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S at u r d ay, au g u S t 15, 2026

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Water bills define Opelousas mayoral race

Incumbent faces six challengers BY JOEL THOMPSON Staff writer

A meeting of the Opelousas City Council on Tuesday heavily focused on residents’ concerns regarding water billing and quality amid a tumultuous reelection campaign for incumbent Mayor Julius Alsandor.

Driving the dissatisfaction is a perception that Alsandor’s administration has done a poor job of communicating increases in water billing rates, and subsequently has mismanaged public fallout when concerns were raised. Nowhere has this phenomenon been more apparent than with the city’s attempt to rebuild its aging water

infrastructure. In 2023, the city received a $20 million loan for water improvement which required the city to raise rates gradually over several years. July 1 marked the ﬁrst time that water rates were adjusted based on Consumer Price Index data, with an increase of around 4% applied. According to the city’s ﬁnancial advisers, any lowering of the rates would cause the city to forfeit the loan.

While the rate increases are tied to a public works project aimed at improving water services in the city, many residents nevertheless feel frustrated with the increased rate, as was made clear during the meeting. “People are hurting right now. You can’t consume the water. You’re paying for something that’s not even drinkable,” said Teresa Sims, an Opelousas resident who came to speak on the issue. “This

is the fault of things that happened a long time ago. We shouldn’t have to be the ones to pay for it.” Council member Delita RubinBroussard, who had placed Sims on the agenda, added on to her concerns by criticizing what she called the Water Department’s lack of accessibility. “I called the Water Department last Monday on behalf of two con-

ä See MAYOR, page 4A

Proposed center could provide closer care for sickle cell patients Lafayette families affected by disease could receive treatment without long trip

STAFF FILE PHOTO

Skip Bertman

BY JA’KORI MADISON

Staff writer

For people living with sickle cell disease in Acadiana, a pain crisis can mean an emergency room wait, missed school or work, or a trip to New Orleans or Baton Rouge for specialized treatment. Sickle cell disease is an inherited group of blood disorders in which abnormal red blood cells can become hard and sticky, blocking blood ﬂow and limiting oxygen delivery to parts of the body. Severe pain is among its most common complications and can lead to repeated hospitalizations. Abram Freeman, a pastor and board member of the Southwest Louisiana Juneteenth Association, is working to create a dedicated sickle cell infusion and transfusion center in Lafayette that would serve as a hub for patients and families. For Lafayette mom Angel Siner, a crisis can begin with exhaustion, yellowing eyes and dehydration. Then pain can begin in her chest, back, arms, legs and joints, sometimes in the middle of the night. She has also experienced acute chest syndrome, a potentially serious complication that can cause chest pain and difficulty breathing. So for patients like Siner, traveling hours for specialized care or waiting in a hospital while in severe pain can add another burden. Freeman’s vision is to ease some of that burden with a center that would include medical treatment, an education center to help patients and families better understand sickle cell disease, and affordable housing for families affected by the disease and other community resources. Last year, Siner experienced a severe crisis that required her to travel to New Orleans by air ambulance because the equipment needed for an exchange transfusion was not available locally, she said. “I was in an air ambulance in pain,” Siner said. “Having a center close can be so important.” Housing is another part of Freeman’s plan. He has proposed about 15 properties, with one serving as the medical center

1938 – 2026

‘The greatest of all time’ Coach’s legacy at LSU lives on as champion, legend

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

PROVIdEd PHOTO

Angel Siner was diagnosed with sickle cell disease when she was 3 months old. For patients like Siner, having a specialized center in Lafayette would mean closer care instead of a trip to New Orleans or Baton Rouge. and others providing affordable housing for families affected by sickle cell disease. The proposed Lafayette sickle cell infusion and transfusion center remains in the planning and fundraising stages, with Freeman targeting 2028 for the project. He said he has identiﬁed several potential properties and developed a proposal involving about 15 buildings, with one serving as the medical center and others providing affordable housing for families

affected by sickle cell disease. The Louisiana Department of Health lists sickle cell specialty clinics in Lafayette, including Our Lady of Lourdes Kids Specialty Center and Ochsner Health Center for Children, but Freeman’s proposal is focused on a dedicated setting for sickle cell patients, including infusion and transfusion services. For Siner, who was born with sickle cell

ä See CENTER, page 4A

On the day Stanley “Skip” Bertman died, his statue stood where it always had before. Bertman leaning on a dugout railing, overlooking the program he built and the ﬁeld named after him within Alex Box Stadium’s walls. Flowers lay at his ä Scott feet by the bottom of Rabalais: the rail. White roses Bertman’s and yellow kalanchoes LSU legacy to the left of his statan arrangement of is eternal. ue, purple and pink ﬂowPAGE 1C ers from Billy Heroman’s to the right. The fan who gave the carnations, lilies and snapdragons left him a note: “Skip, simply the best. Will miss ya big guy!” Another fan taped a copy of The Advocate’s story from the day LSU baseball won its 2025 national championship to the walkway

ä See BERTMAN, page 3A

Luigi Mangione pleads guilty to federal stalking charges

Alleged shooter still faces state charges BY MICHAEL R. SISAK, LARRY NEUMEISTER and JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press

NEW YORK — Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty on Friday to federal stalking charges in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, admitting matter-of-

WEATHER HIGH 96 LOW 76 PAGE 6A

factly that he trailed the executive to an investor conference and gunned him down on a New York City street in 2024. Mangione, 28, said he made a gun with the aid of a 3D printer, traveled to New York and used a ruse — posing as an investor at a multibillion-dollar ﬁrm — to contact the

company for details on the event. “On the morning of Dec. 4, 2024, I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan, and he died,” Mangione told the ManhatMangione tan federal court, which he entered shackled at the feet but not handcuffed in his beige jail uniform.

Listening in the audience, Thompson’s wife, Paulette, took several deep breaths and repeatedly wiped tears from her eyes. Prosecutors plan to seek a life prison term at Mangione’s sentencing, set for Dec. 18. When U.S. District Judge Margaret M. Garnett asked whether he understood that he could spend the rest of his life behind bars, Mangione answered neutrally: “Yes.”

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In a statement, Thompson’s family called the plea “an important step toward justice” and noted that Mangione still faces other cases, including a New York state murder prosecution. It carries the potential for a separate long sentence. Federal prosecutors didn’t give Mangione any deal or incentive

ä See CHARGES, page 4A

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2A ● Saturday, August 15, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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President asks justices to step in on ballroom case

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Missionary kidnapped in Niger released

NIAMEY, Niger — An American missionary who was kidnapped in Niger in October has been released, his organization said Friday. Kevin Rideout “is in good health in the care of U.S. officials,” SIM International, an Evangelical mission organization, said in a statement. He will soon be reunited with his extended family, the statement added. Rideout was back in U.S. custody on Friday, the country’s President Donald Trump said in a post on social media. “Kevin, the United States of America looks forward to welcoming you HOME. Glad to have helped!” Trump wrote. Rideout was kidnapped in the West African country’s capital, Niamey, on Oct. 21 by three armed individuals and was probably driven out of town, according to information provided by a security ofﬁcial at the time. No armed group claimed responsibility for the abduction. Niger has long faced attacks from armed groups including jihadis linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State organization. The U.S. Embassy in Niamey issued a security alert a day after Rideout’s kidnapping, warning that U.S. citizens “remain at a heightened risk of kidnapping throughout Niger, including in the capital city.”

Reform UK’s Farage beats fringe candidates

CLACTON-ON-SEA, England — Nigel Farage regained his seat in Parliament on Friday, beating a field of fringe candidates led by trash-can-wearing comic Count Binface in a special election boycotted by mainstream parties that called it a farce. Farage, leader of the antiimmigration Reform UK party who some see as a possible next prime minister, abruptly quit his seat in July amid an investigation into whether he failed to report a $6.7 million gift from an overseas crypto billionaire. He denied wrongdoing and ran again for the seat to prove he had voters’ support, regaining it with 63% of Thursday’s vote in an unusual election on the hottest day of the year. Binface, a serial candidate who has challenged prime ministers past and present, represented a protest vote and finished second in a field of 34 candidates — many of them also jokers — with about 27%, according to the results announced Friday. Farage hailed the result as an “overwhelming win” that increased his vote share over the last election, but it’s hard to draw broad conclusions from the election given the lack of genuine rivals and the fact that Farage has long been popular in the conservative constituency on the east coast of England.

Picasso etching stolen from Wis. gallery found

MADISON, Wis. — Bill DeLind thought the Picasso print that was stolen from his Milwaukee gallery in 2018 was gone forever. But then police called last week and asked him to look an artwork that a local landlord found while cleaning out a vacant apartment. DeLind immediately recognized the stolen “Torero” print, one of 30 known to exist signed by Picasso. “I was overwhelmed,” DeLind said Friday. “I was at a loss for words. It was an overwhelming moment for me.” The sticker from his DeLind Fine Art Appraisals was still on the back of the framed print, just as it had been placed there in 2018. Milwaukee landlord Tim Dertz told WISN-TV that he found the print while cleaning out an apartment of someone who had been evicted. “It was kind of in a weird spot hanging on a wall,” Tim Dertz told the station. “It looked like it had been there for a long, long time because it had tons of dust across the top of it.” Dertz said he showed it to an antique dealer friend who recognized it as a Picasso and said it appeared to be the one DeLind reported stolen in 2018. Dertz handed it over to police, who then contacted DeLind.

Trump wants construction to continue

BY MICHAEL KUNZELMAN and LINDSAY WHITEHURST

Associated Press ASSOCIATEd PRESS FILE PHOTO

Sailors and Marines line the deck of aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln as it deploys from San diego in 2021. The carrier has been deployed for more than 240 days amid the conflict with Iran.

Trump downplays toll of carrier deployment President says USS Lincoln at sea ‘not nearly long enough’

BY KONSTANTIN TOROPIN and AAMER MADHANI Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Friday downplayed the toll on American sailors enduring nearly nine months at sea on the USS Abraham Lincoln as concerns escalated about mental health and supply issues aboard the aircraft carrier supporting U.S. operations against Iran. In a brief exchange with reporters before flying to New York for an event to highlight falling violent crime rates across the U.S., Trump refuted that family members have raised concerns about the deployment’s length and even said that the deployment — which includes a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea of more than 240 days — is “not nearly long enough.” “That ship is moving right now, or very shortly, and it’s being replaced with another very similar ship,” Trump said when asked about the lengthy deployment. The acting navy secretary, Hung Cao, said the Lincoln “will return home soon” in a social media post on Friday. Trump strode into office for a second term vowing to avoid lengthy and expensive military entanglements. And after launching the Iran war, alongside Israel, Trump and his advisers said the conflict would last a matter of weeks. The war is now more than five months old. But on Friday, during his crime address in Garden City, New York, he acknowledged that he’s used the U.S. military “a little bit more than I wanted to,” while asserting anew that the U.S. operation against Iran is going well. He even said, seemingly in jest, that “pretty soon I’ll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States.”

“I’ll never apologize,” Trump added about the war and its impact on oil prices. “I did the right thing.” Extended deployments of carriers during the Iran conflict have raised concerns about the impact on service members who are away from home for long periods as well as the increasing strain on the ships and their equipment. Several Democratic lawmakers, including Sens. Richard Blumenthal, of Connecticut, and Ruben Gallego, of Arizona, are pressing for accountability from the Pentagon over conditions aboard the Lincoln, which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday said were “completely misrepresented.” Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., who served three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division and 75th Ranger Regiment before being elected, took to social media to criticize Trump’s comments, saying on X that “President Trump does not care about our servicemembers or their families.” Top Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have requested a classified briefing on the ship’s food inventory, sanitation issues and healthcare availability, as well as an assessment of how much longer it would be deployed before relief arrives. Republicans have been less outspoken about the situation on the Lincoln. The GOP chairmen of the House and Senate armed services committees did not immediately respond to a request for comment. While hostilities between the U.S. and Iran have calmed in recent weeks, the Navy has reimposed a blockade on Iranian ports in the crucial Strait of Hormuz, and the Trump administration has offered no clarity on how it intends to wind down the war. Hegseth said the U.S. military can maintain the blockage of Iranian ports “indefinitely.” Another aircraft carrier, the USS George Washington, left port in Da Nang, Vietnam, last week, and is expected to replace the USS Lincoln, one of two aircraft carriers currently deployed in the Middle East.

Suspect arrested in WW II memorial vandalism in D.C. BY GARY FIELDS Associated Press

WASHINGTON — A person has been arrested in connection with vandalism at the World War II Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced Friday. Pirro announced on X that her office was filing two felony charges against Melissa L. Farris. Pirro said the felony charges are “Depredation Against Property of the United States and Destruction of Veterans’ Memorials.” The offenses carry penalties of up to 10 years in prison. On Thursday, the words “Clean hands dirty $” were found painted on the monument and bubbles filled a fountain. “Vandalizing our World War II Memorial is a despicable attack on a sacred monument honoring the Americans who fought and died for our freedom. Those Americans include my father and grandfather,” Pirro wrote. A woman identified on her Facebook page as Melissa Lovewell posted a video Thursday in which she is seen taking cans of spray paint from her bag and then painting the monument. “I will wait here to be arrested for spraying our veterans’ fountain,” she says. “It was me, I’m doing it, it’s on camera.” In a video posted Friday, the woman, who in a separate post said she had been in Washington for three weeks, said she was turning herself in. The arrest warrant filed in the case indicated that witnesses took pictures of the

ASSOCIATEd PRESS PHOTO

Visitors walk Friday at the World War II Memorial in Washington.

vandalism occurring, which were circulated among U.S. Park Police officers. One officer recognized the suspect as someone they arrested Aug. 10 “for unlawfully camping on federal property” just blocks away. She livestreamed that arrest, the warrant said. The suspect was identified by her Kentucky driver’s license as Melissa L. Farris, of Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Farris was expected to be arraigned Friday. The Public Defender’s office said she was not yet listed in the system and had not been assigned an attorney. The incident sparked harsh rebukes from both Pirro and President Donald Trump and comes after the president blamed damage to the nearby Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on vandals, without providing evidence. That case prompted charges against multiple people which were dropped when Pirro said evidence showed the damage came from botched repairs after Trump’s renovation at the site.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s administration on Friday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow the White House to continue construction on its $400 million ballroom project while it appeals a lower court’s order to halt the work. Trump’s solicitor general petitioned the high court to suspend last week’s decision by a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Chief Justice John Roberts set a deadline of Tuesday for a response by plaintiffs challenging the ballroom project. The divided appeals court panel ruled last week Trump must stop the White House ballroom’s construction because Congress has not approved the project. The panel’s majority said Trump doesn’t have the unilateral authority to build a 90,000-square-foot ballroom where the White House’s East Wing stood before he ordered its demolition last fall. The lower court suspended its own ruling for two weeks to give Trump’s Republican administration time to appeal to the Supreme Court. Solicitor General D. John Sauer asked the Supreme Court to rule on its stay petition before the appeals court panel’s decision takes effect on Aug. 21. “This case involves an extraordinary and unlawful injunction that will halt the ongoing construction of the integrated military complex, including a totally secure ballroom space, at the East Wing of the White House, which is vitally required by national security,” Sauer wrote. Friday’s court filing includes the administration’s first confirmation that a

threatened missile attack on Air Force One prompted the Secret Service to secretly fly Trump out of Turkey last month on an alternate military aircraft. In arguing for the need for a secure ballroom space, the ﬁling cites “the threat of a missile attack against Air Force One on July 8” in a list of recent assassination attempts against Trump. The filing also asserts that the project is “on time and under budget” with approximately $400 million in private donations obviating the need for any taxpayer dollars to be spent. However, Democrats in Congress have said it appears that funds from Trump’s tax cuts bill appear to be paying for ballroom work. The administration also has requested additional funding from Congress for the project, but lawmakers haven’t approved it. In April, a district court judge ordered a stop to aboveground construction of the planned ballroom. But the judge stressed that the White House was free to proceed with underground work, including the construction of any bunkers, military installations and medical facilities. The D.C. Circuit panel’s 2-1 decision upheld an order to pause aboveground construction on the project, siding with historic preservationists who sued to stop construction of the ballroom. “Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help,” wrote the majority’s two judges, both appointed by Democratic presidents. A third judge disagreed, finding that the preservationist group that challenged the project had no legal right to sue. “The district court elevated the aesthetic displeasure of a single passerby over the government’s security interests in the ballroom,” wrote Judge Neomi Rao, who was appointed by Trump.

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The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Saturday,August 15, 2026 ● 3A

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BERTMAN

Continued from page 1A that led to his statue, also writing a message that included an arrow pointing to the article. “Coach… you did this. You started it… Thank you! Rest in Peace.” That observation is an astute one. Since the moment Bertman — who died on Friday at the age of 88 — stepped onto LSU’s campus for the first time as the new baseball coach in the summer of 1983, he built a legacy at LSU that has arguably been unmatched. “He is probably the most important person in the history of LSU athletics,” LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry told The Advocate on Friday. Bertman won five national championships and 11 College World Series appearances as LSU’s baseball coach over 18 seasons (1984-2001). He then hired four eventual national championship-winning head coaches as LSU’s athletic director in a seven-year tenure (2001-2008). LSU won nine national championships while Bertman served as athletic director. The Tigers also reached the Final Four five times in women’s basketball and once in men’s basketball during that time. “So many people use words like GOAT (greatest of all-time), but Skip truly was the GOAT,” former LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri, who Bertman hired for the position in 2006, said. “He was the greatest of all time, and I was just lucky enough to call him not only my boss, but a dear friend.”

The Miami years

oped this youth program in Miami Beach and how it had (fed) into his high school program.” Mainieri’s father, Demie, then the head coach at Miami Dade North Community College, would meet with Bertman to share ideas and discuss players. Multiple players of Demie’s NJCAA national championship team in 1964 had come from Bertman’s program at Miami Beach. Eventually, the Mainieri and Bertman families grew close, meeting monthly. The Mainieris had a batting cage in their backyard, and Bertman would give Paul pointers while he struggled to hit. Even at that age, Paul would sit in on his father and Bertman’s meetings and soak up every last word. They were his idols. “You couldn’t wedge me away from that conversation with a crowbar,” Mainieri said. “I just sat and listened to these two great coaches sharing ideas.” Following his time at Miami Beach, Bertman became the associate head coach at the University of Miami for eight seasons,

winning a national championship in 1982 before LSU hired him as its head coach ahead of the 1984 season.

