everybody coming and watching me play is a big life change. Full circle for me. I grew up watching the Pelicans. So playing for the Pelicans is beautiful.”
in those three years, probably had the best three-year run in the history of the school.”
Kiffin sometimes likes to chart instances of the “butterfly effect” with the coordinator still at his side, Charlie Weis Jr., and they have talked about Ole Miss’ win over then-No. 4 LSU last September and how it eventually led to Brian Kelly’s ouster
Not everyone might agree or understand, but Kiffin believes everything worked out.
For Ole Miss and LSU.
“We took a new job, and in a lot of ways, a lot of people won,” Kiffin said. “A lot of coaches either stayed or came. They were able to keep Pete Golding, so he became a head coach. Players got a lot of really big contracts at both places.
“And both places are talked about a lot as premier programs heading into next year There’s a lot of positives that came from that game that day.”
On this day in Tampa, he preached the gospel of what a Kiffin-led LSU can be.
“It’s a big reason why we’re here,” Kiffin said. “I said it at that first press conference (in December); it’s just different. We’re going to make this thing different than anywhere else when you combine LSU and us. And you’re seeing that.
Inevitably, negative storylines have swirled nationally about the duplicitous Lane Kiffin who left Tennessee for Southern Cal after just one season, then bounced from
Kiffin said he doesn’t hear most of the outside noise because of a recent social media cleanse — he hasn’t posted to X since May 11 — but his PR person gave him a printout of Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding’s comments about a lack of “ill will” between them.
“We have a great relationship,” Kiffin said, comparing his three seasons with Golding to his three as an understudy at Nick Saban’s Alabama. “We went through a lot
“I’ve built my life on pushing out of comfort. And that may not be for everybody, and that’s fine.
That’s just how I am,” Kiffin said.
“Everyone talks about the pressure of LSU and what comes with that then there’s the expectations that everybody in the media has that we’re supposed to be this great team right away
“That’s an awesome challenge. You want to talk about getting uncomfortable? That does it.”
Continued from page 1C
famous college coach in the country going into this season. A few examples:
n The provision in the proposed Protect College Sports Act that would prohibit coaches from changing schools before their current school’s season is over is referred to as the “Lane Kiffin Rule” because of the timing of his move from Ole Miss to LSU.
n Which coach was featured in a cover story — a controversial cover story, naturally in Vanity Fair of all places? Not to pick on him per se, but it wasn’t Mississippi State’s Jeff Lebby
n Even when Kiffin didn’t make news this offseason, it made news. He’s only posted once on X.com (formerly Twitter) since May 11. Highly unusual. Like many of you, I assumed Kiffin had been off social media because of backlash about his comments in the Vanity Fair piece, in which he basically said it was harder to recruit to Ole Miss than LSU because of his former school’s checkered civil rights history
Kiffin said Thursday he cut himself off because of a challenge from his son Knox to go cold turkey
As always with Kiffin it’s up for the observer to decide.
Kiffin hasn’t won a national championship like Smart, who has two. He hasn’t even coached in a College Football Playoff game like Jon Sumrall did at Tulane before taking the job at Florida. Tulane, as Sumrall reminded everyone here Tuesday played Ole Miss twice in 2025 “and they beat the (bleep) out of us.” Once in the regular season with Kiffin, once in the CFP without Kiffin, who left a program still running straight and true on a course the visor-wearing hot yoga devotee set for it. Still, Kiffin is the story He is the show Why? Because he’s considered an offensive genius, much in the way Nick Saban (who hired him at Alabama then got rid of him mid-playoff run because Kiffin was distracted by his next job at FAU) was considered a defensive genius when LSU hired him in 1999. LSU bet on Saban’s reputation when it lured him away from Michigan State. LSU is doing the same thing with Kiffin now No games played yet. Certainly no wins. But there are signs. Kiffin said LSU has a nation’s-best 12 players with Nike NIL deals. That number includes a returning vet like linebacker Whit Weeks as well as Colorado transfer Jordan Seaton, who Kiffin said is the first offensive lineman with such a deal. Kiffin said no other school
has more than eight Nike NIL-ers. Why LSU? Because they’re talented players, certainly Because LSU has an established and colorful brand, for sure.
And because of Kiffin The whole thing is a heady mix that ESPN’s Jordan Rodgers said must produce a national contender now or Year 1 is a failure. I think that’s hyperbole, but Kiffin has promised a national title in his tenure. He clearly sounds more confident than ever that he made the right move in going to LSU.
“I said seven months ago when I took the job we’re coming to LSU to sign the best players in the country out of high school and then mix that with the best portal players in the country and put them together,” Kiffin said.
“That’s led us into this roster that we have now, which is a really good mixture of that.
“That roster is exciting to work with. I can’t wait to get to the field, get back to fall camp to do that. But it also excites me about the future of LSU, too. Not just this year.”
The potential of an exciting era at LSU brings the prospect of more love for Kiffin More hate. More headlines.
But no neutrality
Who needs it, anyway?
For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter
Kids will runLouisiana’sOld State Capitol from 9a.m.to3 p.m.
Saturdayfor an event spotlighting localkid makers plus adoptable CAAWS dogs. Akids market on thecastle grounds will be selling items made by thekids themselves.Also check out dogs lookingfor their foreverhomes. eventbrite.com.
BY JOHN WIRT Contributing writer
Forty years is along time to have the blues.
But as the Louisiana-born, nine-timeGrammy-winning blues star BuddyGuy says, “Blues chase the blues away.” Blues musicians and fans will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Phil Brady’sblues jamin Baton Rouge on Thursday. Through the past four decades, Thursday nights at the Mid City baronGovernment Street have been aweekly opportunityfor musicians of all stripes to sing and play the blues. Aspiring youngsters learned from the local blueseldersand, in some instances, launched music careers of their own.
Shannon “Bayou” Williford founded the Phil Brady’s blues jam in 1986,and ran it until his 1995 move to Nashville. Williford,now aresident of Pass Christian, Mississippi,returns next week to host the jam’s40th anniversary event.
STAFF FILEPHOTO By TRAVIS SPRADLING
On the Phil Brady’s‘Legends’ wall, icons,from lowercenter, Lawrence Taylor,TabbyThomas and JohnnyRossetti,top right, performinvarious years at the Phil Brady’sblues jam.
Recent years have seenthe passing of many musicians who contributed to the Baton Rouge blues scene, including drummer Jo Monk, born MichaelWayne Caesar;guitarist andlongtime Brady’sblues jam manager Johnny Rossetti; and singers Luther Kent, Mamie Porter and SunDanze Dunston. In honor of those gone greats, Williford will performhis original song,“Ghosts of Phil Brady’s,”atthe anniversaryjam Williford, during acalltoBaton Rouge earlier this year regarding the staging of a40thanniversary Brady’sblues jam,got a“hell, yeah”from Phil Brady’s Bar &Grill owner Joe Hall.
