The Acadiana Advocate 09-12-2026

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S at u r d ay, S e p t e m b e r 12, 2026

‘A GENERATIONAL TURNING POINT’

UL honors alumni lost during 9/11 attacks

The ROTC Honor Guard at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette present the colors during a memorial service Friday on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR

Staff writer

Robert Hymel, a 1969 graduate of the University of Southwestern Louisiana in Lafayette, was shot down during the Vietnam War and survived. On Sept. 12, 2001, he was supposed to move to a basement desk in the Pentagon where he worked as a civilian. He was still at his old desk on Sept. 11, 2001, when a terrorist attack claimed his life. His new desk in the basement was untouched. Hymel and 1988 graduate Slew-Nya Ang,

STAFF PHOTO By CLAIRE TAyLOR

ä See HONORS, page 5A

U.S. marks 25 years since Sept. 11 attacks

$2.00X

HURRICANE BREAK

For the first time in 60 years, the Atlantic Ocean basin and Gulf has made it to Sept. 11 without a hurricane. Scientists say it’s because of El Nino. Peak of hurricane season: 100

80 60

Tropical storms and hurricanes

Where we are today

40 20 Hurricanes 0

May June July Aug.Sept.Oct. Nov.Dec. Staff graphic

Hurricane activity in Atlantic at record low Phenomenon marks first time in 60 years

BY KASEY BUBNASH Staff writer

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ADAM GRAy

A U.S. Army warrant officer stands by a reflecting pool on Friday in New york during a memorial on the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. BY JENNIFER PELTZ and TED SHAFFREY Associated Press

NEW YORK — Americans commemorated the 25th anniversary of 9/11 on Friday, remembering the shock, the dead and the sweeping consequences of the al-Qaida attacks on symbols of

U.S. might and prosperity. The milestone anniversary brought memorial rituals — wreath-laying, flag-flying, moments of silence, vigils and readings of victims’ names — and volunteer projects in tribute to a day that about half of U.S. adults remember as the most historic event of their

lifetime, according to a new poll. On Sept. 11, 2001, al-Qaida extremists hijacked four commercial jets and crashed them into New York’s World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing nearly 3,000 people.

ä See ANNIVERSARY, page 5A

INSIDE ä Trump attends ceremony at Pentagon. Page 4A ä CIA releases briefing documents on al-Qaida. Page 4A ä Ex-Canadian PM has blunt remarks for U.S. Page 4A

For the first time in the 60 years since meteorologists started using satellites to track storms, the Atlantic Ocean has made it to Sept. 11 without a hurricane, a historic occurrence experts say is largely due to this year’s robust El Niño conditions and record-breaking wind shear. Until now, Sept. 11 was the latest an Atlantic season’s first hurricane had formed since at least the 1960s, according to data collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The record was set with Hurricane Gustav in 2002 and matched with Hurricane Humberto in 2013, both of which formed on Sept. 11 and marked their seasons’ first hurricanes. Data collected before then is less reliable, but Matthew Rosencrans, a meteorologist with NOAA’s Center for Weather and Climate Prediction, said the record for the latest-forming hurricane technically goes to the years in which they never came at all: 1907 and 1914. Both of those years were totally void of hurricane sightings, he said. Though Tropical Storm Edouard, which hit Louisiana earlier this month, briefly appeared poised to break the Atlantic’s latest hurricane fast, none of this season’s five tropical storms has reached hurricane status. Normally by this point in the year, the Atlantic would have

ä See HURRICANE, page 6A

Absenteeism rate improving in La. schools, but some struggle Data shows fewer students regularly missing days BY PATRICK WALL

students were counted as chronically absent during the 2025-26 academic year, according to the data. More than 1 in 5 Louisiana stu- The rate was about 1 percentage dents struggled with attendance point lower than the previous year, last school year, according to new marking the second straight year state data, which shows that ab- of reduced absenteeism. However, the decline was smallsenteeism is easing — but not as quickly as officials would like. er than the previous year, falling Just under 22% of public school short of officials’ goal to cut absen-

Staff writer

WEATHER HIGH 90 LOW 75 PAGE 6A

teeism by 2 percentage points annually. And while the rate is lower than its peak during the pandemic, when a record number of students began missing school, it has not returned to pre-COVID levels. The share of chronically absent students, or those who missed at least 10% of school days, went down in two-thirds of school districts, according to the data. But the rate climbed in the other third

of districts. In six school systems, including East Baton Rouge and Orleans, more than 30% of students were chronically absent. Some experts have warned that if schools nationwide don’t drive down absenteeism more quickly, it could harden from a pandemic-era crisis into a “chronic condition” that impairs student achievement. In Louisiana, state officials say a campaign launched last year to

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boost attendance is already showing promise by pushing schools to take proactive steps, like closely monitoring student absences and rewarding good attendance. Now the state is doubling down on that strategy, including by helping more school districts hire attendance specialists. Misty Davis, the Louisiana

ä See ATTENDANCE, page 6A

102ND yEAR, NO. 74

2A ● Saturday, September 12, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Cyclospora outbreak declared over

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Miss. police arrest man in a hanging death

JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi police have arrested a man in the death Tasia Fortune, a Black woman found hanging from a tree last month. Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney said at a news conference Friday that police had secured search and arrest warrants for the man and arrested him when they encountered him walking on the street. The state medical examiner’s office determined Thursday evening that the death was a homicide, Brackney said, allowing them to execute the warrants they already had on hand. “This case remains active and additional arrests will be pending,” Brackney said. Police first responded to an abandoned home in Jackson on Aug. 3 and discovered Fortune’s body hanging in the backyard.

Nigeria suspends official visits to South Africa ABUJA, Nigeria — Nigeria’s parliament said Friday that it’s suspending official visits to South Africa indefinitely over anti-immigrant protests targeting other Africans. The violent protests, which erupted in South Africa earlier this year, have forced thousands of migrants to leave and caused diplomatic tensions with other African nations. Kamoru Ogunlana, the clerk to Nigeria’s National Assembly, said in a statement that the parliament was “particularly concerned by reports of Nigerians being killed, injured, displaced and forced to abandon their businesses, investments, homes and other properties as a result of recurring violent attacks.” South Africa has for years attracted foreign nationals from across the continent, including many from Nigeria, because of its relative wealth and opportunity. But foreigners have also experienced sporadic outbursts of xenophobic violence. Protesters in the southern African country blame foreigners for high levels of unemployment, crime and pressure on public services. In June, two Nigerians were killed during anti-migrant violence in South Africa, just two days before an unofficial deadline set by protesters for foreigners to leave. Nigeria’s foreign ministry said one was allegedly killed by police officers and the other by unidentified attackers. Nigeria’s minister of state for foreign affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, hosted South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola in the country’s capital, Abuja, in July to discuss the recurring attacks. At that meeting, Enikanolaiye said that at least 98 Nigerians have been killed since 2022 in mob attacks, hate-related violence and extrajudicial killings.

Myanmar resistance group says it hit base BANGKOK — Myanmar’s main pro-democracy resistance group said Friday its armed wing launched drone attacks on a military air base that shares a compound with an international airport serving the country’s second-largest city. It was the latest attack in Myanmar’s more than five-year conflict between the military and armed resistance groups that emerged after the army seized power in February 2021, ousting the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The takeover sparked peaceful protests nationwide, but after security forces cracked down with lethal force, many local armed resistance groups were formed and loosely organized into what is called the People’s Defense Force, or PDF. The PDF is the armed wing of Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government, which considers itself the country’s legitimate administrative body. The PDF said in a statement posted Friday on Facebook that 12 of its units took part in the operation. It described the air base as a key air force headquarters from which airstrikes against civilians are carried out. The group said five military personnel were killed in the attack, along with three resistance fighters. The claims could not be independently verified.

BY MIKE STOBBE Associated Press

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

yemen’s Houthi rebels march during a mobilization campaign Thursday in Sanaa, yemen.

Houthis seize island, Saudis shut pipeline

BY FATMA KHALED, SAMY MAGDY and CARA ANNA Associated Press

CAIRO — Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels captured a strategic island at the southern entrance to the Red Sea, two officials said Friday, opening a new front in the Iran war and further threatening oil exports from Saudi Arabia, which shut down a major pipeline after it was attacked. The Houthis made their biggest territorial gains in years along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s key shipping lanes. The advance could boost Iran’s strategy of driving up world oil and gas prices to pressure the United States. Saudi Arabia said it had shut down the pipeline after it was attacked the day before. The Saudi Ministry of Energy called the shutdown “a precautionary measure.” The Saudi Foreign Ministry blamed the attack on several drones that came from Iraq. In a statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency, the kingdom said it would not respond to give the Iraqi government “an opportunity to take the necessary measures.” The Iraqi government condemned the assault and ordered an investigation. Saudi Arabia and the United States bombed Iranian-backed mi-

route more complicated. In a statement Friday, the Houthi armed forces boasted of gains along the coast without mentioning the island, Mokha or the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. They vowed “escalation for escalation” in the confrontation with Saudi Arabia, Pipeline was built in the 1980s while declaring that “maritime Built in the 1980s, the East-West navigation is safe for all compapipeline has played an important nies except for Saudi vessels.” role in Saudi Arabia’s ability to export oil following the disruption Yemen’s government shocked of the Strait of Hormuz during the The Houthis have been attackIran war. By early June, Saudi Ara- ing Saudi shipping on the Red Sea bia had more than doubled oil ex- since declaring a blockade in July, ports from the Red Sea port at the as well as hitting oil infrastructure pipeline’s end to more than 5 mil- inside Saudi Arabia. The rebels lion barrels per day, according to said they acted in response to the the International Energy Agency. kingdom’s yearslong blockade of The Houthi’s capture of Mayun, a Houthi-held parts of Yemen. A senior military official with Yetiny, barren volcanic island inside the strait also known as Perim, was men’s internationally recognized confirmed by a senior military of- government told the AP they were ficial with Yemen’s internationally stunned that the Saudi air force recognized government and by did not try to prevent the capture a Houthi official. Both spoke on of the port city of Mokha, about 50 condition of anonymity because miles from the strait. He assessed they were not authorized to talk to that Saudi Arabia didn’t get a green light from the U.S. to embark on a journalists. Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest large-scale air campaign. The official, who spoke on condioil exporter, has increasingly relied on the Red Sea to get its crude tion of anonymity because he wasn’t to market as an alternative to the allowed to speak to the media, also Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has blamed “lack of coordination” bebeen striking ships. Houthi efforts tween Yemen’s army and multiple to close the 17-mile-wide Bab el- allied militias, saying it gave the Mandeb channel have made that Houthis “a priceless opportunity.” litias in Iraq in July, after blaming them for drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities that had been claimed by the Houthis. Regional officials told The Associated Press that the Houthis helped the Iraqi militias plan and execute the attacks.

Bipartisan agreement: Name airport for Parton BY TRAVIS LOLLER Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — In Nashville, Tennessee, the Republican-dominated state government and Democrat-controlled city government are engaged in an ugly battle for control of the city’s airport. But there’s one thing the two sides can agree on: Nashville International Airport should be renamed to honor Tennessee’s favorite daughter, Dolly Parton. The change would make Parton the first woman whose name adorns one of America’s 50 busiest airports. Lydia Popovich, a Parton superfan who started a petition for the name change in 2025, said on Friday that Parton had gracefully batted down the idea of naming the airport after her, as she did with many other proposed honors during her lifetime. That includes a bill brought by Tennessee lawmakers in 2021 to place a statue of her on the Capitol grounds. Parton asked lawmakers to withdraw the bill but expressed a hope that it might happen “somewhere down the road several years from now or perhaps after I’m gone if you still feel I deserve it.” After Parton’s death two weeks ago, the airport naming idea seemingly caught fire, with Popovich’s petition reaching more than 175,000 signatures — not that the officials competing to run the airport needed the push. At a meeting Friday of the state-controlled Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority, a motion directing the airport CEO to begin the renaming process was unanimously approved. Airport officials said the change could take a year or more and involves working with Parton’s estate to determine how they might split profits from merchandise sales, among other things.

NEW YORK — The largest cyclospora food poisoning outbreak in U.S. history is over, U.S. health officials said Friday. U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials said they are confident that all recalled iceberg lettuce related to this specific outbreak is off the market. Nearly 13,000 reported cyclospora cases were tied to the multistate outbreak, federal officials say. They represent the bulk of an unprecedented surge in the parasitic diarrheal illness this year. Even with the outbreak deemed over, several questions remain, including about its origin. The parasite is spread through human feces, and it still isn’t clear how sewage could have contaminated enough food to sicken so many people. Since May 1, the government has received reports of nearly 20,000 lab-confirmed cases, or more than 16 times the number reported during the same period last year. More than 6,100 suspected cases also have been reported. The worst previous year in the U.S. for infections was 2019, when about 4,700 illnesses were reported nationally. This year’s surge in cases was dominated by an outbreak in 21 states linked to iceberg lettuce. But there are thousands of other cases that have not been linked to that outbreak. Michigan was the hardest hit state, with the most reported cases and the two U.S. deaths tied to the outbreak. Cyclospora is a microscopic, spherical parasite that commonly causes watery diarrhea “with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” according to the CDC. Outbreaks tend to occur most often in the late spring and summer. The illness, called cyclosporiasis, is less common than foodborne illnesses caused by other germs, including salmonella and E. coli. Many cases are never linked to a specific food or other source. U.S. regulators are conducting fewer international inspections to catch contaminated produce before it lands on American plates.

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INVISION FILE PHOTO By JONATHAN SHORT

A motion by a state agency to rename Nashville’s airport after Dolly Parton passed unanimously Friday.

There are two Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authorities: one run by the state and the other controlled by the city, a bifurcated regulatory system that was created in 2023 amid a partisan dispute between the GOP-run state and the Democratic-run city. Who actually controls the airport has been in dispute ever since, with competing boards taking the reins only to be deposed as courts rule and are overturned. Despite the acrimony, Nashville’s Democratic Mayor Freddie O’Connell and the competing, city-controlled Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority are also in support of the name change, according to O’Connell spokesman Alex Apple. Popovich, who attended the Friday meeting and spoke in favor of the proposal, was in tears after the vote. “It’s been a really beautiful experience, especially as you’re grieving someone that was such a great loss,” she told The Associated Press. “She’s the best of Tennessee. She’s the best of the humans on the planet. She was this magical person that provided light and guidance to all of us.”

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ANALYSIS

By GOP convention’s end, even Trump had tapped out BY JOHN T. BENNETT CQ-Roll Call (TNS)

DALLAS — President Donald Trump walked a tightrope this week, awkwardly balancing the political with the solemn. By the end, it all seemed too much, even for America’s ultimate political scrapper. Trump spent two days here in full campaigner-inchief mode in front of an adoring audience inside the American Airlines Center in Dallas, headlining both nights of the first-ever Republican midterms convention. He bashed Democrats as communists, begged Texas voters to make state Attorney General Ken Paxton a U.S. senator and even made his loyalists pledge an oath to him that they would vote in November. But his role as chief executive seeped into what Trump and his team had planned as a week focused heavily on November’s midterm elections and Republicans’ efforts to retain their House and Senate majorities. The morning after a highly partisan Wednesday speech of nearly two hours before a sometimes-raucous crowd, Trump’s motorcade sped along Interstate 30 to nearby Arlington for a few hours at the National Medal of Honor Museum. He met with medal recipients and toured the somber facility, delivering remarks that included a salute to the honorees. “Those honored in this museum did more than answer the call. They stormed into hellfire and crushed America’s enemies. They had brav-

FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM PHOTO By ABIGAIL DOLLINS

President Donald Trump walks out to give the closing remarks of the 2026 Republican Convention on Thursday at American Airlines Center in Dallas. ery like few people could even think of having,” Trump said, glancing at a binder on his lectern as he appeared to read from a prepared text. “They carried the wounded out of battle and, their own backs, they carried them, back and forth.” Yet, as is often the case with the reality television star-turned-president, Trump opted to use the museum visit to jab at a Democrat, in this case, Texas’ Democratic Senate nominee, state Rep. James Talarico, who’s in a surprisingly tight race with Paxton. “I brought your state back. But all that can disappear very quickly. You put a ‘Talafreako’ in, or you put any one of these people in, these people that don’t know what

the hell they’re doing,” he said of the ultraprogressive Democrats who’ve won congressional primaries in recent months. “Some are very smart. They’re radical left. They have crazy policies. Some are not smart at all,” he said. “But (Talarico) would be a disaster for this country.” About an hour before Trump’s private tour of the museum began, the theme song of former professional wrestler The Undertaker played as the president’s traveling press pool stood at a hold location across from a Bell UH-1H Iroquois Army utility helicopter, also known as the “Huey.” And before Trump’s remarks downstairs in the museum’s amphitheater, Toby

Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” welcomed the medal recipients the president had greeted upstairs. That was juxtaposed with “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” by The Beach Boys, which played moments later. Another contrast came Thursday night after conventiongoers stood in silence as 9/11 families took the stage, with two spotlights shining toward the rafters representing Manhattan’s fallen World Trade Center towers and those who died inside them. Moments later, a video stirred up the partisan crowd by explaining all the reasons why “God made Trump.” About 18 minutes into his closing remarks Thursday, Trump delivered more sur-

realism by asking the faithful to raise their right hands and repeat after him. “I pledge, to the greatest president in the history of the United States, that loves us so much he can’t even breathe, that I will go out with my family, my friends. I’ll do it anyway. I don’t care if I’m registered or not. I’m gonna try and cheat like hell like they do,” he said of Democrats. “There’s never been bigger cheaters. They don’t care. I am gonna go out, and I’m gonna get my friends, my family, and we are going to vote on Nov. 3 or we are going to vote before that.” He ended the pledge with a warning for the crowd: “You know what happens if you don’t vote? You go to hell. You know that.” A woman seated near the White House traveling press pool, which included this CQ Roll Call reporter, screamed out, “Yeah” after the damnation threat. But some Trump critics on social media referred to the pledge as a “cult ritual.”

‘I’m not kidding’ A day earlier, at a museum built around solemnness for the country’s military heroes, Trump could not resist testing some traditions, a hallmark of his second term. “I want for myself a Congressional Medal of Honor. And I’ve studied it. And I will give it to myself, I have no problem, but I’m not allowed to. Can you believe it?” Trump said to tepid laughter from invited guests. He then said the media wouldn’t report that he was only kidding.

But was he? “I’m only kidding,” he said before a blue curtain affixed with a large model of the Medal of Honor, the U.S. government’s highest military decoration. “Actually, I’m not kidding. I would like to have it.” During the Vietnam War, Trump received four student deferments, then was deemed medically unable to serve. Later at the convention, Speaker Mike Johnson, RBenton, suggested Trump could run for the House after his presidential term ends in January 2029 — something done by only one former president: John Quincy Adams. “Maybe our current president would do that?” Johnson said Thursday to a loud cheer from the GOP loyalists. The speaker clearly was having a little fun. But a Rep. Donald J. Trump, R-Fla., likely would be a thorn in the side of Johnson and other GOP leaders. But would he even be interested? “We’re gonna get a little music. I’m gonna stand on the stage at the end with our great opera star, Christopher Macchio,” Trump previewed for the crowd near the start of his closing remarks. “And we’re gonna have a good time listening to music because I’m getting a little bit tired of politics now.” Macchio’s stirring rendition of “America the Beautiful” could have been replaced by The Undertaker’s theme. Trump had tapped out on his own pep rally.

‘No time to escape’: Survivor of jet-van crash sues 21 Air, Amazon BY DAVID GOODHUE Miami Herald (TNS)

MIAMI — Roosevelt Sebastian Perdomo Torres saw the Amazon Prime Boeing 767-300 barreling toward him last Sunday as it overshot the runway at Miami International Airport. Perdomo Torres, 27, was one of seven people in a van owned by Professional Ocean Service Corp, a company that cleans planes. The jet, operated by North Carolina-based air-cargo firm 21 Air, smashed into the Ford Econoline van as well as a Toyota Carola SUV after it blew past the runway. Five of Perdomo Torres’ colleagues were killed. He remains in the intensivecare unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center. On Friday, attorneys at Podhurst Orseck filed a negligence lawsuit in MiamiDade County Circuit Court on his behalf against 21 Air, Amazon and the plane’s pilot and co-pilot. In the complaint, attorneys say Perdomo Torres watched helplessly as the jet rapidly approached the van. “There was nowhere for him to go and no time to es-

cape,” attorney Pablo Rojas wrote in the complaint. The plane hit the van, “leaving it an unrecognizable heap of metal,” Rojas wrote. Perdomo Torres was ejected from the van and thrown to the ground, breaking his leg, ankle and hand, according to the complaint. He was conscious and tried to stand up, but he was unable, his attorneys say. This is the second lawsuit filed in connection with the crash. The widow of the driver of the van, 53-yearold Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, filed a complaint this week against the same parties named in Torres Perdomo’s lawsuit. The sons of Julio Pineda, another member of the cleaning crew, and other family members of the other people who were killed have retained legal counsel. Pineda was 75. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash, but has already released information that at least one of the pilots knew the aircraft was coming in too fast before it landed and overran the runway. Flight-recorder data showed the pilots tried in the last seconds to lift off again

to attempt to abort the landing and try again, but there was not enough runway left. The plane approached the runway at nearly 207 mph, and when the more than 200,000-pound aircraft hit the two vehicles, it was traveling at around 75 mph, according to the NTSB. Along with Pineda, the others who died in the van were Rolando Aleman Leon, 55; Yoel Rodriguez Narajo, 53; Carlos Acosta Fajardo, 53; and Javierk Reyes Quevedo, 47. Torres Perdomo and Ridoel Averhoff Diaz, 32, remain hospitalized. Eugenio Corredor, 79, who was the Toyota driver and the only person in the vehicle, is in critical condition, according to the MiamiDade Sheriff’s Office. Flight-recorder data showed the pilots tried in the last seconds to lift off again to attempt to abort the landing and try again, but there was not enough runway left. Amazon declined to comment on the lawsuit. The Miami Herald was unable to reach the pilots named in the suit, Joseph Carroll and Jaime Filipe Silva Molina. Contact information for 21 Air was unavailable because the company removed all

information on its website Keith Winters: and replaced it with a state“We are devastated by ment about the crash from the accident involving one its chief executive officer, of our aircraft in Miami on

September 6. Our deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives.”

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Trump marks attacks’ anniversary at Pentagon BY COLLIN BINKLEY, AAMER MADHANI and MEG KINNARD

running lawsuit against the Saudis. They allege a group of extremist religious leaders in Saudi Arabia gained influence in the Saudi government and aided the hijackers. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were Saudis, but the Saudi government has long denied any involvement in the attacks.

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump observed Friday’s 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks at a ceremony at the Pentagon by commemorating the lives lost when al-Qaida militants hijacked planes and killed nearly 3,000 people in three locations and upended American foreign policy and national security. Trump and first lady Melania Trump listened as the names of the 184 people killed at Trump the Pentagon that day were read aloud, a bell tolling between each. In his remarks, Trump recounted the stories of several of the victims and insisted that the moment has led to a fortification of American resolve. “We will never, ever forget,” Trump said. “That’s why we fight today. We don’t have a choice.” Earlier, in a downpour at daybreak, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and top military officials stood outside and watched as a giant American flag was unfurled on the building struck by one of those planes a quarter-century ago. It was the second year in a row that Trump observed the day at the Pentagon. The president, who is originally from New York, last attended the ground zero ceremo-

Linking 9/11, Iran war Trump began his remarks by recalling the sense of American unity following the attacks. “In those harrowing days after the atASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS By MARK SCHIEFELBEIN tacks, we saw the authentic spirit of our nation,” Trump Military staff and guests bow their heads during an observance ceremony on the 25th said. “We were all New anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks Friday at the Pentagon in Washington. Yorkers that day. Every one of us. We were all New Yorkny there in 2024. ers. We were all family.” The president and his deWidow calls out ‘betrayal’ fense secretary sought to connect the events of 9/11 to At one point during the solthe war with Iran. Trump saemn remembrance in New York City, a woman whose luted the service members husband died in the attacks “working right now to encriticized Saudi Arabia and sure the world’s No. 1 sponcalled on the Trump adminsor of terror — the Islamic Republic of Iran — will istration to rethink the Unitnever, ever have a nuclear ed States’ tight relationship weapon.” with the kingdom. Hegseth used the moment Terry Strada, who lost her to make the case that the husband Tom Strada on 9/11, U.S. military had “laid waste called on Trump to “tell the to the world’s most prolific Saudis to stop lying” and state sponsor of terrorism” accused U.S. presidents of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, from left, former with the war against Iran. choosing “to protect the Sau- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Chairman of the “Our warriors have fought dis instead of standing with Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine attend an observance an Islamic theocracy that the 9/11 families.” has wished us death for Strada, who was one of the ceremony on the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, nearly half a century, that 9/11 family members who attacks Friday at the Pentagon in Washington. cheered on 9/11, a regime read aloud the names of victims at this year’s remem“It has been one betrayal “carry that message back” that has sponsored terrorist attacks against Americans brance, added that the cur- after another. President to Washington. Strada is part of a group for decades, killing thourent administration should Trump can still change that,” “stand with the families, she said before calling on of family members of 9/11 sands, including our comVice President JD Vance to victims embroiled in a long- rades in Iraq, in Afghanistand with the survivors.”

stan,” Hegseth added.

