Issuu

SAVE $ 11 8

SAVE $ 00 3

When You Buy 2

— ONLY —

STOCK UP & SAVE Boneless

USDA PRIME BEEF VALUE PACK

STOCK THE FREEZER, REFRIGERATOR AND PANTRY

visit rouses.com for more weekly ad specials!

THE

Top Sirloin Steak

$ 88 LB

SAVE $ 20 3

SAVE up $ 38 to 2

— ONLY —

42 OZ PACK

Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage

$ 99

— ONLY —

TROPICAL

Fresh Golden Pineapples

2/$

GALLON

Rouses Vegetable Oil

$ 99

Prices good at all Lafayette, New Iberia and Youngsville stores September 9nd - September 16th, 2026.

ACADIANA

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

UL’S RESERVES STEP UP IN LOSS TO USC 4C

M o n d ay, S e p t e M b e r 14, 2026

$2.00X

LAFAYETTE PARISH L I O N S

S A I N T S

RHYTHM & BLUES

Correctional center funding dispute resurfaces Building maintenance budget overspent

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR

Staff writer

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By REy DEL RIO

Saints quarterback Tyler Shough passes under pressure from Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson in Detroit on Sunday. It took the Saints a while to find their rhythm in their season opener in Motown, but once they did, they gave the Lions a run for their money, erasing a 21-0 deficit to force overtime. The first half featured some terrible offense and a controversial replay review that overturned a Saints defensive touchdown. The second half featured Shough atoning for his earlier mistakes and then some, passing for 410 yards and three touchdowns. In the end, it ended in Saints heartbreak when Shough’s 2-point conversion pass to Bryce Lance fell incomplete in overtime. ä SEE COMPLETE COVERAGE OF THE SAINTS GAME. PAGE 1C

In eight months, the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center blew through its annual budget for building maintenance, forcing the Parish Council to allocate an additional $200,000 to get through the fiscal year that ends Oct. 31. Sheriff’s Office representatives said Lafayette Consolidated Government is at fault because it did not pay the salaries of six employees who handle minor jail maintenance, forcing the facility to use private businesses to do tasks such as unclogging toilets and changing HVAC filters. It is the latest in a yearslong conflict between LCG and the Sheriff’s Office over jail expenses that the state requires parish government to pay for without providing any money to meet the mandates. The Parish Council budgeted $500,000 in the current fiscal year for the salaries and benefits of six maintenance employees at the jail, but LCG has not paid the salaries, said Capt. John Mowell, public information director for the Sheriff’s Office. So the Sheriff’s Office, which operates the jail, has been hiring private businesses to handle minor maintenance and then billing LCG for the work. Warden Maj. Kenny Benoit said it would cost less for LCG to pay the employees’ salaries than to pay for vendors. “It’s their building. It’s their responsibility to maintain it,” Mowell said. During budget hearings last year, LCG Chief Financial Officer Karen Fontenot said $524,000 was budgeted to reimburse the Sheriff’s Office for the salaries of deputies who do minor repairs. At a budget hearing, an intergovernmental agreement was discussed that would include accountability measures like the defining the job duties of the maintenance deputies, Fontenot said. “If you want us to pay $1.2 million in salaries, tell me what they do,” she said.

ä See FUNDING, page 5A

‘This is where we are’

With increased security, churches seek new ways to welcome congregants

So it felt odd, said Devall, the pastor of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Metairie, to watch this spring as a security consultant walked the church’s ushers through the basics of keeping the church and worshippers safe: Look for unfamiliar faces. Look for someone carrying a backpack. Look for BY BOB WARREN anything that might go wrong. Staff writer “Those things don’t exactly go together, In his nearly 30 years as a minister, the right?” Devall said of a welcoming church Rev. Fred Devall has taken comfort in an with sometimes suspicious eyes keeping overriding tenet of his faith — “The Epis- watch. “But this is where we are.” copal Church welcomes you!” he said, ä See CHURCHES, page 5A opening his arms.

WEATHER HIGH 93 LOW 74 PAGE 10C

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

The Rev. Fred Devall, of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Metairie, closes the main entrance doors. Across Louisiana, religious leaders say that security at churches, synagogues and mosques is important. STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

102ND yEAR, NO. 76

2A ● Monday, September 14, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

Fighting in Yemen intensifies

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Trump to remove 10% tariff on Irish whiskey

DOONBEG, Ireland — U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday at the close of a golf tournament in Ireland that he plans to remove a 10% tariff on Irish whiskey. Trump said during the trophy ceremony for the Irish Open that he had been asked about the issue by everyone, including some of the golfers. “Everybody’s been bugging me” to do it, the Republican president said. “And I said, ‘On behalf of the United States of America, I am going to take the tariffs off’ ” Irish whiskey. Irish whiskey currently faces the standard tariff imposed by Trump on most imports from the European Union, which was reduced from 15% to 10% in July. Trump announced in May that he was lifting certain tariffs on U.K. whiskey, which includes Scotch and spirits made in Northern Ireland. Trump’s apparent surprise announcement at the conclusion of the tournament was met with loud whistling and cheers from the crowd of spectators. Details on how soon the tariff would be lifted were not immediately available.

Wis. congressman’s plane lands in lake WAUSAU, Wis. — A Republican congressman from Wisconsin said he had to swim to safety after a plane he was traveling in made an emergency landing in a lake late Saturday. U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany says he was returning from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner when the light aircraft lost power as it approached Wausau Downtown Airport. The pilot made an emergency landing in Lake Wausau. They both ended up in the water and swam to safety. The Marathon County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that the emergency landing happened just before 9 p.m. Saturday. Tiffany and the pilot, Leonard Boltz, got out of the plane and called 911. They were rescued by emergency responders in a fire department airboat just after 9 p.m. Both men were taken to a nearby hospital, where they were treated for minor injuries and released. Tiffany suffered a cut above his right eye that required stitches, his campaign said in an emailed statement. A no-wake buoy was placed near the plane, which remained in the lake, and boaters were being asked to avoid the area until the plane can be removed, the sheriff’s office said. A Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson said the agency would investigate the incident. A National Transportation Safety Board spokesperson said that agency is waiting for the FAA to assess the plane as to whether the damage was substantial enough for it to get involved.

Trespasser reported at Harris’ Malibu home A trespasser was reported Friday night at former Vice President Kamala Harris’ home in Malibu, California, law enforcement ofﬁcials and a Harris spokesperson said. Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies responded to her home around 10:30 p.m. after her private security detail made a “suspicious person” call, the department said. When they arrived, they made contact with the person and advised them to leave, the sheriff’s department said. The person left voluntarily without incident. Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, were not home, according to her spokesperson, Eduardo Negrón. Negrón said the individual “illegally entered” the couple’s property and was stopped by security before reaching the home. Former vice presidents typically receive federal government protection for six months after leaving ofﬁce, while former presidents receive protection for life. Then-President Joe Biden extended Harris’ protection beyond the traditional six months, but President Donald Trump revoked the extension last August. It otherwise would have ended this summer.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By VAHID SALEMI

A fruit seller waits for customers Saturday at Tajrish Square in northern Tehran.

Iran’s talks with neighbors delayed after ship struck

er the U.S. struck the Iranian cargo vesCommercial vessel hit sel early Sunday in the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said: “I don’t want to say.” He in the Strait of Hormuz then boarded Air Force One to head back

BY SAMY MAGDY, SALLY ABOU ALJOUD and CARA ANNA Associated Press

CAIRO — An Iranian cargo vessel was struck early Sunday off Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media said, and a plan by Tehran to brief neighboring countries on its contested efforts to manage shipping in the strait was postponed. The attack, which the reports said killed one and wounded four, drew attention back to the strait after threats to shipping in the region intensified last week when Iran-backed Houthi rebels captured an island on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea. Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency quoted the Qeshm governor as blaming a “terrorist enemy” for Sunday’s attack. There was no immediate comment by the U.S. military, which has struck Iranian-flagged vessels during its blockade of Iranian ports and faces a new threat from Iranian ballistic missiles launched at its warships. Qeshm Island, about 14 miles from the port city of Bandar Abbas, is key to Iran asserting control over the Strait of Hormuz. Hours before the attack, Iran’s government remained defiant. “Our people can’t be bullied into submission. Iran won’t surrender,” President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a social media post. President Donald Trump disagreed, saying on Sunday that Iran “wants to make a deal so bad” that “they’re calling constantly.” Trump spoke at his golf course in Doonbeg, Ireland, where he was attending a tournament. Later, when asked by a reporter wheth-

to Washington. Iran had said foreign ministers from regional countries would meet Monday in Oman to discuss efforts by Iran and Oman, located on the other side of the strait, to manage shipping on it. But the foreign minister of Oman, Badr Albusaidi, said on X late Sunday that the meeting had been postponed “in the interests of consensus.” “We remain committed to fostering dialogue that supports stability and lasting cooperation in our region,” Albusaidi said. Commercial ship traffic remains low in the Strait of Hormuz as attacks continue on what was seen as an international waterway before the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations monitor said Sunday that a vessel was hit by a projectile while transiting the strait, though it wasn’t clear if this was referring to the attack Iran had reported off Qeshm. The monitor said a severe fire had broken out and that local authorities were evacuating those on board. The U.S. has asserted that plenty of oil is getting out as its military helps to guide ships along Oman’s coast, at the risk of being struck. Before the meeting in Oman was postponed, only Iraq had publicly confirmed plans to attend. Bahrain had said it would not attend, citing a lack of diplomatic relations with Tehran. Since early in the war, Iran has expressed interest in having ships pay fees for transit. It has said traffic into the Persian Gulf would pass through Iranian waters, while the outbound route would pass partly through Iranian waters and partly through Oman’s.

Johnson says $5K ‘dividend’ needs Congress’ approval Trump wants to send American adults money if GOP prevails in midterms

BY ABDULNASSER ALSEDDIK and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press

ADEN, Yemen — The conflict in Yemen intensified on Sunday, as government forces launched attacks against Iran-backed Houthi rebels along the Red Sea and Houthis fired into neighboring Saudi Arabia, which supports Yemen’s government. The Yemeni government vowed to send more forces to the Red Sea coast and one official conceded a “painful” defeat last week when Houthis captured the port city of Mokha and an island on the Bab elMandeb Strait, a crucial shipping alternative to the Strait of Hormuz. The escalation — especially Houthi attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure and its shipping in the Red Sea — adds pressure on global oil supplies and prices, and that could give Iran leverage in its war with the United States. As Yemen risks descending into another civil war, the United Nations estimated that more than 80,000 people in the impoverished country have been displaced by the fighting since the start of September. One woman said a mortar shell fell nearby as she fled in the middle of the night from the town of Khawkha in Hodeida province along the Red Sea, shortly before it was captured by Houthis. “I saw with my own eyes cars and buses burning, and bodies of children and women were lying on the road in a horrific scene,” said the woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of concern for her and

her family’s safety. Saudi authorities sounded sirens Sunday afternoon in the southern city of Abha and Khamis Mushait province, warning residents to take shelter from potential incoming fire. The Houthis claimed to have used drones and missiles to target Saudi Arabia, including a military base just over the border with Yemen. Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree didn’t provide evidence or say when the attack occurred. The Saudi civil defense overnight said a projectile fell in a different area near the border with Yemen along the Red Sea, injuring two people and damaging a mosque and several other buildings. The statement blamed the Houthis. The National Resistance, a government-allied force that had controlled coastal areas, said more than 500 government fighters were killed on the west coast over the past four weeks — its first comprehensive toll. Sultan al-Arada, a member of the ruling presidential leadership council, described the collapse of government forces in the port city of Mokha and elsewhere on Yemen’s west coast as “painful and regrettable.” He said in the televised interview aired late Saturday that forces “are currently regrouping and will return to the battle.” On Sunday, Rashad alAlimi, who leads the presidential council, sought to downplay the defeats as “incidental,” according to comments published by the country’s state-run SABA news agency. The government, he said, “will remain clear and fixed on the goal of retrieving (state) institutions and of reclaiming sovereignty over all national territories.”

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

BY DIDI TANG

Associated Press WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s proposal to send $5,000 to every American adult if his Republican Party maintains control of the House and Senate in the November election needs congressional approval, House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday, while pledging to try to make it happen. Trump made the unusual pitch at the party’s midterm convention in Dallas last week, promising a “Trump Dividend” if voters keep the GOP in power on Capitol Hill. The president later told CBS News Texas that he did not think Congress would need to authorize the payments, though he did not specify how he could spend more than $1 trillion without lawmakers’ authorization. But Johnson, R-Benton, said congressional approval is needed. “I would assume, yes, he’d need Congress to act, and that’s a creative idea,” he said. A few hours later, Trump said he would deliver on his promise. “The 5,000’s going to happen, 100%,” he told reporters before boarding Air Force One in Ireland, where he attended a pro golf tournament at his resort. Johnson, meanwhile, said he would work to get Trump’s proposal through Congress despite a small Republican margin. “He’s the big-ideas president. We’re going to try to implement everything we can,” he said. “I commit that Congress will work through it and ﬁnd consensus

Houthis launch more attacks on Saudi Arabia

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JULIO CORTEZ

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-Benton, speaks at the Republican convention Thursday in Dallas.

on that like they have to do everything else.” Johnson appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” and NBC’s “Meet the Press.” The dubious election-year gambit could cost more than $1 trillion, putting further strains on the country’s nearly $1.8 trillion annual budget deficit and exacerbating concerns of inflation. The economy is confronted by persistent inflation and increasing interest rates, a tough combination for governing Republicans as they seek to hold on to control of Congress. The president argues that payments would be possible because of the strong economy, but consumer sentiment is weak as gasoline prices rise because of the war with Iran and wages struggle to keep pace with inflation. Trump told reporters earlier Sunday that the payments would be “easy enough” because the United States has a strong economy. “We can easily handle that because we’re taking in so much money,” he said. “We’ve never done better.”

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

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Monday, September 14, 2026 ● 3A

lll

DOJ struggles to get felony convictions against protesters

AP tracked 167 arrests The Associated Press’ analysis focused on arrests made during protests last summer and fall in L.A., Chicago, Portland, Oregon, and Washington, D.C. — cities with significant protests where President Donald Trump sought to or successfully deployed the National Guard. Most of the arrests — 102 — were for felony assault on a federal officer, which can carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Of those cases, 41% were dismissed and 34% were pleaded down to misdemeanors. Ten people pleaded guilty to felony assault. Nine people got prison time. Of those arrested on other charges, seven were sentenced to prison for offenses including arson and obstructing law enforcement. A handful of defendants have diversion agreements, meaning their case will be dismissed if they demonstrate good behavior. The AP’s analysis shows that the Justice Department’s record failed to meaningfully improve since December, when an initial assessment showed early struggles to prosecute people on the charges for which they were arrested. The Justice Department said federal prosecutors are right to prioritize cases against people accused of assaulting federal officers and that “each case is based on the facts.” “If there are mitigating factors identified in a case, then prosecutors must also act appropriately to inform the court, and in some cases downgrade or drop charges,” the department said.

Juries, judges unconvinced It’s rare for federal pros-

Misdemeanors instead Though many federal criminal cases end in plea deals, some legal experts say it’s rare for felony assault to be pleaded down and may signal overcharging — filing a more severe initial charge so defendants will be more willing to plead guilty to one with a lighter sentence. “I think when prosecutors bring charges ethically, they should be prepared to prove them beyond a reasonable doubt,” said Laurie Levenson, a former federal prosecutor who is a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. The U.S. Attorney’s office overseeing Los Angeles said it brought the prosecutions in response to a “wave of violence against law enforcement officers who were doing their jobs.” It voluntarily dismissed charges against some defendants after further investigation, it said. L.A. prosecutors have arrested three additional people for felony assault at immigration-related protests this year. One pleaded guilty to a felony and two to misdemeanors. In Chicago, all but one of 19 felony assault cases were dismissed. The U.S. Attorney’s offices in the Northern District of Illinois, District of Columbia and Oregon did not respond to requests for comment.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MIKE STEWART

Meta data centers operate Sept. 5 near Social Circle, Ga.

Trump downplays need to check AI development He says he doesn’t want to cede edge to China

York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, according to a transcript released by his ofﬁce.

BY DARLENE SUPERVILLE and DIDI TANG

Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council at the White House, said he expects meetings will be held this week involving administration officials who oversee cyber and science and technology policy to discuss the next steps. Trump also could meet with members of Congress, some of whom have also been sounding alarms about the fast pace of AI development. “I think the president wants to hear from them as well,” Hassett said. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, acknowledged the need for “some guardrails, some safety measures” so AI “doesn’t run away.” But, like Trump, he also wants to ensure the U.S. does not “lose our edge in the global competition on this with China because that would be a national security threat.” Johnson said industry leaders need to be summoned for “one big meeting and work this out together in the same room.” He said he has discussed the issue with Trump and believes a meeting held quickly should be the “next step.” “So we’re going to pull everybody together and make sure we do this in the right way,” Johnson said, adding that it is a “top priority for me and for the Congress.” “But we don’t need everybody to panic right now,” Johnson said. Jeffries criticized Republican leaders for allowing members to go back to their districts for the ﬁnal part of September. “We should take decisive action now so that we can slow down, as the CEOs have recently acknowledged, … the pace of development in order to protect the American people and ensure that AI is proceeding safely,” Jeffries said. Action on AI will be a “high priority” when House Democrats meet Tuesday as a group.

Johnson: Need ‘one big meeting’

Associated Press

DUBLIN — President Donald Trump on Sunday played down the need for his administration to check the development of artiﬁcial intelligence, saying he worried about ceding America’s edge over China in a global competition and that winning would help would address the risks from the advancing technology. While acknowledging the need for some regulation, Trump provided no speciﬁcs about potential rules and attributed warnings about the technology moving too quickly and with little oversight to “negative forces” he did not identify, though industry pioneers have raised such concerns. “We can put guardrails, we can do this and that, but I think you have a lot of negative forces that are bringing it up that … shouldn’t be bringing it up, and they’re bringing up things that won’t happen,” Trump told reporters during weekend trip to Ireland. “But whoever wins with AI wins.” The Republican president spoke a day after Dario Amodei, CEO of the artificial intelligence company Anthropic, said the industry should put the brakes on its fast-moving development to give safety measures time to catch up. Other tech leaders, including Elon Musk and Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, publicly agreed with Amodei. Asked by a reporter if the industry should slow down or be regulated, Trump said after watching a golfer tee off in the Irish Open at his resort in Doonbeg that the United States is leading China in the development of AI and “frankly, I want to keep it that way because whoever wins AI wins.” Chinese President Xi Jinping is due to visit the U.S. later in September to

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

President Donald Trump, left, presents the trophy to Shane Lowry of Ireland during the Irish Open golf tournament at Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg, Ireland, on Sunday.

meet with Trump, and AI likely will be among the items they discuss. AI has become a major election-year issue in the U.S. as some of the country’s largest companies seed small towns with a national network of computing warehouses while Americans from both parties increasingly raise alarms about less farmland and water supplies and rising electricity bills. Trump has kept up his support for data centers even as both Republicans and Democrats run from them and many communities try to block them. Former President Barack Obama, a Democrat, said his party should make AI a campaign issue. “I would talk about this, and I would say, ‘Here’s our plan for safety, here’s our plan for making sure our kids are not corrupted by this.’ … I would be thinking about the economic impacts in very concrete ways and understanding what does it mean if there’s going to be job displacement. Where is that going to hit? How are we going to respond?” he said at an event last week with the top Democrat in the U.S. House, New

DeSantis offers ‘asylum’ to holdout Clancy juror BY JESSICA SCHLADEBECK

allowing a woman to kill rassed, Florida will provide of her kids — Cora, 5, Dawher three young kids and asylum — I’m sure he’d be son 3, and Callan, 8 months get away with it, so NBC is welcomed and appreciated,” — with exercise bands, and New york Daily News (TNS) trying to smear that juror, the governor added. then tried to take her own Clancy has never denied life under the fog of a menFlorida Gov. Ron DeSan- whose identity should be tis is defending the lone protected. Another low for killing her children, but her tal health crisis, the defense juror who refused to vote legacy media,” DeSantis attorney argued she only contended. Prosecutors, to acquit Lindsay Clancy wrote on X in response to did so because she suffered meanwhile, argued she was from postpartum psychosis. aware of her actions and of murder in the killing of the NBC10 report. “If the juror is being ha- Clancy strangled all three their consequences. her three children. The juror, who has not been identified, singlehandedly prevented a unanimous not-guilty verdict in the case, splitting the panel 11-1 on whether to find Clancy not guilty because of mental disease or defect following a seven-week, high-profile trial in a Massachusetts. As a result, the judge U L E YO U R declared a mistrial, and ED With LeafFilter it is still unclear whether Clancy will be retried. I IN SPECT While the holdout has not Heavy Pinecones Acorns identified himself, othleaves Stainless Steel Micromesh ers jurors revealed that he was Black and in his uPVC Frame 30s. Then, NBC10 Boston Pine Seed Storm Custom Fit To Your New or Existing Gutters needles pods debris reported Friday that he was charged in 2021 for allegedly assaulting his EXPIRES: 11/30/2026 AN ADDITIONAL then-wife. His 13-yearold nephew apparently told police he saw the man grab his wife by the throat and throw her into Discount For * the dresser. The charge Seniors + Military was later dismissed, and the couple divorced. Promo: 285 In a social media post on Friday, DeSantis accused the media of launching a *Promotional offer includes 25% off plus an additional 10% off for qualified veterans and/or seniors. Cannot be combined with other offers. See representative for full warranty smear campaign against details. DC 420223000087, AZ ROC 344027, AR 0366920926, CA 1035795, CT HIC.0671520, FL CBC056678, ID RCE-51604, IA C127230, LA 559544, MD MHIC164488, MA 213292, MI 262300331, MI 262300330, MI 262300329, MI 262300328, MI 262300318, MI 262300173, MN IR2025-810524, MT 266192, NE 50145-24, NV 0086990, NJ 13VH13285000, NM the juror. 408693, ND 47304, OR 218294, PA PA179643, RI GC-41354, TN 10981, UT 10783658-5501, VT 174.0000871, VA 2705169445, WA LEAFFLH763PG, WV WV056912, WI 537-DCFRR “A man objected to

Stop cleaning-out your gutters this season

Debris Buildup Stands No Chance N

LOS ANGELES — The U.S. Justice Department failed to secure felony convictions against most of the 102 protesters arrested in four major cities last year on charges of assaulting federal authorities — a record far below the norm in federal assault prosecutions. All of the dozen cases that made it to trial, mostly in Los Angeles, ended in acquittal, mistrial or dismissal. Experts say that’s surprising for a department known for its ability to win at trial. The last three felony assault cases, in Los Angeles and Portland, will go to trial this fall. The dismal record has raised questions about rushed investigations and aggressive charging tactics by prosecutors under pressure to show the Trump administration is cracking down on people who assault law enforcement. It comes as the Justice Department is facing broader setbacks in politically charged investigations, with grand juries repeatedly refusing to return indictments and trial juries granting acquittals. “Prosecutors tend to win because they control what cases they pursue and they have a lot of resources and discretion,” said Mary Fan, a former federal prosecutor and law professor at the University of Washington. The fact that the government failed to win any felony assault convictions at trial calls into question “whether or not these charges should have ever been brought in the ﬁrst place,” she said.

