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ACADIANA

ADVOCATE T H E A C A D I A N A A D V O C AT E.C O M

F r i d ay, J u ly 31, 2026

Landry’s N.O. stance mirrors other red states Critics complain tough approach doesn’t help

$2.00X

LAFAYETTE PARISH

Library tax renewal returns to ballot December special election could see eight renewals

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

will without consulting or collaborating with local leaders. “We are allowing a governor to slap us around like a rag doll,” state Rep. Delisha Boyd, D-New Orleans, said at a recent community forum. “We have a guy trying to score points with Donald Trump,” added state Sen. Sidney Barthelemy Jr., D-New Orleans. “That doesn’t have anything to do with beneﬁting our state.” In recent weeks, Landry has said

When the Lafayette Parish library property tax renewal that failed in May returns to the ballot in December, it may be one of eight local taxes up for renewal. The city and parish councils are expected to consider resolutions at their meetings Tuesday calling for the Dec. 12 special election. If approved, voters parishwide will consider a $77 million general obligation bond proposal as well as a: n 3.12 mill library renewal n 2.21 mill jail renewal n 1.25 mill juvenile detention center renewal n 2.51 courthouse and jail complex renewal Ballots for city residents will include the parish measures as well as the following property tax renewals: n 2.01 mills for recreation n 1.18 mills for public buildings n 1.35 mills for streets and roads n 3.33 mills for public safety (police and ﬁre) The parish library tax generates about $9 million a year for the public library system, which operates libraries in Lafayette, Carencro, Scott and Youngsville. That’s about two-thirds of the library system’s annual funding. The library system also receives about $5.2 million a year from a second property tax, 1.84 mills. In 2018, voters did not renew a third property tax that generated more than $3 million a year for the public library system. The rejected 3.12 mill library tax was the only local renewal on a May ballot, appearing below five unpopular statewide

ä See LANDRY, page 6A

ä See TAX, page 6A

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Gov. Jeff Landry has pushed changes in New Orleans’ court system and vetoed spending projects in the city.

Governor says he has ‘done more for N.O. than any other governor’ BY TYLER BRIDGES

Staff writer

With several aggressive moves against New Orleans this year, Gov. Jeff Landry has become the latest Republican governor to adopt policies that have angered Democratic cities in their state. Landry pushed the Legislature to eliminate jobs in New Orleans’ court system, disproportionately vetoed spending projects in New Orleans, publicly downplayed the city’s role

in Louisiana’s economy and has refused entreaties in recent weeks from Mayor Helena Moreno to meet to try to normalize relations. Landry’s moves mirror those by Republican governors in Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Missouri, Alabama and Mississippi, who have all either imposed greater state control over their Democratic-led cities in recent years or taken away some of their political power. New Orleans ofﬁcials say Landry is targeting their city by imposing his

Trump floats pulling AG nominee

Republicans’ demands The senators said the Justice Senators’ demands tooverSenate a sweeping tax audit immu- Department seemed interested in over tax audit immunity nity deal beneﬁting the president reaching an agreement with them, but the White House wouldn’t and members of his family. deal at issue After failed negotiations forced budge to aid the conﬁrmation of

BY MICHELLE L. PRICE, ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday he may pull acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s nomination for the full-time post to avoid conceding

WEATHER HIGH 94 LOW 78 PAGE 12C

the delay of a committee vote to advance Blanche’s nomination, Trump suggested he was holding firm against pressure from Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis. They have expressed concerns about the controversial settlement of Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service, which a judge denounced as an exercise in self-dealing.

Trump’s loyal former personal attorney, who has aggressively pursued the administration’s priorities as acting attorney general. Instead, Trump said in a social media post that he might pull Blanche’s nomination and resubmit it after Cornyn and Tillis leave ofﬁce next year.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By MARK SCHIEFELBEIN

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche appears before the Senate ä See NOMINEE, page 6A Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill on July 15.

Business ......................7C Commentary ................3B Nation-World................2A Classified ..................11C Deaths .........................4B Opinion ........................2B Comics-Puzzles .. 8C-10C Living............................5C Sports ..........................1C

102ND yEAR, NO. 31

2A ● Friday, July 31, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Court: Feds can’t deny immigrants’ bail chance

The Trump administration cannot deny immigrants detained inside the United States a chance for release on bail, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday. The 2-1 decision by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, with a judge appointed by President Donald Trump in the majority, deepened a split between federal appeals courts over the administration’s mandatory detention policy. Four other appeals courts have also rejected it, while the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans and Eighth Circuit in St. Louis have sided with the Trump administration. The expanding circuit split increases the likelihood that the U.S. Supreme Court will eventually take up the issue. The administration last month asked the high court to consider it. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement it “strongly disagrees with the Ninth Circuit panel and is conﬁdent in its legal position regarding mandatory detention.” “President Donald Trump and Secretary Mullin are now enforcing the law as it was actually written to keep America safe,” the statement said. Under previous administrations, most noncitizens without a criminal record who were arrested inside the U.S. were allowed to seek a bail hearing while their immigration cases were pending. Mandatory detention was generally reserved for people arrested at the border. Last July, immigration ofﬁcials issued guidance expanding mandatory detention to immigrants in the U.S. interior. The move — part of the administration’s mass deportation campaign — prompted a deluge of federal lawsuits by immigrants seeking release from custody.

Trump passports to be available nationwide

WASHINGTON — Americans outside the nation’s capital will soon be able to get limited-edition U.S. passports that feature a picture of President Donald Trump and celebrate America’s 250th birthday, the State Department said Thursday. The department’s 27 passport agencies nationwide will start offering the special travel documents next month. They previously had only been available at the Washington, D.C., passport office for in-person applicants. Trump, whose stern portrait is emblazoned on an inside page, is the first living president featured in the travel document. The passports are the latest instance of Trump having his name and likeness added to buildings, documents and other highly visible tributes. His image is on a gold-finished commemorative coin celebrating the country’s founding that the U.S. Mint has begun producing, and there are efforts to put Trump’s signature on all new U.S. paper currency, also a first for a sitting president.

Singapore fines student for straw-licking stunt

SINGAPORE — A French student was fined $465 after pleading guilty Thursday to a public nuisance charge in Singapore for filming himself licking a straw from an orange juice vending machine and putting it back in what lawyers described as a social media stunt. Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, 19, admitted to licking the straw and returning it to the vending machine while recording the act for his online followers. It happened at a shopping mall in March and he was charged in April after his video spread rapidly. Another charge of mischief was taken into consideration during sentencing. The court imposed the fine and did not order any community-based sentence after considering mitigating factors. The public nuisance charge carries a penalty of up to three months in prison. Prosecutors sought only the maximum fine of $1,551, saying the staged act was intended for social media and risked undermining confidence in the hygiene of a commonly used vending machine.

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U.S., Iran trade missile barrages Hopes dim for quick resolution to conflict

BY SAMY MAGDY and ELENA BECATOROS

Associated Press

CAIRO — The United States and Iran each fired barrages of missiles Thursday, as the pattern of back-andforth strikes took hold again and hope dimmed for a quick end to the five-month conflict. Following a few days of respite, fears of a wider war have grown, with renewed fighting threatening to engulf even more countries. Jordan said Thursday it intercepted Iranian missiles for the second consecutive day, while Kuwait said a strike in the northern part of the country killed one person. Also this week, drones caused fires on ships at an Egyptian port, and Saudi Arabia said it came under fire from Iranbacked militias in Iraq. The war — which in its early days President Donald Trump said would last four to five weeks, although he warned it could take longer — has caused the price of fuel to spike and roiled the global economy. As months have passed, concerns have deepened about using up the stockpile of weapons the U.S. needs to defend its bases and allies. The war is unpopular among Americans, and a new AP-NORC poll says Trump’s approval rating on Iran has dipped slightly since last month. The recent pause in fighting, which began over

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By FARID ABDULWAHED

A damaged vehicle is flipped over Wednesday at the site of an airstrike on a Popular Mobilization Forces base in Mosul, Iraq. the weekend and spurred hopes among mediators of diplomatic progress, ended with increasing missile and drone attacks across many countries in the Middle East. “We note with concern that the security situation remains precarious,” said Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi, whose country has been a key mediator. Talks “are ongoing to normalize the situation, particularly the situation in the Strait of Hormuz,” he told reporters. An Iranian strike hit a Chinese ﬁrm’s building in Kuwait on Thursday, severely damaging the structure and killing a worker, Kuwait’s military said, hours after Jordan’s air defenses shot down ﬁve missiles launched from Iran. No injuries were reported

from Jordan’s interception, the country’s state-run Petra news agency said, quoting the spokesman for the country’s armed forces. Both Jordan and Kuwait host American troops. The attacks came after the U.S. military said it completed “a heavy wave of strikes against Iran” in response to an earlier Iranian missile attack on a U.S. base in Jordan. U.S. Central Command said U.S. forces struck dozens of targets belonging to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, including military command centers, missile and drone facilities, and coastal surveillance and defense sites. Iran’s ofﬁcial IRNA news agency said three people were killed and two were wounded in a strike on the island of Qeshm, which lies off the Iranian mainland in

the Strait of Hormuz — a crucial waterway for the world’s energy supplies that has been at the center of the conflict. The latest barrage came after the U.S. partnered with Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to strike Iranbacked militias in Iraq, killing at least 20 fighters and six Iranian advisers. Also on Wednesday, British maritime security firm Ambrey said drone strikes ignited fires on two natural gas vessels at the Egyptian port of Damietta. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the strikes on a U.S.-owned floating storage facility and a Greek-owned tanker. No injuries were reported. The office of the Egyptian prime minister said initial investigations showed the fires had been caused by a drone. In a cabinet meeting,

Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly said investigators were able to recover traces of the drone and will try to determine where it came from. Egypt, a close U.S. ally and regional mediator, has until now been spared direct military action during the war. A strike by Iran or its allies, if confirmed, would mark a significant widening of the conflict. The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have denied they were behind the attack. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi didn’t outright deny Iranian involvement but said: “Egypt is an important friend and partner in the region, and its security is of utmost importance to us.” “We must all be vigilant against Israeli plots and false-flag operations designed to undermine regional peace,” he said on X. “The threat is clear, mutual, and fearful of Muslim solidarity.” The conﬂict has wreaked havoc on the global economy as energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have ground to a near halt. Much of the diplomacy around ending the war has focused on reopening the strait, through which 20% of oil and natural gas shipments passed in peacetime. The already limited traffic through the strait has plunged to wartime lows during the recent exchange of strikes, from 82 ships during the week of July 1319 to just 39 from July 2026, Lloyd’s List Intelligence, a shipping data and analysis ﬁrm, said in an webinar.

Father of gunman in Ga. school shooting sentenced Man gave son weapon used in attack

BY KATE BRUMBACK Associated Press

A man who gave his son the gun he used to kill two students and two teachers at Apalachee High School in Georgia was sentenced Thursday to 15 years in prison. Colin Gray’s sentencing comes days after his son, Colt Gray, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting at the school 45 miles northeast of Atlanta. Colt Gray, 16, had pleaded guilty to murder and other charges. Judge Nicholas Primm, who also sentenced Colt

task of sentencing you without passion despite the immeasurable heartache that you caused,” Primm said. Gray, 55, is one of a handful of American parents who have been criminally charged after their children were accused in shootings. A jury in March found Colin Gray guilty of seconddegree murder in the deaths of two 14-year-old students, ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION PHOTO By HyOSUB SHIN Mason Schermerhorn and

Colin Gray, father of the Apalachee High School shooter Colt Gray, sits with his attorneys Thursday during his sentencing hearing at Barrow County Superior Court on in Winder, Ga. Gray, was blunt in addressing the elder Gray: “It is clear you failed as a parent.” But he said punishing crimes of negligence is particularly difﬁcult because there was no intent to commit a crime.

“My heart aches for everyone that was there that day, for all of you that have been impacted by it. But the law requires that I set aside emotion. I don’t get to sentence with passion. I have the nearly impossible

10 people killed in Russian strikes across Ukraine anti-ballistic Ukrainian long-range NATO scrambles ern-supplied drones and missiles have missile defenses. battered oil sector, NATO said a Russian jets after missile missile entered Polish air- causing aRussia’s fuel crisis. The attack came two space during the onslaught falls in Poland and landed in a rural area. days after Ukrainian Presi-

BY HANNA ARHIROVA Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine — A Russian ballistic missile and drone barrage across Ukraine overnight killed at least 10 civilians, including children, and injured more than 50 others, officials said Thursday, and NATO scrambled its warplanes after one of the missiles crossed the country’s western border into Poland. The blitz expanded Russia’s almost daily bombardment of Ukrainian cities, including the capital of Kyiv where tens of thousands spent the night sheltering in subway stations, as Moscow apparently looked to exploit Kyiv’s critical shortage of West-

It caused no injuries or damage but could deepen tensions between the military alliance and Moscow, as wary European countries fear the 4-year-old war could spill into their territory. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte called it “yet another reckless act by Russia and a dangerous consequence of its war against Ukraine.” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said it was “a very serious incident,” but added: “There are absolutely no reasons to believe that Poland was the target.” Russia’s barrage struck areas of Ukraine where weapons are believed to be stored and manufactured.

dent Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with U.S. President Donald Trump and representatives of American defense companies as he pleads for swifter and bigger deliveries of Patriot air defense systems to stop Russia’s ballistic missiles. The Iran war has drained stockpiles of the U.S.-made interceptors. Trump has promised to grant Ukraine licenses to build its own Patriots, but production could take many months. “Given the critical shortage of air defense missiles from our partners, our warriors are accomplishing truly incredible things, demonstrating a very high level of professionalism,” Zelenskyy said on social media.

Christian Angulo. Georgia law defines second-degree murder as causing the death of a child by committing the crime of cruelty to children. Gray was also found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the killings of teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53. Another teacher and eight other students were wounded, seven of them hit by gunﬁre.

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Senate committee advances CDC director nomination BY MIKE STOBBE Associated Press

NEW YORK — A Senate committee on Thursday advanced Dr. Erica Schwartz’s nomination to be director of the nation’s top public health agency, setting aside concerns that she will not stand up to political meddling. If confirmed by Schwartz the full Senate, the 54-year-old would become the 22nd director of the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is charged with protecting Americans from preventable health threats.

Her resume includes medical and law degrees, a stint as deputy surgeon general, and a leadership position at the U.S. Coast Guard. Schwartz appeared to be on shaky ground after a hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee this month. The chair, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, and others questioned whether she would be willing to stand up to Republican President Donald Trump’s health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., if he ordered CDC to do something that was unsupported by science and good public health practice. But when the committee met last week, Cassidy said he had spoken with Schwartz after that hearing and to oth-

ers who knew her. “I’m confident that she knows what she is doing and will stand against those who do not,” said Cassidy, whose support was necessary for the nomination to go forward. The committee’s near party-line vote Thursday moved Schwartz’s nomination ahead. Among those who opposed her was Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent. “The issue at hand is not complicated,” Sanders said last week. “Will we have people in the Trump administration who have the guts to stand up to people who are anti-science and into conspiracy theories?” The CDC has been in turmoil since Trump returned

to ofﬁce last year. Largely due to layoffs and resignations, the agency has lost 3,000-plus employees, more than one-quarter of its workforce. Morale has plummeted as a succession of mostly temporary leaders have come and gone. The front ofﬁce has been staffed by political appointees with little or no training in medicine or public health. When Schwartz was nominated in April, public health experts were cautiously optimistic, citing her background. They also noted she was the choice of Trump and not Kennedy, a leading voice in the anti-vaccine movement before he was tapped to oversee the CDC and other federal health agencies. Kennedy had promised

not to change the nation’s vaccination schedule but later attempted a substantial rewrite of vaccine recommendations for kids. Some of those efforts were put on hold this year by a federal judge. Kennedy’s actions have rankled Cassidy, a physician who initially expressed doubts about Kennedy as Trump’s pick to be health secretary. Cassidy ultimately signed off on Kennedy after the nominee promised not to change the nation’s childhood vaccine recommendations. At Schwartz’s hearing, Cassidy and some other senators asked her what she would do if Kennedy or other political appointees instructed the CDC to make changes that were not supported by sci-

ence. Schwartz pledged to “never betray the science,” but she repeatedly declined to dissent from some of the actions Kennedy has taken. The National Public Health Coalition, an organization of former and current CDC workers, was not reassured by her responses and said senators should require specific written commitments from Schwartz on scientiﬁc independence, evidencebased vaccine policy, conflicts of interest and other issues. “The public needed to hear clear commitments about how she would protect CDC guidance from political pressure,” the group said in a statement. “Too often, her stated commitments were incomplete, vague, or missing.”

Police describe dad’s horror learning his then-wife killed their kids BY MICHAEL CASEY and LEAH WILLINGHAM Associated Press

PLYMOUTH, Mass. — The two police officers focused first on Lindsay Clancy drifting in and out of consciousness in the snow after jumping from her Massachusetts home’s second-floor window. Within minutes, they were racing into the basement after her then-husband screamed that all three of their children were dead. “I can’t wake them up — I can’t get them up!” he frantically told the officers who, along with firefighters and paramedics, gave jurors firsthand accounts on Thursday of the aftermath. The murder trial has centered on Clancy’s mental state at the time. Her lawyers do not dispute that she strangled the children with exercise bands. But they say she was in the grip of postpartum psychosis, a rare mental illness linked to the stress, sleep deprivation and

BOSTON HERALD PHOTO By CJ GUNTHER

Duxbury firefighter Richard Dwyer testifies Thursday during the murder trial for Lindsay Clancy at Plymouth Superior Court in Plymouth, Mass. hormonal changes that follow childbirth. Prosecutors say Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital, acted in-

tentionally and is criminally responsible for the deaths in January 2023. The testimony came after jurors spent two days listening to testimony from

Patrick Clancy and his anguished 911 call. He was still on the phone when he discovered the bodies of 3-year-old Dawson, 5-year-old Cora, and 8-month-old Callan, minutes

Long-dormant court holds first hearing as U.S. seeks to deport Afghan woman BY MICHAEL KUNZELMAN and ERIC TUCKER Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration’s activation of a long-dormant court to seek an Afghan woman’s deportation violates her constitutional rights, a defense lawyer argued Thursday at a hearing for the ﬁrst case to be heard in the obscure court since its creation 30 years ago. The woman’s attorney, Matthew Farley, urged the chief judge of the Alien Terrorist Removal Court to dismiss the case against Nazira Haji Zada and immediately release his client, who the government alleges is an Islamic State supporter. Judge Joan Ericksen denied Farley’s requests but said Zada’s lawyers can renew them as the case proceeds in the nation’s capital.

“This entire scheme is in violation of due process and unconstitutional,” said Farley, an assistant federal public defender. The case against Zada opens a new, untested front for President Donald Trump’s aggressive deportation campaign, which has ﬂooded the nation’s federal court system with immigration proceedings, sometimes based on novel or shaky legal foundations. The court, established in 1996, had never received a petition until this month, when the Justice Department filed an application seeking Zada’s removal. The court has a speciﬁc authority to conduct deportation proceedings for individuals whom the Department of Justice classifies as “alien terrorists.” FBI agents arrested her Tuesday at her Fort Worth,

Texas, home. She is not charged with any crimes. “This is a runaround for bringing a criminal case,” Farley said during the court’s first-ever public hearing. Ericksen, a senior judge who sits in Minnesota and was nominated to the bench by Republican President George W. Bush, acknowledged that the court was operating without a clear blueprint. “We probably read the same law review articles. There aren’t that many,” the judge told Farley. An FBI memo dated July 15 said it “developed information” that Zada is an IS supporter who had her children pledge their loyalty to the terrorist group. The memo says she “supported” a plot by relatives to carry out an Islamic State-inspired attack in the United States.

after returning home from an errand his wife asked him to run. Patrick Clancy has said in interviews that he forgives his ex-wife, whom he viewed as ill rather than evil. The trial marks the first time he has seen Lindsay Clancy since the killings. She remains paralyzed from the waist down after using multiple methods to try to end her life that night. She says a voice told her, “This is your last chance. Kill the children so you can kill yourself,” according to her lawyer. Officers Stephen Hall and Brian Josephine testified Thursday that they were each dispatched separately to the house in Duxbury, a coastal town south of Boston. Hall said they arrived to find Patrick Clancy yelling for help from behind the home. Patrick Clancy testified earlier this week that his injured wife told him the kids were in the basement, but she didn’t say they were

dead. When the officers followed the sound of his screams downstairs, only 8-monthold Callan had a faint pulse, Josephine testified. “Based on my training experience from previous incidents, I knew it wasn’t going to be good,” Josephine said. They began rendering aid with help from firefighters. PJ Hussey, a fire department supervisor, arrived in time to glimpse through a basement window as Patrick Clancy unwrapped an exercise band from his child’s neck. “It turned very chaotic very quickly” as more ambulances rushed to the house, Hussey testified. Duxbury firefighter and paramedic Jennifer Stratton said the infant never regained a pulse. If convicted of murder, Lindsay Clancy faces life in prison without parole. If found not guilty due to a lack of criminal responsibility, she would be committed to a state mental health facility.

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Thousands breach Morocco’s border with Spain in Ceuta At least 9 die; Spain deploys military

BY RENATA BRITO and ANTONIO SEMPERE Associated Press

CEUTA, Spain — Spain will deploy its military to restore order at its border with Morocco in Ceuta after thousands of migrants streamed into the tiny Spanish territory, with at least nine dying in the attempt. The announcement comes after local authorities in Ceuta had asked the central government in Madrid for reinforcements to manage a border crisis that had been building up before boiling over on Thursday with large crowds of people breeching the border fence. Spain’s government said Thursday evening it would send the Armed Forces to help the Civil Guard “maintain security in the city of Ceuta.” It also announced that Spain’s Prime Minister

Pedro Sánchez would join Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska in a visit to Ceuta on Friday. “The situation is absolute chaos,” Rachid Sbihi, head of the association that represents Spain’s Civil Guard ofﬁcers who police the border in Ceuta, told The Associated Press. “It’s not possible to give precise numbers, but there are thousands of migrants crossing,” he said, adding that the border had “totally collapsed.” Achraf Maimouni, a member of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights in northern Morocco, described the situation as ”exceptional.” “The Tarajal border was opened under unusual circumstances this morning and people crossed,” he said. Video footage showed crowds of people, mainly Moroccans, walking around the breakwaters at Tarajal beach onto local roads. While the majority appeared to be young men, there were also families with women and small children. “Viva España!” some

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ANTONIO SEMPERE

Migrants cross Thursday from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. shouted to a freelance photographer working for the AP. It was not immediately clear what prompted so many migrants to cross to Ceuta. Spain’s government delegation in Ceuta said at least nine people died Thursday

during the chaos. It did not provide details on the circumstances of the deaths but bodies could be seen ﬂoating in the water. Dozens have died this year trying to reach Ceuta, according to local authorities. The escalation at the fron-

tier between Spain and Morocco comes after a surge in migrants attempting to reach the small exclave, mainly by swimming, on Wednesday. Moroccan authorities have not publicly commented on the crossings, and Morocco’s

Interior Ministry did not respond to requests for comment. Spain’s Interior Ministry said the Moroccan government was “closely cooperating” with Spain to handle the situation and that Moroccan police are stopping “numerous people” who are trying to cross the border. Both countries agreed to work together “for the return, as soon as possible, of all the people who entered Ceuta illegally.” The ministry earlier said it would guarantee the safety of citizens and the integrity of the nation’s border but that the Spanish government could not declare a national emergency — as local authorities had asked — over migration concerns. The chaos had ripple effects in Italy, another key destination for migrants. Premier Giorgia Meloni threatened to suspend Italy’s open-border Shengen agreement with Spain “to defend our borders and ensure the safety of our citizens,” though Italy doesn’t share a border in Spain.

