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F r i d ay, au g u s t 7, 2026

BOUNCING BACK

Lafayette trampoline stars chase another Olympic dream

$2.00X

LSU mulls revenue engine for athletics Private investors could help with tentative plan

BY ALYSE PFEIL and JON BLAU Staff writers

LSU officials are working on a plan to potentially house LSU athletics’ broadcast rights in a revenue-generating entity separate from the university.

That entity could then make investments to generate more money for the Tigers’ sports teams, a source with knowledge of the strategy said.

A tentative plan was shared this week with the school’s top athletics boosters during informational meetings Monday and Wednesday. University and state leaders are hoping a perpetual revenue-generating model could alleviate strain in an NIL era, where big-money contracts for both coaches and athletes have stretched donors thin.

LSU is looking at setting up a new company that would be run by a board of at least four members, including an LSU Board of Supervisors representative, LSU President Wade Rousse, Gov. Jeff Landry, and a private investor, according to a person who is familiar with the proposal and attended the meeting on Monday night. The source said that discussions about the proposal are still ongoing and details could change.

ä See LSU, page 7A

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

Olympians Sarah Webster and Aliaksei Shostak bounce around at Trampling and Tumbling Express on Monday.

BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer

Two Lafayette trampoline athletes are chasing another chance to compete on the Olympic stage as they begin training for the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.

Sarah Webster and Aliaksei Shostak are preparing for another season of national and international competitions, every practice bringing them one step closer to another chance at the Olympic Games.

But even after years of competing around the world, collecting national titles and representing Team USA, both athletes say medals aren’t the only thing that keeps them coming

back.

“It’s really about the trek,” Shostak said. “The process along the way.

You grow mentally, physically, emotionally and even spiritually. Sport teaches you about yourself.”

Although trampoline and tumbling only became an Olympic sport in 2000, Lafayette has become one of the premier training spaces for athletes under coach Dimitri Poliaroush.

Poliaroush, a six-time world trampoline champion and two-time Olympian, said his program has produced more Olympians than any other trampoline gym in the United States.

Today, he continues to coach Webster and Shostak, who he said have

always been dedicated since he met them both over a decade ago.

For Shostak, gymnastics has always been part of his life.

His father competed in artistic gymnastics at the Olympic level, while his mother coached gymnastics. After the family moved to the United States in 2001 from Minsk, Belarus, the gym remained a second home to him.

“I basically grew up in a gym,” Shostak said.

Although his parents specialized in artistic gymnastics, Shostak gravitated toward trampoline and tumbling after Poliaroush inspired his

ä See BOUNCING, page 7A

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU, like many power-conference athletic programs, needs money to support a growing list of expenses.

More candidates enter congressional races as qualifying continues

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

As qualifying continued for Louisiana’s upcoming congressional races, former Gov. John Bel Edwards endorsed a Democratic candidate who signed up to run in the 6th District.

But Pat Forbes, who won that endorsement, must compete against

WEATHER HIGH 92 LOW 75 PAGE 14C

Lindsay Rubia Garcia, who was the Democratic nominee to run in the 5th District before Louisiana’s congressional maps were redrawn H H H in the spring.

Otherwise, it was a fairly quiet day at the Secretary of State’s Office, where qualifying takes place.

Whether state Sen. Blake Miguez,

R-New Iberia, will run for a seat still remained a mystery, as he did not qualify. He has until Friday at 4:30 p.m. to do so.

H H H It would be difficult for either Forbes, who is from Baton Rouge, or Garcia, who is from Walker, to win the 6th District, which is centered around subur-

ELECTION

ban Baton Rouge and strongly favors a Republican after the Louisiana Legislature redrew it in a hotly contested redistricting fight in the spring. U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, a Democrat, holds that seat, but he decided not to seek reelection under the new map.

But either Democrat stands a chance to make the December runoff. Because of last-minute

Business ......................6A Commentary ................3B Nation-World................2A Classified ..................10C Deaths .........................4B Opinion ........................2B Comics-Puzzles .....7C-9C Living............................5C Sports ..........................1C

changes to Louisiana’s voting map, the congressional races will be open primaries, meaning the top two vote-getters on election day in November will head to a final race in December if no one wins more than 50% of the vote.

I n i t i a l l y, c l o s e d H o u s e

ä See CANDIDATES, page 5A

102ND yEAR, NO. 38

2A ● Friday, August 7, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

McConnell set to recover from home

WASHINGTON — Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky says he’s been discharged from a rehabilitation center and will continue his recovery from home.

The former Senate leader was first admitted to the hospital on June 14. He disclosed weeks later that his hospitalization was the result of a fall and said he was undergoing physical therapy.

McConnell, 84, gave no specific date for his return to the Capitol, but senators are expected to soon leave Washington for the traditional August recess. Votes are unlikely for the next five weeks once they adjourn.

McConnell had polio in his early childhood and has long acknowledged some difficulty walking and climbing stairs as an adult. The Office of the Attending Physician has said McConnell was undergoing a strenuous course of physical therapy and rehabilitation since he left the hospital, which includes multiple sessions a day designed to rebuild strength and reduce the risk of future falls.

McConnell’s absence is being felt in the Senate as Republicans were unable to advance a farm bill out of committee Thursday.

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Birthright citizenship orders signed

Trump says he is again trying for limits after Supreme Court rejection

BY WILL WEISSERT and REBECCA SANTANA Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is once more trying to limit the number of people who are born in the country who can become American citizens, in a sign that even after his first attempt at limiting birthright citizenship was rejected by the Supreme Court, he’s ready to try again.

The president said he was signing two executive actions on immigration, including one limiting the number of people eligible for U.S. citizenship after being born in the United States.

The written executive order released later Thursday was narrower in scope than the previous one shot down by the Supreme Court and appeared to focus on restricting automatic citizenship to specific categories of people, including children born to adults with connections to foreign embassies or organizations as well as anyone considered an “alien enemy” of the United States.

It also aimed to restrict birthright citizenship to anyone whose parents “engaged in fraudulent activity to obtain citizenship.”

A second order seeks to curb what Trump called “birth tourism” by increasing restrictions on visitors to the U.S. who want to

obtain visas to give birth while in the country.

Trump said he thought his latest actions would be constitutional.

“I thought we were going to win it at the Supreme Court. Unfortunately, we had a bad decision, very unfair decision. Our country suffers because of it and we’re ending it a different way,” Trump said.

In June, the Supreme Court rejected Trump’s previous efforts to declare that children born to people in the U.S. illegally or temporarily aren’t American citizens, and upheld a broad conception of birthright citizenship.

On Trump’s first day in office of his second term, he signed an executive order aimed at ending

Person found dead as Calif. fire burns

BY SEAN CAMPBELL

The Sacramento Bee (TNS)

Blogger tried to ‘make amends’ with Spears Perez Hilton tried to “make amends” with stars like Britney Spears and Khloé Kardashian before he was hospitalized for appearing to self-harm on a livestream this week.

The controversial celebrity blogger, 48, told Fox News and Sean Hannity’s “Hang Out” podcast, that he’s “made amends, or tried to, with a lot of people.”

The episode dropped Thursday, but was recorded prior to Hilton’s hospitalization.

“I’ve reached out to them privately. I mean, I even reached out to Britney Spears,” revealed Hilton, who said their intervention went “well, according to the intermediary that relayed what I wrote to her.”

Hilton said that 42-year-old Kardashian “responded back” and “was very kind. Some people don’t respond back, and that’s fine.”

He shared that he also “realized I could still be funny, but I didn’t have to be so cheap, and I didn’t have to be so cruel,” as to make negative comments about celebrities’ bodies or speculate about their sexuality. “It’s like my scarlet letter, and it’s very heavy baggage,” Hilton said of his past approach to the job.

Hilton on Tuesday appeared to engage in self-harm during a roughly 15-minute TikTok livestream, filmed at his home in South Florida, with MiamiDade authorities describing the incident as a “possible suicide” attempt.

Actress ‘grateful to be alive’ after car accident Minnie Driver said she is “so grateful to be alive” after she suffered a neck injury during a “really bad car accident” in France.

The Oscar-nominated actress opened up about the harrowing incident in a video she shared to Instagram on Thursday. In it, she can be seen laying in bed and sporting a neck brace.

“I got into a really bad car accident a few days ago with my friend Ben and we somehow walked out of it,” 56-year-old Driver said in the clip. “Well, we didn’t walk out of it. We crawled out of it. But we did get out of it alive.”

Driver continued on to say the crash was not their fault, explaining that they “were driving on a country road” when another vehicle failed to stop at an intersection. She said it was going quick enough that they could not avoid it so “we just T-boned it.”

“I’m fine, I’ve got a sprained neck and I’m really in shock and sort of cry all the time,” she added, “but I’m going to heal.”

The actress also heaped praise on her vehicle — a Kia EV2 — telling fans “the reason that I’m not dead” is because of its “360-degree airbags.”

She continued: “While this categorically is not a car ad — can you imagine if that’s what I was doing — I want to celebrate that car.”

birthright citizenship, which allows anyone born in the United States to automatically become an American citizen.

Trump’s administration was immediately sued by opponents who said the executive order went against the 14th Amendment, adopted after the Civil War, which makes anyone born in the country a citizen, with very limited exceptions.

The executive order was blocked by several lower courts and never took effect.

In June, the Supreme Court struck down Trump’s order by a 6-3 vote. But the vote was too close for many immigration advocates and legal observers who felt the legal question of birthright citizenship was a long-settled issue.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By LINDSEy WASSON

Homeowner Al Acosta walks around the remains of his home, at left, Monday after a wildfire hit the northern part of Spokane, Wash.

Man charged with arson says he planned for weeks Detective says suspect called fire ‘beautiful’

BY MARTHA BELLISLE

Associated Press

A man charged with starting one of the wildfires in Spokane, Washington, that have destroyed hundreds of buildings planned the crime for weeks and researched when the weather would be best for igniting it, police said.

Aaron Farinacci expressed that “fire is powerful, beautiful, and that things that go through fire experience a kind of rebirth,” Spokane County Detective Michael Drapeau said in a court filing Wednesday, recalling his interview with him.

Farinacci, 37, is charged with starting the Old Trails Fire, one of three fires in the Spokane area that have burned more than 850 homes and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people. He’s due in court Thursday for arraignment on a first-degree arson charge.

He was scheduled to be arraigned on three first-degree arson charges Thursday, but his lawyer asked for a competency evaluation before he enters a plea.

Spokane Superior Court Judge Jeremy Schmidt said he would review that request. He set bond for $2 million, ruling that Farinacci was a risk to community safety, a flight risk and that there was potential for a violent offense.

Defense attorney Colin Charbonneau did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

Farinacci researched the weather to predict a day that would have “high winds, low humidity, sort of high heat” for starting the fire, Drapeau said. He

also looked up the work of a well-known serial arsonist and purchased items to make a “time delay device” for igniting a wildfire, using notebook paper, matches, a cigarette and a rubber band, the detective said.

Farinacci picked Saturday, Aug. 1, to start the fire because he knew there would be strong winds — reaching 50 mph, the detective said.

He said he knew it “was gonna get bad,” the detective said, but Farinacci claimed he didn’t intend it to grow as much as it did.

Paul Child, 64, has been credited with leading police to Farinacci. He was driving with his grandson along some railroad tracks when he saw a man standing there and looking toward nearby trees. About 10 minutes later, the man was still there.

“He was bent over in the brush, acting nervous,” Child told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “You get the feeling this guy’s up to something.”

Drapeau said Farinacci also admitted responsibility for 25 fires near his apartment building in summer 2025.

Farinacci served about a decade in prison after killing his father in Mesa, Arizona, in 2010. He also shot himself at that time but survived.

He was charged with murder but pleaded guilty in 2012 to manslaughter and aggravated assault. Farinacci’s lawyer repeatedly raised concerns about his mental health during the case.

Drapeau said Farinacci indicated that he moved to the Copper River Apartments in the Spokane area in October 2022. A son was born in 2025 and “he began having trouble dealing with life issues,” the detective said. “He began smoking marijuana at about this time.”

DOGE overstated savings on ‘receipts’ website, auditors find

BY KEVIN FREKING Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Some of the savings touted by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency are incorrect or lack supporting evidence, according to federal auditors.

DOGE began posting its estimated savings on a webpage known as the Wall of Receipts. Lawmakers asked the Government Accountability Office to evaluate the accuracy of the estimates, and the watchdog found them lacking in some cases.

Auditors found that 108 of 264 leases identified for termination on the Wall of Receipts were already in the process of termination when DOGE was established.

In another case, DOGE reported $1.7 billion in savings on a Department of De-

fense contract for IT services, but in the end, no action was taken to terminate the contract, so no savings were achieved.

More broadly, DOGE was not transparent regarding the methodologies used to calculate savings. The GAO said DOGE officials did not respond to requests for information. The report concluded by saying the data quality issues found limit the value of the Wall of Receipts for policymakers.

DOGE began posting its estimated savings on Feb. 17, 2025, and had reported savings of $110 billion as of July 7 across a wide range of contracts, grants and leases. President Donald Trump’s executive order establishing DOGE sunset its operations on July 4. Billionaire Musk initially led its operations, but stepped back after just a few months.

A person was found dead inside a burned home as the Gann fire continued to tear through western Calaveras County, California, where the wildfire has burned more than 10,000 acres, destroyed at least seven structures and injured a firefighter, officials said Thursday.

Authorities have not identified the person. The Sheriff’s Office said it was investigating the cause of death and its relationship to the fire and could not immediately provide additional details.

Fox 40 reported that the victim was a 70-year-old woman, who did not evacuate from the area of the fire.

The death marked the first reported fatality from the wildfire, which had burned 10,372 acres and reached 26% containment Thursday morning, according to Cal Fire. Officials said at least seven structures have been destroyed, and one firefighter has been injured.

Despite what firefighters called challenging conditions, crews as of Thursday morning had reached 26% containment on the blaze, Cal Fire said.

After the fire sparked

from a piece of equipment about 5:30 p.m. Monday, it quickly expanded to more than 6,000 acres within the first day, according to Cal Fire’s logs. The fire continued to grow and was mapped at 10,372 acres as of Wednesday afternoon.

Overnight, firefighters increased containment from 19% to 26% by strengthening control lines and conducting a firing operation, Cal Fire said.

Cal Fire on Monday arrested a Valley Springs man in connection with the fire after investigators determined he recklessly caused the fire while operating equipment that could spark near vegetation, according to a Wednesday news release.

Herbert Wayne Smith, 65, was booked on suspicion of unlawfully causing a fire that burned structures or forest land, according to jail logs. He was later released after posting $20,000 bail Tuesday, according to a jail official.

In an interview Wednesday with KCRA, Smith expressed remorse, saying he did not intentionally start the blaze. Smith told the station the fire started while he was using a saw to gather scraps to sell for money to pay for a birthday dinner with his wife.

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Senate panel votes to hold Fauci in contempt

BY ERIC TUCKER Associated Press

WASHINGTON — A Senate committee voted along party lines Thursday to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress over his refusal to answer questions at a hearing on his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, setting up a referral to the Department of Justice for potential investigation over whether the country’s longtime top infectious disease official properly exercised his constitutional rights.

The vote approving the contempt resolution came a week after Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 100 times when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, an episode that raised fresh legal questions about the ability of Congress to compel testimony from a previously pardoned witness.

Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, the committee chairman who pressed for the contempt finding, said that constitutional

protection did not apply because Fauci last year received a pardon from Democratic President Joe Biden and thus did not have to worry about the threat of prosecution. He has said he intends to send the referral directly to the Justice Department, rather than first to the full Senate, despite Democratic questions over the legal Fauci validity of such a maneuver.

“Dr. Fauci faced no risk of federal prosecution,” Paul said at the outset of Thursday’s hearing. “All he had to do was tell the Paul truth.”

Fauci, in a statement last week explaining his decision to invoke his Fifth Amendment rights, said he had good reason to fear the possibility of criminal charges given what he said was Paul’s determination “to get me

prosecutions or for federal investigations into any testimony he did give that lawmakers deemed false.

Democrats who unanimously opposed the contempt resolution agreed with Fauci that he had a well-founded fear of self-incrimination given a publicly stated desire

by Republicans to see him prosecuted in connection with COVID. The Trump administration has also raised questions about whether the Biden pardons were valid given Biden’s frequent use of an autopen to conduct official business.

“The goal was to wait for Dr. Fauci to make any kind of misstatement and then have a weaponized Department of Justice file criminal charges for that new statement that would not have been covered by the pardon, leaving Dr. Fauci little choice but to invoke his constitutional right to not walk directly into a trap,” said Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., before the vote.

Paul’s intention to send the referral directly to the Justice Department would leave it up to the U.S. attorney in Washington to decide whether to investigate or poten-

to say something, anything, that could vindicate his repeated public pledges that I end up, in his words, quote, behind bars, unquote.”

Fauci’s lawyer, David Schertler, said in a statement that the contempt resolution was “a continuation of Senator Paul’s personal vendetta against Dr. Fauci, who spent 50 years in public health and has saved countless lives.” Schertler accused Paul of abusing his power by trying to “weaponize the Justice Department.”

“Today’s partisan committee vote is a crude political stunt intended to punish Dr. Fauci for exercising his constitutional rights,” Schertler said. “The Senate should reject Senator Paul’s meritless and politically-motivated contempt resolution. For years, Senator Paul has proclaimed to anyone who would listen that Dr. Fauci should be prosecuted and put in prison.

Dr. Fauci has committed no crime — and Senator Paul knows it.”

The pardon from Biden covered acts from 2014 through the January 2025 day it was issued but does not shield him from state-level

tially attempt to prosecute Fauci for contempt. A referral from Congress does not compel prosecutors to act.

The committee’s top Democrat, Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, questioned whether the referral would be legally valid if Paul transmitted it to the Justice Department without the approval of the entire Senate, where the 60 votes needed to pass the resolution are seen as unlikely. He said punishing a witness for exercising a constitutional right against selfincrimination would complicate future efforts by Congress to conduct oversight and compel appearances and testimony.

“If this committee now seeks to punish a witness for asserting their (constitutionally) protected Fifth Amendment rights, future witnesses will argue that appearing before Congress exposes them to punishment regardless of whether they comply with a subpoena and invoke a constitutional protection,” he said. “They will point directly to this vote — this vote — as a justification for refusing to appear at all.”

Administration moving forward with Head Start overhaul

BY MORIAH BALINGIT

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s administration said Thursday it plans to overhaul Head Start, tossing out many of the regulations that are the hallmark of the early education program for the nation’s poorest children.

Officials from the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the federally funded preschool program, said the proposed changes would encourage more local decision-making.

Early childhood policy experts argue the deregulation could undermine Head Start’s position as the gold standard in early education.

The Associated Press previously reported on the overhaul proposal, which became public Thursday when it was posted online. The public will have 60 days to weigh in on it before it goes into effect, though it could face legal challenges that would delay implementation.

Head Start centers serve around 700,000 of the nation’s most vulnerable children, including those who are homeless, in foster care or disabled. That wouldn’t change under the overhaul.

But Alex J. Adams, an assistant secretary at Health and Human Services, said the department is hoping to give Head Start centers the flexibility to change the way they operate. That means eliminating most of Head Start’s regulations, such as standards for low staff-tostudent ratios or requirements to provide services to preschoolers’ families.

“Federal mandates can certainly hinder local decision-making, drive up costs and limit the program’s reach,” Adams said on a call with reporters. He highlighted a decade-long decline in Head Start enrollment. “If we get this proposed rule right, we will grow the number of Head Start slots.”

On a call previewing the proposed changes, Health Secretary Robert F. Kenne-

dy spoke reverently about Head Start, which was started by his uncle Sargent Shriver during the Lyndon B. Johnson administration.

“It’s a program that works for the most vulnerable of the poorest kids in our society, and it’s really important we protect it,” Kennedy said.

But the changes would undermine many of the things that make Head Start distinct from other early education programs, policy experts say.

“This version of Head Start is a shell of the program,” said Khari Garvin, who oversaw Head Start under Democratic President Joe Biden. “This is a deeply diluted version of the program which in my view will cause child and community outcomes to wane.”

Bloomberg News (TNS) WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s so-called Golden Fleet of around 15 nuclear-powered battleships could cost as much as $275 billion to develop and acquire through 2056, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office.

The agency pegged its preliminary estimate at $23 billion for the first vessel and roughly $18 billion each for the subsequent 14 ships, according to a report released Wednesday.

That would make them the most expensive American warships ever produced, and it’s possible the Trumpclass vessels will see additional cost overruns while potentially complicating the construction of other U.S.

more lax than Head Start’s current regulations. State rules are largely focused on ensuring children are healthy and safe. Generally speaking, they do not require centers to provide things like medical or dental screenings, they don’t specify ways to engage with parents, and they don’t speak to what — if anything — should be taught in childcare settings.

Shantel Meek, who heads the Children’s Equity Project at Arizona State UniverState rules more lenient sity, co-authored an analysis Overall, experts empha- that compared state licenssize, state childcare licens- ing requirements with Head ing requirements are far Start standards and found

massive gaps.

“Whereas licensing is, like, the bare minimum to keep kids safe, Head Start includes keeping kids safe but also ensuring that kids are developing, growing, learning well,” Meek said. “It’s a totally different purpose.”

Critically, states allow adults to care for far more children than is allowed under Head Start standards. In Mississippi, for example, one Head Start teacher is only allowed to teach up to four 2-year-olds. State childcare regulations would permit up to a dozen 2-year-olds to be supervised by one adult.

Head Start, which oper-

ates in all 50 states, has long had support from both Democrats and Republicans.

But it has faced repeated threats under the Trump administration, whose budget chief, Russell Vought, had previously called for it to be eliminated.

In a call with reporters, Kennedy said he believes Head Start is effective. He cited research showing its graduates have fewer law enforcement encounters, do better in school and have better jobs than their peers.

He added that he tried to shield Head Start from many of the cuts that hit the rest of his agency.

Axing pages of regulations Head Start, which began in the 1960s as part of Johnson’s War on Poverty, is currently governed by more than 100 pages of regulations. Those regulations require centers to have low staff-to-student ratios and a research-backed curriculum, among other things, and they ensure centers are providing wraparound services that are critical to children in poverty, including medical and dental screenings and parent coaching.

The proposal would toss out nearly all of that rule book. Instead, Head Start’s 1,600 operators — which include nonprofits and school districts — would look to state and local childcare licensing requirements for guidance on many aspects of the program.

While the proposed rules largely loosen requirements, Adams emphasized that centers have the option to continue to operate as they had in the past. He estimated the new rules could generate more than $2 billion in savings and potentially allow Head Start to serve more children.

The proposal adds some new requirements. Staffers

CBO: Trump’s battleship fleet could cost $275B

BY TONY CAPACCIO

would have to deliver all instruction in English, except in tribal communities that run immersion programs in native languages. There would be a 5% cap on administrative expenses, down from 15%. The proposal also includes new nutrition standards, championed by Kennedy, and a requirement for 30 minutes of physical activity — outside if the weather permits — for every three and a half hours of the program.

vessels.

“Those estimates are highly uncertain and rely on CBO’s assessments of the ship’s design and the overall battleship program,” according to the report.

If the preliminary estimates hold, the vessels would be even costlier than the $13.2 billion USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier, the most expensive U.S. warship ever built.

The Trump-class battleship program is so associated with the current president that it’s likely to be one of the top defense programs targeted for cancellation if Republicans lose control of the House of Representatives in November midterm elections. The decades-long program is even more at risk if a Democrat is elected president in 2028.

SUMMER

CLEARANCE % WOMEN’S

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4A ● Friday, August 7, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

Unusually intense dust storms hit Phoenix

BY SUDHIN THANAWALA Associated Press

Dust storms that blanketed the Phoenix area in thick haze this week were among the most intense to hit the region in years, scientists said Thursday.

The storms — called haboobs — occur throughout the U.S. Southwest when strong downdrafts from thunderstorms stir up loose dust and dirt that get blown along in front of the approaching storm cell.

They can produce massive walls of dust and debris that blind drivers and make people sick.

The latest storm rolled in during the early morning hours Thursday, three days after the other one struck.

There were no reports of any significant impacts, though both storms reduced visibility to half a mile.

“Luckily, they both happened when it was later at night, so there was less traffic on the roads,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Salerno in Phoenix.

Both storms were extreme, Category 5 events on a scale of dust storm severity, with huge concentrations of dust and wind speeds of about 50 mph, according to researchers at Arizona State University, which helped develop the scale.

The scale — unveiled this year — was developed using data going back to 2010.

“To have Class 5 dust storms occur one right

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after another a few days apart is unprecedented in our records,” said Randall Cerveny, a professor in the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning at Arizona State. “We don’t see that.”

They were only the fifth and sixth dust storms in the last 16 years to reach Category 5, Cerveny told The Associated Press in a phone interview.

He noted the Phoenix region has been drier than normal, which can increase the amount of dust that is kicked up. Scientists have said human-caused climate change increases the odds of both severe drought and heavier storms that could set the stage for more intense dust storms in the future.

PHOTO PROVIDED By SEAN VOySEy OLSON

A large haboob dust storm rolls through Scottsdale, Ariz., on Monday.

FCC votes in favor of lifting limits on TV station ownership

BY STEPHEN BATTAGLIO

Los Angeles Times (TNS)

The Federal Communications Commission voted 2-1 in favor of allowing TV station ownership groups to own more outlets, easing the way for more consolidation.

The Thursday vote that favored the change means companies can own local stations that cover more than 39% of the U.S. They could also own more than two stations in a single market.

The measure supported

by FCC Chairman Brendan Carr will allow the agency to approve deals that put station ownership groups over the cap if the agency determines that they are promoting the public interest. Carr has said the agency would consider such issues as commitment to local journalism and “viewpoint diversity.”

“In my view, if you care about trusted sources of local news and information, you have to care about the future of local TV stations,” Carr said. “They are the economic engines that produce the paychecks for so many of

the local journalists that remain in the business. So how can the FCC maximize the odds that those institutions continue to survive and hopefully thrive into the future?

To start, we should stop hamstringing this one segment of the broader market with outdated restrictions.”

The station groups say the ability of tech companies such as Google and Netflix to Carr reach every consumer in the U.S. puts them at a disadvantage. At the same time, streaming now accounts for more than 40% of all viewing, according to Nielsen, pulling consumers away from traditional TV. Television stations are also seeing their share of carriage fees from cable and satellite companies shrink due to cord-cutting.

Declining viewership and revenue have also made it more challenging to sustain multiple local TV news operations in a single market.

Anna Gomez, the lone Democrat on the commission, opposed the measure, saying the rule change will only help big firms get bigger and more powerful.

“Eliminating the cap does not free local broadcasters from economic pressure, it just changes who is doing the squeezing,” Gomez said in a statement issued ahead of the vote. “The large station groups positioned to grow even larger under this decision are not local broadcasters, they are national companies that own local stations and increasingly dictate what airs on them.”

The measure ending the cap limits also faced push back from consumer groups and state government officials who believe station consolidation will result in journalist layoffs and fewer voices for the communities they serve.

TV station owners and its lobbying group the National Association of Broadcasters have been clamoring for a change in the rule, citing the changes in technology that have occurred since the

ownership limit. The 39% threshold was set in 2004 when streaming video was still a nascent business.

Jeff McCall, a professor of communications at DePauw University, agrees the current limit is outdated in the current media environment. “Local broadcasters are struggling in terms of audience and revenue, and this plan could give them some needed relief,” he said.

But McCall added that having the FCC decide who benefits from the rule change will face resistance.

“It will give the FCC wide discretionary powers and open up any decisions to second-guessing and, of course, court challenges,” he said.

There are also likely to be questions on how even-handed Carr will be when faced with a proposal that puts a station owner over the caps.

The chairman has made his name by threatening to pull the broadcast licenses of TV stations that irritate President Trump with their coverage and commentary.

Even Trump-supporting Re-

publicans such as Sen. John Kennedy, R-Madisonville, have raised concerns the FCC’s scrutiny of broadcast content could be violating the right to free speech.

In April, the FCC called for an early review of the licenses for Disney’s eight broadcast TV stations, a day after Trump demanded that ABC fire late-night host Jimmy Kimmel over a joke about first lady Melania Trump.

Carr also questioned whether ABC’s daytime show “The View,” where negative Trump commentary occurs often, should qualify as a bona fide news program that is exempt from giving equal time to qualified candidates.

Carr also believes large media companies such as Disney and NBCUniversal parent Comcast hold too much sway over the stations affiliated with their networks.

“New York and Hollywood interests have steamrolled those local TV stations and the broader media market in recent years in ways that

run directly counter to the regulatory framework that Congress and the FCC put in place,” he wrote. “Their national programs naturally reflect the values of the New York and Hollywood executives that produce them. This power imbalance has contributed to a steady decline in locally produced news — and with it, a weakening of the public’s trust in the media.”

Earlier this year, a group of attorneys general filed suit to block Nexstar Media Group’s proposed $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna, arguing it violates a 112-year-old U.S. antitrust law by knocking out a major competitor. The deal would give Irving, Texasbased Nexstar control of 265 television stations across the country, up from 164. And, in dozens of markets, Nexstar would own multiple TV network affiliates.

U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley issued a preliminary injunction in April that forbids Nexstar and Tegna, from combining operations.

Nexstar is appealing.

Representative facing abuse allegations should end campaign, GOP senator says

BY JULIE CARR SMYTH Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Republican Sen. Jon Husted of Ohio called on Rep. Max Miller Thursday to resign his House seat and abandon his fall reelection bid.

Miller is facing a congressional ethics investigation related to domestic abuse allegations leveled against him by his ex-wife, and anxiety over his electability this fall is growing within his party. But the secondterm, Cleveland-area congressman has continued to insist that he will hold the course.

In a post on X, Husted said he knows Miller, his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, the daughter of Sen. Bernie Moreno, and their daughter, and “I do not see how a campaign for Congress benefits any of them.”

“I believe Max would be making the right decision to step aside as a candidate and resign from Congress to focus on what is in the best interest of his daughter,” he wrote.

“Years from now, I believe he will look back and know it was the right choice for her.”

Another Republican senator, Tim Sheehy of Montana, also urged Miller on Thursday to “step aside and seek help.”

“Staying in this race makes it far more likely we lose this seat and hand Democrats a majority to impeach President Trump,” he said on X. Miller faces Democrat Brian Poindexter, a union ironworker and local councilman, for Ohio’s 7th Congressional District.

A message seeking comment was left with Miller’s spokesperson. The congressman has vehemently denied all allegations of domestic abuse leveled against him by his former spouse.

Husted’s and Sheehy’s comments added to the increasing pressure on Miller from both Democrats and fellow Republicans.

Sen. Bernie Moreno, the state’s senior senator, reacted to Miller’s livestream on X Sunday by saying that Miller is unfit to serve — though he never specifically urged Miller to resign or end his November campaign.

Under Ohio law, Miller would need to withdraw by Saturday to allow enough time for the replacement process to play out before the 4 p.m. Monday deadline.