Associated Press

ecutors to lose at trial. In 2024, 82% of defendants charged with felony or misdemeanor assault were convicted at trial or with a plea deal, according to data from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. AP’s analysis found that less than half of the protesters charged for either felony or misdemeanor assault were convicted. In Portland, a jury couldn’t reach agreement on felony assault charges for Oriana Korol, who was playing clarinet in a marching band demonstrating outside the city’s ICE building last October when a scuffle involving officers broke out. Officers pepper sprayed her and pushed her to the ground, where she struck one with her foot, according to court documents. After a mistrial, prosecutors filed a reduced misdemeanor assault charge. She pleaded guilty and was sentenced Sept. 1 to time served and one year of supervised release. Michael Rabbitt was among six co-defendants accused of felony conspiracy to impede a government vehicle from accessing an ICE facility near Chicago last September. The vehicle slowly advanced despite being surrounded by protesters, leading some to put their hands on it, Rabbitt said. After the government dismissed charges against two of the defendants, defense attorneys requested transcripts of the grand jury proceedings that led to the conspiracy indictment. The government eventually dropped the conspiracy charge and proceeded on misdemeanor counts of impeding a federal officer. The judge later reviewed the unredacted transcripts and admonished prosecutors for improper behavior before the grand jury. The charges were dismissed days before trial. Rabbitt said he was proud they fought the charges. “This case was bigger than us,” he said. “I’m proud that we won this case, not just for us, but for protesters across the country.”

SCH

BY JAIMIE DING and CLAIRE RUSH

25% OFF + 10% LeafFilter

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By JAE HONG

Protesters clash with authorities in downtown Los Angeles on June 8, 2025, following an immigration raid protest.

Get a FREE full gutter inspection and estimate: 1-877-582-6101

4A ● Monday, September 14, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

Trump wants Ukraine to halt strikes on diesel sites He says attacks on refineries are causing a global shortage

had broken out at an unspecified “enterprise.” Ukraine also claimed to have hit a major oil refinery in Slavyanskon-Kuban, in Russia’s Krasnodar region near Crimea. The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine agency said its drones struck a key oil processing unit and the refinery’s tank farm overnight into Sunday. Krasnodar authorities said the strike on “an enterprise” in Slavyansk-on-Kuban injured three people and damaged an oil pipeline. Russian forces shot down 389 Ukrainian drones during the night, Russia’s defense ministry said Sunday.

By The Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine — U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to halt strikes on Russian oil reﬁneries and other infrastructure used to produce and distribute diesel, saying the attacks are causing a global shortage. He spoke after diesel prices in the U.S. hit a record on Friday, soaring past $6 a gallon on average. Ukraine has for months been targeting Russia’s oil and gas industry with long-range strikes, prompting fuel rationing across the country and causing Moscow to ban diesel exports in July, removing supplies from the already tight global market. But the global crunch also came after the war on Iran curtailed oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump was asked by a reporter if he had spoken with Zelenskyy following his recent conversation with Russia’s Vladimir Putin. He responded by calling on Zelenskyy to halt strikes against Russia. “Mr. Zelenskyy has to do one thing. He has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia,” Trump told reporters on the sidelines of the Irish Open, which is being played at his Doonbeg golf club. “We spoke to Mr. Zelenskyy about it. There are plenty of other targets. Don’t hit diesel fuel, because that’s hurting, that’s hurting the world,” he said.

PHOTO PROVIDED By UKRAINIAN EMERGENCy SERVICE

Fire engulfs a residential building Saturday following a Russian air attack in Odesa, Ukraine.

lished Friday by the International Energy Agency, net exports of diesel and gasoil from the Gulf countries in August stood at “just over a quarter” of what they were before the war on Iran began in February. “Disruptions to Russia’s reﬁning system and a near-halt to product exports following intensiﬁed Ukrainian attacks have compounded these losses,” the IEA wrote. It added that in February, combined next exports of diesel and gasoil from the Gulf and Russia “accounted for almost 45% of global seaborne trade.” Kyiv says Russia’s oil industry both funds and directly fuels Moscow’s more than four-year-old invasion of Ukraine. Russia has ramped up its air campaign against Ukraine in recent weeks, using ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones Diesel exports from Gulf down to pierce Ukraine’s defenses. According to a report pub- Moscow’s attacks have targeted

Ukraine’s power grid ahead of winter in what officials say is meant to demoralize civilians. Civilians were killed and injured overnight into Sunday as Russia and Ukraine exchanged large-scale drone strikes. Two people were killed and 14 more wounded near an oil and industrial hub in Russia’s Tatarstan, according to local ofﬁcials, while Ukrainian authorities reported on Russian drones pummeling the Black Sea port of Odesa and starting a ﬁre near a border crossing with Poland.

Ukraine targets more oil sites The two Russian civilians died after a drone slammed into a tree near their parked car in the city of Nizhnekamsk, according to the office of regional head Rustam Minnikhanov. Nizhnekamsk houses a key cluster of oil refineries and other industrial plants. Mayor Radmir Belyaev said that a fire

Russia targets Odesa In Ukraine, at least nine people were injured in a “massive” Russian nighttime attack on Odesa, according to Serhii Lysak from the city’s military administration. Odesa is home to Ukraine’s main port hub on the Black Sea and has faced sustained drone and missile strikes, with Kyiv accusing Moscow of trying to choke off its exports. A Russian drone attack on Saturday struck a residential highrise in Odesa, killing two people and injuring 26 others, Ukrainian ofﬁcials said. Russian overnight strikes also pounded western Ukraine, though there were no immediate reports of casualties. One drone set ﬁre to a gas station near the YahodynDorohusk border crossing with Poland, according to Ukraine’s top diplomat and a spokesperson for the local customs force. “This is Putin’s terror ‘knocking’ directly on the doors of the EU and NATO. Russian barbarians are at your gate, dear partners,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X.

Drone hits train near border of Ukraine, Poland

By The Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine — A Russian drone struck a train near the UkrainePoland border on Sunday shortly after senior visiting officials — including the former prime ministers of the U.K. and Sweden — passed through, Ukraine’s state rail operator said. According to Ukrzaliznytsia, a diplomatic train carrying Boris Johnson, Carl Bildt and security advisers from several European Union states had purposely left the station at Yahodyn ahead of schedule. The visitors were on their way back from a security conference in Kyiv. “It is highly probable that the Russian drone‘s intended target was in fact the diplomatic train, which had departed the station earlier than scheduled,” the company said in a Telegram post. Bildt, the former Swedish PM, shared a video on X of the attack at Yahodyn station, near the Yahodyn-Dorohusk border crossing with Poland. “This wasn’t our train, but the one just minutes after us by the Polish border crossing,” Bildt said. “It was evacuated as the Russian drone approached and no one was hurt. Very good safety system. Our train just had an evacuation warning.” Bildt, Johnson and fellow passengers had been in Kyiv for the Yalta European Strategy conference, which is an annual gathering of leaders and experts across politics, business, security and media.

Romania sets world record with miles-long table at fundraiser BY STEPHEN MCGRATH and ANDREEA ALEXANDRU Associated Press

BUCHAREST, Romania — Tens of thousands of people gathered in Romania‘s capital Saturday to sit down at a miles-long table to break a Guinness record and raise money for what organizers said will be the country’s first pediatric psychiatry hospital. The 3.1-mile-long “Uniting Table” was sprawled along Unirii Boulevard to Constitution Square in front of Bucharest’s massive communist-era Palace of Parliament. The Romania-based organizers Bloom The World Association were awarded a certificate by Guinness World Records for the “longest table made from recycled materials.” The event brought together a reported 20,000 people at the many tables, many of which were decorated with flowers and snacks. Joanne Brent, a senior adjudicator and official onscreen judge for Guinness World Records, who joined the Bucharest event, said on stage that it proved that the record-breaking achievement had been put to good use. “Everyone, 20,000 people I am told are here today, have come around one table and a common cause,” she said. “I get to see this often, people coming together, record-breaking achievements with real-world impact.” Money raised from the event will go toward a 42,000-squarefoot children’s psychiatric facil-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ANDREEA ALEXANDRU

A dog stands next to people at a 3.1-mile-long ‘Uniting Table,’ made from recycled materials, during a Guinness World Record event to raise money for a children’s psychiatric facility Saturday in Bucharest, Romania. ity within the Obregia Hospital complex in Bucharest. It is being funded by private donations and sponsorships and will cost an estimated 16.5 million euros, according to the Metropolis Foundation, which is behind the construction project. “It is a project that started from

a real need,” the foundation states on its website. “The current section at Obregia Hospital operates in an old, overcrowded space, which no longer meets the medical and emotional needs of children. … It means the chance to bring closer to reality a hospital that will beneﬁt over 5,700 children facing se-

vere mental illnesses annually.” The foundation says the number of children diagnosed with serious mental disorders, such as depression, behavioral disorders, substance use, autism and ADHD, has “increased alarmingly” in Romania, from 3,839 in 2018 to more than 5,600 in 2024.

The hospital’s current pediatric psychiatry clinic has 62 beds, but wards with many beds that lack their own bathrooms, according to the foundation. It also states that the old facility’s lack of space can make private discussions with patients and their families challenging. The new five-level building will host medical offices, occupational therapy and virtual reality rooms, sensory and educational spaces, dedicated relaxation spaces, as well as a section dedicated to treating addiction among adolescents. “We clearly want as many people as possible to donate (toward) the first psychiatric hospital for children,” said Alexa Vilcan of Bloom the World. The previous Guinness record for the longest table made from recycled materials was also held by Bloom the World, measuring 2,782 meters in Romania’s central town of Alba Iulia, and was recorded on the same date last year. In 2023, Romania had one of the lowest healthcare budgets in the European Union relative to GDP at 5.7%, compared to a bloc average of about 10%, according to the EU’s statistics office, Eurostat. Romania’s Minister of Health Alexandru Rogobete has pledged to support the initiative by supplying the “equipment and furniture necessary” to equip the medical facility, construction for which is scheduled to be completed by 2027. McGrath reported from Leamington Spa, England.

SpaceX sues Texas AG, county Trump says Canada deal is coming ‘fairly soon,’ downplays USMCA exit over public records requests BY ALEXA SHRAKE

Dallas Morning News (TNS) DALLAS — Space Exploration Technologies has filed suit against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Grimes County over a public records request. The suit filed Tuesday before Travis County Judge Aurora Martinez Jones focuses on four Texas Public Information Act requests. SpaceX claims one request was withdrawn before a ruling was issued, and another request did not include any documents regarding the company. SpaceX is seeking declaratory and injunctive relief. The requests allegedly implicating SpaceX’s confidential information were submitted by two requesters, Vanessa Burzynski and Marie Egyed, on behalf of Grimes County Citizens for Responsible Development. The company plans to deploy AI data centers in space. The plan has led SpaceX to expand into advanced semiconductor and AI-hardware manufacturing. In connection with the expansion, SpaceX, in collaboration with Tesla, has proposed its Terafab semiconductor and AI-hardware manufacturing facility at a site in Grimes County.

In May, the company submitted an application for a tax abatement for the facility. SpaceX submitted the application and exchanged confidential term proposals and negotiating correspondence with the county and its counsel and consultants, portions of which were marked confidential, in the course of confidential economic development negotiations. The company’s expectation is that the county would protect information designated as confidential, assert applicable exceptions to its release, and notify SpaceX of any public-information request so that SpaceX could assert its own exceptions. Days after the application was submitted with the county, Burzynski submitted a public records request for the application. A month later, Egyed requested any application submitted by SpaceX, records concerning the proposed reinvestment zone, and communications among the county, its counsel and consultants, and SpaceX. The county didn’t notify SpaceX of the requests until July. The company submitted written objections to the attorney general about releasing its confidential information. The Attorney General issued a ruling that concluded the county must release a public meeting agenda.

BY SKYLAR WOODHOUSE Bloomberg News (TNS)

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump expressed optimism about resolving a trade ﬁght with Canada and downplayed the prospect of quitting a continental trade pact, in a potential sign of deescalating tensions between the two countries. Trump was asked Saturday whether he intended to have the U.S. leave the U.S.Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement during a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in Dublin. “We’re doing great. We’re going to have a great relationship with Mexico. We actually have a good one with Canada,” Trump said. He went on to say that a deal with Canada could come “fairly soon,” but provided no details on whether formal talks between the two economies had resumed. “Canada has to treat our farmers better, and they can’t charge our farmers tariffs. They’re charging our farmers 400% tariffs and many other things, so when those things go away, they’re willing to get rid of it all,” Trump said, adding, “You’ll probably see a deal with Canada fairly soon.” The U.S. and Canada have been locked in a clash that has expanded well beyond

tariffs and that threatens to rupture crossborder supply chains relied on by key industries like auto manufacturing. Talks in August on a broader trade deal collapsed at the last minute, leading Trump to follow through on threats to hit Canada with 50% levies on billions of dollars in goods. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney retaliated with tariffs on Sept. 8, hitting a score of U.S. consumer goods and raising duties on many U.S. steel products to 50% from 25%. Trump, in turn, announced additional counter-measures against Canada, including bans on certain products while expanding duties on others. Carney, however, recently signaled that another round of retaliation was unlikely, saying that the latest U.S. measures against Canada would only have a “modest” effect overall. Trump has repeatedly mocked Canada, threatening to make it a 51st state and deriding its prime minister as just a “governor,” comments that have fueled antiTrump sentiment north of the border and allowed Carney to cast himself as a defender of Canadian sovereignty. As the relationship deteriorated, there were fears that Trump might threaten to withdraw from the USMCA.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Monday, September 14, 2026 ● 5A

lll

Ferry capsizes in Indonesia’s Java Sea; at least 129 missing 6 bodies recovered as rescue operation expanded

The bottom of passenger ferry Virgo Transport 8 is seen above the water after it overturned in bad weather in the Java Sea on Sunday.

BY IMAN SATRIA and NINIEK KARMINI Associated Press

BANJARMASIN, Indonesia — The search is continuing for at least 129 people missing after a ferry overturned in bad weather in Indonesia’ s Java Sea on Sunday. At least 108 people were rescued and the bodies of six passengers were recovered as the search operation expanded around the vessel’s last known position. The ferry, with more than 240 people on board, was traveling from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan province, on Borneo Island, ofﬁcials said. The captain had reported rough seas with waves up to 10 feet be-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By BASARNAS fore issuing a distress call, saying the ship was listing, said I Putu Sudayana, who heads the Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Ofﬁce. Authorities later received information indicating the vessel had overturned. The rescue agency in Banjarmasin said it received a report two hours after contact was lost with the Virgo Transport 8 at about 2 a.m. Sunday.

A rescue ship was headed to the vessel’s last known position, the agency said, and by Sunday afternoon authorities were deploying teams supported by a dozen vessels, including four navy ships, and two helicopters. Initial information indicated the vessel’s last known position was in the Java Sea, about 92 miles from Banjarmasin. The ship’s manifest said it was carrying 243 people —

213 passengers and 30 crew members — although it is common in Indonesia for the number of passengers to differ from the manifest. The vessel was also transporting 89 vehicles. Sudayana, who is coordinating the search, said search teams, assisted by nearby tugboats and other passing vessels, had rescued 107 people and recovered six bodies by Sunday afternoon. The 390-foot Virgo Transport 8 ferry was built in Japan in 1987 and operated there until last year before being sold to the current Indonesian operator, PT Virgo Karya Shipping. Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said aerial searches showed the ferry was ﬂoating upside down and had not sunk. Rescuers were concentrating search efforts around the overturned ferry, he told reporters Sunday. Videos released by the National Search and Rescue Agency on Sunday showed an overturned ferry

CHURCHES

Continued from page 1A

The consultant told the ushers that “they’re the first set of eyes, the front line,” Devall said. And not to feel awkward introducing themselves to the newcomers walking through the doors of the church on busy Metairie Road. The church, and the school next to it, also have multiple video cameras, with signs on site that say, “PROPERTY PROTECTED BY 24 HOUR VIDEO SURVEILLANCE.” “That was $20,000,” Devall said of the cameras and monitors — no small expense for a church. Expenses like that can add up for a congregation of any size or budget. Cameras, usher training, police officers in uniform working security details, even off-duty law enforcement agents sitting in the pews. Across Louisiana, from cathedrals to synagogues to mosques, religious leaders share a common concern: They’re taking more measures than ever to keep worshippers safe. “We used to call it the ‘Jewish tax,’ ” said Rabbi David Cohen-Henriquez, of Metairie’s Shir Chadash Conservative Congregation. “But it’s not just us anymore.” Religious leaders know they walk a fine line. They don’t want to erect walls, figurative or literal, that will keep people away. “Who wants to look like a prison? Safety’s important, but it’s also important not to live in fear,” said the Rev. Bryan Owen, rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Baton Rouge. “You don’t want to cultivate paranoia.”

Security vs. accessibility “There are certain places you can go and let your guard down. Churches are those places, and rightly so,” Devall said. But that accessibility can a l s o l e a v e t h e m v u l n e rable, some clergy members acknowledge. When Katie Klumpp and her family are walking into the 8:15 a.m. Sunday service at St. Timothy on the northshore, a Methodist church with more than 5,000 members, security isn’t usually commanding her thoughts. But it’s always in the back of her mind. “I don’t think that I’m paranoid,” she said. “But I do think about it. My kids are there.”