As France tames wildfire, 84K evacuees OK’d to go home Blazes flare across Europe

BY MARK CARLSON, ALEX TURNBULL and JOHN LEICESTER Associated Press

LEGE-CAP FERRET, France — France gave the go-ahead Thursday for 84,000 evacuees forced out by a monster wildfire to return home, the strongest sign yet that firefighters are turning the corner in a grueling battle against flames that have burned an area four times the size of Paris. But blazes flared elsewhere across Europe and actor George Clooney said he’d evacuated his French home because of a nearby wildfire. Europe is sweltering under an exceptionally hot and arid summer, creating tinderbox conditions for unprecedented fires that have flared from the Atlantic coast to the eastern Mediterranean and forced hundreds of thousands of people to

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By EMMA DA SILVA

A firefighter creates a controlled burn to contain a fire area near Lege-Cap-Ferret on Thursday during wildfires in southwestern France. evacuate homes and vacation spots. Firefighters battled flames in the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Greece and Turkey on Thursday and were tamping down smoldering forests in southwest France where 224,000 people had been forced to flee. Romania shut down both reactors at its Cernavoda nuclear power plant due to low water levels in the Danube River used to cool them.

Hollywood star George Clooney wrote to his local mayor that his family evacuated the southeastern French town where they’ve settled and that “we have no idea whether our beautiful home makes it through this terrible moment.” Clooney’s publicist Guido Gotz shared the message to Brignoles Mayor Didier Brémond with The Associated Press. Clooney wrote that he and his wife Amal, a human

rights lawyer, were committed to the town and that, whatever happens, “we’ll be part of making it whole.” The fire near Brignoles, in the Var region, flared Wednesday, forcing 700 people to evacuate, the mayor’s office said. It said they were allowed back Thursday once the fire was tamed. In the Bordeaux region of southwest France, wildfire evacuees streamed back to nine localities that authorities now deem safe after round-the-clock combat with the huge fire that ignited last week. Returnees included 50-year-old Sanachit Pho Ne Keo and his wife, relieved to discover that apart from black ash on an outside terrace, their home in Martignas-sur-Jalle

wasn’t damaged. “Everything seems OK and it’s a good feeling!” he said. “The ﬁre was pretty close, the last smoking embers are still close,” he added. “But we could’ve expected worse.” Regional health authorities recommended that returnees wear gloves and face masks as they clean up and wash children’s toys and pets’ feeding bowls and paws. France’s public health agency reported that call-out doctors and hospital emergency wards in Bordeaux had seen a spike in cases involving asthma sufferers last weekend when the raging wildﬁre was still spewing choking smoke clouds.

“It’s the first somewhat optimistic day,” said Sophie Brocas, prefect of Bordeaux’s Gironde region who gave the go-ahead for nearly two-thirds of the 224,000 evacuees to go home, including 60,000 allowed back to three Bordeaux suburbs on Tuesday. Still, returnees were told to keep phones on and pack bags in case they have to be evacuated again. The A63 highway south of Bordeaux also was reopened, clearing a major artery for road trafﬁc with Spain and vacationers as France enters its peak August holiday period. “Our feeling is that we’re getting back to the path of a normal life,” Brocas said Thursday evening.

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Congo says death toll in Ebola outbreak has passed 1,500 BY PROSPER HERI NGORORA and MARK BANCHEREAU Associated Press

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date. The sharp rise since last week partly reflects a backlog of cases and deaths that had not yet been confirmed or recorded, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. The outbreak, declared on May 15, has been linked to the Bundibugyo virus for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments. Delays in contact tracing, difﬁculties accessing affected areas, mistrust from communities and violence by armed

groups and some residents have hampered the response, the Africa CDC said. The outbreak is mostly concentrated in eastern Congo’s remote Ituri province, which accounts for nearly 90% of cases, but there have been others conﬁrmed in ﬁve provinces, including one of the country’s largest cities, Kisangani. Neighboring Uganda declared itself free of Ebola on Tuesday following the discharge of the country’s last patient in mid-June.

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6A ● Friday, July 31, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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LANDRY

Continued from page 1A the city needs to resolve its budget problems, and he has blasted the decision by an Orleans Parish grand jury to indict Attorney General Liz Murrill on charges that she tried to intimidate city officials. Moreno and other city officials asked special prosecutor Laurie White last week to dismiss the indictment. White did so. Since then, Landry has not taken any visible steps to defuse tensions that have plunged the relationship between the city and state to the lowest point in years. “I have done more for New Orleans than any other governor,” Landry said in a text for this article. “Calling my efforts to reduce crime, improve accountability, and restore public confidence ‘targeting the city’ says more about a fake political narrative than it does about the facts.” Earlier in his term, Landry worked with the city on Troop Nola, the State Police reinforcements that have been credited with helping bring down crime in the city. And he worked closely with city leaders on the Super Bowl, Mardi Gras and the response to the New Year’s Day terrorist attack on Bourbon Street. Landry is following a Republican playbook in going after New Orleans, said Charles Bullock, a professor of public and international affairs at the University of Georgia. “Republican politicians don’t do well in Southern cities” with big Democratic-voting populations, Bullock said. Landry, who is up for reelection next year, won only 10% of the vote in Orleans Parish when he was elected governor in 2023. It was easily his worst showing across the state, according to John Couvillon, a Baton Rougebased pollster and demographer. Landry’s next lowest showing was in St. John Parish, where he received 29%. Landry has not tried to curb powers or eliminate positions in Baton Rouge and Shreveport. Both are led by Republican mayors. Bullock said Republican governors have wide latitude from their supporters to take moves that cities oppose. “From a partisan perspective, the other party is not just the opposition,” Bullock said. “It’s seen as the enemy.”

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Gov. Jeff Landry, in background, listens as then-New Orleans Mayor-elect Helena Moreno speaks during the Fiscal Review Committee meeting at the State Capitol on Nov. 12.

the mayor and gave it to a newly created board stacked with the governor’s appointees. The Republicans said the move would reduce crime. In Mississippi, the Republican governor and Legislature passed a measure to turn control of Jackson’s airport to a board appointed by state and county entities. The Republicans said the move would promote jobs and investment around the airport. That measure is tied up in court. Mississippi’s Supreme Court rejected a bid by Republican elected ofﬁcials to have the state appoint four judges to the city’s court system. In Texas, the Republican governor used the threat of withholding state funds to force Houston and Dallas elected officials to agree to have local police cooperate with federal immigration agents when they have detained someone wanted by the agency for a civil How other governors have acted offense. “The person that controls the In Missouri, the Republican governor and Legislature took purse strings can kind of set the direct control of the St. Louis rules,” Houston Mayor John WhitPolice Department away from mire told The New York Times.

NOMINEE

Continued from page 1A “I think as far as Blanche and the Department of Justice, we were pretty much on the same page,” Cornyn said Thursday. “But then when the president got wind of it, he wasn’t willing to go along with it.” Hours after Trump’s post, however, Blanche held a meeting with Cornyn and Tillis and the two sides were back to working collaboratively, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations around Blanche’s conﬁrmation. Cornyn and Tillis have said they won’t back Blanche’s nomination without additional assurances in writing about the settlement, which

TAX

Continued from page 1A constitutional amendments that were soundly rejected. Library Director Danny Gillane told the library board during its ﬁrst meeting following the failed May renewal that the library system will face dire circumstances if the tax is not renewed. “If you take 65% of our revenue away,” Gillane said, “we would have to shutter buildings, remove staff, curtail hours severely and, at that point in time, the question becomes which branches do we keep open.” Gillane said he doesn’t want the public to see that as a threat, but as ﬁnancial

included a deal to drop tax claims against the president and a now-scrapped plan to create a $1.776 billion “AntiWeaponization Fund” meant to compensate Trump allies. With all Democratic senators opposed, just one Republican holdout on the Senate Judiciary Committee could sink Blanche’s chances for confirmation. And even if Blanche makes it through the Senate Judiciary Committee, it’s unclear if he has enough Republican support to be conﬁrmed by the full chamber. Cornyn wrote in a social media post Thursday that the president is “mistaken if he believes concerns about the provisions in his tax lawsuit settlement are limited to me and Senator Tillis.” While the Justice Department dropped plans for the “Anti-Weaponization Fund” after bipartisan outrage

reality. Local leaders, including Mayor-President Monique Boulet, said they believe voters voted no straight down the May ballot, maybe not realizing the last item was the local library tax renewal. “I feel like the library tax fell victim to the state amendments, the push against the state,” Boulet said. “The library received a lot of support from both political spectrums in Lafayette Parish.” The Nov. 2 ballot will contain several state constitutional amendments, Boulet said. The Dec. 12 ballot will not contain any, she said. That’s why Dec. 12 was chosen. Boulet said she’s conﬁdent voters will approve the local tax renewals even though

How should N.O. respond? Stephen Perry, who served as chief of staff to then-Gov. Mike Foster and later headed New Orleans’ tourism promotion agency, made a similar point in how New Orleans officials ought to respond. “It’s incredibly important for people in New Orleans to realize that the state is in the hands of Republican leadership in both (legislative) chambers and the Governor’s Office,” Perry said. “It’s important to temper their approaches to things even when they feel very justified or are in sharp disagreement with state policy.” Republican governors are feeling emboldened to move against Democratic cities because it’s typically popular with their more rural supporters, analysts said. “The perception is that Black-led cities are a drain on state resources,” said Louise Seamster, a sociology professor at the University of Iowa. “Cities can serve as a useful scapegoat.” State Sen. Jay Morris, R-Monroe, said Landry’s moves are justified. “The governor is going after

“I think as far as Blanche and the Department of Justice, we were pretty much on the same page. But then when the president got wind of it, he wasn’t willing to go along with it.” SEN. JOHN CORNyN, R-Texas about the potential of payouts going to violent Jan. 6 rioters, officials have said that another piece of the settlement — granting Trump and members of his family immunity from tax audits — remains in place. Though Blanche has repeatedly insisted that the “Anti-Weaponization fund” is dead, skeptical lawmakers have pushed for a commitment in writing — especially since Trump has expressed continued support for the

city voters will face a long list of nine items on the ballot. The taxes all are for basic services like streets, police, ﬁre and the library, she said. The library tax expires at the end of 2026. The public buildings, public safety, jail and courthouse and jail complex taxes expire at the end of 2027. The city taxes for recreation and streets and the parishwide juvenile detention center tax expire at the end of 2028. Email Claire Taylor at ctaylor@theadvocate.com.

problems that exist in that city,” Morris said, noting that Moreno is grappling with a big budget deficit that she inherited when she took office in January. Morris sponsored two bills passed during the legislative session this year that inflamed New Orleans residents and elected officials. One measure eliminated the position of criminal district court clerk Calvin Duncan, just before he was to take office after having been elected overwhelmingly last year. Morris said the move would save money, and noted no other parish had a separate criminal court clerk. The other measure will eliminate nine judgeships in New Orleans. Morris and other Republicans say New Orleans has had too many post-Hurricane Katrina. “They’ve been fiscally mismanaged,” Morris said. “Two out of the last three mayors of New Orleans have been indicted. Then you had the ridiculous indictment of the AG.” Moreno, during her six months in office, has taken a series of

idea. But the senators suggested the White House is resisting putting it in writing. “The president’s getting bad advice. He should listen to Blanche and others who think if it’s dead, it should be rendered completely dead,” Tillis told reporters about the fund. Another sticking point was the settlement’s audit immunity provision that said the U.S. government is “forever barred and precluded” from scrutinizing or prosecuting Trump, his sons and the Trump Organization’s current and past tax examinations. Cornyn and Tillis have pressed the administration

moves that have improved the city’s finances but haven’t yet put the city on sound financial footing. The police department has reduced overtime spending by 45%, and costs for travel by city ofﬁcials have plummeted by 90%, according to city ofﬁcials. Moreno and City Council President JP Morrell, a close ally, have both said in recent days that they no longer want to discuss the dispute with Landry. Meanwhile, crime has continued to drop under Moreno. New Orleans is on track by year end to have the least number of murders since 1969. State Rep. Kyle Green, of Marrero, who heads the House Democratic Caucus, said it’s time for Landry to seek common ground. “Criticism is easy; governing is harder,” Green said. “It takes sitting down and communicating to forge a consensus that improves the city — and a stronger New Orleans means a stronger Louisiana. Real leadership respects that work, not unproductive political theater.”

to modify the agreement to make clear that it covers only existing audits and does not protect the president from examination of future tax ﬁlings. While the majority of Republican senators oppose the settlement, the main pushback to Blanche has come from Cornyn, who lost his seat earlier this year when Trump opposed him in a GOP primary. Trump has also frequently targeted Tillis, who announced last year that he would not run for reelection and has criticized the administration over the pardons of Jan. 6 rioters and other matters. Though it would be politi-

cally embarrassing for the Trump administration, pulling Blanche’s nomination would likely have little practical impact on the management of the Justice Department. Blanche, who took the reins of the department after Pam Bondi’s firing in April, can still lead the agency as either acting attorney general or deputy attorney general, the No. 2 post to which he was conﬁrmed last year. The deputy attorney general, who oversees the dayto-day operations of the law enforcement agency, can perform the duties of the attorney general if that post is vacant.

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Poll: Views on Trump’s handling of Iran have fallen BY LINLEY SANDERS and MIKE CATALINI

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Most Americans say the war in Iran has not been worth fighting, and President Donald Trump’s approval rating on Iran has fallen slightly since last month, according to a new AP-NORC poll. The results are a stark repudiation of the Republican president’s approach to the conflict, which has dragged on far longer than he originally predicted. About two-thirds of U.S. adults say the war with Iran, which began Feb. 28, has not been worthwhile, according to the new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That includes the vast majority of Democrats and independents, as well as about 37% of Republicans. The poll was conducted July 23-27, as the U.S. and Iran paused attacks following a nearly two-week escalation in the war. During the escalation, the U.S. targeted Iranian military and commercial sites while Iran attacked U.S. military facilities in the Middle East, resulting in additional deaths of American service members. Since the war began, 18 U.S. service members have been killed, but the Trump administration has sought to revise those numbers. The survey reinforces how unpopular the Iran war has become at home, a potential problem for congressional Republicans up for reelection in November who have defended Trump’s military actions. Just 28% of U.S. adults now approve of how Trump is handling Iran, a slight decline from 34% last month. Even Republicans appear to be increasingly unhappy with the prolonged conflict. Roughly 61% of Republicans approve of how Trump is handling Iran, an apparent decline from 71% in June. The margin of sampling error for Republicans

is 6 points, so the decline is considered slight, but it’s still noteworthy given Republicans’ much higher approval of how Trump is handling the presidency overall. Trump’s overall approval rating is at 33%, slightly below where he stood at this point in his first term and similar to where former President Joe Biden stood about one and a half years into his presidency, when inflation peaked. Robert McClary, a 52-yearold Republican from Sugar Grove, Ohio, is skeptical the war could be brought to an easy conclusion and disapproves of Trump’s handling of it. McClary voted for the president once, in 2016, but recalls that during the last election, Trump campaigned on not starting new wars in the Middle East. “I don’t have any trust in this administration at all and to why they brought us into this war, why they’re putting our soldiers at risk again,” he said. The findings also indicate that most Americans’ goals for the conflict may not be aligned with Trump, who has repeatedly said the war was launched to keep a nuclear weapon out of Iran’s hands. While about two-thirds of U.S. adults say it’s “extremely” or “very” important to keep Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon — with Republicans especially likely to say this — even more Americans say it’s highly important for the U.S. to keep gasoline prices low or negotiate a permanent ceasefire with Iran. McClary added: “I really don’t know what you can do now. I mean, you’ve kind of gotten yourself buried into this mess.” There’s little appetite among Americans for a prolonged conflict. Only about 2 in 10 U.S. adults want to continue military action in Iran, while about 3 in 10 say the U.S. should pause military action and seek a renewed ceasefire through negotiations. About

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MATT ROURKE

President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth salute as a U.S. Army carry team moves a transfer case containing the remains of Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, of Carrollton, Texas, on July 22 at Dover Air Force Base, Del. 2 in 10 want to completely stop military action in Iran and roughly one-quarter don’t know enough to say. About half of Republicans say the U.S. should continue military action against Iran, particularly those who identify as “very conservative.” Republicans who identify as MAGA — part of Trump’s Make America Great Again movement — are much likelier than non-MAGA Republicans to say the war should continue. Non-MAGA Republicans are more likely to want a ceaseﬁre or a complete halt to the military action. Jennifer Norton, a 71-yearold Republican from Crossville, Tennessee, supports military action in Iran but has been displeased to see prices rising for things like beef roasts and hamburgers. Norton lives on a “modest income,” and things are getting expensive. “I am getting a little impatient, but when I start to dwell on that for a minute, I remember Mr. President Trump is a brilliant businessman,” she said. “He can’t tell us exactly what he’s doing, but I trust that he’s doing something. I mean, he is doing ﬁne.”

Independents and Democrats are more likely than Republicans to want to stop military action against Iran immediately, although about 3 in 10 Republicans want either a pause or complete stop to military action. Ryan Sloan, a 39-year-old Republican in Lakeland, Florida, has come to disapprove of the conﬂict in Iran recently because he wants a better explanation from the Trump administration about why the war intensified in late July. “Let’s face it, not everybody’s going to be happy with him,” Sloan said. “I just wish I’d have had more transparency about why things were going on the way they were.” Many Americans continue to be concerned about the pocketbook impact of the Iran war. About 7 in 10 U.S. adults — 72% — say it’s “extremely” or “very” important for the U.S. to prevent domestic oil and gas prices from rising, up slightly from 67% in March. Oil topped $100 a barrel last week, ending a brief period of lower prices when hostilities between the U.S. and Iran eased in June. Gas prices rose above $4 per

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gallon on average, and the elevated fuel price is hitting consumers in other ways, too. Inflation cooled last month but remains elevated, and consumer spending has slowed, with signs that Americans are taking advantage of sales and other incentives. There are also indications that fluctuating gasoline prices are an increasingly big problem for many Americans. About 4 in 10 say the cost of gas for their car is a “major source” of stress in their life right now, compared with about 3 in 10 in February. Mikal Baker, a 47-year-old political independent in Sandy Springs, Georgia, disapproves of the war in Iran and is frustrated by the effect on gas prices. “I don’t see the benefit. I don’t see the total beneﬁt of the American citizen for this war,” he said. But Baker is skeptical it will ever come to an end. “I can’t say it will ever be over with.” Some Americans may be hoping that gasoline prices could stabilize or go down. About 4 in 10 U.S. adults are “extremely” or “very” concerned about being able to

afford gas in the next few months, down slightly from 45% in March. Even as most Americans prioritize keeping gas prices from rising, a similar share say it’s “extremely” or “very” important to negotiate a permanent ceasefire with Iran. About 7 in 10 Americans say it’s “extremely” or “very” important for the U.S. to reach a ceasefire agreement, slightly higher than the roughly two-thirds who say it’s at least “very” important to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. That’s also well above the 4 in 10 who say it’s “extremely” or “very” important to prevent Iran from threatening Israel. Early in the conflict, Trump said the United States’ primary objectives were to degrade Iran’s military capability, eliminate their Navy and Air Force, keep them from gaining nuclear weapons and protect U.S. allies in the region. Republicans, in particular, say it’s highly important to keep Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. About 8 in 10 say this is at least “very” important, compared with roughly 7 in 10 who say that about preventing oil and gas prices from rising and negotiating a permanent ceasefire with Iran. Sloan, the Florida Republican, believes it’s important to keep Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon, adding: “We are most definitely their number one targets once they do have nuclear capabilities.” The AP-NORC poll of 1,165 adults was conducted July 23-27 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probabilitybased AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.7 percentage points. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 6.0 for Republicans overall and plus or minus 5.4 for Democrats overall.

8A ● Friday, July 31, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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OPPORTUNITy KNOCKS TWICE

Audit questions use of funds Parish president disputes finding

BY JOEL THOMPSON Staff writer

After a decade in Acadiana classrooms, twin teachers have a new mission at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer

For years, students walked into classrooms across Acadiana to ﬁnd identical twins Morgan Mercado and Taylor Wallace teaching side by side — one leading math, the other literacy. This fall, they’ll welcome a different kind of classroom. Mercado and Wallace will join the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s College of Education & Human Development as visiting instructors, where they’ll use a decade of elementary classroom experience to help prepare the next generation of teachers. “We’re not leaving education,” Mercado said. “We’re simply changing classrooms.” As Mercado and Wallace prepare to mentor future teachers, they say they’ll carry with them a lesson that has shaped their own classrooms: Every student deserves to feel seen. For Mercado, that lesson began in third grade. As an identical twin, she often felt people saw “the twins” before they saw her as an individual. One teacher changed that. “I remember what it felt like to always be labeled one of the twins,” Wallace said. “My third-grade gifted teacher was one of the ﬁrst people in my life who got to know me for Morgan, not just the twin. “She made me feel like I was an individual, like I could do great things.” Wallace said that experience became the foundation of the sisters’ teaching philosophy. Remembering what it felt like to be grouped together, they made it a priority to ensure every child felt recognized as an individual during the years when they are beginning to dis-

PROVIDED PHOTOS

Morgan Mercado and Taylor Wallace, identical twin educators from Lafayette, are transitioning from teaching elementary classrooms to preparing future teachers at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette this fall.