“It’s special to have one gig running 40 years,” Hall said. “I’m proud to be involved in itfor 23 years. I’ve kept it going because it’sspecial to me. But themusicians make the jam night happen, not me. Ijust have agood time.”
ä See PHILBRADY'S, page 6C
PHILBRADY’S
40TH ANNIVERSARY BLUES JAM
8p.m.Thursday l Phil Brady’s Bar &Grill, 4848 GovernmentSt., Baton Rouge l $5 l facebook. com/philbradys.bar
TOP KoeWetzel
n Sept. 4, Raising
Cane’s River Centerin Baton Rouge
ABOVE ‘WeirdAl’ Yankovic
n Sept. 23, Raising Cane’s River Center in Baton Rouge
BY JUDYBERGERON Staff writer
Beforeanother football season marches in, fans will wanttoplan their music outings around the biggames. Here’salook at adozen showscoming your way now through September
BATONROUGE n KOEWETZEL: 6:45 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4, Raising Cane’sRiver Center, 275 S. River Road. Chart-topping country artist Wetzel’s“The Night Champion WorldTour” is scheduled for 45 cities this summer and fall throughout the U.S.,Canada and Australia. Expect new tracks like “Surrounded” and “TimeGoes On”
ABOVE The Band of Heathens n Sept. 8, Manship TheatreinBaton Rouge LEFT Branford Marsalis
n Sept. 27, Heymann Performing Arts Center in Lafayette
and, of course, 2025’sthree-time platinum, five-week No.1hit “High Road.” The East Texasnative’s 2024 “DamnNear Normal Tour” drew 250,000-plus fans. $32 and up https://raisingcanesrivercenter. com/. n “WEIRD AL”YANKOVIC: 7:30 p.m Wednesday, Sept. 23, Raising Cane’s River Center Arena. The five-time Grammywinner’s“Bigger &Weirder 2026 Tour”will featurehis signature full-production multimedia comedy rock show. He’ll be performing his iconic hits as well as some neverperformed-live-beforefan favorites. Yankovic is best known forhis parodies of the biggest-selling musical artists overthe last four decades,including Madonna, MichaelJackson, TaylorSwift, Queen, U2 and Lady Gaga, who have all given“WeirdAl” their blessings. $39 and up. https:// raisingcanesrivercenter.com/ n GAVIN ADCOCK: 7p.m.Thursday, Sept. 24, Raising Cane’s River Center Arena. Billboardhas called the Georgia-born country star “one of country music’s most buzzed-about country artists.” After recording and
releasing his firstoriginal single in 2021, Adcock has gainedmorethan 1.5 billion global streamsacross singlesincluding “A Cigarette,” “Run Your Mouth,” “Deep End,” “Four Leaf Clover” and more. Released in 2024, his album “Actin’ Up Again” was designated thelargest major-label country debutfromasolo male artist. Hislatest album, “Own WorstEnemy,”was released in August 2025. $45 and up.https://tix.axs.com.
n FOREVER SIMON AND GARFUNKEL: 7:30 p.m.Thursday, Aug. 6, Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. Sean Altman and Jack Skullercelebrate folk rock icons Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel,the bestselling duoin rock ’n’ roll history.Inaddition to Sand G’s biggest hits, they’llalso perform some from Simon’s solo years. Expect to hear “The Sound Of Silence,” “Bridge Over TroubledWater,” “Mrs.Robinson,” “I Am ARock,” “The Boxer,” “Homeward Bound,” “Cecilia,” “Hazy Shade Of Winter,” “Feeling Groovy,” “Me&Julio Down by theSchoolyard,” “Kodachrome
ä See CONCERTS, page 6C
BY KASEY BUBNASH Staff writer
By The Associated Press
Today is Friday,July24, the 205th day of 2026. There are 160 days left in the year
TodayinHistory: On July 24, 1969, the Apollo 11 astronauts —two of whom were the first humans to set foot on the moon —splashed down safely in the Pacific. Also on this date: In 1567, Mary,Queen of Scots, was forced to abdicate her throne to her 1-year-old son James.
In 1866, Tennessee became the first state to be readmitted to the Union after the Civil War.
In 1959, during avisit to Moscow,Vice President
Richard Nixon engaged in hisfamous“Kitchen Debate” with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev In 1974, theU.S.Supreme Court unanimouslyruled that President Richard Nixon had to turn over subpoenaed White House tape recordings to the Watergate special prosecutor In 1975,anApollo spacecraftsplasheddown in the Pacific, completing amission whichincluded the first docking witha Soyuz capsule fromthe Soviet Union. In 2010, astampede inside atunnelcrowded with technomusicfansleft 21 peopledead andmore than 500 injured at thefamed Love Parade festival in
Duisburg, Germany
Today’sbirthdays: Actor Dan Hedaya is 86. Actor Chris Sarandon is 84. Actor Robert Hays is 79. Actor Michael Richards is 77.
Actor Lynda Carter is 75.
Movie director Gus Van Sant is 74. Country singer Pam Tillis is 69. Basketball Hall of Famer Karl Malone is 63. Retired MLB All-Star Barry Bonds is 62. Actor Kadeem Hardison is 61.
Actor-singer Kristin Chenowethis58. Actor Laura Leighton is 58. Actor-singer Jennifer Lopez is 57. Director Patty Jenkins (“Wonder Woman”) is 55. Actor Eric Szmanda is 51. Actor Rose Byrne is 47. Country singer Jerrod Niemann is 47.
MONDAY
FRIDAY
LIVE MUSIC: CaneRiver Pecan CompanyPie Bar, New Iberia, 5p.m.
JACK WOODSON: Charley
G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6p.m.
L.A. ROXX: The Ruins Lounge, Lafayette, 6p.m.
LIVE MUSIC: Jim Deggy’s Brick Oven Pizza&Brewery,Lafayette, 6p.m.
JAKE KNOTT: Naq’s, Duson 6p.m.
LIVE MUSIC: Prejean’s, Broussard, 6p.m.
ROXDAIGRE: Adopted Dog Brewing, Lafayette,6 p.m.
SARAH RUSSO +SAM SPHAR: Cafe Sydnie Mae,Breaux Bridge, 6p.m.
AARON HEBERT: SHUCKS!,Abbeville, 6:30 p.m.
DOYLE TAUZIN: Buck &Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 6:30 p.m.
ACATH+DRIVE DORCTOR!
DRIVE! +HIJACKTHE FLOAT +NOT MILK: The Loose Caboose, Lafayette, 7p.m
DYLAN AUCOIN &THE JUDICE RAMBLERS: Silver Slipper, Arnaudville, 7p.m.
MATT GARYTRIO: Whiskey and Vine, Lafayette, 7p.m.
THE DEBTORS: Acadiana Center for the Arts, Lafayette, 7:30 p.m.
GEE SCOTT: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 8p.m.
LIVE MUSIC: The Barrel, Broussard, 8p.m.
WAYNE SINGLETON &SAME
OL’2-STEP: HideawayonLee Lafayette, 8p.m.
