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LSU scientists join federal ‘Genesis Mission’ Particle accelerator, nuclear reactor researchers collaborate in AI push

BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer

BACK TO CLASS

STAFF PHOTOS By LESLIE WESTBROOK

TOP: Librarian Katie Cordes instructs fourth graders on library procedures on Wednesday during the first week back to school at Charles M. Burke Elementary in Duson.

ABOVE: A second grade student listens to her teacher on Wednesday during the first week of school.

RIGHT: Principal Courtney Alleman walks a student down the hall on Wednesday at Charles M. Burke Elementary.

A colorless industrial building sits off Jefferson Highway in Baton Rouge, easy to miss.

Cars pass outside while, behind the nondescript walls, a vast network of wires, pipes and computer equipment hums lowly. In a massive ring overlooking and encircling the experiments taking place down below, electrons race just under the speed of light. They shoot out the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation.

The contraption is called a synchrotron, and it is helping discover how the universe works at the most essential level.

“We have light that comes from God, I call it,” LSU physics professor Phillip Sprunger said.

The light produced by this particle accelerator is used to study all manner of scientific “black boxes.” How to detect cancer earlier, how to extract critical materials from Sprunger U.S. soil — all those leaps in scientific discovery 10 years down the line can first be seen here at LSU’s Louisiana Light Source, Sprunger explained.

Now, Sprunger is thinking about how artificial intelligence can hasten and enhance those discoveries. Can it anticipate failures before they happen?

Can it devise ideas of its own to stabilize the electron orbit and maximize the amount of light that comes out?

Across the country, hundreds of scientists in laboratories and specialized research sites are asking similar questions about how to inject AI into their research. The federal government announced in July it had selected 278 projects and dedicated over $5 billion to the expansive Gen-

ä See SCIENCE, page 5A

State task force begins review of school-funding formula

Group has until Jan. 1 to revamp Louisiana’s nearly $4B allocation system

BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer

A high-stakes review of Louisiana’s system for allocating billions of dollars to public schools each year kicked off Thursday, launching a process that in just a

WEATHER HIGH 95 LOW 77 PAGE 10C

few months could produce a plan to overhaul the decades-old funding system.

The “top-to-bottom review” of the state’s school-funding system is being conducted by a 15-member task force, which held its first meeting Thursday at the State

recommend a “revised or replacement formula,” according to the resolution that established the Capitol in Baton Rouge. Estab- group. The deadline gives the lished by the state Legislature and group less than five months to recomposed largely of lawmakers, vamp a system that sends schools the group will analyze the for- about $4 billion annually and has mula that determines how much been in operation, with only slight state funding each public school changes, for more than 30 years.

“It’s an abbreviated timeline for receives.

By Jan. 1, the task force must the very large amount of work

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

that’s been placed before this task force,” said the group’s chair, Luke Morris, who is special counsel to Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, a driving force behind the funding review.

Morris, who is representing the Senate leader on the panel, opened the meeting by noting the

ä See FUNDING, page 5A

102Nd yEAR, NO. 45

2A ● Friday,August 14, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Judge dismisses Trump lawsuit against Harvard

WASHINGTON — A federal judge in Boston on Thursday dismissed a Trump administration lawsuit that accused Harvard University of turning a blind eye to harassment of Jewish students.

The decision from U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns said that President Donald Trump’s administration failed to prove an ongoing violation of federal civil rights laws. The judge said the lawsuit, filed in March, mostly focuses on incidents that took place in the 2023-24 academic year, with a few from March 2025.

The cases were “too isolated and episodic” to prove a persistent civil rights violation at the Ivy League campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the judge said.

“We disagree with the ruling and are assessing next steps,” said Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general for civil rights at the Department of Justice.

Harvard did not immediately provide a comment on the decision.

The lawsuit accused Harvard of failing to protect Jewish students during pro-Palestinian demonstrations that roiled the campus after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel. The Trump administration argued Harvard officials did nothing as Jewish students were “harassed, physically assaulted, stalked, and spat upon.”

The government’s case sought to recover billions of dollars in federal research grants awarded to Harvard since October 2023. Trump officials argued they had a right to recoup the money under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a federal law barring discrimination based on race or national origin.

Court order blocking silencer rules in effect A court order that struck down regulations on firearm suppressors and certain guns took effect Thursday after the U.S. Justice Department did not file an appeal before a seven-day deadline set by a federal judge in Texas.

The ruling allows people to purchase silencers, shortbarreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns and certain other firearms without registration, while also removing an extra layer of background checks.

The order benefits parties that brought the lawsuit, including some dealers based outside northern Texas, but it is not a national injunction. Advocates say there are similar challenges in federal courts in other states.

Separately, some states have their own prohibitions on silencers.

U.S. District Judge James Hendrix in Lubbock, Texas, said regulations in a 1930s-era law are unconstitutional. He said the rules must fall after the Republican-controlled Congress and President Donald Trump eliminated a $200 permit tax on the devices.

Hendrix said his Aug. 5 order would take effect in seven days unless the government appealed. There was no sign of a filing Wednesday in online entries at Hendrix’s court or the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Illegally shipped ivory discovered in Vietnam HANOI — Authorities in Vietnam have announced a major seizure of ivory they say was illegally shipped from Africa, Vietnamese media reported Thursday.

The haul of 221 pieces of elephant ivory weighing 2,630 pounds was announced and displayed to the media on Wednesday at Quy Nhon port in the central province of Gia Lai, said reports by the Vietnam News Agency and other news outlets.

Thursday’s reports said inspections last week discovered the ivory hidden in sawn timber that was in a shipment of three containers that arrived on July 9.

The illegal cargo also contained 175 pounds of animal bones that the reports said came from animals in the category of big cats, such as tigers. Crushed animal bones are used in traditional Chinese medicine.

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New aircraft carrier heads to Mideast said were “completely misrep- that the Washington was in the led to shortages and loss of mail Reports emerge of day Strait of Malacca, which links the aboard the aircraft carrier, the resented.” deployments of carri- Pacific and Indian oceans and puts Navy said in a statement. mental health and ersExtended “Leadership prioritized missionduring the Iran conflict have the carrier on a course to head into concerns about the impact the Indian Ocean. The Wall Street critical supplies: first food, then supply issues aboard raised on service members who are away Journal reported earlier that the hygiene items, then mail,” the home for long periods as well Washington would replace the Lin- statement said, before assuring USS Abraham Lincoln from as the increasing strain on the ship coln as one of the two aircraft car- that sailors aboard the ship now

BY KONSTANTIN TOROPIN

and its equipment. While renewed hostilities between the U.S. and Iran have calmed in recent weeks, WASHINGTON — The Pacific-based the Navy has reimposed a blockaircraft carrier USS George Wash- ade on Iranian ports in the crucial ington has begun heading toward Strait of Hormuz, and the Trump the Middle East as reports have administration has offered no claremerged of mental health and ity on how it intends to wind down supply issues aboard the long-de- the war.

Hegseth told reporters that the ployed USS AbraU.S. can maintain the blockade “inCO ONFLICT ham Lincoln.

The Lincoln has definitely.”

IN THE T been supportMIIDDLE ing the U.S. war Presence in Pacific affected EAST AST against Iran, and The USS George Washington its deployment has left port in Da Nang, Vietnam, last included a record-setting uninter- week, a Navy statement said. The rupted time at sea of more than 240 carrier, along with a cruiser and a days. Several Democratic lawmak- destroyer, have since been spotted ers are pressing for accountability crossing the Singapore Strait.

A Navy official, who spoke on the from the Pentagon over conditions aboard the carrier, which Defense condition of anonymity to detail Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thurs- sensitive ship details, confirmed Associated Press

riers now stationed in the Middle East.

The move would leave the waters of the Pacific without a U.S. carrier presence for an unknown period of time. The Trump administration sees China, the dominant power in the region, as “a settled force” that only needs to be deterred from dominating the U.S. or its allies and not the top global adversary that it was under the Biden administration.

The Lincoln originally deployed Nov. 21 from San Diego, and it arrived in the Middle East in January, ahead of the launch of the Iran war on Feb. 28. The Navy conceded that the conflict created a “highly contested environment where traditional supply hubs in the Middle East were disrupted by combat actions.” That, in turn,

have access to clean water and “healthy meal options.”

Mental health concerns Reports have emerged that sailors on the Lincoln are struggling with mental health concerns. The Navy said in its statement that it has “not observed an increase in suicidal ideations or attempts aboard the ship,” but officials declined to provide data, citing operational security and patient privacy concerns.

The Navy official said that a sailor aboard the Lincoln went overboard in early August but that the person was quickly recovered, treated by the ship’s medical department and transferred off ship for follow-up care. The official would not say if it was being considered a suicide attempt.

Accused CEO shooter expected to plead guilty

By The Associated Press

ASSOCIATEd PRESS PHOTO By IVAN VALENCIA

Soldiers clear debris on Thursday, three days after an earthquake struck Cali, Colombia.

Rescuers call for silence around earthquake rubble Window for survival narrows in Colombia

BY ASTRID SUÁREZ, MARKO ÁLVAREZ and NAYARA BATSCHKE Associated Press

CALI, Colombia — With arms raised and fists clenched, rescuers in Colombia called for silence Thursday as they listened for signs of life in the rubble of a deadly earthquake and raced to pull more survivors from the debris before time runs out.

The call for quiet was part of last-ditch efforts to find anyone else alive in the aftermath of the 7.4 magnitude quake that struck the South American country Monday, killing more than 270 people and leaving hundreds more missing.

Aid agencies consider the first two to three days after a quake to be the prime window for retrieving survivors. That time frame can be extended if those trapped have access to food and water.

“There might be two more people alive here, and I’m hopeful,” rescuer Daiana Rojas told The Associated Press. “We have been hearing sounds since 2:30 a.m., so our hope remains.”

Rojas and her family were unharmed by the quake, the most powerful to hit Colombia in this century. She has been working as a volunteer to help search for survivors in Cali, one of the most heavily damaged cities, along with Pereira, Manizales and Quibdó.

“I thought that was going to be my last moment alive,” she said, recalling the terror of the quake. “Seeing this situation in my city breaks my heart.”

Rojas has witnessed two people being pulled alive from the debris, as well as the recovery of bodies.

“They are not a relative or a friend of mine, but it feels as they were,” she said

of the survivors who have been found.

“Whenever rescuers ask for silence, everyone stays still and tries not to move, speak or whisper. But when signs of life are found, all the teams start to applaud.”

Relying on ‘miracles’ to find survivors Authorities recognize that the rescue effort is entering a grim phase as search teams begin shifting toward recovering bodies.

“The removal of debris begins now; more than 72 hours have passed,” Milton Castrillón, who works in the Cali mayor’s office, told AP, adding that the teams now lean on “miracles from God to find survivors.”

The death toll rose Thursday to 273, authorities said.

Over 3,800 people were reported injured, with nearly 12,600 homes destroyed and more than 74,800 homes damaged, according to David Santiago Tamayo, director of the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management.

The devastation has tested Colombia’s new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, and his government as they scramble to respond while aid groups seek to help the hardest hit communities.

In other developments, a 4.2 magnitude aftershock struck Thursday in San José del Palmar, in the Chocó region — the epicenter of the earthquake.

More international aid arrives Meanwhile, Colombia received more international aid from around the world.

A group of rescuers from the Los Angeles County Fire Department arrived Thursday to help with search efforts and structural engineering assessments. Other countries have also offered assistance.

The Chinese ambassador to Colombia said China will provide $1 million in financial aid and more than $2 million in humanitarian assistance.

3 suspected of multistate tomb-raiding spree

By The Associated Press ORLANDO — Authorities are searching for a trio of modern tomb raiders that they say has stolen family heirlooms and other valuables from cemeteries in at least nine states.

The suspects — a mother and daughter, and the daughter’s boyfriend — “went on a tour of the eastern half of the United States,” breaking into niches and mausoleums, said Cpl. Cole Brazee of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.

Officers have arrest warrants out for

Porsche Bancroft, 32; her boyfriend, Drake Lee Milam, 33; and her mother, Angela Garrett, 52. All three are from Indianapolis, Brazee said in a video shared to social media. The warrants would have the suspects extradited back to Florida to face charges there.

Detectives are investigating 20 cases in Florida and believe there could be many more, according to the sheriff’s office. Brazee alleged the suspects have also hit cemeteries in Oklahoma, Minnesota, Texas, Georgia, Iowa, North Carolina and New York.

NEW YORK — Luigi Mangione is expected to plead guilty as early as Friday in the federal case accusing him of stalking and killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The person, who was not authorized to talk publicly about the case and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity, cautioned that Mangione could change his mind.

Mangione’s lawyers, and spokespeople for the Justice Department and Manhattan federal prosecutors, declined to comment.

Mangione is accused of traveling to New York City to ambush Thompson, 50, then shooting him outside a Manhattan hotel on Dec. 4, 2024, as the executive walked to UnitedHealth Group’s annual investor conference.

Mangione is due in court on Friday for a hastily scheduled hearing in the federal case, which involves two counts of stalking. It wasn’t clear what

charge or charges Mangione is expected to plead guilty to. The hearing, in Manhattan federal court, comes as his lawyers have been talking with federal prosecutors about a possible resolution to one of two criminal cases against Mangione in Thompson’s death.

Mangione, 28, has been charged in both federal and state court in New York and still faces the possibility of a trial in his unresolved state case. Mangione’s state murder trial is set to begin Sept. 8. Both sets of charges carried the possibility of a life sentence.

The state’s double jeopardy protections kick in if a jury has been sworn in a prior prosecution, such as a federal case, or if that prosecution ends in a guilty plea. Mangione’s cases involve different charges arising from the same course of conduct.

Once Mangione pleads guilty, his lawyers could then ask the judge in the state case to throw out those charges on double jeopardy grounds. State prosecutors argue their case is distinct.

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White House border czar defends ICE shock gloves

BY DYLAN LOVAN and RYAN J. FOLEY Associated Press

BARDSTOWN, Ky. — White House border czar Tom Homan defended Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s plan to give officers gloves that deliver painful electric shocks, calling them a tool to help officers end confrontations without using deadly force.

“It’s another device to help someone get compliant when they are not,” Homan said Thursday in an interview on Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends.” “You can’t just go from 0 to 100, right, and the first thing you go for is lethal force.”

Homan’s remarks were the Trump administration’s first public defense of ICE’s plan to spend up to $20 million to purchase thousands of “conductive distraction and de-

escalation devices” for officers and agents. The devices are known as the G.L.O.V.E., which stands for Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter, and are manufactured

by Compliant Technologies LLC. They have been used in recent years by some jails and police departments.

The plan has drawn intense criticism from civil rights groups, Democrats in Congress, and some use-of-force experts, who say ICE agents have been too quick to use force while carrying out President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration. At least six people have been shot and killed by immigration enforcement agents since last year, including motorists last month in Maine and Texas.

Homan argued the gloves could help avoid such encounters. He said they would give another less lethal op-

ASSOCIATEd PRESS PHOTO By dyLAN LOVAN

Nelson County, Ky., Jailer Justin Hall shows an electric shock glove that is used at his facility Thursday in Bardstown, Ky. tion to ICE officers, similar to Tasers or pepper spray, for use in potentially violent situations on the streets and in detention facilities.

He said that it would “be awhile” before the gloves are deployed in the field by ICE officers because the

agency is still working out training protocols and other policy issues.

In Bardstown, Kentucky, Nelson County Jailer Justin Hall said Thursday that his agency began using the gloves four years ago to try to gain compliance when in-

mates are out of control. He said that, unlike Tasers, the shocks do not incapacitate people and make them fall or leave contact or burn marks.

Hall estimated that he had been shocked by the gloves more than 10 times during training, and the pain was intense but stops once the gloves are no longer touching skin. He said the shock gloves have been used sparingly, but are helpful as an initial deterrent when deescalation techniques do not work.

“It’s just a safer way. It’s safer on the inmate. It’s safer on the staff. And most of the time, most of the time we get compliance,” he said.

“It’s been a great tool for our facility.”

Geoffrey Alpert, a criminology professor at the University of South Carolina who has written extensively about police use-of-

force and tactics, said the devices should be studied more broadly to ensure departments have proper guidance on when and how they should be used. He said it might be a wiser investment for ICE to start with a smaller purchase, given how little is known about them.

“You are wholesaling these to a group of officers who may not be trained in other strategies like de-escalation or trained to interact with the public in non-enforcement ways, like most local police officers are,” he said.

“User error is almost predictable at some level. The tech may be fine, but let’s take a minute and make sure that it is used in an appropriate custom and practice.”

Foley reported from Iowa City, Iowa. AP reporter Claudia Lauer contributed to this report from Philadelphia.

Flock announces changes amid backlash over license plate reader network tion,” but it characterized cerns raised about how the effectiveness of a police that case in June, and state 1.

Tech was used to Jan. Among them: All law en- the other changes as “re- company’s data can be used department in preventing authorities said the former customers will treads” of inadequate safety are not new concerns in law crime,” said Chuck Wexler, officer’s family had taken track man said to forcement enforcement. have to implement an audit measures. executive director of the him to a treatment facility “Anyone with policing Police Executive Research out of state where he does that’s intended to flag Robert Frommer, a senior have threatened tool abnormal search behavior. attorney at the Institute for experience could have rea- Forum, a Washington-based not face further charges.

Abuses have also drawn shooting in La. When the system detects Justice, a public interest sonably foreseen that what nonpartisan think tank.

BY SARAH RANKIN and CLAUDIA LAUER Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. — Flock Safety, the surveillance technology company increasingly under scrutiny from lawmakers from both parties, civil liberties advocates and citizens across the U.S., announced Thursday that it is making changes to its platform intended to quell privacy concerns and address documented abuses of its system by some members of law enforcement.

The company operates a vast nationwide network of automated cameras that record the license plate numbers and other characteristics of all passing vehicles every day. Thousands of law enforcement agencies in 49 states can search and share Flock’s data across jurisdictions to aid their investigations.

Police have credited the technology as an important crime-fighting innovation that has helped locate missing people and track suspects in violent crimes. But some critics say its pervasiveness amounts to unconstitutional warrantless mass surveillance.

Dozens of cities and agencies have nixed their relationships with Flock amid concerns that the data can be accessed for immigration enforcement or used in unauthorized tracking, after a flurry of examples surfaced of law enforcement officers misusing the technology for personal searches.

Optional to mandated In an interview, Flock CEO Garrett Langley said many of the product changes will make what were once optional guardrails mandatory for its users to implement by

abnormal behavior, the user would be locked out pending an internal review, the company said in a description of the changes provided ahead of Thursday’s announcement.

Flock, which says its customers own the data that the cameras record, is also shortening the standard data retention window from 30 days to seven. It said it will allow data to be preserved for longer when it is evidence tied to a case number.

Law enforcement users will now also be required to enter a code from their records management system tying each search to a specific case before it is run, something Langley said civil liberties advocates have long been calling for.

Overrides for emergencies would be automatically flagged for review, the company said.

Customers will also be allowed to decide which offense types — such as homicide or arson — outside agencies can search their data for, which would allow a customer to block outside searches related to immigration enforcement, the company said.

Langley said that change will give individual cities and departments control to use the system in a manner “consistent with community values.”

Critics fear room for abuse Critics of the company reacted skeptically to the changes, which they said appeared designed to address the growing bipartisan anger about the cameras but could still leave room for police to abuse the system.

The American Civil Liberties Union said in a blog post that the shortened evidence retention window could be “a step in the right direc-

law firm that’s led closely watched litigation over the technology, called the changes “window dressing” from a company in “panic mode.”

“This is window dressing that doesn’t address the fundamental problem, which is that police officers are the ones deciding who and when to search, and that should be done by judges with real warrants,” he said.

Andrew Guthrie Ferguson, a professor at the George Washington University Law School whose scholarship has focused on policing, big data surveillance and the Fourth Amendment, said Thursday’s shifts were “better than the opposite” but called for further scrutiny of the technology in the form of “sustained democratic engagement with the rules and judicial checks on access at a minimum.”

Ferguson said he’s been surprised to see the “growing community backlash” against Flock specifically, given that the technology isn’t new and other companies sell it as well. But Flock and the movement against it have “captured people’s sense that maybe they don’t want to be surveilled all the time,” he said.

More than 50 agencies or jurisdictions have canceled, suspended or rejected a contract or deactivated their cameras since the beginning of the year, according to a tracker maintained by DeFlock, a grassroots group formed to track the use of license plate reader technology and push back against it.

Cameras around the country have also been vandalized.

Ian Adams, an associate professor of criminology at the University of South Carolina currently working on a Flock-related research study, said many of the con-

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have been termed as ‘curiosity searches’ by officers, searches for private reasons not related to police work, were going to be a problem this technology faced,” he added, noting that other technologies and platforms like the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information had faced those issues.

Law enforcement experts said it’s a common tension of “policing in a democracy” — balancing useful technology that officers say helps solve and prevent crime with the community’s interest and right to privacy.

“It’s a balancing act. A community has a legitimate interest in how information is used, but it also has a legitimate interest in the

Successes and failures

Flock, based in Atlanta, Georgia, often posts to its website what the company deems to be everyday examples of success stories for its cameras, including finding missing seniors and catching car thieves.

But the tech has also been used in high-profile cases that have garnered national attention, such as the search for a suspect in a fatal shooting at Brown University and in tracking and arresting a former North Carolina police officer who authorities say had made threats that he planned to carry out a mass shooting at a festival in Louisiana. A grand jury declined to bring charges in

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widespread attention. The Washington Post reported earlier this month finding nearly 50 instances of police officers charged or accused of using the cameras for unauthorized purposes, many for tracking current or former romantic partners or family members.

Just this week, six employees — including four officers — of the Savannah Police Department in Georgia were fired after they were accused of searching for friends and family using the tool and allowing an officer from an outside agency to use the city’s cameras.

The Savannah department said it was made aware of the misuse through Flock’s voluntary audit function.

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Kennedy Center votes to restore Trump’s name Board also votes to close building, defying order

BY STEVEN SLOAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The battle over the Kennedy Center’s future escalated Thursday as President Donald Trump’s allies on the board took new steps to commemorate him with physical changes to the iconic performing arts institution that could defy a federal court order.

During an hourslong meeting that was conducted virtually, the board voted to add Trump’s name to the building’s façade so it would read “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump.”

The plaza in front of the building would be named after Trump and most of the space at the venue would be closed for two years to allow for substantial renovations.

The changes, described

by Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat who is an ex-officio board member, and her lawyers, amount to a dramatic test of U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper.