Donovan O’Neil, state director of Americans for Prosperity-Ohio, an influential conservative organization, also labeled Miller “unfit to serve” in an X post Thursday.

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The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Friday,August 7, 2026 ● 5A

Settler charged with killing Palestinian activist

BY JULIA FRANKEL Associated Press

Continued from page 1A

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special l o o h c s to k c a B

state legislators — Sen. Stewart Cathey and state Rep. Michael Echols, both from Monroe, and state Rep. Gabe Firment of Pollock. That seat is open because Rep. Julia Letlow is running for Senate, having ousted Sen. Bill Cassidy in the GOP primary.

Two other Republicans, Austin Magee of Franklinton and Oscar “Omar” Dant-

zler of Hammond, are also running, as is Democrat Dan McKay. Misti Cordell, a Republican who is chair of the Board of Regents, has said she will run.

With strong incumbents running in the state’s other four districts — such as U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, both Republicans — it is the

5th and 6th districts that remain the most up for grabs.

Also on Thursday, Priscilla Gonzalez, a Democrat from Lafayette, and Caleb Walker, a Democrat from Lafayette, and signed up to run against U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins in the 3rd District.

Email Meghan Friedmann at meghan.friedmann@ theadvocate.com.

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can buy a Coke with your SNAP benefits.”

In a statement, Edwards said he had known Forbes his entire life.

Forbes “has spent his entire career partnering with Republicans and Democrats in some of the most challenging situations,” Edwards, a Democrat, said.

“That bipartisan approach to governing is exactly what Washington, D.C. needs right now.”

Louisiana Democrats will vote on which candidate to endorse on Aug. 29, according to Randal Gaines, who chairs the state party.

“I can’t prematurely comment on the endorsement,” Gaines said. “But Lindsay (Garcia) did get the endorsement for the 5th.”

Gaines said he has worked with Garcia and called her a “great candidate.” He did not know Forbes, he said, though he said Forbes appeared “qualified.”

Republicans running in the 6th District include state Sen. Rick Edmonds, R-Baton Rouge, the heaviest hitter in the race so far.

Republicans Larry Davis III, Monique Appeaning and Michael Mebruer also filed to run Wednesday. And Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Charlton Meginley, another Republican, has said he is considering a run.

Candidates for the 5th District, which covers northeast Louisiana, so far include three Republican

R

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of Defense, taught social studies in Louisiana for nearly 10 years and then got her law degree from Southern University. Instead of taking the bar exam, she decided to run for Congress, she said.

Garcia wanted to go to Washington D.C. “to give a voice to the voiceless,” she said.

“Nobody handed me a seat at this table. I built one, I dragged it in and then I flipped the ones that were there that were no longer serving the people,” Garcia said.

Meanwhile, Forbes said he was running because the district was losing Fields as its representative, and he said he believed any Republican elected would work for President Donald Trump instead of the people of Louisiana.

Forbes is an engineer who worked for the state under three Louisiana governors, he said — Edwards, Gov. Bobby Jindal and Gov. Kathleen Blanco. Throughout his career, he worked on coastal protection and disaster recovery, he said, adding that he was also part of search and rescue efforts after Hurricane Katrina.

“I have worked for 20 years in state government building things,” he said.

“That’s what we need. We need infrastructure. We need to be ready for the next big storm that hits this state. We don’t need to be fighting over whether you

grants to soldiers and settlers who harm Palestinians is not a failure of the system — it is a central component of a policy designed to allow the violence to continue and escalate,” wrote Yair Dvir, spokesperson for B’Tselem.

The indictment comes just over a year after Hathaleen’s death.

Video from the day showed Levi shooting in the direction of buildings and a group of Palestinians in Hathaleen’s village, Umm alKhair, on the day the activist was killed.

One video showed Levi firing two shots, while another, which family

would respond to the accusations in court.

A spokesperson for the prosecutors’ office confirmed that the indictment had been filed in the city of Beersheba and that Levi is not currently under arrest. She said a meeting will be scheduled in the coming weeks where prosecutors will read Levi the charges against him.

Israeli settlers and soldiers have killed at least 1,100 Palestinians in the West Bank since Oct. 7, 2023, says B’Tselem.

“The decision to indict Yinon Levi is the exception that proves the rule. The impunity Israel

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primaries were scheduled for May 16, but Gov. Jeff Landry suspended that election so the state could redraw its map following a U.S. Supreme Court order that said the state could not draw districts based primarily on race. That gave Republicans a chance to get rid of one of Louisiana’s two majority-Black districts, represented by Democrats.

Under previous court decisions, the state was told it had to have two majorityBlack districts to comply with the Voting Rights Act and provide fair representation to Black Louisianans, who make up about a third of the state’s population.

Garcia, who had been running in the 5th District — which at the time stretched from Monroe down to Baton Rouge — filed a federal lawsuit challenging Landry’s decision to suspend the May 16 election. She highlighted that lawsuit when she spoke to the press after fighting to run.

“The lines got moved, the date got moved, and I led the fight against those violations in our voting rights, standing up to make sure that this district’s voice didn’t get silenced,” she said.

Garcia said that, as a single mother, she previously worked for the Department

tive back, the family “still believes this is something really, really big.

It’s good for the settlers to learn that they shouldn’t shoot at us.”

Levi on Thursday wrote back to prosecutors saying he would fight for his innocence in court, according to a letter he shared with The Associated Press. He wrote that prosecutors should not penalize acts of self-defense, accusing them of providing “de facto support for terrorism.”

When reached by phone, Avichay Hajbi, Levi’s lawyer, said the prosecution had made a “mistaken decision.” He said the defense

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AP P

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CANDIDATES

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By MAHMOUD ILLEAN

Mourners carry the body of Palestinian activist Awdah Al Hathaleen during his funeral in the West Bank Bedouin village of Umm al-Khair in 2025.

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JERUSALEM — Israeli prosecutors Thursday charged a settler for the killing of a Palestinian activist last year in the occupied West Bank, according to an indictment filed in a district court in southern Israel.

It’s the first time since Oct. 7, 2023, that an Israeli has been indicted for killing a Palestinian in the West Bank, said Israeli rights group B’Tselem.

In the document, state attorneys accuse Yinon Levi, a settler who lives in an outpost in the southern West Bank, of reckless manslaughter in the death of prominent Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen in July 2025. Under Israeli law, reckless manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison.

Levi is also accused of armed trespassing and malicious property damage.

Hathaleen was a prominent community leader who advocated against settler violence in the southern West Bank. He was involved in the 2025 Oscar-winning film “No Other Land,” which chronicled the fight by Palestinian residents to protect their homes and villages.

“I hope that it will be a turning point for more severe enforcement of the law in the West Bank against Jewish terrorists,” said Eitan Peleg, the lawyer for Hathaleen’s family.

Tariq Hathaleen, Awdah’s cousin and lifelong friend, said that while the indictment won’t bring his rela-

members say was taken by Hathaleen himself, showed Levi firing toward the person holding the camera. The footage cuts, but the person can still be heard moaning in pain.

The indictment, issued by Israel’s Southern District Prosecutor’s Office, says that the first shot Levi fired struck Hathaleen, who was standing in a courtyard bout 65 feet away, documenting the scene.

The bullet punctured Hathaleen’s lung and chest, and he collapsed to the floor and started bleeding.

He was already dead when he arrived at the hospital, the indictment says, after going into hypovolemic shock and respiratory failure.

Hathaleen was a teacher and father who often hosted international activists and visitors in his home.

Levi was among the Israeli settlers sanctioned by the United States and other Western countries over allegations of violence toward Palestinians in 2024. U.S. President Donald Trump lifted the U.S. sanctions after taking office the following year.

Levi has been seen roaming lands near the village of Umm Al-Khair multiple times since the shooting, residents told the AP. They said they continue to experience near-daily intrusions by settlers living in outposts and settlements nearby.

Peleg, lawyer for the Hathaleen family, credited the indictment to the strength of the video evidence against Levi and perseverance.

“We were in my office, applying constant pressure on the police and the district attorney,” he said.

“We didn’t leave them to do what they wanted.”

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Man indicted in 2025 attack in West Bank

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Warner Bros. Discovery earnings tumble

Warner Bros. Discovery stumbled in the second quarter, demonstrating the hazard of depending heavily on blockbuster returns from its Burbank film studio.

Disappointing performances by “Supergirl” and “The Bride!” drove down quarterly theatrical revenue by 46%. The tepid showing illustrated how the Warner Bros. studio has fallen since last year, when it was riding high at the box office with “Sinners” and “A Minecraft Movie.”

Warner’s lackluster earnings, released Thursday, come as tech scion David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance remains eager to complete its $111-billion deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery to combine the two companies’ streaming operations and the storied film studio with Melrose Avenue’s Paramount Pictures.

Overall, profit for Warner Bros. Discovery, which also is the parent of HBO, CNN, TLC and HGTV, plummeted 91% to $149 million, or 6 cents per share, compared to $1.6 billion in the second quarter of 2025 amid the film studio’s blazing run.

Warner missed having NBA games on its TNT channel, which contributed to a 27% drop in advertising to $1.4 billion. The NBA’s departure, and the absence of the NHL Stanley Cup finals, contributed to a 17% ratings decline at Warner’s cable networks.

Warner executives disclosed the company still is carrying about $30 billion in debt.

SpaceX shares rise even as insiders can sell NEWYORK — Stock in Elon Musk’s space company rose Thursday.

Investors in SpaceX have pushed the shares down sharply in recent days in anticipation of insiders possibly selling in the first of several so-called lockup expirations that free them up to trade. More than 900 million shares became newly available to buy or sell with Thursday’s release, doubling what was available previously.

SpaceX shares rose 6.1% to close at $114.92. A day earlier they had one of their biggest routs in SpaceX’s short history as a public company, dropping nearly 14%.

Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas said the expiration of lockup provisions that bar employees and others from selling was an opportunity for others to get into the stock cheaply. He believes the stock could rise to $300 by the middle of next year, nearly triple its current level.

Earlier this week, SpaceX reported it had lost $541 million, or 9 cents per share, in the three months through June, less than half what financial analysts had forecast.

Kellogg to pull artificial dyes from cereals WK Kellogg said Thursday that it will remove artificial colors from all its cereals by the end of this year. The company said Thursday it has identified fruit- and vegetable-based juices that will give cereals like Froot Loops and Apple Jacks their distinctive colors. The Battle Creek, Michigan-based company said it has also invested in equipment that will allow it to transition to natural colors.

The company said it is also removing BHT, an artificial preservative, from the small number of cereals that still contain it.

“More and more consumers are looking for foods made with simple, recognizable ingredients and we are proud to meet those expectations even sooner than planned,” Kellogg’s Chief Growth Officer Doug VanDeVelde said in a statement.

Kellogg has faced pressure for years to remove artificial ingredients from its cereals, which it has already done in other countries like Canada. In 2024, dozens of people rallied outside Kellogg’s headquarters and delivered petitions with 400,000 signatures asking the company to remove artificial dyes and BHT.

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Wind lease buybacks hit nearly $4B In latest settlement, company walks away from projects in N.y., Calif. and La.

BY JENNIFER MCDERMOTT Associated Press

An offshore wind company said Thursday that it reached a $1.2 billion settlement with the Trump administration to walk away from projects under development off New York, California and Louisiana. This latest agreement brings the total amount spent on such settlements to nearly $4 billion.

RWE U.S. Offshore said its leases represented years of planning, investment and partnership with federal agencies, but it determined there was no path forward to permit the projects for the foreseeable future. In exchange for

$1.22 billion, RWE is relinquishing the wind power leases that could have provided about seven gigawatts of power, enough for more than 5 million homes. It does not have any remaining U.S. offshore wind leases.

President Donald Trump, who often talks about his hatred of wind power, has said his goal is to not let any “windmills” be built. The Republican administration has been buying back offshore wind leases from energy companies as it seeks to discourage the expansion of wind energy in favor of fossil fuels. Offshore wind produces electricity cleanly. Oil, coal and natural gas emit carbon pollution when burned.

RWE announced it is investing $900 million in a liquefied natural gas project in Louisiana and spending $300 million on natural gas turbines. The company is developing 15 natural gas projects across the United States. RWE is headquar-

tered in Germany.

The administration adopted this strategy after federal courts thwarted Trump’s efforts to stop offshore wind development through executive action. Roughly $3.9 billion has been spent. States that are losing offshore wind energy are suing. California intends to sue.

Separately, a coalition of renewable energy groups sued Pentagon officials over their failure to complete national security reviews for new onshore wind farms on private lands. A federal judge in Oregon ruled in favor of the plaintiffs on Thursday, ordering the Defense Department to resume its review process and provide status reports on the progress.

Commenting on the RWE agreement, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Thursday that Americans “deserve an energy system built on common sense, not one dependent on costly subsidies or technolo-

gies that can’t meet our country’s current demand.” He said he welcomes RWE’s agreement and voluntary investment in projects that strengthen the nation’s energy security, provide dependable baseload power and help keep electricity affordable.

But Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., said the lease buybacks are effectively bribing companies to step away from clean energy that can displace more expensive fossil fuel plants, which in turn will raise costs for consumers.

“They are creating this enormous money pump, pulling billions of dollars out of consumers’ pockets,” he said. “That’s the real story of what is going on here. And that is both a cost story because of the billions in extra costs consumers pay, and it’s a corruption story because it’s Trump’s sneaky way of getting regular families to pay off his big fossil fuel donors. There’s method here, and it’s a real scam.”

Ford reveals name of new electric truck Fathom is first vehicle to be built on carmaker’s Universal Electric Vehicle platform

BY BREANA NOBLE

The Detroit News (TNS) The Ford Fathom will be Ford Motor Co.’s first vehicle built on its new Universal Electric Vehicle platform — a midsize truck that’ll start at $28,350 plus $1,595 destination and come with a standard-range battery.

It’s not a heritage name like Bronco or Maverick from deep in the 123-year-old automaker’s archives. But perhaps that’s the point: Ford is doing something different with this all-electric truck. Executives say it needs to because it’s struggled to win mass consumer acceptance of its first-generation EVs, and because Chinese automakers are expanding globally and rapidly with subsidized, low-cost electrified models customers want.

“That owner’s motivations,” Kay Hart, general manager of Model e, Ford’s EV division, said in a blog post about the target buyer of the Fathom, “look a little different from the traditional truck customer’s, and defining them guided every decision on the first vehicle built on our Universal EV Platform. Which meant the name had to do more than sound good. It had to capture a mindset, shifting the focus from specs to a spirit of adaptability.”

Customers can sign up for Fathom updates, though preorders won’t open until early next year. First deliveries are expected later in 2027.

Naming the vehicle was a nine-month process, Hart said. The company evaluated archived names: Galaxie, Taurus and Ranchero.

Each, Hart said, came with a specific implication that might not fit with the new electric truck.

Two Ford copywriters separately brought Fathom forward among hundreds of other options. The naming team asked engineers to pick their favorites. One engineer who fit the vehicle’s customer profile chose the winner before every meeting.

“Long before it meant depth, fathom described the span of a person’s outstretched arms, roughly six feet,” Hart said. “Sailors borrowed that span to measure water they couldn’t see the bottom of. And eventually the word came to mean something else entirely: to understand a thing completely.

“A name about measuring what you can’t see, that grew into a word about understanding,” she continued. “For a truck that started with years of trying to understand a specific customer, that was the whole brief

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By DARRON CUMMINGS

Ford is investing $2 billion into its Louisville Assembly Plant for the Universal Electric Vehicle platform and is abandoning the traditional moving assembly line developed by founder Henry Ford in 1913. in six letters.”

Executives have described the five-seater, midsize truck as similar in size to the Maverick, but having more passenger room than the latest Toyota RAV4, the most popular SUV in the United States. Ford has said it will have a 0-60 mph time on the truck to be as fast as the Mustang EcoBoost with more downforce.

Like the Tesla Cybertruck, a 48-volt system will replace the traditional 12-volt battery that operates in-vehicle electronics.

Executives have said the pickup will support drivers who need 300 miles of range, similar to the EVs it already has offered but with a third of the battery cells. That, however, is not what the standard-range battery will offer, spokesperson Emma Bergg said.

Fathom will have bidirectional power capability that can charge a home without a generator, though the company declined to share for what length of time.

Every Fathom will be capable of BlueCruise, launching with Ford’s Level 2+ hands-free highway driving assistant. The company has said the UEV platform also will support its launch of Level 3 eyes-off-the-road driving in 2028. Plus, a high-resolution touchscreen will have Apple Maps embedded, though consumers still will be able to use Android Auto and Apple CarPlay should they desire. The vehicle will have a digital key.

The truck will be a test for Ford. EV demand has missed expectations as consumers remain wary of their range, cost, speed to charge, and

reliability. Mustang Mach-E’s U.S. sales are down 50% through July. The elimination of federal tax credits hasn’t helped.

But global regulators are pushing for zeroemission vehicle adoption, and Chinese companies are expanding around the world with subsidized, affordable electrified vehicles.

Ford CEO Jim Farley has called them an “existential threat.”

The UEV is a simplified underpinning developed by Ford’s California-based EV hardware and software ”skunkworks” team, a group launched in 2022 at a tenth of the size of what Ford typically would hire for this kind of work. The intentional separation of the group was done for the sake of innovation outside of the legacy, bureaucratic system, executives have said.

Ford is investing $2 billion into Louisville Assembly for the UEV and is abandoning the traditional moving assembly line developed by founder Henry Ford in 1913. The new tree-shaped manufacturing design brings together three sub-assemblies and reduces parts by 20%. It will be Ford’s most automated assembly plant, and the investment secures 2,200 hourly jobs at Louisville Assembly.

Large, single-piece aluminum unicastings replace dozens of smaller parts so the front and rear of the vehicle can be assembled separately. They then combine with the structural battery, which is assembled independently with seats, consoles and carpeting.

Experts trace jalapeños linked to salmonella outbreak Authorities track produce to Mexican farm, a distributor

BY MIKE STOBBE AP medical writer

NEW YORK — Jalapeño peppers linked to a multistate salmonella outbreak have been traced back to a grower in Sinaloa, Mexico, federal officials say.

At least 345 people in 27 states have been reported getting sick from the salmonella strain linked to the jalapeños. Most have been in Minnesota and Colorado. No deaths have been reported, but officials say 36 people have been hospitalized.

The Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention said Wednesday that the chili peppers were moved into the U.S. by Coast Citrus Distributors. The company has recalled the peppers and is notifying its customers, which include some prominent Mexican food restaurant chains, officials said.

Coast Citrus Distributors didn’t immediately respond to a Thursday voicemail seeking comment.

The Food and Drug Administration said that of the 191 people interviewed in the outbreak investigation, 177 — or 93% — reported eating at a Mexican-style restaurant, including Chipotle Mexican Grill and Qdoba, from June 14 to July 14.

Chipotle Mexican Grill said Tuesday that it had removed jalapeños from some of its restaurants. Qdoba on Wednesday said

the company had proactively removed jalapeños from all of its restaurants.

“Given their actions to remove product from their stores, neither of these establishments are considered a current ongoing risk to consumers in this outbreak,” CDC officials said in a statement.

The FDA is investigating whether any of the jalapeños went to grocery stores. The agency may announce additional actions on its recalls webpage, health officials said.

Mexico health officials said they opened an investigation and made a field visit Thursday to a packing plant in the northern state of Nuevo Leon.

Salmonella bacteria cause about 1.35 million infections in the United States every year, and out-

breaks have been tied to sources such as cucumbers, eggs, unpasteurized milk, fresh basil, geckos and pet bearded dragons.

Within hours or days of being exposed to the bacteria, infected people can suffer from diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. The illness usually lasts four to seven days, and most people recover without treatment.

Young children, retirement-age adults and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk for more severe illness, according to the CDC. A number of fast-casual chains like Chipotle have seen less foot traffic from middle- and lowerincome customers due to broader inflation in the U.S., and recent headlines about foodborne illnesses may be another negative.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Friday,August 7, 2026 ● 7A

lll

BOUNCING

“After the first day, I absolutely loved it. I guess it’s just the feeling of jumping and falling.

It’s fun. It’s thrilling.”

Continued from page 1A family to start a program.

Webster’s journey began differently. Growing up near Dallas, Texas, she and her sister enrolled in a neighborhood gymnastics gym, where she immediately discovered a passion for trampoline.

“After the first day, I absolutely loved it,” Webster said. “I guess it’s just the feeling of jumping and falling. It’s fun. It’s thrilling.”

That passion eventually led Webster to move to Lafayette in 2013 to train under Poliaroush, leaving home and completing high school through homeschooling so she could pursue the sport full time.

Earning a spot on the U.S. Olympic team is among the toughest challenges in the sport, with only a handful of Americans advancing to the Games each Olympic cycle.

Since moving to Lafayette, Webster has been a Tokyo Olympic alternate, won multiple U.S. titles and captured a World Cup title in Italy in 2022, becoming just the second American woman to win a World Cup trampoline event.

Shostak, who competed at the Tokyo Olympics, has won multiple national titles, a World Cup championship and a World Championship silver medal.

Despite those accomplishments, both athletes say their success hasn’t been measured just on their medals.

“I don’t think I’ve performed the

LSU

Continued from page 1A The private investor is willing to invest $100 million into the new company, the person said, and in exchange, that the investor would get a 9% stake in the business and 7% of any profits it generates.

The source did not specify whether the $100 million would go directly to LSU for athletics expenses or if it would be used as seed money for the business itself.

After six years, if the private investor chooses to get out of the business, he could sell his stake with a vote of approval from the company’s board, the person said. LSU would have a right of first refusal, meaning the university would be first in line to buy that stake.

The university is also considering bringing in other investors who could get up to an 11% stake in the company, though university leaders haven’t decided how many additional partners they would bring in or how that stake would be divided, the source said.

LSU would likely control 80% of the new company, while outside investors would control no more than 20%, the source said.

The new company would house LSU’s broadcasting rights, which university leaders expect to substantially increase in value when the SEC renegotiates its contract with ESPN and the Disney corporation in 2030, the source said.

The new company could also hire a professional or firm to invest the company’s money into other businesses

SARAH WEBSTER, OLyMPIAN

are,” he said. “As long as I’m capable of doing it, I want to see what my body can do.”

Poliaroush said that mindset is what separates elite athletes from everyone else.

“I can tell from the start if a child is dedicated,” he said. “Natural talent is great to have, but you can still build an athlete if they’re willing to work hard.”

His coaching philosophy has remained rooted in discipline, even as rules have changed over the years and scoring systems and sports science have reshaped the sports.

Now, Webster and Shostak are not only athletes but also coaches, helping younger competitors chase their same passion by progressing from local competitions to national championships and, eventually, the Olympic stage.

Before Los Angeles becomes STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP their main focus, both athletes are Olympians Sarah Webster and Aliaksei Shostak listen to coach Dmitri Poliaroush, right, at Trampling and preparing for the World ChampiTumbling Express on Monday. onships in China later this year.

“Everything we’ve done has been best that I can perform,” Webster ing more than 20 hours a week in portant because I’m not 18 years a sacrifice,” Webster said. “But said. “I want to compete at the the gym. Instead, both athletes old anymore,” Webster said. “My I think Alia would agree that we Olympic Games.” wouldn’t change it for the world.” focus more on refining technique body hurts after training.”

Reaching that goal requires and allowing their bodies time to For Shostak, longevity has beadapting as their careers continue. recover. come part of his bigger challenge. Email Ja’kori Madison at jakori.

Training no longer means spend“Recovery is becoming more im“I like to see where my limits madison@theadvocate.com.

and generate a “perpetual” stream of revenues from that investment income, the person said.

The person said university officials hope to have plans finalized by LSU’s first football game against Clemson on Sept. 5.

When LSU was approached for comment on the proposed financial plan, a spokesperson replied that it’s an “evolving scenario” and “no deal has been confirmed or signed.”

Donor meetings About 25 to 30 LSU boosters attended a roughly twohour meeting on Monday night, according to two people who were there.

One donor who attended the meeting said the revenue plan could help provide “immediate stability” to LSU sports, but he noted that university officials are still in the process of vetting the proposal and would also still need to secure approval from the Board of Supervisors to move forward.

“We’re a ways away from getting things done,” the donor said.

A second meeting with additional boosters was held Wednesday.

State and university lead-

ers held the meetings at the Governor’s Mansion this week with LSU boosters as a courtesy to keep the university’s biggest financial supporters in the loop, rather than to ask them for money, three people who attended the meeting said.

Private capital in sports LSU’s plan is unique in character but it has shades of other athletics funding models already instituted by other universities.

Clemson set up a revenuegenerating entity technically separate from its athletic department, Clemson Ventures, which controls the university’s multimedia rights — not its broadcast rights — and works on sponsorships deals for the school and its athletes, produces digital content and organizes events like concerts.

Kentucky created an LLC, called Champions Blue, as a company to house its entire athletic department, which allows the university to explore avenues for revenue generation that would be difficult to pursue as a public institution.

LSU’s plan wouldn’t be the first time private investors have jumped into college sports. Two months ago,

Utah finalized a deal with Otro Capital, which reportedly will provide its athletic department with at least $100 million but aims for upward of $500 million in investment.

The model LSU is considering isn’t a direct investment of private equity into the university, like Utah, nor is the entire athletic department being moved into an LLC, like Kentucky, according to a person familiar with the plan.

In LSU’s case, investors would provide upfront capital for a stake in a company that’s holding the school’s SEC broadcast payments, which are expected to in-

crease over the coming years. Conference institutions received an average payout of $72.4 million in the 2024-25 fiscal year, but schools can earn more if they make the College Football Playoff.

LSU, like many power-conference athletic programs, needs money to support a growing list of expenses.

Last year, universities began sharing up to $20.5 million directly with athletes as a result of an NCAA settlement of antitrust lawsuits; the revenue-sharing cap will increase to $21.3 million this academic year.

LSU also strained its donor base when it fired football

coach Brian Kelly with $54 million in guaranteed money left on his contract and hired Lane Kiffin away from Ole Miss for an additional $91 million.

Not to mention, donors and corporate sponsors are also helping fund third-party endorsement deals with athletes that don’t count toward the university’s revenue-sharing cap. LSU is rumored to have invested $40 million, if not more, in its football roster, though athletes’ NIL deals are not public, and those numbers are unconfirmed.

Email Alyse Pfeil at alyse. pfeil@theadvocate.com.

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F r i d ay, au g u s t 7, 2026

1BN

Election qualifiers named Several races on Nov. 3 ballot

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR

Staff writer

The following people have qualified to run in various Lafayette Parish races on Nov. 3.

15th Judicial District Court Judge (Lafayette, Acadia, Vermilion parishes) n Division A — incumbent Scott Privat n Division B — incumbent Valerie Gotch Garrett n Division D — incumbent H H H H H H Royale Colbert n Division E — incumbent Michelle Breaux n Division F — incumbent David Smith n Division G — incumbent Laurie Hulin n Division H — Shawn Eller n Division I — Will Keaty II and David Way n Division J — incumbent Angela Wagar n Division K — incumbent Michele Billeaud n Division L — incumbent Cynthia Simon Spagoni n Division M — incumbent Susan Theall and Dyan Schnaars

ELECTION

FILE PHOTOS By ROBIN MAy

Jojo Dailey, left, and her mom, Ji Dailey, cut slices of one of the many cakes available to sample during the inaugural Cake Fête inside the Petroleum Club on May 18, 2025.

HAVE YOUR CAKE

District Attorney 15th Judicial District n Kristian Earles n Don Landry

Cake Fête is all about McDonald, creator of Foodies of Lafayette, surveys the celebrating community Heidi numerous cakes available to sample during the inaugural Cake Fête. and tasty treats “It’s all about bringing community together over cake. It’s not a competition or anything but just more of a celebration.”

BY JA’KORI MADISON

Staff writer

Cake Fête, a community celebration centered around sharing cake, is returning for its second year at Vermilionville with new activities and community partnerships.

Taking place from 5 to 8 p.m. Aug. 15, the Foodies of Lafayette and Social Entertainment event is free and open to the public.

However, event organizer Tiffany Stewart said there’s one rule for anyone hoping to enter the event’s signature Cake Room: No Cake. No Entry.

Each person who wants to enter the Cake Room must bring a cake and a serving knife.

For example, a single person will need one cake; a family of four will need four cakes.

“It’s all about bringing community together over cake,” Stewart said. “It’s not a competition or anything but just more of a celebration.”

Homemade or bakery-made, sweet or savory, every kind of cake is welcome. Once inside, participants can sample dozens of cakes brought by other attendees.

Those without a cake can still enjoy the

ä See CAKE, page 4B

BY MARGARET DeLANEY

Staff writer

Five Louisiana residents have died from Vibrio vulnificus, a dangerous and rare flesh-eating bacteria infection found naturally in warm coastal waters. Four more patients are in the hospital, the Louisiana Department of Health reported Thursday.

All nine patients had underlying health conditions when they were infected, the Health Department said.

During the same period over the past decade, Louisiana re-

Division A

n Roya Boustany

Division B n Ryan Harris n James Klock n Emilia Pardo

Lafayette City Marshal n Reggie Thomas

ä See ELECTION, page 4B

TIFFANy STEWART, Cake Fête organizer

Man indicted in shooting of deputy marshal Prosecutors to seek death penalty

BY KRISTIN ASKELSON

This Pistachio Rose Bundt cake was available to share during the inaugural Cake Fête. To participate the only requirement was to bring a cake, homemade or store bought, to share.

Five in Louisiana dead from flesh-eating bacteria Four more are in the hospital

Lafayette City Court Judge

ported an average of seven cases and one death.

Vibrio is more common from May to October when water temperatures are warmer. Infection can occur when an open wound is exposed to brackish or salt water or when a person eats raw or undercooked seafood.

Last year, 22 of 26 cases in Louisiana were tied to water exposure. But at least two deaths, including a Florida resident who ate oysters harvested from Louisiana waters, have been linked to raw or undercooked seafood.

Cases reported in Louisiana this year were all found to be associated with wounds exposed to seawater, LDH said.

People with severe infections

can have gastrointestinal illness, wound infection or blood poisoning that may require intensive care or limb amputation.

About 1 in 5 people infected with Vibrio vulnificus dies, according to the Health Department, sometimes within a day or two of becoming ill.

While healthy people may recover from vibrio infections with antibiotics and supportive care, those with chronic conditions are vulnerable. People with liver disease, diabetes, cancer, HIV or weakened immune systems are at greatest risk for hospitalization, limb amputation or death.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises atrisk individuals to avoid eating

raw oysters or undercooked shellfish, keep wounds covered when in brackish water and wear protective gloves when handling seafood.

The Health Department urges residents to take simple steps to prevent infection, such as staying out of brackish or salt water if you have a wound and covering it with a waterproof bandage.

Wash any cuts exposed to seawater or raw seafood with soap and clean water, and seek medical care immediately if a wound shows signs of redness, swelling or blistering.

Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com.

Staff writer

A federal grand jury has indicted the man accused of fatally shooting a deputy U.S. marshal during an attempted arrest in Alexandria last month, and prosecutors say they intend to seek the death penalty.