Bertman builds a winner LSU’s baseball program back then was not in the same place as it is today. Bertman’s predecessor, Jack Lamabe, was ﬁred after ﬁve seasons and an overall record of 134-115. The man who held the position before Lamabe was Jimmy Smith, who only held the role in a part-time capacity. Smith’s full-time gig was as the equipment manager for the football team. “He wasn’t even out there for fall practices,” Mainieri, who played under Smith for one season, said, “except for on Sundays when the football team didn’t practice.” LSU had reached the NCAA Tournament just once in its program’s history before Bertman’s arrival. For the dynasty he eventually built, he essentially had to start from scratch. Ausberry remembers attending games in the early years of Bertman’s tenure as a student and

linebacker on the football team. There would only be a few hundred people in the stands as he and his teammates would watch games from the train tracks next to the old Alex Box Stadium. “I remember my buddies and I would watch games, (and) there was always Texas, and Arizona State, and Miami, and Oklahoma State, schools like that (playing on TV),” said Bill Franques, LSU baseball’s communications director who was a student at LSU when Bertman was hired. “And I remember thinking, ‘Man, wouldn’t it be great if LSU could play baseball in Omaha in the College World Series, and be on TV like all these other teams?’” LSU reached the College World Series twice before Franques was hired as LSU baseball’s communications director in 1989, a position he still holds. One weekend, on a road trip to Ole Miss, Bertman ordered Franques to bring a camera to the park and start taking photos in and around Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field, which had just opened that season. Bertman

wanted to provide then-athletic director Joe Dean with ideas on how LSU could upgrade the old Alex Box Stadium. As Franques began taking pictures at the park with his 35 mm Pentax camera, Bertman got impatient and snatched the device from his hands. He then started taking photos of the outfield fence, foul pole and stands before he stopped, looked at the camera and started to get upset. The camera only had a few exposures of film left. Franques had forgotten to check how many he had in the camera. “He was very, very displeased with that fact, and that he wanted to take a lot more pictures,” Franques said. “So he promptly handed me a $20 bill, told me to find the bus driver and go to a pharmacy and buy some more film. And he didn’t say it quite that nice. “But I do remember him saying something to the effect of, ‘You know, I’m trying to win here. I’m trying to win a national championship here.’ Basically, he was

ä See BERTMAN, page 4A

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Bertman was born in Detroit, Michigan, but his story as a legendary coach and administrator began in Miami Beach, Florida, where he was the head baseball coach at Miami Beach High, his alma mater. The program renamed its ﬁeld in his honor back in April. At Miami Beach, Bertman led the program to a state championship in 1970 and two second-place ﬁnishes. His years there were also when an 11-year-old Mainieri got to know the future LSU legend. “It was about a 45-minute drive from our house over to Skip’s house on Miami Beach,” Mainieri said, recalling the first time he met Bertman. “And during the drive, my father was telling me all about Skip and what a great coach he was. And how he had devel-

STAFF FILE PHOTO

Coach Skip Bertman beams as his fourth national championship team has its picture taken with the NCAA trophy in 1997.

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4A ● Saturday,August 15, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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BERTMAN

Continued from page 3A saying, you need to get on board with my vision, with what I want to do, if you want to continue to work with me.” Franques eventually found the bus driver and bought more film for Bertman to shoot with that day at Ole Miss, but Bertman wouldn’t reach his ultimate goal of winning a national championship until 1991. When he accomplished the historic feat, Franques remembers how calm Bertman was after LSU had just climbed to the mountaintop of the sport. He shook the hands of his assistant coaches, shook hands with the opposing coach — Wichita State’s Gene Stephenson — and took a moment to reﬂect. “He said, ‘The reason I was that way, because I’d seen this happen in my mind so many times,’ ” Franques recalls Bertman saying. “‘I visualized this exact moment so many times, I knew exactly how I would react.’” LSU went on to win four more national championships, winning ﬁve titles in 10 years, including backto-back championships in 1996 and 1997, before he stepped down as LSU’s head coach and became the athletic director in 2001. By the end of his tenure, Bertman had accumulated a career record of 870-330-3. “When I took the job here, everybody asked what kind of goals I had, you know, national championships, SEC championships, et cetera,” Mainieri said. “And I said, ‘I really only have one goal. I’m going to feel like the custodian of the program that Skip built, and all I want to do is make him proud.’”

Athletic director, post-coaching life Ausberry was working with the Tiger Athletic Foundation when Bertman brought him into the athletic department, shortly after Bertman was hired as LSU’s next athletic director. What Ausberry will never forget about the opportunity was his ﬁrst day on the job, Sept. 11, 2001. But on a day that sowed chaos across the country, Bertman remained focused on solving the tasks at hand. “One thing about Skip, you couldn’t go to him and say, ‘This is

MAYOR

Continued from page 1A stituents. I never got a call back,” said Broussard. “Citizens are trying to figure out their bills, and they’re not able to get in touch.” Alsandor responded by saying that the current department is understaffed, and that the city has struggled to find qualified personnel to fill empty positions. “Last week we sent out 280 delinquent bills. There’s two people who take care of that. They have to answer the phone and take care of 7,000 residents across the city,” Alsandor said. He additionally encour-

CHARGES

Continued from page 1A to plead guilty, they and his lawyers said. Nor did Mangione plead guilty to avoid a potential death sentence. That possibility was taken off the table when a federal murder charge was tossed out this winter. Mangione’s lawyers didn’t explain why he choose to plead guilty now, but after he entered the plea at Friday’s hastily scheduled hearing, they quickly sought to have the New York case thrown out on double jeopardy grounds. The state’s double jeopardy protections can kick in if a prior prosecution ends in a guilty plea. “Mr. Mangione has accepted full responsibility for the death of Brian Thompson,” defense lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo said outside court, arguing that her client shouldn’t face two prosecutions over a “single tragic event.” The Manhattan District Attorney’s Ofﬁce, which is handling the state prosecution, said it remains committed to its case and would contest the defense’s efforts to shut it down.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

The Skip Bertman statue in Legacy Plaza outside of Alex Box Stadium was unveiled in 2019. The statue commemorates Bertman’s accomplishments as the LSU baseball coach from 1984 to 2001. He led the Tigers to five national championships and seven Southeastern Conference championships. the problem,’” Ausberry said. “He would always say, ‘How are we going to solve the problem?’ “He was a guy who just thought about, ‘Hey, how are we going to win?’” Under Bertman’s guidance, Ausberry learned almost everything he’d need to know for the position he now holds. Bertman placed him in various roles throughout the athletic department, including operations, game management, internal and external relations, multimedia rights and marketing promotions. Bertman wasn’t afraid to make Ausberry uncomfortable in an effort to help him grow. “He put us in positions where you’re a utility player,” Ausberry said. “I’m going to put you in some positions you’re uncomfortable with, but you got to get it done.” Perhaps the biggest lesson he learned from Bertman came in the art of interviewing coaches. Don’t waste their time or insult their intelligence. They coach at the highest level of collegiate sports for a reason. “When I was working with hiring Lane Kifﬁn, that’s why the interview lasted an hour and 10 minutes,” Ausberry said. “You don’t sit there for four hours and ask a guy, ‘What offense are you going to run up, what’s your scheme?’ That

came from Skip.” Bertman’s success with hiring and developing coaches resulted in national championships, but, perhaps most importantly, ushered in a new era of LSU football. Bertman’s work with Nick Saban delivered a national title in 2003 and created a blueprint of success that led to national championships in 2007 and 2019. Saban and Bertman had a mutual respect for one another as type-A personalities and winners during Saban’s time in Baton Rouge, Ausberry said. “They knew what it is to be a coach, what it is to compete,” Ausberry said. “So when you’re young as a player, you don’t get it, and when you’re a young administrator, you don’t get it. You don’t get it until you get older. What it takes to win in this conference in the SEC and win national championships. It’s not easy.” After Bertman stepped down as athletic director in 2008, he continued to offer advice to Mainieri, who went on to win his own national championship at LSU in 2009. Oftentimes, they’d have lunch together at Mike Anderson’s in Baton Rouge. By 2022, when Jay Johnson took over for Mainieri following his retirement, Bertman was still a

larger-than-life figure within the program. During Johnson’s tenure, he spoke to the team on multiple occasions, met with players before games and offered advice to Johnson whenever he asked for it. The most nervous Johnson has ever been as LSU’s coach was when he had to call Bertman for the ﬁrst time after he got the job. “It was the man,” Johnson said, “the guy I held in the highest regard, and saw and viewed as the pinnacle of my profession.” As recently as Tuesday, Bertman was asking Johnson about Logan Schmidt, a freshman left-handed pitcher who wound up at LSU despite getting picked in the second round by the Cleveland Guardians in the MLB Draft last month. Bertman thought the world of Johnson, telling The Advocate back in February that Johnson was a “much, much, much better coach than I was.” When asked about it on Friday, Johnson chuckled before stating that he disagreed. Before he died, Johnson and Ausberry met with Bertman on Thursday night. He was “in a situation ﬁghting for his life,” but Ausberry still expected to have dinner with his neighbor of 26 years next weekend. “You think, OK, it’s Skip Bertman,” Ausberry said. “He’s going to be OK. He’s gonna wake up tomorrow and be better, and I’ll see you next week at dinner. “He told us he loved us, and my boys are here. And we’re probably, other than his family, the last people he saw last night.” Ausberry got the call at 1:30 a.m. on Friday that Bertman had died. As the sun came up that morning, and the news began to spread around Baton Rouge, the SEC and the nation, one constant truth remained at Alex Box Stadium. It was Bertman leaning on the dugout railing, looming over a program, athletic department and university that he elevated to new heights. “The first person that I think about, when I think about the state of Louisiana,” Johnson said, “is Skip Bertman.” Email Koki Riley at koki.riley@ theadvocate.com. For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/ lsunewsletter.

aged residents to download the EyeOnWater app which allows you to see specific water meter readings from your phone. While Alsandor is attempting to secure a third term, he drew six challengers during candidate qualifying. From the word go, his competitors have seized on the often chaotic nature the city’s council meetings to launch criticisms of Alsandor, showing up to support resident’s complaints on a variety of matters. Sona Anderson, a Democrat running against Alsandor in the November election, also spoke during the 31/ 2-hour council meeting. Anderson says the city is

not doing enough to ensure fair billing practices. “If someone’s water bill increases by 20%, there should be something that flags that within the computer system that monitors water billing, so that someone can look into it and make sure it’s not an error,” Anderson said. Anderson takes it a step further, saying that water quality is also unacceptable. “The water at my house has been brown for six years. It’s dangerous. You can’t consume it.” The claim isn’t backed up with external evidence, however. Earlier this year, the Louisiana Department of Health issued the city’s water system an A grade,

indicating a high level of quality. Another candidate vying for the mayorship, Democrat Donald Broussard, threatened to file a lawsuit against the city over its handling of water bills, claiming his monthly bills increased from $60 to $170. “The billing process here in Opelousas is the issue,” Broussard said. “The systemic failure is what needs to be addressed.” Alsandor responds to the criticism by saying that Broussard had been delinquent in paying his bills for several months leading up to the increased charge. Broussard claims that he had not received a water bill in the mail in over three

months, but was nonetheless charged with a delinquent fee on following charges to his account. Anderson says she believes that the systemic failure is the city’s combative attitude toward residents. “If people are struggling to pay their water bills, the city needs to advise them of what resources they have, not berate them. There are senior discounts, low-income deals and payment plans, yet nobody brings those up,” Anderson said. Other candidates for mayor, including Elbert Guillory, Kenon Lamb, Devin McKnight and Rod Sias, did not respond to a request for comment.

son, 50, from behind. Police say “delay,” “deny” and “depose” were written on the ammunition, mimicking a phrase used to describe how insurers avoid paying claims. That detail — and revelations that Mangione’s private writings lambasted health insurers as greedy, according to authorities — made the case a fulcrum for debate about the industry and made Mangione a cause célèbre for some of its critics. A University of Pennsylvania graduate from a wealthy Maryland family, Mangione told the court Friday that he pursued Thompson “after years of enduring severe pain from a broken back, navigating the obstacles of the health insurance system and witnessing similar experiences of countless others.” Friedman Agnifilo later said her client “believed that the system had failed him and destroyed his life.”

U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald, whose office handled the federal case, added: “There can be no celebrity in assassination.” Thompson led one of the United States’ largest health insurers, but he wasn’t well known outside the industry. Trained as an accountant, he worked at parent company UnitedHealth Group Inc. for 20 years and became CEO of its insurance arm, UnitedHealthcare, in 2021. He and his wife had two sons, who were in high school when their father was killed. Thompson’s violent death “devastated everyone who knew and loved him,” the company said in a statement Friday, thanking law enforcement for bringing Mangione to justice.

during his arrest as evidence against him. They included a 3D-printed pistol that investigators said matched the one used to kill Thompson and a notebook in which authorities say Mangione described his intent to kill an insurance executive.

Similarly, the judge in the state case threw out terrorism charges against Mangione but agreed to let the gun and notebook be used as evidence. The case has been heading toward a September trial, but his lawyers’ new bid to dismiss it could complicate the timeline.

Grievances are no excuse

Mangione never was a UnitedHealthcare customer, according to police and the company. “To those who idolize Luigi Mangione, I say this. Violence is not a cause. Murder is not a message. And a killMangione alludes to pain er is certainly not a hero,” Surveillance video of the New York Police Commisambush showed a masked sioner Jessica Tisch said gunman shooting Thomp- outside court Friday.

Disputes over evidence Mangione was arrested five days after the shooting, when he was spotted at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 230 miles west of Manhattan. Police had released various images of the suspected shooter, including one showing his face as he checked into a hostel. Although his lawyers got the federal murder charge dismissed, Garnett also delivered some setbacks to the defense, ruling in January that prosecutors could use items collected from Mangione’s backpack

CENTER

Continued from page 1A disease, the need for a Lafayette sickle cell transfusion center is personal. She was 3 months old when she was first diagnosed. As she got older, while her friends enjoyed activities, she had to avoid certain things that could trigger pain. She frequently missed school, activities, holidays and birthdays because of hospitalization. Siner said other obstacles have emerged in her adult life. Emergency room experiences have sometimes made managing the disease even more difficult. She has had to wait 11 hours in a waiting room while experiencing severe pain. At another hospital, she sought treatment for severe hip pain but said she was told that because her blood levels were fine, she could not be given fluids or stronger pain medication. Siner said those experiences show a common misconception about sickle cell pain. “They see me still walking around,” she said. “But honestly, we’re just getting the distractions from the pain.” Freeman’s proposal goes beyond medical care. He envisions an education center where patients and families can learn about sickle cell disease, its history and ways to reduce complications, including staying hydrated, eating properly and exercising. “We don’t have enough hematologists,” Freeman said. “That’s a huge problem.” Siner agrees that more education is needed. She said sickle cell disease receives little attention compared with the impact it can have on a person’s life. “It needs to be more research,” she said. “Because when you study it, like, even in high school in biology, it’s only like one little page in the book, and it’s really something that changes our life forever.” She hopes the center can help change that by providing patients with medical professionals who understand the disease and a place where they feel safe. Freeman said a grant would help cover legal expenses associated with acquiring the properties, he said, while additional donations and community partnerships would be needed to develop the facility. For Siner, having a center in Acadiana would mean having somewhere nearby where patients are believed, understood and treated with compassion. “It makes me feel that we are being seen and someone wants to advocate for us,” Siner said. “We’re having a voice.” A sickle cell walk is planned for Sept. 19 at Brown Park, with registration beginning at 8 a.m., Freeman said. Blue Cross Blue Shield has matched $1,000 toward “goodie bags” for children hospitalized with sickle cell disease, he said. Email Ja’kori Madison at jakori.madison@ theadvocate.com.

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The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Saturday, August 15, 2026 ● 5A

2 UAE tankers attacked while transiting strait lll

The United Arab Emirates blamed Iran for firing drones at two tankers operated by a state-owned oil company as they sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, saying Friday that the attacks were acts of piracy. The attacks caused no casualties but underlined the dangers faced by vessels moving cargo through the critical waterway that connects the Persian Gulf to the open oceans, as Iran keeps a ﬁrm grip on the passage. Two tankers owned by Abu Dhabi’s state-owned oil and gas company ADNOC were attacked Thursday evening while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the company said. It added that the attack caused no injuries and that “the situation has been brought under control.” The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center said two vessels were reported to have suffered minor damage when attacked by drones while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. It did not identify them as the ADNOC ships, but it appeared to be the same incident. The UAE’s Foreign Ministry blamed the attacks on Iran and said they were a “flagrant violation” of the

across Yemen have raised fears that the country’s civil Houthi attacks war could reignite and open Yemen’s military said its another front in the Middle forces thwarted Houthi at- East. tacks early Friday in southwestern Yemen amid ongo- Kushner headed to talks ing fighting with the IranPresident Donald Trump’s backed rebels. son-in-law and negotiator Forces affiliated with Ye- Jared Kushner will travel to men’s internationally rec- the Middle East next week to ognized government said try to advance plans for an in a statement that dozens end to the conflict in Gaza of Houthis were killed and after a deal recently aninjured in fighting that dis- nounced by the Trump adrupted plans to attack mili- ministration ran into Israeli tary reinforcements in Taiz opposition. An official with the Board province with drones, exploof Peace, the body Trump sives and artillery. The Associated Press was established to oversee the unable to independently ver- fragile ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, said Kushner, ify that toll. A fire broke out Friday at board high representative the port in Mokha, where Nickolay Mladenov, and exHouthis launched missiles ecutive board member and targeting the port’s infra- former British Prime Minisstructure, according to a ter Tony Blair would arrive spokesman for Yemen’s in Israel on Sunday. The group will then travel joint military forces. The spokesman, Wadah al- to Cairo, where meetings of Dubaish, could not imme- a Palestinian technocratic diately say if anyone was group set to assume control of Gaza under a U.S.-brokilled or wounded. The Houthis said Friday kered ceasefire deal have they targeted Saudi Aramco, been taking place for the Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil past several months, said company, with a drone strike the official, who spoke on in the city of Najran near Ye- condition of anonymity bemen’s border. There was no cause planning for details immediate comment from of the trip has not yet been finalized. Aramco or Saudi Arabia. The trip was reported earRecent Houthi attacks on government-held areas lier by Axios.

said in a statement.

By The Associated Press

ASSOCIATEd PRESS PHOTO By ABdULNASSER ALSEddIK

An injured child receives treatment Friday at a hospital after a strike on the port of Mokha, yemen. United Nations’ principles of freedom of navigation. “Targeting commercial shipping and using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of economic coercion or blackmail represents acts of piracy by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps,” the Foreign Ministry said. There was no immediate response from Iran.

