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TULANE FOOTBALL Chriss-Gremillion named starter at QB 1C

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Cornerstone plans new fertilizer plant Waggaman campus would see expanded operations BY LARA NICHOLSON Staff writer

Cornerstone Chemical, the Jefferson Parish industrial products maker, is planning to add a new fertilizer plant to its campus in Waggaman, the latest expansion of the operations at the facility that hosts three other major manufacturers of industrial chemicals. CHS Inc., a Minnesota-based

farm-owned cooperative, and OCP North America, a regional subsidiary of a Moroccan company, plan to build a plant in a joint venture, according to information provided in an invitation to an announcement and interviews with four Jefferson Parish Council members briefed on the plans. It will be located at the Cornerstone Energy Park on the West Bank along the St. Charles Par-

ish line, where the companies will manufacture phosphorus fertilizer, a critical material used in the agricultural industry. Cornerstone plans to announce the project at a ceremony on Wednesday, according to the invitation sent to some local civic leaders. The proposed project appears

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Cornerstone Chemical plans to open a fertilizer plant at its facility in ä See PLANT, page 5A Jefferson Parish.

‘A BIG DROP-OFF’

Second Harvest turns to local food donors after federal cuts

JEFFERSON PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM

Recess changes prompt questions District cuts PE time, allows combining of structured, free play BY ELYSE CARMOSINO Staff writer

Keon Coleman operates a forklift at Second Harvest Food Bank in Elmwood on Friday. BY VIOLET BUCARO Staff writer

Ivorine Clark gets up before dawn five days a week to volunteer at Second Harvest Food Bank, plating and preparing food for those in need in south Louisiana. Two years ago, Clark said the nonprofit’s pantry was stocked to the brim with beans, green peas, cereal and other staples. These days, she and her co-workers stare at nearly bare shelves. “When I first started there, there was a lot of food,” Clark said. “There’s been a big drop-off. It’s medium empty.” Since January 2025, nonprofits have faced severe federal funding freezes, grant terminations and other changes under President Donald Trump’s administration. They’ve had to enact layoffs and cut back other resources. Meanwhile, 73% of nonprofits nationwide reported an increased demand for community services, ac-

cording to research by the Center of Effective Philanthropy. Second Harvest, which serves south Louisiana communities from Lake Charles to the Mississippi line, received 18 million pounds of food from the Department of Agriculture’s emergency food program two years ago. But it received half that in 2025, and this year it expects even less, around 7 million pounds. “Food that used to come to us from the federal government isn’t coming anymore, so the same generous people are being asked to ﬁll a much bigger need,” said Jon Toups, president and CEO of Second Harvest. Toups said sourcing food used to be largely dependent on the federal government, and now Second Harvest relies more on local retail donors like Costco and Walmart to collect recycled food that might otherwise go to landﬁlls. But that still isn’t enough, even with 500 pantry

STAFF PHOTOS By ENAN CHEDIAK

Kevin Jefferson loads a pallet at Second Harvest

ä See HARVEST, page 5A Food Bank on Friday.

Jefferson Parish school leaders have cut the amount of time set aside for physical activity each day, and in some schools it’s resulted in a change that even the youngest kids might notice: an end to midmorning recess. Beginning this school year, students in kindergarten through ﬁfth grade will have 30 minutes of structured physical education each day, which is 15 minutes less than in previous years. And while students will still have a 15-minute “free play” period, parents and teachers say many schools have opted to combine the two periods to create one 45-minute block. Many elementary school children in the district previously received 45 minutes for PE and a separate, additional 15 minutes of free play at a different time of the day, often in the morning. District officials informed the parish’s elementary and K-8 schools of the change over the summer, putting out a districtwide handbook stating that schools could choose to combine the two periods or keep them separate. It’s not clear if all elementary schools chose to end the 15-minute break, but several did, according to parents, teachers and school leaders. In a statement, district spokesperson Kaela Lewis said school schedules still meet state requirements for instructional time, physical education and recess, adding

ä See RECESS, page 4A

Canada to announce retaliatory tariffs against U.S., official says BY ROB GILLIES Associated Press

TORONTO — Canada will announce retaliatory tariffs against the United States on Tuesday, an ofﬁcial familiar with the plans told The Associated Press, escalating a trade fight that has sharply worsened

WEATHER HIGH 92 LOW 78 PAGE 6B

since negotiations with the Trump administration collapsed. The ofﬁcial spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the plans publicly. Prime Minister Mark Carney said Monday that Canada may need to move away from matching

U.S. tariffs dollar for dollar and instead use more targeted retaliation aimed at protecting Canadian workers and businesses. President Donald Trump escalated the dispute again Monday, telling Canadian leaders to “fall in line” or face consequences “far WORSE” than tariffs already im-

posed and threatening new 50% tariffs on Canadian vehicles, auto parts and steel. Carney accused Washington of trying to subordinate Canada and said U.S. trade demands had conﬁrmed Canada’s fears that the United States was seeking to dismantle major Canadian industries.

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

“An attitude at the negotiation table that Canada is a subsidiary of the United States” is “not something we’re going to accept,” Carney said. Carney was even more blunt in French.

ä See CANADA, page 4A

14TH yEAR, NO. 13

2A ✦ Tuesday, August 25, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Sources: Trump moves toward new China tariff

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is moving toward levying a new tariff on China that would penalize the world’s secondlargest economy for flooding the global market with underpriced goods, according to three people familiar with the matter. Two of the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations still being finalized, said Trump is considering setting the new tariff at 7.5%. It’s a level administration officials believe would not endanger the one-year trade truce between Washington and Beijing or a planned White House meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping expected to take place in late September. The move, if finalized, appears to be a calibrated effort by the White House to work around a Supreme Court decision earlier this year that struck down Trump’s plan to implement a sweeping, high-tariff scheme not seen since the 1930s. After that decision, the Trump administration announced in March it was launching formal investigations targeting excess industrial capacity and forcedlabor regulations in China and other nations.

Body found of woman suspected in killing

A mental health advocate suspected of killing her police officer husband was found dead Monday, six days after she disappeared from her Massachusetts home, authorities said. Karen Solomon, an advocate who called for improvements and greater awareness of police mental health issues, had disappeared after Worcester Police Officer Kurt Solomon was found dead at their home just before 5:30 a.m. on Aug. 18. Officials had named Karen Solomon a suspect and said she was believed to be armed. “We believe this case is a tragic murder-suicide that occurred,” Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier said at a news conference Monday. Two people who worked at Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital reported finding human remains, and officers recovered a woman’s corpse there, Saucier said. A final ID was still pending, but authorities said they were confident it was Karen Solomon. A handgun found near her body was not a Worcester police service weapon, and investigators were working to determine who owned it.

Turkey sentences 5 opposition mayors

ISTANBUL — A Turkish court on Monday convicted ﬁve mayors of municipalities run by the country’s main opposition party on corruption charges in a trial that critics have denounced as politically motivated. The case before an Istanbul court included allegations of bribery, bid-rigging and fraud in relation to municipal contracts. Critics of the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan say the trial targeted the opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP, and that the prosecution relied on secret witnesses and defendants implicating other defendants in return for lighter punishment. The Turkish government insists the country’s judiciary is independent and free from political inﬂuence. The case focused on allegations that companies controlled by businessman Aziz Ihsan Aktas secured municipal tenders through bribery, bid-rigging and fraud. The opposition, meanwhile, has said that municipalities under Erdogan’s party control that did business with Aktas were not as thoroughly investigated.

CORRECTION A business article Sunday about nonprofit donations by local leaders misstated the geographic reach of Stirling Properties. The company has ofﬁces in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Florida. The Times-Picayune regrets the error.

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U.S. unveils new Iran sanctions ‘Economic D-Day’ threats become warnings for countries

BY FARNOUSH AMIRI, CHRISTOPHER RUGABER, AAMER MADHANI and DIDI TANG Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a new round of sanctions aimed at Iran on Monday and warned every country that does business with the Islamic Republic to sever those financial ties or face retaliation from the United States. President Donald Trump’s pledge last week to unleash an “economic D-Day” against Tehran turned out to be new warnings to cut off Iran from the rest of the global economy. Asked why the U.S. was not imposing secondary sanctions on Iran’s trading partners, Bessent told reporters he wanted countries to have an opportunity to shift away from Iran before it was too late. “Why would I want to blow up the global financial system?” Bessent said. The Trump administration is struggling to find an off-ramp nearly six months into an unpopular war with an increasingly obstinate Iran. Diminishing stockpiles of key weapons appear to have forced U.S. officials to pivot to economic warfare, though Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said later Monday that he was not ruling out resuming strikes to hit Iran during a lull in hostilities.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent arrives to speak at a news conference Monday at the Treasury Department in Washington. Washington had promised new sanctions would put even more pressure on an Iranian economy already battered by previous penalties and a U.S. naval blockade. But the announcement Monday provided little detail and did not name which countries could face secondary sanctions. China, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are Iran’s largest trade partners. “We are level-setting with every country to tell them our expectations. We know who they are. They know who they are,” Bessent said. “So when the hammer of U.S. Treasury actions falls upon them, they will have no one to blame but themselves.” Dubbing the campaign “Operation Economic Outcast,” Bessent said Trump has been “making phone

calls to world leaders with specific requests to cease their interactions” with Iran and has already seen results. The UAE announced last week that it was suspending all trade, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran until further notice after a reported missile attack on the Gulf country. Bessent said the UAE decision was “not a coincidence.” Shortly before the announcement, Iranian parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said the U.S. is not in an economic position to further restrict Tehran’s relations with other countries. “Iran’s trading partners, both in the media and through messages sent to us, have made it clear that they don’t take these statements into account any-

where,” Qalibaf, who has been Iran’s lead negotiator over the past six months, posted on X. Asked whether the U.S. would target China, Bessent said that “no one is above the reach of U.S. sanctions,” despite the fragile trade truce in place between the world’s two largest economies. “If they facilitate transactions and are part of the ecosystem that turns Iranian oil into money, into repression, they will be targeted,” he added. Experts say the U.S. is likely to carefully calibrate its actions on China, just a month before Chinese leader Xi Jinping is expected to visit the U.S. How much the announcement matters “depends on the aggressiveness with which President Trump is willing to enforce it,” said

Ali Wyne, senior research and advocacy adviser for U.S.-China relations at the International Crisis Group. “Thus far, despite threatening severe economic consequences for countries that do business with Iran, he has largely given China a pass.” The Treasury Department said Monday that it was imposing sanctions on nearly 60 Iran-linked entities, accusing them of roles in Iran’s nuclear and missile programs, cyber activities and oil shipments. That includes Hong Kong-based Sweet Ocean Industrial Limited and associated people and businesses, which were accused of helping Iran acquire sensitive goods such as laser optics equipment. Also penalized was Chinabased Shenzhen Huamei, which is a service provider for the Iran-based logistics company BRE Line, as well as BRE Line’s branch in Hong Kong, for allegedly supporting the missile and nuclear programs. Hours before Bessent’s announcement, Iran’s currency hit a record low. The rial dropped to 2.02 million to the U.S. dollar as trading opened on currency markets. Iran’s ofﬁcial Central Bank rate stood at around 1.5 million rials to the dollar, but the market rate is what most Iranians pay. The currency had already been under pressure before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, as Iran faced double-digit inﬂation and negative growth. The rial has repeatedly hit new lows as nearly six months of war have taken an even greater toll.

Firefighters make progress battling Nev. wildfire BY HAVEN DALY and JOHN SEEWER

They haven’t said whether the Hawk Fire was intentionally set or accidental. Much of the area that burned was sagebrush and grass. Reno, home to about 280,000 people, is known for its casinos and as a gateway to nearby Lake Tahoe, North America’s largest alpine lake and a popular vacation destination. It’s also southwest of

Associated Press

RENO, Nev. — Crews have started to contain a wildfire in the Sierra Nevada foothills near Reno, Nevada, that destroyed more than 30 homes as it spread perilously close to neighborhoods, officials said Monday. Containment reached 27% and there was no new growth of the Hawk Fire, which has held steady at about 23 square miles since Sunday, authorities said at an afternoon news briefing. “We are making progress,” said U.S. Forest Service District Ranger Matt Zumstein. The number of residents under evacuation orders and warnings was reduced to about 63,000, down from more than 90,000 people over the weekend. However, there’s still concern that winds could push the flames through dry brush into newly developed and densely packed neighborhoods in Nevada’s largest city outside of metro Las Vegas.

IMAGE FROM VIDEO By TIM WALTON

Smoke rises Saturday from active wildfires in Reno, Nev. Schools across Washoe County were closed Monday because of the evacuations and to keep roads clear for emergency crews. Nevada’s governor declared a state of emergency in the county and mobilized the National Guard to help with aerial ﬁreﬁghting and protecting evacuated neighborhoods northwest of downtown Reno. At one roadblock, residents expressed frustration Monday that they could not get back into their homes. “There’s no fire here! Why are the National Guard here?” a driver

yelled. Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam said he understands that some residents are frustrated that they can’t get home but the danger isn’t over yet. “It just takes that little breeze and one ember,” he said. The fire near the California state line began Saturday and exploded in size on Sunday. At least six people — three first responders and three civilians — have been injured. This is the third large wildfire in the rugged terrain north of Reno in the past two weeks — all caused by human activity, according to fire officials.

U.S. strikes vessel in eastern Pacific, killing 2 in first attack in months BY KONSTANTIN TOROPIN AND BILL BARROW Associated Press

WASHINGTON — After a pause of more than two months, the U.S. military announced Monday that it once again carried out a strike on a vessel in the eastern Paciﬁc Ocean, killing two people accused of trafﬁcking drugs. It brings the overall death toll to 223 people killed in 67 strikes during the nearly yearlong U.S. campaign of bombing alleged drug boats off Latin

America’s Caribbean coast and in the eastern Pacific Ocean. U.S. Southern Command says the campaign has resulted in the destruction of 64 speedboats, three “low-profile” ships and a semisubmersible craft. The command said on social media early Monday that forces “executed a lethal kinetic strike on a low-profile vessel operating along established narcotrafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific.” The military said the strike occurred Sunday, and it marked the first since

powerful back-to-back June 24 earthquakes in Venezuela killed thousands of people. As with most of the military’s statements, Southern Command did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs. “We are committed to imposing total systemic friction on narco-terrorists — disrupting their operations, dismantling their leadership, and eliminating cartel terror across the region,” said Gen. Francis Donovan, who leads U.S. Southern Command.

Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, site of the annual Burning Man festival, which begins next Sunday. Many who travel to Burning Man make Reno a regular stop. But some are saying on social media they should avoid the city so they don’t take hotel rooms and other resources away from evacuees.

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High court sides with Trump on mail voting order BY LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court sided with the Trump administration Monday in a case over President Donald Trump’s executive order restricting mail-in voting, though it remains unclear how much can be implemented before the fast-approaching midterm elections. The decision leaves room for additional court challenges that could further slow Trump’s order, and other similar cases have already been filed. The U.S. Postal Service laid out how it would implement the order last week, but time is running short to impose major changes with some states beginning to send mail ballots to voters in just a few weeks. The Supreme Court’s conservative majority didn’t decide the legality of Trump’s order, instead ruling that the states did not have the legal right to challenge it. “The Court’s disposition of this application does not mean that any measure taken by the Government to implement the Order will necessarily be lawful. On that score, time will tell,” the majority wrote in an unsigned order. The three liberal-leaning justices publicly dissented, with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson writing that the rule “lets another shoe drop in the

Kafkaesque nightmare that our precedents have been steadily creating for certain plaintiffs who seek to bring election-related challenges.” New York Attorney General Letitia James foreshadowed more legal wrangling, calling the decision a “painful setback” but vowing it would “not be the final word.” The court’s order opens a path for the administration to begin action to restrict mail voting, but it also could lead to a bevy of potential further litigation that could freeze the federal government again, all starting 10 days before the first mail ballots in the nation are scheduled to be sent to overseas and military voters from North Carolina. “This is just the first inning of a very fast nine-inning game,” said Derek Muller, a law professor at Notre Dame University. Mail balloting has long been a favorite target for Trump, who has claimed that it breeds fraud despite strong evidence to the contrary and his own use of the voting method. Trump’s executive order, signed in March, calls on his administration to create lists of eligible voters and orders the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail ballots only to people on those lists. Democratic officials in 23 states and the District of Columbia sued to block the order. They argued that the

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By LyNNE SLADKy

An election worker places a vote-by-mail ballot into a secure bin on Aug. 18 at the MiamiDade County Supervisor of Elections Office during the Florida primary election in Doral, Fla. Constitution gives states and Congress the power to run elections, and Trump’s changes could lead to chaos and partisan abuse. “The consequences of allowing such transformative changes to take effect so close to this fall’s elections would be extreme,” attorneys for the states wrote. Dozens of state and local election ofﬁcials weighed in, asking the justices to leave the order frozen while election preparations are already underway.

A judge in Massachusetts blocked the plan for the midterm elections in those states. An appeals court upheld her decision. She later granted a second order blocking it nationwide, another potential stumbling block for Trump administration plan. The Justice Department appealed to the Supreme Court on procedural grounds in late July, arguing that the states sued too soon. They also pointed to another ruling out of Washington, where a judge allowed Trump’s order

to proceed. An appeals court backed that decision, while still leaving room for future court action if the changes are implemented. Federal attorneys argued that the Massachusetts order “blocks the government’s ability to ﬁnalize and implement the President’s proposed policies to promote election integrity for the upcoming federal elections in November.” A dozen Republican-leaning states supported the federal government in their own

appeal before the high court, saying states would have input on the ﬁnal voter lists. The Supreme Court has previously ruled against Trump-backed arguments on mail-in ballots, ﬁnding in June that states can count ballots that arrive after Election Day. That case was decided after full briefing and arguments, rather than on the court’s emergency docket. Trump has blamed mail voting — without credible evidence — for his loss to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. He has promoted the proposed changes in his executive order as safeguards to keep non-U.S. citizens from voting. He’s also repeatedly pressed for the passage of the legislation that requires proof of citizenship to vote. Noncitizen voting has been shown to be rare, and is a felony that can be punishable by deportation. Using mail ballots has become increasingly popular with voters of both parties, with about 30% of all ballots cast that way during the 2024 presidential election, according to federal data. The process also is secure. A 2025 Brookings Institution study found only about four cases of fraud out of every 10 million mail ballots cast. Associated Press writer Nicholas Riccardi in Denver contributed to this story.

Officials: U.S. set for largest mass visa revocation in history Up to 200,000 foreigners could be targeted BY MATTHEW LEE AP diplomatic writer

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is preparing to revoke the business and tourism visas of up to 200,000 foreigners who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum status in the United States. If it happens, the move would be the largest single mass revocation of visas in U.S. history and would likely face legal challenges. Unless challenged or revised, the State Department is expected to announce in

the coming weeks the revocation of so-called B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 whose holders have sought asylum or are now seeking asylum, according to State Department documents obtained by The Associated Press and two U.S. ofﬁcials. The action will be taken in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security. “We are coordinating with DHS to identify and revoke the nonimmigrant visas of foreigners who have come to the United States claiming to be short-term visitors, but then file for asylum to stay here permanently,” said State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott. He declined to comment

on the number of visas that might be revoked, saying “as the process will be ongoing, the number of revocations remains dynamic and will be done on a rolling basis.” The revocations would not necessarily result in their immediate deportation, the officials said. Most of those with asylum cases currently pending would be recategorized but would lose their status as business or tourism travelers, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the revocations are not final yet. Since President Donald Trump took office for his second term last year, his administration has steadily ramped up restrictions on

visa applicants — demanding more information about their social media histories, requiring the posting of expensive bonds for the processing of visas, and outright banning the issuance of visas to citizens of certain countries. In a social media post on Monday, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau called out people who he said try to use tourist and

business visas to get into the United States and then apply for asylum. “People in the US and all over the world are fed up with bogus asylum claims,” Landau wrote on X. “Asylum isn’t supposed to be a loophole to circumvent immigration law.” Landau cited the case of a Colombian citizen who came to the U.S. in 2015 on a tourist visa and then ap-

plied for asylum. B1 visas are generally issued for business trips and B2 visas are generally issued for tourism, family visits or medical care. It was not immediately clear from the documents or the officials how many of these visa holders are seeking or have sought asylum in the United States and would be affected by the revocations.

New evidence prompts trial delay for Libyan man charged in plane bombing BY MICHAEL KUNZELMAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Monday postponed a trial in the U.S. for a former Libyan intelligence official charged in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, citing the discovery of new evidence that defense attorneys want to examine in the nearly 40-year-old case. Jury selection was scheduled to begin Wednesday for the federal trial of Abu Agila Mohammad Mas’ud Kheir

Al-Marimi in Washington, D.C. His trial will be the ﬁrst in the U.S. for the Dec. 21, 1988, bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland, which killed 270 people, most of them Americans. U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich’s order didn’t specify the nature of the newly discovered evidence. Al-Marimi’s lawyers say prosecutors disclosed the new evidence to them on Saturday and added that their “constitutional and ethical obligations require

the defense to investigate this development.” Defense attorney Laura Koenig, an assistant federal public defender, declined to elaborate in response to an Associated Press inquiry. The judge scheduled a Sept. 1 hearing in Washington to discuss the status of the case. Friedrich’s brief order cited the complex nature of the case, the newly discovered evidence and “the need for the defense to determine how best to defend this case” as reasons to postpone the trial.

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4A ✦ Tuesday, August 25, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

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La. GOP endorses Miguez in race for Congress Edmonds calls foul, wants another vote

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

A decision by the Louisiana Republican Party on Sunday to endorse state Sen. Blake Miguez over state Sen. Rick Edmonds for a hotly contested Baton Rouge-based congressional seat threw the party H H H H H H leadership into turmoil Monday. Party insiders said that Gov. Jeff Landry, whose differences with Miguez are an open secret in the state Capitol, was hopping mad. An aide said that had more to do with how Miguez won the endorsement. Edmonds and his supporters on Monday called for another vote immediately — one that would either endorse neither candidate or both — but party chair Derek Babcock said that vote, if it occurs, would not happen Tuesday. Miguez won the coveted endorsement on a vote by ﬁve of the eight members of the party’s executive committee, not a vote of the entire party. Winning the party’s endorse-

ELECTION

ment is important for two reasons. The endorsed candidate can trumpet that in his messaging and becomes eligible for money from the Republican National Committee. Miguez requested an endorsement meeting of the executive committee after obtaining a majority of signatures from members of the party’s state central committee who reside in the Baton Rougebased 6th Congressional District. Miguez obtained 23 signatures, one more than needed. Edmonds then submitted 25 signatures, including from several party members who had also requested Miguez’s endorsement. The rules allow dual endorsements for the signatures. Edmonds called foul Monday. He said the executive committee should issue no endorsement or endorse both men because both are conservative Republicans who have spent about a dozen years in the state Legislature and because they submitted about the same number of signatures, although Edmonds noted he actually submitted two more. “It is their job not to serve an agenda or a candidate but what is the right thing for the Louisiana Republican Party,” Edmonds, an evangelical pastor who lives in Baton Rouge, said in an interview. In a statement, Edmonds also

called for an end to “good ole boy backroom deals.” Miguez did not return a phone call. The owner of an oil field services company, he owns a house in Baton Rouge but lives outside of the 6th Congressional District in Erath in Vermillion Parish. He is not required to reside in the district. Both men are competing in a 10-candidate field for an open seat that U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, a Democrat from Baton Rouge, currently holds. Fields chose not to run for reelection after the Republicanmajority Legislature in May redrew the district’s boundaries to elect a Republican. All 10 candidates are running in the Nov. 3 open primary. Gena Gore, one of the five Louisiana Republican Party executive committee members who voted for Miguez, said she did so because “he’s the best candidate. He got his required signatures first. He has a reliably conservative record. He’s young. He could represent us for a long time.” Gore, who serves on the executive committee by virtue of being the party’s national committeewoman, added, “That meeting was done in a proper manner. We did everything by the book.” Rick Payton, the party’s finance chair, also voted for Miguez.

CANADA

Continued from page 1A “We learned during the negotiations that the Americans want to destroy our major industries, including autos, steel and aluminum,” Carney said. “That was one of the main reasons we said no. It was a bad deal.” The ﬁery words from both sides show how U.S.Canada relations have deteriorated since Carney walked away from trade negotiations with the Trump administration Carney late Friday, triggering the president’s threatened 50% tariffs the next day on about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods. Carney cast doubt on the U.S.’s reliability as a partner, saying Canada was ﬁnding reliable partners “everywhere in the world, except in the United States. Except in the United States. And Russia.”On Monday, Trump came back with further tariffs, warning that he would impose them on Canada’s auto industry beginning next year. “Canada has been ripping off the United States of America for years,” Trump wrote on social media, criticizing what he called the country’s “ridiculously high tariffs” on American farmers. Carney said Washington’s autosector proposals would gradually have the effect of dismantling Canadian production. “This is the most successful automotive partnership in history,” Carney said, referring to

RECESS

Continued from page 1A that students still get the same amount of free play as they have in previous years. The district did not provide additional details on why the change was made, but Jefferson Parish School Board member Michael Pedalino said schools Superintendent James Gray informed him in an email that the modiﬁcation was necessary to increase instructional minutes in science and social studies. Board member Rem Brandt said the change still gives kids time for recess. “The district has not removed recess from the daily schedule,” Brandt said in an interview. “It’s still 15 minutes of unstructured, nonclass time.” Still, the change means 15 fewer minutes a day of physical activity. And some parents, teachers and board members said it’s an unwelcome change, arguing that young children need more active time to stay productive. “Recess is not just playtime,” parent Kimberly Fayard, whose children attend Allen Ellender School, wrote in the description of an online petition that asked School Board members to reverse the district’s deci-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALEX BRANDON

President Donald Trump speaks during a back-to-school event in the Rose Garden of the White House on Monday. the deeply integrated Canada-U.S. industry. Meanwhile, Ontario Premier Doug Ford unleashed his own tirade. In an interview with The Associated Press, he said Trump had underestimated Canadians’ willingness to endure economic pain rather than give in to U.S. pressure. “We’re all in,” Ford said. “Up here, we’re at a fever pitch; everyone’s in for an economic war. They know they’re going to have to sacriﬁce.” Trump responded in a social media post by attacking Ford personally, calling him “the less charismatic, intelligent, and overall

sion. “It’s a vital component of childhood development.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests giving elementary students opportunities to be active throughout the day, noting that doing so can improve focus, reduce stress and lead to better academic performance. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children between 6 and 17 get 60 minutes of combined free play and moderate physical activity most days of the week. Young kids need “brain breaks,” said Melanie Cade, a fourth grade English teacher at Jefferson Elementary, who said the change was made to cut a 15-minute morning recess at her school. By late morning, students “are fidgety, and they’ve been looking at computer screens all day,” she said. “They need to go out. They need to run.” The amount of time elementary schoolers get for physical education and recess can vary from district to district. Louisiana law requires that public schools give students in K-5 at least 15 minutes of supervised, unstructured free-play each day, while students in K-8 must get at least 30 minutes of “quality moderate to vigorous physical activity.” But

unimpressive brother of the late, great, Rob Ford,” and once again referring to Canada’s prime minister as “Governor Carney.” Ford dismissed the insults: “If you think an insult from him hurts me? Well, bring it on, buddy, I’m ready.” Ford is a Progressive Conservative whose party differs from that of Carney, a Liberal, but the two underscore broad political unity in Canada over the trade ﬁght with Trump. Ford said “everything is on the table” if the dispute worsens, including cutting off electricity and critical minerals from Ontario. Critical minerals are increas-

districts decide how that time is distributed throughout the day and can choose to make those periods longer. Jarod Martin, superintendent of Lafourche Parish Schools, said that because school systems are balancing many other instructional mandates, it can be difﬁcult to give kids longer breaks during the day. Out of 17 schools in Lafourche that serve K-5, Martin said that most, if not all, stick to state guidelines, though he noted many split their 15 minutes of free play to give students breaks in both the morning and afternoon. ”It’s really a judgment call by the principal,” he said. In Jefferson Parish, School Board members said the district changed its recess policy independent of any input from the board, with Brandt noting that decisions regarding day-to-day operations are typically overseen by the superintendent and district administrators. But Pedalino, who started his own petition to restore morning recess, said he believes the move “deserved more oversight” from the board and from families. “Taking time away from physical movement and other activities to increase classroom instructional time is a significant change for

“I did a lot of research before I cast my vote,” he said. “I felt like my vote was representative of the people in CD6.” The three others who voted for Miguez were Jerry Brouillette, the party vice chair; Roger Villere, the national committeeman; and Dexter Duhon, the treasurer. They did not return phone calls Monday. Charlie Davis, the party’s secretary, voted for no endorsement. He declined to comment. Babcock did not vote — the party chair votes only to break a tie — but said he also favored no endorsement. Roby Dyer, a representative of the Louisiana Federation of Republican Woman, was absent. A subplot in the immediate aftermath of Sunday’s vote is the relationship between Landry and Miguez. They have known each other since they both worked as aides in the mid-1990s to then-state Sen. Craig Romero, a Republican from New Iberia. Landry oversaw Miguez. Fast forward: When Miguez was elected to the state Senate in 2023, Landry became his constituent because the governor lives in Broussard outside Lafayette. But Miguez angered Landry by posting on X in November 2024 that the governor didn’t have a “clear plan” on how to reduce gov-

ernment spending. “As our conservative leader, he can look to President Trump for example on how to create more efficiencies within state government,” Miguez added. Landry shot back about an hour later. “Now is not the time for political posturing or worrying about one’s next political office,” Landry posted on X. “(Miguez) seems to want to run to social media instead of offering his own plan.” On Monday, Brent Littlefield, Landry’s chief outside adviser, said the governor’s response to the Miguez endorsement had more to do with how it happened. “One candidate had more support and didn’t get the endorsement,” Littlefield said. “That certainly raised a question of why the party chose to get involved.” One political casualty of Sunday’s endorsement was Rhett Davis, whose work as a consultant to the Louisiana Republican Party dates back more than 30 years. Cory Dennis, the party’s executive director, fired Davis because he made calls to help Miguez secure the endorsement, party sources said. Davis did not return a phone call.

ingly important to U.S. national security and manufacturing. The Pentagon has sought more secure supplies of minerals used in military aircraft, missiles, munitions and electronics as Washington tries to reduce reliance on China, which dominates the mining or processing of several strategically important minerals. Ford said Canada should also consider increasingly severe retaliation if Trump continues targeting Canadian industries, including oil and potash, while Ontario could raise electricity prices or stop sending power south. “We power 1.5 million homes and businesses,” Ford said. “Everything’s on the table. I’ll do whatever it takes.” Ford has used electricity as leverage before. During an earlier phase of the dispute, Ontario imposed a 25% surcharge on electricity exported to Michigan, Minnesota and New York. Trump responded by threatening to double tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum before both sides backed away. Ford accused Trump of not simply seeking a better trade deal but aiming to hollow out Canadian industries and move production south. Ford said Trump wants to make Canada a vassal state. “He wants to bleed out every single sector and bring them down to the U.S.,” Ford said. The auto sector is especially important to Ontario, the center of Canada’s vehicle manufacturing industry. Plants and suppliers in Ontario are tightly integrated with factories in Michigan and other U.S. states, with parts routinely crossing the border multiple times during production. Automakers including Ford,

General Motors and Stellantis operate major assembly plants in Ontario, and the wider supply chain supports tens of thousands of jobs. Trump’s new threat of a 50% tariff on Canadian vehicles and parts puts that sector directly at the center of the escalating dispute. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Monday that “the only reason Canada has auto production in the ﬁrst place” was because of the 1960s Auto Pact, under which Canada used access to its market to encourage vehicle production north of the border. Ford also disclosed that he had opposed the preliminary agreement Carney was considering before Canada walked away from negotiations, and that he was unwilling to restore American liquor to Ontario store shelves as part of an agreement. “I wasn’t going to put the booze back on the shelves,” Ford said. “I was ready to go out there and call a news conference … and say I’m not buckling over.” Ford said he understood Washington had sought language late in the negotiations that would have restricted Canada’s ability to negotiate trade agreements with other countries without U.S. approval. Carney has called that demand unacceptable and a question of Canadian sovereignty. Carney said the dispute also exposed a deeper divide over language and culture, saying protections for French and Canadian culture that Washington views as trade irritants are considered fundamental rights in Canada. “Who does he think he is?” Ford said of Trump. “You gotta be kidding.”

our students,” he said. Cade, the fourth grade teacher, said that while she still has reservations, she understands the reasoning behind the change. Her 7-year-old daughter, who also attends Jefferson

Email Tyler Bridges at tbridges@theadvocate.com.

