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Gov. Jeff Landry and his administration have changed laws and offered billions in tax incentives to lure major companies to Louisiana.

Changing Louisiana’s fortunes Leaders are betting big that SpaceX, Meta, Hyundai megaprojects will cure the state’s long economic malaise

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

PHOTOS By ROBIN MAy

Tanyeka Green-Servick, a member of the Ragin’ Cajuns Tailgate Krewe, enjoys wings and barbecue before the start of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette football game on Saturday outside Cajun Field. The Ragin’ Cajuns season opener started under rainy skies on Saturday against the Lamar Cardinals. Despite a brief lightning delay, the game kicked off shortly after 7 p.m. But before the game was where the tailgating action happened. Fans lined the parking lot with some of their best dishes served up for eager fans ready for the football season to begin.

Members of the Ragin’ Cajuns Tailgate Krewe Achanti Demery, from left, Lashunda Duncan, Latasha Dennis, Valencia Shropshine-Thomas and Chandra Fontenette gather in front of their sign showing all their sons on the Cajuns football team on Saturday.

ä SEE COMPLETE COVERAGE OF THE CAJUNS GAME. PAGE 1C

Child sex crime arrests surge in crackdown AG’s task force means more stings, statewide cooperation

BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER Staff writer

Louisiana is on track to more than double the number of arrests for child sex crimes it made two years ago. The dramatic increase — from 303 arrests in 2024 to a projected 717 this year — coincides with an expansion in the network behind those investigations. Every sheriff’s ofﬁce in the state and several local police departments

WEATHER HIGH 91 LOW 76 PAGE 6B

have now joined a task force organized by Attorney General Liz Murrill’s ofﬁce, and leaders say that is allowing agencies to share information more quickly and more easily conduct investigations across parish lines. That partnership has become necessary, ofﬁcers say, as the internet gives predators easy access to young potential victims. “When I was growing up, my mom would say, ‘Hey, don’t ride your bike by such and such’s house. He’s a sex offender,’ ” said Chris Masters, the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation agent who oversees the Internet Crimes Against Children task force. “You don’t have that now.

ä See CRACKDOWN, page 7A

Internet crimes against children arrests

Louisiana task force has made more arrests as more sheriffs have come on board. 717 Task force arrests: 545

477

303

2024

2025

2026 (so far)

Source: Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill's office

2026 (projected)

At the recent event announcing that Elon Musk’s SpaceX plans to build the world’s largest commercial spaceport in coastal Vermilion Parish, even Gov. Jeff Landry, who negotiated the $100 billion deal, seemed stunned by the magnitude of the whole thing. “I’ve struggled, really struggled to find the words,” Landry told more than 400 elected officials, lobbyists and business leaders gathered in an event space in Abbeville. “It is hard for people to wrap their head around.” Starbase Louisiana, as Musk has dubbed the project, is the largest single capital investment in the state’s history. It promises to bring thousands of jobs, potentially tens of billions in economic activity and a foothold in a growing industry, as SpaceX hopes to eventually launch as many as 1,000 rockets a year into orbit. And it’s just the latest of several megaprojects that Louisiana’s residents are grappling with. In July, social media giant Meta announced it will double the size of its “That is data center in Richland what drives Parish, a now $50 billion opportunity ... investment that promises and hedges 1,000 jobs and thousands construction workagainst the more ers. In the Shreveport ebbs and area, Amazon Web Serflows of oil vices is building an $18 and gas, which billion data center across three campuses. In Asis still our cension Parish, Hyundai sweet spot.” is forging ahead with an $8 billion steel mill. SUSAN Along the coast, meanBOURGEOIS, while, more than $75 bilLouisiana lion is flowing toward terEconomic minals to export liquefied Development natural gas, or LNG. secretary Landry and his economic development chief, Susan Bourgeois, have said the megaprojects, which total $250 billion since Landry took office in 2024, represent the state’s best hope for reversing decades of stagnant population and wage growth. “We are creating quality jobs across different sectors — data centers, a clean steel mill, aerospace and aeronautics,” Bourgeois said. “That is what drives opportunity ... and hedges against the ebbs and flows of oil and gas, which is still our sweet spot.” As the list of the megaprojects grows, though, so do the questions about whether they’ll deliver and what the state and its people are giving up in return.

Staff graphic

Business ......................1E Deaths .........................3B Nation-World ................2A Classified .....................8D Living............................1D Opinion ........................4B Commentary ................5B Metro ...........................1B Sports ..........................1C

ä See FORTUNES, page 6A

102ND yEAR, NO. 68

2A ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

U.N. endorses map that better shows Africa’s size The United Nations General Assembly on Friday endorsed a new world map that represents Africa more accurately in its larger size, a culmination of a recent campaign led by African countries and advocacy groups. Friday’s resolution, which was sponsored by Togo and backed by members of the African Union, was passed with 164 member states voting in favor. Only the U.S. voted against it while six other countries — Serbia, Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova and Ukraine — abstained. The vote encourages governments and institutions around the world to replace the traditional Mercator map, commonly used since the 16th Century, with the Equal Earth projection that advocates and geographers say shows locations more accurately. The Mercator projection shows Greenland and Africa as appearing to be about the same size whereas in the Equal Earth projection that shows continents in their true proportions, Africa is 14 times larger than Greenland. Friday’s resolution does not ban the Mercator projection or impose a replacement, but only encourages the use of the Equal Earth projection, the U.N. said in its report. “Maps shape our understanding of the world,” the global body quoted Togo’s Foreign Minister Robert Dussey as saying before the vote. “They guide education, nourish the imagination, and inﬂuence collective perceptions.”

Missouri asks high court to restore voting map Missouri and its Republican leaders asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reinstate a congressional map engineered by GOP lawmakers in the state to favor the party in November’s midterm elections. The emergency request Friday follows a ruling by the Missouri Supreme Court casting aside the new map and delivering a victory to Democrats, who would likely lose a House seat if the new map was allowed to stand. The Republican-backed map was already used during the state’s primaries earlier this year. “Missouri has completed a primary election, yet it now faces the unprecedented scenario of being forced to apply a starkly different congressional map in the 2026 general election,” the state and GOP leaders write in the ﬁling. “Voting starts in Missouri’s general election in 15 days. Election ofﬁcials and public commentators are unsure whether it is even possible to comply with the Missouri Supreme Court’s order.” The dispute is one of almost a dozen redistricting-related cases being fought across the country, as some states have sought to redraw their district lines for partisan gain ahead of the midterm elections. Republican leaders in Missouri redrew their congressional districts to favor their party last year, at the request of President Donald Trump.

38 compete in Hungary grave-digging contest

NYERGESUJFALU, Hungary — Like death itself, this was no joke. A grave-digging contest in a Hungarian cemetery may sound like the opening line of a comedy sketch. It proved to be anything but as 38 competitors grabbed picks and shovels on Saturday. The Hungarian Association of Cemetery Maintainers and Operators organizes the contest to showcase the grave-digging trade and its skills, and shake off death-related taboos. The dry summer-baked soil in the public cemetery in Nyergesújfalu, northern Hungary, proved a worthy adversary for the 19 two-man teams. They huffed and puffed and sweated as they raced for the title of quickest-dug and most stylish grave. “Speed is the main thing here, not the beauty,” said Róbert Nagy, the victor with his teammate László Kiss. “When you have to dig a grave for a funeral, you have to be very careful about the exact dimensions and to make sure that it is beautifully carved.” Their winning time was 1 hour, 21 minutes, digging to contest speciﬁcations of graves 51/2 feet deep, 61/2 feet long and 2.6 feet wide.

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U.S. strikes 3 Iranian oil tankers Attack comes after U.S. says warships targeted with missiles

BY AMIR VAHDAT, TOQA EZZIDIN and CARA ANNA Associated Press

CAIRO — U.S. forces struck three Iranian oil tankers after Navy warships were targeted with ballistic missiles, the American military said Saturday, warning that it would “if necessary, destroy Iran’s limited and exposed oil fleet.” Experts called it a dangerous escalation after Iran’s previous attacks at sea targeted commercial shipping. The strikes — a day after U.S. President Donald Trump sought to minimize the conflict as “small potatoes” — keep up a new tilt back toward fighting after six months of on-again, offagain war that began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on the country on Feb. 28. Both sides have sought to inflict both military and economic pain, and negotiations have collapsed. The military’s statement said an American aircraft carrier and a destroyer evaded “multiple unprovoked Iranian attacks” while patrolling in the region and no U.S. personnel were hurt. It wasn’t clear when the Iranian missiles were fired. The statement said that two Iranian oil carriers were “permanently disabled” and the third, unladen one, was destroyed. The U.S. statement called

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By VAHID SALEMI

A swimmer stays near the shore as a motorboat passes commercial vessels anchored Friday in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran. the tankers part of a shadow network helping to fund Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard and its armed proxies in the region. Iran’s state broadcaster said later Saturday that Iran targeted three oil tankers and three American vessels in response to the U.S. strikes. This couldn’t be immediately conﬁrmed. A spokesperson with Iran’s joint military command warned that strikes against U.S. military ships would be more severe if the U.S. continues to interfere with Iranian shipping, the state broadcaster reported. That Iran targeted a U.S. aircraft carrier with a ballistic missile “indicates that Tehran is becoming increasingly willing to accept risks it previously sought to avoid, including directly threatening some of the

most important U.S. military assets in the region,” Danny Citrinowicz, an Iran expert at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, said on X. Earlier, Iranian state television had said that four U.S. missiles struck a tanker about 6 miles from Kharg Island, home to a terminal through which the country exports most of its oil. Kharg Island has been repeatedly targeted during the war, including in U.S. strikes on military sites there in March. The U.S. said that one tanker was struck off Kharg Island and another was struck near Jask, east of the Strait of Hormuz. The unladen tanker was hit in the Gulf of Oman, and the U.S. said its crew had been “directed to abandon ship.” The statement

shared what it called video footage of the strikes. After the U.S. statement, Iran’s state broadcaster reported the attack of the two other tankers, saying their crews had evacuated. “We will not hesitate to defend American forces, and if necessary, destroy Iran’s limited and exposed oil ﬂeet,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command. Iran’s Foreign Ministry called the attacks a war crime, and said that the consequences for continued U.S. aggression, including “economic warfare,” would rest with Washington and its allies. Between the war and the disabling of ships during the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, it’s not immediately clear how many Iranian oil tankers have

been targeted. On May 8, the U.S. military said that it fired “precision munitions” into the smokestacks of two Iranian oil tankers, both unladen. The latest strikes came nearly a week after the U.S. and Iran resumed attacks following a month of relative calm, with the Strait of Hormuz, and Iranian communities along it again, being targeted. At least ﬁve people were killed earlier in the week during a U.S. bombardment of southern Iran. One strike hit a wedding. Masoumeh Zarei, 13, was wounded in the attack. She spoke to The Associated Press at a hospital while being treated for injuries to her abdomen. She said the wedding celebration had already begun when she set out to join it. She never made it there. She was knocked unconscious when a telecommunications tower was struck. Her next memory was of waking up in a hospital. “The party had just started, and we wanted to go there,” Zarei said, her voice hoarse. “I had made my nails really pretty for the party, but everything changed.” Her friend, 14-year-old Kiana Karimi, also was wounded and in intensive care. She told the AP that she heard ﬁve explosions. “The first three explosions at the telecommunications tower threw us to the ground,” Karimi said. “I quickly got up to pick my brothers up off the ground. Then there were two more explosions, and after that I don’t remember anything.”

Putin meets with U.S. envoys at the Kremlin Talks on ending the war in Ukraine renewed

for three days, starting at midnight today,” presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russia’s Tass news agency. Zelenskyy said that Ukraine was prepared to halt strikes on Moscow until Monday. He said he spoke on Saturday afternoon with the U.S. delegation after their arrival in Moscow. “From now through the end of Saturday, as well as on Sunday and Monday,

By The Associated Press Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at the Kremlin on Saturday for talks to try to revive a stalled push to end the Russia-Ukraine war. Putin, Kushner and Witkoff spoke for more than three hours in closed-door talks that come as both sides continue to escalate aerial attacks. Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy both agreed to pause strikes on each other’s capitals while the talks took place. Washington’s push to end the fighting has lost momentum as U.S. attention has been focused for the past six months on the Iran war. The last known visit to Moscow by Witkoff and Kushner, U.S. President

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MIKHAIL METZEL

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, greets President Donald Trump’s envoys Jared Kushner, left, and Steve Witkoff on Saturday before talks at the Senate Palace of the Kremlin in Moscow. Donald Trump’s son-in-law, was in January, when they also held talks with Putin at the Kremlin. Both U.S. envoys will also visit Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, for the ﬁrst time in the peace process on Sunday, Ukrainian ofﬁcials said. At the start of the meeting in Moscow, Putin asked

Kushner and Witkoff to pass on his warm wishes and gratitude to Trump, and described the situation in Ukraine as “not simple.” Russian forces launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. “(Russian President Vladimir) Putin has ordered that no strikes be carried out against Kyiv

Rescuers in Nepal pull 2 alive from debris 10 days after ﬂoods BY SHRISTI KAFLE and SHEIKH SAALIQ Associated Press

KATHMANDU, Nepal — Rescuers in Nepal pulled out a Chinese man and a woman in separate operations Saturday, 10 days after devastating ﬂoods hit the country, as teams continued searching for thousands of missing people. The man was rescued from a hydropower tunnel, according to a social media post by the country’s prime minister’s ofﬁce, bringing the total to three workers pulled alive from the Trishuli hydropower project. Two Nepalese workers were rescued on Friday. Nepal’s army said a joint rescue team of Nepalese military personnel and

South Korean disaster experts rescued the man from a 740-foot tunnel and that he was undergoing a health assessment. Images showed him being evacuated by helicopter, with an army medic checking on him during the ﬂight. A photo released by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV showed two rescuers carrying the man, called Lu Haitao, out of the tunnel. CCTV shared audio of Lu talking to an ofﬁcer, saying how he repeatedly shouted whenever he saw the rescue crews’ lights, but they could not hear him. “When they rescued me today, when they shone (the light) before my eyes, I couldn’t believe it,” he said.

Lu was taken to a hospital and was in stable condition, according to CCTV. Rescue efforts have increasingly focused on 12 hydropower projects across Nepal, where about 900 workers are missing and roughly 500 are believed to be trapped in various tunnels, authorities said. Specialized rescue teams from India, China, South Korea and the United States have been searching through debris, damaged structures and tunnels at the projects, hoping to ﬁnd survivors. In flood-hit Nuwakot town, a woman was rescued alive from a house, Nepal’s army spokesperson said Saturday. Ofﬁcials said she was airlifted to Kathmandu for treatment.

Ukraine is ready to refrain from strikes on Moscow, and we expect the Russians to do the same regarding Kyiv,” he said. The U.S. envoys were met at the airport in Moscow by Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, Tass reported. Dmitriev shared photos of him meeting with the U.S. delegation as they disembarked, alongside the caption, “Welcome to Moscow Peacemakers.”

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Trump continues heralding economic boom But even solid jobs report causing problems for him

BY JOSH BOAK Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has spent 20 months promising that America was on the cusp of an economic boom. But Friday’s surprisingly positive jobs report ultimately provoked frustration from Trump. The August job numbers might have been a welcome break from after months of sluggish hiring and concerns about inflation that have been weighing on Trump and his party two months from Election Day. But speaking from the Oval Office, Trump instead launched into a grievance session about inflation and interest rates. His anger was aimed at the financial markets, the Federal Reserve and U.S. trade partners. He objected to the commonly accepted notion in economics that the surprise gain of 162,000 jobs in August could contribute to inflationary pressures. “Success does not cause inflation. Stupidity causes inflation,” Trump vented in the Oval Office, as he declared it “crazy” that the stock markets fell Friday on inflation concerns. The combination over his second term of a drop-off in hiring and higher prices has dogged Trump and his pledge to instantly unleash historic levels of growth. “When I win the election, we will immediately begin a brand new Trump economic boom,” Trump said at an August 2024 rally in North Carolina. But so far, the economy has grown at roughly 2% annually, slower than the gains during the Biden administration. Trump blamed his inability to deliver stronger growth on higher interest rates for U.S. government debt, saying on social media that America could retaliate by stopping trade with foreign countries. Rates have been climbing in response to persistently high inflation fueled by Trump’s tariffs and oil shortages from the Iran war. The national debt has now crossed the daunting threshold of $40 trillion and rates on the 10year U.S. Treasury note on Friday

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By JEFF CHIU

President Donald Trump has spent 20 months promising that America was on the cusp of an economic boom, but Friday’s surprisingly positive jobs report ultimately provoked frustration from the president. rose to 4.79%. As the promised growth has yet to materialize, the president has lost some of the public’s trust in his ability to steer the world’s largest economy. His own policies have enabled, in part, the inflation and high interest rates that he wishes to blame on others. “The administration’s credibility on growth, inflation, rates, debt and deficit dynamics have taken a hit given the outsized predictions that are not aligned with economic reality,” said Joe Brusuelas, chief economist at the consultancy RSM US. If the Fed did as Trump wanted and cut its benchmark rate so that more money could flow into the U.S. economy, the potential influx of cash could make inflation even worse and only add to his political and economic headaches. But the president disputed this foundational concept in monetary policy. He said Friday that gross domestic product would grow at “12, 13, 14, 15%” if the rates were lower as he seemed to shrug off the inflation risks. “We could have a GDP that would break every single record,” Trump said. The president’s approval rating on the economy was a lowly 32% in the middle of the summer, accord-

ing to polling by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. When Republicans were last facing midterm voters in 2018 under Trump, his economic approval rating was 50%. Trump’s threat to cut off foreign trade could endanger growth, further hurting his ratings. His recent levying of tariffs against Canada have become problems for Republicans in the Maine and Michigan Senate races. Trump ofﬁcials say their policies are working as intended. They say the development of artiﬁcial intelligence will lead to more productivity to boost growth. They say that last year’s tariffs should ultimately bring more factory work to America, while Trump’s tax cuts will create more business investment and his administration’s efforts to identify fraud will create savings for taxpayers. “I expect higher growth,” said Christopher Phelan, chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers. “We’re doing stuff to make good things happen.” Phelan said recent job gains have been about two times larger than what’s needed to match population growth. He considers it as entirely possible that productivity gains could push up overall growth for the next several years, even as he

acknowledged that growth alone might not be enough to solve all of the country’s financial challenges. Because the costs of Social Security and Medicare are rising faster than revenues, growth alone is unlikely to meaningfully reduce budget deficits. If U.S. economic growth could exceed 3% growth annually for the next decade, that would only be enough to stabilize the government’s already high debt load, according to an analysis by Ernie Tedeschi, head of economic insights and research at Stripe, the financial technology company. Tedeschi said he would be “thrilled” if AI could help to deliver those kinds of gains for 10 straight years, but history shows that growth that large due to advancements in computers were likely “wildly optimistic.” “We should absolutely not be planning for the optimistic scenario,” Tedeschi said. Up until the president’s comments about interest rates on Friday, the Trump administration has spent the past week trying to make voters feel more confident about the economy. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent specifically promoted the benefits of stronger growth at the G20 summit for finance ministers in North Carolina. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick did so as well as part of G20 meetings about innovation. Still, Bessent told AP in an interview that he’s also working with White House budget director Russ Vought to announce a plan to “bring down the level of the debt, deficit.” There is political risk in trying to meaningfully reduce a year budget deficit of roughly $2 trillion that is slated to exceed $3 trillion a decade from now. Lowering the path of budget deficits would likely help with interest rates, but there could be political pain points in the form of spending cuts and tax hikes. Brusuelas, the chief economist at RSM US, stressed that Trump would likely need to make sacrifices to meaningfully address the debt and reassure financial markets. “We need a period of slower growth in government spending — that includes outright reduction in spending in addition to tax increases that all would reduce deficits and interest rates,” he said.

Part of Kennedy Center ceiling collapses

Damage renews call for Trump-backed shutdown BY STEVEN SLOAN, GARY FIELDS and RUSS BYNUM Associated Press

WASHINGTON — A chunk of ceiling fell inside a main hallway of the Kennedy Center, according to a spokesperson who said the damage underscores the need to shut down the historic arts venue for renovations sought by President Donald Trump. No one was injured when a piece of the ceiling inside the Kennedy Center’s grand foyer collapsed Friday evening, said Roma Daravi, the center’s vice president for public relations. Photos provided by the center showed a large hole in the high ceiling and debris littering the red carpet in part of the hallway that connects the Kennedy Center’s three main performance auditoriums. The damage occurred during stormy weather in Washington. The Kennedy Center’s Trumpaligned board is ﬁghting in court to move forward with plans to add Trump’s name to the building’s facade and to close the center for two years as it undergoes $250 million in renovations. Daravi called the partial ceiling collapse Friday “another example of the urgent need to close for renovation and revitalization, as our Chairman President Trump has championed.” “This structural failure stems from decades of neglect and deferred maintenance by the previous leadership, and there’s no justiﬁcation for further delays in restoring America’s cultural center,” Daravi said in a statement.

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Turning Point lays groundwork to shape 2028 primary BY HANNAH FINGERHUT and MICHELLE L. PRICE Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa — Alongside the familiar sounds of roosters crowing and thrill seekers screaming on rides at the Iowa State Fair, there was a chorus of boos from Turning Point Action activists who were heckling Democratic politicians making their way through the crowds. Videos of the confrontations got hundreds of thousands of views on social media, a burst of attention for a conservative youth organization that is charting its next chapter after last year’s assassination of its leader Charlie Kirk. But the true test of Turning Point Action’s clout was unfolding inside the exhibition center, where staff members were registering voters, handing out buttons and signing people up for social events. “Building the foundation for 2028,” said one of the ﬂyers. While Democrats have punted Iowa from the top of its presidential primary calendar, the state’s caucuses will still kick off Republicans’ next nominating process. Turning Point Action is positioning itself to shape that contest, a reminder that preparations for the next White House campaign are already in motion even though no candidates have announced and the midterm elections aren’t over yet. Turning Point Action wants at least one staffer in each of Iowa’s 99 counties to mobilize the conservative grassroots. “It is important to us to see high voter participation in the caucuses,” said Tyler Bowyer, the organization’s chief operating officer. “That’s your measuring

stick.” In addition to Iowa, Turning Point Action grew its footprint in New Hampshire and Nevada for this year’s midterms, which could also help in 2028. The likely beneficiary of this initiative would be Vice President JD Vance, who is widely expected to launch a campaign. Turning Point leaders including Erika Kirk, Charlie’s widow, have been clear they’re ready to throw their support behind Vance if he jumps in. More than a dozen Republican ofﬁcials, activists, lawmakers and strategists in Iowa said Turning Point’s imprint in the state was visible but still something of a mystery, and some privately question whether the organization’s impact will match the buzz that it generates online. But others have eagerly welcomed the organization to the state. “A year ago, Iowa was virgin — no Turning Point. And many of us complained,” said Kelley Koch, a former Dallas County Republican chair, to a gathering of MAGA Nation Iowa, the grassroots organization she founded. “Finally, Turning Point Action listened to us.” When asked about his 2028 ambitions, Vance demurs and says he’s focused on his current job, but he’s expected to be an immediate Republican frontrunner if he decides to seek the presidency. Bowyer said Turning Point Action wants to be supportive without “being pushy.” “We haven’t ofﬁcially endorsed as an organization yet because no one’s announced, right? But, you know, depending on who announces and when we endorse — yeah, of course

we’ll be out campaigning on behalf of who we endorse,” he said. Bowyer said Vance can bridge the gap between the Make America Great Again movement, which Trump launched more than a decade ago, and younger voters who were attracted to Charlie Kirk’s brand of conservatism. “It’s a natural ﬁt,” he said. Bowyer acknowledged that Turning Point Action’s growing infrastructure in early primary states could cause some agitation on the right if it is seen as throwing its weight behind one presidential candidate. But, he said “that’s not why we do it,” describing the goal as boosting turnout in the Iowa caucuses to send a strong signal heading into the general election. Other potential candidates include Marco Rubio,

a headwind for many Republican candidates. Voters generally go against the party in control of the White House in midterm elections and Democrats are hoping to gain control of the House and Senate — with Texas being a symbolically powerful indication of how the political map might be expanding this year. The ads seek to highlight taxes as a dominant issue at a time when many voters have expressed concerns about continued inflation. Talarico has favored higher taxes on wealthier households and the two ads seek to portray him as seeking tax hikes more broadly while claiming that Paxton would give tax breaks to ﬁrst-time homebuyers and families with children. The key piece of legislation signed into law by Trump last year enhanced and extended many of his expiring tax breaks from his 2017 overhaul. But that measure also

increased budget deficits, which has contributed to higher interest rates on the national debt. Trump has also hiked tariffs, which are taxes on imports, to try to raise revenue. “High Tax Talarico wants to take money out of Texans’ pockets. MAGA Inc. is going to ensure Texas knows about Talarico’s radical policies and elects Ken Paxton to the U.S. Senate,” Alex Pfeiffer, a spokesman for MAGA, Inc., said in a statement Saturday. Talarico campaign spokesperson JT Ennis pushed back against the ads’ claims that the Democrat seeks broad tax hikes. “Billionaire-backed dark money groups are lying about James Talarico because they’re scared of the people-powered movement we’re building to ﬁx this broken, corrupt political system,” Ennis said in a statement. “James was proud to vote for the largest property tax cut in Texas history and has consistently voted to cut taxes for working Texans.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By HANNAH FINGERHUT

A Turning Point Action staffer gives an American flag to a voter on Friday at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa. Trump’s secretary of state. However, Rubio has said he wouldn’t run against Vance. Sen. Ted Cruz has not announced a campaign, but he has already made several visits to Iowa this year and said in a recent podcast hosted by Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick that, “It’s no secret that I want to be president.” Although Iowa has shifted rightward over the last decade, it’s considered a political battleground in this year’s midterm elections because of Trump’s sagging approval ratings, declining access to healthcare and tariff-driven turmoil in the agricultural industry.

Sen. Joni Ernst and Gov. Kim Reynolds, both Republicans, are retiring, and there are ﬁercely contested races to replace them. Democrat Josh Turek and Republican Ashley Hinson are seeking the Senate seat, while Democrat Rob Sand and Republican Zach Lahn want to be governor. Two battleground congressional districts will help determine control of the House as well. The spotlight on Iowa this year is an opportunity for Turning Point Action to demonstrate its clout. The organization said it hired four staffers on the ground last year. After

Lahn’s surprise win over Trump-endorsed Rep. Randy Feenstra, Turning Point Action said it would double its manpower in the state before the midterms. Young activists regularly post on social media from county fairs and Republican committee meetings. They upload selﬁes on sidewalks or stoops to show days spent knocking on doors. “We’re newer in Iowa,” a Des Moines-based senior ﬁeld staffer, Kylie Kloewer, told a visitor who stopped by Turning Point Action’s booth at the state fair. The booth featured signs emphasizing that there are only two genders and one that said “men can’t get pregnant,” the kind of confrontational culture war messaging that Charlie Kirk practiced on college campuses. Some people nodded and chuckled, while others raised their eyebrows as they wandered by. Those who walked up to the table could sign up for social clubs that host events, including barbecues and volleyball games. “Any involvement is success,” said Kelsey Newberry, who is based in the organization’s Phoenix headquarters and was helping at the Iowa State Fair. “You’re bringing people together as a community. The more you talk to your neighbors, the better.” “And even if they’re not ready to get activated now,” Newberry added, “being around like-minded people might encourage them in the future.”

FranU invites prospective families to explore programs and campus life Trump’s 1st major midterm money at Oct. 10 Open House move: A $10M Texas Senate ad blitz BY JOSH BOAK Associated Press

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. — The political group associated with President Donald Trump is spending $10 million on television and digital advertisements in the Texas Senate race, according to a Saturday filing with the Federal Election Commission. This is the first significant spending in a premier general election contest by MAGA, Inc., and reflects how a oncesafe Republican seat in Texas may be vi- Trump able for Democrats with the candidacy of James Talarico, a 37-year-old state representative. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is the Republican nominee in the race. Trump’s endorsement helped Paxton to defeat the incumbent, Sen. John Cornyn, in a May primary runoff election. Public disapproval of Trump over the economy and the Iran war has been

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By Amanda McElfresh | amcelfresh@theadvocate.com This article is brought to you by FranU. Choosing a college involves more than comparing degree programs, tuition and admission requirements. Students also need to ﬁnd a place where they can envision themselves building relationships and learning the skills that will prepare them for a successful future. That’s why FranU’s Open House, its largest recruiting event, is designed to give prospective undergraduate students a true sense of what daily life is like on the Baton Rouge campus. This year’s event will take place on Saturday, October 10, from 9 a.m. to noon. Registration is available now at franu. edu/openhouse. “Open House is a great opportunity to get a feel for the FranU culture and the type of educational experience we offer. I think it’s so important to visit a campus in-person,” said Zoe Ramachandran, FranU Director of Undergraduate Admissions. “Several of our program directors and faculty are at the informational booths, so attendees can learn more about the different paths of study.” FranU offers healthcare-focused bachelor’s degree programs including nursing, health sciences, medical laboratory science, respiratory therapy and psychology. Aside from healthcare, other undergraduate programs are offered in areas such as business administration, theology and Great Books. Ramachandran said she encourages prospective students to familiarize themselves with FranU’s available majors before the Open House. “I think it helps attendees maximize their visit when they have an idea of what their options are,” she said. “The Open House is a great opportunity for prospective students to learn more about how each major is structured and what they can expect from their classes.” Current FranU students will also be at the Open House to answer questions about the campus culture and opportunities for student involvement inorganizations.FranU hasclubsfor students from multiple majors, including an Art Club, Beauty & Brains (designed for women students), Environmental Care Organization and the Powerlifting Club. Other organizations are centered around individual majors, giving students the chance to study together and learn from one another. “One of the best things about Open House is that this is where relationship-building begins,” Ramachandran said. “Some of the attendees will

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I grew up in Donaldsonville. My landscaping contract with Hyundai has been a blessing. With the community growing, I definitely see my business hiring and expanding. David Hampton Jr., owner, 3M Solutions Services LLC

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FORTUNES

Continued from page 1A The Landry administration has changed laws and offered billions in tax incentives to lure the companies. Data centers, in particular, are starting to create a backlash in some areas, echoing broader national concerns about artificial intelligence. Secrecy about the deals has become a hot topic, too, along with debates about whether large industrial investments can change the trajectory of a state that has been outflanked by its peers for the past half century. It’s a pivotal moment for the state, and economists, development leaders and others say it’s still too early to say how it will all play out. A lot can change between the time projects are announced and up and running. And how the state leverages the opportunities it has created will be the key to ending decades of economic malaise. “Investment in Louisiana has grown by a magnitude almost overnight,” said GNO Inc. President and CEO Michael Hecht. “While this is an extraordinary opportunity, we now have to ensure that Louisiana residents get the jobs, and Louisiana firms get the business.”

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JILL PICKETT

Gov. Jeff Landry speaks during a December 2024 event in Rayville to announce that Meta will build an artificial intelligence optimized data center in Richland Parish.

Different industries For decades, Louisiana depended on oil and gas, agriculture and its other natural resources to power the state’s economy. But since the oil price collapse of the 1980s, the state has struggled to keep up with the rest of the nation across a range of economic and quality-oflife measures. Between 2000 and 2025, Louisiana’s economy grew 50% more slowly than the country as a whole, and since 1970, its household earnings have remained stuck at 48th of the 50 states, running more than 30% below the national average, according to the Urban Land Institute. It has backslid even as it has continued attracting big industry. Between 2015 and 2023, under Landry’s predecessors, Louisiana drew $90 billion in new capital investments, mostly LNG plants and petrochemical facilities tied to the state’s energy industry. But job growth remained ﬂat during that period and the state lost 52,000 people, a Data Center report found. “We’ve maintained our ability to attract oil and gas investments,” said retired LSU economist Jim Richardson. “But those industries don’t create the jobs they once did, in part because of automation and technology.” That’s one reason state leaders have focused on other areas. The Hyundai steel mill, which broke ground last week outside of Donaldsonville, promises between 1,200 and 1,300 permanent jobs at an annual salary of nearly $100,000. Site selector Didi Caldwell, of Global Location Strategies, says it is an example of advanced manufacturing, a sector that has a track record of creating new hubs of economic growth. The prospects of other sectors are less clear. Gary Wagner, an economist at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, said that data centers, a new sector Landry introduced to the state two years ago, have a questionable track record of improving long-term economic prosperity. A few recent studies have shown the facilities can stimulate economic activity — and

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell speaks during the SpaceX announcement at Magdalen Place in Abbeville on Aug. 25.

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Excavators suspend a giant Hyundai-Posco Louisiana Steel banner displayed underneath the flag of Louisiana during the Hyundai-Posco Louisiana Steel groundbreaking ceremony in Ascension Parish on Friday. Meta’s Hyperion project in Richland Parish, which is drawing thousands of construction workers, is boosting local sales tax collections, funding teacher bonuses and attracting new businesses to the area. But Wagner said that the economic literature on data centers suggests that “if there is a measurable impact on job growth and income over the long term, it is minimal.” In a rural area like Richland Parish, Bourgeois counters, even 1,000 jobs is a big deal. “I think we lose sight of the signiﬁcance of that number,” she said.

kind of project. “For generations, industry came to Louisiana not to build lasting prosperity but to extract wealth,” he said. “What Elon Musk and his team is offering Louisiana is different. They are offering us a permanent future and lasting prosperity.” It’s hard to measure what that will look like in part because there’s no comparison. Starbase Louisiana aims to be the busiest spaceport on the planet, with a planned footprint that is 10 times the size of the company’s headquarters in Boca Chica, Texas. In December, the company reported a $13 billion economic impact and ‘People with all skills’ the creation of 24,000 diAt the SpaceX announce- rect and indirect jobs there ment, Landry seemed to since 2023. The numbers acknowledge the shortcom- were not independently ings of the state’s historic veriﬁed by the state. SpaceX also has said it reliance on oil and gas, framing the deal as a new employs a little more than

4,000 people at the facility, 70% of whom are local. A recent report from Texas A&M, meanwhile, shows that property values have skyrocketed in the county, creating wealth for some while pricing others out. SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said at the Abbeville announcement last month that job numbers in Louisiana could well exceed 3,000. “Sixty to 80% of our employees at Starbase Texas are local hires, and we will repeat that here,” Shotwell said. “We need people with all skills — not just engineers, but welders, builders, technicians, restaurant workers.” Rob Lalka, a professor focused on entrepreneurship at Tulane University’s A.B. Freeman School of Business, said that while 3,000 jobs is “not going to change our economy,” he predicts the ripple effect will be signiﬁcant because of the workers and spinoff companies that follow Musk and SpaceX. “What this will do is create an ecosystem that attracts the smartest rocket scientists in the world,” he said. “There will be opportunities for innovators and companies to work with them.”

Jan Moeller, president and CEO of Invest in Louisiana, a research group that advocates for equitable economic policies, has said that tax incentives aren’t necessarily bad, but they need to provide a return on investment that justiﬁes what is given away. “We have all these needs in state government and a budget shortfall,” said Moeller. “That is why it is important when the richest man in the world comes to Louisiana and spends money and creates jobs, that his company also pays taxes.” Bourgeois, like other economic development leaders, says tax incentives are a standard practice and needed to land big deals. The foregone revenues, they argue, would not exist but for the projects in the ﬁrst place. As for the NDAs, which have been more widely used by Landry than any of his recent predecessors, the governor said last month that they were necessary to maintain the state’s competitive edge. “You think I want Texas to steal my thunder?” Landry said. “You think I want other states to know what we’re working on? … Corporate America has competition, and they want to have dis-

cussions with elected officials to ensure that policies meet their expectations.”

Changing perceptions Though changes to the state’s economic outlook will take years to show signs of progress, one thing is already starting to change: Louisiana’s perception as a favorable place to do business among site selectors, the professionals who decide where companies ought to locate new facilities. “Louisiana has done a fantastic job showing that it can execute fast on big, complex deals,” said Larry Gigerich, a site selector with Indianapolis, Indiana-based Ginovus, whose past clients include BP, Oracle and FedEx. “Speed to market is critical.” Still, the major announcements are just the ﬁrst step. Now, the state has to ensure that projects get completed quickly, attract other companies and result in money ﬂowing back to the state — and is invested back into local communities, housing, schools and healthcare. That’s important, Gigerich said, because those “quality of place” things are needed to attract and retain talented people. “That is the next piece of the puzzle for Louisiana,” Gigerich said.

‘Not the only option’ To attract the investments and potential jobs, the state has promised record tax breaks. The value of the incentives offered to SpaceX totals more than $27.5 billion, according to a letter from Louisiana Economic Development in July to SpaceX executive Ben Lancaster. The incentives, the largest in state history, include a property tax break worth $23.5 billion and $3.6 billion in a sales tax rebate. The Meta deal, which will bring an estimated 1,000 full-time jobs to Richland Parish, includes an incentive package that was valued at more than $3 billion earlier this year, before the recent expansion. To lure Hyundai to Donaldsonville, the state agreed to a $2.6 billion incentive package. Critics have raised concerns about the incentive packages, the nondisclosure agreements under which they were negotiated and the state laws that were changed along the way to facilitate them.

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CRACKDOWN Continued from page 1A

There’s access to your children who are on their phone while they’re sitting on the couch next to you.” Washington Parish Sheriff Jason Smith points to a recent child pornography case that spanned three parishes and four law enforcement agencies. Covington police investigator Brian Brown called Smith last month with a tip: A man in Smith’s parish was believed to have child porn on devices in his home. The suspect, Jeffrey Venezia Jr., lived in Bogalusa, but worked about 75 miles away on the west bank of the Mississippi River. So Smith’s team picked up the phone and called the Louisiana Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children task force, of which his agency is a member, and roped in West Baton Rouge deputies to arrest Venezia on an outstanding misdemeanor trafﬁc warrant. While Venezia was in custody in West Baton Rouge Parish — and unable to destroy potential evidence — Washington Parish deputies were executing a search warrant at his home, where they eventually found child porn, deputies say. The entire operation unfolded in a matter of hours. Venezia was booked into the Washington Parish jail on Monday and charged with multiple counts of possession of child pornography and weapons charges. Bail was set at $150,000.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Attorney General Liz Murrill announces arrests made in Operation Restricted Domain while surrounded by law enforcement partners during a news conference at the Louisiana Department of Justice in Baton Rouge on May 18.

A surge in arrests Cases like Venezia’s illustrate how dramatically Louisiana’s approach to online child exploitation has changed. In January 2024, Murrill’s task force had just eight partnering agencies. That year, it made 303 arrests. The task force now has more than 80 agencies involved, including all state sheriff’s offices. It is on pace to make 717 arrests, according to recent numbers provided by the Attorney General’s Office. Cases that used to be jurisdictional headaches, requiring coordination with small agencies with little resources in rural parishes, move much faster now that the task force has an open line of communication with officers in every parish. Smith says his office jokes that everyone wants to be on a task force “because Smith it sounds cool.” But the effectiveness of the ICAC in the past two years comes down to a simple thing: familiarity. “Because we’ve worked together over a couple of years now … everybody’s familiar with what needs to happen,” Smith said. “It just makes everybody much more comfortable in taking action quickly instead of burning up a lot of energy trying to remember who to call in one parish, and what the situation might be in an-

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JILL PICKETT

Attorney General Liz Murrill, left, and Chris Masters, a supervisory special agent with the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, address the media about Operation Access Denied at the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office in Ruston on Dec. 18. other parish.”

Snaring predators Murrill says there is an “epidemic” of child exploitation crimes in Louisiana and so many other places, and that was apparent when she took ofﬁce in 2024. “I could see that it’s getting worse, and it’s going to keep getting worse, not better,” Murrill said. “I could see we needed to be throwing more resources at the problem, because it’s outpacing our ability to keep up with it.” With her office’s investigative arm — the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation — as the lead agency, Murrill grew the task force until every sheriff came aboard. A handful of police departments joined, too. Masters says they’ve been able to use their resources to help train smaller departments that otherwise wouldn’t be able to get that training on their own, giving them new tools to help investigate these types of crimes. One of the tools the task force has leaned into in the

past couple of years is sting operations, in which agents pose as children online and catch offenders trying to solicit them for sex. In the two years since he was elected Washington Parish sheriff, Smith said he’s learned that many predators don’t like to commit hands-on crimes involving children like sexual battery, rape and trafﬁcking in their own backyard. “They’re going to go hunting in Livingston or in St. Tammany,” Smith said. “They’re going to respond to these ads and messages from kids who are not right next door, because they don’t want to run into somebody that they know.” That willingness to cross parish lines is one reason the task force’s statewide reach has become so important. Investigators can now do the same thing the offenders do: operate across jurisdictions. Masters noted Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard as a partner who regularly uses stings to catch offenders across the state. “You’ll see Sheriff Ard make 20 arrests in a month,” Masters said. “Well, all those offenders aren’t from Liv-

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ingston Parish, but his guys are posing as children that live in Livingston Parish. And if you’re willing to harm a child in Livingston Parish, he’s willing to put you in jail in Livingston Parish.” On Wednesday, Murrill announced the results of “Operation Bottom Dweller,” a three-day undercover sting operation hosted by her ofﬁce and Assumption Parish Sheriff Leland Falcon that led to the identiﬁcation and arrest of 10 suspects across multiple states. That investigation also involved the Berwick Police Department, the Department of Homeland Security, Morgan City police, and sheriffs in Livingston Parish, St. James Parish and St. Mary Parish. In small parishes, a few sheriff’s deputies have to cover larger geographical areas. And in more populous

parishes like Orleans, Baton Rouge or Livingston, deputies’ resources are focused on violent crime. Murrill says the task force allows resources to be pooled and shared throughout the state. “We bring the additional resources to them and train their staff; we don’t take staff away from their agency,” Murrill said. “Working in this partnership, they get the benefit of our technological support and our experience, quite frankly, with dealing with these cases that cross a lot of agency lines.”

Tips pouring in

siana received just 863 cybertips — which are reports of suspected online child sexual exploitation sent by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Ten years later, the attorney general’s current projections show that number will be around 93,000 this year, which Murrill and Masters say reflects the increased access to children on social media platforms like Snapchat and TikTok. While Murrill has targeted internet crimes against children through her office’s criminal division via the task force, she’s also taken aim at platforms in civil court. A little more than a year ago, she sued Roblox, an online gaming platform that has been criticized over content moderation related to child safety. Last week, she filed separate lawsuits against Snapchat and Discord, arguing both platforms enable child predators to easily exploit kids. Still, the criminal side remains a top priority, which is partly why the task force recently opened a regional in-house location at the Kenner police headquarters, referred to as the “Orleans Metro task force,” with plans to do the same thing in other regions. Masters is happy that the task force is achieving “results that have never been seen before.” He says the number of arrests the team has been able to make is something its members hang their hat on. But the staggering number of tips Louisiana receives each day for crimes against kids continues to surge, which Masters says is a constant reminder that the fight is far from over. “We identified a problem, and we found a solution. But look, it’s not a permanent solution,” Masters said. “We’re going to have to continue to keep growing, continue to stay up with the technology and continue bringing back results.”

While Masters says the increase in arrests shows that the statewide network is working, he also notes the massive increase in tips that agencies get each year. Email Patrick SloanAccording to the attorney Turner at patrick.sloangeneral’s stats, in 2016 Loui- turner@theadvocate.com.

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LOUISIANA POLITICS

Mike Johnson presses Democrats on court-packing ‘Put their money where their mouth is’

WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson ordered a vote on packing the U.S. Supreme Court that was doomed from the get-go but aimed at getting Democrats on the record for an issue he thinks could put the opposition party in a political bind. The resolution would have enshrined in the Constitution that the Supreme Court Mark could have only Ballard nine justices. But the measure required a two-thirds majority in both chambers, plus approval by three-quarters of the states — none of which was likely to happen this year, said Carl Tobias, a professor at the University of Richmond School of Law who studies the federal judiciary. “It’s largely performative and has to do with showing they’re doing something ahead of the midterms,” Tobias said of the Republican effort. After coming up more than 50 votes shy, Johnson chucked the rest of the House’s to-do list and sent reps back home to campaign for the rest of September. Johnson can thank two Democratic representatives for giving him an opportunity for political theater. Their two votes provided the margin needed to pass a resolution that continues government operations until December. Otherwise, government would’ve shut down on Oct. 1. Five Republicans, including Rep. Clay Higgins, RLafayette, voted no. Early voting for the Nov. 3 congressional midterms begins Oct. 20 in Louisiana. Voters are to decide if Republicans will continue to control all levers of governmental power or

Gov. Landry names Rep. Wright to DOTD job

Gov. Jeff Landry has named Rep. Mark Wright, R-Covington, to a top role at the state transportation department, according to a news release Monday. As commissioner of the Department of Transportation and Development’s Ofﬁce of Multimodal Commerce, Wright will “oversee the ofﬁce’s efforts to strengthen Louisiana’s integrated transportation network, including ports, waterways, rail, aviation, public transportation, and commercial trucking,” the news release said. Wright is a forWright mer chair of the House Transportation, Highways and Public Works Committee and has a professional background in maritime commerce, having served as vice president of the American Waterways Operators. “Mark brings a unique combination of legislative experience, transportation knowledge and strategic leadership to this role,”

The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. if they prefer Democrats run the U.S. House, and perhaps the U.S. Senate. Polls indicate that more voters are being persuaded by Democratic themes of high prices, long war and social safety-net cuts. Republicans have focused their campaigns on having lowered taxes and closing the border.

Court packing politics Bringing in the “court-packing” motif reinforces GOP allegations that Democrats are communists. “For years, Democrats have called for packing the Supreme Court with more left-wing judges,” Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, wrote in an email. “A Supreme Court that is not equal to the legislative and executive branches or is capriciously altered with left-wing political judges will end the court’s inde-

said Transportation Secretary Glenn Ledet. “His understanding of how our ports, waterways, railroads, airports and highCapitol ways work togethBuzz er to move people STAFF and commerce will REPORTS be a tremendous asset to DOTD and to the people of Louisiana.” Wright has represented the northshore area since 2017 and is term-limited. He ran unsuccessfully this year for a seat on the Public Service Commission, which regulates utilities. Wright said in a post on X that he is resigning from his House seat to take the job. “I’m grateful for this opportunity to serve Louisiana as I ﬁnish my terms in the House,” Wright said in the release. “I really look forward to working with Gov. Landry, Secretary Ledet, and other leaders during this exciting growth era in Louisiana. Having spent a large portion of my legislative and professional career dedicated to maritime, ports and transportation, it’s gratifying to help Louisiana grow and lead the

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-Benton, pauses for questions on Sept. 2. pendence, threaten the freedoms of Americans.” Though changing the composition of the Supreme Court may become a thing in 2028, Democrats haven’t come to an agreement on the issue. True, a number of leading lights in the Democratic Party — Vice President Kamala Harris and

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS Transportation Secretary Pete Buttieg to name two — favor expanding the number of justices. But a number of prominent Democrats disagree, including retired Justice Stephen Breyer and Joe Biden, who as president had a commission look into the restructuring possibilities. Many Democrats are angered at recent 6-3 Supreme Court decisions that support Trump and GOP bucket list issues — particularly the Louisiana vs. Callais decision that weakened the Voting Rights Act of 1965, cost Rep. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, his seat and opened the door for Republican-led states to redraw the districts that helped elect Black candidates to Congress. Into that milieu, Johnson opted to run a messaging vote. “If we go down the road of packing the Supreme Court, it

nation into the future.” A special primary election to ﬁll Wright’s Louisiana House District 77 seat representing St. Tammany Parish is scheduled for Feb. 6, with a runoff election set for March 13 if needed.

Hollis unveils new 9/11 collectible coins The U.S. Mint engraved a remembrance to terrorist victims on a limited number of the Enduring Liberty Half Dollar and delivered the coins to the National 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York City. The Mint engraved a “privy mark” on 2,983 of its specialissue 250th national birthday half dollars to also mark the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. The privy mark includes the date “911-01” encircled by the phrase, “ALWAYS REMEMBER.” “The iconic symbols of freedom and enlightenment, along with the ‘Always Remember’ privy mark, reﬂect the resilience of the victims’ families and the Nation,” said Mint Director Paul Hollis, of Covington. “While we will never forget those fateful attacks, our

PROVIDED PHOTO

The U.S. Mint presented 2,983 special-issue Enduring Liberty Half Dollar coins with privy mark to the National 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New york City in honor of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001.

nation continues to pass the torch of enlightenment to future generations in remembrance and in honor of the 2,983 victims.” Hollis, a former Louisiana legislator and member of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, was appointed by President Donald Trump to lead the U.S. Mint in February. A nu-

turns into a political palooza, and it would not serve the country,” Johnson, R-Benton, told reporters, adding that the vote forced Democrats to “put their money where their mouth is.” U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, DMaryland, counters that Congress is shirking its duty by memorializing only nine justices. Raskin taught constitutional law for a quarter century at American University Washington College of Law and is the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee. Article 3, Section 1 of the Constitution gives Congress the authority to set up federal courts. Congress changed the number of justices eight times since 1789, when the Supreme Court was established with six seats, one for each federal judicial circuit. Congress in 1801 lowered the number to ﬁve to stop President Thomas Jefferson from making more appointments. The next year, a new Congress returned the number to six. Then, in 1807, a seventh justice was added to match the number of federal judicial circuits at that time. Thirty years later, two more seats were added, again to match the number of circuits, which was the reasoning for adding a 10th justice in 1863. Congress dropped the number back to seven in 1866 to keep President Andrew Johnson from making nominations. Since 1869, the number has been set at nine. There are now 13 circuits. With the vote completed and the issue raised, many Republicans are headed to Dallas for a rare midterm national convention scheduled to begin Wednesday. More than 100 items and a slate of speakers, including Trump, are on the agenda in what is being called a rally to energize GOP voters. Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate.com.

mismatist, or professional coin collector, he has called the role a “dream job.” Both the twin towers of the World Trade Center collapsed on Sept. 11, 2001, as part of coordinated suicide attacks organized by the al-Qaeda terrorist organization. Terrorists hijacked two commercial airliners and flew into each of the skyscrapers at the World Trade Center in New York. A third passenger plane was crashed into the Pentagon across the Potomac River from Washington and a fourth plowed into a field in rural Pennsylvania when passengers attempted to retake control of the flight. At every anniversary of the attack, families of the victims gather at the 9/11 Memorial Plaza, in the footprint of the twin towers, to read aloud the names of the 2,983 persons killed in the September 11 attacks and February 26, 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. Moments of silence will mark the times when each of the World Trade Center towers was struck, the Pentagon was struck, the crash in Pennsylvania, and for those lost to 9/11 health effects.