Activists aid Palestinians Activists from Israel and

other countries marched through the occupied West Bank, bringing food and water to Palestinians who have been under siege by Israeli settlers for days. Three Palestinian families in the town of Qusra have been unable to leave their homes for nearly a week after settlers surrounded the area. Israeli troops intervened multiple times, but the settlers have kept returning.

The standoff in the northern West Bank town of Qusra is the latest in a wave of settler violence in the territory, which Israel seized in the 1967 Mideast war and which would make up part of a future Palestinian state. Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the army to prepare a plan to transfer power to the police to enforce civilian-related matters, the Defense Ministry

Trump focuses on crime reduction as he boosts candidates in N.Y. BY COLLIN BINKLEY and MICHELLE L. PRICE Associated Press

GARDEN CITY, N.Y. — President Donald Trump highlighted his record on crime and safety during a visit to New York on Friday, pivoting to one of his strongest issues as he looks to boost Republicans in battleground races ahead of the November midterms. Trump was visiting the Nassau County police academy in suburban Long Island, where he was expected to promote new FBI crime statistics being released Friday showing a decrease in violent crime for 2025. But despite the setting and an array of uniformed local police officers behind him on stage, the event was overwhelmingly a political one, with Trump lashing Democrats and promoting his record and his party’s candidates. Trump’s visit aimed at boosting Republicans in closely contested races across his home state, but just how much his presence will help is in question as he faces lagging approval ratings and a deeply unpopular war in Iran with no end in sight.

said, “These young, these gorgeous, beautiful girls are — they want to be safe.” “Two years ago, we were in a hellhole, and now we have one of the safest cities,” he said. The new FBI statistics released Friday showed the homicide rate in the United States dropped to the lowest it’s been in 75 years. The report on 2025 crime statistics also showed that overall ASSOCIATEd PRESS PHOTO By JULIA dEMAREE NIKHINSON violent crime dropped 9.3% President donald Trump speaks with reporters Friday before last year. Experts note that boarding Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Md. national violent crime rates Trump brieﬂy touched on the new crime statistics, but before long he was returning to familiar attacking lines, calling his opponents “Radical left Democrats” and his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, “Sleepy Joe.” “We call them Dumbocrats now because their policies are so dumb. Fighting to defund the police. Does that play well in this room?” Trump said at one point, turning around to look at the ofﬁcers behind him. He criticized the state’s Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul and insulted the state’s Attorney General, Letitia James, as “a real slob” and “a disgrace.”

James successfully sued the president and his companies for financial fraud. The Justice Department last year secured a mortgage fraud indictment against James, but the case was dismissed after a judge concluded that the prosecutor who charged her and another Trump adversary, former FBI Director James Comey, was illegally appointed. He touted his deployment of the National Guard to cities around the U.S., including in the nation’s capital. Trump repeatedly said that “young, beautiful girls in the White House” have thanked him for making Washington safer. It was not clear who he was referring to, but he

Judge blocks Idaho from prosecuting doctors for health-protecting abortions BY REBECCA BOONE Associated Press

BOISE, Idaho — A federal judge says Idaho can’t prosecute doctors who perform abortions to protect a pregnant person’s health or prevent self-harm. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill made the ruling Thursday, writing that Idaho’s “Defense of Life Act” and “Fetal Heartbeat Act” — which together create a

near-total ban on abortion — violate the due process and equal protection clauses of the 14th Amendment. Physicians who violate the laws can lose their license and face up to ﬁve years in prison. Both laws include narrow exceptions, including abortions done to prevent the death of a pregnant woman or in some cases of rape or incest where the pregnant person has ﬁled a police report.

The case isn’t about bodily autonomy or reproductive choice, Winmill wrote in the 81-page decision, but rather the “limit of the state’s power to make a woman suffer for the sake of an unborn child.” The state can’t pick and choose which life-threatening conditions justify abortion, he wrote. “A pregnant woman’s health is not a state resource to be allocated at the legislature’s whim,” Winmill wrote.

Russian drones kill mom, son in Ukraine BY ILLIA NOVIKOV Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine — Russian jetpowered drones struck a home in northern Ukraine on Friday, killing a 29-yearold woman and her 9-yearold son, ofﬁcials said. The strike came a day after the United Nations said July was the deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians since the weeks following Moscow’s all-out invasion of its neighbor more than four years ago. At least 437 civilians were killed and 2,610 wounded

last month, the U.N. monitoring mission in Kyiv said, as Russia escalated its bombing of Ukrainian towns and cities. That was 70% higher than in July last year and 30% up on June of this year. Overall, since Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, U.N. human rights monitors say the war has killed at least 16,874 civilians, including 820 children, and wounded 51,273, including 3,126 children. “Every month this year the number of killed and injured civilians has increased. That

trend accelerated sharply in July,” said Danielle Bell, head of the U.N. human rights monitoring mission in Kyiv. “The number of civilian casualties in July was the highest we documented in a single month since March 2022.” The Russian strike in northern Ukraine’s Sumy region early Friday also wounded four other people, including the dead boy’s father and grandmother, who were hospitalized with severe burns, the regional military administration chief Oleh Hryhorov said.

have been declining since 2022, and pinpointing an exact reason is difﬁcult. Trump also promoted his tariff policies, along with his tax cuts and spending law passed last year and suggested that the tax breaks on overtime would be popular with police officers. Many of his lines, especially the political attacks, didn’t get as much of a reaction from the uniformed ofﬁcers as it did from the crowd of regular Trump supporters in the audience, who enthusiasti-

cally cheered and booed on cue. To the side of the stage during his remarks were the new U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel, who each spoke to warm up the crowd before the president. Their appearance at an event that in part was designed to help Republican candidates broke long-standing norms in which the nation’s law enforcement generally tried to steer clear of participating in overtly political events.

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6A ● Saturday,August 15, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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TODAY

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MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

Mostly sunny

A t-storm around in the p.m.

An afternoon t-storm in spots

A t-storm around in the p.m.

Sunshine and a few clouds

HIGH

LOW

HIGH

96° 76°

LOW

HIGH

96° 77°

LOW

94° 78°

Beaumont 95/75 Port Arthur 95/75

Baton Rouge 98/76

Lake Charles 96/77

New Orleans 96/79 Houma 96/75

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

Hattiesburg 102/76

Alexandria 100/75

Lafayette 96/76

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LOW

HIGH

LOW

96° 76°

YESTERDAY

Lafayette through 5 p.m. Friday

Jackson 101/75 Many 98/73

HIGH

94° 77°

TEMPERATURE

Longview 102/76

-0s

LOW

Monroe 102/77

Shreveport 101/76

-10s

HIGH

95° 78°

The heat will continue to be our biggest issue with the weather today and all weekend. In fact, parts of Acadiana is under an Extreme Heat Warning because heat index values could rise to 109 degrees or higher while the actual temperatures are in the mid90s. Acadiana is also under a moderate or major heat risk, so heat illnesses are possible. There are two invest areas in the Atlantic, neither of which is a threat to Louisiana. Stay hydrated, take breaks and wear your sunscreen.

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96°/74° 93°/75° 93°/77° 103° 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

Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today

HIGH

11:39p 8:48a 7:01a 8:58a 1:43p 12:38p 2:51p

6:35 a.m. 7:49 p.m. 9:34 a.m. 9:36 p.m.

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Austin Boston dallas Fairbanks Honolulu Las Vegas Louisville Miami Nashville

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

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s pc s pc r pc t pc s

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0.00” 1.18” 2.69” 41.97” 40.11”

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0.4 8:39a 0.2 0.9 1:05a 0.4 1.6 11:12a 0.9 1.5 2:18a 0.6 0.9 8:39p 0.7 1.0 6:48p 0.7 1.0 9:41p 0.8

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REAdING 60 MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

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FT.

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1:56a 2:47a 3:38a 4:27a 5:16a 6:05a 6:53a

96 96 89 105 84 92 97 78 94

8:08a 8:59a 9:49a 10:39a 11:28a 12:17p 12:40a

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79 77 72 87 71 75 78 70 80

2:19p 8:30p 3:10p 9:21p 4:00p 10:12p 4:51p 11:02p 5:40p 11:52p 6:29p ---7:18p 1:05p

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78 78 71 87 70 75 74 70 81

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

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MISSISSIPPI STAGE STAGE CHANGE Memphis 34 1.30 -0.30 Vidalia-Natchez 48 18.40 +0.23 Red River Landing 48 21.10 +0.20 Baton Rouge 35 7.70 -0.10 donaldsonville 27 4.20 +0.10 Reserve 22 3.84 -0.22 New Orleans 17 2.60 +0.19 OHIO Cairo 40 17.99 +1.10 COMITE Near Olive 19 -1.64 -0.05 AMITE Near darlington 18 -1.20 -0.01 denham Springs 29 10.04 -0.07 Port Vincent 8 1.34 -0.41 TICKFAW Montpelier 13 1.43 -0.04 Holden 15 0.83 -0.01 ATCHAFALAYA Simmesport 47 7.54 +0.09 Melville 34 4.87 -0.11 Krotz Springs 29 3.73 -0.09 Butte La Rose 20 3.85 -0.16 Bayou Sorrel 12 2.90 +0.10 Morgan City 6 2.36 -0.16

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Higgins town hall gets heated Congressman calls for unity during Crowley meeting BY JOEL THOMPSON Staff writer

Congressman Clay Higgins, R-Lafayette, opened a Crowley town hall Thursday with a call for Americans to respect one another despite political disagreements. The meeting did not stay that way for long. Questions about glyphosate, environmental regulations, SpaceX and the Epstein ﬁles led to heated exchanges, including one in which Higgins, R-Lafayette, told a constituent he would personally carry him out of the building.

Donning a T-shirt featuring himself alongside President Donald Trump with the caption “WINNING,” Higgins told the crowd that political disagreements need not prevent Americans from respecting one another. “I don’t think America hates itself. We’re going through an era of disagreement,” he said. “So what? We can respect each other and I think most of us do.” One of the ﬁrst contentious exchanges centered on glyphosate, a widely used herbicide. A Trump-ordered executive action earlier this year granted limited legal

immunity to glyphosate manufacturers and labeled them as essential for national security. Higgins said he has personal concerns about glyphosate but does not believe the federal government should prohibit its use. “American crops are the most heavily regulated crops in the world,” Higgins said. “I don’t think you’ll ﬁnd a farmer here who’s OK with taking away glyphosate.” Higgins repeatedly argued that government regulation and intervention should be limited, expressing support

ä See TOWN HALL, page 2B

U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Lafayette, opened a Crowley town hall urging Americans to respect differing political views, but the discussion quickly grew heated over hot topics reflecting deep divisions despite calls for unity. ASSOCIATEd PRESS FILE PHOTO By ROd LAMKEy

Scott man arrested on 12 sexual material charges A Scott man was arrested this week after Louisiana State Police said an investigation found evidence that he downloaded child sexual abuse material. Timothy White, 43, was arrested Wednesday and CRIME charged with one count of sexual abuse mateBLOTTER child rial and 11 counts of child Advocate sexual abuse material instaff volving children younger reports than 13, according to State Police. The investigation began after authorities received allegations that White had downloaded child sexual abuse material at his Scott residence, ofﬁcials said. Investigators executed a search warrant at White’s home May 19 and seized electronic devices, which were submitted for forensic examination. After the examination was completed, investigators said they identiﬁed evidence believed to be connected to the investigation. White was booked into the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center. The investigation remains ongoing, and additional information may be released.

Opelousas police investigating the shooting death of a child The Opelousas Police Department is investigating the shooting death of a child Wednesday night near Kim Drive and Mia Street. Police responded to the area about 11 p.m. Investigators said the child was injured by what appears to have been the negligent discharge of a ﬁrearm, according to preliminary information. The child later died from the injuries. Investigators are continuing to gather information and determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting. The investigation remains ongoing, and additional information will be released as it becomes available.

Woman killed in crash identified Staff report Lafayette Police have identified the pedestrian who was killed in a crash on Northeast Evangeline Thruway earlier this month. With the public’s help, the woman was identiﬁed as 21-year-old Shaida Dugas of Opelousas, Lafayette police said. Dugas was struck by a vehicle about 6 a.m. on Aug. 4 in the 2100 block of Northeast Evangeline Thruway. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Police had asked for the public’s help identifying the woman after investigators were unable to determine her identity through their initial efforts. Authorities described her as a Black woman and released information about a tattoo on her right forearm. Lafayette police thanked the public for its assistance in identifying Dugas and providing her family with closure.

SMOOTH SOILING

ABOVE: Jake Hebert, left, and Matt Boutte with Boutte Landscapes work the soil on Friday in preparation for the planting of a native plant garden for the fall at the United States Geological Survey Wetland and Aquatic Research Center in Lafayette. BELOW: Jake Hebert spreads compost on Friday. STAFF PHOTOS By LESLIE WESTBROOK

2B ● Saturday,August 15, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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New Orleans officials assess three NORD parks Mayor Moreno vows improved maintenance amid complaints

been reporting issues to NORD since 2021, and many have gone unﬁxed. “I love that this happened. I’m grateful that they came out, and hopefully they can address issues at all of the parks,” she said.

Changes to come

BY JONI HESS

Staff writer

The sun beamed over Joe W. Brown Park in New Orleans East on Friday as Mayor Helena Moreno, her staff and dozens of residents toured the park’s massive grounds. The group entered one of Joe Brown’s shelters, where a black trash bag and a Bible covered a nonworking toilet. Nearby, a playground area had tattered benches. And concrete barricades barred public access over a bridge to the other side of the park that the state is working to replace. “When it comes to NORD, we’ve been hearing for quite some time of the necessity for improved maintenance,” the mayor said. “And honestly … I don’t see changes happening fast enough.” Joe Brown was the ﬁrst of three parks city ofﬁcials assessed Friday in response to resident complaints around deferred maintenance, one

STAFF PHOTO By ENAN CHEdIAK

New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno, right, and Jasmyne Watts, the founder and executive director of The Wellness Collective, walk by a stump and rotting wooden benches at Bodenger Playground in the Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans on Friday. of many issues facing the New Orleans Recreation and Development Commission. Residents and park advocates have complained about grass overgrowth, clogged lagoons and a seeming lack of urgency by the New Orleans Recreation and De-

velopment Commission in addressing the issues. Friday’s tours were meant to give city officials a firsthand look at those problems so they might find solutions. Eva Washington, a member of the park’s advocacy group Friends of Joe W. Brown Park, said they’ve

Moreno said most of the issues she spotted Friday appear to be cosmetic fixes that the city, with support from NORD’s fundraising arm, the NORD Foundation, can handle. On Friday, neatly cut grass filled Joe Brown, Samson Playground in the Desire neighborhood and Bodenger Playground in Algiers. Officials noted invasive plants along the fences at Joe Brown that will require removal, which the New Orleans Department of Parks and Parkways can do now that they are aware, Moreno said. At Sampson, in front of a playground set that featured chipped paint and a faded slide, community advocate Karl Washington spoke of the park’s significance to the community and the need for a better working relationship with NORD, which manages over 160 public parks, playgrounds and recreation centers across the city.

“We’re a part of this park every day. We know the issues more than NORD and we’re invested,” he said. The mayor asked to organize an internal working group earlier this year to come up with a series of other ﬁxes. The city eventually aims to combine NORD’s workforce with the city’s Department of Parks and Parkways and to address park safety and environmental concerns. “My goal has always been to create as many opportunities for our youth and as many recreational opportunities here in the city of New Orleans,” Moreno said. The mayor has also overhauled the NORD board, which aims this fall to appoint a leader to replace former CEO Larry Barabino Jr. Applications for that job are due to the agency on Monday. Moreno said she wants to expand NORD’s partnerships and its youth programs. She also wants to improve coordination and communication between NORD and city departments to address issues, such as the invasive tree situation. “If (Parks and Parkways) would have known that earlier, they could’ve taken care of it earlier. Now it’s a really signiﬁcant situation,” the mayor said.

Rape trial in Baton Rouge on hold for 30 days

SHREVEPORT

Police seek woman in alleged stolen valor case

extending the case against team had ﬁled seven pretrial al,” Cardia-Porter’s motion ing in support of Brooks and Judge grants 21-year-old Desmond Carter motions seven days out from states. “The State cannot clothing depicting her. until Sept. 17, when a mo- the beginning of trial. respond to eight substanRay granted that request delay in Madison tions Those motions include at- tive motions, prepare for in part, allowing pink clothhearing date will be Brooks case held. Carter is charged with tempts from the defense trial, accommodate all of the ing in the courtroom but

BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

Prosecutors with the Baton Rouge District Attorney’s Ofﬁce sex crimes section on Friday successfully delayed trial against one of the men accused of raping LSU student Madison Brooks, over complaints that the suspect’s defense team was ﬁling lastminute motions. Judge Gail Horne Ray granted the motion Friday,

both ﬁrst- and third-degree rape, and faces life in prison if convicted of the ﬁrst-degree rape charge. The opening of Carter’s trial was scheduled for Monday. Carter’s defense objected to the extension and said they will seek an appeal of Ray’s decision. In a motion to delay trial filed Thursday afternoon, Assistant District Attorney Sonya Cardia-Porter complained that Carter’s defense

to exclude a toxicologist, exclude evidence related to Brooks’ death, exclude drone footage and limit the prosecution’s use of the term “victim.” In her motion, CardiaPorter characterizes the defense as attempting to litigate the case through “trialby-ambush.” “[Defense] would rather the State spend every possible moment responding to their last-minute motions rather than prepare for tri-

defense counsels’ requests, and meet the court’s orders within 36 hours, which were the circumstances this week.” Cardia-Porter also requested the defense’s recent pretrial motions be denied as untimely. The last two weeks have seen several hearings held over pretrial motions as Carter’s original trial date neared, including over a motion from the defense to limit displays of pink cloth-

excluding any depictions of Brooks. Previous pretrial motions have included requests from the defense to drop Carter’s first-degree rape charge due to being unconstitutionally vague and to include evidence related to Brooks’ sexual partners. Carter, alongside three other men, is accused of raping Brooks, a 19-year-old LSU student, in 2023, after which she was fatally hit by a car.

BY BRIAN McCALLUM Staff writer

A woman Shreveport Police investigators believe used a fake military ID card is wanted on suspicion of fraudulently taking $8,500 from a bank. Shreveport Police are seeking the unnamed woman and have released a surveillance photo taken on July 15 when she allegedly used the identification of someone else to make a withdrawal at a Youree Drive bank branch. According to police, the ID bore a photo of the victim, and a cash withdrawal was made in that person’s name. Victims eventually discovered the withdrawal had been made without authorization and reported the offense. In a news release, police said detectives were troubled by the alleged use of a fraudulent military ID. “Men and women who serve in the United States Armed Forces earn that distinction through sacrifice, commitment, and service. Using the appearance of military service as a tool to facilitate fraud is a particularly disgraceful form of deception,” the release stated. Anyone recognizing the person in the photo or having any information about the incident can call the Shreveport Police Department at (318) 673-7300 or Caddo-Bossier Crime Stoppers at (318) 673-7373.