Elementary, became close with another girl in her class last year. But because the two have different teachers this year, Cade said that her daughter hasn’t had a chance to see her friend since school began.

“As a teacher, I can see how having to line up children and bring them outside for just 10 minutes really can impact what you’re doing in the classroom,” she said. “But as a parent, my baby needs to go outside.”

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HARVEST

Continued from page 1A partners, he said. For 44 years, Second Harvest has fed hundreds of thousands of people in Louisiana and a large percentage of the food-insecure population, making it one of Louisiana’s largest nonproﬁts. On average, it provides 38 million meals a year. The food bank is also one of the state’s largest providers of emergency food during hurricanes. Hurricane season began June 1 and ends Nov. 30. “When a storm comes through, we’re expected to move food fast … and that only works if the food is already sitting on a shelf and the buildings can take a hit and keep running,” Toups said. “This year, we go into that stretch with less food behind us than we’ve had in a long time. That’s the part I think about.” The Trump administration had cut about $1 billion in multiple federal aid programs for food banks, schools and childcare centers by March 2025. About 36% of nonproﬁts reported reduced funding from the federal government over roughly that time frame, according to data from the Center of Effective Philanthropy. Last summer, federal funding cuts led to a 14% staff layoffs across all of Second Harvest’s facilities, Toups said, the termination of an entire nutrition education team at Second Harvest and an organization program aiding local disadvantaged farmers. To make up the difference, the organization pulled from its savings to buy food and spent more money on trucks to bring in donations from grocers and growers. Oil and gas giant Chevron and other donors were a big help, Toups said. The donations were enough to let the organization rehire all of its laid-off employees and to host its largest summer feeding program for children this year. Last summer, the feeding pro-

PLANT

Continued from page 1A to be in the early stages. It has not received any local permits, which council members Hans Liljeberg, Scott Walker, Deano Bonano and Byron Lee said would be required to move forward. Also unclear is the size of the project and how many additional jobs may result. Cornerstone did not respond to requests for comment. A CHS representative did not provide a comment as of press time. The new facility comes as supply chain issues have increased fertilizer prices and squeezed U.S. farmers, a political issue in many states ahead of the U.S. midterm elections. The invitation says that federal and state ofﬁcials will be in attendance. Cornerstone’s expansion has become a political issue in Jefferson Parish in recent years. The company employs roughly 400 people as of last year at its 800acre site to manufacture chemicals used in everyday household items. But some residents have complained about the industrial site, cit-

STAFF PHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK

Students from Cabrini High School volunteer at Second Harvest Food Bank on Friday. gram distributed food to 72 sites and provided 165,000 meals and snacks. This summer, it covered 93 sites and provided over 210,000 snacks and meals. The organization has also opened three new facilities — one in Lake Charles and two in Houma — since 2025. “It never ceases to amaze me that when you ask this community to step up for folks that might be in a little bit of need today, they always do,” Toups said. “Volunteers have stepped up to the plate even more.”

ing noise and environmental concerns. Some council members expressed frustration that they had been left in the dark on the latest announcement, which is scheduled to take place at the same time as a council meeting. Walker said he was not notified of the plans until Monday and that the parish not yet received any permit applications, even though the council is the one who ultimately has to approve the plan. “This is putting the cart before the horse,” Walker said. “It’s an effort, it seems, to put a lot of political pressure on the council before we’ve had a chance to look at anything involving the project.” Walker added that the announcement puts the council in a “terrible position” with constituents. Cornerstone has faced some criticism from residents over previous issues like the construction of a $27 million boiler at an ammonia plant without permits. The announcement comes as several other Cornerstone tenants are seeking to expand their facilities. UBE Corp., a Japanese electric vehicle battery ingredient

Food costs rising Though the food bank has met some benchmarks, Toups said he has noticed an influx of people using its services in the past two years. Around 1 in 5 people across Second Harvest’s 23-parish service area need food assistance, and program participants have surged by nearly 40% in the past three years, from 344,000 to 481,000 people. Data shows that grocery prices have climbed 3% over the past 12

manufacturer, began construction on a new production facility last year and recently ﬁled an application seeking to amend its site plan to include a 160-foot-tall ﬂare stack and a 51-foot-tall cell tower. The company also requested several changes to the capacity of its storage tanks, the chemicals stored in them and the addition of two new tanks, according to the Planning Department application. CF Industries, which produces ammonia at Corner-

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months, according to a U.S. Bureau of Labor July report. What’s more, a USDA food price study in July predicted that prices would increase for beef and veal by 10.7%, for wheat by 11.8% and for vegetables at retail stores by 6.8%, among other hikes. “I think just based on what I see, food insecurity is directionally proportional to poverty. And we’ve got a lot of poverty in South Louisiana. The cost of things going up only exacerbates that problem,” Toups said. Toups said a nonprofit cannot

stone, is looking to build an administrative building and other upgrades at its site, said Bonano. Major changes to Corner-

absorb a financial hole this size year after year. Second Harvest is planning for even fewer resources from the USDA next year, “which is why we’re asking this community for help.” “The strain doesn’t look like a locked door. It looks like less food on the shelf when somebody gets there. It looks like a pantry that used to send a family home with a lot of items, sending them home with just a few.” Email Violet Bucaro at violet. bucaro@theadvocate.com.

stone’s special permitted use require Parish Council approval, and must now adhere to a new set of industrial regulations passed in

2024 that require 2,000-foot buffer zones between residential housing and industrial property, odor control plans and a 24-hour hotline.

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6A ✦ Tuesday,August 25, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

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BUSINESS N O L A.C O M/BIZ

DOW 53,417.16 140.15 0.26%

NASDAQ 25,980.19 -200.27 -0.77%

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Wall Street drifts at the start of eventful week

NEW YORK — U.S. stocks drifted to a mixed finish Monday as the countdown ticks toward potentially market-moving events coming later in the week. The areas of the bond market that the U.S. Treasury Department is trying to calm down, meanwhile, eased a bit. The S&P 500 slipped 0.3% and pulled a bit further from its alltime high set earlier this month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 140 points, or 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.8%. Tech stocks led the way downward following big swings through the summer on worries that the frenzy around artificial intelligence technology sent prices too high and that the huge demand for AI chips won’t be sustainable if they don’t produce enough profits. Chip giant Nvidia has been a tremendous winner of the AI boom and become Wall Street’s largest and most influential stock because of it. It will deliver its latest quarterly earnings report on Wednesday, which could dictate the next big move for AI-related stocks. The other big factor moving stocks recently has been the bond market, where longerterm Treasury yields climbed through the summer on worries about high inflation, huge government debts and other factors.

Taiwan charges 9 over illegal AI server exports TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwanese prosecutors charged nine people Monday, including one from Nvidia and two from Super Micro, for illegally exporting “high-end AI servers” to mainland China, adding another wave of turbulence in the AI rivalry between China and the United States. AI infrastructure, including advanced semiconductors mostly made in Taiwan, has become a key point of competition between the U.S. and China. Washington began imposing restrictions on Nvidia’s exports of advanced chips to China in 2022 and tightened them in subsequent years. In April 2025, the U.S. required licenses for exports of Nvidia’s H20 chips to China, before allowing some sales to resume later that year. Under export controls, any sale by Nvidia of high-end AI servers — the computer infrastructure that houses the chips needed to power AI systems — requires a strict review process, according to a document from Keelung District Prosecutors’ office in Taiwan. The document also said purchases of more than eight high-end AI servers require company staff to conduct on-site checks to the clients.

Britain wants videos removed after deaths LONDON — Britain’s government Monday urged TikTok and other social media companies to take down viral videos “celebrating” dangerous driving, after two police officers and five young men were killed in a crash when a car was driven down the wrong side of the road. Officers Matthew Blades and Tom Clough were killed Saturday when a Volkswagen was driven the wrong way along a road in northeastern England and hit their vehicle. Five people in the car — three boys who were 17 and 18 years old and two men, both 23 — were also pronounced dead at the scene. The collision took place as concerns grow over social media videos showing people driving dangerously on purpose, posted by the drivers themselves or others inside the vehicles at the time. British media reports suggest that one of the people who died in the Volkswagen on Saturday may have previously posted such a video. U.K. Defense Minister Luke Pollard said the government has told TikTok and similar platforms to “step up” and remove such “awful content.”

S&P 500 7,652.86 -21.51 -0.28%

EURO 1.1663 -0.0023 -0.20%

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30-YR T-BONDS 5.23 -0.04 -0.8%

U.S. wants its booze back in Canada’s stores

as an American assault on the Premier Tony Wakeham. However, we should continue to do that.” But some leaders say see Canadian economy, won’t encour- the country’s two most populous reKinew attacked Trump at length, age consumers to end their per- gions, Ontario and Quebec, had yet saying: “You can’t get a good deal not to buy it to publicly conﬁrm their positions with a bad person.” sonal boycotts of U.S. goods.

BY THOMAS SEAL

Canada’s provincial governments control alcohol distribution, and most of them have blocked U.S. Prime Minister Mark Carney wine and spirits for more than has asked Canada’s provinces to a year in retaliation for Trump’s end their bans on the retail sale tariffs. For U.S. winemakers and of U.S. alcoholic beverages. It’s a distillers, it has been a disaster for necessary step in getting a trade export sales. The White House has deal with President Donald Trump demanded the booze go back on the shelves. across the ﬁnish line. All of Canada’s provincial leaders The response so far indicates he’s succeeding — but some provincial agreed to Carney’s request, accordpoliticians, still angry at what they ing to Newfoundland and Labrador

Bloomberg News (TNS)

by Thursday. Two premiers said a consumer boycott of U.S. alcohol might continue anyway. One of them explicitly encouraged it. “What I would say to Canadians is: leave it there,” Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said. “Let it sit on the shelf where the Liquor Mart employees will be putting it, and buy the Canadian stuff instead. We’ve done an amazing job sticking together in the face of Donald Trump’s tariff threats, and I think

But the Manitoba leader said Carney told premiers that any U.S. trade truce hinges on booze being returned. “I wouldn’t say that he was begging us — but what is the step before begging?” A survey by the Angus Reid Institute in July asked Canadians whether they would consider buying U.S. wine, beer and spirits if a trade agreement was reached; 40% said “definitely not” and another 19% said “probably not.”

U.S. reopens border for Mexican cattle imports to reduce beef costs

Screwworm concerns lessen but economists don’t expect prices to go down BY JOHN HANNA and SARAH RAZA Associated Press

The U.S. reopened a border crossing in Arizona to cattle from Mexico on Monday as part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to reduce record-high beef prices, though economists doubt the move will mean much to grocery store shoppers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has said concerns about the New World screwworm’s spread lessened enough to allow the movement of cattle from Mexico at a crossing in Douglas, Arizona, about 230 miles southeast of Phoenix. Over time, it hopes to reopen other crossings in New Mexico and Texas. “Today, the border in Sonora is open for livestock,” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said during a Monday morning news conference in Mexico City, referring to the Mexican state bordering Arizona. Beef prices clearly are a concern for President Donald Trump, who announced Friday that he would allow up to 331,000 tons of imported ground beef into the U.S., tariff-free, to be sold at below-market prices over the next 90 days. In February, the White House said closing the border to livestock imports from Mexico more than a year ago was “essential” to containing the screwworm but it has exacerbated a shortage of cattle for slaughter in the U.S. “The administration obviously has a lot of incentive to try to be able to say that they’re doing something about high beef prices in particular,” said Derrell Peel, a professor of agribusiness at Oklahoma State University. “Beef has been singled out because it is an expensive product and because it’s just high profile.” The Trump administration closed the border to cattle imports in May 2025 as part of its response to the screwworm, a parasite with flesh-eating larvae that can infest and even kill cattle or other animals. The move came as the U.S. already was struggling to meet beef demand, thanks to a cattle herd that has been shrinking for five years and now is the smallest in decades. Because the USDA plans a phased reopening of the border, it will take months for Mexican imports to return to their traditional levels, Peel said. Mexico has traditionally provided 1.1 million head, or about 3% of the U.S. cattle supply.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By FERNANDO LLANO

Cows are fenced in before being displayed at a cattle auction in Hermosillo, Sonora state, Mexico. “I don’t expect to see any measurable impact on cattle prices or beef prices soon,” Peel said. The USDA reported that on Jan. 1, the U.S. cattle herd had dropped to 86.2 million head, the lowest figure in 75 years. Beef prices skyrocketed over the past five years, rising significantly faster than food prices as a whole, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average price of a pound of ground beef rose nearly 57% from July 2021 to July 2026, from $4.39 to $6.89 — hitting a peak of $6.90 in May — with a 10% increase over the previous year. Food prices have risen about 25% overall in those five years, according to the bureau’s numbers. The price for a pound of uncooked steak rose 35% over the past five years, reaching a record $13.06 per pound in July, also 10% higher than a year before. But Glynn Tonsor, a professor of agricultural economics at Kansas State University, said the potential effect on beef prices from the smaller supply of cattle was lessened because the U.S. beef industry is more efficient and has been able to get more meat from each animal than in past years. U.S. government and industry officials view the New World screwworm fly as a major threat to the nation’s $113 billion cattle industry. It was an annual warm-weather scourge for U.S. ranchers from at least the

1930s through the 1960s, until the U.S. largely eradicated it. The fly was contained for years near the Panama Canal, but returned to southern Mexico in late 2024 and advanced toward the U.S., with the first case in Texas since 1966 reported June 3. Since then, more than 40 cases have been confirmed in southern Texas and southeastern New Mexico, with infestations of cattle, sheep, goats and dogs. In her July announcement of plans for a phased reopening of the border, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said it was possible to start with an Arizona crossing because the northern Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua had stronger animal health programs than other parts of Mexico. She also said each animal would be inspected and declared free of the parasite before crossing the border. U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman said the USDA is taking a “careful, science-based” approach to reopening the border and imposing strong animal health protocols. “This is an important step for America’s cattle producers, especially our feeders in the border states,” Boozman, an Arkansas Republican, said in a statement. “Restoring this long-standing trade is critical to strengthening our cattle supply and supporting a healthy, competitive beef industry.”

Buc-ee’s draws outcry in fight over a mini mart’s beaver logo Gas station giant accuses Ohio store of infringement BY JULIE CARR SMYTH Associated Press

BEAVERCREEK, Ohio — A lip-licking alligator, a smiling moose and a hat-wearing bear are among the many cartoon animals to have found themselves in the crosshairs of Buc-ee’s, the popular Texas convenience store chain that has a penchant for protecting its bucktoothed beaver. But now Buc-ee’s has set off a Buckeye backlash across Ohio and beyond after taking on a beaver in the city of Beavercreek. It’s yet another Buc-ee’s Ltd. trademark infringement lawsuit. Supporters of Beaver’s Mini Mart have attacked Buc-ee’s online and boycotted the stores, and the mini mart’s home city passed a resolution making the beaver an ofﬁcial

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JULIE CARR SMyTH

The Beaver’s Mini Mart mascot is the target of Buc-es, saying it closely resembling the chain’s branded ‘Bucky’ beaver.

part of its history. British comedian John Oliver has even weighed in on the kerfufﬂe. On an episode of “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” the comedian detailed Buc-ee’s aggressive history of trademark lawsuits targeting various woodland creatures and launched a website hawking

merchandise bearing a knockoff “Buc-off” logo and a squirrel mascot named Mr. Nutterbutter. On X, #boycottbucees trended. Buc-ee’s sued Beaver’s Mini Mart in late July, four months after the chain known for its extensive food offerings and massive restrooms opened its first Ohio store less than a half-hour’s drive away. Buc-ee’s argues the shop’s beaver logo too closely resembles the convenience store giant’s branded Buc-ee (“Bucky”) beaver. The Texas-based company asked for a jury trial in federal court in Ohio. Beaver’s Mini Mart occupies a long, low building with a shingle roof at a suburban intersection. In contrast, the new 74,000-squarefoot Buc-ee’s off Interstate 70 near Dayton has more than 100 gas pumps, 24 electric vehicle chargers and 700 parking spaces. A second Ohio store has been approved to open in 2028. While preparing to enter the state in February, Buc-ee’s sued

the northern Ohio holding company for Mickey Mart gas stations, arguing its Mickey the Moose logo could be confused with Bucee. (The company’s response: “A moose is not a beaver.”) The Buc-ee’s beaver logo features the face of a beaver with prominent buck teeth wearing a red ball cap against a yellow backdrop. The Beaver’s Mini Mart mascot is a full beaver, unclothed, waving and smiling against a white background. Customers have been critical of Buc-ee’s decision to target the much smaller store. “I love Buc-ee’s, but I don’t plan on going back until they start making better business decisions,” Austin Collins, 32, a project manager from Fairborn, said outside Beaver’s, where he was making his ﬁrst visit to protest the lawsuit. He called targeting a beavernamed business in Beavercreek “a little spiteful.” License plates from three states were visible in the parking lot.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Tuesday, August 25, 2026 ✦ 7A

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European leaders mark Ukraine’s Independence Day BY SAMYA KULLAB Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine — European leaders joined President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Monday to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence and boost its long-range missile program as Russia pressed on with its 4-year-old invasion of the country. One of President Vladimir Putin’s key goals in starting a war with Russia’s neighbor in February 2022 was to return Kyiv to Moscow’s orbit. Ukrainian lawmakers voted on Aug. 24, 1991, to proclaim the country’s independence, and a nationwide referendum later that year overwhelmingly approved it. With no significant changes on the front line for months and no apparent progress after more than a year of U.S.led peace efforts, both countries are locked in a spiral of escalating aerial attacks that are killing civilians and smashing infrastructure. U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham, on his first overseas trip since taking office last month, joined almost a dozen other European leaders, as well as other dignitaries in Kyiv on Monday. “For Ukraine, independence is not an abstract idea. We defended it against all odds,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on social media. “In times

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By EFREM LUKATSKy

Ukrainian and foreign officials attend a ceremony Monday marking Ukraine’s Independence Day in Kyiv, Ukraine. like these, nations learn how important it is to have allies by your side.” Burnham co-chaired a meeting of what’s been dubbed the Coalition of the Willing — a group of over two dozen countries helping Ukraine resist Russia’s onslaught. Burnham said he is pushing British industry to help a Ukrainian project that is working on a low-cost alternative to the U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems that are desperately needed but are in short supply. He urged other countries to en-

courage Washington to adopt stiffer sanctions on Russia and press Moscow to accept U.S. attempts to secure an unconditional ceaseﬁre. Zelenskyy said in a speech at Kyiv’s St. Sophia Square that the presence of European leaders reﬂected continental fears about Russia’s wider ambitions. “We all understand that in this Russian war against us — against Ukraine — far more is being decided than the future of Ukraine and Eastern Europe,” he said. “No nation in a war like this could rely solely on its

own weapons,” Zelenskyy said. “No nation could withstand attacks of such intensity without the world’s help.” The leaders brought pledges of further military and ﬁnancial support. Burnham announced his government has agreed to allow defense company MBDA to release classiﬁed information relating to British components used in the SCALP long-range missile. That paves the way for France and Ukraine to advance plans for the weapon’s production in Ukraine.

SCALP is the French version of the U.K.’s Storm Shadow missile, with both systems incorporating shared technology. “Ukraine has been Europe’s protector, not a drain on our security, but the front line of keeping Europe safe,” Burnham said, adding that Kyiv and its partners “must keep up the pressure on Moscow.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin views the plan “extremely negatively.” He accused the U.K. of “taking part in this war” on Kyiv’s side. Ukraine has leaned heavily on NATO countries for help fighting Russia’s bigger army, although relations with the United States have been cooler under President Donald Trump. Russia, meanwhile, is getting help from North Korea and China. Ukraine’s swift development of innovative drone technology has enabled it to blunt Moscow’s battleﬁeld progress as well as hit targets deep inside Russia, as far as 1,200 miles from their border. The speeches in St. Sophia Square were accompanied by a parade of domestically produced weapons. Both Russia and Ukraine are trying through longrange strikes to inﬂict economic pain, disrupt military supplies and erode public

morale. Ukraine’s long-range drones have repeatedly hit facilities in Russia’s vital oil industry, causing fuel shortages, and have also engaged in a campaign against Russia’s largest online retailer, Wildberries. But foreign suppliers also have to take into account their own needs, weapon production levels and the depth of stockpiles. As the air war has intensiﬁed, Ukraine’s stocks of Patriot interceptors to counter Russia’s ballistic missiles have dwindled. Kyiv urgently needs more interceptors before winter, when Russia routinely bombards its power grid, but the demands of the Iran war and slow output of the sophisticated interceptors have left Ukraine short and vulnerable. Finnish President Alexander Stubb said he believed that striking Russian targets like Wildberries was a “sensible military strategy” that would hasten peace negotiations. Three teenagers were killed and six children were wounded in the southern Russian city of Krasnodar, Russia’s children’s rights ombudswoman Maria Lvova-Belova said, as Ukraine attacked several warehouses of Ozon, another online retailer, for the third straight day, according to officials and the company.

Psychologist: Woman didn’t have Gang coalition unleashes attack psychosis when she killed her kids on farming community in Haiti BY MICHAEL CASEY

BY PIERRE-RICHARD LUXAMA and EVENS SANON

Associated Press

Lindsay Clancy did not have acute psychosis when she killed her three children but rather took their lives so they wouldn’t “suffer” after she took her own life, a forensic psychologist testiﬁed Monday in her murder trial. Kirk Heilbrun said he ruled out acute psychosis with command hallucinations because he didn’t believe Clancy when she said she heard a voice telling her to “kill the children so you can kill yourself.” “The way she described this as happening is that she heard a voice that she’d never heard before, experienced a hallucination and she’s never experienced it since. But she only experienced it for the 18 minutes or so that it took to kill the children,” Heilbrun testiﬁed. “To put it mildly, that would be a very, very unusual pattern or manifestation of how this kind of thing comes about. Very unusual.” A key issue at trial is Clancy’s mental health. Defense attorney Kevin Reddington does not dispute that Clancy killed the children in January 2023 but says she shouldn’t be held criminally responsible because she had postpartum psychosis, a rare mental illness linked to the stress, sleep deprivation and hormonal changes that follow childbirth. After killing her children, Clancy jumped from a second-floor window and remains paralyzed from the waist down. Heilbrun testified that he concluded that Clancy killed her children because she wanted to kill herself but didn’t want to leave them behind.

Associated Press

PATRIOT LEDGER PHOTO By GREG DERR

Defendant Lindsay Clancy talks with her lawyer Kevin Reddington on Monday during her murder trial at Plymouth Superior Court in Plymouth, Mass. “One of the things that she said when I asked about what happened, is that in the course of strangling each child, she said, ‘Go to God, baby. Go to God,’ ” he said. “That was part of her expectation that she and the children would be together in heaven with God.” Heilbrun also mentioned Clancy’s Catholic faith, prompting a request for a mistrial from Reddington that Judge William Sullivan denied. He later instructed the jury to disregard the reference to “the religion that the defendant was raised with,” calling it “an absolutely inappropriate area of testimony.” Heilbrun is the latest prosecution witness to say that while Clancy was mentally ill, she still knew that what she was doing was wrong. On Friday, Dr. Avram Mack, a forensic psychiatrist, testiﬁed that he found no evidence of mania or hypomania to support a bipolar diagnosis — or of psychosis — leading up to the killings. He said Clancy was experiencing severe mental illness

when she killed her children but that it was a continuation of the depression she had experienced for months in which she was able to control impulses and distinguish right from wrong. However, Heilbrun said he did determine Clancy has bipolar 2 disorder, while saying it was difﬁcult to diagnose at least in part “because of all the diagnoses in the records and all the symptoms that she experienced.” People with bipolar 2 disorder experience cycles of depression and hypomania, which is less intense than the mania experienced with bipolar 1 disorder. Earlier in the trial, the jury heard that Clancy had sought treatment for mental health problems from multiple providers and even had admitted herself to a psychiatric hospital. Prosecutors say the former labor and delivery nurse planned the killings and contrived to get her husband out of the house by sending him to pick up medicine for one of their children and dinner for the family.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — A powerful gang coalition attacked a once peaceful farming community nestled in the hills above Haiti’s capital, killing multiple people, an official told The Associated Press on Monday. Kenscoff Mayor Jean Massillon said armed men raided the community late Sunday, setting fire to homes and killing residents. “It is still impossible to establish a definitive death toll due to access difficulties and communication problems,” he said. Wails filled the air in Kenscoff as survivors found the bodies of friends and family strewn on the streets early Monday. “They killed my son!” one woman kept yelling as people nearby tried to comfort her. One man flung himself on the side of the road, head on his right arm as he cried on the ground. Nearby, people picked up the bodies of those killed, some wrapped in blood-spattered sheets. Robert Jean recalled how he heard shooting before dawn and tried to rustle people from their sleep to escape being killed. He said he was frantically looking for his brother, who was killed: “I was calling to see

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ODELyN JOSEPH

Women cry at the site where their relatives were killed in a gang attack on Monday in the Kenscoff neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. if everyone was safe. I could not ﬁnd my brother.” Another Kenscoff resident blamed the government for the killings. “If only we had a good police force that would have placed an armored truck here, what happened here would have been prevented,” said Verti Enold-Saint as he lifted a sheet over the body of his brother-in-law. Farmer Mathurin Pierre, 41, told AP that he lost 14 loved ones and that an unknown number remain missing. Massillon blamed the attack on members of Viv Ansanm, which the U.S. government designated as a foreign terrorist organization last year. “They sowed chaos,” Mas-

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2 children among 4 killed in Gaza BY WAFAA SHURAFA and SALLY ABOU ALJOUD Associated Press

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Palestinian residents of warbattered Gaza fled homes and businesses as Israeli strikes and tank ﬁre killed at least four people Monday, including two children, hospital officials said, a week after a U.S. delegation asked Israel to draw down attacks. After evacuation warnings by Israel’s military, a strike hit a building in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza. One family was unable to ﬂee and a 4-year-old

child was killed, according to Awda Hospital, where he was taken. His mother and sister were wounded. There was no Israeli military comment. Israeli strikes hit three other buildings across the territory after residents said they received evacuation warnings. Some people sprinted away, with mothers carrying children, while others moved amid the rubble in wheelchairs or with canes. Smoke rose over the already devastated landscape. Israel’s military said it carried out strikes in the

Shati refugee camp in Gaza City and in Deir al-Balah after issuing warnings, targeting what it described as two Hamas weapons storage facilities inside mosques. The military did not provide evidence but said the facilities contained dozens of “Kalashnikov rifles, magazines and additional military equipment.” An earlier Israeli strike on a tent in Deir al-Balah killed a man, according to Al-Aqsa Hospital, where his body was taken. Israel’s military said it killed a militant afﬁliated with Hamas’ special forces unit.

sillon said. He said gang members targeted a church and homes including those owned by Dr. Jean “Bill” Pape. He is a renowned doctor who runs a nongovernmental organization in Haiti that helps patients including those with HIV and tuberculosis. No further details about the attack were available. A spokesperson for the U.N.backed gang suppression force did not immediately return a message seeking comment. Haiti’s government issued a statement condemning what it called a heinous criminal attack. “Reinforcements are being deployed,” it said. “Kenscoff will not be abandoned.”