Measures of reflection At Friday’s commemorations, there was also a measure of reflection about whether 9/11, the deadliest attack on the U.S., could have been prevented. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin at a ceremony at his agency’s headquarters said it was a moment to consider the success of his department, which was stood up following the attacks and has “prevented it from happening again.” Still, Mullin noted that Osama bin Laden, architect of the attacks, had fired “warning shots” in the years prior to 9/11 about his intent to carry out a major strike on the U.S. The U.S. national security apparatus certainly had “failures along the way,” Mullin said. Condoleezza Rice, who was serving as White House national security adviser on 9/11, participated in Friday’s commemoration at the Pentagon. In her remarks, she acknowledged that she still feels deep pain that “those of us in authority on that day did not see the nature of the danger in time to prevent the attack of 9/11.” “I will always carry deep personal remorse for the pain that you, the families of the fallen, still feel, and for the trauma that our country endured,” Rice said. Associated Press writers Anthony Izaguirre and Sagar Meghani contributed reporting.

CIA releases dozens of pre-9/11 briefs on bin Laden, al-Qaida BY MEG KINNARD Associated Press

Several dozen presidential briefing documents declassified Friday, the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, detail intelligence government officials had gathered about Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida leading up to the hijackings that killed nearly 3,000 people and upended American national security. The documents illustrate security analysts’ tracking of bin Laden’s movements and support system, as well as concerns about possible threats to U.S. targets. They also detail officials’ understanding of his network in the United States and other countries, including how his operations were financed. Proclaiming it “an act of exceptional transparency,” CIA Director John Ratcliffe said the documents were the agency’s single largest release of declassified presidential daily briefs — the highly classified briefings prepared by the nation’s intelligence community for

the government’s most senior leaders. The documents range from a February 1998 file — prepared for then-President Bill Clinton — titled “Terrorists seeking WMD capability” and mentioning bin Laden and other Islamic extremists to a Sept. 12, 2001, report in which a source indicated the attacks had been planned for two years and had also targeted the U.S. Capitol. An April 1998 document described the Taliban’s unwillingness to hand over bin Laden, at the time seen as their “guest” in Afghanistan, noting their “gratitude for his assistance during the Soviet occupation” was making them “reluctant to alienate him by monitoring or controlling his activities.” Briefers in July 1998 called it “plausible that Bin Ladin places a high priority on conducting attacks in the United States” and noted his “interest in conducting attacks with chemical and biological agents.” Two months later, a briefer wrote that bin Laden’s “pre-

ferred option is to strike the U.S. on its own soil in Washington,” and that al-Qaida “may fly an explosive-packed airplane into a U.S. city.” Potential hijackings were also discussed in December 1998, when a briefer described how conspirators “had evaded security checks during a recent trial run at an unidentified New York airport,” and “some members of the Bin Ladin network have received hijack training.” Other documents detail bin Laden’s pursuit of materials for making “dirty bombs,” conventional weapons infused with radioactive material. By June 1999, according to intelligence officials, his operatives had conducted such experiments with explosives to “increase their energy output.” About two years before the attacks, intelligence officials were aware bin Laden appeared to be misleading the Taliban about his reluctance to launch an unprovoked attack on the U.S. Briefs prepared for President George W. Bush in early 2001 fo-

cused in part on bin Laden’s “experimentation by crude means to make and deploy biological agents.” A report a month before the attacks indicated bin Laden’s commitment “to conduct terrorist attacks in the U.S.,” noting that 1998 al-

Qaida attacks on U.S. embassies “demonstrate that he prepares operations years in advance and is not deterred by setbacks.” At that time — August 2001 — officials wrote of “suspicious activity in this country consistent with preparations

for hijackings or other types of attacks, including recent surveillance of federal buildings in New York,” adding that the FBI was “conducting approximately 70 full field investigations throughout the U.S. that it considers Bin Ladin-related.”

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former Canadian leader tells U.S. By The Associated Press GANDER, Newfoundland — Standing in the town that sheltered thousands of stranded Americans after the Sept. 11 attacks, former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien marked the 25th anniversary Friday with a pointed message for the United States: “Never mistake our generosity for weakness.” The 92-year-old former leader, who was prime minister at the time of the attacks, drew a standing ovation after telling his “American friends” that Canadians may be tolerant and kind but “we bow to no one.” U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra rose afterward and hugged him. “I say that not in anger, but as one friend to another,” Chrétien said. “Friends need to be honest with each other.” The unusually blunt remarks came during a solemn ceremony honoring the nearly 3,000 people killed in New York, at the Pentagon and aboard Flight 93, and remembering Gander’s extraordinary response to the attacks. Gander, Newfoundland, opened its arms to nearly 6,600 airline passengers diverted there when the U.S. government shut down airspace during 9/11. The remarks came at a striking moment in Canada-U.S. relations. The longtime allies are embroiled in a trade war under U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly talked about making Canada the 51st U.S. state. Chrétien recalled how Canada rallied behind the United States after the attacks, when Americans were “our neighbors, our closest friends under attack.”

“It was a day when we saw the worst of humanity and the very best,” he said. Some of the very best, he said, happened in Gander. On Sept. 11, 2001, 38 planes carrying more than 6,500 passengers and crew were diverted to the small Newfoundland town after the United States shut its airspace. The arrivals nearly doubled Gander’s population. Residents in Gander and surrounding communities turned schools, churches and meeting halls into shelters, supplied food and medicine and welcomed strangers into their homes. The stranded travelers became known locally as the “plane people.” “They also opened their hearts,” Chrétien said. “Because that is what I call the Canadian way. When our friends are in trouble, we don’t hesitate. We act.” Hoekstra also received applause as he thanked Gander and Canada for standing with Americans then and in the years since. “Thank you to the people of Gander. Thank you for your friendship,” he said. Hoekstra called those who responded 25 years ago “extraordinary people doing extraordinary things.” His warm reception was notable because Hoekstra’s participation had itself generated controversy. Gander officials defended inviting him after criticism of his planned appearance, saying his attendance did not amount to an endorsement of the Trump administration. “Sept. 11 is bigger than politics, personalities or titles,” the town said. The story of what happened in Gander inspired the hit Broadway musical “Come From Away.”

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The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Saturday, September 12, 2026 ● 5A

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ANNIVERSARY

lice officer I can,” he said by phone this week.

Continued from page 1A

N.Y. mayor under scrutiny

Elsie Caldwell carried a photograph of her son Kenny Caldwell to the trade center to hear his name and all the others read aloud Friday morning. She last spoke to him that morning a quarter-century ago. “Mom, I just want to let you know that I love you,” her son told her in a final phone call, she recalled. His remains, like those of many other victims, have never been recovered.

‘Terrible power of hate’ The attacks brought down the World Trade Center’s twin towers — icons of U.S. economic power, and among the tallest buildings on Earth — and blew a hole in the Pentagon, the U.S. military’s fortresslike headquarters near Washington. The fourth plane was headed for Washington, officials concluded, but the aircraft went down in Pennsylvania after passengers and crew members stormed the cockpit and fought the hijackers. “Sept. 11 reminded us of the terrible power of hate,” President Donald Trump said Friday at the Pentagon’s anniversary ceremony. “The 25 years since have shown us the even greater power of the American spirit to endure and prevail, and to win,” added the Republican, who was in his native New York on 9/11. Former President George W. Bush, who was in office on 9/11, attended the observance at the National Sept. 11 Memorial in New York, along with former Presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and current Vice President JD Vance. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick wiped away a tear as he revisited the place where the attacks killed 658 of his colleagues — including his brother, Gary Lutnick — at the investment firm Cantor Fitzgerald. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum laid a wreath at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania after hailing the courage of the plane’s passengers and crew: “The actions they took should inspire us all.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ANGELINA KATSANIS

New york City firefighters march on Friday near the memorial on the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New york.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ADAM GRAy

People gather Friday at the memorial on the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

“There’s no timeline for grief, and unfortunately, no one can say how you can grieve, but coming here once a year makes it feel just a little bit better,” she said. Traditionally, there are no political speeches at the ground zero commemoration, where victims’ relatives read aloud the long list of names and added personal messages. They thanked first responders and the military, invoked religious faith, appealed for national unity and touched on the U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia. The kingdom was the homeland of Tribute to those who fell ill most of the hijackers but denied For Angilic Casalduc, attending any involvement in the attacks. Mostly, relatives spoke of, and to, the New York commemoration “helps to show you’re not alone.” loved ones — whom some were too She lost her mother, Vivian Casa- young to remember. “You dreamed my whole life for lduc.

me, and you only got eight months of it,” said Trisha Pakkala, who lost her mother, Deepa Pakkala. Kiersten Haub, who was 16 months old when the attacks killed her father, firefighter Michael Helmut Haub, said: “I carry you through every milestone.” Besides moments of silence at key points in the attack timeline, this year’s ceremony added another moment to honor people who were exposed to the clouds of toxic dust released by the twin towers’ fiery collapse and have since died of cancer and other illnesses. Questions remain about how many people developed health problems linked to the dust.

The impact of 9/11 endures It’s a reminder of how the at-

tacks’ long shadow has reached into many corners of life in the U.S. and beyond. The U.S.-led global war on terrorism included invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan — the latter Washington’s longest war — and detentions and harsh interrogation of terror suspects in an international network of secret CIA prisons. The U.S. found and killed alQaida leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in 2011, but the accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed still awaits a trial 23 years after his capture. The attacks changed U.S. air travel, led to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, prompted new federal surveillance and intelligence-gathering powers and banking regulations and generated ongoing debate over the balance between security and freedom. Sept. 11 engendered a culture of individual vigilance summed up by the slogan, “ If you see something, say something,” while a wave of patriotism propelled some Americans to join the military, fire departments and police forces. Casey Kloepfer was 4 when his father, police Officer Ronald Kloepfer, was killed at the trade center. The son became an officer himself this June, wearing his dad’s badge number. “It’s big footsteps to fill, but it’s definitely something that I take very seriously and want to continue to honor him and be the best po-

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Greg Zerangue with the Dean of Students Office at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette speaks during a 9/11 memorial on Friday, the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

HONORS

Continued from page 1A who was working on the 95th floor of the World Trade Center, as well as others who lost their lives on 9/11 were remembered Friday during a ceremony on the University of Louisiana at Lafayette campus. The 9/11 attacks didn’t just affect New York; Washington, D.C.; and Pennsylvania, said Greg Zerangue, of the UL Dean of Students Office. They affected people all over the world. Nearly 3,000 people died when hijackers took over four commercial airliners, flying two into the World Trade Center towers in New York and one into the Pentagon. Passengers on the fourth plane stormed the hijackers, and the plane crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing all on board. Around 568 of the 2,753 people who died in the World Trade Center towers were born outside the United States. They represented 90 countries. Michael Escanelle of the

A piece of limestone from the Pentagon stands next to a plaque remembering two University of Louisiana at Lafayette alums killed in the 9/11 attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center in 2001. UL student veterans organization who served on the USS New York, a U.S. Navy transport dock built in part with steel recovered from the World Trade Center, said the attacks were the reason many young men and women joined the military in the wake of 9/11. Many of them never returned home from the fights overseas in places like Bahrain, he said.

The 25th anniversary of the attacks, Escanelle said, is more than a milestone. “It is a generational turning point that calls us to remember, to teach and to carry forward the sacrifices and values that have served us,” he said. “Young people must know this history not simply as a lesson from the past, but as a living legacy entrusted to their care.”

Amid the post-9/11 calls to service and appeals for national unity, the attacks also fanned mistrust, prejudice and hate crimes directed at Muslims. In the quarter-century since, Muslim Americans have played a growing role in public life from statehouses to Congress to New York City Hall, where Zohran Mamdani is the city’s first Muslim mayor. Yet he faced some criticism for attending the anniversary ceremony at ground zero. Republican ex-Gov. George Pataki and 9/11 victims’ relatives cited, among other things, past remarks that some of Mamdani’s political associates have made about the attacks. Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a Republican, also opposed Mamdani’s attendance, though the two shook hands there Friday. Mamdani, a Democrat, said this week he loves the city and country and that he wanted the anniversary to focus on victims’ families, first responders and New Yorkers who helped one another after the attacks, which he called a “horrific act of terror.” The 34-year-old mayor was an elementary school student in New York on 9/11. One victim’s son and namesake, Michael Massaroli, used his time at the podium Friday to deplore people “using this tragedy to spread hate” against Muslims and others. “That’s wrong, and that does no honor to the victims here,” he said.

Times Square billboards Remembrances extended far from the attack sites, including beams of light projected from New Hampshire’s Mount Washington, a stair climb at Mississippi State University’s football stadium and a ceremony at Honolulu’s 9/11 memorial. Sept. 11 isn’t a federal holiday, but Congress has designated it both Patriot Day and a National Day of Service and Remembrance. “One appropriate way to remember is by serving,” said Jay Winuk, who lost his brother Glenn Winuk and then co-founded the organization 9/11 Day with friend David Paine. The group coordinates volunteer opportunities and this year arranged for dozens of Times Square billboards to pause their advertising at 9:11 a.m. Friday. Instead, they simply displayed the time.

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

H

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TODAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

Humid with a thunderstorm

Humid; a stray p.m. t-storm

A t-storm around in the p.m.

A t-storm around in the p.m.

A t-storm around in the p.m.

Humid; a p.m. t-storm or two

HIGH

LOW

HIGH

90° 75°

LOW

HIGH

91° 75°

LOW

HIGH

Beaumont 91/76

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

Port Arthur 91/76

Baton Rouge 91/75

Lake Charles 91/77

10s

20s

30s

Houma 86/74

40s

50s

LOW

YESTERDAY

TODAY

READING 34 MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

60s

70s

80s

Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today

90s 100s 110s

FIRST

SEP 18

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

10:05a 5:40a 5:22a 7:09a 12:00a 10:51p 1:08a

FT.

LAST

SEP 26

Hi

103 72 102 56 87 102 83 90 88

TODAY Lo

78 64 80 43 74 82 70 78 71

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OCT 3

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s s s c pc s t t t

OCT 10

Hi

102 74 100 55 87 101 89 92 93

SUN. Lo

78 67 80 36 74 76 66 78 70

LOW

0.09” 1.55” 2.10” 45.34” 45.78”

FT.

0.5 6:28a 0.4 1.3 11:36a 0.9 1.9 9:47a 0.9 1.5 1:20a 0.9 0.9 7:08a 0.7 1.3 5:05a 0.8 1.1 8:10a 0.9

6:51 a.m. 7:17 p.m. 8:17 a.m. 8:03 p.m.

FULL

GOOD

PRECIPITATION

88°/74° 90°/72° 91°/71° 98° in 1893 52° in 1918

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

New Orleans 90/76

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

0s

Hattiesburg 92/73

Alexandria 95/74

Lafayette 90/75

HIGH

92° 71°

Lafayette through 5 p.m. Friday

Jackson 93/73 Many 95/72

LOW

92° 75°

TEMPERATURE

Longview 100/76

-0s

LOW

92° 75°

Monroe 98/75

Shreveport 99/77

-10s

HIGH

94° 76°

Like yesterday, we are under a marginal risk of excessive rainfall that could lead to some measure of flash flooding this afternoon. Expect a partly to mostly cloudy, very warm, humid and breezy day with scattered showers and thunderstorms. Temperatures this afternoon will rise to the upper 80s to low 90s. With high humidity, heat index values could rise to 102 this afternoon. Expect some rain for tailgating and the start of the McNeese State game tonight.

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t r s pc s s pc t pc

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--6:34p 6:03p 8:16p 11:30p -----

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SOURCE: LOUISIANA DEQ AND AIRNOW.GOV

LOW

FT.

--- 5:39p 0.4 1.3 11:13p 1.1 2.1 10:19p 1.3 1.6 1:26p 0.7 1.1 --- ------- ------- ---

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

Today 12:25a 6:36a 12:47p 6:58p Sunday 1:14a 7:25a 1:37p 7:48p Monday 2:05a 8:17a 2:28p 8:40p Tuesday 2:57a 9:10a 3:22p 9:34p Wednesday 3:51a 10:03a 4:16p 10:28p Thursday 4:44a 10:57a 5:09p 11:22p Friday 5:36a 11:49a 6:02p ----

City

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

Hi

TODAY

90 93 84 101 80 87 90 80 92

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76 76 73 85 67 72 71 71 79

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t t pc t t t pc pc t

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90 93 85 102 80 90 89 78 92

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77 76 71 86 58 71 67 68 77

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t t r s c t t s t

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

ATTENDANCE Continued from page 1A

Department of Education official who oversees attendance, told an advisory group Thursday that she is confident schools will meet the state’s goals this year to improve attendance and reduce absenteeism and truancy. “We’re hopeful and feel like these are attainable,” she said, “and they represent thousands and thousands of children coming off these lists.”

Tackling absenteeism Even after dropping from its pandemic peak, absenteeism remains stubbornly high across the country. Students who frequently miss school are at risk of negative outcomes, including lower grades and graduation rates, and researchers have found that students’ academic recovery after the pandemic has been slower in school districts with high absenteeism rates. Louisiana’s rate, which soared above 28% in 2021, has fallen recently but remains 4 percentage points higher than it was before the pandemic. State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley

HURRICANE

Continued from page 1A produced eight named storms, including three hurricanes, one or two of which would have reached Category 3 strength or higher, according to NOAA. It’s not just the lack of hurricanes — other markers signify a slow first half of the season. Accumulated cyclone energy considers the duration and intensity of each named storm that forms in a season and is another way researchers assess a hurricane and hurricane season’s severity. Four of this season’s five named storms lasted fewer than two days — with only Tropical Storm Bertha holding out for three — leaving the Atlantic with less than 10% of its accumulated cyclone energy, to date, Rosencrans said.

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Misty Davis, center, speaks during ‘The Power of Presence’ attendance advisory council meeting at the Claiborne Building in Baton Rouge on Thursday. Davis, the Louisiana Department of Education official who oversees attendance, told the group she is confident schools will meet state goals. said last year that even as Louisiana students lead the nation in academic gains, absenteeism has slowed their progress. “That growth has been minimized by attendance and truancy issues,” he said. Louisiana officials have taken recent steps to combat absenteeism. Following the recommendation of

two recent advisory groups, the state began requiring schools to submit daily attendance data and to allow students to make up work they missed while absent. Last year, the state education department issued guidance called “The Power of Presence,” which urges schools to closely track attendance data and intervene early

“This powerful El Niño has resulted in the strongest vertical wind shear on record across the western Atlantic. We continue to crush western Atlantic vertical wind shear records, with well above-average shear across the full main development region as well.” PHILIP KLOTZBACH, Colorado State University hurricane researcher

Factors at play While a number of climate and weather factors contribute to whether or not a storm will form, Rosencrans and Colorado State University hurricane researcher Philip Klotzbach both put much of the blame this time around on El Niño. “I would say that this remarkably quiet start to the season is almost 100% El Niño,” Klotzbach said. El Niño is a climate pattern that tends to increase vertical wind

shear across the Atlantic, helping to break up storms and prevent hurricane formation and intensification. Those effects aren’t a given, but stronger events improve the odds of lower tropical activity across the Atlantic and Gulf. Earlier this year, federal scientists predicted that 2026 could “rank among the largest El Niño events in the historical record going back to 1950,” with conditions expected to intensify through the Atlantic hurricane season and into the winter. Klotzbach said that has largely

GOOD

when students don’t show up. It also suggests taking steps to remove obstacles to attendance, such as providing uniforms to students whose families can’t afford them, and encouraging students to participate in extracurricular activities. Sharon Clark, a member of the state board of education who is the director of Sophie B. Wright High School in New Orleans, said that activities like marching band motivate students to show up to school. “We see attendance soaring because that is meaningful to kids,” she said Thursday during the first meeting of a new attendance task force, called the Power of Presence Advisory Council.

‘Mighty trio’

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

FRI. 24-HOUR STAGE CHANGE

-2.64 17.12 20.52 8.02 4.51 4.02 3.20

+0.02 +0.43 -0.58 -0.28 -0.19 -0.33 +0.19

40

10.61

-2.48

19

-1.50

none

18 29 8

-1.17 10.13 2.35

-0.03 -0.28 +0.03

13 15

1.46 0.94

-0.05 -0.25

47 34 29 20 12 6

7.46 5.05 3.53 3.95 2.90 2.42

-0.51 -0.34 -0.43 -0.27 -0.40 +0.05

data as of 7 a.m. Friday

Forecasts and graphics, except for Damon’s Outlook, provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2026

During a visit this week, Davis said she reviewed a school district’s chronic absenteeism data with staffers. “It was their 23rd day of school, and they had some kids that were already in double digits for missing school,” she said, adding that the staffers had met with the students and their families to come up with solutions. This year, the state attendance team is focused on helping schools adopt the strategies suggested in last year’s guidance, Davis said. They also are pushing schools to analyze data to determine whether efforts like giving students rewards for good attendance are working. “Last year, people were like, ‘We did Popsicle Tuesday and it was really effective,” she said. “Based on what?” The state also is providing $6 million for school districts to hire “attendance improvement specialists” to lead those efforts. This year, 72 school districts and charter schools will receive funding, up from just four last year, Davis said. “Manpower is still an issue,” she said, “but I think we’ve put a dent in it.”

Leading Louisiana’s battle against absenteeism is a threeperson team in the state education department. “Our little mighty trio,” said Davis, who leads the team. The team members run training sessions, host monthly group calls and travel across the state to help school and district staffers troubleshoot attendance issues. Since August, the trio has already had 60 “touchpoints” with schools, including calls and in-person meetings, Email Patrick Wall at patrick. Davis said. wall@theadvocate.com.

come to fruition, with the latest data showing this year’s El Niño reaching historic intensity and altering weather conditions across the globe. “This powerful El Niño has resulted in the strongest vertical wind shear on record across the western Atlantic,” Klotzbach said. “We continue to crush western Atlantic vertical wind shear records, with well above-average shear across the full main development region as well.” Rosencrans said the other key players in Atlantic storm formation have not been overly supportive or disruptive so far this year. Sea surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic have been near average. And trade winds, which generally help fuel storms, have been slightly above normal.

More calm seas ahead? Both Rosencrans and Klotzbach

said they expect the calm to continue, with “zero signs of any hurricanes on the horizon,” as Klotzbach put it. While Rosencrans said environmental conditions across the Atlantic are expected to remain hostile to storm formation through September, he urged those in hurricane-prone states to stay vigilant. Early September is the height of hurricane season, and some of Louisiana’s most memorable storms have hit during El Niño years. “A late-season storm can bring devastating consequences,” Rosencrans said, “and during El Niño years, areas near the Gulf Coast and East Coast are the relatively favored locations for tropical storm and hurricane formations.” Email Kasey Bubnash at kasey. bubnash@theadvocate.com.

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S at u r d ay, S e p t e m b e r 12, 2026

J.W. Faulk principal moves to district job Lance Abshire steps in as interim leader

BY JOANNA BROWN

Staff writer

Lafayette Parish schools announced personnel moves on Friday that impact leadership at J.W. Faulk Elementary School. Alysia Messa, who has been principal at the school for the past two years, will now serve as director of risk management for the school system. She came on board at J.W. Faulk at the start of the 2024-25 school year when it joined the LPSS Accelerating Campus Excellence (ACE) Initiative. The ACE Initiative is currently in place at J.W. Faulk, Alice Boucher and Dr. Raphael A. Baranco elementary schools, and provides resources to build a culture Messa of school and academic excellence through a partnership with the Pugh Family Foundation. The ACE partnership has been funded through the 2028-29 school year. During Messa’s leadership under the initiative on campus, J.W. Faulk attained its first C rating in the school’s history. She has served in instructional and administrative roles with LPSS for 26 years. The district’s risk management department is responsible for addressing matters around workers’ compensation, accident reporting, liability and property/casualty insurance,

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The names and faces of first responders killed during the 2001 terrorist attacks are displayed during a 25th anniversary memorial ceremony at Parc Sans Souci on Friday. STAFF PHOTOS By LESLIE WESTBROOK

NEVER FORGOTTEN Lafayette honors those killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the 25th anniversary

ä See PRINCIPAL, page 2B

Youngsville rejects potential annexation Land located off Guillot Road south of city limits

BY JOEL THOMPSON Staff writer

A proposal for Youngsville to annex property along Guillot Road slated for development as a subdivision failed after nearby residents spoke out against the measure. Council members on Thursday voted 2-2 on whether to introduce an annexation ordinance for a public hearing, which under the rules of the Lawrason Act means the motion fails. Lindy Bolgiano and Nick Niland voted for the measure, while Simone Champagne and Shannon Baras voted against it. Council member Matt Romero was absent. The property, located just south of the city and owned by J&M Land Investments LLC, has been in talks for annexation since 2024 when the project was still in its due diligence phase. At the time there was no controversy surrounding the proposal, but recent land disturbances on the property have ignited criticism that developers are attempting to sidestep Lafayette Consolidated Government’s permitting process.

