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BRPD precinct moving to downtown Metro Council approves $500,000, 10-year lease at Third Street building BY BLAKE LESCHBER Staff writer
The Baton Rouge Police Department is relocating its Highland Road precinct to establish a location downtown in the Masonic building on Third Street. The East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Council approved a resolution Wednesday for a 10-year, $500,000 sublease for the Police Department to take up the first two floors of developer Mike Wampold’s building at 200 Third St. The third floor will continue to be operated by the St. James
Lodge No. 47 Masons. This building will house the Police Department’s Precinct 2, which is currently at 2265 Highland Road. East Baton Rouge Parish MayorPresident Sid Edwards and Baton Rouge Police Chief T.J. Morse have said the move is due to the department outgrowing that location, not because of any perceived safety problems downtown. “It is really cramped, where they’re at on Highland Road,” Edwards said last month. “We’re moving that district downtown, which will still be serving the same area.
The service won’t change.” The Police Department outgrew the Highland precinct years ago, Edwards and Morse said. They started working on the downtown move about nine months ago. “We’ve been looking to move away from the building we’re currently in for years now,” Morse said last month. “Then, this opportunity became available; it makes sense because it’s very close (to Highland) geographically, so it wouldn’t be too far of a move.” It will take about 90 days of planning and four months of construction to get the Third Street building ready for police operations. The property is located across from the Downtown Bike Patrol Precinct.
STAFF PHoTo By JAVIER GALLEGoS
The Baton Rouge Police department’s Precinct 2 will move into the first two floors of the building at 200 Third St. The third floor will continue to ä See PRECINCT, page 6A be operated by the St. James Lodge no. 47 Masons.
St. George shifts focus to charter school system
Scientists modeling Mississippi River’s future
‘Corporate partner’ sought to apply with BESE BY CHARLES LUSSIER Staff writer
STAFF PHoTo By BRETT dUKE
Mahtab Panhwar, left, a University of Louisiana at Lafayette graduate student, and Mead Allison, a professor in Tulane University’s department of River-Coastal Science and Engineering, collect a water sample Thursday in a cut off the Mississippi River in Plaquemines Parish.
‘Massive effort’ nearing conclusion includes tracing saltwater intrusion
It was not a shocking discovery. Salt water creeps up the Mississippi River at varying degrees around this time every year. But Kemick and her colleagues were not focused on this trip alone. They’ve the computer screen as an instrument taken measurements repeatedly at BY MIKE SMITH lowered into the mighty waterway de- various spots in the river since 2024, Staff writer part of a vast research project that livers data marking a key contrast. “Here’s the wedge,” says Kemick, a will supply a first-of-its-kind look at Down at a bend near the mouth of the Mississippi River, Claire Kemick Tulane University researcher, point- the changing lower river, including keeps a close eye on a laptop as the ing to blotches of dark blue indicating saltwater intrusion. The data collected from around 200 boat that brought her here maneuvers slower-moving water along the river the currents. bottom, signifying salt water. “And ä See RIVER, page 6A A patchwork of colors lights up on then here is the fresh water.”
WEATHER HIGH 94 LOW 68 PAGE 14A
After 15 years of trying to have their own public school district, St. George leaders have changed course and instead want to open new charter schools. It is a much different proposition. Instead of taking control of five public schools and more than $150 million in education funding, by going the charter route, St. George would largely start from scratch. It would try to attract students in an already competitive marketplace. St. George is already home to 19 schools — 10 public and nine private. Twelve more schools operate just outside the city — across the street in a couple of cases — and more draw students to campuses well outside the city. Meanwhile, two more schools — one inside St. George and one just outside — are under construction or nearing construction. Five of the 10 public schools in St. George are charter schools themselves. Unlike traditional public schools, charter schools are run by private operators under short-term contracts. The city wouldn’t operate a proposed St. George charter school. Rather, it would enlist a privately run charter management organization to run the facility. The
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2 giant pandas arrive in Atlanta from China
BANGKOK — Two giant pandas arrived in Atlanta on Sunday morning as part of an agreement between the Chinese and American governments. Ping Ping and Fu Shuang departed Chengdu in southwestern China early Sunday aboard a dedicated “FedEx Panda Express” Boeing 777 aircraft, officials said. A new agreement between Zoo Atlanta and the China Wildlife Conservation Association makes Atlanta one of three zoos in the U.S. to house giant pandas, along with the San Diego Zoo in California and the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C. “This is a thrilling day for Zoo Atlanta and a historic moment for the City of Atlanta, the state of Georgia, and beyond,” Zoo Atlanta President and CEO Raymond B. King said in a statement. “We are elated to welcome Ping Ping and Fu Shuang and could not be more excited about sharing that joy with our Members, guests, city, and community in the coming weeks.” Zoo visitors will have to wait awhile to see Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, officials said. The bears will be quarantined for about a month in a biosecure area of the wildlife park’s new giant panda complex. Park officials haven’t confirmed a specific opening date. The pandas’ arrival was announced Thursday by Chinese President Xi Jinping during a three-day summit with President Donald Trump. The loan of the pandas was one of the few concrete outcomes to come out of the state visit, which saw expressions of goodwill between the leaders, but no fixes to any of the long-standing differences between the two countries.
Sheriff: 12 teens hurt in shootout at Ga. party
MACON, Ga. — Two groups of people shot at each other during a birthday party at a Georgia city park, resulting in gunshot wounds to 12 teens, a sheriff said Sunday. The shootout occurred early Sunday morning, shortly after midnight, at Carolyn Crayton Park in Macon, Bibb County Sheriff David Davis said during a news conference. A group of young people went to the park to celebrate a woman’s 18th birthday after getting kicked out of a home rented for the party several hours earlier, Davis said. At some point, another group showed up at the park and a confrontation occurred. “Both groups exchanged words, brandished firearms and then began firing at each other,” Davis said. Investigators were still trying to determine how the two groups were related to each other and what prompted hostilities. Surveillance video from the park shows an eruption of gunfire that lasted about 30 seconds as people fled the area. Deputies responded to the park and learned that victims had been transported to a nearby hospital in personal vehicles. One 19-year-old male, four 18-yearold males, five 17-year-old males and two 18-year-old females were treated for injuries. Two of the people were in critical condition, and the others were stable.
Bus overturns on way to Germany’s Oktoberfest
BERLIN — A bus carrying tourists from the Philippines toward the Oktoberfest festival in Munich veered off a highway and overturned on Sunday, killing at least two people and injuring at least eight others, Germany ‘s dpa news agency reported. The coach left the road on a highway near the town of Buchloe in Germany’s Ostallgäu region at about 6 a.m., Germany’s dpa said, citing officials. Images from the scene showed the bus lying on its side in a wooded area as rescue crews worked nearby. Martin Cornils, a spokesperson for traffic police in nearby Fürstenfeldbruck, said at the scene that the tour group had been traveling to Oktoberfest, the news agency reported. The popular annual festival began eight days earlier. The cause of the crash was not immediately clear and remained under investigation.
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Five arrested near air base in U.K. Men suspected of preparing terrorist act; site used by U.S. in Iran war
BY PAN PYLAS
Associated Press LONDON — U.K. police said that five men arrested in the early hours of Sunday near an air base used by the United States during its war against Iran are being held on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act that appeared to involve three trucks. London’s Metropolitan Police, which takes the lead on potential terrorist activities, said police received a call at 12:45 a.m. related to the three suspicious vehicles that appeared to be traveling toward RAF Fairford, a U.K.-owned base that is operated by the U.S. under an agreement dating back to the Cold War. The arrests come at a time of heightened tensions around the threat from hostile states to the U.K., with Russia and Iran among those that have used proxies to commit crimes on their behalf on British soil. In March, officials said the number of national security cases involving activity by hostile states including Iran increased 50% in the six months to December 2025. Fairford has been used by American bombers for strictly limited strikes against Iranian missile sites under an agreement with former British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who voiced opposition to the war after it was launched by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28. Authorities are investigating a
ASSoCIATEd PRESS PHoTo By ALASTAIR GRAnT
Police guard a road leading to RAF Fairford, a U.K.-owned air base operated by the U.S., on Sunday in Fairford, England. link between the Fairford arrests and Iran as one possibility. Iran has previously indicated that a base used to attack its territory is a legitimate target. President Donald Trump praised those who were involved in making the arrests. “It was an amazing job. We had them under investigation. They were looking to do big damage to our fort. And working with the British worked out great,” he told reporters in Chicago on Sunday. “We had them under view for a long time and we got them.” The five men were initially arrested on suspicion of committing offenses under the Explosives Act in the Whelford area, which backs onto RAF Fairford, which hosts the
headquarters of the U.S. Air Force’s 501st Combat Support Wing and the 420th Air Base Squadron. Aerial footage from Sky News appeared to show a bomb disposal robot roaming between three white trucks. The rear doors of two of the vans were open and large black items could be seen scattered around. The robot appeared to be working toward getting access to the third truck. Police gave no details as to the nationality of those arrested. Suspects arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 can be detained for up to 14 days without charge, compared to the 24-hour limit for standard arrests, without an extension application. “We are in the early stages of an
investigation, and five men remain in custody,” said Vicki Evans, the Met’s counterterrorism policing senior national coordinator. Evans said a 400-yard cordon has been put in place around the three vehicles that raised suspicion while the army conducts examinations. As a precaution, around 85 households have been evacuated whilst these examinations take place. Some have been taken to a nearby recreation center. The U.S. embassy in London warned Americans to be cautious and mindful of their personal security. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he knew the incident would be “deeply concerning” for many. In a post on social media, Burnham thanked police and the armed forces for their response and said he was grateful to the residents who have been evacuated from their homes “while precautionary checks are carried out.” He urged people “not to speculate while the authorities establish the full facts.” The defense secretaries of the U.S. and the U.K., Pete Hegseth and Wes Streeting, have also spoken about the incident. British security officials say proxies linked to Iran have been behind a string of arson and sabotage attempts in the U.K. and other countries, many of them targeting the Jewish community. They have previously warned that Tehran could expand its targets in the U.K. if conflicts in the Middle East continue. Gloucestershire police said the situation appeared to be “contained” and urged residents to follow official advice while the investigation continues.
Powerful nor’easter floods Northeast again BY LEAH WILLINGHAM and JOHN SEEWER Associated Press
BOSTON — Residents of coastal communities in the Northeast slogged through floodwaters for a second day as a powerful nor’easter pummeled the shoreline Sunday, knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes. Tidal surges swamped low-lying neighborhoods in New Jersey while wind gusts toppled trees on New York’s Long Island, damaging homes and bringing down utility poles. In the New Jersey beach town of Sea Bright, each high tide brought a new round of flooding. “It’s not like a one-time occurrence,” said Caroline Virenius, whose garage filled with about a foot of water. “It’s getting wet again and again.” The slow-moving storm, which killed a New York City housing authority worker when a tree fell Saturday, was expected to linger through Sunday with heavy rain, strong winds and dangerous surf all the
in counties along the coast Bob Oravec, a lead forecastfrom New Jersey to Con- er with the National Weather Service in College Park, necticut. Numerous flights were Maryland. In New York City, water a canceled or delayed up and down the coast. More than few inches deep filled streets 250 flights had been canceled in the Howard Beach neighat Boston Logan International borhood but didn’t deter resiAirport by late Sunday morn- dents from venturing out for ing as wind gusts reached 40 coffee Sunday morning. Carole Ann Palmer, who mph, according to the Massaowns Jingles Bait and Tackle chusetts Port Authority. The worst of the remain- in North Beach Haven, New ing rainfall was expected Jersey, said this was the Sunday from northern New worst flooding she’s seen in Jersey into southern New 10 years. “Yesterday, I was like, oh England. ASSoCIATEd PRESS PHoTo By AndRES KUdACKI While the storm was gradu- my God, it just keeps getChris Ransom reacts Sunday as he stands on a flooded ally weakening, tidal flooding ting higher and higher,” said street during a nor’easter storm in Sea Bright, n.J. would stay through high-tide Palmer, who lives above the cycles Sunday night, said store. near that, it could be the way to New England. Extreme amounts of first of several along the GET IN TOUCH rain — more than 4 inches East Coast this fall because since Friday in some spots of an El Niño climate patCustomer Service: HELP@THEADVOCATE.COM or 225-388-0200 in New Jersey — combined tern that’s disrupting this News Tips / Stories: NEWSTIPS@THEADVOCATE.COM with a surging ocean led to year’s weather. Obituaries: 225-388-0289 • Mon-Fri 9-5; Sat 10-5; Closed Sun flooding amounts not seen Images of waves crashAdvertising Sales: 225-388-0262 • Mon-Fri 8-5 for close to a decade in ing into sea walls and onto Classified Advertising: 225-383-0111 • Mon-Fri 8-5 places used to dealing with beaches raised concerns Subscribe: theadvocate.com/subscribe high water, residents said. about coastal erosion. E-Edition: theadvocate.com/eedition The nor’easter triggered Well over 100,000 cusArchives: theadvocate.newsbank.com memories of Superstorm tomers were without powSandy, which left behind er across the Northeast The Advocate (USPS 363-040) is published daily in Baton Rouge and at additional mailing offices. Periodicals postage paid at Baton Rouge, LA. ISSN: 1061-3978. Capital City Press, proprietor. POSTMASover $60 billion in damage and mid-Atlantic at times TER: Send address changes to The Advocate, Circulation Accounting, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA across the eastern U.S. in on Sunday, according to 70821. Newspaper carriers are independent contractors and not employees of Capital City Press. 2012. While this storm’s PowerOutage.us. The most All home delivery subscription sales are non-refundable. Should you discontinue your impact has been nowhere widespread outages were
Palestinian death toll in Gaza war passes 74,000, officials say By The Associated Press
istry, which is part of the Hamas-led government. The Palestinian death toll It maintains detailed refrom the nearly three-year cords viewed as generally Israel-Hamas war has sur- reliable by U.N. agencies passed 74,000, according to and international organiGaza’s Health Ministry. zations. It does not distinThe ministry on Saturday guish between civilians said the Palestinian death and militants. Meanwhile, toll has risen to 74,016, with seven Israeli soldiers have 175,068 wounded. been killed since ONFLICT the ceasefire. The war began CO on Oct. 7, 2023, In THE Next steps in T when Hamas-led MIIDDLE the U.S.-brokered militants invaded ceasefire remain EAST AST Israel, killing largely stalled. Issome 1,200 people, raeli forces now mostly civilians, and tak- control over half of the tering 251 others hostage. ritory, and Prime Minister While a ceasefire that Benjamin Netanyahu says took effect last Oct. 10 has they will not withdraw unhalted the heaviest fight- til Hamas disarms. Meanwhile, Iran’s Foring, Israeli strikes have continued in what the mili- eign Minister Abbas tary has said are responses Araghchi said Tehran has not been formally notito threats or attacks. Since the ceasefire, fied of President Donald 1,145 Palestinians have Trump’s rejection of its been killed, said the min- proposed deal to reopen
the Strait of Hormuz. And the World Health Organization says nearly 700 people have been killed in Yemen since fighting escalated last month. Speaking from New York, Araghchi told NBC that Iran is “fully prepared for the war to be resumed.” He added, however: “At the same time, we stand ready for diplomacy. It is up to President Trump to choose.” Trump told Axios he expects U.S. negotiators to engage in more talks this week. Araghchi, who had described the proposal on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, earlier told Iranian state media that Tehran’s conditions for reopening the strait remained unchanged and there would be “no backing down from them.”
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Pope blasts assisted dying as ‘false compassion’ Leo XIV speaks at French shrine known for miraculous cures
BY NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press
LOURDES, France — Pope Leo XIV on Sunday condemned the legalization of medically assisted death as immoral “false compassion,” reaffirming Catholic teaching on the sanctity of life during a visit to Lourdes, the French shrine associated with miraculous healings. On the third day of his visit to France, Leo again waded into the end-of-life debate unfolding in his native U.S. and countries around the world. The issue roiled French politics for years before lawmakers recently approved legislation allowing adults with incurable illnesses to receive lethal medication. Leo also met on Sunday with seven survivors of clergy sexual abuse, in what has now become a regular appointment for popes on foreign visits. The aim is to atone for the Catholic Church’s failure to protect its youngest and most vulnerable members from predator priests. “It was extraordinary,” said survivor Jean-Marie Delbos, who joined four others at a news conference afterward to praise Leo for the encounter, saying he listened and was informed of their cases. “I never thought I would have a pope before me.” Leo’s visit to the once staunchly Catholic and officially secular France
has been marked by huge crowds — 800,000 at Leo’s Mass on Paris’ iconic Place de la Concorde — and his messaging against abortion and assisted dying. France’s National Assembly in 2024 enshrined abortion as a constitutional right and recently gave final approval to its end-of-life bill. On Sunday, the American pope celebrated Mass before some 150,000 people — many in wheelchairs — on the prairie next to Lourdes’ main basilica. He then visited a care center for sick people on the sanctuary’s grounds. He sought to encourage especially those who live in “terrible pain” that they have inherent dignity that no law or algorithm can “eliminate.” “On the contrary, it is precisely in the name of this inalienable dignity of the human person that we must reject the temptation to cause death under the guise of false compassion,” he said. “What is legal is not necessarily moral,” Leo said to applause from the crowd. Catholic teaching holds that all human life must be protected and defended from conception until natural death, leading to its firm opposition to abortion, euthanasia and medically assisted dying. Leo had specifically criticized a medical-aid-in-dying law that took effect in Sept. 12 in his home state of Illinois — the 13th U.S. state with such a law. Lourdes became a major pilgrimage destination after the Catholic Church officially recognized visions of the Virgin Mary reported here by a young girl in 1858. The site near the Spanish
ASSoCIATEd PRESS PHoTo By LAUREnT CIPRIAnI
Pope Leo XIV meets with staff, guests of Accueil notre-dame and sick people on Saturday at the Sanctuary of our Lady of Lourdes, France. border draws millions of pilgrims each year, especially sick and disabled believers hoping for a cure from the famed spring water in the Lourdes grotto where the visions purportedly occurred. As a result in Lourdes, where the church has recognized 72 “miraculous” cures as authentic, the question of respecting even the most frail, sick and vulnerable is particularly acute. More recently, Lourdes has also become a place of healing for survivors of clergy sexual abuse, and it was chosen as the site for Leo’s encounter with victims. Leo met with them in a group and one-on-one in an encounter that lasted nearly two hours, the Vatican said. The pope “listened to their stories, the pain and suffering they had endured — sometimes, unfortunately, with the complicity or si-
lence of those who could have helped them — and their suggestions for ensuring that this does not happen again,” the Vatican said in a statement. Olivier Mardi, co-founder of Voix Libérées de Touraine, a survivor group, said he perceived that Leo was a decisive “man of engagement” who had done his homework going into the meeting. He said Leo knew Mardi’s case and asked him precise questions. “He’s not fooled; he knows that these incidents will continue and that we must remain vigilant,” he said. “There was an emotional side to it, and at the same time, something very powerful when he spoke.” The French church has faced a brutal reckoning with its legacy of abuse. An independent report in 2021 estimated 330,000 children
had been abused over 70 years by some 3,000 priests and church workers. Despite criticism of the report’s methodology and conclusions, French bishops put in place an independent system of compensation for victims that to date has recommended the church pay out more than $22.7 million. During a meeting with French bishops on Sunday morning, Leo praised their response to victims and urged them to continue. But he also acknowledged that the cratering in priestly vocations in the French church is related to the scandal, given the priesthood is now sometimes viewed with suspicion. “For priestly vocations to flourish, the priest must be welcomed, accepted, and loved,” Leo said. Monsignor Pierre-Antoine Bozo, spokesperson for the
bishops’ conference, said Leo intentionally wanted to keep the encounter with victims small to facilitate an intimate encounter. “When it comes to listening to them, you can’t have 50 people in front of you,” he said. “So I think that’s really what the pope chose: to listen so that we can act and respond more effectively.” In Lourdes, Leo was also reminded of a prickly abuse case inherited from Pope Francis. The façade of one of the Lourdes basilicas was designed by the Rev. Marko Rupnik, a religious mosaic artist. Rupnik is currently on trial in a Vatican court, accused by more than two dozen women of having psychologically, spiritually and sexually abused them starting in the 1990s, including during the creation of his artworks. His case was covered up for three decades by his Jesuit superiors, and even Francis was suspected of having protected his fellow Jesuit. In response to a media outcry, Francis ordered a canonical trial in 2024, which is ongoing. The Rupnik case posed the question of what to do with his mosaics, which adorn basilicas around the world. Lourdes Bishop Jean-Marc Micas in 2025 decided to cover the façade of the Notre Dame du Rosaire Basilica, reasoning that abuse victims who come to Lourdes for healing shouldn’t be forced to see the mosaics. On Sunday, Leo looped in front of the basilica in his popemobile, passing by the mosaic panels now covered by mustard-colored curtains affixed with plastic ties.
Police hunt gunmen after 2 mass shootings in South Africa Authorities say at least 27 killed
communities in townships homes on the edges of many including last week’s house and informal settlements big cities. Police have linked party killings near Durban, made up of shacks and small some of the recent shootings, to criminal gangs.
BY GERALD IMRAY Associated Press
CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Two separate mass shootings in South African townships within hours of each other have left at least 27 people dead, police said on Sunday. South Africa has struggled with violent crime for years, but recent shooting incidents have shocked a country used to some of the highest homicide rates in the world. In the first attack, eight gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols opened fire at a bar near Johannesburg late on Saturday. The South African Police Service said 17 people were killed at the small venue in Wedela township, southwest of South Africa’s biggest city. The attackers fired at patrons outside the bar before moving inside and continuing to shoot. The victims included 13 men and four women, with at least 15 other people injured, police said. The gunmen searched some of the patrons and took their mobile phones before escaping in two vehicles. Two cars were set alight outside the bar during the shooting. Around four hours later,
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ASSoCIATEd PRESS PHoTo
Community members stand Sunday at the scene of a mass shooting on Saturday night. Suspects opened fire at a bar in Wedela township, southwest of Johannesburg, South Africa. 10 people were killed and 11 wounded in a shooting at a store linked to what police described as an entertainment venue in Lwandle township, near Cape Town, South Africa’s second biggest city. Police said they were searching for multiple suspects, though they didn’t give an exact number. No arrests have been made in either case. Police deployed specialized units to both townships and surrounding areas in the hunt for the gunmen. The attacks came five days after another mass shooting in a township near Durban killed at least 11 people, including a pregnant woman,
when multiple gunmen attacked a party in KwaMakhutha township. Police have not reported any arrests. Wedela resident Siyabonga Nondabula said there had been shootings in the area in the past involving illegal mining gangs, but none of them targeted so many people. A high rate of killings is a long-standing problem for Africa’s most advanced economy, but the phenomenon of mass shootings is becoming more common, according to experts, with recent killings often being carried out by multiple gunmen. Gun homicides mostly affect South Africa’s poorest
Colombian police capture wife and daughter of Ecuadorian gang leader By The Associated Press BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombian police on Sunday said they captured the wife and daughter of a notorious Ecuadorian gang leader who was extradited to the U.S. last year on drug trafficking charges. Police said the two women, who are wanted in Ecuador for money laundering, were arrested in Sabana de Torres, a small town in northeastern Colombia, in an operation backed by the FBI and Ecuadorian authorities. “Colombia will not be a safe haven for the finances of transnational criminal groups,” Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriel-
la said in a message posted on X on Sunday. “I will send these (women) with pleasure to my friend President Daniel Noboa, so that they face Ecuadorian justice.” José Adolfo Macías Villamar, whose nickname is “Fito,” escaped from a prison in Guayaquil, Ecuador in January 2024. The gang leader’s prison break prompted Ecuador’s government to declare a state of emergency that was followed by deadly prison riots and chaos in the streets of Guayaquil, where gang members stormed a television station during a live broadcast. Macías Villamar was recaptured last year and sent
to the United States, where he has been charged with importing thousands of pounds of cocaine. His organization, Los Choneros, was designated as a terrorist group by the U.S. State Department last year. Despite capturing powerful kingpins like Macías Villamar, and deploying the military to patrol some cities, Ecuador is struggling to contain drug violence. The South American country’s homicide rate has quintupled since 2020, and last year Ecuador recorded its highest homicide rate in recent history — with 50 homicides per every 100,000 residents, according to the Interior Ministry.
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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Monday, September 28, 2026 ■ 5A
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28 September 2026 | worldnewsday.org
It doesn’t add up. These documents tell a different story. I think we’re onto something here. Let’s pull the records.
Behind the words you see in this paper, are thousands you don’t.
Build the timeline. Find the first witness. Can you talk? Will you call back? How do you know that’s true? Yes you can trust me. Will you go on the record? Who benefits if this stays hidden? Can you prove it? What aren’t you telling me? Is this another dead end? Okay I’ll walk you through the legalities. We can protect you from this. I know it’s scary. The public deserves to know. Ok let me rephrase that. Shall I translate it? Let’s go off the record. Let’s check it again. Dead end - only for now. We need another source. I’m staying late again. I’m not going to make it to the thing. Order another coffee. One more call. Trust your instincts. That’s not enough. I’ll wait. I’ll come to you. We can’t publish. Yet. One day we will be able to corroborate. I will check every year. Has there been any change? Okay, this is the missing piece. We’ve got it. Read it one more time. This could change everything.
Know the facts. Understand what matters. Choose Trusted Journalism. PRESENTED BY
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RIVER
‘A massive effort’
Continued from page 1A
The river’s importance to the state as well as the country is hard to overestimate. It built south Louisiana in the first place with its sediment, but more recently provides drinking water to around 1 million people in the region while serving as one of the world’s most important shipping channels. But it has been roughly a century since the modern lower river took shape with the construction of the vast levee system along its banks, and a series of challenges are emerging in managing it. The MissDelta project is delving into some of those challenges. Funded by proceeds from the 2010 BP oil spill, through the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering
CHARTER
Continued from page 1A city would take a back step and serve as the key supporter of the school, albeit a very influential one. “It’ll be the first of its kind in the state of Louisiana, where the community partner is a city,” Mayor Dustin Yates explained to The Advocate. “The city and our residents can have inYates put and more interaction with what their schools are going to do.” Yates said he is hoping to open this new charter school in August 2028. The hunt is on to nail down a charter school operator; Yates predicts lots of interest. Voters have foreclosed the idea of creating a traditionally run St. George public school district. On May 16, they overwhelmingly rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that sought to do just that. Sixty-four percent of voters statewide and 69% in East Baton Rouge Parish voted no. St. George residents supported the proposal, but it is unclear by how much; estimates range from 56% to 65%. Pollster John Couvillion estimates city support at 61%. The state never released an official count of votes in St. George. Nearly half the city’s 79 precincts are split, with some voters living in the city limits, some just outside. Early voting is also tricky. Unlike election day voting, the 32,492 votes cast before May 16 in East Baton Rouge Parish have not been broken down by precinct,
Tulane University researcher Claire Kemick collects samples from the Mississippi River as part of a vast research project. and Medicine, it is protected from the budget cuts hitting research across the nation under the Trump administration. It includes 14 institutions, led by Allison and LSU geologist Sam Bentley. Some of its research has already been published. Modeling overseen by Tulane professor Ehab Meselhe has advanced understanding of why saltwater intrusion up the river has worsened in recent years. His team found that crevasses, or widening breaks in the lower river’s banks, have been the biggest factor. The deepening of the channel for shipping and sea level rise have also played roles. The crevasses bleed off flow from the main stem of the river, slowing its momentum. That limits its power to keep the heavier salt water at bay, allowing it to crawl along the Mississippi’s bottom in the shape of a doorstop when flows drop in the late summer and fall. If the salt wedge threatens to move too far upriver, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers builds a sill — essentially an underwater levee — across the lower Mississippi to slow its advance, hopefully providing time for higher flows to return. The sill had previously been required about once a decade, but it was needed every year in
2022-25. This year may finally break that streak, though it is too early to say for sure. The Corps has reduced the flow of the biggest crevasse, known as Neptune Pass, located across from Buras. It was at one point taking as much as 16% of the river’s flow, but rocks installed at its entrance have reduced it by about half. Corps spokesperson Matt Roe said however that this year’s improvement in conditions had more to do with nature than the new rocks. Low flows on the river “have not been sustained for extended durations,” he said. Significant rain in the Mississippi and Ohio river basins is also making its way down, which will help as well, said State Climatologist Jay Grymes. The Corps is doing its own modeling of the salt wedge, including employing a model in a lab at Vicksburg, Mississippi. A threat that emerged in 2023 brought new attention to the problem: Initial projections then showed the salt water reaching New Orleans, setting off an emergency declaration from the White House and a scramble for a temporary solution. The salt water didn’t get that far, though communities farther downriver were severely affected.
meaning they could have renewed a 1-cent sales tax come from anywhere in the earmarked for education. parish. They were a belated attempt to provide neighborhood EBR competition public schools to a portion Perhaps the biggest com- of the parish where the last petitor to a new St. George such schools were built in the charter school is the East mid-1970s. The five charter schools Baton Rouge Parish school system itself. That is the within the boundaries of St. school district from which George have all opened since St. George has so long sought that May 2018 vote. The bigindependence. gest is BASIS Materra, locatEast Baton Rouge’s di- ed next to Woman’s Hospital, rect-run schools located in which has more than 1,000 St. George are Woodlawn students. It is chartered High and four of its feeder through the parish school schools. The school system system. The proposed St. George also operates dozens of magnet programs that draw thou- charter school, however, sands of students out of St. would not be limited to enGeorge. Baton Rouge Mag- rolling students living in net High alone enrolls more St. George, nor would it be limited to East Baton Rouge than 500 of them. In a statement, schools Su- Parish. Rather as a Type 2 perintendent LaMont Cole charter, it could draw stusaid East Baton Rouge offers dents from across the Baton a wide range of options for Rouge region. That includes families, and it will continue the neighboring parishes to make sure those families of Ascension, Iberville and remain “fully informed.” Livingston. Indeed, it could “As the public education legally enroll students from landscape in our community across Louisiana depending continues to evolve, our fo- upon how it was structured. cus remains where it has always been, on ensuring that Corporate partnership every student has access to St. George cannot open a a world-class education in a charter school on its own safe, caring and supportive legal authority. Rather, it environment,” Cole said. needs the OK of either the Competition from the East Baton Rouge Parish school system in St. George School Board or the Louiis increasing. siana Board of Elementary A new $39.2 million public and Secondary Education, elementary school on Per- known as BESE. It is chooskins Road, east of Siegen ing the latter. Lane and across the street Normally, would-be charfrom St. George, is sched- ter schools must start with uled to open in August. And the local school board. St. architects are designing a George, however, plans to new $45 million high school exploit an exception in the that is within St. George, law that allows it to apply dilocated north of Interstate rectly to BESE. That excep10 and west of Siegen Lane. tion is for schools that have a Each is planning to educate “corporate partner.” hundreds of students who In 2011, Louisiana created live in St. George. a new type of charter school, East Baton Rouge Parish one backed by a for-profit or voters approved both proj- nonprofit corporation. The ects in May 2018 when they corporation would provide
Mike Smith’s work is supported with a grant from the Walton Family Foundation, administered by the Baton Rouge Area Foundation. Email him at msmith@theadvocate.com.
the school with substantial assistance — money, land, facilities, major renovations. In return, it could claim up to half the seats in the school. And the company could have seats on the school’s board of directors, but less than half. In 2024, the law was amended to allow such schools to bypass the local school board. It also expanded who counts as a corporate partner. It added airports, universities as well as “any federal or state entity or agency.” Local municipal governments like St. George, however, were not included. Chris Meyer, president and CEO of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, is well versed in charter school ins
The sublease calls for Wampold to cover up to $750,000 in improvements to the building. Those include installing an HVAC system, as the first and second floors do not have air conditioning. Donors may help cover the costs. Morse said plans are to potentially build a command post at the new location to oversee special events and festivals downtown. Whitney Hoffman Sayal, executive director of the Downtown Development District, said the project is another step toward improving downtown, because it is important to have a strong level of police presence. “In a downtown environment, you have more people walking and moving around, not necessarily driving in cars from point A to point B. When you’re walking around, you obviously want to feel as safe as you possibly can,” she said. The recently adopted Plan Baton Rouge III master plan for downtown calls for more investment and permanent residents in the area. The increased police presence will help with this, Sayal said. “Private investment follows public investment, and so that investment on Third Street where we have a lot of our hotels, residential apartments, that kind of thing, can only help us continue that momentum,” Sayal said. Officials classify downtown as a safe area, as Morse said only about 1% of calls come from the area. However, there is a perception that downtown is less safe. “I think the police presence will actually help people feel more comfortable to come down here and experience it themselves to see their perception wasn’t necessarily accurate,” Sayal said. Somewhere Bar and Violet Nightclub are on the same block as the new precinct. While both owners said this will be a net positive for the area, their specific opinions differ. Last month, a video of a group of women fighting in the street in front of Violet Nightclub went viral. Somewhere Bar owner Daniel Unda said the police presence has noticeably increased since then. Unda said the precinct will help bring more visitors to the area by making people feel more secure. “I think with nightlife, people start coming in a lot more when they’re feeling safe, so it’s absolutely a step in the right direction,” he said. Violet owner David Facey said that while he appreciates relocating the precinct, the key is whether the move leads to an increased police presence in the area. “While this is something that could be good for perception, the bigger question is more so the response time and things like that,” Facey said. “Are they going to have more people actually up and down the street being proactive?” Facey said as someone who has lived downtown for years, he feels the lack of people walking around in the area can lead to some feeling unsafe. He said if there is more police presence outside, the area can feel safer. “There are times downtown where you don’t see a single soul, and it’s scary, because if somebody were to shoot me, I don’t think anybody would hear the gunshot,” Facey said. “I think that those cops there, if there’s constant activity in and out, it will help with walkability, especially later in the night.” Email Blake Leschber at blake.leschber@ theadvocate.com.
and outs. Before taking over the prominent foundation in 2022, he spent a decade leading New Schools for Baton Rouge, which has attracted and supported most of the charter schools in Baton Rouge. Meyer said he has been talking informally for many months to both St. George and East Baton Rouge Parish school leaders about the education options for the new city. He said St. George has different ways it can comply with the corporate partner law. One way, he said, is the city could create a special purpose corporation that would serve as the corporate partner to the new charter school.
He sees great potential in a school that could make use of city assets such as land and facilities and be closely integrated with city services. Meyer’s preference, however, is for St. George and the parish school system to find common ground and team up to create solutions that help children across the parish. “I know they are trying to put something together where the city can be involved in education,” Meyer said. “I just hope it can happen in a way that can be a win for everyone. I really do.” Email Charles Lussier at clussier@theadvocate.com.
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STAFF PHoToS By BRETT dUKE
Tian Zhao, left, a postdoctoral fellow in Tulane University’s department of River-Coastal Science and Engineering, retrieves an instrument used to collect data from the Mississippi River in Plaquemines Parish on Thursday.
Continued from page 1A
SCH
sites across the lower Mississippi, from about 50 miles downriver of New Orleans to its mouth, will feed into complex models aimed at projecting the river’s evolution. The results will carry implications on everything from drinking water to hurricane protection and global shipping. Modeling is expected to be complete in the early part of next year, and the scientists from an array of institutions working on the $22 million, five-year project hope it serves as an important planning tool for government agencies. How long can the fading Bird Foot’s Delta, where the river empties into the Gulf, be sustained as erosion and subsidence tear away at its structure? How does the saltwater intrusion that regularly threatens drinking water systems for southeast Louisiana, including New Orleans, behave under varying conditions? The aim of the modeling is to provide the most detailed insight yet on those questions and others vital to Louisiana — and, in certain cases, the nation. “The science goal on the project is to say, ‘What does the future between now and 2100 hold for the Bird’s Foot,’” Mead Allison, a Tulane geologist and one of the two scientists leading the expansive project known as MissDelta, said as he motored a 22-foot boat past shrimp trawlers toward the Venice Marina last week. “And what can we do to forestall — lessen — the negatives that are coming.”
Managing the crevasses are complex for a number of reasons. For one, coastal advocates prefer to keep them open since they are restoring wetlands by delivering river sediment there. Some in the shipping industry would like to see them all closed, but doing that may simply result in new ones forming during high river years. Part of the MissDelta project involves examining conditions in the crevasses. Last week, Allison navigated his boat into Neptune Pass, past the new rocks put in place by the Corps. With the help of team member Mahtab Panhwar, he took water samples and flow data that will feed into the larger modeling. He then swung over to where the pass has been effectively building a new delta, near an area known as Bay Denesse. “This is all freshwater marsh,” Allison said as ibis flew over mats of elephant ear on emerging land. “So you’d think you’re right down here in the Gulf of Mexico, it would be saline marsh. But it’s the river influence.” Kemick and her colleague Tian Zhao were on a separate, larger boat, focusing their efforts on the river’s main stem and using a set of more sophisticated instruments. One was made of bronze and shaped like a mini-torpedo, while another carried a variety of tools, including an underwater camera. They approached the bank about 40 miles upstream, near the ruins of 200-year-old Fort Jackson, and began collecting data across the width of the river. During low-water periods, like now, there is far less sediment in the river; when the Mississippi is high, sediment sampling is also an important part of the project. Up close, as researchers fill plastic bottles with river water and record flow data by hand in waterproof notebooks, it is difficult to see what it will all foretell. But the ambition is to produce something on a scale never done before. “It takes 38 (principal investigators), hundreds of students,” Allison said. “We’re talking a massive effort of all the different field teams. This is just one subtask in the overall.”
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6A ■ Monday, September 28, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate
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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Monday, September 28, 2026 ■ 7A
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Nolo threatens Hawaii; Mexico’s Baja braces for Polo BY EUGENE GARCIA and GREGORY BULL
Associated Press
HILO, Hawaii — Hurricane Nolo was moving away from the Hawaiian Islands on Sunday, but the threat of heavy rain, flash flooding and strong winds persisted in areas of the island chain still recovering from previous storms. Nolo was about 365 miles south-southwest of Honolulu and moving away from the Big Island at about 12 mph. But the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency said a high wind warning, wind advisory and high surf advisory remained in effect for parts of the island through Sunday evening as Nolo’s maximum sustained winds rose to 115 mph. Nolo was expected to strengthen further and turn toward the northwest by Sunday night, though the U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm’s center would remain well south and southwest of the Hawaiian Islands. The storm was expected to approach the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, a national conservation area, early this week. Forecasters said Nolo’s outer bands could cause life-threatening flooding and mudslides, with parts of the Big Island possibly getting up to 20 inches of rain. Heavy rain also was expected on the other islands.
ASSoCIATEd PRESS PHoTo By EUGEnE GARCIA
Kenzielynn Kekoa, center, of Hilo, Hawaii, helps her family fill sandbags Friday as Hurricane nolo approaches. “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. Heavy rain fell across the southern part of the Big Island on Saturday afternoon, prompting partial closures of one of the main highways linking Kailua-Kona in the west to Hilo in the east. Near Naalehu, at the island’s southern point, Na-
tional Guard members were seen guiding a man driving through flooded streets as he tried to leave his home during a downpour. More than 120 guard members were activated on the island, part of roughly 400 statewide after the governor issued an emergency proclamation. Residents are still recovering from Hurricane 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 signs saying the strand was closed. Andrea Gill was out for her regular swim before heading back home to hunker down with family. 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. President Donald Trump
recently approved an emergency declaration, authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate assistance and provide funding support. Hawaiian Electric, the state’s primary utility, said crews helping restore power in Kauai after this month’s Hurricane Lowell returned to Oahu, Maui and the Big Island in response to Nolo. The Pacific has been unusually active this season, according to National Weather Service lead forecaster Bob Oravec, with storm activity running above average during what is already the peak of hurricane season. He said that pattern is consistent with El Niño years, when the Pacific often sees more tropical storms and hurricanes. Meanwhile, parts of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula awaited the arrival of major Hurricane Polo as it edged closer after lashing other parts of the country’s southwest coast with rain and strong winds. Polo remained a dangerous Category 3 hurricane with top sustained winds of 125 mph and was moving to the north-northwest at 12 mph about 275 miles southsouthwest of Cabo San Lucas at the peninsula’s southern tip, U.S. hurricane forecasters said Sunday afternoon. It was moving to the north at 12 mph. Mexico’s National Meteo-
rological Service, or SMN, said in a post on the social media platform X that Polo was expected to make a Baja landfall on Monday. Mexico’s government issued a hurricane warning along the coast of mainland Mexico from Huatabampito to Guaymas. The Mexican navy said in a statement that it has gathered personnel and humanitarian aid in the ports of Guaymas and Mazatlan, on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, and has deployed three vessels that could ship aid to coastal communities isolated by the hurricane. One of the towns in the hurricane’s projected path is San Juanico, a small fishing community on Baja’s Pacific coast. The town has only had full-time electricity for a few years, and still experiences frequent outages. There is concern that washed-out roads could block access to the closest medical facility, about 80 minutes away in Ciudad Constitucion. “Our people are concerned about this event,” said Gloriely Robles Meza, a manager at a small hotel. “We haven’t faced such a worrying situation in many years.” Robles Meza said Sunday that the Mexican Army arrived in San Juanico to prepare a shelter and to provide support for possible emergencies. An electrical crew was also there to prepare for Polo’s arrival.
