Issuu

SAVE 81 ¢

SAVE $ 61 1

— ONLY —

PREVIOUSLY FROZEN

Chicken Drumsticks

visit rouses.com for more weekly ad specials!

88 ¢

SAVE 51 ¢

SAVE up $ 91 to 1 — ONLY —

VALUE PACK

Assorted Pork Chops

$ 88 LB

Includes 4 Sirloin, 4 Center Cut and 4 Rib End Chops!

— ONLY —

WASHINGTON STATE GROWN

Honeycrisp or Sugar Bee Apples

$ 88 LB

5 OZ CAN

Starkist Chunk Light Tuna

88 ¢

Prices good at all Lafayette, New Iberia and Youngsville stores August 26th - September 2nd, 2026.

THE

ACADIANA

ADVOCATE

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

F r i d ay, au g u s t 28, 2026

$2.00X

Dozens sign NDAs for SpaceX project

Number includes at least 20 state, local officials BY SAM KARLIN Staff writer

Dozens of state ofﬁcials, companies and consultants signed nondisclosure agreements to keep information secret about SpaceX’s Vermilion Parish spaceport, records show. Louisiana Economic Development, Gov. Jeff Landry’s lead agency for negotiating with companies, signed a nondisclosure agreement with SpaceX in January, using the code name “Project Osprey.” In the ensuing months, the agency facilitated NDAs for the

project with at least 20 public ofﬁcials across state and local government, according to records The Times-Picayune | The Advocate obtained through a public records request. The state agencies involved in NDAs for the deal include Louisiana’s Department of Transportation, Department of Environmental Quality, Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority and Public Service Commission. Senate President Cameron Henry and at least two other lawmakers — Sen. Kirk Talbot, R-River Ridge, and Rep. Ryan Borriaque, R-Abbeville — also signed

NDAs, copies of the documents show. Several Vermilion Parish local ofﬁcials signed them as well. LED previously withheld the NDAs from a public records request, citing a state law that allows the agency to keep certain information conﬁdential when dealing with prospective companies. On Wednesday, the day after Landry announced the company’s planned $100 billion spaceport in coastal Vermilion Parish, LED released 31 NDAs for

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Governor Jeff Landry speaks during Tuesday’s SpaceX ä See SPACEX, page 4A announcement in Abbeville.

‘She added the sparkle’

Natchitoches remembers Dolly Parton and her role in ‘Steel Magnolias’

UL baseball to rename ﬁeld for Robichaux

Board of Supervisors approves name change for facility BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

STAFF PHOTOS By JILL PICKETT

Flowers and balloons adorn a plaque Wednesday in Susan Harling Robinson Park in Natchitoches that honors Dolly Parton for her performance in the movie ‘Steel Magnolias.’ BY BRIAN MCCALLUM

Staff writer

PROVIDED PHOTO

Jacque Horton, left, worked as Dolly Parton’s stand-in for three weeks on the set of ‘Steel Magnolias’ in Natchitoches in 1988.

WEATHER HIGH 91 LOW 74 PAGE 10C

Clare Prudhomme Trichel sat in her SUV just before lunchtime Wednesday, parked parallel to the Cane River, there just for the memories. She had stopped in the 700 block of Front Street in Natchitoches, just in front of the building that represented Truvy’s No. 2, the hair salon of Dolly Parton’s character in “Steel Magnolias” during ﬁlming in 1988. “I have seen the movie a thousand times, seen the play,” Trichel said, having lived in the area for about seven decades. “To me, she was a Natchitoches monument. She added the sparkle.” The sparkle of Natchitoches is far beyond anything that existed pre-Dolly Parton and “Steel Magnolias,” according to those who have lived there and saw it change. Cast

Former University of Louisiana at Lafayette baseball coach Tony Robichaux’s presence has never really left the Ragin’ Cajuns program since his death on July 3, 2019. There is a statue of Robichaux outside the ballpark, and fans regularly wear shirts and hats bearing his familiar No. 36 in honor of his legacy. On Thursday, that legacy became permanently tied to the home of UL baseball. The University of Louisiana system Board of Supervisors approved renaming the facility Tony Robichaux Park in honor of the former coach. “We’ve been having conversations about it over the last few months, but it really didn’t get a lot of speed until the last few weeks,” UL interim athletic director Trey Frazier said. “We were looking for a way to cement his legacy with the baseball program. The stadium seemed obvious, but we just didn’t really have a clear path of how to do that.” The facility had ofﬁcially been known as Tigue Moore Field at Russo Park since 2017. The ﬁeld was originally called Moore Family Field from 1978 to 1995 and M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field from

ä See ROBICHAUX, page 4A

A cross-stitch of a line said by Truvy, played by Dolly Parton, is displayed in Steel Magnolia House Bed and Breakfast in Natchitoches. as beauty salon owner Truvy Jones in the movie about several “strong as steel” Southern women in the ﬁctional town of Chinquapin, Parton’s legacy is everywhere in the northwest Louisiana town. A day after her death at the age of 80 following a battle with cancer,

ä See SPARKLE, page 4A

STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

A statue of longtime University of Louisiana at Lafayette baseball coach Tony Robichaux stands outside the Cajuns ballpark.

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

102ND yEAR, NO. 59

2A ● Friday, August 28, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Senators call on ICE to cancel plan for gloves

A group of U.S. senators led by Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada urged Immigration and Customs Enforcement to cancel its plan to outfit officers with gloves that can deliver painful electric shocks. In a letter to ICE’s acting director Thursday, Cortez Masto and 15 of her colleagues in the Democratic caucus questioned ICE’s need to spend up to $20 million to buy the devices, as well as the agency’s ability to use them appropriately. “The blatant and tragic misuse of force in Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis, Houston, Maine, and other locations around the country raises significant skepticism about the agency’s professional capability to safely deploy a new tool that could be used to harm Americans without cause,” the letter said. In addition to Cortez Masto, the letter was signed by Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine and 14 other Democrats, who are in the minority in the Republican-controlled Senate. They are the latest to express opposition to the plan, which became public this month when ICE published a notice outlining plans to purchase thousands of “conductive distraction and deescalation devices” for officers and investigators. The devices are normal patrol gloves until an officer presses a button to activate the electrical mode. They must be applied directly to someone’s skin to produce a shock that causes pain, which is promoted as a way to gain compliance from people who are resisting. They have been used by some jails and police departments in recent years.

lll

Trump renames Lake Ontario ‘Lake America’ executive order has no effect in Canada

BY MICHELLE L. PRICE and WILL WEISSERT Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday he is renaming Lake Ontario to be known as “Lake America” in the United States as he escalates his trade war with Canada. The Republican president signed an executive order directing the Interior Department to update the lake’s name in the U.S. geographic naming service. Trump cannot force Canada to follow his preferred naming convention, however. Trump has been ﬂoating the idea of the name change in recent days as the U.S. announced it was imposing 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods over the

weekend after talks between the countries broke down. Trump has been needling America’s northern neighbor since he returned to the White House last year, suggesting the ally with whom the U.S. once had warm relations should instead be absorbed as the 51st state. Canada responded to Trump’s import taxes this week by imposing retaliatory tariffs on $20 billion worth of American goods, including steel, dairy products, appliances and farm equipment. Trump, who signed the order as he was sitting at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, had a large sign behind him propped on a stand with a map of the Great Lakes. Over Lake Ontario, in big red letters, the map read “Lake America.” On the other side of the president was another map with the words, “MAKING THE GREAT LAKES EVEN GREATER.” Trump said as he was signing the order that he’d “notiﬁed all of the various people that we have to

notify. So, we’ve done everything that you have to do.” “And this is ofﬁcial, effective immediately,” he added. But the executive order Trump signed shows that the changes are supposed to be made within 30 days. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the move, invoking the lake’s Indigenous roots and noting that the name predates both Canadian Confederation and the U.S. Declaration of Independence. “Canadians also know that naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario — then, now and always,” he wrote. Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston dismissed Trump’s move in a social media post, writing: “We’re into some real foolishness now. It’s Lake Ontario, buddy.” The lake is one of multiple Great Lakes that the U.S. and Canada share borders along. There is no single international body that determines names of international bodies of water and Trump has wide latitude over how

CATASTROPHIC FLOODING IN HIMALAYAS

Satellite imagery offers clues to cause BY JENNIFER McDERMOTT Associated Press

Beluga whale dies at Chicago aquarium CHICAGO — A beluga whale died days after it was transported hundreds of miles to a Chicago aquarium from a shuttered Ontario park as part of an ongoing effort to rescue Canada’s last captive whales. The whale, a 23-year-old female named Peekachu, died suddenly Tuesday as caretakers tried to rehydrate her, Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium said in a news release. Peekachu was one of eight whales moved from Marineland park in Ontario to the Chicago aquarium this summer — four in July, and four more this month. Marineland shut its doors in 2024, kicking off a race to ﬁnd new homes for its 30 beluga whales and four dolphins before they would be euthanized. Peekachu was blind in one eye and had trouble socializing with fellow whales, the aquarium said in its announcement. The whale showed “early signs of progress” in the days after the trip, but blood samples taken Tuesday concerned caretakers that she was dehydrated. As aquarium attendants tried to revitalize her with food and medicine that evening, she died, according to the aquarium.

Mauritania intercepts boat with 161 aboard NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania — Mauritania said Thursday it intercepted a boat off its coast carrying 161 migrants trying to make their way to Europe. The country’s coast guard said in a statement it “rescued” the migrants off the coast near the ﬁshing village of Amhijrat, north of the capital, Nouakchott. The boat was carrying people from Senegal, Guinea and Gambia, including 17 children. It had left Gambia’s capital Banjul eight days ago and was trying to reach Spain’s Canary Islands. The coast guard said the 161 people are expected to be transferred to a migrant reception center in Nouakchott, Mauritania’s capital. “They were in distress due to a lack of water and food,” an immigration ofﬁcial told The Associated Press. “The boat’s engine was extremely worn out and exhausted, and the vessel could no longer move forward, it therefore came to a stop at sea.” At least 1,200 migrants died in 2025 along the West AfricaAtlantic route to the Canary Islands, according to the International Organization for Migration’s Missing Migrants Project.

the U.S. government recognizes geographic places and landmarks. The name Lake Ontario comes from the Huron Indigenous people’s word “oniatarí:io,” which means “lake of shining waters.” The province of Ontario, founded in 1867, took its name from the lake. Trump said that while his action was not meant to send any particular geopolitical message, “Canada’s been ripping us off for a long time” on trade and military issues. “They wanted to be treated like a state and they’re not a state,” the president said. “We just can’t do that anymore.” “We love the people of Canada,” Trump added. “I don’t think their representatives do, an appropriate job. Maybe they’ll change. I really don’t know. It doesn’t make much difference.” He also suggested his push to rename bodies of water may not be ﬁnished. “So, if you think about it, we have a gulf and we have a lake. Now, all we need is an ocean,” Trump said.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By NIRANJAN SHRESTHA

A boy looks at the devastation caused by flash flooding along the Trishuli River in Nepal’s Nuwakot district on Wednesday.

Death toll close to 400; more than 1,400 missing Trishuli hydropower project, he added. Nepalese army has Dozens of injured people were transto Kathmandu for medical care. rescued 100 by helicopter ported Rescuers found bodies in Chitwan

BY NIRANJAN SHRESTHA and SHRISTI KAFLE district hundreds of miles downstream Associated Press

DEVIGHAT, Nepal — Rescue teams and military helicopters searched Thursday for hundreds of missing people along the mountainous Nepal-China border, where a deadly torrent of water and mud several stories high swept through communities a day earlier following a glacier collapse. Videos of the disaster showed people running before the floodwaters swallowed them up and washed out buildings and bridges. More than 390 people were killed, according to authorities in Nepal and China, and more than 1,400 were missing, including hundreds of foreigners and pilgrims. Hundreds of others have been displaced across the Himalayan region. Images showed what appeared to be the second ﬂoors of buildings in Nepal’s hardhit Nuwakot district slathered in mud after the torrent rushed by. Riverbanks and village streets were covered in mud. Debris hung from tree branches and wires. Vehicles were buried, and some stunned survivors were caked in mud. Before-and-after images aired by state broadcaster China Central Television showed a multistory building and more than a dozen vehicles covered in mud. A two-lane road running along a river in a valley in Tibet’s Shigatse prefecture was completely buried. Aerial footage also showed that a lake had formed and expanded on the China-Nepal border. U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. spoke with Nepalese leaders and offered to provide “anything they want.”

Helicopters deployed for rescue The disaster has left at least 389 people dead and more than 460 injured in Nepal, according to police. Another 910 people are reported to be missing in Nepal. Authorities in Tibet, an autonomous region of China, reported at least three dead and 558 missing. Nepalese ofﬁcials said dozens of bridges were destroyed and nearly 25 miles of roads were damaged, complicating search efforts. The Nepalese army has rescued more than 100 people by helicopter, army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet said. Army teams also evacuated people trapped inside facilities linked to the

from the hardest-hit areas. Bishal Kumar Bhandari, chairman of the Nepal Red Cross Society, said the agency has shifted its focus from rescue to large-scale relief operations in the flood-hit districts. In Tibet, the roaring mudslide that struck Wednesday engulfed a multistory port building and swallowed a bus parking lot at the land border crossing of Gyirong Port. Mud left in the surrounding areas was more than 5 feet deep on average, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported. Roads leading to the crossing were all damaged, while secondary collapses or landslides might occur as rain continued in the area, it added. China’s premier, Li Qiang, arrived Thursday in Gyirong to direct rescue efforts, alongside 500 military and paramilitary personnel. Military helicopters circled overhead, searching for survivors, assessing the disaster and mapping out possible rescue and evacuation routes. Chinese authorities also warned that the newly formed lake at the confluence of the Tsogyal and the Purupqiangzangbu rivers is overflowing and may burst.

Hundreds of foreigners missing Shova Shrestha, 33, has spent more than a day seeking word of her husband, Rajan Shrestha. She said his phone rang when she first called after the floods, but it later became unreachable. Since then, she has watched every helicopter that landed in Bidur, the capital of Nuwakot district, hoping he might be among the survivors. “I keep looking at each helicopter, hoping he will step out of it,” Shova said. Among the missing are 517 foreigners, according to Nepal’s tourism board. Many of the missing may have been on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a sacred site for Hindus, Buddhists and others. Seventy-seven people from one pilgrimage group were caught in the floods at the immigration office at the border, according to a post on X from Indian spiritual guru Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. The U.S. State Department said 90 Americans were unaccounted for after the flood. The department said it was unaware of any U.S. deaths and that three Americans had been rescued.

As rescue teams searched Thursday for missing people following catastrophic ﬂooding along the Nepal-China border, Earth scientists reviewed satellite imagery for clues to the cause and assessed the devastation. Geomorphologists Kristen Cook and Dan Shugar said initial images from Nepal on Wednesday were obscured by clouds and dust from the debris, so they could only see that part of a glacier had broken off from the Langtang Lirung peak, near the border with Tibet. In clearer images from Thursday, they said they could see that the bedrock underneath the glacier had collapsed, taking the massive chunk of ice down with it and sending boulders and ice into the valley. “It shows the whole area without anything hidden, and we could see that, yes, it looked like there was not

only this glacier that had failed, but a much larger chunk of the bedrock of the mountainside itself that had given way,” said Shugar, associate professor at the University of Calgary. “You have this big bedrock failure that took part of the glacier with it.” After slamming to the valley floor, the debris maintained its momentum through the steep, narrow valley as ice melted, said Cook, at the Université Grenoble Alpes in France. The Trishuli River surged during the ﬂooding. Before and after satellite images of the Kolpurtar, Betrawati and Syapru Besi areas of Nepal show that the river is now much wider, and brown and black, because it overtopped its banks in some areas and ﬁlled with debris in others. The change in the color of the water shows how much sediment the flow was carrying, turning from greenish to very brown because it’s full of mud, Cook said.

GET IN TOUCH Customer Service: HELP@THEADVOCATE.COM or 337-234-0800 News Tips / Stories: NEWSTIPS@THEADVOCATE.COM Obituaries: 225-388-0289 • Mon-Fri 9-5; Sat 10-5; Closed Sun Advertising Sales: 337-234-0174 • Mon-Fri 8-5 Classiﬁed Advertising: 225-383-0111 • Mon-Fri 8-5 Subscribe: theadvocate.com/subscribe E-Edition: theadvocate.com/eedition Archives: theadvocate.newsbank.com The Acadiana Advocate (USPS # 25-866) is published daily by Capital City Press, LLC at 203 W. Third St., Lafayette, LA 70501. Periodicals postage paid at Lafayette, LA ISSN 2643-7252 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Acadiana Advocate, Circulation Accounting, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821. Newspaper carriers are independent contractors and not employees of Capital City Press.

All home delivery subscription sales are non-refundable. Should you discontinue your subscription during term, the subscription will end with the expiration date on your subscription, and there will not be a refund of a prorated amount. Subscribers who purchased their subscription before Feb. 1, 2023 and wish to cancel can request a refund of a remaining balance at https://www.nola.com/app/forms/ refund-request-form/. Refunds are considered on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of Capital City Press, LLC or its designee. All subscriptions purchased that include a special edition will have the special edition value deducted prior to any refund provided to subscriber upon cancellation of service. Standard subscription rates may be effective upon renewal. All standard subscriptions include digital access and e-Edition, a digital replica of the printed Advocate edition(s). The apps are free for tablets and smartphones. Smartphone apps may not be supported on all devices. The Advocate standard subscription rate is $80.89 per 4-week period, plus tax. The Acadiana Advocate standard subscription rate is $80.89 per 4-week period, plus tax. Standard digital subscriptions include e-Edition with the rate of $31.15 per 4-week period, plus tax starting 1/1/25. Special editions included in home delivery subscriptions are 1/30/26, 3/11/26, 4/15/26, 5/27/26, 7/8/26, 8/19/26, 9/30/26 11/26/26, 1/22/27, 3/10/27, 4/14/27, 5/26/27, 7/14/27, 8/18/27, 9/29/27 and 11/25/27 and are billed at $6.23 each. The Thanksgiving Day edition will be billed at your regular Thursday rate plus $6.23. To opt out of special edition delivery, email help@theadvocate.com or call 225-388-0395. By opting out of special editions you will not receive that day’s newspaper. Thanksgiving Day is not a special edition and opting out for that edition isn’t permitted. Prices shown are in U.S. dollars. Prices subject to change. Other restrictions may apply. We no longer provide credit for temporary delivery stops of 14 days or less. During a temporary delivery stop donations are made to our News in Education program. This program provides newspapers and digital access to schools across Louisiana. This program is paid for by sponsors and temporary stops so that students may use the newspaper for educational purposes in the classroom. During a temporary delivery stop of the print edition subscribers have unlimited digital access to theadvocate.com, nola. com and the apps for tablet and smartphone. Seasonal delivery times from August 2025 through February 2026 will extend to 8:00 a.m. on weekends. Subscribers may also choose to access our digital replica e-Edition of the printed Advocate, Times Picayune | New Orleans Advocate and Acadiana Advocate only. As a highly valued customer, we also value your privacy. All personal information collected by The Advocate will be used for administration and customer veriﬁcation; it may be used for promotional purposes in accordance with The Advocate’s privacy policy. Please refer to our policy located at https://www.theadvocate.com/new_policy/ for information regarding the collection, use and disclosure of personal information. By providing your phone number and email address you agree that we can call or email you to conﬁrm delivery service, satisfaction and/or sales promotions as they may occur from The Advocate. The Acadiana Advocate: 203 W. Third Street, Lafayette, LA 70501

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Friday, August 28, 2026 ● 3A

lll

Controllers warned Marine One pilots about radio failures 4 incident near Ronald Rea- lay their three-minute call through trafﬁc warning from their collision off, the Marine One pilot said he Alert came a week Aug. gan Washington National Airport, the helicopter facility at Joint Base avoidance system right after they saw the trafﬁc and declared, “We’ll National Transportation Safety Anacostia-Bolling, but that was took off, but they never saw the be doing a momentary delay.” before a jet and the the helicopter. After last year’s midair collision, Board’s preliminary report shows. also unsuccessful. The official FAA recordings it became clear that poor comThe FAA decided after an airHaving both the jet and helichopper were allowed copter in the air at the same time liner collided with an Army Black from the tower at Reagan did not munication between air traffic to violate safety proce- Hawk helicopter on Jan. 29, 2025, include the warnings that Marine controllers and the military had simultaneous takeoffs seemed dures put in place after last year’s that all takeoffs and landings at the One was getting ready to head to been a longstanding issue. During

BY JOSH FUNK

AP transportation writer Air trafﬁc controllers in Washington and the pilots of President Donald Trump’s helicopter met to discuss communication issues one week before a jet was allowed to take off just as Marine One left the White House, federal investigators said Thursday. Controllers reported not receiving the standard three-minute warning call ahead of Marine One flights and both sides agreed to an alternative in those instances — but that plan to relay the radio call through someone else was also unsuccessful on the day of the

midair collision near the busy airport that killed 67 people, but ofﬁcials stressed that the president was never in danger. The Pentagon also has a longstanding agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration to provide controllers with a three-minute warning before the president’s helicopter takes off that predates last year’s crash. The NTSB said recordings from the tower showed that the controllers never heard the calls from Marine One’s pilot that day warning that the helicopter was getting ready to take off, but separate recordings posted by ATC.com show the helicopter did make those calls. The helicopter pilots tried to re-

airport would be halted any time a helicopter passes by on a conflicting route. The FAA has acknowledged that the helicopter and airliner briefly got too close before the two aircraft started to move away from each other. The airplane quickly climbed above the helicopter after Marine One’s pilots saw the plane and paused until it safely left the area. The NTSB said preliminary estimates show the helicopter and plane were just over 0.8 mile apart laterally and about 700 feet apart vertically at their closest. The crew of the Envoy Air flight told investigators they received a

Andrews Air Force Base with the president aboard that day. A recording posted by ATC.com showed the Marine One pilot telling the tower that the helicopter was “three minutes to life” just like the 2013 agreement between the FAA and the military calls for. But the controller seemed surprised a few minutes later when the helicopter took off. “Uh, Marine One, you said, uh, you’re proceeding as briefed?” the controller asked before giving the helicopter directions and commenting, “OK, no three minutes, roger, proceed as briefed.” After the controller warned the helicopter about the plane taking

a congressional hearing, it came out that a hotline connecting the Pentagon to the tower at Reagan hadn’t been working for more than three years, and the FAA hadn’t even realized it. The NTSB said that after this incident involving Marine One, FAA technicians determined that there wasn’t adequate line of sight between the radio receiver at the airport and the location where the helicopter takes off at the White House. So those radios were moved from the neighborhood where they had been located to the top of the tower at Reagan. Subsequent tests showed the radios working well after that change.

Ratko Mladic, ex-Bosnian Serb warlord who oversaw atrocities, dies at 84 BY JOVANA GEC and DUSAN STOJANOVIC

Associated Press

BELGRADE, Serbia — Ratko Mladic, the bullish Bosnian Serb general whose forces besieged the Bosnian capital for several years in the 1990s and carried out the worst massacre in Europe since World War II, died Thursday while serving a life sentence for his crimes, U.N. officials said. He was 84. Mladic died at a hospital in The Hague, Netherlands, U.N. court officials said. A Mladic relative who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation confirmed the reports. The U.N. tribunal for war crimes committed during the wars in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s sentenced Mladic to life in prison in 2017 in what was considered a key step toward bringing justice to the victims. He had been in custody since 2011

after many years on the run. The ruthless, blue-eyed former communist ofﬁcerturned nationalist warlord was one of the most notorious figures of the conflict that left more than 100,000 people dead and over 1 million homeless. He commanded his troops to “scorch the brains” of the Bosnian Muslims and boasted of being a “Serbian god.”

A rise to power When the ethnic war in Bosnia and Herzegovina started in 1992, Mladic became the commander of the Bosnian Serb troops and took control of large swaths of the country to form a Serb mini-state. Serbs under Mladic’s control laid siege to the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, and other cities and villages, established concentration camps for detained non-Serb civilians and enemy soldiers, and systematically killed prisoners. In Sarajevo, Serb troops

crimes are still being denied by many Bosnian Serbs. “Today, a major war criminal died, the criminal of the Balkans,” Subasic said. But while mothers of victims “are still carrying the pain in our souls” 31 years later, “we are still listening to denials, we are still listening to how Ratko Mladic was a hero for the Serbs,” she said. “I am sorry that he died and that he did not suffer for a little while longer, that he didn’t wait for more and ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By RADIVOJE PAVICIC dream about the eyes of our children,” she said. Bosnian Serb General Ratko Mladic, right, talks on the Residents of Pale, a Bosphone next to Russian Army General Vladimir Zurbenko, nian Serb stronghold just center, during the visit of a Russian Army delegation to the outside of Sarajevo, mournBosnian town of Banja Luka in October 1995. ed Mladic. “He was murdered there, kept the city isolated while pan-Serbian state. Defiant, in those dungeons,” said killing civilians with snipers Mladic acted bullishly dur- Janko Seslija, a former Bosand heavy artillery. In 1995, ing his trial and yelled at the nian Serb soldier. “I feel sorMladic’s troops slaughtered judges when sentenced to ry for Gen. Mladic. He was more than 8,000 Muslim life in prison. an honorable man, honorable men and boys in Srebrenica. Munira Subasic, from soldier and commander.” But Mladic and his admir- the Mothers of Srebrenica ers have never repented. group, said she had mixed Raised on nationalism He was seen by many as a feelings about Mladic’s death Mladic was born March 12, patriot fighting for the first and deplored that Mladic’s 1942, in the tiny Bosnian vil-

lage of Bozinovici, in the hills 25 miles south of Sarajevo. Like other protagonists in the Yugoslav conflict, he imbibed nationalism from his family’s fate in WWII — his own father was killed by Croats. A communist-era officer, Mladic sided with the Serbs as Yugoslavia disintegrated into war. Mladic was known for his obsession with his nation’s history. He saw Bosnia’s war as a chance for revenge against the onetime 500-yearlong Ottoman occupation of Serbia. He often referred to Bosnia’s Muslims as Turks and boasted of revenge when his troops overran the protected U.N. enclave of Srebrenica in 1995. Carried away by Serb dominance in firepower and international ignorance, Mladic was convinced of his final victory. “The time has come ... for revenge against Turks in these regions,” Mladic said after taking over Srebrenica.