The five-count indictment, returned Monday, charges 48-year-old Clarence A. Frazier Jr. with murder of a federal officer, attempted murder of a federal officer, assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

The indictment also seeks forfeiture of the firearm allegedly used in the shooting.

During a Wednesday news conference, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana confirmed it will seek the death penalty.

According to court records, deputy U.S. marshals and Rapides Parish sheriff’s detectives went to Frazier’s Rutland Road home to serve a contempt warrant after he failed to appear for trial on a charge of sexual battery of a person with infirmities.

Investigators said officers knocked and announced their presence but received no response. After obtaining

ä See INDICTED, page 4B

2B ● Friday,August 7, 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

We understand pope’s call for helping needy This spring, I had the honor of traveling to Rome, where I and other members of the board of directors of Catholic Charities USA were received in a private audience by Pope Leo XIV. From that Kim Boudreaux encounter, I have carried home a GUEST message that was COLUMNIST given not only to those of us in the room that day at the Vatican, but I believe to all of us here in Acadiana.

Three times during his address, Pope Leo XIV reminded us of Christ’s promise: “I am with you always.” Those words have remained with me, because he wasn’t speaking only about Christ’s presence in churches or in prayer. He reminded us that we encounter Christ in the lives of those who are suffering. In the hungry, homeless, lonely, sick, marginalized, struggling and forgotten.

For Christians, this is not a new idea. Jesus made it unmistakably clear in the Gospel of Matthew: “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for

me.” The poor are not a project to be managed or a problem to be solved. They are our neighbors.

And for those of us who profess faith in Christ, Pope Leo XIV shared, “service to the poor is an integral part of authentic Christian living.”

In the last 25 years with Catholic Charities of Acadiana, I have spent much of my time addressing the practical and material challenges of serving those in need in our community. Having enough resources to buy food for our soup kitchen and food bank. Housing a neighbor before another night is spent on the street. Repairing homes of disabled and elderly homeowners after disasters. Helping veterans find stability. Stretching every donated dollar as far as it will go.

Pope Leo XIV did not ignore those realities. In fact, he acknowledged something that anyone who has ever served others already knows. There are days when the need feels greater than the resources. There are people we cannot help in the way we wish we could. Rather than pretending those struggles don’t exist, he reminded us that they have always

Kim Boudreaux, CEO of Catholic Charities of Acadiana, meets Pope Leo XIV. PROVIDED PHOTO By MARIO TOMASSETTI been part of Christian service.

Caring for our neighbors has never been easy, nor has it been optional.

One of the greatest gifts of living in South Louisiana is that we instinctively understand this. In moments of need, our community shows up. After storms, we clean out homes together. Churches prepare meals. Civic groups collect supplies. Volunteers give up Saturdays to put their hands in.

Countless acts of generosity happen every day without cameras, headlines or recognition. That spirit is one of Acadiana’s greatest cultural strengths.

Every nonprofit, every church, every volunteer organization and every person who quietly chooses compassion over indifference helps weave together the kind of community we all want to live in.

It reminds us that our neighbors’ burdens are never theirs to carry alone. Pope Leo XIV also reminded us that charity is about more than meeting immediate needs. Certainly, people need food, shelter, clothing and safety. But all people also long to know that they have not been forgotten, that their dignity remains intact and that their lives still matter.

When I returned home from Rome, I brought back a renewed appreciation for the people of Acadiana. I thought about the thousands of volunteers who have served meals, repaired homes, stocked food pantries, responded to disasters and walked alongside families during their hardest moments. Most would probably say they were simply doing what anyone should do. But from the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV wanted people engaged in these works of mercy to know something important: This work matters. Not simply because it improves communities. It matters because every act of authentic love bears witness to something greater than ourselves.

Communities are shaped by ordinary people who quietly decide that another person’s suffering is worth their time. My experience with Pope Leo XIV affirmed something for every one of us who has ever wondered whether a single act of kindness can really make a difference: It can. That has always been true here in Acadiana. My prayer is that it always will be.

Kim Boudreaux is the CEO of Catholic Charities of Acadiana.

Balloon releases are a way that communities express grief

Don’t exacerbate opioid problem with policy changes

I once assisted a family after the loss of a loved one to overdose. At the time, the cause of death was unknown and no funeral had been arranged. Swelled with emotion and nowhere to put it, the day after the death we met in a grass field near his childhood home with balloons and his favorite liquor.

As each balloon rose high Amiyah above our heads, it became clear to me that they were King transforming the family’s GUEST grief into something tangible.

COLUMNIST For one moment, those balloons symbolized the transition of his spirit, each carrying the pain of the hand that held onto and released it.

For one moment, that grief belonged to all of us.

As of Aug. 1, Louisiana has prohibited the release of more than 12 helium balloons at once under Act 196. The law is intended to reduce environmental harm, but raises a question that has received far less attention: How will this policy impact one of the few affordable ways families have left to mourn together?

I’ve seen what happens to individuals and communities after traumatic loss. I’ve sat with angry mothers who lost their children to violence. I’ve organized GoFundMe campaigns for families struggling to afford funerals. I’ve watched grief harden into anger over time, when people are left without support.

For generations, communities have relied on affordable ways to honor the dead when traditional systems fall short. In Louisiana, particularly within Black communities, jazz funerals, second lines, repasts, roadside memorials and balloon releases represent traditions of collective care rooted in the belief that grief should be shared, similarly to our African and Indigenous ancestors.

Black rootworkers, priests and undertakers created rituals and safe space for communities to process grief when traditional systems would not allow them. Black mutual aid and benevolent societies provided burial assistance, financial support and community healing when public institutions refused.

Today, the privatization of the death industry is largely shaped by economics, bureaucracy and policy. When unexpected loss happens in communities that are experiencing high rates of poverty, the financial burden of death falls on families who are already stretched thin. In the immediate aftermath of loss, balloon releases can fill the space while families wait on autopsy reports, death

For the last three years, methadone has been one of the biggest reasons I am still here, still sober and still fighting for my family. Since October 2023, I have not missed a single day of my medication.

But proposed federal and state law changes could threaten that access — and the existence of health care Thomas providers who help patients like me and Roddy everyone hurt by the GUEST opioid crisis.

COLUMNIST My wife and I recently moved from Texas to Louisiana after losing my mother to cancer. I am currently uninsured and waiting for my Medicaid application to be approved. Until then, I pay out of pocket for methadone.

There is much wrong with our health care system: Cost, bureaucracy and paperwork are high on the list. But for victims of the opioid epidemic, one thing that is working is a drug discount program called 340B. Most people have never heard of it, but 340B is incredibly important. It requires drug manufacturers to sell certain outpatient medications at a discount to health care providers that serve vulnerable communities.

Those include HIV and AIDS clinics that operate throughout the opioid crisis that ravaged South and Appalachia. It allows many HIV and AIDS clinics to dispense medications to patients for free or at a discount. It also allows providers to sell medications to better-off patients at normal prices and use the differential to stay open and treat people like me 340B covers methadone. But the main benefit to those hit hard by the opioid crisis is on the HIV, AIDS and hepatitis C medication side of the ledger.

That includes people like my sixmonth-pregnant wife, who is hepatitis C positive from IV needle use years ago, before her recovery. With timely access to testing, treatment and affordable medication, she could have had a chance to cure her hepatitis C before becoming pregnant.

Instead, like too many families, we are carrying the consequences of delayed care into one of the most important moments of our lives.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Family, friends and classmates release balloons for Sophie B. Wright graduate Ferdinand Woolens on the lakefront in New Orleans in May.

certificates and insurance claims.

In this context, rituals like balloon releases are about far more than balloons.

Balloon releases are many people’s way of saying “we miss you, and we’re sending you off with love,” when a traditional funeral might bounce the checkbook. When considering the environmental impacts of Louisiana’s economic initiatives, it becomes ironic that one of the policy priorities receiving immediate attention directly impacts a memorial practice that is disproportionately used by families with the fewest resources.

Whether intended or not, policies can shape what traditions are protected. Balloon releases are part of a long history of Black communities creating their own systems of care in the absence of institutional support.

I still remember standing in that field for the man who overdosed, before there was a funeral to attend, an obituary to read or before we had any answers. I remember the balloons disappearing in the sky. More importantly, I remember the people who stood on the ground. I remember the looks in their eyes as they watched the balloons rise, visualizing a happy destination for their loved one.

Rituals develop because they meet human needs and provide comfort when words may fail to. Louisiana has a rich culture of death and mourning that has taught the world what collective healing can look like. If we’re going to regulate one of the ways families have learned to mourn together with limited resources, we should also ask what we are doing to strengthen the systems that help them heal.

Otherwise, this was never about the balloons.

Amiyah King is a death doula and doctoral student at Southern University.

340B is more robust in Louisiana, one of the first states to legislate protections to the program, than in Texas, from which we recently moved following my mother’s death.

Louisiana passed a law to stop drug companies from undermining access to 340B discounts through pharmacy arrangements. Texas has no such law. This matters because it’s already tough enough for patients like me to fund a $400 a month methadone expense where insurance or Medicaid hasn’t kicked in. Without access via providers who rely on the program, patients risk dangerous, potentially life-threatening withdrawal or worse: a relapse. And society risks plenty, too: More injectable drug addiction, more hepatitis C, HIV and AIDS transmission, more homelessness and taxpayers having to bail out rural providers and clinics who hold the line every day against these ills and tragedies.

All of this comes at no cost to the hardworking American taxpayer.

Unfortunately, drug companies are trying to dismantle 340B, despite its importance in helping uninsured and under-insured parents, workers, sons, daughters — people rebuilding their lives one day at a time. Those companies and their congressional allies in Washington, D.C., plus their legislative pals in Baton Rouge, want to “reform” it away by switching the program to a rebate, not a discount, model — the functional equivalent of you or me being forced to ditch grocery store coupons and instead pay the full cost of goods upfront and maybe, possibly, get a partial refund from Walmart later. Not only will this force providers to take on tons of debt, it will force those fighting the opioid epidemic to divert staff, slash budgets and curtail operations.

Recovery is hard enough. We tell people to get help. We tell them to stay in treatment. We tell them to do the right thing. It’s bad enough that transportation, insurance delays, clinic policies and out-of-pocket costs can knock a stable patient off track.

We should not make it harder by hammering one of the only health care solutions that currently exists.

Thomas Roddy lives in Kinder.

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COMMENTARY

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By CLIFF OWEN

Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testifies during a 2022 hearing at the Capitol in Washington.

ISSUE OF THE WEEK THE FAUCI DIARIES Before Dr.Anthony Fauci repeatedly took the Fifth at a tense Senate committee hearing over the government’s handling of the COVID pandemic, Kentucky Republican Rand Paul released more than 1,000 pages of Fauci’s diary, which had been created on a government computer. Rand and other Fauci critics said publicizing his personal account was necessary to evaluate whether what he said in public matched his private thoughts. Others said this was a cruel and unnecessary stunt aimed at embarrassing a public servant who’d saved many lives over his long career. Here are two perspectives.

What is the point of embarrassing Fauci over his diary entries?

I’m sure it is unpleasant to have your private diary made public, which is why I don’t keep one. Anthony S. Fauci was not so circumspect, and worse still, he kept his personal notes on a government computer. Their release last week by Sen. Rand Paul (RKentucky), ahead of schedMegan ega uled Senate testimony, has McArdle embarrassed Fauci and revived old resentments. Many entries seem almost purposely crafted to inflame every lingering conservative grievance over the pandemic.

Fauci, who helped lead the U.S. response to COVID-19, records many laudatory interactions with famous and influential liberals.

He details behind-the-scenes maneuvering over restrictive COVID policies. Oh, and he describes meetings where eminent experts deemed a lab-leak origin for COVID possible.

When called in front of the Senate to address all this, Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment. The best explanation for this is that he feared a perjury trap. That said, law professor Michael Dorf argues persuasively that Fauci was not entitled to do so, because of the sweeping pardon he was given by President Joe Biden. Some of it paints a picture that bears a striking resemblance to the conservative image of the liberal establishment: a cozy and insular elite that manufactures consensus behind closed doors, ignores or conceals inconvenient facts and haughtily dispenses the party line as a scientific fact, rather than a contestable opinion.

One might protest that this image is a caricature, and, well, yes. Fauci does not really come across as the cartoon villain some conservatives imagine. But then caricatures are usually exaggerations of reality, not pure imagination. Washington insiders are a cozy little community. (They almost have to be, because the city’s not that big.) They can get a little intoxicated with proximity to power and influence. And many of the powerful and influential really did become dogmatic on all things pandemic, from the origins of the virus to the merits of public gatherings to the benefits of mandatory vaccination. When challenged, instead of debating their beliefs, many denounced their challengers as bigots and fools.

This would be bad in any case, but it is particularly enraging because the experts made so many mistakes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention screwed up testing, allowing the virus to spread undetected.

Experts told us masks didn’t work right up to the point where they told us masks were mandatory. Schools stayed closed even

though they’d been opened successfully in Europe.

There has never been an adequate reckoning with those mistakes, and I can’t blame conservatives for wanting one, even if I think that releasing a man’s personal notes goes too far.

What is gained by embarrassing Fauci over his star-struck diary entries? Sure, conservatives get to feel vindicated, and Paul gets fodder for his next campaign. But while it’s of genuine importance to know how Fauci was thinking about lab leaks versus natural origin, releasing entries in which he muses on his celebrity contacts adds nothing to the history of the pandemic and makes it easier for Fauci’s supporters to dismiss this as a partisan witch hunt.

This dynamic is why, six years after the pandemic began, the nation still hasn’t had the kind of systematic, nonpartisan and nonpunitive investigation it needs. Nor has it embarked on reforms that might keep institutional failures from happening again.

Instead, one side seems to hope the public can just forget it happened, while the other mostly seems interested in venting its spleen.

What the country needs is a less confrontational approach that is not about assigning blame but about figuring out what went wrong.

That won’t sit right with many conservatives, who argue that what went wrong was bad people doing a bad job. The problem is, those folks believed — and still believe — that they were doing the best thing for the country. Focusing on the individuals sets us up to make the same mistakes, because their successors will also be prone to those common failings. Rather, we need systems that are robust enough to function with the flawed human material available — that is, unless you happen to have a reserve stash of angels ready to take on the job.

Fixing the system starts with determining exactly what went wrong, and your best source of information is, obviously, the decision-makers who may have made terrible decisions under pressure. If you are bent on punishing them, those people will, like Fauci, quite rationally clam up.

I can’t blame him for refusing to risk a perjury charge, any more than I can blame conservatives for still being mad. That’s the problem with the blame game: There’s more than enough to go around … and around … and around. We keep traveling in circles.

Nothing changes, and nobody wins.

Megan McArdle is on X, @asymmetricinfo. Email her at Megan.

McArdle@washpost.com.

Fauci’s diary provides evidence of his egotism We are born with an ego — from a baby’s first cry to our death.

Most can control their ego, protecting themselves and others from harm.

Some give it free reign, causing the fallout to be subCal stantial.

Thomas History is full of people who let their ego get the best of them. Dr. Anthony Fauci, who rose to international fame during the COVID-19 pandemic, fed his ego, causing great harm to others.

Thanks to Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul, we can now read the diary Fauci compiled during that stressful and deadly period.

Through more than 1,000 pages, Fauci, who then headed the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, reveals a high regard for himself. Recall he once said, “I represent science. I am science.” That testimony of selfimportance is also reflected in his claim to be an “international celebrity.”

He loved having his picture taken with celebrities, like Barbra Streisand. He claimed to have appeared before Congress more than anyone else. He said his favorite TV show was the one hosted by Rachael Maddow on the left-wing MSNBC (rebranded MS NOW).

What stressed so many during the pandemic were the contradictory statements from Fauci and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We were first told that masks would keep us safe, but then they wouldn’t.

Getting vaccinated would prevent everyone from getting the virus, but it didn’t. President Joe Biden was vaccinated before cameras in hopes of encouraging everyone to get the shot.

My wife and I got in line behind dozens of cars to get vaccinated … three times, including a booster. The first time we stayed in the car, rolled down our windows, and National Guardsmen administered the Pfizer drug.

Some months later, I tested positive for COVID, but quickly took

Paxlovid and the symptoms went away.

In retrospect we have seen the error of many shutdowns, from schools (many students fell behind and have yet to fully catch up), to churches. People were arrested for attending church and for being part of other public gatherings. We can now conclude much of this was unnecessary.

Fauci said he never advocated for shutdowns, but videos show him saying the opposite to thenNew York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, and others.

Fauci and the CDC contradicted themselves, leading to a credibility crisis for both. Meanwhile, he was photographed relaxing without a mask in a backyard chair for the cover of InStyle magazine.

Dr. Fauci repeatedly said the scientific evidence strongly pointed to a natural, zoonotic spillover where the virus jumped from an animal to humans. However, his diary reveals he privately jotted down that a Wuhan market served as an “amplifier” rather than the original source.

In congressional testimony he said he always kept an open mind toward a lab leak and claimed the origin of COVID was likely from an animal, though we were never sure of what kind.

He also claimed the laboratory in Wuhan, China, may have been the source of the virus due to “gain of function” research which allegedly produced the virus that escaped and threatened the world.

Before leaving office, Biden pardoned Fauci, raising the question “for what?” Pardons are usually given to people after they have been convicted of a crime.

Biden’s pardon of Fauci appears to have been for the purpose of protecting him from the incoming president, Donald Trump.

Anyone who strokes his own ego might recall the song lyric: “Fame, if you win it, comes and goes in a minute.” Fame rarely benefits an egotist.

Email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com.

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Judge OKs pink attire at BR rape trial

Obituaries Durand, Sue Soileau Brignac

“The court does not believe tween honoring a victim and the most difficult days of our Clothes that spectators wearing a attempting to prejudice a lives,” Baustert said. specific color rises to the lev- jury.”

Fowlkes filed the motion referencing “When I heard the decision, under claims that the public el of intimidation that would Madison Brooks limit a defendant from re- I felt an overwhelming sense wearing coordinated clotha fair trial,” Ray said of relief,” Baustert said in a ing could prejudice a jury won’t be allowed ceiving during the Thursday ruling. statement to The Advocate. against Carter and under-

BY BLAKE LESCHBER Staff writer

A Baton Rouge judge has decided to allow spectators to wear pink clothing at the trial for the first suspect in the alleged rape of Madison Brooks.

Judge Gail Horne Ray made the decision Thursday after two days of deliberation, ramping up to the trial of 21-year-old Desmond Carter in less than two weeks.

Carter, alongside three other men, is accused of raping Brooks, a 19-year-old LSU student, in 2023, after which she was fatally hit by a car.

However, any attire that references Brooks will not be allowed in the courtroom.

Defense attorney Caitlin Fowlkes objected to the ruling right away, but had no further comment. Prosecutor Sonya Cardia-Porter said she will review the ruling before deciding if she wants to object.

Pink is the color representing the Madison Brooks Foundation, founded by Brooks’ mother, Ashley Baustert. The organization works to “advocate for the safety of young girls.”

Baustert said she appreciated that the court “recognized the difference be-

“Pink has never been about making a statement against anyone in the courtroom, or influencing the legal process.

It has always been about our daughter. It is the color that represents her spirit, her joy, and the love that continues to surround her every single day.”

Baustert added that her family and the foundation will continue to respect the judicial process and “seek justice with grace and dignity.”

“Being able to wear pink may seem like a small thing to some, but to our family, it means carrying a piece of Madison with us as we face

mine the presumption of innocence.

Fowlkes referenced Facebook posts by Baustert in both the hearing on Tuesday and in the motion. Prosecutors claimed the posts demonstrated “victim advocacy rather than a plot to intimidate the jury.”

East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore said he doesn’t believe spectators wearing a coordinated color would make it any easier for the defense to appeal the case if Carter was found guilty.

Ray said the court reserves the right to revisit the matter at any time.

Authorities ID 2 killed in Bogalusa plane crash

BY MARTHA SANCHEZ Staff writer

A Texas couple died Thursday after their small plane crashed near the George R. Carr Memorial Airport in Bogalusa, authorities said.

The plane crashed around 10:50 a.m., killing William “Bill” Day, 68, and his wife, 69-year-old Tommie Day, according to the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office. The couple died at the scene.

The cause of the crash is under investigation by the

National Transportation Safety Board, an independent federal agency that determines the probable cause of civil aviation accidents.

The agency said in a statement on Thursday that the plane “impacted terrain under unknown circumstances shortly after takeoff.”

The couple from Seguin, Texas, were the only people inside the Beech H-35 airplane, authorities said. They crashed near the small airport, which is owned by the city and has a runway that is over 5,000 feet long.

An NTSB investigator is scheduled to arrive in Bogalusa by Friday morning, according to the agency.

The investigator will document the scene, examine the plane and review information including flight track data, recordings of air traffic control communications, aircraft maintenance records and witness statements, among other evidence that could determine the cause of the crash.

The NTSB said a preliminary report on the crash will be available in 30 days. A fi-

nal report that determines the probable cause of the crash is expected to be released within two years.

Airport management declined to comment on Thursday. Denise Fussell, chief of staff at the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office, said in a text Thursday afternoon that the agency had released “all the information we have.”

The NTSB is asking witnesses and anyone with surveillance video to contact the agency at witness@ ntsb.gov.

CAKE

Continued from page 1B event outside the Cake Room, where live music by Braziliana and yard games will be available throughout the grounds of Vermilionville. Admission to those activities is free.

New this year, Cake Fête is partnering with Tropical Smoothie Cafe to kick off the restaurant’s annual food drive benefiting the Lafayette Community Fridge. Attendees are encouraged to bring canned goods or other nonperishable food items.

The event will also feature a $20 cake pull fundraiser with prizes, and a cash bar and concessions available for purchase on site.

Registration for Cake Fête is free through Eventbrite. Those planning to bring a cake must register

by Aug. 14.

FILE PHOTO By ROBIN MAy

This cake was available to share during the Cake Fête inside the Petroleum Club in 2025.

To participate, the only requirement was to bring a homemade or store-bought cake to share.

INDICTED

Authorities said officers initially attempted to remove a dog from the house Continued from page 1B but ultimately left it inside before continuing their a search warrant, they en- search.

According to the affidavit, tered the home to look for officers found Frazier in a Frazier.

bedroom, where he allegedly opened fire, striking Deputy U.S. Marshal Drew Hanson. Hanson later died from his injuries.

Frazier appeared before a federal judge last month and was ordered held without

ELECTION

Simone Champagne

Continued from page 1B

n incumbent Vance Olivier

Carencro Police Chief n incumbent David Anderson

Carencro City Council (5 to be elected)

bail pending trial, though his attorneys reserved the right to seek a detention hearing at a later date.

Email Kristin Askelson at kaskelson@theadvocate. com.

neaux II n Andrew “Maxis” Malaxonis n Carolyn “Pepe” Richard

n incumbent Ta y l o r Lafayette Parish School James Board n Charlotte Stemmans Scott City Council n Danielle Capritto n n Clavercum At Large — Blaine Roy Damian Glover District 2 n Don Chauvin n District 1 — Jakob n Todd “Todd-O” Olivier n Stasia Herbert-McZeal n Eric Knight n Alex Savage n Robert “Ted” Davidson.

Goodwin n District 2 — Terry Monn Alfred “Al” Sinegal Broussard Mayor n Terrance St. Julien Email Claire Taylor at toucet and Sherie Stutes n Raymond Bourque Jr. n Carlos Stout ctaylor@theadvocate.com.

Sonnier n District 3 — Lee Scott Mayor Broussard City Council Domingue n Jan-Scott Richard n District 1 — incumbent Scott Alderman LOTTERY Angel Racca Youngsville Mayor n John “Johnny” Lagn District 2 — Charles WEDNESDAY, n Ken Ritter Sharma and Trey Smith neaux II AUG. 5, 2026 n Andrew “Maxis” Malaxn District 4 — incumbent Duson Mayor PICK 3: 0-1-1 Heather Girouard onis n Johnny Thibodeaux n District 5 — incumbent PICK 4: 4-0-5-8 Youngsville City Council David Forbes PICK 5: 1-3-4-9-9 Scott Police Chief n Division A — incumbent n District 6 — incumbent EASY 5: n Caleb Lege’ Sharon Bares Kody Allen 18-19-20-33-37 n Kert Thomas n Division B — incumLOTTO: bent “Lindy” Bolgiano and Duson Council Youngsville Police Chief 3-13-24-30-33-35 James “Bubba” Savell (5 to be elected) n incumbent Jean Paul n Division C — incumbent POWERBALL: n Glenn Cormier “JP” Broussard Matt Romero 14-20-59-60-61 (25) n “Art” LeBreton Jr. n Division D — incumn Blake Credeur n John Melvin Trahan Jr. n bent Nick Niland and Todd Coby Duhon Unofficial notification, n Steve Hanks Istre keep your tickets.

Broussard Police Chief n Division E — incumbent n John “Johnny” Leg-

Carencro Mayor

Washington, LA - A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1:00 PM, Tuesday, August 11, 2026 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church honoring the life of Sue Soileau Brignac Durand, 73, who passed away on August 3, 2026 at her residence in Lafayette.

Visitors are welcome to gather for a time of remembrance and reflection at Wolff Reception Hall, 202 Main St, Washington, LA 70589, on Monday, August 10, 2026 from 4:30 PM to 9:00 PM and continuing on Tuesday, August 11, 2026 from 9:00 AM until 12:15 PM. A Rosary will be prayed at 6:30 PM on Monday evening.

Rev. Corey Campeaux will officiate at the Funeral Mass. Msgr. Keith Derouen and Rev. Henry Anthony will concelebrate. Readers will be Steven G. "Buzz" Durio and David Creig Brignac.

Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery, 715 W. Vine Street, Washington, Louisiana 70589.

Sue Soileau Brignac Durand, a beloved figure in the banking community and a cherished member of her family, departed this life on August 3, 2026. Born on July 16, 1953, in Washington, Louisiana, to Nolen and Virgie Mae Guilbeau Soileau, Sue led a life characterized by ambition, grace, and a dedication to serving others.

Sue, a farmer's daughter, developed a strong work ethic from an early age, raising Hereford bulls in the agricultural heart of Louisiana. Her intelligence and remarkable talents emerged early, as she accelerated through her education, completing her studies at Washington Elementary before entering The Academy of Sacred Heart in Grand Coteau at the tender age of 12. She later pursued a Liberal Arts Degree with a major in Music and Voice at USL, where she graduated at just 20 years old. The Steinway Grand Piano gifted to her by her mother remained a cherished centerpiece in her home, a testament to her love for music and the arts.

In a life that weaved together compassion and professional achievement, Sue first dedicated herself to the funeral industry alongside her late husband, Creig Brignac, before transitioning to education as a high school music teacher. Her journey into banking began with the inheritance of her father's stock in Washington State Bank. Following the death of her husband, Creig, in 2009, Sue became the bank's Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer, a role she embraced with unwavering dedication until her retirement on December 31, 2019. She continued to influence the bank's legacy as Chairman Emerita of both Washington State Bank and Washington State Bancshares, Inc. Throughout her distinguished career, Sue exemplified leadership and service, contributing significantly to various banking trade associations and community organizations.

Her commitment was evident through her involvement with the American

Bankers Association Community Bank Council, the Louisiana Bankers Association, the Committee of 100 for Economic Development, Inc., and numerous local chambers and commissions. Sue's legacy of excellence is underscored by numerous accolades, including the Athena Award and the designation as Rotarian of the Year by the Opelousas Rotary Club, among others.

On May 19, 2017, Sue found love again when she married fellow banker Paul A. Durand. Their union brought two competing bank presidents together in a partnership defined by mutual respect and shared passions, with Paul continuing to support Sue's interests even after her retirement.

Sue will be deeply missed, but her legacy will forever resonate within the hearts of those she touched.

She is survived by her loving husband, Paul A. Durand; son, David Creig Brignac, Jr. (Paul Sonnier); daughter, Monica Brignac Carroll (Anthony Carroll); grandchild, Bella Carroll; step-children, Claudette Marie Durand, Paul A. Durand, Jr. (Chasity) and Steven Michael Durand; step-grandchildren, Lexie Nicole Durand, Ryleigh Nicole Durand and Paul A. Durand, III; and one sister, Elizabeth Soileau Bienvenu (Dennis).

She is preceded in death by her parents, Nolen J. Soileau and Virgie Mae Guilbeau Soileau; first husband, D. Creig Brignac, Sr.; and her sister, Judy Soileau Carter.

Pallbearers will be her devoted caregivers, Paula White, Sandy Colomb, Sarah Derousselle, Jeanne Savoy, Debbie Rosenthall, and Denetre Calais.

Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Washington State Bank Board of Directors: Harold Stelly, Anthony Bertrand, Alonzo Harris, Robert Wolfe, and Terilyn Cober.

The family would like to extend a special thanks to Sue's primary care physician, Raquel Gradney, her neurologist, Saurabh Singhal, and her cardiologist, Kian Ehsan for the exceptional care given to her.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Sue Soileau Durand Foundation, P.O. Box 51308, Lafayette, LA 70505-1308.

Pellerin Funeral Home (337-332-2111) is in charge of arrangements.

Fontenot, Sharon P.

Sharon P. Fontenot, 72. A small Graveside Service will be held on Saturday, August 8, 2026, at 10:00 am at Fountain Memorial Funeral Cemetery in Lafayette, LA. Guest book may be viewed at www.fountainmemorial funeralhome.com.

Fountain Memorial Funeral Home and Cemetery, 1010 Pandora St. 337-981-7098 is in charge of arrangements.

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

Reality starting to sink in for QB Brees

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F r i d ay, au g u s t 7, 2026

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RISING STAR

As HOF enshrinement nears, Saints legendary quarterback ‘feels different’

BY JEFF DUNCAN Staff writer

CANTON, Ohio – It started to hit Drew Brees on Thursday: He’s two days removed from football immortality.

The months of anticipation and planning are almost over. Brees’ official enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame is less than 48 hours away and the reality is starting to sink in for the former New Orleans Saints standout.

“Being around the other Hall of Famers this week, they’re just looking at me different,” Brees said. “The interaction feels different. It’s like they’re welcoming you into a very exclusive club and there’s just kind of a look and a feel about it that is different.”

Brees’ whirlwind week started to gain steam Thursday as the crowds swelled and the events multiplied, leading to the official enshrinement ceremony Saturday.

Brees, along with his classmates from the

ä See BREES, page 3C

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Saints rookie Barion Brown, left, catches a touchdown pass as cornerback Isaac yiadom tries to defend during training camp on Thursday at the team’s indoor practice facility in Metairie. Brown has excelled throughout preseason camp.

AP FILE PHOTO By BRyNN ANDERSON

Former Saints quarterback Drew Brees poses for a photo after being announced for the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2026 during the NFL Honors award show on Feb. 5 in San Francisco.

LSU women’s basketball team set to face UConn Top NCAA programs haven’t met since 2016

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

ESPN has finalized the details of the LSU U women’s basketball team’s long-rumored d 2026 showdown with UConn.

The Tigers and Huskies will meet on Dec..

