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BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA

S u n d ay, S e p t e m b e r 27, 2026

IT’S BIGGER THAN HIRING LANE KIFFIN

Staff writer

LSU President Wade Rousse stood in the center of a horseshoe of desks in a business school classroom, cracking jokes to coax sleepy undergraduates into participating. “Are monopolies good or bad?” he asked. “It depends,” the class chorused back. “It depends. Thank you for that. It depends. If you’re a Rockefeller, were monopolies good?” “Yes.” “If you’re a Cajun in Golden Meadow, were monopolies good?” “No.” Rousse may be the new leader of the $4.1 billion LSU system, with more than 78,000 students and 17,000 employees. But his mind often returns to his hometown of Golden Meadow, population less than 2,000, deep in Louisiana bayou country. With the Cajun accent, the purple suits and a politician’s ﬂair, Rousse’s unabashed Louisianan demeanor

and unconventional academic background in business and economics are a marked departure from recent leaders of LSU. The university system has not selected a Louisiana native as president since 1999, instead opting for out-of-staters with prestigious academic credentials. “I think people would say I’m a little scrappy, maybe too much scrappy, because it’s personal,” Rousse said. “Every time I see a kid walking on campus, I think about a kid from Golden Meadow that had no idea that three credits was a class and no clue what the ACT was.” But even as he embraces his Louisiana roots, Rousse also says he believes “something is wrong” in a state that is among the least educated in the country and has one of its lowest workforce participation rates. And he has aggressive, at times controversial, ideas for how to ﬁx it. “He sort of plays it down — ‘I’m a boy from Golden Meadow’ — and all those things,” said University of

ä See ROUSSE, page 6A

$2.50X

SpaceX deal came together in record time

LSU President Wade Rousse has big plans for Louisiana’s flagship university, athletically and academically

BY HALEY MILLER

RAIDERS AT SAINTS 3:25 P.M. CBS 1C

NDAs, meetings and more happened behind the scenes

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL, SAM KARLIN and ALEX LUBBEN Staff writers

It’s easy to lose the focus as to why we’re here. When I get in that classroom, and I can see a kid start thinking differently — economics is a way of thinking, it’s a toolbox, it can be applied to anything — and that light flicks on in their head, you come back here, and you’re willing to fight whatever fight there is. LSU PRESIDENT WADE ROUSSE

TOP PHOTO: In addition to leading LSU, President Wade Rousse teaches an undergraduate macroeconomics class on Monday nights. He said teaching is invigorating, and it reminds him why his decisions in the president’s office, the State Capitol and Tiger Stadium matter. STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

The final official act in a sprawling, sevenmonth effort to bring Elon Musk’s SpaceX to Louisiana took place in a nondescript room at the Vermilion Parish Courthouse. On Aug. 25, two hours before Gov. Jeff Landry stepped onstage at Magdalen Place, Abbeville’s largest reception venue, to announce the $100 billion project that’s set to forever reshape parts of coastal Louisiana, the seven-member Vermilion Parish Industrial Development Board met for the second time ever. The agenda for the public meeting had been posted on the courthouse door 24 hours earlier, though nobody seemed to notice. It included several routine items and one that was anything but: a Landry vote authorizing a property tax break that would turn out to be the largest in state history, for “Project Osprey,” the code name for the SpaceX deal. Approval of the $24 billion tax incentive was the final step in a sprint by Landry and his deputies to try to win the biggest industrial project the state has ever known. Conducted largely in secret, it involved more than two dozen state officials and the cooperation of several state agencies, utilities and businesses. State legislators approved seven new laws. The incentive deal had to be struck. And at the same time, the Landry administration needed to secure control of a 120,000-acre property wrapped up in one of the state’s most complicated legal battles. To get it done, the Landry administration negotiated and coordinated with legislators, SpaceX executives, Vermilion Parish officials, one of the world’s biggest oil companies and one of Louisiana’s most successful trial lawyers. It required dozens of public officials to sign nondisclosure agreements, keeping the public-private deal

ä See SPACEX, page 8A

Change to Louisiana juvenile crime laws costing parishes

budgets, parish lead- most parishes with no place to put these inmates to Jackson Parish, costs of the new law total about Regulations depleting government those teens, and no choice but to since the local jail isn’t equipped $500,000 a year — in a parish ers say. While the state may consider send them upstate — at a steep to keep 17-year-olds separate. It where the annual general fund budgets, leaders say those 17-year-olds adults — mean- price — to one of the only Louisi- cost the parish $250 per day, per budget is only about $10 million.

BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER

ing they can’t be housed in juvenile detention centers — federal regulations still treat them as Louisiana’s 2024 decision to treat minors, which means they can’t all 17-year-olds as adults in court- be housed within sight or sound rooms and jails has left them in a of adult inmates under the Prison costly limbo that is straining local Rape Elimination Act. That’s left Staff writer

WEATHER HIGH 92 LOW 68 PAGE 8B

ana jails able to take them. And over the past two years, the cost has continued to grow, local ofﬁcials say. Take St. Landry Parish. In April 2024, officials there were forced to start paying to send

inmate. Now, it’s up to $325 per inmate, said parish President Jessie Bellard. “There’s nothing we can do about it,” he said. All told, Bellard said the added

Business ......................1E Deaths .........................4B Opinion ........................6B Classified ..................... 2F Living............................1D Nation-World................2A Commentary ................7B Metro ...........................1B Sports ..........................1C

The 2024 law was meant to crack down on juvenile crime rates and reduce the costs to state government. But while the change may have lowered costs for the state’s

ä See CHANGE, page 10A

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Trump rejects Iran’s proposal

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FROM WIRE REPORTS

Bodies of 6 recovered from collapsed building

ATHENS, Greece — Rescuers searching through the rubble of a two-story house that collapsed after an explosion in Athens‘ historic Plaka district recovered six bodies on Saturday, authorities said. Documents and belongings found with four of the victims — two men and two women — indicated they were U.S. citizens, according to Greek state broadcaster ERT and other local media reports. The blast on Friday was believed to have been caused by a major gas leak, Athens Mayor Haris Doukas said. Neighboring buildings were damaged and evacuated, he added. Plaka lies at the foot of the Acropolis, Greece’s most visited ancient monument. Two women were injured in an adjacent building on Lysikratous Street, the fire department said. The search-and-rescue operation involved 30 firefighters and three dogs, and an investigation into the explosion was underway. Video from the scene showed rubble strewn across the street and parked cars crushed by falling debris. Resident Andreas Martzaklis said all those rescued from the adjacent building were tourists. The pastor of a nearby church said Sunday’s service would be held outdoors because the building had been damaged.

Helicopter crash near Montreal leaves 4 dead MONTREAL, Quebec — A helicopter crashed Saturday southeast of the Canadian city of Montreal, killing all four people on board, police said. Audrey-Anne Bilodeau, a spokesperson for Sûreté du Québec provincial police, said the helicopter reportedly experienced difficulties before crashing around 2:30 p.m. in the municipality of Sainte-Brigided’Iberville, which is roughly 31 miles southeast of Montreal. Fireﬁghters managed to extinguish the blaze within an hour of the crash, but the four occupants were pronounced dead at the scene, Bilodeau said. The provincial police have not yet identiﬁed the victims or the cause of the crash. The spokesperson said the helicopter seems to have been a private aircraft. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has sent investigators to the crash site.

Carrot Top out of hospital after suicide attempt NEW YORK — Carrot Top is out of the hospital after a recent suicide attempt, which came around the same time allegations of sexual misconduct were made against him. A source told People the 61-year-old comedian, whose real name is Scott Thompson, is doing well and recovering at home with family by his side. The update comes after Thompson attempted suicide at his Las Vegas home on Sept. 18. According to a police report obtained by TMZ, ofﬁcers found him unconscious near the pool in his backyard during a welfare check requested by his manager. They reportedly spoke on the phone that night, with Thompson expressing concern about an article detailing claims of sexual impropriety. Following the call, Thompson texted his manager a single word — “Done” — prompting the police response. He was subsequently rushed to the hospital in critical condition, and he remained there for about a week. Just days before his suicide attempt, Thompson was accused of giving alcohol to a 19-yearold at his Winter Park, Florida, home and engaging in sexual conduct with him when he was too drunk to consent in 2021.

CORRECTION An article in the Sept. 20 edition of The Advocate featuring Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Nu Gamma Omega Chapter debutantes was accompanied by an incorrect photo of debutante Tiffany Foxworth. The Advocate regrets the error.

BY COURTNEY SUBRAMANIAN Bloomberg News (TNS)

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By NOAH K. MURRAy

Ted Friedli kayaks his way through a flooded section of Long Branch, N.J., on Saturday during a nor’easter.

Storm causes flooding, knocks out electricity BY LEAH WILLINGHAM and DAVID A. LIEB

Associated Press

BOSTON — A slow-moving, powerful storm crept along the coast of the U.S. Northeast on Saturday, producing high winds that caused power outages while whipping up big waves and heavy rains that created dangerous conditions. The New York City Housing Authority said one of its employees was killed by a fallen tree in Brooklyn, as the storm pelted the city with rain and strong winds. Emergency crews in mid-Atlantic and New England states raced to restore power after downed trees contributed to outages for about 100,000 customers in the region. Tens of millions of people remained in the path of the nor’easter for Sunday, with major flooding forecast for some coastal areas. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said response coordination centers in impacted regions were operating at an “enhanced posture,” and teams were on standby in New England in case of widespread outages. The forecast showed no immediate reprieve. There will be “a lot of high winds, a lot of high tides and heavy rain possibility over the next few days for the northeastern U.S.,” said Bob Oravec, lead forecaster with the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland.

The highest tides were likely to occur north of Atlantic City, New Jersey, from Saturday night into Sunday, creating the potential for widespread road ﬂooding in coastal and bayside communities, the National Weather Service said. “Anyone who goes in or near the water this weekend is literally gambling with their life,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said. In New Jersey and New York, some people kayaked down ﬂooded streets. Others headed to beaches to try to surf the higher-than-usual waves. In the coastal New Jersey borough of Surf City, Kenny Formica sat at home watching surveillance cameras showing water rising inside the marina he owns. Water getting inside the building is rare, Formica said. The last time he remembers it happening was during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, which he said caused more than $4 million in damage to his business. Ahead of the storm, workers secured dock lines, moved loose items and equipment out of harm’s way and parked the marina’s trucks and forklifts at the highest point of the property. Formica said he awoke to messages from customers reporting missing boats and Jet Skis. One customer sent him a video around 4 a.m. showing his 25-foot boat after it had blown off its lift. “This is like an 8,000-pound boat

and, you know, a $150,000 boat — just gone,” Formica said. The storm forced a change of plans for many people. Hundreds of flights were canceled at Boston Logan International Airport, as were the vast majority of flights at the popular Massachusetts tourist destinations of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. Ed Sheeran canceled his highprofile concerts Friday and Saturday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Also canceled: an Ironman triathlon in New York and the three-day Oceans Calling Festival in Ocean City, Maryland, which had been promoted online as “a wave of music.” “In all the canals, the water is up really high and coming into people’s backyards,” Jay Boyd said by telephone from Ocean City. Farther south, a flooding-related highway closure on North Carolina’s Hatteras Island scrambled Jayden Sink and Kimberly Laprad’s wedding plans. The Virginia couple made it onto the island before the storm, but most of their roughly 45 guests were stranded on the other side of the closure, the Island Free Press reported. A local campground offered a new venue, cabins and an officiant, and a DJ volunteered to provide music. Organizers invited anyone on the island to come celebrate with the couple Saturday afternoon.

Nolo skirts Hawaii but still poses risk for flash floods BY EUGENE GARCIA Associated Press

HILO, Hawaii — Hurricane Nolo just skirted the Hawaiian Islands as it gained intensity on Saturday, but officials said it still posed a risk for flash floods, dangerous winds and extreme surf in areas recovering from previous storms. Nolo was churning very slowly south of the Big Island with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph. Its center was about 160 miles south-southwest of Hawaii’s southernmost point, and it was forecast to strengthen into a major hurricane late Sunday and early Monday while traveling westward to the south of the islands. A hurricane watch was canceled, and direct landfall by the storm’s center was not expected. But forecasters said its outer bands could cause life-threatening flooding and mudslides, with parts of the Big Island expected to see rainfall totals up to 20 inches. Heavy rain also was expected on the other islands. “Don’t venture out if you don’t have to into the dangerous flooding environment, but also high winds. We can have trees and power lines down,” said Michael Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center. The humanitarian nonprofit group CORE and other partners spent the week packing and shipping supplies like camp stoves and hygiene products by air cargo from Oahu to the Big Island for a community relief hub that has been active since August’s Hurricane Lala. Residents are still recovering from Lala, which produced heavy rain and winds strong enough to sweep about 100 homes off their foundations on the Big Island. About a dozen people were in the water Saturday morning at Carlsmith Beach Park in Hilo on the Big Island, despite

President Donald Trump said Saturday he rejected a deal from Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as Saudi Arabia’s capital came under attack from Yemen’s Houthis over the weekend. “They made a proposal but I rejected it,” Trump said as he departed the White House on Saturday. “They want to make a deal where they open the strait immediately because they’re losing so badly.” Trump added that the U.S. naval blockade in Hormuz is putting increasing economic pressure on Iran. U.S. and Iranian negotiators had been exploring a deal that would see Tehran reopen the Strait of Hormuz and Washington lift its blockade of Iranian ports, a person familiar with the matter said. The pact would have been similar to the memorandum of understanding the two countries reached in mid-June, which led to a fragile ceaseﬁre that collapsed weeks later. On Saturday, Saudi-backed coalition forces in Yemen said air defenses intercepted two drones launched by the Houthis toward Riyadh, as well as a ballistic missile targeting the southern border area of Khamis Mushait. Earlier, the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump expects to resume the U.S. bombing campaign against Iran after U.S. midterm elections in early November and is skeptical about Iran’s willingness to meet his demands. Trump declined to answer a question about whether he would resume bombing after the midterms. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, speaking at the United Nations General Assemon Wednesday, said his country wouldn’t allow freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz while sanctions and a U.S. blockade remain in place. The Islamic Republic wouldn’t give up the right to develop nuclear technology for economic purposes either, he added.

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ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GREGORy BULL

A man walks past a closed ticket counter lined with sandbags at Hilo International Airport in Hilo, Hawaii, on Friday.

signs saying the strand was closed. Andrea Gill was out for her regular swim before heading back home to hunker down with family. “I hope it stops just sitting there and moves and goes somewhere else,” Gill said of the slow-moving storm. Shop owners boarded up businesses, and events were canceled. Gill said storms are common, but hurricanes are rare. She was holding out hope that the islands might not get the full impact. “We’re used to lots of rain. We’re not used to wind. So it’s always a blessing when we don’t get the wind from the hurricane,” she said. President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration for the state Friday, authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate assistance and provide funding support. Hawaii ofﬁcials told residents to put together emergency kits, and the governor issued an emergency proclamation.

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Impeachment an option if Democrats take House Party has large oversight agenda

BY LISA MASCARO

AP congressional correspondent WASHINGTON — House Democrats are preparing a vast oversight agenda, with investigations of President Donald Trump, his family and his administration if the party sweeps control of the chamber from Republicans in the November elections. The undertaking is as robust as it is daunting, spanning several House committees. With majority power comes bigger budgets and staff, and the ability to investigate, subpoena and potentially course-correct what the Democrats say are widespread corruption and abuses of power. Impeachment of the Republican president and Cabinet ofﬁcials is not off the table. “There is a cost to the American people of the outof-control corruption,” said Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, who is in line to become House speaker if Democrats win control at the Capitol. “If folks have been stealing from the American people, shortchanging the American people or screwing over the American people,” Jeffries said, “we are going to hold the crooks accountable.”

Congress has enormous ability to conduct oversight of the executive branch, and a road map for the Democratic-run investigations has already been set by the almost daily letters lawmakers send to the administration and in amicus court ﬁlings. D e m o crats are asking about the moneymaking by Trump and Jeffries his family, whose wealth has grown dramatically since he returned to the White House in January 2025. They are investigating the potential civil rights violations of Americans killed protesting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations and of detained immigrants being deported to faraway countries. They have fought the closing of the Kennedy Center, launched investigations into private funding of the America at 250 celebrations and tracked the shuttering of federal operations, including the U.S. Agency for International Development. New questions emerge daily, including the Trump family’s recent acknowledgment that a weekend wedding party for the president’s son Donald Trump Jr. was partly funded by a Rus-

sian oligarch, with reportedly close ties to the Kremlin. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., who is in line to become the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, characterized the issues involved as “gargantuan.” “We need to zero in quickly on the forms of systemic corruption that have cost t h e Raskin public huge amounts of money,” Raskin told The Associated Press, “and where there are legislative cures available.”

Pressure from far left Jeffries will almost certainly be under pressure from the far left to move more swiftly to articles of impeachment against Trump, who during his ﬁrst became the ﬁrst president to be twice impeached by the House. Both times, he was acquitted by the Senate. Impeaching the president a third time may not hold the currency that it once did. Democrats will more likely focus their impeachment efforts on Cabinet members. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth already faces articles of impeachment from a Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, over his leadership at the Pentagon and his management of

the Iran war. “We haven’t ruled anything out,” Jeffries said recently about the tools available to Congress, “and we haven’t ruled anything in.” The White House is likely to play hardball if confronted with investigations, and Democrats are bracing for an administration that potentially ignores subpoenas or refuses to turn over paperwork that lawmakers are demanding. The Democrats are also reaching beyond the administration into various corporate and business entities for potential wrongdoing.

‘We’ll act like Congress’ Ranking Democratic lawmakers who are in line to lead committees if power shifts are beginning to chart the investigations they plan to tackle. Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the top Demo-

crat now on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has outlined ﬁve priorities, including Trump family business dealings, the administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation and ICE operations. He also mentioned the Department of Health and Human Services under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as well as broader allegations of corporate corruption. The top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, said the committee plans to investigate Trump’s international dealings, including around the Iran war. He expects the committee will also look into the administration’s Venezuela operations — from the military strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific waters to the U.S. partnership with a private

company to develop and access the South American country’s oil. Rep. Jared Huffman of California, the ranking Democrat at the Natural Resources Committee, which oversees the Interior Department and its National Park Service operations, has begun digging into Trump’s “vanity projects,” including the demolition of the White House’s East wing for a new ballroom and the president’s proposed arch. At the committee’s last session before lawmakers recessed to campaign for the midterm elections, Huffman said that if Democrats take charge, he plans to call witnesses, put them under oath and follow the evidence where it leads. “When people ask what will we do,” he said he responds, “My answer is simple. We’ll use those tools. We’ll act like the Congress.”

Kennedy Center put off planned repairs despite known issues, ex-employees say BY ALI SWENSON Associated Press

Kennedy Center ofﬁcials were long aware of serious structural issues that they cited as new problems after the abrupt decision to close the performing arts venue this month, a group of former employees allege in a letter to Congress. The center’s executive director and chief operating officer, Matt Floca, did not treat the rooﬁng issues as priorities and in April halted a funded plan to address them, according to the letter Thursday signed by David Seide, a lawyer representing the anonymous whistleblowers. Floca denied their allegations, saying recent investigations of the leaks exposed new hazards at the building. In a September court declaration, Floca noted there were “acute risks to public safety” when the aging building temporarily closed its doors after an inspection of a deteriorating roof terrace canopy and a partial ceiling collapse. The former employees, however, claim those “acute” issues were known previously by Floca, who joined the Kennedy Center as vice president of facilities in 2024. “More than one year ago, Mr. Floca had requested and received the needed funds to remediate the New Problems he references,” Seide wrote, citing President Donald Trump’s tax cut and

spending bill that he signed in the summer of 2025. “Yet six months ago — with the funds in hand — he stopped the remediation process from moving forward.” In the legislation, Congress earmarked $257 million for the Kennedy Center. The letter, first reported by The New York Times, is the latest in a series of tensions over an iconic Potomac River waterfront building that has become a focus of the Republican president in his remaking of the nation’s capital in his second term. Trump has installed his own leadership to the center’s governing board and had his name placed on the building before a judge ruled the new lettering was illegally added and ordered it removed. The Trump-aligned board voted earlier this month to close the center indeﬁnitely for repairs hours after U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper blocked its plans to return Trump’s name to the building. Cooper has told the center that it must give 30 days’ notice before making any major physical changes to the building, including demolishing it, as Trump has threatened. The Kennedy Center leadership also must ﬁle a status report no later than Friday on the temporary closure and emergency repairs. Asked for a response to the whistleblowers’ claims, a Kennedy Center spokes-

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person sent a written statement from Floca, who said the safety of patrons, artists and staff is his priority. “The Kennedy Center has known for years that the roof overhang leaked,” he wrote. “What we did not know until this summer was how far the damage had spread inside it.” Floca added that rather than halting design plans in April as the whistleblowers alleged, he had reassigned the work to a more comprehensive plan because the contractor’s quote for the initial plans were nearly three times the expected cost. “That was a change in the approach to procuring and delivering the work, not a determination that the work was unnecessary,” Floca wrote. SUGAR FARMS MULTI-PROPERTY ONLINE AUCTION • 2 HOMESITES • BREWERY • RETAIL PAD • HOME

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Pope Leo draws 800,000 to Paris Champs-Élysées site of a massive outdoor Mass

BY NICOLE WINFIELD, SAMUEL PETREQUIN, SYLVIE CORBET and JOHN LEICESTER Associated Press

PARIS — Hundreds of thousands of people packed Paris’ iconic Champs-Élysées avenue to attend an open-air Mass with Pope Leo XIV on Saturday, a sign of the Catholic Church’s enduring appeal in the once staunchly Catholic but officially secular country. The Vatican estimated that 800,000 people attended — about 200,000 more than the number who had registered in advance. The turnout testified to the church’s lasting influence in France despite declining attendance and secularizing trends that have emptied churches across Europe. The American pope greeted the flag-waving, cheering throngs from his popemobile during a 1.2-mile parade along the grand boulevard leading to the Place de la Concorde for Mass, essentially the heart of Paris and a symbol of the French republic. In his homily, Leo asked the crowds not to keep their faith to themselves, but to instead “let it overflow, so that those you meet may be refreshed and their thirst satisfied.” “From this beautiful city of Paris, I pray fervently that the living water of the Holy Spirit may flow throughout France,” he said. Although a security blanket shut down central Paris to road traffic, the partylike atmosphere drew people of multiple faiths and no faith at all. The fervor spanned generations. People brought dozens of babies and young children from the crowd for Leo to caress on the head as he rode slowly past aboard the popemobile.

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Chen, a 40-year-old Parisian startup entrepreneur who is not Catholic. “You see a lot of different people here, so it’s not just about one race, religion or nation, but about a common belief in humankind.” Sylvane Le Goff, 68, who lives in the Paris region, came with her 10- and 12-year-old grandchildren to “give them unforgettable memories.” Le Goff, who was raised Catholic but is not practicing, said she wanted to open her grandchildren’s minds. “It’s not only about seeing the pope but it also is about his message of peace and unity, values I’d like to share with them,” she said. Leo has clearly been impressed by the numbers and ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GREGORIO BORGIA enthusiasm, especially at a Pope Leo XIV greets faithful as he arrives to celebrate Mass on Saturday in Paris. Friday night vigil that kept the 71-year-old pope out “The message of Pope Leo until nearly 11 p.m. after a goes well beyond Catholic packed first day. people; he speaks about soSome 80,000 young people filled the national stadium cial justice, for example,” for an extravaganza of firesaid Leontine Joseph, 42, a fervent Catholic who came works and a theatrical rewith two friends of Moroctelling of French Catholic history. can origin who grew up in “Thank you for your courMuslim culture. age! Thank you for your An appeal to persevere presence,” Leo said to rauLeo has sought to encourcous cheers, speaking off the cuff in French. “Thank age French Catholics to peryou for your faith. You are severe in their faith “even the saints of France!” amid the thorns” of a secular world during his fourASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By EMMA DA SILVA New chapter for square day visit. It began on Friday with his arrival and prayer Pope Leo XIV waves to the crowd Saturday on the ChampsThe imposing stage erectat the restored Notre Dame, Élysées avenue before a Mass at the Place de la Concorde ed for the Mass, capped with the first by a pope since the in Paris. a golden cross, and rows cathedral’s devastating 2019 upon rows of choir singAdult baptisms in France valed other communal but ers, clergy and others who fire. It continued Saturday night when Leo arrived in each year have tripled since nonreligious moments of prayed under the pope’s Lourdes in southern France, 2016, hitting 13,000 this year. celebration that marked gaze on Place de la Concorde one of the Catholic Church’s But statistics and experts France in recent decades. marked a new chapter for caution that the uptick, Huge crowds celebrated on the history-steeped square. most-visited shrines. At the Catholic Institute of which has also been record- the Champs-Élysées when It was an execution site Paris on Saturday morning, ed in secular Spain, doesn’t France won the soccer World during the French Revoluthe pope said he was sur- counteract the overall down- Cup in 1998 and again in 2018. tion. Louis XVI and MarieMany on Saturday didn’t Antoinette were guillotined prised by the number of new ward trend. In 1980, there were 513,000 identify as Catholics, but there. For many in France, it converts in recent years. “We must recognize, wel- baptisms in France; in 2024, came to hear the pope’s mes- embodies the Republic and traditionally stages Bastille sage. come and protect the small a total of 186,000. “People are seeing a lot Day celebrations. flame that the Holy Spirit Organizers of the Mass has kindled in the darkness The pope is a crowd-puller of really terrible images. of the night, the tiny seed The rivers of people who This kind of event reminds said it was the only area in that strives to grow even crammed central Paris and people of what is really im- central Paris that could acamid the thorns,” he said. their joyful enthusiasm ri- portant in life,” said Thierry commodate such crowds.

Ambulance in Pakistan targeted after suicide bombing BY ISHTIAQ MAHSUD and MUNIR AHMED Associated Press

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan — Gunmen opened fire on an ambulance attending the scene of a suicide bomb attack at a roadside police checkpoint in northwestern Pakistan that killed at least 12 people on Saturday and wounded about 35 others, ofﬁcials said. The attack involving an explosives-laden vehicle occurred in Dera Ismail Khan, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said Bilal Faizi, a spokesman for the provincial emergency service. Local police chief Safdar Baloch said most of those killed and wounded were security personnel and passersby. The blast destroyed the sprawling checkpoint, and witnesses said gunshots were also heard after the attack. Faizi said gunmen opened fire on an ambulance as emergency crews transported victims to a nearby hospital, killing a rescue worker and wounding two others. Two women and a child were among those killed in the suicide bombing, he said. The Pakistani Taliban, formally known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistan has experienced a surge in militant violence in recent years, much of it claimed by the TTP and the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army, a separatist group primarily active in neighboring Balochistan province.

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OpenAI pauses training of its latest models

Friday that it was reviewing “only when we are conﬁdent has halted development of dents did not appear to in- to all but then posted it elseIts agents several incidents from the that we have additional safe- its models. The first came volve the disclosure of any where on the internet, an act in which OpenAI guards” in place, adding that in July after disclosure of nonpublic information but that went beyond what they scouring federal summer agents searching federal it expects it will have to “hit a cyberattack targeting AI were concerning enough were instructed to do. websites acted pause” again as AI develops startup Hugging Face, a for the company to warn the SEC spokesperson Kurt websites acted in government now notorious incident that federal agencies involved. in unexpected ways beyond and other issues emerge. Hopfenspirger said Saturwas asked of them In the Department of Ed- day that “no nonpublic inforAI labs are facing pressure raised fears the industry unexpected ways what while gathering and distrib- from lawmakers and tech was losing control. ucation incident, OpenAI mation was accessed.”

BY BERNARD CONDON

Associated Press

NEW YORK — OpenAI said it has paused training of its latest artiﬁcial intelligence models as reports of AI agents going rogue mount. The decision to halt development came just hours after the company disclosed

uting information. Separately, AI evaluator Transluce said agents that appeared to come from OpenAI tried unsuccessfully to hack into a Department of Education website, a detail that OpenAI has not conﬁrmed. OpenAI said in a statement that it will resume training

experts to slow development so they can build guardrails to stop agents from acting on their own, hacking websites and disclosing nonpublic information. The heads of both OpenAI and rival Anthropic have called for a slowdown too. It is the second time in three months that OpenAI

The U.S. is not going to be “putting on brakes,” Trump told reporters outside the White House. “They want to stop our progress because we’re leading China by a lot, and we’re going to keep it that way.” The latest OpenAI inci-

China, U.S. agree to establish AI safety channel, continue trade, military talks

The Department of Education said earlier that it found “no evidence of any impact to our website or databases.” Several other AI companies have disclosed incidents of their models going rogue and even hacking websites.

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BY HUIZHONG WU Associated Press

BANGKOK — China and the United States agreed to establish a channel for handling AI-related incidents and accelerate work on military crisis communications following a three-day summit between President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump in Washington, the two governments said Saturday. They also agreed to continue cooperating through a Board of Trade focused on selected bilateral issues. The White House said the board began operating last week. The summit produced no major breakthroughs, but analysts said the steps toward greater cooperation were important because they established working groups that could help prevent disputes from escalating. Xi returned to Beijing on Saturday, according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency. During the visit, Trump displayed unusual warmth toward Xi, despite having escalated a trade war with China the previous year that had global repercussions. The two sides agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding on strengthening crisis communications and preventing crises between the two militaries, China’s Foreign Ministry said Saturday in its readout. The one-page statement from the Chinese side was light on details. Both sides will set up a communication mechanism for artificial intelligence-related incidents, to discuss related risks and benefits, with an AI-specific dialogue scheduled for November. Trump indicated on Saturday that there would be limits on what the U.S. would share with China and said that Washington would not slow its AI efforts. The “United States of America is not going to be putting on brakes,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “They want to stop our progress because we’re leading China by a lot and we’re going to keep it that way.” He added: “I would rather not integrate because we’re leading by a lot. When you’re leading, you don’t open it up to each other. We’re leading by at least a year, maybe a

agents found API “developer keys” to access government data, though ultimately only publicly available information was gathered. In another case involving the Securities and Exchange Commission, agents found information freely available

9AM-4:30PM DENHAM SPRINGS

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALEX BRANDON

President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping tour the National Archives on Friday in Washington.

year and a half. Some people say two years. I’m not looking to open it up.” The statement from China said both sides will continue to work together on the pledge to reduce reciprocal tariffs on roughly $30 billion worth of goods. During the summit, the two leaders agreed to extend a trade truce by two months. The White House statement said China agreed to import at least 10 million metric tons of coal from the U.S. in 2027 and 2028. Most of the reduction in tariffs is aimed at nonsensitive goods, such as agricultural products or holiday decorations. The statement from the White House also said the two sides continued to work on American concerns about rare earths supply, “with the goal of ensuring shipment levels return to appropriate levels.” China put export controls on rare earths last year in response to the U.S. tariffs, cutting the supply sent to the U.S. and other countries. Both governments said Iran should honor its stated commitment not to develop nuclear weapons. They also said no country should charge tolls on international waterways, an apparent reference to the Strait of Hormuz, where trafﬁc has fallen signiﬁcantly since the U.S. war with Iran began. Analysts said the incremental progress was noteworthy.

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Baton Rouge Clinic celebrates eight decades of community connection

Postal employee admits stealing gift cards from mail BY KENDRICK CALFEE

The Kansas City Star (TNS) A U.S. Postal Service employee pleaded guilty to stealing mail from a Johnson County post ofﬁce location, federal court records show. David Alan Boutte, 60, of Olathe, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of theft or receipt of stolen mail, according to the U.S. District Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas. According to court records, Boutte was an employee of the Blue Valley Post Ofﬁce in Overland Park

during the alleged crime. In January, a witness told the USPS Ofﬁce of Inspector General that they saw Boutte dispose of brightlycolored envelopes which appeared to be for greeting cards in the trash bin outside his home. The witness looked in the trash and found four postmarked letters that were opened and not addressed to Boutte’s home, according to court records. Officers with the Olathe Police Department and USPS investigators collected trash from the curb

of Boutte’s home twice in February. Both times, they allegedly found multiple open, stamped letters not addressed to the residence, according to court records. After obtaining warrants, investigators searched Boutte’s home and the post office. Among Boutte’s belongings, law enforcement allegedly found $1,624 in cash, 141 gift cards, letters addressed to other people and almost 1,700 stamps on rolls and sheets. Court records show Boutte is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 15.

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By Amanda McElfresh | amcelfresh@theadvocate.com This article is brought to you by The Baton Rouge Clinic.

A few years ago, Ed Silvey served as the grand marshal of the Krewe of Southdowns Mardi Gras parade. As he rode through the neighborhood amid a crowd of thousands, it wasn’t the festivities that stood out to him. It was the people who were enjoying them. “I was struck to see people of all races, ages and economic backgrounds watching a Mardi Gras parade together,” he said. “I saw how well they took care of each other and made sure everyone was having a good time. I said to myself, ‘This is Baton Rouge.’” It’s the community that Silvey, who has served as CEO of The Baton Rouge Clinic since 1988, has seen evolve throughout his life and career – and the one that the Clinic has treated for 80 years. The Baton Rouge Clinic and The Advocate will celebrate the milestone with a series of videos throughout October at www. theadvocate.com and The Advocate’s social media platforms, as well as a special publication in October. For Silvey, the partnership is a meaningful one. His father, Dr. Mortimer Silvey – one of the founders of The Baton Rouge Clinic – had a deep friendship with Charles Manship, Sr., a co-founder of The Advocate. In fact, Silvey said Manship encouraged him to pursue his education and career in Louisiana. “I did end up working in other states, but when I got an opportunity to come back to Baton Rouge, I took it,” he said. “I’ve had opportunities to leave since then, but I’ve always wanted to stay. I love the diversity of South Louisiana. We have so much history, food, culture and architecture. The universities add such a ﬂavor to life here. I’m very excited about the economic development I see happening. I think we take a lot of that for granted, but the truth is that life is different here than in other places.” Silvey said he is proud that The Baton Rouge Clinic is part of a sophisticated local healthcare landscape made up of award-winning hospitals, expert physicians and researchers, plus universities

that are training the next generation of care providers. The Clinic is a key part of that environment, with more than 300,000 active patients. “The average patient has been with their doctor here for eight years, which is a very long time in the medical world,” he said. “We’re taking care of people in their 90s and also treating their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.” Located at 7373 Perkins Road, The Baton Rouge Clinic offers a comprehensive range of top-quality healthcare services for the entire family, including primary care and specialized clinical services. The Clinic is also home to one of the area’s largest internal medicine and pediatrics departments, and has the largest number of endocrinologists, pulmonologists and rheumatologists in the region. Visit batonrougeclinic.com to ﬁnd a provider or schedule an appointment.

6A ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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ROUSSE

Continued from page 1A Louisiana system President Rick Gallot. “He’s a really smart guy. As an economist, he understands higher ed in a way that you don’t always see traditional leaders lead.” Nationally, Rousse has perhaps drawn the most attention for a string of explosive events in the athletics department. Hired last year amid leadership turmoil in the program, he blessed the decision to poach Lane Kiffin from Ole Miss in the middle of a championship run and to rehire previously ousted basketball coach Will Wade. In recent weeks, he presided over a high-stakes legal battle over player eligibility that culminated in the Southeastern Conference threatening to kick LSU out. He says the push for superior athletics is inextricable from his larger educational goals for the state. “Athletics truly, really, plays an instrumental part of helping us tell the story about Louisiana,” Rousse said. “As LSU goes, so goes Louisiana. Honestly, as our big-time athletics program goes, so goes LSU, so goes Louisiana.” But his primary goal remains lifting Louisiana from near the bottom of educational attainment in the U.S., he says. Only 28% of people in the state have a bachelor’s degree or higher, according to 2024 census data. LSU, he argues, must lead the state in increasing both the number of people with credentials in their hands and who participate in the workforce. That means refocusing many of the satellite LSU campuses throughout the state into job training grounds. As the regionals become more “accessible,” the main campus in Baton Rouge will get more selective, Rousse said. Ultimately, he hopes to transform the flagship university into a top 50 research institution in the country. His agenda has spurred a significant reorganization of the LSU system. Rousse carved out a standalone role as system president to devote attention to external relations and athletics, with fellow presidential finalist Jim Dalton taking over as chancellor of the flagship campus. Together, they have launched a sweeping restructuring, merging several smaller, specialized institutions with the main campus to bring research dollars under one umbrella. By summer 2028, standardized test scores will once again be required for all applicants at the Baton Rouge location. For the first time in eight years, freshman enrollment declined this fall after the university imposed a more rigorous admissions policy. His ambition for the university raises a question: Where, now, would the boy from Golden Meadow fit in? “In this case, with this vision, I’d have been the student that was placed in Alexandria,” Rousse said. “Then I’d have made a 4.0 and come back over, if that’s where I wanted to go.”

Born on the bayou Rousse, 55, grew up in a remote fishing and oil and gas town in south Louisiana, surrounded by saltwater marshes. He came from a poor home. His mom raised him mostly on her own, always impressing upon him the importance of education, he said. Every night around the dinner table, she asked a question. “What did you learn in school today?” The answer had to be speciﬁc — no “I learned math,” Rousse said. An equation, a vocabulary word — those were acceptable responses. She never went to college. She made sure that Rousse did. “Everybody who wants a lifechanging higher education, I believe, should get one,” he said. “I’m that guy. I was that late bloomer.” He went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in business, attending McNeese State University for three years before transferring to Nicholls State. He received his MBA from the University of New Orleans — now LSU New Orleans, part of the system he leads — and later got a Ph.D. and M.A. in economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Across that time, he developed his career outside of academia by co-founding a marine transportation ﬁrm and working as a policy research specialist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. After holding administrative and faculty positions at Northern Arizona University, he arrived at McNeese in Lake Charles as dean of the business school. In 2024, he became the university’s president, focused on tackling dismal enrollment and finances after back-to-back hurricanes Laura

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU coach Lane Kiffin is greeted by President Wade Rousse following the Tigers’ win over Clemson on Sept. 6 at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

LSU Chancellor James Dalton, right, shakes hands with LSU President Wade Rousse after their appointments were announced during the LSU Board of Supervisors’ final meeting in the search for the new LSU president at the administration building on Nov. 4, 2025. and Delta devastated the region. He and his wife famously lived in a dorm on campus for part of his tenure. Near the end of his chapter at McNeese, the school announced it had reversed a 14-year enrollment decline. When William Tate IV departed his role as leader of both the LSU system and the flagship Baton Rouge campus, Rousse began campaigning for the job. He had the backing of several members of the Board of Supervisors, particularly Lee Mallett, an appointee and close ally of Gov. Jeff Landry, who is now the board’s chair. Rousse leaned hard on his Louisiana ties and business experience in seeking the job. “There’s some value there in a state like Louisiana, very conservative state, when they know someone grew up and really is invested in the future of the state,” said Paul Coreil, who retired as chancellor of LSU at Alexandria in July and served on the presidential search committee. “I know President Rousse went to other universities and worked around the country, but being from Louisiana and having those roots here builds credibility immediately with a lot of people.” Still, Rousse had to convince

faculty, students and the search committee that he brought enough academic experience to lead the state’s premier research brand. The board settled on a compromise: It would split the roles of system president and chancellor of the ﬂagship campus, which had been joined since 2012. Rousse would be named system president, overseeing government and donor relations, athletics and the big-picture oversight of the enterprise. Dalton, who has an extensive biomedical research background and held high-ranking positions at the University of Alabama and the University of Michigan, would serve as the system’s executive vice president and Baton Rouge chancellor, tasked with overseeing operations on the main campus and heading up research initiatives. But for that arrangement to work, both men would need to be on board.

A major restructuring On an early Friday morning at the president’s house on South Lakeshore Drive, the two men introduced themselves and discussed how to divide responsibilities. They wrote down on an 8.5-by11 sheet of paper how the separation would work.

The pair “hit it off immediately,” Dalton recalled. “I don’t know the politics,” he said. “I don’t know the politicians. I can certainly read about the issues through the newspaper and other online sources, but that learning curve would be the longest of any that I would face.” The supervisors, Dalton said, proposed giving Rousse those responsibilities to “allow me to focus on the parts that I find enjoyable and have experience with.” Rousse and Dalton set a goal of reaching the top 50 in the National Science Foundation Higher Education Research and Development Survey, a dollars-and-cents ranking of how much universities spend on research. The distinction embodies the kind of university LSU wants to be, Rousse said. But the main campus in Baton Rouge sat at a distant 83rd in the most recent survey. To get closer to the ranking, they would need to rethink the architecture of the system. Pennington Biomedical Research Center, the LSU AgCenter and medical schools in Shreveport and New Orleans were folded into the flagship institution instead of operating independently, putting all the research dollars under one roof. Like a case study out of Rousse’s economics class, the heightened focus on research spending meant sacrifices elsewhere. In July, the Baton Rouge campus announced it was laying off 25 employees, including its chief financial officer, vice president of engagement and a large segment of communications and marketing staff. The money saved will be reinvested in research. In a recent interview, Rousse said each entity under the research umbrella will need to hire nine additional faculty members to achieve top 50. The Baton Rouge campus, which recently reinstated standardized testing requirements for applicants after going test-optional during the COVID-19 pandemic, is also becoming more selective. The acceptance rate dropped by 10%, and school officials say they are aiming to recruit students with an ACT score of 30 or above.

A large number of faculty and students have supported slightly heightened standards for admission to Baton Rouge. While Dalton takes the lead at the LSU flagship, Rousse is pushing for changes at the regional universities under the LSU system banner. He wants the satellite campuses to specialize in workforce development more than ever before, prioritizing affordable degrees and industry relevance. In line with that vision, the Louisiana Board of Regents approved the state’s first accelerated three-year bachelor’s degrees, in information technology and bioinformatics, for LSU at Alexandria. For promising students rejected by the flagship campus but still intent on making it there, Rousse said, the regionals will serve as “pathways” where they can spend a year improving their grades. Many of those smaller, regional universities across the state have struggled financially in recent years. In his early months on the job, drawing on experience at McNeese, Rousse went to work stabilizing the University of New Orleans as it prepared to leave the UL system and move under the LSU system. The new president combed over the finances to improve the school’s budgeting and cash flow, the UNO interim Chancellor and Chief Administrative Officer Jeanette Weiland said. Since joining the LSU system, UNO has already increased new student enrollment by 21% compared to fall 2025, Weiland said. She noted total enrollment overall has decreased by a little over 100 students because UNO lost Slidell High School dual enrollment — an agreement between the high school and UNO that ended after the university raised the cost to match LSU course pricing. She said working with Rousse was one of the reasons she decided to seek the full-time chancellor position, for which a search is currently underway. The president understood how to approach higher education like a business while not forgetting what makes UNO unique, she said. “Because of him, I’m fired up,” Weiland said. “Like, yes, let’s win. Let’s go.” Praise for Rousse’s ideas has not been universal. The effort to reach top 50 has stirred resentments outside of Baton Rouge about where priorities lie. Sen. Thomas Pressly, R-Shreveport, vocally opposed the plan when it was announced, saying it threatened the autonomy of LSU Health Shreveport, the only medical school in north Louisiana. He also questioned if funding awarded to the Shreveport health sciences center would be used for the benefit of Baton Rouge. “If we’re prioritizing putting all the research dollars together so that we’re a top 50 research institution, that’s great,” Pressly said. “What I want to make sure of is that those dollars are shared throughout the system.” Though Rousse stands by the decision to create the research enterprise, he said he regrets not visiting the LSU campuses outside of Baton Rouge sooner to sell the plan. “We took some arrows,” he said. “I underestimated the lack of trust between Shreveport, Baton Rouge and New Orleans.”

ä See ROUSSE, page 7A

STAFF PHOTO By PEARL SPURLOCK

Mike the Tiger listens as LSU President Wade Rousse makes a speech during a groundbreaking ceremony in Baton Rouge on Aug. 12.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ 7A

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ROUSSE

Continued from page 6A

Tigers in the limelight

For all his academic and organizational ambitions, Rousse has never stepped back — or, he argues, been able to step back — from the other engine of the university’s success. “I would probably say a third of my time has been spent on athletics,” he said. “When you think about where we are in college athletics nationally and what’s going on in Congress, I think you can understand why.” When Rousse was hired, the athletics department verged on bedlam. Despite a $54 million buyout, head football coach Brian Kelly had been fired, and Athletic Director Scott Woodward was forced out after a public rebuke by Gov. Landry. Officially assuming his role on Nov. 17, Rousse dealt with the after-the-fact paperwork of the Kelly dismissal, including a formal letter of termination without cause. At the same time, he was trying to secure the program’s next head football coach. He worked through multiple nights, sleeping on the couch in his office, during the saga, he said. “We had to calm down the nation to say, ‘Hey, we’re going to win another national championship,’ ” Rousse said. “In order to get the candidate we wanted, our top-tier candidate, we had to prove that this organization was not only not in complete disarray; it was the exact opposite. We had a very strategic plan of where we’re going, why athletics is so important to Louisiana.” Out of Oxford, coach Lane Kiffin’s plane touched down in Baton Rouge on Nov. 30, 2025, even as the team he left, Ole Miss, was actively competing for a national championship. His contract has him making $13 million per year with an array of postseason incentives, including up to $4 million if LSU wins the Southeastern Conference championship and national title in the same year. “Unfortunately, our expectations here tend to be very, very high,” Rousse said. “Normally, you’re not expecting a first-year coach to be playing for a national championship, but in our great state, we have high expectations.” Rousse said earlier in the summer he hoped to spend less time on athletics going forward. But, in August, the controversy only ramped up. LSU again became the face of college sports turmoil when a group of about 40 athletes from the high school class of 2022 won a legal injunction allowing some players who had already signed professional contracts in the NFL to regain a year of college eligibility. The SEC subsequently passed a rule banning players from the league who had already signed to NFL, NBA and WBNA teams. The SEC filed a federal

Rousse never complains about the job, at least not publicly. He calls it the honor of his life. But he acknowledges what it demands of him. “All I have is my career,” he said. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. That’s all I do. I have no other life.” He thought back to conversations with his mom. He imagined what she would say to him now. She would be worried about his health, he thinks. She would say that not everyone will want to wake up at 4 in the morning and work until midnight. “She told me this before she passed away,” Rousse said. “‘If you expect everybody to work at the pace that you’re working, you’ll be constantly disappointed.’ ” He lingered on her advice, which came out in his own voice, almost as an admonishment. “You’re driving yourself STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON crazy thinking that way.” LSU President Wade Rousse teaches an economics class at the Business Education Complex on Aug. 31.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

President Wade Rousse, from left, Board Chair Lee Mallett and Vice Chair John Carmouche applaud during the LSU Board of Supervisors meeting at the administration building on June 26. lawsuit against LSU, arguing the continued pursuit of two former Ole Miss starters, tight end Dae’Quan Wright and defensive tackle Zxavian Harris, violated fundamental rules of college sports. The conference alleged in legal filings that Rousse, a named defendant, has failed to exercise control of Kiffin. As the standoff escalated, the SEC scheduled a vote to expel LSU from the league. LSU backed down by finalizing its roster without the addition of Wright and Harris. “The roster is now locked for the season,” Rousse wrote in a letter to SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “LSU complied with SEC rules. This issue is moot.” Rousse declined to comment on ongoing developments with the roster and LSU’s relationship to the conference. “Recent circumstances around athletics have required more of my attention than I would normally expect,” he said in a statement. “However, that does not change my broader focus, which is to change the way we educate Louisiana by expanding access and driving excellence across the LSU System.”

Rousse sat on a barstool at a spotless white kitchen island. She heard her husband before she saw him. A door opened and slammed shut. “Operator, won’t you put me on through … ” echoed a voice through the hallway. The president entered to greet his wife, drop off papers and disappear again. Angela smiled. She was accustomed to the coming and going, the relentless nature of the schedule, which affects her, too. The couple married in 1999, in Walt Disney World. She has witnessed every step of his career since then. Many evenings, the couple attends a dinner with LSU donors or leadership. Angela organizes parties at the residence, a sprawling house so public-facing that its front rooms are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. She tries to keep home life “less complicated” for LSU’s president, she said, so he has somewhere to go that is free from stress and obligation. She lays out his clothes in the morning. “When we ﬁrst got here, it was overwhelming, and there are some days that are more overwhelming than others,” she said. “But there’s no doubt that this is Callin’ Baton Rouge where he needed to be.” This fall, Rousse picked In their home on South Lakeshore Drive, Angela up an undergraduate mac-

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roeconomics class on Monday nights. He said teaching is invigorating, reminding him why his decisions in the president’s office, the State Capitol and Tiger Stadium matter. “It’s easy to lose the focus as to why we’re here,” Rousse said. “When I get in that classroom, and I can see a kid start thinking differently — economics is a way of thinking, it’s a toolbox, it can be applied to anything — and that light flicks on in their head, you come back here, and you’re willing to fight whatever fight there is.”

NOTICE OF CLOSURE Baton Rouge General Medical Center will discontinue Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) services at The Wellness Studio, located at 7472 Highland Road, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70808, effective October 15, 2026. Medical records will be maintained securely in accordance with applicable requirements. Former patients who need access to their medical records may contact: Baton Rouge General Medical Records 8490 Picardy Avenue, Building 200 Baton Rouge, LA 70809 Phone: 225-381-6048 Email: medicalrecords@brgeneral.org This notice is being published in accordance with Louisiana Department of Health requirements.

From farms to tailgates: Louisiana agriculture fuels gameday traditions

First-generation farmers Matt and Macy Rushing lead a growing cattle operation in Kentwood, with help from their three young children.

Rice harvested in Acadia Parish by farmers like Gerard Frey and Garrett Cormier becomes a key ingredient in tailgate favorites like gumbo, jambalaya and etouffee.

By Amanda McElfresh | amcelfresh@theadvocate.com This article is brought to you by the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation. Long before football fans fire up the grill, stir a pot of jambalaya or gather around sweet treats on gameday, Louisiana farmers are working hard to make those traditions possible. Rice, beef, crawfish, poultry and sugar are staples of Louisiana cooking, including countless dishes served before kickoff each week. The delicacies that are as much a part of football season as the games themselves wouldn’t be possible without Louisiana farms, from rice fields in Acadia Parish to cattle pastures near Kentwood and countless stops in between. “It’s something that’s bigger than money,” said Gerard Frey, a rice farmer at GX2 Farms in Acadia Parish who has been in the business nearly five decades. “It’s the smell of the soil in the spring. It’s the smell of the straw in the harvest season. It’s just the way of life.” The farm’s harvest is cultivated by Frey and his business partner, Garrett Cormier, and becomes the centerpiece of tailgate favorites like jambalaya, gumbo and etouffee. And, while Frey contemplates retirement, he trusts that the rice fields that have been his livelihood will be in good hands with Cormier. “There’s just nothing else I’ve ever wanted to do,” Cormier said. “I’ve always wanted to be around it. Just everything about the farm lifestyle is what I’ve always wanted to do.” Hamburgers, steaks and other grilled favorites have their own Louisiana agricultural stories. Near Kentwood, Matt and Macy Rushing are building a cattle operation as first-generation farmers. The couple recently added property with existing barns and cattle pens, allowing them to increase their capacity. Matt still works away from the farm, but raising cattle has become both a business and a source of personal satisfaction for the couple. “It’s fun to wake up and to see what challenges we’re going to face that day, but also when we do take a calf and we move them up and we watch them and then the next day we check on it to see that progress,” Macy said. “It just gives us that reassurance that we’re doing something right.” Although crawfish season runs from late winter to late spring, frozen crawfish tails can be found in grocery stores year-round to use at football tailgates. The seafood often makes its way into etouffees and po-boys in the fall, and when the crawfish is harvested in Louisiana, it’s the same food that farmers eat at home. “We take a lot of pride. We eat it. I feed my family the same thing,” said Dylan Benoit, a Louisiana crawfish farmer. “It is a blessing.” Benoit’s methods are rooted in knowledge passed down by generations of farmers, from the best equipment to the techniques that work well in the fields. “They figured it out, perfected it,” Benoit said. “I’m fortunate enough and honest enough to say that I appreciate to benefit from it.” While Louisiana agriculture is based on tradition, producing the ingredients in tailgate meals increasingly requires modern technology. In Ouachita Parish, retired poultry farmer Butch Oaks would raise more than 120,000 chickens every six weeks across six poultry houses. It’s a

Dylan Benoit is one of more than 1,000 crawﬁsh farmers who drive the $807M industry.

scale of production that would have been impossible when he first got into farming. “We have computers running the environment in our poultry houses,” Oaks said. “We have automatic feeders. We have automatic waterers.” The technology would even let the farm alert Oaks when something needed his attention – essentially, a call from a chicken house. It’s a far cry from the farms Oaks knew as a child, but the goal is the same: care for the animals and keep the operation moving. Technology also plays a growing role on Frankie and Mallory Sotile’s sugarcane farm. The crop has been a part of Frankie’s family for more than a century. Today, he uses precision agriculture and updated practices to increase efficiency as development makes farmland harder to find. The result is Louisiana sugarcane that can be found in everything from coffee and beignets to cookies and pies. “I’ve tried to modernize everything we’ve done out here,” Frankie said. “No matter what situation you’re in or challenge you face, being out here on the farm and knowing how to adapt – that’s invaluable.” Louisiana tailgating parties are known for hospitality, friendly rivalries and plenty of food to go around. As we root for our favorite teams, let’s remember that our favorite dishes begin on farms across the state, where families navigate weather, rising costs, technology changes and economic uncertainty – all to help turn our gatherings into special occasions with familiar flavors at the center. With more than 107,000 members, the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation’s mission is to support today’s agricultural needs and create member opportunities through advocacy and education. Volunteer leaders serve at the parish, state and national levels, gathering input from Louisiana farmers and ranchers and attempting to influence legislation and regulation to support their work. Visit lafarmbureau.org/tailgate to learn more.

8A ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

SPACEX

Continued from page 1A largely out of the public eye. In the weeks since the announcement, state leaders and residents have tried to make sense of the whirlwind deal with Musk, the world’s richest man, and what’s ahead for Louisiana. Some are hopeful for thousands of jobs and the potential for more coastal protection. Others, including some nearby residents, say they’re worried about how the massive facility will impact the environment and their way of life, and have criticized the tax breaks and the lack of transparency. Landry, who said he took on many of the details himself to ensure the deal went through, sees the project as transformational for the state and one that he’s comfortable letting voters judge him on. “I have no problem letting the people in the state of Louisiana decide whether what we put together was worth it,” Landry said in a phone interview Wednesday. “You don’t do these deals in the public. At some point, you have to give the people elected to lead this state the opportunity to lead.” This account of how SpaceX decided to set up a massive spaceport in Louisiana is based on public records and interviews with people involved in the deal. SpaceX did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

First calls Seven months before the events in Abbeville that August day, the office of Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois got a phone call. It was from a SpaceX official, and the company wanted to talk. The next day, Bourgeois and a top staffer held their first meeting with two SpaceX lobbyists. “They didn’t share a lot,” said Bourgeois. “They told us that they were very interested in Louisiana for a potential project and that they had identified some sites.” SpaceX, it turns out, knew the site it wanted. Two weeks later, Landry would learn as much at a meeting with SpaceX lobbyist Matt Dunn in Washington. Musk’s company, a sprawling firm involved in satellite communications and aerospace that the entrepreneur hopes will achieve his goal of colonizing Mars, had its eye on 30,000 acres of coastal marsh in Vermilion Parish. The problem was that the land was owned by ExxonMobil and tied up in a yearslong lawsuit between the oil giant and the state. “The litigation was clouding the property,” Landry said. Landry, who was involved in the state’s coastal suits as attorney general, said SpaceX’s interest in the Exxon property seemed like a golden opportunity — a chance to settle the coastal suits and snag a major economic development project at the same time.

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turned out when the legis- possible that Exxon would do lation came up for debate, the same. “You had to bring people though. The package sailed who had decades of hatred through. for each other to the table,” Getting the land Landry said during WednesWhile the legislation was day’s interview. “We were falling into place, the state trying to get them in the mind was finalizing a settlement frame that this is good for evwith Exxon in the long-run- eryone.” One element that helped ning coastal lawsuits. Though it wasn’t clear at the time, the forge the deal was SpaceX’s resolution of the coastal suits willingness to expand the would give SpaceX land that amount of land it wanted STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER it had long been eyeing on from 30,000 acres to 120,000 acres — virtually all of Exxcoast. Marshland along Freshwater City Road, near where SpaceX Louisiana’s The lawsuits brought by on’s property. is planning to build a multibillion-dollar spaceport in the state and coastal parishes In late May, after the two Vermilion Parish, is seen on Aug. 19. blamed the oil giant for dam- sides had reached an agreeaging wetlands and contribut- ment in principle, Landry ing to coastal erosion. Baton announced the deal on X. It THE ROAD TO STARBASE LOUISIANA Rouge attorney John Car- would be two more months Gov. Jeff Landry’s administration spent seven months conducting mouche led the case out of before all the paperwork was furious negotiations to secure land and lure SpaceX to Louisiana Vermilion Parish, as well as ﬁnalized. Exxon donated the land to the statewide effort, spanning with incentives. 42 separate lawsuits, to hold the state, which then sold it KEY MOMENTS: oil and gas companies to ac- to SpaceX for $100 million, or n Feb. 5: First call between Louisiana Economic Development count for polluting the coast- about $800 an acre. Landry and SpaceX. line. Exxon owned an 18-mile said that Exxon had also prostretch of coastal marsh in vided the state with “a couple n February: Gov. Jeff Landry meets with SpaceX officials. Vermilion Parish, more than hundred million” for additionn Feb. 10: LED Secretary Susan Bourgeois deems all 120,000 acres in all. al coastal restoration efforts. communication related to SpaceX confidential. Mostly empty and used for The exact amount is not pubn March: Lawmakers, state agency officials, utilities and local duck hunting, the land was licly known. business leaders in Acadiana begin signing nondisclosure far from big population cenBourgeois argued that the ters and was on the northern price SpaceX paid was more agreements, or NDAs, about the negotiations. shore of the Gulf. Though than fair. n April: Bills designed to facilitate aerospace development in “The land is eroding,” she eroding and exposed to hurLouisiana make their way through the Legislature. ricanes, it was close to ship- said. “We literally sold them n May: In public filings for its initial public offering, SpaceX says ping channels and had easy swampland.” it plans to launch “thousands” of rockets per year. Exxon did not respond to access to natural gas. For n May 28: Landry announces a preliminary deal with Exxon to SpaceX, it was perfect for multiple requests for combuilding launchpads, power ment. settle coastal lawsuits, clearing the way for the state to secure complexes, fuel depots and land for SpaceX’s spaceport. On the island other facilities. n July: Vermilion Parish forms an Industrial Development Board, Landry knew that the By mid-May, people in Pewhich holds its first meeting. Exxon settlement was key can Island were beginning n July 31: The Federal Aviation Administration proposes a rule to making the SpaceX deal to wonder what was going work, but it wasn’t at all clear on. The law changes, social exempting aerospace companies from regulations. it would happen. Both Car- media chatter and a grown Aug. 19: The Exxon coastal lawsuits are officially dropped mouche and Landry said that ing number of media reports following the settlement. the negotiating process was were giving rise to speculan Aug. 25: The Vermilion Industrial Development Board difﬁcult. Chevron took anoth- tion in Vermilion Parish that er of the coastal lawsuits all some sort of aerospace comapproves a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) agreement that the way to trial — and it was pany was coming. exempts SpaceX from nearly $24 billion in property taxes over

25 years. Later that day, Landry unveils Starbase Louisiana, and officially announces the spaceport plan.

out what it needed to come to Louisiana — law changes, tax incentives and the Exxon property. The company had given LED “a conceptual list” of regulations and tax incentives, Bourgeois said. SpaceX also wanted conﬁdentiality. On Feb. 10, Bourgeois invoked a state law allowing her to keep records related to certain economic development negotiations secret. She issued a public notice that said LED was negotiating a deal for Project Osprey and that records wouldn’t be released. In the weeks that followed, elected ofﬁcials, state agency heads, lobbyists and companies were looped in, according to the dates on a series of NDAs that were issued. Landry’s administration facilitated more than 30 NDAs, records show. Paige Carter, Bourgeois’ top staffer, took point on the deal, leading twice-weekly meetings with SpaceX on the economic development issues, with SpaceX lobbyist Ben Lancaster on the other side of the table. Among the regulars on the calls were SpaceX attorney Sheila McCorkle, rocket scientist Mark Soltys and Mark Juncosa, one of Musk’s top executives and the company’s vice president of vehicle engineering. Laying out terms Separately, Landry, his exEarly on in the talks with ecutive counsel Angelique LED officials, SpaceX laid Freel, Baton Rouge mediator

Sid Moreland and a team of lawyers from ExxonMobil were meeting multiple times a week on the coastal suits. “This was two conversations going on, an economic development deal and the lawsuit settlement,” said Bourgeois, who credited Landry with shepherding it all. “He was the common thread.” One of the company’s requirements was legislation shielding aerospace companies from public records laws and from nuisance and damage lawsuits. It also wanted legislation that would prevent local governments from trying to limit those companies’ activity. The administration tapped two allies in the state House to carry the bills, state Reps. Jack McFarland, RJonesboro, and Tony Bacala, R-Prairieville. McFarland said the bills he was asked to ﬁle closely mirrored laws in Texas and Florida. Freel in the Governor’s Ofﬁce had drafted them, Bourgeois said, “pulling statutes from other states to see how they were worded.” The legislation was filed hours before this year’s deadline. Coming so late in the process, the bills raised eyebrows in the Legislature. They also gave the public the first hint that an aerospace company was seriously eyeing Louisiana. No opposition

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Many locals were uneasy. They sought answers but couldn’t get any since most parish leaders also were in the dark. Vicky Harrington, who works at Marsha’s Corner Store about 15 miles north of Pecan Island, said at the time that “it’s all anybody’s talking about.” “We’ve all heard the rumors, but we don’t know who to believe,” she said. Meanwhile, the ﬁnal piece of the deal — the incentive package — was being hammered out, an effort led by Shreveport attorney Mike Busada, who’d crafted the state’s tax deal with Meta two years earlier. It included a property tax abatement worth $23.8 billion plus a state aerospace sales tax rebate worth an additional $3.6 billion. To qualify for the incentive, known as a PILOT, or payment in lieu of taxes, SpaceX donated its newly bought land to the Vermilion Parish Industrial Development Board, then leased it back for a nominal amount. It also agreed to make a onetime payment of $20 million to the parish plus $25 million a year for 25 years.

