The Acadiana Advocate 08-12-2026

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W e d n e s d ay, au g u s t 12, 2026

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$3 million requested for parks, recreation centers Golf courses, tennis courts may get maintenance

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

STAFF PHOTOS By LESLIE WESTBROOK

Faculty members sign the beam Tuesday during a topping-out ceremony for the L.J. Alleman Fine Arts Magnet Academy expansion and improvement project in Lafayette.

TO TOP IT OFF L.J. Alleman celebrates construction milestone at one of Lafayette’s largest middle schools

BY JOANNA BROWN

Staff writer

As Lafayette’s school buildings have aged and the population has grown, portable buildings have become a prominent feature on many campuses.

These portable classrooms, often referred to as “butler buildings,” were designed to increase capacity and ease pressure on outdated facilities — but the butler buildings themselves were meant to be temporary solutions.

In a wave of construction that includes the new facility at Lafayette High School, Lafayette Parish school system representatives say that they are making progress on a long-held goal — removing all portable buildings from campuses. On Tuesday, a ceremony was held at L.J. Alleman Fine Arts Magnet Academy to celebrate progress on a new administrative building that will be the face of campus, with a library and enough new classrooms to eliminate the need for butler buildings.

A “topping out” ceremony is an old builders’ tradition that marks the placement of the final beam on the highest point of the structure. It typically includes an American flag and evergreen tree that rides on the beam to its final destination, for good luck.

ä See TOP, page 4A

ä See PARKS, page 4A

ABOVE: The signed beam is

Lafayette High senior competes in Patriot Games

lifted into place atop the L.J.

BY MATTHEW ALBRIGHT

Alleman Fine Arts Magnet

aircraft while the White House made it appear that the Republican president was flying on Air Force One, according to a report published by The Washington Post.

The Post said Monday the

By The Associated Press operation was prompted by an President Donald Trump se- Iranian assassination threat cretly flew out of last month’s against Trump. The ruse was NATO summit in Ankara, Tur- carried out as journalists and key, on an alternate military some White House staff mem-

Press has not independently confirmed the report.

Trump had flown to the summit in a new Qatari-gifted and retrofitted red, white and navy blue jet. But ahead of departing Turkey, he said he would fly partway home on an oldermodel baby blue Air Force One plane instead.

ä See TRUMP, page 4A

ä See GAMES, page 4A

Principal Kathy Aloisio, right, and her daughter and current principal, Allison Champagne, sign the beam.

WEATHER HIGH 92 LOW 78 PAGE 10A

bers were led to believe they were on the same plane as the president as he began his journey back to Washington from the annual gathering of NATO country leaders.

The Post cited material reviewed by the newspaper, a U.S. official familiar with the operation and another person with knowledge of the president’s travel. The Associated

Staff writer

Two Louisiana students are competing this week in games like dodgeball, kickball, and endurance and sports skills chalAMERICA lenges as they represent the state in the Patriot Games, a national athletic competition that is part of President Donald Trump’s celebrations of America’s 250th anniversary.

Owen Dozier-George, a senior at Lafayette High School, and Eva Melton, a junior at Mount Carmel Academy in New Orleans, are competing with other high school athletes from every state at Spire Academy in Geneva, Ohio. One boy and one girl will be chosen as winners, each receiving a $125,000 prize.

Athletes competed Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. A one-hour special highlighting the competition will air on ABC at 8 p.m.

Thursday. Trump flew out Tuesday to observe some of the events in person.

“Everyone back home is so proud to have them representing our state,” Gov. Jeff Landry said in a video posted to social media.

Academy. LEFT: Former

Trump used elaborate ruse to leave Turkey Report: President swapped planes following summit

Lafayette recreation centers, golf courses and tennis courts may get needed maintenance and improvements if the City Council agrees to set aside $1 million for each in the 2026-27 budget.

The council on Tuesday reviewed the budget proposed by Mayor-President Monique Boulet for the fiscal year that runs from Nov. 1 through Oct. 31, 2027.

Council member Kenneth Boudreaux said deferred maintenance on parks and recreation centers because of cuts by a prior mayor-president is Boudreaux showing.

At a recent visit to the Domingue Center on Mudd Avenue, Boudreaux said he saw broken floor tiles, the building’s sign was missing and the sidewalk in front of the center has been wrapped in orange caution tape for several years.

O.J. Mouton Pool on Mudd Avenue, the only public Olympic-size swimming pool in the city, has been closed several years.

At one time, Boudreaux said, it would have cost several hundred thousand dollars to repair the pool. The cost today is over $1 million because of deferred repairs.

Business ...................10C Commentary ................3B Nation-World................2A Classified .....................8A Living............................5C Opinion ........................2B Comics-Puzzles .....7C-9C Metro ...........................1B Sports ..........................1C

102Nd yEAR, NO. 43

2A ● Wednesday, August 12, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Congo: 2,000 have died in Ebola outbreak

BUNIA, Congo — At least 2,000 people have died in Congo’s Ebola outbreak, the fastest-growing on record, according to the latest data, as rebel conflict, bad roads and work stoppages over payment issues challenge the urgent response in a remote region.

Government data published overnight into Tuesday showed the outbreak has 4,381 confirmed cases, including 2,011 deaths.

Starting from the first confirmed case, the death toll was reached almost three times faster than in the 2014-16 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the worst on record.

The current outbreak was declared on May 15 but health authorities now say sequencing showed it began months earlier, in February.

It took about nine weeks for the outbreak to record the first 1,000 deaths, but it’s taken just around three weeks for the figure to double, as experts say the crisis is moving faster than efforts to track and manage it.

At the epicenter in eastern Congo’s Ituri province, friends and family members gathered in tears on Tuesday for the burial of Jeannine Katusabe, 38, one of the latest to die.

Christophe Logo, a family representative, said Katusabe first sought traditional treatment at home and only went to the local Ebola treatment center after her condition worsened. “Unfortunately, she did not recover,” he said.

Agency issues report into steel plant blast

A federal safety agency recommended the development of written policies and procedures for flushing gas valves a year after a blast at a U.S. Steel plant near Pittsburgh killed two workers.

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board issued a final report into the August 2025 blast at Clairton Coke Works, which also injured 11 others, including contractors.

U.S. Steel has said the explosion happened when workers were flushing a gas valve with pressurized water in preparation for routine planned maintenance at the sprawling riverside industrial facility, the largest of its kind in the Western Hemisphere.

The valve ruptured under intense pressure and released combustible coke oven gas.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration previously fined the company a total of $118,214 and issued 10 citations.

OSHA had said that U.S. Steel’s written procedures, practices and training to safely maintain equipment and flush the gas valve were incomplete, outdated or inadequate.

The Chemical Safety Board report recommended that U.S. Steel develop a written procedure for washing valves with pressurized water in order to minimize the operation’s hazards. It also recommended that an industrial cleaning contractor which used a pump truck to apply pressurized water to the valve develop written policies and procedures for cleaning piping systems containing flammable or toxic gas, and train its workers in such operations.

Prosecutors want Tates to remain in custody

MIAMI — Prosecutors want social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate to remain in federal custody, arguing Monday that the brothers are a flight risk and a danger to the community, as they fight extradition to the United Kingdom, where the brothers are accused of rape and sex trafficking.

Three days after defense attorneys filed a motion for release, prosecutors filed their response in Miami federal court, where a hearing on Thursday will determine if the brothers should stay in jail or be released during what could be a monthslong extradition process.

The brothers have repeatedly denied wrongdoing.

The detention hearing is likely to be the first time the Tates leave the Federal Detention Center in Miami since making a brief court appearance two days after their July 18 arrest.

The Tates are among the world’s most polarizing internet personalities.

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Houthis kill 6 in attack on vessel

By The Associated Press

Yemeni authorities said six people were killed by Iran-backed Houthi rebels attacking a vessel in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, while U.S. forces fired on a ship they said was trying to break a blockade of Iran’s ports.

Yemen’s coast guard said the dead included four crew members and two members of the government-allied National Resistance Forces. Houthis fired three ballistic missiles at the Yemeni commercial vessel, according to the Transportation Ministry of Yemen’s internationally recognized government.

They are the first known deaths from Houthi attacks on shipping off Yemen in the latest bout of fighting in the Arab country.

With the Strait of Hormuz effectively shut down by Iran, there has been a renewed focus on the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb strait at Yemen’s southern tip, which is an alternate route for Saudi Arabia to ship its oil.

The deadly vessel strike came amid Houthi attacks on the government-held port city of Mokha on the Red Sea and other areas of the country. Dozens of government troops and civilians have been killed in attacks since last week, according to the Yemeni military.

The strikes are part of an escalation by the Houthis against government forces in Yemen and oil facilities in neighboring Saudi Arabia, which supports the Yemeni government, and the kingdom’s

warships, including two aircraft carriers and an amphibious assault ship, stationed in the waters of the Arabian Sea. Iran has kept up its attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, largely shutting it off. It has refused to back down on demands that the U.S. end its blockade of Iranian ports, lift sanctions on the Islamic Republic and fulfill other conditions.

Iran effectively closed the strait after Israel and the U.S. attacked the country on Feb. 28. Attacks on the key waterway — through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s traded oil supplies passed before the war — and uncertainty around its future have kept energy prices a major focus of U.S. poliASSOCIATEd PRESS PHOTO By VAHId SALEMI tics ahead of November’s midterm Vehicles drive past a statue of a swinging boy at a square on Monday in elections.

Tehran, Iran.

Pakistani official returns to Iran

shipping in the Red Sea. The Houthi attacks could reignite Yemen’s civil war following a 2022 truce, and open a new front in the Middle East war.

Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the Houthis’ chief negotiator and spokesperson, accused Saudi Arabia in a social media post of exploiting the ceasefire to tighten an air and sea blockade it imposed in 2015.

He said the Houthis are open for negotiations but any settlement must include lifting the blockade.

of Oman that tried to evade the American blockade on Iranian ports. The move came as President Donald Trump tries to keep economic pressure on the Islamic Republic.

U.S. Central Command said the vessel had ignored warnings to stop, prompting an American helicopter to fire missiles into the engine room of the M/V Vela Nova, disabling the ship. The statement did not say whether the ship’s crew suffered any casualties.

Central Command said it has redirected 55 commercial vessels U.S. fires on ship attempting to run the blockade, The U.S. military said Tuesday disabled three non-compliant vesthat its forces fired on a Pana- sels and boarded two. The U.S. manian-flagged ship in the Gulf Navy currently has more than 15

Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi traveled Tuesday to Tehran for meetings with Iran’s foreign minister and other officials.

Naqvi’s visit aimed to encourage Iran to resume negotiations with the United States under an interim peace deal brokered by Pakistan in June, two officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted photos from his meeting with Naqvi on his private Telegram channel.

It is Naqvi’s sixth trip to Iran as part of Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between Iran and the U.S.

Former U.S. Marine held in Russia released Man jailed for over 4 years

ington on Tuesday evening, Trump said in his post.

“I just spoke to him, and he had one request — A GREAT cheeseburger when he lands,” Trump wrote. “I will take care of that!”

Gilman is bound for a military hospital in Texas, where he will be medically and psychologically assessed and treated, Eric Lebson, chief strategy officer of Global Reach, said in a statement.

Gilman was detained in 2022 on charges of beating a police officer after being taken off a train for causing a disturbance. He was convicted and handed a 3½-year sentence.

He later was convicted of attacking a prison inspector during a cell check, beating an investigator and assault-

BY BEN FINLEY and MATTHEW LEE

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Russia released an American military veteran on Tuesday, allowing his return to the U.S. after four years of what his family and U.S. officials allege was wrongful incarceration and abusive treatment that left him near death.

Robert Gilman, a 32-yearold Massachusetts teacher and former Marine, was freed after President Donald Trump said he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin about his release, which Trump said was “very much on a Humanitarian Basis.”

“We appreciate this decision, and the fact that Russia asked for no one in return — No exchange took place,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

Arrests of Americans have become increasingly common in Russia in recent years. Concern has risen that Russia could be targeting U.S. nationals to use later as bargaining chips in talks to bring back Russians convicted of crimes in the U.S. and

PHOTO PROVIdEd By THE GILMAN FAMILy

Robert Gilman hugs his sister, Lexie Hudson, in Lilburn, Ga., in 2019. Gilman was released Tuesday after being detained for more than four years in Russia.

Europe. Five other Americans remain imprisoned in Russia with deteriorating medical issues, according to a news release from Global Reach, a group that’s been working to free them.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted a photo on social media of a gauntlooking Gilman draped

in an American flag and surrounded by his family aboard an airplane.

“While we appreciate this positive step, we are still seeking the immediate return of all other unjustly detained Americans,” Rubio stated.

Gilman will arrive at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland outside of Wash-

Former Syrian President Assad sentenced to death in absentia

BY GHAITH ALSAYED and SAMAR KASSABALI Associated Press

DAMASCUS, Syria — A Syrian court on Tuesday sentenced ousted President Bashar Assad and his brother in absentia for murder, torture and crimes against humanity committed before and during the country’s 14-year civil war that left about half a million people dead.

The verdicts by a court in Damascus are the first against Assad or any members of his inner circle since his family’s five decades in power came to an end 20 months ago.

They are mostly symbolic, however, because Assad and his brother Maher had fled to Russia, where they received asylum after the

Syrian government’s stunning collapse in December 2024.

Six other former officials were also sentenced to death in absentia. The only former official sentenced to death and in custody is Assad’s maternal cousin Atef Najib, who oversaw a crackdown on dissent that led to an uprising that sparked the civil war. Najib stood inside a cage wearing a prisoner’s uniform as the judge read his sentence aloud, and a crowd gathered outside the heavily guarded courthouse.

Even though Assad is unlikely to ever face justice, the verdicts will be popular among many Syrians, especially those who have expressed frustration that the new government hasn’t

moved with enough speed or strength against Assadera figures.

Some human rights groups, though, expressed concerns that the trials were rushed, potentially unfair and, at the very least, exposed flaws in Syria’s justice system.

“Bashar Assad used state agencies to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity,” said judge Fakhareddine al-Aryan during a court session that was aired live on state TV — a contrast with Assadera trials, which were conducted in secret. The verdicts al-Aryan read aloud found Assad and the others guilty of premeditated murder, including against children, as well as other acts of brutality, including torture.

ing a guard. In October 2024, he was sentenced to eight years and one month. His sentence was extended in December to 10 years after he was found guilty of assaulting prison guards.

Russian media reported that he pleaded guilty to the charges and apologized to the guards he was charged with assaulting. The business daily Kommersant said he explained his actions by saying he wanted to stay in the prison where he was serving his sentence and avoid being moved to another penitentiary.

Gilman’s father has disputed the charges against his son, while the State Department has said the U.S. determined that Gilman was wrongfully detained.

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The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Wednesday,August 12, 2026 ● 3A

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4A ● Wednesday,August 12, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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PARKS

Continued from page 1A Although he wasn’t named in the discussion, former Mayor-President Josh Guillory, who was replaced by Boulet in January 2024, called for 20% cuts in the recreation department and all departments, laid off employees and proposed closing four recreation centers on the city’s northside.

In June 2020, after more than 40 years as head of the parks and recreation department, Gerald Boudreaux resigned under pressure from Guillory.

Gerald Boudreaux was and is a state senator and the brother of Kenneth

Boudreaux.

The intent of the Lafayette Consolidated Government administration is to maintain balances in the city and parish general funds equal to at least 20% of the total fund’s operating expenses each year, according to officials.

The proposed 2026-27 balance is 52% or $67 million.

Kenneth Boudreaux proposed setting aside $1 million in the budget for maintenance of recreation centers and two activity centers, and another $1 million for maintenance of public golf courses.

Council member Liz Hebert asked that another $1 million be set aside to make city tennis courts safe. Some, she said, are

in such bad condition she sprained an ankle playing due to the poor condition of the court.

Kenneth Boudreaux asked the administration to return with an amendment during a budget wrap-up meeting Aug. 13 along with a list of projects they expect to use the $3 million for.

A majority of the City Council will need to approve the proposed allocations. The public may comment on anything in the budget at a joint city and parish council meeting at 5:15 p.m. Aug. 18 at the LCG administrative building, 705 W. University Ave. Email Claire Taylor at ctaylor@theadvocate. com.

STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

Former principals Jennifer Gardner, from left, and Kathy Aloisio share a laugh Tuesday as they take a photo with the current principal and Aloisio’s daughter, Allison Champagne, during a topping-out ceremony for the L.J. Alleman Fine Arts Magnet Academy expansion and improvement project.

TOP

Continued from page 1A As L.J. Alleman students and faculty gathered to witness the milestone, the school rock band, the “Rockin’ Trojans,” performed a selection of covers by The Cranberries, Black Sabbath and Green Day. The middle school arts academy attracts students engaged in the visual and performing arts, such as band, chorus, dance and theater. It feeds into the performing arts academy at Lafayette High School, which was relocated last year from the now-closed Comeaux High School.

School Board President Hannah Smith Mason is

an L.J. Alleman alum, and she said that she remembers when the first portable classrooms appeared at the school, around 1990.

“We thought it was so cool,” she said.

“I grew up, graduated Lafayette High in 1997, left for 18 years, came back to Lafayette with a newborn, a 2-year-old, and a 4-yearold — and the first thing I noticed was that our schools had not changed at all, and in fact, they just added as many butler buildings as they possibly could.”

L.J. Alleman Fine Arts Magnet Academy is located at 600 Roselawn Blvd., Lafayette, and the current building is over 65 years old.

Lafayette schools Superintendent Francis Touchet said

that when he walked through the schools a year-and-a-half ago, the need for investment at the school was clear.

“I have not walked into a school that has been in worse condition as what this school was in,” he said.

“It’s the most sought-after middle school in the district, and there’s more kids that are looking to come to this school. We want to provide those opportunities.”

Touchet said that construction will start moving quickly now, and the new building will open in time for the 2027-28 school year, with a capacity of around 1,100 students.

Email Joanna Brown at joanna.brown@ theadvocate.com.

TRUMP

Continued from page 1A The president at the time said the new luxury jet was being flown out ahead of his departure from Ankara to give some U.S. troops based in eastern England a chance to check out the new Air Force One. In Ankara, Trump boarded the old Air Force One jumbo jet in view of television cameras ahead of the plane flying to Royal Air Force Mildenhall in the United Kingdom.

However, according to the Post report, after boarding the legacy Air Force One jet, he was secretly shuttled minutes later to a smaller plane — an Air Force C-32A — via an airport catering truck typically used to load meals and other supplies. Trump flew to Mildenhall on that smaller jet.

The White House did not respond directly to questions about the Post report of the secret operation to whisk Trump out of the country on a third aircraft, or the reported elaborate ruse to make it appear he was on the baby blue Air Force One jet flying to Mildenhall.

ASSOCIATEd PRESS PHOTO By NATE MANLEy

Owen dozier-George participates Sunday in the broad jump during day one of the Patriot Games in Geneva, Ohio.

GAMES

eration Endurance” — a gauntlet of a low crawl, tire Continued from page 1A feet, tire flip, climbing wall, sled push, over-unders, rope swing and crash mat “We want them to go out, landing — and the Varsity compete hard and have Circuit, which includes a fun. All of Louisiana is go- soccer kick, football throw, ing to be watching them and volleyball serve and basecheering them on.” ball swing.

The competitions include The Patriot Games are dodgeball, kickball, tug-of- part of Freedom 250, a series war and “victory hoops,” a of celebrations the Trump basketball shooting skills administration created to event. It also includes “Op- celebrate the anniversary

of the signing of Declaration of Independence. Other events have included a fair on the National Mall featuring tents by Louisiana and other states and a massive fireworks show.

It will also include an IndyCar race on the streets of Washington, D.C., on Aug. 22-23.

Email Matthew Albright at malbright@ theadvocate.com.

I- 49 D S E I S P U B L IC H EA R I NG NO T IC E State Project No. H.004273.5 Federal Aid Project No. H004273

ASSOCIATEd PRESS PHOTO By ALEX BRANdON

Catering trucks are parked at Air Force One on the tarmac as the motorcade carrying President donald Trump arrives on the tarmac to depart following the NATO summit on July 8 at Ankara International Airport in Ankara, Turkey.

“As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats,” White House communications director Steven Cheung said in a statement.

The U.S. Secret Service declined to comment. The Air Force, which maintains the fleet of executive travel aircraft, referred questions to the White House.

While Trump was in Turkey, the U.S. military con-

ducted a series of large strikes in Iran in retaliation for its attacks on merchant shipping in the region.

The New York Times and CBS News reported last month that intelligence officials had raised concerns about a potential attack on the president or his jet, triggering additional precautions and the decision not to use the newly inaugurated aircraft gifted to Trump

by Qatar for the first leg of Trump’s trip home from Ankara.

I-49 Lafayette Connector (Lafayette Regional Airport to I-10/I-49/U.S. 167 Interchange)

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LADOTD) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) invite all interested parties to attend an open house public hearing on the proposed I-49 Lafayette Connector Project in Lafayette Parish. The I-49 Lafayette Connector is a future 5.5-mile segment of highway that will extend I-49 from I-10 to the Lafayette Regional Airport. Representatives of LADOTD and the project team will be present to provide information relative to the general location and design features of the roadway, the relocation assistance program and the right-of-way acquisition process, the project’s purpose and need, its consistency with local urban planning goals and objectives, and reasonably foreseeable social, economic, and environmental impacts of the proposed project and the procedures for submitting comments. The date, time and location are listed below.