JC MELANCON: Toby’s Lounge, Opelousas, 8:30 p.m.
ROUGE KREWE: Rock ’n’ Bowl, Lafayette, 9p.m.
SATURDAY
CJ VEDELL &ZYDECOGRAP-
PLERS: Buck &Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 8a.m.
TROYLEJEUNE BAND: Fred’s, Mamou, 8a.m.
JAYDEN DUGAS: Naq’s, Duson, 8:30 a.m.
CAJUN JAM: MoncusPark, Lafayette, 9a.m.
SATURDAY MORNING JAM
SESSIONS: Savoy Music Center, Eunice, 9a.m
CAJUN JAM: Tante Marie, Breaux Bridge, 11 a.m.
CAJUN FRENCH MUSICJAM: Vermilionville Living History Museum &Folklife Park Lafayette, 1p.m.
CAJUN JAMSESSION: Touchet’s Bar, Maurice, 2p.m.
SWAMP BLUES REVIVAL: Cypress Cove Landing, Breaux Bridge, 3p.m.
Continued from page5C
In 1986, then teenager Jay Michael attended his first Phil Brady’sjam.In2024, Michael, asinger,guitarist and songwriter,succeeded Rossetti as jam manager “Tohave come from a place where Iwas totally intimidated,” Michael said, “to running the whole show it’s amazing. I’dgothere as akid andnot even attempt to get on stage. All of those great characters —Kenny Acosta, Raful Neal, Rudy Richard, Will Jackson, Big Bo Melvin. Istill sit on a stool by the stage, get hypnotized by the music, soak it in and learn from everybody.” Before he launched the Brady’sjam session, Williford was aregular at Wednesday night jams at Tabby’sBlues Box and Heritage Hall. He also formed the first Brady’sjam house band with Jim George,Joe Hunter and Troy Turner Williford expects to see George and Turner at the anniversary,but Hunter is amaybe.
BARET FRITZ DUO: Lakeview Park, Eunice, 5p.m
DAVID HENRY: Cafe Sydnie Mae, Breaux Bridge, 6p.m.
AUSTIN REAUX: Naq’s,Duson, 6p.m.
JAKE SPINELLA: CharleyG’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6p.m.
LIVE MUSIC: Jim Deggy’s Brick Oven Pizza&Brewery,Lafayette, 6p.m.
LIVE MUSIC: Prejean’s, Broussard, 6p.m. THE MINTLLYILLBILLIES: Adopted Dog Brewing, Lafayette, 6p.m.
CASEY COURVILLE: The Tap Room, Youngsville, 6:30 p.m.
TROUBADOUR: SHUCKS!,Abbeville,6:30 p.m.
CHRISHIMEL&OUTBOUND: Silver Slipper, Arnaudville, 7p.m.
GARRET ROSENCOMBO: Whiskey and Vine,Lafayette, 7p.m.
HORACE TRAHAN: Hideaway on Lee, Lafayette, 8p.m.
LIVE MUSIC: The Barrel, Broussard, 8p.m.
WAYNE TOUPS/JAMEY BEARB &CAJUN FRIENDS: La PoussiereCajun Dancehall, Breaux Bridge, 8p.m.
TOMMY GAND STORMY
WEATHER: Toby’s Lounge, Opelousas, 8:30p.m.
SEVEN BRIDGESROAD—TRIBUTE TO THEEAGLES: Rock ’n’ Bowl, Lafayette, 9p.m.
SUNDAY
DAVID ST.ROMAIN: Cafe Sydnie Mae,BreauxBridge 10:30 a.m
LIVE MUSIC: TanteMarie, Breaux Bridge, 11 a.m.
THE SUNDAY PEOPLE: Whiskey&Vine,Lafayette, 11 a.m. LES FRERESMICHOT: Prejean’s, Carencro, 11:30 a.m
BALDUDIMANCHE —POISSON ROUGE: Vermilionville Living History Museum & Folklife Park,Lafayette, 1p.m.
CHUBBYCARRIER: Cypress Cove Landing, BreauxBridge, 3p.m.
OPEN MIC NIGHT WITH CASEY COURVILLE: Adopted Dog Brewing, Lafayette, 4p.m.
JUNIOR LACROSSE: Pat’s Atchafalaya Club,Henderson, 4:30 p.m
CREOLECONNECTION: Rock ’n’ Bowl, Lafayette,5p.m.
ALYSSA MCMURRAY: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6p.m.
SWAMP BLUES REVIVAL: Silver Slipper, Arnaudville, 7p.m.
Jam nightsduring the past 40-plusyears at PhilBrady’s andthe late Tabby Thomas’ Tabby’s Blues Box served as blues school for Williford and so many more. Williford continued that tradition afterhemoved to Nashville, teaching musicfor 22 years. “I put kids in bands, kind of like ‘School of Rock,’ but Itaught them the blues,” he said. “I taught them like I learned from Guitar Kelly and Silas Hogan and all them (in Baton Rouge). It’s not aboutlearning toplay asong, it’slearningabout playing agroove.”
Williford took his blues lessons from ageneration of Baton Rouge bluesmen
“I love the way that Silas andKelly and Henry (Gray) andRafultookme under their arms andshowedme,” he said. “Now,I’m thatold guy who’spassingiton.”
Some young students of the blues graduated to major success.Williford remembers when ateenage TabBenoit humbly asked for aspot on the Brady’sjam stage.
“Tab getsupand he’swearing aStevie Ray Vaughan hat and dancing. He wasn’t much of aguitar player,but,
Dear Heloise: Every skincare company claims to have theperfect solution to staying young, but thetruthisthat lines and wrinkles are going to show up sooner or later For manypeople, plastic surgery, skin peels and $200 creams are out of reach and might not do anything to remove thelines on your face. The best thingyou can do for yourself is to prevent these lines in the first place. Wear sunblock during
PATRICIO LATINO SOLO: Cafe Habana City,Lafayette, 11 a.m.
SAMSPHAR: Charley G’sSeafood Grill, Lafayette, 6p.m
BLUEGRASSJAM: Cité des Arts, Lafayette, 6:30 p.m.
TUESDAY
ALYSSA MCMURRAY: Charley G’sSeafood Grill, Lafayette, 6p.m
ROB SAXXY: Whiskey and Vine,Lafayette, 6p.m
TERRYHUVAL &FRIENDS: Prejean’sRestaurant, Lafayette, 6p.m
GREENLIGHT SESSIONS OPEN MIC: The Jefferson Street Greenroom, Lafayette, 7p.m
WEDNESDAY
DULCIMER JAM: St.Landry Visitor Center,Opelousas, 10 a.m.
ABI CLAIR: Park Bistro, Lafayette, 6p.m
ANDREW WAIN &LOGAN
TURNER JAZZ: Whiskeyand Vine,Lafayette, 6p.m
SAMSPHAR: Charley G’sSeafood Grill, Lafayette, 6p.m
WANTED WEDNESDAY KARA-
OKE NIGHT: The Barrel, Broussard, 6p.m
DYLONERVIN: The TapRoom, Youngsville, 6:30 p.m.