Lawn Watering Schedule

ODD

EVEN

TUESDAY THURSDAY SATURDAY

SUNDAY WEDNESDAY FRIDAY

ADDRESSES

ADDRESSES NO WATERING

MONDAY

WATER ONLY FROM MIDNIGHT TO 2 PM

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● 9A

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Even snakes have to audition for the opera at the Met Princess the boa constrictor gets the part

BY DAVID R. MARTIN and JEFFREY COLLINS Associated Press

NEW YORK — Pretty much everyone on stage at the Metropolitan Opera in New York must audition — even the snake who will brieﬂy take center stage in an upcoming adaptation of a Mozart classic. In charge of deciding who gets the s-s-s-s-starring reptilian role is Zoe Ziegfeld, a carnival performer-turnedopera actor cast as the snake handler in the Met’s version of “Così fan tutte,” inspired by Coney Island in the 1950s. Ziegfeld takes each snake, lets it slither and wrap around, then hoists the animal over their head, rehearsing what they will do under the bright lights at center stage for each performance. Ziegfeld looks each one in the eye, almost faceto-face as they evaluate the snake’s demeanor. “I need to know that the

animal is comfortable with people and with what we are doing,” Ziegfeld said. In the coldblooded competition, a boa constrictor named Princess won. She is a larger snake with a better visual presence on stage. “We will be moving forward with Princess (the big sunglow boa constrictor who is yellow-peach) in rehearsals on a trial basis! She is a wonderful snake, and the trial is not about her, but rather about me and my strength,” Ziegfeld wrote in an email after the auditions were over. A slightly smaller brown boa constrictor named Nala from a second audition will be Princess’ understudy. This is the third time Ziegfeld has played the role of the snake charmer in the Met’s adaptation of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s 1790 opera. In Mozart’s original, two Italian soldiers decide to test their lovers’ fidelity by pretending to head off to war. They then disguise themselves and try to seduce each other’s girlfriends. In this version, the plot remains mostly the

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ANDRES KUDACKI

Performance artist Zoe Ziegfeld, who plays the part of a snake charmer, holds a snake on Aug. 28 during auditions to select a snake for a part in an adaptation of Mozart’s ‘Così fan tutte’ at the Metropolitan Opera in New york. same, but the setting is a 1950s Coney Island carnival complete with vibrant scenery and sideshow performers. Ziegfeld came to the role honestly. They spent a couple of seasons on Coney

Island doing eight snakecharming shows a day. When they tried out several years ago, live snakes weren’t allowed in the audition space. So instead, Ziegfeld brought video of their snake-charming act,

then hammered home their carnival sideshow bona ﬁdes by knocking a nail into their own nasal cavity in what was called the Human Blockhead act. “The music’s different. The money is different. It’s

a pleasure to entertain. And with snakes, it’s a delight to know that there are people watching who are in awe and people who are terriﬁed. And those things happen at the Met and at Coney — so I would say they are more alike than different, to be honest,” Ziegfeld said. The snakes came to their audition thanks to Nancy Novograd and her company All Tame Animals. She got into the business when her horse appeared onstage at the Met in a production of “Carmen,” and now she provides the opera house with everything from elephants to insects. The ﬁrst two snakes to audition were a bit small. One might have clashed with Ziegfeld’s top. But the key is personality, Novograd said. “Animals have to perform as do human talent. Sometimes they have a set type of behaviors that they have to demonstrate. And sometimes they just have to get along with the talent,” Novograd said. “So in this case, they have to be the right color, size, and Zoe has to like them.”

Widow of airman killed in Mideast U.S. phases out $45 million annual frustrated by attempt to get beneﬁts support for Namibia HIV program BY JACK BROOK and KONSTANTIN TOROPIN Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The widow of an airman killed on a combat mission in the Middle East said it took a viral social media post to get resolution from the Pentagon on issues related to her husband’s benefits and basic pay months after his death. Maj. Alex Klinner, 33, was one of six crew members of a KC-135 refueling aircraft that crashed in western Iraq in March while supporting operations against Iran. He’s one of 18 U.S. service members killed, along with 790 wounded, since the war began more than six months ago. The Air Force reached out to his widow, Libby Klinner, last week to clarify that his final paycheck would include hazard pay and combat-related tax breaks. This occurred after she voiced frustration on social media at being told by a military officer assigned to support her after her husband’s death that he was ineligible for those benefits because “we were not at war.” “My husband lost his life because we’re in a war, and then I was told that because it’s not technically a war, we lose out on something,” Klinner told The Associated Press. “It all comes down to principle.” Her post, made last weekend, gained national attention. Vice President JD Vance promised to look into her case after being asked about it during a White House briefing on Thursday. “We want to be as helpful as we can and ensure she gets everything that she is entitled to,” Vance said. “My message to her would be, ‘We love ya, we’re grateful for the sacrifice and we very much take very seriously our commitment to get you what you need to get.’ ” In response to a separate question, Vance rejected the use of the word “war” to characterize U.S. fighting in Iran, saying that “there is no active shooting.” The military has launched strikes

PROVIDED PHOTO

U.S. Air Force Capt. Alex Klinner was killed when a KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in Iraq in March while supporting operations against Iran.

against targets in Iran twice last week, and Iran has retaliated by firing on U.S. allies in the Gulf. On Friday, President Donald Trump called U.S. strikes “intermittent” and defended Vance’s comments. “I call it a military conflict because it’s small potatoes for us,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. In late July, the Trump administration created a new, separate category in the Pentagon’s casualty count system for those killed and wounded in renewed U.S.Iran fighting. Pentagon officials said the change was necessary because “Operation Epic Fury,” the original name for combat operations against Tehran, had ended. Since July 7, all U.S. casualties in the Middle East have been tallied under “Overseas Operations.” Libby Klinner said Air Force officials contacted her last week to say they were initiating a review of her husband’s pay. The Air Force acknowledged to her Thursday that it had initially provided inaccurate information and clarified that she was receiving the full pay and benefits her husband was owed, she said. She said she was told that her husband’s paycheck had already included but incorrectly itemized the combat-related hazard pay

and tax breaks. The pay incentives commonly known as “combat pay” are $225 per month and are not conditioned on a formal war declaration but just that the service member be in an area where there is “grave danger of physical injury” or be “killed, injured, or wounded by a hostile fire event,” according to a military website. Alex Klinner’s final paycheck would have included half that amount since troops are paid twice per month. It is difficult to calculate how much in federal tax breaks Klinner would have been receiving without more information. Klinner declined to specify the amount of money she was initially told her husband, an eight-year Air Force veteran from Birmingham, Alabama, would be ineligible to receive. The Air Force said officials spoke with Klinner last week to “ensure all her questions are fully addressed” and confirmed that “all eligible combat theater benefits were included” in her husband’s pay. “We remain committed to providing clear information and continued support to Mrs. Klinner, as well as all the families of the Airmen who died in the KC-135 crash,” the Air Force added. Broadly, errors in pay in the military are very common because service members can often gain or lose eligibility for a variety of payments depending on their deployment status, duty location or even family factors. As a result, unlike their civilian counterparts, some troops can see their paychecks change many times a year depending on many factors — something that also increases the likelihood of errors. A GoFundMe for Libby Klinner and her three young children, launched in the days after her husband’s death, has raised more than $1.5 million. Klinner said she hoped that by speaking out, other grieving families receive clear information from the outset.

BY SONJA SMITH Associated Press

WINDHOEK, Namibia — The United States will start phasing out its financial support for Namibia’s HIV response programs, the latest among southern African countries to feel the effects of the withdrawal of foreign aid by the U.S. administration. The U.S. will provide Namibia with $45 million for its HIV response in the 2027 ﬁscal year but the country will then start funding its own HIV programs, with the U.S. only providing “technical cooperation,” both countries said in statement. Namibia has received around $45 million annually through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in recent years. The United States says it has contributed more than $1.1 billion to Namibia’s HIV response since 2003. While the withdrawal of the funding was expected

since the Trump administration’s “America First” approach to foreign aid was announced, it follows Namibia’s rejection of proposed provisions for sharing health data and biological specimens with the United States. Namibia cited privacy, sovereignty and legal concerns for its decision. The Trump administration has been entering into country-by-country agreements that Washington says will reduce donor dependency, increase domestic ﬁnancing and safeguard American interests. The U.S. has signed agreements with about 30 countries since late last year, many of them in Africa. But Ghana rejected a proposed agreement over access to sensitive health data, Zimbabwe withdrew from a $367 million package over similar concerns, and a court challenge has put Kenya’s $2.5 billion agreement on hold. Zambia has also objected to data-sharing demands.

Namibian ofﬁcials previously said the proposed provisions in their original form were “not in compliance with Namibia’s national laws” and infringed constitutional privacy protections and national sovereignty over biological resources.” Both government are reported to be negotiating a new bilateral health agreement. The joint statement said Namibia had surpassed UNAIDS targets by achieving a target of 96% of people living with HIV knowing their status, 98% of those diagnosed receiving treatment, and 98% of those treated having achieved viral suppression. “Over the next year, this support will transition into a technical cooperation model as the HIV response is fully integrated into Namibia’s sustainable national health system, in line with Namibia’s national laws,” the governments said in a joint statement.

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10A ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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EDUCATION NYC bans AI for students through eighth grade Nation’s largest public school system sets one-year moratorium

its for all grades and blocked YouTube and other social media sites during the school day.

Screen time limit possible

BY ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE Associated Press

NEW YORK — New York City’s public schools will temporarily ban elementary and middle school students from using generative artificial intelligence tools during the upcoming school year, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Wednesday. The one-year moratorium — part of a broader assessment of how children in the nation’s largest school system interact with the technology — will apply to “all software that uses student-facing generative AI” for students through eighth grade, the mayor’s office said. It described the policy as the most expansive prohibition in the country. At the same time, the city will establish twice-yearly AI literacy classes for all public high school students. It will also launch pilot programs allowing some high school students to use a handful of AI platforms under an educator’s supervision. Companion chatbots will be prohibited across all grades, officials said. The approach comes as students, parents and schools across the country attempt to navigate the use of AI tools in the classroom and elsewhere.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

New york City’s public school system will temporarily ban ‘all software that uses student-facing generative AI’ for students through eighth grade.

Reliance on AI Schools are working to teach children how to incorporate the technology while preventing them from relying too heavily on it or using it to cheat. “Each day when our children come to school, we teach them to ask questions, to challenge assumptions, to interrogate the premise, to ask why. When it comes to AI in our schools, we

‘Each day when our children come to school, we teach them to ask questions, to challenge assumptions, to interrogate the premise, to ask why. When it comes to AI in our schools, we hold an obligation to do the same,” New york Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.

hold an obligation to do the same,” Mamdani, a Democrat, said at a news conference. The Los Angeles school district, where students returned to classrooms in mid-August, is temporarily blocking access to generative AI tools on student devices across all grades. The Los Angeles Unified School District said Wednesday that the ban will remain in place across the country’s second-largest school district as officials develop a student AI policy during the school year. In June, LAUSD became the first major school district to eliminate the use of school-issued devices for its youngest students as part of a sweeping screen time policy. The policy banned devices before second grade, set screen time lim-

In New York, the city will also recommend screen time limits for students, suggesting a daily cap of 30 minutes for students in grades three through five and 45 minutes for those in grades six through eight. Teachers will be allowed to use AI for instructional planning and operational tasks. At least 37 states have official AI guidance that schools can use as a blueprint, though there is no single definition of AI literacy or consensus on how it should be taught. New York state last year approved a ban on students’ use of cellphones in schools. City education officials will also conduct a broad review of all technology tools used in the school system and eliminate those deemed nonessential to learning. Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers in New York, praised the screen time limits but said the city’s AI policy “leaves many questions unanswered,” including how the Education Department “will be more aggressive in demanding the products it purchases have AI safeguards.” Josh Golin, executive director of the children’s advocacy group Fairplay, said he would have preferred a longer moratorium and more time between the announcement and the start of the school year. “A year to evaluate is not nearly enough time,” he said, adding that the onus should be on AI platforms “to demonstrate that their products are effective at teaching kids, that they’re safe, that they’re not displacing face-to-face interaction and that they’re not leading to rampant cheating.” New York City public school students are scheduled to return to classrooms next week.

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U.S. ambassador calls violent Israeli settlers ‘terrorists’ settlers over the past year. Comments come bySuch attacks have surged since the in Gaza began after weeks of with the war Hamas-led attack southern Israel on Oct. 7, West Bank unrest on 2023, according to the United

BY IBRAHIM HAZBOUN and CARA ANNA Associated Press

JERUSALEM — The United States ambassador to Israel condemned Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank again on Saturday, calling the behavior an “act of terror” as he visited with Palestinian American residents shaken by months of attacks. Ambassador Mike Huckabee referred to such settlers as “terrorists,” a word that U.S. officials usually reserve for Palestinian militants. “If there are squatters that come in and put up their own flags and take possession of something that does not belong to them, if they burn a car, if they torch a mosque, if they go into someone’s home and vandalize it, paint graffiti on the walls, that’s a criminal act. But it extends beyond a criminal act. It’s an act of terror,” Huckabee said during his visit to the village of Turmus Ayya, which has reported frequent attacks

Nations humanitarian ofﬁce. Huckabee also used the term “terrorists” last month after weeks of unrest in the West Bank town of Qusra, where settlers surrounded several homes including one owned by a Palestinian American. Days later, residents of the West Bank village of Bazariya said settlers burned a mosque and left a message on a wall in grafﬁti reading “Huckabee regards from the terrorists” in Hebrew. “I’m glad they admitted it,” the ambassador said Saturday of the incident, adding: “I don’t think that’s what they intended to do, but I do think that they represent a very tiny minority.” A week ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the actions of a “handful of rioters,” and the foreign ministry called the settlers’ actions “a disgrace.” Netanyahu’s government is the most ultranationalist and religious in Israel’s history. It has presided over

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MAJDI MOHAMMED

Palestinians check the damage to a mosque on Tuesday that, according to residents, was burned during an attack by Israeli settlers, in the West Bank village of Bazariya, as on its wall a Hebrew graffiti reads ‘Huckabee regards from the terrorists,’ referring to the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee. a surge of settlement construction in the West Bank. Most of the international community views settlements as illegal. On Saturday’s visit to Turmus Ayya, the ambassador began his remarks by making clear he was addressing U.S. citizens, who make up a small percentage of the

roughly 3 million Palestinians in the West Bank but a significant part of the village’s population. “I’m very aware that a lot of the American people who live in Turmus Ayya and other communities across this region are not enjoying the life they deserve to live, not enjoying it in a peaceful

Thousands rally in Croatia demanding toxic waste cleanup BY DARKO BANDIC Associated Press

ZAGREB, Croatia — Tens of thousands of people rallied on Saturday in Croatia, furious that authorities for months haven’t cleared a huge amount of illegally dumped hazardous waste that has triggered fears of major environmental damage in the European Union country. The illegal waste scandal in the central town of Gospic has fueled criticism of conservative Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and his government, which has faced mounting public anger in recent weeks. The issue first surfaced last February when Croatian police and Europol, the EU’s law enforcement agency, arrested 13 people suspected of illegally importing and disposing of hazardous waste. Europol said at the time that the suspects made at least 4 million euros ($4.2 million) in

illegal proﬁt. More than a year later, Gospic residents fear that about 37,000 metric tons (40,000 U.S. tons) of waste that is still at an abandoned industrial site — mostly buried underground — was endangering their health. It includes remains of electronic equipment, plastics, construction materials and medical waste. An expert report published last month by Croatian anticorruption agency USKOK says that the soil at the site contained elevated metal concentration and that PFAS compounds, known as the “forever chemicals,” have also been detected in groundwater. Saturday’s protest requested that authorities present a clear plan to urgently and completely remediate the polluted sites according to clearly defined deadlines. Protesters are also demanding an immediate ban on waste imports.

go unnoticed, and specific crimes and acts of terror that cannot continue without that country doing the investigation and adjudication that every person has a right to expect.” Huckabee met with about 10 Palestinian American residents who described the impact of the violence on their lives and properties, the municipality told The Associated Press. Israel captured the West Bank, along with Gaza and east Jerusalem, in the 1967 Mideast war, territories the Palestinians want for a future state. The U.N. and much of the international community consider them to be illegally occupied. Since then, the Israeli government has built nearly 150 settlements that are home to well over 500,000 Jewish settlers. Many settlements resemble developed suburbs. Israel’s military operates in all parts of the West Bank, but rights groups have said the military frequently turns a blind eye to settler violence. The settlers are Israeli citizens, and Israel’s defense minister recently announced plans to fully transfer law enforcement among settlers to the Israeli police.

way,” Huckabee said. “It’s a life that is disturbed by people who have created extraordinary challenges that are unfair and illegal.” The U.S. Embassy can’t investigate criminal activity, he said, but it can tell its host government “there are needs that need to be addressed, there are issues that cannot

Cubans, Afghans deported from U.S. arrive in Guyana

BY BERT WILKINSON Associated Press

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By UNCREDITED

Thousands of people protest Saturday over the discovery of illegally imported and disposed waste, including hazardous and toxic materials, in downtown Zagreb, Croatia. Vjekoslav Busic, from the “Gospic Is Our Home” initiative behind the protest, said that residents had been reporting what they believed was suspected illegal activity since 2023. “The result to date: Not a single kilogram (pound) of hazardous waste has been removed from Gospic,” Busic said. Protester Ivan Rittinger said that authorities “are talking about this as if it were a tragedy, as if it just happened out of nowhere. Rittinger said that “someone made money out of it and someone was paid to look the other way.” “It was planned,” he said.

“This is not a tragedy. This is a crime.” USKOK said that it was investigating a Croatian company for allegedly burying illegal toxic waste at several sites across Croatia, with the largest amount found in Gospic. The government has said that the investigation is underway, as well as efforts to clear the area. Authorities also have said that multiple water and soil tests in Gospic came out negative for contamination. The site will be temporarily covered to protect it from rainwater, one company has been chosen to clear some of the waste while a long-term plan is drafted.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana — Guyana’s government said Saturday it has received the first of six deportees from the United States under the Trump administration’s third-country deportation program. Guyana’s Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud said the six nationals from Cuba and Afghanistan arrived in the South American country Friday after being vetted by his administration and found to have no criminal background. He added the group was kicked out of the U.S. primarily because of immigration issues. Persaud said his administration reached an agreement to host the deportees after months of negotiations. He also told The Associated Press that “the U.S. has not made any further requests.” The arrangement will run for a

year and does not constitute permanent resettlement, he said. Those relocated to Guyana under the Assisted Voluntary Return Program will await the outcome of their immigration status determination while in Guyana. They could ultimately return to their country of origin or be relocated somewhere else. The U.N. International Organization for Migration is responsible for implementing the program, authorities in Guyana said, adding that the government will not bear any housing or supporting costs. Guyana, a founding member of the 15-nation Caribbean Community, is the latest of several member states to have received small groups of U.S. deportees. Others include St. Kitts and Nevis, Belize and St. Lucia, which was due to accept its ﬁrst group this week, ofﬁcials said.

Nearly 2K fall ill in suspected food poisoning in Indonesia

The incidents, reported 752 students and 25 teachers Agam regency, West Suma- periencing dizziness, nausea poisoning. Regent Zadrak Officials say between Tuesday and Thurs- at State Senior High School tra, where food distribution and other symptoms follow- Tombeq ordered hospitals and health centers to prioriin East Java, Central 1 Lasem, suffered diar- from the local nutrition ser- ing a school meal. illness linked to day Java, West Sumatra, Aceh rhea, nausea, vomiting and vice center was suspended Another 152 students from tize treatment for the vicSouth Sulawesi, affected stomach pain after eating pending an investigation. two junior high schools in tims. free school meals and about 1,950 students, teach- meals provided through the In Aceh’s Bener Meriah re- Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi, No deaths have been reers and Islamic boarding program, according to Rem- gency, 15 elementary school were treated at three hospi- ported, and authorities are program

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3 soldiers killed in drone attack launched by suspected guerrillas in Colombia By The Associated Press BOGOTA, Colombia — An attack involving explosives dropped from drones followed by a clash inside a military compound in northeastern Colombia has killed at least three soldiers and wounded four, Colombia’s army said Saturday. Local authorities blamed the attack late Friday on the rebel National Liberation

Army (ELN). It targeted a military unit in the municipality of Ocaña, in the Norte de Santander department, which borders Venezuela. Two soldiers died at the site and a third after receiving medical attention, Colombia’s military said on X. President Abelardo de la Espriella condemned the attack. “For every police ofﬁcer or soldier murdered, we will bring the full weight and

legitimate force of the State down upon the criminals,” Espriella said. Much of ELN, an armed group active since 1964, is based in the Catatumbo region, which includes parts of the Norte de Santander and Cesar departments. ELN also harbors dissident factions of the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia that did not join the peace agreement a decade ago.

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JAKARTA, Indonesia — Nearly 2,000 people, most of them students, fell ill in suspected food poisoning outbreaks linked to President Prabowo Subianto ’s flagship Free Nutritious Meals program this week, raising fresh concerns about food safety as the government rapidly expands the multibilliondollar initiative nationwide, ofﬁcials said Saturday.

bang Health Office head Ali students and a school prin- tals after developing symp- investigating the causes of Syofi’i. cipal were treated after ex- toms consistent with food the outbreaks. In Sidoarjo, East Java, 730 people, most of them students at the Manbaul Hikam Islamic boarding school, were affected in another suspected food poisoning incident linked to the program. Sidoarjo health office chief Lakhsmie Herawati Yuwantina said 706 victims had been discharged and were recovering at home. U L E YO U R Authorities also reported ED With LeafFilter 276 suspected cases involving students and teachers in I

Associated Press

school pupils who became sick after consuming meals distributed under the government program, known by its Indonesian acronym MBG. The outbreaks are the latest setback for Prabowo’s signature free meals program, which has been rolled out across the archipelago despite repeated food poisoning incidents and corruption allegations. The largest outbreak was reported in Central Java’s Rembang regency, where

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12A ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Parton, Steinem deaths bring feminists double dose of grief Associated Press

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GEORGE WALKER IV

Sunny Holiday poses for a photo near a mural of Dolly Parton on Aug. 25 in Nashville, Tenn. Parton died on Aug. 25 at age 80.

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unlike Steinem, Parton didn’t endorse political candidates. Asked on CNN during the 2016 presidential campaign whether she preferred Republican Donald Trump or Democrat Hillary Clinton, she replied: “I think they’re both nuts.” Onstage at the 2017 Emmys, Parton demurred when fellow “9 to 5” co-stars Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda took a thinly veiled shot at Trump. Parton pivoted to humor. “They’re Lily and they’re Jane and I’m Dolly,” she said later. “So they did their thing, I did mine.” Feminism splintered under the pressure of public policy debates over such issues as abortion and the rejection of Clinton in the 2016 elections, the rise of Trump and the modern-day emergence of identity politics. Steinem’s version of feminism today is more aligned with Democrats at a time when, at least for now, the country has swung Republican. Steinem lived to see the Supreme Court overturn the 1973 ruling Roe v. Wade, eliminating the constitutional right to abortion, a pillar of the 1960s feminist movement she embodied. The Equal

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she viewed as political extremes even as she advocated for women and their opportunities. “I do not like extreme things,” she said. “I don’t believe in crucifying a whole group just because a few people have made mistakes. To me when you say just the word ‘feminist’ is like, ‘I hate all men.’” Parton was clear, though, that her lyrics were intended to shine light on women’s hardships and the realities of a world that the superstar agreed was dominated by men. She wrote about teenage pregnancy, abortion and adoption in “Down from Dover.” She supported equal pay (See: “9 to 5,” the movie and the song). One of her most famous songs is called, “Just Because I’m a Woman.” “People say to me, ‘Well, wasn’t it a man’s world back when you got in the business.’ I said, ‘It sure was, and honey, I had a ball,’” she said at a 2019 awards show. “I have never met a man that I didn’t like, and I’ve never met a man whose ass I couldn’t kick if he didn’t treat me with the right respect.” She just didn’t use words like “oppression” or “patriarchy.” And

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an online news outlet for Indian and South Asian Americans. Between Parton’s death on Aug. 25 and Steinem’s on Wednesday, Ms. Magazine reran Steinem’s essay with an editor’s note: “Steinem celebrated Parton not only as a gifted songwriter and magnetic performer, but as a shrewd businessperson who transformed femininity into a source of humor and power — and used her success to lift up working women, poor communities and the mountain people of her native Tennessee.” The embrace wasn’t mutual, at least not publicly. And that, Parton acknowledged, was by design. “I don’t do politics. I have too many fans on both sides of the fence,” she said in 2019 on “Dolly Parton’s America,” Radiolab’s podcast. “Of course,” she added, “I have my opinion about everything, but I learned years ago to keep your mouth shut about things.” The star was asked directly whether she thought of herself as a feminist. “No, I do not,” she said flatly, later explaining that she did not want to be associated with what

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One shaped and delivered the language of feminism. The other rejected the label but showed how feminism can be done: with a microphone dusted in rhinestones, and without apology. Gloria Steinem and Dolly Parton embodied two towering versions of the same idea: that women should know themselves well enough to make their own choices about matters intimate and societal. Their deaths eight days apart sent a double dose of grief around the world and across generations as many women (and some men!) asked who would take their places at the forefront of women’s rights. Steinem, overtly political, went undercover as a Playboy bunny to deliver an exposé, founded Ms. Magazine and spent the rest of her life urging women to support each other. Parton, on the other hand, defined herself as a larger-than-life daughter of the American South who told stories with music and included everybody — but refused to play politics or call Steinem herself a feminist. “Dolly taught us to dream big. Gloria taught us to speak up,” wrote DeMond B Nason, a New York City singer. “Both reminded us that a woman could walk into a world that told her who she was supposed to be — and simply decide to become something else.” Parton didn’t say so, but Steinem insisted more than three decades ago that the pair fit together under the same feminist flag. “If feminism means each of us finding your unique power, and helping other women do the same, Dolly Parton certainly has done both,” Steinem wrote in 1987, when Ms. Magazine named the singer one of its “Women of the Year.” Many shared the sense that Steinem and Parton belonged together. “Both believed in women: in our ability to decide who we are, make our own choices, take care of one another and shape the world around us,” wrote Swati Narayan in a column for American Kahani,

Rights Amendment remains unratified. And Americans have yet to elect a woman president. So if you’re an opponent of abortion rights or if you voted for Trump, can you still be a feminist in 2026? And would you want to be called that in public or on social media? To the end, Steinem insisted it wasn’t the label that mattered. What counted as feminist was whether a woman knew herself well enough to make her own choices rather than be defined as the daughter or wife of a man. But partisanship surfaced even in the ritual public mourning for the two women. Parton’s passing touched off an immediate expression of grief from sources ranging from Trump to her fans in the LGBTQ+ community. Trump ordered flags to be flown at half-staff as a show of “respect” for her. In contrast, there was no such rush to recognize Steinem beyond her liberal and centrist constituency, even from conservatives who had expressed respect for her accomplishments as an influential historical figure. Their silence two days after Steinem’s death contrasted with the outpouring of grief, thanks and respect for Steinem from leading figures on the left, particularly of her generation. Hillary Clinton, who also saluted Parton, said Steinem’s activism was built on optimism despite abundant roadblocks for women. “The lived experience became much more real and applicable to our entire society when Gloria began to point it out,” Clinton posted. For her part, Steinem said for years that she’s using her torch to light others. “If we each have a torch, there’s a lot more light,” she told the National Press Club in 2013. Social media offered evidence that supporters of both women would pass it on. Liz Webster, an American hair and makeup artist living in Germany, called Steinem and Parton “two very different women who shaped the way I saw what a woman could be.” “Feminism will never be just a word to me. The freedoms we have are incredibly new,” she wrote on Facebook. “So be the example. Use your freedom. Protect it. And make damn sure the women coming after us have even more.”

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La. makes changes to housing programs $20M grant among canceled projects

housing projects across Louisiana. Instead, some applicants were stunned to receive a one-paragraph letter that said the program had been canceled. BY SOPHIE KASAKOVE “There needs to be more transStaff writer parency from the Landry adminLouisiana developers were wait- istration around their priorities,” ing last month to learn whether said Andreanecia Morris of the they had been awarded a share of Greater New Orleans Housing $20 million in federal grants aimed Alliance, a coalition of affordable at boosting proposed affordable housing developers and advocates.

The state’s housing policy “has just too many contradictions to feel comfortable and assured.” The subsidy is one of multiple programs the state’s housing finance agency, tasked with providing affordable housing to low-income residents, has cut or delayed this year. Though the shifts have drawn some critics, state leaders, acting in line with federal strategy shifts, say they are reforming a

troubled ofﬁce and freeing up resources for other priorities. “The Louisiana Housing Corporation has been transformed into an organization focused on transparency, accountability, and delivering results for Louisiana families,” said Gov. Jeff Landry in a statement about the changes last week. “Today, LHC is focused on responsible investments that actually help Louisiana families —

including fortifying roofs to lower insurance costs and make housing more affordable.” The state hopes to redirect the $20 million that would have funded affordable housing projects to a popular state grant program offered to homeowners who fortify their roofs, said Gina Campo of the state Ofﬁce of Community

ä See HOUSING, page 2B

1 dead after police chase ends in crash

A ceramic plaque of a home created by Kai Drobish

Ceramic plaque of a Shop-Rite convenience store and gas station

Miniature mementos

Lafayette artist replicates sentimental places as ornaments BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer

For Kai Drobish, clay isn’t just clay. It starts as something from the earth; then she shapes it, fires it, and it eventually becomes a house, a church, a school or another place someone remembers. Drobish calls her work Architectural Memories, a business where — inspired by iconic Louisiana landmarks or other sentimental places — she handcrafts 5-by-7-inch ceramic plaques and 3-by3-inch ornaments that hang from a raffia tie. “I call them architectural memories,” she said. “But really they’re reminders.” A church might remind someone of a wedding. A house might be the place where someone grew up. A school could bring back memories of a child’s first day. A business might represent years of someone’s life. “It’s not that they’re memories, because obviously a picture of their church is not their memory,” she said. “But when they pass by their living room wall, they might think, ‘Oh, my wedding was so great,’ or, ‘Oh, I remember the night he proposed to me there,’ or, ‘Oh, I remember my child’s first day of school there.’” Over the years, Drobish has created items representing a lighthouse in Australia, a castle in Cuba, churches in Spain and Italy, hospitals in the United Kingdom, country houses in England and Scotland and a château in France. The request most of her customers have starts simple: Here’s a photo-

PROVIDED PHOTOS

Kai Drobish, founder of Architectural Memories, works in her Lafayette art studio. graph. Make this. The process begins with raw materials. For a custom home, Drobish starts with a thick slab of wet clay and builds the architectural elements by hand using thin slabs. The photographs tell her what the building looks like. Then the artist in her decides what matters by handpainting details into each piece. “There’s only so much detail you can get,” she said. “So I have to choose.” For Drobish, windows and doors are some of the most important details. “If there’s something that they had, a ﬂag, I try and put the ﬂag,” she said. “But you always have to make decisions.”

ä See ORNAMENTS, page 3B

A driver who evaded a traffic stop crashed into another vehicle early Saturday morning in the 1600 block of West Pinhook Road in Lafayette, killing one person and injuring three, police said. Larry Hamilton, 22 of Broussard, was booked into the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center on one count of negligent homicide and three counts of negligent injuring, the Lafayette Police Department said in a release. Lafayette officers were CRIME assisting State BLOTTER Police in response to a Advocate 2012 Ford staff F-150 fleeing reports a traffic stop about 2:30 a.m., according to the release. While evading law enforcement, the driver ran a red light at the intersection of La Rue France and West Pinhook Road and crashed into a 2018 Chevrolet Impala. A passenger in the Impala suffered severe injuries and died at the scene, police said. The driver and another passenger in the Impala suffered serious injuries and were hospitalized in critical condition, while a passenger in the F-150 suffered moderate injuries and was in stable condition. After medical evaluation, Hamilton was taken to the jail. He will face additional charges of driving while intoxicated, aggravated flight from an officer and other traffic counts from the Louisiana State Police. The crash remains under investigation by the Lafayette Police Department Traffic Unit.

Mother accused of sex crimes involving kids

Ornament of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Erath

A Eunice woman has been arrested, accused of sexually harming her two underage children, according to the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Ofﬁce. Scarlett Nicole Matt, 34, faces charges including two counts of child rape, two counts of sexual battery, contributing to the delinquency of juveniles, indecent behavior with juveniles and the failure to report the commission of

ä See BLOTTER, page 3B

Metal stud manufacturer opens $3M complex near Broussard has an air-conditioned break room — he said. Move allows company to along Business continues to grow for the Labit Road in the Shaffer IndusAtwi brothers, the sons of longtime trial Park in St. Martin Parish. expand employee base CEO and co-founder Mateo Atwi, 27, New Iberia pediatrician and Lebanon

BY ADAM DAIGLE

Acadiana business editor Five years ago, U.S. Frame Factory started out in a building that had sat empty for seven years at the Port of Iberia. It had issues. There were ants, spiders and toilets that did not always ﬂush. It had poor ventilation and was overall just a dusty place. Then, as the STAFF PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE company grew, operations got spread out over four buildings. Mateo Atwi, left, and Tiago Atwi, owners of U.S. Frame Now the company’s entire operaFactory, attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the company’s tions are housed in a new $3 million, new manufacturing facility on Friday in Broussard. 42,000-square-foot building — it even

and his brother, Tiago, 30, celebrated the move Friday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony to show how far the company has come but also how much opportunity now lies ahead. “It’s deﬁnitely a quality-of-life improvement,” Mateo Atwi said. “It means so much for our team to be here and our future. But at the same time, we know it’s (time to) keep our heads down and keep going. This is not where we stop — this is where we start.” The move also allows the company to expand its employee base after coming over with 50. Immediately it added another 15 employees and expect to add another 35-50 over the next year,

native Jibran Atwi. U.S. Frame Factory now makes over 1 million pounds of studs, prefabricated walls and trusses a month. “This is astronomical and just a blessing for St. Martin Parish,” said St. Martin Parish President Pete Delcambre. “This is what we need. This is the ground ﬂoor. This is the foundation of what we need here.” The site works for the Atwi brothers, who grew up nearby and went to school at Episcopal School of Acadiana. The land it was built on was in Louisiana Economic Development’s certiﬁed

ä See OPENING, page 3B

2B ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

THE GULF COAST

Boardwalk plans cause uproar in Navarre Beach Area residents want to preserve nature

BY MARTHA SANCHEZ Staff writer

The sandy shores of Florida’s Navarre Beach are known for sea turtles gliding through the surf, birds soaring in the breeze and empty dunes that sweep toward the gleaming waves. Soon, to the dismay of some locals, the vista may also include construction equipment. Plans to build a waterfront boardwalk with an event center, shops and food trucks are facing a growing revolt from some neighbors who say it will spoil the stunning natural beauty of Navarre Beach, which is among the last undeveloped spots on Florida’s Panhandle. To others, the development would be a welcome attraction that supports local businesses and provides a vital economic boost. But those arguments have done little so far to convince many residents who are racing to stop the project. “We have a piece of something that is still natural and wild and has not been touched by human hands,” said Erika Thomas, a local who is circulating a petition with more than 7,000 signatures against the development. “We don’t have a lot of those spaces anymore in this world. To me, that’s why this is important.” The tensions rippling through this beach commu-

PROVIDED RENDERING FROM SANTA ROSA COUNTy

An event hall and boardwalk project has been proposed in Navarre Beach, Fla., including small retail shops and a food truck plaza. nity 230 miles east of New Orleans are one example of a story unfolding across the entire Gulf Coast. From Mississippi to Florida, many towns beloved by visitors from Louisiana are becoming embroiled in sometimes fierce debates about how to balance growth with preservation. In Orange Beach, Alabama, a developer recently scrapped plans for a pirate-themed dinner theater after dozens of outraged locals argued it would turn their city into a ﬂashy tourist strip. In January, leaders along Florida’s Scenic Highway 30A abandoned an idea to build parking and sidewalks at a coastal dune lake after some locals worried it could harm the environment. In Navarre Beach, which

sits in one of the Gulf Coast’s fastest-growing regions, some residents are also lamenting the new construction of a brightly-colored beach souvenir shop. And locals troubled by the boardwalk proposal are packing public forums and filling social media pages with dozens of frustrated posts. “People are upset,” said Cathy Holmes, who founded a local sea turtle conservation center. “We don’t want something big where people are shopping and there’s more trash being left behind and there’s more traffic.” Others are scoffing at the grievances and say they would enjoy a place to dine and shop along the beach. “Folks still complain there’s nowhere to eat,” one resident wrote on a com-

munity social media page teeming with uproar. “So now there are plans to build a boardwalk which will have restaurants, bars, shopping and entertainment and Navarre doesn’t want it. Someone is going to build several things for us to do and eat and many of you are against it. Someone please make it make sense!!!!!!!”

Debate over growth Leaders are trying to ease the tensions with assurances that plans are not ﬁnal. The county will likely hold public meetings this fall to discuss options for the project, which could cost several million dollars. The debate has become one of the most contentious in years for Navarre Beach, a narrow barrier island be-

tween Destin and Pensacola. It is an unusual moment of strife for a community that calls itself “Florida’s most relaxing place.” But the region is changing. The population in Santa Rosa County has soared by almost 12% — or about 22,000 people — since 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Navarre Beach remains far less developed than other stretches of the Florida Panhandle, but new houses and developments are rising. The area also welcomes more than a million visitors a year — including thousands from New Orleans. Some locals and officials say the county must adapt to meet visitors’ demands and capitalize on growing economic opportunities of tourism. They argue the boardwalk could relieve parking issues near the beach and convince more visitors to spend money on local businesses and restaurants. County leaders also say fears of natural destruction are overblown and insist the project would not harm dunes or the animals that live there. “You just can’t even make all this stuff up,” said Brad Baker, the county administrator. “We had one lady come up and talk about how we’re ruining the bear habitat. I don’t know that many bears that live on a white sandy beach.” Colten Wright, who leads the board of county commissioners, said the project has potential. “I understand some of the concerns and frustrations,” he said. “A number of them

happen to be founded in fear and founded in bad information.” “There are so many people in Florida that don’t want visitors, that don’t want growth,” he added. “That’s part of it.”

Rising tensions Still, some locals are pleading that county leaders listen to their worries that construction could disrupt bird habitat and disorient turtle hatchlings who use moonlight to guide them toward the water. The debate is also reigniting an old tension along the Gulf Coast, where some beach residents have long complained that inland leaders use coastal towns to drive tax revenues. Political tensions remain high in Santa Rosa County after some leadership shakeups in a recent local election. But Gary Buroker, president of the Navarre Beach Leaseholders and Residents Association, said some locals’ stance is simple: “People that are here would like to see it stay like it is.” A decision about the project’s fate is likely several weeks away. But the furor is showing no signs of letting up. A crowd of residents wearing shorts and flipﬂops recently ﬁlled a community meeting demanding answers from the county’s tourism leaders. Over nearly an hour, voices in the crowd rose at times with anger. And several wore T-shirts printed with their message. “Save our beach,” they read. “Don’t put up a parking lot.”

Family grieves BR woman killed in stabbing: ‘She was a caring person’ BY OLIVIA TEES Staff writer

Faun Reese always put other people before herself, family members say. So they weren’t surprised when she went into social work, receiving her master’s degree from LSU in 1997. “She was a caring person,” said Reese’s younger sister Heidi Candler. Now her family is left grieving her death: Reese, 54, was allegedly killed by her boyfriend Garry Miles, 66, who police say fatally stabbed her in the neck and then attempted suicide by taking sleeping pills. Officers found the two side by side on the bed in their Ba-

HOUSING

Continued from page 1B Development.

Projects left without funding Other changes the housing office has made this year include canceling funding for homeowner counseling programs. And the office has not released an annual funding plan for 2026, including the award of millions of dollars in federal tax credits for affordable housing development. The changes, a window into the Landry administration’s approach to affordable housing, come amid federal funding and as the governor has urged the housing office to limit the costs of affordable housing projects. The office’s $20 million grant program, for example, was authorized by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to support housing creation in areas impacted by hurricanes Laura, Delta and Ida. The money was the final tranche of $475 million from the Piggyback Resilience Initiative MixedIncome (PRIME) program, which Louisiana has used to help build more than 4,100 apartments in recent years. But President Donald Trump’s administration has repeatedly taken aim at the federal grants that fund the PRIME program. Trump’s 2027 budget calls for ending them altogether. Campo, whose office works with the state’s housing office to administer those grants, said her office planned to ask HUD to sign off on spending the $20 million on Louisiana’s fortified roof program, which

ton Rouge apartment on Aug. 25. Candler wants people to know that Reese is more than just a victim — she was a sister, a helper and a person who went above and beyond for the people she cared about. She said Reese’s path into social work seemed a natural extension of her talents. Reese’s cousin, Anaya Chiles, who was like a sister to her, said Reese was always there for her when they were growing up. Reese lived with Chiles in South Carolina for a time during elementary school, during which they solidiﬁed their bond. “I’m an only child, and she was like the sister that I didn’t have. And she would talk. We would talk, and she would conﬁde in me, and

we would try to build each other up. So we were really close,” Chiles said. Reese drove all the way to Mississippi to help her older brother, Ronnie Reese Jr., when he had a simple medical procedure done earlier this year. “She would always give everything to help somebody. She had compassion and empathy for them to make sure and believe in them that they could pull through,” he said. However, because she was a private person, Reese didn’t tell family members much about her relationship with Miles, they said. “I’m just saying, just love on your people while you can. I guess, in a nutshell,” Reese Jr. said.

As her big brother, Reese Jr. said he was protective of his little sister and would have fought to keep her safe. “Anything that she asked me to do, I would do my best to try to take care of it. You know, just stuff that big brothers do,” he said. Reese Jr. said he was devastated when he got the call about his sister’s death. The ﬁrst word out of his mouth was “Jesus.” “Had it not been for my, you know, having God in my life, or you know, trying to follow Christ, you know, it probably would have been different. It was devastating,” he said. “It’s like with the Lord, it’s not our will but his will, and I’m willing to accept it. It hurt, and it’s still hurting.”

Candler said Reese was planning to move to an apartment complex in Denham Springs once she turned 55 on Oct. 30. It was going to be a fresh start. Funeral services for Reese will be held Sept. 12 in Mississippi. Candler and Reese Jr. both said they were raised by compassionate, caring parents who taught them how to forgive others. Candler said forgiveness is just as important as knowing when to set up boundaries. “You have to start putting boundaries up, and you can still have that compassion. But if it’s hurting you, you have to let go and ﬁnd those ones that can help you get that strength to make that break,” Candler said.

regularly receives thousands more applications than its current funding can support. In their letter to developers, state officials said that they ended the $20 million grant program “after due consideration of” a June statewide housing needs assessment. That report does not recommend expanding the fortified roof program but it does suggest expanding funding for affordable housing development. State officials appear to have decided to end the program within a week of its expected award date of Aug. 19. At an Aug. 12 board meeting, Brenda Evans, the Louisiana Housing Corp.’s chief operating officer, and Wendy Gentry, its board chair, said they expected the awards to be announced soon.

people to live in affordable developments. “Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent to get the projects shovel-ready.” Willman, a former Louisiana Housing Corp. director, added: “These projects will also have fortified and resilient features such as fortified roofs.” It is unclear how many developers applied for the $20 million and how many could have benefited. HUD designated $10 million for parishes impacted by hurricanes Laura and Delta and $10 million for parishes hit by Hurricane Ida. Jeff Schwartz, New Orleans’ deputy mayor for community and economic development, said he was aware of two projects in New Orleans that appeared to be a good fit: one in Central City, and one in the Lower 9th Ward. The state’s changes “add even more urgency and underscore the really tough challenges we’re faced with,” he said at an Aug. 27 meeting of an advisory panel that governs city housing funds. Morris said a successful fortified program would cover the full cost of a roof for those who need it. The state’s grants cover up to $10,000 but leave homeowners on the hook for the rest.

Last year, the office approved a plan for allocating federal tax credits aimed at limiting the cost of affordable housing after Landry and other state officials raised concerns about the price tags of some new projects. Those credits, which developers get from the government and then sell to investors willing to provide upfront cash for affordable housing projects, are the main source of funding for affordable housing in the state. The state hasn’t released this year’s version of the plan, but at an Aug. 12 board meeting of the housing office, Evans said the office was working on it. While there is no formal funding deadline, the state’s plan has often been published the year before the federal credits are released. The office also declined to apply this year for a federal housing counseling grant, which nonprofits and other agencies can use to offer aid to first-time homeowners or those facing foreclosure. In its most recent funding round, the Louisiana Housing Corporation received $584,000 through that program, assisting 10 providers. The Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center was one of them. Giazzlyn Duncan, a director there, said the funding let the center provide financial management counseling for up to 60 families facing foreclosure per year. They won’t be able to offer that counseling moving forward. “This service is needed because recently homeowners are dealing with increases in insurance,” she said. In a statement, a housing office spokesperson said that “LHC self-generates its funding. LHC’s expenses to operate the program exceeded the program income

generated. There are other viable no-cost alternatives for the citizens of Louisiana to receive the same services.”

Supporters, critics Some housing leaders back the state’s housing strategy. J. Daniels, director of the East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority, said he is in favor of the “approach to the administration of LHC — the rightsizing of the organization, the really strengthening of the ﬁnancial position.” The organization had a $3.4 million net operating loss in 2024, and tasked a consultant in 2025 with cutting $1.5 million from its budget. Others said that while they support the fortified program, the state’s move to fund it poses a major challenge for affordable developers who were hoping for a slice of the funds to offset steep insurance and borrowing costs. “There are developments in New Orleans ready to move forward but for funding gaps,” said Marjorianna Willman, director of the Housing Authority of New Orleans, which provides vouchers for

Shifting priorities The program cancellation is one of several recent shifts at the state housing ofﬁce. The office recently applied to take over $50 million in federal homeless services funds for the New Orleans area, which have long been managed locally, in a sweeping effort to overhaul the region’s long-standing homelessness strategy. The application is in limbo after a court halted the release of federal funding.

Audit reveals problems The corporation’s latest changes come less than three months after a state audit found that its programs failed to target the lowestincome families that most need assistance, and that the agency failed to track its progress or implement a statewide housing plan as required by state law. After job cuts, the agency’s staffing dropped by a third from 2024 to 2025, down to 109 employees. The state audit found “low morale and unclear communication within LHC.” The report noted other challenges at the agency, which has seen five directors since 2019. Landry last week also said that former Gov. John Bel Edwards’ administration “left LHC millions of dollars in the red, on an unsustainable path, with federal investigations into prior conduct. We have turned that around.” A spokesperson for Landry did not respond to a question about the subject of any investigations. A spokesperson for HUD did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In his response to the audit, Kevin Delahoussaye, the corporation’s executive director, said that the agency was facing “serious budgetary shortfalls” when he took over the helm and that “the current Executive Staff committed all focus towards financial survivability.” “The LHC is now positioned to refine process control, efficiency, and program administration,” Delahoussaye wrote.

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Obituaries

ORNAMENTS

Dailey, Scott Van Meter

Continued from page 1B

The clay dries before it goes into one of her kilns for its first firing. After that, she paints the piece and fires it again, creating the final color and glaze. Her Lafayette studio is filled with pieces at different stages of the process, from wet clay, unfinished buildings and molds to painted pieces and orders waiting to be shipped. “I am basically worker one and worker two,” Drobish said.

Inspiration starts at home Although she started Architectural Memories in the early 2000s, her connection to making things began long before that. Drobish grew up in Houma. Her mother, Camilla Drobish, made crafts and painted to earn extra money, selling her work at church fairs and small shops. As a child, Drobish and her siblings helped. “We were always kids who were C. Drobish crafting,” Drobish said. “My mom didn’t believe in idle hands.” Drobish remembers spending time with her mother, helping with the work and watching people buy things they had made. She thought it was fun; it never seemed like work to her. The combination of making things with her mother and seeing that they had sentimental and proﬁtable value stayed with her. In college, she originally studied ceramics at LSU and loved it. But sometime

PROVIDED PHOTOS

Kai Drobish creates 5-by-7-inch ceramic plaques of iconic Louisiana landmarks.

A ceramic plaque of The French Press in Lafayette around her junior year, she decided that although she loved it, she couldn’t make a living from it. So she switched her major to political science. Then she enrolled in law school. Her path back to art after graduating with a degree in political science came from her mother. After college, Drobish worked in marketing and

fundraising in New Orleans. Her mother continued making and selling art, and Drobish began helping her ﬁnd new ways to sell it. “We get so much fundraising business that she’s like, ‘You need to move to Bay St. Louis so you can help me make these. I can’t do this all,’” Drobish recalled. Drobish started selling her own work in Lafayette in 2004, when she participated in the Junior League’s Tinsel & Treasures show. That led to her ﬁrst wholesale account. Soon, her work was being sold in Lafayette, Baton Rouge, Alexandria, Lake Charles, Natchitoches and other places around Louisiana. These days, she has turned down wholesale accounts because she simply can’t do what she used to do. “I can’t,” she said. “I physically cannot do any more.” Today, much of Drobish’s work still centers on cus-

tom-ordered pieces through her Architectural Memories website. She also sells ready-to-purchase plaques featuring landmarks from different Louisiana parishes, along with ornaments depicting historic and familiar landmarks from around the area. “It’s so cool that I can take mud and make it into things that people like,” she said. “It’s really one of the most ancient things you can do.” In another life, she says she sees herself as an architect. “It was nothing until you touched it and made it into something,” she said. Drobish shares her work on Instagram @architecturalmemories and on her Architectural Memories Facebook page. For anyone looking to purchase, visit architecturalmemories.com. Email Ja’kori Madison at jakori.madison@ theadvocate.com.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at 12:00 PM in Our Savior's Church Lafayette Campus (park and enter on the East entrance side), for Scott Van Meter Dailey, age 45, who passed away on Friday, September 4, 2026 at Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center in Lafayette. Interment will be held on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 2:00 PM at his family's farm cemetery, Boeuff Prairie Farm, 82618301 LA 562, Extension, Louisiana. Reverend Joseph Aranza will officiate the services. Left to cherish his memory is his beloved wife, Channing Boudreaux Dailey; his children, Grayson Dailey, Parker Gidman, Foster Dailey, and Lena Dailey; his parents, Shonnie Van Meter and Bob Dailey; his brother, Chase Grounds and sister, Taylor Grounds. Martin & Castille SOUTHSIDE, 600 E. Farrel Road, Lafayette, Louisiana 70508, 337-984-2811.