Wednesday, September 2, 2026 Open House: 4:30 p.m.-6:00 p.m.

Public Comment Session: 6:00 p.m.

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Downtown Convention Center 124 S Buchanan St, Lafayette, LA 70501 The public hearing will consist of an open house from 4:30-6:00 pm, followed by a public comment session starting at 6:00 pm, until all comments are received. The public is invited to view project information at their convenience and ask questions of the project team during the open house.

Comments will be accepted during the open house at the comment station.

Those in attendance wishing to provide oral statements to the project team can do so in the public comment session. The DSEIS for the project is also available for review at the LADOTD District Office in Lafayette (228 Rue des Voyages), the Lafayette Public Library (Main Library) and online at www.lafayetteconnector.com, on or before the public hearing date.

Comments received at the hearing, or received on or before September 12, 2026, will be included in the hearing transcript.

If special assistance is required due to a disability or if a translator is needed to participate in this public hearing, please contact Kara Occhipinti with the I-49 Public Outreach team by email at communications@lafayetteconnector.com, or by telephone at (337) 233-1515, extension 106 at least five working days prior to the public hearing date.

w w w. L a faye tt e Co n n e c t o r. co m

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Wednesday, August 12, 2026 ● 5A

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She Woke Up, Dressed Up, and Showed Up The Life, Legacy, and Enduring Love of Sue Soileau Durand J U LY 1 6 , 1 9 5 3

AUGUST 3, 2026

WA S H I N G TO N , L O U I S I A N A

T

here is a particular kind of person the world recognizes immediately, not by title or resume, but by the way the energy in a room shifts the moment they walk in. For everyone who ever crossed paths with Sue Soileau Durand, that moment is unforgettable. The doorbell rang a certain way when it was Sue. The laugh arrived before she did. And when she finally stood before you, you felt, without quite knowing why, that you mattered.

Sue Soileau Brignac Durand, born July 16, 1953, in Washington, Louisiana, passed away on August 3, 2026, at her residence in Lafayette.

She was 73. And yet to reduce her story to dates and offices and accolades would be to miss the point of her entirely: Sue was, at her core, a woman who loved fiercely, led humbly, and lived with the kind of grace that makes people better just by being near it. She lived by a motto those who loved her never forgot: every day we wake up, we dress up, and we show up.

From the Pasture to the Boardroom

Sue grew up on a farm in Washington, Louisiana, the daughter of farmer and cattleman Nolen J. Soileau and Virgie Mae Guilbeau Soileau. She skipped two grades, entered The Academy of Sacred Heart in Grand Coteau at 12, and earned her Liberal Arts degree in Music and Voice from USL at just 20. Her mother’s Steinway Grand Piano, a gift that followed her everywhere, still sits in her Lafayette home today.

After years in funeral service alongside her first husband Creig Brignac and then as a high school music teacher, her path led to Washington State Bank. When Creig passed in 2009, Sue stepped forward to become the bank’s Chairman, President, and CEO, one of the very few women to hold that title in Louisiana

banking history. She led the institution until her retirement on December 31, 2019, remaining Chairman Emerita of Washington State Bank and Washington State Bancshares, Inc. Her civic reach extended far beyond the bank. She served on the American Bankers Association Community Bank Council, the Louisiana Bankers Association, and the board of One Acadiana, the region’s premier economic development organization. She helped bring the Walmart distribution center to St. Landry Parish, creating nearly 1,200 jobs, and received the Athena Award and Rotarian of the Year honors, among countless others.

“She was a banking pioneer, a servant at heart, and everything she did was to bring value to others and her community.”

A N I TA F O N T E N O T

The Woman Behind the Title But those who knew Sue will tell you the titles only tell part of the story. Bob Taylor, a longtime banking colleague, said it best: “I think the biggest attribute, the thing you remember when you meet Sue, it’s her laugh.” Anne P. Jones chose one word to define her: kind. Judge Alonzo Harris asked only that people remember “her vision, her leadership, her character, her kindness, her giving heart, her trust in God.” She brought other women with her in a field that rarely made room for them.

She defied her son David’s doctors, who said he would never walk without surgery, and watched him grow to drive, work, and thrive. She rode on the back of a Harley Davidson the night she met the man who would become her greatest love.

A Love Story On May 19, 2017, Sue married fellow community bank president Paul A. Durand, arriving at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Washington by white carriage drawn by four white horses. Paul remained devotedly at her side through her illness.

“I was 69 years old and I thought I had lived and I thought I had loved.

Sue taught me things about life and about love that I had really never thought about before.”

PA U L D U R A N D

Full documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwnHzKcTgr0 Images and media available. Contact: Bob Holbrook, Holbrook Multi Media, Inc. | Bob@HolbrookMultiMedia.com

6A ● Wednesday,August 12, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Search for missing pushes on after Colombia quake

BY ASTRID SUÁREZ, MEGAN JANETSKY and MARKO ALVAREZ Associated Press

PEREIRA, Colombia — Rescue crews and civilians in Colombia painstakingly searched through rubble Tuesday in the hopes of finding survivors trapped under debris after a powerful earthquake left thousands missing in dozens of cities and towns.

The 7.4 magnitude earthquake that hit western Colombia on Monday wreaked havoc, collapsing buildings, buckling roads, crushing cars and leaving devastated residents to console each other among the wreckage of their homes. Excavators and heavy machinery cleared heavy chunks of concrete, while buckets of rubble were passed hand-to-hand along a line of volunteers.

Rescue crews and volunteers picked through flattened concrete buildings in affected cities, searching for signs of life. They raised their hands to call for silence when they thought they heard someone beneath the piles of debris. At least one woman was retrieved — alive — from the rubble.

Colombian President Abe-

lardo de la Espriella said the earthquake killed at least 181 people and left 2,595 more injured. He said at least 195 remained missing, but civilian-run databases suggest that number could be closer to 4,000.

Authorities said the deaths were concentrated in the cities of Cali, Pereira, Manizales and Quibdo, but local leaders and families worried about casualties and damage in rural areas, from where very little information has emerged. Aid agencies consider the first 48 to 72 hours crucial for retrieving people alive, though that threshold can be extended if they have access to food and water.

De la Espriella said more than 1,000 homes were destroyed and yet more damaged.

Standing near the remains of his brother’s collapsed apartment building in Pereira, Jairo Vargas said he made the 135-mile drive from Medellin, hoping to find him alive.

“I’m absolutely certain he’s here. Absolutely certain,” Vargas said, adding that his brother’s car was still parked outside. But he fears his sibling did not survive.

“The debris surrounding

ASSOCIATEd PRESS PHOTO By SANTIAGO SALdARRIAGA

Residents and rescue workers search through the rubble Monday after an earthquake struck Cali, Colombia. my brother is soft,” he said, as heavy machinery rumbled nearby. “It’s possible that it’s protecting him, but we can’t hear any noises anymore.

I don’t know. I have little hope.”

The earthquake presents the first major test for firsttime officeholder de la Espriella, who entered office just days before the natural disaster. The leader, who split the country in recent elections, now seeks to unite Colombia

in its disaster response.

That challenge was particularly notable in Choco, the region at the quake’s epicenter. It is one of Colombia’s poorest and most neglected regions, often beset by warring armed groups. Much of Choco is accessible only by boat, through the jungle or by airplane.

Sterling Palacios, a religious and environmental leader in the region, said Choco’s capital and smaller

communities along the Atrato River were devastated.

Homes were reduced to rubble and aftershocks continued to rumble, terrifying residents who slept in the streets overnight.

The Colombian Geological Service said it has documented more than 100 less powerful aftershocks since the initial quake.

“There are towns where people have lost everything, where people have died,

where homes have been destroyed,” he said. “We don’t have a full panorama of the damage, but we know it’s been massive.”

De la Espriella traveled to Quibdo in Choco on Monday night where he announced he was mobilizing “the entire military and police apparatus,” as well as deploying engineers, rescue workers and search dogs.

“Choco will never again be the ‘land of the forgotten,’” he said.

Palacios said the government’s response has so far been “concentrated in the capital,” and that authorities were flying the wounded from Quibdo to hospitals in the city of Medellín.

The biggest challenge, he said, remains towns in rural areas only reachable by boat — journeys that can take hours or days. That response is also complicated by a toxic slate of armed groups warring for control who, during the COVID-19 pandemic, blocked healthcare workers from traveling to remote areas.

“It’s a risk and it’s very difficult to predict” what could happen, he said, adding it could take weeks to fully assess the devastation.

Severe weather knocks out power in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio ‘Ring of fire’ strikes Midwest

BY LAURA BARGFELD and ED WHITE Associated Press

CHICAGO — Severe weather cut power to more than half a million people in the Chicago area and northwestern Indiana as perilous thunderstorms and extreme wind gusts pummeled the region Tuesday, causing widespread damage.

Tornado warning sirens howled as the skies darkened. All flights were temporarily stopped at Chicago’s two major airports, and officials warned of delays as the backlog was cleared. In Ohio, power outages swept the state capital region, and at least one death was reported.

There were numerous ers lost electricity in Illinois ers, faced with flooded reports of wind gusts of 80 and Indiana, according to roads, couldn’t get there. He mph or more at personal poweroutage.us. Lake and warned that flood dangers weather stations.

Porter counties in Indiana would persist.

“Total devastation. No and Will County, south of “This is not something that roof,” said Kerry Hourigan, Chicago, were especially will end tonight,” DeWine standing outside her home hard hit. Farther east in said of the severe weather. of 25 years in Tinley Park, Ohio, more than 290,000 cusIndeed, forecasters said another Chicago suburb. tomers were without power. multiple rounds of rain “Stupid thing, but my focus Meteorologist Scott Baker would cause flood hazards was I just bought a new bar- said the Midwest was on the in the Ohio Valley through becue grill, and I have no outer edge of a “ring of fire,” early Friday.

Officials in Columbus, idea where that is. It’s dis- bringing waves of excessive moisture, instability and Ohio, sent local government appeared.”

ASSOCIATEd PRESS PHOTO By LAURA BARGFELd workers home early ahead The National Weather Ser- storms.

A roof is damaged Tuesday after a strong storm in Tinley In Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine of another round of storms. vice bluntly warned earlier Park, Ill. in the day: “These are dan- said a resident of Roseville The library in Westerville, died during a health emer- Ohio, closed after rain gerous storms!”

Photos posted on social basement,” said Javid JenMore than 600,000 custom- gency when first respond- poured into the atrium. media from the Chicago kins of Homewood, a Chicaarea, and across the state go suburb. “We’re built for line in Indiana, showed snow. We’re built for cold.

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Man charged with bomb threat against U.S. Consulate in Halifax

By The Associated Press HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — Canadian police on Tuesday charged a man with making a bomb threat against the U.S. Consulate in Halifax, the latest security incident involving an American diplomatic post in Canada after two shootings at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto this year.

Several streets downtown were evacuated after Halifax Regional Police found a vehicle linked to the suspect, Ali Assakereh, parked near the consulate on Mon-

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An explosives expert later determined the items in the vehicle posed no threat to public safety, and the evacuation was lifted Monday afternoon.

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In March, two people fired multiple shots at the downtown Toronto consulate, damaging the building but causing no injuries. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police described that attack as a national security incident.

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ICE plans to give officers gloves that deliver shocks

BY RYAN J. FOLEY Associated Press

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers may soon be outfitted with gloves that can deliver painful electric shocks intended to gain compliance from combative individuals.

ICE plans to spend up to $20 million to purchase thousands of “conductive distraction and de-escalation devices” for officers and agents by March, according to a notice published Monday by the Department of Homeland Security.

The devices are known as the GLOVE, which stands for Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter, and are manufactured by Compliant Technologies LLC, of Lexington, Kentucky. They have been used in recent years by some jails and police departments.

DHS said Tuesday that it was working on a response to an Associated Press inquiry and offered no immediate comment. Jeff Niklaus, the founder and CEO of Compliant Technologies, wrote in an email, “Unfortunately, we are unable to speak on this subject.”

The notice said the solicitation for a no-bid contract

could be published as early as Friday.

Civil rights advocates expressed alarm at the plan, saying ICE officers already face criticism for their use of force with little oversight or accountability while enforcing President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

Compliant Technologies says the devices function as a normal pair of patrol gloves until officers press a switch to activate their electrical mode. The gloves must be applied directly to someone’s skin to deliver a pain stimulus that typically helps an officer gain compliance within seconds, according to the company.

“It’s immediate and sharp, and it will distract you. I call it like a bee sting,” said John Peters, president of the Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths, who is studying how the device has been used. “If the officer is getting any type of resistance from the person, this is certainly an effective tool.”

Peters said he believed ICE’s planned purchase would likely be the largest from the company to date.

He said he could envision ICE officers using the gloves

Judge again bars Trump’s order to limit mail voting

BY MICHAEL CASEY and NICHOLAS RICCARDI Associated Press

BOSTON — A federal judge on Tuesday ruled against President Donald Trump’s executive order that sought to create a federal voter list and directly involve the U.S. Postal Service in election operations in a way that would limit mail voting.

U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani had already halted the order Trump signed in March, his second one attempting to set national election rules. On June 25, she sided with Democratic state attorneys general in granting summary judgment, preventing the core parts of Trump’s order from taking effect.

Tuesday’s ruling creates another legal hurdle for the Trump administration to overcome should it get the initial injunction lifted by the U.S. Supreme Court.

“That it is now less than 90 days before the November 3, 2026, midterm elections underscores the critical need for an injunction to prevent Defendants from changing election rules on the eve of the election,” she wrote.

The Trump administration in late July requested that the Supreme Court halt lower court decisions that have blocked the sweeping changes in nearly half the country.

In the latest lawsuit, Talwani, who was nominated

by Democratic President Barack Obama, sided with the League of Women Voters and other voting rights groups.

Her ruling granting a preliminary injunction barred the Postal Service from taking any steps to implement the order for this year’s midterm elections. She said the administration has so far declined to defend the constitutionality of the executive order.

“The executive branch has no authority to regulate elections,” she wrote.

Plaintiffs argued in two lawsuits, both filed in federal court in Boston, that the Republican president’s order should be found unconstitutional because the states and Congress, not the president, have the power to set election rules. The League of Women Voters also argued that Trump lacked the authority to issue his order and the U.S. Postal Service and other defendants lack the authority to carry it out.

Trump’s Republican administration, in its motions to dismiss the lawsuits, argued that the plaintiffs lacked standing to bring their claims. They also argued that the motions are premature and that plaintiffs lack the legal basis to bring their claim based on the Administrative Procedure Act, which governs how federal agencies develop and issue regulations.

Medicaid to stop paying for some gender-affirming care for transgender minors

BY GEOFF MULVIHILL Associated Press

President Donald Trump’s administration said that Medicaid will stop paying for gender-affirming surgeries and hormone treatments for transgender minors and the state Children’s Health Insurance Program won’t pay for the treatments for those under 19.

The announcement is the latest in a series of policies from the administration aimed at transgender people that began the day Trump returned to office last year.

The policy is to take effect Oct. 13.

It is not clear how much taxpayer funding is going to cover gender-affirming treatments for transgender youth now. The Centers

for Medicare and Medicaid Services did not respond to questions about the policy on Tuesday.

At least 27 states have already banned gender-affirming care for those under 18.

Even in states that haven’t, many major hospitals have stopped providing some of the treatments. And genderaffirming surgeries for minors are rare. Puberty blockers and hormone treatments are more common.

The policy calls for Medicaid and CHIP to continue to pay for mental health treatment for transgender minors but phase out coverage of hormone treatments that are used both to block puberty and to produce sex-related physical changes for those already receiving them as of April 2027.

ASSOCIATEd PRESS FILE PHOTO By RyAN MURPHy

Federal agents walk down a street on Feb. 5 while conducting immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis. to help remove uncooperative subjects from cars and houses and in and out of detention facilities.

“For smaller officers or weaker officers or older officers, I think it has a great advantage” because it can produce faster takedowns and shorten confrontations, he said.

The manufacturer warns the device should not be used as punishment, against people merely exhibiting “verbal defiance or belligerence” or on high-risk populations such as children, pregnant women or elderly or disabled people.

Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, deputy project director on

policing at the American Civil Liberties Union, said the public should have no confidence that ICE officers will use the devices appropriately. She questioned why the devices would be necessary for civil immigration enforcement and noted those getting shocked might have no advance warning.

“ICE spent the last year showing this country they are too quick to use force.

Now they will be able to deploy electric shocks with the slight push of a button that maybe nobody else can see them do,” she said. “Introducing gloves that can so easily be used to deliver terrible pain in encounters is a recipe for harm to the public.”

Supporters say the devices are generally used in specific jail and transport situations, rather than broadly to patrol on the streets. They have been used to subdue violent suspects who are refusing to get into squad cars and inmates who are harming themselves and threatening officers, according to Compliant Technologies.

Peters said he expected the devices to be misused by a small number of employees, as with other policing technologies, but he said they are unlikely to cause injuries. He said it would be important for ICE to have robust policies and training in place.

To use the device, officers must complete a course and be recertified every two years, the manufacturer says.

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PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO BIDDERS Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received either electroni‐ cally at https://lafayet tecsdgovla.tylerportico. com/va/vendor-access/ registration or in the of‐ fice of the Purchasing Di‐ vision at the Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment Building, located at 705 West University Av‐ Lafayette, enue, Louisiana, until 10:00 am Central Time on the 27th day of August 2026 for the following: ALUMINUM SIGN BLANKS and will, shortly there‐ after, be opened and read aloud in a room lo‐ cated at 705 West Univer‐ sity Avenue, Lafayette, LA. Bids received after the above specified time for opening shall not be considered and shall be returned unopened to the sender. Bidders are encouraged to attend the bid opening virtually by using the following link https://us02web.zoom. us/j/86888638457? pwd=FGkxJXiFFNzwOW7 lb73LeJH3xGrHRh.1 Meet‐ ing ID: 868 8863 8457 Passcode: 768829 In accordance with Louisiana RS 38:2212. may submit vendors their bid electronically at the website listed above.

Bidders wishing to sub‐ mit their bid electroni‐ cally must first be regis‐ tered within LCG Vendor Access at the website listed above. The regis‐ tration process can take some time; therefore, LCG recommends regis‐ tering days in advance of the time that bids are due. It is the sole respon‐ sibility of the bidder to ensure their bid is deliv‐ ered (whether electroni‐ cally via Vendor Access, in person, or via mail) to the Purchasing Division prior to the scheduled date and time of the bid opening. Vendors may request the bid package from electronically Kestler at Heather hkestler@lafayettela.gov.

Vendors submitting bids are re‐ electronically quired to provide the same documents as bid‐ ders submitting through the mail as soon as avail‐ able. Only a bid bond, check or certified cashier’s check shall be submitted as the bid se‐ curity. Electronic copies of both the front and back of the check or bid bond shall be included with the electronic bid.

Bids must be signed in accordance with LRS Title 38:2212(B)5. A Cor‐ porate Resolution or Cer‐ tificate of Authority au‐ thorizing the person signing the bid is re‐ quired to be submitted with bid. Failure to sub‐ mit a Corporate Resolu‐ tion or Certificate of Au‐ thority with the bid shall be cause for rejection of bid.

Copies of the bidding documents are available at the Purchasing Office located at 705 West Uni‐ Avenue, versity Lafayette, LA 70506. Tele‐ phone number (337) 291(Attn: Heather 8071 Kestler). Bidding docu‐ ments shall be available until twenty-four (24) hours before the bid opening date.

Each bid shall be accom‐ panied by a certified check, cashier’s check in the amount of $500.00 or bid bond payable to the Lafayette Consolidated Government, the amount of which shall be five percent (5%) of the base bid plus additive alter‐ nates. If a bid bond is used, it shall be written by a surety or insurance company currently on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Management Service list of approved bonding i hi h i b

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pp g companies which is pub‐ lished annually in the Federal Register, or by a Louisiana domiciled in‐ surance company with at least an A-Rating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide to write individual bonds up to ten percent (10%) of policyholders’ surplus as shown in the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide, or by an insurance com‐ pany in good standing li‐ censed to write bid bonds which is either domiciled in Louisiana or owned by Louisiana resi‐ dents. The bid bond shall be issued by a company licensed to do business in Louisiana and counter‐ signed by a person who is under contract with re‐ siding in this state. The certified check, cashier’s check, or bid bond shall be given as a guarantee that the bidder shall exe‐ cute the contract, should it be awarded to him, in conformity with the con‐ tract documents within ten (10) days.

No bidder may withdraw his bid for at least fortyfive (45) days after the time scheduled for the opening of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided with the specifications.

Bids will be evaluated by the Purchaser based on the lowest responsible and responsive bid sub‐ mitted which is also in compliance with the bid The documents.

Lafayette Consolidated Government reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause in ac‐ cordance with LA R.S. 38§2214.B. The Lafayette Consoli‐ Government dated strongly encourages the participation of DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) in all con‐ tracts or procurements let by the Lafayette Con‐ Government solidated for goods and services and labor and material.

To that end, all contrac‐ tors and suppliers are encouraged to utilize DBEs business enter‐ prises in the purchase or sub-contracting of mate‐ rials, supplies, services and labor and material in disadvantaged which business are available.

Assistance in identifying said businesses may be obtained by calling 2918410.

PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated Government PUBLISH DATES: 8/12, 8/16 DPR # 1007752 196613 Aug. 12, 16, 2t $100.82 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO BIDDERS Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received either electroni‐ cally at https://lafayet tecsdgovla.tylerportico. com/va/vendor-access/ registration or in the of‐ fice of the Purchasing Di‐ vision at the Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment Building, located at 705 West University Av‐ Lafayette, enue, Louisiana, until 11:00 am Central Time on the 16th day of September, 2026 for the following: 2027 Fiber to the Home Stock Material Bid and will, shortly there‐ after, be opened and read aloud in the Office of Purchasing located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, LA. Bids received after the above specified time for open‐ ing shall not be consid‐ ered and shall be re‐ turned unopened to the sender. Bidders may at‐ tend the bid opening in person, but are highly encouraged to virtually join the bid openings via Zoom using the following https://us02web. link: zoom.us/j/81719386394? pwd=absvCF6jIc7Yza3 CI9JrhDXfCYwFF2.1 .

In accordance with RS 38:2212 Louisiana electronic Bids may be b i d d

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

y submitted on Vendor Ac‐ cess (https://lafayettecs dgovla.tylerportico.com/ va/vendor-access/ registration).

Bidders wishing to submit their bid electronically must first be registered within LCG Vendor Access at the website listed above. The registration process can take some time; there‐ fore, LCG recommends registering days in ad‐ vance of the time that bids are due. It is the sole responsibility of the bidder to ensure their bid is delivered (whether electronically via Vendor Access, in person, or via mail) to the Purchasing Division prior to the scheduled date and time of the bid opening. Ven‐ dors may request the bid electronically from Lay‐ cia Batiste at lbatiste@ lafayettela.gov.

Official Bid Documents are avail‐ able on Vendor Access (https://lafayettecsdgov la.tylerportico.com/va/ vendor-access/ registration). For ques‐ tions related to the elec‐ tronic bidding process, please call Laycia Batiste at 337-291-7173.

Vendors submitting bids are re‐ electronically quired to provide the same documents as bid‐ ders submitting through the mail as soon as avail‐ able. Only a bid bond, check or certified cashier’s check shall be submitted as the bid se‐ curity. Electronic copies of both the front and back of the check or bid bond shall be included with the electronic bid.

Bids must be signed in accordance with LRS Title 38:2212(B)5. A Cor‐ porate Resolution or Cer‐ tificate of Authority au‐ thorizing the person signing the bid is re‐ quired to be submitted with bid. Failure to sub‐ mit a Corporate Resolu‐ tion or Certificate of Au‐ thority with the bid shall be cause for rejection of bid.

Copies of the bidding documents are available at the Purchasing Office located at 705 West Uni‐ Avenue, versity Lafayette, LA 70506. Tele‐ phone number (337) 291(Attn: Laycia 7173 Batiste). Bidding docu‐ ments shall be available until twenty-four (24) hours before the bid opening date.

Each bid shall be accom‐ panied by a certified check, cashier’s check or bid bond payable to the Lafayette Consolidated Government, the amount of which shall be five percent (5%) of the base bid plus additive alter‐ nates. If a bid bond is used, it shall be written by a surety or insurance company currently on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Management Service list approved bonding of companies which is pub‐ lished annually in the Federal Register, or by a Louisiana domiciled in‐ surance company with at least an A-Rating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide to write individual bonds up to ten percent (10%) of policyholders’ surplus as shown in the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide, or by an insurance com‐ pany in good standing li‐ censed to write bid bonds which is either domiciled in Louisiana or owned by Louisiana resi‐ dents. The bid bond shall be issued by a company licensed to do business in Louisiana and counter‐ signed by a person who is under contract with re‐ siding in this state. The certified check, cashier’s check, or bid bond shall be given as a guarantee that the bidder shall exe‐ cute the contract, should it be awarded to him, in conformity with the con‐ tract documents within ten (10) days.

No bidder may withdraw his bid for at least fortyfive (45) days after the time scheduled for the opening of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the quotation form provided with the speci‐ fications.

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Bids will be evaluated by the Purchaser based on the lowest responsible and responsive bid sub‐ mitted which is also in compliance with the bid The documents.

Lafayette Consolidated Government reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause in ac‐ cordance with LA R.S. 38§2214.B. The Lafayette Consoli‐ Government dated strongly encourages the participation of DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) in all con‐ tracts or procurements let by the Lafayette Con‐ Government solidated for goods and services and labor and material.

To that end, all contrac‐ tors and suppliers are encouraged to utilize DBEs business enter‐ prises in the purchase or sub-contracting of mate‐ rials, supplies, services and labor and material in disadvantaged which business are available.

Assistance in identifying said businesses may be obtained by calling (337) 291-8410.

PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated Government PUBLISH DATES: 8-12-26, 8-17-26 DPR 1005460

Legal Notices

there was a majority of 4,832 votes cast AGAINST the Proposition as here‐ inabove set forth. There‐ fore, it has been declared by the governing author‐ ity of the Parish that the proposition as herein‐ above set forth was duly DEFEATED by a majority of the votes cast by the qualified electors voting at the said special elec‐ tion held in the Parish on Saturday, May 16, 2026.

Results by precinct are available from the Clerk of the Parish Council dur‐ regular business ing or via the hours Louisiana Secretary of State’s website (voter‐ The portal.sos.la.gov). actual cost of the elec‐ tion as determined by the Louisiana Secretary of State in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 8-A of Title 18 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended, is $14,263.03.

Parish of Lafayette, State of Louisiana /s/ Joseph Gordon-Wiltz JOSEPH GORDON-WILTZ LAFAYETTE CLERK OF THE COUNCIL 197131 Aug. 12 1T $38.83

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

196857 Aug. 12, 17, 2t $106.40

Clemency I, CHARLES DOREST, DOC #773419 have applied for clemency for my conviction of AGGRAVATED ASSAULT WITH A FIREARM.. If you have any comments, contact the Board of Pardons (225)342-5421.

196470 - AUG 10-12 3T $310.00

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE --DECLARATION OF ELECTION RESULTS Be it known and declared that the governing au‐ thority of the Parish of State of Lafayette, Louisiana (the "Parish"), did meet in open and public session to exam‐ ine the official certified tabulations of votes cast at the special election held in the Parish on Sat‐ urday, May 16, 2026, and did examine and canvass the returns of the said election, there having been submitted at said election the following proposition, to wit: LIBRARY TAX CONTINUATION PROPOSITION Shall the Parish of State of Lafayette, Louisiana (the "Parish"), continue to levy a special tax of 3.12 mills on all property subject to taxa‐ tion in the Parish (an es‐ timated $8,894,400 rea‐ sonably expected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year), for a period of 10 years, beginning with the year 2027 and ending with the year 2036, for the purpose of the maintenance and support of the public li‐ brary of Lafayette Parish and its branches, said millage to represent a 0.21 mills increase (due to reappraisal) over the 2.91 mills tax authorized to be levied through the year 2026 pursuant to an election held on Novem‐ ber 8, 2016?

There was found by said count and canvass that there was a total of 16,750 votes cast IN FAVOR OF the Proposition and a total of 21,582 votes cast AGAINST the Proposition, as herein‐ above set forth, and that

PUBLIC NOTICE --Agenda City Zoning Commission Public Meeting Monday, August 17, 2026 5:30 P.M., or immediately following the conclusion of the Lafayette City Planning Commission, whichever occurs later Community Development and Planning Department 220 West Willow Street, Building C Town Hall Auditorium I. Call to Order II. Chair’s Opening Remarks III. Approval of the Minutes July 20, 2026 IV. New Business 1. Case No. 2026-16-REZ Lots 4-12, Block 6, Gen‐ eral Mouton Avenue Re‐ zoning A request to rezone Lots 4 through 12, Block 6, General Mouton Avenue, from CH (CommercialHeavy) to MN-1 (MixedUse Neighborhood) lo‐ cated generally north of Rose Street, west of Gen‐ eral Mouton Avenue, and south of Violet Street.

V. Other Business 1. Director’s Report and review of Lafayette City Council action on mat‐ ters previously consid‐ ered by the Zoning Com‐ mission.

2. Continuation and Com‐ pletion of Zoning Work‐ shop 3. Resolution Affirming Commissioner Training VI. Adjournment 195633 Aug. 2, 12, 16, 3t $43.20

Public Notices RFQ

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

Public Notices RFQ p g Management at Risk (CMAR) Services for: Ovey Comeaux Work‐ force Innovation Acad‐ emy Project The Lafayette Parish School Board desires to design and construct the Ovey Comeaux Work‐ force Innovation Acad‐ emy at the Ovey Comeaux High School campus located at 100 West Bluebird Drive, Lafayette, Louisiana 70508. The Project is in‐ tended to create a highvisibility career and tech‐ nical education academy serving high school stu‐ dents pursuing industrybased certifications and workforce readiness pathways.

The REQUEST FOR QUALI‐ FICATIONS (RFQ) may be obtained electronically from the following web‐ www.centerlineb site idconnect.com until 10:00 a.m. CST on Friday, Sep‐ tember 4, 2026.

The LPSB Selection Re‐ view Committee will evaluate only the firms that are licensed under LA. R.S. 37:2150-2192 for the classification of Building Construction and have obtained the official RFQ package for this solicitation from the RFQ Coordinator, Kristie Sam, or the LPSB website stated above.

The original and SIX (6) copies of the SOQ, per Section 4 of the RFQ dated August 5, 2026, shall be delivered to the Lafayette Parish School Board (LPSB) at the Of‐ fice of Purchasing, 202 Rue Iberville, Lafayette, Louisiana 70508. The SOQ submissions for this Pro‐ ject will be accepted until 10:00 a.m. CST on Friday, September 4, 2026. SOQ submissions that have not been re‐ ceived by the aforemen‐ tioned deadline date and time will be rejected. Ad‐ ditionally, failure to sub‐ mit all information stipu‐ lated in Section 4 - Re‐ sponse Instructions of the RFQ dated August 5, 2026 may result in rejec‐ tion of the SOQ. A Mandatory Pre-Pro‐ posal Conference will be conducted at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 13, 2026, at 100 W Bluebird Dr, Lafayette, LA 70508 Louisiana, Louisiana 70508, in the Performing Arts Building. All firms interested in submitting an SOQ in response to the RFQ are required to attend. SOQs submitted by firms who do not at‐ tend the Mandatory PreProposal Conference will be rejected.

SOQ Respondents, their consultants, sub‐consul‐ tants, or other parties representing the pro‐ posed team for this solic‐ itation may not contact any LPSB CMAR Selection Committee members concerning this Project from the date of the so‐ licitation until after the date of the selection.

LPSB and the LPSB CMAR Selection Committee re‐ serve the right to reject any or all timely submit‐ ted SOQs in response to this RFQ for just cause and waive any informali‐ ties in any proposals re‐ ceived.

Lafayette Parish School System Kristie Sam, Purchasing and Procure‐ ment Coordinator Advertisement Dates: August 5, 2026 August 12, 2026 August 19, 2026 196491-aug 5-12-19-3t $110

Advertisement: PUBLIC NOTICE RFQ # 0827 Construction Manage‐ ment at Risk (CMAR) Ser‐ vices Ovey Comeaux Workforce Innovation Academy The Lafayette Parish School Board (LPSB) is seeking Statements of Qualifications (SOQ) from highly qualified Construction Manage‐ ment firms interested in providing Construction i k

SUBSCRIBE TODAY

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Wednesday,August 12, 2026 ● 9A

lll

British Columbia wildfire grew overnight, officials say

BY HAVEN DALEY and ROB GILLIES Associated Press

WEST KELOWNA, British Columbia — A deadly wildfire in Western Canada that’s forced some 20,000 people to flee grew overnight even without strong winds, challenging efforts to contain it and fully assess the damage, authorities said Tuesday.

About 100 firefighters from Mexico were on the way to help fight the blaze that’s destroyed homes and other properties near Okanagan Lake in British Columbia. The fire has killed an 80-year-old woman and burned toward Summerland, a community of about 12,000 people roughly 185 miles east of Vancouver.

The fire showed “quite significant growth” in some areas overnight even without strong winds, said Cliff Chapman, director of provincial operations for the British Columbia Wildfire Service. He added crews were working around the clock to establish control lines and make it safe for evacuated residents to return home.

“We recognized and we

CANAdIAN PRESS PHOTO By dARRyL dyCK

The Bald Range wildfire, that has forced people out of their homes in the south Okanagan region, burns Saturday in Summerland, B.C., Canada. heard even last night that people obviously would like to go home. They would like to see the extent of the damage,” Chapman said.

Kevin Dunbar, British Columbia’s executive director for emergency response and recovery operations, called it one of the largest evacuations in recent British Columbia history.

British Columbia officials

said they had secured 1,600 hotel rooms and 1,000 grouplodging spaces for evacuees in Okanagan after some residents faced delays getting emergency assistance during the weekend evacuation.

Beyond those already forced to flee, another 10,000 people have been told to be ready to leave on short notice. More than 100 wildfires were burning across

the province, and officials warned that dry lightning could spark new fires in the Central Interior and Okanagan. The province also asked the federal government for help expanding lodging for evacuees.

RCMP are investigating whether criminal activity played a role in the fire.

Chapman said about 4% of wildfires in British Colum-

bia over the past decade were suspected of having been deliberately set, but officials have not said the Bald Range fire was intentionally started.

Lucille and Gordon Beach of Summerland were in Vancouver for the weekend wedding of a granddaughter when they heard the fire had started. “We didn’t feel too celebratory,” Lucille Beach said Tuesday.

The couple, staying for now in West Kelowna with their dog, haven’t seen their home since leaving Friday but believed it was OK. It took a few days to adjust to the reality of what was happening, Lucille Beach said.

Carmen Bodzasy evacuated from Summerland, where she and her husband moved recently. She had to navigate evacuating on unfamiliar roads while he was away for work.

Before leaving, “I cried my eyes out for a minute, and I thought, you know what, if I had to restart over, what would I take with me?” She took photos of her parents’ wedding, of her children’s families and of her and her husband. “I thought if I didn’t have walls

to go home to, at least I have memories to put up on my new one,” she said.

Holding her small dog Tuesday, she was not sure of the status of their home but said whatever happens, she intends to stay in Summerland, a place where people wave at passing motorists and stop to ask how you’re doing.

“I’ll do whatever I can to help that town rebuild because everybody’s so kind there,” she said.

In the U.S., firefighters in California on Tuesday were fighting a blaze that’s burned roughly 3 square miles in the Big Sur region of the state’s rugged central coast.

Area state parks have closed and evacuation orders have been issued, including for a roughly 7-mile stretch of Calif. 1, the state’s iconic coastal route. The highway was open as of Tuesday morning, California Highway Patrol spokesperson Ryan Moore said.

The Timber Fire has held east of the highway, authorities said.

Gillies reported from Toronto. Associated Press writer Claire Rush contributed from Portland, Oregon.

3 states set to hold executions 2.4M Afghan girls shut out on same day, a first since 2010 of secondary school, U.N. says

By The Associated Press MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Tennessee, Alabama and Oklahoma plan to execute inmates Thursday in what would be the first time in nearly 16 years that three people are put to death on the same day in the United States.

The executions come as a small number of states, including the three with scheduled lethal injections Thursday, drive execution numbers in the United States.

“You look at the country as a whole, you’ve just got this little pocket of five or six states that are using the

death penalty, executing people, and a small number of states that are still imposing new death sentences,” said Robin Maher, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center. Maher said it is highly unusual to have three executions on one day, although it is largely a scheduling coincidence.

Eleven states executed a total of 47 people in 2025, the highest number since 2009.

Florida accounted for most of the surge with 19 executions. Alabama, South Carolina and Texas each carried out five. Tennessee carried out three. Oklahoma, Mississippi, Arizona and Indiana

each carried out two. Louisiana and Missouri each carried out one execution.

The 19 executions so far in 2026 have occurred in four states. Florida, which again leads the country, executed two inmates on the same day in July.

The last time three executions were held on the same day was Jan. 7, 2010, when Louisiana, Ohio and Texas put inmates to death. Three executions were scheduled on the same day in 2018, but only one went forward after a Texas man was granted a reprieve and prison officials in Alabama had problems with the IV line.

By The Associated Press ANKARA, Turkey — An estimated 2.4 million Afghan girls remain excluded from secondary education five years after the Taliban took over the country, a U.N. agency said Tuesday, renewing a call for an immediate restoration of their right to education.

UNESCO, the Parisbased U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, said the continued exclusion of women

Russian attacks kill 10 in Ukraine

BY ILLIA NOVIKOV Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine — Russia attacked Ukrainian cities with missiles, drones and glide bombs Tuesday, killing at least 10 civilians, officials said, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Moscow is getting new military help from North Korea for its more than 4-year-old invasion.

Zelenskyy said Russian forces used ballistic missiles supplied by North Korea in an overnight attack on the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, where a company said seven workers at its steel plant were killed and 21 injured.

Three more people, including a 15-year-old boy, were

killed by Russian drones and artillery in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, authorities said.

In addition to the ballistic missiles, North Korea is preparing to deploy more of its troops to Russia, Zelenskyy said late Monday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a strategic partnership agreement in 2024, pledging mutual aid if either country faces aggression.

Kim has sent thousands of troops and huge supplies of weapons to support Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Some experts say the engagement with Moscow is helping improve North Korea’s military capabilities, and Zelenskyy

said the battlefield experience would help Pyongyang menace other countries in its region.

Ukraine says Russia is scaling up its production of ballistic missiles, aiming to exploit Kyiv’s critical shortage of Patriot air defense interceptors that can stop them, and claims Moscow is preparing to recruit more troops for a new push on the front line that stretches 775 miles along eastern and southern Ukraine.

“Every step Russia takes — increasing ballistic missile production, bringing in North Korean equipment, preparing for mobilization — all of this shows that Moscow is preparing not for peace, but for escalation,” Zelenskyy said on social media.

Easy A

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

and girls from education amounted to a grave violation of their fundamental rights.

“Afghanistan remains the only country in the world where girls and women are formally banned from secondary and higher education,” Hoda Jaberian, UNESCO’s program coordinator for education in emergencies, said in a news conference by video. “Five years is not a temporary interruption in a child’s education. It

is clearly almost an entire secondary school cycle.”

Jaberian said: “UNESCO continues to call for the immediate and unconditional restoration of girls and women’s right to secondary and higher education.

It is not negotiable. It’s a basic human right and we reiterate that there is no substitute for this.”

The Taliban seized power on Aug. 15, 2021, as U.S. and NATO forces withdrew from the country after two decades of war.

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10A ● Wednesday,August 12, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

TODAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

Humid; a stray p.m. t-storm

A t-storm around in the p.m.

Partly sunny

A t-storm around in the a.m.

A couple of afternoon showers

An afternoon t-storm in spots

LOW

HIGH

LOW

HIGH

93° 74°

LOW

94° 75°

HIGH

Beaumont 93/77 Port Arthur 93/79

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

Hattiesburg 97/76

Alexandria 98/76 Baton Rouge 94/77

Lafayette 92/78 Lake Charles 93/78

10s

20s

30s

Houma 90/76

40s

50s

LOW

YESTERDAY

TODAY

REAdING 39 MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

60s

70s

80s

Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today

90s 100s 110s

NEW

AUG 12

City

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

Austin Boston dallas Fairbanks Honolulu Las Vegas Louisville Miami Nashville

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

HIGH

8:42p 2:36p 6:04a 8:51a 10:28a 9:41a 11:36a

6:33 a.m.

7:52 p.m.

6:18 a.m.

8:01 p.m.

FIRST

AUG 19

Hi

101 82 102 79 89 100 91 93 96

TODAY Lo

79 70 79 53 77 78 75 80 76

FULL

LAST

AUG 27

W

pc pc s pc sh t t pc t

SEP 4

Hi

101 84 101 77 90 96 90 95 96

GOOd

PRECIPITATION

94°/75° 93°/75° 92°/76° 103° in 2023 58° in 1923

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 92/78

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

0s

HIGH

94° 76°

Lafayette through 5 p.m. Tuesday

Jackson 98/77 Many 96/75

LOW

95° 77°

TEMPERATURE

Longview 101/77

-0s

LOW

Monroe 100/78

Shreveport 98/77

-10s

HIGH

97° 76°

THU. Lo

80 70 79 58 77 78 77 81 79

W

s t s pc r t t sh t

FT.

LOW

0.00” 1.18” 2.11” 41.97” 39.53”

FT.

HIGH

0.8 7:26a -0.1 1.8 12:48a -0.2 1.9 8:31a 1.7 1.9 12:20a 0.0 1.5 9:18p 0.0 1.8 7:36p -0.1 1.8 10:20p 0.0

FT.

SOURCE: LOUISIANA dEQ ANd AIRNOW.GOV

LOW

FT.