CAJUN JAM: Blue Moon Saloon,Lafayette, 8p.m
THURSDAY
CHRIS HIMEL DUO: Lakeview Park,Eunice,5 p.m.
CRAIG IVES: Charley G’sSeafood Grill, Lafayette, 6p.m
LADIES NIGHT WITH DJ DONOVANINTHE MIX: Cowboys Nightclub,Scott, 6p.m
LIVE MUSIC: Naq’s, Duson, 6p.m
PAUL TASSIN PIANO: Whiskey and Vine, Lafayette, 6p.m
KIPSONNIER: SHUCKS!, Abbeville, 6:30 p.m.
CLIFF BERNARD: Silver Slipper, Arnaudville, 7p.m
KARAOKE PARTY—PANDA
ENTERTAINMENT: Black Bull, Youngsville, 8p.m
TYSON WEBBW/JARED CRENSHAW: Blue Moon Saloon Lafayette, 8p.m
Compiled by Marchaund Jones. Want your venue’s musiclisted? Email info/ photos to showstowatch@ theadvocate.com. The deadline is noon FRIDAY for the following Friday’s paper
lawdy,mercy,hecould sing! Andhewas having fun. It’s nice to seethathejumped out and did stuff,”hesaid.
Williford’sjam coordinating philosophy included regular participation by African American musicians.
“Raful (Neal)loved coming in,” he said. “And Iloved that, because it’snot my music, it’stheir music. I’m just hanging on, loving it, but as far as where it came from, it didn’tcome from us.”
Michael, avisual artist as wellasa musicianand jammanager,has created a commemorative 40th anniversary Brady’sjam poster. Nextweek’s anniversary jam night, he said, begins at 8p.m., earlier than usual Thursdays, and, if theblues power stays strong, will go till closing time.
“AtBrady’s,”the lateRossetti said prior to the 25th anniversary jam in 2011, “younever know who you’re gonna see. Just let the jam roll.”
“Wouldn’titbeamazing,” Michael said last week, “to be at the 100th anniversary blues jam?”
Email John Wirt at j_wirt@ msn.com.
the summer and winter; moisturize your skin (don’tforget your neck); never sleep in your makeup; and eat a healthy,balanced diet. Add to this a little exercise and try to stay within 5pounds of your ideal weight —that is, no morethan 5 pounds up or down.
Yo-yo dieting can (and usually does) cause sagging skin and is hard on the body Find askincare routine and stay with it, but re-
Continuedfrom page5C
and more. $40 and up. manshiptheatre.org.
n ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY: THE STREISAND SONGBOOK: 7p.m.Sunday, Aug. 23, Manship Theatre. $39 and up. manshiptheatre.org.Platinum Award-winning singersongwriter Callaway’s show is described as “a night of soaringsongs and stories.” Celebrating oneofAmerica’s most powerfuland enduring musical artists, look for Streisand’s timeless classics In herown right, Callaway is an accomplished jazzand pop singer, pianist, composer, lyricistand arranger as well as an actress, educator, TV host and producer. Special guest for her Manship concert will be Shelly Berg aSteinwaypiano artist and multi-Grammy-nominated arranger and producer. $39 and up. manshiptheatre.org
n THE BAND OF HEATHENS: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8, Manship Theatre. Presented by RedDragon Listening Room, this concertwas originally scheduled for April 23. The Americanaand roots rock band from Austinis known forincisivelyrics and asound they crafted that’s become mainstream. The band’s new album,“Country Sides,”was released Feb. 20, and takes alook back at their career. Local duo Clay Parker and Jodi James will open theshow. $72.24 and up. manshiptheatre.org
n BODEANS: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16, Manship Theatre. Centeredon roots rock, heartland rock and alternativerock,BoDeans is marking the 40th anniversary of its critically-acclaimed debut album, “Love &Hope &Sex &Dreams” In honorofthe milestone, the band will perform atwo-anda-half-hour showfeaturing a video retrospective that will include songs from their 14 studiorecords covering five decades of music —1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and the 2020s. Among the songs will be “Good Things,” “You Don’t Get Much,” “Idaho”and “Closer to Free.”$51 and up. manshiptheatre.org
n JASON CARTER BAND: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, Manship Theatre. The Grammy-winning bluegrass and Americana band is led by fiddlerCarter, alongtime
Continuedfrom page5C
Recreation, where he serves as executive director When he foundout the Griswold in his neighborhood was none other than Jeff Borne, thecreative behind NewOrleans projects like The Mortuary Haunted House andCityPark’sformer Scout Island Scream Park, Bentley-Smith hoped Borne would agree todecorate theCovingtonpark complex for Halloween.
It turns out Borne was up forawhole lotmore than that.Now,after twoyears of planning, Borne is expanding his reign of terror to thenorthshorefor Halloween 2026.
“Weare very excited to be hosting ahauntedhouse on thenorthshore once again, so thekids from Hammond all theway to Mississippi don’thave to drive across the lake,”Bentley-Smith said.
Touted as Louisiana’s “newest andmost intense nightmare,”The Sawmill Haunted Houseopens to the public in Coquille’sRiver Mill eventscenter on Oct. 2 and will run through Nov.1 With months to go before the pumpkins are carved and the trick-or-treaters hit the streets, Bentley-Smith said many of thenitty gritty
member,your skin tone changes as you age. So, the tints in your makeup need to be changed alittle as your skin changes. A rosy pink may have looked great on you at 25, but not at 45. If you smoke, please stop. This goes forvaping, too. Both are terrible for your skin. Take care of yourself and love the skin that you’re in! —Anonymous MakeupArtist, in Hollywood,California Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.
Tank and the Bangas
member of theiconic Del McCoury Band. They offera modern, hard-driving take on traditional bluegrass, and theirliveshows arerecognized for lightning-fastpicking, tight arrangements and adynamic energy.$38 and up.manshiptheatre.org
LAFAYETTE
n MICHAELSCOTT BOUDREAUX+DOM ELLIS:
7:30 p.m.Friday,Aug. 7, Acadiana Center for the Arts —James Devin Moncus Theater, 101 W. Vermilion St. BreauxBridge native Boudreauxoffers heartfelt storytelling and country grit.Ellis,aNashville-based singer-songwriter who grew up in Lafayette, stirs up a gumboofcountry,folk and Americana, seasonedwith rawemotion and timeless soul. It promises to be an evening showcasing apair of Louisiana’snextgeneration of country music. $30. https://acadianacenterforthearts.org/.
n TANK AND THE BANGAS: 7:30 p.m.Saturday, Aug. 29, Acadiana Center for the Arts —James Devin Moncus Theater. AGrammy-winning NewOrleans soul/hip-hop ensembleanchored by lead vocalist Tarriona “Tank” Ball, theband madeits viral breakthrough as thewinners of theNPR TinyDesk Contest. The performance has morethan 14 million views on YouTube. Ballisknown for herquirky raps, poetry
details of Coquille’sfestivities are still being ironed out. But he said “thesky is the limit” forBorne and his team
“You couldn’task for abetter group locally,” he said.