Mulloy, Katherine Fant

nephews Arlie and Fitz Fant. Kathy was born and raised in New Orleans, La., where she graduated from St. Martin's Episcopal School and the University of New Orleans. She then obtained a Masters of Library Science from Louisiana State University. After moving to Gulfport, Ms., she went to work for the Gulfport Public Library. In Gulfport, she met her future husband Ed, who had recently retired from active duty in the Air Force. The couple married and then embarked on a threemonth motorcycle trip to Montreal, Quebec, returning afterwards to settle in Lafayette, La. Kathy then worked at the Lafayette Public Library as the Head of Children's Services where her specialty was children's picture books. She retired in 2019 as the Head of Program for the Library System. Along with a group of close friends, Kathy became an avid mahjong player and enjoyed competing in tournaments. She loved crafts, celebrating holidays, and especially reading to herself, family and friends. A memorial service will be held Saturday, September 12, 2026 at 1:00 pm in Evangeline Memorial Gardens Chapel, 4117 N. University Avenue, Carencro, (337) 896-3232, with visitation beginning at 11:00 am. The Katherine Fant Mulloy Memorial endowment has been established through the Lafayette Public Library Foundation. In lieu of flowers, donations to this endowment at https://lplfou ndation.org/start-an-endowment/ are preferred. Melancon Funeral Home, Evangeline Memorial Gardens Chapel, 4117 N. University Ave., Carencro, (337) 896-3232, is in charge of arrangements.

Katherine Ruth Fant Mulloy, age 73, passed away August 11, 2026. Kathy was preceded in death by her mother and father, Daisy Lucile Barbre and Norris LaDew Fant; by her brother, Stephen Norris Fant; and by her husband of 40 years, Edward Bernard Mulloy, Jr. She is survived by her brother Donald Fitzgibbon Fant (Andrée), her sister-in-law Lynda Lafaye Fant, her nephews Stephen Marshall Fant (Sarah) and Preston Lafaye Fant, her niece Elise Lavie Fant, and grand-

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

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STAFF PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE

Employees and attendees walk through the production area before a ribbon-cutting ceremony at U.S. Frame Factory’s new manufacturing facility on Friday in Broussard.

OPENING

Continued from page 1B sites program, said Jenny Stelly, director of the St. Martin Economic Development Authority. “We’re from this area, and it’s good to be back here,” Mateo Atwi said. “We are passionate that this busi-

ness can bring high-quality, blue-collar jobs to this area. People who would have normally gone into the oil ﬁeld can have a job where they can go home every day.” The business continues to double its revenue each year and grow its client base of customers outside the region and the state, he said. Workers just completed a job for a 160,000-square-

foot dormitory at Syracuse University and ﬁlled other orders for projects in Hawaii, Arkansas and North Carolina. Its products are being used in student housing, hotels, multifamily developments, data centers and industrial facilities. Its growth is fueled in part by a workforce that’s easy to train, he said. It might

take time to find the right employee, but within weeks they are able to understand the operation system. “We’re so thankful for Acadiana because the talent is here,” Mateo Atwi said. “We haven’t had to bring in people nationally to do what we do.” Email Adam Daigle at adaigle@theadvocate.com.

BLOTTER

subsequent to Matt’s initial The Sheriff’s Office did information on this case or arrest, Guidroz said, due to confirm the children in the any other is asked to conher failure to report alleged case are younger than 12. tact the Sheriff’s Office at Continued from page 1B sexual acts involving two of Anyone with additional (337) 948-6516. her children. Because the investigacertain felonies. “Cases that reveal alleged tion involves juveniles, few interactions of this type, facts can be released pubespecially among family licly at this time, Sheriff’s members, can be the most Office spokesperson Mark challenging and complex LeBlanc said. investigations,” Sheriff Bobby Guidroz said in a news release Friday. LOTTERY “The initial and continuFRIDAY, SEPT. 4, 2026 ing work by the detectives PICK 3: 8-1-1 of our Juvenile Division on PICK 4: 9-2-3-4 this and all other cases has been exemplary, despite Join us in a conversation about eating, PICK 5: 1-4-2-1-3 the obvious difficulties. We MEGA MILLIONS: drinking and cooking in Acadiana. hope and pray for justice 6-26-34-59-61 and healing of all those afMEGA BALL: 24 fected.” The indecency and delinUnofficial notification, quency charges were added keep your tickets. following an investigation

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On Labor Day, we look forward to football, festivals and fall temps Editor’s note: This newspaper has published this editorial, with variations, on previous holidays. For those of us who live in south Louisiana, the arrival of another Labor Day tomorrow prompts a good bit of self-congratulation. We know, with relief and no small amount of pride, that we’ve survived another summer in a place where the mercury rises each May and stubbornly stays there, like a cat stuck in a tree. Summer doesn’t officially end until later this month — and both the hot weather and the risk of dangerous tropical weather linger for weeks after that — but Labor Day is the notch we informally place in the calendar to tell us a season has turned. It’s early autumn now, no matter what the purists might say. If our fellow Americans up north can claim some measure of their ancestors’ pioneer spirit by making it through frozen winters each year, then Labor Day is our time to brag. We’ve stared down one more summer yet somehow prevailed. And autumn in Louisiana means a lot of things — most notably the return of football. You’ll find us gathering at weekend tailgates, rooting for our favorite teams and participating in timehonored traditions that are the hallmarks of fandom. It’s also the start of our fall festival season, in which we celebrate the bounties of the land and waters of the state we love — from crawfish to pecans to cochon de lait. Labor Day is a way station between the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving, and it was put on the calendar precisely for that reason. In 1882, Peter J. McGuire, the founder and general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, suggested setting aside one day to honor America’s laborers. He saw room in the calendar between July and November, and thought the holiday would, in his words, “fill a gap in the chronology of legal holidays.” McGuire was a native of New York, but his gift for sensing an unmet need for celebration seems like a Louisiana way of looking at the world, doesn’t it? He would probably have felt at home here. New Yorkers observed the first Labor Day in 1882, and it became a federal holiday in 1894 after President Grover Cleveland signed it into law. Getting an extra day off was a big deal for workers back then, as a young labor movement struggled to achieve what many Americans broadly enjoy today: a 40-hour workweek and formalized vacation policies. Today, who is included under the mantle of the working class is the subject of much debate. But Americans have always valued hard work and enjoying the fruits of our own labor. The best gift of Labor Day, for those fortunate enough to have it off, is the day itself — a few spare hours to spend as we like before autumn begins in earnest.

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Should we care about the Yat accent fading? That’s because the Yat, like all acYats are going the way of the dodo, it seems. cents, is a snapshot of not just a place, Once a clear local marker, the disbut also a time. It arose in certain New tinctive accent that for so long defined Orleans neighborhoods, and then, as those folks moved out to the burbs, White, working-class New Orleans is the accent went with them. It never disappearing. That’s the conclusion of stopped evolving and changing an academic study and a subas it interacted with new people, sequent recent story by this places and developments, acnewspaper’s Jenna Ross. The bigger questions are cording to Katie Carmichael, what that means and whether the author of the study on which we should care. Ross based her story. For some, it’s the irrevoNowadays, in addition to ChalFaimon mette, one might find Yat spoken cable loss of something esRoberts in Metairie, or Kenner (bruh), or sentially New Orleans. The — gasp! — on the northshore. accent is closer to one from “Accents are always changNew York, “Brooklynese on quaaludes,” as one wag described it. ing, and change is the norm,” CarmiIts particular idioms: “Where y’at,” chael told me. And it’s not just here. “ya mamma n’em” and “Who dat,” are Increased mobility, the popularity such a part of local color that they are of mass and social media and more synonymous with the city. people attending higher education But it’s telling that Ross didn’t go to have flattened out many local dialects, one of New Orleans’ historic neighbor- including in New Orleans and across Louisiana, she said. hoods to find those who still speak it. And while New Orleans’ many acShe went to Chalmette. Specifically, to Rocky and Carlo’s diner, where Yatcents, including Yat, are perhaps the flavored banter and brown gravy still best known, Louisiana’s singular setreign supreme. tlement and immigration history have

contributed to a unique patchwork of dialects across the state, such as the Cajun of Acadiana or the drawl of the state’s northern reaches. Combined with the state’s high rate of nativism — the proportion of residents who were born here, especially before Katrina — the state was a strong incubator of regional ways of speaking. All of those accents are evolving, too. They won’t sound the same in 25 years as they did 25 years ago. New local quirks are appearing all the time, Carmichael said. “It’s not the case that there is ‘no local accent’ anymore — it just sounds different,” she said. So the disappearance of Yat may be sad, but it shouldn’t be unexpected. The accent, like all accents, is a product of evolution, not just a victim of it. Maybe one day we’ll hold a second line for its passing. But for now, all we can do is smile and say “Bye, bébé, and pass the red gravy.” Email Faimon A. Roberts III at froberts@theadvocate.com.

Seeing the hidden history all around us One of my favorite things is learning easy to miss when you’re traveling around the state, but I like to stop and the hidden history sprinkled in towns read them. They hold nuggets and cities across Louisiana. It of information that may give sometimes seems that like Foryou a new appreciation for the rest Gump, our state has an odd history of a place or at least connection to almost anything provide an interesting converhappening in the news. The recent death of Dolly Parsation starter at a dinner party. In Louisiana, we have a ton was a case in point. About Arnessa decent appreciation for our a week before, I was at dinner Garrett unique history. And to be honwith friends in Lake Charles and someone at the table said, est, sometimes it can hinder “Did you know Dolly Parton recorded our embrace of new things. But the her ﬁrst record a few miles from many groups dedicated to preserving here?” our landmarks deserve our thanks. It was true. Goldband Records on They work tirelessly to gather inforChurch Street in Lake Charles remation and make sure that we are honcorded Parton’s “Puppy Love” in 1959 oring the past. Often we don’t realize when she was only 13 years old. The something is special until it is gone. If building doesn’t exist anymore, but the the stories are not passed down from Calcasieu Historical Society put up a generation to generation, they disapmarker where it once stood. pear. These historical markers are often What are some of the people and

places that belong to the hidden history in your city or town? We’d love to learn more about it. Drop us a line at letters@theadvocate.com. Turning to our letters inbox, we received 50 letters from Aug. 27-Sept. 3. The hottest topics will come as no surprise. The big announcement by SpaceX of a $100 billion project in Vermilion Parish prompted ﬁve letters as did the controversy surrounding LSU athletics and player eligibility. Other than that, the Ten Commandments posters drew commentary from three writers. We know that as football and election season get into full swing, we’ll hear from more readers. We are as eager as you to see how it all unfolds. Want to see your opinion published in The Advocate | Times-Picayune? Submit a letter to the editor.

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ARNESSA GARRETT STEPHANIE GRACE WILL SUTTON QUIN HILLYER FAIMON ROBERTS

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COMMENTARY La. Democrats are wrong to oppose term limit amendment The Louisiana Democratic Par- has served two terms. As the proposed amendment ty last weekend took a position both politically shortsighted and presumably would disqualify him from running again, philosophically defective. Democratic Party leaders Louisiana voters should wanting to grab the govreject the Democrats’ advice. ernor’s ofﬁce naturally At issue is a state conthink it will hurt their chances. stitutional amendment The best way to conon the Nov. 3 ballot. The Quin amendment would forbid sider this, though, is Hillyer anyone from serving more long-term, not short. On than two terms, total, as a strictly practical level, governor. Current law restricts that which could beneﬁt Demogovernors to two consecutive crats in 2028 — defeating the terms, but then allows them to amendment, and thus letting the run again after sitting out four current system stand so Edwards years. This amendment, for good can run again — could easily booreason, would eliminate the latmerang in future years. For comparison, examples are ter option. legion in Congress (especially State Democratic Chairman regarding judicial nominations) Randal Gaines said the Demoof one party breaking an old cratic State Central Committee opposes the amendment because custom or precedent for shortterm political advantage, only to “it limits the democratic rights see the other party use the new and choices of voters.” Many precedent for massive advantage observers think their opposition when it retakes power. stems from a more short-term, If Louisiana remains a strongly purely political consideration: Republican-leaning state, the The party has been so moribund odds are greater that a two-term lately that handicappers think Republican could build a power just about the only Democrat with a chance to win the 2028 gu- base and get elected in future years to a nonconsecutive third bernatorial race is former Gov. term than they are that even EdJohn Bel Edwards, who already

wards could win in 2028, much less that another Democrat could pull the three-term later on. And with a strange subset of national Republicans led by Vice President JD Vance now citing infamous former Louisiana Gov. Huey Long as a positive role model, Democrats really should worry about a Louisiana Republican governor using the thirdterm option to amass a scary, Long-like power base. Even those hardball political calculations, though, should matter less than the principles involved and what they mean for Louisiana’s people. The entire design of American government, one rightly copied by all 50 states, is intended to disperse power, not centralize or concentrate it. The U.S. Constitution’s vaunted separation of some powers and blending of others is constructed, as founder James Madison wrote, so that “ambition must be made to counteract ambition.” And, he wrote, “In republican government, the legislative authority necessarily predominates.” Yet over time, both nationally and in state after state, executive power has grown to a disturbing

extent. No matter who writes the laws, the reality is that when one person controls the entire apparatus of how laws are implemented and enforced, the potential is greater for larger abuses by the one executive. States differ, of course, in how much power, by law and custom, is concentrated in each state’s governor. Yet even in a notably “weak governor system” such as Alabama’s, in which the Legislature can override a governor’s veto by the same simple majority that passes a bill in the ﬁrst place, legislators often cower before a governor’s dominion. Louisiana’s system, by contrast, is considered not just to feature a “strong governor” system, but perhaps the nation’s strongest, due to our executive’s powerful role in crafting the budget, the massive authority over so many appointive positions and the particularly impregnable line-item veto system. For all those reasons, it always has been wrongheaded for Louisiana’s Constitution to allow a return to power of governors who already served two terms. The potential for ﬁefdom-building and corruption is immense.

This is especially true when legislators are themselves termlimited, as they are here. If state representatives, with their power already diffused 105 ways, must leave ofﬁce after three terms, it is especially foolhardy to allow governors to keep coming back for as many two-term stints as they can secure. From 1980-1984, Louisiana saw how the threat of a return to ofﬁce of a former two-term governor can hobble a current administration. When the earnest, honest Republican Gov. Dave Treen tried to institute reforms, the specter of the wily former Gov. Edwin Edwards running a “shadow administration” blocked Treen repeatedly. It is dangerous to democracy for one person to be able to exercise such domination. Again, witness Long, who essentially built his own private army to beat down his opponents. Proposed Amendment 4 on the November ballot wisely would make such abusive situations less likely. Louisiana Democrats are wrong to oppose it. Email Quin Hillyer at quin. hillyer@theadvocate.com.

One voice that La. Republicans often ignore More than 30 years ago, when I covered Keystone Cops feel to it. my first big campaign as a reporter for this After the recently adopted party primanewspaper, I made a rookie mistake. ries were abruptly canceled and the disOne of the gubernatorial candidates I tricts hurriedly redrawn following the U.S. was assigned to follow had been enSupreme Court’s decision in the Callais case, voters in two congresdorsed by the Louisiana Republican Party. I assumed that would be a big sional districts are now about to deal. elect new representatives the oldOn paper, Quentin Dastugue was fashioned way, via open primaries. a promising candidate — a smart, Both districts — the 5th vacated by witty state lawmaker with a sucU.S. Senate candidate Stephanie Republican Julia Letlow and the 6th by Democessful business and fiscally conGrace servative policy chops. Yet he had crat Cleo Fields — were specifically trouble raising money and never drawn to favor Republicans. made it to the starting line. The candidate You’d think that would mean they’ve got who did capture the imagination of Repub- nothing left to fight about. Think again. Both elections drew mullicans that year was a populist Democratic state senator named Mike Foster, who ran tiple major Republican candidates. And in as a Christian conservative gun-owning both cases, instead of just being satisfied everyman (never mind that he was the that one of them will very likely go to Congrandson of a governor and lived on a plan- gress, party leaders are inexplicably picktation), switched parties and went on to be ing favorites, creating a pair of circular a popular — a relatively moderate — twofiring squads in the process. term governor. In the Baton Rouge-centered 6th District, Let’s just say it was a learning experithe party’s eight-member executive comence. mittee — with no input, notably, from the This fall, the state Republican Party is much larger state central committee — again trying to point voters in its chosen narrowly voted to support one of two longdirection. And again, I can’t help wondertime legislators, state Sen. Blake Miguez. The problem: The other one, state Sen. ing how many of those voters care. It doesn’t help that the endorsement pro- Rick Edmonds, is from Baton Rouge, while Miguez hails from Erath in U.S. Rep. Clay cess for the fall congressional races has a

Higgins’ district, although he did buy a house in the state capital. Also, Miguez has tangled in the past with Gov. Jeff Landry, who, according to coverage by reporter Tyler Bridges, was none too pleased and leaned on the party to reconsider. Days later, it issued a revised joint endorsement. In the 5th, the same small group acting behind closed doors created another mess when it bypassed three Republican sitting legislators entirely, instead voting 4-3 to anoint an appointed member of the state Board of Regents from Monroe, Misti Cordell, over state Rep. Michael Echols, R-Monroe, state Sen. Stewart Cathey, RMonroe, and state Rep. Gabe Firment, R-Pollock. An intriguing question is why. A more relevant one, though, is whether it matters. A party endorsement can bring national money, and the recipient gets to advertise being the favored candidate — or in the case of Miguez and Edmonds, one of the chosen two, anyway. One could argue, for example, that the party’s endorsement of Landry a year before the 2023 governor race, when he still faced a number of other Republicans, set him up for his outright primary win. On the other hand, there was considerable anybody-but-Landry sentiment at the start of the race, and perhaps a more moderate

candidate of similar stature — Billy Nungesser, Garret Graves, even Bill Cassidy — might have given him a run for it. There’s something comical about the party’s current infighting, because the stakes are actually pretty small. Unlike 1995, they don’t have to worry about picking the candidate best positioned to defeat a Democrat, either statewide or in these two open congressional districts. They already got what they wanted from the Supreme Court, which gave them the ability to draw five solidly Republican seats out of six without worrying about the pesky Voting Rights Act of 1965. Thanks to Landry and his legislative allies, they also got closed party primaries that favor more ideologically pure candidates, even if they’re on hold for this particular election. But it’s apparently still not enough. The handful of people who sit on the GOP’s executive committee don’t just want a Republican. They want their Republican. So much has changed since I got my start, but even in these days of total GOP domination, a smoke-filled room is — metaphorically speaking — still a smoke-filled room. And a lot of the time, voters prefer the fresh air. Email Stephanie Grace at sgrace@ theadvocate.com.

The Washington Post loses and labor wins Since her firing, Attiah’s words As Labor Day approached, I have been published by hundreds thought about Washington Post of digital and print publications, columnist Karen Attiah as the David in a battle with the Goliath streaming platforms and televiWashington Post. sion stations. The Post must like Attiah, 40, was fired by The that, eh? Post, 148. With the help of WashIn 2025, The Post didn’t ington-Baltimore News like some things Attiah Guild General Counsel wrote on the Bluesky soAmos Laor, Attiah arcial media platform the gued that her firing was a day offensive, conservawrongful termination. In addition, Attiah said she tive loudmouth Charlie Will writing as an opinion Kirk was murdered. Sutton was columnist, that The Post “Part of what keeps didn’t use progressive disAmerica so violent is the insistence that people perform cipline, and that her posts were care, empty goodness and absolu- protected speech under the First Amendment. tion for white men who espouse Almost wherever we work, hatred and violence,” she wrote employees get fired. Firing is not on Sept. 10, 2025. easy in union shops. Unions have “Refusing to tear my clothes collective bargaining agreements and smear ashes on my face in with their employers. In a union performative mourning for a white man that espoused violence shop, that usually includes a speis. ... not the same as violence,” cific, written process that must be she posted later that day. followed — sentence by sentence, That’s what she said. There word by word — or there is no were other posts, but the newspa- firing. The progressive discipline is most effective when the identiper cited these two in her termination the next day. They said her fied employee better understands posts violated company policy, company concerns, makes changthat they were “unacceptable” es and continues working. comments and showed “poor In the work world, there are injudgment.” The paper feared dependent contractors, statutory threats. or nonemployees, exempt and

nonexempt employees, W-2 employees and other classifications. Basically, however, most of us work in at-will, just cause, rightto-work or union situations. Right-to-work states prohibit businesses and workplaces from requiring employees to pay dues to a union or to join a union as a condition of employment. Some confuse that with at-will employment. That’s different. Atwill employees can be fired for almost any legal reason at any time. Hired one day; fired another. And the employee can leave anytime without notice. Sometimes the risk is worth it because the employee gets higher compensation and maybe additional benefits. Just cause or contractual employees cannot be fired without clear, specific, documented reasons, including inappropriate conduct or not doing the job well. There are 26 states that have right-to-work laws, including Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas. Arizona, Nevada, Virginia and Wisconsin are also right-to-work states. Louisiana is in that group, too — but we have unions. According to National Conference of State Legislatures data, more than a dozen states

have workforces that include 10% or more union employees. Four states have fewer than 3%. Eleven states have 3%-5.9% union workers, including Louisiana. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 4.4% of all Louisiana workers were union employees last year. Most of those union workers are in the greater Baton Rouge and the greater New Orleans areas. In New Orleans, for example, though our news organization is not unionized, all television stations in the market have some employees who belong to unions except for WGNO. Anchors, producers and reporters belong to Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. Photographers belong to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. New Orleans Association of Black Journalists President Greg Lee is a veteran journalist teaching journalism at Loyola University New Orleans. He has worked at several news organizations, including two with unions, The Boston Globe and The Washington Post. Lee wasn’t surprised when Attiah was ﬁred. After all, he said, the same news organization had refused to publish an already-written endorsement of

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

Vice President Kamala Harris for president. He wasn’t surprised when Attiah won either because “The Washington Post had a really weak argument.” Many are off on Monday, but they don’t know why. Well, in the 1800s lots of people worked 10- to 12-hour days, often seven days a week. Child labor was the norm. New York City workers started a major labor movement. There were unofficial “labor day” activities. More than 100,000 marched demanding an eight-hour work day in 1872. About 10,000 people took off, without pay, to protest work conditions in 1882. Weekends became a thing. Normal work weeks became 35-40 hours. The first official Labor Day came in 1887. It became a federal holiday in 1894. None of that happened without organized labor. The Post must rehire Attiah as a columnist, with back pay. She told me her team is in talks about what that might look like. The Post should get her back in ASAP. If not, she’s going to walk away smiling with a lot more than back pay. Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.

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

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6B ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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TODAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Humid with a stray t-storm

Humid; an afternoon t-storm

Humid; a stray p.m. t-storm

Humid with a thunderstorm

Humid with a t-storm in spots

A few afternoon showers

HIGH

LOW

HIGH

91° 76°

LOW

HIGH

94° 75°

LOW

90° 74°

Beaumont 90/75 Port Arthur 89/74

Baton Rouge 92/75

Lake Charles 92/76

New Orleans 91/78 Houma 90/75

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

Hattiesburg 96/74

Alexandria 95/75

Lafayette 91/76

10s

20s

30s

40s

50s

LOW

HIGH

LOW

91° 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 10

City

Austin Boston Dallas Fairbanks Honolulu Las Vegas Louisville Miami Nashville

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

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

HIGH

4:06p 9:40a 3:54a 6:20a 5:55a 5:05a 7:03a

6:47 a.m. 7:25 p.m. 1:40 a.m. 4:29 p.m.

FIRST

SEP 18

94 68 99 64 87 77 86 91 94

TODAY Lo

74 59 79 49 77 70 64 79 67

FULL

LAST

SEP 26

t pc s c r sh pc t pc

OCT 3

98 79 100 62 87 92 88 91 92

MON. Lo

75 62 79 46 79 76 72 79 74

t s s c r s pc t pc

FT.

LOW

0.34” 0.73” 0.96” 44.52” 44.64”

READING 52 MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

FT.

HIGH

0.9 3:34a 0.0 2.0 10:28p 0.0 2.3 5:14p -0.2 2.2 9:39p 0.1 1.7 5:41p 0.0 2.1 3:57p -0.1 2.1 6:43p 0.0

FT.

---------------

LOW

---------------

FT.

---------------

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

Today 7:54a Monday 8:49a Tuesday 9:40a Wednesday 10:28a Thursday 11:14a Friday 12:00p Saturday 12:25a

City

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

91 93 80 104 78 82 90 85 92

1:39a 2:34a 3:26a 4:15a 5:02a 5:48a 6:36a

TODAY Lo

78 76 64 85 57 66 66 73 79

8:25p 9:18p 10:07p 10:53p 11:38p 12:23p 12:47p

t t pc pc s t pc c t

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GOOD

SOURCE: LOUISIANA DEQ AND AIRNOW.GOV

93 89 81 107 78 82 86 86 91

2:10p 3:04p 3:54p 4:40p 5:26p 6:11p 6:58p

MON. Lo

77 75 61 87 56 64 65 71 77

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

Ranked #1 in customer satisfaction by ACSI®.*

TODAY

MODERATE

PRECIPITATION

90°/76° 91°/73° 93°/75° 100° in 2000 56° in 1952

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

NEW

100% U.S. BASED CUSTOMER SERVICE.

YESTERDAY

Lafayette through 5 p.m. Saturday

Jackson 99/75 Many 94/73

HIGH

92° 75°

TEMPERATURE

Longview 99/75

-0s

LOW

Monroe 101/76

Shreveport 99/77

-10s

HIGH

90° 73°

The numerous showers and storms we had yesterday should not be repeated today. With less cloud cover and less rainfall, the temperatures will start inching up again. Expect a partly cloudy, hot and humid day with a light breeze and scattered showers and thunderstorms. Most of us are under a moderate heat risk as temperatures climb to the low to mid-90s and heat index values rise to 103 or higher. Also, the UV index is at the very high level, so be prepared.

t t s pc s pc s pc t

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

FLOOD STAGE

34 48 48 35 27 22 17

SAT. 24-HOUR STAGE CHANGE

-0.33 25.23 27.90 13.15 6.95 5.33 3.57

-0.71 -0.81 -1.36 -0.85 -0.66 -0.34 -0.94

12.87

-1.75

-1.55

none

18 29 8

-1.19 9.93 2.40

+0.02 -0.01 -0.01

13 15

1.67 0.73

+0.20 none

47 34 29 20 12 6

11.72 8.03 6.25 5.72 3.90 2.10

-0.72 -0.51 -0.50 -0.30 none -0.11

data as of 7 a.m. Saturday

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UNDER THE WEATHER: LSU-Clemson ended after this edition went to press. For complete coverage visit theadvocate.com OFFICIAL NEWS PARTNER OF THE LOUISIANA RAGIN’ CAJUNS

SPORTS

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

S u n d ay, S e p t e m b e r 6, 2026

RAGIN’ CAJUNS

1Cn

CARDINALS

EASY WORK RECORD: 1-0 UP NEXT: AT USC, 10 P.M. SATURDAy, BIG TEN NETWORK

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

UL running back Darrell Smith runs for a touchdown against Lamar during the Cajuns’ season-opening game on Saturday at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium. UL won 38-7.

Ragin’ Cajuns score 35 unanswered points to open game in rout of Lamar BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

Rain and lightning cast a pall prior to UL’s season opener against Lamar at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium on Saturday. But once the game kicked off, it couldn’t have been much brighter for the Ragin’ Cajuns. Coach Michael Desormeaux’s club jumped out to a four-touchdown lead by halftime and cruised to a 38-7 win over the Cardinals.

The idea was to provide plenty of help for quarterback Lunch Winfield, and that was achieved in the opener. Winfield finished the game 15-of-21 passing for 189 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. He also ran for 84 yards and two scores on eight carries. Redshirt freshman running back Darrell Smith ignited the rushing attack with 84 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries before leaving the game with an apparent leg injury. Tight end Caden Jensen was UL’s leading receiver

with five receptions for 77 yards before he limped off the field. KeDarius Wade added three receptions for 64 yards. Wide receiver Shelton Sampson did dress for the Cajuns and saw a few plays, but he was not targeted. Sampson missed almost all of preseason camp with an injury. The Cajuns outgained Lamar 474-205. The Cajuns scored touchdowns on three of their first

ä See CAJUNS, page 3C

Seahawks’ biggest repeat obstacle may be own division BY ROB MAADDI

AP pro football writer A steady Sam Darnold and a stellar defense helped the Seattle Seahawks win the Super Bowl last season. Can they repeat? They’re not even favored to win their own division. The Seahawks have a tough challenge trying to stay on top in the NFC West, let alone the entire NFL. They have to go through the stacked Los Angeles Rams, who just added Aaron Donald, and talented San Francisco 49ers. Seattle raises its championship banner and kicks off the NFL season against New England in a Super Bowl rematch on Wednesday. It’ll be just the second time the league opens the season on a Wednesday. The Rams and 49ers play the next day in the NFL’s ﬁrst regular-season game in Australia. That’ll be the ﬁrst of an unprecedented nine international games in 2026.

NFC West

pass rush. Rookie coach Mike LaFleur has a tough The Seahawks lost offensive coordina- task leading the Arizona Cardinals in a powtor Klint Kubiak to the Raiders and Super erful division. Rookie running back JeremiBowl MVP Kenneth Walker to Kansas City. yah Love should be fun to watch. They still have Darnold and NFL Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba lead- AFC West ing the offense and a sensational defense. Kansas City’s reign of nine straight diThe Rams are prohibitive favorites by odd- vision titles ended last season with a 6-11 smakers to win the Super Bowl after Donald finish. Patrick Mahomes is ready to return rejoined the team last weekend after a two- for Week 1 after ACL surgery. The Chiefs’ year retirement. With the eight-time All-Pro hopes of competing for another Super Bowl defensive tackle, two-time NFL Defensive depend on him playing at an MVP level. Denver finished with the AFC’s No. 1 seed Player of the Year Myles Garrett along with cornerback Trent McDuffie, Los Angeles but couldn’t beat the Patriots in the confercould have the best defense in the league. ence championship game without Bo Nix. The Rams already have a prolific offense led He’s back and the Broncos gave him a new by reigning MVP Matthew Stafford. playmaker, acquiring receiver Jaylen WadThe 49ers added star wide receiver Mike dle. The Broncos have one of the league’s Evans and brought back Deebo Samuel to best offensive lines and defenses. join Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and Justin Herbert is running a new offense George Kittle. They need Nick Bosa to reä See DIVISION, page 3C turn to form after an injury and improve the

AP PHOTO By GEORGE WALKER IV

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold warms up before a preseason game against the Tennessee Titans on Aug. 23 in Nashville, Tenn.

2C ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS On TV

AUTO RACING 8 a.m. Pirelli Gran Premio d’Italia APPLETV 11:30 a.m.Grand Prix of Monterey FS1 1 p.m. FIA World Endurance TRUTV 1:30 p.m. Grand Prix of Monterey FOX 2 p.m. NHRA: Qualifying FS1 4 p.m. Nascar: Cook Out Southern USA 7:30 p.m. ARCA: Audubon Park 100 FS1 BEACH VOLLEYBALL 10 a.m. AVP: League Championship CBSSN 1 p.m. AVP: League Championship CW COLLEGE FIELD HOCKEY 11:30 a.m.Princeton at North Carolina ACCN 1 p.m. Northwestern at Boston College ACCN COLLEGE FOOTBALL 11 a.m. Texas Southern at Prairie ViewESPN2 2 p.m. SC State at Florida A&M ESPN 3 p.m. Washington St. at Washington NBC 6:30 p.m. Louisville vs. Mississippi ABC 6:30 p.m. Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame NBC

MEN’S COLLEGE SOCCER 2:30 p.m. Michigan at Notre Dame ACCN WOMEN’S COLLEGE SOCCER 3 p.m. Stanford at Santa Clara ESPNU WOMEN’S COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL 11 a.m. Louisville vs.Texas ABC noon TCU at Purdue BTN 2 p.m. Washington St. at Oregon BTN 2 p.m. Indiana vs.Tennessee ESPN2 6 p.m. Kentucky vs. Penn St. FOX 8 p.m. Missouri vs. Nebraska FOX CYCLING 7:30 a.m. Vuelta a España NBCSN WOMEN’S FIBA BASKETBALL 10:30 a.m.Puerto Rico vs. Belgium TRUTV 1:30 p.m. Italy vs. U.S. TNT GOLF 7:30 a.m. Walker Cup GOLF HORSE RACING 11 a.m. Saratoga Live FS2 12:30 p.m.Saratoga Live FS1

IN BRIEF

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

2 p.m. 4 p.m.

Saratoga Live FS2 Saratoga Live FS1 MLB noon Atlanta at Philadelphia NBC 5 p.m. Minnesota at White Sox NBCSN 9 p.m. Washington at L.A. Dodgers MLBN MEN’S SOCCER 8 a.m. Man United at Everton USA 10:30 a.m.Chelsea at Arsenal USA 9 p.m. Santos Laguna at Cruz Azul CBSSN WOMEN’S SOCCER 7:45 a.m. France vs. South Korea FS2 8 a.m. Liverpool at Charlton Athletic CBSSN 1 p.m. Gotham at Denver CBS 3 p.m. Washington at Portland CBS 3 p.m. North Carolina at Chicago CBSSN 8 p.m. San Diego at Seattle ESPN2 TENNIS 10 a.m. U.S. Open ESPN 2 p.m. U.S. Open ABC 6 p.m. U.S. Open ESPN

Rays place LHP Cleavinger on 15-day injured list

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Tampa Bay Rays placed left-handed reliever Garrett Cleavinger on the 15-day injured list before Saturday night’s game against the Texas Rangers with forearm tightness and called up right-hander Ty Johnson from Triple-A Durham. Cleavinger is 4-4 with a 4.79 ERA in 51 appearances. He pitched in the Rays’ 7-6 win over Texas on Friday night, allowing two hits — including a grand slam by Elías Díaz — and one walk without retiring a batter. Johnson, who was born about 45 miles east of Globe Life Field in Rockwall, Texas, was 4-1 with a 3.03 ERA for Durham in 21 games, including 10 starts. He is looking to make his major league debut. To make room on Tampa Bay’s roster, inﬁelder Oliver Dunn was designated for assignment.

GAME OF THE DAY

No. 2 Oregon overcomes slow start BY ANNE M. PETERSON AP sportswriter

EUGENE, Ore. — Dante Moore threw for 378 yards and three touchdowns, and No. 2 Oregon overcame a slow start to down resilient Boise State 34-27 in the season opener for both teams on Saturday. After trading ﬁeld goals to tie the game at 27 in the fourth quarter, Dakorien Moore scored on a 62-yard reception to give the Ducks the lead for good with 7:51 left to play. Oregon has won 16 straight season openers at Autzen Stadium. The Ducks have 39 straight wins at home against nonconference opponents, the longest streak in the nation. “I think, you know, we’ve learned a lot this offseason. There’s been times at our practice where the offense has started super slow, and coach (Dan) Lanning said, ‘Hey, it’s adversity. What you gonna do?’ So it all just comes back to how we respond,” Dante Moore said. He opted to stay at Oregon after throwing for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns last season when the Ducks went 13-2. Oregon was hurt by 10 penalties for 90 yards, but had 497 total yards on offense compared to Boise State’s 274. “We won the game with total yards and some situations, but we didn’t really win the critical situations,” Lanning said. “They won some of those critical situations. They played better in special teams than us today. They did better on fourth down. We kind of gave them an opportunity, a chance to hang around.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By LyDIA ELy

Oregon wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan, right, dives for a touchdown while defended by Boise State defensive back JeRico Washington, left, during a game against Boise State on Saturday in Eugene, Ore. Boise State returned quarterback Maddux Madsen, who threw for 181 yards and three scores in the opener after ﬁnishing last season with 2,334 yards passing and 18 touchdowns. The Broncos, who join the rebuilt Pac-12 this year, went 9-5 last season in the Mountain West and fell to Washington 38-10 in the LA Bowl. Boise State, which went into the game as 24½ point underdogs, scored on the first series of the game, with Madsen hitting Cam Bates with a 13-yard scoring pass to cap an 11-play, 75-yard drive. The Ducks tied it on Jordon Davison’s 1-yard dive early in the second quarter.

After Evan Stewart muffed a punt and the Broncos recovered, Sire Gaines scored on a 37-yard reception to give Boise State the lead again. Canaan Moore added a 29yard field goal to extend it with 2:48 left before halftime. With 19 seconds left, Dante Moore found Jamari Johnson with a 27yard pass to close the game to 17-14 at the break. The half was reminiscent of the last meeting between the teams in 2024. The Ducks fell behind 20-14 at halftime but pulled out a 37-34 win with a field goal as time expired. After Gage Hurych’s 26-yard field goal, Oregon went ahead on Jeremi-

ah McClellan’s 8-yard TD catch. But the Broncos tied it up again before the end of the third quarter on Madsen’s 7-yard scoring pass to Matt Wagner. Hurych and Canaan Moore traded ﬁeld goals in the fourth quarter before Dakorien Moore’s touchdown. “You put your all into something, you put all the chips on the table, and you come up short — it hurts,” said Broncos coach Spencer Danielson. “You put your toe in and you’ve got your eyes other places, you can walk away easier because you can make excuses. We’re not going to make any excuses. We’ve got to ﬁnd a way to be better.”

FIFA’s Infantino declines questions about his future

KATOWICE, Poland — FIFA President Gianni Infantino declined to answer questions about his future as he arrived at the opening of the Under-20 Women’s World Cup while under continuing pressure since abandoning his plan to sell off World Cup proﬁts. Infantino was in the stands speaking with Polish soccer federation president Cezary Kulesza as host nation Poland faced Argentina on the opening day of the tournament Saturday. Infantino did not answer when asked if he had considered resigning and whether he still intends to stand for a fourth term next year. Legal action over the original attempt rumbles on and Europe has a leading role in efforts to oust Infantino ahead of next year’s FIFA election.

F1’s Gasly claims first pole position in qualifying

MONZA, Italy — Alpine’s Pierre Gasly claimed his first-ever pole position in qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix on Saturday. The F1 driver seemed as surprised as everyone when he was informed on the team radio that he was fastest immediately after the session. “Let’s go! Been waiting for that one!” exclaimed Gasly, who took his only Formula 1 win at Monza in 2020. Gasly looked strong throughout the session and finished 0.060 seconds ahead of Mercedes driver George Russell. Russell was among drivers to express surprise at Gasly topping the timesheets. “To be totally honest I don’t think we thought they were in the fight and it goes to show what a great job he did,” Russell said.

TOP 25 ROUNDUP

Russell shows off dual-threat ability for Alabama BY HENRY SKLAR Associated Press

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Keelon Russell accounted for 335 yards and a touchdown, and No. 13 Alabama opened the season with a 48-10 victory over East Carolina on Saturday. Russell, a sophomore making his first career start after beating out Austin Mack during training camp, ran for 86 yards and a score. He also threw for 249 yards, including 130 of those to Ryan Coleman-Williams. Coleman-Williams dropped two passes in the second quarter, but Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer says his big bounce back is indicative of the trust they have in the newly named team captain. Russell also showed why Alabama entrusted him with the offense. His ability to escape pressure and create plays with his legs was apparent from the opening drive when he broke free from pressure for a 23-yard run. Russell directed five consecutive scoring drives to start the game, and Alabama (1-0) ﬁnished with 480 yards and 27 ﬁrst downs. The Crimson Tide, who ranked 15th in the Southeastern Conference in rushing last season, totaled 227 yards on the ground. Mitch Griffis completed 10 of 16 passes for 137 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. For Alabama’s defense, the 2 rushing yards are the fewest they have allowed against an FBS opponent since Mississippi State had (minus)-1 in 2021. NO. 6 INDIANA 52, NORTH TEXAS 16: In Bloomington, Ind., Josh Hoover threw for 231 yards and four touchdowns, including a 15-yard

score on his first pass with No. 6 Indiana, and Turbo Richard rushed for two more scores to help the defending national champs open the season with a rout of North Texas on Saturday. After celebrating last year’s title during a pregame ceremony, Indiana extended the Football Bowl Subdivision’s longest active winning streak to 17 games and the FBS’ longest active home winning streak to 16. Jahiem White rushed 14 times for 61 yards and one score as well as catching seven passes for 36 yards in his North Texas debut. NO. 1 OHIO ST. 56, BALL ST. 3: In Columbus, Ohio, Jeremiah Smith had two highlight reel-worthy touchdown catches, Julian Sayin passed for 320 yards and three touchdowns, and Ohio State tuned up for next week’s matchup against No. 5 Texas with a rout of Ball State. The Buckeyes (1-0) went threeand-out on their opening drive before finding the end zone on seven of their next nine possessions. Smith had eight receptions for 151 yards, all in the first half. He started Ohio State’s scoring with a 48-yard, one-handed, over-theshoulder grab in the end zone off a play-action pass by Sayin. NO. 23 HOUSTON 33, OREGON ST. 20: In Houston, Conner Weigman threw for 305 yards and a touchdown and rushed for another score, Re’Shaun Sanford II and Makhi Hughes added rushing scores and Houston beat Oregon State in the teams’ season opener. Weigman completed 20 of 30 passes and tossed a 31-yard scoring pass to Amare Thomas in the first quarter. Weigman also scored on a 1-yard rush with five minutes left in the fourth, increasing Hous-

ton’s lead to 33-20. Sanford had a 56-yard touchdown run with 61/ 2 minutes left in the second quarter to put the Cougars up 16-7. Hughes added a 1-yard score with 6:40 remaining in the third to increase the lead to 26-7. NO. 3 GEORGIA 63, TENNESSEE ST. 3: In Athens, Ga., Gunner Stockton passed for three touchdowns, Nate Frazier ran for three scores and No. 3 Georgia overwhelmed Tennessee State on Saturday. Georgia (1-0) scored touchdowns on its first five possessions, all with Stockton at quarterback. Frazier scored on a 48-yard run on his first carry and added a 14yard touchdown run on his second carry. Stockton completed 15 of 16 passes for 202 yards and three touchdowns. Georgia backup quarterback Ryan Puglisi led two touchdown drives, the first capped by Frazier’s 3-yard scoring run, to open the second half. Frazier ran for 72 yards on only four carries. NO. 5 TEXAS 59,TEXAS ST. 7: In Austin, Texas, Arch Manning passed for 305 yards and four touchdowns, including two to Cam Coleman, and No. 5 Texas eased into the season with a win over Texas State on Saturday. Manning connected with Coleman for Texas’ first touchdown and with Ryan Wingo on the Longhorns’ next possession. Graceson Littleton’s 59-yard fumble return touchdown put Texas ahead 28-0 in the second quarter. Coleman played his first two seasons at Auburn and was one of the top transfers in the country when he signed with Texas. He caught three passes for 70 yards in his

Longhorns debut. Raleek Brown, who transferred from Arizona State, also scored twice. NO. 18 PENN ST. 45, MARSHALL 0: In State College, Pa., Rocco Becht threw for 271 yards with four touchdowns and No. 18 Penn State beat Marshall to begin the Matt Campbell era on Saturday. Becht, a transfer who followed Campbell from Iowa State to Happy Valley, was in command in his Beaver Stadium debut and secured his FBS-leading 27th win as a starter. Koby Howard had six catches for 161 yards with a touchdown. Brett Eskildsen, Benjamin Brahmer and Zay Robinson caught touchdown passes, and new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn’s defense held Marshall to just 147 yards. NO. 20 TENNESSEE 56, FURMAN 9: In Knoxville, Tenn., Faizon Brandon threw for 226 yards and three touchdowns and ran for two more to lead No. 20 Tennessee to victory over Furman on Saturday. In a little over two quarters, the freshman hit Mike Matthews on scoring passes of 55 and 57 yards to spark the Volunteers to a 42-0 lead before redshirt freshman quarterback George MacIntyre took over. DeSean Bishop rushed for 97 yards and a score but lost a fumble. Justin Baker’s 73-yard TD run was a fourth quarter highlight. Tennessee scored 21 points in the second quarter. While the Vols’ offensive had trouble asserting itself early — rushing for just 32 yards in the ﬁrst quarter — they generated 144 yards in the second quarter. Brandon ran for two touchdowns and threw for another in the ﬁrst 30 minutes.

Andonian takes over as Los Angeles Sparks GM

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Sparks have hired a new general manager from the NBA ranks. Ariana Andonian will officially join the organization next month, the Sparks said Friday. She replaces Raegan Pebley, who was fired in mid-July after 2½ years. The Sparks (15-25) are headed toward a sixth consecutive losing season. The organization owns three WNBA championships, but none since 2016. Andonian, 31, has been general manager of the Delaware Blue Coats, the NBA G League affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers, while also serving as the 76ers’ vice president of player personnel. Andonian is a California native who graduated from the University of Southern California.

Yankees OF Grisham placed on IL with hamstring strain

SAN DIEGO — The New York Yankees placed center fielder Trent Grisham on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain Saturday and recalled outfielder Jasson Domínguez from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Also on Saturday, three-time MVP Aaron Judge took batting practice on the field for a second straight day and ran the bases again as he works toward returning from a broken right rib. Grisham said he felt something in his hamstring Friday night while getting thrown out trying to steal second base in the second inning of a 3-2, 10-inning loss to the San Diego Padres. In the bottom of the inning, he had a hard time getting to Xander Bogaerts’ RBI single. He was taken out in the third.

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The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● 3C

Kiffin says it ‘wasn’t easy’ to leave ex-pros off the Tigers’ roster BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By HEATHER KHALIFA

Zheng Qinwen, of China, celebrates after she won her match against Madison Keys, of the United States, during the third round of the U.S. Open on Saturday in New york.

Stunner at U.S. Open Zheng makes big comeback; Osaka joins her in fourth round

BY BRIAN MAHONEY AP sportswriter

NEW YORK — Zheng Qinwen was on her back with her arms in the air, celebrating a U.S. Open victory maybe only she believed was possible. Madison Keys fought off tears as she tried to explain how Zheng, way down and all but out, somehow got the win. Zheng, the Olympic gold medalist, extended her return to the U.S. Open on Saturday with a spectacular and stunning rally, winning the ﬁnal seven games to eliminate No. 22 Keys 1-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5. “I feel like I obviously got off to a really good lead, and then I just got really — I mean, got really scared, like I couldn’t swing,” Keys said. “I don’t know. “Tennis just feels really hard right now, so I feel like that kind of took over.” Hours later, 13th-seeded Naomi Osaka joined her in the fourth round by defeating Elise Mertens 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, in a match that lasted two hours, 38 minutes. The two-time champion from Japan put her head on her racket after the ﬁnal point, stunned herself at the victory. “Honestly, I can’t believe I won this match,” Osaka said. “I’m literally shocked that I won this match.” Not quite as big a comeback as Zheng, but Osaka was down 4-2 in the third set and apologized for expressing so much frustration throughout a tough night. “There was a certain point, I don’t know, I felt like I put my entire heart on the court and then I just kept trying every single

point,” Osaka said. “I didn’t feel like I played amazing, and it was really getting me down. I was very negative on myself.” Osaka avoided the kind of exit men’s No. 9 seed Taylor Fritz endured, blowing a two-set lead and falling to No. 24 Francisco Cerundolo 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. “I don’t know how I let that happen today,” Fritz said.

Top seeds knocked out Amanda Anisimova, like Fritz and Keys a past runner-up at the U.S. Open, also was knocked out when the No. 10 seed lost to No. 24 Anastasia Potapova 6-2, 7-5. No. 5 Flavio Cobolli, the French Open runner-up, lost in four sets to No. 28 Alexander Blockx to leave the men’s draw without six of the top 10 seeds. Keys won a three-set match in the previous round in a match tiebreaker when she fought off ﬁve match points. Two days later came a collapse that was as out-ofnowhere as that comeback. The 2017 runner-up rebounded after losing the second-set tiebreaker to charge out to a 5-0 lead. Zheng held but Keys had a match point while serving at 5-1, and once she couldn’t convert that, the turnaround was on, with Keys at one point banging her racket into her head repeatedly and pulling off her visor in disgust. “I’m just telling myself keep holding every single point, never give up, stay there and somehow little by little it just happened,” Zheng said. She won the gold medal for China at the 2024 Olympics after reaching the Australian Open ﬁnal that year, and has been ranked as high

as No. 4. But after elbow surgery, she is down to No. 121 and had to go through qualifying just to make the main draw. “The hard work pays off,” said Zheng, who will play 2022 U.S. Open champion Iga Swiatek next.

Gauff moves on Coco Gauff, the 2023 U.S. Open champion, beat Cristina Bucsa 6-3, 6-4. Either No. 17 Alex Eala from the Philippines or 14th-seeded American Iva Jovic is up next. “Honestly, I feel like I’m definitely used to getting to Week 2s now because I feel like I woke up today and I was like, ‘Oh, we’re already in Round 3,’ ” Gauff said. “So, I think that’s a good sign, just feeling like I’m not feeling tired.” Keys, who won the 2025 Australian Open for her lone Grand Slam title, said she was going to have to make some unspecified changes she has been putting off. “I think she started playing better; I started playing poorly,” Keys said. “Then I felt like I couldn’t play tennis anymore, and it just felt like it was a much bigger deal than just playing a tennis match all of a sudden.” Fritz stormed through his first two rounds, losing a total of 11 games, and there was no hint of trouble when he broke Cerundolo to open the third set. But Cerundolo broke right back and started to feel more comfortable in his first time playing in Arthur Ashe Stadium. “I think fourth and fifth I played a really good tennis that I wasn’t finding that tennis in the previous sets and the previous rounds,” the Argentine said.