White House airs Strikes kill 8 people in Ukraine, 1 in Russia Trump campaign ad with taxpayer funds By The Associated Press
By The Associated Press WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is using taxpayer funds to air a television advertisement from Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign in the latest in a series of ads promoting the president ahead of the midterms that the White House maintains are “public service announcements.” The 30-second video, which is virtually identical to one that aired in 2024, shows Trump walking down a hallway as his voice can be heard warning of a “final battle” against “globalists” and “warmongers.” The black-and-white video ends with Trump staring straight into the camera lens with a message that says: “Paid for by the U.S. Government.” The 2024 iteration of the ad from the Trump campaign urged viewers to “Join President Trump’s Fight for America.” Lawmakers of both parties have criticized the new series of ads for their inherently political nature and the use of taxpayer dollars. The White House maintains they are like the ones used by past presidents, though those previous ads promoted particular policies, not Oval Office occupants. Spending on the latest ad already topped about
$319,000, according to AdImpact, which tracks media spending. “With you at my side, we will demolish the ‘deep state.’ We will expel the war mongers from our government. We will drive out the globalists; we will cast out the communists, Marxists, and fascists,” he says in the narration. “We will throw off the sick political class that hates our country. We will rout the fake news media, and we will liberate America from these villains once and for all.” It’s in addition to a minute-long ad that began airing Friday and features scenic videos of Mount Rushmore at night with quotes and clips from Trump’s Fourth of July weekend speech there honoring the country’s 250th anniversary. An earlier 30-second spot that began airing on Wednesday features clips of Trump talking about defeating communism interspersed with onscreen text promoting the “largest tax cuts in history,” “reigniting American manufacturing” and a call to “defend law and order and police.” The White House in a statement on Friday defended the use of what it described as “public service announcements” and dismissed criticism of them as “deeply dishonest.”
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia and Ukraine exchanged strikes overnight and Sunday, killing at least eight people in Ukraine and one in Russia, officials said, hours after Moscow rejected German calls to ease off its escalation toward NATO. Russia’s top diplomat on Saturday brushed off what’s believed to have been the first face-to-face meeting with his German counterpart since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The meeting was held during the U.N. General Assembly’s annual gathering of world leaders, as an intensifying aerial war between Russia and Ukraine showed no sign of slowing. Ties between Russia and Germany have soured in recent weeks, following an attempted drone attack last month at Leipzig airport that Berlin blamed on the Kremlin. With front-line positions largely unchanged since last year, Moscow has hammered its neighbor with cruise and ballistic missiles, powerful glide bombs and jet-powered drones in recent months. Meanwhile, Kyiv’s longrange drones have targeted Russian oil refineries and businesses. In Kyiv, a man was found dead after a Russian drone hit a nonresidential building overnight, according to Ukraine’s emergency service. Later on Sunday, Russian drone strikes killed one person and wounded at least five on the outskirts of the
Tensions high in Northern Ireland after march blocked from historic flashpoint BY PAN PYLAS
Associated Press LONDON — Tensions ran high in Northern Ireland on Sunday after a contentious parade was blocked from making its way through the town of Portadown by thousands of protesters. The demonstrators, many wearing balaclavas, congregated on a street in the town, where many favor unification with the Republic of Ireland. They came after an early hours decision from the High Court in Belfast to give the parade the go-ahead. It’s the first time in nearly 30 years that the Orange Order parade has been allowed to go down the Garvaghy Road, which had been a noto-
rious flashpoint between the communities in the years before the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 largely ended the bloodshed in Northern Ireland. During the so-called Troubles, some 3,600 people were killed while some 50,000 were wounded. Ending the Troubles meant balancing competing identities in Northern Ireland, which remained in the United Kingdom when the rest of Ireland won independence a century ago. Irish nationalists in the north — most of them Catholic — seek union with the Republic of Ireland, while largely Protestant unionists want to stay part of the U.K. Both sides appeared to be adhering to calls from across the political spec-
trum, including from British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, to avoid stoking tensions further. “I am hoping we will bring all of today’s events to a sensible and peaceful conclusion,” said Jon Boutcher, the head of the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Boutcher said there had been many “sensible voices” calling for calm which he thought had been “listened to by all parties.” Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill, who represents Sinn Fein, the party historically linked to the Irish Republican Army, faced criticism for attending the unlicensed protest on the Garvaghy Road to support the local community.
capital, according to local administration head Tymur Tkachenko. In Kyiv itself, a drone hit a 9-story apartment block, wounding at least one woman, according to municipal authorities. In Russian-occupied Ukraine, a strike by Kyiv’s forces on Sunday killed a civilian woman in Enerhodar, the town housing Europe’s
largest nuclear plant, according to its Kremlin-installed mayor. Maxim Pukhov said the Ukrainian drones also wounded two others. Russian forces also attacked Ukraine’s southern Odesa region, which surrounds the country’s main Black Sea port, multiple times overnight into Sunday, killing one person and
wounding two, according to the head of the local military administration, Oleh Kiper. On Sunday afternoon, a woman and a 16-year-old girl were killed as Russian guided bombs struck the city of Sumy in northern Ukraine, regional administration head Oleh Hryhorov reported. He said five other people were wounded.
PUBLIC NOTICE
East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Iberville Parishes
The full text of the Acts from the 2026 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature may be viewed on the website of the Official Journal of the State at www.theadvocate.com. Prepared by Secretary of State Nancy Landry pursuant to Act 802 of the 2010 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature.
8A ■ Monday, September 28, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate
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10A ■ Monday, September 28, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate
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METRO NEWS Caregivers arrested in death of woman, 74
Flying high
STAFF PHoTo By MICHAEL JoHnSon
Flowers rest at the base of LSU legend Bob Pettit’s statue outside the PMAC in Baton Rouge on Sunday following Pettit’s death Thursday.
Sugar cane harvest begins Tuesday and other commercial traffic on rural roads as farmers begin moving this year’s crop to mills. The harvesting season will last about 100 days, going through late December or early January. “As the harvest begins, the BY ANNAKATE FREELAND motoring public will see an inStaff writer crease of commercial truck Sugar cane harvest season be- traffic on our roadways. Cougins Tuesday across Louisiana, pled with our school transporincreasing tractor, cane truck tation system, there will be a
Caution urged on roadways as truck traffic increases
significant increase of activity on our roadways,” according to an announcement from Assumption Parish Sheriff Leland Falcon. Officials in other sugar caneproducing parishes also are warning residents to use caution during the harvest season. The West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook urging drivers to slow down, allow extra following dis-
tance and time for travel. Louisiana is the country’s largest sugar cane-producing state. Farmers and mills produced more than 2 million tons of raw sugar last year, according to the American Sugar Cane League. The state has 11 sugar mills spread across seven southern parishes, supporting about 17,000 jobs, according to the league. Sugar cane is grown commercially in 25 parishes.
EAST BATON ROUGE-AREA PERMITS Here is a list of commercial and residential building permits issued by East Baton Rouge Parish government from Sept. 21-25.
BUSINESS
10120 RED OAK DRIVE: remodel of 16,000-square-foot salon academy into three event halls, $700,000; applicant, Taiwo Adejare; contractor, Wolfe Washauer Construction. 141 N. 6TH ST.: remodel 1,200-square-foot office building to coffee shop, $8,000; applicant and owner, Cornelius Quarels. 2320 DRUSILLA LANE: hair salon; applicant and owner, Janice Burris. 16614 COMMERCIAL AVE.: 2,000-square-foot metal building for RV storage, $50,000; applicant, Corey Blanchard; owner, Jeff Hilliard; contractor, B&J Metal Buildings. 700 MAIN ST.: adding two doors and tenant space on third and fourth floor, $5,000; applicant, Lee Ann Duck; owner, Bert Callender; contractor Arkel Constructors. 7979 AIRLINE HIGHWAY.: commercial wall sign, $2,766; applicant, Brandon Evans; owner, Dustin Collette.
1905 DALLAS DRIVE: new ownership and occupancy of existing auto repair shop; applicant and owner, Turner Lux 11449 FLORIDA BLVD.: 1,600-square-foot event hall for parties, $6,000; applicant and owner, Anthony Martin. 8030 FLORIDA BLVD.: commercial wall sign, $1,400; applicant, Deedee Ockman; owner, Shannon Strunk; contractor, TTA Services. 3185 BALIS DRIVE: storage/office; applicant, Jeffrey McCann; owner, Jason Martin. 5425 GALERIA DRIVE: wig store; applicant, Chelsea Thompson; owner, Henrietta Williams. 3696 DALTON ST.: small portable building that will be used for snoball stand; applicant and owner, Durell Hamilton. 10330 AIRLINE HIGHWAY.: wall sign, $2,016; applicant, Jeremy Halford; contractor, Baton Rouge Sign & Graphics. 3130 BALIS DRIVE: equipment and product storage; applicant, Thomas Summers; owner, James Cerenzie. 8212 KELWOOD AVE.: office of chiropractors; applicant, Sherika Boudreaux; owner, Lyle Schween.
8676 GOODWOOD BLVD.: threading and waxing business; applicant, Ija Gabriel; owner, Nicholas Licata III. 9821 FLORIDA BLVD.: used car dealership; applicant, Khaled Algamal. 9410 GREENWELL SPRINGS ROAD: replacing signs at a gas station, $5,150; applicant, Joseph George. 19688 SALVANT ROAD, ZACHARY: new 11,474-square-foot warehouse with office for CT Concrete, $1 million; applicant, Darrell Fussell; contractor, Devier Enterprises. 7941 AIRLINE HWY.: remodel former Golden Bowl restaurant, $650,000; applicant, King Williams; owner, Mahmoud Ziadeh; contractor, KWM Construction. 8635 HIGHLAND ROAD: monument sign, $3,000; applicant, Scott Jones; owner, Willie Chapman; contractor, Jones Signs. 424 MILFORD AVE.: four monument signs at student apartment complex, $26,000; applicant, Dawn Aimone; owner, Merideth Bunting; contractor, Hardman Signs. 6401 BLUEBONNET BLVD.: shoe and apparel retailer; applicant, Abdul Saad; owner, Abdulsalam Saad; contractor, A and C Fashion.
NEW HOMES
1009 RYAN AVE., BAKER: $167,100, 2,228 square feet; applicant, Starts Dept.; owner and contractor, D.R. Horton. 838 ROBERTO AVE., BAKER: $163,350, 2,178 square feet; applicant, Starts Dept.; owner and contractor, D.R. Horton. 19011 FRANKEL AVE., ZACHARY: $200,000, 2,467 square feet; applicant, Jacob Harelson; owner, Carlos Alvarez; contractor, Alvarez Construction Co. 2948 MURPHY DRIVE: $1.3 million, 7,831 square feet; applicant, Bill Firesheets; contractor, Ivy Developments. 1730 MARSHALL JONES SR. AVE., ZACHARY: $272,064, 3,488 square feet; applicant, Lacy Hebert; contractor, DSLD Homes. 10662 WHITE OAK DRIVE: $150,000, 1,593 square feet; applicant, Andre Thompson; contractor, HT Builders. 9130 METAIRIE DRIVE: $110,000, 1,174 square feet; applicant, Tom Kleinpeter; owner, Mynor Archila; contractor, Box K Enterprise. 7013 ARDENNES DRIVE: $300,000, 3,192 square feet; applicant, Jeffery Vaccaro; contractor, LA Plans.
Two Baton Rouge residents were arrested on counts of cruelty to the elderly after a 74-year-old woman in their care was found dead, the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office said. CRIME Justin Bueche, 43, and Trahan, 42, were BLOTTER Heidi arrested and booked into staff the East Baton Rouge reports Parish Prison on Friday on a count each of second-degree cruelty to the elderly and persons with infirmities. Deputies were dispatched to a Baton Rouge residence on Thursday in response to a dead person. There, they found the 74-year-old victim on the floor. In the initial investigation, deputies saw the woman was dressed in only a “severely soiled diaper and a red shirt.” They also found an apparent bed sore on the woman’s back that exposed multiple bones and tissue, and she appeared to have been extremely malnourished, according to the arrest affidavit. Deputies said the woman was reported to have had a stroke about four years ago, which left her partially bedridden. They said it was apparent by her condition that she was not given adequate care by her caregivers. During a search warrant, deputies found the residence in deplorable condition, with little food and with animal urine and feces throughout the residence. The sofa the woman slept on appeared to have been covered in human urine and feces, according to the arrest affidavit. Bueche told investigators that the woman was his stepmother and he had been living with her for about five years. He also said both he and Trahan were unemployed and rarely left the residence. Bueche also said the woman became bedridden about two months ago and that he found the open sores on the woman about a week ago. He said he called a hospital on Sept. 17 and they said the woman needed to be brought in, as the sores would not heal themselves and would get worse. Neither Bueche nor Trahan sought additional medical attention after the phone call, deputies said. Police said Trahan told deputies she was the main caregiver for bathing the woman and changing her clothes. The pair said they found the woman soaked in urine and feces on multiple occasions and admitted to only changing her diaper “maybe once or twice a day.” The situation remains an active and ongoing investigation, deputies said.
One dead, eight injured after crash, police say One person is dead and eight are injured after a multiple-vehicle crash Sunday near the intersection of North Foster Drive and Prescott Road, Baton Rouge police said. The crash occurred around noon. The condition of the eight injured is unknown, East Baton Rouge Emergency Medical Services said. The Baton Rouge Police Department is continuing to investigate the crash and will provide more details when available. At this time, it is unclear what caused the crash.
Deputies: One dead after fire in Pointe Coupee Parish A person is dead after a house fire Sunday afternoon in Jarreau, the Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff’s Office said. Deputies from the Sheriff’s Office and personnel from several Pointe Coupee Parish fire departments were dispatched to a fully engulfed structure fire on Woodview Lane about 3 p.m. Sunday. On arrival, personnel began extinguishing the fire and securing the scene. During the response, crews found an individual in the structure, deputies said. The individual was pronounced dead at the scene. As of Sunday evening, officials had not released any identification of the victim. The circumstances surrounding the fire and the death are under investigation.
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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Monday, September 28, 2026 ■ 11A
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Protests continue for 2nd day in Madrid demonstration sparked by eviction of 87-year-old BY ALICIA LEÓN and RENATA BRITO
Associated Press
MADRID — Protesters outraged by the eviction of an 87-year-old woman camped overnight in Madrid’s historic Puerta del Sol plaza, where more demonstrators — including multigenerational families — joined them on Sunday for a second day of protests over Spain’s housing crisis. Te n s o f t h o u s a n d s marched through Madrid on Saturday to protest the eviction of María del Carmen Abascal from the apartment in the upscale Retiro neighborhood where she had lived for more than seven decades. The demonstrators are demanding stronger tenant protections, measures to combat fraud and a ban on evictions when alternative housing is unavailable. Many refused to leave after Saturday’s march and pitched tents in Puerta del Sol for the night. “The housing situation is unsustainable,” said Natalia Navarro, a 27-year-old actress who was among those camping out at the plaza. “We are all out on the street because we are fed up.” “The wave of indignation and anger that has been unleashed is now unstoppable,” said Alicia del Río, a spokesperson for the Madrid Tenants’ Union, which led the protests. “We will remain here” until the government passes new laws, including indefinite rental contracts, and stops evictions like Abascal’s, del Río told journal-
ASSoCIATEd PRESS PHoTo By MAnU FERnAndEZ
Protesters camp Sunday during a demonstration at Puerta del Sol plaza in Madrid to demand stronger laws to protect renters following the eviction Wednesday of an 87-year-old woman. ists at the plaza on Sunday. Spain’s Socialist-led government is expected to announce new measures in its weekly cabinet meeting next Tuesday. On Wednesday, Abascal was carried from her apartment on a stretcher and placed in an ambulance as supporters — who had tried unsuccessfully to stop the eviction — chanted her nickname, “Maricarmen.” “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 recorded from her hospital bed after the eviction. Images of the eviction spread widely across Spain, fueling outrage and criticism of public authorities and real estate investment companies accused of pricing residents out of their homes. Critics often refer to such companies as “vulture funds.” “Maricarmen has been, in a way, the last straw that sparked this social unrest,” said Simón de la Riva, 43, a teacher who took part in Sat-
urday’s protests. Speaking at a Socialist Party rally in Madrid, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez addressed Abascal directly: “I have a message for you, Maricarmen: the government is working around the clock to bring a Royal Decree on housing next Tuesday. And I ask parliamentary groups to make one last effort to have it validated in the National Parliament for Maricarmen.” Abascal has criticized Sánchez and blamed him for her ordeal. “Does he not realize the quantity of evictions that there are daily?” she asked during an interview with Spain’s state broadcaster RTVE the day before she was forcibly removed from her home. “Does he not realize, or does he not want to realize?” Spanish media reported that Abascal’s father first rented the apartment in 1956 and that she remained there as a tenant under rent controls after her parents died. 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. Urbagestión, an investment fund that later bought the unit, raised her monthly rent from 500 euros 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. Rising costs and a housing shortage are pricing many Spaniards out of the market, despite strong economic growth in Europe’s fourthlargest economy. Incomes have not kept pace with the rising housing costs, and analysts say tourism and immigration-driven population 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 substantial share. The demonstrations in the symbolic Madrid plaza this weekend reminded many in Spain of the historic demonstrations starting May 15, 2011, when members of the “indignados movement” camped for 28 days straight, sparking similar sit-ins across the country and the world. That movement was a reaction to evictions and other issues following a global economic crisis, including unemployment, austerity measures and corruption. Estefania Molina, a political scientist and columnist, said the stakes of popular frustration are growing. In 2011, “people protested because they couldn’t buy an apartment.” “Today, the protest is about not being able to rent a room in someone else’s home,” she told Spanish television.
Swiss voters reject tighter neutrality rules BY JAMEY KEATEN Associated Press
GENEVA — Voters in Switzerland overwhelmingly rejected a proposal championed by a right-wing populist party to strengthen the country’s vaunted neutrality. Supporters of the plan, led by the Swiss People’s Party, which includes members
with pro-Russia leanings, argued that the government had gravitated too close to the European Union and NATO, particularly over Russia’s war in Ukraine. Final results from the Swiss government showed 70% of voters, and a majority in all 26 of the country’s regions, rejected the plan. The measure would have barred Switzerland from
joining punitive measures against other countries unless they were imposed by the United Nations. Russia, one of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, holds veto power over such measures. The vote was part of Sunday’s latest round of Swiss referendums on local and national issues. Under Switzerland’s system of direct
democracy, voters typically cast ballots four times a year to help determine government policy. The proposal emerged following Switzerland’s decision to join EU sanctions against Russia. Swiss neutrality has been enshrined in the constitution since the mid-19th century, but its meaning has been debated for years.
Afghanistan: 28 fighters killed after crossing from Pakistan By The Associated Press KABUL,Afghanistan — Afghanistan said on Sunday that its forces killed 28 fighters and captured 32 others, including alleged members of the Islamic State group said to have crossed from neighboring Pakistan. Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have increased in recent days, with cross-border fighting
and Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan territory adding to long-standing disputes over militant activity along their border. Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry said in a post on X that the fighters were killed or captured on Saturday in Kamdesh district in the northeastern province of Nuristan. It alleged that several IS-affiliated groups had been sent from
Pakistan with the support of Pakistani authorities “with the aim of carrying out acts of subversion and creating insecurity.” Afghanistan does not recognize its frontier with Pakistan as an international border. The countries share a 1,622-mile boundary known as the Durand Line. Pakistan’s Ministry of Information rejected the
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Obituaries Carimi, Ona Claire Dassinger
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 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
Mother Freddie Mae Lamb, age 90, was born April 12, 1936 in Watson, Louisiana to Samuel Tilley and Johnella Stewart. She died September 17, 2026. She worked as a mill worker and later as a caregiver. She was a member of First Little Rock Missionary Baptist Church for over 50 years and Mother of the Church since 1988. She leaves children Theresa Connerly, Carolyn Spears, Michael King, Sybil Scott and Andrea McGruder; sisters Lannie Hodges and Alzato Robinson; 28 grandchildren, 34 great-grandchildren and 12 great-great -grandchildren. Viewing: Hall Davis 9348 Scenic Highway, Baton Rouge, La 70807, Tuesday, September 29, 4p-6p Funeral Services: First Little Rock Baptist Church, 312 South 17th Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802, Reverend James Riley Sr. Viewing: Wednesday September 30, 9a-11a following Service: Wednesday, September 30, 11a Interment: Heavenly Gates Cemetery, 10633 Veterans Boulevard, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70807
How to place an Obituary Notice EMAIL:
obits@theadvocate.com OR CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION:
225-388-0289
How to place a Memorial Ad An “In Memory Of” ad, is a way to pay tribute to your loved one. This remembrance is often printed on the anniversary of a loved one’s death. The deadline is two days prior to the day you want your ad to appear. TO PLACE A MEMORIAL AD GO TO: obituaries.theadvocate.com, click submit an obituary and select create a memoriam.
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12A ■ Monday, September 28, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate
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T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M/opinions
Vote in the midterms to hold the president accountable I am hearing significant unhappiness from friends who are Independents or Republicans and who voted for Donald Trump. Recent polling reflects this discontent. Their complaints include rising inflation, the war in Iran which has thrown the whole Middle East into conflict, ever-increasing gas prices, tariffs (a tax on consumers) that make products and services more expensive and the increasingly disconnected, rambling untruths that our president promulgates daily. Accordingly, I reflect on the times that I, as a Democrat, voted against my party because I thought the Republican candidate was more qualified for the office in question despite some significant policy disagreements. I believe this is the patriotic thing to do. As the adage says, “Country above party.” Hopefully, the many who are increasingly dismayed, appalled and alarmed at the direction of our country will do the same. After all is said and done about the midterms, voting is the only way we can make a course correction. The only way to reinstitute the checks and balances that our Constitution devised, to have an independent Congress that represents the will of the people and to make our president accountable is to elect a Democratic Congress on Nov. 3.
KATHY MEUNIER new orleans
Why fortified roofs at the expense of affordable housing? It appears the governor is taking money designated for affordable housing, allocated for those least among us. He is then giving it only to those who can afford another $10,000 for a new roof, basically subsidizing junk insurance (“Gov. Jeff Landry announces new $20M grant program for fortified roofs in coastal Louisiana”). Why not subsidize flood insurance or fight to lower the rates? Citizens do not get credit on their flood insurance for housing rated Flood Zone X, located on a ridge, pier-raised or behind flood control levees and walls.
WILLIAM HIGHTOWER Metairie
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE ARE OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are
published identifying name and the writer’s city of residence. The Advocate | The Times-Picayune require a street address and To SEnd US A LETTER, phone number SCAn HERE for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor, The Advocate, P.o. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@theadvocate.com.
new industries could make La. a leader in space exploration Data centers and spaceports have upset many Louisianans. We are stepping into places we have never been, and that frightens a lot of us. Is Elon Musk a shyster who will drain us for his own gain, or a builder who can help lead Louisiana forward? We can stay what we have always been: a charming place to visit. Great food, friendly people, swamps and marshes, hunting and fishing. America loves to come here. Too few want to stay. Our children finish college and leave before the ink dries on their diplomas. Our land is washing away so fast that Baton Rouge could sit on the Gulf in a geographic blink. I picture another Louisiana: A leader in space exploration, in charge of its own future, using this moment to rebuild the coast and keep our past. A place where our children stay because the jobs, wealth and opportunity are here. Nearly a century ago, New Orleans was among America’s richest cities. Cotton was king. The river was our lifeline. The great flood, greed and poor leadership helped undo that. Wealth will not fall in our laps, and the shore will not heal itself. It will take leadership and unselfish work. Our industries have already given us thousands of skilled people. Those who guard the environment must still protect what we have. The rewards are there only if we take them — and hold the people who promise them to it.
ASSoCIATEd PRESS FILE PHoTo
The U.S. Capitol building in Washington, d.C.
National debt grows under both parties, driven by many factors Regarding a recently published letter to the editor, “Runaway federal deficit can’t be tackled with cuts alone,” by Robert Purrington, I would like to offer a few comments. First, the author of the letter should have spared us his vitriolic diatribe regarding tax cuts of past Republican administrations. Over the past 26 years, 14 years of Republican and 12 years of Democratic presidencies, the debt increase totaled $16.5 trillion and $17.7 trillion, respectively. These figures include the cost of programs previously enacted by prior presidencies and annual debt growth maintenance. While tax cuts occurred (2007 and 2017), the federal debt is the outcome of both political parties’ managing, and it is deeply tied to broader economic issues such as wars, emergencies and preexisting mandatory programs — not simply the result of one political party. Lastly, mandatory federal spending (which includes healthcare, social programs and net interest) will comprise 80% of the total
federal budget by 2036, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Only 20% of federal spending will then be able to be allocated to national defense, education and infrastructure. Primary cost drivers over the next 10 years are mandatory outlays associated with social welfare and healthcare programs and will scale from $4.5 trillion to $7 trillion in 2036. During this period, interest payments will double to more than $2.1 trillion. In 10 years, it is projected that these costs will total $9.1 trillion per year before any national defense, education and infrastructure spending, eclipsing the growth of the national debt in any one president’s term(s). Debt reduction requires more than simple belt tightening and tax increases. Strong control will be required to prevent waste and fraud within social programs, to manage immigration and to drive investment that fosters job creation and grows the tax base.
GREG DERBES Baton Rouge
CHARLIE VON DREUSCHE Lafayette
Expect Israel to honor the principles of the United States
democratic Senate candidate has not received a fair representation I write on behalf of the 345,000 Democrats who voted in Louisiana’s Senate primary, along with the 99,000 Bill Cassidy voters and 113,000 John Fleming voters. I think many of us would like to revisit your early nod of support for U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow during the primaries, without offering an interview with Jamie Davis, much less including even a single sentence about his platform, candidacy or otherwise in your write-up. Since then, reports have raised concerns about Letlow’s nondisclosure agreement with Meta and subsequent trades in Meta stock. Your endorsement emphasized trust and accountability, but to many voters that foundation now appears shaky. A recent poll showed the candidates 4 points apart, with 1 in 5 voters undecided. Voters deserve answers on data centers, carbon capture, corporate influence, congressional stock trading, tariffs, war, gas prices, SNAP cuts, healthcare affordability and the government’s responsibility to protect everyday people. The election results also deserve scrutiny.
The United States is an ally of Israel. We have their back, and yet they make themselves a bigger target. Brutality is jungle justice. Jungle justice only begets more brutality. Jungle justice has no respect for individual lives. An eye for an eye is not enough. Killing innocent women and children, bombing hospitals, killing volunteers who come to feed the starving and treat the wounded, killing reporters, treating innocent people like cattle, upending tent villages with orders to move so they can bomb cities to rubble. Israel is doing this with impunity. It seems for Israel, annihilating every one of its enemies is the only way to victory. We are allies of Israel. We have their backs. Israel owes us respect for all we stand for. Our Constitution is meant to make real the belief all men are equal. Israel needs our strength to be safe. We are weakened when we aid a government that commits atrocities. Are we becoming more like them? Are we being defined as like them? Are we a party to brutality? If the answer is yes to all of the above, it is time to expect Israel to honor the principles of the United States.
Roughly 84,000 Republican primary voters did not return for the runoff. In the primary, 221,271 Republicans chose another candidate. Letlow received 44.8% of the Republican vote, while 55% preferred someone else. That does not decide the general election, but it challenges the idea that Louisiana has spoken with one voice. Many voters remain undecided. At a minimum, your publication should host a public candidate forum, ask both candidates difficult questions and provide voters with a meaningful comparison between Letlow and Davis. Your editorial page can help restore trust by acknowledging these divisions and encouraging genuine examination rather than treating the result as predetermined. Let reporters investigate and candidates explain their records, priorities and potential conflicts. Then let Louisiana voters make an informed choice this November.
BRITTANY GONDOLFI Mandeville
Louisiana needs a senator with an agenda for all Jamie Davis may very well be our next U.S. senator in the making. As I see it, he is one who wants to represent all the people in Louisiana and not just a select few who have vs. the have-nots in the state. Yes, we have many problems that are in need of solving in our state.
He has a true agenda to help all, and not just issue some rhetoric about solving problems while the other candidate has said that she will solve issues without giving any solutions.
VINCENT YOUNG Baton Rouge
KATHLEEN FISCHER Metairie
WInnER oF THE PULITZER PRIZE FoR LoCAL REPoRTInG
KEVIN HALL
President & Publisher
RENE SANCHEZ
VP/News, Executive Editor
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VP/ Consumer Sales
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General Manager/ Advertising
VP/IT
Senior Editor/ Investigations
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CHASE HEATHERLY
Executive VP, Operations
VP/Distribution
KYLE WHITFIELD
G
GEORGES MEDIA GROUP JOHN D. GEORGES Owner
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DAN SHEA
Chairman
ARNESSA GARRETT STEPHANIE GRACE WILL SUTTON QUIN HILLYER FAIMON ROBERTS
The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Monday, September 28, 2026 ■ 13A
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COMMENTARY World News Day: Trust is earned right here in La. Every day across Louisiana, siana. there are hundreds of stories that Our publications and now help define who we are. our websites have been telling And each year at Georges Louisiana’s story for generations. Media, we publish nearly Through The Times50,000 stories — stories Picayune, The Advocate, that unfold in the halls of The Acadiana Advocate, the Capitol in Baton Rouge NOLA.com, Gambit, Arand at City Hall in New thur Hardy’s Mardi Gras Orleans. They happen in Guide, Developing LafayKevin classrooms in Lafayette, ette, Shreveport-Bossier Hall businesses in Shreveport, City Advocate and our PUBLISHER neighborhoods in Lake other media platforms, we Charles and towns along have the privilege — and our coast. They are found important responsibility in our stores where we — of documenting this reshop, our congregations, our resmarkable state every day. That responsibility begins with taurants and on Friday night footthree words: truth, trust and ball fields. They especially come alive during Mardi Gras, our hun- transparency. Louisianans have plenty of dreds of festivals, college football sources competing for their atSaturdays and Saints Sundays. And when a hurricane enters tention: national news organizathe Gulf or a storm moves across tions, social media, the latest the state, reliable information can “influencer” podcasts, artificial inbecome more than important. It telligence and an endless stream can become essential. of “information” that so often Today is World News Day, and proves to be false. as president and publisher of But there is something different Georges Media, I am reminded about local journalism. that journalism is ultimately Our journalists live here. Many about serving people and this of them, like me, have generaplace we all call home. For us at tions who have lived in Louisiana, Georges Media, that place is Loui- and their roots run deep. They
know our communities because they are part of them. They aren’t just names on an article byline, but citizens of this state who are passionate about making sure you have all the accurate and trustworthy information you deserve. Our journalists understand that Louisiana is not one place, but many distinct parishes rich in sometimes complicated history that is connected by a culture and identity unlike anywhere else in America. They also understand that trust cannot simply be claimed. It must be earned every single day. We earn it by getting the facts right. By asking difficult questions. By holding powerful institutions accountable. By correcting our mistakes. By distinguishing news articles from opinion columns and journalism from advertising. And by being transparent with readers about how we do our work. As journalism evolves and new technologies such as artificial intelligence become part of our industry, we must embrace innovation while protecting the standards that have always mattered: accuracy, independence, fairness
and accountability. Louisiana is a place of strong and diverse opinions. And you aren’t shy about offering your opinions about our coverage of topics you care about, based on the hundreds of emails and letters we receive each month. We aren’t going to agree on everything — and neither will our readers. Our responsibility isn’t to tell people what to think. It is to give them credible information so they can make their own decisions about their communities and their state. Great local journalism requires being present. When a storm approaches Louisiana, we’re here. When decisions are being made about our schools, taxes, economy and livelihoods, we’re here. When corruption needs to be exposed, we’re here. And when Louisiana has something worth celebrating — which is very often — we’re here for that, too. For nearly two centuries, our newspapers have recorded the first draft of Louisiana history. Generations of journalists before us covered wars, epidemics, hurricanes, political scandals, economic transformation and cul-
tural moments that helped shape this state. Today, we continue that work on platforms those earlier journalists could never have imagined. The technology will continue to change. How people consume news will continue to change. But our responsibility to Louisiana cannot. I am proud of the nearly 200 journalists across Georges Media who show up every day to tell Louisiana’s stories. I wish you could see the love of truth and the passion for our state that is displayed every day in our five newsrooms. And to our readers across Louisiana and beyond: Thank you for reading us, challenging us, supporting us and holding us accountable. And on this World News Day, whether you are reading or viewing us anywhere from Washington, D.C., to Australia, we are thankful for you. Your trust is one of the most valuable things we have. And here in Louisiana, we intend to keep earning it. Kevin Hall is president and publisher of Georges Media Group.
Weighing the ‘disastrous, cascading consequences’ if China takes Taiwan
ASSoCIATEd PRESS PHoTo By MARK SCHIEFELBEIn
Journalists and the lectern are pictured before a press briefing at the White House in Washington.
President Trump and the press boycott one another We’re back in the children’s sandbox. Pres- NBC, and CNN suspended pooled television coverage of presidential events. ident Donald Trump banned CNN, MS Now, I have criticized press bias for most of my and Politico from covering him. The three career. I worked in television news. I know filed a First Amendment lawsuit. The president has retaliated with “Trump TV: The Es- reporters. I also know what happens when journalism becomes predictable, parsentials Station” on YouTube. American presidents have been tisan, or simply wrong. complaining about the press almost Criticizing the press is one thing. as long as we’ve had presidents. Using government access to punish Thomas Jefferson knew something coverage a president dislikes is anabout hostile newspapers. And yet other. in 1787 he wrote that if forced to If reporters get a story wrong, choose between government without show them where they got it wrong. Cal newspapers and newspapers without Thomas If they ignore the results of a policy, government, he would go with the invite them to see those results. Chalnewspapers. lenge their assumptions. Correct their facts. Presidential irritation with the press didn’t Engage them. Or ignore them. end with Jefferson. Ronald Reagan frequently sparred with Abraham Lincoln suspended the publicareporters. He also joked with them — and about himtion of various newspapers, banned critical papers from being delivered through the self. U.S. mail, and temporarily imprisoned or At his final White House Correspondents’ silenced editors during the American Civil Dinner, Reagan acknowledged the inevitable War to maintain public morale. friction between presidents and the press John Kennedy became so angry with the and said a healthy relationship meant each New York Herald Tribune that in 1962 he side could give as good as it got. canceled the White House’s 22 subscriptions “[M]y attitude is better than linebacker to the paper. George Atkinson’s when he was with the Richard Nixon banned Washington Post Oakland Raiders. Someone asked him what reporters from White House social events, the players’ reaction would be if the press restricted access following their coverage box blew up. He said, ‘We’d have 30 seconds of the Watergate scandal, and attempted to of respectful silence and then continue block the publication of the Pentagon Papers with enthusiasm.’ [Laughter] Now, honest, I through the judicial system. don’t feel that way — maybe once in a while. During the Obama administration, White [Laughter] House officials publicly stated that Fox “I’m sure we get exasperated now and News operated more like the “communicathen with each other, but that’s just the frictions arm of the Republican Party” than a tion of freedom.” traditional news organization. And when the Presidents do not need a friendly press. Treasury Department initially left Fox out They need the confidence to face an unof a round of pooled television interviews, friendly one. When journalists are wrong, the other networks pushed back. Fox was the strongest answer is better facts, better ultimately included. arguments — and the willingness to let the The Trump vs. press fight has produced public decide. another consequence. When CNN was prevented from taking its scheduled turn in the Email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub. com. television press pool, Fox News, ABC, CBS,
Deterrence employs military, dipcapitulation. The logistical demands of a resupply operation over vast dislomatic, economic, technological and political measures to prevent wars. The tances, with the paltry (fewer than 200) number of times deterrence has failed and aged (average age, mid-50s) U.S. approximately equals the nummerchant ships, would dwarf those of the 15-month Berlin ber of wars history has seen. airlift (June 1948 to September Deterrence failed to protect 1949) that sustained a city with a Ukraine against aggression, population one-tenth the size of the consequences of which are today’s Taiwan. slight compared with those that China cannot mobilize for war would follow a failure to deter George secretly. And an invasion, FreyChinese President Xi Jinping Will from invading Taiwan, or atmann says, “would rank among the most complex military operatempting to coerce its surrender by measures (intended to be) just tions in modern history,” much more short of war. Xi has ordered his milidaunting than D-Day. Between October and March, Freymann writes, harsh tary to be able to seize Taiwan in 2027. Deterring this involves influencing one weather in the 100-mile-wide Taiwan Strait often deters civil aviation and person: Xi. But the myriad variables passenger ships. In winter, there can be involved are staggering. Imagine the 50-foot waves. Between June and Octocomplexity of a Rubik’s Cube cubed. Or read “Defending Taiwan” by Eyck ber, there is an average of six typhoons Freymann, a Hoover fellow at Stana year. Only April and October are suitford. He believes that U.S. abandonable for amphibious operations. These would require air superiorment of Taiwan “isn’t an option.” The “disastrous, cascading consequences” ity, which China cannot assume. And of Taiwan’s forced submission to Beinaval mines laid by Taiwan could make China’s troop transports vulnerable in jing would include the collapse of U.S. narrow corridors. credibility, Beijing’s domination of its Preemptive Chinese strikes on U.S. Indo-Pacific neighbors, including their involvement in the global economy, and bases on Okinawa and Guam, and/or an incentive for Japan and South Korea U.S. strikes on the mainland, would ignite a war. Freymann: “No nuclearto acquire nuclear weapons. armed power has ever launched a Taiwan, a vibrant democracy of 23 large-scale kinetic strike against anmillion, is the world’s most important supplier of the high-end chips that other.” power economic modernity, including And: “China’s extensive missile ar90% of the most advanced chips power- senal has created a high-risk zone exing artificial intelligence. U.S. policy tending roughly 600 kilometers off its emphasizes that any resolution to coast.” The U.S. advantage in stealthy cross-strait tensions must be achieved submarines is eroding. without coercion, and in a manner Deterrence, Freymann writes, redemocratically acceptable to Taiwan’s quires convincing Xi that America can people. Washington leaves ambiguous “decisively” defeat China in an “all-out what it would do if either side changed air-naval war” near China. “Logistics,” the status quo unilaterally. Freymann says, “is the bridge between Xi’s constant “gray zone” operaa nation’s economy and its military options — economic, legal, cyber and erations.” The inadequacy of America’s sociocultural — include military violabridge has been revealed by Ukraine’s tions of Taiwan’s territorial waters and needs and the war against Iran. Meanwhile, Bloomberg reports “a airspace. Xi might hope that these, perhaps supplemented by a quarantine, profound shift in Taiwan’s identity”: In 1992, only 17.6% of Taiwan residents will, Freymann writes, “incrementally identified solely as Taiwanese. Today establish the norm that Taiwan no lon63.1% do. The share identifying solely ger has full practical control over” its as Chinese has plummeted from 25.5% global economic interactions. This slow death of sovereignty might to 2.5%. Time is widening a cultural dilead to a blockade. This act of war vide that increasingly precludes peacecould starve Taiwan of food, energy ful “reunification” (Xi’s propagandistic and munitions. Breaking a blockade term) of Taiwan with Xi’s Communist would require war, including striking Party state. targets on the Chinese mainland and Freymann says — startlingly, without mining China’s harbors. elaboration — that by seizing Taiwan, An early-20th-century theory was Xi could make himself “untouchable by slain by the facts of the rest of the rivals in his old age.” It is relevant, and century: The mutual dependence of unsettling, that Xi, who visited Washeconomically powerful nations on ington last week, has thrived in such a complex supply chains makes wars high-risk, high-stakes, uncivilized pobetween them impossible. A blockade litical milieu. would confront the U.S. president with a choice between the frightening, a Email George Will at georgewill@ military response, and the unthinkable, washpost.com.
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To SEnd US A LETTER, SCAn HERE
14A ■ Monday, September 28, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate
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TODAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
A t-storm around in the p.m.
Mostly sunny and warm
Partly sunny, a t-storm; humid
Humid; a p.m. t-storm or two
Humid; an afternoon t-storm
Humid with rain and a t-storm
HIGH
LOW
HIGH
94° 68°
LOW
HIGH
91° 71°
LOW
90° 73°
Beaumont 91/74 Port Arthur 90/76
Baton Rouge 94/68
Lake Charles 91/72
New Orleans 91/73 Houma 89/68
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
0s
Hattiesburg 92/59
Alexandria 94/68
Lafayette 92/70
10s
20s
30s
40s
50s
LOW
HIGH
LOW
85° 72°
YESTERDAY
Baton Rouge through 5 p.m. Sunday
Jackson 90/60 Many 94/65
HIGH
88° 74°
TEMPERATURE
Longview 92/69
-0s
LOW
Monroe 94/62
Shreveport 94/68
-10s
HIGH
89° 75°
The picture-perfect weather that we experienced all weekend long will stay with us at least through Tuesday. Today, expect a mostly sunny and hot day with a light breeze. The dry air will continue to filter into southeast Louisiana, keeping our dew points and the humidity low. Temperatures this afternoon will rise into the mid-90s. With low humidity, temperatures will feel like the mid-90s. no rain today or tomorrow, but that will change dramatically towards the end of the week.
60s
70s
80s
90s 100s 110s
High/low normal high/low Last year’s high/low Record high Record low
Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today
OCT 3
City
Atlanta Austin Boston Charlotte Chicago dallas denver Houston Las Vegas
Shown are areas of precipitation and high temperatures for the day.