20 in Nashville, Tennessee, the network an-nounced Thursday, in the espnW Invitation-al. The nonconference matchup has been n in the works since at least January, when n ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo said on the “A A Touch More” podcast that the two teamss would face each other during the 2026-27 7 season.

LSU and UConn are two of the top pro-grams in the country, but they haven’t mett since 2016. They’ve crossed paths nine e times since 2000 — seven times in the regu-lar season and twice in the NCAA Tourna-ment. LSU has only one win in the series,, and it came in the 2007 Elite Eight.

Coach Kim Mulkey last met one of coach h Geno Auriemma’s UConn teams in 2021..

That contest, which the Huskies won 69-67,, was also an Elite Eight matchup, and it dou-bled as the last game of Mulkey’s 21-yearr

ä See LSU, page 3C

Saints rookie Brown staying humble through camp success

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

When the sixth-round rookie is already talking about not getting too wrapped up in success after seven training camp practices, it is a sign things are probably going well.

That is where Barion Brown stands at the present moment — standing atop the speeding hype train, telling everyone he is staying present in the moment and staying chill, even as the new batch of highlights posts to the internet and gets everyone throwing more gas at the fire.

Thursday, it came on the last play of the New Orleans Saints‘ practice. The second-team units were running a two-minute drill against each other, and as the clock wound down, quarterback Spencer Rattler evaded pressure and bailed out of the pocket to his left. He scanned downfield and saw Brown in single coverage against Isaac Yiadom.

When the play call came in, Brown said he was “licking

UL QB Lunch Winfield

STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

his chops” because it called for him to run deep. He got a step on Yiadom, Rattler saw him and let it fly. Then came the most impressive part: Brown tracked the ball and adjusted his route back toward the middle of the field, twisting his body to make an over-the-shoulder catch for a 46-yard touchdown.

“It’s just ball tracking and being able to attack the football — I think he does a really good job of that,” said coach Kellen Moore. “And obviously he’s being able to utilize the speed that he has, and I think that is an asset.”

New Orleans has gone through seven training camp practices, and Brown has made a couple of attentiongrabbing plays in the past three.

Monday, he roasted veteran corner Rejzohn Wright on a double move in one-on-ones, getting himself wide open for an easy catch deep downfield. He followed that up by making up for a drop during team drills by tracking another deep pass from Rattler over his right shoulder.

ä See SAINTS, page 3C

D Desormeaux pleased with Cajuns’ first day of practice C

BY KEVIN FOOTE Stafff writer

The basic message from UL coach MiT cha ael Desormeaux in Thursday’s initial Aug gust camp update is that the first day of pra actice is the first day of practice.

With that said, there were several areas W worrth expanding on. For now, the general sum mmary was solid.

“II was pleased with the effort and energy the e guys had out there, which is pretty easy to h have on Day 1,” Desormeaux said. “We had d a lot of guys who competed really well.

“M Most of them came back ready to go. For us, you set the floor on Day 1 and the challenge the day after is to meet or exceed the stan ndards that you set. It’s about constant stea ady improvement day after day.”

Good initial impressions began with startG ing g quarterback Lunch Winfield.

“T Typically the work that you do in private is w what shows in public,” Desormeaux said.

“He e’s done a lot of work this summer and I

think he had a good first day. There were a couple of throws where we’re talking about a little more accuracy on this and little bit more of that ... as far as the ready progressions, he made really, really good decisions, and threw some really good balls.

“I would say way more consistent with the feet and his mechanics, which are things he only can work on. He’s done a really good job of that.”

Overall, the quarterbacks had a good outing.

“We start in the red zone and gold zone and there are a lot of really tight windows in there and I thought we did a good job of pushing the ball in some tight windows when we needed to and taking the check down when we needed to, so that was a good thing for sure,” he added.

The only negative update came at wide receiver with Desormeaux confirming redshirt junior Shelton Sampson missed the

ä See CAJUNS, page 3C

2C ● Friday, August 7, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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IN BRIEF

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Hossler leads at Wyndham

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

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NFL

Needs win to make PGA Tour postseason

The UL men’s basketball team is hosting a “Back to Blackham” event on Sept. 25 at Blackham Coliseum.

The event includes a concert featuring Coteau Grove, Cupid and Lil’ Nathan. Fans will get a chance to see coach Quannas White’s team for the first time.

The doors will open at 6 p.m. with Coteau Grove taking the stage at 6:30 p.m.

The team’s new roster will be introduced before the team conducts a skills competition with a 3-point shooting contest, a halfcourt shooting challenge and an intrasquad scrimmage.

The celebration concludes with performances from Cupid and Lil’ Nathan.

Tickets start at $30 and are available at RaginCajuns.com.

Detroit makes Gibbs NFL’s highest-paid running back

By The Associated Press GREENSBORO, N.C. — Turns out Jackson Koivun isn’t the only player trying to go from college to the PGA Tour postseason. Virginia grad Ben James made eagle on both the par 5s on Thursday and only a soft finish with Hossler a pair of bogeys kept from sharing the lead with Beau Hossler in the Wyndham Championship.

The final tournament of the regular season determines the top 70 in the FedEx Cup who advance to the postseason.

James, the No. 1 player in the PGA Tour University ranking that came with a tour card, has to win to reach the top 70.

He was tied for the lead until a bogey-birdie-bogey finish for a 62, both bogeys coming after he missed 6-foot par putts.

Koivun earned his card from the accelerated PGA Tour University program for underclassmen — he clinched his card as a sophomore and deferred it one year — and is in much better shape at No. 70. Koivun missed some birdie chances coming in and shot 67.

Hossler is at No. 122 in the FedEx Cup and also has to win to reached the first playoff event next week. He ran off four straight birdies early in his front nine at Sedgefield Country Club, and played the the final holes in 4 under with a 30-foot eagle putt on the par-5 15th.

“Try and win a golf tournament,” Hossler said. “That’s all there is to it.”

James, the 36-hole leader at the Canadian Open in his professional debut before crashing on the weekend, made a 15-foot eagle putt on the 15th that allowed him to catch Hossler.

With the chance at another 59 at Sedgefield, he three-putted from just inside 25 feet on the par-3 16th, birdied the 17th and then came up short of the green from the first cut on the 18th, chipped to 6 feet and missed the par putt.

Still, it was an impressive start at a tournament where so many players know they have to go low and finish high if they want to advance.

“Every week someone always shoots anywhere from 63 to 60 or 59 the first day, so it’s always there. You just try to put yourself in position, play the best you can,” James said.

No one had a more bizarre round than Sahith Theegala, whose postseason is safe at No. 43. He didn’t make a par on the front nine — eight birdies and one bogey. And then all he could manage were pars on the back nine until stuffing his approach tight on the 18th for a birdie and a 62.

“Pretty wild,” Theegala said.

“I’ve never had a round like that. I think historically I’ve always struggled to start rounds really well, so that was the first time I ever started a round with six (birdies) in a row. That was an incredible start. It didn’t feel like a fluke or anything, either.

“Got to the back nine and just stopped hitting fairways,” he said. “And really that cost me a lot of opportunities. Yeah, it was an interesting round.”

Eric Cole shot 63 and was in fourth, and the six players at 64 included five of them who are outside the top 70 in the FedEx Cup. The exception is Matti Schmid at No. 67, far from safe.

“I feel like I’m in a decent position if I play the golf that I know that I can play,” Schmid said. “I don’t really think about it.”

UL basketball team to host ‘Back to Blackham’

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By GREG M. COOPER

Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Eric Stokes covers New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs on Sept. 7 in Foxborough, Mass. The Commanders signed the veteran free agent Diggs on Tuesday.

Strong second option Diggs gives Commanders proven receiver to pair with McLaurin

BY ETHAN CADEAUX The Associated Press

ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Commanders added needed depth at wide receiver with the signing of Stefon Diggs.

They agreed Wednesday to the deal with Diggs, who could practice for the first time with his new team Friday.

Adding Diggs instantly upgrades the Commanders at the position behind undisputed No. 1 Terry McLaurin, ending a linger- Diggs ing process to get quarterback Jayden Daniels some more pass-catching help.

They missed out on top free agent Alec Pierce, who re-signed with Indianapolis, then pivoted to signing veterans Treylon Burks, Dyami Brown and Van Jefferson for depth.

Instead of using the No. 7 pick on a wideout — New Orleans selected Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson the pick after — Washington chose Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles. The team took Clemson receiver Antonio Williams in the third round.

Williams has flashed at times in practice but still has learning to do — something that’s a common theme among the Commanders’ young receivers.

General manager Adam Peters said before camp he was really happy with the options available but left the door open to bringing in reinforcements.

“If we have ways to get better, we’re always going to look into that and really assess the decision (and) if it’s the right move for our team or not,” Peters said. “And if we do think it is, then we’re not afraid to do that.”

One week in, Peters and his staff felt an upgrade was necessary.

Outside of McLaurin, Burks and Luke McCaffrey have been the two receivers getting the most first-team snaps, while Brown, Williams and 2025 fourth-rounder Jaylin Lane have rotated in. Each has shown some potential, but none separated himself from the pack.

Pairing Diggs with McLaurin gives Washington arguably its best wide receiver duo since Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson each topped the 1,000-yard mark in 2016.

Stylistically, Diggs should complement McLaurin well. McLau-

rin is at his best on the outside, while Diggs has transitioned primarily into a slot, chain-moving role the past two seasons. In 2025, 51 of Diggs’ 85 receptions went for first downs, tied with the Los Angeles Rams’ Davante Adams for the 10th-most in the NFL. The Commanders are Diggs’ fourth team in as many years, but the 32-year-old showed last year he has plenty in the tank. He led the Patriots in with 85 receptions, 102 targets and 1,013 yards receiving while playing just 55% of offensive snaps in his first season back from a torn ACL. With the season opener still six weeks away, Diggs has plenty of time to build chemistry with Daniels, who’s going into his third year in the league. Daniels’ connection with McLaurin already looks in midseason form, as the two hope to recreate their 2024 success after last season’s disappointment.

“Terry, man, he’s just a true pro, true vet,” Daniels said last week.

“You guys see him after practice, coaching up the younger guys, giving the game back, the knowledge, just bringing that energy.

Last year was last year, but now we’re happy to step forward … and hit the ground running.”

Broncos RB Dobbins vows injuries done, promises 17 games, rushing title

BY ARNIE STAPLETON AP pro football writer

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — J.K. Dobbins is counting on his flexibility and faith to outrun his injury history.

The Denver Broncos starting running back had a blown-out knee in Baltimore in 2021, a torn Achilles in 2023 and a broken foot last year in Denver. Yet, he’s pledging he’ll play all 17 games for the first time in his career and lead the league in rushing.

“A lot of people always get mad when I say the injuries are over, because I said it last year, but that one was pretty fluky,” Dobbins said of the Lisfranc injury that ended his first season in Denver after 10 games. “This year there won’t be any, and there won’t be anything for anyone to say about my injuries because I’m going to play all 17 games ... I can pinky promise all of you right now.”

How can he be so sure that something fluky won’t happen again, given the inherent peril of his position?

“So, like, when I was younger, I could do the splits, right?” Dob-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

Denver Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins takes part in drills during a training camp practice on Tuesday in Centennial, Colo.

bins said. “I think I lost a little bit of that flexibility. I just wasn’t paying attention to it as much. So now I’m back to that, and back to my college ways. And I did all the little things, and I’m doing all the little things that’s going to keep me, like — even if it’s some fluky stuff that’s about to happen — I’m going to be like Elasti-Boy, or Elasti-Girl, or something like that.

“I’ll be over there, bounce back up from it. Like, if I get hip-drop tackled, I can tuck my head to the back of my foot and I’ll get back up.”

That hip-drop tackle by former Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Tyree Wilson caught Dobbins’ left foot underneath him and ended his blistering 2025 season in which he rushed for 772 yards, fifth-most in the league at the time, and gave Denver an explosive threat in the backfield for the first time in the Sean Payton era.

Dobbins also cited his faith for his confidence that he’ll play every game this season, even though he hasn’t played in more than 13 games since his rookie year.

“I prayed on it,” he said. “The storm can’t last forever. I’m from Texas, born in Houston, and we get hurricanes, right? The storm can be long. It can be very dangerous.

It can be dark for a long time. You don’t know when you’re going to get power. But they never last forever.”

When healthy, Dobbins is one of the NFL’s most productive running backs on a per-touch basis.

His 5.2-yard career average is the third-highest since his rookie year in 2020, trailing only Miami’s De’Von Achane (5.6) and Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs (5.3).

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — The Detroit Lions agreed to a contract extension with Jahmyr Gibbs, a threeyear deal worth up to $75.7 million that his agents say makes him the NFL’s newest highest-paid running back.

Athletes First announced the deal Thursday, hours after Gibbs took the field for the first time since the Lions’ training camp started. His agents also noted the new contract includes $51.5 million guaranteed for the Pro Bowler.

Two days earlier, Atlanta briefly made Bijan Robinson the NFL’s highest-paid running back.

Gibbs had been participating in meetings at camp, but Thursday was his first appearance on the field.

Belichick says son, team’s DC, put on medical leave

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — North Carolina defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, the son of head coach Bill Belichick, is on medical leave, his father said Thursday morning.

The Tar Heels are in the second week of preseason camp. UNC opens the season Aug. 29 against TCU in Dublin, Ireland.

“It’s a medical situation so I really can’t make any further comment on that,” Belichick said, adding only that the team hoped to have him back “as soon as possible” when asked about a timeline for his return.

UNC’s defense improved as a 4-8 season wore on, ranking 38th in the Bowl Subdivision ranks in total defense (336.9 yards) while finishing tied for 20th with 2.67 sacks per game.

Mariners reliever Speier, manager Wilson suspended

SEATTLE — Seattle Mariners reliever Gabe Speier was given a threegame suspension Thursday after hitting Detroit’s Gleyber Torres with a pitch in the eighth inning of Wednesday night’s game.

Speier is appealing the ban, according to the MLB Players Association.

Additionally, Mariners manager Dan Wilson was also suspended one-game and served his suspension in the series finale Thursday against the Tigers. Managers cannot appeal a suspension. Manny Acta served as the manager for the Mariners.

Speier had relieved Bryan Woo in the eighth inning of Seattle’s 4-2 win. After getting the first two outs, Speier threw two inside fastballs to Torres, with the latter pegging him on the upper left leg.

Police raid South Korea soccer federation offices

SEOUL, South Korea — Police raided the Korea Football Association’s offices Thursday as part of an investigation into alleged irregularities in the 2024 appointment of Hong Myung-bo as South Korea’s national team coach.

Investigators searched the KFA headquarters in Cheonan, about 56 miles south of Seoul, and the KFA House in central Seoul, looking for evidence that officials improperly intervened in the hiring process.

A police investigation began shortly after Hong’s appointment but had stalled this summer after nearly two years without a conclusion.

It gained renewed attention amid public anger after South Korea was eliminated in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Friday, August 7, 2026 ● 3C

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SAINTS CAMP OBSERVATIONS

Saints may face tough decisions at RB

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

For big chunks of the New Orleans Saints‘ seventh training camp practice, the first team offense moved the ball well against the starting defense — but there was still a feeling of wanting more when it was finished.

Quarterback Tyler Shough threw a pair of interceptions in the end zone Thursday, a downer on a day when he otherwise completed 11 of his 14 pass attempts. His other incompletion came on a throw he left a bit too low and inside to an open Devaughn Vele in the end zone.

Both of Shough’s interceptions could be explained away. The first came in the red zone when he was trying to throw the ball away, only the pass didn’t get high enough and Kool-Aid McKinstry was able to make a remarkable leaping grab in the back of the end zone. The second came on a desperation heave toward Chris Olave at the end of a two-minute drill, which Quincy Riley chased down and snared in the back of the end zone.

Still, the Saints are looking to put together some consistency on that side of the ball, even as they are seeing some bright spots individually from a handful of offensive players.

Here’s what else to know from Thursday’s practice.

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

S running back Ty Chandler is stopped short of the end zone by cornerback Isaac yiadom during training camp drills on Thursday at the team’s indoor practice facility in Metairie.

receiver Mason Tipton and defensive linemen Keeshawn Silver and Bryan Bresee. Coach Kellen Moore described Miller’s absence as “day-to-day” after practice.

Running back Kendre Miller (back), offensive guard Jeremiah Wright (shoulder) and defensive {span Attendance style=”box-sizing: border-box; marThe following players were not gin: 0px; padding: 0px;”}lineman Zxspotted during Thursday’s prac- avian{/span} Harris were present and tice: running back Alvin Kamara (rest), in uniform, but not participating.

Running back Devin Neal (hamdefensive tackle Christen Miller (toe),

tenure at Baylor. Overall, LSU’s sixth-year coach is 4-5 in contests against Auriemma’s powerhouse UConn program.

Because the Tigers agreed to play the Huskies this upcoming season, their nonconference schedule should pack more of a punch than in recent years. Last season, LSU faced only one power-conference opponent before SEC play began in January.

In 2026-27, though, the Tigers will clash with two ACC teams and two Big East teams in November and December. They’re playing a road game against North Carolina in the ACC/SEC Challenge on Dec. 2, and they’re set to take on neutral-site contests against North Carolina State and Villanova in the Fort Myers Tip-Off event the week of Thanksgiving.

CAJUNS

Continued from page 1C first practice.

“He’s injured, he’s out today and I don’t know when he’ll be back,” Desormeaux said of Sampson’s absence.

No indication was given that it’s a serious injury, so we’ll stay tuned.

Also missing the first practice was sophomore running back Darrell Smith, who was attending the birth of his first child.

“He’s where he needs to be,” Desormeaux said. “We’ll get him back soon.”

The running backs on hand exhibited “consistency in execution.”

“There weren’t mental errors, which is one of the things we talked about. That’s part of maturity: growing up and understanding,” Desormeaux said. “I thought they did a really good job with their eye discipline with the footwork and ball handling and between the quarterback and running backs were really good.

“Their eyes were in the right spots. I thought they pressed the right spots. I thought we did

There is still so much time to go, and the preseason games are going to give the best gauge of how things really look, but going by early indications, the Saints are going to have some difficult decisions to make when it comes to which running backs to keep on the roster.

Continued from page 1C

STAFF FILE PHOTO

By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Continued from page 1C

A tough call

BREES

LSU coach Kim Mulkey watches a play in a game against Jacksonville on March 20 at the PMAC. Mulkey and the Tigers will travel to face UConn for the first time since 2016.

LSU

string) and linebacker Chris Rumph (ankle) left practice early.

All four of those teams made the NCAA Tournament last season. Two of them — UConn and North Carolina — advanced past the first two rounds.

LSU reached the Sweet 16, where it lost to Duke on a buzzerbeating 3-pointer. Flau’jae Johnson exhausted her eligibility at the end of that game, but Mikaylah Williams and MiLaysia Fulwiley did not. They’re both back for their senior seasons — alongside sophomores ZaKiyah Johnson and Grace Knox and junior Kate Koval.

The Tigers also added star transfer Jada Williams, a point guard from Iowa State, and a high-profile freshman named Lola Lampley. They lost two projected rotation players to the transfer portal: junior Jada Richard (Ole Miss) and sophomore Bella Hines (TCU).

Virginia and Kentucky will join LSU and UConn at the espnW Invitational. The tip-off time for each matchup will be determined at a later date.

a good job cramming it when there’s nothing left and we did a good job bouncing a couple when we needed to.”

On the defensive side, the most encouraging early sign came in the area of communication.

In Tuesday’s report day press conference, defensive coordinator Jim Salgado stressed the importance of limiting busts that result in long pass completions for the opposition through better communication.

“I was really impressed with our defensive communication,” Desormeaux said. “We move people around a quite bit with motions and change-of-strength motions and I thought the presnap communication and then the onthe-motion communication was really good.

“I think those guys did a great job of getting people on the same page. Certainly, the older guys did it better than the younger ones. You can see it from field to field — better communication equals a better product on defense. That’s a natural part of it.”

Desormeaux said the quarterbacks did a good job from a communication standpoint in the huddle as well on the other side of the ball.

Class of 2026 — Roger Craig, Larry Fitzgerald, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri — visited with fans for an autograph signing session and then met with reporters for their official Hall of Fame press conference. The group attended the Hall of Fame game between the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers on Thursday night and was introduced to the crowd before the game.

Brees is scheduled to appear at a promotional event on Friday morning and then will join his Hall classmates along with 117 fellow Hall of Famers for the ceremo-

Travis Etienne and Alvin Kamara aren’t going anywhere, and neither has given any indication through training camp that they’ve lost a step — if anything, Kamara has looked rejuvenated.

But how many spots will the Saints keep behind them, and who will those spots go to?

Going into camp, it felt like a choice of one or two between Devin Neal, Audric Estime and Kendre Miller. All three of those players have done some nice things in camp, though both Neal and Miller are currently nursing injuries (something that is an obvious concern with Miller). Before he tweaked his hamstring Thursday, Neal showed great vision and burst to follow a crease off left guard for a big gain.

But it’s not just them in the mix.

Ty Chandler, acquired this offseason as a free agent from Minnesota, ripped off a big explosive run Wednesday and then took advantage of some second-team reps Thursday, logging a pair of consecutive explosive runs off left tackle.

Even undrafted rookie CJ Donaldson has shown a knack for picking up dirty yards, using his 6-1, 230-pound frame to bulldoze defenders. Donaldson is not especially sudden, but he could find a niche role as a short-yardage back.

Put another way, there really isn’t anyone on the roster right now who doesn’t look like an NFL running back. The final roster decisions may then come down to who complements the top two best, and who can add the most value on

special teams.

nial walk to the Hall of Fame for a group photo shoot on the Hall’s front steps. Later, he will attend the Enshrinees’ Gold Jacket dinner at the Canton Memorial Civic Center on Friday night, where his former coach and presenter, Sean Payton, will fit him with his gold Hall of Fame jacket.

Saturday will begin with a ride in the annual Hall of Fame parade in downtown Canton, leading up to the official enshrinement ceremony at 11 a.m. at the stadium.

“What we’ve been told is that it’s going to be five days that are just a total blur,” Brees said during his 20-minute briefing with reporters.

“You work so hard and stress so much leading up to the moment; we’re really trying to enjoy the moment.”

Brees compared the weekend to “a massive wedding ceremony.”

He said his wife, Brittany, has helped him coordinate and organize the logistics for the nearly 500 friends, family members and former coaches and teammates in the Brees party.

“This is my opportunity to convey my appreciation and gratitude to so many of the people and places that were a part of this journey,” Brees said. “That’s what I’m most looking forward to: all the people I’m going to have a chance to see and appreciate and let them know just how valued they are.”

Odds and ends n The Barion Brown hype train isn’t slowing down any time soon. He shut down practice by catching a 46-yard bomb from Spencer Rattler for a “game-winning” touchdown in a two-minute situation. The rookie receiver from LSU was best known for his ability as a kick returner coming into the league, but he has consistently made splash plays as a receiver. n Thursday’s practice put a damper on what has otherwise been an excellent training camp showing for kicker Charlie Smyth, who missed three straight attempts (from 39, 45 and 51 yards).

Before Thursday, Smyth had connected on 15 of 16 attempts. He rallied to make his last two kicks, retries from 39 and 51. Misses can be magnified in a training camp setting — kickers get five or six live attempts every two days — and coach Kellen Moore didn’t put any additional weight on the uneven performance after practice. n The Saints took practice to the indoor facility, which Moore said was previously planned as a way to not push players too hard in the heat while they’re practicing in pads. The Saints will be off Friday before two consecutive outdoor practices this weekend, both of which will be padded practices. n A few players and coaches will not be present for Saturday’s practice, as the Saints are sending a contingent to Canton, Ohio, for Drew Brees’ Hall of Fame enshrinement.

Email Jeff Duncan at jduncan@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Saints rookie Barion Brown, right, catches a pass over cornerback Martin Emerson on Monday during training camp at the team’s practice facility in Metairie.

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C Wednesday, he won three more one-on-one reps handily, including a brilliant adjustment on a backshoulder pass where he had the wherewithal to get both feet inbounds. He followed that up with several catches in team drills, including a big chunk gain during another two-minute drill when he caught a pass on the sideline, made a defender miss and turned upfield for extra yards.

Before his big catch to end Thursday’s practice, he also delivered a clutch reception during the first-team offense’s two-minute drill, hauling in a deep comebacker from Tyler Shough to set the offense up with a chance at scoring.

It’s not just the skillset that Moore has appreciated, but also Brown’s “focus and urgency” when it comes to preparation.

“That’s one of the parts that I’m most impressed by him, because I think that’s the hardest part for these young guys,” Moore said.

“The physical part, they’re playing football, … but there’s so much more of a mental wear and tear on them with the preparation side

that sometimes that impacts their ability to go out there and perform.

“For Barion, he’s really assignment sound, really detailed.”

All of this from a player who hasn’t even gotten to show off his most exciting trait yet.

Brown is one of the few players on the Saints who have the “RS” designation next to his name on the roster. That stands for return specialist, which is what many figured would be Brown’s path to a roster spot. Not just because of Brown’s slight 5-11, 177-pound frame, but because of his history.

Splitting his college career between Kentucky and LSU, Brown was one of college football’s best return men the last several years.

He took six kickoffs back for touchdowns in his college career, a Southeastern Conference record.

Brown has been taking training camp snaps as both a punt and kick returner, but not against live action yet. He has a good chance of being the Saints’ primary return option when the season opens next month.

But shortly after the Saints selected him on Day 3, Moore said the team was confident he could contribute as a receiver, too. That is playing out now — maybe just not the way the Saints envisioned.

Brown, though, was confident in what he could do despite never putting up huge numbers as a college wideout. His career-best season came as a freshman, with 50 catches for 628 yards and 4 touchdowns.

When asked what he’s shown the coaches through seven practices, Brown said, “That I’m a guy that can play, and this has always been me.”

That belief is important, but so is the way he’s approached his early success.

The NFL histories are littered with stories of players whose career highlight reel is limited to what happens in training camp practices. For every unearthed gem, there are scores of players who could not translate their practice successes to NFL Sundays.

So Brown is not getting caught up in that, and he’s focusing on each new day in front of him — especially as he’s starting to draw attention.

“I hate that I keep saying this, but it’s the honest-to-God truth: Just keep going,” Brown said. “Never get too high, never get too low.”

That approach is working so far.

Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

4C ● Friday, August 7, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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2026 SCHEDULE Date

PREP FOOTBALL SEASON PREVIEW

Opponent

Sept. 4 Sept. 10 Sept. 18 Sept. 25 Oct. 2 Oct. 9 Oct. 16 Oct. 23 Oct 30 Nov. 6

St. Thomas More CECILIA NOTRE DAME Lafayette Christian UNIVERSITy LAB Acadiana Renaissance Lafayette Renaissance Westgate OPEN DATE NORTHSIDE

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Teurlings Catholic

Spencer Meche RB, 5-10, 170, Sr. Meche could be be an X factor for the Rebels. An experienced ball carrier with great vision, he does a good job of setting up blocks. The senior hits the hole with great speed and is shifty enough to make defenders miss.

HOME GAMES IN CAPS

Carter Macha LB, 6-2, 205, Sr. The heart of the Rebels’ defense, Macha is a threetime wrestling state champion with has good sideline-tosideline speed and is an outstanding tackler. He has a high football IQ and more than holds his own against the pass.

PAST FIVE YEARS 2025: 11-1 2024: 10-2 2023: 9-4 2022: 11-2 2021: 6-5

STAFF PHOTO By ERIC NARCISSE

Teurlings Catholic defensive leaders include, from left, Zachary Broussard, Mason Citron, Lucas Guidry, Karter Deculus and Gage Guilbeau.

2025 RESULTS

The Rebels will also need their starting quarterback to keep opposing defenses off balance with a reliable Last year was quite the coaching debut for Teurlings passing attack.

Catholic’s Michael Courville, who led the Rebels to The battle for the starting quarterback job is between an undefeated regular season, the District 4-4A title Austin Calandra, Ascension Episcopal transfer DJ Kelly and a berth in the Division I select and Will Fontenot. quarterfinals.

“We’re not quite ready to establish who’s going to be But with so many talented players the first guy out,” Courville said. “We’re going to wait until from last year’s team gone after we get the pads on, go through the scrimmage and the graduation, some doubt the Rebels jamboree and then make a decision.” can replicate that success this season.

Courville said he likes what he has in all three That’s OK with Courville and his Courville quarterbacks, citing “they all bring something different Rebels. to the table. ” “I think that kind of makes me excited that we are “Austin is very good in the RPO game, and he’s very kind of maybe being — I don’t want to say slept on — good at hitting the slant behind the linebacker,” Courville but kind of maybe being looked past,” Courville said.

“Maybe (some people think) that last year was a one off said. “He’s very smart with the football and makes good decisions. and these kids want to prove that to be the opposite.”

“DJ brings some explosiveness,” Courville said. “He’s It’s more than just optimism for Courville, who cites his defense returning five starters from last year’s team shifty and a very good athlete. He can really spin it. Will is aggressive and he’s more of a downhill runner. As a as a reason he expects the Rebels to build upon their passer, he’s a gunslinger. He’s going to let it fly.” accomplishments from a season ago.

Whoever wins the quarterback battle will have some “We have a lot of guys who have played a bunch and talented, but inexperienced weapons to throw to such then we have some guys that are coming into roles, but as Riley Dupuis, Brewer Cain and Nathan Box. have played some valuable minutes too,” Courville said.

“Who is going to step up and help us replace the “We return some good experience on defense. I think production we got from Andrew Viator, had over 1,000 we’re going to rely heavily on our defense to start it off. yards and 13 touchdowns last year?” Courville asked.

A lot of the kids played at a high level and we did a very “We don’t need one guy to do that, but we do need good job on defense last year.” multiple guys to step up.

I think we can have that with Headlining the returners on defense are middle Riley in the slot.

Brewer has had an incredible offseason linebacker Carter Macha, cornerback Kaden Chavis, this summer and Nathan is a guy I really like that can who is a three-year starter, strong safety Karter Deculus kind of go get it as a deep threat. ” and defensive linemen Lucas Guidry and Jude Smith.

“Macha was fantastic for us last season,” Courville How we see it said. “In the biggest games, he played his best.

It would be unfair to expect the Rebels to duplicate Obviously, we lost some great kids and some great last year’s performance in which they went 10-0 in the leaders, but those guys showed these kids you how it regular season, especially when you consider it was only was done. Our guys are confident in what we are doing.” the third time (1995 and 1982) in school history that What we don’t know the Rebels had accomplished that feat.

However that doesn’t mean the Rebels can’t be a As good as the defense was last year, the offense was threat in district and qualify for the postseason. as good or better.

But it will be a challenge.

But a lot of that production is gone.

The nondistrict schedule is tough with St. Thomas With only running back Spencer Meche and offensive lineman Layton Marks returning, the Rebels will have as More and Notre Dame. In district play, the Rebels will many as nine new starters on offense. face Westgate, Lafayette Renaissance, Northside and “We lost the vast majority of our offensive production up-and-coming Acadiana Renaissance. from last year,” Courville said. “We’ll have to kind of Nevertheless, Courville said there’s enough talent and figure out offensively who we’re going to be.” experience for this year’s Rebels team to make a strong Doing so begins with the offensive line, where the run to the Caesars Superdome.