--- ----- ----- ----- --2:37p 1.9 9:01p -0.4 4:04p 1.8 12:59p 1.7 --- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ---

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 Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday

City

11:43a 5:29a 12:10p 5:56p 12:11a 6:23a 12:36p 6:48p 1:04a 7:16a 1:28p 7:39p 1:56a 8:08a 2:19p 8:30p 2:47a 8:59a 3:10p 9:21p 3:38a 9:49a 4:00p 10:12p 4:27a 10:39a 4:51p 11:02p

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

Hi

92 96 87 99 80 92 93 79 93

TODAY Lo

78 77 72 78 67 72 77 71 79

W

t pc pc t t t t pc pc

GOOd

Hi

95 94 90 100 81 96 95 78 94

THU. Lo

78 77 74 84 69 76 78 71 79

FLOOD STAGE

34 48 48 35 27 22 17

TUE. 24-HOUR STAGE CHANGE

0.19 18.29 21.40 8.37 4.20 3.92 2.80

+0.16 -0.17 +0.05 -0.43 -0.17 -0.09 -0.16

40

18.24

+0.93

19

-1.39

+0.09

18 29 8

-1.10 10.19 2.08

-0.04 +0.09 -0.02

13 15

1.64 0.91

-0.37 -0.04

47 34 29 20 12 6

7.70 5.27 3.77 4.14 2.80 2.11

+0.16 +0.16 +0.17 +0.18 none +0.24

data as of 7 a.m. Tuesday

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

SELF-SCH TO

ULE ED

SCAN

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

W

t t t t t t t pc s

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

CALL NOW 1.833.472.5859

U

Safety. Style.

Stress-Free Installation.

R

AP P

EN

YO

T

HIGH

92° 78°

We continue to follow the tropical disturbance moving across the Atlantic, which is probably going to be in the vicinity of Puerto Rico by this time next week. It is currently no threat to Louisiana. Locally, the heat will be your big issue today. All of us are under either a major or moderate heat risk. Temperatures this afternoon will rise to the low to mid-90s with heat index or “feels-like” temperatures up to 106 or higher. The UV index is at the very high level today and temperatures could be higher tomorrow.

OI N T

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1Bn

Audit: Marshal’s Office employee stole $73K Internal audit reveals discrepancies, sparking probe

Company wrote that Welsh allegedly deposited checks from vendors received in the mail into the LafayCity Marshal Reggie Thomas re- Nov. 1, 2024, through Oct. 31, 2025, ette city marshal’s reserve account,

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer ported in January that employee suggests Welsh, who was the office a nonprofit entity not under the city Jackie Welsh was arrested and administrator in the accounting marshal’s control.

Funds deposited in the reserve An audit of the Lafayette City charged with embezzlement after department, allegedly misapproMarshal’s Office released Monday the internal audit revealed dis- priated $73,250, including $48,250 account, they wrote, were then reveals additional details about crepancies that required a formal from Sept. 9 to Oct. 31, and $25,000 taken with unauthorized electronic transfers and unauthorized use of the embezzlement of funds by a criminal investigation. from Nov. 1 to Dec. 30. former civilian employee.

Auditors from Kolder, Slaven and a debit card.

The audit for the fiscal year from

In April, an investigation report was submitted to the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office, they wrote, and the District Attorney’s Office.

Welsh was allegedly charged at that time with theft and identity theft and was awaiting trial. Her name and case could not be located

ä See AUDIT, page 4B

Buc-ee’s receives building permit Long-awaited construction can finally begin

BY ADAM DAIGLE

Acadiana business editor

PHOTOS By LEE BALL

People sing along with the song ‘God Bless the USA’ on Saturday during the Red, White and Blue celebration of the 250th birthday of the United States to benefit the Bayou Teche Museum.

DANCE WITH OLD GLORY

AMERICA

ABOVE: Folks dance to the music of the Fifth Edition band during Saturday’s Red, White and Blue celebration at the City Park Community Center in New Iberia.

LEFT: Gerald Myers and Cheryl Frawley dance during the event to benefit the Bayou Teche Museum.

Buc-ee’s was issued a building permit for its Lafayette store Tuesday, meaning construction could start soon.

The popular company was issued a permit for the store at 3400 Louisiana Ave. by Lafayette Consolidated Government for the project, which is valued at $72.05 million, documents show.

Cleveland Construction of Naples, Florida, will be the contractor for the project.

A Buc-ee’s spokesperson declined comment.

The news is welcomed after several months of site work but no actual construction. A company spokesperson said in January that the store could be open

by July 2027, but online reports of late indicate it is slated for a 2028 opening.

Buc-ee’s initially indicated the store would have opened by the 2025 holiday shopping season.

Other stores often take 18-24 months of construction before opening. The Benton, Arkansas, store is scheduled to open Aug. 17 after 16 months of construction.

The company cooperative endeavor agreement with LEDA does not include any specific penalties for delay, only that Buc-ee’s “shall use its best efforts” to complete the project within 36 months after all permits required to construct the facility are obtained.

Plans include a 74,000-squarefoot store along with about 120 gas pumps and nearly 700 parking spaces, along with public infrastructure improvements to Louisiana Avenue.

As part of incentives to lure Buc-ee’s to Lafayette, customers at the store will pay an extra 1-cent sales tax on all items on top of another 1-cent sales tax for the economic development

ä See BUC-EE’S, page 4B

Catholic Charities to open second location on Kaliste Saloom Road Expansion made possible by two donations

BY ADAM DAIGLE

dation of Acadiana, officials announced. The 30,000-square-foot building, which last housed C&C Catholic Charities of Acadiana Technologies and Oceaneering, will open a second campus in La- became available after both orgafayette that will bring many of its nizations purchased the building regionally focused programs un- for $5.425 million in late July, land records show. der one roof.

The acquisition was made posThe agency will move into the building at 730 E. Kaliste Saloom sible by two transformational Road thanks to two donations ä See CHARITY, page 4B through the Community FounAcadiana business editor

Catholic Charities of Acadiana will move into the former C&C Technologies and Oceaneering at 730 E. Kaliste Saloom Road.

PROVIdEd PHOTO

2B ● Wednesday,August 12, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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

OUR VIEWS

As healthcare subsidies disappear, La. hospitals, families suffer We can’t say we’re surprised at the latest numbers showing healthcare coverage for Louisiana families cratering after Affordable Care Act subsidies were not renewed by Congress late last year. During the budget fight, we warned that our state especially needed lawmakers to come together to find a solution.

Alas, they did not, and the pandemic-era subsidies that had helped 24 million Americans afford insurance on the ACA Marketplace vanished overnight. That left some families facing skyrocketing premiums and a stark choice: pay for either insurance or other necessities.

Now the numbers are in, and they show how that choice has played out across the state.

Washington think tank KFF analyzed federal reports, and Louisiana had one of the steepest drops in ACA enrollees of any state in the nation. Louisiana had 264,790 enrollments in March 2025, but only 195,759 at the same time this year — a 26% decrease. Nationally, it’s estimated that the program lost 3 million enrollees.

What this will mean for health outcomes in our state is only beginning to unfold. But what it means for hospitals is already starkly apparent.

Officials with Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge, the state’s largest hospital, reported seeing 2,500 more uninsured patients in its emergency department the first six months this year versus the same period in 2025.

Uninsured patients mean losses for hospitals, since they still must serve whoever shows up at an emergency room. Those losses are mounting, and Lake facilities wrote off $2.3 million more in bad debt for April through June compared to January, February and March, officials said.

In 2016, when Louisiana became one of the few Southern states to expand Medicaid, leaders argued that taking the federal money would ensure that our state’s rural hospitals and healthcare systems could survive, and that turned out to be true. Now however, hospitals across the state are grappling with the rise of uninsured patients.

Of course, the real costs of these cuts are in the lives and livelihoods of those who can no longer afford to manage chronic conditions or receive preventative care.

Many want to talk about waste, fraud and abuse in federal programs, but we say there is such a thing as being penny-wise and poundfoolish. Sure, saving on healthcare subsidies today may sound reasonable enough. But when the bill comes due for increased medical interventions at later stages of illness or when fewer people can live healthy and productive lives, the $30 billion in saved ACA subsidies might seem like a bargain.

Many Americans have been on a roller-coaster ride trying to afford health insurance in recent years. If we are ever to get off this ride, it’s clear that voters must let political candidates know that healthcare is a priority.

Until we do, we’ll remain stuck in an ailing system.

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YOUR VIEWS

Union protects workers, makes government more effective I’ve been vice president of the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees Local 2349 for one week and three days. I believe every New Orleans city worker should be able to afford food, housing and transportation in the city: Dwight Eisenhower stuff, not Roosevelt, certainly not Debs.

Quin Hillyer seems to think my fellow union members and I are wasting taxpayer money and time, so I’d like to tell him about my first week on the board.

I’ve met with our newly elected AFSCME 2349 executive board twice, CAO Joe Giarrusso and his team once, attended one disciplinary hearing, missed another and also missed the first Municipal Complex Advisory Committee meeting.

Worksite safety issues have been raised: workers not being issued protective equipment like gloves and sharps containers to discard used hypodermic needles, veterans having panic attacks on the job and workers penalized by their supervisors for taking annual leave.

Refocus public health priorities on threats like food safety, measles

The CAO and his team met with us to discuss proposed changes to worker benefits. I spent part of my Saturday tracking down a credible rumor that a fellow city worker is living in a shelter.

These matters felt urgent to me, worthy of my time and attention. AFSCME 2349’s collective bargaining agreement and the trifling amount of civil leave our officers are afforded (of which I have used none; I’ll save Hillyer a FOIA request) is not wasteful but a force multiplier bolstering the efficacy of city services.

If Hillyer remains convinced that my fellow union members and I are unabashed malingerers, I’m willing to attempt to convince him otherwise over mint juleps or whatever the preferred cocktail of conservative opinion columnists is these days. He’s buying the first round.

Recently, public discourse has been dominated by debates surrounding Dr. Anthony Fauci and COVID-19. While leadership in managing a pandemic is important, our focus should be on the critical dangers threatening our communities today — tainted lettuce risking food safety, smoke from wildfires damaging respiratory health, the decline in women’s healthcare access, resurgent measles outbreaks, pollution of waters, misuse of public lands and environmental degradation from data center pollution. Louisiana, in particular, faces these issues uniquely — with vulnerable populations, environmental challenges and health disparities that demand our immediate attention.

Meanwhile, vital funding is diverted from research institutions and universities that drive innovation and solutions for these challenges. These are not minor inconveniences — they are imminent threats to our health, economy and future stability.

It’s time for government to prioritize these tangible, immediate issues with targeted policies and resources. Addressing them requires an approach that encompasses environmental safety, food security, healthcare access and scientific inquiry.

Protecting public health cannot be reduced to partisan politics or personal grievances — our communities deserve leadership that tackles real issues head-on.

In focusing on past controversies or individual figures, we risk diverting precious time and resources from the urgent challenges that demand our attention. Our collective energy must be directed toward solutions that can improve health outcomes now — rather than engaging in legalistic debates that serve no one. Prioritizing real issues over past disagreements is essential if we are to build a healthier, more resilient society.

Let’s dedicate ourselves to addressing the pressing issues that impact us all — those that require immediate action — and do so with purpose and integrity.

GREGG DOOLITTLE vice president, AFSCME Local 2349 emergency manager New Orleans

Landry was elected to serve all the people understood that governors do not serve Republicans, Democrats or independents. They serve people. That is what makes McLemore’s argument so astonishing. He applauds the notion that Louisiana’s governor should regard New Orleans as an adversary rather than as part of the state he swore to serve.

The people of New Orleans are not the enemy. They are police officers, firefighters, deputies, EMTs, nurses, physicians, teachers, priests, nuns, dockworkers, service workers, smallbusiness owners, veterans, parents and schoolchildren. They pay Louisiana taxes. They obey Louisiana laws.

Corrupt politicians deserve prosecution, conviction and punishment. Innocent citizens deserve representation.

A governor who cannot distinguish between the two has forgotten the very oath of office he took.

History offers a far better model of leadership than the one letter-writer David McLemore celebrates (“Landry has reasons for treating the people of New Orleans as adversaries”).

When the Surfside condominium collapsed in Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis did not treat Democratic Miami-Dade officials as adversaries.

He worked alongside them.

Miami-Dade Mayor Danielle Levine Cava publicly praised him as “decisive,” “constant” and “collaborative.”

During one of Florida’s darkest moments, partisan labels took a backseat.

When Hurricane Sandy devastated New Jersey, Republican Gov. Chris Christie stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Democratic Newark Mayor Cory Booker and President Barack Obama.

Christie was criticized by members of his own party for cooperating across party lines. His response was simple: Governing comes before politics. He

BARRY RANSHI Kenner

Has power, prejudice replaced the Golden Rule?

America sold its soul.

We were taught, once, to treat one another as we’d wish to be treated ourselves. It was a simple thing.

Somewhere along the way we let it go, and let power and prejudice take its place. Empathy does not vanish all at once. It fades quietly, and where it lived, fear and hate move in.

People become disposable. Families

become statistics. Workers become line items. The vulnerable become burdens we no longer feel obliged to carry.

A nation that trades people for power does not just misplace its compassion.

It buries its soul and calls it patriotism — though true patriotism was the love it buried in the first place.

SCOTT LEBLEU Lafayette

KATHERINE BURGUN New Orleans

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COMMENTARY Those Democratic Socialists can be shockingly racist The Democratic Socialists of America use people of color as fashion accessories. Sure, they put Black or Brown faces on ballots, and they talk a big game about racism. But Black and Brown voters are not choosing their candidates. The DSA national membership chooses, and it is 85% White.

Froma Look at the crowds. In Harrop October 2019, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders staged a rally at the Queensbridge housing project, across from Manhattan. Its residents are 47% Black, 34% Latino and 10% Asian. News photos showed a nearly unbroken sea of White enthusiasts.

The head of the Queensbridge Resident Association called the organizers “disrespectful.” They didn’t even bother to place flyers in the buildings.

During the 2020 presidential race, Sanders rode high in the early Democratic primaries, where voters are mainly comfy Whites. But when the primaries moved south, where Democratic voters are overwhelmingly Black, he got creamed. In South Carolina, he lost to Joe Biden by 29 percentage points.

Asked to respond to that massive comeuppance, Sanders waved off the importance of those Black voters. They were “conservative,” he said. “But you know what? We’re out of the Deep South now. And we’re moving up.”

That rankled several prominent

Black officials. “I was very concerned with that comment,” said New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. “Black voters in the South are not very conservative” and “essentially dismissing the South was a slight at African American voters.”

A poll in the Michigan Democratic Senate primary had 67% of Black voters supporting the White candidate, Rep. Haley Stevens. Only 21% backed the DSA’s Abdul El-Sayed. A prominent El-Sayed supporter, William Lawrence, is on record denouncing Black political leaders as a “pillar” of the “capitalist, imperialist” American establishment.

Their support of the Democratic leadership, Lawrence said, “defangs the White left.”

He really said that.

Sanders has a spotty history on race.

He had joined the White flight out of New York City in the 1960s, when a new generation of Black activists didn’t care to take orders from White liberals. Sanders repaired to Burlington, Vermont, then less than 1% Black.

There he built a White-dominated socialist movement, using people of color as window dressing from the very start.

In his 2020 presidential campaign, Sanders’ chief Black intellectual, Cornel West, called Barack Obama a “Rockefeller Republican in blackface.”

(Also, a “war criminal.”)

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has followed the playbook. He has an odd character named Gustavo Gordillo defending his city-run grocery stores.

Co-chair of DSA’s New York chapter, Gordillo is an immigrant from Peru who studied “radical Latin American cinema” in college. He tried to move up in the art world, but after apparently not succeeding, decided to try his hand as a DSA celebrity.

Gordillo is now on TV “explaining” Mamdani’s plan for government groceries, one costing taxpayers an amazing $30 million. Asked whether it’s OK for publicly owned stores to put nearby bodegas out of business, Gordillo chirped that if bringing down prices in the neighborhood “is enough to put someone out of business, then maybe they shouldn’t have been in that business in the first place.”

The bodega owners are largely Dominican, Yemeni or from other recent immigrant groups. Their little stores are entrepreneurial ventures that put families on the path of economic advancement. The owners work their tails off long into the night, often confronting criminals bent on everything from shameless shoplifting to armed robbery.

And now that little squirt Gordillo is on TV arguing that bodega owners who can’t compete with stores built with taxpayer dollars — and that don’t have to pay rent or property taxes — are somehow deficient businesspeople.

None of the above is made up, I swear.

Follow Froma Harrop on X @FromaHarrop. She can be reached at fharrop@gmail.com.

What if GOP loses House and Senate?

The odds are Republicans will lose control of the House in the coming midterms — for five reasons: 1.

Their current majority is so narrow that losing a literal handful of seats would cost them control; 2. they will be hurt

by President Donald Trump’s low job approval rating, especially on his handling of the economy; 3. the soByron called “generic ballot” York poll shows voters would prefer a Democrat to represent them in the House; 4. the Iran/Mideast war will be a continuing source of uncertainty and tension for the GOP; and 5. precedent strongly suggests the party that controls the White House will lose a substantial number of House seats.

So what if Democrats win? Although there is some internal party debate on this question, there’s a real possibility a new Democratic majority in the House would impeach Trump for a third time.

And there’s no doubt in the world that Democrats would kill the president’s legislative agenda. As bad as that is, it’s a situation Trump could live with because 1. a third impeachment would have a been-there-donethat quality, and Trump would prevail again; and 2. beyond the SAVE America Act, which will not pass this year, Trump doesn’t really have a legislative agenda to kill.

Losing the Senate, on the other hand, would be damaging for Trump because he needs to have his nominees — for the courts and for his administration — confirmed.

A united Democratic majority in the Senate could stop all that cold, and probably would, given the state of today’s politics.

So how much chance does Trump have of losing the Senate? The answer appears to be more of a chance than he had a few months ago.

Republicans hold 53 seats in the Senate, which means Democrats would have to win four currently Republican-held seats to win control. This time last year, that seemed a remote possibility. But now there are six Republican seats that Democrats have a non-zero chance of winning. And there are just two Democratic seats in significant jeopardy.

On the Republican side: North Carolina, the seat currently held by

ASSOCIATEd PRESS FILE PHOTO

Parties are focused on the midterms, which will decide the balance of power at the U.S. Capitol. retiring Sen. Thom Tillis seems gone.

That’s one pickup for the Democrats.

Seats in Iowa, currently held by retiring Republican Sen. Joni Ernst, and Ohio, held by appointed Republican Sen. Jon Husted, could go either way.

Maine and Alaska, where Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Dan Sullivan face serious challenges, could also end badly for the GOP. And the Texas seat currently held by Republican John Cornyn, where some Republicans scoff at the weakness of Democratic challenger James Talarico, is in clear danger. Yes, Talarico is a terrible candidate, but so is Ken Paxton, the Trump-backed candidate who beat Cornyn in a GOP primary.

On the Democratic side: Michigan, the seat held by retiring Sen. Gary Peters is a real pickup opportunity for Republicans. New Hampshire, the seat held by retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen is in play but seems, for the moment, leaning toward staying Democratic. And that’s about it.

The possibility that Republicans could win Michigan, where Democrats are nominated Abdul El-Sayed, a DSAstyle progressive who could struggle in a general election, is pretty much

the entire bright side for Republicans when it comes to pickups.

If the GOP does win Michigan, Democrats would then have to win five currently Republican seats to win control of the Senate. That would be hard, but doable. Go down the list: North Carolina, Ohio, Maine, Iowa, Texas and Alaska. It is not at all outside the realm of possibility that Democrats could win all but one of them.

It is important to say that this is how the situation looks right now, in early August, for voting that will take place in early November. Of course things will change in the next three months.

Candidates currently in tight races could pull ahead or fall back. Mistakes could be made. The political landscape could shift. All sorts of things could happen.

But there is no reason for Republicans to feel confident that, after losing the House, they will still have the Senate. They could lose both. And then, President Trump and his party will be in for a couple of trying years.

Byron York is on X, @Bryon York.

Email him at byronyork@yorkcomm. com.

Trump’s botched presidency The Reflecting Pool opened on the National Mall in 1922, linking the monuments that honor Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. The pool serves as “an optical instrument,” writes one commentator, a mirror designed to edify those edifices and the virtues they embody.

Today the pool is still a mirror, reflecting the nature of a third president: Donald Trump. Instead of illustrating his grandeur, howSteve ever, it reveals his grandiosity; Roberts his shoddy, slapdash approach to the office; his refusal to recognize reality and accept the consequences of his own actions. This spring, Trump ordered a quick and quixotic renovation of the pool in time for his self-centered July 4 celebrations. The “American flag blue” lining he chose soon started to crack and peel, and in an embarrassed rage, he denounced the “great damage due to the Vandals and Radical Left SCUM that hate our Country.”

His hand-picked U.S. Attorney, Jeanine Pirro, dutifully indicted four supposed “vandals,” one on felony charges. But Trump was lying. And when Pirro looked more carefully, she realized the president’s pet contractor was the culprit.

So, she dropped the charges and admitted “the damage was the result of a botched installation and not vandalism, as initially represented” by the White House.

Trump was furious, ranting that Pirro “choked” and “folded like an umbrella,” but her words echo with a much wider meaning. The president has “botched” a vast range of policies, from rising prices to raging war. And it is Trump who is choking — on immutable and indigestible truth.

The president has long and successfully embraced the doctrine of “alternative facts.”

Believe me, he says, not your own eyes, and his devoted followers have slavishly done so. Most Republicans in Congress, who often know better, have caved as well, petrified of his punishing wrath. Pirro, however, was not bloviating on social media or Fox News, where she used to work.

She had to make her case before a federal judge, who demanded accuracy, not accusation — and that’s what caused her head-on collision with Trump.

