The Advocate 08-08-2026

NFL HALL OF FAME: BIG DAY IS HERE FOR DREW BREES 1C

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Rules for Meta’s power needs debated La. leaders seek to balance household costs, data centers

As Meta sets out to build one of the world’s largest data centers in north Louisiana, a project known as Hyperion, political leaders all say they want to protect household customers from paying for the power needed for that project BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN and others like it. Staff writer But there is political wrangling A pledge by tech companies. over the best way to achieve that An executive order. A state law. goal. The tension centers around Stricter contracts between utility how to protect ratepayers while also ensuring the state stays atcompanies and industrial users.

tractive to Meta and other large investors. In Louisiana, which has some of the most affordable electricity in the country, the Public Service Commission is responsible for regulating electric rates and greenlighting Entergy’s proposals to build and acquire new infrastructure needed for industrial projects such as data centers. Backers of the Hyperion project, including Meta, Entergy and

some public officials, have been adamant that ratepayers will be protected, and that Meta’s investment will lower rates for everyday Louisianans. “Meta pays its own way, both for the power and the infrastructure we use,” a Meta spokesperson said in a statement. “Our agreement with Entergy is built to guarantee we pay those costs, not Louisianans.” Some politicians have also

‘YOU DON’T TELL GOD NO’

Lake Charles native becomes youngest Catholic bishop in America BY MEGAN WYATT Staff writer

brushed off concerns about who would pay for power if Meta decided to leave the state. “The Public Service Commission has a constitutional duty to protect customers, and I have every confidence they will continue to do that,” Gov. Jeff Landry, who has championed the Meta project, said in a statement. “Even in the unlikely event Meta ever left, Louisiana

ä See META, page 6A

Races for Congress draw crowds 5th, 6th district hopefuls qualify

WASHINGTON, D.C. — He was preparing a homily for evening Mass at Howard University when the call came in. The chaplain, then-Rev. Robert “Robbie” Boxie III, was to become a bishop. Thoughts raced through his mind. The Lake Charles native told the ambassador for Pope Leo XIV that he was too young for such a rank and he hadn’t even been a parish pastor yet. But when the pope’s representative asked if he accepted, Boxie offered a hesitant “Yes?” “I hung up the phone and I grabbed my pillow and I just screamed in my pillow for the next five minutes,” Boxie said. “It’s like, what just happened? What did I agree to? What’s going on?” He had just agreed to be the youngest Catholic bishop in the United States, a 45-year-old at the helm of the Archdiocese of Washington. He would also be one of just a few Black bishops in the country. The idea of priesthood first appealed to Boxie in the third grade. After learning about saints in school, he decided he wanted to be one. Upon discovering how involved that process was, he settled for “the next best thing” — becoming a priest. “But as any 8-year-old would do, you change your mind,” Boxie said. “It’s kind of like the flavor of the month.” His mother, Roxanne Boxie, remembers that phase fondly. While on vacation in Disney World, she asked her son if he wanted a stuffed Mickey Mouse souvenir. Instead, he asked for a statue of the Blessed Mother for his bedroom altar. “He would play with the kids in the neighborhood,” Roxanne Boxie said. “And sometimes they didn’t want to play with him because he wanted to play Mass, and they

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

Races will be crowded this November for Louisiana’s two wideopen congressional seats: after qualifying ended Friday, 10 candidates had signed up to run in the Sixth District and nine were competing in the Fifth District. And state Sen. Blake Miguez, RNew Iberia, finally answered the long-standing question of whether he H H H H H H would run by qualifying Friday as a candidate in the Sixth District. His decision sets up a showdown with state Sen. Rick Edmonds, R-Baton Rouge, and the two have already taken shots at each other on the campaign trail. “Hear me clear: I will win this congressional race,” Miguez told members of the press at the Secretary of State’s Office, where qualifying takes place. Also on Friday, state Rep. Pat Moore, D-Monroe, surprised at the last minute by qualifying for the Fifth District, which covers northeast Louisiana. She faces an uphill battle in the heavily Republican area. Misti Cordell, chair of the Board of Regents, who announced her candidacy long ago, officially filed to run in the Fifth District, too. Miguez was a candidate in the Fifth District earlier this year, before redistricting transformed the race. He faced criticism from fellow lawmakers because the area he represents and has lived in was not in the district, though he owns a property in Baton Rouge, which was part of it; his district is not in

ELECTION

PROVIDED PHOTO

The Most Rev. Robert Boxie III is pictured during his July 7 bishop ordination ceremony in ä See BISHOP, page 3A Washington, D.C.

ä See RACES, page 5A

Moore faces first challenger in EBR district attorney race since 2008 Staff report Incumbent Hillar Moore and challenger Ryan Thompson are officially set for a two-person race in the 2026 election for East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney after the end of the official election

WEATHER HIGH 93 LOW 75 PAGE 10D

registration period. This is the first time longtime district attorney Moore has had a challenger for the seat since 2008, which was the first time he ran. Moore and Thompson are both Democrats. Moore’s reelection campaign

has heavily focused on pushing for more resources for the office through advocating for additional funding. “Our main focus is violent crime,” Moore said after qualifying, “(and continue to) prosecute as vigorously as we can, the violent

offenders.” Moore said he wants voters to know he is “proven, reliable, ethical and worked extremely hard every day for 18 years” from prosecution to showing up to every major crime scene. The District Attorney’s Office

Business ......................5B Deaths .........................4B Nation-World................2A Classified .....................7D Living............................1D Opinion ........................6B Comics-Puzzles .....4D-6D Metro ...........................1B Sports ..........................1C

under Moore has spearheaded ongoing initiatives over the years like Stop the Loss and TRUCE, which employ innovative and nontraditional methods to identify abusers and reduce violence.

ä See CHALLENGER, page 5A

102ND yEAR, NO. 39

2A ■ Saturday, August 8, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Police raid smashes smuggling network THE HAGUE, Netherlands — An international police operation led by Spanish authorities dismantled a major criminal network involved in trafficking migrants, drugs and weapons across the Western Mediterranean, the European Union police agency Europol and Spain’s Civil Guard announced Friday. Spanish authorities described the network as one of the “largest criminal organizations specializing in maritime human trafficking in the Mediterranean.” Europol said the network it helped to dismantle “arranged storage, transport, refueling, maritime transfers, vessel maintenance, and counter-surveillance services” for other smuggling gangs. The agency headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, supported and helped to coordinate the operation that Spanish authorities launched in 2023 involving Spain’s Civil Guard and National Police, as well as French, Polish and Portuguese law enforcement and Europol. The arrests came as a result of an “action day” on June 16, Europol said, that led to 77 arrests in Spain and one in Algeria and the seizure of 18 motorboats, including high-speed vessels, drugs, satellite phones, a handgun and more than $29,000 in cash.

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Hamilton confirmed to lead FEMA

Senate clears more than 70 other Trump nominees BY GABRIELA AOUN ANGUEIRA

Associated Press

The Senate on Friday confirmed Cameron Hamilton as head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, returning the former Navy SEAL to the embattled agency he led temporarily last year only to be fired after he publicly opposed eliminating it. Hamilton was among a group of 74 nominations approved by the Senate, including President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Transportation Security Administration, David Cummins, and his choice for ambassador to Brazil, Daniel Perez. Upon his swearing in, Hamilton will take over an agency whose future has been uncertain since Trump threatened to get rid of it days into his second term. Hamilton’s nomination signaled that Trump may be moving on from

that idea, but his Republican administration is still promising drastic changes in how the government handles disasters. Hamilton will have to shepherd that overhaul while stabilizing an agency of more than 20,000 employees recovering from Kristi Noem’s chaotic tenure as Department of Homeland Security secretary, during which FEMA saw mass staff departures, disruptions to grant programs and delays of disaster aid. While her successor, former Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin, has worked to reverse some of the upheaval, Democrats are accusing Trump of politicizing disaster relief. Trump has approved 80% of disaster requests from Republican governors but only about 60% from Democratic governors, a July analysis by The Associated Press found. In his June hearing before a Senate committee, Hamilton pledged to advocate for FEMA and its

workforce while promising to ensure FEMA is “objective, is fair and reasonable, follows the law, and is consistent in the approach to how we adjudicate and process claims and requests for disasters.” He also maintained that the agency is burdened by bureaucracy and cannot be expected to respond to every disaster. “We would need to strike a new balance to encourage cost reasonableness and cost savings,” he said.

TSA chief, ambassador OK’d Other nominees confirmed included Cummins as head of the Transportation Security Administration, an agency also facing persistent challenges, particularly after this year’s record partial government shutdown left TSA employees working for weeks without pay. The funding lapse prompted thousands of officers to call out of work and about 1,100 to quit.

Thailand officials: Student kills at least 7 BY TIAN MACLEOD JI Associated Press

Police: Teen dressed as a clown fatally stabs man EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — A teenager accused of dressing as a clown and randomly stabbing a man to death at a bus stop in the St. Louis area has been charged with murder, authorities said. Video of the 15-year-old suspect showed him dressed in a clown costume, Illinois State Police said. Police in East St. Louis, Illinois, found the body of 78-year-old John W. Allen of Jennings, Missouri, in a street Monday. Jennings is also in the St. Louis area. Allen’s relatives told media outlets in St. Louis that he was a Navy veteran, a retired bus driver and an active churchgoer. They believe he was in East St. Louis to visit family members when the attack happened. The teenager, whose name has not been released, was charged with first-degree murder Thursday. He appeared in juvenile court Thursday and will be detained until at least his next hearing, said Chris Allen, a spokesperson for the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office. The prosecutor’s office is seeking to move the case out of juvenile court so that it can prosecute the teen as an adult.

Judge orders county to replace school names ROANOKE, Va. — A federal judge has sided with the Virginia NAACP in its lawsuit against a county school board’s reinstatement of Confederate military names to two schools, saying the decision discriminated against Black students and ordering the board to change the schools’ monikers again. In an opinion filed Thursday in U.S. District Court of Virginia, Judge Michael F. Urbanski said the school board in Shenandoah County violated Black students’ rights under the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause, which forbids racial discrimination in state-supported institutions. The decision also violates the Equal Educational Opportunities Act, the court found. Confederate army officers’ names are “vestiges” of Shenandoah County’s segregationist history that required separate schools for Black and White students. “The Confederate names were restored with complete awareness of their historic legacy and ongoing discriminatory impact,” Urbanski wrote. “In the court’s view, the affirmative act of reinstating these vestiges of segregation is far more problematic than a passive failure to remove a longstanding name or symbol.” The judge ordered the board to settle on new school names “on a racially nondiscriminatory basis with all deliberate speed.” Unlike memorials named after Confederate figures, schools are places where children should have an “educational environment free of vestiges of racial discrimination,” Urbanski added.

Cummins is a former senior vice president at the government contractor Serco, which runs air traffic control towers at 60 American airports. He is taking over as the Trump administration seeks to expand private airport screening and cut thousands of TSA jobs. The Senate also confirmed Perez, a close friend of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and a former speaker of Florida’s House of Representatives, to be the next U.S. ambassador to Brazil. Perez has been central to an ongoing diplomatic dispute between the Trump administration and the government of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Earlier this week, the State Department said the Brazilian government’s refusal to accept Perez’s appointment was a main reason for its decision to revoke the visa of Brazil’s ambassador to the United States. International diplomatic protocols demand that host countries approve any foreign ambassadors before they can take their posts.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DARKO VOJINOVIC

Smoke emerges from a forest during a wildfire in Deliblatska Pescara, near the village of Sumarak, on Friday.

Serbia races to contain wildfires amid drought Europe’s blistering heat wave grips the Balkans

BY STEPHEN MCGRATH and JOVANA GEC Associated Press

BELGRADE, Serbia — Thick gray smoke drifted over a wooded area in northeast Serbia on Friday as authorities raced to contain a major wildfire, while multiple other blazes raged across the country amid extreme heat and prolonged drought gripping the Balkans. Firefighters used helicopters to drop water on the blaze sweeping through pine forests near Deliblatska Pescara, a protected nature reserve about 40 miles from the capital, Belgrade. Another major fire raged near the central town of Kraljevo. The blistering heat wave bearing down on Europe in recent weeks has set national temperature records in multiple countries, led to droughts that have strained national energy systems and fueled wildfires from Western Europe to the Balkans.

Serbian fires rage close to settlements Fires in Serbia rage close to the settlements of Cardak and Sumarak in the Deliblatska Pescara area. Regional television reported that villagers from Sumarak have been asked to leave their homes as a precaution. Authorities said that no houses had caught fire and no casualties had been reported.

Days of dry weather and scorching heat reaching 104 degrees have worsened the wildfire risk. Strong winds across the Balkan nation on Friday complicated firefighters’ efforts to contain the blazes. After an emergency meeting Friday, Serbia’s Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said the army had been brought in to help emergency efforts. The government urged all state companies to provide any equipment and human resources they can spare to help tackle the blazes. Dacic added that despite nine wildfires affecting various parts of the country, the situation was “not critical.” Firefighters were also tackling blazes on Friday in neighboring Montenegro near the town of Cetinje, and other locations in the Adriatic Sea nation.

Severe droughts hit major rivers Prolonged droughts have left major European rivers such as the Danube River and Rhine River at significantly low water levels, and multiple Central and Eastern European governments are facing energy emergencies as a result. On Friday, Romania continued an operation to sink four rock-laden barges into the Danube near the Bala Canal to redirect water downstream toward its stateowned Cernavoda nuclear plant, which relies on river water to cool its reactors. The aim is to buy more time before the second reactor is likely forced offline after its first reactor was shut down last week.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan sign a key defense agreement BY SUZAN FRASER and MUNIR AHMED

Associated Press

ANKARA, Turkey — Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a defense agreement on Friday that would treat an attack on one as an attack on all three, officials said, solidifying cooperation between the three regional powers at a time of growing security concerns. The agreement was signed in the Saudi holy city of Mecca by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to statements from all three countries. The so-called “Mecca Joint Defense Agreement” between the three Sunni

Muslim-majority states brings together oil-rich Saudi Arabia and nuclear power Pakistan as well as Turkey, which has NATO’s second-largest army and a rapidly growing defense industry. It would increase cooperation and deterrence at a time of increased regional uncertainty and threats from the war in Iran. “The agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression, and stipulates that any armed attack against any one of the three states shall be regarded as an attack against them all,” the statements read. “It further provides for the enhancement of all aspects of defense cooperation among the three States,” the statements said.

NONTHABURI, Thailand — A student opened fire at a high school outside Bangkok on Friday, killing at least five people and wounding more than 20, according to authorities, who said he also appeared to have killed his two grandparents at the family home earlier in the morning. The 14-year-old shooter took his own life at the school, officials said. Five school staff members, including teachers and administrators, died in the shooting around 10 a.m. at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Nonthaburi province northwest of Bangkok, Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwunchwee said at the scene. The boy also killed his grandparents at the home he shared with them prior to the school shooting, Polapee said. Bangyai Hospital, about 3 miles from the school, said 23 people were wounded, of whom 10 were in critical condition, with most suffering gunshot wounds.

Earlier reports gave conflicting casualty numbers. A witness said students hid inside a classroom while they heard gunshots from another building before police officers knocked on the door and cleared a way for them to leave the building. Amporn Niamfuang, who owns a restaurant 160 feet from the school, said there was the sound of a single gunshot and then a pause. “And then there were multiple continuous shots,” Amporn said, recalling the narrow road outside the restaurant filling with fleeing students. “Students were running scared and pouring onto the street. Young girls were holding each other’s hands and crying. I went inside to hide.” Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, speaking after touring the school, confirmed reports that the shooter was 14 and had killed himself. He said the student had shown signs of stress connected to school. The gun, described by police as small and compact, was legally registered to his grandfather, he said.

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BISHOP

Continued from page 1A didn’t want to play Mass.” Boxie attended St. Louis Catholic High School in Lake Charles, where his classmate Amanda Papania Hardie described him as kind and generous. His classmates and teachers sensed he was special, she said. He was at the top of his class academically, but not everyone knew that because he was quietly driven, unassuming and humble. “He just was good, but it wasn’t like a teacher’s pet kind of favorite thing,” Hardie said. “He really was like that. That’s just how he was all the time.” Once he graduated high school, Boxie studied music and chemical engineering at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. He expected to eventually return to his hometown to work in the petrochemical industry. But his plan changed after he studied abroad in Florence, Italy, which opened his eyes to interests outside of math and science. Boxie took a year off to teach English in France, then enrolled in Harvard Law School. He would go on to earn his law degree, clerk for a federal judge in the Washington, D.C., area and accept a position at a law firm. That time was formative for his future calling, said the Rev. Henry Mancuso, who served as head of St. Louis Catholic High School and later as pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church where Boxie grew up. “He lived for about 15 or 16 years in a predominantly White world,” Mancuso said. “To go to Washington probably really renewed his whole sense of being a man equal to all, but also to cherish his Black experience and to be proud of it.” By worldly standards, Boxie had it all: a high-paying job, a girlfriend, a supportive family, the ability to travel the world. But he still felt like something was missing. His childhood dream came back to him and he decided to go to seminary. “It seemed like the priesthood was calling him very strong,” his mother said. “And he finally listened. He couldn’t tell God no anymore.”

Time in D.C., Rome Boxie began his seminary formation in 2010 by studying philosophy at the Theological College at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He later studied theology in Rome. The Rev. Aaron Qureshi met Boxie in D.C. when both men were considering seminary. While Qureshi worked in information technology, Boxie was at the law firm. There was a sense among Boxie’s peers in the seminary in Rome that Boxie was bishop material, Qureshi said, “When the news came, I don’t think it was a surprise to too many people,” Qureshi said. “A lot of us were kind of like, ‘Yeah, that checks out.’” Hardie, his childhood classmate from Lake Charles, also said Boxie’s journey to become a priest “made complete sense.” During his time in seminary, Hardie and her children prepared care packages to send to him. Later, when she traveled to Rome, he scheduled tours of the Vatican, showed her a rooftop view from the seminary that he loved and invited her to a Thanksgiving meal with him. During a difficult divorce, he would break from his other responsibilities to hear her struggles and would regularly let her know he was praying for her. “I’ve been around people with very impressive résumés that do not impress me,” she said. “And he’s the complete opposite. When you hear him speaking, you know he’s intelligent, but he’s very unassuming.” When Boxie returned from Rome, he was assigned as the parochial vicar at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Largo, Maryland, just outside of D.C., for three years.

PROVIDED PHOTO

The Most Rev. Robert Boxie III, third from left, is pictured with, from left, his sister, Robyn Boxie; mother, Roxanne Boxie; and father, Robert Boxie Jr., at St. Mary’s Church in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Christmas Eve. Boxie spent the next six years as the Catholic chaplain at Howard University in D.C., which he described as “the best job in the Archdiocese of Washington and even the entire United States.” It’s also a rare gig: With over 100 historically Black colleges and universities in America, only about a dozen have Catholic ministries on campus. Of those with Catholic ministries, just six have a priest on campus. “I was one of those six in the country,” Boxie said. “It is quite special to serve a young adult Black Catholic community on a college campus, especially at a place like Howard University — perhaps the premier HBCU in the country.” When Boxie was appointed as a Catholic chaplain at Howard University, it was during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic when only a handful of students would attend Mass in person. Now, the services are standing room only. “They’re very inquisitive — they want to know why, why, why,” Roxanne Boxie said. “And he’s taught them why.”

‘My life changed in a week’ Boxie didn’t think anything of it when he saw Cardinal Christophe Pierre, known as the nuncio, call his number late this spring. A couple days before, he’d taken his students from Howard to meet Pierre. After Boxie thanked Pierre for the opportunity for his students, the nuncio asked if Boxie was sitting down. He was. “And then he says, ‘Pope Leo has named you the new auxiliary bishop of Washington,’” Boxie said. “And I stand up. I’m like, ‘Are you sure?’” Boxie remembers shaking his head no as he continued to insist that there must be older, more seasoned, more qualified priests for the job. But the nuncio spoke of Boxie’s work at the university and how he’d come highly recommended by his brother priests in the diocese. “I’m just there shaking my head the whole time,” Boxie said. “Like, this is not real. This is not happening. I’m too young. Like no. And so then he point-blank asks, ‘Do you accept?’” Boxie gave a hesitant “yes.” Then he went back to trying to finish writing the homily for Howard’s final Mass of the semester. He couldn’t yet share the news far and wide. He rescheduled his weekly Zoom call with his mom, dad and sister. Four days later, when he finally hopped on the video call with his family, Boxie was nearly in tears. “He’s getting ready to tell us, and we’re like, ‘Oh my God. What’s happening?’ ” Roxanne Boxie said. “We were very, very surprised because we did not expect that at all. He always told us that he wanted to be a parish priest and to be among people.” At one point, his father

resonate with others. “He’s not afraid to be vulnerable, to be open with others about maybe places where he has questions or is unsure and to rely on others for advice, for counsel, for encouragement,” Qureshi said. “Sometimes, as a priest, I might look at another priest and say, ‘Is this the sort of priest that I would want as my mom’s pastor?’ And I think when you look at someone like Bishop Boxie, the answer is 100% yes.” Johnson, who met Boxie during seminary and travels annually with him, believes Boxie will be successful in his new role because of his dedication to prayer. He’s also a great friend. “He’s very intentional, very positive as a person,” Johnson said. “He’s very caring, and so he’s always been concerned with things that are going on throughout the world. He has a big, empathetic kind of heart, but he’s also just a smart guy. He’s very studious, likes to cut up. He’s fun to be around. He’s very normal. He’s very human.” As the auxiliary bishop of Washington, Boxie will split duties with the Most Rev. Gary Studniewski. Among his tasks: developing a plan to revive, staff and resource Black parishes in the archdiocese. Although he has considered returning to southwest Louisiana over the years, Boxie said serving as a priest in the nation’s capital has been a better long-term fit. “I love my hometown,” he said. “It is the place that formed me and introduced me to the faith, but I have been able to grow and be challenged in Washington and have had a number of unique experiences that I wouldn’t have had in Lake Charles.” Boxie has just one request of the community that shaped him: “Pray for me.”

church by people who aren’t a sign of encouragement, a Black or young,” said John- sign that the church has not son, who is also Black. “And forgotten about Black Cathso he’s going to be able to olics,” he said. bring that voice as a young priest and as a Black priest ‘He’s very normal’ to the table, which is super Mancuso’s advice to Boxie important.” after his appointment was Mancuso said that ap- to get adequate sleep and proach was already on dis- to know deeply what he play during Boxie’s ordina- believes. As the youngest American bishop, Boxie tion Mass. “He certainly spoke out will get invitations to speak very clearly for Black around the world, along with Catholics, for those who diverse opinions on how to had been alienated from approach his new role, Manor hurt by the church and cusco said. those that were searching “I always have called him ‘Extremely significant’ for a place inviting them to Robbie,” Mancuso said. Boxie is now the youngest come back,” Mancuso said. “And when I spoke to him bishop in the United States. “He spoke with such power after the announcement, he He’s also one of just a hand- and strength but also with said it made him feel good that I still called him Robbie, ful of active Black bishops warmth.” Boxie said he realizes his rather than Bishop Robbie in America. Boxie said he is now appointment is a big deal for or anything like that. That one of two active African Black Catholics across the shows his humanness.” Email Megan Wyatt at Boxie’s friends said his mwyatt@theadvocate. American bishops in the country. “This is a real sign of hope, vulnerability helps him to com. United States. The other is Archbishop Shelton Fabre, a New Roads native who was the bishop of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux before becoming archbishop of Louisville, Kentucky. MONTHS MONTHS There are two other active INTEREST INTEREST Family owned and operated since 1957 Black bishops in the United States, one from Uganda <<<< >>>>OR OR<<<< >>>> and another from Haiti, Boxie said. The Archdiocese of Washington also was home to DISCOUNTAND AND DISCOUNT America’s first Black cardiMONTHSNO NO 66MONTHS nal, Wilton Gregory, until his retirement last year. Seestore storefor fordetails details See “This is extremely significant,” Boxie said. “There haven’t been very many, and there certainly aren’t very many active ones right now.” In the 1980s and 1990s, the U.S. had about a dozen active African American bishops, he said, but that number has dwindled through the years. That’s due, in part, to the number of Black priests also decreasing, *Other pieces sale priced *Other pieces sale priced which Boxie attributes to the history of racism in the Regular Catholic Church. Black men $ $ 1699 at one point could not enter seminary, and Black women could not join religious convents. The first Black priests who were ordained could not even celebrate Mass. “That’s not how the church is now, but that memory is still pretty apparent in a lot *Other pieces sale priced of people’s minds,” Boxie After $ $ 5 Piece Dual Reclining After said. “So parents don’t want Disc Disc to give their sons or daughLeather Sofa Dining Set Regular $879 Regular $4199 ters over to that because they don’t want them to be treated like that.” Boxie’s childhood was Sealy Golden Elegance Firm shaped by his small, preor Soft $ dominantly Black church Queen Beautyrest mattress parish in Lake Charles. Level 1 Medium Sealy Without Black leadership in Posturepedic PRO $ the church, he said the probMedium Queen $ 18” cu ft lem of racism will persist. mattress Beautyrest white top “Black folks don’t feel as Level 2 Xtra Firm Sealy Posturepedic mount though they have a voice $ PRO Pillow Top refrigerator in the church,” Boxie said. Queen $ Mattresses and mattress Adjustable bases “Therefore, is this church Beautyrest $ Washer asher or Dryer Drye on Display World Class Level 3 Pillow Top really for me? Does this $ FULL AND KING SIZES 499 ea GRM185AW AVAILABLE $ church really speak for my NTW4519JW NED4655EW FOUNDATIONS AVAILABLE experiences and my situ3425 Hwy 1 S. ation? Because I don’t see Port Allen anyone who’s in leadership.” Hours OVE ER 225-749-0076 Boxie’s life experiences Mon-Sat 0 80 372 Hospital Rd. differ from many other 9:00-5:00 RECLIN NERS New Roads bishops, which should help PLAY! ON DISP 225-638-4526 him connect with members of the church, said his longUltra Plush Rocker Recliner time friend and Baton Rouge Lift Recliner priest the Rev. Josh Johnson. Reg $ Starting at $ www.bellelosonline.com $ 719 “A lot of times decisions are made by leaders in the

asked Boxie if he could say no to the appointment. Boxie responded, “You don’t tell God no.” A week later, the announcement became public on May 1. “My life changed in a week,” Boxie said. “The one word that just keeps coming up is ‘tremendous.’ There’s been an incredible outpouring of support, not only locally here from family, friends, acquaintances, the university but really from all across the country.”

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Administration moves Senate passes sweeping ahead with efforts to fire Russia sanctions legislation Federal Reserve governor with the White House. visit prospects for a peace deal. Bill was negotiated negotiations Graham, who had just returned And she warned that every time from Ukraine, died suddenly the the U.S. backs away from tough acby the late next day, likely from an aortic tear. tions, Russia ramps up its attacks. Sen. Lindsey Graham The bipartisan package allows “If we can’t shut down the fund-

BY MARY CLARE JALONICK and LISA MASCARO Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Senate overwhelmingly approved a punishing Russian sanctions package Friday, the result of a yearlong campaign by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham to reinforce U.S. support for Ukraine and try to force President Vladimir Putin’s hand as the grinding war drags on. The bipartisan legislation, which passed 86-11, would penalize countries that continue to buy Russian oil, gas and other exports seeking to deprive Putin of revenues fueling the war. It comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the Capitol last week following Graham’s funeral, met with senators from both parties and watched from the gallery as the Senate took the first procedural votes. “Today, President Zelenskyy is watching from Ukraine — and Putin is watching from Moscow,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who had worked with the late South Carolina senator on the package. “I would like to think Lindsey Graham is watching, too,” he said. “Today we say to the people of Ukraine: You are not alone. And today we say to Vladimir Putin: You will not conquer Ukraine.” The sweeping show of force from the Senate is the most substantial move yet during President Donald Trump’s second term to shift the dynamic of the four-year war, which has now churned longer than World War I. Congress has struggled to ensure the flow of U.S. funding and munitions to Ukraine, but Trump has given a nod to the package, which includes his push for sanctions on Iran, pressuring the House to pass and send it for his signature. Graham and Blumenthal had announced a deal with the White House on the sanctions legislation on July 10 after more than a year of

the president to impose tariffs on the world’s top five purchasers of Russian oil or natural gas, including China and India. It provides exceptions for countries that import less than 15% of their natural gas from Russia and are taking steps to reduce those imports. The legislation also includes sanctions on Putin, senior Russian political and military leaders, Russian financial institutions and Russian energy projects. It would expand U.S. sanctions to target older, reflagged oil tankers that Russia uses to circumvent existing U.S. sanctions on Russian oil and energy revenues. The bill also allows the White House to waive sanctions or restrictions if the president certifies to Congress that it’s in the national interest. Democrats and some Republicans have been wary of giving Trump broad authority to slap tariffs on imports that have spiked prices for goods, worried about inflationary costs for Americans. Those voting against the final package were mostly progressive Democrats. Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., who was appointed by the state’s governor to fill her brother’s seat, said she was honored to carry on his work. “This legislation hits Putin where it hurts,” she said.

Bill sends ‘a moral signal’ Zelenskyy told senators during last week’s private meeting at the Capitol that Ukraine is making gains in the war, but still needs more help from the U.S. He publicly thanked them for the sanctions package. Republican Sen. Todd Young of Indiana said the sanctions legislation “is important as a moral signal to a country that is weary and tired, though holding its own.” New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, said advancing the legislation now, ahead of Russia’s own elections, will put pressure on Putin to seriously re-

ing for the war machine that Russia is using against Ukraine, then they’re going to keep at it,” she said. Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha expressed gratitude to the Senate in a post, and said that with U.S. support, “Together, we are bringing a lasting peace closer.”

Too much tariff power The Senate defeated an amendment by Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon that would have removed the new tariff authority for Trump. Paul says it would be too costly for taxpayers, while Wyden and other Democrats say they don’t want to give Trump any new authority to impose tariffs. “We’ve got folks who are walking an economic tightrope here in America,” Wyden said. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., who had held up passage of the package over the tariff authority, said he received a written commitment from the Trump administration through U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer that ensures guardrails. The tariffs would be lifted once the countries are no longer on the lists of those purchasing Russian oil and gas, or helping to evade sanctions, he said. “We should not have to choose between putting a check on Putin’s aggression and putting a check on this president’s tariffs regime,” Warnock said. If Trump “oversteps his power, we will see him in court.” While the Senate momentum puts pressure on the House to act as soon as lawmakers return to session at the end of August, top Democrats still warn against handing Trump too much power in the Russia sanctions package. Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the bill as is gives Trump too much authority to “weaponize” tariffs in ways that do little to deter Russia, but hurt Americans back home.