The Sept. 11 memorial structure, which is made from two World Trade Center beams, is seen at Parc Sans Souci during the 25th anniversary memorial ceremony to honor those who were killed in the 2001 terrorist attacks.

ä See ANNEXATION, page 2B

Southside High janitor fired Man arrested after drugs found on campus, police say

BY DEAN BOUDREAUX

Staff writer

A Southside High School janitor was fired after Youngsville police said they found methamphetamine and marijuana on him while he was on campus. Noah Brower, 35, has been accused of drug possession with intent to distribute and was released

from Lafayette Parish Jail after posting bail. Police said investigators do not believe Brower intended to sell drugs to students. The Lafayette Parish school system confirmed Brower was fired following his arrest on Tuesday and declined to comment further. Attempts to reach Southside High School for comment were unsuccessful. School resource officer Lucas Alexander made the arrest after following up on a tip of suspected narcotics on campus, which were

ä See JANITOR, page 2B

Ex-Morgan City teacher sentenced Former educator gets five years for student relationship

attempted possession of child pornography. She will serve five years in a federal prison and will be under supervision for seven years, according to the sentence handed down by U.S. District Judge Robert Summerhays durBY DEAN BOUDREAUX ing a hearing Wednesday in LaStaff writer fayette. “The court determined a A former Morgan City teacher has been sentenced to five years sentence under the suggested in prison after admitting she had guideline range is fair and reaan inappropriate relationship sonable,” Summerhays said. with a student. Albarado, 31, pleaded guilty in Katherine Albarado, who April to the single count under a taught English at Morgan City plea deal; prosecutors dropped High School, pleaded guilty to the original charge of attempted

enticement of a minor, which carried a mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison. Albarado cried as she read a letter aloud to the court with her family in attendance during the hearing. “When boundaries were crossed, I should have been the party to stop. I have dishonored the noble profession of teaching,” she said. The prosecution, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Nickel, said teachers should be held to a higher standard when

ä See SENTENCED, page 2B

2B ● Saturday, September 12, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Pam Fortner, Tropical Isle bar co-founder, dies at 80 She helped create iconic Bourbon Street drink

BY POET WOLFE Staff writer

Pam Fortner, the cofounder of Tropical Isle who helped create one of Bourbon Street’s most recognizable drinks, died on Tuesday, her nephew, Jason Fortner, confirmed. She was 80. Pam Fortner and her lifelong business partner, Earl Bernhardt, who died in 2019, helped reshape drinking culture on Bourbon with the creation of the Hand Grenade, joining other novelty drinks loved by tourists on the thoroughfare, including the Pat O’Brien’s Hurricane and Purple Drank at Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar. A memorial service honoring Pam Fortner’s life will be held on Sept. 16 at Omni Royal New Orleans, followed by a second-line to Tropical Isle at 721 Bourbon St., where there will be a reception, the bar announced on social media. Pam Fortner’s love for New Orleans nightlife never faded, even as she grew older. In the last four months of her life, she could frequently be found at Tropical Isle, where she’d greet custom-

PROVIDED PHOTO

Pam Fortner, the co-founder of the Tropical Isle bar, who helped create the Hand Grenade, one of Bourbon Street’s most recognized drinks, died on Tuesday at 80.

change. Pam Fortner and Bernhardt were buying throws for a St. Patrick’s Day parade when they found small water guns in the shape of hand grenades. From there, the business partners created the neon-green concoction served in a long-necked plastic cup with a grenadeshaped base bearing a menacing, cartoonish smile. Today, the Hand Grenade remains one of Bourbon’s most intoxicating drinks, made with a secret recipe blending several liqueurs with melon flavoring. The business partners would go on to open other establishments in the French Quarter, including the Funky Pirate and Orleans Grapevine wine bar, both of which have since closed. But their greatest pride always appeared to be Tropical Isle and its signature drink. Pam Fortner later discovered that Porsche offered its Cayenne luxury sedan in a pale green color that resembled the Hand Grenade. But it could only be purchased at the Porsche plant in Germany. An avid traveler, she made the trip to Europe to buy one. She could often be found driving in the French Quarter in style with her two Pomeranians. Staff writer Doug MacCash contributed to this report.

ers, buy them drinks and listen to live music. Often, her nephew said, she’d get a Hand Grenade herself. “She worked hard, but she also played hard and enjoyed what she was doing,” Jason Fortner said. “She was always on the go.” A native of Nashville, Tennessee, Pam Fortner became captivated by New Orleans — its culture, laissez-faire atmosphere and historic buildings — after her first Mardi Gras in 1972. She moved to the city several years later, where she met Bernhardt while tending bar at his frozen drink stand, Tropical Paradise, at the 1984 World Fair. Bernhardt later invested in a space on Toulouse Street,

where he opened the first Tropical Isle and asked Pam Fortner to manage it. She agreed — but only on the condition that she would become his business partner. “Earl was the advertising guru, and Pam was the social butterfly who would meet and greet customers,” Jason Fortner said. “Their strengths complimented each other very well.” Together, they created the bar’s first signature drink, the Tropical Itch, a rum punch served with a plastic back scratcher. The drink could be found in the hands of revelers stumbling along Bourbon, but it hadn’t yet reached the iconic status of the Hurricane at Pat O’Brien’s. That would soon

“Anything that happens in a school, we need to make sure our kids are safe,” Continued from page 1B Broussard said. “That’s the top priority. Make sure staff eventually traced back is safe, and drugs in a school to Brower, according to will not be tolerated. Zero Youngsville Police Chief tolerance, especially in this city.” J.P. Broussard.

Broussard declined to provide additional details, citing the ongoing investigation. Court records show Brower has a criminal history, as he pleaded guilty to resisting arrest and attempted theft in 2020.

It remains unclear how long Brower was employed at Southside High School or how the drugs were originally discovered.

ANNEXATION

John Cazayoux, an investor in the property, was unable to answer most questions regarding development specifications or respond directly to Langlinais’ claims of improper land disturbance. Landmark Engineering Co., contracted by the investors to complete site work on the property, had no representative at the meeting. LCG could not confirm whether any permits were issued to the property. Pictures of the development site provided by Langlinais do show substantial land disturbance, indicating that construction has begun on the site, despite lacking proper approval. Mayor Ken Ritter confirmed during the council

meeting that in an earlier drive-by he conducted of the property that some site work had been done. Bolgiano and Niland said that while issues with the lack of permitting of the development was an issue, annexing it would place it under the increased scrutiny of the city’s stringent land development code. “This is going up either way,” Bolgiano said. “I’d rather we be the ones regulating since it’s going to affect our people here in Youngsville the most.”

JANITOR

Continued from page 1B

“They’ve started digging without getting a land disturbance permit from LCG because they’re anticipating this annexation proposal,” said Brian Langlinais, who owns adjacent residential property. Langlinais claimed that in conversations with LCG he was able to confirm that no permits were given to developers in connection with the property. He also said the failure of the subdivision to properly comply with LCG’s requirements before disrupting the land puts his property and others nearby at an increased risk of

PRINCIPAL

Continued from page 1B school and workplace safety, environmental issues and more. Messa will be replaced at J.W. Faulk Elementary by Lance Abshire, who has been named interim principal. He is currently assistant principal at Dr. Raphael A. Baranco

flooding. He alleged that contractors employed by the developers closed lateral ditches on the adjacent property, which have since been reopened. Yet he claimed restoration may have been inadequate. Also, the multiple retention ponds have been dug along the property, but that can lead to overflow in nearby properties like Langlinais’ if not maintained through proper oversight. “I just wish they would communicate with the nearby property owners about what we can expect with the drainage and the roads,” he said. “I have no clue what’s going to happen on my property as a result of all this.”

in accordance with the ACE Elementary model at that school, accordSchool, and ing to LPSS. is a graduate Abshire has a bachelor’s of Acadiana degree in exercise science High School. from the University of LouiHe served as Academic siana at Lafayette, and a masand Behavter’s degree in educational leadership from the Ameriior Coordi- Abshire nator at Bacan College of Education. ranco before being named assistant principal, and has Email Joanna Brown been effective in supporting at joanna.brown@ a safe learning environment theadvocate.com.

Email Dean Boudreaux at dean.boudreaux@ theadvocate.com.

SENTENCED

Continued from page 1B looking at child sex crimes. Nickel noted a 2022 email exchange in which Albarado asked the male student for an explicit photo along with messages prosecutors said showed she spent about a month building the relationship before that. Albarado kissed the student in a classroom during school hours, prosecutors said. “Teachers are with our children every day,” Nickel said. “Parents should feel their kids are protected when at school.” The defense, led by Angelle Boudreaux, said Albarado was experiencing severe mental health issues, including postpartum depression and bipolar disorder. Boudreaux said the conditions are harder to

associated with supervised release/mental healthcare received while incarcerated. Albarado was not ordered to pay restitution to the victim since he neither appeared in court nor offered a victim impact statement, Summerhays said. Prosecutors said multiple attempts to reach him were unsuccessful. Email Dean Boudreaux at dean.boudreaux@ theadvocate.com.

Obituaries Blackshear, Marion Sue

Marion Sue Johnstone Blackshear passed peacefully into the loving arms of her Savior on September 7, 2026, at the age of 83. Sue was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on November 22, 1942, to Kenneth Collier Johnstone, Jr. and Marion Louise Dupuy Johnstone. Sue was baptized at Napoleon Avenue Presbyterian Church. In 1944, the Johnstone family moved to Lafayette, Louisiana for her father to help manage her grandfather's Western Auto Store. Sue graduated from Lafayette High School in 1960 and attended the University of Southwestern Louisiana where she met David Blackshear at the Westminster Fellowship campus ministry for Presbyterian students. Sue graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics Education in 1964, earned her teaching certification, and began teaching home economics in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Sue married David Landon Blackshear on September 25, 1965, at First Presbyterian Church of Lafayette, and the couple moved to Laredo, Texas for Dave to attend Air Force Pilot Training. Following pilot training they moved to California, stationed at Beale Air Force Base in Marysville, CA where both their sons were born. When Dave completed his time in the Air Force in 1971, the Blackshears moved back to Louisiana, eventually settling in Baton Rouge and becoming active in Broadmoor Presbyterian Church where Sue served as an elder and Sunday School teacher, along with her activities with the Women of the Church. In 1992, they moved to Richmond, Virginia and became active in Third Presbyterian Church. In 1998, Dave and Sue moved again, this time to Davidsonville, Maryland, where they were involved in the First Presbyterian Church of Annapolis. In 2019, they moved for the last time back to Louisiana, settling in Lafayette.

Legal Notices

Announcements Anyone having any information on the whereabouts of Kevin Martin, please contact Attorney Christian B. Landry, 802 General Mouton Avenue, Lafayette, LA 70502, (337) 237-7135 or chrislandry@daniellandrylaw.com 200308-Sept 12-14, 3t $90.10

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE

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Sue was an avid gardener and had a special love for daylilies. She and Dave loved to travel and visited most of the US national parks, including in Hawaii and Alaska. They also traveled to Europe, visiting Switzerland and Germany, and Sue travelled to the British Isles with a church group. She also enjoyed birdwatching, needlework, and was an active member of P.E.O. International for many years, most recently in Chapter AX in Lafayette, Louisiana. Over the years Sue served as chapter president in Baton Rouge, LA, Richmond, VA, and Severna Park, MD. Sue was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her husband of 60 years, David Blackshear; her two sons, Charles Stewart Blackshear (Leslie) of Corpus Christi, Texas, and Douglas Alan Blackshear (Melissa) of Indianapolis, Indiana; her four grandchildren, Michael Blackshear (Carlie), Robin Blackshear, Thomas Blackshear, and Sarah Blackshear; her brother, Kenneth Collier Johnstone, III (Gerry); her sister, Janet Marie Johnstone Harrelson; her sister-inlaw Margaret Boone; her niece Cynthia Drewitt; and her nephews, Kenneth Boone (Aileen), Charles Boone (Kathy), Kenneth Johnstone (Christine), and Scott Johnstone (Jill). Visitation and viewing will be at Martin & Castille's SOUTHSIDE location on Sunday, September 13, 2026, from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm. A graveside service and interment will be at the Southwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery in Jennings, LA at 10:00 am on Monday, September 14, 2026. View the obituary and guestbook online at www.mourning.com Martin & Castille Funeral Home SOUTHSIDE, 600 E. Farrel Road, Lafayette, Louisiana 70508, 337-984-2811

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properly treat in prison and would undermine Albarado’s rehabilitation. Albarado continued teaching for the next three years until her eventual arrest and sought professional help for her mental health during that time, her attorneys said. “She needs consistency with her medications and access to treatment,” Boudreaux said. “The Bureau of Prisons lack the tools to give her sufficient help for her specific set of conditions.” The prosecution argued that Albarado had already been granted leniency through the plea deal. Albarado’s remorse, family support, her young child and her lack of a prior criminal record were the mitigating factors leading to the lenient verdict, Summerhays said. Albarado also must register as a sex offender, pay a $100 special assessment fee and pay all costs

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Notice is hereby given that on September 8, 2026, Entergy Louisiana, LLC (“ELL”), a public util‐ ity providing retail elec‐ tric service throughout the State of Louisiana, filed with the Louisiana Public Service Commis‐ sion (“LPSC”) its Applica‐ tion of Entergy Louisiana, LLC for Extension of Phase I of the Entergy Fu‐ ture Ready Resilience Plan (the “Application”). The Application requests LPSC approval, and is‐ suance of a public inter‐ est finding regarding, the extension of Phase I of the Entergy Future Ready Resilience Plan (the “Re‐ silience Plan”). Specifi‐ cally, ELL seeks specific approval of Phase IA of Resilience Plan, the which includes approxi‐ mately $600 million in projects proposed to be primarily implemented over the period of 2027 2030 (“Phase IA”). ELL’s Phase IA Resilience Plan will not result in a change in rates unless approved by the LPSC implemented by and ELL. ELL also seeks approval to (a) authorize the Com‐ pany’s continued imple‐ mentation of the Re‐ silience Plan Cost Recov‐ ery Rider (Rider RPCR) to provide for contempora‐ neous recovery of the Phase IA Projects; and (b) correct the Rider RCPR rate calculation to prospectively include transmission and distrib‐ ution removal costs in the Rider RPCR revenue requirement and to use regulatory assets to fa‐ cilitate the recovery and tracking of such costs. ELL also requests the continued use of regula‐ tory assets for address‐ ing recovery of (and on, if applicable), the re‐ maining net book value of assets that are re‐ placed through the Re‐ silience Plan, at the level currently reflected in ELL’s rates.

ELL also requests that the Commission (a) ap‐ prove the extension of the Monitoring Plan ap‐ proved in Order No. U36625 to Phase IA, sub‐ ject to any modifications the Commission may order; and (b) acknowl‐ edge that ELL will be re‐ questing an extension of waiver from the Federal Energy Regulatory Com‐ mission (“FERC”) to allow ELL to continue to capi‐ talize certain conductor handling expenses in‐ curred through the Re‐ silience Plan that would otherwise be treated as expenses, and express support or non-opposi‐ tion to the contemplated FERC waiver request; and (c) direct the Administra‐ tive Hearings Division to a procedural adopt schedule necessary to facilitate a Commission decision on this Applica‐ tion no later than July 31, 2027.

Public Notices Successions p p y q y Mary C. Briggs by Cash Sale from Jeanie Slay Mellinger dated April 29, 1994, recorded on May 2, 1994, under instrument no. 1994-00016195 of the records of public Louisiana.; Lafayette, and 2. All movables within the estate home at 311 Sunny Lane, consisting of home furnishings, deco‐ rations, and kitchenware. Any objections to the sale of the above prop‐ erty can be filed with the Judicial District 15th – Parish of Court Lafayette under probate docket number 20250640, pursuant to LA C.C.P. art 3282. 198202 Aug. 22 to Sept. 20, 30t $456.60

For questions and com‐ ments regarding ELL’s fil‐ ing, please call the LPSC toll free at (800) 256-2397. Additionally, the filing, its attach‐ including ments, may be viewed in the Records Division of the LPSC at the following address: Records Division 602 N. 5th Street, 12th Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 Telephone: (225) 342-3157 ENTERGY LOUISIANA, LLC 200357 Sept. 12 1t $357.21

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Public Notices Successions

PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE Administrator for the Succession of Mary Fern Cobb Briggs gives notice of his intent to sell via private sale, the follow‐ ing: 1. The immovable estate home and property lo‐ cated at 311 Sunny Lane, Louisiana Lafayette, 70506, Being the same property acquired by i b h

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California gig drivers secure new union

California regulators certified a union representing Uber and Lyft drivers, marking a milestone in a yearslong fight by gig workers in the state. The California Gig Workers Union will give drivers a seat at the table to negotiate pay, working conditions and benefits, union organizers said. California is the third state to allow ride-hailing drivers to unionize, following Washington in 2022 and Massachusetts in 2024. The California Public Employment Relations Board officially recognized the union Wednesday after it secured support from 30% of active drivers in the state in August. The next step for the union is to negotiate a contract with Uber and Lyft that meets drivers’ demands, including health insurance, support for high gas prices and more transparency around pay. The California Gig Workers Union was formed with the support of the Service Employees International Union. The passage of Assembly Bill 1340 last year gave gig ride-hailing drivers the right to unionize and collectively bargain.

Activision Blizzard sued for sexual harassment A former employee of Activision Blizzard is suing the Santa Monica-based “Call of Duty” maker, alleging she was sexually harassed and subject to retaliation. In a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Wednesday, the woman, filing anonymously as Jane Doe, says the game giant “fostered and tolerated a pervasive ‘frat boy’ workplace culture,” where male employees and supervisors “openly objectified women, viewed and displayed pornography” and made demeaning sexual remarks in her presence. She is seeking unspecified compensatory damages, including for lost wages, benefits and earning capacity. The woman, who said she worked for the company for 14 years beginning in 2009 in its sound department, accuses 10 men of subjecting her variously to harassment, physical assault, inappropriate touching and inappropriate comments. According to the suit, Jane Doe’s complaints and reports to her supervisors and human resources about her alleged treatment were dismissed and that they “failed to take timely or effective corrective action.” Activision Blizzard has denied all wrongdoing.

Federal court rejects Trump coal plant order WASHINGTON — In a defeat for the Trump administration, a federal court on Friday ruled that the Energy Department exceeded its authority when it forced a Michigan coal-fired power to stay open past its scheduled retirement date last year. Energy Secretary Chris Wright had said the 64-yearold J.H. Campbell Generating Plant was needed to ensure reliable electricity in the region, and he used emergency powers to keep it operating. Environmental groups and three states — Michigan, Illinois and Minnesota — went to court to try to overturn orders keeping the plant online. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit sided with the states and the groups, saying there was no real emergency under the law. The section of the Federal Power Act that allows emergency orders “is essentially a narrow, last-resort backstop,” Appeals Court Judge Cornelia Pillard wrote for a unanimous three-judge panel. Use of emergency authority “is triggered only when there is a need for immediate, essentially last-resort action and the circumstances require action by DOE in particular, as opposed to action by the state or states responsible for resource adequacy,” she added.

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Anthropic says it blocked malicious use of its AI Programming could have supported biological weapons

BY BARBARA ORTUTAY AP technology writer

Anthropic said Thursday it has blocked efforts by bad actors to use its artificial intelligence models for malicious activity such as cyberattacks, surveillance, and research that could have led to

biological weapons. As AI models grow more powerful, elaborate cyberattacks no longer require sophisticated skills and even lone individuals can create threats that would not have been possible even a year ago, Anthropic said. The company said it has added stronger safeguards in its latest models to restrict biological research that could also be used to make weapons. “The cases we share here aren’t typical misuse, but rather examples of the most notable and novel

threat activity we’ve identified to date,” Anthropic said in its third report since March 2025 describing AI misuse. The report includes snippets of the malicious code and AI prompts Anthropic said it found and it urged governments and AI competitors to identify and prevent similar abuse. “We’re publishing this work because we believe we have a responsibility to disclose malicious misuse of our services. As models become increasingly capable, their risks will increase, unless AI

developers and society’s defenders act to make them safer,” the company said. The lengthy report by the AI startup, which is planning an initial public offering this fall, was published two days after one of its researchers announced he’s resigning over concerns that Anthropic and its competitors are not acting responsibly in AI development. He echoed concerns raised inside and outside of the industry about the technology’s potential to elude human control.

No relief from inflation as Middle East clashes lift prices Rising fuel costs continue to lead to skyrocketing prices of goods, services

BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer

WASHINGTON — U.S. inflation accelerated last month as gas prices spiked in the wake of renewed fighting in the Middle East, underscoring the affordability challenges that are top of mind for many voters with midterm elections now just seven weeks away. The consumer price index rose 3.4% last month compared with a year ago, the Labor Department said Friday, just like July. But inflation quickened month to month as costs jumped 0.4% from July, quadrupling the 0.1% registered in the previous month. Inflation remains stubbornly elevated more than five years after prices soared as the economy emerged from the pandemic. Friday’s report increases pressure on the inflation-fighters at the Federal Reserve to boost their benchmark interest rate next week, which could lift mortgage and auto loan costs in the months ahead. Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh and other Fed officials have signaled they would need to see continuing disinflation to leave rates where they are. “Today’s August report did not deliver that,” said Kathy Bostjancic, chief economist at Nationwide.

Prices rise across many goods, services Gasoline prices are not all that is rising. Prices for appliances, car repairs, and wireless phone services also jumped last month. Yet economists worry that more expensive fuel can spill into other parts of the economy. Diesel prices have hit record highs above $6 a gallon, which pushes up the cost of shipping for groceries and other goods. Airline tickets rose 2.7% on a monthly basis, according to the new data, and have soared more than 23% from a year earlier. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core prices were 2.4% higher in August than a year ago, down slightly from July’s 2.5% and the third straight decline. But on a monthly basis, core prices rose 0.3% from July to August, the largest increase since April. The surprising monthly increases in core prices are likely embolden those Fed officials who have pushed for higher interest rates. Wall Street investors now see a more than 80% chance that the Fed will increase rates Sept. 16, according to CME Fedwatch,

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ELLEN SCHMIDT

Shoppers pass through the bakery section at a Target store on Aug. 13 in Woodbury, Minn. a 10-point jump from Thursday. The Trump administration is seeking to counter voter concerns about high prices and rising interest rates. President Donald Trump on Wednesday promised $5,000 payments to every American adult if the GOP keeps a majority in Congress. That would require congressional approval and could stoke inflation. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has stepped up buybacks of Treasury bonds in an effort to keep longer-term interest rates lower. The yield on the 10-year Treasury reached a nearly three-year high Thursday and traded at a still-elevated 4.9% Friday.

What has gotten more expensive Gas prices jumped 3.9% just from July to August, Friday’s report said, leaving gas prices more than 27% higher than a year earlier. Prices at the pump have continued rising, meaning inflation is likely worsening this month. The nationwide average cost of a gallon of gas on Friday is 7% higher than a month ago at $4.30. In addition to rising plane ticket costs, hotel room prices climbed 2.4% just from July to August and are 3.2% more expensive than a year ago. Car repair costs rose 1.1% just last month and are up 5.2% from a year earlier. The rising cost of services like hotel rooms and wireless plans will also unnerve many Fed officials, since they are not driven by higher energy prices.

“Analysts and the Fed had been counting on these categories of prices to moderate by now,” Scott Anderson, chief U.S. economist at BMO Capital Markets, wrote in a note. “The trends coming from the August CPI report do not build confidence that inflation is continuing on its path of moderation toward the 2% target.” Apparel and grocery prices were unchanged from July to August, providing some relief to consumers, though eggs moved 2.9% higher last month. Egg prices are still down sharply from a year earlier.

Inflation a one-time shock or more Many economists and Federal Reserve officials have long considered higher gas prices one of several “one-time” shocks that are lifting inflation, along with tariffs and surging investment in AI data centers. For months, the hope has been that as the war against Iran wound down, and the effects of tariffs faded, inflation would grind lower. Yet there are few signs of the Iran war cooling, and even Trump has said gas prices won’t retreat until after the midterm elections in November. And while Trump’s trade fight with Canada will impact a small number of imports, it is a reminder that tariffs remain a threat that could push up other costs. “This is not one and done,” Bostjancic said. “It’s unclear when tensions in the Middle East are going to settle down. ... This seems like it could be a prolonged disruption.”