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LCMC Health expands cancer services Bone marrow transplant clinic added BY GRACE MAYER

Staff writer

LCMC Health has doubled the capacity of its cancer center at University Medical Center New Orleans with a $2 million expansion that makes specialty medicines and clinical trials available to a growing number of patients,

many of whom currently have to travel out of state to receive these types of treatments. The expansion, which doubles the size of the health system’s cancer center space at UMC, adds more staff and a new bone marrow transplant clinic to the facility and will enable LCMC to treat more patients. The center saw nearly

13,676 patients for clinic visits in 2025, a number that is projected to grow by nearly 8% this year with the expansion. Infusion visits are Feirn projected to climb by about 5% by the end of the year, the hospital said. It also positions LCMC to better compete against Ochsner Health,

the state’s largest health system, whose cancer services and clinical trial offerings have been bolstered by a partnership with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center since 2023. “Cancer is one of the largest areas of healthcare opportunity that I see in the Gulf South. We want patients to seek care here and not have to leave the state,” LCMC Health CEO Greg Feirn said. “With this expansion, we’re investing

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in expertise, research and infrastructure so our community can stay here for healthcare.” While LCMC’s eight hospitals in the New Orleans offer various cancer treatment services, the bone marrow transplant clinic at UMC — which sees patients with certain advanced or more rare types of cancer — will be a referral destination for many patients

ä See CLINIC, page 2B

Hughes’ defamation trial continues Former editor, writer take stand

BY DAVID J. MITCHELL Staff writer

A retired editor and a former editorial writer for The Advocate both took the witness stand Monday to defend the accuracy of a 2019 opinion piece criticizing Louisiana Supreme Court Justice Jefferson Hughes III’s handling of a child custody case. Their testimony came on the ﬁnal day of testimony in the trial of a defamation lawsuit Hughes ﬁled against the newspaper over the editorial. The case was set to go to closing arguments Monday night. Hughes is seeking $10 million, claiming he was libeled by the editorial, which ran two days after an investigative news story into his alleged ethical lapses as a Livingston Parish judge in the custody case more than two decades ago. The editorial, in its headline, asserted Hughes had made a “mockery of justice.” Danny Heitman, a former member of the paper’s editorial board, wrote the unsigned editorial for the “Our Views” section of the paper’s Opinion page. He told jurors he based the editorial on the reporting from the frontpage investigative story and stood by its accuracy and opinion-based conclusions. Under questioning from Scott Sternberg, an attorney for The Advocate, Heitman disputed the idea that he or other members of the board had an agenda against Hughes. Heitman told the Iberville Parish jury that he

ä See TRIAL, page 6B

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Jude Plaisance, 6, gets soaked as he rides backward on the bicycle his father, Scott, pedals through wet streets during an afternoon downpour in New Orleans on Monday. Jude had refused to wear his raincoat, convinced the storm wouldn’t amount to much. About midway home, Scott told him, ‘Don’t worry, we’ll get you home fast and dry you off as soon as we get there.’ The two make the ride from their Broadmoor neighborhood to school in the French Quarter every day rain or shine.

La. appeals court hears arguments from ousted candidate BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer

NEW ORLEANS CITY COUNCIL

Single bill for ‘community solar’ approved Entergy to issue consolidated bills by March 31

BY VIOLET BUCARO and JONI HESS Staff writers

Entergy New Orleans customers who support solar initiatives will soon see a single electricity bill under rules the City Council approved Thursday that were years in the making. Entergy has until March 31 to issue consolidated bills for “community solar” customers, those who don’t have panels on their properties but support off-site solar projects. Those customers subscribe to a solar

project by paying an extra fee. The solar facility produces power that is then credited to those customers’ electricity bills. The electricity bill savings are supposed to outweigh the cost of participating in the program. But under the city’s current setup, participants would receive two bills: One from the solar farm, and another from Entergy. That structure makes it too hard for customers to tell if they are actually achieving savings, critics said. The rules passed unanimously on Thursday will require Entergy to deliver one bill with the credit applied, so customers can clearly see the savings. Between 6,000 and 7,800 customers will beneﬁt, ofﬁcials have said.

“The resolution strengthens annual reporting requirements and safeguards to protect nonparticipating ratepayers from unnecessary bill impacts,” said council member Aimee McCarron in a statement. “And, as discussed previously in committee, this establishes net-credit consolidated billing as the billing mechanism for the community solar program.” The new rules also aim to lower administrative fees and protect nonparticipating Entergy customers from rate increases. An Entergy spokesperson said the utility will enact the new requirements. “Entergy New Orleans will continue to engage collaboratively with all parties as

ä See POWER, page 2B

A New Orleans attorney who was recently barred from running for a civil court judgeship argued Monday that he wasn’t required to file his state income tax for 2023 and should be allowed to run because he “paid the balance.” Edward Washington III filed qualified papers this month to challenge Civil District Judge Jennifer Medley in the Nov. 3 municipal primary. Washington’s candidacy hit a snag last week when DisWashington trict Judge Monique Barial disqualified him after the state found no record that he filed state taxes for 2023 or 2024. Candidates for elected office in Louisiana

ä See CANDIDATE, page 2B

Jan Risher is on vacation. Her column will return next week.

2B ✦ Tuesday, August 25, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

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Grand jury indicts 5 suspects in 2023 killing

the 1200 block of Gaudet Drive in cases. In 2025, an anonymous tipRemains found in Marrero backyard in April after anonymous tip inMarrero where Dustin Billot, Beas- ster reached out to Crimestoppers

BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer

A Jefferson Parish grand jury on Thursday handed up an indictment charging ﬁve people in connection with the death and dismemberment of a man whose severed head and hands were discovered buried in the backyard of a Marrero home in April, almost three years after he disappeared without a trace. Authorities allege the suspects either killed 37-year-old Eddie Tillman Jr., took part in the effort to conceal the father of four’s death or were aware of his demise and did nothing to report the matter to law enforcement.

Dustin Billot, 33, and Jessica Parks, 37, both of Westwego, and Terrence Johnson, 45, of Harvey, were charged with second-degree murder. Billot and another defendant, John Lopez, 46, of Marrero, were charged with the unlawful disposal of Tillman’s remains. And Billot, Parks, Lopez and Billot’s sister Christina Beasley, 46, of Westwego, were charged with obstruction of justice. All five pleaded not guilty on Monday. A sixth suspect, Kelly Barrios, 40, of Ponchatoula, pleaded not guilty June 9 to obstruction of justice and failure to report the commission of a homicide.

Tillman disappeared on the night of Aug. 16, 2023, after having dinner at his mother’s home in Bridge City. Relatives said he left the house after receiving a frantic phone call from Parks, a friend, who said she needed help. Tillman was never seen again, and his red 2001 Chevrolet Silverado truck has never been recovered. Witnesses would later tell Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Ofﬁce investigators that Parks and Johnson beat Tillman before forcing him into his own truck, Detective Christopher Bodet testiﬁed during a court hearing earlier this year. The pair then drove him to a home

ley and Barrios lived, according to authorities. Tillman, bloody, bound and blindfolded, was dragged into the residence and put into a backroom, according to Bodet. Investigators have not determined exactly how Tillman was killed, though they allege his body was dismembered and placed in an ice chest before his hands and head were buried in the backyard on Gaudet Drive. Tillman’s family reported him missing in August 2023, but the case seemed to go nowhere, they’ve said. Billot and Lopez allegedly spoke openly over the years to other witnesses about Tillman’s death, appearing to brag about it in some

and revealed that Tillman’s body was buried at the Gaudet Drive home. The tipster identiﬁed Billot and Lopez as Tillman’s killers, according to authorities. Based on the tip and further investigation, detectives began searching the backyard in April and recovered Tillman’s skull and hands. Authorities don’t know what became of the rest of his remains. All six suspects were being held Monday at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna on bail amounts ranging from $125,000 to $1 million. Email Michelle Hunter at mhunter@theadvocate.com.

Seventh suspect in fatal St. Claude shootout arrested in Houston U.S. Marshals apprehend fugitive in murder of Marine vet

Byron “BB” Dubose, 24, was apprehended in Houston by U.S. Marshals and Harris County law enforcement, the New Orleans Police Department confirmed Monday morning. Dubose was arrested as an out-of-state fugitive on counts BY MISSY WILKINSON of second-degree murder, being a Staff writer felon in possession of a firearm and A seventh suspect has been ar- obstruction of justice. He awaits rested in connection with the mur- extradition to New Orleans. Authorities apprehended Dubose der of Marine Corps veteran and father Michael Garcia, 41, who in the 9000 block of South Braeswas killed in crossfire in St. Claude wood Boulevard, Harris County during an alleged multigeneration- Constable Terry Allbritton said last Tuesday. al drug feud in April.

CANDIDATE

Continued from page 1B must check a box stating they’ve filed their taxes for the last five years, requested an extension or were not required to do so. Washington argued Monday before the 4th Circuit Court of Appeal that he didn’t owe a balance for those years after paying off $678 in back taxes for 2023 before qualifying. “No further action was necessary,” he told the panel of judges. Washington said Monday that

he inquired about his tax debts, and the Louisiana Department of Revenue responded with a June 15 email that said he owed an estimated $678 for 2023 with no other balance due. The notice said Washington could file a return to reverse it or pay the assessment, which included penalties, interest and fees based on his federal taxes. “It was either or. I didn’t have to file and pay that balance,” Washington argued. “I paid it down to zero and that extinguished the matter.” Judge Paula Brown demurred. “Balances, yes. But it did not say you didn’t have to file,” she said.

NOPD identiﬁed Dubose as the last of seven wanted suspects earlier this year, and the department circulated his photo on April 30. Homicide detectives believe the gunﬁre that killed Garcia was sparked by a drug debt that led to a confrontation at a St. Claude barbecue on April 7. Those previously arrested include Terrence Leavell, 49, and his nephew Alshawn “Osama” Watts, 21; Bennalynn Ingram, 39, and her daughter Mi’janae Ingram, 20; Joshua “Money” Emery, 33; and Caron “Rondo” Fortenberry, 25. Fortenberry allegedly ambushed

Watts at the barbecue because he believed Watts had shorted him on a 10-gram baggie of marijuana. Watts ﬂed in his vehicle. The rest of the group went after him, putting on masks and hopping into Bennalynn Ingram’s car, according to officials. They chased Watts to the intersection of Desire Street and North Claiborne Avenue. The ensuing gun battle ended with at least 60 shell casings from four firearms scattered in the street. One bullet struck Garcia in the head, and he died at a hospital within an hour.

An Orleans Parish grand jury indicted Dubose and four co-defendants in June on counts of seconddegree murder and obstruction of justice. Leavell and Watts were the only two of the seven wanted suspects who were not indicted. Leavell was jailed on a parole violation, and Watts was booked on two drug possession counts. Orleans Parish Criminal District Court Judge Kimya Holmes on June 9 set seven-ﬁgure bonds for Fortenberry and Bennalynn and Mi’janae Ingram, and ordered Emery held without bail.

Washington claimed it shows his state of mind at the time he ﬁlled out the qualifying form, arguing he didn’t “falsely certify.” He hopes to challenge Civil District Judge Jennifer Medley, who faces no other rival as she seeks a second term over Division F of the civil court. Washington was one of three New Orleans candidates who have been disqualified from fall elections after a slate of challenges last week over tax ﬁlings. Mark Lawes was barred from challenging longtime Constable Lambert Boissiere Jr. and has not appealed.

Magistrate Judge Juana Marine Lombard was brieﬂy stopped from seeking reelection over a missed tax filing in 2023. Lombard convinced the appeals court to reinstate her candidacy. Chanel Debose, Lombard’s lone challenger, asked the Louisiana Supreme Court on Monday to review the matter. Lombard used emails and text messages with her longtime accountant and copies of tax documents to claim she had good reason to believe she’d ﬁled. The appeals court voted unanimously in her favor. Attorneys for Darryl Person, the

New Orleans voter who challenged Washington’s candidacy, contrasted his defense with the “cumulative and objective” evidence Lombard used. Gabrielle Wilson argued that Washington, a veteran attorney, should have known better than to rely solely on what she called “informal guidance” from the Department of Revenue. “It’s not reasonable for him to hang his hat on that alone,” Wilson said. “Remittance of taxes and ﬁling of taxes is not the same thing.” Louisiana law calls for the appeals court to rule by noon Tuesday. The election is Nov. 3.

CLINIC

Continued from page 1B

STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Sister Judith Therese Barial walks through the site where the Sisters of the Holy Family and Together New Orleans are developing a 22-acre community solar farm on the congregation’s motherhouse property in New Orleans East on July 21.

POWER

Continued from page 1B we work to implement the Council’s community solar program with the consolidated billing requirements adopted today within the time frames required by the resolution,” Beau Tidwell said in a statement. The move follows a yearslong back and forth between the city, Entergy and advocacy groups over whether the existing structure, with two sets of bills and little info about reduced costs, is in the best interest of the public. Entergy officials argued that changing the program would result in higher costs for nonparticipating customers. Entergy officials also argued that they could not enact the program without major updates to their billing system that could cost up to $1.5 million, according to a June letter officials sent to the council. It would also take at least eight months to fully carry out, they said. But advocacy groups such as Together New Orleans said the new system’s benefits outweighed those concerns. The council, which regulates Entergy New Orleans with the help of a team of consultants and a small in-house

office, agreed. The city’s first-of-its kind Community Solar for All program, adopted in 2018, caused New Orleans to join a growing contingent of cities and states who were using similar programs. The programs reduce energy costs and benefit the city at large by lowering demand on the grid, reducing rolling blackouts and decreasing reliance on fossil fuel sources. They also allow people to tap into solar power without needing to install rooftop panels. When subscribed to a community solar program, the property owner also owns a share of the project, and in exchange, can get credit on their energy bills. The first of the proposed community solar projects, a 22-acre solar farm in New Orleans East run by Sisters of the Holy Family and Together New Orleans, is under construction. An expected completion date has not been determined. The planned community solar pipeline in New Orleans includes 60 megawatts of solar capacity, which equates to solar energy support for roughly 6,000-7,800 homes. If all projects are completed, the energy produced would translate to roughly half of the energy output of the New Orleans East Power Plant.

The city’s slow setup of the consolidated bill structure has frustrated residents and program advocates who say the program would be a service to residents struggling with high electricity bills but who can’t install solar panels of their own. “The idea that it would take eight more months to implement consolidated billing, I think, is absurd. And I think it could be done in a weekend if not a month,” resident Daniel Weill said at a June City Council meeting on the proposal. Resident Debra Salbador said the current structure has been confusing and inconvenient for low- and-moderate-income households, as they must pay two different bills that go out on different days from two different entities each month. “Dual billing adds a burden for the very folks targeted for this plan,” she said. “Consolidated billing is essential to the success of this program.” “To continue to push a delay is causing a ﬁnancial burden on your residents, on the residents who elected you to take care of them,” the Rev. Barrington Gidney added. Entergy will have to submit an implementation plan in September and provide monthly status reports thereafter.

from throughout the system. Feirn said the expansion could help play a role in the yearslong effort of several partner hospitals locally to secure a National Cancer Institute designation, which would bring added research dollars, patients and jobs to the state. The partnership led by LSU Health New Orleans and includes LCMC, Tulane University, Ochsner, Xavier University and Louisiana Cancer Research Center. The investments are important for residents in a state that faces some of the worst health outcomes and highest cancer rates in the country. They come as cancer rates throughout the country are on the rise, particularly among younger demographics, experts say.

‘More profitable’

state with their families.” These services, which often come with high reimbursements from health insurers, are also often more profitable for hospital systems, Kaufman said. “When you look at a hospital and its infrastructure, and you need to support it, you want to find a service that’s going to be needed in the community and the future, and generally speaking, a lot of the cancer services tend to be relatively proﬁtable,” he said.

Expanded services The expanded UMC cancer facility includes 10 exam rooms for its Bone Marrow Transplant clinic, a new offering that will also bring cell therapy and more clinical trials to patients in the area. Patients will also have easier access to rare drugs in early development. Last year, the clinic had 64 clinical trials, with around 300 patients enrolled in them, said Dr. Lucio Miele, director of the LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center. Placing the bone marrow clinic and expanded cancer services in one, larger location makes it easier for patients as they navigate care, Miele said. LCMC has additional cancer services scattered across its other hospital locations, including various cancer pediatric specialties housed at Manning Family Children’s Hospital and East Jefferson Hospital’s Cancer Center, which specializes in prostate cancer and other rare forms of cancer. The UMC cancer center is in the process of hiring 21 new physicians and advance practice providers to their staff, as well as new patient navigators, nurse practitioners and ﬁnancial advisers, who help cancer patients navigate their cancer treatments. Funding for the expansion included $2 million in federal funds from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration.

LCMC’s recent investments come a little more than three years after Ochsner Health announced a 10-year partnership with MD Anderson, a move that gave its patients access to more clinical trials and additional cancer expertise. That partnership also bolstered Ochsner’s bone marrow transplant and cellular therapy program. Ochsner has signiﬁcantly invested in building out its cancer services over the years. The MD Anderson partnership followed about two years after Ochsner invested in building a $50 million cancer center in Covington. In 2020, the health system also spent $56 million to double the size of the Gayle and Tom Benson Cancer Center, located on its main campus. Ochsner’s and LCMC’s investments in cancer care reﬂect the booming business these services pose for health systems. Nathan Kaufman, a healthcare industry expert with familiarity in the Louisiana market and based Email Grace Mayer at grace. in San Diego, said LCMC’s Bone mayer@theadvocate.com. Marrow Transplant Clinic could help differentiate the system, LOTTERY making it easier to keep patients in the market for treatment and to SUNDAY, AUG. 23, 2026 recruit physicians. PICK 3: 7-4-2 “Bone marrow transplants are PICK 4: 6-7-2-0 high revenue services because PICK 5: 8-2-5-0-8 patients have a six-week hospital stay, and they’re also critical Unofficial notification, care,” Kaufman said. “If you don’t keep your tickets. have it, patients have to go out of

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New Orleans Area Deaths Cavataio, Sr., Robert Eskridge, Jr., Donald Johnson, Yvonne Wright, Michael

Interment will be Greenwood Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM followed by burial at Greenwood Cemetery, 5190 Canal Blvd. New Orleans, LA. 70124

Eskridge, Jr., Donald

Obituaries

Johnson, Yvonne

Cavataio, Sr., Robert Charles

Robert Charles Cavataio, Sr., passed away on August 20, 2026, at the age of 88. Born on August 30, 1937, to his parents, the late Dorothy and Frank Cavataio. Robert is the father of Robert, Jr., Tony, and Angie, brother of Patrice (Al), Michael, the late Russell (Betty) and Cuccie. He is also survived by his companion of fifteen plus years, Diane, four grandchildren, eight great grandchildren, and nine nieces and nephews. Robert was an Equipment Operator at Colonial Molasses Company for 43 years. Being from New Orleans, it was no denying that he enjoyed listening to music. Robert loved riding his bike and walking to meet his friends for breakfast. Family and friends are invited to attend the visitation at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, August 28, 2026, at Greenwood Funeral Home, 5200 Canal Blvd. New Orleans, LA, followed by Funeral Mass at 1:00 p.m.

Donald Aden Eskridge, Jr.born on October 17, 1947, in New Orleans, Louisiana, and passed away on August 14, 2026, in Metairie, Louisiana. Donald was the beloved husband of Shirley B. Eskridge, to whom he was married for 56 years. He was the loving father of Kristina Eskridge Loving father to Kristina, Michael and Jeffrey Eskridge and his wife Candice. He was a proud grandfather to Ashley(Cody), Katelyn(Jacob),PJ(Destiny) and Sky. Great-grandfather to Grayson, Jackson, Oaklyn, and Barrett. Also survived by many nieces and nephews. Donald was the son of the late Donald A. Eskridge, Sr. and Alma O'Dowd Eskridge. He was the brother of Katherine "Kitty" Crawford (late Jack). Donald served his country as an MP in the United States Army while stationed in Germany. Following his military service, he worked for the NOPD. He later worked as an Electrical Engineer for WDSU, where he eventually retired after years of dedicated service. Relatives and friends are invited to attend Donald's Visitation on Friday, August 21, 2026 at Garden of Memories Funeral Home, 4900 Airline Drive, Metairie, LA. 70001.

Yvonne Johnson passed away on August 7, 2026, at the age of 85. Yvonne is survived by her five children: Aaron, Terresita, and Terrance McGee, Glenda Moore, and James Johnson, 17 grandchildren: Tomanica, Justin, Arieuna, Kimberly and Aaron McGee Jr., Anthony, Tyrone Williams, Terriana Williams, Christopher Courtney, Bria, Desiree', LaJuana and Gabriel Moore, James Washington, James Johnson Jr., Terrance, Theron Bart and a host of great grandchildren, nieces, nephews,

great nieces, great nephews, and other relatives and many friends. Preceded in death by her husband, Mr. Walter C. McGee, parents, Mrs. Victoria Mackie and Mr. Junious Johnson, three of her children: Carlos McGee, Tamara McCants, one infant daughter, one sister; Doretha Johnson, two brothers; Joseph Johnson, and Leavell Mackie, Jr., along with other relatives. Family and friends are invited to attend the Celebration of Life Service on Thursday, August 27, 2026, for 10:00 a.m. at The Boyd Family Funeral Home, 5001 Chef Mentuer Hwy., New Orleans, LA 70126. Visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m. Pastor Bennie Scott, officiating. Interment will follow at Providence Memorial Park, 8200 Airline Drive, Metairie, LA. Guestbook Online: www.anewtraditionbegins .com (504)282-0600. Linear Brooks Boyd and Donavin D. Boyd Owners/Funeral Directors.

IN LOVING MEMORY OF Catherine Buggage Aug 25, 2021

Wright, Michael Eugene

Michael Eugene Wright was born on March 18, 1949, in New Orleans, Louisiana, to the union of Richard Ulysses Wright, Jr. and Dottie Mae Morris Wright. On August 11, 2026, Michael peacefully earned his heavenly wings and entered into eternal rest. Michael received his education through the Orleans Parish School System and proudly graduated from Joseph S. Clark High School with the Class of 1967. After an impressive 41 years of service, Michael retired from the United States Postal Service in September 2014 due to illness. Throughout his career, he was also a dedicated member of the National Association of Letter Carriers, Branch 124, where he proudly served as Shop Steward until his retirement. He is survived by his loving and devoted wife, Elsie, his sons, Brandon and Christopher, brothers, Shelby Morris, Sr.

and Burnell Wright, sisters, Rosanna Davis and Carla Morris, Aunt, Marian Moore, Brother-in-Laws, Duncan and John (Kiesha) Cobb, Sister-in-Laws, Nancy (Phillip) St. Cyr and Mary (Floyd) Marshall. He also leaves to mourn his two Godchildren, Randy Wright, Jr. and Ryan Moret, and a host of other nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. A visitation will be held from 9:00 AM to 10:15 AM on 2026-08-26 at All Saints Catholic Church, 1441 Teche St.. A mass of christian burial will be held from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM on August 26, 2026 at All Saints Catholic Church, 1441 Teche St.

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OPINION N O L A.C O M/opinions

Amtrak’s Mardi Gras service’s success boosts region When Amtrak’s Mardi Gras line between Mobile and New Orleans opened to the public on Aug. 18, 2025, the train service carried lots of hope while raising a number of questions. When it celebrated its first anniversary last Tuesday, most of the hopes had been more than realized, while the many smaller questions have been replaced with just a single, bigger main concern. The concern is about safety. Just about everything else about the train has been a roaring success. The Mardi Gras line has experienced eight crashes in just a year, five of them deadly, with a total of seven people killed and about a dozen train passengers or employees injured. While there is little Amtrak can do about motorists and pedestrians unsafely crossing or walking along the tracks, and while this line’s conductors already blow their warning horns loudly and often, it is a good thing that the Southern Rail Commission plans to use part of a federal grant to study rail-crossing safety. It also is heartening that the Mississippi Department of Transportation is leveling rail crossings and is working to add gates where they are missing, even though several of the victims of train accidents drove around existing gates. We also hope local police or sheriffs will aggressively penalize drivers who ignore road signs and crossing arms. Meanwhile, the good news is abundant. Official original projections were for 70,000 riders in the first year, which would have been considered a clear success. Instead, the number of riders crossed the 150,000 mark before the first anniversary. Amtrak also takes customer surveys, and company spokesman Marc Magliari said the surveys for the Mardi Gras Service show the single highest level of rider satisfaction of any line among all 46 states and 2 Canadian provinces where Amtrak operates. He said the Mobileto-New-Orleans line also sells more coffee than any other Amtrak operation, and he credits the decision to use locally made Community coffee. It is no wonder that satisfaction is high: The train cars are bright and clean, the scenery along the coast is terrific, and the convenience of access to and at the stations is notable. Our news pages also report that Mobile, New Orleans and Mississippi coastal towns are all seeing economic and cultural benefits from the Mardi Gras line, some of them measurable, some anecdotal. And that’s even before Mobile opens a new 10,000-seat arena as an even bigger attraction for coastal travel, and before Mississippi towns have finished adding restaurants and other enhancements around their depots. All of which suggests, by the way, that it would make sense at least to analyze options for extending the service eastward to Pensacola and westward to Baton Rouge. With so much to celebrate so far, the more, the merrier.

Too much power in the hands of one party? It’s time to vote. The control of both the executive and legislative branches by the current Republican administration and Congress has accelerated a deeply concerning decline in our nation’s foundational systems and global standing. The relentless focus on deregulating major industries has dismantled decades of critical environmental protections, accelerating habitat destruction and leaving public health vulnerable to industrial pollution. Economic policies favoring tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy have worsened wealth inequality, putting an unsustainable ﬁnancial strain on the middle and working classes while ballooning our national debt. The administration’s isolationist foreign policy and erratic approach to international diplomacy have severely damaged our relationships with our global allies. By retreating from international agreements, this administration has created a dangerous leadership

vacuum on the world stage, allowing adversaries to expand their inﬂuence unchecked. We urgently need a return to balanced governance that prioritizes long-term economic equity, environmental stewardship and responsible global leadership. Let’s choose leaders who will defend our democracy and build a country that works for all of us, not just a few. Let’s choose leaders who listen, who serve with integrity and who will ﬁght for the issues that matter: affordable healthcare, good jobs, strong public schools, climate action and protecting our fundamental rights. I encourage everyone to vote Democratic in this year’s elections. Let’s move our country forward with hope, with unity and with a commitment for justice and opportunity for all. Our future is in our hands. Let’s make it a brighter one, together.

BECKY CONNERS Baton Rouge

Why is SpaceX exempt from taxes and liability? The Louisiana Legislature passed a package of bills easing regulations on Elon Musk’s SpaceX spaceport, exempting the company from sales and property tax, public records disclosure and liability for damage to nearby homes and businesses. What? And what about Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta Hyperion data center in North Louisiana? Will he also be exempt? In an effort to bring big business and jobs to the state, our Legislature

is once again willing to allow these companies to take whatever they want from our soil, our coast, our homes and our health for their economic gain. What happens when these companies create problems that they are exempt from ﬁxing? Haven’t we sued the oil companies for their disregard of the issues and problems they’ve created? Will we never learn?

SHARON LACOUR Lafayette

Amazon’s drones create a noisy nuisance overhead

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When the Amazon Fulfillment Center at Cortana Mall in Baton Rouge opened to much excitement, I did not foresee that I would be living next to an airport. My property appears to be under an Amazon Prime Air “flyway,” with drones buzzing overhead all day, some as early as 7:30 a.m. Those who are receiving packages delivered by drone may delight in the novelty and convenience. They may not realize how many other people may be inconvenienced by the constant drone traffic over their private property.

The Federal Aviation Administration is being asked to allow up to 1,000 Amazon drone flights a day in Baton Rouge. This creates unacceptable noise overhead as drones fly to delivery and back. Drones also may bring up privacy issues with outfitted cameras, and it’s possible they may trigger anxiety for military veterans who have known drone warfare. For myself, I can no longer enjoy the peace and quiet of my front and back yard in the mornings without persistent drone interference.

KAY RADLAUER Baton Rouge

N.O. ended veteran homelessness, but progress is threatened As a retired member of our military and a New Orleans resident, I learned a simple lesson: When a mission is succeeding, you reinforce it. You don’t dismantle it because someone else wants control. New Orleans has proven what its homelessness system can accomplish. In 2015, New Orleans became the first major American city to effectively end veteran homelessness. Local government, the Veterans Administration, UNITY and nonprofit partners built a coordinated system to identify homeless veterans, house them and help them remain housed. This partnership ended veteran homelessness in New Orleans, a year earlier than the federal goal. That system continues serving veterans today. Like the rest of the country, New Orleans has faced challenges. While rents climbed nearly 47%, Louisiana lawmakers repeatedly rejected efforts to raise the minimum wage, stuck at $7.25 since 2009, yet passed a law giving themselves a pay raise in June. We shouldn’t be surprised when people fall into homelessness after housing costs soar while wages remain frozen. But here’s what matters: We responded. While communities across the country struggled with rising homelessness, New Orleans reversed the trend. Street homelessness declined as local partners moved people from encampments into permanent housing. So why does Baton Rouge want control of the federal dollars supporting that work? We’ve seen the state’s approach. Before the Super Bowl, millions were spent on a temporary warehouse rather than permanent housing, with the contract awarded to a for-profit company with no history of serving people experiencing homelessness. Its owners, however, have financially supported Republican political causes. As a veteran and taxpayer, I don’t want a proven system disrupted so politicians can redirect money to their friends. New Orleans knows how to house veterans. We proved it. When the strategy is working, support it. Don’t replace results with politics.

KRISTINA EUGENE New Orleans

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COMMENTARY A rare Senate vacancy triggers a test for Trump COLUMBIA, S.C. — Reading the Southern mind is a tricky business, especially in secessionist South Carolina. It is even more so now that a second Northern invasion has seized and occupied the state’s best places, diluting the culture and potentially altering the political landscape. Even so, some classic traits remain amid the population boom. Chief among them are a stubborn, independent streak and an allergic reaction to outsiders telling the Kathleen born-and-bred how to Parker think and what to do. This tendency is nearly pathological when it comes to the media and the so-called elites. Lately, I’ve begun wondering whether this reaction might also apply to a certain New York celebrity narcissist who happens to be president of the United States. Methinks Donald Trump’s lame-duck irrelevance is starting to show. While a Trump political endorsement has long been tantamount to the pope’s blessing for Republican ofﬁce seekers, its effectiveness seems to be waning. Already this primary season, Republican voters have snubbed 10 Trumpendorsed candidates for statewide ofﬁce or Congress, including in South Carolina. Early on, Trump endorsed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette for governor. She was also endorsed by Trump loyalist Gov. Henry McMaster. But Evette didn’t win the primary outright and had to face state Attorney General Alan Wilson in a runoff, which she lost. Trump’s endorsement ultimately became a curse when he decided just days before the runoff to also endorse Wilson, saying on Truth Social that either candidate would make a good governor. He may as well have driven a stake through Evette’s heart. Trump not only looked two-faced, he devalued his own currency by endorsing two people for the same position. Next up was the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the sudden death of Lindsey Graham and the conventional wisdom that no one could replace him. Except, that is, for his little sister, Darline Graham, who was adopted by her older brother when she was 13 and he was 22 after their parents died. Her grief over the loss of her brother has been palpable these past several weeks as she has navigated a political world that she says she never wanted to enter. Until she did! Within days of Lindsey Graham’s death at 71 from an aortic dissection due to cardiovascular disease, McMas-

program’s success because it will inevitably face political pressure from opponents. The public school system may be the last and largest remaining monopoly in the country. Courts have broken up other monopolies, but only parents have the power to break up the public school monopoly by depriving them of the “raw material.” It’s called competition, which has worked well in just about every other field. It can also work in education and is starting to, in states with school choice options. Stories about the transformation of public school children who have managed to escape their underperforming schools for private ones are starting to get the public’s attention. The media mostly ignore them, but word is getting around, especially to poor and minority parents who want their children to have a bright future. A significant side benefit would be children who grow up loving America, believing in capitalism and not joining the Democratic Socialists of America. Thanks to school choice and the FSTC law, we may finally see a system that puts children and the country first, not the teachers’ unions and the agenda of the secular progressives.