Court halts ballroom project Congressional OK needed to continue construction

BY DARLENE SUPERVILLE and MICHAEL KUNZELMAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON — A divided federal appeals court ruled Friday that President Donald Trump’s administration must stop construction of the $400 million White House ballroom because Congress has not approved the project, a decision he blasted as “unjust” while vowing to appeal it to the nation’s highest court. Trump doesn’t have the unilateral authority to build a 90,000-square-foot ballroom where the White House’s East Wing stood before he ordered its demolition last fall, according to the decision by a three-judge

panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Friday’s ruling marked the second time this week that the Trump administration has made headlines for construction plans that have been called into question. An assessment by the National Park Service found that a 250-foot-tall triumphal arch that Trump has proposed building could compromise the historical significance of dozens of sites near its planned location on a traffic circle between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. In a 2-1 decision on the ballroom, the appeals court sided with historic preservationists who sued to stop construction of the massive structure, which has begun to rise above ground on the east side of the White House, according to the most recent

aerial photos of the site. The court said it would stay its ruling for two weeks to give the administration time to appeal to the Supreme Court. “Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help,” the court wrote. “This holding has nothing at all to do with whether the proposed ballroom is desirable, or not, as a matter of policy. This ruling does not even necessarily mean that the Defendants may not ultimately construct the ballroom. “What it does mean,” the court continued, “is that the Defendants may not do so during the district court’s expeditious litigation without securing Congress’s authorization, as the Constitution and laws require.”

one in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Supreme Court had one in Atlanta — as “primary residence.” Homebuyers can get allowed Lisa Cook to lower mortgage rates or smaller keep her job down payments on their primary

BY ERIC TUCKER and PAUL WISEMAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is moving ahead with its efforts to fire Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, two months after the Supreme Court allowed her to retain her job while she fights the president’s effort to terminate her over mortgage fraud allegations that she has denied. The justices in a 5-4 decision in June said Cook, who was nominated to the Fed’s Board of Governors by President Joe Biden, could remain in her post at least as long as her lawsuit challenging her firing goes Cook on. The Trump administration is appealing a lower-court ruling in Cook’s favor. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in a footnote in his opinion that nothing forbids President Donald Trump from “trying again” to fire Cook provided she is given proper notice and a chance to contest it. Trump indicated after the opinion that he would do just that, vowing to “take appropriate action immediately.” In a letter this week obtained by The Associated Press, White House aide Dan Scavino told Cook that Trump was “considering removing you from your position” but cited the Supreme Court’s requirement of proper notice in giving her until August 26 to challenge it. The attempt to fire Cook is rooted in a criminal referral made last August by Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, that accused her of committing mortgage fraud by declaring two different homes —

homes compared to second or vacation homes. Cook has aggressively defended herself against the allegations, saying the president had attempted to oust her “on a manufactured pretext because I refused to bow to political pressure and continued to set interest rates based only on what would best serve the American people.” Her lawyer, Abbe Lowell, argued in a November letter that Cook has mostly lived in the Ann Arbor property since first purchasing it in 2005. As a result, it was accurate for her to refer to it as her “primary residence” in a June 2021 application to refinance its mortgage, the letter said. A month later, she purchased a condominium in Atlanta and, in a July 2021 document, also referred to it as her “primary residence.” Lowell said that it was an “isolated notation” that did not reflect an intent to defraud. An earlier mortgage application to the same lender in May 2021 had referred to the Atlanta condo as a “vacation home,” Lowell said. Cook also referred to it as a second home in federal filings during her confirmation process to become a Fed governor. The latest White House letter largely rehashes the year-old allegations. “These allegations are as baseless now as they were a year ago when President Trump tried to remove Governor Cook and interfere with the independence of the Federal Reserve,” Lowell said in a statement. “No matter what President Trump tries to do next, this much is clear under the facts and Supreme Court precedent — there is no valid cause for removing Governor Cook. As we did before, we will challenge this latest pretext and preserve her position and the historic role of the Fed,” he added.

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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Saturday, August 8, 2026 ■ 5A

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RACES

candidate. Besides Miguez and Edmonds, Republicans Larry Davis III, Monique Appeaning, Michael Mebruer and Stephen Wagley filed this week to run in the Sixth District. So have Democrats Pat Forbes, whom former Gov. John Bel Edwards endorsed; Lindsay Rubia Garcia, who was endorsed by the Louisiana Democratic Party to run in the Fifth District before it was redrawn; and former East Baton Rouge Metro Council member Chauna Banks. Libertarian Rufus Craig also filed to run.

Continued from page 1A the newly-drawn Sixth District, which includes Baton Rouge, either. Miguez said Friday that he has lived between New Iberia and Baton Rouge his entire adult life, referencing his time at LSU as an undergraduate and as a law student at Southern University. Miguez, who is a professional sharpshooter and owns a marine transportation company, also said he spends time in the Baton Rouge area for business. The Sixth District race — and all of Louisiana’s other races for Congress — were set to be closed primaries but were halted just before the planned May election after a Supreme Court ruling found the state’s map unconstitutional, prompting the state Legislature to redraw its congressional districts to get rid of a majority-Black district. The change meant candidates had to qualify again to run in the new districts, and Miguez kept quiet about his plans. It also means the congressional races will be open primaries instead of closed primaries. Candidates will run against one another regardless of party, and unless someone gets more than 50% of the vote in November, the top two vote-getters will head to a December runoff.

Miguez, Edmonds spar The Sixth District was previously a majority-Black district that stretched from Baton Rouge up to Shreveport. The seat is currently held by U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, a Democrat, who opted not to run again after the district was redrawn to center around suburban Baton Rouge and favor a Republican. Both Edmonds and Miguez are conservative Republicans and have said they are seeking President

CHALLENGER Continued from page 1A

Thompson has served in Baton Rouge’s public defender’s office and also has his own civil practice, the Thompson Justice Institute. Thompson represented plaintiffs suing the city-parish in separate cases involving the “BRAVE Cave,” a now-shuttered interrogation facility where his clients allege police abused them. “Baton Rouge under this current DA is not safe,” Thompson said, following qualifying for the election. Thompson, regarding his candidacy, has said the justice system needs a fresh approach and that he will focus on building community trust and support, starting with knocking on doors in his campaign. The election will be on the Nov. 3 ballot. Early voting is Oct. 20-27. Two more district attorney races in the area officially began Friday, while two other district attorneys were reelected unopposed. The Florida Parish area will see its first competitive district attorney’s race in 30 years. With longtime District Attorney Scott Perrilloux stepping down, two competitors are vying to be the top prosecutor across Livingston, St. Helena and Tangipahoa parishes.

Fifth District crowded

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JILL PICKETT

Races will be crowded this November for Louisiana’s two wide-open congressional seats in the Sixth and Fifth districts. Donald Trump’s endorsement. Trump endorsed Miguez to run in the old Fifth District, but has not weighed in on the new map. After Edmonds filed paperwork to run Wednesday, he said he had spoken to the White House and was certain Miguez would not be getting Trump’s blessing. Edmonds, a pastor with a home in Baton Rouge, also said he was far better equipped to represent the Sixth District, having represented Baton Rouge in the Louisiana Legislature for 12 years, first as a representative and then as a senator. Miguez fired back at Edmonds on Friday, noting that Edmonds preaches to a congregation in Mississippi. “I’m disappointed that my opposition has launched that campaign

While both are Republicans, Brad Cascio and Sherman Mack otherwise present divergent options for voters. Cascio, a longtime assistant district attorney, is running on his experience in the office. He has worked as a prosecutor since he graduated from law school in 2013 and has argued more than 4,000 cases. Among Cascio’s goals are to create an in-house investigations unit in the office, where none currently exists, and to expand the drug court, which focuses on diversion and oversight rather than incarceration. Mack, a former state representative from Albany, is running on being the outside-the-box candidate. While he has never worked as a prosecutor, he has spent his career working as a lawyer and lawmaker, including 12 years in the Louisiana House of Representatives. He has not yet released a detailed platform, but his top priority is to put in place policies and standards meant to give the public more confidence in the office and to increase community outreach, he said. North of Baton Rouge, two people are vying to become district attorney for East and West Feliciana parishes. Attorneys Cy D’Aquila Jr. and Kenneth Fabre are running for district attorney in the 20th District. Incum-

in such a negative manner, specifically a pastor,” he said. “But that pastor has to go back to Mississippi this weekend and preach to his congregation. And he’s going to have to face them. I hope he’ll repent and he’ll come back with a more positive attitude next week.” He also said he was going to work hard for Trump’s endorsement and would not speak for the White House, another barb at Edmonds’ earlier statements. “I am honored to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ every Sunday. It is my great privilege to preach the truth,” Edmonds said when asked to respond. “Apparently when you speak the truth, the truth stings.” A White House spokesperson did not answer inquiries about whether Trump would endorse a

bent Sam D’Aquilla decided not to seek reelection, and is running for a district judgeship instead. D’Aquila, a Republican, has practiced civil, criminal and family law in the Felicianas for more than 18 years, including running a private practice and serving as a public defender in the district for 16 years. Fabre, who has no party affiliation, has been a trial court prosecutor for over 20 years and also served as a prosecutor for the city of Baker. He works for D’Aquilla as an assistant district attorney. Fabre was a captain in the Army who served in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. Southeast of Baton Rouge, Republican Ricky Babin will serve a fourth term as district attorney for the 23rd Judicial District after no one else registered for the election. Babin has served as district attorney since 2008; the district covers Ascension, Assumption and St. James parishes. Babin ran unopposed for his second term in 2014 and his third term in 2020. He began practicing civil law in 1992 before moving into criminal defense work. In 1995, Babin joined the District Attorney’s Office. He was appointed first assistant district attorney in 2002 and served in that posi-

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their interests. Othe candidates running in the race include Republicans Omar Dantzler and Austin Magee and Democrats Dan McKay and Antonio Wilson.

Other races Races for the other four districts are expected to be less competitive because the incumbents are not facing any established candidates. But some lesser-known candidates did sign up. In the First District, Republican House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, who signed up Friday to run, faces Randall Arrington, a Republican, Lauren Jewett, a Democrat, and E. “Liddy” Glass, of no party. That district covers suburban New Orleans and parts of the coast. In the Second District, Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, faces Republican Peter Williams, Libertarian Lisa Ballay, and no-party candidates Rocky Beach and Renada “Honey” Collins. The state’s sole remaining majority-Black district, the Second District stretches from New Orleans up through communities along the Mississippi River to urban north Baton Rouge. In the Third District, Republican Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Lafayette, faces a Republican, Kate Cotten, three Democrats — John Day, Priscilla Gonzalez and Caleb Walker — and a no-party candidate, Tia LeBrun. That district covers Lafayette and southwest Louisiana. Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-Benton, faces three challengers in the Fourth District: Republicans Mike Nichols and Gordon Heslop, and Democrats Conrad Cable and Matt Gromlich.

The Fifth District seat is open because Rep. Julia Letlow, R-Baton Rouge, is running for Senate, having ousted Sen. Bill Cassidy, RBaton Rouge, in the GOP primary. That race is shaping up to be the most competitive, with four state lawmakers and the chair of the Board of Regents running. Cordell, the board chair, pitched herself as a candidate who could build bipartisan agreement to get things done, saying that leadership was about “people coming together, solving problems and taking care of each other.” She also said she was seeking Trump’s endorsement. The field also includes state Sen. Stewart Cathey and state Rep. Michael Echols, both from Monroe, and state Rep. Gabe Firment of Pollock, who are all Republicans. They qualified Wednesday. Moore, the Democratic state representative, qualified late Friday afternoon, just before the deadline. Moore entered the race because “the people entrusted me in District 17 to represent them” and she could do the same at the federal level, she said, referencing her Louisiana House district. Though she is a Democrat running in a Republican district, she said she was focused on representing everyone Email Meghan Friedmann in the district, regardless of party, at meghan.friedmann@ and that her votes would align with theadvocate.com.

tion through 2008. West of Louisiana’s capital, Democrat Tony Clayton was elected unopposed to serve as district attorney for West Baton Rouge, Pointe Coupee, and Iberville parishes. Clayton was first elected to the 18th Judicial District Court in 2020 to replace incumbent Richard J.

Ward Jr., who retired after serving nearly 30 years as district attorney. As an assistant district attorney, Clayton was a prosecutor in the cases of convicted serial killers Derrick Todd Lee and Sean Gillis. In addition to his work as district attorney, Clayton serves as the chair of the

Southern University Board of Supervisors. He was appointed to the position by Gov. Jeff Landry and started on Dec. 1. Staff writers Claire Grunewald, Olivia Tees, Blake Leschber, Gigi Liman, AnnaKate Freeland and Deanna Narveson contributed to this report.

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6A ■ Saturday, August 8, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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META

Continued from page 1A would still come out ahead. We’d have new power generation to meet our growing demand, much of it already paid for by Meta.” Many companies, including Meta and Entergy, have also signed President Donald Trump’s “Ratepayer Protection Pledge” to pay for their own power, and Landry signed an executive order requiring companies to pay for power to receive state incentives. But some state officials have balked at the idea that a Meta withdrawal wouldn’t affect ratepayers and want more guarantees — especially after news broke last month that Meta was seeking to more than double the size of Hyperion. They have, for example, questioned whether the Public Service Commission ought to go further by establishing tougher rules for data centers, instituting rate caps or making Meta pay more. Public Service Commissioner Davante Lewis, a Democrat, questioned whether Trump’s pledge was adequate, saying that pledges “don’t actually force the utility to do anything.” And during the recent legislative session, state Rep. Rodney Schamerhorn, R-Hornbeck, unsuccessfully sponsored a bill that would have codified protections for household customers into state law. “I wish I would have pushed it more,” he said of House Bill 922. “I didn’t want (Meta) to finance it and be able to pull out and make all the ratepayers responsible for that debt, you know. Because let’s face it, that area will never grow enough to be able to use the infrastructure that the data center’s going to use.” Schamerhorn said he was not certain he would sponsor such a bill again next year, but he promised to keep an eye on the situation. Such a measure likely would require a constitutional amendment, meaning it would have to go to the voters. That’s because the constitution gives the PSC authority over utility rates. The PSC in 2025 approved Entergy’s proposal to build three new natural gas power plants that it needed to supply Hyperion, with the caveat that Meta agreed to pay for those plants for at least 15 years. Now, the PSC must consider

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Construction continues on the Meta data center in Holly Ridge. Entergy’s proposal to build seven more natural gas power plants to accommodate Meta’s planned expansion, which would more than double the size of Hyperion, increasing its computational capacity to 5 gigawatts. If the project comes to fruition, Hyperion would be more than four times the size of New York City’s Central Park.

Official defends deal Eric Skrmetta, a longtime public service commissioner who will leave office next year because he is term-limited, vehemently defended how the commission handled Entergy first proposal related to Hyperion and expressed confidence that the project will benefit the state. In Meta’s first deal, the company agreed to a 15-year contract with Entergy. Yet the power plants associated with the arrangement are 30-year assets, prompting some to worry that ratepayers will be left to foot the bill if Meta does not renew its contract in 15 years. But Skrmetta said Entergy has power plants that are set to retire around that time. If Meta leaves, he said, the state will still need the plants associated with the data centers — and Meta will have borne much of the cost already, meaning ordinary Louisianans will get them at a discount. With other economic investment projects coming to the state,

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Skrmetta also doesn’t “see a future where we’re going to need less electricity,” he said. And with the United States in a race to dominate the artificial intelligence industry, Skrmetta does not believe Meta will be leaving anytime soon. “We’re going to have a very long and beneficial relationship with Meta,” Skrmetta said. “It’s going to provide massive economic input for the state.” Less friendly terms for the tech giant could prompt it to say, “well I’ll just go to Mississippi or Utah, and goodbye Louisiana,” Skrmetta added.

Other perspectives Skrmetta is a conservative Republican. His colleague, Lewis, one of the most progressive voices in Louisiana politics, had a different take. Lewis acknowledged Entergy’s first proposal for Hyperion was lower risk. But, he said, the expansion is riskier, and Entergy is less likely to be able to absorb the costs of the new infrastructure if Meta walks out, meaning they could get passed to ratepayers. If Meta needs a 30-year asset, Lewis argued, the company should either have a 30-year contract or pay the full 30-year cost of the asset over its shorter contract. Lewis also said it is difficult to know how long the high demand for data centers will last, and that it would be easy for a tech company to aban-

don a data center once they no longer need it. Still, Lewis said, Meta’s first contract with Entergy contains some excellent benefits, and Louisiana has a strong set of protections in place for residential ratepayers because it has long been dealing with large industrial users such as petrochemical plants. But “I think we need to go harder,” Lewis said. The PSC is likely to vote on Entergy’s most recent proposal in December, he added. Next year, the PSC will have new members to influence how Louisiana handles big projects going forward. State Rep. Stephanie Hilferty, RNew Orleans, won the Republican primary for Skrmetta’s seat and is expected to win the general election in November, since District 1 leans Republican. Hilferty said she would be open to changing the commission’s rules to protect ratepayers. “My approach is simple: trust, but verify,” she said in a statement. “Louisiana leaders need to fight for and win investments that create jobs and spark economic growth, but the PSC has the responsibility to make sure every promise made by a utility is backed up in the actual orders and agreements approved.”

Other approaches Though the Public Service

Commission has primary authority over utility rates in Louisiana, other politicians have shared different ideas for how to keep residential rates low — such as HB922, Schamerhorn’s bill from the spring. That proposal faced opposition from Entergy during a committee hearing where a company spokesperson said it would send a “bad message” to Meta. Brandon Frey, executive secretary of the PSC, shared similar concerns at the time — and he argued that HB922 was unconstitutional. “We disagree strongly that legislation such as HB922 is necessary to protect Louisiana electricity customers; in fact, it would more likely raise their rates,” Brandon Scardigli, a spokesperson for Entergy, said in a recent statement. “This is because Meta will not only be covering the incremental costs of the resources needed to serve them but also contributing billions of dollars beyond that.” In their statement, a Meta spokesperson promised that the company was “committed to the long-term vitalities of communities” that are home to its data centers. But assurances that data centers will only benefit ratepayers have faced skepticism. In June, The Advocate | The Times-Picayune reported that an analyst for the PSC advised that Entergy’s proposal to acquire a $1.8 billion power plant in Cottonwood, Texas, was needed mostly for Hyperion. Meta and Entergy have vehemently disputed that analysis. The Texas power plant would cost average ratepayers approximately $8 a month, according to records. On the heels of that report, Landry issued an executive order saying data centers must have their benefits “evaluated and balanced” against their use of electric generation, water and land. It requires the Louisiana Economic Development Office to come up with criteria to evaluate companies to protect ratepayers. This week, Entergy sought to delay the Cottonwood proceedings before the PSC while it works with the commission to “identify ways to lessen the initial bill impacts of the proposed Cottonwood acquisition.” Email Meghan Friedmann at meghan.friedmann@ theadvocate.com.

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S at u r d ay, au g u S t 8, 2026

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BR district judges elected unopposed

Over a dozen incumbents draw no challengers BY DEANNA B. NARVESON

Staff writer

Dozens of district judges in the Capital Region have been reelected after drawing no challengers for the Nov. 3 election by the end of the registration period. In the 19th Judicial District, which handles criminal and civil cases for East Baton Rouge Parish, 21 district and family court judgeships were up for election —

17 were elected unopposed Friday, and only four of those were not incumbents. The remaining four seats will be decided in November. The 19th Judicial District handles the most cases out of all the districts in the region. One of the reelected judges is Judge Eboni Johnson Rose, who was on hiatus for nearly a year of her previous six-year term, a penalty imposed by the Louisiana Supreme Court while an investi-

Here is a list of the judges who — District Judge 19th Judicial Diswere elected: trict Court, ES 1, Div. K n “Vicky” Jones, Democrat — 19th Judicial District Court: District Judge 19th Judicial District Court, ES 1, Div. O East Baton Rouge Parish n Beau Higginbotham, Republin Tarvald Smith, Democrat — can — District Judge 19th Judicial H H H H H H District Judge 19th Judicial Dis- District Court, ES 2, Div. C n James “Jimmy” Manasseh, trict Court, ES 1, Div. A n William “Will” Jorden, DemoRepublican — District Judge 19th crat — District Judge 19th Judicial Judicial District Court, ES 2, Div. E n Louise Hines Myers, RepubliDistrict Court, ES 1, Div. D n Colette M. Greggs, Democrat can — District Judge 19th Judicial — District Judge 19th Judicial Dis- District Court, ES 2, Div. F gation into misconduct complaints trict Court, ES 1, Div. J ä See JUDGES, page 2B n Eboni Johnson Rose, Democrat was carried out.

ELECTION

A construction worker applies a mudding on the outside wall on Mike the Tiger’s habitat. STAFF PHOTOS By MICHAEL JOHNSON

MAINTENANCE

FOR MIKE

8 heatrelated deaths reported Most victims older than 65 Staff report The Louisiana Department of Health reported eight heat-related deaths in the state so far this year on Friday. Seven of the deaths were people 65 years old or older. Between 2023 and 2025, LDH recorded 172 heat-related deaths in Louisiana. “Adults ages 65 and older accounted for 38% of those deaths (between 2023 and 2025),” LDH said in a release. “Approximately 60% of the people who died were in a residential setting, and 15% had no or limited air conditioning.” The first Louisiana heat-related death was in the Acadiana region, a man older than 65 who died in June from hyperthermia. LDH urges residents to look out for heat-related illness symptoms like dizziness, weakness or nausea. They also remind Louisianans to hydrate, find shade or a cool indoor space and rest after being in heat for too long. Statewide temperatures are expected to level out in the next week, but humidity will remain high with feels-like temperatures hovering above 100 degrees in some areas.

Zachary mayor reelected to second term McDavid faces no opposition

Staff report

Construction workers do renovations on Mike the Tiger’s habitat on the LSU campus on Friday.

Four officially sign up to run for Central mayor Evans not seeking reelection

Mayor-President Sid Edwards; Aaron Moak, a Metro Council member; D’Ann Wells, a Central council member, and business owner Geno Guercio qualified BY DEANNA B. NARVESON for the post. Each previously Staff writer announced their intentions to Four Republicans officially become mayor of the city, which signed up to run for Central has roughly 30,000 residents, Mayor Wade Evans’ job after he before the three-day qualifying announced in July he would not period. Moak’s Metro Council disseek reelection after his fouryear term. trict includes Central, where he Lon Vicknair, chief of staff served on the first City Council to East Baton Rouge Parish following the city’s 2005 incor-

poration before election to his current office. Moak took part in Central’s effort to incorporate more than two decades ago, in a process that St. George organizers modeled after. Vicknair, a Navy veteran, was one of the first staffers Edwards hired after he took office in January 2025. Before moving into Baton Rouge City Hall, Vicknair worked for PSC Group and served as a reserve officer for the Central Police Department. Wells has served on the City

Council for eight years and has worked in education. Wells said on Facebook that as a council member she supported progress on drainage and road infrastructure, smart economic development and growth and improved quality of life for every resident. Guercio announced his run for mayor in May and has lived in Central for decades. He runs a commercial and residential construction business and said he hopes to build on Evans’ drainage and infrastructure work.

David McDavid, first elected as mayor of Zachary in 2022, will serve another term after drawing no challengers for the Nov. 3 election. McDavid served as Zachary’s chief of police for 12 years before being elected mayor. The East Baton Rouge Parish city has nearly doubled in size over the past 25 years, to nearly 20,000 residents. His years with the police force date to 1984, when he became both a volunteer firefighter and reserve police officer, before he joined the Police Department full-time in 1988, according to the online site of the Zachary Mayor’s Office. In McDavid’s Facebook announcement of his run for a second term this year, he said, “When I asked for your vote in 2022, I made you a commitment: that we would get a handle on growth instead of letting growth get a handle on us. “That we’d protect what makes Zachary special, our schools, our safety, our small-town character, while still building a future our kids would want to come home to. That’s exactly what we’ve begun to do. But, there is still more to accomplish. I want to finish what we’ve started together.”

2B ■ Saturday, August 8, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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Former vice president barnstorms New Orleans Harris talks voting rights at back to school rally

BY BLAKE PATERSON and MARIE FAZIO

Staff writers

Former Vice President Kamala Harris barnstormed New Orleans on Friday, giving a pep talk to students at a back-to-school rally in the morning before delivering remarks at a fundraising gala for the Louisiana Democratic Party in the evening. The trip by the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee, who is mulling another run in 2028, was one of several in recent years to New Orleans. It began with an appearance at the Mahalia Jackson Theater, where she doled out advice to hundreds of Inspire NOLA charter school students as they gathered to kick of the school year. She urged the youngsters, many of whom aren’t old enough to vote, to tell the adults in their lives to make their voices heard at the ballot box in the midterms. “Your future relies on them voting in November,” Harris said. Harris told students she plans to spend the next few months touring the South to highlight the importance of voting rights in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Callais decision earlier this year. That ruling weakened the Voting Rights Act and paved the way for Republicans in Louisiana and elsewhere to redraw congressional maps to reduce the number of majority-Black districts. Harris later appeared at the Louisiana Democratic Party’s “Masquerade Sneaker Ball” at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel, speaking to a crowd of some 600 attendees that included Mayor Helena Moreno and Democratic

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno claps as former Vice President Kamala Harris takes the stage at a back to school rally for InspireNOLA on Friday. National Committee Chair Ken Martin, among other officials. At a private event before the gala, Moreno gave Harris a ceremonial key to the city. In remarks before Harris spoke, Moreno urged attendees to put in the work in next year’s elections to send more Democrats to the Louisiana Legislature. “The South will no longer be ignored. Because right here in the South, Democrats can and we will win,” Moreno said. Harris took the stage around 8:30 p.m., delivering remarks that delved into why Americans had lost faith in its leaders and how Democrats should act when they return to political power. “A lot of people have been asking me, ‘Kamala, what gives you hope?’ My answer includes people like the folks in this room who stand up for one another, who never flinch when times get tough,” she said. “In Louisiana, we find ourselves in a moment where power has been consolidated in the hands of the few. Where so many, too many are struggling to get by, much less get

ahead.” Though her remarks extended past press time, according to excerpts of Harris’ prepared remarks shared with CNN, she was expected to urge those at the dinner to discover a “ruthlessness that must be the attitude of the Democratic Party.” “The good news is Donald Trump will be term limited out. However, please let us be clear: There is no term limit on this new Republican Party built in his image — and folks, there is a deep moral corruption about this new Republican Party,” Harris planned to say. “Their ideology is clearly to create a smashand-grab world. To sow chaos, grab wealth and abuse power.” Harris, who stepped to the top of the 2024 Democratic presidential ticket after former President Joe Biden dropped out, was also expected to express a need for a harder line than Biden when it came to working with Republicans. Biden, in 2019, predicted that “you will see an epiphany occur among many of my Republican friends”

once he beat Donald Trump. “We cannot sit around hoping Republicans will have an ‘epiphany’ and do the right thing,” Harris planned to tell attendees, according to CNN. “because the American people can’t afford to wait.” “This fight requires that we start to get comfortable with some things —including having a certain kind of ruthlessness,” Harris planned to say. “Now, I don’t mean ruthlessness like the cruelty they show. I mean the kind that is uncompromising in its impatience with injustice, that shows no mercy for corruption, that fights back hard when they threaten the power of the people.” The trip marked Harris’ second visit to New Orleans this year. In January, she made a surprise appearance at Moreno’s inauguration, swearing in the new mayor — who she considers a friend — at the Saenger Theatre before returning to the venue the next day to speak to a packed crowd as part of her nationwide book tour.

‘You chart the future’

The event Friday morning was hosted by InspireNOLA, which operates seven New Orleans charter schools and serves about 6,500 students from pre-K through 12th grade. Students in grades 7-8 and 11-12 could attend Friday’s rally. The event was an iteration of the charter network’s “Inspire the City” rallies, which began in 2022 amid a wave of gun violence as a way to bring young people together. “I’ve been hearing about you scholars,” Harris told the students. “I’ve been hearing about how smart you are, and how ambitious you are, and how hard you work, and how much you care, and how courageous you are.” “You are committed to making sure things don’t just happen to Email Blake Paterson at you, but you chart the future of our bpaterson@theadvocate.com.

N.O. hasn’t cut some overgrown lots in 9 months Residents are crying foul

Vanessa Ross looks over the overgrown lot beside her mother’s home in New Orleans East on Friday.

BY VIOLET BUCARO Staff writer

Vanessa Ross, 70, said she worries that a giant tree limb from a nearby overgrown lot will crush into her 90-year-old mother’s home soon. The New Orleans East resident said she’s watched grass and weeds grow 6 feet tall next to her childhood home on Longfellow Drive since Hurricane Katrina. The overgrowth has swallowed the sidewalk, and it forces people to walk into the street. “It’s like, oh my God, way above the house,” she said. “There might be snakes!” Ross’ emails to the city’s Department of Code Enforcement and to City Council members haven’t been enough, she said. So she took to livestreaming the lot on her Facebook page. Ross is one of many New Orleans residents who have watched abandoned lots grow out of control with weeds and shrubbery and who believe the city has not been doing enough to address the problem. Though it’s ultimately a property owner’s responsibility to ensure land meets city codes, code enforcement officials in the past have mowed down some lots that prove to be an eyesore or threat to public safety. But the city often struggles to recoup funds it spends on the lots from those property owners. And because of the city’s budget crisis, city crews have not cut some lots in over nine months, officials said

JUDGES

Continued from page 1B n Kory Tauzin, Republican — District Judge 19th Judicial District Court, ES 2, Div. G n Fred Crifasi, Republican — District Judge 19th Judicial District Court, ES 2, Div. H n Carson Marcantel, Republican — District Judge 19th Judicial District Court, ES 2, Div. I n Richard “Chip” Moore III, Republican — District Judge 19th Judicial District Court, ES 2, Div. N n Adam J. Haney, Democrat — Judge Juvenile Court, Elec. Sect. 1A n Gail Grover, Democrat — Judge Juvenile Court, Elec. Sect. 2B n Erika Green, Democrat — Judge, Family Court Election Sec-

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

at a recent City Council committee meeting. The director of the code enforcement department said the department is waiting on the council to approve a $100,000 contract with a grass cutter. The state agreed to grant the city $100,000 for grass cutting in 2025, but the city needs to spend that amount by Aug. 31 to be reimbursed. “It is important for us to do this because we haven’t cut grass in nine months for the city,” Anthony Davis said at the July 7 meeting.

Funding falls short There are thousands of reported lots across dozens of city neighborhoods, many of which appear to have been last addressed by the city or its contractors three or four years ago, according to a searchable map and data the city released. The Lower 9th Ward, which lost many of its homeowners after Hurricane Katrina, has large clusters of lots in that category. There are also eyesores in the East, Central City, parts of Gentilly, the Leonidas area and in other areas. “This is obviously a critical issue because we are sitting on $100,000, and if we don’t spend it, we lose the

money,” Matthew Willard, the council’s vice president, said. Davis said he attempted to hire the grass cutter just before former Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s term ended, but that no new contracts could go forward at that point. The city’s ongoing financial hurdles ultimately stopped the work. The price to clear an overgrown lot is determined by square footage, typically ranging from $400 to $2,000, depending on the severity, Davis said. If grass on a private property grows over the legal limit of 10 inches, Code Enforcement’s Lot Abatement Program can step in. District D council member Eugene Green said the city spent $2 million abating private lots last year and collected only $800 from property owners in return. Davis said this is due to succession problems and residents not paying their debt. When owners fail to pay property tax, it falls on the city to hold the tax debt, sometimes resulting in legal limbo. Davis said the agency is working to strengthen the city’s ability to collect revenue and reinvest in maintenance services. “We sent demand letters last

country,” she added, thanking the students “for all that you do to help our country be a better place.” After she spoke, the students erupted in cheers. A slew of local officials also spoke, including U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, Moreno and New Orleans Sheriff Michelle Woodfork. Recording artist Tonya Boyd-Cannon helped host the event and led students in energetic singalongs and line dancing from their seats. On a panel with Edna Karr High School senior Ja’Ryan Berryhill and Inspire CEO Jamar McKneely, Moreno urged students to pursue leadership opportunities and speak out on important issues. “I want all of you to understand that your voice is important,” the mayor said, encouraging the students to “help me find the answers.” Moreno said she met Harris when Harris was in the U.S. Senate and “immediately I connected with her on so many different issues.” She credited Harris with helping New Orleans secure power upgrades in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida. “She’s always been such a big supporter of our city,” Moreno said. After a brief introduction from Moreno, Harris joined McDonogh 35 senior Makayla Washington, recent McMain graduate Ja’Mia Washington and former U.S. Congressman Cedric Richmond on the stage. Harris spoke about overcoming adversity, telling the students not to let others limit their potential. She encouraged them to be intentional about who they surround themselves with, and she extolled historically Black colleges and universities. Harris did not comment on whether she might run again in 2028. If she does, Washington said Harris would have her vote. “Big sister president,” she said.

year to all of the people that owed money where we’ve abated private property.” Davis said he wants a new law to force residents to pay their debt. The city ordinance doesn’t allow fines to be collected until property owners receive due process through an administrative hearing. In June, Mayor Helena Moreno launched a committee called the Adjudicated Property Task Force aimed at tackling blighted properties in the Lower 9th Ward. One goal is to focus on tax and title headaches in the Lower 9th Ward and Hoffman Triangle area. Lots can be owned by multiple individuals, making it challenging to hunt them down and secure debt. Green said there is one property on North Rocheblave Street with 40 different owners. Davis responded that there is one on Bundy Road with 300 owners. This year, the code enforcement department was allotted $11.5 million, compared to $12.7 million last year. It has spent $2.7 million, according to the city’s budget dashboard. Ross is not the only resident in the East crying out for the mower to be turned on. On Aug. 1, a local community task force, New Orleans East Matters Coalition, posted a call to action on Facebook, urging residents to report all overgrown lots to 311. “I’m so sick of calling 311,” said a commenter, who goes by the Facebook handle Itjustkish Mztoyou. “The downtown exit going East looks like a landfill.” Some residents have said they’ve seen chronic dumping, rodents, snakes, encampments and garbage in the tall grasses.

n “Sam” D’Aquilla, no party — n Jeffrey “Jeff” Cashe, Republition 1, Division B n Kyle Russ, Republican — District Judge 20th Judicial Discan — District Judge 21st Judicial Judge, Family Court Election Sec- trict Court, Division B District Court, Division J n Jeffery Thomas Oglesbee, tion 3, Division D 21st Judicial District Court: Republican — District Judge 21st 18th Judicial District Court: Judicial District Court, Division K Livingston, St. Helena and n Matthew S. Belser, RepubliWest Baton Rouge, Iberville and Tangipahoa parishes can — District Judge 21st Judicial Pointe Coupee parishes n Jeffrey S. Johnson, RepubliDistrict Court, Division L n Elizabeth A. Engolio, Demo- can — District Judge 21st Judicial 23rd Judicial District Court: crat — District Judge 18th Judi- District Court, Division A n cial District Court, ES 2, Div. D Charlotte Foster, Republican Ascension, Assumption and n Tonya Smith Lurry, no party — District Judge 21st Judicial St. James parishes — District Judge 18th Judicial District Court, Division B n Erika W. Sledge, Republican n Keyojuan Gant-Turner, DemoDistrict Court, ES 3, Div. B n J. Kevin Kimball, no party — — District Judge 21st Judicial crat — District Judge 23rd Judicial District Judge 18th Judicial Dis- District Court, Division C District Court, ES 1, Div. E n Brian Abels, Republican — n Cody M. Martin, Republican trict Court, ES 4, Div. A District Judge 21st Judicial Dis- — District Judge 23rd Judicial 20th Judicial District Court: District Court, ES 2, Div. B trict Court, Division D n William Scott Dykes, Republin John H Smith, Republican — East Feliciana and West can — District Judge 21st Judicial District Judge 23rd Judicial DisFeliciana parishes District Court, Division F trict Court, ES 2, Div. C n Jenny Richardson Fore, Ren “Betsy” Jones, Democrat — n Toni A. Falterman Menard, District Judge 20th Judicial Dis- publican — District Judge 21st Republican — District Judge 23rd Judicial District Court, Division I Judicial District Court, ES 2, Div. F. trict Court, Division A

Man indicted in shooting of deputy marshal BY KRISTIN ASKELSON 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-yearold 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 a search warrant, they entered the home to look for Frazier. Authorities said officers initially attempted to remove a dog from the house but ultimately left it inside before continuing their search. According to the affidavit, officers found Frazier in a 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 bail pending trial, though his attorneys reserved the right to seek a detention hearing at a later date.