“In the end,” writes analyst Aaron Blake on CNN, “this appears to be exactly what it looked like in real time: a bunch of people straining to avoid the evidence right in front of their eyes in order to turn the president’s politically expedient fantasy into a reality.”

“Straining to avoid the evidence” is a hallmark of Trump’s presidency, and his incessant assault on actuality is, finally, catching up with him. Three recent national polls all agree that only about one-third of Americans now view him favorably, and The New York Times wrote that Trump has reached “the nadir of his presidency.”

Since modern polling began in the 1940s, only one other president has registered a lower rating midway through his second term. That was Richard Nixon, just before he resigned over the Watergate scandal in 1974.

What connects all of Trump’s troubles is his willful ignorance of evidence. He has regularly derided the concept of affordability as a “hoax” — the economic equivalent of blaming vandalism for the peeling pool — but consumers manage figures, not fantasies, and they know better.

Rising gas prices have fueled inflation for many goods. In a recent Washington Post-Ipsos poll, 66% of Americans describe the cost of groceries as “unaffordable,” a sharp increase from 45% earlier in the year. An AP survey reports that 32% approve of his handling of the economy, down from 40% at the start of his second term. Then there is the war against Iran. Trump has repeatedly miscalculated Tehran’s resistance and resilience and has misled the American public. In early March, he described his war planning to the Times: “Well, we intended four to five weeks. It won’t be difficult.”

Five months later, the conflict drags on.

Trump’s erratic, ever-changing strategies and goals have deeply confused the public. As a result, reports the AP poll, about two-thirds of Americans now believe the war with Iran is not worth fighting, and that includes 37% of Republicans.

These are only the most recent, and relevant, examples of Trump trashing the truth. He says his tax cuts will pay for themselves, but they’ve added $100 billion to the deficit. He says immigrants drain the economy when they are invaluable engines of vitality. He says the election of 2020 was stolen from him, when every independent analysis brands that claim a lie.

For over 100 years, the Reflecting Pool has illuminated the character of American presidents: Washington’s strength. Lincoln’s wisdom. And today, Trump’s festering failure.

Contact Steven Roberts at stevecokie@gmail. com.

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writer’s city of residence. The Advocate | The Times-Picayune require a street address and phone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor, The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@theadvocate.com.

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4B ● Wednesday,August 12, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Homeowners seek payment in new suit Brad Pitt development sued for faulty construction

Make It Right homeowners in New Orleans, who purchased their Lower 9th Ward properties from the nonprofit organization founded by Hollywood leading man Brad Pitt, are seeking classaction status to get the money they say they are owed from a 2022 settlement.

BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer

A long-simmering lawsuit against actor Brad Pitt’s post-Katrina neighborhood development Make It Right is back before a New Orleans judge this week after a multimillion-dollar settlement to pay homeowners for shoddy construction didn’t come through.

Now, the homeowners are seeking class-action status to get what they believe they’re owed.

Make It Right homeowners, who purchased their properties from the nonprofit organization founded by the Hollywood leading man, first sued in 2018 for critical design and construction flaws, breach of contract and fraud.

The case has yet to be resolved despite a settlement in 2022, when Global Green, a Los Angeles-based environmental organization, offered $20.5 million to compensate the homeowners on Make It Right’s behalf.

Trouble was, Global Green didn’t have the money. The lawsuit was derailed for almost three years thereafter.

On Monday, lawyers began debating the situation anew in Orleans Parish Civil District Court at a hearing to determine whether to certify a class action for the plaintiff homeowners.

There’s little argument that the homes Make It Right built were leaky and prone to rot. In 2018, the organization sued its own managing architect for allegedly allowing poor building practices to take place.

At the conclusion of the hearing, Civil District Judge Lori Jupiter

STAFF FILE PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

will determine if all 106 Make It Right homeowners can join the class.

Ron Austin, the New Orleans attorney representing the Make It Right homeowners, argued that the same design and construction practices applied to all of the homes made by Make It Right, so a class-action lawsuit was in order.

Austin said that if a class-action suit isn’t permitted, the homeowners — some of whom are elderly — “don’t have the money or time to sue individually.”

The team of lawyers representing various parties associated with the Make It Right organization

took turns objecting to Austin’s point of view, hoping to convince the court that the houses were plagued by many, varied factors and mustn’t be lumped together.

As Make It Right attorney Sid Angelle put it, “No two construction defect cases are the same.”

Pitt was not required to attend the court proceedings, which are expected to last for at least two weeks.

The modest Lower 9th Ward neighborhood north of North Claiborne Avenue was catastrophically flooded by a levee wall collapse during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Bent on rebuilding the area, Pitt

used his considerable celebrity sizzle to raise $26 million to erect avant-garde, ecologically sound houses, designed by some of the world’s great architects, including Frank Gehry, Shigeru Ban and David Adjaye.

Ground was broken in 2008, and 106 homes were built by 2016. The dwellings eventually sold to former neighborhood residents and others at affordable prices.

In its early years, the Make It Right neighborhood became a tourist attraction, a model of altruism and creative recovery.

Soon enough though, residents began calling attention to prema-

ture problems with their properties. The wood used to build stairs, decks and other weather-exposed features deteriorated especially rapidly. Two of the houses were deemed unsalvageable and were demolished in 2018 and 2020.

Neither the lawyers we spoke to in the course of the hearing, nor the six plaintiffs present in court would comment on the proceedings.

Email Doug MacCash at dmaccash@theadvocate.com.

Follow him on Instagram at dougmaccash, on Twitter at Doug MacCash and on Facebook at Douglas James MacCash.

BUC-EE’S

AUDIT

district in that area, according to the 20-year cooperative endeavor agreement LEDA signed with Buc-ee’s.

The company will be reimbursed $3.5 million for its $12.5 million public infrastructure improvements in two payments from the current economic development district’s trust fund: a $1.75 million payment within 30 days of opening and another $1.75 million payment one year after that first payment, documents show.

It will be reimbursed for its private infrastructure improvements each year by either 2% of the store’s annual revenue or $20,000, whichever is greater.

Payment will be made on or before March 31 of each year.

LEDA will also give the company a one-time payment of $300,000 if it maintains 150 employees.

in online court records on Monday.

District Attorney Don Landry, of Lafayette, said his office just received the investigation from Lafayette Police on Monday.

The auditors wrote that restitution will be requested at trial and Thomas has filed a fraud claim with its bank.

Apparently, the marshal’s policy segregating duties of employees receiving mail and processing receipts was not properly adhered to.

Management, the auditors wrote, has implemented enhanced segregation of duties to ensure no single person controls an entire transaction; requires at least two approvals for expenditures; limits system and financial access; and conducts regular audits and reviews of financial activity.

Continued from page 1B

Continued from page 1B

STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

Light construction equipment and vehicles gather on Tuesday at the site where a Buc-ee’s is set to be built in Lafayette. A Email Adam Daigle at adaigle@theadvocate.com. billboard in the background tells Interstate 10 westbound motorists the distance to the next Buc-ee’s.

CHARITY

Continued from page 1B

offices. It will also house its centralized volunteer center and donation center, replacing a patchwork of donation drop-off locations and improvised storage sites with a permanent hub for volunteers and donated goods.

CCA had planned to expand its campus on St. John Street but shifted after the lead gifts were designated for acquiring the Kaliste Saloom property, officials said.

It was also cheaper than new construction.

“These lead gifts are the direct result of donors who came to us wanting to help build our organization’s capacity for the long term,” Catholic Charities CEO Kim Boudreaux said. “Their generosity is an act of solidarity with our neighbors who suffer. Because of their vision, we can make this investment without diverting resources from the families and individuals who rely on us every day.”

restricted gifts from donors who designated their contributions for the purchase of the property and for longterm infrastructure investment, CFA officials said. One donor was anonymous.

“Stewardship is at the heart of CFA’s work, and this gift reflects a relationship and a thoughtful decision that developed over many years,” CFA President and CEO Missy Bienvenu said.

“This was not an ordinary grant but a donor’s strategic investment in the long-term strength of an organization they care deeply about. We were grateful to help steward that generosity and connect it with a timely opportunity for Catholic Charities of Acadiana.”

The campus will house CCA’s community resilience programs and serve as its regional response ware- Email Adam Daigle at house and administrative adaigle@theadvocate.com.

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Kiffin talks of his bad ‘breakups,’ subject of future book

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W e d n e s d ay, au g u s t 12, 2026

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Catching attention

BY JON BLAU Staff writer

As Lane Kiffin sat for an interview with SEC Network’s Marty Smith and Ryan McGee, the LSU coach confronted a truth that’s both personal and professional.

Personally, he’s had three “serious” relationships, one marriage and two long-term girlfriends, and all three ended in turbulent fashion.

Professionally, Kiffin just burned his bridge with a second SEC institution, Ole Miss, by jumping to LSU before the Rebels’ postseason run.

“I don’t handle breakups well, I guess,” Kiffin said. “This is a me thing.

I’m the problem.”

This was a lighthearted but poignant admission from LSU’s new coach, who spent much of this offseason trying to explain why he left Ole Miss for its rival.

In what could be this summer’s last recounting, Kiffin chatted with Smith, the reporter who caught him at the airport for an interview before his departure to Baton Rouge, and McGee, who spearheaded ESPN’s “The Many Lives of Lane Kiffin.”

McGee, whose documentary painted Kiffin as a coach who found a new identity in Oxford, Mississippi, bluntly forwarded a question he’s received from fans: “Was that all B.S.?”

“I can totally see why they would ask that,” said Kiffin, who repeated many of the same talking points, just in a slightly different fashion, during a

ä See KIFFIN, page 4C

STAFF PHOTO By BRAd KEMP

UL wide receiver Kedarius Wade takes part in a drill on Aug. 5 at the university’s indoor practice facility. The junior has stepped up his game in the wake of injuries to top receiver Shelton Sampson and others this month.

Injuries to UL’s wideouts raise concern one week into preseason camp

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU coach Lane Kiffin: ‘I don’t handle breakups well, I guess. This is a me thing. I’m the problem.’

The injury report remains a major topic of conversation with the UL Ragin’ Cajuns one week into August camp.

Not only is wide receiver Shelton Sampson out with a bruised knee, but UL coach Michael Desormeaux said Tuesday that Trenton Chaney and Landon Strother have been limited in practice with bruised shoulders.

“It’s nothing serious — pretty much day to day,” Desormeaux said of Chaney and Strother.

As for Sampson, Desormeaux said,

“They don’t think structurally there’s anything wrong. He did have some swelling with the knee. They think it was a hyperextension and some bruising to go along with it.”

Desormeaux said Sampson suffered the injury on the final training session before August camp.

“We’re going to do everything to make sure we’re taking all the precaution we can to try to get them back,” he said.

“With Shelton, we feel like we’ll get out of the woods with that pretty soon here.”

On the defensive side, linebacker Kailep Edwards suffered a partial MCL tear, something Desormeaux said could side-

‘Star’ DB Price making strong case with Saints

line the senior for six weeks.

It’s unfortunate for Edwards, who redshirted last season with the opportunity to get meaningful snaps this season.

“Certainly we’re not going to push it,” Desormeaux said. “He was having a good camp. It was just one of those things where he kind of got fell on. That’s why it’s so important to stay off the ground.”

Desormeaux also said junior linebacker Lester Jones has missed the past three practices with a groin injury, but he’s expected back before the regular season begins on Sept. 5 vs. Lamar.

ä See CATCHING, page 4C

LSU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Tigers complete more challenging schedule

BY REED DARCEY

BY LUKE JOHNSON

Staff writer

The play by play from this year’s New Orleans Saints training camp is littered with No. 38’s fingerprints.

That No. 38 uniform belongs to backup “Star” defender Jayden Price, a name that is probably one to get familiar with ahead of the team’s first preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday.

The 26-year-old Price has never played a snap in a meaningful NFL game, but this isn’t Price’s first experience with the Saints. He signed with the Saints in June 2025 after leading the United Football League in pass breakups in the 2025 season. Though Price did not make the roster, he spent the season on the Saints’ practice squad.

“Just continued to get better each and every day,” Price said about his experience learning the “Star” position in 2025. “Had a good spring, (I’m) just trying to build on that here at this training camp.”

He may be something of an unknown to Saints fans, but he’s made quite an impression on his coaches and teammates — and he is laying a solid foundation to claim a 53-man roster spot at the end of training camp.

“Another example of going to the practice squad and taking advantage of the season,” coach Kellen Moore said. “You go through the whole offseason and

The LSU women’s basketball team’s complete 2026-27 schedule is here — and the nonconference portion of the slate looks tougher than it usually does.

The Tigers had already announced that they would face UConn, North Carolina, North Carolina State and Villanova this coming season. But on Tuesday, as part of their full schedule release, they also revealed that they’d play a neutral-site contest against Houston — a former American Conference program that’s now competing in the Big 12.

The matchup against the Cougars, who have gone only 2-34 in league play across the past two seasons, will tip off on Dec. 13 in the Toyota Center.

LSU won’t hit the meat of its nonconference schedule until the week of Thanksgiving, when it’s set to face Villanova (Nov. 27) and North Carolina State (Nov. 28) in

Staff writer

STAFF PHOTO By dAVId GRUNFELd

Saints cornerback Jayden Price knocks away a pass intended for wide receiver Bryce Lance during Saturday’s practice at the Saints’ practice facility in Metairie. ä Jaguars at Saints. 3 P.M. SATURdAy, KATC

just get better and better. You can certainly see some confidence in him just seeing him out here playing.

“He’s competing against some of the top guys in our receiver room and he’s playing toe-to-toe with those guys. He’s playing some really good football.”

Though Price carries a slight frame for the position — he’s listed as 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds — Price has made up for his size with athleticism and play recognition through 10 training camp practices.

His ability to read keys and diagnose what is about to happen has been made evident through his playmaking,

ä See PRICE, page 4C

STAFF FILE PHOTO

LSU coach Kim Mulkey completed her 2026-27 schedule with a slate that includes UConn, North Carolina, North Carolina State and Villanova. the Fort Myers Tip-Off. Before those two games, the Tigers will play seven tune-ups in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center — against Southeastern Louisiana (Nov. 2), Texas Southern (Nov. 5), McNeese State (Nov. 10), Denver (Nov. 13), Troy (Nov. 16), Fairleigh Dickinson (Nov. 19) and

ä See SCHEDULE, page 4C

H 2C ● Wednesday, August 12, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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IN BRIEF

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Red zone issues slowing Saints CB Emerson has strong performance

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

Even when the New Orleans Saints switched quarterbacks last season, the black and gold’s red zone offense remained a problem.

In Tyler Shough’s nine starts, the Saints scored a touchdown on 45.8% of their trips inside the 20.

That was an improvement over the 42.9% under Spencer Rattler, but the difference only resulted in the Saints going from 30th in red zone efficiency to 28th. Combine all 17 games, and the Saints ranked dead last in red zone drives that resulted in a touchdown.

Through 10 training camp practices, the Saints are having familiar issues when the field becomes condensed.

Shough threw two interceptions and led the offense to a 22-yard field goal in three sets of reps during a situational drill near the end of Monday’s practice. In this set-up scenario — called “red zone lockout” — the offense was awarded seven points for a touchdown and three for a Saints field goal, observations while the defense got seven points for forcing a turnover or a missed field goal and four points for forcing the offense to settle for a made field goal.

The other quarterbacks didn’t fare much better. Zach Wilson was the only quarterback to lead his unit to a touchdown, and the Saints defense earned a 22-13 win to cap the practice.

But the drill highlighted an area in which the offense hasn’t established much of a rhythm.

“Situational football is just huge,” coach Kellen Moore said.

“We’ve got to play better in the red zone. We’ve got to run the football better down there, play clean football, get ourselves manageable situations. If you stay on course, you can have positive things. When you derail yourself with negative runs and penalties and those types of things, you’re going to put yourself behind it.”

“Third-and-10 from the 14 is not good odds,” he said. “When you put yourself in that situation, it becomes challenging.”

Attendance The Saints were again without running back Kendre Miller (back), wide receiver Mason Tipton (leg), running back Devin Neal (hamstring), linebacker Chris Rumph (ankle), guard Dillon Radunz (ACL), defensive end Cam Jordan (hamstring) and defensive tackle John Ridgeway

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

Days after he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Drew Brees earned yet another accomplishment.

The Saints announced that the Hall of Fame quarterback will Saints be inducted into notebook their Ring of Honor during halftime of the team’s Oct. 11 contest against the Minnesota Vikings. Brees is the ninth person from the Saints to earn the honor.

The former signal caller, who played 15 seasons for the Saints and delivered their only Super Bowl title, joins a group that includes quarterback Archie Manning (2013), linebacker Rickey Jackson (2013), tackle William Roaf (2013), kicker Morten Andersen (2016), late owner Tom Benson (2018), defensive end Will Smith (2019), linebacker

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Pitching coach Mike Maddux, bullpen coach Dom Chiti and assistant pitching coach Darryl Scott have been fired by the Los Angeles Angels.

Interim front-office leader John Mozeliak announced several changes Tuesday to first-year manager Kurt Suzuki’s coaching staff.

The Angels have the majors’ worst record at 45-74 as they head toward their 11th consecutive losing season, and they fired general manager Perry Minasian in late June.

Tim Leveque was appointed Los Angeles’ interim pitching coach, and Michael Wuertz will be the club’s interim bullpen coach.

Leveque is in his first season as the pitching coach at the Angels’ Double-A Rocket City affiliate after working in the Cardinals organization.

Vikings pick Murray as starting QB over McCarthy

STAFF PHOTO By dAVId GRUNFELd

Saints quarterback Tyler Shough runs a play during training camp on Tuesday in Metairie. (back).

In good news for the Saints, rookies Jeremiah Wright (shoulder) and Christen Miller (toe) returned to practice and participated in team drills. Pete Werner was also a participant in individual drills after leaving Monday’s session with a groin injury.

During Tuesday’s practice, cornerback Rezjohn Wright suffered a left hip injury, and defensive tackle Davon Godchaux rolled his ankle.

Play of the day

terference) and saw a pass tipped at the line of scrimmage that Audric Estime caught. n Speaking of Estime, the former Broncos running back continues to impress the coaching staff. Running backs coach Joel Thomas said he had Estime run with the first string to see what he could do after being encouraged over his output against the team’s backups. n Though Jordan will miss time with a hamstring injury, the Saints should feel good about their edge rusher depth. Tyree Wilson stacked another strong practice and he appears to be hitting stride. Veteran Anfernee Jennings also recorded a sack. n New Orleans’ issues in the red zone aren’t just on the quarterback. On Tuesday, there were a number of pre-snap penalties that put the offense in unfavorable situations. The defense, though, wasn’t exempt from these issues.

An offside gave the third unit a new set of downs that resulted in a touchdown, and there were several other penalties that gave the offense new life. n The Saints’ kicking battle took an turn as both Charlie Smyth and Tanner Brown got to kick in practice. Smyth went 6 of 7 — with his lone miss coming from 54 yards.

Brown made all of his attempts.

Moore said he expects the inpractice rotation to continue at least for the next two weeks.

Carl Granderson missed out on a near interception when he couldn’t grab a pass intended for Alvin Kamara. So when the Saints defensive end finally got his hands on the ball just two plays later, picking off Shough in the red zone, Granderson punted his interception deep down the field in celebration.

Granderson took advantage of what appeared to be a Shough Emerson’s progress mistake or a miscommunication As the Saints plan to visit with between the quarterback and his free agent cornerback Terrion Arnold, receiver.

Martin Emerson made his case that Odds and ends the secondary depth is just fine. n Before Shough’s miscues in Emerson had his best performance of camp, picking off the “red zone drag out,” he looked Rattler and recording two pass sharp in the first half of practice. breakups. The showing was the The errors near the end change latest step for Emerson as he the evaluation, but he excelled on comes back from the torn Achil- several third-and-long downs. And les he suffered last season with on fourth and 1 from the opposing 16-yard line, Shough delivered a the Cleveland Browns.

Emerson joined the Saints on a strike to tight end Juwan Johnson for a touchdown. But the turnovers one-year deal in April.

“He continues to push the enve- — and the lack of consistency lope and get better,” cornerback — no doubt dampened the day.

His second interception to Riley Jayden Price said.

Emerson’s emergence may not was the kind of forced throw on influence the Saints’ thinking on fourth down in an attempt to win Arnold — the former Lions first- the game, and while the situarounder who was released last tion may have called for it, Riley month after being charged with tracked the ball rather easily to eight felonies related to a kidnap- make the play. n Rattler also had a rough outping and robbery case. But at the very least, his progress could give ing. Before he was picked off by the team comfort if another cor- Emerson, he had a pass that was nerback needed to replace Kool-Aid broken up by the cornerback, McKinstry or Quincy Riley in the event took a sack, threw an incomple- Email Matthew Paras at of injury. tion (that appeared to be pass in- matt.paras@theadvocate.com

Brees to be inducted into Saints’ Ring of Honor Jordan’s injury could extend to regular season

Angels fire pitching coach Maddux, two assistants

Sam Mills (2021) and guard Jahri Evans (2024).

Brees will also receive his Hall of Fame ring of excellence during the on-field ceremony.

“We are thrilled to welcome Drew into this distinguished group in October,” owner Gayle Benson said in a statement. “His extraordinary accomplishments on the field, his leadership, and his lasting contributions to the New Orleans community make this honor so well deserved.

“We look forward to celebrating Drew with our fans and honoring the extraordinary legacy he built with the Saints and throughout the New Orleans community.”