91°/67° 87°/66° 89°/63° 97° in 2023 46° in 1899
TODAY’S TIDES Lake Pontchartrain (Tchefuncte River) Shell Beach South Point, Marsh Island Cypremort Point Grand Isle (Barataria Pass) Mississippi River (Southwest Pass) Wine Island
LAST
PRECIPITATION
24-hour total Month to date normal month to date year to date normal year to date
HIGH
9:12a 3:57a 4:19a 5:36a 11:11p 10:38p ---
6:56 a.m. 6:54 p.m. 7:58 p.m. 8:55 a.m. NEW
FIRST
OCT 10
Hi
83 97 59 82 73 93 72 93 86
TODAY Lo
59 73 55 59 55 76 56 73 63
FULL
OCT 18
W
pc t r s s t t t t
OCT 25
Hi
85 95 64 83 76 95 66 91 84
TUE. Lo
63 78 57 60 61 76 53 77 70
W
s t c s pc t t t t
FT.
LOW
0.00” 0.00” 4.01” 44.47” 47.47”
FT.
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0.7 7:30p 0.3 1.8 12:14p 0.6 2.0 9:39a 0.4 1.5 1:27a 1.3 1.5 8:39a 0.4 1.9 6:56a 0.6 --- 9:41a 0.5
ModERATE
REAdInG 67 MAIn PoLLUTAnT Ozone
MAIn PoLLUTAnT Ozone
SoURCE: LoUISIAnA dEQ And AIRnoW.GoV
FT.
LOW
FT.
--- ----- ----- ----- --7:06p 2.4 10:16p 1.9 9:37p 1.8 1:25p 0.3 --- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ---
The solunar period schedule allows planning days so you will be fishing in good territory or hunting in good cover during those times. Major periods begin at the times shown and last for 1.5 to 2 hours. The minor periods are shorter. MAJOR MINOR MAJOR MINOR
Today 12:37a 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 Sunday 6:49a 12:35a
City
Los Angeles Miami nashville new york City Philadelphia Phoenix St. Louis San Francisco Seattle
Hi
TODAY
83 89 84 62 67 80 78 71 68
Lo
65 75 53 57 60 69 55 54 56
1:02p 7:15p 2:01p 8:14p 3:04p 9:19p 4:11p 10:26p 5:17p 11:33p 6:21p ---7:19p 1:04p
W
s pc pc r r t s pc pc
TODAY
ModERATE
Hi
86 86 87 70 75 84 84 77 63
TUE. Lo
68 76 57 61 60 70 64 56 50
W
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
s t s c pc t c pc r
Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.
FLOOD STAGE
34 48 48 35 27 22 17
SUN. 24-HOUR STAGE CHANGE
7.20 15.90 18.90 6.80 4.20 3.51 2.80
+3.20 -0.19 -0.20 -0.30 none -0.45 -0.13
40
26.76
+1.04
19
-1.68
+0.08
18 29 8
-1.29 9.78 2.43
-0.01 -0.02 -0.28
13 15
2.44 0.59
none none
47 34 29 20 12 6
7.13 4.83 3.53 3.84 3.00 3.04
-0.05 +0.07 -0.05 +0.09 +0.20 +0.21
data as of 7 a.m. Sunday
Forecasts and graphics, except for damon’s outlook, provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2026
Supreme Court vote shadows Collins’ reelection bid paign ads from both candiMaine senator dates, women are featured prominently. faces first election Democrats’ ads have foheavily on Collins’ since abortion cused vote in support of Kavanaugh and describe her as rights decision caving to Trump. The Dem-
BY KIMBERLEE KRUESI and PATRICK WHITTLE Associated Press
GORHAM, Maine — For years, Planned Parenthood’s endorsement of Susan Collins was enough to persuade Erin Evans to vote for Maine’s longtime U.S. senator, believing that the moderate Republican would protect abortion access. Evans is now “just furious with myself” for those votes. The 56-year-old from Portland described Collins’ critical vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court, where President Donald Trump’s nominee eventually helped overturn the constitutional right to abortion, as a betrayal. “I was a really uninformed voter,” Evans said. “I thought any woman from Maine was probably in line with me.” The Nov. 3 election will be the first time Collins is on the ballot since the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade, resulting in abortion being banned in much of the United States. This time, Evans says she is backing Democrat Troy Jackson, a former state lawmaker and logger trying to deny Collins a sixth term. Jackson and Democrats are hoping that voters like Evans will help flip a seat in a state the party has made a priority in the quest to retake the Senate. Both Collins and Jackson have made an effort to appeal to women, who make up the majority of Maine’s population and have had a slightly higher rate of voting than men, according to a recent report by democracy advocacy groups. In cam-
ocratic-aligned advocacy group Affordable Maine has spent nearly $10 million on ads stressing the senator’s backing of other Trumpappointed judges who oppose abortion. An additional $32 million has been spent by Win Senate, a political action committee focused on Collins. Planned Parenthood Votes has so far spent at least $500,000 to run ads that include a female voter who regrets voting for Collins because of her Kavanaugh vote. Yet Jackson is facing a steep challenge. Collins has a 30-year record of winning elections even as Maine voters have spurned Republican presidential nominees, including Trump, since 1988. And the issue trails others in terms of importance to voters. A New York Times/ Siena poll conducted in September found that when asked in their own words what one issue will be most important in deciding their vote for Congress in November, almost no likely Maine voters mentioned abortion. Collins has long called herself a “pro-choice” Republican and a supporter of a woman’s right to an abortion. She was one of the few Republicans endorsed by Planned Parenthood earlier in her political career. In 2022, she co-sponsored legislation to put federal protections for abortion into law. The position has put her at odds with her party but was in line with Maine voters. In 2020, the last time Collins sought reelection, the vast majority of Maine voters in the Senate race, 76%, said the Supreme Court should not overturn Roe v. Wade, according to AP Vote-
ASSoCIATEd PRESS PHoTo By MARIAM ZUHAIB
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, questions dr. Heidi overton during her nomination hearing to become the commissioner of the Food and drug Administration on Thursday at the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington. Cast, an extensive survey of the electorate. That included most Collins voters. Some 35% of voters who supported Collins in her successful reelection bid said they wanted Roe to be overturned. Collins’ 2018 vote in support of Kavanaugh was crucial to his confirmation. At the time, Collins waited months before announcing her decision in a 45-minute floor speech. The final vote was 50-48. Kavanaugh later joined the 6-3 conservative majority in stripping away constitutional rights to abortion. Collins criticized the high court’s decision in 2022, but she has never publicly wavered in her decision to confirm Kavanaugh. She told reporters in June that “I do not regret that vote.” Collins had said before the 2018 vote that Kavanaugh, in a two-hour meeting with her, said he viewed Roe as settled law. But her confirmation vote is what stands out in the minds of voters like Bente Lundh, 67, of Falmouth.
“She’s positioned herself as this moderate voter, but she’s really chopped that down with her vote for Kavanaugh,” Lundh said. For others, Collins’ longstanding record as a moderate continues to draw their support even if they are disappointed with the eventual overturning of Roe. “I think I’ve tried to not have my allegiance to party make me blind to what may be a better path from time to time,” said Mary Ann Lynch, a Democrat supporting Collins. “Neither party, in my view, has a monopoly on the truth and how best to do things. So I think it’s really important to have people who will reach across the aisle.” Lynch added that Collins may have voted to confirm Kavanaugh, but she also voted to confirm Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, who dissented in the abortion ruling. They were nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama. Since launching his cam-
paign in July, Jackson has announced a “Women for Troy” coalition made up of women from all 16 Maine counties and he has secured endorsements from abortion rights groups Planned Parenthood and Reproductive Freedom for All. Jackson was serving as a top state senator when the landmark 1973 decision was upended in 2022. He says he worked to pass “some of the strongest protections for abortion access in the country.” Yet Jackson has had his own hurdles. The Democrat became a last-minute Senate nominee after Graham Platner dropped out this summer following criticism of his past relationships with women and a sexual assault allegation, which Platner denies. Jackson is now scrambling to win over voters who may be wary of his connection to Platner. The two campaigned together as Jackson initially sought the Democratic gubernatorial nomination but lost.
Jackson also has had to explain the evolution of his support on abortion rights and same-sex marriage, both of which he opposed years ago. Jackson now says he was wrong about his past beliefs and changed his mind after talking to women. Jackson’s campaign spokesperson Maggie Amjad said Jackson now holds a “100% rating from Maine’s Planned Parenthood.” Blake Kernen, a spokesperson for Collins, described the senator as the only “reliably pro-choice” candidate in the race. While Jackson is reminding voters of Collins’ role in the abortion rights fight, he is doing so in a state that was not highly affected by the decision compared with Republican-controlled regions where many abortion clinics have shuttered, said Mark Brewer, a political science professor at the University of Maine. “If you were in a state where all of the abortion clinics had closed, then that might be a bigger issue,” Brewer said. “That has not been the case here.” The state’s Democraticcontrolled Legislature in 2023 approved a law that allows abortions at any time if deemed medically necessary by a doctor, and Democratic Gov. Janet Mills has enacted legislation protecting providers of abortion and genderaffirming care from legal action brought by other states. A CNN/SSRS survey of likely Maine voters conducted in late August and early September found that most voters are still unhappy about the decision to overturn Roe, but that anger over the loss of abortion rights could be overshadowed by broader concerns about the economy. Kruesi reported from Providence, R.I. Associated Press polling editor Amelia Thomson DeVeaux in Washington contributed to this report.
SPORTS
T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M
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M o n d ay, S e p t e M b e r 28, 2026
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RAIdERS
SAInTS
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FATAL FOUR RECORD: 1-2 UP NEXT: VS. FALConS, 7:15 P.M. oCT. 5, ESPn
STAFF PHoTo By dAVId GRUnFELd
Las Vegas Raiders linebacker nakobe dean, right, forces new orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson to fumble on Sunday at the Caesars Superdome. The play sealed the victory for the Raiders.
Saints squander lead thanks to quartet of 4th-quarter turnovers
Saints have nobody to blame but themselves for lost momentum
BY MATTHEW PARAS
Trying to figure out exactly who the game was tied 13-13 at halftime. If the first two games of the season 2026 New Orleans Saints are is a lot were any indication, that meant the like trying to figure out what’s a fumSaints had the Raiders right ble and what’s an incompletion. where they wanted them. Three games into the season After all, the Saints had saved and nobody seems to really their best for last in their first know. two games in Detroit and BalThe Saints’ Jekyll and Hyde act took another turn Sunday timore. with a fourth-quarter collapse But there was no fourthRod that resulted in a humbling 35quarter magic this time. Tyler Walker Shough, who put on his Super27 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. man cape the past two weeks One week after going on the road to help the Saints rally for a near-win and pulling off a miraculous win against the Lions and that stunner against the Baltimore Ravens, the against the Ravens, showed that he is Saints came to Caesars Superdome human after all. After a stellar third and failed to seize the moment. quarter Sunday, he had a costly interThis one will sting for a few days. ception and a pair of fumbles. Juwan The Saints were supposed to be 2-1, Johnson also had a fumble. riding high heading into next week’s Not many NFL teams can overcome much-anticipated Monday night show- four turnovers. “We weren’t able to overcome those, down with their bitter rival Atlanta and these guys finished better than Falcons. Instead, the Saints were left us,” Saints head coach Kellen Moore scratching their heads, wondering said. how they let this one get away. There was plenty of blame to go They surprisingly dropped a golden around. The Saints defense crumbled, opportunity, much like the referees too. surprisingly dropped that yellow flag Brandon Staley’s unit that had been in the second quarter on a Danny Stutso rock solid collapsed, unable to hold sman roughing-the-passer call. The onto the 27-16 lead the Saints built Saints would have held the Raiders with 5:46 left in the third quarter. to a field goal on that possession, but the Raiders scored a touchdown on ä See WALKER, page 4B the next play to take a 13-6 lead. The
Staff writer
Chase Young smiled and shook his head. The New Orleans Saints defensive end was in disbelief that his team was in the same situation as Week 1, only this time the call went the other way. But like before, it hurt the Saints all the same. Two weeks ago, Young’s strip-sack that led to a Saints fumble-recovery touchdown was wiped off the board because officials determined Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff had started his throwing motion. In Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders, Saints quarterback Tyler Shough didn’t get the same luxury. On third down with 13:04 left, Shough was stripped for a fumble — despite the second-year quarterback appearing to start his throwing motion. And the Raiders recovered, setting up a pivotal touchdown in New Orleans’ 3527 loss. “I thought (Shough’s) intent was he threw it forward,” Young said sarcastically, referring to the explanation the Saints received in Detroit. “But never mind.” The controversial call brought out a range of emotions. At his post-game news conference, coach Kellen Moore
Saints lose three key players to injuries, Page 4B
looked as frustrated over the officiating inconsistency as he had since taking the job last year. Others in the locker room remained baffled. Shough said he wasn’t sure about the rule, but noted he had to get the ball out before a judgment call could be made. But confused — or angry — as they might be, the Saints only have themselves to blame for Sunday’s letdown. The Saints, after all, had four fourthquarter turnovers. Those aren’t just excused away by one controversial call. What went wrong for the Saints in the final 13 minutes did. After his fumble, Shough threw a crucial interception on the ensuing possession, leading to another Raiders touchdown. Down by eight points with 6:22 left, the quarterback couldn’t lead another stunning comeback. The Saints got two chances to move past the mistakes. First, Shough committed his third turnover of the game — another fumble, this time on fourthand-1. Then, tight end Juwan Johnson fumbled with 53 seconds left to seal the defeat. The Saints are now 1-2 on the season. And just like that, they missed an opportunity to capitalize on last week’s wild upset win over the Baltimore
ä See SAINTS, page 5B
Jeff duncan’s three takeaways from new orleans’ home loss to Las Vegas, Page 5B
no magic in fourth quarter for new orleans this time, Page 5B
2B ■ Monday, September 28, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate
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Wilson will not return as manager for Mariners
SEATTLE — Dan Wilson will not return as the Seattle Mariners’ manager next season, he and the team said Sunday. Wilson made the announcement shortly after the Mariners finished off a 7-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels, the ending to a disappointing 76-86 season that began with World Series hopes after Seattle reached Game 7 of the American League Championship Series last year. Wilson, a Mariners Hall of Famer who played catcher for the team from 1994-2005, took over the job after Seattle fired Scott Servais on Aug. 22, 2024. Wilson finishes with a 187-171 record, at .522 the second-best winning percentage in club history behind Lou Piniella. Mariners chairman and CEO John Stanton thanked Wilson and said he could still remain in the organization.
Bulls acquire Hield in trade with Hornets for Dillingham
STAFF PHoTo By MICHAEL JoHnSon
LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt, center, fires the ball from the pocket against Texas A&M in the third quarter on Saturday at Tiger Stadium.
Leavitt embraced ‘point guard’ role Injured hamstring limited his mobility
BY JON BLAU Staff writer
The fourth game of the season hasn’t been kind to LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt. Last year, Leavitt’s foot busted in Arizona State’s Week 4 contest at Baylor, forcing him to labor through four more games before he shut everything down with a lisfranc injury. This year, the LSU transferportal prize scrambled down the sideline in the second quarter versus Texas A&M, stepping out of bounds 4 yards short of the first-down marker on a thirdand-12. He pulled up short Saturday because he’d just pulled a hamstring. Less than ideal, but as the Rolling Stones once sang, “You don’t always get what you want … you get what you need.” “It kind of, like, almost locks you in on a different level when you get a little hurt,” Leavitt said, “because you don’t have another option other than distributing the ball and playing pure point guard in a different way than I have all season.” Leavitt’s sparkling performance against the Aggies, completing 17 of 23 for 312 yards and two touchdowns, was an interesting twist. The concern coming into the season was whether Leavitt,
fresh off of foot surgery, could be enough of a dual-threat option in Lane Kiffin’s offense. That question was quickly answered with 113 rushing yards against Clemson in the opener and another 62 versus Ole Miss in Week 3. But there were inconsistencies in Leavitt’s passing through three contests, dipping below 60% in completion percentage in each of his Power Four games and throwing five interceptions to just three scores on the year. Particularly in last week’s loss in Oxford, Mississippi, Leavitt was rattled by the Rebels’ interior pressure early. Kiffin put some of the blame on the offensive line for not allowing his quarterback to settle in. Leavitt wasn’t going to let himself off that easy. “There’s gonna be so many situations where you’re gonna have dudes in your face and you gotta make plays and let the receivers go catch the ball and get open,” Leavitt said. “So coming into this game was just nothing but trust from me for them.” Leavitt had a very specific mindset he wanted to employ Saturday, down to the smallest detail of not paying attention to the football’s spin as he released it but focusing intently on exactly where he wanted to place each pass. “The focus for me was just staying in the pocket, letting it rip,” Leavitt said. He was intent on trusting his
arm and his receivers, which was easier said than done with star tight end Trey’Dez Green indefinitely sidelined after taking a helmet to the knee in the Ole Miss loss. Without his 6-foot7, 237-pound security blanket, Leavitt had to place his faith in the likes of wideouts Jackson Harris and Winston Watkins. And he had to really, really trust everyone when he felt his hamstring pull on that second-quarter scramble. “I told our running backs, you gotta get out (of the backfield), because when I scramble, I’m just gonna dump it down,” Leavitt said. “I had a couple where I dumped it down almost before they were even looking for it. “I told the whole line I might need a little bit more time back there, because I’m not gonna be able to run around and make any plays.” Kiffin said there was discussion about pulling Leavitt, but a stubborn competitor wasn’t having it. Leavitt, who played basketball in high school, was comfortable playing point guard. “I joked to him it was the best thing that happened because he had to stay in the pocket, throw on time, because he couldn’t run,” Kiffin said. “But really gutsy performance by him.” Leavitt locked in, throwing some of his prettiest passes in an LSU uniform. He connected with Harris, the Hawaii transfer, six times for 163 yards, including a
57-yard catch-and-run on a fake halfback draw on fourth-and-1. He also perfectly placed 35- and 36-yard passes to Watkins up the sideline. “It was just my pocket presence, being calm, flat-footed, and then just delivering the ball and have nothing but faith when I let go of it,” Leavitt said. “That’s kind of the emphasis of the week going into every single play. And it showed up today, so that’s gonna be something I gotta keep pushing forward and getting better.” It remains to be seen how much Leavitt, fresh off of a pulled hamstring, plays Saturday against McNeese State, because that’s a load backup quarterback Landen Clark could handle. LSU needs Leavitt as healthy as possible for an Oct. 10 trip to Kentucky; the Wildcats just improved to 3-1 with a 45-21 win over South Alabama. Then the Tigers close out October against No. 24 Mississippi State and Auburn before a bye week. For whatever reason, Week 4 just happens to be the week these injuries pop up for Leavitt, but this malady doesn’t appear as serious as his foot injury in 2025. He was adamant after the game that he’ll be “just fine.” “Not season-ending injuries, by any means,” Leavitt said, “but just a little something to keep me in the pocket.” Email Jon Blau at jon.blau@ theadvocate.com
Michigan’s luck runs out during Iowa’s rally BY LARRY LAGE AP sportswriter
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan’s luck ran out, and Iowa rubbed it in. Hank Brown connected with Reece Vander Zee on a 16-yard touchdown pass to give the Hawkeyes a 20-19 win over the Wolverines on Saturday. Iowa had two seconds on the clock for the final snap of a 91yard, game-winning drive. The Hawkeyes took advantage of the time, three weeks after Michigan was given an extra second to attempt a second Hail Mary to beat Western Michigan in a controversial finish in the same stadium. As the Hawkeyes celebrated in a stunned Big House, they poked fun at college football’s winningest team. “NO EXTRA TIME NECESSARY,” the Iowa football program posted on social media. Iowa moved up three spots to No. 14 in the AP Top 25 on Sunday, ahead of its home game against No. 5 Ohio State. Michigan, which fell from No. 18 to out of poll for the second time in the opening month of the season, will play its first road game at Minnesota on Saturday. The Wolverines made costly mistakes in all three phases against the Hawkeyes to lose for
ASSoCIATEd PRESS PHoTo By PAUL SAnCyA
Iowa wide receiver Reece Vander Zee celebrates his 16-yard touchdown reception against Michigan during a game in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Saturday. the first time under coach Kyle Whittingham. After penalties were a problem in the first two games of the season, Michigan was flagged eight times for 75 yards. One penalty, in particular, was a killer for the maize and blue. On
the Hawkeyes’ last drive, Brown threw an incomplete pass on third-and-12 from his 40. Instead of facing a fourth down, they had a first down at the Michigan 45 with 19 seconds left because fifth-year defensive back Zeke Berry pushed receiver Tony
Diaz out of bounds and was called for unnecessary roughness. “I didn’t really say anything to him because he’s an old enough guy to understand that’s a stupid penalty,” sixth-year defensive back Rod Moore said. “But you got to be smarter.” The Michigan defense, which kept the Iowa offense scoreless for three quarters, had the last chance to make enough plays to hold on for the win. The offense and special teams, too, wasted opportunities earlier in the game for the Wolverines. While sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood had his best game, completing 17 of 28 passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns, he threw an interception at the Iowa 2 in the third quarter. That was one of the missed opportunities for the offense, which went 2 of 4 in the red zone. After Underwood threw his first of two touchdown passes to JJ Buchanan late in the first quarter, the Wolverines did not touch Braeden Jackson on a 99-yard kickoff return. In the end, Michigan had one more shot to make a stop to seal the win and failed. Brown didn’t want to bite when asked if the victory was justice for Western Michigan. “I’m not going to speak on that,” he said after a chuckle.
CHICAGO — The Chicago Bulls have acquired veteran guard Buddy Hield and cash from the Charlotte Hornets for guard Rob Dillingham. Hield, 33, is on the move for the second time in five days. He was traded from Atlanta to Charlotte on Tuesday. Hield played for Golden State and Atlanta last season, averaging 7.6 points in 51 games. He was traded from the Warriors to the Hawks in February. Chicago, which went 31-51 last season, is rebuilding under new leadership. Dillingham, who turns 22 in January, was the No. 8 pick in the 2024 draft. He was traded from Minnesota to Chicago in the Ayo Dosunmu deal in February.
Noskova, Muchova secure Billie Jean Cup for Czechia
SHENZHEN, China — In July they played each other in the Wimbledon final. Now, Linda Noskova and Karolina Muchova have teamed together to win the Billie Jean King Cup for Czechia. The sixth-ranked Noskova and the eighth-ranked Muchova each won their singles matches Sunday as Czechia beat Ukraine 2-0 in the final of the women’s tennis team event. Noskova sealed it by beating the seventh-ranked Elina Svitolina 6-3, 7-6 (5) after Muchova beat 47th-ranked Anhelina Kalinina 6-2, 6-3. On Noskova’s third match point, she hit a big serve and a big forehand that Svitolina could barely get her racket on. Then Noskova dropped on her back as Czech captain Barbora Strycova ran out to celebrate with her.
USC suspends LB Stephens 1 game after dangerous hit
Southern California suspended linebacker Desman Stephens on Sunday for one game for his dangerous late hit on Oregon quarterback Dante Moore and his celebration afterward. Stephens apologized and expressed empathy for Moore and his family in a statement issued by the Trojans. Coach Lincoln Riley condemned Stephens’ actions while announcing the suspension for his starting linebacker, who won’t play when No. 18 USC (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) hosts Washington (31, 0-1) next weekend. Moore, whose hands went up after the hit in what appeared to be an involuntary body posture, eventually left the field on a stretcher and in an ambulance with a neck brace.
Bears QB Bagent clears NFL concussion protocol
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Chicago Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent has cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol, putting him in the mix to play Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Bears announced on Sunday that Bagent has no injury designation for their Week 3 game. Bagent returned to practice on Saturday after he suffered a concussion in last weekend’s 9-3 loss to Minnesota. Bagent entered against the Vikings after Caleb Williams left with a right hamstring injury. Case Keenum or Bagent is expected to start against the Eagles. Neither player has started a regular-season game since 2023.
The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Monday, September 28, 2026 ■ 3B
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Faulk challenges Jaguars to shed inconsistent identity BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer
ASSoCIATEd PRESS PHoTo By WAdE PAynE
Texas quarterback Arch Manning, right, runs against Tennessee on Saturday in Knoxville, Tenn.
Longhorns still deserving of No. 1 ranking — barely There were six ranked matchups and a couple of big upsets this week, so let’s not waste any more keyboard strokes on this flimsy intro. Here’s my AP Top 25 poll after Week 4 of the college football season: 1. Texas, 2. Ohio State, 3. Miami, 4. Koki Georgia, 5. Riley Notre Dame, 6. Indiana, 7. Alabama, 8. Florida, 9. Ole Miss, 10. LSU, 11. BYU, 12. Tennessee, 13. Texas Tech, 14. Houston, 15. Oregon, 16. Mississippi State, 17. Utah, 18. Boise State, 19. Southern Cal, 20. Arizona, 21. Louisville, 22. Oklahoma State, 23. Iowa, 24. Wisconsin, 25. UCLA Just missed: Wake Forest, Duke, SMU and Penn State Newcomers: Oregon, Oklahoma State, Iowa, Wisconsin and UCLA Dropped from last week: Virginia Tech, Texas A&M, SMU, Penn State and Michigan Does Texas still deserve to be at No. 1? Yes, barely. The Longhorns offense was putrid at times on Saturday against Tennessee, and it also struggled the week before against UTSA. Texas couldn’t run the ball again this week, and there’s just something about coach Steve Sarkisian’s offensive system that I just can’t quite shake. But Texas’ overall resume is still too good to ignore. It’s the best in the country, with a win over Ohio State and a road victory this week over the Volunteers, another top 15-caliber team. And unlike Ole Miss (we’ll get to that in a second), the Longhorns haven’t been beaten soundly, either. The results alone were good enough for me to keep the Longhorns at No. 1 over a host of underwhelming candidates vying for the top spot. Ohio State lost to Texas, and its best win is (checks notes) Illinois at home? Miami hasn’t faced a ranked team, even if the Wake Forest win looks shinier now after what the Deacons did this week. Georgia’s schedule has been just as easy as Miami’s, considering what Oklahoma has turned into (a dumpster fire). Meanwhile, Notre Dame has been good but not great against middling Power Four competition, and Indiana struggled to beat its first Big Ten opponent this week, Northwestern.
Florida is here I felt like I was taking crazy pills this season with Florida. The Gators came into the year with a talented defense, one of the top offensive coordinators in the sport and a seemingly potent ground game. And yet, I was on an island when it came to having the Gators as a top-15 team in the country two weeks ago. Granted, I didn’t expect coach Jon Sumrall’s team to pull off a borderline blowout win over an impressive Ole Miss this week, but Florida’s strong start to the year shouldn’t shock anyone. This is a big, mean and physical team that has a realistic shot at making the SEC championship game
and the College Football Playoff. As for Ole Miss, this loss doesn’t mean it’s all over. The LSU win is mighty impressive; the Louisville victory still has some charm to it and, at the end of the day, the Rebels might have the best quarterback in America in Trinidad Chambliss.
Oregon’s leap Few teams have gotten off to a more confusing start than Oregon, which, after losing to Oklahoma State — the same program it beat by 66 points a year ago — and nearly falling to Boise State, took down USC on the road this week with its backup quarterback in for most of the game. Granted, there may not be a better backup quarterback in the country than Dylan Raiola. But Raiola was fabulous in a tough spot following a terrifying injury to Dante Moore, and the Ducks finally tapped into their immense talent against a Trojans team that has the best roster Oregon has faced this year. I admit that moving the Ducks from unranked to No. 15 seems aggressive on the surface. But Oklahoma State moved into my top 25 after beating West Virginia on the road, and Boise State continues to impress after easily taking down Western Michigan. So even with a loss, the Ducks’ schedule and resume have ended up being better/trickier than we thought entering the year.
Other notes Iowa’s big win over Michigan on the road and the Iowa State victory earned the Hawkeyes a spot in my top 25. I wasn’t convinced that quarterback Hank Brown and a defense with a lot of new pieces made Iowa a shoo-in for the rankings at the start of the year. But clearly, I was wrong. I suspect that placing the Hawkeyes at No. 23 is a lot lower than what my colleagues will do, but I just don’t think beating Michigan has the same ring to it as it usually does. The Wolverines barely beat Oklahoma at home and needed a magical second to be added to the clock to beat Western Michigan. Wisconsin snuck into my poll after taking down Penn State in one of the toughest environments in all of college football. The Badgers already have a blowout loss, but they were competitive for half of that game against Notre Dame. UCLA was the last team in my rankings because the Bruins have already earned three comfortable wins over Power 4 teams (two of which were on the road). My just-missed list of teams could’ve been much longer this week. There’s a whole host of programs that I could’ve made some sort of case for — hello undefeated Cincinnati, Nebraska and Virginia Tech. Wake Forest would’ve been ranked if it hadn’t needed double overtime to beat a not-so-good Purdue team in Week 2. Email Koki Riley at koki. riley@theadvocate.com. For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate. com/lsunewsletter
JACKSON, Miss. — Marshall Faulk was asked what he told his team after Southern’s loss to its rival. The first-year coach refrained from sharing details, but he said it wasn’t an understated message. “There’s a lot of things that you can tell them,” Faulk said. “I want to keep what I told them to myself, but it was very spirited. It’s a lot about today, but most importantly, moving forward, how we’re going to move forward.” The Jaguars want to move forward properly and as quickly as possible after a 35-17 loss to Jackson State (4-0, 1-0 SWAC) on Saturday at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. They not only lost to a rival for an eighth straight time but also dropped the SWAC opener. Faulk said he and the players were emotional after the loss and that the team is forming the wrong kind of identity after following each win with a loss. “I just know that we’re better than what we did today, but if we continue to come out and be inconsistent, that becomes who we are,” Faulk said. “And that’s who we are right now.” While the Jaguars didn’t have the result they wanted, they can take away a stronger defensive showing after halftime as a sign of in-game progress. The only score given up in the second half came with 2:45 left in the game after a deflected pass by linebacker Herman Bister was hauled in by Jackson State center Alex Valbuena for a 4-yard touchdown. “I feel like we played with way better intensity,” cornerback Donald Johnson said. “First half was not us.
PHoTo By APRIL BUFFInGTon
Marshall Faulk coaches Southern in a game against Jackson State on Saturday at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson, Miss.
we lost the battle in the middle today.” Southern (2-3, 0-1) also didn’t improve its chances of overcoming a slow start after not forcing any turnovers. It took the ball away three times in last week’s 19-point win over NAIA Louisiana Christian. Southern nearly took the ball away thanks to a fumble forced by defensive end Ckelby Givens. The graduate student made Jackson State quarterback Jared Lockhart lose the handle, but he fell on it after losing his footing. If Southern had gained possession, the offense would have been on the opposing team’s 37-yard line with 9:27 remaining in the fourth quarter, trailing 28-17. “As a defense, we need more turnovers,” Johnson said. “That’s the only way we’re gonna win. So we’re gonna do better in that department.” While Southern’s sluggish defensive start created an early hole after the Jaguars did muster a 27-yard field goal on the first drive, the offense didn’t help in the comeback efforts. Quarterback Christian Johnson said Southern has to be the aggressor against SWAC competition, “hitting them in the mouth” first. When asked if this was an early wake-up call, the Hutchinson Community College transfer said it doesn’t matter because the team still has lofty goals. “Our goal is to win the SWAC,” Johnson said after completing 16 of 29 passes for 153 yards, zero touchdowns and no turnovers. “You gotta be 1-0 every week to do that, so there is no more losing the rest of the season. We’re just gonna come out and do our best to win every week.”
Second half is who we are as a defense, and we just played harder in the second half.” Southern’s defensive growth, however, can’t occur halfway through a game if it wants to win against SWAC contenders like Jackson State, which has appeared in the conference title game four of the past five years. A huge issue for Faulk’s defense was the run defense, as Jackson State’s Nate Blount had nine carries for 111 yards and two touchdowns in the first half alone. The issues with containing the middle of the field started after the Tigers’ run-pass option play for a 70-yard passing touchdown on the first play of their second drive. “They hit us deep a couple of times, and once you do that, then you got to play two safeties high,” Faulk said. “In order to play two safeties high, Email Toyloy Brown III at toyloy. you got to be stout in the middle, and brown@theadvocate.com.
LSU aims to survive barrage of injuries BY JON BLAU Staff writer
LSU’s No. 7 jersey is supposed to be an honor for the program’s top playmakers. But in back-to-back weeks, the number seemingly has been marked for a bite from the dreaded injury bug. Trey’Dez Green, the 6-foot-7 tight end, took a helmet to the knee during a loss at Ole Miss on Sept. 19. He was gimpy Saturday as he strolled the LSU sideline in white sweatpants and his No. 7 jersey, no pads underneath, during a 35-6 win over Texas A&M. In due time, the Tigers’ other No. 7, linebacker Whit Weeks, had a hitch in his step. He went into the locker room on crutches, a walking boot bracing his right leg, after he was rolled up on by a teammate on a third-quarter run play. LSU coach Lane Kiffin told reporters Sunday that Green is expected back this season, and he’ll know Monday morning whether Weeks will return or be out for the year. “Told the staff you gotta earn your paychecks now … because it ain’t like we’re in Week 11,” Kiffin said. “Seven more SEC games to go.” That reminded Kiffin of his frustration with the SEC moving to nine conference games, leaving fewer easy matchups. “Be careful what you
wish for, SEC,” he quipped. There’s a much-needed opportunity for a lighter lift coming this weekend with McNeese State visiting No. 11 LSU (3-1, 1-1 SEC). But can the Tigers’ College Football Playoff hopes survive the rest of October with the injuries piling up?
Deep at LB Weeks is a big loss. He’s a sideline-to-sideline tackler with 23 stops, second-most on the team. He’s also a good blitzer. The silver lining for defensive coordinator Blake Baker is he still has TJ Dottery, his leading tackler with 26. And Davhon Keys is no slouch. Keys, a junior, finished second in the SEC in tackles last season with 92. That’s quite a luxury item as a No. 3 linebacker, and he could be an option if Dottery can slide from middle linebacker to Weeks’ weak-side spot. The only question is who emerges as LSU’s top reserve. CJ Jimcoily has seen some snaps recently, though the 6-3, 220-pounder was filling in more at the hybrid “Star” role with Dashawn Spears out. Charles Ross, who was listed on the depth chart as Weeks’ top backup, suffered an ACL tear on special teams Saturday. Tylen Singleton is next up after him. “I could just say ‘next man up’ every time, but it
matters,” Kiffin said. The linebacker room isn’t like cornerback or defensive end where depth is questionable. Kiffin and Baker should be able to figure something out.
Leaning more on WRs
defense: Kentucky (104th), Mississippi State (114th) and Auburn (109th).
Finding a new ‘Star’ It’s not easy to replace a hybrid safety/linebacker like Spears, but the Tigers were lucky there, too. Ty Benefield, a 6-3, 215-pound safety, just slid into Spears’ spot and collected a season-high seven tackles. He had just four stops coming into the game. The Tigers also took redshirt freshman Jhase Thomas, who was battling Tamarcus Cooley for firststring snaps early in preseason camp, and inserted him at a traditional safety spot. Thomas had three tackles and a pass breakup Saturday. LSU’s back end might be slightly downgraded with Benefield playing closer to the line of scrimmage, but his size and speed as a tackler could weigh in the Tigers’ favor. “Me and Dashawn are very similar, body-wise and play style,” Benefield said. “We’re out there playing fast. So I think (LSU’s coaches) just saw that in me.” The puzzle pieces, even as they’re swapped out, seem to fit for LSU. “It’s really, really challenging,” Kiffin said, “and a lot of people have to step up.”
Heading into the Texas A&M game, LSU and NFL alum Jarvis Landry visited the Tigers. “He was just like, this season and this offense and this team is going to come down to us making plays,” LSU wideout Jackson Harris said. “There’s a standard here. It’s on the wall in the receiver room — Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, all of them. I think we took that to heart.” Without a security blanket in Green, and without a healthy hamstring to scramble on, LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt somehow found a way to have his best passing day yet. Harris, the Hawaii transfer, broke out with six catches for 163 yards and two scores, while Winston Watkins, the Ole Miss transfer, hauled in five receptions for 105 yards. If Harris, Watkins and Eugene Wilson (15 receptions, 153 yards) continue to get open, and Leavitt continues to hang in the pocket to find them, there might be enough there to buy time for Green. LSU’s next three SEC opponents all rank out- Email Jon Blau at jon. side of the top 100 in pass blau@theadvocate.com
Florida leaps in poll after win over Ole Miss BY ERIC OLSON Associated Press
Florida made a massive jump in The Associated Press Top 25 on Sunday and landed in the top 10 ä AP for the first time in five Top 25 years while four new rankings, teams joined the rankings in a major shuffle. PAGE 8B The Gators’ 24-point win over then-No. 4 Ole Miss under first-year coach Jon Sumrall on Saturday earned them a 13-rung promotion to No. 8, their highest ranking since 2020 and first top-10 appearance since 2021. Texas, Georgia and Notre Dame continued to hold the top three spots; Miami was a season-high No. 4; and Ohio State moved up two spots to No. 5. Indiana, Alabama, Florida, Ole Miss and BYU completed the top 10.
The Longhorns received 62 firstplace votes from the media voting panel, four more than last week, after they held off Tennessee 20-17 in their first road game. Georgia, coming off a convincing win over Oklahoma and outscoring opponents by an average of 41.5 points per game, got six first-place votes, double its number last week. Miami and Indiana each received one first-place vote. Mississippi State moved up eight spots to No. 16, its highest ranking in four years, for beating Missouri at home. Oregon was up five spots to No. 15 after winning on the road against Southern California. Houston also moved up five spots to No. 20 after winning at Georgia Southern. Iowa earned its highest ranking
since 2021, at No. 14, for knocking off Michigan on the road on the final play of the game. Seven ranked teams lost in Week 4, and four dropped out of the poll. Penn State took the biggest fall, going from No. 13 to unranked after losing to Wisconsin at home.
Ranked vs. ranked No. 5 Ohio State at No. 14 Iowa: Buckeyes were ranked No. 3 when they last visited Kinnick Stadium, in 2017, and the 55-24 loss killed their playoff hopes. No. 7 Alabama at No. 16 Mississippi State: Crimson Tide has won 16 straight in the series, and most of the games haven’t been close. No. 8 Florida at No. 25 Missouri: Tigers have won past two meetings in Columbia, on a field goal with five seconds left in 2023 and on a two-point conversion pass in overtime in 2021.
4B ■ Monday, September 28, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate
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RAIDERS 35, SAINTS 27
BY THE NUMBERS
SAINTS NOTEBOOK
Las Vegas 35, New Orleans 27 Las Vegas 3 13 6 13 — 35 New Orleans 6 7 14 0 — 27 First Quarter Las—FG Gay 41, 7:35. Drive: 12 plays, 53 yards, 6:32. Key Plays: Cousins 16 pass to Nailor on 3rd-and-3; Cousins 18 pass to Bowers; Cousins 11 pass to Bowers on 3rd-and-3. Las Vegas 3, New Orleans 0. NO—J.Johnson 2 pass from Shough (kick blocked), :50. Drive: 14 plays, 79 yards, 6:45. Key Plays: Price kick return to New Orleans 21; Etienne 2 run on 3rd-and-1; Shough 36 run; Shough 11 pass to Vele on 3rd-and-6; Shough 12 pass to Olave on 3rd-and-11. New Orleans 6, Las Vegas 3. Second Quarter Las—FG Gay 37, 11:27. Drive: 10 plays, 42 yards, 4:23. Key Plays: Washington 7 run on 3rd-and-2; Cousins 18 pass to Mayer. Las Vegas 6, New Orleans 6. Las—Mayer 3 pass from Cousins (Gay kick), 5:49. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 3:45. Key Plays: Cousins 11 pass to Mayer; Cousins 19 pass to Bowers. Las Vegas 13, New Orleans 6. NO—Fant 3 pass from Shough (Carlson kick), 1:54. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 3:52. Key Plays: Price kick return to New Orleans 28; Etienne 4 run on 3rd-and-1; Shough 13 pass to Olave; Shough 16 pass to Olave; Shough 14 pass to J.Johnson. Las Vegas 13, New Orleans 13. Las—FG Gay 25, :00. Drive: 12 plays, 58 yards, 1:54. Key Plays: Cousins 11 pass to Bowers on 3rd-and-8; Cousins 11 pass to Tucker; Cousins 11 pass to Jeanty; Cousins 15 pass to Bowers on 3rd-and-14. Las Vegas 16, New Orleans 13. Third Quarter NO—J.Johnson 1 pass from Shough (Carlson kick), 6:40. Drive: 12 plays, 87 yards, 6:50. Key Plays: Shough 11 pass to Vele; Shough 12 pass to J.Johnson; Shough 17 pass to Vele. New Orleans 20, Las Vegas 16. NO—Fant 16 pass from Shough (Carlson kick), 5:46. Drive: 2 plays, 32 yards, 00:47. Key Play: Etienne 16 run. New Orleans 27, Las Vegas 16. Las—Washington 36 run (pass failed), 3:20. Drive: 6 plays, 71 yards, 2:26. Key Plays: D.Young kick return to Las Vegas 29; Cousins 20 pass to Bowers on 3rd-and-4. New Orleans 27, Las Vegas 22. Fourth Quarter Las—C.White 4 pass from Cousins (pass failed), 9:21. Drive: 6 plays, 55 yards, 3:34. Key Plays: Cousins 22 pass to Jeanty; Cousins 15 pass to Tucker. Las Vegas 28, New Orleans 27. Las—Bowers 4 pass from Cousins (Gay kick), 6:27. Drive: 3 plays, 4 yards, 1:26. Key Play: Masses 35 interception return to New Orleans 4. Las Vegas 35, New Orleans 27.
A—70,006.