‘Duck Dynasty’ couple head to Texas for series Jep, Jessica Robertson back on TV at ranch

BY JUDY BERGERON Staff writer

After ﬁnding TV fame on the West Monroe-set “Duck Dynasty” series, Jep and Jessica Robertson hope to make a splash on their own new non-scripted series. “Jep & Jess: Beyond the Bayou” will premiere at 8 p.m. Saturday on Great

TOWN HALL

Continued from page 1B for abolishing the Department of Education and saying that, in his view, the decline of American public schools began with federally mandated school desegregation through busing in the 1970s. Higgins returned to his anti-intervention stance during an exchange on the suspension of multiple state-level environmental regulations ahead of speculation about a possible SpaceX facility in Vermilion Parish. “The governor has every right to rescind unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles,” he told the crowd. “Elon loves Louisiana. He’s quite an ecologically concerned man. There’s no way he or I are going to allow something ecologically damaging to move forward.”

The Epstein files Higgins was the lone vote against the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which passed the House of Representatives last fall by a vote of 427-1. “Congress overrode 200 years of criminal justice procedure. It’s my job to support the rights of the 800 or so victims who didn’t agree to have their name unredacted,” Higgins said in response to a constitu-

American Family and GFAM+. The show is also streaming on Great American Pure Flix. For 11 seasons, from 2012 to 2017, “Duck Dynasty” on A&E followed the large Robertson family, led by patriarch Phil Robertson, and its Louisiana hunting and outdoor company specializing in handmade duck calls. Beyond the business, the show stressed family and faith while highlighting the quirky personalities of the main and secondary cast. “Duck Dynasty” became

a hit, leading to a line of popular merchandise, books, podcasts, spinoff series (including “Duck Dynasty: The Revival,” “Duck Family Treasure”) and the headquarters becoming a northeast Louisiana tourist spot. During the show’s run, the family also made headlines for its controversial, ultra-conservative views. Phil Robertson’s disparaging comments to GQ magazine in 2013 about same-sex relationships and African Americans even triggered his indeﬁnite suspension from the series.

A&E backtracked on the suspension after fan complaints. “Leaving behind the Louisiana bayous that ﬁrst made them household names, Jep and Jessica are building a new life in Texas, transforming Comanche Moon Ranch (outside Dallas) into a thriving community rooted in craftsmanship, hospitality and legacy,” states a show synopsis. “Along the way, viewers will witness the joys and challenges of creating a place where neighbors become family, love grows deeper, and every project

serves a greater purpose.” Jep and Jessica Robertson are the youngest son and daughter-in-law of Phil and Kay Robertson. Phil Robertson died in 2025, and his widow and much of the rest of the family still live in West Monroe. “More than a home and lifestyle series, ‘Jep & Jess: Beyond the Bayou’ is a weekly destination where purpose, faith, meaningful work, enduring relationships and authentic community take center stage,” the show synopsis also states.

ent’s question about why he voted against the widely popular measure. “I was the lone congressman with the conviction to vote his conscience. Many congressmen told me afterward they wished they had voted with me.” However, when pressed, Higgins declined to name any such members of Congress, saying that it was up to them whether they would ever indicate that view. The town hall was also attended by one of ﬁve candidates challenging Higgins in the November election, Democratic candidate John Day, who questioned Higgins about whether there were any issues that would prompt Higgins to break from Trump. Higgins said personal conviction guides his political decisions. Although Day is challenging Higgins in November, Higgins said he viewed him at the town hall as a constituent rather than a political opponent. “This man is not my op-

ponent today. He is my constituent,” Higgins said. Day, after the event, explained why he believes the district needs a change. “We’re having meetings just like this across all 435 districts. People right now really want to know what’s going on in Washington and

what the people who are there right now are doing to ﬁx our problems,” Day said. “We’ve got things like carbon capture sequestration, data centers and now a new SpaceX facility that brings with it all sorts of concerns. Those aren’t partisan concerns. I’m someone who

wants to ﬁght for people of all backgrounds.” Day also said Higgins had expressed privately that he would be willing to hold a public debate later in the campaign. It is unclear if the other four qualiﬁed candidates in the race would be invited to such a forum.

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FROM WIRE REPORTS

Ford converted plant for EV work within a year

Ford Motor Co. on Thursday said it’s on track to launch the Fathom all-electric midsize truck next year, after converting Louisville Assembly Plant in Kentucky from a gas-vehicle plant into a fully electric facility in under a year. More equipment installation and quality verification will continue through the end of the year at the former home of the Escape and Lincoln Corsair crossovers as the plant prepares for a ﬁrst-quarter launch of prototype production of the sub-$30,000 Fathom. It’s the ﬁrst plant to adopt Ford’s new Universal Electric Vehicle Production System, which adopts a three-pronged assembly tree over the Henry Ford-invented moving assembly line to ease the manufacturing process. The highly automated manufacturing process will help Louisville Assembly be able to build vehicles a net 15% faster than its former products and will help Ford catch up to Chinese competitors and Tesla Inc. that have implemented similar structures to produce EVs, often at lower costs. Wi-Fi at the plant also has been upgraded to support software quality checks.

France court blocks age social media ban PARIS — A top court in France on Friday struck down a law banning children under 15 from using social media, saying it infringes on fundamental freedoms. The Constitutional Council ruled that provisions in the ban “disproportionately infringe freedom of expression and communication” and haven’t provided legal guarantees to ensure those rights, according to a news release summarizing the decision. France last month became the first country in the European Union to pass a blanket ban on the platforms amid rising worldwide concerns about the harmful effects of digital content on kids. Both chambers of the Parliament had voted in favor of the measure, which also banned the use of mobile phones in high schools. The legislation was one of the ﬁnal major measures adopted under French President Emmanuel Macron’s presidency before he leaves office next year. Macron wanted the law to take effect at the start of the new school year in September, but the bill faced a review to determine whether it complied with the French Constitution. Responding to the decision, Macron said in a statement that he was fully determined to see the ban take effect by spring and has tasked Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu “with working as quickly as possible on a legally robust proposal that takes into account the decision of the Constitutional Council as well as the European legal framework.”

Reddit to join S&P 500 index NEW YORK — Reddit will join the S&P 500 next week, giving the wide-ranging online forum a boost in prestige and investments. Joining the S&P 500 is considered an achievement for a company because the index is a widely followed measure of the broader U.S. stock market’s health. A company is selected for the index based on several criteria that demonstrate stability, including market size and consistent proﬁtability. Reddit’s stock surged 12.6% Friday. Aside from status, inclusion means more investments. The index tracks 500 of the biggest U.S. stocks, and trillions of dollars in investments benchmark themselves against it. Those investments include mutual funds and exchange-traded funds. Essentially, those funds will have to buy the stock once it becomes part of the index that the fund is tracking or mimicking.

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Wall Street slips following weak economy update BY STAN CHOE Associated Press

NEW YORK — The U.S. stock market edged back from its all-time high Friday following the latest report on the economy to come in surprisingly weak, this time about how much shoppers are spending at retailers. Such data could keep interest rates low, which is something Wall Street loves, but it also raises the risk of a slowing economy when inﬂation is still high. The S&P 500 slipped 0.2% from its record set the day before. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 107 points, or 0.2%, and the

Nasdaq composite sank 0.3%. Stocks gave up modest gains from early in the morning after oil prices swung higher. The price for a barrel of Brent crude rose 1.7% to $88.52 as uncertainty continues about when the war with Iran will allow oil tankers to freely exit the Persian Gulf again. Also raising uncertainty was a report showing shoppers spent less at U.S. retailers last month than the month before. That surprised economists, who were forecasting another month of growth. On the bright side for ﬁnancial markets, such a pullback in spending could take pressure off inﬂa-

tion. Inﬂation remains much higher than anyone would like, but reports earlier this week suggested the pace of increases in prices is decelerating. If inflation keeps trending that way, it could encourage the Federal Reserve to hold off on hikes to interest rates. Higher rates would help keep a lid on inﬂation, but they do so by intentionally slowing the economy and making it more expensive to borrow money. The downside of such data, including last week’s surprisingly weak report on the U.S. job market, is that they raise the risk of a slowing economy. The Fed has no good

tool to fix both a stagnating economy and high inflation at the same time, which is why what’s called “stagflation” is seen as a worst-case scenario. Some on Wall Street cautioned against overreacting to the weak data on U.S. retail sales, even if it was broad based. It could simply be a snap back after retail sales in earlier months were boosted by unusual factors such as big tax refunds, the World Cup and even an earlier Prime Day event at Amazon, according to Jennifer Timmerman, senior investment strategy analyst at Wells Fargo Investment Institute.

Retail sales slump sharply after summer tax-refund boost fades Consumers are more pessimistic about economy

BY ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP business writer

NEW YORK — After splurging on the World Cup and Amazon Prime Day sales, Americans unexpectedly cut their spending in July by the biggest amount in more than a year. Retail sales fell 0.6% last month, marking the biggest decrease since May 2025, compared with a revised gain of 0.2% in June, according to the Commerce Department data released Friday. Economists were projecting a small increase. The decline followed a notable bump in spending in both April and May as Americans dipped into their government tax refunds. The drop in spending for July, however, raised concern among some economists about the resiliency of consumers who have powered the economy forward despite nagging inflation and soaring gasoline prices. Yet, it may be too early to declare a retreat by one of the strongest and most consistent forces in the U.S. economy of late. Still, the weak sales report follows unexpectedly sluggish jobs figures last week, and both suggest the economy could be slowing after strong consumer and business spending in the first half of the year. Separately, consumers turned more pessimistic about the economy this month, likely driven by stubbornly high prices, according to the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index, released Friday. While most economists still expect solid economic growth in the July-September quarter, many have lowered their forecasts in the wake of the retail sales report. Prices in July, which were not adjusted for inflation, were impacted by falling sales at gas stations. Fuel prices remained low until later in the month when evidence of a stalemate between the U.S. and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz began to grow. Business at gas stations fell 0.9% last month, according to the report. Gas prices have been rising since the final week of July and ticked higher again overnight to $4.08 per gallon, up from $3.85 a month ago, according to motor club AAA. That’s 92 cents more per gallon than Americans were paying last year at this time. Gas prices typically begin to recede in August as the driving season comes to a close and the AAA said this week that the high cost of fuel for Americans this late in the year is unprecedented. Excluding sales at gas stations and auto dealers, retail sales in July fell 0.2%. Business at motor vehicle and parts dealers saw a 1.8% drop from a 1.9% increase in June, which was helped by automakers’ promotion incentives. Electronics and appliance sales declined 0.5%. Online sales fell 2.2% from June when they were fueled by spending surrounding Am-

ASSOCIATEd PRESS FILE PHOTOS

The drop in spending for July raises concern among some economists about the resiliency of consumers who have powered the economy forward despite nagging inflation and soaring gasoline prices.

Business at motor vehicle and parts dealers saw a 1.8% drop from a 1.9% increase in June, which was helped by automakers’ promotion incentives. azon’s four-day Prime Day event that began in late June, earlier than previous years. The drop in online sales weighed heavily on the so-called control group — which excludes food services, autos, building materials and gas station sales and is used to calculate economic growth. That ﬁgure fell 0.4% last month. “American consumers are showing signs of fatigue, “ Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, wrote Friday. “July retail sales were disappointing on all levels.” But the weak sales seemed to be concentrated in a few areas. Among some of the bright spots in the report: clothing and accessories stores, furniture and home furnishing stores as well as building material and garden supplies merchants all posted gains last month. The data offers only a snapshot of consumer spending and doesn’t include activities like

travel and hotel stays. But the lone services category — restaurants — registered a healthy 0.5% increase “Though the latest numbers warrant a downgrade to the spending forecast, it’d be premature to write off the consumer,” Bernard Yaros, lead U.S. economist at Oxford Economics said. He noted the job market is “broadly balanced,” and wealthy households, boosted by strong gains in the stock market, continue to spend. New data this week showed that inflation declined slightly in July as gas and grocery prices slipped, though it is still rising more quickly than before the Iran war. Consumer prices increased 3.4% in July from a year ago, down slightly from 3.5% in June, the Labor Department said Wednesday. Inflation had fallen to 2.4% before the Iran war. On a monthly basis, prices rose just 0.1% from June to July. The modest decline marked the second straight decrease after sharply higher gas prices pushed inflation to 4.2% in May, a threeyear high. Given the volatile economic environment, economists are closely watching how families spend behind Christmas. Shopping has been steady, though Americans have dialed in on sales as they grow more careful with their money. Off-price retailers, consumer electronics and office supply retailers have had a “strong early start” to the back-to-school season, said Elizabeth Lafontaine, director of research at Placer.ai. “Consumers have looked to take advantage of early deals to check off their lists,” Lafontaine said.

Brazil’s Lula triggers reciprocity process against U.S. tariffs BY MAURICIO SAVARESE Associated Press

SAO PAULO — Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said Friday his government has triggered an economic reciprocity law mechanism against U.S.-imposed tariffs, saying the move was intended to show his nation must be respected. Lula In July, President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on hundreds of Brazilian exports, with duties reaching up to 37.5% in

some products. The Trump administration has accused Brazil of unfair trade practices, but Lula has denied the accusations, insisting they are politically motivated ahead of the October election. Lula is seeking reelection against Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, a Trump ally who met with U.S. officials, including Trump, in Washington weeks before the administration proposed higher tariffs on Brazilian goods. “Yesterday, we invoked the reciprocity law to show that we are not to be taken lightly,” Lula said in an interview with Brazilian podcasters. “We respect ourselves. I am very calm knowing what could happen, and I am prepared to

debate the defense of Brazil anywhere in the world.” Brazil’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement late Thursday it is requesting diplomatic consultations with its U.S. counterparts on the issue, as a sign of Lula’s aim “to privilege dialogue and negotiation in its international relations.” The beginning of the proceedings does not necessarily mean Brazil will retaliate against U.S. tariffs. “I don’t want any ﬁght with the United States,” Lula said Friday. “Unfortunately, they are spreading falsehoods.” Earlier this month, the U.S. State Department revoked the visa of Brazil’s ambassador to Washing-

ton in retaliation for Brazil’s denial of visas last month for two American diplomats who sought to visit ahead of the October election. The U.S. government also has accused Brazil of stalling approval of Trump’s nominee for ambassador in Brasilia, while Brazilian officials say the U.S. should have ﬁrst sought the government’s approval before submitting the nomination to Congress, as diplomatic protocol requires. Since U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked the Brazilian ambassador’s visa in response to Lula’s actions but did not order her expelled, U.S. officials have said the Trump administration does not want the dispute to escalate.

4B ● Saturday,August 15, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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

ANOTHER VIEW

Picking the next Democratic nominee for president The politician who could have the most influence on who will be the next Democratic presidential nominee isn’t even a Democrat. He’s Bernie Sanders, the independent senator from Vermont and an unapologetic socialist. While Democratic leaders respect Sanders for consistency and endurance, they see him as an unrealistic ideologue, not a power broker. But they may be missing the point: A Sanders endorsement, along with his sizable national organization, could have a significant impact on the 2028 nomination. Even if Sanders can’t deliver the nomination — few people in his shoes ever can — he may have veto power over who gets it. Sanders ran for the Democratic nomination in 2016, opposing Hillary Clinton. Her campaign was a juggernaut with tons of money, endorsements and establishment support, but Sanders animated the party’s grassroots base. He carried 23 state primaries and caucuses Ron and captured 13.2 million votes, 43% of the Faucheux total. In 2020, Sanders ran again and won more votes in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada than any other candidate, clobbering Joe Biden, the eventual nominee. The Democratic establishment rallied around the former vice president that year mainly to stop Sanders, who they feared could win the nomination and lose the general election. Six years hence, Sanders is still a player. Not as a candidate — he’ll be 86 in 2028 — but as a potential kingmaker. Republicans may see him as “a crazy communist,” but Democrats give him an impressive 78% favorable rating, according to a recent Marquette University poll. Sanders could become the Barry Goldwater of the left. The Arizona senator lost the presidency in 1964, but galvanized a conservative movement within the Republican Party that went on to nominate and elect Ronald Reagan in 1980. Goldwater famously told Republicans: “Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice ... and moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.” Those words frightened liberals and Democrats of that era, but would the new left hear them differently today? Many Democrats are angry at their own party’s establishment. They see it as weak, corrupt and subservient to the billionaire class. Sanders’ “Fighting Oligarchy” rallies have been channeling that anger into political action. Remember, the Democratic establishment backed Clinton in 2016, Biden in 2020 and Kamala Harris in 2024. And the result? Two terms of Donald Trump in the White House. The party’s inability to stop Trump infuriates rank-and-file Democrats. The nation’s widening wealth gap has also given the leftwing new fodder. How many more stories about $50 million weddings and half-billion-dollar yachts can the struggling middle-class stomach? CNN polling finds that more than a third of Democratic voters identify as “democratic socialists.” That’s a lot. In the Gallup poll, nearly two-thirds of Democrats say they view “socialism” favorably as an economic philosophy. That’s not to be discounted. There are limits to any movement, of course, and running a bad candidate is one of them. The recent Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor is a case in point. Democratic socialist Francesca Hong was leading the polls until her extreme record was scrutinized. Her past calls to abolish the police and cancel Thanksgiving were over the top. Moreover, Sanders refused to endorse her and the withdrawal of other candidates helped her opponent. Nonetheless, Hong came within half a percentage point of winning the nomination against an establishment-backed candidate. Who would Sanders support for president in 2028, if anybody? Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York tops the list, but it’s unclear whether she will seek the nomination. To many voters, the presidency is a bridge too far for the 36-year-old New York House member. That’s why she may decide that Chuck Schumer’s Senate seat is a more realistic goal, whether Schumer runs or not. What about Ro Khanna from California? A close ally of Sanders, the Silicon Valley congressman co-chaired his 2020 presidential campaign. He’d love to carry Sanders’ mantle, and would need it to gain national recognition and credibility. Other possibilities include Sens. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Chris Murphy of Connecticut. Both have tiptoed toward becoming more acceptable to the populist left. A biggername Democrat — Harris, Gavin Newsom, Pete Buttigieg, Wes Moore or JB Pritzker — could try the same. It’s time Democrats ask themselves: Does association with the “socialist” label make it harder or easier for them to win general elections? While they fear offending the far left, they still have to worry about the consequences of falling off the end of the political seesaw. Ron Faucheux is a nonpartisan political analyst, pollster and writer based in Louisiana.