He ruled in May that letters affixed to the building

that spelled out Trump’s name were added illegally and he ordered their removal, a decision that the Republican administration failed to persuade courts to overturn. At the same time, Cooper blocked a two-year closure that was set to take effect July 5, saying an earlier board vote authorizing the shuttering was “ill-informed and seemingly preordained.”

“This latest development is a transparent effort to circumvent the Court’s ruling, and flies in the face of the statutes that Congress passed,” Beatty said in a statement. “I will continue to fight for this treasured national monument.”

A Kennedy Center representative did not respond to a request for comment.

Much of Thursday’s board meeting was expected to focus on the extent of closures required to allow for renovations that the Kennedy Center’s management says are needed to improve safety.

In response to the judge’s criticism of the earlier vote, the institution’s leaders said they would provide the board with three options to consider.

They included a complete closure or a partial closure that would allow “some continued public access and

Official says Rubio, Bessent stayed on jet as Trump left

BY MATTHEW LEE

AP diplomatic writer

WASHINGTON — The two most senior members of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, flew out of last month’s NATO summit in Turkey on what was effectively a decoy plane following an Iranian threat, while Trump was secretly moved to a smaller military jet, a senior U.S. official said Wednesday.

The official, who was briefed on the situation and spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive details of presidential travel, said Rubio was aware of the switch and details of the threat behind it but could or would not say why he had stayed on the plane. The official said Bessent was likely aware but did not know for sure.

The official, however, noted that security precautions for the president — especially one who has been the target of several assassination attempts — are more robust than those for even top members of the Cabinet.

Under the U.S. Constitution, the secretaries of State and Treasury follow the vice president and the highest ranking member of each chamber of Congress in the presidential line of succession.

Trump had flown to the annual gathering of NATO country leaders in Ankara, Turkey, 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 older-model baby blue Air Force One plane instead.

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. The Washington Post reported this week that Trump wasn’t on the old Air Force One on the return flight from Turkey and that he instead was smuggled onto another jet via a catering cart to avoid a possible Iranian assassination plot. The ruse was carried out as journalists and some White House staff members were led to believe they were on the same plane as the president as he began his journey back to Washington.

The New York Times and CBS News had 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.

Trump acknowledged the transfer late Tuesday.

“It’s only up to the Secret Service. I just follow what they’d like to do, so I go by Secret Service and the military,” the president told reporters at Joint Base Andrews. “They wanted me to go on a different flight, a different plane, equal safety, but they wanted me to do it, so I do it, I do what they say.”

‘Undisclosed conflict of interest’ results in Forbes editor leaving

BY LAURIE KELLMAN Associated Press

The top editor of Forbes left his job last month after an “undisclosed conflict of interest” and was reportedly dismissed for accepting $6 million from the founder of a firm that does business with the magazine.

The New York Times reported this week that Randall Lane was paid by RJ Shook, whose company, Shook Research, worked with Forbes since 2016 to publish rankings of wealth advisers. The payment was made after Shook sold a majority stake in the company to a private equity firm a year ago.

A internal email dated July 23 and reviewed by The Associated Press confirmed that Lane, who had been editor and chief content officer, no longer worked for the company. It provided no other details of his departure.

Lane had worked for Forbes for nearly 16 years and as its top editor since 2017.

A person who works at Forbes and spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue told the AP that the staff discovered the apparent reasons behind the firing by reading the Times story. A subsequent email sent out this week said the company could not comment on the matter further.

limited programming in spaces unaffected” by the work. A third option would “consider a highly limited series of phased closures to address only the Center’s most serious infrastructure needs while scheduling and maintaining a full slate of programming.”

Ultimately, the board decided to close the building for two years while leaving the potential for some degree of programming to still happen in an outdoor space known as the Reach. The decision to move ahead with the two-year closure, in addition to the moves to memorialize Trump, could revive questions about whether the board seriously considered the full range of options, a point Democrats emphasized after the meeting.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat who is also an ex officio board member, criticized a “sham meeting.”

“What happened today was nothing more than a rubber stamp on a decision the President made months ago that the Board already tried to effectuate without doing proper due diligence,” he said in a statement.

During Trump’s second term, the Kennedy Center has become an unlikely — and highly visible — metaphor for presidential power.

While he largely ignored the institution during his first term in Washington, Trump moved quickly to oust its leadership when he returned to office in January 2025 and replaced it with a board of trustees that named

him chairman.

His name was quickly added to the building, before coming down in June in response to Cooper’s order.

The area where it once stood is now covered by a massive tarp.

Trump has derided the Kennedy Center as “rusted, rotted, and rat and bug infested” and threatened to hand the building over to Congress after Cooper rejected the closure and the addition of the president’s name to the building.

The institution’s leadership has argued that it’s in genuine need of repair and updating.

Matt Floca, the Kennedy Center’s executive director and chief operating officer, guided a group of journalists through the building in

April, highlighting severe water damage that he said corroded steel in some places as thin as tissue paper.

Some pieces of equipment, including several 800-ton chillers that help cool the building, are decades old and in need of replacement.

At the time, Floca said he considered doing the repairs individually but insisted it was his recommendation to Trump to close the building and move forward with the renovation all at once.

“When the president asked, ‘How do you make these projects the best? How do you make them really excellent and deliver them efficiently?’ My recommendation was you close the building and you do everything over a definite period of time, two years,” he said.

.theacadianaadvocate.com Announcements

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

Pets

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of the heirs of Gregory Molden a/k/a Gregory Louis Molden, M.D. please contact attorney Kandice Doley Meyers 504-943-7071.

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Public Notices Bids/Proposals

PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed bids will be ac‐ cepted until 10:00 a.m., Monday, August 24, 2026, at the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office at 316 W. Main Street, Lafayette, Louisiana for the follow‐ ing: #2027-04 LPCC Equipment

Fitness

For information on this bid, contact the Finance Office at the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Documents are also available at the Sheriff’s Office Website at www. lafayettesheriff.com and www.centralauctionh ouse.com. Bids received after the above date and time will be returned un‐ opened. Bids will be eval‐ uated by and purchased based on quality, cost and adaptability of said items.

Bidders must comply with all condi‐ tions submitted in bid specifications. The Sher‐ iff reserves the right to reject any and all bids deemed unsuitable in the best public interest.

Mark T. Garber, Sheriff Parish of Lafayette 196704-AUG 7-14-2T $20.20 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received either electroni‐ cally at https://lafayet tecsdgovla.tylerportico. com/va/vendor-access/ registration or in the of‐ fice of the Purchasing Di‐ vision at the Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment Building, located at 705 West University Av‐ Lafayette, enue, Louisiana, until 2:00 PM Central Time on the 9th day of SEPTEMBER, 2026 for the following: AS-NEEDED INSTALLATION OF BACKFLOW PREVENTERS AND HOSE BIBS AT WATER/WASTE‐ WATER/ELECTRIC FACILITIES 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 virtually join the bid opening via ZOOM using the follow‐ ing link: https://us02web. zoom.us/j/88608687802? pwd=4EGy1Mjwg5jlZjB y56YHzUsCrgok8R.1 Scope of Services: The scope of work shall con‐ sist of, but not limited to, the installation of back‐ flow preventer assem‐ blies, hose bib assem‐ blies, customer cutoff valves, and 1-inch ser‐ vice lines on an asneeded basis at waste‐ water facilities, as di‐ rected by LUS and identi‐ fied in individual Work Authorizations.

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 Dabne Dover at dabne‐ dover@lafayettela.gov.

Bidders submitting bids are re‐ electronically quired to provide the d bid

Public Notices Bids/Proposals q p 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 office of Purchas‐ ing & Property Manage‐ ment, Attn: Dabne Dover (337) 291-8262 located at 705 W. University Avenue, Lafayette, LA 70506. Bid shall be documents available until twentyfour hours before the bid opening date. Questions relative to the bidding documents shall be ad‐ dressed to Dabne Dover dabnedover@ at lafayettela.gov or (337) 291-8262.

Each bid shall be accom‐ panied by a certified check, cashier’s check, or bid bond payable to the Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government, the amount of which shall be five percent (5%) of the base bid plus additive al‐ ternates. If a bid bond is used, it shall be written by a surety or insurance company currently on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Management Service list 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. The certi‐ check, cashier’s fied check, or bid bond shall be given as a guarantee that the bidder shall exe‐ cute the contract, should it be awarded to him, in conformity with the con‐ tract documents within ten (10) days.

No contractor may with‐ draw its bid prior to the deadline for submission of bids. Withdrawal of bids thereafter shall be allowed only pursuant to LA R.S. 38§2214.C. Other‐ wise, no bidder may withdraw his bid for at least forty-five (45) days after the time scheduled for the bid opening of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided within the specifications. The successful bidder will be required to execute per‐ formance and labor and material payment bonds in the full amount of the contract as more fully defined in the bid docu‐ ments. No contractors may withdraw his bid for at least forty-five (45) days after the time scheduled for the open‐ ing of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided with the specifications. The contractor successful will be required to exe‐ cute performance and labor and material pay‐ ment bonds in the full amount of the contract as more fully defined in the bid documents.

Bids will be evaluated by the Purchaser based on the lowest responsible and responsive bid sub‐ mitted which is also in compliance with the bid 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. Contractors or contract‐ ing firms submitting bids the amount of in $50,000.00 or more shall certify that they are li‐ censed contractors

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

under Chapter 24 of Title 37 of the Louisiana Re‐ vised Statutes of 1950 and show their license number on the front of the sealed envelope in which their bid is en‐ closed. Contractors shall be licensed for the clas‐ sification of “PLUMBING”.

Bids in the amounts specified above which have not bid in accor‐ dance with the require‐ ments, shall be rejected and shall not be read. information Additional relative to licensing may be obtained from the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The Lafayette Consoli‐ Government dated strongly encourages the participation of DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprises) 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 businesses are available.

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

PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated Government PUBLISH DATES: 8/16, 8/23 DPR 1008123

8/14,

197056 Aug. 14, 16, 23 3T $203.97

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

y acting in their capacity as the governing author‐ of the City of ity Lafayette and the Parish Lafayette, respec‐ of tively, providing for the abandonment of a cer‐ tain portion of a five (5’) foot x five (5’) foot utility niche on the Lot 72-A of the Vineyard Subdivision, located at 101 Everett Ridge, and authorizing the Lafayette MayorPresident to execute an Act of Abandonment in order to effectuate the abandonment on behalf of the City of Lafayette, and Parish of Lafayette, and the Lafayette CityParish Consolidated Gov‐ ernment. (CD&P) 6. JO-030-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council, acting in their capacity as the governing author‐ of the City of ity Lafayette and the Parish Lafayette, respec‐ of tively, providing for the abandonment of a por‐ tion of a 60’ public rightof-way (Live Oak Boule‐ vard) located between Lots 53-55 and Lots 56-59 of Live Oak Park Subdivi‐ sion, and authorizing the Mayor-Presi‐ Lafayette dent to execute an Act of Abandonment in order to effectuate the abandon‐ ment on behalf of the City of Lafayette, Parish of Lafayette, and the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment. (CD&P) ADJOURN IN ACCORDANCE WITH LA. R.S. 42:14(E) AS EN‐ ACTED BY ACT NO. 393 OF 2023 AND THE AMERI‐ CANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, PLEASE CONTACT JOSEPH GORDON-WILTZ, COUNCIL CLERK, AT (337) 291-8810 DESCRIBING THE ASSISTANCE THAT IS NECESSARY, IF SPECIAL ASSISTANCE AND/OR AC‐ COMMODATIONS ARE NEEDED. 197569 Aug 14 1t $49.34 PUBLIC NOTICE --See agenda documents at: http://www. lafayettela.gov/ obcouncil/default.aspx REGULAR MEETING LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL 705 W. University Avenue, Ted A. Ardoin City-Parish Council Auditorium TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2026 5:30 p.m.

AGENDA CALL TO ORDER

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

1. Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance

See agenda documents at: http://www. lafayettela.gov/ obcouncil/default.aspx SPECIAL JOINT MEETING LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL AND LAFAYETTE PARISH COUNCIL 705 W. University Avenue, Ted A. Ardoin City-Parish Council Auditorium TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2026 5:15 p.m. or immediately following the regular Lafayette Parish Council meeting (whichever occurs later).

AGENDA CALL TO ORDER REPORT AND/OR DISCUSSION ITEMS 1. Briefing by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Vermilion Reiver the Dredging Project (CAO) 2. Status Update on Homewood and Coulee Ile des Canes Projects (CAO) PUBLIC HEARING 3. Public Hearing for Citi‐ zen Input on the FY 26/27 (Kenneth Budget Boudreaux and Donald Richard) JOINT ORDINANCE FINAL ADOPTION

FOR

4. JO-028-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council, acting in their capacity as the governing author‐ of the City of ity Lafayette and the Parish Lafayette, respec‐ of tively, providing for the abandonment of a cer‐ tain portion of a ten (10’) foot utility servitude on Lot 2A of the Estate of Karen Brasseaux, Tract 2A Subdivision, at 122 Bo‐ denger Road, and autho‐ the Lafayette rizing Mayor-President to exe‐ cute an Act of Abandon‐ ment in order to effectu‐ ate the abandonment on behalf of the City of Parish of Lafayette, and the Lafayette, City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment. (CD&P) JOINT INTRODUCTORY ORDINANCES 5. JO-029-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council, i i h i i

2. COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENTS 3. EXECUTIVE/MAYORPRESIDENT’S REPORT REPORT AND/OR DISCUSSION ITEMS 4.

Opportunities for Geaux Mow Program Im‐ provement (Elroy Brous‐ sard) 5. SUN Community Cen‐ ter Update (Former Tru‐ man Elementary) (Elroy Broussard) ORDINANCES FOR FINAL ADOPTION 6. CO-068-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette City Council amending the FY 25/26 operating and capital budgets of the Lafayette City-Parish Govern‐ Consolidated ment by increasing antic‐ ipated revenues in the of $1,820,013 amount from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) FY 23/24 Section 5307 Ur‐ banized Area Formula Grant and appropriating these funds along with the required match in the amount of $280,002 for use within the Traffic, Roads & Bridges Depart‐ ment, Transit Division.

(TR&B) 7. CO-069-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette City Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget and capital bud‐ get of the Lafayette CityParish Consolidated Gov‐ ernment by increasing revenues in the amount of $7,986,192 in Safe Streets and Roads for all funds received grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, as well as transferring $2,001,498 in Capital Outlay Funds to serve as a local match, and appropriating within the Community Develop‐ ment and Planning De‐ partment for safety im‐ provements along John‐ Street between ston Drive and Bertrand Churchill Drive. (CD&P) CONSIDER APPOINT‐ MENT(S) BY THE COUN‐ CIL, AS A WHOLE, TO BOARDS/COMMISSIONS 8. CSB - Appointment of ____________ to the Lafayette Municipal Civil Service Board for a fourterm effective year March 1, 2026. Nomina‐ tion list supplied via ASHRM in lieu of South‐ ern University.

INTRODUCTORY

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

ORDINANCES 9. CO-070-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette City Council amending the Lafayette Develop‐ ment Code and the offi‐ cial map of the City of Lafayette, providing for the annexation of addi‐ tional land into the cor‐ porate limits of the City of Lafayette, Louisiana, Case No. 2026-15-REZ 200 Coussan Road (Tract 1-A) Annexation, located gen‐ erally north of West Pont Des Mouton Road, east of Veterinarian Road, and south of Coussan Road; and assigning a zoning classification of RS-1 (Residential Single-Fam‐ ily) (District 1). (CD&P) 10. CO-071-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette City Council authorizing the Lafayette MayorPresident to enter into an Act of Deposit on behalf of the Lafayette Police Department of mounted horse Levi to Lieutenant Karn (Police Bridget Horse). (Finance) 11. CO-072-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette City Council amending the FY 25/26 operating and capital budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment by increasing rev‐ enues in the amount of awarded $3,982,500 through a federal SubAward Grant Agreement by the administered Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy under the U.S. Depart‐ ment of Energy’s Grid De‐ ployment Office for the System Hardening and Resiliency Project under Section 40101(D) of the bipartisan infrastructure law and appropriating within the Utilities De‐ partment. (Utilities) 12. CO-073-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette City Council amending the FY 25/26 operating and capital budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment by transferring ap‐ propriations from the City General Fund (Fund 1010) to establish fund‐ ing for the Council Audi‐ Projector Re‐ torium placement Project. (Ken‐ neth Boudreaux) COMMENT(S) FROM THE PUBLIC 13. Comments from the public on any other mat‐ ter(s) not on an agenda and are within the leg‐ islative power of the Lafayette City Council.

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min y Parish Council authoriz‐ ing the Mayor-President to enter into a Memoran‐ dum of Understanding with Louisiana Depart‐ ment of Agriculture & Forestry to collaborate in pet and/or livestock aid efforts during declara‐ of emergency. tions (CAO) 7. PO-035-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette Parish Council declaring the Coburn’s at Ridge Road Drainage Project a public necessity and au‐ thorizing the acquisition of the necessary rightsof-way, immovable prop‐ erty and other property rights requisite to the construction of said pro‐ ject, either on an amica‐ ble basis or through the proper use of the expro‐ priation process if neces‐ sary. (CID) INTRODUCTORY ORDINANCES 8. PO-036-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 capital and operating budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated by transferring ment funds from account EXT APP-LPSO Maint Salaries to the Building Mainte‐ nance account within Adult Correctional Center Fund to provide addi‐ tional funding for man‐ dated expenditures. (Fi‐ nance) 9. PO-037-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating and capital budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment by increasing the use of prior year fund balance in Library Fund 2630 by $50,000 and ap‐ propriating in the capital budget of Library Fund 2630 in the amount of $50,000 for the purchase of a replacement library van. (Library) ADJOURN IN ACCORDANCE WITH LA. R.S. 42:14(E) AS EN‐ ACTED BY ACT NO. 393 OF 2023 AND THE AMERI‐ CANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, PLEASE CONTACT JOSEPH GORDON-WILTZ, COUNCIL CLERK, AT (337) 291-8810 DESCRIBING THE ASSISTANCE THAT IS NECESSARY, IF SPECIAL ASSISTANCE AND/OR AC‐ COMMODATIONS ARE NEEDED. 197560 Aug. 14 1t $49.98

ADJOURN IN ACCORDANCE WITH LA. R.S. 42:14(E) AS EN‐ ACTED BY ACT NO. 393 OF 2023 AND THE AMERI‐ CANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, PLEASE CONTACT JOSEPH GORDON-WILTZ, COUNCIL CLERK, AT (337) 291-8810 DESCRIBING THE ASSISTANCE THAT IS NECESSARY, IF SPECIAL ASSISTANCE AND/OR AC‐ COMMODATIONS ARE NEEDED. 197574 Aug. 14 1t $62.20 PUBLIC NOTICE --See agenda documents at: http://www.lafayettela. gov/obcouncil/default. aspx REGULAR MEETING LAFAYETTE PARISH COUNCIL 705 W. University Avenue, Ted A. Ardoin City-Parish Council Auditorium TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2026 4:30 p.m.

AGENDA CALL TO ORDER 1. Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance 2. COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENTS 3. EXECUTIVE/MAYORPRESIDENT’S REPORT ORDINANCES FOR FINAL ADOPTION 4. PO-032-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating and capital budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated by transferring ment $60,000 from the Parish Council District 1 capital appropriation to the Cap‐ ital Improvements De‐ partment, Fund 2600, for the North Wilderness Trail Reconstruction pro‐ ject. (Bryan Tabor) 5. PO-033-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating and capital budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated by transferring ment $10,000 from the Parish Council District 2 capital appropriation to Duson Volunteer Fire Depart‐ ment within Section 4190 Parishwide Fire Protec‐ tion for the purchase of gas monitors, a washer, a dryer, and miscella‐ neous costs associated (Donald therewith.

Richard) 6. PO-034-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette i h il h i

Public Notices RFQ

PUBLIC NOTICE --REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS SOUTH AVERY ISLAND MARSH RESTORATION PROJECT McIlhenny Resources, invites qualified Inc. firms to submit State‐ ments of Qualifications for professional engi‐ neering and related ser‐ vices for the “Designing Marsh Restoration on South Avery Island (LA)” project, NFWF Grant No. 0318.25.084254.

Anticipated services in‐ clude site investigation and surveying, geotech‐ nical services, evaluation of restoration alterna‐ tives, development of de‐ sign plans and specifica‐ tions, regulatory and permitting coordination, and stakeholder out‐ reach.

The complete RFQ, in‐ the detailed cluding scope, submittal require‐ ments, evaluation crite‐ ria, and schedule, may be obtained from: Clark Fitz-Hugh McIlhenny Resources, Inc. cfitz@internationalsureti es.com (504) 581-4231 Statements of Qualifica‐ tions must be received by 5:00 P.M. Central Time on September 1, 2026 and submitted electronically to the email address listed: cfitz@internation alsureties.com This project is funded in whole or in part through a National Fish and Foundation Wildlife award supported by the National Oceanic and At‐ Administra‐ mospheric McIlhenny Re‐ tion. sources, Inc. reserves the right to reject any or all responses and to waive informalities as permit‐ ted by applicable requirements.

197267-aug 14-20-2t $358.16

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lll

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

STAFF PHOTOS By PEARL SPURLOCK

Louisiana Light Source, a specialized research site with the highly advanced ‘synchrotron’ particle accelerator machine, is joining the federal science initiative Genesis Mission.

SCIENCE

Continued from page 1A esis Mission, an initiative launched by President Donald Trump last year to “harness AI for science.”

Two LSU research teams were chosen as phase one projects for the Genesis Mission.

“It is not like a typical science project,” said physics Louisiana Light Source explores how AI can support the professor Jeffery Blackmon, who leads one of the synchrotron, which must hold speeding electrons in a stable research teams. “The gov- orbit. ernment’s really pushing to he said. “That tool of light make a big impact fast.”

In the second phase, an AI gives me this information agent will make suggestions Next generation that I wouldn’t ever have related to the nuclear properSprunger’s project ex- gotten otherwise.” ties. A human will check the AI’s conclusions, training plores how AI can support it to be more accurate and the synchrotron, which must Reactors, explosions hold speeding electrons — in Blackmon’s team delves make research-informed dea beam about the size of a into nuclear energy by fo- cisions, Blackmon said. hair — in a stable orbit.

“The human role in this is cusing on fission fragments, He said AI will be able to which are lighter, radioac- very important at this stage see “nuances” in optimizing tive nuclei produced when a in the game,” Blackmon the electron orbit that hu- heavy nucleus splits apart in said. “We’ve seen this time a process known as nuclear and time again. You can’t mans cannot imagine.