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4B ■ Saturday,August 8, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

Funerals Today Boesch, John

Greenoaks Funeral Home, Florida Boulevard, at 11 a.m.

9595

Bowie, Joe

New Galilee Baptist Church, 9185 Wilbur St., at 11am.

Hanson, Jeanne

Ingleside Church, 4264 Heights Avenue, at 2 p.m.

Capital

Hollins, Rosie

Mt. Gideon Baptist Church, 2453 Hwy 952, Jackson at 11:00am.

Johnson, Michael

North 32nd St. Church of Christ, 1414 N. 32nd St., Baton Rouge, LA at 10am.

Keller, Leandrew

Greater Philadelphia Baptist Church, 24497 Cook Road, Zachary at 11:00am.

Lavespere, Kenneth

Resthaven Funeral Home, 11817 Jefferson Highway in Baton Rouge at 10am.

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Dee was preceded in death by her loving husband, Henry Barbati; daughter, Karen Wise; mother, Ima Greenlee; father, Bruce Greenlee, and nephew, Scott Greenlee. Family and friends are invited to attend services at Greenoaks Funeral Home, 9595 Fla. Blvd. on Monday, August 10th with visitation from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. followed by a prayer service at 11:00 a.m. officiated by Rev. Dan McMasters. Interment will immediately follow at Greenoaks Memorial Park. The family extends sincere thanks and appreciation to the entire staff at Golden Age Nursing Home and to the caring angels at Baton Rouge Hospice Group, especially Meredith Cronan, Sarah LaCoste, Todd Vickery and Contina Gross.

Lemoine, Larry

St. Joseph Catholic Church, 76940 Gum St., Grosse Tete LA at 11am.

Narcisse, Johnny

St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, 1150 S. 12th St., Baton Rouge at 10:00am.

Schneider, Dorothy

Ourso Funeral Home, 13533 Airline Hwy, Gonzales, LA at 10am.

Tate, Elizabeth

Louisiana needs in-depth, solutions-driven, public service journalism more than ever.

Barker, Almo

Almo Barker was one of God's greatest servants and most obedient son. He died May 23, 2026 at home.

Jordan Stone Baptist Church, 8523 Thelma Street, Baton Rouge at 11:00am.

Gaspard, Rosemary

Thomas, Kami

Resthaven Funeral Home, 11817 Jefferson Hwy., Baton Rouge at 2:30pm.

Tweedy Jr., William

Broadmoor Baptist Church, 9755 Goodwood Boulevard, at 11 a.m.

Wyckoff, Keith

Ashley Manor, 14214 Old Hammond Highway, at 11 a.m.

Obituaries Barbati, Delores Greenlee 'Dee'

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 Delores "Dee" Barbati was called home on August 4, 2026. She embraced life with joy and enthusiasm, never passing up an opportunity to celebrate, laugh, or make memories. She treasured every moment spent with her family and friends, whose love and companionship brought her life's greatest happiness. She loved her family fiercely and was a constant source of strength and support. Dee was a proud graduate of Istrouma High School class of 1957 and went on to attend LSU. She met and married the love of her life Henry. They were married for over 50 years before his passing. She enjoyed many years as a devoted member of the historic Krewe of Romany and Les Capitaines, proudly serving as Ball Captain in 2001 alongside Henry, who reigned as her King. She is survived by her loving sons, Keith Barbati (Linda) and Willard Willis (Susan); son-in-law, Douglas Wise; grandchildren, DJ Wise, Nicole Sibley (Blake), Ashleigh Mullins, Thomas Willis, and Raegan Hutson (Bryan); her brother, Ronald Greenlee (Patsy); and great-grandchildren, Zoey and Aubrie Wise, Sophie and Aubrie Sibley, Peyton and Lincoln Mullins, and Quinn and Clay Willis.

Rosemary Beth Floyd Gaspard, 86, a resident of Baton Rouge, passed away peacefully on July 26, 2026, surrounded by her loving family. Rosemary was born on November 17, 1939, in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Frank and Myrtle Floyd. She shared many cherished years with her lifelong companion, Craig Dickey. Rosemary found joy in life's simple pleasures. She loved spending time with her family, bowling, dancing, working on puzzles, and sharing a good meal. Her daily outings to Piccadilly were a treasured part of her routine and brought her much happiness. Rosemary leaves behind her lifelong companion, Craig Dickey; sons, Michael Gaspard Sr. and Matthew Gaspard; grandchildren, Michael Gaspard, Jr., Ryan Gaspard, April Gremillion (Justin), Christina Boudreaux (Dustin), Virginia Strickland, and John Toms; as well as numerous greatgrandchildren. Her family will remember her with love and cherish the many memories they shared. She is preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Myrtle Floyd; former husband, Malcolm Gaspard; and son, Mark Gaspard. The family extends special thanks to everyone involved in Rosemary's care, including her devoted sitter, Ursula, the staff of Ochsner Medical Center of Baton Rouge O'Neal Lane, the team at Clarity Hospice, especially Nurse Terry for their compassion, kindness, and support, as well as the staff at Resthaven Funeral Home. Relatives and friends are invited to celebrate Rosemary's life on Monday, August 10, 2026. All will be welcomed at 9:00 AM until Memorial Service at 11:00 AM. Burial to follow at Resthaven Gardens of Memory. Family and friends may sign the online guestbook or leave a personal note to the family at www.resthavenbaton rouge.com.

How to place an Obituary Notice EMAIL:

obits@theadvocate.com OR CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION:

225-388-0289

How to place a Memorial Ad An “In Memory Of” ad, is a way to pay tribute to your loved one. This remembrance is often printed on the anniversary of a loved one’s death. The deadline is two days prior to the day you want your ad to appear. TO PLACE A MEMORIAL AD GO TO: obituaries.theadvocate.com, click submit an obituary and select create a memoriam.

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BUSINESS

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FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

Mortgage rates rise for 5th straight week

CHICAGO — The average longterm U.S. mortgage rate rose for a fifth consecutive week to its highest level in just over a year, marking the latest strain for prospective homebuyers who are facing steep borrowing costs. The benchmark 30-year fixedrate mortgage rate rose to 6.69%, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday, up slightly from 6.66% reported last week. By comparison, the average rate was 6.63% at this time last year — and hadn’t been higher than its current level since late July in 2025. Higher mortgage rates can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers, limiting homebuyers’ purchasing power. As rates rise, that can lead prospective home shoppers to delay buying a home, one reason U.S. home sales have been sluggish this year. Meanwhile, borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages — which are often sought by borrowers looking to refinance a home loan — fell slightly this week. That rate averaged at 6.01%, down from 6.04% last week. A year ago, it was at 5.75%, Freddie Mac said.

FAA orders inspections for Boeing 737 Max jets CHICAGO — The Federal Aviation Administration this week ordered inspections for hundreds of Boeing planes, following reports of cracks in some older models. The now-finalized rule, which was unveiled Thursday and kicks in Sept. 10, applies to certain aircraft under three Boeing 737 Max models: the 737-8, 737-9 and 737-8200. The FAA estimates this covers 471 planes — and said it is using this directive to address “the unsafe condition” tied to prior reports. So far, no cracks have been found in these specific Max models. But when proposing the rule back in November, the FAA noted it had received reports of cracks in a forward bear strap for several older, “Next-Generation” 737 planes. Bear straps are metal sheets that reinforce areas on planes like doorways and emergency exits. The Max jets have “a similar design and build process” to the older models, “making those airplanes susceptible to the same crack condition,” the FAA wrote in November. The agency warned that the issue could “adversely affect the structural integrity of the airplane” if not addressed. In a statement, Boeing said that it previously identified and reported this issue — and “has been working with operators on it over the past six years.”

Army opens test ranges to small companies CAMP GRAYLING, Mich. — The U.S. Army said Friday that it is opening up test ranges to private companies developing missiles, drones and other weapons in hopes of buying them more quickly for use on the battlefield. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll told reporters at a military testing range in Michigan that the effort will cut months and sometimes years of the red tape that typically stifles military contractors. He pledged to grant companies access to ranges in the U.S. or those belonging to allies abroad within 30 days of them making a request through an online marketplace that went live Friday. “It can take 12 to 18 months for a company that wants to go test the thing that can make a soldier’s life better, that can increase their lethality and that can keep them safer,” Driscoll said. “That is not sufficient.” The announcement comes as warfare rapidly changes around the globe, from the swarms of Shahed drones that Iran launched against American forces in the Middle East to Ukraine’s innovations in drone technology while defending against Russia’s invasion. But the Army is also opening its ranges as the Pentagon grapples with the costs of the Iran war.

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Judge orders Meta to pay $567M Funds to address children’s mental health online

BY BARBARA ORTUTAY and WUFEI YU Associated Press

A New Mexico court has ordered Instagram and Facebook parent company Meta to pay $567 million to address harms to young people from its platforms in the second phase of a landmark trial. Judge Bryan Biedscheid said in a ruling late Thursday that the bulk of the money — $420 million — will be used for treatment services for young people. The rest will go toward awareness and prevention, screening services and other costs over the next five years. The new penalty is in addition to the $375 million in civil penalties that jurors ordered against Meta in March after determining the com-

pany knowingly harmed children’s mental health and concealed what it knew about child sexual exploitation on its platforms. In the second phase, prosecutors asked the judge to impose fundamental changes at Meta aimed at reining in addictive features, improving age verification and preventing child sexual exploitation through default privacy settings and closer oversight. The total amount Meta is responsible for — $942 million — is a small fraction of its annual profit, which was about $60 billion in 2025. Investors seemed to shrug off the ruling in after-hours trading Thursday, sending Meta’s stock down less than half a percent to $589.44. Still, the ruling is another setback for Meta, which faces an avalanche of lawsuits from thousands of families of children harmed by social media. New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said it sends an unmistakable message that companies will be held accountable when their

product designs knowingly put children at risk. “Today’s decision is a victory for every parent who has worried about what social media is doing to their child and every child who deserves to grow up safer online,” he said in a statement. Meta vowed to appeal. “We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and have been transparent about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors and harmful content,” the company said in a statement. “We remain confident in our record of protecting teens online and will continue to defend ourselves against claims that misrepresent the facts.” The judge ordered Facebook and Instagram to build banner and informational screens to clearly explain its protection features, best practices and tools to address inappropriate comment, for example, and display them regularly. Those changes and an educational campaign in New Mexico would be sub-

ject to review by the state. The court said federal children’s privacy laws prevent Meta from applying age-verification tools to children under 13. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA, means it cannot order Meta to request children to submit personal data or be passively tracked online, even for age verification purposes. The court also noted that ordering verification of children’s ages only for Meta and not other social media companies would be “inequitable and unduly injurious” to the company. Instead, the court ordered Meta to continue to improve its age assurance tools in New Mexico, which include using artificial intelligence to determine people’s age based on signals such as who their friends are and what types of content they post and consume. Meta must also attempt to develop a dedicated “under-13-years-of-age prediction model” in the next two years.

Job market stalled in July Employers cut 23,000 jobs

BY PAUL WISEMAN and JOSH BOAK

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The U.S. job market stalled unexpectedly last month, delivering a political blow to President Donald Trump three months ahead of midterm elections and complicating decision-making for the inflation fighters at the Federal Reserve. Employers cut 23,000 jobs in July. And Labor Department revisions slashed 103,000 jobs from May and June payrolls. The unemployment rate fell but for the wrong reason: Thousands of people dropped out of the labor market so fewer people were competing for work. The July jobs numbers from the Labor Department Friday marked a sharp setback for the American labor market and for Trump less than three months before his Republican Party seeks to keep full control of Congress in the midterm election. Forecasters had expected job creation to approach 100,000 last month. Local public schools cut 50,000 jobs in July, restaurants and bars 26,000, retailers 19,000. The 4.1% unemployment rate was the lowest since June 2025 — but it only fell because 264,000 people dropped out of the labor market last month. The share of those working or looking for work fell to 61.4%, the lowest since February 2021. “We can’t really put lipstick on a pig here,” said Daniel Zhao, chief economist at the jobs website Glassdoor. ”This is not a great report for July.” The Trump administration, which has imposed massive tariffs in an attempt to protect American industry and create manufacturing jobs, noted that jobs were up 22,000 at construction companies and 5,000 at factories. “The Trump industrial resurgence is on schedule,” said White House spokesperson Kush Desai. “Manufacturing and factory construction jobs grew again in July even as government payrolls continued to significantly shrink.” Trump has long bragged that jobs have been increasing for native-born citizens in his economy, but that talking point was undermined by

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By NAM y. HUH

Friday’s jobs report shows employers cut 23,000 jobs in July. the July numbers. The White House declined to comment on why Friday’s report showed that employment for native-born Americans dropped by 720,000 over the past 12 months. Those numbers can be quirky. They’re not adjusted for seasonal changes and are not seen as a reliable measure of total native-born employment. But the administration had latched onto them as evidence that Trump’s immigration crackdown was benefiting people born in the United States. Policymakers at the Federal Reserve have been divided over whether to start raising interest to combat inflation that has exceeded their 2% target for more than five years. The Fed kept rates unchanged at its meeting last week — but three officials dissented from that decision in favor of a rate hike. Wall Street traders were expecting rate hikes later this year. Friday’s report may at least delay higher rates. “The Fed has to consider the health of the job market as they debate whether a hike is justified, said Glassdoor’s Zhao. ”The softness in today’s report is going to have to give the Fed a little bit of pause. July wage gains were modest. Average hourly pay was up 3.2% last month from July 2025, the smallest year-over-year increase since May 2021. The smaller wage gains are coming at a time when American families are squeezed by the high cost of living. “This is a bleak jobs report,” said Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union. “The U.S. labor market is stalling again and that is going to make the Federal Reserve’s job harder and life for

job seekers rough.” Women lost 32,000 jobs last month, the Labor Department reports, accounting for all the job losses in July. But that marked a reversal in women’s fortunes: They still gained 321,000 jobs over the past 12 months; men lost 5,000 over that period. Economists noted that private payrolls continued to grow in July and that the big drop in public school payrolls might have been a statistical glitch caused by seasonal adjustments. Hiring had rebounded this year from a lackluster 2025 in the face of the conflict in the Persian Gulf that has sent energy prices surging and put a strain on family budgets. Job growth had been solid, if unspectacular. Some businesses are having trouble filling vacancies. Others are using technology to do the work humans used to do. Americans who have jobs are enjoying unusual job security. Layoffs are low by historical standards. Companies, scarred by the surprise labor shortages that followed COVID-19 lockdowns a few years ago, don’t want to risk giving up the staff they have. One week in July the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits dropped to the lowest level in more than 50 years. The jobless rate tumbled to 4.2% in June, the lowest in a year, and is expected to have stayed there last month, according to a survey of forecasters by the data firm FactSet. But Americans who have lost their jobs — or are seeking to bust into the job market for the first time — are struggling to catch a break.

Upped security in Mexican state halts avocado exports to U.S. BY MARÍA VERZA Associated Press

MEXICO CITY — Mexico began sending 1,500 more troops to the western state of Michoacan on Thursday, a day after the U.S. announced the suspension of government operations in that region — including halting avocado inspections required for their export — because of a nonspecific threat to U.S. interests. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced the increase of security in avocado production areas to spur the resumption of the exports as soon as possible and to prevent any serious impact on Mexico’s economy or U.S. supply. The United States is a major consumer of Mexican avocados:

More than 80% of the avocados consumed come from its southern neighbor, amounting to $3.7 billion in sales for Mexico in 2025. But before export, U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors verify the quality on-site to prevent pests from entering the country. Without inspections, imports stop and prices in the U.S. may increase. These agricultural inspections were suspended on Wednesday for security reasons in Michoacan, the main avocado producer and an area with high cartel activity. It’s not the first time the exports have been halted — a pause in early 2022 on the eve of the Super Bowl lasted a week, though it didn’t impact game day guacamole consumption because those avocados had already been shipped.

Numerous cartels operate in Michoacan, which is the main state exporting avocados to the United States and one of just two states authorized to do so. In Michoacan, the cartels produce and traffic drugs and engage in violence and extortion across multiple industries, including the avocado industry where payments to the cartels can impact prices of the fruit. Previous pauses on exports were triggered by violence against U.S. inspectors — in 2024, two USDA employees were assaulted and temporarily held by assailants in Michoacan. This time, no specific incident was reported, and Michoacan authorities stated that the suspension was “preventive” due to recent arrests linked to extortion cases. The California Avocado Com-

mission, which supports the state’s avocado industry, called for stronger monitoring of fruit headed to the U.S. after a pest was reported at a Mexico packinghouse and said cartels shouldn’t be allowed to intervene in the industry. “The Trump administration is right to protect American personnel and confront the cartels,” Ken Melban, the commission’s president, said in a statement, adding that “cartels cannot be allowed to exploit the United States-MexicoCanada Agreement to undercut American growers and destroy domestic production.” Avocado consumption has soared in the United States in recent decades, and California grows only a fraction of the avocados needed to meet that demand.

6B ■ Saturday,August 8, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

lll

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

OUR VIEWS

Is an anti-incumbent wave sweeping the country? A big majority of voters are unhappy with the direction of the nation. Normally, this would indicate trouble for incumbents seeking reelection. But politics today is anything but normal. To determine whether an anti-incumbent wave is building ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, let’s examine how congressional incumbents are faring so far. In Senate elections, 24 incumbents are seeking, or sought, another term. Two have already been defeated in Republican primaries by candidates endorsed by President Donald Trump: Louisiana’s Bill Cassidy and Texas’ John Cornyn. Notably, two incumbent senators losing party primaries in one election cycle is unusual. Until this year, no incumbent had lost a primary since 2012. Ron Of the 22 remaining Senate incumbents, Faucheux four are considered potentially vulnerable, based on the latest ratings from the Cook Political Report. These four senators are Republican Jon Husted in Ohio, Republican Susan Collins in Maine, Republican Dan Sullivan in Alaska and Democrat Jon Ossoff in Georgia. Ohio, Maine and Alaska are rated toss-ups, meaning either party has a good chance of winning. Georgia is rated lean Democratic, meaning one party has an advantage but the race is still considered competitive. In this year’s House races, 377 incumbents are seeking, or sought, reelection. So far, nine have lost primaries, six Democrats and three Republicans. That’s already far more than in 2024, when four House incumbents lost primaries, but fewer than in 2022, when 14 were knocked out by their own party. Currently, 30 House incumbents have tough races. Of those, 17 are toss-ups, eight lean Democratic and five lean Republican. How does all this compare with past elections? OpenSecrets also reports that U.S. House reelection rates since 2000 have ranged from 85.4% to 95.7%. If half of the potentially vulnerable incumbents lose, the 2026 House reelection rate would be almost 94%, nearer the high end of the historical range. OpenSecrets also reports that U.S. House reelection rates since 2000 have ranged from 85.4% to 95.7%. If half of the potentially vulnerable incumbents lose, the 2026 House reelection rate would be about 93%, nearer the high end of the historical range. Setting aside hypothetical scenarios, we must now answer the big question: Has an anti-incumbent wave begun? So far, the evidence is mixed. This year’s primaries have produced a relatively high number of incumbent defeats. Yet most of those losses reflect unique circumstances — redistricting, Trumpbacked Republican primary challenges and ideological battles within the Democratic Party — rather than a broad rejection of incumbents. The general election will be the real test. It’s possible we’ll see a wave against one party, now that the electoral system has fallen into such a deep partisan divide, with incumbents caught in the shuffle. In the end, only a small number of races will tell the tale. Even so, the vast majority of incumbents will be reelected this November. The deeper question: Why? There are three main reasons. First, redistricting. Although House incumbents don’t draw their own district lines, they usually have a big hand in how their districts are drawn by legislatures. They know which voters support them and which don’t. In effect, they pick the voters before the voters have a chance to pick them. Second, money. Incumbents have more fundraising muscle. While there are significant exceptions — selffunding challengers with deep pockets and incumbents who’ve been targeted for defeat by national parties and interest groups — incumbents often have many more campaign dollars to spend than do their rivals. In the 2024 elections, on average, House incumbents raised $3 million and challengers raised $467,000; that’s a 6-to-1 edge. Senate incumbents raised an average of $31.2 million and challengers raised $2.8 million, an 11-to-1 disparity. Third, name recognition and media exposure. Incumbents have already won statewide or districtwide elections, and that gives them a head start. Throughout their terms of office, incumbents are covered by the media on a regular basis, while their opponents are largely ignored. That may seem unfair, but it’s a fact of life: The media has a responsibility to report what House and Senate members are doing in their public jobs. There will always be ins and outs in elections, and a wide range of reasons why most ins win and fewer lose.

YOUR VIEWS

Is Meta’s public relations push Sunday paper’s undermining tough coverage? ‘Inspired’ As Meta significantly invests in North Louisiana, the public deserves more than fawning promotional coverage. Over the past few days, The Times-Picayune/NOLA.com has featured Meta’s public relations efforts across its news platforms and social media. Multiple videos showing Meta’s community engagement in Richland Parish have appeared on the NOLA.com Instagram page, with the comment function disabled. Even the inimitable Nell Nolan was called away from the busy start of debutante season to plug the recent “Meta Platforms Dinner” in the Society column. Many of the listed guests at the dinner were politicians with influence on the project’s scope. Simultaneously, investigative reporting from this and other local media outlets shows that Meta has

required public officials involved in the project to sign nondisclosure agreements. These NDAs limit public officials (possibly including the governor) from speaking on certain details of the immensely consequential project. At best, these agreements’ legal status can be described as murky. The local press should be asking difficult questions about incentives and the propriety of requiring elected officials to sign NDAs, not amplifying a corporate message. It should not be acting as an external PR department. This is not an argument against economic development. Louisiana should compete aggressively for investment. But economic development and government transparency are not mutually exclusive. They both depend on public confidence.

ALEX KLEINMAN New Orleans

Liz Murrill could have confronted charges against her, but instead pulled strings In her remarkable display of political cowardice, Liz Murrill has forever branded herself as the sitting attorney general who was indicted by a grand jury and ducked rather than confront the charges. That she eschewed simply defending the case on the merits — either by a motion to dismiss or a trial — and instead resorted to calling cronies and using political influence to get rid of the matter will forever haunt her reputation. In short-circuiting the normal process and the rule of law, Ms. Murrill has simply added legiti-

macy to the charges against her. If there were no merit to Murrill’s indictment, laws already in place are more than capable of handling such a situation. Courts do that all the time. Murrill’s recent embarkment with our feckless governor on a “revenge tour” in the manner of their Dear Leader (who will always be a convicted felon) has done nothing to enhance her position. In that respect it is, indeed, “not over.”

section will be missed

Since its addition to the Sunday Advocate, I have read the Louisiana Inspired section with hope and gratitude. Formerly, I would read the Sports section first, but my habit changed to reading the Inspired section first, in its entirety, every Sunday. I would often share parts of it with out-of-town family and friends. Imagine my dismay to learn that this uplifting and informative section was being dropped. Yes, the Sunday Advocate will continue to include Jan Risher’s column, and one story about an inspiring person or event, now in the Living section. And every other Sunday, I will be able to read a page about faith, beliefs and spirituality. But instead of being able to grab a single four-page section to be inspired, I will have to retrain myself to look in other sections of the Advocate. Imagine the outcry if this were to happen to the Sports section, and readers were directed to the Metro Section op-ed page to read a Scott Rabalais opinion piece on LSU football and to a different section to read the results of MLB games. (And it took me all day to discover that Danny Heitman’s Sunday column was on the front page of the Aug. 2 Metro section.) I read the printed edition of the Advocate daily.

BARBARA HOFFMAN Baton Rouge

WILLIAM SNEIRSON New Orleans

Tulane grad wants more coverage of Green Wave sports

Don’t squander the precious right to vote I believe I saw one of the most informative pieces of news in the paper recently. It was the 90 pages of inactive voters in Orleans Parish, provided by Nancy Landry, Louisiana secretary of state. Why is that so important? To break it down into simple numbers, each page has three columns of names with 190 names in each column and 570 names per page. That amounts to a total of 51,300 names, and that’s a lot of non-

Ron Faucheux is a nonpartisan political analyst, pollster and writer based in Louisiana.

voters! That begs the questions: Where have they gone, and why aren’t they voting? The privilege of voting is also a responsibility. There are people living in many countries who do not have an opportunity to vote. Don’t ignore this gift that you have been given. If you don’t use it, you will lose it.

LORRE LEI JACKSON River Ridge

I am a local resident and a graduate of Tulane University, class of 1971. Since Hurricane Katrina, your coverage of Tulane sports has steadily declined. As the local major university, Tulane deserves more, and I miss the coverage provided in the past. Please give more coverage to TU sports.

GERALD “JERRY” HANAFY Metairie

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THEADVOCATE.COM • SATURDAy, AUGUST 8, 2026

HALL OF FAMER DREW BREES PRESENTED By

2C F Saturday, August 8, 2026 F theadvocate.com F The Advocate

As Hall of Fame beckons, the essence of Drew Brees’ greatness is on full display BY JEFF DUNCAN | SPORTS COLUMNIST

ew people have embodied the maxim “How you do anything is how you do everything” more than Drew Brees. He strived for excellence in every role he played: father, son, husband, CEO, quarterback. This exacting mindset propelled Brees, an undersized, overlooked high school football prospect from Austin, Texas, to the NFL and eventually to the halls of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, where he will be immortalized Saturday as the fifth New Orleans Saint to earn football’s most prestigious honor. So it should surprise no one that Brees attacked the challenge of writing his Hall of Fame acceptance speech with the same rigor he did game plans as an NFL player. He watched videos of other Hall of Fame speeches to try to understand the emotion of the moment. He sought counsel from fellow Hall of Famers on timing and delivery techniques. He kept a diligent notes file in his computer with important reminders to reference throughout the months-long writing campaign. It was a literary version of the famous walk-through rehearsal he performed before games during his legendary playing career. “Honestly, I started writing (the speech) five years ago,” Brees said during a phone interview from his home in suburban San Diego. “I feel like I’ve written about a thousand of them and just keep going back to it. It’s tough.” Brees’ diligence is understandable. The job of distilling his extraordinary career into the small window of time allowed for the speech is no easy task. Brees is limited to eight minutes, not much time to, as he said, “acknowledge all the people and moments that got you to this point.” It’s especially tough for someone wired like Brees, a Type A perfectionist who is blessed — or cursed, depending on your viewpoint — with “the healthiest case of OCD ever,” as former teammate Zach Strief described it. In the downtime between parental duties, preparing for another season of analyst work at Fox Sports and his myriad business obligations, Brees’ speech-writing campaign has consumed his daily life. “I’ve thought about it nonstop for about six months,” Brees said. “I’m going to go through this a thousand times in my head before I ever step up there (at center stage). And honestly, a lot of it is just so I can keep my emotions in check. Usually, I get emotional about things, especially when you start thinking about the people that helped you get here. I love and care for those people so much, and some of them are no longer with us. So it makes it even more emotional. So look, I’ve shed tears. I mean, I’ll sit there and I’ll start writing and then next thing I know, I’m crying on the page and then I’ve got to pause for a second.” Brees won’t be the only one misty-eyed on Saturday. His former coach, Sean Payton, broke into tears when the star quarterback asked him to serve as his presenter for the weekend events in April ril. He broke down again this week when discussing the distinguished honor and his h former star pupil. “I’m sure (the ceremony) will be emottional, and I’m sure it will be exciting,” said Payton, who teamed with Brees for 15 magical seasons in New Orleans. “We’re all looking forward to it.” None of Brees’ teammates and coache es doubt he will rise to the occasion when he takes the stage. During D his 20-year playing career, they witnessed firsthand his ability to perform in the clutch. Likewise, none of them are surprised to t learn he’s worked overtime on his speech. Brees’ single-miinded pursuit of excellence, after all, is one of the reasons he earned e a bust in Canton, they said. “That he’s doing scout work for his spe eech should surprise no one,” said Jon Stinchcomb, who w played right tackle with Brees from 2006-2010. “This was a guy who could have written the playbo ook for the Sean Payton offense by himself. And yett 10 years into his career, he would take the most notes n of anyone in the entire offense during meetings like he was still a wet-behind-the-ears rookie e.” “It’s the essence of his greatness,” Pay yton said. Brees said his speech will be a mix of tributes, acknowledgements and anecdotes. He sa aid he will spice the speech with a little humor to entertain the crowd at Tom Benson Stadium, which w is expected to include hundreds of Brees’ former f teammates, coaches hes and support staff. staff “We all know (h his speech) is going to be b great,” said Saintts assistant tight ends co oach Josh Hill, who pla ayed with Brees for his final eight seasons in New N Orleans. “It’s Drew w.” For Brees, the Hall of Fame inductio on represents the most m prestigious achiev vement of his storiied career and further burnishes his legacy y as the greatest and most m decorated player r in Saints history. A ré ésumé that includes 13 Pro Bowl appearances s, two All-Pro honors, two t Offensive Player of the Year awards, the e 2006 Walter Payton Man M of the Year awar rd and a Super er Bowl MVP award will now be b punctuate ed by footb ball’s highest honor. Brees headline es a five-man Class of 2026 that include es Roger Cra aig, Larry Fitzgerald, Luke Kuechly and d Adam Vinatieri. Brees is i the first pllayer in Saints history to earn inductiion on his first ballot. He H will join Morten M Andersen, Rickey y Jackson, Sam Mills and Willie Roaf R as the only o Saints Hall of Famers. “He’s so deserv ving,” forme er Saints running ba ack Mark Ing gram said. “You’re talk king about a guy who exemplifies what it is to be a first-ballot Halll of Famer bo oth on the field and in n life; that’s what Drew is.” The weekend in n Canton willl serve as a celebration for one of the most m prolific c passers in NFL hiistory and on ne of the league’s great underdog storie es. The Saints sign ned Brees as a free agent in 2006 6, only a few weeks after he ha ad undergone e reconstructive su urgery on his s throwing shoulde er and just months after the city had been devastated by b Hurricane Katrina. What followed stands among the greate est trans-

formations in NFL history. In 2006, Brees led a Saints team that finished 3-13 the year before to a division title and the first NFC championship game in franchise history, just months after the city had been devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Over the next 15 seasons, Brees and Payton built an offensive powerhouse. The Saints led the league in yardage more than any team in NFL history across that span. They captured seven division titles, became annual playoff contenders and made their run to a Super Bowl XLIV championship in 2009 — the only Super Bowl title in franchise history. In the 39 seasons before Brees arrived, the Saints won 40% of their games, two division titles and one playoff game, while making 43 national television appearances. In Brees’ 15 seasons, the Saints won 63% of their games, seven division titles and nine playoff games, while making 55 prime-time television appearances. “He had that rare trait of bringing out the best in everyone, and that was a gift,” Payton said. “We are all better for it.” Teammates and coaches marveled at Brees’ preparation, consistency and attention to detail. He was often compared to Major League Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux — a master technician who thrived not by overpowering opponents but by dominating them with precision and command.