Soaring diesel prices deepen transportation strain Added costs in hauling goods could lead to sticker shock BY WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS Associated Press

CHICAGO — Diesel prices in the U.S. hit yet another record on Friday, soaring past $6 a gallon on average as Washington’s war with Iran disrupts the world’s flow of fuel. The national average of nearly $6.06 is up from $5.85 last week and almost $3.71 this time last year, according to motor club AAA. Higher diesel prices mean more expensive transportation for a long list of everyday goods. That’s because diesel is used for many freight and delivery networks. And some businesses have already passed along steeper costs to consumers in the form of added fees on online orders and packages in

the mail. Shoppers may feel more and more sticker shock, particularly in the grocery aisle. Perishable foods, like meat and produce, face one of the most immediate strains of expensive diesel because they need to be hauled in and restocked frequently — or may be harvested using farm equipment powered by the fuel. It can take time for those costs to trickle down. But the surge in diesel prices doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon. Prices at the pump for diesel and regular gasoline — which hit nearly $4.30 on average in the U.S. Friday — closely follow that of crude oil. And oil has renewed its rise recently. This week, both Brent, the international standard, and U.S. crude surpassed $100 a barrel for the first time in months as fighting between the U.S. and Iran escalated again. Political ramifications may pile up in the meantime. President

Donald Trump, who has repeatedly tried to downplay the effects of the war he co-launched, said that oil prices likely won’t come down until after November’s midterm elections. American diesel prices are now over 60% higher than they were before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in late February, when the national average sat at about $3.76 per gallon per AAA. Prices quickly climbed as the cost of crude oil — the main ingredient in refined fuel like diesel, as well as gasoline — soared amid supply chain disruptions across the Middle East, notably with most tanker traffic bottlenecked in the key Strait of Hormuz. Despite some during hopes for peace earlier in the summer, oil has now renewed its climb as fighting once more escalates. And more supply disruptions are piling up. The International Energy Agency reported Friday that Saudi oil production fell to a

three-decade low last month due to Houthi attacks on its energy facilities. And elsewhere, losses in the Middle East have been amplified by the war in Ukraine, as the IEA also noted Friday. Disruptions in Russia’s refining system stemming from intense Ukranian attacks have nearly halted product exports. When adjusted for inflation, fuel prices have been higher in the past. Ahead of the 2008 financial crisis, for example, diesel hit about $4.74 a gallon, equivalent to $7.20 in 2026, according to the government’s latest data. And 2022’s thenrecord of nearly $5.82 — reached just months after Russia invaded Ukraine — would be about $6.56 this year when accounting for inflation. Friday’s average $4.29 for a gallon of regular unleaded is up from $2.98 before the Iran war, although still below the 2022 peak of nearly $5.02 a gallon nationwide.

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

ANOTHER VIEW

ARTISTS’ VIEWS

The volatile politics of data centers

AI data centers were once treated as economic development trophies. Job-hungry states and financially strapped rural communities saw them as a way to grab a piece of the technology boom. The politics, however, have gotten messy nationwide. Data centers have become a sleeper issue in this November’s election. Communications strategist Brad Dayspring describes the fight as a collision between “progrowth instincts and the push to beat China in the AI race” and the “populist backlash over affordability.” Supporters have a powerful case. Data centers bring construction, investment, infrastructure Ron and jobs. They give states a chance to plant a Faucheux flag in the middle of a colossal technological transformation. That’s the argument made by supporters, including President Donald Trump and Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry. It’s an especially appealing argument in a state like Louisiana, which has long needed economic diversification and employment growth. But critics see it differently. They view high-capacity AI computing centers as symbols of plutocracy: trillion-dollar companies getting government help to acquire cheap land, build enormous facilities and consume vast amounts of electricity and water. The electricity issue alone is staggering. Data centers pack thousands of powerful computer servers operating simultaneously into enormous facilities. The servers generate tremendous heat, requiring highly sophisticated, energy-intensive cooling systems. The International Energy Agency estimates that a typical AI-focused data center can consume as much electricity as 100,000 households. The largest facilities under construction could use 20 times that amount. Suddenly, the question isn’t simply: How many jobs will this create? It’s also: Who pays? Who pays for the power plants, transmission lines, water systems, roads, housing, job training and environmental mitigation? How much should state and local taxpayers subsidize? Data centers have scrambled the usual partisan alignments. Politicians from both parties who once celebrated them as economic blessings are now — during the final weeks of an election — calling for moratoriums, fewer financial incentives and tougher regulations. They’re reflecting a souring public mood. A recent Economist/YouGov poll found that 51% of Americans believe construction of new data centers is “bad for the country,” while only 20% believe it’s “good for the country.” Republicans are less negative than others, but they’re hardly enthusiastic: 39% say new data centers are bad, compared to 31% who say they’re good. The same poll explains the negativity: 61% believe data centers will increase electric bills and 48% also say they will lower home values. With voters already worried about grocery and gasoline prices, this is a tough spot for proponents. It also underscores why just 20% of the national electorate supports building a new data center in their own community — and why a hefty 64% majority oppose doing so. The public backlash has prompted politicians across the country to rethink earlier support. More than 500 local data center restrictions were in place at the beginning of August, according to The Information, a publication about business and technology. More than 150 jurisdictions adopted restrictions in July alone. You can watch Democratic governors, especially those facing reelection this year, grow more skeptical in real time, citing community and environmental concerns. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has paused large, hyperscale projects. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is demanding stronger local protections. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has tightened oversight. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs have moved to reassess incentives and development plans. Despite Trump’s support for data centers, many Republicans are also losing enthusiasm, following the lead of the party’s populist wing. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, for example, reversed his earlier support for data centers. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has paused new data center connections moving through the power grid. Ohio Sen. Jon Husted, Texas Senate candidate Ken Paxton and Michigan Senate nominee Mike Rogers are demanding greater accountability. After examining the risks, consultant Mike Madrid concluded there is “no political downside” for candidates of either party to oppose data centers. If that conclusion is wrong, supporters of data centers need to show why it is or they will lose the battle. The AI revolution was supposed to be about the future. But in politics, the future is only as far as Nov. 3, Election Day. Ron Faucheux is a nonpartisan political analyst, pollster and writer based in Louisiana.

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1C

When recruiting services downgraded Wr Watkins in high school, it motivated him. now he aims to prove his worth at LSu.

LOST STAR I

n the “Day in the Life of Winston Watkins,” which has more than 1 million views on YouTube, the 16-year-old wideout rubbed his hands together and confidently smiled as he announced himself and all of his titles. “It’s Winston Watkins Jr., Class of 2025 receiver, five-star,” he said, “IMG Academy.” The blue-chip recruit, standing in front of his bunk bed in the IMG dorms, proceeded to guide his audience around a playground of an athletics-focused campus, including a brick-oven pizza station in the cafeteria, trolley cars that haul students, a spacious weight room, and

decked-out locker rooms and fields. Despite his 5-foot-10, 170-pound stature, Watkins was a highly coveted recruit. He committed to Texas A&M as a freshman, flipped to Deion

Sanders and Colorado as a sophomore, then finally latched on with Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss. His five-star title, however, didn’t come with him. Whether it was his transfer from IMG to Venice High School as a senior to be closer to his ailing grandmother, or a failure of his genetics to match his father’s 6-2 height, recruiting services downgraded Watkins to a four-star prospect before he graduated. He arrived in Oxford, Mississippi, as the No. 32 receiver nationally in the 247Sports Composite. ä See LSU, page 2C

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LSU GAMEDAY

BROADCAST INFORMATION La. Tech at LSU 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Tiger Stadium TV: SECN+ | Line: LSU by 35½ Radio: WDGL-FM, 98.1; WWL-AM, 870; WWL-FM, 105.3; KLWB-FM, 103.7

TEAM SCHEDULES LSU

La. Tech

Date Opponent Time/TV 9.5 Clemson W, 51-10 9.12 La. Tech 6:30 p.m./SECN+ 9.19 at Ole Miss 6:30 p.m./ABC 9.26 Texas A&M TBD 10.3 McNeese 6:45 p.m./SECN 10.10 at Kentucky TBD 10.17 Mississippi State TBD 10.24 at Auburn 11 a.m./TBD 11.7 Alabama TBD 11.14 Texas TBD 11.21 at Tennessee TBD 11.28 at Arkansas TBD

Date 9.5 9.12 9.19 10.3 10.10 10.17 10.24 10.31 11.7 11.14 11.21 11.28

Opponent Time/TV Northwestern St. W, 80-6 at LSU 6:30 p.m./SECN+ at Baylor 3 p.m./ESPNU Army TBD UL TBD at UL-Monroe TBD Old Dominion TBD at South Alabama TBD at Troy 3 p.m. Southern Miss TBD Arkansas State TBD at Georgia Southern TBD

DEPTH CHARTS LSU

La. Tech

OFFENSE

WIDE RECEIVER

6 WINSTON WATKINS 2 Tre Brown

WIDE RECEIVER

3 EUGENE WILSON 4 Jackson Harris

WIDE RECEIVER

1 JAYCE BROWN 88 Malik Elzy

LEFT TACKLE

77 JORDAN SEATON 65 Sean Thompkins

LEFT GUARD

67 BO BORDELON 70 Devin Harper

CENTER

61 BRAELIN MOORE 50 William Satterwhile

RIGHT GUARD

55 ALIOU BAH 70 Devin Harper

RIGHT TACKLE

75 WESTON DAVIS 69 Darrin Strey

TIGHT END

14 TREY’DEZ GREEN 12 Malachi Thomas 44 Zach Grace

QUARTERBACK

10 SAM LEAVITT 8 Husan Longstreet 11 Landen Clark

RUNNING BACK

13 DILIN JONES 23 Stacy Gage

OFFENSE

5-10 6-2

182 190

So. Sr.

5-11 6-2

190 202

Jr. Jr.

5-11 6-2

175 217

Sr. Jr.

6-5 6-5

307 308

Jr. Jr.

6-6 6-4

305 312

Sr. So.

6-2 6-3

301 293

Sr. So.

6-5 6-4

327 312

Sr. So.

6-6 6-7

315 314

So. Fr.

6-7 6-3 6-2

237 242 236

Jr. Jr. Jr.

6-2 6-1 6-0

216 195 195

Jr. Fr. So.

5-11 211 So. 5-10 204 So.

PUNTER

90 GRANT CHADWICK 99 Hayden Craig

LONG SNAPPER

39 MACK MULHERN 43 Silas Hall

KICK RETURNER

15 PHILLIP WRIGHT 3 Eugene Wilson

PUNT RETURNER

3 EUGENE WILSON 1 Jayce Brown

53 AUSTIN ELLIS 66 Will Hutchens

331 290

Jr. Fr.

6-3 6-3

312 305

Sr. Jr.

LSU

6-3 6-3

308 304

Jr. So.

6-4 6-3

305 305

So. Jr.

6-3 6-5

301 290

Jr. So.

6-6 6-4

246 237

Sr. Sr.

6-5 6-1

220 201

Jr. Sr.

6-0 5-10

202 200

Jr. Fr.

22 JADON MAYFIELD

5-11

225

So.

35 Cole Watson

6-0

220

So.

21 ZHERIC HILL

6-0

230

So.

Fort Myers phenoms

25 Colton Deckard

6-2

220

Jr.

52 TROY SMITH 58 Tye Hylton

TIGHT END

84 ELI FINLEY 87 Brayden Bockler

QUARTERBACK

5 BLAKE BAKER 2 Trey Kukuk

RUNNING BACK

0 JADEN MILLER 26 Dylone Brooks

6-3 6-3 6-6

296 339 297

Jr. Fr. Jr.

93 JACOB BRADFORD

6-1

290

So.

54 Justice Williams

6-3

310

Sr.

6-1 6-3

279 286

Fr. Jr.

6-5 6-3

246 252

Jr. Jr.

6-3 6-0

223 227

Sr. Jr.

6-2 6-1

225 227

Sr. So.

6-3 6-3

209 218

Jr. So.

6-4 6-1

189 162

So. So.

5-11 6-0

164 188

Jr. Jr.

6-3 6-2

208 213

Sr. Sr.

6-0 6-1

206 175

Jr. Fr.

5-9

175

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

DEFENSIVE END 11 EMMANUEL OGUNS

6-5

260

Sr.

90 Jojo Odom

6-4

265

So.

LINEBACKER

LINEBACKER

LINEBACKER 10 KOLBE FIELDS

6-0

225

Sr.

24 Alonzo Jackson

6-1

227

So.

NICKEL 0 JORDAN MCRAE

5-11

180

Jr.

5 Ahkhari Johnson

5-11

191

Jr.

CORNERBACK 2 AMARI BUTLER

5-10

186

Sr.

18 Jaitlin Hampton

5-11

170

Sr.

CORNERBACK 3 KAMERON CARTER

6-1

175

Sr.

17 Demario Bookhart

6-1

175

So.

208 211

Jr. Fr.

6-1 6-3

224 213

Fr. So.

6-0 5-11

174 190

Fr. Jr.

5-11 5-11

190 175

Jr. Sr.

1 SAM FONGANG

6-2

195

Sr.

4 Kam Franklin

6-2

211

Jr.

13 MJ MOULTRIE

5-11

195

Sr.

7 Janard Lockhart

6-1

180

Jr.

SAFETY

SPECIAL TEAMS KICKER 38 KAEGEN KENT

5-8

160

So.

6-3

196

Jr.

6-0

215

Sr.

5-9

187

So.

5-7

165

Jr.

PUNTER 29 LEXINGTON MATTHEWS

LONG SNAPPER 41 EAN BURCH

KICK RETURNER 11 JALEN MICKENS

PUNT RETURNER 3 DECRICK LATULAS

COACHES Lane Kiffin’s win over Clemson was his largest vs. a Power Four team since beating Ga. Tech 42-0 in 2022.

Watkins Jr. had every reason to believe he could rise from Fort Myers, Florida, where too many talented athletes immerse themselves in the wrong crowds, fall behind in class and never make the grade. He had better examples than most. Not only was Watkins Sr. a baseball player at Florida A&M who played minor league ball, but his father was brothers with Sammy and Jaylen Watkins’ grandfather, making a pair of former NFL players Watkins Jr.’s cousins. Sammy, a two-time All-American receiver at Clemson who was drafted fourth overall by the

Buffalo Bills in 2014, offered Watkins Jr. lessons from the ups and downs of his football journey. The kid watched his share of Clemson games as Sammy helped Dabo Swinney build a national power. “He’s the most low-maintenance superstar I’ve ever recruited,” Swinney said of Sammy, a 6-1, 212-pound wideout and five-star recruit who came ready to barrel through secondaries. Sammy showed Watkins Jr. what a playmaker looks like. Sammy’s half-brother, Jaylen, a defensive back at the University of Florida who became a high school coach after his pro career, offered X’s-and-O’s wisdom from the other side of the ball. Watkins Jr. also followed the career of Noel Devine, a 5-8, 180-pound running back who brought Florida speed to West Virginia. He was undersized, which fit Watkins Jr.’s mold. “They made it out of Fort Myers. They went and showed that it’s possible, you know?” Watkins Jr. said. “Guys like that always influenced me to go out there and just be able to put my all out there and maximize my opportunity.” His work ethic was strong. Watkins Sr. recalled a time he brought his 13-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter to a nearby stadium for “500s,” or five consecutive sprints around a track in close succession. Watkins Jr. and his sister vomited after their fifth one. But the workout didn’t end there. They just kept going. “His conditioning was out of this world,” said Venice High coach John Peacock, who was amazed when the IMG transfer flew through offseason workouts. “The way he runs routes is unbelievable, how smooth he is. He blocks, he’s tough as nails. He’s just built different.” Peacock put the ball in Watkins’ hands, in every way possible. In the second quarter of a Florida Class 7A state title victory, Watkins scooped up a punt after a big bounce, surprising a couple of gunners who believed they were about to down it. Watkins went 65 yards down the sideline for a touchdown.

SAFETY

So.

6-5 6-1

Continued from page 1C “I ain’t trying to tell the whole world about it,” said Winston Watkins Sr., understanding most will fail to relate to these star ratings, which have outsized importance to the teens labeled by them. “All that did is bring the lion out of him even more. That fueled him.” The boyish charm of “Winnie,” who gained nearly a half-million TikTok followers during his IMG days with catchy dances and jokes, easily can mask the competitor who just logged seven catches, 124 total yards and a touchdown in his LSU debut last weekend. He’s a freak athlete. At 6 years old, Watkins set a long-jump record of 11 feet, 31/ 2 inches at the AAU Primary National Championship at Walt Disney World, according to his father. He quickened his feet with soccer but also traded blows as a youth boxer. Watkins Sr. still has a clip of his son’s first fight as an 8-year-old, launching a flurry so vicious that the referee had to step in and protect the other boy from being pummeled. “Boxing and track, it’s one-man sports,” Watkins Sr. said. “It helps you learn to compete against anybody. It made him feel like, when he’s on that field, can’t nobody stop him.”

RIGHT TACKLE

Jr.

SPECIAL TEAMS

80 SCOTT STARZYK

RIGHT GUARD

6-6 6-5

Sr.

SAFETY

KICKER

60 ROY BRACKINS 56 Andrew Richard

STAFF PHOTO By PEARL SPURLOCK

Clemson cornerback Ashton Hampton, top center, and linebacker Jeremiah Alexander, right, tackle LSU wide receiver Winston Watkins on Sept. 5 at Tiger Stadium.

265

SAFETY

0 TAMARCUS COOLEY 28 Jhase Thomas

CENTER

Jr. Jr.

267

CORNERBACK

2 TY BENEFIELD 13 Faheem Delane

79 ASHANTI COLE 66 Will Hutchens

190 165

6-4

CORNERBACK

11 PJ WOODLAND 8 Ja’Keem Jackson

LEFT GUARD

5-10 5-7

6-2

STAR

5 DJ PICKETT 21 Michael Turner

72 HAYDEN CHRISTMAN 57 Tadan Bingham

Sr. Sr.

98 DONOVAN RIEMAN

LINEBACKER

10 DASHAWN SPEARS 31 CJ Jimcoily

LEFT TACKLE

195 175

99 Judd Rouyea

LINEBACKER

6 TJ DOTTERY 24 Tylen Singleton

6 MARCUS CALWISE 3 Dedrick Latulas

6-2 6-1

Sr. Fr.

DEFENSIVE END

40 WHIT WEEKS 42 Davhon Keys

WIDE RECEIVER

So. So.

244 285

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

29 JORDAN ROSS 97 Dylan Carpenter

86 TALYN SHETTRON 47 Jay Wilkerson

187 205

6-4 6-5

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

99 DEUCE GERALDS 47 Malik Blocton

WIDE RECEIVER

5-9 6-4

DEFENSIVE END

DEFENSIVE END

90 STEPHIYLAN GREEN 88 Richard Anderson 96 Dominick McKinley

11 JALEN MICKENS 15 Luke Watkins

DEFENSE

DEFENSE 1 PRINCEWILL UMANMIELEN 55 Lamar Brown

WIDE RECEIVER

Sonny Cumbie is 20-31 during his fifth season as the head coach of the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.

STAFF PREDICTIONS JON BLAU

SCOTT RABALAIS

LSU 56, LOUISIANA TECH 10 We’re about to find out how potent the Louisiana Tech offense truly is and how inept Clemson really was. The Bulldogs threw up 80 points last week, but that came against FCS Northwestern State, and a punt return touchdown and some short fields helped pad the lead. In a showdown of Blake Bakers, it stands to reason that the LSU defensive coordinator, not the Bulldogs’ quarterback, will have an edge.

LSU 52, LOUISIANA TECH 15 The end of another tumultuous week at LSU again will be capped off with an actual game. The Tigers built to a peak before routing Clemson, proving they could overcome major distractions. Now they must do it again with Louisiana Tech catching them in an emotional valley before Ole Miss. Blake Baker (the Louisiana Tech quarterback) will make some noise early before Blake Baker’s LSU defense adjusts.

REED DARCEY

KOKI RILEY

LSU 46, LOUISIANA TECH 10 Last season, LSU won this game by a rather unsatisfying score of 23-7. It feels like Lane Kiffin wants to come away with something much more convincing. Expect at least 250 more yards rushing from the Tigers and maybe a couple of superfluous two-point conversions in the second half. Louisiana Tech is a solid, well-coached team, but it won’t be able to slow down this rejuvenated LSU program.

LSU 48, LOUISIANA TECH 10 There’s a real chance for LSU to put up 50-plus points for a second consecutive week. Louisiana Tech held a hapless Northwestern State to six points last Saturday, but the Bulldogs’ 3-3-5 defensive scheme is ripe for the LSU offense to shred on the ground. It’s just hard to expect everything to go in LSU’s direction again this week after almost nothing went sideways for the Tigers against Clemson.

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He’s fast, but Watkins is also stronger than He eagerly prepared for the opener against most defenders assume. In the third quarter, Clemson, reserving a ticket for Sammy so he Watkins caught a short pass, ripping out of one could watch his cousin versus his alma mater. tackler’s grasp, sending the next diving past LSU inside receivers coach Sawyer Jordan, him with a juke and stiff-arming the last. who helped recruit Watkins to Ole Miss, also In the fourth quarter, Watkins was lined up at happens to be a Clemson alum. quarterback, faking a handoff and coasting for “That’s my first time ever playing Clemson, a long touchdown run to balloon Venice’s 52-13 and I don’t know whenever I may play them advantage. again,” Watkins said. “I wanted to maximize my The relentless slot receiver, who also played opportunity … and just ball out.” cornerback, was tailor made for Kiffin and Sammy couldn’t physically be in Tiger StaCharlie Weis Jr.’s uptempo scheme, because dium last weekend because he was busy being they could mercilessly impose his stamina on the receivers coach at Ocoee High School just opposing defenses. outside of Orlando, Florida. “I was like, they keep defenses moving and He was able to watch, though, as his cousin get them tired, and I won’t get put on a clinic. tired,” Watkins said. “I can Early in the game, Watkins play in space and do what I do.” motioned across the line of He flashed as a freshman at scrimmage, took a jet sweep, Ole Miss, especially during put his hand on LSU running a four-catch, 111-yard outing back Dilin Jones’ back and at Oklahoma in late October. guided him into a clash with a Watkins’ stops and starts over Clemson defender like a human the middle, plus a slant and go shield. That gained 14 yards. over the top of the Sooners deWatkins then burrowed his fense, had defensive backs lagway into the softest spots of ging behind. the Clemson defense, catching The 5-11, 185-pound slot rea curl route and a drag across ceiver’s skills remind Kiffin of the middle. He was targeted former Ole Miss receiver Eli11 times, twice as many as any jah Moore, who was a secondother LSU receiver. round pick by the Jets in 2021. In the middle of the third “He’s such a pro,” Kiffin said quarter, he knew he was about of Watkins, before he stopped to score. LSU receiver Eugene himself mid-answer. Wilson motioned to Watkins’ side “I don’t know why we do this. of the field and a safety followed You ask me about him, and I him. It was man-to-man coversay all these great things, and age, as Weis anticipated when he his (NIL) price is just gonna go changed the play pre-snap. WINSTON WATKINS, up,” Kiffin said with a laugh. Watkins bent his route toward LSU wide receiver “Not really smart by me.” the corner of the end zone, but Watkins came to college the safety and the nickelback ready to prove his worth, parboth went with Wilson. Wattially because recruiting services devalued kins raised his hand, alerting quarterback Sam him late. He’s not Sammy, who stands 6-1, or Leavitt, fewer than 10 yards into his sprint. his father, who made it to 6-2. But Watkins car“I just threw my hand up and took it, because ries himself like he’s 7-feet tall. I knew, if you hesitate, I’m going to just beat He arrived at last year’s Florida-Ole Miss you with speed,” Watkins said of a 32-yard game with a camera following him for another touchdown grab that increased the pain for “day in the life” video, performing a “gator Sammy’s alma mater. chomp” with his arms that transitioned into two The confidence of the youngest Watkins nevemphatic thumbs down. er has waned, even if recruiting services slid When the Rebels won, Watkins dragged the him down the 2025 rankings. Miami receiver team’s famed basketball hoop from the sideline Malachi Toney was rated a three-star prospect to midfield for postgame dunks. in the same class, and that projection isn’t look“We have a bye week,” Watkins told his caming so good, either. eraman as he sat in Ole Miss running back KeWhat looks really good is Watkins in this wan Lacy’s apartment postgame, “and then we scheme. He had a phone call with his cousin back on (their butt).” Sammy a couple of days after LSU’s 51-10 blowJust over a week after that video was posted out of Clemson. to YouTube, Kiffin was on his way to Baton “He was laughing about it because, shoot, he Rouge. Watkins soon would follow. didn’t realize it was going to be like that,” Watkins said. “Now I get to talk trash at ThanksgivWinnie vs. Sammy’s squad ing with Sammy.” Watkins arrived in Baton Rouge with the most experience of any receiver in the LSU ofEmail Jon Blau at fense, thanks to his freshman year at Ole Miss. jon.blau@theadvocate.com

I was like, they keep defenses moving and get them tired, and I won’t get tired. I can play in space and do what I do.”