“We’re not leaving education. We’re simply changing classrooms.” MORGAN MERCADO cover who they are. “We make it our mission to make sure everyone feels seen,” Wallace said. As they prepare to mentor future teachers, the sisters say they’ll carry one lesson into every classroom: Every student deserves to feel seen. Born and raised in Lafayette, neither of their parents worked in education. The sisters grew up hearing from their mother that teaching was a meaningful career and one that offered the opportunity to make a difference. They attended Lafayette Parish public schools,

beginning at Woodvale Elementary before continuing to L.J. Alleman and Lafayette High. Wallace knew almost as soon as she started college that she wanted to teach elementary school. Mercado was determined to find a different path. “I did not want to do the same thing as her,” Mercado said with a laugh. “We’re twins. We’re together enough already.” She changed majors several times before hearing Wallace talk about her classroom experiences and field observations. The more she listened, the more she realized education was where she belonged too. What began as an attempt to carve out different paths ultimately led the sisters back together. They taught at different schools before reuniting as partner teachers, sharing the same students each day. Wallace focused on mathematics while Mercado taught literacy, collaborating on lesson plans and classroom activities. “We work really well together,” Mercado said. “We share ideas, we’re flexible with each other, and the kids loved having twin teachers.” Their influence soon extended beyond their own classrooms. They mentored University of Louisiana at Lafayette teacher candidates during internships, created Double Duty Teachers, an online community for educators, and founded Teach Out Loud, an annual professional development conference that now draws more than 500 educators each year and is transitioning into a nonprofit organization. Soon, instead of welcoming a classroom of elementary students, Mercado and Wallace will welcome future

ä See TWINS, page 4B

Louisiana Comic Convention won’t hold 2027 event Staff report The annual two-day Louisiana Comic Convention at the Cajundome Convention Center will not return in 2027. In a Facebook post, organizers announced the decision and thanked fans for their support over the years, saying the event became the familyfriendly celebration of fandom they set out to create. The organizer said they are stepping away from large-scale venue events for the time being, stating that although the conventions were

“a blast doing them (most of the time),” it is time to pivot after years of bringing the event to the community. “Thank you for everything, it has meant the world to me,” the post read. Fans of comics, anime and pop culture gathered each year in Lafayette for the convention, which featured celebrity guests, comic artists, vendors, fan groups and attendees dressed as their favorite characters. The most recent Louisiana Comic Convention took place in March 2026.

Leo enjoys scaring his friends during the Louisiana Comic Con at the Cajundome on March 8, 2025. PHOTO By ROBIN MAy

An annual audit of St. Landry Parish government found the parish improperly used money from a dedicated road sales tax fund to cover expenses in its general fund through an interfund loan. The sales tax issued in Road District 1 is required to be spent on parish projects specifically pertaining to road maintenance and repair. According to the audit issued by accounting firm Darnell, Sikes and Frederick, the parish lacks proper procedures defining how money in the Road District 1 sales tax fund can be used and misinterpreted the scope of what was an allowable expenditure under the sales tax proposition approved by voters. According to the audit, the general fund currently owes roughly $1.8 million, around 20% of its annual budget, to the Road District 1 sales tax fund dating back to fiscal year 2022. It has ignited discussions about incoming cuts to public services in the parish, with the future of several departments hanging in the balance. St. Landry Parish President Jessie Bellard disputes the finding, saying the audit combines funds the parish treats separately for budgeting purposes. Bellard argues there is a difference in the way the auditor’s office defines the general fund and the way it is treated by SLPG. In the parish’s budget for fiscal year 2025, money from the Road District 1 sales tax fund is transferred out to multiple other funds that appropriate to road projects, including the capital projects fund, he said. The capital projects fund, while separate from the general fund in the parish budget, is audited as part of the general fund. “People think they’re accountants, and

ä See AUDIT, page 4B

LAFAYETTE

Direct contracting saves schools $2.89M Working with insurance providers brings down costs

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

Six months after the Lafayette Parish school system began directly negotiating and contracting with providers like local hospitals, the system has saved $2.89 million on employee and retiree medical insurance. Insurance companies, Superintendent Francis Touchet said, negotiate deals with doctors and hospitals. Touchet The school system is going directly to providers to negotiate savings above what insurance companies offer by leveraging its 10,000 employees and retirees as potential patients. It’s a new approach for this area, Touchet said, and in the first six months, the self-insured school system has saved taxpayers $2.89 million. More than $2 million of the savings was from Ochsner Lafayette General

ä See SCHOOLS, page 4B

2B ● Friday, July 31, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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

Those in foster care deserve investment in their future Louisiana has chosen to preOver the past several months, conversations about “Trump Acserve the survivors’ benefits for foster children and help counts” and what some them grow. have called the “orphan For every year a child in tax” have circulated care receives survivor’s widely. These terms have benefits, the first $5,000 is generated plenty of interdeposited into a Trump Acest, but beneath the headlines is a simple question: Rebecca count, a managed investWhat does this mean for ment account designed to Harris children in Louisiana? help young people begin GUEST For some children in building long-term finanCOLUMNIST foster care, a parent has cial stability. Remaining passed away, making them funds are then deposited eligible to receive Social Security into a Louisiana START 529 edusurvivor benefits. Federal law has cation savings account, which long allowed states to use those can be used for college, trade benefits to help pay for the cost of school, apprenticeships and other children’s care while they are in qualified training programs. foster care. START accounts also receive a But in recent years, federal offi- state match on deposits, meaning cials have urged states to end this a child’s preserved benefits can grow even faster. practice and use these funds to This approach reflects a simple build futures for foster children.

belief: Children in foster care deserve more than safety today. They deserve opportunity tomorrow. That commitment is especially important when we look at national outcomes for youth who have been in foster care. Across the country, young people leaving foster care face signiﬁcant barriers as they enter adulthood. Economic instability presents a serious challenge. In a 2023 report, the Annie E. Casey Foundation reported that in 2021, only 66% of former foster youth aged 18-21 had access to stable housing. Likewise, 56% of former foster children had regular full-time or part-time employment. Data on postsecondary education tells a similar story. From 2000 to 2023, between 29% and 64% of former foster children enrolled in postsecondary educa-

tion; however, only between 8% and 12% of these students completed degrees. In the meantime, 49% of all students who enrolled in postsecondary education completed degrees. These outcomes are not inevitable. They are the result of young people leaving care without the resources many of their peers take for granted. That is precisely why Louisiana’s model matters. By preserving survivor beneﬁts, we give children the chance to enter adulthood with assets that can change their trajectory. Whether those funds support a future credential, a training program or down payment on a home, they represent a foundation many young people aging out of foster care have never had. At the Department of Children and Family Services, we believe

our work must be measured not only by whether we follow the rules, but by whether children leave our care with greater stability, opportunity and hope. That means looking beyond what has always been done and choosing what produces the best outcomes. Our responsibility is not simply to care for children while they are in state custody. It is to help prepare them for successful adulthoods. Preserving their survivor benefits is one way to ensure that when they take their first steps into independence, they do so with the beginnings of a financial foothold and a stronger chance at the future they deserve. Because our children can’t wait. Rebecca Harris is the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services.

Capitalism is an amoral system, but it can fight poverty

Mount Zion First Baptist Church in Baton Rouge has several choirs, including its youth Choir.

PROVIDED PHOTO

The Black church and its impact on the next 250 years As America commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we are doing more than remembering our past. We are deciding what kind of nation we hope to become. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution established the principles of liberty, equality, citizenship and self-government. History teaches another lesson as well. Founding documents establish nations. Institutions sustain them. René F. America’s founding principles enBrown dured because generations of citizens GUEST translated those ideals into enduring COLUMNIST institutions — churches, schools, businesses and civic organizations — that created the environment where families and communities could go strong. These institutions became the places where democratic ideals were not merely respected; they were lived. Among the most enduring of these institutions has been the Black church. Born in slavery and strengthened through Reconstruction, segregation and the Civil Rights Movement, the Black church became far more than a place of worship. It became an institution that helped shape generations as they prepared for civic life and leadership at home and in the community. Historians have noted that the Black church became one of the ﬁrst institutions where African Americans could gather with dignity and envision a future beyond their circumstances. In communities where opportunity was often denied, the Black church helped form the people who would later help build America. Mount Zion First Baptist Church, founded in Baton Rouge in 1858, reﬂects that larger American story. Like thousands of Black churches across the nation, it has served as a sanctuary and community anchor where faith has inspired thousands throughout the years. Its story reminds us that institutions do more than preserve values; they prepare people to live them.

As America enters its next 250 years, we cannot assume institutions like these will continue their historic role without intentional investment. Healthy institutions do not sustain themselves. Every generation must renew them, and by doing so, they strengthen the broader community. Today’s challenges are different from those of previous generations. Artiﬁcial intelligence, rapid technological change, declining civic trust Adell and growing social isolation are reBrown shaping American life. The challenge GUEST is no longer to preserve our founding COLUMNIST ideals, but to prepare people and institutions to live those ideals in a changing world. That preparation will require more than preserving historic buildings or honoring cherished traditions. It will require renewing the Black church as a moral, intellectual and civic center capable of preparing citizens to live America’s founding ideals. Uniquely positioned to meet this challenge, the Black church need not retreat from public life or become captive to partisan politics. Its historic calling has always been larger: to build and strengthen the institutions and help sustain our democracy. America’s next chapter will not write itself. It will be written by the people we prepare and the institutions we choose to strengthen. As we celebrate our nation’s ﬁrst 250 years, let us remember with gratitude those who built the institutions that sustained America’s promise. More importantly, let us recommit ourselves to strengthening institutions like the Black church. Founding documents gave America its principles. Institutions have given those principles life. America depends on healthy institutions, and every generation is responsible for renewing them. René F. Brown is the pastor of Mount Zion First Baptist Church in Baton Rouge. Adell Brown Jr. is a resident of Baton Rouge.

Capitalism has lifted more comes. Kodak dominated the people out of poverty than any photography industry for 80 other economic system in hisyears but failed to adapt to the new digital technology, ironitory. Communist China proved this. While maintaincally invented by one of its own engineers. Aling its communist political structure, China though the product was embraced capitalistic not harmful, capitalism market reforms in the punished the company late 1970s. According to with bankruptcy because David the World Bank, those the demand collapsed. In Thomas contrast, the tobacco inreforms helped more GUEST than 800 million citizens dustry survives because COLUMNIST the demand persists even escape poverty, which is the largest economic though the product is transformation ever reharmful. Capitalism can be brutally efficient. corded. Yet despite its success, Government tries but fails capitalism has its faults. to protect consumers as well. Capitalism is an efficient supThe first narcotics act passed ply/demand economic system in 1914, and with the Controlled because it works directly off Substances Act of 1970, the consumer needs and delivers supply where there is demand in government sought to curb drug abuse. Yet according to the pursuit of a profit. The question is not whether capitalism works, National Center for Health Stabut when and why it fails. tistics, drug overdoses claimed I write as a lifelong believer nearly 80,000 lives in the United and participant in capitalism, States last year, double automohaving started four compabile fatalities and are a leading cause of death in those 18 to 44. nies beginning at age 9 when I The illegal drug trade conmowed every lawn in the neighborhood for $3 a yard. How else tinues because demand for the was I going to buy that Schwinn product continues. Capitalism Stingray bike with butterfly has no moral compass. That is handlebars and a banana seat? the responsibility of the conThat same yard today may sumer. pay $50, yet many young people There are other examples seem reluctant to embrace this like this, such as Prohibition, capitalistic entrepreneurship. enacted in 1920. Government Perhaps this is because they do intervention failed again, and not yet recognize the difference it was repealed in 1933 when between capitalism’s virtues and public demand won and capitalvices. ism delivered the supply without Consider tobacco. For centumoral judgment. Government attempts to prories it was considered harmless, even prescribed by physicians tect but reacts after the fact and since the 1500s to ease headoften fails. Therefore, our capiaches and calm patients. By the talist trade laws are based on the 1930s, researchers such as our Latin phrase caveat emptor — own Alton Ochsner discovered let the buyer beware. evidence linking tobacco to The lesson is clear: Capitalism cancer. works on an efficient supply/ Competing arguments clashed demand system that delivers for decades: The industry insupply when there is demand. It does not protect from harm sisted on safety, while science because that is not its job. Capirevealed the risks. Eventually, the truth prevailed that tobacco talism is not moral or immoral; does cause cancer. Yet the global it is amoral. industry still thrives as a $544 Ultimately, the responsibility billion enterprise employing lies with each of us to make wise thousands by supplying a harm- choices and to demand beneficial ful product. Here is where capi- products that shape a healthier talism shows its blind spot: It re- future. If we do, capitalism will sponds to demand, not consumer be happy to provide it. protection. It is only if demand declines that capitalism kicks in David Thomas is an and brings down the supply. investment management This pattern repeats elseconsultant at Equitas Capital Advisors in New Orleans. where but with different out-

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COMMENTARY

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A transmission electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, isolated from a patient in the U.S., emerging from the surface of cells cultured in the lab.

ISSUE OF THE WEEK 21ST-CENTURy WARFARE The admonition that generals shouldn’t fight the last war is not new, but it seems particularly apt in the current era, when some tools of modern warfare have dramatically altered the arena and others pose risks that are truly frightening to comprehend. Here are two perspectives.

‘Biological War’ a disturbing Ukraine war remakes summons to seriousness the way war is possible Three months before 9/11, some former U.S. experts, is a living munition that delivCabinet-level officials and subject-matter ers a silent, odorless, invisible, airborne, experts met near Washington to conduct self-replicating, disease-causing organism. a war game testing the nation’s ability to “Forty thousand plague bacteria can,” Jarespond to a biological weapons atcobsen says, “fit side by side on the head of a pin.” tack. The postulated weapon was a Jacobsen’s Russian lab leak smallpox pathogen. quickly infects a few tourists, busiThis exercise assumed that a Russian scientist, working at a ness travelers and others who, lab in Siberia, sold smallpox to suspecting nothing for 24 hours, al-Qaida. The game, code-named George avail themselves of an efficient Dark Winter, began with the airdriver of modern pandemics — air Will travel. They disperse through, for borne pathogen — which incubates example, the Frankfurt and Dallas for about 12 days — released in Fort Worth airports (170,000 and 200,000 Atlanta, Oklahoma City and Philadelphia. travelers a day, respectively). Infections Smallpox, which had killed perhaps 300 million worldwide in the 20th century, was increase exponentially. Scarcities — of water, food, medicine — declared eliminated by 1980, so there were no substantial vaccine supplies. Infections produce panic. “Conspiracy makes sense,” Jacobsen writes, “when nothing else does.” spread exponentially, with a 30% fatality Confronted with the inexplicable, the rate, collapsing healthcare systems nationpublic becomes susceptible to explanations wide and igniting violent disorders. (rumors of conspiracies) that cause the After 25 years of scientific advances, evaporation of trust, society’s glue. Some Annie Jacobsen says, biological war today could be immeasurably worse, with patho- product of gain-of-function research, says Jacobsen, “could be 21st-century humans’ gens out there that have a 100% fatality rate. The only recent book more disturbing last invention.” Jacobsen reminds us that in the 14th centhan Jacobsen’s previous one, “Nuclear War: A Scenario,” is her new one, “Biologi- tury, a pandemic killed between one-third and one-half of Europe’s population. If you cal War: A Scenario.” think humanity’s subsequent political matA reporter and historian, Jacobsen specializes in hypothetical catastrophes, uration has matched its galloping scientific including one made possible by a scientific sophistication, look around. advance capable of life-enhancing blessBecause the cultural and social dynamings. It is recombinant DNA, aka genetic ics of biological warfare are so dystopian, engineering. and so impossible to target and contain, This enables “gain-of-function” research, perhaps no state actor will ever risk it. Yet which U.S. funding supported in Wuhan, given the surfeit of fanaticism today, it is China, where a lab leak might have unhorrifyingly easy to imagine an accident, or a rogue scientist, putting an engineered leashed COVID-19. Such research gives demon pathogen into the hands of religious a virus or bacterium new abilities — to lunatics who are eager to please God by spread faster, infect easier, evade immucleansing the planet of sinners, in order to nity and live longer in the environment. start the human story over again. Jacobsen says the rapid worldwide exFew Americans will think, even intermitpansion of laboratories conducting gainof-function experiments has been “an tently, about the unthinkable. Biological American-led, post-9/11 affair.” She does weapons are (rightly) enveloped in secrenot condemn this, but she wants readers to cy. And Americans’ electoral choices are understand the implications of what Tom almost entirely irrelevant to the dreadful Ridge, the first Homeland Security secrechallenges of weaponized biology. But not entirely irrelevant. tary, and then-Sen. Joe Lieberman wrote Jacobsen’s summons to seriousness arin 2018: “Some of the biggest threats to the nation come from the smallest organisms rives during a political season in which on the planet.” progressives are warning against an unJacobsen’s scenario envisions a leak popular minority (the rich), and conservafrom a Russian lab in Siberia. It lets loose tives are warning against an unpopular mia pathogen genetically engineered for hynority (progressives). Jacobsen’s message pervirulence in human-to-human transmis- is: Cascading, irreversible, extinction-level sion. And designed to produce in the unwit- events are possible, so sometimes governting infected not plague’s natural lethargy ment is a serious business. Vote accordbut a brief burst of euphoria — hence ingly. hyperactive socializing. The biological weapon that Jacobsen Email George Will at georgewill@ imagines, based on her research among washpost.com.

Wars remake war. New weaponry, new War and the years after. The U.S. used tactics and new strategy, time and again, the industrial infrastructure built up produce results no one predicted or by capitalist “robber barons” to massthought possible. produce relatively simple and unsophisRevolutionary France’s levee en ticated weaponry in very large masse and Napoleon’s bold attacks numbers, to be deployed by large prevailed over staid 18th-century numbers of highly motivated but siege warfare and subdued all Eunot very sophisticated troops. In the Cold War, in contrast, rope. The aggressive assaults proAmerican strategists concenduced horrendous casualties but were unable to move the Western on developing very soMichael trated Front trenches more than a few phisticated and very expensive Barone weapons, to foil what Soviet stratmeters in World War I. Less than 20 years later, the egists were doing. After the Cold European theater in World War II was War, these weapons enabled the U.S. to the scene of blitzkrieg attacks — France, enjoy total control of the air and to deploy with Europe’s largest army, was overrun troops capable of advancing and occupyin six weeks — followed by the heavily ing territory with very low casualties. mechanized Allied forces moving forThe limitations of that posture seem apparent in the current war with Iran. ward as fast as logistics permitted. The U.S. and Israel were able to destroy The war in Ukraine seems to be rethe regime’s leadership class but without making war once again. When Vladimir compelling surrender. Putin ordered Russian troops to march Operations to open the Strait of Horinto Kyiv in February 2022, he expected they’d be welcomed, and U.S. intellimuz have been frustrated by Iranian gence assumed they’d encounter no seri- missiles and drones inflicting damage on ous resistance and called for evacuation. U.S. allies, as the Trump administration (and its Democratic opponents) remains Both nuclear superpowers assumed unwilling to engage in ground operasuperior conventional forces would prevail. Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s response tions. As in Ukraine, the drone-equipped — “I need ammunition, not a ride” — was defense is prevailing. considered naive, and the stalling of his Whether and to what extent the Penta2023 counteroffensive was seen as proof gon has adjusted to the way the Ukraine Russia would win. and Iran wars have remade war is of Successive U.S. presidents operated vital importance and a worthy subject on that assumption. Joe Biden pressed of in-depth reportage. Recent reports Ukraine not to lob missiles into Russia that Lockheed Martin’s plans for a lowfor fear of a wider war. Donald Trump, budget, quickly deliverable Patriot misin Anchorage in August 2025, pressed sile suggest that even large traditional Ukraine not only to accept Russia’s Dodefense companies are trying to adapt. Another open question is about one othnetsk advances but to yield more territory to them. er factor, always critical and sometimes Both underestimated the ingenuity and impossible to measure: morale. morale that enabled Ukraine to turn relaHere at home, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s emphasis on warrior ethos tively cheap and unsophisticated drones and opposition to political correctness into war-winning weapons. has been accompanied by increases in While imposing damage on Russia, recruitment and perhaps — another good Ukraine’s drones have created a killing zone into which Russian troops can’t ven- subject for reportage — improved moture. As economist Noah Smith writes, rale. “The era of human infantry on the battleHowever, the president’s failure to exfield is drawing to a close.” plain his justification for the conflict with “The nature of war has changed and Iran, and his wobbling back and forth is changing much faster and more radifrom negotiations with the mullah regime cally than most observers — and most of and active military measures, have left the world’s militaries — yet understand,” civilian, and voter, morale at low levels. When wars remake war, political leadwrites the Hudson Institute’s Walter Russell Mead. “Rifles, mortars and tanks ap- ers have an obligation to help voters understand the consequences and what pear to be going the way of sword fights may be required of them. That obligation and cavalry charges.” is not being met. This type of warfare seems closer to the way the United States and its allies operated during WWII than how they Michael Barone is on X, have planned for conflicts in the Cold @MichaelBarone.

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Campaign to recall EBR mayor-president falls short

The effort was started by recall started the recall effort and aprecall petitions against Gov. While the effort to recall the mayOrganizers got 4% of active Jeff Landry and Liz Murrill, both chairwoman Marian Hills — who plauded them for exercising their or did not get close to the number which require even more signa- goes by Marian Gbaiwon — and rights. of signatures needed, Gbaiwon said necessary signatures oftures vice chair Aaron Banks in “I thank Marian because what she she is still motivated to get recalls to succeed. It’s not

BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER Staff writer

A campaign to recall East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sid Edwards ended this week after organizers only secured about 4% of the signatures needed to get it on voters’ ballots. On Thursday, the registrar of voters said the unofﬁcial recall count — meaning signatures still need to be veriﬁed — was 2,193, far below the 57,000 or so signatures needed to move a recall forward. The recall’s organizers still have

February. clear how many signatures In a statement posted have been collected for to social media, Gbaiwon those efforts because the said “I held my head high” deadlines to submit petias she delivered the signations are later this year — Oct. 31 for Landry and Nov. tures Wednesday, but will 9 for Murrill. continue working on the Edwards said he has not Edwards other campaigns. been worried about the ef“This fight is far from fort since it began 180 days ago, but over,” Gbaiwon said. “The Sid Edsaid he was happy to see how small wards recall petition was the catathe number was. lyst for our statewide recall efforts “I feel good about it,” Edwards involving Governor Jeff Landry said. “I think it’s a statement that, and Attorney General Liz Murrill.” you know, most people are happy Edwards said he holds no negawith what we’re doing.” tive feelings toward those who

did is exercising what democracy’s supposed to be,” he said. “She went out and did this deal, and it’s an exercise in democracy.” While the mayor said he was never angry about the recall effort, he is interested in seeing who supported it, as the signature list is now public record. “I am looking forward to looking at the list. I’m only human,” Edwards said. “I want to see who signed it and see if there’s any patterns or anything. You know, in this job, you always know not everybody’s going to be happy with you.”

of Landry and Murrill on Louisiana ballots. “I refuse to accept that this can’t be done,” she said. “Louisiana has more than enough people who care about the future of this state. The opportunity is there. The path is there. Now we need people willing to step up.” To do so, the campaign would need more than 500,000 signatures from veriﬁed registered voters. Email Patrick Sloan-Turner at patrick.sloan-turner@ theadvocate.com.