Rebels have four new starters.

“With us being in Division II select, where we should “We have four kids who are all seniors who have be as far as our school size, in my heart, I definitely feel worked extremely hard,” Courville said. “It’s their turn like we are a contender,” Courville said. “I’m seeing more to do it up front. The question for us is whether we can and more strides and more confidence and more belief establish the line of scrimmage and run the football. I from our kids. They can certainly do it. They can be the feel like if we can do that, then I really like our chances first ones to make it to that last game of the season.”

Eric Narcisse of being successful.”

What we know

Beat Opelousas 48-12 Beat Sam Houston 46-14 Beat Notre Dame 24-20 Beat Westgate 28-15 Beat Comeaux 55-14 Beat Rayne 64-0 Beat North Vermilion 49-0 Beat East Ascension 64-29 Beat St. Thomas More 38-14 Beat Northside 36-6 Playoffs Beat Bonnabel 55-22 Lost John Curtis 21-7

PROJECTED STARTERS Offense WR Riley Dupuis (5-5, 155, Sr.) WR Brewer Cain (5-10, 175, Sr.) WR Nathan Box (5-11, 180, Sr.) TE Matthew Cantrelle (5-10, 205, Sr.)* LT Thomas Domingue (6-4, 230, Sr.) LG Baron Perkins (6-1, 310, Sr.)* C Alex Landry (6-0, 195, Sr.) RG Layton Marks (5-11, 225, Jr.) RT Michael Burson (6-1, 235, Sr.) QB Austin Calandra (6-0, 185, Sr.) RB Spencer Meche (5-10, 170, Sr.)* Defense DE Aidan Wyble (6-3, 205, Sr.) DT Jude Smith (6-0, 230, Sr.)* DT Lucas Guidry (6-0, 245, Sr.)* DE Seth young (6-1, 220, Jr.) LB Carter Macha (6-2, 205, Sr.)* LB Mason Citron (5-9, 220, Jr.) LB EJ Granger (6-0, 195, Jr.) CB Kaden Chavis (5-9, 175, Sr.)* CB Carsen Leblanc (5-10, 170, Sr.) FS Luke Hebert (5-9, 170, Sr.) SS Karter Deculus (6-0, 195, Sr.) * RETURNING STARTER

COACHES Head coach: Michael Courville (11-1).

Assistant coaches: Bart Vitte (DC), Mike Richard (OC). Robbie Richard (OL), Lane Landry (QBs), Nathan Arceneaux (WRs), Quinn Viator (TEs), Andrew Hebert (LBs), Mike Lemoine (DBs), Chuck Stout (DL), and Phil Ford (DL).

Kaden Chavis ATH, 5-9, 175, Sr. A three-year starter in the Rebels’ secondary, Chavis has shown the ability to cover opposing teams’ best receivers, while also being a good tackler in run support. He is equipped with great speed, quickness and has elite ball skills.

Matthew Cantrelle TE, 5-10, 205, Sr. Although he wasn’t a starter last season, Cantrelle played starter snaps considering how often the Rebels used two tight ends. Praised for his football knowledge, Cantrelle is a physical blocker who is expected to impact the offense in the passing game as well this year.

Luke Hebert FS, 5-9, 170, Sr. Another player who saw starter snaps, Hebert played mostly in the Rebels’ nickel packages. A standout on special teams, Hebert used this offseason to build upon his success from last season. With a great knowledge of the defensive scheme, Rebels coaches are expecting a big year from Hebert.

SCOREBOARD Holes-in-one

Houston at SAN FRAN.

Brett McClure

-121 OFF

at SAN DIEGO Detroit

+102 OFF

Major League Baseball

Course: Copper Mill Golf Club Club selection: 7-wood Hole, yardage: No. 15, 161 Witness: Lane Sutton

American League glance East Division Tampa Bay New York Boston Baltimore Toronto

W 68 64 62 56 54

L 46 51 51 59 62

Pct .596 .557 .549 .487 .466

GB — 4½ 5½ 12½ 15

Chicago Cleveland Detroit Minnesota Kansas City

L 54 59 59 59 67

Pct .522 .491 .487 .487 .417

GB — 3½ 4 4 12

Michael Robinson

West Division

W 59 57 56 56 48

Course: City Park Golf Club selection: Pitching wedge Hole, yardage: No. 9, n/a Witnesses: Kelsey Doguet

Houston Texas Seattle Athletics Los Angeles

W 59 57 56 45 44

L 57 58 60 70 71

Pct .509 .496 .483 .391 .383

GB — 1½ 3 13½ 14½

Don Ingram

Course: Copper Mill Golf Club Club selection: 7-iron Hole, yardage: No. 13, 112 Witnesses: Johnny Thorning, Marcus Gaudet, Brett Ziegler, Jay Kaises

Central Division

Vann Nelson

Course: Santa Maria Club selection: 8-iron Hole, yardage: No. 17, n/a Witnesses: John Nelson, Rick Chiquelin, Sandy Smith

Odds

Wednesday’s games

MLB Friday

American League FAVORITE LINE at BOSTON -255 Cleveland -118 at TEXAS -143 Tampa Bay -116 National League FAVORITE LINE at PITTSBURGH -142 at WASH. OFF at ST. LOUIS -155 at ARIZONA OFF Interleague FAVORITE LINE at PHILA. -220 at N.Y YANKEES -156 at MIAMI -169 at MILWAUKEE OFF at KANSAS CITY OFF

UNDERDOG Athletics at CHI W. SOX Baltimore at SEATTLE

LINE +210 +100 +119 -102

UNDERDOG N.Y Mets Cincinnati Colorado LA Dodgers

LINE +120 OFF +128 OFF

UNDERDOG Toronto Atlanta LA Angels Minnesota Chicago Cubs

LINE +184 +132 +140 OFF OFF

Toronto 5, Houston 4, 10 innings Texas 6, San Francisco 0 Tampa Bay 4, Colorado 0 Baltimore 5, L.A. Angels 2 Cincinnati 3, Athletics 2 Boston 4, Chicago White Sox 0 Kansas City 2, Minnesota 1 N.Y. Mets 6, Cleveland 5, 10 innings St. Louis 3, N.Y. Yankees 1 Seattle 4, Detroit 2

Thursday’s games

Cincinnati 6, Athletics 5 L.A. Angels 4, Baltimore 1 N.Y. Mets 13, Cleveland 6 Chicago Cubs 3, Toronto 2, 11 innings Detroit 11, Seattle 0 Chicago White Sox at Boston, 7:10 p.m.

Minnesota at Kansas City, 7:40 p.m.

Friday’s games

Toronto (Soriano 9-6) at Philadelphia (Wheeler 10-2), 5:40 p.m.

Atlanta (Sale 12-6) at N.Y. Yankees (Fried

4-3), 6:05 p.m.

Athletics (Perkins 2-7) at Boston (Tolle 6-6), 6:10 p.m.

L.A. Angels (Klassen 0-1) at Miami (Phillips 3-5), 6:10 p.m.

Cleveland (Messick 8-6) at Chicago White Sox (Schultz 3-8), 6:40 p.m.

Minnesota (Prielipp 3-5) at Milwaukee (Drohan 6-4), 6:40 p.m.

Chicago Cubs (Gausman 5-10) at Kansas City (TBD), 7:10 p.m.

Baltimore (Baz 4-10) at Texas (Eovaldi 10-9), 7:15 p.m.

Houston (Blanco 0-1) at San Diego (Ray 106), 8:40 p.m.

Tampa Bay (Rasmussen 10-5) at Seattle (Gilbert 8-6), 8:45 p.m.

Detroit (Montero 8-6) at San Francisco (TBD), 9:15 p.m.

National League glance East Division Atlanta Philadelphia Miami Washington New York

W 69 61 58 56 50

L 45 54 57 60 66

Pct .605 .530 .504 .483 .431

GB — 8½ 11½ 14 20

Milwaukee Chicago St. Louis Cincinnati Pittsburgh

W 72 67 57 56 57

L 43 49 58 58 60

Pct .626 .578 .496 .491 .487

GB — 5½ 15 15½ 16

Los Angeles Arizona San Diego San Francisco Colorado

W 69 61 59 48 45

L 46 54 56 67 70

Pct .600 .530 .513 .417 .391

GB — 8 10 21 24

Central Division

West Division

Wednesday’s games

Texas 6, San Francisco 0 Chicago Cubs 7, L.A. Dodgers 6 Tampa Bay 4, Colorado 0 Cincinnati 3, Athletics 2 Atlanta 4, Miami 1 N.Y. Mets 6, Cleveland 5, 10 innings Milwaukee 4, Pittsburgh 2 Washington 10, Philadelphia 4, 11 innings St. Louis 3, N.Y. Yankees 1

Arizona 10, San Diego 4

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Athletics (Barnett 1-1) at Cincinnati (TBD), 11:40 a.m.

N.Y. Mets (McLean 7-7) at Cleveland (Griffin 12-3), 12:10 p.m.

Pittsburgh (Ashcraft 11-4) at Milwaukee (May 5-7), 1:10 p.m.

Toronto (Cease 7-5) at Chicago Cubs (Peterson 6-7), 1:20 p.m.

Washington (TBD) at Philadelphia (Sánchez 14-4), 5:05 p.m.

Miami (Junk 5-6) at Atlanta (Pérez 7-6), 6:15 p.m.

San Diego (Buehler 6-5) at Arizona (Drake 0-0), 8:40 p.m.

Minnesota Las Vegas Golden State Dallas Los Angeles Phoenix Portland Seattle

Thursday’s games

Friday’s games

N.Y. Mets (Thornton 2-2) at Pittsburgh (Mlodzinski 6-3), 5:40 p.m.

Toronto (Soriano 9-6) at Philadelphia (Wheeler 10-2), 5:40 p.m.

Cincinnati (Abbott 6-7) at Washington (Cavalli 8-5), 5:45 p.m.

Atlanta (Sale 12-6) at N.Y. Yankees (Fried 4-3), 6:05 p.m.

L.A. Angels (Klassen 0-1) at Miami (Phillips 3-5), 6:10 p.m.

Minnesota (Prielipp 3-5) at Milwaukee (Drohan 6-4), 6:40 p.m.

Chicago Cubs (Gausman 5-10) at Kansas City (TBD), 7:10 p.m.

Colorado (Feltner 4-5) at St. Louis (Leahy 7-4), 7:15 p.m.

Houston (Blanco 0-1) at San Diego (Ray 106), 8:40 p.m.

L.A. Dodgers (Sasaki 5-5) at Arizona (Kelly 8-9), 8:40 p.m.

Detroit (Montero 8-6) at San Francisco (TBD), 9:15 p.m.

Pro basketball EASTERN CONFERENCE W 19 19 19 17 12 10 7

Wednesday’s games

L 6 9 9 12 18 20 19 27

Pct .806 .700 .700 .613 .379 .375 .367 .182

New York 92, Seattle 86 Atlanta 96, Phoenix 82 Washington 96, Dallas 92 Chicago 95, Los Angeles 88

Thursday’s games

Las Vegas at Indiana, n Los Angeles at Minnesota, n Toronto at Portland, n

Friday’s games

Atlanta at Washington, 6:30 p.m.

Phoenix at Connecticut, 6:30 p.m.

Golden State at Dallas, 8:30 p.m.

Pro football NFL preseason glance Thursday’s games

Carolina vs Arizona at Canton, Ohio, n

Thursday, Aug. 13

Detroit at Cincinnati, 6 p.m.

Green Bay at Pittsburgh, 6 p.m.

Indianapolis at New England, 6:30 p.m.

Arizona at Las Vegas, 7 p.m.

L.A. Chargers at Houston, 7 p.m.

Tennessee at San Francisco, 8 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 14

Denver at Atlanta, 6 p.m.

Miami at Washington, 6 p.m.

Tampa Bay at N.Y. Jets, 6 p.m.

WNBA glance Atlanta Indiana New York Washington Chicago Toronto Connecticut

W 25 21 21 19 11 12 11 6

L 11 11 13 12 19 20 23

Pct .633 .633 .594 .586 .387 .333 .233

GB — — 1 1½ 7½ 9 12

Saturday, Aug. 15

Carolina at Buffalo, noon Cleveland at Chicago, noon Minnesota at N.Y. Giants, noon Jacksonville at New Orleans, 3 p.m.

L.A. Rams at Kansas City, 3 p.m.

Philadelphia at Baltimore, 6 p.m.

Dallas at Seattle, 7 p.m.

GB — 3½ 3½ 6 13 13½ 13½ 20

Anniversary adventure It ’s been 25 year s s ince “H ar r y Po t t er And The S or c er er ’s St one ” fir st cast it s s p ell on theater sc reens. R elive t he ada pt a t i o n of t he fir st of J.K. Rowling ’s popular c h i l d re n’s nove ls about t he boy with ma gica l power s a t a 2 p.m. Saturday sc r e e n i n g a t t h e Ma ns hi p Theat r e. $ 9 .5 0 . m a n s h i pt h e a t r e . o r g .

LIVING

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

|

F r i d ay, au g u s t 7, 2026

5CN

Curtain calling

UpStage presents a story about Selma and Mid City Civic Theatre’s youth stage a cabaret

BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer

Clarence Holmes Jr. will be watching UpStage Theatre’s rendition of his drama, “Bridge in the Distance,” on Aug. 14.

It won’t be the first time his play has been performed in Louisiana. The New Orleans Onstage theater company performed it in October 2024.

But it will be the Baton Rouge premiere of Holmes’ story of the impact of the 1965 “Bloody Sunday” Civil Rights Movement march across Selma, Alabama’s Edmund Pettus Bridge on the Rev. Sam Crawford and his family.

Sam, played by Alex Scott, is the story’s main character. He’s also the minister of a neighborhood African American Baptist

PROVIDED PHOTOS

Host Mike Esneault, left, and New Orleans jazz bassist Roland Guerin sit down for an installment of the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge’s AC23+ Artist Legacy Series podcast. Esneault has done 66 of these free-form interviews with musicians, visual artists and other arts people.

CAST AND CONNECT

ä See THEATER, page 6C

Mike Esneault hosts the Arts Council’s podcast: ‘I like it to be loose and conversational.’

PROVIDED PHOTO By AVA BREWSTER TURNER

BY JOHN WIRT

Cast members in UpStage Theatre’s production of Clarence Holmes Jr.’s drama, ‘Bridge in the Distance,’ are, from left, Gardner Clark as Douglas, David Spears as Willie, Trey Townsel as Tyler and Alex Scott as Sam. In front is Elizabeth Ervin as Viola.

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.

Contributing writer Playing jazz requires many musical skills, especially the ability to improvise.

Mike Esneault — jazz pianist, music educator, Emmy-winning composer and the arranger-conductor for two Grammy-winning PJ Morton albums — has been improvising at the keyboard since he was 16.

Forty-one years into his music career, Esneault engages in a different kind of improvisation as host of the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge’s AC23+ Artist Legacy Series podcast. His 66 free-form interviews with musicians, visual artists and other arts people are streaming via YouTube, Apple podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music.

In 2023, following 25 years of teaching in the East Baton Rouge Parish Schools System’s gifted and talented program, Esneault became director of arts in education

paniment for their performances.

Prepped with mental notes only, he launches his interviews with tape and video rolling.

“I have a general idea of what I want to ask, but otherwise it’s improvised,” Esneault said. “I like it to be loose and conversational.”

Esneault’s AC23+ podcasts expand upon the Arts Council’s previous 23-minute radio programs hosted by Pam Bordelon. He added the video component and lengthened the episodes to from 45 to 60 minutes. Twenty-three-minute Baton Rouge bluesman Kenny Neal, left, has shared the stage with versions of the podcasts continue to air at 6:30 a.m. Sundays on radio jazz pianist Mike Esneault. Neal stations 96.1-FM, The River; and also has been an interview subject 102.5, WFMF-FM; and at 7:30 a.m. on the Esneault-hosted AC23+ on 1150-AM/98.7-FM, WJBO. Esneault’s jazz musicianship unpodcast. expectedly prepared him to be a at the Arts Council. He’s been host natural interviewer. of the AC23+ podcast since 2024.

“As a jazz pianist who accompaEsneault prepares for interviews nies vocalists and soloists, I learned by doing biographical research how to listen,” he said. “That’s what and, if his guests are musicians, ä See PODCAST, page 6C woodshedding his piano accom-

Save the dates for the fifth Listening Room Film Fest Staff report Features, documentaries, shorts and music videos will all be rolled into the fifth annual Listening Room Film Festival.

Presented by Henry Turner Jr.’s Listening Room Museum Foundation, the festival will span two weekends, Dec. 4-6 and 11-

13. Events will run from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the listening room, 2733 North St., Baton Rouge. The festival will be both physical and virtual.

The films will be followed by Qand-A’s. Industry panels with professionals and executives are also a part of the presentations, along with musical performances.

Festival submissions are being accepted through Oct. 31. The festival emphasizes performers and filmmakers from the Southeast area, although national and international films also will be considered and reviewed by selection committee.

Entries must have been completed between January 2023 and

September 2026. Features can be up to 90 minutes, shorts up to 30 minutes and music videos no more than 15 minutes. Submissions can be emailed to listeningroomfilmfestival@gmail.com.

For entry guidelines, tickets and more information, visit www.

ä See FILM FEST, page 6C

6C ● Friday, August 7, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

THEATER

TODAY IN HISTORY World War II. In 1971, the Apollo 15 moon mission ended sucToday is Friday, Aug. 7, the 219th day of 2026. There cessfully as its command are 146 days left in the year. module splashed down in Today in history: the Pacific Ocean.

On Aug. 7, 1974, French In 2007, San Francisco’s high-wire artist Philippe Barry Bonds hit home run Petit performed an unapNo. 756 to break Hank Aaron’s storied record with one proved tightrope walk between the two towers of the out in the fifth inning of a World Trade Center in New game against the WashingYork, over 1,300 feet above ton Nationals, who won, 8-6. the ground; the event was In 2012, to avoid a possichronicled in the Academy ble death penalty, Jared Lee Award-winning documenLoughner agreed to spend the rest of his life in prison, tary “Man on Wire.” accepting that he went on Also on this date: a deadly shooting rampage In 1789, the U.S. Departat an Arizona political gathment of War was estabering in 2011 that left six lished by Congress. people dead and 13 injured, In 1942, U.S. and other allied forces landed at Gua- including U.S. Rep. Gabby dalcanal, marking the start Giffords.

In 2015, Colorado theater of the first major allied offensive in the Pacific during shooter James Holmes was

By The Associated Press

spared the death penalty in favor of life in prison after a jury failed to agree on whether he should be executed for his attack at a packed movie premiere that left 12 people dead.

Today’s birthdays: Singer Lana Cantrell is 83. Actor John Glover is 82. Actor David Rasche is 82. Former diplomat, talk show host and activist Alan Keyes is 76.

Country singer Rodney Crowell is 76. Actor Caroline Aaron is 74. Comedian Alexei Sayle is 74. Actor Wayne Knight is 71. Rock singer Bruce Dickinson is 68. Actor David Duchovny is 66. Actor Delane Matthews is 65. Actor Harold Perrineau is 63. Jazz musician Marcus Roberts is 63.

Country singer Raul Malo is 61. Actor David Mann is 60.

SHOWS TO WATCH — ACADIANA AREA FRIDAY

LIVE MUSIC: Cane River Pecan Company Pie Bar, New Iberia, 5 p.m.

CASEY COURVILLE: 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.

JEFF & SHERRY DUGAN: Naq’s-n-Duson, Duson, 6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Prejean’s, Broussard, 6 p.m.

SHARONA & STEVE: Cafe Sydnie Mae, Breaux Bridge, 6 p.m.

KIP SONNIER: SHUCKS!, Abbeville, 6:30 p.m.

THE RIVER SMOOTH: Buck & Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 6:30 p.m.

MATT GARY TRIO: Whiskey and Vine, Lafayette, 7 p.m.

MICHAEL SCOTT BOUDREAUX + DOM ELLIS: Acadiana Center for the Arts, Lafayette, 7:30 p.m.

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Strand Theatre, Jennings, 7:30 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: The Barrel of Broussard, Broussard, 8 p.m.

CHEAP WHISKEY: Toby’s Lounge, Opelousas, 8:30 p.m.

THREE AM: Rock’n’Bowl de Lafayette, Lafayette, 9 p.m.

CAZAYOUX: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 10 p.m.

SATURDAY

DONNY BROUSSARD BAND: Fred’s, Mamou, 8 a.m.

MIKE BROUSSARD NU EDITION ZYDECO: Buck & Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 8 a.m.

KEVIN NAQUIN: Naq’sn-Duson, Duson, 8:30 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.

CAJUN FRENCH MUSIC JAM: Vermilionville Living History Museum & Folklife Park, Lafayette, 1 p.m.

ZYDECO CAPITAL JAM: St. Landry Parish Visitor Center, Opelousas, 1 p.m.

CAJUN JAM SESSION: Touchet’s Bar, Maurice, 2 p.m.

DUSTIN RAY & SOUTHERN GROOVE: Cypress Cove Landing, Breaux Bridge, 3 p.m.

LEIF MECHE: Lakeview Park, Eunice, 5 p.m.

AUSTIN REAUX: Cafe Sydnie Mae, Breaux Bridge, 6 p.m.

JANSON MATTE: Naq’s-n-Duson, Duson, 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.

SAYLOR BRASSEAUX: Adopted Dog Brewing, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

BLAKE LUQUETTE: SHUCKS!, Abbeville, 6:30 p.m.

RAIKWON GREEN: Buck & Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 6:30 p.m.

THE TROUBADOUR: SHUCKS!, Abbeville, 6:30 p.m.

CHARLES & WENDY TRICHE: Whiskey and Vine, Lafayette, 7 p.m.

JULIAN PRIMEAUX: Hideaway on Lee, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: The Barrel of Broussard, Broussard, 8 p.m.

THE CARTOONS: Toby’s Lounge, Opelousas, 8:30 p.m.

NEXT GEN ZYDECO: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 9 p.m.

WAYNE TOUPS: Rock ’n’ Bowl de Lafayette, Lafayette, 9 p.m.

SUNDAY

GOSPEL BRUNCH: Cafe Sydnie Mae,

PODCAST

Continued from page 5C Alvin Batiste (jazz clarinetist and music educator at Southern University in Baton Rouge and the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts) taught me. You’ve got to listen, and that parlays into doing interviews.”

Of course, many podcasting, radio and TV interviewers often don’t listen to their guests. Likewise, many musicians are too wrapped up in their own playing to truly collaborate with their bandmates.

“In music, I know right off the bat if someone has an agenda,” Esneault said.

“They’re going to make their point. By doing that, they’re not listening, and that takes the fun out of it.”

An important member of the Baton Rouge and New Orleans music communities for decades, Esneault has shared stages with many of his AC23+ musician guests. They include Baton Rouge artists Kenny Neal, Lil’ Ray Neal, Henry Turner Jr. and D.K. Harrell; New Orleans jazz artists Don Vappie, Roland

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.

BAL DU DIMANCHE — KEVIN HUVAL’S CAJUN CREOLE DANCE BAND: Vermilionville Living History Museum & Folklife Park, Lafayette, 1 p.m.

THE JUNIOR LACROSSE BAND: Cypress Cove Landing, Breaux Bridge, 3 p.m.

FORET TRADITION: Pat’s Atchafalaya Club, Henderson, 4:30 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

ROBERT JARDELL & PURE CAJUN: Hideaway on Lee, Lafayette, 7 p.m.

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.

TUESDAY

GARRET ROSEN: Whiskey and Vine, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

TERRY HUVAL & FRIENDS: Prejean’s Restaurant, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

GREENLIGHT SESSIONS OPEN MIC: The Jefferson Street Greenroom, Lafayette, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

HUDSON HEBERT AND NOAH TRAHAN: Delcambre Shrimp Festival Grounds, Delcambre DULCIMER JAM: St. Landry Visitor’s Center, Opelousas,

Guerin and Johnny Vidacovich; and Lake Charles zydeco musician Sean Ardoin.

“There’s a comfort level for me when I’m dealing with musicians,” Esneault said. “But what I enjoy, too, is interviewing people who are not musicians, because I love finding the connections and the similarities. I love asking visual artists about their method and process and connecting that to what I do in music.”

Ana Andricain, an actress with Broadway credits, jewelry artist and manager of the Baton Rouge Arts Market, is the most clicked on AC23+ podcast guest. But no matter what discipline his guests work in, Esneault asks about their mentors.

“Almost all the time, there’s somebody, probably at the high school level, who inspired and guided them,” he said. “A lot of times, they went to a school where there was an arts culture. Baton Rouge Magnet High School is a great example. It has a long history of turning out many great musicians and artists.”

Esneault counts the aforementioned Batiste as well as composer Bert Braud

10 a.m.

AVERY COHEN: Whiskey and Vine, Lafayette, 6 p.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 of Broussard, Broussard, 6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: The Tap Room, Youngsville, 6:30 p.m.

CAJUN JAM: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

THURSDAY

THE TROUBADOUR — JON MELANCON: Delcambre Shrimp Festival Grounds, Delcambre ANDREW WAIN & LOGAN TURNER JAZZ: Whiskey and Vine, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

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-nDuson, Duson, 6 p.m.

MIKE BROUSSARD: Cafe Sydnie Mae, Breaux Bridge, 6 p.m.

DUSTIN SONNIER: SHUCKS!, Abbeville, 6:30 p.m.

CITÉ DES ARTS READERS THEATER — “A TABLE DES VEUVES AND JEAN L’OURS ET LA FILLE DU ROI”: Cité des Arts, Lafayette, 7 p.m.

HAS BEANS: Hideaway on Lee, Lafayette, 7 p.m.

KARAOKE PARTY — PANDA ENTERTAINMENT: Black Bull, Youngsville, 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.

and pianist Larry Sieberth among his mentors. J.R. Miller, a band director at Catholic High School, was especially pivotal.

“I was getting away from music,” Esneault remembered of his high school years. “I’d been playing classical music and I was getting bored. I loved the music, but was tired of the routine. But then J.R. Miller started a jazz band at Catholic High.

All of a sudden, it was like, ‘Wow, I didn’t know this world existed. I can make things up and that’s encouraged.’ Instantly, a light bulb turned on.”

Esneault’s combined 28 years with the Arts Council and East Baton Rouge schools have showed him how important arts education is for students’ academic success and overall development.

“It’s essential,” he said.

“Limiting education to the core curriculum doesn’t help them with cognitive development and the creative side of the brain. And for so many kids, playing in the band or singing in the choir or being in a visual arts class, that’s what they love about school.”

Continued from page 5C church in Selma, and though his church secretary rallied to get him and his wife, Viola, played by Elizabeth Ervin, registered to vote, he had no intention of exercising his constitutional right.

That is, until a horrific incident landing his church secretary in the hospital changes everything.

Holmes, a New Orleans native, will be there at 5 p.m. to talk about his story before it plays out in Southern University’s Frank Hayden Theatre on opening night.

UpStage Theatre will stage two performances of the show at 6:30 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 14, and 3 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 15, on Southern’s stage.

“We’ll also have attorneys, judges, community activists and representatives of the NAACP speaking in a panel discussion before the play,” Ava Brewster Turner, UpStage artistic director and founder, said.

“Clarence Holmes will also be there to meet the audience after the play.”

The story examines a fraught time in the United States when African Americans had to overcome roadblocks to exercise their constitutional right to vote.

Sam is a minister who doesn’t believe in preaching politics from the pulpit. But on Easter Sunday 1966, his message focuses more on the local sheriff’s election that it does Jesus’ resurrection.

“What happens to his church secretary changes him,” said Scott. “And he’s determined to vote despite his wife not wanting him to go, despite the weather and despite his car not working.

He decides to walk all the way down to the courthouse to be the first person in line to vote.”

But those are only a few of the complications in Sam’s morning journey, which has Viola worried when Sam doesn’t return home until late afternoon.

“Viola is also registered to vote, but she’s not going out of her way or putting herself in danger by going to the polls,” Ervin said of her character. “She tries to discourage her husband, because she wants to keep him safe. She wants to keep her family together, and voting is not that important to her, because she knows they have to take care of themselves.”

Meanwhile, Viola and Sam are parents of an 11-year-old son, Willie, played by 12-year-old David Spears, who had to prepare for his role by getting into the mindset of a child whose home has never had a television.

‘BRIDGE IN THE DISTANCE’ UpStage Theatre’s Baton Rouge premiere of Clarence Holmes Jr.’s drama

6:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 14, and 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15. Opening night will be preceded by a talk by Holmes and a panel discussion from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. l Frank Hayden Theatre in Frank Hayden Hall, F Street, Southern University. l $25 l (225) 924-3774 or upstagetheatre.biz

PROVIDED PHOTO By MID CITy CIVIC THEATRE

Cast members of the ‘Entr’Acte’ cabaret show, which will benefit Mid City Civic Theatre’s Civic Conservatory young actors program.

This story begins with besties, namely Marshall Elliott and Molly Kate Skupian.

Both were regular actors in the former Theatre Baton Rouge Young Actors Program, and though they’re both headed to colleges in New York, they wanted to give back to what is now Mid City Civic Theatre’s Civic Conservatory. This resulted in the cabaret show, “Entr’Acte,” featuring a cast of 25 young actors ranging from middle school to high school seniors in a one-night performance on Friday.

As for the conservatory, it’s the youth program for the theater that now makes its home in the former Theatre Baton Rouge building.

“Arts education, as a whole, is starting to fall off a little bit,” Elliott said. “I mean, I’m just coming out of high school, and I’ve noticed the progression of this from freshman to senior year.”

Both Elliott, who graduated from Episcopal High School in May, and Skupian, who graduated from St. Joseph’s Academy, were involved in their respective schools’ theater programs, as well as Playmakers and TBR. Skupian will be headed to New York University in September, and Elliott will be going to Ithaca College.

Both plan to graduate with bachelor’s degrees in fine arts concentrating in musical theater.

The actors want the ticket sales generated by their cabaret program to benefit the Civic Conservatory so other students can get musical theater experience.

Elliott and Skupian are codirecting this show, which features 16 numbers from musicals that range from classic Broadway to modern shows. Costumes will be minimal, as will stage sets, so the focus will be on the music and performers.

“Marshall likes more dramatic songs, and I like the energetic numbers,” Skupian said. “So we have a good balance.”

“We’re doing some numbers from ‘Anything Goes’ and ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,’ touching some classic Golden Age pieces like that,” Elliott added. “And then we’re also bringing in songs from ‘The Prom,’ which is a very new musical, and ‘Spring Awakening,’ which is about to open on Broadway.’ We also have songs from ‘13, The Musical,’ which appeals to young audiences, and ‘Shrek.’ ” This means there will be something for everyone.

So, could this be an annual event?

“We’re thinking about it,” Elliott said. “It would be great to be able to do this when we’re home for the summer.”

music entrepreneur Henry Turner Jr. to give new and Continued from page 5C established filmmakers a place to screen their films and play their music in a htjmuseum.org or call (225) comfortable environment,” a news release states. “It 802-9681.