OFFENSIVE LEADERS LSU

La. Tech

PASSING

Player

Cmp-Att-Pct Yards TD Int

Sam Leavitt

16-28-57.1

230

1

RUSHING

Player

Att

Sam Leavitt Dilin Jones Stacy Gage Landen Clark Winston Watkins Eugene Wilson

Net

12 23 8 4 1 1

1

Avg TD

113 113 33 23 14 9

9.4 4.9 4.1 5.8 14.0 9.0

2 2 0 0 0 0

RECEIVING Player

Rec Yards Avg TD

Wilson Watkins Phillip Wright Trey’Dez Green Eugene Wilson Jackson Harris Corey Barber Jayce Brown Nic Anderson Dilin Jones

7 3 4 4 1 15 1 12 1

110 70 58 35 32 15 14.0 106 1

15.7 23.3 14.5 8.8 32.0 15.0 14.0 8.8 1.0

1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0

KICKING Player

XPM XPA FGM FGA

Scott Starzyk

6

6

1

2

PASSING

Player

Cmp-Att-Pct Yards TD Int

Blake Baker

10-14-71.4

3

RUSHING

Player

0

Att

Net

Avg TD

5 6 1 2 5 4

50 48 37 31 17 9

10.0 8.0 37.0 15.5 3.4 2.3

Trey Kukuk Dylone Brooks Talyn Shettron Jalen Mickens Rayshun Hurt Sergio Snider

0 1 1 0 0 1

RECEIVING Player

Rec Yards Avg TD

TJalen Mickens Eli Finley Luke Watkins Talyn Shettron Jay Wilkerson Dedrick Latulas Brayden Bockler

3 4 1 2 1 2 2

133 52 35 29 27 10 7

44.3 13.0 35.0 14.5 27.0 5.0 3.5

1 1 1 1 1 1 0

KICKING Player

XPM XPA FGM FGA

Keagen Kent Hunter Roux

10 1

10 1

0 1

0 1

DEFENSIVE LEADERS TACKLES Player

Princewill Umanmielen Whit Weeks Dashawn Spears TJ Dottery Jordan Ross CJ Jimcoily Faheem Delane Zach Weeks Kolaj Cobbins PJ Woodland Davhon Keys DJ Pickett Charles Ross II Dylan Carpenter Ty Benefield Dominick McKinley

TACKLES

Tot Solo Ast Loss Sk 6 6 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

2 2 3 1 2 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 1 1 1 0

4 4 2 4 2 4 4 3 3 0 0 0 1 1 1 2

2.5 1.5 0 0.5 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1.5 0 0.5

2 0.5 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

Player

Sam Fongang Grayson Hardy Zheric Hill Jadon Mayfield Ayden Combs Alonzo Jackson Janard Lockhardt Kolbe Fields Za’qwaun Nunn Kaleb Coleman Lane Condry Nathan Green Zander Hayes Taeden Rogers Jeremiah Smith Cole Watson

INTERCEPTIONS Player

Tot Yards Avg TD BU

Jordan Ross

1

30

30.0

1

0

Tot Solo Ast Loss Sk 7 6 6 5 4 4 4 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

3 1 1 0 2 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0

4 5 5 5 2 4 2 2 3 2 2 2 1 0 2 2

1 0.5 2.5 1 1 1.5 0.5 0.5 0 0.5 0.5 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0.5 0 0 0 0 0 0

INTERCEPTIONS Player

Alonzo Jackson

Tot Yards Avg TD BU 1

0

0.0

0

1

TEAM STATS OFFENSE PER GAME Yards gained: 644.0

OFFENSE PER GAME Yards gained: 528.0

Plays: 94.0

Plays: 59.0

PASS 335.0

RUSH 309.0

PASS 36.0

RUSH 58.0

Turnovers: 1.00

PASS 296.0

RUSH 232.0

PASS 22.0

RUSH 37.0

Turnovers: 0.00

INTERCEPTIONS 1.00

FUMBLES 0.00

INTERCEPTIONS 0.00

FUMBLES 0.00

DEFENSE PER GAME Yards allowed: 145.0

DEFENSE PER GAME Yards allowed: 129.0

PASS 105.0

PASS 43.0

RUSH 40.0

Turnovers forced: 1.00 FUMBLES 0.00

INTERCEPTIONS 1.00

SCORING PER GAME SCORED ALLOWED

RUSH 86.0

Turnovers forced: 1.00

INTERCEPTIONS 1.00

FUMBLES 0.00

SCORING PER GAME

SCORED ALLOWED

SCORED ALLOWED

SCORED ALLOWED

80.0

51.0

27.3

22.8

20.8

19.8

10.0

6.0

2026

2025

2025

2024

CONVERSION SUCCESS

CONVERSION SUCCESS

Third down

Fourth down

Third down

32.0%

0.0%

37.0%

68.0%

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU wide receiver Winston Watkins escapes Clemson defensive back Misun Kelley after a catch in the first quarter on Sept. 5 at Tiger Stadium.

232

Fail

Convert

100.0%

Fail

Fourth down

0.0% 63.3%

Convert

Fail

Convert

100.0%

Fail

Convert

COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE State schedule Saturday’s games

UL-Monroe (0-1) at UAB (0-1), 2:30 p.m. Tarleton St. (2-0) at McNeese St. (1-1), 6 p.m. South Alabama (1-0) at Tulane (0-1), 6 p.m. UT Rio Grande Valley (1-1) at Nicholls (1-1), 6 p.m. North Alabama (1-1) at Southeastern (0-2), 6 p.m. Northwestern St. (0-2) at East Texas A&M (0-2), 6 p.m. Southern (1-1) at Houston (1-0), 6 p.m. Louisiana Tech (1-0) at LSU (1-0), 6:30 p.m. Grambling (2-0) at TCU (0-1), 7 p.m. UL (1-0) at Southern California (2-0), 10 p.m.

Top 25 Thursday’s game

No. 7 Miami 77, Florida A&M 7

Friday’s games

No. 23 Missouri (1-0) at Kansas (1-0), n No. 24 Louisville (0-1) vs. Villanova (1-1), n No. 25 Virginia (1-0) vs. Norfolk St. (1-1), n

Saturday’s games

No. 1 Ohio St. (1-0) at No. 4 Texas (1-0), 6:30 p.m. No. 2 Georgia (1-0) vs. W. Kentucky (0-1), 11:45 a.m. No. 3 Notre Dame (1-0) vs. Rice (1-0), 2:30 p.m. No. 5 Indiana (1-0) vs. Howard (1-1), 11 a.m. No. 6 Oregon (1-0) at Oklahoma St. (0-1), 11 a.m. No. 8 LSU (1-0) vs. Louisiana Tech (1-0), 6:30 p.m. No. 9 Ole Miss (1-0) vs. Charlotte (0-1), 6:45 p.m. No. 10 Texas A&M (1-0) vs. Arizona St. (1-0), 11 a.m. No. 11 Oklahoma (1-0) at Michigan (1-0), 11 a.m. No. 12 Alabama (1-0) at Kentucky (1-0), 2:30 p.m. No. 13 Texas Tech (1-0) at Oregon St. (0-1), 6:30 p.m. No. 14 Southern Cal (2-0) vs. UL (1-0), 10 p.m. No. 15 BYU (1-0) vs. Arizona (1-0), 2:30 p.m. No. 16 Penn St. (1-0) at Temple (1-0), 11 a.m. No. 17 SMU (1-0) vs. UC Davis (2-0), 3 p.m. No. 18 Tennessee (1-0) at Georgia Tech (0-1), 6 p.m.

No. 19 Washington (1-0) vs. Utah St. (0-1), 2:30 p.m. No. 20 Utah (1-0) vs. Arkansas (1-0), 9:15 p.m. No. 21 Iowa (1-0) vs. Iowa St. (1-0), 6:30 p.m. No. 22 Houston (1-0) vs. Southern (1-1), 6 p.m.

Nation Friday’s games EAST

Rutgers (0-1) at Boston College (0-1), 6:30 p.m.

SOUTH

Richmond (2-0) at NC State (0-1), 6 p.m.

Saturday’s games EAST

South Florida (1-0) at Army (1-0), 11 a.m. Elon (2-0) at Rhode Island (1-1), 11 a.m. Albany (NY) (1-1) at LIU Brooklyn (0-2), 11 a.m. Marist (1-1) at Lafayette (0-1), 11:30 a.m. UT Martin (1-1) at West Virginia (1-0), noon William & Mary (2-0) at Lehigh (2-0), 1 p.m. Bowie St. (0-0) at Delaware St. (1-1), 2 p.m. Maryland (1-0) at UConn (1-0), 2:30 p.m. UCF (1-0) at Pittsburgh (1-0), 2:30 p.m. Sacred Heart (0-1) at UMass (1-0), 2:30 p.m. California (0-1) at Syracuse (1-0), 2:30 p.m. Merrimack (0-2) at Maine (1-1), 4 p.m. Va. Lynchburg (0-1) at Morgan St. (1-1), 5 p.m. Stonehill (1-1) at New Hampshire (0-2), 5 p.m. Middle Tennessee (1-0) at Marshall (0-1), 6 p.m.

SOUTH

NC A&T (0-2) at NC Central (1-1), 11 a.m. Dickinson Red Devils (0-0) at Davidson (0-2), 11 a.m. Old Dominion (1-0) at Virginia Tech (1-0), 11 a.m. ETSU (1-1) at North Carolina (1-0), 11 a.m. Appalachian St. (1-0) at East Carolina (0-1), 11 a.m. Wagner (1-1) at James Madison (1-0), 11 a.m. Gardner-Webb (0-2) at Liberty (0-1), 11 a.m. Bucknell (0-2) at VMI (0-2), 11:30 a.m.

Alabama St. (2-0) at Troy (1-0), 3 p.m. Stetson (1-1) at Bethune-Cookman (0-1), 3 p.m. MVSU (0-2) vs. Lincoln (Pa.) (0-0) at Chicago, 3 p.m. Delaware (1-0) at Vanderbilt (1-0), 3:15 p.m. Morehead St. (1-1) at Austin Peay (1-1), 4 p.m. Campbell (2-0) at Florida (1-0), 4:30 p.m. Buffalo (1-0) at FIU (0-1), 5 p.m. Furman (1-1) at Mercer (2-0), 5 p.m. Chattanooga (1-1) at E. Kentucky (0-2), 5 p.m. Virginia St. (0-0) at SC State (2-0), 5 p.m. Bryant (1-1) at Hampton (1-1), 5 p.m. Charleston Southern (0-2) at The Citadel (1-1), 5 p.m. Alcorn St. (1-1) vs. Ark.-Pine Bluff (1-1) at Memphis, Tenn., 6 p.m. Georgia St. (1-0) at Kennesaw St. (1-0), 6 p.m. Towson (0-2) at South Carolina (1-0), 6 p.m. Tennessee St. (0-2) at Alabama A&M (1-1), 6 p.m. Samford (0-2) at Tennessee Tech (2-0), 6 p.m. Valparaiso (1-0) at Murray St. (0-2), 6 p.m. Navy (1-0) at FAU (0-1), 6:30 p.m. Georgia Southern (1-0) at Clemson (0-1), 6:30 p.m. Fordham (0-2) at Coastal Carolina (0-1), 6:30 p.m. Southern Miss. (1-0) at Auburn (1-0), 6:45 p.m.

MIDWEST

Wake Forest (1-0) at Purdue (1-0), 11 a.m. Thomas More (0-0) at Dayton (1-0), 11 a.m. Wofford (2-0) at Kent St. (0-1), 11 a.m. Washington St. (0-1) at Kansas St. (1-0), 11 a.m. Colgate (2-0) at Cent. Michigan (0-1), noon Holy Cross (0-2) at Miami (Ohio) (0-1), noon Drake (0-2) at N. Iowa (0-1), 1 p.m. N. Michigan (0-0) at St. Thomas (Minn.) (1-1), 1 p.m. E. Washington (1-1) at South Dakota (2-0), 1 p.m. Stony Brook (1-1) at Ball St. (0-1), 1 p.m. Duquesne (0-1) at Youngstown St. (1-1), 1 p.m. E. Michigan (1-1) at Michigan St. (1-0), 2:30 p.m. Mississippi St. (1-0) at Minnesota (1-0), 2:30 p.m. CCSU (0-1) at Toledo (0-1), 2:30 p.m. Duke (1-0) at Illinois (1-0), 2:30 p.m.

Robert Morris (2-0) at Akron (0-1), 2:30 p.m. Jacksonville St. (1-1) at Ohio (0-1), 5 p.m. Franklin (0-0) at Butler (1-1), 5 p.m. Monmouth (NJ) (1-1) at W. Michigan (0-1), 5:30 p.m. SE Missouri (1-1) at S. Illinois (1-1), 6 p.m. New Haven (1-1) at S. Dakota St. (1-1), 6 p.m. Illinois St. (2-0) at N. Illinois (0-1), 6 p.m. Indiana St. (0-2) at E. Illinois (1-1), 6 p.m. Bowling Green (0-1) at Nebraska (1-0), 6 p.m. W. Carolina (1-1) at Cincinnati (1-0), 6 p.m. Lindenwood (Mo.) (1-1) at Missouri St. (0-1), 6 p.m. W. Illinois (1-1) at Wisconsin (0-1), 6:15 p.m.

SOUTHWEST

UTSA (1-0) at Texas State (0-1), 2:30 p.m. UNLV (1-1) at North Texas (0-1), 2:45 p.m. West Georgia (0-2) at Arkansas St. (0-1), 6 p.m. Arkansas Baptist (0-0) at Houston Christian (1-1), 6 p.m. Tulsa (1-0) at Sam Houston St. (0-1), 6 p.m. Cent. Oklahoma (0-0) at Cent. Arkansas (1-1), 6 p.m. Prairie View (1-1) at Baylor (0-1), 7 p.m. Stephen F. Austin (2-0) at Abilene Christian (0-2), 7 p.m. Texas Southern (1-1) at UTEP (0-1), 8 p.m.

FAR WEST

Kentucky Christian (0-1) at Chicago State (0-2), noon Utah Tech (0-2) at Montana (2-0), 2 p.m. Weber St. (1-1) at Colorado (1-0), 2:30 p.m. N. Colorado (0-2) at Wyoming (0-1), 3 p.m. Mercyhurst (0-2) at New Mexico (1-0), 3 p.m. Lamar (1-1) at Idaho (0-2), 3 p.m. Incarnate Word (1-0) at N. Arizona (1-1), 4 p.m. Memphis (2-0) at Boise St. (0-1), 5 p.m. San Diego (0-1) at Idaho St. (2-0), 5 p.m. S. Utah (1-1) at Colorado St. (1-0), 6 p.m. San Diego St. (1-0) at UCLA (1-0), 6:15 p.m. Cal Poly (2-0) at San Jose St. (1-1), 8 p.m. N. Dakota St. (2-0) at Air Force (1-0), 9 p.m. North Dakota (2-0) at Portland St. (0-2), 9 p.m. Sacramento St. (1-1) at Fresno St. (0-1), 9:30 p.m. Montana St. (2-0) at Nevada (1-0), 9:30 p.m.

4C ● Saturday, Septeember 12, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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THE NATION

THINGS TO WATCH IN WEEK 2 Who, what and where to keep an eye on in this week’s games around the nation

CLASH OF TITLE CONTENDERS

Top-ranked Ohio State (1-0) and No. 4 Texas (1-0) play for the third consecutive season on Saturday in Austin in a blockbuster matchup, an early-season duel of national championship-caliber teams and Heisman Trophy contenders at quarterback.Toss in some Big Ten vs. Southeastern Conference bragging rights, and the game grabs national attention.The programs have met just five previous times — all since 2005 — as they play in distant conferences that had different bowl game destinations for decades.

1

SOONERS TAKE ON SHAKY MICHIGAN

Oklahoma, ranked No. 11, will play at Michigan, which dropped out of the Associated Press poll after a controversial 13-12 win over Western Michigan. Michigan sophomore QB Bryce Underwood struggled in the opener, passing for 170 yards on 12 of 22 attempts with one touchdown and one interception, but OU coach Brent Venables praised him as “one of the most talented players at any position in all of college football.” The teams have met twice, with Oklahoma winning those games.

2

BIG 12 BATTLE FOR ARIZONA, BYU

Arizona had an easy go in its opener, blowing out Northern Arizona 35-7, but will face a much stiffer challenge against ByU. The No. 15 Cougars opened the season with a 63-7 rout of Utah Tech after forcing four turnovers. Noah Fifita threw for 262 yards and two TDs for the Wildcats while ByU quarterback Bear Bachmeier threw for 198 yards and three touchdowns, all in the first half. Arizona and ByU played a wild game in Tucson last season, going to double OT before the Cougars pulled out a 33-27 win.

3

— Associated Press

Smoke clearing in LSU-SEC drama After another week of bluster, raw emotions and unprecedented drama, what do you know? LSU and the Southeastern Conference came back from the brink. LSU isn’t going to be expelled from the SEC. That may have been some lurid, Lane Kiffin-hating fantasy of fans from Ole Miss to Scott Tennessee, but it Rabalais isn’t happening. And the heavy hammer of sanctions and/or fines against LSU and Kiffin over pushing the envelope to the legal breaking point in trying to roster players who previously took part in NFL training camps isn’t happening either. At least not in the current circumstances and with the current information at hand. So where do LSU and the SEC now stand in their relationship and in what one assumes is their collective future going forward? Allow me to hit the pause button for a moment and offer a theory, one that certainly could be shot through with holes in the coming days, but here goes: If the SEC was going to punish LSU and Kiffin over things Kiffin has done and said, it had ample opportunity to do so. In the end, it had nothing to build a case on but hurt feelings and anonymous reporting that Kiffin had anything to do with urging the athletes involved in the eligibility lawsuit to take legal action. Do I think he had something to do with it? At least part of me does. But that is an opinion. And opinion is far different from proving a fact in a court of law. The SEC’s CEOs are smart people — though I doubt some of them could tell you the difference between an end zone and an end around — and they figured out they didn’t have anything really concrete to pin on Kiffin and have moved on. For now. But in the same way it has been better for Kiffin to stay off social media — his only two posts on his X account since May 11 have been to promote companies he did offseason commercials for — it would be best for him to not pop off about the SEC or say things like “Imagine if we had pro players” as he did at halftime of LSU’s 51-10 rout of Clemson. The rest of the SEC is hot for him, and not in a romantic “Let’s get a bottle of wine and a blanket and watch

SEC RATINGS By KOKI RILEy 1. TEXAS Record: 1-0 overall Previous rank: 1 Last week: Defeated Texas State 59-7 This week: vs. Ohio State, 6:30 p.m. Saturday (ABC) 2. LSU Record: 1-0 Previous rank: 2 Last week: Defeated Clemson 51-10 This week: vs. Louisiana Tech, 6:30 p.m. Saturday (SEC Network+) 3. GEORGIA Record: 1-0 Previous rank: 3 Last week: Defeated Tennessee State 63-3 This week: vs. Western Kentucky, 11:45 a.m. Saturday (SEC Network) 4. OKLAHOMA Record: 1-0 Previous rank: 4 Last week: Defeated UTEP 51-0 This week: at Michigan, 11 a.m. Saturday (FOX) 5. TEXAS A&M Record: 1-0 Previous rank: 6 Last week: Defeated Missouri State 50-0 This week: vs. Arizona State, 11 a.m. Saturday (ABC) 6. ALABAMA Record: 1-0 Previous rank: 7 Last week: Defeated East Carolina 48-10 This week: at Kentucky, 2:30 p.m. Saturday (ABC) 7. OLE MISS Record: 1-0 Previous rank: 5 Last week: Defeated Louisville 41-38 This week: vs. Charlotte, 6:45 p.m. Saturday (ESPN2) 8. TENNESSEE Record: 1-0 Previous rank: 8 Last week: Defeated Furman 56-9 This week: at Georgia Tech, 6 p.m. Saturday (ESPN)

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU coach Lane Kiffin waits for kickoff against Clemson on Sept. 5 at Tiger Stadium. the sunset from the levee” kind of way. Meanwhile, the SEC continues to dangle a sword of Damocles over LSU’s head. A sword hanging by a thread. A thread named RJ Luis. If LSU men’s basketball coach Will Wade — who may actually give folks around the SEC a rash even more than Kiffin — makes good on his attempt to roster the former G-League player, the conference could really throw the book at LSU in terms of sanctions and fines. Again, just a theory. But it’s a fair bet I know what the SEC is going to do about LSU as much as the SEC does. Meanwhile, at the risk of actually talking about football, we interrupt today’s episode of “The People’s Court” to remind you that LSU will actually play a football game Saturday night against Louisiana Tech. I seem to recall the purpose of this whole thing is to play games, right? It seems a quaint notion in our currently hyper-litigious sports landscape, but I believe I’m on

fairly stable ground here. There has been virtually nothing uninteresting about the Kiffin era at LSU so far. So even this game, an in-state palate cleanser between the Clemson opener and next Saturday’s renewal of the seething rivalry (Kiffin, again) between LSU and Ole Miss is compelling in the questions it proffers. Will the Tigers, who rolled like Patton’s Third Army over Clemson and can be expected to bring an equally ruthless intensity to Ole Miss, still be at a sharp edge for the Techsters? Will Tech, which scored 11 touchdowns in an 80-6 rout of hapless Northwestern State this past week, be a threat to LSU? Kiffin indicated at his Monday news conference that the Bulldogs definitely caught his attention, so it’s at least something to be considered. In the end, both the SEC and LSU/Kiffin got something of what they wanted, if not all that they bargained for. The SEC got a test case for self-governance, which is what

all its railing about the former NFL camp players possibly being added to LSU’s roster was all about. With the NCAA being sued every time it opens the fridge, the SEC (and Big Ten) want to make their own rules. And you can’t do that if you’re worried about a flood of former professionals — a real possibility — backtracking from the NFL and NBA in ever-increasing numbers. Kiffin got a psychological welding torch he can use to create unity in a locker room filled with players from 43 schools (including LSU), 23 states and one Canadian province. Every coach ever likes to play the “Us against the world” card. You can say a lot of things about Kiffin, but in this regard, when he says that, he speaks the gospel. We already know an angry SEC pushed back hard at LSU and essentially won. A talented and angry LSU team could also do an awful lot of winning. The Louisiana Tech game is the Tigers’ own test case for that.

TV HIGHLIGHTS 11 a.m. Arizona St. at Texas A&M ABC 11 a.m. ETSU at North Carolina ACCN 11 a.m. Howard at Indiana BTN 11 a.m. South Florida at Army CBSSN 11 a.m. Old Dominion at Virginia Tech CW 11 a.m. Oregon at Oklahoma St. ESPN 11 a.m. Penn St. at Temple ESPN2 11 a.m. App. St. at East Carolina ESPNU 11 a.m. Oklahoma at Michigan FOX 11 a.m. Wake Forest at Purdue FS1 11 a.m. Washington St. at Kansas St. TNT 11:45 a.m. W. Kentucky at Georgia SECN 2:30 p.m. Alabama at Kentucky ABC 2:30 p.m. California at Syracuse ACCN

2:30 p.m. 2:30 p.m. 2:30 p.m. 2:30 p.m. 2:30 p.m. 2:30 p.m. 2:30 p.m. 2:30 p.m. 2:45 p.m. 3:15 p.m. 5 p.m. 6 p.m. 6 p.m. 6 p.m.

E. Michigan at Michigan St. BTN Mississippi St. at Minnesota CBS Maryland at UConn CBSSN UTSA at Texas St. CW UCF at Pittsburgh ESPN2 Arizona at ByU FOX Duke at Illinois FS1 Rice at Notre Dame NBC UNLV at North Texas ESPNU Delaware at Vanderbilt SECN Memphis at Boise St. USA S. Utah at Colorado St. CBSSN Tennessee at Georgia Tech ESPN Bowling Green at Nebraska FS1

6:15 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 6:45 p.m. 6:45 p.m. 9 p.m. 9:15 p.m. 9:30 p.m. 9:30 p.m. 10 p.m.

San Diego St. at UCLA BTN Ohio St. at Texas ABC Georgia Southern at Clemson ACCN Texas Tech at Oregon St. CBS Navy at FAU ESPNU Iowa St. at Iowa NBC Charlotte at Ole Miss ESPN2 Southern Miss at Auburn SECN N. Dakota St. at Air Force FS1 Arkansas at Utah ESPN Sacramento St. at Fresno St. CBSSN Montana St. at Nevada CW UL at Southern Cal BTN

9. FLORIDA Record: 1-0 Previous rank: 9 Last week: Defeated Florida Atlantic 66-21 This week: vs. Campbell, 4:30 p.m. Saturday (SEC Network+) 10. MISSOURI Record: 1-0 Previous rank: 10 Last week: Defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff 54-14 This week: at Kansas, Friday, n 11. KENTUCKY Record: 1-0 Previous rank: 11 Last week: Defeated youngstown State 4513 This week: vs. Alabama, 2:30 p.m. Saturday (ABC) 12. MISSISSIPPI STATE Record: 1-0 Previous rank: 14 Last week: Defeated UL-Monroe 62-13 This week: at Minnesota, 2:30 p.m. Saturday (CBS) 13. AUBURN Record: 1-0 Previous rank: 13 Last week: Defeated Baylor 17-16 This week: vs. Southern Miss, 6:45 p.m. Saturday (SEC Network) 14. VANDERBILT Record: 1-0 Previous rank: 12 Last week: Defeated Austin Peay 28-9 This week: vs. Delaware, 3:15 p.m. Saturday (SEC Network) 15. SOUTH CAROLINA Record: 1-0 Previous rank: 15 Last week: Defeated Kent State 57-0 This week: vs. Towson, 6 p.m. Saturday (SEC Network+) 16. ARKANSAS Record: 1-0 Previous rank: 16 Last week: Defeated North Alabama 31-14 This week: at Utah, 9:15 p.m. Saturday (ESPN)

OFFICIAL NEWS PARTNER OF THE LOUISIANA RAGIN’ CAJUNS

SPORTS

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

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S at u r d ay, S e p t e m b e r 12, 2026

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U L A T S O U T H E R N C A L I F O R N I A • 1 0 P. M . S A T U R D A y • B I G T E N N E T W O R K

TALL TASK AHEAD

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

UL defensive players pose for a photo after getting an interception against Lamar last Saturday at Our Lady of Loudes Stadium. The Cajuns are hoping turnovers can even the playing field against No. 14 USC on Saturday in Los Angeles.

