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La. students improve AP exam scores

But many in state unable to access program BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer

More Louisiana high school students are earning high marks on Advanced Placement exams, according to newly released data. However, they remain far less likely than their peers nationally to have access to the college-level

courses. Nearly 70% of the AP exams that Louisiana students took this year received a score of 3 or higher on a ﬁve-point scale, qualifying students for credits at many colleges and universities. Louisiana’s rate of AP exams with high scores has grown by more than 30 percentage points since 2019, the biggest

increase of any state during that period, according to the Louisiana Department of Education. This year, more than 13,000 Louisiana students scored 3 or higher on an AP exam, up about 6% from last year. “I'm really pleased to see us lead the country in AP growth,” said state Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley. “When students earn college credits in high school,

that reduces the number of college courses they have to take and lowers the price tag.” Despite the big gains, relatively few Louisiana students earn high marks on the tests, according to data from the College Board, the nonprofit that oversees the Advanced Placement program. Just under 11% of Louisiana students who graduated from a public high school last year earned a 3 or

REBIRTH

Top musicians join Saints legend Steve Gleason for album that coincides with 'Domecoming' anniversary

above on an AP exam, compared with 25% of graduates nationally. Louisiana students also have less access to AP courses than their peers in other states. In 2025, Louisiana ranked dead last among states in terms of the share of students whose public high schools offer ﬁve or more AP courses, according to the data. About 40% of

ä See SCORES, page 5A

ST. LANDRY PARISH

Council OKs debt extension Auditor warns of state intervention BY JOEL THOMPSON Staff writer

The St. Landry Parish Council voted Tuesday to approve a sixmonth extension of the parish's $1.65 million debt repayment deadline, giving the parish until April 1 to repay the remaining balance. The Louisiana State Bond Commission approved the extension earlier this month. The council voted 11-1 in favor of the measure, with Nancy Carriere the only member to oppose it. The parish will owe the remain-

ä See DEBT, page 5A

STAFF PHOTOS BY DAVID GRUNFELD

Troy ‘Trombone Shorty’ Andrews greets Steve Gleason with the ‘fo-to-fo’ gesture — forehead-to-forehead — before a recording session for Gleason’s album at Esplanade Studios in New Orleans on Sept. 14. BY KEITH SPERA Staff writer

In the shadows and stillness of a former church sanctuary, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews presses his forehead against Steve Gleason’s, carefully maintaining eye contact. The intimate gesture — dubbed “fo-to-fo,” short for “forehead to forehead” — is Gleason’s preferred greeting since ALS paralyzed him completely. Andrews performed the previous night in Montgomery, Alabama. That morning, he drove to Atlanta, ﬂew to New Orleans, and hustled to Esplanade Studios to assist Gleason with his latest ALS-defying project: recording an album. The title? “Rebirth.” “When he called me, I was

WEATHER HIGH 91 LOW 74 PAGE 12C

Contributors include Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready, Ben Schneider of indie-folk band Lord Huron and an Alist roster of New Orleanians: PJ Morton, Anders Osborne, Ivan Neville, River Eckert and more. The ﬁrst two songs, “Sonic Boom” featuring Trombone Shorty and “Soul Is Invincible” with southwest Louisiana singer Marc Broussard, were released online Thursday. The rest will come out episodically Recording engineer and studio owner Misha Kachkachishvili, left, ahead of an eventual physical release. and co-producer Steve Rehage oversee a recording session with The “Rebirth” rollout coinTroy ‘Trombone Shorty’ Andrews for Steve Gleason’s album. cides with the 20th anniversary of the “Domecoming,” confused,” Andrews said. “I’m cal, “Rebirth” was inspired the Saints’ triumphant return like, ‘What do you mean?’ But by the cycles and challenges to the Superdome following whenever he calls, (I’ll do) of Gleason’s life. Lyrics are Hurricane Katrina. Gleason’s whatever I can to help out.” partly based on his poetry and ä See REBIRTH, page 7A Though not autobiographi- prose.

Business ......................6A Commentary ................3B Nation-World................2A Classified ..................10C Living............................5C Opinion ........................2B Comics-Puzzles .....7C-9C Metro ...........................1B Sports ..........................1C

FBI says 2 La. men raised money for Hamas BY JAMES FINN Staff writer

Federal authorities accused two brothers living in Louisiana of using social media to raise thousands of dollars for Hamas, the Palestinian militant group responsible for the October 2023 attack on Israel, according to newly unsealed documents. Court records show the brothers, Omar and Abdel Adhami, were arrested in September on a sealed complaint after a joint investigation by the FBI and the New York Police Department. Snapchat, In-

ä See HAMAS, page 5A

102ND YEAR, NO. 94

2A l Friday, October 2, 2026 l theadvocate.com l The Acadiana Advocate

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

FBI arrests Energy Department employee WASHINGTON — A Department of Energy electrical engineer has been arrested on charges of providing support to the Iranianbacked Houthi rebels, including by buying materials for homemade explosives and drones and traveling to Yemen, the Justice Department said Thursday. Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, 51, of Richland, Washington, was arrested Thursday and is due to make his first court appearance Friday. Court records do not list an attorney available to speak on his behalf. The FBI says Ellaboudy had a goal of helping the Houthis improve their communications capabilities and traveled last September to Yemen, where the Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces are now engaged in renewed violence that has killed hundreds and displaced tens of thousands. The conflict began in 2014 when the Iran-backed rebels took over the capital, Sanaa, forcing the country’s government to settle into exile in Saudi Arabia. Upon his return to the United States, authorities say, Ellaboudy told Customs and Border Protection officials that he was traveling back from Oman on a work trip and was part of a U.S. government mission to inspect defense facilities. But investigators interviewed Ellaboudy's supervisor, who reported having no knowledge of any international travel or of an Energy Department missile inspection program that Ellaboudy would have been part of, an FBI affidavit said.

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Proposal would change tax form Filers would be required to disclose citizenship status

BY KEN SWEET

The Associated Press NEW YORK — The Trump administration would require U.S. taxpayers to disclose their citizenship and work authorization status to the IRS as part of a proposed change to the annual tax form that nearly all workers file each year. Administration officials argue the new requirement will help the federal government stop immigrants lacking permanent legal status from collecting federal benefits they are not eligible for, potentially saving taxpayers up to $2 billion. But taxpayer and privacy advocates say the data could be used to help find and deport those people. “It could be used as an immigration enforcement tool and that is probably the reason why they are doing this,” said David Bier, director of immigration studies at the libertarian-leaning Cato Institute.

Most Americans will see it as a new checkbox that gives the government even more information on taxpayers. But those living in the country illegally face a more complicated choice: Declare on a tax return that they are not authorized to live in the U.S. or lie on the return, which is a felony. Some may stop filing their taxes altogether. “It’s dragging the IRS into this administration’s immigration policies,” said Nina Olson, executive director for the Center for Taxpayer Rights. The IRS posted its draft 1040 form for 2026 in late August. It includes the question, “At the time you file your return, are you, and your spouse if filing jointly, a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or an alien lawfully authorized to work in the U.S.?" There are “Yes” or “No" checkboxes for both the filer and their spouse. A draft of a second

form, known as Schedule 3-A used to claim refundable tax credits, asks a similar question. The questions are not optional. Every tax filer must certify under penalty of law their immigration or citizenship status to the IRS to file their return. The Treasury Department says the new question is meant to keep immigrants lacking permanent legal status from taking advantage of refundable tax credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit. These are credits for which low- and middle income workers and families may qualify that often result in a refund back to the taxpayer. In a statement, a Treasury Department official said the information will be “subject to a variety of privacy, disclosure and other legal protections.” The statement did not say whether the information will be shared with immigration

States, cities sue over EPA eliminating rule Regulation limited emmissions from power plants

BY MATTHEW DALY and JENNIFER MCDERMOTT Associated Press

Judge dismisses pool vandalizing case

WASHINGTON — A judge in the nation’s capital agreed on Thursday to permanently dismiss a criminal case charging a former Olympian with vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, a move that could prevent federal prosecutors from reviving the case under political pressure from President Donald Trump. D.C. Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman ordered the dismissal of David Hearn’s case with “prejudice,” which would block U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office from refiling the felony charge against him. The judge ruled nearly a month after hearing attorneys’ arguments. Hearn’s lawyers say Trump administration officials have continued to falsely accuse the Maryland resident of vandalizing the reflecting pool despite Pirro’s decision to drop the case on July 31. Trump responded by saying Pirro “choked” and “folded like an umbrella.” Edelman said the case presents “exceptional circumstances” that warrant dismissing the case permanently. He agreed with defense attorneys that the government “shot first and asked questions later” by charging Hearn in a “a lightning-fast indictment process.”

Ethiopia expels 10 Eritrean diplomats

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Ethiopia ordered 10 Eritrean diplomats out of the country Thursday and closed its embassy in Eritrea, sharply escalating tensions between the neighbors hours after blasts were heard across the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa and as fighting raged in the northern region of the country. Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry gave the diplomats 48 hours to leave Addis Ababa, citing their “involvement in activities that pose a direct threat to Ethiopia’s national security.” Ethiopia last week accused Eritrea of financing rebels in the Tigray region, who took control of several towns in renewed fighting against federal forces. Eritrea’s Foreign Ministry called the move “astounding” and said it had “no option but to reciprocate in kind and sever all diplomatic ties with Ethiopia with all the negative corollaries that this entails.” An intelligence service official, who was not authorized to speak to the media, confirmed that there had been three blasts in three different locations in Addis Ababa overnight, but declined to provide further details. It remains unclear whether the blasts were related to an attack or were part of training exercises at the defense headquarters.

enforcement agencies. Despite not being authorized to live and work in the U.S., immigrants that do not have permanent legal status do pay taxes. A 2024 report by the National Taxpayer Advocate found 3.8 million tax returns where a taxpayer used an Individual Tax Identiﬁcation Number, or ITIN. While an ITIN can be issued for a variety of purposes, undocumented workers who cannot obtain a Social Security number are among those who use them. IRS data show that taxpayers who ﬁled those nearly 4 million returns paid $14.4 billion in income taxes and $6.5 billion in Social Security and Medicare taxes. A valid Social Security number, not an ITIN, is required to qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit. The IRS checks Social Security numbers against Social Security Administration records for each claim of the EITC. Because of this process, Olson said she believes the new proposal is unnecessary.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY EVGENIY MALOLETKA

A police officer and a rescue worker carry an unexploded warhead from a Shahed drone out of a school damaged by a Russian strike on Kyiv, Ukraine, on Thursday.

Moscow presses aerial campaign against Ukraine Russian drone hits a Kyiv school BY SUSIE BLANN and BARRY HATTON Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine — A Russian drone struck a school in Kyiv on Thursday, city ofﬁcials said, as the Ukrainian capital endured another day of relentless aerial attacks. Children and staff at the school were in shelters when the drone hit, Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said, and its warhead didn’t explode. No casualties were reported, but the building’s brick facade showed a large hole, revealing a staircase, and burn marks alongside smashed windows. Kyiv has felt like a city under siege in recent weeks, with repeated air raid alerts, punctuated by loud explosions from drone and missile strikes. The onslaught aims to terrorize civilians, ofﬁcials and analysts say, and break their will to resist 4½ years after Russia’s fullscale invasion. The strain is showing. Maryna Lystopad, 35, said her hair has started falling out due to the stress from escalating attacks and never knowing where the next attack will hit. "It’s really horrible. I can’t take it anymore. I think, I think that soon we’re all going to leave. I’m really not doing well,” she told The Associated Press. “I’m constantly anxious. I can’t relax. I keep thinking that if something happens, if something hits, one of my relatives could be killed.” Lystopad said she recently had to trav-

el to another part of Kyiv and had been “genuinely stressed" the whole way there. “I kept checking, like, whether anything was ﬂying in, where it was going, where am I supposed to go? Where am I supposed to run?” she said.

Ukraine's air defenses are stretched The front line in eastern and southern Ukraine hasn’t seen major shifts since last year, but the country is struggling to fend off Russia’s intensified aerial attacks on cities that include ballistic missiles and high-flying jet-powered drones. Reflecting the urgency of Ukraine’s plight, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he held a conference call Thursday with senior military and government officials in charge of protecting infrastructure, as some areas fall behind on implementing previously agreed measures. He said the Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry will review agreements Ukraine has made with partner countries on supplying ammunition for air defenses and F-16 fighter jets, with an updated schedule of deliveries to be presented within 24 hours. “It is important that we have additional missiles in October,” Zelenskyy said on social media. In response to Russia's attacks, Ukraine has fired its long-range drones at manufacturing plants deep inside Russia and has targeted Russia’s drone launch sites. Zelenskyy said Thursday that Kyiv’s forces struck a site in Russia’s southwestern Oryol region that is used to store and launch attack drones.

Bolivia arrests prosecutor, 13 others Officials accused by U.S. of protecting drug traffickers

Washington. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hailed the arrests as “bold and decisive actions to combat narco-trafficking, systemic corruption, By The Associated Press and transnational organized crime in Bolivia.” Mariaca did not immediately comment LA PAZ, Bolivia — Bolivian police arrested the country’s top prosecutor and 13 oth- on his arrest but had earlier denounced ers accused of protecting drug traffick- U.S. accusations that he accepted bribes ers, the government said Thursday, days to facilitate drug trafficking as political after the Trump administration imposed pressure on his office. Anti-drug prosevisa restrictions on the attorney general cutor Miguel Gonzales said late Wednesand several senior officials over corrup- day that police had detained Mariaca without a warrant. tion allegations. “We have dismantled a criminal orgaThe arrest of Bolivian Attorney General Roger Mariaca, appointed to a nization entrenched in the justice syssix-year term in 2024 under Bolivia’s tem,” Interior Minister Marco Antonio previous socialist government, comes Oviedo told reporters Thursday, addas conservative President Rodrigo ing that Mariaca would face charges of Paz deepens security cooperation with money laundering and drug trafficking.