“

But they saw something in me, believed in me, and it empowered me to be the best that I could be. New Orleans was looking for a quarterback then. But I promise you I needed New Orleans more than New Orleans needed me. – Drew Brees –

“

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– F O O T B A L L I M M O R TA L D R E W B R E E S –

“He was the heart and soul of thiis team,” said Taysom Hill, the team’s star utility back during Brees’ final four seasons. “He always wanted to be prepared. He was going to do everything he could to allow himself — and everyone around him — to be successful.” aden Elliss tells the story of his rookie season, To that end, linebacker Ka when Saints defensive coorrdinator Dennis Allen took him and defensive end Carl Granderson to spy on Brees during his pregame walk-through rehearsal in the team hotel on the eve of their preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings. Thrrough a crack in the door of an empty conference room, they watched d a solitary Brees going through the script of the upcoming gam me. Alone in the room, he worked through the game plan, pllay by play, dropping back, sorting through his progression ns and throwing imaginary passes with a towel in his hand d. “Dennis Allen told us, ‘You want to be great, this is oing to take,’” Elliss said. “Drew was in his what it’s go 19th seaso on, and he was doing this for a preseason game. That was D Drew.” Statistica ally, Brees’ résumé is overwhelming. He retired as the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards, comnd touchdowns. He owns five of the league’s pletions an 5,000-yard d passing seasons — more than any quarterback in hiistory. No other quarterback has more than two. He rremains the most accurate passer the league has eve er known. His 67.7 career completion percentage is tthe highest of any quarterback in NFL history. He le ed d the NFL in completion percentage six times, in pa asssing yardage seven times and posted an almost unfa ath homable 12 consecutive 4,000-yard seasons. His 53 ga am me-winning drives rank third behind only Tom Brad dy and Peyton Manning. He holds the record for most co onsecutive games with a touchdown pass at 54. “He ew was the first quarterback who made the game look liike ke e it was Ma Madden,” Payton said. “He never thew incomp ple etions, neve er threw interceptions and never took sa ack ks. He was elite in every way.” Th T he numbers tell only part of Brees’ story. Brrees becam me the face of not just a team, but of a city’s resu urgence. He and the Saints became a beacon off hope, pride and competence for New Orleanians. Suddenly, an accomplished, accountablle leader was wearing the Fleur de Lis and doing things the city had never seen before. His confident, fearless approach resonated d with Gulf Coast residents, who had been accu ustomed to incompetent, unaccountable lead ders over the years. In Bree es, New Orleanians saw a mirror image of tthemselves — someone who endured crisess and fought back from adversity. d He H e was the su uperstar they’d longed for, the leader th hey needed d at a time when competent leadership was scarce. “He p po ossessed alll the traits that embody great leaders,” Sttin nchcomb sa aid. “What stands out most was his selflesssn ness and wo ork ethic. You just couldn’t outwork the guy.” Now w, a as Canton b beckons, the magnitude of Brees’ journe ey y is evident.. His legacy isn’t simply measured in reco ords or cham mpionships. It is defined by the standa ard he set — for quarterbacks, for community leaderrs and for any yone searching for hope. “I’ll be e honest, I still don’t know if it’s hit me,” Brees said off h his Hall of F Fame enshrinement. “None of this is possib ble withoutt the Saints believing in me at a time when itt was kind o of hard for me to believe in myself, comin ng g off that in njury. But they saw something in me, believ ve ed in me, an nd it empowered me to be the best that I co ould be. Ne ew Orleans was looking for a quarterbac ck k then. But I promise you I needed New Orleans more tthan New Orlleans needed me.”

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

Saints making waves at camp

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S at u r d ay, au g u S t 8, 2026

Enshrinement • Canton, Ohioo

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111 a.m. Saturday • ESPN, NFLN

‘THE G R E AT E S T SAINT EVER’

Ranking under-the-radar players after six practices BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

Every summer, across every training camp in the NFL, there are a handful of under-the-radar players on each roster who can’t stop making plays. These players provide hope. “If this is what they look like now, just imagine what they’ll do in the fall,” you tell yourself. And they become yours. You were there from the beginning, liking the band before they were cool. Sometimes, the breakouts are legitimate. The New Orleans Saints famously traded Dante Stallworth in 2006 because a littleknown, seventh-round wide receiver named Marques Colston couldn’t stop working his way up the depth chart. But more often than not, they become nothing but a tease, a fun summer fling for fans. Diehards of the black and gold remember the names. Emmanuel Butler. Adrian Arrington. Onome Ojo. The list goes on and on. With that in mind, let’s take a look at who could become this year’s camp darling. Here are the Mason Tipton All-Stars — named after the Saints wide receiver who would have won this award for each of the past two seasons. When the Saints signed Brown back in June, the move was seen as New Orleans bringing in serious competition for incumbent Charlie Smyth. That hasn’t exactly panned out so far as Smyth has looked sharper through the first week. But there’s still time for Brown, whose story alone instantly generated intrigue among the Saints’ fanbase. He is, after all, the only player in football history to make two field goals of at least 60 yards in the same game. And some of the league’s best kickers — Dallas’ Brandon Aubrey and Detroit’s Jake Bates — have used the UFL as a pipeline to reach stardom. Maybe Brown, who played for the Louisville Kings, will be the latest.

4. Jayden Price • CB Speaking of UFL standouts, Price joined the Saints last season following stints with the Birmingham Stallions and Arlington

ä See SAINTS, page 7C

Saints tight end Moliki Matavao STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

5. Tanner Brown • K

Brees ready to cap Canton week with emotional HOF enshrinement BY JEFF DUNCAN Staff writer

CANTON, Ohio — Football’s most famous Election Day is here. And Drew Brees will celebrate his enshrinement to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday with a massive group of friends, family and supporters. Brees’ entourage includes nearly 500 friends, family members, former teammates, coaches and support staffers, who made the trek here to see the former New Orleans Saints star join the sport’s most exclusive fraternity. Brees will deliver his Hall of Fame acceptance speech to the sellout crowd at Tom Benson Stadium at approximately 1 p.m. during the three-hour ceremony, which begins at 11 a.m. “This is my opportunity to express my gratitude to all the people that have been part of this journey and really made it possible,” Brees said. “That’s what I’m most looking forward to, is all the people I’m going to have a chance to see and let them know just how valued they are.” ä See BREES, page 7C

LSU making necessary but definite gamble with athletics future LSU’s administrators haven’t officially So now we know where LSU is heading with this alternative financial plan stuff first set this plan into motion. But the door has most definitely been opened. Once the figuunveiled in a July letter to top boosters. A source, according to some intrepid rerative Mike the Tiger steps through, there is no going back. porting by our Alyse Pfeil and Jon A few thoughts, starting with that Blau, says LSU is working on a plan letter, which in self-congratulatory to build an entity around its athletic fashion said this opportunity is the broadcast rights that would gener“first of its kind nationally and could ate even more money. That entity, quite possibly change the future separate from the university, would of college athletics.” It is indeed a be able to make investments and Scott novel approach to try to generate — this is the big part — allow what Rabalais more money from broadcast rights, will start as a 9% stake in the busiwhich is as close to a sure-thing ness worth $100 million that could eventually include up to an 11% stake from revenue stream as LSU has. And it sounds more palatable than what has been done other private investors. at schools like Kentucky, which recently If this isn’t private equity but private investment, as LSU will surely couch it, it ä See RABALAIS, page 5C is close.

The Golden Band from Tigerland marches on the field before a game against South Carolina on Oct. 11 at Tiger Stadium. STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

4C ■ Saturday, August 8, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS On TV

MEN’S AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL 10 p.m. Gold Coast at G.W. Sydney FS2 1 a.m. (Sun.) Collingwood at West Coast FS2 4 a.m. (Sun.) Carlton at St. Kilda FS2 AUTO RACING 9:55 a.m. FIM MotoGP: G. Britain Grand Prix FS1 11 a.m. Indy NXT: Practice FS1 11:35 a.m. O’Reilly Series: Qualifying CW Noon NTT IndyCar: Practice FS1 1:05 p.m. NASCAR Cup: Practice TRUTV 2 p.m. Indy NXT: Qualifying FS1 2:10 p.m. NASCAR Cup: Qualifying TRUTV 4 p.m. O’Reilly Series: HyVee Perks 250 CW 6 p.m. NTT IndyCar: Qualifying FS1 BEACH VOLLEYBALL 7 p.m. AVP: League Week 8 CW BOXING 9 p.m. MVPW-05: Main Card ESPN CFL 6 p.m. Hamilton at BC CBSSN CYCLING 8:30 a.m. Women’s Tour de France NBCSN GOLF 8 a.m. USGA: U.S. Women’s Amateur Golf 11 a.m. LIV: Third Round Fox

Noon 2 p.m. 2 p.m.

PGA: Wyndham Championship Golf PGA: Wyndham Championship CBS USGA: U.S. Women’s Amateur Golf GYMNASTICS 11:30 a.m.USGA: U.S. Championships NBCSN 3 p.m. USGA: U.S. Championships NBC 3:30 p.m. USGA: U.S. Championships NBCSN MEN’S HOCKEY 1 p.m. Hlinka Gretzky Cup: TBD NHLN 6 p.m. Hlinka Gretzky Cup: TBD NHLN HORSE RACING 10:30 a.m.Saratoga Live FS2 4 p.m. Whitney Stakes Fox 6 p.m. Saratoga Live FS2 MEN’S LACROSSE Noon Denver vs. New york ABC WOMEN’S LACROSSE 4:30 p.m. California at Boston ESPN2 LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL 2 p.m. World Series: TBD ESPN2 5 p.m. World Series: TBD ESPN2 MLB 3:10 p.m. Athletics at Boston FS1 6:15 p.m. Cleveland at White Sox Fox NFL 11 a.m. Pro Football HOF Enshrinement ESPN

IN BRIEF

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

RODEO PBR: Team Series — Day 2 CW SOCCER 6:55 a.m. Chelsea vs. Milan CBSSN Noon Ferencvaros vs. Real Madrid CBSSN 4 p.m. Inter Toronto FC at Pacific FC FS2 7 p.m. Cavalry FC at FC S.D. Québec FS2 8 p.m. C.D. Guadalajara vs. FC Dallas FS1 9 p.m. New Mexico at Monterey Bay CBSSN 10 p.m. Leagues Cup: Toluca at LAFC FS1 WOMEN’S SOCCER 3 p.m. Utah at Denver ION 5:30 p.m. North Carolina at Washington ION 7:45 p.m. Kansas City at Houston ION SOFTBALL 6 p.m. Team Kowalik vs. Team Ricketts ESPNU TENNIS 11:30 a.m.Canada-ATP/WTA Tennis WNBA Noon Las Vegas at Minnesota CBS 2:30 p.m. Indiana at Chicago ABC 7:30 p.m. Seattle at Portland NBATV YOUTH BASEBALL 1 p.m. Nike Boys Senior Champ. MLBN 9 p.m.

LSU coach, Olympian set to enter HOF McCool Griffeth to be inducted Saturday BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer

How big a part of her life has gymnastics been for Courtney McCool Griffeth? The LSU assistant coach, former Olympic medalist and Georgia gym great put it this way: “It’s my favorite language. “It makes so much sense to me,” Griffeth said. “To continue to grow in the sport and be a coach — to be an Olympian and a college athlete, to win national championships with my team, stand on a podium with silver medals around our necks, I’m just grateful for all the seasons of gymnastics I’ve been blessed to be a part of.” Soon, Griffeth will add one more accomplishment to her illustrious gymnastics career. She is one of seven members of the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame Class of 2026. The McCool Griffeth inductees will be honored at a ceremony Saturday in Phoenix, being held in conjunction there with the U.S. Gymnastics Championships. Courtney and her husband, Garrett Griffeth, are both associate head coaches at LSU, joining head coach Jay Clark’s staff before the 2022 season after the couple pre-

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU associate head coach Courtney McCool Griffeth hugs Tigers gymnast Nina Ballou following Ballou’s floor routine on Jan. 2 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. viously coached together at Texas Woman’s University, Arkansas and Utah. The Griffeths have three daughters: Raelynn, Blakey and Ryleigh. The oldest, 10-yearold Rae, is already a gymnast. Griffeth was recruited to and was coached at Georgia by Clark, where she helped the GymDogs to three straight NCAA championships from 2007-09 as well as winning the 2008 NCAA individual floor title. Before that, the Lee’s Summitt, Missouri, native became an elite

“She didn’t have the best experience as an Olympian,” Clark said. “Her spirit was down a little bit, and she didn’t really understand college gymnastics. But it grew on her and she found a real love for the college experience.” That love for the sport has continued as an assistant at LSU, where Griffeth coaches floor and handles choreography for the Tigers’ routines. Since she’s been on staff, LSU has ranked first nationally on floor in 2024 and 2026 and third in 2023 and 2025. Despite her success competing in and coaching floor, balance beam was always her favorite. The event even has a move named after her: a front handspring onto the beam called, coolly, the McCool. “Gymnastics is the best thing ever,” she said. “It’s literally straight-up life skills. “To learn through your favorite thing and then I get to teach it every day. There are moments I’m so grateful, when I think, ‘That’s my job?’ ” The rest of the Class of 2026 includes 2016 Olympian Logan Dooley (trampoline gymnastics), two-time world team champion Kara Eaker (artistic), 2020 Olympian Camilla Feeley (rhythmic), Tim Klempnauer (coach and competitor), and the championship acrobatic gymnastics team of Maren Merwarth and Jessica Renteria.

gymnast training at GAGE gymnastics, which also produced LSU greats Sarah and Aleah Finnegan and former Tiger Alexis Jeffrey. From there, Griffeth went on to earn a team silver medal with the U.S. squad in the 2004 Athens Olympics. “She was a heck of an athlete,” Clark said. “A real pleasure to coach.” Griffeth arrived at Georgia with a wrist injury that threatened her For more LSU sports updates, collegiate career and kept her sign up for our newsletter at from ever competing on vault. theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

Drugs killed Grizzlies F Clarke, authorities say

LOS ANGELES — Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke died in May from the effects of heroin and cocaine, authorities said Friday. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner said the 29-year-old basketball player’s death was accidental. Clarke was found dead inside a home near Los Angeles on May 11. A person familiar with the terms of the investigation told The Associated Press after the Grizzlies announced Clarke’s passing that drug paraphernalia was found at the residence. About six weeks before he died, Clarke was arrested in Arkansas on charges of speeding, reckless driving and possessing a controlled substance. He was with Memphis for all seven of his pro seasons after completing his college career at Gonzaga.

Judge dismisses Harden’s misdemeanor gun charge

A misdemeanor gun charge against All-Star Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden in Texas has been dismissed after he completed an alternative resolution program allowing him to avoid a criminal record, court records show. Harris County Criminal Court Judge Alex Salgado in Houston dismissed the criminal charge Thursday at the request of the Harris County district attorney’s office following Harden’s completion of an alternative resolution program. Such programs allow defendants to avoid a criminal conviction by doing community service. Harden was arrested June 13 in Houston after police found a handgun in his vehicle. Texas law makes it a misdemeanor to have a gun “in plain view” in a vehicle without a license.

Mississippi native Ellis named Alcorn State GM

LORMAN, Miss. — Alcorn State on Friday announced it has hired former NBA guard Monta Ellis as general manager of the men’s basketball program. Ellis is a native of Jackson, Mississippi, and Alcorn State’s main campus is in Lorman, Mississippi. Ellis was drafted by Golden State in 2005 out of Lanier High School in Jackson, where he won two state championships. Alcorn State described Ellis as “One proud Mississippi son” in its announcement. Alcorn State finished 9-23 overall and 7-11 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference under first-year coach Jake Morton last season. Ellis, 40, averaged 17.8 points in his 12-year NBA career with Golden State, Milwaukee, Dallas and Indiana.

Richard surges to lead at U.S. men’s championships Texas Tech signs two who By The Associated Press PHOENIX — Fred Richard put himself in position to win his first U.S. national gymnastics championship, surging to the lead during night one of the men’s competition Late Thursday night. Thursday Richard, a key member of the 2024 U.S. men’s Olympic team that earned bronze in Paris,

posted an all-around total of 84.326 to give himself a narrow 0.153-point lead over Daniela Leykin heading into Saturday night’s final. The 22-year-old, looking to bounce back this year after failing to make the U.S. men’s national team or world championship team in 2025, began the competition with a stellar parallel bars routine and remained in front despite taking a pair of neutral

deductions. The first was intentional. Richard was docked three-tenths of a point for a uniform violation, something he has chosen to do for well over a year while opting to swap out stirrup pants for compression leggings. The judges on pommel horse also knocked three-tenths off his score after he failed to salute properly following his dismount. Richard will be challenged by

the 19-year-old Leykin and 2020 Olympian Shane Wiskus, who is in third about a point behind the leaders going into Saturday. Pommel horse specialist Stephen Nedoroscik, whose performance in the team final in Paris assured the Americans a bronze, scored a 14.958 on his signature event as he tries to come back from multiple injuries that have limited his training over the past year.

Hossler takes 1-stroke lead into third round at Wyndham By The Associated Press GREENSBORO, N.C. — Beau Hossler made an 11-foot birdie putt on his final hole Friday for a 3-under 67 that gave him a one-stroke lead in the Wyndham Championship, which might have been the least consequential development in the final event of the PGA Tour’s regular season. Hossler has never won on the PGA Tour and needs nothing short of victory at Sedgefield Country Club to be among the top 70 in the FedEx Cup who advance to the postseason. He was at 12-under 128 and led by one shot over Ben James — who had the 36-hole lead in the Canadian Open and finished out of the top 50 — and Jordan Smith of England. The first step was making the 36-hole cut, and there was plenty of drama. Keegan Bradley, who is at No. 72 in the FedEx Cup, was well outside the projected cut until making birdie on three of his last six holes for a 67 to finish at 3-under 137.

It came down to the final few groups. At one point, Christiaan Bezuidenhout had a 20-foot birdie putt and Ben Kohles had a 15-foot birdie putt on his final hole. Either one would have knocked out Bradley, Andrew Putnam (No. 73) and Austin Smotherman (No. 76). Both missed, and those players are on the bubble eventually got a little breathing room when Davis Chatfield bogeyed his last hole to move the 3-under number to a tie for 64th. The top 65 and ties make the cut. “I hope I get a shot this weekend to go out there and shoot some low scores and make the playoffs,” Bradley said when he finished, unaware of how it would finish. “I was really, really nervous coming down to the end, like ‘to win the tournament’ sort of feel. So that was fun.” Also getting in was Jordan Spieth at No. 55, though he already is set for the postseason and is hopeful of making progress toward moving into the top 50 after the first playoff event and locking up all the

$20 million signature events. As usual, Spieth brought the drama. He was on the cut number playing his final hole when he put his tee shot well right into the trees and could barely get enough club on the ball to punch back into the fairway. His wedge was 25 feet long, and he holed the putt for par to make the weekend. Among those missing out was Jason Day, who had reached the postseason 18 straight years. Day was at No. 75 in the FedEx Cup and was never under par at any point during the tournament, missing the cut by seven shots. “It was a good streak obviously, but I would have loved to keep the streak going,” Day said. “You’re not going to keep everything going forever. Best to kind of take some time off, get my body sorted and try and come out next year and play well.” More crushing than Day was Mac Meissner, who was No. 71 in the FedEx Cup. He was one shot inside the projected cut at 4 under when he missed the 18th fair-

way, got it back to the fairway, hit wedge to just inside 45 feet and three-putted for double bogey to miss by one shot. Jackson Koivun, who turned pro in June and won in his third start at the 3M Open, made the cut with two shots to spare. He is at No. 70 in the FedEx Cup. Hossler was unconcerned with all this. He knows only a victory will get him into the playoffs, and he’s been around long enough to realize the tournament is halfway over. James was in that spot in his professional debut in Canada and went 77-69 to tie for 54th. James holed out for eagle on his first hole Friday and played 1 under the rest of the way for a 67, which puts him in the final group on the weekend for the second time in three months. Smith shot a 64 and was one shot behind. He is at No. 68 in the standings and gave himself a boost. Brooks Koepka (No. 86) shot a 66 but was tied for 21st. He can only advance if no more than three players finish ahead of him.

were granted 5th season

LUBBOCK, Texas — Darrion Williams has signed with Texas Tech to play a fifth season of basketball, taking advantage of a recent court ruling that granted some players one more year of NCAA eligibility. He is returning to the Lubbock campus after being North Carolina State’s leading scorer last season. The Red Raiders on Friday announced the signings of Williams, a 6-foot-6 forward who played for them from 2023-25, and 6-8 transfer forward Jamichael Stillwell from UCF. Williams and Stillwell were high school Class of 2022 athletes who became eligible for a fifth season after a U.S. District Court judge in Colorado last week ruled that all players in that class who exhausted their fourth season of college eligibility this spring are eligible for a fifth season this school year.

Norway’s soccer federation calls on Infantino to resign

MANCHESTER, England — Norway’s soccer federation wants Gianni Infantino to step down immediately, piling more pressure on FIFA’s embattled president Friday. Infantino is facing a revolt after his failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup. The Norwegian federation held a meeting on Thursday and president Lise Klaveness said the decision had been made to ask Infantino to resign. “When trust is gone, leadership must also be assessed. We therefore believe that Gianni Infantino’s time as FIFA President should be over, and ask him to resign,” Klaveness said via translation.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Saturday, August 8, 2026 ■ 5C

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Ohio State’s offensive line still a concern for Day after first practice BY MARCUS HARTMAN Associated Press

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARTA LAVANDIER

Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti reacts during the second half of the College Football Playoff national championship game against Miami on Jan. 19 in Miami Gardens, Fla.

Wyatt returning for 5th season defending champion Hoosiers BY MICHAEL MAROT AP sportswriter

Defensive lineman Kellan Wyatt has decided to return for his fifth season with the defending national champion Indiana Hoosiers, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Friday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no official announcement has been made. Wyatt becomes the second starting linemen from last season’s title run to come back since last week’s U.S. District Court ruling in Colorado granting players from the 2022 high school graduating class one more year of eligibility. Coach Curt Cignetti confirmed Wednesday that all-Big Ten honorable mention defensive end Stephen Daley also had returned following the ruling. The NCAA plans to appeal the court decision. Wyatt started the first seven games in 2025 before a season-ending knee injury. The transfer from

Maryland finished his first year at Indiana with 27 tackles, eight tackles for loss and 2 1/2 sacks. He has 11 career sacks but was not selected in April’s NFL draft, which along with the court ruling opened the door for his return. The addition of Wyatt to an already deep, experienced group of defensive linemen could make Indiana’s defensive front even stronger. “Whether we had really good depth there or not, I think the return to play doesn’t change a whole lot because you don’t want to throw a guy out there until he’s ready to where he gets hurt,” Cignetti said Wednesday when asked about Daley, who will be limited early in practice as he returns from the injury. “There will be competition. Guys that can play winning football, they’ll play.” Indiana now has four defensive linemen who started regularly last season — Wyatt, Daley, Tyrique Tucker and Mario Landino — back. Plus, Cignetti has added veteran transfers Tobi Osunsanmi and

Chiddi Obiazor from Kansas State and Josh Burnham from Notre Dame to a position group that returns its top five sack leaders. “Like you said, getting off on the quarterback, I think that’s one of the best things about our defense,” said linebacker Rolijah Hardy, who led the team with eight sacks last season. “Try to help the back end, the DBs by getting after them so they don’t have that much time, so I think returning those five is really big for us.” Daley suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Hoosiers’ celebration following their 13-10 victory over Ohio State, giving Indiana its first league crown since 1967. He missed all three playoff games as the Hoosiers won their first national championship and became the first major college football program to post a 16-0 mark since the 1890s. Despite recording 5 1/2 sacks, a Big Ten-leading 19 tackles for loss — No. 3 in the Football Bowl Subdivision — in his first season with the Hoosiers, he also was undrafted.

RABALAIS

Continued from page 3C housed its entire athletic department within an LLC; or Utah, which two months ago finalized a deal with sports-based equity firm Otro Capital for $100-500 million in investment. But there are plenty of questions, starting with control over the athletic department. Even if investors have only a 20% stake in this new entity, could they make demands about who coaches teams or even which sports LSU puts on the field or court? LSU is supposed to maintain control, but if an investor threatens to pull funding, then what? And what of the tax ramifications for said investors? Also, investing in other things, as this new entity would be empowered to do, comes with inherent risk. They’re not going to be buying savings bonds, so where would the money go? Real estate? Fast food franchises? Car tinting shops? Nail salons? Marijuana dispensaries? Then there is the matter of ever-growing financial need, which is the basis for creating this entity in the first place. Southeastern Conference broadcast rights are expected to increase substantially when its current deal with ESPN/ABC/Disney is reworked in 2034. What if it isn’t enough? An expansion of the College Football Playoff from its current 12-team format to 16 or 24 would increase broadcast rights revenue further, especially if LSU can make a CFP run or two. But any SEC football coach will remind you, the CFP was already supposed to expand this year, concurrent with the league’s move to nine regular-season conference games. What if the CFP remains locked at a dozen teams? Then there is the matter of congressional oversight for college athletics, either through the Protect College Sports Act, which recently gained SEC and Big Ten support, or through some other legislation. The PCSA is intended to rein in current runaway spending, which is why LSU and every other athletic department is seeking more revenue. But what if there is no oversight and costs related to student-athlete compensation

COLUMBUS, Ohio — At the start of his eighth season as Ohio State football head coach, Ryan Day is looking for his eighth consecutive AP top 10 finish, including No. 5 last season when the Buckeyes fell short of defending their 2024 national championship. With those high expectations in mind, he had a relatively long list of concerns after coming off the practice field Thursday for the first time this preseason. “Well, I think we all wanna see how the offensive line shakes out here, that’s for sure,” Day said. “I think the tight end room is an interesting room. I think that we do have some depth there, but who’s actually gonna take the majority of those reps?” He also listed backup quarterback and receiver slots three, four, five and six before wondering about the running back position, where 1,000-yard rusher Bo Jackson is back, and the defensive secondary as a whole. While Day being mostly concerned about backups might illustrate the types of “problems” most coaches would gladly take, the offensive line was a sore point throughout the offseason after getting shoved around in seasonending losses to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game and Miami (Fla.) in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. Four starters return, but more than one position might have a new starter when the Buckeyes open the season at home against Ball State on Sept. 5. Austin Siereveld, who started at left tackle last season, was at right guard Thursday to allow the team to take a look at Ian Moore at left tackle. They could end up joining center Carson Hinzman, left guard Luke Montgomery and right tackle Phillip Daniels in the starting lineup, but others are also likely to get a look this month, including Joshua Padilla at guard. At tight end, the Buckeyes lost Will Kacmarek and Max Klare to the NFL, but return Bennett Christian and Nate Roberts. Newcomers include transfer Mason Williams

AP FILE PHOTO By PAUL VERNON

Ohio State coach Ryan Day talks to his team during practice on Aug. 1, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio.

(Ohio University) and Hunter Welcing (Northwestern), so the cupboard is not exactly bare. No one is likely to cry for Day when it comes to receiver either, as All-American Jeremiah Smith is back for his junior season along with senior Brandon Inniss, a respected leader who can play inside or out. The choices to fill in the depth chart there include five-star freshman Chris Henry Jr. and transfers Devin McCuin (TexasSan Antonio) and Kyle Parker (LSU). Despite Jackson’s return at running back, the pecking order might not be determined thanks to a strong offseason for classmate Isaiah West’s work in the weight room over the winter and summer. “He had a tremendous offseason, one of the best in the whole building,” Day said of West, who took reps with the first team offense Thursday. “When he was in there last year, he showed some real good things, so we want him to take the next step, just as we do Bo.” Another option at running back, freshman Legend Bey, was not on the practice field Thursday, and Day attributed that to a violation of team rules. “He’s learning, but he’ll be back on the field soon,” Day said. The Buckeyes open the season on Sept. 5 against Ball State before a potential top 10 matchup at Texas the following week.

Cyclones’ new coach Rogers believes they can reach Big 12 title game BY ERIC OLSON

AP College Football Writer

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU running back Caden Durham races past South Carolina defensive back Judge Collier in the second quarter on Oct. 11 at Tiger Stadium.

In December, CNBC calculated the valuation of the top 75 college athletic programs and pegged LSU’s at $1.05 billion, ranking a robust 12th nationally. continue to spiral? Many questions. Many risks. Still, LSU must do something. “Something” could mean trying to lead the rest of the SEC and college athletics toward meaningful and mutually beneficial reform without legislation that is sure to come with unintended consequences. That’s a big ask, of course. As it stands, LSU is looking out for its own best interests in a hyperinflationary time for college athletics without, as other

schools have done or considered, cutting Olympic sports that do not generate enough revenue to cover their costs. If broadcast revenues grow as expected, this could prove to be a worthwhile gambit. And not one just any school could pull off. In December, CNBC calculated the valuation of the top 75 college athletic programs and pegged LSU’s at $1.05 billion, ranking a robust 12th nationally. LSU has a lucrative brand. It just really needs Lane Kiffin to win big in football. This plan does not solve all of LSU’s financial concerns. And it is vastly uncharted territory to relinquish even a piece of something to outsiders that LSU has always controlled. To quote a Chinese proverb, “It is difficult to ride on the tiger’s back.” For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

New Iowa State coach Jimmy Rogers is nothing if not confident. The Cyclones are picked last in the Big 12 preseason media poll, return no starters and had 55 players transfer after Rogers was hired to replace Matt Campbell, who took 24 of the best with him to Penn State. Rogers admitted to reporters in Ames, Iowa this week that he was the one who picked the Cyclones, in an On3.com anonymous coaches poll, to make it to the Big 12 championship game in his first season. “What would you think if I didn’t vote on us? You’d wonder why I’m the head coach at Iowa State,” Rogers said. “I was brought in to win. Very self-aware. They didn’t hire me to come here and not be competitive. I wasn’t hired for my disposition. I was hired to create a program that competes and wins and that’s the goal. We’re not signing up for second place. “So I know that’s a bold statement, and they’ll print it everywhere. But the reality is this: the players have to believe in what you say, and you have to act on how you believe. I believe that we can win.” Rogers is replacing the all-time wins leader at Iowa State, which went 8-4 overall and 5-4 in the Big 12 in Campbell’s final season. The Cyclones played in seven bowls in Campbell’s 10 years — they opted out of a bowl last season — and appeared in the Big 12 championship game in 2020. The program hasn’t won a conference champi-

AP FILE PHOTO By CHARLIE NEIBERGALL

New Iowa State head football coach Jimmy Rogers speaks during a timeout in the first half of a men’s basketball game between Iowa State and Iowa on Dec. 11 in Ames, Iowa.

onship since 1912. Tight end Tyler Fortenberry said Rogers’ prediction surprises no one on the team. He said Rogers’ abundance of confidence comes from the success he was part of as an assistant and head coach at South Dakota State of the Football Championship Subdivision. In his only year at Washington State, he led a team with 75 newcomers to a 6-6 record and a bowl bid. “Coach Rogers does a good job in team meetings making sure we’re not focused on what Twitter says, what Instagram says or what the media says about what we’re going to finish,” Fortenberry said. “They all have us 16th. If you buy into that and believe what the media has to say, you’re not going to get anywhere in life.”

6C ■ Saturday,August 8, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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NFL Lions’ Gibbs relieved ‘stressful’ contract negotiations are over BY BOB TRIPI

The Associated Press

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SETH WENIG

New york Jets quarterback Geno Smith throws during practice at the team’s training camp on July 30 in Florham Park, N.J.