Musk on the scene Around 1 p.m. on Aug. 13, Musk’s plane landed at the Lafayette airport, where he got into a helicopter. A SpaceX scientist tagged along, as did three of Musk’s children and Landry. A company ﬁlm crew shot the chopper as it descended into the Vermilion Parish marsh. Musk stepped out, wearing a black T-shirt and black jeans.

ä See SPACEX, page 10A

Paid for by the American Diabetes Association.

Sponsored: Why Congress Must Pass the Insulin Act of 2026

Submitted article by Eloise Keene This article is brought to you by the American Diabetes Association.

For many years, I, like over 40 million other Americans, have had every aspect of my life and health journey shaped by diabetes after my daughter’s diagnosis. Repeated healthcare visits, blood glucose (blood sugar) monitoring, and so many other aspects of caring for someone living with diabetes became routine, especially considering her need for insulin. For her, and millions of others, it is as necessary as breathing. So, what do we do when we’ve been priced out of something as essential as oxygen? Unfortunately, for many people relying on insulin to survive, the cost has become untenable. Over the past decade alone, spending on insulin has tripled from $8 billion in 2012 to $22.3 billion in 2022. I know this experience personally. My daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and as a single parent I struggled at times to afford the insulin she needed to survive. Even though I had health insurance, I was still paying more than $300 per month for her medication. Our story isn’t unique, according to the National Institutes of Health, 1 in 6 Americans report rationing their insulin due to cost, and the consequences of this can be deadly. As a diabetes educator for more than 20 years, I have seen patients, both type 1 and type 2, who have paid $500 or more per month for their medication and tried desperately to manage their monthly expenses. Far too many of our fellow Louisianans are having to choose between rising costs for insulin, utility bills, gas, and so many other everyday expenses. Rationing insulin isn’t a budget strategy—it’s a medical emergency waiting to strike. The status quo, where millions have to

pick between lifesaving medication or bills, doesn’t have to continue. That’s why I’m urging Congress, especially Senator Bill Cassidy, Senator John Kennedy, and Representative Troy Carter to pass the Improving Needed Safeguards for Users of Lifesaving Insulin Now (INSULIN) Act of 2026. This affordability crisis facing millions of Americans isn’t a red or blue state issue, nor one that hits rural and urban areas differently. ThroughtheINSULINAct,Congressisaddressing this issue head-on. Most significantly, if enacted, runaway out-of-pocket insulin costs would be capped at $35 per month for people with private insurance. For millions who are uninsured, the INSULIN Act will create a ﬁve-year pilot program that provides grants to 10 states to offer low-cost insulin to uninsured patients. For me, that means my daughter, and many others like her who live with diabetes, will not potentially face astronomically high monthly copays for her lifesaving medication. While it may be too late to erase what’s happened in the past, passing the INSULIN Act today means ensuring that future generations of Americans living with diabetes won’t have to endure similar circumstances. Insulin isn’t a luxury item. It’s as vital as oxygen.Atthisverymoment,withtheINSULIN Act of 2026, Congress has the opportunity to ﬁnally end insulin rationing in America as we know it. I urge our legislators to sponsor this bill. For not only myself, but for the millions of others who have faced this difficult decision, so that we can, collectively, ensure that no one else has to in the future.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ 9A

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FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

2026

Know before you go: For Parking:

2026 Southern University Football Game Day Trafﬁc, Parking, and Stadium Rules

Purchase in advance.

Southern University Athletics urges fans to arrive early before kick-off for all Southern University home football games at A.W. Mumford Stadium to help with the ease of trafﬁc ﬂow.

CASHLESS CAMPUS

• Campus opens 6am Gameday • Download your Tickets before you get to the Stadium • No Outside Food or Drinks • Parking: General Admission $30 enter on Swan or Mills Avenues | Reserved Parking enter on Harding

Drivers who park in the paid/reserve lots must have their hang tags visible on the vehicles or risk being towed and/or ticketed. Contraflow may begin earlier than designated if need be. Additional reserve parking will be available at the MLK Catholic Center. Call the SU ticket office at 225-771-3171 for details. Also, the areas on Isabel Herson Drive, near the Southern University Laboratory School, will be available for parking. General parking, which is $30, will only be made available on Saturday. Designated limited mobility parking areas will be available on a first come basis. Shuttles will be available in certain areas to bring fans to the stadium. Please see the Limited Mobility/Reserved Lot manifest for a complete list of lots and available shuttle locations.

Southern University Football Game Trafﬁc Plan ALL HANG TAGS MUST BE HUNG FROM REARVIEW MIRROR BEFORE ENTERING CAMPUS AND REMAIN VISIBLY DISPLAYED AT ALL TIMES. VEHICLES PARKED IN RESERVED PARKING LOTS WITHOUT DISPLAYING RESERVED HANG TAGS FOR THAT LOT WILL BE TOWED. There are a limited number of game day RV and tailgating spots available, call 225-771-3171 for more info. Individual vehicles will not be allowed to park in RV lots. All motor homes and ﬁfth wheelers must park in the areas designated for motor homes. If you will be towing a vehicle, you must purchase a parking permit for the vehicle and park it in the designated lot that corresponds to the permit.

Traffic on Campus during Normal Traffic Flow Traffic onto campus by way of Harding Boulevard.

• The right lane of Harding Boulevard is for Decal Reserved Parking Lots A, B, C, D, G (Mini Dome and Stadium Parking), Tailgate Dome • The left lane of Harding Boulevard is for Decal Reserved Parking Lots, E, V, U and MLK • Game day bus parking should enter on Harding and proceed to E.C. Harrison Drive. Parking is $250 for all non-SU Alumni/ Booster Clubs. • General parking travelers must utilize Swan and Mill Street only. Parking is $30 per car. Any decal entering the Mini Dome may be allowed to pass through the Mini Dome parking area if it is not Lot D to get their designated decal parking area. Traffic onto campus by way of Swan Avenue will be able to get to Lots A, B, C, D, F, G, H, and I. Traffic onto campus by way of B. A. Little Dr. from Mills Avenue will be able to get to Lots A, B, C, D, F, G, H, and I. All traffic that is not going to a reserved lot must park in a general parking area. Traffic onto Harding Boulevard. • Bradford Hall Parking Lot • Human Resources Parking Lot • Parking lot on the Scott’s Bluff • Archives Parking Lot • Museum Parking Lot • Law Center Parking Lot • Mayberry Dining Hall Parking Lot • Army/Navy ROTC Parking Lot Traffic onto Swan Avenue. • The grass area east of Isabel Herson Street. • The grass area north of the Southern Laboratory practice field. • The grass area north of Isabel Herson Street. • Traffic onto B. A. Little Dr. from Mills Avenue. • The grass area to the south of Mills Ave. and west of B. A. Little Drive. • The grass area to the south of Mills Ave. and east of B. A. Little Drive. Harding Blvd. Contra-flow Traffic • All lanes will be inbound. • Contra-flow traffic will start three hours prior to kickoff or earlier if necessary. For example, for a 6 p.m. kickoff contra-flow traffic will start at 3 p.m. Limited Mobility Bradford Hall and SU Police Station Parking

A.W. Mumford Stadium Policies

• No Alcoholic beverages from outside will be allowed inside A.W. Mumford Stadium

• Southern University reserves the right to refuse the sale of alcoholic beverages • Fans Cannot Store Prohibited Bags & Items Near Stadium Entrances • All Unattended Items will be Removed & Discarded • Full details listed at www.gojagsports.com • All Persons & Items Entering are Subject to Inspection • No Re-entry - Anyone Leaving the Stadium Must Have a New, Unused Ticket to Re-enter • Tickets May Not be Re-sold on Stadium Premises & Surrounding Grounds (Including Parking Lots) • All Persons Must Have a Ticket for Admission - Regardless of Age (children under 2 years old do not need a ticket) • Smoking & Use of All Tobacco Products (Cigarettes, E-Cigarettes, Cigars, Pipes, Smokeless Tobacco, Snuff, Chewing Tobacco, Vapes, etc.) is Prohibited Everywhere on Southern University’s Campus • In all sports, access to the competition area shall be limited to participating student-athletes, coaches, officials, support personnel and properly credentialed individuals at all times. • At No time before, during or after a contest shall spectators be permitted to enter the field or playing surface. • Access to the field is reserved for participating student-athletes, coaches, officials, support personnel and properly credentialed individuals.

OVERTIME COACHES SHOW DATES:

THURSDAY’S 6:30 PM 10/1, 10/29, 11/12, 12/3

Southern University Football Schedule The Faulk Effect Era Football 2026 October 3 ................. University of Arkansas – Pine Bluff.................. 6:00 PM October 10............... Prairie View A&M University.............................................2:00 PM October 24............... Texas Southern University..................................................2:00 PM October 31............... Florida A&M University ......................................................2:00 PM November 7 ............ Bethune-Cookman University ............................ 2:00 PM November 14.......... Alcorn State University ........................................... 2:00 PM November 28.......... Grambling State University................................................ 1:00 PM

10A ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

SPACEX

CHANGE

“This is perfect,” Musk said, taking it all in. “It’s going to be so exciting for Louisiana.” Twelve days later, on Aug. 25, shortly before the big announcement in downtown Abbeville, the complex series of conveyance records for the land deal were filed with the Vermilion Clerk of Court. The tax incentives had also been passed. The deal was officially done. As Landry and other Louisiana officials stood onstage, a seven-minute video of Musk was played inside the Abbeville reception venue. The crowd erupted in applause. Looking back on it, Landry said negotiating the settlement was “exhausting” and closing the deal “surreal.” “And bittersweet,” he said. “You have to realize as you negotiate, it’s easy to armchair quarterback and say, ‘The governor gave this up,’ ” said Landry. “But when you think of what we gave up in return for $100 billion, it’s a rounding error.” Back in Pecan Island, Wayne Miller, 66, a farmer who has lived about 5 miles from the site of the planned spaceport for much of his life, eyes the project warily. “It’s probably going to be good for the parish, and maybe the state,” Miller said. “But my main priority is the people of the island. I’m not against the betterment of the state, but I am against the destruction of the island.” It’s been hard for residents to imagine the changes ahead. The boost SpaceX will bring to the economy will have its benefits, Miller and others said, but they worry about the loss of their current way of life. Corbett “Cobb” LeBoeuf, the chair of the board that approved the property tax break and an Abbeville resident, said there are lots of oncerns about how the spaceport will affect the coast. “But I have more concern,” he said, “that we won’t have a coast if this doesn’t come in.”

Ofﬁce of Juvenile Justice, it placed a ﬁnancial burden on parishes, as nearly none of the parish jails in Louisiana were built to house 17-yearolds and keep them separate from adults. And the small parish north of Lafayette is far from the only local government dealing with the issue.

Continued from page 8A

Continued from page 1A

A youth crime crackdown Passed during the Legislature’s second special session in 2024, Senate Bill 3, by Sen. Heather Cloud, RTurkey Creek, was part of a tough-on-crime legislative package supported by Gov. Jeff Landry. The new law effectively made it so 17-year-olds would be prosecuted as adults, no matter the crime, and removed them from juvenile housing. In his remarks to kick off the special session, Landry said much of the violent crime in Louisiana was being committed by juveniles, and it was time to treat them tougher. “These juveniles are not innocent children any longer; they are hardened criminals,” Landry said. “They violently attack our citizens, our law enforcement ofﬁcers and even our juvenile correction ofﬁcers without hesitation.” In a committee hearing on the bill, Cloud said the bill would save money at the state level, since fewer youths would go to Office of Juvenile Justice custody. But as lawmakers debated, some warned that the change could have a negative effect at the local level. “While there’s a savings on one end, who’s going to pick it up on the other end?” Sen. Gerald Boudreaux, D-Lafayette, asked during a Senate Finance Committee hearing. Analysts told Boudreaux and others that locals could face new costs to retrofit their facilities, as 17-yearolds must be kept separate from adults under federal

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regulations. Cloud did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The Governor’s Office also did not respond to a request for comment. In 2024, Cloud said local costs were “indeterminate” and told her colleagues the bill had the support of the state’s sheriff and district attorney associations. “They know what they’re getting into,” she said. But in April 2024, when the bill became law, it spurred a small crisis in Baton Rouge and led to conflict between the mayor-president and sheriff. Officials knew the change was coming, but did not have the time or money to retrofit East Baton Rouge Parish’s decaying jail. Like most other parishes, Baton Rouge had no other option other than to send its 17-year-olds to Jackson Parish. It now also sends some of these pretrial inmates to Catahoula Parish. The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office pays $100 a day to reserve a bed for a 17-year-old inmate, and $175 a day for each teen housed there. The total daily price per inmate will soon increase from $275 to $295, the Sheriff’s Office said. In July, 19 East Baton Rouge 17-year-olds were housed out of the parish. Financial records show that East Baton Rouge is now paying around $1.17 million more each year to house inmates out of parish than they did before the state made 17-year-olds adults.

‘That’s extortion’ Washington Parish Sheriff Jason Smith was elected in 2023 and took ofﬁce just a couple months after the law changed. The office was sending 17-year-olds to Jackson Parish. As a smaller parish, it only had one such detainee. Smith said he was shocked at the price tag: $300 each day for that single inmate. “That’s extortion,” Smith said. That same day, Smith said he sent his transport staffer

STAFF FILE PHOTOS By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Louisiana passed a law treating 17-year-olds as adults in courtrooms and prisons. Local governments say it’s costing taxpayers big.

State Sen. Heather Cloud, R-Turkey Creek, speaks with Gov. Jeff Landry. back up to Jackson Parish to pick the inmate up. He cleared out his cell block for women, moved them to Bogalusa City Jail and moved the single 17-year-old into that space. Washington Parish is one of the most overcrowded local jails in the state, the sheriff said, and moving inmates around isn’t easy. “I’ve got to have them segregated by sight and sound,” Smith said. “That means I have to keep one inmate in this space that I would normally have 10-12.” During a visit to Jackson Parish, Smith said he saw some inmates being held in repurposed shipping containers. The one to ﬁve 17-year-olds his parish has at a time are still being held in the former women’s cell block, which he decided was the best option, given the cost of transport

and housing. Smith also did not like the burden housing them in Jackson Parish put on inmates’ families — inmates who haven’t been convicted of the crime of which they’ve been accused. “It deprives the 17-yearold who, again, is presumed innocent, from visiting with his family, right?” Smith said. “It’s just not worth it to me.” The Jackson Parish Correctional Center in Jonesboro is run in part by LaSalle Corrections, a private prison company that has faced scrutiny over inmate deaths in custody and its contracts to house ICE detainees. The Jackson Parish Sheriff’s Ofﬁce did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Concordia Parish that will only house 17-year-olds. According to the application for the project, the new facility will have 80 beds and will only house state inmates from East Baton Rouge, Lafayette, LaSalle, Livingston, Madison, Tensas, West Carroll, West Feliciana and Winn parishes. Boudreaux voted against the bill when it came before the Senate two years ago. He said he is against charging 17-year-olds as adults for more crimes, but he said the costs were a concern too. Like most other parishes, Boudreaux says the costs are piling up in Lafayette too. And while he says elected officials are going to have to figure out how to remedy these added costs, he’s not optimistic it will happen the next time the legislature is in session. “Next year is a political year, so let’s be real; it’s not going to come up,” Boudreaux said, a reference to reelection campaigns next November. “But it’s definitely going to be something that needs to come up once the election cycle is over with.” Two years ago, Landry defended the costs of his tough-on-crime measures in his remarks to kick off the special session. “While many say focus on the cost, I say focus on the cost to society, I say focus on the cost to our citizens in loss of property, in the disruption of their lives and in the irreparable tragedy of losing a loved one,” he said. But with two years of data, Boudreaux now wonders whether there was any benefit in making 17-yearolds adults. “If we take a look back and see that, after two years, the cost is off the chain, what have we done for the rehabilitation process?” he said. “If we’re shipping them off somewhere and it’s costing more, are we benefiting?”

‘Are we benefiting?’

Email Patrick SloanLast year, the state broke Turner at patrick.sloanground on a new facility in turner@theadvocate.com.

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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ 11A

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CNN says White Thousands protest Spain’s housing crisis An 87-year-old House left it off woman was being evicted after large Air Force One rent increase BY SARAH RANKIN and HALLIE GOLDEN Associated Press

The White House left CNN off Air Force One for President Donald Trump’s trip Saturday to a college football game in Tennessee, marking the latest media restriction from the administration in an ongoing dispute with First Amendment implications. CNN, a member of the U.S. network video pool that rotates duties shooting and sharing video coverage of the president, reported it had been scheduled to fly aboard the president’s plane Saturday for a visit to a midday game between the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and the University of Texas. But White House guidance issued Friday night instead included Real America’s Voice, a conservative outlet. The White House guidance was issued after journalists from CNN, along with MS NOW and Politico, which Trump banned last week from the White House grounds, returned to the executive complex with TV cameras in hand after a judge handed the organizations a reprieve. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly temporarily struck down the president’s ban in an overnight ruling early Thursday, but his decision dealt with “hard passes” to the White House grounds and didn’t directly address pool duties. The judge’s temporary order also said nothing directly about Air Force One. The spot meant for CNN on the ﬂight has long been saved for a member of the U.S. network video pool; Real America’s Voice is not a part of that group. The White House did not respond to emails from The Associated Press requesting comment about the decision. CNN declined to comment. A written pool report Saturday morning conﬁrmed there was “no TV pool” for the travel, though Real America’s Voice celebrated its inclusion in the trip and said it would make feeds available to other news outlets. “CNN is not here; we have taken over that responsibility. We are so excited to be here,” correspondent Taylor Mitchell said in a video that the outlet posted on social media. On Saturday morning, the president addressed the broader debate in a post on social media, writing: “FAKE NEWS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED IN THE WHITE HOUSE!!! IT HAS GONE ON FAR TOO LONG, AT A TREMENDOUS COST TO OUR COUNTRY.” Fans at the game caught a low-altitude flyover as Air Force One came into

town. The president’s motorcade arrived just as the national anthem was being sung, and the president was later shown on a jumbotron and greeted with cheers, according to a text pool report. Theodore Boutrous Jr., an attorney for CNN, MS NOW and Politico, did not respond to phone calls or emails Friday evening or Saturday morning. Earlier Friday, on “The Lead with Jake Tapper,” Boutrous said the plaintiffs believe the recent court ruling also covers the issue of pool access. For a while Friday, the U.S. network video pool for the White House was back in operation for the first time since Trump banned the three news outlets in an extraordinary showdown over media access. At noon on CNN, viewers could see Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping touring the National Archives, along with Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan, Xi’s wife. The banner along the bottom of the screen read: “Trump and China’s Xi Visit National Archives.” It was a routine report from a state visit — except that CNN had not aired live video of Trump in several days. The TV pool consists of ﬁve major U.S. broadcast outlets. When the White House banned CNN from the White House grounds, along with MS NOW and Politico, the other four pool providers declined to participate in a show of solidarity. CNN on Saturday covered its exclusion from Air Force One, writing that the move “represents the Trump administration’s latest salvo against CNN and the broader White House press corps.” Throughout his second term, Trump has increasingly targeted media outlets whose coverage irritates him, taking administrative or legal action against several. Early last year, he banished AP reporters from White House events because the organization wasn’t abiding by his executive order changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.” The AP’s guidance says to acknowledge the new name when relevant. The case is on appeal after a federal district judge ruled in AP’s favor. The press pool was created decades ago by the White House Correspondents’ Association, a group of journalists who cover the president, to make sure a rotating roster always travels with the president. The pool distributes in-person reports and imagery to the broader press corps and is designed to hold the nation’s chief executive accountable on behalf of the American public.

BY GIADA ZAMPANO and SUMAN NAISHADHAM Associated Press

MADRID — Thousands of people took to the streets in Madrid on Saturday to protest against Spain’s housing crisis and ask for protective measures for tenants, antifraud rules, and a ban on evictions without alternative housing. The latest protest about housing was sparked by the dramatic eviction on Wednesday of an 87-yearold woman from the Madrid apartment she had lived in for decades. Taken out of her home on a stretcher in the upscale Retiro neighborhood, María del Carmen Abascal was greeted by protesters and supporters as she was loaded into an ambulance. Spanish media reported that Abascal’s father first rented the property in 1956 and she continued as the tenant after her parents died, during which time there was a rent cap. The building changed ownership in 2018, and Abascal was offered the opportunity to buy the apartment but could not afford it, according to the Madrid Tenants’ Union, which organized Saturday’s protest. Urbagestión, an investment fund that later bought the unit, raised her monthly rent from 500 to 2,650 euros. It subsequently lowered the rent to 1,650 euros, which Abascal still could not afford on her pension, the union said. Courts blocked three previous attempts to evict her. Extensive media coverage turned Abascal into a symbol of Spain’s housing crisis. “I haven’t managed to defend my home, but I have fought so that others can learn to fight for what’s theirs,” Abascal said in a video shared on Friday by the tenants’ union. The video was recorded from her hospital bed after the eviction. Rising costs and a housing shortage are pricing many Spaniards out of the market, despite strong economic growth in Europe’s fourth-largest economy. Incomes have not kept pace. Analysts say tourism and immigration-driven popu-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MANU FERNANDEZ

People gather during a protest following the eviction last Wednesday of 87-year-old María del Carmen Abascal to demand stronger laws to protect renters at Puerta del Sol in Madrid, Spain, on Saturday. lation growth in cities have placed further pressure on the limited housing supply. The Bank of Spain estimated that the country had a shortage of about 550,000 homes last year, with Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia accounting for a substan-

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age is 8%. Spain previously built homes with public funds that were later sold into private ownership, removing them from the public housing stock. Zampano reported from Rome.

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12A ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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Smithsonian’s Black museum celebrates 10 years Plan moves forward, undaunted amid pressure from Trump administration

BY MATT BROWN

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Deeply impactful exhibits, ticketed galas and educational events are expected ways to celebrate a world-class museum. But at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which marked the 10year anniversary of its opening on Thursday, the singing of Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday” will give the event the ﬂavor of a downhome family reunion. “Our anniversary is really founded through this theme of ‘Welcome Home. Our Legacy Continues,’ ” said Shanita Brackett, the museum’s acting director. “It means we are planning our next 10, frankly 20 years of exhibitions right now.” Beginning with a full museum activation on Thursday, the celebrations extended through the rest of the weekend, both at the museum’s National Mall home and The Wharf, located along the historic Washington Channel of the Potomac River. Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III, the museum’s founding director who announced his plan to retire earlier this month, will headline “Understanding America,” a discussion to commemorate the anniversary. The festivities come as the Smithsonian museum, affectionately called the “Blacksonian” by its most committed visitors and patrons, has faced outright hostility from President Donald Trump’s administration. The president last year signed an executive order seeking to change a range of museums and landmarks supported by the federal government. The Interior Department has also removed dozens of displays from national monuments that highlighted the history of social activists, people of color, women and LGBTQ people, among others. The order instructed federal ofﬁcials to work with Congress to bar

capture and share the unvarnished truth of African American history and culture.” “We know that Black history is a part of American history, and it’s our job to ensure that everyone who comes to this museum, who engages in our programming, who visits us online, understands exactly how all of this evolved, how the contributions of African Americans have advanced this country, and that’s really what people walk away with,” she said. “There are no changes to exhibits other than rotating objects that need conservation,” she added. Some visitors had expressed fears that exhibits, such as the casket of Emmett Till and a Greensboro lunch counter housed at the ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS By JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON neighboring American History Museum, may have been altered to Visitors walk through the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African appease the administration’s conAmerican History and Culture in Washington. cerns. Brackett was clear: “NothSupreme Court Chief Justice John ing has changed.” Roberts, says they have continued Honoring Black history their work without interference. “We have not changed any exThe idea of a landmark recognizhibitions. We haven’t changed ing the contributions of African our language. We know that what Americans on the National Mall we do is steeped in scholarship,” goes back more than a century. Brackett said of the African AmerIn 1915, Black Civil War veterans called on lawmakers to establish a ican museum. landmark honoring their contribuMuseum’s mission tions to the war effort, often fightThe Smithsonian is supported by ing for their own liberty. The idea a mix of federal and private fund- advanced in fits and starts over the ing. The institution’s significant 20th century until eventually calls funding and complex governance to commemorate the legacy of the structure have made it difficult Civil Rights Mmovement captured for the administration to directly the interest of lawmakers on Capiinfluence its content, as officials tol Hill. have done with federal landmarks, The Museum of African Ameri‘We have not changed any which are maintained directly by can History and Culture was first exhibitions. We haven’t changed the executive branch. That hasn’t approved by Congress in 2003 and our language. We know that what stopped an outpouring of concern opened its doors on Sept. 24, 2016. we do is steeped in scholarship,’ from supporters of the African At its opening ceremony, thensays Shanita Brackett, acting American museum’s mission in President Barack Obama urged response to any curatorial changes African Americans to see their director of the Smithsonian’s the museum has made over the last story as an integral thread in the National Museum of African two years. broader American story. American History and Culture. Administration officials have “It is a glorious story, the one also expressed frustration at the that’s told here. It is complicated, the Smithsonian from using feder- Smithsonian’s resistance and have and it is messy, and it is full of al funding for exhibits that alleg- outlined new measures. Trump, a contradictions, as all great stories edly “degrade shared American Republican, has ordered officials are,” Obama said. “The very fact values, divide Americans based to place signs in front of some of this day does not prove that on race, or promote programs or Smithsonian buildings warning America is perfect, but it does valiideologies inconsistent with fed- visitors they may experience ex- date the ideas of our founding: that eral law.” hibits with an inaccurate portrait this country — born of change, of revolution, of we the people — that But the Smithsonian’s leader- of American history. Brackett said her museum is this country can get better.” ship, which responds to a board Since its opening a decade ago, that includes lawmakers from confident they can continue with both parties, private donors and the museum’s original vision “to the museum has welcomed close to

14 million visitors from 200 countries and has hosted more than 26,000 school groups, according to the Smithsonian. Across 10 floors — five above ground celebrating art and cultural achievements and five below ground exploring deep histories — visitors have learned of the complex history of African Americans in the U.S., a story that is by turns harrowing and triumphant, and how it fits into the broader narrative of American history. A day before the anniversary, Shallary Duncan of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, visited the museum for the first time. “Quite honestly, with all of the changes in our country, it made me yearn to be here. I don’t want to see any changes that would mitigate the reality of this experience,” said Duncan, a psychologist and self-described “history buff.” “We know that African Americans have been in this country for as long as the country has been here, so it’s important for us that we are a part of a voice that says this is real, our history is real and we don’t want it to change,” she added. More than a dozen students from a consortium of historically Black colleges and universities also visited the museum on Wednesday, eager to learn from its exhibits. Some of the students said they had visited the museum repeatedly since they were children. For Jaina Dotson, the trip was a special experience. Growing up in Maryland, she’d visited the museum once as a child and was “eager to see how my perspective has changed.” Now a student at Tuskegee University studying architecture, the visit was also a chance to put her classwork into practice. Dotson said she had researched the museum’s design for her latest architectural project. “Looking at the outside façade, the corona, and the intention of the design behind that, as well as the layout of the museum itself, was an integral part of my research,” Dotson said. “The layout of the museum, its architecture, is really important for the experience. So it’ll be fun to actually experience that as a patron.”

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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ 13A

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New evidence shows you are slightly hotter than a T. rex BY CORINNE PURTILL Los Angeles Times (TNS)

LOS ANGELES — If you’ve been to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, you’ve probably been wowed by the fossilized remains of Thomas, the formidable 34-foot-long Tyrannosaurus rex dominating the Dinosaur Hall. More than 66 million years after Thomas’ death around the age of 17, the animal is continuing to contribute to science’s understanding of his famous species. Chemical analysis of one

of Thomas’ fossilized teeth has provided the most precise estimate yet of T. rex’s body temperature. The predator was not a cold-blooded creature, but a warm-blooded one with a body temperature probably around 97.3 degrees Fahrenheit, plus or minus 4.5 degrees. The findings were published last week in the journal Science Advances. New analysis techniques developed in recent years have provided strong evidence that theropods like T. rex, velociraptors and other

two-legged dinosaurs were endothermic animals like mammals and birds, rather than cold-blooded, or exothermic, like reptiles. “The signiﬁcance of this study is the ability to place an unambiguous measurement on the body temperature,” said co-author Robert Eagle, an associate professor at UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability. “This is a sort of very direct way of getting at their physiology that’s not been possible before.” The study looked at bonds between carbon and oxy-

gen isotopes in the fossil. The fewer bonds present, the higher the temperature at which the minerals in the tooth formed. “The amount of these chemical bonds is basically set 70 million years ago when this tooth ﬁrst formed in the body of a dinosaur,” Eagle said. Mapped against the climate of the Cretaceous Period, the T. rex’s likely body temperature would have

suited it for life all over what is now North America, a hypothesis born out by the fossil record, Eagle said. Eagle’s team is conducting further analysis on the tooth, after which it will be returned to the museum’s collection. Museum paleontologists excavated some 70% of Thomas’s fossilized skeleton in the early 2000s, making it one of the most complete T. rex specimens

ever found. “Natural history collections are reservoirs of evidence, often used in ways no one could have predicted when they were ﬁrst built,” said Luis Chiappe, director of the Dinosaur Institute at the Natural History Museum. “The T. rex teeth we studied were collected decades ago, before the analytical techniques we used were even possible.”

Well-preserved tooth from Pacific mastodon discovered It was found in a wooded creek

BY JAMIE STENGLE Associated Press

Brigid Lynch was working along a wooded creek in a mountainous part of the San Francisco Bay Area when something that didn’t look like the rocks she’d been studying caught her eye. It turned out to be the fossilized tooth of a Pacific mastodon. “I keep joking it wasn’t hard to find,” Lynch, a geomorphologist at Balance Hydrologics, said Friday. “It was just sitting there in the middle of the creek, halfway in, half out of the water.” Lynch made the discovery earlier this year while working on a habitat restoration project for the threatened California red-legged frog in a Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District preserve in San Mateo County. The public land management agency that preserves over 70,000 acres of land in the Santa Cruz Mountains region announced the find this month. The fossil has been donated to Stanford University’s Doerr School of Sustainability. “It’s in great condition,” said Chrissy Garcia, curator and manager of Doerr School of Sustainability’s specimen collections. “So we’ve got both the crown and the root of the fossil. You can even see root canal.” “It’s exciting to have a specimen of this quality, and having it be a local find,” she said. Garcia said the tooth from the Pacific mastodon, an extinct elephantlike species, is about 9 inches long. Ron Tykoski, vice president of science and curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas, said mastodon fossils “pop up with some degree of fre-

PROVIDED PHOTO

The fossilized tooth of a Pacific mastodon is on display at the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District preserve in San Mateo County in California. quency, depending on where you live.” He said there are multiple species of mastodon that roamed for a few million years in North America, up till 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. “The way this was found is actually the way a lot of specimens are found, just somebody who happened to be in the right place,” Tykoski said. Garcia said that they’ll likely try to determine the exact age of the fossil, and will make a 3D copy to give to the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. The district says it will use the copy for public outreach and education.

Ryan McCauley, a spokesperson for the district, said the discovery on land they are preserving helps show the value of protecting open spaces and habitats. “That this tooth, that this molar, was found in the context of trying to protect the habitat and save another species from potentially going extinct I think really just drives home the point of why it’s so important to care for these open spaces and these natural lands,” he said.

CLASSIFIEDS.THEADVOCATE.COM

Turning pain into purpose: A teen son’s legacy grows into a mission reaching thousands across Louisiana By Amanda McElfresh | amcelfresh@theadvocate.com This article is brought to you by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana. Two weeks after the death of their 15-year-old son Owen in April 2023, Jordan Tabor and his wife, Lisa, had started the paperwork to launch their foundation, Rain Will Bring Flowers. The Baton Rouge couple was still navigating the earliest days of grief after Owen’s suicide, but Tabor said they already knew they wanted their son’s life and death to have an impact. “We incorporated 15 days after Owen’s passing,” he said. “We couldn’t let our family’s tragedy go to waste. We had to find a way to Jordan and Lisa Tabor transform our pain into purpose.” founded Rain Will Bring Three years later, that purpose Flowers following the is resulting in large-scale events, suicide of their 15-yearschool-based training and financial old son Owen. support for youth who plan to study behavioral health. For his work with the foundation, Tabor has received The Angel Award from the Louisiana Blue Foundation. “When I found out about The Angel Award, I was in disbelief. Then, I got really emotional because I know what it will mean for the foundation. That turned into being completely humbled,” Tabor said. “With everything we do, I feel like Owen and God are guiding our hands. The exponential growth and partnerships we have established has been amazing.” Social media, sports and expectations add to youth Jordan Tabor is a pressures recipient of the 2026 Tabor said the scale of the issue Angel Award from the became clear during Owen’s funeral Louisiana Blue services as friends, relatives and Foundation. community members shared their experiences with suicide and mental health challenges. Soon after, he learned how extensively suicide affects youth. It is the third leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 24 in the state, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. “Before Owen’s passing, mental health was background noise to me,” Tabor said. “It was startling to find out that it is such a silent epidemic.” Tabor said he believes kids today face heightened expectations from themselves, their parents, teachers and coaches. Many feel pressure to keep up with others based on what they see on social media, although as Tabor noted, most people avoid posting about negative aspects of their lives. That pressure can be amplified for youth who, like Owen, are student-athletes. “There’s a lot of pressure to excel in sports. There’s still a ‘no pain, no gain’ mentality in a lot of places. I think that leads to student-athletes masking their challenges,” Tabor said. “Part of our goal is to let them know that they need to take care of their brain as much as their physical health. They need to take time for self-care.” Turning awareness into action across Louisiana Rain Will Bring Flowers’ signature program is Planting Seeds of Hope, an annual event presented with LSU Athletics, FMOL Health, the Joe Burrow Foundation and the LSU National L Club. More than 3,100 young people and their families attended the February 2026 event at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. The next event will be Feb. 24, 2027. Planting Seeds of Hope places prominent athletes alongside mental health professionals for candid conversations about emotional well-being. “We want to normalize conversations around mental health and suicide prevention, and decrease the stigma,”

he said. “I’ve gotten calls, texts and emails from parents saying this event opened the door to tough conversations, sometimes immediately after the event.” The foundation also works in Louisiana schools through Prevention In Every Parish. The initiative began about two years ago with the goal of providing suicide prevention education in all 64 Louisiana parishes. More than 100,000 people have been trained in 25 parishes. “The training is geared toward faculty and parents and is about recognizing possible warning signs, having hard conversations and helping them know what resources are available,” Tabor said. “For students, we teach them to trust their gut, how to pick up on warning signs and how to help a struggling peer.” Newer initiatives include an endowment for a four-year scholarship for a graduating high school senior who plans to study behavioral health, which was launched in May 2025 in honor of what would have been Owen’s graduation, as well as working with schools to modernize mental health technology.

A key priority of Rain Will Bring Flowers is creating safe spaces for open conversations about mental wellness and the importance of reaching out for help.

Listening, speaking up and keeping Owen’s legacy alive Rain Will Bring Flowers has accomplished so much in three years, but Tabor is most proud that he keeps Owen’s legacy alive. “Every day, I get to talk about my son,” he said. “The foundation is a way that I personally manage my grief. If I didn’t have the foundation, I really don’t know where I would be today in my recovery.” Tabor’s experience shapes how he talks to other parents about supporting their children. “I think as parents, our first reaction when we see our child struggling is to try to fix the problem,” he said. “A lot of times, all it takes is active listening. You might have to ask some tough questions. But, it’s what you need to do to help them. It takes open and honest communication.” He also points families to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, noting that people do not have to be experiencing an emergency to contact the service. Parents concerned about a child can call for guidance and help finding local resources. Meanwhile, Rain Will Bring Flowers is not slowing down. They are planning more fundraisers and outreach, now supported with a $30,000 Louisiana Blue Foundation grant. “The most important part about The Angel Award is that I feel like it goes to the entire organization,” Tabor said. “This will help with our momentum and visibility.” For more information, visit rainwillbring f lowers. org or visit www.facebook.com/rainwillbringf lowers, @ rain_will_bring_flowers on Instagram and @rain.will.bring. flowers on TikTok.

Last year, Rain Will Bring Flowers launched a scholarship for students who plan to study behavioral health.

14A ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

lll

LOUISIANA POLITICS

Republicans push for a diesel export ban, despite pushback WASHINGTON — Support for banning diesel fuel exports — an idea Gov. Jeff Landry jumped on — swelled as vulnerable Republicans weighed the plan against a backdrop of a rising blue tide, which handicappers almost universally predicted last week would lead to Democrats replacing Republican majorities in Mark Congress. Ballard Republicans had been mulling the idea for a few days before Landry wrote his opinion on X. But it was the tweet by U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley that really fueled the debate on Capitol Hill. The longtime Republican fretted because his ruby-red state of Iowa suddenly was in play, with diesel costing an average of $6.52 per gallon, up from $3.69 a year ago, according to the AAA. In addition to farm equipment, diesel is the main fuel for the trucks that take groceries to market. Republican senators have fallen into two opposing camps over what to do — a situation that has pitted two of President Donald Trump’s staunchest allies against each other: the agriculture and energy sectors. The main industry in Iowa is agriculture. Louisiana’s top two industries are farming and energy. Though they represent roughly 25,000 farms, the state’s two senators, Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, and John Kennedy, RMadisonville, also count stillmen, pumpers, and other operators in the state’s 19 petroleum reﬁning facilities among their constituencies. Both oppose a ban. Kennedy told reporters: “Everything I’ve read tells me it won’t do any good.”

Mitch Landrieu talks presidential run

Over dinner at Mosca’s, former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said he’ll decide early in the new year if he’s going to run for president in 2028. “I’m really thinking hard about it,” Landrieu told Politico columnist Jonathan Martin in a wideranging, hourlong conversation published Wednesday. “I’m not trying to be coy one way or the other, but it’s a very serious decision.” Landrieu, 66, was Louisiana lieutenant governor until being elected mayor, a job his Capitol father once held, in Buzz 2010. He also was STAFF a top aide to PresiREPORTS dent Joe Biden, in charge of distributing more than a trillion dollars to repair, upgrade and expand the nation’s highways, ports and infrastructure. Landrieu said he has no campaign organization and he raised no money. But the former mayor is traveling around the country as part of a voter reachout by American Bridge 21st Century, a Washington-based group that supports Democratic candidates. As a practical measure, he said

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By LyNNE SLADKy

Gas and diesel prices are displayed at a Shell station on Tuesday in Doral, Fla. Landry straddled the state’s two largest industries, demanding an export pause for the farmers and relaxed regulations for the reﬁners. Trump has sent conﬂicting signals. Cabinet secretaries Scott Bessent, of the Treasury Department, and Brooke Rollins, of Agriculture, suggested the administration would soon stop selling diesel to other countries for 90 days to build up supplies that would lower the cost. But the Trump administration quickly backed off those hints, sending Energy Secretary Chris Wright to repeat variations on “We will not cease exports of U.S. diesel, but there may be some

tweak” at multiple events last week. If he wants to impose a ban, Trump can do so by calling a national emergency and using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act or the Defense Production Act. With ﬁve weeks out from the Nov. 3 congressional midterms, the cost of fuel has become a huge sticking point for Republicans wanting to maintain their control of all governmental levers. “The costs of groceries, gas, and healthcare rank as top pain points for the rural voters, who were surveyed over two weeks starting in mid-August,” according to an Associated Press/KFF survey of 2,000 farmers.

Rural voters are the backbone of Trump’s base. In Louisiana, for instance, the cities of Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Shreveport backed Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential elections, but 16 rural parishes gave Trump threequarters of their votes. That seems to have translated into election outcomes that don’t favor Republicans retaining majorities in the House and, perhaps, the Senate. “The most likely outcome in the House is that Democrats pick up ﬁve to 15 seats, resulting in Democrats holding 220 to 230 seats in 2027,” (the majority is reached at 218 seats, which is the total number of Republicans in the House today), The Cook Po-

supporters or big Democratic backers. They’re articulating how frustrated they have become working multiple jobs and still being unable to provide for their families, he said. “If you don’t think your kid’s got a shot, then all of a sudden you’re kinda like, well, what’s going on? It’s radicalizing,” Landrieu said. “‘I can’t pay for my kid’s stuff. We’re giving tax breaks to the wealthy when we’re closing rural hospitals.’ It doesn’t make any sense.” Landrieu didn’t eat much of the Oysters Mosca, Chicken a la Grande and a couple of meatballs that were served during the rePROVIDED PHOTO corded interview. He was talking and answering Mitch Landrieu said mayors make good national executives because they questions. focus more on practical government administrative solutions than on About half of Martin’s interview partisan positioning politics. with Landrieu was taken up with talk about Mosca’s. potential candidates need to make wants to lead, not just position The legendary restaurant is oftheir decisions after the Novemhimself for a cabinet job. ten cited as the best restaurant in Landrieu said mayors make the New Orleans area. ber congressional midterms and The 80-year-old Italian Creole certainly no later than the first of good national executives because they focus more on practical restaurant off U.S. 90 in Waggathe year. government administrative soluBut running for president and man was founded in a building being a good executive are two tions than on partisan positioning owned by the late Mafia chieftain different skill sets: winning the Carlos Marcello by a chef widely politics. election and running the govern“There’s no Republican or Dem- —— but erroneously — believed ment, Landrieu said. ocratic way to fill the pothole. You to be Al Capone’s personal cook, “One of the reasons I would not just gotta fill the big pothole, pick according to the family of founddo it is if I didn’t think I could up the damn trash, fix the player Provino Mosca, who still run really win; I’m not going to go the restaurant. ground,” Landrieu said. out there just to tell my story,” A native of the Virginia suburbs What voters have been telling Landrieu said. He added that he him is not that they’re big MAGA of Washington, Martin married

litical Report said in an analysis Friday. “In the Senate, the current range of possible outcomes we see is Democrats netting between one and five seats; they must net four to win back control of the chamber.” Lost GOP seats are not a concern for Louisiana — though Republicans in Texas are definitely worried and the party is spending fortunes to shore up candidates in usually safe red bastions of Mississippi, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. The nation’s 130 refineries make the U.S. the single largest global source, according to the American Petroleum Institute, producing about 1.6 billion of the 8 billion barrels traded daily on the world’s market. About 70% of the nation’s diesel stays at home to service the domestic market. Professor Greg Upton, of LSU’s Energy Institute, explains that, very generally, a barrel of crude oil goes into the same piece of equipment that uses heat to separate the various petroleum products and produce kerosene, gasoline, jet fuel, diesel and other products including asphalt for roads. Just how effective the export ban would be depends on how the refiners recalculate their equipment. Shifting product yields could put downward price pressure on gasoline. “On the other hand, if refiners cannot find sufficient domestic demand or storage for diesel that would otherwise have been exported, they could respond by reducing overall refinery runs,” Upton said. That scenario could raise prices. Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate.com.

Betsy Fischer Martin, an Emmy Award-winning journalist and Louisiana native, and says he’s adopted the city of New Orleans.

OMV software upgrade completed, Landry says Getting a driver’s license in Louisiana should now take less time after the completion of the first phase of tech upgrades at the Office of Motor Vehicles, Gov. Jeff Landry said Tuesday. The OMV launched a new platform for driver’s licenses, ID cards and other services that replaced 50-year-old technology, according to a news release from the governor’s office. The new software vendor, CHAMP, “is going to cut hours off of getting your driver’s license,” Landry said in a video announcing the new system. OMV sites were closed Monday and Tuesday last week while the agency implemented the new system. “For over 50 years, our Louisianan citizens have had to stand in long lines (and) wait for unnecessary delays just to get a driver’s license,” Landry said. “We came into office with a promise to fix it, and we did.” Landry said OMV will be working over the next year to upgrade Louisiana’s vehicle registration system, too.

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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ 15A

EDUCATION A S K T H E E X P E RT S

Schools, families can make exercise fun for kids Expert says movement is crucial for development

Q&A WITH DANA LAWSON

LOUISIANA HEALTHCARE CONNECTIONS

BY ELYSE CARMOSINO Staff writer

Giving children regular opportunities to move, play and discover activities they enjoy can help them build healthy habits that last into adulthood, health experts say. That movement is important both during and outside school hours, said Dana Lawson, a licensed clinical nurse specialist and senior vice president of population health and clinical operations at Louisiana Healthcare Connections, a healthcare insurance agency. Regular physical activity can help children manage stress and sleep better, she said, while free play lets them find new ways they enjoy being active outside of gym class. Louisiana law requires public schools serving grades K-5 to provide at least 15 minutes of daily recess, while schools serving grades K-8 must provide 30 minutes of daily physical activity. Revised physical education standards approved by the state education board last month will put greater emphasis on movement and introduce age-appropriate fitness assessments beginning in kindergarten when they take effect in the 2027-28 school year. The changes come as the Trump administration puts renewed emphasis on children’s physical fitness. U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced in June that the Presidential Fitness Test, which mandates that schools regularly assess students’ physical abilities, would return alongside a new initiative encouraging kids to be more active. Lawson, who emphasized that

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Kids run onto the new playground at the Sidney D. Torres Memorial Park in Chalmette. parents should also look for ways to keep kids active at home, spoke with The Times-Picayune | The Advocate about why it’s important for districts to incorporate exercise into the school day and how families can make physical activity more fun. This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. How much exercise do experts recommend children of all ages get each day? The CDC recommends children ages 6 to 17 get at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. The activity doesn’t have to be organized. Kids can dance in the living room, ride their bikes outside, go to the park, swim. Anything they ﬁnd fun. The key is to get them moving. You want to help them start developing those healthy habits of moving more, sitting less and ﬁnding something that they enjoy that will carry them into older childhood and into their adult years. What are the health benefits of giving children time to exercise during the school

PROVIDED PHOTO

Dana Lawson, a licensed clinical nurse specialist and senior vice president of population health and clinical operations at Louisiana Healthcare Connections. day? Like adults, kids also carry around stress, and having time for them to get out and play helps

relieve that stress and helps them process their emotions while also being active. It helps lower their blood pressure and improves their digestion. It also helps with sleep. Sleep is so critical for children, and so when they get used to their bodies moving, it really helps them sleep better. Should schools and parents encourage children to exercise every day? It’s different for every child. What we don’t want to do is fit all kids in a box, because some children have physical limitations and may not be able to participate in structured activities like other kids do. Find an activity that works for your child and for your family. You want them to buy into the future of having a healthy lifestyle, however that looks for them. Do kids in Louisiana get enough exercise? I think there’s room for (improvement). When families don’t know how to approach exercise, it can feel like a chore, and I think parents nowadays are fighting the battle of the screens. We all love our electronic devices, and it can feel like the easier way to keep kids occupied, but screens also keep them sitting inside instead of outside exploring nature. We have so many beautiful state parks and recreation centers. Families can go outside and bond and experience the culture of Louisiana, and it’s really critical for everyone’s physical and mental health. It also really helps with family bonding, which helps kids thrive as they get older. Even if it’s just going outside to walk the dog, find something

fun that kids can look forward to. Sometimes you’ll find that when kids get excited about something, it catches fire in the household, and they can motivate everybody to get out and be more active. Does recess offer different benefits to children than physical education? Absolutely. When I was growing up, we had the standard running, pushups, pullups in P.E. However, not every child has the same physical makeup. Free play allows kids to express themselves and gives them a period of self-discovery, which helps them learn what they enjoy. Maybe a child doesn’t like running, but maybe they like walking around, looking at the trees and bird watching. It’s about finding something that kids enjoy and will look forward to, which helps them create those healthier habits over time. How can schools incorporate more physical activity into the day? Making kids sit in their chairs is always a monumental challenge, so having stretch breaks throughout the day helps. Teachers can say, “let’s move around, do a silly dance,” something like that. Anything to get kids up and moving, because children can start to tune out after being in a chair for hours. They may become irritable, and it’s not good for them physically. By breaking up the monotony of the school day and incorporating opportunities for kids to have some physical expression, teachers might be surprised at what it does to alleviate the stress of the school day. Email Elyse Carmosino at ecarmosino@theadvocate.com.

WE’RE ASKING EXPERTS ACROSS THE STATE HOW TO TACKLE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FACING LOUISIANA SCHOOLS. HAVE AN IDEA? EMAIL PATRICK.WALL@THEADVOCATE.COM

16A ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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THE GULF COAST Bay St. Louis vacation Raccoon boot camp teaches rental is a ‘suite’ Dolly abandoned babies survival skills Parton-themed getaway A raccoon kit digs through water and mud at Woodside Wildlife Rescue in Pass Christian, Miss.

BY SOPHIE BATES Associated Press

BY POET WOLFE Staff writer

Nestled along Main Street in Bay St. Louis is a soft pink house where floral-patterned walls, a goldrimmed vanity mirror and a smiling portrait of Dolly Parton above the bed welcome all, except Jolene. Inside a Creole cottage built in 1880, the aptly named Dolly Suite was designed by Lauren Haydel, owner of the New Orleans-based boutique Fleurty Girl, who bought the house in 2020. It was originally a vacation home for the Haydel family until the rooms emptied as their children left for college. Long a retreat from worklife, the Mississippi Coast began to take on a new meaning for the Haydels. Haydel opened a Fleurty Girl shop in Bay St. Louis because, she admits, “I really don’t relax well.” The cottage eventually became a vacation rental, and Haydel transformed an attached space into a separate rental dedicated to Parton. Her reasoning was simple: “I mean, she’s our favorite girl.” The tribute to the country music icon, who died last month at 80, reflects the deep cultural imprint Parton left behind, particularly across the South, where her accent, selfdeprecating humor and steadfast faith resonated with many. Her towering blonde hair, bedazzled outfits and ever-so-cinched waist made her a symbol of unabashed femininity, an image that spoke to Haydel. Parton’s outsized persona, she said, represented “how women can be feminine and care about how they look, but they can still work hard, and they can still lead with kindness.” The Dolly Suite was meant to embody just that. “I wanted to capture how Dolly would make people feel,” she said. “Welcome and happy and free to have fun.”

PROVIDED PHOTO By LAUREN HAyDEL

A Bay St. Louis vacation rental owned by Lauren Haydel, the founder of Fleurty Girl, features a Dolly Parton-themed suite.

Haydel stayed at the Graduate in Nashville — a hotel that channels Nashville’s country music heritage, including Parton — where she drew inspiration for her own suite. Hanging on the entrance door is Fleurty Girl’s painted cut-out portrait of Parton, her signature cascade of blonde curls falling over a rufﬂed, blue blouse and her red lips parted in a familiar smile. On a shutter nearby is another playful sign that reads, “Everyone welcome except Jolene.” Inside, a feathered chandelier hovers above the bed, draped in a pink velvet blanket. Along the vibrant ﬂoral-patterned walls, beside a sealed fireplace and a desk displaying a commemorative plate and framed photograph of Parton, a neon sign glows with one of her most infamous quotes: “It costs a lot of money to look this cheap.” The bathroom shares similar touches: powder-pink walls and shower tiles, lace curtains and a prayer candle with Parton as the saint. The cottage is typically booked about half the year, Haydel said, with strong demand in summer and occasional guests in fall and winter for local events. Since Parton’s death, however, the suite has remained empty.

PASS CHRISTIAN, Miss. — Muddy, sweat-soaked and occasionally bloody, the dedicated staff at a Mississippi wildlife center are drill sergeants. And their soldiers? Baby raccoons. Welcome to raccoon boot camp, where the goal is to help sick or injured animals learn to survive in the south Mississippi wilderness — a skill set they would have learned from their mothers, most of whom died or were separated from their kits by storms, traffic accidents or other traumatic events. It’s a challenge that’s left Woodside Wildlife Rescue’s founder, Paula Woodside, with cuts from scared, defensive raccoons and their sharp claws, and when she isn’t able to save a kit, emotional scars too. “When these babies come in, and they’re so desperate, it’s heartbreaking,” said Woodside, who most days is covered in sweat from caring for the animals in the Mississippi heat, and dirt from curious kits crawling up her legs and onto her shoulders. “It’s really important for them to get a little bit of a head start.” Woodside, a former U.S. merchant mariner, opened the rescue in 2019 after she helped rehabilitate a baby raccoon found aboard her ship. The rescue in Pass Christian typically raises dozens of kits each year, 76 so far this year, alongside other indigenous wildlife. City animal control and citizens call Woodside, or the rescue’s director, Raquel Priest, when they find a raccoon in need of saving. Together, they attempt to reunite the kits with their mothers, if they can find them, or bring the kits to the rescue. The youngest raccoons will spend a few weeks mostly indoors being bottle-fed by rehab-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO bers until they’re vaccinated for diseases carried by cat colonies and dogs and are ready to move to outdoor pens. Though the kits stay close to their adoptive human parents, they’re eventually allowed to roam free during the day on the rescue’s rural 20-acre property, a sprawling mix of meadows and thick forest spotted with ponds and a nearby river. Thanks to that setting, Woodside and Priest can take their troops on learning excursions, a luxury many wildlife rescues don’t have, Woodside said. Woodside and Priest teach by example. They hide worms in the dirt to show the kits how to dig for food, and break open pine cones or acorns to reveal the seeds inside. The raccoons’ eyes light up when they encounter a new tasty food, and they run to show their discovery to their rehabbers before hurrying back to fend off other kits who might try to steal their ﬁnd. Where a drill sergeant might yell, “Attention!,” Priest and Woodside give a shrill trilling sound, mimicking the raccoon call for danger, that sends the kits running up trees to safety. A short whistle lets the troops know the coast is clear. The kits also practice ﬁshing in shallow pools, their uncoordinated paws tentatively patting the

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water until they’re quick enough to snag a snack. A live quail hunt provides hunting experience. While these are skills raccoons would likely learn on their own, Woodside’s staff hopes the training gives the kits a greater chance of survival. On the property’s pond, the raccoons learn to swim, a critical skill in hurricane-prone south Mississippi. The rehabbers take to kayaks and encourage the kits to swim back and forth. They also take trips to the deep woods, where kits learn to run from tree to tree to avoid being seen by birds of prey and to have a quick escape route from snakes or other dangers on the ground. For their ﬁnal lesson, a volunteer traps the raccoons in cages, scaring them enough to encourage them to avoid traps and humans. When a group of kits is ready for release, about six months after their rescue, Woodside and Priest host a graduation ceremony. They play Edward Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance Marches,” and read a roll call of each graduating kit’s name. A reverend then blesses their journey as they’re released onto a different section of the rescue’s forest-covered property. For kits that die in care, the staff holds a second ceremony to bless and scatter their ashes.

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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ 17A

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Scientists plant hope in deeper-rooted soybeans Crops may be able to withstand climate extremes

BY JOSHUA A. BICKEL and ANNIKA HAMMERSCHLAG Associated Press

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Research scientist Ashish Rajurkar kneels in the dirt, lifting a large clod of soil tangled around a soybean plant. He knocks away pieces of earth from the plant’s roots, which slope straight down instead of out to the side like typical soybean plants. Researchers hope roots like these could help crops withstand some effects of climate change while also drawing more carbon from the atmosphere and storing it underground. Carbon dioxide released by burning fossil fuels traps heat in the atmosphere, driving humancaused climate change. For years, scientists have explored ways to remove some of that carbon from the atmosphere, including through direct air capture, changes to ocean chemistry so seawater can absorb more carbon, and reforestation. Now, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies are testing whether deeper root systems could become another tool. But scientists still need to show how much additional carbon those roots can store under real farming conditions, how long the carbon would remain underground and whether the crops can maintain yields. An $18 million grant from the Bezos Earth Fund will help Salk researchers test those questions in the ﬁeld by measuring how resilient these plants are to drought and other climate stressors, how much carbon they can store and for how long, and how to get the plants onto farms at scale. Wolfgang Busch, director

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JOSHUA A. BICKEL

Wolfgang Busch, director of the Harnessing Plants Initiative at the Salk Institute, holds up a soybean root that was genetically-engineered to grow downward at a research farm in Urbana, Ill.

released when farmers till their fields. Researchers are also trying to boost carbon storage by growing larger root systems so more carbon-rich plant material is left in the soil, and by increasing suberin, a corklike substance in roots that contains carbon and decomposes more slowly than many other plant tissues. Researchers hypothesize that more steeply shaped root systems may also allow farmers to plant more crops in a smaller area, potentially increasing yield. Salk scientists think longer, bigger roots could also absorb more nitrogen and other fertilizer runoff, which can cause algae blooms and lead to lowoxygen environments that kill marine life. Based on earlier lab results, Salk researchers estimate 2.5 acres of deeperand bigger-rooted soybean plants could store an additional metric ton of carbon dioxide per year. How long that carbon stays stored depends on how deep the roots can grow and the surrounding environment in the soil. Initial results from the field are expected this fall, Busch said. At one of these field sites

of the institute’s Harnessing Plants Initiative, said the issue is pressing. “We are actually steering in a direction that is very concerning,” he said. “It will become harder to grow enough food for enough people.”

Genes create deeper roots Over the last six years, Salk scientists uncovered the genetic information of hundreds of versions of common row crop plants such as soybeans and sorghum from around the world, creating an “encyclopedia” of plant genomes, said Todd Michael, a research professor at the institute. After identifying 347 genes related to carbon storage and root growth, scientists were able to edit the plants’ DNA and create ones with roots that penetrate the soil further down. “We wanted to leverage the natural variation of a given plant,” Michael said. “We just have to be able to make the right crosses to bring in those genetics.” During droughts, they hope the roots will allow plants to access water below the top layer of soil while also storing carbon farther underground, where it may be less vulnerable to being

at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Salk is growing deep-rooted soybean plants under a canopy that can open and close to control the amount of rainfall plants receive, testing how the plants perform in drought conditions. Using underground cameras and sensing equipment, research partners at the university can track the amount of carbon in the soil and view the root structure’s growth in real-time. But there is still uncertainty about how these plants will perform outside a lab. Salk researchers hope data collection at the site in Illinois, along with ones in Missouri, Kansas and Iowa, will provide accurate estimates of carbon storage and crop yield. Because most plant breeders haven’t focused on root systems in the past, “we

don’t really know what the real trade-off is,” Busch said. “You have to test it in the ﬁeld.”

Rapid adoption Busch acknowledges that getting new seed technology into farmers’ fields can be difficult. Having a crop that has clear benefits to farmers and large seed companies is key to getting it adopted rapidly. He noted that companies and farmers adopted herbicide-resistant crops in less than a decade once the technology was introduced. “Historically it’s clear, if you have a technology that is interesting to a big seed company, it will go out there very, very fast,” he said. And large-scale adoption on farm fields will be required to have the kind of carbon-reduction impact Salk scientists want. A 2025 study that Busch

co-authored modeled that about a gigaton of carbon dioxide per year could be removed from the atmosphere by 2040 if deeperrooted soybean, corn, cotton and canola crops were adopted in countries where genetically-modified crops are already grown. Adoption could be rapid because deeper-rooted crops could be planted on current farm fields using existing agricultural infrastructure and land, according to the study. But Busch also notes that crop and seed development can take years. Ambitious solutions, he said, require fast funding. “It’s a race against time,” he said of climate change. “We are racing against limiting the damage and crossing tipping points, where it’s much harder to return from.”

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IMPORTANT NOTICE OF CLASS ACTION LITIGATION AND PARTIAL SETTLEMENT JANICE CLABORNE, ET AL VERSUS THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF NEW ORLEANS CDC NO. 2001-20605; DIV. “D”; ORLEANS PARISH, LOUISIANA A court authorized this Notice. This is not a solicitation from a lawyer.

TO: “Litigation Class:” All leaseholders and other permanent residents of THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF NEW ORLEANS from 1998 to August 29, 2005, who were adversely affected by the presence of toxic mold in their apartments as a result of HANO, Guste or B.W. Cooper Resident Management Corporation’s breach of their contracted duty with HUD pursuant to 24 CFR Part 5 § 5,703(f) to maintain said apartments and common areas “free of mold” for the benefit of HANO, Guste RMC or Cooper RMC’s leaseholders and their permanent residents, -And-

TO: “Partial Settlement Class:” All leaseholders and other permanent residents of (1) any facility owned, controlled, managed, or operated by THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF NEW ORLEANS or (2) any facility controlled, managed, or operated by the Guste Homes Resident Management Corporation or B.W. Cooper Resident Management Corporation including, without limitation, all leaseholders and other permanent residents of the public housing facilities commonly known as the Guste Homes, B.W. Cooper Homes, and Calliope Projects, in all cases from January 1, 1998 to the date of preliminary approval of the Partial Settlement Class described in this notice.

“Litigation Class” The litigation class involves any HANO tenants for the period 1998 to August 29, 2005. Members of this class may also be part of a settlement class discussed below if they were tenants of Guste Homes or B.W. Cooper during this period. To take part in either the Settlement Class or the litigation class, or both, it is necessary to file a claim. Claims must be filed TIMELY! The information on filing a claim and applicable deadlines can be found on the litigation website https://housingauthorityofneworleansmoldlitigationclassaction.com/. There you will find a complete copy of the official notice approved by the court with instructions on who is involved in both the Litigation Class and the Settlement Class, and what is involved in the suit and how to protect your potential rights.