Acadian is the only ambulance service in Louisiana to hold accreditations from both the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services and the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems, our industry’s most stringent accreditation agencies. That means Acadian exceeds the gold standard in EMS training, equipment, protocols and medics.

TRUST ACADIAN

The ONLY employee-owned and nationally accredited ambulance service in Louisiana.

Since 1995

4A ● Friday, August 28, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

SPARKLE

Continued from page 1A her photo was visible throughout town Wednesday morning, including on an electronic billboard visible to all entering from the east: her photo with the words “Goodbye Dolly, 1946-2026.” The people of Natchitoches just want to remember. “That’s what I’m out doing today,” Trichel said. “I’m seeing all the (filming) sites.” Dannie Collins was hired by the production company TriStar Pictures before Parton, Sally Field, Julia Roberts, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah and Olympia Dukakis ever got to Natchitoches for filming. Then a real estate agent, he was tasked with finding homes for the stars and various members of the production staff. “She was just so nice,” he recalled of Parton. “I think she let everyone else pick first. She really didn’t care which house she got.” The people of Natchitoches, however, did. Shortly after she moved into a home along the river, people began stopping on the road across the waterway. “They were waiting for her to come out on her porch, just to see her,” he said. “It changed Natchitoches. When they did ‘Steel Magnolias,’ they were all very nice stars, big stars, but the favorite for all the people was Dolly Parton.” To his knowledge, that didn’t change. “She spent so much time with children, handicapped children,” he said. “For years, I heard stories of how she would still call them on Christmas just to talk.” Sandra Dickens worked at the hospital in Natchitoches where some of the filming was done, and she helped the production staff

SPACEX

Continued from page 1A “Project Osprey.” Landry’s administration has said the project will create 3,000 permanent jobs and will be SpaceX’s largest spaceport — and likely among the largest in the world — at a site nestled between two wildlife refuges just south of Pecan Island. The state sold SpaceX the 125,000-acre tract for $100 million after acquiring it from ExxonMobil as part of a coastal lawsuit settlement that blamed the oil giant for coastal land loss and pollution. Asked Tuesday about the NDAs, Landry suggested the agreements were needed to lure SpaceX to Louisiana and not lose out to other states. “You think I want Texas to steal my thunder?” Landry said in a media gaggle after the announcement. “You think I want other states to know what we’re working on?” Landry added that companies expect NDAs so they can negotiate with elected ofﬁcials and “ensure that policies meet their expectations.” The records show the SpaceX negotiations involved a wide array of government ofﬁcials who vowed to keep details about the project secret until it was announced. Language in the

ROBICHAUX

Continued from page 1A 1995 to 2016. The name change also comes with a signiﬁcant ﬁnancial commitment to the baseball program. Chris Russo pledged $1.225 million for the naming of the Russo Stadium Club and an additional $500,000 to the Friends of Tony Robichaux Fund. The fund will support the baseball program and launch a $5 million fundraising campaign. Frazier said Russo played a key role in making Thursday’s announcement possible. “So we approached him and just kind of discussed his thoughts, because this could have been perceived in a bunch of different ways,” Frazier said. “But he was very gracious and even said, ‘Hey, why don’t transfer my name to the clubhouse and help with that as well?’ Once we had that conversation, it moved

STAFF PHOTO By JILL PICKETT

A painting of Dolly Parton with a black bow hangs out front of the storefront in Natchitoches that served as Truvy’s No. 2 or Truvy’s West in the movie ‘Steel Magnolias.’ and stars as they navigated the facility. “My daughter ran the elevator at the hospital, and as they were going up and down, they would talk to her, and I remember Dolly sang to her.” Dolly sang to Natchitoches in public, at least once. At halftime of Northwestern State’s Sept. 3, 1988, football game, a sedan drove onto the ﬁeld, parked about the 15-yard line and out hopped Parton. She addressed the crowd brieﬂy, concluding by joking that “if you folks wanna sing along with me on this song, please don’t; you’ll mess me up!” Then, she added, “I’m just joking,” before belting out the

song “9 to 5” as the band accompanied her. Jacque Horton was in the crowd that day, but she met the star during three weeks working in a building on the NSU campus as Parton’s stand-in. Most of the work was standing around, either waiting off-set until called or standing in spots where the stars would work during upcoming scenes while lights and other facets of production could be adjusted. “She was so down-to-earth that she stayed around on the set (when other actors went to trailers between scenes),” Horton said. During one chat, Horton asked what Parton’s real hair color was. “She

nondisclosure agreements said the signee must keep all information about the project secret, including in “marketing materials, presentations, press releases, social media or interviews.” The agreement also said the signee must notify LED if they are requested or required to disclose confidential information so the “disclosing party may seek an appropriate protective order.” Asked Wednesday about PSC Executive Secretary Brandon Frey signing an NDA, Colby Cook, a spokesperson for the PSC, which regulates utilities like Entergy, said the commission doesn’t have a speciﬁc policy about NDAs. “As has been reported, NDAs are commonplace in economic development projects,” he said. “While Secretary Frey signed an NDA for Project Osprey, he was not involved in negotiations, but only available as a resource regarding utility regulation and consistent protection of ratepayers.” Entergy also signed an NDA with LED, according to the documents, along with Venture Global, GEC Inc., a consultancy whose president is former CPRA chairman Johnny Bradberry, and several other companies. Nondisclosure agreements are often used between businesses negotiating with one another. But the embrace

of them at the state government level has drawn some concerns in recent months from good government and transparency advocates, especially as data centers become a political lightning rod around the country. Meta is building a $50 billion hyperscale data center in northeast Louisiana, and Amazon is building an $18 billion campus of data centers near Shreveport. Landry’s administration has aggressively used NDAs to negotiate with companies in hopes of landing major investments here. LED has signed more than 300 NDAs since Landry took ofﬁce, including with tech giants like Anthropic, Google, Amazon and Meta, as well as a range of other companies and state officials, a database maintained by The Times-Picayune | The Advocate shows. Steve Procopio, president of the Public Affairs Research Council, said NDAs cause a “huge tension” between economic development and the public’s right to know. And he noted that President Donald Trump’s administration is aiming to waive federal regulations that would otherwise offer the public an opportunity to weigh in on the SpaceX project. Procopio said he sees the value in the ability to negotiate with businesses, especially for large job creators like SpaceX. But he said

pretty quickly.” The $5 million fundraising effort will support the baseball program and could include completing construction of the clubhouse, Frazier said. Robichaux won 1,177 games during a 33-year career at McNeese State and UL. He won 914 games in Lafayette and led the Ragin’ Cajuns to 12 NCAA regional appearances, including a College World Series appearance in 2000 and a No. 1 national ranking in 2014. Robichaux was 57 when he died and was already the winningest coach in the history of both the McNeese and UL baseball programs. He was inducted into the McNeese Hall of Fame in 2017, the UL Hall of Fame in 2021, the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2021 and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2022. Colleen Robichaux, his widow, expressed gratitude for the honor in a university statement. “It is difﬁcult to put into

words what this honor means to our family,” she said. “To have the University name the park after Tony is an incredible honor and privilege that we will carry with us for the rest of our lives. We are deeply humbled that a place so meaningful to Tony, and a program into which he poured so much of his heart and life, will forever carry his name.” For UL baseball coach Matt Deggs, honoring his former coach and friend makes the moment especially meaningful. “Nobody embodied Cajuns Baseball for more than 25 years than coach Tony Robichaux,” Deggs said. “When I see his name up there, it will feel like home. I’ll think about all the history and memories, and all the blood, sweat and tears he poured into this program. It’s coming full circle, and while it’s a huge moment for our program, it’s an even bigger honor for the Robichaux family.” Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@theadvocate.com.

put her fingers in my hair and said, ‘It’s about your color.’ ” The effect the movie and the all-star cast had on Natchitoches remains. Madison Chaplin works at Steel Magnolia House Bed & Breakfast on Jefferson Street, which served as the home of mom M’Lynn and daughter Shelby Eatenton and now houses tourists who flock to the home to spend the night in a room. She said guests talk about Parton, but “they talk about all the stars. As soon as they come in the door, they’re quoting the movie,” she said. “Guests come from all over, but I would definitely say the majority are southern people.”

the Legislature should set guidelines for how much disclosure should be made about proposed projects. Currently, state officials often negotiate and agree to provide public money to companies before the public learns about the deal. “At some point, there should be a public process where these things get approved,” he said. “But it’s a tradeoff.”

Horton remembered that fans “just wanted to touch her. It was amazing to watch the people.” Sarah Zeagler, a native of Hall Summit who said she “grew up on (Parton’s) music” in nearby Red River Parish, was a high school student when the movie was filmed in 1988. She rode with her aunt to Natchitoches to try to land a role as an extra but found out they weren’t the only people interested. “I got nowhere close,” she said. “I didn’t even get in the door; there were too many people.” Wednesday, she stood in the lobby of the Natchitoches Convention and Visitors Bureau, where she is now the tourism director. The office also faces the Cane River on Front Street, just down from the stand-in storefront for Truvy’s No. 2, where a painting of Parton — about 3 feet by 5 feet in size and visible to anyone passing by — adorns the walkway. “The movie has had a huge impact on our community,” Zeagler said. “I would say the largest number of people who come through our door want to know everything they can see from the movie.” Along with the bed-and-breakfast, tourists are shown a litany of “Steel Magnolias” filming locations around Natchitoches. And they pay, drawn to the town where it was filmed as if they need to touch the spots where Parton and all the others stood. As Trichel prepared to pull off down Front Street Wednesday, her plan was to see more sites and, later that night, watch “Steel Magnolias” for the 1,001st time. She credited writer Robert Harling and the movie’s cast for its success, but she said it was the woman with the blonde locks that tied it tightly to the heart of the town. “With her personality and her heart, it just touched you,” she said. “She was just perfect.”

Chad Vallo, president of the Vermilion Parish Police Jury, said he agreed to sign an NDA after ofﬁcials at LED asked him. He added that “99%” of his constituents are on board with SpaceX’s plans. “Most of them understand that it’s common sense,” Vallo said of the NDAs, which were also signed by the sheriff, another police juror and the president of the lo-

cal school board. Asked about whether the public should have a role in such a massive project, Vallo said, “the public did have a role. They found out about it yesterday.” “For this kind of a deal, I don’t see where having a town hall would have done anything more than allow you guys to have the negative side of it and blab with the negative side of it,” he said.

FIND OUT WHAT YOUR HOME FINF OUT WHAT

YOURIS WORTH HOME

IS WORTH Call Today for an Expert Valuation and Make Your Next Move

1-833-671-6635

CALL TODAY

THINKING

OF SELLING? A home evaluation is a great place to start

addresslafayettela.com DRE#01901536 This website is a marketing and information program that sends all inquiries to state-licensed real estate professionals.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Friday,August 28, 2026 ● 5A

lll

Polka dot artist Kusama dies Prolific voice BY YURI KAGEYAMA TOKYO — Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, who splashed her signature polka dots on paintings, sculptures and museum installations around the world, has died, her studio said Thursday. Kusama, 97, died Aug. 14 at a hospital in Tokyo, Yayoi Kusama Studio said, without specifying the cause of death. “She continued to paint until her final days, never setting aside her brush, and continued exploration of forever love and eternal soul,” the studio’s statement said. Kusama, one of Japan’s most respected contemporary artists, was widely exhibited around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York and the Museum Ludwig in Germany. Repetitive motifs were her trademark, in various shapes, resembling netting, swirls or worms, but most often dots, dancing proudly on her canvases, or as sparkling balls or dots of light in her installations, in all their vibrant psychedelic glory. “Polka dots are fabulous,” Kusama said in a 2012 interview with The Associated Press, appearing in her signature orange bob wig and polka dot attire.

actor Cullen dies

ﬁghting to the death for my art,” she said. “I am giving all I have so that many people will continue to be interested in my art, even after I am dead.”

Associated Press

85-year-old was Eeyore, Optimus Prime

Uncategorizable artist

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By KIRSTy WIGGLESWORTH

Japanese artist yayoi Kusama poses for photographers in front of her painting ‘Love Arrives at the Earth Carrying with it a Tale of the Cosmos’ at the Tate Modern in London in 2012. “I want to create a thousand paintings, maybe two thousand paintings, as many as I can draw,” she said in her childlike but matter-offact tone. “I will keep painting until I die.”

Pursuing her vision of art Kusama insisted she drew the way she saw the world: covered with spots, part of the hallucinations she said she had from childhood. She was in and out of psychiatric institution for decades, although her sickness did not hold her back as she was one of the ﬁrst Japanese women to go to New York to pursue her art, in 1957. Although soft-spoken and shy in her mannerisms, Kusama was always unabashedly bold in the as-

sertion of her dotty vision, not only in sticking to the style for decades but also in making it accessible to the masses. In her later years, as the times caught up with her art, she enjoyed fame. She signed on with fashion brands like Louis Vuitton as well as other licensed products like teacups, Tshirts and key chains with her illustrations, including replicas of her likeness that were used in show windows and other marketing. In 2008, Christie’s auctioned her work for $5.8 million. In 2016, she won the most prestigious award Japan gives its artists, the Order of Culture. “I feel there is little left in my life, but I am now still

BY MARK KENNEDY

Kusama was called pop, avant-garde, feminist, just to name some of the categories thrown at her, most of which Kusama brushed off as not quite representative of her art. She was born in a middleclass family but felt misunderstood, as her parents wanted her to simply get married. They wanted to buy her kimono, not paints and brushes. She knew she had to get away. She chose America. When she arrived in New York, the fad was “action painting,” characterized by dribbles, swooshes and smears, not dots. She suffered years of poverty and obscurity. But she kept painting dots. She put circles of paper on people’s bodies, and once a horse, in “happening” antiwar performances in the late 1960s, which got some people arrested for obscenity but helped get media attention for her art. While in New York, she befriended artists like Andy Warhol, Georgia O’Keeffe and Joseph Cornell, who praised her innovative style.

Associated Press

NEW YORK — Peter Cullen, a proliﬁc voice actor who enlivened scores of TV series, specials and movies, including Optimus Prime in the syndicated 1984 series “Transformers” and Eeyore in the Winnie the Pooh cartoon franchise, has died. He was 85. His agent, Kevin Motley, said Cullen died Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles. “His family asks that you hon- Cullen or his remarkable legacy by serving your communities and leading others with compassion, integrity, and loyalty and always remember ‘be strong enough to be gentle,’” said a family statement. Cullen’s career spanned from being an announcer at the groundbreaking late-1960s comedy and variety series “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” to “The Smurfs” and multiple G.I. Joe iterations, but he struck a nerve as Optimus Prime. While the original cartoon ran just a few years, it left an indelible mark on pop culture, with a toy line, spinoff cartoon series and comics produced over the next two decades. That culminated in the launch of a multibillion-dollar, live-action ﬁlm franchise in 2007 by Michael Bay. Before his audition, Cullen only knew that he would be reading for the part of a truck, though giving voice to a vehicle didn’t seem that crazy. “You’re always auditioning for something in animation that’s a

Jaye P. Morgan, whose antics enlivened ‘Gong Show,’ dies BY MARK KENNEDY Associated Press

NEW YORK — Jaye P. Morgan, one of the top female recording artists of the 1950s with ﬁve hits in 1955 alone, including “That’s All I Want From You,” and who later became a frequent talk show guest and game show panelist, infamously taking off her shirt on “The Gong Show,” has died. She was 94. Morgan died Monday of natural causes in Longview, Washington, said Mark Sendroff, longtime attorney and friend. Morgan’s Top 10 hits were “That’s All I Want From You” and “The Longest Walk.” Her Top 20 hits were “Danger! Heartbreak Ahead,” “If You Don’t Want My Love” and “Pepper-Hot Baby.” She also had two Top 20 hits with Perry Como, “Chee Chee-Oo Chee (Sang the Little Bird)” and “Two Lost Souls,” and a hit with Eddy Arnold called “Mutual Admiration Society” that reached No. 47 on the Billboard singles chart. Later she would become a regular guest on “The Tonight Show” and make appearances with Merv Griffin, Dick Cavett and Mike Douglas as well as spots on “Love Boat” and “Fantasy Island.” But it was her years hamming it up as a celebrity judge — along with Jamie Farr and Rip Taylor — on the chaotic “The Gong Show” starting in 1976 that cemented her fame. On the show, amateur performers tried out their acts, and when one of the judges

couldn’t stand it anymore, they smashed a gong, ending the proceedings. Whichever performer won the day’s show received a check for the random amount of $516.32. On one episode, Eugene Patton — the dancing stagehand performing as Gene Gene the Dancing Machine — started his thing when Morgan opened her shirt to expose her breasts, helping bring an end to the show’s run on NBC in 1978. “It paid good money, and it was great exposure. I really enjoyed it,” she told the Los Angeles Times in 1992. “Jaye P. Morgan’s devilmay-care ad-libs on television game shows have probably made her more famous as a personality than as a singer,” The New York Times wrote in 1984. “But the same kooky recklessness that inspires Miss Morgan’s remarks is also a part of her musical sensibility.” Her film credits include “The All-American Boy” with Jon Voight, “Loose Shoes,” “The Gong Show Movie,” “Night Patrol” and the 2002 Miramax release “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,” directed by George Clooney.

Jaye P. Morgan’s early life Morgan was born Mary Margaret Morgan in a log cabin in Mancos, Colorado, and her show business career started early. At the age of 3, she was part of the Morgan Family, a traveling vaudeville act that included her mother, her father, her

sister and ﬁve brothers. The group disbanded after their father’s death in 1945. Morgan was class treasurer of her California high school and her peers nicknamed her J.P. after the 19th century financier J.P. Morgan. She later feminized it by changing the initial J to Jaye. But by the time she was 17, she was singing professionally again, and in 1950 she joined Frank De Vol’s orchestra, singing with it for three years. Her recording career got underway via “Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries” and “Just a Gigolo” with De Vol on a small label, Derby Records, that reached No. 26 on the Billboard chart. That led RCA Records to come calling with a recording contract.

During one memorable episode of “The Muppet Show,” Morgan appeared in a bird costume and seemed unhappy she was there at all. When Kermit tells her it’s a thrill to have her on, she replies: “I’m really indifferent about being here.” Kermit is aghast, calling the opening number cute. “I hate cute,” replies Morgan. Other Morgan credits include a role in “Home Alone 2” with Macaulay Culkin.

little off of the norm,” Cullen told the AP in 2019. When Cullen read about the heroic Autobot leader that turned into a red cabover semitrailer, he thought about his older brother, who had served as a U.S. Marine in the Vietnam War. “He was my hero, and he certainly was the mainstay behind the character,” Cullen said. “I just did an impression of Larry, and he’s still alive in my mind today because every time I do Prime, there’s my brother Larry.” Cullen’s authoritative baritone as Optimus Prime also appeared in 2009’s “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” through “Dark of the Moon,” “Age of Extinction,” “The Last Knight,” “Bumblebee” and “Rise of the Beasts” in 2023. His thoughtful, almost operatic lines would be quoted for decades by kids and adults alike: “I am Optimus Prime, and I send this message to any surviving Autobots taking refuge among the stars: We are here. We are waiting,” he said in the ﬁrst movie. In another, he intoned: “Fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing.” Other highlights from Cullen’s prolific career include voicing Eeyore across various “Winniethe-Pooh” projects, including Disney’s “The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” TV series, as well as voicing the villainous KARR opposite KITT in the 1980s NBC series “Knight Rider.” Cullen would attend conventions around the country to meet with fans from multiple generations, often getting teary. He said parents sometimes got more excited than their children meeting him.

Erie Roofing Since 1976

Morgan’s onscreen career Morgan even got her own TV show in 1956 — “The Jaye P. Morgan Show,” which featured four of her brothers. Her solo albums include “Jaye P. Morgan” — produced by Davis Foster — “Jay P. Morgan Lately!” and a joint album with Kaye Ballard called “Long Time Friends.” An appearance on “The Tonight Show” opened up a career for her on television talk shows and she kept returning to Johnny Carson for ﬁve years. “I take my body everyplace I go,” she joked to the host in a 1972 episode. She also was a guest on “The Odd Couple” playing herself and singing their goofy song “Happy, Peppy and Bursting with Love.”

Easy A

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

Trust the Nation’s #1 Rooﬁng Contractor Award-Winning Roofing and Customer Service

LIMITED TIME OFFER

50% 50 % OFF Installation

FREE ESTIMATE

SCHEDULE TODAY! Call 1.855.877.0633 • $0 Down Today • Same Day Financing Available • Premium Warranty Protection

Join over 400,000 satisﬁed homeowners with an ultra-durable roof from Erie Home.

One dozen petit fours for $12 8646 GOODWOOD BOULEVARD (225) 928-7000

CALL TODAY! 1.855.877.0633 New orders only. Does not include material costs. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Minimum purchase required. Other restrictions may apply. This is an advertisement placedon behalf of Erie Construction Mid-West, Inc (“Erie”). Offer terms and conditions may apply and the offer may not be available in your area. If you call the number provided, you consent to being contacted by telephone, SMS text message, email, pre-recorded messages by Erie or its affiliates and service providers using automated technologies notwithstanding if you are on a DO NOT CALL list or register. Please review our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use on homeservicescompliance.com. All rights reserved. License numbers available at eriehome.com/erielicenses/

6A ● Friday,August 28, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

BUSINESS T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M/news/business

DOW 53,569.44 105.56 0.20%

NASDAQ 26,541.35 411.16 1.57%

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Chip shortage drives up computer prices

Computer sales drove much of Best Buy’s revenue growth this summer, but it was because of higher prices, not because more were sold. The cause of inflation in this case: data centers. Companies are shifting memory chip production toward more lucrative data center products to meet demand from the artificial intelligence boom, tightening supplies for PCs. As a result, computer makers, forced to change supply lines and fight for deals with chipmakers, passed on the costs, making computers more expensive. Retailers like Best Buy then have to raise their prices or accept lower profit margins. “There is still significant customer demand in this category,” incoming CEO Jason Bonfig said on an analyst call. “Finding the right product for their budget, making sure that we match them with the right product for their particular needs.” Consumers are still priceconscious, executives said, and after a few quarters of growth from upgrades spurred by the end of support for Windows 10, Best Buy expects computer sales to slow in the second half of the year. Still, for the May-to-July period, comparable sales rose 4.1%, driven largely by computer and mobile phone purchases. It was Best Buy’s second consecutive quarter of growth, and the company raised its guidance for the year. It now expects comparable sales to increase 1.9% to 3%, up from earlier guidance of a 1% decline to a 1% increase.

Apple’s layoffs hit Vision Pro, Siri teams Apple is laying off close to 150 employees, the latest tech titan to reduce staff amid the artificial intelligence boom. Recent government filings showed that the iPhone maker is cutting 147 positions, mostly from its headquarters in Cupertino, California. It also disclosed layoffs in Sunnyvale. Many of the roles were in software engineering and machine learning, according to the filings. The teams affected were across Apple’s Vision Pro and Siri digital assistant projects, Bloomberg reported. Last year, Apple paused further development of its Vision Pro headset to focus on smartglasses to rival Meta’s Ray-Ban products. The cuts come before a leadership change: Chief Executive Tim Cook steps down in September, and hardware chief John Ternus takes the helm. The company is looking to catch up with AI competitors with future projects. From January to May, U.S. technology companies announced 123,653 cuts, up 66% from the same period in 2025, according to a June report from global outplacement and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Jobless aid applications slip to 203,000 WASHINGTON — The number of people ﬁling for U.S. unemployment beneﬁts fell last week, remaining at historic lows as layoffs are rare and most Americans enjoy job security. Jobless claims slipped to 203,000 last week from a revised 207,000 the week before, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week average of claims, which smooths out week-to-week ups and downs, ticked up slightly to 205,500. So far this year, employers — companies, nonprofits and government agencies — have added an average 61,000 jobs a month. That is an improvement on the 9,700 they averaged last year — the weakest hiring outside a recession since 2002 — when the lingering effects of high interest rates and Trump’s erratic trade policies discouraged companies from hiring.

S&P 500 7,730.99 55.29 0.72%

EURO 1.1650 -0.0003 -0.02%

CRUDE OIL 83.53 1.30 1.58%

GOLD 4,610.20 -27.90 -0.60%

6-MO T-BILLS 3.91 0.0 0.0%

30-YR T-BONDS 5.2 0.03 0.52%

Tech stocks leading Wall Street Nvidia, Salesforce and others say AI is creating big growth

Nvidia was the strongest force pulling the market higher, and the chip giant rallied 8.7% after once again delivering stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. More importantly for Wall Street, it also BY STAN CHOE gave forecasts for upcoming revAssociated Press enue growth that topped analysts’ NEW YORK — Technology stocks estimates, suggesting demand reled Wall Street on Thursday after mains strong for chips to power Nvidia, Salesforce and others re- artiﬁcial-intelligence projects. “AI has reached its inflection ported even fatter proﬁts for the point,” Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang spring than analysts expected.

said. “It’s doing useful work. Its tokens are productive and proﬁtable.” That helped calm some of the worries that have built around AI stocks generally, which have been under pressure recently. After rocketing higher for years because of the frenzy around AI, stocks in the industry are confronting skepticism that they shot too high and that booming demand for AI chips may fade if the AI revolution does not produce as much proﬁt as promised.