At 35 , Jets’ Smith has Reich seeing a QB in his prime BY DENNIS WASZAK JR. AP pro football Writer

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Frank Reich had to think for a second while raving — again — about Geno Smith, pondering the New York Jets quarterback’s age. “I don’t know how old he is. Isn’t he past 35?,” the offensive coordinator asked Friday before being told Smith is actually 35. “It feels like he’s 28. I’m telling you, it feels like physically, I see no ... like, he is in his prime, physically.” Not bad for a quarterback entering his 14th NFL season, a journey that began as a second-round draft pick of the Jets in 2013 and has included several ups and downs on the field along the way. “Like his arm, the way he moves, his feet in the pocket, he’s physically in his prime,” said Reich, in his first season running the Jets’ offense. “So he takes great care of himself and that’s going to help this team.” New York certainly hopes so. The Jets acquired Smith in the offseason from Las Vegas to add a veteran quarterback to an offense that struggled mightily during a 3-14 season. The Jets ranked last or near the bottom in several offensive categories as the likes of Justin Fields, Tyrod Taylor and Brady Cook took turns calling the

signals for then-coordinator Tanner Engstrand. Their 8 yards per completion was the lowest mark in the NFL, and that’s something that’s expected to improve significantly. Smith has always been able to stretch the field, especially during three straight seasons of at least 3,500 yards passing in Seattle from 2022-24. He threw for 3,025 last year in a down season with Las Vegas that included an NFL-leading 17 interceptions. Back with the Jets, Smith has had a mostly good training camp. And he has thoroughly impressed Reich, who said during minicamp that the quarterback has an “elite” football mind. Reich was back gushing about Smith on Friday. “Geno’s the leader,” Reich said. “He’s the leader of the offense, make no mistake about it, in every way, shape and form. And to me, what has become crystal clear in this early time in training camp, the attribute that sticks out to me is his laser focus. This man is laser focused like people don’t understand. Like, he comes to work and he is locked in. “And I feel like the whole offense plays off of that. That’s a really big deal.” Reich has seen what leadership looks like from a quarterback. He was a longtime backup to Jim

Kelly as a player and has coached Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, Andrew Luck and Matt Ryan. The offensive coordinator also knows what good quarterback play looks like. And he sees all of that in Smith, granted, still in the protected, no-contact confines of training camp. “I remember when he was coming out (of college), I had a high grade on him,” Reich said. “His throwing mechanics, if I’m just talking pure upper-body mechanics, they’re pure. There’s only a couple guys in the league that I would say are pure. Geno’s one of them.” Smith has also been drawing positive reviews from his teammates, who have praised his leadership since re-joining the Jets. “Geno is a legend to guys like me,” fifth-year tight end Jelani Woods said. “He’s been in the league for a long time. You look up to him, just the professionalism he has, it’s something that you look into and he’s one of those guys that you go up to and talk to him at any time. He sits with you at the lunch table, he sits with anybody at the lunch table and you just have a simple conversation with him and just talk about life outside of football. “And, you know, stuff like that goes a long way.”

Washington-area native Diggs returns home to Commanders BY ETHAN CADEAUX Associated Press

ASHBURN,Va. — For the first decade of his NFL career, Stefon Diggs always felt like he had something to prove when going up against Washington. “That’s my hometown team, them and the Baltimore Ravens,” Diggs said Friday. “I always played with a chip on my shoulder, but the chip got really big when I’d go home because I felt like they passed up on me, didn’t give me a chance, and I was right in their backyard.” Washington, and every NFL franchise, passed on Diggs multiple times in the 2015 draft before Minnesota selected him in the fifth round. After stints with the Vikings, Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans and New England Patriots, and four Pro Bowl selections later, Diggs signed with his hometown Commanders earlier this week. It’s a full-circle moment for Diggs, a Gaithersburg, Maryland, native who played for youth programs in the area growing up. A five-star recruit with scholarship offers practically anywhere in the country, Diggs chose to stay home and play for the University of Maryland. “I can’t write a better story,” Diggs said. “At this point in my career, being healthy, coming off an ACL (injury), having success, going to your hometown team and wanting to shine for them. ... I want to put on for my city.” His homecoming is more than

just a feel-good story. The Commanders entered training camp with a massive hole at No. 2 wide receiver opposite Terry McLaurin, and Diggs figures to fill it as an instant upgrade. Stylistically, Diggs is an excellent fit opposite McLaurin, who is a more traditional “X” receiver. Diggs has experience playing on the perimeter and in the slot and was one of the league’s best chainmovers in 2025 — 51 of his 85 receptions went for first downs. “When you see him work inside as a slot player, he’s got great feel,” head coach Dan Quinn said. “He’s a great competitor. … He’s somebody certainly that can move the chains, and you know how important that is — to have somebody that has the detail of option routes and specifics.” Diggs said he didn’t have a personal relationship with McLaurin before his arrival, but admired his new teammate’s game and intensity from afar and called it “real similar to myself.” Diggs praised the rest of the Commanders’ receivers, specifically rookie Antonio Williams, who he said “can hoop a little bit.” Quinn said the plan for Diggs was to ramp up over the next two days, but the 32-year-old arrived in great shape and participated in individual and team drills on Friday. His immediate focus is in the classroom, hoping to learn new offensive coordinator David Blough’s system quickly. Throughout his career, Diggs has earned the reputation of helping

elevate young quarterbacks. After a so-so rookie year, New England’s Drake Maye finished second in MVP voting last season with Diggs as his top target. Josh Allen took a major step forward in 2020, Diggs’ first year in Buffalo. “Quarterbacks got a lot on their plate, so I bring it down a notch and talk to them brother to brother,” Diggs said. “With young quarterbacks, making plays for them gives them confidence. That puts a battery in their back to feel like, ‘Man, I can do anything out here.’ That’s how I try to help them: just by playing well.” With Washington, Diggs joins Jayden Daniels, who proved himself as AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2024. The duo started building their chemistry on Friday. “They got a great young quarterback,” Diggs said. “He’s a star. He’s a superstar. I’m excited for him, excited for this team.” In Buffalo and Houston, Diggs was selected as a team captain. Quinn said the receiver’s leadership skills have already stood out in their brief time together. For now, Diggs’ goal is to earn the respect of his teammates and coaches through his play and experience. “I always try to push the guys around me to be the best version of themselves,” Diggs said. “At the same time, more show than tell. I can say a bunch of hoopla, but I’d rather just go out there and hoop and show you why I did what I did or communicate through the actions.”

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Detroit Lions Pro Bowl running back Jahmyr Gibbs finally got what he wanted. A record-setting contract brought financial security, but for Gibbs, it also ended an anxious wait that had kept him off the practice field. “This process has been extremely stressful,” Gibbs said Friday, one day after signing a three-year contract extension that made him the highest-paid running back in NFL history. “I just wanted to play ball. I missed being out there with my teammates and coaches and it’s just fun being out there now.” The extension, agreed to Thursday, is worth $67.5 million over three years and could reach $75.75 million with incentives. It includes $51.5 million in guaranteed money, according to multiple reports, surpassing the deal Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson signed earlier this week. After signing the contract, Gibbs participated only in individual drills Friday, but said the biggest relief was putting the negotiations behind him. Three years ago, many questioned whether the Lions had reached by selecting a running back with the 12th overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft. Gibbs said the criticism never bothered him. “For me, I didn’t really care, because I knew what I could do, and I was confident in myself,” he said. Three seasons into his career, Gibbs has put together one of the most productive starts by a running back in NFL history. Despite sharing the backfield with David Montgomery, Gibbs has scored 49 total touchdowns in his first three NFL seasons, the most by any player during that span. He broke the previous record of 47 set by Hall of Famer and former Lion Barry Sanders. Last season, Gibbs totaled 1,839 yards from scrimmage, including 1,223 rushing yards and 616 receiving yards, while scoring 18 touchdowns. He also set career highs with 77 receptions, 616 receiving yards and five touchdown catches. Since entering the league, Gibbs has rushed for 3,580 yards — seventh-most in the NFL during that span — while averaging 5.3 yards per carry. He has topped 1,200 rushing yards in each of the past two seasons and caught at least 50 passes in all

AP PHOTO By PAUL SANCyA

Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs runs a drill during practice at the team’s training camp on Friday in Allen Park, Mich.

three years. Lions Associate Head Coach Scottie Montgomery said Gibbs earned the extension through both his production and his professionalism. “He has came in from day one and did everything we asked him to do,” Montgomery said. “He is what a pro should be.” Montgomery said Gibbs has continued to improve each season while maintaining the same approach that made him the 12th overall pick. “I hope a lot of kids, a lot of people are watching the way that he went about the process,” Montgomery said. “Going from year one to year two to year three and continually getting better.” Montgomery also pointed to Gibbs’ versatility as one of the reasons he has become such an important part of Detroit’s offense. “When you got a guy like Jah, you can be a bell cow and touch it 10 times and have 200 total yards,” Montgomery said. “He can play at the receiver position. He can play at the wing position. He can play at the back.” Gibbs said he heard from several fellow NFL running backs after agreeing to the extension, including Robinson, Montgomery, Derrick Henry, Jonathan Taylor, Christian McCaffrey, James Cook and De’Von Achane. Gibbs said signing the extension also means he gets to remain in a city he has embraced since arriving in 2023. “Before I got here, everything you hear about Detroit is negative,” Gibbs said. “Since I’ve been here, all I can say is positive things. The people, there’s a lot of good food, the culture. “I love being here. I’m so glad I get to be here for the next five years.”

Raiders’ Cousins, Crosby scuffle in Friday practice BY MARK ANDERSON Associated Press

HENDERSON, Nev. — Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins and star pass rusher Maxx Crosby got into a scuffle late in practice Friday before their teammates quickly jumped in and separated them. Cousins, who is operating the first-team offense in training camp, remained on the field to finish the drive. Crosby, however, was sent to the sideline. “Those are two leaders of our team going at it, so that is part of camp,” coach Klint Kubiak said. “Obviously, if you fight in a game and throw a punch in game, then you’re out of the game. So we’ve got to be smart and treat it like a game.”

Cousins appeared upset that Crosby tipped his pass, forcing an incompletion, and then charged the 6-foot-5, 256-pound defensive end who is three inches taller and 42 pounds heavier. “We don’t want to be throwing punches, but I think on any padded day of camp, there’s going to be some tussles,” tight end Michael Mayer said. “That’s our starting quarterback right now, and you want him to defend your team and you want him to have some edge to him, which he does. He’s always had since the first day I met him when he came in here. “I don’t want him getting thrown out. I don’t want him getting a flag. Nothing like that, but you’ve got to be able to defend yourself.”

– SINCE I842 –

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Saturday,August 8, 2026 ■ 7C

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Allen, Bills eager to practice in new stadium BY JOHN WAWROW

Getting accustomed

Associated Press

PITTSFORD,N.Y.— Josh Allen laughed at the notion of some referring to the Buffalo Bills’ new home as “the house that Josh built” by saying he had nothing to do with the $2.1 billion facility’s design or construction. It’s a figurative nickname, after all, in representing how the Bills have enjoyed a surge in popularity and competitiveness since the star quarterback’s arrival in 2018. What Allen can’t dispute is looking forward to the Bills’ first opportunity to take the field at Highmark Stadium on Saturday night, when the team holds its annual Blue and Red scrimmage in front of what’s expected to be a full house. “It’s really cool to be a part of a team that gets to play the inaugural season at a new stadium, a stadium I think that was long-needed here in Western New York,” Allen said Friday after the Bills closed their training camp schedule in suburban Rochester, New York. Allen acknowledged he’s not much of a sentimentalist in reflecting on the team’s former home, also called Highmark, which has since been reduced to rubble across the street. “We had good times there,” he said. “But looking forward to having good times in the new one, too.”

Entering the modern age In having bid farewell to their aging, utilitarian home, with dark, narrow corridors and few amenities, the Bills make the transition into the modern age. There will be much to get accus-

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By JEFFREy T. BARNES

A general interior view of the Buffalo Bills’ new Highmark Stadium is shown before a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 23 in Orchard Park, N.y. tomed to, from new sightlines to the sound system, a curved overhang to reduce the effects of the wind and elements, and a natural grass field replacing the artificial turf surface. There will be no cramped tunnel for the players of both teams to squeeze out of, with home and visiting locker rooms now separated. And even the seating configuration will be different, with the 60,000-plus seats stacked more vertically, and seemingly on top of the action. First-year coach Joe Brady re-

gards the practice on Saturday as the first of several key test runs. The Bills will hold several more practices in the new facility, along with playing two preseason games, before their prime-time Thursday home opener against Detroit on Sept. 17. “I’m going to be looking at everything, just getting a feel of play clocks while I am calling it. Vantage points from lights and how does the wind feel? There’s so many things just from my perspective,” Brady said, noting he has spent countless meetings go-

ing over every scenario regarding the new stadium. Brady even had Bills staff provide an orientation of the building to members of players’ families. The last thing the coach wants is having his players distracted on game day because someone can’t find an entrance. “It’s like truly walking into the house,” general manager Brandon Beane said. “Yeah, it’ll be different, and the number one thing we have to do is try and get over there as much as we can with our team to make it feel like home.”

For most players, it won’t take long to get accustomed to their new surroundings. The big exception is the special teams unit, with kicker Tyler Bass and Buffalo’s two punters on the roster having to take into account the wind and elements. Though the new stadium is not covered, it has design elements to reduce the effects of the wind. The curved overhang is one element. Another is the new stadium being taller and also having a north-south orientation. That’s different from the west-east-facing former home, which allowed the gusting winds blowing in off of Lake Erie to funnel and swirl into the stadium bowl. “I’d love to go over there on a windy day just to see,” long-snapper Reid Ferguson said. “I’m sure it’ll take a few practices in there to kind of get our bearings on the different parts of the field where the wind may swirl a little bit, if there is any. So, yeah, excited to get in there.” Veteran pass rusher Bradley Chubb might be in his first season with the Bills, but he’s familiar with playing in Buffalo after spending the previous four seasons with the AFC East rival Miami Dolphins. Though eager to play in the new stadium, Chubb said he’ll miss the old one. “It’s that old-school feel. Everybody shares the same tunnel, the locker room’s not super updated, the shower’s cold, even when it’s cold outside,” Chubb said. “But you know, change is good. New is good.”

Saints sign New Orleans native LB Jones

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DOUG BENC

From left, Luke Kuechly, Drew Brees, Roger Craig, Adam Vinatieri and Larry Fitzgerald, all members of the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame, pose with past inductees during the official Hall of Fame portrait on Friday in Canton, Ohio.

BREES

Continued from page 3C Former Saints head coach Sean Payton, who teamed with Brees for 15 magical seasons in New Orleans, will serve as Brees’ presenter. His pre-recorded video address will be played before Brees takes the stage to deliver his speech. Brees said multiple times this week that he expects to get emotional during his speech, which he said will extend beyond the 8-to12-minute time limit officials have suggested. “(The speech) is a 20-chapter book that gets condensed into one chapter,” he said. “I’m just going to roll, because if I don’t, then I’ll get emotional.” Even that might not help. While working on his speech for the past six months, Brees said he wept “no less than 50 times” while reflecting on his legendary 20-year career. “I’ve tried to put myself in the moment, and I get super emotional, so I’m trying to get it all out of the way so that I can be a nice, smooth speech and not make everyone too uncomfortable.” The sellout crowd at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium will be filled with thousands of Saints fans, who migrated to Canton by the thousands this week to celebrate Brees, who led the Saints to their one and only Super Bowl title in 2009. Hundreds of them crowded the streets outside the Hall of Fame on Friday to cheer Brees as he and the rest of the Class of 2026 made the traditional Hall of Fame walk to the front of the museum for the traditional group photo. All three of the Saints’ living Hall of Famers — Morten Andersen (2017), Rickey Jackson (2010) and Willie Roaf (2012) — will be in attendance, as well. (Former Saints linebacker Sam Mills was

enshrined posthumously in 2022.) “It’s wonderful for Drew to get in, and there was no doubt that he was a first-ballot Hall of Famer,” Roaf said. “He’s the greatest Saint ever. I’m looking forward to his speech, and I’m looking forward to the fans showing him a lot of love.” Among the notable supporters in Brees’ contingent will be SaintsPelicans owner Gayle Benson, former Saints special-teams standout Steve Gleason and three former teammates who are on the current Saints roster: Cam Jordan, Alvin Kamara and Zach Wood. Several members of the Saints’ executive team, led by general manager Mickey Loomis, also made the trip on Benson’s private jet, which left New Orleans on Friday afternoon. After the enshrinement ceremony, Benson and Loomis will join Payton at the official unveiling of Brees’ bust in the adjacent Hall of Fame. Many of them are expected to attend the ceremony and after-party at a local country club, where the contingent will be divided into four groups, with memento-filled rooms dedicated to the primary stages of Brees’ life: n Austin, Texas, where Brees starred as a youth sports sensation and led Westlake High School to its first state football championship. n Purdue University, where Brees developed into a recordsetting Heisman Trophy candidate and put himself on the national map by leading the Boilermakers to the school’s first Rose Bowl in decades. n San Diego, where he earned the first of his 13 Pro Bowl invitations and led the Chargers to their first division title and playoff berth in almost a decade. n New Orleans, where he changed the image, perception and fortunes of the Saints organization by leading the team to seven divi-

sion titles and the club’s first Super Bowl championship in 2009. “I did it this way because each one was so instrumental in this honor,” Brees said. “I wouldn’t be here without all of them and all of them together.” Brees said he plans to acknowledge as many people from the four groups as possible at the after-party. He reflected on his four-part journey during a press briefing with reporters at a promotional event in Canton on Friday, citing the championships he and teammates won at each stop along the way. “It’s been five years since my retirement, so I’ve had a chance to convey my gratitude to so many of those people that may not get mentioned by name in the speech, just because there’s only so much time.” Brees said. “This week for me in Canton is really all about showing my gratitude to all the people who helped me on this journey and my appreciation to all the Hall of Famers who paved the way for us to be able to play this game in the environment that we did, under the circumstances that we did.” Brees and his fellow Class of 2026 classmates shared a special bonding moment during the traditional Hall of Famers toast in the bust gallery at the Hall on Thursday night, where they were celebrated by officials and the 117 gold-jacketed Hall of Famers who were in attendance. “I’m just trying to take it all in, and every moment, it becomes just a little bit more real,” he said, adding that the Hall of Fame toast was particularly resonant. “All of a sudden you’re clinking glasses with Lawrence Taylor, and you’re like, ‘Whoa, that just happened.’ It’s pretty special.” Email Jeff Duncan at jduncan@theadvocate.com.

The Saints signed veteran linebacker Deion Jones after working out 12 players on Friday. Jones is a former LSU star and Jesuit graduate who has played 10 years in the NFL. He spent the past two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but has plenty of other experience in the division. He spent his first six years with the Atlanta Falcons and the 2023 season with the Carolina Panthers. Now, Jones completes the NFC South tour by signing with the Saints. He played in every game for Tampa Bay last season, but appeared in only 11.5% of the team’s defensive snaps. In his prime, Jones was a versatile piece who could line up all over the defense. He made the Pro Bowl in 2017, a season in which he recorded 138 tackles with three interceptions. In addition to Jones, the Saints were also awarded defensive end Garrett Nelson off waivers, waived defensive tackle Keeshawn Silver (calf) with an injury settlement and placed defensive lineman Bryan Bresee (ACL) on injured reserve. Nelson,26,was most recently with the Seattle Seahawks,but he was briefly on the Saints’ practice squad last October. Jones, 31, joins a Saints linebacker room that includes Kaden Elliss, Pete Werner, Danny Stutsman, Isaiah Stalbird, Chris Rumph and Jackson Sirmon. The Saints had an open roster spot after placing wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk on reserve/retired earlier this week. Matthew Paras

SAINTS

Continued from page 3C

clean off the line of scrimmage to create havoc in the backfield. He has yet to be elevated from the third unit, but it might be worth seeing what he can do if his production continues. Heldman, too, isn’t the Saints’ stereotypical pass rusher. At 6-foot-3, he is the team’s shortest edge rusher — ahead of only 6-foot-2 Anfernee Jennings. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler wrote before the draft that Heldman was like a “MAClevel version of Joey Bosa,” which could explain the Saints’ interest in him as defensive coordinator Brandon Staley coached Bosa with the Chargers. He had a breakout, 10 1/ 2 sack season as a fifth-year senior last fall.

Renegades. After spending a year on New Orleans’ practice squad, Price has had a nice start to camp. He has primarily played on the inside with the second unit, which could make him the next man up if Jonas Sanker gets hurt. Price, at 5-foot-11, plays with good physicality. He has had several pass breakups over the first week, especially in one-on-one drills. The latter is even arguably more impressive since that work typically puts the cornerback at a severe disadvantage. Price could be making a solid case for a roster spot, especially given how 1. Barion Brown • WR thin the Saints’ depth appears to This is what training camp is all be at cornerback. about. Take a peek at social media the last few days — or sim3. Moliki Matavao • TE ply listen to the crowd any time If this list was made at the con- Brown catches a pass — and the clusion of OTAs and mandatory sixth-round rookie has quickly minicamp, Matavao would have become a fan favorite. Few — if been the clear winner. Taken in any — saw this coming. When the seventh round out of UCLA the Saints drafted Brown with last year, the 23-year-old was al- the 190th overall pick, the expecmost impossible to ignore. The tation was that the LSU product ball seemingly always went to would be a return specialist. And him, even when he got first-team even then, there was no guaranreps with quarterback Tyler tee he’d make the roster. Perhaps the initial vision for Shough. The production has cooled off Brown still shakes out. But the a little since then. But there’s exciting part of camp is that the still a lot to like about Matavao’s 22-year-old seems like he’s cagame. “He’s a big dude,” team- pable of so much more. Maybe mate Noah Fant said, referenc- that’s an overreaction. But Brown ing the tight end’s 6-foot-6 frame. looks like a real receiver. At least “He can catch the ball really well, in practice, Brown’s 4.4 speed has translated to the field — not too.” only in one-on-one drills, but also 2. Michael Heldman • DE in 11-on-11 work. The number of There have been a few instanc- his eye-catching plays appears to es over the last week in which be increasing by the day, all while reporters — including this one firing up his teammates. The hype train is starting to — covering the Saints have said, ‘Wait, who is No. 63?” That has take off. Now it’ll be on Brown to turned out to be Michael Held- keep delivering. man, an undrafted defensive end out of Central Michigan. Email Matthew Paras at matt. Repeatedly, Heldman has won paras@theadvocate.com

8C ■ Saturday, August 8, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL National League glance

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

W 68 64 64 56 54

L 46 51 51 60 62

Pct .596 .557 .557 .483 .466

GB — 4½ 4½ 13 15

Chicago Cleveland Minnesota Detroit Kansas City

W 59 58 58 56 48

L 56 59 59 59 69

Pct .513 .496 .496 .487 .410

GB — 2 2 3 12

Houston Texas Seattle Athletics Los Angeles

W 59 58 56 45 45

L 57 58 60 71 71

Pct .509 .500 .483 .388 .388

GB — 1 3 14 14

Central Division

West Division

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 Minnesota 4, Kansas City 3 Boston 12, Chicago White Sox 11, 13 inn.

Friday’s games

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CHARLIE RIEDEL

Winning debut

SCOREBOARD Hole-in-one

Second round

Matthew Diment Course: Beaver Creek Hole, yardage: No. 8, n/a Club selection: Wedge Witnesses: Avery Thibodeaux, Curtis Brooks

Odds NFL Thursday, Aug. 13 FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG at CINCINNATI 3½ 3½ (38) Detroit at PITTSBURGH 1½ 1½ (37½) Green Bay at NEW ENG. 1½ 1½ (38½) Indianapolis at HOUSTON 1½ 1½ (38½) LA Chargers at LAS VEGAS 1½ 1½ (39½) Arizona Tennessee 2½ 2½ (37½) at SAN FRAN. Friday, Aug. 14 FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG at WASHINGTON 1½ 1½ (36½) Miami Denver 3½ 4½ (36½) at ATLANTA Tampa Bay 1½ 1½ (35½) at NY JETS Saturday, Aug. 15 FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG Minnesota 1½ 1½ (38½) at NY GIANTS at BUFFALO 1½ 2½ (37½) Carolina at CHICAGO 1½ 1½ (38½) Cleveland Jacksonville 1½ 1½ (38½) at N.O. at KANSAS CITY 1½ 1½ (36½) LA Rams Philadelphia 2½ 2½ (36½) at BALTIMORE at SEATTLE 2½ 2½ (37½) Dallas

College football

Saturday, Aug. 29 FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG at TCU 6½ 7½ (48½) No. Carolina at USC 35½ 38½(59½) San Jose St. at VIRGINIA 5½ 5½ (54½) NC State at N. DAKOTA ST. 8½ 7½ (48½) J’ville St. at E. MICHIGAN 7½ 8½ (53½) Sacra. St. at STANFORD 3½ 4½ (50½) Hawaii at FLORIDA ST. 30½ 31½(52½) New Mex. St. at UNLV 3½ 6 (57½) Memphis

Major League Baseball American League FAVORITE at BOSTON Cleveland at TEXAS at SEATTLE

LINE UNDERDOG -225 Athletics -128 at WHITE SOX -144 Baltimore -120 Tampa Bay

FAVORITE at PITTSBURGH Cincinnati at ST. LOUIS LA Dodgers

LINE UNDERDOG LINE -141 N.Y Mets +117 -143 at WASHINGTON +120 -161 Colorado +133 -173 at ARIZONA +143

National League

Interleague

LINE +185 +107 +127 -100

FAVORITE LINE UNDERDOG LINE Atlanta -134 at N.Y YANKEES +112 at MIAMI -163 LA Angels +135 at PHILADELPHIA -159 Toronto +132 at MILWAUKEE -150 Minnesota +125 Chicago Cubs -170 at KANSAS CITY +149 Houston -112 at SAN DIEGO -102 Detroit -132 at SAN FRAN. +116

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

W 19 19 19 18 12 10 7

L 12 12 13 12 19 21 24

WESTERN CONFERENCE Minnesota Las Vegas Golden State Dallas Los Angeles Phoenix Portland Seattle

W 25 22 21 19 12 13 12 6

Thursday’s games

L 7 9 9 12 18 20 19 27

Pct .633 .613 .594 .600 .387 .323 .226

GB — — ½ ½ 7 9 12

Pct .781 .710 .700 .613 .400 .394 .387 .182

GB — 2½ 3 5½ 12 12½ 12½ 19½

Las Vegas 86, Indiana 84, OT Los Angeles 89, Minnesota 82 Portland 97, Toronto 83

Friday’s games

Washington 79, Atlanta 74 Phoenix 75, Connecticut 72 Golden State at Dallas, n

Saturday’s games

Las Vegas at Minnesota, noon Indiana at Chicago, 2:30 p.m. Seattle at Portland, 7:30 p.m.

Pro football Preseason glance Thursday’s score

Carolina 33, Arizona 30

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.

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.

Golf PGA Tour Wyndham Championship

At Sedgefield Country Club; Greensboro, N.C.; Purse: $8.5 million; Yardage: 7,131; Par: 70

Beau Hossler Benjamin James Jordan L. Smith Michael Brennan Doug Ghim Max Greyserman Rico Hoey Billy Horschel Alex Noren Matti Schmid David Skinns Alex Smalley Sahith Theegala Eric Cole Tom Hoge Tom Kim Denny McCarthy Chad Ramey Jackson Suber Davis Thompson Zachary Bauchou Tyler Collet Brooks Koepka Hayden Springer Kevin Yu Rafael Campos Trace Crowe Joel Dahmen Alex Fitzpatrick Joe Highsmith Hideki Matsuyama Maverick McNealy Chandler Phillips Kevin Roy Adrien Saddier Erik Van Rooyen Danny Walker Ricky Castillo Bud Cauley Austin Eckroat Harry Hall Mackenzie Hughes Sungjae Im Michael Kim Jackson Koivun Taylor Pendrith Brandt Snedeker Kevin Streelman Patrick Fishburn Lee Hodges Rasmus Højgaard Chris Kirk Justin Lower Matthew McCarty Andrew Novak Pontus Nyholm Thorbjørn Olesen John Parry Marco Penge Aaron Rai Neal Shipley Justin Thomas Kris Ventura Kihei Akina Christiaan Bezuidenhout Keegan Bradley Davis Chatfield Nicolas Echavarria Tony Finau Kensei Hirata Patton Kizzire Ben Kohles Peter Malnati Keith Mitchell Andrew Putnam Webb Simpson Austin Smotherman Jordan Spieth Nick Taylor Matt Wallace Cameron Young Zac Blair Brian Campbell Brice Garnett Ryan Gerard Ben Griffin Emiliano Grillo Brian Harman Mac Meissner C.T. Pan Karl Vilips Luke Clanton A.J. Ewart Takumi Kanaya Johnny Keefer J.T. Poston Marcelo Rozo Zecheng Dou Adrien Dumont De Chassart Harris English Lucas Glover Lanto Griffin Jeffrey Kang Stefano Mazzoli Max McGreevy Matthieu Pavon Patrick Rodgers Gordon Sargent Ben Silverman Sam Stevens Alejandro Tosti

LIV Golf New York

61-67—128 -12 62-67—129 -11 65-64—129 -11 66-65—131 -9 64-67—131 -9 65-66—131 -9 66-65—131 -9 65-66—131 -9 66-65—131 -9 64-67—131 -9 66-65—131 -9 67-64—131 -9 62-69—131 -9 63-69—132 -8 65-67—132 -8 65-67—132 -8 64-68—132 -8 66-66—132 -8 67-65—132 -8 64-68—132 -8 64-69—133 -7 67-66—133 -7 67-66—133 -7 64-69—133 -7 65-68—133 -7 65-69—134 -6 70-64—134 -6 68-66—134 -6 66-68—134 -6 67-67—134 -6 65-69—134 -6 67-67—134 -6 67-67—134 -6 68-66—134 -6 67-67—134 -6 69-65—134 -6 69-65—134 -6 67-68—135 -5 65-70—135 -5 67-68—135 -5 69-66—135 -5 68-67—135 -5 67-68—135 -5 67-68—135 -5 67-68—135 -5 66-69—135 -5 65-70—135 -5 69-66—135 -5 68-68—136 -4 66-70—136 -4 68-68—136 -4 69-67—136 -4 69-67—136 -4 66-70—136 -4 68-68—136 -4 69-67—136 -4 69-67—136 -4 66-70—136 -4 73-63—136 -4 69-67—136 -4 69-67—136 -4 66-70—136 -4 69-67—136 -4 67-70—137 -3 68-69—137 -3 70-67—137 -3 69-68—137 -3 68-69—137 -3 71-66—137 -3 68-69—137 -3 69-68—137 -3 66-71—137 -3 66-71—137 -3 65-72—137 -3 69-68—137 -3 70-67—137 -3 66-71—137 -3 68-69—137 -3 69-68—137 -3 71-66—137 -3 71-66—137 -3 68-70—138 -2 70-68—138 -2 70-68—138 -2 67-71—138 -2 69-69—138 -2 69-69—138 -2 67-71—138 -2 68-70—138 -2 70-68—138 -2 65-73—138 -2 68-71—139 -1 71-68—139 -1 69-70—139 -1 68-71—139 -1 70-69—139 -1 72-67—139 -1 69-71—140 E 69-71—140 E 74-66—140 E 69-71—140 E 71-69—140 E 71-69—140 E 68-72—140 E 68-72—140 E 70-70—140 E 70-70—140 E 72-68—140 E 69-71—140 E 72-68—140 E 70-70—140 E

At Trump National Golf Club Bedminster Bedminster, N.J.; Purse: $20M (Individual); $10M (Team); Yardage: 7,651; Par: 71

Second round

Joaquin Niemann Lee Westwood Sergio García Harold Varner III Tom McKibbin Richard Bland Paul Casey Scott Vincent Lucas Herbert Thomas Pieters Ian Poulter Yosuke Asaji Marc Leishman Peter Uihlein An Byeong-hun Michael La Sasso Richard T. Lee Dustin Johnson Anirban Lahiri Song Young-han Travis Smyth Talor Gooch Carlos Ortiz Lee Dai-han Branden Grace Brendan Steele Abraham Ancer

64-65-129 69-65-134 70-65-135 69-67-136 70-66-136 73-64-137 70-67-137 69-68-137 66-71-137 68-70-138 66-72-138 70-69-139 71-69-140 71-69-140 72-68-140 72-69-141 73-68-141 71-70-141 74-67-141 72-70-142 71-71-142 74-68-142 71-71-142 71-71-142 73-69-142 68-74-142 71-72-143

-13 -8 -7 -6 -6 -5 -5 -5 -5 -4 -4 -3 -2 -2 -2 -1 -1 -1 -1 E E E E E E E +1

Jon Rahm Josele Ballester Laurie Canter Martin Vorster Charl Schwartzel Charles Howell III Cameron Tringale

72-71-143 71-72-143 73-70-143 74-70-144 75-69-144 75-69-144 74-70-144

+1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +2

Atlanta Philadelphia Miami Washington New York

W 70 62 58 57 51

L 45 54 59 61 66

Pct .609 .534 .496 .483 .436

GB — 8½ 13 14½ 20

Milwaukee Chicago St. Louis Cincinnati Pittsburgh

W 72 68 58 56 57

L 44 49 58 59 61

Pct .621 .581 .500 .487 .483

GB — 4½ 14 15½ 16

Los Angeles Arizona San Diego San Francisco Colorado

W 69 61 60 48 45

L 46 55 56 67 71

Pct .600 .526 .517 .417 .388

GB — 8½ 9½ 21 24½

Central Division

West Division

Thursday’s games

Cincinnati 6, Athletics 5 N.Y. Mets 13, Cleveland 6 Milwaukee 5, Pittsburgh 2 Chicago Cubs 3, Toronto 2, 11 innings Philadelphia 7, Washington 3 Atlanta 11, Miami 3 San Diego 5, Arizona 1

Friday’s games

Boston 13, Athletics 1 L.A. Angels 4, Miami 3 Cleveland 8, Chicago White Sox 2 Minnesota 8, Milwaukee 6 Texas 2, Baltimore 1 Chicago Cubs 6, Kansas City 4 Toronto at Philadelphia, n Atlanta at N.Y. Yankees, n L.A. Angels at Miami, n Houston at San Diego, n Tampa Bay at Seattle, n Detroit at San Francisco, n

Washington 5, Cincinnati 3 N.Y. Mets 6, Pittsburgh 4 L.A. Angels 4, Miami 3 Minnesota 8, Milwaukee 6 Chicago Cubs 6, Kansas City 4 St. Louis 3, Colorado 2 Toronto at Philadelphia, n Atlanta at N.Y. Yankees, n Houston at San Diego, n L.A. Dodgers at Arizona, n Detroit at San Francisco, n

Saturday’s games

Saturday’s games

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Kevin Gausman throws while manager Craig Counsell watches after Gausman was hit by a single from Kansas City designated hitter Salvador Perez in the first inning on Friday in Kansas City, Mo. Gausman, a former LSU star who was traded to the Cubs from the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday, pitched seven innings, giving up two runs on four hits with four strikeouts in a 6-4 Cubs win.