“Is it giving us informa- fission. Nuclear reactors just let it go off unsupertion that I could eventually rely on fission to release vised — it will often lead you figure out?” Sprunger said. large amounts of energy. down the wrong path.”

A challenge in developing “The answer is no. It thinks beyond that. That’s what and harnessing nuclear en- The Genesis Mission we’re most excited about.” ergy capabilities is “decay The federal government Louisiana Light Source, heat,” the energy produced effort is led by the Departwhich houses the synchro- from the radioactive decay ment of Energy and joins tron, is one of LSU’s core of fission fragments, Black- academia, the private secresearch facilities. Nearly mon said. Failing to control tor and 17 national labs to two dozen departments use decay heat can lead to severe “accelerate scientific disthe machine, according to nuclear accidents, he said. covery, strengthen national the facility’s website.

“There’s a big push now security, secure energy The light from the syn- to design better, next-gener- dominance, enhance workchrotron can be used to ation nuclear reactors and force productivity, and mulinvestigate the atomic and smaller, more modular reac- tiply the return on taxpayer chemical structure of any tors,” Blackmon said. “Un- investment into research material, Sprunger said. derstanding where that en- and development,” Trump’s Research with the machine ergy goes and the decay pro- executive order establishing ranges from medicine to na- cess is really important for the initiative said.

The teams selected for the controlling the heat, so you tional security.

One use is in developing don’t get a meltdown and the program are in a “proof of advanced CT scans that can bad things that can happen.” concept” phase with a rapid The research also con- timeline, Blackmon said. A see far smaller structures than the technology in hospi- nects to some of the uni- project that might normally tals currently. Another con- verse’s biggest mysteries, take two to three years must cerns how to extract critical Blackmon explained. Star be delivered in nine months, materials from the industrial explosions and mergers in- he said.

The expectations align waste of alumina production volve the same radioactive down the road in Gramercy. nuclei, which created many with a larger push from the “Our U.S. government is of the elements found on federal government to make science “think differently,” vitally interested in that, Earth today, he said. because most of that stuff “The data that we’re get- he said.

“If we can make progress comes from overseas,” ting to study the nuclear reSprunger said. “We’re try- actions that are important in faster, that’s better,” Blacking to find ways to get it here. applications here on Earth mon said. “But science is In these tailings of this stuff also helps us inform the as- usually a much more careright here, there are rem- trophysical scenarios that we ful, more methodical pronants of these kinds of mate- observe,” Blackmon said. cess where getting things His project will implement right is more important rials. Instead of digging them out of the ground, you know AI in two different ways. than doing things quickly. what? We might have already First, a multidisciplinary And in this case, we’re being dug them out of the ground.” group of researchers will use pushed on that.”

The applications of the machine-learning techniques synchrotron are endless, to analyze large sets of data Email Haley Miller at to understand the properties haley.miller@theadvocate.

Sprunger said.

“I’m using light as a tool,” of the fission fragments. com.

david Claxton, center, speaks alongside Janet Pope and Larry Carter Jr. during the Minimum Foundation Program Task Force meeting at the State Capitol on Thursday. The group is conducting a ‘top-to-bottom’ review of Louisiana’s school-funding system.

FUNDING

Continued from page 1A large audience — a sign of the intense interest in the process, which could determine how much funding schools receive for years to come. In attendance were superintendents and school board members from across the state, charter school leaders and members of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, which legally controls the funding formula.

One of the group’s primary jobs is to embed permanent teacher raises in the formula, which is called the Minimum Foundation Program.

Gov. Jeff Landry and legislative leaders created the task force in June after voters rejected a proposal to use education trust funds to increase teacher pay. In response, Landry ordered the state to pull money from school budgets to pay for one-time stipends for teachers and school support staff. Now, the task force is responsible for inserting educator raises into the school-funding system, Morris told the group.

He also emphasized that the Louisiana Constitution mandates certain aspects

of the system, including that it equitably allocates state funding across school districts and that every parish contributes some local funding. But the formula also includes many parts that were developed over time but are not mandated by law, such as the baseline funding amount — currently $4,015 per student — and the funding boost that schools get to serve certain populations, including lowincome students and students with disabilities.

“What’s most important to know is they can all change,” Morris told the task force. “The constitution does not require what goes into the formula.”

Any changes to the formula could have far-reaching implications for schools — and could result in some school districts losing or gaining money.

David Claxton, executive director of the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents, is one of just four task force members representing education groups. During the meeting, he alluded to the high stakes for school systems.

“Most of us superintendents are very protective of our funding,” he said.

Rep. Jack McFarland, RJonesboro, is one of 10 lawmakers on the task force.

In an interview after the meeting, he said he is open

to hearing arguments for why schools need more money, but that he will also look for ways to reduce spending — especially as the state anticipates a $540 million shortfall.

“I’m never going into anything close-minded,” he said. “But my first instinct is, ‘Let’s find efficiencies.’”

Landry said in June that he hopes the task force creates “a brand-new MFP,” and the resolution establishing the group said it can consider changing any aspect of the funding formula.

But under the Louisiana Constitution, the state education board sets the funding formula. The Legislature approves or rejects the formula, or recommends changes.

BESE President Simone Champagne, who is on the task force, said Thursday that she is open to updating the formula, but she did not seem eager for a full overhaul.

“I think that’s what this is about,” she told the task force, “not so much changing everything in the formula, but maybe tweaking it and seeing what continues to work, what maybe doesn’t work any longer, and fixing that formula.”

Email Patrick Wall at patrick.wall@ theadvocate.com.

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U.S. jobless claims rise, but still at healthy level

WASHINGTON — U.S. applications for unemployment benefits rose last week, but layoffs remain at historically healthy levels.

The Labor Department reported Thursday that 209,000 people filed jobless claims last week, up from a revised 200,000 the week before and higher than the 205,000 forecasters had expected. The fourweek average of applications, which smooths out week-toweek volatility, was unchanged at 199,000.

The overall number of people collecting employment benefits the week that ended Aug. 1 dropped by 22,000 to 1.78 million.

Claims for jobless benefits are a proxy for layoffs, and they’ve been at a historically low range of around 200,000 to 230,000 a week for the past year, suggesting that Americans who have jobs enjoy unusual job security.

The story is less encouraging for those trying to break into the job market and for those who lost their jobs and are looking for new work. Companies, scarred by worker shortages that followed the end of COVID-19 lockups four to five years ago, are reluctant to let go of staff; but they aren’t eager to take on new workers. Economists regularly refer to a ”no hire, no fire” job market.

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AI sends computer prices soaring

BY PEDRO MALKOMES Tampa Bay Times (TNS)

It’s hard to remember a worse time than now to purchase a computer.

Computer hardware prices have spiked globally over the past year, and experts say they won’t get cheaper anytime soon. From companies purchasing desktop workstations and students buying backto-school laptops or a new phone, consumers after a new machine may have to opt for the used market or pay a premium.

The reason why is the artificial intelligence industry.

Data centers, which are necessary to run AI platforms like ChatGPT or Google Gemini, require large amounts of a component called dynamic random access memory, or RAM. That type of memory is also used in computers, phones, tablets, gaming consoles and other devices.

As AI companies drive a surge in demand for memory, everyday electronics are seeing price increases.

That’s because corporations are buying memory faster than manufacturers can make, leading to what industry leaders are calling a “memory crisis.”

“You used to be able to build an entry-level (computer) for a grand to

like $1,300 — that minimum for new parts now is over $2,000,” said Jack Comiskey, manager of Performance Computer Group in Tampa, Florida, which builds custom systems for gaming and professional work.

Comiskey, 25, said memory kits that sold for $80 to $100 last year have tripled in price and are still creeping up.

Beyond memory, storage drives and graphics cards are also more expensive due to AI-driven demand, pushing more electronics prices up.

Companies like Apple, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Framework have all raised prices this year.

While some lower-end machines

haven’t been hit as hard just yet, analysts at industry firm TrendForce say an average $900 laptop could become up to nearly 40% more expensive as component costs rise.

Apple CEO Tim Cook told the Wall Street Journal in June that, despite trying to “shield customers” from price increases, the company will have to mark up products due to memory costs.

Apple’s laptop and iPad lineups took the first hit, with the recently released MacBook Neo facing a $100 markup from its $700 starting price, despite a successful March launch.

Magnetic ‘Goody King’ toys recalled CHICAGO — About 213,500 “Goody King” magnetic building toys were recalled in the U.S. on Thursday, due to an ingestion hazard posed that has resulted in at least two children receiving surgeries.

According to a notice published by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, these toys’ building cubes can break or open, allowing the magnets inside to become loose. That poses a serious ingestion hazard for children.

When high-powered magnets are swallowed, they can attract each other or other metal and become lodged in the digestive system, the CPSC warns — which can potentially lead to “perforations, twisting, and/ or blockage of the intestines, blood poisoning and death.”

Consumers in possession of the now-recalled magnetic toys are urged to stop using them immediately and contact Yi Suen Commerce for a full refund. Affected model numbers and more information can be found both on the CPSC’s notice and Goody King’s recall website.

The recalled toys were sold online through Amazon between January 2024 and July 2026 — under a variety of themes to build 3D designs like forests, dinosaurs and unicorns.

250,000 Cooluli minifridges recalled CHICAGO — Cooluli has recalled roughly 250,000 of its minifridges due to fire and burn hazards.

According to a Thursday notice published by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the now-recalled “10-Liter” and “15-Liter” minifridges have an electric switch that can short circuit.

Such incidents have led to property damages totaling more than $80,000, the CPSC noted, and one customer reported smoke inhalation.

The recall covers minifridges that were sold on both Cooluli’s website and Amazon between January 2019 and October 2024 — for between $80 and $120.

Only certain models of 10-Liter and 15-Liter minifridges with an internal power supply are affected.

To remedy the issue, the company will send impacted customers a free repair kit.

Consumers will have to visit Cooluli’s website to check their model number — and, if their minifridge is covered by the recall, then follow instructions on how to cut the power cord and submit photos to request the free replacement.

ASSOCIATEd PRESS PHOTO By ELLEN SCHMIdT

deanna Pearson, 4, browses the children’s shoe section Wednesday at a Goodwill store in Roseville, Minn.

Families feel pinch of higher shoe prices as kids head back to school

BY ANNE D’INNOCENZIO Associated Press

NEW YORK — When Jonah Seidenberg found out about Nike Minds, a futuristic-looking sneaker that claims to improve concentration by stimulating the soles of the feet, he had to have them.

On a recent Saturday, the 12-year-old from the Chicago suburb of Northbrook and his mother searched StockX, an online sneaker marketplace, and other sites looking for a discount but struck out. They eventually found the last available pair in his size on Dick’s Sporting Goods’ website, but for the full price of $145. They grabbed it anyway.

“It was 10:30 at night and we finally threw in the towel,” said Lisa Seidenberg, a publicist. “I felt it looked like a Tesla in a shoe, but something sparked for him.” The price was more than she and her husband had budgeted, so Jonah chipped in $40 of his own money.

As summer fades and kids head back to school, the pressure to stand out or fit in with the right footwear is colliding with higher prices. That’s straining family budgets that are already being squeezed by rising costs for food, gas and other essentials, so parents and kids are spending more time looking for deals or buying fewer pairs, according to analysts and retailers. And many parents

are simply saying no, whether it’s for $150 Kids ages 7 to 10 outgrow footwear every soccer cleats, Adidas Sambas re-imagined as six to nine months, and teens typically outMary Janes, or the $300 Kobe Bryant kicks grow them every year, she said.

Jonah initially hoped to get.

But footwear prices don’t look like they’ll level off anytime soon because of President Keeping up with growing feet Donald Trump’s tariff policies and the Iran Children often outgrow shoes faster than war, which is driving up petroleum-derived other clothing, and footwear typically costs products like shoes, according to the footmore. Shoe prices rose by 3.2% in the first wear trade group. half of the year, putting full-year prices on pace to increase at the fastest pace in 34 Sneakers are status symbols for kids years aside from the pandemic years of 2021 As with adults, shoes carry social status and 2022, according to the Footwear Distrib- with kids.

And many kids feel pressure to wear the utors and Retailers Association.

Some parents like Elizabeth Powers, a right sneaker brands, more so than with 37-year-old San Francisco real estate agent, other types of clothing, said Casey Lewis, a said it’s “frustrating” to see shoe prices con- trend analyst in New York.

“I think shoes are just so immediately identinue to climb while, she believes, quality has declined. tifiable as like, ‘I’m in the crowd,’” she said.

“Their feet grow so fast as it is,” said PowJonah Seidenberg, the suburban Chicago ers, who has two children, ages 7 and 11. “It’s kid, said he and his mom turn to thrift stores incredibly frustrating to have to replace for certain clothing brands like Hollister and shoes before they’ve grown out of them due Polo Ralph Lauren to save money so they can invest more in his shoes. to poor quality.”

“You can wear any kind of clothing and it Buying kids shoes can be trickier than the rest of their outfits, which can be easily al- would be fine, as long as it’s the right size,” tered. Shoes require an exact fit for grow- said Jonah. “It doesn’t matter what brand it ing feet, according to Priya Parthasarathy, is. But shoes could be … high-tops, low-tops. partner of the U.S. Foot & Ankle Specialists Whatever the person likes better is what will in Silver Spring, Maryland, and national make them feel confident.”

The wrong shoes, or ones that are tattered spokesperson for the trade group American or out of style, can invite bullying, he said.

Podiatric Medical Association.

Faulty backup cameras plague tens of millions of U.S. cars

BY AMY STILLMAN and MAX RIVERA eight years ago. Automakers have technology becomes, the more park or ensure a kid’s bike wasn’t Bloomberg News (TNS)

A Tesla Model 3 hit a cement pole after the rearview camera failed.

The driver of a Ford pickup scraped a light post in reverse. A Toyota minivan’s backup display showed old images instead of live ones.

These are among the roughly 2,000 complaints consumers have lodged with U.S. auto safety regulators describing problems with glitchy rearview camera systems, a figure that’s surged recently.

Recalls over faulty backup cameras have similarly soared since the U.S. mandated the safety systems

recalled approximately 21 million vehicles in that span, including almost 6 million just last year, according to a Bloomberg analysis of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data.

That number balloons to nearly 28 million when including other vehicle types that are subject to the backup camera mandate, such as recreational vehicles and small buses, according to NHTSA. The stark figures make clear: Backup camera systems are one of the most error-prone features of modern automobiles.

“The more complicated this

failure points that potentially can occur,” said Chris Harvey, senior vice president for Sedgwick, a third-party claims administrator that works with companies on product recalls.

Once an optional feature on high-end cars, cameras are now standard on new vehicles at every price. The mandate stemmed from a 2008 law signed by President George W. Bush directing regulators to help prevent pedestrian deaths and injuries caused by backup collisions — particularly, those involving children. The cameras can also help drivers parallel

left carelessly in the driveway.

Yet for many car owners, faulty cameras have proven a major nuisance. The systems ranked in the top 10 most-troublesome vehicle features in every year since 2022, according to researcher JD Power.

The buggy systems are emblematic of persistent struggles carmakers have experienced while adding tech-forward features ranging from touchscreens to parking sensors.

Problems often stem from how displays, processors and wiring interact with one another, Harvey said.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Friday,August 14, 2026 ● 7A

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Vaccine plan would require millions of individual shots Parents, health providers face logistical challenges

said the FDA would have to review and license each unbundled vaccine separately, a process with no precedent.

Individual shots for measles and related diseases tend to be used by lower-income countries that can’t afford the MMR shot. Merck, GSK and the handful of other companies that supply U.S. childhood vaccines make only the combination shot.

In separate statements, Merck and GSK said they stand by the safety and effectiveness of their products.

Neither discussed plans to unbundle their shots.

BY MATTHEW PERRONE Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Public health experts have been quick to condemn an executive order from President Donald Trump aimed at upending childhood vaccinations in the U.S., but the biggest obstacles may be the unprecedented financial and logistical challenges it would impose on parents, health providers and drugmakers.

Monday’s announcement by the Republican president calls for separating combination shots — including the measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, vaccine — into separate injections.

Appointments for that and other vaccinations should be spaced out whenever possible, the order states.

To accomplish that, drugmakers would need to revive a slate of individual vaccines that have not been widely used in the U.S. for decades. They would also have to build new manufacturing plants capable of producing millions more vaccine doses than the nation currently uses.

For parents, unbundling the MMR vaccine and spacing out the shots would mean returning to the doctor’s office many more times than is currently needed. Those appointments could also strain pediatricians who typically administer the shots, while driving up costs tied to syringes and other medical supplies.

Studies in the U.S. and

Many more doctor visits

ASSOCIATEd PRESS PHOTO By JACQUELyN MARTIN

President donald Trump speaks as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., right, and Jayme Franklin listen during a meeting to sign an executive order about vaccines Monday in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. other countries have shown that combination vaccines increase the likelihood that children will be fully protected from infectious diseases before starting school.

Health experts say there is no scientific basis for changing course.

“We do things that are less convenient and more expensive if there’s a good reason to do it,” said Dr. Anna Durbin, of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “There is no good justification for this. I think it’s very bad public health policy.”

But pharmaceutical scientists and former regulators say those changes would likely take years and require drugmakers to spend tens of millions of dollars on new studies and manufacturing facilities.

Currently, there are no individual vaccines in the U.S. for measles, mumps or rubella. All the vaccines approved for those viruses by the Food and Drug Administration are combination shots. That three-in-one approach has been the standard in the U.S. since the 1970s.

Dr. Jesse Goodman, a former FDA vaccine chief, said Manufacturing overhaul companies may have to conUnder Trump’s executive duct large studies showing order, federal officials are their new individual shots instructed to develop within produce immune system90 days plans for breaking boosting reactions in chilup the MMR shot and spac- dren similar to the current versions. The specifics would ing out other vaccines.

depend upon the quality of data from the original standalone vaccines and how it’s viewed by FDA regulators.

“The question is how much has changed since then and how comfortable will the FDA and the companies be relying on those comparisons?” said Goodman, who is now a professor at Georgetown University.

Manufacturers may also have to demonstrate the safety of new manufacturing facilities and procedures, given that individual measles shots haven’t been widely produced in the U.S. for decades.

Designing, constructing and getting federal sign-off for new vaccine plants typically takes about five years, according to industry experts.

Additionally, Goodman

The MMR shot is currently delivered in two doses — the first at the age of 1 and the second dose after age 4.

Splitting up the shot into its three separate components would mean six office visits.

Spacing out other shots for pertussis and other infectious diseases could multiply the number of visits many more times.

As the number of visits goes up, parents are more likely to miss appointments or stop making them, according to Durbin.

“It’s going to be less convenient, more expensive and you’re going to have fewer people getting vaccinated,” she said.

For well over a decade, Trump has expressed his view — against medical groups’ guidance — that American children receive too many vaccines and that they should be given in smaller doses over a longer period of time. Last year he called on called on Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to look at reducing the number. Kennedy and other officials have pointed to smaller countries, such

as Denmark, that recommended slightly fewer vaccinations than the U.S. But breaking up combination shots will result in kids receiving many more individual shots than other comparable nations, Durbin notes.

White House spokesman Kush Desai said the Trump administration’s efforts on the MMR vaccine “will give parents more options on timing and frequency for their children, which ultimately will increase vaccination rates for all three diseases.”

Order is not legally binding Despite the precedentbreaking nature of Trump’s order, some experts are skeptical it will result in meaningful changes.

Neither the White House nor the FDA can compel drugmakers to develop and seek approval for new vaccines. And from a business perspective, companies have little incentive to develop individual versions of vaccines they already sell in combination shots.

“They’d be competing against themselves, and there’s no reason to do that,” said Dr. Paul Offit, a Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia vaccine researcher and former government adviser.

While Trump’s order calls for more federal research and recommendations, only state governments have the legal authority to require vaccinations for schoolchildren. The order simply advises states to consider updating their laws to reflect the Trump administration’s approach.

“I think states will ignore this,” Offit said. “I think that bottom line is that we don’t need to look to Donald Trump for our medical advice.”

Man used screwdriver to kill wife and daughter at daycare, police say

U

Federal agents surveilled Minnesota unions in hunt for conspiracy case

BY SUSAN DU

Minnesota Star Tribune (TNS) MINNEAPOLIS — Homeland Security investigators conducted a wide-ranging surveillance campaign against Minnesota labor unions, trying to find evidence that they were part of an antifa conspiracy to finance domestic terrorism, according to federal records provided to the Minnesota 15, a group of protesters federally charged with impeding immigration enforcement officers during Operation Metro Surge.

Defense lawyers for the group have received some, but not all, government evidence related to the case.

The documents confirmed that the government prosecutor who convened the grand jury to obtain the indictments was Deputy Attorney General Brian Lynch, a high-ranking Justice Department official who attended the Jan. 6, 2021, protests at the U.S. Capitol.

Lynch was appointed this year to be co-director of the

Joint Task Force Vanguard, a special unit dedicated to prosecuting left-wing political violence.

Lynch was reportedly photographed participating in the Capitol protest, standing inside a restricted zone, while rioters stormed the building. The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment from the Minnesota Star Tribune about Lynch’s involvement at the protest, but an official told Talking Points Memo last month that while Lynch was present at Jan. 6, he “never entered the Capitol, left the grounds after a brief period, and did not commit and was never accused of any violation of law.”

As part of the grand jury presentation in the case of the Minnesota protesters, the Justice Department displayed a diagram arguing that several major labor unions were connected in “the Conspiracy” at the core of the case. The unions, which traditionally align with Democratic political candidates, include the AFL-

CIO, Minneapolis Federation of Educators, Minnesota Association of Professional Employees and the Service Employees International Union.

Homeland Security investigators secretly obtained financial records of the labor unions and nonprofit organizations listed in the diagram, and also sought records regarding the Communications Workers of America, which represents most of the nation’s unionized journalists, including the Star Tribune.

Kevin Riach, the lawyer for lead defendant Issac Sant, revealed the discovery materials in a court motion Thursday in which he demanded additional disclosures and indicated he intended to file a motion to dismiss for “selective prosecution.”

“The government’s initial disclosures chronicle (Homeland Security Investigations’) abuses and confirm the political animus driving this case,” Riach wrote, saying federal agents were “fueled by visions of this vast and irrational conspiracy.”

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MINNEAPOLIS — A man used a screwdriver to fatally stab his wife and their 7-year-old daughter inside a Minnesota daycare Wednesday morning before killing himself, according to a search warrant released Thursday.

The Hennepin County search warrant obtained by The Associated Press identified the man as Nathan Brown, 41. It says he stabbed his wife, Kristen Brown, also 41, and their daughter, Evie Brown, inside the daycare that Kristen Brown operated out of the family’s basement in Hopkins, a suburb of Minneapolis. He then fatally shot himself in an upstairs closet.