Las NO FIRST DOWNS 24 27 Rushing 4 8 Passing 16 18 Penalty 4 1 THIRD DOWN EFF 7-12 9-15 FOURTH DOWN EFF 0-0 0-1 TOTAL NET YARDS 340 381 Total Plays 63 72 Avg Gain 5.4 5.3 NET YARDS RUSHING 113 148 Rushes 27 28 Avg per rush 4.185 5.286 NET YARDS PASSING 227 233 Sacked-Yds lost 3-21 2-22 Gross-Yds passing 248 255 Completed-Att. 22-33 29-42 Had Intercepted 0 1 Yards-Pass Play 6.306 5.295 KICKOFFS-EndZone-TB 7-0-0 5-1-1 PUNTS-Avg. 3-49.0 3-44.0 Punts blocked 0 0 FGs-PATs blocked 0-0 0-1 TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE 131 134 Punt Returns 1-13 1-11 Kickoff Returns 3-83 6-123 Interceptions 1-35 0-0 PENALTIES-Yds 5-19 8-36 FUMBLES-Lost 3-1 4-3 TIME OF POSSESSION 27:32 32:28 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING—Las Vegas, Jeanty 19-56, Washington 5-54, Cousins 3-3. New Orleans, Etienne 13-57, Shough 1-36, Kamara 9-36, K.Miller 4-14, Donaldson 1-5. PASSING—Las Vegas, Cousins 22-33-0-248. New Orleans, Shough 29-42-1-255. RECEIVING—Las Vegas, Bowers 10-116, Tucker 4-43, Jeanty 3-37, Mayer 3-32, Nailor 1-16, White 1-4. New Orleans, Olave 9-107, Johnson 8-53, Fant 4-33, Vele 3-39, Etienne 2-13, K.Miller 2-5, Kamara 1-5. PUNT RETURNS—Las Vegas, Benson 1-13. New Orleans, Price 1-11. KICKOFF RETURNS—Las Vegas, Young 2-55, Laube 1-28. New Orleans, Price 4-83, Moreno-Cropper 1-22, K.Miller 1-18. TACKLES-ASSISTS-SACKS—Las Vegas, Dean 11-1-0, Chinn 7-1-1, T.Johnson 7-1-0, Pola-Mao 5-1-0, Masses 4-2-0, Koonce 3-0-1, Walker 2-6-0, Hemingway 1-2-0, Crosby 1-1-0, Stokes 1-1-0, Butler 0-3-0, Paye 0-3-0. New Orleans, Elliss 4-5-0, Stutsman 4-3-0, Sanker 3-4-0, McKinstry 3-2-0, J.Reid 3-1-0, Godchaux 2-3-0, Boyd 2-1-1, Blackmon 2-1-0, Werner 2-1-0, Young 2-0-2, Granderson 1-3-0, Jennings 1-1-0, Riley 1-1-0, Wooden 1-1-0, Shepherd 0-3-0, Broughton 0-1-0. INTERCEPTIONS—Las Vegas, Masses 1-35. New Orleans, None. MISSED FIELD GOALS—None. OFFICIALS—Referee Adrian Hill, Ump Roy Ellison, HL Danny Short, LJ Julian Mapp, FJ Tra Boger, SJ Glen Fucik, BJ Greg Steed, Replay Bob Hubbell.
STAFF PHoTo By dAVId GRUnFELd
new orleans Saints running back Travis Etienne runs up the middle against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first half on Sunday at the Caesars Superdome. Etienne left the game with a hamstring injury.
Saints lose three key players vs. Raiders BY LUKE JOHNSON AND ROD WALKER Staff writers
Sanker while making a tackle on an 8-yard pass to Tre Tucker down the middle of the field. Werner stayed in the game after that play and finished the drive, but he was clearly in discomfort and flexing his shoulder. Second-year linebacker Danny Stutsman filled in for Werner after the injury. He was involved in one of the more consequential plays of the first half when he was penalized for roughing the passer after drilling Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins to force an errant pass on third-and-4 near the goal line. Referees determined Stutsman drove Cousins into the turf, giving the Raiders a new set of downs. Cousins found tight end — for a 3-yard touchdown on the next play. It isn’t clear when Granderson suffered his injury. The defensive end finished with four tackles.
But, after holding the Raiders to a field goal, the Saints took the ball back and went on a 13-play, 79-yard touchdown drive. They converted all four of their third downs on that drive, including a third-and-goal from the 2-yard line, where quarterback Tyler Shough found tight end Juwan Johnson for a touchdown. New Orleans missed the extra point but took a 6-3 lead. That lead held when the first quarter came to a close, and with it, a particularly ignominious stretch came to a close. It marked the first time in 23 games that the Saints held a lead after the opening quarter. Sunday was Kellen Moore‘s 20th game as head coach and therefore the first time his team held a lead after one quarter. Prior to Sunday’s game, Moore’s Saints teams had been outscored 136-29 in the first quarter.
The New Orleans Saints lost three starters to injuries against the Raiders on Sunday, as running back Travis Etienne (hamstring), linebacker Pete Werner (stinger) and defensive end Carl Granderson (ankle) all exited the game early and did not return in the Saints’ 35-27 loss. Etienne’s injury occurred at the end of his best run of the day, a 16-yard scamper down the right sideline in the third quarter. As Etienne was finishing the run, he reached down and grabbed at his hamstring. He had been battling a hamstring injury throughout the week. It was a disappointing finish to what had been Etienne’s best game in a Saints uniform. He had 70 total yards on 15 touches as the Saints featured him more often Shough scramble than they had the first two weeks, Streak snapped with 57 of those yards coming on New Orleans looked like it was The Saints’ longest run of the the ground. headed for another one of its typi- day came from their quarterback. Werner suffered an injury when cal slow starts when it went threeMidway through the first quarhe collided with teammate Jonas and-out on its opening drive. ter, Shough dropped back to pass
and watched the Raiders vacate a huge swath of grass to his right. Shough took off into the void and gained 36 yards, setting up the Saints’ first touchdown of the game. It wasn’t only the Saints’ longest rush, but it was a new career long for Shough. It eclipsed the 34-yard touchdown run he had as a rookie last season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Shough now has the seventh and eighth longest runs by a quarterback in Saints history. The top six longest runs all belong to Taysom Hill.
Odds and ends Chris Olave led the first pregame Who Dat chant for the home opener. … Former Saints tight end Ben Watson was honored as the team’s “Legend of the Game.” … With rookie return specialist Barion Brown out for the game with a hamstring injury, Jayden Price and Kendre Miller handled kick return duties for the Saints. … Starting safety Justin Reid handled the kicking duties for the opening kick of the second half.
WALKER
Continued from page 1B The late turnovers, though, were the most glaring problem. That included the Shough fumble that looked oh-so similar to the fumble by Detroit’s Jared Goff in the season opener. On that play two weeks ago, the refs ruled that Goff’s arm was moving forward and thus the play was an incompletion, nullifying Chase Young’s sack and a Saints touchdown on a scoop-and-score by Jonas Sanker. On Sunday’s play, the refs determined that Shough lost the ball before his arm was moving forward, making it a fumble. The inconsistency on plays that looked so similar obviously annoyed Saints fans, who let their frustration be heard. But the Saints players were quick to dismiss any notion that the refs cost them this game. They put the blame on themselves. “I’m not blaming the officiating,” defensive tackle Davon Godchaux said. “I’m not blaming Tyler Shough for the fumble. I’m blaming the defense. We are up 27-16. Finish
STAFF PHoTo By BRETT dUKE
new orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough, left, throws the ball as Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Kwity Paye defends on Sunday at the Caesars Superdome. the game. I don’t care who fumbles or who didn’t get a holding call. We blew the game. Point blank. Simple.” He’s right. This loss wasn’t on the guys wear-
ing black and white. Credit to the guys in black and silver, who are actually much better than anyone thought they’d be. Former Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, in his
first season as head coach in Vegas, is undefeated. His Raiders came into the Dome and took this win, much like the Saints did seven days earlier in Baltimore.
“It’s frustrating,” Young said. “We beat ourselves. We’ve got to be better. We will be. I’m not worried.” Young’s thoughts on some of the calls? “I don’t know,” he said.
“A call is a call. You’ve got to live with it. You win some, you lose some. We’ve got another opportunity.” This was just the third game in a 17-game season. So, yes, Young is correct. There are plenty more opportunities to come. But this will be a game the Saints look back on and ask: “How did we let this one slip away?” And it slipped away in the most uncharacteristic way. “As painful as this loss is, as frustrating as this loss is, we can’t let it linger too long,” Moore said. “We were in a position to finish that game, and we didn’t finish it.” The team that was so good at rallying ended up being the team that got rallied on. And just like that, all the momentum the Saints had built leading vanished as quickly as that 11-point lead. The final stats will say the Saints had three fumbles. But that should be four if you include this opportunity that slipped right out of their hands. Email Rod Walker at rwalker@theadvocate. com.
RAIDERS 35, SAINTS 27
The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Monday, September 28, 2026 ■ 5B
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THREE AND OUT: JEFF dUnCAn’S ToP TAKEAWAyS FRoM SAInTS’ dISAPPoInTInG HoME oPEnER
1
FOURTH-QUARTER DISASTER The Saints owned the fourth quarter in their first two games, but everything fell apart for them in the final quarter Sunday against the Raiders, who took advantage of four turnovers to score the game’s final 19 points. The Raiders’ first score came after a controversial strip-sack by Malcolm Koonce on a play that was eerily similar to the one Chase young made against the Lions in the season opener. The Saints had gone nine quarters and an overtime without a giveaway before Sunday’s fourth quarter.
2
SHOUGH HUMMING EARLY The final quarter overshadowed what could have been a career day for second-year quarterback Tyler Shough. He threw a career-high four touchdown passes and finished 29 of 42 for 255 yards. during one stretch from the end of the second quarter to early in the fourth quarter, Shough completed 10 consecutive passes for 84 yards and three touchdowns. He also had a 36-yard run, which was the Saints’ longest offensive play of the game. The officiating was confusing again, but Shough played well for three quarters.
3
TOO MUCH BOWERS Playing in his first game of the season, Raiders tight end Brock Bowers caught 10 passes for 116 yards and a Td. The Saints had no one who could cover him, even lockdown cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry. Bowers proved to be too good. Bowers wasn’t the only tight end involved. Raiders coach Klint Kubiak’s game plan focused on feeding the ball to Bowers and Michael Mayer. The duo carried the offense in the first half, combining to catch 10 passes for 119 yards and a touchdown in the first 30 minutes.
Magic disappears
Saints’ fourth-quarter Houdini act doesn’t translate to Superdome Staff writer
SAINTS
Continued from page 1B Ravens. “It’s a long season,” Shough said. “There’s a lot of good stuff to watch on film. A lot of stuff that we can learn from. Finishing strong in that game is really one of those things, and that starts with myself protecting the ball. It starts with all of us.” Shough is right about the length of the season. But beating the Raiders (3-0) would have further added to the excitement that had been building around the Saints. Sunday’s atmosphere, too, fed into that idea. When Chris Olave did the Who Dat chant before kickoff, the crowd’s echo reverberated throughout the Superdome. The last time the Saints went into a game with as much hype as Sunday was 2024, when the 2-0 Saints put up back-to-back 40-point performances when Klint Kubiak, now coaching the Raiders, served as the New Orleans play-caller. But what was surprising about Sunday was how the Saints unraveled in the final minutes.
Sept. 13
L
31-30
Sept. 20
W
24-17
Sept. 27
L
35-27
oct. 5
BY LUKE JOHNSON Humility came for a New Orleans Saints team that spent the first two weeks of the season showing its mettle in the fourth quarter. New Orleans found itself on the wrong side of that wave in its 35-27 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday in the Caesars Superdome. With a raucous crowd at their back, the Saints wilted in the biggest moments as they fell to 1-2 on the season. Quarterback Tyler Shough has dazzled throughout his short career in these lategame situations, but Sunday he found himself in a position he has not had to be in for much of his pro career — protecting a lead late in the game. When Shough fired his fourth touchdown pass of the game with 5:46 remaining in the third quarter, New Orleans led 27-16. By the time Juwan Johnson fumbled near his own sideline late in the fourth quarter, the Saints had seen four consecutive possessions end in turnovers, a disastrous finish that allowed the Raiders to end the game with 19 unanswered points. There was plenty of blame to go around — including some for the game officials — but the only direction for the finger to point after the game is at the four turnovers. “We’ve just got to be better towards the end,” Shough said. “We had opportunities all the way towards the end. We feel very comfortable in those moments, and we’re just a couple plays away.” Shough had put the Saints in position to win comfortably with a brilliant third quarter. He put the Saints in front with a 1-yard touchdown pass on third-and-goal, and then the Saints immediately took the ball away on the ensuing kickoff, which led to a 16-yard touchdown pass to Noah Fant. Shough completed 11 of 15 third-quarter passes for 103 yards and the two scores.
RESULTS
Falcons 7:15 p.m.
oct. 11 Vikings noon
oct. 18 at Giants noon
oct. 25 Steelers 8:30 a.m.
nov. 8 Browns noon
STAFF PHoTo By BRETT dUKE
Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, left, recovers a fumble against the Saints on Sunday at the Caesars Superdome. He appeared to be doing it again in the fourth quarter when the game flipped on a controversial play. Backup left tackle Asim Richards was quickly beaten by Raiders edge rusher Malcolm Koonce, who arrived just as Shough was cocking his arm back to throw on a third-and-4 from the Raiders 29. Shough lost control of the ball, and a replay review deemed he lost control before his arm moved forward — a point the replay official said made it different than the infamous “intent to throw” play from Week 1 that cost the Saints a defensive touchdown. Las Vegas took over and took the lead on a Kirk Cousins’ touchdown pass.
“I thought I threw it,” Shough said. “Me personally, I thought my arm was going forward. I got to get it out sooner, regardless.” Three plays into the next Saints drive on another third down, Richards was driven back into Shough as he was stepping into his pass. The contact caused the pass to float well off target, and Raiders defensive back Hezekiah Masses picked it off and returned it deep into Saints’ territory. On that play, Shough took the blame. “I’ve got to just eat it there — take the sack or run,” Shough said. “... It just kind of sucks. It happens that way where the ball gets floated in the air like that. So I’ve got to be better
there as far as just protecting it in those situations, especially on that side of the field.” Again, the Raiders quickly scored to put the Saints down by eight. They still had two more cracks at it but could make neither one count. New Orleans pushed the ball deep into Las Vegas territory again, advancing to the 20-yard line. But when Alvin Kamara was stuffed on a thirdand-1 play, New Orleans kept the offense on the field. Shough saw the Raiders lined up in a Cover 0 look and audibled to one of their plays designed to beat that coverage. Las Vegas was ready, though, bracketing Chris Olave on his short comeback route. Nobody else was open, and Shough lost
control of the ball as he was attempting to spin out of a sack. Chase Young gifted the offense one more shot with a third-down sack of Cousins, giving New Orleans the ball back with a little less than two minutes left. But Johnson had the ball punched out of his hands on a short completion, and the comeback never materialized. “They made plays,” coach Kellen Moore said. “Obviously a lot of them came in critical downs, critical situations. We weren’t able to get those downs done. You know, credit those guys who made plays, and we weren’t able to.” Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.
nov. 15 Panthers noon
nov. 22 at Bears noon
nov. 29 at Bengals noon
dec. 6 Packers noon
Moore and several play- peared to take control of the ers, including Shough, said contest. New Orleans surged the fumble call didn’t affect to a 27-16 lead in the third them for the rest of the game. quarter and found success And to be fair, Shough and the in several areas. The Saints’ offense moved the ball in the offense had been humming, final minutes. But unlike be- fueled by Shough’s connecfore, when Shough so often tion to his tight ends. Johnson thrived in the fourth quarter, and Noah Fant each had two they committed a series of touchdowns, with Fant’s 16yard strike giving them the uncharacteristic mistakes. Shough said he should have double-digit lead. The Saints even looked just taken a sack on his inlike they had terception. But instead, he “You can’t really do that fixed some of their flaws. short-armed and expect to win the New Orleans a throw as he game.” not only got was hit, which CHRIS oLAVE, the run game allowed Hezegoing — 148 kiah Masses Saints wide receiver yards on 28 to pick off the on the four late turnovers attempts — quarterback but the black for a 35-yard and gold finally held a firstreturn. The next two fumbles quarter lead. That snapped a 23-game weren’t smooth plays, either. Shough’s second fumble was streak, and the Saints scored seemingly out of desperation their first first-quarter touchafter he was already stuffed down since Week 14 of last on fourth-and-1, while John- season. But progress is not linear son coughed up the football when he was tackled in open in the NFL. And new issues emerged, despite the correcspace after a 2-yard catch. “You can’t really do that tions. Glaringly, the Saints aland expect to win the game,” Olave said of the four turn- lowed the Raiders to score on seven of their first 10 drives. overs. The mistakes overshad- New Orleans was routinely owed how the Saints had ap- diced by quarterback Kirk
Cousins (248 yards, three touchdowns) and tight end Brock Bowers (10 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown). Rookie running back Mike Washington ripped off a 35yard touchdown in the third quarter, cracking the door open for Las Vegas’ comeback. The Saints defense didn’t help itself as penalties plagued the unit. On Las Vegas’ first touchdown drive, the Saints seemed to force two third-down stops — only for Jonas Sanker (pass interference) and Danny Stutsman (unnecessary roughness) to get flagged, giving Las Vegas new life. Moore, in particular, appeared to very much disagree with the call on Stutsman, who hit Cousins clean but likely drew the flag for driving the quarterback into the ground. Asked about the penalty, Moore’s frustration crept through. “I don’t know,” the coach said. “I mean, there’s just no flow to that game.” The lack of flow included Shough’s controversial fumble. Moore said he didn’t get a full explanation of the play. Speaking to a pool reporter after the game, NFL vice
president of instant replay Mark Butterworth said replay showed Shough’s arm was not moving forward before the fumble so the initial call on the field was confirmed. Did the league see a difference between that play and Goff’s incompletion? “All we are looking for is the hand coming forward with control to make it an incomplete pass,” Butterworth said. “In the play that happened today, the hand was not coming forward with control of the ball.” Butterworth’s explanation marks the third straight game in which the league office has had to chime in on a Saints game. Last week went in New Orleans’ favor. This week did not. But the Saints can’t afford to dwell on any what-ifs. The NFL doesn’t work like that. “Me personally, I thought my arm was going forward,” Shough said. “I’m not exactly sure on the rule. It doesn’t really matter to me. I’ve got to get it out sooner, regardless.” Email Matthew Paras at matt.paras@theadvocate. com
dec. 13 at Panthers TBd
dec. 20 at Buccaneers 7:15 p.m.
dec. 27 Arizona noon
Jan. 3 Falcons TBd
TBd Buccaneers TBd
6B ■ Monday, September 28, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate
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NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE NFL ROUNDUP
GAME OF THE WEEK
Steelers, QB Rodgers edge out Bengals, QB Burrow BY WILL GRAVES AP sportswriter
ASSoCIATEd PRESS PHoTo By nICK WASS
Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota, left, is tackled by Seattle Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones during a game on Sunday in Landover, Md.
Commanders snap Seattle’s winning streak The Associated Press LANDOVER, Md. — Marcus Mariota threw three touchdown passes, and Kain Medrano returned an interception 50 yards for a touchdown to help the Washington Commanders hand Seattle its first loss since November, 33-31 on Sunday. The Seahawks (2-1) had won 12 straight, including their postseason run to last season’s Super Bowl title, but Mariota was solid in place of the injured Jayden Daniels, and three crucial turnovers enabled Washington (1-2) to win its home opener. Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught 10 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns for the Seahawks, and he even completed a short throw on a trick play in the final quarter, but Sam Darnold was intercepted twice in his return from his Week 1 glute injury. After Washington had taken a 27-24 lead, Medrano picked off Darnold’s pass over the middle and ran it back all the way to put the Commanders two scores ahead with 3:57 to play. However, a penalty during the celebration moved the extra point back 15 yards, and Drew Stevens missed it. Darnold immediately found Smith-Njigba for three straight completions, and his 7-yard scoring pass to Cooper Kupp cut the lead to two with 2:51 to go. Washington, which was 1 for 11 on third down to that point, converted two on the final drive to run out the clock. Rachaad White caught the Seahawks off guard on a third-and-9 run, going 19 yards around right end. Then Mariota ran for 9 yards on thirdand-7 to seal the win. Seattle’s Jadarian Price fumbled early in the game, giving Washington the ball at the Seattle 21, and then the rookie running back didn’t touch the ball again until the second half. The Commanders took advantage of the short field, opening the scoring on Mariota’s 6-yard touchdown pass to White. Washington nearly took a 14-0 lead, but Jacory Croskey-Merritt’s long TD run was called back for an illegal formation penalty. Seattle tied it at 7 in the second quarter on Darnold’s 1-yard scoring pass to Smith-Njigba. COLTS 19, TEXANS 17: In Indiannapolis, Spencer Shrader fought through a groin injury to make four field goals, including a 43-yarder with 16 seconds to go, and the Indianapolis Colts’ beleaguered defense barely held up long enough to close out a victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday. The Colts (1-2) snapped a ninegame losing streak, the longest active skid in the NFL, and won its first game since Nov. 2 at Berlin. It was the Colts’ first victory
on American soil since Oct. 26. BILLS 24, CHARGERS 16: In Orchard Park, New York, Josh Allen scored two touchdowns rushing and the Buffalo Bills overcame a five-turnover outing to pull out a victory over the winless Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. Allen’s second score, a 1-yard plunge with 7:35 left, gave Buffalo its first lead. The Bills then sealed the win on James Cook’s 3-yard run four minutes later, and after Buffalo’s defense forced Justin Herbert’s incompletion on fourth down at the Chargers 45. Buffalo improved to 3-0 despite Allen’s two interceptions and lost fumble. BROWNS 21, PANTHERS 18: In Cleveland, Deshaun Watson threw two touchdown passes to Harold Fannin, including a 14-yard strike with 1:48 remaining, and the Cleveland Browns rallied for a victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. The Panthers went in front 18-13 with 4:25 remaining when John Metchie hauled in an 8-yard touchdown pass from Bryce Young. But the Browns (2-1) went 65 yards in eight plays for their second straight comeback win. LIONS 31, JETS 24: In Detroit, Jahmyr Gibbs and the Detroit Lions held on to beat the New York Jets on Sunday. The Lions (2-1) leaned on their dynamic running back a lot — on the ground and through the air — and he delivered another fantastic performance. The Jets (1-2) overcame a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter with Geno Smith’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Ruckert, a 23-yard TD throw to Garrett Wilson and a 2-point conversion pass to Sterling Shepard to make it 24-all. CHIEFS 24, DOLPHINS 10: In Miami Gardens, Florida, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs beat the Miami Dolphins. Kenneth Walker had a touchdown catch and rushed for a score, and Mahomes threw for 246 yards and two TDs to help the Chiefs. The Chiefs entered averaging more than 450 yards and 32 points but struggled to pull away from the winless Dolphins, who were missing arguably their best player for much of the game after Pro Bowler De’Von Achane left with a knee injury on the opening drive. JAGUARS 35, PATRIOTS 6: In Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw three touchdown passes, including one on which Parker Washington made a fingertip catch in the end zone, and the Jaguars bounced back from their worst offensive performance in nearly a year to dominate New England on Sunday. The Jaguars (2-1) won their
sixth consecutive regular-season home game and raised more questions about Drake Maye’s regression with the Patriots. Maye fumbled twice, losing one, and threw two more interceptions before getting pulled in the fourth quarter. He threw 31 touchdowns and eight picks last season for the AFC champion Patriots (1-2). GIANTS 12, TITANS 7: In East Rutherford, New Jersey, playing their first game without quarterback Jaxson Dart, the New York Giants (2-1) got just enough from replacement Jameis Winston on offense and another big play from safety Jevon Holland to win an ugly football game against the Titans on Sunday. The Titans (0-3) narrowly avoided becoming the first NFL team in eight years to not pick up a first down before halftime. The offense run by former Giants coach Brian Daboll was held off the scoreboard until Cam Ward connected with Wan’Dale Robinson for the game’s only touchdown with 5:35 left. 49ERS 36, CARDINALS 30: In Santa Clara, California, Brock Purdy threw four touchdown passes, with the first coming on a trick play, and the injury-depleted San Francisco 49ers held on for a victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. The game began well for the Niners before the injuries started mounting and they found themselves in a tight game against the Cardinals (1-2), who have lost 22 of their last 26 games in the division. VIKINGS 23, BUCCANEERS 16: In Tampa, Florida, Myles Price returned a punt 86 yards for a score, Kyler Murray threw a 41yard TD pass to Jordan Addison and the Minnesota Vikings beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. The Vikings are 3-0 for the second time in three years. The Buccaneers are 0-3 for the first time since 2014, when they finished 2-14 and got the No. 1 overall draft pick, taking Jameis Winston. RAVENS 34, COWBOYS 31: In Rio de Janeiro, Lamar Jackson completed a 27-yard pass to Zay Flowers and alertly called a timeout with 1 second left, setting up Tyler Loop’s 56-yard field goal to cap a stunning 7-second drive that gave the Baltimore Ravens a victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in Brazil. Ravens (2-1) cornerback Nate Wiggins was called for pass interference with 23 seconds left when his arms locked with CeeDee Lamb, giving the Cowboys (1-2) the ball at the Ravens 2. After an incomplete pass, the Cowboys were called for a false start, which backed them up to the 7. Dallas settled for Brandon Aubrey’s 23-yard field goal to tie it at 31 with 7 seconds left.
PITTSBURGH — Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers have been around each other a long time. So much so that when the Pittsburgh Steelers coach told Rodgers and the rest of the offense it was time to “cut it loose” before Sunday’s early-season litmus test against Cincinnati, it didn’t really register with the quarterback he’s known for 20 years. “I feel like he says that every week,” Rodgers said, then added with a laugh, “It’s not like, ‘Hey, this week ...’ ” The message was not new. The results were another matter. Rodgers bounced back from a nightmarish performance in a dismal loss to New England by throwing for 292 yards and three touchdowns to outduel Joe Burrow as the Steelers pulled out a 30-27 thriller. “I think resilience is critical to any, any type of success, whether it’s playing one division game (or) overcoming a loss last week,” McCarthy said. Pittsburgh (2-1) did both by showcasing the kind of explosiveness Rodgers has said was possible if everyone just settled down and did their jobs. Rodgers completed 19 of 34 passes, including a 47-yard catchand-run to massive tight end Darnell Washington that helped set up Chris Boswell’s go-ahead, 33-yard field goal with 2:18 remaining. The Steelers (2-1) rolled up 411 yards on a revamped Cincinnati defense that had fueled the Bengals’ promising start. Jaylen War-
ren, dealing with a shoulder injury that limited him in practice, had 176 total yards (127 rushing, 49 receiving), numbers that could have been a little bit higher if he hadn’t tripped over his own feet while running free inside the Cincinnati 10 in the late going. Cincinnati made its way into Steelers territory in the final minute and was on the fringe of kicker Evan McPherson’s range when Steelers defensive lineman Derrick Harmon crashed into Burrow. The ball squirted free, and Pittsburgh’s Sebastian Joseph-Day fell on it to spoil the Bengals’ chances at the franchise’s first 3-0 start since 2015. “Trying to take a shot at the end zone, trying not to take the sack, trying to get the ball out, (and I) fumbled it,” Burrow said. Cincinnati backed up Pittsburgh deep in its territory late in the fourth, but the Steelers responded even after a run of 80-plus yards by Warren was wiped out by a holding penalty on Metcalf. Rodgers, playing behind a newlook offensive line that included rookie first-round pick Max Iheanachor at right tackle, guided the Steelers 77 yards anyway. Boswell’s winner helped Pittsburgh improve to 10-2 in its last 12 games following a loss of 15 points or more. The 42-year-old four-time MVP insisted it was not time to panic. Iheanachor’s promotion added a dose of physicality on the line, and Pittsburgh was dynamic. Rodgers hit nine receivers and Warren cut loose for field-flipping runs that were hard to come by during the opening two weeks.
ASSoCIATEd PRESS PHoTo By GEnE J. PUSKAR
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, left, throws as he is tackled by Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, right, during a game in Pittsburgh on Sunday.
Eagles look to add to perfect start by stopping the Bears BY JAY COHEN AP sportswriter
CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears made a memorable trip to Philadelphia in November, rushing for 281 yards in an impressive 24-15 victory over the Eagles. Philadelphia is hoping to return the favor on Monday night, when it visits Chicago in search of a second straight road win. It would be difficult to play it any worse than they did in their matchup last season. D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai both went over 100 yards rushing as Chicago possessed the ball for almost 40 minutes in its fifth consecutive victory — a streak that helped propel the Bears to the NFC North title. Philadelphia gained just 87 yards on the ground in the loss. Swift and Monangai led the way again as Chicago rushed for 291 yards in this year’s season opener at Carolina on Sept. 13. But the Bears’ ground game was held in check during Sunday’s 9-3 loss to Minnesota, finishing with 134 yards on 31 attempts. Chicago has an uncertain situation at quarterback with Caleb Williams dealing with a right hamstring injury and Tyson Bagent in the concussion protocol. But Fangio doesn’t think it will have much of an effect on the Bears’ rushing scheme. “They’re an under-center offense a good bit, so it’s not like it’s a lot of gun zone-read, QB-generated runs,” Fangio said. “They’re under center, handing it off. They do a great job of blocking.” Philadelphia is coming off a dramatic 24-20 victory at Tennessee. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to
ä Philadelphia at Chicago. 7:15 P.M. MondAy, ABC.
Darius Cooper with 9 seconds left. If Williams and Bagent are unable to play, Case Keenum is expected to start for Chicago. The 38-year-old Keenum has made 66 starts in 80 career games, but he hasn’t thrown a pass in a regular-season game since Dec. 24, 2023, for Houston against Cleveland.
Matchup to watch Eagles DT Jordan Davis vs. Bears C Garrett Bradbury. Listed at 6-foot6 and 336 pounds, the 26-year-old Davis presents a sizeable challenge for Bradbury and the rest of Chicago’s interior offensive line. The Eagles also have Jalen Carter and Moro Ojomo up front on defense. Bradbury was acquired in an offseason trade with New England. He was flagged four times in the loss to the Vikings, two for holding and two for false starts.
Stats and stuff Philadelphia is 2-0 for the fourth time under coach Nick Sirianni. The Eagles won their first eight games in 2022 and their first five in 2023. They got off to a 4-0 start last season. The Eagles lead the NFL with a .705 (31-13) road winning percentage since the 2021 season. Bears wide receiver Kalif Raymond leads the team with 13 catches through two games. He has six third-down receptions that have gone for first downs. Bears tight end Colston Loveland has one catch for 3 yards so far this year. He had a team-high 58 receptions for 713 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie last season.
The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Monday, September 28, 2026 ■ 7B
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Americans rally to retain Presidents Cup BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer
MEDINAH, Ill. — The deficit was larger than anything the Americans had ever experienced at home in the Presidents Cup. The celebration Sunday afternoon? That was all too familiar, even the part where President Donald Trump stuck around for the trophy presentation. The U.S. players — from world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler to 21-year-old rookie Jackson Koivun — passed the gold cup down the line, which was only fitting. Everyone had a hand in the latest comeback at Medinah, where the Americans delivered the most lopsided singles session in Presidents Cup history. They won nine of the 12 matches and halved the other for a 17-13 victory, their 11th in a row against the hard-luck Internationals. U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker went from blaming himself for the three-point deficit to choking back emotions as his team set the tone early and rode momentum and a raucous Chicago gallery late that left them believing again they can succeed in team golf. The real proof comes a year from now in Ireland for the Ryder Cup. For now, the Americans redeemed themselves in a competition they have lost only once since these matches began in 1994. “Is it a record in singles? That doesn’t happen unless you have a special group of guys, and we do,” Snedeker said. “I’m really proud of how they came together.” It was a crushing blow to Geoff Ogilvy and his International team, which outplayed the Americans in team matches over three days, taking the lead for only the fourth time in the Presidents Cup, and the first time on American soil. Five matches were on the course
ASSoCIATEd PRESS PHoTo By CHRIS CARLSon
President donald Trump hands the Presidents Cup trophy to captain Brandt Snedeker after the final round against the International team at Medinah Country Club on Sunday in Medinah, Ill. — the U.S. were 1-up in three, the other two were halved — and the Internationals need to find three points to win the cup. The Americans simply didn’t budge. “It just felt like it was sort of right on a knife edge for a massive part of the day,” Ogilvy said. “If you hole a couple of putts at the right time and get a bit more yellow on the board at the right time, the momentum, and the crowd sort of stays out of it a little bit. “Just sort of started drifting away for us in the last few hours.” The Americans, outplayed down the stretch all week on the No. 3 course at Medinah and Ogilvy’s architecture company redesign,
flipped two key matches on the back nine. Collin Morikawa beat Hideki Matsuyama, and Koivun went from 2 down after 10 holes to a 2-up victory over Si Woo Kim. Trump, the honorary chairman of the Presidents Cup, was on the first tee for the start of the 12 singles matches and was there for the trophy presentation, as he was at Liberty National in 2017 during his first term. That was an American blowout. This one was tight, and yet it still felt inevitable, nothing like the Ryder Cup at Medinah in 2012 when Europe rallied from a 10-6 deficit to win on the road. The Americans rallied behind
endless and boisterous cheers, some of which went a little too far. Someone yelled in the backswing of Nico Echavarria, causing him to drop the driver as his ball sailed to the right. Scheffler barked at the fan, and after missing a birdie putt, he conceded a 30-foot par to the Colombian in a show of sportsmanship. Scheffler went on to win. So did Cameron Young and Justin Thomas and Chris Gotterup in the early part of the lineup as the deficit shrunk and soon turned into another comfortable victory. “I told the guys last night that funny stuff happens here. Medinah has a history of funny things hap-
pening,” said Snedeker, who was on that losing Ryder Cup team in 2012. “Sure enough, they went out and played their (tails) off today. I’m so damn proud of those guys.” That group included Koivun, who just over a year ago was on the winning Walker Cup team for amateurs. Just four months ago, he helped Auburn to an NCAA golf title. And there he was Sunday, turning a loss into a point and hitting clutch shots at the end. Koivun was 2 down through 10 holes to the Kim when he won three straight holes to flip the color to American red on the board. The kid drilled his tee shot on the 18th, and twirled his iron when he knew the approach was pure. He wound up with a 2-up victory, and then it was a matter of time. “The kid is special. He’s different,” Snedeker said. “You saw that for a 21-year-old kid to stand up there and hit those last two balls like he did. Not many people like that.” The clinching point came from Jacob Bridgeman, another Presidents Cup rookie. Patrick Cantlay had another moment, as he always seem to do in these events, holing a birdie putt from just inside 60 feet on the par-3 16th against Adam Scott, who now has played 12 times in this competition without ever being on the winning side. “Look, it’s a very difficult thing to beat the U.S. in singles in the U.S.,” Ogilvy said. “They’re great players, and the crowd came out for them. They get a bit of red on the board, and the noise gets loud. They started the day with a lot to do and they all played great.” All the Internationals can do is regroup and try again at Kingston Heath in Australia is two years. Their only victory was at Royal Melbourne in 1998, and there was a tie in South Africa in 2003.
Larson passes Briscoe Howard, Reese help Dream rally with 7 laps left to win from 11-point deficit, beat Mystics at Kansas Speedway WNBA PLAYOFF ROUNDUP
The Associated Press
COLLEGE PARK, Ga. — Rhyne Howard had 26 points and five steals, Angel Reese added 13 points and 12 rebounds in her first career playoff game, and the Atlanta Dream beat the Washington Mystics 92-77 Sunday night in Game 1 of their first-round series. Game 2 of the series is Wednesday in Washington. The No. 5 seed Mystics committed 22 turnovers which Atlanta converted into 27 points. The Dream set the franchise’s playoff record with 16 steals, two shy on the WNBA mark of 18 held by Indiana from 2009. Allisha Gray scored 22 points and Jordin Canada had 10 points and 11 assists for the fourth-seeded Dream. Howard was 7-of-18 shooting but hit 10 of 10 from the freethrow line and Reese made just 4 of 15 from the field. Sonia Citron led the Mystics with 25 points. Kiki Iriafen had 15 points and 14 rebounds — nine on the offensive end — and Shakira Austin added 12 points and 16 rebounds. Canada made a layup that trimmed Atlanta’s deficit to 4136 at halftime and Gray capped a 7-0 spurt to open the third with a 3-pointer that gave the Dream their first lead since the opening minute. DeWanna Bonner scored 11 of her 13 points in 18-5 run that made it 61-48 with 2:29 left until the fourth and the Mystics trailed by at least seven the rest of the way. Howard made a 3-pointer that opened the scoring 22 seconds into the game but Iriafen scored four points and Georgia Amoore hit from behind the arc as Washington answered with an 8-0 run. The Mystics are making their first playoff appearance since they won the 2019 WNBA championship. LIBERTY 91, LYNX 75: In Minneapolis, Breanna Stewart produced yet another clutch performance in the WNBA playoffs with 34 points and 12 rebounds for the New York Liberty in a victory over the topseeded Minnesota Lynx to open their best-of-three first-round series on Sunday. Stewart, the two-time league MVP, added six assists, two steals and two blocks. She shot 11 for 18 from the floor with her friend and former college teammate Napheesa Collier, the 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, guarding her most of the afternoon.
BY DAVE SKRETTTA AP sportswriter
ASSoCIATEd PRESS PHoTo By CoLIn HUBBARd
Atlanta dream forward Angel Reese, left, gets blocked by Washington Mystics center Lauren Betts, right, during the first half in Game 1 of a first-round playoff series on Sunday in Atlanta. Stewart, who recently helped the U.S. national team win a fifth consecutive World Cup, has the second-highest postseason scoring average by any player in league history. She was two short of the franchise record for points in a playoff game, as the Liberty went 13 for 25 from 3-point range. With center Jonquel Jones (eight points) playing through an ankle injury, the Liberty were more than happy to fire away from the outside. Leonie Fiebich went 4 for 5 from deep and had 16 points. Nia Brodie led the Lynx with 16 points in 19 minutes off the bench and Kayla McBride had 14 points after missing her first five 3-point attempts. Collier and All-Star center Natasha Howard each fouled out, and star rookie Olivia Miles had a quiet postseason debut with 11 points on 3-for-12 shooting and just one assist. The Liberty were as tough of an opponent as a team with the league’s best regular season record could face, finishing 26-18 and just two years removed from their first WNBA championship that came at the expense of the Lynx in a dramatic final that went the full five games. ACES 102, FEVER 85: In Las Vegas, A’ja Wilson played like someone who has multiple MVP awards, and the Las Vegas Aces looked like a team that has won three of the past four WNBA championships. Wilson had 38 points, 16 re-
bounds and four blocked shots Sunday, and the Aces rolled to a Game 1 victory over the Indiana Fever in the first round of the WNBA playoffs. Wilson was named the Associated Press WNBA Player of the Year earlier in the day for an unprecedented third year in a row, and the third-seeded Aces looked every bit like the team that has won three of the past four championships. Wilson’s scoring total matched a personal career postseason high, and she was 15 of 19. Caitlin Clark and Indiana, which is seeded sixth, will get a chance to even the series on its court when the teams meet Tuesday night and force a Game 3 in Las Vegas. A loss ends the Fever’s season and sends the defending champion Aces on to the semifinals. It wasn’t all Wilson for the Aces, who also received strong contributions from Jackie Young (21 points, 10 assists), Gray (14 points, eight assists) and Jewell Loyd (10 points). Gray now has 397 career playoff assists to pass Courtney Vandersloot (390) for second place in playoff history. Aliyah Boston finished with 18 points and eight rebounds for the Fever, despite being hampered by a lower leg injury. Clark had 15 points and 10 assists, and Kelsey Mitchell, who put together a record 27-game streak with at least 20 points, scored 12 points on 4-of16 shooting.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Kyle Larson has always found it easier to be the hunter than the hunted. He won’t have much choice in the matter now. The defending NASCAR Cup Series champion capped a dominant performance at Kansas Speedway on Sunday by passing Chase Briscoe with seven laps left and leading the rest of the way, leaving Larson to wheel his No. 5 Chevrolet into victory lane for a record-tying fourth time at the mile-and-a-half oval and with a padded lead in the Chase for the championship standings. Larson won each of the first two stages and broke his own record by leading 235 laps, allowing him to turn the slimmest of leads — a single point over Denny Hamlin at the start of the day — into a 26-point advantage heading to Las Vegas next weekend. “Such a good day,” Larson said. “I was going to be happy with second how the race went, but to get the lead, that’s a big deal.” Briscoe chased down Larson throughout the final stage, finally getting around him with 30 laps to go. But after briefly pulling away, the No. 19 Toyota began to get loose, and Briscoe brushed the wall. Larson closed in on the lead again, made a move on the low side and powered away, taking the checkered flag for the second time in three races. He also won at St. Louis, a victory that had ended a maddening 51-race winless drought. “I think it’s easier to be the hunter than the hunted,” Larson said. “With me out front, I’m just defending, trying to guess on what the fast lines are, and when he got in front of me he started getting really loose.” So loose that Briscoe drifted all the way back to fourth. Austin Cindric wound up second and Hamlin finished third. Cindric spent much of the day stalking Larson but was never able to get his No. 2 Ford around him. He might have been the fastest car on the track at the end, too, but Cindric was too far back to mount a challenge for the victory. “I wish I would have had at least a shot at it. I thought we could join the fun at least,” Cindric said, “but proud of the effort.” It was a similar story — and a bittersweet day — for Hamlin, whose strong third-place run nevertheless cost him in the points race. The revamped Chase format offers a big reward for wins, and Larson was the
one doing a celebratory burnout at the end. “Just didn’t quite have it today,” Hamlin said. “We could be really good in the long run. In the short run, the 5 was really good. The 2 was good. And we just couldn’t quite hold those guys off, or keep them close enough in the short run.” Persistent rain earlier in the weekend washed out practice and qualifying, leaving the starting lineup to be set by a combination of last week’s results at Bristol and owner points. That left Larson in the enviable spot of starting alongside Joey Logano on the front row, and the fortunate position of having had so much success at Kansas that missing out on practice really didn’t matter. Larson’s fourth win tied Hamlin’s record for the track, and he’s been first or second in seven of the past 11 races there. “I feel like if we can just click it, we’re the most comfortable on these (mile-and-a-half tracks),” Larson said. “Man, what a day. I thought we’d have a good shot. I didn’t think we’d have a max points-type day, so I’m just thrilled.”