YOUR VIEWS

Drew Brees is a humble hero, quick to give credit to others After reading the many accolades about former Saints quarterback Drew Brees, I noticed his most deﬁning trait is his humility. He has reached the pinnacle of success, not only in the game of football but in everything he does. But when reading his comments or viewing pictures of him in your excellent articles, I see humility. He directed any comments made about him to others, to whom he gave credit for his success. When he posed for photos, he could have been basking in his glory. Instead, he was directing others to step in and be included in the photo, always directing attention

away from himself and onto someone else. If he exhibited any sense of selfpride, it was in having his family around him, sharing the moment. For a person to have reached such a height of achievement not only for himself but for his family, friends and his community in such trying times is proof of his humble existence on our Earth. Much like the example of our Lord, he lives for others and not for himself, sharing what the meaning of life should be and in the process exemplifying what a great man he is.

GLENDA THOMAS Lafayette

E-bikes, scooters a danger to pedestrians I’ve observed a new danger on our streets — the electric bicycle and the stand-up electric scooter. Both electric bikes and electric scooters have a low profile, and they are difficult to see. They can operate at speeds up to 35 mph, though fortunately most don’t go faster than 20 mph. Often, they are operated dangerously: at night without lights, and at all hours, with no regard for traffic regulations or the safety of any pedestrians present. I don’t think I need to discuss the dangers posed by the tandem use of electric scooters. To add to this problem, sidewalk ramps that make sidewalks accessible to wheelchair users as well as parents with strollers, travelers with rolling bags and delivery workers

also provide easy access for electric bikes, scooters and old-fashioned pedal bicycles, creating formidable and dangerous conditions for all other users of sidewalks. We do not like having “too many regulations” governing our lives, but we are obligated to protect the rights of all users of sidewalks and streets. Users of electric bikes and scooters should be required to obey and respect existing trafﬁc regulations. They also should keep off sidewalks. If electric bike and scooter users do not use common sense for operating their vehicles, perhaps we should provide incentives to encourage proper operation of their vehicles.

THOMAS G. SUYDAM New Orleans

Homeless may need treatment and housing In the recent article, “Landry moves to take over New Orleans homeless services,” Ed Carlson, director of Odyssey House Louisiana, says he agrees with the state that “you’ve got to get people housing-ready before they’re put into housing.” It sounds like he’s talking about puppies from the pound. This whole argument nationwide is a false choice by design, because this group is treated, as Pope Leo would say, as “marginalized,” and as I say, along with Pope Francis, as “human garbage.” Many homeless persons, if not most, are not in need of treatment. And for those who are, the resources for medical/addiction treatment are

limited at best and then often behind bureaucratic barricades that make them impenetrable. Examples include new Medicaid rule changes that expand work requirements and policies to make opioid treatment more difﬁcult to obtain, as pointed out by Thomas Roddy’s guest column recently. Dr. Jennifer Avegno, the city’s deputy mayor for health and human services, nails it. Both housing and treatment need prioritizing! We need no more pushing false choices. We need a societal commitment to provide sufﬁcient resources for both.

Residents deserve to know facts about Landry’s deals with big business Our governor’s cozy relationship with big business is expected and unsurprising, but the novel use of nondisclosure agreements, or NDAs, to curb dissent, prevent community organizing and restrict the Legislature’s speech is deeply troubling. In Louisiana, the largest sectors of our industry have serious and known consequences for climate, health and pollution that beneﬁt their owners tremendously but have an outsized effect on the tax base and citizenry. Heck, even the “largest AI training facility in the world” will only provide 1,000 permanent jobs for a $50 billion investment, if Meta’s rosy projections are to be believed. Louisianans deserve all the information from their state government and representatives — good or bad. The governor’s actions simply don’t pass the smell test.

TAYLOR LORIO Metairie

Editorial cartoon gave the wrong idea about who’s paying for Trump’s ballroom A recent editorial cartoon by Jeff Stahler connotes the idea that President Donald Trump’s ballroom is funded by taking money from healthcare to have it built. That is a lie. The ballroom is to be funded by private donations and no government money is to be used. It is very poor policy to give the public the idea that they are being robbed of a beneﬁt.

RICHARD LEVY New Orleans

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Shough to command Saints’ other huddle

S at u r d ay, au g u S t 15, 2026

1CN

LSU icon’s voice goes silent, but his legacy is eternal

Pregame message duties fall to QB after davis departs When the Saints take the field for their preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday, a symbolic changing of the guard will occur. For the first time in nearly two decades, someone other than Drew Brees or Demario Davis will deliver the pregame huddle message in the south end zone before the New Orleans Saints break Jeff into warm-ups. Duncan That someone will be Tyler Shough. The second-year quarterback said Wednesday he plans to assume the duties that were held by Davis the previous five seasons. In doing so, he will inherit a coveted role within the hierarchy of the roster, one that essentially establishes him as the unequivocal leader of the team. “That’s my plan, to be out there every game and do it,” he said. The pregame huddle is one of the Saints’ most popular traditions. Part hype session, part battle cry, it’s the team leader’s final chance to set the tone and establish a mindset for teammates before they engage the opponent on the gridiron. The ritual started organically after coach Sean Payton took over the team in 2006, and, like the pregame Who Dat chant, has become a game-day tradition ever since. The weekly breakdowns are popular with fans and media outlets, including the Saints and NFL, which broadcast the

ä See DUNCAN, page 3C

Age of Bertman The phone rang at my desk in The Advocate’s old newsroom on Lafayette Street. The voice at the other end of the line cut unmistakably through the clatter and buzz of people scurrying about to compile that day’s news. “Hey Rab,” the voice said. “It’s Skip, at the college.” I had to chuckle. I knew who it was. That was the inside joke. Anyone who ever heard Skip Bertman speak knew immediately it was no one else — not even one of the many former players, friends and fellow media members who did impressions of him. If imitation is indeed the most sincere form of flattery, then Stanley “Skip” Bertman was the most flattered human being I’ve ever met. Deservedly so. Bertman, who died early Friday morning at 88, was a figure larger than life. Brilliant, visionary, demanding and exacting in a way few people — certainly few coaches — ever are, he was the very definition of excellence. He wanted things done The Bertman Way. Invariably, that led him and LSU to success. He was the greatest college baseball coach ever. Full stop. Others won more than his 870 games at LSU from 1984-2001. The late Rod Dedeaux went from New Orleans to USC and

won more College World Series (10) than Bertman did with ﬁve. But Bertman won his titles in an unprecedented era of competition in the sport. An era he helped create. A resume like Bertman’s — ﬁve CWS titles in 11 trips to Omaha, seven Southeastern Conference championships, six SEC Tournament titles — would be enough to cement an amazing legacy. More than enough to warrant the statue of him outside Alex Box Stadium/Skip Bertman Field, hunched over the dugout railing, gazing forever toward the ballpark that replaced the old Alex Box

Scott Rabalais

STAFF PHOTO By dAVId GRUNFELd

Saints running back Alvin Kamara runs with the ball during training camp on Sunday at the team’s practice facility in Metairie.

Saints looking to Etienne, Kamara to revitalize run game BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

Alvin Kamara always has liked having a running mate. At its best, the dynamic creates an atmosphere where Kamara believes he and his partner can feed off of each other. “I can look out and shoot, probably see Trav and I know the play call and ä Preseason I’m like, ‘Oh I know he’s Jaguars at about to hit this,’ ” Kamara Saints 3 P.M. said. “Trav” is Travis Etienne, SATURdAy, KATC the Jennings native who left the Jacksonville Jaguars in March to become Kamara’s newest backfield partner. But unlike recent years, when the Saints would search for a Robin to Kamara’s Batman, Etienne’s signing marks a significant shift. For the first time since he was a rookie, Kamara is no longer expected to be the lead running back for the Saints. Not after the four-year, $52 million contract the Saints gave Etienne. The Saints believe the two can co-exist,

ä See SAINTS, page 3C

ä See RABALAIS, page 2C

LSU baseball coach Skip Bertman poses for a picture at the school’s field in an undated photo. Bertman died early Friday in Baton Rouge. STAFF FILE PHOTO By MATT ROSE

Baker gets autonomy to mold LSU defense BY JON BLAU Staff writer

LSU coach Lane Kiffin doesn’t tell defensive coordinator Blake Baker what to do. He suggests. “It’s a true suggestion,” Baker said. “A lot of times, they’re really good ideas.” That’s a luxury in this business, which Kiffin knows full well. He was an aggressive, push-the-pace offensive coordinator serving under defensive-minded head coaches such as Southern Cal’s Pete Carroll and Alabama’s Nick Saban. Coaches from the defensive side of the schematic fence often like to slow down and play it conservatively. They can make demands that muck up a game plan. “Sometimes it doesn’t always work like STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON that because they understand this part of LSU defensive coordinator Blake it and not what all that means when you Baker watches the defense run change this one thing,” Kiffin said. “So I try through drills during preseason not to do that very much on defense and let them coach.” practice on Thursday.

Kiffin came to LSU because he liked the financial resources and autonomy the school promised him. It appears Kiffin is affording Baker, a coordinator who passed on head coaching opportunities last offseason, the same consideration. The defense added the likes of edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen, linebacker TJ Dottery and safety Ty Benefield from the transfer portal. Baker has those players flying around, chasing Kiffin’s fast-paced offense in preseason camp. Baker is essentially the head coach of the LSU defense. “Like any relationship, you try to feel each other out,” Baker said of his boss, “and it’s been outstanding. I think he’s been really, really good to me.” Kiffin retained Baker, a coordinator who spent two seasons under Brian Kelly, because of respect. He didn’t just notice that LSU improved from the 59th-ranked scoring

ä See LSU, page 3C

2C ● Saturday, August 15, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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LSU women add 17-year-old Russian center BY REED DARCEY

RABALAIS

Continued from page 1C because of Bertman’s sheer will that it be built. But he also went on to serve as the LSU athletic director from 2001-08 as well, a compromise choice between then-LSU President Mark Emmert and the LSU Board of Supervisors when they were at odds over who would replace Joe Dean. Who could say no to Skip Bertman? Hardly anyone. Always with an eye for talent, Bertman hired four coaches who went on to win national championships in their respective sports: Les Miles (football), Paul Mainieri (baseball), Dennis Shaver (track and field) and Chuck Winstead (men’s golf). He started the Tradition Fund at LSU, requiring donations for the right to buy season tickets. I’ll never forget the summer afternoon in 2003 when he came to speak to our sports staff and editorial board to outline the reasons LSU needed to create this new revenue stream. It may sound quaint now in the era of uniform patches and private equity/investment, but at the time it was going to be a tough sell. And Bertman knew it. “I need Nick (Saban) to win big,” Bertman confided. “Nine, 10 wins.” That fall, Saban and LSU won the football program’s first national championship since 1958. Bertman’s timing, like knowing just when to go to the bullpen, was remarkable. Between what he did on the field and how he led off of it, LSU athletics has existed in what can

Atlanta Falcons edge rusher James Pearce will be suspended for the first eight games of the 2026 season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, the league announced Friday. Pearce was arrested in February following a domestic dispute with his ex-girlfriend and WNBA player, Rickea Jackson. Pearce’s charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, ﬂeeing police and resisting arrest, and misdemeanor stalking could be dropped if he cooperates in a pretrial intervention program requiring random drug tests, distance from Jackson and staying out of legal trouble for one year. Pearce will be available to participate in preseason games and all team activities until the suspension takes effect on Aug. 30.

MLB awards San Francisco with 2028 All-Star Game

Staff writer

It’s been the subject of online rumors for months, and now it’s official: The LSU women’s basketball team has dipped back into the international ranks to round out its 2026-27 roster. Coach Kim Mulkey and her staff announced Friday that they have made Anna Minaeva — a 6-foot-5, 17-year-old center who’s played professionally in Russia — their second international signee of the offseason. The ﬁrst was Noa Morro, a 6-3 forward from Spain who joined the Tigers in April. “I’m thrilled to welcome Anna to our LSU family,” Mulkey said in a statement. “She has the experience, skillset and size to make an immediate impact in our frontcourt.” Minaeva spent the 2025-26 season playing in both Russia’s top-tier Professional Basketball League (PBL) and its second-tier Superleague. In the PBL, she averaged 5.6 points and 4.0 rebounds in 13 minutes per game. In the Superleague, she tallied 15.1 points, 13.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.3 steals in 31 minutes per game. Minaeva and Morro will solidify LSU’s frontcourt this coming season. Morro, 21, is a sharpshooting veteran with some playmaking chops. Minaeva is a taller, stronger back-to-the-basket post player with a soft touch. They’ll patrol the interior alongside sophomore Grace Knox, junior Kate Koval and sophomore Meghan Yarnevich — the three incumbent frontcourt players set to return for another season. Koval is a native of Ukraine, which adds an interesting layer to the Minaeva signing. LSU is now believed to be the only Division I women’s college basketball team to roster players from Russia and Ukraine — the neighbor-

NFL suspends Falcons edge rusher Pearce 8 games

SAN FRANCISCO — The All-Star Game is returning to San Francisco. Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred made the announcement Friday that the 2028 Midsummer Classic will be at Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. The 2007 game was played in the picturesque waterfront ballpark, featuring Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki’s famous inside-thepark home run that bounced off the tricky wall in right-center ﬁeld. This will mark another major sporting event for the Bay Area recently after the Super Bowl and World Cup this year and the NBA All-Star Game in February 2025. The Giants will host the Midsummer Classic for a fourth time overall after Candlestick Park held the ﬁrst All-Star Game of the 1961 season.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU head coach Kim Mulkey yells to her team after a foul in the third quarter against Texas on Jan. 11 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. ing Eastern European nations that have been at war since 2022. Both Koval and Minaeva represented their respective countries in international competition this offseason. In June, Koval competed for Ukraine in the FIBA 3x3 World Cup, while Minaeva starred on the U17 Russian team that played in the Russia-China youth games in May. She was named MVP of that event. Minaeva will join an LSU program that had to replace seven players from last season, including star senior Flau’jae Johnson. Three exhausted their eligibility, and four decided to enter the transfer portal. Six of the seven were guards. Including Minaeva, the Tigers

have added six newcomers this offseason. Lola Lampley — a McDonald’s All-America wing — is the lone U.S.-born freshman. Iowa State’s Jada Williams, Florida’s Laila Reynolds and Tennessee Tech’s Chloe Larry are the three transfer guards. Williams, a 5-8 senior, was the ﬁfth-best player in the transfer portal, according to ESPN. She had the nation’s third-highest assist average last season (7.7), and she also scored 15.3 points per game. Reynolds is a tall, long senior with 97 career starts. Larry, a Bossier City native, is a junior who played her high school basketball with Mikaylah Williams.

Minaeva won’t turn 18 until January, which means she can play college basketball through 2030-31. The NCAA recently switched to an age-based eligibility model that allows athletes to play no more than ﬁve seasons in ﬁve calendar years. “It takes tremendous courage to leave home at just 17 years old,” Mulkey said, “and travel across the world to pursue a dream. I’m excited to support and guide Anna as she begins this next chapter at LSU.” Email Reed Darcey at reed.darcey@theadvocate.com. For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

showed baseball didn’t have to be a money pit but could pay much of its own freight. At a few places, even turn a profit. Since Bertman’s coaching tenure, every SEC school has upgraded its ballpark or built new. That’s hardly a coincidence. Not after the Johnny Appleseed of college baseball showed the way. In addition to everything else, Bertman was the best storyteller I ever met. The best pure joy I’ve had as a sportswriter was on practice days at the College World Series. Bertman would let his assistants run practice while he held court in the dugout, often with a cigar in hand, giving quotes and spinning anecdotes. I’d love to hear one more story. His former players I know would love to hear one more inspiraSTAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL dEMOCKER tional tale. The last time I spoke to BertFormer LSU baseball coach and athletic director Skip Bertman crosses man was early last month, shortthe new baseball field’s logo named in his honor during a ceremony ly after I’d heard a large tree in before a game against Ole Miss on May 17, 2013, at Skip Bertman his yard fell on part of his home Field. in Riverbend. Most of the house was conery single LSU baseball game only be called the Age of Bertsumed by a fire in 2004, taking man, the most influential and im- home and away — probably the with it much of Bertman’s trove portant figure it has ever known. only news organization in the of memorabilia from his career. country that does that for a colHe not only demanded LSU’s But he and his wife Sandy (who programs compete at a high level lege baseball team — because of died in March 2025) survived, rethe intense interest in the probut he also showed all those probuilt and stayed. The house took gram Bertman built. grams how to get there. a pounding from that big tree College baseball is bigger With baseball, Bertman elevatover the garage but still stood. ed a sport that had accomplished across the nation, and most “The house is OK,” he said. next to nothing and turned it into specifically in the Southeastern “Everything is fine.” a program that LSU fandom now Conference, because of BertThe voice wavered a little comman. Through his promotions obsesses over the way they do pared to Bertman’s prime, but it such as bringing in The San Dibasketball at Kentucky or footwas still unmistakable. It seemed ball at Alabama. Baseball’s popu- ego Chicken (if you don’t know, like it would endure forever. look it up) or creating a family larity at LSU will never quite Now, that voice is silent. eclipse football — Bertman knew atmosphere at the old Alex Box But the Age of Bertman conwhere the coffee was always hot tinues. that as well as anyone — but it’s and the bathrooms always clean firmly entrenched as the No. 2 (in his early days, Bertman sport at LSU in a way that is exFor more LSU sports updates, would tour the ballpark with a ceedingly rare anywhere else. sign up for our newsletter at pregame checklist), Bertman At The Advocate, we staff evtheadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

Timberwolves to retire Garnett’s No. 21 jersey

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Timberwolves will retire Hall of Fame forward Kevin Garnett’s No. 21 jersey after their game against the Boston Celtics this season. The team announced Friday that the ceremony will take place following the Feb. 28 game at Target Center against the Celtics, who retired Garnett’s jersey in 2022. Garnett will become just the second player in the 37-year history of the franchise to have his number retired, following the late Malik Sealy, a close friend and teammate of Garnett’s who died in a car crash in 2000. Garnett is the all-time Timberwolves leader in numerous statistical categories, including points, rebounds, blocks, assists and steals.