The Flock camera controversy is migrating to Louisiana. At least a little bit. In recent months, Flock-brand license-plate reader cameras have become the focus of growing anger around the country. In some places, the cameras have been vandalized. Some have called for them to come down. A host of websites, including DeFlock and Have I Been Flocked, have sprung up, providing crowdsourced data to those troubled by the cameras. Their concern is simple: The cameras represent an unacceptable leveling up of public surveillance. But the issue has only in recent weeks started to bubble up in Louisiana, where there are nearly Faimon 7,000 such cameras, according to Roberts DeFlock. Last week, Livingston Parish council member Ryan Chavers introduced an ordinance that would “ban Flock cameras on Livingston Parish roads,” according to a headline. “You’re not going to use our parish rights of way to surveil people,” Chavers said. Chavers’ proposal may win him some points with voters, but it is ultimately toothless. The Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office doesn’t have a contract with Flock. The ordinance would apply only to privately owned cameras on public rights of way along parish-owned or parish-maintained roads. In other words, only roads controlled by the parish, not all roads in the parish. Cameras along state roads would not be subject to the ban. Also, the ban would only apply to privately owned cameras, not publicly owned ones. The proposal, if passed later this month, would mostly hit homeowners associations that set up cameras as a way of monitoring who comes in and out. This proposal targets the wrong watchers. People aren’t necessarily worried about their neighbors watching them. If they were, there would have been a massive pushback against doorbell cameras. The Flock camera issue is about government surveillance. The biggest users of license-plate readers, including Flock cameras, are law enforcement agencies. Each agency determines who has access to the images and data. The avenue for abuse is wide. A case from Jefferson Parish last week hammered home this danger. There, Sheriff Joe Lopinto fired a deputy who had accessed that parish’s camera system thousands of times to track the movements of one person — his former fiancée. The deputy didn’t face criminal charges because the woman opted not to file a criminal complaint and said she was aware of her ex’s actions, Lopinto said. More worryingly, however, Lopinto and JPSO did not know about the deputy’s misuse of the system until they were contacted by reporters for The Washington Post, who had discovered the searches by studying a public database. Not to single Lopinto out too harshly here. The Washington Post investigation found several instances in which local police forces — even very large ones — actually had no idea how their employees were using this massive surveillance apparatus. For instance, Indianapolis Police Chief Tanya Terry wrote an op-ed in a local magazine insisting that the department had strong guidelines in place to govern use of the cameras. But three weeks later, The Post notified her that an employee had tracked his wife and two “close personal acquaintances” more than 3,700 times over 10 months. Terry told The Post that the case was a “learning experience” for her department. The Post’s investigation found that use of the cameras was widespread, but many departments had no auditing system to monitor how the system was being used by its employees. In many cases, those who wanted to abuse it did so with little impediment. Jefferson Parish and Indianapolis are just two recent examples of this happening. There are plenty of others. Obviously, the cameras have good uses, too. They have been repeatedly cited by law enforcement as crucial to solving crimes. In just one recent example, deputies from the Sabine County Sheriff’s Office in Texas and the Louisiana State Police were able to locate and recover a child missing from Texas by tracking the suspect’s car using the camera network. Those are worth acknowledging. The cameras and their databases — like most technologies — are ethically and morally neutral. Their use is not. The old saying “with great power comes great responsibility” applies here. The two — power and responsibility — must come together. If the latter is a “learning process” long after the power has been deployed, then it’s already too late.

Email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@ tribpub.com.

Email Faimon A. Roberts III at froberts@ theadvocate.com.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JACQUELyN MARTIN

Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., speaks as President Donald Trump listens at a campaign rally for Graham at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center in Myrtle Beach, S.C., on Friday. ter tapped Darline Graham to serve out the remainder of her brother’s term through January. She was to be an uncontroversial placeholder for a short time, during which a special election for the seat would be held. Trump had more ambitious plans, however. He asked Graham to run for her brother’s seat, and in what must have been an emotion-fueled fugue state, she said yes. Suddenly, a real primary race was on with multiple Republican candidates. Still, it was a once-in-a-generation opportunity to grab a rarely open Senate seat. Forget Donald Trump, in other words. The race came down to three leading candidates: Graham, U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman and U.S. Rep. Russell Fry, the last of whom Trump had previously said he could support for the Senate seat. (Sorry, Rusty.) Graham ﬁnished ahead of the other two in the Aug. 11 election, but she didn’t win a majority and now faces Norman in a runoff on Tuesday. Fry, ever the good sport and a reliable Trump pleaser, quickly endorsed Graham. Some South Carolinians have expressed their disapproval on social media of Trump’s meddling, with many noting that Senate seats shouldn’t be inherited and questioning Graham’s qualiﬁcations. But their angst may be inadequate to counter pro-Graham super PACs, such as Palmetto Action, which spent $1.26 million targeting

Norman after the primary. Norman, a commercial real estate developer and vice chair of the U.S. House Freedom Caucus, has minimal outside help and is using about $800,000 in personal loans to boost his campaign. A ﬁscal conservative, he emphasizes reducing federal spending. Few people had ever heard of Darline Graham before her brother’s death, and she remains something of an enigma, despite a few public appearances and television ads. Some vaguely know that she’s an optician who also worked in various state agencies, and that she’s a mother, grandmother and advocate for people with disabilities. If they tuned in to her recent debate with Norman, they would also know that she’s nothing like her brother. When Newsmax anchor Greta Van Susteren asked her whether Taiwan and the South China Sea were important to national security, the senator candidly said: “I’m just going to be honest here. I’m not that informed on national security.” Her vow to preserve her brother’s legacy while pushing for her own priorities creates a ﬁne line she now must walk. But, in all honesty, her candidacy seems like a spoof — Trumpian in its audacity and absurd in its sentimentality. It’s almost enough to make a person want to secede from the state. Kathleen Parker is on X, @kathleenparker.

Back to school 2026-27 looks different School Choice is sweeping the When I attended a much different country, except in some states run by public school in suburban Maryland, Democrats who are beholden to there was a public service anthe teachers’ unions and their nouncement on TV that asked: political donations. They favor “It’s 10 o’clock. Do you know “choice” when it comes to aborwhere your children are?” I was usually in bed at that tion but deny it to poor children hour on “school nights,” but in underperforming public that question might be put a difschools. For parents who might Cal struggle with the cost of private ferent way today: “It’s 9 a.m. Do Thomas schools, especially in states that you know what your children won’t allow this option, a new are being taught?” federal law might help. Many parents don’t have a clue what It’s called the Federal Scholarship is being fed into their children’s minds and spirits, or they learn after the fact. Tax Credit (FSTC), also known as the We’ve seen the news reports of parents Education Freedom Tax Credit. Startshowing up at school board meetings to ing Jan. 1, taxpayers will be able to complain, but usually after the fact and claim a dollar-for-dollar federal tax with little effect. credit of up to $1,700 annually for Most people are familiar with the de- donations to qualiﬁed programs that grant scholarships. It even allows rebates over transgender athletes on female sports teams and in girls’ locker ligious schools to participate and will rooms, gender identity and other social pay for tuition, tutoring, technology, subjects. How many parents know transportation and services for chilabout subjects being taught that come dren with special needs. from a secular-progressive worldview? According to David Bass of the PhiAccording to the National Assesslanthropy Roundtable, “More than two ment of Education Progress (known as dozen states have already opted in, and additional states are under pressure the Nation’s Report Card), nine-yearold children are doing better in reading to follow. If fully implemented across the country, the program would cover and math than children their age in roughly 90% of K-12 students.” previous years, but older children (13 This is where philanthropy can do and up), who came through the disruptions of the COVID pandemic, continue some of its best work. Bass believes the next 18 months are crucial to the to stagnate in those subjects.

The danger of Flock cameras is one we all must reckon with

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE ARE OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the

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

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with meteorologist Damon Singleton

TODAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Humid; a stray p.m. t-storm

Humid; an afternoon t-storm

Cloudy, a t-storm; humid

Some rain and a thunderstorm

Humid; an afternoon t-storm

Some rain and a thunderstorm

HIGH

LOW

HIGH

92° 78°

LOW

HIGH

92° 78°

LOW

88° 77°

HIGH

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

Beaumont 97/77 Port Arthur 95/78

Baton Rouge 93/76

Lake Charles 95/79

10s

20s

30s

Houma 88/75

40s

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YESTERDAY

60s

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90s 100s 110s

AUG 27

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Atlanta Austin Boston Charlotte Chicago Dallas Denver Houston Las Vegas

PRECIPITATION

93°/76° 91°/76° 94°/76° 100° in 2023 63° in 1965

Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today FULL

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

LOW

TODAY’S TIDES Lake Pontchartrain (Tchefuncte River) Shell Beach South Point, Marsh Island Cypremort Point Grand Isle (Barataria Pass) Mississippi River (Southwest Pass) Wine Island

New Orleans 92/78

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

Hattiesburg 94/74

Alexandria 97/76

Lafayette 94/78

HIGH

88° 77°

New Orleans through 5 p.m. Monday

Jackson 93/73 Many 99/76

LOW

90° 76°

TEMPERATURE

Longview 103/79

-0s

LOW

Monroe 98/76

Shreveport 101/79

-10s

HIGH

86° 76°

After a Monday filled with severe thunderstorm watches and warnings and special marine warnings, Tuesday will be a little less active. Expect a partly to mostly cloudy, hot and humid day with scattered showers and thunderstorms. Temperatures this afternoon will rise to the low to mid-90s and with high humidity, heat index values will be up to 105 or higher. The UV index is at the very high level today. Another line of strong storms will roll through on Thursday.

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

HIGH

7:03p 1:16p 5:25a 7:49a 8:41a 8:02a 9:49a

FT.

NEW

SEP 4

93 104 80 87 80 105 88 101 105

TODAY Lo

70 75 64 67 66 83 59 79 87

FIRST

SEP 10

pc s s pc pc pc t pc s

SEP 18

90 104 80 88 83 101 86 100 110

WED. Lo

72 75 65 70 65 80 59 79 87

FT.

HIGH

0.8 6:01a 0.0 1.8 11:50p 0.1 1.9 8:16a 1.9 2.0 11:32p 0.3 1.4 7:45p 0.2 1.7 6:01p 0.1 1.8 8:47p 0.2

6:34 a.m. 7:32 p.m. 6:15 p.m. 4:01 a.m.

LAST

LOW

0.06” 1.39” 5.29” 41.00” 44.23”

t s s t t t t pc pc

FT.

--- ----- --12:26p 1.9 --- ----- ----- ----- ---

MODERATE

READING 60 MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

SOURCE: LOUISIANA DEQ AND AIRNOW.GOV

LOW

FT.

--- ----- --7:34p 0.0 --- ----- ----- ----- ---

The solunar period schedule allows planning days so you will be fishing in good territory or hunting in good cover during those times. Major periods begin at the times shown and last for 1.5 to 2 hours. The minor periods are shorter. MAJOR MINOR MAJOR MINOR

Today 9:47a Wednesday 10:30a Thursday 11:13a Friday 11:57a Saturday 12:21a Sunday 1:08a Monday 1:59a

City

Los Angeles 97 Miami 92 Nashville 91 New york City 78 Philadelphia 82 Phoenix 113 St. Louis 85 San Francisco 72 Seattle 85

3:35a 4:18a 5:02a 5:46a 6:32a 7:19a 8:10a

TODAY Lo

73 80 66 64 66 90 70 58 56

10:11p 10:53p 11:36p ---12:42p 1:31p 2:22p

s t pc s s s pc pc pc

TODAY

MODERATE

99 92 90 80 85 115 92 75 76

3:59p 4:42p 5:24p 6:08p 6:53p 7:42p 8:34p

WED. Lo

74 79 72 70 70 91 68 60 58

s t t s s c t pc pc

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

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

FLOOD STAGE

34 48 48 35 27 22 17

MON. 24-HOUR STAGE CHANGE

13.70 25.50 26.50 10.70 5.60 4.13 3.40

+0.81 +1.46 +1.30 +0.90 +0.50 +0.31 +0.27

30.06

+0.18

-1.45

none

18 29 8

-0.84 10.50 1.55

-0.19 +0.14 +0.25

13 15

1.68 0.90

-0.72 +0.10

47 34 29 20 12 6

10.59 6.69 5.18 4.66 3.00 1.63

+1.05 +0.68 +0.61 +0.44 none none

data as of 7 a.m. Monday

Superyacht marina legal battle stretches on Virgin Islands project has Louisiana ties

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

Construction of a proposed yacht marina in the U.S. Virgin Islands overseen by Louisiana natives and defended by former U.S. Rep. Garret Graves of Baton Rouge came close to fruition after more than a decade of regulatory hurdles and legal challenges, but it now faces another obstacle after local environmentalists sued the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The local groups argue the Corps didn’t sufﬁciently study the environmental and aesthetic impacts of the marina project, but Graves argues the yearslong permitting process was more than enough and

TRIAL

Continued from page 1B hadn’t known much about Hughes before the paper’s news coverage of him, beyond that he was a justice. Heitman said the judge’s actions merited the opinion column. Hughes oversaw a custody case in 1998 and 1999 in which one of the litigants, the mother of a 5-year-old boy, was represented by a lawyer with whom he would at one point have a romantic relationship. The custody case triggered an FBI investigation, which did not lead to charges, and a probe by the state Judiciary Commission, which disciplines Louisiana judges for ethical violations. Five years later, Hughes wrote an apology letter to the grandmother of the boy and to the child’s biological father, who had battled the mother in the case. The judge’s letter to the grandmother called his own actions in the case inimical to truth and the administration of justice. Heitman said the editorial board found that apology letter “remarkable.” “I’d never seen anything like that,” he said. A key issue in the trial has been the timing of Hughes’ romantic relationship with the attorney, Berkley Durbin.

is in fact an example of a broken, burdensome federal bureaucracy. Located in the town of Coral Bay on the island of St. John, the marina complex is slated to have 115 boat slips for yachts ranging from 30 feet to 150 feet at a cost of about $130 million. The developer behind the project, Summer’s End Group, is run by Denham Springs native Chaliese Summers and her partner, Louisiana native Rick Barksdale. Summers and Barksdale have lived on St. John for close to two decades, though they maintain a second home in Louisiana close to their children and grandchildren, Summers said. The permitting process for the marina started in 2014. After lengthy local debates over the project, the Corps this spring granted permits allowing construction to proceed.

But this month, the group Save Coral Bay sued to block that approval. “The construction approved by the Army Corps will directly harm, deteriorate and in some cases destroy the aesthetics, habitat and natural features of Coral Bay,” the lawsuit argues. The developer challenged that claim. “The Army Corps reviewed the permit for more than 10 years, and the issues raised in the lawsuit were all identiﬁed and fully addressed during the permitting process,” Summers told The Advocate | Times-Picayune. Summers said the project “includes millions of dollars in environmental restoration and infrastructure improvements.” The Corps did not respond to a request for comment.

The lawsuit states Graves, who sat on the House Natural Resources Committee, advocated for approval of the project with the Corps and other federal agencies in 2023 and 2024 and received regular updates on it. The lawsuit suggests the Corps’ review of the marina project became more lax due to Graves’ involvement. Graves countered, saying that “conducting oversight here is what public service looks like.” He said he never advocated for the permit approvals but rather for a decision. “It would take 30 seconds of a web search to show that my entire career was spent bashing the Corps’ stupid policies and delays when they adversely affected our citizens,” he said. “In this case, our constituents borrowed untold dollars and have been dealing with

the federal bureaucracy for 15 years to get a permit. No constituent should be treated this way.” The former congressman for years has been a ﬁerce critic of the Corps, including when he chaired a congressional committee overseeing the agency and before that when he led Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority. In 2013 as a state ofﬁcial, he called the Corps “a complete disaster.” Graves, who was elected to Congress in 2014 and in 2024 opted not to run again after his seat was redistricted, said that he learned about the marina project from constituents in 2017 and has worked with federal agencies on it since that time. A year ago, in August 2025, Graves traveled to the U.S. Virgin Islands to testify before the Legislature there in favor of the marina project.

Hughes claims the relationship didn’t start until after Durbin removed herself in late August 1998 from representing the mother. Durbin continued to represent the mother’s new husband in a criminal case arising from alleged abuse of the boy, according to evidence at trial, and Hughes eventually ruled for the mother in March 1999. Hughes took the stand in the trial, denying having ruled on any of Durbin’s cases while they were romantically involved. He testified their relationship didn’t start until after she withdrew from the custody case. On Monday, Peter Kovacs, editor of The Advocate at the time of the editorial, testified that he and others met with Hughes twice, first in an off-the-record setting. Kovacs testified that among the three corrections the justice sought, Hughes focused on the word “presided” in the description of his role in the custody case. The editorial said Hughes had “presided over a controversial custody case while he was, according to several people, romantically involved with one of its lawyers.” Kovacs stood by the use of that word because although Hughes didn’t rule for the mother while Durbin was her lawyer, he had participated in a status conference while Durbin was on the case.

Kovacs also countered criticism by an expert witness for Hughes earlier in the trial about the newspaper’s reporting on a case more than 20 years old. Kovacs said the fact that the public hadn’t known about the controversy for so long made it more newsworthy, not less. He said voters, families with other custody cases before Hughes and other litigants didn’t know what had happened over all those years because the judicial disciplinary process kept it secret. Kovacs added that Hughes walked out of the second meeting, and said had the justice been clearer about what he wanted corrected, the eventual clariﬁcation might have come sooner. In rebuttal testimony after the newspaper rested its case Monday, Hughes said his main desire for a correction centered on his reading that the editorial claimed he ruled on a case in which his then-girlfriend was an attorney. He again said he didn’t do that, and the relationship began around Christmas time 1998. Last week, Hughes testiﬁed that his reputation was harmed by the editorial. Attorneys for The Advocate challenged Hughes on crossexamination, focusing attention on his run-ins with the Judiciary Commission. They also called

witnesses who testified Hughes has inserted himself into cases in lower courts while he sits on the state’s highest bench, raising questions about abuse of power. Questioned by Sternberg, Baton Rouge lawyer David Bienvenu Jr. recounted a 2022 conversation with Hughes. Bienvenu said Hughes had advance knowledge on how his fellow justices on the Supreme Court were going to rule on a pre-trial matter in his defamation case against The Advocate. Months after Hughes sued The Advocate, he also sued a judicial system activist, claiming she defamed him in a letter to the editor in The Advocate about the stories on him. Bienvenu represented the activist. Made public five days after Hughes’ conversation with Bienvenu, the Supreme Court decision allowed his defamation case against The Advocate to proceed. Bienvenu testiﬁed that, armed with advance knowledge, Hughes told him he’d be willing to settle the letter-to-theeditor case for $25,000. “I’m being told about the outcome of something at the Supreme Court and then being told by a Supreme Court justice that he’ll take $25,000 to go away,” Bienvenu testiﬁed. Because Bienvenu was Venable’s attorney, Hughes was recused from ruling on any of the attorney’s cas-

es before the Supreme Court. Bienvenu said he was offended by the call, noting Hughes was sitting on the Supreme Court while speaking about a case before that court in which he was a private litigant. “There has to be separations of these things. I didn’t think it was right,” Bienvenu said. Sternberg told Bienvenu the judge had testiﬁed that he hadn’t called him to share advance information about the Supreme Court decision. Sternberg asked Bienvenu if the judge had lied. Bienvenu replied the justice’s testimony was “not true,” asserting the phone call happened and noting that moments after the call, he sent an email about it to Sternberg, which jurors were allowed to see. Bienvenu said he wouldn’t have sent that email absent such a conversation with Hughes. “There would have been nothing to document,” he said. During his rebuttal testimony Monday, Hughes denied trying to use leverage against Bienvenu. He said he learned about the ruling in advance from a standard distribution list sent to the justices a few days before he spoke to Bienvenu. David J. Mitchell can be reached at dmitchell@ theadvocate.com.

OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

SPORTS N O L A.C O M

T u e s d ay, au g u s T 25, 2026

1CN

T U L A N E A T D U K E • 2 : 3 0 P. M . S E P T . 5 • A C C N E T W O R K

Undrafted Saints RB Donaldson welcomes contact BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

STAFF FILE PHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK

Tulane quarterback Zeon Chriss-Gremillion warms up before a spring scrimmage on April 18 at yulman Stadium. Chriss-Gremillion beat out three other quarterbacks to win the starting job.

QB WON

Tulane names Chriss-Gremillion starter for opener at Duke BY GUERRY SMITH

Contributing writer

Zeon Chriss-Gremillion will be the Tulane starting quarterback for its Sept. 5 season opener at Duke. Coach Will Hall released his entire twodeep chart on Monday afternoon, and Chriss-Gremillion was listed in front of Kadin Semonza after a tight competition through three weeks of camp. ChrissGremillion started 13 games over twoyear stints at UL and Houston with mixed results before transferring to Tulane in January. After redshirting at UL as a freshman, he went 3-3 in six starts at the end of 2023, passing for 10 touchdowns and ﬁve interceptions in that span. He rushed for 479

yards on 72 carries (6.7 yards per carry) in the Cajuns’ ﬁnal seven games. He started the last seven games of 2024 at Houston in former Tulane coach Willie Fritz’s ﬁrst year there, going 3-4 with four scoring tosses and eight interception in that stretch while rushing for 309 yards on 95 carries. In his two best performances, he went 15 of 18 for 141 yards and rushed for 97 yards on 11 attempts during a 30-19 win at TCU, and he was 11 of 11 for 103 yards with 75 yards rushing as the Cougars beat Kansas State 24-19. He slumped during a three-game losing streak at the end of the year, throwing five interceptions with zero touchdown passes. He did not start any games last season after Texas A&M transfer Conner Weig-

man beat him out in camp, playing as a reserve in four games as Houston went 10-3. His dual-threat capability was a huge factor in him winning the job. Hall has said Chriss-Gremillion would have been the fastest player on Tulane’s 2025 team. Semonza, a redshirt junior in his second year with the Green Wave after transferring from Ball State, had what Hall labeled his best scrimmage on Saturday, but it was not enough for him to overtake Chriss-Gremillion. Semonza did not play a down last season after being passed over by late transfers Jake Retzlaff and Brendan Sullivan — Retzlaff led the Wave to its first College

ä See TULANE, page 5C

One of the few bright moments in the New Orleans Saints blowout loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday in SoFi Stadium happened when backup quarterback Spencer Rattler scanned the field and found nobody available. So Rattler whipped his head to his left and found his outlet, undrafted rookie running back C.J. Donaldson, available in the flat. Donaldson ä Saints caught the pass and then did the rest, leavat Cowboys, 7 P.M. FRIDAy,WVUE ing quickly closing defensive back Nyzier Fourqurean in the dust with a juke and bowling through a feeble tackle attempt by safety Nick Anderson on his way to a 32-yard gain. Afterward, the thing on Donaldson’s mind was that he lost control of the football as he was being tackled. That it fell safely out of bounds did not seem to matter. “My mindset is one person can’t tackle me; you’re going to need two, three people to tackle me,” Donaldson said. “But at the end of the day, I don’t like the finish of the play. I don’t like that I lost the ball.” The Ohio State product (by way of West Virginia) made the most of his 21 offensive snaps in the loss. Donaldson rushed three times for 15 yards and added four receptions for 51 yards — tallying both the longest run (9 yards) and reception (32) for the Saints in the game. He also was on the field for 50% of New Orleans’ special teams snaps. “I’m excited to see C.J. more and more,” coach Kellen Moore said. “He’s had some good exposure so far through the preseason for us. He’s really well prepared, he knows what he’s doing, he brings value on special teams. He’s doing a nice job for us. He’ll certainly have some opportunities on Friday.” Donaldson has earned those opportunities in the last preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys, but he’s also getting a longer look because of what has happened on the depth chart. Three Saints running backs — Alvin Kamara (knee), Devin Neal (hamstring) and Ty Chandler (knee) — are currently out with injuries. Another, Audric Estime, returned to practice Monday after missing a week with an ankle injury.

ä See SAINTS, page 2C

Kiffin defends LSU football adding ‘NFL players’ to its roster BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU coach Lane Kiffin talks to school President Wade Rousse, left, and athletic director Verge Ausberry, right, during practice on Aug. 14 at the LSU football complex.

Kiffin willing to take barbs for LSU’s beneﬁt

As a football coach, Lane Kifﬁn makes a pretty compelling litigator. Maybe that’s because he’s spent most of his adult life being tried, convicted and acquitted in the court Scott of public opinion. Rabalais On Monday, Kifﬁn and LSU had a seat at the defendant’s table yet again with national debate

raging over news that the Tigers were about to land former Ole Miss/Virginia Tech/Philadelphia Eagles/Cleveland Browns tight end Dae’Quan Wright. This after bringing in former Notre Dame defensive end Junior Tuihalamaka on Friday and before reportedly receiving a commitment later Monday from former Ole Miss defensive tackle Zxavian Harris. Harris was recently cut

ä See RABALAIS, page 4C

Lane Kifﬁn was asked a simple question. He took a step back, cleared his throat and wiped his nose before acknowledging that the query itself was a good one. “Coach, how comfortable are you with NFL ä Clemson players coming back to colat LSU, 6:30 P.M. SEPT. 5,ABC lege?” For decades, the question of whether professional players ever would return to college football wasn’t a question at all. The NFL had been a player’s ultimate goal. That’s where they’d ﬁnd their big paydays, win Super Bowls and earn national acclaim. That was at least the case until Monday, when Cleveland Browns tight end Dae’Quan Wright officially was placed on waivers, a move that opened the door for the former Ole Miss player to return to college and transfer to LSU. Wright’s agents on Monday told ESPN that he intends to join the Tigers if another NFL team doesn’t claim him on the waiver wire.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MATT ROURKE

Dae’Quan Wright runs a drill during practice for the Philadelphia Eagles at their training facility on June 9. After the Cleveland Browns cut him this week, Wright is expected to join the LSU Tigers if he clears waivers. Wright’s decision to return to college comes after a Louisiana judge granted a temporary restraining order against the NCAA that granted Wright and 30-plus other athletes eligibility to play a ﬁfth season this school year. The NCAA recently changed its

rules to allow athletes to play ﬁve seasons in ﬁve years, but the rule did not apply to players from the 2022 high school class, to which Wright belonged. “The judge found that these

ä See LSU, page 4C

2C ✦ Tuesday, August 25, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS On TV

CYCLING 7:30 a.m. UCI: Vuelta a España NBCSN LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL WORLD SERIES Noon Tijuana vs. Tokyo ESPN 2 p.m. Tacoma vs. Phenix City ESPN

4 p.m. 6 p.m.

Vancouver vs. Seoul Hamilton vs. Bayonne MLB 6:15 p.m. L.A. Dodgers at Atlanta 8:40 p.m. Philadelphia at Seattle MEN’S SOCCER 11 a.m. Al Khaleej at Abha

IN BRIEF

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

ESPN ESPN TBS MLBN FS2

12:45 p.m. Al Nassr at Al Ettifaq TENNIS 9 a.m. U.S. Open Qualifying 1 p.m. U.S. Open Qualifying WNBA 7 p.m. Portland at Dallas

FS2 ESPN2 Tennis NBATV

SAINTS NOTEBOOK

N.O. signs veteran kicker Carlson Injuries galore

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

With roster cuts due in less than a week, the New Orleans Saints are shaking up their kicker competition. The Saints are signing veteran kicker Daniel Carlson, the team announced. The deal comes after the Saints’ other kickers — Charlie Smyth and Tanner Brown — have struggled throughout camp, with both missing a ﬁeld goal attempt in the preseason. “Daniel’s a really talented kicker,” Saints coach Kellen Moore said. “He’s had a lot of success in this league, and we feel like there’s worthy opportunities there for the competition, to get him involved here. We’ll anticipate him trying to kick here on Wednesday, and we’ll go from there.” Carlson, 31, is a two-time AllPro, but his accuracy has dipped in recent years. The former Las Vegas Raiders kicker made 81% (22 of 27) of his ﬁeld goal attempts in 2025, down from 2024’s 85% (34 of 40). Still, Carlson adds veteran experience to the room and has a big leg. He made a 60-yard attempt last season, a career high. He was named as an All-Pro in 2021 and 2022. He spent eight seasons with the Raiders after briefly beginning his career in Minnesota. The Raiders released Carlson in March to sign Matt Gay instead. Moore, who said the Saints plan to carry three kickers on the roster for the rest of the preseason, said the Saints had held “dialogue” with Carlson throughout the offseason, paving the way for Monday’s deal. “I feel like this would be a good opportunity for him,” Moore said. “We felt good about where we were at with those two young guys. But we felt like at this time, adding a third guy would be valuable for us. “We’ll just let the next few days

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By RICK SCUTERI

Las Vegas Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson is seen during a game against the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 13, 2021, in Las Vegas. The Saints announced they are signing Carlson, a two-time All-Pro. take its course. We’ll have a really good day on Wednesday with kicking at practice and then transition to Friday’s (preseason) game (against the Dallas Cowboys).”