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

The Rev. Fred Devall, of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Metairie, stands next to a security sign on a wall outside the church. Like places of worship across the state, St. Martin’s utilizes video cameras for added security. Klumpp said she’s never felt unsafe at her church. She sees the Mandeville police ofﬁcer out front directing trafﬁc in and out of the parking lots and “I know they walk around the campus, too.” And, she added, “I know we’ve got some FBI and DEA” agents who are congregants. Mandeville Police Chief Todd Schliem, a former FBI agent, said over the years, he has helped other agents put together church security plans. And those security plans included some attendees who were armed, he said, always with the approval of the church’s pastor. “I wouldn’t say that’s overly common, but it’s not unusual at all,” Schliem said. Researchers with the Violence Prevention Project at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, reported 399 acts of violence at houses of worship across the U.S. from 2000-25. The violence claimed more than 500 lives, the group’s data shows. Louisiana has largely been spared such violent events at houses of worship in recent years, so even the most basic of preventive measures, such as reminding ushers to be alert, can sometimes seem to congregants and visitors like too much

caution. But like attacks on schools, attacks at places of worship have a devastating ability to shake communities to their core. Devall said security moved up the priority ladder for him after a mass shooting during school at a Catholic parish in Minneapolis in August 2025 left two dead and 28 injured, and another mass shooting and ﬁre the next month at a meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, that left four dead and eight injured. A shooting in May at the Islamic Center of San Diego left two community members and a security guard dead; in March, a driver purposely plowed a vehicle into the Temple Israel synagogue near Detroit. Devall said he remembers the wave of arsons at Black churches across the country in 1995-96, including several in Louisiana. He had just joined the staff at St. Luke’s in Baton Rouge and, in his ﬁrst week on the job, was sent to a meeting with agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “That was a scary time,” he said. “These people have been entrusted to my care — I need to keep

‘Cannot happen here’

“It’s sad times we’re living,” Cohen-Henriquez said. Owen, who has been at St. Luke’s since 2013, is overseeing the $12 million construction of a new church on its Goodwood Boulevard campus to replace the one lost in a 2024 fire. Owen said the cause of the fire has been ruled accidental — he is quick to note there is no indication it was deliberately set. Owen said church leaders have talked to architects about decorative fencing around at least part of the site. “But we don’t want it to look like a prison,” he said. And, he added, while steps like fencing and video cameras and security officers can help, “I don’t know that there’s anything you can do that’s going to be absolutely foolproof.” The more effective security blanket for St. Luke’s? “The (Baton Rouge) Police Department is right next door to us,” he said. The Islamic Center of Baton Rouge also relies on its relationship with police, said Emad Nofal, who is chair of the board for the center. “We have cameras all over and contacts with the (Louisiana) State Police. Security is always a concern,” Nofal said. But, he added, “We don’t have a Nofal problem.” The center has two mosques, including one near the LSU campus, that host 500-800 worshippers each week during multiple worship sessions, Nofal said. The Louisiana Legislature passed laws during its most recent session last spring that expanded the definition of “disturbing the peace” to allow for use of force to remove people who protest or disrupt church services. Those laws took effect Aug. 1. Keeping worshippers safe is important. “But I think it’s important not to cultivate suspicion and fear,” Owen said. He quoted from II Timothy 1:7: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind,” Owen said. “I think that’s a lovely verse to hang on to.”

Cohen-Henriquez said the phrase “that cannot happen here” no longer applies, “because it can happen here.” Safety measures at the Metairie synagogue include video cameras, panic buttons and security doors. Off-duty Jefferson Parish sheriff’s deputies, in uniform, are also brought in for services and congregation events, and sometimes only vague details are offered of those events in social media postings, Cohen-Henriquez said. “We have a great police ofﬁcer,” he said of one of the deputies who most often handles the synagogue’s security detail. “He has an eye — we say he has a sixth sense.” Cohen-Henriquez says that sixth sense hasn’t detected any problems or threats in the two years CohenHenriquez has led the congregation. Thankfully, he added. But he lamented the need for dep- Email Bob Warren at bwarren@ theadvocate.com. uties’ presence all the same.

Protection your loved ones deserve ...

GUARANTEED Life Insurance

FUNDING

Continued from page 1A LCG was asked to pay salaries and benefits like medical insurance and retirement for eight deputies, Fontenot said. She said she wanted the Sheriff’s Office to certify that those deputies spend 100% of their time only on maintenance at the five-story jail, not at other facilities operated by the Sheriff’s Office. The administration of Mayor-President Monique Boulet never made a payment toward the maintenance salaries, Mowell said, but sent an intergovernmental agreement instead. The agreement said expenses listed in the document would be the extent of LCG’s obligations to the jail, Benoit said. The Sheriff’s Office started billing LCG, she said, but declined around March to sign the intergovernmental agreement. Sheriff Mark

them safe,” Devall said, noting that he often recalls the Gospel of John, Chapter 10, in which Jesus talks of leading and guarding the ﬂock. “We have to be the shepherds,” Devall said.

ﬂoating in choppy waters during a helicopter search operation. Separate footage captured exhausted survivors disembarking from a rescue ship at a port in Banjarmasin, while injured victims were carried on stretchers before being taken by ambulances to nearby hospitals. Hundreds of relatives gathered at a command center in Banjarmasin’s Trisakti port, awaiting word on family members believed to be aboard the ferry. Many anxiously checked passenger manifests and rescue lists as authorities continued searching for survivors. “I was shocked when I saw my uncle’s name on the passenger list,” said a woman who goes by a single name, Bunga. “But I felt relieved after ofﬁcials told me he had been rescued.” Indonesia is an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands where ferries are a common method of travel. Disasters occur regularly, with weak safety enforcement often blamed.

up to $30,000.00

Modiﬁed Whole Life Insurance from Physicians Life Insurance Company

STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

The Lafayette Parish Correctional Center faces a budget crisis due to a conflict between the Sheriff’s Office and Lafayette Consolidated Government over expenses for jail maintenance staff salaries, leading to additional financial burdens for the Parish Council. Garber didn’t sign the agreement because it exempted LCG from its statutory obligation, Mowell said. LCG started receiving invoices from maintenance businesses for work the jail staff historically completes, Fontenot said. Since April, LCG has paid more than $100,000 for one

business to unclog toilets at the jail, Fontenot said. LCG paid an electrician to change light ballasts and another to change the light in an exit sign. “Meanwhile, they were invoicing us for those maintenance salaries,” she said. Fontenot said LCG has not paid the deputies’ salaries.

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

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

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

 Plus — you’ll also get a FREE

Final Wishes Planner just for calling!

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

6A ● Monday, September 14, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

wanted: 20 people

Limited Time Offer

WE NEED 20 PEOPLE WITH HEARING LOSS TO TRY THE LATEST ADVANCEMENTS IN HEARING AIDS!

Your hearing plays a crucial role in your overall health. Untreated hearing loss can affect communication, conﬁdence, and even long term cognitive well being. That's why we're inviting 20 people to experience the newest breakthroughs in hearing technology - completely risk free. Visit us during our September Special Event and receive these FREE services: FREE Hearing Consultation FREE Video Otoscope Exam - Find out if it's hearing loss or just earwax FREE Clean & Check on your current hearing aids FREE Baseline Audiogram Assessment FREE Familiar Voice Test FREE Demonstration of Audibel's Latest Hearing Technology Try it with zero cost and zero obligation

FREE

Limited Time Offerr

Hearing Consultation

Appointments are first come, first served, and every service is 100% free. Simply call one of our offices to reserve your spot.

Audibel is NOW Offering... Government-Wide Service Benefit Plan Member Name

John Doe

Member R0000000 Rx# RxPCN RxGrp

Enrollment Code R0000000 00/00/0000

0000 0000

a pair of Aris AI Hearing Instruments Offer valid on select in-stock 24 level technology. Exclusions may apply.

Limited Time Offer

Effective Date

0000

• Hearing aids at NO COST to those who qualify!• • That’s Right...No Co-Pay! No Exam Fee! No Adjustment Fee! If you have this card, you may qualify for free hearing aids! Call today to verify your benefits.

$ $1000 OFF

CLEAN & CHECK

If you already have hearing devices, receive a free cleaning & maintenance check.

RECEIVE LAFAYETTE

★ SEPTEMBER 2026

105 Westmark Blvd., Ste. 2

337-205-9576

NEW IBERIA

224 N. Lewis St., Ste. C

337-606-7301

ABBEVILLE

100 S. Louisiana St., Ste. 300

337-516-0050

Complimentary hearing consultations are widely available at no cost.

Amieva, H., Ouvrard, C., Giuloli, C., Meillon C., Rullier, L., & Dartigues, J. F. (2015). Self-reported hearing loss, hearing aids, and cognitive decline in elderly adults: A 25-year study. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2015 Oct;63 (10):2099 – 104. Doi: 10.1111/jgs.13649. 2Rechargeable option not available in all styles. See clinic for details. 1

©2024 Starkey Laboratories, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 4/23 Audibel and Audibel logo are registered trademarks of Starkey Laboratories, Inc. Signature Series is a trademark of Starkey Laboratories, Inc.

UP TO

2000

Toward premium technology when you Trade-In & Trade-Up your old hearing aids. *Offer valid on 24 level technology. Exclusions may apply. Cannot be combined with other offers.

METRO

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

M o n d ay, S e p t e M b e r 14, 2026

1bn

Fields, Carter weigh in on racial shifts

Redistricting could mean fewer Black members of Congress BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

restaurants and grocers accountable for passing off foreign shrimp as local product with a series of recently passed laws. In 2025, a few months after his return to office, Trump also signed an executive order called “Restoring American Seafood

WASHINGTON — Baton Rouge’s Democratic congressman, Cleo Fields, is somewhat sanguine entering the final furlongs of the Nov. 3 congressional midterm races. He knows he is at the center of a legal and political battle that could cause the sharpest Fields decrease in Black representation on Capitol Hill in recent years. But he also hopes for an energization of the African American community that could propel Democratic control of the House. “We’re going to lose some members of Congress,” including himself, Fields said. “But I’m sure the Democrats will win a majority.” About a third of the seats drawn to help elect 61 African Americans to Congress were redrawn because of the April 29 Louisiana v. Callais decision in the U.S. Supreme Court. That ruling allowed Republican-led states to redraw districts that had favored Black candidates, most of whom are Democrats, into ones that are much more conservative and favor Republicans. Fields’ district was at the core of that ruling. He was elected to the House in 2024, only to have a 6-3 Supreme Court find in Callais that his 6th Congressional District was unconstitutionally gerrymandered along racial lines. Many Republicans cheered that decision. “You cannot say that we’re all created equal and that states must treat everyone equal under the law then allow the law to sort people based upon race,” Gov. Jeff Landry told CBS shortly after the decision was rendered. But others argued the ruling overturned decades of civil rights progress. They point out that Black residents compose roughly a third of the Louisiana’s population but, if the November election turns out as anticipated, only one of the state’s six U.S. representatives will be Black. Legislatures in states like Louisiana, Alabama and Tennessee — at the request of President Donald Trump — rushed to redraw election maps to more heavily favor the GOP. In Tennessee, for instance, lawmakers redrew the districts that represent Memphis, which is two-thirds Black, to remove the state’s single Democratic representative and spread the urban population among conservative rural voters. Many Republicans, including the majority on the Supreme Court, have argued it is no longer necessary to draw majority-Black districts to protect the civil rights of Black voters. They argue it violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution to specifically favor any race in drawing electoral maps. Fields disagrees. “You can’t expect a majority White legislature in a Southern state to create lines without some federal legislation saying ‘be fair,’ ” Fields said. “I mean, it’s just unreasonable to expect them to do it because it’s just not going to happen.” All 435 members of the U.S. House are on the ballot Nov. 3. Early voting in Louisiana begins in five weeks, starting Oct. 20 and ending Oct. 27. Republicans hold a 218 to 214 majority in the House, with one

ä See SHRIMPERS, page 4B

ä See SHIFTS, page 4B

PHOTOS By ROBIN MAy

Herb Roe stands next to his design at the Festival Acadians et Creoles poster reveal at the Acadiana Center for the

POSTER PROMENADE

Arts on Saturday.

ABOVE: The Angelle Aces, an ensemble class in the University of Louisiana at Lafayette traditional music program, perform for guests at the poster reveal. LEFT: Poster artist Herb Roe holds his dog Josie.

Louisiana shrimpers want a ‘level playing field’ Campaign includes asking Trump for more foreign restrictions

BY MARGARET KATES

Staff writer

Louisiana shrimpers are organizing a renewed push to pressure the federal government to limit imported seafood they say is threatening their livelihoods — and this time they are hoping the state’s ties to President Donald Trump will help. Tariffs and a federal government move to purchase domestic shrimp have been welcomed by local shrimpers, but they say those measures are not enough. They are even hoping for a meeting with the president so they can explain the dire circumstances they say they are facing, particularly as high fuel prices worsen the situation. Their renewed campaign includes a petition calling on Trump to take stronger action against countries that import massive quantities of shrimp to the United States. A meeting with shrimpers, their families and others in the seafood industry is planned

Friday evening at the St. Bernard Government Complex in Chalmette, where the petition will be circulated. It already includes nearly 2,700 signatures on the Action Network online platform. “We’re not begging for money,” said Acy Cooper, president of the Louisiana Shrimp Association, which includes around 500 members. “We just want a level playing ﬁeld.” Cooper says he also wants to meet with Gov. Jeff Landry and other state ofﬁcials about the issue. “We want to get President Trump to look at our industry,” Cooper said. “We want to have the conversation with him.” Landry’s office and the White House did not respond to requests for comment. Commercial shrimpers around the Gulf Coast have fought for more limits on imported shrimp for decades. They argue that domestic shrimpers cannot compete with the low cost of imported shrimp, which they say reduces demand for their product and keeps shrimp prices low — too low for domestic fishermen to earn a living. Surging diesel prices related to the war with Iran have contributed to the problem, Cooper said,

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Acy Cooper, a third-generation shrimper and Venice native, docks Ms. Marla Kay on March 19, 2021. Louisiana shrimpers are organizing a renewed push to pressure the federal government to limit imported seafood they say is threatening their livelihoods. as shrimpers’ costs keep rising, but shrimp prices don’t. Cooper, who voted for Trump, says he still agrees with the war in Iran. Around 87.2% by volume of the frozen shrimp sold in the U.S. is imported, according to ﬁlings in the U.S. Court of International Trade. Louisiana has sought to hold

2B ● Monday, September 14, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

YOUR VIEWS lll

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

Some buy skyscrapers, while others scrape by

Until voters look past divisions, La. will continue to pay the price In response to Mark Goldstein’s letter, I am baffled by those who remain shocked by the actions of our Republican leadership (“Letters: Voters trusted our elected officials. Then they signed NDA deals behind our backs,” Sept. 7). The real disappointment is how many Louisiana voters continue to cast ballots against their own economic self-interest. As one of the poorest and leasteducated states in the nation, Louisiana relies on $24 billion in federal assistance, which funds 44.3% of our state budget. We are one of the most federally dependent states in the country. Yet, we consistently elect politicians who seek to cut the very benefits our citizens desperately need. The current platform consistently prioritizes big business over average citizens. While everyday people struggle with rising unemployment, soaring grocery prices and high gas costs, wealthy elites thrive. Donald Trump and his family have made millions through questionable foreign deals, while billionaires like Elon Musk cut thousands of jobs yet reap billions from government contracts. Closer to home, our governor championed a controversial, racially fraught redistricting plan. Sadly, a majority of Louisiana citizens will likely continue to vote the same way. I do not believe they are blind to the empty promises. Instead, their motivation is best captured by President Lyndon B. Johnson’s famous 1960 observation: “If you can convince the lowest white man he’s better than the best colored man, he won’t notice you’re picking his pockets. Hell, give him something to look down on, and he’ll empty his pockets for you.” Until we look past these calculated divisions and vote based on our actual needs, Louisiana will continue to pay the price.

KIM MINOR New Orleans

There are oceans yet to be renamed While he’s at it, why doesn’t he just rename the Atlantic as Trump Ocean East, and the Paciﬁc as Trump Ocean West?

HENRY BRADSHER Baton Rouge

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE ARE OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are

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

Although both pieces are probably meant to be sympathetic, I was struck by the juxtaposition of two articles in my morning perusal of the newspaper’s website Sept. 8. First was the description of Gayle Benson’s purchase of her 10th downtown property, probably valued at more than $40 million. Directly under that was a story of many moms who are waiting for childcare assistance, for which they are eligible. One mom who was featured has to borrow to make ends meet, with a $720-per-month childcare bill, even though she is on the honor roll in medical assistant training. This is a painful reminder of income inequality in this country. I realize that curtailing millionaires’ private spending on properties would not ameliorate lagging federal and state childcare assistance programs. However, considering the dire straits in which many of our residents live, it would be more uplifting to develop more public and private efforts to alleviate suffering in our wealthy country.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

Rescue workers continue their search as smoke rises from the rubble of the World Trade Center in New york on Sept. 13, 2001.

Remembering the message of unity 25 years after 9/11

Twenty-five years ago, I was living in Germany. The day after 9/11, a German newspaper ran an article with the headline: “Great God, stand by us — thousands dead in America.” But it was a line within the article that touched me then as much as it still does today. It said, simply: “We are all Americans.” The German nation — indeed, the world — was grieving with us. At the time, I was a flight attendant for American Airlines. It’s been 25 years, all told. And in those years, I flew with so many incredible pilots, mostly former military, all of them steady and strong. But one I never forgot. He talked about the love for his family and country that motivated him as he fought for

both in Vietnam. And when he came home, he ran a farm here — and taught Cambodian immigrants how to grow crops. His name was John Ogonowski. He was the Captain of Flight 11, the ﬁrst plane to hit the World Trade Center. I don’t believe that he went down without a ﬁght. I believe that brave warrior did again what he’d long ago taken an oath to do: He defended his country as best he could against those seeking to do her harm. We still remember those who perished that day, though our current world seems to have a short memory. But 25 years later, we will never forget. We are still all Americans.

MARION FREISTADT New Orleans

Now that big business is welcome in La., let the good times roll

CHRISTY HAIK flight attendant, American Airlines, 1989-2014 Baton Rouge

Happy to see FBI Director Kash Patel come to Louisiana to take advantage of Sportsman’s Paradise (“Kash Patel attends Jeff Landry’s gator hunt, meets with local cops on multiday Louisiana tour”). Elon Musk, Hyundai and others making their way down here is all good news and should be celebrated now that we have a political climate in Louisiana that welcomes business and politics. Let the good times roll.

Dad who bikes, drives wants safety When I’m out in New Orleans at any given time of the day or day of the week, I am a walking on sidewalks or streets, driving a car, taking the bus, streetcar, ferry or riding a bike. Within that, I ride different bikes for different reasons, needs and preferences: a hybrid bike to get around smoother streets and for long rides out on the lakefront or along the levee, a mountain bike for scenic and challenging trail rides or an e-bike to get where I’m going a little more efﬁciently, to reduce using my car for short trips and often to minimize sweaty clothing. As the owner of a Class 2 e-bike, I know the temptation to “lean on” the throttle, which takes me to speeds higher than I’m accustomed to on my other bikes, and which creeps closer to speeds driven by motorists. Similarly, living on the edge of Lakeview

and City Park, I constantly see teens and possibly pre-teens racing up and down Navarre Avenue and Marconi Drive — sometimes in the bike lanes, sometimes not, sometimes going the opposite direction — on e-bikes and e-motos, often without a helmet. As a rider and the parent of a teen who loves to ride his mountain bike, I worry for the safety of the children, of pedestrians, of other bicyclists and even motorists who can often feel blindsided by this activity. Bike Easy, a bicycling education and advocacy nonproﬁt, will host a smart e-biking workshop in New Orleans Sept. 26. I hope my neighbors take advantage of the opportunity and support the city’s efforts to make our streets safer for all users.

BRYAN HALE Metairie

DAVID LEE SIMMONS board member, Bike Easy New Orleans ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

Longtime restaurant closes amid challenges Prominently featured in critically acclaimed series such as Showtime’s “Your Honor” (2020-2023), the New Orleans restaurant Stanley has held the corner of Chartres and St. Ann streets in Jackson Square for decades. Chef Scott Boswell and “hostess with the mostest” Tanya Boswell are a husband-andwife dynamic duo renowned in the French Quarter for offering their gracious hospitality along with generously portioned, homey favorites like grits, old-timey malts, classic poboys and refreshing walking cocktails to friends, neighbors, artists, musicians and tourists alike. No matter who you were when you walked into Stanley, you always walked out feeling like family. They survived Katrina. They survived Rita. But the Boswells could not ride out the storm of changes in the last six years, like the restrictive no-Airbnb policies (2019), new gun laws enacted in 2024 and the terrorist attack in 2025. And they are not alone. Another local fa-

FBI Director Kash Patel

vorite, Justine, shut down in 2025. The Boswells lived down the street from me. They gave everything they had. After 20 years of success in one of the best locations in the French Quarter, it still wasn’t enough. Stanley closing its doors on Labor Day marks the end of an era. The French Quarter will never be the same. And neither will those of us who came to know, love and appreciate Tanya, Scott, their hardworking staff and the warmth and charm their beloved restaurant, Stanley, brought to the French Quarter. The city needs to start paying attention when a place like Stanley closes. It’s a major loss for the community; the Boswells employed locals. New Orleans artists and musicians thrived when parked near Stanley. With the recent study calling for immediate evacuation, businesses are struggling. So are the residents who own them.

State’s payment to Saudi golf investors was misguided Re: Faimon Roberts’ column, “LIV Golf’s bankruptcy is a $1.2 million triple bogey for Louisiana,” Sept. 10. Did Jeff Landry really give a group backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund $1.2 million? The Saudis are responsible for 9/11. What is wrong with him? As suggested by New Orleans resident Bette Perez at a recent community budget meeting, why not “take back all the properties the state owns in the city?” The $1.2 million will never be refunded.