Woman accused of pressuring boyfriend to kill Ex allegedly executed over family court dispute

BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

Fearful of losing an ongoing custody battle, a Baton Rouge woman pressured her new boyfriend into killing the father of her children, texts between the accomplices show. The ﬁnal exchange of messages between 29-year-old Hope Jackson and her boyfriend, 32-year-old Riddick Franklin, came minutes before Franklin allegedly “executed” Jackson’s former partner, according to the pair’s arrest records. The couple appeared in court together Tuesday to be arraigned, but had the hearing rescheduled for Aug. 11 to allow Franklin to hire an attorney of his choice. The two are both accused of the second-degree murder of Anthony Wesley Jr., with Jackson’s charge being principal to second-degree murder for “planning, encouraging and counseling” Franklin to carry out the

SCHOOLS

Continued from page 1B Medical Center. While it’s early, consultant Kelly Cox of HIC Holding Corp., told the School Board’s Insurance Committee on July 23 that direct

AUDIT

Continued from page 1B

they think they’re comparing apples to apples. They’re not,” Bellard said. “What we mean when we say ‘general fund’ and what they mean by it are not the same thing.” Last week, SLPG announced that it would suspend animal control services in order to help cover a short-term loan between the general fund and a fund for the sales tax levied in Road District 1. The decision was rescinded the next day, and Bellard said discussions with local nonproﬁt agencies gave him enough conﬁdence that total costs of the service can be made manageable. Bellard said details are still being worked out, but a current proposal would have the parish continue to take responsibility for utilities and pay one government employee at the facility. He estimated such a proposal would save the parish around $400,000 to $450,000 annually. The animal control department currently has an annual budget of around $550,000 to $650,000. Other services being considered for cuts include transportation services for seniors provided by the Community Action Agency, which has an annual budget of about $130,000. Bellard said SLPG is waiting until Sept. 1 to determine if services are financially feasible, and that the future of the agency depends on whether funds from busi-

killing. Wesley was found dead by East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s deputies on the sidewalk in front of his Jefferson Highway apartment in the early hours of March 22. He had multiple gunshot wounds. Wesley’s family reported to detectives that he’d been in an ongoing custody dispute with Jackson, the mother of his children. Documents found at his residence indicated a recent family court hearing had resulted in a paternity test being ordered. This dispute had included Franklin, who told detectives after his arrest that there’d been altercations between him and Wesley previously and that he was “tired of being disrespected.” Franklin told police that he had gone over to Wesley’s apartment the morning of March 22 to settle the beef between them, or for a “ceaseﬁre,” in his words. But surveillance footage recovered from Wesley’s apartment showed Franklin carried out the opposite: shooting Wesley once from behind, then standing over him and executing him with a second shot. Cameras caught a car

registered to Franklin pulling into the complex around 3:04 a.m. the morning of the killing, then leaving around 5:40 a.m. The shooting took place at 5:39 a.m., according to arrest records. In multiple interviews with police, Franklin admitted to the killing and to having worked with Jackson to plan the murder. Jackson had first floated the idea in mid-March, according to Franklin’s testimony to police, due to fear she would lose her custody case to Wesley. Franklin said his girlfriend had expressed on multiple occasions that she wanted Wesley gone, and allegedly pressured Franklin further in the days leading up to the killing by complaining that child support from Wesley was not being processed. The night before the killing, Jackson asked Franklin again if he was going to kill Wesley for her, he told police. He reportedly expressed concern about “being rushed,” and Jackson said the window of opportunity was closing and that if it wasn’t done she would lose everything. The two were in communication before, during and

contracting has resulted in a 66% reduction in costs to the school system, “a fairly signiﬁcant savings.” “We’re getting our employees better care and saving money on the back end,” Touchet said. In recent years, he said, the school system has had to use reserve funds to cover

some of the insurance costs for employees and retirees. Last year the deﬁcit was $6.7 million, he said. If direct contracting continues to save LPSS money, the school system may be able to accrue a savings that can be used when the system is hit hard by insurance claims, Touchet said.

nesses involved in paymentin-lieu-of-taxes agreements with the parish come in a timely manner. Additionally, four SLPG employees were laid off, and others have taken salary cuts, a move Bellard says is to try and reduce cuts to public services. Bellard pointed out that much of the general fund consists of mandated expenses, which limits where the parish is allowed to reduce its expenditures. “Right now, around 88.5% of the general fund money is for mandated expenses,” he said. “That’s stuff we’ve got to pay for regardless, so there isn’t a lot of choice about where we can cut.” The parish currently collects just over $2.6 million in ad valorem taxes, which are the primary funding mechanism for the general fund, but do not cover a signiﬁcant portion of the general fund’s mandated expenditures. Over a fiveyear period, SLPG received around $14.799 million in ad valorem tax revenue, while spending around $27.454 million on general fund items. The parish makes up for this through interfund transfers. Additionally, Bellard pointed to an ongoing financial dispute with the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Ofﬁce as a point of consideration for the parish’s increasing expenditures. For several years, Bellard has been at odds with Sheriff Bobby Guidroz over responsibility for various inmaterelated expenses.

“The sheriff collects more property tax than we do, but when the inmates slip and fall, we have to cover their hospital visit for the ﬁrst 24 hours,” Bellard said. “We spend $17.25 for every state inmate housed in that jail, and the Sheriff’s Ofﬁce receives money from the state just for taking them in. All that adds up over time.” Total money SLPG has spent on inmate-related costs annually has increased dramatically in recent years, going from $1.277 million in 2024 to a budget appropriation of $4.562 million in 2026 due in large part to a line of credit the parish took out to cover growing medical and food costs. The audit also found the parish failed to provide adequate public notice before adopting its amended 2025 budget, did not adopt the budget on time under the parish charter and exceeded spending limits in multiple funds without required council approval.

immediately after the homicide, texts recovered from Franklin’s phone show. The following exchanges were made the morning of Wesley’s murder, according to arrest records: At 1:18 a.m. Jackson asked Franklin what he’s up to. “Getting dressed and cleaning it again,” he said. “Thought you were out,” Jackson responded. “Soon as I’m done I will be,” Franklin said. “ohh Kay baby. So ready to ﬁnally be back in my element,” she said. “You will be my love I promise,” he responded. At 3:06 a.m., immediately after surveillance footage placed Franklin at the complex, he texted Jackson again, saying, “Not here.” Jackson checked in again at 5:21 a.m. Franklin called her back immediately after the shooting, and the call lasted 21 minutes. He was arrested later the same day. In his interview with police, Franklin admitted to having disassembled the gun used in the shooting, earning both him and Jackson a charge of obstruction of justice.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Identical twins Morgan Mercado and Taylor Wallace will join the University of Louisiana at Lafayette College of Education & Human Development.

TWINS

not just the students in our classroom, but hundreds of future students in future Continued from page 1B teachers’ classrooms.” For two sisters who have spent their careers making teachers. Leaving their students, sure every child feels seen, they said, was “one of the they hope their greatest leshardest decisions we’ve son is one that future teachever made.” But they be- ers will carry into classlieve helping prepare new rooms long after they do. educators will allow them to reach far more children than they ever could from a single classroom. “We’re not leaving beFunerals Today cause we didn’t like teaching,” Mercado said. “We’re Colina, Roberto leaving because hopefully Fountain Memorial Funeral Home, this will help us impact 1010 Pandora Street in Lafayette, at 10:30 a.m.

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Saints lock down Olave ‘There is New Orleans wide receiver agrees to four-year extension worth up to $132M BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

Chris Olave’s holdout is over. And the New Orleans Saints wide receiver is set to be a lot richer after it. Olave and the Saints have agreed on a fouryear contract worth up to $132 million that includes $90 million guaranteed, sources with knowledge of the situation said. A $33 million per year average, ﬁrst reported by ESPN, would make Olave the sixth-highestpaid receiver in the NFL in terms of average annual value. The contract was reached two days after Olave withheld himself from team drills during training camp to avoid a major injury. Now that the contract is settled, Olave will likely resume being a full participant in practice.

Saints WR Chris Olave

Beyond the va alue of getting Olave back on the field, the deal d was also important for the Saints to lock k up their star wide receiver for the long term m. The 26-year-old has been incredibly produ uctive since he was drafted 11th overall in 20 022 out of Ohio State, reaching at least 1,000 0 yards in three of his first four seasons. Last season, Olave bounced back with a big year (1,163 ya ards on 100 catches for nine touchdown ns) after he contemplated retiring because b of concussion issues thatt sidelined him for most of the 2024 season. The campaign n earned Olave his first All-Pro honor and he was voted as the league’s 64th 6 best player in the NFL’s top 100.

AP FILE PHOTO

just one Taysom’

A farewell to Hill, a once in a lifetime Saints icon

ä See OLAVE, page 3C

TAKING THE LEAD

Forget about all those positions you saw listed in front of Taysom Hill’s name for the past nine seasons. Quarterback. Running back. Tight end. Kick returner. Punt protector. You name it, Taysom Hill did it. But the best way to describe Hill is this: a football player. And one of the best to ever put on a New Orleans Saints uniform. Hill can’t throw like Drew Brees or run like Alvin Kamara or catch like Marques Colston or return kicks like Michael “the Beer Man” Rod Walker Lewis. But he can play some football. His time with the Saints officially came to an end Wednesday when he announced on social media that he won’t be returning to New Orleans. He didn’t say he’s retiring, just that returning to New Orleans “is not in the cards.” The announcement by Hill, who is a free agent, didn’t really come as a surprise. The hints had been there ever since December, when coach Kellen Moore made sure to let Hill go out with a bang in what ended up being his last game as a Saint in the Superdome. Hill choked up with emotions during the postgame news conference that day after throwing a touchdown pass, running for 42 yards and hauling in 36 yards worth of receptions. And if that wasn’t enough of a clue that the end was near, it became clearer when his house in Old Metairie was put up for sale in the spring. Then on Wednesday, the first day of training camp, fourth-string quarterback Hunter Dekkers was at practice wearing No. 7. It’s a number that Saints’ fans grew to love over the years because of Hill. The Saints will celebrate the team’s 60th season this fall. In the previous 59, there has never been a player quite like Hill. And there won’t be one like him in the next 60. Hill, in that final game in the Dome, became the first player in the Super Bowl era to have over 1,000 yards in each of the

ä See WALKER, page 3C

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Saints quarterback Tyler Shough throws a pass during drills on Wednesday at training camp in Metairie.

Saints QB Shough has earned team’s respect, confidence BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

There are a lot of things that remain to be seen about the 2026 New Orleans Saints, but one thing is already certain: This is Tyler Shough’s team. The second-year signal-caller has only nine NFL starts under his belt and still has some things to prove as a professional. But the constant refrain — from coaches, front office execs, long-established veterans — matches what is readily evident to even a casual observer. “The biggest jump you can see right now is his leadership,” safety Justin Reid said. “His command of the huddle, his command of the offense, his confidence to stand up in front of the whole team and break down a huddle. … And that’s the thing you need out of your general on the field.”

Shough’s play on the field to close the 2025 season is what is driving a lot of the optimism for the Saints right now — indeed, it may have played a role in the team being able to convince some high-profile free agents to sign in New Orleans this offseason. But the thing that is catching everyone’s eye at this stage of things is the way Shough has taken ownership of the team. That was evident this summer, when Shough flew a group of pass catchers out to southern California on his dime to get some extra work in during the off period between minicamp and training camp. This idea was born out of a conversation with imminent Hall of Famer Drew Brees. “That was one of the biggest takeaways I got from

ä See SAINTS, page 3C

STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Saints tight end Taysom Hill spikes the ball after scoring against the New England Patriots on Oct. 12 in the Caesars Superdome. Hill announced on Wednesday he will not return to the Saints this season.

European nations vow World Cup boycott over FIFA private equity plan AFC, CONCACAF join UEFA in opposing Infantino’s ‘FIFA Forward Enterprise’

BY GRAHAM DUNBAR Associated Press

GENEVA — European nations agreed Thursday to boycott the World Cup and all other FIFA competitions to protest Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in soccer’s biggest tournament to private equity investors. The North American soccer body rejected his plan later the same day.

“UEFA and its national associations will not participate in FIFA competitions,” the European soccer body said after an urgent online meeting of its 55 member nations. The next scheduled FIFA tournament is within weeks in Europe — the Women’s Under-20 World Cup hosted by Poland from Sept. 5 — and the four British federations comprise FIFA’s only bidder to host the 2035 Women’s World Cup. That decision is due Nov. 23. “Some things are simply too important to sell,” UEFA said in a statement. “The FIFA World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale.” The strategy meeting was called to coun-

ter FIFA president Infantino’s offer of $20 million to each of FIFA’s 211 global members that has to be accepted by mid-September. Later Thursday, the 41-member Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) met and announced it rejected Infantino’s plan. In a statement, CONCACAF said members “expressed deep concerns about the lack of due process surrounding the proposal, the artiﬁcially short deadline imposed, and the absence of any review or approval by the relevant FIFA governance bodies.” It also questioned the need for outside investment “following the most proﬁtable FIFA World Cup in history.”

Infantino’s secret project was revealed Tuesday to spin off its commercial operations in a new $20 billion subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) 20% owned by private investors. The core investor would be a New York investment ﬁrm created by Joshua Kushner, the brother of U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Infantino wrote Tuesday to the 211 members — already the effective owners of FIFA as a non-proﬁt association under Swiss law — that if they approve FFE their promised $10 million basic funding for the

ä See FIFA, page 3C

2C ● Friday, July 31, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Police: Romo had open bottle of alcohol in car

MILWAUKEE — CBS NFL analyst and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo had an open container of alcohol in his vehicle when he was stopped by police last week and later arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, authorities said. According to one of three citations released by the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Ofﬁce, the “open bottle of an alcoholic beverage” was discovered in the passenger’s side of Romo’s black Jeep during an inventory before it was towed. Romo performed poorly on ﬁeld sobriety tests and was taken into custody, booked and released. Court records show Romo was later cited for refusing “to take test for intoxication after arrest.” He has a court appearance scheduled for Sept. 21.

Bengals DE Stewart out with hyperextended knee

CINCINNATI — Bengals defensive end Shemar Stewart is expected to miss most of training camp after hyperextending his left knee during Wednesday’s practice. Coach Zac Taylor said after Thursday’s practice that Stewart avoided a major injury, but that the second-year defensive lineman will miss several weeks. “Hard to pinpoint exactly how far into training camp that will be. Very fortunate because obviously it looked bad,” Taylor said. Stewart, the Bengals’ first-round draft pick in 2025, played in only eight games last season because of injuries. He had 11 tackles with one sack. The Bengals invested heavily at defensive end in the offseason with free agent Boye Mafe and second-round pick Cashius Howell. Myles Murphy, their 2023 ﬁrstround pick, is a projected starter.

Rays LHP McClanahan exits game with tightness STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

Gumbeaux Gators right fielder Lane Sparks is safe at second base as Acadiana Cane Cutters second baseman Grant Haas gets a late throw during Wednesday’s Texas Collegiate League game at Fabacher Field in youngsville.

Cane Cutters’ season ends in loss Acadiana team struggles at plate against Lake Charles

BY MIKE COPPAGE Contributing writer

Acadiana entered the Texas Collegiate League baseball playoffs with the best batting average in the eight-team league. While the Cane Cutters outhit Lake Charles on Wednesday night, the Lake Charles Gumbeaux Gators won 3-1 at Fabacher Field in Youngsville to sweep the best-ofthree series and advance to a onegame championship. Lake Charles won the Tuesday night playoff opener 2-1. “We just picked a heck of a time not to hit,” said coach Darien Dukes, whose team had ﬁve hits

Wednesday. “We’ve hit all year, moved runners and did what we’re supposed to until the last two games. We had our chances.” Acadiana (24-23) got two singles to lead off the third inning of Game 2, but Logan Mallard was picked off second base to end the threat. Lake Charles pitcher Diego Corrales maintained a shutout until leaving the game with a 3-0 count on pinch-hitter Isaiah Castanada in the eighth. “They said the kid was hurt,” Dukes said of Corrales, who allowed three hits with four strikeouts and no walks. “He stayed in the zone. We outhit them. We just couldn’t move the runners.” With Corrales out of the game, Acadiana got on the scoreboard with a double by another pinchhitter, Abel Thetford, and ninehole batter Gage Hinnant’s RBI

single, but Thetford was ruled out for leaving third base too soon on what would have been a sacrifice fly from Grant Haas. “The kid was just trying to make something happen,” Dukes said of Thetford. Lake Charles then called on Hunter Degeyter, a Lafayette High graduate, to get the save by throwing the final 12/ 3 innings. Acadiana pitchers Will Leslie, Gavin Ballargeno, Jackson Hawsey and JB Landrum combined for 11 strikeouts and gave up two hits, but allowed seven walks and two balks while also hitting a batter. “When you throw a two-hitter, you expect to win,” Dukes said. “We hit it hard. We just ran into a string of bad luck. The game of baseball is strange.” Lake Charles (29-19), which will face the Game 3 winner of Victo-

ria/Brazos Valley, scored all three runs in the fourth inning after two walks and a hit by pitch. “We didn’t throw strikes nearly as much as we wanted this year,” Dukes said. “We have a tendency to give up (free bases), and Lake Charles capitalized. “They’re a good team. You can’t give up (free bases) in clutch situations against a good baseball team.” Third baseman Ethan Espricueta accounted for two of Acadiana’s ﬁve hits. TCL Player of the Year Aidan Eshelman (UTSA) had three of his team’s eight hits with a double and an RBI in the loss at Lake Charles in Game 1. Eshelman led the league in runs, hits, doubles, RBIs, total bases and walks, while Mallard (Nicholls State) ﬁnished the season with a .340 batting average.

Lafayette Christian’s Bellard transferring to U-High BY ERIC NARCISSE Staff writer

Lafayette Christian star running back Caiden Bellard will be sporting a new uniform this season. Knights coach Matt Standiford confirmed Wednesday that Bellard, a three-star recruit with offers from Alabama, Florida and Baylor among others, is transferring to University High in Baton Rouge. “It’s tough,” Standiford said of Bellard, who will be a junior. “Caiden is such a great kid. Obviously, he had a big-time year for us last year. It’s a very unique situation, especially with us being so close to school (starting). Honestly, we’re just wishing him nothing but the best going forward.” Bellard, who has than 30 scholarship offers, rushed for the ﬁfthmost yards in the Acadiana area as a sophomore. The 5-foot-10, 195-pounder finished with 1,555 yards and 21 touchdowns on 237 carries a year ago. “He catches the ball really well out of the backfield, which is a trade that not many high-end running backs have,” Standiford said.

homme to help carry the load in the running game. “We are excited about some of these other guys that we got on our team that are going to be able to step up and compete for that position,” Standiford said. Standiford said he likes what he’s seen from the trio in practice. “Kaleb’s a guy that we actually planned to have him get a little bit of offensive reps coming into this year. We saw some stuff (Wednesday) at practice that he showed he can hold it down,” he said. “He’s a quick-twitch kid and he catches the ball really well. “Kyzer, who has also been repping at quarterback, is a kid that I love when the ball is in his hands. He does a lot of really good things FILE PHOTO By ROBIN MAy for us. “Landon, who didn’t get a ton Lafayette Christian running back Caiden Bellard finds an opening in of reps last year as a freshman, the Catholic-New Iberia defense on Nov. 28 in Lafayette. Bellard has is someone we are really excited transferred to University High. about his development. He’s more of a shiftier back but catches the “He has really good vision. He can body, regardless of how talented ball really well out of the backsee a hole before it’s really there they are,” Standiford said, “and ﬁeld. So we’re really excited about and he really did that well last don’t get me wrong, this will be a those guys and what they bring to year.” tough void to ﬁll.” the table. Schematically, we can Replacing Bellard’s production The Knights are set to have do some different things in order won’t be easy. three players in Kaleb Simon, to allow those three guys to be “Obviously it sucks losing some- Kyzer White and Landon Prud- successful for us.”

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Shane McClanahan left Thursday’s win over the Texas Rangers in the fourth inning because of back tightness. The team listed him as day-to-day. “Any time it’s a back and not an arm, I think we feel better about it,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. “We’ll get him checked out and go from there.” McClanahan was pulled from the game two batters into the fourth inning and with the Rays leading 1-0. At the time, the left-hander had yet to allow a hit, but he did hit Ezequiel Duran with a pitch to start the fourth, followed by a walk to Brandon Nimmo.

F1 finale could relocate if races are affected by war

LONDON — Formula 1 president Stefano Domenicali says the current world championship could end in Europe if the war in the Middle East affects races planned in Qatar and Abu Dhabi at the conclusion of the season. Domenicali said a decision won’t be made before mid-September. “For us today, the races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are conﬁrmed,” he said in comments published by the F1 website following last week’s Hungarian Grand Prix. Domenicali did not say where exactly the ﬁnal races in November and December would be held if those in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are canceled. F1 already called off races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia because of safety concerns related to the Iran war. The Bahrain Grand Prix was rescheduled to Oct. 4 in Malaysia.