Underdog Cajuns understand challenge, opportunity of facing No. 14 Trojans BY KEVIN FOOTE

MORE ON PAGE 7C

Staff writer

UL coach Michael Desormeaux knows exactly what his Ragin’ Cajuns are facing when they take on No. 14-ranked Southern California at 10 p.m. Saturday at the historical Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. “It’s going to be a cool environment,” he said. “There’s going to be a lot of future NFL football players on that team, for sure.” USC’s numbers through two games in wins over San Jose State and Fresno State are pretty scary. The Trojans are averaging 40 points a

n Sun Belt Conference power rankings n Cajuns statistics, schedule n Kevin Foote’s game prediction game and giving up 13. The USC offense is averaging 528.5 yards per game and giving up only 226. Perhaps the most dangerous part of this matchup for the Cajuns is in the trenches, especially when USC is on defense. “They have got some creatures on defense,” Desormeaux said. “I mean, this

is probably the best defensive line I’ve seen in my 11 years of being here. Maybe outside of maybe Alabama in 2018, this is about as good of a defense as we’ve played in a long time.” What the film shows on the USC offensive line is impressive as well. “They are super athletic,” Desormeaux said of the USC offensive line. “That’s some big, long, pretty jokers. They were really athletic. This is a really well put together team. “I’m not going to sit up here and not say, ‘They’re a well put together team.’ They look the part, man. They’ve done a great job in recruiting.” The offense is led by quarterback

Crystal ball pinpoints games Saints will win

The Saints are dealing with something different as they prepare to open the 2026 season — expectations. The emergence of quarterback Tyler Shough and the additions of Travis Etienne, Jordyn Tyson and David Edwards have made the Saints a trendy pick to win the NFC South title. That’s quite different than where things stood a year ago, when the Saints were 400-to-1 long shots to win the Super Bowl. Now, they’re Jeff one of the favorites to win the diviDuncan sion and end their five-year playoff drought. Time will tell whether the experts are right or wrong. Here’s what the crystal ball says for the upcoming season:

Week 1 at Lions, Sunday The Saints saw their six-year winning streak in season openers snapped last season, and they’ll need a strong performance to avoid their second consecutive 0-1 start. Detroit features one of the most dynamic offenses in the league. And the Lions are particularly tough at Ford Field, where they have won 20 of their last 28 games under coach Dan Campbell. I’m not sure the Saints offense can keep pace. Lions 31, Saints 26

Jayden Maiava, who has thrown for 635 yards and five scores in the first two games. His wide receiving corps is filled with talented true freshmen. Trent Mosley leads the way with 11 receptions for 222 yards and three touchdowns. But there’s also Kayden DixonWyatt (10-138, 1 TD), Corey Sims (6-87) and Tron Baker (5-72). “They’re explosive,” Desormeaux said. “They’ve got a quarterback who can throw it all over the field. I think coach (Lincoln) Riley, it is well documented how good of a play-caller he is, and that certainly hasn’t changed.”

ä See CAJUNS, page 7C

High-profile injuries adding up early in NFL Darnold, Brown, Tua among players ailing BY ROB MAADDI

AP pro football writer STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Saints quarterback Tyler Shough throws against the Falcons on Nov. 23 at the Caesars Superdome. ä Saints at Lions. NOON SUNDAy, FOX

Week 2 at Ravens, Sept. 20 The Ravens will play their home opener after a road trip to Indianapolis in Week 1. This will be the official home debut for first-year Ravens coach Jesse Minter, and the crowd will be jacked after the Ravens’ disappointing 8-9 campaign a year ago. In this matchup of former Louisville quarterbacks, I’ll go with the experience of Lamar Jackson and the home-field advantage. Ravens 24, Saints 13

Week 3 vs. Raiders, Sept. 27 After the 0-2 start, the Saints return home for a gotta-have-it game against the rebuilding Raiders.

ä See DUNCAN, page 6C

Sam Darnold played just five snaps. A.J. Brown will be sidelined for a while. De’Zhaun Stribling was carted off the field. High-profile injuries are adding up just two games into the NFL season. It’s not even Sunday yet. And Tua Tagovailoa got hurt in practice. Darnold got good news about his hip injury. Not so much for Brown. Stribling’s status wasn’t immediately known. “It’s been positive news,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said Thursday about Darnold. “Right now we’re just working through the extent of the injury and put a plan in place to get back rocking and rolling.” Macdonald called it a muscle injury for Darnold near his hip and that the team would have a better idea of his status for the game against Arizona on Sept. 20 when practice resumes next week.

Drew Lock replaced Darnold and led Seattle to a 13-10 comeback win over New England in a Super Bowl rematch Wednesday night. Lock proved he’s a capable backup so the reigning Super Bowl champions won’t have to rush Darnold back to face the Cardinals. “He’s been tremendous,” Macdonald said about Lock. “He operates like a starter does in terms of preparation. The chemistry and the personality of our quarterback room is one that is very supportive of each other and also trying to bring out the best in one another. Drew provides a cool, confident, loose and focus to the whole equation, which you need — you need that. On top of that, since he’s got here, he’s played great football in practice and in the preseason. We saw what he could do (Wednesday night). If he has to play again then we expect the same moving forward.” The Patriots won’t have Brown for at least four games because he’s being placed on injured reserve with a right ankle injury, a person with knowledge of the

ä See NFL, page 8C

6C ● Saturday, September 12, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS On TV

ä College football TV. PAGE 4C

AUTO RACING 7:55 a.m. San Marino Grand Prix FS2 2 p.m. Supermotocross Worlds NBCSN 2:30 p.m. NASCAR Cup: Practice TRUTV 3:35 p.m. NASCAR Cup: Qualifying TRUTV 6:30 p.m. NASCAR Series: Fleetio 200 CW 7 p.m. ARCA Menards Series FOX WOMEN’S FIBA BASKETBALL 9:15 a.m. France vs. Germany TBS 12:45 p.m. Spain vs. United States TBS GOLF 8:30 a.m. Irish Open CNBC

noon Irish Open GOLF 1:30 p.m. Sanford International GOLF 4 p.m. Simmons Bank Open GOLF HORSE RACING 9:45 a.m. Irish Champion Stakes FS2 6:30 p.m. America’s Day at the Races FS2 MLB 12:30 p.m. N.y. Mets at N.y. yankees MLBN 3:30 p.m. Kansas City at Boston MLBN 6 p.m. Chicago White Sox at St. Louis MLBN 9 p.m. Seattle at Athletics MLBN

IN BRIEF

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

MEN’S SOCCER 8:55 a.m. Burnley at Swansea City CBSSN 9 a.m. Fulham at Liverpool NBCSN 9 a.m. Hull City at Chelsea USA 11:30 a.m. Everton at Tottenham Hotspur NBC 2 p.m. Arsenal at Sunderland USA 3 p.m. Wanderers at Supra du Québec FS2 WOMEN’S SOCCER 7:55 a.m. New Zealand vs. U.S. FS1 5:30 p.m. North Carolina at San Diego ION 7:45 p.m. Utah at Houston ION TENNIS 3 p.m. U.S. Open ESPN TRACK AND FIELD 5:30 p.m. World Championship NBCSN

Westgate shows promise

BY MIKE COPPAGE Contributing writer

In a game filled with explosive offensive and special-teams plays, a defensive touchdown may have been the biggest. Down 36-33 in the fourth quarter, Southside was driving with a chance to take the lead when Westgate linebacker Bam Curl picked up a fumble and returned it 80 yards to paydirt in a 42-33 win on Thursday in Youngsville. “He had a scoop and score in the junior varsity game,” Tigers coach Ryan Antoine said. “Bam’s a good kid who has made a lot of sacrifices.” Westgate, the No. 1 team in Class 4A, scored the final three touchdowns after Southside (0-2) took a 33-24 lead on a short run by senior quarterback Parker Dies with 2:33 left in the third quarter. “For our kids to battle and do the things they do against a strong team ... that’s a good team right there,” Antoine said. “I’m just glad we were able to scratch and claw and come away with it because that game could’ve gone either way.” Westgate quarterback Noah Antoine completed 12 of 16 passes for four touchdowns — three to Cayden Lancelin and one to Joshua John, who ran for the Tigers’ first TD from 15 yards out. “We told our guys, if they’re going to play us man-to-man, go make plays,” coach Antoine said. “We take that as a challenge. We don’t see a lot of that. If you’re going to give us that, we’re going to do our best to get it right.” Caemon Crockem, who got the Tigers within 13-12 on a 69-yard burst with 1:30 left in the first quarter, ran for 106 yards on six

PHOTO By LEE BALL

carries in the first half but only carried three times after the break due to cramps and a minor injury. Early in the second quarter, Westgate moved ahead 19-18 on a 35-yard pass from Antoine to Lancelin. It was the Tigers’ only lead until John’s TD catch put the visitors up 36-33 with 8:52 remaining. “We’ve been working on it in practice,” Lancelin said. “Hard work pays off. Noah is unstoppable. I think he’s the best quarterback in the state.” Justin Williams, who finished with 128 yards on 30 carries, ran

for a touchdown and returned a kick for a score that put the Sharks up 19-18 with 7:51 left in the second quarter. Dies (seven carries, 95 yards) rushed for two scores, and Coby Broussard (9-79) added a 4-yard touchdown for a 13-6 lead. “We can’t get caught up in all the hype,” coach Antoine said. “We have to keep stringing together big wins. We have a big game next week against a team that went to the state championship last year, Jena.” Jackilon Roberson, who led the Tigers with two TD receptions in last week’s win over Liberty, had

The Giants are a trendy pick to win the NFC East and make the playoffs, and they very well could be riding high at this point thanks to their cushy early schedule. John Harbaugh is a major upgrade at head coach, and the G-Men have a bevy of talented high draft picks on both sides of the ball. The Giants catch the Saints at the right time, on the heels of a three-game winning streak and looking ahead to Paris. Giants 28, Saints 20

Week 7 vs. Steelers (Paris), Oct. 25 Expect plenty of pomp and circumstance for the NFL’s firstever game in France. The Saints

Falcons QB Rush to start after Tagovailoa’s injury

ATLANTA — Cooper Rush will be the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback on Sunday at Pittsburgh after Tua Tagovailoa was ruled out Friday with an oblique injury. Falcons first-year coach Kevin Stefanski said Friday undrafted rookie Jack Strand will be the backup. The late change in plans for the season opener came after Stefanski announced Monday that Tagovailoa will open the season as the starter and Michael Penix will be inactive. Penix did not play in a preseason game as he continues his recovery from a torn ligament in his left knee that ended his 2025 season. Stefanski said Friday that Penix was never an option for Sunday’s game, even after Tagovailoa’s injury.

Week 15 at Bucs, Dec. 20 Shough returns to the scene of his best 2025 performance, but he’ll face a salty Bucs team coming off a tough road loss to Baltimore. Baker Mayfield outduels Shough this time, and Chase McLaughlin’s 51-yard field goal as time expires is the difference. Bucs 24, Saints 23

Week 4 vs. Falcons, Oct. 5

Week 6 at Giants, Oct. 18

two catches for 72 yards. “Noah prepared for these moments,” Antoine said. “He and his dad (offensive coordinator Randall Antoine) go in on Sundays and prepare by themselves. “Noah prepared the whole summer to go and get better. He’s heard a lot of doubt. He’s heard a lot of naysayers, that he can’t do this or that, or it’s favoritism. No, it’s about production. The kid is producing, and I’m proud of that.” Lancelin and John said Curl predicted he would get another scoop and score on Thursday. “He manifested it,” John said.

yard passing day as the Saints win for the seventh time in their past 10 games in Charlotte. Saints 41, Panthers 16

It’ll be the Saints’ first game in the Dome since the preseason opener, and the atmosphere should be enough to carry New Orleans to a victory. The Saints defense will make life tough for Kirk Cousins. Saints 27, Raiders 16

Normally, I’d worry about this being a trap game with the Saints coming off an emotional win on a short week. But the Vikings will be coming off an easy home game against the Dolphins. Plus, I’m not a fan of any of the Vikings quarterbacks: Kyler Murray, Carson Wentz or J.J. McCarthy. Daniel Carlson’s game-winning field goal allows the Saints to climb over .500 for the first time since Week 2 of the 2024 season. Saints 17, Vikings 16

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown will be sidelined for a minimum of four weeks because he’s being placed on injured reserve with a right ankle injury, a person with knowledge of the move told The Associated Press on Friday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team hadn’t announced Brown’s status. Brown was injured in the second half of New England’s season-opening 13-10 loss at Seattle on Wednesday night. Another person with knowledge of his injury told the AP that Brown has a high ankle sprain. New England’s next game is its home opener on Sept. 20 against Pittsburgh.

Cayden Lancelin of Westgate catches a pass during the Tigers’ road win over Southside on Thursday.

Continued from page 5C

Week 5 vs. Vikings, Oct. 11

NEW YORK — Alexander Zverev will play for his second Grand Slam title this year after beating Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (6) on Friday in the U.S. Open semifinals. Zverev will play Sunday against No. 8 seed Ben Shelton or No. 11 Frances Tiafoe for the right to give the U.S. a man in Sunday’s final. Both have been semifinalists in Flushing Meadows but neither has reached a major final. The U.S. is still seeking its first men’s Grand Slam champion since Andy Roddick won in New York in 2003. Zverev finally broke through at the French Open this year and followed by reaching the Wimbledon final, where he lost to Jannik Sinner. The German is 24-2 in Grand Slam matches this season.

Patriots’ Brown will miss 4 weeks with ankle injury

DUNCAN

After a two-year drought, Monday Night Football comes to town to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Saints’ historic Dome-coming game in 2006. And once again, the Falcons will be the sacrificial lambs for what figures to be an emotional contest. Good luck, Atlanta. Saints 33, Falcons 20

Zverev beats Khachanov to reach U.S. Open finals

Week 16 vs. Cardinals, Dec. 27 ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By TONy GUTIERREZ

Saints wide receiver Barion Brown celebrates a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys during a preseason game Aug. 28 in Arlington, Texas. should have a decided home-field advantage despite the remote location as thousands of New Orleanians are expected to make the trip to the City of Light. Will the Saints have their mind on business after a week of revelry in Paris? I think it will be a challenge. Steelers 23, Saints 21

Week 8 an open date Week 9 vs. Browns, Nov. 8 The Saints should be rested and ready, coming off the bye week and riding a two-game losing streak. By now, the Browns likely will have switched from Deshaun Watson to Shedeur Sanders at quarterback. Either way, I expect Chase Young and the Saints defense to feast in this one. Saints 26, Browns 9

Week 10 vs. Panthers, Nov. 15 Here’s all you need to know about this matchup: The Saints swept the series with the Panthers a year ago and are 5-1 alltime against Bryce Young. Where I’m from, that’s called ownage. Saints 23, Panthers 10

Week 11 at Bears, Nov. 22 Looking for their second threegame winning streak of the season, the Saints travel to the Windy City for a tough matchup

against the reigning NFC North champs, who will be coming off a bye week. The Bears dominated the Saints at Soldier Field a year ago, and while this one will be closer, the result will be the same. Bears 30, Saints 27

Week 12 at Bengals, Nov. 29 By all accounts, this is the Bengals most complete team since the 2022 Super Bowl team, and by this point in the season, we should know whether they are contenders or pretenders in the AFC. The Saints have fared well in Cincy, posting a 5-3 mark there. But those past Bengals didn’t have Joe Burrow. Bengals 31, Saints 17

Week 13 vs. Packers, Dec. 6 Sometimes it’s not so much about who you play but when you play them. The Saints catch the Packers at the perfect time, sandwiched between a pair of tough games against playoff contenders, the Rams and Bills. Advantage Saints. Saints 33, Packers 31

Week 14 at Panthers, Dec. 13 By this time, I fully expect Dave Canales to be coaching for his job and Young to be playing for his future in Carolina. Bank of America Stadium is one of the least hostile places to play in the league. Shough has a career 350-

Get-well time. And the Cardinals are the ultimate get-well opponent. By this time, they might be playing for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft (Arch Manning, anyone?). The Saints, meanwhile, are right in the mix for the NFC South title. Etienne surpasses the 1,000-yard mark with a two-touchdown day. Saints 30, Cardinals 6

Week 17 at Falcons, Jan. 3 The Saints get their first look at Jack Strand, the undrafted free agent quarterback from Minnesota State-Moorhead, who has turned the Falcons season around after taking over for the injured Michael Penix and Tua Tagovailoa. Strand outduels Shough in a shootout, and the Falcons clinch their first NFC South title in a decade. Falcons 34, Saints 31

Week 18 vs. Bucs, Jan. 10 With their playoff hopes dashed, the Saints fall into an early 10-0 hole and are forced to playoff catch-up the rest of the way. Shough leads a fourthquarter rally, and Cam Jordan preserves the win with the gameending sack of Mayfield, putting him over the 140 mark in his Hall of Fame career. The Saints record just their second winning season in the past six years but miss the playoffs by one game. Saints 23, Bucs 18 Final record: 9-8, second in NFC South Email Jeff Duncan at jduncan@ theadvocate.com.

Europe, U.S. tied at 4-4 after Solheim Cup opening

DEN BOSCH, Netherlands — Veteran European player Carlota Ciganda pulled off an unlikely par, after world No. 1 Nelly Korda and Lauren Coughlin left birdie putts short, to gain a half-point with rookie Julia Lopez Ramirez, leaving Europe and the United States tied at 4-4 after a Day 1 that had a little bit of everything at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands on Friday. For the first time in the 36-year history of the Solheim Cup, the teams split each of the first two sessions. For two rivals that have long looked so evenly matched, maybe it was no surprise. It was a tough end to the day for Korda, who had a 4-and-3 win with Allisen Corpuz over European stars Lottie Woad and Charley Hull.

Pirates slugger O’Hearn returns from injured list

CHICAGO — The Pittsburgh Pirates activated infielder/outfielder Ryan O’Hearn from the 10-day injured list before Friday’s 12-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field and optioned outfielder Ronny Simón to Triple-A Indianapolis. O’Hearn, an All-Star in 2025, suffered a strained left quad on July 31 at Cincinnati while running to first on a groundout in an 8-7 Pirates loss. He was helped off the field by manager Don Kelly and a trainer, and had been expected to miss six to eight weeks. The 33-year-old O’Hearn is batting .270 with 17 home runs and a career-high 69 RBIs in 96 games. He wasn’t in Pittsburgh’s starting lineup Friday, but was available off the bench. The slugger’s return is boost for the Pirates, who have won four straight and nine of 11.

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GAMEDAY

PASS 231.0

RUSH 243.0

Plays: 69.0 PASS 28.0

RUSH 41.0

Turnovers: 3.00 INTERCEPTIONS 3.00

FUMBLES 0.00

DEFENSE PER GAME Yards allowed: 205.0 PASS 149.0

RUSH 56.0

Turnovers forced: 4.00 INTERCEPTIONS 3.00

FUMBLES 1.00

SCORING PER GAME 38.0

29.2

26.0 7.0

SCORED ALLOWED

SCORED ALLOWED

2026

2025

LEADERS PASSING Lunch Winfield 72.73%, 189 yards, 2 INTs Daniel Beale 66.67%, 42 yards, INT RUSHING Darrell Smith 10 carries, 84 yards, 8.4 avg, 2 TDs Lunch Winfield 8 carries, 84 yards, 10.5 avg, TD RECEIVING Caden Jenson 5 catches, 77 yards, 15.4 avg Kedarius Wade 3 catches, 64 yards, 21.3 avg Teddy Gawlik 3 catches, 22 yards, 7.3 avg DEFENSE Brent Gordon 7 tackles, 0.5 for loss

SEPTEMBER 5 Lamar W, 38-7 12 at USC 6 p.m./Big Ten 19 UAB 7 p.m./ESPN+ 26 at Charlotte TBD OCTOBER 3 Arkansas State TBD 10 at La. Tech TBD 17 Troy TBD 24 at Southern Miss TBD NOVEMBER 7 South Alabama TBD 12 at UL-Monroe 8 p.m./ESPN 21 Coastal Carolina TBD 28 at Georgia State TBD

PREDICTION SOUTHERN CAL 44, UL 10: It would be nice to predict an upset, but there’s nothing that suggests one is in the cards. When the Cajuns upset Iowa State under Billy Napier, they did so thanks to special teams. No one should be surprised if Ja’Corian Norris returns a kickoff for a score, but it’ll likely take more than that. It just seems like a bad matchup. The first thing coach Michael Desormeaux mentioned was the USC defensive front, and UL is missing four of its five best receiving targets for this game. Kevin Foote

SUN BELT STANDINGS

Conf. W L La. Tech 0 0 UL 0 0 South Ala. 0 0 S. Miss. 0 0 Troy 0 0 Arkansas St. 0 0 UL-Monroe 0 0

East PF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

West

Saturday’s Games

PA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Games PF PA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Games W L PF 1 0 55 1 0 31 1 0 59 1 0 20 1 0 31 0 1 24 0 1 0

PA 3 0 10 13 10 31 45

W 1 1 1 1 1 0 0

PA 6 7 14 3 21 42 62

L 0 0 0 0 0 1 1

PF 80 38 39 49 24 24 13

Old Dominion at Virginia Tech, 11 a.m. Appalachian St. at East Carolina, 11 a.m. Wagner at James Madison, 2:30 p.m. UL-Monroe at UAB, 2:30 p.m. Alabama St. at Troy, 3 p.m. Middle Tennessee at Marshall, 6 p.m. West Georgia at Arkansas St., 6 p.m. South Alabama at Tulane, 6 p.m. Georgia St. at Kennesaw St., 6 p.m. Fordham at Coastal Carolina, 6:30 p.m. Louisiana Tech at LSU, 6:30 p.m. Georgia Southern at Clemson, 6:30 p.m. Southern Miss. at Auburn, 6:45 p.m. UL at Southern Cal, 10 p.m.

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

We didn’t learn much about Sun Belt Conference teams last week with only one single-digit spread matchup. That was James Madison’s win over Liberty. All signs point toward a lot more information this weekend with more competitive matchups. The premier matchups include Old Dominion trying to beat Virginia Tech for a second season in a row, South Alabama traveling to Tulane, and Georgia Southern attempting to extend Clemson’s misery. There’s also a few opportunities to swing for the stars, topped by UL challenging the No. 14-ranked USC Trojans as well as Southern Miss traveling to Auburn. The rest of the schedule features more even matchups, such as UL-Monroe traveling to UAB, Georgia State tackling Kennesaw State, Marshall hoping to bounce back against Middle Tennessee State, and Appalachian State going to East Carolina. We’ll have a better idea of what to expect from some of these teams by this time next week.