CAJUNS

DIVISION

four possessions. Smith grabbed the spotlight right away with a 26-yard run, then finished off the first drive with a 2-yard TD run. Two drives later, Smith followed a 17-yard pass to Jensen with a 25-yard touchdown run for a 14-0 cushion with 13:23 left in the second quarter. After Chase Edwards recovered a Lamar fumble, Anthony Reagan followed a 25-yard pass to Jensen with an 11-yard touchdown run for a 21-0 lead with 9:09 left in the first half. Reagan finished the game with eight carries for 37 yards and the score. Lamar threatened to put up points on its last two drives. The first one died on Kody Jackson’s interception at the UL 2. The second one ended with a missed 36yard field goal with 1:51 still left in the first half. Winfield then orchestrated an eight-play, 80-yard drive in 1:20 to push the Cajuns’ lead to 28-0. A completion to Trenton Chaney for 17 yards preceded Winfield’s 22-yard touchdown run. In the first half, the UL offense was about as balanced as possible. Of its 291 total yards, 142 were passing yards and 149 rushing. The Cajuns limited Lamar to 158 total yards in the first half. The Cardinals collected 11 first downs in the first half, but Jackson’s interception, a big sack from Avery Demery and a fourthdown stop by Ashley Williams helped UL keep the Cardinals off the scoreboard. The second half wasn’t nearly as efficient for the Cajuns. Winfield threw his second inter-

after the Los Angeles Chargers hired offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. Tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt are back from injuries to protect him. Kirk Cousins leads the Las Vegas Raiders to start the season, but this will be Fernando Mendoza’s team at some point.

Continued from page 1C

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

UL wide receiver Trenton Chaney is tackled by Lamar defensive back Mar Mar Evans, left, and linebacker Dawson Washington on Saturday at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium.

ception of the game and a missed opportunity on a deep pass resulted in a punt, but another 20yard completion to Jensen set up a 1-yard Steven Blanco TD run on the final play of the third quarter for a 35-0 lead. The defense also got interceptions from Brent Gordon and Jake St. Andre in the second half. Gordon also led UL with seven tackles, one ahead of linebacker Connor McPherson. The Lamar secondary did cause UL some problems. The Cajuns replaced Winfield after three quarters with a 35-point lead, but backup Daniel Beale was intercepted by Ephraim Dotson on his first drive for a 47-yard pick-six to cut the lead to 35-7 with 11:48 left to play. Beale responded by leading the Cajuns on a 14-play, 67-yard drive in 8:50. The Cajuns settled for a 31-yard field goal for a 38-7 lead with 2:58 left to play. Beale finished 4-of-6 passing for 42 yards and the interception.

NFC South The Carolina Panthers won the league’s weakest division with a losing record but nearly knocked off the Rams in a wild-card game. It’s a prove-it year for quarterback Bryce Young. Baker Mayfield didn’t get his contract extension from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who might have the most all-around talent in the division. Rookie edge rusher Rueben Bain should have an immediate role for a defense that has to improve. New Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski has to decide between Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix at quarterback. Bijan Robinson makes the quarterback’s job easier in Atlanta. The defense lost edge rusher Jalon Walker for the season and won’t have James Pearce for the ﬁrst eight games. Tyler Shough and the Saints ﬁnished on a positive note last season. Second-year coach Kellen Moore will have New Orleans in contention in a division where 9-8 might be good enough.

LSU coach Lane Kiffin said Saturday in his appearance on ESPN’s “College GameDay” that “it wasn’t easy” to come to a decision Friday on the roster status of the two ex-NFL players who are now eligible to play for the Tigers. Kiffin and his staff chose not to add tight end Dae’Quan Wright and defensive tackle Zxavian Harris to their roster before Saturday’s season opener vs. Clemson. But they did decide to leave two of the 105 spots open to ensure they could add both players to the team later in the season. “I feel for the players,” Kiffin said, “and I believe that you fight for what you believe in, and I believe these kids have the opportunity to play, just like all the other kids around the country that are winning court cases and being put on rosters. “But at the same time, I’m the head coach of LSU. And I had to make a decision that is for the big picture of LSU and the LSU football program with the uncertainties of what potentially could have come by adding them to the roster.” It’s unclear what ramifications LSU could face if it adds Wright and Harris to the roster. When Baton Rouge judge William Jorden sided with the athlete plaintiffs in a ruling he issued Thursday, he enjoined LSU with both the NCAA and the SEC, preventing the school from standing in the way of the players’ newly won right to play fifth seasons. That decision aims to protect the Tigers from a new SEC rule that bars players who had signed contracts with NFL, NBA and WNBA teams from competing in the league. But LSU, Kiffin and athletic director Verge Ausberry are also now defendants in a lawsuit that the SEC filed in an Alabama federal court Thursday. In the filing, the league is seeking legal cover

to enforce its new rule, which carries strict penalties for any program that violates it. The conference’s presidents and athletic directors voted to allow commissioner Greg Sankey to issue a half-season suspension to a program’s coach, cut the sports program’s budget in half and strip the university in question of its conference voting privileges. The reaction from the SEC and college football world over LSU’s decision to try to add these players didn’t surprise Kiffin. “I think it was the perfect storm. I think it was LSU. It was Lane Kiffin. It was a player that had an NFL uniform on. He used to play at Ole Miss,” Kiffin told “Marty and McGee” on Saturday. “The part I feel bad about? None of that’s his fault. And he has to sit at home today and watch everybody else play? Including players that got six years, that he knows that are older than him? Wrong.” LSU’s decision not to add Wright and Harris to the roster Friday bought it time to sort through all the legal complexities of the situation. Ryan Downton, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said in a statement Saturday that leaving Wright and Harris off the initial roster was a “measured decision” that should “lower the temperature” and “let level heads prevail” — for now. “We couldn’t get exactly the reasons or exactly what that would mean if we added them,” Kiffin said. “So, with that, (we) made the decision, which is the best interest of the team and the university.” The SEC rule does not apply to new LSU defensive end Junior Tuihalamaka, a former Notre Dame player who was a plaintiff in the initial lawsuit. He did not sign with an NFL team this summer, and he was officially added to the Tigers’ roster on Friday. He was active against Clemson on Saturday.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU coach Lane Kiffin walks down Victory Hill before the game against Clemson on Saturday. ent to compete for a Super Bowl and should make its ﬁrst consecutive postseason appearances since 1998-99. The Texans have a stingy defense led by All-Pro edge Will Anderson. If C.J. Stroud plays the way he did his rookie season, Houston could make a run at its ﬁrst Lombardi Trophy. Daniel Jones and Sauce Gardner are back healthy for Indianapolis. The Colts will need them to compete in a tough division. It’s Robert Saleh’s turn to try to rebuild the Titans. At least he has his franchise quarterback in Cam Ward and All-Pro Jeffery Simmons to anchor the defense.

NFC North

Caleb Williams led the Bears to a division title in his second season. Now Chicago wants to make a run at a Super Bowl behind Williams and second-year coach Ben Johnson. Questions surrounding the offensive line could hold them back. Micah Parsons might be the most valuable player in the league. The Packers were 9-3-1 with their AllPro edge rusher, 0-5 without him last season. Parsons starts the season on the sideline as he recovers from ACL surgery. Green Bay has to ﬁnd a way to win without him or it’ll be too late when he returns. Kyler Murray is the new quarterback in Minnesota. Can coach Kevin O’Connell rejuvenate his career as he did with Darnold in 2024? The Vikings have the talent to compete in a tough division. The window is still open for Dan Campbell, Jared Goff and the AFC South Lions. Detroit has a dynamic ofLiam Coen led the Jaguars to 13 fense. If Aidan Hutchinson, Jack wins in his ﬁrst year and helped Campbell and the defense take anTrevor Lawrence have his best other step forward, this is a danseason. Jacksonville has the tal- gerous team.

AFC North Aaron Rodgers stuck around for a ﬁnal season in Pittsburgh to team up with new coach Mike McCarthy and try to re-create their Green Bay magic. The Steelers don’t have enough to win a Super Bowl but maybe they can get their ﬁrst playoff win in 10 years. Rookie coach Jesse Minter aims to get the Ravens back in championship contention. Lamar Jackson should bounce back from a disappointing season and Baltimore has plenty of talent on both sides, including the addition of edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. Joe Burrow is coming back from another injury-filled season and Cincinnati’s hopes start with him. Defense has been the biggest issue for the Bengals. Quarterback Deshaun Watson gets another chance in Cleveland. How long before Shedeur Sanders takes over for rookie coach Todd Monken is the biggest question for the Browns.

NFC East Jalen Hurts has a new offensive coordinator again in Philadelphia. If Sean Mannion gets Saquon Barkley and the run game close to 2024, the Eagles can make another run at the Super Bowl. Dak Prescott and the Cowboys have plenty of firepower on offense. If new defensive coordinator Christian Parker gets the defense going, Dallas will be tough. Jayden Daniels hopes to rebound from an injury-ﬁlled season, but the Commanders appear closer to last year’s 5-12 team than the one that reached the NFC title game in 2024. John Harbaugh is changing the culture in New York. If Jaxson Dart stays healthy, the Giants will be much better.

4C ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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PREP REWIND FIVE STARS OF THE NIGHT DaShun Lightfoot, Acadiana

Coming off a big jamboree performance, Lightfoot was at it again with 225 yards rushing and four touchdowns on 26 carries to help the Wreckin’ Rams prevail in their opener with a 47-35 road win over Central.

Holden Sam, Acadiana

There’s just no way to separate the impact both of the Acadiana running backs had in the Rams’ win. Sam contributed 235 yards rushing and two long touchdown runs of 64 and 71 yards on 12 carries.

Zade Prejean, Westminster-Lafayette

The Chargers enjoyed their first playoff win in school history last year. QB Zade Prejean took the first big step to an encore, rushing for 221 yards and two scores on 13 carries in a win over Acadiana Renaissance.

Jaden Celestine, Lafayette High

Celestine, last year’s leading rusher in the area, has provided a big boost to Lafayette High as a transfer, rushing for 224 yards and four touchdowns on 19 carries in a road win over Live Oak.

Landon DeRouen, Erath

Coming off a historic season for the Bobcats, the quarterback DeRouen kept the momentum going in Friday’s opener. He connected on 14 of 17 passes for 295 yards and four touchdowns in a 39-22 win over Loreauville.

GAME OF THE WEEK

STM superb in shutout of Teurlings QB Hemard passes for 3 TDs; Cougars defense efficient

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

There’s no such thing as a perfect performance, but the St. Thomas More Cougars came pretty close in Friday’s 35-0 victory over crosstown rival Teurlings Catholic at Cougar Stadium. With a quarterback battle throughout August camp, sophomore starter Grayson Hemard delivered a nearly flawless performance with three touchdown passes and 52 yards rushing. The Cougars also wanted to establish a power rushing attack and did that as well with 255 yards on the ground. Defensively, the Cougars pitched a shutout, limiting Teurlings to 9 yards rushing and grabbing three interceptions. “I’m super pleased with what I saw tonight,” STM coach Jim Hightower said. “You never know what’s going to happen, especially in an opening game, but I was excited to see this.” Hemard led STM’s offense to four touchdowns on its first four possessions. “I did what we had to do,” Hemard said. “We worked hard and we came through and beat them.” First, he culminated a 10-play, 82-yard drive in 3:44 with a 5-yard TD toss to Jacques Christie. Landyn Craft then finished off a 10-play, 55-yard drive with a 1-yard scoring plunge. Craft led the Cougars’ rushing game with 94 yards on 13 carries. Hemard then connected with William Foreman on a 25-yard touchdown pass to make it 21-0 with 8:43 left until halftime and then found a wide-open Harper Morel for a 31-yard score right before half. “We work extra hard with our receivers,” Hemard said. “We might not get the reps in practice, but we’re always there in our extra time doing it. We’re all going for each other. “We worked hard all summer, extra time during practice and after practice and before practice. Then our line blocked and made sure we can get the passes off.” Hemard finished 8 of 11 for 130 yards passing and three scores, while also rushing for 52 yards on 12 carries. “He was smooth,” Hightower said of Hemard. “That was a nice

STAFF PHOTOS By BRAD KEMP

St. Thomas More running back Landyn Craft runs with the ball as Teurlings Catholic defender Esiere Granger gives chase during the Cougars’ 35-0 win on Friday at Cougar Stadium. outing for his first test. We’ve got four quarterbacks battling it out, and they’re all pulling for each other. It doesn’t get any better than that.” Sophomore Preston Pellerin added a nifty 15-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Abram Soignier for the game’s final score. The defense was just as efficient, limiting Teurlings to no points and 194 total yards. The Rebels turned it over on downs three times and threw three interceptions, hauled in by Taylor Eskridge, Landen Ortte and Owen Giglio. Needless to say, defensive coordinator Terry Tidwell’s unit was motivated by last year’s loss to Teurlings. “We came out night after having watched last year’s film, oh, 40, 50 times, and we worked on a game plan out of what we saw last

year,” Tidwell said. “We saw what worked against us last year, so we knew, we can’t do this. OK, we’ve got to keep changing. We’ve got to change coverages. We’ve got to change fronts. We’ve got to go get the quarterback. We got pressure ... and we did it from all different spots on the field, which really helped.” Tidwell’s unit didn’t allow any points in the 41-0 jamboree win, either. “I know Landon (Ortte) is good back there, but the other kids are making plays too,” Tidwell said. “They’re getting better every day. “We came out tonight and did a great job of remembering what we taught them this week and did a good job of tackling.” Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.

St. Thomas More quarterback Grayson Hemard, right, dives for the end zone against Teurlings Catholic defender Luke Hebert, left, during their game on Friday at St. Thomas More.

Lafayette Christian steamrolls Carencro in opener BY BRANDON COMEAUX

Contributing writer

The Lafayette Christian Knights used a suffocating defense and a strong ground attack to defeat the Carencro Golden Bears 30-6 on Friday night at Knight Field. With the win, LCA moves to 3-0 all-time against Carencro and keeps the Battle of University Avenue trophy on its campus. “I thought our coaching staff did a great job preparing our young men,” LCA coach Matt Standiford said. “It was a war of attrition… who was going to be the last man standing, especially after a tight ﬁrst half.” The Knights got on the scoreboard first as senior Kaleb Simon ran it in from 32 yards out to give the Knights a 7-0 lead late in the ﬁrst quarter. Then, on the next LCA possession, junior running back

PHOTO By ROBIN MAy

Lafayette Christian quarterback Ty Hills races downfield during the Knights’ 30-6 win over Carencro on Friday. Kyzer White scored from 8 yards out as the Knights pushed the lead to 15-0 following a successful twopoint conversion rushing attempt by junior quarter-

back Ty Hills in the second quarter. Senior Da’Marion Green put the Golden Bears on the scoreboard just before halftime with a 23-yard scoring

run. The extra-point attempt was botched, however, allowing the Knights to maintain a two-score lead going into the locker room. The game slowed down considerably in the third quarter as players from both teams began cramping, causing numerous injury timeouts. One of those injury timeouts included Hills, who was replaced by White. White, who ﬁnished with a game-high 95 yards rushing, led LCA through all of the injury timeouts. Following a safety caused by a high snap going over the Carencro punter’s head, White took the offense on two scoring drives. The ﬁnal score of the night was a 2-yard run by White, who bullied his way into the end zone despite a miscommunication on offense. “I just always like to stay prepared and ready,” White said. “And I want to play to

the fullest of my abilities.” “Kyzer did a phenomenal job,” Standiford said. “We tell kids all the time people are going to have to step up and make plays to beat good teams, and he came in and went above and beyond.” Sophomore Landon Prudhomme was the third running back to get on the scoreboard for LCA with a 31-yard burst as he is a part of a three-man rotation at the position. “These guys came out tonight and battled,” LCA running backs coach Ty Fenroy said as the Knights rolled up 258 yards on the ground. “The game was won in the trenches tonight as our big guys up front dominated.” Standiford was also quick to give his big guys some credit, as well as their position coach. “Shoutout to coach (Will) Chance and our offensive line. Our left tackle (senior

Lane Broussard) goes down, a sophomore (Haze Harson) comes in and we rush extremely well in the second half.” While the offense rolling up 387 yards and four TDs was impressive, so was the defense, which gave up only 137 total yards and held Carencro junior QB Carson Gurzi to only 50 yards passing. “We executed and did what we were supposed to do,” said Knights senior defensive end Josh Wilson, who led the Knights in sacks with two. “We came out with a mission, and we fulfilled it.” Wilson and LCA’s leading tackler, junior defensive end Joseph Adams, lived in the backﬁeld, applying pressure from the edges. The rest of the front six stuffed the Carencro rushing attack while the secondary kept the Bears receivers grounded.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● 5C

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PREP REWIND Acadiana’s ground attack churns up Central in opener BY WILLIAM WEATHERS Contributing writer

It was a vintage performance from Acadiana High’s groundoriented offense. The Wreckin’ Rams’ veer attack produced a pair of running backs with more than 200 yards apiece, but it was special teams that helped get them to the finish line of a 47-35 victory Friday over No. 8 Central at Wildcat Stadium in Baton Rouge. Lightfoot Acadiana (1-0) gobbled up 474 yards rushing and scored all six of its touchdowns on the ground, with three in each half. Holden Sam picked up 177 of his 235 yards in the ﬁrst half and didn’t play the last 19 minutes because of leg cramps. DaShun Lightfoot added 116 of his 225 yards and three of his four touchdowns in the second half. “It starts up front, and our offensive line, they worked their butts off all summer,” said Acadiana coach Doug Dotson, a former head coach at Central from

2010-11. “The offensive line is the heart and soul of our team and they proved that tonight. We’ve got great running backs, but they don’t go anywhere without those guys up front. They got push all night long.” Central closed within 33-28 with 8:11 in the game when quarterback Max Gassiott found Brody Diel all alone for a 23-yard touchdown pass. Acadiana responded on the following kickoff when Central chose to kick away from Lightfoot. Instead, Gabriel Decuir brought the kick back 90 yards for a 40-28 lead after Josh Marquez’s extra point. Lightfoot helped Acadiana extend its lead to 47-28 with 3:16 to go on a 36-yard TD run. He also added scoring runs of 47 and 42 yards. “I knew it was going to be a war,” said Central coach David Simoneaux, who served as Dotson’s offensive coordinator with the Wildcats. “I was hoping we had enough inside to hold up and we didn’t. We had our opportunities. Hats off to them. I thought they played their butts off.” Gassiott, a Nicholls commitment, had 372 yards of total of-

fense and three touchdowns. He was 20 of 31 for 280 yards passing with two interceptions and two TDs. Marcus Watson was his top target with seven catches for 84 yards and a TD, while Diel added five receptions for 124 yards and a TD. Acadiana, which averaged 12.2 yards per carry, answered Central’s tying touchdown with a pair of long-distance runs to take a 20-7 halftime lead. The Wildcats, who reached the Rams’ 10- and 15-yard lines in the first quarter, made it 7-7 on a deep post from Gassiott to Watson from 41 yards out with 4:57 remaining in the first half. The Rams scored on their final two series to regain the momentum and the lead going into the locker room. Lightfoot had a 42yard score and Sam added his second score of the half when the team’s second interception from Brooklyn Lewis led to his 64-yard sprint. “That’s a good, big, strong defensive line and we pushed them around,” Dotson said. “We imposed our will on them. That was the plan. It starts up front. I’m just proud of those five guys and we went with two tights.”

FRIDAY’S SUMMARIES Acadiana 47, Central 35 Team Acadiana Central First Downs 15 20 Yards Rushing 47-474 29-164 Yards Passing 4 280 Passes (C-A-HI) 2-2-0 21-32-2 Punts-avg. 2-25.0 1-36.0 Fumbles-lost 3-1 1-0 Penalties-yards 7-64 6-73 SCORING SUMMARY Acadiana 7 13 6 21 —47 Central 0 7 7 21 —35 AHS: Holden Sam 71 run (Josh Marquez kick) CHS: Marcus Watson 41 pass from Max Gassiott (Nathan Hunter kick) AHS: DaShun Lightfoot 42 run (Marquez kick) AHS: Sam 64 run (kick failed) CHS: Tristan Rose 3 run (Hunter kick) AHS: Lightfoot 4 run (run failed) CHS: Brody Diel 23 pass from Gassiott (Hunter kick) AHS: Gabriel Decuir 90 kickoff return (Marquez kick) CHS: Marvin Joseph 4 run (Hunter kick) AHS: Lightfoot 47 run (Marquez kick) CHS: Gassiott 45 run (Hunter kick)

Brother Martin 38, Southside 19

Team Brother Martin Southside First Downs 17 16 Yards Rushing 33-162 44-265 Yards Passing 203 87 Passes (C-A-HI) 9-18-0 9-19-3 Punts-avg. 3-30.3 3-24.2 Fumbles-lost 0-0 2-1 Penalties-yards 9-65 6-60 SCORING SUMMARY BM 21 0 14 0 —35 SHS 0 6 7 6 —19 BM — Jeremiah Burton 37 run (Maximo Barrios kick) BM — Easton Royal 9 pass from Justin Morgan (Barrios kick) BM — Benjamin Dumontier 19 pass from Morgan (Barrios kick) SHS — Kollen Francois85 run (Kick failed) SHS — Parker Dies 3 run (Jackson Fontenot Kick) BM — Royal 53 pass from Morgan (Barrios kick) BM — Channing Wise 18 run (Barrios kick) SHS — Colby Broussard 8 run (Kick failed)

Church Point 24, Jennings 8

Team Church Point Jennings First Downs 23 8 Yards Rushing 334 115 Yards Passing 92 0 Passes (C-A-HI) 7-10-1 0-3-0 Punts-avg. Fumbles-lost 0-0 2-2 Penalties-yards 12-80 2-18 SCORING SUMMARY Church Point 0 14 7 3 —24 Jennings 0 0 0 8 —8 CP — Blathon Citizen 1 run (Seth Alleman kick) CP — Wesley Kirkpatrick 8 pass from Grant Bertrand (Alleman kick) CP — Bertrand 4 run (Alleman kick) CP — Alleman 21 FG JENN — 11 run (conversion good)

Erath 33, Loreauville 22

Team Erath Loreauville First Downs 16 20 Yards Rushing 55 239 Yards Passing 340 138 Passes (C-A-HI) 16-19-0 14-16-0 Punts-avg. 0-0 2-22 Fumbles-lost 0-0 1-1 Penalties-yards 7-55 3-17 SCORING SUMMARY Erath 0 20 6 7 —33 Loreauville 7 0 15 0 —22 ERA — Tate Collins 48 pass from Carter Champagne (run failed) LOR — Thomas Carter 62 kickoff return (Andrew Chambers kick) ERA — Champagne 95 pass from Landen DeRouen (kick failed) ERA — DeRouen 5 run (Andrew Barras kick) ERA — Ayden Tallmore 33 pass from DeRouen (Barras kick) LOR — Deuce Lewis 22 pass from Wyatt Hazelwood (Chambers kick) ERA — Champagne 9 pass from DeRoues (kick failed) LOR — Kadyn James 48 pass from Hazelwood (Cole Delahoussaye pass from Hazelwood) ERA — Collins 44 pass form DeRouen (Barras kick)

PHOTO By LEE BALL

Justin Morgan of Brother Martin avoids a flying tackle attempt by a Southside defender on Friday during the Crusaders’ 38-19 win.

Southside can’t fend off determined Brother Martin in opening loss BY ERIC NARCISSE Staff writer

If you don’t think the Southside Sharks played well in their season opener against Brother Martin on Friday, you’re not alone. Sharks head coach Jess Curtis would be the first to agree with that assessment. “We couldn’t play any worse,” Curtis said. “I credit (Brother Martin). They had a great game plan. They are well-coached. They played great, and we didn’t play great.” Everything that could go wrong did for the Sharks, who lost 38-19 to the Crusaders. “They beat us in every aspect,” Curtis said. “That’s why this game is on the schedule. It shows that we need to go back to work and get some things fixed and be a lot better. This is the kind of competition you’re going to play deep in the playoffs, and that’s where we want to be.” The Sharks know they won’t accomplish the things they’d like to this year if they are turning the football over four times like they did against the Crusaders, missing tackles that result in first downs or scores and shanked punts that provide opposing teams with great field position. “We’re a lot better than we

played (Friday),” Curtis said. “People can bury us if they want. We will be back. We will be back. We’ll be back Thursday.” The Crusaders seemed determined to not allow Sharks running back Justin Williams to beat them as they did a great job of not letting him break any big runs. Williams, whose longest run of the game was 7 yards, ﬁnished with 61 yards on 19 carries. “You have to play assignmentsound football,” Crusaders head coach Mark Bonis said. “I thought we played with really good eye discipline. … The whole game plan was really being eye disciplined, (and) being sound in defending the option. Our defense was salty. They had fun.” The Sharks were able to break a couple of big runs in the game, using the Crusaders’ aggressiveness towards Williams against them. Southside’s first score came on an 85-yard touchdown run by Kollen Francois that cut Brother Martin’s lead to 21-6 with 5:54 remaining in the ﬁrst half. In the second half, the Sharks enjoyed another big run, this time from quarterback Parker Dies. Dies got free for a 72-yard run, and four plays later, he scored a touchdown on a 3-yard run to pull the Sharks to within

eight at 21-13 with 8:34 left in the third quarter. Dies finished with a team-high 111 yards and a score on 16 carries while completing 9 of 18 passes for 87 yards and three interceptions. “That’s not a representation of Southside football that we put out there,” Curtis said. “Sometimes, you tip your hat to the other team. Especially when it is a good team, tough team, and a well-coached team. We just never answered until it was too late.” The Crusaders were led by receiver Easton Royal, who finished with a game-high 122 yards and two touchdowns on five receptions, while quarterback Justin Morgan completed 7-of-13 passes for 162 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for 52 yards on nine carries. “We’re better than we played in every phase,” Curtis said. “You name it, we did it. We’ll take this loss as a team and as a staff. We’ll be back and we’ll be better off for it. It’s Week 1. “Heck, that’s what we do, I guess. Now, it’s time for us to run the table like we do every year. No time to hang our head. We have to go back to work Sunday.” Email Eric Narcisse at enarcisse@theadvocate.com.

WEEK 2 SCHEDULE All games at 7 p.m.

Thursday’s games Acadiana Renaissance at Ascension Episcopal Cecilia at Teurlings Westgate at Southside Northside at Carencro Mamou at Opelousas St. Martinville at Breaux Bridge Sulphur at Iota

Friday’s games Zachary at Acadiana Franklin at Lafayette Jesuit at St. Thomas More Crowley at North Vermilion South Beauregard at Rayne Lafayette Renaissance at Catholic-NI Lafayette Christian at Westminster Ville Platte at New Iberia Basile at Beau Chene Notre Dame at Church Point Jennings at Eunice

Northwest at Kinder Abbeville at Marksville Walker at Erath Kaplan at Assumption Delcambre at Berchmans Loreauville at Central Catholic East Iberville at JS Clark Gueydan at North Central Opelousas Catholic at Welsh Morgan City at St. Edmund Jeanerette at West St. Mary Catholic-PC at Vermilion Catholic Port Barre at Westminster-Lafayette

Kaplan 34, Ascension Episcopal 7

Team Kaplan AES First Downs 15 11 Yards Rushing 40-345 26-118 Yards Passing 20 39 Passes (C-A-HI) 2-8-0 7-17-2 Punts-avg. 0-0 2-21 Fumbles-lost 2-1 1-1 Penalties-yards 7-45 4-25 SCORING SUMMARY Kaplan 6 8 14 6 —34 Ascension Episcopal 0 0 0 7 —7 KAP — Aiden Hargrave 2 run (Kick failed) KAP — Jayden Hargrave 2 run (De’Maurion Cormier run) KAP — Kodi Clement 12 pass from Jeremy Roy (Roy run) KAP — Clement 37 fumble return (Run failed) KAP — Roy 79 run (Run failed) AES — Aiden Johnson 35 run (Rusty Trotter kick)

Lafayette Christian 30, Carencro 6 Team Carencro LCA First Downs 9 22 Yards Rushing 87 258 Yards Passing 50 129 Passes (C-A-HI) 5-16-0 12-21-0 Punts-avg. 5-30 3-39 Fumbles-lost 1-1 1-1 Penalties-yards 6-50 8-55 SCORING SUMMARY Carencro 0 6 0 0 —6 Lafayette Christian 7 8 9 6 —30 LCA — Kaleb Simon 32 run (Jude Fairchild kick) LCA — Kyzer White 8 run (Ty Hills run) CAR — DaMarion Green 23 run (kick failed) LCA — High snap on punt Safety LCA — Landon Prudhomme 31 run (Fairchild kick) LCA — White 2 run (kick failed)

Rayne 6, Crowley 0 Team Rayne Crowley First Downs 8 10 Yards Rushing 45 92 Yards Passing 10 69 Passes (C-A-HI) 1-3-0 8-21-1 Punts-avg. 6-33.8 4-21.8 Fumbles-lost 1-1 1-1 Penalties-yards 2-22 5-30 SCORING SUMMARY Rayne 0 6 0 0 —6 Crowley 0 0 0 0 —0 RAY — Chase Cary 4 run (kick failed)

St. Edmund 48, West St. John 28 Team St. Edmund West St. John First Downs 18 16 Yards Rushing 205 114 Yards Passing 48 180 Passes (C-A-HI) 4-9-1 9-23-0 Punts-avg. 2-28.5 3-19.7 Fumbles-lost 1-1 4-3 Penalties-yards 6-70 17-170 SCORING SUMMARY St. Edmund 8 16 24 0 —48 West St. John 14 8 0 6 —28 STE — Hudson Simon 41 pass from Carson Simon (Carson Simon run) WSJ — Kalon Gardner 50 pass from Achtion Barnes (pass failed) WSJ — Kadyn Smith 30 fumble recovery (Gardner run) STE — Carson Simon 5 run (Carson Simon run) WSJ — Gardner 12 run (Gardner pass from Barnes) STE — Carson Simon 7 run (Carson Simon run) STE — Nathan Driggs 1 run (Carson Simon run) STE — Driggs 39 run (Driggs run) STE — Carson Simon 5 run (Driggs run) WSJ — Gardner 10 run (run failed)

St. Thomas More 35, Teurlings Catholic 0 Team Teurlings STM First Downs 13 23 Yards Rushing 9 255 Yards Passing 185 145 Passes (C-A-HI) 15-30-3 9-12-0 Punts-avg. 1-29 1-33 Fumbles-lost 1-0 1-0 Penalties-yards 7-45 6-50 SCORING SUMMARY Teurlings 0 0 0 0 —0 St. Thomas More 14 14 0 7 —35 STM — Jacques Christi 5 pass from Grayson Hemard (Jack Fontenot kick) STM — Landyn Craft 1 run (Fontenot kick) STM — William Foreman 25 pass from Hemard (Fontenot kick) STM — Harper Morel 31 pass from Hemard (Fontenot kick) STM — Abram Soignier 15 pass from Preston Pellerin (Pierce Perret kick)

Westgate 54, Liberty 8 Team Westgate Liberty First Downs 16 7 Yards Rushing 160 79 Yards Passing 210 37 Passes (C-A-HI) 10-13-0 5-11-0 Punts-avg. 0-0 5-20.4 Fumbles-lost 0-0 1-0 Penalties-yards 8-70 9-71 SCORING SUMMARY Westgate 20 22 12 0 —54 Liberty 0 0 0 8 —8 WGATE — Joshua John 15 pass from Noah Antoine (kick failed) WGATE — Cayden Lancelin 12 run (Lancelin run) WGATE — Lancelin 60 pass from Antoine (run failed) WGATE — Brock Mitchell 1 run (John run) WGATE — Caemon Crockem 37 run (run failed) WGATE — Jackilon Roberson 26 pass from Antoine (Mitchell run) WGATE — Roberson 5 pass from Antoine (kick failed) WGATE — Laiken Hypolite 2 run (kick blocked) LIB — Streeter 9 run (Broussard run)

FRIDAY’S SCORES Acadiana 47, Central-B.R. 35 Airline 48, Wossman 42 Alexandria 44, Bryant, Ark. 20 Amite 34, Franklinton 19 Avoyelles 42, Ville Platte 12 Beau Chene 30, East Iberville 6 B.T. Washington 54, Arcadia 0 Beekman 37, Buckeye 20 Belle Chasse 48, McMain 6 Benton 34, Shreveport Northwood 26 Berwick 42, Morgan City 7 Brother Martin 38, Southside 19 Brusly 34, Port Allen 0 Carroll 20, Woodlawn (SH) 14 Carrollton, Ga. 61, Baton Rouge Catholic 27 Carver 18, Landry/Walker 12 Cecilia 49, Northside 0 Cedar Creek 55, Delhi Charter 14 Chalmette 55, Ehret 14 Church Point 24, Jennings 8 D’Arbonne Woods 57, Madison 0 Delcambre 34, Hanson Memorial 0 Denham Springs 49, Albany 0 Destrehan 35, Saint Paul’s 14 Dunham 56, Parkway 15 Dutchtown 62, Magnolia Excellence 0 East Ascension 49, Easton 18 Elton 55, Basile 7 Erath 39, Loreauville 29 Eunice 54, Bunkie 35 Galena Park North Shore, Texas 27, John Curtis Christian 17 Hammond 26, Prairieville 12 Hannan 56, Northlake Christian 0 Haughton 42, Homer 30 Haynes Academy 29, Centerville 6 Iota 70, JS Clark Leadership Academy 28 Jena 26, Mangham 12 Jonesboro-Hodge 14, Lakeside 8 Kaplan 34, Ascension Episcopal 7 Karr 48, Lafayette Renaissance 21 Kentwood 42, Westminster Christian 6 Kinder 59, Westlake 13 Lafayette 39, Live Oak 23 Lafayette Christian 30, Carencro 6 Lake Arthur 41, Holy Savior Menard 12 Lakeshore 35, Fontainebleau 14 Leesville 46, DeRidder 22 Lena Northwood 38, Plain Dealing 0 Logansport 44, Many 38 Loyola Prep 55, Captain Shreve 34

Mandeville 35, Salmen 17 Mansfield 42, New Iberia 0 Minden 20, North Webster 14 NDHS 28, Northwest 14 New Iberia Catholic 49, Vermilion Catholic 0 North Central 51, Acadiana Christian 0 North DeSoto 52, Union Parish 7 North Vermilion 28, St. Martin’s 7 Northeast 26, Thrive Academy 18 Northshore 47, Lutcher 35 Oak Grove 28, West Ouachita 0 Opelousas 48, Pineville 0 Opelousas Catholic 29, Breaux Bridge 8 Ouachita Christian 42, Haynesville 6 Parklane Aca., Miss. 38, Parkview Baptist 14 Peabody 33, Ferriday 14 Pearl River Central, Miss. 42, Pearl River 28 Pine 30, Varnado 0 Plaquemine 21, Zachary 16 Pope John Paul 62, Thomas Jefferson 7 RHS 6, Crowley 0 Riverside Academy 40, Kennedy 32 Rosepine 48, Montgomery 20 Rummel 34, University 28 Ruston 42, Neville 16 Shaw 20, Hahnville 14 Slidell 17, Holy Cross 13 South Beauregard 34, St. John 9 South Terrebonne 43, Country Day 34 Southern Lab 42, Belaire 6 Springfield 48, Collegiate Baton Rouge 8 St. Amant 49, Woodlawn (BR) 6 St. Charles Catholic 34, Legacy School of Sport Sciences, Texas 28 St. Frederick Catholic 35, Delta Charter 12 St. James 35, East St. John 7 St. Michael 49, Loranger 14 St. Thomas More 35, Teurlings Catholic 0 Sulphur 56, St. Louis 34 Thibodaux 21, E.D. White 20 Tioga 49, Red River 12 Welsh 51, Abbeville 16 West Feliciana 56, Scotlandville 20 Westgate 54, Liberty 8 Westminster Christian (LAF) 41, Acadiana Renaissance Charter 22 Istrouma 24, White Castle 15 Winnfield 20, Glenbrook 6

SPORTS

24/7

6C ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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SCOREBOARD Odds

Sept. 14 Games

Sports Betting Line College Football

Major League Baseball

Sunday

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY at WASH 21½ 23½ at ND 20½ 20½ at OLE MISS 6½ 6½

O/U UNDERDOG (51½) Wash St (46½) Wisconsin (55½) Louisville

FAVORITE SMU

O/U UNDERDOG (53½) at FSU

Monday

MLB

N.Y. Mets 10, San Francisco 6 Chicago Cubs 6, Miami 1 Houston 3, Arizona 1 St. Louis 7, Colorado 6 San Diego 3, N.Y. Yankees 2, 10 innings L.A. Dodgers 5, Washington 3

Denver at Kansas City, 7:15 p.m.

OPEN TODAY 2½ 3

Sunday

American League FAVORITE LINE at BALTIMORE OFF at CLEVELAND OFF at KANSAS CITY OFF at TEXAS OFF at SEATTLE -257 at WHITE SOX OFF National League FAVORITE LINE at CINCINNATI OFF at PHILA OFF at N.Y METS OFF at MIAMI OFF St. Louis -125 at LA DODGERS OFF Interleague FAVORITE LINE at PITTS OFF at HOUSTON OFF at SAN DIEGO OFF

UNDERDOG Boston Detroit Toronto Tampa Bay Athletics Minnesota

LINE OFF OFF OFF OFF +203 OFF

UNDERDOG LINE Milwaukee OFF Atlanta OFF San Fran OFF Chi Cubs OFF at COLORADO +103 Washington OFF UNDERDOG LA Angels Arizona N.Y Yankees

LINE OFF OFF OFF

Pro basketball

American League East Division Tampa Bay New York Boston Toronto Baltimore Central Division Chicago Cleveland Minnesota Detroit Kansas City West Division Houston Texas Seattle Athletics Los Angeles

Saturday’s Games

W 84 80 77 71 69

L 57 61 65 71 73

Pct .596 .567 .542 .500 .486

GB — 4 7½ 13½ 15½

W 74 72 67 64 63

L 67 70 74 77 79

Pct .525 .507 .475 .454 .444

GB — 2½ 7 10 11½

W 73 70 66 56 53

L 69 72 76 86 88

Pct .514 .493 .465 .394 .376

GB — 3 7 17 19½

Friday’s Games

Cleveland 7, Detroit 6, 1st game Pittsburgh 1, L.A. Angels 0 Boston 1, Baltimore 0 Chicago White Sox 4, Minnesota 1 Cleveland 4, Detroit 3, 10 innings, 2nd game Toronto 9, Kansas City 2 Houston 3, Arizona 1 Tampa Bay 7, Texas 6 San Diego 3, N.Y. Yankees 2, 10 innings Athletics 7, Seattle 6

Saturday’s Games

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

W 26 26 24 24 15 11 10

L 14 14 16 16 25 29 30

Pct GB .650 — .650 — .600 2 .600 2 .375 11 .275 15 .250 16

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

W 31 29 27 24 16 15 14 8

L 9 11 13 16 24 25 26 32

Pct GB .775 — .725 2 .675 4 .600 7 .400 15 .375 16 .350 17 .200 23

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

Sunday’s Games

No games scheduled. No games scheduled.

East Division

x-clinched playoff spot Friday’s Games No games scheduled.

Saturday’s Games

National League

Sunday’s Games

Pro football NFL Glance Wednesday’s Games

New England at Seattle, 7:20 p.m.

Thursday’s Games

San Francisco vs L.A. Rams at Melbourne, VIC, 7:35 p.m.

Sept. 13 Games

Atlanta at Pittsburgh, noon Baltimore at Indianapolis, noon Buffalo at Houston, noon Chicago at Carolina, noon Cleveland at Jacksonville, noon N.Y. Jets at Tennessee, noon New Orleans at Detroit, noon Tampa Bay at Cincinnati, noon Arizona at L.A. Chargers, 3:25 p.m. Green Bay at Minnesota, 3:25 p.m. Miami at Las Vegas, 3:25 p.m. Washington at Philadelphia, 3:25 p.m. Dallas at N.Y. Giants, 7:20 p.m.

Atlanta Philadelphia Miami Washington New York

W 84 79 71 67 64

L 57 62 71 76 77

Pct .596 .560 .500 .469 .454

GB — 5 13½ 18 20

Milwaukee Chicago St. Louis Pittsburgh Cincinnati

W 88 80 71 70 67

L 54 62 71 72 74

Pct .620 .563 .500 .493 .475

GB — 8 17 18 20½

Pct .596 .525 .521 .408 .383

GB — 10 10½ 26½ 30

Central Division

West Division Los Angeles San Diego Arizona San Francisco Colorado

Friday’s Games

W 84 74 74 58 54

L 57 67 68 84 87

Atlanta 5, Philadelphia 2 Pittsburgh 1, L.A. Angels 0 Milwaukee 10, Cincinnati 7

Sunday’s Games

Milwaukee (Harrison 10-4) at Cincinnati (Singer 5-13), 11:10 a.m. Atlanta (Mahle 5-10) at Philadelphia (Nola 6-10), 12:10 p.m. L.A. Angels (Ureña 9-9) at Pittsburgh (Skenes 9-11), 12:35 p.m. Chicago Cubs (Boyd 8-3) at Miami (Phillips 4-6), 12:40 p.m. San Francisco (Webb 8-8) at N.Y. Mets (Scott 4-4), 12:40 p.m. Arizona (Rodriguez 14-5) at Houston (Lambert 8-7), 1:10 p.m. St. Louis (Leahy 10-4) at Colorado (Gordon 1-4), 2:10 p.m. N.Y. Yankees (Cole 8-7) at San Diego (King 9-9), 3:10 p.m. Washington (Alvarez 2-6) at L.A. Dodgers (TBD), 9:10 p.m.

Wild Card Glance American League New York Boston Cleveland Toronto Texas Baltimore

W 80 77 72 71 70 69

National League

Boston (Tolle 8-6) at Baltimore (Bradish 7-12), 12:35 p.m. L.A. Angels (Ureña 9-9) at Pittsburgh (Skenes 9-11), 12:35 p.m. Detroit (Jobe 1-2) at Cleveland (Williams 13-7), 12:40 p.m. Arizona (Rodriguez 14-5) at Houston (Lambert 8-7), 1:10 p.m. Toronto (Arrighetti 7-8) at Kansas City (Dobnak 2-3), 1:10 p.m. Tampa Bay (Seymour 9-6) at Texas (Gore 8-10), 1:35 p.m. Athletics (Jump 6-9) at Seattle (Woo 10-9), 3:10 p.m. N.Y. Yankees (Cole 8-7) at San Diego (King 9-9), 3:10 p.m. Minnesota (Ober 7-4) at Chicago White Sox (Burke 8-6), 5:20 p.m.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

San Francisco 9, N.Y. Mets 5 Chicago Cubs 6, Miami 5 Atlanta at Philadelphia,n L.A. Angels at Pittsburgh, n Milwaukee at Cincinnati, n Arizona at Houston, n N.Y. Yankees at San Diego, n St. Louis at Colorado, n Washington at L.A. Dodgers, n

Chicago Philadelphia San Diego Arizona Miami St. Louis

W 80 79 74 74 71 71

L 61 65 70 71 72 73

Pct .567 .542 .507 .500 .493 .486

WCGB +8½ +5 — 1 2 3

L 62 62 67 68 71 71

Pct .563 .560 .525 .521 .500 .500

WCGB +5½ +5 — ½ 3½ 3½

Tennis US Open Results Saturday

At The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center New York Purse: $5,438,400 Surface: Hardcourt outdoor Results Saturday from US Open at The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center (seedings in parentheses):

Men’s Singles

Third Round Francisco Cerundolo (24), Argentina, def. Taylor Fritz (9), United States, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. Alexander Blockx (28), Belgium, def. Flavio Cobolli (5), Italy, 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-0, 6-3.

Women’s Singles

Third Round Anastasia Potapova (24), Russia, def. Amanda Anisimova (10), United States, 6-2, 7-5. Zheng Qinwen, China, def. Madison Keys (22), United States, 1-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5. Mirra Andreeva (5), Russia, def. Nikola Bartunkova, Czechia, 6-2, 7-6 (5). Iga Swiatek (8), Poland, def. Marie Bouzkova (25), Czechia, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (3).

Men’s Doubles

First Round Nikola Mektic, Croatia, and Austin Krajicek (15), United States, def. Bart Stevens, Netherlands, and Filip Pieczonka, Poland, 6-1, 7-6 (1). Marcel Granollers, Spain, and Horacio Zeballos (2), Argentina, def. Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela, Mexico, and Hendrik Jebens, Germany, 7-5, 6-3.

Ryan Seggerman and Patrik Trhac, United States, def. Michael Venus, New Zealand, and Yuki Bhambri, India, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3). Jackson Withrow and Nathaniel Lammons, United States, def. Marcelo Demoliner, Brazil, and Ray Ho, Taiwan, 4-6, 7-6 (1), 6-2. Alexander Bublik, Kazakhstan, and Juncheng Shang, China, def. Fabian Marozsan, Hungary, and Sebastian Baez, Argentina, 6-2, 6-4. Jakob Schnaitter and Mark Wallner, Germany, def. Noah Johnston, United States, and Yannik Alvarez, Puerto Rico, 6-3, 7-6 (6). Guido Andreozzi, Argentina, and Manuel Guinard (7), France, def. Finn Reynolds and James Watt, New Zealand, 6-2, 6-4. Christian Harrison, United States, and Neal Skupski (5), Britain, def. Arthur Reymond and Luca Sanchez, France, 6-0, 7-6 (3).

Women’s Doubles

Second Round Aldila Sutjiadi, Indonesia, and Erin Routliffe (9), New Zealand, def. Leylah Fernandez, Canada, and Janice Tjen, Indonesia, 6-4, 6-4. Demi Schuurs, Netherlands, and Ellen Perez (10), Australia, def. Qianhui Tang, China, and Elena Pridankina, Russia, 6-2, 6-7 (3), 6-3. Taylor Townsend, United States, and Katerina Siniakova (1), Czechia, def. Xu Yifan and Wang Xiyu, China, 6-3, 6-4. Anhelina Kalinina, Ukraine, and Anna Bondar, Hungary, def. Magda Linette and Maja Chwalinska, Poland, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. Ingrid Neel, Estonia, and Giuliana Olmos, Mexico, def. Ena Shibahara, Japan, and Lanlana Tararudee, Thailand, 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-4. Storm Hunter, Australia, and Desirae Krawczyk (13), United States, def. Alexandra Panova, Russia, and Magali Kempen, Belgium, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.

College football Major scores EAST

Army 59, Bryant 3 Colgate 35, Holy Cross 10 Lehigh 45, Georgetown 14 Monmouth (NJ) 31, Sacred Heart 24 Navy 42, Towson 15 Penn St. 45, Marshall 0 Pittsburgh 59, Miami (Ohio) 14 Stonehill 21, New Haven 3 Syracuse 66, New Hampshire 3 Temple 38, Rhode Island 14 Uconn 56, Lafayette 7 Wagner 31, S. Connecticut 7 West Virginia 31, Coastal Carolina 24

SOUTH

Alabama 48, East Carolina 10 Appalachian St. 55, Maine 3 Auburn 17, Baylor 16 Georgia 63, Tennessee St. 3 James Madison 20, Liberty 13 Kentucky 45, Youngstown St. 13 South Carolina 57, Kent St. 0 Stetson 45, Webber International Warriors 10 Tennessee 56, Furman 9 Wofford 17, Gardner-Webb 13

MIDWEST

Cincinnati 34, Boston College 15 Indiana 52, North Texas 16 Iowa 40, N. Illinois 0 Iowa St. 38, SE Missouri 10 N. Dakota St. 38, Fordham 0 Nebraska 49, Ohio 21 North Dakota 62, St. Thomas (Minn.) 26 Ohio St. 56, Ball St. 3 Tarleton St. 20, Bowling Green 13

SOUTHWEST

Arkansas 31, North Alabama 14 Houston 33, Oregon St. 20 Texas 59, Texas State 7 Tulsa 24, Oklahoma St. 10 UTSA 45, UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros 16

FAR WEST

Air Force 34, Duquesne 0 Montana 45, Drake 10 Oregon 34, Boise St. 27

Transactions Major League Baseball

American League ATHLETICS — Optioned RHP Jack Perkins to Las Vegas (PCL). Recalled RHP Joey Estes from Las Vegas. CHICAGO WHITE SOX — Reinstated C Kyle Teel from the 10-day IL. Optioned C Drew Romo to Charlotte (IL). CLEVELAND GUARDIANS — Designated RHP Carlos Hernández for assignment. Placed RHP Colin Holderman on the 15-day IL. Reinstated RHP Slade Cecconi from the 15day IL. Recalled RHPs Austin Peterson and Daniel Espino from Columbus (IL). HOUSTON ASTROS — Placed LHP Steven Okert on the 15-day IL retroactive to Sept. 1. Recalled LHP Bryan King from Sugar Land Space (PCL). KANSAS CITY ROYALS — Sent OF Drew Waters outright to Omaha (IL). LOS ANGELES ANGELS — Sent RHP Sam Bachman on a rehab assignment to Rancho Cucamonga (CAL). SEATTLE MARINERS — Recalled RHP Troy Taylor from Tacoma (PCL). Placed LHP Hoby Milner on the family medical emergency list. TAMPA BAY RAYS — Placed LHP Shane McClanahan on the 15-day IL. Recalled RHP Alex Cook from Durham (IL). Reinstated RHP Cole Sulser from the 15-day IL. Placed RHP Manuel Rodríguez on the 15-day IL, retroactive to Sept. 3. TEXAS RANGERS — Sent C Kyle Higashioka on a rehab assignment to Round Rock (PCL). TORONTO BLUE JAYS — Reinstated RHP Jameson Taillon from the 15-day IL. Optioned LHP Ricky Tiedemann to Buffalo (IL). Sent OF Daz Cameron outright to Buffalo. National League ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS — Designated CF Jorge Barrosa for assignment. Reinstated LF Tommy Troy from the 10-day IL. CINCINNATI REDS — Transferred 1B Michael Toglia to the 60-day IL. Optioned 2B Ivan Johnson to Louisville (IL). Selected the contract of CF Carlos Jorge from Louisville. COLORADO ROCKIES — Claimed LHP Hayden Harris off waivers from Atlanta. Optioned LHP Hayden Harris to Albuquerque (PCL). PITTSBURGH PIRATES — Designated C Christian Bethancourt for assignment. Reinstated SS Konnor Grifﬁn from the 60-day IL. Optioned LHP Brandon Eisert to Indianapolis (IL). Recalled RHP Isaac Mattson from Indianapolis. SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS — Placed C Jesus Rodriguez on the 60-day IL. Claimed RHP Joel Kuhnel off waivers from Milwaukee. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS — Reinstated RHP Andre Pallante from the 15-day IL. Optioned RHP Ryan Fernandez to Memphis (IL). WASHINGTON NATIONALS — Designated RHP Max Kranick for assignment. Sent LHP Tom Cosgrove outright to Rochester (IL). Selected the contract of RHP Jack Sinclair from Rochester.