Trade news Deion Jones’ homecoming didn’t last long. The New Orleans Saints traded the veteran linebacker Sunday to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for running back Zamir White. The trade comes three weeks after the Saints signed the Jesuit grad. But Sunday’s trade helps the Saints at a position recently decimated by injuries. The only other healthy backs for Friday’s preseason finale against the Dallas Cowboys would have been Travis Etienne, Kendre Miller and undrafted C.J. Donaldson. Moore has also not said whether he plans to play

The unfortunate injury bug keeps on biting. More than 20 players missed Monday’s walkthrough, including several new absences that will keep them out for an extended period. Moore said after the session that tight end Moliki Matavao (knee), running back Ty Chandler (knee) and rookie cornerback Lorenzo Styles (calf) are dealing with injuries on the more serious side. New Orleans, too, placed cornerback Rejzohn Wright on injured reserve as he’ll undergo season-ending hip surgery, Moore said. The Saints are also collecting more information on running back Devin Neal’s hamstring injury after he reaggravated the issue during Saturday’s preseason loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The following players did not participate in the walkthrough: WR Jordyn Tyson (hamstring), WR Trey Palmer (undisclosed), WR Mason Tipton (leg), WR Bub Means (hamstring), Neal (hamstring), Wright (hip), cornerback Quincy Riley (groin), Chandler (knee), Styles (calf), CB Dalys Beanum (undisclosed), RB Alvin Kamara (knee), G Cesar Ruiz (ankle), DT Christen Miller (shoulder), LB Chris Rumph (ankle), DT Brien Taylor (stinger), OL Torricelli Simpkins (concussion), T Barry Wesley (undisclosed), Matavao (knee), TE Oscar Delp (hamstring), DE Cam Jordan (hamstring) and DT John Ridgeway (foot). New acquisitions White and Carlson were not yet in attendance. In good news, the Saints did see running back Audric Estime (foot) return to practice Monday. Despite the long list of injuries, Moore said he has yet to decide if the Saints will play their starters in Friday’s preseason finale against the Dallas Cowboys.

the team’s starters, which would make Etienne unavailable. In White, the Saints pick up a running back who spent his ﬁrst four seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders. The 26-year-old has appeared in 45 games with nine starts, rushing for 736 yards on 198 attempts. White signed with the 49ers in the offseason but is now headed to New Orleans. For Jones, he’ll reunite with 49ers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris — his coach in Atlanta, where the linebacker starred to begin his career. But he’ll ofﬁcially miss out on an opportunity to complete his tour around the NFC South as he’s played for the Falcons, Panthers and Buccaneers. Then again, he faced long odds to make the roster, which could explain why the Saints felt com- Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com fortable making the trade.

QB Penix joins drills for Falcons as return nears BY CHARLES ODUM AP sportswriter

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Michael Penix opened Monday’s practice by taking the ﬁrst snap at quarterback in his initial exposure to team drills this preseason. It’s too early to know what that means for Penix’s chances to take the ﬁrst regular-season snap for the Atlanta Falcons. Coach Kevin Stefanski wasn’t looking ahead to the quarterback competition or even Friday night’s final preseason game at Miami. Stefanski said he was focused only on seeing Penix make it through Monday’s practice, the latest step in the QB’s recovery from the injury to his left knee that ended his 2025 season. “It’s just good to have him back

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C That leaves more work for Donaldson — and more opportunities to show what he can do in all facets of the game. “I was proud of him,” fellow running back Kendre Miller said of Donaldson’s preseason performance, mentioning that he wasn’t supposed to play that many snaps had it not been for Neal’s injury in the game. “The more and more opportunities he gets, he just keeps climbing and climbing.” There isn’t another back on the roster who looks like Donaldson, who is a powerfully built 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds. His playing style could never fully show in training camp or joint practices, where players are not allowed to tackle to the ground, but his physical style has shown up in the preseason. That was true even on play calls that didn’t ultimately count, such as his second-effort push for a 2-yard gain on a fourth and 1 that

on the field, seeing him doing good, smiling, making plays,” offensive tackle Wanya Morris said. Penix showed no sign of being limited in the practice. If Penix plays at Miami on Friday Penix night, it would launch his much-anticipated competition with Tua Tagovailoa for the starting job. Stefanski said starters will play on Friday night. When asked whether Penix is part of that plan, Stefanski said: “You know, I want to get through today. Obviously, it’s Mike’s first time back out there. I’m excited for him.” Stefanski announced after

Saturday’s 34-6 preseason win at Indianapolis that Penix had received medical clearance to participate in team drills. Before Monday, Penix had been limited to individual work and 7-on-7 drills. The move to 11-on-11 drills was crucial for Penix. Playing on Friday night would be another step. “We are evaluating everything, evaluating every drill and those types of things,” Stefanski said. “But 11-on-11 is the closest approximation to football and those preseason games are games, and they’re keeping score and those types things. So this is a big step for Mike, and he’s excited.” Tagovailoa struggled in joint practices with the Colts last week and, like most starters, sat out Saturday’s game.

Penix was not available for interviews on Monday. Wide receiver Jahan Dotson said having Penix in team drills was “a step in the right direction for him.” “You guys see it; he has a rocket for an arm,” Dotson said. “I’m excited for him, I know he’s gone through a tough journey. Any injury is a tough journey, so it’s good to see him on the opposite side of that.” After Penix threw incomplete to Chris Blair on the first play of practice, Tagovailoa was ﬁrst in line when quarterbacks were given series of plays in team drills. Penix followed with his ﬁrst full series and completed a pass to Drake London along with two more incompletions. He completed three of four passes on his next series.

name called in the draft. Though he had 10 rushing touchdowns in his lone season at Ohio State, he averaged only 3.8 yards per carry while ceding most of the carries to freshman Bo Jackson. Then he ran a 4.61-second 40-yard dash at the combine. But Donaldson doesn’t seem to dwell on his draft status or place on the depth chart. He said he tries to adhere to his old position coach’s advice to be where his feet are and to stick to the small details, because “what got me here is what’s going to keep me here.” “You’ve got to always live in the moment, because you don’t get too many of these opportuniASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CAROLINE BREHMAN ties through your career,” DonaldSaints running back C.J. Donaldson carries during the second half of a son said. “You’ve got to sit there game against the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday in Inglewood, Calif. and enjoy it and clean up the mistakes.” was wiped out by an illegal forma- college. Though he was recruited He’ll get at least one more opporto West Virginia to play tight end, tunity to build his case when the tion penalty. “I love contact,” Donaldson said. he amassed 40 rushing touch- Saints close out their preseason “That’s the edge that I have in this downs in his college career, with against the Cowboys. sport. Most people fade away from at least 10 of them in each of his last three seasons. it, and that’s something I love.” Email Luke Johnson at But Donaldson never heard his ljohnson@theadvocate.com. Donaldson did plenty of that in

Texans acquire WR Boutte to fill injured Higgins’ spot

HOUSTON — The Houston Texans acquired wide receiver Kayshon Boutte from the New England Patriots on Monday. Boutte, a former LSU standout, conﬁrmed the deal on social media before either team announced it. According to multiple reports, Houston sent safety Jaylen Reed and a 2028 seventh-round draft pick to the Patriots. The move comes after No. 2 receiver Jayden Higgins tore an ACL in a joint practice with the Las Vegas Raiders on Tuesday. Boutte, a sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, had 33 receptions for 551 yards and six touchdowns last season. The Patriots had a logjam at the position after trading for receiver A.J. Brown in June and signing Romeo Doubs to a four-year, $68 million contract in March.

Panthers expect Hubbard to be ready for opener

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers starting running back Chuba Hubbard is expected to be ready for the team’s Sept. 13 season opener against the Chicago Bears, coach Dave Canales said Monday. Hubbard strained his hamstring earlier this month in training camp and has yet to play in a preseason game while working his way back to full strength. Canales said Hubbard is progressing well. His speed is there, but the team has been reluctant to put him in contact drills. Hubbard ran for 1,195 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024, but a calf injury limited him to 511 yards and one score last season. Hubbard is expected to share carries with Jonathon Brooks, a former second-round draft pick who has struggled with knee injuries.

U.S. Open opponent set for Serena-Alcaraz team

NEW YORK — Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz will open the U.S. Open mixed doubles tournament against a team that features the reigning women’s doubles champion. Williams and Alcaraz will face Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool on Tuesday in the first round of the championship, which will be Williams’ first match at the U.S. Open since 2022. Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic might have an even tougher draw. The top seeds, based on having the lowest combined singles ranking in the 16-team field, face the team of Katerina Siniakova and Henry Patten — who are the No. 1-ranked doubles players on their respective tours. The first round and quarterfinals are Tuesday.

Astros parting ways with general manager Brown

HOUSTON — General manager Dana Brown and the Houston Astros have mutually agreed to part ways, the team announced Monday, when it was tied for ﬁrst place in the AL West. Brown’s contract was set to expire at the end of the season. Senior adviser Jeff Bagwell and assistant general managers Charles Cook, Gavin Dickey and Connor Huff will take over Brown’s responsibilities while team owner Jim Crane will oversee baseball operations during the transition. The move comes after the Astros went 3-6 on a homestand that ended Sunday to fall into a tie with the Texas Rangers for the AL West lead. Brown had been the team’s general manager since January 2023.

Freshman Brandon named Vols’ starting quarterback

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Coach Josh Heupel will start Faizon Brandon at quarterback when No. 20 Tennessee opens the season on Sept. 5 against Furman, the second true freshman ever to start a season for the Volunteers and the ﬁrst since 2004. How long Brandon stays in the job depends on how he plays. “We named him the starter because we believe in the work that he has put in and how he’s continued to grow and play throughout training camp and the second week through the second scrimmage,” Heupel said Monday. “He’s earned that right. But just like every position you can consistently evaluate.”

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Tuesday,August 25, 2026 ✦ 3C

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Judge’s decision makes Luis eligible for LSU BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

LSU has its answer from the courts on RJ Luis’ eligibility for the 2026-27 basketball season. The former St. John’s star was granted a preliminary injunction at his hearing Monday, allowing him to play basketball for coach Will Wade. Judge Ronald Johnson oversaw Luis’ lawsuit against the NCAA at the 19th Judicial District Courthouse in Baton Rouge. Luis’ primary attorney is Elliot Abrams, and the NCAA was represented by Taylor Askew. The court proceedings lasted more than ﬁve hours. “What we have today is a decision by a judge to protect the future of a young man who has done nothing wrong,” Abrams said after the ruling. “Who has been mistreated by being singled out. Everyone else who is far more professional is allowed to play every day, and then they (the NCAA) say, ‘We draw this distinction that we can’t even defend and we’re going to smash this kid’s future, ruin his future.’ And you got a judge who says, ‘The law doesn’t allow that,’ and that’s right.” One of the pillars of the plaintiff’s argument was that the NCAA allowed other kinds of professionals to participate in college athletics. Luis’ lawyers argued that allowing professional overseas players who are all more experienced than Luis is an “arbitrary” application of its rule that prohibits professionals from playing college basketball while players like Luis, who signed an NBA contract but didn’t play in any NBA regular season or G League games, have to ﬁght for eligibility despite less professional experience. The Southeastern Conference presidents and chancellors is-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By NOAH K. MURRAy

St. John’s guard RJ Luis is seen during a game against Seton Hall in New york on March 1, 2025. sued a collective statement after they had a Monday evening videoconference and shortly after the judge’s decision, voicing their dissatisfaction with the court’s ruling. “College athletes, not former professional athletes, have been at the heart of the Southeastern Conference,” the statement said. “Individuals who chose to leave college athletics, sign professional playing contracts, and compete professionally should not then be permitted to return to college competition. Allowing that to occur will blur the line between college and professional sports, create signiﬁcant competitive equity concerns, and reduce opportunities for high school and current college athletes.” The ﬁnal point within the SEC’s statement emphasized the impor-

tance of advancing the Protect College Sports Act, designed to create a nationwide federal framework for collegiate athletics and name, image and likeness. Abrams’ co-counsel representing Luis was attorney Tony Clayton, who said that this ruling “sets a precedent that you have to treat all these folks the same.” When asked about the potential for an appeal by the NCAA, Clayton said there’s a lot of “discovery” that can be done, meaning both parties in the lawsuit gather evidence and details from witnesses. “There’s a lot of work to do now,” Clayton said. “Now we move to the next phase. This allows him to go practice, go play and then we’ll let the legal process work itself out.” “Whether he gets to play the whole season,” Abrams said, “I

think he will and should, and there’s nothing that’s going to change the fact that they (the NCAA) have allowed hundreds of fully professional athletes on the one hand to come in and play and they singled him out for no valid reason.” If the NCAA wants to continue its efforts to prevent Luis, 23, from playing college basketball, it can request a stay to pause the injunction or pursue other methods. Luis needed to file a lawsuit against the NCAA because he wants to return to college basketball after going undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft and signing an NBA contract. The NCAA’s bylaws don’t allow players who’ve signed NBA contracts, regardless of whether they played an ofﬁcial game, to be eligible. “The NCAA has not and will not

grant eligibility to any prospective or returning student-athletes who have signed an NBA contract (including a two-way contract),” NCAA president Charlie Baker said in a statement in December. Luis, a 6-foot-7 wing, went undrafted after playing three years in college and signed a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz. A two-way deal pays a player half of the NBA minimum salary, which was about $1.3 million last season. Players play mostly in the NBA G League and are available to play for an NBA team for no more than 50 games. After signing a two-way contract, Luis was then traded to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Georges Niang and two future second-round picks, waived before the NBA season on Oct. 15 and signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Celtics’ NBA G League afﬁliate, the Maine Celtics. The Maine Celtics waived Luis before he appeared in any G League games due to an injury. He also never played in the NBA Summer League due to a knee issue, but he did appear in three NBA preseason games for the Celtics. He played seven minutes and scored six points overall. Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey voiced his disapproval of Luis’ potential return to college in an afﬁdavit obtained by The Advocate. In response to Luis’ lawsuit. Sankey wrote that in situations where a college athlete leaves to go pro, “they knowingly forfeit their remaining college eligibility by doing so.” He continued to say that allowing athletes like Luis, who’ve signed professional contracts, back into the NCAA would “fuel disruption” in college athletics. Luis committed to LSU on May 19. He last played for St. John’s during the 2024-25 season, averaging 18.2 points and 7.2 rebounds.

Browns name Watson as starting QB over Sanders

Alvarez’s Triple Crown bid must avoid challengers

BY JOE REEDY

As the season winds down, Houston slugger Yordan Alvarez will have to worry about two sets of spoilers. The first is the more traditional type — teams that will try to beat the Astros in key games and deny them a spot in the postseason. The other includes individual spoilers — players who could prevent Alvarez from making history as baseball’s next Triple Crown winner. Alvarez entered Monday leading the American League with a .320 average, 36 home runs and 90 RBIs. If he holds onto the top spot in all three categories, he’d be the first batter to win the Triple Crown since Miguel Cabrera in 2012. The biggest threats Alvarez faces all come from the AL East. The next-highest batting averages in the AL both belong to Tampa Bay players — Chandler Simpson at .310 and Yandy Díaz at .306. Fortunately for Alvarez, there aren’t any stealth candidates — players with high averages who don’t currently have enough plate appearances to qualify but would by the end of the season. The home run race is currently the tightest, with Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero just one behind with 35. Ben Rice of the New York Yankees has 34. There are times when Alvarez seems like Houston’s only major threat offensively, and he’s been intentionally walked 28 times — way more than Caminero (10) and Rice (four). Those lost opportunities could matter in a close race. Alvarez’s closest competition in RBIs is Baltimore’s Pete Alonso, who has 85. Alonso recently went on a 14-game hitting streak. Caminero is also in the mix with 83 RBIs. When Cabrera pulled off the Triple Crown in 2012, he had to hold off Hall of Famers Joe Mauer and Adrian Beltre in batting average, as well as likely Hall of Famer Mike Trout. He finished one homer ahead of Josh Hamilton and Curtis Granderson.

Associated Press BEREA, Ohio — Not many gave Deshaun Watson a chance of reclaiming the Cleveland Browns starting quarterback spot over the past 22 months. Since Watson ruptured his right Achilles the first time in a Week 7 game in 2024, owner Jimmy Haslam said during last year’s owners meetings that the Browns “took a big swing and miss” when they sent three first-round picks to Houston for the controversial quarterback in 2022. After Shedeur Sanders had a solid first half in last Saturday’s 31-7 loss to Buffalo, a frustrated Watson said the boos from the crowd were “personal” and showed “disrespect” after he took the field in Cleveland for the first time in 22 months. Despite the hurdles and a close competition with Sanders, Watson will be the Browns starting quarterback for their Sept. 13 opener at the Jacksonville Jaguars. Coach Todd Monken made the announcement on Monday after informing both Watson and Sanders. “I took in the full body of work over the course of the offseason to training camp to the games, the joint practice, and ultimately felt like to start the season on the road, Deshaun gave us the best chance to move the ball and score points. I mean, that’s really what it’s about,” Monken said. “I felt that way going into the last game, but wasn’t sure. And after we talked as a staff and we re-looked at everything, we’re going to go that direction.” Watson, a 10-year veteran, won the competition over Sanders as both split reps with the first unit throughout the offseason, training camp and the preseason. The decision will not be popular with Browns fans, who have booed Watson repeatedly during his time in Cleveland and have put a lot of support behind Sanders since he was selected last year after dropping to the fifth round. Monken reiterated that fan sentiment and Watson’s comments did not play a role in his decision. Watson completed 5 of 12 passes for 36 yards and an interception while on the field with players at the bottom of the roster who likely will be cut in a couple of weeks. “Ultimately the fans want us to win. That’s our job as coaches, why we’re hired to try and put the best product on the field. And when we don’t, then I understand their frustration. But ultimately they don’t

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CAROLyN KASTER

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson warms up before a preseason game against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday in Cleveland. decide who plays. I mean, who would I be if I let someone outside of the building decide who plays?” Monken said. Watson has started only 19 games for Cleveland since being acquired from Houston in 2022 and signing a fully guaranteed, $230 million contract that will perhaps go down as one of the worst trades and contracts in NFL history. He is 9-10 with the Browns with 19 touchdown passes, 12 interceptions and an 80.7 passer rating. In 2022, Watson missed the first 11 games because of a league suspension resulting from his alleged sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions. He made six starts in 2023 before a seasonending shoulder injury and started seven in 2024 before the first of two Achilles tendon injuries. After Monken’s announcement, Watson took responsibility for his comments by saying his emotions got the better of him. “I’m not a big talker anyway. I think people that know me and around the organization, I just felt like it was what was on my heart,” he said. “It was never intended to go at a certain person, fan base or a certain crowd. It was just, this is how I feel. And once I got it off my chest, I felt better and now I can move forward from it.” Watson completed 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards and directed two scoring drives working with other starters and the second team during the first half of the preseason opener at Chicago. “There’s a lot of things, too, that me and (Monken) talking personally that we haven’t showcased. We haven’t showcased my full talent and ability to run in his offense. Being able to run, getting outside the pocket, being able to do some other QB-driven stuff. So I’m excited to see what we can cook up, getting ready for Week 1,” Watson said.

After facing Jacksonville, the Browns are at Tampa Bay on Sept. 20 to face former Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield, who was released after Cleveland traded for Watson. The Browns’ first home game is Sept. 27 against Carolina. Sanders has shown steady improvement throughout the offseason. He started the final seven games of his rookie season, going 3-4 with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Sanders went 9 of 11 for 74 yards with a touchdown and interception during the first half against the Bills. Sanders completed his first eight passes before he was picked off by Damar Hamlin on a pass he threw behind tight end Jermaine Terry. He was 6 of 11 for 79 yards with an interception in the second half against the Bears. Sanders’ biggest improvement is his ability to stand in the pocket as well as move up when he needs to, along with better footwork and decision making. Even though Sanders will be on the sideline for the opener, he is likely to start at some point this season. “I think he has come to understand the long game. What are we really in this for? What am I in it for? To have the Browns be an organization that people aspire to be. The long game. Where do we want to be in the long term? And he understands that as well as a quarterback,” Monken said. “We met this morning for a good long time and all he had was a smile on his face because he understands what really is in front of him. He’s going to work his butt off to get better.” Watson and Sanders will not play in Thursday’s final preseason game against the New England Patriots. Dillon Gabriel and rookie Taylen Green will get the snaps as they compete for the third QB spot.

BY NOAH TRISTER AP baseball writer

Performance of the week Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a leadoff homer in the bottom of the ﬁrst and a walk-off shot in the 10th to give the Chicago Cubs a 7-5 win over the White Sox on Aug. 17. The Cubs then won in walkoff fashion again a night later against the White Sox, but were beaten via the walk-off twice in a

AP PHOTO By KEVIN M. COX

Houston Astros slugger yordan Alvarez runs the bases after hitting an RBI double during the seventh inning against the Athletics on Friday in Houston.

row by Seattle later in the week. The Cubs have 13 walk-off wins this year, the most in baseball, but the White Sox and Mariners aren’t far behind with 11.

Comeback of the week Philadelphia was down 4-0 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth Sunday before rallying for a 6-4 victory over St. Louis. Edmundo Sosa hit a three-run double, and Bryan De La Cruz hit a single that tied the game. Then Kyle Schwarber won it with his major league-leading 39th homer. It was the ninth straight victory for the Phillies, who now trail ﬁrst-place Atlanta by only three games in the NL East. The Braves were 91/2 games up less than two weeks ago. It’s been a bizarre season for Philadelphia, which was 8-18 by late April, then went 48-27, then lost eight of its last nine games in July before going 16-5 so far in August.

Team of the week Kansas City was the lone team to go 7-0 over the past week, although the Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers both went 6-0. The Royals took advantage of four games against the dreadful Athletics before sweeping three in a row from a Detroit team that’s chasing a playoff berth. Last-place Kansas City is actually 36-30 at home this year but has gone 22-44 on the road.

4C ✦ Tuesday, August 25, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

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QB Hoover welcomes task of replacing Mendoza at Indiana BY MICHAEL MAROT AP sportswriter

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Ole Miss defensive tackle Zxavian Harris pressures Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton during the second half of the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1 at the Caesars Superdome.

LSU to add big piece to D-line BY KOKI RILEY AND JON BLAU

the Sugar Bowl, Harris told ESPN that Kiffin’s departure was a “slap in the face.” Kiffin had been invitIt’s clearly “go big or go home” ed to attend the playoff contest in for LSU coach Lane Kiffin as he con- New Orleans but didn’t show. “All he’s been trying to do is steal tinues adding former Ole Miss and our shine,” Harris said. NFL athletes to his 2026 roster. Monday’s commitment of 6-foot8, 330-pound former Ole Miss de- Kiffin denies call fensive tackle Zxavian Harris truly Cleveland Browns coach Todd underscores that sentiment. Monken joked over the weekend that Harris, an All-SEC performer in he failed to pick up a call from Kif2025, is likely the fin, who presumably wanted to talk former about Wright potentially returning Notebook second Rebel headed to to the college ranks. Baton Rouge after a Louisiana Kiffin swears that never haplawsuit that made 30-plus athletes pened. eligible to return for a fifth season. “I guess somebody left him a text Tight end Dae’Quan Wright is also ex- or called (and said) that was me,” pected to land at LSU if he clears Kiffin said, “because I don’t know waivers after his release from the (Monken) or have his number.” Kiffin’s denial came during a Cleveland Browns on Monday. Like Wright, Harris was with an Monday news conference where he NFL team this preseason. He signed broke down why LSU is working to with the Saints as an undrafted free add athletes who received a tempoagent in May but was cut on Aug. 8 rary restraining order against the because he wasn’t able to practice NCAA to play a fifth season. after a March foot surgery. Wright was officially released Harris is the third newly eligible by the Browns on Monday, and his senior added to LSU’s roster, fol- agents, Drew Rosenhaus and Kyle Lincoln, lowing Friday’s commitment from told ESPN on Sunday that the tight Notre Dame defensive end Junior end already has a deal in place to play for his former Ole Miss coach at LSU. Tuihalamaka. If he’s fully healthy, Harris is a Shortly after the judge in Louimassive addition — literally and siana issued a restraining order, figuratively — to the LSU defense. Wright entered the transfer portal He had 58 tackles, including nine but remained on the Browns’ roster. for loss, for an Ole Miss squad that “Isn’t this (crap) crazy?” Monkmade a run to the College Football en quipped when he was asked Playoff semifinals. about the situation Saturday afLSU has talent at defensive tackle, ter a preseason game against the including highly touted freshmen Bills. Wright didn’t play, but he Deuce Geralds and Richard Anderson. In did warm up, which could make preseason practices, Geralds and him the first athlete to suit up for Anderson have taken first-team reps an NFL team and then return to ahead of veterans Dominick McKinley, a college program. “I don’t know Stephiylan Green and Malik Blocton. what to say. I wondered why Lane It’s a logical move, but it does Kiffin reached out a week ago. come with some surprise because Now I know. I didn’t call him back. of Harris’ comments after Kiffin’s I guess I should have.” Kiffin, who said he is no longer exit from Ole Miss. After the Rebels beat Georgia in using social media, was unaware Staff writers

RABALAIS

Continued from page 1C by the Saints. If all this sounds like it’s coming straight from Bizarro World, join the club. Or, in this case, the jury box. LSU and its still under warranty football coach are once again at the center of a controversial story: Should schools be allowed to bring back athletes who have had professional experience? Kiffin is used to the heat. During a Monday news conference, he made oblique references to his past firings/departures with the Oakland Raiders, Tennessee Volunteers, USC Trojans and Ole Miss, which he left on the altar of the College Football Playoff. “I’ve learned to love my story,” Kiffin said. He even loves bringing back a player like Harris, who after Ole Miss beat Georgia in the Sugar Bowl (a CFP quarterfinal game) took his chance to fire a broadside at Kiffin. “All he’s been trying to do is steal our shine,” Harris said. “He was trying to be a troll. We’re going to troll him. We got something for him.” Well, Harris still has something for Kiffin. An experienced player at a position of need, just like Tuihalamaka and Wright and probably some other players as well. Players who may have been or will soon be waived by their NFL teams. Past insults need not matter when there are football games to be won. Kiffin made his case for pursuing players who were in the high school Class of 2022 and were recently shut out of the NCAA’s new “five for five” eligibility rule. Players who have filed and received

temporary injunction orders, like Harris and Wright. “We have made a decision to recruit some kids from around the country,” he said. “A group of players were granted a fifth year of eligibility from around the country in multiple sports. “Through them winning their injunction, they’re available to recruit. (LSU) and many places around the country are recruiting them. At the end of the day, because of these rulings they’re either going to play for you or someplace else around the country. So, we’ve made the decision to recruit them.” The argument against Kiffin is that once players turn pro and head to the NFL there should be no turning back. Kiffin’s counterargument is that had the Class of 2022 players known that they would have had a chance to play in 2026 — whether at their schools from this past season or new ones — many of them would have done so. I asked Kiffin on Monday whether he thought this was an eligibility wrinkle that would continue in the future, and he said he thought it would be a one-off thing. Considering how highly unpredictable and volatile college athletics has become, we’ll see how his prediction ages. There’s no guarantee these players will get to play for LSU. There are court hearings ahead, and in the case of Wright and Harris, the Southeastern Conference has prohibited players from transferring from school to school within the SEC except in the January transfer portal window. The SEC presidents and athletic directors meeting, scheduled for Tuesday in Birmingham, Alabama, should be a hoot. According to our former colleague Wilson Alexander with

of Monken’s statement until LSU staff member Tee Martin, who spent three seasons alongside Monken on the Baltimore Ravens’coaching staff, told him about it. “Maybe someone else called him that said they were me,” Kifﬁn said of Monken, who coached LSU wide receivers from 2005-06. “I actually don’t know Todd.”

Kiffin responds to Freeman Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman told reporters on Friday that his program would not add players from the 2022 class, stating that the school was too late in the academic calendar to add a new student. Freeman’s response addressed a question about Tuihalamaka, a four-year player for the Fighting Irish who was granted an extra year of eligibility by a Louisiana judge; he and 30-plus athletes were granted a temporary restraining order against the NCAA. As a result of the order, Tuihalamaka decided to join LSU. Kiffin responded to Freeman’s comments on Monday, after the Notre Dame coach also said that adding a player this late in the process would be bad for them on the field as well. “I don’t think it would put a person in a good situation this late — school starts on Monday — to have success in the classroom and on the field, so that’s been our stance on it,” Freeman said. Kiffin has a different opinion on the matter, but he defended Freeman for his comments, saying that he’d say the same thing if he were coaching at a school that wouldn’t admit a student at this point in the academic calendar. “Every coach has their own opinion,” Kiffin said. “It’s easy to say you wouldn’t take somebody on the field that late, but you can’t. You can’t get them in through admissions. I probably would say the same thing.”

On3.com, some SEC members want to penalize LSU. There’s one tiny problem: There is currently no penalty structure in place. Oops. Is LSU trying to exploit a loophole? Clearly. Did LSU help these athletes with their temporary restraining order filing? It appears likely. Is it Kiffin’s job to win? Absolutely. And taking a bloody nose for being out front on this doesn’t bother him a bit, considering all that he’s been through in his career. “Any time someone is the first out of the gate with something, here comes the attention,” Kiffin said. “A lot of other people are trying the same thing. I believe my job is to (benefit) LSU.” In a column this past week I took a stance against the fifth-year players. I’ll amend that a bit now, having heard Kiffin’s appeals court of public opinion argument that these players are a special case. Players who left school early and are trying to return to college, like basketball player RJ Luis who had a hearing Monday on his potential LSU eligibility, are a different matter. I don’t agree with assertions that Kiffin and LSU are ruining college football. College athletics, the schools, conferences and NCAA that run it put themselves in this position by not making monetary concessions to college athletes decades ago. They tried to hold onto all the money and are now paying a heavy price for their greed. Meanwhile, Kiffin is working the system systematically, day by day, taking the landmark changes as they come and trying to play them to his advantage. If he wins, he figures it will all be worth it. If he wins, it will be hard to argue.

INDIANAPOLIS — Josh Hoover’s player bio looks different from most of this year’s other quarterbacks in the FBS. He’s already logged 31 career starts, thrown for more than 9,000 yards, won a bowl game MVP award, set multiple school records, and been in line for conference and national honors. Now, Hoover is about to embark on a new journey, one that puts him squarely under an unusual spotlight in replacing a Heisman Trophy winner for No. 6 Indiana, the reigning national champion. “I wanted to get better, I wanted to be the best quarterback I could be,” Hoover said after Indiana’s spring game in April. “I felt like coming here was going to give me a chance to, No. 1, get better, get developed by some great coaches and, No. 2, be part of a great program with a bunch of great guys who are unselfish. They’re not me guys, they’re team guys. That’s what I wanted. That’s the vision I had.” Hoover hasn’t spoken with reporters since that night, and he’s not expected to talk again until after making his Indiana debut Sept. 5 against North Texas. But the former TCU star would prefer to let his actions speak more than words as he gets acclimated to the expectations of twotime national coach of the year Curt Cignetti. Hoover has spent these past few months studying his playbook, getting in sync with new teammates and figuring out where he fits in this suddenly high-profile program. At first glance, Hoover looks like a perfect fit for Cignetti. Hoover’s comments almost mirror those Heisman-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza repeatedly made last year, and Hoover’s scouting report seems familiar, too. Among the

strengths are a strong mind that leads to quick decisions. He throws effectively into tight windows, and he should be helped by both his on-field experience and the time he’s spent as a team leader. The biggest question is whether he can cut down on the turnovers. Hoover threw 13 interceptions and lost two fumbles last year and has been responsible for 33 total giveaways in the three seasons as the TCU starter. Cignetti wants those numbers reduced and believes Hoover will be helped by playing in a more balanced offense than he had with the Horned Frogs. Cignetti’s first two Indiana quarterbacks, Kurtis Rourke and Mendoza, also arrived with questions. Rourke had a history of injuries and almost no experience against Power Four foes. Mendoza had been sacked 42 times in his final season at California. Each answered the questions by leading the Hoosiers to the best back-to-back seasons in school history. Hoover would like to extend the good vibes, though upstaging the first 16-0 season in major college football since the 1890s will be a big challenge. But Hoover, who initially committed to Indiana in June 2021 before signing with TCU in 2022, didn’t come back to Indiana just to replicate Mendoza’s success. He came to Bloomington to meet Indiana’s high expectations and to develop more skills with a coaching staff that turns transfer quarterbacks into all-conference honorees and NFL draft picks. “For me, coming in here it’s all about trying to be the best version of myself and come in and be who I am every day,” Hoover said. “That’s all I have to do is be myself. Fernando is an unbelievable player, an unbelievable person and I have to come in and just be myself and be the best I can be for IU and make guys around me better.”