WASHINGTON — States and cities sued the Trump administration Thursday for repealing rules that limit planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from power plants fueled by coal and natural gas. Twenty-one states, led by New York, are challenging the Environmental Protection Agency's power plant rule. The Democratic-led coalition also includes Pennsylvania's governor, the District of Columbia, New York City, Chicago and the city and county of Denver. They argue that “gutting one of the country’s most significant climate protections” will set the nation back decades and worsen the climate crisis. The EPA announced last month it's revoking the Biden-era rule, and said it is taking a separate but

related step to prevent future administrations from regulating climate pollution from power plants. New York Attorney General Letitia James said the federal government is showing “callous disregard” for Americans’ health and the environment, and future generations will pay the price. Power plants that burn fossil fuels are a major source of planet-warming pollution. “Dismantling these protections is a betrayal of American families, and the stakes are too high to allow this administration to once again put profits over people,” James said in a statement Thursday. The EPA said it does not comment on pending litigation. However, it said in announcing the repeal it would save the industry more than $300 billion in costs and help “unleash” American energy. EPA Assistant Administrator Aaron Szabo said in September it will allow utilities to “make the best decision for the ratepayers based on cost and cost savings, instead of being required to shut down facilities.”

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Supreme Court Thousands of troops head to Mideast grants review of Trump weighs new Iran strikes

The USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier is en route to the Middle East with a group of ships, including the cruiser USS Chosin and the USS Makin Island amphibious readiness group. Together, the ships carry over 7,000 sailors and 2,000 Marines.

BY KONSTANTIN TOROPIN, MICHELLE L. PRICE and AAMER MADHANI Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military is dispatching roughly 9,000 troops aboard a group of ships to the Middle East, a U.S. official said Thursday. The bolstering of the American military presence comes as President Donald Trump warned anew that new strikes against Iran could be on the horizon. The troop movement, which includes a third aircraft carrier, underscores the rapidly evolving dynamic of Trump's war against Iran as he ponders his next move, with midterm elections in the United States looming large and new signs that the nature of the conflict may be becoming more complex. Trump has threatened that a post-midterm election escalation — despite his initial promises to Americans of a campaign that would last a matter of weeks — remains a viable option. Further complicating matters, Trump told reporters Thursday that early indications suggest that Iran is linked to the FlyDubai co-pilot who stabbed his captain and tried to crash an Israel-bound flight on Wednesday. In an exchange with reporters at the White House, Trump raised the connection when asked by a reporter if there were any links between the pilot behind the attack and Tehran. “I would say the answer, based on what I’m hearing, is ‘yes,’ but we’re working on it right now,” Trump said, without offering details. Trump added that if the link to Iran is established, the United States would retaliate. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed in a Fox News interview earlier Thursday that investigators believe the FlyDubai suspect underwent “Islamist, radical indoctrination” but did not provide further details. “Oh, they’ll be hit very hard, don’t worry," Trump said. “You just ask them. They know what

happened. They’ll be hit very the Middle East to relieve the USS hard.” Abraham Lincoln, whose arduous deployment resulted in the crew Thousands head to Middle East being at sea for more than 260 Meanwhile, the group of ships days straight. now en route to the Middle East together carry over 7,000 sailors Trump explains rejection and 2,000 Marines. Trump, in a Time magazine It includes the USS Theodore interview published Thursday, Roosevelt carrier strike group, also raised the prospects of new which recently deployed with strikes, saying it is “possible” that the cruiser USS Chosin, and the he will ramp up bombing in Iran USS Makin Island amphibious after the Nov. 3 elections in the readiness group, which includes United States. the USS John P. Murtha and USS When pressed, Trump said he Anchorage amphibious landing could not go into further detail ships. about his strategy. It could mean that three carri“I can’t tell you that because ers are in the region as early as look, you know, you’re asking, the end of October, according to where are you going to bomb?” the U.S. official, who spoke to The Trump said. He said in the interview, conAssociated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive ducted Monday, that he rejected military operations. the latest ceasefire proposal Given the personnel already in from Iran because “things that place in the Middle East, the move I wouldn’t have approved a year would bring the U.S. naval pres- ago I wouldn’t have today.” Trump cited as an example an ence to an unusually high number of more than 20,000 sailors and offer from Iran to “open up" the Marines as well as hundreds of Strait of Hormuz, the key energy aircraft. The Navy previously had shipping corridor, but said the three carrier strike groups in the overall proposal was “not good Middle East in April for the first enough.” time since 2003. The carriers USS George H.W. Getting more complicated Bush and the USS George WashAsked if the increasingly unpopington are in the region now, along ular war would threaten Republiwith the USS Boxer amphibious can Party chances in November, readiness group. The Washington Trump at first responded, “It’s is typically deployed to the Pa- possible.” But then he added, “It cific Ocean, but it was moved to should help, because Iran will not

partum psychosis. As such, second-degree murder or Lawyer submitted the defense didn’t dispute manslaughter, or drop the the 36-year-old former case entirely. motion she be that In his ruling Thursday, labor and delivery nurse found not guilty carried out the killings at Judge William Sullivan notAssociated Press

BOSTON — The judge in the Lindsay Clancy murder case on Thursday refused to declare her not guilty, turning down a defense motion that had argued there wasn't enough evidence to prove she was responsible for killing her three children. During Clancy's ﬁrst trial, which ended Sept. 4 with a deadlocked jury, her defense argued that she was not criminally responsible because of a mental disease, speciﬁcally a rare condition called post-

her family's Massachusetts home in 2023. However, in a hearing earlier this week, Clancy’s attorney Kevin Reddington tried to persuade the judge that prosecutors had not offered any proof that Clancy did it. Prosecutors argued there was plenty of evidence, calling Reddington’s claim “laughable.” Prosecutors have yet to decide whether they will put the case in front of a jury for a second time. They could choose to retry her on ﬁrst-degree murder charges or seek to try her only on lesser charges, including

ed that for the purposes of his decision, he was required to analyze the evidence in the light most favorable to prosecutors — and that it was up to the jury, not the judge, to decide whether to believe expert witnesses for the defense who testified that Clancy was not responsible for her actions because of mental illness. “There was evidence introduced, both physical and circumstantial, that would permit a rational trier of fact to ﬁnd beyond a reasonable doubt the elements of the charge of murder,” Sullivan wrote.

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have a nuclear weapon.” The president said “100% of the people” oppose Iran having nuclear attack capabilities “including worldwide.” “So, when you say it that way, it would help,” Trump added. “If you don’t say that, it could hurt.” Yet, there's also growing concern that Tehran might be turning to asymmetrical tactics following the FlyDubai attack and another suspicious incident in the U.K. Authorities believe that Iran might be looking to shift strategy just as the U.S. ﬁnds greater success in loosening Iran’s grip over the Strait of Hormuz and getting Gulf allies' oil to market, while a Navy blockade is shutting down Iran’s own oil exports. British authorities announced on Thursday the arrest of a dual U.K.-Iranian national on suspicion of plotting a terror attack following a security incident at a U.S.-run military air base in England that British authorities have linked to Tehran. The arrest of the 27-year-old man in Central London came after U.K. authorities arrested ﬁve men, all British nationals in their 20s and from London, in the early hours of Sunday on suspicion of explosives and terror offenses close to the RAF Fairford air base. The base has been used by American bombers to strike Iran. The suspects have since been released on bail.

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WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to review a Trump administration policy denying bond hearings for immigrants as the government carries out a sweeping crackdown. The justices will consider whether immigrants who have been living in the U.S. have a right to a hearing to determine if they should remain detained while challenging their possible deportation. The case will test a key pillar of the Trump administration’s hardline immigration agenda. Most appeals courts to have considered the issue have found that it violates federal law to detain immigrants, including those living in the U.S. illegally, without a bond hearing. Those decisions conﬂict with rulings by the 5th and 8th circuits, which held that immigrants accused of illegally entering and remaining in the U.S. must be detained while their deportation cases are pending. The high court agreed to hear the case of Ricardo Aparecido Barbosa da Cunha, a citizen of Brazil. Authorities say he entered the United States illegally two decades ago and applied for asylum in 2016. He sought a bond hearing after an immigration judge determined that his detention was mandatory following his September 2025 arrest. He has never been charged or convicted of a crime, his attorneys said. The court is expected to hear the case in the coming months. President Donald Trump’s administration had urged the high court to take up a different but related case that involves the broader constitutional implications of the new policy. Attorneys from the Republican administration argue the circuits’ split is “disrupting the orderly administration of immigration law.” They say the nation’s courts have been inundated with thousands of petitions ﬁled by immigrants challenging the government’s legal interpretation.

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Continued from page 1A Louisiana students attended such schools, compared with 80% of high schoolers nationally. Louisiana also lags in AP exam-taking, according to the data. Just 25% of Louisiana students who graduated in 2025 took at least one AP exam during high school, compared with 37% nationally. When it comes to course access, Louisiana also has bigger racial disparities than the nation as a whole. In 2025, 35% of Black Louisiana students attended high schools with five or more AP courses, 11 percentage points lower than the share of White students. Nationally, 75% of Black students

Continued from page 1A ing $1.65 million plus accrued interest at 6% annually. The extension gives the financially strained parish more time to make payments, but state ofﬁcials are warning that the clock is ticking. Louisiana Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack told the Bond Commission earlier this month that the parish needs to make signiﬁcant cuts to its operations or face further state intervention. “They just haven’t been hawkish enough on making the cuts,” Waguespack said. “They need to get serious about making cuts to their operations. That’s the only way they’re going to do it.”

Continued from page 1A stagram and WhatsApp records the FBI obtained show the men used the sites to solicit more than $80,000 from followers, often through posts accompanied by proHamas imagery. The brothers sent the money to people allegedly afﬁliated with Hamas inside the Gaza Strip, the records show, where Israel has been at war with Hamas since the group’s Oct. 7, 2023, crossborder attack that killed 1,200 Israelis. Court records state the brothers’ alleged crimes occurred in St. Tammany Parish. They appear to have drawn law enforcement scrutiny when Abdel Adhami, the elder of the two, messaged an undercover NYPD detective last fall and tried coaxing the ofﬁcer to bring cash to Louisiana. A pair of criminal complaints drafted by FBI counterterrorism agents were unsealed Tuesday at the federal courthouse on Poydras Street. The records detail the brothers’ communications with alleged Hamas-affiliated handlers, including months of messages that appear to show them discussing how to raise, transmit and conceal money being sent to Gaza. “I also was going to tell

Baton Rouge Magnet High School teacher Emmitt Glynn III works with students in an Advanced Placement African-American history course in 2023.

attended such schools, just 1 percentage point lower than their White peers. Advanced Placement courses are available in a range of subjects, including math, science, English, social studies, world languages and the arts. Students who take AP classes are more likely to enroll in four-year colleges, even if they don’t earn high scores on the exams, according to research highlighted by the College Board. In Louisiana, the most AP exams taken by the most students this year were geography, English and U.S. government, according to the data. Among popular exams, biology had the lowest rate of students scoring 3 or higher (56%), while precalculus had the highest rate (90%).

DEBT

HAMAS

The Acadiana Advocate l theadvocate.com l Friday, October 2, 2026 l 5A

STAFF FILE PHOTO BY TRAVIS SPRADLING

The parish currently does not have enough money to pay off the outstanding balance, according to Parish President Jessie Bellard, and has been making cuts to employees and salaries. Had the council not approved the extension, he said it is likely the parish government would have had to default. The ﬁnancial strain has drawn increasing scrutiny from residents. “These numbers should alarm everyone in the room,” said Will Woods, a St. Landry resident who spoke during Tuesday's public hearing. The parish's ability to repay the debt also has been tied to expected revenue from payments in lieu of taxes, or PILOT agreements, associated with solar energy projects. When the bond was ﬁrst issued, members of the Bond Commis-

you to be careful because you are not in Gaza, you are in a country eh … like they say, they hold you accountable even for a dollar,” Saleem Alzaq, a man described as Abdel Adhami’s primary contact in Gaza, wrote to him on Snapchat in February 2024, according to the records. The arrests reflect what counterterrorism researchers describe as U.S. ofﬁcials’ escalating efforts to unravel digital networks used by Hamas’ supporters to marshal resources from within the United States. The prosecutorial push has ramped up amid a shaky ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, whose ground invasion in Gaza has killed more than 74,000 people, many of them civilians. “There’s been a steady increase of Hamas-related arrests in recent weeks across the country,” said Seamus Hughes, a researcher at the University of Nebraska Omaha’s National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology and Education Center. “It’s clearly increasingly becoming a prosecutorial priority for this administration,” Hughes said. “Hamas has traditionally viewed its adherents in the United States as best positioned to support the group through raising money and resources.” Abdel Adhami faces counts of providing material

sion questioned whether the parish's repayment strategy was too dependent on revenue from planned solar developments involving NextEra. Changes in federal policy affecting tax incentives for solar projects added to those concerns. More than a year later, that expected revenue remains uncertain. NextEra has since withdrawn from its plans to develop multiple solar farms in St. Landry Parish. Bellard has said the solar projects are still moving forward under a different company, although that company has not yet been publicly identiﬁed. The parish anticipates roughly $4 million in PILOT revenue, much of it tied to the solar projects. That revenue is a key part of the parish's plan to maintain a bal-

support to a foreign terrorist organization, wire fraud and money laundering. Omar Adhami is charged with providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and wire fraud. Between November 2023 and February of this year, the FBI says Abdel Adhami sent about $80,000 to people close to Alzaq, his alleged handler, in the Gaza Strip. He primarily used PayPal to send the money after soliciting the money from users on Instagram and other social media platforms, according to court records. Omar Adhami is accused of sending about $6,000 to associates of Alzaq in the same period, according to the records. Defense attorneys for the brothers could not immediately be reached. The New York Police Department’s role in a Louisiana-based case appears to stem from the vast counterterrorism infrastructure the city police agency has maintained since the Sept. 11, 2001, World Trade Center attacks. The unit posts ofﬁcers in cities worldwide, according to the New York City Police Foundation. Posing as a person named “Hussain,” federal court records show the NYPD detective involved in the Adhami investigation messaged with Alzaq and Abdel Adhami last November. The undercover officer

y a D e m a G r Gear Up fo Victories with Sweet

anced budget. If the anticipated payments are reduced or do not materialize, the parish would need to find another source of revenue or make additional cuts. For now, the parish has until April 1 to show that its financial plan can work — and that it can repay the $1.65 million still owed. According to the fiscal plan presented to the council, the remaining balance is expected to be paid in monthly installments. Bellard defended the extension during a Facebook livestream Wednesday, saying the parish's plan always anticipated returning to the Bond Commission to address the remaining balance. “The plan was we would owe $1.6 million this year, in 2026, and go back in front of the bond commission for the remaining balance. Our budget that we ap-

pretended to be the owner of a cash-only store and showed interest in sending money for Alzaq and Adhami’s cause. Adhami wanted the undercover agent to send money via the app Zelle. “The money is going to be cash because my store operates in cash,” the detective replied, according to court records. “My brother has

proved and they approved when they issued the bond shows that,” Bellard said. When the bond was originally approved, Bond Commission staff recommended approval with the understanding that the parish could need to renegotiate the maturity date the following year. The bond, however, was formally set to mature Oct. 1, 2026. No specific agreement or contingency guaranteed a future extension. The commission ultimately approved only six additional months. Waguespack said the shorter extension was intended to give the parish time to demonstrate rapid financial improvement. If that does not happen, he said, auditors could use state authority to intervene in the parish's finances.