REBECCA HOUSEL New Orleans

CATHY COLE HIGHTOWER New Orleans

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR LOCAL REPORTING

KEVIN HALL

President & Publisher

RENE SANCHEZ

VP/News, Executive Editor

KARYN KEARNEY EVP/Strategic Partnerships

ARNESSA GARRETT Managing Editor/ Opinion

JUSTIN MITCHELL

Managing Editor/ Audience

HANK STUEVER

Managing Editor/ Enterprise

FRED KALMBACH

JENNIFER BROWN

JERRY DICOLO

EMMA DISCHER

Managing Editor

Managing Editor, New Orleans

KRISTIN ASKELSON Managing Editor, Acadiana

BARBARA LEADER Managing Editor, Shreveport

Senior Editor Senior Editor

ANDREA GALLO

ROGER HOLMES

Chief Revenue Ofﬁcer

ASHLEY WHITCHER

VP/ Consumer Sales

JIM MYERS

General Manager/ Advertising

VP/IT

Senior Editor/ Investigations

VP/Finance

JESSICA WILLIAMS

ROBERT STOLL

Senior Editor

CHASE HEATHERLY

Executive VP, Operations

VP/Distribution

KYLE WHITFIELD

GEORGES MEDIA GROUP JOHN D. GEORGES Owner

JUDI TERZOTIS

ROBERT YOUNG

Chief Executive Ofﬁcer

LOU HUDSON

Editorial Page

VP/ Majors & Nationals

DAN SHEA

Chairman

ARNESSA GARRETT STEPHANIE GRACE WILL SUTTON QUIN HILLYER FAIMON ROBERTS

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Monday, September 14, 2026 ● 3B

lll

COMMENTARY Jobs grow for Trump voters A new analysis in The Wall Street Journal offers striking evidence that, for all his problems, President Donald Trump has delivered economic beneﬁts to the voters whose support was the foundation of his victory in 2024. The Wall Street Journal’s headline and story synopsis read: “Americans Without College Degrees Are Having One of the Best Job Markets in Years; Unemployment among younger workers who didn’t go to college has rarely been lower in recent decades. It is the opposite story for college grads.” Byron The article was based York on work done by a think tank called the Burning Glass Institute. Analysts found that “the unemployment rate for workers ages 22 to 34 who never graduated from college” is at one of its lowest points in the last 20 years. Meanwhile, workers with a bachelor’s degree or higher are experiencing greater and greater difﬁculty getting a good job. In the past, analysts noted, the trends for the two groups, degreed and non-degreed, tended to move in the same direction at the same time. Now, they have diverged, with the non-degreed improving and the degreed encountering problems. It’s not that those with college degrees are suddenly at a huge disadvantage compared to those without. A degree still means something. The Wall Street Journal notes that for those workers between ages 25 and 54 who have a college degree, the unemployment rate averaged 2.7% in the last year. For those with some college but no degree, it was 3.6%, and for those with no college at all, it was 4.7%. Now the politics. A key part of Trump’s rise and hold on power has been the support of voters who do not have a college degree. Trump’s success has prompted hundreds of stories on the “educational divide” in politics — how educational status increasingly determines one’s politics. The bottom line of all those stories is that voters without degrees support Trump, and voters with degrees support Trump’s opponents. With Trump, it was a phenomenon that was apparent from the very start of his political career, beginning with

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON

President Donald Trump speaks at the Republican convention on Sept. 9 in Dallas. the Iowa caucuses in January 2016. “Trump overwhelmingly leads rivals in support from less educated Americans,” a headline from PBS reads. Now, years later, in a second presidential term, the essential storyline is this: Candidate appeals to a group. Candidate wins with that group’s support. In ofﬁce, candidate looks after that group. The cornpone version of it is the phrase, “You got to dance with them what brung you.” In this case, Trump got elected on the strength of people without college degrees, and people without college degrees are doing better under his administration. Of course, it’s not that simple. Behind the numbers, there is profound economic and social dislocation. Among the biggest problems is the state of the nation’s colleges and universities, many of which offer a product so insanely expensive that it has set off widespread debate on whether a college education is worth it. Still, the belief in college is so ingrained in the American psyche that schools are turning out more graduates than ever, even as AI replaces some of the work they do. On the other side, people without

college degrees, with lower wages, are struggling to pay the same high prices for groceries, gas and other necessities as those with degrees. That has led to Trump’s approval rating falling into negative territory with the noncollege voters who elected him. Looking at the details inside a Fox News poll from the summer, the president was underwater with voters who might be expected to be with him. With White voters who do not have a college degree, Trump was at 43% approval, 57% disapproval. That is essentially the opposite result of the 2024 exit polls. It will also probably mean defeat for Republicans trying to keep control of the House in November’s midterm elections. Nevertheless, on one of the most basic measures of economic health — having a job — the prospects of those without a college degree are improving under the president they supported. And that has likely created a stable core of support for Trump in what could be a very bumpy second half of his term. Byron York is on X, @Bryon York.

Democrats try to brush aside ‘Woke 1’ “’Woke 1’ was crazy.” So said Rep. Al- ing police were immediately followed by a sharp spike upward in violent exandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, on ABC News’ “This Week” last month. crime. Liberals have characterized that spike as a response to COVID-19, but She said she was quoting New York charts compiled by writer Steve Sailer City Councilman Chi Osse, whom The make it clear that the spike began not New York Times characterizes as “far with the lockdowns but with the riots left.” This was where Ocasio-Cortez seemed to be located on the ideological and Woke 1 depolicing. At the same time, the lockspectrum after her surprise defeat of House Democratic downs, enforced with Woke leadership member Joseph 1 censoriousness, were causCrowley in the 2018 Democrating not just economic damage but also long-lasting harm to ic primary. children who were kept out of At that time, she was a teacher union-run schools long 28-year-old former waitress Michael after it was clear children were and organizer for Sen. Bernie Barone not vectors of the virus. Sanders’, I-Vt., 2016 presidenNow there are numerous signs tial campaign. Today, a decade that the nation is putting Woke 1 so far later, she’s a nationally known ﬁgure in the rearview mirror as to be invisoften mentioned as a presidential candidate. In polls for the 2028 nomination, ible and has little appetite for Woke 2. she ranks fourth in the RealClearPoliItems include: n The lack of visible vehement tics average, behind 2024 nominee and former Vice President Kamala Harris, protests at the elimination of DEI proGov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., and grams, racial quotas and preferences, former Transportation Secretary Pete in federal regulations, in many state Buttigieg, and Polymarket places her and local governments, and even in odds of winning as better than any of their strongholds in the universities. theirs. You hear grumbling about the Supreme As a possible national candidate, Court’s 2023 ruling in Students for Fair Ocasio-Cortez obviously has a motive Admissions v. Harvard, but nothing to brush aside, as she did with a charm- like the politically charged attacks on ingly self-deprecatory laugh, the exotic its 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade. positions she and other Democrats took There’s covert opposition and attempts to retain DEI under different labels, on issues, particularly after the death but you don’t hear Democratic candiof George Floyd in May 2020 and the ensuing multicity violent rioting. dates talking about the issue. n Similarly, there’s a dog-who-didn’tThey included demands to “defund the police” or even abolish police debark response to the Trump adminispartments, to step up the already intration’s effective shutdown of illegal stitutionalized demands for “diversity, immigration on the southern border. Missing from the political dialogue equity and inclusion” hiring, and prohave been media stories about the motions in bureaucracies, public and asylum-seekers who are obliged now private, for racial reparations. These weren’t just words: Cities such as New to pursue their claims not from someYork, San Francisco, Chicago and Min- where in the continental United States but from a not particularly helpful or neapolis did hustle to partially defund sympathetic Mexico or somewhere their police departments. even more distant. The Floyd riots and calls for defund-

n Violent crime rates seem sharply down. After the Floyd riots, homicides rose even more in 2021 and seemed on a trajectory to reverse all the enormous progress in crime reduction accomplished since the reforms pioneered by former Mayor Rudy Giuliani in New York in the 1990s. Homicides declined in 2025 to below the lowest numbers of the post-Giuliani years, and the FBI reported that violent crime dropped 9.3%, the biggest drop since 1936. n For 2026, statistics aren’t fully available, but there are starkly lower rates of violent crime in New York, and Baltimore has seen a huge drop in homicides in the 2020s. Why the huge drop in violent crime? No one is sure, but it comes as Democratic politicians are hastening to assure us that they never actually really wanted to abolish the police and the prisons when they were saying so back in Woke 1. Against this evidence of the discrediting of Woke 1 come recent victories and near victories of members of or sympathizers with the Democratic Socialists of America, whose platform calls for the abolition of police and prisons. Those candidates have been emphasizing economic issues, however, which pass muster in Democratic primaries but may not in general electorates in states such as Michigan. What is not apparent in the political landscape is nostalgia for Woke 1 police defundingor for a revival of the Biden administration’s open-borders immigration policy. Democrats may be able to capitalize on the current Trump slump this year. But for 2028, they may not be able to dismiss questions about Woke 1, and Woke 2, as ﬂippantly as Ocasio-Cortez tried to do last month.

Michael Barone is on X, @MichaelBarone.

What if factories had gotten the data center treatment?

When American manufacturing was truly coming into its own in the early 20th century, workers sometimes labored 12-hour days seven days a week and risked life and limb working near dangerous machinery, while factories blackened the skies of American cities. Yet some of the same people who insist that we need to reindustrialize to return to a version of those halcyon days can’t bear the thought of the construction of industrial-scale computing facilities. They complain that data centers are unsightly and use lots of energy and water. But what do they Rich think major factories are like? Lowry If today’s standards applied, we almost certainly never would have built manufacturing facilities at scale. Industrial buildings look pretty in Edward Hopper cityscapes and, say, the Ford Motor Company’s River Rouge complex had a certain majesty. Otherwise, factories were generally closer to William Blake’s dark satanic mills than anything the average local zoning commission would want in the neighborhood. No one ever said, “God, that smokestack looks gorgeous — I wish I lived closer to it!” Data centers have caused outrage because they look like big warehouses, but imagine the reaction if they spewed soot over streets and houses, created slag heaps, divided neighborhoods with rail lines and other supporting infrastructure, and packed workers into nearby subpar housing. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez thought she had a trump card in the anti-data center case when she brandished two jars of dirty water from a house near a data center (the house’s well was perhaps disturbed during construction). That’s nothing compared to the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland repeatedly catching ﬁre from 1868 to 1969. These sorts of phenomena were alleviated in the postwar years. Still, even then, factories inevitably were ugly, resource-intensive and hazardous compared to other worksites. If we can’t tolerate operations using prodigious amounts of water and energy — key inputs of the Industrial Revolution — we never could have had, for instance, integrated steel mills, sucking up an unbelievable amount of water and accounting for something like 5% of the entire country’s energy usage. Paper mills would have been a non-starter. Aluminum smelters, the largest of which used as much electricity as a city? Forget about it. Chemical plants? Oil reﬁneries? No way. We hear much about the arrogance of the titans of Big Tech and how it explains opposition to data centers. How does their high-handedness compare to that of the industrial titans of yore? Well, we haven’t witnessed any tech companies locking out the workers building their data centers, then sending in Pinkerton guards for a gunbattle with the electricians and plumbers. That would be what Carnegie Steel did during the 1892 Homestead Strike near Pittsburgh. Now data centers don’t provide the regular employment of old-school factories. The bluecollar workforce needed to build and maintain them is substantial, though, and driving up wages in exactly the fashion everyone has long said they wanted. It is a symptom of the perversity of the current moment that we’ve imposed huge tariffs on the rest of the world in order to — at the margins and perhaps only in theory — create more blue-collar jobs at the same time we are preparing to turn our backs on private-industry-driven investments to make such jobs more lucrative and plentiful. If the tariffs are tinged by nostalgia, the data centers are meant to power the next wave of innovation. One of the advantages of the mass manufacturing revolution was that it occurred at the technological and economic frontier, where large-scale productivity gains and national power are forged. The AI revolution is at the frontier now, and it should be considered a minor miracle that a phenomenon all about computing power is driving a blue-collar construction boom. What’s not to like? We never would have become the country we are today if the response to the physical assets necessary for economic growth and good bluecollar work had been “Not in my backyard — or anywhere else.” Rich Lowry is on X, @RichLowry.

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

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

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCAN HERE

4B ● Monday, September 14, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

Louisiana native wins ‘Project Runway’ Season 22 Jude Mikulencak described as a ‘visionary’

BY VIOLET BUCARO Staff writer

An elegantly dressed crowd, Madonna’s “Vogue” and a large projection screen helped hype up the crowd of more than 100 gathered at The Broadside on Thursday night to watch the ﬁnale of Disney’s “Project Runway.” But the excitement shifted from nail-biting silence to roaring applause and Champagne toasts when hometown designer Jude Mikulencak

SHIFTS

Continued from page 1B independent and two vacancies — meaning that, depending on who shows up, House Speaker Mike Johnson can’t lose the support of more than two Republicans to pass legislation. Most House incumbents will have an easy path to victory, but a handful of seats are in play and will decide if Republicans continue to hold the majority as they have since 2022. Johnson, R-Benton, has repeatedly predicted, as recently as Thursday night, that Republicans are going to easily maintain the majority after the votes are counted. But Democrats say they are conﬁdent they can win a majority. And U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, a New Orleans Democrat who is running to lead the inﬂuential Congressional Black Caucus, doesn’t concede the premise that Black representation in Congress will decline. “While redistricting may cost Black representation in some districts, we have also seen African American candidates win open seats and build multiracial coalitions in districts once represented by White members,” Carter said.

was named the Season 22 winner for his five-piece capsule collection. “When his fifth (look) came out, the red outfit, I was like, ‘This is over.’ He just buried everything with that last look,” said his father, Duane Mikulencak. “This is where his art was born, and to have such a crowd come out tonight and see that is just amazing.” Jude Mikulencak graduated from The Willow High School’s specialized arts program and now works as a designer for the bespoke tailor shop Robinson Brooklyn. He makes custom coats, women’s dresses and suits for New Yorkers and his per-

sonal clients, using a unique background in ﬁne tailoring and century-old hand-sewing techniques. Winning the world-famous reality TV show has earned him a $200,000 cash prize, a feature in fashion magazine Elle and mentorship with the Council of Fashion Designers of America. This season had the most contestants ever, with 22 international designers, who were evaluated by judges that included Law Roach, Tyra Banks and Nina Garcia along with host Heidi Klum and mentor Christian Siriano. “What really sets Jude’s stuff apart, and I’m sure this

is true for the judges, is when you see the models walking with Jude’s clothes; his clothes are alive. They are moving and they are flowing,” Duane Mikulencak said. Kate Adair, who was at the watch party, said Jude Mikulencak’s androgynous style and the movement of his fabrics make him stand out, describing him as a “visionary.” “I find that his design is very friendly for people who struggle with gender. It skirts this beautiful line between feminine and masculine. The feminine designs never feel weak, there’s just, like, a fierceness to them,” Adair said. “When they said he’s the next Yves Saint Lau-

rent, I believe it,” she said, referring to fashion designer Sergio Hudson’s remark on the show. Mikulencak custom-tailored a wedding party suit for his friend Rex Collins this year: a brown suit with flared trousers and Jude’s signature wide collar. Collins said he was fortunate to get an original piece at the right time, before the line of customers gets too long. “I was just so impressed by Jude’s craftsmanship and taste and execution throughout the whole season,” Collins said. William Smith, a childhood friend, said he remembers watching Mikulencak dedi-

cated to the craft from a young age. “We used to run around as kids in his house with his brothers, and Jude would be at the back, at the table in the kitchen working on a sewing machine,” Smith said. “I never would have guessed that it would have led to this, but it’s amazing.” One of Mikulencak’s final remarks on the show: “I promise you, I will be making clothes until the day I die.” At the end of The Broadside party, Mikulencak sent in a video thanking his friends, family and those from The Willow High School for supporting him.

“Whatever the ﬁnal number, let me be abundantly clear: The Congressional Black Caucus will remain strong, united, and relentless in ﬁghting for policies that uplift our communities and protect every Americans’ voice to participate equitably in our democracy.” Both CartCarter er and Fields say they’re recommending voters base their decisions on party and candidate rather than race — even if it means fewer African Americans in Congress. The 119th Congress has 61 African American House members, 57 of whom are Democrats, and six senators. In 1965, after the Voting Rights Act was passed, the House had six Black members, none in the Senate. In the mid-1980s, 21 House members were Black — and there were still no African Americans in the Senate. While the Callais decision may have changed the maps, it has also inspired turnout, some Democrats argue. “Our African-American voters, without question, are clearly more motivated,” said Randal Gaines, a LaPlace attorney and chair of the

Louisiana Democratic Party. “They see the decision in the Callais case as a direct, frontal attack on African American voting rights — constitutionally protected rights for all citizens that were won with great suffering and sacriﬁces by many of ancestors and foreparents. They take it very seriously.” Coming out of the Civil War, Whites in the South threw up legal hurdles, such as poll taxes and registration tests, to keep Black voters from participating in elections. For a century, until the Voting Rights Act was passed, African Americans were effectively disenfranchised, Gaines said. “If you look at those conditions for Black Americans during that time, it’s clearly the fact that, because of the pervasive discrimination they had in this country. You did not have White leaders representing the interests of Black Americans,” he said. The Democratic Party is holding town halls and grassroots events educating voters on Callais and what it means. So is the Power Coalition, a progressive grassroots organization based in New Orleans. “We’ve done 23 road shows,” said Ashley Shelton, who heads the Power Coalition. “We’re talking to folks

about not only what happened in the Supreme Court, but also what happened in our Legislature.” Voter apathy is high in Louisiana, particularly among African Americans, Shelton said. But she argues that’s because state legislators and leadership have spent decades minimizing Black political power. “This is a large swath of our community that is losing its ability to effectively be able to elect candidates of choice,” Shelton said. “The only response to the gutting of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act is for Black voters to show up and walk in their full agency and power as voters.” Black voters in Louisiana have about half the numbers of White Republicans and tend show up at the polls less often, according to the statistics compiled by the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Ofﬁce. For instance, in the June 27 runoff for the U.S. Senate race, only 14.5% of the state’s 926,806 Black voters participated, compared with 17.4% of the state’s 1.8 million qualiﬁed White voters. So an increased showing of African American voters likely will boost overall

numbers, but it likely won’t be enough to change the outcomes in a state as red as Louisiana — regardless of how motivated Democrats are compared to Republicans, said Pearson Cross, director of the School of Behavioral and Social Sciences at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, where he teaches Louisiana and American politics. At a national level, however, some Democrats see reason for optimism. For example, a record number of Black major party candidates are running for governor. Only three African Americans have been elected to run a state and only one, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, now holds the powerful chief executive position that shapes policy and daily practice for education, healthcare, economic development and other services. Twenty-seven Black women serve as representatives in 119th Congress — but 44 African American women are on the ballots in November, Donna Brazile pointed out in an op-ed for The Hill, a political trade publication that focuses on Congress. “It’s a sign our country is overcoming centuries of racism and sexism to take

advantage of everyone’s talents,” wrote Brazile, a New Orleans native who once chaired the national Democratic Party. The Black women “who get elected will make America even greater than it already is because our nation’s diversity enables all types of people to combine their differing knowledge, experiences and perspectives to work together to build a better future,” Brazile wrote.

LOTTERY

SATURDAY, SEPT. 12, 2026 PICK 3: 7-6-2 PICK 4: 6-3-3-5 PICK 5: 0-3-8-1-4 EASY 5: 6-9-16-28-37 LOTTO: 6-7-15-22-24-26 POWERBALL: 14-16-2358-69 (3)

Unofficial notification, keep your tickets.

Funerals Today Blackshear, Marion

Southwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery in Jennings, LA at 10am.

Rickey, Libby

Asbury United Methodist Church, Lafayette at Noon.

.theacadianaadvocate.com Public 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 --PUBLIC NOTICE

Employment COMMUNICATIONS Positions Available:

STAFF FILE PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Acy Cooper Jr., center, director of the Louisiana Shrimp Association, talks with shrimpers Louie Barthelemy, 69, left, and Rondey Andry, 41, in Buras on Dec. 4, 2024. Tariffs and a federal government move to purchase domestic shrimp have been welcomed by local shrimpers, but they say those measures are not enough.

SHRIMPERS

Continued from page 1B Competitiveness,” which directed the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to create an “America First Seafood Strategy.” The shrimp association supports that strategy, the petition said, but more needs to be done. The six demands in its petition include import restrictions, more aggressive enforcement of trade laws and assistance for shrimpers harmed by imports. There has been some action at the federal level to protect the domestic shrimp industry. In August, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it would purchase $20 million of wildcaught shrimp for its nutrition assistance programs. And on Sept. 4, the U.S. Court of International Trade rejected a trio of appeals from seafood industry groups in three countries, leaving duties on imported shrimp from those countries in place. The three countries represented — India, Viet-

nam and Ecuador — argued their import businesses were not the cause of “material injury” to the domestic seafood industry. Two bills that aim to help domestic shrimpers passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support. The “Save Our Shrimpers Act” and the “Destruction of Hazardous Imports Act” are awaiting consideration in the U.S. Senate.