ANew Orleansnative with along history in the haunted attraction business, Borne opened The Mortuary in agutted Victorian mansionand former funeral homeatthe end of Canal Street in Mid-Cityin 2007. The haunted house hasbeen terrifying visitors ever since, becoming a staple stop during the Crescent City’sspooky season. Borne’s résumé also includes work on Universal Studios rollercoasters, AREA15 District in Las Vegas, andbygone local hits like Scream Factory,abelovednorthshorehaunted house that wasforced to close in Hurricane Katrina’swake.
Borne said he jumped at the opportunity to getback to Covington, where he lives and where his various businesses are headquartered.
“I’m excited about it,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to it.” The Sawmill’snamewas inspired by itshostvenue, the River Mill, and much of itsdesign andtheme,including its fictional setting of ahaunted town called Widow’sLanding, will be
and rich melodies, evidenced in thegroup’s mostrecent album, “The Last Balloon.” $35. https://acadianacenterforthearts.org/.
n GIRL NAMED TOM: 7:30 p.m Friday,Sept. 25, Acadiana Center for theArts— James DevinMoncus Theater. The Liechty siblings —Bekah, Caleband Joshua —made history as the firstgroup to win NBC’scompetition series “The Voice.” Themusicians fuse folk and popintheir soul-stirring performances. The trio has sold morethan 100,000 tickets across40 states, headlined nationwide tours,and performed at the Grand Ole Opry,the Indianapolis 500 and on “The Ellen Show.” $45. https://acadianacenterforthearts.org/ n BRANFORD MARSALIS AND DIANNE REEVES CELEBRATE JOHN COLTRANE: 3p.m. Sunday,Sept. 27, Heymann Performing Arts Center,1373 S. College Road. Presented by thePerforming Arts Society of Acadiana, the afternoon brings together Grammy-winning modern jazz mastersBranfordMarsalis and Dianne Reeves performing thetimeless ballads of Coltrane.Marsalis’ tenor saxophone and Reeves’ soaring vocal range arebacked by theBranfordMarsalis Quartet. $30 and up.https:// www.heymanncenter.com/. Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@theadvocate. com.
influenced by the ghost stories and lore of Madisonville. Borne said visitors canexpecttosee ghosts —including oneinspired by Madisonville’sSilk Lady legend —pirates and, of course, chain saws.
Unlike The Mortuary apermanent fixture that hosts events year-round, The Sawmill will operate seasonally in the more traditional haunted house format. Borne’steam has already been at work building collapsible sets, which they’ll start moving into the space early this fall.
Eventually Borne said he hopes The Sawmill will gain enough of afollowing that it could one day becomesimilar to anotherone of his past projects, ScoutIsland Scream Park, aweekslong Halloween festival in City Parkthatultimatelyfell victimtothe COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’sthe prospect of how muchitcould grow over the next 10 years that we’re really looking at,” he said. Like at The Mortuary general admission andVIP tickets to The Sawmill will be available online and onsite this fall. Ticketswill range from $25 to $55, and true fearfanaticscan get a season pass for$150.
Email KaseyBubnash at kasey.bubnash@ theadvocate.com.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Engage in activities, and show off your skills, attributes and generosity.Think big, but implement discipline and fine-tune your plans to suit your budget. Helping others won't be easy.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Keep your guard up when dealing with contracts, joint ventures and shared expenses. Don't force your will on others; if you want to winapproval or acceptance, use diplomacy.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Trynot to be too revealing. Be agood listener, size up situations and work quietly on your own as youcollect what youneed to succeed.An unexpected opportunity will surface.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Be clear regardingwhat you can and are willing to do. Walk away from any situation that makesyou uncomfortable. Useyour insight and intelligence to outmaneuveranyone tryingtotakeadvantage of you.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Put more time and effort into your home, surroundings and relationships. Share your feelings andintentions,and find outwhere youstand before youmake acommitment to anyone who may have different opinions.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Savetime; cut your losses andfocus on feeling, looking and doing what's best for you. Protect your assets and your reputationfrom anyone tryingtooutmaneuver you.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb.19) Don't letnegativity set in whena positive attitude will
attract far better peopleand prospects. Consider what youare good at andenjoy doing, and find away to turn your skills into aprofit.
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Be good to yourself and the ones you love. Spending time nurturing meaningful relationships will encourage apositive lifestyle change. Love and romance are in the stars.
ARIES (March 21-April 19) Turn your creative imagination into somethingspectacular. Position yourself with people who inspire you to let your heart lead the way.Happiness is the prerequisite of doing what's best for you whenever you can.
TAURUS (April 20-May20) Tamewhat tempts you. Be rational, usecommon sense and put your money to work toward greater stability and security, not loss and debt
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Pursuing education, traveling, promotingand presenting what you can do, networking and forming connections with peoplewho can helppush your agenda will get you on theroad to victory.
CANCER (June21-July 22) Sharingtoo much will be detrimental. Put your time andeffort into building asolid base to house your dreams, hopes and wishes. Don't be afraid to be different.
The horoscope, an entertainmentfeature, is notbasedonscientific fact. ©2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication
InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.
Puzzle Answer
BY PHILLIP ALDER
Frank A. Clark, alawyer and politician who died in 1936, said, “If you can findapathwith no obstacles, it probably doesn’tlead anywhere.”
Sometimes the opening lead shows the path to the defeat of the contract if one of the defenders finds the right subsequent play.
First, though, look onlyatthe West hand. What should he lead against three no-trump?
Some playersopen two no-trump with 19high-cardpoints,especiallywhenthey have agood five-card suit. It can be reasonable, but not with that North hand. Almost half of thepoints are in quacks (queens and jacks), which is not good, and thereisone unstopped suit. One diamond is correct Lengthrulesagainstno-trump,soWest should lead aheart. And because he has no honor in thesuit, he should choose the nine —top of nothingwhen the top twocards aretouching. (When you have something like 9-7-6-4-3, lead the seven, thesecond-highest.)
Southhasseventoptricks:threehearts and four clubs. He will take the first trick with dummy’s queen and play on diamonds.What should East do?
The opening lead marks South with theheartace and king. So he cannot also have the spade ace, because thenhe would have been too strong to respond one no-trump. Eastshouldgrabthe trick andshift to hisspade four,the lowcard guaranteeing at least one honor in the suit.Westwillwinwithhisaceandreturn the spade eight, the higher card from a remainingdoubleton.Eastwilltakethree more spade tricks for down one. ©2026 by NEA, Inc., dist.ByAndrews
McMeel Syndication
Each Wuzzle is aword riddle which creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON Previous answers:
InsTRucTIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,”such as “bats” or “dies,”are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit wordsare not allowed.
ToDAY’s WoRD DEMEAns: dih-MEENS: Lowers in character, status or reputation.