“The Listening Room Film focuses on people who are Festival was founded by pioneers or influencers in

the entertainment industry, as well as the performers and actors in the films and musicians who provided music soundtracks.”

Festival sponsors to date are Visit Baton Rouge, Cutting Edge NOLA, and the foundation.

‘ENTR’ACTE’ A benefit cabaret show for Mid City Civic Theatre’s Civic Conservatory young actors program

7:30 p.m. Friday l Mid City Civic Theatre, 7155 Florida Blvd. l $20-$45 l midcitycivic.org That situation changes on election day when 20-yearold delivery man Tyler, played by Trey Townsel, knocks on the Crawfords’ door with their new TV in his hands. Elderly neighbor Douglas, played by Gardner Clark, also is there to witness the event.

All are in the room when a soaked Sam returns from his day’s quest in the pouring rain and relays the story of his voting journey.

If the weather and broken-down vehicle weren’t hard enough, White poll workers made the voting task even more difficult by sending him miles down the road from one polling precinct to the next, which disgusts Douglas.

“That’s when I would have turned around and gone home,” he says each time Sam cites a new obstacle.

And now that Sam is home and is telling his story, the question lingers — did he actually make it into a voting booth to cast his ballot?

“That’s something we can’t reveal,” Brewster Turner said. “Sam is resilient, and the story is powerful. But you’ll have to come to the play to find out what happens.”

‘Entr’Acte’ at Mid City

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

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zodIAC LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Your strength lies in knowing when and what will give you the upper hand and the opportunity to head in the direction that's best for you.

Discipline and originality will outmatch any competition you encounter.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Do your best to avoid unsavory situations that can impact your personal or professional life. Be content with watching what's happening around you without offering your input.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Being receptive will lead to interesting alternatives.

Tweak what you hear to suit your situation, and you'll find a perfect fit for something you want to pursue or make your own. scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Put up barriers, limitations and boundaries. Protect against temptation and those who are bad influences regarding money, overindulgence and questionable situations. sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Gear up and get ready to have some fun. If you engage in activities that stimulate you physically or spiritually, your entertaining attitude will attract attention. cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) If you push your intelligence to the max, you'll discover how capable you are of reaching the standards and expectations you hold dear to your heart. Embrace learning.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Rebuilding or hitting the reset button will open a window of opportunity that encourages

you to focus on fitness, health, nutrition and your personal happiness.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) If you act in a heartfelt manner and offer a positive response, you'll deny others the chance to gloat or to take advantage of you. Choose kind words, a smile and an intellectual facade.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Be bold, consider what motivates you to be your best and turn an OK day into something spectacular. You've got the go-ahead to make decisions that can map out your journey forward. tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Rethink your strategy before you take on a challenge that can influence your lifestyle or your professional goals. Don't put your reputation on the line for someone else or to prove a point.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Keep everyone guessing. Don't share too much or give away your secrets. Put your energy into being at your best, and you'll be a magnet for success, love and friendships that can help you get ahead. cAncER (June 21-July 22) Distance yourself from anyone who uses manipulation or pressure tactics to take advantage of you. Let your intelligence and memory guide you in situations that appear unfair or put you in a vulnerable position.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

For better or For WorSe WonderWord

peAnUtS

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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: P EQuALs c

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon FAMILY CIrCUS

dooneSbUrY

8C ● Friday,August 7, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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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

BaBY BLueS

BLondie

THe wiZard oF id

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La TimeS CroSSword

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Friday,August 7, 2026 ● 9C

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B.C.

Bridge

By PHILLIP ALDER Henny Youngman, a violinist well known for humorous one-liners, said, “When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading.”

That does not sound like a good idea. At the bridge table, reading is very important. In particular, third hand and declarer should read the opening lead, working out what the leader has in that suit.

In this example deal, how should South plan the play in four spades after West leads the heart nine in answer to his partner’s overcall in the suit?

The North-South bidding was a tad aggressive, but we all love that vulnerable game bonus.

South starts with four potential losers: two diamonds and two clubs. However, given East’s bid, it is tempting to assume that he has the club ace. But if, say, South takes the first trick with his heart jack, draws trumps, and plays a diamond, East can win and shift to the club queen to defeat the contract.

What does the heart-nine lead indicate?

That East has the heart king and 10. How does that help?

South should cover the nine with dummy’s queen and take East’s king with his ace. Then, after drawing trumps ending in the dummy, South plays a heart to his eight and discards a club from the dum-

garfield

Pearls Before swiNe

hagar the horriBle

my on the heart jack. South takes five spades, three hearts, one diamond and an eventual club ruff in the dummy.

Note that if South calls for dummy’s heart four at trick one, East should not play third hand high; he should play low, not wasting an honor when declarer is marked with the heart jack and ace. © 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

PiCKles

Previous answers:

mallard fillmore

word game InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3.

Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

toDAy’s WoRD — FIELDER: FEEL-der: A defensive player stationed in the field.

Bizarro

marmaduKe

Average mark 28 words Time limit 45 minutes Can you find 39 or more words in FIELDER? yEstERDAy’s WoRD — LEsIons lenis lens lesion less lesson lien line lion lioness loin lone

lose loss silo sine soil sole sone insole isle ness noel

noes noise nose

loCKhorNs hidato Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

today’s thought “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

For whoever will save his life shall lose it: but whoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.” Luke 9:23-24 This is the Christian life. Are you a Christian? — G.E. Dean

10C ● Friday,August 7, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Public Notices

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed bids will be ac‐ cepted until 10:00 a.m., Monday, August 24, 2026, at the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office at 316 W. Main Street, Lafayette, Louisiana for the follow‐ ing: #2027-04 LPCC Equipment

Fitness

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 196704-AUG 7-14-2T $20.20 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received either electroni‐ cally at https://lafayet tecsdgovla.tylerportico. com/va/vendor-access/ registration or in the of‐ fice of the Purchasing Di‐ vision at the Lafayette Consolidated Govern‐ ment Building, located at 705 W. University Avenue, Lafayette, Louisiana, 70506 until 2:00 PM Cen‐ tral Time on the 2nd day of September, 2026 for the following: Modernization & Upgrades to Elevator at Lafayette Utilities System Administration Building For Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government and will, shortly there‐ after, be opened and read aloud in a room lo‐ cated at 705 West Univer‐ sity Avenue, Lafayette, LA. Bids received after the above specified time for opening shall not be considered and shall be returned unopened to the sender. Bidders are encouraged to attend the bid opening virtually via ZOOM using the follow‐ ing link: https://us02web. zoom.us/j/82098561524? pwd=tp6PCogzxI6F1Ab CVnZ1pCMMoiFcws.1 Meeting ID:820 9856 1524 Passcode: 903106

Scope of Services: The work shall consist of, but is not limited to, furnish‐ ing all material, labor, tools, and supervision for the Modernization & Up‐ grades to Elevator and associated work includ‐ ing upgrades to elevator equipment room as out‐ lined in the plans and specification at Lafayette Utilities System Adminis‐ tration Building.

Work shall be completed within ONE HUNDRED FIFTY (150) calendar days from issuance of Notice to Proceed.

In accordance with Louisiana RS 38:2212. vendors may submit their bid electronically at the website listed above.

Bidders wishing to sub‐ mit their bid electroni‐ cally must first be regis‐ tered within LCG Vendor Access at the website listed above. The regis‐ tration process can take some time; therefore, LCG recommends regis‐ tering days in advance of the time that bids are due. It is the sole respon‐ sibility of the bidder to ensure their bid is deliv‐ ered (whether electroni‐ cally via Vendor Access, in person, or via mail) to the Purchasing Division prior to the scheduled date and time of the bid opening. Vendors may request the bid package electronically from Heather Kestler @ hkestler@lafayettela.gov.

Bidders wishing to sub‐ mit their bid electroni‐ cally must first be regis‐ tered online with Lafayette Consolidated Government as a poten‐ tial supplier at the web‐ site listed above. Bidders submitting bids electron‐ ically are required to pro‐ vide the same docu‐ ments as bidders sub‐ mitting through the mail as soon as available.

Only a bid bond, certified check or cashier’s check shall be submitted as the bid security. Electronic copies of both the front and back of the check or bid bond shall be in‐ cluded with the elec‐ tronic bid.

Bids must be signed in accordance with LRS Title 38:2212(B)5. A Cor‐ porate Resolution or Cer‐ tificate of Authority au‐ thorizing the person signing the bid is re‐ quired to be submitted with bid. Failure to sub‐ mit a Corporate Resolu‐ tion or Certificate of Au‐ thority with the bid shall be cause for rejection of bid.

Pre-ordered copies of the bidding documents will be available with a de‐ posit of $50.00 per set at the Office of Purchasing located at 705 W. Univer‐ sity Ave., Lafayette, LA 70506. (NOTE: NO CASH WILL BE ACCEPTED— ONLY CHECK OR MONEY ORDERS MADE PAYABLE TO LAFAYETTE CONSOLI‐ DATED GOVERNMENT. Bid Documents shall be available until twentyfour hours before the bid opening date. Questions relative to the bidding documents shall be ad‐ dressed to Heather

store.nola.com

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Kestler at hkestler@ lafayettela.gov.

Contractors are re‐ quested to attend a mandatory pre-bid meet‐ ing, which will be held on Wednesday, August 19, 2026 at 1:00 PM. at the Lafayette Utilities Sys‐ tem Administration Building site location, lo‐ cated at 1314 Walker Rd., Lafayette, LA 70506.

Each bid shall be accom‐ panied by a certified check, cashier’s check, or bid bond payable to the Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government, the amount of which shall be five percent (5%) of the base bid plus additive al‐ ternates. If a bid bond is used, it shall be written by a surety or insurance company currently on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Management Service list bonding of approved companies which is pub‐ lished annually in the Federal Register, or by a Louisiana domiciled in‐ surance company with at least an A-Rating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide to write individual bonds up to ten percent (10%) of policyholders’ surplus as shown in the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide, or by an insurance com‐ pany in good standing li‐ censed to write bid bonds which is either domiciled in Louisiana or owned by Louisiana resi‐ dents. The bid bond shall be issued by a company licensed to do business in Louisiana. The certi‐ fied check, cashier’s check, or bid bond shall be given as a guarantee that the bidder shall exe‐ cute the contract, should it be awarded to him, in conformity with the con‐ tract documents within ten (10) days.

No contractor may with‐ draw its bid prior to the deadline for submission of bids. Withdrawal of bids thereafter shall be allowed only pursuant to LA R.S. 38§2214.C. Other‐ wise, no bidder may withdraw his bid for at least forty-five (45) days after the time scheduled for the bid opening of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided within the specifications. The successful bidder will be required to execute per‐ formance and labor and material payment bonds in the full amount of the contract as more fully defined in the bid docu‐ ments. No contractors may withdraw his bid for at least forty-five (45) days after the time scheduled for the open‐ ing of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided with the specifications. The contractor successful will be required to exe‐ cute performance and labor and material pay‐ ment bonds in the full amount of the contract as more fully defined in the bid documents.

Bids will be evaluated by the Purchaser based on the lowest responsible and responsive bid sub‐ mitted which is also in compliance with the bid documents.

The Lafayette Consolidated Government reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause in ac‐ cordance with LA R.S. 38§2214.B. Contractors or contract‐ ing firms submitting bids in the amount of $50,000.00 or more shall certify that they are li‐ censed contractors under Chapter 24 of Title 37 of the Louisiana Re‐ vised Statutes of 1950 and show their license number on the front of the sealed envelope in which their bid is en‐ closed. Contractors shall be licensed for the clas‐ sification of “BUILDING CONSTRUCTION”. Bids in the amounts specified above which have not bid in accordance with the requirements, shall be rejected and shall not be read. Additional informa‐ tion relative to licensing may be obtained from the Louisiana State Li‐ censing Board for Con‐ tractors, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government strongly encourages the participation of DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprises) in all con‐ tracts or procurements let by the Lafayette Con‐ solidated Government for goods and services and labor and material.

To that end, all contrac‐ tors and suppliers are encouraged to utilize DBEs business enter‐ prises in the purchase or sub-contracting of mate‐ rials, supplies, services and labor and material in which disadvantaged businesses are available.

Assistance in identifying said businesses may be obtained by calling 2918410.

PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated Government PUBLISH DATES: 8/7/26, 8/9/26, 8/16/26 DPR 997977 195396 Aug. 7, 9, 16 2026 3t $225.84

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE --HEARING EXAMINER AGENDA AUGUST 14, 2026 COMMUNITY DEVELOP‐ MENT AND PLANNING AU‐ DITORIUM 220 WEST WILLOW STREET, BUILDING B 8:30 A.M. I. Call to Order & Intro‐ duction / Morgan Hart II. Development Review 1. Hearing Review No. 2026-69-HE Proposed Plat Name: Travelodge Lafayette, LLC, Tract A Plat Location: 1103, 1111, & 1115 W Pinhook Rd

Legal Notices

Jurisdiction: City of Lafayette Proposed Use: Commer‐ cial Surveyor: Andre Montag‐ net 2. Hearing Review No. 2026-66-HE Proposed Plat Name: Roy T. Eppler, Jr., Tracts D-1A, D-2A & D-3A Plat Location: 235, 245 & 255 Guidry Rd Jurisdiction: City of Lafayette Proposed Use: Commer‐ cial Surveyor: Andre Montag‐ net 3. Hearing Review No. 2026-67-HE Proposed Plat Name: GOC Landholdings LLC, Tract 2A Plat Location: 206 Am‐ bassador Caffery Pkwy Jurisdiction: City of Lafayette Proposed Use: Commer‐ cial Surveyor: Blake Belaire 4. Hearing Review No. 2026-68-HE Proposed Plat Name: Joseph Hebert & Heirs, Lots 2-A & 2-B Plat Location: 111 Bee Hebert Rd Jurisdiction: Parish of Lafayette Proposed Use: Residen‐ tial Surveyor: Jacob Jarrell III. Adjourn 196553-aug 7-t $14.83 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE The Lafayette City Coun‐ cil and the Lafayette Parish Council each met in Regular Session on Au‐ gust 4, 2026 and adopted the following ordinance: ORDINANCE NO. JO-0242026 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 GOVERN‐ MENT TO ADJUST AMOUNTS FOR ADMINIS‐ TRATIVE AND GENERAL COSTS TO ACTUAL BE IT ORDAINED by the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council, that: WHEREAS, the Full Cost Allocation Plan for the administrative and gen‐ eral costs prepared by MGT Impact Solutions, LLC; and WHEREAS, amounts were estimated for budget purposes with such esti‐ mates budgeted as transfers to reimburse the City and Parish Gen‐ eral Funds; and actual WHEREAS, amounts from the Full Cost Allocation Plan are now available and it is necessary to adjust de‐ partmental estimates to actual administrative and general costs so that transfers can be exe‐ cuted.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED by the Lafayette City Coun‐ cil and the Lafayette Parish Council, that: SECTION 1: All of the aforedescribed “Whereas” clauses are adopted as part of this ordinance.

SECTION 2: The FY 25/26 operating budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Govern‐ ment is hereby amended to adjust administrative and general costs to ac‐ tual in accordance with the attached budgetary revision form.

SECTION 3: This adjust‐ ment shall be as re‐ flected in any pertinent documents which are at‐ tached hereto and made a part hereof and filed in the Office of the Clerk of the Council.

SECTION 4: All ordi‐ nances or resolutions, or parts thereof, in conflict herewith are hereby re‐ pealed.

SECTION 5: After first having been adopted by a majority of the autho‐ rized membership of both the Lafayette Parish Council and the Lafayette City Council, this joint ordinance shall become effective upon signature of this joint or‐ dinance by the Lafayette Mayor-President, the elapse of ten (10) days after receipt by the Lafayette Mayor-Presi‐ dent without signature or veto, or upon an over‐ ride of a veto, whichever occurs first. ***** ORDINANCE NO. JO-0252026 A JOINT ORDINANCE OF THE LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL AND THE LAFAYETTE PARISH COUNCIL AUTHORIZING THE LAFAYETTE MAYORPRESIDENT TO SUBMIT THE 2026 ANNUAL AC‐ TION PLAN GRANT APPLI‐ CATION TO THE U.S. DE‐ PARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOP‐ MENT BE IT ORDAINED by the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council, that: SECTION 1: The Lafayette Mayor-President is hereby authorized to submit the 2026 Annual Action Plan grant appli‐ cation to the U.S. Depart‐ ment of Housing and Urban Development.

SECTION 2: The grant ap‐ plication is for federal assistance for housing and community develop‐ ment activities that will primarily benefit lowand moderate-income persons.

SECTION 3: The Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council further authorize the Lafayette Mayor-Presi‐ dent, or her designee, to conduct all negotiations, execute, and submit all documents, including but not limited to, applica‐ tions, agreements, payment amendments, requests, memoranda of understanding and so on, which may be necessary for the completion of the aforementioned projects.

SECTION 4: Such further terms as may be re‐ flected in any pertinent documents pertaining to the grant application, and any such documents on file in the Office of the

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Clerk of the Council in connection with this or‐ dinance, are made a part hereof by reference.

SECTION 5: All ordi‐ nances or resolutions, or parts thereof, in conflict herewith are hereby re‐ pealed.

SECTION 6: After first having been adopted by a majority of the autho‐ rized membership of both the Lafayette Parish Council and the Lafayette City Council, this joint ordinance shall become effective upon signature of this joint or‐ dinance by the Lafayette the Mayor-President, elapse of ten (10) days after receipt by the Lafayette Mayor-Presi‐ dent without signature or veto, or upon override of a veto, whichever oc‐ curs first. ***** ORDINANCE NO. JO-0262026 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 GOVERN‐ MENT BY INCREASING REVENUES IN THE AMOUNT OF $637,362.94 IN HOME FUNDS RE‐ CEIVED FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUS‐ ING AND URBAN DEVEL‐ OPMENT AND APPROPRI‐ ATING FUNDS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY DEVEL‐ OPMENT AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT BE IT ORDAINED by the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council, that: SECTION 1: The FY 25/26 operating budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Govern‐ ment is hereby amended by increasing revenues in the amount of $637,362.94, received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban De‐ velopment under the 2026 HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program, and appropriat‐ ing funds within the Community Development and Planning Depart‐ ment.

SECTION 2: This increase in revenues shall be as reflected in any pertinent documents which are at‐ tached hereto and made a part hereof and filed in the Office of the Clerk of the Council.

SECTION 3: The Commu‐ nity Development and Planning Department is hereby granted the au‐ thority to recognize, via administrative budget re‐ vision, the periodic re‐ ceipt of homeowner con‐ tributions associated with the Housing Reha‐ bilitation Program car‐ ried out by the Commu‐ nity Development and Planning Division pur‐ suant to the HOME Pro‐ gram. Receipt of said homeowner contribu‐ tions shall not necessi‐ tate additional Council action.

SECTION 4: The Commu‐ nity Development and Planning Department is hereby granted the au‐ thority to recognize, via administrative budget re‐ vision, the annual HOME program income re‐ ceived at the end of the program year. HOME pro‐ gram income must be recognized before the end of the Lafayette CityParish Consolidated Gov‐ ernment’s fiscal year end, but program income is not known until Octo‐ ber 1 of each year, leav‐ ing insufficient time to recognize program in‐ come through a Council ordinance.

SECTION 5: The Lafayette Mayor-President, or her designee, is hereby au‐ thorized to amend the operating budget within the grant period by transferring any unex‐ pended appropriated balances into or out of salaries and benefits line items and all other ex‐ pense line items in order to expend the total award amount in accor‐ dance with the HOME regulations.

SECTION 6: All ordi‐ nances or resolutions, or parts thereof, in conflict herewith are hereby re‐ pealed.

SECTION 7: After first having been adopted by a majority of the autho‐ rized membership of both the Lafayette Parish Council and the Lafayette City Council, this joint ordinance shall become effective upon signature of this joint or‐ dinance by the Lafayette Mayor-President, the elapse of ten (10) days after receipt by the Lafayette Mayor-Presi‐ dent without signature or veto, or upon override of a veto, whichever oc‐ curs first. ***** ORDINANCE NO. JO-0272026 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 GOVERN‐ MENT BY INCREASING REVENUES IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,598,300 IN CDBG FUNDS RECEIVED FROM THE U.S. DEPART‐ MENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS WITHIN THE COM‐ MUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING DEPART‐ MENT BE IT ORDAINED by the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council, that: SECTION 1: The FY 25/26 operating budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Govern‐ ment is hereby amended by increasing revenues in the amount of $1,598,300, received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under the 2026 Commu‐ nity Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program and appropriating funds within the Community Development and Plan‐ ning Department.

SECTION 2: This increase in revenues shall be as reflected in any pertinent documents which are at‐ tached hereto and made a part hereof and filed in the Office of the Clerk of the Council.

SECTION 3: The Commu‐ nity Development and Planning Department is hereby granted the au‐ thority to recognize, via administrative budget re‐ vision, the annual CDBG program income re‐ ceived at the end of the program year. CDBG pro‐ gram income must be recognized before the end of the Lafayette CityParish Consolidated Gov‐ ernment’s fiscal year end, but program income is not known until Octo‐ ber 1 of each year, leav‐ ing insufficient time to recognize program in‐ come through a Council ordinance.

SECTION 4: The Lafayette Mayor-President, or her d i i h b

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y designee, is hereby au‐ thorized to amend the operating budget within the grant period by transferring any unex‐ pended appropriated balances into or out of salaries and benefits line items and all other ex‐ pense line items in order to expend the total award amount in accor‐ dance with the CDBG reg‐ ulations.

SECTION 5: All ordi‐ nances or resolutions, or parts thereof, in conflict herewith are hereby re‐ pealed.

SECTION 6: After first having been adopted by a majority of the autho‐ rized membership of both the Lafayette Parish Council and the Lafayette City Council, this joint ordinance shall become effective upon signature of this joint or‐ dinance by the Lafayette Mayor-President, the elapse of ten (10) days after receipt by the Lafayette Mayor-Presi‐ dent without signature or veto, or upon override of a veto, whichever oc‐ curs first. *****

y j partmental estimates to actual administrative and general costs so that transfers can be exe‐ cuted.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED by the Lafayette City Coun‐ cil, that: SECTION 1: All of the aforedescribed “Whereas” clauses are adopted as part of this ordinance.

SECTION 2: The FY 25/26 operating budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Govern‐ ment is hereby amended to adjust administrative and general costs to ac‐ tual in accordance with the attached budgetary revision form.

SECTION 3: This adjust‐ ment shall be as re‐ flected in any pertinent documents which are at‐ tached hereto and made a part hereof and filed in the Office of the Clerk of the Council.

SECTION 4: All ordi‐ nances or resolutions, or parts thereof, in conflict herewith are hereby re‐ pealed.

SECTION 5: This ordi‐ nance shall become ef‐ fective upon signature of the Lafayette MayorPresident, the elapse of ten (10) days after re‐ ceipt by the Lafayette Mayor-President without signature or veto, or upon an override of a veto, whichever occurs first. *****

/s/ Joseph Gordon-Wiltz JOSEPH GORDON-WILTZ LAFAYETTE CLERK OF THE COUNCIL 196688-AUG 7-1T $99.51 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE The Lafayette City Coun‐ cil and the Lafayette Parish Council each met in Regular Sessions on August 4, 2026 and intro‐ duced the following ordi‐ nance.

JO-028-2026 A joint ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council acting in their capacity as the governing author‐ ity of the City of Lafayette and the Parish of Lafayette, respec‐ tively, providing for the abandonment of a cer‐ tain portion of a ten (10’) foot utility servitude on Lot 2A of the Estate of Karen Brasseaux, Tract 2A Subdivision, at 122 Bo‐ denger Road, and autho‐ rizing the Lafayette Mayor-President to exe‐ cute an Act of Abandon‐ ment in order to effectu‐ ate the abandonment on behalf of the City of Lafayette, Parish of Lafayette, and the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Govern‐ ment.

The ordinance will ap‐ pear before both the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council for public hear‐ ing and final adoption in the Ted A. Ardoin CityParish Council Audito‐ rium located at 705 W. University Avenue, Lafayette, LA on August 18, 2026. /s/ Joseph Gordon-Wiltz JOSEPH GORDON-WILTZ LAFAYETTE CLERK OF THE COUNCIL 196697-AUG 7-1T $12.90

CITY ORDINANCE NO. CO066-2026 AN ORDINANCE OF THE LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZING THE LAFAYETTE MAYOR-PRES‐ IDENT 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 INFRASTRUC‐ TURE LOCATED ALONG 401 AUDUBON BOULE‐ VARD BE IT ORDAINED by the Lafayette City Council, that: WHEREAS, Lafayette Gen‐ eral Health System, Inc. (hereinafter “Developer”) owns certain immovable property located at 401 Audubon Blvd. near the intersection of Harding St. and Audubon Blvd.; and WHEREAS, the City of Lafayette (City) has an subsurface existing drainage system beneath the parking lot of “Ochsner Lafayette Gen‐ eral Neuroscience Cen‐ ter” which traverses the Developer’s property from the southeast boundary to the north‐ west boundary and d i i l

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y drains approximately ten (10) acres of the com‐ mercially developed area along Coolidge St, Audubon Blvd., and Hey‐ mann Blvd. (hereinafter “Public Drainage Trunk‐ line”); and Ochsner WHEREAS, Lafayette General Neuro‐ science Center is cur‐ rently being constructed based upon construction plans and a drainage im‐ pact analysis reviewed and approved by LCG; and WHEREAS, the existing Public Drainage Trunkline has deteriorated struc‐ tures and piping effect‐ ing its ability to convey storm water from the area to the outfall in Gi‐ rard Park, new construc‐ tion of concrete parking and local subsurface drainage currently un‐ derway for the Ochsner Lafayette General Neuro‐ science Center will ex‐ pose the existing drainage trunkline and provide an opportunity to remove and replace the deteriorating public subsurface drainage sys‐ tem in order to provide an adequate outfall for the area; and WHEREAS, both Parties have concluded that the replacement of the pub‐ lic subsurface drainage system will benefit the Ochsner Lafayette Gen‐ eral Neuroscience Center development, but will also serve a public pur‐ pose and provide an ade‐ quate drainage outfall for the area near Coolidge Blvd., which also benefits the citizens of the City of Lafayette; and WHEREAS, Article VII, Section 14(C) of the Con‐ stitution of the State of Louisiana provides that, “for a public purpose, the state and its political subdivisions…. may en‐ gage in cooperative en‐ deavors with each other, …. or with any public or private association, cor‐ poration, or individual.”

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED by the Lafayette City Coun‐ cil, that: SECTION 1: All of the aforedescribed “Whereas” clauses are adopted as part of this ordinance.

SECTION 2: The Lafayette Mayor-President is hereby authorized and directed to execute a Drainage Betterment Agreement between the City of Lafayette and Lafayette General Health System, Inc., which upon completion and inspec‐ tion of the construction of the public subsurface drainage system replace‐ ment (in accordance with Section 7 of the Agreement), will result in the one (1) time payment of $241,476.00 to offset the cost of such better‐ ment and improvements.

SECTION 3: The Drainage Betterment Agreement authorized in Section 2 shall be substantially in the form attached hereto, but may be re‐ vised, and may contain such additional provi‐ sions, as the Lafayette Mayor-President, in con‐ sultation with the Lafayette City-Parish At‐ torney, may deem neces‐ sary, convenient, or de‐ sirable to carry out the intent and provisions of this City Ordinance. h hi f i

y SECTION 4: The Chief Fi‐ nancial Officer for the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Govern‐ ment is further autho‐ rized and directed to pre‐ pare any and all internal and/or administrative budget revisions neces‐ sary to comply with the dictates of this ordi‐ nance.

SECTION 5: All ordi‐ nances or resolutions, or parts thereof, in conflict herewith are hereby re‐ pealed.

SECTION 6: This ordi‐ nance shall become ef‐ fective upon signature of the Lafayette MayorPresident, the elapse of ten (10) days after re‐ ceipt by the Lafayette Mayor-President without signature or veto, or upon an override of a veto, whichever occurs first. ***** CITY ORDINANCE NO. CO067-2026 AN ORDINANCE OF THE LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL AMENDING THE FY 25/26 CAPITAL BUDGET OF THE LAFAYETTE CITY-PARISH CONSOLIDATED GOVERN‐ MENT BY TRANSFERRING FUNDS FROM THE MULTI‐ PURPOSE ROOM CARPET RPL ACCOUNT AND THE ROSA PARKS BOILER RPL ACCOUNT TO THE ROSA PARKS IMPROVEMENTS ACCOUNT FOR ADDI‐ TIONAL FUNDING NEEDED

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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 AUTHO‐ RIZE THE CONTINUATION OF SPECIAL TAXES THEREIN, MAKING APPLI‐ CATION TO THE STATE BOND COMMISSION, AND PROVIDING FOR OTHER MATTERS IN CONNEC‐ TION THEREWITH BE IT RESOLVED by the Lafayette City Council, that: SECTION 1. Election Call.

Subject to the approval of the State Bond Com‐ mission, and under the authority conferred by the Constitution of the State of Louisiana of 1974, including Article VI, Section 27 thereof, the applicable provisions of the Louisiana Election Code, and other constitu‐ tional and statutory au‐ thority provisions, a spe‐ cial election is hereby called and ordered to be held in the City of Lafayette, State of Louisiana (the "City") on SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2026, between the hours of seven o'clock (7:00) a.m. and eight o'clock (8:00) p.m., in accor‐ dance with the provi‐ sions of La. R.S. 18:541, and at the said election there shall be submitted to all registered voters qualified and entitled to vote at the said election under the Constitution and laws of this State and the Constitution of the United States, the fol‐ lowing propositions, towit: PROPOSITION NO. 1 OF 4 (RECREATION) (MILLAGE CONTINUA‐ TION)

BE IT ORDAINED by the Lafayette City Council, that: SECTION 1: The FY 25/26 capital budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Consolidated Govern‐ ment is hereby amended by transferring funds from the Multipurpose Room Carpet Rpl account and the Rosa Parks Boiler Rpl account to the Rosa Parks Improvements ac‐ count for additional funding needed.

SECTION 2: The aforesaid adjustments shall be as reflected in any pertinent documents which are at‐ tached hereto and made a part hereof and filed in the Office of the Clerk of the Council.

SECTION 3: All ordi‐ nances or resolutions, or parts thereof, in conflict herewith are hereby re‐ pealed.

SECTION 4: This ordi‐ nance shall become ef‐ fective upon signature of the Lafayette MayorPresident, the elapse of ten (10) days after re‐ ceipt by the Lafayette Mayor-President without signature or veto, or upon an override of a veto, whichever occurs first. *****

Shall the City of Lafayette, State of Louisiana (the "City"), continue to levy a 2.01 mills tax on all property subject to taxation in the City (an estimated $3,810,000 reasonably ex‐ pected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year), for a period of 10 years, beginning with the year 2029 and ending with the year 2038, for the purpose of maintain‐ ing and operating the playgrounds, recreation centers and other recre‐ ation activities within the City, said millage to represent a 0.09 mills in‐ crease (due to reap‐ praisal) over the 1.92 mills tax authorized to be levied through the year 2028 pursuant to an elec‐ tion held on April 28, 2018?