Venus Williams’ losing streak in singles matches now at 13

MASON, Ohio — Venus Williams’ losing streak in singles play has reached 13 matches. The seven-time major champion was defeated 6-2, 6-2 by Emiliana Arango on Friday in the ﬁrst round of the Cincinnati Open. The 46-year-old Williams received a wild-card entry to the WTA 1000 event. She has not won a singles match since July 2025. Arango, a 25-year-old qualiﬁer from Colombia ranked 95th, needed 1 hour, 5 minutes to defeat Williams on the grandstand court at Lindner Tennis Center. Williams’ last singles victory came last year in Washington, when she defeated Peyton Stearns. Venus is also slated to play mixed doubles at the U.S. Open later this month with Alexander Bublik.

Miami RB Lyle arrested for fleeing police, reckless driving

Miami running back Jordan Lyle has been charged with a felony count of fleeing/eluding police and a misdemeanor count of reckless driving, according to the Broward County state attorney’s office in Florida. A state attorney official said Friday that Lyle voluntary surrendered to police on Thursday, a day after warrant was issued for his arrest. Court records show he was released after posting bond the same day. Police allege in a report that Lyle demonstrated “wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property” by willfully fleeing or attempting to elude a marked police vehicle with its emergency lights and siren activated in Sunrise, Florida, on July 10. It’s unclear why police sought to stop Lyle or how they came to identify him as the driver.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Saturday, August 15, 2026 ● 3C

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DUNCAN

Continued from page 1C huddles regularly on their websites. The huddle breakdowns made for such good TV during the Saints’ Super Bowl run in 2009, team ofﬁcials had to restrict access from interloping video crews who were crowding into the huddles. “It’s tradition, and it’s an important thing,” said deep snapper and team captain Zach Wood, one of six players on the roster who dates to Brees’ playing tenure. “It’s just a thing that we do here. Pregame, give the right speech, say the right words, get everybody hyped up.” In the grand scheme of things, leading the pregame huddle might seem like a trivial thing. But it’s an exalted position for the Saints. Not just anyone gets to step into that huddle and lead the team. Since the tradition began, only six players have led the huddles. Joe Horn and Reggie Bush handled the duties in 2006. Brees usurped them in 2007 and passed the torch to Davis when he retired in 2020. Other than a shared cameo appearance by Foster Moreau and Taysom Hill for one game last season, Davis and Brees have been the only players to lead the team in the pregame huddle since 2007. Shough will be the seventh. It’s a responsibility he doesn’t take lightly. “That’s why I have a reverence and respect for (the role), and want to go about it the right way,” he said. “More than anything, it’s about earning the respect of everybody and earning that role. And I feel like I have done it in an authentic way.” Shough’s predecessors attacked the job in different ways. Brees, true to form, thought long and hard about the messages he delivered. He crafted a different message every year and repeated it for each game throughout the season. He found inspiration in various places: movies, books, poetry. In 2008, his speeches were inspired by the movie “300” — except he ﬂipped the script from “This is Sparta” to “This is New Orleans.” He leaned on military cadences the next two years. The inspiration for his famous 2009 pregame chant came from a USO Tour Brees made to a U.S. Marine base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in July 2009. While there, he picked up on a running cadence the Marines used during their morning workouts and created his own version for his pregame huddle chant: “One, two, win for you. Three, four, win some more.” His 2010 chant of “When I say one, you say two. When I say win, you say for you. One! Two! Win! For you!” also came from the military. “(The military) is where a lot of the inspiration for some of our pregame chants came from,” Brees said last week at his Hall of Fame news conference in Canton, Ohio. “When I heard that one (in 2009), I said, I’m taking this back

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C which is why the team negotiated a pay cut with Kamara last month instead of releasing him outright. But how New Orleans goes about implementing them — and whether they can jump-start a rushing attack that ranked among the league’s worst a year ago — remains one of the bigger mysteries ahead of the regular season. “I feel like we’re just two running backs who can go out there and make things happen,” Etienne said earlier in camp. “I don’t think either one of us care who go out there ﬁrst. Our biggest focus is winning the game, and I feel like that we complement each other well.”

Determining the split Kamara is quick to point out he’s shared the spotlight before. He thrived with Mark Ingram to begin his career. Latavius Murray was a natural fit later. And sharing has its benefits. There are physical advantages, sure — splitting reps keeps each back fresh over the course of a game. But having a true tandem, when defenses see both runners as a legitimate threat, unearths a level of energy that’s different. If practice reps are any indication, Etienne will be the first one up. And the second. Sometimes, even the third. But the Saints also have made sure to mix Kamara in, whether that’s on third down, the last rep of a four-snap series or occasionally on the first two downs. Saints coach Kellen Moore rarely has relied on a true 50-50 split throughout his play-calling career. As an offensive coordinator

for my team. And sure enough, we go on to win the Super Bowl, so that one will live forever.” Davis also took the role seriously. He referred to the middle of the huddle as “sacred ground” and cherished the weekly responsibility. Unlike Brees, he varied his messages from game to game and tailored his pep talks to the opponent or task at hand. He often leaned into spontaneity, proselytizing about whatever came to mind in the moment. “That’s a special moment for us (the players), so I knew (the role) was important,” Davis said in 2019. “But I felt like I could do it, too.” It’s notable that Shough, at the age of 26 and just entering his second NFL season, has been anointed to the position. He will become the youngest, least decorated and most inexperienced player to assume the duties since Bush in 2006. Brees was 28 and had earned two Pro Bowl invitations when he assumed the duties in 2007. Davis was a 31-year-old, nine-year veteran when he took over the duties in 2021. Shough, though, has earned the mantle, according to teammates. “Obviously, we have a few leaders on the team, but I think whoever gets that role is the leader of leaders, the one running the show,” Wood said. “And Tyler is deﬁnitely that guy.” Added veteran defensive end Chase Young: “He’s not just anybody. He’s it. He’s Tyler (expletive) Shough. We have full belief in him. He’s the guy to lead the troops. We love our QB1. He’s that guy, and he’ll be ready (for the role).” Shough said Davis did not designate him as his successor before leaving the Saints in free agency this offseason. Likewise, there was no vote among teammates. Instead, he simply feels the job is part of his inherent responsibility as the starting quarterback now that Davis is a member of the New York Jets. “It’s just natural,” he said. As his debut neared this week, Shough admitted he hadn’t quite thought through his strategy or what message he planned to convey on Saturday. He said he’s leaning toward mixing up his messages from game to game, but he still wasn’t certain which way he’d go. “It’s going to be nowhere near the level of Demario and them, especially right off the bat,” he said. “I think it will depend upon the vibe of that week or what team we’re playing or what the message is or what hits my brain. I think that would be how I would operate about that. Obviously, maybe Year 10, the way Drew was doing it, I think I may have a certain message, but I think that comes with time and experience as well. My main goal is, I want to be able to convey my message and get everybody on the same page and motivated to go. “I feel like I have done it in an authentic way and want to go continue to earn it. I feel really prepared for it.” Email Jeff Duncan at jduncan@theadvocate.com.

in Dallas and Philadelphia, Moore coached stars such as Ezekiel Elliott and Saquon Barkley. They got the rock often. Elliott’s four seasons under Moore, for instance, saw him take 67%, 56.7%, 50.1% and 43.5% of Dallas’ total rushing attempts. The 2022 season was the closest Moore got to truly alternating between two backs, when an emerging Tony Pollard ended up with 1,007 yards on 190 carries to Elliott’s 876 on 231. “It’s by situation,” Moore said. “In general, you’re going to need a few backs to play throughout an NFL season.” If Kamara’s workload is signiﬁcantly reduced, he seems prepared. The 31-year-old told reporters in June that he’s played every role in his career — noting he was the third back behind Adrian Peterson and Ingram as a rookie — and said he has “no animosity” toward Etienne. A month later, he reiterated he’ll have no problem with his role. “He’s handled it well,” Saints running backs coach Joel Thomas said. Thomas said he’s seen Kamara become “more hands-on” as each practice progresses, handing out pointers to the rest of the room. Thomas said even as Kamara’s contract situation prolonged this summer — and there was a real question over whether the sides were headed for a divorce — he never viewed it as a situation in which he had to recruit Kamara to return. “Everybody’s congratulating us, like, ‘Hey, Alvin’s back,’ ” Thomas said. “I’m like, ‘He never left.’ ” The hope is that by scaling back Kamara’s role, he’ll rebound from what was his worst season as a pro. Kamara’s production notably slipped in several categories in 2025. He mustered just 3.6 yards

Moore says Tyson injury could linger into season

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

When the New Orleans Saints selected receiver Jordyn Tyson with the No. 8 pick of this year’s draft, most of the conversation was about whether his injury history made it a risky pick. On Friday, coach Kellen Moore told reporters that Tyson is dealing with a hamstring injury in his right leg — one that could jeopardize the prized rookie’s status for the season opener against the Detroit Lions. “It’s something we’re going to ... collect some more information, just as far as what that timeline looks (like),” Moore said. “He just kind of got caught in a goofy spot. It’s not anything related to a previous hamstring (injury), it’s something new. “We’re going to collect some more information on that, put a good action plan for that moving forward, and we’ll keep progressing as well as we can.” The injury occurred early in the Saints’ joint practice against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday when Tyson caught a crossing route and then fell to the turf near the sideline after gaining some yards after the catch. Moore said Tyson’s foot slipped out from under him as he was getting shoved from behind, an unfortunate series of events he

LSU

Continued from page 1C defense in the country in 2024 to the No. 23 unit a season ago. The former Ole Miss head coach and his staff were tested by Baker’s “complicated” tendencies and looks on third down. LSU was one of just three teams to hold the Rebels below 30 points last season, even if the Tigers couldn’t put up enough points in a 24-19 loss. “I don’t have bragging rights on him,” Baker said. “He gets to troll me on that one, for sure.” But Kiffin liked the energy he observed from Baker on the opposite sideline. The 44-year-old former Tulane linebacker is known to wear cleats at practice so he can run around with his players. Baker participated in post-practice conditioning with LSU left tackle Jordan Seaton and multiple other Tigers after Thursday’s practice. This is the kind of coach Kiffin wanted to lead his defense. “It wasn’t just, ‘Hey, we’re just going to keep him because they’d improved here,’ ” said Kiffin, who canvassed Baker’s former colleagues. “I wanted to know how

per attempt and held a success rate of 33%. The Saints, including Kamara, also believe there’s still plenty of good football left in him. And his best years came in a tandem. “This situation offers the potential for that kind of efﬁciency to manifest,” Kamara said.

How they mesh Kamara and Ingram were nicknamed “Boom and Zoom.” Murray, replacing Ingram as Boom, kept up the moniker. Etienne could slide in as either label. “We’ll ﬂip a coin for it,” Kamara said. Etienne and Kamara don’t have the stylistic differences that typically accompany a 1-2 running back punch. In most other tandems, there’s a big guy and a little guy. There’s a speedster and a bowling ball. That’s not the case here. Etienne and Kamara are listed as the same height (5-foot-10) and weight (215 pounds). Etienne, who grew up a Saints fan, has said he modeled his game after Kamara. It shows. “In terms of vision and cuts, that’s where they’re very similar,” Saints run game coordinator T.J. Paganetti said. “Very, very similar.” The similarities create opportunities for how the coaching staff wants to deploy each of them. In Jacksonville, Etienne was a more than capable threat in the passing game — where some of Kamara’s best plays have come. If that continues in 2026, the Saints could avoid the predictability that other teams face when swapping backs. Think back to the 2023 season, for instance, when Jamaal Williams’ presence for the Saints often indicated a short-yardage run or a

out the summer after they selected him. Moore was hesitant to provide speciﬁc details about how much time Tyson may miss, though when pressed on whether it could linger into the regular season, Moore said, “It could.” Tyson is expected to get an MRI on his hamstring, if one hasn’t already been done. “We’ll see what happens,” Moore said. “We’re in the early situations of letting the experts take care of their evaluation and put together a plan.” Even before the injury, Tyson was not going to play in the preseason opener against Jacksonville. Moore said he wasn’t sure whether Tyson would join the STAFF PHOTO By dAVId GRUNFELd team in Southern California next Saints wide receiver Jordyn Tyson week, where the Saints will participate in joint practices against watches from the sideline on the Cowboys and Rams before Sunday during training camp playing the Rams in a preseason at the team’s practice facility contest. in Metairie. Tyson suffered a “Jordyn’s had a great camp, hamstring injury on Thursday. he’s played really good football,” Moore said. “Inevitably, this is was told would have resulted in a the unfortunate part of what prehamstring injury for most play- season and training camp football is. Obviously, we’ve had a few of ers. With Tyson, the conversation is these guys have something come a bit more nuanced. He missed up. “We’ll be ﬁne and get through time during Arizona State’s regular season with a hamstring injury this.” last year, then sat out much of the pre-draft process. The Saints also Email Luke Johnson at limited the work he did through- ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

he was and his passion for football and his competitiveness and ability to adjust.” On his end, Baker wanted to keep his family in Baton Rouge for a bit longer, especially with his children getting older. “The second part, talking to coach Kiffin, I truly believe with what he does on offense and what we do on defense, the ultimate goal is to bring a national championship to LSU,” Baker said. “I kind of want to see that through.” Kiffin has supplied Baker with talent in their mutual mission. Umanmielen, Tennessee transfer Jordan Ross and five-star freshman Lamar Brown profile as quarterback-chasers from the edge, while freshmen Deuce Geralds and Richard Anderson have tantalizing potential on the interior. Kiffin, the son of a Hall of Fame defensive coordinator, knows how much a defensive line can factor into winning or losing. “The quarterback may not be playing well, maybe he’s hurt. You’re on the road and it’s really loud,” Kiffin said. “Defensive line, and neutralizing the game and stopping the run, really takes those things so they’re not as big of a factor in the outcome of the game.” Baker, who had to blitz last year to generate pressure, could have

more opportunities to rush quarterbacks with his front four this season. That should allow Baker to draw up more sophisticated coverage schemes on the back end. Kifﬁn might make some suggestions, but he isn’t going to have his defensive coordinator rewrite game plans to his liking. Kifﬁn, who wants to be more of a “CEO” head coach, has promised a fair amount of autonomy for his offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. as well. It’s been fun for Baker to battle it out with Weis in preseason camp, then see him across the fence after practice. Literally, they are neighbors. “We really can look into each other’s backyards and see each other,” Baker said of Weis. “Our daughters are already best friends.” Who knows how long Baker and Weis will remain neighbors because they could both be up for head coaching jobs next offseason if LSU wins big. For now, Baker likes his setup in Baton Rouge. “I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the new guys on the staff and it’s been a really good bond,” Baker said. “I’m very, very fortunate.”

pass-blocking down. But to be clear, there are differences between Etienne and Kamara beyond their four-year age gap. Thomas said Etienne’s rushing style tends to be more “low proﬁle,” which allows him to keep his hips square when hitting a hole. Kamara has tremendous contact balance, which has helped him shed tackles, stay patient and cut back to create explosive plays. Paganetti noted that Etienne has played in a variety of schemes that have helped him feel “his way through the defense,” whereas Kamara is “extremely explosive” when cutting. They win in different ways, he said. “The beauty of Travis is his ability to start and stop and kind of have this patience behind the line of scrimmage … is really special and unique,” guard David Edwards said. “What’s really special about AK is I feel like that guy can hit a home run at any second. His twitchiness, athleticism and burst are really unique.”

es through the first nine games to 35.8% over the final eight. The Saints also reduced their usage of outside zone (19.8% to 11.7%) and power concepts (13.7% to 8.5%) in that span. “We figured out who we wanted to be and what fit us,” Paganetti said. Added Thomas: “We trimmed the fat.” A clearer identity should lead to a faster start on the ground this season, but dramatic improvement is still needed. As much as the Saints tweaked their tendencies in the second half of the season, they managed only 3.6 yards per carry — which actually fell from the first half’s 3.8 ypc. The Saints improved on inside zone plays (averaging 4.1 a pop) but suffered elsewhere. Adding Etienne and Edwards — who arrived from Buffalo on a fouryear, $61 million deal — demonstrated the Saints recognized that playcalling tweaks wouldn’t be enough. The signings may allow New Orleans to tap better into run concepts that weren’t as successful last year. Etienne, for example, averaged 6.2 yards per carry on outside zone runs in 2025 — almost a full 3 yards better than what New Orleans averaged as a team. “We’re very, very good at outside zone, like that wide zone stuff you hear about,” Paganetti said. “Our backs have been tremendous all camp at feeling that, feeling the cutbacks, but at the same time, reading the front side. Outside of that — even some of the downhill, inside stuff — I think everything has kind of clicked.” Etienne and Kamara clicking could be central to it all. “Coach is going to manipulate defenses with us,” Etienne said. “Great things are going to happen.”

Finding what works Last year, Moore’s staff felt it took about nine games before ironing out what the Saints were best at in the run game. While wide zone runs were the Saints’ bread and butter under former coordinator Klint Kubiak in 2024, Moore utilized a buffet of concepts in his first season — sometimes to the Saints’ detriment. Starting in Week 10 against the Carolina Panthers, there was a subtle shift. The Saints found success by hammering home insidezone runs that ripped off 5.1 yards per carry. A new formula was established. According to FTN Fantasy, the Saints went from running inside zone on 23.1% of their rush-

4C ● Saturday,August 15, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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PREP FOOTBALL SE ASON PRE VIE W

Notre Dame

2026 SCHEDULE Date Sept. 4 Sept. 11 Sept. 18 Sept. 25 Oct. 1 Oct. 9 Oct. 16 Oct. 23 Oct 30 Nov. 5

Opponent Northwest Church Point Teurlings Catholic CATHOLIC-NEW IBERIA CECILIA ABBEVILLE Basile LAKE ARTHUR Kinder Welsh

PLAYERS TO WATCH Scott Sibley

OL, 6-2, 290, Sr. Athletic for his size, Sibley played in every game as a junior. He excels as a run and pass blocker with a physical presence. The coaching staff expects him to have another big season.

HOME GAMES ALL CAPS

Brodie LeJeune

OT, 6-3, 250, Sr. LeJeune is the leader of the offensive line. Known for his versatility, LeJeune has a great combination of power and speed. One of the better linemen the Pios have had, the senior could play both ways.