1. James Madison

SCHEDULE

Conf. W L App. St. 0 0 Ga. Southern 0 0 Ga. State 0 0 JMU 0 0 ODU 0 0 Coastal Ca. 0 0 Marshall 0 0

UL at SOUTHERN CAL

10 p.m. Saturday, Los Angeles, Cali. TV: BTN | Radio: KPEL-FM, 103.3 Line: USC by 31½ (Over/Under: 60½)

This week should reveal more about league

TEAM STATS OFFENSE PER GAME Yards gained: 474.0

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Saturday, September 12, 2026 ● 7C

Record: 1-0 Last week: Defeated Liberty 20-13 This week: vs. Wagner, 11 a.m. STAFF FILE PHOTO By ROBERT SIMMONS ESPN+ Extra points: Coming off a com- Old Dominion is hoping for a two-game winning streak against Virginia Tech after defeating the Hokies 45-26 petitive win over Liberty, the last season. Dukes should have an easier time SUN BELT while the defense allowed only against Wagner, which is 1-1 after 5. Marshall 45 yards rushing. The Jaguars a win over Southern Connecticut POWER RANKINGS posted 27 first downs and yieldState and a loss to Robert Morris. Record: 0-1 The Dukes showed they can still Last week: Lost at Penn State 45-0 ed 11. Tulane lost to Duke 17-3 play stingy defense last week. This week: vs. Middle Tennessee ESPN+ last week. The Green Wave is This should be a chance to get the State, 6 p.m. ESPN+ Extra points: The Ryan Beard era 3-1 against the Jags, including a offense revved up. Extra points: Because the Herd’s began with an encouraging per- thrilling 33-31 win last season. loss was on the road against formance. The Chanticleers were 2. Old Dominion Penn State, there’s no reason to down 24-0 at halftime before get- 12. Southern Miss drop them too far in this poll. ting back into it, but Coastal also Record: 1-0 Record: 1-0 Last week: Defeated Norfolk But Marshall’s biggest concern ended up with more first downs Last week: Defeated Alcorn State after last season was struggling than the Mountaineers at 22-18 49-3 State 31-7 This week: at Virginia Tech, to stop anybody on defense. The and collected more total yards This week: at Auburn, 6:45 p.m. Nittany Lions collected 487 to- 425-413. This week, Coastal goes SECN 11 a.m. The CW Extra points: The Monarchs sport tal yards, but even more alarm- in a different direction with an Extra points: It’s too early to know the third-best winning streak in ing is Marshall had only 11 first opponent that has losses to Col- whether the easy win over Althe nation at seven games. ODU downs (three via flags) and 147 gate and North Dakota State al- corn State has any staying power leads the all-time series 4-3 af- total yards. Quarterback Carlos ready this season. for the Golden Eagles. Southter beating the Hokies 45-26 Del Rio-Wilson threw for just 102 ern Miss was supposed to be a 9. Arkansas State last season. Quarterback Quinn yards and ran for only 30. major project after such roster Henicle threw for 143 yards and upheaval, but the first test went Record: 0-1 two touchdowns and also ran for 6. UL Last week: Lost at Memphis 42-24 well. Auburn is a different ani68 yards and two more scores in This week: vs. West Georgia, mal, though. The Tigers weren’t Record: 1-0 last week’s win. 6 p.m. ESPN+ Last week: Defeated Lamar 38-7 overly impressive in their 17Extra points: The Red Wolves 16 win against Baylor, but this This week: at Southern Cal, 10 p.m. 3. Troy trailed 28-24 in the third quarter should tell us much more about Big Ten Network Extra points: Not only are the Ca- last week at Memphis, but two the Eagles’ progress in coach Record: 1-0 Last week: Defeated Sam Houston juns facing a talented defense but interceptions allowed the Tigers Blake Anderson’s first season. 24-21 they also will be doing so without to make a safe landing in the fiThis week: vs. Alabama State, four of their five top targets in nal quarter. West Georgia should 13. UL-Monroe 3 p.m. ESPN+ Shelton Sampson, Landon Stroth- produce a softer challenge after Record: 0-1 Extra points: The Trojans may er, Trenton Chaney and Caden losing to Chattanooga 24-10 and Last week: Lost at Mississippi have won their opener, but Sam Jensen. No one on the outside is Kennesaw State 47-0. The good State 62-13 Houston won the first-down battle expecting UL to challenge USC, news is new quarterback Trey This week: at UAB, 2:30 p.m. 22-18 and passed for 335 yards in but it will be telling whether the Owens showed potential with 21- ESPN+ a tight game. Troy limited Sam UL defense can hold up against of-30 passing for 325 yards. The Extra points: No one expected the Houston to 38 yards rushing. USC’s explosive offense. bad news is Owens also threw Warhawks to beat Mississippi Troy is hoping for a little more four interceptions. State, but 35-14 in first downs, 417 cushion this week against an Ala- 7. Georgia Southern yards passing for the Bulldogs 10. Appalachian State and a 762-278 total yards demolibama State team that is 2-0 with Record: 1-0 wins over Southern 30-17 and Last week: Defeated Charleston Record: 1-0 tion didn’t have to happen. Those Lane College 34-0. Southern 31-0 Last week: Defeated Maine 55-3 numbers were pretty alarming. This week: at Clemson, 6:30 p.m. This week: at East Carolina, UAB lost 42-23 at Illinois but had 4. Louisiana Tech ACCN 11 a.m. ESPNU more first downs, more yards Extra points: This season is all Extra points: The numbers were rushing and more yards passing Record: 1-0 Last week: Defeated Northwest- about strengthening the Georgia pretty impressive against Maine. than Illinois. A Hail Mary and an Southern defense so the offense The Mountaineers outgained the interception return for a touchern State 80-6 This week: at LSU, 6:30 p.m. SEC+ can breathe a bit. The Eagles Black Bears 647-250. Intercep- down did the Blazers in. Extra points: The Bulldogs are in brought in a new defensive co- tions were a big issue for App one of the most intriguing match- ordinator and the first test was State last year. Not only did the 14. Georgia State ups in the country this weekend. impressive, limiting Charleston Mountaineers not throw a pick Record: 1-0 LSU is coming off a 51-10 mas- Southern to 10 first downs and but completed 29 of 33 passes Last week: Defeated West Georterpiece against Clemson in the 117 total yards. Offensively, last week. East Carolina should gia 47-0 opener and await next week’s Georgia Southern got 281 yards be a much more informative opThis week: at Kennesaw State, trip to Oxford, Mississippi to and a score from veteran quar- ponent, despite its blowout loss at 6 p.m. ESPN+ play Ole Miss with former Reb- terback Max Johnson, and receiv- Alabama. Extra points: There’s no reason to scoff at a 47-point win over a lowels coach Lane Kiffin. In between er Ashton Hollins grabbed eight is Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs receptions for 106 yards and a 11. South Alabama er-level team like West Georgia are 0-5 against LSU, but the touchdown. It was certainly an for a Georgia State team that’s Record: 1-0 score was only 23-7 last year and encouraging start. Last week: Defeated Southeastern experienced its share of losing in 38-21 in 2018. Just throw out the recent years. The Panthers just Louisiana, 39-14 80-6 game against Northwestern 8. Coastal Carolina This week: at Tulane, 6 p.m. needed to feel good about a game State, but Louisiana Tech could for a change. This week figures to ESPN+ Record: 0-1 compete better than Clemson did Extra points: The Jaguars’ opener be a better indication of whether Last week: Lost at West Virginia against LSU. was pretty encouraging. South Georgia State has really made 31-24 This week: vs. Fordham, 6:30 p.m. Alabama rushed for 241 yards progress.

CAJUNS

Continued from page 5C Defensively, the Trojans have six sacks and 12 stops behind the line of scrimmage. “With USC on defense and really with coach (defensive coordinator Gary) Patterson and traditionally, like you know where they’re going to be,” Desormeaux said. “They’re going to try to out-execute you and out-fundamental and out-physical you.” The UL coaches don’t want the Cajuns to play scared.

“Yeah, they’re good, but they’re human,” UL running backs coach Marquase Lovings said. “They’re big and they’re physical, but I really hope that our line comes off the ball and we will. And when the holes are there, we’ve got to burst through them, and we got to have a mentality (to) keep our feet moving on contact. “There’s a guy who wants to tackle you and put you in the ground every single snap. We got to have the mentality that we can either make these guys miss or we can run over them.” Another factor for the UL players is this game will be the first

film that NFL scouts will look at when evaluating UL players after the season. “It’s a huge deal to me,” UL wide receiver Ja’Corian Norris said. “To me, this is a the opportunity the guys have been talking about. You say you want to go to the league? Then we want play a team with people that’s actually going to the league. “Like, they have good chances. So for me, it’s a big deal because maybe I can show I can do it, too. I feel like it’s an opportunity to show that.” UL’s last upset of a Top 25 program was a 31-14 road win over

Iowa State in 2020. The driving force in that win was a kickoff return and punt return for touchdowns. Norris is confident this year’s special-teams units are good enough to pull off such a feat again. “With the faith and the trust that I’ve got in the 10 people on the field in front of me in kick return, I feel like we could we could really do it,” Norris said. “I definitely feel like we’re getting better than the team from last year on that.” Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.

8C ● Saturday, September 12, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Relentless defense helps lift Cecilia over Teurlings BY ERIC NARCISSE Staff writer

For the first time since the 2015 regular season when they went 9-1 overall, the Cecilia Bulldogs are 2-0 to begin a campaign. Behind an opportunistic defense and an offense that capitalized on Teurlings Catholic’s mistakes, the Bulldogs defeated the Rebels 44-21 on Thursday. “It’s huge,” Bulldogs coach Cody Champagne said when asked how big of a win this was for his program. “We haven’t been 2-0 in Cecilia for a long time. You wouldn’t think that. But that’s huge. Going into a showdown with Barbe, it puts us in a good position.” The Bulldogs’ defense recorded six turnovers — three interceptions, three fumble recoveries — two sacks and scored a touchdown late in the game to seal the victory.

“Our kids came out and played,” Champagne said. “Both teams made some mistakes, but I think we capitalized on their mistakes more in this game.” Defensive back Damarcus Babineaux had a big night, recording an interception that he returned 55 yards for a touchdown while also picking up a solo sack in the third quarter. “I saw the ball in the air, and I got it,” Babineaux said of his fourthquarter interception. “Got to return it and now I’m in the record books.” In addition to Babineaux, the Bulldogs had interceptions by Broderick Patt and Aiden Landry, while Patt, Kennan Batiste and Nicholas Matamoros each had fumble recoveries. Matamoros and Hayden Heard also shared a sack in the win. “They are getting better each

week,” Champagne said of his defense. “(They are) putting in the work and getting better. We had another good week of practice. Time will tell on how good they can be.” Champagne credited his defense’s relentless pursuit to the football for its success Thursday. “Our guys fricking ran to the football,” Champagne said. “They ran to the football (and) they made plays. They were running around out there, and that’s what they are supposed to do… make plays.” “We did our assignments,” Babineaux said. “We’re well-coached, and we executed.” Offensively, the Bulldogs were led by star athlete Braylon Calais, who impacted the game both as a receiver and runner. Calais rushed for 68 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries, while also catching six passes for 70 yards.

“Braylon is the guy,” Champagne said. “He wants the ball when the game is on the line. Our offense did a lot of great things, and we finished off like we’re supposed to.” Offensively, it was more than Calais for the Bulldogs, who saw receiver Ashton Ruffin finish with a team-high 85 yards receiving on six receptions and quarterback Layne Champagne complete 16 of 23 passes for 173 yards, while also rushing for an 8-yard touchdown. For the Rebels, they are 0-2 to start the season for the first time since 2010 when they opened with losses against Notre Dame, Central Lafourche and Comeaux en route to finishing 4-6 overall. “It just seems like we don’t play complimentary football,” Rebels coach Michael Courville said. “So far this season, when something good happens, the

next thing we do is shoot ourselves in the foot. But take your hat off to Cecilia.” Offensively, the Rebels were led by receivers Brewer Cain and Nathan Box, who combined for 248 yards and two touchdowns on 12 catches. Cain finished with a game-high 140 yards and two scores on seven receptions, while Box had five catches for 108 yards. Quarterback Austin Calandra completed 25 of 41 passes for 330 yards and two scores, while running back La’Cobe Willis rushed for 62 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries and caught four passes for 40 yards. “We’re just not playing good football right now,” Courville said. “It’s on me. I don’t think we’re cocky from the success we had last year. I just think we’re not playing good football. I have to be a better leader.”

SCOREBOARD Prep football Acadiana Renaissance Charter 21, Ascension Episcopal 17 Airline 40, C.E. Byrd 21 Barbe 47, St. Louis 0 Bossier 34, Glenbrook 7 Carencro 57, Northside 8 Cecilia 44, Teurlings Catholic 21 Country Day 70, Willow School 35 DeRidder 49, Many 20 Franklinton 20, Covington 16 Haynes Academy 39, S. B. Wright 32 Higgins 54, Morris Jeff 0 Jonesboro-Hodge 50, Delhi Charter 6 Madison Prep 38, University 21 Mansfield 48, Washington-Marion 0 Marksville 30, Abbeville 14 McKinley 54, Helix Mentorship Academy 0 Merryville 53, Pine Prairie 6 Opelousas 56, Mamou 0 Richwood 36, Woodlawn (SH) 22 Rosepine 29, Grand Lake 19 Sacred Heart 48, Avoyelles 30 Santa Fe Christian, Calif. 41, Newman 7 South Plaquemines 35, Bogalusa 24 St. Amant 60, Liberty 0 Sulphur 38, Iota 14 Terrebonne 45, Ellender 7 Westgate 42, Southside 33

Odds Sports Betting Line NFL Sunday

FAVORITE OPEN Chicago 2½ at PITT 3 at DETROIT 7 at TENN 2½ at CIN 3½ Baltimore 3½ Buffalo 1½ at JAX 7½ at MIN 1½ at VEGAS 3½ at PHILA 4½ at CHARGRS 10½ Dallas 2½

TODAY 3 6 7 1½ 3½ 3½ 1½ 8½ 1½ 3 5½ 9½ 3

FAVORITE at K.C.

TODAY O/U UNDERDOG 2½ (43½) Denver

Monday

OPEN 2½

O/U UNDERDOG (47½) at CAR (40½) Atlanta (49½) New Orlns (38½) NY Jets (50½) Tampa Bay (48½) at IND (45½) at HOU (40½) Cleveland (46½) Green Bay (39½) Miami (44½) Wash (47½) Arizona (48½) at GIANTS

College Football Saturday

FAVORITE OPEN Wake Forest 3½ at ARMY 1½ at VA TECH 14 Penn State 23½ at UNC 35½ Oregon 19½ at KENT ST 14½ at TEX A&M 14½ at INDIANA 55½ at KANS ST 18½ Oklahoma 2½ at E CAR 8½ at GEORGIA 35½ at MIA (OH) 33½ at W VIRG 34½ at C MICH 26½ at BALL ST 18½ at UAB 9½ at J MADISN 45½ at AKRON 28½ at WASH 24½ at TEXAS ST 1½ at COL 36½ Alabama 10½ at N.D. 44½ at MSU 16½ Maryland 10½ Miss St 2½ at BYU 6½ at PITTS 8½ at UMASS 24½ at TOLEDO 35½ at ILLINOIS 8½ at SYRACUSE 2½ UNLV 6½ at TROY 24½ at SMU 24½

TODAY 3 3½ 19½ 23½ 35½ 23½ 10½ 14½ 56½ 17½ 4½ 6½ 40½ 30½ 41½ 23½ 14½ 9½ 45½ 27½ 27½ 1½ 33½ 10½ 44½ 17½ 11½ 1½ 7½ 7½ 23½ 35½ 5½ 3½ 3 22½ 28½

O/U UNDERDOG (50½) at PURDUE (46½) S. Florida (48½) Old Dom (50½) at TEMPLE (55½) E. Tenn St. (55½) at OKLA ST (47½) Wofford (50½) Arizona St (65½) Howard (48½) Wash St (43½) at MICH (56½) App St (55½) W. Kent (50½) Holy Cross (55½) UT Martin (48½) Colgate (56½) Stny Brook (54½) UL Monroe (54½) Wagner (42½) R. Morris (55½) Utah State (66½) UTSA (54½) Weber St. (48½) at KENT (54½) Rice (49½)E. Michigan (52½) at UCONN (55½) at MIN (48½) Arizona (56½) UCF (53½) S. Heart (54½)C. Conn. St. (51½) Duke (56½) Cal (57½) at N. TEX (51½)Alabama St (59½) UC Davis

NFL

Continued from page 5C move told The Associated Press on Friday. The star wide receiver went down in the second half against Seattle. He has a high-ankle sprain and will miss several games, another person with knowledge of his injury told the AP on Thursday night. Without Brown, New England’s offense fizzled. The Patriots went three and out twice and then Drake Maye threw three straight interceptions. “I wish life was like that, where you could wait for your guys to come back and be healthy again but, it’s NFL football,” Patriots veteran receiver Mack Hollins said. New England traded a 2028 first-round pick to Philadelphia in the deal for Brown to give Maye a top playmaker. Now, he’ll be without him for a few weeks. The Patriots have a tough schedule

at WYOMNG 23½ at NEW MEX 41½ at VANDER 23½ at FLORIDA 49½ at BOISE ST 6½ at OHIO 1½ at FLA INTL 7½ at LIBERTY 27½ at W. MICH 28½ at TULANE 10 at MISOU ST 21½ at HOUSTON 50½ at CSU 20½ Tennessee 8½ at MARSHLL 17½ at KNESW ST 9½ Illinois State 3½ at S. CAR 42½ at NEBRSKA 25½ at ARKAN ST 28½ Tulsa 12½ at CIN 36½ at UCLA 8½ at WISC 36½ at CLEMSON 26½ at TEXAS 1½ at C. CAR 31½ at LSU 31½ Navy 6½ at IOWA 11½ Texas Tech 29½ at OLE MISS 46½ at AUBURN 29½ at BAYLOR 38½ at TCU 44½ at SJSU 21½ at UTEP 27½ Ndsu 6½ at UTAH 10 Montana St 3½ at FRES ST 18½ at USC 28½

MLB

22½ 41½ 21½ 49½ 9½ 2½ 10 27½ 26½ 9½ 16½ 51½ 20½ 11½ 13½ 8½ 4½ 43½ 30½ 31½ 13½ 36½ 12½ 38½ 20½ 1½ 34½ 35½ 4½ 14 25½ 45½ 32½ 37½ 43½ 20½ 25½ 2½ 12½ 3½ 18½ 31½

(47½)N. Colorado (52½)Mercyhurst (54½) Delaware (66½) Campbell (56½) Memphis (50½) Jaxville St (47½) Buffalo (55½) Grdnr-Wbb (53½) Monmouth (49½) S. Alabama (52½) Lindenwd (60½) Southern (56½) S. Utah (55½)at GA TECH (57½) M. Tenn (54½) Georgia St (48½) at N. ILL (55½) Towson (50½) B. Green (56½) W. Georgia (51½)at SAM HOU (60½)W. Carolina (54½) Sdsu (49½) W. Illinois (55½) Ga South (49½) Ohio State (53½) Fordham (55½) La Tech (58½) at FLA ATL (41½) Iowa State (53½)at ORGN ST (60½) Charlotte (56½) S. Miss (55½) PV A&M (54½) Grambling (56½) Cal Poly (53½)Tx Southern (47½) at A.F. (55½) Arkansas (49½) at NEVADA (44½) Sac St (60½) Louisiana

Saturday

American League FAVORITE LINE at TORONTO OFF at BOSTON -193 Cleveland -119 at TAMPA BAY -147 Seattle -170 National League FAVORITE LINE Pittsburgh -123 San Diego -149 at MIAMI OFF at MILWAUKEE OFF Philadelphia -129 Interleague FAVORITE LINE at DETROIT OFF at YANKEES -181 LA Angels -115 Chi White Sox -113 at ARIZONA -144

UNDERDOG Baltimore Kansas City at MINNESOTA Houston at ATHLETICS

LINE OFF +160 -103 +123 +142

UNDERDOG at CHI CUBS at SAN FRAN LA Dodgers Cincinnati at ATLANTA

LINE +104 +122 OFF OFF +108

UNDERDOG LINE Colorado OFF N.Y Mets +147 at WASHINGTON -104 at ST. LOUIS -108 Texas +121

San Francisco 3 7 7 10 — 27 L.A. Rams 0 7 0 0 — 7 First Quarter SF_FG Pineiro 20, 6:15. Second Quarter LAR_K.Williams 5 run (Mevis kick), 14:57. SF_D.Robinson 39 pass from Purdy (Pineiro kick), 4:28. Third Quarter SF_M.Evans 2 pass from Purdy (Pineiro kick), 11:03. Fourth Quarter SF_Samuel 15 pass from Purdy (Pineiro kick), 12:57. SF_FG Pineiro 56, 9:43.

A_100,021.

SF LAR First downs 23 15 Total Net Yards 379 290 Rushes-yards 30-174 29-122 Passing 205 168 Punt Returns 2-17 1-11 Kickoff Returns 2-74 5-119 Interceptions Ret. 1-0 1-0 Comp-Att-Int 25-34-1 17-28-1 Sacked-Yards Lost 0-0 0-0 Punts 2-47.0 3-48.333 Fumbles-Lost 0-0 2-1 Penalties-Yards 2-21 4-43 Time of Possession 33:50 26:10 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING_San Francisco, McCaffrey 10-68, Black 14-65, Purdy 5-29, Samuel 1-12. L.A. Rams, Corum 10-54, Williams 11-41, Rivers 5-19, Bennett 1-9, Stafford 2-(minus 1). PASSING_San Francisco, Purdy 25-34-1-205. L.A. Rams, Stafford 15-25-1-155, Bennett 2-3-0-13. RECEIVING_San Francisco, Evans 6-49, Samuel 6-48, McCaffrey 5-20, D.Robinson 2-50, Farrell 2-19, Kittle 2-12, Black 1-5, Brendel 1-2. L.A. Rams, Nacua 5-74, Adams 3-26, Williams 3-24, Higbee 2-12, Allen 1-13, Whittington 1-8, Parkinson 1-6, Rivers 1-5. MISSED FIELD GOALS_San Francisco, Pineiro 52.

College football College Football Schedule

All Times Central (Subject to change)

Friday’s games EAST

Rutgers at Boston College, n

MIDWEST

American League East Division

San Francisco 27, L.A. Rams 7, Melbourne, VIC

Sunday’s 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.

Monday’s Games

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

Late Thursday San Francisco 27, L.A. Rams 7

coming up with three games against 2025 playoff teams. They’ll host Pittsburgh on Sept. 20, and visit Jacksonville and Buffalo. “You’ve got to stick together and that starts with me getting back to work and having the right intention in practice,” Maye said. “These guys are here for me. I think they’ve done a great job in supporting me and have had my back. I’ve got to earn their trust. I know I have their trust, but I got to keep on putting better football out there. I think it’s Week 1 but at the same time, there’s a full season ahead but you got to get this going early. We got to start off on the right foot. I know what we had last year, but we got a new season, a new team, and we need to build that.” Stribling, who was San Francisco’s top draft pick in April at No. 33 overall, limped off the field after running a route in the second quarter of a 27-7 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night. The rookie wide receiver

Tampa Bay New York Boston Toronto Baltimore

W 87 84 80 73 71

L 59 62 67 74 76

Pct .596 .575 .544 .497 .483

GB — 3 7½ 14½ 16½

Chicago Cleveland Minnesota Detroit Kansas City

W 75 74 69 67 65

L 71 73 77 79 82

Pct .514 .503 .473 .459 .442

GB — 1½ 6 8 10½

Houston Texas Seattle Athletics Los Angeles

W 75 72 69 59 56

L 72 75 78 88 90

Pct .510 .490 .469 .401 .384

GB — 3 6 16 18½

Central Division

West Division

Thursday’s Games

Atlanta 3, Tampa Bay 1 Houston 2, Philadelphia 1

from Ole Miss left the game on a cart and was quickly ruled out for the game. Niners coach Kyle Shanahan said Stribling’s Achilles’ was intact but he will need more tests to determine the extent of the injury to the ankle. The 49ers signed veteran Mike Evans and brought back Deebo Samuel, but were counting on Stribling after losing Ricky Pearsall for the season in the summer. Tight end Jake Tonges also didn’t return for San Francisco after injuring his knee. He has an MCL injury and will miss some time. Rams linebacker Nate Landman got hurt late in the game. The Falcons lost Tagovailoa to an oblique injury early in practice on Thursday. Cooper Rush will start for Atlanta on Sunday. NFL teams have to deal with injuries every week. It’s part of football. The teams with the most depth and best backups find ways to overcome key losses. The Seahawks and Patriots have to figure it out quickly.

Thursday’s games

Colorado (Gordon 1-4) at Detroit (TBD), 12:10 p.m. N.Y. Mets (Thornton 3-5) at N.Y. Yankees (Cole 8-8), 12:35 p.m. Baltimore (Bradish 7-13) at Toronto (Arrighetti 7-9), 2:07 p.m. L.A. Angels (Ureña 9-10) at Washington (Alvarez 2-6), 3:05 p.m. Cleveland (Williams 13-7) at Minnesota (Ober 7-5), 3:10 p.m. Kansas City (Dobnak 3-3) at Boston (Suarez 6-4), 3:10 p.m. Houston (Lambert 8-8) at Tampa Bay (Seymour 9-6), 5:10 p.m. Chicago White Sox (Castillo 4-11) at St. Louis (Leahy 10-4), 6:15 p.m. Texas (Gore 8-10) at Arizona (Pfaadt 7-2), 7:10 p.m. Seattle (Woo 11-9) at Athletics (Jump 6-10), 8:40 p.m.

National League

East Division Atlanta Philadelphia Miami New York Washington

W 86 82 72 68 67

L 61 65 75 78 81

Pct .585 .558 .490 .466 .453

GB — 4 14 17½ 19½

Milwaukee Chicago Pittsburgh St. Louis Cincinnati

W 91 81 74 72 69

L 56 66 73 75 77

Pct .619 .551 .503 .490 .473

GB — 10 17 19 21½

Pct .610 .534 .531 .422 .377

GB — 11 11½ 27½ 34

Central Division

W 89 78 78 62 55

L 57 68 69 85 91

Friday’s Games

Missouri at Kansas, n

NFL Glance Thursday’s Games

x — clinched berth in quarter-finals; Note: Two points awarded for a win, one for a loss. Quarterfinals

Atlanta 3, Tampa Bay 1 Houston 2, Philadelphia 1 N.Y. Yankees 10, Colorado 3 Pittsburgh 2, Chicago White Sox 0

Richmond at NC State, n Norfolk St. at Virginia, n Villanova at Louisville, n

Major League Baseball

Seattle 13, New England 10

FIBA Women’s World Cup Glance At Berlin

Saturday’s Games

Thursday’s Games

SOUTH

Pro basketball

Colorado at Detroit, n L.A. Angels at Washington, n N.Y. Mets at N.Y. Yankees, n Baltimore at Toronto, n Houston at Tampa Bay, n Kansas City at Boston, n Cleveland at Minnesota, n Chicago White Sox at St. Louis, n Seattle at Athletics, n Texas at Arizona, n

Los Angeles San Diego Arizona San Francisco Colorado

Miami 77, Florida A&M 7

7:10 p.m.