/s/ Joseph Gordon-Wiltz JOSEPH GORDON-WILTZ LAFAYETTE CLERK OF THE COUNCIL

PROPOSITION NO. 2 OF 4 (PUBLIC BUILDINGS) (MILLAGE CONTINUA‐ TION)

196686-AUG 7-1T $95.22

Shall the City of Lafayette, State of Louisiana (the "City"), continue to levy a 1.18 mills tax on all property subject to taxation in the City (an estimated $2,230,000 reasonably ex‐ pected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year), for a period of 10 years, beginning with the year 2028 and ending with the year 2037, for the purpose of maintain‐ i d i bli

PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE The Lafayette City Coun‐ cil met in Regular Ses‐ sion on August 4, 2026 and adopted the follow‐ ing resolution: CITY

RESOLUTION

NO.

PUBLIC NOTICE A General Summary of the 2026-2027 Proposed Operating & Five-Year Capital Improvement Budget of Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government is hereby provided for the public’s review in accordance with Section 5-02 of the Home Rule Charter.

PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE The Lafayette City Coun‐ cil met in Regular Ses‐ sion on August 4, 2026 and adopted the follow‐ ing ordinances: CITY ORDINANCE NO. CO063-2026 AN ORDINANCE OF THE LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL AMENDING THE LAFAYETTE DEVELOP‐ MENT CODE SO AS TO RE‐ CLASSIFY THE PROPERTY OF CASE NO. 2026-2-AZON GREIG STREET & STREET OF LOVE ADMINISTRA‐ TIVE REZONING, LOCATED GENERALLY NORTH OF EAST SIMCOE STREET, WEST OF DUDLEY AV‐ ENUE, 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 (COMMERCIALHEAVY) AND IL (INDUS‐ TRIAL-LIGHT) TO MN-2 (MIXED-USE NEIGHBOR‐ HOOD), AND 116 STREET OF LOVE BEING REZONED FROM CH (COMMERCIALHEAVY) AND IL (INDUS‐ TRIAL-LIGHT) TO ONLY CH (COMMERCIAL-HEAVY) BE IT ORDAINED by the Lafayette City Council, that: SECTION 1: The Lafayette Development Code is hereby amended so as to reclassify Case No. 20262-AZON Greig Street and Street of Love Adminis‐ trative Rezoning located generally north of East Simcoe Street, west of Dudley Avenue, and south of Mudd Avenue, the particular parcels 306, 310 & 314 Mudd Av‐ enue, 113, 114, 118, 119, 121, 122 & 123 Street of Love, and 310 & 311 Greig Street, being rezoned from CH (CommercialHeavy) and IL (IndustrialLight) to MN-2 (MixedUse Neighborhood), and 116 Street of Love being rezoned from CH (Com‐ mercial-Heavy) and IL (Industrial-Light) to only CH (Commercial-Heavy); the said parcels being shown and identified on a map titled, “Greig Street & Street of Love Administrative Rezon‐ ing”, a copy of which is hereto and attached made a part thereof.

SECTION 2: All ordi‐ nances or resolutions, or parts thereof, in conflict herewith are hereby re‐ pealed. (i) SECTION 3: This ordi‐ nance shall become ef‐ fective upon signature of the Lafayette MayorPresident, the elapse of ten (10) days after re‐ ceipt by the Lafayette Mayor-President without signature or veto, or upon an override of a veto, whichever occurs first. ***** CITY ORDINANCE NO. CO065-2026 AN ORDINANCE OF THE LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL AMENDING THE FY 25/26 OPERATING BUDGET OF THE LAFAYETTE CITYPARISH CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT TO ADJUST AMOUNTS FOR ADMINIS‐ TRATIVE AND GENERAL COSTS TO ACTUAL BE IT ORDAINED by the Lafayette City Council, that: WHEREAS, the Full Cost Allocation Plan for the administrative and gen‐ eral costs prepared by MGT Impact Solutions, LLC; and WHEREAS, amounts were estimated for budget purposes with such esti‐ mates budgeted as transfers to reimburse the City and Parish Gen‐ eral Funds; and WHEREAS, actual amounts from the Full Cost Allocation Plan are now available and it is necessary to adjust de‐ l i

Copies of Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government’s Proposed Operating & Five-Year Capital Improvement Budget for FY 26/27 will be available for public viewing at the following locations and times: Lafayette Council Office 705 W. University Avenue, Lafayette Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. / 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Closed Saturday & Sunday Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government Building Information Desk 705 W. University Avenue, Lafayette Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Closed Saturday & Sunday Lafayette Public Library – Main Branch 301 West Congress St., Lafayette Monday – Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Friday 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Closed Sunday Lafayette Public Library – North Regional Branch 5101 North University Ave., Carencro Monday – Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Friday 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Closed Sunday Lafayette Public Library – South Regional Branch 6101 Johnston St., Lafayette Monday – Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Friday 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Closed Sunday 195526-672114-aug 7-1t $ 129.36

Lafayette Public Library – East Regional Branch 215 La Neuville Rd., Youngsville Monday – Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Friday 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Closed Sunday Lafayette Public Library – West Regional Branch 501 Old Spanish Trail, Scott Monday – Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Friday 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Closed Sunday Lafayette Public Library – Clifton Chenier Branch 220 W. Willow St., Bldg. C, Lafayette Monday – Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Friday 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Closed Saturday & Sunday Lafayette Public Library – Milton Branch 108 W. Milton Ave., Milton Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Closed Saturday & Sunday Lafayette Public Library – Duson Branch 310 Avenue Au Nord, Duson Monday – Friday 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. / 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Closed Saturday & Sunday

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Friday,August 7, 2026 ● 11C

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PROCEEDINGS OF THE LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF THE CITY OF LAFAYETTE, STATE OF LOUISIANA, TAKEN AT A REGULAR MEETING OF AUGUST 4, 2026 HELD AT 705 W. UNIVERSITY AVENUE, LAFAYETTE, LA. ATTENDANCE COUNCIL: Liz Hebert (Vice-Chair, District 3) Elroy Broussard (District 1), Andy Naquin (District 2) and Thomas Hooks (District 4) ABSENT: Kenneth Boudreaux (Chair, District 5) COUNCIL STAFF: Joseph Gordon-Wiltz (Clerk of the Council), Cindy M. Semien (Associate Clerk for Legislative Affairs) and Kelly Comeaux (Assistant Clerk for Legislative Affairs) ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF: Monique B. Boulet (Mayor-President), Karen Fontenot (Chief Financial Officer), Robbie Mahtook (City-Parish Attorney), and Paul Escott (Assistant City-Parish Attorney) (5:30:00) COMMENCEMENT Call to order Vice-Chair Hebert called the Regular City Council Meeting of August 4, 2026 to order.

AGENDA ITEM NO. 1: Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance The Vice-Chair called upon Councilmember Naquin to cite an invocation and upon Councilmember Hooks to lead the Pledge of Allegiance.

WELCOME AND CHAIR ANNOUNCEMENTS Vice-Chair Hebert made the following announcements: • Chair Boudreaux is unable to attend today’s meeting as he is away on LCG business. As Vice-Chair, I will preside.

• Budget reviews are scheduled for August 6th, August 11th, and August 13th; • Public Hearing for Citizen Input on the Budget will be held during a Special Joint Council Meeting on August 18th at 5:15 p.m. for all matters related to the 2026-2027 Proposed Budget.

• Budget Wrap-Up is scheduled for August 27th; • Final Adoption of the Budget will be held during a Special Joint Council Meeting on September 10th at 5:15 p.m.

• Item #7 – Legal requests that City Ordinance No. CO-062-2026, for final adoption, be deferred indefinitely so that CDP could initiate and complete the necessary processes to present the ordinance to the Council.

• Item #9 – City Ordinance No. CO-064-2026 for final adoption- CDP has advised that the applicant for the rezoning has withdrawn their application and requests that this item be deferred indefinitely.

• Item #17 – Appeal of City Planning Commission Action (Johnston Street Subdivision), Case No. 2026-34-PC preliminary plat – With there no longer being a valid preliminary plat due to withdrawal, Legal has advised such that the appeal be declared moot and dismissed.

• Item #26 – CO-069-2026 (Safe Streets and Roads) – Councilman Naquin has requested that this item be pulled from the in globo vote for separate vote and discussion; • Wished a happy birthday to Paul Escott, Assistant City-Parish Attorney, which he celebrates on August 14th.

AGENDA ITEM NO. 2: COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENTS Naquin thanked the fire department for saving the lives of two young individuals recently. He applauded their heroic efforts. Naquin also gave condolences to the Miley family on the loss of their son.

AGENDA ITEM NO. 3: EXECUTIVE/MAYOR-PRESIDENT’S REPORT a. Budget-to-Actual Comparison of Major City Funds – June 2026 Preliminary Boulet noted that the monthly Budget-to-Actual Comparisons are to comply with statewide auditing procedures. b. Audit Findings Update – July 2026 Boulet noted that they are required monthly to give an update to the Louisiana Legislative Auditor on the report findings.

Boulet’s announcements: • Gave reminders also for the Budget meetings that were approaching and encouraged all to attend.

• The Lafayette Parish Growth Plan public meeting will be held Monday, August 10th at 6:00pm at the Broussard Event Center.

RESOLUTION AGENDA ITEM NO. 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, motion to adopt by Naquin, seconded by Hooks, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert, Hooks NAYS: None ABSENT: Boudreaux ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt was approved.

JOINT RESOLUTION AGENDA ITEM NO. 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, motion to adopt by Hooks, seconded by Naquin, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert, Hooks NAYS: None ABSENT: Boudreaux ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt was approved.

REPORT AND/OR DISCUSSION ITEM AGENDA ITEM NO. 6: Compliance Division Inspection and Bid Process Review Luke, CDP Director, gave current statistics for open cases in the parish.

She stated that issues with vendors and Geaux Mow played a part in the lengthy time to process cases.

Hebert voiced her concerns with the recent issues at Eagle Run Apartments and that the length of time it took to resolve was far too long.

Shorter timelines were desired and that some case posed health and sanitary issues and needed to be dealt with quickly.

Luke stated that they are currently looking to hire new inspectors. She also stated that the newer process they have in place has helped make a drastic difference on the timeline to complete cases.

Broussard voiced the idea to get rid of Geaux Mow and possibly let LCG employees work overtime with the department’s equipment to cut grass.

Naquin stated concerns over liability issues that could arise from doing so.

ORDINANCES FOR FINAL ADOPTION AGENDA ITEM NO. 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, motion to defer indefinitely

by Naquin, seconded by Hooks, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert, Hooks NAYS: None ABSENT: Boudreaux ABSTAIN: None Motion to defer indefinitely was approved.

Broussard thanked Escott for speaking with him to clear up questions that he had and for sharing the reasons that this item should be deferred.

AGENDA ITEM NO. 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), motion to adopt by Naquin, seconded by Hooks, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert, Hooks NAYS: None

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ABSENT: Boudreaux ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt was approved.

AGENDA ITEM NO. 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, motion to defer indefinitely by Naquin, seconded by Hooks, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert, Hooks NAYS: None ABSENT: Boudreaux ABSTAIN: None Motion to defer indefinitely was approved.

One (1) citizen who did not wish to speak, signed in opposition of the ordinance.

Neil Broussard spoke about concerns that this could be resurrected and asked for notification if the process would begin again at a later time.

Boulet advised there was no intention to annex his neighborhood.

Naquin gave confirmation that it would be ninety days with the indefinite deferral and then the process would have to begin over if it were to happen.

Alcide Broussard said this would increase the population near his neighborhood and negatively impact his neighborhood.

AGENDA ITEM NO. 10 CO-065-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget of the Lafayette CityParish Consolidated Government to adjust amounts for administrative and general costs to actual, motion to adopt by Broussard, seconded by Naquin, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert, Hooks NAYS: None ABSENT: Boudreaux ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt was approved.

AGENDA ITEM NO. 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, motion to adopt by Naquin, seconded by Hooks, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert, Hooks NAYS: None ABSENT: Boudreaux ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt was approved.

Naquin questioned if this was a cost share item.

Brian Smith, Director of Drainage, confirmed that it was. He also provided the pipe size would increase from 42 inches to 48 inches.

AGENDA ITEM NO. 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, motion to adopt by Hooks, seconded by Naquin, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert, Hooks NAYS: None ABSENT: Boudreaux ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt was approved.

JOINT ORDINANCES FOR FINAL ADOPTION AGENDA ITEM NO. 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, motion to adopt by Broussard, seconded by Hooks, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert, Hooks NAYS: None ABSENT: Boudreaux ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt was approved.

AGENDA ITEM NO. 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, motion to adopt by Broussard, seconded by Naquin, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert, Hooks NAYS: None ABSENT: Boudreaux ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt was approved.

AGENDA ITEM NO. 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, motion to adopt by Naquin, seconded by Broussard, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert, Hooks NAYS: None ABSENT: Boudreaux ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt was approved.

AGENDA ITEM NO. 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, motion to adopt by Broussard, seconded by Hooks, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert, Hooks NAYS: None ABSENT: Boudreaux ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt was approved.

APPEAL AGENDA ITEM NO. 17: Appeal of City Planning Commission Action (Johnston Street Subdivision) Case No. 2026-34-PC preliminary plat Motion to declare moot and to dismiss, by Hooks, seconded by Naquin, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert, Hooks NAYS: None ABSENT: Boudreaux ABSTAIN: None Motion to declare moot and to dismiss was approved.

One (1) citizen who did not wish to speak, signed in opposition.

Neil Broussard spoke on behalf of his neighborhood and requested a refund for the money spent to appeal the project.

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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.

CONSIDER APPOINTMENT(S) BY THE COUNCIL, AS A WHOLE, TO BOARDS/COMMISSIONS AGENDA ITEM NO. 21: Appointment of Janice Wiltz to the Downtown Management Committee for a three-year term effective July 1, 2026.

Applicants must own property or work in downtown Lafayette.

Naquin nominated Wiltz, and the vote was as follows: WILTZ: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert, Hooks NAYS: None ABSENT: Boudreaux ABSTAIN: None Janice Wiltz was appointed.

AGENDA ITEM NO. 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. Naquin nominated Fontenot, Broussard nominated Bartie and the vote was as follows: FONTONET: Naquin, Hooks BARTIE: Broussard, Hebert, NAYS: None ABSENT: Boudreaux ABSTAIN: None No appoint was made due to a lack of three (3) votes.

A second vote was taken to make an appointment to the board and the vote was as follows: FONTONET: Naquin, Hooks BARTIE: Broussard, Hebert, NAYS: None ABSENT: Boudreaux ABSTAIN: None No appoint was made due to a lack of three (3) votes.

This appointment will be up for consideration at the August 18th Parish Council Meeting.

APPOINTMENTS BY COUNCIL MEMBERS, MAYOR-PRESIDENT AND/OR ANY OTHER DIRECT APPOINTING AUTHORITY AGENDA ITEM NO. 23: Mayor-President Monique Boulet appointed Monique DuBois to the Keep Lafayette Beautiful Board for a 2-year term effective August 5, 2026.

AGENDA ITEM NO. 24: Kenneth Boudreaux, District 5, appointed Kevin Ardoin to the City/Parish Recreation Advisory Commission for a 4-year term effective July 8, 2026.

INTRODUCTORY ORDINANCES Vice-Chair Hebert reminded all that item #26 was pulled for separate vote and discussion.

AGENDA ITEM NO. 25: CO-068-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Council amending the FY 25/26 operating and capital budgets of the Lafayette City-Parish 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, motion to introduce by Naquin, seconded

by Hooks, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert, Hooks NAYS: None ABSENT: Boudreaux ABSTAIN: None Motion to introduce was approved.

Naquin inquired if this was to purchase four (4) buses and Martin Poirier, Interim Director of TR&B, confirmed.

AGENDA ITEM NO. 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, motion to introduce by Naquin, seconded by Broussard, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert, Hooks NAYS: None ABSENT: Boudreaux ABSTAIN: None Motion to introduce was approved.

Naquin said that he was not necessarily opposed to the ordinance, but he had concerns that this could be a repeat of the University Avenue situation.

Boulet confirmed that it would not be a repeat. Modifications need to be done on Johnston for safety concerns and to stop fatalities. J-turns were mentioned as a possibility.

Poirier, Director of the Capital Improvement Department, said this was a different classification on the design and would be based on specific traffic studies for Johnston Street.

Broussard said University was an example of what we did not want happening and that this would need to be done correctly.

Naquin asked for amounts of what this would cost but was told it was too early at this point to have those numbers.

JOINT INTRODUCTORY ORDINANCE AGENDA ITEM NO. 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, a motion to introduce was made by Broussard, seconded by Naquin, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert, Hooks NAYS: None ABSENT: Boudreaux ABSTAIN: None Motion to introduce was approved.

(6:43:00) ADJOURN There being no further business to come before the Council, Chair Boudreaux declared the Regular Meeting adjourned. /s/ Joseph Gordon-Wiltz JOSEPH GORDON-WILTZ, LAFAYETTE CLERK OF THE COUNCIL

Mahtook advised they would leave as a credit to their account.

Alcide Broussard signed in to speak but later declined.

ANNOUNCEMENTS OF VACANCIES ON BOARDS/COMMISSIONS AGENDA ITEM NO. 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.

AGENDA ITEM NO. 19: A vacancy exists on the Board of Zoning Adjustment for the remainder of an unexpired five-year term through June 30, 2029.

AGENDA ITEM NO. 20: Two (2) vacancies exist on the Downtown Management Committee for three-year terms effective August 1, 2026.

196701-675502-AUG 7-1T $ 529.20

12C ● Friday,August 7, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate Legal Notices

p p ing and operating public buildings of the City, said millage to represent a 0.05 mills increase (due to reappraisal) over the 1.13 mills tax authorized to be levied through the year 2027 pursuant to an election held on April 29, 2017?

PROPOSITION NO. 3 OF 4 (STREETS, ROADS AND ALLEYS) (MILLAGE CONTINUA‐ TION) Shall the City of Lafayette, State of Louisiana (the "City"), continue to levy a 1.35 mills tax on all property subject to taxation in the City (an estimated $2,560,000 reasonably ex‐ pected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year), for a period of 10 years, beginning with the year 2029 and ending with the year 2038, for the purpose of the main‐ tenance of the public streets, roads and alleys within the City, said mill‐ age to represent a 0.06 mills increase (due to reappraisal) over the 1.29 mills tax authorized to be levied through the year 2028 pursuant to an elec‐ tion held on April 28, 2018?

PROPOSITION NO. 4 OF 4 (PUBLIC SAFETY MAINTE‐ NANCE) (MILLAGE CONTINUA‐ TION) Shall the City of Lafayette, State of Louisiana (the "City"), continue to levy a 3.33 mills tax on all property subject to taxation in the City (an estimated $6,310,000 reasonably ex‐ pected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year), for a period of 30 years, beginning with the year 2028 and ending with the year 2057, for the purpose of operating, maintaining and support‐ ing the Police and Fire Departments of the City, including pension and re‐ tirement liabilities, said millage to represent a 0.05 mills increase (due to reappraisal) over the 3.28 mills tax authorized to be levied through the year 2027 pursuant to an election held on Novem‐ ber 15, 1997?

SECTION 2. Publication of Notice of Election. A No‐ tice of Special Election shall be published in the official journal of the City once a week for four con‐

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secutive weeks, with the first publication to be made not less than fortyfive (45) days nor more than ninety (90) days prior to the date of the election, which Notice shall be substantially in the form attached hereto as "Exhibit A" and incor‐ porated herein by refer‐ ence the same as if it were set forth herein in full.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, prior to the publication of the Notice of Election, the Lafayette Clerk of the Council is authorized and directed to make any amend‐ ments to the foregoing propositions that may be required to comply with any state or federal regu‐ latory agencies.

SECTION 3. Canvass. This Governing Authority shall meet at its regular meeting place, the Coun‐ cil Auditorium, 705 West University Avenue, Lafayette, Louisiana, on TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2027, at 5:30 P.M., and shall then and there in open and public session proceed to examine and canvass the returns and declare the result of the said special election.

SECTION 4.

Polling Places.

The polling places for the precincts set forth in the aforesaid Notice of Special Election are hereby designated as the polling places at which to hold the said election, and the Com‐ missioners-in-Charge and Commissioners, re‐ spectively, will be the same persons as those designated in accor‐ dance with law.

SECTION 5. Election Com‐ missioners; Voting Ma‐ chines. The officers des‐ ignated to serve as Com‐ missioners-in-Charge and Commissioners pur‐ suant to Section 4 hereof, or such substitutes therefor as may be se‐ lected and designated in accordance with La. R.S. 18:1287, shall hold the said special election as herein provided, and shall make due returns of said election for the meeting of the Governing Authority to be held as provided in Section 3 hereof. All registered vot‐ ers in the City will be en‐ titled to vote at the spe‐ cial election, and voting machines shall be used.

SECTION 6. Authorization of Officers. The Lafayette Clerk of the Council is hereby empowered, au‐ thorized and directed to arrange for and to fur‐ nish to said election offi‐

cers in ample time for the holding of said elec‐ tion, the necessary equipment, forms and other paraphernalia es‐ sential to the proper holding of said election and the Lafayette MayorPresident and/or Lafayette Clerk of the Council are further au‐ thorized, empowered and directed to take any and all further action re‐ quired by State and/or Federal law to arrange for the election.

SECTION 7. Furnishing Election Call to Election Officials. Certified copies of this resolution shall be forwarded to the Secre‐ tary of State, the Clerk of Court and Ex-Officio Parish Custodian of Vot‐ ing Machines of Lafayette Parish and the Registrar of Voters of Lafayette Parish, as noti‐ fication of the special election, in order that each may prepare for said election and per‐ form their respective functions as required by law.

SECTION 8. Application to State Bond Commission.

Application is made to the State Bond Commis‐ sion for consent and au‐ thority to hold the spe‐ cial election as herein provided, and in the event said election car‐ ries for further consent and authority to continue to levy and collect the special taxes provided for therein. A certified copy of this resolution shall be forwarded to the State Bond Commission on behalf of this Govern‐ ing Authority, together with a letter requesting the prompt considera‐ tion and approval of this application.

SECTION 9. Employment of Counsel. This Govern‐ ing Authority finds and determines that a real necessity exists for the employment of special counsel on matters re‐ lated to the special elec‐ tion, and accordingly, Foley & Judell, L.L.P., is hereby employed as spe‐ cial counsel for said pur‐ pose for a term not ex‐ ceeding one (1) year from the date of this res‐ olution. The fee to be paid said special counsel shall be an amount com‐ puted at hourly rate based on the Attorney General's then current Maximum Hourly Fee Schedule, not to exceed $2,000 in the aggregate, together with reimburse‐ ment of out-of-pocket expenses, and payment for the work herein spec‐ ifi d i h b d

PROCEEDINGS OF THE LAFAYETTE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING OF THE PARISH OF LAFAYETTE, STATE OF LOUISIANA, TAKEN AT A REGULAR MEETING OF AUGUST 4, 2026 HELD AT 705 W. UNIVERSITY AVENUE, LAFAYETTE, LA. ATTENDANCE COUNCIL: Donald Richard (Chair, District 2), Ken Stansbury (Vice-Chair, District 3), Bryan Tabor (District 1), John Guilbeau (District 4) and AB Rubin (District 5) ABSENT: None COUNCIL STAFF: Joseph Gordon-Wiltz (Clerk of the Council), Cindy M. Semien (Associate Clerk for Legislative Affairs) and Kelly Comeaux (Assistant Clerk for Legislative Affairs) ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF: Monique B. Boulet (Mayor-President), Karen Fontenot (Chief Financial Officer), Robbie Mahtook (City-Parish Attorney) and Paul Escott (Assistant City-Parish Attorney) (4:31:00) COMMENCEMENT Call to order Chair Richard called the Regular Parish Council Meeting of August 4, 2026 to order.

AGENDA ITEM NO. 1: Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance The Chair called upon Councilmember Rubin to cite an invocation and upon Councilmember Stansbury to lead the Pledge of Allegiance.

WELCOME AND CHAIR ANNOUNCEMENTS • Chair Richard made the following announcements: • Budget reviews are scheduled for August 6th, August 11th, and August 13th; • Public Hearing for Citizen Input on the Budget will be held during a Special Joint Council Meeting on August 18th at 5:15 p.m. for all matters related to the 2026-2027 Proposed Budget.

• Budget Wrap-Up is scheduled for August 27th; • Final Adoption of the Budget will be held during a Special Joint Council Meeting on September 10th at 5:15 p.m.

• Item #7 – PO-028-2026 (Final adoption of ad valorem tax millage) – this ordinance was read in full; • Wish a happy birthday to Paul Escott, Assistant City-Parish Attorney, which he celebrates on August 14th.

AGENDA ITEM NO. 2: COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENTS Rubin reminded all that school was starting soon and because of the high costs of things, to consider buying extra school supplies or vouchers for clothing for students that may be in need.

AGENDA ITEM NO. 3: EXECUTIVE/MAYOR-PRESIDENT’S REPORT a. Budget-to-Actual Comparison of Major Parish Funds – June 2026 Preliminary Boulet noted that the monthly Budget-to-Actual Comparisons are to comply with statewide auditing procedures. b. Audit Findings Update – July 2026 Boulet noted that they are required monthly to give an update to the Louisiana Legislative Auditor on the report findings.

Boulet’s announcements: • Gave reminders also for the Budget meetings that were approaching and encouraged all to attend.

• The Lafayette Parish Growth Plan public meeting will be held Monday, August 10th at 6:00pm at the Broussard Event Center.

RESOLUTION AGENDA ITEM NO. 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, motion to adopt by Tabor, seconded by Stansbury, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Tabor, Richard, Stansbury, Guilbeau, Rubin NAYS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt was approved.

JOINT RESOLUTIO AGENDA ITEM NO. 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, motion to adopt by Guilbeau, seconded by Rubin, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Tabor, Richard, Stansbury, Guilbeau, Rubin NAYS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt was approved.

ORDINANCES FOR FINAL ADOPTION AGENDA ITEM NO. 6: PO-027-2026 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 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, motion to adopt by Guilbeau, seconded by Tabor, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Tabor, Richard, Stansbury, Guilbeau, Rubin NAYS: None ABSENT: None

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p ified is hereby approved without further action of this Governing Authority as and when invoices are presented. The scope of this legal representation does not involve federal claims.

SECTION 10. Repealer. All resolutions, or parts thereof, in conflict here‐ with are hereby re‐ pealed.

This resolution having been submitted to a vote, the vote on behalf of the Council thereon was as follows: YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert, Hooks NAYS: None ABSENT: Boudreaux ABSTAIN: None AND the resolution was declared adopted on this, the 4th day of Au‐ gust, 2026.

g 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 Develop‐ ment and Planning De‐ partment for safety im‐ provements along John‐ ston Street between Bertrand Drive and Churchill Drive.

y Louisiana (the "Parish") on SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2026, between the hours of seven o'clock (7:00) a.m. and eight o'clock (8:00) p.m., in ac‐ cordance with the provi‐ sions of La. R.S. 18:541, and at the said election there shall be submitted to all registered voters qualified and entitled to vote at the said election under the Constitution and laws of this State and the Constitution of the United States, the fol‐ lowing propositions, towit: PROPOSITION NO. 1 OF 5 (BOND)

g p 0.21 mills increase (due to reappraisal) over the 2.91 mills tax authorized to be levied through the year 2026 pursuant to an election held on Novem‐ ber 8, 2016?

y Louisiana (the "Parish"), continue to levy a 2.51 mills tax on all property subject to taxation in the Parish (an estimated $7,280,000 reasonably ex‐ pected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year), for a period of 10 years, beginning with the year 2028 and ending with the year 2037, for the purpose of the main‐ taining, operating and improving the Lafayette Parish Courthouse Com‐ plex, said millage to rep‐ resent a 0.17 mills in‐ crease (due to reap‐ praisal) over the 2.34 mills tax authorized to be levied through the year 2027 pursuant to an elec‐ tion held on November 18, 2017?

Exhibits for CR-015-2026 are available for inspec‐ tion at the Lafayette Council Office. /s/ Joseph Gordon-Wiltz JOSEPH GORDON-WILTZ LAFAYETTE CLERK OF THE COUNCIL 196685-AUG 7-1T $91.36 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE The Lafayette City Coun‐ cil met in Regular Ses‐ sion on August 4, 2026 and introduced the fol‐ lowing ordinances.

CO-068-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette City Council amending the FY 25/26 operating and capital budgets of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Govern‐ ment by increasing antic‐ ipated revenues in the amount of $1,820,013 from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) FY 23/24 Section 5307 Ur‐ banized 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 Depart‐ ment, Transit Division.

CO-069-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette City Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget and capital bud‐ get of the Lafayette CityParish Consolidated Gov‐ ernment by increasing revenues in the amount of $7,986,192 in Safe Streets and Roads for all grant funds received f h

The ordinances will ap‐ pear before the Lafayette City Council for public hearing and final adop‐ tion in the Ted A. Ardoin City-Parish Council Audi‐ torium located at 705 W. University Avenue, Lafayette, LA on August 18, 2026. /s/ Joseph Gordon-Wiltz JOSEPH GORDON-WILTZ LAFAYETTE CLERK OF THE COUNCIL 196695-AUG 7-1T $16.33 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE The Lafayette Parish Council met in Regular Session on August 4, 2026 and adopted the follow‐ ing resolution: PARISH RESOLUTION NO. PR-010-2026 A RESOLUTION OF THE LAFAYETTE PARISH COUNCIL ORDERING AND CALLING A SPECIAL ELEC‐ TION TO BE HELD IN THE PARISH OF LAFAYETTE, STATE OF LOUISIANA, TO AUTHORIZE THE IS‐ SUANCE OF GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS AND THE CONTINUATION OF SPECIAL TAXES THEREIN, MAKING APPLICATION TO THE STATE BOND COM‐ MISSION, AND PROVIDING FOR OTHER MATTERS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH BE IT RESOLVED by the Lafayette Parish Council, that: SECTION 1. Election Call.

Subject to the approval of the State Bond Com‐ mission, and under the authority conferred by the Constitution of the State of Louisiana of 1974, including Article VI, Section 26 thereof, the applicable provisions of the Louisiana Election Code, and other constitu‐ tional and statutory au‐ thority provisions, a spe‐ cial election is hereby called and ordered to be held in the Parish of Lafayette, State of i i ( h i h )

Shall the Parish of Lafayette, State of Louisiana (the "Parish"), incur debt and issue not exceeding $77,000,000 of general obligation bonds, in one or more series, to run not exceeding 30 years from the date thereof, to bear interest at rates not exceeding 7% per annum, and to be payable from ad valorem taxes to be levied and collected in the manner provided by Article VI, Section 33 of the Louisiana Constitution of 1974, as amended, and other constitutional and statutory authority, for the purposes of con‐ structing, acquiring and improving public infra‐ structure, including pub‐ lic roads, highways and bridges, and related drainage to address commuter congestion in the Parish, title to which shall be in the public, with no estimated in‐ crease in the millage rate to be levied in the first year above the 1.85 mills currently being levied to pay the general obliga‐ tion bonds of the Parish?