FOOTBALL

National Football League ATLANTA FALCONS — Signed LB Bralen Trice to the practice squad. Released DE Khalid Kareem from the practice squad. BUFFALO BILLS Released LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles. CAROLINA PANTHERS — Waived T Ryan Hayes. CHICAGO BEARS — Released WR Ray-Ray McCloud. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS — Waived G C.J. Hanson, QB Chris Oladokun and RB E.J. Smith from injured reserve with injury settlements. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS — Signed WR Ronnie Bell, G Evan Neal and LB Azeez Ojulari to the practice squad. Released LB Jahfari Harvey, T Kamar Missouri and TE Albert Okwuegbunam from the practice squad. Waived WR Chase Roberts from injured reserve with an injury settlement. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS — Waived LB Kyle Kennard from injured reserve with an injury settlement. MIAMI DOLPHINS — Waived T Carter Warren. MINNESOTA VIKINGS — Waived LB Jacob Roberts from injured reserve with an injury settlement. Waived WR Dontae Fleming. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS — Waived LB Michael Heldman and RB Devin Neal. NEW YORK JETS — Waived TE Connor Hulstein and RB Dominic Richardson.

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LOUISIANA INSPIRED: Dillard University choir director lifts voices for 50 years 5D

LIVING

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

S u n d ay, S e p t e m b e r 6, 2026

1dn

Jan Risher

My porch is a disaster. Grandma would understand. I’m writing this column in a place I’ve dreamed about for a long, long time — my new screened-in porch. My grandmother, who lived a block from my childhood home in Mississippi, had a screenedin porch that played a pivotal role in my youth and childhood. It was quite small, but I was the only person who ever spent much time there. I adored that porch. I’m sure all those hours spent there, left to my own devices, planted the idea of having a screened-in porch of my very own. Our “dream porch” is quite a mess right now — a heavy unopened pack of warped wooden ﬂooring still wrapped in plastic dominates one end of the porch. Two giant ceiling fans that don’t have lights are leaning against a porch-screen support looking a lot like a helicopter. Nine plants in various stages of palliative care line the screen near the old screen door we salvaged leading outside. A pile of boxes and a couple of plastic tubs create a pathway to the door to our kitchen, with a bag of 18 caladium bulbs just waiting to be planted. Even so, I’m happy to be sitting here — though it doesn’t feel completely real. There are elements of our porch that would thrill my grandmother. I’ve never known another person who appreciated a bargain more than her. She was a seamstress who could ﬁx things up with ease. She found treasures all over. A nail here, a new seam on a pillow there — and voila, an old chair was “good as new,” her very favorite phrase. The fact that I’m sitting in a chair someone gave me would thrill my grandmother, who was a child of the Depression. She would have wanted to know its provenance — who gave it to me, why anyone would get rid of a perfectly good patio set, and then she would wonder whether there were any more where that came from. Because my grandmother sewed so much for so many people, I would spend hours at a time alone on her porch. Mind you, I wasn’t lonely, just by myself, trying my best to make things with the scraps of fabric she would pass me through the big, wide-open dining room window. I remember trying to make a Diane von Furstenberg-style wrap dress for a one-eyed doll

Dena Maturin sent this postcard from Antarctica for the 2026 Postcard Project.

STAFF PHOTO By JAN RISHER

NEAR OR FAR

The Postcard Project mystery and how one request from Baton Rouge produced 30 cards from Korea

BY JAN RISHER Staff writer

ne day this summer, along with a stack of postcards, I received a small box marked “Korea Post.” As I opened it, I found all the customs forms in both English and Korean, but there was no letter or further explanation included. Inside the box, I found two packages of beautiful postcards from South Korea — one package included a dozen modern-day black and white postcards of major Korean landmarks. These postcards were designed to be colored. The A postcard sent for the 2026 second package of 18 postcards Postcard Project from Tulsa, was reprints of scenes from the This year, we received Oklahoma Joseon dynasty. 68 postcards from Louisiana. As a longtime and avid watcher of Korean dramas, I recognized YEAR project manager” he has ever TOTAL COUNTRIES all of the landmarks and many of POSTCARDS REPRESENTED worked with. He explained that the scenes from Joseon life. Mr. Jo shaved a year off the The postcards did not include 2022 project by walking straight up 167 13 a message or any indication of 2023 to a vendor and naming his own 235 22 who sent them. For weeks, that price instead of waiting on bids. 2024 256 33 was where the mystery stayed. When a German supplier fell 267 30 Then, I received an email 2025 behind on a contracted deliv288 36 from Don Garland asking if I 2026 ery, Mr. Jo flew to Germany had received postcards from over a weekend with a young Morocco, Belgium and South Ko- startups — South Korea, China, In- engineer, whose job was to sit inside the supplier’s factory and rea. Garland, 72, is a longtime Ba- ner Mongolia and more. In 2015, he led the American side report on any work taking place ton Rouge reader who decided to round up some far-ﬂung postcard of a joint startup in South Korea, that wasn’t directly related to the senders on his own. He spent al- working alongside a South Korean Korean delivery. most 30 years with Exxon, much project manager named Mr. Jo. ä See POSTCARD, page 6D Garland calls Mr. Jo “the best of it running international plant

BY THE NUMBERS

ä See PORCH, page 6D

‘PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOUR KIDS DO’

Exhibit honors La. man slain in 9/11 attack on Pentagon Michael Lamana shows the cuff POW/MIA bracelet his son Michael Scott Lamana once wore. The bracelet honored a missing U.S. soldier in Laos during the Vietnam War. The elder Lamana now wears the bracelet in honor of his son. STAFF PHOTO By ROBIN MILLER

BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer

Michael Scott Lamana was 7 years old and preparing for his ﬁrst Communion at St. Aloysius Catholic Church when he was asked to draw a picture of his family. In simple lines, the Baton Rouge kid, known to everyone as Scott, drew a portrait of himself, his dad, mom and two sisters backed by a city with an airplane ﬂying overhead. Lama-

na drew the number 77 on the plane in his family portrait. Why 77? Scott’s dad, Michael Lamana, said his son was fascinated by the story of American pilot Robert T. Smith, who ﬂew aircraft No. 77 for the American Volunteer Group Flying Tigers during World War II. But that number now has a different meaning for the Lamana family.

That day On Sept. 11, 2001, Scott Lamana,

31, was working in the Pentagon when al-Qaida terrorists diverted American Airlines Flight No. 77’s route to Los Angeles from Washington Dulles International Airport to the country’s Department of Defense headquarters, crashing into the building’s E Ring at 500 miles per hour. The time was 9:37 a.m., only minutes after two other sets of terrorist-hijacked planes rammed into the World Trade

ä See LAMANA, page 6D

2D ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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American Cancer Society celebrates annual Black & White Gala The American Cancer Society held its annual Black & White Gala on Aug. 22 at the Doubletree in Lafayette. The elegant event celebrated 15 years of ﬁghting cancer and funding research for a cure. Guests and honorees dressed in

Kris Wartelle

Dana Granger, Danielle Calvert

their ﬁnest formal attire for a night of dinner, dancing and glamour.

Think black and/or white tuxedos and formal gowns galore. Each year, the Black & White Gala honors outstanding individuals in

PHOTOS By KRIS WARTELLE

Carlita Babineaux, John King, Karen King, Shellie Rayford

the community as Spirit of Hope Honorees. These honorees are nominated by their

Annie Spell, Alexis younge, Hannah Lafleur

peers and include cancer survivors, caregivers, healthcare professionals and individuals who have had a signiﬁcant impact on the Acadiana and cancer communities. Those honored included healthcare professionals Dr. Saﬁ Haq, Dr. Wissam Hanayneh and Allison Bertand. Cancer survivors Troy Hebert, Edi Comeaux, the Rev.

Fermin and Shantell Dugas, Andrea and Christopher Amos II

Ricky Morgan, Nicole Smith and Doug Adams. Advocate Karen King

Taylor Burgess, Morgan Waters

and posthumous honoree Ross Granger. Granger was a beloved Erath athlete and student who

Noah, Mike and Kallie Guinn

Belit Myers, Alissa Talbot

Grant and Haley Harrington, CKourflen Duhon, Danielle Calvert

died at age 19 after a battle with brain cancer. Major sponsors of the gala included The Stuller Family Foundation, Our Lady of Lourdes Health, Oschner Cancer Center of Acadiana, Edward Jones, Beta Land Services, Between Public Relations and Darnall, Sikes, and Frederick CPA. This event had everything you would want for a night celebrating such a worthy cause. Ladies

Sally Wilson, Chaney Hopkins, Janet Matt

dressed in some stunning gowns, while the gents wore traditional tuxes. We noticed a few added

George Anton, Kaci and Beau Beaullieud

cowboy hats and boots to spice up their look. The program also included some truly inspiring stories, making it a night to remember. If you’d like to be part of the magic next year, you can check out The American Cancer Society website

Kristin Franks, Chelsea Brumfield, Katie Decker

at blackandwhite.acsgala.org.

Lori Broussard, Lisa Kleyla

Xanadu announces royalty with dinner fit for a king and queen It was a busy Saturday night for the social events in Lafayette. Never more so than for the ladies of the Krewe of Xanadu. The krewe held its formal Xanadu Royalty announcement dinner Aug. 22 at River Oaks in regal fashion. Judy Carbo, this year’s Queen Xanadu XXXVII, was announced at a royal luncheon earlier this summer. Saturday night’s dinner

Kimberly Horn, Charlene Murphy, Erin Spears

honored her, as well as the newly revealed

Sarah Black, Sam Caillouet, Michele Landry

King Xanadu XXXVII, David Landry. He was recognized alongside his consort and wife, Lori Landry. This year’s royal muses

PHOTOS By KRIS WARTELLE

include Kylie Stucker, Desi Comeaux, Stacy

Lori Landry and King Xanadu XXXVII David Landry

Barton, Angie O’Bryan, Kimberly Horn, Jodie Broussard, Charlene Murphy, Erin Spears, and Jamie Jackson. The royals and their families ﬁlled the River Oaks ballroom with a feast that included beef

Shelly Bond, Debbie DeGravelle

brisket, shrimp and tasso pasta. It was truly a

Jodie Broussard, Jamie Jackson, Angie O’Bryan

feast ﬁt for a king and queen. We also noticed how lovely everything looked decked out in gold and blue colors, along with lots of ﬂorals. We are told the ballroom look was facilitated by Donna Lyon, so hats off to her! We know this Carnival season will come

Queen Xanadu XXXVII Judy Carbo and Glen Carbo Phyllis Boudreaux, Arlene Dake

early, and we know it will be a busy one. We also know the ladies of Xanadu will be ready. They are already in full royal swing and ready

Desi Comeaux, Kylie Stucker, Stacy Barton, Pam Block

to roll with whatever this Mardi Gras season brings. Laissez les bons temps rouler ladies. We hope you enjoy every minute.

Amanda Chappell, Mallory Juneau, Haley Lolley

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● 3D

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TRAVEL

Tips for better ZZZs when you’re traveling Little things can make a difference in sleep comfort

BY GEORGE HOBICA

Tribune News Service (TNS) Here’s a disturbing fact: A third of U.S. adults fail to get the recommended minimum of seven hours of daily sleep. As many as 70 million Americans experience chronic sleep disorders or disturbances, with 20% of those reporting daytime drowsiness. And although I don’t have equivalent statistics, I’m almost certain that they are worse when people TNS PHOTO are traveling. And it’s not just jet A third of U.S. adults fail to get the recommended minimum of seven lag. hours of daily sleep. Other than bringing earplugs and an eye mask, here’s what to do about it, whether you’re staying in “Vegas is a 24/7 town,” she said, stat control, TV, smoke detector a hotel, flying or cruising. “and our guests need to rest and (cover just the blinking light, not recharge to enjoy it all.” the device’s sensors), or anything Cool, dark, quiet else with annoying LED standby lights. Just remove tapes when you Three things are essential in Bring your own pillow choosing hotel accommodations. This is key. I once asked Eileen check out. Even the best window drapery While air conditioning can be Ford, founder of Ford Models, cannot defeat the light sneaking taken for granted at most hotels what her No. 1 travel tip was. these days, a dead quiet room with “I always advise my girls to under the door from the hallway. floor-to-ceiling blackout drapes bring their own pillow when they Place a towel along the floor to that obliterate any trace of light is travel,” she said, “because they’ll block it. Better still, book or ask also needed. sleep better, which means they’ll for a room with a foyer and secEven the slightest crack between look better.” ond door between the room and the window and the drapes can be Your pillow is too bulky to lug the corridor, more likely in older, a problem. on a plane, you say? Then bring a upscale hotels. This genteel archiWhen I think of pitch-black hotel travel-sized version with the same tectural detail provides both light rooms, I think of Las Vegas. Maybe composition and firmness as your and sound insulation. because of the desert environment favorite one at home. You can find — blinding light, intense heat — travel pillows at a reasonable price Choose the right room and floor the Bellagio, the Cosmopolitan, the from Royal Pillow in Miami (royAlways request a room at the Vdara, the ARIA and others offer alpillow.com). Their 16-by-20-inch very end of the corridor and at the thick, pitch-black drapes that help travel pillows, in a variety of firm- top of the hotel. The farther away keep rooms cool and dark. I spoke nesses, start at $14.95. from elevators and foot traffic, to Nicole Fournier, VP of Interior the less chance of noisy neighbors Design at MGM Resorts, to find Other sources of light careening past your room in the out how they manage this so conSleep-disrupting light doesn’t middle of the night. just come through windows. There sistently. “We have very strict drapery are the annoying LED and other Beware conventions and groups standards,” she said. “In addition lights constantly blinking in the Always ask if there’s a convento drapes, our windows have black- modern hotel room, starting with tion or large group in the hotel out liners, and on windows where the clock radio, if there is one, during your stay and what floors the drapes meet in the middle, we right by the bed. (Pro tip: Just un- they’re booked on (do this when use a ‘bypass’ drapery system that plug it. Not only does it shed light, you reserve). Groups tend to get overlaps them by five inches so but there’s no telling if the previ- rowdy, like the gaggle of teenagers celebrating someone’s Sweet 16. there’s no light gap.” ous guest set the alarm). Wherever light can sneak in Anything else that emits even — whether at the top, bottom or the smallest amount of light either Room choices matter sides of the window — extra care needs to be unplugged or taped If the hotel has rooms overlookis taken to defeat light-creep. over such as the room’s thermo- ing an interior courtyard, such as

at Boston’s Fairmont Copley Plaza or New York’s Sherry-Nethlander, book them. You’re less likely to hear sirens and other street noise, and they’re often cheaper. Who cares if there’s no view? You’re there to sleep. Or try a windowless room. The Standard Hotel in London, for one example, offers these (look for the “standard king interior category”). Search online for “hotels with windowless rooms” for more ideas. They provide the ultimate in quiet and darkness, often at bargain prices. Avoid rooms with connecting doors to an adjacent room.

The resulting dehydration inhibits rest on longer ﬂights as thirst and dry mucus membranes (torture for contact lens wearers) take their toll. The 787 and A350 keep cabin humidity higher — up to 25%— than on older planes, making for a much more restful ﬂight.

Book older hotels

Sleeping on a cruise ship

Hotels built in the last century or earlier often have thicker walls. But make sure the windows have been updated to reduce street noise. Options such as the Hotel Marcel in New Haven and the Westgate New York Grand Central have been ﬁtted with triple-paned windows that keep rooms both quiet and cool.

Many of the same tips for hotel rooms (dark, cool, quiet) apply to cruise ship traveling as well, except that it’s best to choose a cabin in the middle of the ship and as far down below as possible if you’re prone to sea sickness. As with a plane, think of a cruise ship as a giant seesaw with the fulcrum in the ship’s middle (horizontal movement) combined with an upside-down pendulum (vertical movement) with the fulcrum at the ship’s lowest deck. There’s less movement at the fulcrums so you’re less likely to get tossed around in rough seas. Bonus: these cabins are likely to be far away from discos, theaters and other noisy public areas. Plus, they’re much cheaper than the ones at the top and front of the ship. That said, most cruise lines do a good job keeping cabins dark and many have windowless interior rooms. Even with the best planning, sometimes sleep is elusive. One thing I will advise: especially in a hotel, whether it’s a budget property or a ﬁve-star, if you sleep poorly because of faulty air conditioning, raucous neighbors or any other reason within the hotel’s control, demand a refund for that night’s stay. I’ve done this more than once (for example: those Sweet 16 girls), marching down to the front desk in the middle of the night, preferably, to emphasize that my sleep was indeed interrupted, without changing out of my pajamas.

Sleeping better when flying It’s often hard sleeping on a long overseas or red-eye flight, even if you’ve booked one of those pricey lie-flat seats. Planes are noisy — even the most luxe seats are worse than your bed at home, there’s turbulence to jolt you awake, the air is as dry as a desert, and you’re flying at an equivalent cabin altitude of 8,000 feet (you’re basically on a mountain). If you’ve tried to sleep at high altitude when skiing or hiking, I’m sure you’ve experienced weird dreams and restless sleep. That’s because it’s harder to breathe at higher altitudes, and less oxygen to the brain (hypoxia) changes normal brain activity.

Different planes On these planes the cabin interior is pressurized at 6,000 feet, 2,000 feet lower than on other aircraft types. It makes a huge difference on longer ﬂights, especially if you have breathing issues to begin with. On older airplane models the cabin humidity is typically 5-10%, actually drier than a desert.

Choose a window seat A window seat allows travelers to control the window shade, and one can rest their pillowed head against the cabin wall. Plus, over-wing seats are more stable if there’s turbulence (think of a plane as a seesaw with the wing at the fulcrum).

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER By Christopher Elliott

Refund sought after Avis charged extra for returning car rental early I booked a car in Spain through Booking.com for a rental with Avis. Everything seemed fine until I had a family emergency and had to return the vehicle early.At no stage during the booking process or at the rental desk was I informed that returning the car Christopher early would result in an increased cost. Elliott Imagine my shock when I saw an unauthorized charge of $673 on my credit card. Returning the car early effectively doubled my rental cost. I never received any communication about this fee. It’s unjustified — Avis could have re-rented the car the second I dropped it off. I’m a medic, and I often work in the North Sea where mobile signals are difficult, so I’ve had to try and manage this via email

and WhatsApp. It’s incredibly frustrating because Avis eventually admitted it was at fault and issued a refund, yet it’s still holding onto about $130. I want the full amount owed, not a partial amount. Can you help me get my remaining money back? — Christine Grosart, Evercreech, England Avis should have refunded you the moment it overcharged you. Actually, scratch that — it should have never charged you in the ﬁrst place. If a company admits it made a mistake, it shouldn’t be a struggle to get a full refund. It certainly shouldn’t require a medic to take time away from her duties in the North Sea to chase down a missing $130. Rental car companies often have automated systems that

trigger early return fees or rate changes if you drop the car off sooner than planned. While their policies often state that rates are subject to change if the rental period is altered, those changes shouldn’t be applied in error, as Avis later admitted happened in your case. You could have avoided part of this by carefully reviewing the ﬁnal receipt before leaving the rental lot. I know, you’re tired and want to get home, but that’s the moment you have the most leverage. You also did the right thing by starting a paper trail. As I always say, if it isn’t in writing, it didn’t happen. When you run into a wall like this, you can always escalate your complaint to the executives

at Avis or Booking.com. You can ﬁnd those contacts on my site at Elliott.org. I’ve dealt with similar fuzzy math from rental companies before. In a previous case involving Budget (which is owned by the same parent company, Avis Budget Group), a customer was hit with a cleaning fee that felt more like a penalty than a service charge. It seems these errors have a habit of leaning in the company’s favor. I reached out to Avis on your behalf and asked it to review your case. “We can conﬁrm that the additional charge related to a quoted rate change due to early return was applied in error and should not have been charged,” a repre-

sentative told me. It turns out part of the missing money was an additional driver fee that you signed for at the time of rental. Avis sent over a copy of your signed agreement to prove it. “Charges that are clearly included and accepted on the signed rental agreement are considered contractually agreed upon and are not eligible for refund,” the company noted. Your total refund comes to $552. While you didn’t get the driver fee refunded, you received the rest of your money back. Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a nonproﬁt organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org.

Find a galaxy of art at new George Lucas museum in Los Angeles BY ANDREW DALTON AP entertainment writer

LOS ANGELES — The new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will serve “Star Wars” fans what they crave, but the saga George Lucas spawned represents just one small corner of the galaxy of creative work within the walls of the Los Angeles institution he calls a ”temple to the people’s art.” The purpose of the Lucas palace that has become his life’s work since he sold Lucasﬁlm to Disney in 2012 is to take the work of populist painters, commercial illustrators, comic artists and paperback cover-creators and treat it with a reverence normally reserved for Rembrandts.

businesswoman Mellody Hobson, the museum’s cofounder. He said he couldn’t believe the place now exists after being conceived 17 years ago and having been “kicked out of” proposed locations in cities including San Francisco and Chicago, places where previous sites fell through. “Part of the problem is that I’m a contrarian. I don’t like to do things people think can be done,” he said, wearing a T-shirt that read “DediASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CHRIS PIZZELLO cated to the people’s art.” “I’m used to doing the imProduction designer Norman Reynolds’ robot R2-D2, left, possible,” he said. “This one and John Mollo’s costume for the C-3PO character from the almost broke me.” ‘Star Wars’ franchise are on display at the Lucas Museum of Visitors to the new museum will be greeted by a Narrative Art in Los Angeles. bright yellow Naboo N-1 “That’s really what the the genius behind it,” muse- Starfighter from 1999’s mission is, that there’s these um CEO Tracey Bates said. “The Phantom Menace” incredibly familiar pieces The building opens to the that hangs in the lobby of the that have not had the op- public Sept. 22. public research library. The The 82-year-old Lucas opening exhibit, “Star Wars portunity to be platformed in this manner, to be placed made an appearance at a in Motion,” shows produclike this, to be curated in this media preview day at the tion versions of Luke Skyway, for people to really see museum with his wife, walker’s landspeeder from

the original film and speeder bikes from 1983’s “Return of the Jedi.” But Bates points out that “‘Star Wars’ only occupies 7% of the museum, actually.” And chief among the tasks of the CEO and her staff in the final days before opening is spreading the word about all it has to offer. Nearly everything in the vast museum’s 100,000 square feet of galleries comes from the personal collection of Lucas or Hobson, a major collector of African-American art. The filmmaker began collecting original comic art from newspaper strips like “Alley Oop” when he was in college and it could be had for pocket change. When blockbuster money started rolling in, he started buying paintings from commercial artists, including Norman Rockwell and Maxfield Parrish, that were deemed the height of uncool

at the time. He joked at a San Diego Comic-Con panel last year that he needed a museum just to have somewhere to put it all. Bates, who joined the project in 2020, said while sitting in the gallery devoted to Rockwell, the 20th century painter and illustrator who embodies the spirit of the museum more than Luke Skywalker or C-3PO. The Rockwell gallery gives special prominence to a painting that shows he had greater depth than many realize: his rendering of Ruby Bridges, a 6-year-old Black girl who is surrounded by marshals as she walks into an all-white New Orleans school in 1960. It’s titled “The Problem We All Live With.” The gallery also has a sculpture of the artist, newly commissioned for the museum, that recreates a famous comic portrait of him painting himself.

4D ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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BOOKS Cartoonist Bunny Matthews, at his home office in Abita Springs, in 2016

A SKETCH IN TIME

Iconic New Orleans artist Bunny Matthews’ wit, humor and controversy chronicled in new biography BY RIEN FERTEL Contributing writer

“Bunny Matthews: His Life,Art, and Obsessions,” by Alison Fensterstock and Michael Tisserand,The Historic New Orleans Collection, 336 pages. “Be witty. Be nasty. Be silly. Don’t be boring.” Those words, written by Bunny Matthews in 1988, might as well have been his personal motto. The iconic New Orleans cartoonist and music critic, best known as the creator of the Vic and Nat’ly comic strip, could be simultaneously witty, nasty, silly and lightyears from boring, all in a single, simple, penciled panel — the unmistakable work of the artist mononymously known as Bunny. Now, five years after his death, comes “Bunny Matthews: His Life, Art, and Obsessions,” a beautiful, blockbuster tome of a biography, bursting with 400 images, co-authored by Alison Fensterstock and Michael Tisserand. They make this project’s perfect pair. She’s a longtime music writer, with stints at the Times-Picayune and Gambit. He’s a comics aficionado and author of “Krazy,” an award-winning biography of the influential New Orleans cartoonist George Herriman. Together, these longtime critics have produced a candid portrait of a beloved local artist and complicated man, but also, to the book’s benefit, a chronicle of the last 75 years of, as Vic and Nat’ly would put it, “Nawlins cultcha.”

His first byline He was born Will Bunn Matthews III, Feb. 15, 1951, in Monroe, the last in a line of sons named after a middling Confederate colonel out of Arkansas, an ancestral lineage that would cause much displeasure. He would write years later, “These numbered names are like iron chains that one spends years trying to rip off.” His mother had the good sense to nickname him Bunny. The Matthews family moved often in Bunny’s younger years, hopping from his birthplace of Monroe to Shreveport, Metairie, then across the border to Dallas. Along the way, Bunny started drawing, all the time, with any material at hand: cartoons and comic strips in crayon and colored pencils, which he had the gumption to assemble into illustrated anthologies. He inked his own newspaper, simply titled, in a deliciously apropos gesture to the incendiary style that would define his journalistic career, Devil. In 1959, at the age of 8, he earned his first byline, printed in the Dallas Times Herald: a Baby Boomerific story about a Ford Falcon rocketing to the Moon. Later that year, his family moved back to Metairie, where Bunny attended Airline Park Elementary. “He was just drawing all the time, every day,” a classmate remembered. An inordinate number of his peers were Sicilian suburbanites, the first wave of White flight migrants, in Bunny’s words, “the offspring of Vic and Nat’ly.” Naturally, Bunny greeted the ’60s with open arms. He pledged allegiance to the Beatles, who made their first Ed Sullivan appearance the week he turned 13. He wore his hair shaggy and played the drums in several ga-

‘BUNNY MATTHEWS: HIS LIFE, ART, AND OBSESSIONS’ The exhibit opens Sept. 18 at the Historic New Orleans Collection. It will run through May 9. WHAT: Bunny Day WHEN: 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 19 INFO: HNOC will offer a free day of activities related to the exhibit and book, featuring an author talk, book signing, costume contents and more. MORE: hnoc.org. rage bands. A new generation of counterculture comics inspired an aesthetic swerve. Alongside Mad Magazine and Robert Crumb’s Zap Comix, there were the freak-out stylistics of Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, which Bunny dutifully copied, designing custom Rat Fink and crew T-shirts for friends, and later for sale at a French Quarter head shop. At East Jefferson High School, Bunny cartooned and columned for the student newspaper, the Tom-Tom. He specialized in satire, skewering typical teenage touchstones: school cliques, smoking in the bathroom, cafeteria food. But it was his music reviews that best portrayed the artist as a young man. Bunny’s senior year write-up of Jimi Hendrix’s “Are You Experienced” got him sent to the principal’s ofﬁce for running a picture of a Black man in the paper, taboo during the early days of integration.

Dean of Southern Rock Critics After graduating in 1969, Bunny’s early 20s drifted by in a psychedelic haze. He dropped out of LSUNO once his high draft number made mandatory service impossible, hustled records for the legendary vinyl peddler Jim Russell, and, in 1972, wrote a handful of music reviews for a new alt-weekly, Figaro, before unexpectedly absconding to Providence, Rhode Island. Fensterstock and Tisserand have a hard time explaining Bunny’s motivation for the move — he likely didn’t know himself — but narratively, his New England sojourn set up a prodigal return,

in 1974, alongside the shifting tide of New Orleans’s music scene. That year, the Wild Magnolias dropped their landmark debut. Piano wizards like Professor Longhair and James Booker were being rediscovered by a new generation of White, hipster enthusiasts. Tipitina’s and WWOZ would soon join the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival to form a triumvirate of cultural institutions that would globally spread the New Orleans brand. Bunny had a hand in it all. Back freelancing at Figaro, he endeavored to be the Dean of Southern Rock Critics. His indepth, often gonzo-tinged proﬁles — he interviewed the oft-troubled Booker, for instance, at a drug rehabilitation center — made him a local heavyweight that, had he wanted the opportunity, would have warranted a gig working for Rolling Stone and the like. His reviews were often testy, pulling no punches, for which the Neville Brothers nicknamed him the Hatchetman (imagine being cool enough to earn a nickname from Art Neville!).

‘New Orleansese’ on display In 1976, Figaro allowed space for Bunny’s first cartoon column since high school. F’Sure featured satirical slices of life based on “actual dialogue heard in the streets of our metropolis.” Bunny’s “New Orleansese,” as he called the local patois, could be simultaneously charming and derogatory, usually spot-on, frequently funny. “If you git da baby, swell it! We ain’t havin’ geese clowns ova fo’ no pahtee!” “41 dollars dat plum wanted t’unclog da turlet — I ain’t no millionaire!” “Hot?! Dis?! Dis ain’t nuttin! Ya oughta come here in August an’ bring ya whole family an’ da dog — dat oughta be great fo’ yo noives.” His characters looked like they hadn’t ever seen the inside of an air-conditioned room: stippled, scratchy, drippy grotesqueries escaped from some bayou bestiary. Kudos goes to the team at the Historic New Orleans Collection, custodian of Bunny’s archive, for the book’s layout and design, a masterpiece of an art monograph. F’Sure led to a surge in gig work: Posters, flyers and calendars for Tipitina’s and other musical venues, advertisements for a host of local businesses and record covers. Bunny’s immense output, the case can be made, became the principal visual style of New Orleans in the 1970s and ’80s. When some future historian finally sets out to chronicle that era — for my money, the city’s most interesting decades, culturally and politically — Fensterstock

STAFF FILE PHOTO By KEITH SPERA

and Tisserand’s biography will be an invaluable resource.

‘Violent disgust’ But success spoiled Bunny Matthews. He could be egotistical, downright mean, occasionally infuriating and rightfully had trouble convincing any publication to hire him on a full-time salary. Like many outsiders who fall under the city’s sway, Bunny was a New Orleans exceptionalist — its stalwart defender, a phonysquashing provincialist. His contrarian views earned the Hatchetman hate mail by the sackfull. “I’m generally a very calm person,” wrote one naysayer, “so whenever I want to experience feelings of violent disgust I read one of Bunny Matthews’ reviews. His pretentious, meandering dribble almost always achieves the desired results.” The ire was often well earned, as Bunny fearlessly roasted each and every one of New Orleans’s sacred cows. He deemed Jazz Fest “the most horrible time of the year,” but also confessed to dutifully attending the Fair Grounds every day. Or consider the beating Bunny bestowed on his former idol Professor Longhair, in a rambling essay published in 1988: “This heritage stuff is just so much baloney. Kids, you should listen to Professor Longhair once and then toss his records into the proverbial gumbo pot. The same goes for all the rest of our native rhythm and blues heroes. Our heritage is dead weight and must be thrown overboard. Tipitina’s should do the right thing and take that awful banner of Longhair’s head over to the levee and burn it.” Bunny’s music column eventually landed in The Times-Picayune, which eventually brought him to the editorial attention of the Picayune’s Sunday supplement, the unfortunately titled Dixie.

The pinnacle and then a shock Jan. 3, 1982, saw the first printed appearance of Vic and Nat’ly, the characters that would largely define the rest of Bunny’s life and career. An outgrowth of his F’Sure days, the characters — married owners of an Upper 9th Ward corner bar — spoke, acted and, yes, ate New Orleansese to the nth degree. To Bunny’s editor Jeannette Hardy, “They looked like creatures spawned in the swamp and seasoned with 50 years’ worth of fried oyster, hot sauce and pickled eggs.” To New Orleans, locals and tourists alike, Vic and Nat’ly were a hit, remnants of a Yat-centric culture being gentrified to extinction, a reminder of a world and a way that once was — the pinnacle of the city’s growing Ain’t Dere No More ethos. Alongside a plethora of Vic and Nat’ly merchandise, there was the Vic and Nat’ly Po-Boy Festival, “Vic and Nat’ly’s New Orleans Music Revue” at Le Petit Théâtre, and even a local cable access program, “Da Vic and Nat’ly Show,” which was canceled after just 13 episodes following a sequence on sex toys that Bunny

drew up in response to Gov. Edwin Edwards signing a law banning “obscene devices.” After the demise of Dixie, the comic strip jumped to Gambit and OffBeat in 1988. The next year, Bunny, New Orleans’s chief defender at all costs, shocked his friends and fans by relocating across the lake to Abita Springs.

Once progressive, then ‘pervy’ A crucial element of Fensterstock and Tisserand’s biography is the story of Bunny’s family life. He was a thrice-married father of two sons — the third marriage, to Debbie Murphy, stuck to the end — who, like most parents, struggled to balance the homework scale. The freelance life caused ongoing ﬁnancial stress. There were failed attempts at reaching a national audience: a two-book deal with Simon & Schuster of musician portraits à la Robert Crumb and a nationally syndicated Vic and Nat’ly cartoon program. Abita Springs, according to those who knew Bunny best, changed the man. The once progressive prankster had become a conservative curmudgeon with pervy tendencies. Astute readers couldn’t help but notice that Nat’ly underwent what the medical establishment calls augmentation mammaplasty. He painted a repulsive portrait of Dorothy Mae Taylor, the City Council member who led the crusade to desegregate New Orleans’s Carnival krewes in the early ’90s, hanging by a rope from the King of Rex’s ﬂoat. A few years later, a Vic and Nat’ly comic portrayed Jazz Fest as a Nazi concentration camp.

His art remains inescapable A lymphoma diagnosis came in 2015. Four brain surgeries. Long nights of writing things on Facebook perhaps meant to provoke, disgust or just share what he was thinking. “Once he had been an artful provocateur,” Fensterstock and Tisserand write, “but now he was turning into a poisonous troll.” Bunny’s wife, Debbie, passed away from her own bout with cancer in 2018. Three years later, he followed. For many who grew up in the city or, like me, moved here during his heyday, Bunny’s characters, his stippled sketch work, continue to define — for better or worse — the New Orleans of today. Vic and Nat’ly no longer appear in newsprint, but Bunny’s art remains inescapable: passing Leidenheimer delivery trucks, the toothy Krewe du Vieux jester logo, the framed and laminated comic strips that hang like totems on the walls of local businesses. I’ve now lived long enough in the city to occasionally catch a glimpse of a very Vic-ish five o’clock shadow looking back my way. I gasp in horror, then winkingly try out my best attempt at Bunny’s New Orleansese, “Yeah you rite!” Rien Fertel is the author of four books. He recently won his fifth Best Critical Review Award from the New Orleans Press Club.

THIS WEEK’S BESTSELLERS FROM PUBLISHERS WEEKLY HARDCOVER FICTION

1. “The Poison Daughter” by Sheila Masterson 2. “The Calamity Club” by Kathryn Stockett 3. “Yesteryear” by Caro Claire Burke 4. “Delusional” by Patterson/Born 5. “Whistler” by Ann Patchett 6. “God’s Country” by William Kent Krueger 7. “Mad Mabel” by Sally Hepworth 8. “Book Lovers (deluxe ed.)” by Emily Henry 9. “The Unknown” by Riley Sager 10. “Once Written in Gilded Blood (deluxe ed.)” by K.M. Moronova

HARDCOVER NONFICTION

1. “Pardon My Book” by Katz/Sollenberger 2. “Regime Change” by Haberman/ Swan 3. “From Italy with Amore” by Pasini/ Pasin 4. “This Is Me” by Hayden Panettiere 5. “What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking: Make It Fast” by Caroline Chambers 6. “The Nerd Reich” by Gil Durán 7. “Brain Defenders” by David Perlmutter 8. “The Day After” by Brian Tyler Cohen 9. “Legacy Redeﬁned” by Richard Watts 10. “Strangers” by Belle Burden

TRADE PAPERBACK

1. “Theo of Golden” by Allen Levi 2. “Brain Damage” by Freida McFadden 3. “Dungeon Crawler Carl” by Matt Dinniman 4. “Verity” by Colleen Hoover 5. “The Wedding People” by Alison Espach 6. “Carl’s Doomsday Scenario” by Matt Dinniman 7. “What Happened Yesterday” by Matt Sturniolo 8. “Murdoku” by Manuel Garand 9. “Adversary to the Villain” by Hannah Nicole Maehrer 10. “The Divorce” by Freida McFadden

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● 5D

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LOUISIANA INSPIRED Dillard choir director lifts voices for 50 years Davenport considered a mentor, a leader and so much more

that got them in the door to be considered for jobs and internships. On his advice, some pursued master’s and doctorate degrees. And at least once, he has taught a mother and child duo a generation apart.

BY DESIREE STENNETT

‘An extraordinary talent’

Staff writer

In the half-century that S. Carver Davenport has led the Dillard University Concert Choir, he has taught thousands of students, traveled across the South, visited countless colleges, churches and grand auditoriums and performed for two sitting presidents. Still, his favorite spot is behind his piano in his classroom. There, he has inspired and developed the small historically Black university’s best singers since 1975, pulling musical selections from a range of genres and eras and singing one or two measures at a time over and over at evening practices until perfection. “All these years, I have seen how the students are passionate about singing ... and how they take what and how I teach to heart,” said Davenport, 75. “I see how they engage with the audience and how they recruit other students to be part of a singing organization that doesn’t necessarily sing what they hear on social media. “I see how much they want to showcase their talent and to display the love that they now have for this kind of music.” But his work has always been about more than the songs.

‘Safe spaces’ Moniqua Osbey met Davenport in 2009. Four years after Hurricane Katrina, Osbey found herself back in New Orleans living in a shelter for homeless domestic violence survivors with her two toddlers. When she was accepted to Dillard, she moved her young family into on-campus housing. Not everyone was supportive of that, she said. One professor told Osbey she could no longer bring her children

STAFF PHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK

S. Carver Davenport directs his students during a choir rehearsal at Dillard University in New Orleans. to class, citing a policy she had implemented when she worked in university administration before Osbey enrolled. Another professor, she recalled, told her it was “unbecoming” to have a single mom on campus and thought her presence would “influence other students negatively.” “Dr. Davenport, when I told him about it, he was very disappointed and upset because he felt the complete opposite,” Osbey said. “He felt that if people saw a young, single mother on campus with her kids turning her life around, that would encourage young mothers to continue their education.” She joined the choir to fulﬁll an academic requirement. But the choir, and Davenport, became her family. First, Davenport would watch her young children — 3 and 4 years old at the time — when Osbey was in class. Eventually, everyone in the choir got involved. Other stu-

dents who lived on campus would babysit in their dorm rooms and when someone who lived off campus offered help, Davenport would let them use his office to watch the kids. And he didn’t stop there. Between practices and performances, Davenport first allowed Osbey to bring her children to evening choir rehearsals. Then, as the university moved to phase out on-campus family housing, Davenport successfully lobbied Dillard’s then-president, Marvalene Hughes, to let Osbey stay. He pushed university officials to allow her to continue to catch the campus shuttle with her children when she needed it and made sure she could access the theater department’s laundry facilities. “All of these safe spaces, he created,” she said. Davenport is still like a grandfather to her children who, as adults, still call him “Pawpaw.” When she unexpectedly went into labor with her third child

eight years ago, Davenport got to the hospital before her family could. He cut the umbilical cord. This spring, the New Orleans City Council honored him as the longest-tenured choral director at any HBCU in the nation, and voted unanimously to name the intersection of Gentilly Boulevard and Allen Street near campus the Dr. S.C. Davenport Honorary Intersection. “Dr. Davenport has elevated the university’s music program to national and international recognition,” council member Eugene Green said at a council meeting earlier this year. “Through his leadership, mentorship and artistry, he has shaped generations of students and left a lasting imprint on the cultural fabric of New Orleans.” Current and former students talk about how Davenport helped them ﬁnd housing, guided their career paths and even gave them money to eat. His has been the name-drop

But in the end, he always brings them back to the music. “I listen to recordings from freshman year of me singing versus how I sound now, and Doc has completely transformed my whole way of singing,” said Andreus Lowry, a senior choir member who called the choir his second home. “My voice, my breathing, everything. ... I’ve grown in every aspect.” Dillard President Monique Guillory — the sixth president since Davenport’s tenure began — called him an “institution” at the university and an “extraordinary talent.” “His students understand and appreciate the high standards he expects of them because he exempliﬁes those standards himself in everything he does — no excuses and no exceptions,” she wrote in a statement. “For ﬁve decades, Dr. Davenport has not simply led our choir; he has helped shape the lives of generations of Dillard students and contributed immeasurably to the cultural and musical legacy of this University. His impact will resonate at Dillard for generations to come.” For Davenport, the honors are heartening. But what keeps him there after so many years is the family he has built with his students. In his early years at Dillard, Davenport, who started teaching at 25, said he was like a brother to many students. But that was 50 years ago. “I was old enough to be their brother, then their father, now their grandfather and perhaps, in some cases, their great-grandfather,” he said. “I smile about that often.” It gives him the sense of purpose he needs to continue.

Powering Progress A New Home for Discovery, Research and Collaboration at LSU

Shell Research Laboratories

Pictured L to R: Rob Stuart, LSU Real Estate and Facilities Foundation President & CEO; Wade Rousse, LSU President; Rochelle Touchard, Shell, Corporate Relations Regional Lead; Colette Hirstius, Shell USA, President; Lee Stockwell, Shell, General Manager, Carbon Capture and Storage North America; Krista Raney, LSU Foundation President & CEO; Robb Brumﬁeld, LSU College of Science Interim Dean

“The opening of the LSU Our Lady of the Lake Health Interdisciplinary Science Building is a testament to the power of partnership and what can be achieved when industry and academia come together around a shared vision.

Shell USA, Inc. committed $2.5 million to the Our Lady of the Lake Health Interdisciplinary Science Building as part of a $27.5 million investment in energy-related initiatives at LSU. Shell Research Laboratories offers advanced research environments to enable faculty and students to work together on complex, real world challenges.

We are proud to support a space where students, faculty and industry can collaborate to drive discovery, explore new frontiers and develop the next generation of scientists, engineers and energy leaders.” – Colette Hirstius, President, Shell USA

shell.us/louisiana | #PoweringProgress

6D ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Memories of Hurricane Gustav in Broadmoor BY KATHRYN PERRY Contributing writer

Maybe it’s my Baton Rouge neighborhood, maybe it’s Louisiana, but I’ve seen some unusual things. Trees down Human on every other Condition house — two on the house next door. A bunk bed broken in half, and a bathroom blocked by tree branches; the occupant wrapped a towel around her hand to break a window and crawl out. Entire cul-de-sacs wiped from memory — was there a street behind all those trees? Cars doing a two-way dance at six-lane intersections with no working trafﬁc signals for weeks. Hurricane Gustav, September 2008. Chickens crossing the road. My husband and I detoured daily to spot them and wondered how the owners justiﬁed keeping six when you’re only allowed three

per household. Did one own six and say the neighbor owned three or did two neighbors each own three? The chickens mingled freely and clearly owned the road and surrounding yards. We swear we saw Rasputin once. Large guy with a black beard and a robe that was somber yet elaborate — maybe he was an Orthodox clergyman.

Guy walking his dog while driving a golf cart. He rides slowly while his dog trots alongside without a leash. The dog looks happy, but the man stares straight ahead. I shouldn’t judge — maybe he’s in pain. A family also rides around the neighborhood in a golf cart. No license plate or turn signals, though. The Stay-Puff marshmallow man, the Oscar Mayer Wienermo-

bile and a segmented dragon on a parade float. Those were during Halloween, the Broadmoor Christmas parade and Lunar New Year (or Tet Nguyên Đán), respectively. Virgin Mary with strobing halos. Rainbow-colored lights radiate out in spokes from her head. Some people complain to the neighborhood association, which baffles me. The statues are beautiful and unique, and I wouldn’t trade them to live in a boring neighborhood. One Virgin Mary statue was seen crying tears and the faithful lined up down the block to witness. A crested bird in a drainage ditch at the neighborhood park — my first sighting of a yellowcrowned night Heron. Large egret checking out the egret statue in my pond, then strutting along, stabbing at minnows. A hawk bursting out of the shrubs carrying a rat-sized object. Slender snakes shimmying across the pond, sleeping lizards on reeds, spiders the size of my palm skat-

ing across the water. Hundreds of glowing lights in the lawn that blink closed when the ﬂashlight lingers too long (do not try this if you have a spider phobia). Goodwood Boulevard has a dedicated bicycle lane, so you see electric scooters and skateboards, men on impossibly small bicycles, people texting while riding their scooters and bicycles. Just on Sunday, I saw a woman with long hair extensions down her back riding a scooter, smoking a cigarette and giving the ﬁnger to a passing driver. Living her best life, here, in Broadmoor. — Perry lives in Baton Rouge. Advocate readers may submit stories of about 500 words to The Human Condition at features@theadvocate.com or The Advocate, Features, 10705 Rieger Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70809. There is no payment, and stories will be edited. Authors should include their city of residence.

LAMANA

Continued from page 1D

parently, there is a Palladio house in Baton Rouge built in 1996 by architect Ken Tate. Come visit Vicenza and I’ll give you a tour of my city!”

Center in Lower Manhattan, New York City. A fourth plane crashed at 10:03 a.m. in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Scott Lamana was sitting in his office in the Pentagon’s E Ring tracking the planes in New York when the Flight 77 crash killed him, 124 of his colleagues and the 64 passengers on the plane. He was a U.S. Navy lieutenant on the brink of a promotion to lieutenant commander, and he was three months shy of earning his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Maryland. Scott Lamana was married to his Baton Rouge sweetheart, Lorna, and all seemed right in the world until that fateful day 25 years ago.

Homemade or marketing

The 25th anniversary

Debbie in Harvey sent a handmade postcard and wrote: “Dear Jan, Last year I sent you a postcard that I had painted with bamboo. This year, it’s my first attempt using cyanotype. It’s such a pretty blue. I think this is some of the creeping ﬁg, which has escaped its pot and is growing by my front door.” From Oregon, Leah Simon sent one of the most beautiful postcards I’ve ever received. It appears to be a reprint of a watercolor painting of two people on a lake in a red canoe. I do love a red canoe, which may explain why I chose to keep this particular postcard front and center on my desk since I received it in July. Upon a closer inspection, I realized that Simon’s postcard appears to be from a restaurant called Lake House in Caldera Springs, Oregon. I feel like making a trip to Oregon just to eat at a restaurant that has the level of taste to do that kind of subtle marketing.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and the Lamana family will always feel its pain. Michael Lamana recounts how he, his wife, Wanda, and their son’s in-laws piled into a car for a nonstop drive from Baton Rouge to Washington on the day of the crash. Scott’s death had not been confirmed and wouldn’t be until after their arrival. They would bury him in Arlington Cemetery a month later. On the way to Washington, Michael Lamana thought about a cuff bracelet worn by his son. It commemorated a POW/MIA soldier who went missing in Laos during the Vietnam War. On this day, he pushes up his shirt sleeve to show the bracelet on his right wrist while standing in front of a small exhibit in the LSU Brookshire Military Museum dedicated to his son’s service. The inscription has worn off the bracelet, but it doesn’t matter, because now it commemorates Scott. He gazes at the dress blue uniform in the exhibit case, pointing out the gold Joint Chiefs of Staff badge pinned on the left side beneath a set of ﬂight wings. Scott Lamana served as a briefer for the chief of naval operations. In this role, he helped monitor the operations of the Navy’s global ﬂeet from his post in Pentagon’s Navy Command Center.

STAFF PHOTO By JAN RISHER

Four of the 30 postcards from South Korea, sent by Mr. Jo

POSTCARD

Continued from page 1D Garland’s team eventually won an industry award for the fastest startup in licensing history, and he credits Mr. Jo for most of the effort that led to success. So when Garland saw a need for a postcard from Korea, he asked Mr. Jo — a man he has not worked alongside in more than a decade — to send a single postcard to a newspaper columnist in Louisiana. Mr. Jo sent 30. “That’s just about like everything Mr. Jo does,” Garland said. “He goes above and beyond.”