PAST FIVE YEARS 2025: 10-3 2024: 6-5 2023: 9-4 2022: 10-3 2021: 9-3

PROJECTED STARTERS

Gabe Smith STAFF PHOTO By ERIC NARCISSE

Offense WR Luke Frank (5-10, 165, Sr.) TE Gabe Smith (6-1, 190, Sr.) T Brodie LeJeune (6-3, 250, Sr.)* G Cohen Andrus (5-10, 270, Jr.) C Brayan Jasso-Frey (5-10, 260, Jr.)* G Scott Sibley (6-2, 290, Sr.)* T Greg dugas (5-9, 210, Jr.) QB Parker Menard (5-9, 160, Jr.) FL Julian duhon (6-0, 150, So.) FB Sam Prevost (5-10, 200, So.) RB William LaVergne (5-10, 175, Sr.)*

Defense dL drewe Bertrand (5-10, 180, Sr.) dL Thomas Andrus (5-10, 180, Sr.) dL drake Bertrand (5-9, 185, Sr.)* dL Jack Murray (5-9, 165, Sr.) OLB Jude duplechin (6-1, 180, Jr.) ILB dallas Beslin (5-8, 170, Sr.)* ILB Jack Vondenstein (6-0, 190, Sr.)* CB Maddox Morgan (6-0, 160, Jr.) CB Grant dorr (6-0, 150, Jr.) SS Jackson Trahan (5-10, 165, Sr.)* FS Brayden Frey (5-7, 165, Sr.)* * RETURNING STARTER

COACHES Head coach: Lewis Cook (417-104) Assistant coaches: John Braham, Lew Cook, Eric Cooley,Trey Cormier, Wes Jacob, Hayden McCleary, Luke Montz and Chris Stevens

Notre dame leaders include, rear row from left, drewe Bertrand, Jude duplechin, Jack Vondenstein and Jackson Trahan. Pictured front row from left are drake Bertrand, Brayden Frey and dallas Beslin.

What we know

Before the start of every football season, Notre dame coach Lewis Cook is asked the same question. “How good are the Pios going to be this year?” Every year, Cook says something like this,“Tell me who is going to get hurt and I can tell you how good we’re going to be.” While injuries are unpredictable, Cook likes what he sees from his Pios as the season fast approaches. Cook That’s a credit to the experience the Pios have. Notre dame has four returning starters on offense in running back William LaVergne, and offensive linemen Scott Sibley, Brodie LeJeune and Brayan Jasso-Frey.Tight end Gabe Smith also played a lot last season. The defense has several players who started or got extensive playing time such as defensive backs Brayden Frey, Jackson Trahan and Jude duplechin, linebackers Jack Vondenstein and dallas Beslin, and defensive linemen drake and drewe Bertrand. duplechin was moved from defensive back to linebacker this season. “The biggest thing is the fact that we have more guys returning this year that were on the field last year than we have had in a while,” Cook said.“Offensively, we have three linemen that (were starters), and I don’t know if that’s ever happened. If it has, it was a long time ago.” The team’s strength should be its offensive line, where they have good size in the 6-foot-2, 290-pound Sibley, the 6-3, 250-pound LeJeune and the 5-10, 260-pound Jasso-Frey leading the way. “I told our offensive line,‘I don’t want to hear about how big we are. I want people to tell me how good

we are,’ ” Cook said.“We do have some size, but size doesn’t have anything to do with playing good.We have to go out there and live up to it and make it happen.”

What we don’t know In what seems to be a concern for several area teams, the Pios’ biggest question mark is at quarterback. The Pios do know junior Parker Menard is their starting quarterback, but he doesn’t have a lot of experience. “He does have a couple of games under his belt, but there weren’t any expectations on him last year,” Cook said.“This year, it’s all on him. It’s a lot easier to perform when there are no expectations. But now, when you’re the guy and it’s on your back, let’s see how that’s going to go.” There’s no denying that Menard has the ability to lead the Pios. “Parker is a pretty good runner, so he’ll give us a chance to have a few more designed runs,” Cook said. “He’s athletic and he has a good arm, but we’re still working on his footwork. It doesn’t matter how strong your arm is.The two things that matter are do you throw a catchable ball and are you accurate? “Sometimes a quarterback can spin it so hard that it’s hard to catch. I think the balls he throws are catchable, but we’re working on all of that.”

How we see it The Pios are a perennial power and a team you have to take seriously.This year is no different. When it is all said and done the Pios are going to be district title contenders, in the division III select playoffs and trying to make another deep run in the postseason. Eric Narcisse

TE, 6-1, 190, Sr. Another versatile weapon, Smith has good speed and he’s a physical runner as evidenced by the fact he played fullback last season. There’s not much Smith can’t do, so expect to see the Pios utilize him in the running game and passing game.

William LaVergne

RB, 6-0, 185, Sr. LaVergne has big shoes to fill in the backfield, but he seems well-equipped to do so.A physical runner between the tackles, the senior has the speed to break long runs. He also has good hands, making him a receiving weapon out of the backfield.

Brayan Jasso-Frey

C, 5-10, 260, Jr. Jasso-Frey, who started every game as a sophomore, moves to the always crucial center position.A strong and physical player, Jasso-Frey has a high football IQ and will be counted on to make all the calls at the line of scrimmage. Eric Narcisse

SCOREBOARD Odds

WESTERN CONFERENCE

NFL

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

Saturday

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG Minnesota 1½ 2½ (41½) at NY GIANTS at BUFFALO 1½ 3 (39½) Carolina Cleveland 1½ 3 (40½) at CHICAGO at KAN. CITY 1½ 2½ (36½) LA Rams at NEW ORL. 1½ 2½ (35½) Jacksonville Philadelphia 2½ 3½ (37½) at BALTIMORE at SEATTLE 2½ 2½ (38½) Dallas

Major League Baseball American League

FAVORITE at DETROIT at TORONTO at TAMPA BAY at HOUSTON at LA ANGELS at ATHLETICS

LINE -149 OFF -145 -122 -157 OFF

National League

FAVORITE at CHIC. CUBS at SAN FRAN. at N.Y METS Miami at ATLANTA Milwaukee

LINE -179 -133 OFF -116 -141 -144

Interleague

FAVORITE LINE at CLEVELAND OFF Philadelphia -154 Boston -126

UNDERDOG White Sox N.Y Yankees Baltimore Seattle Kansas City Texas

LINE +125 OFF +119 +107 +132 OFF

UNDERDOG St. Louis Colorado Washington at CINCINNATI Arizona at LA DODGERS

LINE +144 +117 OFF -106 +116 +118

UNDERDOG LINE San Diego OFF at MINNESOTA +124 at PITTSBURGH +102

Pro football NFL preseason glance Thursday’s games

Cincinnati 16, Detroit 14 Pittsburgh 28, Green Bay 9 Indianapolis 13, New England 13 Arizona 27, Las Vegas 14 L.A. Chargers 27, Houston 7 Tennessee 19, San Francisco 13 Denver at Atlanta, n Miami at Washington, n Tampa Bay at N.Y. Jets, n

Pct .800 .727 .686 .588 .394 .371 .364 .200

GB — 3 4 7½ 14 15 15 21

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.

Pro basketball WNBA glance EASTERN CONFERENCE

W 21 21 21 19 12 10 8

L 12 12 14 14 22 23 24

Pct GB .636 — .636 — .600 1 .576 2 .353 9½ .303 11 .250 12½

Philadelphia (Luzardo 10-5) at Minnesota (Prielipp 3-5), 6:10 p.m. San Diego (Vásquez 8-6) at Cleveland (Cantillo 8-7), 6:10 p.m. Seattle (Hancock 6-7) at Houston (Wesneski 2-0), 6:10 p.m. Boston (Gray 14-3) at Pittsburgh (Jones 2-4), 6:15 p.m. Kansas City (Dobnak 2-1) at L.A. Angels (Detmers 3-8), 8:38 p.m. Texas (Gore 6-9) at Athletics (Ginn 8-6), 8:40 p.m.

Atlanta 104, Connecticut 69 New york 85, Los Angeles 81 Las Vegas 83, Washington 76

National League

Dallas at Indiana, 6:30 p.m. Portland at Seattle, 9 p.m. Saturday’s games New York at Connecticut, noon Los Angeles at Washington, 6:30 p.m. Minnesota at Las Vegas, 7 p.m.

Atlanta Philadelphia Miami Washington New York

W 73 65 62 60 53

L 48 58 60 63 69

Pct .603 .528 .508 .488 .434

GB — 9 11½ 14 20½

Milwaukee Chicago St. Louis Cincinnati Pittsburgh

W 75 72 61 58 59

L 47 51 61 62 64

Pct .615 .585 .500 .483 .480

GB — 3½ 14 16 16½

Los Angeles San Diego Arizona San Francisco Colorado

W 73 65 64 50 48

L 49 57 58 71 73

Pct .598 .533 .525 .413 .397

GB — 8 9 22½ 24½

East Division

Friday’s games

Central Division

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

W 74 68 65 59 58

L 46 53 56 64 63

Pct .617 .562 .537 .480 .479

GB — 6½ 9½ 16½ 16½

Chicago Detroit Minnesota Cleveland Kansas City

W 62 60 60 59 49

L 58 61 63 63 73

Pct .517 .496 .488 .484 .402

GB — 2½ 3½ 4 14

Houston Texas Seattle Los Angeles Athletics

W 62 60 57 48 47

L 60 62 65 74 74

Pct .508 .492 .467 .393 .388

GB — 2 5 14 14½

Central Division

Thursday’s games

Saturday’s games

Indiana Atlanta New York Washington Chicago Toronto Connecticut

L 7 9 11 14 20 22 21 28

Thursday’s games

West Division

Friday’s games

W 28 24 24 20 13 13 12 7

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

Friday’s games

Boston at Pittsburgh, n Chicago White Sox at Detroit, n Baltimore at Tampa Bay, n San Diego at Cleveland, n N.Y. Yankees at Toronto, 7:15 p.m. Seattle at Houston, n Kansas City at L.A. Angels, n Texas at Athletics, n

Saturday’s games

Chicago White Sox (Kay 9-5) at Detroit (Melton 7-1), 12:10 p.m. N.Y. Yankees (Schlittler 10-6) at Toronto (TBD),2:07 p.m. Baltimore (Bradish 7-11) at Tampa Bay (Seymour 9-3), 5:10 p.m.

West Division

Thursday’s games

Pittsburgh 13, Miami 1 Cincinnati 9, Chicago White Sox 8 Washington 7, Chicago Cubs 0 Philadelphia 7, Minnesota 1 Milwaukee 5, L.A. Dodgers 4

Friday’s games

Chicago Cubs 3, St. Louis 0 Miami at Cincinnati, n Boston at Pittsburgh, n San Diego at Cleveland, n Washington at N.Y. Mets, n Arizona at Atlanta, n Milwaukee at L.A. Dodgers, n Colorado at San Francisco, n

Saturday’s games

St. Louis (McGreevy 4-9) at Chicago Cubs (Boyd 8-1), 1:20 p.m. Colorado (Lorenzen 3-10) at San Francisco (Webb 7-7), 3:05 p.m. Washington (TBD) at N.Y. Mets (Manaea 4-5), 3:10 p.m. Miami (Gusto 0-3) at Cincinnati (Singer 5-11), 5:40 p.m. Philadelphia (Luzardo 10-5) at Minnesota (Prielipp 3-5), 6:10 p.m. San Diego (Vásquez 8-6) at Cleveland (Cantillo 8-7), 6:10 p.m. Arizona (Rodriguez 11-4) at Atlanta (Holmes 7-4), 6:15 p.m. Boston (Gray 14-3) at Pittsburgh (Jones 2-4), 6:15 p.m. Milwaukee (Misiorowski 11-5) at L.A. Dodgers (Wrobleski 11-4), 6:15 p.m.

Golf

Tennis

PGA Tour

Western & Southern Open

FedEx St. Jude Championship

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

At TPC Southwind; Memphis, Tenn.; Purse: $20 million; Yardage: 7,288; Par: 70

Second round

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

68-61—129 68-64—132 66-66—132 68-65—133 68-66—134 66-68—134 70-64—134 65-69—134 69-66—135 69-66—135 65-70—135 69-66—135 70-65—135 66-70—136 66-70—136 67-69—136 66-70—136 68-68—136 67-70—137 71-66—137 70-67—137 65-72—137 71-66—137 69-68—137 70-67—137 66-71—137 66-72—138 70-68—138 65-73—138 67-71—138 68-70—138 72-66—138 69-69—138 69-70—139 69-70—139 71-68—139 67-72—139 70-70—140 72-68—140 73-67—140 71-69—140 71-69—140 69-71—140 65-75—140 68-73—141 71-70—141 69-72—141 71-70—141 69-72—141 68-73—141 69-72—141 71-71—142 71-71—142 73-70—143 68-75—143 73-70—143 72-71—143 73-70—143 73-70—143 72-72—144 72-72—144 73-71—144 74-70—144 71-73—144 71-74—145 73-72—145 72-74—146 73-73—146 82-WD

-11 -8 -8 -7 -6 -6 -6 -6 -5 -5 -5 -5 -5 -4 -4 -4 -4 -4 -3 -3 -3 -3 -3 -3 -3 -3 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -1 -1 -1 -1 E E E E E E E +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6

Men’s singles

Round of 128 Adolfo Daniel Vallejo, Paraguay, def. Kyrian Jacquet, France, 6-2, 6-4. Hubert Hurkacz, Poland, def. Sho Shimabukuro, Japan, 6-2, 6-4. Quentin Halys, France, def. Vit Kopriva, Czechia, 7-6 (5), 6-4. Stefanos Tsitsipas, Greece, def. Valentin Royer, France, 7-6 (4), 7-5. Daniel Altmaier, Germany, def. Coleman Wong, Hong Kong, China, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Yannick Hanfmann, Germany, def. Luca Van Assche, France, 6-2, 6-4. Sebastian Baez, Argentina, def. Grigor Dimitrov, Bulgaria, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. Pablo Carreno Busta, Spain, def. Tomas Machac, Czechia, 6-3, 6-2. Matteo Berrettini, Italy, def. Titouan Droguet, France, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. Alex Michelsen, United States, def. Jesper De Jong, Netherlands, 6-4, 6-4. Juan Manuel Cerundolo, Argentina, def. Mark Lajal, Estonia, 6-4, 6-4. James Duckworth, Australia, def. Jeffrey John Wolf, United States, 7-5, 7-6 (0). Christopher O’Connell, Australia, def. Kamil Majchrzak, Poland, 6-4, 7-6 (5). Botic Van de Zandschulp, Netherlands, def. Aleksandr Shevchenko, Russia, 6-4, 6-4. Lorenzo Sonego, Italy, def. Juncheng Shang, China, 6-3, 6-3.

Women’s singles

Round of 128 Lucrezia Stefanini, Italy, def. Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Italy, 5-3, ret. Sara Bejlek, Czechia, def. Karolina Pliskova, Czechia, 6-0, 6-2. Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, Spain, def. Anna Bondar, Hungary, 6-3, 7-6 (5). Daria Snigur, Ukraine, def. Yuliia Starodubtseva, Ukraine, 6-4, 6-3. Nikola Bartunkova, Czechia, def. Alina Charaeva, Russia, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. Anna Blinkova, Russia, def. Mananchaya Sawangkaew, Thailand, 1-6, 6-2, 6-3. Peyton Stearns, United States, def. Harriet Dart, Britain, 6-1, 7-6 (6). Emiliana Arango, Colombia, def. Venus Williams, United States, 6-2, 6-2. Tamara Korpatsch, Germany, def. Maya Joint, Australia, 0-6, 6-3, 6-4. Viktorija Golubic, Switzerland, def. Alycia Parks, United States, 6-2, 6-2. Talia Gibson, Australia, def. Lilli Tagger, Austria, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5. Oleksandra Oliynykova, Ukraine, def. Elvina Kalieva, United States, 6-4, 6-1. Wang Xiyu, China, def. Maria Timofeeva, Russia, 6-0, 3-0, ret.

LIVING

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

S at u r d ay, au g u S t 15, 2026

5CN

Out on a limb Tensions build in Capital Heights neighborhood after beloved oak trees are cut down

BY JOY HOLDEN

Staff writer

For several decades, the W.R. Irving Children’s Center, home of the Ingleside Methodist Church daycare and fellowship hall, was ﬂanked by two large live oak trees in the Capital Heights neighborhood in Baton Rouge. On Aug. 7, Capital Heights homeowners woke up to see the trees roped off. Amelia Gilmore, a licensed arborist who has lived beside the church since 2012, said she thought the caution tape meant that the trees were to be saved. Instead, she said her neighbor, Nicole Cotten Callac, informed her that the trees were going to be cut down. As an employee of Baton Rouge Green, Gilmore asked one of her co-workers to check if the trees were on city property or church property. Baton Rouge Green confirmed that the trees were on Ingleside’s private property, Gilmore said. The church could do with them what they wanted.

PROVIdEd PHOTO By AMELIA GILMORE

The remnants of one of the live oak trees outside of Ingleside Methodist Church in the Capital Heights neighborhood in Baton Rouge.

PROVIdEd PHOTO By LOUIS HENNICK’S ‘RAILWAyS OF LOUISIANA’

A photo in Louis Hennick in his 1979 book ‘Street Railways of Louisiana’ includes this photo belonging to W.M. Lewis, left, who was a streetcar conductor on Baton Rouge’s electrified streetcar line in 1906.

LOST TRACK

Remnants of a metal rail line tell a Baton Rouge story of early progress mixed with a little romance BY ROBIN MILLER

Church property

Staff writer

Ingleside started as the East Baton Rouge Methodist Church on March 10, 1946, with 77 charter members meeting at Bernard Terrace School. It later purchased the property at 4264 Capital Heights Ave., and in 1968, the church was renamed Ingleside United Methodist Church. The fellowship hall housed in the W.R. Irving Children’s Center functions as a space for Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, game nights, Christmas celebrations, open houses and more. Jeffrey Bean, chairman of the Ingleside Methodist Church administrative board, said the church had been facing maintenance concerns for the center, such as roof issues, fascia problems and large falling tree limbs. “If you look at that side of the building, you’ll see the moss that’s scoring the building and the roof damage that the trees were causing because of the lack of light being able to dry the building out,” Bean said. Bean added that the church building was there before the trees were there, and to his understanding, the church planted the oak trees. He said the church hired two arborists to run health assessments on the trees, who concluded that “the trees were ill,” Bean said. So, Ingleside Methodist voted to cut down the trees.

To think, the remnants of metal tracks along East Boulevard in Baton Rouge were once a sureﬁre way for a guy to get a date. That is, if he had two nickels in his pocket to ride the electric-powered cars that once traveled the century-old rails from 1890 to 1936. That was the standard fare to ride a streetcar in the 43-year operation of the Baton Rouge line. Five cents per person would buy a guy and his girl a ride around the city. “Riding around the belt a few times on a Sunday evening, accompanied by a young lady, was very much ‘a la mode,’ ” Dr. E.V. Whitaker wrote in his column, “Memories of Baton Rouge” for The Advocate’s June 1, 1952, Magazine section. “Following this delightful escapade, a young swain took his date to Nelson & Burden’s for an ice cream soda, which was the last word in elegant splurging.” Whitaker wrote this passage 16

A part of the community This action took the Capital Heights neighborhood by surprise, Gilmore said. As a member of the Capital

ä See TREES, page 6C

years after the streetcar was shut down, and the picture he paints of its riders makes the glint of the East Boulevard tracks in the August sun all the more ghostly.