Average mark 25 words
Time limit 40 minutes
Can you find 32 or more words in DEMEANS?
YEsTERDAY’s WoRD —TRouPE
NAYS:None ABSENT:None ABSTAIN: None Motion to adoptwas ap‐proved ORDINANCES FORFINAL ADOPTION AGENDA ITEM NO.5:PO025-2026 An ordinanceof theLafayette Parish Councilsetting forth and designatingthe ad val‐orem taxmillage rates andimposingtaxes on allpropertysubject to ad valoremtaxationinthe Parish of Lafayette and authorizingthe Assessor andTax Collectorfor the Parish of Lafayette to as‐sess andcollect property taxesfor 2026, motion to adoptbyRubin,sec‐ondedbyGuilbeau, and thevotewas as follows: YEAS:Tabor,Richard Stansbury, Guilbeau Rubin
NAYS:None ABSENT:None ABSTAIN: None Motion to adoptwas ap‐proved Semien read Ordinance No.PO-025-2026 in itsen‐tirety
AGENDA ITEM NO.6:PO026-2026 An ordinanceof theLafayette Parish Councilamendingthe FY 25/26 operatingbudget of theLafayette CityParish Consolidated Gov‐ernmentbyincreasing revenues in theamount of $62,305.23 Emergency Management Program Grant(EMPG)funds re‐ceived from theGover‐nor’sOffice of Homeland Security andEmergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) andappropriatingfunds within theLafayette Parish Office of Home‐land Security andEmer‐gencyPreparedness, mo‐tion to adoptbyGuil‐beau,secondedby Stansbury, andthe vote wasasfollows: YEAS:Tabor,Richard Stansbury, Guilbeau Rubin
ABSTAIN: None Motiontoadopt wasap‐proved Guilbeau congratulated ChristinaDayries on ob‐tainingthe funding. Boulet thankedDayries forobtainingthe fund‐ing.
Rubinannounced that people across thestate of Louisianatalkhighly of Dayriesand that he is happytohaveDayries workingwithLCG INTRODUCTORY ORDI‐NANCES Amotiontointroduce agenda items7 thru 11, in globo, wasofferedby Guilbeau,secondedby Tabor.
7. PO-027-2026 An ordi‐nanceofthe Lafayette Parish Councilamending theFY25/26 operating andcapital budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Govern‐ment by transferring $60,000 from theParish CouncilDistrict4 Capital appropriationtoMilton Volunteer Fire Depart‐ment within Section4190 Parishwide Fire Protec‐tion forthe purchase of a waterrescueboat, ther‐malimaging camera radioreplacement bunker gear andmiscel‐laneouscosts associated therewith.
8. PO-028-2026 An ordi‐nanceofthe Lafayette Parish Councilsetting forthand designatingthe adjusted taxmillage rate andimposingtaxes on allpropertysubject to ad valoremtaxationinthe Parish of Lafayette and authorizingthe taxas‐sessor andtax collector forthe Parish of Lafayette to assess and collectthe millagerate for2026 at therateof 1.71 millsfor the Lafayette AirportCom‐mission.
9. PO-029-2026 An ordi‐nanceofthe Lafayette Parish Councilamending theFY25/26 operating budget of theLafayette City-ParishConsolidated Government to adjust amountsfor administra‐tive andgeneral coststo actual
10. PO-030-2026 An ordi‐nanceofthe Lafayette Parish Councilamending theFY25/26 operating budget of theLafayette City-ParishConsolidated Government by adjusting themanning tables and increasing thehourlypay rate of one(1) Tree Trim‐merForeman position one(1) Tree Trimmerpo‐sition,and one(1) Labor ForemanI position within theTraffic, Roads, and BridgesDepartmentStreetsDivision.
y Parish Council amending theFY25/26 capitalbud‐getofthe Lafayette CityParish Consolidated Gov‐ernmentbytransferring fundsfromvarious ac‐countstothe EBrous‐sard/RobleyDrive Roundaboutaccount for additional funding needed TheChair then called for avotetointroduce the ordinances (items 7thru 11),inglobo,and the vote was as follows: YEAS:Tabor,Richard Stansbury, Guilbeau Rubin NAYS:None ABSENT:None ABSTAIN: None Motion to introduce, in globo, wasapproved.
(4:59:00)ADJOURN Therebeing no further business to come before theCouncil, Chair Richarddeclaredthe RegularMeetingad‐journed.
/s/ Joseph Gordon-Wiltz
JOSEPH GORDON-WILTZ
LAFAYETTE CLERKOFTHE COUNCIL
195308-jul24-1t $86.43
g -LizHebert, District 3, is absent INTRODUCTORY ORDI‐NANCE AGENDA ITEM NO.1:OLPPA-252 An ordinanceof theLafayette Public PowerAuthority (LPPA) adopting an operating andcapital budgetof revenuesand expendi‐turesfor theLafayette LouisianaPublicPower Authorityfor the fiscal year beginningNovem‐ber1,2026 andending October31, 2027, motion to introducebyNaquin, seconded by Hooks, and thevotewas as follows: YEAS:Broussard,Naquin, Hooks, Boudreaux NAYS:None ABSENT:Hebert ABSTAIN: None Motion to introducewas approved
(5:52:00)ADJOURN Therebeing no further business to come before theLPPA, Chair Boudreauxdeclaredthe SpecialMeetingad‐journed.
/s/ Joseph Gordon-Wiltz JOSEPH GORDON-WILTZ
LAFAYETTE CLERKOFTHE COUNCIL
195310-JUL24-1T $21.90 PUBLIC NOTICE
PROCEEDINGS OF THE LAFAYETTE PUBLIC POWERAUTHORITY
MEETINGOFTHE CITY OF LAFAYETTE,STATE OF LOUISIANA, TAKENAT A SPECIALMEETINGOF JULY 21, 2026 HELD AT 705 W. UNIVERSITY AVENUE LAFAYETTE,LA.
ATTENDANCE
LPPA:Kenneth P. Boudreaux(Chair, Dis‐trict5), ElroyBroussard (District1), Andy Naquin (District2)and Thomas Hooks(District 4)
ABSENT:Liz W. Hebert (Vice-Chair, District 3)
LPPA STAFF: Joseph Gor‐don-Wiltz(Clerkofthe Council),Cindy M. Semien (Associate Clerk forLegislative Affairs) andKelly Comeaux(As‐sistantClerk forLegisla‐tive Affairs)
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF: MoniqueB.Boulet (Mayor-President), Rachel Godeaux(Chief Administrative Officer) KarenFontenot(ChiefFi‐nancialOfficer),Robert A. Mahtook,Jr. (CityParish Attorney)and Paul Escott (Assistant City-ParishAttorney) (5:51:00)CALLTOORDER
ChairBoudreaux called theSpecial LPPA Meeting of July 21, 2026 to order.