General manager Mickey Loomis added it would be a “privilege” to induct Brees this fall.

“Drew’s production and character both on and off the field sets him apart as the greatest Saint ever,” Loomis said. “This is a great opportunity for our organization and our fan base to show appreciation for his Hall of Fame career.”

a little bit of time” and could even linger into the start of the regular season, coach Kellen Moore said Tuesday.

Jordan missed his third straight practice after suffering the injury on Thursday. Moore previously said that the 37-year-old would need further consultation after receiving an initial diagnosis.

“We’ll see,” Moore said. “It could possibly get into the season, but you never know. So these things, you’ve just got to have some patience with it, let it take its course and we’ll collect more and more information as we go.”

Jordan has missed only one game in his career because of injury, last doing so in 2022 when an orbital fracture kept him out of the lineup against the Los Angeles Rams. He also missed a game in 2021 after testing positive for COVID-19. In 2023, he played through an ankle injury that required offseason surgery.

Jordan’s hamstring injury is unfortunate, given it took several months for him and the Saints to Jordan’s injury agree on a new contract. After a Defensive end Cam Jordan’s ham- resurgent 10½-sack season in 2025, string injury will cause him to “miss Jordan eventually re-signed on a

one-year, $7.5 million deal in June.

New No. 7 Hunter Dekkers didn’t ask Taysom Hill for permission to wear No. 7.

The Saints quarterback didn’t even know he was getting his teammate’s old number.

“That was not something I planned at all,” Dekkers said with a smile.

Dekkers, the Saints’ fourth-string quarterback, was assigned the jersey after wearing No. 18 throughout last season. Dekkers spent most of last year going on and off the practice squad, but the Saints kept bringing him back to help aid his development.

Dekkers said he sees a significance in wearing Hill’s number.

“Taysom means so much to this team, so obviously, it’s something that is super important,”he said.

“It’s a really cool feeling, but it’s something to live up to, for sure.”

Hill has not announced his retirement, but announced at the beginning of training camp that he would not be returning to New Orleans for a 10th season.

Email Matthew Paras at matt.paras@theadvocate.com

EAGAN, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings have chosen Kyler Murray as their starting quarterback over J.J. McCarthy, according to a person with knowledge of the decision.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity on Tuesday because the team had not yet made the announcement.

Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell pledged to supervise a true competition for the job between the newcomer Murray and the incumbent McCarthy. While Murray had the majority of the turns with the first team, McCarthy had plenty of opportunities in open-to-the-public practices as well.

McCarthy was the 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft.

Free agent cornerback Arnold set to visit Giants

Free agent cornerback Terrion Arnold is set to visit the New York Giants on Wednesday, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

Arnold, 23, is facing eight felony charges stemming from allegations he orchestrated the abduction and beating of three men. He became a free agent in late June after the Detroit Lions released him in the aftermath of being charged.

Arnold visited New Orleans and reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle already this week and reportedly also met with Houston.

The Schultz Report was the first to report Arnold meeting with the Giants, who are dealing with injuries in their secondary.

Arnold has played in 25 NFL games.

Jets CB taken to hospital after losing consciousness

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — New York Jets cornerback Qwan’tez Stiggers was taken to a hospital by ambulance after he briefly lost consciousness during a joint practice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Tuesday.

Jets coach Aaron Glenn said the 24-year-old Stiggers was conscious and talking on the field before being put on a stretcher and taken for further examination. There was no immediate word on Stiggers’ condition, but Glenn indicated the cornerback was doing OK. “He was able to talk and I want to make sure I go and see him after this, just to make sure I’m good with everything,” Glenn said.

Stiggers is entering his third season with the Jets after being a fifth-round draft pick in 2024.

High school football player practices with snake in helmet

MAUMELLE, Ark. — A high school football player in Arkansas had every right to be rattled after finding a venomous snake inside his helmet during practice.

The Maumelle High student felt unusual movement inside his headgear following warmups last week and brought his helmet to an assistant coach for inspection. A slithering, 2-foot cottonmouth was discovered behind some padding.

The pit viper was so reluctant to exit the helmet that police officers had to pour water into it to force the snake out and into a bag. Animal services technicians arrived a few minutes later, identified the snake as a deadly cottonmouth and took it to a wooded area far from the school.

Cottonmouths are the secondmost venomous snakes found in Arkansas.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Wednesday, August 12, 2026 ● 3C

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PREP FOOTBALL SEASON PREVIEW

Kaplan

2026 SCHEDULE Date

Opponent

Sept. 4 Sept. 11 Sept. 18 Sept. 25 Oct. 2 Oct. 9 Oct. 16 Oct. 23 Oct 29 Nov. 5

Ascension Episcopal Assumption CATHOLIC-NI LOREAUVILLE ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITy LAB Parkview Baptist ST. MARTINVILLE Abbeville ERATH

PLAYERS TO WATCH Jeremy Roy RB-FS, 6-0, 190, So. young talent who has displayed a work ethic as well.

Capable of playing many positions with explosion and speed but will largely play running back and free safety.

Carter Hebert C, 6-4, 320, Jr. Improved dramatically since last season after attending multiple camps. Kaplan will be counting heavily on his leadership with a lack of depth on the offensive line.

HOME GAMES IN CAPS

PAST FIVE YEARS 2025: 7-5 2024: 8-3 2023: 7-4 2022: 4-6 2021: 4-7

PHOTO By KEVIN FOOTE

Kaplan’s defensive standouts Jacob devoltz, Kane Hebert, Kodi Clement, Aiden Hargrave and Grant Saltzman.

PROJECTED STARTERS Offense WR Kodi Clement (6-1, 175, Sr.)* WR Rashad Boudreaux (6-2, 170, So.)* LT Summit Saltzman (6-4, 220, Jr.)* LG Owen Theall (5-10, 265, Sr.) C Carter Hebert (6-4, 320, Jr.)* RG Grant Saltzman (5-10, 220, Jr.)* RT Ethan Campell (6-0, 205, So.) QB Jayden Hargrave (5-9, 175, Jr.)* RB Jeremy Roy (6-0, 190, So.) RB Mathiew Breaux (5-9, 185, Sr.) FB de’Maurion Cormier (6-0, 190, Sr.)* Defense dE Mason Wise (6-2, 190, Sr.)* NG Grant Saltzman (5-10, 220, Jr.)* dE Ethan Campbell (6-0, 205, So.) LB Jacob devoltz (6-2, 225, Sr.)* LB Aiden Hargrave (5-10, 190, Jr.)* LB Jayden Landry (5-10, 190, Sr.) OLB Mathiew Breaux (5-9, 185, Sr.)* OLB Van Guidry (5-11, 185, Sr.)* CB Kodi Clement (6-1, 175, Sr.)* CB Rashad Boudreaux (6-2, 170, So.) FS Jeremy Roy (6-0, 190, So.) * RETURNING STARTER

COACHES Head coach: Vinnie Bullara (40-35).

Assistant coaches: Trenton Guay (OC), Codey Mire (dC), Craig Blanchard (OL/ OLBs), dillon Briggs (ILBs, QBs), donald Richard (WR/CB), Brandon Johnson (dL), and Nathan Sistrunk (RB/dBs)

Jacob deVoltz anchoring the defense.

What we know

On the surface, it could be a major rebuilding job for head coach Vinnie Bullara, but the new coach doesn’t see it that way.

“We definitely have a lot to work with,” he said.

The offense will shift from the Wing-T to the Flexbone, but running the football is still the major objective.

That works with the talented running back options of de’Maurion Cormier, sophomore Jeremy Roy and senior Mathiew Breaux.

“I coached Michael Clayton, Keiland Bullara Williams and Rufus Alexander, and he’s athletically on par with those guys,” Bullara said of Cormier.

Cormier ran for 1,159 yards and 20 touchdowns on 187 carries last season.

“We came in and run what we run, but we tried to keep things as simple as possible,” Bullara said. “It won’t be much different, but it is a little different. We want to be disciplined, we want to be physical and we want to run the football.

“Just like it’s been here, we want to be able to throw the ball on our terms.”

Jayden Hargrave rushed for 621 yards and seven touchdowns last season.

“He’s a stud,” Bullara said of Hargrave. “He’s our guy.

If you know anything about me, I want a dude that’s a leader and that you’ve got to kill to beat him at quarterback.”

On defense, the big change will be keeping things more simple.

“I think we could settle down a little bit on defense,” Bullara said. “We’re going to do less game planning for opponents. We’re going to play more fundamental football and just line up to do this or that. I saw on film last year they were giving up too many big plays. It was just good defense in spurts.”

Bullara is excited about Breaux and fellow senior

What we don’t know

With the Pirates returning eight seasoned players on offense and seven on defense, there’s obviously plenty to work with.

The potential issue is on the offensive and defensive lines if any injuries occur.

“We do have some returning starters in both those spots, but I think we’re a little thin,” said Bullara, who said the depth is the offensive backfield and in the secondary.

Two of the new starters on offense are right tackle Ethan Crawford and Owen Theall at left guard.

On defense, the four new starters play different spots, including sophomore sensation Jeremy Roy. On paper, there’s no track record to predict what junior linebacker Aiden Hargrave will be able to achieve this season. Bullara, though, is convinced Hargrave is going to shine after missing the past two seasons to injuries.

“I think he’s going to be an absolute animal at linebacker,” Bullara said.

How we see it

It’s been a tough four-year run for the Pirates. Bullara is the program’s fourth head coach in the past four years.

“They’ve accepted me with open arms,” Bullara said.

“We’ve been very intentional about trying to build a brotherhood and try to build that trust. They’ve handled everything extremely well.”

The first big change Bullara made was going to a fiveday practice schedule during the summer.

“It was a culture shock at first, but the attendance was outstanding all summer,” he said. “They attacked everything. Our strength and conditioning program is tough and they attacked it.”

Overall, there’s plenty of talent for the team to shine, as long as there aren’t many injuries in the trenches.

De’Maurion Cormier FB, 6-0, 190, Sr. Expected to be the most consistent weapon in Kaplan’s rushing attack. New head coach Vinnie Bullara said he’s one of the top three power cleaners he’s had in 30 years of coaching.

Jayden Hargrave QB, 5-9, 175, Jr. Hargrave was part of the Pirates’ rushing attack last season and moves to quarterback this year. Will primarily be a rushing threat but can make throws in the passing game.

Kodi Clement WR-CB, 6-1, 175, Sr. The track star has all the physical tools.

Could easily play tight end or safety for some teams but plans on making plays at cornerback and receiver. Staff thinks colleges will come eventually.

Kevin Foote

SCOREBOARD Odds Sports Betting Line NFL Thursday

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG at CIN 3½ 6½ (37½) Detroit Green Bay 1½ 1½ (39½) at PITTS Indianapolis 1½ 2½ (36½) at NE at HOUSTON 1½ 1½ (36½) Chargers at LAS VEGAS 1½ 1½ (40½) Arizona Tennessee 2½ 2½ (39½)at SAN FRAN

Friday

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG at NY JETS 1½ 5½ (35½) Tampa Bay Denver 3½ 5½ (38½) at ATLANTA Miami 1½ 2½ (36½) at WASH Saturday FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG Minnesota 1½ 1½ (41½) at GIANTS at BUFFALO 1½ 1½ (37½) Carolina Cleveland 1½ 1½ (39½) at CHICAGO at N.O. 1½ 3½ (36½) Jax at K.C. 1½ 2½ (36½) LA Rams Philadelphia 2½ 2½ (36½) at BALT at SEATTLE 2½ 3½ (39½) Dallas

MLB

Wednesday

American League FAVORITE LINE Baltimore -115 Tampa Bay -181 at DETROIT -132 Seattle -124 Boston -130 at LA ANGELS OFF National League FAVORITE LINE Philadelphia -162 at ARIZONA -176 Milwaukee -123 at MIAMI OFF at WASH OFF at ATLANTA -164 Interleague FAVORITE LINE Houston -185 at WHITE SOX -146 at DODGERS -233

UNDERDOG at MINNESOTA at ATHLETICS Cleveland at N.Y YANKEES at TORONTO Texas

LINE -103 +157 +110 +103 +109 OFF

UNDERDOG at ST. LOUIS Colorado at SAN DIEGO Pittsburgh Chicago Cubs N.Y Mets

LINE +130 +153 +100 OFF OFF +133

UNDERDOG at SAN FRAN Cincinnati Kansas City

LINE +161 +122 +192

Pro football NFL Glance Thursday’s games

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’s games

Denver at Atlanta, 6 p.m.

Miami at Washington, 6 p.m.

Tampa Bay at N.Y. Jets, 6 p.m.

Saturday’s games

Carolina at Buffalo, noon Cleveland at Chicago, noon

Houston 6, San Francisco 3, 10 innings L.A. Dodgers 6, Kansas City 5 Texas 4, L.A. Angels 1, 10 innings Tampa Bay at Athletics, 8:40 p.m.

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.

WNBA Glance Atlanta Indiana Washington New York Chicago Toronto Connecticut

W 20 20 19 20 12 10 8

L 12 12 12 13 21 22 23

Pct GB .625 — .625 — .613 ½ .606 ½ .364 8½ .313 10 .258 11½

x-Minnesota Golden State Las Vegas Dallas Portland Los Angeles Phoenix Seattle

W 27 23 22 19 13 12 12 7

L 7 9 11 14 19 19 22 28

Pct GB .794 — .719 3 .667 4½ .576 7½ .406 13 .387 13½ .353 15 .200 20½

WESTERN CONFERENCE

x-clinched playoff spot Monday’s Games Atlanta 107, Toronto 95 Seattle 97, Chicago 88

New York at Indiana, n Phoenix at Los Angeles, n Washington at Las Vegas, n Toronto at Dallas, 7 p.m.

Chicago at Golden State, 9 p.m.

Minnesota at Portland, 9 p.m.

Major League Baseball American League Tampa Bay New York Boston Baltimore Toronto

W 72 66 64 57 57

L 46 52 54 62 63

Pct GB .610 — .559 6 .542 8 .479 15½ .475 16

Chicago Minnesota Detroit Cleveland Kansas City

W 61 59 58 58 49

L 56 61 60 61 71

Pct GB .521 — .492 3½ .492 3½ .487 4 .408 13½

Houston Texas Seattle Athletics Los Angeles

W 61 60 56 47 45

L 59 59 63 72 74

Pct GB .508 — .504 ½ .471 4½ .395 13½ .378 15½

West Division

Monday’s Games

Toronto 2, Boston 1 Minnesota 9, Baltimore 5

Wednesday’s Games

Baltimore (Baz 4-11) at Minnesota (Matthews 5-8), 12:40 p.m.

Tampa Bay (Rasmussen 11-5) at Athletics (Perkins 2-8), 2:05 p.m.

Houston (Blanco 0-1) at San Francisco (TBD), 2:45 p.m.

Cleveland (Griffin 12-4) at Detroit (Valdez 7-7), 5:40 p.m.

Seattle (Miller 4-6) at N.Y. Yankees (Warren 8-6), 6:05 p.m.

Boston (Suarez 4-3) at Toronto (Soriano 9-6), 6:07 p.m.

Cincinnati (Lowder 4-7) at Chicago White Sox (Castillo 3-9), 6:40 p.m.

Kansas City (Lynch 4-3) at L.A. Dodgers (Lauer 6-6), 9:10 p.m.

Texas (Eovaldi 10-9) at L.A. Angels (Klassen 0-1), 9:10 p.m.

East Division

Wednesday’s Games

Central Division

Cleveland at Detroit, n Seattle at N.Y. Yankees, n Boston at Toronto, n Baltimore at Minnesota, n Cincinnati at Chicago White Sox, n Texas at L.A. Angels, n Tampa Bay at Athletics, n Houston at San Francisco, n Kansas City at L.A. Dodgers, n

National League

Tuesday’s Games

East Division

Wednesday’s Games

Tuesday’s Games

Pro basketball EASTERN CONFERENCE

Houston at San Francisco, n Kansas City at L.A. Dodgers, n

Atlanta Philadelphia Miami Washington New York

W 71 64 60 59 53

L 48 56 59 61 67

Pct GB .597 — .533 7½ .504 11 .492 12½ .442 18½

Milwaukee Chicago St. Louis Pittsburgh Cincinnati

W 74 69 59 58 56

L 45 50 60 62 61

Pct GB .622 — .580 5 .496 15 .483 16½ .479 17

Los Angeles Arizona San Diego San Francisco Colorado

W 71 64 63 49 46

L 48 56 57 70 73

Pct .597 .533 .525 .412 .387

Central Division

West Division

Monday’s Games

N.Y. Mets 8, Atlanta 5 Philadelphia 6, St. Louis 5 San Diego 3, Milwaukee 2 Arizona 9, Colorado 0 Houston 6, San Francisco 3, 10 innings L.A. Dodgers 6, Kansas City 5

Tuesday’s Games

Pittsburgh at Miami, n Chicago Cubs at Washington, n N.Y. Mets at Atlanta, n Cincinnati at Chicago White Sox, n Philadelphia at St. Louis, n Colorado at Arizona, n Milwaukee at San Diego, n

GB — 7½ 8½ 22 25

Philadelphia (Wheeler 10-3) at St. Louis (Leahy 8-4), 1:15 p.m.

Colorado (Feltner 4-6) at Arizona (Kelly 8-9), 2:40 p.m.

Houston (Blanco 0-1) at San Francisco (TBD), 2:45 p.m.

Milwaukee (May 6-7) at San Diego (Ray 107), 3:10 p.m.

Pittsburgh (TBD) at Miami (Junk 5-7), 5:40 p.m.

Chicago Cubs (Peterson 6-7) at Washington (TBD), 5:45 p.m.

N.Y. Mets (Thornton 3-2) at Atlanta (Mahle 3-9), 6:15 p.m.

Cincinnati (Lowder 4-7) at Chicago White Sox (Castillo 3-9), 6:40 p.m.

Kansas City (Lynch 4-3) at L.A. Dodgers (Lauer 6-6), 9:10 p.m.

Golf LPGA Tour Statistics Through Aug. 10

Scoring 1, Nelly Korda, 69.18. 2, Haeran Ryu, 69.51. 3, Hyo Joo Kim, 70.16. 4, Jeeno Thitikul, 70.18. 5, Miyu Yamashita, 70.29. 6, Lydia Ko, 70.36. 7, Ruoning Yin, 70.63. 8, Ina Yoon, 70.73. 9, Sei Young Kim, 70.74. 10, Hannah Green, 70.76.

Driving Distance 1, Riley Smyth, 288.74. 2, Julia Lopez Ramirez, 288.55. 3, Auston Kim, 280.58. 4, Polly Mack, 279.46. 5, Suvichaya Vinjichaitham, 278.26.

6, Ina Yoon, 277.93. 7, Laney Frye, 277.63.

8, Nanna Koerstz Madsen, 276.33. 9, Helen Briem, 276.18. 10, Bailey Tardy, 274.47.

Greens in Regulation 1, Haeran Ryu, .80%. 2, Jeeno Thitikul, .75%.

3, Isabello Fierro, .74%. 4 (tie), Dongeun Lee and Lottie Woad, .73%. 6, 5 tied with .72%.

Putts per GIR 1, Hyo Joo Kim, 1.71. 2 (tie), Minami Katsu and Angel Yin, 1.73. 4 (tie), Nelly Korda and Mi Hyang Lee, 1.74. 6, Gaby Lopez, 1.75. 7, 6 tied with 1.76.

Birdies 1, Aki Iwai, 249. 2, Lottie Woad, 225. 3, Miyu Yamashita, 219. 4 (tie), Minami Katsu and Haeran Ryu, 213. 6, Ina Yoon, 207. 7, Jin Hee Im, 205. 8, Jeeno Thitikul, 202. 9, 2 tied with 200.

Eagles 1, Brooke M. Henderson, 14. 2, Nelly Korda, 9. 3 (tie), Hye-Jin Choi, Minji Kang, Sei Young Kim and Ryann O’Toole, 8. 7, 6 tied with 7.

Sand Save Percentage 1, Pornanong Phatlum, .61%. 2 (tie), Peiyun Chien, Jin Hee Im and Nelly Korda, .59%. 5, Minjee Lee, .58%. 6 (tie), Minami Katsu and Patty Tavatanakit, .57%. 8, 3 tied with .56%.

Rounds Under Par 1, Miyu Yamashita, .59%. 2, Aki Iwai, .55%.

3, Nelly Korda, .76%. 4, Haeran Ryu, .69%. 5, Lottie Woad, .56%. 6, Jeeno Thitikul, .59%. 7, Minami Katsu, .56%. 8, Jin Hee Im, .53%. 9, Cassie Porter, .59%. 10, Ina Yoon, .58%. 11, Rio Takeda, .55%.

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

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

Western Conference

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 23 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 10 6 2 32 27 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 City4 12 2 14 18 46 NOTE: Three points for victory, one point for tie.

Saturday’s games

New York at Atlanta, 6:30 p.m.

Columbus at Charlotte FC, 6:30 p.m.

D.C. United at CF Montréal, 6:30 p.m.

Cincinnati at Orlando City, 6:30 p.m.

New England at Toronto FC, 6:30 p.m.

LA Galaxy at Houston, 7:30 p.m.

Miami at Nashville, 7:30 p.m.

Sporting Kansas City at Colorado, 8:30 p.m.