East Division

Atlanta (Sale 12-6) at N.Y. Yankees (Cole 5-5), 2:05 p.m. Athletics (Jump 4-7) at Boston (Bennett 7-4), 3:10 p.m. L.A. Angels (Ureña 7-7) at Miami (Alcantara 12-6), 3:10 p.m. Toronto (Scherzer 1-4) at Philadelphia (Nola 3-9), 5:05 p.m. Chicago Cubs (Holmes 4-4) at Kansas City (Lugo 4-7), 6:10 p.m. Minnesota (Bradley 9-4) at Milwaukee (Gasser 3-4), 6:10 p.m. Baltimore (Bradish 7-10) at Texas (deGrom 7-7), 6:15 p.m. Cleveland (Williams 11-6) at Chicago White Sox (Kay 8-5), 6:15 p.m. Detroit (Jobe 0-0) at San Francisco (Roupp 7-10), 6:15 p.m. Houston (Lambert 8-5) at San Diego (King 6-8), 6:15 p.m. Tampa Bay (Jax 6-9) at Seattle (Kirby 8-9), 8:50 p.m.

Atlanta (Sale 12-6) at N.Y. Yankees (Cole 5-5), 2:05 p.m. L.A. Angels (Ureña 7-7) at Miami (Alcantara 12-6), 3:10 p.m. Toronto (Scherzer 1-4) at Philadelphia (Nola 3-9), 5:05 p.m. N.Y. Mets (Stock 0-1) at Pittsburgh (Chandler 4-8), 5:40 p.m. Cincinnati (Burns 13-1) at Washington (Alvarez 2-3), 5:45 p.m. Chicago Cubs (Holmes 4-4) at Kansas City (Lugo 4-7), 6:10 p.m. Minnesota (Bradley 9-4) at Milwaukee (Gasser 3-4), 6:10 p.m. Colorado (Freeland 3-10) at St. Louis (Liberatore 5-8), 6:15 p.m. Detroit (Jobe 0-0) at San Francisco (Roupp 7-10), 6:15 p.m. Houston (Lambert 8-5) at San Diego (King 6-8), 6:15 p.m. L.A. Dodgers (Yamamoto 11-7) at Arizona (Pfaadt 6-1), 7:10 p.m.

WILD-CARD GLANCE

Soccer MLS glance Eastern Conference Nashville Inter Miami CF New England Chicago New York City FC Cincinnati Charlotte FC New York D.C. United Orlando City Columbus Toronto FC Philadelphia CF Montréal Atlanta

W 12 11 9 9 7 7 7 7 5 6 5 3 4 4 3

Western Conference

L 2 2 5 6 6 6 7 7 5 10 8 7 10 10 12

T Pts 4 40 5 38 3 30 2 29 5 26 5 26 4 25 4 25 8 23 2 20 5 20 8 17 4 16 4 16 3 12

GF GA 35 14 45 32 28 21 32 23 31 24 45 44 29 27 29 39 26 29 30 47 26 28 24 32 25 33 24 35 19 33

W L T Pts GF GA Vancouver 10 3 4 34 38 17 Los Angeles FC 10 5 4 34 35 19 San Jose 10 5 3 33 37 24 Houston 9 6 2 29 25 24 Real Salt Lake 8 6 3 27 29 25 FC Dallas 7 5 6 27 32 25 St Louis City 7 6 5 26 24 24 Portland 7 8 3 24 33 33 Seattle 7 7 3 24 20 22 Minnesota United 6 6 6 24 20 25 Colorado 7 10 1 22 27 25 LA Galaxy 5 7 7 22 24 29 San Diego FC 5 7 6 21 32 29 Austin FC 4 9 5 17 22 36 Sporting Kansas City 4 12 2 14 18 46 NOTE: Three points for victory, one point for tie.

Saturday’s game

Houston at New England, 3:30 p.m.

Transactions Major League Baseball

American League BOSTON RED SOX — Agreed to terms with RHP John Brebbia on a minor league contract. Selected the contract of LHP Raymond Burgos from Worcester (IL). Optioned RHP Greg Weissert to Worcester. CHICAGO WHITE SOX — Placed C Joey Bart on the 10-day IL. Placed LHP Chris Murphy on the 15-day IL. Recalled RHP David Dandlin and C Edgar Quero from Charlotte (IL). CLEVELAND GUARDIANS — Placed RHP Slade Cecconi on the 15-day IL. Recalled RHP Franco Aleman from Columbus (IL). KANSAS CITY ROYALS — Recalled RHP Mason Black from Omaha (IL). Optioned LHP Aaron Bummer to Omaha. LOS ANGELES ANGELS — Optioned LHP Mitch Farris to Salt Lake (PCL). Recalled RHP George Klassen from Salt Lake. MINNESOTA TWINS — Selected the contract of INF Kaelen Culpepper from St. Paul (IL). Designated RHP Taylor Rashi for assignment. Agreed to terms with RHP Cody Laweryson on a minor league contract. Placed RHP Joe Ryan on the 15-day IL retroactive to August 5. Optioned SS Tristan Gray to St. Paul. Recalled RHP Zebby Matthews from St. Paul. N.Y.YANKEES — Agreed to terms with RHP Yefreiny De Paula on a minor league contract. TEXAS RANGERS — Reinstated LHP Jordan Montgomery from the 60-day IL. Designated RHP Nolan Kingham for assignment. TORONTO BLUE JAYS — Placed 2B Luis Urías on the 10-day IL. Designated RF Rudy Martin Jr. for assignment. Selected the contract of CF Brett Bateman from Buffalo (IL). National League CINCINNATI REDS — Agreed to terms with LHP Kent Emanuel on a minor league contract. NEW YORK METS — Claimed 3B Gabriel Arias off waivers from Cleveland. PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES — Agreed to terms with RHP Lou Trivino III on a minor league contract. PITTSBURGH PIRATES — Sent CF Oneil Cruz on a rehab assignment to Indianapolis (IL). WASHINGTON NATIONALS — Optioned RHP Wyatt Mills to Rochester (IL).

FOOTBALL

NFL ATLANTA FALCONS — Signed WR Kristian Wilkerson to a contract. Released LB Troy Andersen. CLEVELAND BROWNS — Signed T/G Jack Conley and CB Jeadyn Lukus to contracts. Waived/injured WR Jamari Thrash. Waived LB Reid Carrico. Placed G Kendrick Green on injured reserve. Claimed DT Patrick Jenkins off waivers from the N.Y. Jets. DALLAS COWBOYS — Signed RB Jashaun Corbin to a contract. Waived RB Dominic Richardson. DETROIT LIONS — Waived/injured CB De’Shawn Rucker. Signed DL Ben Stille to a contract. CHICAGO BEARS — Signed DB Xavier Woods to a contract. Placed DB Dallis Flowers on injured reserve. HOUSTON TEXANS — Activated WR Jaylin Noel from the NFI list. LOS ANGELES RAMS — Signed DE Daniel Rickert to a contract. MIAMI DOLPHINS — Signed S Tanner Wall to a contract. Claimed CB Ahmari Harvey off waivers from Pittsburgh. Waived QB Mark Gronowski. Waived/injured S Omar Brown. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS — Signed S Eric Butler to a contract. Released DT David Blay Jr. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS — Signed LB Power Echols to a contract. Waived LB Joseph Vaughn. TENNESSEE TITANS — Signed G Peter Skoronski to a multi-year contract extension. WASHINGTON COMMANDERS — Signed WR Stefon Diggs to a contract. Activated CB Trey Amos, DE Dorance Armstrong and P Tress Way from the PUP list. Released G Tyler Cooper.

American League W 64 64 58 58 58 56 56 56 54

Boston New York Texas Cleveland Minnesota Detroit Baltimore Seattle Toronto

National League L 51 51 58 59 59 59 60 60 62

Pct .557 .557 .500 .496 .496 .487 .483 .483 .466

WCGB +6½ +6½ — ½ ½ 1½ 2 2 4

Chicago Philadelphia Arizona San Diego St. Louis Miami Cincinnati Pittsburgh Washington

W 68 62 61 60 58 58 56 57 57

L 49 54 55 56 58 59 59 61 61

Pct .581 .534 .526 .517 .500 .496 .487 .483 .483

WCGB +6½ +1 — 1 3 3½ 4½ 5 5

BOX SCORES Boston 13, Athletics 1

L.A. Angels 4, Miami 3

Athletics

Los Angeles

Boston

ab r h bi ab r h bi Bolte cf 4 0 0 0 Sogard 1b 4 2 1 0 Wilson ss 3 0 0 0 Rafaela cf 5 2 2 1 Williams ss 1 0 0 0 Abreu rf 2 1 2 3 Heim c 3 0 0 0 E.White rf 2 1 0 0 Soderstrm lf 3 1 1 1 Durbin 3b 4 0 1 2 Cortes lf-p 0 0 0 0 Yoshida dh 4 1 2 2 T.White 1b 3 0 0 0 Monasterio ss4 1 2 1 Serven dh 3 0 0 0 Duran lf 4 1 1 2 Walton 2b 0 0 0 0 Seigler 2b 5 1 2 0 Butler rf 3 0 0 0 Rogers c 3 3 2 1 Muncy 3b 3 0 1 0 Ornelas 2b-lf 3 0 0 0 Totals 29 1 2 1 Totals 37 13 15 12 Athletics 000 010 000 — 1 Boston 050 402 20x — 13 E — Juenger, Ornelas (1). LOB — Athletics 1, Boston 7. 2B — Seigler (11), Rogers 2 (4), Abreu (23), Yoshida (14), Durbin (22). HR — Soderstrom (18), Duran (16). SF — Durbin (3), Yoshida (2). IP H R ER BB SO Athletics Perkins L,2-8 3 5 5 5 3 3 Juenger 1 5 4 4 0 0 Medina 1 1 0 0 0 2 Blewett 12⁄3 3 4 2 2 0 1 J.Suarez ⁄3 1 0 0 0 0 Cortes 1 0 0 0 0 0 Boston Tolle W,7-6 6 2 1 1 0 14 Burgos S,1-1 3 0 0 0 0 2 ABS Challenge_Duran (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Tolle (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Tolle (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Blewett (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Blewett (BallOverturned to Strike). Umpires_Home, Manny Gonzalez; First, Tom Hanahan; Second, Ron Kulpa; Third, Scott Barry. T — 2:34. A — 37,227 (37,755).

Miami ab r h bi ab r h bi Meckler lf-rf 5 0 0 0 Stowers 1b 4 0 4 2 Trout cf 3 2 1 1 Lopez ss 5 0 0 0 Schanuel 1b 3 1 1 2 Conine dh 3 0 0 0 Neto ss 4 0 0 0 Ramírez dh 2 1 2 0 Grissom 3b 4 0 0 0 Edwards 2b 5 0 0 0 Guzman 3b 0 0 0 0 Caissie rf 2 1 0 0 Ballesteros dh3 0 1 0 Hernándz lf 2 0 0 0 Peraza 2b 4 0 1 0 Jiménez 3b 5 0 2 1 Lowe rf 2 1 1 0 Marsee cf 2 1 2 0 Siri ph-lf 1 0 0 0 Sanoja ph-rf 2 0 1 0 Heineman c 3 0 1 0 Mack c 4 0 0 0 Ruiz lf-cf 2 0 1 0 Totals 32 4 6 3 Totals 38 3 12 3 Los Angeles 100 000 300 — 4 Miami 000 101 001 — 3 E— Ekness (1). DP — Los Angeles 0, Miami 1. LO — Los Angeles 6, Miami 13. 2B_Ruiz (10), Sanoja (24). HR — Trout (19), Schanuel (7). S — Heineman (7). IP H R ER BB SO Los Angeles Klassen 4 4 1 1 4 3 1 0 2 Saucedo 12⁄3 1 1 1 Anderson W,2-0 ⁄3 1 0 0 1 0 Weiman H,1 1 2 0 0 0 0 Joyce H,1 1 1 0 0 0 1 Fermin S,1-2 1 3 1 1 0 0 Miami Phillips 4 5 1 1 1 4 Petersen 11⁄3 0 0 0 2 2 Ekness L,0-1 12⁄3 1 3 0 1 0 Faucher 1 0 0 0 0 2 King 1 0 0 0 0 1 Phillips pitched to 1 batter in the 5th. Umpires — Home, Jonathan Parra; First, Lance Barksdale; Second, Will Little; Third, Ryan Additon. T — 2:58. A — 16,506 (37,446).

N.Y. Mets 6, Pittsburgh 4

Cleveland 8, White Sox 2

New York

Cleveland

r h bi ab r h bi 2 3 0 Mangum cf 3 1 0 1 1 1 1 Lowe 2b 5 0 1 1 0 1 0 Reynolds lf 5 0 2 0 1 2 2 Valdez rf 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 Horwitz 1b 4 0 1 0 1 1 0 Gonzales 3b 4 1 2 0 1 1 3 Simon dh 4 2 2 0 0 1 0 Triolo ss 3 0 2 1 0 0 0 Rodrígz ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Flores c 2 0 1 0 Gonzalez ph 1 0 1 1 Totals 35 6 10 6 Totals 34 4 12 4 New York 104 100 000 — 6 Pittsburgh 000 000 202 — 4 DP — New York 2, Pittsburgh 2. LOB — New York 6, Pittsburgh 8. 2B — Ewing (15), Reynolds (27), Gonzales (19). HR — Semien (14). SB — Benge (18), Lindor (3), Ewing (15), Torrens (1). SF — Mangum (2). IP H R ER BB SO New York Thornton W,3-2 5 4 0 0 2 3 Núñez 1 3 2 2 0 0 Yan 1 1 0 0 1 0 Duarte 1 1 0 0 0 1 Williams 1 3 2 2 1 0 Pittsburgh Mlodzinski L,6-4 3 7 5 5 1 1 1 0 2 Sisk 12⁄3 1 1 0 1 4 Ramírez 31⁄3 1 0 Weaver 1 1 0 0 1 0 Núñez pitched to 2 batters in the 7th. HBP — Sisk (Ewing). WP — Thornton. ABS Challenge — Ramírez (Ball-Confirmed); Núñez (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Lowe (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Yan (Ball-Confirmed); Williams (BallConfirmed). T — 2:53. A — 33,497 (38,753). Ewing cf Lindor ss Bichette 3b Benge lf Pache lf Young 1b Semien 2b Baty rf Polanco dh Torrens c

ab 4 3 5 2 2 4 4 4 4 3

Pittsburgh

Chicago ab r h bi ab r h bi Kwan cf-lf 5 2 3 1 Meidroth 2b 5 0 1 0 DeLauter dh 5 1 2 0 Mrakami dh 4 1 1 1 Ramírez 3b 4 2 1 0 Vargas 1b 3 0 0 0 Adell rf 3 1 0 0 Grichuk lf 3 0 1 0 Halpin cf 0 0 0 0 Antncci ph-lf 1 0 0 0 Martínez rf 5 1 2 6 C.Mntgmy 3b 4 0 0 0 Hoskins 1b 4 1 1 0 Doyle cf 4 0 0 0 Rocchio ss 4 0 0 0 B.Montgry rf 3 1 2 1 Hedges c 3 0 1 1 Quero c 4 0 1 0 Genao 2b 4 0 0 0 Acuña ss 4 0 2 0 Totals 37 8 10 8 Totals 35 2 8 2 Cleveland 200 051 000 — 8 Chicago 010 001 000 — 2 LOB — Cleveland 6, Chicago 8. 2B — Meidroth (21). HR — Martínez (12), Kwan (2), B.Montgomery (4), Murakami (25). SB — Ramírez (28). IP H R ER BB SO Cleveland Messick W,9-6 7 4 2 2 1 8 Aleman 2 4 0 0 1 4 Chicago 1 Schultz L,3-9 ⁄3 3 2 2 0 1 Sandlin 51⁄3 7 6 6 2 4 Richards 21⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 Fedde 1 0 0 0 0 1 HBP — Schultz (Adell), Sandlin (Adell). WP — Sandlin. ABS Challenge — Vargas (Strike-Confirmed); Richards (Ball-Confirmed). Umpires — Home, Austin Jones; First, Andy Fletcher; Second, Alex Tosi; Third, Cory Blaser. T — 2:33.

THIS DATE IN BASEBALL Aug. 8 1903 — A week after pitching his first doubleheader triumph, Joe “Iron Man” McGinnity of the New York Giants scored a double victory over the Brooklyn Dodgers 6-1 and 4-3. In the second game, he stole home. 1915 — Philadelphia’s Gavvy Cravath hit four doubles and drove in eight runs in a 14-7 victory over the Reds at Cincinnati. 1920 — Howard Ehmke of the Detroit Tigers pitched the fastest 1-0 game in American League history — 1 hour, 13 minutes, for a victory against the New York Yankees.

1931 — Bob Burke of the Washington Senators pitched a 5-0 no-hitter against the Boston Red Sox. 1954 — The Brooklyn Dodgers pounded the Cincinnati Reds 20-7 at Ebbets Field. The Dodgers scored 13 runs in the eighth inning after two were out. 1973 — Designated hitter Orlando Cepeda hit four doubles as the Boston Red Sox posted a 9-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals. 1985 — Baseball, after a two-day walkout, resumed playing with 18 games scheduled, including five doubleheaders.

The Advocate F theadvocate.com F Saturday, August 8, 2026 F 9C

– F O O T B A L L I M M O R TA L D R E W B R E E S –

What we learned and appreciated most about Drew Brees BY JEFF DUNCAN AND ROD WALKER | SPORTS COLUMNISTS Drew Brees will be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, becoming the fifth New Orleans Saint to earn football’s most prestigious honor. We asked prominent New Orleanians what the former Saints quarterback meant to them and the city during his legendary 165 year tenure with the team. Drew Brees gave so much more to our organization than extraordinary football. He brought leadership, integrity, humility, and an unwavering belief in what the New Orleans Saints — and our entire community — could become. He helped restore hope and pride during one of the most important chapters in our city’s history, and he did so with grace both on and off the field. Tom and I will always be grateful for everything Drew, Brittany, and their family have meant to our organization and to the people of New Orleans. His place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame is a fitting honor for a truly remarkable player, leader, and person.

Gayle Benson

owner/CEO New Orleans Saints In sports, like in music, a lot of guys think they’re that and don’t handle it and realize they’re not. Drew was who we thought he was. After 42 years of futility, it finally all came together for us. And San Diego’s lack of faith was our gift.

Branford Marsalis

Drew Brees means so much to New Orleans because he gave this city far more than championship football. He’ll always be remembered as the quarterback who led the Saints to their first Super Bowl victory, but just as importantly, he’ll be remembered for how deeply he and Brittany embraced this community and gave back to it. I first met Drew and Brittany years ago when I was a television reporter, and they were exactly the kind, genuine people everyone says they are. Their commitment to New Orleans has always felt authentic. One of my favorite moments as mayor was having the opportunity to recognize Drew’s upcoming Hall of Fame induction and toast him from Gallier Hall during Mardi Gras this year. In true Drew fashion, he immediately broke into a Saints chant, leading the crowd that enthusiastically joined in. It was another reminder that his bond with New Orleans extends far beyond football, it’s something truly special. Drew Brees didn’t just bring New Orleans its first Super Bowl. He helped this city believe again, and that’s a legacy that will last far beyond football.

Helena Moreno

New Orleans mayor

Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Drew brought hope and leadership to New Orleans when it needed it most. The city was having its resurgence throughout the city, and he was vitally important in that moment. I was at that first game (Sept. 25, 2006). I remember it well, tears and all. The emotion. He held that light for us to follow through those dark moments.

Donald Link

chef, Link Restaurant Group Drew Orleans, baby. He meant everything to the city. Everything you think a quarterback should be, he was, without the electric monikers as they come. He was as efficient as they come. He was the best version of himself. He gave everything he had to the game. As a teammate you couldn’t be more proud of him.

Cam Jordan

Saints multi-time Pro Bowl defensive end Not only does he love/eat/enjoy charbroiled oysters, but with his hard work, determination and dedication, Drew Brees has made a lasting impact on New Orleans by supporting youth sports, education and families through charitable donations and his volunteer work. His commitment inspires myself and others to use our success to make a positive difference. The Saints and New Orleans were blessed to have Drew Brees as captain of team NOLA.

Tommy Cvitanovich owner, Drago’s Seafood Restaurants

HALL OF

DREW

Drew Brees was the Ted Williams of the NFL. He did one thing better than anyone who ever played the game. He was the most accurate passer that ever lived. We were all fortunate to get to watch him.

James Carville

longtime political analyst

Drew won New Orleans over right from the start with his decision to come to the city at its lowest point. Even for a wealthy professional athlete, the city presented real everyday challenges. Joining us in that struggle to recover said a lot about Brees the man. He took to New Orleans quickly and earnestly, with a keen understanding of how much the team meant to its fans, especially at such a dark time. He made us believe right from the start: if he had the ball in his hands, the Saints had a chance. And he delivered, leading the Saints to their first NFC championship game in his first year, and then that glorious Super Bowl championship 3 years later. With his pinpoint accuracy, committed leadership and tireless work ethic, Brees helped to transform a franchise, and a city. He was a winner, and by extension, made all of us winners, too. He gave Who Dat Nation a decade and a half of thrills and cherished memories that will last a lifetime. And now, the bust that reflects his pro football immortality will reside in Canton for all of time, and the accomplishments that sent Drew there will live in the hearts and minds of Saints fans, myself included, forever

Stan Verrett

former ESPN anchor

FAMER

BY THE

BREES

I always admired Drew’s leadership style. He was able to inspire his teammates through his work ethic, preparation and competitiveness. People follow leaders who are deeply committed to the cause and care about you as a person. Drew was someone his teammates didn’t want to disappoint, which is how great leaders inspire people to be the best they can be. Those years with Drew and Sean (Payton) were Camelot.

Drew’s drive for excellence still inspires our work at the Sports Foundation. His pre-game ritual of going through his receiver reads is a lesson to all of us about the mental preparation necessary to succeed. I have always been fascinated by how athletes like Drew are able to dig deep and find the motivation to be the absolute best, year in and year out. Lucky for us he was driven by love of the game and a special love of New Orleans.

Doug Thornton

President & CEO, Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation

Jay Cicero

longtime Superdome manager When I break down quarterbacks, the three most important things are accuracy, processing and toughness. Drew checked every box. Height was never a factor. Drew proved that. And off the field, Drew understood what being the Saints quarterback meant to the city (of New Orleans). He did a great job there.

Archie Manning

former star quarterback for Ole Miss and the Saints The standard he set every day -- first one in, last one out. Everything was elite with Drew. Elite preparation. Elite (practice) reps. Elite leadership. You see that every day from somebody — Every day elite pursuit of greatness — you have no choice but to try to emulate that or just get the hell out of the way.

Terron Armstead

former Saints Pro Bowl tackle What I appreciate about Drew Brees the most is his love of his family. Besides being a great champion and warrior, he’s a great husband and father. I’m proud to call him a friend.

Harry Connick Jr.

Grammy Award-winning pianist First ballot Breezy. As a person, as a football player, as a husband, as a father, he was first-ballot in all those ways. You talk about a guy who exemplifies what it is to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, both on the field and in life, that’s what Drew is.

Mark Ingram

former Saints Pro Bowl running back The example that he set is invaluable to the athletes going through difficulty or just going through the process of trying to play this game. He came at a time when we were looking for something very positive. He brought that to the table. Again, the overcoming aspect of his demeanor permeated through our community and won him a very special place in the heart of New Orleanians. Obviously his play was inspiring. You’re looking at a guy who theoretically shouldn’t have played in the league. He was too short. He didn’t run very fast. But he had great mental capacity and vision and that allowed him to be successful. He didn’t allow his negatives to overcome his positives. And the rest of it is history.

Besides being a great athlete, Drew’s commitment to the New Orleans community, the fans and the team was exceptional. And, also, he’s just a great human being.

Emeril Lagasse

chef, Emeril’s Restaurant Group I’ve learned a lot from Drew Brees over the last 20 years. And, I look forward to continuing to learn from him for many years to come. When Drew first came to the Saints in 2006, I don’t remember having any expectations. In my mind, he was just another quarterback. What I do remember is a moment during those mundane offseason check in activities. Drew reinforced the philosophical outlook I followed as a little white dude in the NFL. Success was less about size and strength, and more about mindset, preparation, and how you trained. The medical training room was crowded. The staff was checking players’ height, weight, blood pressure, joint issues, and all the other glamorous details of professional football. Then, Drew walked in carrying a jump rope. The details are a little foggy, but I remember guys immediately questioning him. “Hey, Drew, recess is over, buddy boy. Unless you wanna play some Double Dutch!” Naturally, things became competitive. Guys started wondering how many double jumps Drew could do. I told him, “I’ll bet you dinner you can’t do 25.” With everyone watching, he gathered himself, and busted out 25 double jumps. But, he didn’t stop. He kept rolling. As he finished his 50th, he looked at me, and said, “I like sushi, Gleason.” That dinner was the start of a friendship I’m enormously grateful for. It was also one of my first lessons from Drew Brees. He never needed to tell you how prepared he was. He showed you. And, if you underestimated him, you might end up buying dinner. What I appreciate most about Drew is that he puts people, brotherhood, and solidarity over individual performance. When Drew and Coach Payton arrived in New Orleans, it was a welcome shift. Drew didn’t simply lead a team. He forged a brotherhood. Drew has taught me that anything is possible. And, through his friendship over the past 15 years, he’s helping me continue to live that way. I love Drew.

Steve Gleason

former Saints special teams captain

J.T. Curtis

legendary high school football coach at John Curtis Christian School

NUMBERS

BY LUKE JOHNSON | STAFF WRITER

62.3%

While Brees served as the team’s starting quarterback from 20062020, the team won 62.3% of the regular-season games Brees started (14286). In the span of time Brees was in New Orleans, the Saints ranked fourth out of 32 NFL teams in win percentage, behind only the Patriots, Packers and Steelers. Before Brees arrived, the Saints had a 40.2% historical winning percentage as a franchise. Since he retired following the 2020 season, that number has dipped back to 42.4%.

70

33,355

That is the gap between the career passing yardage of Brees and Fran Tarkenton, who threw for the secondmost yards ever for a quarterback who stood 6-feet or shorter. To put that in perspective, the gap between Brees and Tarkenton is roughly the same as the gap between Tarkenton and Sid Luckman (13,850 yards), No. 14 on the list. That gap accounts for more passing yards than 2024 NFL MVP Josh Allen has put up in eight seasons as a starter (30,102). Brees redefined what was possible for a league that has long cast aside quarterbacks who didn’t meet certain height requirements.

300/100/3 There are some statistical benchmarks that typically signify a good day by the quarterback: 300 yards passing, a passer rating north of 100, three passing touchdowns. Brees hit all three of those benchmarks in a single game 58 times — more than anyone else in NFL history. Tom Brady had 57 of them; nobody else had more than 40. The current active leader is Pittsburgh’s Aaron Rodgers, at 39.

5x5,000

This is a well-known fact, but it merits mentioning: Brees threw for 5,000 yards in a single season a remarkable five times in his career. The only other NFL quarterbacks who have done it more than once are Patrick Mahomes and Brady, both of whom did it twice. The feat has only been accomplished 15 times in league history, and Brees was responsible for a third of them — all racked up before the league went to a 17-game schedule.

Eighteen players in NFL history have recorded at least one season with a completion percentage north of 70% (minimum: 200 attempts). Only one player did it more than twice — Brees, who hit the benchmark seven times. Brees accounted for the two best seasons ever by an NFL passer in terms of completion percentage, which he did in consecutive years at the back end of his career, in 2018 and 2019. He led the league in completion percentage six times.

54

Brees famously broke Johnny Unitas’ 52-year record of consecutive games throwing a touchdown pass in 2012, then extended the record another several weeks before it finally ended at 54 games. Immediately after being held out of the end zone against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 13 of the 2012 season, Brees began another touchdown streak of 45 games — just shy of Unitas’ old record (47) and the fifth-longest streak in NFL history. Brees threw at least one touchdown in 207 of his 228 games with the Saints. He also holds the NFL record for most consecutive games with at least 300 passing yards — nine games, a feat he accomplished twice, between the 2011 and 2013 seasons.

10C ■ Saturday, August 8, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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A LEGACY

NOW ENSHRINED.

Some careers change the record books. Some careers change a community. Yours did both. Congratulations, Drew, on your induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Proud to call Drew our client and ambassador

LIVING

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

|

S at u r d ay, au g u S t 8, 2026

1dN

Terry Robinson FAITH MATTERS

Historic BR churches to host forum on America’s 250th, religion Three historic Baton Rouge churches are joining forces to lead a community forum on the enduring role faith has played in our nation and how it can shape the future. Mount Zion First Baptist Church, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church and Wesley United Methodist Church will present “America at 250: From Faith to Formation” from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 11 at the Main Library, 7711 Goodwood Blvd., Baton Rouge. Participants Brown will include pastor Rene Brown, historian Adell Brown and minister Melvin I. Britten IV, of Mount Zion; Pastor J.C. Martin Richardson, of Wesley United Methodist; Walter “Kenny” Williams of St. Francis Xavier; and LSU professor Lori Martin. Richardson “I think it creates a space for all of us to come together,” he said. “Regardless of whether it’s the Black church, White church, Muslims or the Jewish community, this thing is true that as Americans, we either go up together or we go down together, but it’s going to be together. ...Let’s be together, listen to each other and hear each other, so that we can get to a place where we can make loving each other easier.” Adell Brown said the theme “Faith to Formation” reflects the vital role the church can play to help unite a nation marked by deep divisions. One word that should guide the conversation is reconciliation, Richardson said. “We need to lean more toward Christian wisdom, which

STAFF PHOTOS By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Owner Paul Claxton grabs a THC seltzer from the refrigerator shelf at Rad Dad Alternative Wellness on Jefferson Highway in Baton Rouge.

WIPE OUT

As a federal ban nears that would put THC seltzers at risk, one Baton Rouge company considers its options

In

BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer

October 2025, a few weeks before a federal funding bill passed that bans hemp-derived cannabinoid products, Paul Claxton and his wife signed a lease on a 1,100-square foot building in Baton Rouge to expand their THC and CBD business. The plan was to open a second location of Rad Dad Alternative Wellness. The Claxtons eventually opened the second store in January, but in four months, the business may be no longer. “On Nov. 13,” Claxton said, gesturing toward his coolers of THC seltzer drinks, “90% of these products will be classified the exact same as heroin — Schedule I.” Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., led legislation in November 2025 that will ban certain THC products, scheduled to take full effect Nov. 12 this year. Seltzers with THC, which are for sale in grocery stores, liquor stores and bars in Baton Rouge, are among the products on the list to be banned. Rad Dad is just one of the retail businesses in the city that is expected to take a hit once the ban goes into effect. The provision in the November 2025 bill bans the sale of any “hempderived cannabinoid product” with more than 0.4 milligrams of total

ä See FORUM, page 2D

When Rad Dad launched, its main product was gummies, but in the last few years, seltzers have become 22% of the business — stocking multiple brands and between 70 and 80 flavors. THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, per container. In addition to THC drinks, the ban will prohibit the sale of edibles, gummies, tinctures and vape cartridges containing hemp-derived THC. “When the ban comes, it’s going to wipe out everything,” Claxton said. “The low-dose THC and CBD combo is what we provide, and it helps so many people.”