“Partial Settlement Class” A $4,250,000 Settlement has been reached with an insurer that provided insurance to Guste Homes Resident Management Corporation (“RMC”), B.W. Cooper RMC, and in certain cases, to HANO, for the years outlined below. The suit was filed in Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans, and is entitled Janice Claborne, et al versus The Housing Authority of New Orleans, No.: 2001-20605. For more information please go to the website: https://housingauthorityofneworleansmoldlitigationclassaction.com/.

Who is included? The partial Settlement includes residents who lived in the Guste Homes and/or B. W. Cooper for certain years that were adversely affected by the presence of mold in their apartments. The Settlement was reached with an insurance company that provided insurance to the RMCs, and in certain cases, to HANO, for the Guste Homes and B.W. Cooper facilities for the following years:

Guste Homes 1/06/00 to 1/06/01

BW Cooper 10/02/97 to 10/02/98 10/02/98 to 10/02/99 10/02/99 to 10/02/00

If you were a resident of either Guste Homes and/or B. W. Cooper during any of the periods described above and were adversely affected by mold in your residence you are eligible to be considered for compensation.

How do I receive payment?

Please visit our website https://housingauthorityofneworleansmoldlitigationclassaction.com/ for more information on the settlement and instructions on how to obtain payment information.

QUESTIONS CALL 504-321-3676 OR VISIT

https://housingauthorityofneworleansmoldlitigationclassaction.com/

18A ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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Officials expand waterway advisories

Tissue sampling found high levels of mercury in fish BY DAVID J. MITCHELL

Staff writer

State officials have expanded fish consumption advisories for the Pearl River due to high levels of mercury, the first change for the popular destination for boating and ﬁshing in more than two decades. New rounds of tissue sampling

found “unacceptable levels of mercury” in several species of fish and led to a narrowing of what children younger than seven, women of childbearing age, other adults and children 7 or older should eat on a monthly basis, state ofﬁcials said. The advisory is the ﬁrst change for Pearl River since 2003, according to state health documents, and

comes as the state also changed or added new fish consumption advisories for six other areas in the state due to mercury levels. The two new additions are in the southwestern corner of the state: the Mermentau River and Lake Arthur and the Vermilion River and Bayou Tortue. The round of changes also tightened ﬁsh consumption advisories

across the length of Lake Bistineau, southeast of Shreveport. Portions of the western edge of the lake are part of a state park, where water activities and ﬁshing are marketed by the state. With the changes, Louisiana has 52 fish consumption advisories for mercury in freshwater areas, plus advisories for some offshore species in the Gulf, state ofﬁcials said. The state Health Department issued the changed advisories in consultation with the state depart-

ments of Environmental Quality and Wildlife and Fisheries. Mercury, a toxic heavy metal, occurs naturally but also can be introduced into waterways and the aquatic food chain through urban runoff, fossil fuel combustion, industrial and power plant emissions and many other sources. Because it is a basic element that doesn’t break down, mercury is known to “bioaccumulate,” or

ä See FISH, page 3B

Ex-teacher to undergo mental evaluation Gonzales man accused of injuring two in shooting BY ANNAKATE FREELAND Staff writer

STAFF PHOTOS By JAVIER GALLEGOS

HUNGARIAN HARVEST

TOP: Dancers dressed in traditional Hungarian garb practice their routine before performing later in the evening during the ﬁrst Hungarian Harvest Festival on Saturday. RIGHT: Eliska Galjour, 7, has her hair decorated with the colors of the Hungarian ﬂag. BOTTOM RIGHT: James Schlesinger sips locally made Hungarian wine during the festival on Saturday. BELOW: Julia Aranyosi unfolds a festival T-shirt for a customer as they hand her cash.

An Ascension Parish court has ordered a former Gonzales teacher to undergo an evaluation of his mental state after he was arrested in connection with a double shooting last week in Donaldsonville. Kyle Delaney Sr., 25, of Gonzales, was arrested Sept. 15 after a shooting on St. Vincent Street left two men injured. According to the motion ordered Sept. 17, Delaney’s attorney has reason to believe his client is “currently suffering from severe mental disease, injury or congenital deficiency” that does not allow him to distinguish between right and wrong. The court appointed three psychiatrists to evaluate Delaney and report their findings before his next hearing on Oct. 20 in Gonzales. The suspect’s family informed his attorney that Delaney has a documented history of mental health issues, according to the motion. Multiple lawyers from the Ambeau law firm represent him and could not be reached for comment.

ä See EVALUATION, page 3B

LSU music instructor faces tough diagnosis Musician friends offer support to harpist BY JOY HOLDEN

Marucci Sports changes hands after $225M deal

“Marucci is a strong brand with talented people and a loyal following among athletes, and we believe it is well positioned for continued success under new ownership,” Dennison said in a statement. Ainsworth put together a group of investors that included current and former MLB players along with other pro athletes. Plans are

For almost ﬁve years, piano teacher Wendy Manning and LSU School of Music harp instructor Gabriela Werries bonded over being mothers, musicians and foreign-born women married to American men. Werries, originally from Romania, has been bringing her 9-year-old son, Henry, to Manning for piano lessons since 2021. On a Tuesday in August, Werries’ husband, the technical director of theater at Southern University, called Manning to tell her that Henry would miss piano because his wife was having a CT scan. Neil Werries was in an ambulance at that very moment with his wife. “I knew Gabi was sick,” Manning

ä See DEAL, page 3B

ä See FRIENDS, page 2B

in 2023, announced the started in my backyard in 2004 said Marucci did not bring in the Baton Rouge-based Marucci deal late Friday. Marucci plans with a simple goal: to make the expected ﬁnancial returns, and baseball bat company to stay in Baton Rouge, with its products players want and need a decision was made to improve existing brands and leadership in to be successful. That same goal the balance sheet and reallocate now privately owned place, has guided us for more than capital. the companies said.

BY TIMOTHY BOONE Staff writer

Baton Rouge-based Marucci Sports is once again privately owned after Fox Factory Holding Corp. sold the baseball bat manufacturer to a group led by founder and CEO Kurt Ainsworth for $225 million. Marucci and Fox Factory, the Georgia company that bought

In a statement, Ainsworth thanked Fox Factory for the accomplishments that happened during its nearly three years of ownership. That included Marucci and its sister brand, Victus, being named as the ofﬁcial bats of Major League Baseball. “Having the opportunity to lead Marucci back into founder-led, private ownership is incredibly meaningful to me,” Ainsworth said in a statement. “Marucci

twenty-two years, and it will remain at the center of everything we do.” Georgia-based Fox Factory acquired Marucci in November 2023 for $572 million. Fox Factory is the parent company of FOX, which designs and manufactures products for bicycles, off-road vehicles and on-road vehicles. But in February, Fox Factory started looking to sell off Marucci. CEO Mike Dennison

Staff writer

2B ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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Family, friends come together in memorial walk Slain Baton Rouge teens honored at homecoming parade

BY OLIVIA TEES Staff writer

On a warm sunny Saturday morning, family and friends of Ja’Derrius Minnieweather and De’vonte Coleman gathered together before walking in their memory in the Istrouma High School homecoming parade. Both teens suffered violent deaths this year: 17-year-old Coleman was shot in the head when a friend was cleaning a gun in March, and 15-year-old Minnieweather was brutally killed and his body dumped in a landﬁll in June. Istrouma High junior Da’Von Ricks organized the walking krewe with banners as part of the homecoming parade to continue the legacy of the teens, both of whom were Istrouma students. He said organizing the krewe for the event was a little chaotic but well worth it. “It’s really important to keep going and show their families we care,” Ricks said of Coleman and Minnieweather. The parade started at Howell Park, and the walking krewe consisted of more than 40 people. Coleman’s mother and father were both in attendance, dressed in shirts bearing their son’s face that they made themselves. Charles Wright, Coleman’s father, said he never expected so many people to be supporting them for this long. “I love it. It’s so important to see all the kids come together even with all this violence happening. The support has been amazing for his mom and I,” he said. Wright, who is a 1986 graduate of Istrouma High, said they found out recently that Coleman was voted “Mr. Senior” by his classmates. Even though Coleman is no longer here, the newly elected Mr. Senior and Ms. Senior held a cutout picture of him in their car during the parade. “That right there is going to make me start crying; it’s such a kind thing to do for my boy,” said Coleman’s mom. As the walking krewe rolled out at the start of the parade, its members carried banners, signs and pictures of the two

STAFF PHOTOS By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Friends and family honor Ja’Derrius Minnieweather and De’vonte Coleman during the Istrouma High School homecoming Parade on Saturday.

Friends and family honor Ja’Derrius Minnieweather and De’vonte Coleman on Saturday. The Istrouma High School students both suffered violent deaths this year.

Friends and family of Ja’Derrius Minnieweather honor him with pictures, posters and T-shirts during the Istrouma High School homecoming parade on Saturday. The 15-year-old was killed in June. teens while chanting “Justice for Ja’Derrius” and “No justice, no peace.” Despite the heat and the heavy hearts, the walking krewe was a success in Ricks’ eyes. He said this was the whole point, to get out in the community and show them that they are not alone.

“I wanted us to come together so we could show that even though we might fight, shoot at each other and all that, you can still come together as a community and stand up for people that don’t have the voice to say what they want to say,” Ricks said.

Tonya Sylvas, wearing a Mardi Gras Indian suit, walks with pictures of Ja’Derrius Minnieweather and De’vonte Coleman on Saturday.

FRIENDS

Gabriela Werries shows her son, Henry, how to play the harp. Werries, a former soloist with Opera Louisiane and Baton Rouge Symphony, teaches at LSU’s harp studio.

Continued from page 1B said. “She told me she had been nauseous and dizzy with bad migraines, but she didn’t give me any details. She stopped coming inside and would drop Henry off by the door.” The changes happened quickly, in a matter of three weeks. The most severe symptoms — dizziness, faintness, intense headaches — started in mid-August, Neil Werries said. When his wife fainted multiple times, Neil Werries said it was clearly a sign that something aside from a seasonal virus or ﬂu was going on. A few days later, Manning texted to check how things were going. Gabriela Werries, 45, responded to Manning with a text, “Dear lady, I have a brain tumor.” On Aug. 25, Gabriela Werries was admitted to the emergency room at Ochsner Medical Center in Baton Rouge. A CT scan revealed a large mass in the right frontal lobe of her brain. She was then transferred to Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans for additional tests and observation. Additional tests showed the mass was likely a glioblastoma of substantial size — about as big as a peach, in Gabriela Werries’ words. On Aug. 31, she had a craniotomy to biopsy the tumor and remove as much of it as possible. The surgeon was able to remove 98% of the tumor, but the diagnosis was severe — a high-grade glioma, which is an aggressive type of primary brain tumor. She and her husband have met with oncologists and are pursuing chemotherapy and radiation therapy for follow-up treatment, Manning said. “It’s the hardest thing we’ve ever been through, individually or as a couple,” Neil Werries said. “We’ve had to become experts at a subject that we knew nothing about. We’ve had to try and make our way through diagnosis, procedures and

PROVIDED PHOTOS

Gabriela Werries snuggles with her son, Henry, in a hospital bed. treatments that are all described with very elaborate medical terminology.” Gabriela Werries, who has a doctorate of musical arts degree, teaches at LSU’s harp studio. She is unable to teach this semester. As a former soloist and orchestral performer with Opera Louisiane and Baton Rouge Symphony, she will be unable to perform as well. Kyra Jane Reeves, a former student of Gabriela Werries for over a decade, said that Werries is one of the strongest and most intelligent people she knows. Reeves said that she is an incredible harp teacher who has brought so many young

people in Baton Rouge to great levels at the harp. “We talk to each other almost every day,” Reeves said. “Although the situation is really awful, she is kind and gracious and so hopeful.” Manning searched for ways to help her friend through this time and landed on creating a GoFundMe, after asking the Werries for permission. “Everybody has been so kind, so nice. I feel blessed,” Gabriela Werries said. “I’m an immigrant. For the past 20 years, I’ve been here without family. I only had Neil, and then we had our son — so it was just the three of us. For all this

time I felt very lonely, and then this episode happened, and I feel so much love and energy.” Neil Werries added that their neighbors have mowed their grass and taken care of their son while they had to go to New Orleans for tests and appointments. “People have been incredibly generous,” he said. “People from our past, people that we’ve worked with and our dear friends have donated their time and offered to help us in any way we could think of.” There is hope, Gabriela Werries wants people to know. She sees this as a second chance to see life with different glasses. “Gabi’s LSU community, as well as Wendy (Manning), have been exceptionally supportive,” Neil Werries said. “They have given us reassurance about how much they’re behind her. Also, my students at Southern have also been the same. They gave me a large poster board that they all signed

and made into a card that expresses their love for us.” Gabriela Werries brought Henry to his music lesson last week and gave Manning a hug. Although moving a little slower than usual, she was there, said Manning. “She said, ‘I will beat this. I will beat this,’ ” Manning said. On Thursday, she was admitted to the hospital in Baton Rouge. Email Joy Holden at joy.holden@ theadvocate.com.

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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ 3B

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Gonzales man convicted of killing girlfriend, baby girl He faces two mandatory life sentences

BY ANNAKATE FREELAND Staff writer

A 42-year-old Gonzales man faces two mandatory life sentences for fatally shooting his girlfriend and 1-year-old daughter in 2024, according to the Ascension

Parish District Attorney’s Ofﬁce. An Ascension Parish jury found Kalvin Forcell guilty Thursday on two counts of first-degree murder for the Jan. 14, 2024, shooting deaths of 42-year-old Christina Artus and the 1-year-old daughter they shared, Kaylee Forcell. The Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Ofﬁce received a 911 call that morning from a woman reporting that

someone had shot a baby. A neighbor also called 911 after hearing gunshots and reported seeing a man leave the area in a gray sedan. Deputies arrived at the residence and found Artus lying in the doorway and the child in a baby walker, both with gunshot wounds to the head. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. Detectives learned that Artus was working in her yard when shots were ﬁred.

Witnesses say they saw Forcell firing additional shots in her direction, inside the doorway of the residence. Forcell fled the area and traveled to Sorrento, where investigators said he was seen on surveillance footage attempting to open the door of a vehicle in a Dollar General parking lot. Investigators also determined that Forcell discarded Artus’ cellphone behind the store. He later went to another

FISH

Continued from page 1B

STAFF FILE PHOTOS By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Pallets of billets fill the warehouse at Marucci Sports as an employee inspects several for processing in June 2025 in Baton Rouge.

DEAL

Continued from page 1B for Marucci to reestablish a Player Advisory Board; the details and membership will be announced after the World Series ends.

No cause given The state Health Department offered no reason why state scientists might be finding more mercury in ﬁsh than they have in the past, despite years of state and federal efforts to try to control toxic emissions. But the latest findings come as the Trump administration has moved to undo

Growth and expansion Marucci Sports was founded in 2009 by Ainsworth, a former big league and LSU pitcher, along with Joe Lawrence and Reed Dickens. Its ﬁrst acquisition was Marucci Bat Co., which former LSU athletic trainer Jack Marucci had launched in a backyard shed in 2004. Over the years, Marucci and Victus, which it acquired in 2017, have become the two most popular lines of baseball bats in the big leagues. Some of the hitters who use the company’s bats include Alex Bregman, a former LSU star who was a key member of two Houston Astros teams that won the World Series; Freddie Freeman, who won the National League MVP Award in 2020; and Francisco Lindor, a ﬁve time All-Star. According to Bat Digest, 27.8% of bats used on open-

EVALUATION

Continued from page 1B

Under Louisiana law, raising mental incapacity halts all prosecution steps, except filing/instituting charges, until capacity is proven. Following the reported shootings, deputies found that one man sustained

concentrate up the food web as bigger creatures eat smaller ones that have taken in mercury. Mercury can concentrate in the largest species, like bigger recreational fish species, in the form of methylmercury. State officials said that eating fish with high levels of mercury over a long period of time can affect the brain and nervous system. “Developing fetuses and children under age 7 are particularly sensitive because their nervous systems are still developing,” state officials said in a news release Thursday. State health officials said nearly all fish have some trace amounts of methylmercury, but larger ones have more, and officials recommend eating smaller fish as a consequence.

residence and attempted to enter a second vehicle but was unsuccessful, according to investigators. He eventually entered a vehicle parked near another residence and was seen by the vehicle’s owner. Forcell ﬂed the scene and then entered a residence without authorization, where he was detained at gunpoint until deputies arrived. A criminal history check showed Forcell had a felony

conviction for an unrelated weapons charge. Forcell’s sentencing is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 7. He faces mandatory life sentences for each of the two ﬁrst-degree murder convictions. He was also convicted on charges of possession of a ﬁrearm by a felon, attempted simple burglary of a vehicle, attempted theft of a vehicle, and unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling.

Biden-era rules that would have tightened limits on mercury and other toxic emissions from coal-fired power plants. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency made the change final in April, after the EPA had earlier granted two-year waivers allowing plants to avoid implementing the new rule while it was under review. The shift has triggered lawsuits. The new recommendations for the Pearl apply to the length of the river in Louisiana in St. Tammany and Washington parishes, state health officials said. The affected species are bigmouth buffalo, black/ white crappie, bluegill, bowfin, flathead catfish, freshwater drum, largemouth and spotted bass, redear sunfish, smallmouth buffalo, striped bass and warmouth, state health officials said. State officials recommended women of childbearing age and children younger than 7 shouldn’t eat bowfin, including choupique and grinnel, and should not eat more than one meal per month of all other fish species combined from the river. Previously, the recommendation was to not eat bowfin and eat no more than one meal per month from all species of bass, bigmouth buffalo or fresh-

water drum. State officials also recommended that other adults and children 7 or older not eat more than three meals per month of largemouth bass or two meals per month of bowfin, including choupique and grinnel. Previously, the same group was recommended not to eat bowfin at all and no more than four meals per month of bass, bigmouth buffalo or freshwater drum. The state considers a meal a half-pound of fish. Other waterways that saw revisions are Bayou De Loutre and associated lakes, Boeuf River and Tew Lake. State officials added that people who should pay particular attention to fish consumption advisories are pregnant women, women who may become pregnant, women who are breastfeeding, children younger than 7 and those who regularly eat fish from waters with mercury advisories. Current Louisiana fish consumption advisories are available at the state health department’s Eat Safe Fish website or by calling (888) 293-7020. Advisories may also be posted at public boat launches. David J. Mitchell can be reached at dmitchell@ theadvocate.com.

A Marucci Sports employee sands a bat on June 16, 2025. Marucci Sports was acquired by a group led by founder and CEO Kurt Ainsworth for $225 million. ing day of the MLB season this year were Victus models, while Marucci accounted for 16.7%. In 2020, Marucci went public, when it was acquired by a Connecticut-based investment company, Compass Diversified Holdings, for $200 million. Three years later it was acquired by Fox Factory. Today, in addition to bats, Marucci sells gloves, balls, helmets, apparel and footwear. The company also

operates 12 Hitter’s Houses with locations ranging from Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Lafayette to Tokyo and London. The stores feature batting cages along with selling the full line of Marucci products. In 2024, Marucci generated $192 million in revenue for Fox Factory, according to the company’s annual report.

a single gunshot wound, while the other sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Both were taken to an area hospital. Detectives learned that Delaney arrived at the victims’ location, exited his vehicle and allegedly ﬁred multiple shots in their direction before fleeing the scene. Detectives later found Delaney at a

residence in Gonzales. Delaney faces two counts of attempted second-degree murder, one count of illegal use of weapons and one count of criminal damage to property. Ascension Parish schools ofﬁcials conﬁrmed that Delaney was a Gonzales Middle School teacher and that his last date of employment was Sept. 15.

Email Timothy Boone at tboone@theadvocate.com.

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Obituaries Arbour, Dale Luce Daigle

Dale Luce Daigle Arbour, age 78 of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. A beloved, mother, grandmother, sister and friend finally found peace from her pain on Friday, August 28, 2026. Dale was born on April 30, 1948 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to loving parents, Alden J. (Polly) Daigle and Irma Jean (Ehrett) Daigle (both deceased). She is survived by her daughter, Angela R. Tam, her sister, Robin D. Ward (Terry), her son Todd M. Arbour and her beloved grandson, Bryton Joseph Arbour. Dale was a proud 1966 graduate of Istrouma High School. She retired from Kaiser Aluminum and was co-owner of Landmark Antiques for many years. She collected antique art glass, but her primary love was Fenton and specifically carnival glass. Dale loved to shop, to vacation with her family, to "do" dinner with the girls and she loved to watch TV. The family would like to extend a special thank you to Dr. Casey Carlisle and the team at Audubon Home Health for their care. "Your life was a blessing, your memory a treasure. You were loved beyond words and missed beyond measure. We will be together again." The family will plan a Celebration of Life at a later date.

Blanchard, Ethel 'Tippy' Daigle

Ethel "Tippy" Daigle Blanchard, a longtime resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and a devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, peacefully passed away on September 17, 2026, at the age of 88. She was born on October 18, 1937, in Klotzville, Louisiana. Tippy graduated from Redemptorist High School in Baton Rouge before continuing her education at Spencer Business College, where she developed the organizational skills that served her well throughout her 30year career with Ethyl/ Albemarle Corporation. After marrying her soulmate, Joe C. "Jakie" Blanchard, Sr., Tippy devoted her life to creating a warm and welcoming home for their family. Together, they raised their two sons in a home centered on faith, love, and strong family values. Tippy was a faithful charter member of St. Patrick Catholic Church, where she served as a Eucharistic Minister for many years. She was also a Prayer Partner at Cypress Springs Mercedarian Prayer Center. Tippy's faith

was an important part of her life, and she looked forward to her annual retreats at The Cenacle in Metairie. Tippy was known for her outgoing personality, personal style, and commitment to excellence. She enjoyed an active life and was an accomplished tennis and golf player during the many years she and Jakie lived in Shenandoah and enjoyed the Shenandoah Country Club community. She was a member of the Ex-Shenandoah Ladies Golf Association. Ever the enthusiastic cheerleader, Tippy made friends easily and was always ready to join in the fun. Even after moving to Lake Sherwood Retirement Village in 2016, she continued to embrace life, learning new card games and joining the community bell ringers. She brought her warmth, energy, and joyful spirit wherever she went. She was also an enthusiastic supporter of all things LSU sports, cheering on her Tigers with the same spirit and enthusiasm. Above all, Tippy will be remembered for her devotion to her husband, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Tippy is survived by her sons, Chuck Blanchard (Marcia) and James Blanchard (Tara); sister, Carolyn Wiggins (Richard); brother, Howard Daigle, Jr. (Jaie); and sister-in-law, Cindy Daigle. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Madeline Gugich (George), Charles Blanchard (Hillary), Angelle Romaine (Andrew), Alyssa Cloud (Micah), Jacob Hathaway (Kristin), and Lauren Harris; great-grandchildren, Ainsley Gugich, Clay Gugich, Grace Blanchard, John Romaine, Joseph Romaine, and Henry James Hathaway; as well as many nieces, nephews, greatnieces, great-nephews, and cousins. She was preceded in death by her cherished husband, Joe C. "Jakie" Blanchard, Sr.; her parents, Mae Richard Daigle and Howard Daigle, Sr.; and her beloved brother, Michael Daigle. The family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the Lake Sherwood Village Retirement Community, especially Cindy, Charlene, and Lorraine, as well as Audubon Health Services. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Memorial Mass at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 12424 Brogdon Lane, Baton Rouge. Memorial visitation will be held at the church beginning at 9 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Patrick Catholic Church or Cypress Springs Mercedarian Prayer Center. Family and friends may sign the online guestbook or leave a personal note to the family at www.resthavenbatonroug e.com.

Brossette, Marvin Earl

Marvin Earl Brossette was born October 20, 1937 in Golden Meadow, Louisiana, to Sara Dell Bryant Brossette and Otto Brossette, the third of four children. Marvin passed away at his residence in Baton Rouge on Tuesday, September 15, 2026. Marvin grew up in the Greenwood community near Shreve-

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port, where his parents operated a dairy farm. They instilled in him strong Christian values and a work ethic that was second to none. He graduated from Greenwood High School in 1956, lettering in both baseball and basketball. Marvin enrolled at Louisiana Tech University in 1956, majoring in electrical engineering. In 1957, he transferred to Northwestern State University and changed his major to mathematics. It was at Northwestern that he met the love of his life, Mary Edna Adams. They married on November 30, 1957, and returned to Louisiana Tech in the fall of 1958, where he completed his degree in chemical engineering. After graduating in 1960, Marvin joined Universal Oil Products, now Honeywell UOP, near Shreveport. He worked there for 40 years in many roles and concluded his career as Senior Technical, Health, Safety and Environmental Manager. In retirement, Marvin continued sharing his safety expertise as a consultant. Marvin was a member of First Methodist Church Shreveport for over 60 years, serving as a youth counselor, finance chairman, and chair of the administrative board. He was instrumental in the purchase of a new bus for church programs, the replacement of the church's iconic steeple, and the creation of an endowment fund to ensure long term stability for the church and its campus buildings. His mediation skills were invaluable in transitioning and leading the church through several leadership changes. After moving to Baton Rouge in 2023, Marvin remained a faithful disciple for First Methodist, holding remote worship by live streaming the service for residents at The Claiborne of Baton Rouge. After spending almost his entire life in the Shreveport area, Marvin made the difficult decision to move to Baton Rouge. He embraced the transition with optimism and quickly made many friends in his new home. His longtime friend Rudolph "Red" Smith helped him adjust, and Marvin's family is deeply grateful for Red's friendship and support. Marvin enjoyed bingo, happy hour, and activities with fellow residents, and he even hosted a Mardi Gras gumbo party in February. Beloved by residents and staff alike, he was known as a friend to all. Marvin is survived by his daughter, Amy Odom (Barry); his son, Eddie Brossette (Michelle); and his eight grandchildren: Christi Plaisance (Joey), Danielle Hitchcock, Rachel Towles (Austin), Holly Cappe (Taylor), Nathan Hitchcock (Ashley), Charmelle Bisquera, Mary Brossette, and Alice Brossette. He is also survived by seven great-grandchildren: Adeline and Amelia Plaisance, Colton, Wilhelmina, and Eleanor Hitchcock, Oliver Towles, and Ruby Harper. Marvin also leaves two bonus sons from his second marriage, Bill McCollum (Lacey) and Charles McCollum, and three bonus granddaughters: Alden Harper (Zach), Madeline McCollum, and Lauren McGee (Whit). Other survivors include his siblings, Elizabeth "Zibby" Tiller and Jack Brossette (Rita); his sisters-in-law, Alice Fanta and Bert Giffin; numerous cherished nieces and nephews; and his special friend of many years, Virginia Phelps. Marvin was preceded in death by his parents, two wives (Mary Edna in 2003 and Dianne Rose McCollum in 2013) as well as his brother, Rev. James Otto Brossette. He was also preceded in death by his brothers-in-law, Fred Fanta, Jim Giffin, Sr. and Bob

Tiller, as well as his sisterin-law, Anna Brossette. Marvin was a wonderful father, friend, and a generous supporter of many causes, especially his beloved church. The lives he touched and the legacy he established will live on far beyond his time on earth. His family would like to thank the staff and residents of The Claiborne for the support and friendship they generously bestowed on Marvin during his almost three years there. Heartfelt thanks to Danielle Wyble, who provided loving and compassionate care to Marvin for nearly two years, and to his physician, Dr. Kent Rhodes, his wife, Karen, and their children who adopted Marvin as a grandfather. Denise Akers (his second daughter) visited him often and cared for him like the daughter she truly was. It takes a village, and he had the best. There will be two services to celebrate Marvin's life. The first will be at 1:00 pm on Friday, October 2, at Westlake United Methodist Church in Westlake, Louisiana. There will be a second service on Monday, October 5 at 1:00 pm in the sanctuary of First Methodist Church in Shreveport, Louisiana where Marvin's ashes will be interred in the columbarium. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to First Methodist Church Shreveport or the Mary Edna Adams Brossette Teaching Scholarship at LSU-Shreveport. Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness.

who exhibited kindness, warmth, strength, and generosity and was always ready to give of herself to those who needed someone to listen. She will be dearly missed by those who were privileged to have known her. She is survived by her three children, Claire Linn Carimi Lassalle (Joseph), Arlene Carimi Edwards, and John Mario Carimi (Margaret); six grandchildren, Laurie Lassalle Jennings (Matthew), Jennifer Lassalle Hall ( Patrick), Dana Edwards Danos, Edwin Nolan Edwards ( Holly), Stephen R. Edwards, Jr. ( Christie), and Bret Miquez (Fiancee, Hali and her son, T.J.); and eight great-grandchildren, Taylor Jennings, Mason Jennings, John Patrick Hall, Catherine Hall, Sadie Danos, Jolene Danos, Zoe Edwards, and Nolan Edwards. She was preceded in death by her wonderful, loving husband of 61 years, Anthony B. Carimi; her youngest son, James Peter Carimi; her parents; and her brother, Peter James Dassinger. Visitation will be held at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Monday, September, 28, 2026, from 9:00 am until 11:00 am, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial. Interment will follow at Greenwood Cemetery on Canal Boulevard, New Orleans. The family would like to extend a special thank you to all those special 'angels' at St. James Place who loved and cared for her as if she were family; and to the staff at Baton Rouge Hospice for their care and compassion.

phone, she was going to "take and tell ya" all about everyone she had seen at Mass or at the "beauty salon". Myrtle never forgot a thing. Her memory was remarkable, and she could remember names, dates, places, and stories from years—even decades—ago. If you told Myrtle something, you could be sure she remembered it. Her love for her family was evident in everything she did and in every story she shared. Myrtle loved anything chocolate. She even referred to herself as a "chocoholic", never missing an opportunity for dessert. Myrtle also loved being stylish. She always had her hair and nails done. If it was a special occasion, she'd even wear her "nice white pants". As a big Saints fan, she loved to wear her matching gold fleur-de-lis necklace and earrings that Red had given her. Even at 91, she knew how to dress. Myrtle was one of a kind. She will be deeply missed by her family and all who knew and loved her. Myrtle was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Lawrence T. "Red" Gettys; her parents, Walter F. Prange and Eve Boudreaux Prange; and her siblings, Melvin J. Prange, Sr., and Mildred Prange Villarrubia. She is survived by her son, Lawrence G. Gettys; daughter, Lisa G. Stimpson (Greg); and grandchildren, Hanna, Haley, Ethan, and Mary Skylar Gettys, and Abigail Simpson (Jason) and Rob Stimpson. Services were private.

Laws, Horace Parkerson

Brown, Eric J.

Eric Janal Brown was born on November 25, 1972 to the union of William and Vivian (Dunn) Brown in Jersey City, New Jersey. He entered eternal rest on Wednesday, September 15, 2026 at Ochsner Medical Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Eric was 53 years old. A memorial service will be held 11:00 AM, Friday, October 2nd at WilsonWooddale Mortuary with burial to follow. His family is grateful for the kindness and support shown during this time.

Carimi, Ona Claire Dassinger

D'Armond, Dane

Relatives and friends are invited to Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church on Wednesday September 30, 2026 for a visitation beginning at 9:00AM until the Funeral Mass beginning at 10:00AM. A burial is to follow at Roselawn Memorial Park.

Gettys, Myrtle Prange

Ona Claire Dassinger Carimi, a native of New Orleans and resident of Baton Rouge, passed into eternal rest on Thursday, September 24, 2026, in the loving presence of her family. She was born on November 28, 1933, to Peter Dassinger and Florence Reynolds Dassinger. Ona Claire enjoyed a wonderful life filled with family and friends, which included traveling with family and friends to the beach, ski resorts, LSU sporting events, and cruises to ports around the world. She was a devoted mother, grandmother and great grandmother who cherished the time she shared with her loving husband and family. She loved cooking and never missed an opportunity to host a family lunch or dinner on Sundays as well as hosting a St. Joseph's Altar at her home where she invited family, friends and neighbors. She was a very special lady

Myrtle Prange Gettys passed away peacefully on September 6, 2026, at the age of 91. She was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on February 3, 1935. Myrtle is now reunited in heaven with her beloved husband, Lawrence T. "Red" Gettys, with whom she shared 49.5 wonderful years of marriage. Although small in stature, Myrtle was mighty in every way. She loved being a wife, mother, and grandmother, and nothing brought her greater joy than her family. She never missed an opportunity to spend time with her grandchildren and was always excited to hear what they were doing and be a part of their lives. Myrtle was funny—mostly when she wasn't trying to be. She loved to talk about her family and would tell anyone who would listen just how proud she was of them. Once she got you on the

Laws, Horace Parkerson A native of New Roads, La and resident of Ventress, La. He passed away on Friday, September 25, 2026 at 9:25 pm at Pointe Coupee General Hospital. He was 69 years old. He was employed as a deputy assessor with the Pointe Coupee Parish Assessor's Office for many years. He enjoyed spending time outdoors either rabbit, duck or deer hunting. He looked forward to gathering with friends for a good card game. He was a great cook and could often be found in his kitchen preparing a meal for his family and friends. He was content being on his tractor or riding his side by side or "Buggy" as he called it on his property.

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His greatest joy in life was the loving relationship he shared with his family, especially his four children and five grandchildren. In recent years, his black Labrador retriever Quigley was his beloved companion. He was preceded in death by his wife of 30 years Ann Vosburg Laws, his father John K. Laws, Sr., mother Helen W. Davis, stepfather Eugene "Brother" Davis, mother in law Betty L. Vosburg, father in law Morgan J. Vosburg, brother Harry L. Laws, stepbrother, Carter Davis, brothers in law Kerry Vosburg and Ronnie Elliott, stepsister Bobbie Hess and sister in law Jeanne Chustz. He is survived by his children Sandy L. Part (Rodney), Parkerson E. Laws (Celeste), Cody T. Laws, Sara C. Aguillard (Tommy), grandchildren Allie Laws, Carson Laws, Charlee Clark, Brennan Part, Ethan Part and Mason Part, sisters Helen Elliott and Nancy Rea Laws, brother, Crane Laws, sisters in law, Debra Laws, Margaret Langdon (David), Samantha Green (Peter), brothers in law Morgan G. "Chip" Vosburg (Tammy), Randy Vosburg (Peggy), and Pappy Chustz. He was a proud uncle to his many nieces and nephews Little Carter Davis, Lisa Robillard, Willie Hess, Tricia Adams, Helen Elliott, Langdon Elliott, John Laws, James Laws, Morgan Michelle Elrod, Nicholas Vosburg, Angelle Whitty, Cole Langdon, Kristen Grezaffi, Morgan G. Vosburg III, Victoria Copes Key, Clayton David, Anna Massey and Jessica David. A visitation will be held at Niland's Funeral Home in New Roads on Thursday, October 1, 2026 from 8:30 am until 10:40 am. Mass will follow at St. Paul's Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in New Roads at 11 am. Interment will follow in False River Memorial Park. Pallbearers will be Parkerson E. Laws, Cody T. Laws, Carson Laws, Brennan Part, John Laws and James Laws. Honorary pallbearers are Warren "Pop" Falcon and Glenn Guidry. Many thanks to his compassionate group of sitters and the caring medical staff of Pointe Coupee General Hospital. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Opelousas Area Cerebral Palsy Clinic P.O. Box 1192 Opelousas, La. 70760, West Baton Rouge 4H Foundation 210 Turner Road Port Allen, La. 70760,

Janell Legier LaCombe Memorial Fund 350 Hospital Rd. New Roads, LA. 70760.

Stockstill, Dorothy Marie Kinberger

Smithen, Rev. Buckie Duane

The Rev. Buckie Duane Smithen, 85, died Septem‐ ber 21, 2026, in Louisville, Kentucky. Born January 24, 1941, in Delano, California. He served four years in the U.S. Navy and eight years in the U.S. Army Reserve. Buckie pastored churches in Texas, California, Wash‐ ington, and Montana. Be‐ ginning in 1998, he and J.B. ministered in Alaska for 24 summers. They spent win‐ ters in Baton Rouge as members of Broadmoor Baptist Church. He never met a stranger. He is sur‐ vived by his wife of 63 years, Johnnie Beth; their children and spouses, Kim (Paul), Tim (Wendy), Chris (Tricia), David (Laura), and (Danielle); 13 Michael grandchildren; 6 greatand grandchildren; brother, Lynn Smithen. He was preceded in death by his parents, T.J. and Etta Lee Smithen, and his broth‐ ers, Jimmie Smithen and Richard Smithen. His life reﬂected Matthew 25:23: "Well done, good and faith‐ ful servant." A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on November 14, 2026, at Highland Baptist Church in Louisville. A reception will follow. The service will streamed on the be church’s Facebook page https://www.facebook. com/hbclouisville.org” In lieu of ﬂowers, consider donating to the Camper Scholarship Fund at Solid Rock Bible Camp. https:// www.solidrockbiblecamp. com/donate and Highland Baptist Church Music Min‐ istry. https://hbclouisville. org/giving-1/

Dorothy Marie Kinberger Stockstill, a native of Plaquemine, LA and a resident of Baton Rouge, LA, passed away on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at the age of 87. After receiving her bachelor's degree, she spent her career in education as a teacher. She was a member of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, Phi Mu Sorority, and Baton Rouge Symphony League. She enjoyed watching all college sports, especially the LSU Tigers and any of the other SEC teams. She had other favorite sports teams, Georgia where her granddaughter Caroline graduated, where Kate Michael attends, and TCU where Claudia graduated undergrad and masters. She was also part of a group of close-knit high school friends often referred to as "The Golden Girls." She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert William Stockstill; her son, Robert William Stockstill, Jr.; parents, Edmund Danos Kinberger and Olive Mae Kinberger; and brother, Edmund Danos Kinberger Jr. She is survived by her children, Brent Michael Stockstill and Anne Marie Stockstill Bradford (Trey); her loving grandchildren who called her "Nana", Caroline Bradford Bruns (Bennett), Claudia Bradford Greehey (William), William Bradford, Morgan Stockstill, Robert Stockstill III, and Kate Michael Stockstill; great-grandchildren, Bradford Reed Bruns and Branson Robert Bruns; brotherin-law, Ray Lee Stockstill (Susan); and niece, Teri Lyn Stockstill Mayeaux. Visitation will be held at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, 445 Marquette Ave, Baton Rouge, LA 70806, on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. until Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Roselawn Memorial Park. The family would

like to give special thanks to Dr. Sequeira Ross, and the compassionate staff at OLOL and the Carpenter House for their loving care and support. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Family and friends may sign the online guestbook or leave a personal note to the family at www.resthavenbaton rouge.com.

Wagener, Gerald 'Jerry'

Gerald "Jerry" Wagener, 82, of The Woodlands, Texas, died September 1, 2026. Born and raised in

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ 5B

New Orleans, he graduated from Holy Cross High School and earned a BS in chemistry from Southeastern Louisiana University. In 1967 he married his beloved Beverly and moved to Baton Rouge, where he began a career of more than 30 years at Dow Chemical in Plaquemine. Jerry was known for his analytical mind, creativity, quiet determination, and sense of humor. He could fix almost anything and was especially skilled at working on cars. A lifelong boogie-woogie piano player, he continued to express himself through music even after dementia took his speech. In retirement he enjoyed the Baton Rouge Chevy Classic Car Club and bowling in Don Carter's leagues; earlier in life he was an avid fisherman. Jerry was a devoted husband and father whose steady presence shaped the lives of those closest to him. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Beverly; daughters Beth (Tom Jarlock), Debbie, and Cyndi (Bryan Duck); and multiple grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles John Wagen-

er and Marion Cox Wagener, and his brother Rodney Wagener. A mass of christian burial will be held from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM on 2026-10-16 at Sts Simon and Jude Catholic Church, 26777 Glen Loch Drive, The Woodlands, Texas.

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Coastal projects work, so keep them coming A number of recent news items, especially a first-of-its-kind assessment by the U.S. Geological Survey, should drive home the point that an “all of the above” strategy is a useful one for coastal preservation and storm abatement. Included in this “all of the above,” we hasten to stress, is the worthiness and importance of freshwater diversion programs, despite Gov. Jeff Landry’s decision to cancel two large diversion projects. The USGS assessment is particularly interesting. It found that while Louisiana still is losing, on net, a woefully large amount of marshland — a full football-field-size every 84 minutes — the good news is that coastal preservation projects have sustained, restored or built about 153 square miles of land since 1984. To one extent or another, almost everything the state has tried has helped. The USGS ascribed 42 square miles of land replenishment to marsh creation projects, for example, and another 14 square miles to shoreline protection. And even without the major diversion projects, the assessment found that smaller diversion projects combined with management of Mississippi River crevasses has created 15 square miles. The obvious inference is to be open to anything that will help, rather than pitting one promarsh effort against another, and to carefully tailor the projects to local conditions. Hard data and sound science, of course, should guide both wetland restoration, as in the USGS study, and flood protection, too. That’s why it’s great news that the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East has reached an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a $3 million study about improving levee strength. Specifically, the two organizations will do detailed analysis of what it would take to improve the levee and floodwall system from one that can withstand a “100-year storm,” which has a 1% chance of occurring in any year, to one strong enough for a 200-year storm, which has a 0.5% likelihood. Not just for that one levee district, but for all of south Louisiana, this sort of information (or extrapolations from it) can surely help save devastating losses of property or lives. Toward that end, it is great news that the state’s congressional delegation, led by Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, and Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, worked so hard and successfully to earn an astonishing 415-9 vote Sept. 16 in favor of a water resources bill that will help pay for projects throughout the nation, including Louisiana. The projects include flood protection, coastal restoration and waterway maintenance, including initiatives in Baton Rouge, Pilottown, Lafourche Parish and the Upper Barataria Basin, along with a Lower Mississippi River Comprehensive Management Study. All of this works together: The wetlands also provide flood protection. Levees and floodwalls and river management can aid wetlands. And all of it can help Louisiana keep its way of life.

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Trump-Hollywood alliance would be good for La. It wasn’t a sign of the end of the on board. “I am in strong agreement world, but one could be forgiven for with the President,” he tweeted, sharthinking it might be: President Donald ing a screenshot of Trump’s first post. Trump and liberal California The posts came as the AmeriSen. Adam Schiff finding comcan entertainment industry has undergone years of financial and mon ground. production declines, consolidaIn fact, it could be a very good sign for Louisiana. tions and increasing competition Let me explain. Late last from countries such as Canada, month, the president took to Great Britain, Ireland, Australia Faimon and others. Truth Social to throw his supRoberts Louisiana has not been import behind a federal film tax credit program. The first post, mune to the downturn, said on Aug. 31, came after he had Katie Pryor, Baton Rouge’s film a conversation with actor Jon Voight. commissioner and the founder of Fil“Jon, and many others in the IndusmUSA, a national advocacy group. The state has lost several productions, intry, are suggesting we do Federal Tax Incentives in order to Make our Movie cluding a handful to Bulgaria, she said. and Television Production Business Creating a federal program that GREAT AGAIN, perhaps GREATER could be stacked on top of incentives THAN EVER BEFORE! The amount of from states like Louisiana could be a money spent on Tax Incentives will be game changer, Pryor said. made up tenfold by the money pouring “On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being into the Treasury’s coffers.” the most important, this is a 12,” she The next day, Trump posted again, said. “This is potentially a great reurging Republicans and Democrats to naissance for this industry here.” join together “to save the Movie, TeleCompared to what other states offer, vision, and Entertainment Business in Louisiana’s program — which offers a 25% base tax credit for qualifying America … It can be done quickly, acproductions, a credit that can go up to curately, efficiently and, importantly, 40% if certain requirements are met will benefit ALL of America.” Schiff, a frequent antagonist and tar- — is in the top five, Pryor told me. Louisiana struggles to compete with get of the president, quickly jumped

other countries’ offerings, which often include national and regional incentives combined. And while some have argued that such incentives beneﬁt only wealthy moguls or movie stars, Pryor said they help add jobs that run the gamut of professions from electricians to set builders to lighting technicians to creative professions. “I cannot stress enough that this is a jobs bill,” she said. “When I say bring back jobs, I mean increase jobs that haven’t been around for a while.” Gov. Jeff Landry, Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise are all Trump allies. Similar bills were unveiled Thursday in both the Senate and the House by a bipartisan group of lawmakers including Schiff and others. Supporting it should be a no-brainer. A federal program could beneﬁt the state without us having to create bigger incentives than we already offer. After all, Louisiana gave up billions in potential taxes so SpaceX could chase the stars; getting this passed might actually bring a few stars here. Email Faimon A. Roberts III at froberts@theadvocate.com.

Deadlines force choices about what gets in of people working incredibly hard to We often talk about the 24/7 news cycle. Indeed, news organizations have make sure that happens. Nowadays, though, we have more to be prepared to respond to breaking outlets to get the latest sports scores news at all times. or election results to you. Our Our content online is conwebsite serves as a compantinuously updated. But for print subscribers, there has to be a ion to our print product that cutoff for updates so that your we hope our subscribers take paper can make it to your dooradvantage of. Our coverage of late games or ﬁnal election restep in the morning. We sometimes hear from sults can be found there. We’d Arnessa rather leave something out of print subscribers when certain Garrett print than publish the wrong events, often ones that happen late into the night, usually ininformation. When I started in journalism, I volving sports or elections, don’t make worked for a while on the night desk, it in the paper the next morning. where a shift would go until 4 a.m. Know that we try to get in the latYou would be pretty much alone in the est breaking news that we can. But newsroom after a certain hour. we do weigh the importance of the But it was my job to wake up the update against what it will mean for top editors if big news happened anythe schedules of the press operators and delivery people who work until the where. Then they’d make a decision wee hours of the morning to get your whether to stop the press run, throw papers to you. Many print subscribers out the papers already printed and ishave come to expect their paper on sue a second edition with the updated their doorstep as soon as they wake story. up in the morning. And it takes a lot It was a lot of responsibility for

someone just out of college. It very seldom happened, though. There was a very high bar for updates. But that was all in the days before the internet. Now we can have an inﬁnite number of updated editions online every hour. And we don’t waste so much paper. So the next time you miss seeing something in print, know that it’s likely online and will appear in the next print edition. We value all our subscribers and strive to make our print reports as complete as we can. Turning to our letters inbox for the week of Sept. 10-17, we received 53 letters. The topic that drew the most interest was the 9/11 anniversary, which was the topic of six letters from readers. The college football season, which is heating up, was the subject of four letters, including two about LSU football in particular. Lastly, we had three letters about political cartoons. Arnessa Garrett is Deputy Editor | Opinion Page Editor. Email her at arnessa.garrett@theadvocate.com.

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COMMENTARY Fulsome music and Folsom: What a weekend! Ya gotta love weekends in Loui- places in Mandeville or Covingsiana. ton, and folks from Baton Rouge For years now, a mantra on the may head eastward on Interstate intellectual Right is that “politics 12 for beaches in Alabama or is downstream from culFlorida. But 12 miles north of Covington, the village ture,” meaning that the of Folsom, population 769, culture creates the politimay get lost in the shuffle. cal milieu. If that were the It shouldn’t. And it cercase in Louisiana, though, our politics surely would tainly was quite a change be better, because our of pace for me on Sept. 19. Quin culture is wonderfully The night before, New OrHillyer vibrant. leans’ Jazz & Blues Market It was to check out locapped a daylong “spirical examples of such culture, in tual cleansing” (that’s another hopes of drawing broader lesstory) with an absolutely captisons, that I wrote late last year vating performance of “Yoruba” of my plans to tour less-covered music — sacred, African batá areas of the state and showcase drums performed by a trio led their own unique attributes. Well, by legendary Louisiana musician scheduling never permitted one Bill Summers, playing under the long tour, so here I am starting title of Olubata Baba Eshubi. The occasional, shorter excursions. acoustics in the place are magnifiAnd last weekend was a doozy. cent; the rhythms mesmerizing. I was blessed to experience a Only in Louisiana, probably, cousin of voodoo; five different, could one leave such a scene and, incredibly varied genres of live within barely an hour’s drive the music within just 24 hours; and next morning, arrive in verdant, an absolute gem of one village’s piney Folsom, where the weekly town center. Paddock Farmers Market attracts New Orleanians might cross food and craft artisans to ply Lake Pontchartrain for favorite their wares. The whole scene was,

if not a revelation, at least a pleasant surprise. Next to the Paddock, on the outdoor patio deck of the Giddy Up Folsom coffee shop, the two-man band called Aden Paul played soulful originals, in a genre I couldn’t quite ﬁnd a name for. I asked a listener how he would describe it. “I dunno, sorta countryblues-rock,” he said. Paul himself, playing guitar next to an accompanying steel guitar, described it as “Americana.” Whatever it was, it was good, almost hypnotic. Yet that was only one of two sorts of music at the Giddy Up. Inside, on a large piano, across from two bright, nature-scened stained-glass windows, 17-yearold home-schooled senior Sylvan Collins beautifully played pieces with a sort of classical-music tinge. Asked what the compositions were, he shrugged and said, “Improv.” Amazing. And lovely. Directly across from the Giddy Up patio stood a tiny shack, all of 12-by-18 feet. This diminutive bookstore once comprised the

entire Folsom branch of the public library. Now it’s adorned by a plaque recognizing it on the National Register of Historic Places. Charming. Adjoining the Paddock, the Giddy Up and the bookstore, a lovely public park, with a bandstand for outdoor public events, was graced by a plethora of carved (mostly wooden) depictions of animals: eagles, turtles, a fox, squirrels and more. And across from that park, with an entrance featuring two sharpyellow sculptures of ears of corn, several women were engaged in watering the town’s community garden. And if that weren’t enough, back up the road on another side of the Giddy Up, the Far Horizons Art Collective stood with open doors for visitors to see beautifully rendered landscape (or marsh-scape) paintings. And everywhere, laid-back locals were smiling and enjoying the day. One could have relaxed in those environs for hours. New Orleans, though, eventually beckoned:

An early evening burger at Snug Harbor’s bar was accompanied, wafting in from the music room in back, by the Africana music — a completely different sound from the African batá drums from the night before — of the Matsiko Sisters. Finally, burger ingested, next door to DBA New Orleans, where probably the best-extant younger band of traditional jazz musicians, Tuba Skinny, had dozens dancing within ﬁve minutes of opening their show. The mind reels in pleased wonderment at such a rich cultural and musical gumbo. Perhaps New York can boast something similar, yet there, it’s not indigenous. Here in Louisiana, it’s all homegrown, and thus somehow truer and more enriching. Next stop, somewhere in the state’s central region. Meanwhile, rejoice that you live in Louisiana, where there’s more personality in almost every byway than most entire states can even imagine. Email Quin Hillyer at quin. hillyer@theadvocate.com

The absurdity of politics, 6th District-style This is hardly an original observation, but I’ll go ahead and make it anyway: Politics these days can be stupid. Truly, depressingly stupid. The latest reminder of this truism comes via a new ad campaign running in Louisiana’s 6th Congressional District, for the open seat soon to be vacated by Democrat Cleo Fields, now that the U.S. Supreme Court has had its way with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. With permission from on high to redraw districts for political advantage, the state Legislature took Louisiana’s second majority Black, largely Democratic district and converted it into a ﬁfth majority White stronghold. That practically guarStephanie anteed that the district’s voters would Grace send a Republican to Washington. It didn’t determine which Republican, though, and here’s where the stupidity comes in. A Washington, D.C.-based group called Club for Growth, which is supporting Republican state Sen. Blake Miguez in the Nov. 3 open primary, is running a milliondollar ad buy targeting the other major Republican in the ﬁeld, state Sen. Rick Edmonds. “Rick Edmonds promised not to raise taxes. He lied and we paid,” an alarmed-sounding narrator warns. The ad also accuses

state more toward the preferred mix of the taxes among conservatives. The ad also dings Edmonds for supporting tax breaks and secrecy for “woke” big tech terms. Yet here too, Edmonds and Miguez were basically aligned with one another, and with Landry, who has championed attracting data centers and other tech projects. That tracks with their broader records. Both have high rankings from conservative groups such as Louisiana Right to Life, the National Federation of Independent Business and the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry. Both were endorsed by the state Republican Party, for what that’s worth. So are the people who filmed the ad stupid? Or do they think the voters are? I’m going with the latter. It’s not like the issues they raise FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK aren’t ripe for honest debate. On Sen. Rick Edmonds, R-Baton Rouge, left, speaks with Sen. Blake Miguez, the state level, it would be nice R-New Iberia, in the Senate chamber during the 2025 legislative session, to hear what the candidates reat the Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge. ally think the proper balance between sales taxes and income same as Miguez’s record. taxes should be, particularly since Edmonds of promoting secret On two of the three bills the ad sales taxes tend to fall harder on sweetheart tax breaks for “woke” cited, they voted in lockstep to lower-income people. And I’d love big tech companies, and of comback the agenda of Republican to hear a discussion about how mitting “lies,” “secrecy” and Gov. Jeff Landry. On the third, much revenue and oversight the “betrayal.” The visuals include Edmonds voted yes and Miguez state should give up in the name of pictures of stacks of cash and skipped the vote. chasing big outside investments. crossed fingers. Among the bills at issue is a vote Even better would be a converYet when my colleague Tyler that increased the state sales tax. Bridges looked at the claims, sation about issues that Congress But it was paired with a cut in the faces, from the war in Iran to reghe found something interesting: income tax, and thus moved the Edmonds’ record is basically the ulation of artificial intelligence,

from the Epstein ﬁles to whether Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth should be impeached. In theory, that’s what campaigns should be about. In practice, they almost never are. And that’s the result of another sad truism: Congress these days runs entirely along party lines. If voters elect a Republican, they pretty much know how that person will vote. Same for a Democrat. The goal, therefore, is to elect the most players from one’s own team. But because of how most districts are drawn — and deﬁnitely how the 6th was hastily redrawn after the Supreme Court’s Callais decision this past spring — individual voters rarely get a meaningful choice. So, given this bleak state of affairs, here’s my advice for the voters of the 6th District: Vote for the candidate you like most, or dislike least. Maybe it’s the one you think has the stronger ties to the district, or is smarter or has better people skills or more partisan bluster, whatever your preference. And if you want to understand their voting records, do the research and decide for yourself. That way, at least, you can prove the political operatives up in Washington — the ones who think you’re stupid — wrong. Email Stephanie Grace at sgrace@theadvocate.com.

Columnist diplomacy thaws chill between governor, N.O. When I wrote a column about when that investigation ends, that the cold war between Gov. Jeff might be two weeks, two months Landry and New Orleans Mayor or two years from now. Helena Moreno, I said I didn’t In the meantime, I suggested in like that two important leaders a column that the guv meet with weren’t talking. In fact, I two City Council memwrote, “This needs to stop,” bers who did not vote to and suggested a way forinstall an interim clerk in response to a move ward. to eliminate the Orleans To make sense of all of Parish Clerk of Criminal this, here’s the backstory. Court position, the two In early July, an Orleans Will hasn’t accused of posParish grand jury indicted Sutton he Louisiana Attorney General sible foul play: New OrLiz Murrill on 16 felony leans Council members counts, including eight counts of Eugene Green and Lesli Harris. malfeasance in office and eight Green read my column, saw an counts of public intimidation. opening and reached out to the Murrill and Landry were angry. guv. There wasn’t an immediate City officials suggested that the response. Someone else read it. charges be dropped, but that During an interview on wasn’t the end of the dustup. WBOK’s Good Morning Show a Landry and Murrill believe few days ago, the guv told me he Moreno and other city elected read it. “I follow your column. officials may have had something After I read it, I said, you know to do with the grand jury’s acwhat, that’s a great idea. … So, I said, you know what, I’ll bring tion. The guv made it clear that he wouldn’t meet with them until him in.” On Monday afternoon, Green an investigation has been completed. Since only Murrill decides was sitting in the governor’s

mansion in Baton Rouge, in the front room, with the incumbent governor, not a painting or a photograph. “Even though I’m not speaking to those that may have been involved in this malicious, frivolous indictment of the attorney general, it doesn’t mean that I don’t care about the city,” Landry told me as he explained why he met with Green. “It doesn’t mean that I don’t care about the people that are there.” According to the guv and Green, they had an hourlong conversation. “Having a discussion with Eugene was very productive. ... Again, I read the article, and I said, ‘You know what, I think Will has a great idea.’” Green told me the meeting was cordial and professional. Both told me they talked about Green’s district speciﬁcally, and New Orleans generally. One astute, well-connected, observant politics watcher heard the governor’s Wednesday interview and said, “If Eugene Green

was there, and there’s no photo, it didn’t happen.” Green has a habit of snapping pictures nearly everywhere he goes. Well, I have the proof. Kate Kelly, Landry’s top communications magician, sent it to me. I thought it might’ve been photoshopped or created with AI. She assured me it wasn’t doctored or machinegenerated. Landry said he would keep an open line of communication with Green, saying he told the District D council leader that he’s only a call away. The governor said he would reach out to Harris, too. I believe Harris would welcome the opportunity. She’s been a strong advocate on several fronts, including issues affecting the unhoused. There’s no way she’d pass up an opportunity to talk about such options as the city’s low-barrier shelter — on the mayor’s budget-chopping block. U.S. Rep. Troy Carter thanked me for my diplomacy, adding that it shouldn’t be necessary. In Con-

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

gress, he said, they have to work with representatives with whom they have little in common. As Warren Bell, former WWL anchor and my Wednesday cohost, said: Moreno is the mayor, the top elected ofﬁcial in New Orleans, and she deserves a conversation. Some may feel that the governor is slighting the mayor by going around her and talking to council members instead. I, too, really want to see a Landry-Moreno meeting. Moreno can sit in the same chair Green sat in. Or perhaps the guv can serve some gumbo in the kitchen. I care that these two leaders ﬁnd common ground and take action to make things better for New Orleans and Louisiana. I’ll take the Green meeting as an important step. Guv, I’ve got a number for Harris. I have numbers for other City Council members — and a number for the mayor. Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.

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

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCAN HERE

8B ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

lll

TODAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Partly sunny and warm

A t-storm around in the p.m.

Sunshine and remaining warm

Partly sunny with a t-storm

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

A couple of afternoon showers

HIGH

LOW

HIGH

93° 68°

LOW

91° 71°

Beaumont 91/72 Port Arthur 90/72

Baton Rouge 92/68

Lake Charles 92/71

New Orleans 90/72 Houma 89/69

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

Hattiesburg 93/62

Alexandria 94/67

Lafayette 92/71

10s

20s

30s

40s

50s

LOW

HIGH

LOW

89° 74°

YESTERDAY

Baton Rouge through 5 p.m. Saturday

Jackson 92/61 Many 95/67

HIGH

89° 75°

TEMPERATURE

Longview 95/69

-0s

LOW

Monroe 94/63

Shreveport 96/68

-10s

HIGH

90° 73°

60s

70s

80s

90s 100s 110s

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

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

HIGH

9:05a 4:13a 4:21a 5:41a 10:40p 10:11p 11:48p

Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today

OCT 3

FT.

NEW

FIRST

OCT 10

Atlanta Austin Boston Charlotte Chicago Dallas Denver Houston Las Vegas

TODAY

82 98 61 82 71 94 83 92 94

57 72 57 53 53 76 58 73 73

FULL

OCT 18

pc t r s pc t pc pc pc

OCT 25

83 96 61 83 75 94 75 93 86

MON. Lo

60 75 57 56 55 77 55 73 65

LOW

0.00” 0.00” 3.87” 44.47” 47.33”

FT.

HIGH

0.6 4:20a 0.5 1.6 11:33a 0.8 2.0 9:01a 0.8 1.5 12:46a 1.0 1.3 7:18a 0.6 1.6 5:27a 0.8 1.6 8:20a 0.7

6:56 a.m. 6:55 p.m. 7:22 p.m. 7:50 a.m.

City

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

89°/64° 87°/66° 87°/66° 99° in 1921 49° in 1975

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

LAST

PRECIPITATION

pc t r s s s t t t

MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

FT.

LOW

FT.

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

City

Los Angeles Miami Nashville New york City Philadelphia Phoenix St. Louis San Francisco Seattle

86 87 83 65 63 97 77 67 66

TODAY Lo

65 73 50 60 60 74 57 55 45

---- 6:21p 1:02p 7:15p 2:01p 8:14p 3:04p 9:19p 4:11p 10:26p 5:17p 11:33p 6:21p ----

s t pc r r t pc pc s

82 87 82 64 66 86 78 72 65

MON. Lo

64 75 54 58 60 70 58 55 54

s pc pc r r t s pc pc

+2.93 -0.27 -0.18 +0.06 +0.15 +0.30 -0.15

25.72

+2.34

-1.76

-0.16

18 29 8

-1.28 9.80 2.71

-0.02 -0.03 +0.38

13 15

2.44 0.59

none -0.02

47 34 29 20 12 6

7.18 4.76 3.58 3.75 2.80 2.83

+0.20 +0.21 +0.36 +0.12 +0.20 +0.42

SCAN

SELF-SCH TO

ULE ED

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

4.00 16.10 19.10 7.10 4.20 3.96 2.90

data as of 7 a.m. Saturday

Now

34 48 48 35 27 22 17

SAT. 24-HOUR STAGE CHANGE

Featuring our Free Shower Package Plus 15% Off

FLOOD STAGE

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

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READING 74 MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

SOURCE: LOUISIANA DEQ AND AIRNOW.GOV

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

N O R T H A M ER I CA’S

MODERATE

--- --- 6:01p 0.3 --- ----- --5:55p 2.3 9:34p 1.6 8:15p 1.7 12:54p 0.5 --- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ---

Today 12:10p 5:58a Monday 12:37a 6:49a Tuesday 1:33a 7:47a Wednesday 2:35a 8:49a Thursday 3:40a 9:55a Friday 4:46a 11:02a Saturday 5:50a 12:05p

TODAY

MODERATE

LOW

AP P

HIGH

92° 68°

Sunday is looking like a day very much like Saturday. Expect a mostly sunny to partly cloudy, hot and breezy day with a slight chance of rain. Temperatures this afternoon will rise to the upper 80s to low 90s. With low humidity, temperatures may feel like 95 in parts of the area this afternoon. Winds are out of the north at 5 to 10 mph. Rain chances are at 10% or less today. More sunshine and above-average temperatures are expected tomorrow.