36 countries, 50 states The ﬁfth annual Postcard Project has turned out to be our biggest yet. We made our goal of receiving postcards from all 50 states earlier than we’ve ever done it before — more than a month before our Labor Day deadline, in fact. Plus, we’ve received postcards from more countries than ever before — 36 countries in all. For the record, the United Nations might not approve of the way I’m counting countries, but I’m counting Antarctica nonetheless. How often does one receive a postcard from Antarctica? Or Greenland? Both were from the same person, Dena Maturin of Lafayette. She also sent one from Norway. I expect we will receive a few more postcards from near and far before the Labor Day deadline. When we were missing a postcard from Oklahoma, Aron Katz came through — by way of his mother. He wrote, “You can check one more state off your list! My mom who lives in Lafayette asked that I send this note to you.” From North Dakota, George and Nancy Couvillon, of Marksville, wrote: “Chere Jan, We’re on a pilgrimage and family reunion to the ‘Frozen North.’ Hopefully these greetings will help you meet your postcard deadline production report: Lots of corn, some soybeans, little wheat, very few injury lawyer billboards, no trash on the side of the road. As always, anxious to get back to God’s Avoyelles.” Keith Long, of New Orleans, sent a postcard from Mexico. He wrote, “Greetings from Puerto Vallarta, land of abundant sunshine, tacos al pastor, chilaquiles verdes and a statue of John Huston whose 1964 movie ‘Night of the Iguana’ inspired Richard Burton and Liz Taylor to purchase Casa Kimberly as their love nest the same year and put Puerto Vallarta on the map.” Melissa Reed sent a postcard from Vicenza, Italy. She wrote: “Ciao Ms. Risher! Greetings from Vicenza, Italy, known as the City of Palladio — the 16th century architect. Ap-

Postcard mysteries Not all postcards were new. After her aunt passed away, Suzann Davis of Prairieville found a 1931 postcard of Tiger Stadium that she sent me. A mystery person sent at least a dozen old postcards from spots around the globe. Most included messages like this one from Montego Bay, Jamaica, which read: “Time traveled to 1970. Worked on my tan and relaxed on the beach. Wish you were here. X” Or this one from Niagara Falls: “Went way back in time before it was super tacky. Wish you were here. X” And with words in a Cyrillic alphabet that features Red Square, an array of sickles and hammers and a large CCCP logo: “Had to travel back to the Golden Age of the USSR. Wish you were here. X” The sender of these time-travelthemed postcards remains a mystery — all postmarks are Baton Rouge. I hope whoever sent them enjoyed sending them as much as I did receiving them. Garland’s other leads panned out too. The Morocco postcard and the one from Belgium came from other colleagues, each with stories of their own. Like the rest of the postcards, someone had the idea, found a postcard and went to the trouble of mailing it, from near or far. Once again, I am not certain what I will do with all of these postcards, 30 of which are from a man in Seoul whom I’ve never met, sent because a friend asked. In a summer where headlines keep score of what’s fraying, 3-inch by 5-inch postcards create special connections and feel worth counting, too.

STAFF PHOTO By ROBIN MILLER

Michael Lamana stands next to the LSU Brookshire Military Museum’s exhibit commemorating his son, Lt. Michael Scott Lamana, who died 25 years ago in the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon.

and graduated from Catholic High School, then LSU, where he joined the ROTC. “LSU had the Army and Air Force ROTC, but Scott wanted to join the Navy ROTC,” Michael Lamana said. “Southern had the Navy ROTC, so he joined there.” His dad remembers Scott as a curious kid, who eagerly learned the mechanics of things. When he wanted a car, he took on several jobs at once, including reserve positions with the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office and Fire Department, while attending LSU. But Scott Lamana’s dream was flying airplanes for the Navy. After graduating LSU with a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1992, he was commissioned as an ensign in the Navy, then trained as a naval flight officer, earning his flight wings. Though his eyesight prohibited A bigger picture him from being a pilot, Scott LaThough he’s proud of his son’s mana flew with Patrol Squadron service, Michael Lamana shares a Nine in Barber’s Point, Hawaii, bigger picture of his son, one that where he served as a navigator/ begins with a childhood in Baton communicator, tactical coordinaRouge, where he was born in 1970 tor and mission commander on a

PORCH

Still fights back tears Michael Lamana still ﬁghts back tears when talking about his son’s life. Stories overlap, like his son’s volunteer work to remodel schools in Hawaii and the time Scott totally dismantled a 1964 Mustang and put it back together without a hitch. But now he thinks about that picture Scott drew all those years ago. “I tell people to pay attention to what your kids do, not because what’s happening now will happen in the future, but how it relates to who they will develop into,” he said. “We, as people, are a summation of our experiences in life, whether bad or good. That’s who we are.”

Jan Risher’s new porch is a work in progress. She and her husband are living in their home as they finish rebuilding after a fire damaged it in August 2025.

Continued from page 1D one of my cousins must have left at my grandmother’s. I was operating sans needle and thread, but I still believed the geometry of a wrap dress could be figured out. If I could cut it right, wouldn’t the only critical part be a tiny hole for a belt to go through? Spoiler alert: My doll-sized wrap dress attempt never worked. The doll ended up resembling a glorified mummy instead. In short, my grandmother saw potential everywhere she looked. She was always considering how to improve upon what was there — how to make it more beautiful, how to make it fit better or work better. She would definitely have ideas on how to get my porch in gear, and those ideas would come to fruition in a flash. Things would disappear. Caladium bulbs would be planted.

P-3C maritime patrol aircraft. Then came his service in the Persian Gulf, followed by a stint as one of the Navy’s youngest flight instructors. In 1999, he was assigned to the Pentagon, where, on Sept. 11, he protected other workers in the E Ring by telling them, “Y’all get out of the ofﬁce and let us do our job” — a story relayed to Michael Lamana by survivors of the attack.

STAFF PHOTO By JAN RISHER Right now I’m listening to cicadas and cardinals. In honor of my grandmother, my husband and I just straightened out a beautiful rug another friend picked up at an estate sale and sent us and pulled a little table over so we can prop up our feet. He has come outside to join me now. I spent so many hours alone on my grandmother’s porch, so I appreciate having someone to share mine with. The thermometer says it’s only 83 degrees

outside. Remarkably, I feel a slight breeze coming through the screens — like a late-summer Louisiana dream. Even though the porch has a long way to go, taking this moment of stillness together — in the midst of a lot of chaos around us — is a balm for my spirit. My little girl self would be so pleased. Email Jan Risher at jan.risher@ theadvocate.com.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● 7D

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ARTS & CULTURE Free exhibit in New Orleans explores evolution of La. maps ‘Borders in Motion’ is open through Sept. 30 To all the map people out there — you know who you are — navigate to the Nous Foundation Gallery at 602 Toulouse St. to catch the exhibit “Becoming Louisiana: Borders in Motion, 1683-1814” while you can. The free exhibit, which closes Sept. 30, uses wall-sized line drawings derived from historic maps of the region Dave (from the holdings Walker of the Historic New Orleans Collection and the Library of Congress) made during the title time span. The idea is to demonstrate how the concept of “Louisiana” changed during the decades leading to statehood, and how it “was represented, contested, and transformed over time,” says the introductory wall text, by mapmakers charting the regional reigns of France, Spain and upstart colonists, as well as the indigenous originals who preceded them all. Whole regions in the maps swell and shrink as imperial control shifts. When recognized at all, the placement of Indigenous tribes shifts, too. QR codes direct the viewer to zoomable versions of the ornate and often cartographically approximate original maps. “Initially we wanted to have the original maps next to the new maps, but it was a little too much because we have a small space,” Head Curator Rudy BazenetTilton said. “So, I thought it would be nice to have a QR code and to allow people to scan them to see them in real time and then move on to the next map and do that again and kind of like be able to zoom in.”

PHOTO By DAVE WALKER

The first map in the ‘Becoming Louisiana’ exhibit is from 1683 and reflects an early phase of the French exploration of the Mississippi River valley.

The Nous Foundation

what’s been really exciting for us, though, is the foot trafﬁc. “For us, the focus is on locals coming in, and we’re really happy to play that role. We joked when we opened the space that we were bringing French back to the French Quarter, right?” “ … Being the only Francophone organization in the Quarter, it’s really important to be able to provide that accessibility, because it’s a huge part of how New Orleans markets itself.”

Founded in 2021, the nonproﬁt New Orleans Foundation for Francophone Cultures moved in 2025 to its current space — in a building that’s part of the Historic New Orleans Collection’s French Quarter campus. In addition to the Toulouse-facing gallery, there is a French language bookstore and a co-working space. Visitors are typically a combination of locals and tourists. Louisiana’s America “We do have a large social media presence — we’re really pres“Becoming Louisiana” joined a series of Nous Foundation exent on Instagram,” Executive Director Scott Bazenet-Tilton hibits designed to localize the said. “So, I think people ﬁgured semiquincentennial year celeout about it that way. I think brating the 250th anniversary of

TODAY IN HISTORY By The Associated Press Today is Sunday, Sept. 6, the 249th day of 2026. There are 116 days left in the year. Today in history: On Sept. 6, 1901, President William McKinley was shot and mortally wounded by anarchist Leon Czolgosz at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. (McKinley died eight days later and was succeeded by his vice president, Theodore Roosevelt.) Also on this date: In 1522, the Victoria, commanded by Juan Sebastian de Elcano, arrived in Spain, completing the first circumnavigation of the globe on an expedition launched in 1519 by Ferdinand Magellan; Elcano and 21 others were the only survivors of the expedition, which set out with five ships and 270 men (Magellan was killed in the Philippines a year earlier.) In 1781, British Brigadier General Benedict Arnold, a onetime American officer, ordered British forces to burn New London, Connecticut. In 1914, in World War I, the first Battle of the Marne began as French and British troops attacked advancing German forces, stopping the advance and avoiding the capture of Paris. In 1949, Howard Unruh, a resident of Camden, New Jersey, shot and killed 13 of his neighbors. (Unruh, who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, was incarcerated for 60 years until his death in 2009.) In 1972, the Summer Olympics resumed in Munich, West Germany, a day after the deadly hostage crisis that left 11 Israelis, five Arab abductors and a West German police officer dead. In 1975, 18-year-old tennis star Martina Navratilova of Czechoslovakia, in New York for the U.S. Open, requested political asylum in the United States. In 1995, Baltimore Oriole Cal Ripken Jr. played in his 2,131st consecutive game, breaking Lou Gehrig’s 56 year-old MLB record; Ripken’s streak would ultimately reach a still-record 2,632 games. In 1997, a public funeral was held for Princess Diana at Westminster Abbey in London, six days after her death in a car crash in Paris. In 2006, President George W. Bush acknowledged for the first time that the CIA was running secret prisons overseas and said “tough” interrogation techniques had forced terrorist leaders to reveal plots to attack the United States and its allies. In 2018, the Supreme Court of India decriminalized consensual sex between adults, legalizing homosexuality in the country. In 2022, Liz Truss began her tenure as U.K. prime minister; she would resign just 49 days later. Today’s Birthdays: Comedian JoAnne Worley is 89. Cartoonist Sergio Aragonés is 89. Rock singer-musician Roger Waters (Pink Floyd) is 83. Comedian-actor Jane Curtin is 79. Actor-comedian Jeff Foxworthy is 68. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is 64. Country singer-songwriter Mark Chesnutt is 63. Actor Rosie Perez is 62. R&B singer Macy Gray is 59. Actor Idris Elba is 54. Actor Justina Machado is 54. Actor Anika Noni Rose is 54. Actor Naomie Harris is 50. Rapper Foxy Brown is 48. Actor/singer Deborah Joy Winans is 43. Actor-comedian Lauren Lapkus is 41. Actor Asher Angel is 24. Actor Pearce Joza is 24.

the Declaration of Independence. “Musique(s)!” gathered 28 artists to acknowledge the centurieslong local tradition of music sung in French and Creole in an exhibition, album, book and short documentary. Opening in early October, “Vie, Liberté et Recherche du Bonheur: The Reception of the Declaration of Independence in Louisiana” will use “textual resources — articles, letters — to see how French speakers here in Louisiana received the news of the American Revolution,” Rudy Bazenet-Tilton said. A catalog surveying the exhibits is also in the works. “Maps are one of those things that, I don’t know, brings out the

schoolkid in you,” Scott BazenetTilton said. “To me, the mystery of mapmaking is, how did they do it? How did they know? And so boiling it down to just the lines is actually really good because it summarizes what that map was. “People who are interested in maps, I think for them this is really different.” The Nous Foundation Gallery’s hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Dave Walker focuses on behindthe-scenes coverage of the region’s many museums here and at www.themuseumgoer.com. Email Dave at dave@themuseumgoer.com

The case of the unsolicited jewelry appraisal Dear Miss Manners: How does one politely respond to someone who hijacks a compliment about an item of jewelry and basically turns it into an appraisal? When a guest asked me about my necklace, I responded that it is a Jerusalem cross, that the gems are opals and that it is a treasured gift from my mother from her recent trip to Jerusalem. Judith My mother and I have Martin October birthdays and MISS enjoy wearing opals, our MANNERS birthstone. That was apparently the perfect opportunity for another guest to grab the necklace and examine it, indicating that she was a “jewelry expert” because her husband was a jeweler. She told me, “Those aren’t opals, probably doublets” and went on for some time until I could extricate myself. How does one address people with such boorish behavior? Gentle Reader: By screaming when she grabbed the necklace from you, for starters. Otherwise, a tight smile as she nattered on was about the most you

could have done, perhaps followed by a wistful, “Well, it has special meaning to me.” Miss Manners is aware that this will not take away the sting of this woman’s hurtful comments, but perhaps your crestfallen look will make her think twice about doing it to someone else. Eh, probably not. Dear Miss Manners: A few years ago, my significant other suddenly passed away. Not long after, his daughter got married. My brother flew in from another state to be my plus-one, which I very much appreciated, given the circumstances, and we were both able to enjoy the beautiful occasion. My first cousin recently reached out to me, excited to share the news that her son will be getting married and wanted my brother and me to attend. Based on her knowledge of the prior wedding I attended, she suggested my brother could be my plus-one again, and I agreed. She asked me for his address and I obliged. Shortly thereafter, and to my surprise, I received a “save the date” envelope addressed as: Ms. Jane Doe and Mr. John Doe. But we are siblings, at

different addresses — not even in the same state. I feel I should have received my own announcement, and my brother should have received his own, as well. If they are concerned about a head count, when sending the actual wedding invitations, they could simply omit the option for a plus-one. Should I say something to my cousin, or the bride and groom? What is the etiquette here? Gentle Reader: This is particularly perplexing, since you and your brother have the same relationship to this cousin. Why would he not get his own invitation for that reason alone? Not doubt, she was just saving a stamp — and/or, since you had discussed it beforehand, she did not feel like addressing two envelopes. But if it really bothers you and you want to get her back, Miss Manners recommends you and your brother split the cost of the present and put both of your names on it. That will teach her. Find Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; or email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com.

Seeking tips on handling grief in losing a pet Dear Heloise: My sweet little dog died two days ago, and I can’t stop crying. I know that in time, I’ll calm down, but I had him for 21 years. He was like a child to me. I found him at a shelter as a baby — skinny, scared and abandoned. He needed me, and I needed Any hints on how to Hints from him. deal with this heartache? Heloise I thought perhaps one of your readers might have a suggestion. — Corrine M., in Newport, Rhode Island Corrine, having lost a number of pets over the years, I can honestly tell you that it never gets easier. Please take comfort in knowing you took him out of a bad situation and gave him a home, love, medical care and food. I have no doubt that he had a good life to have lived so long. It may be too soon, but one of kindest things you can do is ﬁnd another little pet who needs you. Shelters have all kinds of animals who are begging for someone to love them and take them home to a better life outside of a cage.

Readers, any suggestions on how you Microwave magic handle grief when you’ve lost a pet? We’d love to hear from you at Heloise@ Dear Heloise: Cleaning the microwave Heloise.com. — Heloise is really easy. Place a wet paper towel over the stuck-on food item. MicroKitten overflow wave this for 30 seconds, and the paper towel will loosen the stuck-on food so Dear Heloise: I work as a vet tech at a that you can wipe it up with ease. — Tevery busy clinic. Every spring, people come in with a mama cat and her kitresa C., via email tens. It’s usually between 10-11 people per week with a litter. They don’t want Getting a step up the kittens but tell us that the shelters Dear Heloise: This is in response to Patcan’t take any more strays or litters ty G. and her suggestion about using because they’re packed to the rafters. an aerobic step to help her mom get in The only way to avoid this problem and out of bed. is to have your animals spayed or neuWith mattresses getting thicker and my shortness, my husband used to give tered. me a hand to get into bed. Cats and dogs normally don’t long to But a few years ago, I had an “aha” have litters, like a human might long to moment, took my old unused stepper, have a baby. and put it next to my bed! A bonus is The animal goes into heat, which is that my grandkids use it, too, so that just nature’s way of making sure that we can read in bed together. I hide it the species survives. So, the best way to make sure that these darling babies under the bed after I make it up in the morning. It’s the perfect inexpensive aren’t killed by coyotes, cars or cruel solution! — Sheila E., in Middlebury, Connectipeople is to have them spayed or neutered. It’s quick and easy, and your pet cut is usually happier, cleaner, and a lot calmer. — J.T., in Illinois Send a hint to heloise@heloise.com.

8D ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Public Notices Bids/Proposals

.theacadianaadvocate.com

THE CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT will be closed on NDAY, SEPTEMBER 7th MONDAY 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 Employment

Pets

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. INDUSTRIAL Industrial Mechanics – Three (3) per‐ manent full-time positions at Louisiana Sugar Cane Cooperative Inc. (LASUCA) in St. Martinville, LA. Installation and scheduling of maintenance for stateof-the-art sugar factory machinery. Se‐ lects the appropriate tools, machines, and materials to be used in preparation of machinery work. Assistance of staff in maintenance procedures. Works with other machinists/industrial me‐ chanics in maintaining and repairing all equipment. Fabricate and modify parts to make or repair machine tools or maintain industrial machines. Two (2) years’ experience in sugar industry in job offered is required. No minimum ed‐ ucation level is required. No training is required, and no training is offered for the position. There is no requirement that the employee must live on the em‐ ployer’s premises, and this is not an op‐ tion for the permanent role. 40hrs/wk. Overtime hours will vary and are not guaranteed. Please send resumes or contact Mr. Mike Comb at LASUCA, 6092 Resweber Hwy., St. Martinville, LA 70582 Tel: 337-394-3255 Email: mike@ lasuca.com.

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE FOR PROPOSALS Notice is hereby given that sealed proposals will be received in the of‐ fice of the Purchasing Di‐ vision at the Lafayette Consolidated Govern‐ ment Building, located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, 10:00 Louisiana, until a.m. Central Time on the 28th day of September, 2026 for the following: ELECTRICAL LINE MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR SERVICES and will, shortly there‐ after, be opened and the NAMES ONLY read aloud in the Office of Purchas‐ ing located at 705 West University Avenue, Lafayette, LA. Proposals received after the above specified time for open‐ ing shall not be consid‐ ered and shall be re‐ turned unopened to the sender. Sealed proposals may be hand carried or mailed to the address listed above. Bidders are encouraged to call into the bid openings at the following link: https:// us02web.zoom.us/j/ 83411807944?pwd=8FK cmELx1p6ajqfLMkIOYmS O483YXP.1

Copies of the proposal speciﬁcations are avail‐ able to VIEW ONLY on the website at https://laf ayettecsdgovla.tylerpo rtico.com/va/vendoraccess/registration. Ven‐ dor may request an elec‐ tronic copy of the RFP by email to Dabne Dover at dabnedover@lafayettela. gov.

COMMUNICATIONS Positions Available:

* Accounting * Bookkeeper * Account Coordinator * Finance * Payroll Officer * Sales Representatives * Customer Service * Business Admin Representative

Public Notices

A unique Mardi Gras experience in a hardcover book

ORDER TODAY! PORCHES.PICTORIALBOOK.COM

List of jurors randomly drawn for Thurs. September 17, 2026 ADAMS, ARIEL ROSE AGUILLON, NANCY A ALLEN, DANA AARON ALTAZAN, BRETT MICHAEL AMOS, MARIE D ANDERSON, GEORGE CHARLES ANDRUS, DEBORAH B ANGELLE, DOROTHY S ANGELLE, JERMAINE KEITH ANSON, STEPHEN CHRISTOPHER ARCENEAUX, JOHNATHAN J ARCENEAUX, FAYE K AUBREY, KRISTOPHER B AUBURN, MILTON DELMA AUSTIN, JUDE T BABINEAUX, CARRIE EDNA BAEZQUINTERO, RODRIGO ALBERTO BARONNE, GINA MARIE BATISTE, TYLER JAMES BATISTE, CAMERON AMARI BAYLESS, BENJAMIN ARMAND BELL, MICHAEL DEANGELO BENJAMIN, CAHAFER PARELL WILLIAM R BERARD, LISA LOCKARD BERNARD, JOSHUA J BESSARD, ORELIA E BONIN, LARRY J BOOCKER, EVA G BORDE, DYLAN CADE BRASSEAUX, GLYNN P BREAUX, NICHOLAS CHARLES BROTHERS, CRYSTAL BROUSSARD, ERNESTINE BROWN, PAMELA DELORES BUETOW, JAMIE BERNARD BURKHALTER, KHALIL JOSEPH BYERS, JEAN H CAIN, CHRISTOPHER RUSSELL CAMPBELL, LOGAN MICHAEL CANNON, EDNA MAE CANNON, ERIN SHIRLEY CAZALOT, LEAH MARIE CEASAR, LADUANA N CHEVALIER, ERIC JOHN CHRIST, LAYNA BENSON CLAY, ROSE ELLEN COMEAUX, LEROY JUNIUS COMEAUX, DORITA O CRESPORUIZ, ALBERTO CULOTTA, RUSSELL P DAIGLE, ALLISON ABSHIRE DARJEAN, DONTAE CAMRON DAVID, LOUIS T DAVIDSON, ROBERT T DAVIS, JOYCE M DECUIR, ERIC A DELAHOUSSAYE, KOLBE LOUIS DEVAURS, JOHN ROBERT DIXON, LINDA L DIXON, RAPHAEL LEOLA DOMINGUE, HUNTER ALEXANDER RAMSEY DONG, JIAN GUO DUCHARME, BARBARA ANNE DUFFY, MARY CLAIRE DURAND, RANDY ECHOLS-BROWN, BRENDA J EDWARDS, KIRSTEN ELIZABETH FAUGOT, HUNTER B

Scope of Services: The scope of work shall con‐ sist of, but is not limited to, providing labor and equipment necessary for the maintenance, repair, reconductor, and re‐ placement of electrical facilities on the overhead portion of the municipal power system. The Con‐ tractor or the Contrac‐ tor’s designated General Foreman shall have a minimum of ﬁfteen (15) years’ experience in the construction and mainte‐ nance of energized over‐ head electric distribution lines of at least 13.8kV and energized overhead electric transmission lines of at least 69kV. DEADLINE FOR QUES‐ TIONS: All questions re‐ garding this project must be submitted no later than noon 12:00 pm (CST) on 09/14/2026 to be con‐ sidered valid. All ques‐ tions must be submitted in writing to Dabne Dover dabnedover@ at lafayettela.gov. Proposals must be signed in accordance with LRS Title 38:2212(B)5. A Corporate Resolution authorizing the person signing the proposal is required to be submitted with pro‐ posal. Failure to submit a Corporate Resolution with the proposal shall be cause for rejection of proposal. Proposals shall be either hand delivered or mailed in a sealed envelope to the address listed above. Sealed proposals must be submitted one (1) marked Original, one (1) exact copy marked Copy, one (1) electronic copy in PDF format on disc or USB drive, and one (1)

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

redacted copy marked Redacted. The Proposal Forms with rates needs to be submitted in a sep‐ arate sealed envelope clearly marked as such. Proposals received after the due date and time shall be returned un‐ opened to the vendor. Each proposal shall fol‐ low the instructions listed in the RFP regard‐ ing submittal of their proposal. Each proposal shall be accompanied by a certi‐ fied check, cashier’s check, or bid bond payable to the Layette Consolidated Govern‐ ment, the amount of which shall be $100,000.00. If a bid bond is used, it shall be writ‐ ten by a surety or insur‐ ance company currently on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Management Service list of approved bonding companies which is pub‐ lished annually in the Federal Register, or by the Louisiana domiciled insurance 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 company in good stand‐ ing licensed to write bid bonds which is either domiciled in Louisiana or owned by Louisiana resi‐ dents. The bid bond shall be issued by a company licensed to do business in Louisiana. The certi‐ fied check, cashier’s check, or bid bond shall be given as a guarantee that the bidder shall exe‐ cute the contract, should it be awarded to him, in conformity with the con‐ tract documents within ten (10) days. No vendor may withdraw his proposal for at least forty-five (45) days after the time scheduled for the opening of proposals. Each proposal shall fol‐ low the instructions listed in the RFP regard‐ ing submittal of their proposal. Proposals will be evalu‐ ated by the Purchaser based on the evaluation criteria outlined in the In‐ formation for Proposers. The Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government re‐ serves the right to reject any and all proposals or any portions thereof, to waive informalities and to select the material that best suits its needs. Contractors shall be li‐ censed for the classifica‐ “ELECTRICAL tion of WORK (STATEWIDE)” and the subclassification of “ELECTRICAL TRANSMIS‐ SION LINE”. Proposals which have not bid in ac‐ cordance with the re‐ quirements, shall be re‐ jected and shall not be read. Additional informa‐ tion relative to licensing may be obtained from the Louisiana State Li‐ censing Board for Con‐ tractors, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government strongly encourages the participation of DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) in all con‐ tracts or procurements let by the Lafayette Con‐ solidated Government 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 which disadvantaged b i il bl

FAULK, DAVID W FAULK, LISA FISHER, LAUREN DUPLECHIN FLUGENCE, LASHONDA LYNN FOSTER, TANYA PARKER FOUQUIER, NICK FRANCIS, MARY H FRANCIS, DONALD L FRANCIS, GERALDINE HAMILTON FRANCIS, PHYLLIS ANNE FRANCIS, AZEVIEL MERENEE MICHELE FRENCH, KATHERINE BREAUX FUSILIER, MARLA ANN GALLAGHER, SARAH GAUTREAUX, CLAY ANDREW GAUTREAUX, JACOB THOMAS GEORGE, ELIZABETH S GOODRICH, TYLER PAINE GOULAS, BOBBY D GRAHAM, ALLISON MAXWELL GREEN, MALIK MOHAMMAD GREEN, AMBER KATHRYN LUCILLE GRIFFIN, RONALD GUIDRY, DEVIN JOSEPH GUIDRY, HAROLD G HANSEN, LESLEY DELPHIN HARDCASTLE, TREVOR WAYNE HARRISON, LOU ANN LANDRY HARRISON, TRISTAN JAMES HEARD, DANEISHA SHINEL HEBERT, BLAKE KATHERINE HEBERT, TROY A HEBERT, GLENN J HEBERT, DANIEL JOHN HEBERT, CORY STEVEN HOLTZCLAW, MATTHEW BENTLEY HUESERS, JANUARI MICHELLE HULETT, LAUREN KRISTINE HUNTER, ALICIA FAITH HURSEY, SEREN CADE HUVAL, PATRICIA WEIL HUYNH, DANNY PHAM IPSON, CASSIE L JACKSON, CHERYL ANN JACOBS, MICHAEL DWAYNE JOHNSON, WILLIAM EDWARD JOHNSON, KENNEDYETTA DAZI JONES, MARK R JONES, TONI GREEN JUDICE, MICHELLE REGAN KIBODEAUX, BAYLI CLAIRE KRAUSE, DANA P LACASSIN, ALAN CLAY LALONDE, BRIAN DEE LANDO, KENDRICK L LANDRY, ASHIYA SHAKII LANDRY, MARINA C LAWSON, JESSICA STAFFORD LAZARD, LISA SHANTON LEBLANC, GABRIELLE ANSLEY LEBLANC, QUINCY JOHN LEMAIRE, KATIE TOUPS LEVY, CAROLYN LEWIS, LEE M LIU, YAN MALAGARIE, LUCILLE ANN MALBROUGH, DARNAE MARKS, LLOYD JOSEPH MARTIN, KAY MARIX MCGEE, TAAHIRA

Public Notices Bids/Proposals g business are available. Assistance in identifying said businesses may be obtained by calling 2918410. PURCHASING DIVISION LAFAYETTE CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT PUBLISH DATES: 08/27, 08/30, 09/06 DPR 1006213 198643 Aug. 27, 30, Sept. 6, 3t $172.47 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 Consolidated Govern‐ ment Building, located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, Louisiana, until 3:00 pm Central Time on the 16th day of September, 2026 for the following: 8 INCH PUMP TRAILER RE-BID and will, shortly there‐ after, be opened and read aloud in City Hall lo‐ cated at 705 West Univer‐ sity Avenue, Lafayette, LA. Bids received after the above specified time for opening shall not be considered and shall be returned unopened to the sender. Bidders are encouraged to attend the bid opening virtually by using the following link https://us02web.zoom. us/j/88633879284? pwd=nY1qviEFhtaFpEA u6vribeSuRJqG99.1 Meet‐ ing ID: 886 3387 9284 Passcode: 580187 In accordance with Louisiana RS 38:2212. vendors may submit 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 electronically from Thomas Metrejean at tg‐ metrejean@lafayettela. gov. Vendors submitting bids electronically are re‐ quired to provide the same documents as bid‐ ders submitting through the mail as soon as avail‐ able. Only a bid bond, certified check or 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‐ versity Avenue, Lafayette, LA 70506. Tele‐ phone number (337) 2917187 (Attn: Thomas Me‐ trejean). Bidding docu‐ ments shall be available until twenty-four (24) hours before the bid opening date. Each bid shall be accom‐ panied by a certified check, cashier’s check or bid bond payable to the Lafayette Consolidated Government, the amount of which shall be five percent (5%) of the total bid price. If a bid bond is used, it shall be written by a surety or insurance company currently on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Management Service list of approved bonding companies which is pub‐ lished annually in the Federal Register, or by a Louisiana domiciled in‐ surance company with at least an A-Rating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide to write individual bonds up to ten percent (10%) of policyholders’ surplus as shown in the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide, or by an insurance com‐ pany in good standing li‐ censed to write bid bonds which is either domiciled in Louisiana or owned by Louisiana resi‐ dents. The bid bond shall be issued by a company licensed to do business in Louisiana and counter‐ signed by a person who is under contract with re‐ siding in this state. The certified check, cashier’s check, or bid bond shall be given as a guarantee that the bidder shall exe‐ cute the contract, should it be awarded to him, in conformity with the con‐ tract documents within ten (10) days. No bidder may withdraw his bid for at least fortyfive (45) days after the time scheduled for the opening of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided with the specifications. Bids will be evaluated by the Purchaser based on the lowest responsible and responsive bid sub‐ mitted which is also in compliance with the bid documents. The 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‐ dated Government strongly encourages the participation of DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) in all con‐ tracts or procurements let by the Lafayette Con‐ solidated Government 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 which disadvantaged business are available. Assistance in identifying said businesses may be b i d b lli

Public Notices Bids/Proposals y obtained by calling 2918410. PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated Government PUBLISH DATES: 9/1/26, 9/6/26 DPR # 1008627 199210 Sept. 1, 6, 2t $100.40

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 Consolidated Govern‐ ment Building, located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, Louisiana, until 3:00 pm Central Time on the 15th day of September, 2026 for the following: TWO 2025 OR NEWER MOBILE SURVEILLANCE CCTV TRAILERS RE-BID and will, shortly there‐ after, be opened and read aloud in City Hall lo‐ cated at 705 West Univer‐ sity Avenue, Lafayette, LA. Bids received after the above specified time for opening shall not be considered and shall be returned unopened to the sender. Bidders are encouraged to attend the bid opening virtually by using the following link https://us02web.zoom. us/j/88521925618? pwd=oYvVHbRBPDkW2sf bkmqQrVbT2nhDls.1 Meeting ID: 885 2192 5618 Passcode: 861035 In accordance with Louisiana RS 38:2212. vendors may submit 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 electronically from Thomas Metrejean at tg‐ metrejean@lafayettela. gov. Vendors submitting bids electronically are re‐ quired to provide the same documents as bid‐ ders submitting through the mail as soon as avail‐ able. Only a bid bond, certified check or 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

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

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‐ versity Avenue, Lafayette, LA 70506. Tele‐ phone number (337) 2917187 (Attn: Thomas Me‐ trejean). Bidding docu‐ ments shall be available until twenty-four (24) hours before the bid opening date. Each bid shall be accom‐ panied by a certified check, cashier’s check or bid bond payable to the Lafayette Consolidated Government, the amount of which shall be five percent (5%) of the total bid price. If a bid bond is used, it shall be written by a surety or insurance company currently on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Management Service list of approved bonding companies which is pub‐ lished annually in the Federal Register, or by a Louisiana domiciled in‐ surance company with at least an A-Rating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide to write individual bonds up to ten percent (10%) of policyholders’ surplus as shown in the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide, or by an insurance com‐ pany in good standing li‐ censed to write bid bonds which is either domiciled in Louisiana or owned by Louisiana resi‐ dents. The bid bond shall be issued by a company licensed to do business in Louisiana and counter‐ signed by a person who is under contract with re‐ siding in this state. The certified check, cashier’s check, or bid bond shall be given as a guarantee that the bidder shall exe‐ cute the contract, should it be awarded to him, in conformity with the con‐ tract documents within ten (10) days. No bidder may withdraw his bid for at least fortyfive (45) days after the time scheduled for the opening of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided with the specifications. Bids will be evaluated by the Purchaser based on the lowest responsible and responsive bid sub‐ mitted which is also in compliance with the bid documents. The 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‐ dated Government strongly encourages the participation of DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) in all con‐ tracts or procurements let by the Lafayette Con‐ solidated Government for goods and services and labor and material.

The Lafayette Parish Unincorporated Areas Floodplain Management, hereby gives notice of the Lafayette Parish’s intent to revise the flood hazard information, generally located at the northeastern corner of the intersection of Kaliste Saloom Rd & E. Broussard Rd. Specifically, the flood hazard information shall be revised along an unnamed lateral of Isaac Verot Coulee from a point approximately northwest of the intersection of Kaliste Saloom Rd. & E. Broussard Rd. to a point approximately at the end of Gumbo Rd. As a result of the revision, the 1% annual chance floodplain shall be removed within the area of revision. Maps and detailed analysis of the revision can be reviewed at the SPEC, LLC at 107 Nolan Rd, Broussard, LA 70518. Interested persons may call Clay Boudreaux, CFM at 337-291-8468 for additional information. 199313-683310-sep 2-8-7t $ 3,150.00

MILLER, JOSHUA MATTHEW DAYLE MITCHELL, BRANDI NICOLE MORGEL, ASHTYN ROSE MOSS, MERCEDES LASHENA MOSS, DEIRDE E MOUTON, NICOLE GRIFFIN NGUYEN, HOI VAN ORDOYNE, MARIA LANDRY PACKARD, HELEN J PARKER, GEORGE T PEDDAVEGI, SRINIVAS PEPPER, ERROL JAMES PERRET, CHRISTINE A POWERS, THOMAS H PUENTES, CELESTE DALLANNY QUINNEY, TOMERRICK TREVONNE RABON, JADA RAQUEL RICHARD, TRASIMA N RICHARDS, KAYLA DAVIS ROBICHAUX, ALEX MICHAEL SADDLER, MARIA VALERIA SAM, SHEREE NICOLE SAPP, MARCUS EUGENE SAVOIE, KATHERINE SCARLETT SAVOIE, CALLIE SARAH SCHEXNAYDER, DARREN J SCHNEIDER, BRETT A SHARIF, MOHAMMAD AMIR SHELVIN, ERIK PAUL SIMON, DWUANE S SIMPSON, PHALEN J SINEGAL, WARNER J SINGLETON, GERALD JERMAINE SONNIER, RONNIDAYL MAE ST-JULIENDELACHAUSSEE, WYNEVER CYR STJULIEN, MELISSA ANN STUBBS, KELLY E SWOFFORD, ZEZA SANTOS THEALL, BENJAMIN FARLEY THERIOT, REBECCA SUZANNE THIBEAUX, WANDA P THIBODEAUX, GABRIELLE MAE THIBODEAUX, EMMA ELIZABETH TOUCHET, TANNER LUKE TRAN, DANIEL LUIS UNDERWOOD, LARS SOLOMON VICTORIA, TESSICA RENELL VO, JESSICA LAUREN VORTICE, HENRY EARL WALKER, JAMIE JANE WALKER, CHARLES J WALKER, CARLUS BERNARD WALKER, PATRICIA J WARD, MADISON CLARE WESLEY, WILTON JOSEPH WETZEL, JERRY R WHITE, JADE JOSEPH WINEGEART, MARY ANNE WUNDER, JARED CHRISTOPHER YOUNG, SUSAN ALANE ZAMBARDINO, FABIANA BENEDINI GALLI ZAPPI, KYLE EDWARD ZEMICHAEL, JOHANNES W ZIMMERMAN-REEL, MARLO PROVIDENCIA

197839-678493-sep 6-1t $ 224.91

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● 9D

lll

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

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 which disadvantaged business are available. Assistance in identifying said businesses may be obtained by calling 2918410. PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated Government PUBLISH DATES: 8/31/26, 9/6/26 DPR # 1008622 198820 Aug. 31, Sept. 6, 2t $100.82 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO BIDDERS Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received either electroni‐ cally at https://lafayet tecsdgovla.tylerportico. com/va/vendor-access/ registration or in the of‐ fice of the Purchasing Di‐ vision at the Lafayette Consolidated Govern‐ ment Building, located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, Louisiana, until 3:30 pm Central Time on the 15th day of September, 2026 for the following: TELEHANDLER FORKLIFT and will, shortly there‐ after, be opened and read aloud in City Hall lo‐ cated at 705 West Univer‐ sity Avenue, Lafayette, LA. Bids received after the above specified time for opening shall not be considered and shall be returned unopened to the sender. Bidders are encouraged to attend the bid opening virtually by using the following link https://us02web.zoom. us/j/89221577253? pwd=oa9GKAADJk4ZZ0v 7tO1GUwhoxUsMxv.1 Meeting ID: 892 2157 7253 Passcode: 355427 In accordance with Louisiana RS 38:2212. vendors may submit 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 i h h d l d

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

g prior to the scheduled date and time of the bid opening. Vendors may request the bid package electronically from Thomas Metrejean at tg‐ metrejean@lafayettela. gov.

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.

Vendors submitting bids electronically are re‐ quired to provide the same documents as bid‐ ders submitting through the mail as soon as avail‐ able. Only a bid bond, certified check or 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‐ versity Avenue, Lafayette, LA 70506. Tele‐ phone number (337) 2917187 (Attn: Thomas Me‐ trejean). Bidding docu‐ ments shall be available until twenty-four (24) hours before the bid opening date. Each bid shall be accom‐ panied by a certified check, cashier’s check or bid bond payable to the Lafayette Consolidated Government, the amount of which shall be five percent (5%) of the total bid price. If a bid bond is used, it shall be written by a surety or insurance company currently on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Management Service list of approved bonding 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

No bidder may withdraw his bid for at least fortyfive (45) days after the time scheduled for the opening of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided with the specifications. Bids will be evaluated by the Purchaser based on the lowest responsible and responsive bid sub‐ mitted which is also in compliance with the bid documents. The 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‐ dated Government strongly encourages the participation of DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) in all con‐ tracts or procurements let by the Lafayette Con‐ solidated Government 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 which disadvantaged business are available. Assistance in identifying said businesses may be obtained by calling 2918410. PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated Government PUBLISH DATES: 8/31/26, 9/6/26 DPR # 1008628 199063 Aug. 31, Sept. 6, 2t $100.40 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received either electroni‐ cally at https://lafayet tecsdgovla.tylerportico. com/va/vendor-access/ registration or in the of‐ fice of the Purchasing Di‐ vision at the Lafayette Consolidated Govern‐ ment Building, located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, Louisiana, until 10:30 AM Central Time on the 24th day of September, 2026 for the following: I-10 GATEWAY CORRIDOR INITIATIVE and will, shortly there‐ f b d d

List of jurors randomly drawn and to serve for the term beginning on September 14, 2026: ABSHIRE, TIFFANY FAITH FREEMAN ALAM, HAMMAAD ALBANESE, CALLISTA JOLIE ALDRICH, STACY LYN ALEXANDER, JAVON JOSEPH ALEXANDER, CASSANDRA A ALLEMAN, PATRICK ALLEN, INCA J ALVAREZ, JULIAN LUCAS ANDRUS, JERRICK SCOTT ANGELLE, AMY ELLEN ARCEMENT, DEBORAH L ARCENEAUX, EMILY BROUSSARD ARTON, KAY MICHAEL BABINEAUX, CHRISTIAN ISAIAH BABINEAUX, ABBY BEATRICE BATISTE, SELENA ALICIA BEAR, CHARLES GLENN BENNETT, ANTONELLA CECILIA BERGERON, AMANDA ARNAUD BERNARD, CASSANDRA LEIGH BERTUCCINI, LYNDELL EVANS BEST, JENNY LEBLANC BIGGE, CHARLES BRIAN BIGGINS, ANTHONY GEORGE BILKE, JOHN DAVID BLACKWELL, CARLO AURTAGUS BOOTH, ASHTON TAYLOR BOREL, RYAN JAMES BOSS, BERT CHARLES BOUDREAUX, AMY ELIZABETH BOUDREAUX, MARY R BOURQUE, MERANDA P BRASSEAUX, HAILEY ANNE BRILEY, JOANNE R BRILEY, MARIE DELAHOUSSAYE BROUSSARD, LOUISETTE NUGENT BROUSSARD, DEBORAH A BROUSSARD, KAREN B BROUSSARD, KARLA RENE BROUSSARD, RONNIE J BROUSSARD-RANGEL, BERNICE BRIANNA BUTCHER, LAWRENCE M CADET, MOHAMED M BOUH ABDOULAYE CAMARDELLE, STARLA D GAUTREAU CARMOUCHE, SHONDREKA WILLIAMS CARR, NICOLE CELESTE CARRIERE, JEREMIAH RAY CARTER, LAUREN JOHNSON CATROU, ANNE R PREJEAN CELESTINE, CAYLON BLAKE CHACHERE, DAVID B CHIASSON, DOROTHY CLAY, OLAJAH LYNEE CLOUTIER, RACHEL THERESE COLE, MAKENNA LYNETTE COMPTON, STEVEN MERL CONNELLY, JAKE HUTTON CORMIER, ANITA ANN CORNE, LOUIS M COTTONHAM, PATRICIA F CRUZ, MIGUEL ROBERTO CUCCIA, CRYSTAL CULLUM, ALAN WADE CURRY, LILA L DAIGLE, AIMEE ARCENEAUX DANIELS, MOLLIE SAUCIER DANOS, ABBY MICHELLE DAO, TRIVIET DARBY-HACKETT, EVAN JOSEPH DARTEZ, ANGELLE ELISE DAVIS, ALISA MCCALEB DAWBIN, TYLER N DAY, RICHARD H DEAN, CELESTA B DEROUEN, EMILY SHAE DESHOTELS, JONATHAN JULES DIAZ, CHRISTIAN JAMES DICKERSON, ALLYSON PAIGE DORE, CHAD ANTHONY DOUCET, ALEXANDRA ELISE DOUET, MADISON KATE DUBEA, JUDITH B DUHON, COLEBY LUKE DUHON, MICHAEL JAMES DUHON, RACHEL LYNN DUONG, MY LAN THI DUPUIS, COLLETTE MILLER DUPUIS, MADELINE GARDINER DUPUIS, MARDRIE FAYE EDMOND, TAYVIAHN DEMONTE ELIJAH, JEFFERY H FIGUEIREDOFILHO, JESSE FITZWATER, ABIGAIL VICTORIA FONTENOT, CHANTILLE P FONTENOT, MADISON CAIT FRANCIS, SALAH JARRELL FRANCIS, DIAMONTE DELVRON FRANCIS, JOHN ALLEN FRANCIS, KOREL KOVAN FURMAN, DANIEL JAMES

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

y after, be opened and read aloud in the Council Brieﬁng Room 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 are en‐ couraged to attend the bid opening virtually by using the following link https://us02web.zoom. us/j/81534452172? pwd=WTJegG4gEhzykP6 um7GeOhfsQ0taot.1 Meeting ID: 815 3445 2172 Passcode: 308223

p tion or Certiﬁcate of Au‐ thority with the bid shall be cause for rejection of bid.

Scope of Services: The scope of the project con‐ sists of but is not limited to planting various tree specimens along the I-10 corridor. All work to be completed within 120 working days for is‐ suance of Notice to Pro‐ ceed.

Contractors are re‐ quested to attend a prebid meeting, which will be held on September 8, 2026 at 10:30 AM in the large conference room, Lafayette Consolidated Government, Public Works Administration Building located at 1515 East University Avenue, Lafayette, LA.

In accordance with Louisiana RS 38:2212. vendors may submit 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. Bidders may re‐ quest the electronic bid package from Heather hkestler@ Kestler at lafayettela.gov Bidders wishing to sub‐ mit their bid electroni‐ cally must first be regis‐ tered online with Lafayette Consolidated Government as a poten‐ tial supplier at the web‐ site listed above. Bidders submitting bids electron‐ ically are required to pro‐ vide the same docu‐ ments as bidders sub‐ mitting through the mail as soon as available. Only a bid bond, certified check or cashier’s check shall be submitted as the bid security. Electronic copies of both the front and back of the check or bid bond shall be in‐ cluded with the elec‐ tronic 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‐ i ifi f

Copies of the bidding documents are available at the Ofﬁce of Purchas‐ ing located at 705 West University Avenue, Lafayette, LA 70502. Bid Documents shall be available until twentyfour hours before the bid opening date. Questions relative to the bidding documents shall be ad‐ dressed to Heather hkestler@ Kestler at lafayettela.gov.

Each bid shall be accom‐ panied by a certified check, cashier’s check, or bid bond payable to the Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government, the amount of which shall be five percent (5%) of the base bid plus additive al‐ ternates. If a bid bond is used, it shall be written by a surety or insurance company currently on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Management Service list bonding of approved companies which is pub‐ lished annually in the Federal Register, or by a Louisiana domiciled in‐ surance company with at least an A-Rating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide to write individual bonds up to ten percent (10%) of policyholders’ surplus as shown in the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide, or by an insurance com‐ pany in good standing li‐ censed to write bid bonds which is either domiciled in Louisiana or owned by Louisiana resi‐ dents. The bid bond shall be issued by a company licensed to do business in Louisiana. The certi‐ fied check, cashier’s check, or bid bond shall be given as a guarantee that the bidder shall exe‐ cute the contract, should it be awarded to him, in conformity with the con‐ tract documents within ten (10) days. No contractor may with‐ draw its bid prior to the deadline for submission of bids. Withdrawal of bids thereafter shall be allowed only pursuant to LA R.S. 38§2214.C. Other‐ wise, no bidder may withdraw his bid for at least forty-five (45) days after the time scheduled for the bid opening of bids. Each bid shall be

GALLOW, JIMMY DALE GIVENS, CODY PAUL GRANGER, JUDY MANUEL GRAY, LATARUS BRIMZY GREGG, SYRIANA RONISHA GRIFFIN, KAISHLYN DASHAUGHNJANEE GUIDRY, KEN C GUIDRY, DONNIE GUILBEAU, CLARENCE HAGER-MANY, BRIAN CARLTON HALL, LANAJAH ELIZABETH DENIS HAMILTON, SANDRA M HARMON, CARLOTA DANAY HATAWAY, CYNTHIA BOURGEOIS HEBERT, KIRSTIN FUHRMAN HEBERT, DWAYNE J HEBERT, TASHA MARIE HEBERT, KAYDEN ELIZABETH HEBERT, JAY A HEMPEN, KELLY YERBY HENDERSON, JOHNTAE RENEE HENRIE, DIANNE HENRY, CHASITY NICOLE HENSON, ROGER JOSEPH HERNDON, RAYLON ORKEL HICKS, DAVID B HITT, KATHERINE B HOLLARD, CALAI KATHARINE HOOGENDOORN, BROOKE I HOTARD, WILLIAM AUSTIN HULIN, CAROLYN D HULL, DOLPHUS L HUNDLEY, DOUGLAS J IRVING, TANCE SAMUEL JACKSON, KELISE ARIANNA JACKSON, MARSHALL JACOB, TYRA SHANULETTE JEANBATISTE, KEYANA MARSHAE MARIE JOHNSON, ERIC PAUL JOHNSON, AUSTIN TAYLOR JOLIVETTE, ERICA LYNN JOY, MICHAEL R KENISON, DORNISIA A KEOYOTHY, SOMCHANH KING, MAGGIE CLAIRE KINSELLA, IAN PATRICK KLIMES, MICHAL KNIGHT, JANYIA PATRICE KOVACS, MADELINE M KREAMER, REBECCA S LABOUVE, RICKY LEE LAFLEUR, GERALD J LAIL, JEREMY GENE LANCLOS, SCOTTIE P LANCLOS, DAVID YVES LANCON, TYLER JOSEPH LANDRY, TIFFANY MARIE LANDRY, CARL JAMES LANDRY, JOYCE L LANDRY, MALLORY ELISE LANDRY, KENNETH W LANERIE, SHANE M LASATER, JACOBUS JAMES LEBLANC, ANDRE MARTIN LEBLANC, DEVIN CHANCE LEBLANC, SHEILLA MARIE LEBLANC, JAMES RANDAL LEHNHARDT, CARL EDWARD LEJEUNE, FLETCHER LOUIS LEMOINE, JANE LEMOINE, MICHAEL G LEONARDS, THOMAS WAYNE LESSER, JOHN AVERY LEWIS, CASEY LEIGH LONG, DELORIS M LOVVORN, DIXON C LUNA, LAUREN ELIZABETH MACIP, DAVID W MANUEL, MARVIN J MARCEAUX, ROBERT JOSEPH MARSE, CHERYLL ANNE MARSHALL, MARY C MARTIN, ROBYN NICOLE MARTINEZ-ESCALANTE, IVETH ALICIA MASONER, JAY C MATTE, MICHAEL JUDE MATTHEWS, ALAYSHAMAINE MARPRIEL MCATEE, HOLLIE THERESE FAUL MCCALL, CARLY PELLETIER MCCAULEY, ALYSSA JADE MCFARLAND, LAYNE MICHAEL MCGALLARD, SKYLAR KENNEDY MCLENDON, JOSHUA CALEB MCZEAL, FREDDIE JAMES MCZEAL, CARL JAMES MENARD, MARK JOSEPH MENARD, TREVOR JOHN MENDEZMARQUEZ, JAYLINE MEYER, SEBASTIEN ISAIAH MICKOW, DANA JEAN MILLER, HUNTER BLAKE MITCHELL, ANNETTE JULIAN MONTGOMERY, JASON JEREL MOORE, MARSHALL

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

submitted only on the bid form provided within the specifications. The successful bidder will be required to execute per‐ formance and labor and material payment bonds in the full amount of the contract as more fully defined in the bid docu‐ ments. No contractors may withdraw his bid for at least forty-five (45) days after the time scheduled for the open‐ ing of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the bid form provided with the specifications. The contractor successful will be required to exe‐ cute performance and labor and material pay‐ ment bonds in the full amount of the contract as more fully defined in the bid documents. Bids will be evaluated by the Purchaser based on the lowest responsible and responsive bid sub‐ mitted which is also in compliance with the bid documents. The Lafayette Consolidated Government reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause in ac‐ cordance with LA R.S. 38§2214.B. Contractors or contract‐ ing firms submitting bids in the amount of $50,000.00 or more shall certify that they are li‐ censed contractors under Chapter 24 of Title 37 of the Louisiana Re‐ vised Statutes of 1950 and show their license number on the front of the sealed envelope in which their bid is en‐ closed. Contractors shall be licensed for the clas‐ sification of “LANDSCAP‐ ING, GRADENING, AND BEAUTIFICATION”. Bids in the amounts specified above which have not bid in accordance with the requirements, shall be rejected and shall not be read. Additional informa‐ tion relative to licensing may be obtained from the Louisiana State Li‐ censing Board for Con‐ tractors, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government strongly encourages the participation of DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprises) in all con‐ tracts or procurements let by the Lafayette Con‐ solidated Government 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 which disadvantaged businesses are available. Assistance in identifying said businesses may be obtained by calling 291-

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

8410. PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated Government PUBLISH DATES: 8/27, 8/30, 9/6 DPR 999081 198644 Aug. 27, 30, Sept. 6 $212.34 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received either electroni‐ cally at https://lafayet tecsdgovla.tylerportico. com/va/vendor-access/ registration or in the of‐ fice of the Purchasing Di‐ vision at the Lafayette Consolidated Govern‐ ment Building, located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, Louisiana, until 10:00 AM Central Time on the 24th day of September, 2026 for the following: LAFAYETTE CITY HALL RENOVATIONS-PHASE I RESTROOM RENOVATIONS and will, shortly there‐ after, be opened and read aloud in the Council Briefing Room 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 are en‐ couraged to attend the bid opening virtually by using the following link https://us02web.zoom. us/j/89777293799? pwd=BnFrKwz6UNUYASX 8LXTOCArStbBePI.1 Meeting ID: 897 7729 3799 Passcode: 256257

Scope of Services: The scope of the project con‐ sists of providing all labor, materials, equip‐ ment, supervision and services necessary to renovate the first and second floor restrooms within Lafayette City Hall. All work to be com‐ pleted within 180 work‐ ing days from the is‐ suance of Notice to Pro‐ ceed. In accordance with Louisiana RS 38:2212. vendors may submit 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 h i bid i d li

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

y 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. Bidders may re‐ quest the electronic bid package from Heather hkestler@ Kestler at lafayettela.gov

g Lafayette Consolidated Government, Public Works Administration Building located at 1515 East University Avenue, Lafayette, LA.