roundingareas.Filming wascompleted in De‐cember 2024. If youhave anycreditorclaims againstthe production please file them before August 17th, 2026. 195161-jul24-31-aug7-3t $171.76
NAYS:None ABSENT:None
11. PO-031-2026 An ordi‐nanceofthe Lafayette i h il di
WELCOMEAND CHAIR ANNOUNCEMENTS Boudreauxmadethe fol‐lowing announcements: i b
The Lafayette City Council met in Regular Session on July 21, 2026 and adopted the following ordinances: CITY ORDINANCE NO. CO-056-2026 AN ORDINANCEOFTHE LAFAYETTECITY COUNCIL
AMENDING THE LAFAYETTE DEVELOPMENT CODE AND THE OFFICIAL MAP OF THE CITY OF LAFAYETTE, PROVIDING FOR THE ANNEXATION OF ADDITIONAL LAND INTO THE CORPORATE LIMITSOFTHE CITY OF LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA, CASE NO. 2026-12-REZ 2125 WEST WILLOW STREET (PLOT 1-A) ANNEXATION, LOCATED GENERALLY NORTHOFZACHARYDRIVE, WEST OF NORTH BUD STREET, AND SOUTH OF WEST WILLOW STREET;AND ASSIGNING AZONING CLASSIFICATION OF CH (COMMERCIAL-HEAVY) (DISTRICT 1)
BE IT ORDAINED by the Lafayette City Council, that:
SECTION 1:The Lafayette Development Code and official map of the City of Lafayette arehereby amended so as to annex Case No. 202612-REZ 2125 West Willow Street (Plot 1-A) Annexation, located generally north of Zachary Drive, west of NorthBud Street, andsouth of West Willow Street; and assigning azoningclassification of CH (CommercialHeavy). Refer to survey “Map of Proposed Extension for city of Lafayette, Louisiana, Corporate Limits, located in Section 21, T9S-R4E 2125 W Willow St (Plot 1-A) Annexation” prepared by: Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government, Lafayette Utilities System; acopy is attached hereto and made apart thereof.
SECTION 2:The foregoing described property is located within Lafayette City Council District No. 1.
SECTION 3:The description of the property to be annexed is as follows: Beginning at apoint on the existing City of Lafayette corporate limits, said point is the northwesterly property corner of MCS INVESTMENT PROPERTIES LLC, the northeasterly property corner of SHARI HARI OF SCOTT LLC, and the southerly right-of-way of WWillow St, thence S89º57’50”E, adistance of approximately 170.64’, along the northerly property line of MCS INVESTMENT PROPERTIESLLC, and the southerly right-of-way of WWillow St, which is also the existing City of Lafayette corporate limits to acorner point,thence S00º02’30”W, a distance of approximately 506.13’, along the easterly property line of MCS INVESTMENT PROPERTIES LLC, and the westerly property line of OLIVIER INTERESTS LLC, and the westerly property line of SIBILLE PROPERTIES LLC &JOHN LOLIVER, which is also the existing City of Lafayette corporate limits to acorner point, thence S89º44’36”W, a distance of approximately 169.26’, along the southerly property line of MCS INVESTMENT PROPERTIES LLC, and the northerly property line of SIBILLE PROPERTIES LLC &JOHN LOLIVERtoa corner point, thence N00º06’52”W,adistance of approximately 507.00’, along the westerly property line of MCS INVESTMENT PROPERTIES LLC, and the easterly property line of SHARI HARI OFSCOTT LLC, which is also the existing City of Lafayette corporate limits to acorner point, which is also the existing City of Lafayette corporate limits and the point of beginning, all as shown on the attached incorporation map prepared by Lafayette City -Parish Consolidated Government -Lafayette Utilities System, dated March 31, 2026 entitled, MAP OF PROPOSEDEXTENSIONFOR CITY OF LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA,CORPORATE LIMITS,LOCATEDINSECTION 21, T9S-R4E, 2125 WWILLOW ST (PLOT 1-A) ANNEXATION- APPROX. 1.976ACRES.
SECTION 4:All ordinances or resolutions, or parts thereof, in conflict herewith arehereby repealed.
SECTION 5:This ordinance shall become effective upon the elapse of thirty (30) days after publication or posting, pursuant to Louisiana Revised Statute 33:173, et seq.
CITY ORDINANCE NO. CO-057-2026
AN ORDINANCEOFTHE LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL AMENDING THE LAFAYETTE DEVELOPMENT CODE AND THE OFFICIAL MAP OF THE CITY OF LAFAYETTE, PROVIDING FOR THE ANNEXATION OF ADDITIONAL LAND INTO THE CORPORATE LIMITSOFTHE CITY OF LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA, CASE NO. 2026-13-REZ 103 WEST BROUSSARD ROAD ANNEXATION, LOCATED GENERALLYNORTH OF JOHNSTON STREET, EAST OF TOUCHET ROAD, AND SOUTH OF WEST BROUSSARDROAD; AND ASSIGNING AZONING CLASSIFICATION OF CH (COMMERCIAL-HEAVY) (DISTRICT 2)
BE IT ORDAINED by the Lafayette City Council, that:
SECTION 1:The Lafayette Development Code and official map of the City of Lafayette arehereby amendedsoastoannex Case No. 202613-REZ 103 West BroussardRoad Annexation, located generally
Beginning at apoint on the existing City of Lafayette corporate limits, said point is the southerlyproperty corner of REAL ESTATEPARTNERS OF JOHNSTON LLC,and the northeasterly property corner of RUBY MAE HEBERTLANDRY, thence N59º14’31”W,a distance of approximately 141.18’, along the southwesterlyproperty line of REAL ESTATE PARTNERS OF JOHNSTON LLC,and the northeasterlyproperty line of RUBY MAEHEBERTLANDRYtoacorner point,thence N39º04’24”E,a distance of approximately 364.87’, along the northwesterly property line of REAL ESTATEPARTNERS OF JOHNSTON LLC, and the southeasterly property line of RUBY MAE HEBERTLANDRYtoa corner point, thence northeasterly ±44’ thru the right-of-way and road of WBroussard Rd to apoint,thence southeasterly ±142’ along the right-of-way of W BroussardRdtoapoint,thence southwesterly ±45’ thru the right-of-way and road of WBroussardRdwhich is also the existing City of Lafayette corporate limits to acorner point,thence S39º06’12”W,a distance of approximately 363.52’, along the southeasterlyproperty line of REAL ESTATEPARTNERS OF JOHNSTON LLC,and the northwesterlyproperty line of REAL ESTATEPARTNERS OF JOHNSTON LLC,which is also the existing City of Lafayette corporate limits to acorner point,which is also the existing City of Lafayette corporate limits and the point of beginning, all as shown on the attached incorporationmap prepared by Lafayette City -Parish Consolidated Government -Lafayette Utilities System, dated March25, 2026 entitled, MAPOFPROPOSED EXTENSION FOR CITYOF LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA, CORPORATE LIMITS, LOCATED IN SECTION 76, T10S-R4E, 103 WBROUSSARD RD ANNEXATION -APPROX. 1.32 ACRES.