Hopkins police said in a statement Thursday that they are still investigating.

According to police records, a father dropping off two of his children for daycare heard screams coming

leased any information page. She incorporated mu- her days with the children trips to a science museum about a potential motive for sic and cooking classes into and would take them on field and an orchard. the killings. They said there was no history of police calls to the Hopkins address.

Records show that Kristen SELF-SCH Brown had been licensed by TO the state since 2019. The daycare had a capacity of 10 children and was found to be in compliance during R AP P N T M visits in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

OI Family members of Kristen Brown declined to comment on Thursday.

Kristen Brown opened Brown Bear Childcare a few months after giving birth to Evie. In a 2019 post on the daycare’s Facebook page, Brown wrote that she hoped to help her daughter and other children “blossom into happy, intelligent, car† ing individuals.”

Kristen Brown had a bachelor’s degree in elementary education foundations from the University of Minnesota EVERY WINDOW* Twin Cities and was certified in vision therapy, according to her daycare’s Facebook EN

Associated Press

from the basement. The father entered the home and initially thought Nathan Brown was performing CPR before realizing it was an attack. The witness called 911 and fled with his children and two other children.

Authorities said Wednesday that they believe Nathan Brown earlier killed a 78-year-old relative at her home in Burnsville, about 20 miles from Hopkins. Nathan Brown had recently been living there, investigators said.

Police have not released the woman’s identity or said how she was related to Brown.

The warrant says the parent who witnessed the daycare attack told investigators that Kristen Brown had recently sent parents a letter that the daycare would soon be closing, citing “relationship issues with Nathan.”

Six other children were present, but none were physically harmed, authorities said.

Authorities have not re-

SCAN

BY R.J. RICO and MARK VANCLEAVE

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F r i d ay, au g u s t 14, 2026

1BN

Gulf lease sale brings in $83 million Oil companies bid for third time in eight months

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON — Energy companies agreed to pay nearly $83 million for the right to search for and produce oil and natural gas below the Gulf seafloor — with Louisiana state and local governments receiving a big chunk of those federal dollars.

It’s the third in eight months of 30 oil and gas lease sales required by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act as part of President Donald Trump’s administration’s efforts to make them more regular and more predictable. The first three auctions netted $410.1 million.

“America is finally seeing a new era of energy dominance thanks to the work we did with Presi-

Energy companies pay nearly $83 million for drilling rights in the Gulf, benefiting Louisiana and sparking controversy over environmental impact.

dent Trump to explore and produce more American energy,” said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson.

The Biden administration had continued rules that limited lease sales to only three over his entire term. Biden was reacting to reports that spotty oversight contributed to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon accident that led to 11 deaths and the spill of more than 3 million barrels of crude oil. Among the first acts President Donald Trump took after being elected a second time was canceling Biden’s policies and opening leases for activity on federal property offshore and onshore.

States and localities get a 12.5% royalty from the sales and a larger cut of revenues if fossil fuels are produced from the leased tracts. Usually it takes five years before oil starts flowing.

“We continue to lower energy costs for families and small businesses, create more highpaying jobs, and strengthen American energy production. Importantly for Louisiana, millions of dollars from these lease sales go directly to our state for coastal restoration and hurricane

PROVIdEd PHOTO

By SHELL

ä See LEASE, page 4B

Elon Musk’s private jet lands at Lafayette airport

School year starts out hot

Heat grips area as students return to class

BY KRISTIN ASKELSON Staff writer

STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

Elon Musk’s private jet is seen parked at Lafayette Regional Airport after landing in Lafayette on Thursday.

Plans emerge for SpaceX in Louisiana

of Austin, Texas, an hour earlier.

It’s not known if Musk was on the flight. Musk lives in Austin.

The visit comes as Gov. Jeff Landry’s administration is believed to be finalizing a deal with SpaceX to build a spaceBY ADAM DAIGLE port in coastal Vermilion Parish.

Acadiana business editor SpaceX has declined to specify its A jet belonging to SpaceX founder plans for Louisiana, which according to Elon Musk arrived at Lafayette Re- sources familiar with the deal, include gional Airport about 2 p.m. Thursday. the state’s settlement of a coastal lawAccording to an account on the social suit against ExxonMobil that involves media site Bluesky that tracks Musk’s about 130,000 acres of land in Vermiljet, the plane landed at LFT around ion Parish, which could then be trans1:40 p.m. It’s believed the jet flew out ferred to the commercial aerospace

company.

The Landry administration has also declined to comment.

Sources with knowledge of the deal say that the state is attempting to figure out how to streamline the permitting process for SpaceX to allow the company to move quickly when the deal with Louisiana is finalized, which could come as soon as this month.

An announcement is expected within the next two weeks.

Email Adam Daigle at adaigle@ theadvocate.com.

As nearly 28,000 Lafayette Parish students return to school this week, they are doing so during what could be one of the hottest stretches of the summer.

Heat index values reached between 105 and 110 degrees Wednesday in Lafayette, and little relief is expected through the weekend as high pressure strengthens over south Louisiana.

Thursday’s high is expected to reach 96 degrees, with heat index values as high as 109. Friday is expected to bring another high near 96 degrees and a heat index of up to 107.

The weekend could be even hotter.

High temperatures are forecast to reach 98 degrees Saturday and Sunday, with the National Weather Service warning that heat risk could increase from moderate to major through the weekend and approach extreme levels early next week.

The timing comes as Lafayette Parish schools welcome students back for the 2026-27 school year. Elementary students and some middle and high school students began classes Wednesday, with all students in grades first through 12th expected to be back on campus by Friday.

The Lafayette Parish school system expects about 28,000 students across

ä See HOT, page 4B

Police seek help identifying woman

Staff report

Charges refused for man accused of plotting shooting Former officer released June 25

BY MARCO CARTOLANO Staff writer

A former North Carolina law enforcement officer accused of threatening to commit a mass shooting at a New Orleans festival was quietly released from jail over the summer after his charges were refused, according to court and jail records.

Christopher Gillum, 45, was released from the Orleans Justice Center on June 25 after a grand jury declined to indict him on a charge of terrorizing. Docu-

ments filed in Orleans criminal court show Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office filed to officially drop the charges on June 30.

“A grand jury declined charges based on the facts showing that this individual was arrested in Florida, was from another state, and never made it to Louisiana,” Murrill said in a statement Thursday. “The individual made vague statements to family members, but those statements did not directly state an intent to carry out any crimes in Louisiana.”

Murrill said in her statement that law enforcement believed “it was highly possible” that Gillum might have been targeting the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage

Festival.

On April 22, Gillum was detained at a Destin, Florida, hotel after he was accused of allegedly planning to travel to a festival in New Orleans to commit a mass shooting before dying by suicide by cop. His family had warned law enforcement that he threatened to harm “Black people.”

Gillum was a former Orange County Sheriff’s Office deputy in North Carolina and previously worked for the Chapel Hill Police Department.

The investigation into Gillum spanned three states and was initiated after police in Burlington, North Carolina, issued an intelligence bulletin asking for

help locating him, saying he was considered a missing person and flagged as potentially seeking to harm himself.

In a statement, the FBI’s New Orleans office said prosecution decisions were determined by a local prosecutor, like the Attorney General’s Office or the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Murrill thanked federal law enforcement and local officials in Florida for apprehending Gillum and stopping him from carrying out “whatever it was he was planning, wherever he might have been planning it out.”

Email Marco Cartolano at marco.cartolano@theadvocate. com.

Police are asking for the public’s help identifying a woman who was killed while crossing the Evangeline Thruway last week.

The woman was struck by a vehicle in the 2100 block of Northeast Evangeline Thruway on Aug. 4 and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators have been unable to identify her and are asking the public for assistance.

She is described as a Black woman who may be in her late 20s or early 30s. She was about 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighed approximately 175 pounds.

She also has a tattoo on her right forearm that reads, “We only past to meet again.”

Anyone who recognizes the woman or has a family member or friend matching the description who they have not heard from recently is asked to contact the Lafayette Police Department Traffic Division at (337) 291-8600 or Lafayette Crime Stoppers at 337-232-TIPS (8477).

2B ● Friday,August 14, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

OPINION lll

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

La. is on its way to growth, but must clear roadblocks boards that lock people out of jobs for no For the first time in a generation, Louisigood reason. Our version of the REINS Act ana’s population is growing, and our kids empowers legislators to review and halt and grandkids are finding jobs and opporthe imposition of costly new rules. tunities here and returning home.

Public employees’ First AmendEntrepreneurs and innovators who once wrote us off, such as Meta, ment rights have been secured.

Hyundai, Amazon, Hut 8 and ApAnd after years of some of the naplied Digital, are betting more than tion’s highest auto insurance rates, $100 billion on Louisiana’s future as 2025’s legal reforms are helping Daniel an energy and data hub. This isn’t provide some relief.

Erspamer a fluke. It’s the early return on real That’s the good news. LawmakGUEST policy choices. ers deserve real credit for tackling COLUMNIST a deeply entrenched status quo.

Start with LA GATOR, which gave families trapped in schools that But too many reforms stopped weren’t working for their kids another opwell short of their promise, and some, like constitutional reform, have been tabled tion. Real tax reform flattened Louisiana’s tangled income tax brackets and ended the indefinitely.

Nearly 40,000 families applied and qualicorporate franchise tax outright. One Door to Work is an unprecedented restructurfied for LA GATOR in its first year. The Senate has twice failed to advance Gov. ing of government, streamlining a maze Jeff Landry’s proposed funding despite of disconnected workforce and safety net $50 million appropriated to the state’s traprograms that too often trapped people in dependency instead of placing them on the ditional public school funding formula last road to work and opportunity. year reverting to the general fund. These Lawmakers also made real progress are funds already marked for education rewriting rules for occupational licensing that should be used to help families find

a school that fits their needs. Meanwhile, we have lost ground to surrounding states by failing to create a path to a permanent income-tax phaseout, and a government growth limit to slow recurring spending has yet to be implemented.

The culture of lawfare is pervasive, and plaintiffs’ attorneys still hold both parties in a stranglehold.

The state remains a plaintiff in dozens of economy-killing coastal lawsuits, even as the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling has rightly removed several to federal court.

Knowledge gaps and outside influence threaten the energy and data infrastructure we’re counting on.

And a well-intentioned focus on public safety produced a mixed bag: Some changes moved away from bipartisan, data-driven solutions, even as reentry programming and Troop Nola’s creation stood out as bright spots.

Then there’s the spending. Lawmakers this session redirected $123 million from a state savings account to local pet projects and NGOs and took up bill after bill favor-

ing one sector of an industry over another, echoing the Huey Long playbook of pork, protectionism and government growth.

Add a tax code growing more complicated, not less, with new incentives and carveouts, and you have a state still standing with one foot in the old Louisiana even as it builds the new.

The welcome signs on the road to Louisiana’s comeback are real and worthy of praise. But that road is also lined with trialattorney billboards and warning signs of uncertainty ahead. Louisiana needs her citizens to get engaged and educated on the issues — education freedom, taxes, spending discipline, legal reform, permitting — that will decide whether this comeback becomes permanent or stalls out. Timid, half-measure reforms won’t do. Only bold, transformational ones will help us achieve our true promise.

Louisiana has momentum for the first time in decades. Let’s not lose it now.

Daniel J. Erspamer is CEO of the Pelican Institute for Public Policy.

Hidden addiction treatment Data centers will be a huge net plus for La. gap puts veterans at risk A lifesaving prescription means nothing if it MOUD or being linked to diversion cases could can’t be filled. Across Louisiana, failing to fill trigger DEA audits or investigations, even necessary prescriptions is quietly turning when prescriptions are valid. As a reopioid addiction treatment into an illusion sult, many pharmacists limit or avoid of care. For veterans, the consequences stocking and dispensing these medicaare not abstract. They are seen in preventtions.

Stigma compounds the problem, with able overdoses and lives lost.

MOUD often incorrectly viewed as Louisiana policymakers have worked substituting one addiction for another. in recent years to expand access to mediDavid Reimbursement challenges, along cations for opioid use disorder, MOUD, Howard supply constraints stemming most commonly buprenorphine dispensed Sinkman with from wholesalers’ and distributors’ through pharmacies. These medications GUEST concerns about DEA oversight, further are the most effective, evidence-based COLUMNIST limit access to these medications. treatment for a chronic brain disease that Guidance from the DEA is clear: Neialters decision-making and impulse control. ther federal law nor regulations limit Ensuring access to MOUD remains a how much MOUD pharmacies can ortop priority of the Trump administration der or dispense. Yet in practice, access because these medications save lives and is still being choked off by the very reduce criminal recidivism. Yet one critisupply chain meant to deliver care.

In a cruel irony, three of the nation’s cal breakdown is often overlooked: pharDr. largest drug wholesalers, operating macies.

Vanessa under the nationwide opioid settleRecent data compiled for the Louisiana Department of Health reveals an alarming de la Cruz ment, have imposed opaque ordering pattern. In each of the state’s eight pharlimits on buprenorphine. To avoid GUEST macy regions, between 22% and 39% of COLUMNIST triggering these thresholds, many pharmacies keep inventories artifipharmacies reported zero MOUD claims, meaning they dispensed none of these medicacially low or stop dispensing the medication altogether. tions. The result is a growing landscape of adThis is how treatment fails: not in the doctor’s diction treatment deserts, where care exists in office, but at the pharmacy counter. theory but not in practice.

The science is settled. MOUD is the standard Louisiana continues to have one of the nation’s highest overdose death rates, underscoring the of care for a chronic illness, no different from urgency of expanding lifesaving treatment. Yet insulin for diabetes or inhalers for asthma. Yet stigma, confusion and regulatory fear block acpatients can leave a doctor’s office with a valid prescription and still find no pharmacy willing cess. or able to fill it.

Fixing the problem requires alignment and Veterans face a disproportionately deadly accountability. Pharmacies and distributors burden in the opioid crisis; they are twice as must follow DEA guidance, not hidden quotas, likely to die from opioid overdose as nonveterand be transparent about whether they disans. Chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorpense MOUD. Pharmacists need clear education on dispensder and greater opioid exposure dramatically elevate their risk of addiction. The U.S. Depart- ing requirements and regulators must hold proment of Veterans Affairs has made MOUD a viders accountable when legitimate prescripcentral component of its response to the opioid tions are denied. epidemic because the medication reduces the The DEA should also provide explicit reassurrisk of fatal overdose and improves treatment ance that pharmacies acting in good faith will outcomes. not face sanctions or heightened scrutiny simBut even the VA cannot overcome a fragply for ordering or dispensing buprenorphine.

Providing regulatory certainty would reduce mented pharmacy network. In rural Louisiana, defensive practices throughout the supply veterans often travel long distances for care, chain and help ensure pharmacies can consisonly to find no nearby pharmacy willing or able to fill their medication. These barriers to tently meet legitimate patient demand. treatment are especially dangerous because Veterans have already fulfilled their obligaopioid use disorder alters brain chemistry and tion to serve. function, making cravings harder to control Access to effective addiction treatment and increasing the risk of relapse and overdose. should not depend on geography, stigma or That risk is even greater today, as the illicit whether a local pharmacy can obtain the drug supply is increasingly contaminated with medication they need. It requires a healthcare fentanyl, a synthetic opioid far more potent system that delivers care all the way to the than heroin. pharmacy counter.

So why are so many pharmacies not dispensThat is the standard veterans — and every paing MOUD? tient with opioid use disorder — deserve. LouiFear of Drug Enforcement Administration siana cannot afford to settle for anything less. scrutiny is a primary barrier.

While MOUD is legal when prescribed appro- David Howard Sinkman is a civil rights priately, pharmacies must ensure prescriptions lawyer and a former federal prosector. Dr. Vanessa de la Cruz is the medical director are for legitimate medical use under federal of the Office of Behavioral Health within the law. In practice, many interpret this standard Louisiana Department of Health. too cautiously, concerned that dispensing

It’s time to address the most and grid modernization, which hotly debated energy topic of the Louisiana (along with the rest of day: data centers. the country) desperately needs.

As the AI industrial revolution If structured appropriately, these continues to gain momeninvestments can strengthen the grid for other industrial tum, so seemingly does a users as well. wave of anti-data center Three primary challenges sentiment across the counexist: power grid strain, sigtry.

And yet, data centers are nificant water consumption Will the factories of the digital and rural infrastructure Hardy economy America runs on. limits. Fortunately in LouiGUEST So the data center debate is siana, our public service COLUMNIST commission and utility one that must be resolved — and quickly. partners require these large While infrastructure chalhyperscalers like Meta to fund their own power infrastruclenges exist, data centers offer more advantages than disadvanture. The multibillion-dollar Meta Hyperion campus brings with it tages for Louisiana, and they are agreements to fund new natural necessary for the long-term adopgas plants, grid-scale batteries and tion of AI at scale.

First, data centers present a new up to 1,500 MW of solar energy.

To address water consumption generation of industrial investissues, projects like Meta’s utilize ment. advanced, closed-loop liquid-to-air Louisiana’s existing industrial cooling systems. connectivity and workforce proThese systems recycle cooling vide the ingredients for smartly water to minimize freshwater constructed data centers, which will help cement the Bayou State’s withdrawals and are backed by developer-funded water restorareputation as a technology and energy hub of the future. The energy tion initiatives. To address rural conversation is changing rapidly, infrastructure issues, Meta has and Louisiana should rightly main- pledged over $1 billion toward lotain our place at the forefront of cal infrastructure upgrades, road that conversation. overhauls and updating wastewaThe growing opportunity for nuter and utility systems in the host communities. clear, geothermal and other clean As the AI race continues, Amerenergy technologies is also instrumental in data center development. ica cannot afford to play third Most companies developing fiddle to Russia and China. Our data centers require clean energy home — the freest, most innovasources to power these plants. tive country in the world — has the Companies investing in Louisiana, most straightforward pathway to like Meta, have pledged to build dominance in the new energy revotheir own power generation so that lution, and we must capitalize on ratepayers will not foot the bill. our resources, skilled workforce In the economic development and innovation-rich industrial ensphere, data centers bring in high- vironment. American energy indepaying, permanent technical jobs pendence and continued American along with hundreds of thousands energy dominance is the best-case of construction jobs while the proj- scenario for America and the globe as a whole. ects are built.

With an energy-rich environDemand for local contractors and suppliers will increase as well. ment, experienced industrial For the rural parishes where these workforce and strategic locaprojects are being built, all of this tion on the Gulf Coast, the Bayou should be welcome news. LouisiState can compete for data center investments that are mindful of ana parishes stand to gain a great the concerns of our communities deal from these across-the-board while offering economic boons for investment infusions. those same communities. The 21stConsequently, data centers are the opposite of government-driven century energy race has entered new territory with the onset of AI economic development. Data centechnology and data centers — and ters mean private investment and it ought to be Louisiana leading the expanded tax bases for their host charge. communities, in addition to the jobs they create.

These large data center investWill Hardy is the state director for Conservatives for Clean ments also serve as a catalyst for Energy Louisiana. new transmission infrastructure

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COMMENTARY

ASSOCIATEd PRESS PHOTO By PAUL SANCyA

democratic nominee for U.S. Senate Abdul El-Sayed speaks at a rally for Michigan democrats in detroit.

ISSUE OF THE WEEK THE dEMOCRATS The democratic Party appears to be undergoing a transformation, with party leaders facing pressure from their left flank for a more progressive agenda. Last week’s Michigan Senate primary put that dynamic on display with Abdul El-Sayed edging out a candidate backed by establishment dems. But heading towards the midterms, it remains to be seen whether this new face of the party will have broad appeal to voters.What will the democratic Party look like in the future? Here are two perspectives:

The long rise of the new Democratic Party

Can I claim to have predicted, way ers’ aversion to Donald Trump, led me back in 1988, the result of Michigan’s to describe the Democratic Party in the fiercely contested Democratic primary Washington Examiner in 2018 “as a cofor U.S. senator last week? alition of groups regarded as racial miThe developments that have made norities (Blacks, Hispanics, Asian) and Abdul El-Sayed — who lost the 2018 of culturally liberal, highly educated gubernatorial primary to Gov. people in affluent metropolitan Gretchen Whitmer, D-Michigan, areas, sympathetic suburbs and by 20 percentage points — a university towns (gentry liberwinner over Rep. Haley Stevens als and what one might call the were visible in the 1988 contest graduate student proletariat).” for Michigan’s delegates to the Today, electorally the highDemocratic National Convenest Democratic percentages in Michael states like Michigan and Wistion, in which Jesse Jackson ran Barone consin are cast not in Wayne far ahead of eventual nominee Michael Dukakis by a 24-percentand Milwaukee Counties, with their large Black and blue-collar White age-point margin.

Let’s flash back 38 years to see what I communities, but in Washtenaw and mean. Then, as a member of The Wash- Dane Counties, home of the University ington Post editorial page staff, I wrote of Michigan and the University of Wisan article in the Post two weeks after consin.

Jackson’s surprise victory, starting out That — plus the leftward shift of by describing the unusual process.

White college graduates (visible in El“The Michigan Democrats’ ‘firehouse Sayed’s wins in the Grand Rapids and primary’ caucus system allowed any eli- Traverse City areas) explains how the gible voter claiming to be a Democrat to minority positions of Jackson in 1988 and El-Sayed in 2018 could become a cast a vote — but only between 10 and victorious (though not quite majority) 4 on a Saturday and at only 576, rather win for El-Sayed in 2028. than the usual 11,000, voting locations.

The germs were there all along, but In 1988 some 212,000 — from a state the disease has unmistakably broken that cast 3.8 million votes in the 1984 out only now. Michigan Attorney Gengeneral election — came in and voted.”

In this low-turnout environment, eral Dana Nessel, who is Jewish, has an“About 40% of them — no one is sure, nounced she would not attend the Dembecause no exit poll was taken — were ocratic State Convention, for fear she’d Black, and Jesse Jackson, with the 20% be booed off the stage. Preprimary vote among Whites he had been receiv- polling showed El-Sayed narrowly trailing in other caucus situations (much ing (and Stevens narrowly leading) the of it from Michigan’s large graduate Republican nominee, former Rep. Mike student proletariat and Arab-American Rogers, who lost an open-seat Senate populations), beat Dukakis by 54% to race to Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Michigan, 28%.” Jackson easily carried the two by only 0.3 percentage points in 2024.

Detroit-based Black-majority districts.