Hocevar in middle of another yellow One week after Carson Hocevar’s bump sent Ryan Blaney into the wall at Bristol, leading to a pitroad fracas, the driver of the No. 77 Chevrolet was involved in another caution. This time, after running near the front through the opening stage, Hocevar appeared to get bumped from behind on a restart, sending him into Bubba Wallace in a spin that collected several other cars. Hocevar wound up finishing 33rd. Blaney started 25th due to the qualifying rainout and finished fifth.
Legacy Motor Club locks up Jones The team co-owned by Jimmie Johnson announced the signing of Erik Jones to a multiyear extension to continue driving the No. 43 Toyota. The move provides some stability to Legacy Motor Club, which is replacing John Hunter Nemechek with Josh Berry in the No. 42 next season, and will have Riley Herbst driving the No. 84 that Johnson had driven in select races.
Up next The NASCAR Cup Series continues its stretch of three straight races on 1.5-mile ovals with Las Vegas next Sunday. Hamlin won the race there in March, when he overcame a pit-road speeding penalty to pick up his first win of the season.
8B ■ Monday, September 28, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate
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SCOREBOARD Odds Sports Betting Line NFL Monday
FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG Philadelphia 1½ 3½ (41½) at CHICAGO
College Football Thursday
FAVORITE at NMSU at TULSA
Friday
OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG 1½ 1½ (52½) W. Kent 3½ 2½ (57½) North Texas
FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG Liberty 6½ 7 (49½) at DEL at VA TECH 5½ 4½ (52½) Pittsburgh Penn State 7 3 (47½) at NWSTRN
Saturday
FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG Notre Dame 23½ 21½ (48½) at UNC Syracuse 7½ 5½ (52½) at UCONN at AIR FORCE 1½ 2½ (47½) Navy at SMU 20½ 20½ (56½) B. College Alabama 3 6 (59½) at MISS ST at HOUSTON 11½ 11½ (51½) UCF at IOWA ST 1½ 1½ (52½) W. Virginia at KANSAS 21½ 19½ (51½) M. Ten at W. FOREST11½ 12½ (54½) Stanford Michigan 8½ 6½ (44½) at MIN at WISC 9½ 10 (44½) Michigan St at GEORGIA 23½ 24½ (53½) Vanderbilt W. Michigan 16½ 15½ (48½) at BUFFALO Toledo 13½ 18½ (51½) at BALL ST Virginia 1½ 2½ (51½) at FSU at NDSU 21 20½ (45½) Wyoming Ohio State 14 13½ (45½) at IOWA Old Dominion 1½ 1½ (51½) at GA ST Louisville 7½ 5½ (60½) at NC STATE Ohio 3½ 5½ (50½) at KENT ST at TEN 7½ 7½ (54½) Auburn at UMASS 2½ 5½ (48½) E. Michigan at UNLV 1½ 2½ (53½) Cal Memphis 22½ 21½ (54½) at CHAR at MIA (OH) 15½ 14½ (47½) B. Green Florida 2½ 4 (56½) at MISSOU at C. MICH 5½ 5½ (47½) Akron at J. MAD 14½ 16½ (54½) Marshall at NEBRAS 11½ 13½ (52½) Maryland at NEW MEX 21½ 22½ (49½) UTEP at ILLINOIS 9½ 10½ (59½) Purdue at S. CAR 7 3½ (53½) Kentucky Oregon State 5½ 4 (59½) at CSU Gea Southern 1½ 1½ (53½) at C. CAR at TEX A&M 15½ 14½ (51½) Arkansas at S. BAMA 15½ 14½ (55½) UL Monroe BYU 5½ 6½ (50½) at TCU UTSA 10½ 10½ (54½) at RICE Texas Tech 15½ 14½ (49½) at COL Miami (FL) 7 17½ (49½) at CLEMSN at USC 10 9½ (55½) Wash Army 3½ 3½ (46½) at LA TECH at BOISE ST 20½ 20½ (49½) Utah State at S. FLORIDA 6½ 6 (51½) Temple Indiana 23½ 23½ (55½) at RUTGERS at UL 5½ 6½ (49½) Arkansas St Fresno State 1½ 1½ (45½) at WASH ST at ASU 4½ 3½ (50½) Baylor Texas State 3½ 3½ (59½) at SDSU at ARIZONA 8½ 7½ (54½) Cincinnati
Pro basketball WNBA Playoff Glance (x-if necessary) First Round (Best-of-3)
New York 1, Minnesota 0
Sunday, September 27: New York 91, Minnesota 75 Tuesday, September 29: Minnesota at New York, 7:30 p.m. x-Thursday, October 1: New York at Minnesota, TBA
No. 2 Golden State vs. No. 7 Dallas
Sunday, September 27: Dallas at Golden State, n Wednesday, September 30: Golden State at Dallas, 8 p.m. x-Friday, October 2: Dallas at Golden State, TBA
No. 3 Las Vegas vs. No. 6 Indiana
Sunday, September 27: Las Vegas 102, Indiana 85 Tuesday, September 29: Las Vegas at Indiana, 5:30 p.m. x-Thursday, October 1: Indiana at Las Vegas, TBA
No. 4 Atlanta vs. No. 5 Washington
Sunday, September 27: Atlanta 92, Washington 77 Wednesday, September 30: Atlanta at Washington, 6 p.m. x-Friday, October 2: Washington at Atlanta, TBA
Pro football NFL Glance AMERICAN CONFERENCE East Buffalo N.Y. Jets New England Miami
W L T Pct PF 3 0 0 1.000 101 1 2 0 .333 64 1 2 0 .333 36 0 3 0 .000 36
PA 78 61 51 86
Jacksonville Indianapolis Tennessee Houston
W 2 1 0 0
South
North
Pittsburgh Baltimore Cleveland Cincinnati
West
L 1 2 3 3
W 2 2 2 2
L 1 1 1 1
T 0 0 0 0
Pct .667 .333 .000 .000
PF 82 72 37 54
PA 36 91 59 75
T 0 0 0 0
Pct .667 .667 .667 .667
PF 53 92 54 80
PA 60 78 71 63
W 3 3 1 0
L 0 0 1 3
T Pct PF 0 1.000 88 0 1.000 88 0 .500 30 0 .000 44
PA 50 54 44 76
Philadelphia N.Y. Giants Dallas Washington
W 2 2 1 1
L 0 1 2 2
T Pct PF 0 1.000 48 0 .667 46 0 .333 88 0 .333 75
PA 42 55 82 92
Carolina New Orleans Atlanta Tampa Bay
W 1 1 1 0
L 2 2 2 3
T 0 0 0 0
PF 89 81 51 62
PA 83 83 68 79
L T Pct PF 0 0 1.000 71 1 0 .667 93 1 0 .500 62 2 0 .333 56
PA 41 95 46 91
W L T Pct PF 3 0 0 1.000 98 2 1 0 .667 75 1 1 0 .500 35 1 2 0 .333 63
PA 50 50 33 8
Kansas City Las Vegas Denver L.A. Chargers
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
East
South
North
Minnesota Detroit Chicago Green Bay West San Francisco Seattle L.A. Rams Arizona
W 3 2 1 1
Pct .333 .333 .333 .000
Thursday’s Games
Atlanta 35, Green Bay 14
Sunday’s Games
Buffalo 24, L.A. Chargers 16 Cleveland 21, Carolina 18 Detroit 31, N.Y. Jets 24 Indianapolis 19, Houston 17 Jacksonville 35, New England 6 Kansas City 24, Miami 10 N.Y. Giants 12, Tennessee 7 Pittsburgh 30, Cincinnati 27 Washington 33, Seattle 31 San Francisco 36, Arizona 30 Minnesota 23, Tampa Bay 16 Baltimore 34, Dallas 31 Las Vegas 35, New Orleans 27 L.A. Rams at Denver, n
Monday’s Games
Philadelphia at Chicago, 7:15 p.m.
College football Saturday’s games EAST
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 A&M 40, Florida A&M 21 Alabama St. 41, MVSU 15 Alcorn St. 43, Texas Southern 40, OT 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 Mercer 34, Abilene Christian 17 North Texas 63, Houston Christian 14 Oregon St. 33, UTEP 7 Prairie View 21, Grambling St. 14 SMU 34, Missouri St. 24 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
Air Force 36, Nevada 33, OT Arizona 34, Washington St. 24 Cal Poly 31, E. Washington 27 Fresno St. 38, Rice 24 Idaho St. 28, S. Utah 24 Minnesota 27, Washington 24 Montana 62, UC Davis 22 Montana St. 28, N. Arizona 14 N. Colorado 37, Utah Tech 13 New Mexico 42, New Mexico St. 18 Norfolk St. 43, Chicago State 20 Oregon 41, Southern Cal 27 Portland St. 44, Weber St. 41 Stanford 34, Georgia Tech 27 UMass 35, Sacramento St. 6 Utah St. 21, Troy 10 Wyoming 27, Hawaii 10
The AP Top 25 Poll
Record Pts Prv 1. Texas (62) 4-0 1737 1 2. Georgia (6) 4-0 1646 2 3. Notre Dame 4-0 1581 3 4. Miami (FL) (1) 4-0 1501 6 5. Ohio State 3-1 1465 7 6. Indiana (1) 4-0 1408 5 7. Alabama 4-0 1305 8 8. Florida 4-0 1272 21 9. Ole Miss 3-1 1089 4 10. BYU 3-0 1078 9 11. LSU 3-1 1073 10 12. Texas Tech 4-0 1053 11 13. Utah 4-0 903 15 14. Iowa 4-0 856 17 15. Oregon 3-1 725 20 16. Mississippi State 4-0 715 24 17. Tennessee 3-1 663 14 18. USC 4-1 410 12 19. Oklahoma State 3-1 345 NR 20. Houston 3-1 278 25 21. SMU 3-1 246 22 22. Boise State 3-1 221 NR 23. UCLA 4-0 218 NR 24. Kentucky 3-1 150 NR 25. Missouri 3-1 118 19 Others receiving votes: Others receiving votes: Wisconsin 102, Duke 101, Penn State 98, Wake Forest 88, Virginia Tech 86, Michigan 54, Pittsburgh 52, Nebraska 36, Louisville 25, Cincinnati 20, James Madison 10, Arizona 8, Minnesota 7, North Dakota State 6, Northwestern 1
Auto racing NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 Results Sunday
At Kansas Speedway Kansas City, Kan. Lap length: 1.50 miles (Start position in parentheses) 1. (2) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 267 laps, 75 points. 2. (11) Austin Cindric, Ford, 267, 52. 3. (6) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 267, 51. 4. (23) Chase Briscoe, Toyota, 267, 40. 5. (25) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 267, 37. 6. (3) Christopher Bell, Toyota, 267, 43. 7. (8) William Byron, Chevrolet, 267, 39. 8. (18) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 267, 32. 9. (7) Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 267, 28. 10. (9) Ryan Preece, Ford, 267, 27. 11. (15) Tyler Reddick, Toyota, 267, 26. 12. (16) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 267, 26. 13. (26) John H. Nemechek, Toyota, 267, 24. 14. (14) Daniel Suárez, Chevrolet, 267, 23. 15. (13) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 267, 22. 16. (30) Erik Jones, Toyota, 267, 21. 17. (5) Ty Gibbs, Toyota, 267, 24. 18. (33) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 267, 19. 19. (20) Todd Gilliland, Ford, 267, 18. 20. (1) Joey Logano, Ford, 267, 25. 21. (19) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 266, 16. 22. (24) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 266, 15. 23. (12) Chris Buescher, Ford, 266, 14. 24. (17) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet, 266, 13. 25. (34) Riley Herbst, Toyota, 266, 12. 26. (32) Austin Hill, Chevrolet, 266, 0. 27. (22) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 266, 10. 28. (36) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 266, 9. 29. (27) Connor Zilisch, Chevrolet, 266, 8. 30. (29) Cole Custer, Chevrolet, 266, 7. 31. (28) Zane Smith, Ford, 266, 6. 32. (31) Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Chevrolet, 266, 5. 33. (4) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 264, 11. 34. (35) Cody Ware, Chevrolet, 262, 3. 35. (10) Josh Berry, Ford, 257, 2. 36. (21) Noah Gragson, Ford, engine, 112, 1. Race Statistics Average Speed of Race Winner: 139.16 mph. Time of Race: 2 hours, 52 minutes, 41 seconds. Margin of Victory: .565 seconds. Caution Flags: 5 for 26 laps. Lead Changes: 13 among 8 drivers. Lap Leaders: J.Logano 0; K.Larson 1-36; R.Chastain 37; K.Larson 38-39; D.Hamlin 40;
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL American League East Division
K.Larson 41-168; C.Zilisch 169; K.Larson 170215; A.Cindric 216; D.Hamlin 217; R.Blaney 218-221; K.Larson 222-237; C.Briscoe 238-260; K.Larson 261-267 Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Led, Laps Led): K.Larson, 6 times for 235 laps; C.Briscoe, 1 time for 23 laps; R.Blaney, 1 time for 4 laps; D.Hamlin, 2 times for 2 laps; A.Cindric, 1 time for 1 lap; R.Chastain, 1 time for 1 lap; C.Zilisch, 1 time for 1 lap; J.Logano, 1 time for 0 laps. Wins: T.Reddick, 5; D.Hamlin, 4; J.Logano, 3; R.Blaney, 3; T.Gibbs, 2; C.Elliott, 2; S.Van Gisbergen, 2; K.Larson, 1; C.Bell, 1; C.Hocevar, 1; C.Briscoe, 1; R.Preece, 1; D.Suárez, 1. Top 16 in Points: 1. K.Larson, 2206; 2. D.Hamlin, 2205; 3. J.Logano, 2190; 4. C.Bell, 2189; 5. T.Gibbs, 2164; 6. R.Blaney, 2154; 7. T.Reddick, 2145; 8. C.Hocevar, 2121; 9. C.Briscoe, 2119; 10. B.Wallace, 2114; 11. A.Cindric, 2090; 12. C.Elliott, 2089; 13. W.Byron, 2085; 14. R.Preece, 2082; 15. C.Buescher, 2082; 16. D.Suárez, 2072. NASCAR Driver Rating Formula A maximum of 150 points can be attained in a race. The formula combines the following categories: Wins, Finishes, Top-15 Finishes, Average Running Position While on Lead Lap, Average Speed Under Green, Fastest Lap, Led Most Laps, Lead-Lap Finish.
Golf Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G Sunday
At Pinnacle Country Club Rogers, Ark. Purse: $3 million Yardage: 6,438; Par: 71 Final Round Yuna Nishimura, $450,000 63-63-66—192 In Gee Chun, $212,764 67-65-65—197 Aki Iwai, $212,764 66-69-62—197 C. Wannasaen, $212,764 65-68-64—197 Jenny Bae, $105,198 66-68-64—198 J. Ewart Shadoff, $105,198 66-66-66—198 Auston Kim, $105,198 67-64-67—198 Jin Hee Im, $65,717 65-67-67—199 Mary Liu, $65,717 67-64-68—199 J. Lopez Ramirez, $65,717 69-64-66—199 Miyu Yamashita, $65,717 70-63-66—199 Lauren Coughlin, $50,229 73-61-66—200 Sophia Schubert, $50,229 65-67-68—200 Michelle Zhang, $50,229 67-64-69—200 P. Anannarukarn, $38,469 66-67-68—201 A Lim Kim, $38,469 66-66-69—201 Yealimi Noh, $38,469 70-67-64—201 Lizette Salas, $38,469 65-68-68—201 Mirabel Ting, $38,469 66-68-67—201 Amy Yang, $38,469 65-68-68—201 Yuri Yoshida, $38,469 67-65-69—201 Charley Hull, $31,483 65-67-70—202 You Min Hwang, $31,483 68-67-67—202 Frida Kinhult, $31,483 65-70-67—202 Laney Frye, $26,541 69-68-66—203 Erika Hara, $26,541 69-69-65—203 Gurleen Kaur, $26,541 69-65-69—203 Yu Liu, $26,541 64-68-71—203 Gaby Lopez, $26,541 66-69-68—203 C. Tamburlini, $26,541 67-69-67—203 Celine Boutier, $22,160 65-69-70—204 Ashleigh Buhai, $22,160 66-71-67—204 Nasa Hataoka, $22,160 67-70-67—204 Ana Belac, $16,714 68-67-70—205 Carlota Ciganda, $16,714 68-70-67—205 Manon De Roey, $16,714 66-67-72—205 G. Dryburgh, $16,714 68-67-70—205 Chizzy Iwai, $16,714 70-65-70—205 Gina Kim, $16,714 70-68-67—205 Andrea Lee, $16,714 67-67-71—205 Somi Lee, $16,714 71-67-67—205 Mao Saigo, $16,714 69-67-69—205 Yuka Saso, $16,714 68-70-67—205 Dewi Weber, $16,714 68-66-71—205 Nataliya Guseva, $11,844 69-68-69—206 Juniper Jang, $11,844 65-69-72—206 Jiwon Jeon, $11,844 67-70-69—206 Caley McGinty, $11,844 66-72-68—206 M. Metraux, $11,844 71-65-70—206 Rio Takeda, $11,844 66-70-70—206 Briana Chacon, $9,781 69-65-73—207 Robyn Choi, $9,781 67-71-69—207 Daniela Darquea, $9,781 69-69-69—207 Linn Grant, $9,781 69-69-69—207 Paula Reto, $9,781 69-69-69—207 Jennifer Chang, $7,909 68-69-71—208 Brianna Do, $7,909 68-70-70—208 M.-Aimee Leblanc, $7,909 66-68-74—208 Mi Hyang Lee, $7,909 68-68-72—208 Brooke Matthews, $7,909 69-66-73—208 Lauren Tenuta, $7,909 67-70-71—208 Lauren Walsh, $7,909 70-68-70—208 Reagan Zibiliski, $7,909 67-69-72—208 Soo Bin Joo, $6,877 68-67-74—209 Polly Mack, $6,877 68-68-73—209 Cassie Porter, $6,877 67-71-71—209 Hinako Shibuno, $6,573 66-70-74—210 Linnea Strom, $6,418 68-69-74—211 Celine Borge, $6,266 69-69-75—213 Lottie Woad 66-66-WD
National League
x-Tampa Bay y-New York y-Boston Baltimore Toronto
W 98 93 87 79 79
L 64 68 75 82 83
Pct GB .605 — .578 4½ .537 11 .491 18½ .488 19
x-Cleveland y-Chicago Minnesota Detroit Kansas City
W 85 84 77 76 69
L 77 78 85 86 93
Pct .525 .519 .475 .469 .426
W 81 80 76 64 62
L 81 82 86 98 100
Pct GB .500 — .494 1 .469 5 .395 17 .383 198
Central Division
West Division x-Houston Texas Seattle Athletics Los Angeles x-clinched division y-clinched wild card
GB — 1 8 9 16
Saturday’s Games
Tennis ATP Hangzhou Open Results Sunday
At Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Tennis Centre Hangzhou, China Purse: $1,039,090 Surface: Hardcourt outdoor HANGZHOU, CHINA (AP) _ Results Sunday from Hangzhou Open at Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Tennis Centre (seedings in parentheses):
x-Atlanta y-Philadelphia Miami Washington New York
W 94 88 80 77 74
L 68 74 82 85 88
Pct .580 .543 .494 .475 .457
GB — 6 14 17 20
x-Milwaukee y-Chicago Pittsburgh St. Louis Cincinnati
W 103 89 82 77 75
L 59 73 80 85 87
Pct .636 .549 .506 .475 .463
GB — 14 21 26 28
W x-Los Angeles 100 y-San Diego 91 Arizona 86 San Francisco 65 Colorado 58 x-clinched division y-clinched wild card
L 62 71 76 97 104
Pct .617 .562 .531 .401 .358
GB — 9 14 35 42
Central Division
West Division
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 13, Athletics 2 Seattle 8, L.A. Angels 4
Sunday’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 San Diego 10, Arizona 7
Monday’s Games
Boston 4, Chicago Cubs 3, 1st game Washington 6, N.Y. Mets 4 Philadelphia 7, Tampa Bay 3 Chicago White Sox 4, Colorado 2 Miami 5, Atlanta 3 Milwaukee 6, St. Louis 4 Pittsburgh 4, Detroit 2 Toronto 5, Cincinnati 1 Chicago Cubs 6, Boston 2, 2nd game L.A. Dodgers 5, San Francisco 1, 10 innings San Diego 9, Arizona 4
Boston 4, Chicago Cubs 3, 1st game Kansas City 3, Cleveland 2 Philadelphia 7, Tampa Bay 3 Chicago White Sox 4, Colorado 2 Minnesota 6, Texas 4 Pittsburgh 4, Detroit 2 Toronto 5, Cincinnati 1 Baltimore at N.Y. Yankees, canc. Chicago Cubs 6, Boston 2, 2nd game Seattle 7, L.A. Angels 3 Houston 9, Athletics 0
Sunday’s Games
Monday’s Games
No games scheduled -21 -16 -16 -16 -15 -15 -15 -14 -14 -14 -14 -13 -13 -13 -12 -12 -12 -12 -12 -12 -12 -11 -11 -11 -10 -10 -10 -10 -10 -10 -9 -9 -9 -8 -8 -8 -8 -8 -8 -8 -8 -8 -8 -8 -7 -7 -7 -7 -7 -7 -6 -6 -6 -6 -6 -5 -5 -5 -5 -5 -5 -5 -5 -4 -4 -4 -3 -2 E
East Division
No games scheduled
PLAYOFF GLANCE WILD CARD SERIES
American League Houston vs. Chicago White Sox
Tuesday, Sept. 29: Chicago at Houston, 5 p.m. (Peacock/NBCSN) Wednesday, Sept. 30: Chicago at Houston, 5 p.m. (Peacock/NBCSN) x-Thursday, Oct. 1: Chicago at Houston, 5 p.m. (Peacock/NBCSN)
New York vs. Boston
Tuesday, Sept. 29: Boston at New York (Cam Schlittler 14-6), 8 p.m. (NBC/Peacock) Wednesday, Sept. 30: Boston at New York, 8 p.m. (NBC/Peacock) x-Thursday, Oct. 1: Boston at New York, 8 p.m. (NBC)
National League Atlanta vs. Philadelphia
Tuesday, Sept. 29: Philadelphia at Atlanta (Chris Sale 14-9), 2 p.m. (NBC/Peacock) Wednesday, Sept. 30: Philadelphia at Atlanta, 2 p.m. (NBC/Peacock) x-Thursday, Oct. 1: Philadelphia at Atlanta, 2 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)
San Diego vs. Chicago Cubs
Tuesday, Sept. 29: Chicago at San Diego (Michael King 12-10), 10 p.m. (Peacock) Wednesday, Sept. 30: Chicago at San Diego, 10 p.m. (Peacock/NBCSN) x-Thursday, Oct. 1: Chicago at San Diego, 10 p.m. (Peacock/NBCSN)
BOX SCORES Houston 9, Athletics 0 Houston
Athletics
Minnesota 6, Texas 4 Texas
Minnesota
ab r h bi ab r h bi Peña ss 5 1 2 1 Bolte cf-lf 4 0 00 Alvarez dh 4 1 1 1 Butler rf 4 0 20 Wade dh 1 0 0 0 Langeliers dh 2 0 1 0 Paredes 3b 3 0 0 0 Stefanic ph-dh 0 0 0 0 Allen 3b 1 1 1 0 Gelof 3b 4 0 00 Altuve 2b 5 0 1 1 McNeil 1b-2b 4 0 0 0 Delgado 2b 0 0 0 0 Walton 2b 2 0 00 Diaz c 5 1 2 1 White ph-1b 2 0 00 Walker 1b 3 3 2 1 Krda-Graur ss 4 0 1 0 Spence cf 2 1 1 2 Cortes lf 2 0 00 Smith rf 4 1 2 1 Clarke ph-cf 2 0 10 Trammell lf 3 0 0 0 Serven c 2 0 00 Totals 37 9 12 8 Totals 32 0 5 0 Houston 004 002 210 — 9 Athletics 000 000 000 — 0 DP_Houston 0, Athletics 1. LOB_Houston 11, Athletics 8. 2B_Diaz (16), Allen (7). 3B_ Spence (1). HR_Walker (29). SF_Peña (3). IP H R ER BB SO Houston Lambert 2 2 0 0 0 1 Pecko W,2-0 3 1 0 0 0 2 Ullola 1 0 0 0 1 1 King 1 2 0 0 1 2 VanWey 1 0 0 0 1 0 Imai 1 0 0 0 0 1 Athletics 1 0 0 2 2 Johnson 1 2⁄3 Basso L,1-4 1 3 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 3 Alvarado 1 1⁄3 1 2 2 2 0 0 Blewett 1 ⁄3 Roycroft 1 3 2 2 4 2 3 1 1 1 1 Hartlieb 1 2⁄3 Rom 1 0 0 0 0 0 Basso pitched to 7 batters in the 3rd, Roycroft pitched to 5 batters in the 7th. HBP_Basso (Alvarez). ABS Challenge_Altuve (Strike-Confirmed); Roycroft (Ball-Confirmed); King (Ball-Confirmed); Rom (Ball-Overturned to Strike). Umpires_Home, Ryan Additon; First, Will Little; Second, Ryan Wills; Third, Gabe Morales. T_3:03. A_10,022 (14,014).
ab r h bi ab r h bi Nimmo rf 4 1 1 0 Keaschall rf 2 3 00 Langford lf 4 0 1 0 Culpepper ss 5 0 1 0 Seager ss 4 1 1 2 Bell dh 2 1 13 Burger 1b 4 0 0 0 Jeffers c 3 0 21 Duran cf 4 0 0 0 Clemens 2b 4 0 11 Osuna dh 2 0 0 0 Lewis 1b 4 1 21 Díaz ph-dh 1 1 1 1 Lee 3b 4 0 10 Jansen c 3 1 1 1 Martin lf 3 0 00 Lopez 2b 2 0 1 0 Jenkins cf 4 1 20 Foscue 2b 1 0 0 0 Carter cf 1 0 0 0 Freeman 3b 1 0 0 0 Totals 31 4 6 4 Totals 31 610 6 Texas 001 000 012 — 4 Minnesota 102 020 01x — 6 DP_Texas 0, Minnesota 1. LOB_Texas 1, Minnesota 8. 2B_Jeffers (19). HR_Jansen (8), Díaz (8), Seager (20), Bell (21), Lewis (15). SB_Lewis (16). SF_Bell (6). S_Carter (10). IP H R ER BB SO Texas Gore 2 1⁄3 1 1 1 1 0 1 Silseth L,3-4 ⁄3 2 2 2 0 1 1 Garcia ⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 Alexander 1 2 1 1 1 0 1 Junis ⁄3 0 1 1 3 1 2 Montgomery 2 ⁄3 2 0 0 0 3 Bradford 1 3 1 1 0 1 Minnesota Kremer W,5-5 7 3 1 1 0 4 Minter 1 1 1 1 0 0 Morris 1 2 2 2 0 1 Alexander pitched to 1 batter in the 5th. HBP_Silseth (Keaschall). ABS Challenge_Burger (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Duran (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Jenkins (Strike-Confirmed); Junis (Ball-Confirmed); Lee (Strike-Confirmed); Burger (Strike-Confirmed). Umpires_Home, Nestor Ceja; First, Charlie Ramos; Second, Chris Guccione; Third, David Rackley. T_2:26. A_26,839 (38,544).
Philadelphia 7, Tampa Bay 3
San Diego 9, Arizona 4
Tampa Bay
Arizona
Men’s Singles
Quarterfinals Kyrian Jacquet, France, def. Fabian Marozsan (6), Hungary, 7-6 (12), 6-4. Andrey Rublev (2), Russia, def. Hugo Gaston, France, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (4), 6-1. Roman Safiullin, Russia, def. Yunchaokete Bu, China, 6-3, 6-3. Daniil Medvedev (1), Russia, def. Coleman Wong, Hong Kong, China, 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-3.
Men’s Doubles
Quarterfinals David Pel and Sander Arends, Netherlands, def. Petr Nouza, Czechia, and Neil Oberleitner (2), Austria, 6-3, 3-6, 10-6. Francisco Cabral, Portugal, and James Tracy (3), United States, def. Santiago Gonzalez, Mexico, and Hendrik Jebens, Germany, 6-4, 6-4. Jean-Julien Rojer, Netherlands, and Theodore Winegar, United States, def. Lucas Miedler, Austria, and Quentin Halys (1), France, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5).
Transactions Major League Baseball
American League BOSTON RED SOX — Reinstated RHP Tanner Houck from the 60-day IL. Recalled LF Nate Eaton and RHP Wyatt Olds from Worcester (IL). Optioned RHP Jedixson Paez to Worcester. Placed DH Mickey Gasper on the 10-day IL, retroactive to Sept. 26, and RHP Tyron Guerrero on the 15-day IL, retroactive to Sept. 24. Transferred CF Eli White from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL. CLEVELAND GUARDIANS — Recalled RHP Austin Peterson from Columbus (IL). Optioned RHP Craig Yoho to Columbus. DETROIT TIGERS — Reinstated RHP Jack Flaherty from the 15-day IL. Optioned LHP Brant Hurter to FCL Tigers. HOUSTON ASTROS — Recalled 2B Raynel Delgado from Sugar Land (PCL). Optioned RHP Ronel Blanco to Sugar Land. KANSAS CITY ROYALS — Reinstated RHP James McArthur from the 60-day IL. Placed RHP Tony Gonsolin on the 15-day IL. TAMPA BAY RAYS — Recalled RHP Jesse Scholtens from Durham (IL). Optioned RHP Ty Johnson to Durham. TEXAS RANGERS — Recalled CF Cam Cauley from Round Rock (PCL). Optioned DH Logan O’Hoppe to ACL Rangers. National League CHICAGO CUBS — Recalled LHP Braxton Garrett from Iowa (IL). Optioned RHP Gavin Hollowell to ACL Cubs. LOS ANGELES DODGERS — Recalled RHP Bobby Miller from Oklahoma City (PCL). Placed RHP Blake Treinen on the 15-day IL. NEW YORK METS — Recalled LHP Jefry Yan from FCL Mets. Placed RHP Jonathan Pintaro on the 15-day IL. PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES — Reinstated LHP Jesús Luzardo from the 15-day IL. Designated RHP José Urquidy for assignment. PITTSBURGH PIRATES — Recalled RHP Noah Murdock from Indianapolis (IL). Optioned LHP Evan Sisk to FCL Pirates.
BASKETBALL
National Basketball Association CHICAGO BULLS — Acquired G Buddy Hield from Charlotte in exchange for G Rob Dillingham.
Philadelphia
ab r h bi ab r h bi Mesa lf 4 0 1 1 Turner ss 5 1 20 Aranda 1b 2 0 1 0 Schwarber dh 4 1 2 2 Vilade 1b 2 0 0 0 Harper rf 5 1 11 Caminro 3b 2 0 0 0 Hill rf 0 0 00 Willimsn 3b 2 0 0 0 Stott 2b 3 1 31 Hicks dh 4 0 2 0 Bohm 1b 2 0 00 Palacios 2b 4 0 0 0 Marsh lf 2 0 01 DeLuca rf 4 2 2 2 Sosa 3b 4 2 21 Mullins cf 4 0 1 0 Crawford cf 4 0 10 Fortes c 4 0 0 0 Realmuto c 4 1 11 Mateo ss 3 1 1 0 Totals 35 3 8 3 Totals 33 712 7 Tampa Bay 000 010 200 — 3 Philadelphia 130 030 00x — 7 DP_Tampa Bay 1, Philadelphia 0. LOB_ Tampa Bay 5, Philadelphia 8. 2B_Hicks 2 (16), Aranda (27), Mateo (8), Stott 2 (36), Sosa (11), Realmuto (19), Schwarber (20). HR_DeLuca 2 (11), Harper (29), Sosa (9). SB_Stott (27). SF_Marsh (5). S_Marsh (3). IP H R ER BB SO Tampa Bay 4 1 1 Martinez L,15-6 2 2⁄3 7 4 1 ⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 Seymour Scholtens 3 3 3 3 1 3 Rodríguez 1 0 0 0 2 1 Legumina 1 2 0 0 0 0 Philadelphia Wheeler W,14-5 6 5 1 1 0 5 McFarlane 1 3 2 2 0 1 Luzardo 1 0 0 0 0 0 Duran 1 0 0 0 0 2 WP_Martinez. ABS Challenge_Wheeler (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Wheeler (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Bohm (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Fortes (Strike-Confirmed); Bohm (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Duran (BallOverturned to Strike). Pitch timer violations_McFarlane (pitcher). Umpires_Home, Carlos Torres; First, Nate Tomlinson; Second, Cory Blaser; Third, Ramon De Jesus. T_2:48. A_42,146 (42,901).
San Diego
ab r h bi ab r h bi Nootbaar lf 4 0 1 1 Harris rf 5 2 20 Wldschmdt lf0 0 0 0 Machado 3b 2 0 1 1 Marte 2b 4 0 1 1 Taylor pr-2b 3 0 10 Vargas 2b 0 0 0 0 France 1b 4 2 21 Perdomo ss 3 0 1 0 Sheets dh 2 1 11 Arenado 3b 3 1 1 0 Campusno dh 2 1 0 0 Dl Castillo c 1 0 0 0 Hays lf 4 2 22 Carroll rf 3 1 1 1 Crnenwrth 3b 2 0 0 1 Fernandez 3b1 0 0 0 Fermin c 4 0 23 Smith dh 4 0 0 0 Song ss 3 1 00 Tawa 1b-rf 4 1 1 1 Bowen cf 3 0 00 McCann 1b 4 0 1 0 Lawlar cf 3 1 1 0 Totals 34 4 8 4 Totals 34 911 9 Arizona 000 001 300 — 4 San Diego 001 111 32x — 9 DP_Arizona 0, San Diego 1. LOB_Arizona 4, San Diego 9. 2B_Arenado (25), Carroll (33), Fermin (14). HR_Sheets (17). SB_Taylor (13), Lawlar (6). S_Bowen (2). IP H R ER BB SO Arizona Soroka 4 2⁄3 3 3 3 2 4 1 Morillo ⁄3 3 1 1 0 1 Garcia 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 Martinez L,3-1 ⁄3 0 3 3 4 0 2 Ginkel ⁄3 1 0 0 0 1 Nelson 1 3 2 2 0 2 San Diego Vásquez 6 3 1 1 0 2 Canning W,5-9 3 5 3 3 1 2 HBP_Garcia (Cronenworth). ABS Challenge_Vásquez (Ball-Confirmed); Martinez (Ball-Confirmed); Martinez (Ball-Confirmed). Umpires_Home, John Tumpane; First, Chris Segal; Second, Brennan Miller; Third, Ben May. T_2:47. A_44,471 (40,222).
THIS DATE IN BASEBALL Sept. 28
1919 — In the shortest nine-inning game in major league history, 51 minutes, the New York Giants beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-1. 1920 — A grand jury indicted eight members of the Chicago White Sox on charges of fixing the 1919 World Series in the “Black Sox Scandal.” 1938 — Gabby Hartnett hit his famous “Homer in the Gloamin’ ” in the ninth inning against Mace Brown to give the Chicago Cubs a 6-5 victory, their ninth straight, at Wrigley Field. It was a key triumph en route to the Cubs’ NL pennant. 1941 — Ted Williams went 6-for-8 in a doubleheader against the Philadelphia A’s to finish the season with a .406 aver-
age. No player has batted .400 since. 1951 — Allie Reynolds pitched his second no-hitter of the season as the New York Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox, 8-0, in the opener of a doubleheader. The Yankees clinched the AL pennant with an 11-3 victory in the nightcap. 1960 — Ted Williams homered in his final major league plate appearance, against Baltimore’s Jack Fisher. Williams did not take a curtain call, but he trotted out to left field in the ninth and was replaced immediately by Carroll Hardy and retired to a standing ovation. It was Williams’ 521st career home run. The Red Sox rallied for two runs in the ninth for a 5-4 victory.
LIVING
T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M
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M o n d ay, S e p t e M b e r 28, 2026
1Cn
Texas on your mind How Ella Langley’s ‘Choosin’ Texas’ became the longest-running no. 1 hit of all time
BY MARIA SHERMAN AP music writer
STAFF PHoTo By RoBIn MILLER
Gene Callahan’s elaborate dining room set design for the 1968 musical, ‘Funny Girl.’ Though Barbra Streisand won the Best Actress oscar for the lead role, Callahan wasn’t nominated. The Baton Rouge native did, however, win two oscars for ‘The Hustler’ in 1961 and ‘America America’ in 1963. He donated his collection of ‘Funny Girl’ designs to the Louisiana Art & Science Museum in 1969.
Funny you’d mention it
Gene Callahan won two Oscars and worked on 100 films, but a La. city was always his home BY ROBIN MILLER
‘It really can work everywhere’
Staff writer
painting caught Phyllis Hall’s attention as she was exiting Baton Rouge’s Manship Theatre, though she mistook it for a print. The art piece hung on a wall in the Shaw Center for the Arts, home to the theater where the Catahoula resident had attended a local music performance. “The print was credited to Gene Callahan, and the label next to it said it was his concept for a scene in the movie, ‘Funny Girl,’” Hall said. “It said Callahan was from Baton Rouge, which made me interested in learning more about him.” Hall is correct. Callahan’s native home is Baton Rouge, where he was born Eugene Fenton Callahan on Nov. 7, 1923, graduated from Catholic High School and attended LSU between 1941 and 1948. Though he didn’t graduate from the university, he began learning set design there by working with the university’s opera department, and in 1982, LSU awarded Callahan an honorary doctorate degree in fine arts.
A piece of ‘Funny Girl’ in BR In 1969, he donated his set designs for “Funny Girl” to the Louisiana Art & Science Museum after attending a gala, museum
PRoVIdEd PHoTo FRoM THE LoUISIAnA ART & SCIEnCE MUSEUM
Gene Callahan, center, stands between Baton Rouge philanthropists Sue Turner, left, and her husband, Bert Turner, at the Louisiana Art & Science Museum’s 1969 ‘Heyday of Hollywood’ event in the late 1960s. curator Tracey Barhorst said. The three scenes that hung in the Shaw Center are paintings among the museum’s collection of Callahan’s 18 original set blueprints and 28 production paintings for “Funny Girl.” “They are actually mixed media paintings,” Barhorst said. “They’re mostly watercolor with some gouache, according to the description that he gave when he donated them to us. It doesn’t really say all the medias he used, but you can kind of see some acrylic, too.” The museum loaned three of the paintings to the Manship Theatre,
which hung them on the wall opposite its entrance in the Shaw Center in commemoration of its Aug. 16 screening of the 58-yearold film. “Funny Girl” is a semi-biographical musical that follows the life of comedienne and theatrical and film star Fanny Brice. The musical premiered on Broadway in 1964 starring Barbra Streisand, who reprised the lead role in the film. Callahan, in a museum record, recalled of working with Streisand: “Well, I enjoyed her
ä See CALLAHAN, page 2C
6-year-old girl sets women’s Rubik’s Cube record and improved to 4.27 seconds at another race in the southern BEIJING — A 6-year-old Chinese city of Guangzhou, state broadgirl has set a new women’s caster CCTV reported Monday. world record by solving Rubik’s She became the only female cubes at an average pace of just speedcuber to achieve an averover four seconds per cube. age below 4.5 seconds, it said. Lian Yunzhi first broke the The association listed Lian on record earlier this month with its website as the record holder an average time of 4.52 seconds for the fastest women’s average at a World Cube Association- time solving the 3x3x3 cube. certified competition in the ä See CUBE, page 2C central Chinese city of Wuhan By The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas,” a simmering, midtempo, country-and-thensome heartbreak song released last October, is indisputably 2026’s biggest hit. “Choosin’ Texas” is also the longest-running No. 1 hit in the U.S., having spent 23 weeks at the top spot on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, it was announced Tuesday. That means the track has surpassed various records set by Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Langley Love You” and most impressively, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” Her holiday classic held the previous record, with 22 weeks at No. 1. The song’s laid-back sound, cross-genre appeal and heartache narrative are a few reasons why. But its dominance still comes as a surprise.