A risky business The Claxtons saw a need for an upscale store for adults looking

for alternative solutions to treat sleep problems, chronic pain and anxiety. They opened the first Rad Dad Alternative Wellness store in Mid City, at 2558 Government St., in November 2023. “Everybody comes in here to solve problems, and that’s our approach,” Claxton said. “There was nobody doing a great job of this, which is why we saw the opportunity. There’s very little competition because there is risk associated with this industry.”

ä See SELTZERS, page 2D

FROM MID CITY TO DOWNTOWN 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. Monday.

BR coffee pop-up opening brick-and-mortar store The new brick and mortar location of House Brew is located at 278 North St.

STAFF PHOTO By JOy HOLDEN

BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer

After bouncing around to various locations in Baton Rouge through pop-up stands and food trucks, Manning Bergeron is gearing up to open the brick-andmortar version of House Brew. In 2024, Bergeron started the coffee shop from a truck on Florida Street and the Mid City bar Pelican to Mars — operat-

ing from there for the last two years, except for a brief stint parked in front of Oxbow Rum Distillery. Now, House Brew will soft launch its new location at 278 North St. on Aug. 11. The grand opening will be Aug. 15. Bergeron has shifted from the Mid City crowd and returned to downtown clientele on the corner of North Street and Third Street,

ä See COFFEE, page 3D

2D ■ Saturday,August 8, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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RELIGION BRIEFS FROM STAFF REPORTS

Church celebrates 110th anniversary

family to its Church Anniversary Service on Sunday, Aug. 16, at 2 p.m. The guest speaker will be Greater Mount Carmel Baptist Church, 1414 Sora Pastor Samuel C. Lofton Jr., St., will celebrate its 110th of New Hope and Second Church Anniversary this Baptist Churches in Baton Rouge. All are welcome. Sunday at 10:45 a.m. The anniversary theme is “Celebrating God’s Faithfulness... Continuing the Legacy: 110 Years of Faith, Fellowship, and FaithfulMagnolia Children’s ness.” The guest speaker Group invites the Baton will be Dr. Renee F. Brown, Rouge community to its inpastor of Mount Zion First augural Magnolia Gala: An Baptist Church. Evening of Hope Under the The public is invited to Stars at 6 p.m. on Thursday, join this special celebra- Sept. 24, at Church of the King, 2037 Quail Drive. tion. The fundraising gala will feature dinner, live entertainment, inspiring stories, a silent auction Freeman Baptist Church, and opportunities to sup4628 La. 955 W., Ethel, cor- port Louisiana children in dially invites you and your foster care. Proceeds will

An Evening of Hope Under the Stars

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Owner Paul Claxton stands behind a cabinet full of THC seltzers at Rad Dad Alternative Wellness on Jefferson Highway in Baton Rouge.

SELTZERS

Continued from page 1D Last summer, the Claxtons were watching Texas legislation closely, as Louisiana lawmakers often follow in Texas’s footsteps, because there was a proposed ban on THC products. Popular seltzers like Howdy by 8th Wonder and Beach Break are made in Houston. Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed the Senate bill, so the Claxtons signed the lease for a second location in Baton Rouge, at 8210 Jefferson Highway. A few weeks later, the THC ban in the federal funding bill was passed. McConnell’s ban is expected to wipe out 95% of the hemp industry’s $37.5 billion retail market. In Louisiana, that will be “detrimental” to the industry, Claxton said. The state’s revenue collections from hemp products include a 3% excise tax which is deposited into the Early Childhood Education Fund. In the 2023 fiscal year, collections for consumable hemp products generated approximately $992,000 in excise tax collections, $1.5 million in state sales tax collections and $1.7 million in local sales tax collections.

Growing market Claxton says he has never seen a product explode quite like consumable hemp products, especially seltzers with THC and CBD. When Rad Dad launched, its main product was gummies, but in the last few years, seltzers have become 22% of the business — stocking multiple brands and between 70 and 80 flavors. Ben Jones, the co-owner of Bin Q liquor store in Baton Rouge, said he carries between 15 and 20 brands of

FORUM

Continued from page 1D I think is exemplified by the language of reconciliation, the language of peacemaking, the language of meekness,” said Richardson, who has been the pastor at Wesley for nearly four years. “This event indirectly and directly consciously and subconsciously will allow and provide for reconciliation to occur.” While the forum is open to the entire community, Adell Brown said it will especial-

THC seltzers which make up about 15% of the store’s total sales. “The THC seltzers are our best selling category by volume in the store,” Jones said. In the last three years, both Claxton and Jones have seen a dramatic increase in the popularity of THC seltzers. When Bin Q opened in 2023, Jones said the seltzers were the smallest category sold, but they quickly grew in popularity. As the non-alcoholic category continues to gain momentum, so does the THC seltzer portion of that market. Claxton sees social gatherings as a major reason for the uptick in seltzer sales. “We humans are social creatures, and this has really exploded because it offers such a diversity. It ties in the social aspect of the hemp products,” Claxton said. In the three years since Rad Dad opened, the store has garnered nearly 7,000 customers, and Claxton said the business is averaging between 180 and 200 new customers every 30 days — mostly in the 45 to 55 age range. “The demand is there,” he said.

Pessimistically optimistic

touches taxation and state commerce, it has to move through four different committees in a span of about three weeks. The best thing we can hope for is a twoyear delay for the ban.” Bin Q has fliers throughout the store that announce the upcoming ban with a QR code customers can use to contact their representatives. Total Wine & More sent out an email to its customers that described the ban and encouraged them to tell their “member of Congress to keep low-dose THC beverages legal in a responsibly regulated market.” “I’m pessimistically optimistic. There’s going to be a real uproar if they take away full-spectrum CBD,” Claxton said.

Impact on Louisiana If the ban does take full effect, Claxton said Rad Dad is in peril. “We would either close both locations or dramatically consolidate,” he said. Businesses in Baton Rouge, Lafayette and New Orleans produce several THC drinks and other consumable hemp products. Cypress Hemp in Baton Rouge has its own seltzer, Hiatus, which Claxton says is a popular seller. One can has five milligrams of THC and 125 milligrams of CBD. Indigo Hemp is another company in Baton Rouge that makes several THC seltzer drinks. “The solution is in the numbers,” Claxton said. “The drink category continues to grow, and if our state senators aren’t paying attention to the fact that their constituents are business owners that make this, it will be detrimental.”

In July, Rep. Angie Craig, D-Mn., and Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., introduced a bill called the Lawful Hemp Protection Act that sets up a clear regulatory framework for hemp and hemp-derived THC products. Claxton thinks it could help delay the ban. Claxton said there is supposed to be a similar bill from Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mt., in the Senate. “The issue with that is we’re running out of time,” Email Joy Holden at joy. Claxton said. “Because it holden@theadvocate.com.

ly recognize the role of the Black church as the “primary institution that helped form African Americans as a people.” “Through faith in Jesus Christ, it became the place where we learned not only how to worship together, but how to live together, lead together, serve together and build communities together,” said Brown, a retired Southern University professor. That perspective resonated with Martin, a professor in the Department of African and African American Studies at LSU. “This program is impor-

tant to me because it explores the challenges Black people have faced, the resiliency they have shown, and contemplates what is needed for the next 250 years of America’s ongoing experiment called democracy,” she said. “Faith institutions and leaders have played important roles in Black history and the history of America. This program will challenge participants to think about what that looks like going forward.”

Anniversary service at Freeman Baptist

benefit Magnolia Children’s Group’s mission to create trauma-informed foster care communities and expand support for children and families. For tickets, sponsorship opportunities or more information, visit magnoliachildrensgroup.org/magnolia-gala.

Public invited to worship service Nathaniel Baptist Church, Highway 33 South, Centreville, Mississippi, invites you and your family to its Ushers Worship Service at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 9. The guest speaker will be Pastor Rodriques Hendricks, along with the Mount Carmel Baptist Church family. All are welcome.

Giving up relaxing hot baths It made so much sense, Dear Heloise: Up until my as it was so easy to get in 50s, nothing was more and out of the bed. It didn’t relaxing than reading in a very hot tub of water. How- sacrifice any comfort. As a matter of fact, I ever, since then, found it more comthere is no way that I can get out of the fortable than all tub, even with grab the American beds bars. Now I just I’ve ever slept on. — take a shower and Sandy Doerr, via email accept that I’m getSandy, if possible, Hints from it’s always good to ting old. I’m in my Heloise go to a mattress 80s. — Donna, in The store before buying Villages, Florida a bed and test as many opDonna, have you tried a shower stool? You can sit tions as possible. I never down and relax while getthought that I’d like a platform bed, but I tried ting clean. Like you, I, too, one and liked it. It’s what I enjoy the feeling of hot waended up buying! — Heloise ter flowing down my back. But a slippery tub is just too dangerous for me and thou- Pet-free hotel rooms sands of others. — Heloise Dear Heloise: As a pet lover, I’m sure that you’ll be able European beds to address this issue. With so many hotels accepting Dear Heloise: I was readpets, how does one with ing a letter about the lady allergies cope? My experiwhose mother had trouble getting out of bed due to ence is that pet owners the height of the bed. When often leave their pets alone we lived in Germany, all in hotel rooms. The pets the beds were lower. They are nervous in new surdon’t “do” box springs. roundings and often have They had a flat bottom cov- accidents. This odor and the allerer that went over the slats and then had the regular gy-affecting dander that mattress. stays in the room have

made it almost impossible for me and others I know to travel! Do you have any suggestions? The majority of hotels generally do not guarantee that the room has been pet-free. — Janice, via email Janice, you bring up an interesting issue that I’m sure others with allergies have to think about. First, if you smell dog or cat urine in your room, you should call the front desk and request a different room. When it comes to animal dander, well, the maids can vacuum all day and still not get it all. However, this would also be a good reason to ask for a different room if you start coughing or sneezing. You might also try calling ahead and asking the hotel if it has any pet-free rooms. Well, readers, I’d love to hear if any of you travelers have had a problem with hotel rooms that once housed pets. Let us know here at Heloise@Heloise. com. — Heloise Send a hint to heloise@ heloise.com.

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‘I’ll never go there,’ he said, on his way back Dear Miss Manners: I’m 62 and have struck up a conversation with the couple next to me. The gentleman been divorced for 26 years. I’ve been dating the love of my life for stated he was from a neighbor15 years — we are obvihood I was familiar with. I then proceeded to tell him ously not in a hurry to tie that, 22 years ago, I played the knot, though I did give a humorous prank on my her a beautiful engagechild on the way over to ment ring last summer. my then-girlfriend’s house My problem is my past in that same neighborhood history. A couple of times, Judith (it involved the geography in conversations with othMartin of the area). er people while my fiancée MISS I’m a social drinker and is present, I have told an MANNERS was having fun making amusing story or two that the couple laugh. Needinvolved my ex-wife or a past girlfriend. My fiancée would less to say, I caught heck on the later tell me that that was rude drive home for mentioning an exand it offended her. girlfriend. I have since been quite careful I told her she was being childish not to go there again. However, and that it’s history, but also that we were recently eating at the because it offends her, it’ll never bar of a casual restaurant, and I happen again. In my head I’ll just

have to think really hard and use a generic term like “friend.” I’ve just never had to analyze anything before I say it. I’m not purposely being rude. Is she oversensitive? She has stated in the past that it offends her to hear about my exes, and if it offends her, I’ll have to just not go there. I told her that if she’s wrong in your opinion, I will still never go there. Help. Gentle reader: Why? You have already stated that Miss Manners’ opinion will have no bearing on the outcome. And for good reason. The fact that your fiancée said the behavior bothered her — and that you said you would stop — is all the justification you need. Whether or not she is oversensitive and wants

to pretend that you are each other’s first loves seems immaterial. All right, fine. Miss Manners will weigh in a little, if only from an editorial perspective. The anecdote you told is not made any better by saying “girlfriend” instead of “friend.” In fact, it is a distraction. The listener becomes too preoccupied by figuring out when, after having a child, you procured a girlfriend, and the humorous prank bit gets lost. The relationship is no one’s business, of course, but it is distracting nevertheless. So why include it if it bothers your fiancée and also muddies the story? Do what you want in terms of keeping the peace in your relationship. But please do not use good storytelling as an excuse. Dear Miss Manners: What do you

think of a first-time guest who brings a leftover dessert to a dinner party, in the original box, with not enough pieces for all the guests? Money would not be a problem to buy the whole dessert again. Gentle reader: As a general rule, Miss Manners discourages guests from using their host’s dinner parties as a place to park their leftovers. Or at least not to do it so obviously. Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, www. missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

TODAY IN HISTORY By The Associated Press

STAFF PHOTO By JOy HOLDEN

Manning Bergeron stands at the new coffee bar at House Brew on 278 North St.

COFFEE

Continued from page 1D the former home of Social Coffee, which closed in May 2024. “When we had our pop up on Florida Street, I got to really see what downtown was like, and that this is the kind of crowd I want to be around,” Bergeron said. “Downtown has this hustle bustle vibe, and everyone is working. They’re in and out. It’s easier to plan for.” House Brew has grown from 600 square feet at Pelican to Mars to 900 square feet at the new location — from eight seats to 34 seats. The new location is cozy yet spacious with casual seating options and large windows overlooking North Street. Bergeron wants House Brew to be a reliable, convenient spot for area state workers and downtown customers on the weekdays and a place for social gathering on the weekends. Although opening a brick-and-mortar store has its challenges with permits and licensing,

SOLD

Bergeron is delighted to have a permanent space. “I feel so spoiled because I was working with a space that was like a quarter of counter space. We have our own dishes and everything,” Bergeron said. The cobalt blue mugs, both in 12- and 16-ounce sizes, stand out as a colorful addition in the minimal space.

states that “Caffeine is the Dream,” and Bergeron will also sell energy drinks, tea and sodas. “I think coffee culture is one of those things where you find a little sense of community every time you walk into a place, and you look around and you see things that you identify with,” Bergeron said.

Vision beyond coffee

Today is Saturday, Aug. 8, the 220th day of 2026. There are 145 days left in the year. Today in history: On Aug. 8, 2023, a series of wind-driven wildfires broke out on the Hawaiian island of Maui, destroying the town of Lahaina and killing more than 100 people. Also on this date: In 1814, during the War of 1812, peace talks between the United States and Britain began in Ghent, Belgium. In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte set sail for St. Helena to spend the remainder of his days in exile. In 1876, Thomas Edison received a patent for his electric pen — the forerunner of the mimeograph machine. In 1908, Wilbur Wright made the Wright Brothers’ first public flying demonstration, at Le Mans racecourse in France. In 1911, President William Howard Taft signed a measure raising the number of U.S. representatives from 391 to 433, effective with the next Congress, with a proviso to add two more when New Mexico

Email Joy Holden at joy. Bergeron’s vision for holden@theadvocate.com. House Brew transcends coffee and pastries. The menu will include housemade paninis with Italian BROKER/REALTOR/OWNER flavors like caprese chick(225) 718-3025 en, roasted chicken pesto, monicacjarreau@gmail.com Italian classic, MediterJARREAU REALTY, LLC ranean veggie and turkey 3900 Oakland Road pesto melt. Lakeland, LA 70752 “We want to make it alwww.jarreaurealty.com most like a bodega, where LICENSED REAL ESTATE BROKER IN LOUISIANA, USA you can go in and grab a VILLAGE WOODS RETIREMENT COMMUNITY couple items like a Coke and a sandwich, and then maybe get your coffee as well,” Bergeron said. With our paninis, we want to create that option where this is a lunch place during the week and on Sunday after church.” 2BR FOR SALE! One of the murals on 55+ Gated Condo Community, pool, clubhouse, guesthouse & planned the walls at House Brew social activities. Located between BR General and OLOL Hospitals.

MONICA C. JARREAU

Thinking about Selling or Buying a home?

Lisa Busceme, REALTOR® 225-931-4112 Accredited Buyer’s Representative® (ABR)® Certified Residential Specialist® (CRS)® Seniors Real Estate Specialist® (SRES)® LisaB@coldwellbankerone.com www.BatonRougehomeswithLisa.com

at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida; over 13,000 government documents, including 103 classified documents, were seized. Today’s Birthdays: Actor Nita Talbot is 96. Actor Dustin Hoffman is 80. Actor Connie Stevens is 88. Actor Larry Wilcox is 79. Actor Keith Carradine is 77. Movie director Martin Brest is 75. Radio-TV personality Robin Quivers is 74. Percussionist Anton Fig is 73. Actor Donny Most is 73. Rock musician Dennis Drew (10,000 Maniacs) is 69. TV personality Deborah Norville is 68. Rock musician The Edge (U2) is 65. Rock musician Rikki Rockett (Poison) is 65. Rapper Kool Moe Dee is 64. Rock singer Scott Stapp is 53. Country singer Mark Wills is 53. Actor Kohl Sudduth is 52. Rock musician Tom Linton (Jimmy Eat World) is 51. Singer JC Chasez (‘N Sync) is 50. Actor Tawny Cypress is 50. R&B singer Drew Lachey (98 Degrees) is 50. R&B singer Marsha Ambrosius is 49. Actor Lindsay Sloane is 49. Actor Countess Vaughn is 48. Actor Michael Urie is 46. Retired tennis player Roger Federer is 45. Actor Meagan Good is 45. Britain’s Princess Beatrice of York is 38.

BATON ROUGE WILLOW GROVE SUBDIVISION LOT 361 SETTLEMENT BLVD.

$549,000.00 Jamest o Courtwne

® ISeniors AMReal AN SRES Estate Specialist (SRES)

Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) means that I have extensive training and experience to support clients 50+.

and Arizona became states. In 1963, Britain’s “Great Train Robbery” took place as thieves made off with 2.6 million pounds in banknotes. In 1969, photographer Iain Macmillan took the iconic photo of The Beatles that would appear on the cover of their album “Abbey Road.” In 1974, President Richard Nixon, facing damaging new revelations in the Watergate scandal, announced he would resign the following day. In 1988, Chicago’s Wrigley Field hosted its firstever night baseball game; the contest between the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies would be rained out in the fourth inning. In 2000, the wreckage of the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley, which sank in 1864 after attacking the Union ship Housatonic, was recovered off the South Carolina coast and returned to port. In 2009, Sonia Sotomayor was sworn in as the U.S. Supreme Court’s first Hispanic and third female justice. In 2022, FBI agents executed a search warrant for former President Donald Trump’s residence

61 Jamestowne Court

3 Beds - 3.5 Baths - 3,611 Sq. Ft. First Floor Primary Bedroom Visit - www.CB-61JTC.com For Photos

Baarbara Anne Eaton Eaton, CRS, GRI, SRS

Asssociate Broker • 225-733-6874

• 42.38 X 157.47 X 68.17 X 144.05 • RESIDENTIAL SINGLE FAMILY • CORNER, CUL-DE-SAC LOT • SIDE & REAR ALLEY ACCESS $219,900

Dianne 225.806.8979 Adams Find us on Instagram

225-615-7755

Facebook

Each office independently owned and operated Licensed REALTORs in the State of Louisiana

O P E N S U N D AY 2 - 4 P M

NEW PRICE

Old Goodwood Landing • 7782 Lasalle AVE #15 Gated Condo in the heart of Baton Rouge near Towne Center. Ground floor 2 BR 2 Bath. Wood burning fireplace and new flooring. Unit is in the back with no traffic. $145,000

CHARISSE HANCHEY,

REALTOR®,CRS, ABR,

225.315.0512 • www.charissehanchey.com

Buying or selling a home in BATON ROUGE doesn’t have to be complicated. I’m here to guide you every step of the way. And if you’re relocating outside the Baton Rouge area, I’ll personally connect you with a trusted REALTOR® in your new community to ens ensure a smooth transition.

ROBIN HEBERT R REALTOR®

22 25.975.3434 www.robinheberthomes.com

3128 Tradition Ave, Baton Rouge • $950,000

University Club Plantation overlooking the 18th hole, 5 bedrooms 5 bathrooms Gourmet kitchen with cypress and brick. Dead end cul-de-sac this custom built home has lots and lots of extras. Primary bath has his and her baths a private den and sitting area. 3 bedrooms and a bonus room with balconys off the front and back of the house.

LIBBY AMMON

CRS, ABR

225-938-3176 SoldbyLibby.com

Hosted by

MARGARET LANDRY Each office independently owned and operated.

4D ■ Saturday,August 8, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

FrAnK And erneSt

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zodIAC LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Think big, but live within your means. Having integrity and following your passion will lead to something meaningful. Choose to address what concerns you and to make a difference. VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Revisit stats, facts and how people react. Don't take anything or anyone for granted. Be willing to meet in the middle when you want to get things done. LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Trying to push through an agenda that doesn't sit right with you will not live up to your expectations. Alter your surroundings to make your life manageable and your promises doable. scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Trust your instincts, research and be observant. Your highest returns will come from obtaining as much information as possible and moving forward in a direction that serves you best. sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) You have more going for you than you realize. Take advantage of whatever comes your way. Don't let laziness set in when accomplishment is what you should be striving to achieve. cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Measure your achievements by how they make you feel, not by how others respond. Taking care of your needs will help build confidence and encourage you to trust your instincts. AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Take a deep breath, release it and begin again. It's up to you how you take care of yourself.

You have plenty to offer and to gain if you are true to yourself and to what concerns you. PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Easy does it. You'll be tempted to join in a change someone suggests for the wrong reason. Refuse to let your heart dictate what you do next. Partnerships may not be as even as you think. ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Impatience is your downfall, and letting others talk you into premature action will leave you in an unstable position. You're better off evaluating, looking inward and taking care of your wellness. tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Judging others will lead to regret. Weigh the pros and cons before you make a commitment. Address your financial situation and how you earn and handle your cash. Now is not the time to upset your stability. GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Positive change is heading your way. Be ready to take advantage of an opportunity to expand your mind and your wisdom and to beef up your credentials. Your effort will surpass your expectations. cAncER (June 21-July 22) Recap before you move on. It's important to understand what went wrong and what went right before you launch something new. Learning is half the battle when you're trying to make your way forward. The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

For better or For WorSe WonderWord

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SALLY Forth

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

toDAy's cLuE: R EQuALs G

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon FAMILY CIrCUS

dooneSbUrY

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Saturday,August 8, 2026 ■ 5D

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CurTiS

Hi and LoiS

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

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6D ■ Saturday,August 8, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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Bridge By PHILLIP ALDER Alvin Toffler, a writer and futurist who coined the term information overload, said, “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” That is an interesting thought — but do you agree? First, look at today’s West hand. What would you lead against three no-trump? This auction must be by far the most common that ends in a game contract. Length and majors rule in this situation. So West should lead a spade. But since his suit contains no honor, he should choose the nine, top of nothing when the top two cards are touching. (With, say, 9-7-6-4 of spades, he would lead the seven, second-highest.) Now look at the North and East hands. How should East plan the defense after declarer calls for dummy’s spade four? East, reading the lead, should realize that South has the spade jack and queen. So, there is no point in winning with the ace and playing another spade. There won’t be time to establish and run the spades. After taking the first trick, East should shift to the heart queen. And as you can see, that works rather well, resulting in down two. Finally, did you notice South’s one chance? At trick

garfield

Pearls Before swiNe

hagar the horriBle

one, under East’s spade ace, he should drop his jack or queen, trying to look like someone who started with queenjack-doubleton. Then East will be sorely tempted to return his spade 10, which lets the contract make. Declarer should try to make the defenders misread the deal. © 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 — ADDItIonAL: uh-DIH-shun-ul: More than is usual or expected.

Bizarro

marmaduKe

Average mark 27 words Time limit 50 minutes Can you find 41 or more words in ADDITIONAL? yEstERDAy’s WoRD — FIELDER feed feel felid field file filer fire fled flee flier free

freed fried idle idler eider elder elide leer lied life deer

defer defier defile dele deli diel dire reed reef reel refile

relied relief ride rife rifle rile

loCKhorNs hidato Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

today’s thought “Be you my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: you have given commandment to save me; for you are my rock and my fortress.” Psalms 71:3 Trust in the Lord. Lean on the Lord. He can take care of you. — G.E. Dean

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Saturday,August 8, 2026 ■ 7D

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classifieds.theadvocate.com Search Search& &Place PlaceAds AdsOnline Onlineatatclassifieds.theadvocate.com classifieds.theadvocate.com* Call * Call -Friday Us Monday-Friday 8AM-5PM at 225-383-0111 8AM-5PM at 225-383-0111

Announcements Private Sitter, 6 Years Experience in Private Sitting with the Senior Citizens. Call for more information 225-379-0773. Anyone knowing of the whereabouts of BARBARA LEE BROWN WILLIAMS and her heirs, assigns or legatees, please contact Barrington R. Neil, Attorney at Law, 328 Government St., Baton Rouge, LA, 70802, Ph: (225) 344-1704. 196540-Aug 6-8, 3t $104.80 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Craig Joseph Fontenot please contact attorney Larry McAlpine at 225-317-1956. 196501-Aug 6-8, 3t $64.90 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of John H Thomas III and the Estate of Eleanor Marie Thomas please contact Atty. Benjamin Beychok at (225) 906-0050. 196622-Aug 8-10, 3t $83.80 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Kenneth Wayne Williams and the Estate of Reginald Jerome Williams please contact Atty. Benjamin Beychok at (225) 906-0050. 196609-Aug 8-10, 3t $81.70 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Seimone Anderson Kleinpeter, Joseph T Anderson and the Estate of Porter James Anderson please contact Atty. Benjamin Beychok at (225) 906-0050. 196626-Aug 8-10, 3t $88 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Tony L Washington please contact Atty. Benjamin Beychok at (225) 906-0050. 196620-Aug 8-10, 3t $67 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Yolanda Stills, Rajah Stills, Robert J Stewart and the Estate of Armer Nella(AKA Armernella) Green please contact Atty. Benjamin Beychok at (225) 906-0050. 196623-Aug 8-10, 3t $92.20 If anyone has knowledge of the whereabouts of Catrina H. Northern then please contact Attorney Ebony Cavalier via email at cavalierlawoffice@gmail.com or via telephone at (225) 757-5483. 196728-Aug 8, 1t $46.70

Public Notices

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

PUBLIC NOTICE --River Parishes Commu‐ nity College is seeking bids for a 40005-FY27-012, 2026 48 ft Dry Van Trailer – CDL Training Program (Qty 2). To obtain bid package, please visit https://wwwcfprd.doa. louisiana.gov/osp/lapac/ dspBid.cfm?search=dep artment&term=4. The following bids are open: #4005FY27-012 195319 July 27-Aug. 10 15t $86.40

KTMO LLC DBA: ELISA’S CUBAN CUISINE, are applying to the Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control of the State of Louisiana for a permit to sell beverage of High & Low alcoholic content at retail in the Parish of East Baton Rouge at the following address: 2627 S Sherwood Forest Blvd. Baton Rouge, LA 70816 Owners: MARIA OSEGUERA & KATIA TORRES VELAZQUEZ 196751-Aug 8, 1t $90.58

Baton Rouge Real Estate For Sale

HOUSE Very quiet area. 1BR/1Ba, large Laundry room. $350/deposit. $650 per month. 225-802-8603 MOBILE HOME 1, 2 & 3 BR mobile homes, $675 & up 6061 Plank Rd. CALL 225-978-4653

Employment GENERAL HELP The Diocese of B.R. Child Nutrition Pro‐ gram is seeking FT school Cafeteria Mgrs., Cooks, & Porters. HS Diploma or Equiv. and BG Check req. Apply at www.cnpbr.org/employment

Merchandise APPLIANCES Side by Side stainless steel Whirlpool Refrigerator, like new. 36"X 69". $500. Call 225-205-3316. All Metal Welded Bird Cage depth 18" x 24" width 27" tall overall height 54" all black original cost over 1,000. dollars $500.00 hank722@yahoo.com cage can seperate from base

Garage Sales GARAGE SALE PRESERVE AT HARVESTON ESTATE SALE 10746 TURNING LEAF DR. Thurs 2-7pm, Fri, Sat, Sun 8-5 BATON ROUGE (AREA 4) Huge Garage Sale 16060 Shenandoah Ave Friday 8/7, 7am-2pm. Saturday 8/8, 7am-2pm. Furniture, clothes, kitchen items, much more.

NEWLY UPDATED! 6726 PINE ISLAND AVE. $245,000, Approx. P & I $1,480 Forest Heights S/D Off Mickens Rd, 3BR 2BA, w/Cent/H/A Freshly Painted Int./Ext. New Ceramic FLR thru out, & New Kit Countertop Enclosed Screen Patio, Rear Dbl Carport w/Storage Shed & F'd B.Y. Call Charles for Your Showing 225-266-4078 Roy Carter Realty 225-357-6436

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY Selling Business only not building. Don't have enough workers to run. Has great potential in Reeve's shopping center. Has all equipment needed to boil crawfish, fry seafood plates amongst other foods with warmer in front. Asking price 50k negotiable and rent is needed to negotiate with landlord. Call or Text Steve 225-341-9235

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

g strategic sourcing plat‐ form through this link https://ccog.bonfirehub. com/ portal/?tab=openOppor‐ tunities to download and complete the RFP pack‐ age. Completed propos‐ als are due before 3:00pm East‐ ern Time on 9/4/2026. Region 10 Education Ser‐ vice Center (ESC), on be‐ half of Equalis Group b i i

q p members, is requesting responses for Workspace & Learn‐ ing Environment Modern‐ ization Solutions; Threat Detection, Screening & Emergency Response So‐ lutions; Employee Bene‐ fits Consulting; School Health, Wellness & Sports Medicine. Responses are due 9/04/2026 before 2:00 PM Central Time. To be considered respondents must submit a response to Region 10 ESC in ac‐ cordance with solicita‐ tion documentation available at https://www.region10. org/o/r10esc/page/ request-for-proposalsrfps-bids. The bid open‐ ing will take place at 2:00 P.M. Central Time via Teams as stated in the RFP. Gwinnett County Public Schools, on behalf of Equalis Group members, has issued a request for competitive sealed pro‐ posals for Comprehen‐ sive Card Solutions for Purchasing, Travel, Emer‐ gency Payroll/Disaster Dis‐ bursement, Other ePayables, and Related Financial Services. Orga‐ nizations who wish to participate in the RFP process must register with Bonfire strategic sourcing platform through this link https://gwinnett. bonfirehub.com/portal/? tab=openOpportunities to download and com‐ plete the solicitation package. Completed proposals are due before 10:00am East‐ ern Time on September

Baton Rouge Rental

ORDER PAGE REPRINTS ANYTIME

STORE.NOLA.COM

VBR-232 Lafayette, Inc. (Public Benefit Corporation) June 9, 2026 A scheduled Special Board Meeting of VBR-232 Lafayette, Inc. was held jointly with Visit Baton Rouge Board of Directors on Tuesday, June 9, 2026 at 359 Third Street at 12:00 pm. Present:

PETS • SUPPLIES • SERVICES • OBITUARIES • LOST & FOUND

PLACE YOUR PET SERVICES INFORMATION IN THE PET SERVICES DIRECTORY TODAY! • IT IS FAST AND EASY! • CALL 225-383-0111 DOGS Chihuahuas, Long hair, tiny, born 4/1/26, shots & wormed. Lafayette area 937-844-7271

PUPPIES For Sale! Adorable! 1/2 Pomeranian 1/2 Chihuahua $200, Full Blooded Toy Poo‐ dles $500 228-669-0077 TEACUP POODLES MALTIPOOS POMS YORKIES Miniature and Toy Goldendoodles UTD. S/W Please Call 504-259-2222

CATS RAGAMUFFIN & RAGDOLL KITTENS www.CatsByFrancy.com/kittens $1500up! Reg. Shots & Guaranty 337-230-3150

Morkie Yorkie MalShih Pups CKC UTD vac/wormed ready for new home. $800.00 337-517-8982 tgbonvillain1@gmail.com

APARTMENT AREA 5 1BR $600, 2BR $700 Tigerland. $500 Deposit. 225-475-1737

APARTMENTS 655 North St Subsidized Efficiency Apartments cpabr.org 225-383-5551 TDD/TTY 711 RELAY

HOUSE 3Br/1Ba $950/month $700/deposit. 2571 72nd Avenue. Section 8 welcome. Call 225-355-6004

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

11, 2026. West Ada School District, on behalf of Equalis Group members, has is‐ sued a Request for Pro‐ posals (RFP) for Music Instru‐ ments and Related Prod‐ ucts & Services; Kitchen Equipment, Wares, and Related Products & Services; Uni‐ forms, Performance Ap‐ parel, and Associated Products & Services. Or‐ ganizations who wish to participate in the RFP process must register with Euna Pro‐ curement strategic sourcing platform through this link https://westada. bonfirehub.com to down‐ load and complete the RFP package. Completed proposals are due before 2:00pm Moun‐ tain Standard Time on September 11, 2026. Monmouth-Ocean Educa‐ tional Services Commis‐ sion (MOESC) on behalf of Equalis Group mem‐ bers, has issued an Invitation to Bid for 27-21 • PICKUPS, SUVS AND VANS COOPER‐ ATIVE BID ‘26-‘28. Organi‐ zations who wish to participate in the Bid process must register with MOESC through this link https://docs. google.com/forms/d/e/1F h3ARZ5uOCQ/ formResponse. Once reg‐ istered, Bid documents will be available on the https://moesc. ecsourcing.com e-Bid platform. l d

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MORKIES, SHORKIES, BISHON YORKIES, CKC YORKIES vet checked shot worming meet Gulfport $450 334 467-3416

ESTATE SALE PRESERVE AT HARVESTON ESTATE SALE 10746 TURNING LEAF DR. Thurs 2-7pm, Fri, Sat, Sun 8-5

CLASSIFIEDS.THEADVOCATE.COM

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

Pets / Pet Services Directory

AREA 2

PUBLIC NOTICE --The Cooperative Council of Governments (CCOG), on behalf of Equalis Group members, has is‐ sued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the following categories: Aquatic Facil‐ ity Renovation, Repair & Maintenance with Re‐ lated Equipment, Sup‐ plies, and Services; Roof‐ ing Supplies, Services, and Related Solutions; Auto & Fleet Parts, Managed Inven‐ tory Programs & Related Services; and Claims Re‐ covery and Grant Administration Services. Organizations who wish to participate in the RFP process must register with Bonfire i i l

BATON ROUGE Large garage sale. Garage sale—lots of items. Art, crystal, porcelain dishes among them. 16337 Chadsford Avenue, Baton Rouge, La 70817. Saturday —8/08/ 26, 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

Reporting you can trust on stories that matter

CKC Labradoodle F1B Puppies Chocolate, Blue Merle, Black, puppies 1st shots, hand raised, available August 6th $1,200.00 504231-9118 ben1.comer@gmail.com DOGS 3 Female German Shepherd puppies, S/W $350. 11wks old. 225-205-4311

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Legal Notices

p Completed responses are due before 10:00AM Eastern Standard Time on September 10, 2026.

p y y g on that information should you protest your value.