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU head coach Lane Kifﬁn watches during a preseason practice on Friday.

LSU

Continued from page 1C players should have been told and should have known that they were going to be eligible for a fifth year, which every player moving forward, every athlete in all sports has,” Kiffin, the LSU head coach, said Monday. “They should’ve known that in December when they were making decisions. Had they known that, they would’ve stayed (in college).” Along with Wright (who played under Kiffin for two years), the Tigers also landed a commitment from Notre Dame edge rusher Junior Tuihalamaka and, according to multiple reports, are on track to add former Ole Miss defensive tackle Zxavian Harris. Both players had gained an extra year of eligibility through the court ruling. Tuihalamaka never signed with an NFL team after his four seasons in South Bend, but Harris had signed with the New Orleans Saints after going undrafted. He was released by the team before the Louisiana temporary restraining order, in part because of a foot injury. The Saints did not know that Harris intended to return to college prior to the team’s decision to release him, coach Kellen Moore said. “Obviously, we were in a unique situation with him when he was coming off an injury,” Moore said. “So he never made it to the field with us. We spent some time with him, and obviously we made a transaction that we felt we needed to make.” Kiffin declined to speak on the specifics of why LSU wanted to

add Wright, Tuihalamaka or Harris, but he wasn’t afraid to defend his decision to pursue the newly eligible players. As he put it, he wouldn’t be doing his job if he didn’t try to land them. “At the end of the day, because of these rulings, either they’re going to play for you, or they’re going to play somewhere else around the country,” Kiffin said. “So we’ve made the decision to recruit them, like most people are.” Kiffin also defended the athletes for their decision to return to college sports for a fifth season, calling the criticism they’ve received unjust. “I think there’s a lot of misinformation (where) a lot of people don’t understand why players are getting them,” Kiffin said. “It’s not because of some other reasons that people may think.” Kiffin doesn’t believe that Wright or Harris’ hope of returning to college sports will be a norm moving forward. The Louisiana temporary restraining order is a unique scenario within the ever-changing landscape of college sports. But the fundamental question for Kiffin still remained: Does he think that NFL players should be allowed to return to college? “I think that situations are different,” Kiffin said. “In general, should NFL players come back to college? I believe … that answer should be no. I think that every circumstance should be looked at differently. “This is a very unique circumstance … this is not the many circumstances discussed over the years of professionals coming back. They did not know that they had (an extra) year.”

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Tuesday,August 25, 2026 ✦ 5C

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THE VARSITY ZONE FOOTBALL PRE VIEW n DISTRICT 7-5A

Full speed ahead

Hahnville senior RB is Division I-bound after overcoming serious leg injury

Hahnville Last year: 9-3 (second round), 4-2 in 8-5A

Thibodaux Last year: 8-3 (first round), 4-2 in 8-5A H.L. Bourgeois Last year: 5-5, 2-4 in 8-5A East St. John Last year: 1-9, 1-5 in 8-5A

Staff writer

Central Lafourche Last year: 2-8, 0-6 in 8-5A

FIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH

FILE PHOTO By GRANT THERKILDSEN

Hahnville running back Fabian Celestine runs for a touchdown during a jamboree last season at Fontainebleau. freshman. Smith was a senior at Hahnville during Celestine’s sophomore year. “I learned a lot from (Smith),” Celestine said. “When it’s game time, we’re serious, we’re locked in. I learned that from him.” More offers could come Celestine’s way with another strong year of ﬁlm, but he committed to Northwestern State after building relationships during his visit to Natchitoches. “(Northwestern State) showed me a lot of love,” Celestine said. “They wanted me, and I want to be somewhere where I’m wanted.” While Celestine will carry the load in the ground game, Hahnville will again be a threat to pass the ball this season. The Tigers return their senior quarterback Landen Teague, who’s committed to Southeastern for baseball. Teague threw for 1,850 yards and 21 touchdowns with just three interceptions a year ago. “To have (Celestine and Teague) running the show on offense, it makes you feel OK with most of the things we do,” Boyne said. “Landen has always been calm and collected.” At wide receiver, senior Aaron Williams leads the way as a returning starter. Senior Kaiden Bran will also be in-

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

1,200 yards last season. Senior defensive end Beaux Woods is 1. Destrehan has three seniors among the top returners on defense. committed to Nicholls in Dabney, 3. Terrebonne is replacing wide receiver Jaylan Ash and safety Ryan Montague.Ash is the top target 21 seniors, including starting quarterback Owen Oliver. Senior for first-year starting quarterback Aushai Smith now that last season’s wide receiver Terrance Diggs is the top returning player on offense, leading receiver, Jabari Mack, is at a team captain who recorded LSU. 676 receiving yards and eight 2. Hahnville returns key seniors on offense in Teague and running back touchdowns on 36 receptions. 4. Thibodaux won eight games last Fabian Celestine, a Northwestern State commitment who ran for over season in Lowell Narcisse’s first

volved, along with juniors Dwayne Cola and Early James. The offensive line is led by senior left tackle Ja’ron Miles, who has a Nicholls offer. Junior guard Jacob Savage is another key returner who started every game last season. Senior defensive end Beaux Woods will anchor Hahnville’s defensive front after finishing with five turnovers last season. Seniors Avery Benoit, Jaeden Downs and Raanan Russ lead the linebacker room. Hahnville’s defensive backfield is led by senior free safety Brayden Fontenot, whom Boyne described as “the heart and soul” of the defense. Senior Aaron Walker is a returning starter who can play either safety or cornerback. “The strength of our defense is the secondary,” Boyne said. “At linebacker, we probably have the most depth since I’ve been here.” Hahnville begins the regular season against Shaw followed by St. Charles in Week 2. District play starts in Week 5 against H.L. Bourgeois, and the annual rivalry game against Destrehan is scheduled for Week 7. Email Spencer Urquhart at surquhart@ theadvocate.com.

Malachi Dabney RB | Destrehan, Sr. Dabney broke out as Destrehan’s starting running back in the middle of his sophomore year and was an LSWA all-state selection last season as a junior.A Nicholls commitment, Dabney finished with 1,733 rushing yards and 35 total touchdowns in 2025. Landen Teague QB | Hahnville, Sr. Teague is a multisport standout at Hahnville who’s now a three-year starter at quarterback.A Southeastern baseball commitment,Teague completed 63% of his passes for 1,850 yards and 31 touchdowns last season with just three interceptions. Mason Coleman LB | Terrebonne, Sr. A Class 5A LSWA all-state selection, Coleman returns as the leader of Terrebonne’s defense. He recorded a teamhigh 124 tackles along with seven tackles for loss, two sacks and two forced fumbles last season as a junior. Cemiyen Adams RB | Thibodaux, Jr. Adams racked up nearly 1,000 yards and 14 touchdowns as a sophomore despite not seeing the field at the start of the season. He broke through for 232 rushing yards and four touchdowns against L.B. Landry. Deontae Fleming WR | East St. John, Jr. Fleming is the younger brother of former Tulane standout Dontae Fleming. Deontae finished last season with 786 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 36 receptions as the leader of a talented East St. John skill group.

year as head coach, a four-win improvement from 2024.The Tigers return nine starters on offense, including senior quarterback Damian Robertson and four offensive linemen. 5. H.L. Bourgeois and Central Lafourche have first-year head coaches. Former Edna Karr quarterback Munchie LeGaux takes over at H.L. Bourgeois, and Central Lafourche brought in former South Terrebonne head coach Aaron Babin.

TULANE

Destrehan running back Malachi Dabney, left, takes a handoff in the red zone against Catholic on Sept. 5 at Memorial Stadium. STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

“It’s kind of hard to get momentum going when you have two quarterbacks at one time. But if that happens, that’s the best decision for the team at the end of the day.”

Continued from page 1C Football Playoff berth — but he started all 12 games for 3-9 Ball State in 2024, throwing for 2,904 yards and 25 touchdowns. He also started the ﬁrst four games in 2023 as a true freshman. Tulane’s quarterback battle included walk-on John Curtis product Dagan Bruno, a redshirt sophomore, and true freshman Trace Johnson. All four split practice repetitions for the ﬁrst two weeks before Chriss-Gremillion and Semonza were elevated last week. Hall has said repeatedly he might use more than one quarterback, depending on the game plan for each opponent. Semonza is Tulane’s most proven passer. Bruno has experience running an option offense — a frequently used package by the Wave this preseason — for John Curtis’ split-back veer. Johnson is the best pure passer. While acknowledging Hall’s authority, Chriss-Gremillion said Saturday he preferred having a clear No. 1. “It’s kind of hard to get momen-

Destrehan Last year: 8-3 overall (second round), 6-0 in 8-5A

Terrebonne Last year: 8-4 (second round), 4-2 in 8-5A

BY SPENCER URQUHART Hahnville football coach Greg Boyne was thrilled to see Fabian Celestine power clean 275 pounds this offseason, providing a reassuring sign that the senior running back is fully healthy and ready to roll for the 2026 campaign. Two years ago, a significant injury curtailed what had been a promising sophomore campaign. Celestine suffered a season-ending broken fibula (calf bone) in Week 4 in 2024, setting the powerful running back up for a lengthy recovery period. He returned in time for Hahnville’s season opener last year but was hesitant early in the season while regaining confidence. Tasked with being Hahnville’s workhorse back, Celestine’s confidence grew with each week during the 2025 campaign. He finished with 1,330 yards from scrimmage and 18 touchdowns, earning him four Division I offers after the season ended. “(Returning from the injury) was really just a mindset thing,” Celestine said. “Making myself believe that I’m back healthy, I’m fully healthy and I can do it. I was coming back at first kind of scared, kind of nervous, but got out of that. I felt good being able to be the top back on the team.” Celestine produced plenty on the ground last season, finishing with 1,241 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. He also added 11 receptions for 89 yards and a score. No Division I schools had offered Celestine prior to last season’s breakout performance. Nicholls was the first to offer him in January, with offers from UL, Northwestern State and Alcorn State to follow. “Fabian (Celestine) is fully healthy and fully confident,” Boyne said. “It’s exciting to see. (Northwestern State coach Blaine) McCorkle was the first to come through, and the comfort level was there when he said, ‘We want you.’ ” The 5-foot-10, 185-pound Celestine committed to Northwestern State in July. He’s on track to be Hahnville’s second Division I running back signee in three years after former Tigers workhorse Calvin Smith signed with Southeastern in December 2024. Celestine learned from Smith, who saw action last season at Southeastern as a

LOOKING BACK

ZEON CHRISS-GREMILLION, Tulane quarterback

STAFF FILE PHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK

Tulane defensive tackle Derrick Shephard, left, attempts to block a pass from quarterback Zeon Chriss-Gremillion during a spring scrimmage at yulman Stadium on April 18. tum going when you have two quarterbacks at one time,” he said. “But if that happens, that’s the best decision for the team at the end of the day.”

Hall is looking for more stability at the position than he had in his 31/2 years at Southern Miss from 202124. Partly due to injuries and partly due to performance, the Golden

Eagles cycled through seven quarterbacks before Hall was ﬁred. No opening-day starter lasted more than ﬁve games. Tulane is a 91/2-point underdog to Duke, which won the ACC Championship Game last year but lost quarterback Darian Mensah to the transfer portal (Miami) just as the Wave had the year before. Tulane, which has reached four consecutive American Conference championship games, beat Duke and Mensah 34-27 at Yulman Stadium last September. There were few surprises with the rest of the depth chart. Everyone who practiced with the first unit for a majority of camp on a defense that returns six of its top 10 tacklers is listed as a starter. The only spot where a starter has not been determined is nickelback, with TJ Smith or Kajuan Banks competing for the nod. Running back Jamauri McClure, center John Bock and left

guard Elijah Baker, all of whom are questionable for the opener with injuries, are listed as possible starters. Maurice Turner and Johnnie Daniels are in the running to replace McClure if he is unavailable. Gresham Perry would start in place of Baker, and Gavin Marks would step in for Bock. Jaylin Lucas is listed as the ﬁrstteam super back — a hybrid runner-receiver spot similar to what Amari Jones did when Hall was offensive coordinator in 2019-20. There are two tight end spots. Either Dawson Johnson or Duke transfer Vance Bolyard will start at one, while Ty Thompson (if healthy), Gabe Lovorn and Cam Roberts are candidates for the other. The top three wideouts are Anthony Brown-Stephens, Zycarl Lewis and Destyn Hill. Cooper Helmke is the No. 1 punter. Jackson Courville is the starting kicker.

6C ✦ Tuesday,August 25, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

Koval leaving LSU women for ‘personal reasons’ BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

LSU women’s basketball center Kate Koval has decided to leave the team for personal reasons, coach Kim Mulkey announced Monday evening. Koval, a junior from Ukraine, joined the Tigers as a transfer in 2025 and started 17 games last year. She was in line for another signiﬁcant role this coming season, a year in which LSU’s frontcourt rotation was also set to feature sophomore forward Grace Knox and two international signees. “Kate came to see me on Sunday,” Mulkey said in a statement, “and told me that after much consideration, she will be leaving the program for personal reasons. We will respect her privacy on her decision, but we had a long talk about it, and it was a hard decision for her. I know it is hard because she loves LSU. Kate is a great person. She has to do what she feels is right for her, and we fully support her in that. We all wish her the best.” Koval was one of the top recruits in the 2024 freshman class. Mulkey and her staff recruited her when she was playing high school basketball in New York, but she decided to begin her collegiate career at Notre Dame. The Tigers circled back to Koval when she entered the transfer portal in 2025 ahead of her sophomore season. That year, she averaged 8.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game while shooting 56% from the ﬁeld. Koval then decided to return to LSU for her junior season before reversing course Sunday. Had Koval stuck with the Tigers,

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU forward Kate Koval turns to the hoop against Tennessee forward Zee Spearman in the first quarter on Feb. 26 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. she and 17-year-old center Anna Minaeva would’ve become what was believed to be the ﬁrst pair of Russian and Ukrainian athletes to share a locker room in women’s college basketball since Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2022. Koval’s father, Oleksandr, is part of the Ukrainian military. Mulkey told The Advocate in a recent interview that she talked to Koval before she recruited Minaeva and that she hoped the two players could become “ambassadors” for peace and kinship amid international conﬂict. “I want you to understand I’m not here to ask you to change how you feel about Russia,” Mulkey said, recalling her conversation with Koval. “I’m just here out of respect for your family and out of respect for you to let you know.

Because I know how personal it is for you. “Know that what I have to do in this business, I cannot make a decision to not recruit somebody that can help our program because of a conflict between two countries.” Without Koval, LSU’s frontcourt now features Knox, Minaeva, Spanish forward Noa Morro and sophomore forward Meghan Yarnevich. ZaKiyah Johnson, another sophomore, played in the post last year, but the Tigers had plans for her to spend most of the 202627 season as a guard — the position she played primarily in high school. Morro is a 6-3 sharpshooter with professional experience. During the 2025-26 season, a year she spent with the Spanish club Kutxabank Araski, the 21-year-old scored 8.2 points and grabbed 7.5 rebounds per game while shooting 38% from 3-point range. Former LSU forward Amiya Joyner initially exhausted her eligibility at the end of last season, but a recent Louisiana state court ruling paved the way for her and roughly 30 other athletes, across all NCAA sports, to rejoin the college ranks this school year. Joyner entered the transfer portal on Friday. NCAA rules do not allow Koval to join a new program for the 202627 season. If she sits out this year, then she can enter the transfer portal when it opens in April and find a place where she can play her final two seasons of eligibility. The NCAA recently switched to an agebased eligibility model that allows athletes to play up to five seasons in five calendar years.

SCOREBOARD Holes-in-one

Tuesday’s Games

Brandon Black

Course: Baton Rouge Country Club Hole: No.3 Yardage: 127 yards Club: Pitching Wedge Witnesses: Lee Jenkins, Tom Moore, Chris Prudhomme

Jim Scarton

Odds

NFL Glance Thursday’s Games

Saturday’s Games

Sports Betting Line NFL Thursday

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG at BUFFALO 1½ 1½ (35½) Pittsburgh at LAS VEGAS 2½ 1½ (37½) San Fran New England 1½ 2½ (34½) at CLE at CHARGERS 3½ 4½ (38½) LA Rams FAVORITE at BAL Atlanta Houston Tampa Bay NY Giants Arizona at DALLAS at PHILA at K.C. at DENVER

OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG 2½ 3½ (35½)Washington 3 4½ (36½) at MIAMI 1½ 2½ (35½) at CAR 1½ 1½ (35½) at JAX 2½ 3 (37½) at NY JETS 1½ 2½ (37½) at G.B. 3½ 1½ (38½) New Orlns 2½ 2½ (36½) Cincinnati 1½ 1½ (36½) Seattle 4½ 6½ (39½) Minnesota

FAVORITE at IND at TEN

OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG 1½ 3½ (36) Detroit 1½ 3 (36½) Chicago

Saturday

Pro football Las Vegas 22, Houston 20 San Francisco 41, L.A. Chargers 17 Friday’s Games N.Y. Jets 17, Pittsburgh 0 Carolina 34, Jacksonville 17 Green Bay 33, Denver 13

Course: Santa Maria Hole: No. 2 Club: 8 Iron Witnesses: Brent Lambert, Roger Camp

Friday

Chicago at Connecticut, 6 p.m. Portland at Dallas, 7 p.m. Washington at Phoenix, 9 p.m.

College Football Saturday

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG at TCU 6½ 7½ (47½) N. Carolina at USC 35½ 38½ (60½) San Jose St at VIRGINIA 5½ 5½ (53½) NC State at NDSU 8½ 6½ (46½) Jaxville St. at E. MICHIGN 7½ 9½ (52½) Sac. St. at STANFORD 3½ 5½ (49½) Hawaii at FSU 30½ 31½ (53½)New Mex St at UNLV 3½ 5½ (57½) Memphis

MLB

Tuesday

American League FAVORITE LINE Tampa Bay -134 at N.Y YANKEES -146 at TORONTO -123 Texas -115 Cleveland -140 Minnesota -154 National League FAVORITE LINE at WASH OFF Milwaukee -166 LA Dodgers -157 Chicago Cubs -112 Pittsburgh -115 Cincinnati -113 Interleague FAVORITE LINE at MIAMI OFF at ST. LOUIS OFF Philadelphia -119

UNDERDOG at DETROIT Houston Kansas City at WHITE SOX at LA ANGELS at ATHLETICS

LINE +110 +119 +100 -107 +115 +126

UNDERDOG Colorado at N.Y METS at ATLANTA at ARIZONA at SAN DIEGO at SAN FRAN

LINE OFF +136 +129 -110 -107 -109

UNDERDOG Boston Baltimore at SEATTLE

LINE OFF OFF -104

Pro basketball WNBA Glance EASTERN CONFERENCE x-Atlanta x-Indiana x-New York x-Washington Chicago Toronto Connecticut

W 24 25 23 22 15 11 9

L 13 14 15 15 23 26 27

Pct GB .649 — .641 — .605 1½ .595 2 .395 9½ .297 13 .250 14½

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

W 31 25 26 22 15 13 13 7

L 7 11 13 16 22 24 24 31

Pct GB .816 — .694 5 .667 5½ .579 9 .405 15½ .351 17½ .351 17½ .184 24

WESTERN CONFERENCE

x-clinched playoff spot Sunday’s Games

Dallas 92, Seattle 70 Las Vegas 88, Toronto 78 Indiana 113, Chicago 90 Washington 105, Portland 100

Monday’s Games

Golden State 80, Minnesota 66 Atlanta at Los Angeles, n

Detroit 17, Washington 13 Atlanta 34, Indianapolis 6 Baltimore 13, Minnesota 3 Buffalo 31, Cleveland 7 L.A. Rams 34, New Orleans 0 N.Y. Giants 26, Miami 3 Cincinnati 27, Chicago 9 New England 24, Philadelphia 21 Tampa Bay 16, Kansas City 15 Dallas 34, Arizona 13

Sunday’s Games

Tennessee 19, Seattle 16

Thursday, Aug. 27

Pittsburgh at Buffalo, 6 p.m. New England at Cleveland, 7 p.m. San Francisco at Las Vegas, 7 p.m. L.A. Rams at L.A. Chargers, 9 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 28

Washington at Baltimore, 5 p.m. Atlanta at Miami, 6 p.m. Houston at Carolina, 6 p.m. N.Y. Giants at N.Y. Jets, 6:30 p.m. Tampa Bay at Jacksonville, 6:30 p.m. Arizona at Green Bay, 7 p.m. Cincinnati at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. New Orleans at Dallas, 7 p.m. Seattle at Kansas City, 7 p.m. Minnesota at Denver, 8 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 29

Detroit at Indianapolis, noon Chicago at Tennessee, 5 p.m.

Golf PGA Tour Statistics Through Aug. 23

FedExCup Season Points 1, Scottie Scheffler, 4,986. 2, Matt Fitzpatrick, 3,463. 3, Wyndham Clark, 3,292. 4, Cameron Young, 3,206. 5, Si Woo Kim, 2,729. 6, Chris Gotterup, 2,588. 7, Collin Morikawa, 2,542. 8, Sam Burns, 2,453. 9, Tommy Fleetwood, 2,263. 10, Ludvig Åberg, 2,198. Scoring Average 1, Scottie Scheffler, 68.654. 2, Rory McIlroy, 69.351. 3, Collin Morikawa, 69.468. 4, Matt Fitzpatrick, 69.524. 5, Sam Burns, 69.689. 6, Wyndham Clark, 69.698. 7, Chris Gotterup, 69.711. 8, Tommy Fleetwood, 69.723. 9, Xander Schauffele, 69.738. 10, Si Woo Kim, 69.759. Driving Distance 1, Aldrich Potgieter, 331.1. 2, Rory McIlroy, 330. 3, Michael Brennan, 327.1. 4, Nicolai Hojgaard, 325.1. 5, Marco Penge, 325. 6, Gary Woodland, 323.2. 7 (tie), Rasmus Hojgaard and Min Woo Lee, 323. 9, Chris Gotterup, 322.6. 10, Johnny Keefer, 319.7. Driving Accuracy Percentage 1, Russell Henley, 71.84%. 2, Aaron Rai, 71.30%. 3, Davis Chatfield, 71.20%. 4, Joel Dahmen, 71.05%. 5, Lucas Glover, 69.65%. 6, Si Woo Kim, 69.19%. 7, Emiliano Grillo, 69.18%. 8, Brandt Snedeker, 69.07%. 9, Chandler Blanchet, 68.47%. 10, Kensei Hirata, 68.32%. Greens in Regulation Percentage 1, 10 tied with .00%. Total Driving 1, Alex Fitzpatrick, 50. 2, Jordan Smith, 57. 3, Neal Shipley, 65. 4 (tie), Scottie Scheffler and Kristoffer Ventura, 66. 6, Xander Schauffele, 80. 7 (tie), Michael Thorbjornsen and Sudarshan Yellamaraju, 88. 9, Gary Woodland, 89. 10, 2 tied with 93. SG-Putting 1, Jacob Bridgeman, .704. 2, Vince Whaley, .639. 3, Alex Noren, .632. 4, Sam Burns, .630. 5, Scottie Scheffler, .606. 6, Maverick McNealy, .585. 7, Beau Hossler, .571. 8, Russell Henley, .532. 9, Denny McCarthy, .520. 10, A.J. Ewart, .511. Birdie Average 1, Scottie Scheffler, 4.8. 2 (tie), Si Woo Kim and Collin Morikawa, 4.47. 4, Wyndham Clark, 4.46. 5, Kevin Yu, 4.34. 6, Ludvig Aberg, 4.29. 7, Keith Mitchell, 4.24. 8 (tie), Jacob Bridgeman and Sam Burns, 4.23. 10, Viktor Hovland, 4.22. Eagles (Holes per) 1, Kristoffer Ventura, 60.4. 2, Jake Knapp, 61.4. 3, Matt Wallace, 81.7. 4, Rasmus Hojgaard, 85.8. 5, Nicolai Hojgaard, 88.8. 6, Billy Horschel, 92.6. 7, Aldrich Potgieter, 94.5. 8, Tommy Fleetwood, 96.9. 9, Shane Lowry, 98.2.

10, Keegan Bradley, 99.7. Sand Save Percentage 1, 10 tied with .00%. All-Around Ranking 1, Scottie Schefﬂer, 168. 2, Collin Morikawa, 243. 3, Sam Burns, 278. 4, Patrick Cantlay, 289. 5, Doug Ghim, 299. 6, Ludvig Aberg, 301. 7, Chris Gotterup, 313. 8, Wyndham Clark, 314. 9, Jake Knapp, 320. 10, Si Woo Kim, 327.

LPGA Tour Statistics Through Aug. 23

Scoring 1, Nelly Korda, 69.14. 2, Haeran Ryu, 69.51. 3 (tie), Jeeno Thitikul and Miyu Yamashita, 69.91. 5, Hyo Joo Kim, 70.06. 6, Lydia Ko, 70.28. 7, Ruoning Yin, 70.29. 8, Sei Young Kim, 70.44. 9, Hye-Jin Choi, 70.68. 10, Ina Yoon, 70.73. Driving Distance 1, Riley Smyth, 290.62. 2, Julia Lopez Ramirez, 288.05. 3, Laney Frye, 281.05. 4, Polly Mack, 280.83. 5, Auston Kim, 280.58. 6, Suvichaya Vinijchaitham, 279.89. 7, Ina Yoon, 277.93. 8, Emily Kristine Pedersen, 277.92. 9, Dongeun Lee, 276.74. 10, Nanna Koerstz Madsen, 276.7. Greens in Regulation 1, Haeran Ryu, .79%. 2, Jeeno Thitikul, .75%. 3 (tie), Dongeun Lee and Lottie Woad, .73%. 5, 6 tied with .72%. Putts per GIR 1, Stephanie Meadow, 1.71. 2 (tie), Minami Katsu and Hyo Joo Kim, 1.72. 4, Angel Yin, 1.73. 5, Mi Hyang Lee, 1.74. 6 (tie), Ariya Jutanugarn, Nelly Korda, Gaby Lopez and Miyu Yamashita, 1.75. 10, 3 tied with 1.76. Birdies 1, Aki Iwai, 262. 2, Miyu Yamashita, 247. 3, Minami Katsu, 241. 4, Yan Liu, 234. 5, Haeran Ryu, 232. 6, Lottie Woad, 230. 7, Jeeno Thitikul, 229. 8, Ruoning Yin, 227. 9, Pajaree Anannarukarn, 226. 10, Chizzy Iwai, 222. Eagles 1, Brooke M. Henderson, 15. 2 (tie), Hye-Jin Choi, Sei Young Kim and Nelly Korda, 9. 5 (tie), Jenny Bae, Minji Kang and Ryann O’Toole, 8. 8, 8 tied with 7. Sand Save Percentage 1 (tie), Peiyun Chien and Pornanong Phatlum, .60%. 3, Peiyun Chien, .59%. 4, Nelly Korda, .58%. 5 (tie), Jin Hee Im, Alexa Pano and Patty Tavatanakit, .57%. 8 (tie), Celine Borge and Ryann O’Toole, .56%. 10, Minami Katsu, .55%. Rounds Under Par 1, Miyu Yamashita, .62%. 2, Nelly Korda, .76%. 3, Haeran Ryu, .70%. 4, Aki Iwai, .54%. 5, Ruoning Yin, .61%. 6, Hye-Jin Choi, .55%. 7, Jeeno Thitikul, .62%. 8, Minami Katsu, .57%. 9 (tie), Pajaree Anannarukarn and Chizzy Iwai, .52%. 11, Cassie Porter, .60%. 12, Lottie Woad, .54%.

Transactions Major League Baseball

American League NEW YORK YANKEES — Optioned RHP Brendan Beck to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (IL). National League ATLANTA BRAVES — Recalled RF Brewer Hicklen from Gwinnett (IL). Optioned Hicklen and SS Jim Jarvis to Gwinnett. COLORADO ROCKIES — Placed LHP Kyle Freeland on the 15-day IL retroactive to Aug. 21. Selected the contract of RHP Blake Adams from Albuquerque (PCL). MILWAUKEE BREWERS — Optioned C Bo Naylor to Nashville (IL).

FOOTBALL

National Football League CINCINNATI BENGALS — Released OT Cody Ford. CLEVELAND BROWNS — Reinstated DT Maliek Collins from the active/PUP list. Waived CB Tyron Herring from injured reserve and TE Dae’Quan Wright. HOUSTON TEXANS — Signed RB Deuce Vaughn, LB Caleb Johnson and S George Odum. Released WR Juwann Winfree. Waived WR Jha’Quan Jackson. Waived/injured LB Marte Mapu. LOS ANGELES RAMS — Signed CB Steven Gilmore and OLB Devean Deal. Reinstated OL Justin Dedich from the active/PUP list. Placed CB Zech McPhearson and OLB Keir Thomas II on injured reserve. Waived/injured LB Daniel Rickert. MIAMI DOLPHINS — Signed TE Ethan Conner and ILB Jaheim Thomas. Waived C Jim Bonifas and CB Ahmari Harvey. MINNESOTA VIKINGS — Signed TE Matt Lauter and DL Jonathan Harris. Waived/injured CB Tyreek Chappell and DL Taki Taimani. PITTSBURGH STEELERS — Reinstated CB Jalen Ramsey from the active/PUP list. Signed CB Jaylon Guilbeau and RB Alex Tecza. Placed DB Israel Mukuamu on injured reserve.

SOCCER

Major League Soccer MINNESOTA UNITED — Signed F Maurice Malone to a contract through the 2029-30 season with a club option for 2030-31.