Another big tech company, Salesforce, jumped 22.6% after it said that AI helped it deliver one of its best quarters in history. It reported stronger profit than analysts expected, and CEO Marc Benioff said it’s “seeing incredible demand for our AI and data products” and that it’s “turning AI into customer success at unprecedented scale.” Elsewhere, though, trends were more mixed across big U.S. companies, and the majority of stocks within the S&P 500 fell.

Meta’s new rules for children go further, but critics say not enough Social media giant to enact time limits, other changes BY BARBARA ORTUTAY and WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS

Associated Press

OAKLAND,Calif.— Kids under 18 will soon see a host of changes to their Instagram and Facebook experiences thanks to a historic $18 billion settlement Meta Platforms reached Wednesday with 48 U.S. states. Besides the money, which will be paid out over a decade, Meta has agreed to strengthen its age estimates to keep kids under 13 off its platforms and teens in age-appropriate accounts, enact a hard limit of two hours a day for users under 18, block kids from the apps from midnight to 6 a.m., and hide “like” counts, among other changes. Meta said the new safeguards will only apply in the United States, with most in place for 10 years. While acknowledging the changes go further than Meta has ever gone when it comes to child safety, critics and children’s advocates cautioned that they won’t solve its myriad problems overnight. Arturo Béjar, a former Meta engineering director, said the settlement is a “significant milestone,” but parents should not see Instagram as suddenly safe for children. “The agreement has a big problem in that it allows Meta to define harm,” Béjar said in an interview Wednesday. “It’s one thing to say, ‘Yeah, you only get like two hours of alcohol or two hours of cigarettes a day,’ but it’s still as bad for you because of what’s getting delivered.” Béjar, the first witness to testify during the federal trial cut short by the settlement, would like to see Meta address the effect of content recommendations on teens, which he says can prove addictive. While teens might put their phone down when they hit the twohour limit, they can be distressed about it because the way the platform is designed leaves them craving more. Meta said people over 18 also can adopt versions of the new controls individually, such as daily time-limit reminders, but there will not be an option for them to opt into the overall settings for what teens experience on the platform.

Stronger age checks To protect kids, ﬁrst Meta has to know who they are. While the company has already been using artiﬁcial intelligence to determine if kids are lying about their age — either to sign up if they are under 13, which is not allowed, or to use adult accounts when they are 13 to 17 — the AI did not always work. Under the proposed settlement, Meta agreed to strengthen its age-checking technology using its own as well as third-party tools, with regular outside audits on how well

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By NOAH BERGER

Nicklas Akers, California senior assistant attorney general, left, and Deputy Attorney General Megan O’Neill exit court after tech giant Meta reached a settlement to end a landmark trial over teen social media addiction in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday. it is working. The agreement also includes specific goals around false positive rates — that is, minors who are identified as over 18. And if a user is identified as under 13 and kicked off the platforms, Meta will check the ages of their friends, too. “Meta has one of the most sophisticated infrastructures in the world to detect fake accounts,” Béjar said, but Meta had “no goals, no metrics” to detect and check the ages of kids suspected to be under 13.

Some safety features will be on by default Critics have faulted Meta over many of its safety features that users have to manually turn on, or opt into themselves. Of the host of safeguards listed in the settlement, many will now be on as a default. This includes the two-hour time limit, which can only be turned off with a parent’s permission, as well as the night mode that blocks use between midnight and 6 a.m. Still, under the agreement other features will be opt-in, such as turning off video autoplay or showing posts in chronological order rather than having algorithms decide what to show kids scrolling through their feeds. Questions around default settings came up at the trial this week when a lawyer for the states suing Meta pressed Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, on the low adoption rate among teens for the “take a break” feature, which prompts users to step away after scrolling a while. Very few teens used the feature when Instagram ﬁrst introduced it, but since launching separate teen accounts in 2024, Meta has made it the default setting for teenage users. Still, if a teen didn’t want to take a break,

they could simply swipe away the notiﬁcation.

It may take time to see the results Some researchers have found that many past protections Meta has rolled out are ineffective or don’t work as advertised. “It is a little premature, unfortunately, to tell if exactly all the changes we want to see are going to happen,” said Yaël Eisenstat, director of policy and impact for the Cybersafety Research Center, which recently audited dozens of safety tools offered by both Meta and other social media companies and said most fell short. Still, Eisenstat said, Wednesday’s settlement is monumental in showing that alternative approaches are possible. For years, Meta “decided to go against the advice of some of their own internal employees and continue to ignore the fact that these design features were unsafe in search of proﬁt,” said Eisenstat, who also previously worked at Meta, then Facebook, before leaving the company in 2019. The measures outlined Wednesday at the very least show that there are technically feasible options that can make the platform safer, she said — something whistleblowers and others have already “been saying very loudly.” Like others, Eisenstat stressed that there is a lot of work left to be done — and that it will require a combination of technical solutions, market forces and government regulation. “There’s no singular silver bullet for ﬁxing all of this,” she said. “I’m just glad that at least we are catching up a little bit now.”

Starbucks union calls for boycott as contract negotiations drag BY MEGAN ULU-LANI BOYANTON The Seattle Times (TNS)

The fight between the union representing thousands of Starbucks baristas and their employer is heating up, as workers call for a boycott. Starbucks Workers United announced the boycott — spurred by stalled contract negotiations — on Tuesday. Unionized employees are pressing customers to not spend money at Starbucks until a contract with improved pay, hours and staffing is reached, along with a mitigation of alleged labor law violations. “We’re fed up with Starbucks refusing to finalize a fair union contract that would cost the company less than one day’s sales,” Workers

United wrote on Instagram. Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson responded: “As we have always been, we’re committed to engaging in productive bargaining.” Workers United pointed to its publicized statement. “At a time when working-class people across the country are struggling in a challenging economy, it is no longer possible to be both a Starbucks customer and in support of workers,” the union said. “Choosing to spend money at Starbucks is choosing a law-breaking corporation over the baristas who make your coffee everyday exactly as you ask for it.” The call to action came the same day as the return of the brand’s beloved pumpkin spice latte. Anderson said Starbucks has seen no impact

to its business due to the boycott. The longstanding conflict to finalize the first union contract at Starbucks has spanned five years. Close to 17,000 stores are located in the U.S. Workers United represents workers in around 700 coffeehouses. Nationwide, more than 200 stores went on strike in November. Seattle was a focal point in these protests, with several locations participating in the metro area. Most of the striking employees returned to work the next month. “After the conclusion of the biggest strike in Starbucks history earlier this year, our union of over 12,000 baristas got the company to meet us at the bargaining table again,” the union wrote. “Unfortunately, Starbucks has only dragged

their feet instead of making real movement toward ﬁnalizing union contracts.” Workers United claims that the Seattle-based coffee giant has failed to address “low pay, understaffing, weak protections, inaccessible hours and more.” It disapproves of the money spent on artiﬁcial intelligence, social media advertising and compensation for CEO Brian Niccol. But according to Anderson, “Starbucks has competitive pay, industry-leading benefits, and meaningful opportunities to grow a career,” she said. “People love working at Starbucks. In the meantime, the union is pushing customers to support other unionized coffee shops, including Seattle’s General Porpoise.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Friday,August 28, 2026 ● 7A

lll

.theacadianaadvocate.com

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

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

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

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

City-Parish Council Auditorium TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2026 4:30 p.m.

PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO BIDDERS Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received either electroni‐ cally at https://lafayet tecsdgovla.tylerportico. com/va/vendor-access/ registration or in the of‐ fice of the Purchasing Di‐ vision at the Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment Building, located at 705 West University Av‐ Lafayette, enue, Louisiana, until 3:00 p.m. Central Time on the 25th day of September, 2026 for the following: TJ LABBE ELECTRIC GENERATING STATION AND HARGIS-HEBERT ELECTRIC GENERATING STATION REMOTE BREAKER RACKING DEVICE(S) AND REMOTE BREAKER CHARGE/CLOSE/TRIP DEVICE(S) and will, shortly there‐ after, be opened and read aloud in the Pur‐ chasing office located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, LA. Bids received after the above specified time for open‐ ing shall not be consid‐ ered and shall be re‐ turned unopened to the sender. Bidders may at‐ tend the bid opening in person, but are highly encouraged to virtually join the bid openings via Zoom using the following https://us02web. link: zoom.us/j/85894083585? pwd=lchkYbHXyGgyP3m Jab2Xe3ODcIy2Yr.1 In accordance with Louisiana RS 38:2212. may submit vendors their bid electronically at the website listed above. Bidders wishing to sub‐ mit their bid electroni‐ cally must first be regis‐ tered within LCG Vendor Access at the website listed above. The regis‐ tration process can take some time; therefore, LCG recommends regis‐ tering days in advance of the time that bids are due. It is the sole respon‐ sibility of the bidder to ensure their bid is deliv‐ ered (whether electroni‐ cally via Vendor Access, in person, or via mail) to the Purchasing Division prior to the scheduled date and time of the bid opening. Vendors may request the bid package from electronically Dabne Dover at dabne‐ dover@lafayettela.gov. Vendors submitting bids are re‐ electronically quired to provide the same documents as bid‐ ders submitting through the mail as soon as avail‐ able. Only a bid bond, check or certified cashier’s check shall be submitted as the bid se‐ curity. Electronic copies of both the front and back of the check or bid bond shall be included with the electronic bid. Bids must be signed in accordance with LRS Title 38:2212(B)5. A Cor‐ porate Resolution or Cer‐ tificate of Authority au‐ thorizing the person signing the bid is re‐ quired to be submitted with bid. Failure to sub‐ mit a Corporate Resolu‐ tion or Certificate of Au‐ thority with the bid shall be cause for rejection of bid. Copies of the bidding documents are available at the Purchasing Office located at 705 West Uni‐ Avenue, versity Lafayette, LA 70506. Tele‐ phone number (337) 2918262 (Attn: Dabne Dover). Bidding documents shall be available until twentyfour (24) hours before the bid opening date. Each bid shall be accom‐ panied by a certified check, cashier’s check or bid bond payable to the Lafayette Consolidated Government, the amount of which shall be five percent (5%) of the base bid plus additive alter‐ nates. If a bid bond is used, it shall be written

No bidder may withdraw his bid for at least fortyﬁve (45) days after the time scheduled for the opening of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided with the speciﬁcations. Bidders may submit re‐ quests for equivalent equipment to be ap‐ proved during the bid‐ ding phase at least two (2) weeks before the bid opening. Bids will be evaluated by the Purchaser based on the lowest responsible and responsive bid sub‐ mitted which is also in compliance with the bid The documents. Lafayette Consolidated Government reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause in ac‐ cordance with LA R.S. 38§2214.B. The Lafayette Consoli‐ Government dated strongly encourages the participation of DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) in all con‐ tracts or procurements let by the Lafayette Con‐ Government solidated for goods and services and labor and material. To that end, all contrac‐ tors and suppliers are encouraged to utilize DBEs business enter‐ prises in the purchase or sub-contracting of mate‐ rials, supplies, services and labor and material in disadvantaged which business are available. Assistance in identifying said businesses may be obtained by calling (337) 291-8410. PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated Government PUBLISH DATES: 08-28-26; 8-30-26 DPR 1007050 198593 Aug. 28, 30, 2t $106.84

Clemency I, WILLIAM BROWN, DOC #313947 have applied for clemency for my conviction of SECOND DEGREE MURDER; SIMPLE ROBBERY. If you have any comments, contact the Board of Pardons (225)342-5421. 198186 - AUG 27-29 3T $310

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

PUBLIC NOTICE --See agenda documents at: http://www.lafayettela. gov/obcouncil/default. aspx REGULAR MEETING LAFAYETTE PARISH COUNCIL 705 W. University Avenue, Ted A. Ardoin

DOWNLOAD

AGENDA CALL TO ORDER 1. Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance 2. COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENTS 3. EXECUTIVE/MAYORPRESIDENT’S REPORT A) Budget to Actual Com‐ parison of Major Parish Funds – July 2026 Prelimi‐ nary B) Audit Findings Update – August 2026 ORDINANCES FOR FINAL ADOPTION 4. PO-036-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 capital and operating budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated by transferring ment funds from account EXT APP-LPSO Maint Salaries to the Building Mainte‐ nance account within Adult Correctional Center Fund to provide addi‐ tional funding for man‐ dated expenditures. (Fi‐ nance) 5. PO-037-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating and capital budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment by increasing the use of prior year fund balance in Library Fund 2630 by $50,000 and ap‐ propriating in the capital budget of Library Fund 2630 in the amount of $50,000 for the purchase of a replacement library van. (Library) JOINT ORDINANCES FOR FINAL ADOPTION 6. JO-029-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council, acting in their capacity as the governing author‐ of the City of ity Lafayette and the Parish Lafayette, respec‐ of tively, providing for the abandonment of a cer‐ tain portion of a five (5’) foot x five (5’) foot utility niche on the Lot 72-A of the Vineyard Subdivision, located at 101 Everett Ridge, and authorizing the Lafayette MayorPresident to execute an Act of Abandonment in order to effectuate the abandonment on behalf of the City of Lafayette, and Parish of Lafayette, and the Lafayette CityParish Consolidated Gov‐ ernment. (CD&P) 7. JO-030-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council, acting in their capacity as the governing author‐ of the City of ity Lafayette and the Parish Lafayette, respec‐ of tively, providing for the abandonment of a por‐ tion of a 60’ public rightof-way (Live Oak Boule‐ vard) located between Lots 53-55 and Lots 56-59 of Live Oak Park Subdivi‐ sion, and authorizing the Mayor-Presi‐ Lafayette dent to execute an Act of Abandonment in order to effectuate the abandon‐ ment on behalf of the City of Lafayette, Parish of Lafayette, and the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment. (CD&P) ANNOUNCEMENT OF VACANCIES ON BOARDS/ COMMISSIONS 8. A vacancy exists on the Parish Planning and Zoning Commission for the remainder of an un‐ expired five-year term thru January 6, 2030. 9. A vacancy will exist on Lafayette Parish the Bayou Vermilion District Board (BVD) as of 10-012026, this is a four-year term. 10. A vacancy will exist on the Lafayette Parish District Waterworks South Board as of 10-012026, this is a five-year term. Applicants must be di i id

DOWNLOAD

Pets

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.

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

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

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min pp district residents.

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Public Notices

Employment

Individuals wishing to submit a resume for the above volunteer vacancy must be a registered voter and a resident of Lafayette Parish. Yearly ethics training for all ap‐ pointees is required as is disclosure ﬁnancial under certain circum‐ stances. Resumes are to be forwarded to Joseph Gordon-Wiltz, Clerk of the Council, P.O. Box 4017 C, Lafayette, LA 70502 or emailed to BCLafayette@ LafayetteLA.gov no later than noon, Tuesday, Sep‐ tember 15, 2026 with ap‐ pointment(s) to be made at the Tuesday, October 6, 2026 Regular Meeting of the Lafayette Parish Council. CONSIDER APPOINT‐ MENT(S) BY THE COUN‐ CIL, AS A WHOLE, TO BOARDS/COMMISSIONS 11. Appointment of to the ________ Lafayette Animal Care Center Advisory Board for a four-year term ef‐ September 1, fective 2026.

CLASSIFIEDS.THEADVOCATE.COM Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

y Lafayette Parish Council Ordinance suspending No. JO-001-2021 which created a conditional two (2%) percent pay in‐ crease structure for em‐ ployees of the Ofﬁce of the City Marshal, for the proposed FY 2026-2027 budget with considera‐ tion given to the City Marshal pay plan to be included in the Amended FY 2026-2027 Proposed Operating and Five-Year Capital Budget docu‐ ment. (Finance)

y p and Planning Depart‐ ment to Lafayette Habi‐ tat for Humanity. (CD&P)

21. JO-034-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council authorizing the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government to sell at public internet auction surplus equipment and miscellaneous other movable property which are no longer needed for public purposes, as per the attached list (public internet auction). (Fi‐ nance)

COMMENT(S) FROM THE PUBLIC 29. Comments from the public on any other mat‐ ter(s) not on an agenda and are within the leg‐ islative power of the Lafayette Parish Council. ADJOURN IN ACCORDANCE WITH LA. R.S. 42:14(E) AS EN‐ ACTED BY ACT NO. 393 OF 2023 AND THE AMERI‐ CANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, PLEASE CONTACT JOSEPH GORDON-WILTZ, COUNCIL CLERK, AT (337) 291-8810 DESCRIBING THE ASSISTANCE THAT IS NECESSARY, IF SPECIAL ASSISTANCE AND/OR AC‐ COMMODATIONS ARE NEEDED. 198900 Aug. 28 1t $110.65

INTRODUCTORY ORDINANCES

22. JO-035-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget and ad‐ justing the manning ta‐ bles of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government by authoriz‐ ing the use of existing funds in the amount of $2,676 and appropriating within the Department of Innovation and Technol‐ ogy to add one (1) IS&T manager promotion per Civil Service recommen‐ dation. (IT)

13. PO-038-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating and capital budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated by transferring ment $60,000 from the Parish Council District 3 Capital Appropriation to the City of Broussard for the St. Deporres Street bridge project. replacement (Ken Stansbury)

23. JO-036-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment by adjusting the manning tables and in‐ creasing the hourly rate of one (1) Clerk II posi‐ tion within the Depart‐ ment of Innovation & Technology. (IT)

CALL TO ORDER

14. PO-039-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette Parish Council authoriz‐ ing the Lafayette CityParish Consolidated Gov‐ ernment to sell at public auction and public inter‐ net auction surplus vehi‐ equipment and cles, miscellaneous other movable property which are no longer needed for public purposes, as per the attached list (public auction and public inter‐ net auction). (Finance)

24. JO-037-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council, acting in their capacity as the governing author‐ of the City of ity Lafayette and the Parish Lafayette, respec‐ of tively, providing for the abandonment of a cer‐ tain portion of a 50’ pub‐ lic right-of-way (Wall Street) located between Lot 13-A and Lot 14-A of the Van-Way, JP Develop‐ ment Ext 1 Subdivision, authorizing the and Mayor-Presi‐ Lafayette dent to execute an Act of Abandonment in order to effectuate the abandon‐ ment on behalf of the City of Lafayette, and Parish of Lafayette, and the Lafayette City-Parish Govern‐ Consolidated ment. (CD&P)

B) Audit Findings Update – August 2026

25. JO-038-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment by authorizing the transfer of $100,000 in HOME funds within the Community Development and Planning Depart‐ ment to Catholic Chari‐ ties of Acadiana. (CD&P)

5. CO-071-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette City Council authorizing the Lafayette MayorPresident to enter into an Act of Deposit on behalf of the Lafayette Police Department of mounted horse Levi to Lieutenant Karn (Police Bridget Horse). (Finance)

12. Appointment of to the ________ Lafayette Parish Water‐ District South works Board for the remainder of an unexpired ﬁve-year term through October 31, 2028. Applicants must re‐ side within the Lafayette Parish Waterworks Dis‐ trict South boundaries.

15. PO-040-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette Parish Council authoriz‐ ing the Lafayette MayorPresident to enter into a Endeavor Cooperative with the Agreement Town of Vidalia to collab‐ orate in emergency shel‐ tering during declara‐ of emergency. tions (Mayor-President) 16. PO-041-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette Parish Council authoriz‐ ing and directing the Mayor-Presi‐ Lafayette dent to execute and sub‐ the “Temporary mit Housing and Shelter As‐ sistance Program Waiver of Land Use/Permitting in accordance Form” with La. R.S. 29:726(F)(3) (b)(iii)(aa). (CD&P) 17. PO-042-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette Parish Council declaring the acquisition of a ware‐ house for the Lafayette Public Library a public necessity and authoriz‐ ing the Lafayette MayorPresident to acquire cer‐ tain immovable property for the location of said warehouse. (Library) JOINT INTRODUCTORY ORDINANCES 18. JO-031-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council authorizing the Lafayette Mayor-President to enter into a First Amendment to March 12, 2021 Con‐ tract for Emergency and Ambu‐ Non-Emergency lance Services for the Parish of Lafayette and the City of Lafayette. (Legal) 19. JO-032-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council establishing a procedure to sell surplus movable property valued at less than $5,000 no longer needed for a public pur‐ pose through a public in‐ ternet auction. (Legal) 20. JO-033-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the f i h il

DOWNLOAD

26. JO-039-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment by authorizing the transfer of $164,595 in Home American Rescue Plan (HOME-ARP) funds within the Community Development and Plan‐ ning Department to Faith House, Inc. (CD&P) 27. JO-040-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment by authorizing the transfer of $125,000 in HOME funds within the Community Development and Planning Depart‐ ment to Catholic Chari‐ ties of Acadiana. (CD&P) 28. JO-041-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment by authorizing the transfer of $220,000 in HOME funds within the Community Development d l i

PUBLIC NOTICE --See agenda documents at: http://www.lafayettela. gov/obcouncil/default. aspx REGULAR MEETING LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL 705 W. University Avenue, Ted A. Ardoin City-Parish Council Auditorium TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2026 5:30 p.m. AGENDA

1. Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance 2. COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENTS 3. EXECUTIVE/MAYORPRESIDENT’S REPORT A) Budget to Actual Com‐ parison of Major City Funds – July 2026 Prelimi‐ nary

ORDINANCES FOR FINAL ADOPTION 4. CO-070-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette City Council amending the Lafayette Develop‐ ment Code and the ofﬁ‐ cial map of the City of Lafayette, providing for the annexation of addi‐ tional land into the cor‐ porate limits of the City of Lafayette, Louisiana, Case No. 2026-15-REZ 200 Coussan Road (Tract 1-A) Annexation, located gen‐ erally north of West Pont Des Mouton Road, east of Veterinarian Road, and south of Coussan Road; and assigning a zoning classiﬁcation of RS-1 (Residential Single-Fam‐ ily) (District 1). (CD&P)

6. CO-072-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette City Council amending the FY 25/26 operating and capital budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment by increasing rev‐ enues in the amount of awarded $3,982,500 through a federal SubAward Grant Agreement by the administered Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy under the U.S. Depart‐ ment of Energy’s Grid De‐ ployment Ofﬁce for the System Hardening and Resiliency Project under Section 40101(D) of the bipartisan infrastructure law and appropriating within the Utilities De‐ partment. (Utilities) 7. CO-073-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette City Council amending the FY 25/26 operating and capital budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment by transferring ap‐ propriations from the City General Fund (Fund 1010) to establish fund‐ ing for the Council Audi‐ Projector Re‐ torium placement Project. (Ken‐ neth Boudreaux) JOINT ORDINANCES FOR FINAL ADOPTION 8. JO-029-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council, i i h i i

DOWNLOAD

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

y acting in their capacity as the governing author‐ of the City of ity Lafayette and the Parish Lafayette, respec‐ of tively, providing for the abandonment of a cer‐ tain portion of a ﬁve (5’) foot x ﬁve (5’) foot utility niche on the Lot 72-A of the Vineyard Subdivision, located at 101 Everett Ridge, and authorizing the Lafayette MayorPresident to execute an Act of Abandonment in order to effectuate the abandonment on behalf of the City of Lafayette, and Parish of Lafayette, and the Lafayette CityParish Consolidated Gov‐ ernment. (CD&P)

p p included in the FY 20262027 proposed operating ﬁve-year capital and budget document. (Fi‐ nance)

y p and Planning Depart‐ ment to Catholic Chari‐ ties of Acadiana. (CD&P)

9. JO-030-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council, acting in their capacity as the governing author‐ of the City of ity Lafayette and the Parish Lafayette, respec‐ of tively, providing for the abandonment of a por‐ tion of a 60’ public rightof-way (Live Oak Boule‐ vard) located between Lots 53-55 and Lots 56-59 of Live Oak Park Subdivi‐ sion, and authorizing the Mayor-Presi‐ Lafayette dent to execute an Act of Abandonment in order to effectuate the abandon‐ ment on behalf of the City of Lafayette, Parish of Lafayette, and the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment. (CD&P) APPEAL 10. Appeal of the deci‐ sion by the Office of Al‐ cohol & Noise Control for Oasis Hookah Lounge lo‐ cated at 111 Mimosa Place, Lafayette, LA; a. Alcohol Violation dated March 5, 2026. ANNOUNCEMENT OF VACANCIES ON BOARDS/ COMMISSIONS 11. Four (4) vacancies exist on the Transporta‐ tion Policy Committee (the governing board for the Metropolitan Plan‐ ning Organization) effec‐ tive immediately. Appli‐ cants must be either 1) local elected officials, 2) officials of public agen‐ cies that administer or operate major modes of transportation in the metropolitan area, in‐ representation cluding by providers of public transportation. 12. A vacancy exists on Lafayette Parish the Bayou Vermilion District Board of Commissioners for the remainder of an unexpired four-year term through September 30, 2027, effective immedi‐ ately. Applicants must be black citizens of the Parish of Lafayette. 13. A vacancy exists on the Keep Lafayette Beau‐ tiful Committee for a two year term as of August 11, 2026. 14. A vacancy will exist on the Lafayette Parish Bayou Vermilion District Board (BVD) as of 10-012026, this is a four-year term. 15. A vacancy will exist on the Lafayette Public Trust Financing Authority as of 11-01-2026, this is a five-year term.