Bidders wishing to sub‐ mit their bid electroni‐ cally must first be regis‐ tered online with Lafayette Consolidated Government as a poten‐ tial supplier at the web‐ site listed above. Bidders submitting bids electron‐ ically are required to pro‐ vide the same docu‐ ments as bidders sub‐ mitting through the mail as soon as available. Only a bid bond, certified check or cashier’s check shall be submitted as the bid security. Electronic copies of both the front and back of the check or bid bond shall be in‐ cluded with the elec‐ tronic 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 except for Section C – “Standard Specifications for Roads, Drainage, Bridges and Other Infrastructure 2023 Edition” are available at the Office of Purchasing located at 705 West Uni‐ versity Avenue, Lafayette, LA 70502 upon payment of $147.42 per set, non-refundable. NOTE: NO CASH WILL BE ACCEPTED ONLY CHECKS OR MONEY OR‐ DERS MADE PAYABLE TO LAFAYETTE CONSOLI‐ DATED GOVERNMENT. Copies of Section “C” Standard Specifications for Roads, Drainage, Bridges and Other Infra‐ structure” 2023 Edition are available from the Public Works Department at 1515 E University Av‐ enue, Building A, Lafayette LA 70501. Bid be Documents shall available until twentyfour hours before the bid opening date. Questions relative to the bidding documents shall be ad‐ dressed to Heather hkestler@ Kestler at lafayettela.gov. Contractors are re‐ quested to attend a prebid meeting, which will be held on September 8, 2026 at 9:30 AM in the large conference room, f lid d

MORALUNA, CATALINA MOREAU, COURTNEY ANN MORRISON, COURTNEY DESHAWN MOUSI, UMME HANI MOUTON, JERMAINE MEQUEL MUESINGGILL, ANNA CHRISTINE MUSSO, GARRICK JOSEPH MUTURI, FLORENCE WAMBUI MYERS, JASON ALLEN NAIM, SHUMAILA NECCHI, CHANTAL DOMINQUE NEWMAN, GARY W NIDA, JENNIFER L RILEY OLIVA, DENISSE S OLLISON, KARA NICOLE PARKE, CORRY CALVIN PATEL, ISHA BHUPENDRABHAI PAYNE, OLIVIA MARIE PEARS, MADELINE MCCRORY PELOUS, DUSTIN REED PENNINGTON, EMILEE RAE PEREIDA, STACEY NICOLE PERSON, WILLIAM MAJOR PITRE, BRIAN ANDREW POLITO, JANE POTEET, JUDY N PRADIA, JASAUNTE JAREE PREJEAN, ARICA BROUSSARD PREJEAN, KENNETH WAYNE RANDAZZO, JONATHAN ANTONIO RAY, JASON DEAN REAUX, BRENDA T REES, KAY L REESE, GINA WATSON RHYNE, DAYANARA VALLEJO RICHARD, CHRISTOPHER DWIGHT RICHARD, ROBERT ERIC RICHARD, RONALD D RICHARD, BLAKE ADAM RIECK, JUDITH RIGGS, REBECCA ANNE RIGGS, MICHAEL G RILEY, SAMANTHA DOUCET RIOS, SILVERIA ROBERTSON, MICHAEL G ROBIN, LEAH ELIZABETH ROBINSON, CAMERON MAURICE ROGERS, CORA MAE ROLLINS, BRYSON LEE ROY, AIJAH BRYNN RUSSELL, MILDRED R SAM, JENEA ELIZABETH SAM, QUENTIN CONTRELL SANDERS, KAREN SAVAGE, BRAXTON SHANE SAVOY, CALEB JAMES SCELFO, MICHELLE ELISE SEAMANS, KAILEE DESTINY SEGURA, AUSTIN J SEHATI, JACQUELINE BECKER SHANNON, PATRICK BRYAN SIGUR, STEVEN J SIMON, KELVIN SINER, SHALEY ARIE SION, ESPINOLA SLAYDON, JEREMIAH KARL SMALL, CYNDI B SMITH, PATRICIA N SMITH, MONICA SOLOMON, MICHAEL JAMES SONNIER, DWYONA BREAUX SOUKAROON, JANET SPEYRER, DAWSYN ALEXANDER ST JULIEN, KEIRE STARWOOD, KHALIL STEVON STEELE, JACOB JOSEPH STEWART, TABITHA SAVOY STRATTON, STACEY STEELE THIBODEAUX, MAREN ROSE THOMPSON, JESSICA LAUREN TRAHAN, JENNIFER GILPIN TRAORE, ABDOU KARIM TRAVIS, HANNAH MICHELLE TRIBE, LINDA C TUJAGUE, TAYLOR EVANS TURNWALL, GAIL B TURPEAN, DENNIS JOSEPH VALLERY, LAKEISHA A VERCHER, LANCE THOMAS WALKER, CODY EDWARD WHEELER, LAETITIA ARVIE WHELAN, VERONICA BOZANT WHITTINGTON, RACHEL MARIE WHITTINGTON, RICHARD MARTIN WILLIAMS, KERRI LYNN WILLIAMS, TANESHA KWANAE WILSON, CHARLOTTA PATRIECE YOUNG, CHRISTOPHER PAUL ZENON, CHRISTIAN JEREMIAH ZHANG, XIURONG 197731-678188-Sept 6-1t $ 324.14

10D ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Bids will be evaluated by the Purchaser based on the lowest responsible and responsive bid sub‐ mitted which is also in compliance with the bid documents. The 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 amounts speciﬁed above which have not bid in accordance with the requirements, shall be rejected and shall not be read. Additional informa‐ tion relative to licensing may be obtained from the Louisiana State Li‐ censing Board for Con‐ tractors, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

which disadvantaged businesses are available. Assistance in identifying said businesses may be obtained by calling 2918410.

Contractors or contract‐ ing ﬁrms submitting bids in the amount of $50,000.00 or more shall certify that they are li‐ censed contractors under Chapter 24 of Title 37 of the Louisiana Re‐ vised Statutes of 1950 and show their license number on the front of the sealed envelope in which their bid is en‐ closed. Contractors shall be licensed for the clas‐ siﬁcation of “BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.” Bids in

The Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government strongly encourages the participation of DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprises) in all con‐ tracts or procurements let by the Lafayette Con‐ solidated Government 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

PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated Government PUBLISH DATES: 8/27, 8/30, 9/6 DPR 999080 198631 Aug. 27, 30, Sept. 6, 3t $230.97

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Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

PUBLIC NOTICE --Agenda City Zoning Commission Public Meeting Monday, September 21, 2026 5:30 P.M., or immediately following the conclusion of the Lafayette City Planning Commission, whichever occurs later Community Development and Planning Department 220 West Willow Street, Building C Town Hall Auditorium I. Call to Order II. Chair’s Opening Remarks

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III. Approval of the Minutes August 17, 2026 IV. New Business 1. Case No. 2026-16-REZ

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

Lots 4-12, Block 6, Gen‐ eral Mouton Avenue Re‐ zoning

3. Case No. 2026-19-REZ 1409 East Butcher Switch Road #C (Lot 1) Annexa‐ tion

A request to rezone lots 4 through 12, Block 6, Gen‐ eral Mouton Avenue, from CH (CommercialHeavy) to MN-1 (MixedUse Neighborhood) lo‐ cated generally north of Rose Street, west of Gen‐ eral Mouton Avenue, and south of Violet Street. Note: This case was de‐ ferred from August 17, 2026 Zoning Commission Meeting. 2. Case No. 2026-17-REZ 201 Jefferson Street & 110 East Cypress Street CUP A request for a Condi‐ tional Use Permit (CUP) for a bar/lounge in a D (Downtown) zoning dis‐ trict located generally north of Lee Avenue, west of East Cypress Street, and south of Jef‐ ferson Street.

A request for a zoning classiﬁcation of RS-1 (Residential Single-Fam‐ ily) for property pro‐ posed for annexation into the city of Lafayette located generally north of East Butcher Switch Road, east of Louisiana Avenue, and south of East Gloria Switch Road. V. Other Business 1. Director’s Report and review of Lafayette City Council action on mat‐ ters previously consid‐ ered by the Zoning Com‐ mission. 2. Proposed amendments to Rules of Policy and Procedure i. Add Part IV: City Zoning Commission Policy ii. Add to proposed Part IV: A. The City of f i

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min y Lafayette Zoning Com‐ mission shall defer until the next regular meeting any application appear‐ ing before the Commis‐ sion where the applicant is not in attendance of the meeting where the application is scheduled to be heard. VI. Adjournment 199406 Sept. 6, 16, 20, 3t $71.49

Public Notices Successions

PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE Administrator for the Succession of Mary Fern Cobb Briggs gives notice of his intent to sell via

Public Notices Successions

private sale, the follow‐ ing: 1. The immovable estate home and property lo‐ cated at 311 Sunny Lane, Lafayette, Louisiana 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 public records of Lafayette, Louisiana.; 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 15th Judicial District Court – Parish of Lafayette under probate d k b

Public Notices Successions y p docket number 20250640, pursuant to LA C.C.P. art 3282. 198202 Aug. 22 to Sept. 20, 30t $456.60

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Northshore hotel navigates challenges with community support 3E

Oracle Lighting founders drive Metairie business to global operation 7E

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

S u n d ay, S e p t e m b e r 6, 2026

1en

STAFF FILE PHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK

Essence Festival of Culture visitors walk between halls for slated events in July at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.

STAYING COMPETITIVE

South Louisiana is reinforcing convention infrastructure as competition grows in events industry BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer

Baton Rouge and New Orleans are planning major expansions of their convention facilities in an attempt to get a larger share of the increasingly competitive events business. A team has been assembled in Baton Rouge to tackle the redevelopment of the aging Raising Cane’s River Center, replacing it with a long-awaited convention center and headquarters hotel. New Orleans, already used to hosting major events, is planning a new headquarters hotel to accompany the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, which is undergoing renovations. But a few ﬁnancial hoops must be cleared before the hotel is a reality. Cities across the United States are investing millions in infrastructure to support large, multiday events as attendance makes a slow but sure recovery from the pandemic. International conﬂict and rising operational costs

are making it harder to attend and host events, encouraging planners to prioritize fewer conventions, according to an international outlook by the Professional Convention Management Association, whose members collectively organize more than 3 million events annually. “Competition is only getting stiffer and stiffer,” said Sherrif Karamat, CEO of PCMA. The River Center saw more than 100,000 more visitors last year than it did in 2019 and the New Orleans Convention Center had returned to pre-pandemic event numbers by 2023, though attendance numbers lagged. PCMA’s annual market survey found that almost half of respondents, many of whom are meeting planners, saw an increase in attendance at their most recent in-person event compared with the last pre-pandemic event, though the increase hasn’t been seen all around the industry. The increase in business isn’t coming from the cities one might expect. Second-, third-

and fourth-tier cities like Columbus, Ohio, and Indianapolis are ramping up their game, Kamarat said, as the competition heats up on an international stage. Dollars from conventions and meetings flows into vendors, hotels, local businesses and transportation. A key tenet is their multiday or even multimonth structure, making the economic impacts of smaller, more frequent events like concerts pale in comparison. Louisiana has a strong foundation for hosting with its renowned culture and traditions, Karamat said, but continued investments in convention centers, hotels, airports and other infrastructure are key to future success in the modern events industry. “They give you a little bit of fame in a moment,” he said of sporadic, seasonal events. “But business events are every day during the course of the year that are driving economic

ä See CONVENTION, page 2E

“We already have what so many destinations are trying to create — the culture, hospitality, food and experiences.” JIM COOK, president and CEO, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans

Chevron CEO says patience pays off in Venezuela oil deal BY KEVIN CROWLEY

Bloomberg News (TNS) Big Oil has often employed the “hang around” playbook: secure legal rights to a giant resource — and then, eventually, ﬁgure out how to produce it proﬁtably. But few companies have taken it to the extremes of Chevron Corp. For two decades, Chevron stayed in Venezuela while all its major peers quit after former President Hugo Chavez nationalized foreign assets atop the world’s largest oil reserves in the mid-2000s. The Houston-based company endured U.S. sanctions, accounting write-offs, arrests of its employees and accusations of collusion with a regime rife with corruption and human rights

abuses. The payoff came on last week: a landmark deal that will provide Chevron with billions of barrels of reserves, enough to last into the 2040s — and perhaps beyond. It still remains to be seen how easy it will be to boost output in a country where there are still signiﬁcant political and legal questions. It’s unclear whether whoever succeeds President Donald Trump in the White House will stick to his strategy in Venezuela. And in Caracas, there’s no guarantee that whatever leader comes after acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez will remain as cooperative with the U.S. But for now, at least, Chevron is encouraged by its long game.

“You have to have some patience and look at this out over time and not become discouraged. Not pick up and leave when things are difficult,” Chevron Chief Executive Officer Mike Wirth said in an interview. “You have to hang in there until all the conditions come together: the technology, the economics, the markets, the politics.” The strategy had its costs. Employees worked through hyperinﬂation, power cuts and frequent breakdowns in law and order, while executives spent countless hours and political goodwill in Caracas and Washington to keep the operations in good working order. Cash ﬂow was minimal.

ä See CHEVRON, page 2E

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MATIAS DELACROIX

Flames rise from flare stacks at the Amuay refinery in Los Taques, Venezuela.

2E ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Dolly Parton’s ‘9 to 5’ offers financial (and life) lessons During my first semester of college, Dolly Parton made her movie debut in the comedy “9 to 5.” The movie’s title track became my anthem for adulting. It was the winter of 1980, and I was Michelle in my first semester Singletary at the University of THE COLOR Maryland at College OF MONEy Park. The previous summer, I worked as an intern at the Baltimore Sun. The paper provided a four-year scholarship that included tuition, room, board and books, as well as paid internships at the Sun and its sister paper, the Evening Sun. If I did well at Maryland and in three more promised summer internships, a job would await me upon graduation. I was so scared of failing. My grandmother, Big Mama, told me that once I graduated, I would become responsible for my disabled brother, who was just three years younger than me. Mitchell suffered from debilitating seizures as a result of his epilepsy, which made it difficult for him to work. If I could make a

career in journalism, my income would support us both. And I did it, covering many of his expenses, until he died at age 32 from a massive seizure. Parton died on Aug. 25 at 80. I immediately thought about how she inspired me with lyrics that chronicled the travails of women who endured sexism and unequal pay in the workplace. I didn’t realize until now that the inspiration for the song was 9to5, a Boston-based organization founded by clerical workers in 1973 to advocate for fair pay and working conditions for women in the workplace. Parton wrote the song after being introduced to the group’s mission by her co-star Jane Fonda. “9to5 is deeply saddened by the loss of the legend, advocate, and ally Dolly Parton,” the organization wrote in a statement. “Inspired by the real stories and experiences of 9to5 members, she gifted us an anthem that has resonated for decades with working people and reminds us there is still so much work to be done. Through her music and her work in ﬁlm, she helped bring national attention to the real issues that women

continue to face in the workplace to this day: sexism, harassment, unequal pay, and how the wealthy exploit our labor.” Adulting is hard enough — trying to figure out how to pay your bills, save, maybe have enough left over to invest for retirement, and still have some fun. But when financial challenges are coupled with workplace inequity, every step forward comes with a reminder of this line from the song, “They let you dream just to watch ’em shatter.” I saw my struggle to make it, just like the clerical staff at the office she wrote about. Parton sang, “There’s a better life, and you think about it, don’t you?” I did. I never take for granted what that scholarship meant for my family and me, but it came with a downside: doubts that I was equal to the White men who dominated the newsroom. Although the minority scholarship opened a door for me, walking through it meant facing hostility on the job. I overheard two White reporters disparaging the scholarship

created to increase minority representation on the Baltimore Sun’s staff. The Baltimore papers had long been criticized for lacking reporters who looked like the communities they covered. During one summer internship, an editor made my life miserable without even trying to hide her racism. She routinely passed me over, saving the best assignments for the White interns. Once, she took an idea I brought to her and gave it to a White male intern she favored. When he decided he didn’t want to do the story, she gave the assignment back to me. Today, nearly half a century after Parton ﬁrst released “9 to 5,” diversity, equity and inclusion programs are still characterized by critics as giving an unfair advantage to women and minorities who have been historically marginalized. But DEI was — and is — about taking corrective measures rather than providing unfair preferential treatment. Even once I moved on to fulltime jobs, I was underpaid when compared with colleagues with similar experience. At times I felt that “it’s a rich man’s game no matter what they

CHEVRON

Continued from page 1E

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

A group of pedestrians walk over the footbridge nearby Raising Cane’s River Center and Repentance Plaza along the Mississippi Riverfront in Baton Rouge.

CONVENTION Continued from page 1E

growth in different sectors of that community, and it’s creating permanent jobs in different sectors.”

Infrastructure investments Inaction and contract disputes have plagued convention center improvements in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. But it’s not too late for them to step up their game. High demand for events signals room for Baton Rouge and New Orleans’ construction to get a bite of event industry growth, Karamat said. “This is just a matter of our community really focusing on something that has been needed, but there’s been other priorities,” said Charles Landry, a Baton Rouge attorney who is involved in the River Center redevelopment and the new LSU arena. “Well, now this has become one and that’s very important.” The redevelopment won’t occur in a vacuum — downtown Baton Rouge plans to revitalize its riverfront with a youth sports complex and other amenities to create a more attractive “front porch” to the city, according to the Plan Baton Rouge III road map for development. Baton Rouge can serve as an alternative location for events with dates that may not work out in New Orleans venues, he said. Given its central location between New Orleans, Lafayette and St. Francisville, visitors can bounce between the cities and see what south Louisiana has to offer. Access to the cities is key, Karamat said, nodding toward Nashville, Tennessee, and its Music City Center, which has brought in more than $4 billion in direct economic impact in the past decade, as an example. The center is in early planning stages for expansion, running concurrently with expansions at Nashville International Airport, which has a $4.5 billion plan to accommodate 40 million passengers annually. The airport saw 26.7 million passengers in the most recent ﬁscal year. New Orleans is gearing up to support even more visitors in the future with a $3.6 million Louis Armstrong

STAFF PHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK

The crowd cheers during the Bocuse d’Or international culinary competition in July at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. New Orleans International Airport master plan for the next 20 years that could bring a new terminal, gates and parking garage, in addition to ongoing projects like a connector road for express shuttles. The River District area surrounding the Convention Center is undergoing a makeover, including a renovation to the Audubon Aquarium and the new Goldring Woldenberg Riverfront Park. “We have to continue investing and evolving if we want to win new business and keep longtime customers coming back,” Jim Cook, president and CEO of the Convention Center, said in the statement. The New Orleans Convention Center, which hosts more than 100 events each year, will be able to attract 27 more conventions each year with the addition of a headquarters hotel, according to an analysis by hospitality consulting firm HVS. The Convention Center commissioned a study from PCMA members on the impact of the headquarters hotel plan, which found that 82% of respondents would be more willing to plan events in New Orleans if the center had a hotel.

High expectations Business events have stepped up their game over the years, providing out of the box gifts that go beyond the typical branded pens and tote bags. It’s raised the stakes for conference planners, said Victoria Armstrong, founder of Curate For Women Who Work. Curate, based in Baton Rouge, has hosted an annual conference for the

past five years and will host in New Orleans for the ﬁrst time this month. Armstrong said the Crescent City has a larger capacity for large, multiday events than Baton Rouge and is a part of a natural progression for the conference as it moves toward a long-term goal of hosting in a new city each year. Low hotel capacity is a struggle for hosting Baton Rouge events, she said, having to factor in capacity, transportation and safety of her guests as they leave events at night to travel back to their hotel. There are 8,500 hotel rooms in East Baton Rouge Parish, but 2,000 are committable — meaning the hotel and planners can agree to block out rooms for a specific events, according to Visit Baton Rouge. “There are more conferences, brunches, networking events, especially between Baton Rouge and New Orleans,” Armstrong said. “I think that’s really good for the ecosystem.” Meeting planners also look for convenience, said Cook from the Morial Convention Center. Planners must block out hotel rooms and coordinate meeting spaces for large events, making a headquarters hotel a key piece for easy planning. Other emerging values sought in host cities are sustainability, technology and community engagement, he said. “We already have what so many destinations are trying to create — the culture, hospitality, food and experiences people want,” Cook said.

Executives, including Wirth, typically met questions from analysts and reporters with terse, legally-worded answers. Rivals including ExxonMobil Holdings Corp. and ConocoPhillips instead chose to pursue compensation claims from the Chavez nationalization through international arbitration and court orders. Chevron plans to invest $7 billion over the next ﬁve years through its joint venture partnerships in Venezuela. The deal is part of a U.S. government-led push to revive the Latin American country’s oil industry. Executives from Chevron, GE Vernova Inc. and Eni SpA on Wednesday joined U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Rodriguez to unveil a wave of energy deals aimed at boosting the nation’s crude production. Wright said the deals represented “tens of billions” worth of investments. Within ﬁve years, Chevron estimates it will be producing 600,000 barrels of Venezuelan crude per day at a cost of less than $20 a barrel. Brent crude closed near $95 a barrel on Wednesday. At current prices, Chevron’s Venezuelan oil would be among the most profitable barrels on the planet. Things changed for Chevron on Jan. 3 when U.S. special forces captured Venezuela’s former leader Nicolas Maduro. Though the strongman leader was arrested on narco-terrorism charges, Trump was clear the raid was also about reclaiming what he called “our oil.” As the only U.S. oil major operating in Venezuela, Chevron

call it/ And you spend your life puttin’ money in his wallet 9 to 5.” But Parton didn’t just reflect on our struggles; she spent a lifetime using her wealth and the stage to lighten them, whether through her song catalog or funding programs like her Imagination Library, which mails free books to children. She was a financial role model, refusing to give up publishing rights, referring to her songs like children who would take care of her in her old age. She built an empire on her own terms. “But you’ve got dreams he’ll never take away/ In the same boat with a lot of your friends/ Waitin’ for the day your ship’ll come in/ And the tide’s gonna turn and it’s all gonna roll your way.” This is why “9 to 5” became my anthem for adulting and continued to inspire me for decades. Music can soothe your soul when it’s so easy to become discouraged. And Parton’s lyrics give you the resolve to keep fighting for what you’re worth, despite the adversity you face. Email Michelle Singletary at michelle.singletary@washpost. com.

immediately moved into pole position to ramp up production and lay claim to the country’s best oil fields. “Chevron was pragmatic,” said Miguel Tinker Salas, Venezuelan historian and emeritus professor at Pomona College in California. “They understood they were sitting on the largest deposit of oil in the world and that the government needed them, especially with ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips leaving.” To be sure, Eni of Italy and Spain’s Repsol SA also stayed in Venezuela during the years of hostility with the U.S. and operated under similar restrictions as Chevron. Eni on Wednesday signed a 25-year contract for the Junin 5 field, which has about 35 billion barrels of oil in place, as part of the broader unveiling of deals. The U.S. is meanwhile coming under increased scrutiny for its foray into Venezuela, particularly after Trump announced a plan late last week to take majority control over a huge amount of the nation’s oil wealth in an unprecedented maneuver. The venture comes months after Trump laid out his vision for what he called the Donroe Doctrine — a 21st century version of the Monroe Doctrine that warned European powers against interfering in the Western Hemisphere. The developments are spurring analysts and academics to look back to an earlier era of neocolonialism, when the U.S. exerted out-sized power over Latin America and its natural resources. For Chevron, it’s not the first time the company has employed the “hang around” strategy to considerable effect. When Chevron merged with Texaco in 2001, it inherited vast swathes of drilling

rights in the Permian Basin at a time when there was little knowledge of how to extract crude profitably from shale. Rather than selling, as some of its rivals did, Chevron stayed put. About 15 years later, when smaller companies perfected horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing techniques, Chevron was sitting on an area the size of Yellowstone National Park in the heart of what became America’s most prolific oil field. In 1993, Chevron signed what some called the “deal of the century” to develop the giant Tengiz field in Kazakhstan soon after the fall of the Soviet Union. Cost overruns, technical difficulties and political complexity meant the production rampup was slower than expected. It was only in 2025 — more than 30 years later — that Tengiz reached its full potential of 1 million barrels of oil equivalent a day. “It’s important to be in good, high-quality resource positions,” Wirth said. “They’re also sometimes not the easiest resource to produce.” The big test for Chevron now is to prove that this time, in Venezuela, it will be different. A change of government in Caracas or Washington could just as quickly upend the deals signed Wednesday. But Chevron is in a strong position to weather whatever storm may be coming, according to Schreiner Parker, partner and head of emerging markets at Rystad Energy. “Chevron made its Venezuela bed a long time ago, and now it is finally in a position to sleep in it,” he said. “That patience has given Chevron decades of relationships, infrastructure and operational knowledge that its rivals cannot easily replicate.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By PEDRO MATTEy

A pedestrian walks past a mural featuring oil wells in Caracas, Venezuela.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● 3E

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TALKING BUSINESS A S K T H E E X P E RT S

Southern Hotel owner embraces hospitality challenges BY GRACE MAYER

Staff writer

Lisa Condrey Ward, the owner and developer behind the bookedand-busy Southern Hotel in Covington, has been interested in historic preservation since she was a kid growing up in northern Louisiana in the 1960s. Every summer, her mom took her to tour historic Antebellum-era homes in nearby Natchez, Mississippi. Though she grew up to become an attorney, historic preservation became her passion, and between 1982 and the early 2010s, she renovated 10 historic homes in Lake Providence, New Orleans and St. Tammany Parish. The experience ultimately inspired her to tackle the renovation and reopening of the Southern, a dormant 1907 hotel and the biggest renovation project she’s taken on to date. “It was a place where the lights hadn’t been turned on for 50 years,” Ward said. “It was like there was this black hole because of how prominently it was located in downtown Covington.” Since reopening in 2014, the hotel, which has seen steady revenue growth of a little less than 5% a year on average, has been widely credited with reviving downtown Covington. In the last decade, restaurants have ﬁlled in around the hotel, including the former Star Theater which was renovated and reopened as a restaurant earlier this year. In this week’s Talking Business, Ward talks about the hotel’s expansion plans, the challenges of running a hotel at a time when consumers are spending less and what other developments downtown Covington needs. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. In 2022, you announced plans to expand the Southern Hotel and purchased and cleared property for it. That expansion has faced a standstill since. Where are those plans at today? A little over a year after announcing those plans, I put the

Q&A WITH LISA CONDREy WARD

OWNER OF SOUTHERN HOTEL

brakes on the expansion. When I paused the project, my team was seeing interest rates go up every three weeks. We made projections off of 6% interest rates, and right before we picked up the building permit, those rates rose to 8.5% with no end in sight. I just decided this was not a good time, and I really hate that because it was a tough decision. Interest rates have gotten a little better now, but I fully expect them to go back up again, because inﬂation is not gone down. People are still doing projects, but most of the projects I’ve seen go forward in the parish right now aren’t as big as what I’m trying to do. Have your plans for the expansion changed since announcing them? In the last four months, we have started making changes to them. Originally, we planned to add 25 hotel rooms and some condos. Now, we’re just going to add hotel rooms, and more than we originally planned, and nix the condo idea. The demand for condos is there in Covington; we’ve just decided to streamline the idea. We always knew we could probably do a little more than 25 rooms.

busy with hosting some corporate function. We’re also very fortunate in that we are so supported by the local community. I’m not a hotel on the side of the road that is solely dependent on travelers. Even if you haven’t seen your business dip, I’m sure you’re thinking ahead, especially since inflation is expected to go up again. How do you mitigate those challenges? We have a certain brand. We’re not going to make a big deviation from who we are, what we do and the services we provide. That being said, we need to be even more thoughtful about ensuring people who stay with us or host events with us are getting the value they expect from us. Maybe they aren’t doing as big an event as they wanted to, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t do the quality event that they want to with us. How have you seen the hotel lead to other projects in Covington, and besides your own project, what other development do you think Covington needs? We need more housing, and we need more accessible housing for younger people. When we first opened, labor was our biggest struggle. It took us a while to deSTAFF FILE PHOTOS By CHRIS GRANGER velop a labor pool that understood The Southern Hotel in Covington, which reopened in 2014, has been the level of service we wanted to provide and had the training to widely credited with reviving downtown. do all that. We found managers in New Orleans, and a lot of our serThe economies of scale are always budget. I don’t know if we’re ever going to really see that get under vice people come to us from Tangoing to make sense, right? I can control. add 25 rooms, but I don’t need to gipahoa Parish or Slidell, because The hospitality industry can go up and add another general manager. To it’s more affordable to live in those down quite a bit, especially with inflation. run the hotel, there are a lot of areas. various expenses that are there no Has that affected the Southern Hotel? Since the hotel reopened, you The bottom line is hotels, resmatter what, and I realized I could just have so many more people have more rooms to support those taurants and bars — that’s all diswalking around downtown Covexpenses. cretionary income for consumers. ington. That’s a big benefit to the What’s the biggest challenge with running There’s always a fear that when shops and restaurants nearby. a hotel today? people are paying $4.50 at the gas Today, we have 38 restaurants Insurance and higher deductpump, and with what they’re paywithin walking distance of the hoing everywhere else, they’re going tel. When I did this project, I truly ibles have become a larger exto have to let something go. It’s believed that Covington was at a pense for us in recent years. Our in the back of my head, because point that it would support a small insurance has probably gone up expenses have gone up for everyhotel. Fortunately, it’s kind of been over 30% since Hurricane Ida. I an “if you build it, they will come” had to put a new roof on the hobody, and they’ve certainly gone situation. up for the hotel. tel following that storm. It cost Fortunately, we really haven’t $249,000, but I had a $250,000 deductible. I got zero benefit from seen any significant slowdown in Email Grace Mayer at grace. business. Almost every day we’re that insurance. It’s just hard to mayer@theadvocate.com.

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4E ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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ACROSS THE REGION

LSU recognizes successes of grad-led companies BY TIMOTHY BOONE

Staff writer

The 16th annual LSU100, which recognizes the fastest-growing businesses either owned or led by LSU graduates, is out. The exact company rankings on the list will be announced at a private event in November. LSU also released the Roaring 20, a list of the 20 companies owned or led by graduates that had the highest revenue.

Roaring 20 In alphabetical order, businesses include: n Argent Financial Group*, Ruston, wealth and investment management n Audubon Cos.*, Metairie, engineering, procurement and construction management n B&G Food Enterprises*, Morgan City, Taco Bell franchisee n Danos, Gray, oil and gas services n Grand Isle Shipyard*, Galliano, fabrication for the oil and gas industry n HNTB Corp.*, Kansas City, Missouri, engineering and architecture n ISC Constructors*, Baton Rouge, industrial engineering, construction and maintenance n J.P. Oil Co.*, Lafayette, oil and gas n Lipsey’s, Baton Rouge, wholesale ﬁrearms sales n Lyons Specialty Co., Port Allen, convenience store distributor n MAPP, Baton Rouge, general contractor n NewEdge Advisors*, New Orleans, registered investment adviser n Performance Contractors*, Baton Rouge, general industrial contractor services n Provident Resources Group*, Baton Rouge, developer and operator of healthcare facilities, student housing and senior living n PSC Group*, Baton Rouge, transportation and logistics services n Red River Bank*, Alexandria,

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Soon-to-be-graduates walk across LSU’s campus to the commencement ceremony on May 15. LSU recently released its annual LSU100, a list of the fastest-growing businesses either owned or led by LSU graduates, and the Roaring 20, a list of the 20 companies owned or led by graduates that had the highest revenue. community bank n Royal Automotive Group*, Baton Rouge, automobile sales n Sealevel Construction*, Thibodaux, heavy civil construction n The Newtron Group, Baton Rouge, electrical construction and instrumentation n Turner Industries Group*, Baton Rouge, industrial construction and fabrication

LSU100

Other companies on the fastestgrowing list are: Alexander Contractor Services, Aligned Incentives, American Safety, Answering Bureau, Anytime Flooring, Arkel Constructors, Associated Ofﬁce Systems of Louisiana, Bank of St. Francisville, Bear Process Safety, Brousseau & Lee, BUILD Commercial *Also made the 100 fastest-growing list Construction, Catalyst Bank,

Four Corners Capital, Gauthier Amedee, Geauxgarcia Photography, Greenleaf Architects, Gregory Switzer Architecture, Gros Flores Positerry, Hargrove Roofing, Highflyer Human Resources, Immense Networks, Instructional Data Solutions, Integrated Payment Solutions dba Paystar and International Pumps and Parts dba Industriflo. Also, ITinspired, JH Operating Co., JCW Creative, JMH Properties dba WorkStay, Kidder & Schultz CPAs, Kin Capital Partners, Landco Construction Services, Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry, Loadstar Product Handling Services, Loyd J Bourgeois Injury & Accident Lawyer, Manheim Architecture, Mansfield, Melancon, Cranmer & Dick, McClure, Bomar & Harris, Mid South Extrusion, Miller Safety Consulting, Moran Consultants, Moreau Physical Therapy, Myers Construction & Development, Next Level Solutions, NOLA DMC, Orion Engineers + Constructors, Pacifica Engineering Services, PALA Interstate, Paperless Environments, Percipience, Premier Geotech and Testing, Quality Engineering & Surveying, and ROSA Enterprises Corp. dba The UPS Store 2305. Also, Sasso, School Food and Wellness Group, Secure Shredding and Recycling, SEJ Services, Sigma Engineers and Constructors, Stuart & Co. General Contractors, Success Labs, Sustainable Design Solutions, TAP Innovations, The Anderson Group Real Estate Services, TigerBytes IT Solutions, Triform Therapy, Unitas Consulting, Vectura Consulting Services, VGraham, Wellworth Bank and Xdesign. Nominations are submitted by individuals, colleagues, clients, former classmates or the businesses themselves. Businesses submit financial details confidentially to be considered for the top 100 list and the Roaring 20.

Chabert Insurance The Ehrhardt Agency, CompuFlow Solutions Crescent Payroll Solutions, Currency Bank, DAA Media + Marketing, DDG, DelVal Flow Controls USA, DonahueFavret Contractors and Dunlap Government Solutions. Also, Energy Pipe & Supply, ES2, Evergreen Tractor & Equipment, Extreme Nitrogen, Fairway Consulting and Engineering, Fit- Email Timothy Boone at ness Evolved, Forte and Tablada, tboone@theadvocate.com.

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NATION & WORLD

JCPenney brand CEO points to new efforts to stir up sales BY BRIAN WOMACK

The Dallas Morning News (TNS)

DALLAS — JCPenney’s Michelle Wlazlo is driving the storied department store ahead, even as the company faces some headwinds with sales and store operations. The brand CEO, whose company underwent a massive merger with the parent company of brands such as Aéropostale and Brooks Brothers last year, has overseen new ventures that are showing promise, giving customers new options to buy their favorite jeans, jackets or jewelry. “We are well-positioned,” Wlazlo said. “I’ll tell you that for sure.” JCPenney has been navigating changing consumer sentiments and evolving customer tastes while it competes with retailers large and small across the country. U.S. retail sales fell 0.6% in July from the previous month but climbed 5% from July 2025, according to a U.S. census report. JCPenney has taken on some store closures, with about eight sites expected to shutter this year, the company said. “I think we’ve shown our commitment to having a store base, but you know we have to evaluate market conditions,” Wlazlo said. And that doesn’t mean every store’s closure is the end for JCPenney in a local market. In the Chicago area, the department store, after moves by the government, shut down. But JCPenney found another way to serve the region, and there are plans for a location that’s even closer for many of its customers. “We want to be responsible with our real estate portfolio, and that was a great chance ... where something happened with one of our stores, but (were able to get a) store nearby,” Wlazlo said. Still, the company has seen sales continue to face challenges. In the quarter that ended in early May, total net sales fell by more than 4%, a ﬁling shows. “Between, you know, the gas prices that really peaked as we got into the April time period and

GETTy IMAGES FOR DAVID BECKHAM FRAGRANCES/COTy INC./TNS PHOTO By MONICA SCHIPPER

Michelle Wlazlo, left, executive vice president and chief merchant at JCPenney, and David Beckham speak during a promotional launch at JCPenney at Roosevelt Field Mall on Oct. 12, 2023, in Garden City, N.y. JCPenney has been navigating changing consumer sentiments and evolving customer tastes while it competes with retailers large and small across the country. Wlzalo has overseen new ventures that are showing promise, giving customers new options to buy their favorite jeans, jackets or jewelry. all the other things going on ... we did see a slight pullback,” she said. However, Wlazlo said during the interview that was held during the ﬁnal week of last month, the company was seeing customers come back. “We’re seeing good results on early back-to-school markets so far and our back-to-school products,” she said. JCPenney is trying some new approaches this year with that key shopping season. One effort: a price lock guarantee for back-toschool for about 31/2 weeks. It’s helpful as different parts of the country have different sched-

ules for returning to school. For example, some Texas schools have been in school for several days while New York state has districts that start in September. And she pointed to other moves. One of them is tied to the merger with Sparc Group that formed Catalyst Brands last year. It brought together clothing labels that included Aéropostale, Brooks Brothers, Eddie Bauer, Lucky Brand and Nautica. Earlier this year, the company took a fresh step with loyalty efforts, as JCPenney and Aéropostale combined their rewards programs so every dollar a cus-

tomer spends at either store earns money for shopping at both spots. The program racked up more than a million users within a matter of weeks. JCPenney shoppers are spending at Aéropostale, and, in addition, “We’re seeing the Aero customers coming over, and they are using the salon — ﬁne jewelry, our home category,” Wlazlo said. JCPenney is looking more broadly for other ideas. The company, joining retailers such as Nordstrom and Ulta, has set up a marketplace offering. This lets JCPenney offer items beyond its own lineup as third-party companies sell their products via its platform

Working What’s

in Greater New Orleans business

on its website. It’s a “signiﬁcant new business” for the company, Wlazlo said. “Our marketplace soft-launched in late June and is expected to continue ramping up throughout this half,” Wlazlo said in a separate statement recently. “The team is currently testing vendors in select categories, and we currently have [about]100 third-party sellers focused mostly on clothing, footwear and accessories.” That number is expected to grow substantially as it reaches into other categories including home, electronics, outdoors, beauty and jewelry.

with Michael Hecht President & CEO GNO Inc.

Ten Reasons the $100 Billion SpaceX Deal Matters On Tuesday in Vermilion Parish, Governor Jeff Landry, Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois, and SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell announced that SpaceX will invest $100 billion to build its largest launch facility anywhere, a spaceport on the Louisiana coast big enough to reshape how Louisiana thinks about its own economy. As big a number as is $100 billion*, the actual impact on Louisiana and Greater New Orleans may be bigger. Here are a “Top 10” reasons why: 1. 2.

It is the largest capital investment in Louisiana history – At $100 billion, the project, called Starbase Louisiana, surpasses every prior single investment in the state The jobs pay nearly double the local wage – The project is expected to create 3,000 direct jobs over ten years at an average salary of $92,600, 192% above Vermilion Parish’s current average wage. At the company’s Starbase Texas, roughly 70% of Starbase’s 4,000-plus workers are locals The training pipeline is already being built – The Louisiana Community and Technical College System expects to handle the bulk of workforce training for SpaceX’s new hires. UL Lafayette is aligning engineering and cybersecurity coursework to the project, and One Acadiana is standing up Acadiana FAME, an earn-and-learn advanced manufacturing program with South Louisiana Community College, with the first students starting in fall 2027 Louisiana’s industrial base will benefit – Shipbuilding and marine services, metal fabrication and welding, machining, energy services, industrial gas supply, electrical and instrumentation work, heavy lift, and port logistics are the skill sets Starbase construction and operations will draw on, the same base that has long served Louisiana’s oil and gas industry New Orleans East’s Michoud will benefit – Michoud sits on the Intracoastal Waterway with barge capacity that has shipped Saturn V and SLS stages for decades, and has the waterway access, skilled workforce, and manufacturing floor space that SpaceX will need to augment its operations New Orleans CBD will benefit – Autonomous shipbuilder Saronic already

You can read the official announcement here

You can read Governor Jeff Landry’s Op-Ed here

runs a model where its marine vessels are built in Franklin, Louisiana (near Lafayette), while its engineers and naval architects work out of a downtown New Orleans office. GNO, Inc. will be working for SpaceX to do the same 7. SpaceX is supporting coastal restoration – SpaceX has committed $100 million to Louisiana’s coastal master plan, administered through the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, in partnership with the state and Vermilion Parish, on land the region has been losing to erosion for decades 8. SpaceX makes South Louisiana strategically vital – After Russia cut off pipeline gas to Europe following its invasion of Ukraine, Louisiana’s LNG terminals turned the Gulf Coast into infrastructure the federal government (and world) depends on. A new high-volume launch site does the same for space. TheNextWeb noted that a second launch complex “removes a single point of failure from a system the Pentagon and NASA increasingly depend on.” That puts Starbase Louisiana in the same category as the LNG terminals: a strategically vital site for America 9. Louisiana is now “America’s Space State” – The Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans East has built the hardware behind every era of American human spaceﬂight for 65 years, but Louisiana has never been known as a “Space State.” That will now change, branding Louisiana as a center of space innovation 10. Louisiana wowed the world – LED Secretary Susan Bourgeois says the process began with a phone call on February 5. Six months later, the state had closed a $100 billion decision, the kind of megaproject that typically takes years. This demonstrated a totally new institutional capacity for Louisiana, and will spur other companies to consider the state

You can read NOLA.com’s explainer on what to know here

A greater choice for business

gnoinc.org

6E ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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ACADIANA INBOX Home Bank named Darren Hill senior executive vice president, chief risk ofﬁcer and Kristen House executive vice president, director of retail. Hill joined Hill Home Bank in 2015 and has more than 24 years of banking experience. He most recently served House as its chief credit officer. Hill has a master’s degree from Keller Graduate School of Management and a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. House joined Home Bank in 2023 and has more than 20 years of retail banking experience. She most recently

served as its retail group lead for the New Orleans and northshore markets. She is a graduate of the LSU School of Banking.

Gothreaux

Richard

Catalyst Bank named Dorene Gothreaux as its southwest Louisiana market president and Tyler Richard as commercial relationship manager in Lake Charles. Gothreaux, who has four decades in the banking industry, will oversee the market with a focus on commercial banking, customer relationships and community engagement. Richard has more than a decade of banking experience. He specializes in com-

mercial real estate lending, commercial and industrial lending, accounts receivable lines and equipment financing. The moves follow Catalyst Bank’s acquisition of Lakeside Bank earlier this year. Smart Jones Walker added two partners and three special counsels in its Lafayette office. Tommy Smart and Steve Lanza were named partner and David Fink, Mark Oliver and Doug Truxillo were named special Fink counsel. Smart, Lanza and Oliver will join the corporate practice group, Fink will join the litigation practice group and Truxillo will join the maritime practice group. All five attorneys join Jones Walker from Onebane, a boutique law firm that has served south Louisiana since 1977. They bring established practices and long-standing relationships developed through decades of serving

ille; Cole Scheck, of Abbeville; Titilope Tinubu, of Opelousas; Acadian welcomed 26 new and Isaac Tuminello, of Brousemergency medical techni- sard. cians who completed trainFreddie Fandal, a family pracing at the National EMS Academy’s Lafayette cam- tice physician at Opelousas General pus and now will provide Healthy Sysskilled emergency care to patients in the area. tem, will Lafayette graduates inserve a twoyear term clude Christopher Rivette, Lauren as chief of Amidon, Gabriel Bonin, Elliott Camel, staff. Cohl Deroussel, Tennyson Foshee, Fandal has Quetzicalli Guevara Tapia, Anna been with Hicks, Wyatt Hubble and Darrell Fandal OGHS since Simmons. Other graduates include 2001 and has worked in Drake LeBouef, of Erath; Jaden private practice providing Alexander, of Breaux Bridge; primary care since August Aleese Bernard, of New Iberia; 2000. He also serves OpelouEthan Brewer, of Broussard; sas General as a hospitalSkylar Crosby, of Abbeville; Ben- ist and was instrumental in jamin Crosier, of Cade; Christopher starting the hospitalist proDupre, of Eunice; John Dupre, of gram at OGHS in 2009. Eunice; Jude Hebert, of YoungsHe has served on the medville; and Asia Ibarra, of Eunice. icine committee and creOthers include Piers Lus- dentials committee and as combe, of Alexandria, Vir- chairman of the peer review ginia; Cori Pacheco, of Arnaud- committee for the past three ville; Haley Plaisance, of Abbev- years. clients across Acadiana.

Lanza

Oliver

Truxillo

BUSINESS BRIEFS

BUILDING PERMITS

Acadian to expand into Caldwell Parish

National restaurant chain eyes steakhouse space

Acadian Ambulance Service will offer services in Caldwell Parish starting Oct. 1. Acadian, the nation’s largest employee-owned ambulance service, got the approval from the parish’s Police Jury to begin operations, company ofﬁcials announced Tuesday. Acadian will offer modern ground ambulances equipped with the latest medical technology and staffed by highly trained paramedics and emergency medical technicians, local crews within the parish and advanced dispatch and communication systems for efﬁcient call handling and resource deployment. It’s a chance for Acadian to expand its footprint in north Louisiana after it began operating in Ouachita Parish in 2019. North Louisiana operations manager Ty Soileau will oversee Caldwell Parish.

A national restaurant chain owned by Texas Roadhouse is seeking to take over the Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse location. Bubba’s 33, a chain of sports bars named after former Texas Roadhouse CEO Kent “Bubba” Taylor, has applied for a building permit at 3511 Ambassador Caffery Parkway, records show. Named after Taylor’s nickname and for the year prohibition ended in the U.S. in 1933, the restaurant offers made-from-scratch burgers, pizzas and wings along with the famous rolls from Texas Roadhouse. Bubba’s 33 has 54 locations in 15 states. While the company doesn’t have a Louisiana location yet, one is planned for Ruston, according to reports. Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse posted on social media late Wednesday it is reviewing its options for a new location in Lafayette.

Issued Aug. 26 to Sept. 1

Commercial alterations

HABITAT: 1317 Surrey St., description, phase 3 renovation for Habitat for Humanity construction center; applicant, Vermilion Architects; contractor, Romel Enterprises; $125,000. FIRE: 1115 Ambassador Caffery Parkway, description, work at Lafayette Fire Station No. 11; applicant, Daniel Benoit; contractor, Gulf Coast Foundation Solutions; $1,000. RETAIL: 620 Jefferson Blvd., description, convert space to Jefferson Market; applicant, Chase Marshall Architects; contractor, Castle Row Construction; $100,000. CEMETERY: 1010 Pandora St., description, work for Fountain Memorial Gardens; applicant and contractor, Cemetery Services Group; $438,300. OFFICE: 1035 Camellia Blvd., description, work on Community Foundation of Acadiana building; applicant and contractor, G4 Elite Construction; $2,500. TOWER: 620 Albertson Parkway, Broussard; description, cell tower upgrade; applicant, AT&T Tower;

contractor, MASTEC Network Solutions; $35,000.

New commercial

SCHOOL: 110 Sugar Factory Road, Broussard; description, construction of Broussard charter school; applicant, Charter Schools USA; contractor, Ryan Companies U.S.; $18.6 million.