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S u n d ay, S e p t e m b e r 27, 2026

1Cn

Elliss a quick stu udy on reads

Saints LB Kaden Elliss AP PHOTO

is his ability to get after the Saints LB excels at dissecting a play before snap neither quarterback. When the Saints lost

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

Former New Orleans Saints coach Dennis Allen used to tell Kaden Elliss that every formation tells a story. The cadence. The motions. The picture. The advice always stuck with the Saints linebacker, so Elliss learned how to read. He learned how to read what would happen when the offense’s huddle would break. He learned how to read a receiver or tight end jetting in motion, and what that move would indicate. He learned how

Demario Davis in free agency, they unexpectedly reconnected with Elliss, the team’s 2019 seventh-round draft pick who had to read the shot clock, and how he could blossomed over the last three time when the “SET HUT” would come. years into a top-tier, off-ball Elliss learned to read so fast that he linebacker for the Atlanta could predict the story’s end. Falcons. No team ever wants “People are pretty basic creatures,” to lose a star like Davis, but Elliss said. “And they’re gonna give away signing Elliss unlocked a a lot of things.” vast new number of posThose tells explain how Elliss, now in his sibilities for Saints defensecond stint with the Saints, has become sive coordinator Brandon one of the NFL’s best blitzers. ä See SAINTS, page 8C But nothing about Elliss is basic, and

ä Raiders at Saints 3:25 P.M. SUNDAy, S CBS

NO EMPTY FEELING LSU

TEXAS A&M

RECORD: 3-1 UP NEXT: VS. McNEESE, 6:45 P.M. SATURDAy, SEC NETWORK

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU safety Tamarcus Cooley sacks Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed in the third quarter of their game on Saturday at Tiger Stadium. LSU beat Texas A&M 35-6.

A year after Aggies cleared out Tiger Stadium, LSU revels in emphatic win BY JON BLAU Staff writer

In the closing seconds of the first half, Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed broke for the sideline in search of daylight. But his escape plan hit a snag. Reed’s stumbling block was the ﬁst of LSU defensive tackle Deuce Geralds, who made a dive and a swing for the scrambler’s feet. The Tigers were human tripwires in a September game that was as make-or-break as it gets

for this month. No. 10 LSU (3-1, 1-1 SEC) responded from a Week 3 loss at Ole Miss with a 35-6 win Saturday in Tiger Stadium, avoiding a second loss in the season’s ﬁrst month that would have made a run to the College Football Playoff a high-wire act the rest of the way. No. 23 Texas A&M (2-2, 0-2 SEC) followed a home loss to Kentucky with a jarring road defeat. Reed, who rushed for 170 total yards combined on the

ä See LSU, page 4C

Smiles all around as coach Kiffin displays why LSU lured him here the middle to a streaking-wideOn fourth-and-1 from the blessed-open Jackson Harris. LSU 43, with the Tigers holdKiffin, who Georgia coach ing a solid but certainly not Kirby Smart cheekily called insurmountable 14-3 lead on “the Adonis of all college footTexas A&M early in the third quarter, Lane Kiffin decided to ball coaches” at SEC media go for it. days, sprinted after Harris Scott Not just go for it as in a Rabalais down the sideline well inside smash into the line to try to the 20, holding up an index overpower the defensive finger before punching the air front. He and offensive coordinator with his fist. Charlie Weis Jr. had quarterback Sam LSU athletic director Verge Leavitt pull in the shotgun snap and ä See RABALAIS, page 5C loft a 57-yard touchdown pass over

2C ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS On TV AUTO RACING 10 a.m. NHRA: Qualifying FS1 2 p.m. NHRA: NHRA Nationals FS1 2 p.m. NASCAR Cup Series USA WOMEN’S COLLEGE SOCCER 11 a.m. Florida St. at Louisville ACCN 11 a.m. Vanderbilt at Tennessee ESPNU noon Alabama at Oklahoma SECN 1 p.m. Colorado at Texas Tech ESPNU WOMEN’S COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL 11 a.m. Washington at Michigan BTN noon Texas at Kentucky ESPN 1 p.m. California at SMU ACCN

1 p.m. Penn St. at Michigan St. BTN 2 p.m. Ole Miss at Alabama SECN 3 p.m. North Carolina at Wake Forest ACCN 3 p.m. Wisconsin at Purdue BTN 7:30 p.m. Stanford at Pittsburgh ESPN GOLF 11 a.m. Presidents Cup NBC 1 p.m. LPGA Tour GOLF HORSE RACING noon America’s Day at the Races FS1 3:30 p.m. America’s Day at the Races FS2 NFL noon Cincinnati at Pittsburgh CBS noon L.A. Chargers at Buffalo FOX 3:25 p.m. Las Vegas at New Orleans CBS

IN BRIEF

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

7:20 p.m. L.A. Rams at Denver MEN’S SOCCER 7:50 a.m. Lithuania vs. Azerbaijan 10:50 a.m. Serbia vs. Netherlands 1:30 p.m. Germany vs. Greece 5:50 p.m. Haiti vs. Costa Rica 7:50 p.m. Trinidad & Tobago vs. D.R. 6 p.m. Westchester at Knoxville WOMEN’S SOCCER 4 p.m. Orlando at Bay FC WNBA PLAYOFFS 1 p.m. New york at Minnesota 3 p.m. Indiana at Las Vegas 8 p.m. Dallas at Golden State

NBC FS2 FS2 FS2 FS2 FS2 ESPN2 ESPN ABC ABC USA

Internationals lead Presidents Cup BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

MEDINAH, Ill. — The Americans twice filled the leaderboard with their red numbers and the Internationals never flinched Saturday, fighting back in the morning and afternoon to take a threepoint lead in the Presidents Cup. It was only the fourth time since these matches began in 1994 that the Internationals — with only one victory in the Presidents Cup — have led going into the decisive 12 singles matches. The Internationals lead 8½ to 5½. Min Woo Lee was part of both comebacks. He teamed with Sungjae Im in fourballs, going from 2 down against Justin Thomas and Jackson Koivun to earn a halve in the morning. Lee and Ryan Fox overcame an early deficit to blow past Sam Burns and Wyndham Clark in afternoon foursomes. The final stroke of a long, loud day at Medinah was Corey Conners holing a 6-foot par putt on the 18th green with both teams gathered around. That was the final touch as Conners and Nick Taylor rallied from 3 down after 10 holes for a 1-up victory over Jacob Bridgeman and Russell Henley. Among those watching was Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world whom U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker chose to sit out in the afternoon. Scheffler had played all five matches in the last two team competitions. “As I said at the beginning of the week, Scottie Scheffler is not going to go out there and win us 15 points, so we’ve got to go out there as a team and do this together,” Snedeker said. “I challenged the guys this afternoon to go out there and be that team that we need them to be.” And that’s what he got — at least for a while. The Americans were ahead in every match at one point on the front nine, just like they were in the morning, only for the plucky Internationals to fight their way

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MATT SLOCUM

International team player Sungjae Im, of South Korea, hits from the 11th fairway against the U.S. during the third round of the Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club on Saturday in Medinah, Ill. back. Even in fourballs in the morning, when the Americans wound up winning the session 2½-1½, it almost felt like a win for Geoff Ogilvy’s squad. “Both sessions having all red on the board, down in every match, and to come back and get 1½ points out of this morning we felt like was a little victory,” Ogilvy said. “The U.S. team played so well all day. They played some

really high-level foursomes especially this afternoon. For the boys to somehow come back and pinch two points out of that and split the session was amazing.” The lead was the largest for the Internationals since 2003 in South Africa, the Presidents Cup that ended in a tie. They last led at Royal Melbourne in 2019 until the Americans rallied behind Tiger Woods, the playing captain that year.

Singles typically favors the Americans, and the Internationals have two players — Nico Echavarria and Christiaan Bezuidenhout — who sat out all of Saturday. Echavarria last hit a meaningful shot at Medinah on Thursday. The Americans found their spark from the Cameron Young and Chris Gotterup — Young from New York, Gotterup from New Jersey — who were unstoppable. They won the first four holes in fourballs against Conners and Taylor in a 2-and-1 victory, and they were 5 up through seven holes in blowing out Im and Adam Scott, 6 and 4, the shortest match of the week. Clark got the noise he wanted from Chicago fans, and Snedeker was on the seventh green raising his arms for even louder cheers when the Americans holed putts — and the Internationals missed. Lee made his Presidents Cup debut at Royal Montreal in 2024 and was asked how this experience was different. “I guess the crowd is different, not getting cheers for holing putts. It’s a bit different than any tournament, really,” Lee said. “We just had to be there for each other. I think that was a big part.” The crowd was so boisterous that a volunteer had to retrieve one fan’s dentures that had come out of his mouth from the upper deck of a hospitality tent on the 10th hole. The Internationals have been at their best closing out matches. Now they have to ﬁnd a way to close out a Presidents Cup the Americans have won the last 10 times. “The goal at the start of the week is to be leading going into singles. That’s sort of what the first four days are all about,” Ogilvy said. “There’s still 12 points on the board, though, so we’ve seen in these team events all sorts of different things can happen. “We’ve got to put our heads down and play for a big opportunity tomorrow.”

Reese, Bueckers set for WNBA postseason debuts Clark returns to playoffs after missing last season

“I just love the idea. I mean, look at these eight teams that are in the ﬁeld. Great basketball, and you should go as long as you can. Like I said, that’s where the money is. So I would like to see that. Get a new commissioner and kind of get the competition committee on that type of thing, I think we’re all in favor of that,” Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said. “Obviously there’s a lot of chatter about the three-game series. Actually this season it’s kind of rather disappointing to have just three games for these teams that are going to be playing each other, for sure. But that’s maybe the next step, the evolution of our league.”

BY DOUG FEINBERG AP basketball writer

NEW YORK — Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers are set to make their WNBA postseason debuts while Caitlin Clark returns to the playoffs after missing last season because of injury. The WNBA postseason begins Sunday with four first-round matchups. Clark’s Fever face A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces in a rematch of last season’s semifinals. Reese and the Atlanta Dream will play the Washington Mystics. Bueckers’ Dallas Wings will take on the Golden State Valkyries, and New York will face Minnesota in a 2024 WNBA Finals rematch. Reese spent the first two years of her career in Chicago before going to the Dream in an offseason trade. She flourished in her new surroundings, once again leading the league in rebounding and continuing her emergence as one of the top defenders in the WNBA. Bueckers has put together a solid season to help the Wings get back in the playoffs for the first time since 2023. She was fifth in the league in scoring and eighth in assists.

Officials working postseason ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By BRyNN ANDERSON

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, left, dribbles the ball against Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese during a game on Aug. 16 in Atlanta.

years of existence. Golden State became the ﬁrst expansion squad to make the playoffs last year and is now the No. 2 seed in the postseason. The Valkyries have gone 17-5 at home this year, best in the league, in part because of the average crowd of over 18,000 they draw for games at Chase Center. Golden State has done it with stellar defense. The Valkyries led the league in defensive rating, points allowed and 3-point defense. They also shoot the Contender in Golden State 3-point extremely well, making The Valkyries have taken the the most 3s on the season with WNBA by storm in their ﬁrst two 10.4 a game.

Playoff expansion The first round of the playoffs is just a best-of-three. It’s undergone a few iterations, including having the higher-seeded team host the first two games. Now each team is guaranteed at least one home game with a 1-1-1 format. The coaches would love to see the first-round series expand to a best-of-five format. As of now, only the semifinals is a bestof-five and the WNBA Finals is a seven-game series. Last season was the first the league had gone to a best-of-seven and Las Vegas swept Phoenix in four games.

Roy Gulbeyan will be working his 27th consecutive playoffs this season dating to his postseason debut in 2000, according to the website “thewhistlewire”. The WNBA doesn’t release how many postseason appearances officials have. Gulbeyan has been part of the league for 29 of its 30 years. The league will have 17 officials work the postseason as well as three alternates. “We are pleased to recognize this group of officials for their on-court achievements and their dedication to their craft with a selection to work the 2026 WNBA Playoffs,” said Bethany Donaphin, Head of WNBA League Operations. “Qualifying for the postseason and serving the game at this important part of the season is a goal for WNBA officials just as it is for players and coaches.”

Verlander celebrates his final game in Tigers’ win

DETROIT — Justin Verlander made a teary farewell, accompanied by his 7-year-old daughter as he left a major league mound for the final time in the Detroit Tigers’ 4-3 come-from-behind win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday. Verlander allowed two runs and five hits in 51/3 innings with one walk and six strikeouts in his 91-pitch outing. The 43-yearold right-hander was making his second start of the year and first since March 30 in a season derailed by a sore hip and hamstring injury. Verlander finished 266-159 in 557 starts with a 3.33 ERA and 3,560 strikeouts, eighth on the career list. Pittsburgh (81-80) needs one win for its first winning season since 2018.

Toronto RHP Scherzer to decide future in offseason

TORONTO — Toronto Blue Jays righthander Max Scherzer said Saturday he will wait until the offseason to decide whether he wants to play a 20th major league season in 2027. Scherzer, who turned 42 in July, is expected to start on short rest against Cincinnati in Sunday’s season ﬁnale, a chance to pitch in front of his family for the ﬁnal time this year. Scherzer, a past leader of the Major League Baseball Players’ Association executive subcommittee, acknowledged that labor unrest could derail whatever plans he makes for 2027. A two-time World Series champion and three-time Cy Young Award winner, Scherzer is 3-9 with a career-worst 6.14 ERA in 17 starts this season.

Rangers place 3B Jung on 10-day IL with broken hand

MINNEAPOLIS — The Texas Rangers placed third baseman Josh Jung on the 10-day injured list with a broken right hand on Saturday with two games remaining in the regular season. Jung was hit in the hand by Twins starter Joe Ryan’s pitch in the ﬁrst inning of Friday’s game at Target Field. Jung originally stayed in the game and scored in that inning but later gave way to a pinch hitter. Jung batted .299 with 12 homers, 42 RBIs and an .827 OPS in 104 games this season. Jung also missed all of August with a left calf strain and batted .341 (15 for 44) in 12 games after returning. To take Jung’s place on the roster, Texas recalled left-hander Robby Ahlstrom and catcher Logan O’Hoppe from Triple-A.

Warriors, Curry sign 2-year, $116M contract extension

SAN FRANCISCO — Stephen Curry has agreed to a two-year contract extension worth $116 million that would take him through the 202829 season, a person with direct knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Friday night. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the terms of Curry’s contract. Curry was eligible to command up to $136 million, so he is giving his team a discount as he backs up his longstanding commitment to ﬁnish his career with the Warriors. The 38-year-old Curry will complete a $62.6 million extension he signed for the 2026-27 season in August 2024 before the new contract takes him through 2029 — which would be his 20th season.

Svitolina propels Ukraine to Billie Jean King Cup final

SHENZHEN, China — Elina Svitolina slammed her racket on the court to celebrate earning Ukraine a spot in the Billie Jean King Cup final for the first time Saturday. The seventh-ranked Svitolina had plenty of emotions running through her mind after she beat Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-2 to seal a 2-0 victory over two-time defending champion Italy in the semifinals of the women’s tennis team event. At this stage last year, Svitolina was a set and 4-2 up before Paolini came back to beat her. Paolini was on a 10-match winning streak in the competition. Earlier, Anhelina Kalinina had put Ukraine ahead 1-0 by beating Tyra Caterina Grant 6-3, 6-4 in Grant’s competition debut. In Sunday’s final, Ukraine will face Czechia.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ 3C

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JACKSON ST. 35, SOUTHERN 17 THREE AND OUT: TOyLOy BROWN’S TOP TAKEAWAyS FROM SOUTHERN’S LOSS TO JACKSON STATE

POOR DEFENSIVE START Defensive coordinator Todd Lyght’s group had an uncharacteristically poor start. Jackson State quarterback Jaden Lockhart led back-to-back scoring drives to open the game. The sophomore picked apart Southern in two ways: a methodical drive and a one-play 70-yard pass to speedy fifth-year receiver Nate Rembert. The poor tackling and mix-up in assignments weren’t ideal and surprisingly bad compared to how the defensive unit looked in its 13-point loss to Alabama State in the season opener.

SPECIAL TEAMS ISSUES Southern officially has special teams issues. The Jaguars, for the second week in a row, missed an extra-point attempt from Nathan Zimmer. Additionally, on the opening kickoff, Southern had a facemask penalty that gave a free 15 yards after a 21-yard return by Jackson State. This is coupled with lapses in preventing chunk plays in the return game. Southern’s coaching staff must nip this in the bud if it wants to be among the top half of teams in the SWAC West.

RIVALRY JUICES Southern and Jackson State were clearly amped up for this rivalry matchup. Entering halftime after a Lockhart kneel-down to run out the clock, Jaguars star Ckelby Givens had a brief shoving match and heated conversation with a couple of opposing offensive players. This moment wasn’t penalized, but it could’ve been a sign that Marshall Faulk’s team might’ve been too caught up in the rivalry. Regardless, the Jaguars weren’t able to channel it into a better performance.

Video issues hinder Jaguars in ﬁrst half BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

JACKSON, Miss. — Christian Johnson said he could’ve done more to help Southern. The redshirt junior quarterback completed 16 of 29 passes for 153 yards, zero touchdowns and no turnovers in a 35-17 loss to Jackson State on Saturday at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. Johnson, a HutchinNotebook son Community College transfer, wanted the Southwestern Athletic Conference opener to go better and didn’t give any excuses. However, coach Marshall Faulk shared that his program had technical issues halfway through the game. “I hate judging the quarterback based off of what we see from the sidelines,” Faulk said. “For the whole ﬁrst half, our video was down. We didn’t have video. We couldn’t check anything, and so it was kind of hard to make adjustments and see what he was seeing. But we’ll take a look at the tape, and then we’ll correct the things that need to be corrected.” Southern’s defense improved in the second half, allowing one touchdown with only 2:45 remaining. Before the score, the offense had chances to make a comeback attempt. Johnson was asked why the last couple of drives didn’t result in scores. “I think it’s just willpower at the end of the game,” he said. “I’m just gonna leave it at that.”

Intensity of rivalry PHOTO By APRIL BUFFINGTON

Southern quarterback Christian Johnson, center, gets wrapped up by Jackson State defenders on Saturday at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson, Miss.

Boom and bust

Faulk’s 1st matchup against Jackson St. ends in SU loss BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

JACKSON, Miss. — Mike Franklin’s 51-yard rush injected life into Southern. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound tailback known for brawn showed his agility after impressive blocking by his offensive line created a crease up the middle. The longdistance play was followed by Franklin’s 1-yard rushing touchdown and a twopoint conversion by top tailback Trey Holly, who got a helpful push into the end zone by his quarterback and center. The score cut Southern’s deficit to 2817 with 1:25 left in the third quarter, but that moment didn’t lead to a comeback in coach Marshall Faulk’s first taste of the BoomBox Classic. The Jaguars couldn’t get the upset against their rival, falling 35-17 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference opener at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. “Just the ebbs and flows of how we are,” said Faulk, a Pro Football Hall of Fame running back. “We gave up a lot. We stopped a lot, and just the lack of consistency. Just in all three phases of the game, the playmakers got to make plays, and ours didn’t and theirs did.” This heated rivalry continues to be dominated by Jackson State (4-0, 1-0 SWAC), which has won the past eight meetings. This was the second game Faulk had senior adviser Fred McNair call offensive plays instead of offensive coordinator Ken Merchant. The change, motivated by a better communication fit with quarterback Christian Johnson, did not produce similar results to the team’s last game, when it scored 50 points for the first time since 2022. The Southern (2-3, 0-1 SWAC) offense mustered 317 total yards. “This game, I put a lot of it on me,” said Johnson, who completed 16 of 29 passes for 153 yards, zero touchdowns and no turnovers. “I should have delivered some passes that needed to be delivered, and I’ll just do better next week.” Jackson State’s first two drives exem-

plified why it entered this game leading the SWAC in points per game (44.3) and yards (532.7). Quarterback Jared Lockhart completed all four of his passes for 54 yards in a 64-yard drive. Nate Blount punched in a 1-yard carry for a touchdown. The Tigers’ second drive ended with a touchdown after one play. Lockhart, a sophomore, ran a successful run-pass option play and threw a deep shot to star wide receiver Nate Rembert for a 70yard completion. The Southern defensive backs were nowhere close to the receiver on the explosive play. The Jaguars trailed 14-3 with 6:01 remaining in the first quarter. The Southern offense leaned heavily on Holly. The redshirt junior was the only running back used until about six minutes remaining in the second period. Faulk typically incorporates multiple running backs earlier, even with tailback Champ Davis out due to a shoulder injury. Holly ran 26 times for 97 yards. Southern’s coach was asked why Franklin didn’t have more attempts. Outside of his 51-yard carry, he had three runs for 8 yards. “When we had three backs, we went with three backs, and you know we have two now, (Franklin) and Trey Holly,” Faulk said. “It’s just when it’s his rack of plays to go, that’s it. It’s not a ‘we pull him.’ If you pay attention to the rotation, the guy usually stays in until he gets tired. He gets tired, and then we sub somebody in.” Holly, a Farmerville native who started his career at LSU, had 13 carries for 60 yards and a touchdown at halftime. Holly’s most timely play in the first quarter was a 22-yard reception on third-and-2. He caught a short pass, eluded an ankle tackle and was brought down at the opposing 12-yard line. That drive concluded with a 27-yard field goal by freshman Chris McMcKenna. Faulk leaned on his star rusher during the Jaguars’ lone touchdown drive of the first half. During the six-play drive, Holly had four carries. His best runs were a 17-

yard run that ended with a hurdle over a defender to the opposing 41-yard line and a 6-yard carry up the middle into the end zone, cutting the Southern deficit to 28-9 with 5:36 left in the second quarter. While Southern’s lead rusher had a heavy load, the same was true for Jackson State running back Nate Blount. The 5-10 junior had an electric first half with nine carries for 111 yards and two touchdowns. His best play was a 48-yard run with his team backed up on its own 5-yard line. Special teams errors by Southern remained an issue. After winning the coin toss and deferring, it started the game with a face-mask penalty on the opening kickoff. The Jaguars missed the extra-point attempt after their first touchdown and allowed kick returns of 52 and 44 yards to junior wide receiver DeJay Welch. The 52-yard return started a four-play touchdown drive, giving Jackson State a 28-9 lead with 3:39 left in the second period. “Atrocious,” Faulk said when asked about how to improve special teams. “I wish I had the answer to that. You know, kickers kick. That’s what they’re supposed to do. And our guys, they just — it’s not good right now.” Southern star defensive end Ckelby Givens was high on the Jackson State scouting report as he entered the game tied for first in the FCS in tackles for loss (8.5). The graduate student had his lone tackle for loss with 9:27 remaining in the fourth quarter, forcing a fumble on the Jackson State quarterback, who did recover it. The Southern defense performed valiantly after halftime, holding the Tigers scoreless until the 2:45 mark of the fourth quarter. Defensive coordinator Todd Lyght’s group prevented explosive pass plays and exerted more force at the line of scrimmage and second level. Southern’s next game is against Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 6 p.m. Saturday at A.W. Mumford Stadium. Email Toyloy Brown III at toyloy. brown@theadvocate.com.

Players were animated for the BoomBox Classic. More than two hours before the game, a cluster of players had a mini skirmish that was mostly a war of words. This preceded the main warmup with every player on the field. Shortly before players went to their respective locker rooms for halftime, there was another chippy moment. As Jackson State QB Jared Lockhart knelt to run out the clock, Jaguars star Ckelby Givens had a brief shoving match and heated conversation with a couple of opposing players. No penalties were given. Faulk said he has “no idea” if there was too much energy exerted from Southern’s side related to the rivalry. “I mean, they’re kids,” he said. “You know, a lot of testosterone out there. They want to win, both teams. It’s a part of football in a sense. We just gotta respectfully be able to do it and not get into an actual fight.” After the kerfuffle, Southern gave a much-improved defensive performance. Southern’s quarterback didn’t think it was possible to be overly hyped. “No, I don’t think there can be enough energy going into this rivalry,” Johnson said. “I think we just came out slow again, and we got to do better at coming out fast and hitting them in the mouth.”

JSU’s recent dominance Southern’s road loss marks its eighth consecutive loss to Jackson State, dating back to 2021. This defeat extends the longest losing streak Southern has in this matchup. This result also gives Jackson State the tie for the longest win streak in the series — the Jaguars had won eight straight times from 201321. Southern has lost the past eight games by an average of 20 points. Faulk has no interest in that history, although he said on Tuesday that his players should want to snap the losing streak. After Saturday’s defeat, the Pro Football Hall of Famer is just looking at the game he just coached. “I can judge everything, and in my eyes, because we lost, everything looked bad,” Faulk said. “But right now, I’m emotional. They’re emotional. I just know. I just know that we’re better than what we did today.”

4C ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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LSU 35, TEXAS A&M 6

BOX SCORE No. 10 LSU 35, No. 23 Texas A&M 6 Texas A&M 0 3 3 0 — 6 LSU 7 7 21 0 — 35 First Quarter LSU—D.Jones 1 run (Starzyk kick), 9:37. Second Quarter TXAM—FG Olano 24, 8:46. LSU—Harris 16 pass from Leavitt (Starzyk kick), 1:54. Third Quarter LSU—Harris 57 pass from Leavitt (Starzyk kick), 10:57. LSU—Clark 4 run (Starzyk kick), 6:16. TXAM—FG Olano 54, 3:22. LSU—Clark 2 run (Starzyk kick), :31. TXAM LSU First downs 11 20 Total Net Yards 197 506 Rushes-yards 33-91 38-194 Passing 106 312 Punt Returns 2-5 1-(-1) Kickoff Returns 1-0 0-0 Interceptions Ret. 1-0 2-10 Comp-Att-Int 10-27-2 17-28-1 Sacked-Yards Lost 4-41 0-0 Punts 7-51.857 5-39.6 Fumbles-Lost 1-0 0-0 Penalties-Yards 7-44 5-35 Time of Possession 29:41 30:13 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING—Texas A&M, Owens 11-62, Edwards 4-21, Baker 7-15, Craver 1-6, Reed 10-(minus 13). LSU, D.Jones 14-63, Berry 7-58, Clark 9-41, Leavitt 5-22, Jayc.Brown 1-4, Wilson 1-3, Watkins 1-3. PASSING—Texas A&M, Reed 10-26-1-106, Hart 0-1-1-0. LSU, Leavitt 17-23-1-312, Clark 0-5-0-0. RECEIVING—Texas A&M, Horton 3-43, Craver 3-31, H.Thomas 2-10, Gregory 1-13, Owens 1-9. LSU, Harris 6-163, Watkins 5-107, D.Jones 3-22, Wilson 3-20. MISSED FIELD GOALS—LSU, Starzyk 24.

STAFF PHOTO By PEARL SPURLOCK

LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt throws a pass that wide receiver Winston Watkins caught for a touchdown against Texas A&M on Saturday at Tiger Stadium.

NOTEBOOK

Injuries sully Tigers’ dominant win LB Weeks, WR Watkins leave game vs. Aggies

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

LSU bounced back from its loss to Ole Miss and routed Texas A&M 35-6 on Saturday, but it lost two more key starters to injuries. Both linebacker Whit Weeks and wide receiver Winston Watkins left the game in the second half. Weeks, a senior, was spotted walking into the locker room on crutches with a walking boot on his right foot and a towel over his head in the third quarter. Coach Lane Kiffin told the game’s ABC broadcast that his injury “looked really bad.” Watkins, an Ole Miss transfer, took a hard hit to the head after catching a pass in the fourth quarter. He was able to walk off the field on his own power and into the medical tent, and he was later spotted holding his helmet on the LSU sideline. On Sept. 19 in a 32-24 road loss to Ole Miss, the Tigers lost tight end Trey’Dez Green and safety Dashawn Spears to knee injuries. Spears tore his ACL, which means he’s out for the rest of the season, while Green suffered “some sprains and bruises” that will force him to miss “some games,” according to a Facebook post by his mother. Weeks already has suffered a significant injury in his career, when he fractured his right ankle in the bowl game LSU played at the end of his sophomore year. The injury lingered into the 2025 season, limiting him in certain stretches of preseason practice and forcing him to miss four games. That year, Weeks tallied only 31 tackles after recording 125 the year prior. In the first three games of his senior year, Weeks recorded 20 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss. The Tigers inserted junior Davhon Keys in his place at linebacker. Watkins, who caught five passes for 107 yards on Saturday, was LSU’s second-leading receiver entering Week 4. In the first three contests, he caught 15 passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU linebacker Whit Weeks walks to the locker room on crutches in the third quarter against Texas A&M on Saturday at Tiger Stadium.

halftime with a wrap on his left calf. He then spent a sizable chunk of the third quarter hobbling around the LSU backfield after throwing a pass or completing a handoff. “It’s probably no secret, Sam’s hurt,” Kiffin told the ABC broadcast at halftime. “He stayed in and made some big throws in there.” The injury was a new one for Leavitt. The Arizona State transfer missed practice time Sept. 16 with what was reportedly an upper-body injury. Kiffin listed him as doubtful on the first availability reports the SEC released in Week 3, then removed him in time for the Tigers to face Ole Miss on the road. Leavitt struggled for most of that game, a 32-24 loss. He completed only 16 of 27 pass attempts for 158 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He also rushed 17 times for 63 net yards and a score. Texas A&M didn’t pose the Leavitt hobbled same challenge. Before he was Quarterback Sam Leavitt deliv- pulled for backup Landen Clark on ered his best passing perfor- Saturday, Leavitt had completed mance of his season Saturday, 17 of 23 passes for 312 yards and even though he appeared to in- two touchdowns while adding five jure his left leg on a scramble in carries for 22 yards. the first half. Leavitt, a redshirt junior, New left guard emerged from the locker roafter Kiffin hinted he’d make a

change to the LSU offensive line this week, and he followed through. Tennessee transfer William Satterwhite slid into the left guard spot in place of Bo Bordelon, a fifth-year senior who struggled against Ole Miss. The fact that LSU made a change wasn’t surprising. Bordelon surrendered five pressures in Week 3, according to Pro Football Focus, and he entered Week 4 with more pressures credited to him (10) than any other offensive lineman in the Southeastern Conference. Kiffin has been saying he wasn’t pleased with how the interior linemen were pass protecting. Satterwhite was an interesting choice, though. Before the game against the Aggies, the redshirt sophomore was LSU’s second-team center. He manned that spot when the Tigers pulled their starters in lopsided wins over Clemson and Louisiana Tech, flanked by guards Devin Harper and Ja’Quan Sprinkle. In fact, Satterwhite never had played a single snap at guard until Saturday. He logged 182 snaps across the two seasons he spent at Tennessee at center. Early returns on the change were promising. Leavitt didn’t look nearly as rushed as he did

LSU

Continued from page 1C Tigers in his previous two seasons, was held to minus-13 ground yards Saturday. LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker had prepared an entire offseason for this. “That was kind of the book on Blake,” LSU head coach Lane Kiffin said. “LSU played great defense against passing teams and stuff, and running quarterbacks give them some problems.” A year ago, Tiger Stadium cleared out amid the stink of a 4925 loss to the Aggies, who ushered in the end of the Brian Kelly era. In Kiffin’s first foray, the Tigers boasted a 506-197 total yards advantage, and the stands emptied as fans opted to beat traffic with the game very much in hand. While Reed was harassed, finishing 10-of-26 passing for 106 yards, LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt had perhaps his best outing as a Tiger despite being hobbled by a hamstring injury. The redshirt junior completed 17 of 23 passes for 312 yards and two touchdowns. “I joked to him that it was best if it happened,” Kiffin said of the injury, “because he had to stay in the pocket.” It did take some time for LSU to get going, because there were a couple of bad breaks in the first half. Leavitt, who had been a bit risky on his scrambles in three contests, wisely opted to slide on a third-and-6 run in the first quarter with LSU up 7-0. The problem was Leavitt gave himself up 5 yards into his dash, which left the Tigers a yard short and needing to

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU safety Tamarcus Cooley, left, celebrates after sacking Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed in the third quarter on Saturday at Tiger Stadium. It was one of four LSU sacks on the night. punt when Texas A&M couldn’t be drawn offsides. It appeared as if the Texas A&M nose tackle did jump offsides on a fourth-and-4 late in the second quarter, hopping to within a breath of LSU center Braelin Moore. But the officials didn’t call it, leading Kiffin to come onto the field and berate them. “We were a little frustrated in the moment,” Leavitt said, “but we were just keeping our poise. There really wasn’t much to it.” After three straight punts, the Tigers needed Leavitt, and he answered emphatically. He had three of his most impres-

sive throws of the season, including 35- and 36-yard tosses dropped into a bucket for slot receiver Winston Watkins along the sideline. The second one helped LSU overcome a first-and-20 created by a holding penalty. The penalty yards allowed Leavitt to complete a six-play, 83yard drive with 90 yards passing after he hit Jackson Harris in the back of the end zone for a 16-yard score. Leavitt just threw it up, and Texas A&M cornerback Julio Humphrey failed to turn around and play the ball. Harris, a transfer from Hawaii, let the ball fall into his lap as he fell

against Ole Miss, in large part because he didn’t have to face nearly as much pressure from up the middle. Against the Aggies, he could hang in the pocket, wait for a receiver to come open and step into his throws. The run game was working, too. Running back Dilin Jones broke off a 36-yard run in the ﬁrst quarter to set himself up to score LSU’s ﬁrst touchdown: a 1-yard plunge on a Wildcat run. The caveat is that Texas A&M doesn’t have a particularly effective pass rush. The Aggies entered the game last among SEC teams in sacks (four) and tackles for loss (14), then managed to drop LSU behind the line of scrimmage only three times.

Pettit honored LSU held a moment of silence Saturday to honor Bob Pettit, the basketball great who died Wednesday at 93. Pettit was a Baton Rouge native and LSU All-American who won NBA MVP awards in 1956 and 1959. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970. LSU also laid ﬂowers at the foot of the Pettit statue that stands outside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

“When he’s comfortable, he’s dangerous,” Harris said of Leavitt. “He can tear apart a secondary when he’s comfortable back there.” Leavitt’s bounce-back game was complemented by a smothering performance by the LSU defense. The Tigers had seven tackles for loss and four sacks, including a pair of tackles for loss for the freshman Geralds. LSU also picked off a pair of passes. In the third quarter, the Tigers held a 181-17 edge in yards, including minus-5 yards allowed on the ground. “We just heard a bunch about the past, and the past, and the past,” LSU safety Ty Benefield said of last year’s Texas A&M game. “It’s funny because we’re not in the past, we’re in the present. So we showed up and showed out and did our jobs.” LSU continued to build its lead despite Leavitt not being 100 percent, and backup quarterback Landen Clark finished with a pair of touchdown runs. Clark, the Elon transfer, scored from 4 and 2 yards out to increase LSU’s lead to 35-6. The Tigers now get a potential breather with McNeese State coming to Death Valley next Saturday. LSU might need it, because not only was Leavitt limping but also linebacker Whit Weeks left the field in the second half on crutches after an injury to his right ankle. Trey’Dez Green, the Tigers’ star tight end, missed his first game after a knee injury suffered against Ole Miss. “I’ve not been around this many significant injuries early in the year like this. It’s really unfortunate,” Kiffin said. “Good thing those guys stepped up and played in place of really significant players.”

backward onto the turf, giving the Tigers a 14-3 lead. “Really gutsy performance by him,” Kiffin said of his quarterback. “I was actually getting ready to take him out. And he said, no way, he wasn’t coming out.” On the first drive of the second half, Harris would be on his feet for all 57 yards of a catch-and-run score. It was an aggressive call, a fake draw on fourth-and-1. Leavitt threw it as Harris streaked behind a busted Texas A&M secondary and coasted. Harris concluded his breakout game for LSU with six catches for 163 yards and two Email Jon Blau at jon.blau@ touchdowns. theadvocate.com

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ 5C

LSU 35, TEXAS A&M 6

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THREE AND OUT: SCOTT RABALAIS’ TOP THREE TAKEAWAyS FROM LSU’S WIN OVER TEXAS A&M

THE DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES Eleven months ago,Texas A&M crushed LSU 35-7 in the second half en route to an embarrassing 49-25 rout that ultimately doomed both coach Brian Kelly and athletic director Scott Woodward.This year, Lane Kiffin’s Tigers repaid the rout and then some by pounding the Aggies in similar fashion. The most important thing is LSU rebounded from the previous week’s 32-24 loss at Ole Miss, but revenge was a dish enjoyed at many an LSU tailgate party.

THIS TIME, SAM IS THE MAN Against the Rebels, Sam Leavitt took off running way too often in the first half instead of going through his pass progressions.Against Texas A&M, Leavitt ran some but was more willing to deliver passes from the pocket.The fact he came up gimpy on a second-quarter keeper contributed to that, but Leavitt had his best passing night as a Tiger, highlighted by a 57-yard fourth-and-1 touchdown pass to Jackson Harris in the third quarter.

PRICE TO BE PAID? LSU’s emphatic win was not without another concerning injury. Star linebacker Whit Weeks limped off to the locker room in the second half on crutches with a walking boot on his right foot. Seeing Weeks, who suffered multiple injuries last season, taken out of action that way was an ominous sign. LSU could afford to rest him next week against McNeese, but getting him back for the Tigers’ game in two weeks at Kentucky is vital.

Harris jump-starts LSU passing game With TE Green injured, LSU needed another weapon

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

Without Trey’Dez Green, LSU was going to need to get creative on offense. Green — LSU’s 6-foot-7 preseason All-American tight end with Gronkian (future Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski) strength and pass-catching prowess — was expected to miss at least the next few games with a knee injury he suffered in the fourth quarter last week at Ole Miss. And LSU had no obvious replacement. Enter Jackson Harris. In a must-win game on Saturday against Texas A&M, the Hawaii transfer and wide receiver caught six passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns, helping propel LSU to a 35-6 victory over the Aggies. The performance couldn’t have been expected. Harris only caught five passes for 117 yards through the first three weeks. “Talked a lot with Jackson this week, even right after warmups as we were out there, about really stepping up,” Lane Kiffin said. “He had done really well. He (just) hadn’t gotten many opportunities.” Harris became the field-stretching weapon quarterback Sam Leavitt needed with Green no longer available. He caught Leavitt’s first big throw of the night — a 19-yard catch in the first quarter — then snatched a 26-yard throw and scored LSU’s second touchdown just before halftime. His signature catch was a 57-yard throw-and-score that handed LSU a 17-point lead early in the third quarter. It wasn’t the only time Leavitt hit Harris perfectly in stride on Saturday. “He ran well with the ball, and (had done) the things we had seen on tape, why we had brought him here,” Kiffin said, discussing the positive attributes Harris had shown in practices and games since arriving at LSU. “A big, sleek outside receiver.” Harris wasn’t the only Tigers re-

RABALAIS

Continued from page 1C Ausberry, a former Tiger linebacker who is filled with far too much pent-up energy to stay in one place all game, happened to be behind me in the press box as the play unfolded. “Is that what you paid for?” I asked. Ausberry only smiled. Kiffin, unknowingly at the time, put that smile there. “I’m glad we did that,” Kiffin said after the game. “That’s part of why we were hired here.” Ausberry’s wasn’t the only smile worn by someone wearing LSU gold on this Saturday night (it was the Gold game, if you didn’t know). This was a cathartic party cruise of a 35-6 victory for the Tigers over a major rival — and what may well have been a September elimination game for the College Football Playoff.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU wide receiver Jackson Harris celebrates after making a fourth-down catch for a touchdown against Texas A&M in the third quarter on Saturday at Tiger Stadium. ceiver who stepped up on Saturday. Winston Watkins had five catches for 107 yards. Eugene Wilson got involved, making a circus catch in the third quarter that extended another touchdown drive. Leavitt himself had his best game as a passer despite playing through a left hamstring injury, throwing for 312 yards and completing 17 of 23 passes. He pushed the ball downfield better than he ever had with Green in the lineup, completing five passes of 20 or more yards. His only blemish was a tipped pass behind the line of scrimmage that turned into an interception. Without his

Two years ago, Texas A&M in desperation inserted Marcel Reed at quarterback against LSU in College Station. He ran for three touchdowns in a 38-23 win that was about as much of a flip-thelight-switch LSU game as you will ever see. The Tigers went from dominating to being dominated, a theme that continued in last year’s flat-out embarrassment of a 49-25 loss to the Aggies in Tiger Stadium. The rout was the catalyst for LSU’s Operation Clean House. Brian Kelly was fired the next day, then athletic director Scott Woodward in short order. Five weeks later, Ausberry hired Kiffin away from Ole Miss, and with him came a $47 million to $50 million roster that included nearly 60 newcomers between transfers and high school prospects. LSU athletics, president Wade Rousse said this past week, is currently running a multimilliondollar financial deficit, due in large part to revenue sharing,

usual mobility, Leavitt was forced to play as a pocket passer and was surgical from the end of the second quarter until the fourth, when he was replaced by his backup, Landen Clark. “Everybody (knew) what (the situation) was with Trey’Dez coming into the week,” Leavitt said. “To be honest, it was me giving (the non-Green weapons) more opportunity. They’ve been showing it week in and week out.” For as well as Leavitt played, the story of the night was his weapons. The strength of the Aggies defense is its secondary, and even without Green, LSU’s wideouts found openings and

NIL deals with athletes and staggering coaches’ salaries (Kiffin makes $13 million a year). Is it all worth it? On a night like this, LSU folks would say it is. Money is a huge reason LSU and other Southeastern Conference schools support the Protect College Sports Act (a U.S. Senate vote on the bill is scheduled for Monday) and why the school has a plan to sell investors a slice of its future TV revenue. But that’s all for the near and far future. This was a huge statement win for LSU, in part because of all the upheaval a loss to Texas A&M wrought last year, in part because it kept the Tigers alive for the CFP, and in part because it revalidated all the grief LSU got for prying Kiffin away from Ole Miss on the cusp of last year’s playoffs. “It was good payback,” Kiffin said. “I’m happy for our fans.” Speaking of how quickly fortune can do a 180-degree spin, one has to look no further than two of last

made plays. Besides Green, Watkins was the only LSU weapon before Saturday with over 200 receiving yards for the year. But Watkins was already LSU’s primary weapon in the slot. The Tigers still needed a receiver who could stretch the defense and be a go-to option on third-and-long, like Green. That’s why Harris’ big night mattered so much to LSU. In a world without Green, it was essential for Leavitt to have another reliable pass-catcher in his place. “A lot of those plays (to Harris),” Kifﬁn said, “were kind of similar playaction, Trey’Dez type of plays.”

year’s CFP participants for that. Texas A&M never looked better last season than when it beat LSU en route to an 11-0 start. After that, the Aggies lost to Texas and Miami (in the CFP), and now have lost back-to-back games this season to LSU and Kentucky. Overall, A&M (2-2, 0-2 SEC) has lost four of its past five against Power Four foes. The current watchword in College Station is regression. “We’re not playing football at nearly a good enough level, obviously,” Texas A&M coach Mike Elko said. “That’s the understatement of a lifetime. I don’t have answers right now, but we’ve got to find them.” Saturday in Gainesville, Florida, No. 4 Ole Miss went from celebrated to silenced, unable to slow down an overwhelming Florida ground game in a 52-28 loss. The Rebels are far from finished and still have the bucket list memory of beating Kiffin last week, but the phrase “you’re only as good as

your last game” definitely comes into play. Both LSU and Ole Miss exit September 3-1 and 1-1 in SEC play. Everyone wants to win every game of course, but a reasonable script for the Tigers was to finish the first month of the season with exactly this record. LSU now tries to get through October unscathed before another gauntlet awaits in November with back-to-backto-back games against Alabama, Texas and Tennessee. There are concerns. LSU outgained A&M 506-197, but Leavitt came up gimpy and linebacker Whit Weeks ended up on crutches with a walking boot. Both could rest next week and LSU could still beat McNeese State, but the Tigers don’t need them to be sidelined more than that. That’s also for another day. On this night, a play, a coach and a world-class reversal of fortune made everything LSU paid for financially and physically to get here seem all worthwhile.

LSU SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE

Sept. 5

Sept. 12

Sept. 19

Sept. 26

Oct. 3

Oct. 10

Oct. 17

Oct. 24

Nov. 7

Nov. 14

Nov. 21

Nov. 28

51-10 45-14 32-24

35-6

McNeese 6:45 p.m. TV: SECN

at Kentucky TBA TV: TBA

Mississippi St. TBA TV: TBA

at Auburn 11 a.m. TV: TBA

Alabama TBA TV: TBA

Texas TBA TV: TBA

at Tennessee TBA TV: TBA

at Arkansas TBA TV: TBA

OVERALL: 2-2 SEC: 0-2

OVERALL: 2-3 SOUTHLAND: 1-2

OVERALL: 3-1 SEC: 1-1

OVERALL: 4-0 SEC: 2-0

OVERALL: 3-1 SEC: 1-1

OVERALL: 4-0 SEC: 2-0

OVERALL: 4-0 SEC: 1-0

OVERALL: 3-1 SEC: 0-1

OVERALL: 2-2 SEC: 0-1

W W L W

OVERALL: 3-1 ACC: 2-0

OVERALL: 1-2 SUN BELT: 0-0

OVERALL: 3-1 SEC: 1-1

6C ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 1 Texas breaks out cigars vs. Vols BY TERESA M. WALKER AP sportswriter

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The top-ranked Texas Longhorns knew just how to celebrate their latest win over Tennessee after their first visit to Neyland Stadium. Break out the victory cigars. “It’s just kind of a little bit of a tradition here at Tennessee, so we had cigars or somebody had cigars in there,” coach Steve Sarkisian said. “I’m not certain. So my suit’s probably going to stink whenever I get on the plane.” Colin Simmons tied the program record with five sacks as Texas beat the 14th-ranked Volunteers 20-17 on Saturday with President Donald Trump on hand. The cigar tradition stems from the Alabama-Tennessee rivalry, which Arch Manning’s uncle Peyton played in for the Vols in the 1990s. “It’s not about me,” the Texas ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SARA DIGGINS quarterback said. “I didn’t play very well, but our team played Texas quarterback Arch Manning, left, runs the ball during a game great. Defense played well.” against Tennessee in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday. Raleek Brown ran for 67 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and his 4-yarder with 5:41 left gave the Spetic kicked a pair of field goals. of them. And what an incredible Longhorns (4-0) the winning mar“We win big games around here, performance by our defense.” gin in the Southeastern Conference we do,” Sarkisian said. “I know we Texas dominated defensively opener for both teams. Giannis don’t win them all, but we won a lot with 10 sacks, led by Simmons. The

linebacker’s day for the record books also will be remembered for his vulgar celebration after one sack. He was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct with the referee saying Simmons was “simulating” using the restroom on the field. “We took him out, we addressed it and put him back in,” Sarkisian said. “At that point, I’m not going to give the guy a death penalty over an unsportsmanlike conduct. We got to fix it, though. That can’t continue.” Tennessee quarterback Faizon Brandon made it interesting late, capping an 80-yard drive with a 30-yard TD pass to Mike Matthews with 1:22 left. Linebacker Arion Carter recovered the onside kick, and Jelani McDonald batted away Brandon’s Hail Mary pass to Travis Smith in the end zone on the final play. Sarkisian called it a crazy finish to a game in which Texas also gave up a 57-yard punt return by Qua Moss for a TD. Sarkisian took a timeout that gave Tennessee a second chance at the onside kick after sending the first out of bounds. “Next thing you know you’re fighting to finish a game, which we were able to do,” Sarkisian said. Manning threw for 201 yards while being sacked six times. He

TOP 25 ROUNDUP

also was intercepted once with the Longhorns needing the smothering defensive performance on a day with too many penalties, including two illegal forward passes by Manning. Tennessee (3-1) hadn’t beaten The Associated Press No. 1 team since 1985, and that drought continues. “Up front we weren’t good enough,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said. “Quarterback was not good enough. We didn’t play smart enough, but I’ll take the effort.” Simmons matched the five sacks by Shane Dronett for Texas against Texas Tech in 1990. The Longhorns have lots to clean up, particularly when it comes to penalties they can control. They piled up 11 for 115 yards with seven of those in the first half. Jermaine Bishop wiped out his own 22-yard punt return in the third quarter with a fair catch signal that officials noticed. The Vols came in 14th nationally in total offense at 516.3 yards per game. They came nowhere near that with Brandon surviving a beating in his SEC debut. He finished 17 of 29 for 145 yards. He didn’t talk to reporters after the game. Heupel said the freshman “didn’t get rid of it when he needed to get rid of it.”

SEC ROUNDUP

Wake Forest rallies to Undefeated No. 21 Florida upset No. 16 Louisville runs over No. 4 Ole Miss The Associated Press

GAINESVILLE, Fla. —Jadan Baugh ran for 142 yards and three touchdowns, Duke Clark added 126 yards and a score on the ground, and No. 21 Florida manhandled fourth-ranked Mississippi 52-28 on Saturday to reach 4-0 for the first time since 2019. The Gators (4-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference), installed as 3 1/2-point favorites, proved Las Vegas oddsmakers right by leading from start to ﬁnish. They scored touchdowns on ﬁve consecutive drives in the second half. The Rebels (3-1, 1-1) insisted that last week’s victory against LSU, the one that spoiled former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin’s return, was not their “Super Bowl.” But they failed to build off that emotional win. The Gators jumped on the Rebels early, leading 10-0 before Heisman Trophy frontrunner Trinidad Chambliss even threw a pass, and set the pace the rest of the afternoon. Clark’s 45-yard TD run early in the third was the play of the game. He juked cornerback Antonio Kite and former Florida safety Sharif Denson on his way to the end

zone. KENTUCKY 45, SOUTH ALABAMA 21: In Lexington, Kentucky, CJ Baxter, Jason Patterson and Jovantae Barnes combined for 386 rushing yards and five touchdowns to power Kentucky to a win over South Alabama on Saturday. It is the first time Kentucky (3-1) had three 100-yard rushers in a game since 2020. NO. 2 GEORGIA 41, OKLAHOMA 13: In Athens, Georgia, Chris Cole scored on a 85-yard fumble return as No. 2 Georgia took advantage of three first-half turnovers by John Mateer and overwhelmed struggling Oklahoma on Saturday. Mateer lost two fumbles, each recovered by Cole, and threw an interception in the first half as Oklahoma (2-2, 0-1 Southeastern Conference) fell behind 28-0. While Mateer struggled with turnovers, Gunner Stockton was almost perfect in the first half for Georgia (4-0, 2-0). AUBURN 21, VANDERBILT 15: In Auburn, Alabama, Byrum Brown threw and ran for a touchdown, Cade Carlson recovered a blocked punt for a score and Auburn beat Vanderbilt on Saturday. The Tigers (3-1, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) bounced

back from a home loss to Florida to give coach Alex Golesh his ﬁrst league win. Jared Curtis completed 22 of 33 passes for 199 yards for Vandy (3-1, 0-1). He also led the team with 18 carries for 46 yards. NO. 8 ALABAMA 49, SOUTH CAROLINA 18: In Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Keelon Russell threw for 365 yards and four touchdowns and ran for another score as No. 8 Alabama beat South Carolina on Saturday. Ryan Coleman-Williams caught two TD passes, and Red Morgan returned an interception for a score for the Crimson Tide (4-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference). The Gamecocks (2-2, 0-2) pulled within 35-18 before Alabama regained control. ARKANSAS 34, TULSA 6: In Fayetteville, Arkansas, Arkansas snapped a 12-game losing streak against Bowl Subdivision opponents with a win over Tulsa on Saturday night. KJ Jackson completed 24 of 36 passes for 309 yards with a touchdown and an interception and he ran for two scores to lead the way for the Razorbacks (2-2). The Tulsa (3-1) offense didn’t cross midﬁeld until its seventh drive, early in the third quarter.

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high 174 yards and two TDs on 18 carries and caught five passes for 65 yards and a score for the Utes (4-0, 1-0 Big 12). Jaylen Raynor got the Cyclones (2-2, 0-1) within 24-17 early in the fourth quarter. WISCONSIN 24, NO. 13 PENN STATE 20: In State College, Pennsylvania, Colton Joseph hit Jacob Harris on a 72-yard touchdown pass with 1:13 to play and Wisconsin scored twice in the last four minutes to beat No. 13 Penn State on Saturday. Joseph, who threw a pair of costly interceptions earlier in the game, rebounded to lead two long scoring drives for the Badgers (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten), who snapped their six-game losing streak to Penn State and won in State College for the first time since 2003. Daryus Dixson and Tony Rojas had interceptions for Penn State (3-1, 0-1), while James Peoples carried 14 times for 67 yards. NO. 6 MIAMI 52, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 3: In Miami Gardens, Florida, Darian Mensah passed for 338 yards and three touchdowns, plus ran for another score as No. 6 Miami capped an unbeaten September by topping Central Michigan on Saturday night. Malachi Toney caught six passes for 120 yards and a touchdown for Miami (40), and all four of Mensah’s touchdowns came in the second quarter. Jadyn Glasser completed 13 of 15 passes off the bench for 88 yards for Central Michigan (2-2). NO. 20 OREGON 41, NO. 12 USC 27: In Los Angeles, Dylan Raiola passed for 289 yards and two touchdowns after star Oregon quarterback Dante Moore’s frightening injury, leading the 20th-ranked Ducks to a stirring victory over No. 12 Southern California on Saturday. Moore left the Coliseum field in an ambulance in the second quarter after USC linebacker Desman Stephens hit him late on a slide. Dierre Hill rushed for two touchdowns after halftime for Oregon (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten), which generated 504 total yards in a strong Big Ten opener. Jayden Maiava passed for 326 yards and two scores for the Trojans (4-1, 1-1), who came up short yet again in a big game under coach Lincoln Riley.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Connor Calvert kicked three field goals, including a 32-yarder with 6:20 remaining, to lift Wake Forest to a 30-27 upset win over No. 16 Louisville on Saturday. Gio Lopez threw for 225 yards and a touchdown on 12 of 19 passing for the Demon Deacons (3-1, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), who scored their first conference win of the season. Carlos Hernandez caught nine of those for 194 yards, just three yards off the career best he set last season against Delaware. Louisville (2-2, 1-1) played without two starting defensive backs, and Lopez and Hernandez took full advantage. The duo connected on a 77-yard touchdown pass to put the Demon Deacons up 17-14 with 5:49 left in the first half. The Cardinals rallied to tie the game, using a 61-yard touchdown pass from Kienholz to Jaleel Skinner to make it a three-point game just 22 seconds after Clark’s last score. Carson Hilbert tied it with 9:37 left in the third on a 41-yard field goal. NO. 11 TEXAS TECH 49, SAM HOUSTON 14: In Lubbock, Texas, Texas Tech linebacker Austin Romaine became the first FBS player in 13 years to return two interceptions for touchdowns on consecutive throws, Cameron Dickey ran for two scores and the No. 11 Red Raiders beat Sam Houston on Saturday. The Red Raiders (4-0) extended their home winning streak to 11 games, their longest since 12 in a row from 2007-09. NO. 3 NOTRE DAME 49, PURDUE 10: In West Lafayette, Indiana, CJ Carr threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score, linebacker Drayk Bowen scored his first career TD on a 15-yard fumble return and No. 3 Notre Dame beat Purdue on Saturday. Aneyas Williams carried 14 times for 80 yards with one TD as the Fighting Irish (4-0) produced a season-high 177 yards rushing. It was another miserable day for the struggling Boilermakers (1-3). Ryan Browne was 18 of 28 for 111 yards and lost the fumble that Bowen returned for the touchdown. NO. 7 OHIO STATE 42, ILLINOIS

19: In Columbus, Ohio, Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith tied the school’s single-game mark with four touchdown catches along with 12 receptions for 217 yards as the seventh-ranked Buckeyes defeated Illinois. Julian Sayin completed 27 of 36 passes for 367 yards and had a rushing TD as the Buckeyes (3-1, 1-0) opened Big Ten play with a victory for the 15th straight season. Illinois (2-2, 0-1) kept it competitive despite Smith’s monster game. Katin Houser was 21 of 37 passing for 263 yards and a touchdown and Jordan Anderson had a 22yard rushing score in the first quarter. NO. 17 IOWA 20, NO. 18 MICHIGAN 19: In Ann Arbor, Michigan, Hank Brown threw a gameending, 16-yard touchdown pass to Reece Vander Zee to lift No. 17 Iowa to a close win over No. 18 Michigan on Saturday. The Hawkeyes (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) went 91 yards on the final drive — boosted by an unnecessary roughness penalty against Michigan on a third down at midfield. Brown’s 29yard pass to Addison Ostrenga set up the final play with 2 seconds on the clock. Bryce Underwood threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to JJ Buchanan early in the fourth quarter — their second scoring connection of the game — but the Wolverines (3-1, 0-1) could not make enough plays on both sides of the ball to hold on for the win. NO. 25 HOUSTON 42, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 28: In Statesboro, Georgia, Conner Weigman threw four touchdown passes and ran for two scores, leading No. 25 Houston to a win over Georgia Southern on Saturday in coach Willie Fritz’s return to Statesboro. Houston (3-1) scored touchdowns on its first six possessions. In addition to his two rushing scores, Weigman threw TD passes to four receivers, hitting tight end Traville Frederick along with wide receivers Koby Young, Amare Thomas and Trent Walker. NO.15 UTAH 31,IOWA STATE 17: In Ames, Iowa, Wayshawn Parker broke a 54-yard run on the game’s opening play from scrimmage for the first of his three touchdowns and No. 15 Utah held off Iowa State in the second half to beat the Cyclones Saturday. Parker rushed for a career-

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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ 7C

lll

SCOREBOARD Odds Sports Betting Line NFL Sunday

TODAY O/U UNDERDOG 2½ (46½) New Eng 1½ (42½) at IND 7½ (40½) at WASH 7½ (50½) Chargers 6½ (48½) NY Jets 3½ (42½) at PITTS 2½ (38½) Tennessee 10½ (45½) at MIAMI 2½ (42½) at CLE 1½ (42½) at TAMPA 8½ (48½) Arizona 3½ (53½) at DALLAS 3½ (43½) Las Vegas 2½ (44½) at DENVER

FAVORITE OPEN Philadelphia 1½

TODAY O/U UNDERDOG 4½ (41½) at CHI

MLB

Sunday

American League FAVORITE LINE Houston -161 at SEATTLE -165 at MINNESOTA OFF at KANSAS CITY OFF at N.Y YANKEES OFF National League FAVORITE LINE at WASH OFF at SAN FRAN OFF at MIAMI OFF Arizona -127 at MILWAUKEE OFF Interleague FAVORITE LINE at BOSTON OFF at PHILA OFF at TORONTO OFF at DETROIT OFF at WHITE SOX OFF

87 79 78

74 82 83

.540 .491 .484

10½ 18½ 19½

z-Cleveland z-Chicago Detroit Minnesota Kansas City

W 85 83 76 76 68

L 76 78 85 85 93

Pct .528 .516 .472 .472 .422

GB — 2 9 9 17

W L Texas 80 81 Houston 79 81 Seattle 74 86 Athletics 64 96 Los Angeles 62 98 x-clinched division y-clinched wild card z-clinched playoff berth

Pct .497 .494 .463 .400 .388

GB — ½ 5½ 15½ 17½

Central Division

FAVORITE OPEN at JAX 1½ Houston 2½ Seattle 3½ at BUFFALO 2½ at DETROIT 9½ Cincinnati 1½ at NY GIANTS 3 Kansas City 7 Carolina 2½ Minnesota 1½ at SAN FRAN 11½ Baltimore 2½ at N.O. 3 LA Rams 3

Monday

y-Boston Baltimore Toronto

UNDERDOG at ATHLETICS LA Angels Texas Cleveland Baltimore

LINE +132 +136 OFF OFF OFF

UNDERDOG N.Y Mets LA Dodgers Atlanta at SAN DIEGO St. Louis

LINE OFF OFF OFF +105 OFF

UNDERDOG Chicago Cubs Tampa Bay Cincinnati Pittsburgh Colorado

LINE OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF

Pro basketball WNBA Playoffs (x-if necessary) First Round (Best-of-3) No. 1 Minnesota vs. No. 8 New York

Sunday, Sept. 27: New York at Minnesota, 1 p.m. (ABC) Tuesday, Sept. 29: Minnesota at New York, 7:30 p.m. (USA) x-Thursday, Oct. 1: New York at Minnesota, TBD (TBD)

No. 2 Golden State vs. No. 7 Dallas

West Division

Friday’s Games

Boston 4, Chicago Cubs 3, 1st game Baltimore 10, N.Y. Yankees 2, 1st game Boston 2, Chicago Cubs 0, 2nd game Tampa Bay 2, Philadelphia 0 Detroit 8, Pittsburgh 7 Toronto 6, Cincinnati 5 Chicago White Sox 6, Colorado 1 N.Y. Yankees 6, Baltimore 3, 2nd game Minnesota 10, Texas 2 Cleveland 12, Kansas City 9 Athletics 6, Houston 5 L.A. Angels 7, Seattle 5

Saturday’s Games

Detroit 4, Pittsburgh 3 Cincinnati 5, Toronto 1 Texas 6, Minnesota 2 Cleveland 11, Kansas City 5 Colorado 9, Chicago White Sox 6 Tampa Bay 12, Philadelphia 1 Houston at Athletics, n L.A. Angels at Seattle, n Chicago Cubs at Boston, ppd., 1st game Baltimore (Baz 6-15) at N.Y. Yankees (Rodríguez 0-3), 12:05 p.m. Chicago Cubs (TBD) at Boston (TBD), 2:05 p.m., 2nd game Houston (TBD) at Athletics (Basso 1-3), 2:05 p.m. Tampa Bay (Martinez 15-5) at Philadelphia (Wheeler 13-5), 2:05 p.m. Cincinnati (Williamson 5-4) at Toronto (TBD), 2:07 p.m. Cleveland (TBD) at Kansas City (Lynch 6-6), 2:10 p.m. Colorado (Freeland 4-11) at Chicago White Sox (Kay 9-9), 2:10 p.m. L.A. Angels (Kikuchi 1-6) at Seattle (Gilbert 12-11), 2:10 p.m. Pittsburgh (Jones 5-6) at Detroit (Ryan 0-0), 2:10 p.m. Texas (TBD) at Minnesota (Kremer 4-5), 2:10 p.m.