Individuals wishing to submit a resume for the above volunteer vacan‐ cies must be a registered voter and a resident of Lafayette Parish. Yearly ethics training for all ap‐ pointees is required as is disclosure financial under certain circum‐ stances. Resumes are to be forwarded to Joseph Gordon-Wiltz, Clerk of the Council, P.O. Box 4017 C, Lafayette, LA 70502 or emailed to BCLafayette@ LafayetteLA.gov no later than noon, Tuesday, Sep‐ tember 15, 2026 with ap‐ pointment(s) to be made at the Tuesday, October 6, 2026 Regular Meeting of the Lafayette City Council. CONSIDER APPOINT‐ MENT(S) BY THE COUN‐ CIL, AS A WHOLE, TO BOARDS/COMMISSIONS 16. Appointment of _______ to the Board of Zoning Adjustment for the remainder of a fiveyear term through June 30, 2029. 17. Appointment to ________ the Downtown Management Committee for a three-year term ef‐ fective August 1, 2026. Applicants must own property or work in downtown Lafayette. 18. Appointment to ________ the Downtown Management Committee for a three-year term ef‐ fective August 1, 2026. Applicants must own property or work in downtown Lafayette. APPOINTMENT BY COUN‐ CIL MEMBERS, MAYOR PRESIDENT AND/OR ANY OTHER DIRECT APPOINT‐ ING AUTHORITY Appointing Authority Appointee Name and Address Board, Commission and/or Legal Agency Effective Term Effective Date 19. District 3 Kathy Ruckstuhl Myrtle Place Lafayette, LA 70506 City/Parish Recreation Advisory Commission 4 years October 1, 2026 20. Mayor-President Robin Blackwell La Rue Vil Lafayette, LA 70508 City/Parish Awareness Committee on Citizens with Disabilities 3 years October 31, 2025 INTRODUCTORY ORDINANCES 21. CO-074-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette City Council suspending Ordinance No. O-059-2019 which created a condi‐ tional two (2%) percent pay increase structure for the Municipal Fire and Police Civil Service of the employees Lafayette Police Depart‐ ment, for the proposed FY 2026-2027 budget with consideration given to the police and fire plans i l d d i h

22. CO-075-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette City Council authorizing the Lafayette City-Parish Govern‐ Consolidated ment to sell at public auction and public inter‐ net auction surplus vehi‐ equipment and cles, miscellaneous other movable property which are no longer needed for public purposes, as per the attached list (public auction and public inter‐ net auction). (Finance) 23. CO-076-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette City Council authorizing the Lafayette City Mar‐ shal to enter into a Coop‐ erative Endeavor Agree‐ ment with the National Heritage Academies, Inc. o/b/o Willow Charter Academy for one (1) School Resource Officer to be provided on the campus of Willow Char‐ ter Academy in addition, agreement will this amend the FY 25/26 oper‐ ating budget and adjust the manning tables of the Lafayette City-Parish Govern‐ Consolidated ment by adding one (1) new Deputy City Marshal II position and by in‐ creasing revenues in the amount of $7,592 within the Lafayette City Mar‐ shal’s office. (City Mar‐ shal) 24. CO-077-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette City Council authorizing the Lafayette MayorPresident to execute the agreement for joint use attachments of electric facilities between the City of Lafayette and Louisiana Southwest Electric Membership Cor‐ poration. (Utilities) 25. CO-078-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette City Council authorizing directing the and Mayor-Presi‐ Lafayette dent to execute and sub‐ the “Temporary mit Housing and Shelter As‐ sistance Program Waiver of Land Use/Permitting in accordance Form” with La. R.S. 29:726(F)(3) (b)(iii)(aa). (CD&P) JOINT INTRODUCTORY ORDINANCES 26. JO-031-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council authorizing the Lafayette Mayor-President to enter into a First Amendment to March 12, 2021 Con‐ tract for Emergency and Ambu‐ Non-Emergency lance Services for the Parish of Lafayette and the City of Lafayette. (Legal) 27. JO-032-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council establishing a procedure to sell surplus movable property valued at less than $5,000 no longer needed for a public pur‐ pose through a public in‐ ternet auction. (Legal) 28. JO-033-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council Ordinance suspending No. JO-001-2021 which created a conditional two (2%) percent pay in‐ crease structure for em‐ ployees of the Office of the City Marshal, for the proposed FY 2026-2027 budget with considera‐ tion given to the City Marshal pay plan to be included in the Amended FY 2026-2027 Proposed Operating and Five-Year Capital Budget docu‐ ment. (Finance) 29. JO-034-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council authorizing the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government to sell at public internet auction surplus equipment and miscellaneous other movable property which are no longer needed for public purposes, as per the attached list (public internet auction). (Fi‐ nance) 30. JO-035-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget and ad‐ justing the manning ta‐ bles of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government by authoriz‐ ing the use of existing funds in the amount of $2,676 and appropriating within the Department of Innovation and Technol‐ ogy to add one (1) IS&T manager promotion per Civil Service recommen‐ dation. (IT) 31. JO-036-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment by adjusting the manning tables and in‐ creasing the hourly rate of one (1) Clerk II posi‐ tion within the Depart‐ ment of Innovation & Technology. (IT) 32. JO-037-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council, acting in their capacity as the governing author‐ of the City of ity Lafayette and the Parish Lafayette, respec‐ of tively, providing for the abandonment of a cer‐ tain portion of a 50’ pub‐ lic right-of-way (Wall Street) located between Lot 13-A and Lot 14-A of the Van-Way, JP Develop‐ ment Ext 1 Subdivision, authorizing the and Mayor-Presi‐ Lafayette dent to execute an Act of Abandonment in order to effectuate the abandon‐ ment on behalf of the City of Lafayette, and Parish of Lafayette, and the Lafayette City-Parish Govern‐ Consolidated ment. (CD&P) 33. JO-038-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment by authorizing the transfer of $100,000 in HOME funds within the Community Development d l i

34. JO-039-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment by authorizing the transfer of $164,595 in Home American Rescue Plan (HOME-ARP) funds within the Community Development and Plan‐ ning Department to Faith House, Inc. (CD&P) 35. JO-040-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment by authorizing the transfer of $125,000 in HOME funds within the Community Development and Planning Depart‐ ment to Catholic Chari‐ ties of Acadiana. (CD&P) 36. JO-041-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment by authorizing the transfer of $220,000 in HOME funds within the Community Development and Planning Depart‐ ment to Lafayette Habi‐ tat for Humanity. (CD&P) ADJOURN IN ACCORDANCE WITH LA. R.S. 42:14(E) AS EN‐ ACTED BY ACT NO. 393 OF 2023 AND THE AMERI‐ CANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, PLEASE CONTACT JOSEPH GORDON-WILTZ, COUNCIL CLERK, AT (337) 291-8810 DESCRIBING THE ASSISTANCE THAT IS NECESSARY, IF SPECIAL ASSISTANCE AND/OR AC‐ COMMODATIONS ARE NEEDED. 198903 Aug. 28 1t $138.31

Public Notices Successions

PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE Administrator for the Succession of Mary Fern Cobb Briggs gives notice of his intent to sell via private sale, the follow‐ ing: 1. The immovable estate home and property lo‐ cated at 311 Sunny Lane, Louisiana Lafayette, 70506, Being the same property acquired by Mary C. Briggs by Cash Sale from Jeanie Slay Mellinger dated April 29, 1994, recorded on May 2, 1994, under instrument no. 1994-00016195 of the records of public Louisiana.; Lafayette, and 2. All movables within the estate home at 311 Sunny Lane, consisting of home furnishings, deco‐ rations, and kitchenware. Any objections to the sale of the above prop‐ erty can be ﬁled with the Judicial District 15th – Parish of Court Lafayette under probate docket number 20250640, pursuant to LA C.C.P. art 3282. 198202 Aug. 22 to Sept. 20, 30t $456.60

Place a Classified ad?

1-800-960-6397

SEVEN DAYS

HOME DELIVERED

LOUISIANA OWNED

SUBSCRIBE TODAY

ONE great state FOUR great apps

8A ● Friday,August 28, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

THANK YOU FOR VOTING US

the best grocery store -Donny Rouse, CEO, 3rd Generation -

SAVE $ 11 3

SAVE up $ 61 to 2

GROUND FRESH IN STORE SEVERAL TIMES DAILY!

$ 88

VALUE PACK

93% Lean Ground Beef

SAVE

up $ to

1347

up $ 98 to

When You Buy 2

100% PREMIUM USDA ANGUS CHOICE BEEF

$ 88 Rouses 2/$

PARTNER

When You Buy 3

5 LB BAG U.S. #1

LB London Broil or Top Round Roast

PREFERRED

Russet Potatoes

3/$

6 PACK HALF LITERS

Coke, Sprite or Barq’s

ACCEPTED IN-STORE AND ONLINE!

SAVE 81 ¢

SAVE up $ 91 to 1

— ONLY —

PREVIOUSLY FROZEN

Chicken Drumsticks

$ 88

VALUE PACK

Assorted Pork Chops

Medium Pork Spare Ribs

LIMIT 3

CALIFORNIA GROWN

Seedless Green Grapes

$ 88

15 OZ CAN

4.6 OZ CAN

15.8 OZ CAN

4 COUNT PACK

Always Save Beans Campbell’s Spaghettios

1 OZ PACKET

Old El Paso Taco Seasoning Mix

King’s Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

$ 88

WASHINGTON STATE GROWN

COUNT BOX SAVE 10Quaker $ 11 2 Instant Grits LB

$ 88

10 COUNT

SAVE $ 11 1

8.9 - 12 OZ SELECTED

Blue Bonnet Quarter Sticks

General Mills Cereal

Eternal Water

Faygo Soda

SIX

EACH WILL RECEIVE:

1 Monument Mesa 4-Burner Propane Grill

SCAN TO ENTER

6 packs of Johnsonville Fresh Sausage or Brats

SAVE up $ 11 to 1

$ 88

600 ML

WINNERS!

Starkist Chunk Light Tuna

Pure Kick, Jolly Rancher, Skittles or Starburst Water Enhancer Mixes

16 OZ

20 OZ

5 OZ CAN

6 - 10 COUNT

Jolly Rancher or Warhead Freezer Pops

Honeycrisp or Sugar Bee Apples

Armour Vienna Sausage

— ONLY —

Includes 4 Sirloin, 4 Center Cut and 4 Rib End Chops!

PREVIOUSLY FROZEN

SAVE 51 ¢

Your Choice

¢EA

GRILL UP GAME DAY GIVEAWAY

No purchase necessary. Giveaway runs 8/11/26 - 9/9/26. See official rules for details. Enter at Rouses.com/GrillGiveaway.

largest selection & lowest prices on wine, spirits & beer

SAVE $ 00 6

750 ML SELECTED

Meiomi Wine

750 ML

818 Tequila Blanco

1.75 LITER

Evan Williams Bourbon OR 750 ML

Jameson Irish Whiskey

Louisiana Local 12 PACK 12 OZ

Abita or Blue Moon Belgian White

Prices good at all Louisiana locations August 26th thru September 2nd, 2026.

9 PACK ALUMINUM PINTS

Miller Lite or Coors Light

1399

METRO

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

F r i d ay, au g u s t 28, 2026

1BN

UL interim dean donates to college fund Business students will benefit from gift

BY JOANNA BROWN

Staff writer

Business students at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette have received a boost to help them pursue career-enhancing activities, courtesy of their dean. The B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration announced that interim dean Brian Bolton has made a gift to the college’s business engagement and outreach fund, which provides support for students to travel to conferences and competitions, study abroad, participate in student-led activities

and receive awards. The gift is over $25,000 and will be administered by the College of Business Administration according to the guidelines for the fund. “I have imagined all sorts of programs and ideas I think can help us create the future we want, from student research programs and ethics case competitions, to an emerging alumni advisory board,” said Bolton. “The best way for me to create trust, momentum and shared vision in these ideas is to invest in them myself, just as I am asking others to invest in them.” Bolton was named interim dean of the College of Business Administration last fall, following the retirement of former dean Linda Nichols. Bolton has been a faculty member at UL Lafayette since 2019, and serves as the

Dwight W. Andrus Jr. and Board of Regents Support Fund Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair in Finance. Bolton said he did not give to the college to inspire others to give, but he hopes that it will be an example of the way he plans to steward the college and students for the future. “It would be very difﬁcult for me to ask donors to invest in the future of the college if I were not willing to do so myself. My gift is primarily about me putting my money where I invest my time, energy, love and life, and I do believe that if my efforts lead to meaningful impact and change lives, it will eventually inspire others to do the same.”

Brian Bolton, the interim dean of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration, announced he donated a gift that will support the college’s engagement and outreach fund. STAFF FILE PHOTO By PAUL KIEU

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

Iberia schools lauded for career program Districtwide effort connects students, employers

BY ADAM DAIGLE

Acadiana business editor

FUNNEL OF LOVE

AVOVE: Volunteers Molly LeMaire and Shawn McNeil add ingredients to a meal kit during Feed the Funnel, a meal packing event benefiting three local food banks at CGI in Lafayette on Thursday. The event, which is held in partnership with The Pack Shack, brought together the volunteer efforts of 150 local CGI employees to pack 20,000 red beans and rice meals to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of Acadiana, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Campus Cupboard, South Louisiana Community College’s The Pantry and the families they serve. LEFT: Volunteers pack meals during the Feed the Funnel event. STAFF PHOTOS By LESLIE WESTBROOK

The Iberia Parish School District was recognized by One Acadiana on Thursday morning for its efforts in preparing students for careers in the workforce. One Acadiana presented school officials with the 2026 One Acadiana ConnectEd Award for expanding career-connected learning opportunities. School officials built a districtwide workforce development program that connects students with employers and creates pathways from high school into meaningful employment. In its first year, nine students completed the program and five were hired into full-time jobs. More than 90 students have applied for the current school year. At Aviation Exteriors in New Iberia, the program helped the company with its struggle to find local talent, said Megan Landry-Lalande, human resources director for the company. It offered an internship to Philip

ä See PROGRAM, page 4B

Incumbent, 3 challengers in race for Iowa mayor Previous mayor, 2 newcomers running

BY COURTNEY PEDERSEN Staff writer

The Iowa mayoral race is heating up as four candidates throw their hats in the ring, including the incumbent, his predecessor and two locals new to politics. Incumbent Neal Wa t H H H H H H kins Jr., Paul “Hounddog” Hesse, Jordan Manela and Brian “Shakey” Schexnayder are all running for the Nov. 3 Iowa mayoral election. Watkins was ﬁrst elected in 2022 in a runoff, earning 250 votes against the then-incumbent Hesse, who got 183 votes, according to the Louisiana Secretary of State website. Schexnayder and Manela are both new to the political scene.

ELECTION

ä See MAYOR, page 4B

2B ● Friday,August 28, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

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

La. must support policies that help international trade labor, probably won’t stick. MeanYet again, Washington is announcing a flurry of import while, Washington has launched tariffs, stoking uncertainty for harsh import tariffs over countrybusinesses and consumers. To un- level disputes and sectors such as pharma, steel and aluderstand what this means for Louisiana, it is imporminum. Trump is correct that tant to look at President trade disparities need to be Donald Trump’s broader addressed, while many in approach to trade since Congress are also correct taking office. Jerry to question whether he Trump has long argued Hingle has gone too far and overthat the United States is GUEST disadvantaged in interreached his authority. COLUMNIST This matters here in Louinational trade. It’s true that U.S. tariffs have hissiana. The state exports nearly $93 billion in goods and torically been lower than those imports over $33 billion each year, of many trading partners, while supporting more than 180,000 American exporters often face jobs, according to the U.S. Departcomplicated nontariff barriers that make it difficult to sell their ment of Commerce. Louisiana also products overseas. earns billions in service exports In the spirit of putting “America and international tourism. The esFirst,” Trump instructed his adtimated $1.25 billion economic imvisers to seek any nuanced trade pact of Louisiana hosting a Super law that, if broadly interpreted, Bowl is tiny compared to the boost allows the president to impose that international trade brings to tariffs without congressional apour economy. The trade shake-up has not been proval. The first attempt, under easy. For Louisiana exporters, the guise of economic security, was struck down by the Supreme the biggest concern is retaliation: other countries imposing tariffs Court. Two subsequent attempts, one to address America’s balance on Louisiana products in response of payments and the other center- to U.S. tariffs. Many have threating on countries’ use of forced ened to do just that. Businesses

STAFF FILE PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

The Port of South Louisiana handles billions in trade and cargo each year. on both sides of trade are uncertain about whether, and when, to factor tariffs into their prices. Consumers are feeling the pinch, but tariffs only account for .5% to .8% percentage points to overall inﬂation, according to the Federal Reserve. Food prices have risen sharply — particularly in New Orleans — but much of that is tied to higher fuel, fertil-

izer and operating costs. There is some good news: Washington is refunding tariffs that were later ruled unlawful. Of the $165 billion in refunds owed to importers, $100 billion is in the pipeline — although getting it through the pipeline and on to consumers is a long and litigious process. But there isn’t much cause for alarm. Trump’s weaponized

tariffs grab media headlines but those weapons are sparingly deployed if at all. Legal rulings, special interest carve-outs and truces often resolve trade measures before taking effect. Tariffs that do eventually stick have mixed effects on Louisiana: Some industries (steel, aluminum and seafood) may beneﬁt from tariff relief while others (manufacturing, farming) may face higher costs. Meanwhile, Washington is forging new economic and trade agreements with dozens of countries that could give Louisiana exporters new markets and new opportunities. For Louisiana, the lesson is simple: Tariffs are useful when they target unfair trade or remedy broader strategic objectives, but they can create as many problems as they solve. Louisiana should support efforts to make international trade fairer — but we should also demand that those efforts strengthen, rather than weaken, the state’s ability to compete in the world economy. Jerry Hingle is the president of International Trade Associates in New Orleans.

Choosing a skilled trade over college has benefits

There are some things that Katrina couldn’t wash away

While many of my high school classInstrumentation was the field that immemates are preparing to move into coldiately caught my attention. Instrument technicians help install, maintain, test and lege dorms and begin four-year degree troubleshoot systems that measure and programs, I have chosen a different path control industrial processes. The work to a career. Just days after graduating, combines electrical knowledge, technolI started working in construction while continuing my education in the ogy, problem-solving and attention skilled trades. to detail. It is challenging, and that is This was never my backup part of what appealed to me. plan. It was a deliberate choice At 18, I enrolled in the instrumento begin building a career immetation program at the ABC New Orleans/Bayou Training Center in St. diately, learn valuable technical skills and create opportunities Bennett Rose, and I am currently attending for my future — all without inWilliam classes while working as an instrucurring the burden of financial mentation technician for EXCEL Mardis Group, debt. which is sponsoring my trainGUEST For a long time, I thought I ing. COLUMNIST would pursue a career in law enThis arrangement allows me to earn a paycheck, gain real-world exforcement. I respected the profession and the chance it offered perience and continue my education to serve others. At the same time, I had at the same time. Every day, I learn from always been exposed to construction and experienced professionals and connect felt drawn to the work. I like understandclassroom instruction to actual work in the field. Instead of waiting several years ing how things operate, solving practical to begin my career, I am already building problems and seeing the tangible results it. of a job well done. That does not mean I have stopped My direction became clearer after I met thinking about additional education. Conwith a construction professional who recognized my potential and encouraged me struction has expanded what I believe is to consider the industry seriously. That possible. My immediate goal is to become conversation caused me to see construca highly skilled instrument technician. tion not simply as a job, but as a long-term Over time, I would like to take on greater responsibilities, possibly pursue engineercareer with many possible paths. My coursework in high school helped ing and eventually move into an officeprepare me for that decision. I took three based or management role. The experiagriculture courses and an agricultural ences I am currently gaining will provide mechanics class, where I gained experime with the knowledge and credibility to advance. ence with welding and electrical work. I Too often, young people are made to feel was honored at graduation for my work in my school’s architecture and construction there is only one respectable route after high school. College is the right choice for pathway. many, but it is not the only path to a sucThose classes showed me the value of hands-on learning. Reading about a skill cessful and fulfilling life. Apprenticeships is important, but there is something difand craft training can offer meaningful work, advancement opportunities and the ferent about using tools, diagnosing a chance to begin earning an income withproblem and completing a project yourself. The work requires focus, precision, out taking on years of college debt. patience and responsibility. It also builds My classmates and I may be starting in confidence because you can see your abili- different places, but we are all working toward a future. I have found mine in conties improve. My involvement in Future Farmers of struction. To students who enjoy working America strengthened those skills. As a with their hands, solving problems and member and chapter reporter, I particiseeing the results of their effort, I encourpated in competitions and community ser- age you to take a closer look at the skilled trades. The first step may lead farther vice activities that taught me leadership, communication and teamwork. One of my than you ever imagined. most important experiences was competing in Associated Builders and ContracBennett William Mardis is a recent tors’ high school craft competition, where graduate of Fontainebleau High School in Mandeville. I placed first in the electrical contest.

Before y’all read this, let me tell y’all started creeping around the Gulf, Granny something. Every year around this time, wasn’t looking at her like she was some somebody asks me about Katrina. “Kateb monster. She was looking at her like, “Baby … what was it like?” I never answer right … I done met your cousins already.” Lord away. Not because I don’t know, but behave mercy. If only we knew. Then there was Mama. Mama wasn’t cause I don’t know which Katrina they’re saying much, and that’s what bothered asking about. See, everybody has one. Ask me. Usually, she’d have something to say somebody from the Lower 9th, and they’ll about everything. Not this time. She’d tell you one Katrina. Ask somebody from look at the television, then out the window, St. Bernard Parish, and they’ll tell you anthen back at the television. You ever seen other. Ask somebody from Bay St. Louis, somebody trying not to worry? That’s what Waveland, Biloxi or Gulfport, and baby, she looked like. She wasn’t panickyou’ll be there all day listening. One storm. Thousands of stories. ing. She wasn’t crying. She was just This one is mine. quiet. Sometimes silence says more As a matter of fact, my Katrina than a whole conversation. doesn’t even start with the storm. The closer Katrina got, the quieter It starts with my lawnmower. Isn’t the neighborhood grew. It almost Kateb that something? When I think back felt like the whole neighborhood Shunnar was holding its breath. Looking on Hurricane Katrina, my mind GUEST goes to that Saturday before the back now, maybe it was, because at COLUMNIST 6:10 a.m. Katrina was second-lining storm, when I was outside, actthrough the Gulf Coast, and let me ing as if I were competing in a tell ya, she had footwork. landscaping competition. I cut the At my grandma’s house off Franklin Avgrass, edged the sidewalk until it looked like somebody had drawn it with a ruler, enue, the water reached her windows, and and even swept the driveway twice bemy uncle and aunt had to get her into the attic. They then broke through the roof to cause a few leaves had the nerve to blow flag for help, and after two days they were back where I had already cleaned. airlifted to another safe location. That SatI then put away all the outdoor furniture and made sure everything around the urday before the storm was the last time I house was tidy. Then I got me a cold drink, saw my grandma alive. put my hand on my hip and smiled. Man, Time passed and the day came when we I was proud of that yard. All the while, were finally able to come home. I wish I Katrina was somewhere out in that Gulf, could tell y’all I was ready for what I was probably laughing at me. Funny how life about to see. I wasn’t. Nothing prepares lets you spend all day fixing something you you for opening the door to a life that won’t even have tomorrow. doesn’t exist anymore. Now, don’t get ahead of me. We’ll get As I rode through the city with my mothto the storm. First, allow me to tell y’all er, we both cried. about my Granny. Everyone was trying to And somehow, we kept going. Not beconvince her to leave. She looked at all of cause we were fearless. Not because we us like we had completely lost our minds. had all the answers. Because quitting “I rode out Betsy. I rode out Camille. I wouldn’t put our homes back together. ain’t running from no storm.” That was it; It wouldn’t bring our loved ones back. It conversation over. Anyone who knew my wouldn’t dry one floor, hang one sheet of Granny knew that once she made up her drywall, or nail one shingle. So, we got up. mind, you had a better chance of moving Again. And again. And again. Lake Pontchartrain than changing her Every August, I still think about Katrina. mind. She stayed. I think about my Granny and the people we Looking back, I still hear those words: “I lost. I think about the people who stayed. ain’t running from no storm.” Sometimes I think about the people who came from I wish I didn’t. Now, don’t get me wrong. across this country to help strangers. And Granny wasn’t being stubborn just for before I remember the storm, I remember the sake of it. That generation saw storms the people. differently than we do. To them, hurriAfter all these years, that’s what Katrina couldn’t wash away. canes had names and history. Betsy came. Camille came. They cleaned up, buried what needed burying, fixed what needed Kateb Shunnar is a writer based in New fixing and kept on living. So, when Katrina Orleans.