Torrey Pines to become Championship stop in ’28

SAN DIEGO — As anticipated, The Sentry at Torrey Pines will be part of the PGA Tour Championship Series in 2028, placing the tournament among the most prestigious events on the tour schedule. Sentry Insurance, the PGA Tour and the Century Club of San Diego announced the news Wednesday morning in a joint statement. Few other details, like where the event will fall in the 2028 schedule, were provided beyond conﬁrming the Sentry’s status as a top-tier event. Last month, PGA Tour commissioner Brian Rolapp announced that the Championship Series will feature the tour’s top players competing headto-head in approximately two dozen events. Those tournaments include The Players Championship, the four major championships, postseason and international team events (Presidents Cup, Ryder Cup) in a season running from February through August.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Friday, July 31, 2026 ● 3C

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WALKER

he’s had on this community has been awesome. He’s a guy that a Continued from page 1C lot of our guys can look to as an example of growing in the NFL and finding roles and finding opportunities. Everyone over the following categories: rushing last two years has been saying (2,551 yards), passing (2,426) ‘Let’s find the next Taysom.’ But and receiving (1,034). He also there is just one Taysom.” finished his career as a Saint Well, there is just one Taysom with 489 yards on kickoff rein the NFL. But because of how turns. Oh, and he also blocked two punts and recorded 19 tack- beloved he became, there are plenty of other Taysoms across les. Louisiana now. A story in The “And he never complained,” Times-Picayune five years ago said Saints tight end Juwan by former co-worker Amie Johnson. “That’s one of the Just reported that there were things I always valued about 17 babies born in the state of his character. He just did what Louisiana named Taysom in he was supposed to do. He just 2019. There were 24 more babies came out and did his job.” named Taysom the following Hill is the ultimate do-it-all year. Jacobi Martin, a diehard throwback player, which he Saints fan who lives one state proved in 2023 when he became over in Mississippi, named her the first player since the late son Taysom in 2021. Frank Gifford to throw 10 ca“Taysom was just pure footreer touchdown passes, rush for ball,” Martin said. “And he didn’t 10 touchdowns and catch 10 TD complain. He gave us fans so passes. Gifford, who played for the New York Giants from 1952- much hope and kept us on the edge of our seats.” 1964, was inducted into the Pro Martin was planning to bring Football Hall of Fame in 1977. her son to a Saints game this seaHill won’t get that opportunity. son so he could meet the guy he He’s ineligible for the Hall of Fame because only players who was named after. Wednesday’s announcement by Hill dashed were recognized with postseathose plans. son honors like Pro Bowls or “Honestly, I cried,” Martin All-Pro awards can be nominated for induction. But Hill will said. “It’s hard to imagine game days without Taysom time.” no doubt get inducted into the Saints’ linebacker Kaden Saints Hall of Fame as soon as Elliss knows Hill well. Elliss has he’s eligible. played both with and against The Saints social media team referred to Hill as “Mr. Football” Hill. The two were teammates in New Orleans from 2019-2022. in a farewell video posted on Elliss spent the past three seaWednesday, and there is really sons with the Atlanta Falcons no better way to describe him. before returning to the Saints Hill was as tough as they come. The long list of injuries his chis- this offseason. Elliss remembers how much extra time went into eled 6-foot-2, 221-pound body game preparation for Hill whenbattled through would fill up a ever the Falcons would play the textbook for an anatomy class. Knee sprain, concussion, plantar Saints. “You just never knew where fascia injury, fractured finger, he was going to line up,” Elliss bruised ribs, strained abdomen, said. “And then you add on top fractured ribs, knee and shoulof that, there are a lot of body der. But his toughness and resilien- types that you can do that with in the NFL. But they can’t do it cy are what got him this far in the way he did it. When (others) the first place. Undrafted playtouch the rock, they aren’t a ers aren’t supposed to have this type of success. His story is well threat to go 60 yards for a touchdown run or throw it 60 yards documented, starting with him for a touchdown. So that’s what being at the Green Bay Packers was so difficult.” training camp in 2017 after not If Hill ends up on another hearing his name called in the draft. The Packers let him go to- team, Elliss could possibly face wards the end of camp. One day him again. Regardless, Hill will be remembered forever as a later, former Saints coach Sean Saint. Payton took a chance on him. “To do all those things is one of Hill never became the quarone,” Elliss said. “Maybe there terback Payton envisioned, but will be another (Taysom) one Payton found a unique Swissday. But I don’t see it anytime Army knife role for him. The soon.” rest is history. And Saints fans, you shouldn’t Moore, entering his second season as Saints’ head coach, got expect to ever see another one like Taysom Hill again, either. a chance to coach Hill last year. “He’s a phenomenal person, player and competitor,” Moore Email Rod Walker at rwalker@ said Thursday. “… The impact theadvocate.com.

OLAVE

SAINTS CAMP OBSERVATIONS

Pass rush ﬁnding a home BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

As soon as Tyler Shough hit the ground, Chase Young and Vernon Broughton rushed over to pick him up. The pair of defensive linemen knew that knocking over their quarterback was a big no-no — even if it was an accident. “Sometimes you’re just a full head of steam,” Young said with a smile. “I didn’t want to stop too fast.” Young, in this case, was the guilty offender as he overpowered tackle Kelvin Banks on a bull rush so much that he drove the offensive lineman back into the quarterback, causing Shough to crumble. Fortunately for the Saints, Shough was perfectly OK — but it was that type of day for the pass rush. Across all three units, the Saints’ edge rushers wreaked havoc on the second day of training camp. While the unit was still without pads, New Orleans’ defense was able to establish a level of physicality that will be crucial come the fall. The defense recorded at least four sacks, and several other pressures forced late throws and arguably would have had a different outcome if quarterbacks were allowed to be hit in practice. Notably, the Saints also generated a pass rush with different looks. New Orleans utilized linebacker Kaden Elliss’ versatility by sending him

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C Drew: This is where the magic happens,” Shough said. “There are 31 other teams doing training camp, doing the same thing that we are. How do we spend that time as much as we can to get better?” It is evident when watching Shough take command of the offense, even during the short practice the New Orleans went through to open training camp Wednesday morning. Shough was an extension of coach Kellen Moore on the ﬁeld, and in between sessions he spent time off to the side with rookie receiver Jordyn Tyson, walking him through the way he wants a certain thing done. Part of the reason he wanted to get everyone in one space this summer in Southern California was for moments like these. It wasn’t just about getting used to the way a receiver runs routes or the type of pass he likes to catch;

expanding wide receiver market were variables that New Orleans had to consider. Olave, after all, had suffered four concussions in three seasons — including two that caused him to miss nine games in 2024. And while Olave played 16 games in 2025, he was sidelined the ﬁnal week with an unexpected blood clot that also caused the team to withhold him from team drills during OTAs this offseason. But the Saints still wanted to get a deal done. And the longer they had waited, the chances were the price tag would have gone up. Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba (four years, $168.6 million) and Atlanta’s Drake London (four years, $141 million) were among those at wide receiver to sign substantial new contracts in recent months. Olave is set to become the 12th wideout to sign a contract worth at least $30 million per year. His

practical guarantees of $90 million, according to Spotrac, would be tied for sixth — falling in line with the Jets’ Garrett Wilson, who was drafted one pick before Olave but signed his deal one year earlier. Olave’s contract reﬂects the latest way the Saints have valued their star wideout. On draft night, the team sent a package of draft picks to the Washington Commanders so they could move up from No. 16 to No. 11. They were enticed by Olave’s game-changing speed, smooth route running and versatility — all of which have translated to the pros. And they’ve never stopped believing in him. Last November, the Saints resisted dealing Olave at the league’s trade deadline amid the team’s 1-8 start. Back then, the Saints shipped Rashid Shaheed to the Seattle Seahawks and released Brandin Cooks. But they held on

Infantino had seemed — 11 days ago after the World Cup final in Continued from page 1C East Rutherford, New Jersey — to have a clear path to being reelected unopposed for a fourth next four years will double to $20 and final term in office through million. He projected their FIFA 2031, despite a furor over letting funding through 2038 would be United States forward Folarin $86 million each, instead of about Balogun play against Belgium despite a red card in his previous $36 million. “This is not merely a profound game. Soccer officials have said prifailure of leadership, but an abdication of FIFA’s duty as the vately Infantino has eyed a lucracustodian of world football,” said tive commissioner-like role at the UEFA, where Infantino was a FFE spinoff beyond 2031. “Game over, Gianni #Infantinlong-time staffer and its CEO-like general secretary when he was OUT,” the Football Supporters Eufirst elected to lead FIFA in 2016. rope group, which advises UEFA on fan issues such as ticket prices, Infantino’s presidency at risk posted after the boycott threat. Infantino’s high-stakes financial gambit now could threaten his pre- Investor pressure viously secure 11-year presidency UEFA detailed Thursday why of FIFA as anger and frustration soccer officials fear external inwith him rise among soccer stake- vestors owning a stake of the globholders, including three of the six al game’s biggest events, including continental bodies. World Cups and Club World Cups FIFA has set a Nov. 18 deadline for men and women. for potential candidates to declare “The moment external investors in a presidential vote of the 211 acquire ownership interests in members scheduled next March FIFA competitions, football changin Rabat, Morocco. es forever,” UEFA said. “Commer-

cial return becomes a permanent obligation. Investor expectations become a daily pressure.” Infantino has presented the private equity offer as a chance to “turbocharge” funding development of soccer across the world, where a majority of the 211 FIFA members rely on its funding. Officials from about 40 UEFA member states spoke at the urgent meeting, with anger expressed that FIFA is not using some of its multi-billion-dollar reserves to fund extra development programs. “As a result of today’s discussion, no UEFA national teams will participate in any FIFA competition for so long as these proposals remain alive,” the European soccer body said, “unless this proposal has been abandoned in its entirety and binding assurances have been given that FIFA will never again open its governance or competitions to private ownership.”

Continued from page 1C “I’ve played four years already and I’ve produced at a high level,” Olave said in May. “I feel like it’s kind of that time to be able to come to the table, especially after this year. It’s really in their hands. I told them I want to be here for a long time, and they know that.” Olave said then that he was hopeful that the deal would be done in time for training camp. But the deal ultimately needed a few extra days to be completed. On Tuesday, general manager Mickey Loomis said that he and Olave’s camp were having a “lot of discussions,” adding that he was “hopeful” a deal would be completed. Loomis acknowledged that Olave’s injury history and the ever-

FIFA

Asia adds rare criticism

on blitzes next to Young. And with the third string, Chris Rumph showed flashes as an off-ball linebacker — moving there after spending the first four seasons as an edge rusher. The Saints made the switch with Rumph in the spring. “Just an offseason discussion of trying to find value as much as we can for him in various roles,” coach Kellen Moore said. “A lot of these guys, you’re trying to find different opportunities. … We feel really good about our edges and so now how can we add some components that put him off the ball.” Here’s what else stood out on Day 2. Attendance: The Saints had a mostly healthy roster, outside of Bryan Bresee (ACL) and the players who opened camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list and the non-footballinjury list (Mason Tipton, Keeshawn Silver, Zxavian Harris and Cody Hardy).

Kendre Miller (two), Audric Estime (two), Devin Neal (one), C.J. Donaldson (one) and rookie wide receiver Barion Brown (one). Those reps were split across all three units, with the order of who received those carries seemingly different based on the series. “We have a lot of diversity,” tight end Juwan Johnson said. “I remember talking to one of the tight ends (Wednesday), looking at ﬁlm and was like, ‘Man, we’ve got some nice running backs.’ … Sometimes people just forget about Kendre. Kendre is explosive, dude.” Miller’s explosiveness has been a good sign given the 24-year-old is coming off a torn ACL that he suffered in October. It is notable, too, that the 2023 third-rounder did not open camp on PUP and has since been able to fully participate in practice.

Play of the day

Before the snap, Shough appeared to make an adjustment at The Saints spent the majority the line of scrimmage to alert the of Thursday’s practice in the red offense that a blitz was coming zone, while also emphasizing the just outside of the end zone. The problem? Not everyone run game. The session, which featured 13 seemed to be on the same page. Jordyn Tyson broke for a route inside, runs over the ﬁrst 24 snaps in team drills, provided a chance to give the while Shough threw outside — reSaints’ other running backs a look as sulting in cornerback Quincy Riley reTravis Etienne (one) and Alvin Kamara (two) cording a clean, runaway interceponly took a combined three carries. tion. The turnover was Shough’s The rest of the workload was di- first pick in camp, which Moore vided by Ty Chandler (three carries), attributed to a miscommunication.

Red zone work

it’s about establishing a deeper personal connection that will invite clearer communication when it’s needed. “We’re all going to make mistakes,” Shough said. “I’m going to throw an interception, guys are going to drop a ball, we’re going to have a missed route or a missed block, and we’ve got to be able to talk through it. “If you know each other and have that respect and friendship and brotherhood, we can lean on each other when times are tough.” And it is also plain from just speaking to those he shares a locker room with. Running back Alvin Kamara, now entering his 10th season, probably put it best. “I always tell people the years (in the league) don’t matter,” Kamara said. “It’s who respects who, and the team respects Tyler. He’s one of those leaders.” Kamara sees Shough and Moore having a “synergy” — not empty words coming from a player who began his career watching Brees and Sean Payton solve problems together. And he sees the way

Moore is giving Shough the space to have his voice heard when the team gathers together. “He’s gotten comfortable standing up in front of everybody, talking, demanding what he wants,” Kamara said. Shough’s play at the end of his rookie season was a shot in the arm for the franchise, and he is going to need to continue performing on Sundays in order for his voice to continue commanding a room. That’s the most difﬁcult part of it. But it’s something the Saints are eager to watch unfold because of the little things they’ve seen every day. “One thing about Tyler that I think we discovered pretty quickly is that he’s very intentional, he’s very mature, and he likes to have a plan for things,” general manager Mickey Loomis said. “He’s not afraid to ask questions, not afraid to get assistance, not afraid to dive in with the intention of, ‘Hey, I’ve got to be better.’ “It’s a race for him to improve, because we’re going to go as far as he can take us.”

Saints wide receiver Chris Olave watches practice from the sideline on Thursday in Metairie. The Saints and Olave agreed to a contract extension. STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD to Olave, hopeful that they could extend him down the road. And Olave has been grateful for the support. After beating the Panthers last December, when he ﬁrst admitted he considered retiring, Olave said he “couldn’t thank the organization enough” for stand-

ing by him and being patient while dealing with his head injuries. “They’ve been nothing but good to me,” Olave said then. That continued Thursday.

“FIFA’s unilateral actions appear to undermine the very foundations of continental football,” the Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa said in a letter to its 46 members of FIFA, warning of risks to their own competitions. Sheikh Salman, an ally to Infantino since losing the FIFA presidential election to him in 2016, wrote: “Such an initiative will not succeed without the support of all the confederations, which is not the case now.” In a video message published Wednesday by FIFA, Infantino insisted spinning off its moneymaking operations was “an offer, not an obligation.” A FIFA presentation for its members, co-written with its banking advisors from J.P. Morgan and seen by the AP, set a goal for FFE as “commercial rigor and expertise to better capitalize on broadcast rights, sponsorships and a growing tournament portfolio.”

to FIFA competitions like the World Cup and Club World Cup for men and women, and potentially staging them more often than every four years, including in the U.S. FIFA adding teams, games and competitions would squeeze the value, status and space in the congested global ﬁxture calendar for those that fund and are organized by the six continental soccer bodies like UEFA and the AFC. Those include World Cup qualifying games, continental tournaments and Champions Leagues. “It is important that the AFC family has a complete understanding,” Sheikh Salman wrote, “of how such an initiative may affect key areas of global and Asian football, including the sustainability of confederation and (domestic) competitions, as well as the organization and commercial landscape surrounding the AFC’s activities.”

On a seismic day in soccer politics, a traditional bedrock of sup- Squeeze on continental games port in Asia for FIFA and Infantino That growing portfolio likely had earlier Thursday been shaken. would include adding more teams

Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com

UEFA’s previous boycott threat A threatened World Cup boycott from Europe helped derail Infantino’s plan in 2021 to play World Cups every two years instead of four.

4C ● Friday, July 31, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

PREP FOOTBALL SE ASON PRE VIE W

Erath

2026 SCHEDULE Sept. 4 Sept. 11 Sept. 18 Sept. 25 Oct. 2 Oct. 9 Oct. 16 Oct. 23 Oct 30 Nov. 6

Loreauville WALKER LAFAyETTE Acadiana Renaissance NORTH VERMILION Lakeshore MARKSVILLE ABBEVILLE St. Martinville Kaplan

PLAYERS TO WATCH Landon DeRouen QB, 6-1, 220, Sr. The senior steps into the quarterback role to fill the big shoes of Jack Landry. It’s his first season as a varsity starting quarterback, but DeRouen played in middle school and in junior varsity games.

HOME GAMES IN CAPS

PAST FIVE YEARS

Carter Champagne SS-WR, 6-0, 175, Jr. One of the leading returning receivers on last year’s team, Champagne is also being counted on to play a key role in the secondary this season.

2025: 11-1 2024: 8-2 2023: 2-8 2022: 8-4 2021: 7-4

PROJECTED STARTERS Offense

WR Ayden Tallmore (5-10, 160, Sr.)* WR Tate Collins (5-11, 155, Jr.)* WR Carter Champagne (6-0, 175, Sr.) TE Jackson Stoute (5-9, 190, Jr.) LT Jackson Harrington (5-10, 230, Sr.) LG Lane Goutierrez (5-11, 260, Jr.)* C Cohen Landry (5-10, 220, Jr.) RG Jacob Hargrave (6-3, 300, Jr.)* RT Justin Duhon (5-10, 220, So.) QB Landen DeRouen (6-1, 220, Sr.) RB Ean LeBlanc (5-8, 170, Jr.)

Defense

DE Cardin Nguyen (6-0, 190, Jr.)* DT Jacob Hargrave (6-3, 300, Jr.)* DT Jude Broussard (5-8, 190, So.) DE Jackson Harrington (5-10, 230, Sr. LB Jackson Stoute (5-9, 190, Jr.) LB Jacob Richard (5-11, 180, So.) SS Owen Landry (5-10, 175, Jr.) CB Tate Collins (5-11, 155, Jr.) CB Carter Boutte (5-10, 150, Sr.) SS Carter Champagne (6-0, 175, Jr.) FS Connor Toups (5-10, 165, Jr.) * RETURNING STARTERS

COACHES Head coach: Eric LeBlanc (45-36). Staffs: Jamal Bell (WR), Jonthan Bouillion (DC/S), Jacob Broussard (RB),Tucker Derise (LB), Jax Harrington (OL), Bryan Parker (DL), Trey Price (CB), Johnn Trangmar (OL), Chris Turner (TE).

PHOTO By NEAL MCCLELLAND

Erath’s offensive line features, from left, Justin Duhon, Jacob Hargrave, Cohen Landry, Lane Goutierrez and Jackson Harrington.

What we know

The 2025 football season saw the highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows within a three-week period for the Erath Bobcats. The high was a 40-12 win over rival Abbeville in Week 10 to complete the first perfect regular season in school history. The low came two weeks later in a 14-9 regional-round playoff loss to Union Parish. LeBlanc “We did something last year that had never been done before at this school, so that was a really good thing,” coach Eric LeBlanc said.“But it ended too soon, and that’s something that we’ve carried with us through the offseason.” As the new season begins, there’s a big problem facing the Bobcats. “We had 14 seniors last year that we graduated, which is a big senior class for us,” LeBlanc said.“We have seven seniors this year, so we’re going to have a lot of younger players have to step up.” The other part of having a big senior class is you also graduate a lot of starters. Overall, the Bobcats lost 15 starters on offense and defense to graduation. “yes, we’ll have a lot of new starters but the new starters played a lot last year, so it’s not like we don’t have a lot of returning experience,” LeBlanc said. The biggest replacement is at quarterback where senior Landon DeRouen takes over two-year starter Jack Landry, a two-time all-district player who threw for 41 career touchdowns and is now at Nicholls State. “Landen has been a receiver for us for the past couple of years, but he was a starting quarterback in middle school and has played the position so he is

familiar with our offense,” LeBlanc said.“He’s done well in the spring and in summer workouts, so I’m confident he can handle the duties as we go into the season.” LeBlanc said he’ll “have to move some players around,” but most of them have experience.

Connor Toups FS, 5-10, 165, Jr. A returning starter at free safety, Toups steps into a starting running back role on offense this season.

What we don’t know The biggest question mark for Erath isn’t talent, it’s starting experience. The Bobcats graduated 15 starters off of last year’s team, including star quarterback Landry. The new starters have playing experience, but not starting experience. “It’s one thing to be able to come into a game and play, but it’s something else entirely when you’re starting on a Friday night,” LeBlanc said.“I think our new starters are going to do well, but you never know when you line up to start on Friday night.” Another potential obstacle for Class 3A Erath is the schedule as the Bobcats added Class 4A and 5A schools for the next two years. “It’s definitely a step up for us,” LeBlanc said,“but I think we have the kids who can handle the challenge.”

Jacob Hargrave OL, 6-3, 300, Jr. One of the few returning starting linemen on both sides of the ball, the 300-pound junior is expected to take more of a leadership role on the line this year.

How we see it

Ayden Tallmore WR, 5-10, 160, Sr. A solid defensive player in the secondary last season,Tallmore is expected to move into a starting role on the offensive side of the ball as as senior.

The Bobcats will definitely look different. With several new starters, the Bobcats won’t have the same continuity they enjoyed in 2025.A tougher schedule will also add to the challenges for the Bobcats. If the new starters come together quickly, and with an easier back half of the schedule than the front half, then a six- or seven-win season and a playoff spot is not out of the question. Neal McClelland

SCOREBOARD Odds

Wednesday’s games

MLB Friday

American League FAVORITE LINE at TAMPA BAY -138 at HOUSTON -134 at ATHLETICS OFF at SEATTLE -189 National League FAVORITE LINE Pittsburgh -128 at N.Y METS -132 at ATLANTA -132 at SAN DIEGO OFF Interleague FAVORITE LINE at CHI. CUBS -142 at BALTIMORE OFF at TORONTO -179 at CLEVELAND -138 Kansas City -114 Milwaukee -170 at LA DODGERS OFF

UNDERDOG Chi. W. Sox Texas Detroit Minnesota

LINE +113 +109 OFF +152

UNDERDOG at CINCIN. Miami Washington San Fran.

LINE +105 +108 +108 OFF

UNDERDOG N.Y Yankees Philadelphia St. Louis Arizona at COLO at LA ANGELS Boston

LINE +116 OFF +145 +113 -108 +138 OFF

Pro basketball WNBA glance EASTERN CONFERENCE Indiana Atlanta New York Washington Toronto Chicago Connecticut

W 18 17 16 15 10 9 7

L 10 10 12 12 17 18 21

Pct .643 .630 .571 .556 .370 .333 .250

Minnesota Las Vegas Golden State Dallas Portland Phoenix Los Angeles Seattle

W 23 19 19 18 11 11 10 6

L 6 8 9 10 17 18 17 24

Pct GB .793 — .704 3 .679 3½ .643 4½ .393 11½ .379 12 .370 12 .200 17½

WESTERN CONFERENCE

GB — ½ 2 2½ 7½ 8½ 11

Philadelphia (TBD) at Baltimore (Young 8-2), 6:05 p.m. St. Louis (Leahy 7-4) at Toronto (Cease 7-5), 6:07 p.m. Arizona (Bratt 0-1) at Cleveland (Bibee 4-10), 6:10 p.m. Miami (Junk 4-6) at N.Y. Mets (Peralta 5-9), 6:10 p.m. Washington (Grifﬁn 12-2) at Atlanta (Elder 6-6), 6:15 p.m. Kansas City (Wacha 5-7) at Colorado (Sugano 10-4), 7:40 p.m. Milwaukee (Drohan 5-4) at L.A. Angels (Johnson 2-5), 8:38 p.m. San Francisco (Whisenhunt 2-1) at San Diego (TBD), 8:45 p.m. Boston (Suarez 4-3) at L.A. Dodgers (Yamamoto 11-6), 9:10 p.m.