National League

East Division

Sunday, Sept. 27: Indiana at Las Vegas, 3 p.m. (ABC) Tuesday, Sept. 29: Las Vegas at Indiana, 5:30 p.m. (Prime) x-Thursday, Oct. 1: Indiana at Las Vegas, TBD (TBD)

Central Division

No. 3 Las Vegas vs. No. 6 Indiana

x-Atlanta Philadelphia Miami Washington New York

W 94 87 79 76 74

L 67 74 82 85 87

Pct .584 .540 .491 .472 .460

GB — 7 15 18 20

No. 4 Atlanta vs. No. 5 Washington

x-Milwaukee y-Chicago Pittsburgh St. Louis Cincinnati

W 101 88 81 77 74

L 59 73 80 83 86

Pct .631 .547 .503 .481 .463

GB — 13½ 20½ 24 27

W x-Milwaukee 102 y-Chicago 88 Pittsburgh 81 St. Louis 77 Cincinnati 75 x-clinched division y-clinched wild card

L 59 73 80 84 86

Pct .634 .547 .503 .478 .466

GB — 14 21 25 27

Sunday, Sept. 27: Washington at Atlanta, 6 p.m. (Prime) Wednesday, Sept. 30: Atlanta at Washington, 6 p.m. (ESPN) x-Friday, Oct. 2: Washington at Atlanta, TBD (TBD)

Major League Baseball

Friday’s Games

American League East Division x-Tampa Bay y-New York

W 97 93

West Division

L 63 68

Pct .606 .578

GB — 4½

32. (33) Austin Hill, Chevrolet, .000. 33. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, .000. 34. (35) Riley Herbst, Toyota, .000. 35. (51) Cody Ware, Chevrolet, .000. 36. (10) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, .000.

Tennis

Saturday’s Games

N.Y. Mets 7, Washington 1 Detroit 4, Pittsburgh 3 Cincinnati 5, Toronto 1 Atlanta 8, Miami 3 L.A. Dodgers 4, San Francisco 3 Milwaukee 3, St. Louis 2 Colorado 9, Chicago White Sox 6 Tampa Bay 12, Philadelphia 1 Arizona at San Diego, n

WTA Singapore Open Results Saturday

Sunday’s Games

Chicago Cubs at Boston, ppd., 1st game Chicago Cubs (TBD) at Boston (TBD), 2:05 p.m., 2nd game L.A. Dodgers (TBD) at San Francisco (TBD), 2:05 p.m. N.Y. Mets (Manaea 6-7) at Washington (Herz 0-1), 2:05 p.m. Tampa Bay (Martinez 15-5) at Philadelphia (Wheeler 13-5), 2:05 p.m. Cincinnati (Williamson 5-4) at Toronto (TBD), 2:07 p.m. Arizona (Soroka 9-5) at San Diego , 2:10 p.m. Atlanta (Ritchie 1-4) at Miami (Junk 6-9), 2:10 p.m. Colorado (Freeland 4-11) at Chicago White Sox (Kay 9-9), 2:10 p.m. Pittsburgh (Jones 5-6) at Detroit, 2:10 p.m. St. Louis (Pallante 12-8) at Milwaukee (Misiorowski 15-5), 2:10 p.m.

Wild Card Glance American League

Sunday’s Games

Sunday, Sept. 27: Dallas at Golden State, 8 p.m. (USA) Wednesday, Sept. 30: Golden State at Dallas, 8 p.m. (ESPN) x-Friday, Oct. 2: Dallas at Golden State, TBD (TBD)

Washington 7, N.Y. Mets 6 Toronto 6, Cincinnati 5 Chicago White Sox 6, Colorado 1 Milwaukee 8, St. Louis 4 L.A. Dodgers 2, San Francisco 0 Arizona 11, San Diego 4

Boston 4, Chicago Cubs 3, 1st game Boston 2, Chicago Cubs 0, 2nd game Tampa Bay 2, Philadelphia 0 Miami 3, Atlanta 0 Detroit 8, Pittsburgh 7

At Kallang Tennis Hub Singapore, Singapore Purse: $1,206,446 Surface: Hardcourt outdoor SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE (AP) _ Results Saturday from Singapore Open at Kallang Tennis Hub (seedings in parentheses):

Women’s Singles

Semiﬁnals Talia Gibson, Australia, def. Tatiana Prozorova, Russia, walkover.

Women’s Doubles

Semiﬁnals Xu Yifan and Qianhui Tang, China, def. Miyu Kato, Japan, and Ellen Perez (3), Australia, 6-0, 3-6, 10-6.

College football Friday’s games EAST

Army 21, Temple 17 Harvard 14, Brown 10 Rutgers 58, Howard 7

SOUTH

UAB 24, Navy 20

W L y-New York 93 68 y-Boston 87 74 z-Chicago 83 77 y-clinched wild card z-clinched playoff berth

Pct .578 .540 .519

W y-San Diego 89 y-Chicago 88 Philadelphia 87 Arizona 86 y-clinched wild card

Pct .556 .547 .544 .538

WCGB +9½ +3½ —

Indiana 29, Northwestern 23

FAR WEST

Clemson 24, California 10

Saturday’s games EAST

National League

L 71 73 73 74

MIDWEST

WCGB +2 +½ — 1

Auto racing NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 Lineup After Saturday qualifying; race Sunday

At Kansas Speedway Kansas City, Kan. Lap length: 1.50 miles (Car number in parentheses) 1. (22) Joey Logano, Ford, .000 mph. 2. (5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, .000. 3. (20) Christopher Bell, Toyota, .000. 4. (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, .000. 5. (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota, .000. 6. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, .000. 7. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota, .000. 8. (24) William Byron, Chevrolet, .000. 9. (60) Ryan Preece, Ford, .000. 10. (21) Josh Berry, Ford, .000. 11. (2) Austin Cindric, Ford, .000. 12. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford, .000. 13. (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, .000. 14. (7) Daniel Suárez, Chevrolet, .000. 15. (45) Tyler Reddick, Toyota, .000. 16. (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford, .000. 17. (97) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet, .000. 18. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, .000. 19. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, .000. 20. (34) Todd Gilliland, Ford, .000. 21. (4) Noah Gragson, Ford, .000. 22. (71) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, .000. 23. (19) Chase Briscoe, Toyota, .000. 24. (16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, .000. 25. (12) Ryan Blaney, Ford, .000. 26. (42) John H. Nemechek, Toyota, .000. 27. (88) Connor Zilisch, Chevrolet, .000. 28. (38) Zane Smith, Ford, .000. 29. (41) Cole Custer, Chevrolet, .000. 30. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota, .000. 31. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Chevrolet, .000.

Buffalo 31, Robert Morris 28 Colgate 28, Villanova 21 Columbia 20, Georgetown 17, OT Cornell 38, Yale 25 Delaware St. 33, Towson 28 Duquesne 53, Rio Grande Redstorm 0 Holy Cross 38, Lafayette 30 Lehigh 20, Penn 7 Marist 42, Presbyterian 7 Marshall 36, Gardner-Webb 35 Merrimack 17, New Haven 10 Monmouth (NJ) 31, Dartmouth 28 Oklahoma St. 41, West Virginia 24 Pittsburgh 59, Bucknell 0 Princeton 22, Albany (NY) 0 Sacred Heart 20, New Hampshire 13 Stony Brook 31, Fordham 16 UCLA 54, Maryland 3 Virginia Tech 21, Boston College 14 Wisconsin 24, Penn St. 20

SOUTH

Alabama 49, South Carolina 18 Alabama St. 41, MVSU 15 Alcorn St. 43, Texas Southern 40 Auburn 21, Vanderbilt 15 Austin Peay 35, UT Martin 12 Campbell 44, Hampton 20 Chattanooga 27, The Citadel 8 Drake 51, Davidson 32 Duke 62, William & Mary 7 ETSU 58, W. Carolina 31 East Carolina 42, NC Central 9 Elon 43, Maine 17 FAU 45, Louisiana-Monroe 17 FIU 20, LIU Brooklyn 3 Florida 52, Mississippi 28 Florida St. 34, Cent. Arkansas 7 Georgia 41, Oklahoma 13 Georgia St. 35, N. Illinois 14 Houston 42, Georgia Southern 28 Jackson St. 35, Southern U. 17 Jacksonville St. 23, Middle Tennessee 13 James Madison 46, Old Dominion 20 Kentucky 45, South Alabama 21 LSU 35, Texas A&M 6 Lamar 49, Nicholls 18 Louisiana-Lafayette 34, Charlotte 7 McNeese St. 27, East Texas A&M 24 Miami 52, Cent. Michigan 3 Mississippi St. 31, Missouri 24 NC A&T 22, Rhode Island 18

NC State 41, Appalachian St. 31 North Alabama 23, W. Illinois 20 Richmond 13, Furman 9 S. Illinois 46, Murray St. 6 SC State 31, Bethune-Cookman 21 SE Louisiana 52, Northwestern St. 21 Samford 45, VMI 7 Tennessee Tech 42, Wofford 38 Texas 20, Tennessee 17 Tulane 24, Southern Miss. 21 UCF 21, TCU 13 Virginia 42, Delaware 3 W. Kentucky 52, Mercyhurst 7 Wake Forest 30, Louisville 27 West Georgia 49, Fort Valley St. 7

MIDWEST

Boise St. 32, W. Michigan 7 Butler 33, Valparaiso 28 Cincinnati 31, Kansas St. 26 E. Michigan 29, Lindenwood (Mo.) 3 Iowa 20, Michigan 19 Kent St. 26, Ball St. 13 Miami (Ohio) 24, UConn 21 N. Iowa 28, Illinois St. 21 Nebraska 31, Michigan St. 13 North Dakota 42, Indiana St. 35 Notre Dame 49, Purdue 10 Ohio 35, Stonehill 7 Ohio St. 42, Illinois 19 S. Dakota St. 42, E. Illinois 7 South Florida 14, Bowling Green 6 St. Thomas (Minn.) 50, San Diego 17 Toledo 41, San Diego St. 16 UNLV 38, Akron 10 Utah 31, Iowa St. 17 West Florida 20, SE Missouri 17 Youngstown St. 47, South Dakota 28

SOUTHWEST

Arkansas 34, Tulsa 6 Arkansas St. 17, Kennesaw St. 14 Baylor 23, Colorado 13 North Texas 63, Houston Christian 14 Prairie View 21, Grambling St. 14 Stephen F. Austin 63, Northeastern St. 14 Texas State 63, Incarnate Word 10 Texas Tech 49, Sam Houston St. 14 UTSA 59, Colorado St. 45

FAR WEST

Arizona 34, Washington St. 24 Cal Poly 31, E. Washington 27 N. Colorado 37, Utah Tech 13 New Mexico 42, New Mexico St. 18 Oregon 41, Southern Cal 27 Utah St. 21, Troy 10 Wyoming 27, Hawaii 10

Transactions Major League Baseball

American League BOSTON RED SOX — Optioned LHP Raymond Burgos to Worcester (IL). Recalled RHP Jedixson Paez from Worcester. NEW YORK YANKEES — Optioned RHPs Luis Gil and Bradley Hanner to FCL Yankees. Recalled RHPs Brendan Beck and Yerry De los Santos from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Transferred RHP Fernando Cruz to the 60-day IL. SEATTLE MARINERS — Placed RHP Andrés Muñoz on the 15-day IL. Recalled RHP Troy Taylor from Tacoma (PCL). TAMPA BAY RAYS — Designated RHP Jake Woodford for assignment. Reinstated RHP Manuel Rodríguez from the 15-day IL. TORONTO BLUE JAYS — Optioned RHP CJ Van Eyk to FCL Blue Jays. Recalled RHP John Klein from Buffalo (IL). National League ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS — Placed RHP Corbin Burnes on the 15-day IL, retroactive to Sept. 22. Recalled RHP Jose Cabrera from Reno (PCL). CHICAGO CUBS — Reinstated RHP Gavin Hollowell from the 15-day IL. LOS ANGELES DODGERS — Reinstated C Dalton Rushing from the 10-day IL. Optioned 2B Alex Freeland to Oklahoma City (PCL). MIAMI MARLINS — Placed RHP Tyler Zuber on the 15-day IL. Recalled RHP Wikelman González from Jacksonville (IL). MILWAUKEE BREWERS — Designated RHP Lyon Richardson for assignment. Reinstated RHP Bryse Wilson from the 15-day IL. Placed 1B Andrew Vaughn on the 10-day IL, retroactive to Sept. 22. Recalled LF Brandon Lockridge from Nashville (IL).

The

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SAINTS GAMEDAY

ROSTERS SAINTS No. Player Pos Ht Wt Exp College 1 Kool-Aid McKinstry CB 5-11 199 3 Alabama 2 Spencer Rattler QB 6-0 211 3 South Carolina 3 Travis Etienne Jr. RB 5-10 215 6 Clemson 4 Oscar Delp TE 6-4 245 0 Georgia 5 Kendre Miller RB 6-0 220 4 TCU 6 Tyler Shough QB 6-5 219 2 Louisville 7 Jonas Sanker SAF 6-1 211 2 Virginia 10 Daniel Carlson K 6-5 222 9 Auburn 11 Zach Wilson QB 6-2 214 6 ByU 12 Chris Olave WR 6-0 187 5 Ohio State 14 Devaughn Vele WR 6-5 210 3 Utah 17 Ryan Wright P 6-3 245 5 Tulane 18 Bryce Lance WR 6-3 204 0 North Dakota St. 19 Barion Brown WR 5-11 177 0 LSU 20 Pete Werner LB 6-3 242 6 Ohio State 21 Justin Reid SAF 6-1 207 9 Stanford 22 Martin Emerson Jr. CB 6-2 201 5 Mississippi State 23 Julian Blackmon SAF 6-0 202 7 Utah 25 D. Richardson CB 6-2 188 4 Mississippi State 28 Danny Stutsman LB 6-3 233 2 Oklahoma 29 Quincy Riley CB 5-11 195 2 Louisville 31 Jordan Howden DB 6-0 209 4 Minnesota 33 Anfernee Jennings DE 6-2 255 7 Alabama 38 Jayden Price CB 5-11 185 1 North Dakota St. 41 Alvin Kamara RB 5-10 215 10 Tennessee 42 Mike Reid SAF 6-2 200 1 South Dakota 43 CJ Donaldson RB 6-1 230 0 Ohio State 44 Isaiah Stalbird LB 6-1 215 2 South Dakota St. 46 Cal Adomitis LS 6-2 238 5 Pittsburgh 50 Colby Wooden DL 6-4 273 4 Auburn 51 Cesar Ruiz OL 6-4 316 7 Michigan 52 Christen Miller DT 6-3 321 0 Georgia 55 Kaden Elliss LB 6-2 238 8 Idaho 58 Chris Rumph II LB 6-2 244 6 Duke 65 Jeremiah Wright G 6-5 331 0 Auburn 66 William Sherman G 6-4 300 2 Colorado 72 Asim Richards OL 6-4 307 4 North Carolina 74 Mason Murphy T 6-5 315 0 Auburn 75 Taliese Fuaga T 6-6 324 3 Oregon State 76 David Edwards G 6-6 308 8 Wisconsin 78 Erik McCoy OL 6-4 303 8 Texas A&M 82 Treyton Welch TE 6-4 240 1 Wyoming 83 Juwan Johnson TE 6-4 245 7 Oregon 87 Noah Fant TE 6-4 249 8 Iowa 91 Vernon Broughton DL 6-5 311 2 Texas 92 Davon Godchaux DL 6-3 330 10 LSU 93 Nathan Shepherd DL 6-4 315 9 Fort Hays State 94 Cameron Jordan DE 6-4 287 16 California 95 John Ridgeway III DL 6-5 321 5 Arkansas 96 Carl Granderson DE 6-5 261 8 Wyoming 97 Khristian Boyd DL 6-2 320 3 Northern Iowa 98 Tyree Wilson DE 6-5 263 4 Texas Tech 99 Chase young DE 6-5 265 7 Ohio State

FOUR THINGS TO WATCH

TOP TOPICS FOR WEEK 3

Brady, Harbaugh to match wits There is quite a contrast between first-year Buffalo Bills coach Joe Brady and third-year Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh. Brady, who turned 37 on Wednesday and is a former LSU assistant on the 2019 championship team, is the secondyoungest coach among North America’s four major professional leagues behind only Washington Nationals manager Blake Butera (34). The 62-year-old Harbaugh, who coached his 100th career NFL game last weekend, is 0-2 for the first time as a player or coach, including 16 seasons in college. The 2-0 Bills are looking to put the Chargers in a hole that might bury them before October arrives.

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Bengals aim to press Steelers Watch Pittsburgh’s interior offensive line vs. Bengals DTs Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen. The arrivals of Lawrence via trade and Allen in free agency have given Cincinnati’s front a needed jolt. Allen picked up a sack in each of his first two games, and Lawrence provided a critical fourth-down stop last week against Houston. They’re facing a Steelers line coming off a miserable performance last week in New England in which QB Aaron Rodgers was sacked four times and failed to produce a touchdown. If they don’t take a significant step forward at Acrisure Stadium, a sluggish start will become immeasurably worse.

Cowboys, Ravens meet in Brazil Kenny Clark is headed back to Brazil, where his Dallas Cowboys face Baltimore two years after the defensive tackle played for the Green Bay Packers on a “mushy” field. This year, it’s the first regular-season game in Rio de Janeiro matching 1-1 teams on Sunday. In 2024, it was a season opener and another NFL first in Sao Paulo, where the Packers lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 34-29. Whatever the conditions, the Cowboys will be chasing the NFL’s most dangerous mobile quarterback in Lamar Jackson after struggling to contain Jaxson Dart of the New york Giants and Washington’s Jayden Daniels.

Jaguars, Patriots set for clash A week after getting manhandled by Denver defenders Zach Allen and Nik Bonitto, the Jacksonville offensive line faces another big challenge against Christian Barmore and Milton Williams of the New England Patriots. Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence was hurried and harassed all afternoon in the loss to the Broncos. Creating more time for Lawrence against one of the best defenses in the NFL could be the key to Jacksonville rebounding from a loss or dropping two in a row for the first time in nearly a year. RB Rhamondre Stevenson needs 37 yards to pass Curtis Martin for fourth on the Patriots’ career rushing list.

Vikings QB Murray back vs. Bucs Vikings QB Kyler Murray returns after suffering a concussion early in the season opener. Backup Carson Wentz was efficient in leading Minnesota to two wins. He had no turnovers but got sacked six times. Vikings WR Justin Jefferson has 11 catches for 147 yards and two TDs through two games in 2026. LB Blake Cashman has at least seven tackles in 13 straight games and a half-sack in the last four. Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield has two TDs (one passing, one rushing) and four turnovers (three fumbles, one interception) this season. The Bucs are 0-2 for the first time since 2014.

GAME OF THE WEEK

Broncos recast after 2022 Rams loss BY PAT GRAHAM AP sportswriter

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — All Courtland Sutton has to do is glance around at practice to fully grasp the level of changes since the last time the Denver Broncos played the Los Angeles Rams. New coach. New quarterback. Brand-new training facility. Newish ownership group. Deﬁnitely new attitude. When Denver lost to a Baker Mayﬁeld-led Rams team 51-14 on Christmas Day in 2022, it set in motion a chain of events that ultimately led to where the Broncos are today, with coach Sean Payton in charge and QB Bo Nix behind center. The Walton-Penner family ownership group, in charge for just a few months at the time of that loss, has been upgrading the franchise ever since. There’s a cutting-edge training facility that opened this summer and a stadi-

um concept that’s in the planning stages. Sutton, one of those around that afternoon when the Rams dissected the Broncos so thoroughly that it led to the ﬁring of coach Nathaniel Hackett the next day, marvels at how far the team has traveled. The Broncos (1-1) reached the AFC title game a season ago while the Rams (1-1) played for the NFC title. “Everyone understands what the expectations are around here,” said Sutton, whose team tries to snap a ﬁve-game skid to the Rams on Sunday night. “It’s nice to be in this realm where we are right now.” These teams have coaches who share a common mentor — Jon Gruden. Payton worked with Gruden while both were in Philadelphia, and Rams coach Sean McVay was an assistant to Gruden in Tampa Bay. “I consider him a good friend,” Payton said of McVay. “He’s sharp.

You watch his film, it’s good film always to watch. It’ll be a good challenge.” For Denver, a big challenge is stopping 38-year-old Matthew Stafford and an explosive Rams offense. They likely won’t have receiver Puka Nacua back from an injury but still have Davante Adams, who had 195 yards and two TDs in a 28-6 win over the New York Giants on Monday night. “I’ve always watched him, looked up to him and admired the way he plays the game,” Nix said of Stafford. “He’s just always been fun to watch.” Adams caught a winning TD in overtime against Surtain during the 2022 season, when the veteran receiver played for the Raiders. “That was a good memory for me,” Adams said. “I have a lot of respect for a lot of guys, but he’s definitely up there as far as one of the ones I have the most respect for.”

Carolina New Orleans Atlanta Tampa Bay North Minnesota Detroit Chicago Green Bay West Seattle San Francisco L.A. Rams Arizona

W 2 1 1 0

L 0 1 1 2

T Pct 0 1.000 0 .500 0 .500 0 .000

PF 77 30 40 26

PA Home Away 62 1-0-0 1-0-0 16 1-0-0 0-1-0 30 0-1-0 1-0-0 62 0-0-0 0-2-0

AFC NFC Div 1-0-0 1-0-0 0-0-0 1-0-0 0-1-0 0-0-0 1-0-0 0-1-0 0-0-0 0-1-0 0-1-0 0-0-0

W 1 0 0 0

L 1 2 2 2

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .500 .000 .000 .000

PF 47 30 37 53

PA Home Away 30 1-0-0 0-1-0 47 0-2-0 0-0-0 56 0-2-0 0-0-0 74 0-1-0 0-1-0

AFC NFC Div 1-1-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-1-0 0-1-0 0-0-0 0-2-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-2-0 0-0-0 0-0-0

W 2 1 1 1

L 0 1 1 1

T Pct 0 1.000 0 .500 0 .500 0 .500

PF 53 58 23 33

PA Home Away 33 1-0-0 1-0-0 47 0-1-0 1-0-0 33 1-0-0 0-1-0 53 0-0-0 1-1-0

AFC 1-0-0 1-0-0 0-1-0 0-1-0

NFC Div 1-0-0 0-0-0 0-1-0 0-0-0 1-0-0 0-0-0 1-0-0 0-0-0

W 2 2 1 0

L 0 0 1 2

T Pct 0 1.000 0 1.000 0 .500 0 .000

PF 64 53 30 28

PA Home Away 40 2-0-0 0-0-0 27 1-0-0 1-0-0 44 1-0-0 0-1-0 52 0-2-0 0-0-0

AFC 2-0-0 2-0-0 1-1-0 0-1-0

NFC Div 0-0-0 1-0-0 0-0-0 1-0-0 0-0-0 0-1-0 0-1-0 0-1-0

W 2 1 1 0

L 0 1 1 2

T Pct 0 1.000 0 .500 0 .500 0 .000

PF 48 34 57 42

PA Home Away 42 1-0-0 1-0-0 48 1-0-0 0-1-0 48 1-0-0 0-1-0 61 0-0-0 0-2-0

AFC 1-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0

NFC Div 1-0-0 1-0-0 1-1-0 1-0-0 1-1-0 1-1-0 0-2-0 0-2-0

W 1 1 1 0

L 1 1 2 2

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .500 .500 .333 .000

PF 71 54 51 46

PA Home Away 62 0-1-0 1-0-0 48 0-0-0 1-1-0 68 0-1-0 1-1-0 56 0-1-0 0-1-0

AFC 0-0-0 1-0-0 0-1-0 0-2-0

NFC Div 1-1-0 1-0-0 0-1-0 0-0-0 1-1-0 0-1-0 0-0-0 0-0-0

W 2 1 1 1

L 0 1 1 2

T Pct 0 1.000 0 .500 0 .500 0 .333

PF 48 62 62 56

PA Home Away 25 1-0-0 1-0-0 71 1-0-0 0-1-0 46 0-1-0 1-0-0 91 0-1-0 1-1-0

AFC 0-0-0 0-1-0 0-0-0 1-0-0

NFC Div 2-0-0 2-0-0 1-0-0 0-0-0 1-1-0 0-1-0 0-2-0 0-1-0

W 2 2 1 1

L 0 0 1 1

T Pct 0 1.000 0 1.000 0 .500 0 .500

PF 44 62 35 33

PA Home Away 17 1-0-0 1-0-0 20 1-0-0 1-0-0 33 1-1-0 0-0-0 45 0-1-0 1-0-0

AFC 1-0-0 1-0-0 0-0-0 1-0-0

NFC Div 1-0-0 1-0-0 1-0-0 1-0-0 1-1-0 0-1-0 0-1-0 0-1-0

WEEK 3

WEEK 4

Thursday’s game Atlanta 35, Green Bay 14 Sunday’s games Carolina at Cleveland, noon Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, noon Houston at Indianapolis, noon Kansas City at Miami, noon L.A. Chargers at Buffalo, noon N.Y. Jets at Detroit, noon New England at Jacksonville, noon Seattle at Washington, noon Tennessee at N.Y. Giants, noon Arizona at San Francisco, 3:05 p.m. Minnesota at Tampa Bay, 3:05 p.m. Baltimore vs Dallas, BRA, 3:25 p.m. Las Vegas at New Orleans, 3:25 p.m. L.A. Rams at Denver, 7:20 p.m. Monday’s game Philadelphia at Chicago, 7:15 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 1 Pittsburgh at Cleveland, 7:15 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4 Indianapolis vs Washington at London, GBR, 8:30 a.m. Arizona at N.Y. Giants, noon Dallas at Houston, noon Green Bay at Tampa Bay, noon Jacksonville at Cincinnati, noon L.A. Rams at Philadelphia, noon N.Y. Jets at Chicago, noon New England at Buffalo, noon Tennessee at Baltimore, noon Miami at Minnesota, 3:05 p.m. Denver at San Francisco, 3:25 p.m. Kansas City at Las Vegas, 3:25 p.m. L.A. Chargers at Seattle, 3:25 p.m. Detroit at Carolina, 7:20 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5 Atlanta at New Orleans, 7:15 p.m..

NFL BRIEFS

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By BEN VANHOUTEN

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold warms up before a game on Sept. 9 in Seattle against the New England Patriots.

QB Darnold to start against Commanders

Bears QB Bagent returns to practice

Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold will play Sunday against the Washington Commanders after he missed Seattle’s last game with a glute injury he suffered in the season opener. Darnold was injured on the Seahawks’ ﬁrst series of their season-opening 13-10 victory over the Patriots. Backup Drew Lock took over and started last Sunday’s 31-7 win at Arizona. At first, Darnold was believed to have a hip injury but an MRI later ruled that out.

Chicago Bears backup quarterback Tyson Bagent returned to practice Saturday after a concussion suffered against the Minnesota Vikings and could be available to play against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night. Whether he’s actually deemed the starter over third-stringer Case Keenum was left open by Bears coach Ben Johnson. Starter Caleb Williams remained out of practice Saturday with a hamstring injury and was ruled out of the game Monday night.

Niners edge Bosa out with calf injury

Jets to be without TE Taylor vs. Lions

San Francisco 49ers star pass rusher Nick Bosa injured his calf warming up for practice earlier this week and will miss a few games. Coach Kyle Shanahan said that Bosa got hurt before practice on Thursday doing “high knees.” Shanahan said Friday that the injury wasn’t believed to be long term but he would likely miss a few weeks starting with Sunday’s game against Arizona. The injury is the latest to hit the defensive line for the 49ers, who are missing seven players at the position this week.

New York Jets tight end Mason Taylor has been ruled out against the Lions in Detroit on Sunday because of a thumb injury. Coach Aaron Glenn announced Friday that Taylor, who was injured against Green Bay last Sunday, would join safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (groin) and linebacker Kiko Mauigoa (quadriceps) as players who won’t suit up this weekend. Running back/ kick returner Kene Nwangwu (back) is doubtful to play. Taylor, coming off a rookie season in which he caught 46 passes, has just two receptions for minus-2 yards through two games.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ 11C

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THE VARSITY ZONE WEEK 4 FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK

State’s top player still out; Walker off to fast start Dunham QB Haven could miss another week, coach says

28 on Friday night. The Wildcats are the lone unbeaten team left in District 5-5A. The offense has also been electric, averaging 43.8 points per game. Walker gets East Ascension next week, which will offer a serious test.

BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer

Dunham went its second straight week without star quarterback Elijah Haven. The ﬁve-star Alabama commitment did not dress for the Tigers’ Week 3 game against Collegiate Baton Rouge. He also did not play in Friday night’s game against St. James. Coach Neil Weiner could not share speciﬁc details on the injury, but he said it is not season-ending and Haven will likely be out for one more week. The Tigers are 2-2 after Friday night’s loss to the Wildcats. Sophomore L.J. Salone has been the starting quarterback the past two games. Here’s a look around the rest of the Baton Rouge area with some takeaways.

Business as usual East Feliciana opened the year with a 53-20 loss to Lake Charles College Prep, but after Week 4, the Tigers look like a team poised to make noise in the playoffs. The Tigers have won their past three games by an average of 31.3 points. On Friday night, East Feliciana blew past previously undefeated Baker 54-28. There’s still plenty of regular season left to play, but the Tigers are starting to match the high expectations they entered the year with.

Central’s big test

The Wildcats fell in overtime to West Monroe on the road on Friday night 42-36. Central, which was ranked in the initial LSWA Class 5A top 10, sits at 2-2 after the loss. Walker’s turnaround Both of the Wildcats’ losses have Last year was a season to forget come to top squads in West Monfor Walker High fans. The Wild- roe and Acadiana. Another big test awaits Central, cats ﬁnished 1-9 and were winless with Ouchita Parish (3-1) coming in District 5-5A. First-year coach Chris Harrell is to town next Friday. A big win giving the program a reason to could get Central back on track for have optimism again. Walker is a school expecting to contend for a 4-0 after defeating Dutchtown 35- Division I nonselect title.

STAFF PHOTO By PEARL SPURLOCK

Dunham quarterback Elijah Haven, left, scrambles with the ball against Catholic High on Sept. 11. Haven has missed the past two games with an injury. Week 5 football schedule All games are at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

Thursday

North Iberville vs. Thrive Academy at Olympia Stadium Collegiate Baton Rouge vs. Helix Mentorship Academy at Baker High School Ferriday at Kentwood

Friday

Live Oak at Denham Springs Glen Oaks at Port Allen Highland Baptist at Central Private Southern Lab at East Iberville St. Michael at Scotlandville St. John at White Castle Madison Prep vs. McKinley at Belaire High School Independence at Istrouma Capitol at Northeast Parkview Baptist at East Feliciana Ouchita Parish at Central

Belaire at Livonia Broadmoor at Tara Woodlawn vs. Donaldsonville at Floyd Boutte Memorial Stadium Liberty at Alexandria Ben Franklin at Springﬁeld Catholic at Madison-Ridgeland Academy (Mississippi) Prairieville at Dutchtown East Ascension at Walker Zachary at St. Amant Ascension Catholic at Assumption Brusly at Plaquemine Lutcher at Franklinton University High at Teurlings Catholic Episcopal at Albany Baker at West St. John St. James at Lord Beaconsﬁeld Landry West Feliciana at St. Helena Catholic-PC at Catholic-NI Dunham at Parklane Academy (Mississippi) Ascension Christian at Houma Christian Central Catholic at Slaughter Community Charter

STAFF PHOTOS By MICHAEL JOHNSON

East Ascension defensive lineman Gavan Allen, right, tries to escape St. Amant offensive lineman Carter Babin after intercepting a pass in the second quarter on Friday in St. Amant.

St. Amant-East Ascension is best rivalry game in state BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer

Minutes following East Ascension’s double-overtime win over rival St. Amant, coach Brock Matherne sprinted toward a rowdy SparCommentary tans student section to celebrate the moment with them. A Boothville-Venice native and a Belle Chasse graduate, Matherne never grew up with the rivalry, but the third-year coach doesn’t need to be told what this game means to both schools. “I love winning,” Matherne said. “I don’t care who we’re playing; I want to win. But to see how this community just rallies behind us. The way that they enjoyed us and they celebrated with us after this game. This is not just a team win; this is a community win, and I wanted to make sure they felt it, too.” When I ﬁrst joined The Advocate a little over a year ago, peers told me one game that was a must-cover — St. AmantEast Ascension. I quickly found out why. Last year, in a packed St. Amant High stadium, East Ascension won a seesaw battle 4948 that came down to the ﬁnal play on a failed 2-point conversion by the Gators. It’s reasonable to think this year’s edition of the rivalry could never live up to last year’s instant classic. Think again. Friday night in the Pit featured just about everything you’d want in a football game. St. Amant and East Ascension battled for four quarters in a high-scoring affair. There were six turnovers, a kickoff return for a touchdown, a coach ejec-

East Ascension quarterback Zaylen Smith, center, passes from the pocket against St. Amant on Friday in St. Amant. tion, a game-tying touchdown late in the fourth, two overtimes and a walk-off field goal. East Ascension emerged victorious and now leads the evenly matched rivalry 24-23. On top of great contests, what else makes the rivalry great? The heroes it creates. Spartans sophomore kicker Reilly Hopkins missed two field goals that could’ve made it a two-score game in the second half. But when he got a third chance from 18 yards out to win the game, he buried it. East Ascension senior quarterback Zaylen Smith also etched his name into the rivalry’s lore. He ran 22 times for 216 yards and three touchdowns. He threw for 279 yards and three touchdowns, completing 22 of his 42 passes. He went down twice with cramps but never left the game. “He’s the definition of our program,” Matherne said. “He did something today. I never

heard from him about the third or fourth touchdown. I go to celebrate with him, and he yells at me, ‘I got this.’ When he did that, I knew he arrived.” Smith said he wasn’t letting minor injuries stop him from helping his team. “I’m the leader of this team,” Smith said. “I’ve got to get up, and I’ve got to play. It’s special keeping the trophy here.” I’ve covered great Southeastern Conference games at the University of Florida, Big Ten games at the University of Nebraska and high school football in Florida, Nebraska, South Dakota and now Louisiana. The energy and atmosphere created when St. Amant plays East Ascension is unmatched. Debate will continue around what the best rivalry in the state is, but these past two years covering this game have made me remember why I love writing about football and high school sports.

McCown, Lamar pummel Nicholls By The Associated Press THIBODAUX — Aiden McCown threw two of his three touchdown passes in the ﬁrst 2:40 and Caleb Holmes scored on a kickoff return as Lamar thumped Nicholls 49-18 on Saturday in the Cardinals’ Southland Conference opener. McCown completed 13 of 19 passes for 232 yards with one interception for Lamar (3-1), ranked 15th in the Stats Perform FCS poll. He also ran 56 yards for a score in the fourth quarter and ﬁnished with 80 yards on six carries. Blake Thomas caught a 41-yard touchdown pass from McCown on the fourth play from scrimmage as Lamar needed only 1:16 to take

STATE ROUNDUP the lead. The Cardinals defense forced a three and out and McCown teamed with Davin Driskell for a 48-yard score five plays later and a 14-0 advantage with 12:20 left in the ﬁrst quarter. Ean Rodriguez capped a 10-play drive for Nicholls with a 3-yard touchdown toss to Ellis Stewart, but Holmes returned the ensuing kickoff 86 yards to the end zone and Lamar led 21-7 in the ﬁrst 10 minutes. Cam Patterson added an 11-yard touchdown run on the first play following a Nicholls fumble for a 28-7 advantage after one quarter.

Parker Jenkins and LaDamion McDowell had short touchdown runs in the second quarter and Lamar opened up a 42-10 lead by halftime. Rodriguez totaled 191 yards on 18-for-31 passing with two touchdowns for the Colonels (2-3, 1-1). UL 34, CHARLOTTE 7: In Charlotte, North Carolina, Lunch Winﬁeld rushed for a touchdown and threw for another, Anthony Reagan and JJ Garner had rushing scores and the Cajuns beat the 49ers. UL (3-1) held Charlotte (0-4) to 137 yards of offense and no offensive scoring. Tony Sterner opened the scoring on a 29-yard field goal in the ﬁrst quarter, and Steven Blanco had a 3-yard

touchdown reception in the second that gave UL a 10-0 lead. The 49ers’ lone touchdown came on a 54-yard fumble return with 24 seconds remaining in the ﬁrst half. Garner scored from 7 yards out to cap an 83-yard march to open the second half, Sterner made his second ﬁeld goal from 44 yards, and Winfield scored his sixth rushing touchdown of the year on a 9-yard dash in the fourth. Reagan tacked on a late 4-yarder with 33 seconds remaining. Brent Gordon led the defense with seven tackles, an interception and two forced fumbles. The Cajuns forced four turnovers, all in the second half.

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OUTDOORS CALENDAR MONDAY

RED STICK FLY FISHERS FLY TYING SESSION: 7 p.m., Bluebonnet Regional Library, 9200 Bluebonnet Blvd., Baton Rouge. Open to the public. Materials and tools available for beginners. Website: rsff.org

TUESDAY

LA. OYSTER TASK FORCE MEETING: 9:30 a.m., Lakefront Airport, 6001 Stars and Stripes Blvd., New Orleans.

TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY GULF COUNCIL SCIENTIFIC/ STATISTICAL COMMITTEE MEETING: Gulf Council ofﬁce, 4107 West Spruce St., Suite 200, Tampa, Florida. Full agenda website: gulfcouncil.org

THURSDAY

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By GERALD HERBERT

An oil rig is seen in the Gulf of Mexico near the Chandeleur Islands, off the southeastern tip of Louisiana, in this undated file photo. After years of battling the removal of older oil and gas platforms off the Louisiana coast, a new executive order implements a Reefs-in-Place Program to retain these platforms as essential fish habitat in offshore waters.

Executive order spells big victory for anglers BY JOE MACALUSO Contributing writer

For millions of saltwater fishermen, the lesson in how to spell victory came in two letters — E-O — as in an executive order signed by President Donald Trump 10 days ago. The order covers a wide range of battleground topics fought between Notebook private recreational and conservation organizations and federal fisheries managers for most of the past 30 years. Those organizations called the Restoring American Saltwater Angling and Recreation Executive Order a landmark “in federal ocean, coastal and public land decision-making.” For Jeff Angers of Baton Rouge, the president of the Center for Sportfishing Policy, this extensive revision in federal fisheries policies is the biggest win recreational fishermen have seen. “This executive order is a historic recognition of what millions of American anglers and coastal communities have known for decades: marine recreational fishing deserves a management system built for the way Americans fish,” Angers said. “By prioritizing better data, stronger state partnerships and modern management approaches, President Trump’s order builds on our conservation gains creating a path to more reliable

access and opportunity in America’s oceans.” The executive order touched on a number of confrontational topics recreational fishing and fishing trade groups have battled for decades in trying to move the needle toward a more modern approach to fisheries management. Louisiana’s offshore anglers have knowledge of these problems beginning with red snapper, then expanding into gray triggerfish and, more recently, greater amberjack. Limited days/seasons and limited catch along with the federal government’s plan to remove offshore oil and gas platforms — fish-holding reefs — from offshore waters have been burrs under their saddles. The executive order took on those challenges to include: n A more modern approach to collecting and disseminating recreational fisheries data and a charge to federal fisheries managers to what Angers said is “accelerating the use of reliable state data in federal management.” n Because most of what federal fisheries folks managed for was managing for the commercial fisheries sector’s value to the economy, the executive order directs the U.S. Department of Commerce to account for the “economic value of recreational fishing in management decisions and harvest opportunities.” n The order creates a

more manageable program to mimic Louisiana’s Rigsto-Reefs Program. To offset recent federal rules implementing speed and access restrictions in certain areas, the new guidelines demand “safeguarding boater access through precision technology rather than sweeping restrictions,” and charges federal managers to remove “unnecessary barriers to fishing, boating and public access.” n It also takes issue with increased regulations on the taking of sharks and what it calls “pinniped depredation,” covering seals and marine mammals. “The (executive) order also demands (federal) agencies to take the best path forward toward implementing these directives,” Angers said. “It means this is not just words on a paper for bureaucrats to slowwalk these plans. These topics are not new and it’s important for long timelines in recognizing what recreational fishing means to our country.” The American Sportfishing Association was among the group pushing for these changes. ASA has been the leader in recognizing the economic value of recreational fishing from fishing and trade activities. In its filing, ASA’s president and CEO Glenn Hughes said the order acknowledges recreational activities account for at least $1.2 trillion annually taking in 5.2 million jobs and that recreational fishing and boating adds $38.4 billion to

the U.S. economy with recreational saltwater anglers generating $145.4 billion and near 700,000 jobs. “This is the biggest day in marine recreational fishing in history, and marks the first time in 20 years when a president has come to focus on recreational saltwater fishing,” Angers said. Other than CSP and ASA, organizations pushing for this Executive Order included Congressional Sportsman’s Foundation, national Coastal Conservation Association, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, the National Marine Manufacturers Association, the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, the International Game Fish Association, the Guy Harvey Foundation and BoatU,S. What it means, now, is that it’s OK to fish and recreate on our lands and waters,” Angers said. The “lands” part includes hunting access and other provisions covered in the executive order. Hunting issues will be included next Sunday.

Red snapper Louisiana’s 109-day recreational red snapper season accounted for a total estimated take of 934,367 pounds, a count exceeding our state’s annual allotment by 51,928 pounds. The weekly average was 49,177 pounds. The near 52,000-pound overage will be deducted from the 2027 federal allocation.

LA. WILDLIFE & FISHERIES COMMISSION MEETING: 9:30 a.m., Joe Herring Room, state Wildlife and Fisheries headquarters, Quail Drive, Baton Rouge.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY

NSCA SPORTING CLAYS EVENTS: Wilderness Club, Lafayette.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY

FALL WARMWATER CATCH & EAT: Lakeview Lodge, Lake Concordia, Ferriday. Red Stick Fly Fishers event. Website: rsff.org

SATURDAY

ATCHAFALAYA NATIONAL HERITAGE DAY: 10 a.m.3 p.m., McGee’s Landing, 1337 Henderson Levee Rd. Henderson.

HUNTING SEASONS

DOVES: North Zone: thru Sept. 27. South Zone closed. SQUIRRELS: Thur Sept. 27, youth only, private lands only. TEAL: Thru Sept. 27, statewide, includes rails & gallinules. DEER/ARCHERY: Oct. 1-15, State Deer Areas 5, 6 & 9, bucks only; Oct. 1-Jan. 31, State Deer Areas 1, 2, 4 either-sex take allowed; Thru Jan. 15, State Deer Areas 3, 7, 8 & 10. BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCKS: Oct. 3-11, statewide, special permit required. RABBITS/SQUIRRELS: Oct. 3-Feb. 28, statewide, private lands only & selected wildlife management areas.

LOTTERY HUNTS

WMA YOUTH-ONLY WATERFOWL HUNTS: Ages 10-17. Application deadline Sept. 30 for hunts on Sherburne Wildlife Management Area. Application fee $8.50. See Wildlife & Fisheries lottery hunt webpage. Email David Hayden: dhayden@wlf. la.gov WHITE LAKE CONSERVATION AREA WATERFOWL HUNTS:

Sept. 30 deadline for two youth-only hunts & 30 marsh hunts. $8.50 application fee. Youth hunters must have Hunter Safety certiﬁcate. Email Lance Ardoin: lardoin@wlf.la.gov

AROUND THE CORNER

OCT. 6 — LA. OUTDOORS FOREVER TECHNICAL ADVISORY BOARD MEETING: 2 p.m., state Wildlife and Fisheries headquarters, 2000 Quail Drive, Baton Rouge. OCT. 8 — JUNIOR SOUTHWEST BASSMASTERS MEETING: 7 p.m., Seminar Room, Bass Pro Shops, Denham Springs. Boys & girls agegroup bass tournaments for ages 7-10, 11-14 & 15-18 anglers for Oct. 17-18 Toledo Bend event. Call Jim Breaux (225) 772-3026. OCT. 9-11 — BASSMASTER COLLEGE CLASSIC CUP: Wilson Lake, Florence, Alabama. Website: bassmaster. com OCT. 10 — BUCKS & DOES DEER HUNTING 101: 9 a.m.noon, Wildlife & Fisheries ofﬁce, 368 Century Link Drive, Monroe. Hunting regulations, equipment, deer behavior, scouting, shot placement, game recovery & basic ﬁeld dressing. Preregistration suggested: wlf. la.gov. Email: huntereducation@wlf.la.gov

FISHING/SHRIMPING

SHRIMP: Fall inshore season open statewide; all outside waters open. OPEN RECREATIONAL SEASONS: Greater amberjack (thru Oct. 14); gray triggerfish; gag grouper (thru Sept. 30); flounder; lane, blackfin, queen & silk snappers & wenchmen among other snapper species; all groupers except closed for goliath & Nassau groupers in state/federal waters. CLOSED SEASONS: Private recreational, state & federal charters red snapper; commercial greater amberjack; bluefin tuna; goliath & Nassau groupers in state/ federal waters.

LDWF UPDATES

n Closed: Hope Canal

Road/boat launch (Maurepas Swamp WMA, levee construction); Reserve Relief Canal Boat Launch by order of Corps of Engineers (Reserve Relief Pump Station construction) with alternate launch locations at Pete’s Landing, the Akers boat ramp & Bonnet Carré Spillway boat launch. n Drawdowns: Saline Lake & Iatt Lake (thru Oct. 5); Henderson Lake (thru Nov. 2); Cheniere Lake (thru Nov. 15); Clear-Smithport Lake (thru Nov. 16); Lake Bistineau (thru Nov. 30); Chicot Lake & Grand Bayou Reservoir (thru Jan. 4); Vernon Lake (thru Jan. 5). EMAIL: jmacaluso@theadvocate.com

FISHING RESULTS Junior SW BassmastersDenham Springs MANCHAC — Age-group results from the Junior Southwest Bassmasters-Denham Springs’ September tournament held from the North Pass public landing with anglers, their hometowns (when available), number of bass weighed in parentheses (ﬁve-bass limit), total weight in pounds and big-bass winners: 15-18 age group: 1, Aiden Giluso, Hammond (5) 8.54 pounds. 2, Blake LeRay (2) Brusly,1.82. 3, Landin

Sholty, Denham Springs (2) 1.56. Big bass: Giluso, 2.18. 11-14 age group: 1, Lane LeRay, Brusly (2) 4.39. 2, Jaxon Acosta, Denham Springs (5) 4.34. 3, Ryder Owens, Denham Springs (3) 3.93. Big bass: LeRay, 3.2. 7-10 age group: 1, Nathaniel Watts, Livingston (1) 1.47. 2, Kase Nobile, Livingston (1) 1.17. Big bass: Watts, 1.47. Adult division: 1, Henry Giluso, Hammond (5) 8.33. 2, Matthew Watts, Livingston (5) 7.03. 3, Drew Comeaux, Livingston (5) 5.49. Big bass: Watts, 3.05.

NASCAR leaders tight at top entering Kansas race “Certainly, I feel as though I have “But yeah,” Larson said, “it’s including a victory in the fall Larson leads Hamlin sas, NASCAR CUP LEADERS such a good feel for this track,” tough. It’s a lot of racing. A lot race last year, and the only time hasn’t been in the top 10 in the 1. Kyle Larson 2206 Hamlin said. “I mean, biased me, of tough competitors. And just a by single point after he past 10 races there was a mechani- 2. Denny Hamlin 2205 I’m going to say it doesn’t matter tough, tough series.” to me whether we have practice three races in playoffs cal failure. 3. Joey Logano 2190 Odds and ends

BY DAVE SKRETTA AP sportswriter

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Two of the most successful drivers at Kansas Speedway are sitting atop the Cup Series standings three races into the playoffs. One of them is trying to win a second straight title and third overall. The other is trying to change the narrative that he’s the best driver never to have won a championship. Kyle Larson assumed the lead by a single point over Denny Hamlin last week at Bristol, leaving the Hendrick Motorsports star with plenty of momentum as the Chase hits the ﬁrst of three 11/ 2-mile ovals. But Hamlin has four wins at Kan-

“I mean, this is important to us, for sure,” Hamlin said of the three-race stretch that continues with races in Las Vegas and Charlotte. “I think it’s one where we need to get big point days, and win races. “If we can do that, I’ll feel pretty good about where we’re at.” Larson and Hamlin caught a break already this weekend when practice and qualifying was rained out Saturday. That meant for the third time in the ﬁrst four Chase races, the starting lineup was set based upon a weighted metric that combines the most recent race result with ownership points. So, both will start near the front Sunday — Larson alongside Bristol winner Joey Logano on the front row, Hamlin

or not. “We have enough notes to lean on those to be good.” So does Larson, though. He has three wins at Kansas, all coming in his last 10 starts, and nobody has led more laps there. He also happens to be arguably the hottest driver in the Chase, finishing in the top five in each of the first three races. ä Hollywood Casino 400. “We’ll just keep plugging away,” 2 P.M. SUNDAy, USA said Larson, who snapped a 51race winless streak a couple of weeks ago in St. Louis. “I’ve been alongside Ty Gibbs on the fifth really happy with the speed and es— without having to worry about pecially the execution in these first qualifying. three. I think they’ve gone pretty And without practice, Larson flawless for our team. Now we and Hamlin have an advantage in have some tracks that we probably that they can lean into their history are even more confident at than of success at Kansas. the first three, outside of Bristol.

4. Christopher Bell 5.Ty Gibbs 6. Ryan Blaney 7.Tyler Reddick 8. Carson Hocevar 9. Chase Briscoe 10. Bubba Wallace

2189 2164 2154 2145 2121 2119 2114

Not surprisingly, Larson and Hamlin are co-favorites to win Sunday’s race (+400), while Christopher Bell (+550) and Tyler Reddick (+600) are close behind. ... Larson won the fall race in 2021 on this way to the championship. Jimmie Johnson (2008) and Martin Truex (2017) also used Kansas wins to propel them to titles. ... Reddick won the spring race at Kansas when he passed Larson on the final lap. It was his fifth win over the first nine races of this season, but also his most recent win. ... Kansas is one of four tracks to host a Chase race every year since its inception in 2004. The others are Talladega, Martinsville and Phoenix.

FAITH: Vial of St. John Paul II’s blood travels across south Louisiana 4D

LOUISIANA INSPIRED: Biking organization inspires wellness through bike riding 5D

LIVING

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

S u n d ay, S e p t e m b e r 27, 2026

1dn

Jan Risher

A mysterious wooden raven appears Over the last six months, my husband and I have played a little game most every evening. A package lands on the front steps, and before we open it, we try to remember what we ordered. Curtains. Curtain rods. A rug. A light ﬁxture. A lock for the back door. The retractable clothesline. Rebuilding and refurnishing a house after a ﬁre takes a lot of stuff, and a lot of stuff means a lot of boxes. Each one has an air of mystery until we open it and say, “Yep, there are the 43 knobs for the kitchen,” or “Ah, the rug pad.” Not exactly exciting stuff. So I didn’t think anything about the box at our front door Tuesday evening. I put it on the table and went about my business for at least 20 minutes before I found “the package-opening knife” and sliced into it.

STAFF PHOTO By PEARL SPURLOCK

Construction is underway at the Perkins Road overpass.

‘It’s the right thing to do’ Perkins Overpass Project brings paid parking, public space and an urban trail BY MADDIE SCOTT and IANNE SALVOSA

STAFF PHOTO By JAN RISHER

ucked under the Perkins Road overpass in Baton Rouge is a string of highly rated local favorite restaurants. That is, if customers can find them through the construction site. The eventual urban green space may be difficult to envision at this stage, but local business leaders who have advocated for this project for more than six years believe the heavy machinery and temporary chain-link fences are worth the short-term hurdles. They believe public spaces can help build a better community. The hardhats and heavy machinery are the start of the Perkins Road Overpass Project, a $2.9 million investment turning a once muddy, gravel-filled space into landscaped green spaces featuring paved sidewalks, bicycle paths, lighting and metered parking. It broke ground on July 13 to create a multi-use linear park that improves connectivity and encourages community building. The re-envisioned space’s urban trail will not only provide an area to walk and visit with friends and

This carved wooden raven appeared in a package at columnist Jan Risher’s door on the autumnal equinox. She’s not sure who sent it or why.

The return address was unfamiliar, and extra shipping papers indicated international mail. It was shipped from Spain and had the papers to prove it. I still didn’t think much about it. Then I pulled out the carefully wrapped item, removed the bubble wrap and tissue paper and found a wooden raven. He’s about 7 inches tall and 9 inches long, carved all over with Celtic knots and designs. He’s black, carved from ash wood, and has his head turned all the way around, looking backward. Beautiful, for sure, but there was no moment of recognition. No “Oh yeah, here’s that wooden Norse raven I ordered ﬁve weeks ago from Spain.” Instead, I had absolutely no idea where this bird came from. The box was addressed to me, by name, at my address. Whoever sent him meant for him to land here. The artist’s name was on the packaging and the return address, so I looked her up to see whether she, in fact, carves wooden Norse ravens and the like. She does. Her write-up about the carving does not reduce the mystery. It’s called a “Norse Raven Statue,” and the description wanders through the raven’s role in Norse mythology and old Irish legend. The gist is that ravens turn up again and again in ancient myths, often as wise creatures. People tend to revere them or fear them. Few are indifferent.

ä See RAVEN, page 6D

Staff writers

RENDERING PROVIDED By CARBO LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

The Perkins Road Overpass Project is a $2.9 million investment turning a once muddy, gravel-filled space into landscaped green spaces featuring paved sidewalks, bicycle paths, lighting and metered parking. neighbors, it will also create pedestrian paths between the overpass area and the Garden District. The area and new pedestrian access will give more people the chance to make healthier choices in terms of active transportation, according to Kim Marousek, vice president of planning for Center of Planning Excellence. Several temporary signs are strapped to construction fences,

promoting nearby restaurants’ open hours to emphasize that despite the heavy machinery, the restaurants are still open. Other signs point to a clear walking path between construction sites leading to the entrances of BLDG 5 and The Colonel’s Club, both restaurants underneath the overpass that have decided to stay open throughout

ä See OVERPASS, page 6D

JENNI PETERS IS A FAN OF ENTHUSIASM

Varsity Sports a platform for improving Baton Rouge Jenni Peters, owner of Varsity Sports, outside BLDG 5

STAFF PHOTO By JAN RISHER

BY JAN RISHER Staff writer

ordered her standard protein plate with chicken, quinoa and a side salad. For 26 years, Peters has run Varsity Sports, a local running store, which now has three stores: one in Baton Rouge, one in Mandeville and one in New Orleans. Along the way, she has become one of the most persistent cheerleaders Baton Rouge has.

BATON ROUGE CLASSICS

Before the food came at BLDG 5, Jenni Peters ordered ﬁve chocolate chip cookies to go. They weren’t for her. They were for her staff at Varsity Sports. “They absolutely love them,” she told the server. She knew the BLDG 5 staff by name. She insisted I try the roasted red pepper sauce as she

ä See CLASSIC, page 6D

2D ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

COMMUNITY lll

PROVIDED PHOTO

Rotary Club PROVIDED PHOTO

Perkettes Coffee Club Members of Perkettes Coffee Club reunited at the home of Liz Walker to watch the first Saints football game of the season and visit with member Janet Lewis, who lives in California. Shown are, from left, Liz Walker, Rita Sibley, Mickey Bennett, Renee Healy, Gwen Bizette, Toni Roumain, Michelle Naquin, Joye Travis, Lewis and Kathryn Smith.

Rotary Club of Baton Rouge, the fifth-largest Rotary Club in the world, installed officers for 2026. They are, from left, Ian Melancon, sergeant-at-arms; Mary Seghers, club director; Nancy Ellis, club director; Mary Erlingson, secretary; Michael Tipton, vice president; Susan Nelson, president-elect; Todd Schexnayder, president; Darrel Papilion, past president; Greg Wood, immediate past president; Robert Douglas, Rhaoul Guillaume, Vanessa Graham and Robert Daigrepont, all club directors.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Orion Queen Party

La Fiesta

P.E.O. Chapter C

Queen Orion Angela Warren’s luncheon at Gulf Gatherings on Sept. 13 was hosted by James and Bella Rose Warren. Shown are, from left, Elizabeth Blythe, Shawn Hodges, Tammie Cappo, Laura Dunlap, Warren, Angie Coates, Brittany Lipoma, Rachael Blythe and Crystal Coppola.

Longtime members of La Fiesta attended the dance club’s annual birthday luncheon on Sept. 16 at the Baton Rouge Country Club. Shown are, from left, Pug Gussman, Bernardine Holliday, Brent Caldwell, Julia Rambin and Leslie Bardwell.

Officers for P.E.O. Chapter C kicked off the fall social season at their annual welcome back luncheon at Drusilla Seafood Restaurant on Sept. 14. Shown are, seated, Treasurer Pamela Pursnell, left, and Vice-President Jeanne Fisher; standing, from left, President Elaine Burleigh, Guard Cheryl Singer and Chaplain Carolyn Fletcher. Officers not shown are Linda Michelli, Rachel Ehricht and Lynne Seefield.

COMMUNITY GUIDELINES The Community column runs Sundays in the Living section and accepts submissions for news of events that have taken place with civic, philanthropic, social and religious auxiliary organizations, as well as academic honors. Submissions should be sent by noon Monday to run in the upcoming

Immersive experience at the LASM Planetarium

The Honey Gold Experience, an immersive audio-visual collaboration created by Louisiana artists Sariah Sizemore and Taylor Matherne, will present its live show 7 p.m. Oct. 3 inside the Irene W. Pennington Planetarium at the Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 100 S. River Road, Baton Rouge. Sizemore and Matherne will perform live, with original custom FYI BR video collages crestaff ated by the Honey Gold visual team reports projected across the planetarium dome. This is not the project’s planned full-dome film, a separate work the team is actively fundraising to complete with release targeted for 2027; rather, it is a live-performed adaptation designed specifically for this planetarium’s dome. Tickets are $40 for adults, $20 for children, $30 for museum members and $15 for children of museum members. Tickets are available at LASM.org/HoneyGold. The project is sponsored by the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, which serves as Honey Gold’s nonprofit umbrella.

Arts Council launches video production training

The Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge is relaunching the Talent Advancement Program, a workforce development initiative designed to address the growing need for subject matter expertise within the community. This year’s program provides hands-on, professional training in video production, pairing participants with industry leaders for real-world instruction and projectbased learning. This career track is designed for adults 18 and older and runs for 10 sessions at the Cary Saurage Community Arts Center, 233 St. Ferdinand St., Baton Rouge. Graduates of the program are added to the Arts Council’s roster of creative professionals. Classes will be taught by industry professional Christopher Jeansonne, a Baton Rouge-based video producer and creative director with over a decade of experience in the industry. Jeansonne’s work spans commercial, corporate and documentary storytelling. Applications are open now and close Nov. 6. Classes begin on Nov. 14. Learn

Sunday column. Because of space limitations, organizations that meet monthly or more are limited to one photo per month. If submitting digitally, we prefer JPG files 300KB or larger. Identify those pictured by first and last names as viewed from left to right, row by row. We prefer emailed Community column submissions to features@theadvocate.com. We also accept submissions by mail at P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge LA 70821. A phone number must be included. more and register at artsbr.org/ tap.

2026 Scrabble Challenge is Oct. 15 at L’Auberge Play Scrabble, meet new people and raise money for Adult Literacy Advocates. The 2026 Scrabble Challenge will take place at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 15 at L’Auberge Casino and Hotel, 777 L’Auberge Ave., Baton Rouge. Enjoy three rounds of “just for fun” Team Scrabble, a silent auction, cash rafﬂe, cash bar, food and beverages. Cost is $35 per player or $100 per table (4 players). To order tickets or $5 rafﬂe, call (225) 383-1090 or visit adultliteracyadvocates.org.