Barclays Bank, and he told me they do not have Zelle. He tried to look into the Zelle thing.” “This means there are only two solutions,” Abdel Adhami responded, according to the records. “Either cash, and to be honest, I cannot go to New York to pick the money up, and it must be difﬁcult for you to come to Louisiana to give the money

to me, and I wouldn’t want that for you.” It was unclear whether Adhami ultimately received payments from the undercover detective. Court records show the brothers were charged via the sealed FBI complaints on Sept. 11. They made an initial court appearance a week later, while the case remained sealed.

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U.S. unemployment claims dip to 197,000

WASHINGTON — The number of people applying for U.S. unemployment beneﬁts dipped last week to the lowest level since mid-July as layoffs remain low and most American workers enjoy job security. The Labor Department said Thursday that initial jobless claims ticked down to 197,000 from a revised 198,000 the week before. The four-week average of claims, which smooths out week-to-week volatility, dropped by 2,500 to 200,000. Claims for jobless benefits are a proxy for layoffs, and economists watch them because they can be a sign of where the job market is headed. So far this year, claims have mostly stayed below 220,000 — historically low. The American job market has remained sturdy despite higher energy prices that have squeezed businesses and consumers since the ﬁghting with Iran began Feb. 28. The U.S. on Tuesday reported that U.S. employers posted fewer job openings in August. The Labor Department’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey also showed that layoffs fell and the number of people quitting their jobs — a sign of confidence in their prospects — retreated slightly in August. The report’s measure of gross hiring — before subtracting people who quit or lost their jobs — ticked up modestly in August but remains at low levels.

Tokyo court grants legal protection to voices TOKYO — A Tokyo court has awarded legal protection to the human voice in a landmark case in which a popular Japanese anime voice actor demanded that TikTok close an account over its unauthorized use of an artiﬁcial intelligence clone of his trademark baritone. The Tokyo District Court’s decision Wednesday was the first acknowledgment of the right to one’s voice in Japan. The ruling was good news for many anime voice actors at a time when they are increasingly concerned about the use of AI-generated versions of their voices on social media. The plaintiff, Kenjiro Tsuda, is an actor best known for his “lustrous and deep” voice in starring characters such as Kento Nanami in “Jujutsu Kaisen,” a popular anime series. In his lawsuit, Tsuda said that the anonymous operator of the TikTok account “Nanami” wrongfully proﬁted by attracting viewers with his voice narrating in more than 180 videos about urban legends and paranormal phenomena, and asked for the material to be deleted. “The human voice is symbolic of individual personality, just like one’s portrait,” Presiding Judge Aya Takahashi said, according to a court document seen by The Associated Press.

U.S. mortgage rate churns up to 7.28% NEW YORK — The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate jumped this week to its highest level in nearly three years. The benchmark 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 7.28% from 7.03% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday, the biggest leap in four years. A year ago, the average rate was 6.34%. It is the sixth consecutive week that mortgage rates have increased. The average rate is now the highest it’s been since Nov. 22, 2023, when it reached 7.29%, and it’s not climbed this fast week-to-week since October 2022. Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, often sought by borrowers reﬁnancing a home loan, also climbed this week. That average rate increased to 6.60% from 6.42% last week. A year ago, it was at 5.55%.

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TikTok report touts boost to firms BY CERYS DAVIES

Los Angeles Times (TNS) When Brandon Hurst ﬁrst decided to sell his plants on TikTok Live in 2023, the 32-year-old Los Angeles resident didn’t know what to expect. He said he thought he could sell at least 30 plants, but instead sold 250. Now, three years later, the internet creator, who goes by Brandon the Plant Guy, sells up to 5,000 plants a week, works out of a 3,000-square-foot greenhouse in the Sylmar neighborhood and has a staff of 13. He credits much of this success to the exposure he’s received on TikTok. “I’d be out of business if it wasn’t for TikTok,” said Hurst. “I would have ended the business and gone back to working the desk job that I

was working prior. I was already on that path, that was where we were headed. And then TikTok really did turn that around.” Hurst is one of the 920,000 California-based businesses using the social media platform to reach new customers and grow their brands, according to new data from consulting ﬁrm PF Global. In 2025, TikTok helped generate $12 billion in advertising and merchandise sales for those businesses and supported 52,000 jobs in the state, said the PF Global report, which was commissioned by TikTok. Nationwide, economic activity on TikTok last year helped contribute $81 billion to some 8.5 million U.S. businesses, the report said. The surge in activity reﬂects a

growing trend toward online commerce, as more small businesses and consumers turn to social media platforms like TikTok to buy and sell goods. “We enable American culture, American creators, American businesses, to reach an audience around the world,” said Nicole Nason, TikTok’s head of U.S. public policy, said during a presentation on Wednesday morning. The new report comes as TikTok is increasingly eager to tout its economic impact as a newly formed U.S. joint venture. In January, the company was taken over by three managing investors: Silver Lake, Oracle and Emirati investment ﬁrm MGX, each holding 15%, with ByteDance retaining 19.9% of investments. This transi-

tion came after TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, was under pressure to divest its ownership in the app’s U.S. operations or face a nationwide ban, due to security concerns. Last month, TikTok also settled a $400 million lawsuit from the U.S. Department of Justice, ending a 2024 lawsuit alleging the company violated federal children’s privacy laws. TikTok, which operates its U.S. headquarters in Culver City, California, where it employs several hundred workers, is mostly known for its viral, short-form vertical videos. But, over the years, the platform has become a hub of curated viral content and a central part of many businesses’ marketing strategies.

Poll: Most blame Trump for high prices President’s economic approval among Americans hits new low

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

BY JILL COLVIN and LINLEY SANDERS

A customer checks gas prices on Sept. 22 while he fills up his vehicle’s tank at a gas station in Racine, Wis. A new poll found 65% of U.S. adults blame Trump’s policies for persistently high costs more than factors outside of his control.

WASHINGTON — Americans are deeply frustrated with President Donald Trump’s handling of the economy and rising prices, with most panning his performance and blaming his policies as higher costs threaten his party’s chances in November. A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research ﬁnds that only 17% of U.S. adults approve of the Republican president’s handling of the cost of living. Just 26% approve of his handling of the economy overall, marking a new low. A majority, 65%, of U.S. adults now blame Trump’s policies for persistently high costs more than factors outside of his control, signaling growing weariness over his aggressive use of tariffs and continued unhappiness with the war with Iran. The dismal numbers come just weeks before midterm elections that will determine whether Republicans maintain control of Congress and while Trump is hitting the campaign trail with an aggressive schedule of rallies. But Trump — who has asked voters to pretend that he is on the ballot as he tries to bolster turnout — remains deeply unpopular, with even many Republicans faulting him for failing to deliver on promised relief. “I was hoping it would be better or different, but it’s not really good,” said Robert Gault, 66, a retired factory worker from Bradford, Pennsylvania, who describes himself as a Republican. “Our president, I thought, was going to help the country, and so far he has not really seemed to have done that with the economy or in general. He’s not really done what I was hoping he would,” said Gault. “He said, ‘Make America Great Again.’ And I have not seen him do that.” Costs drag on Trump as the economic pain

keeps coming Over the last few months, Americans have grown more worried about being able to afford basics like groceries and gas. About half of U.S. adults now say they are “extremely” or “very” concerned about being able to fill their tanks, up from 39% in July. About half are also highly concerned about being able to afford food. Prices are “extremely exorbitant. Just the cost of everything is going up as a result of fuel,” said Pedro Sanchez, 52, of Perris, California, who voted for Trump and works in law enforcement. “I used to have a lot more disposable income. I don’t have that any more. It’s gotten eaten up because of all these increases in the cost of everything.” Trump’s current approval on the economy is a 14 percentage point drop from March 2025, just after he took office for the second time. His struggles on the issue mark a significant departure from his first term, when the economy was often a point of strength. Trump spent much of the 2024 campaign hammering President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, Democrats, on inflation and promising to lower prices. Now, there’s widespread disappointment with his performance. About 7 in 10 Americans say Trump’s handling of the cost of living has been “worse than expected.” That includes roughly half of Republicans, who are also broadly concerned about being able to afford groceries and gas. “Groceries are just like kind of out of control. It seems like everything is going up,” said Bethany Lnenicka, 41, who operates a small farm in Fairfax, Iowa. “It’s just one thing and the next week it’s another thing. It’s just insane. And of course your income doesn’t go up.” A political independent who typically votes Republican and has voted for Trump three times, Lnenicka said she had hoped his second

Associated Press

term would be more like his ﬁrst. “I just do not feel like it has gotten a lot better,” she said. About 6 in 10 Republicans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the cost of living, according to the new poll, up from about half in April. “It definitely doesn’t feel like we have trended in the right direction,” agreed Kristen Slaven, 41, a mental health therapist who lives in Gluckstadt, Mississippi, and typically votes Republican. She said Trump is focused on the wrong things. “Obviously wars don’t help. When they’re necessary, I understand. But our focus on renaming bodies of water and pieces of land, that’s just stupid to me when people can’t feed their family,” she said. “I had hoped that it would be better,” Slaven added. Some Republicans are still willing to cut Trump some slack Despite their frustration, most Republicans, 67%, say factors outside of Trump’s control are more to blame for high prices. Overall, however, most Americans, 69%, continue to say the war has not been worth ﬁghting, up slightly from 64% in July. Only 28% approve of how Trump is handling Iran. Americans are also unhappy with Trump’s trade wars. Only about 3 in 10 U.S. adults approve of how he is handling trade negotiations with other countries, down from about 4 in 10 in March. And 64% say he has “gone too far” on imposing new tariffs on other countries, up from 58% in January. Overall, the picture is not better. Only about 3 in 10 Americans approve of how Trump is handling his job as president. And about 6 in 10 say the country as a whole is “much” or “somewhat” worse off than when he began his second term.

Fortnite pro gives out computers to young gamers 21-year-old plans for more through fund

BY JAMES POLLARD Associated Press

NEW YORK — After dropping out in eighth grade to pursue esports, Cody Conrod wants to help others enter the increasingly expensive world of professional gaming. The 21-year-old competitive Fortnite player, better known as Clix to his more than 8 million Twitch followers, already provides hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of gaming equipment through an annual holiday giveaway. Through his new holding company, launched Thursday, he is formalizing those efforts into the Dr3amin Access Fund. Fortnite, one of the world’s most popular video games, features last-

one-standing showdowns where players hunt down each other’s customizable avatars across an ever-shrinking map. Content creators have found loyal audiences by live streaming their exploits on platforms such as Twitch, the livestreaming platform owned by Amazon, and clipping the most eyecatching segments into viral shortform videos. But the equipment needed to compete at higher levels is pricey — and getting pricier. The massive data center buildout has pushed up the costs of computers, graphics processors and memory chips. Conrod recommends a setup that can handle at least 120 frames per second for a GPU-intensive game such as Fortnite. And even sub-$500, entry-level PCs are becoming scarcer, according to Joost van Dreunen, a longtime games industry researcher and adjunct assistant professor

at New York University’s Stern School of Business. “Anybody who is starting up early in their career, anybody who is building their first PC, is having an increasingly difficult time finding hardware and components for it,” he said. Conrod understands the squeeze. His parents couldn’t afford a “crazy gaming computer” when he started playing when he was 5. As Fortnite took the gaming world by storm, with publisher Epic Games offering $100 million tournament prizes, Conrod said he had to make do with a “worst of the worst” computer running 30 frames per second. After months spent begging his parents to help buy a roughly $1,600 computer, Conrod said, his dad wrote up a contract: the teenager would have three months to pay him back by working for his

plumbing company throughout the summer. Conrod ultimately needed just two weeks’ worth of Fortnite earnings to honor the deal. “If I never had that PC, if I never had access to that computer, this career — this setup that you see — would not be a thing,” Conrod said, speaking from his Dallas bedroom where he streams to thousands of viewers for hours at a time. By age 14, it was time for another conversation. He’d made nearly $200,000 through the Fortnite World Cup and felt he couldn’t balance classes with his career. Waking up for middle school at 6 a.m. to then compete in tournaments at 6 p.m. left him exhausted. “You can’t be tired when you’re playing,” he explained. Reaction times, he said, have to be “crisp.” After some hesitation, his parents agreed to let him go all-in on competitive gaming.