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR LOCAL REPORTING

KEVIN HALL

President & Publisher

RENE SANCHEZ

VP/News, Executive Editor

KARYN KEARNEY EVP/Strategic Partnerships

ARNESSA GARRETT Managing Editor/ Opinion

JUSTIN MITCHELL

Managing Editor/ Audience

HANK STUEVER

Managing Editor/ Enterprise

FRED KALMBACH

JENNIFER BROWN

JERRY DICOLO

EMMA DISCHER

Managing Editor

Managing Editor, New Orleans

KRISTIN ASKELSON Managing Editor, Acadiana

BARBARA LEADER Managing Editor, Shreveport

Senior Editor Senior Editor

ANDREA GALLO

ROGER HOLMES

Chief Revenue Ofﬁcer

ASHLEY WHITCHER

VP/ Consumer Sales

JIM MYERS

General Manager/ Advertising

VP/IT

Senior Editor/ Investigations

VP/Finance

JESSICA WILLIAMS

ROBERT STOLL

Senior Editor

CHASE HEATHERLY

Executive VP, Operations

VP/Distribution

KYLE WHITFIELD

GEORGES MEDIA GROUP JOHN D. GEORGES Owner

JUDI TERZOTIS

ROBERT YOUNG

Chief Executive Ofﬁcer

LOU HUDSON

Editorial Page

VP/ Majors & Nationals

DAN SHEA

Chairman

ARNESSA GARRETT STEPHANIE GRACE WILL SUTTON QUIN HILLYER FAIMON ROBERTS

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Friday,August 28, 2026 ● 3B

lll

COMMENTARY

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

ISSUE OF THE WEEK CANADA TRADE WAR President Donald Trump recently imposed punishing tariffs on Canadian goods after trade talks fizzled. Canada responded with retaliatory tariffs of its own, hitting the American steel and aluminum industries particularly hard.Though Canada’s economy is about one-twelfth the size of the U.S. economy, some say the Trump administration miscalculated in expecting Canada to cave to U.S. demands. Polls show a lack of public support for the tariffs.Will Trump’s trade war have longlasting effects? Here are two perspectives:

Insulting Canada is just Trade war reveals Trump’s sick economy policy loss of trust home, abroad Oh good, another war. This time, a is perhaps Trump’s most hostile astrade war with Canada, and for no oth- sault on Canadian pride. Trump had er reason than ... what? To give Donald referred to former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as Governor Trump a new stage for big-league bullying? To divert attention from the Jef- Trudeau. (He’s quite the card.) He called the border between our two frey Epstein files? Who knows. Whatcountries “an artificially drawn line” ever. Trying to humiliate our closest ally does not serve American interests, and said he would use “economic force” to make a takeover hapya think? I say “trying” because pen. Trump’s powers are much While visiting the Oval Ofdiminished. Canadians are callfice last year, Carney said that Canada “is not for sale” and ing Trump’s bluff, as are other “won’t be for sale ever.” Trump countries and even some forFroma responded, “Never say never.” merly supine Republican lawOver the weekend, Trump’s makers. And it’s getting harder Harrop first vice president, Mike to ignore the loose screws ratPence, provided a dose of sobritling around his head. We won’t go into the particulars of ety. “American consumers pay Amerithis latest trade dispute. Canada as can tariffs,” he said. “My hope is, for well as the United States appeared to the sake of American families and for have thrown in last-minute demands. the sake of the American economy, And Trump’s new tariffs on $20 billion that what we’re looking at here is negoworth of Canadian goods affect only tiation and not confrontation in a trade about 5% of Canada’s exports to the war.” U.S. Though Trump’s tantrums should The bigger story here is the willingfly over the northern border like bad ness of Canadian Prime Minister Mark weather systems that will pass, the abuse has long-term effects that have Carney to defend his nation’s honor already come back to bite us. Against even at a cost to his economy. Trump’s wishes, Canada is now doing Moments after the tariffs went into its separate deals with China. He has effect, Trump recycled a golden oldie threatened a 100% tariff on Canada of abuse by posting on Truth Social, over that. “Canada wants the benefits of being a A recent Angus Reid survey of CaState, without being one!!! They have also charged our great farmers, for nadians found that more than 75% many years, massive amounts of Tarwanted Carney to hold his ground, even as 90% worried about economic iffs. No More!!!” About our great farmers, Trump has costs. The Canadian pollster has also found that 79% of Americans still liked just lowered taxes on foreign beef in Canadians. But even if Canadians don’t an obvious attempt to cut prices for think Americans dislike them, the fact steaks and hamburgers before the remains that the voters elected Trump midterm elections. The higher prices twice. were a godsend to American cattle Trump just said he’ll tack 50% tariffs ranchers already coping with wildfires, droughts and restrictions on shipments on vehicles and parts from Canada. of young Mexican cattle to be fattened A silver lining is that Trump’s broadin U.S. feedlots. sides have become so unhinged, the “You don’t put America first by putprospects of his Republican enablers retaining that much power after Noting U.S. cattle producers last,” U.S. Cattlemen’s Association President Jus- vember are much reduced. Trump may be seeming more temtin Tupper said in response. Trump keeps saying that the U.S. porary, but in the meantime, we have doesn’t need Canadian products. But another war, a ridiculous trade war. guess what his new round of tariffs doesn’t include? Canadian oil or gas. Froma Harrop is on X, @FromaHarrop. Talk of turning Canada into a state Email her at fharrop@gmail.com

As President Donald Trump escalated his China and Iran, “the principal targets” of trade war with Canada, Prime Minister Mark the new U.S. strategy, “largely shrugged off Carney responded with a direct and damning Washington’s announcement.” Iranian Depucomment: “We’ve recognized from the start ty Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi even that America has changed,” he said. “We rec- mocked the new approach, pointing out that it was only adopted after the military option ognize that sometimes, its signature is writhad fizzled. “Is this a victory or an admission ten in pencil.” of U.S. defeat?” he taunted on social media. One of the most valuable assets in politics At home, enthusiasm for the Iran war is trust. Leaders can only be effeccontinues to erode. In a new Reuters tive, in the long run, if other stakepoll, just 31% of Americans express holders — voters, allies, rivals — resupport, down from 37% in March and spect, believe and trust you. To keep 34% earlier this month. your word. To play straight. Declining trust in Trump also shows Trump, as Carney makes clear, is up in another vital forum: the bond now squandering that trust, both at Steve home and abroad. Increasingly, his Roberts market. Nations must pay higher inword is no longer good. His promises terest rates to sell bonds if investor — and threats — are no longer taken confidence drops, and recently, the U.S. seriously. Treasury had to offer a yield of 5.3% in order A Pew Research Center poll of 36 countries to market 30-year bonds, the highest rate in reports that “76% of respondents had ‘no con- 19 years. By contrast, Canada can sell bonds at 4.11%. fidence’ in Trump and 57% had an unfavorIn an attempt to reassure investors, Treaable opinion of the United States.” In most of the countries, Pew adds, “people had a more sury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a positive impression of China than of the U.S.” buyback of up to $4 billion in outstanding Some of that dwindling confidence is bonds, but as The Wall Street Journal reportsummed up in the popular meme TACO, or ed, “Markets Brush Off Treasury’s Buyback Trump Always Chickens Out. But the damage Plans.” goes deeper than that. It’s not just that he’s “The president’s fulminations and his adtrusted less. He’s also feared less. ministration’s efforts to intervene in currenTrump has always been a bully, operating cy and bond markets have an air of desperaon the premise that if you apply enough pres- tion, which is only making matters worse and turning market sentiment in an even more sure — on business associates, Republican unfavorable direction,” said Eswar Prasad, lawmakers, TV networks — the other side an economics professor at Cornell Univerwill always blink first. But he’s badly miscalculated the resilience and resistance of sity. national leaders in Ottawa — and in Tehran, That air of desperation was reflected in anBeijing and Moscow. other administration move: importing ground The fallout is also affecting domestic polibeef at discount prices in order to lower tics, since several states with key Senate rac- grocery bills before the November election. As with Trump’s crusade against Canada, his es — like Michigan, Maine and New Hampaction alarmed Republican candidates, this shire — border Canada and depend heavily time from cattle-producing states. on trade with their neighbors. Vulnerable “This is a bad idea,” proclaimed Rep. AshRepublican candidates are deeply alarmed, with Sen. Susan Collins of Maine complaining ley Hinson, the Republican candidate for an that Trump’s tirades “will increase costs for open Senate seat in Iowa. Maine families” and trigger “higher costs, “Flooding the market with lower quality risk, and uncertainty for Maine businesses.” beef compromises Nebraska farmers and If anything, Iran’s leaders are even more ranchers,” added Nebraska Sen. Pete Rickdefiant and less intimidated. Since the etts, who is also running this fall. president’s six-month bombing campaign has Trump’s deals and promises might now be failed to crush that regime’s resolve, Trump written in pencil, but his record is now being is now firing fiscal fusillades, pressuring written in ink — bold red ink. other countries to cut ties with Iran and sufEmail Steven V. Roberts at stevecokie@ focate its economy. gmail.com. But as news website Semafor reported,

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.

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCAN HERE

4B ● Friday, August 28, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

LSU district opponents call for pause on taxes

Obituaries Donohue, Patrick Lege

ﬁnance director to person Meg Casper Sun- Glasper, said the taxes Ex-Metro Council parish immediately pause collec- strom said. should not be in effect if At the heart of the dis- possible exempted propof taxes while the case member says tion progresses, saying it is pute is whether the dis- erties are not explicitly which properties tricts can levy sales and identiﬁed. vote necessary unclear fall inside the boundaries hotel taxes without a pub“We’ve asked them to of the LSU districts. pause the collection of lic vote. for levy A map of the taxing area In 2023, the Louisiana taxes until they can actu-

BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer

Nearly a year since taxes went into effect that have garnered hundreds of thousands of dollars, opponents of the LSU Economic Development District in Baton Rouge are trying to halt the collection of revenue. A former East Baton Rouge Metro Council member, Darrell Glasper Sr., claims in a lawsuit ﬁled in December that the LSU district and athletic subdistrict inside of it should not be able to levy taxes without an election. He also contends the money would beneﬁt the developer of a planned LSU arena, though the university has been publicly noncommittal about how the funds will be used. Glasper’s attorney this month sent a letter with an appeal to the city-

PROGRAM

Continued from page 1B Antoine, who was a high school senior last year, and later hired him full-time. Another student, Loreauville High School senior Telbia Mallery, interned at Metal Shark Boats. She supported the company’s skilled trades teams and learned operations and safety standards. “We have to put time and effort into our future, and this is our future work-

MAYOR

Continued from page 1B Take a look at the four candidates:

Neal Watkins Jr.

would look like “Swiss cheese,” the attorney, William Most, argued — “a deﬁned external boundary with many, many internal holes.” The city-parish did not respond to a request. The Louisiana Attorney General’s Ofﬁce is responsible for defending the districts in court. The lawsuit identifies Sean Porter, assistant general counsel for the LSU Foundation, as interim administrator of the districts. Porter deferred questions to spokespeople for LSU and the LSU Foundation, both of which declined to comment on the lawsuit. The Attorney General’s Office did not respond to a request for comment. The LSU Economic Development District has so far collected about $875,000 in taxes, per an Aug. 3 report, LSU spokes-

Legislature created the LSU Economic Development District along with a Southern University Economic Development District. Though Louisiana law generally requires voter approval for new local taxes, LSU has said no registered voters reside in its districts. In June, the attorney for the districts ﬁled a response to Glasper’s petition, saying the case should be dismissed. Officials involved with the district argue that the statute authorizing the LSU and Southern economic development districts already excludes properties where people may be living. “Whether specifically identified or not, no portion of the LSU EDD shall include any tract of land that is used for residential purposes,” the statute reads. Most, the attorney for

ally ﬁgure out what their boundaries are,” Most said. LSU has not said if or to what extent the revenue will be dedicated to the proposed $400 million arena, on which progress slowed after the CEO of the ﬁrm expected to build the facility was indicted on federal bid-rigging charges in Texas for a similar project. In a talk at the Baton Rouge Press Club in May, LSU President Wade Rousse said LSU was “still looking for funding sources” after the indictment, with the state being a potential funder. Where money in the LSU Economic Development District account goes “depends on if we end up getting an arena or not,” he said.

force,” Landry-Lalande said. “We bring them in and show them opportunity. We’re hiring, and we are empowering our future.” Maggi Bienvenu, director of business and education connections with One Acadiana, heads the ConnectEd program. Since its original cohort in June 2024, the program has involved 10 school systems, 16 employers and partners and 12 worksite visits and industry experiences. Since the program kicked off in 2021, One

Acadiana has convened 22 industry roundtable discussions and had representation from 96 companies, Bienvenu said. “We believe that strong partnerships between education and industry are the key to preparing our region’s workforce for the future,” Bienvenu said. “It’s a really exciting future we’re looking forward to now.” The staff at the Iberia Parish Career Center is also teaching students soft skills, including how to save part of their pay-

checks and how to ﬁll out a W-4 form, said Kim Romero, internship instructor at the Iberia career center. “We need employers to take a chance,” she said. “We need them to be ﬂexible. We know you probably want kids who are 18 with a high school diploma, but take a chance on my 17-year-old who’s going to have a high school diploma very soon. We’re going to help you.”

Paul Hesse

you came in that said “the most beautiful town” and to see families grow up here and families leave and but come back (because) they want to raise their kids here, like we did,” Manela said. “I think right now there’s just a lack of communication on some things, and we noticed that (other people in) the town felt the same.” Manela said his platform is transparency, communication, making sure that every voice matters, teamwork and making Iowa “home again.” Manela, who is the manager of Dom’s Paint and Body, said that Iowa residents should vote for him because he is not a typical politician. “I’m willing to hear anybody out; I never steer from a conversation, and I think communication can solve a lot of different things,” Manela said. “I hope that the community would know that I’m going to listen to their concerns, their questions, their comments and make sure that it’s always heard and it’s always discussed. We can ﬁgure out a way to get stuff done together. It’s not just going to be a me thing.”

into consideration. … I don’t want to talk bad about (anybody). … I was just thinking I Schexnayder represent the people and if you represent the people, you should hear what they say and try to do what they want.” The 67-year-old is the owner of Shakey’s Welding, and said that while he has no political experience, he is running on the platform of hearing what people say and prioritizing what the residents want. Schexnayder said he believes those in Iowa should vote for him because he can make changes and help the community. “We’re not a big city,” Schexnayder said. “We’re a small town, so we don’t need to be run like New York City is run.”

Hesse, a 69-year-old who has lived in Iowa for over 30 years, was elected mayor in 2018 after deciding to run to improve the city. While he didn’t Hesse win reelection in 2022, he believes it’s for the best and is once again throwing his hat in the ring. “I think it was a good Lord looking out for me because about six months after I lost, I found out I had cancer, and it’s taken me about two years to finally overcome the cancer,” Hesse said. “I’m ready to go back to work in the public office.” Running as a no-party candidate, Hesse is vying for the seat once again due to his disdain for the current mayor. Hesse, who works as a divisional accountant at a southwest Louisiana sawmill, said if he is elected again, he plans to improve the water and sewer systems, improve the roads, work on town beautification and improve wages and benefits for employees. “I want people that live in Iowa to be able to work at an Iowa business or work for the town and have benefits that they can support their family with,” Hesse said. “(Such as) medical benefits, HSAs, retirement, things that you get with any other businesses that are normally operating, and I’m talking about businesses like manufacturing and things like where you have benefits that you and your family can live on.”

Watkins, a 60-year-old Republican, said he first ran for Iowa mayor in 2022 because he felt like there was a lot that needed to be done. Watkins “I felt like there was just a kind of laissez-faire attitude as to how things were done here,” Watkins said. “My biggest reason for running at that particular time is I felt that our tax dollars were being wasted, and not just so much on a local level, but on a state level and on a national level. So the frustrations that I had were: I’m tired of seeing tax dollars wasted; can I help change that? I can’t do it in Washington. I can’t do it in the state, but maybe I can do it in the town of Iowa.” Watkins, who previously worked in construction, said he decided to run for reelection to continue the plan he and the council put in place to help the town progress while retaining its small-town feel and to be part of bringing economic development to the area. With the hopes of remaining in office, Watkins said he plans to build on the town’s foundation that he said has been fixed in his first term. He also wants to bring in more revenue with continued economic development and help the police Jordan Manela department. “(People should vote for Manela, a 34-year-old Reme because of) the record publican Iowa native, said … there’s just a ton,” Wathe decided to run for kins said. “We took care of office bea half-million-dollar deficit. We fixed our foundation. We cause he brought in economic develhas seen what the opment that is only going to town is caescalate from this point, so they should be able to trust pable of bethat what I said I was going Manela ing. to do, I did to begin with, “It was a and then the rest of it is just pride to drive through our going to be the record.” town and have the sign when

Brian Schexnayder Iowa native Schexnayder, a Democrat, said he decided to run for mayor because he wasn’t pleased with how the Iowa government is operating. “They don’t represent the people (anymore),” Schexnayder said. “They forget what’s going on … They don’t take the people’s topics, what the people want,

LOTTERY

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 26, 2026 PICK 3: 5-6-9 PICK 4: 2-3-8-3 PICK 5: 5-6-7-4-1 EASY 5: 11-15-16-21-27 LOTTO: 4-10-18-19-28-36 POWERBALL: 12-32-45-50-58 (2) Unofficial notification, keep your tickets.

Email Haley Miller at haley.miller@ theadvocate.com.

Email Adam Daigle at adaigle@theadvocate. com.

ABBEVILLE Patrick Lege Donohue, 74, passed away on August 22, 2026, at his residence surrounded by family. Patrick was born in Abbeville on March 3, 1952, to John Paul Donohue and Marie Elise Lege Donohue. A lifelong member of St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church, Patrick was a faithful Catholic whose faith enriched him throughout his life. Patrick lived in the beautiful family home on South Main Street for nearly his entire life. He purchased the home from his parents with the love of his life, Rebecca Bordelon Donohue. Married in 1978, they raised their three children there and made it their own for the past 42 years. A proud 1970 graduate of Vermilion Catholic High School, where he was a three-sport letterman, Patrick earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and Finance from the University of Southwestern Louisiana. During college, he was an active member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity, forming friendships that lasted a lifetime. A Certified Petroleum Landman, Patrick cofounded Angelle & Donohue in 1980 and remained devoted to the firm throughout his life. Known for his strong will, straightforward manner, and unwavering determination, he earned the respect and appreciation of clients over a career that persisted through the extraordinary highs and lows of Louisiana's oil and gas industry. That same perseverance sustained Angelle & Donohue through difficult times, and Patrick continued enjoying his work and helping his clients until the final chapter of his life. He was an active member of LOGA, LAPL, AAPL, and HAPL. He also succeeded his father as a Board member of Vermilion Corporation. Patrick loved golf and, in recent years, was a member of Oakbourne Country Club. Throughout his life, he traveled with family and friends to play great courses across our beautiful country. Patrick's life-long passion for duck hunting started and ended at Camp Blarney in Pecan Island. Privileged to hunt the same area for more than decades, his

seven decades, his guests in the "back blind" included his father, siblings, children, grandchildren, and countless relatives and friends. The camp was a focal point for hunting, stories, laughter, and "makin' memories." We all wish we could have "one more" morning with him watching the sun rise and the ducks fall. To his grandchildren, Patrick was simply "Poppy," a role he treasured. He always showed up for his family—sporting events, performances, and all the ordinary moments in between. Patrick is survived by his beloved wife of 48 years, Rebecca Bordelon Donohue; daughters, Megan Donohue Breaux (Matthew) and Colleen Donohue Foreman (Khristopher); grandchildren, Claire Elise Breaux, James Andrew Breaux, and Willow Marie Foreman; and siblings, Elizabeth Gary, Patricia McIntyre, John P. Donohue, Jr. (Lory), Daniel Donohue (Kristi), James Donohue, Sr. (Susan), and Lise Kuhn (Allen). He was preceded in death by his son, Patrick Lege Donohue, Jr.; his parents, John Paul Donohue and Marie Elise Lege Donohue; and his brothersin-law, John Wesley Gary III and Reginald James McIntyre. A Mass of Christian Burial officiated by Reverend Louis Richard will be held at 10:30 AM on Monday, August 31, 2026, at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church. Patrick will be laid to rest at St. Mary Magdalen Cemetery. Visitation will be held at Vincent Funeral Home of Abbeville, 209 S. Saint Charles St., on Sunday, August 30, 2026, from 4:00 PM until 7:00 PM, with a eulogy at 6:00 PM followed by a rosary at 6:30 PM. Visitation will resume Monday from 8:00 AM until 10:15 AM, when the procession will depart for the church. Serving as pallbearers will be Daniel Donohue, James Donohue, Sr., Reginald McIntyre III, John P. Donohue III, James Donohue, Jr., and Allen Kuhn, Jr. Honorary pallbearers will be John P. Donohue, Jr., Allen Kuhn, Matthew Breaux, Khristopher Foreman, James Andrew Breaux, Alan Brown "Brownie" Fortier, and Keith Istre. Readers will be Wesleigh Gary Stewart and Margaret McIntyre VanRyckeghem. Gift bearers will be Claire Elise Breaux, Riley Donohue Harmon, and Lilia Elise Kuhn. The family would like to extend special thanks to Dr. Philippe Prouet, Dr. Perri Prellop, and Dr. Paulette Blanchet. All funeral arrangements are being conducted by Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville, (337) 893 -4661.

The Advocate’s Obituary Department Labor Day Holiday Hours Due to the Labor Day Holiday, our offices will be closed Monday, Sept. 7th, 2026.

EARLY DEADLINES FOR OBITUARIES

Email Courtney Pedersen at courtney.pedersen@ theadvocate.com.

DEADLINE

SATURDAY 9/5 @ 3 PM

RUNDATE

SUNDAY 9/6 MONDAY 9/7 TUESDAY 9/8

Email obits@theadvocate.com or call 225-388-0289

Protection your loved ones deserve ...

GUARANTEED Life Insurance up to $30,000.00

Modiﬁed Whole Life Insurance from Physicians Life Insurance Company

Imagine what $30,000.00 could mean to your family after you’re gone — cash to help pay your funeral, medical bills or other ﬁnal expenses. • Guaranteed acceptance for ages 45 to 85* • No medical exam, no health questions • Lock in your rate for life

Find out how affordable this coverage can be — Call for your FREE Information Kit

1-877-654-4599 Life55plus.info/Acadiana

 Plus — you’ll also get a FREE

Final Wishes Planner just for calling!

*Ages may vary by state. Guaranteed for one of these life insurance policies. Benefi Benefits ts reduced fifirst rst two years. Insurance Policy L770 (ID: L770ID; OK: L770OK; TN: L770TN). 6236-0625

OFFICIAL NEWS PARTNER OF THE LOUISIANA RAGIN’ CAJUNS

SPORTS

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

Sankey added to NCAA eligibility suit

F r i d ay, au g u s t 28, 2026

1CN

P R E S E A S O N • S A I N T S A T C O W B O y S • 7 P. M . F R I D A y • K A T C

SEC commish listed as defendant in new court filing

BY JON BLAU Staff writer

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has been added as a defendant in an ongoing Louisiana lawsuit aiming to create a ﬁfth year of eligibility for 30-plus athletes, according to a new court ﬁling obtained by The Advocate on Thursday. Last week, the plaintiffs in the case, including three football players who have since committed to LSU, sued the NCAA and were granted a temporary Sankey restraining order making them eligible to compete in the 2026-27 academic year. Two of those athletes, tight end Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, were ruled eligible despite previously signing NFL contracts. This week, the SEC adopted new rules prohibiting member schools from adding athletes who entered the NFL, NBA or WNBA

ä See SUIT, page 3C

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARK J. TERRILL

Saints running back Travis Etienne, left, runs the ball as Dallas Cowboys safety Jalen Thompson defends during a joint practice on Aug. 18 in Oxnard, Calif.

PUTTING IN

THE WORK Saints follow joint practice trend; will rest starters in final exhibition

BY MATTHEW PARAS

Staff writer

AP FILE PHOTO By CHRIS SZAGOLA

Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dae’Quan Wright runs a drill during a rookie minicamp at the team’s training facility on May 1 in Philadelphia.

TE Wright: ‘They see something in me’

BY KOKI RILEY

DALLAS — Kaden Elliss has been on several teams that have gotten off to fast starts. And if there’s a correlation between playing in the preseason and accomplishing that, well, the New Orleans Saints linebacker has struggled to find one. When he first entered the league, Elliss was on a Saints team that experienced a traditional ramp-up. The starters would play a drive one week, a quarter the next and then a half before sitting for the finale. Then, when the linebacker switched teams, the Atlanta Falcons took a different approach to get ready for the regular season. One year, Elliss played only a drive in the preseason. The next, he didn’t play at all. “As long as you have the right guys, I think that’s what’s more important,” Elliss said. “The culture. The buy-in to the coaches and what they’re preaching.” Elliss’ observation feels especially relevant for this

year’s Saints. On Wednesday, coach Kellen Moore announced that the team’s starters will again sit in Friday’s preseason finale against the Dallas Cowboys, meaning that the first-team won’t see any in-game action before New Orleans’ Week 1 (Sept. 13) opener in Detroit. The decision marked a departure for Moore, who took the opposite approach in his first season. But the secondyear coach concluded that ultimately, the Saints received valuable work in three separate joint practices and the games weren’t worth the additional risks given how the Saints roster is already littered with injuries. By practicing against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Dallas Cowboys and the Los Angeles Rams, Moore noted the Saints received 145 snaps in a highly competitive environment — a workload that the Saints should benefit from by the time the regular season kicks off. But will it be enough? This offseason, the Saints have openly said they want to start faster than they did in

UL OT Alexander looking to fulﬁll potential BY KEVIN FOOTE

Staff writer

Dae’Quan Wright was a junior at Perry High when everything clicked. Throughout his first two years, Wright was a basketball player at heart. His ambition was to play in college for a major program, not play football in the Southeastern Conference. He even tried to quit the football team once basketball season started during his sophomore year. “We had to talk him off the ledge there,” Perry offensive coordinator Eric Devoursney said. “(He was a) 15-year-old kid who told me his whole life, he was going to play basketball at Duke.” But one scholarship offer changed everything. Georgia Tech offered Wright a football scholarship during his junior year. His high school coaches had told him for years that his future was in football, but it wasn’t until that moment that he truly believed them.

ä See WRIGHT, page 3C

ä See SAINTS, page 3C

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

UL offensive tackle Zay Alexander goes through drills during practice in preparation for the season opener.

UL redshirt sophomore offensive tackle Zay Alexander didn’t really know what to expect when spring practice began earlier this year. He had missed the entire 2025 season after suffering a knee injury on the ﬁnal practice of the spring session the year before. It was time to test it. “It was a big step,” said Alexander, whose Ragin’ Cajuns open this season at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5 against Lamar at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium. “I was kind of nervous, to be honest, because I had been out a whole year with no contact. I just didn’t know at what point I was going to be the same.” Then a surprising thing happened. “Once I got that ﬁrst snap, I was ready to go,” he said. “I was like, ‘OK, now we’re feeling good.’ It was just a mental thing. After that, I didn’t play nervous. I knew I couldn’t be nervous, so I just attacked it.”