Vital part

Trump to hear the shrimpers’ concerns. A spokesperson for U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, said he “recently secured House passage of legislation to prohibit government funding for overseas shrimp companies and allow the destruction of contaminated imports, both of which prevent unsafe foreign shrimp from entering the U.S. market.” “Congressman Scalise has consistently fought for Louisiana shrimpers who work hard to provide their worldclass, Gulf-caught product in a safe and sustainable way,” said the spokesperson, Olivia Morgan. Cooper said the domestic shrimping industry isn’t sustainable right now, but he also said it can recover. “Younger generations aren’t getting into (the industry) because they see the struggle of the older men,” Cooper said. “I believe we can get it back. We can make this thing drive again.”

U.S. Reps. Julia Letlow, R-Baton Rouge, and Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, cosponsored both bills. Carter said he was supportive of the shrimp association’s request to meet with Trump. “Our fishermen play a crucial role in Louisiana — providing jobs, supporting coastal communities and ensuring a reliable domestic seafood supply — and as public ofﬁcials, we have a duty to protect this vital part of our state’s economy and culture,” Carter said in an email. Cooper said top Louisiana Republicans’ close ties Email Margaret Kates to the president make him at margaret.kates@ optimistic about getting theadvocate.com.

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

The City of Youngsville, in accordance with Na‐ tional Flood Insurance regulation Program 65.7(b)(1), hereby gives notice of the City of Youngsville’s intent to re‐ vise the flood hazard in‐ formation, generally lo‐ cated between Coulee LaSalle’s floodway ex‐ tents. Specifically, the flood hazard information will be revised along Coulee LaSalle from a point located approxi‐ mately West of U.S. High‐ way 90 to a point located approximately East of the intersection of For‐ tune Road and Louisiana Highway 89. As a result of the revision, the flood‐ way will narrow and be established, the 1-per‐ centannual-chance water-surface elevations shall decrease, and the 1-percent-annual-chance floodplain will narrow within the area of revi‐ sion. Maps and detailed analysis of the revision can be reviewed at the City Hall of Youngsville located at 201 Iberia Street, Youngsville, LA 70592. Interested persons may call Mrs. Kayla Lemke at 337-856-4181 for information additional from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. 200637 Sept. 14 1t $37.55

Pets

PUBLIC NOTICE --PUBLIC NOTICE

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

7 DAYS A WEEK

SUBSCRIBE TODAY

The City of Youngsville, in accordance with Na‐ tional Flood Insurance regulation Program 65.7(b)(1), hereby gives notice of the City of Youngsville’s intent to re‐ vise the flood hazard in‐ formation, generally lo‐ cated between Bayou Parc Perdue floodway ex‐ tents. Specifically, the flood hazard information will be revised along Bayou Parc Perdue from a point located approxi‐ mately one mile South of Chemin Agreable to a point located approxi‐ mately West of the inter‐ section of Fortune Road and Louisiana Highway 89. As a result of the revi‐ sion, the floodway will narrow and be estab‐ lished, the 1-percentan‐ nual-chance water-sur‐ face elevations shall de‐ crease, and the 1-per‐ cent-annual-chance floodplain will narrow within the area of revi‐ sion. Maps and detailed analysis of the revision can be reviewed at the City Hall of Youngsville located at 201 Iberia Street, Youngsville, LA 70592. Interested persons may call Mrs. Kayla Lemke at 337-856-4181 for information additional from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. 200632 Sept. 14 1t $37.80

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

/s/Francis Touchet, Jr. Francis Touchet, Jr. Secretary-Treasurer

PUBLIC NOTICE --Lafayette Parish School System - Public Meeting Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) Minutes September 9, 2026 at 2:00 PM 202 Rue Iberville, Board‐ room, Lafayette, LA 70508 Meeting began at 2:00 PM. 1. ROLL CALL 1.1 Roll Call Committee Members Present: Max Fontenot (Lafayette Parish School System-Owner Represen‐ tative); Chad Abell (AQ Studios-Architect); Sam Viator (Castle Row Con‐ struction-Mechanical En‐ Jimmy Ricks gineer); Engineers (Southeast and Land Surveyors-Prin‐ Engineer); and cipal Kevin Gossen (Gossen Architects-Architect) LPSS Staff Present: Joshua Fontenot, Darren Hughes, Jamie Barnett, Sam, Francis Kristie Touchet, Jr., Dr. Mark Ra‐ balais and Christi Guidry 2. AGENDA 2.1 Construction Man‐ ager at Risk (CMAR) Se‐ lection Committee Public Briefing and Training Mr. Joshua Fontenot, Ex‐ ecutive Director of Facil‐ ity Planning & Mainte‐ nance, provided a brief‐ ing and training to com‐ mittee members for the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) selection for the Ovey Comeaux Work‐ force Innovation Acad‐ emy. Mr. Fontenot did all members confirm have signed the ethics statements. Committee members were informed this project is a $40 mil‐ lion project with demoli‐ tion beginning November 1, 2026. Estimated com‐ pletion date for the Ovey Comeaux Workforce In‐ novation Academy is June/July 2028. The mini‐ mum requirements along with the scoring and ranking process for the proposers were also re‐ viewed with committee by Mr. members Committee Fontenot. members were informed they will interview the proposers at the Septem‐ ber 15, 2026 public meet‐ ing. Once interviews are completed, the scoring process will take place in executive session. The committee will choose the top three firms to ad‐ vance to the September 25, 2026 public meeting for public interviews, final ranking and recom‐ mendation to the Board. In closing, Mr. Fontenot indicated the committee attendance and quorum have been documented, the required ethics docu‐ mentation has been con‐ firmed and no conflict re‐ quiring action has been identified. 3. ADJOURN 3.1 Adjourn Meeting There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 2:26 PM.

/s/Joshua Fontenot Joshua Fontenot Executive Director of Facility Planning & Maintenance ccg 200495 Sept. 14 1t $41.19

Public Notices Successions

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

Reporting you can trust on stories that matter

SUBSCRIBE TODAY PRINT ADVERTISING WORKS

OFFICIAL NEWS PARTNER OF THE LOUISIANA RAGIN’ CAJUNS

SPORTS

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

M o n d ay, S e p t e M b e r 14, 2026

1Cn

2026 SEASON OPENER

LIONS

SAINTS

HEARTBREAKER RECORD: 0-1 UP NEXT: AT RAVENS, NOON SUNDAy, CBS

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By PAUL SANCyA

Saints wide receiver Chris Olave can’t hold on to a pass as he is defended by Detroit Lions cornerback Avonte Maddox in the first half on Sunday in Detroit. The Saints lost their season opener 31-30 in an overtime thriller.

Saints nearly pull off an improbable comeback in overtime loss to Lions BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

DETROIT — Chase Young was in disbelief. The New Orleans Saints pass rusher couldn’t believe the explanation he and the rest of his teammates were hearing. After recording what clearly appeared to be a sack fumble, and after safety Jonas Sanker celebrated what he thought was a touchdown, Young heard the ofﬁcials overturn the initial call on the ﬁeld. Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff, even though his arm did not go forward, had “intent” to throw the ball forward. And that, based on an obscure, littleknown rule, was enough to take the score away. Just like that, there was no touchdown. No momentum-changing play that had put the Saints in a position to tie the game. But Tyler Shough and the Saints, it turns out, had a different intent. They were there to give everything they had.

The Saints nearly pulled a stunning, come-frombehind victory, only to come up short in a 31-30 overtime loss to the Detroit Lions. Shough’s pass intended for rookie Bryce Lance was broken up in the end zone on the Saints’ two-point attempt. New Orleans had tried for the win, a more defensible position given the twists and turns that had transpired. The Saints faced a 21-0 deficit before finally finding a rhythm midway through the third quarter. Shough, after a horrid start that included back-to-back turnovers to begin the second half, woke up. He completed 14 of his next 18 passes to get the Saints right back in it, leading to 17 unanswered points. And that was only a preview of what was to come. Shough finished the afternoon with 410 yards on 35of-56 passing — a remarkable turnaround from the 10-for-22 for 85 yards statline he put up at halftime. The second-year quarterback rallied the Saints to tie it in regulation and then found Noah Fant in the end

zone for an overtime score. Sunday went hardly how anyone could predict. The Saints made a laundry list of moves in the offseason, and almost all of them were meant to upgrade the offense. In free agency, the Saints not only signed running back Travis Etienne to a four-year, $48 million contract, but they also gave guard David Edwards a four-year, $61 million deal to boost their rushing attack. Then, a month later, the Saints drafted three wide receivers — including Jordyn Tyson with the eighth overall pick. New Orleans even locked up their star wide receiver — Chris Olave — to a four-year, $133 million contract, days into training camp. The moves were supposed to put Shough, a ﬁnalist last season for Offensive Rookie of the Year votes, in a position to take off in Year 2. But they didn’t pay off right away. Far from it.

ä See SAINTS, page 3C

2C ● Monday, September 14, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS On TV

MLB 6:40 p.m. Atlanta at Chicago Cubs 9:30 p.m. Miami at Arizona (JIP)

MLBN MLBN

COLLEGE GOLF Jackson T. Stephens Cup NFL 7:15 p.m. Denver at Kansas City 4 p.m.

IN BRIEF

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

Golf

2 p.m.

ABC

11 a.m.

MEN’S SOCCER Newcastle United at Leeds USA TENNIS WTA: Guadalajara, Sao Paulo Tennis

Sizing up Tigers ahead of Ole Miss BY JON BLAU

Staff writer

Ready or not, Ole Miss week has arrived on LSU’s schedule. While a pair of wins over Clemson and Louisiana Tech can’t be considered a statistically trustworthy sample, there are signs Lane Kifﬁn has assembled a team capable of walking into his former stomping grounds and achieving a signature win. There have also been moments, particularly in an uneven performance against Louisiana Tech, where No. 7 LSU’s ﬂaws were on display for new Rebels head coach Pete Golding and his compatriots to potentially exploit. Where does LSU stand ahead of an SEC opener of top-10 teams? Here’s a look at the Tigers’ apparent strengths, weaknesses and question marks before they hit the road for Oxford, Mississippi.

NEW YORK — Alexander Zverev’s best year in tennis goes on, and so does that lengthy Grand Slam drought for American men. Zverev won his second major championship and disappointed a crowd that was desperate to see the first Grand Slam title by an American man since 2003, beating Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2 on Sunday in the U.S. Open final. The No. 1 seed in a Grand Slam for the first time, he capitalized on Shelton’s shaky start in his first major final, played a nearly flawless tiebreaker on serve and then turned back Shelton’s comeback attempt in front of a crowd that desperately cheered him on. Shelton was trying to win the first title by an American man since Andy Roddick won in Flushing Meadows in 2003, as well as become the first Black player to win the men’s crown since Arthur Ashe in 1968.

U.S. wins fifth straight women’s FIBA World Cup

A front 4 that harasses QBs It’s doubtful Clemson and Louisiana Tech will rank as the best offensive lines LSU squared off against this season. It’s possible they could be near the bottom of the list. But even if the turnstiles in front of edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen turn into gator-filled moats, he appears to have the athleticism to find a way around. Umanmielen’s closing speed was uncommon in a three-sack performance against Louisiana Tech, bringing his season sack total to five. That’s more takedowns than LSU’s top producer last season, Harold Perkins, who had four sacks in 12 contests. Jordan Ross has more tackles for loss (four) in two games at LSU than he had in 11 games at Tennessee last season. He has tied last season’s total in sacks with 1.5. As a team, 10 of the Tigers’ 12 sacks are from defensive linemen, including the first two of freshman defensive tackle Deuce Geralds’ career on Saturday. That’s just over 83 percent of LSU’s sacks emanating from the front four. Last year, 16 of the Tigers’ 27 sacks — or just over 59 percent — were by the D-Line. Blake Baker had to blitz to generate pressure, which isn’t ideal against Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who either gets the ball out quick or extends plays with his legs. The more bodies LSU can drop into passing lanes, the better.

Zverev beats Shelton to win U.S. Open men’s title

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU tight end Trey’Dez Green, right, tries to grab a high pass against Louisiana Tech in the fourth quarter on Saturday at Tiger Stadium. LSU’s 23 TFLs are also forcing offenses into obvious passing downs, which should allow Umanmielen, the Ole Miss transfer, to pin his ears back in his return to Oxford.

Green’s breakout season When LSU tight end Trey’Dez Green was voted a preseason AllAmerican and handed the program’s No. 7 jersey, it was based more on potential than production. Green had his moments as a sophomore, but his 433 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games weren’t particularly dominant. Through two contests, the 6-foot-7, 237-pound junior has more than doubled his yards per game, from 39.4 last year to 81 this year. In his six-catch, 104yard performance against Louisiana Tech, Green was not only productive but clutch. During one second-quarter drive, Green had a 15-yard catch on a third-and-13, a 24-yard reception on ﬁrst-and-20 and a 15-yard snag on third-and-17 that set up a manageable fourth-down conversion. Later in the game, he hauled in a 23-yarder on second-and-18 and a touchdown grab on third-andgoal.

Kiffin even lined Green up in the backfield, letting him take direct snaps to drive and stretch for first downs on a pair of third-and-1s. It’s just two games, but everything Green has shown to this point affirms why he is wearing LSU’s No. 7 jersey. He’s a playmaker.

Running game isn’t a sure thing

pace in Oxford.

Leavitt’s decision-making The only risky decisions Sam Leavitt made in the Clemson opener were balls-to-the-wall scrambles where he could have preserved his body better for a long season. The second game tossed in some head-scratching throws, which could shorten the length of said season if they aren’t rooted out quickly. The worst was a third-and-8 where Leavitt tried to force it to Winston Watkins in the end zone, but a safety was sitting in his throwing window, tipped it up, and it was picked. Leavitt also completely overthrew Green on his ﬁrst interception, and there was a disconnect with Jackson Harris on a slant at the goal line that led to his third, which was more about the route’s depth and timing than Leavitt’s choice of target. He finished with 344 passing yards and two TDs, but it’s unlikely Leavitt can throw three picks and beat Ole Miss. He has to consistently make sound decisions if LSU is going to improve to 3-0.

Leavitt, Dilin Jones and the rest ran all over Clemson for 309 rushing yards, which was extremely notable following a season where LSU ranked last in the SEC with just 104 rushing yards per contest. LSU’s 147 ground yards versus Louisiana Tech, however, was a reversion to the mean. Especially the 44 yards LSU produced on 23 first-half carries. Kiffin is committed to running the ball, but the Tigers’ offensive line was overwhelmed by Louisiana Tech’s run blitzes. Negative runs are inevitable when a defense overloads a gap as the Bulldogs did, but nearly a quarter of the Tigers’ rushes, 10, were stopped for no gain or a loss Saturday. That’s a few too many. For certain, Golding will be on the attack. LSU can’t find itself behind the chains as often as it was Email Jon Blau at jon.blau@ this past Saturday and easily keep theadvocate.com

BERLIN — Breanna Stewart and the U.S. faced a stiff challenge from France before dominating in the second half to win its fifth consecutive women’s FIBA World Cup. The 97-79 victory extended the Americans’ streak to 36 straight World Cup wins, dating to the semifinals of the 2006 World Cup, where they lost to Russia. The U.S. improved to 9-0 in gold-medal games since finishing second in 1983 to the Soviet Union. Despite the final score, this one wasn’t easy. The Americans faced their biggest deficit in the tournament in a long time, trailing by 14 points in the first half. They calmly rallied behind Stewart and Jackie Young to get within two at halftime, and Caitlin Clark hit a 3-pointer just before the buzzer.

Giants star Devers’ season is over, might have surgery

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco first baseman/designated hitter Rafael Devers’ season is over and he may have surgery for a core muscle injury. The Giants placed him on the 60-day injured list Sunday, ending his season. Devers, who leads the team with 37 homers and 98 RBIs, is to meet Monday in Philadelphia with Dr. William Meyers. If a procedure is recommended, Devers would have the operation on Tuesday. Devers had played in 309 consecutive games before sitting out against St. Louis on Wednesday. In the third season of a $313.5 million, 10-year contract, Devers was acquired from Boston in June 2025.

Verlander makes progress Texas up to No. 1 in AP poll; Ohio St. tumbles toward one more start AP TOP 25 POLL

BY ERIC OLSON

Associated Press

The unprecedented comeback by Texas to knock off Ohio State moved the Longhorns to No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll Sunday and pushed the Buckeyes out of the top five for the first time in two seasons. Oregon, meanwhile, plummeted 15 spots to No. 21, its lowest ranking in four years, after its 39-31 road loss to an Oklahoma State team that had lost 21 straight against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents. Michigan, which fell out of the Top 25 after needing an extra second and second-chance Hail Mary try to beat Western Michigan a week ago, returned to the poll at No. 19 following its 17-10 win over No. 11 Oklahoma. The Sooners dropped 13 spots to No. 24. Texas’ comeback from 20 points down in the fourth quarter to win 24-23 was the largest fourth-quarter rally ever for a win against an AP No. 1 team, according to Sportradar, and avenged a seasonopening loss to the Buckeyes a year ago that knocked the Longhorns out of the No. 1 spot. Texas received 56 first-place votes from the voting panel of writers and broadcasters and holds down the No. 1 spot in the regular season for the first time since Oct. 13, 2024. No. 2 Georgia and No. 3 Notre Dame held their places, Indiana moved up one spot to No. 4 and Miami was bumped up two to No. 5. Ohio State, LSU, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Alabama rounded out the top 10. Five teams besides Texas re-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ERIC GAy

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, center and Texas players celebrate their win over Ohio State on Saturday in Austin, Texas. ceived at least one first-place vote. Miami got four, Georgia and Indiana three apiece and Notre Dame and LSU one each. Ohio State had been No. 1 in 17 of the previous 20 polls since winning the 2024 national championship. The Buckeyes held the top spot in every regular-season poll last year, slipping to No. 3 after losing to Indiana in the Big Ten championship and ending at No. 5. They were back to No. 1 in the preseason poll and stayed there until the loss at Texas dropped them to their lowest ranking since they were No. 6 entering the 2024 College Football Playoff. Ohio State is 1-3 in its past four games, though each loss came to a top-10 team. Oregon’s fall is the biggest surprise of the season to date. The Ducks came in with returning stars and a transfer class that raised the program’s hopes of

winning its ﬁrst national championship. But they struggled to beat Boise State at home in the opener, then allowed 554 yards and generated just 281 in their ﬁrst loss to an unranked opponent since 2021. The Southeastern Conference has nine ranked teams, including the top two and six of the top 10, and the Big Ten has seven. The Big 12 and Atlantic Coast conferences have four each.

In and out Michigan rebounded from its controversial win over Western Michigan to beat Oklahoma as a 4.5-point home underdog and returned at No. 19. A second straight uninspired performance sent Washington out of the rankings. A week after the Huskies beat Washington State 24-10, they won 16-14 over Utah State as a 26.5-point home favorite. Washington became the

Rec. Pts. Prv. 1. Texas (56) 2-0 1678 4 2. Georgia (3) 2-0 1551 2 3. Notre Dame (1) 2-0 1531 3 4. Indiana (3) 2-0 1466 5 5. Miami (FL) (4) 2-0 1452 7 6. Ohio State 1-1 1407 1 7. LSU (1) 2-0 1334 8 8. Ole Miss 2-0 1216 9 9. Texas A&M 2-0 1165 10 10. Alabama 2-0 1068 12 11. BYU 2-0 966 15 12. USC 3-0 944 14 13. Texas Tech 2-0 910 13 14. Penn State 2-0 692 16 15. Tennessee 2-0 676 18 16. SMU 2-0 636 17 17. Utah 2-0 558 20 18. Iowa 2-0 391 21 19. Michigan 2-0 382 NR 20. Missouri 2-0 344 23 21. Oregon 1-1 324 6 22. Houston 2-0 292 22 23. Louisville 1-1 244 24 24. Oklahoma 1-1 222 11 25. Virginia 2-0 182 25 Others receiving votes: Washington 172, Florida 83, Boise State 57, Oklahoma State 36, Western Michigan 35, Tulsa 18, Mississippi State 17, South Carolina 15, Virginia Tech 11, UCLA 9, James Madison 6, Arizona 5, North Dakota State 3, Pittsburgh 1, Kansas State 1.

ﬁrst 2-0 team to win and drop out of the rankings since 2014.

Poll points n Texas hasn’t been ranked No. 1 so early in a regular season since 1965. n Ohio State’s drop from No. 1 to No. 6 was the biggest since Texas fell to No. 7 after losing to the Buckeyes last year. n Oklahoma’s drop was its biggest in a non-pandemic year since it went from No. 5 to out of the rankings (then the Top 20) after losing its 1968 opener 45-21 to Notre Dame. n The SEC’s six top-10 teams ties the record it set and matched in two straight September polls in 2024. The SEC also had six top-10 teams in the 2020 pandemic season, but the Big Ten was not playing at the time of those polls.