The Acadiana Advocate l theadvocate.com l Friday, October 2, 2026 l 7A

REBIRTH

Continued from page 1A

During the ﬁrst and subsequent retreats, including one in Idaho, they kept coming back to the most potent and powerful moments and

Such was the case with “My Rising Son.” After losing the ability to blink in 2022, typing with his eyes became substantially harder for Gleason. He suffered two years of writer’s block with his poetry. Then Dominach shared a song he was writing with a line about, “My young son, please remember to take your time/I will always lift you up/You can find me where the rivers run.” With that, “my ﬁre was lit,” Gleason said. “I ﬁnished the song over the next couple of days, which is light speed for me. “That breakthrough opened the father/son theme that bookends the album and helped unlock the spiritual dimensions of songs like ‘Wash’ and ‘Dissolve.’” (“I wasn’t the key,” Dominach said. “I think it was God.”) Gleason was a constant

presence in the studio, offering feedback and encouragement. “I would give a more general perspective rather than technical details,” he said. Whenever he sensed the vibe was off, he’d call a timeout and gather the musicians around his wheelchair for a huddle. Such resets, Rehage said, inevitably led to more spontaneous magic. “That’s been the theme,” Gleason said. “Stepping into the unknown. Putting ourselves out there. Trusting that there’s a path.”

Shorty's 'Sonic Boom' Three weeks before the game, the “Rebirth” team was under pressure to ﬁnish at least the ﬁrst two songs, especially the Trombone Shorty showcase “Sonic Boom.” But the timing of the always-on-the-go Andrews’

SELF-SCH TO

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Stepping into the unknown

experiences in Gleason’s life. Those became the seeds of new songs. “That’s the word — ‘seeds,’” Gleason said. “I didn’t just hand over poems.” He insisted that the album’s themes — “love, loss, tragedy, shadows” — be universal. “If you go deep enough into Steve’s experiences, they’re all of our experiences,” Salters said. “This is not some tribute to Steve. That’s the last thing he wanted.” Gleason contributed new lyrics, such as “heal me with your pain,” and offered feedback on song structure and feel. His wife, Michel, also provided perspective. As 13 songs took shape, Rehage solicited his music business contacts to help ﬁnish them. “It’s a very challenging project to explain,” he noted. Rehage’s involvement “legitimized this whole project,” Dominach said. “He has the (music industry) credentials.” Kachkachishvili offered up Esplanade Studios as the project's home base. Musicians cycled in to write and record. Salters’ favorite Chinese tea blend helped fuel recording sessions. River Eckert, the teenage New Orleans piano phenom, ended up co-writing and singing the album's final song, “My Rising Son,” in which a son addresses his father. Gleason’s son is named Rivers. “It was not planned that way,” Salters said. “But these things just kept happening. Every time we got insecure, one of these experiences would keep teasing us forward. You’re going, ‘I wish I would have thought of that.’” Some lyrics, Gleason said, “arrived unexpectedly. But they usually emerge from experiences I had been carrying for years.”

the-clock caregivers. Steve Rehage, founder of the now-dormant Voodoo Music & Arts Experience, is a close friend. They met outside Lola’s restaurant on Esplanade Avenue the night Rehage booked Rage Against the Machine for the 2007 Voodoo Fest in City Park. Both Rehage and Jim Salters, who played linebacker alongside Gleason in high school, serve on the Team Gleason board. They are coproducing “Rebirth” with him . Before Trombone Shorty arrived at the studio on a recent Monday, Gleason, Rehage, Salters, Dominach and fellow caregiver Jenni Doiron told the story of how “Rebirth” was born. Dominach initially floated the idea of Gleason creating a song to commemorate the “Domecoming” anniversary. In October 2025, the core group, which included Gleason’s brother Kyle, embarked on a songwriting retreat on the Slidell waterfront. “We get out in Slidell and it’s like, ‘What are we doing?’” Salters recalled. “Very quickly, it became, ‘Instead of a song, let’s do an album.' How crazy does that sound? Steve Gleason, the guy who can’t move, can’t breathe on his own, is going to produce, write and release a full album.” Gleason chimed in from his wheelchair: “Hell yeah, baby.” The first song at that first retreat “literally just fell out,” Salters said. ‘When that happens, you know you’re onto something.” As Dominach put it, “We knew, going into this, that we were going to be dealing with magic.”

The Gothic revival church near the corner of Esplanade Avenue and North Broad Street dates to the 1920s. Industrialist Andrew Carnegie donated the pipe organ. Katrina shuttered the church. It sat vacant until Grammy-winning recording engineer Misha Kachkachishvili reopened the building as Esplanade Studios in 2013. Having undergone its own rebirth, Esplanade Studios is the appropriate setting for Gleason’s album. Music has always been a huge part of his life. In 2002, he started taking guitar lessons from Benny Dominach, a local musician he met at a crawfish boil. During the 2004 Saints season, Gleason formed a band called Fixing To Split. They played a single Friday night show at The Parish of the House of Blues. “I remember leaving pretty quickly afterward, because I needed good sleep two nights before our Sunday game,” Gleason said, using his eyes to pick words, letters and phrases from a screen. “So yes, there was a musician in there somewhere. “But I never imagined making an album like ‘Rebirth.’ This project fulﬁlls something deeper than a longtime dream. ALS has taken my natural voice, my ability to play guitar and nearly every physical form of creative expression. Somehow, I’m making an album with some extraordinary musicians and people I love. That feels impossible, which is generally where the good stuff begins.” His inner circle was wellpositioned to help. Pearl Jam’s McCready sits on the board of Team Gleason, the ALS advocacy organization. Dominach, aka Benny D, is now one of Gleason’s round-

AP P

'Musician in there’

STAFF PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD

Jim Salters, left, and Steve Gleason listen as Troy ‘Trombone Shorty’ Andrews records the song ‘Sonic Boom’ for Gleason’s album at Esplanade Studios on Sept. 14.

SCAN

block of an Atlanta Falcons punt that night electrified the team, the fans and a city struggling to rebuild. The play is immortalized in the “Rebirth” statue outside the Superdome. Ahead of Monday’s “Domecoming” anniversary game against the Falcons, Gleason will gather with fans at 3 p.m. in Lafayette Square. He’ll lead a celebratory second-line to Champions Square, where Broussard will perform. He'll also participate in the coin toss on the Superdome ﬁeld and lead the pregame “Who Dat” chant with his synthesized voice. Fifteen years after his ALS diagnosis, the light has gone out on his physical abilities. He can no longer blink; caregivers tape his eyelids open when he is awake and cover his eyeballs with protective lenses to maintain moisture. But his inner light shines as brightly as it did that epic night in the Superdome 20 years ago. The creation of “Rebirth” makes that clear.

arrival at Esplanade Studios was uncertain. Morning turned to afternoon. While waiting, Rehage received an email with McCready’s guitar solos for the song “Naked Tears.” Andrews ﬁnally arrived, toting two horn cases directly from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. “Thanks for being here,” Gleason said. “I love you.” “I love you more,” Andrews replied. “Thank you for having me. Anytime you call, I’ll be here. You know that.” Asked how he feels, Andrews responded, “I’m feeling good. A little tired. But once the music starts … ” Did he need anything? Some tea might be nice. Gleason concurred: “Yes, yes, yes. Jim has awesome tea. It will be perfect.” Andrews asked who wrote the “Sonic Boom” horn charts. Bonerama trombonist Mark Mullins, Kachkachishvili told him. “It’s almost like a conversational vibe,” Kachkachishvili said. “The lead singer is singing it but the horns are constantly answering.” “Classic New Orleans calland-response,” Andrews concluded. He took his place in a cluster of microphones at the center of the former church’s high-ceilinged sanctuary. Gleason watched intently from nearby. Though exhausted, Andrews rose to the occasion, blowing brassy and bold on his trombone. From the upstairs control room, Kachkachishvili spoke to him through headphones, gently alternating compliments with requests for just one more take. The cycle repeated several times. When Kachkachishvili was satisﬁed they had what they need, Andrews switched to trumpet and repeated the process. Over in the corner, Salters nodded his head in time to the song's beat. Gleason cannot nod. But he was absorbing the music, processing it, feeling it. It is the sound of his adopted city. It is the sound of his “Rebirth.”

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F r i d ay, O c t O b e r 2, 2026

1bN

Lafayette Buc-ee’s project date set Founder will join officials for Nov. 9 groundbreaking

BY ADAM DAIGLE

Acadiana business editor

STAFF PHOTO BY LESLIE WESTBROOK

‘The Fois: Revenge of Maw Maw Claudette,’ a locally produced Louisiana feature film written by David Rabalais, will premiere at the Rice Theatre on Saturday.

Acadiana-set film premieres Saturday

Horror-comedy features Cajun Maw Maw, cursed gumbo pot A still from ‘The Fois: Revenge of Maw Maw Claudette,’ a locally produced Louisiana feature film written by David Rabalais

BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer

A Cajun Maw Maw is coming back from the dead — and she’s bringing a cursed gumbo pot with her. “The Fois: Revenge of Maw Maw Claudette,” an independent horror-comedy ﬁlmed throughout Acadiana, will have its world premiere Saturday at the historic Rice Theatre in Crowley. The premiere sold out in two days, prompting writer and director David Rabalais to add screenings through Oct. 11. Showtimes are 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. daily. The ﬁlm follows Beaux Boudreaux, a washed-up pilot who returns to his hometown in Acadiana to settle his late grandfather’s estate. Things go badly after a disastrous gumbo awakens the vengeful spirit of his Maw Maw Claudette, a gumbo champion whose cursed pot unleashes a supernatural outbreak known

PROVIDED PHOTO BY DAVID RABALAIS as “the fois.” Rabalais said the title comes from a South Louisiana French slang term. “The foie is kind of like a South Louisiana French slang for, you know, diarrhea, bubble guts or feeling bad,” Rabalais said. “People all the time say, ‘Don’t eat that, bro. That’s gonna give you the

Man arrested on child sexual abuse material charges A 23-year-old Lafayette man was arrested Wednesday after police say he distributed child sexual abuse material online and sexually abused an animal, the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office said. Aidan John Fontenot, of McClendon Street, faces five counts of distribution of child sexual abuse material depicting children under 13 and one count of sexual abuse CRIME of an animal, according to a BLOTTER news release Advocate from Attorney staff General Liz reports Murrill’s office. Agents with the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation began investigating after receiving multiple online tips from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the release said. The tips alleged that someone was distributing child sexual abuse material on several online applications, including Snapchat, Kik and Discord. Agents identified Fontenot as the suspect, the release said.

The arrest followed a joint investigation by the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations and the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Attorney General’s Office said. Fontenot was booked into the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center. His bail was set at $550,000, according to the release. The investigation is ongoing, the Attorney General’s Ofﬁce said.

Man accused of stealing from salvage yard An Acadia Parish man was arrested after deputies said he stole six catalytic converters from a salvage yard near Crowley. Travis Christopher Cormier, 37, of Church Point, faces two counts of unauthorized entry of a place of business and six counts of theft of catalytic converters, the Acadia Parish Sheriff’s Ofﬁce said in a Facebook post on Sept. 30. “The thefts happened at SMS, a salvage yard in the

ä See BLOTTER, page 4B

Buc-ee’s has set Nov. 9 for the groundbreaking of its long-awaited Lafayette store. Buc-ee’s founder and CEO Arch “Beaver” Aplin will join local and state officials at 11 a.m. Nov. 9 for the ceremony marking the start of construction on the 74,000-square-foot store planned at the northeast corner of Louisiana Avenue and Interstate 10, company officials announced Wednesday. The announcement comes about six weeks after Lafayette Consolidated Government issued a $72.05 million building permit for the project, allowing construction to begin. Cleveland Construction of Naples, Florida, is the contractor. The Lafayette Buc-ee’s project has faced a shifting timeline since it was first announced. The company initially indicated the store would open by the 2025 holiday shopping season. A company spokesperson later said July 2027 was possible, while a later project document indicated the opening would not happen until 2028. The project has been moving through site preparation and permitting in the meantime. Crews have worked to bring in fill dirt to raise the site because the property is in a flood zone. Buc-ee’s has said its stores typically take about 15 to 16 months to build. The company’s cooperative endeavor agreement with the Lafayette Economic Development Authority requires it to use its “best efforts” to complete the project within 36 months after obtaining all permits required to construct the facility. The agreement does not include specific penalties for delays. The store is expected to have about 120 gas pumps and nearly 700 parking spaces. The project also includes

ä See BUC-EE’S, page 4B

foie.’ ” The idea for the movie came from something Rabalais had seen repeatedly online: People arguing passionately about how gumbo should be made. “I wanted to show off our local culture,

St. Landry deputies seize Lafayette ex-broadcaster synthetic returns as UL podcaster cannabinoid ä See FILM, page 4B

Fontenot leads episodes highlighting university

Sheriff says drug bust largest in parish

BY DEAN BOUDREAUX

BY JOANNA BROWN

Staff writer

Marcelle Fontenot, a veteran broadcaster who spent more than 20 years as a reporting anchor for Lafayette news stations, will return to airwaves next week as a podcast host for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Fontenot took a new role this spring as the chief communications ofﬁcer at UL, and will launch as host of the university “La Louisiane” podcast Monday. “La Louisiane” is the ofﬁcial university magazine, and the podcast is released online monthly. Each episode highlights researchers, students, UL legends, and other stories that spotlight the institution’s culture and impact. “It’s been a few months since I’ve been on the air. I’m coming back — in a different space and continuing to tell stories that make south Louisiana so special. We’ll bring you the voices and stories of the University of

PROVIDED PHOTO

Marcelle Fontenot, a veteran broadcast journalist and chief communications officer at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, will relaunch the UL ‘La Louisiane’ podcast on Monday.

Louisiana at Lafayette, highlighting the noteworthy, unexpected spirit and creativity happening here,” Fontenot said in a video announcement shared with the university community. Monday’s episode will feature a conversation between Fontenot and Andy Benoit, UL’s vice president for Student Success. La Louisiane ﬁrst launched as a magazine in 1989, and the Ofﬁce of Communication and Marketing produces the podcast in association with KRVS 88.7 FM, a public radio station broadcast from campus.