PROPOSITION NO. 2 OF 5 (LIBRARY) (MILLAGE CONTINUA‐ TION) Shall the Parish of Lafayette, State of Louisiana (the "Parish"), continue to levy a special tax of 3.12 mills on all property subject to taxa‐ tion in the Parish (an es‐ timated $9,050,000 rea‐ sonably expected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year), for a period of 10 years, beginning with the year 2027 and ending with the year 2036, for the purpose of the maintenance and support of the public li‐ brary of Lafayette Parish and its branches, said millage to represent a ill i (d

ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt was approved.

AGENDA ITEM NO. 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, motion to adopt by Stansbury, seconded by Rubin, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Tabor, Richard, Stansbury, Guilbeau, Rubin NAYS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt was approved.

AGENDA ITEM NO. 8: PO-029-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget of the Lafayette CityParish Consolidated Government to adjust amounts for administrative and general costs to actual, motion to adopt by Stansbury, seconded by Guilbeau, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Tabor, Richard, Stansbury, Guilbeau, Rubin NAYS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt was approved.

AGENDA ITEM NO. 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, motion to adopt by Guilbeau, seconded by Rubin, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Tabor, Richard, Stansbury, Guilbeau, Rubin NAYS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt was approved.

AGENDA ITEM NO. 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, motion to adopt by Guilbeau, seconded by Tabor, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Tabor, Richard, Stansbury, Guilbeau, Rubin NAYS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt was approved.

JOINT ORDINANCES FOR FINAL ADOPTION AGENDA ITEM NO. 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, motion to adopt by Stansbury, seconded by Guilbeau, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Tabor, Richard, Stansbury, Guilbeau, Rubin NAYS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt was approved.

AGENDA ITEM NO. 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, motion to adopt by Rubin, seconded by Tabor, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Tabor, Richard, Stansbury, Guilbeau, Rubin NAYS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt was approved.

AGENDA ITEM NO. 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, motion to adopt by Rubin, seconded by Stansbury, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Tabor, Richard, Stansbury, Guilbeau, Rubin NAYS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt was approved.

AGENDA ITEM NO. 14: 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, motion to adopt by Tabor, seconded by Stansbury, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Tabor, Richard, Stansbury, Guilbeau, Rubin NAYS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None Motion to adopt was approved.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF VACANCIES ON BOARDS/COMMISSIONS AGENDA ITEM NO. 15: A vacancy exists on the Lafayette Parish Waterworks District South Board for the remainder of an unexpired fiveyear term through October 31, 2028. Applicants must reside within the Lafayette Parish Waterworks District South boundaries.

PROPOSITION NO. 3 OF 5 (MINIMUM SECURITY DE‐ & CORREC‐ TENTION TIONAL FACILITY) (MILLAGE CONTINUA‐ TION) Shall the Parish of Lafayette, State of Louisiana (the "Parish"), continue to levy a 2.21 mills tax on all property subject to taxation in the Parish (an estimated $6,410,000 reasonably ex‐ pected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year), for a period of 10 years, beginning with the year 2028 and ending with the year 2037, for the purpose of the main‐ taining, operating and improving the minimum security detention and correctional facility, said millage to represent a 0.15 mills increase (due to reappraisal) over the 2.06 mills tax authorized to be levied through the year 2027 pursuant to an election held on Novem‐ ber 18, 2017?

PROPOSITION NO. 4 OF 5 (JUVENILE DETENTION) (MILLAGE CONTINUA‐ TION) Shall the Parish of Lafayette, State of Louisiana (the "Parish"), continue to levy a 1.25 mills tax on all property subject to taxation in the Parish (an estimated $3,620,000 reasonably ex‐ pected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year), for a period of 10 years, beginning with the year 2029 and ending with the year 2038, for the purpose of acquiring, improving, operating and maintaining the juvenile detention and juvenile rehabilitation facilities in the Parish, said millage to represent a 0.08 mills increase (due to reap‐ praisal) over the 1.17 mills tax authorized to be levied through the year 2028 pursuant to an elec‐ tion held on April 28, 2018?

PROPOSITION NO. 5 OF 5 (COURTHOUSE & JAIL COMPLEX) (MILLAGE CONTINUA‐ TION) Shall the Parish of Lafayette, State of i i ( h i h )

SECTION 2. Publication of Notice of Election. A No‐ tice of Special Election shall be published in the official journal of the Parish once a week for four consecutive weeks, with the first publication to be made not less than forty-five (45) days nor more than ninety (90) days prior to the date of the election, which No‐ tice shall be substan‐ tially in the form at‐ tached hereto as "Exhibit A" and incorporated herein by reference the same as if it were set forth herein in full.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, prior to the publication of the Notice of Election, the Lafayette Clerk of the Council is authorized and directed to make any amend‐ ments to the foregoing propositions that may be required to comply with any state or federal regu‐ latory agencies.

SECTION 3. Canvass. This Governing Authority shall meet at its regular meeting place, the Coun‐ cil Auditorium, 705 West University Avenue, Lafayette, Louisiana, on TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2027, at 4:30 P.M., and shall then and there in open and public session proceed to examine and canvass the returns and declare the result of the said special election.

SECTION 4.

Polling Places.

The polling places for the precincts in the Parish are hereby designated as the polling places at which to hold the said election, and the Commissioners-inCharge and Commission‐ ers, respectively, will be the same persons as those designated in ac‐ cordance with law.

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SECTION 5. Election Com‐ missioners; Voting Ma‐ chines. The officers des‐ ignated to serve as Com‐ missioners-in-Charge and Commissioners pur‐ suant to Section 4 hereof, or such substitutes therefor as may be se‐ lected and designated in accordance with La. R.S. 18:1287, shall hold the said special election as herein provided, and shall make due returns of said election for the meeting of the Governing Authority to be held as provided in Section 3 hereof. All registered vot‐ ers in the Parish will be entitled to vote at the special election, and vot‐ ing machines shall be used.

SECTION 6. Authorization of Officers. The Lafayette Clerk of the Council is hereby empowered, au‐ thorized and directed to arrange for and to fur‐ nish to said election offi‐ cers in ample time for the holding of said elec‐ tion, the necessary equipment, forms and other paraphernalia es‐ sential to the proper holding of said election and the Lafayette MayorPresident and/or Lafayette Clerk of the Council are further au‐ thorized, empowered and directed to take any and all further action re‐ quired by State and/or Federal law to arrange for the election.

SECTION 7. Furnishing Election Call to Election Officials. Certified copies of this resolution shall be forwarded to the Secre‐ tary of State, the Clerk of Court and Ex-Officio Parish Custodian of Vot‐ ing Machines of Lafayette Parish and the Registrar of Voters of Lafayette Parish, as noti‐ fication of the special election, in order that each may prepare for said election and per‐ form their respective functions as required by law.

SECTION 8. Application to State Bond Commission.

Application is made to the State Bond Commis‐ sion for consent and au‐ thority to hold the spe‐ cial election as herein provided, and in the event said election car‐ ries for further consent and authority to issue the bonds provided for therein and to continue to levy and collect the special taxes provided for therein. A certified copy of this resolution shall be forwarded to the State Bond Commission

AGENDA ITEM NO. 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 AGENDA ITEM NO. 17: Appointment of Edward Sonnier to the TecheVermilion Freshwater District for a two-year term effective August 1, 2026.

Tabor nominated Sonnier, and the vote was as follows: SONNIER: Tabor, Richard, Stansbury, Guilbeau, Rubin NAYS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None Edward Sonnier was appointed.

Edward Sonnier spoke of his 22 plus years on the board as a member and as a chairman. He shared a map and discussed recent and current projects that have been done by the District.

Donald Sagrera, the ex-director of the District, also gave a recap of Federal projects and spoke of work with the Corps.

Alex Lopresto, an attorney, signed in to speak but only if there were questions.

APPOINTMENTS BY COUNCIL MEMBERS, MAYOR-PRESIDENT AND/OR ANY OTHER DIRECT APPOINTING AUTHORITY AGENDA ITEM NO. 18: Kenneth Stansbury, District 3, appointed Ieasha James Warren to the Lafayette Advisory Commission on Crime Prevention for a 4-year term effective August 1, 2026.

INTRODUCTORY ORDINANCES A motion to introduce agenda items 19 thru 22, in globo, was offered by Guilbeau, seconded by Tabor.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Chair then called for a vote to introduce the ordinances 19 thru 22, in globo, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Tabor, Richard, Stansbury, Guilbeau, Rubin NAYS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None Motion to introduce, in globo, was approved.

JOINT INTRODUCTORY ORDINANCE AGENDA ITEM NO. 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.

Brett Patin spoke of drainage issues caused by the development of a subdivision near his neighborhood. He has been in contact with the CAO and is still looking for answers. He would like an independent drainage study done.

Cypress Melville spoke of the high costs associated with joining WWDS. She is requesting a Town Hall meeting to address concerns.

(5:09:00) ADJOURN There being no further business to come before the Council, Chair Richard declared the Regular Meeting adjourned. /s/ Joseph Gordon-Wiltz JOSEPH GORDON-WILTZ, LAFAYETTE CLERK OF THE COUNCIL

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on behalf of this Govern‐ ing Authority, together with a letter requesting the prompt considera‐ tion and approval of this application. By virtue of applicant/issuer’s appli‐ cation for, acceptance and utilization of the benefits of the Louisiana State Bond Commission’s approval(s) resolved and set forth herein, it re‐ solves that it under‐ stands and agrees that such approval(s) are ex‐ conditioned pressly upon, and it further re‐ solves that it under‐ stands, agrees and binds itself, its successors and assigns to, full and con‐ tinuing compliance with the “State Bond Commis‐ sion Policy on Approval of Proposed Use of Swaps, or other forms of Products Derivative Hedges, Etc.”, adopted by the Commission on July 20, 2006, as to the borrowing(s) and other matter(s) subject to the including approval(s), subsequent application and approval under said Policy of the implemen‐ tation or use of any swap(s) or other prod‐ or enhance‐ uct(s) ment(s) covered thereby.

SECTION 9. Employment of Bond Counsel. This Authority Governing finds and determines that a real necessity ex‐ ists for the employment of special counsel in con‐ nection with the is‐ suance of the proposed general obligation bonds the Parish (the of "Bonds"), and accord‐ ingly, Foley & Judell, L.L.P., of New Orleans, Louisiana, as Bond Coun‐ sel, is hereby employed to do and perform work of a traditional legal na‐ ture as bond counsel with respect to the is‐ suance and sale of said Bonds. Said Bond Coun‐ sel shall prepare and submit to this Governing Authority for adoption all of the proceedings inci‐ dental to the authoriza‐ tion, issuance, sale and delivery of such Bonds, shall counsel and advise this Governing Authority as to the issuance and sale thereof and shall furnish its opinions cov‐ ering the legality of the issuance of the Bonds.

The fee of Bond Counsel for each series of bonds shall be fixed at a sum not exceeding the fee al‐ lowed by the Attorney General's fee guidelines for such bond counsel work in connection with the issuance of such Bonds and based on the amount of said Bonds ac‐ tually issued, sold, deliv‐ ered and paid for, plus ex‐ "out-of-pocket" penses, said fees to be contingent upon the is‐ suance, sale and delivery said Bonds.

The of Mayor-Presi‐ Lafayette dent is hereby autho‐ rized and directed to ex‐ ecute, and this Governing Authority hereby agrees d h

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y y g to and accepts the terms of, the engagement letter of Bond Counsel ap‐ pended hereto as Exhibit "B". A certified copy of this resolution shall be submitted to the Attor‐ ney General of the State of Louisiana for approval of said employment and of the fees herein desig‐ nated, and payment for the work herein specified upon completion thereof and under the conditions herein enumerated is hereby approved without further action of this Governing Authority.

SECTION 10. Confirma‐ tion of Appointment of Municipal Advisor. The Parish hereby retains Ar‐ gent Advisors, Inc., of Ruston, Louisiana, to act as its Municipal Advisor ("MA") pursuant to the provisions of the DoddFrank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the rules promul‐ gated thereunder by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Parish acknowledges hereby that it is represented by the MA and will rely upon the advice of the MA with respect to the Bonds. The fee to be paid the MA shall be payable solely from the proceeds of the Bonds when and if issued, and the amount thereof shall be subject to the approval of the State Bond Commission.

The Director of Finance is hereby authorized and directed, in her discre‐ tion, to execute any con‐ tract the MA may require with respect to the en‐ gagement.

SECTION 11. Confirma‐ tion of Appointment of Underwriter/Placement Agent. Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, Baton Rouge, of Louisiana (the "Under‐ writer"), is hereby ap‐ as under‐ pointed writer/placement agent in connection with the Bonds if approved as set forth herein, any com‐ pensation to be subse‐ quently approved by the Issuer and to be paid from the proceeds of the Bonds when and if is‐ sued; provided that no compensation shall be to said under‐ due writer/placement agent unless the Bonds are sold and delivered.

SECTION 12. Repealer. All or parts resolutions, thereof, in conflict here‐ with are hereby re‐ pealed.

This resolution having been submitted to a vote, the vote on behalf of the Council thereon was as follows: YEAS: Tabor, Richard, Guilbeau, Stansbury, Rubin NAYS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None AND the resolution was adopted on declared this, the 4th day of Au‐ gust, 2026.

Exhibits for PR-010-2026

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are available for inspec‐ tion at the Lafayette Council Office.

fective upon signature of the Lafayette MayorPresident, the elapse of ten (10) days after re‐ ceipt by the Lafayette Mayor-President without signature or veto, or upon an override of a veto, whichever occurs first. *****

PARISH ORDINANCE NO. PO-029-2026

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 DEPARTMENTBRIDGES STREETS DIVISION

/s/ Joseph Gordon-Wiltz JOSEPH GORDON-WILTZ LAFAYETTE CLERK OF THE COUNCIL 196684-AUG 7-1T $131.02 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE The Lafayette Parish Council met in Regular Session on August 4, 2026 and adopted the follow‐ ing ordinances: PARISH ORDINANCE NO. PO-027-2026 AN ORDINANCE OF THE PARISH LAFAYETTE COUNCIL AMENDING THE FY 25/26 OPERATING AND CAPITAL BUDGET OF THE LAFAYETTE CITY-PARISH CONSOLIDATED GOVERN‐ MENT BY TRANSFERRING FROM THE $60,000 PARISH COUNCIL DIS‐ TRICT 4 CAPITAL APPRO‐ PRIATION TO MILTON VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPART‐ MENT WITHIN SECTION 4190 PARISHWIDE FIRE PROTECTION FOR THE PURCHASE OF A WATER RESCUE BOAT, THERMAL IMAGING CAMERA, RADIO REPLACEMENT, BUNKER GEAR, AND MISCELLA‐ NEOUS COSTS ASSOCI‐ ATED THEREWITH BE IT ORDAINED by the Lafayette Parish Council, that: SECTION 1: The Lafayette Parish Council desires to provide funding assis‐ tance to the Milton Vol‐ unteer Fire Department to enhance emergency capabilities response and firefighter safety through the reallocation of existing Parish Council District 4 capital appro‐ priations budgeted at $60,000.

SECTION 2: The FY 25/26 Operating and Capital Budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government is hereby amended by transferring $60,000 from the Parish Council District 4 Capital Appropriation to the Mil‐ ton Volunteer Fire De‐ partment within Section 4190 – Parishwide Fire Protection for the pur‐ chase of a water rescue boat, thermal imaging camera, radio replace‐ ment, bunker gear, and miscellaneous costs as‐ sociated therewith.

SECTION 3: These adjust‐ ments shall be as re‐ flected in any pertinent documents which are at‐ tached hereto and made a part hereof and filed in the Office of the Clerk of the Council.

SECTION 4: All ordi‐ nances or resolutions, or parts thereof, in conflict herewith are hereby re‐ pealed.

SECTION 5: This ordi‐ nance shall become ef‐

PARISH ORDINANCE NO. PO-028-2026 AN ORDINANCE OF THE PARISH LAFAYETTE COUNCIL SETTING FORTH AND DESIGNATING THE ADJUSTED AD VALOREM TAX MILLAGE RATE AND IMPOSING TAXES ON ALL PROPERTY SUBJECT TO AD VALOREM TAXATION THE PARISH OF IN LAFAYETTE AND AUTHO‐ RIZING THE TAX ASSES‐ SOR AND TAX COLLECTOR FOR THE PARISH OF LAFAYETTE TO ASSESS AND COLLECT THE MILL‐ AGE RATE FOR 2026 AT THE RATE OF 1.71 MILLS FOR THE LAFAYETTE AIR‐ PORT COMMISSION BE IT ORDAINED by the Lafayette Parish Council, that: SECTION 1: In a public hearing held on July 8, 2026, which hearing was conducted in accordance with the open meetings law and the additional requirements of Article VII, Section 23 (C) of the Constitution, that the fol‐ lowing millage rate be and it is hereby levied upon the dollar of the as‐ sessed valuation of all property subject to ad valorem taxation within said Parish for the year 2026 for the purpose of raising revenue: MILLAGE Lafayette Airport Com‐ mission 1.71 mills SECTION 2: The Assessor of the Parish of Lafayette shall extend upon the as‐ sessment roll for the year 2026 the tax herein levied, and the tax col‐ lector of said Parish shall collect and remit the same to said taxing au‐ thority in accordance with law.

SECTION 3: The foregoing ordinance was read in full, the roll was called on the adoption thereof, and the ordinance was adopted by the following votes: YEAS: NAYS: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: SECTION 4: All ordi‐ nances or resolutions, or parts thereof, in conflict herewith are hereby re‐ pealed.

SECTION 5: This ordi‐ nance shall become ef‐ fective upon signature of the Lafayette MayorPresident, the elapse of ten (10) days after re‐ ceipt by the Lafayette Mayor-President without signature or veto, or upon an override of a veto, whichever occurs first. *****

AN ORDINANCE OF THE PARISH LAFAYETTE COUNCIL AMENDING THE 25/26 OPERATING FY OF THE BUDGET LAFAYETTE CITY-PARISH CONSOLIDATED GOVERN‐ TO ADJUST MENT AMOUNTS FOR ADMINIS‐ TRATIVE AND GENERAL COSTS TO ACTUAL BE IT ORDAINED by the Lafayette Parish Council, that: WHEREAS, the Full Cost Allocation Plan for the administrative and gen‐ eral costs prepared by MGT Impact Solutions, LLC; and WHEREAS, amounts were estimated for budget purposes with such esti‐ budgeted as mates transfers to reimburse the City and Parish Gen‐ eral Funds; and WHEREAS, actual amounts from the Full Cost Allocation Plan are now available and it is necessary to adjust de‐ partmental estimates to administrative actual and general costs so that transfers can be exe‐ cuted.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED by Lafayette Parish the Council, that: SECTION 1: All of the aforedescribed “Whereas” clauses are adopted as part of this ordinance.

SECTION 2: The FY 25/26 operating budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment is hereby amended to adjust administrative and general costs to ac‐ tual in accordance with the attached budgetary revision form.

SECTION 3: This adjust‐ ment shall be as re‐ flected in any pertinent documents which are at‐ tached hereto and made a part hereof and filed in the Office of the Clerk of the Council.

SECTION 4: All ordi‐ nances or resolutions, or parts thereof, in conflict herewith are hereby re‐ pealed.

SECTION 5: This ordi‐ nance shall become ef‐ fective upon signature of the Lafayette MayorPresident, the elapse of ten (10) days after re‐ ceipt by the Lafayette Mayor-President without signature or veto, or upon an override of a veto, whichever occurs first. ***** PARISH ORDINANCE NO. PO-030-2026 AN ORDINANCE OF THE PARISH LAFAYETTE COUNCIL AMENDING THE 25/26 OPERATING FY OF THE BUDGET LAFAYETTE CITY-PARISH CONSOLIDATED GOVERN‐ MENT BY ADJUSTING THE MANNING TABLES AND INCREASING THE HOURLY

BE IT ORDAINED by the Lafayette Parish Council, that: SECTION 1: The FY 25/26 operating budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment is hereby amended by adjusting the manning tables and increasing the hourly pay rate of one (1) Tree Trimmer Foreman position (Position No. 4416-001) from $24.3100 to $25.0000; one (1) Tree Trimmer position (Posi‐ 4411-001) from tion $20.3800 to $21.3800; and one (1) Labor Foreman I position (Position 4013005) from $15.9600 to as recom‐ $16.2300 mended by Civil Service.

Council action is re‐ quired since the afore‐ mentioned positions are currently funded at a lower rate of pay.

SECTION 2: The FY 25/26 operating budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment shall not be af‐ fected due to the suffi‐ cient unexpended/unen‐ cumbered balance in the salary appropriation to cover the additional cost needed for the remain‐ der of the 25/26 fiscal year.

SECTION 3: This adjust‐ ment to the Traffic, Roads, and Bridges De‐ partment’s manning ta‐ bles shall be reflected in any pertinent documents are attached which hereto and made part hereof and filed in the Office of the Clerk of the Council.

SECTION 4: All ordi‐ nances or resolutions, or parts thereof, in conflict herewith are hereby re‐ pealed.

SECTION 5: This ordi‐ nance shall become ef‐ fective upon signature of the Lafayette MayorPresident, the elapse of ten (10) days after re‐ ceipt by the Lafayette Mayor-President without signature or veto, or upon an override of a veto, whichever occurs first. ***** PARISH ORDINANCE NO. PO-031-2026 AN ORDINANCE OF THE PARISH LAFAYETTE COUNCIL AMENDING THE FY 25/26 CAPITAL BUD‐ GET OF THE LAFAYETTE CONSOLI‐ CITY-PARISH DATED GOVERNMENT BY FUNDS TRANSFERRING VARIOUS AC‐ FROM TO THE E COUNTS BROUSSARD/ROBLEY DRIVE ROUNDABOUT AC‐ COUNT FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING NEEDED BE IT ORDAINED by the f i h il

Legal Notices

y Lafayette Parish Council, that: SECTION 1: The FY 25/26 capital budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment is hereby amended by transferring funds from various accounts to the E Broussard/Robley Drive Roundabout ac‐ for additional count funding needed.

SECTION 2: The aforesaid adjustments shall be as reflected in any pertinent documents which are at‐ tached hereto and made a part hereof and filed in the Office of the Clerk of the Council.

SECTION 3: All ordi‐ nances or resolutions, or parts thereof, in conflict herewith are hereby re‐ pealed.

SECTION 4: This ordi‐ nance shall become ef‐ fective upon signature of the Lafayette MayorPresident, the elapse of ten (10) days after re‐ ceipt by the Lafayette Mayor-President without signature or veto, or upon an override of a veto, whichever occurs first. ***** /s/ Joseph Gordon-Wiltz JOSEPH GORDON-WILTZ LAFAYETTE CLERK OF THE COUNCIL 196691-AUG 7-1T $93.93 PUBLIC NOTICE --THE FOLLOWING DEVELOPMENTS ARE PROPOSED FOR REVIEW BY THE LAFAYETTE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION ON AUGUST 17, 2026 5:00 P.M. 220 WEST WILLOW STREET BUILDING C TOWN CENTER AUDITORIUM LOT VACATIONS 1. Morse Angelloz Addi‐ tion, Block 6, Lot 17 2. Mouton Addition, Lots 165,166 183, &184 NEW DEVELOPMENTS 1. Cougar Run at Market‐ 46 residential place lots @ /1commercial Marketplace Road & S College Road 2. Parcels 1, 2A ,2B A & B into Parcel 3 1 Commer‐ cial Lot @ Cameron St Caffery Ambassador Pkwy & Lockett Place 3. Lot 6 Phase 1-A & Lot 7A Phase 1-C of Pine Farm into Lots 6-A, 7-A-1 & 7-A2 HEARING EXAMINER RATIFICATIONS 1. Virginia Hills Subdivi‐ sion, Lots 4-E & 4-F 2. Three Oaks Place 3.

Foreman Brothers Properties, LLC, Lot 1 (pending 7-31-2026) 4. Morse-Angelloz Addn Ext No 1, Lots 15-A & 16-A

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(pending 7-31-2026) ONE-YEAR EXTENSIONS OF PRELIMINARY PLAT APPROVAL 1. Northwood Extension 1 OTHER BUSINESS 1. Discussion and Adop‐ tion of Resolution Affirm‐ ing Commissioner Train‐ ing 2. July 20, 2026 City Plan‐ ning Commission Action Summary 3. Announcements FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT 291-8000 196496-AUG 7-1T $21.48 PUBLIC NOTICE --This will serve as notice that Pecan Farm Film LLC has completed produc‐ tion on the film Love Reins At Christmas in Parish, St Lafayette Landry Parish, and sur‐ rounding areas. Filming was completed in De‐ cember 2024. If you have creditor claims any against the production, please file them before August 17th, 2026.

195161-jul 24-31-aug 7-3t $171.76

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the Lafayette City and the Council Lafayette Parish Council intend to hold a public hearing for public input regard to the with City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment’s Proposed Operat‐ ing & Five-Year Capital Improvement Budget FY 2026-2027 on August 18, 2026 at 5:15 p.m. at 705 West University Avenue, Louisiana, Lafayette, 70506.

195529-AUG 7-1T $5.18

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

y Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating and capital budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated by transferring ment $60,000 from the Parish Council District 1 capital appropriation to the Cap‐ ital Improvements De‐ partment, Fund 2600, for the North Wilderness Trail Reconstruction pro‐ ject.

PO-033-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating and capital budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated by transferring ment $10,000 from the Parish Council District 2 capital appropriation to Duson Volunteer Fire Depart‐ ment within Section 4190 Parishwide Fire Protec‐ tion for the purchase of gas monitors, a washer, a dryer, and miscella‐ neous costs associated therewith.

PO-034-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette Parish Council authoriz‐ ing the Mayor-President to enter into a Memoran‐ dum of Understanding with Louisiana Depart‐ ment of Agriculture & Forestry to collaborate in pet and/or livestock aid efforts during declara‐ tions of emergency.

PO-035-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette Parish Council declaring the Coburn’s at Ridge Road Drainage Project a public necessity and au‐ thorizing the acquisition of the necessary rightsof-way, immovable prop‐ erty and other property rights requisite to the construction of said pro‐ ject, either on an amica‐ ble basis or through the proper use of the expro‐ priation process if neces‐ sary.

The ordinances will ap‐ pear before the Lafayette Parish Council for public hearing and final adop‐ tion in the Ted A. Ardoin City-Parish Council Audi‐ torium located at 705 W. Avenue, University Lafayette, LA on August 18, 2026. /s/ Joseph Gordon-Wiltz JOSEPH GORDON-WILTZ LAFAYETTE CLERK OF THE COUNCIL 196699-AUG 7-1T $20.40

PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE The Lafayette Parish Council met in Regular Session on August 4, 2026 and introduced the fol‐ lowing ordinances.

PO-032-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette i h il di

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A stray afternoon thunderstorm

Partly sunny

A t-storm around in the p.m.

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A couple of t-storms; humid

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Beaumont 90/76 Port Arthur 90/77

Baton Rouge 93/74

Lake Charles 91/76

New Orleans 91/77 Houma 90/75

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

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Hattiesburg 96/73

Alexandria 92/73

Lafayette 92/75

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92° 76°

YESTERDAY

Lafayette through 5 p.m. Thursday

Jackson 95/74 Many 92/72

HIGH

92° 77°

TEMPERATURE

Longview 97/75

-0s

LOW

Monroe 95/74

Shreveport 96/75

-10s

HIGH

90° 77°

Well, even though rain chances are a little bit lower today, expect some spotty showers and storms this afternoon. So your Friday will be a mostly sunny, hot and humid day with a light breeze and a chance of rain and storms. Temperatures this afternoon will be about where they should be in the low to mid-90s. The humidity is high, so temperatures will feel like they’re 103 or higher this afternoon. More rain and storms are in the forecast for your weekend as the UV index rises to the very high level.

60s

70s

80s

90s 100s 110s

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

Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today

AUG 12

AUG 19

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

3:19p 8:56a 3:20a 6:09a 5:00a 4:18a 6:08a

6:30 a.m.

7:57 p.m.

12:46 a.m.

3:33 p.m.

FIRST

City

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

89°/77° 93°/75° 91°/75° 102° in 2023 65° in 1940

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

NEW

PRECIPITATION

Hi

TODAY

99 90 101 68 90 110 90 91 94

Lo

76 76 80 55 77 89 73 81 74

FULL

LAST

AUG 27

W

t t pc c pc s t t t

SEP 4

Hi

99 89 99 67 88 113 89 91 92

SAT. Lo

76 73 80 50 76 91 74 79 73

W

s t s c pc s t t t

FT.

0.8 1.7 1.9 1.9 1.5 1.7 1.8

LOW

0.59” 0.94” 1.16” 41.73” 38.58”

FT.

HIGH

2:58a 0.0 9:50p -0.1 4:15p -0.5 8:33p 0.0 4:52p -0.2 3:17p -0.3 5:54p -0.2

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

FT.

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

MODERATE

READING 58 MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

SOURCE: LOUISIANA DEQ AND AIRNOW.GOV

LOW

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

FT.

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

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 7:01a 12:45a 7:31p Saturday 7:57a 1:41a 8:29p Sunday 8:55a 2:39a 9:27p Monday 9:52a 3:36a 10:23p Tuesday 10:48a 4:33a 11:18p Wednesday 11:43a 5:29a 12:10p Thursday 12:11a 6:23a 12:36p

City

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

Hi

91 89 92 111 82 90 88 80 91

TODAY Lo

77 77 75 91 69 74 72 70 77

W

t t t t t t t pc t

Hi

92 93 92 112 85 92 90 79 90

1:16p 2:13p 3:11p 4:08p 5:03p 5:56p 6:48p

SAT. Lo

78 77 75 91 66 74 73 71 78

W

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

t t t s t t pc pc t

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

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TODAY

MODERATE

FLOOD STAGE

34 48 48 35 27 22 17

THU. 24-HOUR STAGE CHANGE

-0.90 21.10 24.00 10.10 5.80 4.26 3.60

+0.08 -1.11 -1.10 -0.50 none -0.28 +0.01

40

15.98

+0.68

19

-1.55

-0.07

18 29 8

-1.11 10.16 1.74

-0.03 -0.07 -0.12

13 15

1.45 0.93

-0.04 -0.07

47 34 29 20 12 6

9.44 6.28 4.63 4.56 4.10 1.58

-0.34 -0.34 -0.37 -0.33 +0.20 -0.33

data as of 7 a.m. Thursday

Forecasts and graphics, except for Damon’s Outlook, provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2026

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CSLB 1082165 NSCB 0082999 0083445 13VH11096000