DETROIT — Justin Verlander is making progress toward potentially pitching one more time in the last year of his playing career. The Tigers have planned a twoday celebration of the three-time Cy Young Award winner’s career when they host the Pittsburgh Pirates in two weeks during the last series of the regular season — and they hope he can pitch. The two-time World Series champion and 2011 AL MVP shared his plans to retire in July. Verlander threw on Saturday with hitters standing in the batter’s box but not swinging to give him feedback on his pitches. At 43,Verlander is the oldest player in Major League Baseball.

Antonelli wins first F1 race held in Madrid in 45 years

MADRID — This time, Kimi Antonelli didn’t have to work too hard for his Formula 1 victory. A week after having to come from the back of the grid for an epic win in Monza, Antonelli was virtually given the victory at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday. The young Italian took advantage of an unlucky break for Lando Norris to win in F1’s return to Madrid and increase his lead in the drivers’ standings. Antonelli was second early on at the new Madring track in the Spanish capital, but pole-sitter Norris relinquished his lead after he wasn’t able to pit when a virtual safety car was deployed. Antonelli had come from 19th place to win at the Italian GP last weekend. Norris ended third, behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in “one that just got away from us.”

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Monday, September 14, 2026 ● 3C

lll

SCOREBOARD Sports Betting Line NFL Monday

FAVORITE at K.C.

OPEN 2½

North

TODAY O/U UNDERDOG 2½ (43½) Denver

College Football Thursday

FAVORITE at PITTS

OPEN 10½

TODAY O/U UNDERDOG 10½ (53½) Syracuse

FAVORITE OPEN Miami (FL) 19½ at TEX TECH 14½

TODAY O/U UNDERDOG 22½ (55½) at W.F. 9½ (52½) Houston

FAVORITE OPEN at DEL 5½ at PENN ST 39½ Georgia 17½ at IOWA ST 23½ at KANS ST 20½ at MIN 28½ at CLEMSON 9½ at TEXAS ST 3½ Arizona State 5½ at OHIO ST 52½ at WISC 24½ at VANDER 5½ at C. MICH 1½ at TOLEDO 1½ at CIN 14½ at UTAH 27½ USC 24½ at MICHIGAN 35½ at ALABAMA 15½ at LOUISVILLE 1½ at TEX A&M 14½ at DUKE 11½ at INDIANA 44½ at BAYLOR 18½ at LIBERTY 13½ at S. CAR 7½ at OLD DOM 2½ at APP ST. 19½ at FLA ATL 9½ Marshall 4½ Florida PK W. Michigan 10½ at S. ALABAMA 3½ at MISSOURI 27½ Nevada 6½ at JAX STATE 3 UConn 2½ at UCF 19½ Va Tech 1½ LSU 2½ at ND 29½ at NRTWSTRN 5½ at VIRGINIA 8½ at OKLA 21½ BYU 20½ at TEN 35½ at LOUISIANA 8½ at TCU 20½ at TEXAS 29½ at SDSU 1½ Ndsu 23½ at ARIZONA 31½ Fresno State 5½ at UCLA 13½

TODAY O/U UNDERDOG 5½ (58½) C. Carolina 39½ (48½) Buffalo 24½ (53½) at ARKAN 22½ (46½) B. Green 19½ (49½) Tulane 26½ (49½) Akron 4½ (44½)N. Carolina 3 (62½) N. Texas 5½ (54½) at KANSAS 51½ (57½) Kent State 24½ (46½) E. Mich 4½ (54½) NC State 1½ (39½) Wyoming 4½ (51½) Temple 14½ (49½)Miami (OH) 27½ (56½) Utah State 24½ (55½) at RUTG 36½ (49½) UTEP 19½ (50½) Florida St 1½ (59½) SMU 15½ (48½) Kentucky 9½ (50½) Stanford 44½ (59½) W. Kent 17½ (54½) La Tech 14½ (54½) Ball State 3½ (58½) Miss St 2½ (49½) E. Carolina 20½ (50½) Charlotte 7½ (62½) Florida Intl 4½ (52½) at MSU ST 2½ (53½)at AUBURN 11½ (45½) at RICE 4½ (53½) Ohio 27½ (50½) Troy 6½ (50½) at M. TEN 3½ (53½) Ga South 3½ (55½) at S. MISS 21 (50½) Georgia St 3½ (53½)at MRYLND 2½ (59½)at OLE MSS 29½ (52½) Mich St 3½ (47½) Colorado 9½ (54½) W. Virginia 22½ (48½) New Mex 20½ (52½) at CSU 34½ (59½) Knnsw St 9½ (57½) UAB 20½ (56½) Arkan St 30½ (58½) UTSA 1½ (46½) J. Madison 27½ (53½) at SSU 35½ (49½) N. Illinois 7½ (51½) at SJSU 14 (52½) Purdue

Friday

Saturday

MLB

Monday

American League FAVORITE LINE at CLEVELAND -147 at TORONTO -133 N.Y Yankees -141 Seattle -118 National League FAVORITE LINE LA Dodgers -216 at CHI CUBS -134 at ST. LOUIS OFF San Diego -180 at ARIZONA -137 Interleague FAVORITE LINE at N.Y METS -124

UNDERDOG LINE Chi White Sox +123 Detroit +111 at MINNESOTA +118 at LA ANGELS +100 UNDERDOG at CINCINNATI Atlanta San Francisco at COLORADO Miami

LINE +178 +113 OFF +149 +114

UNDERDOG Baltimore

LINE +104

Pro basketball FIBA Women’s World Cup Glance At Berlin

Semiﬁnals

Saturday’s games

France 86, Germany 64 United States 76, Spain 66

Sunday’s games

Third Place Spain 81, Germany 58 Final United States 97, France 79

NFL Glance AMERICAN CONFERENCE N.Y. Jets Buffalo Miami New England

W 1 1 0 0

L 0 0 0 1

T Pct PF 0 1.000 23 0 1.000 36 0 .000 0 0 .000 10

PA 10 31 0 13

Jacksonville Tennessee Houston Indianapolis

W 1 0 0 0

L 0 1 1 1

T Pct PF 0 1.000 34 0 .000 10 0 .000 31 0 .000 23

PA 10 23 36 41

South

PA 23 27 13 34

W 0 0 0 0

L 0 0 0 0

Pct PF .000 0 .000 0 .000 0 .000 0

PA 0 0 0 0

Dallas N.Y. Giants Philadelphia Washington

W 0 0 0 0

L T Pct PF 0 0 .000 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 .000 0

PA 0 0 0 0

Carolina New Orleans Atlanta Tampa Bay

W 0 0 0 0

L 0 0 1 1

T 0 0 0 0

Pct PF .000 0 .000 0 .000 13 .000 27

PA 0 0 20 33

L 0 0 0 0

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .000 .000 .000 .000

PF 0 0 0 0

PA 0 0 0 0

W L T Pct PF 1 0 0 1.000 27 1 0 0 1.000 13 0 0 0 .000 0 0 1 0 .000 7

PA 7 10 0 27

West

L.A. Chargers Las Vegas Kansas City Denver

T 0 0 0 0

NATIONAL CONFERENCE East

South

North

Detroit Green Bay Minnesota Chicago

West

W 0 0 0 0

San Francisco Seattle Arizona L.A. Rams

Wednesday’s Games

Seattle 13, New England 10 Thursday’s Games San Francisco 27, L.A. Rams 7, Melbourne, VIC

Sunday’s Games

Baltimore 41, Indianapolis 23 Buffalo 36, Houston 31 Cincinnati 33, Tampa Bay 27 Jacksonville 34, Cleveland 10 N.Y. Jets 23, Tennessee 10 Pittsburgh 20, Atlanta 13 Chicago 59, Carolina 37 Detroit 31, New Orleans 30, OT Arizona 26, L.A. Chargers 14 Las Vegas 27, Miami 13 Minnesota 39, Green Bay 22 Philadelphia 24, Washington 22 Dallas at N.Y. Giants, n Denver at Kansas City, 7:15 p.m.

College football State schedule Saturday’s games

UAB 26, UL-Monroe 20 Tarleton St. at McNeese St. , n Tulane 28, South Alabama 24 Nicholls 31, UT Rio Grande Valley 28 Southeastern 30, at North Alabama 25 East Texas A&M 38, Northwestern St. 14 Southern 77, Houston 6 LSU 45, Louisiana Tech 14 TCU 63, Grambling 7 USC 49, UL 30

Major scores Friday’s games EAST

Boston College 28, Rutgers 21

SOUTH

Louisville 59, Villanova 13 NC State 73, Richmond 0 Virginia 59, Norfolk St. 3 Missouri 38, Kansas 21

Saturday’s games EAST

Albany (NY) 35, LIU Brooklyn 13 California 21, Syracuse 18 Delaware St. 21, Bowie St. 6 Lafayette 13, Marist 9 Lehigh 44, William & Mary 20 Marshall 28, Middle Tennessee 26 Maryland 38, UConn 14 Merrimack 23, Maine 14 Morgan St. 55, Va. Lynchburg 0 New Hampshire 42, Stonehill 35 Penn St. 27, Temple 9 Pittsburgh 12, UCF 7 Rhode Island 31, Elon 10 South Florida 28, Army 24 UMass 37, Sacred Heart 10 West Virginia 52, UT Martin 7 Alabama 45, Kentucky 17 Alabama A&M 30, Tennessee St. 3 Appalachian St. 27, East Carolina 24 Austin Peay 63, Morehead St. 7 Bethune-Cookman 43, Stetson 18 Bryant 31, Hampton 3 Bucknell 14, VMI 3 Charleston Southern 26, The Citadel 20 Coastal Carolina 45, Fordham 7 Davidson 28, Dickinson 14 E. Kentucky 22, Chattanooga 17 FAU 38, Navy 30 FIU 33, Buffalo 20 Florida 52, Campbell 3 Furman 20, Mercer 13 Georgia 70, W. Kentucky 20 Georgia St. 31, Kennesaw St. 17 James Madison 87, Wagner 3

Continued from page 1C As hopeful as New Orleans entered the year, familiar problems remained for coach Kellen Moore’s offense. The unit was, again, pitful in the first quarter. The Saints failed to put up points for the 12th time in 18 first quarters under Moore. And though each game is different, many of the same underlying themes emerged. An off pass here. A run that goes nowhere there. The Saints were consistently put in third-and-long in Detroit, which effectively killed drives. But against the Lions, the offense got off to a worse start than imagined. That mostly came down to Shough. The second-year quarterback didn’t seem to be on the same page with his receivers, speciﬁcally with tight end Noah Fant. Shough’s two interceptions were both mistimed throws to Fant, a new piece to the offense who signed a two-year, $8.75 million contract in the offseason. On Shough’s ﬁrst interception, the quarterback threw directly behind Fant while the tight end was cutting outside. On his second, just after halftime, Shough didn’t appear to see linebacker Derrick Barnes — who jumped right in front of Fant to take the ball away. Between turnovers,

AP PHOTO By REy DEL RIO

Saints coach Kellen Moore walks on the sideline in the second half of a game against the Detroit Lions on Sunday in Detroit.

Shough just couldn’t get in a groove. The closest he got was near the end of the ﬁrst half when he engineered a drive that saw him hit a series of short completions before getting into Detroit territory with a 19-yard strike to rookie Bryce Lance. But even then, Shough took a disastrous 8-yard sack on third-and-6 to knock New Orleans out of ﬁeld goal range. The offense, too, squandered quite the effort from New Orleans’ defense. The Saints went into halftime only down 7-0 mainly because the defense held

MIDWEST

Akron 45, Robert Morris 10 Ball St. 41, Stony Brook 17 Butler 52, Franklin 0 Cent. Michigan 13, Colgate 10 Cincinnati 62, W. Carolina 10 Dayton 30, Thomas More 7 Duke 31, Illinois 27 Illinois St. 28, N. Illinois 24 Indiana 55, Howard 0 Indiana St. 42, E. Illinois 35 Iowa 16, Iowa St. 13 Kansas St. 34, Washington St. 7 Kent St. 36, Wofford 15 Miami (Ohio) 45, Holy Cross 7 Michigan 17, Oklahoma 10 Michigan St. 35, E. Michigan 7 Mississippi St. 38, Minnesota 13 Missouri St. 48, Lindenwood (Mo.) 14 N. Iowa 56, Drake 14 Nebraska 56, Bowling Green 7 Notre Dame 52, Rice 0 Ohio 29, Jacksonville St. 27 S. Dakota St. 57, New Haven 14 S. Illinois 34, SE Missouri 20 South Dakota 41, E. Washington 23 St. Thomas (Minn.) 56, N. Michigan 14 Toledo 63, CCSU 10 W. Michigan 49, Monmouth (NJ) 14 Wake Forest 38, Purdue 36 Wisconsin 36, W. Illinois 9 Youngstown St. 70, Duquesne 13 Arkansas St. 52, West Georgia 7 Cent. Arkansas 59, Cent. Oklahoma 20 East Texas A&M 38, Northwestern St. 14 Houston 77, Southern U. 6 Houston Christian 88, Arkansas Baptist Buffaloes 0 North Texas 44, UNLV 6 Oklahoma St. 39, Oregon 31 SMU 56, UC Davis 10 Stephen F. Austin 26, Abilene Christian 7 TCU 63, Grambling St. 7 Texas 24, Ohio St. 23 Texas A&M 48, Arizona St. 20 Tulsa 23, Sam Houston St. 17 UTSA 31, Texas State 26

FAR WEST

BYU 28, Arizona 17 Boise St. 38, Memphis 20 Chicago State 78, Kentucky Christian 7 Colorado 52, Weber St. 21 Colorado St. 58, S. Utah 24 Idaho St. 59, San Diego 17 Lamar 23, Idaho 17 Montana 35, Utah Tech 14 N. Arizona 38, Incarnate Word 28 New Mexico 70, Mercyhurst 7 Texas Tech 35, Oregon St. 24 UCLA 28, San Diego St. 10 Washington 16, Utah St. 14 Wyoming 21, N. Colorado 13

No. 8 LSU 45, Louisiana Tech 14

MIDWEST

SAINTS

LSU 45, Louisiana Tech 14 Liberty 24, Gardner-Webb 23 MVSU 31, Lincoln (Pa.) 20 Mississippi 41, Charlotte 9 Murray St. 27, Valparaiso 18 NC Central 30, NC A&T 22 Nicholls 31, UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros 28 North Carolina 35, ETSU 3 SC State 66, Virginia St. 0 SE Louisiana 30, North Alabama 25 South Carolina 45, Towson 9 Tennessee 45, Georgia Tech 24 Tennessee Tech 45, Samford 19 Troy 34, Alabama St. 17 Tulane 28, South Alabama 24 UAB 26, Louisiana-Monroe 20 Vanderbilt 35, Delaware 26 Virginia Tech 44, Old Dominion 21

SOUTHWEST

Monday’s Games

SOUTH

Pro football

East

L T Pct PF 0 0 1.000 41 0 0 1.000 33 0 0 1.000 20 1 0 .000 10

Baltimore Cincinnati Pittsburgh Cleveland

W 1 1 1 0

La Tech 0 7 0 7 — 14 LSU 10 0 14 21 — 45 First Quarter LSU–FG Starzyk 29, 6:36. LSU–Leavitt 5 run (Starzyk kick), 3:46. Second Quarter LT–Jo.McRae 100 interception return (Kent kick), 1:53. Third Quarter LSU–FG Starzyk 25, 10:12. LSU–Leavitt 9 run (M.Thomas pass from Leavitt), 4:32. LSU–FG Starzyk 23, 2:12. Fourth Quarter LSU–Leavitt 5 run (Starzyk kick), 13:32. LSU–T.Green 10 pass from Leavitt (Starzyk kick), 9:39. LT–Mickens 67 pass from Baker (Kent kick), 8:08. LSU–Clark 7 run (Starzyk kick), 1:48. LT LSU First downs 8 25 Total Net Yards 140 528 Rushes-yards 31--3 44-147 Passing 143 381 Punt Returns 1-1 4-44 Kickoff Returns 1-32 0-0 Interceptions Ret. 3-125 1-32 Comp-Att-Int 14-24-1 27-41-3 Sacked-Yards Lost 7-38 5-28 Punts 6-49.0 3-43.0 Fumbles-Lost 2-2 1-1 Penalties-Yards 5-50 10-100 Time of Possession 25:39 34:21 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING–Louisiana Tech, Burnette 6-16, Snider 2-8, Miller 6-3, Kukuk 4-2, Watkins 1-(minus 6), Baker 12-(minus 26). LSU, D.Jones 18-66, Leavitt 11-22, Gage 4-20, Clark 3-19, T.Green 2-7, Watkins 1-6, Wright 1-4, Berry 2-4, Wilson 1-1, Durham 1-(minus 2).

the Lions in check, aside from a 13-play, 89-yard drive in which star running back Jahmyr Gibbs made his presence felt. But defensive coordinator Brandon Staley’s unit made the kinds of plays that, in a perfect world, would have ignited the other side of the ball. First, there was Young. Even though his sack was overturned with 9:34 left in the second, and the Saints did not tie the game, the pass rusher recorded a thirddown stop that forced the Lions to punt the ball. Then, minutes later, the Saints actually did force a turnover. Second-year defensive lineman Vernon Broughton punched the ball out of Gibbs’ hands and recovered the fumble at New Orleans’ own 40-yard line. How did the offense respond? Shough threw his ﬁrst interception, of course. But New Orleans never quit. Despite opening the second half with an interception — and then fumbling on his next drive — Shough finally was the differencemaker that the Saints needed him to be. He found his two top wideouts — Olave and Devaughn Vele — to get the Saints back in the game. New Orleans’ rushing attack also started to wake up: Backup Kendre Miller punched in an 8-yard touchdown for New Orleans with 5:44 left in the third to get New Orleans on the board. Then the Saints scored another 14 points unanswered. Vele hauled in a 1-yard

PASSING–Louisiana Tech, Baker 11-21-1-128, Kukuk 3-3-0-15. LSU, Leavitt 25-38-3-344, Clark 2-3-0-37. RECEIVING–Louisiana Tech, Mickens 6-101, Finley 2-15, Thiel 1-12, Shettron 1-6, Burnette 1-3, Calwise 1-3, Watkins 1-3, Baker 1-0. LSU, T.Green 6-104, Wilson 6-93, Watkins 5-43, J.Harris 3-80, D.Jones 3-14, Holloway 2-37, Gage 2-10. MISSED FIELD GOALS–Louisiana Tech, Kent 54.

No. 14 USC 49, UL 30

UL 3 7 7 13 — 30 Southern Cal 7 21 7 14 — 49 First Quarter UL—FG Sterner 47, 11:23. USC—Bowman 5 pass from Maiava (Chittenden kick), 4:57. Second Quarter USC—Bowman 9 pass from Maiava (Chittenden kick), 12:31. UL—Blanco 1 run (Sterner kick), 9:21. USC—Dixon-Wyatt 19 pass from Maiava (Chittenden kick), 3:19. USC—Mosley 86 punt return (Chittenden kick), 1:24. Third Quarter USC—Mosley 21 pass from Maiava (Chittenden kick), 9:48. UL—L.Winfield 1 run (Sterner kick), 4:07. Fourth Quarter USC—Z.Williams 44 pass from Maiava (Chittenden kick), 14:19. UL—L.Winfield 32 run (pass failed), 11:27. USC—Ki.Miller 12 run (Chittenden kick), 7:35. UL—Babineaux 14 pass from L.Winfield (Sterner kick), 2:38. UL USC First downs 17 24 Total Net Yards 358 483 Rushes-yards 30-146 40-214 Passing 212 269 Punt Returns 1-2 3-99 Kickoff Returns 2-44 3-45 Interceptions Ret. 1-5 0-0 Comp-Att-Int 16-22-0 20-31-1 Sacked-Yards Lost 1-4 0-0 Punts 5-35.8 1-50.0 Fumbles-Lost 1-0 0-0 Penalties-Yards 6-65 8-78 Time of Possession 26:46 42:58 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING—Louisiana-Lafayette, Winfield 14-91, Garner 5-26, Reagan 6-23, Blanco 5-6. Southern Cal, Ki.Miller 18-128, Jordan 10-47, Alston 5-34, Mosley 1-8, Wormley 4-5, (Team) 1-(minus 1), Z.Williams 1-(minus 7). PASSING—Louisiana-Lafayette, Winfield 1622-0-212. Southern Cal, Maiava 19-29-1-261, Jona.Williams 1-1-0-8, (Team) 0-1-0-0. RECEIVING—Louisiana-Lafayette, Babineaux 6-91, Chappell 3-47, Gawlik 2-36, Coates 1-12, Brooks 1-11, Blanco 1-7, Norris 1-7, Reagan 1-1. Southern Cal, Bowman 6-83, DixonWyatt 3-43, Wormley 3-24, Mosley 2-33, Simms 2-19, Z.Williams 1-44, Ashcraft 1-12, Tabaracci 1-6, Jordan 1-5. MISSED FIELD GOALS—Louisiana-Lafayette, Sterner 33.