St. Landry Parish narcotics detectives and federal agents seized about 11.5 pounds of a synthetic cannabinoid this week in what Sheriff Bobby J. Guidroz called the largest drug seizure in the parish. Ray Allen Guillory III, of Opelousas, was arrested on a charge of possession with intent to distribute a Schedule I substance, according to a Sheriff’s Office news release. The drug was identified as MDMB-INACA. Detectives worked with Homeland Security Investigations agents to seize the drug from a residence on Goodloe Street in Opelousas, the release states. Synthetic cannabinoids are laboratory-made chemicals that act on some of the same brain receptors as THC, the main psychoactive component of marijuana. Guidroz said MDMB-INACA is not marijuana and can produce “significantly different and unpredictable effects,” including severe health complications and withdrawal symptoms.

ä See DRUG BUST, page 4B

2B l Friday, October 2, 2026 l theadvocate.com l The Acadiana Advocate

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

Reducing swipe fees would boost small businesses Louisiana’s economy is growing continue to increase fees year faster than the national average, after year, despite technological thanks to gains in production and innovations that have made manemployment. The chalaging payments quicker and cheaper. lenge now is keeping that As a result, what was momentum alive. once a small charge has One place to start is ballooned into the second addressing the sky-high largest operating expense credit card processing for businesses. Just last fees that are squeezing the Danny life out of local businesses Kendrick year, businesses across the country paid around across the state. GUEST $157 billion in swipe fees, Every time one of our COLUMNIST a $9 billion increase from customers pays for a fuel the year before. delivery with a credit For perspective, that’s around card, we're on the hook to pay three times Louisiana’s entire 2-4% of the transaction to the card's issuing network and bank. state budget. Louisiana’s tax system only Commonly referred to as “swipe adds gasoline to the ﬁre. That’s fees,” these charges were created to cover the cost of processing because credit card companies apply swipe fees to non-revenue credit card transactions. Although charging for the con- generating portions of transacvenience of credit card payments tions like taxes and tips to furmay appear straightforward, ther pad their proﬁts. With Louimajor credit card companies siana having one of the nation’s

highest combined state and local tax rates, businesses here lose even more. This often leaves merchants with two choices: They can pass the fees directly to customers or increase prices. Neither decision is a good one, but the situation is unlikely to improve thanks to a lack of competition in the payments arena. Visa and Mastercard collectively control around 80% of the credit card market, which gives them near-total power to set swipe fee rates with little to no pushback. Gov. Jeff Landry has already signaled a willingness to address debit card fees, and a new law bans merchants from adding debit card surcharges to a bill. Leaders should apply a similar level of scrutiny to credit card swipe fees. For starters, lawmakers in Baton Rouge can prohibit credit

Cassidy can enhance his legacy with dental bill Few members of Congress bring to dens on families and respects the clinical Washington the perspective of someone judgment of physicians over bureaucratic who has spent decades caring for painterpretations of insurance policies. For Sen. Cassidy, the legislation tients. Before entering politics, carries even greater significance. Sen. Bill Cassidy was a physiThroughout his Senate career, cian. He understands something he has consistently emphasized many lawmakers only encounter practical health policy over through briefing papers: Behind ideological battles. He has spoken every policy debate is a patient, a family and a life forever changed J. Roman about improving patient outcomes, modernizing healthcare and bringby the decisions Congress makes. Farr That is why the Ensuring Lasting ing a physician's perspective to GUEST Smiles Act, or ELSA, represents COLUMNIST policymaking. Supporting ELSA more than another healthcare bill. would be a natural extension of It is an opportunity for Sen. Casthat philosophy. History rarely remembers lawsidy to cement a legacy rooted in the values that first drew him to makers for every vote they cast. medicine: compassion, evidenceInstead, it remembers the probbased care and ensuring patients lems they solved. receive the treatment they need, Many legislators become associnot just the treatment an insurance ated with landmark reforms that Seth company decides to cover. permanently improve the lives of DeJean Americans who may never know For thousands of children and adults born with congenital anomatheir names. ELSA offers Sen. GUEST lies such as cleft lip and cleft palCOLUMNIST Cassidy that kind of opportunity. Years from now, thousands of famate, or those who suffer severe facial injuries from disease or ilies could look at a child whose retrauma, reconstruction is not cosmetic. constructive care was completed because It is essential medical care. It allows insurance finally covered what doctors children to eat, speak, breathe, hear and recommended and know that Congress smile with confidence. It enables adults to got it right. return to work, interact socially and reThat is the kind of legacy that outlasts election cycles. gain fundamental aspects of their health It is also a reminder that some of the and dignity. most meaningful legislation is not meaYet too often, patients who have undergone years of medically necessary treatsured by headlines or political victories. Instead, this legislation will be measured ment discover that insurance coverage by children who can smile without pain, ends before reconstruction is complete. Families who believed they were covered teenagers who no longer fear being desuddenly find themselves battling claim nied treatment midway through recondenials based on arbitrary distinctions struction and parents who can focus on between "cosmetic" and "medically neces- their child's recovery instead of fighting insurance appeals. sary" procedures. The result is financial As both a physician and a senator, Bill hardship and delayed treatment. Cassidy occupies a rare place at the interELSA addresses this gap by helping ensure that group health plans and insursection of medicine and public policy. Few lawmakers are as well positioned to recers cover medically necessary treatment and related reconstructive care for birth ognize the profound difference between defects and congenital anomalies that pri- cosmetic enhancement and medically marily impact the appearance or function necessary reconstruction. Even fewer have the credibility to lead on this issue. of the eyes, ears, teeth, mouth or jaw. It ELSA is an opportunity to put patients does not create new standards of beauty before politics and science before semanor open the door to elective cosmetic procedures. Instead, it recognizes what tics. physicians, surgeons and patients have If Sen. Cassidy wants to leave a lasting long understood: Reconstructive care is mark on American healthcare — one that healthcare. reflects the best traditions of medicine This issue should transcend party lines. and public service — he should make the Conservatives often speak about Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act part of his strengthening families and removing legacy. unnecessary barriers to opportunity. Progressives emphasize expanding access to J. Roman Farrar is the president of the medically necessary care. ELSA advancLouisiana Dental Association. Seth A. DeJean is the president of the Louisiana es both goals. It supports children with Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. lifelong medical conditions, reduces bur-

card networks from charging swipe fees on sales tax and tips. With Louisiana’s towering combined tax rate in mind, this reform would greatly reduce ﬁnancial pressure on both families and businesses. Predictably, credit card companies claim that separating sales tax from swipe fees is too difﬁcult. However, given that retailers already distinguish the taxable parts of sales every day, credit card giants should be more than capable of doing the same. Beyond state-level action, Louisiana’s congressional delegation can also tackle swipe fees. The Credit Card Competition Act would encourage more competition in the payments market by requiring the largest banks to include a second processing network on their credit cards beyond Visa or Mastercard. Intro-

ducing a second network option for merchants would generate competitive pressure to decrease swipe fees. The bill — which has broad bipartisan support including from President Donald Trump — would save businesses approximately $17 billion annually. But the measure requires additional champions. Louisiana Sens. John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy ought to assist in driving it over the ﬁnish line. Lawmakers have a golden opportunity to support small businesses and build on Louisiana's economic strength. Addressing the challenge of swipe fees would clear the way to sustain the state's ongoing progress. Danny Kendrick is the president of Kendrick Oil Company, a licensed wholesale fuel distributor in Louisiana.

Protect Head Start standards that help children thrive Head Start has been part of my ers would make that harder. They family’s story for two generations. I could also weaken the partnership attended as a child, and when I looked with parents that helped my family for care for my own children, it was make informed decisions and find the at the top of my list. services Amir needed. I am a mother of four, and all have Head Start recognizes that children participated in Early Head Start or are not numbers in a classroom. Each Head Start. Head Start is much arrives with their own personmore than “a day care.” Skilled ality, abilities, experiences and teachers know each child, treat needs. Small classes and wellparents as partners and consupported teachers allow pronect families with resources grams to see the whole child that build on their strengths. and help that child grow. My son Amir began Early I have seen the same apSherelle Head Start at 18 months. His proach with my daughters. Porter speech was regressing, and I Head Start helped them build GUEST thought he might have autism. language, social and daily livCOLUMNIST I connected him with early ining skills and provided develtervention and speech services. opmental, hearing and vision Because his teachers knew him well, screenings. When one daughter was they noticed that he often played learning to manage big feelings, her alone, was sensitive to loud noises and teachers worked with her and kept showed other signs of autism. They me informed. encouraged me to seek an evaluation. Head Start also helped me grow Soon after, Amir was diagnosed with as a parent and community leader. I autism. Without Head Start, he would have served on my program’s policy not have been evaluated as quickly council since 2020, including when my because I did not know the signs. I am children were not enrolled. I stayed forever grateful that Head Start was involved because the program works there for my family. best when parents help shape it. Even before the evaluation came That experience taught me how back, his teachers made sure he was programs and systems work and gave comfortable and included. They put me opportunities to bring a parent’s supports in place and learned more perspective to important decisions. It about autism. When he became overalso helped prepare me for my curstimulated, the co-teacher would take rent role as president of the Autism him for a walk to help him calm his Society of Greater New Orleans. body and regulate. I learned from The strength of Head Start is that them and used those same strategies all these pieces work together: skilled at home. teachers, small classes, developmenBecause of Head Start’s low childtal and health screenings, family reto-teacher ratios, one teacher could sources and parent leadership. These give Amir the attention he needed are not extras. They are what make while the other children received the Head Start effective. supervision and care they deserved. The public has until Oct. 6 to comThat experience is why I am conment on the proposed changes. I hope cerned about proposed changes to the federal officials will listen to families who know Head Start firsthand and Head Start Program Performance Standards. The Department of Health preserve the standards that make the program work. I also hope my and Human Services has proposed congressional leaders — Sens. Bill rolling back standards covering class Cassidy and John Kennedy and Rep. sizes, staffing, developmental screenTroy Carter — push to protect those ings, family support and parent instandards. volvement. My family benefited from teachThe proposal would allow more children and fewer adults in infant ers who had the time, training and classrooms in 15 states and in toddler support to see my children clearly, classrooms in as many as 48 states. recognize their strengths and help As a parent, I know what that could them take their next steps. Every mean. Young children learn through Head Start family deserves the same relationships. Teachers need time opportunity. and support to recognize each child’s strengths, understand how they comSherelle Porter is the president of municate and respond when they need the Autism Society of Greater New help. Larger classes with fewer teach- Orleans.

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The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Friday, October 2, 2026 ● 3B

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COMMENTARY

STAFF PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON

Decades after court-ordered desegregation, many Black students remain trapped in low-performing schools, leaving a dilemma for Black parents when choosing a school.

ISSUE OF THE WEEK RACE AND EDUCATION Journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones’ recent essay about choosing a school for her daughter Najya struck a chord among Black families who face similar considerations and the broader education community. Instead of opting to send their daughter to a private, predominantly White school as many affluent Black families do, Hannah-Jones and her husband chose a diverse neighborhood public school in New York, despite the fact it didn’t have a good academic record.As Najya grew up, she questioned her parents’ decision and pushed to go to a better school. In an essay in The New York Times Magazine, Hannah-Jones outlined why, as someone who has documented how Black children are often left to languish in poor public school systems, she made the choice she did. She believed that families like hers keeping their kids in public schools could be powerful advocates to make them better for all students.That has led to an intense debate: What’s more important — fighting to change a system or giving your child every advantage possible? Here are two perspectives.

Why parents sometimes need to go to school, too

Strange racial solidarity of Nikole Hannah-Jones

Everybody, according to an old saying universal pre-K programs at Najya’s of unknown but apparently wise origin, is school, and it had attracted other well-off an expert at raising other families who enrolled their children the people’s kids. year we did, and many had stayed for kinOne child of recent nadergarten.” But that happy situation didn’t last. tional interest is the daughThus began a process many parents ter of Nikole Hannah-Jones, the journalist who led “The of public school students will recognize: calls and attempts to meet with 1619 Project,” a controClarence versial and Pulitzer Prize- emails, the principal, followed by silence and Page runaround, and eventually by halfhearted winning reexamination of new policies that don’t quite address the American history through the lens of slavery, instead of treating that core problem. That problem, in Hannah-Jones’ estiAmerican horror story as a sidelight. In a conversation that occurs in middle- mation, is the “callous disregard” of the class Black households nationwide, includ- adults entrusted with her child’s educaing mine, Hannah-Jones and her husband, tion. Faraji Hannah-Jones, decided to take a Hannah-Jones argues that this sort of bold, unconventional step: They enrolled educational malpractice was possible their daughter Najya in a local public because the student body in question was school next to a public housing develop“mostly low-income Black children,” of whom little was expected. It’s hard to ment in their Brooklyn neighborhood The intention, she wrote in a long essay disagree. None of this is news to parents in published in The New York Times Magatroubled school systems — and we are, zine, was “to challenge New York City’s in many cases, talking about systemic separate and unequal school system.” Despite the civil rights revolution, Han- problems, especially in big city school systems. nah-Jones wrote, most Black students Nor is it a surprise that those middle“languish in the type of schools that the class families whom Hannah-Jones had law was supposed to have eradicated.” noticed with reassurance when Najya “So, like the generations of Black parents who came before us,” she continued, was in pre-K had over time withdrawn their kids from P.S. 307. “Faraji and I felt an obligation to make And yet the Hannah-Joneses stayed, to educational decisions based on the col“fight for the students who did not have lective good and not just our individual options.” advantage.” That decision and the family’s ensuing They made that decision 10 years ago. struggles, which Hannah-Jones bravely Now, as she revealed in the Times esand unflinchingly related in her Times say, the family decided to reverse their earlier decision and move Najya to, yes, a essay, have garnered a full spectrum of reaction from mockery to condemnation. competitive public high school. But the fact remains that sometimes What changed their minds? Najya. our responsibilities to do what’s best Her mom recalls how Najya, now 16, for our children conflict with broader said something when picked up at school obligations to society, including to those one day that caused her to have second who are less fortunate than our children, thoughts. and however a parent decides to act can “Did you know my school was bad like carry unfortunate consequences, includthis when you decided to put me here?” Najya asked. ing failure and regret. Busted. Najya and some friends had By sticking her neck out and opening searched on Google about college opportu- up a very touchy subject for examinanities, which led to a search of New York tion, Hannah-Jones has done much more City school rankings. Which led to the dis- to advance the cause of public education than most of her detractors will give her covery that their school ranked dismally low, which made them wonder about their credit for. As another old slogan goes, it takes a chances for future academic success. village to raise a child. It takes good par“I feel like you got cheated,” HannahJones told her daughter later. “And I’m ents, too. sorry for that.” At first, there had been reason for hope. E-mail Clarence Page at “The district had placed one of its new clarence47page@gmail.com.