Preprimary polling also showed ElBut he lost the heavily blue-collar disSayed well ahead of Stevens, suggesting tricts in suburban Wayne and Macomb that his enthusiastic core voters — highCounties. His big surprise wins were ly educated and low-income — were in the outstate Michigan congressional more eager to be polled than Stevens’ districts. more downscale base (she carried virtuThose wins were produced by a gifted ally all of Michigan’s heavy-manufacDemocratic insider and Lansing busituring counties).

But El-Sayed has proven to be an nessman, Joel Ferguson, who hired yellow school buses in small outstate cities adept candidate, articulate and gifted at personal interaction while avoiding and shipped busloads of Black church members to the few caucus sites. In ad- direct endorsement of the Democratic Socialists of America and its unpopular dition, Jackson won big in Washtenaw platform planks, and he is running in a and Ingham Counties, home to the University of Michigan and Michigan State state Trump barely carried two years ago and in a year when the president University, respectively. and his party are unpopular. Like The lesson that “Jackson votes came not from working class Whites but from Zohran Mamdani in New York City, he has political skills that may place him in the ‘graduate student proletariat,” as I a key position — perhaps the deciding wrote in Reason in 1991, became less vote in a Senate majority — in Amerirelevant as Bill Clinton increased the Democratic Party’s appeal among all can government. We’ve come a long voters, with particular gains among way since 1988. those with high incomes and high eduMichael Barone is on X, @MichaelBarcational credentials.

That trend, amplified by upscale votone.

Time for Democrats to widen their ‘big tent’

Here we go again. can learn from his example. To begin We’re approaching another presidenwith, they shouldn’t be afraid to back candidates who take dissenting but printial campaign year, and once again I am reminded of what the great sage Will Rog- cipled positions on controversial issues, or to back candidates from diverse backers said back in 1933: “I am not a member of any organized grounds. political party,” he said. “I am a DemoEnter Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, the forcrat.” mer public health official running as a Yes, I know that Rogers quote is old Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in enough to have whiskers on it.

Michigan on a progressive, antiYet, compared to the comparaestablishment platform.

Virtually unknown outside tively regimented style of the ReMichigan, he sprang into the napublicans, particularly the MAGA faction that runs the party, the tional spotlight by winning that Democrats seem to specialize in state’s Democratic Senate prifinding new ways to snatch defeat in a narrow but significant Clarence mary out of the jaws of victory, especially victory, defeating a candidate Page since the two successful terms of widely considered to be the safe, Barack Obama. “establishment” Democrat.

Doom and gloom might in fact be the In polls and focus groups, by condefault state of the Democrats. trast, respondents praised El-Sayed as When Republicans and a large number a straight-talker who would stick it to of swing voters rallied around Donald the party establishment they no longer Trump in 2024, he was a convicted felon, a trusted anyway. sore-loser ex-president dishonored by his He’s been called a Democratic Socialist failed attempt to nullify the 2020 election, by Trump and others. He is not. a man hounded by the Justice Department El-Sayed, an epidemiologist by training for misdeeds in office. who was born in the Detroit suburbs to And yet the Democrats lost to him in Egyptian parents, has been called antiwhat could only be termed a self-inflicted Semitic because he criticizes the war in debacle.

Gaza and has called for an arms boycott Meanwhile, President Donald Trump of Israel. You don’t have to be anti-Semitic carries on, relentlessly finding new norms to be pro-peace in Gaza. to violate, shielded by his presidential Stevens, meanwhile, expressed support pardoning power and his party’s majority for Israel and took campaign contribucontrol of Congress and, in effect, even tions from the American Israel Public the Supreme Court.Americans in the Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, a group political center and on the left are dreadthat has become highly controversial among voters of both parties as Israel has ing the possibility that the Democratic continued its war in Gaza and neighboring establishment is going to flub the opporLebanon. tunity to wrest control of Congress in the The issue of the U.S. alliance with Isupcoming midterm elections from the increasingly unpopular forces of Trumpism. rael is likely to cause a lot of unpredictIt would be wrong, however, to write off able fractiousness in both parties. But the Democrats as moribund and hopeless. of course in El-Sayed’s case there is the Politics, like nature, abhors a vacuum. added factor that he is Muslim. You don’t And into the Democratic void stepped have to be a cynic to predict that the Rea once-in-a-generation political talent: publicans will dial up Islamophobic rhetoZohran Mamdani. This eloquent, handric in the run-up to November’s election.

As a rather sharp-tongued maverick, Elsome, preternaturally happy young man Sayed will have to work to bolster support came out of nowhere to win the mayoral among Democratic constituencies who election of New York City, even though it favored his opponent in the primary. For seemed like the entire Democratic establishment, much of the mainstream media, example, his support among Black votand of course our kibitzing president ers was disappointingly low. He can and were arrayed against him. should try to make up for that deficit. Now As a foreign-born Muslim, a self-deis the time for the politics of addition, not subtraction. scribed socialist and an outspoken critic Like him or not, the Democrats, after of Israel, Mamdani might have been writnumerous well-known setbacks, need to ten off by most as a likely candidate to keep an open mind about where their next lead the nation’s most important city, but leaders might come from. his superlative political instincts and his So, for that matter, should Republicans, charm offensive with voters made him a national sensation — and gave Democrats if they can ever pry Trump loose from his perch in the White House. hope again that a new ascendancy is possible.

Email Clarence Page at clarence47page@ Mamdani’s politics aren’t every Demogmail.com. crat’s cup of tea. But Dems of all stripes

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4B ● Friday,August 14, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Ex-officers granted qualified immunity But ‘BRAVE Cave’ beating claims will go to jury

BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

Three former Baton Rouge police officers were granted qualified immunity Wednesday in federal court for the majority of claims in a lawsuit against them, including stripsearching a 21-year-old at the notorious “BRAVE Cave” warehouse.

But Chief U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick declined to grant one of the former officers immunity on a claim that he kicked the man in his ribs, ruling instead that a jury will decide the issue of potential excessive force.

The former officer accused of kicking Jeremy Lee is Troy Lawrence Jr., who was at the center of many of the BRAVE Cave controversies that rocked the Baton Rouge Police Department in 2023, and whose father was a deputy chief in the department.

Lawrence and former officers Matthew Wallace and Joseph Carboni were involved in the Jan. 9, 2023, search of a suspected drug house on Cadillac Street.

There, they detained Lee as he exited the home, and later arrested him on grounds that the smell of marijuana was emanating from

the house.

When they searched the residence, the officers found heroin, cocaine, meth, hydrocodone, marijuana and drug paraphernalia, as well as six semiautomatic weapons.

Lee was later taken to a BRPD warehouse facility known as the BRAVE Cave.

Lee filed a civil suit against the officers and the city-parish in August 2023, which stated that when he was released from police custody he was “left so badly beaten that the local jail refused to admit him until he was treated by a nearby hospital.”

In the suit, Lee claims the officers violated his constitutional rights through excessive force, unreasonable search and seizure, and First Amendment retaliation against him for his speech.

Lee argues he was arrested only for being “in the wrong place at the wrong time,” and that factors like the smell of marijuana, the fact he was in a house that contained drugs, and that people around him had been in possession of firearms did not constitute enough probable cause for his original arrest.

In the officers’ defense, attorneys for the city-parish argued the men were acting in their official capacities when detaining and searching Lee and so deserved qualified immunity.

Dick largely agreed with those arguments.

BATON ROUGE

with Lee’s body.

While Dick granted immunity or favorable pretrial judgments to First, she ruled that detaining Lee the officers over detainment and at the Cadillac Street residence was search issues, Lee’s case did previproper, as other armed men could ously force the Police Department be seen through an open door and to amend its search policy to exattempting to exit through the back clude strip searches of detainees of the house. based on suspicion alone.

Dick further ruled that the officers had probable cause to arrest Kicked in the ribs him at the residence, as “Lee was Lee claimed while in custody at not merely present in a public place the BRAVE Cave he was beaten near criminal activity, he emerged after he was strip-searched. Lee from a residence that officers had testified he was left alone with Lawprobable cause to believe was an rence to be searched, and that when active location for narcotics traf- it was over the officer struck him suddenly. ficking.”

Lee said he fell backward, and In his suit, Lee claims he was strip-searched twice, once at the claims Lawrence then kicked him Cadillac Street house when he in the ribs more than once with was being detained and then in the steel-toed boots. Lee said he ran BRAVE Cave when he was official- to the back of the warehouse, but was stopped by Wallace after the ly arrested.

For the claims of unreasonable second officer came into the waresearches, Dick ruled that the Cadil- house and executed a “leg sweep” lac Street search did not constitute on Lee, knocking him to the ground.

Dick dismissed the leg sweep as a strip search since officers only lowered his pants to check for a excessive force, as it didn’t cause firearm and that the definition of a any noticeable injury, but she destrip search is not clearly enough nied Lawrence immunity or predefined for officers to know “that trial dismissal for the claims of partially exposing Lee’s underwear kicking Lee. was a constitutional violation.”

In defense of Lawrence, the At the BRAVE Cave, Lee was or- city-parish argues that Lee’s story dered to strip nude, bend over and changed throughout the legal procough. Dick again ruled that this cess and can’t be trusted. was lawful, as the search was per“While the Court acknowledges formed privately by officers of the that Lee has demonstrated some same sex without physical contact inconsistencies between his allega-

tions and his deposition testimony, not all the inconsistencies are necessarily material to the genuinely disputed fact here as to whether Lawrence used excessive force against him in the Brave Cave warehouse,” Dick wrote. “Importantly, that part of Lee’s story has not changed.”

Lee’s attorneys presented medical records from the day of the beating as evidence, showing he suffered a broken rib.

But attorneys representing the officers also submitted video evidence from the BRAVE Cave showing Lee laughing and speaking with other inmates and an officer at a time after he claimed to have been kicked. In the video, Lee also supposedly moves, stands and leans in a way inconsistent with a freshly broken rib, the attorneys said.

Dick called this a “close call,” but ultimately decided that the issue of believing Lee’s story of being beaten or not was up to a jury, not for the court to decide ahead of time.

Dick allowed another of Lee’s claims against Lawrence to go to jury, regarding violations of protected speech. Lee claims the beating was motivated by criticisms and mocking of Lawrence that he carried out during his arrest.

“If a jury believes that Lawrence assaulted Lee, it may also believe that Lawrence was motivated by Lee’s protected speech,” Dick wrote.

New Orleans offers musicians discounted parking Program launching for performers on Frenchmen Street

BY POET WOLFE Staff writer

Starting in September, performers who have gigs at Frenchmen Street venues will be eligible for discounted parking, the latest effort to support New Orleans’ nightlife on a once-local thoroughfare increasingly transformed by tourism.

The musicians’ discounted parking program is an addition to the broader Downtown Discount program, created by the Mayor’s Office of Nighttime Economy last year during former Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration. It will offer musicians reduced rates similar to the ones currently available to hospitality workers across the downtown area.

The musicians’ discount will be available at paid parking lots along Decatur Street and Elysian Fields Avenue. At 2315 and 2350 Decatur St., the discounts average 60% off the regular rate, or $50 off a

LEASE

Continued from page 1B protection efforts,” Scalise said.

Louisiana received about $204 million in 2025 under the federal revenue-sharing program, according to the Interior Department.

Scalise is responsible for adding wording to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that raised the amount of money the federal government pays communities that host onshore facilities and workers for offshore activities.

Tommy Faucheux — who heads the Louisiana MidContinent Oil & Gas Association, an energy trade group — said in a prepared statement that the sales reinforce the Gulf’s role in meeting America’s energy needs.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Starting in September, performers who have gigs on Frenchmen Street will have the option to park at certain lots for a discounted rate. monthly subscription, according to Robert Henig Bell, a community projects manager at the Mayor’s Office of Nighttime Economy. At 621 Elysian Fields Ave., the daily discount averages 73% off, or $30 off a monthly subscription.

The nighttime office and its partnering parking providers plan to enroll performers in the program using discount codes. Bell said the

“Most important: Consistent and predictable lease sales are essential to providing the certainty companies need to make the long-term, multibillion-dollar investments required for offshore energy development,” he said.

The U.S. Department of Interior’s Marine Minerals Administration opened the bids Wednesday from its “BBG3 lease sale” at The National World War II Museum in New Orleans.

Nearly $100 million in bids were submitted by 16 energy corporations. The winning high bids for 59 blocks, about 330,150 acres of seafloor, will generate $82.7 million for the federal government.

Opponents of the lease sales noted that the latest one had fewer participants — and when the bids are

program will be monitored and adjusted as needed, but for now, “the goal is to supply enough discount codes” for performers interested in using them.

The discount is limited to just the three lots at this time, but Bell said the nighttime agency hopes to eventually expand to the rest of downtown. The Downtown Discount for hospitality workers ex-

fully processed will produce less money — than the earlier sales.

“Trump’s lease sales are becoming a lesson in stupidity, where he keeps trying to sell bigger swaths of the Gulf and fewer oil companies are biting,” Nick Katkevich, a campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement.

The Arizona-based legal action group works to protect endangered species.

“It’s time to wind down this industry and end Gulf offshore drilling altogether.

It’s not too late for the Gulf and its beautiful marine life to recover from generations of oil disasters and industrial traffic,” Katkevich added.

Murphy Oil Corp., based in Houston, offered the most, at $21.4 million for various leases, followed closely by Chevron Corp., also based in

tends across the Central Business District, French Quarter, Marigny and Tremé and includes 27 lots and garages.

“Our office will look to continue adding more ways for local hospitality and culture-bearers to keep more of their earnings so they can stress less about transportationrelated concerns,” Bell said.

The program comes as Frenchmen Street has evolved over the last several decades. Once home to a mix of clubs and local establishments, it is now a stretch of nightlife marked by large crowds and traffic most weekend nights — a shift that has created new obstacles for the performers who help drive the street’s tourism and economy.

Shout Young, who has frequently performed at venues on Frenchmen since 2018, said that before the pandemic, “things were a bit more lax when it came to parking.” Musicians often parked on the side of the road or next to a venue. But about two years after the pandemic, that started to change, with tighter enforcement and more performers returning to find tickets on their windshields.

While Young sees the program

Houston, which is prepared to spend $15.6 million.

A few of the leases were in nine feet of water. But the most interest and competition was for the ultra-deep tracts, some up to seven miles below the surface. Forty-five of the 59 winning bids were for seafloors under at least a half mile of water.

One of the most competitive leases was for Keathley

as an option, he said that because many musicians aren’t making enough money during gigs, it’s reasonable to turn to off-street parking — which is free after 7 p.m. — rather than the discounted spaces.

“The main point that I’m sure everyone can find sane,” Young said, “is that when you’re trying to make money, you don’t want to spend money on the day you’re making money.”

Joe Hamilton, a sound engineer and musician who has performed on Frenchmen for 15 years and is now at Cafe Negril every Wednesday, often parks next to venues to carry heavy sound equipment from his car to the stage.

As the crowds have grown postpandemic, he’s noticed more musicians like himself having to park several blocks away and make multiple trips to their cars to set up for a show. “(The program) really doesn’t seem to solve the problem to me,” Hamilton said, adding that performers would still have to walk at least a block from the parking spaces to Frenchmen venues.

Email Poet Wolfe at poet.wolfe@ theadvocate.com.

Canyon Block 258, an underwater valley at the edge of the continental shelf.

About 200 miles south of Cameron Parish, the tract sits more than a mile below the surface. Four companies bid close to $20 million for Block 258, with BP plc, based in London, apparently winning on a $7.5 million bid, according to the Interior Department.

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Continued from page 1B

but widespread rainfall is not expected through much of the week.

A strengthening area of high pressure is expected to remain in place through the weekend and into early next week, allowing temperatures to remain several degrees above normal.

Some scattered rain could return Sunday and Monday, though rain chances are expected to decrease again next week while above-average temperatures persist.

44 school sites this year.

While classrooms are airconditioned, the heat could affect students waiting for buses, walking to and from school, participating in outdoor activities or athletics, and spending time outside during recess.

The heat is expected to be accompanied by mostly sunny and dry conditions.

A few isolated showers or Email Kristin Askelson at thunderstorms are possible, kaskelson@theadvocate.com.

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F r i d ay, au g u s t 14, 2026

1CN

Daniels LSU at oodds about use of No. 5 jersey Daniels, Former LSU QB Jayden daniels

Cornerback Pickett was promised jersey number by former Tigers coach Kelly

STAFF FILE PHOTO

By MICHAEL JOHNSON

BY JON BLAU Staff writer

LSU found itself in a firestorm Thursday after it was revealed Jayden Daniels’ lawyer sent a cease-and-desist letter to athletic director Verge Ausberry last week after another Tigers football player started wearing the No. 5 jersey the Heisman Trophy winner used to wear.

Daniels, in the midst of the Washington Commanders’ training camp, addressed the situation Thursday afternoon via a statement on his Instagram.

“I have been locked in on training camp and that’s been my number one focus,” Daniels wrote. “I have a lot of gratitude for my time at LSU and I’m proud of what my teammates and I accomplished there.

Obviously, there are issues to be worked out between my team and LSU and my hope is that it will get done privately.

“My sole personal focus is on Commanders’ football. I realize the business of football is unique and I trust this can all be resolved.”

Daniels’ statement came more than 15 hours after a late Wednesday night report detailing a letter sent by the quarterback’s attorney to Ausberry demanding the university stop using Daniels’ name, image and likeness.

The letter came immediately after cornerback DJ Pickett, a sophomore who wore No. 3 as a freshman, was allowed to switch to No. 5, which hadn’t been donned by an LSU player since Daniels’ Heisman Trophy season in 2023.

A needed win

A spokesperson for Daniels said his family was “deeply disappointed” and felt “profoundly disrespected” by LSU allowing Pickett to wear the quarterback’s number.

“Jayden and his family had every reason to believe that his number would remain a meaningful part of his LSU legacy and would be honored and protected in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to the university,” a statement said.

A spokesperson for LSU athletics declined comment to The Advocate.

Last week, LSU coach Lane Kiffin said Pickett was promised No. 5 by former coach Brian Kelly in the recruiting process.

Kelly has since told ESPN that he didn’t allow Pickett to wear No. 5 as a freshman, or

ä See LSU, page 3C

Linebacker McPherson ready to make mark for Cajuns

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT dUKE

Saints quarterback Tyler Shough lines up for a play against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday during a joint practice in Metairie. Shough had his best individual performance of training camp against the Jaguars.

Saints offense shines vs.

Jaguars after struggling for much of camp

Edge young, defense apply pressure to Jaguars in joint practice

BY LUKE JOHNSON

BY MATTHEW PARAS

Maybe all the New Orleans Saints needed to see was a different color uniform.

After opening training camp with 11 mostly inconsistent practices, the Saints offense finally looked like the unit that had driven so much of the optimism for the team in the lead-up to the 2026 season Thursday during joint practices with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Saints offense ran 88 plays from scrimmage against the Jaguars, and the first-team offense took the lion’s share of them, with quarterback Tyler Shough taking the snap for 56 of those plays.

What followed was the team’s best offensive performance in this training camp.

It wasn’t a perfect day, but it felt like a huge step in the right direction. Here’s what we saw from this side of the ball.

Shough had his best individual performance of training camp against the Jaguars. Shough

Chase Young didn’t have a guess for how many sacks the New Orleans Saints defense had in Thursday’s joint practice against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

But the pass rusher was keeping track of his own total.

“I had six alone,” Young said.

Young’s scoring may be up for debate. In a practice setting, pass rushers are required to pull up before actually making contact with the quarterback.

That makes judging them tricky. Would the play have resulted in a brutal takedown or would the passer still make the pass in spite of the pressure?

But it still said a lot about Young’s day that the remark didn’t seem like an exaggeration. There were at least four plays — three passes, one run — blown dead directly because of the 27-year-old’s impact.

And there were one or two more that he could have a case for causing.

Young was part of a defensive line that feasted on the Jaguars, who were without a few of their

ä See OFFENSE, page 3C

ä See DEFENSE, page 3C

Staff writer

ä See UL, page 3C

Staff writer

Shough in control

Each year it seems like UL depends on a first-year starter to lead the way at inside linebacker.

Last year, it worked out pretty well with Jaden Dugger taking over the playmaking role on his way to being drafted in the fifth round by the San Francisco 49ers.

This time around, the UL coaching staff thinks redshirt sophomore Conor McPherson is the solution.

“He’s unbelievably athletic now,” UL coach Michael Desormeaux said. “I mean, the kid can run. He runs and strikes.”

A year ago, the 6-foot-2, 220-pounder collected three tackles on special teams, but early signs indicate he’s ready for much, much more.

Desormeaux said what McPherson lacks in experience he makes up for with intensity.

“He plays right on the edge of out of control all the time,” Desormeaux said. “I mean, you have to tell him ‘whoa’ a lot. You know what I mean? That’s what you want. You’d rather say, ‘whoa’ than ‘go.’ “ McPherson is ready to show UL fans he’s primed to make a big impact while playing alongside the defense’s new leader in senior linebacker Jake St. Andre.

“More than anything, they will see I have really grown up,” McPherson said. “I can really help this defense in a major role.”

The first step was maturing under veteran linebackers coach Scott Stoker.

“More than anything, I always trusted him,” McPherson said of Stoker. “Trust me, he was going to have me in the right spot and doing the right thing.

“My problem was, I really had to listen.

Not that I didn’t listen, but it was more so, they come with reps ... trial and error. You’re going to mess up some things, but you can’t let it happen again.”

The Montgomery, Alabama, native asked Stoker many questions.

“That’s a guy that knows a lot,” McPherson said. “I’m always willing to learn.”

STAFF PHOTO By BRAd KEMP

UL linebacker Conor McPherson goes through drills during practice at the school’s practice fields on Wednesday.

2C ● Friday, August 14, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Ten area RBs to watch in 2026

BY MIKE COPPAGE Contributing writer

Even with today’s pass-happy offenses, the ability to run the football remains as important as ever.

On third down and short yardage, teams have to be able to move the chains via the ground in addition to keeping defenses honest throughout a game.

Here is a list of Acadiana-area running backs to watch for the 2026 season.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Veteran tight end Darren Waller has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers.

Rosenhaus Sports, the agency that represents Waller, sent a post on X confirming the deal Wednesday.

Waller came out of retirement last year after the Miami Dolphins acquired him from the New York Giants. He caught 24 passes for 283 yards and six touchdowns in nine games before getting placed on injured reserve with a groin issue.

Waller, who turns 34 on Sept. 13, has 374 career catches for 4,407 yards and 26 touchdowns. He made a Pro Bowl in 2020, when he caught 107 passes for 1,196 yards and nine touchdowns with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Duhon is ready to make a splash after missing his junior season with an injury. In early 2025, he had the best 60-meter dash time of anyone in his grade at 7.01 seconds.