Friday’s Games

West Division

Thursday’s games SOUTH

Pro football Wednesday’s Games

Seattle 4, Texas 3 N.Y. Yankees 10, Colorado 3 Pittsburgh 2, Chicago White Sox 0

Chicago Cubs 12, Pittsburgh 2 Colorado at Detroit, n L.A. Angels at Washington, n N.Y. Mets at N.Y. Yankees, n L.A. Dodgers at Miami, n Philadelphia at Atlanta, n Cincinnati at Milwaukee, n Chicago White Sox at St. Louis, n Texas at Arizona, n San Diego at San Francisco, n

United States 108, Hungary 56 France 90, China 61 Germany 93, Belgium 74 Spain 89, Australia 66 Semifinals

Saturday’s games

France vs. Germany, 9:15 a.m. Spain vs. United States, 12:45 p.m.

Sunday’s games

Third Place Semifinal losers, 9:30 a.m. Final Semifinal winners, 1 p.m.

Tennis U.S. Open Results Late Thursday

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

Women’s Singles

Semifinals Aryna Sabalenka (1), Belarus, def. Jessica Pegula (3), United States, 7-5, 6-2. Elena Rybakina (2), Kazakhstan, def. Coco Gauff (4), United States, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Men’s Doubles

Semifinals Kevin Krawietz and Tim Putz (6), Germany, def. Rajeev Ram, United States, and Joe Salisbury, Britain, 6-3, 6-4. Christian Harrison, United States, and Neal Skupski (5), Britain, def. Harri Heliovaara, Finland, and Henry Patten (1), Britain, 7-6 (4), 6-2.

U.S. Open Results Friday

At The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center New York Purse: $4,780,000 Surface: Hardcourt outdoor Results Friday from US Open at The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center (seedings in parentheses):

Women’s Doubles

Championship Taylor Townsend, United States, and Katerina Siniakova (1), Czechia, def. Robin Montgomery and Ashlyn Krueger, United States, 5-7, 6-0, 6-2.

Men’s Singles

Semifinals Alexander Zverev (1), Germany, def. Karen Khachanov, Russia, 6-3, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (6).

Saturday’s Games

Colorado (Gordon 1-4) at Detroit (TBD), 12:10 p.m. N.Y. Mets (Thornton 3-5) at N.Y. Yankees (Cole 8-8), 12:35 p.m. Pittsburgh (Skenes 10-11) at Chicago Cubs (Holmes 6-7), 1:20 p.m. L.A. Angels (Ureña 9-10) at Washington (Alvarez 2-6), 3:05 p.m. San Diego (King 10-9) at San Francisco (Perdomo 0-0), 3:05 p.m. L.A. Dodgers (Glasnow 4-0) at Miami (Phillips 5-6), 3:10 p.m. Cincinnati (Singer 6-13) at Milwaukee (Harrison 10-4), 6:10 p.m. Chicago White Sox (Castillo 4-11) at St. Louis (Leahy 10-4), 6:15 p.m. Philadelphia (Luzardo 14-5) at Atlanta (Mahle 5-10), 6:15 p.m. Texas (Gore 8-10) at Arizona (Pfaadt 7-2),

Transactions Major League Baseball

American League ATHLETICS — Claimed RHP Hunter Bigge off waivers from Tampa Bay. Designated RHP Taylor Rashi for assignment. BOSTON RED SOX — Placed CF Eli White on the 10-day IL retroactive to September 9. Recalled 2B Anthony Seigler from Worcester (IL). Sent 1B Willson Contreras on a rehab assignment to Portland (EL). CLEVELAND GUARDIANS — Sent RHP Shawn Armstrong on a rehab assignment to Columbus (IL). NEW YORK YANKEES — Optioned RF Jasson Domínguez to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (IL). Recalled RHP Bradley Hanner from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

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Walter Anderson is largely known for his solitary works. This LSU show tells a different story.

Terry Robinson FAITH MATTERS

Churches celebrate milestone anniversaries There is still something special about church anniversaries. In a time when so many churches are struggling to fill pews, wondering about their futures or closing their doors, church anniversary services may carry even greater meaning. On consecutive Sundays recently, I had the opportunity to witness two Baton Rouge churches celebrate very different milestones. One — Effectual Words Ministries — is just beginning to write its history, with its first anniversary program. The other — Greater Sixty Aid Baptist Church — has been writing its history for 150 years. “There is no history without amazing grace,” said Terri Wallis, a church member at Greater Sixty Aid. A longtime educator, Wallis said the celebration is more than a collection of names and dates; it is a written history of a congregation that has walked by faith and committed to the hope and vision of the church. “Math is something you can do,” she said. “Science is what you experience. History is what you feel. It’s what you live.” At Effectual Words Ministries, Debra Jackson said the program Spell was a time to celebrate God’s grace upon a group of people, led by the Rev. Lynwood Spell, who stepped out in faith. “God’s faithfulness is not limited to a date on a calendar, so we pause to remember where we came from, celebrate where God has brought us and look forward with faith to where he is taking us,” Jackson said during her church history presentation. Knighton Bishop Conway Knighton, of St. Mary Baptist Church, was the guest speaker for the anniversary program at Effectual Words Ministries, 6465 Renoir Ave., Baton Rouge. The theme centered around Psalm 84:11: “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.” Sixty Aid, 655 Gardere Lane, welcomed Louisiana Supreme Court Associate Justice John Michael Guidry as its guest speaker. Guidry grounded his message in the Scripture theme of Psalm 127:1: “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it.”

PROVIDED PHOTO By LSU MUSEUM OF ART

Walter Anderson’s painting, ‘Rowing at Night,’ is featured in the LSU Museum of Art’s exhibit, ‘The South’s Most Elusive Artist: Walter Inglis Anderson,’ opening Sept. 17.

LONELY HEARTS

BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer

Imagining Walter Anderson mingling within the hustle and bustle of New Orleans doesn’t seem quite right. The Mississippi artist preferred solitude, so much so that he would often hop in his wooden rowboat for the hourslong trek to the uninhabited Horn Island, where he would stay for days — even tying himself to a tree to experience a hurricane. The trip to the Gulf barrier island was about 10 miles from his home in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, much shorter than the 92 miles Anderson cycled to New Orleans. Yet he didn’t hesitate pedaling the distance while documenting the trips through travel logs and paintings. Those paintings will be featured alongside the Horn Island flora, fauna and wildlife, which made Anderson became a legend in the art world, in the exhibit, “The South’s Most Elusive Artist: Walter Inglis Anderson,” opening Sept. 17, at the LSU Museum of Art.

Four cityscapes “The show includes four of his imagined cityscapes inspired by his bicycle trips to New Orleans,”

he took comfort in being alone in a crowd? But whatever the reasoning, the resulting work shows a different side to Anderson. “There were different phases in his artmaking,” Schulte said. “So, when you look at his really early phases, you have scenes that are just full of movement, full of activity and there’s not one space that’s open. And when you get to some of his line work, it’s completely opposite and very simple.” The cityscapes fit into their own category. “Unlike his works of nature — the flora and fauna — they’re PROVIDED PHOTO By SARAH AMACKER structured in a way where they’re This untitled New Orleans-inspired almost lined across the canvas,” painting by Walter Anderson is Schulte continued. “They have this complete structure just like a city among 13 of the artist’s rarely exhibited cityscapes featured in the would.” The work features tall buildings LSU Museum of Art’s exhibit, ‘The with floors delineated in the winSouth’s Most Elusive Artist: Walter dows and architecture. Inglis Anderson,’ opening Sept. 17. Though Anderson’s cityscapes are different from his nature said Michelle Schulte, the muse- scenes, the two painting styles um’s chief curator of exhibitions share a common technique. “Sometimes you’ll look at his reand collections. The cityscapes are filled with ally crowded pieces of a beautiful people, automobiles and buildings set of flowers or a swamp scene, — the very things Anderson tried ä See ANDERSON, page 10C to escape on Horn Island. Maybe

Effectual Words Ministries Effectual Words Ministries was founded by Spell after he served seven years as pastor of Star Hill Baptist Church. The church’s foundational scripture is based on James 5:16, which states in part: “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Spell’s vision was to establish a transformative church with a mission to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ through worship, community development, Christian education, social transformation and congregational care. The church held its first service April 21, 2025, at an events center before moving

ä See MATTERS, page 10C

New burger joint serves up juicy deals for students Smash burger with fries and a drink from Tasty Grill

STAFF PHOTO By MADDIE SCOTT

BY MADDIE SCOTT

said. “My goal is to make all the LSU students have a lunch or dinner for a cheap price.” Opened on Aug. 5, Tasty Grill Restaurant owner Sam Masalma, 35, understands how col- serves burgers, Nashville hot lege students often work with chicken, Philly cheesesteaks low budgets. So, at his newly (Masalma’s personal favorite) opened Tasty Grill at 990 W. Lee and more. The business is loDrive, he’s giving LSU students cated in an area heavy with stufree fries and a drink with the dent housing, and it’s just a short purchase of a burger or sandwich. drive away from LSU’s campus. “When I was a student, I had a ä See GRILL, page 10C limited budget as well,” Masalma

Staff writer

10C ● Saturday, September 12, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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RELIGION BRIEFS FROM STAFF REPORTS

Unitarian Church to host 2 events

The Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge, 8470 Goodwood Blvd., will host two community events Saturday and Sunday. A Moth and Arthropod Adventure will take place from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday. A moth cloth will be set up to observe nocturnal biodiversity, with Master Naturalist Amber King available to answer questions. This is a free, all-ages event and participants may drop in at any time during the evening. On Sunday, the church PROVIDED PHOTO By LSU MUSEUM OF ART

Continued from page 9C and there’s really no true focal point,” Schulte said. “He’s done the same thing with these. There’s really no true focal point. It’s about rhythm and color and shape and line — and it’s really quite lovely.”

Another layer to the story Which leads to yet another layer to this story: Anderson’s cross country bicycle trips weren’t limited to New Orleans. He also took bicycle trips to New York and Texas, along with bicycle trips overseas. His son, John Anderson, wrote a book in partnership with filmmaker Anthony Thaxton, who made a documentary about Walter Anderson. The book is called “The Bicycle Logs of Walter Anderson,” which includes detailed logs and diaries from the trips. The book was published in 2024 by the Institute for Storytelling at Mississippi Christian University (previously Mississippi College). LSU Museum of Art will sell the book during the exhibit’s run through Jan. 3. John Anderson, the youngest of Anderson’s four children, and Thaxton will sign copies of the book at the Sept. 17 opening after a screening off Thaxton’s 2021 documen-tary, “Walter Anderson: The Extraordinary Life and Art of the Islander,” winner of the 2022 Regional Emmy for Outstanding Documentary. They’ll take part in a panel with Maddie Codling, director of the Walter Anderson Museum of Art in Ocean Springs. The screening and subsequent book signing will be free, but the film also is available for free streaming on the Public Broadcasting System’s website at PBS. org.

More than 40 works The exhibit will feature more than 40 of Anderson’s works curated by the Walter Anderson Museum of Art and supplemented with pieces from LSU’s collection. The show also includes works from the estate of Walter Anderson, which provided the cityscapes. “Our director, Mark Tullos, was the founding director of the Walter Anderson Museum,” Schulte said. “He put me in touch with John

GRILL

Continued from page 9C Burger prices start at $7.99, depending on which burger is ordered. Students who show their student ID will get free fries and a drink with the purchase of a sandwich, Masalma said. Inside, customers can order at the counter and take their food to-go or sit at a table or booth inside. LSU and Southern paraphernalia adorns the walls. The walk-up spot serves handhelds like smash burgers, classic burgers and even a crab burger as well

By The Associated Press

THE SOUTH’S MOST ELUSIVE ARTIST: WALTER INGLIS ANDERSON WHERE: LSU Museum of Art in the Shaw Center for the Arts, 100 Lafayette St. WHEN: Sept. 17-Jan. 3. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m.Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m.Thursday; and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. ADMISSION: $5, age 13 and older; free for age 12 and younger, students with valid ID, educators with valid ID, and veterans and their families with military ID.Admission is free for everyone on the first Sunday of every month. VISIT: lsumoa.org. ALSO: The exhibit will open at 5 p.m. Sept. 17 with a free screening of of the documentary,“Walter Anderson: The Extraordinary Life and Art of the Islander,” in the Manship Theatre in the Shaw Center for the Arts.The film will be followed by a panel discussion with the documentary’s filmmaker Anthony Thaxton; Walter Anderson’s youngest son, John Anderson; and Maddie Codling, director of the Walter Anderson Museum of Art in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. A reception will follow in the museum on the fifth floor, featuring Anderson and Thaxton signing copies of the 2024 book,‘The Bicycle Logs of Walter Anderson.’ For free tickets to the screening and panel, visit manshiptheatre.org. Sp prings, where he began working as a decorator w fo or Shearwater Pottery, fo ounded by his brother, Peter. P Anderson married Agnes “Sissy” Grinstead in n 1933. His mental breakdown in 1937 led to stays d in n various mental hospitals. As a path to recovery, he moved his family e tto his wife’s antebellum homeplace, Oldfields, h near Gauthier, Missisn ssippi. The move was therapeutic for Anderson as p he explored forms of PROVIDED PHOTO creative expression includMississippi artist Walter ing drawing, painting, block printmaking and writing Anderson’s bicycle logs, in short stories. which he documented his the seeming tranquiltravels to cities, are compiled ityBut wouldn’t last. in the book, ‘The Bicycle Anderson abruptly left Logs of Walter Anderson.’ his wife and children in Oldfields for a small cottage Anderson, and we asked on his family’s Shearwater if we could borrow some compound in Ocean Springs, works that are rarely seen.” filling its walls and ceiling John Anderson coordi- with a nonstop mural. The mural wasn’t discovnated the loan of 13 images, including four urban scenes ered until after his death, and nine New Orleans bi- and the cottage is now a part of the Walter Anderson Mucycle scenes. Anderson was no stranger seum of Art. to New Orleans. He was The green rowboat he born there in 1903 and spent used for solitary trips to much of his early child- Horn Island hangs from the hood in the city before be- museum’s ceiling, as well as ing shipped off to military the bicycle he used for travschool in 1915 to Manlius, eling cross country. New York. “It’s really kind of fun that He studied at the Par- this is all coming together sons Institute of Design in in this show,” Schulte said. New York City from 1922 to “And it’s all representative 1923, then the Pennsylvania of Walter Anderson’s life Academy of Fine Arts in and career.” Philadelphia from 1923 to 1928 before moving to his Email Robin Miller at family’s home, the Shear- romiller@theadvocate. water compound, in Ocean com.

as po-boys and a chicken sandwich. Pair it with an appetizer such as the fried mushrooms, pickles, jalapeños or blooming onion. Chicken wings (bone-in and boneless) are available in 10 flavors such as mango habanero, buffalo and sweet chili. The Nashville hot chicken takes shape as tenders in a choice of mild, medium or hot sauce. The menu also serves shrimp and fish seafood baskets. For something sweet, the business has cheesecake and tiramisu. Tasty Grill has a reward point system, so after enough points are accrued, customers can get $5 off a purchase.

Masalma said he’s wanted to open a restaurant since he was 15 years old. The lease for Tasty Grill started in July and construction took about a month, he said. After making that dream a reality, the local business owner said feedback has been great. “We are a local store,” Maslama said. “Our best goal is to keep our food top of the list for all the people.” Tasty Grill, at 990 W. Lee Drive, Studio D, Baton Rouge. Open daily 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Weekend hours may expand in the future.

St. James Baptist’s 84th anniversary St. James Baptist Church, 1105 N. 44th St., Baton Rouge, invites the community to celebrate its 84th church anniversary at 8 a.m. Sunday. The theme for the celebration is “Celebrating a

Legacy of Faith & Love.” The guest speaker will be the Rev. R.L. Owens, senior pastor of Messiah Baptist Church, Lake Charles. A meal will be served following the worship service.

Church celebrates mission anniversary Nathaniel Baptist Church, Highway 33 South, Centreville, Mississippi, will host its mission anniversary celebration at 11 a.m. Sunday. The guest minister will be the Rev. William Wells, pastor of the Bay Ridge, Shiloh and St. Andrew’s Baptist Church family. All are invited.

TODAY IN HISTORY

Walter Anderson’s painting, ‘Pelicans on North Key,’ is featured in the LSU Museum of Art’s exhibit, ‘The South’s Most Elusive Artist: Walter Inglis Anderson,’ opening Sept. 17.

ANDERSON

will serve as one of several local sites for the Interfaith Federation of Greater Baton Rouge’s Pray-for-Peace Vigil from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Participants are invited to visit one or multiple participating congregations and may stay for a few minutes or the full time.

Today is Saturday, Sept. 12, the 255th day of 2026. There are 110 days left in the year. Today in history: On Sept. 12, 2013, Voyager 1, launched 36 years earlier, became the first man-made spacecraft ever to leave the solar system. Also on this date: In 1857, the S.S. Central America (also known as the “Ship of Gold”) sank off the coast of South Carolina after sailing into a hurricane in one of the worst maritime disasters in American history; 425 people were killed and thousands of pounds of gold sank with the ship to the bottom of the ocean. In 1940, the Lascaux cave paintings, estimated to be 17,000 years old, were discovered in southwestern France. In 1958, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Cooper v. Aaron, unanimously ruled that Arkansas officials who were resisting public

MATTERS

Continued from page 9C to its present location two months later. In his powerful message from Mark 1:40-45, guest speaker Knighton shared the story of the “unclean” leper who cried out to Jesus for healing of his disease. “The work of Effectual Words Ministries is to deal with the unclean,” Knighton said. “That means if I’m unclean, that I need a word from the Lord, I can come here no matter how I look, no matter how I dress, no matter what my history is. When I show up here, I’m supposed to get a word from the Lord.” Knighton said Effectual Words Ministries has already shown itself as a place where people can come for the word — and other assistance — that can change their lives. After healing the leper, Jesus told the man not to tell anyone but to show himself to the priest as a

school desegregation orders could not disregard the high court’s rulings. In 1962, in a speech at Rice University in Houston, President John F. Kennedy reaffirmed his support for the manned space program, declaring: “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” In 1977, South African Black student leader and anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko, 30, died while in police custody, triggering an international outcry. In 1994, truck driver Frank Eugene Corder piloted a stolen single-engine Cessna airplane into restricted airspace in Washington, D.C., and crashed it into the South Lawn of the White House. He died in the crash. In 2003, in the Iraqi city of Fallujah, U.S. forces mistakenly opened fire on vehicles carrying police, killing eight officers. In 2008, a Metrolink

commuter train struck a freight train head-on in Los Angeles, killing 25 people. In 2025, dozens of people were killed in a village north of Haiti’s capital in the latest massacre carried out by powerful gangs in the troubled Caribbean country. Today’s birthdays: Actor Linda Gray is 86. Singer Maria Muldaur is 83. Author Michael Ondaatje is 83. Actor Joe Pantoliano is 75. Photographer Nan Goldin is 73. Composer Hans Zimmer is 69. Actor Rachel Ward is 69. Actorcomedian Louis C.K. is 59. Golfer Angel Cabrera is 57. Country singer Jennifer Nettles (Sugarland) is 52. Rapper 2 Chainz is 49. Singer Ruben Studdard is 48. Basketball Hall of Famer Yao Ming is 46. Singer-actor Jennifer Hudson is 45. Actor Alfie Allen is 40. Actor Emmy Rossum is 40. Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman is 37. Country singer-songwriter Kelsea Ballerini is 33.

testimony of his healing. But Knighton said the man couldn’t keep it to himself and told everyone. He charged the congregation to boldly share its story of God’s faithfulness.

mained there until moving to its current site in 2004. Following several leaders early on, the Rev. W.M. Pitcher was called as pastor in 1936 and led the church for 70 years. “His hope and his Greater Sixty Aid vision were that all men would come to Greater Sixty Aid Barrett this understanding was born out of 60 to be able to praise members gatherGod with your ing under palmetto gifts and with your trees and dedicattalents,” Wallis said ing themselves to of Pitcher. aiding the comUpon Pitcher’s remunity. In 1876, the church was orgatirement, the Rev. Reginald Pitcher nized and eventuGuidry took over as pastor ally established a in 1995. The Rev. James 30-foot wooden structure Barrett has been the pastor on Old Perkins Road. since 2008. “Thanks be to God that “For 150 years, God has the church is God’s house, made a way when there and in the church is the seemed to be no way, bread of life, the bread opened doors that no man of faith and the bread of can close and closed doors hope,” Guidry said. “And for 150 years, Greater Sixty that no man can open,” Guidry said. Aid has been keeping the bread fresh.” In 1952, the church Contact Terry Robinson at moved to a new sanctuary terryrobinson622@gmail. on Raby Street and recom.

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The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Saturday, September 12, 2026 ● 11C

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zodIAC VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Take time to consider what irks you most and do something about it. Worrying will not solve problems, but actions will. Dominate the conversations that deal with your wellbeing and lifestyle. LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Choosing to initiate change will stimulate your mind, ease stress and call forth intellectuals who challenge you mentally. Protect your home, investments and physical well-being. scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) What you experience and learn will lead to a more efficient lifestyle and insight into how you can make a difference using your skills. A change of attitude will help you find unique ways to use your skills. sAGITTARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Paying attention to how you live or who you live with will make life and your relationships easier. A little charm will go a long way, and a gesture of friendliness or a helping hand will open doors. cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Your voice will be heard, but if you offer something without checking your facts and getting the go-ahead from those who can hinder your plans, you'll find yourself in a precarious position. AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) A change at home will help cut your overhead and ease your mind. Invest more time and money in yourself and your ability to increase your earning potential. Don't let yourself get worn down. PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Put health and money matters first. Taking care of

yourself and doing your best to lower your overhead will help revive your confidence. Rethink how you spend your time. ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Use your charm and intellect to convince others to follow your lead. You can make a difference if you promote interesting ways to bring about affordable changes that will help you or someone else prosper. TAuRus (April 20-May 20) Be reluctant to sign up for something for the wrong reason. Your time is precious and requires fine-tuning to achieve what you set out to do. Too much of anything will be taxing and create negativity. GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Alter your schedule or routine to better suit your needs. A social event will lead to conversations that encourage you to rethink one of your heart's desires. cAncER (June 21-July 22) Focus more on self-improvement and less on trying to change others. Avoid arguments, drama and manipulation. Your highest return will come from self-reflection and striving to improve your lifestyle. LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Blow off steam physically to avoid disagreements. Don't take a risk with your health or domestic property or equipment that's unsafe or outdated. Do your research and leave nothing to chance. The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

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12C ● Saturday, September 12, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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

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The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Saturday, September 12, 2026 ● 13C

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Bridge By PHILLIP ALDER Claude Chabrol, a French film director perhaps best known for “Le Boucher” (the butcher), said, “You make a film to distract people, to interest them, perhaps to make them think, perhaps to help them be a little less naive, a little better than they were.” At the bridge table, if you can legally distract your opponents, it will probably be to your advantage. How do you do that? By producing unexpected bids or, especially, plays. Do you see something distracting in this deal? South is in three no-trump. West leads his fourth-highest heart. East wins with his ace and returns the heart six. What happens after that? Note that despite holding 30 combined high-card points, three no-trump seems destined to fail. Let’s assume South takes the second trick with his heart king and West plays the two to indicate that he started with a five-card suit. Declarer should cross to the dummy with a club and call for the diamond jack, trying to look like someone about to take a finesse for the queen. But East should not be distracted. He should realize that his partner has three heart winners, grab the trick with his ace, and lead his last heart, which results in down one. AtmybridgecampinHighlands,North Carolina, in June, one player found a great way to distract West. Bill Geary of New Orleans, knowing that he was going

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to win only one heart trick, dropped his king under East’s ace at trick one! When East led back the heart six, West should have ducked to keep communication with his partner. But he distractedly won with his queen and played a third heart. Now Geary drove out the diamond ace and came home with an overtrick. Terrific! © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

wuzzles Each Wuzzle is a word riddle which creates a disguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD = GOOD AFTERNOON

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ToDAy’s WoRD — EFFEMInATE: eh-FEM-ih-nit: Having feminine qualities.

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Average mark 37 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 53 or more words in EFFEMINATE? yEsTERDAy’s WoRD — GARRuLITy gaily gait gilt girl glair glut grail gray grit guar guilt

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today’s thought “And he said to Jesus, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. And Jesus said to him, Truly I say to you, Today shall you be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:42-43 Jesus is the only way to Heaven. He alone is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. G.E. Dean

14C ● Saturday, September 12, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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