In this photo taken from video and released by youTube@ cuberootme, 6-yearold Lian yunzhi reacts after solving a Rubik’s cube at a World Cube Association-certified competition in China. PRoVIdEd PHoTo
Luminate, the industry data and analytics company, found that “Choosin’ Texas” brought in 911 million on-demand streams in the U.S. and 1.26 billion globally as of mid-August. Considering that Langley started 2023, around the time she made her Grand Ole Opry debut, with under 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify — and now boasts of over 32 million — her rise has been meteoric. Historically, country listenership has centered on radio play. That has changed somewhat as the genre grows in popularity, solidifying around what Luminate’s Jaime Marconette describes as a “younger, streaming-forward listener.” He says it is a “multiyear narrative accelerated” by hits like “Choosin’ Texas.” Claire Heinichen, a senior editor at Spotify, says the song’s growth has been both explosive and consistent. “Choosin’ Texas” “started big,” she says, moving from the platform’s leading country playlist, ‘Hot Country,’ to its larger, generic offerings because it works across audiences. “It made its way into ‘Today’s Top Hits,’ which is our biggest global flagship playlist, but it’s also showing up in ‘Mood’ and ‘Moments’ playlists because it fits so well in ‘driving’ or ‘chill’ or ‘cookout,’ ” Heinichen says. “It really can work everywhere.” It’s not just country music fans who are connecting with “Choosin’ Texas.” “The song’s success on a playlist like ‘Today’s Top Hits’ is an indication that this is working for audiences who are not seeking out one specific genre,” Heinichen says. “It’s definitely growing in every direction.”
Sounds like staying power Go straight to Langley’s voice for another explanation for the song’s success. It’s “like syrup,” says Nate Sloan, a musicologist, assistant professor at the University of Southern California and co-host of the podcast “Switched On Pop.”
ä See SONG, page 2C
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a reputation for hard work and attention to detail Continued from page 1C “while working on over 1,000 television shows and specials.” In the movie industry, thoroughly. Mostly profesCallahan worked on more sional at that time. Now than 100 films, includshe’s very professional, but PRoVIdEd PHoTo By MARy ing “Grease 2” in 1982, she was a woman who knew AGnES HAMMETT/FInd A GRAVE “Places in the Heart” in exactly where she wanted to go, number one, which I 1984, “Children of a Lesser Baton Rouge native Gene love. And knew what was God” in 1986, “Butterfield Callahan is buried in best for her and worked in 1960, “Splendor in the Roselawn Memorial Gardens 8” very hard to achieve the Grass” in 1961, “The Stepconditions that made it best in Baton Rouge. His grave is ford Wives” in 1975, “Julia” marked with his name, birth in 1977 and “Steel Magnofor her. I liked her very, very much. She’s one of the date and date of death. lias” in his home state in most talented people I’ve 1989. His final film, “The ever worked with.” first, we’d have to get them Man in the Moon,” released The film would score a re-framed. They’re all still in 1991, was also filmed in Best Actress win for Streiin the original frames from Louisiana, specifically in when Gene Callahan doKisatchie National Forest in sand at the 1969 Oscars, Natchitoches Parish. and though Callahan’s nated them.” But Callahan didn’t “Funny Girl” set designs According to museum always stay in the backare probably his most glam- records, Callahan grew up orous, he wouldn’t receive a on Wisteria Street in Baton ground. There were times Rouge’s Garden District. nomination. he played cameo roles with“A visit to a friend who in the sets he designed. Two-time Oscar winner was designing theater sets “Gene’s physical build and appearance (a distincThat’s not saying his work in the Catskill Mountains would prove to be the jump- tive beard) often had him never won Oscars. The golden statue came to him cast by his director in a ing off point for Callahan in 1961 for the Paul Newwhen he was hired on as de- cameo role,” the museum’s man pool shark classic, signer,” the museum record record states. “Like Alfred “The Hustler,” and again continues. “When the small Hitchcock, if Gene liked the producer and director, he in 1963 for director Elia company closed, Callahan would agree to perform in Kazan’s epic, “America moved to New York City the film in a small cameo, America.” He also received and spent several years otherwise, he would decline nominations for “The Carworking on back-to-back dinal” in 1963 and “The Last shows but not moving up in the proposal.” Callahan and producer the business.” Tycoon” in 1976. He was hired by CBS tele- Ray Stark, who also was Back in the museum’s colBrice’s son-in-law, were lection room, Barhorst pulls vision as a set decorator, always on the set during the out other framed examples then moved into the posiof Callahan’s designs, intion as art director in televi- “Funny Girl” filming. “Ray made Gene agree to cluding a gauzy “Ziegfield sion production. Follies” stage set and back“As a production designer, perform the tugboat capI am responsible for the stage scenes. But the most tain (in ‘Funny Girl’) while ‘look’ of the show — from lo- the scene was filmed at sea breathtaking is that of an elegant dining room. to keep Gene, available, on cations, or exterior scenes, Callahan planned this and how they are to be shot, set,” the museum record scene to the last detail, continues. to the design (of the) sets including the placement Callahan returned to themselves, their construcof chandeliers, balconies, Louisiana to spend his final tions, their painting, and columns, dining tables and then the set decoration,” he years in his hometown, even a small orchestra to told The Associated Press in where he died on Dec. 26, entertain diners. His atten- 1990. “Sometimes I design 1990. He is buried in Rosethe titles too.” tion to detail became the lawn Memorial Park. signature of his work. TV shows, movies galore “We’re talking about Email Robin Miller at having an exhibit of these romiller@theadvocate. The museum record works,” Barhorst said. “But noted that Callahan earned com.
SONG
Continued from page 1C She sings in long phrases that lull the listener into the song’s rhythm, from its opening guitar line to its coda. “It’s almost like a trance,” Sloan says. It also pulls from other genres; a cross-pollination found in much modern country. Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” features shimmery disco grooves, not unlike Kacey Musgraves. “It’s a little more rock or even kind of soul-inflected,” Sloan says. “Part of the reason songs like ‘Choosin’ Texas’ are able to resonate with such a wide audience is because, musically, they’re bringing in a lot of diverse influences.” Charles L. Hughes, a Rhodes College professor and author of “Country Soul,” says the song sounds like many different eras of country music and, simultaneously, contemporary. To his ears, “Choosin’ Texas” pulls from a late 1970s, early ’80s era of country musicians who pulled R&B and pop into their sound — think Ronnie Milsap, Barbara Mandrell and Charlie Rich — but it isn’t stuck in that period. Those sounds are filtered through a post-Musgraves, post-Miranda Lambert songwriting style, with Langley’s idiosyncratic charms. (Lambert and Langley are two of the song’s four co-writers.) “The best country music has one foot in the past and one foot into the present, if not the future,” Hughes says. “And that’s what she’s doing.” Even for its light, bright musicality, “Choosin’ Texas” is an unusual hit, because it doesn’t possess the features that historically make up a No. 1 smash. It’s super specific — with its detailed descriptions of characters and geog-
CUBE
Continued from page 1C Wearing a red hairband with a bow, Lian looked serious as her small fingers moved quickly during the Wuhan competition. She smiled proudly and clapped after one attempt took her only about 3.54 seconds.
raphy in the lyrics — which is “antithetical to what you usually expect from a big, hit pop song that’s supposed to appeal to everyone,” says Sloan. It’s also “chill,” Sloan says. “It’s not bombastic or anthemic.” “It has no big moments,” says Hughes. But it has both a subtle dance pulse and steel guitar, so “it sounds country, but it doesn’t automatically turn off people who are allergic to certain kinds of country sounds.” There’s a sparkle that transgresses genre lines, but it does so while sounding mellow — the kind of track that inspires repeat listens.
nessee whiskey as a result. “There is the phenomenon of what some critics have called ‘the sad banger’ within the world of pop music,” says Sloan. In country, it’s even more common to take something sad and transform it into something funny or deadpan. “And that’s what she’s really good at, at this song.”
Sign of the times?
“Choosin’ Texas” continues a great tradition of “songs that country women do about what men do in bars,” says Hughes. It’s straightforward: She’s losing her lover to someone else. She’s not going to fight for him — it’s a song of resignation that ends with her drinking alone as he chooses Texas (another woman) over her (and Tennessee). It’s a universal heartbreak theme with potential for cross-generational resonance: It works for both the insecurity of a first breakup and a long-term relationship ending over another woman, or a move. “It’s got these great turns of phrase that give you a little bit of ironic distance as a narrator and as a listener,” says Sloan. “It doesn’t take a crystal ball to see,” Langley acquiesces in the chorus, “A cowboy always finds a way to leave.” The lyrics are also clever, standing out in contemporary country, says Hughes. (Compare it to Luke Bryan’s “Fish Hunt Golf Drink.”) And it’s detailed: Langley’s paramour loves George Strait’s “Amarillo by Morning,” a pantheon Texas track; she’s drinking Ten-
The fact that regular charttoppers like Taylor Swift, Morgan Wallen and Bad Bunny haven’t released new albums this year could’ve cleared a path for the dominance of “Choosin’ Texas,” but Sloan sees its rise as indicative of something else. “We’re in this environment where you can measure a song’s success in a numerical way,” he says. “But then in terms of its actual cultural impact, that might be more fragmented than you think.” Essentially: “Choosin’ Texas” is on top. But how many people know Langley’s name, the way they knew Houston’s and Carey’s when those hits were released? “It doesn’t feel like a centerpiece of a monoculture, but it is absolutely a key part of like radio culture, streaming playlists, TikTok,” Hughes adds. “But it’s hitting these various audiences in a way that combines to create something huge.” But what does it forecast for Langley? She’s no one-hit wonder: Her award-winning 2024 collaboration with Riley Green, “You Look Like You Love Me” is evidence of that. “It’s always hard to prognosticate with artists when they have an unexpected smash,” says Sloan. “Her ability to write songs with a lot of integrity that both reach back into country tradition and incorporate sounds of the 21st century? That’s a pretty good formula to have a successful and long career in the music world.”
CCTV said Lian first tried to solve a Rubik’s Cube when she was 4 years old, and it used to take her 90 seconds to solve it. She initially lacked the confidence to compete, but became more enthusiastic about the puzzle as her results improved and she gained recognition. That encouraged her to train harder and persevere through challenges, it said.
“She was an introverted kid. Now, she is very confident wherever she goes,” her mother Lin Yangxi was quoted as saying. CCTV said Lian has mastered more than 1,300 solving formulas and recently spent roughly two to three hours daily on training. Her parents also brought her to Shanghai to learn from top coaches, it added.
Lyrical sharpness
Host wants assigned seating Gentle reader: Perhaps beDear Miss Manners: For work, I often attend meals with cause not all guests are as assigned seating — not just cooperative as yours. Many assigned tables, but hosts report resisindividual chairs. I tance, in the forms really enjoy these of surreptitious events, since they card-shuffling and are opportunities to outright complaints. talk with seatmates Mostly this is I may not know because their obJudith well, or at all. ject is to sit next to Martin people they already So I returned MISS to using assigned know — even people MAnnERS seating at dinner to whom they are parties in my home, married. Yet the hoping to replicate the oppurpose of such meals is for people to mix, and it is portunity for my guests to a guest’s duty to make the get to know people better. effort. Not only did it achieve It bewilders Miss Manthis objective, but it also made it so much easier to ners that those who are so gracefully meet dietary open to meeting strangers or beverage restrictions, online will shy away from such as alcoholic vs. nonmeeting, in person, people alcoholic or red vs. white who have been vetted by wine. Given these social their real-life friends. and pragmatic benefits, Typically, unattached why isn’t assigned seating singles want to scare up far more common? an escort when attending
weddings, complaining that they won’t know anyone there. Yet weddings, at least those where the bride’s friends and relatives have met those of the bridegroom, used to be the starting point for future weddings. (Note that it is legitimate to seat families together on such occasions, because these also serve as reunions.) Fortunately, you have more sophisticated guests. The opportunity to meet new people is a rare pleasure nowadays. Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners. com.; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail. com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.
TODAY IN HISTORY By The Associated Press Today is Monday, Sept. 28, the 271st day of 2026. There are 94 days left in the year. Today in history: On Sept. 28, 1928, Scottish medical researcher Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, the first broadly effective antibiotic. Also on this date: In 1781, American forces in the Revolutionary War, backed by a French fleet, began their successful siege of Yorktown, Virginia. In 1924, three U.S. Army planes landed in Seattle, completing the first roundthe-world trip by air in 175 days. In 1962, a federal appeals court found Mississippi Gov. Ross Barnett in civil contempt for blocking the admission of James Meredith, a Black student, to the
University of Mississippi. In 1995, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat signed an accord at the White House calling for an end to Israel’s military occupation of West Bank cities and expanding the responsibilities of the Palestinian Authority. In 2016, Hurricane Matthew formed near the Windward Islands and went on to kill over 1,000 people in Haiti, elsewhere in the Caribbean and the southeastern U.S. In 2000, capping a 12year political battle, the U.S. government approved use of the abortion pill RU486. In 2020, the worldwide death toll from the coronavirus pandemic reached 1 million, according to a count by Johns Hopkins University. In 2022, Category 4 Hurricane Ian barreled ashore
in southwestern Florida and then bisected the center of the state, causing more than 100 fatalities and billions of dollars in damage. Today’s birthdays: Filmmaker John Sayles is 76. Football Hall of Famer Steve Largent is 72. Zydeco musician C.J. Chenier is 69. Hockey Hall of Famer Grant Fuhr is 64. Actor-comedian Janeane Garofalo is 62. Actor Maria CanalsBarrera is 60. Actor Mira Sorvino is 59. Actor Naomi Watts is 58. Olympic gold medal swimmer Lenny Krayzelburg is 51. Rapper Jeezy is 49. Golf Hall of Famer Se Ri Pak is 49. Poprock musician St. Vincent is 44. Actor Hilary Duff is 39. Retired boxer Terence “Bud” Crawford is 39. Tennis player Marin Cilic is 38. Actor Keir Gilchrist is 34. Singer Sienna Spiro is 21. Actor Momona Tamada is 20.
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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Monday, September 28, 2026 ■ 3C
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zodIAC LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Refine your goals, update your plans, and push your way forward with confidence, gratitude, and the wherewithal to complete your mission. Leave nothing to chance or up to someone else. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Think matters through with your heart. Determine how you can offer sound solutions without offending someone or making matters worse. When in doubt, take a back seat. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Pay attention to your domestic expenses and running your household efficiently. Be open to suggestions instead of trying to take care of everything yourself. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Spend more time perfecting how you do your job or take care of your home. Paying attention to detail and updating how you handle matters will make your life easier. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Refuse to let anyone or anything disrupt your life or cause you to lower your standards. Set boundaries, and head in a direction that promises you peace of mind and greater opportunities. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Pay attention to debt, investments and how you use your money and skills to get ahead. Sharing your space, expenses or possessions with others will lead to problems. ARIES (March 21-April 19) Apply what you know and do well in order to help your community. What you offer others will snowball into something substantial.
Don't back away from applying yourself and your skills where they are needed most. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Practice and discipline will help you excel. Be a friendly observer. Be sympathetic to what others are going through. You'll make better progress if you refuse to let frustration set in. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Move things around. Make changes instead of just thinking about how you'd like things to be. Take the initiative, and use your ingenuity and skills to make your dreams come true. CANCER (June 21-July 22) It's what you do for others that will make you feel good about who you are and what you can do. Don't let the little things get to you or throw you off course. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Protect yourself from injury and illness, but don't shy away from doing what's right and best for you and all those you encounter today. Use your experience, and follow through with discipline as you finish what you start. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Kindness and generosity will carry you forward. Look for words and ways to make others feel good about themselves. An opportunity will offer benefits, but may not give you the feeling of satisfaction you desire. The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication
For better or For WorSe WonderWord
peAnUtS
SALLY Forth
beetLe bAILeY CeLebrItY CIpher Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.
TODAy'S CLUE: B EQUALS S
Mother GooSe And GrIMM
SherMAn’S LAGoon FAMILY CIrCUS
dooneSbUrY
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Sudoku InstructIons: Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday. Saturday’s Puzzle Answer
BaBY BLueS
BLondie
THe wiZard oF id
nea CroSSwordS
La TimeS CroSSword
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Bridge BY PHILLIP ALDER In “The Importance of Being Earnest,” Oscar Wilde wrote, “Thirty-five is a very attractive age. London society is full of women of the very highest birth who have, of their own free choice, remained 35 for years.” In bridge, you have a free choice of which card to play, with the restriction that you must follow suit. In this deal, declarer has two choices for trying to collect nine tricks. West leads the heart queen against three no-trump and East signals encouragingly with his seven. What should declarer do? North’s two-diamond rebid was a reverse, which promised a maximum opening bid: a good 17 to 20 high-card points. His three-heart continuation, a variation of fourth-suit forcing, asked South to bid three no-trump with a heart stopper. South has seven top tricks: two spades, one heart, one diamond and three clubs. There are two chances for the extra winners: The clubs might break 3-2 or the diamond finesse could work. Ideally, declarer would cash dummy’s top clubs. Then, if they do not split favorably, he would take the diamond finesse. However, with the heart ace dislodged, South has no hand entry left. What are the probabilities? A finesse is 50-50 and a 3-2 division is 67.8 per-
garfield
Pearls Before swiNe
hagar the horriBle
cent, the much better choice. However, before broaching the clubs, South, after winning the first or second trick with his heart ace, should lead the diamond queen. Maybe West will cover when he has the king — or take a long time ducking. Always give the opponents a chance to help you. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication
wuzzles Each Wuzzle is a word riddle which creates a disguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD = GOOD AFTERNOON
PiCKles
Previous answers:
mallard fillmore
word game InsTRucTIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.
ToDAY’s WoRD — EPIGEAL: ep-ih-JEE-ul: Living on or near the surface of the
Bizarro
marmaduKe
ground. Average mark 11 words Time limit 20 minutes Can you find 17 or more words in EPIGEAL? sATuRDAY’s WoRD — noMInATE name nation neat neon nine none nonet note oaten omen omit
main mane mate mean meant meat mention meta mien mine mint
mite moan moat monte mote inane inmate innate into intone iota
item amen anime anoint anomie anon ante anti atom atone tame
team tenon time tine tinea tome tone tonne emit
loCKhorNs hidato Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer
today’s thought “Truly, truly, I say to you, He that believes on me has everlasting life.” John 6:47
Have you put your trust in Jesus? He is the only one who can give you eternal life. G.E. Dean
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PUBLIC NOTICE --ADVERTISEMENT FOR BID Sealed Bids will be re‐ ceived by the Purchasing Office, LSU New Orleans, Admin. Annex Bldg, RM 1004G,2000 LAKESHORE DR, LAKE FRONT CAM‐ PUS, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70148. for: YEARLY SERVICE CONTRACT FOR EXCESS BARTENDING SERVICES, Sealed Bid No. BTB3011 until: October 19, 2026 @ 2:00 PM at which time and place the Bids will be opened and read. period of inquiry dead‐ line is October 9, 2026 addenda if any will be is‐ sued October 14, 2026 Evidence of authority to submit the bid shall be required in accordance with R.S. 39:1594 C.(4). Specifications may be obtained from the Pur‐ chasing Office. The right is reserved to reject any or all bids and to waive informalities. LSU New Orleans is an equal opportunity/affir‐ mative action employer. 202106-SEP 28-1T $37.05 PUBLIC NOTICE --ADVERTISEMENT FOR PROPOSALS Sealed Proposals will be received by the Purchas‐ ing office. Louisiana State University Health Science Center in Shreve‐ port, LA, 1501 Kings High‐ way, Room G15, Shreve‐ port, LA 71103, until 2:00 PM for the following: October 21, 2026: Bid# 007287 – Long Term Disability - LSUHS at which time and place the proposals will be opened and read. Specifi‐ cations may be obtained from the Purchasing Of‐ fice. Evidence of author‐ ity to submit the bid shall be required in ac‐ cordance with R.S. 39:1594 (C) (4). The right is reserved to reject any or all bids and to waive informalities. An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. By: Lorna Rawls – Purchasing Director. 202198-sept 28-1t $11.48 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO BIDDERS SP# 173 Sealed bids will be re‐ ceived by the Procure‐ ment Section of the Divi‐ sion of Administration, 1201 N. 3rd. St., 2nd. Floor, Suite 2-160, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at 10:00 A.M. for the follow‐ ing: RFx No. 3000026723, Armed Security Guard Services - LDH-Reg 9, 10/06/26 RFx No. 3000026673, Gro‐ cery Items (Canteen Re‐ sale) – DOC-PE, 10/14/26 RFx No. 3000026707, Pin‐ tle Hitch Trailer – LDWF, 10/14/26 RFx No. 3000026721, Heavy Haul Truck Tractor – DOTD, 10/14/26 RFx No. 3000026722, Truck Tractors – DOTD, 10/14/26 RFx No. 3000026726, Hydro Jetter Trailer – DOTD, 10/21/26 Bid proposal forms, in‐ formation and specifica‐ tions may be obtained by accessing the bid num‐ ber in LaPac at www.doa. la.gov/doa/osp/ or from the procurement section listed above. No bids will be received after the date and hour specified. The right is reserved to reject any and all bids and to waive any infor‐ malities. Amy Vincent Director of State Procurement FAX (225) 342-8688 202140 Sept. 28, 1t $16.05
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q LLC and Plaquemines Ex‐ pansion, LLC Terminals in Plaquemines Parish. The U.S. Army Corps of Engi‐ neers (CEMVN) will be accepting public com‐ ments on the project until October 8, 2026. To further review and/or provide comments, addi‐ tional information and plans related to the pro‐ posal may be obtained at the following website: www.mvn.usace.army. mil/missions/regulatory/ public-notices (see Ref#: MVN-2026-00308-BV). If you have any questions or would like additional information, please con‐ tact Courtland Vice with CEMVN, Regulatory Divi‐ sion at (504) 862-1349 or at courtland.l.vice@ usace.army.mil. A certifi‐ cation that the proposed activity will not violate applicable water quality standards will be re‐ quired from the LDEQ be‐ fore a Department of the Army permit could be is‐ sued. 201952-SEP 28-OCT 8-11T $1,405.06 PUBLIC NOTICE --Early Notice and Public Review of a Proposed Activity in a Federal Flood Risk Management Standard Designated Floodplain and Wetlands To: All interested Agen‐ cies, Groups and Individ‐ uals This is to give notice that East Baton Rouge Parish Government, under 24 CFR Part 58, has deter‐ mined that the following proposed action under Community Development Block Grant Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) B-18-DP-220001 is located in the Federal Flood Risk Man‐ agement Standard (FFRMS) floodplain, and East Baton Rouge Parish Government will be iden‐ tifying and evaluating practicable alternatives to locating the action within the floodplain and the potential impacts on the floodplain and possi‐ ble wetlands from the proposed action, as re‐ quired by [Executive Order 11988, as amended by Executive Order 13690 and/or Executive Order 11990], in accordance with HUD regulations at 24 CFR 55.20 in Subpart C Procedures for Making Determinations on Flood‐ plain Management and Protection of Wetlands. The extent of the FFRMS floodplain was deter‐ mined using Special Flood Hazard Area maps and the 0.2 percent flood approach. East Baton Rouge Parish Govern‐ ment has proposed the construction of a nearly 18-acre detention pond and a 210’ x 170’ weir in Jones Creek. The project site is located in the 100year FFRMS floodplain, just north of Old Ham‐ mond Highway and east of Sherwood Forest Boulevard. The purpose of the proposed project is to create approxi‐ mately 210,000 cubic yards of runoff storage that will mitigate flood risk within the Jones Creek Watershed. The proposed project will in‐ volve the excavation of the detention pond to an average of 8.5’ depth over the 18 acres with a chain link fence sur‐ rounding the pond for se‐ curity, as well as con‐ struction of the 210’ x 170’ weir, to include the installation of geotextile fabric, flexible revet‐ ment, and erosion con‐ trol mat. The detention pond will be seeded in order to reduce impacts to natural vegetation. All 18 acres of the pond will be within the floodplain, and no wetlands were identified within the pro‐ ject footprint. There are three primary purposes for this notice. First, peo‐ ple who may be affected by activities in the flood‐ plain and those who have an interest in the protection of the natural environment should be given an opportunity to express their concerns and provide information about these areas. Com‐ menters are encouraged to offer alternative sites outside of the floodplain, alternative methods to serve the same project purpose, and methods to minimize and mitigate project impacts on the [floodplain/wetland]. Second, an adequate public notice program can be an important pub‐ lic educational tool. The
PUBLIC NOTICE --Burns & McDonnell on behalf of Cloud Connec‐ tor, LLC is requesting au‐ thorization to construct a natural gas pipeline be‐ tween an interconnect station near Melville, Louisiana in St. Landry Parish, and Venture Global Plaquemines LNG, d l i
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dissemination of infor‐ mation and request for public comment about the floodplain can facili‐ tate and enhance Federal efforts to reduce the risks and impacts associ‐ ated with the occupancy and modification of these special areas. Third, as a matter of fair‐ ness, when the Federal government determines it will participate in ac‐ tions taking place in the floodplain, it must inform those who may be put at greater or continued risk.
Lewis, Shashonnie Stew‐ ard, Cliff Lewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, Emily Soulé, and Patrick Martin Motion Carries 9-0
Iberville Parish website.
y Absent: None.
Others present: Parish Engineer, Seneca Tous‐ sant.
The motion was declared adopted by the Advisory Board.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
ADDENDUM
Written comments must be received by East Baton Rouge Parish Gov‐ ernment at the following address on or before Oc‐ tober 16, 2026: East Baton Rouge Parish, 222 Saint Louis Street, 8th Floor, Baton Rouge, LA 70802 and 225-389-3159, Atten‐ tion: Fred Raiford, Direc‐ tor of Transportation and Drainage. A full descrip‐ tion of the project may also be reviewed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. MondayFriday at the same ad‐ dress as above. Com‐ ments may also be sub‐ mitted via email at fraiford@brla.gov. Date: September 28, 2026 202009 Sept. 28, 2026 1t $80.64 PUBLIC NOTICE --East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Regular Meeting Minutes Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 5:00 PM 1050 South Foster Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70806 A. Meeting Opening 1. Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance The Invocation was led by School Board Member Carla Powell Lewis, and the Pledge of Allegiance will be led by Cadet First Lieutenant Anjelli Avila of McKinley High School, accompanied by Lieu‐ tenant Colonel Retired, Kenneth Copple. 2. Call to Order and Roll Call Members Present: Mark Bellue, Dadrius Lanus, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Steward, Cliff Lewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, Emily Soulé, and Patrick Martin Others Present: LaMont Cole, Superintendent; Adam Smith, Deputy Su‐ perintendent; Catasha Edwards, Chief Academic Officer; Amy Jones, Chief Technology Officer; An‐ drea O’Konski, Chief of Accountability and As‐ sessments; Lisa Smoth‐ ers, Chief Officer-Human Resources; John McCann, Interim Chief Operations Officer; Kelly Lopez, Chief Financial Officer; Laura Williams, Chief of Schools; Kwesi Gilbert, Chief of Plant Opera‐ tions; Stacey Dupre, Chief of Support and Special Projects; and Tiffany Jenkins, Chief Student Services Officer B. Minutes 1. Meeting Minutes Approval of the School Board minutes of the April 2, 2016, Committee of the Whole meeting, and the April 16, 2026 Regular Board meeting, as published in the Offi‐ cial Journal. Moved by: Dadrius Lanus; seconded by: Patrick Martin Yea: Mark Bellue, Dadrius Lanus, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Stew‐ ard, Cliff Lewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, Emily Soulé, and Patrick Martin Motion Carries 9-0 C. Information Only 1. Monthly Financial Re‐ port 2. Personnel Changes D. Receive as Information 1. Update from the Su‐ perintendent E. Reports from Board Appointees to Commit‐ tees/Agencies 1. Board Appointees F. Unfinished Business 1. Policy Motion to defer the re‐ quest for approval of the following amended pol‐ icy GBB – Personnel Posi‐ tions to the June Com‐ mittee of the Whole. Moved by: Michael Gaudet; seconded by: Patrick Martin Yea: Mark Bellue, Dadrius Lanus, Shashonnie Stew‐ ard, Cliff Lewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, Emily Soulé, and Patrick Martin Motion Carries 8-0 G. Consent Agenda The following items are to be approved as part of the Consent Agenda. Moved by: Dadrius Lanus; seconded by: Emily Soulé Yea: Mark Bellue, Dadrius Lanus, Carla Powell
1. Realignment Approval of the Superin‐ tendent's recommenda‐ tion for the 2026 District Realignment Plan. 2. 2025-2026 General Fund Revised Budget Approval of the Revised 2025-2026 General Fund Budget for the East Baton Rouge Parish School System. 3. Resolution-Withdrawal of State Treasury Funds Adoption of a resolution to withdraw State Trea‐ sury Funds-EEF Invest‐ ment. 4. Job Description Approval of the following job description: Techni‐ cal Intern-Fleet Mainte‐ nance. 5. Policy Approval of the following amended policies. a) GBA – Contracts and Compensation to be amended with a full re‐ view and revision of the policy and come back to the Board in October. c) JBCBB – Homeless Children and Youth 6. Litigation Approval of the recom‐ mendation from Gwynn Shamlin, General Coun‐ sel, EBRPSB, in the mat‐ ter of: Kha-Yen Lev. Samira Oliver and East Baton Rouge Parish School Board; Suit No. C751521; Sec 33; 19th JDC, EBR Parish, LA, and re‐ lated matters. 7. Litigation Approval of the recom‐ mendation from Gwynn Shamlin, General Coun‐ sel, EBRPSB, in the mat‐ ter of: Rhenda L. Love vs. East Baton Rouge Parish School Board District 5; Office of Workers’ Com‐ pensation; State of Louisiana, and related matters. H. New Business 1. Student Expulsion Discussion/Considera‐ tion of a request to ap‐ peal a student expulsion. Moved by: Patrick Mar‐ tin; seconded by: Michael Gaudet Motion to hear the ap‐ peal at the June Regular Meeting. 2. Student Expulsion Discussion/Considera‐ tion of a request to ap‐ peal a student expulsion. Moved by: Patrick Mar‐ tin; seconded by: Michael Gaudet Motion to hear the ap‐ peal at the June Regular Meeting. 3. Appeal Hearing-Stu‐ dent Expulsion Request to appeal a stu‐ dent expulsion. The item dies for lack of a motion. I. Organizational Items 1. Announcement of Meetings J. Adjournment There being no further business, the Board ad‐ journed by acclamation. _____________________ _____________________ LaMont Cole Secretary/Treasurer, EBRP School Board Shashonnie Steward School Board President 202255-SEP 28-1T $84.23 PUBLIC NOTICE --IBERVILLE PARISH COUNCIL ADVISORY BOARD PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT MINUTES REGULAR MEETING, TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2026 The Advisory Board for Planning & Development of the Iberville Parish, State of Louisiana, met in Regular Session, in the Council Meeting Room, 2nd Floor, Courthouse Building, 58050 Meriam Street, Plaquemine, Louisiana, on the 18th day of August, 2026. Advisory Board Chair‐ man Dardenne called the meeting to order at 5:15 p.m. followed by the roll call with the following members in attendance: Randy LaPrairie, Anne Reeves, Maxie Gray, Councilman Pierce, Councilman Dominique, Councilman Morgan, Councilman Dardenne. Absent: None. Catherine Simpson arrived after roll call. A quorum was present and due notice had been published on the 13th day of August, 2026 in The Advocate, and on the
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Upon a motion by Pierce, and seconded by LaPrairie, the Advisory Board voted to suspend the reading of the min‐ utes of July 15, 2026 and approve as is. Yeas: All present. Nays: None. Absent: None. The motion was declared adopted by the Advisory Board. NEW BUSINESS A. Introduction of resubdivision for Karen Hicks B. Introduction of re-sub‐ division for MJN Farm C. Introduction of resubdivision for Hebert 6 WC D. Introduction of resubdivision for Deondra Carter E. Introduction of resubdivision for Eric Weber F. Introduction of resubdivision for Phil Canova On a motion by Reeves, seconded by Pierce, the Advisory Board voted to set these items for hear‐ ing on September 22, 2026. Yeas: All present. Nays: None. Absent: None. OLD BUSINESS A. CONSIDERATION OF RE-SUBDIVISION FOR BART MORGAN On a motion by Pierce, seconded by LaPrairie, the Advisory Board voted to approve as is. The sur‐ vey was prepared by Bradford Engineering and Services. The map reflects the survey & subdivision of Lot M-1B and Lot M-2, into M-2-A, Lot M-1B-1, and Lot M-1B2, located in Section 8, T8- S, R-1-E, Southeast Land District, East of the Mississippi River, Iberville Parish, State of Louisiana for Bart Mor‐ gan. Yeas: All present. Nays: None. Absent: None. Abstain: Morgan. The motion was declared adopted by the Advisory Board. B. CONSIDERATION OF RE-SUBDIVISION FOR BRIAN CARVILLE On a motion by Simpson, seconded by Pierce, the Advisory Board voted to approve as is. The survey was prepared by Brad‐ ford Engineering and Ser‐ vices. The maps reflect the survey and subdivi‐ sion of Tract 3-B and Tract 2-A into Tracts 3-B1, 2-A-1, 2-A-2, and 2-A-3, located in Section 66, T-9S, R-12-E, Southeast Land District, West of the Mis‐ sissippi River, Iberville Parish, State of Louisiana for Brian Carville. Yeas: All present. Nays: None. Absent: None. The motion was declared adopted by the Advisory Board. C. CONSIDERATION OF RE-SUBDIVISION for Johnny Andre, III On a motion by Simpson, seconded by Pierce, the Advisory Board voted to approve as is. The survey was prepared by Brad‐ ford Engineering and Ser‐ vices, LLC. The maps re‐ flect the survey and sub‐ division of Tract 6-E-7-A into Tract 6-E-7-A-1, Tract 6-E-7-A-2, and Tract 6-E-7A-3, located in Section 72 & 73, T-7- S, R-10-E, South‐ east Land District, West of the Mississippi River, Iberville Parish, State of Louisiana for John Andre, III Yeas: All present. Nays: None. Absent: None. The motion was declared adopted by the Advisory Board. D. CONSIDERATION OF RE-SUBDIVISION for Miachel Vitale On a motion by Simpson, seconded by Pierce, the Advisory Board voted to approve as is. The survey was prepared by Brad‐ ford Engineering and Ser‐ vices, LLC. The maps re‐ flect the survey and sub‐ division of a 80.560 acre tract into Tract MV-1 and Tract MV-2, located in Section 26, T-9- S, R-11-E, Southeast Land District, West of the Mississippi River, Iberville Parish, State of Louisiana for Michael Vitale. Yeas: All present. Nays: None. b
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None. DISCUSSIONS None. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, it was moved by Pierce, and seconded by Reeves, to adjourn at 5:25 p.m. Yeas: All present. Nays: None. Absent: None. The motion was declared adopted by the Advisory Board. ________________ /s/ MACY W. OURSO COMMISSION CLERK ___________________ /s/ CHARLES DARDENNE COMMISSION CHAIRMAN 202153 Sept. 28, 2t $87.31 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO PRESENT CLAIMS BY HYDE LLC PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that HYDE LLC (referred to as the “Company”), a Louisiana limited liability company, filed or intends to file its Notice of Au‐ thorization of Dissolution with the Louisiana Secre‐ tary of State. PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that the Com‐ pany requests that all persons and organiza‐ tions who have claims against it present them immediately in writing to the liquidator, Leo D. Congeni, Brooks Gelpi Haasé, L.L.C., 909 Poydras St., Suite 2325, New Or‐ leans, LA 70112, (504) 522-4848. PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that all claims against the Company must include: (1) the name, address and phone number of the claimant; (2) the amount claimed; (3) the basis of the claim; (4) the date on which the claim arose; and (5) documentation supporting the claim. PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that pursuant to Louisiana Revised Statute 12:1338, the fail‐ ure to present any claims as prescribed in this no‐ tice on or before six (6) months after the date this notice shall render said claim(s) perpetually and peremptorily barred unless suit has been en‐ tered on the claim in a court of competent juris‐ diction. Dated: September 16, 2026 201375 Sept. 21, 28, 2026 2t $352.50 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Northshore Charter School have taken all ac‐ tion required by law for the adopting of its oper‐ ating budget for the fis‐ cal year ended June 30, 2027. Those actions in‐ clude public notice the proposed budget was available and dates the budget will be discussed in open meetings, adop‐ tion of the budget in an open meeting, and sub‐ mittal of the approved budget to the charter au‐ thorizer. Budget adop‐ tion: 8/13/26
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p proposed budget was available and dates the budget will be discussed in open meetings, adop‐ tion of the budget in an open meeting, and sub‐ mittal of the approved budget to the charter au‐ thorizer.
amended (La. R.S. 49:214.21-214.41), and the regulations of the Louisiana Coastal Re‐ sources Program (LCRP). Pursuant to Section 306 (d)(14) of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended (CZMA), the public may submit comments on proposed projects to Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy, Office of Permits and Compliance, P.O. Box 44487, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-4487. Applications may be inspected during OPC business hours at 617 N. 3rd Street, Baton Rouge, LA. Comments must be received within 15 days of this notice to be considered. For more information, contact Mark Hogan at (225) 2199530 or (800) 267-4019.
FirstLine Schools 2620 Conti Street, New Orleans, LA 70119 Budget Adoption: 9/15/26 Homer Plessy Community Schools 1423 St. Phillip Street New Orleans, LA 70116 Budget Adoption: 9/14/26 202316 Sept. 28, 1t $87.21 PUBLIC NOTICE --PUBLIC HEARING ADOPTION OF PROPOSED ORDINANCES BY THE IBERVILLE PARISH COUNCIL NOTICE IS HERE BY GIVEN that a Public Hearing will be held Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., in the Council Meeting Room, 2nd Floor, Court‐ house Building, 58050 Meriam Street, Plaquem‐ ine, Louisiana on the adoption of the following ordinances which were introduced at the Regu‐ lar Meeting of the Parish Council of the Parish of Iberville, State of Louisiana, on Tuesday, September 22, 2026. Copies of the proposed entitled ordinances are available at the Council Office, Room 202, Iberville Parish Court‐ house, 58050 Meriam Street, Plaquemine, Louisiana. ORDINANCE 1 ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE 2026 GENERAL FUND BUDGET AND AUTHORIZE THE PURCHASE OF PROP‐ ERTY FOR CONSTRUC‐ TION OF A BOAT LANDING FROM KURT GRIFFON
Macy W. Ourso, Council Clerk Iberville Parish Council 58050 Meriam Street, P.O. Box 389 Plaquemine, Louisiana 70765 In accordance with the Americans with Disabili‐ ties Act, if you need spe‐ cial assistance for the Public Hearing, please contact Iberville Parish Council at (225) 687-5190, describing the assis‐ tance that is necessary. 9-28-2026 202168 Sept. 28, 1t $23.30 PUBLIC NOTICE --The Louisiana Depart‐ ment of Conservation and Energy, Office of Per‐ mits and Compliance (OPC) is currently re‐ viewing the following project for Consistency with the State and Local Coastal Resources Man‐ agement Act of 1978, as amended (La. R.S. ) d h
Federal License or Permit: C20260158 LDWF Proposed Cutoff Point In‐ shore Artificial Reef in Calcasieu Lake, Cameron Parish 202272 Sept. 28, 2026 1t $14.62
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PUBLIC NOTICE --East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes Thursday, April 2, 2026 at 5:00 PM 1050 South Foster Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70806 A. Meeting Opening 1. Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance The Invocation was led by School Board Member Emily Soulé, and the Pledge of Allegiance was led by School Board Member Mark Bellue. 2. Call to Order and Roll Call Lewis Vice-President called the meeting to order at 5:00 PM. Members Present: Mark Bellue, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Stew‐ ard, Cliff Lewis, Nathan Rust, Emily Soulé, and Patrick Martin Members Dadrius Lanus
Absent:
Members Late: Michael Gaudet Others Present: LaMont Cole, Superintendent; Gwynn Shamlin Jr., Gen‐ eral Counsel; Catasha Edwards, Chief Academic Officer; Andrea O’Konski, Chief of Accountability and Assessments; James Crochet, Chief Business Operations Officer; John McCann, Interim Chief Operations Officer; Kelly Lopez, Chief Financial Of‐ ficer; Kwesi Gilbert, Chief of Plant Operations; Stacey Dupre, Chief of Support and Special Pro‐ jects; and Tiffany Jenk‐ ins, Chief Student Ser‐ vices Officer B. Information Only 1. Fiscal Transparency
Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min
Report C. Receive as Information 1. School Presentation Glasgow Middle School Presentation. D. Items for Considera‐ tion 1. Grant: Early Childhood Literacy Initiative Sci‐ ence of Reading (SOR) Training Approval of the Early Childhood Literacy Initia‐ tive Grant in the amount of $99,700 to provide Tier I Curriculum and Science of Reading (SoR) Training stipends for PreK. Moved by: Shashonnie Steward; seconded by: Nathan Rust Yea: Mark Bellue, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Steward, Cliff Lewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, Emily Soulé, and Patrick Martin Motion Carries 8-0 2. Lease Agreement: South Boulevard Motion to authorize the Superintendent to exe‐ cute a lease between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Har‐ vest Commons School for the property and facility located at 804 Mayflower Dr., such lease to include the terms as specified in the backup document to this item entitled "Har‐ vest Commons Term Sheet Revised". Moved by: Patrick Mar‐ tin; seconded by: Michael Gaudet Yea: Mark Bellue, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Steward, Cliff Lewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, Emily Soulé, and Patrick Martin Motion Carries 8-0 3. RFQ: Mayfair Labora‐ tory Motion to authorize the Superintendent and staff to: a) issue a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for Architectural Design Consulting for Mayfair Laboratory School, b) upon completion of the RFQ process, to au‐ thorize the Superinten‐ dent and selection com‐ mittee to select an Archi‐ tectural Design Consult‐ ing firm. Funding Source: Tax Plan-Proposition 1 c) issue an RFQ for Con‐ struction Manager at Risk (CMaR) Services or Design-Bid-Build the pro‐ ject based upon the de‐ sign developed by the Ar‐ chitectural Design Con‐ sulting Firm. Moved by: Emily Soulé; seconded by: Shashonnie Steward Yea: Carla Powell Lewis, Emily Soulé, Mark Bellue, Shashonnie Steward, Cliff Lewis, Nathan Rust, Patrick Martin, and Michael Gaudet Motion Carries 8-0 4. Professional Services Contract: Prismatic Ser‐ vices, Inc. Approval of a profes‐ sional services contract between the East Baron Rouge Parish School Board and Prismatic Ser‐ vices, Inc., in the amount
202320-SEP 28-1T $61.66 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Sunset French Im‐ mersion School Inc, dba Ecole Saint-Landy have taken all action required by law for the adopting of its operating budget for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2027. Those ac‐ tions include public no‐ tice the proposed budget was available and dates the budget will be dis‐ cussed in open meetings, adoption of the budget in an open meeting, and submittal of the ap‐ proved budget to the charter authorizer. 202276 Sept. 28 2026, 1t $61.66 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the below charter schools have taken all action required by law for the adopting of its operating budget for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2027. Those actions include public notice the d b d
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IBERVILLE PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES PUBLIC HEARING, TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2026 PROPOSED ORDINANCE The Parish Council of Iberville Parish, State of Louisiana, held a Public Hearing in the Council Meeting Room, 58050 Meriam Street, Plaquemine, Louisiana, on the 18th day of August, 2026 at 6:00 P.M. pursuant to a Notice of Public Hearing published on the 21st day of July, 2026 in The Advocate and posted on the Iberville Parish website. The Council Chairman, Steve C. Smith, called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. followed by the roll call with the following Council Members in attendance: Shalanda L. Allen, District 1; Chasity B. Easley; District 2; Thomas E. Dominique, Sr., District 3; Freddie Frazier, Sr., District 4; Steve C. Smith, District 5; Raheem T. Pierce, District 6; Hunter S. Markins, District 8; Trent Martinez, District 10; Charles Dardenne, District 11; Matthew H. Jewell, District 12; Bart B. Morgan, District 13.