Tulane and UL have shown the most interest in Duhon, who is ranked as a three-star prospect by 247Sports and has been listed as high as No. 25 among in-state 2027 prospects.

Jaden Celestine, Lafayette High

Justin Williams, Southside The leading returning rusher in the area, Williams was the top ballcarrier for one of the state’s best rushing attacks. The 5-foot-10, 205-pound bruiser ran for 274 yards on 26 carries with four scores in Southside’s opening-round playoff win over Prairieville, highlighted by one play where he continued to plow forward with multiple defenders hanging on for dear life.

De’Maurion Cormier, Kaplan In last year’s 50-42 shootout win over Patterson, Cormier totaled 327 yards on 41 carries with five touchdowns. A 1,000-yard rusher in 2025, he’ll be asked to shoulder the load as much as ever under new coach Vinnie Bullara, who runs a flexbone-type offense.

Caemon Crockem, Westgate A part of the Tigers’ vaunted 2028 class, Crockem has been at the top of the state recruiting rankings since his freshman year.

Twins CF Buxton back from IL for Field of Dreams game

STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRAd KEMP

Southside running back Justin Williams runs with the ball against Lafayette High last season. Williams returns as the lead back for a powerful Sharks’ running game.

After leading the team in rushing should compete for the Division last season, the junior has a goal II select crown. of 2,000 all-purpose yards, which is attainable playing for a team Da’Marion Green, Carencro that could make a deep playoff At a chiseled 6-1 and 222 pounds, run.

Green is built like a tailback from Nebraska’s glory days running Dashun Lightfoot, Acadiana the I-formation. Last year at LaThe 5-10, 195-pounder trans- fayette Renaissance, he averaged ferred from Franklin after amass- close to 6 yards per carry in a ing more than 2,200 all-purpose pass-oriented offense. yards with 28 touchdowns and five TDs as a junior. The Wreckin’ Justin Chavis, Northwest Rams’ veer offense will be capaThe starting quarterback for ble of scoring from anywhere on the Raiders, Chavis missed part the field with Syrian Joseph and of last season with an injury. He Lightfoot, an Arkansas State com- averaged more than 6 yards per carry and could keep the ball ofmitment, at running back. ten with the graduation of 1,200Spencer Meche, yard rusher Ke’Von Johnson.

Coach Chris Edwards can also Teurlings Catholic explore offensive packages with Meche is the leading returning Chaise Dupre (12 TD passes), and rusher for coordinator Mike Rich- the 5-8, 165-pound Chavis on the ard’s offense, which tends to run field simultaneously. the ball 70% of the time. He ran for nearly 500 yards with seven Nathan Driggs, St. Edmund scores and averaged more than As a junior, Driggs carried 6 yards per carry for a team that 174 times for 1,385 yards and 16

touchdowns for a 10-win team.

The 5-10, 170-pounder ran for 164 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries in a 60-0 win over Morgan City in Week 3.

Others to watch Kollen Francois (Southside), Thomas Carter (Loreauville), Syrian Joseph (Acadiana), Joseph Clues (Opelousas), Malik Thomas (Eunice), Owen Bailey (St. Thomas More), Andre Green (Westminster Christian-Lafayette), Avery Stutes (North Vermilion), Deondre Briscoe (Cecilia), Nave Nguyen (Delcambre), Cooper Parich (Catholic-New Iberia), Jayden Hargrave (Kaplan), Jaiden Portalis (Lafayette High), LaBrahn Cormier (Abbeville), Chace Dugas (Northside), Caden Miller (Church Point), Landyn Craft (St. Thomas More), Cardaye Batiste (Carencro), Adrian Godette (Delcambre), Gage Wise (North Vermilion), Kristian Aubrey (Acadiana Renaissance) and Destin Smith (Jeanerette)

LSU men add fifth-year transfer from UCLA

BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

LSU added a new player to its 2026-27 roster after more than a month of inactivity.

The Tigers gained the commitment of UCLA transfer Skyy Clark on Wednesday, according to multiple reports. Clark, a 6-foot3, 210-pound combo guard, played his senior season last year but is currently eligible to play another season.

He has an additional season after a U.S. district court judge in Colorado ruled that high school players from the 2022 graduating class who exhausted their fourth season of eligibility would be eligible for a fifth college season in 2026-27. It is expected that the NCAA will appeal the ruling.

Clark averaged 11.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game last season. He shot 46.9% from the field, 42.8% from the 3-point line on 4.8 attempts and 82.1% from the free-throw line. The Los Angeles native entered the transfer portal on April 7 after starting 23 of 26 games for UCLA. The Bruins were a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament and lost to UConn in the second round.

LOS ANGELES — All-Pro wide receiver Puka Nacua is expected to return to practice next week with the Los Angeles Rams after sitting out Thursday’s workout with muscle soreness.

Nacua was hurt during the Rams’ joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday, leaving the field early. He worked out on the side Thursday while the Rams held their final practice before traveling to Kansas City for their preseason opener against the Chiefs on Saturday.

Head coach Sean McVay said Nacua felt the soreness in his psoas — a muscle that runs from the back through the pelvis to the legs.

“Puka is doing good,” McVay said. “We’re just being smart with him. Expect him to be back next week, ready to go.”

Veteran TE Waller agrees to 1-year deal with Panthers

Devine Duhon, Jeanerette

Last year, Celestine powered Comeaux to a five-win finish following a string of winless seasons by rushing for nearly 1,700 yards and 24 touchdowns. When the school board voted to close Comeaux, Celestine transferred to Lafayette High. The Lamar commitment is reportedly high on UL’s recruiting board and could catapult a stellar season on the Class 5A level to bigger offers.

Rams’ Nacua misses practice due to muscle soreness

ASSOCIATEd PRESS FILE PHOTO By MATT SLOCUM

UCLA guard Skyy Clark goes up for a shot past UConn defender Malachi Smith during the second round of the NCAA Tournament on March 22 in Philadelphia.

Coach Will Wade’s new addition was the No. 33 player in the 2022 class, according to the 247Sports Composite, and started his collegiate career at Illinois. LSU will be Clark’s fourth team. After Illinois, he transferred to Louisville as a sophomore and to UCLA as a

guard Abdi Bashri (Kansas State), point guard Divine Ugochukwu (Michigan State) and combo guard Austin Nunez (University of Texas at San Antonio).

LSU also added players to the team who didn’t play college basketball last season. Former St. John’s star RJ Luis committed to Wade after going undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Luis, a 6-7 wing, signed a twoway contract with the Utah Jazz, was traded to the Boston Celtics (who cut him shortly after) and signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Celtics’ G-League affiliate.

He’ll likely have to file a lawsuit to gain college eligibility.

LSU also has four international commitments who remain unsigned: Italian-Senegalese wing Saliou Niang, Brazilian center Marcio Santos, French center Brice Dessert and Croatian forward Michael Ruzic.

The Tigers’ season opener is Nov. 3 against LSU-New Orleans at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. They will play their first of three exhibition games on Oct. 8 at McNeese State at Townsley Law Arena in Lake Charles.

junior. His highest-scoring season was at Louisville when he averaged 13.2 points on 41.2% shooting and 3.0 assists.

Clark is the fifth player the Tigers have added from the transfer portal. He joins forward Mo Email Toyloy Brown III at Dioubate (Kentucky), shooting toyloy.brown@theadvocate.com

DYERSVILLE, Iowa — The Minnesota Twins reinstated All-Star center fielder Byron Buxton from the 10day injured list before their game at the Field of Dreams on Thursday against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Buxton missed the past 14 games with a right hip impingement, his second stint this season on the injured list. The first stay prevented him from playing in the All-Star Game. He played in seven games after the break and was sidelined again with what has been a recurring injury for him the past few years.

Major League Baseball allowed a 27th player for the special site game, so the Twins didn’t have to make a corresponding roster move to make room for Buxton.

Reds pitcher Greene out for season after elbow surgery

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene will be out the rest of this season and possibly 2027 after undergoing Tommy John surgery Thursday to repair a ligament in his right elbow.

The team had announced Friday that Greene would require surgery.

He also had Tommy John surgery in 2019 when he was in the minor leagues. The Cincinnati Enquirer first reported his latest surgery.

Greene is 2-2 with a 6.83 ERA in 272/3 innings over five starts.

Greene, whose last appearance was July 31, told the team’s medical staff he experienced soreness during his side session Aug. 4.

Greene began the season on the 60-day injured list following surgery in March to remove bone chips from his right elbow.

Spieth shares 5-way lead at St. Jude Championship

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Jordan Spieth believes he’s playing better golf and he finally got a score to show for it Thursday. He was bogey-free for a 5-under 65 that gave him a five-way share of the lead in the FedEx St. Jude Championship and boosted his hopes of extending his season.

Rocket Classic champion Michael Thorbjornsen, Jake Knapp, Michael Kim and Kurt Kitayama also opened with 65s in the sweltering heat at the TPC Southwind. Spieth and Kim are outside the top 50 in the FedEx Cup who advance to the BMW Championship next week.

This is the second straight year Spieth, at No. 54 and winless in more than four years, has been on the bubble going into the postseason. He was at No. 48 a year ago and fell out of the top 50.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Friday,August 14, 2026 ● 3C

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UL

“... I really think Conor’s the total package. I think as a young player right now, the sky is the limit for him. I just think he can do everything for you.”

“He (St. Andre) was putting me in that water ... you either know it or you don’t,” Continued from page 1C McPherson said. “You’ve got to show that you know it. That’s also how I feel like I gained MICHAEL dESORMEAUX, UL coach, on linebacker Conor McPherson his trust. I had to really hunker down.”

And if things go as planned, McPherson McPherson endured a learning curve.

It sounds like he’s already earned it, but soon will be ready to earn the trust of the Sometimes he knew what to do and some- ress in camp.

“He is focused,” he said of McPherson. McPherson said his focus remains gaining fans as well. times he didn’t.

“They will be saying, ‘That guy’s intense.

“I was really second-guessing myself a “He locked in. I mean, he’s just got a matu- the trust of the coaching staff.

“Doing what it takes to gain that trust,” That guy gets the ball down. That guy plays lot,” he said. “You could say in past times, rity about him that is a little bit different. it’s all about playing fast. Now, I trust what I really think Conor’s the total package. I McPherson said. “I’ve got to be quicker fast.’” the coaches tell me. I’ve been studying and think as a young player right now, the sky making certain calls.”

There’s also gaining the trust of his fellow Email Kevin Foote at is the limit for him. I just think he can do working. I can play ... much quicker.” linebackers, especially St. Andre.

Desormeaux has seen signs of that prog- everything for you.” kfoote@theadvocate.com.

LSU

OFFENSE

anyone to wear Joe Burrow’s No. 9, because he didn’t have either Heisman winner’s permission and didn’t want to treat their numbers differently.

Kiffin was asked again Thursday whether he had any comment on the situation, and the coach referred back to his previous statement.

“That’s the comment that I had, and moving forward,” Kiffin said.

Pickett shared his thoughts on the matter with reporters on Thursday.

“About the number situation, I’ve worn the number my whole life since I was 4 years old,” he said. “It was a number I was promised, and I wish Jayden the best. Good player, and he did real good here.”

Only one number is officially retired by LSU, which is Heisman winner Billy Cannon’s No. 20. Neither Daniels’ No. 5 nor Burrow’s No. 9 have been decommissioned by the football program.

LSU has retired multiple “jerseys,” including Cannon’s No. 20, defensive back Tommy Casanova’s No. 37, halfback Jerry Stovall’s No. 21 and running back Charles Alexander’s No. 4, and LSU is going to retire quarterback Bert Jones’ No. 7 this season. But retiring the jersey doesn’t take a number out of circulation.

Kiffin was asked whether he considered Burrow’s No. 9 as “off the table” and how he would handle the situation if a player asked for that number. Burrow’s number hasn’t been worn since he won the Heisman and a national championship in 2019.

Again, Kiffin declined to comment.

“I’m not gonna get into that. There’s a lot to numbers, whether they’re retired, whether they’re not, different versions,” Kiffin said. “I don’t have an answer.”

Pickett’s father, Damien, told The Advocate he is more upset with Kelly than Kiffin because it wasn’t made clear in the recruiting process that No. 5 wasn’t available or that it would require Daniels’ blessing.

“I have the utmost respect for him,” the elder Pickett said of Kiffin, “for honoring what was promised to my son.”

completed 26 of his 36 attempts, and a handful of his incompletions were perfect throws that weren’t hauled in.

Shough was in attack mode for much of Thursday. While he had his share of outlet throws and check-downs, he pushed the ball vertically with solid success. He found Chris Olave wide open on a wheel route for a touchdown during one particularly effective team period, but he also hit Bryce Lance for another likely score on a beautifully layered sail route, dropping it right over the defender’s outstretched hands. Shough had another deep ball for Olave that was placed perfectly, but the defensive back punched it out at the last moment.

His connection with his star wideout looked as good as it did for chunks of last season. The pair connected on another touchdown during a red-zone period when Olave beat his defender cleanly with a jerk route, with Olave selling a shallow cross before snapping off his route to the near pylon. They nearly followed it up with another when Olave speared a one-handed catch but couldn’t get both feet inbounds.

Shough also connected with Devaughn Vele, with Vele hauling in each of his six targets. The chemistry those two have built was evident Thursday, with several of Shough’s completions to Vele coming on anticipation throws. Shough also showed off his touch in the red zone, floating a throw to the back of the end zone for a touchdown to Vele.

The overwhelming majority of Shough’s completions went to his wide receivers. After leaning heavily on the backs and tight ends early in camp, 17 of Shough’s 26 completions went to wideouts.

Shough closed practice by going 6-of-8 passing in the two-minute drill, including a fourth-and-3 conversion to tight end Juwan Johnson. One of those incompletions was a spiked ball to set up a go-ahead field goal as time expired.

Continued from page 1C

Continued from page 1C

Weathering the storm

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Su

Play of the day Blackmon set the tone when he opened practice by picking off Lawrence.

The safety apparently thrives in joint practices. He had two picks in last year’s session against the Los Angeles Rams. For Thursday’s play, Blackmon said he didn’t try to bait the Jaguars quarterback into the mistake, but rather was just patient, stuck to his keys and tracked the ball to force the turnover.

“Quarterbacks in joint practices are willing to throw a lot more risky than a game,” Blackmon said. “Sometimes, they kind of force the ball rather than just playing how a game would go.”

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Odds and ends

n Riley had arguably his best practice of camp, forcing several pass breakups and holding his own against Jacksonville’s talented receivers. n The Saints’ struggles in the red zone Early scuffle were a minor disappointment, given how Saints coach Kellen Moore had said he dominant the defense had been in that area wanted his team to avoid the on-field fights against its own offense throughout camp.

There even appeared to be a rare coverage that typically come with joint practices.

%* 35

Supe

At first, Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence experienced the kind of trouble the Saints’ first-team defense had been giving Tyler Shough for weeks.

Lawrence’s first pass was picked off on a nice read from Blackmon. He then took a likely sack on his next attempt, when Carl Granderson got there quickly. His third and fourth series resulted in several pass breakups and sacks. The Saints looked as if they were headed for a statement performance.

But as the day got literally warmer, Lawrence heated up.

The former first overall pick found a rhythm with five straight completions on a drive in which the Saints still managed to hold the Jaguars to a field goal.

Still, the series got Lawrence cooking.

He diced the Saints in the red zone with three straight touchdowns inside the 7.

He then had two more touchdowns when he returned for a second red-zone series.

The Saints also had trouble stopping the Jaguars’ talented receiver trio of Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers and former LSU star Brian Thomas.

As ugly as the stretch was, the Saints bounced back before the session was over.

And the defensive line was a huge reason why. In addition to Young’s standout day, the Saints received good interior pressure from Nathan Shepherd and Vernon Broughton.

The latter was encouraging for the Saints to see as they had been monitoring that area after Bryan Bresee’s season-ending ACL injury.

In the final two-minute drill, Lawrence was arguably sacked three times in six reps.

He spiked the ball out of frustration in lieu of a seventh snap, leading the Jaguars’ backups to take the field.

“I feel like we had responded,” Young said. “Everybody was tired. I’m tired now.

We communicated. We still was getting off the ball. I love what we put on tape today because it just showed how tough we were.”

questions about how the New Orleans linebackers will hold up in coverage. Kaden Elliss and Pete Werner were often the nearest defenders on such throws, although that doesn’t necessarily indicate they were the ones responsible for allowing the catch. But the completions were a reminder that the Saints lost Demario Davis in free agency and have to account for his absence. n Jonas Sanker was in a new number Thursday, taking No. 7 off the hands of quarterback Hunter Dekkers, now in No. 13. Sanker also left practice early with what looked like a cut over his eye, but he joined his teammates on the field before the day was over. n Terrell Burgess also suffered a lowerleg injury, creating an opportunity for Elliott Davison. He took advantage, recording an interception off Jacksonville quarterback Nick Mullens. n Injured defenders Cam Jordan (hamstring), Davon Godchaux (ankle), Rejzohn STAFF PHOTO By dAVId GRUNFELd Wright (hip) and Chris Rumph (ankle) Saints safety Julian Blackmon, right, and running back Alvin Kamara run a play during watched from the sideline. Jordan was spottraining camp on Sunday at the team’s practice facility in Metairie. ted wearing a weighted vest. With Godchaux out, defensive tackle Khristian Boyd — bust in which Meyers went completely un- not rookie Christen Miller — took first-team He mostly got his wish.

Near the beginning of practice, there was accounted for. That’s something the Saints reps at nose tackle. a fracas when the Jaguars appeared to take will have to clean up. n Lawrence’s accuracy really stood out in exception to a hit from cornerback Quincy Email Matthew Paras at Riley. Yelling and some shoving between the the middle of the field — and perhaps raised matt.paras@theadvocate.com two sides ensued, but no punches appeared to be thrown.

Cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry didn’t help matters when he came flying to shove a Jaguars player during the scrum. The Saints coaches pulled the 23-year-old out of there up ave to quickly, leading McKinstry to get benched for a few snaps while the former secondrounder cooled off. e

expected starters upfront. The steady pressure was the main bright spot on a spirited, back-and-forth day between the two units.

“We’ve always known that our defense has something special,” safety Julian Blackmon said. “It’s just up to us to realize it and to attack everything. And I think from the Dline to the linebackers to the secondary, we have a lot of solid pieces and we’re all really connected.

“I think that it showed.”

Email Jon Blau at jon.blau@theadvocate.com

Barion Brown continued to demand a role on the offense. He made arguably the catch of the day on the first play of a two-minute period to close practice, leaping over a Jaguars defender to snare a pass from Spencer Rattler deep downfield. That play effectively set up a game-winning field goal for Tanner Brown to end practice.

Jordyn Tyson also had some very nice moments early in practice, catching all three of his targets in the opening sequence. But he was forced to leave practice early with what coach Kellen Moore called a leg injury after landing hard on the ground after a catchand-run on a crossing route.

Lance had the nice aforementioned touchdown from Shough in team drills, and he made a great effort to high-point a near touchdown in the red zone from Shough, though his momentum carried him out of bounds. But there were two more plays later in practice that Lance was unable to make through contact.

Rookie tight end Oscar Delp has had a quiet training camp, and he looks like a player who is still learning the ins and outs of the playbook. He had one target Thursday, an Pass pro still leaky easy pitch and catch in the flat, but he lost Joint practices are about as close as teams focus and dropped the ball.

al

Continued from page 1C

The public nature of the spat has led others to chime in, including LSU alum and former ESPN personality Ryan Clark, who posted to X that he’s spoken with parties on both sides of this issue and the dispute isn’t about the No. 5 jersey and Pickett’s use of it. Clark said the issue is “respect” and “the process” that led to the number being reused.

“For those attempting to make this about Jayden and Joe Burrow, that narrative is simply not accurate. This is about respecting and honoring a young man who brought the program its third Heisman Trophy and represented LSU with distinction,” Clark said. “I love this young man, and I love my school. My hope is that this situation can be resolved in a respectful manner that honors everyone involved and, most importantly, recognizes what Jayden Daniels accomplished for LSU.”

Up-and-down rookies

S

DEFENSE

STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU coach Brian Kelly speaks with quarterback Jayden daniels during a timeout in the second half of a game against Texas A&M on Nov. 25, 2023, at Tiger Stadium.

can get to the real thing, but it’s also important to remember it’s not the real thing. Had the Jaguars’ pass rush been able to make contact with Shough, the day might have looked different.

The very first live snap featured the play being blown dead before Shough could get a pass off because he was enveloped by the Jacksonville defensive line. It was one of three such plays in the practice.

But there were many others that, depending on who is grading the play, could have been ruled a sack. Shough’s first completion of the day was a beautiful throw to Olave on the sideline. He made a leaping catch over Jaguars corner Travis Hunter and turned upfield, but in a live game setting, Jaguars pass rusher Travon Walker likely would have blown that play up (Walker slowed down before he got to Shough in practice).

Pass protection is never going to be perfect in the NFL, but there was a lot of pressure for Shough to navigate.

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4C ● Friday,August 14, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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PREP FOOTBALL SE ASON PRE VIE W

Westminster

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

Opponent Kentwood LAFAyETTE CHRISTIAN Live Oak NORTH CENTRAL OPELOUSAS CATHOLIC Berchmans Academy JS CLARK Collegiate-Baton Rouge St. Edmund Sacred Heart HOME GAMES ALL CAPS

FIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH Kyle Horde

RB/LB, 6-2, 225, Sr. Ranked as a threestar prospect, Horde is one of the state’s best players.An all-state linebacker who collected 116 tackles, the Texas State commitment also rushed for more than 1,000 yards each of the past two seasons.

Matt Lalonde

PAST FIVE YEARS 2025: 12-1 2024: 8-4 2023: 6-6 2022: 2-8 2021: 6-4

PHOTO By MIKE COPPAGE

PROJECTED STARTERS Offense

Westminster Christian defensive standouts include, front row from left, Branson Ray, Alex Thomas, Wayne Campbell and Jeremyah Harris. defensive standouts pictured back row from left are Matt Lalonde, Jack Hunt, Tonnerick Hayes and Kyle Horde.

Sophomore Garrett Noel replaces four-year starter Stephen George at quarterback.

While Westminster Christian might be hard-pressed to “He’s a young kid, 15 years old,” Porter said of Noel. repeat last year’s perfect regular season, the ingredients “He’s not the runner Stephen was, but he has arm are in place for a similar playoff run. talent and arm strength and is getting better every The Crusaders of Opelousas, who reached the division day. ” IV select semifinals as the No. 1 seed The receiving corps graduated seniors damien and went 12-1, are loaded along the Thomas, Gavin Frith and Evan Lemon (22 combined defensive front with five starters back.