Toronto 5, Washington 2 Baltimore 10, Detroit 9, 12 innings Tampa Bay 3, Texas 0 Kansas City 4, Minnesota 0 Cleveland 6, Cincinnati 1 Chicago White Sox 6, N.Y. Yankees 5, 12 innings Houston 7, L.A. Angels 4 L.A. Dodgers 4, Seattle 2 Boston 4, Athletics 2, 10 innings

Thursday’s games

Tampa Bay 3, Texas 2 Minnesota 4, Kansas City 3 Chicago White Sox 2, N.Y. Yankees 1, 11 innings Boston at Athletics, n Seattle at L.A. Dodgers, n

Friday’s games

N.Y. Yankees (Warren 7-5) at Chicago Cubs (Imanaga 7-8), 1:20 p.m. Philadelphia (TBD) at Baltimore (Young 8-2), 6:05 p.m. St. Louis (Leahy 7-4) at Toronto (Cease 7-5), 6:07 p.m. Arizona (Bratt 0-1) at Cleveland (Bibee 4-10), 6:10 p.m. Chicago White Sox (Fedde 5-6) at Tampa Bay (Martinez 10-2), 6:10 p.m. Texas (Eovaldi 10-8) at Houston (Brown 2-1), 7:15 p.m. Kansas City (Wacha 5-7) at Colorado (Sugano 10-4), 7:40 p.m. Milwaukee (Drohan 5-4) at L.A. Angels (Johnson 2-5), 8:38 p.m. Detroit (Mize 4-6) at Athletics (Springs 3-10), 8:40 p.m. Boston (Suarez 4-3) at L.A. Dodgers (Yamamoto 11-6), 9:10 p.m. Minnesota (Matthews 4-8) at Seattle (Miller 4-5), 9:10 p.m.

National League East Division Atlanta Philadelphia Miami Washington New York

W 63 57 55 55 46

L 45 52 54 54 63

Pct .583 .523 .505 .505 .422

GB — 6½ 8½ 8½ 17½

Milwaukee Chicago Pittsburgh St. Louis Cincinnati

L 41 47 54 55 57

Pct .620 .569 .505 .495 .467

GB — 5½ 12½ 13½ 16½

Friday’s games

West Division

W 67 62 55 54 50

Major League Baseball

Los Angeles Arizona San Diego San Francisco Colorado

W 68 57 55 46 42

L 40 52 53 62 67

Pct .630 .523 .509 .426 .385

GB — 11½ 13 22 26½

Wednesday’s games

Central Division

Atlanta 82, Dallas 81 Phoenix 91, Golden State 89

Thursday’s games

Connecticut at Chicago, n Minnesota at Toronto, n New York at Las Vegas, n Dallas at Washington, 6:30 p.m. Seattle at Atlanta, 6:30 p.m. Indiana at Portland, 9 p.m.

Wednesday’s games

American League East Division Tampa Bay New York Boston Baltimore Toronto

W 64 61 56 53 50

L 44 48 51 56 59

Pct .593 .560 .523 .486 .459

GB — 3½ 7½ 11½ 14½

Chicago Cleveland Minnesota Detroit Kansas City

W 57 56 55 51 46

L 51 54 55 58 64

Pct .528 .509 .500 .468 .418

GB — 2 3 6½ 12

Texas Houston Seattle Athletics Los Angeles

W 55 55 53 45 42

L 54 55 56 63 67

Pct .505 .500 .486 .417 .385

GB — ½ 2 9½ 13

Central Division

West Division

Miami 8, Philadelphia 6 Arizona 3, Pittsburgh 0 N.Y. Mets 3, Atlanta 2, 1st game Toronto 5, Washington 2 San Diego 3, Colorado 1 San Francisco 16, Milwaukee 3 Atlanta 1, N.Y. Mets 0, 2nd game Cleveland 6, Cincinnati 1 St. Louis 3, Chicago Cubs 2, 10 innings L.A. Dodgers 4, Seattle 2

Thursday’s games

Chicago Cubs 4, St. Louis 2, 10 innings Miami at N.Y. Mets, n Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, n Washington at Atlanta, n San Francisco at San Diego, n Seattle at L.A. Dodgers, n

Friday’s games

N.Y. Yankees (Warren 7-5) at Chicago Cubs (Imanaga 7-8), 1:20 p.m. Pittsburgh (Skenes 9-9) at Cincinnati (Greene 2-2), 5:10 p.m.

Pro soccer W L Vancouver 10 3 Los Angeles FC 10 5 San Jose 10 4 Real Salt Lake 8 6 Houston 8 6 FC Dallas 7 5 St Louis City 7 6 Seattle 7 6 Minnesota United 6 6 Portland 6 8 LA Galaxy 5 7 San Diego FC 5 7 Colorado 6 10 Austin FC 4 8 Sporting KC 4 11

Eastern Conference

T 3 3 3 2 2 5 4 3 5 3 6 5 1 5 2

Pts 33 33 33 26 26 26 25 24 23 21 21 20 19 17 14

GF 37 34 35 28 23 32 23 19 19 31 24 31 26 22 18

GA 16 18 20 24 24 25 23 20 24 32 29 28 25 35 44

W L T Pts GF GA Nashville 12 2 3 39 33 12 Inter Miami CF 11 2 4 37 43 30 New England 9 5 2 29 26 19 Chicago 8 6 2 26 30 22 New York City FC 7 6 4 25 30 23 Charlotte FC 7 6 4 25 28 25 Cincinnati 6 6 5 23 41 42 New York 6 7 4 22 26 37 D.C. United 5 5 7 22 24 27 Orlando City 6 9 2 20 28 44 Columbus 5 8 4 19 24 26 Toronto FC 3 7 7 16 23 31 CF Montréal 4 10 3 15 22 33 Philadelphia 3 10 4 13 22 31 Atlanta 3 11 3 12 17 30 NOTE: Three points for victory, one point for tie.

Wednesday, July 22

Cincinnati 4, Vancouver 3 New York City FC 2, Columbus 1 Miami 3, Chicago 2 Toronto FC 0, New England 0, tie Philadelphia 3, New York 1 Atlanta 2, Charlotte FC 2, tie D.C. United 1, Houston 1, tie Sporting Kansas City 2, Minnesota 1 Nashville 1, CF Montréal 0 Austin FC 3, Seattle 1 Colorado 1, San Diego FC 0 St Louis City 3, LA Galaxy 1 Los Angeles FC 3, Real Salt Lake 1 FC Dallas 2, Portland 2, tie Orlando City 4, San Jose 0

Saturday, July 25

Friday, July 31

Toronto FC at New York City FC, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, August 1

San Jose at Cincinnati, 6:30 p.m. Nashville at D.C. United, 6:30 p.m. Columbus at Miami, 6:30 p.m. New England at CF Montréal, 6:30 p.m. Orlando City at New York, 6:30 p.m. Atlanta at Philadelphia, 6:30 p.m. Los Angeles FC at Vancouver, 6:30 p.m. Charlotte FC at Chicago, 7:30 p.m. Houston at Sporting Kansas City, 7:30 p.m. San Diego FC at Minnesota, 7:30 p.m. Real Salt Lake at St Louis City, 7:30 p.m. Austin FC at Colorado, 8:30 p.m. FC Dallas at LA Galaxy, 9:30 p.m. Seattle at Portland, 9:30 p.m.

Pro tennis

MLS Glance Western Conference

Portland 2, Real Salt Lake 1 LA Galaxy 1, San Jose 1, tie

Charlotte FC 2, New York 0 Columbus 2, Cincinnati 1 D.C. United 2, Toronto FC 1 Miami 1, CF Montréal 0 New England 4, Atlanta 1 New York City FC 3, Chicago 1 Philadelphia 1, Seattle 0 Houston 3, Austin FC 0 Vancouver 0, Minnesota 0, tie St Louis City 1, Colorado 0 Orlando City 1, Nashville 0 San Diego FC 1, FC Dallas 0 Los Angeles FC 4, Sporting Kansas City 0

WTA Mubadala Citi DC Open results Thursday

At William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center Washington DC, United States Purse: $2,488,125 Surface: Hardcourt outdoor

Men’s singles

Round of 16 Brandon Nakashima, United States, def. Jakub Mensik (7), Czechia, 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-4. Alex de Minaur (1), Australia, def. Cruz Hewitt, Australia, 6-2, 6-3.

Women’s singles

Round of 16 Anna Kalinskaya (5), Russia, def. Janice Tjen, Indonesia, 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7). Jessica Pegula (1), United States, def. Magdalena Frech, Poland, 3-6, 6-3, 6-0.

ATP World Tour Los Cabos Open results Wednesday

At Solaz Resort & Spa Los Cabos Los Cabos, Mexico Purse: $909,790 Surface: Hardcourt outdoor

Men’s singles

Round of 16 Jenson Brooksby, United States, def. Edward Winter, Australia, 6-3, 6-4. Francisco Cerundolo (3), Argentina, def. Tristan Boyer, United States, 6-7 (4), 4-3, ret. Coleman Wong, Hong Kong, China, def. Jiri Lehecka (1), Czechia, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. Denis Shapovalov (8), Canada, def. Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez, Mexico, 6-3, 6-2. Arthur Gea, France, def. Michael Zheng, United States, 0-6, 6-4, 6-0. Bernard Tomic, Australia, def. Karen Khachanov (4), Russia, 6-2, 6-4. Dalibor Svrcina, Czechia, def. Luciano Darderi (2), Italy, 3-0, ret. Cameron Norrie (5), Britain, def. James Duckworth, Australia, 6-4, 6-4.

Pro golf Rocket Classic par scores Thursday

At North Course Detroit Purse: $10 million Yardage: 7,328; Par: 70 First Round Peter Malnati Rickie Fowler Ryan Gerard Patrick Cantlay Patrick Fishburn Keegan Bradley Michael Brennan

28-33—61 32-31—63 34-29—63 31-33—64 31-33—64 34-31—65 32-33—65

-9 -7 -7 -6 -6 -5 -5

Doug Ghim Stephan Jaeger Michael Kim Chris Kirk Hayden Springer Ricky Castillo Luke Clanton Emiliano Grillo Ryo Hisatsune Rico Hoey Mark Hubbard Nicolai Højgaard Johnny Keefer Matthieu Pavon Xander Schauffele Jordan L. Smith Brandt Snedeker Jackson Suber Kevin Yu Eric Cole Corey Conners Austin Eckroat Harris English Russell Henley Sungjae Im Benjamin James William Jennings Jake Knapp David Lipsky Hideki Matsuyama Thorbjørn Olesen Adrien Saddier Gordon Sargent Adam Schenk Neal Shipley J.J. Spaun Davis Thompson Matt Wallace Dylan Wu Christiaan Bezuidenhout Akshay Bhatia Jacob Bridgeman Brian Campbell Cameron Davis A.J. Ewart Tony Finau Chris Gotterup Max Greyserman Ben Grifﬁn Joe Highsmith Billy Horschel Matt Kuchar Justin Lower Max McGreevy Andrew Putnam Davis Riley Matti Schmid Jordan Spieth Sam Stevens Kris Ventura Aaron Wise Zac Blair Rafael Campos Zecheng Dou Lee Hodges Beau Hossler Rasmus Højgaard Si Woo Kim Jackson Koivun Hank Lebioda Stefano Mazzoli Denny McCarthy Mac Meissner Keita Nakajima John Parry Kevin Roy Marcelo Rozo Adam Svensson Nick Taylor Michael Thorbjornsen Erik Van Rooyen Karl Vilips Vince Whaley Sudarshan Yellamaraju Cameron Young Zachary Bauchou Pierceson Coody Joel Dahmen Brice Garnett

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A pearl of an event Celebrate one of Louisiana’s most iconic coastal treasures at Capitol Park Museum’s Discovery Day: World Oyster Day! from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday. Includes discounted museum admission, open galleries and educational craft. $5; children 6 and younger, free. louisianastatemuseum.org.

LIVING

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

SAVE THE DATE

F r i d ay, J u ly 31, 2026

5CN

Did today’s female pop stars learn from Britney Spears’ oopsies? How current artists came to own their careers.

2026 Greater Baton Rouge State Fair set to make return Staff report The annual Greater Baton Rouge State Fair will return Oct. 22-Nov. 1 for 11 days of family fun and entertainment at Airline Highway Park and Fairgrounds, 16072 Airline Highway, St. George. The Greater Baton Rouge State Fair got its start in 1965 and is the region’s only large-scale, multiday community event that generates beneﬁts for local charities, with almost $5 million going back to the community since 1987.

Olivia Rodrigo performs during a concert at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans on March 2, 2024. | STAFF FILE PHOTO

FILE PHOTO

The Greater Baton Rouge State Fair is a fall staple in the Baton Rouge area.

Highlights for the 2026 state fair include: n World-class stuntwoman and “human cannonball” Tina Miser returning to the fair for daily shows n The Lego Competition for children ages 7-13 n Livestock shows n Petting zoo n Racing pigs n Popular attractions Washboard Willy, magician Tim Spinosa, clowns and character artist entertainment n A food court with local and traditional fair food options n The largest midway in south Louisiana, with rides and attractions for all ages. Ticket prices will be announced soon.

By SCOTT THRELKELD

BY JON BREAM | The Minnesota Star Tribune (TNS) MINNEAPOLIS

ora Wilde got hooked on Hilary Duff in the ’00s by watching Disney Channel’s “Lizzie McGuire.” She couldn’t wait to go to the grocery store to ﬁnd a magazine that featured the show’s star. Then, in 2005, the 11-year-old fan realized a dream — Hilary Duff in concert! When Duff became pop’s unlikeliest comeback story of 2026, Wilde got to see her again live. She’s still an avid Duffender, staying up to date on the star via social media.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Louisiana natve Britney Spears performs at the New Orleans Arena (now the Smoothie King Center) on July 16, 2011, on her ‘Femme Fatale Tour.’

ä See STARDOM, page 6C

BR IRISH FILM FESTIVAL Maybe as you walked out of the ﬁrst Ice Water round, it hit you. Maybe it was a door that opened — or one that didn’t. Maybe it wasn’t until the next year when you were on the other side of the process. It could have been a moment standing in a hallway, waiting, that you can still describe in detail years later. We’re inviting readers who went through sorority recruitment — recently or decades ago — to tell us about it: What’s the speciﬁc moment from Rush week you still think about? And what did Rush teach you that you didn’t expect? Send your response to jan.risher@theadvocate.com by 2 p.m. Aug. 10.

Event packs features, shorts into one-day celebration In the Irish comedy-drama ‘Horseshoe,’ four estranged siblings must reunite to settle their late father’s will. Things get even more complicated when he shows up. PROVIDED PHOTO By JARO WALDECK

Staff report The 16th Annual Baton Rouge Irish Film Festival at the Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St., will pack a lot into one day on Saturday — including three feature films, four shorts and a reception. The festival is presented by the Baton Rouge Irish Club, Inc. as part of the nonprofit’s mission to “promote Irish culture, music, dance and history.” Day passes are $82.35 and single film screenings are $21.58

(both including tax and fees). The day pass gives festivalgoers access to all films as well as exclusive access to the reception and entertainment. Call (225) 344-0334 for discounts. The 5 p.m. reception, also for festival sponsors, will include food, live music and a cash bar. The day’s schedule, along with film synopses, is as follows: 10 a.m.to noon: Veteran Appreciation feature film and reception

ä See FILM FEST, page 6C

6C ● Friday, July 31, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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TODAY IN HISTORY By The Associated Press Today is Friday, July 31, the 212th day of 2026. There are 153 days left in the year. Today in history: On July 31, 2012, at the Summer Olympics in London, swimmer Michael Phelps won his 19th Olympic medal, becoming the most decorated Olympian of all time. (He would ﬁnish his career with 28 total Olympic medals, 23 of them gold.) Also on this date: In 1777, the 19-year-old Marquis de Lafayette received a commission as major general in the Continental Army by the Second Continental Congress. In 1957, the Distant Early Warning Line, a system of radar stations designed to detect Soviet bombers approaching North America, went into operation.

STARDOM

Continued from page 5C The landscape for women pop singers has changed dramatically in 20 years. Social media matters more than mainstream media. Streaming for free trumps CD sales. Female pop artists not only get more respect, but they have more control over their careers and interact directly with fans who have seemingly insatiable appetites for new content. U.K. singer Olivia Dean created a buzz with TikTok in her home country and now has 52 million followers on Spotify to go along with a Grammy for best new artist and a sold-out U.S. tour. “[Back then] our insight was very curated, very approved,” said Wilde, 32, a Los Angeles music writer and singer. “Now we’re all in their business. Nothing is private anymore. If we don’t know a lot about [a female pop star], she’s irrelevant.” Here’s at look at how female pop stars have taken control of their careers over the past two decades.

Artistic control Then: Record labels ran the show. That usually meant men making decisions about songs, producers, image, videos and marketing. Pretty much everything. Remember the jailbait imagery of Louisiana native Britney Spears? The gimmick of Miley Cyrus/ Hannah Montana? Pussycat Dolls performing in shopping malls? Now: There’s been a decentralization of power in the record industry, said Evelyn McDonnell, Loyola Marymount University professor and editor of the two books on women in popular music. “I think that has given all artists more control over their careers,” she said. “They have a more direct line to their fans because of streaming services and social media. If the record label doesn’t like a tune, [artists] just put it on the internet and see what fans think.” McDonnell, who has stud-

FILM FEST

Continued from page 5C (light refreshments), free to veterans and day-pass holders. Capacity is limited; reserve a ticket at manshiptheatre.org. 12:30 p.m.: feature film, “Horseshoe” (2025), a comedy-drama directed by Edwin Mullane and Adam O’Keeffe, written by O’Keeffe, and starring Carolyn Bracken, John Connors and Lalor Roddy. All families are mad. Four estranged siblings must reunite to settle their late father’s will. Things get even more complicated when he shows up. 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.: Wee Irish Shorts “Retirement Plan” (2024), animation/comedy. In the throes of his overstimulated, energy-poor midlife, Ray fantasizes about everything he’d love to do in retirement, once he ﬁnally has the “time.” “Mary Is Missing” (2025),

In 1964, the U.S. lunar probe Ranger 7 took the ﬁrst close-up images of the moon’s surface. In 1971, Apollo 15 crew members David Scott and James Irwin became the ﬁrst astronauts to use a lunar rover on the surface of the moon. In 2020, a federal appeals court overturned the death sentence of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, saying the judge who oversaw the case didn’t adequately screen jurors for potential biases. (The Supreme Court reimposed the sentence in 2022.) In 2022, al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan; Al-Zawahri and the betterknown Osama bin Laden plotted the 9/11 attacks.

SHOWS TO WATCH — ACADIANA AREA Today’s Birthdays: Jazz composer-musician Kenny Burrell is 95. Actor Geraldine Chaplin is 82. Former movie studio executive Sherry Lansing is 82. Singer Gary Lewis is 80. International Tennis Hall of Famer Evonne Goolagong Cawley is 75. Actor Michael Biehn is 70. Rock singer-musician Daniel Ash (Love and Rockets) is 69. Entrepreneur Mark Cuban is 68. Rock musician Bill Berry (R.E.M.) is 68. Jazz guitarist Stanley Jordan is 67. Actor Wesley Snipes is 64. Musician Fatboy Slim is 63. Author J.K. Rowling is 61. Actor Dean Cain is 60. Actor Jim TrueFrost is 60. Actor Ben Chaplin is 57. Actor Eve Best is 55. Football Hall of Famer Jonathan Ogden is 52. Country singer-musician Zac Brown is 48. Actor-producerwriter B.J. Novak is 47.

Grande has 360 million and Duff, an old-schooler making headway in the new ecosystem, counts 28 million. All post regularly. At least one young pop star understands the potential overkill of social media. Olivia Dean, 27, removed her social media apps after she won the best new artist Grammy and the BRIT Awards for best album and artist in February. “Even though the love has been overwhelming, even that is not healthy sometimes,” Dean told Elle magazine. “I don’t think you’re supposed to know everyone’s opinion about you. And Media I’ve decided I want to live in Then: Commercial radio, sweet ignorance.” print media and TV, including MTV, were critical gate- Fan relationship keepers. An artist’s goals Then: There were carefulwere to get a top 10 song, ly orchestrated campaigns, land a high-profile news- whether via fan clubs or paper write-up and secure sound-bite driven interhigh rotation on MTV. New views on radio, MTV or netfemale pop stars might get work television. Rarely was featured in Tiger Beat and there a big-reveal interview. maybe People magazine if Now: “It is so much harder their career took off. to stand out and fans expect Now: Artists control mes- everything,” said critic Rugsaging via their own social gieri, who has been on the media accounts. They share pop beat for more than 25 what they want to share and years. “Look at the Taylor that seems to be not only mu- [Swift] wedding. ‘Where are sic but beauty tips and im- the photos?’ ‘Why the secreages of their pets and family. cy?’ They [fans] feel they are Fans are more likely to owed a backstage pass to evdiscover new artists on You- erything because the artists Tube, TikTok and streaming have trained them that way.” Moreover, fans have the services than on commercial radio. That means both power to post. It gives them artists and music lovers a certain amount of clout that they’ve never had behave more options. “Artists are finding a lot fore. bigger audiences at younger Wilde credits a 2021 fanages than their predecessors generated meme for redid, for sure, I think because igniting interest in Duff. It of social media,” said Melis- was a recycled clip of her sa Ruggieri, national music 2007 performance of “With Love” from “The Today writer for USA Today. Some industry experts Show” with distinctive if unquestion if the new world inspired dancing. order is for the better. “All of sudden that song “With social media, there comes back [via TikTok] and is no ﬁlter,” said semiretired everyone knows the dance,” publicist Liz Rosenberg, who Wilde said. “Hilary emtried to smooth over many a braced it. Now in her show controversy in more than 30 today when she plays that years working with Madonna. song, she invites fans to do Rosenberg, who still rep- the dance onstage with her.” “Never underestimate the resents Cher, also thinks power of teenage girl love,” some stars post too much.” Many of today’s female McDonnell, the professor, pop stars disagree. Selena said. “They’ll stick with you Gomez has 404 million In- forever if you show your stagram followers, Ariana loyalty to them.”

ied music and gender, thinks today’s pop singers have learned from the pitfalls of Spears and the independent ﬂex of Taylor Swift. The current generation “have really strong feminist beliefs even though they don’t use that word,” she said. “There’s an awareness of the need for autonomy in artistry and ability to achieve it at a very successful level.” From Swift to Olivia Rodrigo, today’s pop stars write their own songs, decide on their image and craft content for social media. To paraphrase a Beyoncé song: “Women run the world.”

drama directed by Aisling Byrne, written by Aisling Byrne and Caitríona. When care worker Mary vanishes without a trace, Detective Foley arrives at the Yellow Tree Day Service, and investigations begin. As reports from the eyewitnesses become more and more confounding, we are asked to explore the reliability of truth, the strangeness of ﬁction and the people we choose to believe. “Ciorcal Kitty” (2026), dark comedy. A bored young woman, stuck in an awful job and living back at home with her parents, sharing a bedroom with her younger sister, gets caught up in some unhealthy obsessions including an addiction to attending the Irish Conversation Circles (Ciorcals), and her life is changed forever. “James & Dolores” (2025), comedy. The touching ﬁlm is about loneliness, friendship and the unexpected moments that change us. When James meets Dolores on

a bench outside his local shop, a chance encounter becomes a conversation neither of them will forget. Through laughter, honesty and shared memories, James begins to rediscover the courage to embrace life once more. A gentle and deeply moving story about human connection and the people who find us when we need them most. 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.: Reception (only available to sponsors and all-day pass holders) 7 p.m.: Feature film, “Once Upon a Time in Cinema” (2026), drama directed and written by David Gleeson, and starring Colin Morgan, Calam Lynch and Clara Crichton. A beleaguered cinema owner’s worst Friday night becomes his crowning moment of glory when a packed show descends into chaos and unites the community. Told in real-time during the movie playing (‘Breathless’ starring Richard Gere). Find out more about the festival at batonrougeirish filmfestival.com.