Minnesota at Real Salt Lake, 8:30 p.m.

San Diego FC at Los Angeles FC, 9:30 p.m.

St Louis City at San Jose, 9:30 p.m.

Sunday’s games

Portland at Chicago, 5 p.m.

Philadelphia at New York City FC, 5 p.m.

FC Dallas at Austin FC, 7:30 p.m.

Vancouver at Seattle, 9:30 p.m.

Transactions Major League Baseball

American League KANSAS CITY ROYALS — Sent 1B Vinnie Pasquantino on a rehab assignment to Omaha (IL).

SEATTLE MARINERS — Reinstated LHP Gabe Speier. Sent RHP Carlos Vargas on a rehab assignment to Tacoma (PCL).

TAMPA BAY RAYS — Agreed to terms with RHP Jake Woodford on a minor league contract. Sent LHP Shane McClanahan on a rehab assignment to Durham (IL).

4C ● Wednesday,August 12, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

DQ rule for first targeting penalty changed SCHEDULE

Continued from page 1C

BY ERIC OLSEN

AP college football writer Targeting penalties assessed in the second half of a game will no longer require the offending player to sit out the first half of his team’s next game, offensive pass interference will become a 10-yard penalty and the little-used fair catch kick will be introduced to college football.

Those are among the changes for the 2026 season, the National Football Foundation announced Tuesday in its annual summary of rules changes.

The targeting penalty change will be an experimental rule for 2026. A player disqualified for targeting for the first time in the season may participate in the following game. The trial rule will apply regardless of which half the targeting penalty is called.

A player who draws his second targeting penalty of the season will be required to miss the first half of the next game. A player who draws his third targeting of the season must sit out the full following game.

A conference can choose to initiate an appeals process after a player’s second targeting penalty. The appeal would be sent to the NCAA national coordinator of football officials for a video review. If the appeal is successful, the player would not be forced to sit out the first half of the following game.

Offensive PI now 10 yards The penalty for offensive pass interference is being adjusted from 15 yards to 10 yards. The rules reserve 15-yard penalties primarily for personal fouls and unsportsmanlike conduct. Defensive pass interference

COLLEGE FOOTBALL Unsportsmanlike conduct

will remain a spot foul, with a maximum of a 15-yard penalty.

Fair catch kick In a change to align Division I rules with those in the NFL and high school, a team could choose to attempt a fair catch kick after a completed or awarded fair catch. The kick would be a place kick with a holder or a drop kick from the spot where the returner caught the ball. The defense would be at least 10 yards from the spot of the kick.

If the ensuing kick goes through the uprights, it would be worth three points.

The rarely used play last came up in the NFL in 2024 when the Los Angeles Chargers’ Cameron Dicker converted from 57 yards against the Denver Broncos.

challenge can be made only if the team has a timeout reAn automatic unsports- maining and available; if the manlike conduct penalty challenge is successful, the will be called if a player team’s timeout will not be initiates any of these five ac- charged. tions or gestures: any act of simulating the brandishing Other changes of a weapon; slashing of the Coach-to-player comthroat or a nose wipe signal; munications through the removing helmet after the helmet is now permissible ball is dead (with exceptions for all NCAA divisions. ... for timeouts and equipment Helmet attachments (e.g., adjustments); dead-ball con- Guardian Cap, SAFR Heltact fouls, such as pushing, met Cover) that enhance shoving, striking, etc., that player safety are allowed. occur clearly after the ball All helmets, with or without is dead and that are not part the attachment, must be of of the game action; using the same color and design. forcible contact to push or ... Up to two sponsor patches pull an opponent off the pile are allowed on the jersey, after the ball is dead. with conference approval.

A third patch is allowed in Two replay challenges conference championship The head coach will now or postseason games. Logos have two replay challenges may not exceed 4 square per game. If a coach wins inches. One commercial at least one of their first logo, not to exceed 4 square two challenges, they are inches, is permitted on the awarded a third challenge. A helmet.

Belmont (Nov. 23).

After LSU faces the Wolfpack, it will play four of its last six nonconference games away from home.

That stretch begins with the Tigers’ ACC/SEC Challenge matchup against the Tar Heels, which is set to tip off on Dec. 2 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. LSU will then face Northwestern State in Natchitoches on Dec. 6; Houston on Dec. 13; Stonehill at home on Dec. 15; UConn in Nashville, Tennessee, on Dec. 20; and Alcorn State at home on Dec. 27.

LSU begins SEC play with a Dec. 31 road game against Auburn — the only league rival that appears twice on the Tigers’ schedule this season.

LSU will play Texas at home on Feb. 11 and South Carolina on the road on Feb. 21 in what looks like the toughest stretch of the slate: Six of the eight teams on the docket in February finished in the top half of the league last season.

Before the Tigers open Year 6 of the coach Kim Mulkey era on Nov. 2 against Southeastern, they’ll play their two customary exhibition games in the PMAC, this year against UNT Dallas (Oct. 22) and Loyola-New Orleans (Oct. 29).

LSU is hoping to make its first trip back to the Final Four since it won the 2023 national title. The Tigers have advanced to at least the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament in four straight seasons. Last year, they reached the Sweet 16 and lost to Duke on a buzzerbeating 3-pointer.

Email Reed Darcey at reed.darcey@theadvocate. com. For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate. com/lsunewsletter

LSU SCHEDULE

STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRAd KEMP

UL wide receiver Trenton Chaney looks for an opening during the spring game on April 25 at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium. Chaney and fellow wide receiver Landon Strother have been limited in practice with shoulder injuries.

CATCHING

Continued from page 1C With the injuries concentrated at wide receiver and linebacker, what do the depth charts look like in those positions?

All signs point to the linebacker being ahead of the receivers rooms. Senior Jake St. Andre and sophomore Conor McPherson have emerged as the two projected starters inside at

PRICE

Continued from page 1C such as a play in practice Sunday when he came on a slot blitz and timed his jump perfectly to bat down a quick Spencer Rattler pass at the line of scrimmage.

“J.P. is playing really well right now,” veteran safety Terrell Burgess said. “As far as one-on-ones and team periods, he’s doing just

KIFFIN

Continued from page 1C 30-minute interview.

He reiterated he doesn’t believe his exit for LSU means he didn’t appreciate Ole Miss. Kiffin said he needed Ole Miss, and a sixyear run that significantly rehabbed his coaching reputation, more than Ole Miss needed him.

He again said that his two coaching mentors, Nick Saban and Pete Carroll, told him to take the LSU job.

He understands the expectations in Baton Rouge are sky high, and the Ole Miss fan base seems to have more of a tolerance for periodic down years.

But the latter didn’t appeal to him.

“Here (at Ole Miss) you can go 7-5, have 7-5 seasons,

linebacker and the outside group is well stocked without Jones with Ashley Williams, Tito Chikere, Na’Tori Brown and AJ Spencer.

Desormeaux also spoke highly about freshman linebacker Harrison Kidder of Catholic High of Baton Rouge on Tuesday.

The update isn’t as encouraging at wide receiver, however.

Sampson is the clear-cut No. 1 receiver on the team.

Strother is in a battle for a starting role as well.

Meanwhile, Desormeaux said “a couple of those guys that you’d want to step up and respond, they’re not practicing great.”

Desormeaux said redshirt freshman Russell Babineaux, junior KeDarius Wade and freshman Kristion Brooks have stood out at receiver.

“The thing I’ve told them since January is I don’t care if you’ve been here — if you got here in June or you’ve been here for six years,” Desormeaux said. “We’re

going to play the ones that are going (up).”

An injured receivers room doesn’t help the maturation of junior quarterback Lunch Winfield, but Desormeaux also pointed out the progress made by the tight ends.

Expected starting tight ends Kaden Jensen and Brock Chappell have performed as expected, but some reserves have displayed progress in camp.

“It’s really good to see Emiliano (Soldevilla) and

Teddy Gawlik stepping up a little bit,” Desormeaux said.

“I was honest with them in the spring. I didn’t think we played good enough behind Caden and Brock in the spring. I have to have a third and fourth guy ready to go.

“Also, (redshirt freshman) Quandre Coates has played really well, so we’re spreading it around a little bit.”

about everything he can.

He probably has the most (interceptions and passes broken up) out of (all the defensive backs). I’m excited to see how he plays in the preseason.”

Rookie receiver Bryce Lance was familiar with what Price could do; the two were teammates for three seasons at North Dakota State. But the player he’s encountered in this training camp is one that is more technically proficient than the Price he re-

membered in college.

Last week, Lance was running a vertical route with Price in coverage during one-on-ones. The 6-3 Lance has a decided height advantage, and his 4.34-speed makes him a difficult matchup for anyone. Lance initially got a step on Price, but Price closed the gap late to make a play on the ball.

“He was really good in college, but I think his patience and his playmaking ability (has improved),”

Lance said. “He was a playmaker in college as well, but seeing the knowledge of his game grow, how he moves his feet and how he makes plays on the ball has been really cool to see.”

While most of Price’s playing time has come in the slot, Moore said he will get some looks as an outside cornerback. Price has also been rotating in with the punt and kick return groups, an area where he excelled at North Dakota

State and in the UFL. Price said his goal has been to come out in this training camp and “play fast and confident.” Ten practices in, it seems he’s doing just that — and making a larger case for himself in the process.

“If you go out there timid, you’re not going to be able to play free,” Burgess said.

“He’s got a lot of confidence in himself and he’s going out there and doing exactly what we think he can do.”

you’re good. They won’t even complain in offseason,” Kiffin said. “For a lot of people, that’s fine. That’s a big plus on their list …

That didn’t do anything for me because, if I’m 7-5, I’m miserable.

“I don’t care where I am, I don’t care if the fans are mad or not. I’m miserable myself.”

LSU matches Kiffin’s energy in that way.

“The expectation level, as we all know at LSU, is as high as anywhere in any sport of any program. It’s uncomfortable for a lot of people. I like that,” Kiffin said.

“There’s never a minute, a second in the day that I’m at LSU, that I don’t feel the power of LSU,” he added, “that I don’t feel the magnitude of LSU.” The decision to leave Ole Miss for LSU was one thing.

How he left was another.

As naive as it may sound, Kiffin thought he could coach the postseason at Ole Miss because, when he was an assistant at Alabama in 2015, then-defensive coordinator Kirby Smart remained on staff after taking the Georgia head job and helped the Crimson Tide win a national title. Georgia and Alabama were also SEC rivals.

Smart, however, wasn’t leaving one head job for another.

“My thought was that gave the players the best chance to win because all the coaches are there.

There’s no change from top down, from strength coaches to position coaches to head coach,” Kiffin said.

“Everything’s the same on a team that’s 11-1 and one of the hottest teams in the country.”

Kiffin said he was “fight-

ing” his “(butt) off” to stay and coach Ole Miss in the postseason.

In hindsight, he should have accepted Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter’s stance that the newly hired LSU coach can’t lead the Rebels in the postseason.

“All that stuff just muddied it up more,” Kiffin said.

“Then at that point, (Ole Miss) didn’t let me have the team meeting (before leaving), which is understandable.”

There is no going back.

Kiffin can’t erase the tumult that led to boos at the Oxford airport, or find peace ahead of a Week 3 return to Ole Miss as LSU’s head coach.

Kiffin told McGee he was just beginning to be more loved than hated toward the end of his Ole Miss tenure, but the balance has probably shifted toward hate.

He compared it to wrestler Hulk Hogan, who alternated between hero and heel multiple times in his career.

Hogan, who died about a year after Kiffin’s father Monte, offered the coach a lesson on the finality of life.

He had to make decisions that would make him happy in the end.

As his SEC Network interview wrapped, Kiffin was asked to provide a book title for this stage in his coaching career. He billed his transition to LSU as “The Moment.”

“Because this moment, this decision, is going to be a huge part of the story and how all the rest of it is remembered,” Kiffin said.

“Because really what will solve a lot of it, or what will write a lot of it — winning.”

Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@theadvocate.com.

Email Jon Blau at jon. blau@theadvocate.com

October 22 UNT dallas (exhibition)TBA 29 Loyola-N.O (exhibition) TBA November 2 Southeastern La. TBA 5 Texas Southern TBA 10 McNeese State TBA 13 denver TBA 16 Troy TBA 19 Fairleigh dickinson TBA 23 Belmont TBA 27 Villanova * 3:30 p.m.

28 NC State * 3:30 p.m.

December 2 at North Carolina TBA 6 at Northwestern State TBA 13 vs. Houston & TBA 15 Stonehill TBA 20 UConn ^ TBA 27 Alcorn State TBA 31 at Auburn TBA January 3 Vanderbilt TBA 7 Texas A&M TBA 10 at Florida TBA 14 Mississippi State TBA 17 at Arkansas TBA 21 at Alabama TBA 28 Auburn TBA February 1 Ole Miss TBA 4 at Kentucky TBA 7 at Missouri TBA 11 Texas TBA 14 Georgia TBA 21 at South Carolina TBA 25 at Tennessee TBA 28 Oklahoma TBA March 3-7 SEC Tournament # March 17-April 4 NCAA Tournament @ * Suncoast Credit Union Arena, Fort Myers, Fla.) & Toyota Center, Houston ^ Nashville,Tenn. (Bridgestone Arena) # Greenville, S.C. (Bon Secours Wellness Arena) @ Campus sites TBd

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ST. FRANCISVILLE

New Basel’s Market gets visit from N.O. designers

BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer

The designers of Tyler + Tate, an antiques and home decor store in New Orleans, paid a visit to the new Basel’s Market in St. Francisville for its grand opening. They posted a walkthrough video on TikTok and Instagram with their impressions.

Basel’s Market, owned by Kalyn Anderson, opened its new location on July 31. The new market is in a historical home that Anderson and her husband renovated on 11892 Ferdinand St. The 100-year-old building was originally a Sears & Roebuck kit house.

Restoring it came with many regulations and requirements.

“This house was like another newborn child,” Anderson, a mom of three, said. “Redoing this house was a labor of love.”

The market was formerly a food truck and a small cafe in Baton Rouge on Highland Road. They moved to St. Francisville in 2024 on 5951 Commerce St. Since she opened the new market, Anderson said it’s been truly “like a revolving door” with people coming in “all day every day.”

“We are blessed,” Anderson said. “It has been unbelievable.”

The new Basel’s Market is located right near other shops and restaurants in St. Francisville’s charming shopping district.

STAFF PHOTO By JOANNA BROWN

Lynette degeytaire makes the famous weekly cabbage roll plate at M&S Grocery in Lafayette, which she operates with her husband, Ryan degeytaire.

THE STUFF OF LEGEND

Tracking down Louisiana’s love of cabbage rolls at an old-school Lafayette grocery

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

If you go online looking for a cabbage roll recipe, you’ll need to specify which part of the world you’re aiming for — Greek, central European, Turkish or Louisiana?

Cabbage comes pretty close to being a global cuisine, with smothered cabbage, rolled cabbage, sauerkraut, dolma, kimchi and other derivatives playing a central role in food cultures across the world.

In Louisiana, the humble cabbage has appeared in Cajun and Creole cooking for generations. It’s part of the traditional New Year’s dinner; and an easy, flavorful and healthy dish for a weekday meal, any time of the year.

M&S Grocery in north Lafayette makes cabbage roll plates each Wednesday, and they sell out fast, according to owner and cook Lynette Degeytaire.

“Everyone always says, ‘It’s like my grandmother’s,’” she said.

“My grandfather, who was from Henderson, just recently passed.

PROVIdEd PHOTO

Owner Kalyn Anderson recently opened a new location of Basel’s Market in St. Francisville.

Regulars to new friends Anderson met Ryan Tyler Dunagan and Grant Tate, the owners and designers of Tyler + Tate at 4537 Magazine St., through Basel’s Market. The two designers have become regulars at Basel’s in St. Francisville, and Anderson said they’ve become friends.

In the TikTok video, Tate leads the tour and explains his favorite parts of the new market.

Tate said that the Andersons did a fantastic job on the renovation of the house, noting that it looks nothing like it did previously. The market has fresh flowers, Calvin’s chicken salad, Kalyn’s pimento cheese and a menu of sandwiches.

“When you’re in there, you don’t want to leave. It is beautiful around every corner,” Tate said in the video.

He called Basel’s Market a “must visit” in St. Francisville.

Anderson is planning a reciprocal visit to the Tyler + Tate store in New Orleans.

THE BEST THINGS WE ATE THIS WEEK

Beat the summer heat with fresh options Charbroiled oysters from drago’s Seafood Restaurant

Basel’s Market is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Email Joy Holden at joy. holden@theadvocate.com.

taire’s parents, Sandra and Millard Degeytaire, opened M&S Grocery in 1973 at 2720 Louisiana Ave., Lafayette. Sandra Degeytaire’s parents also started Comeaux’s Grocery near the then-University of Southwestern Louisiana in the 1960s, which became famous for being at the forefront of high-quality, commercially produced boudin in Acadiana.

M&S Grocery is known for its boudin, cabbage rolls, chili, hot dogs and classic south Louisiana groceries and plate lunches — all of which provide the kind of nostalPROVIdEd PHOTO gic flavors that are getting harder Lynette degeytaire preps cabbage to find outside of neighborhood gems. rolls at M&S Grocery.

Cabbage rolls are a multi-step He was 93, and these are the kind process, but they aren’t complicatof things that he made. My mom ed. The basic idea is to roll boiled was a Patin, and my dad was a cabbage leaves with a mixture of Thibodeaux, and they all made ground meat, rice and seasoning, stuff like that. It’s a huge seller and let them soak and cook in a here.” tomato juice mixture (Degeytaire Degeytaire has kept the store’s likes to use V8 in her recipe for the recipes pretty close to the originals flavor). It’s a simple idea that’s been of the past 52 years, as created by ä See CABBAGE, page 6C her husband’s family. Ryan Degey-

STAFF PHOTO By MAddIE SCOTT

Staff report

Oysters and salad

n Drago’s Seafood Restaurant,

10111 Perkins Rowe, Building C, Suite 100, Baton Rouge

My friend and I decided to have a girls’ night out at Perkins Rowe, and if you ask me, one of the greatest appetizers takes shape as charbroiled oysters.

I also ordered the crabmeat Mediterranean salad, which came with romaine lettuce, vin-

aigrette, jumbo lump crabmeat and Italian cheese-style dressing.

What a delightful meal this was. Not only are the Drago’s charbroiled oysters phenomenal, but the dish comes with toasted bread slices to soak up the extra butter sauce. The salad afterward was the perfect, light bite to conclude the meal. I enjoyed the dressing in particular — creamy, flavorful and just

ä See BEST, page 6C

6C ● Wednesday,August 12, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

Again: Why, exactly, Protecting the ears are you two friends? ruthlessly — and rudely — Dear Miss Manners: A friend taking advantage of your is wearing me out. She and I belong to the same church good nature.

You could say, “I’m sorry and social circles, and are close to the same age. When if this will inconvenience you, but I am no she couldn’t drive longer willing to do herself to church 100% of the drivand other events due to health problems, I ing.” Miss Manners took her with me. does not consider I soon found out this rude so much as that she seldom has ill-advised.

Judith a positive word to Your friend’s past Martin demands that you say about anyone or MISS anything. She starts explain yourself MANNERS complaining the when you would minute she gets in not play chauffeur the car. She can now drive are telling. She justifies again, but refuses to take her behavior with a selfturns with me. She also serving appeal to logic: You refuses to chip in for gas were going anyway. Your because I’m “going there hard truth is less likely to anyway.” change her mind than to I take her with me two to start an argument about four times a week, somethe wastefulness of taking two cars. Or your statetimes as far as 50 miles round-trip. If I’m not going, ment might change her she wants a “good reason mind, and you will have to for it.” If I don’t bring her, listen to her complaints for other people ask me why another five years — only she didn’t come. I have with her at the wheel half done this for five years now, the time. Neither of these and frankly, she’s wearing seem like desirable outon my last nerve. Any sugcomes.

Assuming you don’t plan gestions on how to politely to put up with her impossolve this problem?

Gentle reader: There are ing on you for future rides, two widely held beliefs and that you do not plan to that Miss Manners would flee the country, you must like to dispel: first, that one find yourself unavailable to cannot avoid being taken drive her on more and more advantage of without being days. Your reasons may be rude; second, that the best that you will be arriving solution to your problem is from somewhere else, or to tell your friend the truth. won’t be driving back home In your case, the truth is directly, or are not sure you that this friend has been are going and therefore

need her to make other arrangements this time.

Eventually, she will get tired of asking and find another victim.

Dear Miss Manners: I have two friends, well into their 50s, who invite me to their birthday parties every year — at expensive restaurants, with a dozen guests.

The invited guests are expected to pay their own way, as well as pay for the birthday honoree. The honorees also expect presents.

I find this a bit extravagant at our age. Of course I’ll pay for the birthday person, but I find it tacky to celebrate oneself at others’ expense.

Also, splitting the bill at the end of the evening is excruciating. How can I gracefully turn down these invitations?

Gentle reader: An invitation is not a summons. Miss Manners assures you that you are free to decline, as long as you express such disappointment that they cannot reasonably believe you would not attend if you could.

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.