Tds), but Branson Ray returns to provide experience.

“We feel good about our defense,” Special teams will feature a new kicker (Aiden said coach Byron Porter, whose Thomas) and punter (Ray). coaching focus is on defense.

Thomas, Frith and Lemon were stars in last season’s The linebacking corps is especially Porter secondary, which returns starter Jeremyah Harris. strong with Kyle Horde and Jack Hunt.

The same goes for the defensive line, which brings back How we see it all-state end Matt Lalonde, 330-pound Tonnerick Hayes The Crusaders replaced last season’s nondistrict slate and Alex Thomas. of Port Barre, St. Martin’s Episcopal and Westminster Marques Butler, a 270-pound sophomore, starts on Christian-Lafayette with Kentwood, Lafayette Christian the offensive line and will get some reps on defense, and Class 5A Live Oak. which may be his position in college.

Two of those games and six of 10 regular-season “Matt Lalonde is a specimen,” Porter said of the 6-foot-3, contests are on the road, including the opener at 220-pound senior who will start at left tackle.“He has put Kentwood, a perennially tough venue. on 20 pounds of muscle. He comes from an athletic family. “(The kids) are excited, but I don’t know if I am,” Porter He’s an exact clone of his dad.” quipped of the schedule.“That’s what we’re trying to do: In addition to Butler, the Crusaders have another take this program to the next level. In order to do that, highly touted sophomore in Cayden Brown, who played you have to not be afraid of playing these teams.” running back and defensive back last seaon.

WCA, which plays its final five games on the road, can Ranked as one of the state’s best prospects in his pound defenses with Horde, Hunt and Brown running class, Brown will play receiver on offense but will also behind a big offensive line. get spot duty at running back to give Horde and Hunt a As long as the Crusaders avoid the injury bug, they’re breather. Brown’s future is at free safety, Porter said. capable of competing with any team in division IV select, although reigning champ Riverside Academy What we don’t know was young last year and is the favorite to repeat.

The secondary, quarterback and receiving corps are Mike Coppage mostly new starters.

What we know

WR deaindra davis (5-8, 160, So.) WR Branson Ray (5-10, 170, Sr.)* WR Cayden Brown (6-1, 175, So.) WR Cameron Redding (5-11, 170, Sr.) OL Matt Lalonde (6-3, 220, Sr.)* OL Mark Tyler (6-0, 300, Fr.) OL Brandon Francis (6-3, 240, Fr.) OL Jayden Johnson (5-11, 250, Sr.)* OL Marques Butler (6-3, 270, So.)* QB Garrett Noel (6-3, 190, So.) RB Kyle Horde (6-2, 225, Sr.)*

Defense dL Matt Lalonde (6-3, 220, Sr.)* dL Alex Thomas (5-10, 240, Jr.)* dL Tonnerick Hayes (6-0, 330, Jr.)* dL Andre Lemon (6-0, 190, So.) LB Kyle Horde (6-2, 225, Sr.)* LB Jack Hunt (5-11, 200, Sr.)* dB Branson Ray (5-10, 170, Sr.)* dB Jeremyah Harris (5-8, 160, Sr.)* dB Wayne Campbell (5-9, 170, So.) dB Milik Milton (5-8, 170, So.) dB Cayden Brown (6-1, 175, So.) * RETURNING STARTER

Coaches

Head coach: Byron Porter (26-11).

Assistant coaches: Brandon Porter, Sam George, Jeremy Garrett, Marcus Wilridge and Gerrard Horde.

DE/OL, 6-3, 220, Sr. Like Horde, Lalonde has taken advantage of the Crusaders’ strength and conditioning program. He made the Class 1A allstate team as a junior (11 sacks) and is being recruited by Louisiana Christian.

Jack Hunt

LB, 5-11, 200, Sr. Hunt racked up 96 tackles from his inside linebacker spot and is an effective running back. He ran for a Td and returned an interception for a score in the Crusaders’ 48-35 win over Opelousas Catholic.

Alex Thomas

DL, 5-10, 240, Jr. The Crusaders have one of Class 1A’s largest defensive lines, with Thomas and Tonnerick Hayes clogging the middle and freeing up the linebackers to roam and make stops.

Branson Ray

WR, 5-11, 170, Sr. Ray, who has been on the field since his freshman year, averaged more than 20 yards per catch in 2025. He gives new quarterback Garrett Noel an experienced target.

Mike Coppage

SCOREBOARD Odds

West Division

NFL

Houston Texas Seattle Athletics Los Angeles

Friday

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U Miami 1½ 3½ (36½) at NY JETS 1½ 5½ (35½) Denver 3½ 4½ (40½)

Saturday

UNDERDOG at WASH. Tampa Bay at ATLANTA

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG Minnesota 1½ 2½ (41½) at NY GIANTS at BUFFALO 1½ 2½ (39½) Carolina Cleveland 1½ 3½ (40½) at CHICAGO at NEW ORLNS. 1½ 1½ (35½) Jacksonville at KAN. CITY 1½ 2½ (36½) LA Rams Philadelphia 2½ 3½ (37½) at BALTIMORE at SEATTLE 2½ 2½ (39½) Dallas

Major League Baseball American League

FAVORITE at DETROIT at TAMPA BAY N.Y Yankees at HOUSTON Kansas City at ATHLETICS

LINE OFF OFF -159 -133 -112 OFF

National League

UNDERDOG LINE Chicago White Sox OFF Baltimore OFF at TORONTO +129 Seattle +108 at LA ANGELS -111 Texas OFF

FAVORITE LINE at CHIC. CUBS -185 Miami -117 at N.Y METS -128 at ATLANTA OFF at LA DODGERS -185 Colorado -126

UNDERDOG St. Louis at CINCINNATI Washington Arizona Milwaukee at SAN FRAN.

LINE +148 -105 +104 OFF +149 +104

FAVORITE LINE Boston -143 at CLEVELAND -132

UNDERDOG at PITTSBURGH San Diego

LINE +117 +108

Interleague

Pro football

Pct GB .508 — .496 1½ .467 5 .388 14½ .388 14½

Minnesota 7, Baltimore 5 Tampa Bay 8, Athletics 4 Houston 2, San Francisco 1 Cleveland 6, Detroit 4 Toronto 6, Boston 4 Chicago White Sox 5, Cincinnati 0 N.Y. Yankees 10, Seattle 5 L.A. Dodgers 4, Kansas City 2 L.A. Angels 5, Texas 2

Thursday’s games

Detroit at Cincinnati, n Green Bay at Pittsburgh, n Indianapolis at New England, n Arizona at Las Vegas, n L.A. Chargers at Houston, n Tennessee at San Francisco, n 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 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.

Boston (Bennett 7-5) at Pittsburgh (Chandler 5-8), 5:40 p.m.

Chicago White Sox (TBD) at Detroit (Jobe 1-0), 5:40 p.m.

Baltimore (Bradish 7-11) at Tampa Bay (Matz 5-4), 6:10 p.m.

San Diego (King 7-8) at Cleveland (Williams 11-6), 6:10 p.m.

N.Y. Yankees (Cole 6-5) at Toronto (Bieber 3-2), 6:15 p.m.

Seattle (Kirby 8-9) at Houston (Lambert 8-6), 7:10 p.m.

Kansas City (Lugo 5-7) at L.A. Angels (Rodriguez 3-5), 8:38 p.m.

Texas (Rocker 4-9) at Athletics (Jump 5-7), 8:40 p.m.

Atlanta Philadelphia Miami Washington New York

W 73 64 62 60 53

L 48 58 60 63 69

Pct GB .603 — .525 9½ .508 11½ .488 14 .434 20½

Milwaukee Chicago St. Louis Cincinnati Pittsburgh

W 74 71 61 58 59

L 47 51 60 62 64

Pct GB .612 — .582 3½ .504 13 .483 15½ .480 16

Los Angeles San Diego Arizona San Francisco Colorado

W 73 65 64 50 48

L 48 57 58 71 73

Pct .603 .533 .525 .413 .397

West Division

Major League Baseball

Wednesday’s games

American League Tampa Bay New York Boston Toronto Baltimore

W 74 68 65 59 58

L 46 53 56 64 63

Pct GB .617 — .562 6½ .537 9½ .480 16½ .479 16½

Chicago Detroit Minnesota Cleveland Kansas City

W 62 60 60 59 49

L 58 61 62 63 73

Pct .517 .496 .492 .484 .402

GB — 2½ 3 4 14

St. Louis 7, Philadelphia 1 Houston 2, San Francisco 1 Colorado 6, Arizona 4 San Diego 4, Milwaukee 3, 11 innings Miami 8, Pittsburgh 2 Atlanta 6, N.Y. Mets 3 Chicago Cubs 12, Washington 6 Chicago White Sox 5, Cincinnati 0 L.A. Dodgers 4, Kansas City 2

Thursday’s games

Pittsburgh 13, Miami 1 Cincinnati 9, Chicago White Sox 8 Washington 7, Chicago Cubs 0 Philadelphia at Minnesota, n Milwaukee at L.A. Dodgers, n

St. Louis (Liberatore 5-9) at Chicago Cubs (Holmes 4-5), 1:20 p.m.

Miami (Alcantara 13-6) at Cincinnati (Burns 13-2), 5:10 p.m.

Boston (Bennett 7-5) at Pittsburgh (Chandler 5-8), 5:40 p.m.

San Diego (King 7-8) at Cleveland (Williams 11-6), 6:10 p.m.

Washington (Alvarez 2-3) at N.Y. Mets (Stock 0-2), 6:10 p.m.

Arizona (Pfaadt 6-1) at Atlanta (Sale 12-7), 6:15 p.m.

Milwaukee (Gasser 3-4) at L.A. Dodgers (Yamamoto 11-7), 9:10 p.m.

Colorado (Freeland 3-10) at San Francisco (Roupp 7-11), 9:15 p.m.

American League

Friday’s games

Central Division

Friday’s games

Friday’s games

Wild-card glance

Detroit 3, Cleveland 0 Cincinnati 9, Chicago White Sox 8 Seattle 1, N.Y. Yankees 0 Boston 7, Toronto 0 Philadelphia at Minnesota, n Texas at L.A. Angels, n

East Division

Thursday’s games

Central Division

L 60 61 65 74 74

National League

NFL preseason glance

East Division

Wednesday’s games

W 62 60 57 47 47

GB — 8½ 9½ 23 25

New York Boston Detroit Texas Minnesota Cleveland Toronto Baltimore Seattle

National League

W 68 65 60 60 60 59 59 58 57

L 53 56 61 61 62 63 64 63 65

Pct .562 .537 .496 .496 .492 .484 .480 .479 .467

WCGB +8 +5 — — ½ 1½ 2 2 3½

W L Pct WCGB Chicago 71 51 .582 +7 San Diego 65 57 .533 +1 Arizona 64 58 .525 — Philadelphia 64 58 .525 — Miami 62 60 .508 2 St. Louis 61 60 .504 2½ Washington 60 63 .488 4½ Cincinnati 58 62 .483 5 Pittsburgh 59 64 .480 5½ Standings don’t include late Thursday games.

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

W 21 20 19 20 12 10 8

L 12 12 13 14 22 23 23

Pct .636 .625 .594 .588 .353 .303 .258

W 28 24 23 20 13 12 13 7

L 7 9 11 14 20 20 22 28

Pct GB .800 — .727 3 .676 4½ .588 7½ .394 14 .375 14½ .371 15 .200 21

WESTERN CONFERENCE

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

Wednesday’s games

Dallas 94, Toronto 88 Minnesota 85, Portland 81 Golden State 91, Chicago 71

Thursday’s games

Atlanta at Connecticut, n Los Angeles at New York, n Washington at Las Vegas, n

Friday’s games

Dallas at Indiana, 6:30 p.m.

Portland at Seattle, 9 p.m.

GB — ½ 1½ 1½ 9½ 11 12

Golf

Men’s singles

FedEx St. Jude Championship At TPC Southwind; Memphis, Tenn.

Purse: $20 million Yardage: 7,288; Par: 70

First round

Michael Kim Kurt Kitayama Jake Knapp Jordan Spieth Michael Thorbjornsen Bud Cauley Tommy Fleetwood Chris Gotterup Sungjae Im Hideki Matsuyama Adam Scott Gary Woodland Sam Burns Min Woo Lee Patrick Rodgers Xander Schauffele Nicolas Echavarria Harris English Rickie Fowler Viktor Hovland Maverick McNealy Scottie Scheffler Alex Smalley Sepp Straka Ludvig Åberg Jacob Bridgeman Patrick Cantlay Wyndham Clark Ryo Hisatsune Tom Kim Shane Lowry Keith Mitchell Sam Stevens Nick Taylor Sahith Theegala Cameron Young Matt Fitzpatrick Ryan Gerard Brian Harman Si Woo Kim Justin Thomas Sudarshan Yellamaraju Corey Conners Pierceson Coody Alex Fitzpatrick Russell Henley Jackson Koivun Collin Morikawa Alex Noren J.T. Poston Aldrich Potgieter Jordan L. Smith J.J. Spaun Akshay Bhatia Ricky Castillo Eric Cole Harry Hall Aaron Rai Kristoffer Reitan Michael Brennan Ryan Fox Ben Griffin Max Homa Nicolai Højgaard Matthew McCarty Justin Rose Matti Schmid Rory McIlroy Robert MacIntyre

32-33—65 -5 33-32—65 -5 34-31—65 -5 34-31—65 -5 34-31—65 -5 34-32—66 -4 31-35—66 -4 33-33—66 -4 33-33—66 -4 36-30—66 -4 34-32—66 -4 32-34—66 -4 33-34—67 -3 33-34—67 -3 34-33—67 -3 33-34—67 -3 34-34—68 -2 32-36—68 -2 34-34—68 -2 32-36—68 -2 34-34—68 -2 34-34—68 -2 34-34—68 -2 34-34—68 -2 34-34—68 -2 35-34—69 -1 35-34—69 -1 33-36—69 -1 36-33—69 -1 36-33—69 -1 33-36—69 -1 35-34—69 -1 36-33—69 -1 35-34—69 -1 34-35—69 -1 35-34—69 -1 32-38—70 E 33-37—70 E 35-35—70 E 34-36—70 E 34-36—70 E 34-36—70 E 37-34—71 +1 32-39—71 +1 35-36—71 +1 38-33—71 +1 36-35—71 +1 36-35—71 +1 36-35—71 +1 35-36—71 +1 35-36—71 +1 34-37—71 +1 35-36—71 +1 35-37—72 +2 36-36—72 +2 36-36—72 +2 36-36—72 +2 35-37—72 +2 35-37—72 +2 38-35—73 +3 34-39—73 +3 37-36—73 +3 34-39—73 +3 34-39—73 +3 38-35—73 +3 38-35—73 +3 36-37—73 +3 36-38—74 +4 43-39—82 +12

Tennis Western & Southern Open At Lindner Family Tennis Center; Cincinnati Purse: $9,415,725 Surface: Hardcourt outdoor

Qualification Mark Lajal, Estonia, def. Aleksandar Vukic (12), Australia, 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-4.

Nicolas Mejia, Colombia, def. Henrique Rocha, Portugal, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.

Round of 128 Martin Landaluce, Spain, def. Jack Draper, Britain, 6-3, 7-5.

Cameron Norrie, Britain, def. Dino Prizmic, Croatia, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Denis Shapovalov, Canada, def. Adrian Mannarino, France, 6-1, 6-4.

Miomir Kecmanovic, Serbia, def. Camilo Ugo Carabelli, Argentina, 6-3, 6-3.

Jan-Lennard Struff, Germany, def. Roman Andres Burruchaga, Argentina, 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-3.

Thiago Agustin Tirante, Argentina, def. Jan Choinski, Britain, 7-6 (9), 6-7 (7), 7-6 (4).

Mariano Navone, Argentina, def. Raphael Collignon, Belgium, 6-3, 7-6 (3).

Women’s singles

Qualification Hanne Vandewinkel (8), Belgium, def. Rebecca Sramkova, Slovakia, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

Wang Xiyu (9), China, def. Polina Kudermetova (14), Russia, 6-3, 6-2.

Emiliana Arango (10), Colombia, def. Nadia Podoroska, Argentina, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.

Round of 128 Kamilla Rakhimova, Russia, def. Kimberly Birrell, Australia, 6-2, 6-2.

Taylor Townsend, United States, def. Camila Osorio, Colombia, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Zeynep Sonmez, Turkiye, def. Daria Kasatkina, Russia, 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3.

Anhelina Kalinina, Ukraine, def. Darja Vidmanova, Czechia, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Simona Waltert, Switzerland, def. Petra Marcinko, Croatia, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.

Lois Boisson, France, def. Ashlyn Krueger, United States, 6-3, 6-2.

Elena-Gabriela Ruse, Romania, def. Magda Linette, Poland, 6-0, 6-3.

Magdalena Frech, Poland, def. Antonia Ruzic, Croatia, 6-2, 7-5.

Tatjana Maria, Germany, def. Dayana Yastremska, Ukraine, 6-1, 6-2.

Diane Parry, France, def. Caroline Dolehide, United States, 6-4, 7-6 (7).

Cristina Bucsa, Spain, def. Panna Udvardy, Hungary, 6-2, 1-6, 7-5.

Transactions FOOTBALL

NFL CLEVELAND BROWNS — Signed CB Jeremiah McClendon. Waived CB Tyron Herring with an injury designation.

DENVER BRONCOS — Signed OL Lecitus Smith.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS — Signed DE Emmanuel Ogbah.

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS — Placed G Justin Pickett on injured reserve LOS ANGELES RAMS — Signed LB Monty Rice.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS — Signed RB JaMycal Hasty. Placed RB Terrell Jennings on injured reserve.

NEW YORK GIANTS — Signed DBs Ugo Amadi and Sam Webb.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS — Signed LB Elandon Roberts.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS — Placed DE KJ Henry on injured reserve.

Major League Baseball

American League BOSTON RED SOX — Placed RHP Garrett Whitlock on the 15-day IL, retroactive to Aug. 10. Recalled RHP Greg Weissert from Worcester (IL).

Louisiana’s best MidCity’s Got Ta lent, a f u n d ra iser gal a f or t he Mid Cit y Re developm e nt Alli anc e, will move to th e R a isin g Cane’s Rive r Cente r f or it s s e c ond a nnual event fr om 6 p .m. t o 9 p.m. F r i d ay. The seve n f inalists, including Walker musician Ryder Chance, will c om p e t e f or $1, 000. F ood, ope n b a r and silent auc t i on. $ 1 0 8 .5 5 and u p . event br ite.c om .

LIVING

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

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F r i d ay, au g u s t 14, 2026

5CN

Going way down

Is music enough to rescue true love from Hadestown?

Find out at Sullivan Theater musical

BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer

Let’s talk about love, the kind of all-consuming love bestowed by the Greek gods that overwhelms its recipients.

Such recipients in Anais Mitchell’s Broadway hit musical, “Hadestown,” are young lovers Orpheus and Eurydice.

The story opened Thursday at Sullivan Theater with its Youth Company’s production of “Hadestown: Teen Edition” and continues through Sunday and again Thursday, Aug. 20, and Saturday-Sunday, Aug. 22-23.

The show, co-directed by Heath McNeese and Michelle Freneaux Chassaing, actually intertwines the two separate Greek myths: the love story between Orpheus and Eurydice, and Hades as the ruler of the underworld, or, in this case, Hadestown, and his queen, Persephone, goddess of spring.

Meet the cast, both puppets and people, in BR-shot, horror-comedy film ‘The Hoodoos’

A

PROVIdEd PHOTO By ELSIE dUHE

Madison Bechet stars as Persephone in ‘Hadestown: Teen Edition.’

Opens with Hermes narrating The story begins with Olympian god Hermes, played by Zion Johnson, whose narration introduces the audience to his charge, nature spirit Eurydice, played by Chloe Rodriguez.

He explains that musician and poet Orpheus, played by Jorge Martinez, is consumed by love for Eurydice. But there are problems.

And where would any story be without problems?

ä See 'HADESTOWN', page 6C

‘HADESTOWN: TEEN EDITION’ Sullivan Theater’s Youth Company production of the hit Broadway musical.

Aug. 14-16,Aug. 20,Aug. 22-23.

Sunday matinees begin at 2 p.m.

All other performances begin at 7:30 p.m. l Sullivan Theater, 8849 Sullivan Road, Central. l $23-$29 l sullivantheater.com/ tickets

BY JOHN WIRT

Contributing writer

horror-heist comedy, “The Hoodoos” co-stars killer dolls and the LSU Rural Life Museum.

The museum’s grounds and historic buildings provided sets for the film’s hoodooed paranormal activities. Seven puppets — operated by puppeteers wearing green-screen suits — portray hoodoo dolls Marie Laveau, Baron Samedi, Papa Legba, Swampy, Zombie, St. Germain and Rougarou.

As for the human “Hoodoos” characters, Nick McCallum and Celeste Blandon play the leaders of a gang hired to steal a chest full of long-hidden Confederate gold.

Sean-Michael Argo, the film’s screenwriter, co-stars as Hatch, an itinerant sorcerer drafted for the heist. B. Dave Walters plays Captain, the New Orleans crime boss who recruits the gang to wrest the cursed treasure from hoodoo dolls that have guarded it since the Civil War. Filmed in the fall of 2024, “The Hoo-

PROVIdEd PHOTOS By JONATHAN WALTER

ABOVE: Celeste Blandon, left, and Nick McCallum star as leaders of a gang hired to steal gold in ‘The Hoodoos.’ TOP: Baron Samedi is one of seven hoodoo doll puppets featured in ‘The Hoodoos.’

‘THE HOODOOS’ MOVIE PREMIERE 7:30 p.m. Friday l Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. l $12.50 l manshiptheatre.org

doos” gets its Baton Rouge big-screen premiere Friday at the Manship Theatre.

A Q&A with Argo, producer-actor Joe Carleton and director Jonathan Walter follows the screening. A dinner-and-amovie option is available.

In a coup for its indie-film creators, just in time for Halloween season, “The Hoodoos” makes its streaming debut via Tubi on Oct. 1.

“As an old school, from-the-dark depths, basement-horror guy,” Argo said, “I’m excited about being with a company like

ä See 'HOODOOS', page 6C

Federales Fest lineup set for event’s fourth edition Texas band Pecos & the Rooftops concentrate on low-down country and classic rock.

Catch them at this year’s Federales Fest in Baton Rouge.

PROVIdEd PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK

Staff report Texas country-rock band Pecos & The Rooftops will headline the 2026 Federales Fest on Nov. 6 in Baton Rouge.