FRIDAY

LIVE MUSIC: Cane River Pecan Company Pie Bar, New Iberia, 5 p.m. FRIDAY NIGHT JAM: La Maison de Begnaud, Scott, 6 p.m. JAKE SPINELLA: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m. LIVE MUSIC: Jim Deggy’s Brick Oven Pizza & Brewery, Lafayette, 6 p.m. KIP SONNIER: Naq’s-n-Duson, Duson, 6 p.m. LIVE MUSIC: Prejean’s, Broussard, 6 p.m. ROUGAROU STOMP: Adopted Dog Brewing, Lafayette, 6 p.m. JON MELANCON: Buck & Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 6:30 p.m. PAPER JAM: SHUCKS!, Abbeville, 6:30 p.m. ABSINTHE MINDED FEATURING JON SMITH AND FRANK BALL: Whiskey and Vine, Lafayette, 7 p.m. IN THE SHADOWS, THE RADIO BROADCAST, & COME TO RUIN: The Loose Caboose, Lafayette, 7 p.m. “SWELL” IN CONCERT: Acadiana Center for the Arts, Lafayette, 7:30 p.m. BLUE WIDOW + BABY IN THE ‘90S + THE LINKS: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 8 p.m. LIVE MUSIC: The Barrel, Broussard, 8 p.m. STEVE RILEY AND MAMOU PLAYBOYS: Hideaway on Lee, Lafayette, 8 p.m. RYAN FORET: Rock ’n’ Bowl, Lafayette, 9 p.m.

SATURDAY

DON FONTENOT BAND: Fred’s, Mamou, 8 a.m. GENO DELAFOSE & ROCKIN BOOGIE: Buck & Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 8 a.m. CAJUN JAM: Moncus Park, Lafayette, 9 a.m. SATURDAY MORNING JAM SESSIONS: The Savoy Music Center, Eunice, 9 a.m. CAJUN JAM: Tante Marie, Breaux Bridge, 11 a.m. MUSIC MOSAIC — A YEAR OF SOUND AND PLACE — BANDEMIC: Children’s Museum of Acadiana, Lafayette, noon CAJUN FRENCH MUSIC JAM: Vermilionville Living History Museum & Folklife Park, Lafayette, 1 p.m. DUSTIN SONNIER: Cypress Cove Landing, Breaux Bridge, 3 p.m. JULIAN PRIMEAUX: Lakeview Park, Eunice, 5 p.m. DOYLE & JACOB TAUZIN: Naq’s-n-Duson, Duson, 6 p.m.

JT HORNE: Adopted Dog Brewing, Lafayette, 6 p.m. LIVE MUSIC: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m. LIVE MUSIC: Jim Deggy’s Brick Oven Pizza & Brewery, Lafayette, 6 p.m. LIVE MUSIC: Prejean’s, Broussard, 6 p.m. THE GOOD DUDES: Cafe Sydnie Mae, Breaux Bridge, 6 p.m. BLAKE LUQUETTE: SHUCKS!, Abbeville, 6:30 p.m. TONY BRUCE: Buck & Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 6:30 p.m. 4-HORSES: La Poussiere Cajun Dancehall, Breaux Bridge, 8 p.m. LIVE MUSIC: The Barrel, Broussard, 8 p.m. RUI GABRIEL + CHARLIE NOVAK + COUNT QUINN: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 8 p.m. BELIEVER: OZZY OSBOURNE TRIBUTE: Rock ’n’ Bowl, Lafayette, 9 p.m.

SUNDAY

MARY BROUSSARD: Cafe Sydnie Mae, Breaux Bridge, 10:30 a.m. LIVE MUSIC: Tante Marie, Breaux Bridge, 11 a.m. THE SUNDAY PEOPLE: Whiskey & Vine, Lafayette, 11 a.m. LES FRERES MICHOT: Prejean’s, Carencro, 11:30 a.m. JAMBALAYA ACOUSTIC MUSIC JAM: Tom’s Fiddle & Bow, Arnaudville, 12:30 p.m. BAL DU DIMANCHE — LUKE HUVAL BAND: Vermilionville Living History Museum & Folklife Park, Lafayette, 1 p.m. TRAVIS MATTE: Cypress Cove Landing, Breaux Bridge, 3 p.m. SHADOW ROAD BAND + KYLE DUGAS: Pat’s Atchafalaya Club, Henderson, 4:30 p.m. GENO DELAFOSE & FRENCH ROCKIN’ BOOGIE: Rock ’n’ Bowl, Lafayette, 5 p.m. LIVE MUSIC: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

KIDS’ CAJUN JAM NIGHT: Jeaux Biffs, Breaux Bridge, 6:15 p.m. GREENLIGHT SESSIONS OPEN MIC: The Jefferson Street Greenroom, Lafayette, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

DULCIMER JAM: St. Landry Visitor Center, Opelousas, 10 a.m. LIVE MUSIC: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m. LIVE MUSIC: Park Bistro, Lafayette, 6 p.m. WANTED WEDNESDAY KARAOKE NIGHT: The Barrel, Broussard, 6 p.m. LIVE MUSIC: The Tap Room, Youngsville, 6:30 p.m. CAJUN JAM: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

THURSDAY

LADIES NIGHT WITH DJ DONOVAN IN THE MIX: Cowboys Nightclub, Scott, 6 p.m. LIVE MUSIC: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m. LIVE MUSIC: Naq’s-n-Duson, Duson, 6 p.m. THE CAST: Cafe Sydnie Mae, Breaux Bridge, 6 p.m. DUSTIN SONNIER: SHUCKS!, Abbeville, 6:30 p.m. “HONEST TO BOB” WESTERN SWING W/DAVID GREELY: Hideaway on Lee, Lafayette, 7 p.m. GOOD DUDES DUO: The Tap Room, Lafayette, 8 p.m. KARAOKE PARTY — PANDA ENTERTAINMENT: Black Bull, Youngsville, 8 p.m. LIVE MUSIC: The Tap Room, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

Compiled by Marchaund Jones. Want your venue’s music listed? Email info/ photos to showstowatch@ theadvocate.com. The deadline is noon FRIDAY for the following Friday’s paper.

MONDAY

PATRICIO LATINO SOLO: Cafe Habana City, Lafayette, 11 a.m. LIVE MUSIC: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m. BLUEGRASS JAM: Cité des Arts, Lafayette, 6:30 p.m.

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TUESDAY

LIVE MUSIC: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m. TERRY HUVAL & FRIENDS: Prejean’s Restaurant, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

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BUSINESS

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Friday, July 31, 2026 ● 7C

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

DOW 52,208.06 613.92 1.19%

NASDAQ 25,122.18 679.24 2.78%

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Robotaxis without steering wheels get OK

Federal regulators are clearing the way for robotaxis to operate without steering wheels or eventually even brake pedals as the rules start to catch up to the evolving technology. Amazon’s fully autonomous Zoox vehicles got approval Thursday to begin charging customers for rides in the specially designed boxy cars that feature four inward-facing seats once they secure state and local approval. Zoox has already been offering free rides in Las Vegas and San Francisco since last year. The National Highway Trafﬁc Safety Administration also proposed a rule last month to allow robotaxis to operate without brake pedals, but that proposal is still pending. Administrator Jonathan Morrison said his agency wants to update the regulations to ﬁt these fully autonomous vehicles while still acting as the “cop on the beat to make sure that this is being done right.” Most vehicle safety regulations were written decades ago, always with the assumption that there would be a human driver behind the wheel. But Morrison said that things like steering wheels, windshield wipers and side-view mirrors aren’t really needed in an autonomous vehicle. The Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety group raised concerns about Zoox’s plan to operate without a steering wheel or other standard controls because the company didn’t provide detailed evidence to show that its vehicles could operate safely on public roads.

U.S. 30-year mortgage rate rises to 6.66% The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate rose for the fourth consecutive week to its highest level in a year, another setback for prospective homebuyers hoping for a break from elevated home loan borrowing costs. The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate rose to 6.66% from 6.58% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. One year ago, the average rate was 6.72%. Higher mortgage rates can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers, limiting homebuyers’ purchasing power. As rates rise, that can lead prospective home shoppers to delay buying a home, one reason U.S. home sales have been sluggish this year. Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, often sought by borrowers refinancing a home loan, also rose this week. That average rate increased to 6.04% from 5.96% last week. A year ago, it was at 5.85%, Freddie Mac said. Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, from the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy decisions to bond market investors’ expectations for the economy and inflation. They generally follow the trajectory of the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans. Rates have been mostly rising this year as the Iran war has driven crude oil prices sharply higher, fueling expectations of hotter inflation. That’s pushed up long-term bond yields relative to where they were before the conflict began, causing mortgage rates to trend higher.

Jobless benefit filings rise to 197,000 WASHINGTON — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week but layoffs remain in the historically healthy range of the past few years. U.S. filings for jobless aid in the week ending July 25 rose by 9,000 to 197,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The previous week’s figure was revised up by 1,000 to 188,000 but remains the lowest in more than 50 years. Analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet forecast 207,000 new applications.

S&P 500 7,437.63 121.48 1.66%

EURO 1.1523 0.0065 0.57%

CRUDE OIL 84.46 0.00 0.00%

GOLD 4,100.10 63.80 1.58%

6-MO T-BILLS 3.95 0.01 0.25%

30-YR T-BONDS 5.21 -0.01 -0.15%

Microsoft’s earnings elevate markets

BY STAN CHOE Associated Press

NEW YORK — A monster day for Microsoft’s stock following signals that its big spending on AI is translating into profits led a powerful rebound on Wall Street Thursday, while computer-chip companies regained some of their sharp recent losses. In the bond market, though, worries remained about inﬂation potentially remaining high for years. Microsoft led the way and leaped 15.5% for its best day in nearly 18 years after reporting a stronger proﬁt for the latest quarter than

analysts expected. Growth was strong for its Azure cloud business, and CEO Satya Nadella said it reflects how customers are using Microsoft to move into AI. Perhaps just as importantly for Wall Street, Microsoft did not announce a big increase in how much it plans to spend on AI investments, something that several other Big Tech rivals have done. Worries are high that such spending is eating into companies’ cash flows and may not ultimately be worth it if AI does not produce as much productivity and profits as promised. Meta Platforms helped demon-

strate such fears after falling 8%. The parent company of Facebook and Instagram reported a weaker proﬁt for the latest quarter than analysts expected, even though it made slightly more in revenue than expected. It also raised the lower end of its forecasted range for spending on investments this year. Companies involved in the making of the computer memory and processors that such “hyperscalers” are buying to power their AI efforts rose Thursday, recovering some of the big losses they’ve taken on worries their stock prices shot too high in the euphoria

around AI. Micron Technology jumped 18.4%, for example, to trim its loss for the week to 5%. It was the strongest force lifting the S&P 500 after Microsoft. Lam Research, a supplier to the semiconductor industry, soared 18% after reporting stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Chip giant Advanced Micro Devices rallied 13%. On the losing end of Wall Street was Jersey Mike’s Subs. The sandwich chain’s stock fell 6% in its first day of trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

Between prices and parasite, lettuce is causing hard times Restaurants that lean into lettuce deal with fallout

BY DEE-ANN DURBIN Associated Press

It’s been a choppy year for restaurants that lean into lettuce. Lettuce prices rose sharply in the first half of 2026 due to hot weather in Arizona, where about one-third of America’s lettuce is grown. Now, restaurants are dealing with the fallout from a cyclospora outbreak linked to shredded lettuce that has sickened thousands of Americans. Yum Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell, said Thursday that Taco Bell’s U.S. same-store sales are down 2% so far in the July-September period due to customers’ concerns over the outbreak. That compares to a 7% same-store sales increase in the April-June period. Federal health officials first tied the diarrhea-causing outbreak to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. Later, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said customers in Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania were also affected. Taco Bell removed shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms from its U.S. restaurants on July 17. The following day, Taylor Farms recalled iceberg lettuce grown in central Mexico. Taco Bell’s sales bottomed out the weekend of July 18-19 but have been steadily improving since then, Yum Brands Chief Financial Officer Ranjith Roy said Thursday in a conference call with investors. Over the last four days, Taco Bell’s U.S. sales have climbed halfway back to their year-ago level, he said. Yum Brands CEO Chris Turner said Taco Bell’s quick action to contain the issue and its clear communication on social media helped bring diners back. The brand also enticed fans with daily specials like $1 Mexican pizza. “With respect to the consumer sentiment, we’ve seen real improvement as consumers have understood better the nature of the issue,” Turner said. “They understand that it is not a Taco Bell-specific issue.” Other chains are also feeling some impact from the outbreak even though they haven’t been named in government investigations. Chipotle Mexican Grill said Wednesday that it expects its same-store sales to rise only 1% in the July-September period because of lower traffic due to the outbreak. It had previously expected same-store sales to rise 3% in that period. Foot traffic at Chopt, a salad-focused chain with 105 locations, plunged 24% on July 18

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Packages of lettuce and salad greens fill a refrigerated display at a grocery store. The retail price of a pound of iceberg lettuce jumped nearly 20% between January and June of this year, according to government data. compared to the normal average for a Saturday, according to Placer.ai, a market research company. M Science, another market research firm, found that weekly spending at the salad chain Sweetgreen dropped 10 percentage points compared to last year during the first half of July. Chopt didn’t respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. Sweetgreen, which has 285 U.S. locations, did not confirm a drop in sales and said in a statement that its food hasn’t been connected to the current cyclospora outbreak. “We follow rigorous food safety standards and can trace our ingredients from restaurant to farm,” the company said. Cyclospora cases have continued to grow. As of July 27, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it has received received reports of 6,707 laboratory-confirmed cases. It’s investigating multiple clusters, including a new outbreak involving 72 people that was announced last week. As the FDA investigation progresses, officials should get a better understanding of which illnesses are connected and “how complex this outbreak actually has become,” said Craig Hedberg, a food safety researcher at the University of Minnesota. The outbreak came on top of an already difficult year for the lettuce industry and people who love eating salads. The retail price of a pound of iceberg lettuce jumped nearly 20% between January and June of this year, according to government data. Consumers paid an average of 33% more last month for all fresh lettuce compared to

a year earlier, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said. Lettuce prices advertised by major grocery stores last week averaged $1.86 for a head of iceberg, 25 cents more than the same week a year earlier, according to the USDA. A head of red leaf lettuce cost 52 cents more at $1.66, and a bunch of romaine had an advertised price of $2.49, which was $1.55 higher, the department reported. Shoppers caught a break with some types of salad mixes, though, which stores advertised at prices 7 to 24 cents cheaper than a year prior, the USDA said. Elizabeth Canales, an associate professor of agricultural economics at Mississippi State University, said unusually hot weather in Arizona early in the year caused crops to mature too early. That caused big supply gaps until California production began in late April. Fuel costs, which increased after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran and Iran blocked most oil tankers from leaving the Persian Gulf, have also been an issue, according to Canales. Lettuce is especially perishable and requires energy for cooling from the time it’s picked to the time it’s sold, Canales said. “The cold chain needs to be maintained. Cooling and transporting it is very important,” Canales said. Lettuce has been linked to multiple food poisoning outbreaks in the past, including two in 2018 involving E. coli linked to romaine lettuce grown in Arizona and California. Associated Press writer Mike Stobbe contributed from New York.

Economy grows at a sluggish 1.5% in second quarter BY PAUL WISEMAN AP economics writer

WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy expanded at a sluggish 1.5% pace from April through June as rising imports weighed on growth, yet consumers continued to spend. And the Federal Reserve’s favored measure of inflation grew more slowly last month. But it remained above the central bank’s 2% target at a time when Americans are frustrated about the high cost of living ahead of the midterm elections, now less than 100 days away. Growth in U.S. gross domestic product — the nation’s output of goods and services — decelerated from 2.1% in the ﬁrst three months

of 2026, the Commerce Department reported Thursday, coming in below economists’ expectations. But consumer spending — which accounts for about 70% of U.S. economic activity — increased at a 3.2% annual clip, up from 0.5% in the January-March period. A measure of the economy’s underlying strength — which strips out volatile government spending and trade numbers — looked good, expanding at a 3.9% annual pace, up from 1.7% from January through March. Business investment, excluding housing, rose at an 8.4% pace, down from 10.6% from January through March but strong, reﬂecting a surge in investment in artiﬁcial intelligence.

Imports are subtracted from the economic figures because GDP is only supposed to count what is produced in the United States. Imports rose at an 11.5% pace, partly on a surge in shipments of computer chips and other products that support AI investment. The imports shaved 1.5 percentage off second-quarter GDP growth. “The consumer rescued the quarter,” said Olu Sonola, head of U.S. economics at Fitch Ratings. “AI investment remains a powerful growth story, but the import surge underpinning the buildout is a reminder that an AI boom does not automatically translate into an equally large boost to U.S. GDP.” The Commerce Department also said Thursday that its personal

consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, the one favored by the Fed, rose 3.7% last month from June 2025 , down from a 4.1% yearover-year increase in May. Excluding volatile food and energy prices, so-called core consumer prices were up 3.3% from a year earlier, little-changed from 3.4% increase in May. Prices actually fell 0.1% from May to June on a 9.2% drop in the price of gasoline and other energy products. The PCE prices were about in line with economists’ expectations. But the year-over-year increase in prices has been stuck above the Fed’s 2% target for more than five years, and some Fed officials are getting impatient with progress against inflation.

8C ● Friday, July 31, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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zodIAC LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Pay attention, ask questions and be ready to take advantage of situations that introduce you to new people, information and groups that can help you advance your interests. VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Stay out of trouble. Acting in haste or making decisions based on emotions will cost you your reputation, position or finances. Spend more time fact-finding and less time believing what you hear from unverified sources. LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Distance yourself from unsafe or unsavory situations. Read the room and take a pass if someone is being pushy or aggressive. Don't hesitate to expand your interests and include experts. scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Simplify your life by walking away from situations that amplify stress. Target what your needs are, and turn your attention to satisfy your soul, not someone else's ego or bank account. sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Refuse to let anyone talk you into something you don't need, and be cognizant of the risks involved in procedures or investments that have time restrictions or high costs. cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Pay more attention to how you look and feel. Take time out to nurture and pamper yourself. A vacation or adventure will give you the boost you need to pursue information. AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) An opportunity to share expenses with someone you

enjoy spending time with will help you save for something you need or want and stabilize your living conditions. Financial gain is apparent. PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Monitor the changes you encounter. Don't feel the need to join in or to pay for someone else. Discuss sensitive issues and put your mind at rest regarding what you will and will not do to accommodate others. ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Expand your circle of friends or interests, or revisit someone or something that's been missing from your life. Stop fretting over things you can't change and living in the past. tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Overreacting will be your downfall. Try to think matters through, and proceed with a wellthought-out budget-friendly plan. Don't mix business with pleasure. GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Take a lively approach to life and learning. Your enthusiasm will rub off on others, turning your achievements into something special and conducive to forming strong alliances. cAncER (June 21-July 22) Emotional energy will be difficult to direct. When in doubt, take a pass. Your reluctance to let anyone into your inner circle or to share private information is warranted. The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

For better or For WorSe WonderWord

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

toDAy's cLuE: K EQuALs R

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SherMAn’S LAGoon FAMILY CIrCUS

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The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Friday, July 31, 2026 ● 9C

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

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10C ● Friday, July 31, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Bridge By PHILLIP ALDER George Whitefield, a renowned preacher in England and the American colonies who died in 1770, said, “Press forward. Do not stop, do not linger in your journey, but strive for the mark set before you.” In yesterday’s deal, I mentioned the Rule of Seven, which a declarer in a notrump contract might find useful. If he has one top-trick stopper (typically the ace, but maybe the king if third hand takes the first trick with the ace), he adds together the number of cards in the suit led that are in the dummy and his hand. He subtracts the total from seven and holds up for that number of rounds. Does that apply to this deal? South is in three no-trump. West leads his fourth-highest spade and East puts up the queen. Declarer starts with seven top tricks: one spade, one heart, four diamonds and one club. The other two winners can come from clubs. But if the club finesse is losing, is South in any danger? In yesterday’s deal, the club finesse was into the East hand. If South had won the first trick with his spade ace, East would have won with his club king and returned a spade through South’s jacknine, giving West four tricks in the suit for down one. Here, though, the finesse is into the West hand. South has two spade stop-

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pers if he takes the first trick, crosses to dummy with a diamond, and runs the club 10. Yes, West wins that trick, but he cannot cash out the spades. If South ducks trick one, though, East can lead his remaining spade, establishing West’s suit while West has the club king as an entry. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

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

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Previous answers:

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

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today’s thought “He that trusts in his riches shall fall; but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.” Proverbs 11:28

Who and what are you trusting? — G.E. Dean

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Friday, July 31, 2026 ● 11C

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See agenda documents at: http://www.lafayettela.gov/obcouncil/default.aspx REGULAR MEETING LAFAYETTE PARISH COUNCIL 705 W. University Avenue, Ted A. Ardoin City-Parish Council Auditorium TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2026 4:30 p.m.