New residential

310 PARFAIT ROAD, CARENCRO: Beard Homes, $421,375. 119 GOLDEN GRAIN ROAD, DUSON: Triple D’s Homes, $525,500. 130 LA. 720, DUSON: Manuel Builders, $303,750. 105 MORGANWOOD LANE, DUSON: Maven Built, $482,875. 202 LISBURN DRIVE: Level Construction & Development, $342,875. 206 LANDING BLVD., MAURICE: Level Construction & Development, $473,375. 313 HIDDEN MEADOWS DRIVE, DSLD, $433,250. 106 RED WILLOW DRIVE: DR Horton, $193,000. 115 BEXLEY COURT: DSLD, $274,250. 104 RED WILLOW DRIVE: DR Horton,

$248,625. 317 HIDDEN MEADOWS DRIVE: DSLD, $236,750. 102 SUMMIT HEIGHTS DRIVE, YOUNGSVILLE: Corey Fontenot, $500,000. 200 WINDSWEPT LANE, YOUNGSVILLE: Rickey Huval, $650,000. 103 HEIRLOOM ROW, BROUSSARD: DSLD, $111,480. 105 HEIRLOOM ROW, BROUSSARD: DSLD, $94,680. 200 SUMMER ST., BROUSSARD: DSLD, $111,480. 106 AUTUMN ROW, BROUSSARD: DSLD, $106,560. 107 HEIRLOOM ROW, BROUSSARD: DSLD, $111,060. 102 SUMMER ST., BROUSSARD: DSLD, $119,160. 110 TEA ROSE DRIVE, BROUSSARD: Manuel Builders, no value listed. 149 LAKE RIDGE DRIVE, BROUSSARD: DR Horton, $126,175. 145 LAKE RIDGE DRIVE, BROUSSARD: DR Horton, $128,099. 147 LAKE RIDGE DRIVE, BROUSSARD: DR Horton, $141,404. 153 LAKE RIDGE DRIVE, BROUSSARD: DR Horton, $165,237.

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The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● 7E

MADE IN LOUISIANA

South Louisiana lighting ﬁrm blazing a global path BY GRACE MAYER

Staff writer

Years before Metairie-based Oracle Lighting was a global brand for aftermarket car and truck accessories, the company’s founder, Justin Hartenstein, was designing accessories for his own vehicle from his dorm room at the University of New Orleans, where he was an undergrad. The year was 1999, the internet was in its infancy, and Hartenstein was posting pictures of his early creations to an eBay store and online message boards dedicated to the automotive community. The products, including custom car lights, began to gain a following among drivers keen to customize their vehicles. “People really liked the stuff, and I didn’t really have any intention of making it into a business,” Hartenstein said. “I basically PROVIDED PHOTO By ORACLE LIGHTING started building some very niche car parts and then just expanded Tiffanie and Justin Hartenstein are the co-founders of Oracle Lighting, out from there.” a Metairie company that creates lighting products for the automotive What started as a hobby has industry. grown into a $10 million-a-year business that designs, manufactures and sells automotive light- “I basically started building some very niche car parts and then ing products, from multicolored just expanded out from there.” LED headlights to steering wheel JUSTIN HARTENSTEIN, Oracle Lighting co-founder and tire light rings. In the last 20 years, Oracle Lighting has expanded its reach into a global business They quickly learned from early with international customers and pany after graduating in 2005, a 32-person operation in Metairie. right after Hurricane Katrina, as mistakes, namely their need to many locals were leaving the city acquire patents to protect Oracle Early ‘brand ambassadors’ and businesses were struggling to Lighting’s designs from being While Hartenstein was unknow- reopen. They were determined to copied by other companies and iningly building out Oracle Light- build a business in Jefferson Par- dividuals. Today, the company still finds copycats — as far as China, ing’s first product line at UNO, he ish, where they grew up. also met his future business partIt started as a direct-to-con- where Oracle Lighting pursued ner and wife, Tiffanie Hartenstein, sumer website. The Hartensteins and won a patent infringement a business student at the college. managed and fulfilled orders from lawsuit. The company’s products, which She knew little about cars, but over a home office. As online orders time she developed his passion for rolled in from all over the country, Oracle Lighting brought to car the industry. stacks of products and customer shows and product exhibitions, “That’s why we work so well packages waiting shipment crowd- eventually caught the attention of together,” said Tiffanie Hartens- ed their kitchen, dining room and West Coast Customs, which at the time hosted an automotive reality tein, co-founder and CEO at Ora- spare bedroom. “We would carry our orders to television show with celebrities. cle Lighting. “I can focus on the operation and the business deci- the post office, like 45 orders once That show featured Oracle Lightsions, and he gets to focus on what or twice a week, and we were so ing’s products on cars for Justin he wants to do, which is creation.” proud of it,” Tiffanie Hartenstein Bieber and the Black Eyed Peas. The couple founded the com- said. The company’s lighting also ap-

peared on a Hummer in a Britney Spears music video. “More customers were putting our products on their vehicles, and there was just this really easy word-of-mouth and our customers were so excited about it,” Tiffanie Hartenstein said. “They became the best brand ambassadors for us unintentionally.”

Product pipeline Over time, the company’s operations moved and expanded to include a main office in Metairie, two warehouses and a small office on the northshore. Just as the business has evolved, so has Justin Hartenstein’s creative and innovation process. Early on, any idea that came to him in a light-bulb moment became a product. Now, he conducts market analyses on the front end, then brainstorms potential products with a team of three industrial designers. He’s rarely short on ideas: The company releases around 50 new lighting products for sale each year and the company has secured around two dozen product patents, applying, on average, for five patents a year. “Keeping the sales and marketing team at a high enough pace just to keep up with his ideas is challenging,” Tiffanie Hartenstein said. “His innovation alone is what drives the business forward.” From those brainstorm sessions, Oracle Lighting’s team will then use its in-house 3D printers, of which it has nearly a dozen, to create prototypes of product parts and perform stress tests before finalizing designs. “We’ll actually physically take the circuit board component and then install that into the lighting housing and then assemble it with the lens and everything, and then seal it up,” Justin Hartenstein said. Altogether, Oracle Lighting has developed a line of more than 11,000 products, including headlights, taillights and interior lighting. The company sells directly to large distributors specializing

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in truck accessories, who then sell the products to car accessory shops and a few dealerships. The products are largely tailored to Jeep, Ford, Ram and Toyota vehicles, mainly trucks. The company also designs products for other companies, including vehicle manufacturers and boutique car brands. “Larger manufacturers can’t do or don’t want to design a light for a vehicle that’s only going to have like 300 produced a year,” Justin Hartenstein said. “For us, that’s actually kind of our sweet spot.” Around 80% of Oracle Lighting’s business comes from designing, engineering, manufacturing and selling their own catalog of products. The other 20% comes from designing custom lighting products for other vehicle manufacturers — a growing sector of Oracle’s overall business. “It’s an exciting side of the business to grow, because I feel like we’re ready for it,” Tiffanie Hartenstein said.

Global business Oracle Lighting has attracted a growing number of international clients, particularly in Canada and Germany, where there are many American car enthusiasts, especially for bespoke “muscle cars.” The company also has a big customer base in the Middle East. Tariffs, inflation and gas prices have slowed the company’s recent growth and sales last year, for the first time since 2018, were flat. “There’s this whole thing that happens when gas prices go up,” Justin Hartenstein said. “The whole automotive industry just kind of slows down.” But the second half of 2026 is brighter and the Hartensteins say they’re poised for growth. “Our operation is pretty robust,” Tiffanie Hartenstein said. “It can handle a fair amount of growth right now before adding a big addition.” Email Grace Mayer at grace. mayer@theadvocate.com.

8E ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● 1S

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4 DAY SALE

september 4th - 7th

FRI

SAT SUN MON

SAVE $ 22 2 LB

— ONLY —

5 lb Average Weight Value Pack Roll

LIMIT 4

80% Lean Ground Beef

$ 77 LB

SAVE $ 22 3 — ONLY —

SWEET

Seedless Large Red Watermelon

LIMIT 2

$ 77

SAVE $ 00 3 LB

— ONLY —

BOILED FRESH IN STORE HEAD-ON

Boiled Louisiana Shrimp

$ 99 LB

SAVE

$ 61

PREFERRED

PARTNER

— ONLY —

Louisiana Local 30 OZ JAR

Blue Plate Mayonnaise

$ 88

SAVE up $ 38 to 1 — ONLY — 18 OZ BOTTLE

Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce

$ 47

SAVE up $ 38 to 5 When You Buy 2

— ONLY —

46 - 48 OZ CONTAINER OR 8 - 9 COUNT CONES, BARS OR SANDWICHES

Blue Bunny Frozen Dairy Dessert

2/$

flip over for more

2S ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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4 DAY SALE

september 4th - 7th

FRI

SAT SUN MON

SAVE $ 83 1 LB

— ONLY —

$ 96

PREVIOUSLY FROZEN

St. Louis Style Pork Ribs

SAVE

up $ 97 to

When You Buy 3

— ONLY —

3/$

BUNCHED

Turnip, Collard or Mustard Greens 12 OZ PACK

$ 99

Chisesi’s Seasoned Ham

SAVE $ 00 3 LB

— ONLY —

$ 99

BOILED FRESH IN STORE HEAD-ON

Boiled Louisiana Shrimp

SAVE $ 00 2

r in ou I L E D tment r depa

— ONLY —

$ 99

FRESH MADE IN STORE

Fried Chicken Tenders

SAVE up $ 98 to 2 When You Buy 2

— ONLY —

2/$

8 OZ

Philadelphia Cream Cheese

SAVE up $ 50 to 2

SAVE up $ 00 to 6

— ONLY —

4 DOUBLE ROLLS

Bounty Essentials

OR 6 MEGA ROLLS

Charmin Essentials

$ 99

750 ML

$ 99

Josh Cellars Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● 3S

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TRUCKLOAD

SALE

stock up on meat, produce, and seafood for now and for later! EXCLUSIVELY AT ROUSES!

$ 99 LB

100% PREMIUM USDA ANGUS CHOICE VALUE PACK

Boneless Chuck Roast

PREVIOUSLY FROZEN

Chicken Wings

$ 47 LB

Side $ $ 77 Whole 99 Coho Salmon

3 LB BAG

Little Bear Farms Honeysweet Onions

FARM-RAISED

LB $ 99

FARM-RAISED

Coho Salmon Portions

PREVIOUSLY FROZEN

3 LB BAG

2 LB BAG

Turkey Necks

Turkey Wings

Topashaw Farms Petite Sweet Potatoes

Grimmway Farms Baby Carrots

$ 49 LB 2.5 LB BOX

Louisiana Local

Louisiana Select Breaded Catﬁsh Fillets

$ 49 LB

gulf coast Local

4 LB BAG FROZEN WILD CAUGHT

41/50 Ct Headless Gulf Brown Shrimp

2/$

Mississippi Local 10 PIECE

36 COUNT

Fried or BBQ Baked Drumsticks

Cookie Tray

$ 99

rolling in big savings down the aisles!

Kellogg’s Large Size Cereal

$ 99

12 – 17.3 OZ SELECT

$ 99

40 OZ

JIF Peanut Butter

2/$

4 PACK

Kraft Easy Mac Microwavable Cups

$ 99

2 LB BAG DRY

Camellia Navy, Red or Great Northern Beans

12 OZ FAMILY SIZE

26.2 OZ VALUE SIZE

10 POUND BAG

Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts

Zatarain’s Family Meals

Idahoan Instant Potatoes

Supreme White Rice

4 PACK

52 OZ

10 OZ

6 COUNT

Dannon Yogurt

2/$

Florida’s Natural Orange Juice

2/$

$ 59

Bays English Muffins

57 - 76 OZ

12 COUNT

16 - 18 OZ SELECTED

100 COUNT

Bomb Frozen Pops

InnovAsian Entreés

Totino’s Pizza Rolls

2/$

$ 99

Rana Ravioli or Tortelloni

2/$

$ 99

Louisiana Local

12 COUNT

2/$

Stouffer’s Family or Party Size Entreés

Prices good at Lafayette, New Iberia and Youngsville locations September 2nd thru September 9th, 2026.

4S ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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see inside for ourtruckload sale!

PRICES GOOD SEPTEMBER 2ND - SEPTEMBER 9th, 2026

SAVE $ 22 2

SAVE $ 02 5

SAVE 70 ¢

— ONLY —

Chicken Breast Tenders

PARTNER

— ONLY —

$ 77

PREVIOUSLY FROZEN

PREFERRED

$ 99

HALF

Boneless Pork Loin

— ONLY —

24 PACK 12 OZ

CANS

Coke, Sprite, Diet Coke or Barq’s

SAVE up $ 98 to 4

— MIX & MATCH —

BUY 2, GET 1

FREE!

When You Buy 2

12 PACK 12 OZ CANS

$ 99 LB

VALUE PACK

Pork Steaks

SAVE up $ 87 to 5

2/$

5 COUNT

Fresh Avocados

When You Buy 3

When You Buy 2

Kraft Shredded 2/$

8 COUNT PACK

12 OZ

24 OZ PACK

24 PACK HALF LITERS

Bar-S Franks

Wright Bacon

Dasani Water

3/$

5 - 11 OZ BAG

Lay’s Potato Chips or Tostitos Cantina Chips

5 - 8 OZ

or Chunk Cheese

6 PACK HALF LITERS

Propel

12 PACK HALF LITERS

Lipton Tea

SAVE $ 00 1

SAVE up $ 78 to 4

When You Buy 2

Darling Easy Peel Mandarins

SAVE up $ 18 to 3

Pepsi

2/$

2 LB BAG

Bunny Hamburger or Hot Dog Buns

2/$

GALLON

Luzianne Tea

SAVE $ 00 3

$ 99 PREFERRED

PARTNER

SIX

L to Cha ast En nc te e r!

SAVE $ 90 2

Kingsford or Match Light Charcoal

$ 99 WINNERS!

EACH WILL RECEIVE:

1 Monument Mesa 4-Burner Propane Grill

SCAN TO ENTER

$ 99

12 - 16 LB BAG

$ 98

Louisiana Local

6 packs of Johnsonville Fresh Sausage or Brats

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.

SAVE up $ 00 to 6

SAVE $ 00 1

24 PACK 12 OZ

Miller Lite, Coors Light, Bud Light or Yuengling

99 Tito’s Vodka$ 1.75 LITER

OR 750 ML

Espolon Reposado Tequila

1.75 LITER

1941 Craft Vodka

750 ML

Corazon Blanco Tequila

750 ML

Bonanza Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon

THC

750 ML SELECTED

Kim Crawford Wine

12 PACK 12 OZ

Corona or Modelo

24 PACK 12 OZ CANS

Michelob Ultra

12 PACK 12 OZ CANS

Twisted Tea or Hoop Tea

4 PACK 12 OZ CANS

Urban South Driftee THC Seltzer

Prices good at Lafayette, New Iberia and Youngsville locations September 2nd thru September 9th, 2026.

$ 99

Nutrition still matters with GLP-1 medications PAGE 3

DISCOVERy | INNOVATION | LIVING WELL

HEALTH

LOUISIANA

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

Molly Kimball

S U N D AY, S e p t e m b e r 6, 2026

CATCH OF THE DAY A worker sorts through fresh fish filets at Porgy’s Seafood Market on North Carrollton Avenue in New Orleans.

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Experts say eat more fish, but wild-caught or farm-raised? BY MATT HAINES Contributing writer

Shelly Marie Redmond, a Shreveport dietitian, says one of her first priorities with clients is to get seafood into their meal plans. “Fish can add so much to our well-being,” she said. “It’s rich in protein, which can help us lose weight, but it also is full of healthy omega-3 fats that protect our hearts and decrease inflammation.” But not all of this underwater bounty is created equal when it comes to health. In particular, the debate over wildcaught seafood vs. farm-raised seafood can become complicated, balancing concerns around nutrition, contamination, overfishing and environmental degradation. Dana Honn, chef-owner of New Orleans-based restaurants Nikkei Izakaya and Tempero’s Kitchen as well as

founder of the Tropical Foodways Institute and the Louisiana Shrimp Festival, says that creating hard and fast rules between wild-caught and farm-raised seafood is not easy. “It really depends on the type of seafood and the species of finfish that we’re talking about,” Honn said. Further complicating Honn matters is that there simply is not enough wild seafood to feed the world’s growing population. The World Wildlife Fund reports that roughly 85% of global marine fish stocks have been fully ﬁshed, depleted or overﬁshed. “Not everyone on the planet has access to the best seafood, but I would

Wild-caught golden tilefish, left, and yellowfin tuna are displayed recently at

ä See FISH, page 2X Nikkei Izakaya in New Orleans.

‘Blockbuster’ new drug could help reduce La. obesity rates Retatrutide likely to hit markets next year, doctor says

struggle with high obesity rates. The experimental drug retatrutide will probably hit markets next year, said Dr. Eric Ravussin of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge. “It’s going to be a blockbuster,” BY RACHEL MIPRO Ravussin said. “Now it’s just a and MARGARET DELANEY question of the pricing. When you Staff writers start with these drugs and they are A new obesity medication is com- not covered by insurance, is it going, one that may prove a “blocking to be the one that everybody is buster” in states like Louisiana that going to use? I don’t know yet. It

PRESENTING SPONSOR

would be if it was the same price or accessible to most people.” Retatrutide, an injectable weekly shot, appears to be highly effective as an appetite suppressant and weight loss medication, according to parent company and drug manufacturer Eli Lilly. Ozempic and Wegovy are both GLP-1 receptor agonists using semaglutide that reduce appetite and control blood sugar levels. Weight-loss management medi-

cations like Mounjaro and Zepbound combine GLP-1 receptor agonists and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, or GIP, receptor agonists to create a “dual-action” medication that both suppresses appetite and helps the body process insulin. The three-receptor targeting in retatrutide, attacks GLP-1, GIP and glucagon hormones, making the weight-loss drug a “triple threat.”

“It is a change, but the GLP-1 is the major effector on food intake, decreasing food intake, improving association,” Ravussin said. “The fact that you stop a meal, and even not being very interested in what was before a food that people would love, with high fat content and high sugar content. It’s still the same hack, but it’s added peptides for different mechanisms.”

ä See DRUG, page 3X

Runners Symposium Saturday, September 12, 2026

11 a.m. - 12 p.m. - Recovery Sessions Offered | 12 p.m. - 2 p.m. - Runners Symposium

Ochsner Lafayette General Andrews Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute 4212 West Congress Street | Suite 1900 | Lafayette

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2X ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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La. doctor gives tips to start your day, improve health BY MARGARET DELANEY Staff writer

The choices people make in the first few hours awake can influence energy, hunger and food choices for the rest of the day. Although daunting to establish, a consistent morning routine helps regulate appetite, supports healthy metabolism and makes it easier to stick with long-term healthy habits. The key isn’t perfection, it’s consistency. Quick fixes aren’t going to be the answer, according to Mandy Keown, a nurse practitioner at the lifestyle wellness clinic at Ochsner Medical ComplexThe Grove in Baton Rouge. Finding realistic, purposeful choices Keown and starting them slowly will be the best way to build habits. “We can always build,” Keown said. “We don’t have to make all of these changes at once.” Here are five morning habits that can help with weight loss: n A good night routine is a good morning routine: Not getting enough sleep is a sureﬁre way to have a bad morning. Not only will the crankiness set in, a lack of sleep or poor sleep also impacts weight management. Poor sleep can increase hunger hormones, decrease feelings of fullness and make it harder to make healthy food choices. The sweet spot for adults is to get seven to nine hours of sleep each night. Tricks like making the room cold, blocking out light and staying away from technology before bed have been shown to improve sleep health. n Water first thing: After a full night’s sleep, most people wake up mildly dehydrated, Keown said.

FISH

Continued from page 1X never tell someone that they shouldn’t eat fish just because they can’t have or afford the best,” Honn said. “It just so happens that here in Louisiana, we have the best right in our backyard. And while there is no universal rule for wildcaught vs. farm-raised, there are some helpful guidelines we can pay attention to.”

When to go wild Generally, wild-caught fish is lower in calories and saturated fat, thanks to a more active lifestyle that includes migration, hunting and avoiding predators. They contain a healthier ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats than farm-raised fish, which have restricted movement and are typically fed high-calorie pellets meant to accelerate growth. This is certainly true with salmon, the most common finfish consumed in the U.S. “I’m not saying that all farmraised fish is bad for you because, just like on land, there are responsible agricultural practices,” said Honn, “but salmon is an example where big industrial aquaculture has produced terrible results.” To illustrate this, Honn served a dish at his former restaurant Carmo which featured three types of salmon side-by-side-by-side. It included wild sockeye from the Pacific Ocean and responsibly farm-raised Verlasso salmon from the pristine fjords of Chile’s Patagonia region. The third salmon, however, was just an empty spot on the plate. “It was meant to represent the Atlantic-farmed salmon so often encountered at restaurants and in grocery stores, but that I would never give to my diners,” he said. “You can eat beautiful, delicious wild salmon, or you can eat salmon raised in pens with a worse ratio of omega-6 to omega-3, and that has to be artificially colored pink to even remotely resemble salmon. To me, the choice seems clear.” Shrimp is another example where seafood experts are unanimous. Wild shrimp from the waters off the Louisiana coast are considered healthier than its farmraised counterparts. This isn’t just because of its natural diet of plankton and small sea life instead of commercial feed pellets. Wild shrimp also avoid being treated in cramped ponds with antibiotics or chemicals to prevent disease outbreaks — contaminants that are passed on to human consumers. Michael Nelson, executive chef at GW Fins, a fine-dining seafood restaurant in New Orleans specializing in wild-caught seafood, says that in addition to health concerns, seafood raised on large, industrial farms is also less tasty. “At the restaurant, I make my

GETTy IMAGES PHOTO

Doctors say the choices people make in the first few hours awake can influence the rest of the day. “Not everybody’s drinking right before they go to bed,” Keown said. “We have quite a few hours that we’ve not had anything to drink. On top of the fact that we do tend to lose water while we sleep, just by breathing or sweating.” Drinking water or an electrolyte drink ﬁrst thing can help replenish ﬂuids, rehydrate the cells, increase energy and support normal body functions before adding caffeine. Electrolytes help speed up the hydration process, even if it’s a pinch of salt or a slice of lemon in water, Keown said. n Get some sunshine: Morning sunlight helps regulate the body’s internal clock. “Even if it’s just 10 minutes of it,” Keown said. “It helps to tell our internal clock, ‘Hey, it’s time

decisions based on taste,” he said, “but it also affects health because if you want consumers to eat healthy things, it has to be delicious.” You can smell, taste, and see the difference in the seafood produced by big commercial producers, Nelson insists. “It doesn’t taste as fresh,” he said. “Instead, there are ‘off’ flavors that get stored in an extra layer of fat between the skin and the flesh. You’re tasting what they feed and treat the animals with to plump them up and keep them alive. That can’t be healthy for us.” Global Seafood Alliance, an international nonprofit whose 8,000plus members include certified aquaculture producers and corporations, and which advocates for responsibility and safety in the industry, considers quality to be a primary and achievable goal. “The health benefits of seafood are well documented and are essentially the same, whether wild or farmed,” the organization said on its website in a detailed response to aquaculture critics earlier this year. “Farmed fish is a high-quality protein loaded with essential vitamins, and oily species like salmon have an abundance of omega-3 fatty acids, which are crucial to heart, brain and eye health.”

When is farm-raised OK? Even advocates for wild-caught seafood like Nelson, however, understand that avoiding farmraised fish entirely is impractical and unnecessary. “There’s a finite amount of wild fish in the world for people to eat, so we definitely need some form of aquaculture,” he said. “I just think we need to hold ourselves to a higher standard: rather than raise these ‘Frankenfish’ that barely resemble what they are supposed to be, we should follow the lead of people like my friend with a trout farm in California who is approaching the practice in a healthier way.” For example, the majority of Louisiana’s catfish is farm-raised, as is nearly 90% of the crawfish the state consumes. It has been illegal to sell wild-caught redfish in the state for decades. Honn says this is an example of where aquaculture can be used to protect and even improve upon our limited wild fisheries. “Aquaculture has been around for thousands of years, and there are examples where it is very aligned with the environment,” he said. “The result can be just as healthy for us, and on top of that, it helps protect our wild fish and support the local economy in these coastal communities.” In the case of oysters, farmed and wild varieties have nearly identical nutritional value. This is because farmed oysters, also called “off-bottom,” are raised in the same waters as their natural counterparts.

to wake up. The sun’s out. This is our time to shine.’ ” Getting out in the sun boosts vitamin D, which boosts up mood and energy as well. Research from the Northwestern Medicine Study shows that people exposed to bright light early in the day tend to have a lower BMI, regardless of diet or activity. n Protein before 10 a.m.: Approximately 1 in 5 Americans are “breakfast skippers.” Skipping breakfast, as part of time-restricted eating patterns such as intermittent fasting, has become increasingly popular as a weightmanagement strategy. But scientiﬁc evidence to support this is lacking. Many studies have shown that breakfast skippers are at an increased risk for weight gain (like

Eating before 10 a.m. is a suggestion, but ideally the best time to break fast is one to two hours after waking up. A study published in the National Library of Medicine found that eating the main meal late (after 3 p.m.) was predictive of difﬁculty in weight loss. n Make a plan, be mindful: Planning ahead reduces the chances of making impulsive food choices. “We tend to make those compulsive decisions where we may eat out of convenience, whether it’s like convenience stores, snack machines, fast-food restaurants,” Keown said. “Whereas, if we know what we’re going to eat throughout the day and we are prepared, we can have it ready to go.” Planning for the week ahead of time, sitting with the grocery list before going to the store and practicing mindfulness in the morning can go a long way to decreasing stress at the beginning and throughout the day, according to Keown. One of the main beneﬁts of mindful approaches for weight loss is to help people recognize emotional eating. In one small study of people with heart disease, participants were encouraged to recognize that eating healthfully and exercising is really challenging, and that pretending that it isn’t just makes it all the more distressing. Instead, they were taught a practice called diffusion, in which they distanced themselves from unhelpful thoughts, feelings and beliefs. This helped them tolerate the distress of trying to make hearthealthy behavior changes. Participants gave high marks to the program and made positive changes in their diet and exercise habits.

increased hunger driving hormones) and chronic disease. Research suggests that breakfast is important, but simply eating breakfast may only be half the battle. The true victory comes when you eat a high-quality breakfast packed full of protein and nutrients. Protein-rich breakfasts are the best bang for your buck when it comes to weight management. Having protein, 20 to 30 grams of it, each morning helps to reduce midmorning hunger, support muscle maintenance and stabilize energy levels throughout the day. “With animal proteins, you really want to aim for a lean protein like chicken, turkey or fish,” Keown Email Margaret DeLaney at said. “And with plant-based pro- margaret.delaney@theadvocate. com. teins, nuts and seeds.”

PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Fish are netted to be prepared for the kitchen direct from a tank inside Williby’s Catfish, a market and restaurant in New Orleans. Thomas Hymel holds an invasive silver carp from the Atchafalaya River. He’s exploring product opportunities in the LSU AgCenter’s Seafood Processing Demonstration Lab.

CORRECTION An Aug. 23 Health section story on a teenager's spine surgery misreported Dr. Ryan P. Farmer's ﬁrst name. The Advocate | The TimesPicayune regrets the error

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU PHOTO PROVIDED By THOMAS HyMEL

“Oysters got their nutritional and mineral makeup from the waters they grow in,” said Justin Trosclair, owner of Lady Nellie Oyster Farm in Grand Isle. “If you had off-bottom and wild oysters growing beside one another, there wouldn’t be any difference from a health standpoint.”

Keeping it local Even many of the more sustainable aquaculture operations still inject additives like sodium tripolyphosphate to their harvest. Producers will say this is to prevent the loss of water during thawing, known as “drip loss,” while critics suggest it is to enhance the size of the seafood so they can be sold for more money. But Thomas Hymel, a ﬁsheries specialist at LSU AgCenter, says that the practices most harmful to our health take place at international aquaculture facilities. “There are a lot of regulations here in the U.S. that limit the use

of chemical contaminants on the seafood produced here,” he said, “but unfortunately we have a lot of seafood imported from countries without those rules — in Southeast Asia and India for example — that are full of things like dangerous antibiotics.” So Hymel says to maximize health you should definitely make sure your seafood — whether farm-raised or wild-caught — is local. “Our local seafood industry is full of amazing people and an incredible product,” he said, “whether it’s our fishermen out there catching wild fish, our crawfish farmers in rice fields, or our catfish farmers doing taste tests to make sure their product is the highest quality. And you can get it without a bunch of hands transporting it across the globe. Louisiana has a reputation as a worldclass producer of healthy seafood, and so if you can get that here, it’s a no-brainer.”

The Louisiana Health section is focused on providing in-depth, personal accounts of health in the state. This section looks at medical innovations, health discoveries, state and national health statistics and re-examining tried and true methods on ways to live well. Health editions will also profile people who are advancing health for the state of Louisiana. Do you have a health story? We want to hear from you. Email margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com to submit health questions, stories and more.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● 3X

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Eat Fit Live Fit

Molly Kimball RD, CSSD

B R O U G H T TO YO U BY

GLP-1 medications: why nutrition still matters Guest column by Peyton Cherry, registered dietitian with Lifestyle Nutrition at Ochsner Health

ou’ve probably heard a lot about GLP-1 medications lately. Whether it’s Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro or Zepbound, these medications have become a major topic of conversation for their impact on blood sugar management and weight loss. Researchers are also discovering benefits beyond weight loss, including cardiovascular benefits and improvements in fatty liver disease and sleep apnea, along with a lower risk of kidney disease in some people with diabetes. GLP-1 medications can be powerful tools, and people often see the best long-term results when they pair treatment with healthy nutrition, regular movement and support from their healthcare team. GLP-1 medications mimic glucagon-like peptide-1, a naturally occurring hormone that helps regulate blood sugar, slows digestion and signals fullness. Many people experience reduced hunger, eat smaller portions and feel full longer. As weight comes off, protecting overall health and muscle is just as important. That’s where nutrition comes in. Dr. Amanda Fontenot, obesity medicine director at Ochsner Health, emphasizes the importance of preserving muscle during weight loss: “Muscle loss with significant or rapid weight loss has always been an issue, and we need to take steps to stay ahead of it.”

quickly without enough ﬂuid can make constipation worse.

Other Nutrition Considerations

Because GLP-1 medications slow digestion, high-fat meals may worsen nausea, reﬂux, bloating or fullness, so smaller portions may be better tolerated. Eating less can also make it harder to meet vitamin and mineral needs. Food should remain the primary source of nutrients, with supplements used based on guidance from your healthcare team.

The Bottom Line

may also lose about one pound of lean mass, including muscle. Preserving muscle supports metabolism, long-term weight maintenance and bone health. Individual protein needs vary based on body size, age, activity level and health goals. For a simple starting point, divide your goal weight by two. For a target weight of 150 pounds, that’s about 75 grams of protein per day at minimum.

Don’t Forget About Exercise

Strength training is one of the best ways to help preserve muscle while losing weight, and it doesn’t require hours in

the gym. Resistance bands, bodyweight exercises or lifting weights a few times each week, along with walking or other cardiovascular exercise, can support muscle health and strength.

The Role of Fiber

GLP-1 medications can cause digestive changes, including constipation, bloating, diarrhea and discomfort. Fiber supports digestion, blood sugar control and fullness. A good target for most adults is 25 to 35 grams per day. Increase ﬁber gradually and drink enough water. Adding too much ﬁber too

GLP-1 medications can be powerful tools, especially when paired with nutrition, exercise, hydration, sleep and support from your healthcare team. As Dr. Fontenot says, “Treating obesity happens in layers.” Medication is one layer; healthy habits and ongoing care are others that can help support lasting results.

Want to learn more? Peyton Cherry, MS, RD, LDN, will lead a free community workshop on nutrition strategies for people taking GLP-1 medications on Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 6 p.m. at Ochsner Fitness Center in Elmwood. The workshop is open to the public. Scan the QR code here to reserve your free spot.

Make Protein a Priority

If one nutrition goal deserves special attention while taking a GLP-1 medication, it’s protein. Some muscle loss can occur with weight loss, especially without enough protein and regular exercise. Dr. Fontenot notes that for about every three pounds of fat lost, people

Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD, is a registered dietitian with Ochsner Health and founder of Ochsner’s Eat Fit nonproﬁt initiative. For more wellness content, tune in to Molly’s podcast, FUELED Wellness + Nutrition, and follow @MollykimballRD and @EatFitOchsner on social media. Email nutrition@ochsner.org to connect with Molly or schedule a consult with her team.

BY THE NUMBERS

CDC: DIETARy SUPPLEMENT USE STEADILy RISES FOR KIDS, ADULTS

More than one in three American youths and nearly twothirds of adults take a dietary supplement, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People often use dietary supplements to meet nutrient needs and support specific health goals. Because of relatively high usage in the population, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics stresses the need to watch for overlapping ingredients, potential excesses and interactions, the CDC reported in its data release. For the data collected, the CDC

DRUG

Continued from page 1X Retatrutide has similar reported side effects as to on-market GLPs, such as nausea and diarrhea. “These side effects can be present, even though it’s mild to moderate in nature,” said Dr. David Lau, a professor emeritus of medicine at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. “It can lead to discontinuation of the drug.” Eli Lilly announced successful Phase 3 trials of the drugs. In this phase of testing, large-scale trials are conducted in patients to test efficacy, safety and compare results to on-market medications. The company published results for TRIUMPH-1, a Phase 3 clinical trial, in May and presented their ﬁndings at the American Diabetes Association conference in New Orleans in June.

defines a dietary supplement as August 2023, 35.7% of youth and Dietary supplement use in America any product, other than tobacco, 60.2% of adults used any dietary Percentage of Americans who used any dietary supplements in intended to supplement diet supplement in the past 30 days, one month by age group: 75.9% and not intended to replace and 11.3% of youth and 38.7% food. Dietary supplements of adults used two or more. contain vitamins, minerals, herbs Children age 2-11 were 60.3% or botanicals, amino acids or more likely to take any dietary other substances, including supplement in the past 30 days 46.3% 41.9% prescription and over-the-counter at 41.9%, than infants who were supplements. 1 and under at 28.6%, and kids 30.1% 28.6% The national rate of dietary and young adults who were 12supplement use has steadily 19 at 30.1%. increased over the last decade, The percentage of adults rising from 33.1% in 2013 to taking any dietary supplement 35.7% in 2023 for youth, and increased with age, from 46.3% Ages Ages Ages Ages Ages Ages 60 from 53.8% in 2013 to 60.2% in among those 20-39, to 60.3% 0–1 2–11 12–19 20–39 40–59 and over 2023 for adults. among those 40-59, to 75.9% Between August 2021 and among those 60 and older. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Staff graphic

The 80-week trial studied adults with obesity and weight-related health conditions. Participants taking the highest weekly dose — 12 mg — lost an average of 70 pounds over the duration of the study. Trial participants on the 4 mg dose lost around 47 pounds in the same time frame. “Obesity is a chronic disease, and people living with obesity deserve treatment options that match the complex biology of their neurometabolic disease,” said lead investigator Ania Jastreboff, director of the Yale Obesity Research Center, in a May news release about the results. “It was impressive to see that every dose of retatrutide resulted in clinically meaningful weight reduction for nearly all participants.”

weight over two years. “It matches what you can achieve with weight-loss surgeries. In many ways, that would put the bariatric surgeons out of business,” Lau said. “Not every person with obesity needs to lose 30% body weight. The majority of the obesity-related complications greatly improve with 10% body weight loss.” In late July, the company announced the success of two more trials, TRIUMPH-2 and TRIUMPH-3, with similar results. “When it comes to efficacy, retatrutide certainly trumps all the other weight-loss medications that are currently available,” Lau said. “That’s the reason why the public is so attractive to this medication, even though it’s not available and not officially approved by the FDA.” Stoking the black market The company is expected People with severe obesity to file for FDA approval in on the highest dose lost on the first quarter of 2027; average 30% of their body however, public controver-

sy emerged after Eli Lilly approved a 79-year-old to use the drug pre-federal approval. Eli Lilly filed six lawsuits against med spas, a compounding pharmacy and other vendors that the drugmaker said are stoking a black or gray market for “fake retatrutide” to people hoping to gain access to the drug before its officially available. The emergence of blackmarket copies of weight management drugs is “primarily because of the cost,” Lau said. “Don’t forget that obesity prevalence is seen greater in people from lower socioeconomic status,” Lau said. “They can’t afford it, so they resort to compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide because it’s a lot cheaper.” A study released in late August by a Massachusetts-based data analytics company found that people taking Eli Lilly’s experi-

mental weight-loss drug, retatrutide, outside of clinical trials lost signiﬁcantly less weight than patients participating in the trials. Black-market users lost an average of 4.7%, 5.3%, and 7.2% of their weight after taking “reta” for three months, six months and one year, respectively.

The market keeps growing Lau, director of the Julia McFarlane Diabetes Research Center in Alberta, Canada, founded the ﬁrst interdisciplinary weight management clinic in a hospital over 40 years ago. “At that time, we were still focusing on the narrative that people can lose weight by eating less and moving more,” Lau said. “We know that that narrative really doesn’t work.” Since then, the world has rallied behind weight management drugs. More than 12% of Americans said they were taking a GLP-1 drug

such as Ozempic or Wegovy either to lose weight or treat a chronic condition in 2025, according to a poll from KFF. Louisiana alone spends over $1 billion in weight-loss drugs in 2023. People with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 are eligible for medications to treat obesity. “To put things in context,” Lau said. “The latest data reports that 40% of adult Americans have a BMI above 30. You’re talking about a large number of individuals who are eligible for obesity management.” On top of that, people with BMI between 25 and 30 who have comorbidity associated with obesity, Type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea or fatty liver disease, also are eligible for weight management medications. “That’s why it’s such a huge market,” Lau said. “And it’s a very competitive space.”

4X ● Sunday, September 6, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Your health is our primary care

Ochsner Lafayette General provides compassionate, personalized care for every stage of life. From your child’s well visits and teen sports physicals to managing chronic conditions, our experienced primary care team is here to support your family’s health journey. With same-day and next-day appointments and more than 70 physicians and advanced practice providers from Lafayette to Lake Arthur, we make it easy to get the care you need when you need it. Call 337-571-1111 to schedule your appointment today.

SUNDAY, September 6, 2026

CURTIS / by Ray Billingsley

SLYLOCK FOX / by Bob Weber Jr.

GET FUZZY / by Darby Conley

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE / by Chris Browne

ROSEBUDS / by Supr Dee

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM / by Mike Peters

ZIGGY / by Tom Wilson

SALLY FORTH / by Francesco Marciuliano & Jim Keefe

ZITS / by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE / by Stephan Pastis

wonderword

scrabble grams

word game

directions: Make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. Add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. All the words are in the Official SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

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.

For more information on tournaments and clubs, email NASPA – North American SCRABBLE Players Association: info@scrabbleplayers.org. Visit our website: www.scrabbleplayers.org. For puzzle inquiries contact scrgrams@gmail.com. Hasbro and its logo SCRABBLE associated logo, the design of the distinctive SCRABBLE brand game card, and the distinctive letter tile designs are trademarks of Hasbro in the United States and Canada. ©2026 Hasbro. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

cryptoquote AxyDLBAAxR iS LONgFELLOW One letter stands for another. in this sample, A is used for the three L’s, x for the two O’s, etc. Single letters, apostrophes, the length and formation of the words are all hints. Each day the code letters are different.

AnsWers to ALL PuZZLes Are on inside BAcK PAGe

todAY's Word — ForetoLd: for-TOLD: Predicted. Average mark 47 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 60 or more words in FORETOLD?

Sudoku

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

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 Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

hidato directions: Complete the grid so that numbers 1–132 connect horizontally, vertically or diagonally.

AnsWers to ALL PuZZLes Are on inside BAcK PAGe

Los angeLes Times sunday Crossword puzzLe — Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis “read THe insTruCTions” By KaTie HaLe aCross 1 Add some oomph to 6 In good __ 11 “The Marvels” director DaCosta 14 Latch (onto) 18 Speckled horses 19 Dodge 20 Zingy flavor 21 “Sorry, I slipped” 22 “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink,” e.g.? 25 “Frozen” reindeer 26 “Come back __!” 27 See 91-Across 28 Like rum barrels 29 Ms. Marvel, for one 30 Fruity drink suffix 32 “Oral contracts are binding,” e.g.? 35 Cause of a soccer ball bending midair 40 Vigor 41 Fish eggs 42 Character who calls Homer “neighborino” 43 Romania neighbor 45 Letters said while showing a badge 47 “Ew, stop talking!” 50 “A new pope shall be chosen at a conclave,” e.g.? 55 Fall (over) 56 Et __: and others 57 Polite contraction 58 Castle protectors 59 Turn to rubble, briefly 60 Ancient land of the Fertile Crescent 63 Scout leader? 64 NHL trophy

namesake 66 “The strike zone is between the chest and knees,” e.g.? 71 Significant amount of spots? 74 Piglet moms 75 Drank daintily 79 __-back 80 Unsettling look 82 Target of some laser therapy 85 City bond, for short 86 Birthplace of MLK 87 “The ball must hit the cushion before dropping into the pocket,” e.g.? 91 With 27-Across, patriotic Muppet 92 Home security co. 93 Malaysian fleet 94 __ for tat 95 Mexican lager 97 AKB48 genre 100 Miami Beach fair for gallerists and curators 102 “Chickens will be fed in the coop,” e.g.? 107 Designer initials 108 Former Yankee slugger, familiarly 109 “That wasn’t wholly true” 110 Tennis star Naomi 114 Airport pickup option 118 Space City pro 119 “Wear sensible shoes and a lumbar support belt,” e.g.? 122 Coming-of-age story subject, often 123 Cheap, plastic camera type 124 Curtain beam, often 125 Agree to take part 126 Latin 101 verb 127 Copy 128 Public affairs

network 129 Source of wealth down 1 Petulant cry 2 Petulant look 3 Salt and pepper, e.g. 4 Like Dracula 5 Air pump meas. 6 Super Monkey Ball developer 7 Rating for mild language, perhaps 8 Countess counterpart 9 French farewell 10 Recliner room 11 Part of a table setting 12 Shoreline feature 13 Sales rep 14 “Gee, that seems unlikely” 15 Treasure-y note? 16 __ glasses 17 Jen Psaki’s network 20 Dress-up box item 23 Liam of “The Naked Gun” 24 Draped neckline 31 Moore of “The Substance” 33 Get close 34 “__ go bragh!” 35 Shuts up tight 36 “Hijack” star Elba 37 Dabble in 38 Just hanging about 39 Dozes (off) 42 Sweet Sixteen org. 44 __ and vigor 45 Toned 46 Sarajevo’s region 48 “Light My Candle” singer in 117-Down 49 Long-term goals for some startups 51 Sleeper sofa 52 Dubai leader 53 “Downton Abbey” countess 54 Powdery mineral 59 Imagined

61 Issa of “Barbie” 62 “What a downer” 63 Rte. finder 65 Anxiety-related med. condition 67 Novelist Dinesen 68 Tuna roll wrap 69 Singer Stefani 70 Force measured in newtons 71 Start of a lament 72 “Star Trek” android 73 Movie soundtracks

goren Bridge

76 Family-friendly hotel room 77 How anchovies may be packed 78 Guinness serving, often 81 59-Across stuff 82 __ Lanka 83 Michael of “Barbie” 84 Vegan thickener 87 Indonesian island 88 Gawk 89 Tripoli resident 90 Small clock

wuzzLes

inserts 96 “And I’m finished” 97 “Come along for the ride” 98 Italian “You’re welcome” 99 Bet calculations 101 Drinks noisily 102 Wasabi product 103 Some deco pieces 104 __ Wafers 105 Sludgy stuff 106 Big cat sounds

111 Finger click 112 College basketball coach Barnes 113 Potter’s oven 115 Objections 116 Author Wiesel 117 Musical set in Alphabet City 120 Involuntary spasm 121 Southwestern Indian state

super Quiz

Foresight

Take this Super Quiz to a Ph.D. Score 1 point for each correct answer on the Freshman Level, 2 points on the graduate Level and 3 points on the Ph.D. Level.

Today’s deal is from a competition in Norway. South was Norway’s Per Bryde Sundseth. His three-heart bid was wide ranging after East’s pre-empt and North’s raise to four hearts was an example of Scandinavian courage. East overtook the king of clubs opening lead with the ace and led the jack of clubs. Sundseth made the far-sighted play of ruffing with the six of hearts. The ace and another diamond came next. West rose with the king and led a third diamond, ruffed by East with the nine of hearts and over-ruffed with the queen. West might have done better by ducking the king of diamonds. Sundseth would have had trouble if he mis-guessed the diamond position. Even if declarer had guessed correctly, West would not have lost his diamond trick. Sundseth continued his clairvoyant play by leading the eight of hearts to dummy’s king, noting the fall of the 10 from East. He ruffed dummy’s remaining club with the ace of hearts and completed his masterpiece by leading the carefully preserved

SUBJECT: AMERICAN MILITARY SUCCESSES

Answer________

(Example: In 2026, U.S. forces captured this Venezuelan leader in Caracas. Answer: President Maduro.)

8. In this war, U.S.-led coalition forces won a decisive victory, driving the Iraqi forces out of Kuwait.

two, crippling its supply lines.

Answer________ FRESHMAN LEVEL 1. This crucial victory repelled the last major German offensive in Western Europe. Answer________ 2. This three-day conflict ended Robert E. Lee’s invasion of the North.

9. General Andrew Jackson was victorious in this final major battle of the War of 1812. Answer________ 10. A key 1898 victory in Cuba, featuring Theodore Roosevelt’s Rough Riders. Answer________

Answer________ 3. This naval battle, six months after Pearl Harbor, was a turning point in the Pacific Theater. Answer________ 4. General Eisenhower commanded this massive Allied invasion of France in 1944.

three of hearts to dummy’s five, finessing West for the seven! The jack of hearts drew the last trump. Sundseth cashed his diamonds and the ace of spades, conceding the last trick to the defense. Beautifully played! Tannah Hirsch welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, Ny. 14207. E-mail responses may be sent to gorenbridge@ aol.com. © 2026 Tribune Content Agency

Answer________ 5. This decisive 1781 victory effectively ended major fighting in the American Revolution and paved the way for U.S. independence. Answer________ GRADUATE LEVEL 6. This 1945 battle was the site of the photograph of the flagraising on Mount Suribachi. Answer________ 7. General Grant’s siege of this city split the Confederacy in

PH.D. LEVEL 11. Operation Just Cause removed this de facto Panamanian ruler from power. Answer________ 12. U.S. Marines and U.N. forces stormed this Korean port city, marking a turning point in the Korean War. Answer________ 13. This 1813 naval victory by Oliver Perry allowed the U.S. to recover Detroit. Answer________ 14. This 1777 victory over the British persuaded France to enter the war as an American ally. Answer________ 15. The 2011 Navy SEALs mission Operation Neptune Spear eliminated this terrorist. Answer________

ANSWERS TO ALL PUZZLES ARE ON NEXT PAGE

zodiaC VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Dig in and tidy up. Attend networking functions or events that will help you parlay your attributes into something you enjoy doing and can profit from. Use your voice to make a difference. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) If you spend more time on creative endeavors or pampering yourself, you’ll gain insight into what’s important to you. You have more to offer than you think, so don’t sell yourself short. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) An emotional or physical journey will be revealing. What you discover

about yourself or someone else will change how you move forward. Don’t be afraid to walk away from situations that have run their course. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Don’t overspend on home improvements or trying to meet someone else’s expectations. Offer only what’s within your means. Learn to love and honor yourself first. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Promise less. Put yourself first, and protect what you’ve worked so hard to achieve. Refuse to give anyone the chance to make you look bad or to take advantage of you.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) It’s time to set goals and timelines. Start by adding to your qualifications, and consider how you want to use your experience and attributes to bring in more cash. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Activities that allow you to express yourself or enhance your creative imagination will lead to interesting conversations and opportunities. An energetic approach will put you in the spotlight. ARIES (March 21-April 19) Overreacting will cost you. The only area where too much action will help is in competitive situations. Play to

win, but don’t exaggerate or let poor behavior take over. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Focus on home, family and living up to your promises. If you mix business with pleasure, you’ll gain respect and allies you can count on. Put your energy into doing your best, not criticizing others. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Temptation and desire will lead you astray. Don’t jump into something prematurely. Be inquisitive, and get the facts and figures before you participate. CANCER (June 21-July 22) Listen to your inner voice, not what others

tell you. Misinformation will lead to bad choices and stress. Pay more attention to where and how you live and the ones you love. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Research is necessary. A hands-on approach to how you handle matters will make a difference in the outcome. Don’t trust someone trying to tell you that you need something you don’t. The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

dustin / by Steve Kelley & Jeff Parker

Answers to puzzles super quiz 1. Battle of the Bulge. 2. Battle of Gettysburg. 3. Battle of Midway. 4. Battle of Normandy (Operation Overlord / D-Day). 5. Battle of Yorktown (Siege of Yorktown). 6. Battle of Iwo Jima. 7. Siege of Vicksburg. 8. The Gulf War (1990-1991). 9. Battle of New Orleans. 10. Battle of San Juan Hill. 11. Manuel Noriega. 12. Battle of Inchon. 13. Battle of Lake Erie (Battle of Put-in-Bay). 14. Battles of Saratoga. 15. Osama bin Laden. SCORING: 24 to 30 points — congratulations, doctor; 18 to 23 points — honors graduate; 13 to 17 points — you’re plenty smart, but no grind; 5 to 12 points — you really should hit the books harder; 1 point to 4 points — enroll in remedial courses immediately; 0 points — who reads the questions to you?

Cryptoquote Answer Saturday's Cryptoquote: People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day. — Winnie the Pooh

word GAme Answer felt fetor fled floe flood floor floored floret fold folder food fool fooled foot footed footer

ford fore fort forte fret odor older oleo redo retold retool rode rodeo role rood roof

roofed root rooted rote toed told tole tool tooled tore trod left lode loft loot looted

looter lord lore deft delft doer dole dolor dolt door dote drool

sudoKu Answer jumble Answer

Crossword Answers

jeFF mACnelly’s shoe / by Gary Brookins & Susie MacNelly

sCrAbble Answers

FoXtrot / by Bill Amend

wuzzles Answers

Ken Ken Answers

hidAto Answers