SECTION 5:All ordinances or resolutions, or parts thereof,inconflict herewith arehereby repealed.
SECTION 6:This ordinance shall become effective upon the elapse of 30 days after publication or posting,pursuant to Louisiana Revised Statute 33:173, et seq.
CITY ORDINANCE NO. CO-058-2026
AN ORDINANCE OF THE LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL SETTING FORTH AND DESIGNATING THE AD VALOREM TAXMILLAGE RATES AND IMPOSING TAXES ON ALL PROPERTY SUBJECT TO AD VALOREM TAXATION IN THE CITY OF LAFAYETTE AND AUTHORIZING THE ASSESSORAND TAXCOLLECTOR FOR THE PARISH OF LAFAYETTE TO ASSESS AND COLLECT PROPERTY TAXES FOR 2026
BE IT ORDAINED by the Lafayette City Council, that:
WHEREAS,the Lafayette City Council is the governing and taxing authority of the City of Lafayette and is empowered by law to levy and impose ad valorem taxes on allproperty subject to taxation in said City as shown by the assessment roll forthe year 2026; and WHEREAS,the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government will include the revenues from those taxes in its budget for FY 2026-2027; and WHEREAS,the Lafayette City Council is required by the termsof Louisiana R.S. 47:1705.A to adopt an ordinance which setsforth and designates the ad valorem tax millagerates for the current tax year NOW,THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED by the Lafayette City Council, that: SECTION 1:All of the aforedescribed “Whereas” clauses areadopted as part of this ordinance.
SECTION 2:That the following millage rates arehereby levied on the 2026 tax roll on allproperty subject to taxationbythe City of Lafayette:
OF $303,006.29 IN CAPITAL OUTLAYFUNDS FROM THE STATEOFLOUISIANA OFFICE OF FACILITY, PLANNING AND CONTROL
BE IT ORDAINED by the Lafayette City Council, that: WHEREAS,the Lafayette City-Parish ConsolidatedGovernment was awarded
NOW,THEREFORE, BE
FURTHER ORDAINED by the Lafayette City Council, that: SECTION 1:All of the aforedescribed “Whereas” clauses areadopted as part of this ordinance. SECTION 2:The FY 25/26 operatingbudgetofthe Lafayette CityParish ConsolidatedGovernment is hereby amended by decreasing anticipatedrevenuesinthe amount of $303,006.29 in Capital Outlay funding from the Capital Improvements Department. SECTION 3:This decrease in revenues shall be as reflected in any pertinent documents whichare attached hereto andmade apart hereof and filedinthe Office of the Clerk of the Council.
SECTION 4:All ordinances or resolutions, or parts thereof, in conflict herewith arehereby repealed.
SECTION 5:This ordinanceshall become effective upon signatureof the Lafayette Mayor-President, the elapse of ten(10) days afterreceipt by the Lafayette Mayor-President without signatureorveto, or upon an override of aveto, whichever occurs first ** ***
CITYORDINANCE NO.CO-061-2026
AN ORDINANCE OF THE LAFAYETTE CITYCOUNCIL, ACTING IN THEIR CAPACITY AS THEGOVERNING AUTHORITY OF THE CITYOFLAFAYETTE,PROVIDING FOR THE ABANDONMENT OF ACERTAIN PORTION OF ATEN (10’) FOOT UTILITY EASEMENT LOCATEDONLOT 1OFTHE ECL INTERNATIONAL INC, LOTS 1& 2SUBDIVISION, LOCATED AT 1605 WEST PINHOOK ROAD, AND AUTHORIZING THE LAFAYETTE MAYOR-PRESIDENT TO EXECUTEANACT OF ABANDONMENT IN ORDER TO EFFECTUATE THE ABANDONMENT ON BEHALF OF THE CITYOFLAFAYETTE BE IT ORDAINED by the Lafayette City Council, acting in their capacity as the governing authority of the City of Lafayette, that: WHEREAS,a ten(10’)foot utility easementwas dedicated to the City of Lafayette, by thatcertainact of dedication dated March 7, 1973, andrecorded underAct No. 1973-00601653 of the Lafayette Parish Conveyance Records, attached hereto andmade apart hereof in Exhibit B; and WHEREAS,a certainportion of the ten(10’)foot utility easementon Lot 1has been proposed for abandonment in the specificlocation clearly shownona plat of survey prepared by BrockC.Hollier, PLS, dated May 27, 2026, attached hereto andmade apart hereof in Exhibit C; and WHEREAS,ithas been determined by the Lafayette City Council, acting in their capacity as the governing authority of the City of Lafayette, thatacertainportion of the ten(10’)foot utility easement, as shown in Exhibit C, is no longerneeded for public use and, accordingly,itis appropriate thata certainportion of the utility easementbeabandoned. NOW,THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED by the Lafayette City Council, acting in their capacity as the governing authority of the City of Lafayette, that: SECTION 1:All of the aforedescribed “Whereas” clauses areadopted as part of this ordinance. SECTION 2:The Lafayette City Council, acting in their capacity as the governing authority of the City of Lafayette, herby abandons thatcertain portion of aten (10’)foot utility easement, as shownona plat of survey prepared by BrockC.Hollier, PLS, dated May 27, 2026, attached hereto andmade apart hereof in Exhibit C.
SECTION 3:The proper administrative officers of the City of Lafayette, StateofLouisiana, be and they arehereby empowered, authorized and directed to spread said taxes, as hereinabove set forth, upon the assessment roll of saidCity forthe year 2026, and to make the collection of
NAYS:
ABSTAIN:
SECTION
upon an override of aveto, whichever occurs first. ** ***
*Exhibits forOrdinance No.CO-058-2026 areavailablefor inspectionat the Lafayette Council Office.
CITY ORDINANCE NO. CO-059-2026 AN ORDINANCE
SECTION 3:The Lafayette Mayor-President is hereby authorized and empowered to execute an ActofAbandonment on behalf of the City of Lafayette, in ordertoeffectuate the abandonment of thatcertainportion of aten (10’)foot utility easement, as shownonaplatofsurvey prepared by BrockC.Hollier, PLS, dated May 27, 2026, as shownonExhibit C.
SECTION 4:The ActofAbandonmentauthorizedinSection 3shall be substantially in the form attached hereto, but may be revised, andmay contain such additionalprovisions, as the Mayor-President, in consultation with the Lafayette City-Parish Attorney, maydeem necessary,convenient or desirable to carry out the intent andprovisions of this ordinance.
SECTION 5:All ordinances or resolutions, or parts thereof, in conflict herewith arehereby repealed.
SECTION 6:This ordinanceshall become effective upon signatureof the Lafayette Mayor-President, the elapse of ten(10) days afterreceipt by the Lafayette Mayor-President without signatureorveto, or upon override of aveto, whichever occurs first
/s/ Joseph Gordon-Wiltz
JOSEPH GORDON-WILTZ
LAFAYETTE CLERK OF THE COUNCIL