The New York Times writer Nikole Hannah-Jones thought she was making her educational choices to favor the interests of Black people, and she was — just the wrong ones. In a long essay for The New York Times MagaRich zine, the radical African Lowry American journalist writes about how her decision to send her daughter to dreadful New York City public schools for ideological reasons ended in tears. Jones, who achieved notoriety as the lead editor of the paper’s 1619 Project, believed that putting her daughter in rotten elementary and middle schools would strike a blow for racial equity. In her view, it’s unfair that so many Black kids are trapped in underperforming New York City schools, and if she trapped her own daughter in them, she and her husband — with their superior wherewithal — could make the schools better for everyone. What started as a project motivated by a savior complex ended as essentially an episode of educational Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Her bright young daughter fell far behind where she could have been academically. Most parents who are paying attention and who have the means would immediately get a kid out of a school where there are ﬁghts during the lunch period, where there is no homework, where the principal and teachers are routinely absent, and where school work isn’t graded — but Nikole Hannah-Jones persisted. By the time her daughter was old enough to realize what was going on and force her mother to let her apply to better high schools, she didn’t know algebra despite getting excellent grades in math at the subpar schools. Hannah-Jones should be furious at the adults who failed her daughter so abysmally, but she’s, in effect, still on their side by portraying school choice as a racist scam and complaining about a lack of resources. The New York City ofﬁcials, administrators, principals and teachers who are blighting the futures of young people aren’t White supremacists; by and large, they agree with Nikole Hannah-Jones politically and many of them are Afri-

can American. You can either be with them, and their narrow interest in protecting the school system from serious challenge, or with the kids. Hannah-Jones is in a version of the same conundrum as the Black Lives Matter activists who believed it was “anti-racist” to agitate against the police. Then, when they got their way and the police stepped back, more Black people were killed. Here it is supposedly “anti-racist” to keep everyone in disorderly, incompetent public schools — and the victims are Black children who have no idea of how little they’ve learned until it’s too late. This is a strange form of racial solidarity. There is no doubt that schools have a tougher job when they have a high population of disadvantaged students. But the problem is not funding, as HannahJones suggests. Studies from the centrist Brookings Institution note both that high-poverty, non-White districts spend more per pupil than lower-poverty districts, and that higher spending doesn’t ensure better results. The Success Academy charter schools in New York City have shown that disadvantaged kids can thrive when there’s an old-fashioned mix of high expectations, strict discipline and rigorous instruction — in other words, what the traditional public schools, mired in a self-interested, unaccountable bureaucracy, can’t deliver. When she sent her daughter to failing schools, Nikole Hannah-Jones imagined herself acting in the tradition of pioneering parents during the civil rights movement who sent their children through mobs to integrate Whites-only schools. Those parents desperately wanted a better education for their kids, though, whereas Hannah-Jones fed her daughter into terrible public schools in the forlorn hope that maybe she’d be OK. If not, at least Hannah-Jones had steered her clear of competitive schools with lots of White and Asian kids. That, of course, was a perverse priority. The famous line is that a neoconservative is a liberal mugged by reality. The New York City public schools mugged Nikole Hannah-Jones, and yet she still doesn’t want to press charges. Rich Lowry is on X, @RichLowry.

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Judge sought charges against N.O. TV station Holmes claims reporting revealed personal information

ment said her office received calls laden with racial epithets. “It’s unnecessary,” Holmes said in the interview. “That same story could’ve been told without ever posting where I live, without ever posting what kind of car I drive.” BY JAMES FINN “While the nuances of the laws Staff writer protecting judges are evolving, A New Orleans judge asked po- we all understand basic human delice to criminally investigate WWL- cency,” the campaign’s statement TV over a report that scrutinized a said. “No one should be threatening real estate deal which led to federal judges with hate speech, or taking prison time for her ex-fiancé, ac- pictures of our cars in a secure garage to win a political campaign.” cording to records. The request by a sitting Criminal District Court judge to press criminal Judge Kimya Holmes, who charges against a news oris running for reelection in the city’s fall municipal ganization over reporting cycle, lodged the request that may have reflected with a New Orleans Popoorly on her drew alarm from First Amendment atlice Department detective on Sept. 11, according to torneys, who said it marks a police report obtained Holmes a stunning threat to news by The Times-Picayune | organizations’ rights. The Advocate. Holmes’ complaint Bruce Hamilton, director of Tuappears to invoke a state law that lane University’s First Amendment bars release of some officials’ infor- Clinic, called Holmes’ request a mation, but which no longer carries “phenomenally bad decision.” “These kinds of attacks on the criminal penalties. The report, from which Holmes’ press, specifically attempts to name is redacted, said she met with criminalize reportage and news detectives to “make a complaint of gathering, are likely to have a chilla news media outlet (WWL-TV) re- ing effect, which is to say they may vealing her home address and ve- make some reporters self-censor hicle information.” It lists the com- or become cautious about reportplainant’s occupation as “judge.” ing the news,” Hamilton said. “That WWL-TV on Tuesday identified makes for a less-informed public Holmes as the complainant in an and a less robust marketplace of ideas.” evening news report. Holmes’ law enforcement comIn an interview last week and a statement provided Wednesday by plaint came weeks after David her campaign, the judge said re- Hammer, a WWL-TV investigative vealing her address and a license reporter, published a story revealplate had put her at risk. The state- ing that the judge’s former fiancé

transferred ownership of the English Turn house to Holmes while negotiating his plea deal with the local U.S. Attorney’s Office. Federal prosecutors had accused the ex-fiancé, Arthur Allen, of defrauding COVID-19 relief programs of $712,000. Allen may have been compelled to pay some or all of that amount as restitution at sentencing, according to federal sentencing rules. At a sentencing hearing the day after Hammer’s Aug. 24 report aired, U.S. District Judge Jay Zainey said he had been prepared to sentence Allen to probation. But Zainey said he had known nothing of the property transfer until he saw WWL’s story. Saying he felt “duped,” the judge gave Allen two years. Hammer’s Aug. 24 video report contained a small image of a document involved in the property transfer that contained the home’s address. The Aug. 24 report also showed the license plate of a Corvette leased by Allen parked in the courthouse garage, which the station said Hammer obtained from a confidential source. WWL-TV says Holmes has never disputed the accuracy of its reporting. Asked to comment on Holmes’ NOPD complaint, station leaders referred to their outlet’s journalism. An NOPD spokesperson did not respond to questions about the investigation’s status. On Sept. 10, Criminal District Court judicial administrator Rob Kazik wrote to WWL-TV President and General Manager Tod Smith

demanding the station remove the Hamilton, the Tulane First Amendimages within 72 hours. ment lawyer. “The court considers the publicaHolmes’ attempt to secure crimition and disclosure of this informa- nal charges against journalists tion to be a serious violation of the comes just under three months statutory protection afforded to all after court security officers acting sitting judges, particularly Judge on orders from a different Criminal Holmes in this instance,” Kazik District Court judge, Leon Roche, wrote. He asked the station to re- handcuffed a reporter and a First veal its anonymous sources on the Amendment lawyer awaiting grand story. Kazik did not respond to mes- jury returns in the courthouse’s hallway. sages for this story. WWL-TV producer Danny MonThe station said it removed the images from its online report with- teverde and the attorney, Eliana in 24 hours and republished them Beiser, had asked Roche to reopen with the license plate number and his courtroom for the return of a home address blurred over, but grand jury indictment of Louisithat it declined to reveal its ana Attorney General Liz sources to the court adminMurrill. They were briefly detained and released withistrator. Holmes lodged her crimout charges. Last week, Zainey denied inal complaint with the a request by Allen’s attorNOPD’s First District the day after Kazik’s letter. neys to soften his prison It was unclear what sentence. charges police could pur- Monteverde “Despite defendant’s assue against the television surances that he would station. Kazik’s letter inmake restitution as soon as cluded a copy of Louisiana Revised possible,” the federal judge wrote in Statute 44:11.2, which bars dissemi- a Sept. 24 order, “the Court learned nation of certain officials’ personal for the first time the day before the information. But the state Legis- sentencing, and confirmed at the lature recently repealed the law’s sentencing, that within a few days criminal penalties, and the law al- of formal charges being brought lows those who share the informa- against the defendant, the defention 72 hours to remove it. dant donated the remaining portion First Amendment advocates have of his ownership of his home.” questioned the law’s constitutionalZainey added: “It was obvious that he would be ordered to make ity since its inception. “The idea that we are creating, restitution.” Staff writer Matt Bruce by statute, protections for certain individuals that give them privacy contributed to this story. rights that the rest of the residents of Louisiana do not enjoy strikes Email James Finn at jfinn@ me as a terrifically bad policy,” said theadvocate.com.

Dispute continues over youth soccer club in Ascension Parish restriction, building restriction, traffic control, parking and circuGeismar property can or subdivision regulation im- lation infrastructure would cause posed by the parish must be done unreasonable traffic congestion host events but not within five years from the first and inconvenience to neighboruse lights, judge rules act constituting the commission ing residents,” the petition states.

BY ANNAKATE FREELAND Staff writer

Amid legal challenges, an Ascension Parish couple can continue operating a youth soccer league on their residential property, but a battle over stadium lights, traffic and the impact on nearby neighborhoods is not over. Dr. Michael and Bonnie Robichaux, who own LA Force Soccer Club, have operated the nonprofit league on their 25-acre property on Bluff Road in Geismar for more than two decades. They currently serve about 350 children. The parish first sued the couple in March, alleging their use of the property violated ordinances governing land use and exterior lighting. The property is zoned medium residential and runs adjacent to Oakbourne Avenue, a dead-end road lined with roughly 60 houses that were developed in 2019 and 2020. It also runs close to the Moss Pointe and Lakes at Dutchtown subdivisions. In June, a judge ruled the Robichauxes could continue using the property for the soccer club because the parish had known about the use for more than five years, since the couple has been using the land for recreational soccer since 2002. Under Louisiana law, a “zoning

of the violation.” However, the judge ruled the couple could not continue using the property’s exterior lighting. In a separate lawsuit filed in May, 20 people who own property on Oakbourne Avenue and surrounding properties filed a class-action suit against the Robichauxes, Ascension Parish and Geosport Lighting Systems, the company that installed the lights. The 90-foot stadium lighting was installed in February, when the Robichauxes were informed they could not continue using fields at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center. The couple says they installed lights on the property to accommodate practice for six teams, with some of the light poles running just 15 feet behind adjacent neighbors’ backyards. The neighbors claim they “continue to suffer” not only because of the stadium lights, but also because the soccer club’s operations create traffic and parking issues that are incompatible with the surrounding residential neighborhood. They also allege the club’s operations intrude on the quiet enjoyment and use of their properties, particularly on weekends and during evening and nighttime hours. “Defendants knew or should have known that operating a commercial sports venue of this nature and intensity in a residential area, without adequate zoning authorization and without sufficient

Bonnie Robichaux said that everyone who uses the field has to enter through their driveway on Bluff Road, not any of the adjacent subdivisions, where entrances and exits are on La. 74. After about an hourlong status conference Monday, a different judge formally recognized and incorporated the earlier ruling. The parties also agreed to submit written arguments on the legal challenges, and the judge will rule after reviewing them. “We are just thrilled and grateful that we can continue soccer here for the kids,” Bonnie Robichaux said. The couple shared on Facebook that although no resolution was made, “the season goes on for our kids, and that’s what matters most.” The plaintiff’s attorney could not be reached for further comment following the hearing. Bonnie Robichaux said she and her husband are working toward relocating the lights, since they would still be able to use their fields for practices and games. The couple is trying to go back to using the fields at Lamar-Dixon for soccer matches. “If we can get access to that field, it also allows us to offload some of the game activity here on our property, which I would imagine would positively affect the neighbors because there would be a little less activity going on,” she said.

PROVIDED PHOTO BY DAVID RABALAIS

‘The Fois: Revenge of Maw Maw Claudette,’ a locally produced Louisiana feature film written by David Rabalais, will premiere on Saturday.

FILM

Continued from page 1B the food, the humor, the way we talk. People get passionate about their roux, their family recipes. I thought, what if that passion came back to haunt you?” he said. That premise became a horrorcomedy rooted in the culture Rabalais grew up around. Scenes were ﬁlmed throughout Acadiana, including Lafayette, Henderson and Breaux Bridge, as well as locations around the Atchafalaya Basin. A fictional town called Cypress Cove was created around filming at Cypress Cove Landing. Rabalais, originally from Eunice, has lived in Lafayette for most of his adult life. He works in video and music production and got his start at KLFY-TV. He has worked in production for more than two decades, but “The Fois” marks his ﬁrst narrative fea-

DRUG BUST

Continued from page 1B

BUC-EE’S

state 10 exit to the Buc-ee’s entrance, installing a trafﬁc signal at the intersection south of I-10 and adding a third lane on Louisiana Avenue between Buc-ee’s and the I-10 westbound entrance ramp. The Lafayette Economic Development Authority has estimated the store will generate about $1.5 million in sales tax collections annually and employ 150 people. Buc-ee’s Lafayette store is ex-

pected to be the second in Louisiana when it opens, following the company’s Ruston location, which held its groundbreaking ceremony in October. Construction there is expected to take 15 to 16 months. Buc-ee’s also opened a store in Pass Christian, Mississippi, in June.

about $500 each, roughly $3,000 combined,” Gibson said. Deputies traced the converters Continued from page 1B to a licensed used-parts buyer who had purchased all six from 1400 block of West Second Street, Cormier, Gibson said. Used-parts just outside Crowley city limits,” buyers are required to identify people who sell items to them, Sheriff KP Gibson said. Gibson said Cormier entered he said. The buyer’s shop had surveilthe property twice — on Sept. 27, when the thefts were initially lance video, and the buyer recreported, and about two weeks ognized Cormier from previous earlier. dealings, Gibson said. “The converters are worth All six converters were recov-

ered and returned to their owner, according to the Sheriff’s Ofﬁce. Gibson said Cormier appears to have acted alone. “At this point in time, he’s the only suspect we have involved in this, but we are not ruling out other suspects,” Gibson said. Cormier is being held in Vermilion Parish Jail. Bond has not been set, the ofﬁce said. The release said Cormier has previous arrests for narcotics and theft.