SU Ag Center to hold a virtual grant writing series The Southern University Ag Center, in collaboration with Courtney L. Hunt Coaching and Consulting and the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, will hold a four-part virtual grant writing lunch and learn series, “Beyond the Basics: Building A Winning Funding Strategy,” from noon to 1 p.m. in October on the following dates:

n Oct. 8: Finding the right grants: Stop searching, start strategizing n Oct. 15: Reading the RFP like a funder n Oct. 22: Building a budget that funders can trust n Oct. 29: You got the grant. Now what? The sessions are free, but registration is required. To register, visit Beyond the Basics: Building a Winning Funding Strategy. A Zoom link will be sent to registered participants. For additional information, contact Krystle Allen at krystle_allen@suagcenter.com.

vited to attend. The cost is $70 per person. A syllabus is provided. A box lunch can be purchased for $15, or attendees may bring a brown bag lunch. Applicants are requested to register by emailing glonibos@yahoo. com or calling (504) 253-3039 no later than Oct. 10. Questions can be answered by calling (225) 937-5570. Some of the topics include the landscape design process; woody plants in the landscape; herbaceous materials in the landscape; landscape design with maintenance in mind; graphics interpretation; Frederick Law Olmsted; and creating your own home gardening project.

Landscape Design School told hold classes Walk to raise money for Louisiana Landscape Design CMT disease School, Course 3, will be held

9:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Oct. 28 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 29 at the Baton Rouge Garden Center, 7950 Independence Blvd., Baton Rouge. Each course has 10 hours of lecture. Instructors include Dana Brown, Bob Mirabello, Lee Rouse and Charles Fryling Jr., local landscape design architects and horticulturists. The public, master gardeners and garden club members are in-

The South Louisiana Walk for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease — a rare, progressive neuromuscular disease that affects an estimated 135,000 people in the United States, including an estimated 350 across the Greater Baton Rouge area — is scheduled for 10 a.m. Oct. 31, at Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center, 10503 N. Oak Hills Parkway, Baton Rouge. Register at cmtausa.org/events/ south-louisiana-walk-4-cmt.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ 3D

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TRAVEL

Bogue Chitto bike fest to draw a crowd With miles of trails, park attracts riders of all ages

BY ELIZABETH DEAL Staff writer

Hundreds of bike enthusiasts will travel to southeast Louisiana in early October to participate in a three-day mountain bike festival in Washington Parish. Nestled among a trove of pine trees in an area with over 200 feet of elevation, riders will challenge themselves on some of the Gulf Coast’s premier biking trails at Bogue Chitto State Park in Franklinton. The trails are created through a partnership with the nonproﬁt Northshore Off-Road Bicycling Association. The association’s development coordinator Toby Cortez said the trails exist “because of the foresight and the vision of Billy Nungesser.” “Without the lieutenant governor and his staff, and their willingness to work with us, this couldn’t be possible,” Cortez said. “So it is amazing, and we’ve captured lightning in a bottle through this partnership.” The association also credits the work of park manager Tony Frickey, who said, “I just saw people were ready to put in the blood, sweat and tears, literally.” Since 2016, the number of trails has grown from three to 23, extending 25 miles total, with the newest being Mad Moccasin, made with large moss rocks from the mountains of north Alabama. Mountain bike rider and volunteer Steven Scuderi said they wanted to bring in trail experiences from outside Louisiana. He helped design and build many of the trails. The excitement begins at the trailhead, where there is a skills area with a wooden roller coaster with a gap, an asphalt pump track and a kids’ pump track. Trailhead amenities even include showers. The trail system covers all levels and types of rides, from old-school single track to X-Games-level ex-

A racer tackles a bike trail in Bogue Chitto State Park in Franklinton.

STAFF PHOTO By ELIZABETH DEAL

Bogue Chitto State Park has a skills course by the mountain bike trailhead.

“We have 70 volunteers, and we’re expecting well over 1,000 people coming from all over the country to come down to Louisiana for a mountain bike festival, which is just unheard of for world-class mountain bike riding,” Cortez said. All races have categories by skill level and age group, both male and female. And this is the ﬁrst year that “Adaptive” is a category. “It is really cool to see some of these athletes on these adaptive bikes ride through these mountain bike trails. We spent a ton of effort to try to make the trails adaptivefriendly,” Cortez said. At the festival, there will be live music on Saturday and Sunday, over 25 vendors with food, clothing, crafts and mountain bike accessories, and a professional DJ from Colorado. And Red Bull will have a full setup there. “They recognize it as one of the premier events in the South,” Cortez said. “I truly believe in the whole southeast that this is a PROVIDED PHOTO By MARK SALVETTI top three mountain bike festival,” along with Bentonville, Arkansas, and Knoxville, Tennessee. The schedule of events includes treme rides and everything in be- a night ride on Friday followed by an 18-and-older comedy show. tween. There are designated green, blue Saturday will feature a variety and black trails for beginners to ex- of races, including a scooter bike perts — and it includes profession- race for the little ones, an acroally designed rollers and wall rides, batic planes show honoring vetera dual slalom course, a pump track, ans and a stunt show on the large jump lines, gaps, drops, rock gar- jumps with one participant who is dens, a slope-style course, enduro only 11 years old. Sunday will fealines, ﬂow trails and cross-country ture cross-country racing. trails with a combination of handSpectators can bring chairs, cut and machine-built trails. blankets, food and drinks. There A gorge runs through the park will be parking within the state with a tight trail following along. park, and they recommend that Many trails were named for roller visitors stay in hotels or private coasters. The Towyr of Terryr has rentals in nearby Amite, Covinga wooden ramp with a 17-foot drop. ton or at the state park if it isn’t “This is what I tell people. sold out. There’s no science involved. It’s More information on details for just gravity. You just fall. That’s it. the races, volunteer opportuniYou just let yourself fall,” Scuderi ties and registration is available at said after demonstrating. rcol-mtb-fest.lovable.app. The Northshore Off-Road Bi“You don’t have to be a star athcycling Association is hosting the lete to come out and enjoy yourRoller Coaster of Love Bike Festi- self,” Cortez said. val Oct. 2-4 at the park. Since the first festival in 2021, it’s grown Email Elizabeth Deal at from 60 to over 700 participants elizabeth.deal@theadvocate. plus spectators. com.

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER By Christopher Elliott

Princess Cruises adds to bill after suite upgrade quote was a lower price I booked a cruise on the Star Princess (a Princess Cruises ship) about 18 months in advance.A few months later, I called to upgrade to a suite.A Princess representative quoted me a $1,449 price, and I paid the additional amount that day. My confirmation sheet showed my cabin and stated “paid in full” with a zero balance. It also noted I was entitled to suite benefits like specialty dining. The trouble started when I tried to make dining reservations.The Christopher website tried to charge me for things that Elliott should have been included. I called for help and ended up making more than 20 calls to various departments. During one of these calls, an employee told me I hadn’t been charged

enough for the upgrade and wouldn’t get the benefits unless I paid more. Later, I discovered Princess had added $3,967 to my booking without my permission.When I called to protest, the cruise line gave me an ultimatum: pay the extra money, move back to my original mini-suite with a refund of the upgrade fee, or they would cancel my cruise entirely. I even offered to give up the suite benefits to keep the cabin I had paid for, but they refused. I feel like I was bullied and threatened into releasing my suite. I’ve reached out to customer relations and corporate management multiple times but have received no response. I am a Platinum cruiser and have never been treated this way on 70 cruises. I want the suite I paid for at the price I was quoted. — Deborah Keck, Sunnyvale,Texas Princess should have honored

the price it quoted you and conﬁrmed in writing. When a company sends a document stating a booking is “paid in full,” that’s a contract. It shouldn’t decide later that it made a math error and demand you cough up another $3,967 to cover its mistake. Most cruise contracts have clauses that allow them to change prices due to fuel surcharges or government taxes, but they don’t usually include a “we-forgot-tocharge-you-enough-for-the-room” fee. Under basic contract law, once there’s an offer, acceptance and payment, the deal is done. You did the right thing by keeping all the paperwork. You also attempted to resolve this through the proper channels, contact-

225-400-8040 & 225-938-0748 info@weknowblinds.com customblindsbr.com

ing customer relations and even executives at Princess headquarters, which I publish on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. I’m deeply concerned about the lack of response from the cruise line. You contacted Princess multiple times for help, but you say no one responded. My team followed up several times about your case. I also contacted Princess on your behalf. The response: nothing. It’s a disappointing result. Despite multiple inquiries, Princess refused to provide a resolution or even a comment on why it added $3,967 to a conﬁrmed booking. This left you with one last option: You could have taken your case to small claims court. I

should note that you’re a Platinum-level customer, which means you’ve been on a lot of Princess cruises. You’d think the cruise line would be bending over backward to take care of you. But apparently not. You accepted a downgrade to your original cabin and didn’t pay anything extra for your cruise. Not exactly the resolution either of us were hoping for. Come on, Princess. Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a nonproﬁt organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him on his site.

4D ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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FAITH

STAFF PHOTOS By BRETT DUKE

Anhong ‘Rosemary’ Huynh-Dinh kisses a relic of Pope St. John Paul II, a small vial of his blood enclosed in a specially-made ‘book,’ at St. Helena Catholic Church in Amite on Sept. 17.

‘THE CLOSEST I CAN GET TO HEAVEN’ A vial of St. John Paul II’s blood draws thousands of Catholics across south Louisiana

BY BOB WARREN Staff writer

The faithful began to crowd into St. Helena Catholic Church in Amite one recent morning, eager to see — and perhaps, they hoped, touch — a relic of former pope St. John Paul II. Brother Iñigo Johnpaul Isla warned them not to expect a miracle. At least, nothing so overt as the tossing-away-crutches-beingable-to walk kind of miracle. The relic — a small vial of the blood of the sainted pontiff, who died in 2005 and was canonized in 2014 — should instead be “venerated,” Isla said, and used as a steppingstone to bring the faithful and curious alike closer to God. “It’s not a good-luck charm,” said Isla, a member of the Miami-based Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary, the community that has kept and toured the relic for the past 13 years. But no doubt some worshippers had personal miracles in mind, or at least ﬁnding a special peace, as they walked in two neat lines toward John Paul II’s blood, which was encased in the open page of a book, fashioned from steel and created by the Italian artist Carlo Balljana to resemble the pages of a book of the Gospels that ﬂuttered during a gust of wind at his Vatican funeral.

Keith Scardina and his wife, Cindy, place their hands on a relic of St. John Paul II, a small vial of his blood enclosed a specially-made book, at St. Helena Catholic Church in Amite.

Bowing, touching, kissing The relic sat atop a waist-high stand at the foot of the altar, with members of the Servants of the Pierced Hearts community standing on each side. Most visitors ran their ﬁngers across the relic. Many had brought rosary beads, crosses, even small John Paul II devotional ﬁgures that they touched against the vial of his blood. Some knelt or bowed to gently touch their lips to the relic. Imelda Travis, of Greensburg, took a deep, calming breath before explaining the tears that followed her visit. She said she was thinking of her daughter, Ashlee, who died in July 2025 at age 47. “This is the closest I can get to Heaven. I prayed for my daughter and my family.” Travis held rosaries and crosses in her hands that she had touched to the relic. She said John Paul II, who visited New Orleans in 1987, holds a special place in her heart. “I didn’t get to go to New Orleans but I’ve always felt a closeness to him all these years,” she said. The relic had arrived at St. Helena after stops the previous days at churches in Prairieville and Baton Rouge. Later that evening, it would travel to Mater Dolorosa Catholic Church in Independence before moving on to visits at churches in

STAFF PHOTO By BOB WARREN

Brother Iñigo Johnpaul Isla of the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary shows the case that transports a vial of blood from St. John Paul II.

Morgan City, Houma, Larose and Thibodaux for additional viewings. “It’s a huge deal,” said the Rev. Mitch Seymour, who is pastor at St. Bridget Catholic Church in Schriever and director of seminarians for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. “(Pope) John Paul II loved the U.S. A part of him, his blood, is back on our soil.” The Catholic faith has a long tradition of venerating, or honoring, the relics of saints as a way to feel closer to God or seek the intercession of that saint. Seymour said the veneration of relics is an “ancient practice,” but added, “It’s not that we worship the blood of St. John Paul II or the saints. But we honor them.” The Rev. Reuben Dykes, pastor of both St. Helena and Mater Dolorosa in Tangipahoa Parish, said seeing and touching relics can be

pany it, the relic ﬂies commercial, logging thousands of air miles. It is always a carry-on. “No, this is not a bag to be checked. We carry him with us at all times,” Isla said. The blood in the relic container had been drawn from the pope “a few days before his death,” Isla said. Isla said the vial of blood is owned by Bishop Slawomir Oder of Gliwice, Poland, who entrusted it to Mother Adela Galindo, a founder of the Servants of the Pierced Hearts. It is one of four vials of John Paul II’s blood, and the only one that travels, Isla said. The other vials are in Poland, where John Paul II was born, and Madrid, he said. The blood in the vial remains in a liquid state, Isla said, “a sign that he is still alive.” Asked how much blood is in the vial, Isla shrugged, then said with a laugh, “less than 3 ounces because we can ﬂy with it.” (Federal Transportation Security Administration regulations limit carry-on liquids to 3.4 ounces.) Isla recalled one flight where other passengers asked questions about the briefcase. Informed that it carried the blood of a saint, they wanted to see it. “They were venerating it at 30,000 feet!” Isla said. “Pilots, too!” The devotion its handlers have to the relic is impressive, Dykes said. He said he and the Servants had lunch together in Baton Rouge the afternoon before the showing in Amite. “There we were at Southdowns Grille, with (Pope) John Paul II at the table,” he said.

‘I feel safe now’

People line up to view a relic of former pope St. John Paul II at St. Helena Catholic Church. Sister Ana Certain, a member of the Servants of the Pierced Hearts who had made the trip to Louisiana. “We don’t take our eyes off of it.” When traveling, the book in which the vial of blood is encased ﬁts snugly inside a specially made leather-bound briefcase, lined with a soft, padded cloth, and bearing John Paul II’s emblem. Isla shook and slapped it to show its sturdy design. Isla, 28, who became a member of the Servants of the Pierced Veneration at 30,000 feet Heart in 2022, estimates that a milTraveling with the remains of a lion or more people have viewed saint is as much an act of vigilance and prayed before the relic over as it is an act of luggage design. the years. “It never leaves our sight,” said Like the Servants who accom-

a powerful experience for the devout. “We say we have faith, but relics are an extension of the holy things that we can touch,” Dykes said. In the Catholic Church, there are three classes of relics. Firstclass relics are the actual parts of a saint’s body, such as the blood of John Paul II. A second-class relic can be a piece of clothing or some other belonging. A third-class relic is something that has touched a ﬁrst- or second-class relic.

Retired Army Col. Russ Forshag, a St. Helena parishioner from Montpelier, said having the relic of Pope St. John Paul II at his church was deeply personal. As an Army aviator in Europe in the late 1980s, Forshag said he saw firsthand the pope’s influence in the dismantling of the Berlin Wall in 1989, which signaled the end of the Cold War era. “We were all in for Pope John Paul II,” he said. “We saw what he did.” Anhong “Rosemary” HuynhDing wept and shook as she stood before the relic. She said a prayer to herself, touching it. “I feel very holy. I feel safe now,” Huynh-Ding, who made the trip from Baton Rouge, said later from a seat in the pews. “I cried for myself and my family, too.” Reporter Bob Warren writes about faith and spirituality. Email him at bwarren@ theadvocate.com.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ 5D

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LOUISIANA INSPIRED

Geaux Ride inspires wellness, community on two wheels BY IANNE SALVOSA

they don’t evolve into somebody shooting up the room,” he said. Michael Williams, who serves as Daniel’s right hand man, said bike riding can help keep the peace, but a lot of people who want to access the activity don’t have the resources to do so, which is why Daniel’s mission is important.

Staff writer

As the sun set into orange hues over downtown Baton Rouge on a recent Thursday, neon lights ﬂickered on Laurel Street — not from the city’s bar or nightclubs, but from a ﬂeet of bikes meant to give residents a means to wellness and appreciation for their city. For 10 years, Geaux Ride, led by founder Charles Daniel, has pedaled with about 30,000 cyclists on bike tours. Daniel’s goal has been to reintroduce people to bike riding in a fun, family friendly atmosphere. “Even if you haven’t ridden in a while, the nostalgia you feel as a child bike riding doesn’t go away,” he said. Daniel, 45, moved the organization into its new home earlier this year at 601 Laurel St., a larger space where he can store more than 100 bikes to rent to cyclists of all levels for tours around the Capital City. Baton Rouge’s downtown is a “hidden gem,” Daniel said, but he doesn’t know why it’s not more popular. He said loves the bars and restaurants in the area, particularly Danny’s Dive Bar & Grill and Main Lobby, and sights like the levee trail. Once the work day ends, the downtown streets aren’t too busy, making it a safe place to ride bikes, he said. He describes the bikefriendliness of Baton Rouge as “disconnected,” but he’s optimistic that will change with the implementation of the city-parish’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan, which outlines goals to add 100 miles of bike lanes and 250 miles of off-road paths for cyclists. “It’s a great melting pot of all of Baton Rouge in one place that gets overlooked,” he said.

‘A healthy outlet’ Ten years ago, Daniel lived in New Orleans and worked as a corporate data analyst, tasked with ﬁnding ways to make companies more efficient with technology. Some of that work, he said, meant employees lost their jobs to tech-

Thursday rides

STAFF PHOTOS By PEARL SPURLOCK

Geaux Ride community bikers take a ride along Laurel Street together on Sept. 17. nology, which weighed heavy on his conscience. He sought out ways to relieve stress with his friends and noticed a group riding by on bikes while his group was at a restaurant. He and his friends decided to try bike riding after not having been on one in years. They strapped lights onto the bikes as a safety measure for their nighttime rides, at one point seeing almost 1,000 riders. The group, Get Up and Ride, still cruises through New Orleans. Daniel “Living in New Orleans, you can eat, you can party, you can drink, you can do all the things,” he said. “I wanted a healthy outlet.” He wanted to bring his newfound passion back to hids hometown of Baton Rouge. In 2016, the city was struggling, damaged by major ﬂooding and the police shooting of Alton Sterling, which unleashed a wave of activism calling for accountability. He decided to bring the community together for free bike rides on Thursdays to work through the hardships. What started as a way to heal through exercise and

Thursday bike rides start at the Laurel Street shop, head east to Mid City and take a break at Electric Depot so bikers can rest and grab a bite or drink at the businesses open at night. The rules of the road apply at Geaux Ride: stay to the right side of the street, stop at red lights and keep an eye out for bumps and potholes. Daniel leads the group with a speaker strapped to the back of the bike, with a few safety guides dispersed in the pack to ensure the group stays together. A wave of dust arose as a rainbow of brightly-lit bike wheels spin into Electric Depot’s gravel parking lot around 8 p.m. The Email Ianne Salvosa at ianne. crowd ﬁles into KOK Wings and salvosa@theadvocate.com. Things to place an order. As the Geaux Ride crew settles inside, another light-up bike group, City to City, cruises by. Over a meal of wings and loaded fries, Daniel says a few local bike groups stemmed from Geaux Ride after participants sought to create Know someone in Louisiana who their own group that ﬁts their ridis making a positive difference? ing style. He lauds the expansion of Baton Rouge bike clubs since We’re looking nominees for our they provide a space for the activ2026 Inspirit Awards — people ity at all levels and interests. of any age who do their best to He caters Geaux Ride towards make their local community a riders who are just getting into or better place, whether in their back into cycling as a fun, leisurely activity. work, at schools, in organizations Yolanda Zeno, a bus driver and or in neighborhoods. caretaker, is a Geaux Ride reguNominate someone at www. lar, bringing her son and his friend nola.com/site/forms/the_ along for the weekly tours. She inspirit_award by Sunday, Nov. 2. said there’s not a lot for families to do together in the city, she said. Recipients will be announced in The rides give her and her son a December. way to spend time together.

gathering turned into a way to celebrate, he said. “There was a lot of built-up emotion,” Daniel said. He moved back to Baton Rouge as the organization grew. A moment that’s stuck with him was during a community ride when a woman broke down crying. Once the group stopped at Electric Depot, Daniel checked in with her, learning that she was crying tears of joy. She had previously partaken in physical therapy and rehabilitation to become active again but it hadn’t worked like bike riding had. His connection to the community grew to include mentorship for atrisk youth, seeing that activities like bicycling can keep them off the streets. It became personal for him after a teenager who rode with Geaux Ride for the past ﬁve years, De’Vonte Coleman, also known as Tay, was killed in an accidental shooting earlier this year. “I feel like a lot of the issues that we’re seeing in Baton Rouge, if The business of biking there is a level of mentorship, if Daniel runs Geaux Ride fullthere is a level of outlets for that time, save for a few technical audit category of at-risk youth to do, jobs here and there, while study-

Mars platform

ing for his MBA. He describes himself as a student of business, taking part in programs from Goldman Sachs, Louisiana Small Business Development Center and the Black Chamber of Commerce. He keeps Geaux Ride afloat through self-guided bike rentals, guided bike tours around downtown bars and landmarks, hosting birthday parties at his Laurel Street shop and paint parties. Geaux Ride also repairs bikes through partnerships with other bike shops and Daniel creates his own merchandise in-house. In the future, he wants to expand Geaux Ride into electric scooters and provide bikeshare and scootershare services so people have transportation options, and add more Geaux Ride locations across the region. “We’re open seven days a week and just really get out there and be healthy and put your mental wellness and your overall wellness as a priority,” he said.

Nominate someone extraordinary for our 2026 Inspirit Awards

Be sure to include details and examples of how you think their efforts can inspire others. We’re eager to share their stories.

“It’s just a great sense of pride to be part of the energy past and energy into the future. We have produced a billion barrels and we are not done yet.” Billy Lott Operation Supervisor

reaches historic 1-billion barrel milestone

Since 1996, the Shell-operated Mars platform has played a defining role in deep water energy production. Designed for waters nearly 3,000 feet deep, Mars was a bold step forward at the time and helped redefine what was possible offshore. Nearly 30 years later, continued investment, enduring engineering, and the commitment of generations of people have helped bring Mars to this landmark achievement. To be the first platform in the Gulf to reach one billion barrels is a momentous milestone, but for those who have been part of Mars, it has never been just about the number. The Mars community identifies as Martians, united by the enduring principle, “once a Martian, always a Martian.” This milestone carries the weight of long days offshore, shared challenges, and moments of problem-solving that happen when people rely on one another. It reflects years of dedication and quiet perseverance, and the deep sense of pride that comes from being part of something that continues to move forward.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry joined Shell GOA and Pipeline staff to commemorate one billion barrels produced from the Shell Mars asset via the Mars booster station in Port Fourchon. From L to R: Greg Mouras, Nick Stone, Ken Duplantis, Jeff Bergeron, Gov. Jeff Landry, Lynn Belanger, Shawn Danos, Wayland Neil, Colette Hirstius, Chris Nace, Kevin McMahon, Richard Krebs, Sean Guillory

shell.us/louisiana | #PoweringProgress

6D ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

RAVEN

Continued from page 1D Later, a friend reminded me that Tuesday was the autumnal equinox. So I did what any modern person would do. I Googled it. Google, never one to hold back, informed me that a raven appearing on the equinox symbolizes “a powerful moment of balance, transformation, and a transition between light and dark.” Puzzled further still, I kept reading. One line landed: “Let go of the old and embrace a new phase.” I’m almost always up for that message, but a year after a ﬁre, in a house full of new knobs, sign me up. A wooden raven. From Spain. Addressed to me by name. On the equinox. Looking backward. I’ve messaged the artist, who sells these ravens for $163, plus

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$48 shipping from Spain. Whoever sent this one went to a fair amount of trouble to get it to my house. I haven’t heard back from her yet. I posted the following on social media: Strange question: did someone send me a wooden bird from Spain? One arrived today with no note and a lot of transit papers. It’s pretty, but I don’t know from whence it came. (It’s covered in Celtic carvings.) One friend posted, “That’s the most Jan Risher post ever.” Even so, no one has claimed him thus far. If the sender is reading this, I’d like to say thank you. I think I’ll give him a name and am open to suggestions. For now, he sits on my desk, looking backward toward the screen where I’m typing this column. He sends his regards. Email Jan Risher at jan. risher@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By PEARL SPURLOCK

Construction takes place near businesses under the Perkins Road overpass on Aug. 5.

OVERPASS

Continued from page 1D

STAFF FILE PHOTO By TRAVIS SPRADLING

Boston Marathon qualifier Hannah Amoroso, from left, passes LSU’s Tiger Stadium, accompanied for part of the race by support runners Maria Cicio, Todd Denton, Stephanie Legleu, Jenni Peters and Dilyana Kostova, during Baton Rouge’s virtual Boston Marathon race in 2020.

CLASSIC

Continued from page 1D She grew up in south Baton Rouge and graduated from Robert E. Lee High in 1973. Her father grew up in the Garden District on Letitia Street. Peters is 71. She calls herself part of the Title IX generation — the girls who came of age just before the doors opened. Her high school had no distance team for girls. She played ball in the Catholic Youth Organization league even though she isn’t Catholic, but because that’s where girls could play. She found running late — and by accident. She was a graduate student at LSU, playing on a coed softball team. After a game, her teammates announced they were all headed to a race on College Drive. It cost $10 and came with a free T-shirt and free beer. She went along. It was her first competitive race. She came home with a trophy. She held her hand a good distance above the table to show me how tall it was. “And the rest is history,” she said. But the history had some detours: a criminology degree, a year and a half of law school at LSU and a summer at a law firm that sent her looking for a different path. “I’m just not a detailed person,” she said. “Much more creative.” She finished graduate school in marketing and started racing seriously, but she didn’t like being a professional runner — says it took the fun out of it. LSU asked her to come back and teach parttime, and part-time turned into about 25 years of teaching Marketing 3401, a core class nearly every LSU business student has to take. Back in 2000, Peters and her partners owned Dream Silk Screens, a print shop in an old house on Perkins Road. To grow, they would have needed an automated press and a steady stream of 2,000 T-shirt orders. Peters didn’t want to chase them. “Why don’t we take this old house,” she remembers saying, “and turn it into a little running store?” They moved the press to a building out back. To get the word out cheaply, they gave a free T-shirt with every pair of shoes for the first month. The first month never ended. The backs of Varsity Sports shirts read, “Run hard. Live easy.” I’m not sure I’ve ever been out and about in Baton Rouge without seeing at least one person wearing one. They are a part of life here. A few years in, Peters decided people must be tired of the shirt and suggested a new design. Customers objected. She floated mouse pads instead. They objected louder. “OK,” she said. “It’s gonna be

the same for the rest of my life.” She does offer socks as an alternative now. Occasionally, folks with a closet full of Varsity shirts choose the socks. She did the math once on how many shirts she has given away but doesn’t remember the number. “Think about it — three stores, 26 years and thousands of shirts a year,” she said. “It’s been crazy.” All those years, all those Tshirts, and she’s still excited about it. I asked her what keeps her so sharp. “Genes have got to play a part in it,” she said. “But I think it’s that I love to be engaged. I don’t like to be bored. The next new thing is interesting to me.” She was singing my song. In the hour before we went to lunch, I had read a list of what makes people likable. Enthusiasm was on it. “It gives me a platform to be contagiously enthusiastic,” she said of the store. “If anybody described me as anything, I would love it if it was enthusiastic.” Based on a sample size of one, I would say the list was right. The evidence is on the streets. Varsity Sports’ Saturday runs start at coffee shops and draw about 100 people. Thursday runs start at bars. For the store’s birthday, the group once ran a circus theme. Another year brought a relay from Mandeville to Baton Rouge, split into 75 onemile legs. Peters says she does wish she had traveled more. She is not as well traveled as she would like to be, she said, “for being a curious person.” For now, most of that curiosity points toward home. She has little patience for people who only complain about Baton Rouge. She has seen young engineers from the Netherlands cry when their assignments here ended. “Be part of the solution,” she said. “That’s so cliché. But roll up your sleeves, and change the things you don’t like.” She knows she has rufﬂed a few feathers along the way. She doesn’t seem to mind. “Sometimes you gotta kick up some dust to make a difference in this town,” she said. After lunch, we stepped outside. The Perkins Road overpass stretched overhead. Peters has spent years pushing to turn the ground beneath it into a linear park, with paths, trees, lights and art. She talked about it the way she talks about the next themed run. She doesn’t want just a path — she wants a place people can linger. We did just that, but we both had busy afternoons ahead. As we said goodbye, she headed off toward the gravel and concrete she believes will one day be a park, putting on her sunglasses as she walked. Email Jan Risher at jan. risher@theadvocate.com.

construction. “We’ve gone in together to pay for the signage all along the fence and along the parking lot just to let people know that we’re open for business as usual,” said BLDG 5 co-owner Misti Broussard. A group of Baton Rouge business people brought the idea to the community in 2020, Broussard said, with the goal of making the area more pedestrian-friendly. BLDG 5, along with Varsity Sports, Moreau Physical Therapy and Ivar’s, initially funded and pulled the project plans together and presented them to the Metro Council in 2022. Plans were approved a year later with some changes. Broussard said the concept was planned, championed and partially funded by residents — people who have a real stake in the outcome.

Free parking lot for now The project will transform the area along Perkins Road beginning at Reymond Avenue and ending at Christian Street — a linear park about 0.2 miles or a ﬁve-minute walk. The landscaped, green space will include lighting, signage, walking paths and biking trails. The trails will be accessible at any time of the day. Currently, customers can park in a free, 66-space makeshift lot leased by the city until November to get to restaurants like BLDG 5 or Colonel’s Club. It’s located off Baywood Avenue, across from Bet-R Neighborhood Market. The lot, just shy of 1 acre, is owned by New Orleans real estate ﬁrm The McEnery Company, and is up for lease. The company is looking for a tenant to redevelop the lot for commercial use, according to a listing for the site. It’s currently zoned for light industrial use, which covers an array of purposes like manufacturing, wholesale distribution, craft brewery and micro-distillery use. Restaurant and bars are not included in the standard permitted uses. Mi Mi Montagnet Bankston, of McEnery Company, who owns the property with a few other partners, acquired the land a few years ago and demolished a dilapidated house on the property. She said they knew the area struggled with off-street parking, so they turned the land into a parking lot. She and her partners have been involved with project planning and attended meetings with CARBO Landscape Architecture and MoveBR. Bankston declined to comment on the future use of the land, saying plans are not yet available for public release. “We think it’s a fabulous project to connect the neighborhood to the north and the southern part of Perkins Road,” Bankston said.

STAFF PHOTO By JAN RISHER

BLDG 5 is open amid construction from the Perkins Road Overpass Project, and some of the patio area is located near the work.

of contention in Baton Rouge, especially downtown, where little parking enforcement has led to low turnover of cars in the area, making it more difficult for others to find parking, according to a study on downtown retail released in December. With paid parking on the horizon for the overpass area, Marousek said future patrons may be encouraged to consider alternate forms of transportation, like rideshares, biking or walking. “There’s more of a mixing and community space that happens when you’re walking to a place or biking to a place,” she said. Baton Rouge is an auto-centric city, she said, but the overpass project will make the area more “people-oriented.” “That type of project isn’t just about a way to get from point A to point B,” Marousek said. “But it’s also about how we are creating community.” Fred Raiford, the Baton Rouge director of transportation and drainage, wants the project to improve connectivity and accessibility in the area, specifically to the nearly 90-year-old Perkins Road bridge, that’s become somewhat of a danger to pedestrians due to narrow walking paths. “Nobody wants to walk across that bridge — nobody,” Raiford said. The new linear park will create safer paths for pedestrians, removing the need to walk over the bridge. When the Perkins Road Overpass Project is finished, there will be no free parking under the interstate, Raiford said. The urban greenspace plan includes 41 metered parking spots — that’s 25 Metered parking to come fewer spaces than the temporary Paid parking is a common point parking lot provides. Paid parking has been the biggest complaint of the project so far, but times change and people change, Raiford said. Raiford said the area beneath the interstate is cityparish property, so the administration gets to choose whether parking is free or not. “The administration believes they should have to pay there, particularly by the fact that the city owns the property,” Raiford said. A reduction of parking spaces and the implementation of only metered STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK parking “doesn’t feel like the right end product,” Shannon Blakeman, of Carbo Landscape Broussard said, who has Architects, shows a rendering during a advocated for this project 2022 news conference to discuss plans to since its inception. The East Baton Rouge revamp the Perkins Road area underpass.

Parish Uniﬁed Development Code states that businesses in urban walkable areas must have one off-street parking space per 330 square feet of gross ﬂoor area, or interior space, with some exceptions for certain types of businesses. Restaurants and bars must have one space per 250 square feet of GFA, including outdoor seating areas. A rough calculation means that BLDG 5, Colonel’s Club, Salon Hue and The Royal Standard would require about 50 total parking spaces. The code allows for some reductions to the required amount of spaces if its near a public transportation stop or if there’s on-street parking right outside the business. The closest bus stop to BLDG 5 is about half a mile from the area at South Acadian and Perkins. Plans include that on-street parking will be metered. “Does it or will it meet the UDC requirements that is something I do not know,” Raiford stated in an email.

Optimistic outlook Colonel’s Club owner Jordan Piazza is optimistic and appreciative to see the project come to fruition despite changes to the project’s final draft. He said the 60-day construction in front of his restaurant is “manageable,” and he hopes the timeline sticks to that. The restaurant spends a great deal of money toward the beautification of its building, Piazza said, so he hopes to have cohesiveness across the area, especially being a spot visited by locals and tourists. “I think it’s important to reflect how important, how great Baton Rouge really is, and not just be a minimalistic upgrade, if you will,” Piazza said. Looking toward the future, Piazza and Broussard both share concern over maintenance responsibilities, which are unresolved and in discussion. Currently, it’s decided that the city parish will cut the small areas of grass by the parking lot, Raiford said. Piazza also added that he hopes the project will address the area’s history of drainage issues and flooding. Although the project will reduce parking spaces and limit ability to get things in and out of her restaurant, Broussard said the project will ultimately be great for the community. She’s a big supporter of public spaces in cities, a belief reinforced by her time living in San Diego where she saw beautiful uses of public spaces on the daily. “We believe as residents that this is what we want for our city,” she said. “It’s the right thing to do, so

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AT THE TABLE

Stirring up memories with Cajun Sweet Dough Tarts BY DEBRA TAGHEHCHIAN Contributing writer

A friend recently requested a Cajun Sweet Dough Tart recipe. That sent me digging deep into my old recipe cards where I found a tattered and stained card written by my sister Brenda. Like many families, my mom cooked from memory and repetition, so they probably worked together to get the recipe recorded. The thing I like best about old recipes is that I usually have all the ingredients on hand. Traditional Cajun recipes start with simple ingredients and don’t call for specialty items. This recipe has eggs, vanilla, milk, sugar, butter, baking powder, flour, nutmeg and fig preserves. At any given time, these ingredients were always available in our household. I most remember eating tarts when we traveled. Every summer, we left our family farm and hit the road. All six of us got into the car and traveled the U.S. — Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. Another year, we made it all the way to New Hampshire to visit my uncle in the military. We went to Washington, D.C., too. And of course, there were trips to the Florida beaches. A large plastic storage container held the tarts, which we ate for breakfast with milk or for a snack. We would also stop along the way at fruit stands to see what each area had to offer. I have a clear memory of juicy Georgia peaches. Just a few things to note about this recipe: n Fruit preserves other than fig can be used. n The eggs are separated, and the whites are beaten until stiff before being added to the dough. n The dough is rather wet and should be refrigerated for about one hour so that it can become firm and easier to handle. n Avoid adding too much flour when forming the tarts because that will make a tougher dough. n When filling the tarts, be sure to place the preserves in the center of the dough circle and then fold over the dough to encase the preserves and then crimp the edge of the tart. n The dough can also be made into cookies.

There is much talk about Pecan Island these days. If you ever get a hankering to take a drive to visit the community before things change, be sure to stop at Suire’s Grocery and Restaurant, just south of Kaplan, on the way. They have a nice selection of sweet dough tarts made on-site. Anthony Bourdain stopped at Suire’s when he visited the Acadiana area. I smile to think that he may have enjoyed the Cajun tradition of a sweet dough tart.

Cajun Sweet Dough Tarts

Makes 12 tarts. Recipe is by Audrey Broussard. 3 eggs, separating the whites and yolks 11/2 cups sugar 4 tablespoons room-temperature butter 1/2 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla 3 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 4 cups flour 3-4 cups fruit preserves 1. Separate egg whites from egg yolks. 2. In a large mixing bowl or a stand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff and set aside. 3. Using a stand mixer, mix the egg yolks and sugar and mix until well blended. 4. Add room-temperature butter. 5. Slowly add milk and vanilla and then mix. 6. In a separate bowl, mix baking powder, nutmeg and ﬂour. 7. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and mix. 8. Add beaten egg whites to dough mixture and mix until just combined. 9. Place dough in a bowl, cover and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour. 10. Remove dough from the refrigerator and divide into 12 balls. 11. Lightly ﬂour a surface and roll out each ball into a circle about the size of a saucer. 12. Place about 1 tablespoon of fruit preserves in the center of the dough and fold over dough. Crimp the edges. 13. Place on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350 F, preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until lightly brown.

‘HOLD THAT TI-GER!’

4 notes bring back memories for Golden Band member

BY GREG HOPSON Contributing writer

Greg Hopson is an LSU Tiger Band alumnus. He wrote this essay last year shortly after the LSU Alumni Band weekend, when past band members are invited to perform with the current band on the field during the game. The next band reunion is Saturday when the Tigers take on McNeese State. Tiger Stadium; Baton Rouge; Sept. 16, 1978; capacity, 78,000; attendance, 78,534; 7 p.m.; 80 degrees. My wool band uniform suffocates. Who thought wool was a good idea in Louisiana? The gate to the field opens. We walk toward the field for pre-game. I look around. The sky is pitch black. The stadium lights illuminate the center of the universe. The stadium is full. Everyone is looking at me. I’m in the Tiger Band. Walking on the holiest of holy grounds. I look in the stands. Everyone here wishes they were me. I’m looking for Section 20. For my parents. I’m 18. Memories: 1970 West stands. First LSU game. Ever. With my parents. University of Pacific. I was 10. I wondered how a university was in the Pacific Ocean. 1971 Lower east stands. Boy Scout usher. “Can I help you find your seat?” “I’ve had these seats since 1924 … I don’t need your help.” And she didn’t. 1977 West side stands. Belaire High School Key Club. Sold programs. Got in free. Sat near band.

If I could. Tonight Dad went to high school with Billy Cannon. LSU’s only Heisman Trophy winner. Both went to Istrouma High. Right here in Baton Rouge. Dad sometimes saw him at Frank’s. I never did. Mike the Tiger is in his cageon-wheels. By the visitors’ locker room. When Indiana comes out, he will roar at them. They will be frightened. I hear they do not feed Mike before games. So that he will be grumpy. Now he is being pulled around the ﬁeld in his trailer. Cheerleaders on top. Cheering. 78,000. Cheering. We line up behind the south end zone. I am part of the iconic Tiger Band look that starts off the night. Our uniforms are dark-colored with the white overlays. A Tiger head where the left pocket would be. A gold yellow diagonal stripe from upper right to lower left. A large gold block letter “L” on the back. It all contrasts nicely with our navy uniforms. Navy is not of LSU’s colors. I think of the football uniforms. White jerseys. Gold helmets. Gold pants. I think it is yellow. But it is gold. Canary gold. Unlike navy, canary gold is actually one of LSU’s colors. Same colors as 1958 LSU’s only football national championship. Same colors Billy Cannon

wore when he won the Heisman Trophy. Same colors as in 1970. 1971. 1977. Always. It’s the same. Always. It brings back memories. Always. I’m immersed in the soft rumbling murmur of a stadium full of people talking and moving about. I hear Sid Crocker’s voice booming over the P.A. Doctor Number 2-2-7, please call the medical exchange. Doctor Number 2-2-7, please call the medical exchange. We come to attention in our lines. I hear the whistle. Step off. Bass drum. boom ... boom ... boom boom boom boom ... boom ... boom boom boom boom ... boom ... boom boom boom boom ... boom ... boom boom boom ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR! Drums. I count. Snap the horn up at exactly the right moment. Point horn to the left. HOLD THAT TI-GER. Step forward. Point horn to the right. HOLD THAT TI-GER. Turn around and point to south stands. I am pointing to where my parents are. HOLD … fans jump up as if electrocuted by that note. Waving. Screaming ... THAT TI-GER. Familiar sight. Unfamiliar perspective. Point left. HOLD THAT TI-GER. Face north again. March forward.

— Hopson lives in Baton Rouge. Advocate readers may submit stories of about 500 words to The Human Condition at features@theadvocate.com or The Advocate, Features, 10705 Rieger Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70809. There is no payment, and stories will be edited. Authors should include their city of residence.

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8D ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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BOOKS

‘Death or Victory’ Black soldiers in Louisiana faced enemies from both sides in the Civil War, author writes

BY DOUG GRAHAM Staff writer

“Death or Victory: The Louisiana Native Guard and the Black Military’s Significance in the Civil War,” A.J. Cade, Louisiana State University Press, 416 pages With the onset of the Civil War, hundreds of wealthy and educated Black men moved to form the Louisiana Native Guard in New Orleans as a way to protect their property, their families and their place in the city. They paraded in formation through the streets in decorative uniforms and were a source of pride among the people of color. After the city fell to Union forces, the unit was reorganized under the United States flag and now included other free men as well as newly escaped slaves. Moving forward, serving under their “liberators,” these troops were forced into physical labor and guard work instead of action in the field of battle, given shoddy equipment and forced to take orders from cruel White officers, men who were supposed to be fighting for the freedom of all Black people in the U.S. Author A.J. Cade tells the story of these men in “Death or Victory: The Louisiana Native Guard and the Black Military’s Significance in the Civil War.” His work reveals how, despite their treatment by many of their superior officers in the U.S. Army, these men continued to do everything asked of them while receiving little or no pay and, when given the chance, proved themselves to be willing and able fighters in battle. Before the war, New Orleans was a transnational hub with a diverse Black population, Cade writes. It included free Black and Creole residents who had amassed enough wealth that they were generally treated better than poor White people in the rest of Louisiana, as well as Black people for whom freedom was a newer reality. Cade says the move to form the Native Guard was not a show

SU PRESS

A.J. Cade is the author of ‘Death or Victory.’

of support by Black people for the Confederate government but an effort “to sustain their and society while under racial threat from the white society of the city.” The organizers petitioned Gov. Thomas Moore to offer their services in the city’s home guards, and Moore accepted, creating the 1st Division of the Native Guard, which was separate from the Confederate army. When federal troops moved in, U.S. Gen. Benjamin Butler used the unit as the backbone of the 1st Louisiana Native Guard, the first officially sanctioned all-Black regiment in the U.S. Army, despite the fact he viewed Black soldiers as “inferior and likely to flee once battle began,” Cade notes. Butler did eventually come to appreciate the men as soldiers. The Native Guard grew to thousands of men, including heavy artillery and engineering units, with the troops themselves freeing enslaved people and serving as recruiters for the Black regiments. At first, Black people were allowed to serve as officers for the men, but that changed over time, due in part because of Butler’s replacement as head of the Department of the Gulf. Gen. Nathaniel Banks, a former U.S. Representative from Massachusetts who held dreams of the presidency, did not endorse Black rights of

any kind. He systematically removed Black ofﬁcers from the regiments and replaced them with inferior soldiers who often mistreated the troops. He even worked to remove White ofﬁcers who supported Black soldiers, Cade writes. Banks’ failures as a leader and military strategist did end up giving the Native Guard a chance to truly show its mettle as Union forces attempted to take an important target on the Mississippi River.

The assault on Port Hudson north of Baton Rouge saw Banks in command of about 35,000 troops who faced off against 7,500 Confederate troops within their fortiﬁcations. As federal forces began a poorly planned attack on the Confederate defenses on May 27, 1863, members of the Native Guard were stationed on the far right of the Union formation. What followed would help change how Northern leaders viewed the abilities of Black troops, Cade writes.

The Native Guard regiments were among the first to attack, and they advanced through perilous territory against heavy fire from Confederate batteries and rifles. Despite suffering severe casualties, the Black troops reformed and advanced time after time against the Rebel defenses in an effort to breach the fortifications, even as White troops retreated under the onslaught, according to Cade. Capt. André Cailloux continued to lead his troops, pressing on even after being hit in the arm by a musket ball, until he was killed by shell. When they were finally ordered to retreat — the last Union troops to exit the battlefield — the men formed lines and marched from the field even as Confederate troops continued to fire at them. While the effort came at a dear cost of life for the Native Guard, Cade writes, their bravery earned them accolades from the press and many Union leaders. However, while their heroism was well-reported, the situation for the Black troops did not improve. They remained under the command of racist officers who not only mistreated the troops but were often witnessed drunk in public and accused of sexual crimes against Black women. With the added weight of the fact the Black troops were still not being paid at a rate nearly equal to the White troops, the men in the Native Guard became frustrated and disillusioned with their time in the military. Still, the Native Guard was a success as “the most significant military experiment undertaken by the federal government during the Civil War,” Cade writes. The author also calls for Congress and the state of Louisiana to do more to recognize what those men did for the Union effort. Their fight to earn a better future for their descendants should inspire people today. Email Doug Graham at doug. graham@theadvocate.com.

Annie Dillard pointed me toward Louisiana wonders For those of us who love the good, green world, Annie Dillard offered an abiding reminder that nature isn’t something you have to go deep into the woods to experience. Dillard, who died Sept. 15 at 81, rose to fame in 1974 with “Pilgrim at Tinker Creek,” an account of walks near her house in Roanoke, Virginia. She was sharply attentive to frogs, birds, trees, wind and water, but her excursions typically had her Dillard back home by dark. That book inspired readers everywhere to pay more attention to wonders just beyond their window. When I spot a cardinal by the porch of my Louisiana place or a full moon above my roof, I feel grateful to Dillard for teaching

When Dillard was awarded a 2014 National Humanities Medal, a magazine editor asked if I’d be willing to profile the honoree in advance of the White House ceremony. Though reluctant to grant interviews, Dillard agreed to connect by email, and our conversation touched on her worry about what me that miracles can live at a loshe’d wear when she visited 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. I gathered that cal address. Dillard wasn’t much of a clothes She was also deeply aware that horse, but she was anxious about nature, whatever its blessings, looking nice when the ceremonial could be scary, too. “After thousands of years we’re medal was looped around her neck. Watching the subsequent still strangers to darkness,” she news coverage, I saw that Dillard told readers, “fearful aliens in had selected a sleeveless summer an enemy camp with our arms dress. crossed over our chests.” She seemed fine, but I was I’ve also thought about that reality when hurricanes come and the moved to think about the special burdens women often bear in belights go out. Like many who are fond of the ing judged about how they look outdoors, Dillard often seemed rather than how they think. more at home with plants and Dillard had faced a related chalanimals than with other people. lenge in 1974 when she first made

Dannny Heitma Danny Heitman an

her way to the bestseller list. At the time, nature writing was dominated by men, but her success helped create a path for other women to embrace the genre.

Nature writers such as Kathleen Dean Moore, Kathleen Jamie and Margaret Renkl now occupy favored places on my bookshelf, and that might not have happened, I suspect, if Dillard hadn’t helped pave the way. Wardrobe choices, of course, weren’t the most important thing Dillard and I discussed. When our conversation turned to literary inﬂuences, she mentioned Italian writer Primo Levi as a hero, lauding him as “a writer of integrity: no sentimentalism, no cheap shots, no grandstanding, no quarter asked.” At her best, Dillard met that ideal herself. The pilgrimage she undertook in her own corner of the world still invites us to look around where we happen to live and be changed by what we see. Email Danny Heitman at danny@ dannyheitman.com.

THIS WEEK’S BESTSELLERS FROM PUBLISHERS WEEKLY HARDCOVER FICTION

1. “Burn of the Everﬂame” by Penn Cole 2. “The Calamity Club” by Kathryn Stockett 3. “Fury in Death” by J.D. Robb 4. “The Knave and the Moon” by Rachel Gillig 5. “Taipei Story (deluxe ed.)” by R.F. Kuang 6. “The Altar of Pergamon” by Jonathan Cahn 7. “The Pirate Queen” by Ariel Lawhon 8. “The Witches of Cambridge” by Alice Hoffman 9. “Yesteryear” by Caro Claire Burke 10. “Tempest (deluxe ed.)” by Victoria Aveyard

HARDCOVER NONFICTION

1. “The Counterrevolution” by Victor Davis Hanson 2. “How to Eat an Elephant” by Sarah Longwell 3. “Heal Your Cells” by Axe/Cole 4. “Greek Out” by Maria Koutsogiannis 5. “The Art of Fighting” by Priya Parker 6. “Homemaking with Babs” by Barbara Costello 7. “Limitless Daily” by Jim Kwik 8. “Floating Mountains” by Joe Rohde 9. “The Art of KPop Demon Hunters (platinum ed.)” by Tracey Miller-Zarneke 10. “The Book of Possibility” by Jim Curtis

TRADE PAPERBACK

1. “Theo of Golden” by Allen Levi 2. “The Elijah Mandate” by Amir Tsarfati 3. “Stitched” by Eli McCann 4. “Dungeon Crawler Carl” by Matt Dinniman 5. “Brain Damage” by Freida McFadden 6. “Verity” by Colleen Hoover 7. “Absolute Batman, Vol. 3: Devil’s Workshop” by Scott Snyder et al 8. “Wild Dark Shore” by Charlotte McConaghy 9. “The Killer Isn’t Alice” by Iris Starling 10. “Big Bad Wolf” by Laurie Gilmore

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ 9D

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GETTING THE ENGINES RUNNING For staff photographer Michael Johnson, a hot Saturday night at Baton Rouge Raceway in Baker turned out to be a homecoming to a place he had never been. Johnson grew up in a small community in rural New York, south of Rochester. His father and grandfather ran a garage there, with a towing service and a junkyard attached. He learned to drive at 8 years old in the junkyard. His family’s Saturday nights belonged to Woodhull Raceway — all sorts of relatives showed up, some of them behind the wheel. He has photographed NASCAR since 2000 and still takes his vacation around the Indianapolis 500. He’s lived in Baton Rouge for more than four years but didn’t know until recently that the area had a raceway of its own. The track sits just off Plank Road near Baker. Admission is $20. “What really caught me is I was walking in, and I hadn’t been at a small track like that in a while,” he said. “I was picking up the car smells — the race fuel — they run a little bit different kind of gas. That was kind of nostalgic to me.” Hot laps (practice laps) started at 7 p.m. The grandstands held what Johnson guessed was more than 1,000 people. Families staked out seats to watch kids racing their own dirt go-karts. Race teams invited Johnson to share a plate of food. The track had just been resurfaced with a fresh layer of dirt before the season came to a close. Championship rounds start this weekend and will run until the season ends Oct. 31. He stayed until 12:30 the next morning, through four or ﬁve classes of racing, already planning his way back. “You walk away a little dusty,” Johnson said. “Once the dirt starts drying on the track, the dust kicks up. But I mean, to me it’s a good time.” — Jan Risher

BY MICHAEL JOHNSON | Staff photographer

A crew member helps push the ASCS Hurricane Area Super Sprint car to be driven by Rusty Sanford out of the pit stall.

Driver Roger Flynn pilots the Crusa Street Stocks class car out during hot laps at Baton Rouge Raceway.

ASCS Hurricane Area Super Sprints driver Hadley Morgan exits Turn 2 during hot laps at the Baton Rouge Raceway in Baker.

Driver walk the track before racing begins at the Baton Rouge Raceway in Baker. Sprint cars line up four wide for a fan salute before the feature for the ASCS Hurricane Area Super Sprints.

Driver Lester Leger pumps his fist after winning the Limited Modified feature race.

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10D n Sunday, September 27, 2026 n theadvocate.com n The Advocate

TODAY IN HISTORY Today is Sunday, Sept. 27, the 270th day of 2026. There are 95 days left in the year. Today in history: On Sept. 27, 1996, the Taliban, the extremist Islamic movement in Afghanistan, drove the government of President Burhanuddin Rabbani out of Kabul, the capital, and executed former President Najibullah. Also on this date: In 1779, John Adams was named by Congress to negotiate the Revolutionary War’s peace terms with Britain. In 1939, Warsaw, Poland, surrendered after weeks of resistance to invading forces from Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union during World War II. In 1940, Germany, Italy and Japan signed the Tripartite Pact, formally allying the World War II Axis powers. In 1964, the government publicly released the report of the Warren Commission, which concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in assassinating President John F. Kennedy. In 1979, Congress gave its final approval to forming the U.S. Department of Education. In 1991, President George H.W. Bush announced in a televised address that he was eliminating all U.S. ground-launched battlefield nuclear weapons and called on the Soviet Union to match the gesture. In 2013, President Barack Obama and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani spoke by telephone, the first conversation between American and Iranian leaders in more than 30 years. In 2018, Christine Blasey Ford testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that she was “100%” certain that she was sexually assaulted by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh when they were teenagers, and Kavanaugh then told senators that he was “100% certain” he had done no such thing. Kavanaugh was confirmed on Oct. 6 of that year. In 2021, R&B singer R. Kelly was convicted in a sex trafficking trial in New York after numerous allegations of misconduct with young women and children; a federal appeals court upheld the convictions and his 30-year prison sentence in 2025. In 2023, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio set a U.S. record of 371 days in space, returning to Earth from the International Space Station with Russian cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin. In 2024, an Israeli airstrike killed one of the founding members of Lebanon's Iranian-backed militant and political group Hezbollah. Hassan Nasrallah was killed in a precision attack as Hezbollah leaders were meeting at their headquarters in a suburb south of Beirut. Today’s Birthdays: Musician Randy Bachman (Bachman-Turner Overdrive) is 83. Actor Liz Torres is 79. Baseball Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt is 77. Singer and actor Shaun Cassidy is 68. Comedian and podcaster Marc Maron is 63. Actor Gwyneth Paltrow is 54. Actor Indira Varma is 53. Musicianactor Carrie Brownstein is 52. Actor Anna Camp is 44. Rapper Lil Wayne is 44. Musician Avril Lavigne is 42. Actor Jenna Ortega is 24. Actor Janice LeAnn Brown is 16.

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Grad school making friends less reliable Half an hour after the appointed arDear Miss Manners: A number of my friends have gone back to school for rival time that evening, I called her graduate degrees, while I and a to see whether she was coming. few others continue to work. Not only was she not coming, she When we all worked, we had didn't apologize for neglecting to similar financial means and call me! Others didn't even email were able to plan events far in me. Out of eight expected guests, advance. We went to the thefour showed up. I had a lot of leftater, had dinner at home or out, overs. Judith had parties and so forth. I was once a diligent student, Martin I was prepared for my and I know no one studies 24 MISS friends to be in dire finanhours a day. I don't want to stop MANNERS entertaining for the next five cial straits once they started years while these people get their school, and happily resigned myself to cheaper evening activities so lives in order. What should I do? Gentle Reader: Indecisiveness and the I could still enjoy their company. inability to keep commitments are a What I was not prepared for was a widespread social problem, which has precipitous drop in manners! It is now impossible to pin them down indeed led to the demise of private enfor any activity. For example, I protertaining. But as these are the same people who posed that they come over to watch a were previously able to plan, let us look DVD I received as a gift. I offered to at what has changed. cook dinner beforehand; eight people When they were in the workforce, accepted the invitation. Then, the day there was a time that they got off work. of the event, I got an email from one (Remote work is ruining that, but never guest saying that she had to study, mind that now.) So they were free to wasn't sure she could come and would schedule the rest of their time. call later.

But studying knows no limits. One of the joys of being a student is the constant feeling that you really should be studying instead of enjoying yourself. (Not that studying cannot also be enjoyable.) So this may indeed be a phase — but, as you realize, a long one. Nevertheless, these are your longterm friends, so you can let them see the problem from your perspective. When issuing an invitation, ask, “Can you definitely commit to this? Because I don't want to be stuck with a lot of leftovers if you find you need to cancel at the last minute.” You will be tempted to add “except for an emergency,” but don't. To a student, failing to be ready for a test qualifies as an emergency. If they fail to understand, Miss Manners would conclude that they have succumbed to the general rudeness that claims the name of spontaneity, and put plans with them on hold. Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com or to dearmissmanners@gmail.com.

Don't use ice cubes when watering orchids Dear Heloise: I've seen a few of your columns regarding watering orchids with ice. According to Arthur Chadwick of Chadwick & Son Orchids, orchids are tropical and can be damaged by ice water. Hints from Regular watering with Heloise room-temperature water is best. — Steve L., via email Steve, I think people want to give the orchid a slow watering, but you're correct. Room temperature is actually a safer way to water any tropical plant. Tropical plants are beautiful but require a little more care than a regular houseplant. — Heloise

A convulsing cat Dear Heloise: A couple of weeks ago, my cat was very ill and began to have convulsions. I tried to pick him up but got some nasty scratches for my efforts. He's doing ﬁne now, but if there's a next time, what should I do to keep my cat safe and comfortable — and keep me from becoming a victim of his claws? — Carmen H., in Augusta, Georgia Carmen, here are some suggestions: First, keep your hands/ﬁngers as far away from the cat's mouth as possible.

Gently and carefully wrap the cat in a large bath towel or a small blanket to help restrain it.Move it away from furniture or anything that's made of glass or a breakable material.Call your veterinarian for further instructions. — Heloise

Learning responsibility Dear Heloise: My 9-year-old son wanted to get a puppy. I told him when he was 11, he could have a dog. However, there'd be certain duties and responsibilities pertaining to the dog. First, he had to feed the dog breakfast and dinner every day. The ﬁrst time he skipped this chore, he'd get a warning. If there was a second time, the dog would be given away (and he knew that I meant it). He had to walk the dog daily after school. He had to pick up the dog poo and place it in a plastic bag, then toss it in the garbage bin when he returned home. So, why the restrictions and rules? To teach him responsibilities. A dog is a family member. They get hungry, thirsty and lonely, and they feel pain and need attention. No child over 10 years of age is too young to learn responsibility. — Jake M., in Camden, New Jersey

Finding Socky Dear Heloise: We had our dog, Bosco, for 17 years. They said that he was between 3 and 5 when we adopted him. Needless to say, when the time came, it was one of the saddest days for me and my wife. We loved him, but taking care of an aging dog is very hard emotionally, as well as physically. We decided not to get another dog as we are in our 70s now. Then, one day, we noticed a really beat-up cat sleeping on our patio chair. We started feeding her. It's been over four years now that we've been feeding our little “Socky.” She lives in our backyard and lets us both pet her. She gets fed and loved, and when we travel, we hire someone to feed her. She ﬁlls a space in our hearts that our little doggy ﬁlled for years. Now this mangy, street-raised, scarred-up cat is the love of our lives. We can feel the gratitude and love that she gives us for taking care of her. Cats are truly magic. — John C., in Tucson,Arizona John, it's amazing how attached we get to our pets! Thanks for writing in. — Heloise Send a hint to heloise@heloise.com.

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RISKS VS. REWARDS These La. entrepreneurs see AI promise and peril: ‘Everyone’s going to have agentic teammates’ BY RICH COLLINS | Staff writer One weekday afternoon last month, a Tulane University freshman was taking an oral exam in a classroom on the first floor of the school’s Dinwiddie Hall as some of her classmates looked on. But the student wasn’t being grilled by her professor. Instead, she was fielding questions from an artificial intelligence “agent” — the voice and questions all generated by computer code — as her laptop’s camera documented the conversation to make sure she wasn’t cheating. A few minutes later, the exam results were shared with her professor, who used the information to help assign a grade. The scene, made possible by a locally developed AI tool called OralExam.ai, is one of many examples of how AI is finding its way into daily life in Louisiana, as schools, businesses and other organizations experiment with the power of the rapidly evolving technology to get things done. The exploration is happening as concerns grow nationwide and globally about the technology’s po-

IDEAS &

INNOVATION

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Tulane professor Darryl Glade leads a class. Glade is co-founder of a company that uses artificial intelligence to help test students to make sure they’re learning material even if they used AI to write their papers. the web, several industry experts have sounded the alarm, positing that AI poses an existential threat to humanity. Others, more pragmatic, have said, at the very least, that tech companies should slow their development or agree to certain safeguards. While national experts debate what to do, several Louisiana comJUSTIN WOHLSTADER, panies are anything but slowing down as they continue to tap into marketing entrepreneur the power of AI to write code more quickly, increase productivity and tential long-term threats. In recent weeks, after reports bring business ideas to life. The surfaced about AI “agents” break- adoption of AI tools is also creating ing out of their testing environ- entire new business opportunities, ments and hacking into systems on they say.

“We have created a very powerful technology and that produces risks. Now the question is what do we do about it, and we have to be careful that regulation doesn’t just benefit the incumbents.”

At a forum on the topic last week at The Nieux, a gathering place for techies and entrepreneurs, panelists encouraged attendees to roll up their sleeves and experiment with AI tools as much as possible, likening this moment to the dawn of the internet age a quarter century ago that unleashed a new generation of corporate behemoths on the world. “The capabilities of AI that people are most worried about are the same ones that make it so exciting for the potential good it can do,” said Aron Culotta, a Tulane computer science professor.