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL American League East Division

National League

Tampa Bay New York Boston Toronto Baltimore

W 77 74 71 64 63

L 53 56 59 68 68

Pct GB .592 — .569 3 .546 6 .485 14 .481 14½

Chicago Cleveland Minnesota Detroit Kansas City

W 68 65 63 61 58

L 62 66 68 69 74

Pct .523 .496 .481 .469 .439

GB — 3½ 5½ 7 11

Houston Texas Seattle Los Angeles Athletics

W 65 65 62 52 51

L 66 66 69 79 80

Pct .496 .496 .473 .397 .389

GB — — 3 13 14

Central Division

West Division

Sunday’s Games

Tampa Bay 3, Baltimore 1 N.Y. Yankees 8, Toronto 3 Chicago White Sox 2, N.Y. Mets 1 Kansas City 11, Detroit 7 Texas 5, L.A. Angels 3 Athletics 7, Houston 6 Boston 5, San Francisco 4 Cleveland 7, Colorado 2 San Diego 8, Minnesota 1 Chicago Cubs 19, Seattle 2

East Division Atlanta Philadelphia Miami Washington New York

W 76 73 67 61 59

L 55 58 64 71 72

Pct GB .580 — .557 3 .511 9 .462 15½ .450 17

Milwaukee Chicago St. Louis Pittsburgh Cincinnati

W 81 75 66 63 62

L 50 56 66 69 69

Pct GB .618 — .573 6 .500 15½ .477 18½ .473 19

Los Angeles San Diego Arizona San Francisco Colorado

W 80 71 69 52 50

L 51 60 62 78 80

Pct GB .611 — .542 9 .527 11 .400 27½ .385 29½

Central Division

West Division

Sunday’s Games

Philadelphia 6, St. Louis 4 Miami 6, Washington 2 Chicago White Sox 2, N.Y. Mets 1 Boston 5, San Francisco 4 Cleveland 7, Colorado 2 L.A. Dodgers 4, Pittsburgh 0 San Diego 8, Minnesota 1 Arizona 5, Cincinnati 3 Chicago Cubs 19, Seattle 2 Atlanta at Milwaukee, 6:10 p.m.

Monday’s Games

Boston 4, Miami 2 Tampa Bay 4, Detroit 1 Texas at Chicago White Sox, n Cleveland at L.A. Angels,n Minnesota at Athletics, n Philadelphia at Seattle, n

Boston 4, Miami 2 Washington 13, Colorado 3 Chicago Cubs at Arizona, n Philadelphia at Seattle, n Pittsburgh at San Diego, n Cincinnati at San Francisco, n

Tuesday’s Games

Boston (Tolle 8-6) at Miami (TBD), 5:40 p.m. Tampa Bay (Seymour 9-4) at Detroit (Jobe 1-1), 5:40 p.m. Houston (Pecko 0-0) at N.Y. Yankees (Warren 8-6), 6:05 p.m. Kansas City (Lugo 5-7) at Toronto (Scherzer 1-6), 6:07 p.m. Texas (deGrom 9-8) at Chicago White Sox (Kay 9-6), 6:40 p.m. Baltimore (Bassitt 4-4) at St. Louis (Liberatore 5-11), 6:45 p.m. Cleveland (Williams 12-7) at L.A. Angels (Ureña 8-9), 8:38 p.m. Minnesota (Bradley 9-5) at Athletics (Jump 5-8), 8:40 p.m. Philadelphia (Nola 5-9) at Seattle (Kirby 8-10), 8:40 p.m.

Tuesday’s Games

Boston (Tolle 8-6) at Miami (TBD), 5:40 p.m. Colorado (Freeland 4-10) at Washington (Alvarez 2-5), 5:45 p.m. Milwaukee (Harrison 10-3) at N.Y. Mets (Thornton 3-4), 6:10 p.m. L.A. Dodgers (Glasnow 3-0) at Atlanta (Elder 8-7), 6:15 p.m. Baltimore (Bassitt 4-4) at St. Louis (Liberatore 5-11), 6:45 p.m. Chicago Cubs (Holmes 5-6) at Arizona (Pfaadt 7-1), 8:40 p.m. Philadelphia (Nola 5-9) at Seattle (Kirby 8-10), 8:40 p.m. Pittsburgh (Skenes 9-11) at San Diego (King 8-9), 8:40 p.m. Cincinnati (Singer 5-11) at San Francisco (Roupp 7-13), 8:45 p.m.

BOX SCORES Tampa Bay 4, Detroit 1

Boston 4, Miami 2

Tampa Bay

Boston

Detroit

ab r h bi ab r h bi Díaz dh 4 1 1 0 Keith dh 3 0 00 Vilade rf 3 1 1 0 Lee 2b 4 0 00 Mullins ph-cf1 0 0 0 McGonigle 3b 4 1 1 0 Caminero 3b3 0 1 1 Dingler c 3 0 10 DeLuca cf-rf 4 0 2 0 Callahan lf 1 0 01 Aranda 1b 4 1 1 2 Malgeri ph-lf 2 0 1 0 Mateo 2b 2 1 1 0 McKinstry rf 4 0 0 0 Fortes c 3 0 0 0 Torkelson 1b 4 0 1 0 Simpson lf 4 0 2 1 Clark cf 3 0 00 Walls ss 4 0 0 0 Báez ss 3 0 10 Totals 32 4 9 4 Totals 31 1 5 1 Tampa Bay 200 101 000 — 4 Detroit 000 100 000 — 1 E_Callahan (1). DP_Tampa Bay 0, Detroit 1. LOB_Tampa Bay 6, Detroit 6. 2B_DeLuca (19), Mateo (7), McGonigle (24), Torkelson (22). HR_Aranda (16). SF_Callahan (1). S_Fortes (4). IP H R ER BB SO Tampa Bay Rasmussen W,14-5 6 3 1 1 0 5 Cleavinger H,23 1 0 0 0 0 2 Rodríguez H,1 1 1 0 0 1 3 Baker S,38-41 1 1 0 0 0 2 Detroit Valdez L,8-9 6 8 4 3 2 0 Rainey 2 0 0 0 2 2 Holton 1 1 0 0 0 1 HBP_Baker (Dingler). ABS Challenge_Rasmussen (BallConfirmed); Keith (Strike-Confirmed); Torkelson (Strike-Confirmed). Umpires_Home, Quinn Wolcott; First, Paul Clemons; Second, Adrian Johnson; Third, Dexter Kelley. T_2:36. A_23,265 (41,083).

Miami

ab r h bi ab r h bi Sogard ss 5 0 1 1 Lopez ss 4 1 21 Rafaela cf 5 0 1 0 Hernández lf 4 0 2 0 Abreu rf 4 1 1 0 Stowers 1b 4 0 10 Contreras 1b4 0 0 0 Ramírez dh 2 0 00 Rutschman c5 0 0 0 Caissie ph-dh 1 0 1 0 Durbin 3b 4 0 1 0 Edwards 2b 5 0 11 Duran lf 4 1 2 0 Marsee cf 3 1 00 Gasper dh 2 0 2 1 Sanoja 3b 4 0 00 White pr-dh 0 1 0 0 Ruiz rf 1 0 00 Seigler 2b 3 1 1 1 Conine ph-rf 2 0 0 0 Mack c 3 0 10 Jiménez ph 1 0 10 Totals 36 4 9 3 Totals 34 2 9 2 Boston 000 010 012 — 4 Miami 010 000 100 — 2 E_Duran (2). DP_Boston 1, Miami 0. LOB_Boston 10, Miami 14. 2B_Gasper (8), Duran (14), Abreu (28), Stowers (22), Lopez (30). 3B_Seigler (1). SF_Lopez (11). IP H R ER BB SO Boston Suarez 5 4 1 1 4 4 Bello 2 2 1 1 2 1 Miller W,3-0 1 2 0 0 0 1 Chapman S,30-32 1 1 0 0 0 1 Miami Alcantara 7 6 1 1 2 6 Ekness BS,1-3 1 1 1 1 0 1 Fairbanks L,4-5 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 Zuber ⁄3 2 1 1 0 0 2 Gibson /3 0 0 0 1 0 Fairbanks pitched to 1 batter in the 9th. HBP_Suarez 2 (Marsee,Ruiz), Ekness (Contreras). WP_Ekness. ABS Challenge_Alcantara (BallOverturned to Strike); Rafaela (StrikeConﬁrmed); Suarez (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Suarez (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Gibson (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Chapman (Ball-Overturned to Strike). Umpires_Home, Ron Kulpa; First, David Rackley; Second, Manny Gonzalez; Third, Tom Hanahan. T_3:05. A_16,247 (37,446).

THIS DATE IN BASEBALL Aug. 25 1922 — In one of the wildest games ever played, the Cubs beat the Phillies 26-23. The Cubs led 25-6 in the fourth inning, but held on as the game ended with the Phillies leaving the bases loaded. 1934 — Detroit’s Schoolboy Rowe won his 16th consecutive game with a 4-2 triumph over the Washington Senators. Rowe singled in the winning run in the ninth inning. 1952 — Detroit’s Virgil Trucks pitched his second no-hitter of the season, a 1-0 gem over New York at Yankee Stadium. The Tigers committed two errors and Trucks walked one batter and struck out eight. It was the last victory of the season for Trucks, who finished with a 5-19 record. 1967 — Dean Chance of Minnesota pitched his second no-hitter of the month, defeating the Indians 2-1. Chance pitched an abbreviated five perfect innings against Boston on Aug. 6 for a 2-0 victory. 1972 — Philadelphia Ken Reynolds tied a National League record with his 12th consecutive loss, 6-1 to Cincinnati, from the beginning of the season. 1979 — California’s Don Baylor tied a club record by driving in eight runs during a 24-2 rout of the Toronto Blue Jays. The 24 runs and 26 hits set Angel records. 1985 — New York’s Dwight Gooden became the youngest pitcher ever to win 20 games with a 9-3 triumph over the San Diego Padres. Gooden at age 20 years, nine months, and nine days was one month younger that Bob Feller who won 20 games in 1939. 1998 — Toronto’s Roger Clemens struck out 18 and won his 11th straight decision as he pitched a 3-0 three-hit victory over the Kansas City Royals. 2004 — Jeff DaVanon became the first Angels player in 13 years to hit for the cycle in Anaheim’s 21-6 rout of Kansas City. 2008 — Brett Myers, J.C. Romero and Clay Condrey combined on a 13-hit shutout in Philadelphia’s 5-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. 2010 — The Colorado Rockies overcame a nine-run deficit, matching the biggest rally in team history and stunning the Atlanta Braves 12-10 on Troy Tulowitzki’s go-ahead

single in the eighth inning. Down 10-1 in the third inning, the Rockies chipped away against the NL East leader before taking the lead with four runs in the eighth. 2010 — The Reds blew a nine-run lead, then regrouped and rallied past the Giants, 12-11, on Joey Votto’s tiebreaking single in the 12th inning. The NL Central-leading Reds took a 10-1 lead into the bottom of the fifth before San Francisco came back with a six-run burst in the eighth to take an 11-10 lead. 2011 — The New York Yankees became the first team in major league history to hit three grand slams in a game, with Robinson Cano, Russell Martin and Curtis Granderson connecting in a 22-9 romp over the Oakland Athletics. 2017 — Rhys Hoskins hit another homer and Cesar Hernandez ripped a three-run triple to help Philadelphia to a 7-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Hoskins has put on a tremendous power display. He has nine homers and 21 RBIs in 16 games. No player in major league history had reached nine homers that quickly. 2020 — Chicago White Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito no-hits the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-0. 2021 — In the longest major league game since the introduction of the tiebreaker rule before the 2020 season, the Dodgers need 16 innings to defeat the Padres, 5 — 3, after almost six hours of playing time. After five scoreless extra frames in spite of the presence of a designated runner on second base every time, the Dodgers finally take a 3 — 1 lead in the top of the 15th, only to see Fernando Tatis Jr. tie it with his 35th homer of the year off Corey Knebel in the bottom of the inning, necessitating yet another inning. A.J. Pollock finally provides the margin of victory with a two-run homer off Daniel Camarena and the Padres fail to score against Shane Greene. 2025 — Cal Raleigh hits his 50th home run of the year, the first player in the majors to reach the mark this season, in Seattle’s 9 — 6 win over San Diego. With the win, Seattle also takes home the Eddie Vedder trophy, awarded for the first time to the winner of the season series between the two teams.

– SINCE I837 –

LIVING

N O L A.C O M

T u e s d ay, au g u s T 25, 2026

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By TERRy CHEA

Jesse Sanchez practices sewing during a clothing repair workshop at a Levi’s retail store in downtown San Francisco last month.

Fixing fashion Clothing brands try to win over Gen Z with a needle and thread

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

In the selection of clothing, George Havenith, emeritus professor of environmental physiology and ergonomics at Loughborough University, says to make sure you do not hamper sweat evaporation.

1dN

sizzling style

What we wear can affect how the body handles extreme heat, but there’s no single ‘best’ fabric

BY ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP retail writer

NEW YORK — Encouraging customers to mend worn clothes instead of buying new ones might seem like a self-defeating sales strategy. But in-store repairs and sewing workshops are becoming essential retail services for clothing brands as they try to appeal to young consumers who want to save money and the planet. While luxury fashion houses and select specialty retailers like Patagonia have offered product repairs “We for decades, think it’s t h e c o n c e p t important has caught on. eans giant to empower JLevi Strauss & the people Co., casual wear who buy chain Uniqlo our clothes and budget retailer Primark with the are some of the skill sets to apparel compamaintain nies hoping to them, to get win over Genthem to that eration Z shopsecond life.” pers with a needle and thread. PAUL Levi’s created a handstitchDILLINGER, Levi’s head of ing course for global design high school students after deinnovation termining that many Gen Zers lacked the sewing skills to match their interest in thrift store shopping and sustainability. Employees spend 90 minutes instructing teenagers on four tasks: sewing on a button, hemming, patching a hole and fixing a tear. The Wear Longer program, which the San Francisco-based company is expanding across the U.S., builds on the repair and customization services Levi’s offers at hundreds of stores worldwide. “We think it’s important to empower the people who buy our clothes with the skill sets to maintain them, to get them to that second life,” Paul Dillinger, Levi’s head of global design innovation, said. Detroit resident Chloe Halprin, 25, is the kind of consumer retailers hope to attract with a “fix it, don’t ditch it” message. In high school, Halprin shopped at inexpensive, trendy stores. Fixing a big rip felt beyond her limited sewing ability. If she damaged a top or skirt from Forever 21, “I might just throw it away.” These days, Halprin buys most of her clothes secondhand. She recently learned to hem with a sewing machine and hopes to tackle projects like turning a skirt into a shirt. “I try to be conscientious of my carbon footprint,” Halprin, a nonprofit grant writer, said. “I really don’t like waste. I’m trying to save money as well.”

ä See FIXING, page 2D

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By VADIM GHIRDA

A woman pauses in a water mist machine installed to assist people coping with the heat in Bucharest, Romania, on Aug. 6. BY AYA DIAB

Associated Press When it’s really hot out, getting dressed seems pretty simple: Wear something light, loose and made for summer. But textile researchers say it’s actually a little more complicated than that. The fabric matters. But so does how heavy it is, how the clothing is made, how it ﬁts and even what color it is. What works best also depends on what you’re doing and how much you’re sweating. With extreme heat a growing public health concern, scientists are developing and studying clothing designed to help people stay cooler. But clothing is only one component of the body’s response to heat. Clothing should allow the body’s natural response to heat to work, said George Havenith, emeritus professor of environmental physiology and ergonomics at Loughborough University. “It’s a really powerful mechanism from humans that we can defend our body temperature with,” Havenith said.

help sweat evaporate. Researchers refer to this property as air permeability. The fiber listed on the tag is only part of what determines that. How fibers are woven or knitted also affects how easily air passes through. “For greatest airflow, open weave and loose knit structures are best, free of any water- or soil-repellent finishes. Cellulosic fibers, like cotton and flax (linen), tend to be more breathable and comfortable,” said Meredith McQuerry, a professor at Florida State University who studies clothing development and performance. Linen can be a good option, but “linen” ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO on the label doesn’t tell the whole story. She said shoppers shouldn’t rely on fiber Fan-equipped clothing has become content alone. A more open woven strucincreasingly common among outdoor ture will generally be more breathable, and factory workers in Japan. regardless of the garment’s fiber. Wicking is slightly different. Wicking “The most important thing in the selec- fabrics are designed to move sweat away tion of clothing would be to make sure from the skin and spread it across a largyou do not hamper sweat evaporation.” er surface area, which can help it evapoIn hot weather, look for lightweight rate faster. Engineered synthetic fibers clothing that allows air to move through ä See SIZZLING, page 2D the fabric and reach the skin, which can

‘THE CONFIDENCE TO TRUST MYSELF’

Former sorority members reflect on rush week Nancy Bennett Theisen, center, is pictured with her Alpha Phi sorority sisters Becky Othold, left, and Ann Siddall, right. The trio were on the way to Disney World for their senior spring break in April 1976. PROVIDED PHOTO

BY LAUREN CHERAMIE Staff writer

Every year, right before the jitters of the first day of school set in, young women across the country get butterflies for something else, possibly more stressful than the first day of college: the first day of sorority recruitment, or rush. They show up in TikTok-ready fashions prepared to gab, smile and clap their way through the process.

At LSU, women stand in line on the sidewalks of “the row” on campus in the August heat. The 12 traditional Panhellenic sorority houses are decked out in themed decorations looking out over University Lake. Throughout the recruitment process, potential new members are sorted into different schedules and visit an array of sorority houses for parties. The women mingle in line with other

ä See RUSH, page 2D

2D ✦ Tuesday, August 25, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

FIXING

TODAY IN HISTORY

Continued from page 1D

By The Associated Press Today is Tuesday, Aug. 25, the 237th day of 2026. There are 128 days left in the year. Today in history: On Aug. 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Organic Act, establishing the National Park Service as an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior to maintain the country’s natural and historic wonders and “leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.” Also on this date: In 1875, Matthew Webb became the first person to swim across the English Channel, crossing from Dover, England, to Calais, France, in under 22 hours. In 1928, an expedition led by Richard E. Byrd set sail from Hoboken, New Jersey, on its journey to Antarctica. In 1944, Paris was liberated by Allied forces after four years of Nazi occupation during World War II. In 1948, in the House Un-American Activities Committee’s first televised congressional hearing, Alger Hiss denied charges by Whittaker Chambers that Hiss was a communist involved in espionage. (Hiss was later convicted of perjury and sentenced to five years in prison; he maintained his innocence until his death in 1996.) In 1981, the U.S. spacecraft Voyager 2 came within 63,000 miles of Saturn’s cloud cover, sending back pictures of and data about the ringed planet. In 2001, R&B singer Aaliyah was killed with eight others in a plane crash in the Bahamas; she was 22. In 2012, Neil Armstrong, 82, who commanded the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing and was the first man to set foot on the moon in July 1969, died in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 2017, Hurricane Harvey, the fiercest hurricane to hit the U.S. in more than a decade, made landfall near Corpus Christi, Texas, with 130 mph sustained winds; the storm would deliver five days of rain totaling close to 52 inches, the heaviest tropical downpour that had ever been recorded in the continental U.S. In 2020, two people were shot to death and a third was wounded as 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse opened fire with an AR-15-style rifle during a third night of protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, over the police shooting of a Black man, Jacob Blake. (Rittenhouse, who was taken into custody in Illinois the next day, said he was defending himself after the three men attacked him as he tried to protect businesses from protesters; he was acquitted on all charges, including homicide.) In 2022, regulators approved California’s plans to require all new cars, trucks and SUVs to run on electricity or hydrogen by 2035. (President Donald Trump signed a resolution in June 2025 blocking California’s plan, prompting a court challenge by the state). Today’s Birthdays: Actor Tom Skerritt is 93. Former U.S. Poet Laureate Charles Wright is 91. Film director John Badham is 87. Baseball Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers is 80. Rock musician Gene Simmons (Kiss) is 77. Rock singer Rob Halford (Judas Priest) is 75. Musician Elvis Costello is 72. Film director Tim Burton is 68. Country musician Billy Ray Cyrus is 65. Actor Blair Underwood is 62. NFL Hall of Famer Cornelius Bennett is 61. DJ Terminator X (Public Enemy) is 59. Singer-songwriter Jeff Tweedy (Wilco) is 59. Television chef Rachael Ray is 58. Country singer Jo Dee Messina is 56. Model Claudia Schiffer is 56. NFL Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison is 54. Actor Alexander Skarsgard is 50. Actor Rachel Bilson is 45. Actor Blake Lively is 39. Actor China Anne McClain is 28.

SIZZLING

Continued from page 1D are commonly used in sportswear, said Havenith. But wicking and cooling are not necessarily the same. Moving sweat away from the skin can make clothing feel drier, but evaporation that happens farther from the skin can provide less direct cooling. Fit matters too. Havenith recommends garments with enough room for ventilation, especially in hot outdoor conditions. McQuerry, however, noted that the right fit can depend on what you’re doing. Someone exercising outdoors might prefer a tighter-fitting synthetic tank top, while someone sitting on a porch or doing light yard work might be more comfortable in looser cotton T-shirt. “In casual settings, wearers may prefer a looser fit that allows for more airflow while standing or sitting. If performing physical activity, a tighter fit may be preferred to enable quicker sweat evaporation,” said McQuerry.

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The evolution of mending from an economic necessity and traditional craft to a method for cultivating customers didn’t happen overnight. The fashion industry as a whole has come under intensifying pressure to reduce its contributions to environmental pollution and climate change. Textile waste — which includes manufacturing remnants, unwanted clothes and linens, and unsold products — is one of the industry’s most pressing challenges. Each year, the world generates fabric waste at a rate equivalent to a garbage truck’s worth getting dumped or incinerated every second, the United Nations Environment Program estimates. Researchers broadly agree that repairing and reselling clothes can reduce a garment’s environmental impact, especially if it delays or replaces a new purchase. But many caution the practices remain too limited to offset continued growth in clothing production and consumption. Clothing production roughly doubled between 2000 and 2015, while the average number of wearings per garment declined by about 36%, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. The sustainability nonproﬁt estimated that less than 1% of discarded clothing material got recycled into new apparel. Enter Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012. It’s the generation that grew up with fast fashion and e-commerce, then had school years and young adulthoods shaped by the coronavirus

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By TERRy CHEA

Ava Trujillo attends a clothing repair workshop at a Levi’s retail store in downtown San Francisco last month. pandemic and post-pandemic inﬂation. Whether due to limited budgets or a rejection of materialism, Gen Z has helped the preowned clothing market grow much faster than retail apparel sales in the U.S., independent market intelligence ﬁrm GlobalData estimated in a report with resale platform ThredUp. For companies that make new clothes, mending programs and classes address “some deeper consumer needs and consumer behaviors at the moment,” GlobalData retail analyst Neil Saunders said. “It puts a halo on the brand,” he said. The hands-on response from mass-market retailers, especially fast-fashion chains like Primark, Zara and H&M, has generated interest as well as skepticism. Zara, which has its headquar-

ters in Spain, launched a digital platform in 2022 for customers to resell their used pieces and to request basic alterations and repairs. The program is available in 17 of the nearly 100 countries where the trend-driven retailer operates. Ireland-based Primark has focused more on customer education. The value-focused retailer hosts free “Love It For Longer” events where customers are taught skills like replacing zippers and buttons. “Learning how to repair and care for clothing is probably one of the most simplest but absolutely totally effective ways that we can reduce waste and also extend the lifetime of whatever we buy,” Vicki Swain, Primark’s product longevity & partnership lead, said. The company has held the workshops — more than 730 alto-

RUSH

Continued from page 1D potential members, helping each other keep their makeup pristine or chatting about shared experiences at other houses. Sometimes it’s those little moments in between parties that stick, with people they meet by chance who become lifelong friends. Other times, memorable moments are made once the parties start with the other young women who eventually become “sisters.” The sorority experience runs the gamut, and recruitment is vastly different than what it was even ﬁve years ago. The SEC has more eyes on it than ever, and the phenomenon of RushTok continues to take over social media feeds. In 2023, HBO chronicled the rush experience at the University of Alabama with its documentary “Bama Rush.” There are people who have made entire careers out of preparing young women for rush. Trisha Addicks, who owns a national rush consultancy, was featured in “Bama Rush,” and she released a new book with Simon & Schuster this year, “The Rush Bible: Secrets to Crush Sorority Recruitment and Find Your Forever Greek Home.” But one thing reigns true in the sorority recruitment experience in 2016 and 2026: Many people learn lifelong lessons amidst the bouncing and clapping. In 2019, Olivia Vercher went through recruitment at LSU. She says her rush week was far from perfect, adding that she even considered withdrawing from the process altogether multiple times. At the start of the week, recruitment counselors emphasize

No perfect fabric People choosing between cotton and polyester should consider how much they expect to sweat and what they’ll be doing. Cotton absorbs sweat but can become heavy when saturated, while engineered polyester can move moisture across the fabric and dry quicker, one reason synthetic fabrics are so common in athletic clothing. During exercise, polyester tends to continuously evaporate sweat, while cotton will work well for a short period until it has absorbed all it can, said Po-Chun Hsu, an assistant professor at the University of Chicago who studies materials and sustainability. “Imagine you are wearing a wet T-shirt? Of course you get this evaporation going on, but then you also block the breathability and you won’t feel very comfortable when it’s completely wet,” he said. Polyester is widely used because it is inexpensive, durable and versatile, but not all performs the same way. It absorbs very little moisture naturally, which can make polyester that hasn’t been treated or

PROVIDED PHOTO

Alpha Phi sorority sisters Nancy Theisen Bennett, from left, Becky Othold Del Rio and Ann Siddall in October 2022. The friends enjoyed a glass of wine from the sorority’s The Original Ten series, which includes wines that honor the 10 founders, on their way to a sisters weekend in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, 50 years after they joined the sorority. “maximizing your options,” or ranking as many houses as possible each round. “Most rounds, I didn’t even have enough houses to fill out my preference card, so I simply ranked every house I had left and hoped I would make it to the next day,” Vercher wrote in an email. When it was time for the last round, which is called preference, Vercher did the one thing she was told not to do. She ranked one house. At the time, she said she felt like she made a mistake. But her risk came with reward, and she was accepted into Delta Zeta. “I had gone against all the advice I had been given,” Vercher wrote. “Looking back, though, that decision became one of the best lessons I could have learned. It gave me the conﬁdence to trust

engineered uncomfortable in hot conditions as sweat accumulates against the skin, said Jonathan Chen, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin who studies textiles and apparel. But it can be engineered to move sweat across the fabric and help it evaporate. Chen suggests looking for lightweight polyester garments designed for breathability. A porous athletic shirt can behave very differently from a dense garment, even if both labels say 100% polyester. Cotton can have another role in extreme heat. Havenith said deliberately wetting clothing can provide evaporative cooling, including for older adults who may not sweat as effectively.

‘Cooling’ apparel People spending extended time outdoors in direct sunlight should prioritize covering skin to protect against UV exposure and sunburn, Havenith said. Loose, ventilated clothing can provide coverage without sacriﬁcing airﬂow, such as a lightweight long-sleeved shirt.

gether — in nine of the 17 countries where Primark has stores, including the U.S. Primark also tested in-store repairs at three U.K. locations this year. Swain argues that affordable clothes can be just as durable and repair-worthy as more expensive ones. Half the items Primark sells annually are basics like socks, underwear, T-shirts, and jeans, she said. “There is nothing throw away about our products,” Swain said. Uniqlo, which focuses on wardrobe staples, offers a range of aftercare services, including repairs, decorative sashiko mending, embroidery and creative restyling. Available in 75 of the Japanese mass-market retailer’s roughly 2,500 stores, the services are promoted as a natural extension of product life cycles. The program also strengthens Uniqlo’s connection with customers, said Jean-Emmanuel Shein, director of global corporate responsibility at Uniqlo USA. Kate Fletcher, a professor of sustainability, design and fashion systems at England’s Manchester Metropolitan University, said she thinks popular retailers are wellmeaning, but she doubts their repair initiatives will have much environmental impact. “The fashion sector’s primary source of impact is due to the overproduction of pieces and growing volumes of garments created,” Fletcher said. “Repairing a garment in store happens in addition to these growing production volumes, not instead of them.” The question facing the fashion industry is whether repairs can evolve from niche service to commercially viable.

with friends to get ice cream. As the group returned to Miller Hall on campus, a “scrawny white kitten” appeared in the parking lot. Bennett snuck the kitten into the dorm, thinking she could find it a home the next day. “The kitten spent the night, and early the next morning, myself and a couple of new friends headed into a nice neighborhood just south of campus off Highland Road where we went door to door looking for a home for the kitten — so naive!” Bennett said. “After many rejections, the kitten jumped out of our arms and raced away, never to be seen again.” After the kitten kerfuffle, she mixed up her first and third parties for recruitment. But her second party was correct, and that’s where she became a member. “All of this because of attempting to rescue a cat,” Bennett wrote. “In today’s world, maybe a phone would have saved me on the scheduling.” Bennett has been a “proud and active” member of Alpha Phi for nearly 54 years since. She and other sisters gather every year for a girls weekend, and Bennett organized a 50-year reunion for her initiation class in St. Francisville in 2023. The friendships made through sororities can have lasting impact, but the experience can also enhance existing relationships as well. Hart, who pledged Kappa Delta at LSU, says her daughter joined the same sorority in 2007. “Her pledging KD was really special for me,” Hart wrote. “Neither of us has a biological sister, so I think being a member of KD filled that void.”

myself and reminded me that sometimes going for what you truly want involves taking a risk.” When Mary Ellen Hart rushed at LSU in August 1972, she veered from her Lake Charles high school classmates, who stayed in the city to attend McNeese State University. “I had to ﬁgure things out on my own,” Hart said. At the time, there were 16 sororities at LSU, and the ﬁrst round, ice water, was held on one day. “So I drank water from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.,” Hart said. “There was no time to go back to my dorm to change clothes/freshen up — so I looked pretty haggard, and my face hurt from smiling by the end of the day.” The same year, Nancy Theisen Email Lauren Cheramie at Bennett rushed at LSU. The night lauren.cheramie@theadvocate. before preference, she went out com.