196573-aug 8-1t $423.53

08/07/2026 08/08/2026 196193 Aug. 7, 8, 2026 2t $57.44

Legal Notices

East Feliciana Parish Tax Assessor Public Notice

Notice is hereby given that I have completed the assessment listings of all real and personal property in the Parish of East Feliciana and have estimated the values thereon. Said assess‐ ment listings will be ex‐ posed in the East Feli‐ ciana Parish Assessor’s office for public inspec‐ tion and correction for a period of 15 days begin‐ ning August 17th – Au‐ gust 31st,2026. Any tax‐ payer desiring to exam‐ ine their assessment is required to call or come to the East Feliciana Parish Assessor’s office during this 15 day period. PLEASE NOTE: You must submit all information concerning the value of your property to your as‐ sessor before the dead‐ line for filing an appeal with the Board of Review. The failure to submit such information may prevent you from relying h i f i

PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE the Louisiana De‐ partment of Conserva‐ tion and Energy, Office of Permitting and Compli‐ ance (OPC) has received the following applica‐ tion(s) for a Coastal Use Permit (CUP) in accor‐ dance with La. R.S. 49:214.21 et seq., and the rules of the Coastal Man‐ agement Program. Appli‐ cations for coastal use permits may be in‐ spected at 617 North 3rd Street, Room 1078, Baton Rouge, LA or on the OPC https:// webpage at: www.dce.louisiana.gov/ page/coastalmanagement-publicnotices. Copies are avail‐ able, costs apply. Written comments are solicited from the public and must be received within 25 days of the date of this notice. Comments must be uploaded directly to our electronic record through the OPC web‐ page or mailed to: OPC Administrator, Kyle Balkum, P.O. Box 44487, Baton Rouge, LA 708044487. All comments must contain the appropriate CUP number and the commenter's full name and contact information. Below are the referenced application(s): ************ CUP NUM‐

of bid evaluation and record; WHEREAS, the Design Professional of Record and the President & CEO have recommended rejection of all bids, as all bids received exceeded the established project budget and preconstruction estimate of $5,006,501.00;

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Legal Notices

Legal Notices

Legal Notices

BER: P20260645 Name: Hebert, Patrick c/o Southland Environmen‐ tal, LLC 510 CLARENCE STREET LAKE CHARLES, LA 70602 Attn: Jared King Location: Cameron Parish, LA; Lat. 29-4458.22N, Long -92-5314.88W; Section 44 T15S R05W; Section 45 T15S R05W; 4323 Grand Che‐ nier Highway Grand Che‐ nier, 70643 Description: Fill two borrow ponds lo‐ cated in Grand Chenier to restore natural eleva‐

tions on the chenier ridge. Approx. 37125 cy of dirt will be hauled in and used as fill. ************ CUP NUMBER: P20260647 Name: Cameron Parish Gravity Drainage District #4 c/o Ducks Unlimited, Inc. 209 SOUTHPARK ROAD SUITE G LAFAYETTE, LA 70508 Attn: Bob Dew Location: Cameron Parish, LA; Lat. 29-46-43.56N, Long 93-643.75W; Section 32 T14S R7W; Section 5 T15S R7W; Oak Grove, LA Descrip‐ i h j i l d

p tion: The project includes the removal of an old, non-functional water control structure, instal‐ lation of a new water control structure (vari‐ able-crested weirs) and construction of an earthen plug. Approx. 1018 c.y. of material will be excavated and placed on site. ************************ NOTICE the Louisiana De‐ partment of Conserva‐ tion and Energy, Office of Permitting and Compli‐ ( ) h i d

WHEN YOU’RE READY TO START YOUR HOME SEARCH, START HERE

WHEREAS, pursuant to La. R.S. 38:2214(B)(2), an owner has just cause to reject all bids upon the failure of any bidder to submit a bid within the established threshold of the preconstruction estimate for the work;

Scott Michelet Mary Stein Claude Reynaud Marty Engquist Gary Jupiter Present but not participating in formal action: Rowdy Gaudet, VBR Board Member Robyn Merrick, VBR Board Member Gary Patureau, VBR Board Member Karen Soniat, VBR Board Member Jill Kidder, Staff Lauralyn Maranto, Staff Danielle Prejean, Staff Stacy Simon, Staff Laura Cating, Staff Lisa Clary, Staff Trippe Hawthorne, Kean Miller Angie Adolph, Kean Miller Ianne Salvosa, The Advocate Lisa Nice, GFP Architecture & Design Scott Michelet called the meeting to order and opened the meeting for public comment. Jill Kidder and Trippe Hawthorne, with Kean Miller, presented a brief overview regarding the bid process and status of the construction bids for 232 Lafayette Street. After a brief discussion, the Board of Directors of Visit Baton Rouge adopted the following Resolution: RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION APPROVING AND RATIFYING THE INCLUSION OF ELECTRONICALLY SUBMITTED BIDS, AND REJECTING ALL BIDS FOR THE NEW HEADQUARTERS FOR VISIT BATON ROUGE, VBR232 LAFAYETTE, INC., FOR JUST CAUSE PURSUANT TO LA. R.S. 38:2214(B)(2) WHEREAS, bids for the New Headquarters for Visit Baton Rouge, VBR232 Lafayette, Inc., were received on June 4, 2026, including two bids submitted electronically and two bids submitted in person, as reflected on the bid tabulation sheet; WHEREAS, the Board has reviewed and considered the bid tabulation sheet, which includes the two electronically submitted bids, and finds it appropriate to approve and ratify the inclusion of those bids for purposes

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Directors of Visit Baton Rouge and VBR-232 Lafayette, Inc. (PBC): 1. The Board hereby approves and ratifies the inclusion of the two electronically submitted bids on the bid tabulation sheet for the New Headquarters project. 2. The Board, having considered the recommendation of the Design Professional of Record and the President & CEO, hereby rejects all bids received for the New Headquarters project for just cause pursuant to La. R.S. 38:2214(B)(2), as no bidder submitted a bid within the established threshold of the preconstruction estimate for the work. This Resolution shall become effective immediately. The foregoing Resolution having been submitted to a vote, the vote resulted as follows: Member

Yes

Janice Delerno Gary Jupiter, Jr.

Absent

X X

Claude Reynaud, Jr.

X

Rowdy Gaudet, Chairman

X

Marty Engquist

X

Gary Patureau

X

Stephen Hightower, Vice Chairman

Jeremy Fontenot

Abstain

X

Karen Soniat, Ph.D.

Robyn Merrick, Secretary/Treasurer

No

X X X

Adopted by the Board of Directors of Visit Baton Rouge at a special meeting of the said Board of Directors after being duly noticed on the 9th day of June, 2026. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.

196593-675149-aug 8-1t $ 164.64

H O M E S . A DVO C AT E .C O M

8D ■ Saturday,August 8, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate Legal Notices

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g p ance (OPC) has received a request to extend for the referenced applica‐ tion(s) for a Coastal Use Permit (CUP) in accor‐ dance with La. R.S. 49:214.21 et seq., and the rules of the Coastal Man‐ agement Program. Appli‐ cations for coastal use permits may be in‐ spected at 617 North 3rd Street, Room 1078, Baton Rouge, LA or on the OPC https:// webpage at: www.dce.louisiana.gov/ page/coastalmanagement-publicnotices. Copies are avail‐ able, costs apply. Written comments are solicited from the public and must be received within 10 days of the date of this notice. Comments must

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be uploaded directly to our electronic record through the OPC web‐ page or mailed to: OPC Administrator, Kyle Balkum, P.O Box 44487, Baton Rouge, LA 708044487. All comments must contain the appropriate CUP number and the commenter's full name and contact information. Below are the referenced application(s): ********* CUP NUMBER: P20240258 (Extended) Name: Har‐ vest Midstream, c/o T. Baker Smith P.O. Box 2266 Houma, La 70361 Attn: Kodi Babin Location: Plaquemines Parish, LA; Lat. 29-21-44.68N, Long. -89-34-01.94W (see plats for additional coordi‐ nates); Sec. 51, T20SR29E Description: Pro‐ posed anomaly repair on their BOA-4 pipeline. Crews will be using a tug and barge to move equipment through the existing deep water ac‐ cess channel. From the deep water access chan‐ nel, outboard motor boats will be used to mo‐ bilize the remaining dis‐ tance to repair site. A barge mounted excava‐ tor will be used to dig the il i l

lll

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g temporary spoil material (180 cy) and set a caison in place. The material will be used as backfill upon the completion of project activities. 196725-aug 10-1t $48.64 PUBLIC NOTICE --Request for Scenic River Permit on Tangipahoa RiverThe Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) asAdministrator of the Louisiana Natural and Scenic Rivers System is currentlyconsidering the application of Tangi‐ pahoa Parish to build a helicopter pad on theTangipahoa River. The project proposes to con‐ struct a timber-deck heli‐ copter landingpad and a timber-deck walkway connection to the south‐ ern bank of the river for thepurpose of providing access to emergency personnel and local resi‐ dents duringmaritime medical emergencies and evacuations. Copies of the application can bereviewed at the LDWF

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main office, 2000 Quail Drive, Baton Rouge, LA. The publicis invited to comment on this permit request for a period of (45) days. forty-five Responses should be mailed to the LDWF Scenic Rivers Program: P.O. Box 98000,Baton Rouge, LA 70898-9000; ATTN: Amelia Wolfe. 196624 Aug. 8, 1t $112.72 PUBLIC NOTICE --The Louisiana Office of State Parks is requesting proposals for a PublicPrivate Partnership pro‐ ject to design, construct, and operate a high-qual‐ ity recreational vehicle campground and related amenities. For more in‐ formation go to opportu‐ nitiesinlouisiana.com.

“NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Petition for Legal Tutorship has been filed wherein Alyson O. Gautreaux has sought to be appointed as the legal tutor for the minor chil‐ dren, Leah Rhodes and Sawyer Rhodes, which action is entitled In the Matter of the Tutorship of Leah Rhodes and Sawyer Rhodes, on the docket of the 21st Judi‐ cial District Court for the Parish of Livingston, State of Louisiana, and was instituted on the 6th day of August, 2026. Any opposition hereto must be filed with ten (10) days of publication of this notice.” 196796-AUG 8-1T $96.88

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PUBLIC NOTICE --WBR NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING: CONDEMNA‐ TION Pursuant to Parish Code Chapter 109-42 “Derelict Structures”, the follow‐ ing properties have been condemned by the Parish President. Address: 1234 REV MAN‐ UAL ST. PORT ALLEN LA 70767 (File #26-0036) Owner: LUELLA MILLS

WBR Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

PARKER Legal Description: LOT 4 MARIONNEAUX SD 53A53CB188 E62(MAP FILED IN ORGINAL CB61 E111) (PLAT MAP 69) A PUBLIC HEARING will be held by the West Baton Rouge PARISH COUNCIL to ratify the condemnation order. The owner of the structure may appeal the decision of the Parish President by appearing at this meeting of the PARISH COUNCIL to show cause why the structure should not be condemned. Date: Thursday, August 13,2026 Time: 5:30pm Public hearings will be held at the West Baton Rouge Parish Govern‐ mental Building, 880 N. Alexander, Port Allen, LA 70767. Published in The Advo‐ cate for Two (2) consecu‐ tive weeks from 07/30/2026 through 08/13/2026.

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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Saturday,August 8, 2026 ■ 9D

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Legal Notices

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CITY OF ST. GEORGE PROPOSED ORDINANCE 2026-023 AN ORDINANCE GRANTING A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FOR THE INSTALATION OF A ROOFTOP SIGN ON A 70 FT TALL OFFICE BUILDING (9100 Bluebonnet Centre Blvd) WHEREAS, application has been made on behalf of 9100 Bluebonnet Centre BR, LLC for a conditional use permit to allow the installation of a rooftop sign on a 70 ft tall office building located at 9100 Bluebonnet Centre Blvd.; and WHEREAS, Section 7:16.5.8.B.2 permits roof signs as a conditional use on buildings that are at least 80’ tall; and WHEREAS, a public hearing was held on July 6, 2026, before the City of St. George Zoning Commission and the Zoning Commission recommended granting the Conditional Use Permit with a waiver of the 80’ height requirement subject to certain conditions. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the St. George City Council, State of Louisiana, as follows: Section 1: That the property that is the subject of this Ordinance is legally described in Exhibit A attached hereto and made a part hereof. Section 2: That a Conditional Use Permit is granted, along with a waiver of the 80 foot high building requirement, to allow the installation of a single, approximately 50.47 sq. ft., roof sign atop the façade facing Bluebonnet Blvd. on the Subject Property subject to compliance with the location, design, and letter sizes indicated in the following document: Channel Letters/Kickback plan, with mock photo showing view from I-10, by SignWorx, dated January 13, 2026. Section 3: The specific terms and conditions of this Ordinance shall prevail against other ordinances of the City to the extent that there may be any conflict. Except for the foregoing, the use of the subject property is subject to the terms of all applicable ordinances and regulations of the City of St. George, including any amendment thereto. Section 4: Severability. If any provision of this Ordinance is declared invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, the other provisions shall remain in full force and effect. Section 5: Effective Date. This ordinance shall be effective upon publication. This ordinance having been submitted to a vote; the vote thereon was: For: Cook, Dellucci, Edmonds, Himmel, Monachello, Murrell, Talbot Against: Absent: Adopted this 28th day of July, 2026 Signed this 29th day of July, 2026 Delivered to the Mayor on the 29th day of July, 2026 ______________________________ Lorraine Beaman, City Clerk Approved: ___________________________ Dustin Yates, Mayor Received from the Mayor on the ____ day of ______________, 2026 ______________________________ Lorraine Beaman, City Clerk Adopted Ordinance published in The Advocate on the ___ day or ___________, 2026. EXHIBIT A Lot 4 of the Bluebonnet Center property, in Sec 58, T7S, R1E, Greensburg Land District, City of St. George, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. _________________________________________________________________ CITY OF ST. GEORGE BY COUNCIL MEMBER COOK ORDINANCE NO. 2026 - 024 AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND TITLE 6, CHAPTER 1 AND CHAPTER 4, RELATIVE TO FIRE PREVENTION AND PROTECTION TITLE 6 – FIRE PREVENTION AND PROTECTION CHAPTER 1. FIRE PREVENTION Sec. 6:101. Life Safety Code. Codes Adopted. (a) There is hereby adopted a fire code to provide the City with rules and regulations to improve the public safety by promoting the control of fire hazards; regulating the installation, use and maintenance of equipment; regulating the use of structures, premises and open areas; providing for the abatement of fire hazards; establishing the responsibilities and the procedures for code enforcement; and setting forth the standards for compliance and achievement of these objectives. (b) This city adopts as its fire code the most current editions of the National Fire Protection Association Life Safety Code (NFPA 101) and the National Fire Protection Association Fire Code (NFPA 1) as adopted by the Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s Office. The St. George Fire Prevention Bureau shall maintain a current edition of the City’s fire code. (b) The city adopts the state uniform fire code as adopted by R.S. 40:1578.7 and Louisiana Administrative Code tit. 55: V: 103 and the most current edition of the Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s Act and those codes and standards adopted by the Louisiana State Uniform Construction Code Council (LSUCCC) and the Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal, including the National Fire Protection Association Fire Prevention Code (NFPA 1), the International Fire Code (IFC), and other applicable International Codes (I-Codes), as adopted by the LSUCCC, together with any codes and standards specifically referenced therein and adopted by the LSUCCC, except such portions as may be deleted, modified, or amended by this chapter will be the minimum code which will be utilized by the St. George Fire Prevention Bureau. The St. George Fire Prevention Bureau shall maintain a current edition of the City’s fire code. Section 6:112. Fire Lanes on Private Property. (a) The Fire Chief or their designee shall proscribe appropriate fire lanes for all buildings in the City, which shall be maintained free of obstruction at all times. Buildings that are not readily accessible from public roads must be accessible to fire apparatus through gates, access roads, and/ or fire lanes.

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CHAPTER 4. FIREWORKS CHAPTER 6. FIREWORKS Sec. 6:401. Definitions Sec. 6:601. Definitions As used in this Chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings ascribed to them unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: 1. 1.3G Fireworks: A United States Department of Transportation (hereinafter referred to in this Section as “DÓT’) classification indicating display fireworks to be used by professionals in a public display. 2. 1.4G Fireworks: Consumer fireworks intended for use by the general public. 3. Aerial luminary: An airborne paper or membrane lantern containing a small candle, or other device for fuel, that heats air from inside the lantern causing the lantern to rise into the air and remain airborne until the candle or other fuel device extinguishes or is caused to descend by environmental effects. These items are commonly known as sky lanterns, Hawaii lanterns, Kongming lanterns, Chinese lanterns, fire balloons, or flying luminaries. 4. Consumer Fireworks: Small fireworks usually sold at retail to consumers during designated periods. These include a number of small devices designed to produce audible effects, ground devices containing fifty milligrams (50 mg) or less of flash powder, and aerial devices containing one hundred thirty milligrams (130 mg) or less of flash powder. The DOT classifies consumer fireworks in 49 CFR 172.101 as UN0336 and UN0337. 5. Display Fireworks: Large fireworks used in commercial display shows under the direct supervision of a licensed pyrotechnic operator. These fireworks are designed primarily to produce visible or audible effects by combustion, deflagration, or detonation. They include but are not limited to salutes containing more than two grains (130 mg) of flash powder, aerial shells containing more than forty grams of pyrotechnic compositions, and other display pieces which exceed the limits of explosive materials for classification as consumer fireworks. They also include fused set pieces containing components which together exceed fifty milligrams (50 mg) of flash powder. Display fireworks are classified by DOT in 49 CFR 172.101 as UN0333, UN0334, or UN0335. 6. Fireworks: A broad composition or devices used for the purpose of producing a visible or audible effect by combustion, explosion, deflagration, detonation, and which are further defined in three general categories: “articles pyrotechnic”, “consumer fireworks”, and “display fireworks”. The term “firework” does not include blank cartridges, railroad flares, model rockets, or any novelty or toy cap pistols, caps, toy canes, toy guns, or other devices which paper caps containing twenty-five hundredths (25/100) grains or less of explosive compounds are used, provided they are so constructed that the hand cannot come in contact with the cap when in place for exploding, and toy paper pistol caps which contain less than twenty-five hundredths (25/100) grains of explosive compounds. 7. Pyrotechnic operator: an individual who, by experience and examination, has demonstrated the necessary skill and ability for safely assembling, discharging, and supervising public displays of Fireworks 1.3G, as defined in La. R.S. 51:650 8. NFPA 1123: National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) subtitled Code for Fireworks Display, a comprehensive code created by the to ensure the safety of individuals and property during outdoor firework displays, free access to which is available at: https://www.nfpa.org/for-professionals/ codes-andstandards/list-of-codes-and-standards/free-access 9. Public display: The display of 1.4S, 1.4G, or 1.3G fireworks, including fireworks not listed as permissible in La. R.S. 51:651, used for any purpose relating to the amusement of the general public. 10. Sale: Includes barter, exchange, or gift or offer therefor, and each such transaction made by any person, whether as principal, proprietor, agent, servant or employee. Sec. 6:403 Prohibited Acts Sec. 6:602 Prohibited Acts (a) Use and Discharge: It shall be unlawful for any person to ignite, explode, discharge, or use any type of fireworks within the City of St. George. b) Sale and Possession: It shall be unlawful to do any of the following within the City limits unless in compliance with this Chapter: 1. Sell or offer for sale any Fireworks; 2. Possess Fireworks with the intent to use, sell, or distribute. 3. Launch, release, or possess “Aerial luminary.” (c) Exemptions: This Chapter shall not apply to transportation of fireworks through the City in compliance with federal regulations. Sec. 6:405. Public Display Permit Requirements Sec. 6:603. Public Display Permit Requirements (a) Permit Required. No public fireworks display shall be conducted without a permit issued by the fire official. (b) Application Requirements. At least 30 days in advance of a Public Display, applicant shall submit to the fire official: 1. Full name of the licensed pyrotechnic operator along with a copy of the pyrotechnician’s state license (per La. R.S. 51:653); 2. Event date, location, and time; 3. Proof of $1,000,000 in general liability insurance with the City named an additional insured; 4. Proof of secure storage while within City limits prior to the event; 5. Site plan indicating launch, fallout, and spectator zones; and 6. Safety plan, emergency procedures, and compliance with NFPA 1123. (c) Approval Authority. The fire official, in consultation with the Chief of Police, shall review and approve or deny applications based on safety and compliance. Sec. 6:407. Enforcement and Penalties Sec. 6:604. Enforcement and Penalties (a) Violation. Any person who violates this Ordinance shall be subject to: 1. A fine not exceeding $1,000 per violation. 2. Confiscation of fireworks. (b) Emergency Orders. The fire official and/or law enforcement may issue temporary bans during hazardous conditions (e.g., droughts). (c) Seizure Authority. Law enforcement and fire officials are authorized to confiscate fireworks possessed in violation of this Ordinance. Sec. 6:409. Severability. Sec. 6:605. Severability. If any section of this Ordinance is found invalid, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect. Sec. 6:411. Effective Date. Sec. 6:606. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall become effective upon publication. This ordinance having been submitted to a vote; the vote thereon was: For: Cook, Dellucci, Edmonds, Himmel, Monachello, Murrell, Talbot Against: Absent:

Legal Notices

Legal Notices

______________________________ Lorraine Beaman, City Clerk Approved: ___________________________ Dustin Yates, Mayor Received from the Mayor on the ____ day of ______________, 2026 ______________________________ Lorraine Beaman, City Clerk Adopted Ordinance published in The Advocate on the ___ day or ___________, 2026. _________________________________________________________________ Minutes of Regular Meeting of the Mayor and Council Members of the City of St. George, State of Louisiana, held on Tuesday, July 14 at 5:00 pm at the St. George Fire Dept, 14100 Airline Hwy, St. George, LA 70817 I.

Preliminary Business: 1. Call to Order: Mayor Dustin Yates called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Invocation 4. Roll Call: Present: Council Member Cook, Council Member Himmel Council Member Edmonds, Council Member Talbot, Council Member Monachello, Council Member Murrell, Council Member Dellucci Absent: 5. Approval of Minutes: Motion by Council Member Murrell, seconded by Council Member Monachello to approve the minutes of the June 23, 2026 council meeting. AYES: Cook, Himmel, Edmonds, Monachello, Talbot, Murrell, Dellucci NAYS: None

ABSENT:

6. Presentation of Proclamation naming June 14th Army’s 251st birthday. 7. Presentation by Scot Byrd on Monthly Activity Report. II. New Business (Items for Public Hearing and Action) 1. Motion by Council Member Edmonds, seconded by Council Member Himmel to approve Ordinance to declare that certain real property owned by the city is no longer needed for public purposes, approve the sale thereof, and provide for related matters. (Edmonds) Public comment was opened with the following speakers: Leon Trancher AYES: Cook, Himmel, Edmonds, Monachello, Talbot, Murrell, Dellucci NAYS: None ABSENT: None 2. Motion by Council Member Himmel, seconded by Council Member Talbot approving Resolution authorizing sponsorship for South EBR Levee Access Improvements Project (Edmonds) Public comment was opened with no speakers. AYES: Cook, Himmel, Edmonds, Monachello, Talbot, Murrell, Dellucci NAYS: None ABSENT: None 3. Motion by Council Member Monachello, seconded by Council Member Cook approving Resolution recognizing IBTS personnel for municipal code enforcement, permitting, plan review, and inspection services; appointing related personnel under LSUCCC requirements; and authorizing a request for determination or declaratory order. Public comment was opened with no speakers. AYES: Cook, Himmel, Edmonds, Monachello, Talbot, Murrell, Dellucci NAYS: None ABSENT: None 4. Motion by Council Member Murrell, seconded by Council Member Talbot to indefinitely defer Zoning Commission Case No. Z-260001 Amendment - To Rezone Tract X, Lots LRK LLC-1, LRK LLC2, LRK LLC-3, LRK LLC-4, 9-A, 9-B and 9-C of the of the Leon R Kleinpeter property from C-2, C-1 and R to the New Base Zoning District pending litigation. Public comment was opened with no speakers. AYES: Cook, Himmel, Edmonds, Monachello, Talbot, Murrell, Dellucci NAYS: None ABSENT: None III. Executive Session 1. Motion by Council Member Murrell, seconded by Council Member Edmonds to enter Executive Session at 5:13pm for Petition for Declaratory Judgment and Damages concerning proposed rezoning. LRK, LLC v. The City of St. George, Chris Rials, and Norman Browning, Docket No. C-779530, Section 22 in the 19th Judicial District Court (Plaintiffs and Defendants as listed in caption) 2. Motion by Council Member Murrell, seconded by Council Member Edmonds to end Executive Session at 5:31pm. Meeting adjourned at 5:32pm. Meeting minutes approved on_________________. ____________________________ Dustin Yates, Mayor ____________________________ Attest: Lorraine Beaman, City Clerk

Adopted this 28th day of July, 2026 Signed this 29th day of July, 2026

196560-675069-aug 8-1t $ 582.12

Delivered to the Mayor on the 29th day of July, 2026

ONE great state. FOUR great apps.

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10D ■ Saturday,August 8, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

lll

TODAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

A shower and thunderstorm

A stray afternoon thunderstorm

Humid; a stray p.m. t-storm

Humid with a t-storm in spots

A stray morning thunderstorm

Humid with a couple of showers

HIGH

LOW

HIGH

93° 75°

LOW

HIGH

92° 74°

LOW

89° 74°

HIGH

Beaumont 91/76 Port Arthur 90/77

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

Hattiesburg 96/73

Alexandria 93/74 Baton Rouge 93/75

Lafayette 92/75 Lake Charles 92/76

10s

20s

30s

Houma 91/75

40s

LOW

YESTERDAY

50s

60s

70s

80s

4:21p 9:48a 3:55a 6:49a 6:06a 5:20a 7:14a

6:27 a.m. 7:53 p.m. 1:36 a.m. 4:38 p.m.

NEW

FIRST

FULL

LAST

AUG 12

AUG 19

AUG 27

SEP 4

City

Atlanta Austin Boston Charlotte Chicago Dallas Denver Houston Las Vegas

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

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

HIGH

Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today

90s 100s 110s

PRECIPITATION

95°/74° 93°/74° 94°/74° 102° in 1921 65° in 2004

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 Orleans 91/77

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

0s

HIGH

94° 76°

Baton Rouge through 5 p.m. Friday

Jackson 93/73 Many 93/72

LOW

94° 76°

TEMPERATURE

Longview 97/75

-0s

LOW

Monroe 94/74

Shreveport 95/75

-10s

HIGH

92° 76°

Well, today will be a typical summertime day in Baton Rouge and the surrounding areas. Expect a partly cloudy, hot and humid day with a light breeze and a few scattered showers and storms. Temperatures this afternoon will rise to about where they should be, in the low to mid-90s. The humidity will remain high, so heat index or “feels-like” temperatures will rise to 105 or higher and the UV index will be at the very high level this afternoon. Also, keep the umbrella with you, scattered rain is expected tomorrow.

Hi

TODAY

90 99 88 90 84 101 101 95 112

Lo

72 75 74 72 66 79 70 77 90

W

t s t t s s pc t s

Hi

92 98 92 90 84 100 99 92 113

SUN. Lo

74 78 70 73 72 79 67 76 88

FT.

LOW

Trace Trace 1.29” 41.49” 38.38”

FT.

HIGH

0.8 3:51a -0.1 1.8 10:46p -0.3 2.1 5:18p -0.7 2.1 9:40p 0.0 1.6 5:52p -0.2 1.9 4:12p -0.5 1.9 6:54p -0.3

t s pc t t s pc t t

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

MODERATE

READING 71 MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

SOURCE: LOUISIANA DEQ AND AIRNOW.GOV

LOW

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FLOOD

FT.

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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 7:53a Sunday 8:51a Monday 9:48a Tuesday 10:44a Wednesday 11:39a Thursday 12:07a Friday 1:00a

W

FT.

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City

Hi

Los Angeles 89 Miami 92 Nashville 89 New york City 88 Philadelphia 93 Phoenix 113 St. Louis 90 San Francisco 72 Seattle 81

1:37a 2:35a 3:32a 4:29a 5:25a 6:19a 7:12a

TODAY Lo

69 81 74 74 76 91 75 59 56

8:25p 9:23p 10:19p 11:14p 12:06p 12:32p 1:24p

W

s t t t t s pc s pc

TODAY

MODERATE

Hi

89 92 91 90 93 112 92 74 79

2:09p 3:07p 4:04p 4:59p 5:52p 6:44p 7:35p

SUN. Lo

71 80 72 73 73 90 77 57 56

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

W

s t t s s t pc s pc

FRI.

24-HOUR

MISSISSIPPI STAGE STAGE CHANGE Memphis 34 -0.80 +0.13 Vidalia-Natchez 48 20.10 -1.03 Red River Landing 48 22.80 -1.20 Baton Rouge 35 9.20 -0.90 Donaldsonville 27 5.40 -0.40 Reserve 22 3.97 -0.29 New Orleans 17 3.60 +0.11 OHIO Cairo 40 16.31 +0.33 COMITE Near Olive 19 -1.43 +0.12 AMITE Near Darlington 18 -1.13 -0.02 Denham Springs 29 10.72 +0.56 Port Vincent 8 1.84 +0.10 TICKFAW Montpelier 13 2.56 +0.02 Holden 15 0.95 +0.02 ATCHAFALAYA Simmesport 47 8.83 -0.61 Melville 34 5.85 -0.43 Krotz Springs 29 4.33 -0.30 Butte La Rose 20 4.34 -0.22 Bayou Sorrel 12 3.50 -0.60 Morgan City 6 1.60 +0.02

data as of 7 a.m. Friday

Forecasts and graphics, except for Damon’s Outlook, provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2026

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