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ORDINANCE IPC# 008-26 ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE 2026 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BUDGET AND THE 2026 GENERAL FUND BUDGET TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE IBERVILLE MUSEUM BUILDING RENOVATION PROJECT AND THE ST LOUIS SUBDIVISION STREET LIGHTING PROJECT WHEREAS, the Iberville Parish Council has identified the desire to appropriate funds for additional street lighting in St. Louis Subdivision based on the most recent design professionals estimated project cost and the need for additional appropriations for the ongoing partnership with the City of Plaquemine on the Iberville Museum Renovation Project based on the most recent design professionals estimated project cost;
Absent: Jenkins.
WHEREAS, the Iberville Parish Finance Department certifies funds are available in the Capital Improvement Fund for the St. Louis Subdivision Lighting Project and the General Fund for the Iberville Museum Building Renovation Project;
Chief Administrative Officer- Randall Dunn, Chief Operating Officer- Kyle Grace, and Legal Counsel- Nedi Morgan were also in attendance.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Iberville Parish Council that the 2026 Capital Improvement Fund is hereby amended as follows:
Mr. Dunn read the following ordinances in entirety. ORDINANCE 1 ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE 2026 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BUDGET AND THE 2026 GENERAL FUND BUDGET TO PROVIDE FOR ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE IBERVILLE MUSEUM BUILDING RENOVATION PROJECT AND THE ST. LOUIS SUBDIVISION STREET LIGHTING PROJECT The floor was opened to comments and questions. opposition to this ordinance from the public.
There was no
There being no further business to be conducted, the hearing was adjourned at 6:05 p.m. ______________________ /s/ MACY W. OURSO COUNCIL CLERK
_________________________ /s/ STEVE C. SMITH COUNCIL CHAIRMAN
IBERVILLE PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES REGULAR MEETING, TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2026 The Parish Council of Iberville Parish, State of Louisiana, met in Regular Session, in the Council Meeting Room, 2nd Floor, Courthouse Building, 58050 Meriam Street, Plaquemine, Louisiana, on the 18th day of August, 2026. The Council Chairman, Steve C. Smith, called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. followed by the roll call with the following Council Members in attendance: Shalanda L. Allen, District 1; Chasity B. Easley; District 2; Thomas E. Dominique, Sr., District 3; Freddie Frazier, Sr., District 4; Steve C. Smith, District 5; Raheem T. Pierce, District 6; Hunter S. Markins, District 8; Trent Martinez, District 10; Charles Dardenne, District 11; Matthew H. Jewell, District 12; Bart B. Morgan, District 13. Absent: Jenkins. Parish President- Chris Daigle, Chief Administrative Officer- Randall Dunn, Chief Operating Officer- Kyle Grace, and Legal Counsel- Nedi Morgan were also in attendance.
1. An additional amount of two-hundred-thousandDollars ($200,000) is hereby appropriated from the Capital Improvement Fund for revenue in the following account Capital Improvement Fund 341, Intergovernmental Grant Capital Outlay Public Works 5853, Paved Streets Cost Center Account 5705, Infrastructure Other Than Buildings General Ledger Code 563000 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Iberville Parish Council that the 2026 General Fund is hereby amended as follows: 1. An additional amount of two-hundred-seventy-thousand Dollars ($270,000) is hereby appropriated from the Capital Improvement Fund for expenditure in the following account General Fund 001, Capital Outlay-Culture, Recreation and Tourism 5855, Museums Cost Center Account 7065, Grants General Ledger Code 576000 – to be made payable to the City of Plaquemine upon amendment of existing Cooperative Endeavor Agreement. The foregoing ordinance which was previously introduced at the meeting of the Iberville Parish Council on July 15, 2026 and a copy thereof having been published in the official journal on July 21, 2026 the public hearing on this ordinance held on the 18th day of August, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., in the Council Meeting Room, 58050 Meriam Street, Plaquemine, Louisiana, was brought up for final passage with a motion by Councilman Dominique, and seconded by Councilman Markins, having been duly submitted to a vote, the ordinance was duly adopted by the following yea and nay vote on roll call: YEAS: Allen, Easley, Dominique, Frazier, Pierce, Markins, Bradford, Martinez, Dardenne, Jewell, Morgan. NAYS: None. ABSTAIN: None. ABSENT: Jenkins. The ordinance was declared adopted by the Chairman on the 18th day of August, 2026. NEW BUSINESS A) President appointment of Officer – Chief Administrative Officer Randall Dunn Upon a motion by Councilman Bradford, seconded by Councilman Pierce, it was moved to accept the President’s appointment of Officer, Chief Administrative Officer Randall Dunn. The motion having been duly submitted to a vote was duly adopted by the following yea and nay votes on roll call:
A quorum was present and due notice had been posted and published in The Advocate newspaper on the 13th day of August, 2026. The Pledge of Allegiance followed. Council Chairman Smith called for anyone wanting to make public comments to register with the Clerk. Several people registered to speak. ADDENDUM None. PRESENTATIONS AND APPEARANCES A) Resolution of Recognition for St. John the Baptist Church • Councilwoman Shalanda Allen read the Resolution of Recognition aloud and presented to members for the church, and a picture was taken.
YEAS: Allen, Easley, Dominique, Frazier, Pierce, Markins, Bradford, Martinez, Dardenne, Jewell, Morgan. NAYS: None. ABSTAIN: None. ABSENT: Jenkins. The motion was declared adopted by the Chairman on August 18, 2026. B) Motion to reschedule the September 15, 2026 Council Meeting to Tuesday, September 22, 2026
D) Tyrone Williams – Drainage • This item was passed on. E) Vibration Study Update by John Clark • This item was passed on. F) Hyundai Project Update by Tamiko Stroud • Tamiko Stroud came before the Council to give a brief update on the Hyundai Project in Ascension Parish. On August 27 Hyundai is hosting an open house and she invited the Council to attend and also shared information about their social media campaigns and where to find information. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Upon a motion by Councilman Pierce, seconded by Councilman Markins, it was moved to wave the reading of the minutes of July 15, 2026 and approve as written. The motion having been duly submitted to a vote was duly adopted by the following yea and nay votes on roll call: YEAS: Allen, Easley, Dominique, Frazier, Pierce, Markins, Bradford, Martinez, Dardenne, Jewell, Morgan. NAYS: None. ABSTAIN: None. ABSENT: Jenkins. The motion was declared adopted by the Chairman. PRESIDENT’S REPORT President Daigle reported on the following: • He stated that he wanted to recognize the following employees for their years of service; Beverly Landry-Fleming for 30 years of service, Brad Bourgoyne for 25 years of service, Kristin Bouchereau for 10 years of service, Keegan Sanchez for 5 years of service, and Trinity Bessix for 5 years of service. • He stated that the Parish has its first pre-paid natural gas deal with Syngenta that will bring in around $360,000 annually. He stated that the DPW and Utility Department buildings will be going through some renovations, including adding a drive-thru payment window. The Bellmoor Road culvert was installed, and 12-foot culvert replaced the bridge. He also stated that the Nathan Georgetown ditch matting job is moving forward. • He stated that the Bayou Manchac Culvert replacement project is a $2.9 million project by the Pontchartrain Levee district to help improve drainage across the river. He stated that the St. Louis subdivision lighting project is moving forward, there were stakes placed where the lights would go and 19 lights have been added to existing poles. Also, the improvements to Jesse Romig Road and Gisclaird Road are moving forward. • He stated that upcoming on the agenda the Council will consider on the Cypress Harvest Solar Farm project, in April Entergy presented to the Council and their application was turned in on May 1st. The engineers have reviewed their application, and they complied with all the technical requirements of the Parish Ordinance. • He stated that upcoming events are the Swamp Life expo will be on October 3, Veterans Day event will be on November 11, and the first Very Merry Iberville will be December 18. FINANCIAL REPORT Finance Director, Randall Dunn stated that the council were sent their budget to actual financial statements. He stated that the natural gas deal has been in the works for many years and hopes to get more in the future. They are currently working on the budget and if they have any request to please get them in soon. OLD BUSINESS
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Harvest Solar Project as a representative for Entergy Margaret Patton came before the Council in favor of the Cypress Harvest Solar Project as a representative for A. Wilbert Sons, LLC Klien Kirby came before the Council in favor of the Cypress Harvest Solar Project as a representative for A. Wilbert Sons, LLC Amanda Marionneaux came before the Council in favor of the Cypress Harvest Solar Project as a representative for Entergy Jayson Newell came before the Council in favor of the Cypress Harvest Solar Farm Project as a representative for the Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership.
Upon a motion by Councilman Bradford, seconded by Councilman Dardenne, it was moved to approve the Cypress Harvest Solar Farm Project. The motion having been duly submitted to a vote, was duly adopted by the following yea and nay votes on roll call: YEAS: Frazier, Bradford, Martinez, Dardenne. NAYS: Allen, Easley, Dominique, Pierce, Markins, Jewell, Morgan. ABSTAIN: None. ABSENT: Jenkins. The motion failed. RESOLUTION COMMITTEE REPORT The Resolution Committee met on Tuesday, August 18, 2026 at 6:04 p.m., followed by the roll call with the following Resolution Committee Members only in attendance: Jewell, Dardenne, Pierce, Markins, Martinez, Frazier, Morgan, Dominique. Absent: Jenkins The following resolution was read aloud by Mr. Dunn: A) Consider/Approve Resolution authorizing the submission of an application to the Delta Regional Authority Community Infrastructure Fund Program; authorizing the commitment of NON-DRA funds, if applicable; authorizing the execution of related documents; and providing for other matters in connection therewith B) Consider/Approve Resolution to establish a requisition of funds policy as required by the Louisiana Division of Administration for participation in the Louisiana Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. C) Consider/Approve Resolution to establish and execute a section 504 Rehabilitation Act Certification as required by the Louisiana Division of Administration for participation in the Louisiana Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. D) Consider/Approve Resolution to declare Emergency 911 furniture surplus and Transfer to The Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office. E) Consider/Approve Resolution authorizing the Parish President to enter into a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement (CEA) by and between the Iberville Parish Government, and the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office for the placement of a drone and equipment on the 911 Tower located at the Parish Barn Facility F) Consider/Approve Resolution authorizing the Parish President to enter into a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement (CEA) with the Iberville Parish Government, Iberville Caer, and the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office for the installation and operation of an Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office License Plate Reader (LPR) On the Iberville Parish Government and Iberville Caer Siren Pole Number 3504, located in Sunshine, Louisiana. G) Consider/Approve Resolution authorizing the Parish President to enter into a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement (CEA) with the Louisiana Military Department, through the Gillis Long Center, Louisiana National Guard Youth Challenge Program Campus in Carville Louisiana, Iberville Parish, for the Establishment and Operation of an Iberville Parish Fire Service Satellite Station.
Upon a motion by Councilwoman Allen, seconded by Councilman Bradford, it was moved to reschedule the September 15, 2026 Council Meeting to Tuesday, September 22, 2026. The motion having been duly submitted to a vote was duly adopted by the following yea and nay votes on roll call:
H) Consider/Approve Resolution authorizing the Parish President to enter into a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement (CEA) with South Central Planning and Development Commission to provide a supplemental plan for review, staff support, data, and documentation for the neighborhood revitalization of blighted and nuisance properties in the unincorporated areas of Iberville Parish which will establish a framework for targeted revitalization planning
YEAS: Allen, Easley, Dominique, Frazier, Pierce, Markins, Bradford, Martinez, Dardenne, Jewell, Morgan. NAYS: None. ABSTAIN: None. ABSENT: Jenkins.
Councilman Markins made a recommendation to forward the resolution to the regular meeting, seconded by Councilman Dardenne. The recommendation having been duly submitted to a vote was duly adopted by the following yea and nay votes on roll call by Resolution Committee Members only:
The motion was declared adopted by the Chairman on August 18, 2026.
YEAS: Jewell Dardenne, Pierce, Markins, Martinez, Frazier, Morgan, Dominique. NAYS: None. ABSTAIN: None. ABSENT: Jenkins.
B) Recognition of the Iberville Parish Animal Shelter • Parish President recognized the Iberville Parish Animal Shelter and its employees for all the hard work that they do to maintain a No-Kill status for the 2nd consecutive year. C) Merry Way – We Are the Difference – Terri Witt • Terri Witt with We Are the Difference came before the Council with a brief presentation about the upcoming Merry Way, a Christmas Tree display in front of City Hall. The intent of Merry Way is to create an interest for tourists and create a tradition for families.
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C) Introduction of Ordinances 1. Ordinance to amend the 2026 capital improvement budget and the 2026 Ochsner Medical Complex special revenue fund budget to provide additional appropriations for Ramah Boat landing improvements and purchase of equipment for Ochsner Medical Complex. Set for Public Hearing on September 22, 2026
The recommendation was declared adopted by the Chairman to forward these items to the regular meeting.
2. Ordinance creating the Iberville Parish Infrastructure Fund; providing for the purpose, funding, administration, and use of the fund; authorizing the deposit of revenues derived from Industrial Tax Exemption Program (ITEP) agreements, payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT), cooperative endeavor agreements, and other economic development tax incentive programs; providing for eligible capital improvements; providing for project approval, accountability, reporting, and severability; and otherwise providing with respect thereto. Set for Public Hearing on September 22, 2026
During the Regular Meeting:
3. Ordinance to amend section 16-4(a) of the Iberville Parish Code of Ordinances to clarify that the replacement of existing culverts as part of certain governmental flood mitigation or drainage improvement projects is permitted when such replacement maintains or improves hydraulic capacity. Set for Public Hearing on September 22, 2026
WHEREAS the following resolution was introduced by Councilman Pierce and seconded by Councilwoman Allen. WHEREAS, the Iberville Parish Council recognizes the importance of investing in public infrastructure improvements that support economic development, public safety, and quality of life within the community; and WHEREAS, the Delta Regional Authority (“DRA”) administers the Community Infrastructure Fund (“CIF”) Program to support investments in public infrastructure and economic development projects; and WHEREAS, the Iberville Parish Council desires to submit an application for the project entitled Iberville East Intercoastal Water System Improvements; and WHEREAS, the proposed Iberville East Intercoastal Water System Improvements is intended to replace aging and obsolete pressure filtration equipment with a modern water treatment facility to improve drinking water reliability, maintain regulatory compliance, reduce longterm maintenance costs, and support existing and future residential, commercial, and industrial development within Iberville Parish; and WHEREAS, the Iberville Parish Council desires to authorize submission of the application and, if applicable, commit non-DRA funds and other legally available resources necessary to complete the Project; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Iberville Parish Council, acting as the governing authority thereof, that:
4. Ordinance to amend IPC Ordinance No. 007-26 relative to the moratorium on the location of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in the unincorporated areas of Iberville Parish, Louisiana. Set for Public Hearing on September 22, 2026 Upon a motion by Councilman Bradford, seconded by Councilman Dardenne, it was moved that a public hearing be held on Tuesday, September 22, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. on the introduced ordinance. The motion having been duly submitted to a vote, was duly adopted by the following yea and nay votes on roll call: YEAS: Allen, Easley, Dominique, Frazier, Pierce, Markins, Bradford, Martinez, Dardenne, Jewell, Morgan. NAYS: None. ABSTAIN: None. ABSENT: Jenkins. The motion was declared adopted by the Chairman on August 18, 2026. D) Consider/Approve Cypress Harvest Solar Farm Project • Tom David came before the Council, he stated that as the application stands today Entergy meets all technical requirements of the Parish Ordinance. • Gary Harrell came before the Council in opposition of the Cypress Harvest Solar Farm Project, and he requested 5 minutes to make comments, the standard is 3 minutes. Upon a motion by Councilman Jewell and seconded by Councilman Thomas Dominique. The motion having been duly submitted to a vote, was duly adopted by the following yea and nay votes on roll call: YEAS: Allen, Easley, Dominique, Pierce, Markins, Martinez, Dardenne, Jewell, Morgan. NAYS: Frazier, Bradford. ABSTAIN: None. ABSENT: Jenkins. The motion passed. • • •
Savannah Morales came before the Council in opposition to the Cypress Harvest Solar Project Patrick Frisschertz came before the Council in favor of the Cypress Harvest Solar project as a representative for EJ Gay corporation. Seth Schilling came before the Council in favor of the Cypress
RESOLUTION IPC# 2026-020 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE SUBMISSION OF AN APPLICATION TO THE DELTA REGIONAL AUTHORITY COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE FUND PROGRAM; AUTHORIZING THE COMMITMENT OF NON-DRA FUNDS, IF APPLICABLE; AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF RELATED DOCUMENTS; AND PROVIDING FOR OTHER MATTERS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH
SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION TO SUBMIT APPLICATION The Iberville Parish Council is hereby authorized to prepare and submit an application to the Delta Regional Authority Community Infrastructure Fund Program for eligible project scoping, planning, and related hazard mitigation activities. SECTION 2. AUTHORIZATION OF DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVE The Iberville Parish President, Chris Daigle, or his/her duly authorized designee, is hereby authorized to act on behalf of the Iberville Parish Council in connection with the application process, including the execution and submission of applications, certifications, assurances, agreements, amendments, supporting documentation, and any other documents necessary or appropriate to pursue and administer such funding. SECTION 3. COMMITMENT OF NON-DRA FUNDS The Iberville Parish Council commits to provide all required non-DRA funds and any costs exceeding the DRA award amount from legally available sources, contingent upon award and acceptance of funding. The Iberville Parish Council further acknowledges its responsibility for any otherwise authorized Project costs that exceed the combined amount of the DRA award and other committed Project funding. SECTION 4. ACCEPTANCE AND ADMINISTRATION OF AWARD Upon selection for funding, the Iberville Parish President, Chris Daigle, or his/her duly authorized designee, is further authorized to accept the award on behalf of the Iberville Parish Council, execute the applicable award and grant agreements, and take all actions reasonably necessary to administer the approved Project in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local requirements.
8C ■ Monday, September 28, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate Legal Notices
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SECTION 5. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION Subject to applicable procurement requirements, budgetary authority, and any approvals otherwise required by law, the Iberville Parish President, Chris Daigle, or his or her duly authorized designee, is authorized to execute Project-related contracts, amendments, and implementation documents necessary to complete the Project. SECTION 6. EFFECTIVE DATE This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon adoption. The above resolution was duly adopted in regular session on this 18th day of August, 2026 by the following votes on roll call: YEAS: Allen, Easley, Dominique, Frazier, Pierce, Markins, Bradford, Martinez, Dardenne, Jewell, Morgan. NAYS: None. ABSTAIN: None. ABSENT: Jenkins. The resolution was declared adopted by the Chairman on the 18th day of August, 2026. RESOLUTION IPC# 2026-021 RESOLUTION TO ESTABLISH A REQUISITION OF FUNDS POLICY AS REQUIRED BY THE LOUISIANA DIVISION OF ADMINISTRATION FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE LOUISIANA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) PROGRAM
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SECTION 3 PLAN WHEREAS, the STATE requires Grantees to the greatest extent feasible to provide opportunities for training and employment to lower income residents of the project area and contracts for work in connection with the project area be awarded to eligible business concerns which are located in, or owned in substantial part by, persons residing in the area of the project in compliance with Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 11168; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Chris Daigle, President shall certify the correctness of the signatures; and, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the Citizens Bank and Trust is hereby designated as the official depositary for direct deposit of grant funds for the CDBG project. SECTION II. REQUISITION OF FUNDS WHEREAS, the STATE requires adequate financial management control over CDBG funds. The establishment of a Requisition of Funds Policy is a vital tool to such control. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the Parish of Iberville that all invoices for work performed or materials used in relation to the CDBG Program, prior to payment, must have attached a signed pre-printed project requisition form. The form and invoice shall be approved in the following order: (1)
Approval by Project Administrator for budget control.
(2)
Approval by Chief Executive Officer (President).
(3)
Approval by Chief Financial Officer.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Chris Daigle, Randall Dunn, and Holly Wille are hereby authorized to sign checks written on the CDBG account, with a minimum of two of the listed signatures required on each check. The above resolution was duly adopted in regular session on this 18th day of August, 2026 by the following votes on roll call: YEAS: Allen, Easley, Dominique, Frazier, Pierce, Markins, Bradford, Martinez, Dardenne, Jewell, Morgan. NAYS: None. ABSTAIN: None. ABSENT: Jenkins. The resolution was declared adopted by the Chairman on the 18th day of August, 2026. RESOLUTION IPC# 2026-022 RESOLUTION TO ESTABLISH AND EXECUTE A SECTION 504 REHABILITATION ACT CERTIFICATION AS REQUIRED BY THE LOUISIANA DIVISION OF ADMINISTRATION FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE LOUISIANA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) PROGRAM WHEREAS, the following resolution was introduced by Councilman Pierce, and seconded by Councilwoman Allen. WHEREAS, Iberville Parish has been afforded the opportunity to participate in the State of Louisiana Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program administered by the Division of Administration; and, WHEREAS it is necessary under the program regulations to authorize certain actions and individuals to perform certain designated functions required by the STATE: NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that Iberville Parish, as legal recipient of the CDBG funds, does hereby authorize the following actions. SECTION I. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY WHEREAS, equal employment opportunity regulations of the CDBG program require the appointment by the recipient of an Equal Employment Opportunity Officer, (EEO Officer) to have responsibility for maintaining all pertinent EEO files, submitting on a timely basis all required reports, answer all related correspondence and monitoring all EEO areas; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by Iberville Parish that Stephanie Glynn is hereby appointed as EEO officer for the life of the CDBG Program and as such is charged to faithfully execute all duties and responsibilities herein described. SECTION II. FAIR HOUSING POLICY WHEREAS, the STATE requires Grantees to take actions to affirmatively further fair housing in compliance with Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 11168, as amended and Executive Order 11063, as amended; and NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by Iberville Parish, that the attached policy entitled “Fair Housing Policy of Iberville Parish” dated August 18, 2026, is hereby adopted. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the President of Iberville Parish is hereby authorized to execute the attached Fair Housing Assurance. SECTION III. PROCUREMENT POLICY WHEREAS, the STATE requires the establishment of uniform procedures in compliance with 2 CFR 200; and, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by Iberville Parish, that the attached policy entitled “IBERVILLE PARISH CDBG Procurement Policy” dated August 18, 2026, is hereby adopted. SECTION IV.
The above resolution was duly adopted in regular session on this 18th day of August, 2026 by the following votes on roll call: YEAS: Allen, Easley, Dominique, Frazier, Pierce, Markins, Bradford, Martinez, Dardenne, Jewell, Morgan. NAYS: None. ABSTAIN: None. ABSENT: Jenkins.
RESOLUTION IPC# 2026-024
COMPLAINT POLICY
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PARISH PRESIDENT TO ENTER INTO A COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT (CEA) BY AND BETWEEN THE IBERVILLE PARISH GOVERNMENT, AND THE IBERVILLE PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE FOR THE PLACEMENT OF A DRONE AND EQUIPMENT ON THE 911 TOWER, LOCATED AT THE PARISH MAINTENANCE FACILITY.
WHEREAS, the STATE requires Grantees to establish procedures to deal with citizen inquiries and complaints; and, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by Iberville Parish, that the attached policy entitled “Citizen Complaint Procedure”, dated August 18, 2026, is hereby adopted. SECTION VI. SECTION 504 GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE
WHEREAS the STATE requires Grantees to designate a responsible person to coordinate PARISH’s efforts to comply with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 11173 as amended;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by Iberville Parish as legal authorized recipient of the CDBG funds, in regular session convened, that Randall Dunn, and Stephanie Glynn are hereby authorized to sign “Authorized Signature Card for Request for Payment”, and,
Office.
SECTION V.
SECTION I.
WHEREAS, it is further necessary under the Financial Management regulations of the CDBG program to designate an official depositary to hold CDBG funds;
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The resolution was declared adopted by the Chairman on the 18th day of August, 2026.
WHEREAS, the STATE requires Grantees to establish internal grievance procedures to deal with citizen inquiries and complaints concerning Section 504;
WHEREAS, it is necessary under the Financial Management regulations of the CDBG program to authorize certain individuals to sign for drawdowns for request for payment and to authorize one certain individual to certify the correctness of each signature; and,
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NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the attached “Section 3 Plan” for Iberville Parish dated August 18, 2026, is hereby adopted.
WHEREAS, the following resolution was introduced by Councilman Pierce and seconded by Councilwoman Allen. WHEREAS, Iberville Parish has been afforded the opportunity to participate in the State of Louisiana Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program administered by the Division of Administration; and, WHEREAS, it is necessary under the program regulations to authorize certain actions and individuals to perform certain designated functions required by the STATE: NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Parish of Iberville as legal recipient of the CDBG funds, does hereby authorize the following actions.
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
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NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by Iberville Parish, that the attached policy entitled “Section 504 Grievance Procedure”, dated August 18, 2026, is hereby adopte SECTION VII. 504 COORDINATOR
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that Stephanie Glynn is appointed as Section 504 Compliance Officer. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the President of Iberville Parish is hereby authorized to execute the attached Section 504 Certification. SECTION VIII. ANTI-DISPLACEMENT WHEREAS the CDBG Program requires that all grant recipients adopt by resolution a Residential Anti-Displacement and Relocation Assistance Plan, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the attached “Residential Anti-Displacement and Relocation Assistance Plan” for Iberville Parish dated August 18, 2026, is hereby adopted. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the President of Iberville Parish is hereby authorized to execute the attached Residential Anti-Displacement and Relocation Assistance Certification. SECTION IX. LABOR COMPLIANCE WHEREAS labor compliance regulations of the CDBG Program require the appointment by the recipient of a Labor Compliance Officer, (LCO) to have the responsibility for maintaining all pertinent labor compliance files, submitting on a timely basis all required reports, answer all related correspondence and monitor all labor compliance areas; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by Iberville Parish that Pan American Engineers, LLC is hereby appointed as Labor Compliance Officer for the life of the CDBG Program and as such is charged to faithfully execute all duties and responsibilities herein described. SECTION X. COMMUNICATION WHEREAS the CDBG Program requires that all grant recipients adopt by resolution a policy for communicating information to persons with hearing impairments, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the attached “Policy Statement For Communicating Information to Persons with Sensory Impairments” for Iberville Parish dated August 18, 2026, is hereby adopted. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, Iberville Parish hereby adopts a policy to utilize the Louisiana Hearing Impaired Relay System for communicating with hearing impaired persons. The relay numbers are: Information 1-800333-0605, TDD Users 1-800-846-5277 and Voice Users 1-800-11475277. SECTION XI. LANGUAGE ACCESS PLAN WHEREAS the CDBG Program requires that all grant recipients adopt by resolution a Language Access Plan, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the attached “Language Access Plan” for Iberville Parish dated August 18, 2026, is hereby adopted. The above resolution was duly adopted in regular session on this 18th day of August, 2026 by the following votes on roll call: YEAS: Allen, Easley, Dominique, Frazier, Pierce, Markins, Bradford, Martinez, Dardenne, Jewell, Morgan. NAYS: None. ABSTAIN: None. ABSENT: Jenkins. The resolution was declared adopted by the Chairman on the 18th day of August, 2026. RESOLUTION IPC# 2026-023 RESOLUTION TO DECLARE EMERGENCY 911 FURNITURE SURPLUS AND TRANSFER TO THE IBERVILLE PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE WHEREAS, the following resolution was introduced by Councilman Pierce and seconded by Councilwoman Allen. WHEREAS, The Parish of Iberville, through is Parish Council, has been requested to declare as surplus moveable property, four (4) Zybix Ergonomic 911 dispatch furniture modular desk sets, which is no longer required for use by the Parish and should be declared surplus property WHEREAS, L.A. R.S. 49:125 provides that a political subdivision is authorized to sell surplus movable property at a public auction/sale, or pursuant to the LA Constitution of 1974, Article 7, Section 14, as amended, which provides that pursuant to a written agreement, the donation of the use of public equipment by a political subdivision upon request of another political subdivision for the safety of the public is authorized to exercise. (LA Const. Art. 7, Sec 14). WHEREAS, the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office has requested the donation of the surplus furniture for use to ensure the public safety of the citizens of Iberville Parish. WHEREAS, pursuant to an intergovernmental agreement, the Parish Council shall transfer the Zybix Ergonomic 911 dispatch furniture modular Desk sets to The Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Iberville Parish Council as follows: That the four (4) Zybix Ergonomic 911 dispatch furniture modular Desk sets, be declared as surplus movable property and transferred to the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office to be used for Public Safety according to the law NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, by the Iberville Parish Council that the Iberville Parish President, Chris Daigle, or his/her duly authorized designee, is hereby authorized to act on behalf of the Iberville Parish Council in connection with the execution of an intergovernmental agreement and transfer of said furniture to the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s
WHEREAS the following resolution was introduced by Councilman Pierce and seconded by Councilwoman Allen. WHEREAS, The Iberville Parish Government, and the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office, have met, discussed, analyzed, and mutually agreed to partner together to enhance public safety by the installation and use of a drone. The objective of this agreement is to enhance emergency management, law enforcement capabilities, and public safety infrastructure within Iberville Parish by optimizing the use of existing public assets. The parish grants a non-exclusive, revocable license to install and operate the sheriff’s drone equipment on the 911 tower located at the Iberville maintenance facility without the cost of acquiring land or erecting an independent structural mast. The placement of the sheriff’s office drone and equipment on the 911 communications tower will enhance public safety, law enforcement investigations, and emergency response capabilities for the citizens of Iberville Parish. The sheriff’s drone data will assist parish emergency managers during crisis declarations, traffic management events, or natural disasters, creating an equivalent value exchange. WHEREAS, Article 7, Section 14 of the Louisiana Constitution, allows for the State and its political subdivisions and/or corporations to enter into cooperative endeavor agreements in order to expend public funds for a public purpose resulting in a benefit to the public; and In conjunction with Article VI section 20 of the Louisiana Constitution allowing for the Joint cooperation and sharing of any power or function between Political Subdivisions. WHEREAS, discussions were held between the parties in an effort to establish the most cost effective and mutually beneficial manner by which the drone system could best be accomplished, so that the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of Iberville Parish are protected; and WHEREAS, The Iberville Parish Government and the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office believe that by entering into this agreement, it will serve a valuable public purpose and produce a public benefit commensurate with the costs. Each party will bear its own cost per the agreement; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Iberville Parish Council that the parish president is hereby authorized to enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement between the Iberville Parish Government and the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office to allow the joint project of installing a drone and equipment on the 911 communications tower located at the Iberville Parish maintenance facility in Plaquemine, LA. With the terms of the CEA to be finalized by the parish legal department. The above resolution was duly adopted in regular session on this 18th day of August, 2026 by the following votes on roll call: YEAS: Allen, Easley, Dominique, Frazier, Pierce, Markins, Bradford, Martinez, Dardenne, Jewell, Morgan. NAYS: None. ABSTAIN: None. ABSENT: Jenkins. The resolution was declared adopted by the Chairman on the 18th day of August, 2026. RESOLUTION IPC# 2026-025 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PARISH PRESIDENT TO ENTER INTO A COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT (CEA) WITH THE IBERVILLE PARISH GOVERNMENT, IBERVILLE CAER, AND THE IBERVILLE PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE FOR THE INSTALLATION AND OPERATION OF AN IBERVILLE PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE LICENSE PLATE READER (LPR) ON THE IBERVILLE PARISH GOVERNMENT AND IBERVILLE CAER SIREN POLE NUMBER 3504, LOCATED IN SUNSHINE LOUISIANA WHEREAS, the following resolution was introduced by Councilman Pierce and seconded by Councilman Allen. WHEREAS, The Iberville Parish Government, Iberville Caer, and the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office, have met, discussed, analyzed, and mutually agreed to partner together to enhance the License Plate Reader (LPR) system. The Iberville Parish Government and Iberville CAER owns, operates, and maintains certain emergency infrastructure throughout Iberville Parish, specifically including an Emergency Siren Pole located near 1535 Hwy 75 Sunshine, LA. This is siren number 3504. The placement of the Sheriff’s Office LPR Device on the Siren Pole enhances public safety, law enforcement communications, and emergency response capabilities for the citizens of Iberville Parish. The Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office will provide its own equipment and installation of the LPR. The siren pole discussed currently has electricity suppled to the pole, that the device and connect to, if needed. Iberville Parish Government and Iberville CAER have supplied the pole for the siren. WHEREAS, Article 7, Section 14 of the Louisiana Constitution, allows for the State and its political subdivisions and/or corporations to enter into cooperative endeavor agreements in order to expend public funds for a public purpose resulting in a benefit to the public; and In conjunction with Article VI section 20 of the Louisiana Constitution allowing for the Joint cooperation and sharing of any power or function between Political Subdivisions. WHEREAS, discussions were held between the parties in an effort to establish the most cost effective and mutually beneficial manner by which the LPR system could best be accomplished, so that the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of Iberville Parish are protected; and WHEREAS, The Iberville Parish Government, Iberville Caer, and the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office believe that by entering into this agreement, it will serve a valuable public purpose and produce a public benefit commensurate with the costs. Each party will bear its own cost per the agreement; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Iberville Parish Council that the Parish President is hereby authorized to enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement between the Iberville Parish Government, Iberville Caer, and the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office to allow the joint project of installing an LPR device on the Siren Pole, in Sunshine Louisiana, Iberville Parish, with the terms of the CEA to be finalized by the Parish Legal Department. The above resolution was duly adopted in regular session on this 18th day of August, 2026 by the following votes on roll call: YEAS: Allen, Easley, Dominique, Frazier, Pierce, Markins, Bradford, Martinez, Dardenne, Jewell, Morgan. NAYS: None. ABSTAIN: None. ABSENT: Jenkins. The resolution was declared adopted by the Chairman on the 18th day of August, 2026. RESOLUTION IPC# 2026-026 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PARISH PRESIDENT TO ENTER INTO A COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT (CEA) WITH THE LOUISIANA MILITARY DEPARMENT, THROUGH THE GILLIS LONG CENTER, LOUISIANA NATIONAL GUARD YOUTH CHALLENGE PROGRAM CAMPUS IN CARVILLE LOUISIANA, IBERVILLE PARISH, FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT AND OPERATION OF AN IBERVILLE PARISH FIRE SERVICE SATELLITE STATION WHEREAS the following resolution was introduced by Councilman Pierce and seconded by Councilwoman Allen. WHEREAS, The Iberville Parish Government and The Louisiana Military Department, through its representative at the Gillis Long Center-Louisiana national Guard Youth Challenge Program have met, discussed, analyzed, and mutually agreed to partner together to create a satellite fire service
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station. This satellite station will assure that the Gillis Long Center Campus, surrounding areas of Carville and St. Gabriel of the east side of Iberville Parish will have improved emergency response times and expedited fire protection. This will enhance life, safety, and emergency preparedness for the citizens on the east bank of Iberville Parish. The Gillis Long Center will provide a suitable building on its campus to house the Satellite Station and Iberville Parish will supply the necessary equipment and personnel to have the station function; and WHEREAS, Article 7, Section 14 of the Louisiana Constitution, allows for the State and its political subdivisions and/or corporations to enter into cooperative endeavor agreements in order to expend public funds for a public purpose resulting in a benefit to the public; and WHEREAS, discussions were held between the parties in an effort to establish the most cost effective and mutually beneficial manner by which the satellite fire service could best be accomplished, so that the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of Iberville Parish are protected; and WHEREAS, Iberville Parish Government and The Louisiana Military Department, through its representative at the Gillis Long Center-Louisiana National Guard Youth Challenge Program believe that by entering into this agreement, it will serve a valuable public purpose and produce a public benefit commensurate with the costs. Each party will bear its own cost per the agreement; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Iberville Parish Council that the Parish President is hereby authorized to enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement with The Louisiana Military Department, through its representative at the Gillis Long Center-Louisiana national Guard Youth Challenge Program to create a satellite fire service station, with the terms of the CEA to be finalized by the Parish Legal Department. The above resolution was duly adopted in regular session on this 18th day of August, 2026 by the following votes on roll call: YEAS: Allen, Easley, Dominique, Frazier, Pierce, Markins, Bradford, Martinez, Dardenne, Jewell, Morgan. NAYS: None. ABSTAIN: None. ABSENT: Jenkins. The resolution was declared adopted by the Chairman on the 18th day of August, 2026. RESOLUTION IPC# 2026-027 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PARISH PRESIDENT TO ENTER INTO A COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT (CEA) WITH SOUTH CENTRAL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION TO PROVIDE A SUPPLEMENTAL PLAN FOR REVIEW, STAFF SUPPORT, DATA, AND DOCUMENTATION FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION OF BLIGHTED AND NUISANCE PROPRTIES IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF IBERVILLE PARISH WHICH WILL ESTABLISH A FRAMEWORK FOR TARGETED REVITALIZATION PLANNING
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of $175,000 to provide for strategic and operational planning as it relates to transportational efficien‐ cies and consolidation of routes, reduction of transfer buses, and other matters related to the implementation of the school start times initia‐ tive phases. Funding Source: General Fund
Officer; Amy Jones, Chief Technology Officer; An‐ drea O’Konski, Chief of Accountability and As‐ sessments; Lisa Smoth‐ ers, Chief Officer-Human Resources; James Cro‐ chet, Chief Business Op‐ erations Officer; John McCann, Interim Chief Operations Officer; Kelly Lopez, Chief Financial Of‐ ficer; Laura Williams, Chief of Schools; Kwesi Gilbert, Chief of Plant Op‐ erations; Stacey Dupre, Chief of Support and Special Projects; Tiffany Jenkins, Chief Student Services Officer
Moved by: Carla Powell Lewis; seconded by: Patrick Martin Yea: Mark Bellue, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Steward, Cliff Lewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, Emily Soulé, and Patrick Martin Motion Carries 8-0 5. 2026-2027 Board Meet‐ ing Calendar Motion to approve the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board meeting schedule for the 20262027 school year, with changes to the July meetings to July 9th and July 23rd. Moved by: Michael Gaudet; seconded by: Patrick Martin Yea: Carla Powell Lewis, Cliff Lewis, Emily Soulé, Mark Bellue, Michael Gaudet, Nathan Rust, Patrick Martin, and Shashonnie Steward Motion Carries 8-0 6. Litigation Approval of the recom‐ mendation from Gwynn Shamlin, General Coun‐ sel, EBRPSB, in the mat‐ ter of: Rocklin Richard v. East Baton Rouge Parish School System and Vin‐ cent E. Woodward, II; 19th JDC; Parish of East Baton Rouge, Docket: 724829, and to provide for related matters. Moved by: Patrick Mar‐ tin; seconded by: Emily Soulé Yea: Mark Bellue, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Steward, Cliff Lewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, Emily Soulé, and Patrick Martin Motion Carries 8-0 7. Litigation Approval of the recom‐ mendation from Gwynn Shamlin, General Coun‐ sel, EBRPSB, in the mat‐ ter of: Shawn Prather et al v. East Baton Rouge Parish School Board, 3:23-cv-01349-SDD-RLB, United States District Court, Middle District of Louisiana, and to provide for related matters. Moved by: Emily Soulé; seconded by: Shashonnie Steward Yea: Mark Bellue, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Steward, Cliff Lewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, Emily Soulé, and Patrick Martin Motion Carries 8-0 E. Next Meeting Dates/Announcements F. Adjournment There being not further business, the Board ad‐ journed by acclamation. LaMont Cole Secretary/Treasurer, EBRP School Board Shashonnie Steward School Board President 202257-SEP 28-1T $99.10 PUBLIC NOTICE --East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Committee of the Whole - May 07 2026 Minutes Thursday, May 7, 2026 at 5:00 PM 1050 South Foster Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70806 A. Meeting Opening 1. Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance The Invocation was led by School Board Member Mark Bellue, and the Pledge of Allegiance was led by the Belaire High School Cadets. 2. Call to Order and Roll Call Lewis Vice-President called the meeting to order at 5:03 PM. Members Present: Mark Bellue, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Stew‐ ard, Cliff Lewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, Emily Soulé, and Patrick Martin Members Late: Dadrius Lanus Others Present: LaMont Cole, Superintendent; Adam Smith, Deputy Su‐ perintendent; Catasha Edwards, Chief Academic
B. Information Only 1. Fiscal Transparency Report C. Receive as Information 1. School Presentation Scotlandville Middle PreEngineering Magnet Liberty Magnet High D. Items for Considera‐ tion 1. Realignment Approval of the Superin‐ tendent's recommenda‐ tion for the 2026 District Realignment Plan. Moved by: Patrick Mar‐ tin; seconded by: Michael Gaudet Yea: Mark Bellue, Dadrius Lanus, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Stew‐ ard, Cliff Lewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, Emily Soulé, and Patrick Martin Motion Carries 9-0 2. 2025-2026 General Fund Revised Budget Approval of the Revised 2025-2026 General Fund Budget for the East Baton Rouge Parish School System. Moved by: Michael Gaudet; seconded by: Shashonnie Steward Yea: Mark Bellue, Dadrius Carla Powell Lanus, Lewis, Shashonnie Stew‐ ard, Cliff Lewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, Emily Soulé, and Patrick Martin Motion Carries 9-0 3. Resolution-Withdrawal of State Treasury Funds Adoption of a resolution to withdraw State Trea‐ sury Funds-EEF Invest‐ ment. Moved by: Carla Powell Lewis; seconded by: Shashonnie Steward Yea: Mark Bellue, Dadrius Lanus, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Stew‐ ard, Cliff Lewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, Emily Soulé, and Patrick Martin Motion Carries 9-0 4. Job Description Approval of the following job description: Techni‐ cal Intern-Fleet Mainte‐ nance. Moved by: Carla Powell Lewis; seconded by: Emily Soulé Yea: Mark Bellue, Dadrius Lanus, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Stew‐ ard, Cliff Lewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, Emily Soulé, and Patrick Martin Motion Carries 9-0 5. Policy Motion to approve the following amended poli‐ cies. a) GBA – Contracts and Compensation to be amended with a full re‐ view and revision of the policy and come back to the Board in October. b) GBB – Personnel Posi‐ tions c) JBCBB – Homeless Children and Youth Moved by: Michael Gaudet; seconded by: Shashonnie Steward Substitute motion to bi‐ furcate A and C from B. Moved by: Patrick Mar‐ tin; seconded by: Dadrius Lanus Yea: Mark Bellue, Dadrius Lanus, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Stew‐ ard, Cliff Lewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, Emily Soulé, and Patrick Martin Motion Carries 9-0 Approval of the following amended policies. a) GBA – Contracts and Compensation to be amended with a full re‐ view and revision of the policy and come back to the Board in October. c) JBCBB – Homeless Children and Youth Moved by: Michael Gaudet; seconded by: Dadrius Lanus Yea: Mark Bellue, Dadrius Lanus, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Stew‐ ard, Cliff Lewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, Emily Soulé, and Patrick Martin Motion Carries 9-0 Approval of the following amended policy. b) GBB – Personnel Posi‐ tions Moved by: Dadrius Lanus; seconded by: Michael Gaudet
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motion to Substitute defer b) GBB – Personnel Positions to a day not certain. Moved by: Patrick Mar‐ tin; Seconded By: Nathan Rust Friendly amendment to the substitute motion to defer b) GBB – Personnel Positions without recom‐ mendation to the full Board at the Regular meeting. Yea: Mark Bellue, Dadrius Lanus, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Stew‐ ard, Cliff Lewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, Emily Soulé, and Patrick Martin Motion Carries 9-0 6. Litigation Approval of the recom‐ mendation from Gwynn Shamlin, General Coun‐ sel, EBRPSB, in the mat‐ ter of: Kha-Yen Le v. Samira Oliver and East Baton Rouge Parish School Board; Suit No. C751521; Sec 33; 19th JDC, EBR Parish, LA, and re‐ lated matters Moved by: Dadrius Lanus; seconded by: Shashonnie Steward Yea: Mark Bellue, Dadrius Lanus, Shashonnie Stew‐ ard, Cliff Lewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, Emily Soulé, and Patrick Martin Motion Carries 8-0 7. Litigation Approval of the recom‐ mendation from Gwynn Shamlin, General Coun‐ sel, EBRPSB, in the mat‐ ter of: Rhenda L. Love vs. East Baton Rouge Parish School Board District 5; Office of Workers’ Com‐ pensation; State of Louisiana, and related matters. Moved by: Dadrius Lanus; seconded by: Shashonnie Steward Yea: Mark Bellue, Dadrius Lanus, Shashonnie Stew‐ ard, Cliff Lewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, Emily Soulé, and Patrick Martin Motion Carries 8-0 E. Next Meeting Dates/Announcements F. Adjournment There being no further business, the Board ad‐ journed by acclamation. LaMont Cole Secretary/Treasurer, EBRP School Board Shashonnie Steward School Board President 202261-SEP 28-1T $100.10 PUBLIC NOTICE --East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Regular Meeting Minutes Thursday, April 16, 2026 at 5:00 PM 1050 South Foster Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70806 A. Meeting Opening 1. Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance The Invocation was led by School Board Member Michael Gaudet, and the Pledge of Allegiance was led by Cadet Command Sergeant Major Jordyn A. Davis of Glen Oaks High School, accompanied by Major Kory Lewis. 2. Call to Order and Roll Call President Steward called the meeting to order at 5:04 PM. Members Present: Mark Bellue, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Stew‐ ard, Cliff Lewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, Emily Soulé, and Patrick Martin Members Dadrius Lanus
Absent:
Others Present: Adam Smith, Deputy Superin‐ tendent; Gwynn Shamlin Jr., General Counsel; Cat‐ asha Edwards, Chief Aca‐ demic Officer; Andrea O’Konski, Chief of Ac‐ countability and Assess‐ ments; Lisa Smothers, Chief Officer-Human Re‐ sources; James Crochet, Chief Business Opera‐ tions Officer; Kelly Lopez, Chief Financial Officer; Kwesi Gilbert, Chief of Plant Operations; Stacey Dupre, Chief of Support and Special Projects; and Tiffany Jenkins, Chief Student Services Officer B. Minutes 1. Meeting Minutes Approval of the School Board minutes of the March 5, 2026, Commit‐ tee of the Whole meet‐ ing, and the March 19, 2026, Regular Board meeting, as published in the Official Journal. Moved by: Patrick Mar‐ tin; seconded by: Carla ll i
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WHEREAS, the following resolution was introduced by Councilman Pierce and seconded by Councilwoman Allen. WHEREAS, The Iberville Parish Council and South Central Planning and Development Commission (SCPDC) have met, discussed, analyzed and mutually agreed to partner together to expedite and utilize SCPDC’s MGO, staff support, data, and documentation to help the Parish in identifying and addressing blighted and nuisance properties in the unincorporated areas of Iberville Parish to protect public health, safety, welfare, neighborhood stability, and property values, and to support targeted revitalization efforts; and WHEREAS, Article 7, Section 14 of the Louisiana Constitution, allows for political subdivisions and/or corporations to enter into cooperative endeavor agreements in order to expend public funds for a public purpose resulting in a benefit to the public and additionally pursuant to L.R. S. 33:1324, 33:140.61; and WHEREAS, discussions had with SCPDC and Iberville Parish Government were held in an effort to establish the most cost effective and mutually beneficial manner by which a supplemental plan, review, support, data, and documentation of the neighborhood revitalization of blighted and nuisance properties could best be accomplished, and the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of Iberville Parish are protected; and WHEREAS, Iberville Parish Government and SCPDC believe that by entering into this agreement, it will serve a valuable public purpose and produce a public benefit commensurate with the costs charged by SCPDC; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Iberville Parish Council that the Parish President is hereby authorized to enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement with South Central Planning and Development Commission to utilize SCPDC’s MGO, staff support, data, and documentation to help the Parish in identifying and addressing blighted and nuisance properties for neighborhood revitalization, with the terms of the CEA to be finalized by the Parish Legal Department. The above resolution was duly adopted in regular session on this 18th day of August, 2026 by the following votes on roll call: YEAS: Allen, Easley, Dominique, Frazier, Pierce, Markins, Bradford, Martinez, Dardenne, Jewell, Morgan. NAYS: None. ABSTAIN: None. ABSENT: Jenkins. The resolution was declared adopted by the Chairman on the 18th day of August, 2026. PLANNING COMMISSION REPORT A) Consider/Approve Consideration of re-subdivision for Bart Morgan
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a vote, was duly adopted by the following yea and nay votes on roll call: YEAS: Allen, Easley, Dominique, Frazier, Pierce, Markins, Bradford, Martinez, Dardenne, Jewell. NAYS: None. ABSTAIN: Morgan. ABSENT: Jenkins. The motion was declared adopted by the Chairman on August 18, 2026 B) Consider/Approve Consideration of re-subdivision for Brian Carville C) Consider/Approve Consideration of re-subdivision for Johnny Andre III D) Consider/Approve Consideration of re-subdivision for Michael Vitale Upon a motion by Councilman Pierce, seconded by Councilwoman Easley, it was moved to approve as is. The motion having been duly submitted to a vote, was duly adopted by the following yea and nay votes on roll call: YEAS: Allen, Easley, Dominique, Frazier, Pierce, Markins, Bradford, Martinez, Dardenne, Jewell, Morgan. NAYS: None. ABSTAIN: None. ABSENT: Jenkins. The motion was declared adopted by the Chairman on August 18, 2026. BOARDS & COMMISSIONS REPORT None. DISCUSSIONS None. ANNOUNCEMENT None. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, it was moved by Councilwoman Allen, and seconded by Councilman Markins to adjourn at 8:08 p.m. The motion was unanimously adopted. ______________________ /s/ MACY W. OURSO COUNCIL CLERK
_________________________ /s/ STEVE C. SMITH COUNCIL CHAIRMAN 202152-691860-Sept. 28-1t $ 1,964.66
Upon a motion by Councilman Pierce, seconded by Councilman Markins, it was moved to approve as is. The motion having been duly submitted to
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Powell Lewis
y
Yea: Mark Bellue, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Steward, Cliff Lewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, Emily Soulé, and Patrick Martin Motion Carries 8-0
Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min q p peal a student expulsion. Moved by: Patrick Mar‐ tin; Seconded by: Emily Soulé Motion to hear the ap‐ peal at the May Regular Meeting.