UL coaching staff is now hoping the 6-foot-7, 322-pound transfer from Mississippi State can conquer all the challenges the upcoming season will bring as the starting left tackle. “Conﬁdence, he just needs conﬁdence,” said UL offensive line coach Steve Farmer, referring to transferring the same mental approach to an unfamiliar foe. “It’s one thing to go out and you’re going against the same outside linebacker or defensive end day after day, and it’s another thing ... when they come in around noon (on Monday) and we introduce the new guy to them. “That weekly preparation schedule and weekly prep — we can’t allow that daily routine and classwork to slow us down.” Those are the only mental hurdles Alexander had to overcome before enjoying a productive August camp. It wasn’t just him injured last season. The offensive line was a MASH unit. “It was hard,” he said. “It was point

ä See UL, page 3C

2C ● Friday, August 28, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS On TV

8 p.m.

AUTO RACING 4 p.m. NASCAR Cup Series: QualifyingTRUTV 5 p.m. NTT IndyCar Series FS1 6:30 p.m. NASCAR Auto Parts Series CW 6:30 p.m. ARCA Menards Series FS1 COLLEGE FOOTBALL 9 p.m. Idaho at Cal Poly ESPN WOMEN’S COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL 5:30 p.m. Kansas at Pittsburgh ESPN2 6 p.m. Purdue vs. Creighton FOX 8 p.m. Wisconsin vs. Stanford ESPN2

Minnesota vs. Arizona St. FOX CYCLING 6 a.m. Vuelta a España NBCSN GOLF 8 a.m. LPGA Tour: FM Championship GOLF 10 a.m. PGA: TOUR Championship ESPN noon PGA: TOUR Championship GOLF 6 p.m. The Ally Challenge GOLF HORSE RACING noon Saratoga Live FS2 MLB 5:30 p.m. L.A. Dodgers at Detroit MLBN

IN BRIEF

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

6:15 p.m. Boston at N.y. yankees APPLETV 6:15 p.m. Seattle at Toronto APPLETV 9 p.m. Arizona at San Francisco MLBN NFL PRESEASON 5 p.m. Washington at Baltimore NFLN 7 p.m. Cincinnati at Philadelphia CBS 8 p.m. Minnesota at Denver NFLN MEN’S SOCCER 2 p.m. Man City at Crystal Palace USA 6 p.m. Inter Toronto at Atletico Ottawa FS2 WNBA 6:30 p.m. Connecticut at Indiana ION 9 p.m. Toronto at Las Vegas ION

Alcaraz opens U.S. Open title defense BY BRIAN MAHONEY AP sportswriter

NEW YORK — Carlos Alcaraz will open the defense of his U.S. Open title against an opponent who made a strong run at Wimbledon while the Spaniard was sidelined with an injury. Along with some interesting opening-round matches, the draws for men’s and women’s singles Thursday delivered one what-could-have-been possibility: Had Serena Williams decided to play, there could have been a Williams sisters showdown in Round 1. When Venus Williams was given a wild card into the event at 46, the U.S. Tennis Association initially held one spot, which surely would have gone to Serena if the six-time U.S. Open champion wanted to play after returning to tennis for the first time since 2022. When the 44-year-old decided to only compete in doubles, the USTA awarded that last wild card over the weekend to American Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion. On Thursday, Venus Williams and Kenin were randomly drawn to face each other. Main draw play at the final Grand Slam tournament of the season begins Sunday. Alcaraz is the No. 2 seed and will face Roman Saﬁullin. It will be Alcaraz’s first singles match since April, after the two-time U.S. Open champion was forced to miss the French Open and Wimbledon because of a right wrist injury. The Spaniard returned to play with Serena Williams in the mixed doubles tournament and looked rusty. He may have to be sharper against Saﬁullin, who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon, upsetting Andrey Rublev and Joao Fonseca along the way before falling to 24-time Grand Slam singles champion Novak Djokovic in four sets. Safiullin also upset Alcaraz, ranked No. 2 at the time, in the ATP Masters 1000 in Paris in 2023.

AP sportswriter

MONACO — UEFA is preparing a criminal complaint against FIFA president Gianni Infantino in Swiss courts for possible financial mismanagement over his failed plan to sell future World Cup profits to private investors. The governing body of European soccer announced its intentions in court documents filed Thursday in the U.S. seeking access to possible evidence related to the sell-off plan, which was withdrawn after a furious backlash by UEFA and other global soccer leaders. The move increases the pressure on Infantino, who is facing the biggest crisis in his 10 years as FIFA’s leader. UEFA filed documents in a Manhattan court requesting discovery of potential evidence from the New York investment fund, Thrive Capital Management, founded by Josh Kushner — the younger brother of President Donald Trump’s son-inlaw Jared Kushner. UEFA also filed a request in a southern Florida district for authorization of discovery “in a foreign proceeding” against FIFA itself, which has offices in the Miami suburb of Coral Gables. Under the plan revealed in late July, Thrive and Kushner were to be the anchor investors intending to pay FIFA $4.2 billion for a 20% stake in a subsidiary that would run the soccer body’s commercial events, including the World Cup. “UEFA and its counsel are contemplating a Swiss criminal proceeding against Infantino and possibly other FIFA officials for criminal mismanagement under Article 158 of the Swiss Criminal Code,” UEFA’s lawyers state in a 56-page

LAS VEGAS — The Las Vegas Aces said Thursday that forward NaLyssa Smith is out for the season with a left leg injury, dealing a huge blow to the defending WNBA champion’s repeat hopes. Smith suffered the non-contact injury at the 3:15 mark of the third quarter in Sunday’s 88-78 win over the the Toronto Tempo. Smith has averaged 11.8 points and 6.4 rebounds over 37 games this season and was leading the league in ﬁeld goal percentage at 63.8%. The loss of Smith will put a lot more on the shoulders of Aces star A’ja Wilson, who is in the mix to win her ﬁfth MVP trophy while averaging 26 points and and two blocks per game this season. The Aces entered Thursday with a 26-13 record, the third-best mark in the Western Conference.

Seahawks, DT Williams reach 3-year extension

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By yUKI IWAMURA

Carlos Alcaraz of Spain returns the ball during a mixed doubles match at the U.S. Open on Tuesday in New york. Alcaraz avenged that loss the following year at the Paris Olympics in their lone other meeting. Alexander Zverev, the French Open champion who became the No. 1 seed in New York when Jannik Sinner pulled out with a knee injury, will open against Italian Lorenzo Sonego. Two-time defending women’s champion Aryna Sabalenka opens against Camila Osorio. The topranked Sabalenka, who has struggled during the North American hard-court season, could face Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, the No. 6 seed, in the quarterﬁnals. The other potential women’s quarterfinals: No. 2 Elena Rybakina vs. No. 8 Iga Swiatek, No. 3 Jessica Pegula vs. No. 7 Karolina Muchova, and No. 4 Coco Gauff

vs. No. 5 Mirra Andreeva, the French Open champion. Pegula, who opens against Elena-Gabriela Ruse, would play the Williams-Kenin winner in the second round. The potential men’s quarters: No. 1 Zverev vs. No. 6 Alex de Minaur, No. 2 Alcaraz vs. No. 8 Ben Shelton, No. 3 Felix AugerAliassime vs. No. 5 Flavio Cobolli, and No. 4 Djokovic vs. No. 7 Daniil Medvedev. No. 10 seed Arthur Fils, coming off the title in the Cincinnati Open, faces two-time Grand Slam finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas, who was once ranked No. 3, in the ﬁrst round. Stan Wawrinka, the 2016 U.S. Open champion who received a wild card to play in his final Grand Slam tournament before retiring, faces Matteo Berrettini,

the 2021 Wimbledon runner-up, to open a second straight major tournament. Berrettini won in four sets — all tiebreakers — at the All England Club. Rublev, the No. 23 seed, faces 2014 U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic. No. 13 Lorenzo Musetti, who reached the quarterfinals in New York last year, opens against Britain’s Arthur Fery, who lost to Zverev in the Wimbledon semifinals. Some first-round matches won’t be determined until the conclusion of the qualifying tournaments, which were scheduled to finish Thursday. Potential women’s contenders such as No. 11 Marta Kostyuk and No. 17 Alex Eala were among those waiting to see who they would face in their openers.

UEFA prepares complaint over World Cup sell-off BY GRAHAM DUNBAR

Las Vegas Aces lose forward Smith to injury

that was neither the product of an open, competitive auction, nor tested by any independent valuer.” Thrive declined to comment. FIFA was approached for comment.

Poor results in FIFA trials It was unclear if UEFA would send a potential criminal complaint to the Swiss federal prosecution office in Bern or to local prosecutors in FIFA’s home city Zurich. The Swiss attorney general’s office has a poor record in recent years prosecuting cases of alleged corruption linked to FIFA and soccer officials. Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, former UEFA president ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By TERESA SUAREZ Michel Platini and the influential Qatari president of Champions FIFA president Gianni Infantino attends the closing ceremony of the League title holder Paris SaintEsports World Cup on Sunday at the Grand Palais in Paris, France. Germain, Nasser al-Khelaïfi, all were acquitted twice at trials in document seen by The Associated FIFA against destroying or hiding Switzerland. Press. any “relevant materials” related The document suggests the $4.2 to the plan. Thursday’s legal move Committed to replacement billion figure could be a “fraudu- was revealed to its member fedThe crisis has raised questions lently off-market price promoted erations in Monaco just two hours about Infantino’s future. Just before the Champions League draw months ago, he was widely expectby Infantino for his own benefit.” FIFA is expected to have about began. ed to win another four-year term “Infantino claimed that the plan in the FIFA election set for March $5 billion in cash reserves after the World Cup in North America would ‘unleash the commercial 2027, but a growing number of socboosted its revenue to a record $15 potential and opportunity that cer federations around the world billion over the 2023-26 commer- FIFA has,’ ” UEFA lawyers told the but mainly in Europe have withcourts. “In truth, it was a vehicle drawn their support, with some cial cycle. “The question is therefore why for Infantino and that small circle joining UEFA in calling on him to the FIFA president believed he to acquire a permanent stake in and step down, ideally before the Nov. needed outside investors to expand otherwise profit from FIFA’s most 18 deadline for candidates. “Should the current FIFA presidevelopment funding,” UEFA said valuable assets to the detriment of FIFA, its members, and other par- dent nevertheless seek another in a statement. Infantino dropped the sell-off ties within the football family. mandate, UEFA will join forces plan on Aug. 1 after intense criti“Under the terms Infantino an- with its partner confederations to cism led by soccer officials in Eu- nounced, those investors stood to ensure that member associations acquire a permanent financial in- are offered a credible alternative,” rope. terest in FIFA’s commercial arm the European body said, “one comUEFA warnings for $4.2 billion, implying an ab- mitted to integrity, accountability, UEFA first threatened to take le- surdly low enterprise value of only development and genuine institugal action on Aug. 3 when it warned approximately $20 billion, a figure tional change.”

Three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Leonard Williams and the Seattle Seahawks have agreed on a three-year, $90 million contract extension that includes $56 million guaranteed, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Thursday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team hasn’t announced the extension. The 32-year-old Williams was a second-team AP All-Pro last season when he helped the Seahawks win the franchise’s second Super Bowl title. Williams signed a three-year, $64.5 million deal with Seattle in 2024, after the Giants traded him to the Seahawks in October 2023. He was set to become a free agent in 2027.

Good Good no longer title sponsor of PGA Tour event

ATLANTA — Good Good Golf lost its partnership with Callaway on Thursday and no longer will be title sponsor of a PGA Tour event in November as the fallout continued over a video for a new Callaway driver that showed a man shoving a woman to the ground who was trying to touch the golf club. Good Good, among the most popular in the YouTube Golf space, has said the video was meant to be a spinoff from the movie, “Obsession.” But the criticism was immediate and relentless, and the pressure began mounting by the day. The video was deleted the same day it was posted on Aug. 20, but it continued to make the rounds on social media and apologies from Good Good and Callaway had little effect.

49ers owner York arrested in prostitution sting in Ohio

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Commissioner Roger Goodell said the NFL is looking into whether San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York will be punished for violating the league’s personal conduct policy after he was caught in a prostitution sting in Ohio. York was arrested in a mobile home park by the Mahoning Valley Human Trafﬁcking Task Force after police said he was attempting to pay $160 for sex with a woman he believed to be a prostitute. York was booked into jail and was released after posting a $5,000 bond. York was initially charged with engaging in prostitution, but prosecutors amended that to disorderly conduct. He was sentenced to one day in jail for both offenses.

Colts activate receiver Pierce ahead of game vs. Lions

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts activated receiver Alec Pierce from the physically unable to perform list Thursday, two days before their ﬁnal preseason game against the Detroit Lions. Pierce had surgery on his left ankle in March after signing a fouryear contract extension worth $114 million. He had a platelet-rich plasma injection, which uses a person’s blood to accelerate healing, prior to the start of free agency. But Pierce told reporters in June when that didn’t work after two months, he opted for surgery. He now has more than two weeks to ramp up his activity before the Colts host the Baltimore Ravens in the Sept. 13 season opener. He caught 37 passes for 824 yards, 22.3 yards per catch, and a careerbest seven touchdowns in 2024.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Friday, August 28, 2026 ● 3C

lll

WRIGHT

Continued from page 1C “That’s what really changed everything when I got my first offer,” Wright said. “That’s what really just made me be like, ‘Okay, they see something in me.’ “I need to take advantage of this situation.” Georgia Tech’s decision changed the trajectory of Wright’s life, kicking off a football career that has taken an even more unexpected turn over the past week. After two seasons playing tight end at Virginia Tech and two more at Ole Miss, Wright is attempting to become the first player to return to college football after playing in the NFL. After participating in training camps with the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns, Wright will try to come back to college and play for LSU this season. A Louisiana judge last week placed a temporary restraining order against the NCAA, clearing the path for Wright and more than 30 other athletes to compete this upcoming season. Wright, along with former New Orleans Saints and Ole Miss defensive tackle Zxavian Harris and former Notre Dame edge rusher Junior Tuihalamaka, attempted to transfer to LSU following the Louisiana TRO. For Harris and Wright, the biggest remaining obstacle came on Tuesday, when the Southeastern Conference implemented new rules prohibiting NBA, WNBA and NFL players from returning to college. It’s unclear whether another legal challenge could take away the power of the conference’s new ruling. Much of the reason why Wright, Harris and others find themselves in this legal battle is because of the NCAA’s decision to grant all current and future athletes five seasons of competition. The NCAA passed the rule in June, and a Colorado court ruled soon after that all recruits from the Class of 2022 — Wright’s class — should be eligible to play this season. If the NCAA had passed its new directive over the winter, there’s no doubt in Wright’s mind that he would have just returned to college for a fifth season. “At the end of the day, it’s just all bad timing,” Wright said. “If this happened last December, or even in January, we would have been able to make a decision then on if we were gonna stay in college or not. Most people probably would have stayed. You never know.”

However, lawsuits and the transfer portal were nowhere near Wright’s mind when Georgia Tech came calling in high school. That scholarship offer was the boost he needed on the field. He started touching the ball more, improving to the point where he became a three-star prospect, per the 247Sports Composite, and gained recruiting interest from Florida and Tennessee. “His class ended up winning three regional championships, and we hadn’t won a regional championship at this school since 1959, until his class came from here,” Perry coach Kevin Smith said. “He was a big part of that.” Not only did Wright’s production on the field increase after the offer, but his character off the field also began to shine more. Instead of demanding the ball, Wright would tell his coaches which teammates needed to touch the ball more. He began to embrace the “coffee bean culture” that defines Perry’s program, becoming a positive influence on his teammates and changing the culture at Perry for the better. He also refused to miss any time due to injury. At one point during his senior year, he played three games with a cast covering his broken hand despite playing receiver. “I’m so stinking proud of him,” Smith said. “I don’t know what to do.” Wright did a little bit of everything for Perry. Besides being its top pass catcher, he also served as Perry’s wildcat quarterback and was the punter. He still holds the record for the third-longest punt in school history at 53 yards. He was a good basketball player, but Devoursney always saw his future in football. “Especially his junior year and then really his senior year, we knew when he showed up to the game, we were scoring two touchdowns, guaranteed, just because he was out there,” Devoursney said. “It wasn’t quite that same effect in basketball.” There’s not much Wright can take away from his high school career that directly helps him in his battle with the NCAA and SEC in court. Smith and Devoursney didn’t teach him law theory on the gridiron. But focusing on what he can control was a point of emphasis drilled into him during his time at Perry. There’s not a lot he can do about those who don’t like that he’s trying to return to school, and there’s even less he can do to dissuade the SEC and NCAA from attempting to box him out of a return to the sport. “Control what you can control,” Devoursney said. “And he can’t control what everybody is saying. All he can control is how he plays, or how he reacts to this.”

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Cobie Durant, right, knocks away a ball intended for Saints wide receiver Ronnie Bell during a joint practice on Aug. 18 in Oxnard, Calif. AP PHOTO By MARK J. TERRILL

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C 2025. That applies not only to their record — when New Orleans began a lowly 1-8 — but also to how the Saints literally begin games. Last year, the Saints were outscored in the first quarter by a margin of 93 points — the league’s worst since at least 2000. The offense mustered just 29 first-quarter points. The defense gave up nine opening-drive touchdowns. Results like that suggest this year’s squad could use all the work they can get. But that idea frankly may not be rooted in reality. The Saints are far from alone in opting to sit their starters for the preseason. The exhibition season’s overall value, too, seems to come up every year — with the same debate tirelessly taking place. Instead, the Saints followed a trend that has exploded across the league. Increasingly, teams have used joint practices — not preseason games — as a tune-up for the regular season. And while the Saints have long participated in these sessions, they took an unconventional step this year by scrimmaging against three different teams. “Our goal was three joint practices,” Moore said. “We were going to get some really good work. And I think we accomplished what we wanted to with that. It puts us in a really good position.” An offseason presentation by the league also might have influenced the thought process. At the NFL owners’ meetings this past spring, coaches were given data about the benefits of joint practices compared to preseason games, including how the risk of injuries was reduced because of the lack of tackling. A total of 28 teams participated in at least one joint practice. Fifteen had multiple. The Saints were one of three teams with three. Last year, there were 29 teams to take part in a joint practice — but only one, the Miami Dolphins, had three separate sessions. “If you get two joint practices in, that’s the equivalent of getting two preseason (games) in,” Arizona Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur said. “It is an amped up environment. … For some reason, the data says that if you end up having those joint practices, you have a less injury risk going into the first four weeks of the season.” “I certainly love it from an intensity standpoint,” Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson

told reporters. Ironically, LaFleur’s approach to the preseason also serves as a cautionary tale. The first-year coach played rookie running back Jeremiyah Love a surprising 23 snaps in a preseason loss to the Las Vegas Raiders and the former third-overall pick unfortunately suffered a high-ankle sprain that now has him in danger of missing Arizona’s opener. The Saints, too, had to account for their own injury situation. According to Sharp Football Analysis, a website that tracks training camp injuries, the Saints have suffered the second-most injuries this summer — behind only the San Francisco 49ers. The Saints have already lost five players — Bryan Bresee, Dillon Radunz, Moliki Matavao, Rejzohn Wright, and Ty Chandler — for the season, and several others whose injuries could linger into the season. The latter list includes running back Alvin Kamara (knee), defensive end Cam Jordan (hamstring), cornerback Quincy Riley (groin) and wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, the last of whom will be out at least two months with a hamstring injury. New Orleans has been so injured that Moore recently had to combine the second and third units in practice. “We’ve kind of eliminated the 3’s, so to speak,” Moore said, “just because of the bodies available.” As teams embrace the value of joint practices over the preseason, the format of the sessions has also changed. Gone are the days when teams would hold back-to-back joint practices against each other. The clubs now prefer to be one-anddone to reduce the chances that the outing breaks out in a fight. Typically, coaches found that the second day would result in more skirmishes after a heated first practice. Of course, that’s not foolproof. The Saints can attest to that: New Orleans and Dallas were hit with $500,000 fines after multiple fights broke out last week at their joint practice in Oxnard. Even then, the Saints felt like the practice was still productive. As much as the fights disrupted the flow of practice, several players remarked that they didn’t let the tension linger and focused on the next snap. “I love the work that we’ve been able to put into this,” Moore said. Soon, that work will shift to preparing for the Lions. And the Saints may find out just how much those joint practices mattered.

UL offensive lineman Zay Alexander, right, goes through drills against lineman Michael Brown, during fall camp on Friday at the team’s practice facility. STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

Continued from page 1C blank hard. It was just like a big cloud over us that we had to overcome.” But frankly, Alexander wants to leave all of those negative thoughts in the past. “We can’t do that,” he said. “We’ve got to move forward and think positive.” So far, that strategy has worked with Alexander showing steady improvement throughout August camp. “My footwork is better,” he said. “I’ve been firming it back up. It was kind of rough at the beginning, but coach Farmer harped on me a lot about my ﬁrst step and my backside cut-off ... so it’s getting better. “It (camp) was a grind, but it was a great grind. We came out every day with a different expectation — just ﬁxing what we did bad the day before.” With that said, Alexander tries to remind

SUIT

Continued from page 1C drafts without withdrawing, as well as athletes who signed with or were rostered by pro leagues. The SEC has threatened to fine programs 50% of a sport’s budget if a former pro athlete is added, as well as suspend the team’s coach for half the season. But the plaintiffs’ attorneys argue the temporary restraining order out of Baton Rouge, which they seek to turn into a longer-lasting preliminary injunction, covers SEC institutions because the conference works in concert with the NCAA. “Rather than telling the SEC, you must obey the Court order enjoining the unfair NCAA rules that you were ‘heavily involved in’ creating, the NCAA allowed the SEC to continue to attempt to improperly circumvent this Court’s order,” read the plaintiffs’ request for an order to show cause, which was filed Thursday afternoon. “These draconian penalties have the effect of making it impossible for the Plaintiffs to play for any SEC school in the 2026-27 year despite this Court’s order based on new rules the SEC created — as mirrors of the NCAA rules this Court enjoined last week.” The athletes’ attorneys have also amended their initial request for a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction against the NCAA to include the SEC and Sankey, “solely in his role as commissioner of the SEC,” as defendants. The amended complaint asks the court to void the SEC’s new penalties, arguing they violate the state’s constitution. The lawsuit also seeks an injunction that stops the NCAA or SEC from enforcing any bylaw that would prevent an athlete from transferring, which would include the SEC’s rules against intraconference transfers. Sankey was also named as a defendant in a lawsuit filed in Dallas on Thursday that resulted in a temporary restraining order for another two dozen athletes. “The SEC out of nowhere, just retroac-

himself he’s nowhere near a ﬁnished product just yet. “I’m still always working on my hand, my feet and speeding up everything,” he said. “Hearing all the ID’s from Coop (center Cooper Fordham). I feel like I’m farther along than I expected — deﬁnitely am. I just feel like coach Farmer did a great job of giving me all the tools I needed to get to where I am right now, but I know I can still get better.” Alexander and the rest of the offensive line know the heavy responsibility their unit has to power the running game with all new starters in that group. “We’ve got to make this running game work, for sure,” he said. “We have a room full of great young running backs with Darrell Smith, JJ Garner, Steven Blanco and Anthony Reagan and even the freshman (Ke’Rynn Smith) — they’re all great running backs. We know if we block it up, they’re going to break a lot of big ones this year for sure.”

tively, passed a bill that tried to block what we’ve done with the NCAA. So I just want to bring them into the hearings so they can’t do that,” said Tony Clayton, an assistant counsel in the case. Clayton also represents LSU men’s basketball player RJ Luis, who won an injunction this past Monday that allows him to play for Will Wade’s squad despite entering the draft, signing a two-way NBA contract, and playing in Celtics preseason games. The Baton Rouge lawsuit that includes three LSU football commits, including Notre Dame defensive end Junior Tuihalamaka, has been scheduled for a hearing this coming Monday to determine whether they receive a preliminary injunction against the NCAA and the SEC. Tuihalamaka isn’t affected by the SEC’s new rules because he never signed a pro contract. Clayton said he’s asked for Monday’s hearing to be pushed back to Thursday so Sankey or SEC representatives can attend. “These kids didn’t do anything wrong; these kids weren’t scoring touchdowns in the NFL. To just arbitrarily, out of nowhere, pass (an SEC) law with a retroactive effect to it, just isn’t fair,” Clayton said. “The NCAA, they gotta stop acting like dictators. It’s not Nazi Germany. They can’t do anything they want to do. They have to consider the constitutional rights of these young athletes. “They don’t shed their constitutional rights at the doorstep of LSU.” As part of Thursday’s updated filings, Southern defensive end Ckelby Givens was included as a plaintiff. Givens was previously made eligible by a class-wide, federal injunction out of Colorado, but that order was later stayed by an appellate court. If Givens receives a preliminary injunction at the state level, he would be eligible. The defensive end has been one of the most dominant players in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, collecting 46 tackles for loss over the last two seasons. Spokespersons for LSU athletics and the SEC have yet to respond to requests for comment from The Advocate.

YEARS

11 teams. 6 conferences. 1 state.

SATURDAY•10AM & 10:30AM

KLPB 24

www.lpb.org

b.o

.lp ww

str ive g/l

m ea

4C ● Friday,August 28, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

SCOREBOARD Odds

Friday, Aug. 28

5:30 p.m. — Westminster vs. Patrick Taylor

MLB

Pro football

Friday

American League FAVORITE LINE UNDERDOG at CLEVELAND -138 Kansas City at N.Y YANKEES -173 Boston at TORONTO OFF Seattle Chi. White Sox -117 at MINN. at ATHLETICS OFF Baltimore National League FAVORITE LINE UNDERDOG at CHI. CUBS -201 Cincinnati Miami -149 at WASH at ATLANTA OFF Colorado Pittsburgh -114 at ST. LOUIS at SAN FRAN. OFF Arizona Interleague FAVORITE LINE UNDERDOG LA Dodgers -223 at DETROIT Houston -132 at N.Y METS at TAMPA BAY -135 San Diego at MILWAUKEE -181 Texas Philadelphia -143 at LA ANGELS

LINE +118 +140 OFF -105 OFF LINE +162 +122 OFF -108 OFF LINE +179 +107 +110 +147 +117

Prep football

NFL preseaon glance Thursday’s games

Pittsburgh at Buffalo, n New England at Cleveland, n San Francisco at Las Vegas, n L.A. Rams at L.A. Chargers, n

Friday’s games

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’s games

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

College football

Kiwanis Jamboree

Thursday’s games EAST

(At Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium)

Thursday, Aug. 27

6 p.m. — Cecilia vs Lafayette 7:30 p.m. — Breaux Bridge vs St. Thomas More 9 p.m. — Carencro vs Southside

Maine (0-0) at Towson (0-0), n Stony Brook (0-0) at Delaware St. (0-0), n Lafayette (0-0) at Georgetown (0-0), 6 p.m.