Continued from page 1B public infrastructure improvements to Louisiana Avenue to handle additional trafﬁc generated by the development. The planned road improvements include extending the third right lane from the westbound Inter-

BLOTTER

Email Adam Daigle at adaigle@ theadvocate.com.

Guidroz credited the cooperation between his agency and federal authorities, which he said developed over “significant time and numerous operations.” Maj. Mark LeBlanc, of the Sheriff’s Office, said Homeland Security Investigations participated in the operation. He said joint operations typically involve a controlled delivery. For example, when federal agents learn that drugs are being shipped to a home, they alert local authorities, who then make an arrest when the person receives the drugs. LeBlanc said the drugs were delivered to the Goodloe Street address. Guillory’s last official address was on Park Circle in Opelousas. LeBlanc said the agency was notified Tuesday afternoon of the arrest and was not told of any other drugs, cash or weapons being found. He said he could not determine the estimated street value of the drugs because they were seized in powdered form, while the drug

ture as a writer and director. “I’ve always wanted to make movies, and I think down here, we kind of have a quirky, weird sense of humor that’s mixed in with the culture,” Rabalais said. The film stars Nick Manning (“Nightwatch”), Kristen Renton (“Sons of Anarchy”) and Rochelle Martin as Maw Maw Claudette. Martin, a Houma native who now lives in Paris, is ﬂying in for the premiere, along with a cast that includes Louisiana actors, musicians and local social media personalities. Rabalais describes the movie as roughly PG-13, with no sex or profanity. The horror comes primarily from supernatural and ghoststory elements, which are paired with the ﬁlm’s comedy. Additional screenings of “The Fois: Revenge of Maw Maw Claudette” are scheduled Oct. 4-11 at the Rice Theatre in Crowley, with showtimes at 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available at tickets. thefoismovie.com.

typically is sold as a liquid. LeBlanc said the withdrawal symptoms from MDMB-INACA can be extreme. He said users have told detectives they will die without more of the drug, which is why deputies are targeting it as much as possible. “It’s similar to what we saw back in the ’60s or ’70s with morphine and heroin addiction,” LeBlanc said. “The withdrawal symptoms are horriﬁc, causing users to seek more.” LeBlanc said the drug is a different batch from another synthetic cannabinoid the agency found earlier this week.

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

Saints too familiar with pool reports this season

F r i d ay, O c t O b e r 2, 2026 26

DREAM COME TRUE

Former LSU star Reese named WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, Page 2C 1cN

M c N E E S E A T L S U • 6 : 4 5 P. M . S A T U R D A Y • S E C N

EARNING

STRIPES

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

If you’re a New Orleans Saints fan, you’ve probably heard of Mark Butterworth by now. At the end of every Saints game this season, Butterworth — the NFL’s vice president of instant replay — has gotten ä Falcons on a call with a pool reporter at Saints to further explain the league’s viewpoint on calls that have 7:15 P.M. MONDAY, ESPN been … highly debated, to say the least. Three games. Three controversies. Only the Saints, right? Well, yes and no. In recent history, the Saints are the only team to have games that have triggered three consecutive pool reports. A pool report is conducted when a media member at the game requests one with the home public relations representatives to inquire about rule interpretations related to that contest — such as why the on-ﬁeld ofﬁcials determined Tyler Shough fumbled in last weekend’s loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, when they previously ruled that Detroit’s Jared Goff threw an incompletion against New Orleans in a very similar-looking play from weeks earlier. The Times-Picayune looked at 56 pool

ä See SAINTS, page 4C

STAFF PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU quarterback Landen Clark celebrates while scoring against Texas A&M in the third quarter of their game on Saturday at Tiger Stadium.

LSU QB Clark draws Chambliss comparison before possible start BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

STAFF PHOTO BY BRAD KEMP

UL’s Mason Golding gets off a punt against UAB last month.

Cajuns punter Golding: ‘I’ve got to be ready’ Injury report brings good, bad news ahead of homecoming game

Lane Kiffin said on Monday that Landen Clark has “done a great job.” The LSU backup quarterback “finds a way to make plays” when he subs into games, he said, and he “does a good job” in practice, too. And then Kiffin felt himself veering away from news conference banality and into something more honest. He just needed to throw in a disclaimer first, lest you think he had fallen victim to the kind of hyperbolic comparison that can force players to battle unfair expectations. “I’m not saying he’s Trinidad,” Kiffin said. Trinidad Chambliss, that is. The little-known, smallschool transfer quarterback who became a national star under Kiffin’s direction last season at Ole Miss. Clark is not Chambliss. But Kiffin couldn’t help but point out some of the things that the two quarterbacks have in common — traits that could become even more apparent when LSU hosts McNeese State in a tune-up at

6:45 p.m. Saturday (ABC). Kiffin could give starter Sam Leavitt and his sore hamstring the night off, and if he does, then Clark would get the start under center. Chambliss starred at a Division II school named Ferris State before he transferred to Kiffin’s Ole Miss program in 2025, while Clark got his start at Elon — an FCS team. In his lone full season as Ferris State’s starter, Chambliss accounted for more than 3,900 yards and 50 touchdowns. Clark completed 56% of his passes for 2,321 yards, 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions as a redshirt freshman in 2025, while adding another 614 yards and 11 scores on the ground. He set Elon’s single-season rushing touchdowns record. Both players were low-profile transfers when they first joined Kiffin’s program, and they each flashed an intriguing mix of size, mobility and arm talent in their first taste of SEC action. Clark made clear progress in LSU’s spring

ä See LSU, page 4C

Pels announce broadcast plans for season BY ROD WALKER

BY KEVIN FOOTE

Staff writer

UL freshman punter Mason Golding has been under quite an adjustment period so far for the Ragin’ Cajuns. New to the United States from Australia, Golding had a lot to learn. ä Arkansas “The people here are really State at UL friendly,” Golding said. “In 7 P.M. SATURDAY, terms of interactions with people, it’s been great. It’s ESPN+ been very similar to home. And the food here is really nice as well, so I’m sure we get that a lot. “Temperature-wise, it’s very similar to back home, but it’s much more humid here. So it’s more dry heat back in Perth and it doesn’t rain quite as much.” The next adjustment has been the practice schedule, but it’s been far more fun than his job back in Australia where Golding worked on elevators. “Yes, it’s been nice getting out of the workforce for a little bit,” Golding said. “I worked

Three familiar faces and two new ones will make up the broadcast team for the New Orleans Pelicans this season. The veteran crew of play-by-play announcer Joel Meyers and color analyst Antonio Daniels are back again for television broadcasts. This will be the seventh season the duo has worked together. Meyers is entering his fourteenth season, while Daniels is entering Year 7. New Orleans native Andrew Lopez enters his third season as sideline reporter working alongside Meyers and Daniels. Kelly Crull is one of the two new personalities coming on board this season. Crull, an Emmy Award-winning reporter, will host the pregame, halftime and postgame show. She previously worked in national roles with the NBA on TNT, NBATV, Major League STAFF FILE PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER Baseball on TBS and football on ESPN. She has worked as a reporter for the Oklahoma Joel Meyers, left, and Antonio Daniels chat before the Pelicans take on the San City Thunder, San Diego Padres, Chicago

ä See CAJUNS, page 4C

ä See PELS, page 4C

Antonio Spurs on Apirl 5, 2024, at the Smoothie King Center. Meyers and Daniels will return for this season’s Pelicans broadcast.

2C ● Friday, October 2, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS On TV

6 p.m.

COLLEGE FIELD HOCKEY 3 p.m. Indiana at Michigan St. BTN COLLEGE FOOTBALL 6 p.m. Liberty at Delaware CBSSN 6 p.m. Pittsburgh at Virginia Tech ESPN 7 p.m. Penn St. at Northwestern FOX 9:30 p.m. Montana St. at Idaho ESPN MEN’S COLLEGE SOCCER 6 p.m. Maryland at Indiana BTN 7 p.m. Virginia Tech at Virginia ACCN WOMEN’S COLLEGE SOCCER 5 p.m. Notre Dame at North Carolina ACCN

S. Carolina at Mississippi St. ESPNU WOMEN’S COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL 6 p.m. Oklahoma at South Carolina SECN 8 p.m. Purdue at Oregon BTN 10 p.m. Michigan at Southern Cal BTN GOLF 11 a.m. Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic GOLF 2 p.m. Korn Ferry Tour GOLF 4 p.m. Bank of Utah Championship GOLF 7 p.m. LPGA: LOTTE Championship GOLF HORSE RACING noon America’s Day at the Races FS2 3 p.m. Breeders’ Cup Challenge NBCSN

IN BRIEF

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

NHL 5:30 p.m. N.Y. Rangers at Detroit 8 p.m. St. Louis at Dallas 9 p.m. Anaheim at Vegas MEN’S SOCCER 8:50 a.m. Kazakhstan vs, Moldova 1:30 p.m. France vs. Italy 4:50 p.m. Suriname vs. Guatemala 6:50 p.m. Martinique vs. Honduras 8:50 p.m. El Salvador vs. Jamaica TENNIS 9 p.m. Beijing & Tokyo WNBA PLAYOFFS 8 p.m. Dallas at Golden State

TNT TNT PRIME FS2 FS1 FS2 FS2 FS2 TENNIS ESPN2

Westminster continues quest for perfection Crusaders sweep Teurlings to improve their record to 16-0

BY ERIC NARCISSE Staff writer

The vision is clear for the Westminster Christian volleyball team. They want to be first. They want to be the first Crusaders team to go undefeated in a volleyball season and the first to win a volleyball state championship. Whether they can accomplish those goals or not, the Crusaders (16-0) took another step toward accomplishing the first of their goals Wednesday when they swept Teurlings Catholic 25-21, 25-23 and 28-26. “I think the girls are embracing it,” coach Keith Leon said about his team going undefeated. “It is tough to do. Going undefeated is probably the hardest thing to do.” That’s why Leon has tried to steer the Crusaders’ focus away from it. “I have told the girls to not focus too much on going undefeated and (instead) to focus on playing one game at a time,” Leon said. “It is tough to do, and we have a lot of games left. But this group is special.” The Crusaders have looked the part this season, including against the Rebels. Facing one of the state’s perennial powers in

phia Wiltz (nine kills, sox digs, two blocks), Ana-Camille Melancon (seven kills, nine digs, ace), Taylor Lazard (seven kills, three digs, three blocks), Jules Angelle (18 assists, 14 digs) and Riley Meaux (three kills, four digs, three blocks, three aces). “Sophia really came up big at the end for us,” Leon said. “She had two big kills at the end to ice the game. But I can’t say anybody last night played badly. Overall, I thought it was a complete game for us.” With a roster that is deep and talented, Leon said this year’s Crusaders team have it all. “I think the difference between the team that we had when we first made it to the state championship is that this is probably the most complete team,” Leon said. “I had like three or four athletes on that team, but this is across the board. I mean, even our bench. I could pull somebody off the bench and still they’ll do the job.” The Rebels (13-7) were led by PHOTO BY ROBIN MAY Hannah Bergeron (10 kills, 15 Westminster Christian’s Sophia Wiltz sets up the ball for Aher teammate digs), Maci Sheppard (nine kills, 12 digs), Kallie Landry (five aces, during Wednesday’s match against Teurlings Catholic at Westminster 26 assists, 21 digs), Ava Robin Christian. The Crusaders won 25-21, 25-23, 28-26. (seven kills, dig, block), Mya Leonard (five kills, two blocks), volleyball, the Crusaders didn’t five sets with them and this year Bailee Hebert (kill, three aces, 12 let up despite falling behind in we ended up going three. We digs) and Kate Trahan (30 digs). “We stayed focused,” Leon said. all three sets. could have sat down that third set “Our girls work hard, and they and gave them that game, but we “We didn’t fall apart. We just put it all out on the court,” Leon didn’t. The girls played through it played our hearts out.” said. “Every time we play Teurl- and that’s what’s so special about ings we know it is going to be a this team. There’s no give it up.” Email Eric Narcisse at The Crusaders were led by So- enarcisse@theadvocate.com. great match. Last year, we went

Dream forward Reese voted Defensive Player of the Year The Associated Press NEW YORK — Atlanta Dream star forward Angel Reese was voted WNBA Defensive Player of the Year on Thursday, receiving 46 votes from 72 media members. Golden State’s Gabby Williams finished second with 20 votes and Las Vegas star A’ja Wilson was third. Wilson won the award in 2022 and 2023 and shared the honor with Minnesota’s Alanna Smith last year. Reese, a three-time All-Star who starred at LSU, helped the Dream advance to the WNBA playoff semifinals for the first time since 2018 in her first year with the franchise. Atlanta will host Game 1 of the semifinals on Sunday against New York, which swept Minnesota to become the first No. 8 seed to elim-

inate a No. 1 seed in the league’s 30-year history. The 24-year-old Reese grabbed a league-high 12.1 rebounds a game, ranked third in the league with 1.8 steals a game in her third season and helped the Dream have the third-best defensive rating in the WNBA. The 6-foot-4 forward broke single-season league records with 521 rebounds and 206 offensive rebounds and set a WNBA record with 26 rebounds in a game. Reese spent the ﬁrst two years of her career in Chicago before going to the Dream in an offseason trade. She flourished in her new surroundings, once again leading the league in rebounding and emerging as one of the top defenders in the WNBA. The Dream acquired her in a trade with the Sky in April for ﬁrstround draft picks in 2027 and 2028.