Dear Heloise: As I’ve gotten our ears. The damage may not show up right away, older, I’ve become more but it’ll show up in concerned about time. — Heloise preserving my hearing. The only Unused dinnerware loud noise in my life is my blow dryer, so Dear Heloise: I have a when I need to use question that many it, I pop in a couple of your readers may of foam earplugs to Hints from have an interest in: Heloise What can I do with a help block out the noise. — Jeannette B., in full set of china dinNewbury Park, California nerware? It’s not an antique Jeannette, you’re smart set (circa 1970), but it’s in to use earplugs to protect excellent condition as it’s your hearing. Many of us only been used very few are damaging our ears times. No pieces have been with loud noises at work or broken. I have no interest at concerts or by wearing in making money on this various devices in or on but would like to rehome it.

Any guidance you can give me will be appreciated. — Deb B., in The Villages, Florida Deb, have you tried Habitat for Humanity or perhaps offering it to a church for a family who needs items for their home? You might call a fire station and see if they can recommend anyone who has lost their home and needs items like dinnerware. Readers, do any of you have a good suggestion for rarely used china sets?

Let us know at Heloise@ Heloise.com. — Heloise Send a hint to heloise@ heloise.com.

TODAY IN HISTORY

By The Associated Press

blew up over England.

In 1981, IBM introduced Today is Wednesday, its first personal computer, Aug. 12, the 224th day of the model 5150, at a news 2026. There are 141 days conference in New York. left in the year.

In 1985, the world’s worst Today in history: single-aircraft disaster ocOn Aug. 12, 2017, a driver curred as a crippled Japan sped into a crowd of people Airlines Boeing 747 on a peacefully protesting a domestic flight crashed White nationalist rally in into a mountain, killing 520 the Virginia college town people. Four passengers of Charlottesville, killing survived.

32-year-old Heather Heyer In 1990, fossil collector and injuring more than a Sue Hendrickson found one dozen others. (The attackof the largest and best-preer, James Alex Fields, was served Tyrannosaurus Rex sentenced to life in prison skeletons ever discovered; on 29 federal hate crime nicknamed “Sue” after charges, and life plus 419 Hendrickson, the skeleton, years on state charges.) found in South Dakota, is Also on this date: now on display at Chicago’s In 1867, President AnField Museum.

In 2000, the Russian drew Johnson sparked a nuclear submarine Kursk move to impeach him as he defied Congress by sus- and its 118-man crew were lost during naval exercises pending Secretary of War in the Barents Sea. Edwin M. Stanton, with In 2013, James “Whitey” whom he had clashed over Bulger, the feared Boston Reconstruction policies.

(Johnson was acquitted by mob boss who became one of the nation’s most-wanted the Senate.) fugitives, was convicted in In 1944, during World War II, Joseph P. Kennedy a string of 11 killings and dozens of other gangland Jr., eldest son of Joseph crimes, many of them comand Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, was killed with his mitted while he was said co-pilot when their exploto be an FBI informant.

(Bulger was sentenced to sives-laden Navy plane

life; he was fatally beaten at a West Virginia prison in 2018, hours after being transferred from a facility in Florida.)

In 2022, Salman Rushdie, the author whose writing led to death threats from Iran in the 1980s, was attacked and stabbed in the neck by a man who rushed the stage as he was about to give a lecture in western New York.

Today’s birthdays: Investor and philanthropist George Soros is 96. Actor George Hamilton is 87. Singermusician Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits) is 77. Singer Kid Creole (Kid Creole and the Coconuts) is 76. Film director Chen Kaige is 74.

Jazz guitarist Pat Metheny is 72. Actor Bruce Greenwood is 70. Basketball Hall of Famer Lynette Woodard is 67. Rapper Sir Mix-A-Lot is 63. Actor Peter Krause is 61. Tennis Hall of Famer Pete Sampras is 55. Actorcomedian Michael Ian Black is 55. Actor Yvette Nicole Brown is 55. Actor Casey Affleck is 51.

Boxer Tyson Fury is 38.

Actor Lakeith Stanfield is 35. NBA All-Star Khris Middleton is 35.

STAFF PHOTO By JOANNA BROWN

Ham and cheese empanada from Empanada Guy in Lafayette

FIND OUT WHAT YOUR HOME

BEST

FINF OUT WHAT

YOURIS WORTH HOME

Continued from page 5C the right amount.

When we left the restaurant, there was live music playing in the Perkins Rowe Square, and the small-town atmosphere made me feel like I was in a scene of “Gilmore Girls.” This was a great night out and certainly an experience I’ll have to go back for.

— Maddie Scott, features reporter

Ham and cheese empanada

n Empanada Guy, 1500 Gen-

eral Mouton Ave., Lafayette

Lafayette is obsessed with empanadas — perfect little pockets of meats, cheeses, vegetables and other fresh flavors. Popular in Spain, Portugal and across South America, the empanada is an especially big deal in Argentina, where proprietor Luciano Escudero is from.

Empanada Guy is busy every day at lunch, and specialties that merge Argentinian and Cajun flavors are a hit — like their gumbo empanada, which is stuffed with chicken and sausage and comes with a side of au jus and potato salad. It’s hard to resist getting at least one ham and cheese

CABBAGE

Continued from page 5C replicated across the world, and likely came to Louisiana early via immigrants and rural cooking traditions.

For Degeytaire, the smell of cooking cabbage is a core childhood memory from her family’s kitchen in Carencro. “I never loved cabbage until I became an adult,” she said. “As a child, I thought it was a horrible smell.”

“Now, it just amazes me

IS WORTH STAFF PHOTO By LAUREN CHERAMIE

Smoked turkey and fig sandwich with a side of sweet potato fries from BRQ in Baton Rouge empanada on each trip, because it’s the perfect appetizer — two bites of crispy deliciousness, with melty cheese and salty bites of ham inside that remind me of an elevated Hot Pocket.

— Joanna Brown, staff writer

Smoked turkey and fig sandwich

n BRQ, 10423 Jefferson High-

way, Baton Rouge

I may have found my new favorite sandwich in Baton Rouge at BRQ. As a selfproclaimed sandwich connoisseur, this is big news.

The turkey and fig sandwich at BRQ starts with two perfectly crispy pieces of toast that are thick enough to hold a mammoth portion

how many people come, and how far they come, for cabbage rolls. When I do smothered cabbage, I try to make extra, because people will ask for double cabbage. It’s a big deal.”

It’s cabbage’s versatility that makes it such a popular staple in Cajun and Creole cooking, which rewards ingredients that get better with long cooking times and layered flavors. Try cabbage rolls the Louisiana way at these Lafayette shops, where hot and frozen cabbage rolls are sold throughout the week

of turkey, along with mixed greens, goat cheese and fig preserves. The result is a sandwich that’s sweet and salty, which is my favorite combination.

When going to BRQ, one knows that the meats are the star of the show on the menu, so this isn’t your regular deli turkey (though there’s nothing wrong with that). The turkey at BRQ is top-notch, both smoky and moist at the same time, which pairs well with the sweetness of the fig.

As a side, I ordered the sweet potato fries. Do you see a pattern here of sweet and salty? I can’t help it.

The meal was just what I needed. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

— Lauren Cheramie, deputy features editor

as plate lunches and takehome meals. Call ahead to confirm availability: 1. M&S Grocery, 2720 Louisiana Ave., Lafayette 2. Dwyer’s Cafe, 323 Jefferson St., Lafayette 3. Joey’s, 503 Bertrand Drive, Lafayette 4. Champagne’s Market, 454 Heymann Blvd., Lafayette 5. Burger Best, 302 Carmel Drive, Lafayette.

Email Joanna Brown at joanna.brown@ theadvocate.com.

Call Today for an Expert Valuation and Make Your Next Move

1-833-671-6635

CALL TODAY

THINKING

OF SELLING? A home evaluation is a great place to start

addresslafayettela.com DRE#01901536 This website is a marketing and information program that sends all inquiries to state-licensed real estate professionals.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Wednesday, August 12, 2026 ● 7C

lll

FrAnK And erneSt

roSebUdS

zItS

zodIAC LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Participate in something that motivates you. Bringing about change will attract attention and the people who can help you find the path to satisfaction and the confidence to continue to pursue your objective.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Take a moment for yourself. Refrain from letting anyone push you into making a premature decision. Align yourself with positive people and pastimes that bring out the best in you.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-oct. 23) Hit the ground running. You can accomplish plenty if you are willing to test your strength, endurance and energy levels. Refuse to let resentment ruin your day.

ScoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) It's in your best interest to slow down, observe and assimilate to what's happening around you. Blending in will give you a chance to explore possibilities.

SAGIttARIuS (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Assess your lifestyle and surroundings, and consider what makes you happy and comfortable. Home is the best place to start when you want to take responsibility for your peace of mind. cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Refrain from blaming others before you get the facts. Let things play out in real time, and make suggestions and decisions that are good for everyone, not just you.

AQuARIuS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Call on and enlist the help of those you trust to make positive contributions. Avoid hasty purchases or agreements that

lack continuity. Agree to and sign off on only what you feel will benefit you.

PIScES (Feb. 20-March 20) Walk away from disruptive situations. Put your time and effort into making personal changes that ease stress and give you room to rethink what's in your best interest.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Consider your options and put a foolproof plan in place before you act. Don't let anger motivate you when intelligence and the will to make your life better are the paths to positive results. tAuRuS (April 20-May 20) Take a moment to breathe, process and formulate a plan that is within your means. Refuse to let bravado take over when showing restraint and having a polished plan are necessary.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Keep moving.

Your ability to think and react fast will help you carve your way forward.

Making personal gains, updating your look and learning something new are all highlighted. cAncER (June 21-July 22) Channel your energy wisely. Situations will turn negative if you aren't careful with your words. Don't trust body language. Ask questions, and prepare to meet in the middle if you want to put situations behind you.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

For better or For WorSe WonderWord

peAnUtS

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: V EQuALS D

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon FAMILY CIrCUS

dooneSbUrY

8C ● Wednesday,August 12, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

CurTiS

Hi and LoiS

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Sudoku InstructIons: Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers.

The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

BaBY BLueS

BLondie

THe wiZard oF id

nea CroSSwordS

La TimeS CroSSword

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Wednesday,August 12, 2026 ● 9C

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B.C.

Bridge

By PHILLIP ALDER George Mikes was born in Hungary in 1912, but lived in Britain from 1946 until his death in 1987. About Britain, he said, “English humor resembles the Loch Ness Monster in that both are famous, but there is a strong suspicion that neither exists.”

I disagree with half of that — and it is only slightly relevant that I was born in England. True, the British sense of humor is dry, but have you not laughed at Britcoms on PBS? However, the key word is “both.” Here, both sides can make good plays.

South is in three no-trump. After West leads a fourth-highest spade five, what should happen?

South starts with seven top tricks: three spades, one heart, two diamonds and one club. He must get his extra tricks from dummy’s diamonds. And there is a natural reaction, after winning the first trick in hand, to play a diamond to dummy’s king and cash the diamond ace, planning on playing a third round. Here, though, when West discards a spade (not a heart!) on the second diamond, even with the heart finesse working, the contract can no longer be made.

The correct technique is to duck (lose) the first diamond trick. Then, if the defenders continue plugging away at spades, South can win in his hand and

garfield

Pearls Before swiNe

hagar the horriBle

play three rounds of diamonds to establish two winners in the dummy while the spade ace remains as an entry.

If West is allowed to hold the first diamond trick, he knows that the spade suit is hopeless. He should shift to his club king, under which East should signal with his jack. Then the contract fails. © 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 — HELMSMAn: HELMZ-men: The person steering.

Bizarro

marmaduKe

Average mark 25 words Time limit 35 minutes Can you find 34 or more words in HELMSMAN? yEStERDAy’S WoRD — BAtHER bare bate bath bathe bear beat berth beta brat breath abet

tare tear hare hate hater hear heart heat herb earth rate

rehab

loCKhorNs hidato Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

today’s thought “Be you therefore ready also: for the Son of man comes at an hour when you think not.” Luke 12:40

Jesus is coming back. It could be soon. — G.E. Dean

10C ● Wednesday,August 12, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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

DOW 53,791.85 -184.13 -0.34%

NASDAQ 26,445.45 -159.91 -0.60%

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Stocks edge further from their records

NEW YORK — U.S. stocks slipped a bit further from their records Tuesday, while oil prices kept swinging on uncertainty about when the war with Iran will allow crude to flow freely again.

The S&P 500 fell 0.3% for a second modest drop since setting its all-time high on Friday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 184 points, or 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 0.6%. The action was stronger in the oil market, where the price for a barrel of Brent crude briefly jumped above $90 in the morning before falling back below $87. It eventually settled at $88.91, up 1.4% from Monday. Such erratic moves have become typical since the United States and Israel attacked Iran in late February, which led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and kept much of the world’s oil pent up in the Middle East. Last month alone, Brent’s price veered between $72 and $102 per barrel.

655K Camrys recalled over display error CHICAGO — Toyota is recalling about 655,000 of its Camry vehicles globally, the automaker confirmed Tuesday, due to a display error that may deactivate safety indicators like turn signals and hazard lights during startup.

Most of the now-recalled cars were sold in the U.S. — where more than 508,000 model year 2025-2026 Camry Hybrids are affected.

According to documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, these vehicles are equipped with a 7-inch display combination meter that can become blank at startup. And beyond turn signals and hazard lights, certain warnings like seat belt reminders and “key left in ignition” buzzers may also not function as a result.

These display failures increase crash risks — both for drivers who may not be able to see telltale indicators and “the ability of other road users to recognize the driver’s intent to change direction or indicate a vehicle hazard,” the NHTSA warns.

Texas-based Toyota Motor North America — a subsidiary of the larger Japanese automaker — says it will notify all known owners of the affected Camrys to bring their vehicles into a certified dealer. To remedy the issue, those dealers will later provide a software update free of charge.

Vietnam’s VinSpace signs deal with SpaceX HANOI, Vietnam — Vietnamese aerospace company VinSpace said Tuesday it has signed a contract with SpaceX to send its first satellites into orbit aboard a SpaceX rideshare mission in 2027, as the Southeast Asian nation moves to develop its nascent space industry.

VinSpace will launch its satellites on a SpaceX Transporter rideshare mission run by Elon Musk’s company, which carries satellites from multiple customers on a single rocket to share launch costs, it said in a statement. The satellites, which VinSpace said it will develop and operate, will test the company’s technology in orbit and support future commercial applications.

VinSpace is part of Vietnam’s Vingroup conglomerate and was established in November 2025. The company said in April that it planned to develop and launch its first satellites in 2027. Founded by tycoon Pham Nhat Vuong, Vingroup is Vietnam’s largest privately owned company. It has a sprawling business empire that touches many aspects of daily life, from real estate and retail to healthcare, education and tourism.

It is going global as it invests heavily in high-tech industries such as electric vehicles, space, artificial intelligence and robotics, sectors central to Vietnam’s ambition to become Asia’s next tiger economy.

S&P 500 7,728.20 -24.91 -0.32%

EURO 1.1539 -0.0002 -0.02%

CRUDE OIL 83.20 1.07 1.30%

GOLD 4,383.00 21.20 0.49%

6-MO T-BILLS 3.96 -0.01 -0.25%

30-YR T-BONDS 5.25 -0.0 -0.06%

Oil supply disruptions expected through 2027 U.S. agency says Hormuz closure crimps shipments

BY MIA GINDIS and NATHAN RISSER Bloomberg News (TNS)

The U.S. now expects oil supply disruptions stemming from the U.S.-Iran war to reach about 600,000 barrels per day through the end of next year as the conflict continues to crimp shipments via the critical Strait of Hormuz.

Oil transported through the waterway averaged 4.9 million barrels per day in the second quarter

of this year, according to estimates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Short-Term Energy Outlook. That compares to an average of 21.6 million in the last quarter of 2025, before the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran.

The figures indicate that a brief intermission in fighting, when a so-called memorandum of understanding was signed, did little to blunt the impact of one of the worst disruptions to global energy markets in history. A deal between Iran and Oman to reopen the strait remains elusive, though officials indicate talks are progressing.

As the conflict extends into a sixth month, consumers around the world are once again facing the

prospect of higher fuel prices and inflation. The EIA hiked gasoline and diesel price forecasts for 2026 by 3.7% and 5.4% respectively and increased its 2027 forecast for retail gasoline prices by 6.5% from its estimates a month earlier.

The volume of oil moving through the Strait of Hormuz remains difficult to pin down in real time, as vessels going dark obscure shipping activity, leading to discrepancies in estimates among market participants. About 9 million barrels of oil a day exited the strait on average over the past week, according to Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

The agency also estimates that Middle East production shut-ins

Home sales fall 1.7% in July

eased to average about 5.5 million barrels a day in July, compared to 7.5 million barrels a day in June.

The volume of oil shut in is expected to swell again to 6.6 million barrels a day in the third quarter.

Multiple Middle Eastern countries have been forced to curtail output as limited access to global markets strains available storage capacity.

The report assumes that recent threats to vessels carrying Saudi Arabian crude through the Bab elMandeb Strait have not resulted in additional production shut-ins. If that assumption holds, the agency expects most production and trade flows to take until early 2027 to return to pre-war levels.

ASSOCIATEd PRESS FILE PHOTO

Existing home sales fell 1.7% last month from June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.06 million units, the National Association of Realtors said Tuesday.

Record prices, high mortgages stifle would-be buyers

BY MATT OTT

Associated Press WASHINGTON — Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes slowed again in July as record prices and the highest mortgage rates in a year prove to be an insurmountable hurdle for many prospective homebuyers.

Existing home sales fell 1.7% last month from June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.06 million units, the National Association of Realtors said Tuesday. That’s slightly above the 4.05 million pace economists were expecting, according to FactSet. July sales, however, were up 0.7% compared with last year.

Home prices continued to rise, hitting unprecedented levels for the month of July, NAR said. The U.S. median sales price increased 2% from a year earlier, to $434,100.

In June, the median sales price hit $442,800, an all-time high for any month on data going back to 1999, NAR said. Home prices have risen on an annual basis for 37 months in a row.

Last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported that the benchmark 30-year fixed

rate mortgage rate rose to 6.69%, its highest level in just over a year. It was the fifth consecutive week that the average rate rose, marking the latest strain for prospective homebuyers who are facing steep borrowing costs.

It is difficult to find good news about the U.S. housing market from the July report, said Carl Weinberg, chief economist at High Frequency Economics.

“No one who has a home already can afford to sell it,” said Weinberg. “People with ultralow COVID-era mortgages cannot afford to give them up. If no one is selling, no one can be buying, and inventories are low.”

Home sales have been mostly hovering close to a 4 million annual pace for about three years, far short of the historic norm that is closer to 5.2 million.

The U.S. housing market has been in a slump since 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes were essentially flat last year, stuck at a 30-year low.

Sales remain sluggish as mortgage rates have mostly trended higher in the months since the war between the U.S. and Iran

started. Expectations of higher inflation amid surging oil prices have pushed up the long-term bond yields that lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans, causing mortgage rates to climb.

Home inventory levels also remain well below historical norms.

There were 1.54 million unsold homes at the end of last month, down 1.9% from June and 0.6% less than July last year, NAR said.

That’s well short of the roughly 2 million homes for sale that was typical before the COVID-19 pandemic.

July’s month-end inventory translates to a 4.6-month supply at the current sales pace.

Traditionally, a 5- to 6-month supply is considered a balanced market between buyers and sellers.

Regionally, prices in the Northeast continue to rise faster than the rest of the country, jumping 5.2% year-over-year, driven by a shortage of inventory.

NAR said that 29% of sales were first-time homebuyers, down from 33% in June but up slightly from 28% in July 2025. Historically, first-time buyers make up closer to 40% of home sales.

Government fights trade judge’s order for tariff refunds to importers

BY MAE ANDERSON AP business writer

NEW YORK — Government lawyers said a Court of International Trade judge overstepped his authority by ordering the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol to issue refunds to all companies that paid tariffs that were deemed illegal in February, even those that didn’t file a lawsuit in trade court.

The government filed an appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in June and filed its opening brief on Monday.

In it, government lawyers point to a case that went before the Supreme Court in June 2025, over birthright citizenship. Part of the decision in

that case limited the use of universal injunctions, which apply a ruling to all people or companies affected, not just specific litigants.

Judge Richard Eaton, who is overseeing the tariff lawsuits in the Court of International Trade, has said the limits on universal injunctions don’t apply in this case, but the government disagrees.

“The CIT’s universal injunctions, requiring the government to refund IEEPA duties for all importers (including non-party importers), cannot possibly be squared with CASA,” — the court case that limited universal injunctions, the government wrote it its brief.

The majority of tariff refunds have already been paid out. CBP

has already processed and certified $100 billion in refunds. At issue are companies that paid tariffs that went through the customs process and entries were finalized.

There’s a Congressional rule that the CBP cannot reprocess tariffs for which the administrative refund process is no longer available. Those companies are free to file a lawsuit to get that money back, the government said.

“The Court of International Trade (CIT) has already entered hundreds of such orders in suits brought by importers seeking that relief, and importers who have not yet brought such suits are free to do so within the statute of limitations,” government lawyers wrote

in the brief.

Barry Appleton, a law professor and co-director of New York Law School’s Center for International Law, said it appears the government has the better legal argument, but businesses, especially smaller businesses, might suffer.

“The government took this money under a law the Supreme Court said never authorized (tariffs).

Getting it back should not turn on whether a business could afford to sue,” he said. “Refunding an unlawful tariff should not be a reward for litigating. ... You cannot really ask a small company to sue for money it does not know it is owed, on a deadline it has never heard of.”