C. Information Only 1. Monthly Financial Re‐ port
2. Student Expulsion Discussion/Considera‐ tion of a request to ap‐ peal a student expulsion.
2. Personnel Changes
No motion, expulsion will be upheld.
D. Receive as Information 1. Update from the Su‐ perintendent E. Reports from Board Appointees to Commit‐ tees/Agencies 1. Board Appointees F. Consent Agenda The following items are to be approved as part of the Consent Agenda. Moved by: Patrick Mar‐ tin; seconded by: Emily Soulé Yea: Mark Bellue, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Steward, Cliff Lewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, Emily Soulé, and Patrick Martin Motion Carries 8-0 1. Grant: Early Childhood Literacy Initiative Sci‐ ence of Reading (SOR) Training Approval of the Early Childhood Literacy Initia‐ tive Grant in the amount of $99,700 to provide Tier I Curriculum and Science of Reading (SoR) Training stipends for PreK. 2. Lease Agreement: South Boulevard Authorize the Superin‐ tendent to execute a lease between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Har‐ vest Commons School for the property and facility located at 804 Mayflower Dr., such lease to include the terms as specified in the backup document to this item entitled "Har‐ vest Commons Term Sheet Revised". 3. RFQ: Mayfair Labora‐ tory Authorize the Superin‐ tendent and staff to: a) issue a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for Architectural Design Consulting for Mayfair Laboratory School, b) upon completion of the RFQ process, to au‐ thorize the Superinten‐ dent and selection com‐ mittee to select an Archi‐ tectural Design Consult‐ ing firm. c) issue an RFQ for Con‐ struction Manager at Risk (CMaR) Services or Design-Bid-Build the pro‐ ject based upon the de‐ sign developed by the Ar‐ chitectural Design Con‐ sulting Firm. Funding Source: Tax Plan-Proposi‐ tion 1 4. Professional Services Contract: Prismatic Ser‐ vices, Inc. Approval of a profes‐ sional services contract between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Prismatic Ser‐ vices, Inc., in the amount of $175,000 to provide for strategic and operational planning as it relates to transportational efficien‐ cies and consolidation of routes, reduction of transfer buses, and other matters related to the implementation of the school start times initia‐ tive phases. Funding Source: General Fund 5. 2026-2027 Board Meet‐ ing Calendar Approval of the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board meeting schedule for the 20262027 school year, with changes to the July meetings to July 9th and July 23rd. 6. Litigation Approval of the recom‐ mendation from Gwynn Shamlin, General Coun‐ sel, EBRPSB, in the mat‐ ter of: Rocklin Richard v. East Baton Rouge Parish School System and Vin‐ cent E. Woodward, II; 19th JDC; Parish of East Baton Rouge, Docket: 724829, and to provide for related matters. 7. Litigation Approval of the recom‐ mendation from Gwynn Shamlin, General Coun‐ sel, EBRPSB, in the mat‐ ter of: Shawn Prather et al v. East Baton Rouge Parish School Board, 3:23-cv-01349-SDD-RLB, United States District Court, Middle District of Louisiana, and to provide for related matters. G. New Business 1. Student Expulsion Discussion/Considera‐ tion of a request to ap‐ l d l i
3. Appeal Hearing-Stu‐ dent Expulsion Request to appeal a stu‐ dent expulsion. Item dies for the lack of a motion. H. Organizational Items 1. Announcement of Meetings I. Adjournment There being no further business, the Board ad‐ journed by acclamation. LaMont Cole Secretary/Treasurer, EBRP School Board Shashonnie Steward School Board President 202259-SEP 28-1T $96.07 PUBLIC NOTICE OFFICIAL PUBLIC NOTICE OF THE BATON ROUGE RE‐ GIONAL AIRPORT AU‐ THORITY ON THE PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED 2026 OPERATING BUDGET Notice is hereby given, in accordance with the Louisiana Local Govern‐ ment Budget Act, La. R.S. 39:1301 et seq., that the Baton Rouge Regional Airport Authority Board will conduct a public hearing on Thursday, Oc‐ tober 8, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. in the Authority Board Room, located on the third floor of the Baton Rouge Metropoli‐ tan Airport, 9430 Jackie Cochran Drive, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70807. The public hearing will concern the Authority’s proposed operating bud‐ get for the transition fis‐ cal period beginning Oc‐ tober 31, 2026, and end‐ ing December 31, 2026. The purpose of the pub‐ lic hearing is to receive public comments con‐ cerning the proposed budget, including the Au‐ thority’s anticipated rev‐ enues and proposed ex‐ penditures for the transi‐ tion fiscal period. Mem‐ bers of the public may attend the hearing and provide comments on the proposed budget. Following the conclusion of the public hearing and consideration of all pub‐ lic comments received, the Baton Rouge Re‐ gional Airport Authority Board will consider and may take action to adopt the proposed 2026 Tran‐ sition Period Operating Budget, with or without amendments, at the same meeting. A copy of the proposed budget is available for public inspection at the administrative offices of the Baton Rouge Re‐ gional Airport Authority, located at 9430 Jackie Cochran Drive, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70807, during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M., excluding holidays. 202351 SEPT 25-28 $26.33
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PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE the Louisiana De‐ partment of Conserva‐ tion and Energy, Office of Permitting and Compli‐ ance (OPC) has received the following applica‐ tion(s) for a Coastal Use Permit (CUP) in accor‐ dance with La. R.S. 49:214.21 et seq., and the rules of the Coastal Man‐ agement Program. Appli‐ cations for coastal use permits may be in‐ spected at 617 North 3rd Street, Room 1078, Baton Rouge, LA or on the OPC https:// webpage at: www.dce.louisiana.gov/ page/coastalmanagement-publicnotices. Copies are avail‐ able, costs apply. Written comments are solicited from the public and must be received within 25 days of the date of this notice. Comments must
Public Notices Nat Res Coastal
be uploaded directly to our electronic record through the OPC web‐ page or mailed to: OPC Administrator, Kyle Balkum, and P.O. Box 44487, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-4487. All comments must contain the appro‐ priate CUP number and the commenter's full name and contact infor‐ mation. Below are the referenced applica‐ tion(s): *************** CUP NUMBER: P20260259 Name: St. Tammany Parish Government c/o Coastal Environments, Inc. 1260 MAIN STREET BATON ROUGE, LA 70802 Attn: Jennifer Smith Lo‐ cation: Ascension, Liv‐ ingston, Saint Tammany Parishes, LA; Lat.: 30-1824.6N, Long.: 90-3526.23W (see plats for ad‐ ditional coordinates); De‐ scription: Proposed re‐ moval of 22 abandoned derelict vessels from As‐ cension, Livingston, and St. Tammany Parishes by using a crane mounted on extraction barge with vessels being floated offsite by tug-boat or loaded onto a barge and hauled offsite to be prop‐ erly disposed in an up‐ land, non-wetland loca‐ tion. No excavation or fill required. 202302 Sept. 28, 1t $21.77 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE the Louisiana De‐ partment of Conserva‐ tion and Energy, Office of Permitting and Compli‐ ance (OPC) has received the following applica‐ tion(s) for a Coastal Use Permit (CUP) in accor‐ dance with La. R.S. 49:214.21 et seq., and the rules of the Coastal Man‐ agement Program. Appli‐ cations for coastal use permits may be in‐ spected at 617 North 3rd Street, Room 1078, Baton Rouge, LA or on the OPC https:// webpage at: www.dce.louisiana.gov/ page/coastalmanagement-publicnotices. Copies are avail‐ able, costs apply. Written comments are solicited from the public and must be received within 25 days of the date of this notice. Comments must be uploaded directly to our electronic record through the OPC web‐ page or mailed to: OPC Administrator, Kyle Balkum, and P.O. Box 44487, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-4487. All comments must contain the appro‐ priate CUP number and the commenter's full name and contact infor‐ mation. Below are the referenced applica‐ tion(s): *************** CUP NUMBER: P20260382 Name: National Audubon Society P. O. BOX 160 PERRY, LA 70575 Attn: Karen Westphal Location: Vermilion Parish, LA; Lat. 29-42-0N, Long. -92-1140W; Section 30 T15S RR3E; T16S RR3E; Rainey Bay Coast; Description: The repair, upgrade, or replacement of 3 water control structures to re‐ turn the Bay Coast Water Management Unit of Rainey Wildlife Sanctu‐ ary and The State Refuge to a more natural hydro‐ logic regime and reduce interior marsh fragmen‐ tation. Which has oc‐ curred from flushing and tidal extremes. Addition‐ ally, shoreline protection in the form of linear breakwater is proposed to prevent breaching into old location canals. Ap‐ prox. 11,272 CY of rock riprap is required.
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praying for homologation of the Second Tableau and for authority to pay the debts of the Estate listed thereon; and that the Second Tableau of Distribution can be ho‐ mologated after the expi‐ ration of seven (7) days from the date of publica‐ tion of this Notice. Any Opposition to the Peti‐ tion and Second Tableau of Distribution must be filed prior to homologa‐ tion. Publication: The cate Published once
Advo‐
Attorney: Michelle Lorio St. Martin, David G. Koch, Riley F. Huntington, and Hannah Gale Keller with KOCH|ST. MARTIN, LLC Address: 201 Napoleon Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 Telephone: (225) 612-970 202251-SEP 28-1T $45.94 PUBLIC NOTICE --SUCCESSION OF CLOIS D. COLEMAN PROBATE NO. 118061 19TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE STATE OF LOUISIANA NOTICE IS GIVEN that Ruby Coleman, Adminis‐ tratrix of the Succession of Clois D. Coleman, is applying for authority to ratify the quitclaim that was executed by Ruby Coleman, on behalf of the Succession of Clois D. Coleman, on December 17, 2025 and recorded at Original 917 Bundle 13409 sell the following de‐ scribed real estate in ex‐ change for a $36,000 pay‐ ment that was made to the foreclosing firm on behalf of the Succession of Clois D. Coleman and a $10,500 payment to Suc‐ cession of Clois D. Cole‐ man as noted in the Peti‐ tion to Ratify Private Sale of Immovable Property: A certain lot or parcel of ground located in that subdivision of the Parish of East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, known as SOUTH HILLS SUBDIVI‐ SION, and being desig‐ nated according to the plan of said subdivision made by Dale Hodges, C.E., on file and of record in the office of the Clerk and Recorder of the Parish of East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as LOT NUMBER THIRTY-ONE (31) thereof, measuring 75 feet front on Village Park Drive by a depth between parallel lines and along Rickwood Drive of 135 feet A judgment ratifying the sale may be issued after the expiration of seven (7) days from the last date of publication of this notice. An opposi‐ tion must be filed with the Clerk of Court for the 19th Judicial District Court, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, prior to the Issuance of the Judg‐ ment. MICHAEL E. PLATTE., (31917) Attorney for Peti‐ tioners, 11813 Market Place Av‐ enue, Baton Rouge, LA 70816. 225-296-0060." 202327-sep 28-oct 22-2t $81.02
WBR Public Notices
202378 Sept. 28, 2026 1t $22.34
Public Notices Successions
PUBLIC NOTICE --IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF JESSE JOE PARKER PROBATE NO.115182 DIVI‐ SION: 22 19th JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE STATE OF LOUISIANA NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR AUTHORITY TO PAY ESTATE DEBTS NOTICE IS GIVEN, to the creditors of this Estate, to all known heirs, and to all other interested per‐ sons, that JONATHAN ALAN PARKER, testamen‐ tary executor of the Es‐ tate Jesse Joe Parker (“Estate”), has filed a Second Tableau of Distri‐ bution with his Petition
Legal Notices
WBR Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min
PUBLIC NOTICE --Academic Committee Meeting 08/11/2026 05:00 PM West Baton Rouge Parish School Board Office 3761 Rosedale Road Port Allen, LA 70767 MEETING MINUTES _______________ Attendance ____________ Voting Members Mr. Burke Fiscus, Vice President Mrs. Hayley Clouatre, Board Member Dr. Atley Walker Sr., Board Member Mr. Ronald LeBlanc, Board Member Ms. Sonceria Evans, Board Member Mr. Alden Chustz, Board Member
WBR Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min
WBR Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min
Mrs. Teri Bergeron, Board Member Mr. Matthew Daigrepont, President
___________________
Non-Voting Members Jessica Blanchard, Executive Secretary Jared Gibbs, Supervisor of Business Dr. Chandler Smith, Superintendent ____________________ 1. Call Meeting to Order The Chairman called the meeting to order. 2. Pledge of Allegiance The chairman dispensed with The Pledge Alle‐ giance 3. Roll Call Mrs. Blanchard conducted a roll call: The following board members were present: • Mr. Burke Fiscus, Vice President • Mrs. Hayley Clouatre, Board Member • Dr. Atley Walker Sr., Board Member • Mr. Ronald LeBlanc, Board Member • Ms. Sonceria Evans, Board Member • Mr. Alden Chustz, Board Member • Mrs. Teri Bergeron, Board Member • Mr. Matthew Daigrepont, President A quorum was present: board The following members were absent: Ms. Chareeka Grace, Board Member Mr. Mike Maranto, Board Member 4. Agenda 1. Consideration of re‐ quest for approval of re‐ visions to Policy GBCA Protection of Criminal Background Information and related procedures. (Barbara Burke) Mrs. Burke explained the changes in the attached Policy GBCA The chairman declared the floor open for public comment. Motion made by: Mr. Alden Chustz Motion seconded by: Mr. Ronald LeBlanc Voting results: Unanimously Approved 2. Consideration of Addi‐ tions to the Student Handbook based on 2026 legislative session. (Taya Loupe) Mrs. Taya Loupe went over the Legislative changes for the hand‐ book for 2026. The at‐ tachment shows the changes The chairman declared the floor open for public comment. Motion made by: Mr. Matthew Daigrepont Motion seconded by: Dr. Atley Walker Sr. Voting results: Unanimously Approved 3. Consideration to up‐ date the Lead Speech Therapist & Speech Ther‐ apist Job Description (Hope Supple) Mrs. Supple went over the two updated Job De‐ scription attached. The Chairman declared the floor open for public comment Motion made by: Dr. Atley Walker Sr. Motion seconded by: Ms. Sonceria Evans Voting results: Unanimously Approved 5. Adjourn
Voting Members Mr. Burke Fiscus, Vice President Mrs. Hayley Clouatre, Board Member Dr. Atley Walker Sr., Board Member Mr. Ronald LeBlanc, Board Member Ms. Sonceria Evans, Board Member Mr. Alden Chustz, Board Member Mrs. Teri Bergeron, Board Member Mr. Matthew Daigrepont, President Non-Voting Members Dr. Chandler Smith, Superintendent Jessica Blanchard, Executive Secretary Jared Gibbs, Supervisor of Business ____________________ 1. Call Meeting to Order The Chairman called the meeting to order. 2. Pledge of Allegiance The Chairman led us in The Pledge of Allegiance 3. Roll Call Jessica Blanchard conducted a roll call The following board members were present: • Mr. Burke Fiscus, Vice President • Mrs. Hayley Clouatre, Board Member • Dr. Atley Walker Sr., Board Member • Mr. Ronald LeBlanc, Board Member • Ms. Sonceria Evans, Board Member • Mr. Alden Chustz, Board Member • Mrs. Teri Bergeron, Board Member • Mr. Matthew Daigrepont, President A quorum was made board The following members were absent: Mrs. Chareeka Grace, Board Member Mr. Mike Maranto, Board Member 4. Agenda 1. Facilities Updates (Chad Fontenot) Mr. Fontenot went over the attached powerpoint to review the summer updates The chairman declared the floor open for public comment Informational Item, action necessary
2. Consideration and ac‐ tion regarding the pur‐ chase of two tracts of land located at 6157 Hwy. 1 South and 3054 Lukeville Lane in Brusly, Louisiana. (Dr. Chandler Smith) 1.75 Million to Purchase the two tracts of land next door to Lukeville El‐ ementary. The board re‐ viewed over both ap‐ praisal of the property. The chairman declared the floor open for public comment. That the board approved the purchase of two tracts of land located at 6157 Hwy 1. South and 3054 Lukeville Lane in Brusly, Louisiana Motion made by: Mr. Burke Fiscus Motion seconded by: Mrs. Hayley Clouatre Voting results: Unanimously Approved 5. Adjourn The the facilities Com‐ mittee be adjourn 202195 Sept. 28, 1t $50.59
The Academic Committee Meeting be adjourn. Motion made by: Mrs. Teri Bergeron Motion seconded by: Mr. Alden Chustz Voting results: Unanimously Approved 202201 Sept. 28, 1t $59.01 PUBLIC NOTICE ---
Reporting you can trust on stories that matter
Facilities Committee Meeting 08/11/2026 05:00 PM West Baton Rouge Parish School Board Office 3761 Rosedale Road Port Allen, LA 70767 MEETING MINUTES ____________________ Please silence all cellphones Attendance
No
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WBR Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min
WBR Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min
Regular Meeting of the WBR Parish School Board 08/19/2026 05:00 PM Board Room Central Office 3761 Rosedale Rd, Port Allen, LA MEETING MINUTES ________________________________ Attendance ________________________________ Voting Members Mr. Burke Fiscus, Vice President Mrs. Hayley Clouatre, Board Member Dr. Atley Walker Sr., Board Member Mr. Ronald LeBlanc, Board Member Ms. Sonceria Evans, Board Member Ms. Chareeka Grace, Board Member Mr. Alden Chustz, Board Member Mr. Michael Maranto, Board Member Mrs. Teri Bergeron, Board Member Mr. Matthew Daigrepont, President Non-Voting Members Jessica Blanchard, Executive Secretary Jared Gibbs, Supervisor of Business Dr. Chandler Smith, Superintendent ________________________________ 1. Call to Order Chairman called the meeting to order. 2. Pledge of Allegiance Mr. Daigrepont led us in The Pledge of Allegiance. 3. Roll Call Jessica Blanchard conducted the roll call. The following were present • Mr. Burke Fiscus, Vice President • Mrs. Hayley Clouatre, Board Member • Dr. Atley Walker Sr., Board Member • Mr. Ronald LeBlanc, Board Member • Ms. Sonceria Evans, Board Member • Ms. Chareeka Grace, Board Member Arrive at 5:05PM • Mr. Alden Chustz, Board Member • Mr. Michael Maranto, Board Member • Mrs. Teri Bergeron, Board Member • Mr. Matthew Daigrepont, President A quorum was present The following were absent None
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WBR Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min
WBR Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min
6. Consideration of request to approve the Executive Order 26-047 Teacher and Support Staff Stipend and extend to all employees (Finance Committee Report 8/11/26) 7. Consideration of request to dissolve the bus driver job description and salary schedule (Finance Committee Report 8/11/26) 8. Consideration of request for approval of revisions to Policy GBCA - Protection of Criminal Background Information and related procedures. (Academics Committee Report 8/11/26) 9. Consideration of Additions to the Student Handbook based on 2026 legislative session. (Academics Committee Report 8/11/26) 10. Consideration to update the Lead Speech Therapist & Speech Therapist Job Description (Academics Committee Report 8/11/26) 9. Approval of Consent Agenda Be it resolved that the Board does hereby approve and adopt the Above Consent Agenda Items #1-10 The Chairman declared the floor open for public comment. Motion made by: Mr. Alden Chustz Motion seconded by: Mrs. Hayley Clouatre Voting results: Unanimously Approved 10. End of Consent Agenda 1. Report and approval of the Public Hearing on the Consolidated Budget for 2026-2027, held at 4:55 P.M. on August 19, 2026. We held the public hear at 4:55PM with no questions on the budget. The chairman declared the floor open for public comment. Motion made by: Mr. Ronald LeBlanc Motion seconded by: Mrs. Teri Bergeron Voting results: Unanimously Approved 2. Consideration of request for approval and adoption of the Consolidated Budget for 2026-2027. Approval and adoption of the Consolidated Budget for 20262027. The chairman declared the floor open for public comment. Motion made by: Mr. Burke Fiscus Motion seconded by: Ms. Chareeka Grace Voting results: Unanimously Approved 3. Resolution to Honor Coach Henry Knox, a longtime WBR teacher and coach, who passed away. Resolution of condolences for Mr. Henry Knox former West Baton Rouge Parish Coach and Teacher. The Chairman declared the floor open for public comment. Motion made by: Mr. Alden Chustz Motion seconded by: Mr. Burke Fiscus Voting results: Unanimously Approved
4. Approval of Minutes Be it Resolved, That the approval of the minutes of the Regular Board Meeting held on July 15, 2026 be approved as presented. The Chairman declared the floor open for public comment. Motion made by: Dr. Atley Walker Sr. Motion seconded by: Mrs. Hayley Clouatre Voting results: Yes: Mr. Burke Fiscus Yes: Mrs. Hayley Clouatre Yes: Dr. Atley Walker Sr. Yes: Mr. Ronald LeBlanc Yes: Ms. Sonceria Evans Absent: Ms. Chareeka Grace Yes: Mr. Alden Chustz Yes: Mr. Michael Maranto Yes: Mrs. Teri Bergeron Yes: Mr. Matthew Daigrepont
11. Organization Items
5. Superintendent’s Report Dr. Smith went over the attached Superintendent report Informational Item, No Action Necessary Mrs. Grace 5:05pm
MEETING MINUTES ________________________________ Please silence all cellphones
6. Report from Community Committees/Agencies
Attendance ________________________________
7. Unfinished Business 8. Presentation of Consent Agenda 1. Consideration and action regarding the purchase of two tracts of land located at 6157 Hwy. 1 South and 3054 Lukeville Lane in Brusly, Louisiana for the purchase price of $1,750,000.00, and we further authorize the board president to sign any documents necessary to effectuate the School Board’s Purchase. (Facilities Committee Report 8/11/26) 2. Consideration of request to use bond funds for the purchase of two tracts of land located at 6157 Hwy. 1 South and 3054 Lukeville Lane in Brusly, Louisiana. (Finance Committee Report 8/11/26) 3. Consideration of request for approval of the updated Head Start Family Advocate and Head Start Associate Degree and Uncertified Teacher Salary Schedule. (Finance Committee Report 8/11/26) 4. Consideration of request for approval of the updated Student Fees Policy (Policy JS). (Finance Committee Report 8/11/26) 5. Consideration of request for approval of the monthly expenditures and financial reports for June 2026 (Finance Committee Report 8/11/26)
WBR Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min
12. Any other business unanimously approved by the board for consideration 13. Adjourn The the Board Meeting be Adjourned Motion made by: Dr. Atley Walker Sr. Motion seconded by: Mrs. Teri Bergeron Voting results: Unanimously Approved _________________________________________________________________ Finance Committee Meeting 08/11/2026 05:00 PM West Baton Rouge Parish School Board Office 3761 Rosedale Road Port Allen, LA 70767
Voting Members Mr. Burke Fiscus, Vice President Mrs. Hayley Clouatre, Board Member Dr. Atley Walker Sr., Board Member Mr. Ronald LeBlanc, Board Member Ms. Sonceria Evans, Board Member Mr. Alden Chustz, Board Member Mrs. Teri Bergeron, Board Member Mr. Matthew Daigrepont, President Non-Voting Members Jessica Blanchard, Executive Secretary Dr. Chandler Smith, Superintendent Jared Gibbs, Supervisor of Business ________________________________ 1. Call Meeting to Order The chairman called the meeting to order.
WBR Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min
WBR Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min
WBR Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min
3. Roll Call Jessica Blanchard conducted a roll call The following board members were present: • Mr. Burke Fiscus, Vice President • Mrs. Hayley Clouatre, Board Member • Dr. Atley Walker Sr., Board Member • Mr. Ronald LeBlanc, Board Member • Ms. Sonceria Evans, Board Member • Mr. Alden Chustz, Board Member • Mrs. Teri Bergeron, Board Member • Mr. Matthew Daigrepont, President A quorum was present The following board members were absent Ms. Chareeka Grace, Board Member Mr. Mike Maranto, Board Member 4. Agenda 1. Receive and review Head Start Directors Monthly Report. (Crystal Leon) The board reviewed the attached report The chairman declared the floor open for public comment Informational Item, No Action Necessary 2. Consideration of request for approval of the updated Head Start Family Advocate and Head Start Associate Degree and Uncertified Teacher Salary Schedule. (Jared Gibbs) Jared went over the cola Head Start Family Advocate and He answered any question the board had. The chairman declared the floor open for public comment. Motion made by: Mr. Alden Chustz Motion seconded by: Mrs. Hayley Clouatre Voting results: Unanimously Approved 3. Consideration of request for approval of the updated Student Fees Policy (Policy JS). (Jared Gibbs) Mr. Gibbs went over the attached Student Fees Policy and went over the changes. The chairman declared the floor open for public comment. Motion made by: Mr. Matthew Daigrepont Motion seconded by: Mrs. Teri Bergeron Voting results: Unanimously Approved 4. If approved by the facilities committee, consideration of request to use bond funds for the purchase of two tracts of land located at 6157 Hwy. 1 South and 3054 Lukeville Lane in Brusly, Louisiana. (Dr. Chandler Smith) Give board president permission to sign for purchase of two tracts of land. The chairman declared the floor open for public comment. That the board approves the purchase of two tracts of land located at 6157 Hwy 1 South and 3054 Lukeville Lane in Brusly Lousisiana Motion made by: Mrs. Teri Bergeron Motion seconded by: Mr. Alden Chustz Voting results: Unanimously Approved 5. Consideration of request for approval of the monthly expenditures and financial reports for June 2026 (Jared Gibbs) Mr. Gibbs went over attached report The chairman declared the floor open for public comment That the board approves monthly expenditures and financial reports for June 2026 Motion made by: Dr. Atley Walker Sr. Motion seconded by: Mrs. Hayley Clouatre Voting results: Unanimously Approved 6. Consideration of request to approve the Executive Order 26047 Teacher and Support Staff Stipend and extend to all employees (Dr. Chandler Smith and Jared Gibbs) Dr. Smith went over the attached Executive Order 26-047 to extend it to Teacher and Support and Extend to all employees That the chairman declared the floor open for public comment. That the board approves the Executive Order for Teacher and Support Staff and extend to all employees. Motion made by: Mr. Matthew Daigrepont Motion seconded by: Mr. Burke Fiscus Voting results: Unanimously Approved 7. Consideration of request to dissolve the bus driver job description and salary schedule (Barbara Burke) Mrs. Burke went over the request to dissolve the bus driver job description and salary schedule because our last driver just retired this past year. All of the other drivers are contracted out with our Bus Company DS Bus. The chairman declared the floor open for public comment. That the board approves to dissolve the bus driver job description and salary schedule. Motion made by: Dr. Atley Walker Sr. Motion seconded by: Mrs. Teri Bergeron Voting results: Unanimously Approved 5. Adjourn That the Finance Committee Meeting be Adjourn Motion made by: Mr. Burke Fiscus Motion seconded by: Dr. Atley Walker Sr. Voting results: Unanimously Approved
2. Pledge of Allegiance The Chairman dispensed with The Pledge of Allegiance
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SHOWCASE SHOWCASE WEEK 2026 WEEK 2026
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
School
Monday, October 5
BRCVPA
BR FLAIM
Program Q&A 5:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Baton Rouge High
School Tours 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Belaire High
School Tours 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Belfair Broadmoor
Showcase & Tours 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM
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Montessori Showcase 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Tuesday, October 6
Wednesday, October 7
Thursday, October 8
School Tours 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
School Tours 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
School Tours 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM Arts Integration Night 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
School Tours 9:15 AM - 10:30 AM
School Tours 1:15 PM - 2:30 PM Showcase & Tours 8:00 AM - 10:30 AM
School Tours 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
School Tours 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
School Tours 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Montessori Showcase 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
School Tours 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
School Tours 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Showcase & Tours 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM Montessori Showcase 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Forest Heights
School Tours 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
School Tours 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Glen Oaks High
Showcase 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
School Tours 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Greenbrier
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Istrouma Middle/High
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LaBelle Aire
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School Tours 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Showcase & Tours 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Liberty High Mayfair Lab
Showcase & Tours 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Showcase & Tours 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Showcase & Tours 8:00 AM - 10:30 AM
School Tours 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
Showcase 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Virtual Q&A 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
McKinley Elementary McKinley Middle
School Tours 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Showcase & Tours 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM School Tours 8:00 AM - 10:30 AM
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Meet the Magnet Team 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Showcase & Tours 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM School Tours 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM School Tours 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
School Tours 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
School Tours 8:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Showcase 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
School Tours 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Showcase & Tours 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Showcase & School Tours 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Showcase & Tours 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
WHAM
School Tours 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Westdale Middle
School Tours 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
School Tours 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM Informational 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM Showcase & Tours 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM Showcase & Tours 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Woodlawn Middle Woodlawn High
School Tours 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Elementary Live Stream 9:00 AM -11:00 AM
Villa del Rey Tara High
School Tours 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
School Tours 7:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Virtual Information 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
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M MA AG GN NE ETT P PR RO OG GR RA AM MP PR RO OG GR RE ESSSIO SIOON ON ELEMENTARY
ACADEMIC Forest Heights BR FLAIM Mayfair Lab Westdale Heights (WHAM) FOREIGN LANGUAGE IMMERSION Baton Rouge FLAIM CREATIVE SCIENCES & ARTS Park Forest K-2 Greenbrier 3-5 Villa Del Rey K-2 LaBelle Aire 3-5 MONTESSORI Belfair Montessori The Dufrocq School VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS BRCVPA* Forest Heights CO OMMUNICATION ARTS Broadmoor Elementary* Forest Heights McKinley Elementary*
MIDDLE
ACADEMIC Istrouma Middle Mayfair Lab McKinley Middle Sherwood Middle Woodlawn Middle DIGITAL ARTS & TECHNOLOGY Southeast
FOREIGN LANGUAGE IMMERSION Westdale Heights Middle CREATIVE SCIENCES & ARTS Park Forest Middle* MONTESSORI Belfair Montessori* PRE-ENGINEERING Scotlandville Middle VISUAL RMING ARTS & PERFOR McKin nley Middle School COMMUN NICATION ARTS Istrou uma Middle
HIGH
ACADEMIC Baton Rouge High Istrouma Liberty High Woodlawn High BIOMEDICAL Liberty High CREATIVE SCIENCES & ARTS Belaire
CENTERS OF EXCELLNCE Glen Oaks High (Health Science, Sports Medicine, Radio Broadcasting CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE- BUSINESS Scotlandville (Academy of Engineering; Governmental Law/Affairs) / ) DIGITAL ARTS Liberty High COMMUNICATION ARTS McKinley High Istrouma TEACHER LEADE ERSHIP McKinley High School S VISUAL & PERFO ORMING ARTS McKinley High
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