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Public Notices

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

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ON AUGUST 10, 2026 5:00 P.M. 220 WEST WILLOW STREET BUILDING B* CDP AUDITORIUM

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

APPROVAL OF MEETING ACTION SUMMARY

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

RATIFICATION OF HEAR‐ ING EXAMINER ACTIONS Patsy Guidry Begnaud Estate, Parcel 1-A & 1-B Tammie & Glenn Harring‐ ton, Tract 1 Louis Provost Subdivi‐ sion, Lot 31-A Verna Mae Trahan (2) CKE, Inc., Tract 1 Donald Laughlin Lots 11, 12, & 13 Lidley Dugas Estate, Tract C Lance Abshire, Tract 2-C Agricultural Advance‐ ments, LLC, Lot 1 Cormier, Clairville & Feli‐ cia Richard, Lot 7A-1 Blanchard, Lonnie Lee, Lance Lee & Lennon Lee, Lot 2

Sealed bids will be ac‐ cepted until 10:00 a.m., Monday, August 10, 2026, at the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office at 316 W. Main Street, Lafayette, Louisiana for the follow‐ ing: # 2027-03 5.56 Caliber SBR Semi-Automatic 11.5 and Attachments For information on this bid, contact the Finance Office at the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office. Documents are also available at the Sheriff’s Office Website at www. lafayettesheriff.com and www.centralauctionh ouse.com. Bids received after the above date and time will be returned un‐ opened. Bids will be eval‐ uated by and purchased based on quality, cost and adaptability of said items. Bidders must comply with all condi‐ tions submitted in bid specifications. The Sher‐ iff reserves the right to reject any and all bids deemed unsuitable in the best public interest. Mark T. Garber, Sheriff Parish of Lafayette Publish ads: July 24th; July 31st 195164-jul 24-31-2t $22.36

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE --THE FOLLOWING DEVEL‐ OPMENTS ARE PROPOSED FOR REVIEW BY THE LAFAYETTE PARISH PLANNING COMMISSION

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE --This will serve as notice that Pecan Farm Film LLC has completed produc‐ tion on the ﬁlm Love Reins At Christmas in Lafayette Parish, St Landry Parish, and sur‐ rounding areas. Filming was completed in De‐ cember 2024. If you have any creditor claims against the production, please ﬁle them before August 17th, 2026. 195161-jul 24-31-aug 7-3t $171.76

NEW DEVELOPMENTS 1. 2026-47-PC: Maraist Farms Plat Location: 6000 Blk of Coteau Rd - LA Hwy 89, Lafayette Parish Proposed Use: 17 Resi‐ dential Lots Surveyor: Andre’ Mon‐ tagnet o VARIANCE REQUEST 2026-6-PCV - 200 Planta‐ tion Rd 1-YEAR EXTENSION RE‐ QUEST 2022-66-PC - A. Bruce Mouton 2022-18-PC - Gray’s Land‐ ing (REVISED PLAT) Fu‐ ture Phase 2023-20-PC - River Pointe 2024-46-PC - Heirs of Eliz‐ abeth Mouton Broussard, Lots 1-A & 1-B

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OTHER BUSINESS 1. Announcements FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT 291-8000 * ALTERNATE MEETING LOCATION IS 220 W. WIL‐ LOW STREET, BUILDING C – TOWN HALL AUDITO‐ RIUM 195531-JUL 31-1T $17.19

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3. EXECUTIVE/MAYOR-PRESIDENT’S REPORT A) Budget to Actual Comparison of Major Parish Funds – June 2026 Preliminary B) Audit Findings Update – July 2026 RESOLUTION 4. PR-010-2026 A resolution of the Lafayette Parish Council ordering and calling a special election to be held in the Parish of Lafayette, State of Louisiana, to authorize the issuance of general obligation bonds and the continuation of special taxes therein, making application to the State Bond Commission, and providing for other matters in connection therewith. (Donald Richard) JOINT RESOLUTION 5. JR-015-2026 A joint resolution of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council adopting the Lafayette Parish Hazard Mitigation Plan 2026. (Mayor-President) ORDINANCES FOR FINAL ADOPTION

of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government by increasing revenues in the amount of $1,598,300 in CDBG funds received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and appropriating funds within the Community Development and Planning Department. (CD&P) ANNOUNCEMENT OF VACANCIES ON BOARDS/COMMISSION 15. A vacancy exists on the Lafayette Parish Waterworks District South Board for the remainder of an unexpired five-year term through October 31, 2028. Applicants must reside within the Lafayette Parish Waterworks District South boundaries. 16. A vacancy will exist on the Lafayette Animal Care Center Advisory Board for a four-year term effective September 1, 2026. Individuals wishing to submit a resume for the above volunteer vacancy must be a registered voter and a resident of Lafayette Parish. Yearly ethics training for all appointees is required as is financial disclosure under certain circumstances. Resumes are to be forwarded to Joseph Gordon-Wiltz, Clerk of the Council, P.O. Box 4017-C, Lafayette, LA 70502 or emailed to BCLafayette@LafayetteLA.gov no later than noon, Tuesday, August 18, 2026 with appointment(s) to be made at the Tuesday, September 1, 2026 Regular Meeting of the Lafayette Parish Council. CONSIDER APPOINTMENT(S) BY THE COUNCIL, AS A WHOLE, TO BOARDS/COMMISSIONS 17. Appointment of _________________ to the Teche-Vermilion Freshwater District for a two-year term effective August 1, 2026. APPOINTMENT BY COUNCIL MEMBERS, MAYOR-PRESIDENT AND/ OR ANY OTHER DIRECT APPOINTING AUTHORITY Appointing Appointee Name Board, Commission Effective Effective Authority and Address and/or Legal Agency Term Date Ieasha James Warren Lafayette Advisory 4-year term 08-01-2026 18. District 3 Queenstown Avenue Commission on Crime Youngsville, LA 70592 Prevention

6. PO-027-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating and capital budget of the Lafayette CityParish Consolidated Government by transferring $60,000 from the Parish Council District 4 Capital appropriation to Milton Volunteer Fire Department within Section 4190 Parishwide Fire Protection for the purchase of a water rescue boat, thermal imaging camera, radio replacement, bunker gear and miscellaneous costs associated therewith. (John Guilbeau)

INTRODUCTORY ORDINANCES

7. PO-028-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette Parish Council setting forth and designating the adjusted tax millage rate and imposing taxes on all property subject to ad valorem taxation in the Parish of Lafayette and authorizing the tax assessor and tax collector for the Parish of Lafayette to assess and collect the millage rate for 2026 at the rate of 1.71 mills for the Lafayette Airport Commission. (Donald Richard)

20. PO-033-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating and capital budget of the Lafayette CityParish Consolidated Government by transferring $10,000 from the Parish Council District 2 capital appropriation to Duson Volunteer Fire Department within Section 4190 Parishwide Fire Protection for the purchase of gas monitors, a washer, a dryer, and miscellaneous costs associated therewith. (Donald Richard)

8. PO-029-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government to adjust amounts for administrative and general costs to actual. (Finance)

21. PO-034-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette Parish Council authorizing the Mayor-President to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry to collaborate in pet and/or livestock aid efforts during declarations of emergency. (CAO)

9. PO-030-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget of the Lafayette CityParish Consolidated Government by adjusting the manning tables and increasing the hourly pay rate of one (1) Tree Trimmer Foreman position, one (1) Tree Trimmer position, and one (1) Labor Foreman I position within the Traffic, Roads, and Bridges Department-Streets Division. (TR&B) 10. PO-031-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 capital budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government by transferring funds from various accounts to the E Broussard/Robley Drive Roundabout account for additional funding needed. (CID) JOINT ORDINANCES FOR FINAL ADOPTION 11. JO-024-2026 A joint ordinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government to adjust amounts for administrative and general costs to actual. (Finance)

19. PO-032-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating and capital budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government by transferring $60,000 from the Parish Council District 1 capital appropriation to the Capital Improvements Department, Fund 2600, for the North Wilderness Trail Reconstruction project. (Bryan Tabor)

22. PO-035-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette Parish Council declaring the Coburn’s at Ridge Road Drainage Project a public necessity and authorizing the acquisition of the necessary rights-of-way, immovable property and other property rights requisite to the construction of said project, either on an amicable basis or through the proper use of the expropriation process if necessary. (CID) JOINT INTRODUCTORY ORDINANCE 23. JO-028-2026 A joint ordinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council acting in their capacity as the governing authority of the City of Lafayette and the Parish of Lafayette, respectively, providing for the abandonment of a certain portion of a ten (10’) foot utility servitude on Lot 2A of the Estate of Karen Brasseaux, Tract 2A Subdivision, at 122 Bodenger Road, and authorizing the Lafayette Mayor-President to execute an Act of Abandonment in order to effectuate the abandonment on behalf of the City of Lafayette, Parish of Lafayette, and the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government. (CD&P)

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12. JO-025-2026 A joint ordinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council authorizing the Lafayette Mayor-President to submit the 2026 Annual Action Plan Grant application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. (CD&P)

COMMENT(S) FROM THE PUBLIC

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13. JO-026-2026 A joint ordinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government by increasing revenues in the amount of $637,362.94 in Home Funds received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and appropriating funds within the Community Development and Planning Department. (CD&P)

ADJOURN

STORE.ADVOCATE.COM See agenda documents at: http://www.lafayettela.gov/obcouncil/default.aspx REGULAR MEETING LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL 705 W. University Avenue, Ted A. Ardoin City-Parish Council Auditorium TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2026 5:30 p.m.

actual. (Finance) 11. CO-066-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Council authorizing the Lafayette Mayor-President to enter into a Drainage Betterment Agreement between the City of Lafayette and Lafayette General Health System, Inc. to remove and replace deteriorated public drainage infrastructure located along 401 Audubon Boulevard. (Drainage)

1. Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance 2. COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENTS

JOINT ORDINANCES FOR FINAL ADOPTION

3. EXECUTIVE/MAYOR-PRESIDENT’S REPORT

13. JO-024-2026 A joint ordinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government to adjust amounts for administrative and general costs to actual. (Finance)

CALL TO ORDER

A) Budget to Actual Comparison of Major Parish Funds – June 2026 Preliminary B) Audit Findings Update – July 2026 RESOLUTION 4. CR-015-2026 A resolution of the Lafayette City Council ordering and calling a special election to be held in the City of Lafayette, State of Louisiana, to authorize the continuation of special taxes therein, making application to the State Bond Commission, and providing for other matters in connection therewith. (Kenneth Boudreaux) JOINT RESOLUTION 5. JR-015-2026 A joint resolution of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council adopting the Lafayette Parish Hazard Mitigation Plan 2026. (Mayor-President) REPORT AND/OR DISCUSSION ITEM 6. Compliance Division Inspection and Bid Process Review (Liz Hebert) ORDINANCES FOR FINAL ADOPTION 7. CO-062-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Council providing for the abandonment of a portion of the Hellen Street right-of-way located along the southern boundary of St. Antoine Gardens, thereby permanently terminating public access between Rufus Peck Addition Subdivision and St. Antoine Gardens via Hellen Street and authorizing the Lafayette Mayor-President to execute an Act of Abandonment and Revocation of Dedication. (Elroy Broussard) 8. CO-063-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Council amending the Lafayette Development Code so as to reclassify the property of Case No. 2026-2-AZON Greig Street & Street of Love Administrative Rezoning, located generally north of East Simcoe Street, west of Dudley Avenue, and south of Mudd Avenue; 306, 310 & 314 Mudd Avenue, 113, 114, 118, 119, 121, 122 & 123 Street of Love and 310 & 311 Greig Street, being rezoned from CH (Commercial-Heavy) and IL (Industrial-Light) to MN-2 (Mixed-Use Neighborhood), and 116 Street of Love being rezoned from CH (Commercial-Heavy) and IL (Industrial-Light) to only CH (Commercial-Heavy). (CD&P) 9. CO-064-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Council amending the Lafayette Development Code so as to reclassify the property of Case No. 2026-14-REZ 6800 Block Johnston Street Rezoning, located generally north of Keeneland Lane, east of Johnston Street, and south of E. Broussard Road; being rezoned from A (Agricultural) to CH (Commercial-Heavy) for the first 250 feet of depth from Johnston Street, and from A (Agricultural) to RS-2 (Residential Single-Family) for the remaining depth of the property. (CD&P) 10. CO-065-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government to adjust amounts for administrative and general costs to

IN ACCORDANCE WITH LA. R.S. 42:14(E) AS ENACTED BY ACT NO. 393 OF 2023 AND THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, PLEASE CONTACT JOSEPH GORDON-WILTZ, COUNCIL CLERK, AT (337) 291-8810 DESCRIBING THE ASSISTANCE THAT IS NECESSARY, IF SPECIAL ASSISTANCE AND/OR ACCOMMODATIONS ARE NEEDED. 195949-673381-jul 31-1t $ 223.45

14. JO-027-2026 A joint ordinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget

12. CO-067-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Council amending the FY 25/26 capital budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government by transferring funds from the Multipurpose Room Carpet RPL account and the Rosa Parks Boiler RPL account to the Rosa Parks Improvements account for additional funding needed. (CID)

AGENDA

24. Comments from the public on any other matter(s) not on an agenda and are within the legislative power of the Lafayette Parish Council.

14. JO-025-2026 A joint ordinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council authorizing the Lafayette Mayor-President to submit the 2026 Annual Action Plan Grant application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. (CD&P) 15. JO-026-2026 A joint ordinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government by increasing revenues in the amount of $637,362.94 in Home Funds received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and appropriating funds within the Community Development and Planning Department. (CD&P) 16. JO-027-2026 A joint ordinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government by increasing revenues in the amount of $1,598,300 in CDBG funds received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and appropriating funds within the Community Development and Planning Department. (CD&P) APPEAL 17. Appeal of City Planning Commission Action (Johnston Street Subdivision) Case No. 2026-34-PC preliminary plat

CONSIDER APPOINTMENT(S) BY THE COUNCIL, AS A WHOLE, TO BOARDS/COMMISSIONS 21. Appointment of to the Downtown Management Committee for a three-year term effective July 1, 2026. Applicants must own property or work in downtown Lafayette. 22. CSB - Appointment of to the Lafayette Municipal Civil Service Board for a four-year term effective March 1, 2026. Nomination list supplied via ASHRM in lieu of Southern University. APPOINTMENT BY COUNCIL MEMBERS, MAYOR-PRESIDENT AND/ OR ANY OTHER DIRECT APPOINTING AUTHORITY Board, Appointee Commission Appointing Name and and/or Legal Authority Address Agency 23. Mayor-President Monique DuBois Keep Lafayette 443 Glynndale Ave Beautiful Board Lafayette, LA 70506 24. District 5

Kevin Ardoin Briarwood Drive Lafayette, LA 7050

City/Parish Recreation Advisory Commission

Effective Term 2-year term

Effective Date 08-052026

4-year term

07-0820261

INTRODUCTORY ORDINANCES 25. CO-068-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Council amending the FY 25/26 operating and capital budgets of the Lafayette CityParish Consolidated Government by increasing anticipated revenues in the amount of $1,820,013 from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) FY 23/24 Section 5307 Urbanized Area Formula Grant and appropriating these funds along with the required match in the amount of $280,002 for use within the Traffic, Roads & Bridges Department, Transit Division. (TR&B) 26. CO-069-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget and capital budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government by increasing revenues in the amount of $7,986,192 in Safe Streets and Roads for all grant funds received from the U.S. Department of Transportation, as well as transferring $2,001,498 in Capital Outlay Funds to serve as a local match, and appropriating within the Community Development and Planning Department for safety improvements along Johnston Street between Bertrand Drive and Churchill Drive. (CD&P)

ANNOUNCEMENT OF VACANCIES ON BOARDS/COMMISSIONS 18. Five (5) vacancies exist on the Transportation Policy Committee (the governing board for the Metropolitan Planning Organization) effective immediately. Applicants must be either 1) local elected officials, 2) officials of public agencies that administer or operate major modes of transportation in the metropolitan area, including representation by providers of public transportation. 19. A vacancy exists on the Board of Zoning Adjustment for the remainder of an unexpired five-year term through June 30, 2029. 20. Two (2) vacancies exist on the Downtown Management Committee for three-year terms effective August 1, 2026. Applicants must own property or work in downtown Lafayette. Individuals wishing to submit a resume for the above volunteer vacancies must be a registered voter and a resident of Lafayette Parish. Yearly ethics training for all appointees is required as is financial disclosure under certain circumstances. Resumes are to be forwarded to Joseph Gordon-Wiltz, Clerk of the Council, P.O. Box 4017-C, Lafayette, LA 70502 or emailed to BCLafayette@LafayetteLA.gov no later than noon, Tuesday, August 18, 2026 with appointment(s) to be made at the Tuesday, September 1, 2026 Regular Meeting of the Lafayette City Council.

JOINT INTRODUCTORY ORDINANCE 27. JO-028-2026 A joint ordinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council acting in their capacity as the governing authority of the City of Lafayette and the Parish of Lafayette, respectively, providing for the abandonment of a certain portion of a ten (10’) foot utility servitude on Lot 2A of the Estate of Karen Brasseaux, Tract 2A Subdivision, at 122 Bodenger Road, and authorizing the Lafayette Mayor-President to execute an Act of Abandonment in order to effectuate the abandonment on behalf of the City of Lafayette, Parish of Lafayette, and the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government. (CD&P) ADJOURN IN ACCORDANCE WITH LA. R.S. 42:14(E) AS ENACTED BY ACT NO. 393 OF 2023 AND THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, PLEASE CONTACT JOSEPH GORDON-WILTZ, COUNCIL CLERK, AT (337) 291-8810 DESCRIBING THE ASSISTANCE THAT IS NECESSARY, IF SPECIAL ASSISTANCE AND/OR ACCOMMODATIONS ARE NEEDED. 195948-673380-jul 31-1t $ 253.14

12C ● Friday, July 31, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

TODAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

A t-storm around in the p.m.

Partly sunny

Mostly cloudy with a t-storm

A t-storm around in the a.m.

Mostly sunny

Partly sunny, a stray t-storm

HIGH

LOW

HIGH

94° 78°

LOW

HIGH

94° 79°

LOW

92° 77°

Beaumont 94/77 Port Arthur 93/79

Baton Rouge 94/78

Lake Charles 94/79

New Orleans 93/79 Houma 92/78

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

Hattiesburg 93/76

Alexandria 96/76

Lafayette 94/78

10s

20s

30s

40s

50s

LOW

HIGH

LOW

94° 75°

Lafayette through 5 p.m. Thursday

Jackson 93/77 Many 96/75

HIGH

93° 77°

TEMPERATURE

Longview 101/76

-0s

LOW

Monroe 97/78

Shreveport 99/79

-10s

HIGH

93° 76°

The brutal heat that we’ve been experiencing for most of the week will return again today. In fact, most of southwest Louisiana is under either a moderate or major heat risk so heat illnesses are a threat again today. Overall, expect a mostly sunny, very hot and humid day with a light breeze and a few isolated showers and thunderstorms. Temperatures will rise to the mid-90s this afternoon and since humidity will remain high, heat index values will rise to 107 or higher today.

60s

70s

80s

90s 100s 110s

High/low Normal high/low Last year’s high/low Record high Record low

TODAY’S TIDES Lake Pontchartrain (Tchefuncte River) Shell Beach South Point, Marsh Island Cypremort Point Grand Isle (Barataria Pass) Mississippi River (Southwest Pass) Wine Island

Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today LAST

AUG 5

FIRST

AUG 12

Austin Boston Dallas Fairbanks Honolulu Las Vegas Louisville Miami Nashville

24-hour total Month to date Normal month to date year to date Normal year to date

HIGH

9:46p 4:15p 7:16a 9:43a 11:21a 10:45a 12:29p

FT.

TODAY

101 76 104 73 89 111 88 94 91

76 67 81 49 77 89 71 79 75

FULL

AUG 19

pc pc s pc sh s c t pc

AUG 27

100 80 98 75 88 114 82 93 87

SAT. Lo

74 69 71 55 77 92 70 80 70

LOW

0.00” 6.38” 6.07” 40.79” 37.22”

FT.

HIGH

0.6 8:29a 0.0 1.4 1:11a 0.0 1.7 10:14a 1.4 1.7 1:25a 0.2 1.2 9:40p 0.2 1.4 8:04p 0.1 1.4 10:42p 0.2

6:26 a.m. 8:02 p.m. 9:24 p.m. 8:15 a.m. NEW

City

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

96°/80° 92°/75° 95°/74° 101° in 2023 65° in 1897

t pc s pc pc s t t t

TODAY

READING 53 MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

FT.

--- ----- --3:38p 1.5 6:02p 1.4 --- ----- ----- ---

LOW

FT.

--- ----- --9:57p 0.0 2:56p 1.3 --- ----- ----- ---

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

Today Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

City

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

1:07a 7:17a 1:55a 8:05a 2:43a 8:54a 3:32a 9:43a 4:21a 10:33a 5:12a 11:25a 6:05a 12:19p

93 90 88 115 85 91 81 80 89

TODAY Lo

79 75 71 92 65 69 71 69 79

1:28p 7:39p 2:16p 8:27p 3:04p 9:15p 3:54p 10:05p 4:45p 10:57p 5:38p 11:51p 6:34p ----

t t s s s s t pc t

GOOD

SOURCE: LOUISIANA DEQ AND AIRNOW.GOV

93 90 90 117 85 89 73 81 88

SAT. Lo

79 76 73 94 69 73 67 71 79

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

N O R T H A M ER I CA’S

YESTERDAY MODERATE

PRECIPITATION

t t pc s pc c t pc t

MISSISSIPPI Memphis Vidalia-Natchez Red River Landing Baton Rouge Donaldsonville Reserve New Orleans OHIO Cairo COMITE Near Olive AMITE Near Darlington Denham Springs Port Vincent TICKFAW Montpelier Holden ATCHAFALAYA Simmesport Melville Krotz Springs Butte La Rose Bayou Sorrel Morgan City

FLOOD STAGE

34 48 48 35 27 22 17

THU. 24-HOUR STAGE CHANGE

4.60 26.10 28.50 13.10 7.10 5.97 3.78

-1.04 -0.78 -0.80 -1.00 -0.60 -0.32 -0.12

17.95

-0.85

-1.45

+0.05

18 29 8

-1.13 10.18 0.88

-0.01 -0.03 +0.02

13 15

1.46 0.99

-0.01 -0.02

47 34 29 20 12 6

12.54 8.99 7.04 6.50 5.30 2.64

none +0.16 -0.09 -0.03 -0.10 -0.03

data as of 7 a.m. Thursday

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