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

W 90 86 81 75 72

L 59 63 68 75 78

Pct .604 .577 .544 .500 .480

GB — 4 9 15½ 18½

Chicago Cleveland Detroit Minnesota Kansas City

W 76 76 70 70 66

L 73 74 79 79 83

Pct .510 .507 .470 .470 .443

GB — ½ 6 6 10

W L Houston 75 75 Texas 73 76 Seattle 70 79 Athletics 60 89 Los Angeles 56 93 z-clinched playoff berth

Pct .500 .490 .470 .403 .376

GB — 1½ 4½ 14½ 18½

Central Division

West Division

Saturday’s Games

N.Y. Mets 12, N.Y. Yankees 2 Detroit 11, Colorado 7 Toronto 7, Baltimore 3 Boston 5, Kansas City 1 Minnesota 4, Cleveland 3 Washington 6, L.A. Angels 5, 10 innings Tampa Bay 3, Houston 2 Chicago White Sox 6, St. Louis 5 Texas 6, Arizona 2 Seattle 19, Athletics 1

Sunday’s Games

Detroit 8, Colorado 1 N.Y. Yankees 2, N.Y. Mets 0 Washington 6, L.A. Angels 5 Tampa Bay 14, Houston 4 Toronto 8, Baltimore 1 St. Louis 3, Chicago White Sox 1 Cleveland 9, Minnesota 2 Boston 4, Kansas City 1 Texas 7, Arizona 6 Athletics 8, Seattle 7

Monday’s Games

Chicago White Sox (Martin 9-7) at Cleveland (Williams 13-7), 5:40 p.m. Detroit (Melton 8-4) at Toronto (Soriano 12-7), 6:07 p.m. Baltimore (Young 9-4) at N.Y. Mets (Tong

touchdown to cap a sevenplay, 54-yard drive. And on the next series, Vele — again — hauled in a terrific 31-yard catch on third down, paving the way for an eventual 28-yard field goal. And then, the Saints’ final drive ultimately forced overtime. After the defense held Detroit to a field goal, Shough made a series of spectacular plays that led to

2-1), 6:10 p.m. N.Y. Yankees (Warren 10-6) at Minnesota (Ober 7-5), 6:40 p.m. Seattle (Anderson 1-1) at L.A. Angels (Detmers 5-8), 8:38 p.m.

National League East Division Atlanta Philadelphia Miami Washington New York

W 88 83 74 70 69

L 62 67 76 81 80

Pct .587 .553 .493 .464 .463

GB — 5 14 18½ 18½

z-Milwaukee Chicago Pittsburgh St. Louis Cincinnati

W 93 83 75 74 70

L 57 67 75 76 79

Pct .620 .553 .500 .493 .470

GB — 10 18 19 22½

L 59 68 70 87 94

Pct .604 .541 .530 .416 .369

GB — 9½ 11 28 35

Central Division

West Division

W Los Angeles 90 San Diego 80 Arizona 79 San Francisco 62 Colorado 55 z-clinched playoff berth

Saturday’s Games

N.Y. Mets 12, N.Y. Yankees 2 Detroit 11, Colorado 7 Chicago Cubs 4, Pittsburgh 3 San Diego 7, San Francisco 6 Miami 4, L.A. Dodgers 3 Washington 6, L.A. Angels 5, 10 innings Atlanta 12, Philadelphia 2 Milwaukee 13, Cincinnati 9 Chicago White Sox 6, St. Louis 5 Texas 6, Arizona 2

Sunday’s Games

Detroit 8, Colorado 1 N.Y. Yankees 2, N.Y. Mets 0 Washington 6, L.A. Angels 5 Philadelphia 9, Atlanta 4 Miami 6, L.A. Dodgers 4 St. Louis 3, Chicago White Sox 1 Cincinnati 4, Milwaukee 3 Pittsburgh 4, Chicago Cubs 3 Texas 7, Arizona 6 San Diego at San Francisco, n

Monday’s Games

L.A. Dodgers (Skubal 9-7) at Cincinnati (Lodolo 3-4), 5:40 p.m. Baltimore (Young 9-4) at N.Y. Mets (Tong 2-1), 6:10 p.m. Atlanta (Smith-Shawver 0-2) at Chicago Cubs (Peterson 7-8), 6:40 p.m. San Francisco (Roupp 9-13) at St. Louis (Mathews 1-3), 6:45 p.m. San Diego (Mize 5-9) at Colorado (Sugano 12-9), 7:40 p.m. Miami (Alcantara 13-10) at Arizona (Burnes 0-0), 8:40 p.m.

Wild Card Glance American League W 86 81 76 75 73 72

New York Boston Cleveland Toronto Texas Baltimore

National League W 83 83 80 79

Chicago Philadelphia San Diego Arizona

L 63 68 74 75 76 78

Pct .577 .544 .507 .500 .490 .480

WCGB +10½ +5½ — 1 2½ 4

L 67 67 68 70

Pct .553 .553 .541 .530

WCGB +2 +2 — 1½

Transactions Major League Baseball American League ATHLETICS — Recalled LHP Drew Rom from Las Vegas (PCL). Optioned RHP Joey Estes to Las Vegas. BALTIMORE ORIOLES — Recalled RHP Yaramil Hiraldo from Norfolk (IL). Placed RHP Kyle Bradish on the 15-day IL. Sent CF Christian Franklin on a rehab assignment to Norfolk. BOSTON RED SOX — Reinstated 1B Willson Contreras from the 10-day IL. Placed 2B Anthony Seigler on the 10-day IL. CHICAGO WHITE SOX — Recalled RHP David Sandlin from Charlotte (IL). Optioned LHP Tyler Schweitzer to Charlotte. CLEVELAND GUARDIANS — Selected the contract of RHP Connor Brogdon from Columbus (IL). Optioned RHP Franco Aleman to Columbus. TAMPA BAY RAYS — Sent RHP Manuel Rodríguez on a rehab assignment to Durham (IL). National League ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS — Recalled DH Jose Fernandez from Reno (PCL). Designated LF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. for assignment. COLORADO ROCKIES — Sent LHP Jose Quintana on a rehab assignment to Albuquerque (PCL). MIAMI MARLINS — Reinstated 2B Xavier Edwards from the 10-day IL. Placed RF Owen Caissie on the 10-day IL. PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES — Reinstated LHP Tanner Banks from the 60-day IL. Optioned RHP Grant Holman to Lehigh Valley (IL). Designated SS Christian Cairo for assignment. WASHINGTON NATIONALS — Reinstated 2B Nasim Nuñez from the bereavement list. Optioned RHP Eddy Yean to Rochester (IL).

New Orleans’ comeback. He hit Lance on fourth-and-12 for a 15-yard gain, soon to be followed by an even more remarkable 42-yard bomb to Olave. That pass got the Saints into the red zone, where Shough immediately hit tight end Juwan Johnson for a game-tying 9-yard touchdown. In overtime, after Saints

kicker Daniel Carlson missed a 62-yarder to end regulation, the Lions marched down the ﬁeld on a 10-play, 70-yard drive that ended with Amon-Ra St. Brown bouncing off cornerback Quincy Riley for the 4-yard touchdown. Email Matthew Paras at matt.paras@theadvocate. com

YEARS

AN LPB PRODUCTION

TONIGHT•7PM

KLPB 24

www.lpb.org

r b.o

.lp ww

str ive g/l

4C ● Monday, September 14, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

TROJANS 49, CAJUNS 30 THREE AND OUT: KEVIN FOOTE’S TOP TAKEAWAyS

PRETTY GOOD OVERALL Everyone knew it was an uphill climb for the Cajuns in this matchup, especially with Shelton Sampson,Trenton Chaney, Landon Strother and Caden Jensen out. But the offense was pretty explosive after a poor start. It was good to see redshirt freshman wide receiver Russell Babineaux gain some confidence with six receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown. Lunch Winfield showed his dual-threat ability as a passer and a runner. Brock Chappell showed why he was missed at tight end with three catches for 47 yards. Overall, the performance was more encouraging than discouraging.

THIRD DOWN AGAIN It’s hard to judge because the Cajuns’ defense was going against a talented offense, but getting off the field on third down was a real issue again after being such a problem throughout last season.There was no real pressure on USC’s quarterback without blitzing and therefore it was too easy for Jayden Maiava to connect with his targets on third down.The Trojans finished the game 10-of-14 on third down, which extended drives and helped USC claim a 33:1426:46 edge in time of possession.Theoretically, this could be the best offense the Cajuns face this season, but it’s still an issue defensive coordinator Jim Salgado must address before it continues.

SPECIAL TEAMS ISSUES When UL knocked off Iowa State six years ago, the special teams units were the biggest reason why.That wasn’t the case Saturday in Los Angeles. Instead of being a strength, it provided numerous obstacles. First, there was a series of mistackles that allowed freshman punter returner Trent Mosley to return a punt 86 yards for a score.Then there was a partially blocked punt that only went 10 yards to set up a short field, as well as another line drive punt to present good field position.Tony Sterner also missed a 33-yard field goal, although it worked out with a roughingthe-kicker violation on the play.Again, USC’s athleticism probably contributed to these issues, but poor special teams play needs to be resolved.

BENJAMIN MASSEy/UL COMMUNICATIONS

UL outside linebacker Ashley Williams tries to bring down USC running back King Miller during Saturday’s 49-30 loss at USC.

Next man up Cajuns reserves step up in loss to Trojans

The concerns about the UL passing game were legitimate going into Saturday’s 49-30 loss to No. 14 Southern Cal at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Quarterback Lunch Winfield and playcaller coach Michael Desormeaux didn’t have their top four targets available: receivers Shelton Sampson, Trenton Chaney, Landon Strother and tight end Caden Jensen. Yet the goal from Day 1 of camp was efficiency in the passing game. Somehow the unit achieved that and a little bit more. One game after going 15-of-21 passing for 189 yards in the 38-7 home win over Lamar, the results were almost identiKevin cal with fewer resources Foote against the Trojans. Winfield was 16-of-22 passing for 212 yards with a touchdown. Even the rushing numbers were similar, with 14 carries for 91 yards and two scores after rushing for 84 yards against the Cardinals. “It always amazes me, man, this team is like the next guy just continues to step up,” Desormeaux said. “Last year, with all the injuries and stuff we had, there’s some urgency across the board from starters all the way through to scout team guys to continue to improve.” Many will look at Saturday’s performance and think, “If they can do that against USC, then it’ll be even easier against Sun Belt teams down the road.” Even the Big Ten announcers went down that road during the broadcast. History in all sports says that’s not the case. It’s still going to be just as challenging the rest of the way as it was going into the USC game. What can be real, though, is confidence and momentum and depth. Perhaps the biggest carryover from this game was redshirt freshman receiver Russell Babineaux, who had six receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown. “I’ve been incredibly impressed with Russell Babineaux,” Desormeaux said. “To me, him and Trent (Chaney) are costarters at ‘H’ (slot). I had nothing but confidence in him.” With Jensen out, Brock Chappell, who missed the opener due to injury, returned with three receptions for 47 yards. Fellow tight end Teddy Gawlik also showed progress with two grabs for

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARK J. TERRILL

UL tight end Teddy Gawlik makes a catch during a game against Southern Cal on Saturday in Los Angeles. 36 yards. “Getting Brock back was huge for us,” Desormeaux said. “That was a shot in the arm and Teddy Gawlik stepped up and played really well.” Winfield wasn’t surprised at all by how well the reserves performed. “When we know guys are going to be hurt, these guys always want to get extra work, always asking questions, always want to get extra work with me,” Winfield said. “They just want to know what I’m thinking ... these guys are hungry. “It’s going to be amazing when we get everybody back. When it happens, it’ll be a rotation of everybody who just can make plays. I’m excited.” Of course, at the center of it all is Winfield himself with his rare determination and leadership. “I think part of the job of a quarterback is to breathe life into your team, and he certainly did that,” Desormeaux said. “He did a great job. He got us into some good plays, handled some things really well. And I mean the guy has just got elite toughness, and that’s something that you can’t replace.” Once again, he wasn’t perfect. Through two games, he’s been frustrated by some misthrows — always, it seems, to receiver KeDarius Wade — but the efficiency has still been achieved in both games. “Lunch is a gamer, and he’s a competitor,” Desormeaux said. “I think (Satur-

day), he showed that no stage is too big for him to go out there and compete and perform. You know, he’s tough as nails. He made some big plays, throw game, run game, everything. “That’s what he is for us. When you have a quarterback that’s like that, your whole team believes they’ve always got a chance.” The biggest issue for the offense in the loss was getting off to a slow start, which played a big role in UL’s defense being on the ﬁeld too long. That was evident by a tired defense getting gashed in the running game in the fourth quarter. The Trojans rushed for 214 yards. Of course, the biggest culprit was USC’s offense being 10-of-14 on third down. But a few more sustained drives early on would have helped. The Trojans ended up with 71 offensive plays to UL’s 52. What was surprising, though, is the Cajuns averaged 6.9 yards per play to 6.8 for USC. “I think the speed of those guys up front was a little bit early on. We had to kind of adjust a little bit up front,” Desormeaux said. “Our kids did a great job, but early on, I mean, that’s some big, long, fast creatures. It’s hard to duplicate that type of speed in a game week. We don’t see that all year.” Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.

Desormeaux ‘really proud’ of Cajuns defense BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

It was a tough evaluation for UL’s defense after Saturday’s 49-30 loss to the No. 14-ranked USC Trojans at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The Trojans’ offense collected 25 first downs, passed for 269 and ran for 214 more for 483 total yards. USC also controlled the time of possession 33:14 to 26:46. But until the fourth quarter, it always felt like the Trojans’ offense had to work for its yardage. “I was really proud of our defense and the way they played,” UL coach Michael said. Notebook Desormeaux “Early on, they were on the field a whole lot. With as many weapons as they have, it’s difficult. You can’t load up against the run because they’ve got great receivers and tight ends that can play downfield. “So you’ve got to play it all true and you just got to play it all really well. I thought our effort was great.” Redshirt senior safety Collin Jacob led the Cajuns with 13 tackles, followed by Jake St. Andre and Maurion Eleam with seven apiece. Conor McPherson added six. But there were zero sacks and only one tackle behind the line. Consequently, USC quarterback Jayden Maiava almost always had time and almost always found his receiver on third down. For the game, the Trojans’ offense was 10-of-14 on third down. In one of the few times UL did get Maiava off his mark and on the run, Avery Demery came up with an interception to end the first drive. As the offensive play caller, Desormeaux knew the offense didn’t stay on the field long enough to help the defense. After the interception on the first drive, USC’s offense went 79 yards on 13 plays, 77 yards on 10 plays and 75 yards on 12 plays on its next three possessions. “We kept saying on offense that we’ve got to get a drive going. If nothing else, we’ve got to try to get some sustained drives to let them rest a little bit,” Desormeaux said. Not doing so enough showed up in the fourth quarter when USC marched down the field easily for the first time with a ground attack — going 75 yards on seven plays. “I think the last touchdown, we were a little disappointed with some of the run fits,” Desormeaux said. “They were running the ball and we knew they were running the ball and we didn’t fit some things quite right.” Overall, the coaching staff was pleased with the tenacity and fearlessness the Cajuns played with during the loss.

Game management The UL offense got off to a slow start with no first downs in the first two drives, but the Cajuns had strong moments. On the first drive following Demery’s interception, the Cajuns faced a fourth-and-1 from the USC 30. “Certainly disappointing right after the first pick,” Desormeaux said. “The spotter told me he thought we were about a yard and a half away and I felt good about our kicker. I felt like it had been more deflating to get nothing ... and get on the board first, I think, was something. “It was like a ‘Hey, this is what we came here for,’ but it’s definitely a missed opportunity.” Then on the second drive, again it was fourth-and-1 after a nice 11yard completion to true freshman Kristion Brooks.

Special teams The kicking game started out strong with Tony Sterner making a 47-yard field goal to end the first drive of the game. After that, little went right in the kicking game. The most obvious shortcoming was allowing USC true freshman wide receiver Trent Mosley to break multiple tackles and then scamper 86 yards for the Trojans’ first scoring punt return in three seasons.

LIVING

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

M o n d ay, S e p t e M b e r 14, 2026

They got spirit

5Cn

Across the U.S., high school sports provide a sense of community — and, for some, a way out

The flag of Acadiana was designed in 1965 by Thomas J. Arceneaux, of the then-University of Southwestern Louisiana, and officially adopted on July 5, 1974.

AP national writer

STAFF FILE PHOTO BY LESLIE WESTBROOK

ORIGIN STORY

BY WILL GRAVES ALQUIPPA, Pa. — The phone calls started coming long before the lights at “The Pit” flickered on for the first time this fall. “When will the senior citizen passes be available?” Aliquippa High athletic director Jennifer Damico’s office heard more than once as the latest season of Quips football inched forward. At the school about 30 minutes northwest of downtown Pittsburgh, the passes have been a longstanding tradition — a way for the community’s past to connect with its present. A lot has changed in the century-plus since Aliquippa first opened its doors. The Aliquippa Works steel mill, which employed over 10,000 workers at its height before the industry collapsed, is long gone. Many storefronts in the heart of the borough’s business district sit empty. One of the few constants through the years has been those precious hours every week during the fall when the Quips storm out of the locker room. “We might be going to different churches on Sunday at 11,” says coach Mike Warfield, an Alquippa alum and retired state trooper who believes the program saved his life twice. “But on Fridays at 7, we’re together.” Amid an ever-changing landscape, when a constant distraction sits in the palm of your hand, and the culture wars seem specifically designed to divide, those Friday nights and everything they represent endure.

A newspaper story, an invoice typo and a House resolution: How Acadiana’s name came to be AP PHOTO By GENE J. PUSKAR

BY IZZY WOLLFARTH

Aliquippa High School football fans celebrate after their school scores during a football game between Aliquippa and Mars high schools at Heinz Field in Aliquippa, Pa., on Sept. 4.

Staff writer

Today, “Acadiana” is a place where someone comes from. It’s a place that ties directly to someone’s ancestral roots. For more than half a century, Acadiana has been a name of a particular region in Louisiana. The word is also thought to be a combination of two regional names of early settlers — the ﬁrst being Acadie, an area largely in eastern Canada where settlers were expelled in the late 1700s and Louisiana, where those same settlers made their generational homes. The Crowley Daily Signal has the earliest documented use of the term “Acadiana” dating to Oct. 15, 1946. Back then, the newspaper used the word when discussing local achievements and social happenings in Acadia Parish and surrounding areas. The paper praised what they called, “Acadiana, the folklore that is South Louisiana” and its recognition by the International Rice Festival, a festival still held today celebrating farmers and the rice industry. The editorial also explained what and who Acadiana is.

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

Signs with common Cajun family names wait to be used during Acadiana Culture Day at Vermilionville on Aug. 9 in Lafayette. “When the word ‘Acadiana’ is used, it is mentioned not in the sense of those residents of Acadia Parish alone, but to all those French people who are descendants of the people who migrated here around 1755 when distributed by their British overlords for protection purposes,” the paper read. In the years following, the paper would continue to capitalize on the newly identiﬁed Acadian area. On June 7, 1950, writers Max and Freda Thomas started a new column entitled, “Acadiana.”

Their ﬁrst entry discussed how they happened upon the column name. “Early one morning the idea struck, why not ACADIANA (all caps in original).” They continued, “And too from the phonetics and spelling, Acadiana harmonized perfectly with Louisiana, and the last four letters in each word are the same. So, Acadiana was selected without further question.” A similar idea struck the KATC-TV3 ofﬁce about a decade

issued Tuesday, with shipping from Jan. 12 through the traditional cookie sales season. Patch Pals, a blueberry muffinIn early 2027, the Girl Scouts of the USA will begin selling their inspired flavor for pooches, will first-ever cookie creation for be made for the Scouts by the dogs, along with a new flavor for Bark company, a Kansas-based dog-food and toy specialist. allergy-sensitive humans. Bark’s dog food is “formulated Both will be available online only — no booth sales — accord- to meet the nutritional levels esing to the GSUSA announcement tablished by the Association of

The Mercury News (TNS)

For example, the “suggested daily serving” for dogs 5 to 10 pounds is just one-half of one Patch Pal. Dogs in the 25-pound range may have one Patch Pal and 50-pounders may have two, according to the guidelines. The other new cookie, Sparkables, was designed to “give

ä See GIRL SCOUTS, page 6C

ä See SPORTS, page 6C

ä See CURIOUS, page 6C

American Feed Control Ofﬁcials for all life stages,” according to the Scouts. As such, the boxes will provide guidelines for how many of these snacks (made with wheat flour, blueberries, canola oil, honey, brewer’s yeast, among other ingredients) are appropriate for dogs of various sizes that are over 6 months of age.