The fourth annual roots and Americana music festival will return to the Live Oak at Cedar Lodge, a four-generation family property in Baton Rouge with sprawling live oaks and horse stables. Co-presenting sponsors are Williamson Eye Center and Lamar.

Doors open at 3 p.m.

The festival lineup also includes: n Starboro, the side project featuring members of Futurebirds and Susto, indie Americana n Doussan Garrett Benoit, a Louisiana supergroup led by Mike Doussan, Josh Garrett and Tyron Benoit, a blend of blues grit and bayou soul n B.B. Palmer (The Alabama

ä See FEDERALES, page 6C

6C ● Friday, August 14, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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SHOWS TO WATCH — ACADIANA AREA

TODAY IN HISTORY

FRIDAY

LIVE MUSIC: Cane River Pecan Company Pie Bar, New Iberia, 5 p.m.

AUDREY BROUSSARD: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

FRIDAY NIGHT JAM: La Maison de Begnaud, Scott, 6 p.m.

KYLE & AMY: Adopted Dog Brewing, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Jim Deggy’s Brick Oven Pizza & Brewery, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

CHEAP WHISKEY: Naq’s-nDuson, Duson, 6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Prejean’s, Broussard, 6 p.m.

AARON HEBERT: SHUCKS!, Abbeville, 6:30 p.m.

YVETTE LANDRY: Buck & Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 6:30 p.m.

DELTA PAPA: Whiskey and Vine, Lafayette, 7 p.m.

DOM FRANCIS + $IDEQUEST: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: The Barrel of Broussard, Broussard, 8 p.m.

THE DEBTORS: Hideaway on Lee, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

THE VERMILLIONAIRES: Rock ’n’ Bowl, Lafayette, 9 p.m.

SATURDAY

MASON TRAIL AND ZYDECO RHYTHM: Buck & Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 8:30 a.m.

CAJUN JAM: Moncus Park, Lafayette, 9 a.m.

SATURDAY MORNING JAM SESSIONS: The Savoy Music Center, Eunice, 9 a.m.

CAJUN JAM: Tante Marie, Breaux Bridge, 11 a.m.

CAJUN FRENCH MUSIC JAM: Vermilionville Living History Museum & Folklife Park, Lafayette, 1 p.m.

JAMMIN’ ON THE BAYOU: St. Landry Visitor Center, Opelousas, 1 p.m.

KADE DOMEC & FULL THROTTLE: Cypress Cove Landing, Breaux Bridge, 3 p.m.

ZACHARY MCLAIN & NOUVEAU SOUL: Lakeview Park, Eunice, 5 p.m.

BRENNAN & MYLES: Adopted Dog Brewing, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

CHEAPER THAN THERAPY TWO-O: Naq’s-n-Duson, Duson, 6 p.m.

JACK WOODSON: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Jim Deggy’s Brick Oven Pizza & Brewery, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Prejean’s, Broussard, 6 p.m.

JAKE KNOTT: Buck & Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 6:30 p.m.

RIVER SMOOTH: SHUCKS!, Abbeville, 6:30 p.m.

JILL BUTLER COMBO: Whiskey and Vine, Lafayette, 7 p.m.

By The Associated Press

PROVIdEd PHOTO

Grammy-nominated musician and singer yvette Landry plays Buck & Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, at 6:30 p.m. Friday.

TET DUR: Pat’s Atchafalaya Club, Henderson, 7 p.m.

AMIS DU TECHE WITH DUSTIN DALE GASPARD: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

HIGH PERFORMANCE: La Poussiere Cajun Dancehall, Breaux Bridge, 8 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: The Barrel of Broussard, Broussard, 8 p.m.

TOMMY G AND STORMY WEATHER: Toby’s Lounge, Opelousas, 8:30 p.m.

5TH AVENUE: Rock ’n’ Bowl, Lafayette, 9 p.m.

SUNDAY

LIVE MUSIC: Tante Marie, Breaux Bridge, 11 a.m.

THE SUNDAY PEOPLE: Whiskey & Vine, Lafayette, 11 a.m.

LES FRERES MICHOT: Prejean’s, Carencro, 11:30 a.m..

BAL DU DIMANCHE – JEAN BERTRAND & THE PINE ISLAND ACES: Vermilionville Living History Museum & Folklife Park, Lafayette, 1 p.m.

RUSTY METOYER: Cypress Cove Landing, Breaux Bridge, 3 p.m.

JUNIOR LACROSSE: Pat’s Atchafalaya Club, Henderson, 4:30 p.m.

SAM SPHAR: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

MONDAY

PATRICIO LATINO SOLO: Cafe Habana City, Lafayette, 11 a.m.

MICHALIS: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

BLUEGRASS JAM: Cité des Arts, Lafayette, 6:30 p.m.

Prejean’s Restaurant, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

GREENLIGHT SESSIONS OPEN MIC: The Jefferson Street Greenroom, Lafayette, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

DULCIMER JAM: St. Landry Visitor Center, Opelousas, 10 a.m.

ANDREW WAIN & LOGAN TURNER JAZZ: Whiskey and Vine, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Park Bistro, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

MICHALIS: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

SOUTHPAW, ARCLINE, MUSCLE, HUMAN INSTINCT & EMBROILED: Epic Family Entertainment Center, Scott, 6 p.m.

WANTED WEDNESDAY KARAOKE NIGHT: The Barrel of Broussard, Broussard, 6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: The Tap Room, Youngsville, 6:30 p.m.

CAJUN JAM: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

DAVE TRAINER: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

LADIES NIGHT WITH DJ DONOVAN IN THE MIX: Cowboys Nightclub, Scott, 6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Naq’s-n-Duson, Duson, 6 p.m.

PAUL TASSIN PIANO: Whiskey and Vine, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

THE TROUBADOUR: SHUCKS!, Abbeville, 6:30 p.m.

KARAOKE PARTY — PANDA ENTERTAINMENT: Black Bull, Youngsville, 8 p.m.

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

him but I wanted to give Hermes some of the same characteristics while making him my own character.”

When stepping back to take a full look at Hermes, Johnson sees his character as fatherlike yet, at times, sarcastic.

“He takes some getting used to,” Johnson said, laughing. “But once you get past that, you like him.”

As for Eurydice, Rodriguez describes her character as reserved.

“She’s a runaway who’s trying to find her way through life to survive,” she said.

Eurydice marks the 15-year-old Prairieville High School sophomore’s first role in a Sullivan Theater production. She opted to try out after friends who had acted in previous Sullivan productions told her about the auditions.

Little did she know that she would be chosen to play one of “Hadestown’s” main characters, a role for which she prepared by listening to recordings of the musical.

“I honestly wasn’t familiar with the musical until last year,” Rodriguez said. “I listened to it a lot to try to figure who Eurydice really is.

And I’m learning a lot from my fellow cast members, because when I first came here, I was way more introverted.”

But Orpheus is the exact opposite — he definitely

is an extrovert, especially when it comes to expressing his love.

“He’s a poor boy who is hopelessly in love,” Martinez said of his character. “I would say he’s almost naive.”

The 16-year-old Walker High School junior also describes Orpheus as “the embodiment of music.”

“He’s very ethereal with the way he sings,” Martinez said. “He has a power to make people see the way the world could be, and he uses that power all throughout the show. And the way we portray this in our production is so very beautiful. Not to toot my own horn, but my portrayal of the character is different from others that I’ve seen online, and I really like what we’ve done with Orpheus here.

“So at times, he leads a revolt. But his music also brings people together. He has this way of relating to people with his music, and he has a crush on this girl and eventually wins her with his music — his music has the power to change the world.”

But is it enough to free Eurydice from Hadestown?

Take a trip to Hadestown by way of Sullivan Theater to find out.

Rouge in an intimate, oneof-a-kind setting,” festival Continued from page 5C organizer J. Hover said in a news release. “This year’s lineup is our most exciting to date, and we can’t wait to Samurai), roots country n The Love.Craft Band, welcome everyone back to inspiring Georgia-based, Live Oak at Cedar Lodge for all-abilities group (festival what is going to be an unforopener) gettable night.”

“Federales Fest has alTickets are on sale now ways been about bringing at bontempstix.com/events/ the best in roots, Americana federalesfest-2026. General and Southern music to Baton admission and VIP pack-

ages are available. Capacity is limited to 1,500, so early purchase is strongly encouraged.

A portion of festival proceeds will benefit Be Positive BRLA, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting youth arts programming in the Capital Region.

For more information, go to federalesfest.com or follow the festival on Facebook and Instagram.

‘HADESTOWN’ Continued from page 5C

The issues start here with a massive argument between Hades, played by Tristan Jarnagin, and Persephone, played by Madison Bechet.

The argument escalates, causing harsh weather that ruins the year’s crops and harvest. People on Earth are starving and Eurydice, in desperation, opts to go to what she perceives as security in Hadestown.

But Orpheus can’t let his love go, so he follows in hopes of convincing Hades to let Eurydice go. Will Hades comply?

That’s what will play out on the Sullivan Theater stage with Hermes guiding the audience through the story.

Describing characters And speaking of Hermes, Johnson, a 17-year-old freshman at Baton Rouge Community College, said he’s trying to make the character his own.

“I started out by listening to the show, and I looked at some videos clips from the musical,” he said. “But I really looked at André De Shield’s portrayal of Hermes, because he originated the role on Broadway.

I was trying not to replicate

FEDERALES

tures into rubble; Haiti’s government put the death toll at more than 300,000, while a report commissioned by the U.S. government placed it between 46,000 and 85,000.

Today’s Birthdays: Broadway lyricist Lee Adams (“Bye Bye Birdie”) is 102. Country singer Connie Smith is 85. Comedian-actor Steve Martin is 81. Film director Wim Wenders is 81. Singermusician Larry Graham is 80. Actor Susan Saint James is 80. Author Danielle Steel is 79. “Far Side” cartoonist Gary Larson is 76. Actor Carl Lumbly is 75. Olympic gold medal swimmer Debbie Meyer is 74. Actor Jackee Harry is 70. NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace is 70. Actor Marcia Gay Harden is 67.

Basketball Hall of Famer Earvin “Magic” Johnson is 67. Singer Sarah Brightman is 66. Actor Susan Olsen (TV: “The Brady Bunch”) is 65. Actor Halle Berry is 60.

Golfer Darren Clarke is 58.

Actor Catherine Bell is 58.

Actor Mila Kunis is 43. Actor Lamorne Morris is 43.

Actor Marsai Martin is 22.

THURSDAY

TUESDAY

JAZZ TRIO: PAUL TASSIN, DOC HEARL, DOUG STONE: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

KURT BOUDREAUX: Whiskey and Vine, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

TERRY HUVAL & FRIENDS:

Today is Friday, Aug. 14, the 226th day of 2026.

There are 139 days left in the year.

Today in history: On Aug. 14, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law, ensuring income for elderly Americans and creating a federal unemployment insurance program.

Also on this date: In 1936, in front of an estimated 20,000 spectators, Rainey Bethea was hanged in Owensboro, Kentucky, in the last public execution in the United States.

In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill signed the Atlantic Charter, which detailed the postwar goals of the two nations.

In 1945, President Harry S. Truman announced that Imperial Japan had surrendered unconditionally, ending World War II. In 1947, Pakistan gained independence from British rule.

In 1995, Shannon Faulkner officially became the first female cadet in the history of The Citadel, South Carolina’s state military college. (However, Faulkner withdrew from the school less than a week later, citing the stress of her court fight, and her isolation among the male cadets.)

In 1997, an unrepentant Timothy McVeigh was formally sentenced to death for the Oklahoma City bombing. (McVeigh was executed by lethal injection in 2001.)

In 2009, Charles Manson follower Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, 60, convicted of trying to assassinate President Gerald Ford in 1975, was released from a Texas prison hospital after more than three decades behind bars.

In 2016, Usain Bolt became the first athlete to win the 100-meter dash in three consecutive Olympics, taking gold at the Summer Games in Rio. In 2021, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, turning thousands of struc-

PROVIdEd PHOTO By JONATHAN WALTER

Hoodoo doll Marie Laveau is operated by puppeteers wearing green-screen suits in the locally-shot film ‘The Hoodoos.’

‘HOODOOS’

Continued from page 5C Tubi. They’ve discovered forgotten movies from the ’60s and ’70s, movies that never had their moment.

Tubi has been a godsend for our (horror) genre.”

Meeting the renewed demand for physical media, “The Hoodoos” will also be available in limited-run Bluray and VHS editions. The film has been available to rent or buy at Amazon and Fandango since July 1.

The concept for “The Hoodoos” originated with Walter.

“I grew up watching killerdoll movies and I wanted to make a killer-doll movie,” the director said. “Then it hit me.

Because we’re in the (voodoo and hoodoo) area, why not make a movie with killer voodoo dolls? I sent some ideas of what the dolls could look like to Sean. He’s like, ‘Oh, I’m in.’ We developed the story and Sean wrote the screenplay. We just knew we had to make it.”

The San Antonio-based Argo realized that Carleton, a Baton Rouge producer, was the ideal choice to facilitate the making of “The Hoodoos” in Louisiana.

“With me being in Texas

and Jonathan there in Lafayette,” Argo said, “we needed a local producer who can plug us into everything we need. Joe was the natural choice. And at this point, I don’t want to make movies without Joe. Since ‘Hoodoos,’ we’ve done four movies together.”

Another Walter-Carleton film, “Feral Hymn,” may also see release this fall.

A versatile team, Walter, Argo and Carleton performed multiple tasks for “The Hoodoos.” Director Walter also edited the film and composed the musical score. Carleton and Argo act in it in addition to their producing and writing. The multitasking saves money.

“There’s a saying in the industry,” Carleton said.

“You go for two out of three things, which are good, fast and cheap. We went for good and cheap.”

Carleton works by day at the CPA firm Carleton and Company.

“I am an actor and an artist, but I’m also the numbers guy,” he said.

By Hollywood standards, “The Hoodoos” is a microbudget production, costing $200,000, Carleton said.

“We see a lot of Hollywood projects that shoot for tens of millions of dollars,” Carleton said. “But you can

make art with a much more manageable budget. You can make a movie for $200,000 or less. We’re excited about elevating our budgets and getting a little more expensive, but not bloated like a lot of the blockbuster movies of today.”

The relatively low budget for “The Hoodoos” didn’t make creating it a long, hard slog.

“You can’t not have fun on a project like this,” Argo said. “All that energy, even from the grips and PAs (production assistants), gets captured in the frame. Especially with indie films at this lower-budget level, you can tell when everybody is having fun and firing on all cylinders.”

“The Hoodoos” is part of the Manship Theatre’s Films at Manship series. In addition to showing recent films and classics, the series showcases the local film scene by staging red-carpet premieres.

“Not only does this uplift our film community, it gives Baton Rouge creatives a space to come together and collaborate on future projects,” said Kelly Swift, director of the Manship Theatre’s film programming.

Email John Wirt at j_ wirt@msn.com.

YEARS

Email Robin Miller at romiller@theadvocate. com.

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zodIAC LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Be bold, get things done and plan to have some fun. A change of location, scenery or people will be uplifting and offer insight into options you haven't considered in the past.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Change isn't always easy, but once you wrap your head around the pros and cons, you'll know what to do. Having a positive attitude and checking rules, regulations and what's available will put your mind at ease.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) An open mind and a chance to discover what's available will encourage you to research and pursue what excites you most. Letting go is the first step to reshaping what's ahead. scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Be careful what you agree to. Don't let someone talk you into something you don't need. Excess is the enemy, and restraint is your best choice. Pay attention to details and price tags. sAGITTARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Design your surroundings to ensure success, happiness and comfort. What you achieve depends on your state of mind and accessing what you need mentally, physically and emotionally to reach your goal. cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Pace yourself and stay on track until you are satisfied with what you accomplish. Putting your time and energy to good use will be profitable and encourage you to remain persistent.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) You'll be drawn to overdoing it and people who are out to impress you. Proceed with caution; too much of anything is a red flag.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) An unexpected change will catch you off guard. Be prepared to adjust quickly to whatever you encounter and to put your emotions aside if you become frustrated. Spend more time at home.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) If you take a unique approach to self-care and healthy living, the outcome will make for a better and happier you. Choose to get involved in activities that make you think and challenge you in a positive way.

TAuRus (April 20-May 20) Ask yourself tough questions that encourage you to face any emotional or medical situations that are causing you concern. Making the right decision isn't always easy.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Refrain from letting the changes others make affect you emotionally. Look at what serves you best, and align yourself with friends and associates striving to reach similar goals. cAncER (June 21-July 22) Keep the peace, stick close to home and focus on rejuvenation, self-help and looking and feeling your best. You owe it to yourself to take a pause to enjoy life's little pleasures.

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: L EQuALs D

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon FAMILY CIrCUS

dooneSbUrY

8C ● Friday,August 14, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

CurTiS

Hi and LoiS

lll

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 ● Friday,August 14, 2026 ● 9C

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B.C.

Bridge

By PHILLIP ALDER Never base your declarer play or defense on unrealistic assumptions, as this could lead to a decrease in your trick-taking.

In this deal, for example, how should South play in three no-trump after West leads a fourth-highest spade five?

South is not wildly enthusiastic about opening one no-trump with two weak suits, but he has no realistic choice. If he opens one diamond and North responds one spade, what would South do then?

Yes, here North would make a limit raise in diamonds. Then South could rebid three hearts to show his stopper in that suit, North would bid three spades, and South would sign off in three no-trump.

That sequence, though, gives the defenders much more information.

South starts with seven top tricks: one spade, four hearts, one diamond and one club. Given the spade lead, declarer does not have time to play on diamonds. Realistically, he would surely lose at least four spades and one diamond. Instead, he must hope that the club finesse is working. And there isn’t a moment to lose. After winning the first or second trick with dummy’s spade ace, South

garfield

Pearls Before swiNe

hagar the horriBle

must take a club finesse. When it wins, he returns to the dummy with a diamond, takes a second club finesse and claims.

Finally, note that five diamonds is worse than three no-trump, because it relies on a good diamond position and the club finesse. © 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 — IMPEnDInG: im-PEN-ding: Occurring soon.

Bizarro

marmaduKe

Average mark 21 words Time limit 40 minutes Can you find 34 or more words in IMPENDING? yEsTERDAy’s WoRD — GITTERn gent grin grit inert inter tent tern tier tiger tine ting

tinge tint tinter tire titer trig trine trite reign rein rent

ring rite niter

loCKhorNs hidato Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

today’s thought “And he said to them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses.” Luke 12:15 Life is not about things. You were made by God for God. This is where you will find real life. — G.E. Dean

10C ● Friday,August 14, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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TODAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

A t-storm around in the p.m.

A stray afternoon t-shower

A t-storm around in the p.m.

A t-storm around in the p.m.

A t-storm around in the p.m.

Partly sunny

HIGH

LOW

HIGH

95° 77°

LOW

HIGH

95° 76°

LOW

94° 77°

Beaumont 93/77 Port Arthur 93/77

Baton Rouge 98/76

Lake Charles 94/78

New Orleans 96/78 Houma 94/76

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

0s

Hattiesburg 100/75

Alexandria 99/76

Lafayette 95/77

10s

20s

30s

40s

50s

LOW

HIGH

LOW

94° 77°

YESTERDAY

Lafayette through 5 p.m. Thursday

Jackson 100/74 Many 98/75

HIGH

95° 78°

TEMPERATURE

Longview 101/77

-0s

LOW

Monroe 101/76

Shreveport 100/77

-10s

HIGH

94° 78°

We are closely following two invest areas in the Atlantic, neither of which is a threat to Louisiana. That said, our biggest weather threat for today once again is the heat. Most of Southwest Louisiana is under either a moderate or a major heat risk for today. Heat index or what temperatures may feel like 107 or higher this afternoon. Heat illnesses are a real possibility today. The UV index is at the very high level, so take breaks, stay hydrated and wear sunscreen. Expect only a few storms this afternoon.

60s

70s

80s

90s 100s 110s

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

HIGH

6:34 a.m.

7:50 p.m.

8:32 a.m.

9:06 p.m.

FULL

LAST

AUG 27

City

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

10:36p 4:42p 6:44a 9:03a 12:25p 11:35a 1:33p

Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today

AUG 19

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

96°/80° 93°/75° 94°/76° 102° in 2023 60° in 1931

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

FIRST

PRECIPITATION

Hi

TODAY

98 82 101 76 90 95 95 93 99

Lo

80 64 80 57 79 77 76 81 77

NEW

SEP 4

W

c s s c r t t t pc

SEP 10

Hi

101 78 101 80 90 96 96 92 102

SAT. Lo

76 64 82 57 78 78 78 81 76

W

pc s s pc sh s t pc s

FT.

LOW

0.00” 1.18” 2.49” 41.97” 39.91”

FT.

HIGH

0.6 8:41a 0.1 1.4 1:20a 0.2 1.7 10:17a 1.1 1.6 1:42a 0.3 1.1 9:54p 0.5 1.3 8:05p 0.5 1.3 10:56p 0.6

MOdERATE

REAdING 51 MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

SOURCE: LOUISIANA dEQ ANd AIRNOW.GOV

FT.

LOW

FT.

--- ----- ----- ----- --5:20p 1.7 10:32p 0.3 7:03p 1.5 2:07p 1.1 --- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ---

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

MAJOR MINOR MAJOR MINOR

Today Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

City

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

1:04a 7:16a 1:56a 8:08a 2:47a 8:59a 3:38a 9:49a 4:27a 10:39a 5:16a 11:28a 6:05a 12:17p

Hi

TODAY Lo

96 96 88 101 81 94 98 78 94

78 76 72 85 65 76 79 70 79

1:28p 7:39p 2:19p 8:30p 3:10p 9:21p 4:00p 10:12p 4:51p 11:02p 5:40p 11:52p 6:29p ----

W

pc t pc pc sh t pc pc t

Hi

98 96 88 107 83 92 96 78 94

SAT. Lo

80 77 71 87 71 75 79 69 80

W

s t s pc pc t s pc t

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

N O R T H A M ER I CA’S

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

FLOOD STAGE

34 48 48 35 27 22 17

THU. 24-HOUR STAGE CHANGE

1.60 18.20 20.90 7.80 4.10 4.06 2.50

+0.46 +0.05 -0.40 -0.10 none +0.02 none

40

16.89

-0.41

19

-1.59

+0.07

18 29 8

-1.19 10.11 1.75

-0.03 -0.19 -0.25

13 15

1.47 0.84

-0.05 -0.03

47 34 29 20 12 6

7.45 4.98 3.82 4.01 2.80 2.52

-0.10 -0.21 +0.12 -0.12 -0.30 +0.27

data as of 7 a.m. Thursday

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

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