SOUTH

Friday, Aug. 28

6 p.m. — Northside vs Notre Dame 7:30 p.m. — Acadiana vs Teurlings Catholic 9 p.m. — St. Martinville vs Lafayette Christian

North Vermilion Jamboree Thursday, Aug. 27

(At North Vermilion High) Gueydan vs North Vermilion (JV), 5:15 pm Vermilion Catholic vs North Vermilion, 7 pm

Sugar Cane Jamboree Thursday, Aug. 27

(at Acadiana Renaissance) 5:15 p.m. — Lake Arthur vs Hanson6:30 p.m. — Catholic-PC vs Ascension Episcopal{p7:45 p.m. — Catholic High-NI vs Acadiana Renaissance Sugar Cane Jamboree

Thursday, Aug. 27

Ohio Dominican (0-0) at Morehead St. (0-0), n S. Illinois (0-0) at West Florida (0-0), n MVSU (0-0) at Nicholls (0-0), n Gardner-Webb (0-0) at Austin Peay (0-0), n Chattanooga (0-0) at West Georgia (0-0), n Houston Christian (0-0) at Southeastern (0-0), n Concord (0-0) at Davidson (0-0), n Glenville St. (0-0) at Elon (0-0), n Anderson (SC) Trojans (0-0) at Furman (0-0), n Virginia-Wise (0-0) at Presbyterian (0-0), n E. Illinois (0-0) at Murray St. (0-0), n Cent. Arkansas (0-0) at UT Martin (0-0), n Louisiana College (0-0) at Northwestern St. (0-0), n

Friday, Aug. 28

6 p.m. — Highland Baptist vs Delcambre 7:30 p.m. — Jeanerette vs Loreauville Ascension Christian Jamboree

MIDWEST

Welsh Jamboree Thursday, Aug. 27

(at Welsh High) 5:30 p.m, — Crowley vs Grand Lake

St. Landry Parish Jamboree

(At Donald Gardner Stadium, Opelousa

Friday, Aug. 28

6 p.m. — Northwest vs. Beau Chene7:15 p.m. — Eunice vs. Opelousas 8:30 p.m. — North Central vs. Port Barre

Vermilion-Acadia Jamboree (At Erath High)

Friday, Aug. 28

5:30 p.m. — Rayne vs. Abbeville7 p.m. — Church Point vs. Kaplan 8:30 p.m. — Lafayette Renaissance vs. Erath

Joe Nagata Jamboree (At St. Edmund, Eunice)

Friday, Aug. 28

6 p.m. — Elton vs. St. Edmund 7:15 p.m. — Donaldsonville vs. Opelousas Catholic 8:30 p.m. — Iota vs. Sacred Heart-VP

Berchman’s Jamboree (At Clark Field, Lafayette)

Friday, Aug. 28

6 p.m. — Northwood-Lena vs Berchman’s

Thomas Jefferson Jamboree

(at Hoss Memtsas Stadium, Harvey)

Washington 7, Colorado 1 St. Louis 7, Baltimore 5 Milwaukee at N.Y. Mets, n L.A. Dodgers at Atlanta, n Arizona at San Francisco, n

Tampa Bay New York Boston Baltimore Toronto

W 79 75 73 65 65

L 54 57 60 69 69

Pct .594 .568 .549 .485 .485

GB — 3½ 6 14½ 14½

Chicago Cleveland Minnesota Detroit Kansas City

W 70 68 64 62 59

L 63 66 70 71 75

Pct .526 .507 .478 .466 .440

GB — 2½ 6½ 8 11½

Houston Texas Seattle Athletics Los Angeles

W 66 66 64 53 52

L 67 68 70 81 82

Pct .496 .493 .478 .396 .388

GB — ½ 2½ 13½ 14½

Central Division

West Division

EAST Colgate (0-0) at Fordham (0-0), 5 p.m. William & Mary (0-0) at Villanova (0-0), 5 p.m. Marist (0-0) at New Haven (0-0), 5 p.m. Rhode Island (0-0) at Merrimack (0-0), 5 p.m. New Hampshire (0-0) at Albany (NY) (0-0), 6 p.m. FAR WEST Weber St. (0-0) at N. Colorado (0-0), 8 p.m. Idaho (0-0) at Cal Poly (0-0), 9 p.m.

(at Ascension Christian) 7 p.m. — Westminster-Lafayette vs Ascension Christian

Major League Baseball East Division

Friday’s games

Thursday, Aug. 27

son 8-2), 6:40 p.m. Chicago White Sox (Castillo 4-10) at Minnesota (Kremer 2-4), 7:10 p.m. Philadelphia (Painter 3-8) at L.A. Angels (Detmers 4-8), 8:38 p.m. Baltimore (Young 9-3) at Athletics (Lopez 5-4), 8:40 p.m.

American League

Mercyhurst (0-0) at Youngstown St. (0-0), n Charleston Southern (0-0) at Lindenwood (Mo.) (0-0), n Northwestern (IA) (0-0) at W. Illinois (0-0), n Winona St. (0-0) at St. Thomas (Minn.) (0-0), n S.D. Mines (0-0) at Drake (0-0), n LIU Brooklyn (0-0) at North Dakota (0-0), n

(at New Iberia Sr. High)7 p.m. — Westgate at New Iberia

Monmouth (NJ) (0-0) at Tennessee Tech (0-0), 6 p.m. North Alabama (0-0) vs. Samford (0-0) at Huntsville, Ala., 6 p.m. Albany St. (Ga.) (0-0) at Florida A&M (0-0), 6 p.m. Clark Atlanta (0-0) at Grambling St. (0-0), 6 p.m. Jackson St. (0-0) at Tennessee St. (0-0), 7:30 p.m. MIDWEST Fairmont St. (0-0) at Dayton (0-0), 11 a.m. Georgetown (0-0) at Butler (0-0), 12 p.m. Lawrence Tech Blue Devils (0-0) at Valparaiso (0-0), 1 p.m. CCSU (0-0) at South Dakota (0-0), 2 p.m. Jacksonville St. (0-0) at N. Dakota St. (0-0), 4:30 p.m. SE Missouri (0-0) at Indiana St. (0-0), 5 p.m. Sacramento St. (0-0) at E. Michigan (0-0), 5:30 p.m. Stetson (0-0) at S. Dakota St. (0-0), 6 p.m. St. Francis (Ill.) (0-0) at Illinois St. (0-0), 6 p.m. SOUTHWEST TCU (0-0) vs. North Carolina (0-0) at Dublin, 11 a.m. NC Central (0-0) at Texas Southern (0-0), 6 p.m. Okla. Panhandle St. (0-0) at Incarnate Word (0-0), 6 p.m. Abilene Christian (0-0) at Lamar (0-0), 7 p.m. Ark.-Pine Bluff (0-0) vs. Morehouse (0-0) at Little Rock, Ark., 6 p.m. Texas-Permian Basin (0-0) at UT Rio Grande Valley (0-0), 7 p.m. Prairie View (0-0) at Tarleton St. (0-0), 8 p.m. FAR WEST San Jose St. (0-0) at Southern Cal (0-0), 2 p.m. UC Davis (0-0) at Portland St. (0-0), 2 p.m. E. Washington (0-0) at N. Arizona (0-0), 4 p.m. VMI (0-0) at Idaho St. (0-0), 5 p.m. Hawaii (0-0) at Stanford (0-0), 6 p.m. S. Utah (0-0) at Montana (0-0), 8 p.m. Memphis (0-0) at UNLV (0-0), 9 p.m. Montana St. (0-0) at Utah Tech (0-0), 9 p.m.

Wednesday’s games

EAST Robert Morris (0-0) at Wagner (0-0), 11 a.m. Lehigh (0-0) at Holy Cross (0-0), 2:30 p.m. Bryant (0-0) at Stonehill (0-0), 5 p.m. Howard (0-0) vs. Alabama A&M (0-0) at Atlanta, 6:30 p.m. SOUTH Alabama St. (0-0) vs. Southern (0-0) at Birmingham, Ala., 2 p.m. NC State (0-0) at Virginia (0-0), 2:30 p.m. Campbell (0-0) at ETSU (0-0), 4:30 p.m. Bucknell (0-0) at Richmond (0-0), 5 p.m. The Citadel (0-0) at Wofford (0-0), 5 p.m. Savannah St. (0-0) at SC State (0-0), 5 p.m. Morgan St. (0-0) at NC A&T (0-0), 5 p.m. Winston-Salem (0-0) at Norfolk St. (0-0), 5 p.m. Va. Lynchburg (0-0) at Hampton (0-0), 5 p.m. Stephen F. Austin (0-0) at McNeese St. (0-0), 6 p.m. Miles (0-0) at Alcorn St. (0-0), 6 p.m. East Texas A&M (0-0) at Mercer (0-0), 6 p.m. E. Kentucky (0-0) at W. Carolina (0-0), 6 p.m. New Mexico St. (0-0) at Florida St. (0-0), 6 p.m.

Thursday’s games

L.A. Dodgers (Skubal 8-7) at Detroit (Anderson 4-5), 5:40 p.m. Houston (Brown 3-3) at N.Y. Mets (Scott 4-3), 6:10 p.m. Kansas City (Wacha 7-8) at Cleveland (Bibee 5-13), 6:10 p.m. San Diego (Mize 5-7) at Tampa Bay (McClanahan 9-6), 6:10 p.m. Boston (Sandoval 1-2) at N.Y. Yankees (Schlittler 11-6), 6:15 p.m. Seattle (Hancock 7-7) at Toronto (Cease 8-5), 6:15 p.m. Texas (Bradford 0-2) at Milwaukee (Hender-

3 penalties in certain categories will result in suspension in new NFL rule BY CHARLES ODUM AP sportswriter

ATLANTA — NFL players will face a one-game suspension this season if they accumulate three penalties in certain designated categories, the league and the players’ union announced Wednesday. The NFL and the NFLPA said in a statement that they have agreed to place a greater emphasis on ﬁve health and safety rules violations: the hip drop tackle; horse collar tackle; launching; hit on a defenseless player; and blindside block. The goal is to make the game safer by focusing discipline on the infractions most likely to leave players injured. “There are some player

safety fouls that really put the defender and his opponent at really high risk,” said Troy Vincent, NFL executive vice president of football operations. “We don’t like to remove people from the team or the roster,” he added. “But we’ve had to put some measures in place to hold the player to greater accountability for himself and for his opponent.” NFL players voted on the changes at a Board of Player Representatives meeting Tuesday and owners were briefed on the new safety rules violations standards during a meeting Wednesday in Atlanta. The violations in those categories will carry forward into subsequent seasons but the league and union said all

players will start the upcoming season with a clean slate. Players who commit only one violation will receive 50% of their fine back at the end of the season. Coaches will also be required to join players in meetings with the NFL to review video of the violations when a player has accumulated two infractions and is on the threshold of a suspension. Clubs with excessive health and safety rules violations will face increased financial penalties. Former Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera, who also played nine seasons in the NFL, will join the group of former players who oversee the on-field discipline appeal hearings.

e al

S Supe

%* 35

up ave to

m mer S

Goodbye Clogged Gutters Upgrade your gutters this summer! LeafFilter blocks out common debris.

Before LeafFilter

Save up-to*

After LeafFilter

+ Free gutter inspection, quote good for 1 year Promo code: 285

35% Oﬀ Call 1-877-582-6101

*Promotional offer includes 25% off plus an additional 10% off for qualified veterans and/or seniors. Cannot be combined with other offers. See representative for full warranty details. AR 366920925, AZ ROC 344027, CA 1035795, CT HIC.0671520, DC 4.20223E+11, FL CBC056678, IA C127230, ID RCE-51604, LA 559544, MA 213292, MD MHIC111225, HIC164488, MI 262300331, 262300330, 262300329, 262300328, 262300318, 262300173, MN IR810524, MT 2661922, ND 47304, NE 50145-24, 50145-23, NJ 13VH13285000, NM 408693, NV 86990, OR 218294, PA PA179643, RI GC-41354, TN 10981, UT 10783658-5501, VA 2705169445, VT 174.0000871, WA LEAFFLH-763PG, WI No. 537-DCFRR WV WV056912. Promotion exp: 8/31/2026.

L 55 60 66 73 73

Pct .586 .552 .507 .463 .451

GB — 4½ 10½ 16½ 18

Milwaukee Chicago St. Louis Pittsburgh Cincinnati

W 82 76 67 65 63

L 51 58 68 70 71

Pct .617 .567 .496 .481 .470

GB — 6½ 16 18 19½

Los Angeles San Diego Arizona San Francisco Colorado

W 80 72 71 54 52

L 53 62 63 79 82

Pct .602 .537 .530 .406 .388

GB — 8½ 9½ 26 28½

Atlanta Philadelphia Miami Washington New York

W 78 74 68 63 60

Central Division

West Division

Wednesday’s games

Arizona 2, Chicago Cubs 0 Philadelphia 6, Seattle 0 San Diego 3, Pittsburgh 0 Cincinnati 10, San Francisco 9 Miami 4, Boston 0 Colorado 13, Washington 1 Milwaukee 8, N.Y. Mets 1 Atlanta 6, L.A. Dodgers 5 Baltimore 8, St. Louis 7

Cincinnati (Lowder 5-8) at Chicago Cubs (Peterson 7-7), 1:20 p.m. L.A. Dodgers (Skubal 8-7) at Detroit (Anderson 4-5), 5:40 p.m. Miami (Pérez 7-9) at Washington (Kent 0-2), 5:45 p.m. Houston (Brown 3-3) at N.Y. Mets (Scott 4-3), 6:10 p.m. San Diego (Mize 5-7) at Tampa Bay (McClanahan 9-6), 6:10 p.m. Colorado (Sugano 12-7) at Atlanta (Holmes 8-5), 6:15 p.m. Texas (Bradford 0-2) at Milwaukee (Henderson 8-2), 6:40 p.m. Pittsburgh (Jones 2-5) at St. Louis (Mathews 0-2), 7:15 p.m. Philadelphia (Painter 3-8) at L.A. Angels (Detmers 4-8), 8:38 p.m. Arizona (TBD) at San Francisco (Tidwell 0-0), 9:15 p.m. New York Boston Cleveland Texas Baltimore Toronto Minnesota Seattle Detroit

W 75 73 68 66 65 65 64 64 62

L 57 60 66 68 69 69 70 70 71

Pct .568 .549 .507 .493 .485 .485 .478 .478 .466

WCGB +8 +5½ — 2 3 3 4 4 5½

Chicago Philadelphia San Diego Arizona Miami

W 76 74 72 71 68

L 58 60 62 63 66

Pct .567 .552 .537 .530 .507

WCGB +4 +2 — 1 4

Pro basketball WNBA Glance x-Atlanta x-Indiana x-New York

W 25 25 23

Safety. Style. Stress-Free Installation. CALL NOW 1.833.472.5859

WESTERN CONFERENCE

W 31 27 26 23 15 13 13 8

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

15 24 27 28

.605 2 .385 10½ .289 14 .263 15

L 8 11 13 16 23 25 25 31

Pct GB .795 — .711 3½ .667 5 .590 8 .395 15½ .342 17½ .342 17½ .205 23

x-clinched playoff spot Wednesday’s games

Golden State 89, Connecticut 64 Seattle 90, Toronto 78

Thursday’s games

Golden State at New York, n Washington at Phoenix, n

Friday’s games

Connecticut at Indiana, 6:30 p.m. Portland at Atlanta, 6:30 p.m. Toronto at Las Vegas, 9 p.m. Washington at Los Angeles, 9 p.m.

Soccer Eastern Conference

Friday’s games

EASTERN CONFERENCE

23 15 11 10

MLS glance

Thursday’s games

National League

St. Louis 7, Baltimore 5 Houston at N.Y. Yankees, n Kansas City at Toronto, n

Friday’s games

East Division

American League

Tampa Bay 3, Detroit 0 Philadelphia 6, Seattle 0 Cleveland 4, L.A. Angels 3 Miami 4, Boston 0 Toronto 3, Kansas City 0 N.Y. Yankees 9, Houston 3 Chicago White Sox 10, Texas 5 Baltimore 8, St. Louis 7 Athletics 7, Minnesota 4

Saturday’s games

National League

x-Washington Chicago Toronto Connecticut

L Pct GB 13 .658 — 14 .641 ½ 15 .605 2

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

W L 15 2 11 4 11 6 10 7 9 7 8 6 7 8 7 9 7 11 5 7 5 7 6 12 5 10 5 10 5 11

T Pts 4 49 6 39 3 36 4 34 5 32 7 31 6 27 5 26 3 24 9 24 9 24 3 21 6 21 6 21 5 20

GF GA 43 17 49 40 37 26 33 26 38 32 49 47 35 30 31 43 34 51 31 37 28 36 25 36 31 38 29 39 30 36

Western Conference

W L T Pts GF GA Vancouver 12 4 4 40 45 18 Houston 12 7 2 38 30 26 Los Angeles FC 10 7 5 35 36 22 San Jose 10 8 3 33 39 33 FC Dallas 9 6 6 33 38 34 St Louis City 9 6 6 33 30 27 Colorado 9 11 1 28 30 28 Real Salt Lake 8 8 4 28 34 32 Portland 8 9 4 28 38 37 Minnesota United 7 7 7 28 27 29 San Diego FC 7 8 6 27 37 32 LA Galaxy 6 8 8 26 27 32 Seattle 7 9 4 25 22 27 Austin FC 5 10 6 21 26 40 Sporting Kansas City 4 14 3 15 20 51 NOTE: Three points for victory, one point for tie.

Sunday’s games

New York City FC 1, New England 1, tie Atlanta 2, Sporting Kansas City 1

Saturday’s gaes

Chicago at Seattle, 3:30 p.m. Charlotte FC at Atlanta, 6:30 p.m. New England at Columbus, 6:30 p.m. Los Angeles FC at D.C. United, 6:30 p.m. CF Montréal at Miami, 6:30 p.m. Philadelphia at New York, 6:30 p.m. New York City FC at Toronto FC, 6:30 p.m. San Jose at Houston, 7:30 p.m. Vancouver at Sporting Kansas City, 7:30 p.m. Orlando City at Minnesota, 7:30 p.m. Cincinnati at Nashville, 7:30 p.m. Real Salt Lake at Colorado, 8:30 p.m. Austin FC at Portland, 9:30 p.m. LA Galaxy at San Diego FC, 9:30 p.m.

Sunday, August 30

FC Dallas at St Louis City, 6 p.m.

SPECIAL OFFER

Waiving All Installation Costs! Add’l terms apply. Offer subject to change and vary by dealer. Expires 12/27/26. Licenses at JBRLicenses.com.

Doing a time warp At To t ally Ra d V in ta ge F es t from 1 0 a.m. t o 5 p . m. Sa t u r d ay a t Ra i s i n g Can e’s R iver Center, travel bac k t o the ’80s, ’90s and y2K. Ve ndo r s will sell clothing , a c c ess ories, toys, hom e goods and mo r e. Ear ly e nt r y (8:30 a.m.), $25; general admis sion, $ 8 i n advanc e; $12, day of eve nt ; fr ee, k i d s 1 2 and unde r. rai singca ne srive r c ent e r. c om .

LIVING

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

‘I Got a Story to Tell’

F r i d ay, au g u s t 28, 2026

5CN

LA sound designer coming home for Baton Rouge film festival to share expertise, industry lessons

Five men’s memories come into focus in new Hurricane Katrina docuseries

BY JUDY BERGERON Staff writer

Twenty-one years later, survivors of the catastrophe, including Troy Pierre II, still pose a question they can’t really answer: “What would my life be like if Katrina had never hit?” They can only relate to where the aftermath of the deadly 2005 hurricane took them physically, mentally, financially and emotionally. Before Katrina and after Katrina — a line forever etched in time. Pierre and four other 20-somethings from the New Orleans area get candid about the disaster and their lives in general for “I Got a Story to Tell,” a new documentary series from New Orleans filmmaker and Baton Rouge native Maison Harris. “I do remember a feeling, like we’ll be back in a couple of days,” Pierre, who had just started first grade, recalls of the day he and his family fled from New Orleans to Baton Rouge to ride out the hurricane.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Troy Pierre II says living through Hurricane Katrina helped push him to become an artist.

“I guess like, for better or worse, you just wipe your hands and keep it pushing. There was no getting any of that back, doesn’t make sense to sit and have a pity party about it,” Pierre says in his 4-minute, 15-second episode. “Obviously, you feel your way through it and cry. … It put it in hyperdrive, just me wanting to express myself in other ways.” Currently, those methods are through ﬁlm, photography and visual arts as Pierre carves out a career path. Also shining a light into their lives for “I Got a Story” are actors Justin Davis and KC Simms and painter and photographer Trenity Thom. Lastly, in a twist, the Kwame Films founder turns the lens on himself, describing the ordeal he and his mother experienced when their house burned when Harris was in the 10th grade. “I remember there not being time to think,” Harris shared. The blaze originated in his mother’s bedroom when an air conditioner malfunctioned. In minutes, smoke ﬁlled the home. Both escaped safely, but everything in the house was lost, save for some vinyl he was collecting and his PlayStation 4 console.

ä See DOCUSERIES, page 6C

Mike James Gallagher PROVIDED PHOTO

BY JUDY BERGERON

(“Dune,” “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “Gremlins,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark”) with him to join the isten closely. That zoom of a discussion. Gallagher created the educationspaceship, roar of a Tyrannosaurus rex or hum of a car al platform INDEPTH Sound Deengine that you hear while sign in 2017 during a lull in regular watching your next movie sound work. After ﬁlming an interjust may be the work of Mike view with Mangini for INDEPTH, James Gallagher. the two decided to take The Louisiana native has these teaching moments advanced in the world of live in 2024. sound design since mov“I found over the years that when I showed people ing to Los Angeles in 2008, what I do, they’re insanely earning an Emmy nominafascinated with it,” Gallation in 2022 for his work on the Prime Video documengher said by phone from downtown Los Angeles tary “Lucy and Desi” and Mangini earlier this month. “It being selected as one of Variety Magazine’s 10 Artisans to doesn’t matter what they do for a living or what they’re interested in, Watch, also in 2022. Gallagher, 43, will return to his when you show people how sound hometown, Baton Rouge, on Satur- for film is made, it blows their day to lead a presentation at 5 p.m. mind.” For a $15 event ticket, you can at the Manship Theatre as part of the Baton Rouge Underground have your mind blown on SatFilm Festival. urday, too. For tickets to other He’s bringing Oscar-winning BRUFF events; day passes; sound designer Mark Mangini full, four-day fest passes, and

Staff writer

the complete schedule, go to batonrougeunderground.com. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. How did you get into the sound design field? So my first interest was electronic music, and a lot of people that end up getting into sound design for film or other mediums usually started with music. It’s kind of the same skill. So you start realizing, you know, you’re making music with your computer, and then you start realizing it’s all the same kind of things to add sound also to television, film, immersive experiences, that kind of thing. Going back further, I was in a Baton Rouge ’80s cover band called Werewolf. We were making videos. We were playing at the Varsity (Theatre), and so we made videos for their projector screen. So I knew making sound effects was cool. But when I started making videos for that Werewolf show

ä See SOUND, page 6C

For sixth year, Louisiana to join in 2027 Rose Parade For a consecutive sixth year, Louisiana will be represented in the Rose Parade with its float ‘Bienvenue en Louisiane.’ PROVIDED ILLUSTRATION FROM THE LOUISIANA OFFICE OF TOURISM

Staff report Louisiana’s Robin Barnes will be the mid-parade entertainment for the 138th Rose Parade on Jan. 1 in Pasadena, California. During this moment of the parade, the procession pauses while the featured entertainment performs a song or two and dances in front of the reviewing stand. Past Louisi-

ana performers highlighted include 2019 “American Idol” winner Laine Hardy, Cajun ﬁddler Amanda Shaw and 2025 “American Idol” runner-up John Foster. The float will celebrate the many traditions that bring Louisianans and visitors together, including festivals, food and music. It will feature a majestic

ä See PARADE, page 6C

6C ● Friday, August 28, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

SHOWS TO WATCH — ACADIANA AREA

TODAY IN HISTORY By The Associated Press Today is Friday, Aug. 28, the 240th day of 2026. There are 125 days left in the year. Today in history: On Aug. 28, 1963, during the March on Washington, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech before an estimated 250,000 people in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Also on this date: In 1845, the first issue of Scientific American magazine was published; it remains the oldest continuously published magazine in the United States. In 1862, the Second Battle of Bull Run began in Prince William County, Virginia, during the Civil War; the Union army retreated two days later after suffering 14,000 casualties. In 1898, pharmacist Caleb Bradham, of New Bern, North Carolina, changed the name of the carbonated beverage he’d created five years earlier from “Brad’s Drink” to “Pepsi-Cola.” In 1955, Emmett Till, a Black teenager from Chicago, was abducted from his uncle’s home in Mississippi by two White men after he had allegedly whistled at a White woman four days earlier; he was found dead three days later. In 1957, U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina notched the longest speaking filibuster in Senate history (24 hours and 18 minutes), seeking to stall passage of the Civil Rights Act. (Democratic U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey delivered the longest continuous Senate floor speech from March 31 to April 1,

PARADE

Continued from page 5C pelican surrounded by Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold, along with alligators, crawfish, Spanish moss and elements inspired by the charm of the French Quarter. The float will be decorated with approximately 25,000 roses, orchids, coconuts and other natural materials. Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser made the announcement last week in a news release. Barnes, dubbed the “Songbird of New Orleans,” makes music celebrating both the rich traditions and evolving sounds of her

2025, speaking 25 hours and 5 minutes against President Donald Trump.) In 1988, 70 people were killed when three Italian Air Force stunt planes collided during an air show at the U.S. air base in Ramstein, West Germany. In 2005, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin ordered a mandatory evacuation as Hurricane Katrina approached the city. In 2013, a military jury sentenced Army Maj. Nidal Hasan to death for a 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood that claimed 13 lives and left 30 people injured. In 2016, six scientists completed a yearlong Mars simulation on the Big Island of Hawaii, where they emerged after living in a dome in near isolation on Mauna Loa. Today’s birthdays: Actor Ken Jenkins (TV: “Scrubs”) is 86. Former MLB manager and player Lou Piniella is 83. Former MLB pitcher Ron Guidry is 76. Former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove is 74. Artist Ai Weiwei is 69. Actor Daniel Stern is 69. Olympic gold medal ﬁgure skater Scott Hamilton is 68. Actor Jennifer Coolidge is 65. Film director David Fincher is 64. Country singer Shania Twain is 61. “Pokemon” creator Satoshi Tajiri is 61. Actor Billy Boyd is 58. Actor Jack Black is 57. Hockey Hall of Famer Pierre Turgeon is 57. Actor Jason Priestley is 57. Olympic gold medal swimmer Janet Evans is 55. Actor Carly Pope is 45. Country singer Jake Owen is 45. Country singer LeAnn Rimes is 44. Rock singer Florence Welch (Florence and the Machine) is 40.

hometown. Her debut fulllength album, “Louisiana Love,” was released in May. “It is a love letter to her home state and the people and traditions that make it special, celebrating the people, places, traditions and cultural experiences that shaped Barnes’ understanding of home,” according to the release. “As a New Orleanian, I am so proud of where I come from and feel honored to have the opportunity to share my music, along with the culture and spirit of Louisiana, on a stage this iconic,” Barnes said in the release. 2027 will mark the sixth consecutive year that the Louisiana Ofﬁce of Tourism

FRIDAY

LIVE MUSIC: Cane River Pecan Company Pie Bar, New Iberia, 5 p.m. ABI & KJ: Adopted Dog Brewing, Lafayette, 6 p.m. FRIDAY NIGHT JAM: La Maison de Begnaud, Scott, 6 p.m. JACK WOODSON: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m. LIVE MUSIC: Jim Deggy’s Brick Oven Pizza & Brewery, Lafayette, 6 p.m. LIVE MUSIC: Prejean’s, Broussard, 6 p.m. RAGIN‘ CAJUNS DOWNTOWN ALIVE! FEATURING THE VERMILLIONAIRES: Parc San Souci, Lafayette, 6 p.m. DOYLE TAUZIN: Buck & Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 6:30 p.m. KALEB OLIVIER: SHUCKS!, Abbeville, 6:30 p.m. 12/16 COMBO: Whiskey and Vine, Lafayette, 7 p.m. NEXT GEN ZYDECO: Silver Slipper, Arnaudville, 7 p.m. BEATLESGIRL909: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 8 p.m. LIVE MUSIC: The Barrel of Broussard, Broussard, 8 p.m. MICHAEL JUAN NUNEZ: Hideaway on Lee, Lafayette, 8 p.m. THE ROUGE KREWE: Rock ’n’ Bowl de Lafayette, Lafayette, 9 p.m.