A tradition that is thriving A century-plus ago, organized sports at the local level were a mishmash. There were no real age limits or parameters. Around the dawn of the 20th century, state athletic associations began to pop up in the Midwest, hoping to establish a little order amid the chaos. The model they created provided the framework for what has become an intrinsic part of the high school experience. Today, even with competition from youth travel leagues, prep sports are thriving. The NFHS’s annual survey for the 2025-26 academic year estimated there were over 8.4 million participants in high school sports, a 25% jump since the 20th century became the 21st. The expansion of opportunities — particularly on the girls’ side with ﬂag football and wrestling — has helped. It also looks good on a college resume. Yet the roots, particularly for the 1.1 million high school football players and what they have

Girl Scouts reveal ﬁrst-ever cookie choice for dogs BY LINDA ZAVORAL

“It may be overstated, but I think it’s kind of an American institution,” says Bruce Howard, director of publications and communications at the National Federation of State High School Associations director of publications and communications. “If you played on a sports team in school, you’re still talking about it. You still remember it.” In a country in which nearly a third of the population tunes in to the Super Bowl, the conﬂuence between sports and community may be felt most acutely in far smaller venues.

6C ● Monday, September 14, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

CURIOUS

nate 22 parishes ranging from Acadia to West Baton Continued from page 5C Rouge and Calcasieu, as “The Heart of Acadiana.” As written in the resolulater, when William “Bill” tion, the legislation aimed Patton, the station manager to strengthen the image of at the time, and the station Acadiana for Louisianans owner were searching for and attract tourists to the a way to define the region region. and unify the station’s cov“It would be to the best interest of Acadiana and erage. A year after their launch would serve greatly to enby Acadian Television hance the tourist attraction Corp in 1962, KATC-TV3 and image of Louisiana to received an invoice from further develop and identhe FCC mistakenly adtify this unique cultural asdressed to “Acadiana Tele- pect of Louisiana thereby publicizing on a national vision Corp,” adding an and international level the extra “a” to the company beauty of Acadiana and the name. attraction of our state and “They had been looking this area in our state,” the for something to refer to the area, and it just kind of resolution reads. Patton and the station landed in their lap through a typo,” says Sean Trcalek, opposed the legislation saying the region cannot the general manager at be defined in geographic KATC. The station never official- terms and instead was more broadly a way of life. ly coined the term, hoping Michael S. Martin, deit would catch on with the public. partment head for History, “It caught on really, reGeography and Philosophy at the University of Louially quickly, but it was never trademarked,” siana at Lafayette, says Trcalek said. “Now, it’s just the designation continues ubiquitous. It belongs to to misrepresent the comeverybody.” munity. The name “Acadiana” “One thing it clearly would eventually gain trac- does, is show this place where the people who were tion in the chambers of known as the Acadians the Louisiana Legislature. ended up after their arrival In 1971, then-Gov. Edwin Edwards would sign House in Louisiana,” he says. “But Concurrent Resolution No. over time, it became such a dominant label — and I 496 and officially desig-

SPORTS

Continued from page 5C come to represent, run far deeper than that.

The bonds can be timeless Rich Boronyak grew up in Crafton, Pennsylvania, 60 years ago. A three-sport star at long-since-closed Crafton High, he remembers the parade the town threw after a football championship. The faces that lined those streets are still so fresh in his mind. “Everybody knew everybody,” he said from the stands at “The Pit” while waiting for his grandson, who plays football for Mars Area High, to take on the Quips. It remains that way in countless places across the nation, though perhaps few where the pressure and the privilege of playing are more intertwined than Aliquippa. It’s not just the record 21 regional championships, the ﬁve state titles, and the notable alumni like Pro Football Hall of Famers Mike Ditka, Ty Law and Darrelle Revis. It’s all of it. Senior running back Akiva Woods says “there’s a huge standard to stay up to.” Reminders dot the stands at home games, where the

alums reminisce and keep tabs on the latest members of what all involved universally describe as a family. Things have changed since Paul Royba graduated in 1984. Back then, there was no pregame hype video. No cameras capturing every moment. Gone are the miserable grass field and the locker room where hot water was more myth than fact. And still, part of the appeal remains eternal. “The mentality and the spirit has stayed the same,” says Royba, now 60 and recently retired after 34 years in the corporate world. That spirit is described on Quips T-shirts: “Aliquippa against the world.” The school of around 320 students does its best to silence the outside noise that their hometown is poor, small and dangerous. “Athletics is what I believe has kept this place going,” Damico says. “There’s been good economic times and bad, but the athletics is always the constant, always the positive story that is coming out of here.” Things are hardly perfect, but they’re hardly perfect anywhere. America’s harsh realities in 2026 have a way of showing up. About an hour east of the Quips and the Mars Planets game, longtime rivals Gateway and Penn

lll

think this is rightly so — that people who were not of Acadian descent came to criticize it.” A 1971 letter sent to the The Daily Iberian, in New Iberia, showcases some local dissent with the region begin so strictly defined. “I am not of Acadian ancestry, rather I am a mixture of Irish, English, Scotch, German, and a little French,” wrote Barbara A. Burke, a then-New Iberia resident. In her letter, Burke said America is a “melting pot,” where numerous nationalities came together and settled. “But it seems a little discriminating to take any one section of this country and officially declare it a region named for whatever nationality happened to settle it hundreds of years ago,” she wrote. Still, the official name “Acadiana” was believed to be a step toward regional pride, a renewal of native languages and a moment for the region to make a name for itself. Have a question about something in Louisiana that’s got you curious? Email your question to curiouslouisiana@ theadvocate.com. Include your name, phone number and the city where you live.

Hills played in front of a mostly empty stadium after school ofﬁcials learned of a “potential threat.”

The American dream For Woods, his goals lie beyond Aliquippa. He’s already received scholarship offers from nearby Division II schools, and he’s hoping a standout senior year turns even more heads. It’s working out that way for Lester Longmire. A year ago, he was a senior linebacker and one of the leaders of the defense. Now he’s a special teamer and freshman sports management major at Slippery Rock University, about an hour north. Standing on the sideline as the Quips struggled in the ﬁrst half against Mars, Longmire talks about the urge to get away, even though it means leaving his support system and everyone he cares about. “I do miss football. I miss the community and all that,” he says. “But I want to start a new life, so I plan on staying out of here.” Just not quite yet. Eager to encourage his former teammates, Longmire wades into the sea of redand-black jerseys. As he walks away, the safety and the promise of the Friday night lights and all they have meant and all they will mean cradle him once more.

Make healthy choices for meals Dear Heloise: I buy raw, Sound off on plastic unﬁltered honey. Every morning, I pour a little Dear Heloise: Health food on plain, thick Greek yostores carry tooth powder, which is easier than tablets. gurt, along with a dash of We need to support prodcinnamon. I really enjoy the taste, and I believe ucts that come in glass, that this is a very healthy metal or paper, as these choice for breakfast. My items can be recycled. Plashusband says that tic remains plastic the honey is unforever, and it’s a petroleum product. healthy and Greek — Ann, via email yogurt is junk food. Ann, you seem to What do you think? have forgotten that — Ashley F., in Honolulu, plastic can and does Hawaii Hints from get recycled. It’s not Ashley, ﬁrst, just Heloise so much the plastic a disclaimer to my as it is the way that readers that raw plastic is discarded. No one honey is only for adults. should be tossing plastic Never give any honey to anywhere except for a an infant or a child betrash can or recycle bin. low the age of 1. As for The real problem is us. whether it’s unhealthy, Humans have trashed it contains enzymes and beautiful shorelines, antioxidants, and it also oceans, parks and mouncontributes to gut health. As for Greek yogurt, it’s tains with plastic, among high in protein and probiother items. If there wasn’t any plastic, these same otics, which contribute to people would’ve had a glass a healthy gut. So, go and enjoy your healthy break- jar, a wooden box, or any other type of container and fast! — Heloise

still cluttered up a beautiful area of nature. The earth is our home. Let’s all take care of it. — Heloise

Disposing of grease Dear Heloise: I’ve always had empty cans from soup, veggies or enchilada sauce under my sink to pour hot grease into. When it’s full and hard, it simply goes into the trash. — Karen H., in West Covina, California Karen, thanks for writing in! Of course, we all know that you should never pour grease down your sink drain — not even with hot water running along with it. I know that many people save reusable containers for the purpose of having a place to get rid of grease, but an even better idea would be to use a container that’s supposed to go directly into the trash, not the recycling bin (like a tin can would). — Heloise Email heloise@heloise.com.

TODAY IN HISTORY By The Associated Press Today is Monday, Sept. 14, the 257th day of 2026. There are 108 days left in the year. Today in history: On Sept. 14, 1901, President William McKinley died in Buffalo, New York, of gunshot wounds inflicted by an assassin eight days earlier; Vice President Theodore Roosevelt succeeded him, becoming the youngest-ever U.S. president at age 42. Also on this date: In 1861, the first naval engagement since the start of the Civil War took place as the USS Colorado attacked and sank the Confederate private schooner Judah off the coast of Pensacola, Florida. In 1982, Princess Grace of Monaco, formerly film

star Grace Kelly, died at age 52 of injuries from a car crash the day before. In 2001, Americans packed churches and public squares on a day of remembrance for the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. President George W. Bush prayed with his Cabinet and attended services at Washington National Cathedral, then flew to New York, where he waded into the ruins of the World Trade Center and addressed rescue workers in a show of resolve. In 2012, fury over an anti-Muslim film ridiculing the Prophet Muhammad sparked violent clashes across the Muslim world. In 2024, the first submarine especially designed to accommodate men and women sailors was com-

missioned by the U.S. Navy. The USS New Jersey, a fast-attack submarine, was put into service with separate sleeping and bathing quarters for the coed crew. Today’s birthdays: Actor Walter Koenig (“Star Trek”) is 90. Architect Renzo Piano is 89. Basketball Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown is 86. Pope Leo XIV is 71. Country singer John Berry is 67. Actor Melissa Leo is 66. Actor Faith Ford is 62. Film director Bong Joon-Ho is 57. Supreme Court justice Ketanji Brown Jackson is 56. Actor Kimberly WilliamsPaisley is 55. Actor Andrew Lincoln is 53. Rapper Nas is 53. Olympic gold medal middle-distance runner Hicham El Guerrouj is 52. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is 48. Chef/TV personality Katie Lee is 45.

FIND OUT WHAT YOUR HOME FINF OUT WHAT

YOURIS WORTH HOME

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

1-833-671-6635

CALL TODAY

GIRL SCOUTS

Girl Scout Cookie season,” the organization said. Continued from page 5C These crunchy oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips and colorful sprinkles were families navigating the most developed with Partake common food allergies a way Foods, a New Jersey-based to feel more included during company launched in 2016

by the mother of a girl with multiple allergies. All products made by Partake are listed as free from the top nine major food allergens: wheat, tree nuts, peanuts, milk, eggs, soy, ﬁsh, sesame and shellﬁsh.

YEARS

THINKING

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

AN LPB PRODUCTION

addresslafayettela.com

TONIGHT•7PM

KLPB 24

www.lpb.org

lp w. ww

r b.o

s tr ive g/l

m ea

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

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Monday, September 14, 2026 ● 7C

lll

FrAnK And erneSt

roSebUdS

zItS

zodIAC VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Act on behalf of those who can't. Make your words resonate with the powers that be, and choose to express your concerns with passion and strength. Distance yourself from situations that are risky. LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Take the road less traveled. Discover what motivates you most, then exhaust resources. A change of scenery will ignite your imagination and encourage you to explore unusual possibilities. scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Take precautions, check facts and figures, and avoid scammers and pressure tactics. Trust your instincts; remove yourself from situations that have the potential to turn sour. sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Perfection comes at a price. Don't let hard work and discipline scare you. How you handle money, responsibilities and health issues will determine who you attract. cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Talk less and do more. Price out your plans and get started. Turn your vision into an opportunity to pursue your dream. Display your attributes, skills and knowledge for all to see. AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Rethink your plans. A change may be your ticket to freedom, but consider the emotional, physical and financial cost before making a move. A professional opportunity is apparent. PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) You're in a better position than you realize. Regroup, rewind and regenerate what's always

worked for you, and discard what hasn't. Recognizing your strengths and applying more time and energy to something that encourages greater stability will lead to benefits. ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Choose creativity over deception. How you use your gifts will make a difference today. Focus on opportunity. Abide by the rules, and keep everyone's best interest in mind. tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Refuse to let stubbornness put you in a defensive position when what's necessary is living up to your expectations and pleasing yourself, not trying to impress others. Choose peace over chaos. GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Welcome change with open arms. Reflect on what no longer serves a purpose, and replace it with something meaningful. Take responsibility for your life and how you choose to live. cAncER (June 21-July 22) Invest more time and money in your surroundings. Put comfort and convenience at the top of your list, and build an environment that offers peace and tranquility. LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Push back if someone tries to manipulate you. Do what's best for you and don't look back. Living in the past or letting someone decide your fate will lower your self-esteem. The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

For better or For WorSe WonderWord

peAnUtS

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY CeLebrItY CIpher Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

toDAy's cLuE: o EQuALs H

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon FAMILY CIrCUS

dooneSbUrY

8C ● Monday, September 14, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

CurTiS

Hi and LoiS

lll

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

BaBY BLueS

BLondie

THe wiZard oF id

nea CroSSwordS

La TimeS CroSSword

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Monday, September 14, 2026 ● 9C

lll

B.C.

Bridge By PHILLIP ALDER Claude Bernard, a French physiologist who died in 1878, said, “Observation is a passive science, experimentation an active science.” At the bridge table, you must actively observe. And when you are on defense, you have to decide whether to round up a posse and go out actively hunting for tricks, or to sit at home and passively wait for declarer to knock on your door and give you tricks. This week we will study the various factors that affect your choice. First, though, look at the West hand and the auction in today’s diagram. What would you lead against four spades? In the auction, South might have rebid three hearts because North could have held three spades and four or five hearts, when four hearts would probably have been the right game. But raising immediately to four spades kept the defenders in the dark. When being active on defense, you lead from honors or very short suits; when passive, you often start with a trump. On the majority of deals, it will be right to defend actively. And that applies here. If West leads a trump, South will win, draw a second round, cash his two club honors, go to dummy with a trump, and discard his two diamonds on the club ace and queen. Then he will attack hearts, losing two tricks there but coming home

garfield

Pearls Before swiNe

hagar the horriBle

with an overtrick. Instead, if West leads the diamond two, the contract — surprise, surprise — can be defeated. East can take the trick with the ace and shift to his singleton heart. West wins two tricks in that suit and gives his partner a heart ruff for down one. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

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

PiCKles

Previous answers:

mallard fillmore

word game InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

toDAy’s WoRD — InnoVAtIon: in-oh-VAY-shun: A new idea, method or device.

Bizarro

marmaduKe

Average mark 13 words Time limit 20 minutes Can you find 17 or more words in INNOVATION? sAtuRDAy’s WoRD — EFFEMInAtE eaten effete emit enate enema faint fame famine fate feat feet

feint feta fete fiat fief fife fifteen fine main mane mate

matinee mean meanie meant meat meet mentee meta mete mien miff

mine mint mite inmate item naif name neat amen anime ante

anti tame team teem teen tiff time tine tinea

loCKhorNs hidato Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

today’s thought “And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.” Luke 24:52-53 Worship should be in the heart of every born again Christian. G.E. Dean

10C ● Monday, September 14, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

TODAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

A t-storm around in the p.m.

A p.m. t-storm in the area

Partly sunny and humid

Partly sunny and warm

HIGH

LOW

93° 74°

LOW

95° 75°

LOW

92° 73°

Beaumont 91/76 Port Arthur 92/75

Baton Rouge 94/75

Lake Charles 92/76

New Orleans 92/76 Houma 91/73

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

Hattiesburg 96/74

Alexandria 97/74

Lafayette 93/74

10s

20s

30s

40s

50s

Instead of all of the tropical moisture, we were experiencing all last week, high pressure is taking over our weather and a drier pattern is setting up. Expect a mostly sunny to partly cloudy, hot and humid day with a light breeze. Temperatures this afternoon will rise to the mid-90s. With high humidity, heat index values could rise to 105 or higher. Spotty showers and thunderstorms are expected today, and rain chances will fall tomorrow. The UV index is at the very high level.

SATURDAY

Plenty of sunshine A bit of rain in the afternoon HIGH

LOW

HIGH

92° 72°

LOW

93° 71°

TEMPERATURE Jackson 97/73

Many 97/72

FRIDAY

YESTERDAY

TODAY

READING 28 MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

Lafayette through 5 p.m. Sunday

Longview 100/76

-0s

94° 71°

Monroe 97/75

Shreveport 99/76

-10s

LOW

lll

60s

70s

80s

90s 100s 110s

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

Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today 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.

PRECIPITATION

93°/74° 90°/71° 94°/72° 99° in 1912 48° in 1940

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

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

HIGH

10:12a 4:38a 5:34a 6:44a --11:41p 12:57a

FT.

LAST

SEP 26

99 75 100 57 88 99 83 92 93

TODAY Lo

78 55 80 43 75 77 63 80 71

NEW

OCT 3

s s s pc pc s pc sh s

OCT 10

100 67 99 52 91 99 96 90 98

TUE. Lo

76 58 80 43 79 76 76 79 75

LOW

0.76” 2.37” 2.45” 46.16” 46.13”

FT.

HIGH

0.7 9:15p 0.3 1.6 1:23p 0.6 1.9 11:06a 0.5 1.5 2:30a 1.3 --- 10:26a 0.5 1.7 8:41a 0.6 1.5 11:28a 0.6

6:52 a.m. 7:15 p.m. 10:18 a.m. 9:08 p.m.

FULL

GOOD

pc pc s r sh s s t s

SOURCE: LOUISIANA DEQ AND AIRNOW.GOV

FT.

LOW

FT.

--- ----- ----- ----- --8:41p 2.1 11:53p 1.9 11:26p 1.6 2:36p 0.4 --- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ---

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 Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

City

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

2:05a 2:57a 3:51a 4:44a 5:36a 6:27a 7:15a

92 93 77 102 70 90 87 77 92

8:17a 9:10a 10:03a 10:57a 11:49a 12:15a 1:02a

TODAY Lo

76 76 58 81 51 62 75 69 78

GOOD

2:28p 8:40p 3:22p 9:34p 4:16p 10:28p 5:09p 11:22p 6:02p ---6:52p 12:39p 7:40p 1:27p

t t s t s pc s pc t

93 90 78 101 79 83 96 77 92

TUE. Lo

79 75 60 82 64 60 74 69 77

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

SUN. 24-HOUR STAGE CHANGE

-4.50 15.70 18.90 6.90 4.30 3.41 2.90

-1.25 -0.36 -0.64 -0.42 +0.05 -0.21 +0.06

12.49

+1.92

-1.50

-0.04

18 29 8

-1.17 10.32 1.77

none -0.49 -0.38

13 15

1.48 0.76

+0.01 -0.02

47 34 29 20 12 6

6.83 4.54 3.49 3.60 2.70 2.97

-0.42 -0.23 -0.04 -0.13 -0.20 +0.48

data as of 7 a.m. Sunday

t t pc t s s t pc t

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

GET THE 3-POSTER SET FOR ONLY

69.95

ADVOCATE THE

LSU extra NATIONAL CHAM

L S U

PIONSHIP

TUESDAY 2020 JANUARy 14,

NOLA.COM

S O N C L E M

E L T I T T A H T HOLD Record: 15-0

with perfect season son to cap off em Cl s at be U LS

pionship national cham

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA

LSU WINS NATIONAL TITLE E

95th year, No.

198

JOHN BEL EDW ARDS TAKES OATH

ADVOCATE

LSU CLAIMS NA TIONAL TITLE W ITH

GET THE CHAMPIONSHIP SET TODAY! mak e prepares to er Ja’Marr Chas LSU wide receiv NA

BY BROOKS KUBE Staff writer

in a 42 Playof “Th

wide in the perDid season ended The perfect ter? W table that fect place. almost inevi pionship ficia It seemed cham h national the winn LSU’s fourt in New Orleans, in the touc would be won Superdome, where Mar Benz voicedestown Merc ands of home est nigh sound of thous the stadium’s deep fron into es boomed “ for years to spe chambers. s will echo Those voice of the night No. 1 LSU the ory d wn

AS GOVERNO R FOR SECON D TERM, PAG E 1B

T O PERFECT CT P CATS TIGERS CAP UNDEFEATED SEASON WITH WIN OVER CLEMSON

THE

STORE.THEADVOCATE.COM

BATON ROUGE, LOU

ISIANA

TUESDAY

JANUARy 14, 2020

42-25 WIN OV ER CLEMSON

championship STAFF PHOTO game Monday in New Orleans. By BILL FEIG

$1.00