ä See AI, page 2E

Billions of dollars of investment converge in Iberville, Ascension

acres of land near the bor- said the three Louisiana projects, Nuclear reactors, data 4,000 der between Ascension and Iber- known as Amberjack, Barracuda parishes, where the compa- and Cayman, can proceed indecenter campuses, ville ny hopes to eventually build two pendently. natural gas plants, a pair of small Though not a data center develgas-powered plants nuclear reactors, a battery park oper, he described his company as and possibly a solar farm to meet “data center-adjacent.” It secures proposed

BY JONAH MEADOWS Staff writer

A Florida-based energy startup is pitching Ascension and Iberville parishes on an ambitious series of large-scale projects that the company says could lead to as much as $40 billion in capital investment and boost Louisiana’s electricity generation capacity by 20%. One Nuclear Energy has signed letters of intent with landowners allowing it to purchase about

demand from power-hungry data centers and industrial users. The proposal comes as billions of dollars of investment converge in the area, including a $5.8 billion Hyundai Steel plant and a $4 billion CF Industries ammonia facility in Ascension Parish’s RiverPlex MegaPark — not to mention the massive data center campuses under construction in Caddo, Bossier and Richland parishes to its north or the SpaceX project to its south. Chris Hansmeyer, One Nuclear’s chief development officer,

land and permits before ﬁnding a hyperscaler — like Amazon, Microsoft or Google — interested in building there. “Part of our business structure is to put in place permitted campuses, like an anchor tenant strategy, where you have a data center-ready pad that the data center builder comes in, build on, operates, and then we deliver the energy to them,” Hansmeyer said in an interview Tuesday. “That’s the strategy.”

PROVIDED RENDERING

One Nuclear Energy is seeking to purchase about 4,000 acres of land near the border between Ascension and Iberville parishes, with plans to eventually build a bevy of structures, including two natural gas plants and ä See PLANTS, page 2E a pair of small nuclear reactors.

2E ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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Continued from page 1E “The ability to digest massive amounts of information and combine it in new ways is fundamentally accelerating our work, whether its scientists making new discoveries or doctors caring for patients.” One of the panelists at the event, tech entrepreneur and Tulane professor Darryl Glade, partnered earlier this year to launch OralExam. ai, the testing tool he’s rolling out commercially this semester. The company won a Tulane Innovation Institute pitch competition last week. Glade and his partners John Renne and Kevin Truong are fighting fire with fire — or AI with AI — by addressing one of the technology’s most immediate threats: massive disruption at academic institutions trying to prepare graduates for a world altered by advances in intelligent software while also making sure students aren’t handing in papers written with the push of a button. The partners believe schools should be less concerned with stopping students from using AI in their studies and more focused on making sure they’re learning. “The knee-jerk reaction to completely ban it is wrong,” Glade said. “We’re going back to the Socratic method. You talk to the student about the subject, and that’s how you find out what they know.” The company’s plan is for students to take the AI-administered tests in their dorms, homes or any quiet place. Built-in “integrity monitors” include a video of the session along with software that tracks activity on the computer screen and keyboard. Glade, who sold an unrelated tech company five years ago for more than $5 million, said his new venture has administered nearly 1,000 tests through pilot programs at two New Orleans-area high schools, Tulane and other universities. He’s negotiating with potential customers now. “This prevents professors from becoming AI investigators, which creates tension between them and their students,” he said.

Products for ‘AI teammates’ While Glade and his partners are aiming to use AI to solve a problem caused by AI, Justin Wohlstader, a marketing entrepreneur, said he’s using it to capture businesses opportunities the tech has created. At last week’s panel, Wohlstadter said he’s using AI to rapidly speed up development of a new product to be released by his digital marketing research and strategy company Waldo. The product, called Adveron, isn’t necessarily designed for people to use. Instead, Wohlstadter’s team is targeting a new demographic: the AI agents that are becoming commonplace in the marketing industry, doing everything from monitoring social media to contacting clients and creating marketing plans entirely on their own. “If we’re all going to have AI teammates, they’re going to need great data to do their jobs,” Wohlstadter said. “To create great mar-

PLANTS

Continued from page 1E

Going nuclear One Nuclear is based in West Palm Beach, Florida, and led by longtime BP executive Richard Taylor, who co-founded the firm in 2022. The company aims to have natural gas plants by 2028 and the nuclear reactors by 2034. The company began trading on the Nasdaq Thursday after merging with Hennessy Capital Investment Corp. VII, a “blank-check” company that raised $190 million for the purchase and valued the company at more than $1 billion, despite not yet having any significant assets, revenue, operating history or developments under construction, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. “This is a great time to be coming to market — a time when rising demand and policy action have put gas and nuclear at the top of the new energy agenda in the U.S.,” Taylor told investors last year. Investment in electricity generation is booming, as AI companies need so much power many are building their own plants. Natural gas-fired capacity in development nearly tripled in 2025, with more than a third of that set for data centers. During the same period, investment in nuclear startups more than doubled. So far, it’s the gas plants actually getting built, while nuclear projects remain in development,

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Words from a projector illuminate the face of Tulane professor Darryl Glade as he stands in front of a class. Glade partnered earlier this year to launch OralExam.ai, an artificial intelligence testing tool that is rolling out commercially this semester. The company recently won a Tulane Innovation Institute pitch competition.

his colleagues at Hello Gravel, a fast-growing company that sells bulk landscaping materials online, used AI to rebuild their entire complicated website and e-commerce platform over a recent weekend.

Investing in ‘white hats’ AI skeptics foresee doomsday scenarios, like software hacking into power grids or deploying biological weapons on their own. Boosters write off such talk as paranoid fantasies — or self-serving rhetoric from CEOs and others who want to lower investors’ expectations without fully bursting the AI bubble boosting the U.S. economy. Wohlstadter, the digital marketer, is among those who thinks the doomsayers are overreacting. “We have created a very powerful technology and that produces risks,” he said. “Now the question is what do we do about it, and we have to be careful that regulation doesn’t just benefit the incumbents.” Culotta said he believes the STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER threats that need to be managed Michael Agnello, from left, Lindsey Sullivan, Justin Wohlstadter and Taylor Simoneaux, of Waldo, a marketing AI have less to do with AI deciding on its own to create harm to humans tool, sit at the Idea Village in New Orleans in 2025. The company’s new product, Adveron, is targeting the AI and more to do with managing the agents that are becoming commonplace. ‘If we’re all going to have AI teammates, they’re going to need great way AI has lowered the barrier of data to do their jobs,’ Wohlstadter said. entry for cyber criminals. “It’s always been an arms race, keting content, AI agents will need dustries as he anticipates a future who aren’t software engineers to patching security flaws before others identify them,” he said. to understand what the audience when “everyone is going to have join the process. “If I’d had this idea a year and “We’re seeing that play out again, is talking about, what competitors agentic teammates at work who are doing, what the complaints help them accomplish their jobs.” a half ago, we would have spent and that means investment in Glade and Wohlstadter both said $600,000 and taken much more white hats, the people preventing about a product are. We bundle all this data and give agents digital AI has helped them another very time,” Glade said. “Now it was attacks, is critical.” important way, allowing them and nearly free.” keys to access it.” Andrew Dunn, another partici- Email Rich Collins at rich. Wohlstadter said more products their teams to write code faster, will be coming soon for many in- and making it possible for people pant at the AI event, said he and collins@theadvocate.com.

though there is strong support from the administrations of President Donald Trump and Gov. Jeff Landry for them to move forward. One Nuclear’s Louisiana portfolio is made up of three projects, located in close proximity to one another along on the west bank of the Mississippi River in Ascension and Iberville parishes. Each is expected to cost upwards of $2 billion to $10 billion if data centers are included — and lead to 150 to 300 permanent jobs, according to industry benchmarks and company ofﬁcials.

A Louisiana trilogy The Amberjack project is the most experimental of One Nuclear’s Louisiana proposals and the only one to include a nuclear component: a small modular reactor. Such reactors, which can generate up to about a third as much power as utility-scale plants, have been used by the U.S. military in submarines and aircraft carriers since the 1950s. But they have yet to be deployed in a civilian setting outside of Russia or China, though construction on one is underway in Wyoming. “We can’t really point to something and say it’s just going to be like the one we built down the road five years ago,” said Eric Smith, associate director of the Tulane Energy Institute. “These are proven technologies but ﬁrstof-its-kind commercial applications.” Smith said the appeal of the new generation of reactors comes from their speed of construction and potential for scale. Instead of having to be pieced together on

site over the course of a decade like a conventional, utility-scale reactor, the modular reactors can be built mostly in factories, with sections shipped to a build site on barges. Still, nuclear energy remains costly. Planned for nearly 900 acres on the Mississippi along the Ascension-Iberville parish line, Amberjack’s estimated price tag is the highest of the three projects even as it will generate the least electricity of the three. Hansmeyer said there’s strong interest in riverfront reactors from economic development ofﬁcials and a commitment from Gov. Jeff Landry to expand nuclear power in the state. “We actually went out and secured the site and started the conversation because we were asked to prioritize (small modular reactor) development in Louisiana,” he said. “And we’re excited to do that because that’s the whole reason we exist.” The Cayman project, the smallest in land area but largest in generation, is envisioned as a natural gas and battery storage project capable of producing 2.8 gigawatts, enough to power about 90% of Louisiana households. Located on 400 acres outside the MegaPark, it would also include 700 megawatts of battery storage and the potential for an adjacent data center campus. Barracuda is the largest project and the ﬁrst Louisiana site on One Nuclear’s radar, consisting of about 2,700 acres stretching across La. 1 in Iberville Parish. On one side would be an energy park with a mix of 1.2 gigawatts

of natural gas power plants, 300 megawatts of battery storage and the potential for 270 megawatts of solar panels. Hansmeyer has experience developing electricity projects in Louisiana. The prior company he founded, Amino Sustainability Group, developed solar projects in Acadia, St. Landry and Pointe Coupee parishes, including the state’s largest, before it was acquired by One Nuclear in August. On Tuesday, Hansmeyer made his pitch directly to the Iberville Parish Council, pledging to work directly with parish ofﬁcials and explaining he needed to be sure of their support before investing the $180 million per project needed to get the overall development moving. “We need to have some clarity as a developer that we’ve got some support, and that if I follow all the rules … that we’ve got a ﬁghter’s chance to get a permit,” he said.

Watts next For now, One Nuclear’s plans only exist on paper. It has yet to choose a reactor maker or begin formal reviews with the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission or the Louisiana Public Service Commission. And its proposal for a battery energy storage system must contend with a two-year moratorium on construction adopted by Iberville Parish in July. Energy experts say the project also faces a range of regulatory hurdles and changing market conditions. “I would be skeptical if any data

center gets built after Meta finishes theirs, because then you’ll have this giant, humming hot parish,” said Tyler Gray, director of energy innovation at the LSU Energy Institute. “I’m not trying to poo-poo economic development, I’m just saying I’ll believe it when I see it.” Selling power directly to a customer, rather than through the regulated monopoly utility, could also draw pushback, said Jackson Voss, government affairs and policy coordinator of the Alliance for Affordable Energy, a consumer advocacy group. “It is generally the case that the utilities are going to be resistant to efforts that would cause somebody else to make more money selling electricity,” Voss said, “when they would be the one who would normally provide that electricity.” Hansmeyer said he isn’t worried about a lack of demand for One Nuclear’s energy, even if the needs change over time. “There may be enough data centers in the next five years to satisfy everything that we need to run our AI and to manage our lives,” he said. “But the need will shift to gridlevel energy and desalinization and green hydrogen and ammonium processing.” One Nuclear plans to hold its first public meetings in October, though no date or location has yet been set. Email Jonah Meadows at jonah. meadows@theadvocate.com or message him on Signal at meadows.504.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ 3E

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

BR nonprofit connects area farmers, consumers BY IANNE SALVOSA

Staff writer

Darlene Adams Rowland says there’s a little bit of magic in farmers’ markets. She’s the executive director of Big River Economic & Agricultural Development Alliance, which works with farmers across 17 parishes to connect them with consumers, most notably hosting more than 130 farmers markets around Baton Rouge each year. This year, BREADA is celebrating its 30th anniversary of supporting local farmers, increasing food access and encouraging community. “It’s a very carefully curated experience,” she said in an interview at Main Street Market, a BREADA-run food hall that incubates small restaurants. “Every market we put on has that sort of magical feel when you walk in.” It’s not an easy task. The nonproﬁt fundraises about 90% of its budget and earns a bit of revenue from farmers market booth fees and rent from Main Street Market tenants. It’s all to ensure farmers in their network receive the full retail price of the crops they sell. Almost half of Red Stick Farmers Market vendors make at least 50% of their income at the events, according to a 2025 study by Riverbend Research, the consulting arm of the Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership. The markets generate $3.7 million in direct sales and $6.8 million in total economic activity each year. In this week’s Talking Business, Rowland discusses BREADA’s achievements, connections between farmers and the local economy and food policy. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. What are some of the organization’s biggest accomplishments over the past 30 years? There’s a lot to be proud of in the 30 years. I give credit to our co-founders Susan Turner and

Q&A WITH DARLENE ADAMS ROWLAND

picked, and those all start going down the longer it is till you eat it. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BIG RIVER ECONOMIC & AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT ALLIANCE The second thing is knowing who you’re buying from. One of the things we found: we surveyed customers, vendors at all of our markets, and they found a 96% trust level between shoppers and our vendors at the market, which is pretty incredible. Baton Rouge talks a lot about wanting to retain young people, and I would venture to say that this is one of the most important things that we have based on data to retain young people because they want authentic experiences. The third part is what it’s doing for people’s mental health. You’ve not only got your groceries and you have a high trust level and you’re getting nutritious food, but you had a really positive outdoor sunshine experience while shopping, increasing your mental health, making you feel happier and less alone. Are there any food policies that are top of mind for you right now? Food policies that we’re looking at are reducing barriers for farmers to be able to have more sales. STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS There’s a lot of barriers in proDarlene Adams Rowland, Big River Economic & Development Alliance executive director, stands inside Main cessing for meat, things like that. There’s not enough places to get Street Market. meat and hard livestock processed around. There’s lots of pain points Chris Campany for starting this 30 that I think we’ve expanded our make sure they are indeed growcustomer base. By having proalong the food chain to getting the years ago. That was the first big ing what you know they intend to food to market. We look at things accomplishment was just creating grams like that, it truly makes the sell at the market. When you allow like that. How do we reduce a farmers market in Baton Rouge. market a reflection of our comresale into the market, now you’ve regulations to where we can have Since then, we’ve expanded from got farmers competing against munity. I always like to say the more meat processing plants? that one downtown market to up to market is the perfect cross-secpeople who aren’t farmers. It’s That encourages people to open four weekly markets. really important to us that all the tion of our community. You have Another huge one is around activities that happen in this mar- them across the state, so farmevery demographic from young 2010, when we were able to start and old. You have every socioers aren’t driving long distances ket are going back to people who accepting electronic benefits like economic status. You have every are actively farming and growing when it’s time to harvest. SNAP and WIC. That was huge. gender and race. So many people We’re always looking at ways to the food, so we can support them It’s increasing food access, but are trying to create those spaces, and make sure that it’s supporting make sure that families that use also that brought an additional and it happens naturally at the Louisiana farmers in agriculture. SNAP are still able to shop at the revenue stream for our farmers market, which is really special. market. Sometimes there’s things What’s the value of setting your current that they didn’t have before. We Do you feel there is a public awareness of craving aside and taking a look at what’s in that come up that may make it match SNAP benefits up to $40. the connection between farmers and local more difficult for that to happen season? Now you’ve got an additional $40 economy? at farmers markets. We definitely It’s going to be more nutritious per transaction flowing through I think there’s some awareness, for you because, the food was stay involved and watch the legfarmers’ hands, and at the same but certainly not a broad awaregenerally picked within 24 hours, islature closely to make sure that time, you have families getting and there’s all kinds of studies anything that’s being passed is not ness. double the amount of fresh food. to show that food has most nutrigoing to have a negative impact Our staff actually goes out on What I’m also really proud of is every farm when they apply to ents in it from the moment it was anymore.

$2.8 billion in customer savings. And that’s just the beginning. Over the next 20 years, Entergy Louisiana customers will see $2.8 billion in bill savings from Entergy data center service agreements under our Fair Share Plus pledge. Our Fair Share Plus pledge protects existing customers and ensures data centers pay their fair share for the power they use. Customers across the state will also see economic beneﬁts, including millions in new community investments and tax revenues, new jobs, and stronger local infrastructure. We’re committed to powering the families and businesses we serve – today and for future generations – while keeping energy affordable and reliable for all. Learn more at Entergy.com/DataCenters/Louisiana. A message from Entergy Louisiana, LLC © 2026 Entergy Services, LLC. All rights reserved. Not paid for at customer expense.

4E ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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AROUND THE REGION Shreveport community college has $30M —and a bucket list Exterior remodel, updated classrooms among projects

BY LIZ SWAINE Staff writer

Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College Chancellor Jayda Spillers is working to AIproof jobs. But first, she wants to get children as young as middle school to start having experiences that could later turn into careers. A recent program called Spark Force at the Minden campus started connecting the dots. “The students explored everything from advanced manufacturing, a little electrical, a little bit of welding, instrumentation, and I love to see our female students interested. There’s no reason why they shouldn’t be and there’s no reason why they shouldn’t do it as well or better,” she said. Spillers is looking for funding to next bring the program to the Shreveport campus, while also finding the right data center contacts with STACK Infrastructure and Amazon Web Services. AWS is spending $18 billion to build three data centers in Bossier and Caddo parishes, and STACK will develop and own the facilities. Building the centers is expected to create 2,250 construction jobs, while the facilities will create about 750 permanent, direct jobs. “What do we need to get these data centers up and running? I feel like that’s where we come in. There is much to do,” she said. It’s not just about getting a degree or certificate, she said. “It’s about what you do with that education and how you use it.” Spillers said NLTCC wants to hear from employers on where they’re facing headwinds. “Let us handle the first steps, and do the entry-level training that you’re needing, and then you take it beyond for the specialty areas of what you’re looking at doing. I

have an education degree, and the school will teach them to handle classroom management and plan lessons. Right now she has openings for people with welding and electrician skills in Shreveport, for an instrumentation teacher in Minden, and an industrial maintenance instructor in Mansfield. The school at 2010 North Market St. recently marked its 90th anniversary. The campus opened in 1936 as Shreveport Trade School. Spillers said the campus needed a refresh in time for its big birthday. NLTCC has been able to bond $30 million for an exterior remodel and updated classrooms. “I’ll go as far as I can go, and look, they laughed at me about pinching pennies. I’m like, I will go as far as I can to every single last penny. We are a good steward of our dollars,” she said. As Spillers walks through the campus, she points out improvements along the way. “Powerwashing the walls, repainting, redoing the floors.” She pulled open a door to show one classroom that is not currentSTAFF PHOTOS By LIZ SWAINE ly being used. “I sat there and I Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College Chancellor Jayda Spillers visits with students from one of thought ‘I don’t know whether to laugh or cry, but I do know this, the campus’ nursing classes. I do not want my students or my faculty or staff in rooms that look think that would be a great partlike this.’ ” nership. We can come up with a After all, new skills can’t be creative solution,” she said. taught on out-of-date equipment. NLTCC focuses on training the Spillers’ next goal is a new allied “soft” skills of showing up on health building that will include a time, getting along with other new student center. She hopes to employees or customers, problem use some of the bond money to solving and showing initiative. It help with the costs. is embedded in everything they Her target date for construction do, she said. “The three R’s. Are to begin is April. you reliable? Are you relatable? “We could do a second phase. And are you relevant? And we So I’m hoping for anybody that ask ourselves the same things. I is really interested in what we’re expect our instructors to model doing in the workforce field that this, because if they can’t model believes in this community colthis, how will our students be able to do this?” lege mission that would like to be There is big demand locally for involved, you know, please contact electricians and welders, and the Work is underway in one of the college’s corridors. me.” pay is climbing. Since education pay can’t compete, when she’s retirees who want to make sure A benefit to NLTCC, she said, Email Liz Swaine at liz.swaine@ hunting for teachers, she looks for skills are handed down. is that instructors don’t have to theadvocate.com.

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3 steps to joining 401(k) millionaire club Your daily latte habit is not keeping you from becoming a 401(k) millionaire. To reach that goal, you need three things: time, discipline and patience. Fidelity Investments reported earlier this month that the number of 401(k) millionaires in the funds it manages reached a record high of 769,000 in the second quarter of this year. That’s a Michelle 19% increase from Singletary 646,000 in the preTHE COLOR vious quarter and OF MONEy a 30% jump yearover-year. While these figures reflect only plans managed by Fidelity, one of the nation’s largest 401(k) administrators, they provide useful insight into how workers are building retirement wealth. Here’s how these folks joined the millionaire club. Time. The average 401(k) millionaire has contributed to their plan for 25 years, benefiting from compounding growth. Discipline. As they earn more money, these investors save even more, increasing their savings rate. Workers with seven-figure balances save at or above the 15% savings rate of pretax income recommended by Fidelity. That rate can be a combination of their own contributions and any matching employer contributions. More people are reaching that

benchmark. The average 401(k) savings rate remained at a record level for the second consecutive quarter, according to Fidelity. Workers put away a record 9.6% of their income on average. Combined with a 4.8% employer match, that meant overall savings reached a record 14.4%, close to hitting the 15% goal. Patience. They stay calm during periods of market chaos. The 2020 pandemic crash, which then triggered high inflation and supply chain shocks, led to market swings that knocked some savers out of the 401(k) millionaire’s club. Yet time and again, history shows that investors who held steady through market volatility see their balances recover. These savers are to be admired for their financial tenacity. However, while these sevenfigure accounts grab the headlines, 401(k) millionaires represent just 3% of all Fidelity savers. Does this mean the remaining people are being reckless, wildly spending when they know they should be saving? I’ve heard some experts berate people for the small expenses they contend are holding people back from joining the millionaire’s club. A grande pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks costs about $6.50, depending on market pricing. Not factoring in holidays or vacation time, buying one every single workday would add up to about $1,690 a year. That’s not chump change, but it’s also not what’s stop-

ping working families from building wealth. Blaming anyone’s daily latte misses the point. It’s the bigger expenses that are eating up their paychecks, preventing them from saving for retirement. According to the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, nearly half of U.S. renters in 2024 qualified as “cost-burdened,” meaning they spent more than 30% of their income on housing. Nationwide, renter households that year had a median income of $53,700. Home prices continue to spike, preventing many people from owning, according to the center’s report. The median sales price of an existing single-family home in 2025 was nearly five times the median household income, the report said. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.95% as of Sept. 17, according to Freddie Mac. The analysis by the Joint Center for Housing Studies highlights the problem. Between the median rent of $1,900 for new apartments and the median price of a new singlefamily home at $417,000, newly built housing has become unaffordable for even median-income households. It’s hard to invest for retirement when you can barely make your rent, or you’re struggling to manage a large monthly mortgage payment. On top of housing, carrying student loan debt leads many young workers to delay signing up for a

401(k) altogether. And even when they do participate, many don’t save enough to receive their full employer match. That missed match leaves an estimated $10 billion in free company money on the table every year, according to new research from the Employee Beneﬁts Research Institute. By the time workers hit their 40s, those with student loans have nearly half as much saved for retirement as those without debt. That lost compound growth could help them become a 401(k) millionaire. It’s a gap that skipped lattes can’t ﬁx. So, ditch the guilt about buying your favorite fall drink. Now, having said that, keep this quote from Benjamin Franklin in mind: “A small leak will sink a great ship.” Unchecked splurges — eating out, entertainment and everyday luxuries — can quickly add up if you aren’t paying attention. By budgeting carefully, you can put money away for the long term while still having occasional treats. Just keep in mind that while small leaks matter, heavier burdens such as high housing costs and education debt carry far more weight. Lecturing people about their latte habit isn’t saving the ship; it’s ignoring the iceberg.

PEOPLE IN BUSINESS Staff report South Louisiana businesses and nonprofit groups recently announced the following promotions, new hires and resignations.

Baton Rouge Dr. Kaitlyn Taylor has been hired by Woman’s Hospital as the latest addition to its seven-member maternal-fetal medicine team. Taylor, a Louisiana native, earned her Taylor medical degree from LSU Health New Orleans and completed a fellowship at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Lester Duhé has been hired by the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services as its new public affairs director. Duhé, a former television news anchor for WAFB in Baton Rouge and KLFY in Lafayette, worked most recently as the press secretary for Attorney General Liz Murrill and the Louisiana Department of Justice.

Email Michelle Singletary at michelle.singletary@washpost. com. Swain

Fool’s Take: Under the radar Meet TransDigm Group (NYSE: TDG), an aerospace company few have heard of — though it has posted average annual gains of 16% over the past ﬁve years and 17% over the past 10. The comMotley pany went public in Fool 2006 with a share price of $21, and it recently traded near $1,080 per share. But as of mid-September, its stock was down 19% this year, presenting an intriguing opportunity for long-term investors. TransDigm operates somewhat

like a private equity ﬁrm, identifying and acquiring hidden gems in the vast world of aerospace suppliers and then growing those businesses in-house. It’s a holding company for an array of aerospace businesses, supplying both components for new airframes and spare parts that keep existing ﬂeets running. The company recently boasted 55 independent operating units, 136 global manufacturing locations and more than 18,000 employees worldwide. It has roughly $10 billion in annual revenue. In its most recently reported quarter, TransDigm’s net sales popped 23% over year-earlier levels to $2.7 billion, while net income rose 10%.

TransDigm’s formula has worked well for investors. The company has a long track record of delivering software industry-like gross proﬁt margins north of 40%, even during economic downturns. (The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends TransDigm Group.)

Ask the Fool: Poison pills What’s a “poison pill” strategy when it comes to companies? — S.C., Missoula, Montana It’s a strategy used by public companies to thwart hostile takeovers by making it harder for a would-be buyer to gain a controlling interest in a company. For example, when Carl Icahn had accumulated nearly 10% of Netﬂix’s

shares back in 2012, Netﬂix instituted a “shareholder rights plan” that would be triggered at 10%. It would permit the company to sell many more shares at a discounted price to shareholders other than the would-be acquirer, thereby diluting the value of that person’s stake. More recently, Twitter adopted a similar poison pill when Elon Musk was trying to buy the company in 2022, but, ultimately, the company accepted his offer. Poison pill plans can successfully fend off takeovers. But they’re not without risks. For example, they can prevent takeovers that would actually end well. And diluting shares can hurt existing shareholders.

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SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT 3rd generation grows Perino’s Home & Garden Center Metairie business started in 1949 as market, grocer BY GRACE MAYER Staff writer

On a Tuesday morning in September, shoppers at Perino’s Home & Garden Center were greeted by a grinning skeleton behind the wheel of a blue pickup truck, surrounded by hay bales and a hoard of pumpkins and gourds. Near the back of the store, Christmas trees — a preview of the nearly 3,000 real fir trees that will come to the store later this year — were dressed up with glitzy ornaments. The decorations mark the coming holiday seasons — and signal the beginning of one of the busiest sales periods for Perino’s, a 77-year-old family business in the heart of Metairie with a fiercely loyal clientele and steady yearover-year growth. Leading up to Christmas, Perino’s will grow about 50,000 poinsettias on its farms in Covington, which they will sell to customers, churches, other garden centers and nurseries in Louisiana. On its busiest shopping days, like Black Friday after Thanksgiving, the garden center will draw up to 1,500 customers per day. “People here in New Orleans are very into decorating,” Adele Perino, 32, said. “Our seasonal business just keeps getting bigger and bigger.” The displays are partly Adele Perino’s doing, whose hands were stained yellow from making moss decorations earlier that morning. She is one of five daughters in the Perino family who run the garden center’s nursery, gift shop and two northshore farms. Adele and her four sisters and cousins have each stepped into various roles in the business over the years, after working for other nurseries and in business consulting roles.

While they attribute their grandfather and fathers with cultivating the foundation of the operation, the daughters can take credit for managing the business during ballooning periods of growth, which kicked off during the pandemic when more people became plant and outdoor enthusiasts, and Perino’s annual gross revenue shot up nearly 25%. Since 2020, revenue has grown nearly 70%, hitting over $14 million in 2025. “We’ve all managed to come in and ﬁnd our own unique role in the business,” said Emily Perino, 39, who worked in consulting and auditing for nine years prior to joining the family business in 2019. “We’re dedicated, and we want to see the business thrive.”

PHOTO PROVIDED By PERINO’S HOME & GARDEN CENTER

Five daughters from the Perino family currently run the day-today operations at Perino’s Home Family roots & Garden Center, including, from The Perino daughters’ grandleft to right, Emily, Adele, Megan, father, Salvador “Sam” Perino, opened the shop in 1949, after Madeleine and Catherine Perino. returning home from serving as a pilot in World War II. The store initially started as a fruit market and grocer, located on the corner of Carrollton and Claiborne avenues in New Orleans. Coming off the Great Depression, then the war, a family member suggested Salvador, a farmer, also grow and sell ﬂowers. Over time, ﬂowers and plants bloomed to become the bulk of Perino’s business. “The idea was: Flowers make people happy, and it’s a relatively affordable thing to buy,” Madeleine Perino, 35, said. Six years later, he moved the shop to its current location in Metairie off Veterans Boulevard near the high-profile corner of North Causeway. Back then, Veterans was just a dirt road, but Salvador Perino had a vision. Today, the retail corridor is among the busiest in the metro area with commercial properties that command some of the highest lease rates in the market. “Our grandfather was a big en-

trepreneur and really good with investments,” Emily Perino said. “He actually had bought a pretty large stretch of Veterans at the time, and had an idea of what it would become.” He eventually sold much of the property he purchased along Veterans, but he kept the lot Perino’s sits on today, which includes a one-story, 6,000-square-foot gift shop and nearly 3 acres of outdoor nursery space.

Growing local Each successive generation of the Perino family has planted their respective roots in the business — from which have stemmed new, growing parts of the operation. Peter and Sal “Buddy” Perino, Salvador’s two sons, expanded the store’s Covington farm operation, which includes more than 350,000 square feet of heated greenhouse space and 20 acres of outdoor growing area. Their daughters continue to expand the property,

most recently with a 10-acre acquisition. Those two green spaces are responsible for producing 75% of the plants Perino’s sells, from standard shrubbery to thousands of Easter lilies that bloom for only two weeks out of the year. Today, 66% of Perino’s revenue comes from its plants business, which includes selling plants to other local garden centers and nurseries. Growing most of its own plants ensures that the company can control quality and costs, which helps it compete with big box stores. Perino’s plants get accustomed to growing in Louisiana’s climate, whereas plants that may be shipped from other parts of the country to big box retailers can struggle to adapt, Madeleine Perino said. Foot trafﬁc to Perino’s remains high through the year, because people want to see what they’re buying. It also helps to mitigate staggering shipping costs, which have soared amid oil and gas prices rising due to the war in Iran, and caused shipping delays for the plants Perino’s orders from other growers. Sometimes, shipping can cost more than the orders Perino’s places. Perino’s has had to raise prices slightly to adjust for those added expenses. “People just assume we’re more expensive than Home Depot, but if you actually look at a lot of their plants, they’re having to buy it wholesale, so they sometimes are more expensive,” Adele Perino said.

Since then, Megan and Adele Perino have made the gift shop into a “one-stop-shop destination.” The gift shop sells a long list of products, including women’s and baby clothing, fragrances, handmade statues, farm fresh eggs and cakes from Maurice French Pastries — mostly sourced from local vendors. Bachelorette parties have even stopped in to shop. The main fixture of the gift shop is “the candle barn” in the center of the store — moved from their grandfather’s former property in Covington — that houses 20 brands of candles, fragrances and diffusers. The sisters buy merchandise for the shop four times a year. Gift shop sales make up about 18% of the business’s overall revenue today. “These two workaholic men were given this whole team of women, and that is really what grew the gift shop so much, is having female taste,” Adele Perino said. While Perino’s is years away from succession planning, the five daughters plan to pass on the business to another family member, possibly one of their nine children. Part of that strategy will require that Perino continue growing its business, particularly gift shop sales and its wholesale division. “When I was a kid, I felt like I needed to do something else, because I didn’t know if there was any room for all five of our generation to come in,” Emily Perino said. A ‘destination’ gift shop “But we grew so that we were The garden center’s gift shop able to support us all. I’m hoping has also grown into a sizable rev- that we can continue that growth enue generator for the overall so that our kids can come in, and business. Megan Perino, 41, who there will be room for all who joined the business 14 years ago want to be in the business.” after working in consulting, transformed the store’s gift shop from Grace Mayer covers an “old lady” trinket shop that business news and economic contributed less than 5% of the development in Jefferson Parish business’s overall revenue, Emily and St. Tammany. Email her at Perino said. grace.mayer@theadvocate.com.

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Announcements ANYONE knowing the whereabouts of any property owner, heir or other related person, in regard to the properties listed below, please contact the East Baton Rouge CityParish, Department of Development – Neighborhood Revitalization Ofﬁce at 225-389-8680. 23911 PLANK RD BOOKER T DOTY 4206 KILKENNY DR CHARLES E DAVIS JR 3678 ONTARIO ST RHINO VENTURES, LLC 16709 ELLIS AVE JOSEPH LEO CHRISTOPHER JR 255 S 21ST ST ISAAC HORACE PATTERSON SR 2322 MARYLAND ST EARLINE LATHAN C/O ANNNETTE THOMAS 748 SOUTH BLVD SUSAN BIENVILLE 249 N 19TH ST 249 19TH STREET, LLC 641 EDUCATION ST BEACON HOMES & INVESTMENTS, LLC 841 FOUNTAINBLEAU DR WILLIAM MIDDLETON REED JR 1195 SEABORD DR TODD & LANYA GRAMMER 1626 JADE AVE SHAWN L BARROW 8012 KEEL AV BSC INDUSTRIES, LLC 3222 ELM DR ROBERT JOHNSON, JR 6588 CLINTON AVE MERICK LALIN 5432 MADISON AVE JAMES W WILLIAMS 5835 ADAMS AVE TERRY ZIMMER 4043 N BARROW DR ANGEL WINGS PROPERTIES, LLC 1665 N 44TH ST DESAMAS MOORE 1205 N 37TH ST FELTUS MARIE COLLIER 5224 SYCAMORE ST THE ESTATE OF ALFRED J BRADY 1119 N ACADIAN THWY W

KENDRIC C HINTON 1115 N ACADIAN THWY W KENDRIC C HINTON 1855 HARELSON ST ALBERTHA HAYES 1472 N 43RD ST AUDREY CHARLES WILLIAMS, SR 1450 N 43RD ST IRA MAE FOREMAN 3116 DALTON ST THE ESTATE OF LONNIE WHITE ATTN: FANNIE WHITE 3045 ERIE ST AMEKA THOMAS 3858 TYRONE DR LEONA LEE FORD LEBLANC 2349 MISSISSIPPI ST LATOYA SAUNDERS 9957 AVENUE H LOUIS J WHITE 9956 AVENUE I THELMA CHRISTOFF 8565 WILBUR ST FATISHA D BOYD 4526 MONARCH AVE LLOYD JONES 7772 N MARIBEL CT MONICA T AUGUSTUS 1280 CARDINAL ST PRESTON MORRISON 10200 GREENWELL SPRINGS RD SULLIVAN EQUIPMENT CO, INC 8832 HICKCOCK DR RUFUS E JACKSON, JR 2040 PICKETT AVE RICHARD LEONIDAS BILES, III 12020 FLORIDA BLVD GMGC VENTURES LLC 1665 N 44TH ST DESAMAS MOORE 432 EAST DR COLLIS B TEMPLE, JR 5835 ADAMS AVE TERRY ZIMMER 1650 N ACADIAN THWY W BIG RIVER PLANTING & REFINING, CO 7863 MEADOW AVE GREGORY COATES 2151 GLENMORE AVE HOUSE OF GOD OF BATON ROUGE, INC 4043 N BARROW DR ANGEL WINGS PROPERTIES, LLC 6588 CLINTON AVE MERICK LALIN 3675 FAIRWOODS DR EVELYN BELL 5103 WOODLYN DR KEJAMLEA R HOWELL 1645 BELLROSE DR

Join Our Nursing Team For a complete list of opportunities and beneﬁts, visit BRGeneral.org/Careers or call Human Resources for more information at 225-381-6464.

MELVILLE ROGERS & KIMBERLY PIERSON 1887 ERLANGER DR MARIO A SAENZ 854 N DONMOOR BATON ROUGE MULTI-FAMILY HOLDINGS, LLC / KASHIF KHAN 201436-Sept 21-27, 7t $3,009.10

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of HEIRS OF RICHARD AND/OR LOIS DEEMER, please contact Attorney ALLISON B. COSTANZA, 225-664-4335 acostanzalaw@gmail.com. 202159-Sept 26-28, 3t $73.30 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Tasco Curtis. Please contact Attorney Bridgette J. Richard 225933-9606. 201834-Sept 26-28, 3t $62.80

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT ON 10/7/2026 ON OR AFTER 10:00AM UHAUL WILL BE OFFERING FOR SALE UNDER THE JUDICIAL LIEN PROCESS BY PUBLIC AUCTION TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER THE FOLLOWING STORAGE UNITS. A SALE WILL BE HELD AT HAMMOND UHAUL CENTER 1915 S.W. RAILROAD AVE. HAMMOND, LA., FOR THE PURPOSE OF SATISFYING A LANDLORD'S LIEN ON THE CONTENTS OF STORAGE UNIT. CONTENTS CONSIST MAINLY OF HOUSEHOLD ITEMS. TERMS OF THE SALE WILL BE CASH. TENANTS NAME AND RM. NO. ARE AS FOLLOWS: KAYLA HARRY RM. 544 PIGGY BANK, DUFFLEBAG; JUSTIN DAVIS RM. 415 TABLE, SCOOTER; VALENCIA STANFIELD RM. 608 SHOES, KIDS ITEMS; ERRIC HUGHES RM 114 WHITE CHAIR, COFFEE TABLE; LAWRENCE WILLIAMS RM. 1603 DOLLY, CLOTHES; BRITTUNE THIESSEN RM. 1643 & 1645 HOOKAH SET, CLOTHES, GAMING CHAIRS, BIKE ITEMS; TANGENIKA DEMAS RM. 1422 LAWN MOWER, DEEP FREEZER; MARGUERTIE WILKES RM. 563 RED SOFA, CROCK POT; DIEDRA JACKSON RM. 656 BOXES, FRIDGE. 202306-Sept 27, 1t $187.78

Employment ENGINEERING Formosa Plastics Corporation, Louisiana, located in Baton Rouge, LA (jobsite), is looking for a full-time Pro‐ ject Engineer with a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Electronics Engineering and 2 years related work experience. Job duties include devel‐ oping and implementing processes and procedures to optimize vinyl chlo‐ ride monomer wastewater ethylene dichloride removal column operations to reduce the steam usage, developing and implementing processes and pro‐ cedures to optimize vinyl chloride monomer ethylene dichloride reboiler distillation columns to lower energy consumption and improve operational safety, troubleshooting distillation col‐ umn operating anomalies, developing and implementing processes and pro‐ cedures to optimize AI-assisted radi‐ ographic testing and non-destructive inspection workflows to improve the real-time defect detection and struc‐ tural integrity for critical piping and process equipment, developing and modifying programs for logic con‐ trollers, developing advanced process control, and troubleshooting electrical equipment failures and taking correc‐ tive actions. Send resume to P.O. Box 271, 5 Gulf States Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70805 Attn: HR Manager. GENERAL HELP The Diocese of B.R. Child Nutrition Pro‐ gram is seeking FT school Cafeteria Mgrs., Cooks, & Porters. HS Diploma or Equiv. and BG Check req. Apply at www.cnpbr.org/employment

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Invested Enterprise seeks Senior Appli‐ cation Programmer to work in Baton Rouge, LA. Applicants please send CVs to Invested Enterprise, at info@Investe dEnterprise.com

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PLACE YOUR PET SERVICES INFORMATION IN THE PET SERVICES DIRECTORY TODAY! • IT IS FAST AND EASY! • CALL 225-383-0111 AKC Miniature Schnauzers AKC miniature schnauzer pups has all shots $1,500.00 504-390-2918 Dogs German shepherd puppies 6 1/2 weeks old. Shots and wormed $600.00 225-572-9423 tksawy43@yahoo.com English & French Bulldog Pups Male/Female. Registered. $1600UP. Champion/European lines. Rare colors. Shots/Dewormings/Health Guarantee. 601-297-1330 Chad_hollingsworth2002@yahoo.co m TopBulldogs.com

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Garage Sales BATON ROUGE GRAYWOOD ESTATE SALES FULL HOUSE 5524 Congress Blvd 70808

Hunting compound bow Cross bow with scope, case and arrows $800.00 985-233-9880 ronnie.trosclair@yahoo.com

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PUBLIC NOTICE --Redwood Cemetery As‐ sociation annual meeting to be held October 11, 2026 at 2 PM in Redwood Church Annex. We encourage members to attend. 200897-sep 26-27-oct 3-44t $134.36

Public Notices

ATTORNEY DISCIPLINE Robert Blake Little, of Baton Rouge (2026B-00566), has been suspended from the practice of law for one year and one day, fully deferred, subject to a period of probation to coincide with Respondent’s Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program agreement. By order of the Louisiana Supreme Court dated September 2, 2026. JUDGMENT FINAL and EFFECTIVE September 2, 2026. Gist: Mr. Little was arrested for driving while intoxicated. 201350-689435 Sept. 27, 2026 1t $240.00 ATTORNEY SUSPENDED

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Stephen Paul Wright, of Baton Rouge, has been Suspended for One Year and One Day by order of the Louisiana Supreme Court dated September 2, 2026. Gist: Respondent was convicted of domestic abuse battery with child endangerment and with strangulation, and that he perjured himself during his trial.

MARINE NOW HIRING Galleyhands Night Cooks Must hold TWIC card, pass drug test & physical. 985-851-0727 or email: personnel@sontheimeroffshore.com

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Fishing gear Two Falcon Coastal 7.6 ft fishing rods with two Shimano Gold Calcutta 250 reels. $300 for eacch set. $600.00 225-603-5805 lnichola@bellsouth.net

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201531-690021-SEP 27-1T $240.00 Attorney Discipline Jesse C. Brown of Baton Rouge, has consented to a one year and one day suspension from the practice of law with all but six months deferred. It is further ordered that Respondent be placed on a two year probation subject to the conditions set forth in the petition. Order FINAL and EFFECTIVE on September 16, 2026. Gist: Respondent filed frivolous pleadings in two separate cases.

3 CEMETERY PLOTS GreenOaks Cemetery, Section 3, Lot 40-1, 5, 6. Please Make an Offer. 914671-1546 or beharmeyer@gmail.com Lawn equipment Shindawi professional weedeater, edger and pole saw. All in good shape. $175. 225-603-5805

For further information, please write: The Office of the Disciplinary Counsel 4000 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd., Ste. 607 Baton Rouge, LA 70816

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Why you need dental insurance in retirement. Many Americans are fortunate to have dental coverage for their entire working life, through employer-provided benefits. When those benefits end with retirement, paying dental bills out-of-pocket can come as a shock, leading people to put off or even go without care. Simply put — without dental insurance, there may be an important gap in your healthcare coverage.

When you’re comparing plans ...  Look for coverage that helps pay for major services. Some plans may limit the number of procedures — or pay for preventive care only.  Look for coverage with no deductibles. Some plans may require you to pay hundreds out of pocket before benefits are paid.  Shop for coverage with no annual maximum on cash benefits. Some plans have annual maximums of $1,000.

Medicare doesn’t pay for dental care.1

Previous dental work can wear out.

That’s right. As good as Medicare is, it was never meant to cover everything. That means if you want protection, you need to purchase individual insurance.

Even if you’ve had quality dental work in the past, you shouldn’t take your dental health for granted. In fact, your odds of having a dental problem only go up as you age.2

Early detection can prevent small problems from becoming expensive ones. The best way to prevent large dental bills is preventive care. The American Dental Association recommends checkups twice a year.

Treatment is expensive — especially the services people over 50 often need. Consider these national average costs of treatment ... $274 for a checkup ... $299 for a filling ... $1,471 for a crown.3 Unexpected bills like this can be a real burden, especially if you’re on a fixed income.

1 “Medicare & You,” Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2025. 2 “Aging changes in teeth and gums”, medlineplus.gov, 4/17/2022. 3 FairHealth, Inc. National average dental fees. Data current as of July 2025; subject to change.

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© 2026 Consumer Cellular, Inc. Terms and Conditions subject to change. Plans shown include $5 credit for AutoPay and E-billing. Taxes and other fees apply. Credit approval required for new service. Cellular service is not available in all areas and is subject to system limitations. For unlimited plans, high-speed data is reduced after 35GB on single-line plans and 50GB of combined usage on multi-line plans for the remainder of your billing cycle. Unlimited data plans only for customers age 50+. Age validation required. *2025 ACSI® Survey of customers rating their own wireless service provider. ACSI® and its logo are registered trademarks of the American Customer Satisfaction Index LLC. For more about the ACSI®, visit www.theacsi.org.

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2026 EVENT GUIDE NEW ORLEANS

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2026 1:000pm – 4:00pm LSU New Orleans Recreation and Fitness Center

BATON ROUGE

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2026 9:00am – 12:00pm & 6:00pm – 8:00pm Raising Cane’s River Center Exhibition Hall 1

NACACATTEND.ORG LOOK INSIDE FOR THE MAP AND DIRECTORY OF ALL SCHOOLS

Page 2

TIPS FOR ATTENDING A NACAC COLLEGE FAIR

BEFORE THE FAIR 1. Register online for the fair at www.nacacattend.org to receive a barcode for easy onsite access to college representatives. 2. Be sure to complete MatchmakingTM during registration. Ask yourself the following questions to help determine what kind of school would be best for you. Do you want to attend... • a large, medium, or small school? • an urban, suburban, or rural school? • a two-year, four-year, single-sex, or religiously-affiliated school? 3. Research colleges attending the fair to determine if they meet your search criteria. Find a list of participating colleges • New Orleans: www.nacacattend.org/26neworleans • Baton Rouge: www.nacacattend.org/26batonrouge 4. Make a list of questions to ask college representatives. • What degree programs do you offer? • What ﬁnancial aid options are available to me? • What student organizations do you have on campus? Baton Rouge New Orleans

AT THE FAIR 1. Pick up an event guide and bag for all of the materials you collect. 2. Reference your MatchmakingTM results and visit those that match your search criteria. 3. Ask the college representative to scan your barcode. This will allow the representative to follow up with you directly—and quickly. 4. Take notes. Write down what you ﬁnd most interesting about each college. 5. Attend a workshop session or visit the college advising center to learn more about the college search process, ﬁnancial aid, and other topics.

AFTER THE FAIR 1. Review college websites, catalogs, and viewbooks to gather more information to help narrow your choices. 2. Send a thank you note/email to the college representatives you met. This simple gesture can show admission officials you’re serious about wanting to attend their college. 3. Be sure to complete the student fair survey and tag us no social media • Hashtag: #collegefair #collegefairs #NACACfair • Twitter and IG: @nacacfairs

ABOUT NACAC

The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), founded in 1937, is an organization of more than 27,000 professionals from around the world dedicated to serving students as they make choices about pursuing postsecondary education. NACAC is committed to maintaining best practices that foster ethical and social responsibility among those involved in the transition process, as outlined in the NACAC Guide to Ethical Practice in College Admission.

YOUR FUTURE STARTS HERE.

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Page 4

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR VISIT TO A NATIONAL COLLEGE FAIR

eady to take the next step in your education? There’s no better place to explore your options than at a NACAC National College Fair. Admission representatives from schools across the country are all gathered in one place. Their goal: To encourage you to learn more about their institutions, and help you sort through the qualities you’re looking for in a college. Take advantage of their expertise and make the most of your time by following these simple steps.

Be prepared

Before the big day, visit nacacattend.org/ fairs and scan through the list of colleges and universities that will be represented. Make a note of the schools that interest you the most, and plan to visit their booths at the fair. Remember: applying to college is a highly personal and individual process. Your criteria of what type of college will meet your needs best may look drastically different from that of your friends and classmates, and that’s okay. There are colleges that will be close to home, and ones that are far away. Ones that are small, private schools, and ones that are large, public schools. Some will have your projected major and others won’t. Consider your goals, strengths, areas for growth, and genuinely ask yourself “why do I want to go to college?” Starting this process without a solid answer to that question is a missed opportunity. “Planning ahead can help you stay focused,” said Cynthia Kaan, a Ferris State University (MI) admission officer. “If you have certain schools you know you are interested in, don’t limit yourself, but make learning about those schools your priority.” You can research colleges through a variety of mediums, starting with online search engines and college websites. You can also learn more about a school through its student newspapers and alumni magazines, social

media accounts and review-based sites that rank institutions based on their perceived strengths in academics, social life, athletics, diversity, affordability, and more.

Make your questions count

Like so many other things in life, a successful visit to a National College Fair is marked by quality, not quantity. In other words: Rather than focusing on collecting a brochure from every college booth, make it your goal to have in-depth conversations with a few of the college reps on hand. “I encourage students to not just stop by the table and pick up a brochure, but rather engage the representative with a few questions,” said Valencia Hamman, co-director of college counseling at La Jolla Country Day School (CA). “That means you want to come into the fair with a list of questions so you’re ready for that opportunity.” Ahead of the fair, consider the type of environment you learn best in. Do you like smaller classrooms or larger lecture settings? Are you interested in internships and handson experiential learning opportunities? Consider asking college representatives for more information on these topics and others that may be important to you, such as on-campus housing, diversity of the student body, and support services on campus.

Keep an open mind

Yes, it’s important to plan ahead and select a few colleges you know you want to visit, but each fair draws representatives from 175 to 400 campuses throughout the US and from around the globe. You owe it to yourself to follow-up with colleges that catch your eye. “Do your research, but also have an open mind,” Hamman said. “Sometimes students take time to talk with a representative from a school that they really hadn’t considered before and it becomes a part of their list.” Chatting with representatives from a

variety of colleges can also help you cement your own preferences, Kaan noted. “It’s just as important to ﬁgure out what you don’t want as it is to ﬁgure out what is really attractive to you,” she said. It also helps to be presentable yourself. Dress appropriately and be sure to turn off your cell phone to avoid interruptions while chatting with representatives.

Learn about the process

What’s the deal with college entrance tests? What do admission officers look for in a college essay? How can I ﬁnd out if I’m eligible for ﬁnancial aid? No matter where you end up enrolling, you’ll likely encounter at least one of these questions during the college application process. Use your visit to a National College Fair to get a head start. Check out the fair’s education sessions, covering topics ranging from college costs to student athlete eligibility and college selectivity. Each fair also includes a counseling center, oftentimes an invaluable resource for students with specialized interests. You may also want to speak with representatives about scheduling tours of the campuses you’re interested in and any other in-person opportunities available to you to learn more about the schools and how to apply. Some institutions offer prospective students information sessions and the chance to attend a class or shadow a current student.

Follow up

Ask college reps for their contact information and be sure to follow up. “Not always, but often, the representative that is attending the college fair is the representative that will end up reading your application,” Hamman said. “Keep in touch with them; reach out with thoughtful, intelligent questions. That demonstrates interest.”

A decade as FranU:

How the university adapts and expands opportunities in healthcare education By Amanda McElfresh amcelfresh@theadvocate.com This article is brought to you by FranU.

en years after transitioning to the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University name, FranU is marking a decade characterized in part by the growth of advanced education opportunities for healthcare professionals. When the name change took effect in October 2016, it reflected FranU’s evolution since its original founding in 1923 and its expanded academic offerings, including graduate-level education that is an important part of the university today.

FranU offers master’s and doctoral degrees across a range of healthcare disciplines, including health administration, physician assistant, nursing, nutritional sciences, applied behavior analysis and physical therapy. Each degree creates a new pathway for students to become clinicians, specialists and administrators who play a vital role in healthcare across the nation. Graduate-level coursework helps students strengthen their skills in areas such as evidence-based practice, research, leadership, communication, analysis and quality improvement – whether they

are a recent undergraduate who wants to delve more deeply into a speciﬁc area or an experienced professional who is ready to play a larger role in patient care improvements. And, just like in FranU’s undergraduate programs, the graduate-level professors strive to form students who are ethical, respectful, civil and purposeful community members. Grounded in a commitment to flexible learning, collaboration, reflective practice, evidence-based teaching and scholarship, FranU is ready to educate and inspire the leaders of tomorrow.

Throughout its existence, FranU has adapted to meet changing healthcare needs. This has included updating its curriculum to respond to new medical innovations, adjusting program lengths so trained personnel can begin treating patients more quickly and adding specialty programs and courses when the demand calls for it. The creation and success of FranU’s graduate programs are just one more way the institution continues to evolve alongside the professions it serves. FranU is located at 5414 Brittany Drive in Baton Rouge. To learn more, visit franu.edu or call 877-242-3509.

Page 6

BALANCING ACT: TIPS FOR ADULTS RETURNING TO COLLEGE Considering going back to college? You’re in good company. Nontraditional students now make up the majority of US undergraduates, and one-in-four college students are age 30 or older. But although colleges are serving a greater number of adults,

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finding the right program—a place where you can balance your education with employment and family responsibilities—is key to your success. Here are four questions every nontraditional student should ask when researching schools.

What is your college’s track record with nontraditional students?

Ask some tough questions: What’s the graduation rate of nontraditional students at your institution? Are adult students eligible for merit aid? How much debt do students typically accrue? What’s the average time to graduation? Learning the answers can help you decide which college is right for you. It can also help you estimate how much time— and money—you’ll need to complete a degree.

What sort of ﬂexible learning options do you oﬀer?

Responsibilities at home and at work can change over your course of time that you’re enrolled in college. Choosing a school that provides a variety of course options—from in-person, to online, to hybrid—increases your odds of staying on track. “A lot of adults have full-time work schedules or child care responsibilities,” said Amber Harnack, student success center director of Ivy Tech Community College (IN). “They often need more ﬂexibility when it comes to scheduling classes.” Also ask about student support services, such as tutoring, recommends Michelle Christopherson, director of the Center for Adult Learning on the University of Minnesota—Crookston campus. “You want to make sure that you are going to be supported, and you want to make sure that those services aren’t going to end up costing you extra,” she said.

What will it take to get a degree?

The majority of nontraditional students have already accumulated some college credits by the time they reenter higher education. Before you enroll in any program, learn whether your credits will transfer and how many courses you’ll need to complete a degree. “You want to make sure that from the beginning you have a clear understanding on how much it will cost and what your degree pathway will look like,” Christopherson said.

How will your institution help me meet my career goals?

Begin your college search with the end in mind. What’s spurring your decision to return to school? Are you looking for advancement options in your current ﬁeld, or do you want a career change? Ask college officials about the types of jobs landed by recent program graduates. Inquire about the services offered at the campus’ career center. “Make sure that your goals match up with what the college is able to provide,” Harnack said. “You want to be certain that the degree program you ultimately choose is a good ﬁt.”

Delgado sees steady enrollment growth as it expands academic and workforce training options

By Amanda McElfresh amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

This article is brought to you by Delgado Community College.

s of Aug. 24, 13,881 students were enrolled at Delgado for Fall 2026, about 8.6% more than at the same point last year. The increase continues an upward trend that became more noticeable during the past two years.

Instrumentation and Control degree program. It has grown its STEM offerings to include technical programs and expand career pathway opportunities in growing industries, such as aerospace. Those options complement established programs in Nursing and Allied Health, Culinary and Hospitality, Construction Arts, Business Administration, Paralegal Studies, Computer Networking and Cybersecurity,

College leaders attribute the growth in part to Delgado’s ability to serve students with different educational and career goals. Students planning to earn a bachelor’s degree can complete many general education courses at Delgado before transferring to four-year institutions, giving them the beneﬁts of smaller class sizes and an emphasis on student success as they begin higher education. Delgado is also expanding offerings to align with workforce needs throughout Greater New Orleans. Newer programs include Diesel Technology, Computed Tomography, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Maritime Management and Process Technology, along with a revised

and Science Laboratory Technology, as well as training in skilled trades such as welding, electrical and HVAC work. Academics are only part of the equation. Financial Aid Coaches help students navigate funding, including grants, loans, work-study programs and scholarships. Delgado prides itself on affordability, with an average cost of about $4,078 annually, or about one-third the cost of a Louisiana four-

year institution. Flexible payment options allow students to pay in full or spread out payments over manageable monthly or bi-monthly installments. Enrollment Coaches help students establish goals, while flexible face-toface, online, hybrid and virtual courses accommodate students balancing school with other responsibilities. Students also have access to case management, advising, accessibility services, library resources and mental health support. A partnership with the Regional Transit Authority helps address transportation needs, and Delgado provides free screenings to connect students with local social services. The approach reﬂects Delgado’s focus on the whole student, including academic achievement, mental health, financial stability and career preparation. After 105 years, Delgado is building on its history while adapting to what students and the New Orleans region need. “The students we’re serving today will be the leaders, innovators and backbone of this region tomorrow,” college leaders said. Visit dcc.edu for more information.

Business Management

High school graduation is just the beginning. Whether you’re looking to jump straight into a high-paying career or transfer to a four-year university. At Delgado Community College, you get access to a world of opportunities—from highdemand career programs in Nursing, STEM, and Business to hands-on training that gets you hired. Best of all? You don’t have to navigate it alone. With the Delgado Advantage, our team supports you from career exploration all the way to graduation day.

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Page 8

Southern University celebrates growth and builds for the future during campus renaissance By Amanda McElfresh amcelfresh@theadvocate.com This story is brought to you by Southern University.

series of signiﬁcant projects is reshaping the Southern University campus, adding new academic, residential and community spaces as Southern responds to enrollment growth and invests in its future. Among the most visible additions is a new Welcome Center along Harding Boulevard at the front of campus. The ﬁrst phase opened in March, and the site will eventually include a Global Innovation Center to house internal and external events. Near the Mississippi River, a new outdoor classroom serves as both an amphitheater and a gathering place. The space can accommodate artistic performances, book readings and other events. “I’ve seen several students in the amphitheater having lunch, singing or practicing theater performances. They are gravitating toward that space in an organic way,” said Simonne Whitmore, chair of Southern’s construction management department.

The university has also completed a new public safety facility and is renovating Harris Hall. Construction is underway on a new science building, which is expected to be completed next spring. In addition, Southern broke ground in June on a new 503-bed residential building designed primarily for freshmen and sophomores. The Southern University Law Center is

undergoing its own improvements. A new clinic, where law students can provide free legal services, is nearing completion, while the Law Center library is being renovated. “It’s exhilarating to be a part of this renaissance on campus,” said Chancellor John K. Pierre. “We’ve been very fortunate to experience growth. We want to be an economic engine for North Baton Rouge and

Scotlandville.” More projects are on the horizon. Chancellor Pierre said Southern hopes to begin work this year on a new College of Business building and an expansion of the School of Nursing. Future plans include a new laboratory school and expanded research space in the College of Agriculture. “I think it brings excitement to campus when people see this type of infrastructure. It shows that we are investing in students and their future,” said Kenneth Dawson, Southern’s director of facilities planning. “We’ve designed collaborative spaces where people like to be. I think that improves the atmosphere for learning for both students and faculty.” Southern’s construction boom has also opened new educational opportunities for students. Whitmore said many of them have participated in site visits and project meetings, reviewed potential safety issues, studied costs and used professional software to establish schedules and identify potential problems. “It’s great to have these projects and give students the chance to see real-life examples of what we are talking about in class,” she said. Visit subr.edu for more information.

FINISH STRONGER Sciences

Agriculture

Business

Southern University and A&M College, a Carnegie R2 institution, offers a vast portfolio of in-demand, affordable programs leading to bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. Wraparound services and vibrant student life activities provide a holistic educational experience for a diverse campus community.

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Begin where you are. Finish Stronger at Southern. For more about Southern, scan below to watch our episode of “The College Tour,” streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

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Page 10

Louisiana Tech University prepares graduates for life and career success in the perfect college town This story is brought to you by Louisiana Tech University

ouisiana Tech University is celebrating another record-breaking freshman class, joining a student body of more than 12,250 Bulldogs. Students from all over Louisiana and beyond are ﬂocking to Ruston, where they ﬁnd a comprehensive research university located in an idyllic college town. “A Louisiana Tech degree has long been associated with life and career success. We attract students who are prepared for the academic rigor of a university focused on scholarship, teaching, and engaging experiential learning,” President Jim Henderson said. “Students enjoy the vibrant campus environment and are drawn to our faculty renowned for developing individuals to their fullest potential and preparing them to thrive in a future of boundless opportunity.” With its beautiful traditional campus in a charming place, Louisiana Tech is the premier university for students seeking a tailored educational experience. Boasting more than 135 degree programs, Louisiana Tech has something that meets nearly everyone’s interests and goals. The University is regularly recognized for its Engineering, Business, Architecture, Cyber, Computer Science, and Forestry programs. Also notable are Elementary Education,

Kinesiology, Biology, Aviation, and Nursing programs. Louisiana Tech is renowned for its academic innovation. The University was first in the nation to offer a Cyber Engineering degree program and one of the ﬁrst to offer Biomedical Engineering. And Tech Bulldogs can gain valuable professional experience with any of the 22 tenant companies housed on campus at Tech Pointe I and Tech Pointe II. Preparing pilots for their sky-soaring careers, Louisiana Tech’s Aviation program is ranked highest in the state and is nationally recognized. Students in Tech’s aviation program gain valuable hands-on experience and have 100 percent postgraduation career placement. Louisiana Tech ensures its students receive an academically rigorous education combined with affordability. Wall Street Journal ranks Louisiana Tech students

as the best value in the state based on cost and post-graduation salaries. Ninety-three percent of all students receive scholarships and ﬁnancial aid. In addition to Louisiana Tech’s value, students graduating from the University have the fastest time to degree completion in the state, meaning less tuition or even a head start on a graduate degree. The university has 20 master’s degree programs with concurrent enrollment, which allow undergraduate students the opportunity to enroll in advanced classes before graduating. With more than 160 organizations to match students’ interests, Tech students enjoy a vibrant student life. Opportunities to get involved range from traditional sororities and fraternities to intramural sports to degree-speciﬁc interests. The Louisiana Tech Honors College is an opportunity for students with exceptional ability and motivation to further enhance

their college experience through its 21 credit-hour curriculum, undergraduate research, national competitive awards, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, and study abroad. Exciting intercollegiate athletics competition enhances the spirit on campus. With 16 NCAA Division 1 sports and stateof-the-art facilities—J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park, The Origin Bank Softball & Soccer Complex, Dr. Billy Bundrick Field, and Robert Mack Caruthers Field all opened in 2021—students enjoy cheering on the Bulldogs and Lady Techsters throughout the year. Student housing options on campus are plentiful and range from traditional dorms to suites to apartments. Living on campus is convenient and provides an opportunity to be immersed in the Tech family. Students living on campus have access to any amenity they need and benefit from proximity to vibrant downtown Ruston, which offers events, boutiques, and restaurants. Students interested in Louisiana Tech should plan a visit. The admissions office offers weekly visits and several weekend events to accommodate anyone’s schedule. Louisiana Tech has been the right choice for more than 118,000 alumni. It has the offerings of a large university but provides a more tailored educational experience in a caring atmosphere. Go Dogs! Visit LATech.edu/visit for more information. and schedule your visit.