Gone for 90 years No streetcars have transported jovial couples on this route in 90 years. Even car traffic is sparse these days. But the tracks, two short sets of parallel iron, still mark the greenway of this road directly behind First United Methodist Church connecting North Boulevard to Government Street. It was part of a 3.55-mile route, known as the “City Belt,” that circled the city, starting at Main and 19th streets near the Dufrocq School and proceeded PROVIdEd IMAGE By WARd MAPS LLC down Main Street to Third Street. “The line turned and used Third A 1914 map of Baton Rouge’s streetcar lines. The main line, called Street to enter and pass through the downtown section,” writes Louthe ‘belt,’ circled the downtown is Hennick in his 1979 book, “Street area, which was the main city Railways of Louisiana.” “In front

during the streetcar’s operation between 1893 and 1936.

ä See TRACK, page 6C

Temporary restaurant closure may become permanent In the space at Tsunami at Highland, Tiek Byday designers used beaded curtains and water elements to reflect the restaurant’s brand. PROVIdEd PHOTO By JACQUELINE MARQUE

BY MADDIE SCOTT

Staff writer

Tsunami Sushi’s location on Highland Road in Baton Rouge has been closed since last Saturday at least — and it could be closed indeﬁnitely amid the company’s bankruptcy. The sign on the door, at 1 Smart Way Suite 100, off Highland, in Baton Rouge, reads: “Tsunami

Highland will be closed today. Please visit our downtown Baton Rouge location.” Attempts to reach restaurant management for comment have been unsuccessful. The closure comes after the Tsunami Sushi company filed for federal bankruptcy protection in March, four years after

ä See CLOSURE, page 6C

6C ● Saturday,August 15, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

TODAY IN HISTORY By The Associated Press Today is Saturday, Aug. 15, the 227th day of 2026. There are 138 days left in the year. Today in history: On Aug. 15, 1969, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair opened in upstate New York; more than 460,000 people attended the three-day festival, which would become a watershed event in American music and culture. Also on this date: In 1057, Macbeth, King of Scots, was killed in battle by Malcolm, the eldest son of King Duncan, whom Macbeth had killed 17 years earlier. In 1914, the Panama Canal ofﬁcially opened as the SS Ancon crossed the just-completed waterway between the Paciﬁc and Atlantic oceans. In 1935, humorist Will Rogers and aviator Wiley Post were killed when their airplane crashed near Point Barrow in the Alaska Territory. In 1947, India gained independence after nearly 200 years of British rule. In 1961, as workers began constructing a Berlin Wall made of concrete, East German soldier Conrad Schumann leapt to freedom over a tangle of barbed wire. In 1989, F.W. de Klerk was sworn in as acting president of South Africa, one day after P.W. Botha resigned because of a power struggle within the National Party.

TREES

Continued from page 5C

In 1998, 29 people were killed by a car bomb that tore apart the center of Omagh, Northern Ireland; a splinter group calling itself the Real IRA claimed responsibility. In 2003, bouncing back from the largest blackout in U.S. history, cities from the Midwest to Manhattan restored power to tens of millions of people. In 2021, the Taliban regained control of the Afghan capital of Kabul after the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the country. In 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a much-anticipated summit in Alaska but failed to secure an agreement to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. Today’s birthdays: Actor Jim Dale is 91. Retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is 88. U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., is 88. Authorjournalist Linda Ellerbee is 82. Songwriter Jimmy Webb is 80. Actor Phyllis Smith is 77. Britain’s Princess Anne is 76. Actor Tess Harper is 76. Celebrity chef Tom Colicchio is 64. Film director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu is 63. Philanthropist Melinda French Gates is 62. Actor Debra Messing is 58. Actor Anthony Anderson is 56. Actor Ben Afﬂeck is 54. Olympic gold medal beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings is 48. Rock singer Joe Jonas (The Jonas Brothers) is 37. Actor Jennifer Lawrence is 36.

No one from the church responded, Gilmore said. But she said she heard from a neighborhood friend during the weekend that the church was open to discussing options for the trees. On Aug. 10, when Gilmore was bringing her daughter to the bus stop by the church, she saw church members standing outside. She introduced herself and explained that she was excited to talk to them about discussing options. She was told that she had been misinformed, and the trees were coming down that day, Gilmore said. “We were also told that if we were any trouble, a board member who is a retired police ofﬁcer would radio the police,” she said. “Tears were shed, and we went home.” The complete removal shocked Gilmore. “If the trees were truly a risk to the church or to people, then yes, they should come down,” Gilmore said, “but I was hoping for a health risk tree assessment before they came down.” By Aug. 10, limbs had been cut off. By Aug. 11, the trees were cut down, and only oak shavings were left among the gravel in the parking lot.

Heights Neighborhood Association, Gilmore approached the church about the trees’ value to the residents — including shade and beauty. She said the association has held events in the W.R. Irving Children’s Center in the past, and the two entities have had a positive working relationship. On Aug. 8, Gilmore approached the Rev. Lewis Morris, who has been the pastor at Ingleside Methodist since 2018. He was standing outside, so she asked why the church was taking such a drastic approach to the trees. “We were not met with kindness,” Gilmore said. “It was delivered to us that as people who don’t attend the church, we really didn’t have a say in what goes on there.” She sent a lengthy email enumerating the benefits of the trees and suggested solutions for the trees instead of cutting them down. Gilmore offered for the neighborhood association to remove the gravel from around the trees and replace it with mulch. She said she recommended other tree companies that could give another health Email Joy Holden at joy. assessment. holden@theadvocate.com.

CLOSURE

Continued from page 5C the current owners, Chad Hughes, Connie Hargrave and Sarwat Gad, bought the company from a Lafayette group led by Michele Ezell of Lafayette. Each of the restaurant’s four locations had between $2.5 million and $3.5 million in debt, according to filings, and in a company statement, Tsunami Sushi stated the intention to keep each location open through the bankruptcy process. Before bankruptcy, the restaurant had two locations in Baton Rouge, one in Lafayette and one in New Orleans. Just last month, an article from The Advocate/ Times-Picayune stated that the New Orleans location quietly closed and was found empty in June. With Tsunami Sushi Highland’s closure on Saturday, Tuesday and Wednesday, when it is normally open, the restaurant chain may already have

dwindled down to two locations. As of Tuesday early evening, Katie Cooper, manager of the three-story building that holds Tsunami, called @Highland, said she hasn’t received a final decision from Tsunami operators yet. “Tsunami operators are still working with the court and the trustee, and we as the landlord have not received a final decision yet,” Cooper said. The restaurant at Highland opened in 2024, designed by Baton Rouge firm Tiek Byday was designed to seat up to 249 people. It included outdoor seating and several private and semiprivate dining rooms. Tsunami served sushi rolls, nigiri, appetizers, cocktails and seafood specialties like tuna tataki and smoked salt escolar. Baton Rouge’s downtown location remains open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, closed Sundays and Mondays.

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BRB, changing my name to ‘Cookie’ “What? I never heard Dear Miss Manners: I am wonTHAT!” dering what to say when I “What’s your real first meet new people and they name, Jacqueline? And you question my first name. I have always accepted what- don’t like it?” “That’s a guy’s ever name someone name!” calls himself, wheth“Is that short for er it’s conventional Jackie?” like John or Steven “If you’re Jack, I’m or a nickname like Lois” (from a man). Cookie, Corky, R.J. It’s become a point or Button. Judith of feminism for me: I would consider it Martin Men who introduce rude to ask the perthemselves as Jack MISS son what their “real” MANNERS don’t get asked if name is or what the they are “really” nickname stands for. John or Jackson. I said to Yet, when I introduce myone guy who questioned me, self, I invariably get asked questions. Some people go so “You introduced yourself far as to repeat the nickname as Dave. I didn’t ask if your incredulously, or to make fun real name was David.” They demand an explanaof it. I am at a loss as to how I might respond to them. tion, and I feel it is very My particular case is a intrusive. I just want to be female nickname that is the called what I want to be same as a male nickname. called. This has been hap(Think “Jack.”) But when I pening for many years, and say “Jack,” almost no one I haven’t hit on a solution. accepts it. Here are some Any suggestions? responses: Gentle reader: That you give “What’s your REAL first up and call yourself Button. name?” In all seriousness, Miss

Manners suggests you stand your ground and just continue to assert, “It’s Jack.” You could alternate with “Nope, Jack” until they surrender, or until you can politely change the subject. Miss Manners agrees that it is tiresome, but it is also possible that those who are asking politely (not the openly sexist or aggressive ones) are just trying to get to know more about you. You need not change your response, just perhaps acknowledge that while they still may be misguided, not everyone means to offend. Dear Miss Manners: There is nothing that makes me more uncomfortable then when someone who’s behind me in a line stands super close to me. It’s even worse if it’s in a supermarket that has one of those conveyor belts that they put their items on without using a divider. It makes me feel rushed and anxious, like it’s an intrusion of my personal space. Could I somehow ask for a

little room without sounding rude or petty? I don’t know the best way to go about this, and I don’t want to be disrespectful, especially if it’s an elderly person. Gentle reader: The trick is to act as if you are the one who is infringing on their space. “Let me get this out of your way and give you a divider so that you have some room for your wild boar” — picking the largest item in their cart for maximum distance. As far as standing too close in line? Miss Manners recommends you arm yourself with a cart or basket — and make some (careful but close) wide turns. Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners. com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail. com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

STAFF PHOTO By ROBIN MILLER

Remnants of the Baton Rouge streetcar line track can be found on East Boulevard downtown. Two sets of tracks are visible in the greenway. This one is located across from St. Agnes Catholic Church, seen in the background.

TRACK

Continued from page 5C of the castle-like (Old) Louisiana State Capitol Building, the light (30 pound) rails left Third Street and entered North Boulevard.” From there, it stretched from North Boulevard to St. Ferdinand Street, where it traveled to Government Street, where it stopped at its terminal at Baton Rouge’s former State Fair Grounds. The East Boulevard tracks were added in 1913 as part of the East Boulevard line, whose route included a connection of Government Street to North Boulevard. The streetcar only ran through the downtown area because it was the main city back then. “Baton Rouge was a small city in 1881 (7,000 people) when the first charter for a street railway was ﬁled,” Hennick writes. “On the 11th of October, 1881, the Baton Rouge Street Railroad Co. was chartered.” The charter was secured exactly a month later.

No monumental milestones Baton Rouge’s line would never experience any monumental pop culture or historical milestones, meaning Tennessee Williams never immortalized it on the stage as he did New Orleans’ Desire Streetcar line. And there would be no streetcar strike in Baton Rouge resulting in the birth of the po-boy, as happened with New Orleans’ St. Charles Streetcar Line — the world’s oldest continuously operating streetcar line. Baton Rouge’s short-lived streetcar operation was steady and straightforward with a history of transporting residents to work, school, stores, entertainment venues and Sunday afternoon dates.

PROVIdEd PHOTO By CAROLyN BENNETT

A 1910 linen postcard shows the Baton Rouge City Belt Streetcar Line passing the ‘Silent Sentinel’ Confederate monument that once stood at Third Street and North Boulevard.

ebrating, electrification was already in the works. “Even as the little mule cars started out to the Fair Grounds on the inaugural first run, there were talk and anticipation of electric streetcars,” Hennick writes. “The Baton Rouge Street Railway formed a new company to take over the Baton Rouge Street Railway & Improvement Co., chartered on Oct. 22, 1890. The new company planned electrification and line extensions.” The Daily Advocate’s pride in the city’s muledrawn line was reflected in its Jan. 19, 1892, “What Baton Rouge has,” a listing of things that made the city great. This included LSU, churches, public schools, the Louisiana State Capitol, the Mississippi River, banks, a brick yard and the streetcar line. After the charter of yet another company, the Capital Railway & Lighting Co., Party time to which the line was transAfter that, it was party ferred on Sept. 22, 1892, time. electrification began. Rails The official launch was no were removed, updated and small affair, kicking off with moved from Third Street to a gala ceremony on Oct. 16 in Lafayette Street. front of the Old State Capitol “Six single truck cars with a crowd of hundreds. (three open, three closed) While Baton Rouge was cel- were ordered from the St.

Well, maybe it wasn’t much of a dating hub in the beginning, when the cars were powered by mules, whose speed was set at 6 miles per hour. But that wouldn’t happen until later, because, despite the 1881 charter, the rails, crossties, spikes, bolts and other track supplies didn’t arrive until June 1890. “Construction of the Baton Rouge Street Railway commenced on July 9 with workmen laying rails in the dirt streets,” Hennick writes. “It was easy to excavate the dirt street for the crossties and rails — work proceeded quickly once started.” The line’s six closed mule cars arrived in Baton Rouge on Oct. 7, 1890. “By all indications, the cars were purchased secondhand from a street railway in Nashville,” Hennick writes. “Some lines there had just been converted to electric operation.”

Louis Car Co. and arrived in late March 1893,” Hennick writes. “By that time, all track and overhead work was virtually completed. On April 6, 1893, a great festival, complete with the driving of a silver spike, inaugurated electric car service over the 3.55-mile belt line.” Tracks were extended, lines were added, but by 1926, streetcar riders decreased with the introduction of a motor bus route between downtown and LSU. By 1932, rail service was ended on East Boulevard, and in December 1933, ﬁve more passenger buses began replacing streetcars.

City Belt was the last “Ironically, the last streetcar line in Baton Rouge was the City Belt Line, the ﬁrst line to begin operations,” Hennick writes. “On April 23, 1936, a ceremony was held at the corner of Third Street and North Boulevard to bid goodbye to Baton Rouge’s faithful streetcars.” The rail cars were eventually scrapped and the overhead wires dismantled, but the idea of streetcars would linger in the city with discussions in 2006 of implementing a rail system between downtown and LSU on Nicholson Drive — the same route where buses were ﬁrst introduced. Talks of the new line would continue until 2018 with a line yet to be installed. Though the downtown tracks were either removed or paved over, a few remnants still remain on East Boulevard’s greenway across St. Agnes Catholic Church, reminding passersby of simpler times when an evening on the town meant a streetcar ride punctuated by ice cream. Email Robin Miller at romiller@theadvocate. com.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Saturday,August 15, 2026 ● 7C

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FrAnK And erneSt

roSebUdS

zItS

zodIAC LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Don't stop setting goals until you satisfy your appetite for what you desire. Use your charm and finesse to captivate attention and to propel you to the forefront of whatever you pursue. VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Take a moment to size up situations that offer too many choices. Don't feel pressured to follow someone else. It's up to you to reevaluate and research to avoid making a mistake. LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Don't let anger take over. Taking on too much will cause you to fall short. Risk will lead to anxiety, not profit or pleasure. Pay attention to how others treat you. scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Press pause and rethink your strategy. Trying to break down barriers will be costly in lost time, effort and money. Learn from your experiences in order to dodge an emotional setback. sAGITTARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Kindness and courtesy are your tickets to getting what you want. If you size up your work situations and mix business with pleasure, you'll score points with someone who can help you excel. cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Keep your thoughts to yourself. Being a good listener will give you the advantage when you need it. Anger solves nothing, and addressing issues prematurely will lead to regret. AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Push for what you want and give something back. A fair and honest approach will help you

move forward without regret. Getting along and being willing to meet in the middle is half the battle. PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) What you do to make your space more functional will encourage you to expand your interests. Avoid interacting with those putting pressure on you to change. When criticism comes your way, walk away. ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Listen to your inner voice, address issues of concern and express your emotions with unfiltered truth. Positive change is about to unfold regarding work, money and relationships. TAuRus (April 20-May 20) Chip away at projects that ease stress and give you room to breathe. Jumping into competitive or social settings will lead to anxiety and a tendency to overreact. GEMInI (May 21-June 20) A new look, personal project or form of entertainment will change how you view your lifestyle. It's in with the new and out with the old. Embrace what motivates you to follow your heart. cAncER (June 21-July 22) Don't overdo it or get into a frenzy over things you cannot change. Worry and anxiety will wear you down physically, causing chronic health issues or leading to other repercussions. 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: P EQuALs n

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon FAMILY CIrCUS

dooneSbUrY

8C ● Saturday,August 15, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

CurTiS

Hi and LoiS

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

BaBY BLueS

BLondie

THe wiZard oF id

nea CroSSwordS

La TimeS CroSSword

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Saturday,August 15, 2026 ● 9C

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B.C.

Bridge By PHILLIP ALDER Albert Einstein said, “A theory can be proved by experiment; but no path leads from experiment to the birth of a theory.” At the bridge table, leads are very important. And not only do you have to lead the right suit, but you must also be careful which card you select. In this deal, South is in four hearts. West leads the diamond eight. How should East plan the defense? North’s two-no-trump response was the Jacoby Forcing Raise, guaranteeing at least four-card heart support and game-forcing values. South rebid four hearts to show a minimum opening bid and no singleton or void. West led a diamond because that suit was stronger than his clubs. East knew that his partner’s lead was top of nothing. And it couldn’t be a singleton, because that would have given South five diamonds and a singleton or void, which he had denied in the auction. Also, now dummy had diamond winners on which South could discard losers. East realized that his side had to take, in order, one diamond, one spade and two clubs. But how to get West to win his spade trick and shift to a club? At trick two, East carefully led the spade nine, the high card in principle denying an honor in the suit. West got

garfield

Pearls Before swiNe

hagar the horriBle

the message and defeated the contract. If East had led the spade two, West would have probably put in a lower spade to force out dummy’s king, or won with his ace and returned the suit. Remember, a low lead from length expresses an interest in trying to win tricks in that suit. © 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 — GLAMoRous: GLAM-er-us: Excitingly attractive.

Bizarro

marmaduKe

Average mark 29 words Time limit 55 minutes Can you find 45 or more words in GLAMOROUS? yEsTERDAy’s WoRD — IMPEnDInG idem impeding impend impinge indie mend mending midi mien mind minding

mine mini mining pend pending pidgin pied pine ping pinged pining

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loCKhorNs hidato Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

today’s thought “This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.” Joshua 1:8 Read the Bible. Believe the Bible. Apply the Bible. — G.E. Dean

10C ● Saturday, August 15, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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