SUNDAY

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Tank and the Bangas performs at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 2025. The award-winning New Orleans band plays the Acadiana Center for the Arts, Lafayette, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $35.

SATURDAY

CURTIS POULLARD & CREOLE ZYEDCO: Buck & Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 8:30 a.m. CAJUN JAM: Moncus Park, Lafayette, 9 a.m. SATURDAY MORNING JAM SESSIONS: The Savoy Music Center, Eunice, 9 a.m.

has sponsored a Rose Parade float. The New Year’s Day parade will be broadcast live around the world and on streaming services beginning at 10 a.m. through Rose Parade broadcast partners, including ABC, NBC and Univision. “Louisiana knows how to make an impression, and every year people tell us how excited they are to see our float,” Nungesser said. “They see the colors, hear the music and get a taste of what makes Louisiana so special.” For information on how to join Louisiana in decorating the 2027 Louisiana float in Pasadena, visit the Louisiana Office of Tourism’s Rose Parade webpage.

CAJUN JAM: Tante Marie, Breaux Bridge, 11 a.m. CAJUN FRENCH MUSIC JAM: Vermilionville Living History Museum & Folklife Park, Lafayette, 1 p.m. BUDDY ANDREWS & THE BRANDED: Cypress Cove Landing, Breaux Bridge, 3 p.m. RIVER KATZ: Lakeview Park, Eunice, 5 p.m. AUDREY BROUSSARD: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m. DUELING PIANOS: Adopted Dog Brewing, Lafayette, 6 p.m. GREGG MARTINEZ FEATURING JAMES MARTINEZ: BeauBassin Farm & Gardens, Sunset, 6 p.m. LIVE MUSIC: Jim Deggy’s Brick Oven Pizza & Brewery, Lafayette, 6 p.m. LIVE MUSIC: Prejean’s, Broussard, 6 p.m. DAREL GROS: SHUCKS!, Abbeville, 6:30 p.m. SLIM AND JIM: Buck & Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 6:30 p.m.

BLUE COLLAR BOYS: Silver Slipper, Arnaudville, 7 p.m. FRENCH, ROSEN, SMITH, TYLER: Whiskey and Vine, Lafayette, 7 p.m. TANK AND THE BANGAS: Acadiana Center for the Arts, Lafayette, 7:30 p.m. CEDRIC WATSON & BIJOU CREOLE: Hideaway on Lee, Lafayette, 8 p.m. COUNTRY ROUND UP BAND: La Poussiere Cajun Dancehall, Breaux Bridge, 8 p.m. GENUINE MUSTARD + DRIVE DR. DRIVE + BOZO RED: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 8 p.m. LIVE MUSIC: The Barrel of Broussard, Broussard, 8 p.m. THE TAILGATORS: Toby’s Lounge, Opelousas, 8:30 p.m. CLAY CORMIER & THE HIGHWAY BOYS: Rock ’n’ Bowl de Lafayette, Lafayette, 9 p.m. KARL SONGE + MYLES MIGL: Artmosphere, Lafayette, 9 p.m.

DOCUSERIES Continued from page 5C

“Of course, my whole life changed,” Harris says in his episode, the last one ﬁlmed for the project. “I honestly saw a void in spaces where artists or just people in general could let their guard down and kind of talk about just their life,” Harris said about the series in a phone interview. “Not necessarily what they were releasing, not what they were working on, but just themselves and who they are as a person. So I wanted to create a platform where we could understand who these artists are in our community, not just their art. “I wanted to document the moments that kind of turned a lot of these people into artists because I think we need a space and a plat-

form for vulnerability and just a chance to deepen our connection to these artists we’ve seen either on Instagram or just in our community,” he said. Concentrating first on his counterparts in the ﬁlm community, Harris eventually broadened his search for documentary subjects to photographers and other artists across the city. Scheduling, ﬁlming and editing the series took about a year. All five episodes can be viewed on YouTube (search Kwame Films). In reviewing the raw footage, Harris found a commonality among his vulnerable subjects. “Everybody brought up a moment from their childhood that deeply changed them. And it was usually a moment of adversity. And for everybody, how they dealt with that adversity usually shaped them into

who they are today,” he said. “And I think a lot of people’s stories also relate to why they became an artist in the ﬁrst place. “A lot of them had moments where they had some type of repression, something they couldn’t express or something that was taken away from them. And I feel like that naturally correlated to them growing up wanting to express themself, needing a creative outlet.” A 2021 graduate in film from UNO, Harris, 26, considers himself a ﬁlmmaker, editor and storyteller. “The goal of my work is to put this world we live in perspective, and help us understand each other and understand ourselves,” he said. Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@theadvocate. com.

PATRICIO LATINO SOLO: Cafe Habana City, Lafayette, 11 a.m. MICHALIS: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m. BLUEGRASS JAM: Cité des Arts, Lafayette, 6:30 p.m.

TUESDAY

LIVE MUSIC: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m. TERRY HUVAL & FRIENDS: Prejean’s Restaurant, Lafayette, 6 p.m. KIDS’ CAJUN JAM NIGHT: Jeaux Biffs, Breaux Bridge, 6:15 p.m. GREENLIGHT SESSIONS OPEN MIC: The Jeffer-

WEDNESDAY

DULCIMER JAM: St. Landry Visitor Center, Opelousas, 10 a.m. LIVE MUSIC: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m. WANTED WEDNESDAY KARAOKE NIGHT: The Barrel of Broussard, Broussard, 6 p.m. LIVE MUSIC: The Tap Room, Youngsville, 6:30 p.m. CAJUN JAM: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

THURSDAY

LADIES NIGHT WITH DJ DONOVAN IN THE MIX: Cowboys Nightclub, Scott, 6 p.m. LIVE MUSIC: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m. NOUVEAU STRING BAND: Hideaway on Lee, Lafayette, 7 p.m. JASON HARRINGTON + LYIN’ SHAMES + SCOTT H. BIRAM THE DIRTY OLD ONE MAN BAND: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 8 p.m. KARAOKE PARTY — PANDA ENTERTAINMENT: Black Bull, Youngsville, 8 p.m. LIVE MUSIC: The Tap Room, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

Compiled by Marchaund Jones. Want your venue’s music listed? Email info/photos to showstowatch@ theadvocate.com. The deadline is noon FRIDAY for the following Friday’s paper.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Continued from page 5C

PROVIDED PHOTO

MONDAY

son Street Greenroom, Lafayette, 7 p.m. OOF COMEDY HOUR OPEN MIC: Cité des Arts, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

Baton Rouge native Mike James Gallagher, left, and Oscar-winning sound designer Mark Mangini work as a team on INDEPTH Live!

SOUND

‘The goal of my work is to put this world we live in in perspective, and help us understand each other and understand ourselves,’ says New Orleans filmmaker Maison Harris.

LIVE MUSIC: Tante Marie, Breaux Bridge, 11 a.m. THE SUNDAY PEOPLE: Whiskey and Vine, Lafayette, 11 a.m. LES FRERES MICHOT: Prejean’s, Carencro, 11:30 a.m. PUNCHLINES & PICKUPLINES: Artmosphere, Lafayette, noon BAL DU DIMANCHE — CJ VEDELL & THE ZYDECO GRAPPLERS: Vermilionville Living History Museum & Folklife Park, Lafayette, 1 p.m. GENO DELAFOSE: Cypress Cove Landing, Breaux Bridge, 3 p.m. JUSTIN CORNETT: Pat’s Atchafalaya Club, Henderson, 4:30 p.m. CREOLE CONNECTION: Rock ’n’ Bowl de Lafayette, Lafayette, 5 p.m. SAM SPHAR: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m. FOREST HUVAL: Hideaway on Lee, Lafayette, 7 p.m.

and adding sound effects and everything, I know that was a huge pivot point for me kind of telling myself that, “Oh, I can easily just move to doing videos and stuff like that.” What happened once you moved to LA in 2009? My first job in L.A. was doing video post-production. So I was basically just lending my sound skills to whatever was around. So I think these days, you just kind of have to do a lot of different things to find out what you can do or do a lot of different things at the same time to just make sure that you stay working. It’s really tumultuous now. So I’m freelance, so it’s even obviously more tumultuous. But even when I wasn’t working, I was still building. I was doing some interesting things. Would you elaborate on that? In 2021 and 2022 in L.A., there was a streaming bubble. All the streaming companies, Netflix and Amazon, Apple, they were spending a ton of money creating series. And at some point, that just can’t keep going. So the bubble popped. And that bubble popped around the end of 2022. At the same time, all the guilds were looking to go on strike. The Writers’ Guild, the Actors’ Guild. … And a big reason was, of course, because of AI (artificial intelligence). In the beginning of 2023, you could just feel it. I was signed up for projects that

just got completely canceled. Then the work just disappeared. All my clients that were constantly giving me stuff were just gone. This is kind of coincidence, or fortuitous, that in November, I had shot some of my ﬁrst videos where I was on camera. I released my ﬁrst one in January 2023. So it started the second all the work stopped. I ended up kind of becoming an on-camera personality for sound design teaching. So even though I wasn’t getting all this paid work anymore, I immediately started kind of developing this other life. Tell us more about INDEPTH Sound Design. So I had an idea of preserving all these DVD special features and things that I found on the internet and putting them all in one place. And it all had to do with sound education. So really, I was just repurposing other people’s content and other content that had already been created and presenting it in a much easier way to understand. So, I created that in 2017, and it’s evolved a lot since then. I have now met a lot of these Oscar-winning sound designers and sound people, and I make content with them, exclusive content. In 2023, I started ending up on camera with Oscar-winning sound designers going through Oscar-winning films. So I love breaking down the best of the best, because I do have some exclusive access, and I want to use that, and I want to share it. Then two years ago is when me and Mark Mangini

came up with the idea to do it live. So we put together this live show, and we performed it at this big conference that’s held at the Sony Pictures Studios lot in Los Angeles. It went over so well, and it was such a solid, like, presentation of his career, kind of like a retrospective, but it also feels like a conversation that we just decided to keep doing it. So it’s this fully prepared thing. Of course, I change it up based on where we are. Because he did a little work on “sex, lies, and videotape,” we’re also going to integrate a little of that into our presentation. The critically acclaimed 1989 dark comedy-drama “sex, lies, and videotape” was shot in Baton Rouge, and directed and written by former Baton Rouge director Steven Soderbergh. It’s considered a breakthrough in independent film. Mangini was Soderbergh’s L.A. landlord at the time, and not only helped name the film, but also performed the acoustic guitar music heard in the ﬁlm’s opening. Are you working on any other projects right now? I am working on Amy Poehler’s new TV series, “Dig,” for Peacock. Although she directed “Lucy and Desi,” I never actually met her. I’m a big fan. So one day, I’m going to meet Amy Poehler and I’ll be very happy about it. She’s executive producing along with Mike Schur, who also created “Parks and Recreation” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@theadvocate. com.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Friday, August 28, 2026 ● 7C

lll

FrAnK And erneSt

roSebUdS

zItS

For better or For WorSe

zodIAC VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Negotiations will require compromise. Pay attention to detail, and ask for professional help if it will help you avoid regret and long-term consequences. Change can be good. LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) You can make personal progress if you choose the right path. Refuse to let indecisiveness hold you back. Mistakes are lessons that help you gain insight into new possibilities. scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Build your own networking group. Be a host, make suggestions and become the go-to person. You'll gain confidence and a chance to call the shots. Being candid will change how others perceive you. sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Stick close to home and decide what's required of you to up your game and to get ahead. Stop wasting time and energy on people and projects that don't fulfill your needs. cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Consider your plans, and rethink what's important to you. It's time to sever your ties with those who are heading in a different direction. Invest in yourself and the prospects that excite you. AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) It's all about what you want to pursue. Think big, but don't lose sight of what makes you tick and brings you joy. Mixing business with pleasure will encourage new beginnings. PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Feel it, pursue it and find your way forward. Refuse to let

the changes others make lead you down the wrong path. Put your energy into what brings you the highest return. ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Look for opportunities to expand your interests, meet new people or take a relationship or a personal goal to a higher level. A lifestyle change will lift your spirits. tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Refuse to let stubbornness hold you back. Talks will lead to new possibilities that help you let go of what's no longer working for you while you pursue something that you find rejuvenating. GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Refuse to let your emotions take you down a slippery slope. Be observant, and keep your thoughts to yourself. Do your best to save your money. Be true to yourself and the pastimes that make you happy. cAncER (June 21-July 22) Engage in activities that make you think, and you'll gain insight into people and places that offer healthy outlets. It's time to follow the path that leads to personal joy. LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Explore what's available to you, and push yourself to participate in events and activities that give you something to look forward to. It's time to expand your circle of friends. The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

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: c EQuALs n

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon FAMILY CIrCUS

dooneSbUrY

8C ● Friday,August 28, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

CurTiS

Hi and LoiS

lll

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

BaBY BLueS

BLondie

THe wiZard oF id

nea CroSSwordS

La TimeS CroSSword

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Friday,August 28, 2026 ● 9C

lll

B.C.

Bridge By PHILLIP ALDER Mike Fitzpatrick, a congressman from Pennsylvania, said, “Internet safety begins at home, and that is why my legislation would require the Federal Trade Commission to design and publish a unique website to serve as a clearinghouse and resource for parents, teachers and children for information on the dangers of surfing the Internet.” So you have to surf the Internet to learn about the dangers of surfing the Internet! In today’s deal, declarer not only has to see the danger to his contract, but then must also work out how to survive. How should South play in six hearts after West leads the diamond queen? Most pairs treat South’s three-heart response as forcing for one round. The aide-memoire is “six and 16” — at least a six-card suit and 16 high-card points. North raises, knowing that two honors doubleton are easily as good as three low. South has three possible losers: two spades and one heart. However, as long as he can ruff his spade losers, he can afford a heart loser. Or, if he has no trump loser, he can afford one spade loser. Whenever you can ruff a loser in the shorter trump hand, it is almost certain to be the right line of play. So, South should immediately cash his two top spades and ruff a spade in the dummy — but with which trump?

garfield

Pearls Before swiNe

hagar the horriBle

Here, if South ruffs with dummy’s 10, East overruffs and returns a trump to defeat the contract. Instead, though, declarer ruffs with dummy’s king, returns to his hand with a diamond, and ruffs his last spade with the heart 10. East may overruff, but that is his only trick. © 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 — MAnnEQuIns: MAN-ih-kens: Forms representing the human

Bizarro

marmaduKe

figure. Average mark 19 words Time limit 40 minutes Can you find 34 or more words in MANNEQUINS? yEstERDAy’s WoRD — ERuPts erupt rest ruse rust upset user pert pest pure purest purse

true sept setup spur spurt step strep suer suet super sure

loCKhorNs hidato Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

today’s thought “For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” Psalms 84:11 Trust the Lord. He takes care of His own. — G.E. Dean

lll

TODAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

Partly sunny with a t-storm

A t-storm around in the p.m.

A couple of afternoon showers

A t-storm around in the p.m.

Some rain and a thunderstorm

LOW

HIGH

LOW

HIGH

93° 74°

LOW

91° 75°

Beaumont 94/75 Port Arthur 94/75

Baton Rouge 92/73

Lake Charles 94/75

New Orleans 89/78 Houma 89/73

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

Hattiesburg 92/71

Alexandria 96/72

Lafayette 91/74

10s

20s

30s

40s

50s

LOW

HIGH

LOW

92° 76°

YESTERDAY

Lafayette through 5 p.m. Thursday

Jackson 93/69 Many 97/69

HIGH

92° 74°

TEMPERATURE

Longview 101/74

-0s

LOW

Monroe 96/69

Shreveport 98/72

-10s

HIGH

92° 74°

60s

70s

80s

90s 100s 110s

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

Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today

SEP 4

City

Austin Boston Dallas Fairbanks Honolulu Las Vegas Louisville Miami Nashville

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

87°/72° 92°/74° 90°/74° 110° in 2023 61° in 1896

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

LAST

PRECIPITATION

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

HIGH

9:23p 3:53p 5:46a 8:08a 11:02a 10:22a 12:10p

6:43 a.m. 7:35 p.m. 7:55 p.m. 7:04 a.m. NEW

FIRST

SEP 10

TODAY

101 81 101 56 88 107 85 92 90

74 64 78 46 76 87 66 80 65

FULL

SEP 18

t t s sh r s s t s

SEP 26

100 74 100 52 88 105 89 93 92

SAT. Lo

73 63 79 44 76 84 68 79 69

s pc s sh r s s t s

FT.

LOW

0.24” 2.83” 5.47” 43.62” 42.89”

FT.

HIGH

0.6 7:17a 0.2 1.5 12:02a 0.3 1.8 9:01a 1.4 1.7 12:30a 0.5 1.2 8:26p 0.5 1.4 6:43p 0.6 1.5 9:28p 0.7

FT.

READING 44 MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

SOURCE: LOUISIANA DEQ AND AIRNOW.GOV

LOW

FT.

--- ----- ----- --- 11:59p 0.5 3:54p 1.8 9:06p 0.4 6:01p 1.5 1:27p 1.2 --- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ---

Today 12:05p 5:54a ---- 6:16p Saturday 12:29a 6:40a 12:50p 7:01p Sunday 1:16a 7:27a 1:39p 7:50p Monday 2:07a 8:18a 2:30p 8:42p Tuesday 3:00a 9:13a 3:25p 9:38p Wednesday 3:57a 10:11a 4:24p 10:38p Thursday 4:56a 11:11a 5:25p 11:40p

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

89 92 85 113 78 85 86 85 91

TODAY Lo

78 76 68 88 54 70 66 74 77

t t t s pc t s s t

90 92 86 109 81 82 86 85 92

SAT. Lo

76 75 67 86 59 71 70 72 78

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

t t pc t s t pc pc t

✓ First walk-in tub available with a customizable shower ✓ Fixed rainfall shower head is adjustable for your height and pivots ✓ High-quality tub complete with a comprehensive lifetime warranty on the entire tub ✓ Top-of-the-line installation and service, all included at one

Now you can have the best of both worlds–there isn’t a better,

26.39

-1.60

-1.48

none

18 29 8

-1.14 10.21 1.48

-0.12 -0.17 -0.20

13 15

1.48 0.88

-0.03 -0.05

47 34 29 20 12 6

12.20 7.97 6.38 5.50 3.60 2.23

+0.73 +0.52 +0.46 +0.33 +0.30 +0.25

SCAN

SELF-SCH TO

relaxing warm bath, or enjoy a convenient refreshing shower while seated or standing with Safe Step Walk-In Tub’s FREE Shower Package!

-0.76 +1.18 +1.00 +0.60 +0.60 +0.41 +0.20

Now

13.10 29.20 30.10 13.50 7.30 5.61 3.70

FREE Back by Pop SHOW ular De ER P mand! AC K A GE !

Featuring our Free Shower Package Plus 15% Off

THU. 24-HOUR STAGE CHANGE

34 48 48 35 27 22 17

data as of 7 a.m. Thursday

1Selling Walk-In Tub

FLOOD STAGE

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

ULE ED

N O R T H A M ER I CA’S

MODERATE

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

City

TODAY

GOOD

HIGH

91° 74°

Dolly formed in the central tropical Atlantic yesterday. It is moving quickly to the west and will probably be in the vicinity of Puerto Rico by Sunday. Otherwise, expect a mostly sunny to mostly cloudy, hot humid, and breezy day with isolated showers. Temperatures this afternoon will rise to the low to mid-90s with the heat index up to 105. The UV index will be at the very high level this afternoon.

$385 OFF $785 OFF FF

AP P

10C ● Friday,August 28, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

OI N T

Renewal by Andersen has the Nation’s Best Warranty coverage†

EVERY WINDOW*

EVERY DOOR*

FREE SHOWER PACKAGE PLUS $1600 OFF FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY

$0 down,0 payments,0% interest for12months* Schedule Your FREE Multi-Point Window & Door Inspection before August 31

225-605-9679

Call Toll-Free 337-221-0958

10414 Plaza Americana Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70816

With purchase of a new Safe Step Walk-In Tub. Not applicable with any previous walk-in tub purchase. Offer available while supplies last. No cash value. Must present offer at time of purchase.

Call Today for Your Free Shower Package

337-221-0958

FINANCING AVAILABLE WITH APPROVED CREDIT CSLB 1082165 NSCB 0082999 0083445 13VH11096000

*Offer not available in all areas. Discount applied by retailer representative at time of contract execution and applies to purchase of 4 or more windows and/or entry or patio doors. To qualify for discount offer, initial contact for a free Window and Door Diagnosis must be made and documented between 8/1/26 and 8/31/26, with the appointment then occurring no more than 10 days after the initial contact. 12-Month Promo Period financing available to well-qualified buyers on approved credit only. During the Promo Period, no payments are required and interest accrues but will be waived if the promo balance is paid in full before the Promo Period expires. Any unpaid balance remaining after the Promo Period, including accrued interest, will be repaid under the terms outlined in the customer’s loan agreement. Not all buyers will qualify. Higher interest rates may apply for customers with lower credit ratings. Financing is not valid with other offers or prior purchases. Renewal by Andersen retailers are neither brokers nor lenders. Any finance terms advertised are estimates only, and all financing is provided by third-party lenders unaffiliated with Renewal by Andersen retailers, under terms and conditions arranged directly between the customer and such lender, all subject to credit requirements. Renewal by Andersen retailers do not assist with, counsel or negotiate financing, other than providing customers an introduction to lenders interested in financing. By responding to this offer, you agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and consent to receive marketing communications from Renewal by Andersen and its affiliates, including calls, prerecorded messages, AI-assisted calls, emails, and text messages (SMS/MMS) at the phone number and email address provided, even if your number is listed on a state or federal Do Not Call registry. Consent is not required as a condition of purchase. Message and data rates may apply. Calls may be recorded. Renewal by Andersen is an independently owned and operated retailer. HICPA registration #003807. “Renewal by Andersen” and all other marks where denoted are marks of Andersen Corporation. ©2026 Andersen Corporation. All rights reserved. †It is the only warranty among top selling window companies that meets all of the following requirements: easy to understand terms, unrestricted transferability, installation coverage, labor coverage, geographically unrestricted, coverage for exterior color, insect screens and hardware, and no maintenance requirement. Visit renewalbyandersen.com/nationsbest for details. For J.D. Power 2025 award information, visit jdpower.com/awards.

Renewal by Andersen Impact Resistant Windows