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Page 12

COLLEGEFAIR FAIR BATON NEW ORLEANS COLLEGE ROUGE

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NACAC National College Fair – New Orleans Sunday, October 4, 2026 • 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. LSU New Orleans Recreation and Fitness Center 2000 Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans, LA 70148

NOTE: SCHOOLS AND LOCATION ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

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INTERNATIONAL The University of Manchester - UK .......................... 218

ILLINOIS Columbia College Chicago ........................................... 410

ALABAMA Auburn University.......................................................... 307 The University of Alabama .......................................... 301 University of Alabama at Birmingham .....................200 University of South Alabama........................................121

LOUISIANA Baton Rouge Community College ..............................304 Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University.................................................. 319 Louisiana State University ...........................................114 Louisiana Tech University........................................... 201 Loyola University New Orleans..................................320 Nicholls State University ..............................................117 Nunez Community College..........................................402 Southeastern Louisiana University...............500 & 502 Tulane University...............................................306 & 308 University of Louisiana at Lafayette ......................... 219 University of Louisiana Monroe.................................302 Xavier University of Louisiana ................................... 321

ARKANSAS University of Arkansas.................................................. 314 CALIFORNIA Loyola Marymount University ................................... 316 San Francisco Bay University .....................................204 Stanford University ....................................................... 412 COLORADO Colorado State University.............................................311 CONNECTICUT University of Connecticut............................................504 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (WASHINGTON D.C.) The Catholic University of America...........................115 FLORIDA Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University ...................203 Florida Polytechnic University .................................. 508 Palm Beach Atlantic University.................................. 207 GEORGIA Emory University ........................................................... 312 Georgia State University .............................................. 212 Mercer University ...........................................................119 Morehouse College......................................................... 506 Oglethorpe University................................................... 313 Savannah College of Art and Design.......................... 103 Spelman College..............................................................406

MARYLAND Johns Hopkins University ...........................................209 United States Naval Academy..................................... 107 MASSCHUSETTS Emerson College.............................................................309 MICHIGAN University of Michigan ................................................. 303 MISSISSIPPI Belhaven University ...................................................... 214 Millsaps College.............................................................. 213 Mississippi State University ....................................... 109 The University of Southern Mississippi .................. 221 University of Mississippi .............................................300 William Carey University.............................................404 MISSOURI Saint Louis University .................................................. 512 Southeast Missouri State University........................ 315

NEW YORK Fashion Institute of Technology.................................206 Long Island University-LIU Post Campus...............408 The New School .............................................................. 105 NORTH CAROLINA High Point University.................................................... 215 North Carolina A & T State University.....................400 OHIO Ohio Wesleyan University............................................ 510 OREGON University of Oregon...................................................... 318 PENNSYLVANIA University of Pittsburgh ............................................... 305 TENNESSEE Vanderbilt University....................................................220 TEXAS Houston Christian University......................................113 Texas A&M University-College Station ................... 514 Texas A&M University-San Antonio......................... 414 Texas State University .................................................. 216 University of Houston ....................................................116 University of Houston - C.T. Bauer ............................202 VIRGINIA Sweet Briar College........................................................ 217 Virginia Tech ...................................................................208 WASHINGTON Washington State University ......................................205

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INTERNATIONAL The University of Manchester - Manchester, UK. 204 ALABAMA Auburn University..........................................................210 The University of Alabama ..........................................508 University of Alabama at Birmingham .................... 200 University of South Alabama.......................................503 ARIZONA University of Advancing Technology ........................308 CONNECTICUT University of Connecticut............................................105 FLORIDA Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University .................. 304 Florida Polytechnic University ................................. 409 Palm Beach Atlantic University..................................207 GEORGIA Georgia State University ............................................. 600 Mercer University ......................................................... 602 Savannah College of Art and Design......................... 300 Spelman College..............................................................310

LOUISIANA Baton Rouge Community College ..............................107 Centenary College of Louisiana.................................. 101 Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University................................606, 608, 610 Louisiana State University ..........................................214 Louisiana State University Eunice........................... 206 Louisiana Tech University.......................................... 205 Loyola University New Orleans..................................314 McNeese State University ...........................................510 Nicholls State University ............................................ 302 Northwestern State University ..................................201 Southeastern Louisiana University.......................... 504 Southeastern Louisiana University.......................... 502 Tulane University........................................................... 511 Tulane University...........................................................506 University of Louisiana at Lafayette .........................507 University of Louisiana Monroe.................................505 Xavier University of Louisiana ................................... 115 MARYLAND Johns Hopkins University ...........................................407 United States Naval Academy.....................................315 MISSISSIPPI Belhaven University ..................................................... 203 Millsaps College..............................................................109 Mississippi State University ...................................... 500 The University of Southern Mississippi ................. 208 University of Mississippi ............................................ 405 William Carey University............................................ 306

NEW YORK Long Island University-LIU Post Campus............... 411 NORTH CAROLINA High Point University................................................... 209 North Carolina A & T State University..................... 211 OREGON University of Oregon......................................................509 TENNESEE Vanderbilt University................................................... 202 TEXAS Houston Christian University.....................................103 Texas A&M University-College Station ....................111 Texas A&M University-San Antonio.........................414 Texas State University ................................................. 403 University of Houston ...................................................215 University of Houston - C.T. Bauer ............................401 VIRGINIA .......................................................................... Virginia Tech ...................................................................501 WASHINGTON Washington State University ..................................... 604

NACAC National College Fair – Baton Rouge Tuesday, October 6th, 2026 • 9am-12pm & 6pm-8pm Raising Cane’s River Center Convention Center • Exhibition Hall 1 275 South River Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70802

Page 16

HOW TO BEST PREPARE FOR COLLEGE WHILE IN HIGH SCHOOL Your future after high school holds tremendous promise – you’ll make new friends, follow your interests and, hopefully, ﬁnd a satisfying career. However, more than a third of students who enter college fail to graduate with a bachelor’s degree within six years, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. “There are two reasons why kids ﬂunk out,” said Amy Thompson, a counselor at York Community High School (IL). “They are either academically unprepared or they are emotionally unprepared.” Increase your chances for success by making the most out of your high school years.

BUCKLE DOWN IN THE CLASSROOM M

Taking rigorous classes in high school helps you get into college, and the knowledge and skills you acquire also help prepare you to be successful in pursuit of your degree. Seek out honors, Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses in subjects that interest you. Look for courses that require lots of writing and critical thinking—skills you’ll use in almost every college class. Don’t panic if the material seems difficult at ﬁrst. Developing good study habits and time-management skills in high school can help you persevere in college. Some rigorous courses actually allow you to jumpstart your postsecondary education. Students who do well on AP tests, for example, can earn college credit. Some high schools also partner with local colleges to offer dual-credit courses, which can help acquaint you with how college courses are structured and scheduled. Some meet every day, while others meet a couple times a week. Some meet in the evenings or online. In general, college courses are longer and more intensive, and the volume of work is likely greater than what you’re accustomed to in high school. Higher education entails what the title implies – higher standards, more difficult subject matter, and greater expectations of you as a student.

GET INVOLVED

From athletics to theater to volunteering—there’s a whole world of

extracurricular activities open to high school students. “The one piece of advice I give students is don’t just join something to pad your resume,” Thompson said. “Pick something you’re genuinely interested in.” By senior year, “be in a position that shows not only your devotion to the group, but also some level of initiative or leadership,” she said. “Admission officers can see through the applicant who joins a million different clubs in their junior or senior year.” Universities are looking for students who will make the most of the opportunities available to them. A high school record with extracurricular activities helps show admission officers that you’ll be a valuable part of their campus community. Extracurricular activities, especially those with leadership positions, can help you develop money skills, as well. It’s wise to learn how to handle a debit or credit card, and to practice budgeting. As a college student, you’ll need to set money aside for regular costs like books, supplies, and living expenses.

FINISH STRONG

Your senior year of high school will be hectic. It can be tempting to sluff off in the classroom, but stay focused. “You need to maintain your academic performance and do at least as well—if not better—because you don’t want to have your admission offer rescinded,” Thompson said. When planning your schedule, make sure that you’re on-track to meet college entrance requirements, including at least two years of a foreign language and four years of math, science, and English courses. “Colleges want to see that you know how to work hard, and that you have taken advantage of the courses and activities your high school has to offer,” Thompson said. “A strong ﬁnish in your senior year helps make you a more attractive candidate.” It’s an exciting time in your life. By taking charge of the changes that lie ahead, you can eliminate or minimize pressures and go forward with conﬁdence.

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DISCOVERy | INNOVATION | LIVING WELL

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S U N D AY, S e p t e m b e r 27, 2026

EYE ON THE BIRDIES

Molly Kimball 1N

Your PSA is like your golf handicap

Doctor explains most misunderstood number in medicine

Study says bird-watching can sharpen your mind BY MARGARET DeLANEY Staff writer

Early in the morning, before the city wakes, Jane Patterson clocks in an hour or two on a slow, pause-filled walk through conservation land near her home in Ponchatoula. She waits for the sounds of birds in the area: red cardinals, house finches, prothonotary warblers. She crosses bridges made by Boy Scouts and minimally manicured trails riddled with active spiders, all in the hope of observing birds in their environment — eating, drinking, flying, hunting. Patterson, who started birding over 20 years ago, is one of an estimated 96 million people in the U.S. who engage in birding. She looks to the trees as a hobby after a career in IT, but researchers in Canada found that birding is much more than meets the eye. It could also impact brain health and cognitive decline in aging. Bird-watching is one of those skills that demands deep knowledge of species, along with their sounds and appearances. The greater the memory, the quicker the identification on the spot. Beyond obvious skills like learning to identify a house crow by its song or understand migration patterns of Louisiana’s neighborhood wildlife, it is also possible that birdwatching is rewiring brains. A study in the Journal of

STAFF PHOTOS By MICHAEL JOHNSON

ABOVE: Jane Patterson looks for birds at the Amite River Wildlife Sanctuary recently in Prairieville. TOP: A redheaded woodpecker perches on a tree at the sanctuary. Neuroscience, published in March, provides some of the best evidence to date that this popular hobby can do just that. The researchers recruited 58 people aged 22 to 79. Twenty-nine were expert birdwatchers, 29 were novices. Both experts and novices completed a bird familiarity screening test. The experts’

mean accuracy was 99.67%, and the novices’ 37.32%. The experts then completed a bird identiﬁcation screening test to assess their knowledge of local bird species. They achieved a mean accuracy of 72.17%, showing that all were highly skilled bird identiﬁcation experts. After completing practice tests identifying birds, both

experts and novices had MRIs taken to assess the structure of their brains. This type of imaging measured the movement of water molecules within the brains’ tissues, so it can identify areas that are more or less dense. During their MRI scans, study participants

ä See STUDY, page 3X

It’s a good time to clear up one of the most misunderstood numbers in medicine: the PSA. Here’s why this matters: Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in men, behind only lung cancer. But it’s also one of the slowestgrowing cancers we treat, and when it’s caught early, it’s Dr. Curtis highly treatable. Chastain Most men diagnosed early go on DOCTOR to live completely SAyS normal lives. The entire goal of screening is to catch it while it’s still slow and quiet, long before it has the chance to become anything else. The prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, is a chemical made by the prostate gland. During a man’s annual checkup, it’s commonly measured with a simple blood test to help detect prostate cancer early, before symptoms ever appear. But there’s a lot of confusion about what a PSA number actually means. I’ve found the easiest way to explain it is through something a lot of my patients already understand: a golf handicap. Every golfer wants a low handicap. The lower it is, the better the golfer. The lower the PSA, the less chance there is for prostate cancer. So far, so simple. Here’s where it gets interesting: There’s no such thing as a “normal” handicap. A handicap is specific to the individual golfer, built from an average of many rounds. A PSA works the same way; it’s specific to you, and it becomes your personal baseline. Each year’s new number should be compared against your own baseline, not some universal “normal” range. Your golf handicap also naturally rises as you age, simply because your game changes over the years. The PSA behaves the same way. A man’s prostate naturally enlarges over a lifetime, and a bigger gland makes more PSA. So a slow, steady rise in your baseline PSA as you get older isn’t automatically alarming, it’s expected. What matters is a sudden rise. If your golf handicap jumps up out of nowhere, something changed. It may be temporary, or maybe not. The same is true of PSA. A sudden increase can be temporary, caused by something like infection or inflammation. Less often, it can be lasting, and that’s when we need to look closer. When a golfer’s handicap rises without explanation, the next step is a lesson with the pro, who studies the golfer’s swing to figure out what’s actually wrong.

ä See PSA, page 2X

Louisiana strong. Ochsner proud. ochsner.org Bo and Brett Bordelon | Ochsner Patients

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HEALTH MAKER

‘A new era’

Q&A WITH DR. MEREDITH COLLINS

N.O. plastic surgeon discusses helping cancer survivors BY MARGARET DeLANEY

Staff writer

Dr. Meredith Collins has lived many places, but she thinks she’s found her home in New Orleans. Originally from Ohio, Collins went to high school in Houston then earned her medical degree from Ohio State University College of Medicine. She trained in plastic surgery at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York and her fellowship in reconstructive microsurgery at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. “I bounced all over the place,” Collins said. She practiced medicine in Florida, Virginia and Kansas. Last year Collins joined the Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center as a section head, where she specializes in breast reconstruction surgery for breast cancer patients. “I always ask patients if they’ve seen a map of the New York City subway system,” Collins said. “The algorithm for breast reconstruction looks kind of like that. If this, then that. If that, then this. There’s so many roads and avenues.” This interview has been edited for length and clarity. What first drew you to plastic surgery? I really like the complex problem solving. Plastic surgeons are like the surgeon’s surgeon. When there’s a complex problem, we are the people that they call — complex wound reconstruction, cancer defects or trauma defects. It’s also very artistic, and requires a lot of attention to detail. All those things speak to me. Breast reconstruction surgery has always been my love. When I was in medical school, I looked at various avenues. My sister’s an

OB/GYN, but I didn’t love working in emergencies. I’m a thinker. I like to have a plan. I love being in the operating rooms. You either feel at home there or you don’t. For me, it just feels very natural. I remember rotating on plastic surgery in my later days at school. The cases I saw spoke to me, but the people working with me spoke to me too. I’ve learned that every specialty has a personality. Urologists are really funny. They have great sense of humor. Plastic surgeons are all — at least most of the ones I know — pretty Type A. We have perfectionistic tendencies, for better for worse. We’re also very warm and engaging. I just remember feeling at home. Then I saw my first free flap surgery, and I was sold — I didn’t know you could take a muscle from somebody’s belly and put it on their foot and it could survive there. I was hooked. How has breast reconstruction changed since you began your career? There are so many advances that have happened since I was a resident that have pushed breast reconstruction into a new era. The focus has really changed from just creating a mound to fill out clothes. That is not the standard anymore. What I tell patients in the office is, “I want you to feel good about yourself when you get out of the shower. I want you to feel happy with what you see in the mirror.” That level of comfort in your own skin after a breast cancer diagnosis is so important. We think so much more now about quality of life than we did years ago. The immediate treatment with surgery, chemothera-

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Dr. Meredith Collins is a plastic and reconstructive surgeon specializing in breast surgery at Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer. py, radiation is of course the most important thing. I’ve followed so many of my patients for years after they ﬁnish their reconstruction. I see what their lives are like once they’ve returned to a new normal. My husband is a cancer survivor, so I also think that has shaped the way I think about the quality of life after a cancer diagnosis. Breast reconstruction is a huge part of that for patients with breast cancer. The biggest technical advancements were in nerve reconstruction, being able to restore sensation to somebody’s breast. Before my residency training, that was not something we talked about often. Now it’s part of every conversation with patients. Other advances like microsurgical breast reconstruction, which has been around a fair number of years now, allowed us to use

someone’s own tissues to build breasts. That’s amazing. Advances in lymphedema surgery, being able to restore lymphatics to treat swelling in the arm after surgery and radiation. Advances in implant-based breast reconstruction, the quality of implants, the quality of the supports we use for internal bra structures and prepectoral reconstruction. Back-grafting has been 100% transformative in terms of making a breast look more natural than an implant sitting on the chest wall. Now we can camouﬂage the implants by injecting fat around the periphery of the reconstruction. There are so many things that have transformed our outcomes from only reconstructive to both cosmetic and reconstructive. What do you remember about the first breast cancer patient you reconstructed, and what did that experience teach you? Surgery is a hard way of life,

but I love what we can give back to people, and how happy it makes them, and how deeply grateful and appreciative and loving they are, and the relationship that we develop. My first DIEP flap surgery, a procedure that rebuilds breasts using a patient’s own skin and fat from the lower abdomen, was 10 years ago in my private practice in Florida. I kept in touch with her for a long time. Actually, she was one of the first people to text me the day my son was born to say congratulations. She has five children, a beautiful family, and she taught me how wonderfully appreciative my patients are. How much love they give back to you in return. Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@theadvocate. com.

HEALTH NOTES

Study to examine how much iron is needed in people’s diets Tulane Ventures has invested $250,000 in Cabana, a behavioral health platform cofounded by Heather Townsend, left, and Tulane alumnus David Black.

BY MARGARET DeLANEY

Staff writer

Pennington Biomedical Research Center is recruiting participants for a study of how much iron is needed in your diet, with up to $500 offered as compensation for completing the study. To qualify participants should be between 18 and 50 years old, be a male or premenopausal woman, and be a nonsmoker for three months. Participants cannot donate blood for the 16 months of the study. Call Pennington’s clinical trial recruiting team at (225) 763-3000 or email clinicaltrials@pbrc.edu.

Tulane Ventures brings Cabana to N.O.

PROVIDED PHOTO as its own service line,” Black said in a statement from Tulane. “We’re weaving behavioral health support into the moments between care experiences.” Cabana Live provides daily, anonymous telehealth group sessions, including grief counseling, relationship support, support for those facing chronic illness, veteran transition, cancer management and sober-curious tracks. Cabana Connected Care embeds a care manager and psychiatrist directly with physician offices, adding a team-based mental health support layer on top of current ofﬁce visits rather than referring a patient out for a separate appointment. Cabana Pod places physical, private pods inside clinics, hospitals and workplaces so patients or employees can access care onsite. The pods have been piloted at eight locations across Louisiana. Cabana has served 15,000 individuals and hosted 4,000 groups, with 86% of patients getting sameday care.

Tulane Ventures, an early-stage investment fund from the university, invested $250,000 in Cabana, a behavioral health platform cofounded by a Tulane alumnus. The funding enabled Cabana to move its headquarters to New Orleans, begin building out a clinical team based in the state and launch Cabana Connected Care to help providers and health systems in Louisiana integrate behavioral health support between patient appointments. Cabana was founded by David Black, a 2005 graduate of Tulane’s A.B. Freeman School of Business, and Heather Townsend, who met Black in graduate school. The idea took shape after Black witnessed his father and family struggle through his father’s battle with late-stage cancer. “We see behavioral health chalXavier University of Louisiana lenges as a dimension of many researchers published a study healthcare experiences, not just exploring how healthcare profes-

Xavier studies how to up Black trial participation

PSA

Continued from page 1X When a PSA rises without explanation, the next step is a visit to a urologist, who may run additional testing to identify the cause. Sometimes it turns out to be a simple, treatable issue. Sometimes it reveals a cancer, which can be caught early enough to

treat successfully. So when should a man start playing this round? The American Cancer Society recommends that men at average risk begin the conversation with their doctor at age 50. For men at higher risk, including Black men and those with a father or brother diagnosed with prostate cancer, the conversation should start earlier, at 45. Whether you’re a week-

sionals and researchers can recruit more Black communities for clinical trials, as published in the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education in September. The discussions revealed that Black Americans are worried about participating in clinical trials due to past historical medical abuses. Other barriers to participation included possible health risks associated with trials, as well as logistical issues that make it hard to participate. The discussions also revealed several avenues that could help increase Black Americans’ participation in medical trials. The focus group participants said they would consider joining a clinical trial if it helped their communities, if they received compensation for participating and if the process was easy and convenient. Additionally, the focus group participants also emphasized the importance of clear communication regarding trials and suggested that direct engagement between researchers and community partners could help increase interest in trial participation.

Mardijong, a fundraising event will welcome 160 mahjong players and beneﬁt cancer care programs at East Jefferson Hospital Thursday, Oct. 1, from 6-9 p.m. Guests will enjoy dinner, dessert, beverages, door prizes and giveaways. Tickets can be purchased on the hospital’s website.

Loyola and Ochsner Health launch MBA Loyola University New Orleans and Ochsner Health have launched an executive MBA designed to provide hospital leaders with business, strategy and leadership expertise. The first group of 38 Ochsner physicians, advanced practice providers and nursing leaders began classes at Loyola in September. The program combines Loyola’s graduate business education with the real-world leadership challenges facing healthcare professionals and organizations today, according to a news release from Ochsner Health.

Sepsis tech developed BR continues to save

IntelliSep, a test that indicates a likelihood for patients to develop sepsis, has saved one life every three days over the last three years at FMOL Health, according to the hospital system. “The outcomes we are seeing as a result of implementing the IntelliSep test are nothing short of revolutionary,” said Dr. Christopher Thomas, vice president and chief quality ofﬁcer at FMOL Health, in a statement. “We’re transforming sepsis care, as healthcare knows Presented in partnership with it.”

Mahjong tournament to benefit cancer care

end golfer or you’ve never picked up a club, the principle is the same: know your baseline, and pay attention to changes in it, not just the number itself. If you haven’t talked to your doctor about when you should start PSA testing, this is a good month to have that conversation. Dr. Curtis Chastain is a board-certiﬁed internist practicing at FMOL Health in Baton Rouge.

FMOL Health treated thousands of patients across Louisiana and Mississippi since the implementation of the test who were considered at risk for sepsis upon evaluation in the emergency room. So far the hospital has seen a 24% reduction in mortality among patients with sepsis and a 19% reduction in mortality among patient without sepsis, the hospital said. FMOL Health returned nearly $25 million to the healthcare system through a reduction in days spent in the hospital. IntelliSep was developed by Cytovale in close collaboration with FMOL Health and Louisiana State University to detect sepsis in under 10 minutes. Cytovale reports more than 600 providers now use IntelliSep routinely in health systems across the country, with an IntelliSep test ordered every six minutes.

LDH hosts fun run for women’s health day Louisianans are invited to lace up their sneakers for the inaugural StrongHER Louisiana community fun run or walk, hosted by the Louisiana Department of Health’s Office on Women’s Health and Community Health. The free, untimed 3-mile course begins at 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 30 at Proof Works, 1624 Wyoming St., Baton Rouge. The ﬁrst 100 registrants will receive an event T-shirt. Health Notes is an occasional listing of health happenings around Louisiana. Have something you’d like to share? Contact us at margaret. delaney@theadvocate.com.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU The Louisiana Health section is focused on providing in-depth, personal accounts of health in the state. This section looks at medical innovations, health discoveries, state and national health statistics and reexamining tried and true methods on ways to live well.

Health editions will also profile people who are advancing health for the state of Louisiana. Do you have a health story? We want to hear from you. Email margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com to submit health questions, stories and more.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ 3X

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Eat Fit Live Fit

Molly Kimball RD, CSSD

B R O U G H T TO YO U BY

Blood pressure: what your numbers can teach you

hat if, instead of simply checking your blood pressure, you used that reading to learn something about yourself – including how your everyday habits may be affecting your numbers? A home blood pressure cuff can give us real-time feedback. We’re used to hearing the standard advice: eat less sodium, exercise, drink less alcohol, manage stress and get enough sleep. But it can be surprisingly useful to track your own numbers and see which of these changes seem to matter most for you. Let’s be clear: this isn’t a controlled clinical experiment. Too many factors inﬂuence blood pressure for that. But repeated patterns can still be useful. Say you come home after a particularly stressful day – check your blood pressure, take a 30-minute walk, cool down and then check it again.

Take Alcohol, For Example

Alcohol can be one of the most interesting variables to test. Every year with our Alcohol Free for 40 challenge, we measure blood pressure before and after 40 alcohol-free days. As we head into our 12th year, we’ve tracked before-and-after data for thousands of participants and on average, we’ve seen systolic blood pressure drop by 9 mm Hg and diastolic by 4.3 mm Hg. You don’t need to wait for our next Alcohol Free for 40 challenge or even give up alcohol for 40 days to learn something. Try an alcohol-free week, or compare several alcohol-free days with your usual pattern. Track your blood pressure and see what happens. You can experiment with other variables, too, including sleep and caffeine, which can temporarily raise blood pressure in some people.

For reference, normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mm Hg, while high blood pressure begins at 130/80. For reasonably consistent home readings, use a validated upper-arm cuff, sit quietly for ﬁve minutes with feet ﬂat and your arm supported, then take two readings about a minute apart. Focus on averages and trends, not one random number.

And Yes, There’s DASH

How Sensitive Are You to Sodium?

Sodium matters, but we’re not equally sensitive to it. Recent research estimates that roughly one in four adults overall and about half of people with high blood pressure are ‘salt-sensitive,’ meaning their blood pressure responds more strongly to changes in sodium. There’s no simple at-home diagnostic test for salt sensitivity. You can, however, keep other habits relatively consistent and compare several days at your usual sodium intake with several lower-sodium days. Again, compare averages rather than judging your response from one salty restaurant meal. And look for easy sodium swaps. A teaspoon of original TABASCO has just 35 mg sodium compared with 200 mg in a teaspoon of Louisiana Brand Original Hot Sauce. Both taste amazing, but if

salt is an issue, this switch can make a meaningful difference. General guidance recommends limiting sodium to 2,300 mg daily, moving toward 1,500 mg for many people with high blood pressure. But those numbers also need context, especially here in Louisiana. Adult sweat rates during exercise can range from roughly 0.5 to 4 liters per hour and the amount of sodium lost in that sweat varies enormously from person to person. Someone spending hours working or training in Louisiana heat and losing large amounts of salty sweat may have different needs from someone who spends most of the day indoors. That’s where individual guidance from your physician and registered dietitian becomes especially valuable.

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

The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) gets its own acronym, although much of it will sound familiar: plenty of vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds and fewer highly processed, sodiumheavy foods. These foods also naturally provide more potassium, another nutrient speciﬁcally recommended for supporting healthy blood pressure. Certain kidney conditions and medications can make additional potassium unsafe, however, so more isn’t universally better.

Don’t Forget to Include Your Doctor

Most importantly, keep monitoring if you’re making signiﬁcant lifestyle changes while taking blood-pressure medication. Losing weight, exercising more, reducing or eliminating alcohol and changing your diet may lower your blood pressure enough that medication needs to be adjusted. Dizziness, lightheadedness, blurred vision, unusual weakness or fatigue, nausea or fainting can be signs that blood pressure has dropped too low. Never adjust medication on your own. Bring your readings and symptoms to your healthcare provider to discuss. And before trading table salt for a supposedly healthier version, keep in mind that gram for gram, sea salt and table salt contain essentially the same amount of sodium.

Looking Ahead

Next week, we’ll take a closer look at sea salt, Himalayan salt, kosher salt and other specialty salts – and whether any really have a nutritional edge.

BY THE NUMBERS

CDC STUDy FINDS AMERICANS ARE DRINKING MORE WATER

Americans are always drinking — both alcohol and nonalcoholic beverages. These drinks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, make up a significant portion of the calories and nutrients needed in an ideal diet. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend water and unsweetened beverages as primary drink choices, as well as limited 100% fruit juices and avoiding sugar-sweetened beverages. The CDC collected data, released in August, reports the contribution of beverage types (including water, milk, coffee and tea, 100% fruit juice, sweetened beverages and diet beverages) compared to the total nonalcoholic

STUDY

Continued from page 1X

memorized and matched birds when presented with four options. Experienced birders had denser brain matter in the frontoparietal cortex — a region associated with cognition and working memory — than beginners. Birding, wrote the study authors in their research, left “a coherent imprint on the brain.” “Birding strengthens cognitive function by transforming momentary personal experiences into lasting knowledge,” explains Erik Wing, lead author on the study and a neuroscientist at the Rotman Research Institute in Toronto. His studies and work by other researchers in human psychology and social science show that birds do more than spark an interest in people’s lives. In fact, birds may help support a person’s cognitive function and mental health across their life span. In his studies at the Rotman Research Institute, one of the world’s preeminent centers for understand-

beverage consumption for American youth and adults. Data is collected for nonalcoholic beverage consumption in the U.S. to determine if Americans are “closer to meeting ongoing dietary guidelines recommendations emphasizing water as a primary beverage for youth and adults,” the CDC says. Between August 2021 and August 2023, water accounted for the largest percentage of total nonalcoholic beverage consumption among youth, ages 2-19, at 57.2%. Water is followed by milk, at 16.1% of total nonalcoholic consumption, sweetened beverages (15.3%), 100% fruit juice (5.5%), coffee and tea (3.9%) and

ing aging and human brain function, Wing explores how deep, accumulated knowledge — such as bird knowledge — changes the brain. By accumulating sightings and experiences, birders develop complex mental networks as they connect species, behaviors, sounds and habitats to identify birds. This form of knowledge compounds over time. “You’re not only learning a new concept — you’re learning something that applies broadly to the entire network,” Wing said. “Everything you learn informs everything else.” Birding combines multiple factors that support cognitive and mental health — like nature exposure, social interaction and novelty — into one activity. And though it demands high-level thinking, birding is also a form of mental rest. “Birding helps interrupt cycles of stress and rumination by directing attention outward,” said Wing, referencing a 2022 study by German scientists published in the journal Scientific Reports that documented how listening to birdsong reduces anxiety in people. Birding, he says, offers “a

diet beverages (2.0%). Contributions from water were similar between youth and adults between 2021 and 2023. Among adults, water was also the top contributor to total nonalcoholic beverage consumption (57.3%), followed by coffee and tea (20.1%), sweetened beverages (11.2%), diet beverages (4.8%), milk (4.6%) and 100% fruit juice (2.0%). According to prior CDC research, water accounted for 43.7% of youth total nonalcoholic beverage consumption between 2013 and 2016. For adults, water accounted for 51.2% of total nonalcoholic beverage consumption between 2015 and 2018.

What do Americans drink?

The percentage of total nonalcoholic beverages consumed by U.S. youth and adults between August 2021 and August 2023: 100%

Diet beverages Sweetened beverages

80%

Coffee and tea

60%

100% fruit juice

40%

Milk

20%

Water

2-19 years old

20 and older

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Staff graphic

moving, engaging focus in the natural world.”

‘I could never stop’ It’s known that lifelong learning activities may help delay the onset of dementia. One study found that people who had more engagement in enriching activities had a 38% lower chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease with an average five-year delay in those who were eventually diagnosed. “The brain is a fascinating, complicated thing,” said Dr. Nicolas Bazan, the director of the Neuroscience Center of Excellence at LSU Health New Orleans. “It needs to be constantly alive to stay active.” Other brain-engaging aspects of bird-watching involve the social engagement of bird walks, trekking on uneven ground, and learning different pollinators and invasive tree and bush species that attract the most birds. In 2005, Patterson saw a bird on a feeder in her backyard that she couldn’t identify. Her husband had a modern bird field guide printed in 1974. She looked up what ﬁnch it could possibly be, and found herself swirling down the rabbit

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Jane Patterson looks for birds recently while walking over a foot bridge at the Amite River Wildlife Sanctuary in Prairieville. hole of nesting patterns and the introduction of house ﬁnches to Long Island, N.Y., and how they spread along the east coast. “Once I got started,” Patterson said. “I could never stop.” Now she leads weekly classes for young birders

and hosts walks with other bird enthusiasts as president of the Baton Rouge Audubon Society. And she brings many under the fold of bird-watching. “If all you ever want to do is ﬁgure out what birds you’re looking at in your backyard, that’s ﬁne. If you

want to spend all of your children’s inheritance traveling around the world trying to see 11,000 species of birds, that’s ﬁne too,” Patterson said. Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com.

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Doctors offer flu, COVID vaccine recommendations Top experts seek to ease confusion

BY LAURAN NEERGAARD

AP medical writer

Leading U.S. medical groups are urging people to get updated flu and COVID-19 vaccinations this fall, banding together to issue shot guidelines — and highlight the science behind them — saying they hope to ease confusion caused by the Trump administration’s changing advice. Flu vaccinations are beginning and COVID-19 shots are starting to arrive after the Food and Drug Administration approved this year’s updated versions last week. Winter also brings another vaccine-preventable risk called RSV. Exactly who should get one or all of these vaccines, and when? That advice usually comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with help from its independent advisers. But despite no new scientific evidence, Trump health officials last year began pulling back on some longstanding recommendations for fall virus protection and routine children’s vaccinations. And that advisory panel, which influences state and insurance vaccine policies, is caught in a court battle. The CDC didn’t respond to questions about any new fall guidance but suggested on its website that doctors follow last year’s flu recommendations. Doctors’ groups are filling the gap: the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Infectious Diseases Society of America

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By LINDSEy WASSON

Leading U.S. medical groups are urging people to get updated flu and COVID-19 vaccinations this fall. each released vaccination guidelines for their patient populations. “There’s been a lot of confusion and chaos regarding vaccine recommendations,” said Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, of the American Medical Association. All the groups’ recommendations plus evidence on shot safety and effectiveness are being posted on websites so “the public has clear, consistent, sciencebased guidance even while the federal process is in ﬂux,” Fryhofer said.

Who should get them? Just about everybody starting at age 6 months needs flu vaccination, the medical societies agree. But flu is particularly dangerous for people 65 and older, pregnant women, young children and people of any age who have chronic health problems, including asthma, diabetes, heart disease and

weak immune systems. The last two ﬂu seasons were especially harsh, with unusually high numbers of child deaths — the vast majority of them in unvaccinated kids. The vaccines don’t block all flu infections but they do help prevent the worst outcomes, decreasing older adults’ hospitalizations by 31%, according to the Vaccine Integrity Project, a public health group based at the University of Minnesota. Its analysis was published Wednesday in the medical journal JAMA.

Flu vaccine options Three “enhanced” ﬂu vaccines are designed to better protect seniors. The American Academy of Family Physicians urges them to choose one — “but do not delay your vaccination if that one’s not available,” said AAFP’s Dr. Sarah Nosal. There’s a new choice this

year for people ages 50 and older, the ﬁrst ﬂu vaccine made with the same mRNA technology that was key to ending the COVID-19 pandemic. One study found Moderna’s mFlusiva was 27% more effective against symptomatic illness among 50- to 64-year-olds than a standard shot. The FDA just approved the new option and the company expects some doses to be available soon at certain pharmacies. The shot-averse could choose a nasal spray, FluMist, if they’re ages 2 to 49 and meet other health criteria.

Latest on COVID vaccines COVID-19 shots once were recommended for just about everyone by federal health agencies, but like last year, the FDA has only formally approved them for higherrisk people — those ages 65 and older or younger people

with at least one health condition that increases their risk. Still, the family physicians recommend all adults get a COVID-19 vaccination, especially seniors and those with other risk factors. Adults 65 and older should get a fall dose and then a second dose six months later, as immunity wanes over time, Nosal said. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a COVID-19 shot for all children ages 6 months to 23 months, and for older kids with high-risk conditions. It also supports vaccination for any child whose parent wishes it. With millions of shots administered, there’s no evidence that coronavirus vaccination during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage or other problems, “so please get the vaccine,” said ACOG’s Dr. Christina Davidson. Depending on age, people can choose a shot from Moderna, Pfizer, or the only non-mRNA version from Novavax and Sanofi. Just like with flu vaccines, these shots are better at preventing severe disease than mild cases. The Vaccine Integrity Project said last fall’s COVID-19 shots cut the risk of hospitalization by 53% in seniors and slashed emergency room visits for very young children. Common side effects for flu and COVID-19 vaccines are mild and temporary, such as sore arms, fatigue, headaches, muscle aches, and mild fever. They occurred somewhat more often with the new mFlusiva than with standard flu shots.

flu and coronavirus shots, they’re most common in pharmacies. For COVID-19 shots, states have more pharmacy rules. For example, Walgreens says it offers those shots without a prescription in all but two states, Arizona and Oregon, but can provide doses for children as young as 3 in some states while others have higher age limits. Medicare covers the fall shots and most private health insurers say they plan to continue doing so through 2027.

Vaccination timing October is ideal for a ﬂu vaccine, as influenza typically starts spreading in November. COVID-19 tends to rise in late summer, as it is now, and again after the winter holidays. Fryhofer says it’s ﬁne to time the coronavirus shot a few weeks ahead of an event you wouldn’t want to miss because of illness, like a special trip or get-together.

RSV dangers

RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, typically is a coldlike nuisance during the fall, winter and early spring. But it can be severe, even lifethreatening, for infants and older adults. The family physicians recommend a one-time vaccination for adults 75 and older, people 50 to 74 who are at increased risk, or younger people with weak immune systems. It’s also recommended during late pregnancy to protect infants born during RSV season. Separately, the pediatricians recommend a vaccine-like medication for those infants whose Where to get vaccinated moms weren’t vaccinated While pediatricians and and some other high-risk some clinics offer both babies.

Hospitals use wristbands to help reduce childbirth risks BY ANDREW JONES

KFF Health News (TNS) Hospitals across the U.S. are trying to reduce maternal deaths and complications after pregnancies using one small tool: a silicone wristband stamped with the declaration “I Gave Birth.” The wristbands are part of a growing initiative ﬁrst launched by North Carolina-based ECU Health as Congress sought to address the nation’s growing maternal mortality crisis during the covid pandemic. Since 2021, nearly 50 North Carolina hospitals and the state’s health department have begun distributing the wristbands, to give mothers and care providers a visual reminder of the life-threatening health risks after birth. The Connecticut state health department; large health systems in Arkansas, Georgia, and Mississippi; and hospitals in at least 24 other states have also embraced the program. The wristbands are intended to make emergency workers aware of postpartum risks, ensure better treatment, and help lower maternal mortality rates in the U.S., where nearly 70% of pregnancyrelated deaths happen after the day of delivery — and nearly 40% happen after the six-week mark. This year, North Carolina plans to expand the initiative with part of the $213 million it received through the Rural Health Transformation Program, a provision of President Donald Trump’s signature One Big Beautiful Bill Act, also known as HR 1. Tamika Auguste, a physician and the board chair at the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists Foundation, praised the wristbands as a useful tool “to increase awareness and education around postpartum health.” But she and others who focus on maternal health said efforts like the wristband campaigns are only part of what’s needed to combat the broader maternal mortality crisis in the U.S. And they noted the wristbands’ popularity is emerging as Trump’s 2025 law is expected to reduce Medic-

aid spending by more than $900 billion over 10 years, according to a Congressional Budget Ofﬁce analysis. Medicaid, the federal-state program that covers healthcare for low-income families, pays for at least 40% of births nationwide. Elisabeth Wright Burak, a policy researcher at Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families, said Trump’s tax-and-spending law is stifling the momentum states had been gaining with maternal care since 2022. That’s when Congress allowed states to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to a year, which nearly every state did. Now, those extensions could end up on the chopping block, Burak said, as states seek ways to manage Medicaid losses. “There is no question that HR 1 risks setting the clock back for maternal health,” Burak said. A report she co-authored in July warned that postpartum patients have more to worry about with the new law than simply cuts to Medicaid. States are also setting up systems that may not adequately track pregnant and postpartum enrollees who should be exempt from the law’s new work requirements, erroneously dropping them from coverage, Burak’s report said.

Maternal mortality U.S. maternal mortality rates have risen and fallen over the past seven years, with 649 maternal deaths in 2024, according to the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. Tennessee had the worst maternal mortality rate in the nation from 2020 to 2024, around 42 deaths per 100,000 births, according an analysis of CDC data by the Congressional Research Service. North Carolina’s rate was about 29 in 100,000, with a national average of 23. In its Rural Health Transformation Program application, North Carolina said the initiative creating the “I Gave Birth” wristbands reduced postpartum readmissions by nearly a third at

ECU HEALTH/TNS PHOTO

ECU Health in eastern North Carolina created the ‘I Gave Birth’ wristband initiative in 2021 at a time when Congress was seeking to address the nation’s maternal mortality crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic. ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville, without elaborating. In online promotions, some hospitals have claimed the wristband campaigns can save lives, though many have recently launched and their impact has yet to be studied. “Additional research is needed to conclusively confirm the outcomes of such initiatives,” said Hannah Jones, a spokesperson for the North Carolina health department. Hospitals provide a wristband to patients who have given birth and instruct them to wear it for weeks or months, hoping they’ll be reminded to check in with a physician if they feel chest pain, have headaches, or start bleeding. The accessory resembles the yellow Livestrong wristband, part of a cancer awareness campaign launched by cyclist Lance Armstrong’s foundation. A nurse also talks through postpartum risks with the patients, and they’re sent home with pamphlets and guidebooks on how to care for their new child and themselves. “The bracelet itself is simply a reminder of, ‘Hey, I got education,’ ” said Jessica Noble, a nurse with East Carolina University-connected ECU Health who pioneered

said, often because people don’t know what to say. Mellon said wearing one of the wristbands would have been a painful reminder of her loss. Now she works as a doula in Asheville, North Carolina. Mellon said what she thinks new moms need most is community and emotional support. The wristband could help encourage that for some patients, she said, but isn’t for everyone. “There are so many risks, and it’s just like you almost become invisible,” she said. More than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable, according to the CDC. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in March published guidance, developed during the Biden administration, that urged hospitals to create better emergency department protocols to catch postpartum complications and to measure their work against state and national maternal health data. But those efforts faced a ‘So many risks’ major threat last year when Alexandra Mellon gave the Trump administration birth last year. Her daughter sought to cut CDC fundwas stillborn. Devastated, ing for state-level maternal she sought out a therapist, mortality data in its prodonated her breast milk, and posed 2026 budget. While tried to ﬁnd meaning in her Congress rejected that circumstances. She spent move, the administration a year feeling isolated, she did lay off staff tracking

the initiative. It’s also intended to alert first responders and other healthcare providers that a woman has recently given birth and to check for postpartum complications, such as low blood pressure, bleeding, or infections. Emergency department staff and EMS workers sometimes don’t have adequate training to recognize postpartum complications, research shows, which can be dangerous when those patients end up in an emergency room. Postpartum wristbands gained traction across the country through health awareness campaigns fueled by social media posts and evening news segments. New mothers appeared in promotional photos and videos wearing the wristband and raving about the accessory, saying it celebrated childbirth. Some postpartum patients who faced traumatic births or mental health struggles saw it differently.

postpartum patients’ health. The Trump administration tried again to cut $113.5 million in CDC maternal health research in its proposed 2027 budget. Congress has instead proposed increasing funding to $115.5 million. Without more research, it’s unclear how effective the wristbands are in encouraging postpartum patients to seek care when they need it. A U.K. study of mass media campaigns to improve health outcomes, such as preventing risky substance use or encouraging exercise, found that the campaigns didn’t change behaviors. Another study found that the U.S. “Back to Sleep” campaign, which educates parents on safe sleeping practices with babies, dramatically reduced rates of sudden infant death syndrome for several years after it launched in 1994, though rates plateaued in the early 2000s. In 2020, the CDC tried a similar national campaign, “Hear Her,” aimed at helping women speak up when something felt wrong after delivery. The CDC released a study on the campaign years later that said it “had the unintended consequence of appearing to put the burden on the people who are pregnant or postpartum to speak up.” ECU Health Medical Center created the wristband initiative in 2021 and published a study two years later. In it the authors noted the pregnancy-related readmission rate at the Greenville hospital fell 0.77%. It attributed the change to the “education provided to patients, family members, and medical personnel” in the initiative, without elaborating. Campaigns like the “I Gave Birth” initiative are far from a ﬁnal solution to maternal mortality, said Noble, the campaign’s architect and lead author on the ECU Health study. If she “had a magic wand,” she said, North Carolina would not just have better postpartum care but would also address the root causes of pregnancy complications. “But I don’t have one, and I can’t make system-level change immediately.”

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ 5X

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Early detection and advanced treatments offer more options for prostate cancer patients at Ochsner

For radiation oncologist Edward Mannina Jr., MD, caring for patients means pairing personalized treatment with the latest advances in cancer care. He treats patients at Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center at Slidell Regional Cancer Center, A Campus of Ochsner Medical Center.

By Amanda McElfresh amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

progress, we will treat it appropriately.” When treatment is necessary, patients may have several options that can This story is brought to you include surgery, radiation, hormone by Ochsner Health. therapy, chemotherapy and sophisticated targeted treatments. Prostate cancer is often dramatically difOne of the newest treatment options ferent from one man to another. For some is targeted radiation therapy designed for patients, the disease grows slowly and can be advanced prostate cancer. The specialsafely monitored for years without interven- ized medication targets proteins found on tion. In others, it can progress quickly and prostate cancer cells, then releases radiarequire treatment from multiple specialists. tion that damages or kills cancerous cells At Ochsner Health, physicians’ knowl- while limiting damage to surrounding edge of those variabilities is crucial to healthy cells. The medication is adminhow they approach prostate cancer, istered intravenously during a series of from screening recommendations to treat- sessions every six weeks and is offered at ment plans. Ochsner MD Anderson locations in New “There is an incredible amount of re- Orleans, Baton Rouge and Covington. search on prostate cancer. Comprehen“Targeted radiation therapy is designed sive teamwork is needed to treat patients for men whose prostate cancer has spread correctly. We offer multidisciplinary and who are no longer responding to certain clinics, where patients meet with all of previous treatments,” Dr. Mannina said. “It their specialists on the same day. That alhas shown great promise, and there has lows us to collaboratively and proactivebeen recent expansion in terms of patients ly work together on the care plan, which who qualify for it.” can lead to better outcomes,” said Edward Dr. Mannina said there have been Mannina Jr., MD, radiation oncologist at other significant advances in prostate canOchsner MD Anderson Cancer Center at cer treatment in recent years, including Slidell Regional Cancer Center, A Campus new medications that are better tolerated, of Ochsner Medical Center. “When and improved surgical techpatients first come in, they have a lot niques that use robotics to perof fear and anxiety. When we tell them mit faster recovery. there are many treatment options, you “The treatment landscape can see the relief in their eyes.” continues to evolve,” he said. “We are seeing patients whose New options in an evolving prostate cancer has metastatreatment landscape sized living longer because of Over the past two decades, acnew targeted therapies. It is tive surveillance has berewarding to be able to include Brian T. Halbert, MD come a viable option for Genitourinary Medical Oncologist these advances in some of our patients with localized, Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Baton Rouge treatment plans.” low risk prostate cancer, particularly when the disease has not spread and the patient is otherwise healthy. Brian T. Halbert, MD, genitourinary medical oncologist at Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Baton Rouge, noted that all patients receive comprehensive care. “If the recommendation is active surveillance, it’s not the same as foregoing treatment,” Dr. Halbert said. “It means monitoring the cancer closely with prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, testing and other evaluations rather than treating it immediately. If we make the choice to watch it carefully, it is with the understanding that if things

Understanding risk guides screening decisions

While prostate cancer treatment options are growing rapidly, they are only one part of improving outcomes. Understanding risk and early detection are just as crucial. Current guidelines generally encourage men of average risk to begin discussing prostate cancer screening with their physician at age 50 or age 40 if they are at a higher risk. Men with a close relative who has had prostate cancer may be at a higher risk, as are Black men. “One of the challenges is that prostate

When patients ﬁrst come in, they have a lot of fear and anxiety. When we tell them there are many treatment options, you can see the relief in their eyes.

Edward Mannina Jr., MD

of nearly 98% when detected early. “With early detection, all options are on the table. Frequently, the option we choose is based on the side effects the patient can accept,” Dr. McCarron said. “Surgery can have a deﬁnitive outcome, but some men might experience more sexual dysfunction or incontinence. That may lead them to prefer radiation or hormone treatments. When we identify prostate cancer early, we can discuss all of those options and choose a plan that is best tailored for that patient.”

Quality of life is at the center of care

As more men survive prostate cancer and live longer after diagnosis, Ochsner physicians are placing a greater emphasis on what life looks like during and after treatment. Choosing a treatment plan is cancer often causes no noticeable sympnot only about controlling the cancer, but toms in its early stages,” Dr. Halbert said. also about considering how potential side “That is why it is important for men to uneffects may affect a man’s quality of life. derstand their personal risk and talk with Dr. Halbert said patients often experience their doctor about whether screening is fatigue, hot flashes, urinary changes and appropriate for them.” A standard prostate cancer screening erectile dysfunction, as well as emotional involves an exam and a PSA blood test. concerns such as anxiety or fear of recurScreenings generally occur each year, al- rence, even if their treatment goes well. “Men should feel comfortable discussing though some doctors may recommend adjusted frequency depending on the patient. those issues with their care team because Kenneth E. McCarron, MD, primary care there are treatments and support services physician at Ochsner Lafayette General In- that may help,” he said. “It’s important not to ternal Medicine, said he begins discussing stigmatize any of that and understand that prostate health with patients in it’s a part of the treatment journey.” their 30s and prefers to estabDr. Halbert said he also emphasizlish a PSA baseline at age 40. es to his patients the importance of “As long as they are near maintaining a healthy lifestyle and that baseline every year, there managing conditions such as high are no issues. What is alarmblood pressure, diabetes and cardioing is if that level doubles in vascular disease. a year, even if it is still in the “It is about treating the patient honormal range. That’s when we listically,” he said. “Heart disease is acneed to evaluate what Kenneth E. McCarron, MD tually a leading cause of death among is going on,” Dr. McCaPrimary Care Physician Ochsner Lafayette General men with prostate cancer. That’s why rron said. Internal Medicine we talk a lot about their overall health An increase in PSA and make sure they are up to date on levels may indicate an infection, inflammation or another prostate their other screenings and medications. condition. However, if further testing shows The most important thing is for men to have diagnosis of cancer, Dr. McCarron said iden- a relationship with a primary care doctor tifying it as early as possible opens up sev- and talk to them about screenings, their eral treatment alternatives. While prostate risk factors and their overall health. That cancer is the most common form of cancer ultimately puts them in the best position in men, it can have a five-year survival rate to improve their livelihoods.” Radiation Oncologist Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center at Slidell Regional Cancer Center

Ochsner Health is the leading nonproﬁt healthcare provider in Louisiana, Mississippi and across the Gulf South, delivering expert care at its 47 hospitals and more than 370 health and urgent care centers. To learn more about how Ochsner empowers people to get well and stay well, visit ochsner.org.

6X ■ Sunday, September 27, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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Louisiana strong. Ochsner proud.

Bo and Brett Bordelon | Ochsner Patients

Louisiana is built on strong families, strong communities and people who show up for one another. That’s something we’re proud to be part of every day. At Ochsner, we’re honored to care for generations of Louisianans—helping them stay healthy, pursue their passions and keep doing what they love. We’re proud to care for the people who make Louisiana home. Learn more at ochsner.org

SUNDAY, September 27, 2026

CURTIS / by Ray Billingsley

SLYLOCK FOX / by Bob Weber Jr.

GET FUZZY / by Darby Conley

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE / by Chris Browne

ROSEBUDS / by Supr Dee

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM / by Mike Peters

ZIGGY / by Tom Wilson

SALLY FORTH / by Francesco Marciuliano & Jim Keefe

ZITS / by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE / by Stephan Pastis

wonderword

scrabble grams

word game

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

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

todAY's Word — ViruLent: VEER-oolent: Destructive; extremely poisonous or venomous. Average mark 49 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 63 or more words in VIRULENT?

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

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

AnsWers to ALL PuZZLes Are on inside BAcK PAGe

Sudoku

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

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

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

AnsWers to ALL PuZZLes Are on inside BAcK PAGe

Los angeLes Times sunday Crossword puzzLe — Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis “drop in anyTime!” By Jeremy Venook aCross 1 Hard work 6 Gym bottoms 12 “Sad to say ... “ 16 Through 19 Up on the latest news 20 Forty winks 21 Accessory kits for new hires 23 Tacky style influenced by West Coast beach culture and Neapolitan food traditions? 26 Metric weight, for short 27 Crazes 28 Saxophone need 29 Wash 30 Continuing to count sheep 32 Tag line? 34 Tatami, e.g. 35 Spots 36 One tasked with keeping produce from spoiling? 43 Up to, briefly 45 Defines, as a boundary 47 Mac spec 48 Melee memento 49 Tribute penner 51 Tel __, Israel 52 __ on a true story 54 Draw Four card game 55 Caption of a selfie next to one fine fen? 59 “We feel the same way” 61 Chicken cordon __ 62 Microwave maker 63 Portuguese greeting 64 Rely (on) 65 Stacking figurines of a

Canadian prog rock band? 71 Over again 74 Artist Yoko 75 Your and my 76 Alpo rival 80 In unison 81 Individual with exceptional integrity? 86 U.K. lawmakers 87 Spots for electron clouds 89 Took off 90 Completely lost 91 Textbook chapter 93 Colorful carp 94 Pickets 97 Genre that includes techno 98 Annual award coveted by handbag designers? 101 Next in line 103 Chaps 104 Maddens 105 Widened, as pupils 108 On the move 111 Guitar tuners 113 Campsite warmer 115 Prefix with watt 116 Is able to say, “This parrot is all the evidence I need!”? 121 Tough to comprehend 122 Urges into action 123 Japanese boxed lunch 124 Bashful 125 Poison ivy symptom 126 Tubes in antique radios 127 Olympic track great Owens down 1 Hasn’t 2 Keep an eye out for

3 Cager’s motto 4 Camden Yards player 5 Slo-mo reviewer 6 Toss 7 Word with farm or foam 8 Big name in small cars 9 Genetic messenger molecule 10 Spigot 11 Booze 12 Woodworking tool 13 Head up 14 Request 15 Carryall for a day on the slopes 16 Sweater __ 17 Restless desire 18 Tennis icon honored on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia 22 Current condition 24 Helpful 25 Epsilon follower 31 Samsung product, perhaps 32 “Uncle!” 33 Converged 34 Viral post 36 Civil rights leader C.T. __ 37 Put out 38 Thirdlove garments 39 Mascara target 40 Very serious 41 Rambled 42 Dickens title character Edwin 43 The Taj Mahal, for one 44 Pastoral poem 46 Turpentine tree 50 Dark lord of “The Lord of the Rings” 52 Dietary fiber 53 One-on-one

contest 56 “Thereabouts” 57 Engine 58 Undefeated boxer Laila 60 Brace 64 On-campus residence 66 Eye layer 67 Uncountable ages 68 Cold open? 69 Green party? 70 Songs for two 71 Block

goren Bridge

72 College sports channel 73 Polite denial 77 Avowals 78 Hosted, for short 79 Decorative pillow cover 81 Horseshoe spot 82 Leave out 83 Medicinal plants 84 __ carotene 85 Stand in a studio

wuzzLes

88 Bout enders, briefly 92 Gym top 94 Meteor in the summer sky 95 Loaf with seeds 96 One who takes inventory? 99 More uncanny 100 Lofty 102 “Amen to that!” 105 Slag 106 Award quartets, for short

107 Oscar nominee Willem 108 Pros 109 Robe securer 110 City tricked by a wooden horse 111 Trident-shaped Greek letters 112 Inscribe with acid 113 Ascot-wearing driver of the Mystery Machine

114 Lollygagging 117 Pitching stat 118 Songwriters’ rights org. 119 Wall St. launch 120 Easy sammie

super Quiz

Too young?

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

Today’s deal is from a recent team match at a Youth Championship in China. At the other table, West’s opening four-spade bid was passed out. There were 11 tricks available but the declarer mis-timed the play and only took 10 tricks - still a good result. At this table the South player was more industrious. He balanced with a four-no-trump bid showing a two-suited hand. North bid five clubs in case his partner had clubs and hearts, but South’s five-diamond bid showed diamonds and hearts. North had a great hand opposite diamonds and hearts, but it was still aggressive to raise. South ruffed the opening spade lead with the three of diamonds and led a heart to the king and ace. East shifted to the king of clubs, taken in dummy. South ruffed a spade with the 10 of diamonds and overtook his jack of diamonds with dummy’s queen to ruff dummy’s last spade. He cashed the ace of diamonds but he could not get to dummy to draw the last trump. He had to lose another trick and finished down one. Had he ruffed the first spade high instead of with the three, he would not have had an entry problem. He

SUBJECT: FLORIDA (Example: What is a local inhabitant of Florida called? Answer: Floridian.) FRESHMAN LEVEL 1. What is the largest city in Florida? Answer________ 2. What is the capital city? Answer________ 3. Florida is 90 miles north of what country? Answer________ 4. What is the only state that reaches farther south than Florida? Answer________ 5. What is the only other state with a longer coastline? Answer________

would have reached a position that East could not defend. East could afford one club discard, but in the end, East would have to discard his other high club or a heart, giving declarer 12 tricks either way. Too bad. Tannah Hirsch welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, Ny. 14207. E-mail responses may be sent to gorenbridge@ aol.com. © 2026 Tribune Content Agency

ANSWERS TO ALL PUZZLES ARE ON NEXT PAGE

GRADUATE LEVEL 6. What two states border Florida? Answer________ 7. What is the word for the northwestern region of Florida? Answer________

8. The largest metropolitan area in the state is the ____ metropolitan area. Answer________ 9. What is the name of the MLB spring training league in the state? Answer________ 10. Name the chain of islands and reefs that are popular tourist resorts. Answer________ PH.D. LEVEL 11. What is the claim to fame of Britton Hill? Answer________ 12. What is the largest lake in Florida? Answer________ 13. Name either of the NHL teams in Florida. Answer________ 14. What is the state song? Answer________ 15. Name both of Florida’s MLB teams. Answer________

zodiaC LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Pursue your dreams. Let your creative ideas flow and your mind take you on a tour of what’s possible. Refuse to let laziness stand between you and your heart’s desires. Live up to your potential. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Don’t settle for less than what you want. Being a tagalong will not satisfy your needs. Follow your heart and pursue what inspires and motivates you to find and develop your niche. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) It’s up to you to make things happen. If you delve into the where, why and what of every situation and opportunity,

you’ll find the people and options that suit your needs best. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Pay more attention to what you do, and keep your thoughts to yourself. Flying under the radar at work or at home will give you greater freedom to complete what’s necessary. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Assess your financial, medical or legal position before you make a move. Be sure to stick to the rules and maintain up-to-date paperwork. Go through the proper channels to avoid setbacks. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Don’t carry burdens that don’t belong to you. Be

a good listener, nothing more. Your highest returns will come from following your heart and pursuing what makes you happy. ARIES (March 21-April 19) Be honest with yourself and those you encounter. Question anything that seems dodgy or unrealistic. Refuse to align yourself with groups that don’t share your beliefs or objectives. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Protect your reputation, meaningful relationships and lifestyle from scammers. Spend more time taking care of your mental and emotional health and protecting what you’ve worked so hard to achieve.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Stop worrying about what others think and do what makes you happy. Rather than having regrets, pick up the pace and put what you want in place. When one door closes, another will open. CANCER (June 21-July 22) Give whatever isn’t running smoothly a chance to dissipate before you start something new. Distance yourself from negativity and those trying to rewrite history. Know what’s important to you. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Refine your lifestyle to reflect your health and well-being. Taking better care of

yourself will lead to new possibilities and desires. Refuse to let temptation result in overspending, bad habits and overindulgence. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Spend more time nurturing meaningful relationships. How you conduct your personal and professional life will have an impact on your ability to earn and to function properly in whatever situation comes your way. The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

dustin / by Steve Kelley & Jeff Parker

Answers to puzzles super quiz 1. Jacksonville. 2. Tallahassee. 3. Cuba. 4. Hawaii. 5. Alaska. 6. Alabama and Georgia. 7. Panhandle. 8. Miami. 9. Grapefruit League. 10. Florida Keys. 11. The highest point in Florida. 12. Lake Okeechobee. 13. Florida Panthers or Tampa Bay Lightning. 14. "Old Folks at Home." 15. Miami Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays. SCORING: 24 to 30 points — congratulations, doctor; 18 to 23 points — honors graduate; 13 to 17 points — you’re plenty smart, but no grind; 5 to 12 points — you really should hit the books harder; 1 point to 4 points — enroll in remedial courses immediately; 0 points — who reads the questions to you?

Cryptoquote Answer Saturday's Cryptoquote: For my part, I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream. — Vincent Van Gogh

word GAme Answer veil vein vent vertu vier vile viler vine virtue inert inlet intel inter inure invert rein relit

rent rile rite rive riven rivulet ruin rule runlet runt unit unite unlit untie until unveil urine

utile lent lien lieu line liner lint lite liter live liven liver lune lure lute etui evil

niter tern tier tile tine tire trine triune true tune tuner turn

sudoKu Answer jumble Answer

Crossword Answers

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

sCrAbble Answers

FoXtrot / by Bill Amend

wuzzles Answers

Ken Ken Answers

hidAto Answers