Color can matter too. White, lighter-colored or highly reflective fabrics can reduce heat gain by reflecting sunlight instead of allowing as much energy to be absorbed, Hsu said. Hsu said researchers have already made substantial progress in managing sweat and moisture, while engineering clothes to reflect more incoming sunlight remains a developing area. Consumers should also look beyond the word “cooling” on labels. Hsu said some cooling fabrics are designed primarily to feel cold when they first touch the skin, an effect that can fade as the material warms. “If it doesn’t really, let’s say, increase the evaporation of the surface area or reflect the sunlight or enhance the breathability, then it’s quite unlikely that it will have any continuous cooling effect,” Hsu said. Some approaches go beyond the fabric itself. Fan-equipped clothing has become increasingly common among outdoor and factory workers in Japan. The garments use small fans to circulate outside air underneath the clothing, help-

ing sweat evaporate. Havenith said the garments can improve comfort and lower skin temperature, but don’t do much to reduce core body temperature. Battery capacity is also a limitation because of the additional weight, although he expects improvements as battery technology develops. How effective the fans are also depends on the conditions. “It should work in all conditions where air temperature is below skin temp. ... In very dry air, the effect may be limited as the sweat evaporates anyway,” said Havenith. For shoppers, the researchers’ advice comes back to looking beyond a single word on the label. Consider whether a garment is lightweight, how easily air moves through it, how it handles moisture, how it ﬁts, whether you will be in direct sun and what kind of activity you will be doing. There may not be one perfect fabric for extreme temperatures, but there are ways to choose clothing that works with the body’s cooling system rather than against it.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Tuesday, August 25, 2026 ✦ 3D

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zodIAC VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Stretch your mind. Engage in activities that make you think, and adopt a routine or lifestyle that encourages you to save, pay attention to detail and take better care of your health. LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) A commitment will pay off. Denying something or trying to avoid situations will set you back. Don't run and hide when you should embrace, deal with and correct anything that's run amok. scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Distance yourself from situations you cannot change. Set your course on a learning expedition that can help you enhance your earning capacity, but don't overpay for something you don't need. sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Refrain from sharing too much information. Someone will be eager to use your news against you if given the opportunity. Focus on home, and make your place one of comfort. cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Dig in and get your paperwork in order. What you discover will save you money and put your mind at ease. Refuse to let an outsider tell you what to do. AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Choose kind gestures and a positive attitude. The people you encounter will impact your life and encourage you to follow your heart and to strive for the goals you want to achieve. PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) You'll be drawn into conversations that cause confusion. Trust your instincts over what others

propose. Being true to yourself will lead to activities and people who enrich your life. ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Concentrate on your relationships with others. Participate in events or projects that resolve issues that concern you. Expand your interests, circle of friends and desire to look, feel and do your best. tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Taking on too much and overreacting will cost you. Source out information before you make a move. Listen carefully, but refrain from divulging your thoughts or plans. GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Take time to rearrange your space to suit your needs. If you start something new without proper preparation, you'll end up wasting valuable time. By learning from experience, you'll fulfill an emotional need. cAncER (June 21-July 22) Be honest with yourself before you start making changes that are detrimental to your reputation, work or concerns. Invest more time and money in your future and better health. LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Share your thoughts with the ones you love. The tone you set will have an impact. Positive change begins with a positive attitude and the willingness to compromise when necessary. 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: W EQuALs c

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon FAMILY CIrCUS

dooneSbUrY

4D ✦ Tuesday,August 25, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

CurTiS

Hi and LoiS

lll

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

BaBY BLueS

BLondie

THe wiZard oF id

nea CroSSwordS

La TimeS CroSSword

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Tuesday,August 25, 2026 ✦ 5D

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B.C.

Bridge By PHILLIP ALDER Bob Hope said, “If you watch a game, it’s fun. If you play it, it’s recreation. If you work at it, it’s golf.” As you watch the cards closely, you play well and find bridge to be fun. The work is training your partner also to pay close attention. Today’s deal can either be a 50-50 bet or a sure thing, depending upon the skill level of East and West. How should they card to defeat three no-trump? West leads the spade five. Declarer takes East’s king with his ace and attacks diamonds. North added one point for his decent five-card diamond suit and raised to three no-trump. South starts with only five top tricks: two spades (given the first trick) and three clubs. However, four more winners are readily available from the diamonds. So, if East has the diamond ace, the contract is guaranteed. If West has that ace, maybe he will not find a heart shift; or if he does, it will not prove lethal. Here, though, as you can see, if West leads the heart jack, then when he gets in with his diamond ace, the contract can be defeated. But how does West know to lead a heart rather than a club? West should duck the first diamond to get some help from his partner. East

garfield

Pearls Before swiNe

hagar the horriBle

should play first the two to show an odd number. But on the second round, he could play either the eight or the three. By following suit with the eight, the higher card, East is expressing interest in the higher-ranking of hearts and clubs, the two unplayed suits. This points West in the right direction — if he is watching. © 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 — HAyWIRE: HAY-wyer: Being out of order or having gone

Bizarro

marmaduKe

wrong. Average mark 12 words Time limit 25 minutes Can you find 20 or more words in HAYWIRE? yEstERDAy’s WoRD — LAconIc laic lain lion loan loin calico ciao clan coal coca coil

coin cola colic conic conical oilcan nail icon

loCKhorNs hidato Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

today’s thought “I say to you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repents, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” Luke 15:7 If we don’t repent we will not please the Lord. — G.E. Dean

6D ✦ Tuesday, August 25, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

muttS

roSe iS roSe

lll

Scrabble GramS dIrectIons: make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. all the words are in the Official sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

jump Start

For more information on tournaments and clubs, email naspa – north american sCraBBlE players association: info@scrabbleplayers.org. Visit our website: www.scrabbleplayers.org. For puzzle inquiries contact scrgrams@gmail.com.

Get fuzzy

Hasbro and its logo sCraBBlE associated logo, the design of the distinctive sCraBBlE brand game card, and the distinctive letter tile designs are trademarks of Hasbro in the United states and Canada. ©2021 Hasbro. all rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content agency, llC.

ken ken

animal crackerS

DuStin

InstructIons: 1 - Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 thorugh 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating. 2 - The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners. 3 - Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner.

Wallace the brave

Drabble

WiShinG Well breWSter rockit

luann

HErE is a plEasanT liTTlE gamE that will give you a message every day. it’s a numerical puzzle designed to spell out your fortune. Count the letters in your first name. if the number of letters is 6 or more, subtract 4. if the number is less than 6, add 3. The result is your key number. start at the upper left-hand corner and check each of your key numbers, left to right. Then read the message the checked figures give you.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Tuesday,August 25, 2026 ✦ 7D

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classifieds.nola.com Search & Place Ads Ads Onlines at classifieds.nola.com • Call Monday Us Monday - Friday 8AM - 5PMatat(504) (504)636-7435 636-7435 Search & Place Onlines at classifieds.nola.com - Friday 8AM - 5PM

Announcements Anyone having any information about or knowing the whereabouts of Wendell R. Boyd, Sr., and/or Wendell R. Boyd, Jr., please contact Attorney Michael J. DuBose at 504507-1288 and/or michael@hnkfamilylaw.com. 198491-Aug 25-27, 3t $94.30 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Eugene Lee, please contact Trendell M. Shorty, Curator AdHoc/Attorney, 650 Poydras Street, Suite 2515, New Orleans, LA 70130, (504) 207-1370; regarding Gitsit Solutions, LLC, not in its Individual Capacity but solely in its capacity as a separate trustee of GV Trust 20261 v. Lee, Eugene, Suit No. 2026-02915, Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans. 198459-Aug 24-26, 3t $161.50

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Jacinta Samikkannu, please contact Trendell M. Shorty, Curator Ad-Hoc/Attorney, 650 Poydras Street, Suite 2515, New Orleans, LA 70130, (504) 207-1370; regarding North Mill Equipment Finance, LLC v. JDMS Enterprises, LLC D/B/A Subway and Jacinta Samikkannu, Suit No. 2026-03340, Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans. 198462-Aug 24-26, 3t $186.10 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of James H. Wall, please contact Trendell M. Shorty, Curator AdHoc/Attorney, 650 Poydras Street, Suite 2515, New Orleans, LA 70130, (504) 207-1370; regarding Freedom Mortgage Corporation v. James H. Wall, Suit No. 2025-07196, Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans. 198464-Aug 24-26, 3t $166.66

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Jing Wei, please contact Sharelle A. Lacey, Attorney at Law at (504) 836-3886. 198511-Aug 25-26, 2t $55.80 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Levi Leonard contact Vincent Nguyen: (504)-451-3696 198553-Aug 25-27, 3t $56.50

Public Notices

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

PUBLIC NOTICE --HOUSING AUTHORITY OF NEW ORLEANS INVITATION FOR BIDS IFB NO. 26-911-19 Uptown Scattered Sites – Fortified Roof Replacement The Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO) is seeking licensed and bonded contractors to perform Fortified roof re‐ placements for 8 residen‐ tial rental buildings, sin‐ gle-family and duplexstyle, located at the fol‐ lowing addresses: 1470 Constance Street, Units A, B, C, & D 1423, 1425, 1427, & 1429 Terpsichore Street 517 & 519 Robert Street 3318 Danneel Street, Units A, B, C, &D 3121 & 3124 Gravier Street 3811 & 3813 Constance Street 3810, 3812, 3814, & 3816 Annunciation Street 3818, 3820, 3822, & 3824 Annunciation Street HANO strongly encour‐ ages all qualified con‐ tractors, including mi‐ nority-owned and women-owned busi‐ nesses, socially and eco‐ nomically disadvantaged businesses and small businesses to respond to this IFB, or to participate in subcontracting oppor‐ tunities pursuant to this solicitation. This solicitation will have a mandatory pre-bid con‐ ference at 2:00 pm, Sep‐ tember 8, 2026 at 3811 Constance St., New Or‐ leans, LA 70115. Responses to this solici‐ tation shall be delivered in a sealed envelope or box to the Housing Au‐ thority of New Orleans (HANO), Department of Procurement and Con‐ tracts, no later than Sep‐ tember 24, 2026 at 2pm to the following address: Housing Authority of New Orleans Department of Procurement and Contracts Attn: Paul Marquette, Senior Procurement Specialist 1555 Poydras Street, Suite 1800 New Orleans, Louisiana 70112 The full scope of work and single copies of the IFB package may be downloaded from HANO’s website at https://www.hano.org/ business/solicitations/ ActiveSolicitations or at Housing Agency Market‐ place. All responses submitted are subject to the In‐ structions, Supplemental Instructions to Offerors, General and Supplemen‐ tal Conditions, and all other requirements con‐ tained therein, all of which are made a part of the Invitation for Bids by reference. HANO reserves the right to reject any or all offers for just cause and waive any formalities in the submission process if it is in the best interest of the public to do so. 198503-aug 25-sep 1-8-3t $125.47

PUBLIC NOTICE --Invitation to Bid SEALED PROPOSALS AS LISTED BELOW WILL BE RECEIVED BY THE PUR‐ CHASING DEPARTMENT AT: LSU HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER 433 BOLIVAR STREET ROOM 623 NEW ORLEANS, LA 70112 (504) 568-6261

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Taylor Ann Marie Encalarde, please contact Atty. E. Appleberry, 405 Gretna Blvd., Ste. 104, Gretna, Louisiana 70053; (504) 362-7800 ofﬁce; (504) 451-1310 cell; elaineea@bellsouth.net. 198555-Aug 25-27, 3t $94.30

Employment BUSINESS OPERATIONS

Positions Available: * Accounting * Bookkeeper * Account Coordinator * Finance * Payroll Officer * Sales Representatives * Customer Service * Business Admin Representative As part of our ongoing expansion, we are seeking part-time, work-fromhome candidates. The position offers a monthly salary of $1,300, in addition to benefits, and requires minimal time commitment. The role involves just 2-3 hours of internet access per week. Requirements: * Must be computer literate * Must have 2-3 hours of internet access per week * Must be efficient and dedicated Interested candidates may reach out via email at michelle.appliedit@gmail.com for further information

LEGAL Paralegal, defense litigation, billing experience required. Please email resumes to mcurrault@deutschkerrigan.com

LEGAL

RECEPTIONIST

Receptionist experience required. Email resume to mcurrault@deutschkerrigan.com

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

ALL INQUIRES AND RE‐ QUESTS FOR SPECIFICA‐ TIONS SHOULD BE AD‐ DRESSED VIA EMAIL TO: MWIL34@LSUHSC.EDU

37:2150-2163 for the clas‐ siﬁcation applicable for the work indicated. Con‐ tractor to indicate the Li‐ cense Number in their re‐ sponse.

BIDS WILL BE PUBLICLY OPENED AT: LSUHSC-433 BOLIVAR ST. 6TH FLOOR, RM 623C NEW ORLEANS, LA 70112 SPECIFICATIONS MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE PURCHASING DEPART‐ MENT. THE RIGHT IS RE‐ SERVED TO REJECT ANY AND ALL BIDS AND TO WAIVE INFORMALITIES. 197716-aug 19-25-31-3t $72.31 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO BIDDERS SP# 2176 Sealed bids will be re‐ ceived by the Procure‐ ment Section of the Divi‐ sion of Administration, 1201 N. 3rd. St., 2nd. Floor, Suite 2-160, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at 10:00 A.M. for the follow‐ ing: RFx No. 3000026619, Tag Along Trailers - DOTD, 9/9/26 RFx No. 3000026623, Vehi‐ cle Bid, 9/9/26 Bid proposal forms, in‐ formation and specifica‐ tions may be obtained by accessing the bid num‐ ber in LaPac at www.doa. la.gov/doa/osp/ or from the procurement section listed above. No bids will be received after the date and hour specified. The right is reserved to reject any and all bids and to waive any infor‐ malities. Amy Vincent Director of State Procurement FAX (225) 342-8688 198417-aug 25-1t $12.34 PUBLIC NOTICE --Sealed Statements of Qualifications for Con‐ struction Management at Risk for Louisiana Music Heritage Experience, New Orleans, Louisiana, will be received at the of‐ fices of Mathes Brierre Architects 201 St Charles Avenue Suite 2200 no later than 3:00 pm on September 25, 2026. A non-mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held at the offices of Mathes Brierre Architects, 201 St Charles Avenue Suite 2200 at 10:00 AM. on Sep‐ tember 2, 2026. The RFQ for this project is avail‐ able in electronic form for no fee, Contact RFQ Coordinators Justin C. Landry jclandry@stirlin gprop.com and Mark Sal‐ msalvetti@stirlin vetti gprop.com for a copy of the RFQ. Bidders request‐ ing the RFQ must submit their G.C. license number and also e-mail address for receiving addenda. Respondents are respon‐ sible for their own repro‐ duction costs. Questions shall be directed to RFQ Coordinators listed above. This project is subject to all provisions and procedures of the Louisiana RS Title 38, Section 2225.2.4 and such applicable to the Louisiana Public Bid Law. Contractors must be li‐ censed under LA. R.S.

ORDER PAGE REPRINTS ANYTIME

198485-aug 25-sept 1-1t $312.18 PUBLIC NOTICE --The Louisiana Ofﬁce of State Parks is requesting proposals for a PublicPrivate Partnership pro‐ ject to design, construct, and operate a high-qual‐ ity recreational vehicle campground and related amenities. For more in‐ formation go to opportu‐ nitiesinlouisiana.com.

PUBLIC NOTICE --The Lowlander Center (https://www.lowland ercenter.org/) is an‐ nouncing a Request for Proposals (RFP) due Monday, August 31, to deconstruct spoil banks for a Canal Spoil Re‐ placement (Backfilling) Project. Please email admin@lowlandercenter. org with any questions by Tuesday, August 11. All questions and an‐ swers will be posted on the Lowlander Center canal backfilling project page (https://www.low landercenter.org/canalbackfilling) by Tuesday, August 18. Please see the project page for RFP, per‐ mits, plat maps, back‐ ground information about the project, and an informational slidedeck. This project is partially funded by the National Oceanic and Atmos‐ pheric Administration (NOAA), through a grant agreement with the Na‐ tional Fish and Wildlife Foundation, grant award number: NA23NOS4730219. The views and conclusions contained in this docu‐ ment are those of the au‐ thors and should not be interpreted as represent‐ ing the opinions or poli‐ cies of the U.S. Govern‐ ment or the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and its funding sources. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the U.S. Government, or the Na‐ tional Fish and Wildlife Foundation or its funding sources. 196005-aug 1-31-31t $$4,838.79

Public Notices DEQ Permits

PUBLIC NOTICE --Request for Scenic River Permit on (Bogue Chitto River) The Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) as Administrator of the Louisiana Natural and Scenic Rivers System is currently considering the application of The Camp Bed and Breakfast LLC for a permit to stabi‐ lize actively eroding riverbank areas along the east bank of the Bogue Chitto River within privately owned property in Washington Parish, Louisiana. Copies of the application can be re‐ viewed by the public at the LDWF main ofﬁce, 2000 Quail Drive, Baton Rouge, LA. The public is invited to comment on this permit request for a period of forty-ﬁve (45) days. Responses should be mailed to LDWF Scenic Rivers Program, 2000 Quail Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70808.

PUBLIC NOTICE --Request for Scenic River Permit on (Bogue Chitto River)

BID TITLE: AHSON 7TH FLOOR AHU EQUIPMENT PURCHASE BID NUMBER: 002989

STORE.NOLA.COM

Merchandise CEMETERY PLOTS Westlawn Cemetery Mausoleum, in the Chapel. Corr IV, Tier A, holds 6 interments $17,500. 504-259-0505

FARM EQUIPMENT For Sale $2300 ﬁrm: 7ft Heavy Duty Disk, hardly used. Bought at Tractor Supply 985 316-6755.

New Orleans Real Estate For Sale HOUSE Algiers-Former Double. 4Brms, 2baths. Great location. Fully fenced. $119,000.00 713-398-6027 elanza@soldbyelanza.com

The Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) as Administrator of the Louisiana Natural and Scenic Rivers System is currently considering the application of Tullier Investments LLC for a

APARTMENT N.O. EAST * LITTLE WOODS SPECIAL 7819 SANDS STREET * 3 BD/2 BA Central A & H * Fenced Backyard Sec 8 Welcome. No Deposit. $1,200 504-241-6189 * 504-430-1162

APARTMENT WESTBANK * $1300/Mo. 2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths, 4-Car Garage/Workshop. Pets OK. 504-913-4263 APARTMENT WESTBANK * 3 Bedrooms /2.5 Baths, Double Garage, Private Yard. $1,800/Mo. 504-913-4263

Pets

4710 MUSIC STREET, GENTILLY Home For Sale or Rent. $250,000 or $2,000/month. Ready October 1st. Call James 817-891-0453.

APARTMENT METAIRIE

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

10,000 Apt Homes and 75 Locations with Studio, 1, 2 & 3 Bedrooms Pools, Access Gates, Garages (504) 360-9347

CATS Young Male Cat, Gray Colors, Have too many cats, Looking for another home for him. Please call 504-861-9617 ($50)

APARTMENT 2 Bedroom, Cental A/H, offstreet parking $1200/month 1615 N. Derbigny. Section 8 OK. 504-810-7020

Public Notices DEQ Permits

permit to stabilize ac‐ tively eroding riverbank areas along the east bank of the Bogue Chitto River within privately owned property in Wash‐ ington Parish, Louisiana. Copies of the application can be reviewed by the public at the LDWF main ofﬁce, 2000 Quail Drive, Baton Rouge, LA. The public is invited to com‐ ment on this permit re‐ quest for a period of forty-ﬁve (45) days. Re‐ sponses should be mailed to LDWF Scenic Rivers Program, 2000 Quail Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70808. 198498-AUG 25-31-7T $724.65

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE --Notice to be posted: Community Leaders Ad‐ vocating Student Suc‐ cess Inc./ Fannie C. Williams Charter School Budget Meeting will be held on Thursday August 27, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in the school Library, Ad‐ dress: 11755 Dwyer Road New Orleans, LA 70128. Also, you can attend via the zoom link below. The 2026-27 Budget will be approved at the meeting. The Budget is available for viewing in the Busi‐ ness Office Monday- Fri‐ day 9a.m. to 3p.m. or you can contact the office at 504-373-6228 Ext 7. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom. us/j/86725218911? pwd=AczazANrSMzvT26 Eo3m1MecDbfG6Ct.1 Meeting ID: 867 2521 8911 Passcode: UFJ0tC 197271-aug 13-27-15t $180.10 PUBLIC NOTICE --Public Notice is hereby given by Life Force LLC. Production has wrapped for “Tiger Bones". Any vendors or employees that have outstanding claims for this produc‐ tion are asked to send their claims no later than September 21, 2026 to 1536 Magazine St, New Orleans LA 70130. 198475 Aug. 25, Sept. 1, 8, 2026 3t $164.08 PUBLIC NOTICE --THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐ TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THE FOL‐ LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN THE PARISH OF ORLEANS, LOUISIANA MAY BE TER‐ MINATED BY OPERATION OF LAW IF YOU DO NOT TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW. Tax Bill 39W029010 City of New Orleans Bernard J. Pays III Pamela A. Pays Q F LAKE GROVES PARK LOT 25 GERVAIS 60X99 42 GERVAIS ST bearing Mu‐ nicipal No. 8840-42 Ger‐ vais St., New Orleans LA 70127 TAX SALE TITLE TO THE ABOVE-DESCRIBED PROP‐ ERTY HAS BEEN SOLD FOR FAILURE TO PAY TAXES. SUIT HAS BEEN FILED IN ORLEANS CDC CASE NO. 2026-00476 DIV. “C”. YOU HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A PERSON WHO MAY HAVE AN IN‐ TEREST IN THIS PROP‐ ERTY. YOUR INTEREST IN THE PROPERTY WILL BE TERMINATED IF YOU DO NOT FILE A LAWSUIT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW WITHIN 60 DAYS OF THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. Law Office of Christopher U. Robles 3500 N. Hullen St. #224 Metairie, LA 70001 (504)276-2537 198487-AUG 25-SEP 1-2T $291.26

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

PUBLIC NOTICE --AGENDA ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING,

DOGS AKC Standard Poodles. Black & Parti black & white. Ready to Go. Utd on all shots & worming. Text 228-669-8581 or 228-669-2377.

Automotive WANT TO BUY Cars, Trucks & Camper Trailers. Running or Not in any cond, with or w/out title. 504-508-0087

SPORTS

PRINT ADVERTISING

24/7

WORKS

THE CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT will be closed on NDAY, SEPTEMBER 7th MONDAY in observance of

New Orleans Rental

192988-jul 2-aug 31-t

198496-aug 25-31-7t $724.65

UNTIL TIMES AND DATES INDICATED, AT WHICH TIME AND PLACE THE PROPOSALS WILL BE PUBLICLY OPENED AND READ:

BID OPENING DATE: SEP‐ TEMBER 15, 2026 @ 2:00PM

Advertisements –August 25, 2026, September 1, 2026

APARTMENT Fabulous French Quarter Furnished 1BR $1625. INCLUDING UTILITIES/WIFI. Brand new Bath & Kitchen (Custom Cabinets, SS Appliances). 504-388-2880

When you need the news. Wherever you read the news. Subscribe today Scan the QR code

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

TUESDAY, AUGUST 25TH, 2026 6:00 PM ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST GOVERNMENT COMPLEX 1811 W. AIRLINE HWY. COUNCIL CHAMBERS LAPLACE, LOUISIANA ROBERT ARCURI - CHAIR‐ MAN TAMMY HOUSTON – VICECHAIRWOMAN I. CALL TO ORDER II. ROLL CALL III. OPENING PRAYER IV. PLEDGE OF ALLE‐ GIANCE V. PUBLIC COMMENT – AGENDA ITEMS ONLY (3 minutes per citizen) VI. SPECIAL BUSINESS Jaclyn Hotard – Presenta‐ tion – Carr, Riggs & In‐ gram, LLC. – 2025 Audit Presentation VII. CONSENT AGENDA Approval of Minutes – August 11th, 2026, Coun‐ cil Meeting VIII. REPORTS A) President’s Report B) Jaclyn Hotard – Monthly Financial Report (July 2026) IX. PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDERATION OF OR‐ DINANCE(S) A) 26-57 – An ordinance amending Chapter 28, Section 28.2 – Fireworks Sales, Discharge, Safety, and Penalties, to add Labor Day and Memorial Day as al‐ lowed discharge dates, while retaining the existing seven-day retail sales window, and replacing subjective “dusk” times with speciﬁc start times (see Exhibit 1) (J. Hotard/R. Rome) B) 26-58 – An ordinance for acceptance of a dedi‐ cation of a 40’ x 20’ servitude located on Par‐ cel M-2-B-1 of Riverwood Business Park in Riverwood Subdi‐ vision, LaPlace, St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana (J. Ho‐ tard/R. Rome) C) 26-59 – An ordinance approving the resubdivi‐ sion of two unassigned tracts of land, located at 5817 Highway 18, Edgard, St. John the Baptist Parish, LA (PZS-1480) (J. Hotard/R. Rome) D) 26-60 – An ordinance to provide an ofﬁcial name, “St. John the Baptist Parish Arcuri Center,” for parishowned building bears municipal address 1020 Cambridge Drive, LaPlace, Louisiana 70068 (V. John‐ son/V. Bailey) X. NEW BUSINESS A) Jaclyn Hotard/Jason Akers – Resolution – R26110 – A Resolution ordering and calling a special election to be held in the Parish of St. John the Baptist, State of Louisiana, to authorize the issuance of general obligation bonds therein, making application to the State Bond Commis‐ sion, and providing for other matters in connection therewith

LABOR DAY

And will be observing the following Early Deadline: Deadline: Display Ads Thursday 9/3 @ 3pm

Run Date Tuesday 9/8 Wednesday 9/9

As always, you may place your ad 7 days a week, 24 hours a day online at www.theadvocate.com or call Monday – Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

(225) 383-0111

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

Services, Inc. F) Jaclyn Hotard/Peter Montz – Resolution – R26115 – A Resolution authorizing St. John the Baptist Parish President to execute Change Order No. 1 with ENFRA MMC, LLC for the Regala Park Pedestrian Trail Lights Project G) Jaclyn Hotard/Peter Montz – Resolution – R26116 – A Resolution authorizing St. John the Baptist Parish President to execute Change Order No. 1 with R.J. Daigle & Sons Contractors, Inc. for the St. John West Bank Mississippi River Trail, Phase 2 Project; LDOTD Project No. H.014736 H) Jaclyn Hotard/Peter Montz – Resolution – R26117 – A Resolution authorizing St. John the Baptist Parish President to execute the Certiﬁcate of Substantial Comple‐ tion with R.J. Daigle & Sons Contractors, Inc. for the St. John West Bank Mis‐ sissippi River Trail, Phase 2 Project; LDOTD Project No. H.014736 I) Jaclyn Hotard/Peter Montz – Resolution – R26118 – A Resolution authorizing St. John the Baptist Parish President to enter into a Profes‐ sional Services Agree‐ ment with All South Consulting Engineers, L.L.C. for the East 10th Street Force Main Replacement Pro‐ ject J) Jaclyn Hotard/Peter Montz – Resolution – R26119 – A Resolution authorizing St. John the Baptist Parish to amend the Professional Services

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

Agreement with Curtis Engineering Services, LLC for the Sewer Force Main Extension Connection from the River Road Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) to Reserve Wastewater Treatment Pond Project K) Jaclyn Hotard/Peter Montz – Resolution – R26120 – A Resolution authorizing St. John the Baptist Parish to settle and pay the June 26, 2026, Property Damage Claim to Luis Bautista of 504 Par‐ lange Loop, LaPlace, LA 70068 XI. INTRODUCTION ORDINANCES

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min g y ing located at 2503 Wil‐ low St., New Orleans, LA 70113 (LA R.S. 39:1307). ReNEW-Reinventing Edu‐ cation is the charter school management or‐ ganization operating ReNEW Laurel Elemen‐ tary, ReNEW Dolores T. Aaron Elementary, ReNEW Schaumburg Ele‐ mentary, and ReNEW Moton Lakefront Elemen‐ tary. A physical copy of the 2026-2027 budget is available at 10001 Lake Forest Blvd., Suite 710, New Orleans, LA 70127. 186911-may 9-aug 27 $956

Public Notices Successions

Public Notices Successions g 2026 by Jacqulin Trapani Barbara, administratrix of the Successions of Joyce Terese Trapani, wife of/and Frank Charles Trapni, should not be approved and ho‐ mologated and the funds distributed in accor‐ dance therewith. DEPUTY CLERK OF COURT MARK M. BONURA (La. Bar # 24027) Attorney-at-Law 4513 Rebecca Blvd. Metairie, LA 70003 (504) 858-3743 mark.bonura@gmail.com 198502-aug 25-1t $42.91

XII. ADJOURNMENT St. John the Baptist Parish, will upon request and three (3) days ad‐ vance notice, provide reasonable accommoda‐ tion to any disabled indi‐ vidual wishing to attend the meeting. Anyone re‐ quiring reasonable ac‐ commodation is re‐ quested to contact Mrs. Stacey Cador at (985) 652-9569 (voice) or the Louisiana Relay Service 1-800-846-5277 and ask for St. John the Baptist Parish at (985) 652-9569. 198507-AUG 25-1T $79.22

PUBLIC NOTICE --ReNEW-Reinventing Edu‐ cation will introduce the 2026-27 budget and hold its ﬁrst public hearing on the 2026-27 budget on May 14, 2026 at 5:30 pm at Edgar P Harney Build‐ i l d il

PUBLIC NOTICE --24TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT FOR THE PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATE OF LOUISIANA No. 839-580 DIVISION “ I “

Reporting you can trust on stories that matter

SUCCESSIONS OF JOYCE TERESE TRAPANI, wife of/and FRANK CHARLES TRAPANI NOTICE OF FILING TABLEAU OF DISTRIBUTION NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN to the creditors of this estate and all other interested persons to show cause within seven days from the publica‐ tion of this notice, if any they have or can, why the Tableau of Distribu‐ tion ﬁled on August 5, b li i

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B) Jaclyn Hotard/Peter Montz – Resolution – R26111 – A Resolution authorizing St. John the Baptist Parish to award the bid for the Commu‐ nity Center Chiller Re‐ placement Project to Gootee Con‐ struction, Inc C) Jaclyn Hotard/Peter Montz – Resolution – R26112 – A Resolution authorizing St. John the Baptist Parish to award the bid for the Waste‐ water Collection and Treatment Maintenance/Emergency Repair Project to RAMJ Construction, LLC D) Jaclyn Hotard/Peter Montz -Resolution - R26113 - A Resolution autho‐ rizing St. John the Baptist Parish to award the bid for the Woodland Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP)Demolition Pro‐ ject to J. Caldarera & Company, Inc. E) Jaclyn Hotard/Peter Montz – Resolution – R26114 - A Resolution authorizing St. John the Baptist Parish to award the Fire Department’s Property and Casualty In‐ surance to Riverlands Insurance

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8D ✦ Tuesday,August 25, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

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