BY SCHUYLER DIXON AP sportswriter

ARLINGTON, Texas — Arike Ogunbowale was standing near Paige Bueckers waiting for the star guard to make a move on her dribble with the Dallas Wings trailing by three as the final seconds of regulation — and their season — ticked away. Bueckers waved toward her backcourt mate, but she Late wasn’t telling Wednesday Ogunbowale to get out of the way. She was telling her to get open. After all, Bueckers knew who the hot hand was — and it wasn’t the 2025 No. 1 overall pick and Rookie of the Year who is in her ﬁrst playoff series. Ogunbowale took a pass from Bueckers on the left baseline, dribbled toward the corner and hit an off-balance corner 3-pointer, sending the game to overtime

and her on the way to a WNBA playoff-record 45 points as the Wings won a thriller 108-100 on Wednesday night, forcing a Game 3 in their first-round series. The deciding game will be Friday night in San Francisco, where the Valkyries won the series opener by 24 points. Golden State is trying to advance in the playoffs for the first time in the franchise’s second season. The Wings are trying to reach the semifinals for the second time in six postseason appearances since moving to the Dallas area in 2016. Ogunbowale opened the extra period of Game 2 by banking in a 3, then hit another one to put Dallas ahead for good at 103-100 with 1:46 remaining. The four-time All-Star easily topped her previous playoff best of 24 points after scoring 10 points on just seven shots in the series opener. “We felt like we got pushed around out there when we played in San Francisco and especially me personally I don’t feel like I was aggressive,” said Ogunbowale, who was 5 of 8 from beyond the arc, 12 of 23 overall and 16 of 18 on free throws. “I didn’t know what I would score. I was

CLEVELAND — Parker Messick will be the ﬁrst Cleveland rookie pitcher to start in a postseason game since 2016 when the Guardians left-hander takes the mound for Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday. Manager Stephen Vogt also announced on Thursday that Gavin Williams will get the start for Game 2 on Monday. Ryan Merritt was the last Cleveland rookie pitcher to get a postseason start. He threw 4 1/3 shutout innings in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series against Toronto a decade ago. Messick went 12-9 in 32 regularseason starts. His 2.56 ERA is the lowest by a rookie pitcher in a single season with a minimum of 30 starts since the Mets’ Jon Matlack in 1972.

Duke hoops lands Australian prospect in point guard Paul

Point guard Luke Paul of Australia has made a commitment to play basketball at Duke. Paul is considered by some observers a potential ﬁrst-round NBA draft pick. The 6-foot-6 guard will compete in the NBL Next Stars program in Australia this season, but made the decision to join the Blue Devils program for the 2027-28 season. Paul starred in the 2026 FIBA U17 World Cup competition as Australia won a bronze medal. He was selected for the World Cup All-Star Five along with Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, who will be his teammate at Duke in 2027-28. Boumtje Boumtje reclassiﬁed and will play for the Blue Devils this season, but the 7-2 center, at 17, will not be old enough for the NBA draft until 2028.

NASCAR owner, crew member suspended for attack on Heim

After days of indecision, NASCAR disciplined seven people who participated in the attack on young racing star Corey Heim in front of a concession stand at Martinsville Speedway shortly after the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 on Saturday. Major penalties and suspensions were issued to team owner Chad Bryant and crew member Steve Civatarese. Both are suspended indefinitely from NASCAR events — including next year’s ValleyStar Credit Union 300, a prestigious NASCAR Regional late-model event — and also are on probation for a year. Additionally, Bryant was fined $2,000 and must attend a NASCAR-approved anger management program. Civatarese was fined $1,000.

WTA announces equal prize money at Italian Open in ’27

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY STEPHANIE SCARBROUGH

Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese, right, celebrates with guard Isobel Borlase during Game 2 of a first-round playoff series against the Washington Mystics on Wednesday in Washington.

Wings win in OT to force deciding game with Valkyries Ogunbowale scores WNBA playoff-record 45

Guardians name Messick starter for ALDS Game 1

going to shoot regardless because I just feel like seven shots isn’t enough to win playoffs and I have to be aggressive whether it’s going in or not.” Bueckers, who scored 10 points, was mired in a 3-for-13 shooting night that included an air ball on a 3-pointer with the Wings trailing by three in the ﬁnal two minutes of regulation. But she assisted on Ogunbowale’s tying 3, and again on a the banked 3 to start OT. Bueckers had four assists. “For us to do what we did today without Paige having the type of game that she always has offensively for us, to come out with a win is huge,” Wings coach Jose Fernandez said. “We had other people step up.” Ogunbowale’s shot for a 93-93 tie with 4.1 seconds left in regulation of Game 2 was followed by Gabby Williams getting called for an offensive foul on the inbound play after a Golden State timeout. That call was reversed on replay, so instead of Aziaha James having a chance to give Dallas the lead at the free-throw line, there was a jump ball at center court with 3.0 seconds to go. After a scramble for the loose ball, Golden State’s desperation shot

was way off target, and after the buzzer. Williams scored a career-high 36 points, regular season or playoffs, but missed all six of her shots in the final 1:31 of overtime to finish 12 of 23 from the field. “We got one at home, and we got to bring our best,” Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said. “That was not our best. Tomorrow’s got to be clear minds, clear focus, clear game plan, and then be ready to go for the game at home.” Ogunbowale scored 22 points in the fourth quarter and overtime — 11 in each period. She passed her previous overall career high of 41 points with the 3 that put Dallas up for good. Dallas’ Alysha Clark tied her playoff career high with 21 points, and Aziaha James added 13. Kaila Charles scored 14 points for the Valkyries, and Kayla Thornton had 13. With the scored tied at 98 in the extra period, Ogunbowale and Tiffany Hayes had to be separated after making contact. Both were called for flagrant fouls, and each made a pair of free throws with 2:26 remaining. The Valkyries didn’t score again, shooting 2 of 12 in overtime.

ROME — Billie Jean King has often said that she was moved to form the women’s pro tennis circuit after earning $600 for her 1970 Italian Open title — while Ilie Nastase took home $3,500 for winning the men’s tournament the same year. In 2027 — nearly six decades after King’s title at the Foro Italico — the Rome clay-court event will finally award women the same amount of total prize money as men, as part a “major milestone” initiative that the WTA Tour announced Thursday. The initiative means that all combined WTA 1000 events will award equal prize money for the first time. Besides the Italian Open, the holdouts had been the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open.

Golfer MIckelson entered treatment center this year

Golfer Phil Mickelson checked himself into a facility earlier this year “seeking treatment for family trauma and addiction,” a representative for the six-time major championship winner said in a statement to news outlets on Wednesday. Mickelson, 56, reportedly is no longer at the facility. No information about the speciﬁcs of his stay or details about his reasons for entering the program have been made available. In February, Mickelson announced that he would miss the first two LIV Golf events of the year because he and his wife, Amy Mickelson, “need to be present for a family health matter.” In April, Mickelson announced he was withdrawing from the Masters.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Friday, October 2, 2026 ● 3C

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Mighty Lions Unquestioned leader Explosive hoping to slow STM LRCA QB Brown one of state’s best

BY MIKE COPPAGE Contributing writer

BY ERIC NARCISSE Staff writer

Lafayette Renaissance has hopes of playing for a state championship this year. If the Tigers are going to accomplish that feat, senior quarterback Kennan Brown will be instrumental in them doing so. There are some explosive weapons, but there’s no denying Brown, who has been starting under center for the Tigers since he was in the eighth grade, is the engine that makes the LRCA offense go. “I think we have some really good skill guys around him,” coach Hunter Landry said. “It’s just a matter of getting the ball out to them consistently, (Brown) doing his best and being steady for us.” Since the arrival of Landry in 2024, Brown has established himself as one of the best passers statistically in the state. As a sophomore — his ﬁrst year with Landry — Brown completed 189 of 294 passes for 2,459 yards, 27 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Last year, as a junior, Brown completed 199 of 342 passes for 2,524 yards, 34 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Landry said Brown’s intelligence is a big key to his success. “He’s a very smart kid. In school, he’s a high GPA kid,” Landry said. “He understands what we’re trying to do on offense and he’s able to understand before the snap where the ball’s going to probably be going. He does a good job of taking what the defense gives him.” Brown has continued to build upon the success he’s enjoyed the past two seasons, and this time against one of the toughest nondistrict schedules in the state that included Edna Karr and John Curtis.

STAFF PHOTO BY BRAD BOWIE

Lafayette Rennaisance quarterback Kennan Brown throws a pass against John Curtis on Sept. 18 in Lafayette. Brown has passed for 744 yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions, while completing 59 of 91 passes. “Things are going pretty good so far,” said Brown, whose team is 2-2. “I just wish the Edna Karr and John Curtis games had gone a little bit different. I wish we could have capitalized on some more of the opportunities that we had.” Brown’s growth has allowed Landry to ask more of him. “I feel like each year we’ve been able to put more and more on his plate,” Landry said. “He’s done a great job of handling it.” Brown’s physical attributes are often the focus because of his strong arm and ability to make every throw, but Landry cited his “decision-making” as to what sets him apart. “We try to go a little fast on offense, so as the referee is spotting the ball we’re getting the play sent in and we’re trying to snap it as fast as possible,” Landry said. “We’re trying to get guys lined up

and we’re trying to get the ball out fast. In practice, he doesn’t just go through the motions. He’s a guy that’s usually that spark on offense throughout the week to get us going.” Landry also credited Brown for doing a better job of “controlling his emotions.” “With the position that he plays, there’s going to be good games and there’s going to be bad games,” Landry said. “Sometimes people are going to love you, and some games people are going to hate you. When we ﬁrst got here, he was very emotional. He would wear his emotions on his sleeve. Now, good or bad, he controls his emotions. He tries to be even-keeled throughout the whole game.” Brown agreed. “When I was younger, whenever I did mess up, I used to get on myself kind of hard,” he said. “So I kind of just stopped doing that and learned that bad things will happen in the game, but you have to focus on the good.”

A week ago, Lafayette High School was in position to win a pivotal district game against Barbe but let a lead slip away in the second half. On Friday in another road game, the fourth of five away from home to begin the season, the Mighty Lions hope to be in the same position at St. Thomas More but ﬁnish strong this time. “We didn’t make plays down the stretch,” said coach Stephen Hearen, whose team led 35-27 before Barbe scored 25 unanswered points to win 52-35, stay undefeated and gain the No. 1 power rating in Division I nonselect. The Lions (3-1, 0-1 District 3-5A), No. 6 in the Division I select power ratings, boast the area’s third-leading rusher in senior Jaden Celestine, who is averaging over 10 yards per carry (70 carries for 706 yards and 12 TDs). “Jaden runs hard,” Hearen said. “It doesn’t take him very long to get up to full speed. He has good vision, makes good cuts and doesn’t stop moving his feet.” Senior Richmond Saunier is a dual-threat quarterback who has rushed for 256 yards on 36 carries with four TDs. The Dartmouth commitment has thrown for 335 yards with almost 200 coming last week. “He can throw it well,” Hearen said of Saunier, a 6-foot-3, 200-pounder. “The reason I don’t give him more opportunities is because we run it so effectively. He has the ability.” Saunier, who rushed for 82 yards and two scores last week, also hands off to Jaiden Portalis, Brendan Shullaw and Jaevion Allen, who combined for another 53 yards on eight carries.

“They’re explosive,” STM coach Jim Hightower said of the Lions. “They have a veteran quarterback. They have talent. We got to face them last year in a hardhitting playoff contest.” STM won that game handily, but the Cougars and Lions look much different this year. Saunier is back for Lafayette High, but STM has a new quarterback in Grayson Hemard. The Lions added Celestine, Portalis and two starting offensive linemen from the closure of Comeaux High. “If we play well and play assignment football, I feel good about ourselves,” Hearen said. “We have to protect the ball. We turned it over three times last week.” STM (3-1, 1-0) has shown some vulnerability against the run. Jesuit’s tailback ran for close to 150 yards in the Cougars’ only loss. Last week, Acadiana’s two running backs each topped the 100yard mark. “Scheme-wise, I was impressed with Jesuit,” Hearen said. “They knew what to attack. It’s a matter of making blocks and running hard every play. Jesuit committed to running the ball with some 3- and 4-yard gains. You can’t turn a play into a 7-yard loss because you want to make it a home run.” If the Lions get the lead against STM, Hearen said he is well aware that he’ll have to keep his foot on the gas pedal. The Cougars can strike in a hurry, as shown in their 43-42 comeback win over Catholic of Baton Rouge that seemed out of reach with the Bears leading by 14 points with two minutes left. “We make sure everybody plays four quarters,” Hightower said. “We’re going to give it a good effort. That’s what this team has. They have a lot of character. They’re going to come to play.”

SCOREBOARD Holes-in-one

nesota 75 Tuesday, September 29: New York 87, Minnesota 71

Shelly Plaisance

Course: The University Club Hole: No.16 Yardage: 113 yards Club: 9 iron Witnesses: Bill Meares, Robbie Breaux, John Sullivan

Golden State 1, Dallas 1

Course: Webb Hole: No. 3 Club: Gap Wedge Witness: Sean Braswell

Sunday, September 27: Las Vegas 102, Indiana 85 Tuesday, September 29: Indiana 99, Las Vegas 89 Thursday, October 1: Indiana at Las Vegas, 8 p.m.

Aaron Fisk

Prep football Cecilia (3-1) at Notre Dame (4-0) New Iberia (1-3) at Acadiana (3-1) Carencro (1-3) at Westgate (4-0) Loreauville (2-2) at Abbeville (2-2) Elton (3-1) at JS Clark (3-1) Lafayette (3-1) at St. Thomas More (3-1) Southside (2-2) at Sam Houston (1-3) Northside (0-4) at St. Martinville (2-2) University Lab (2-2) at Teurlings (0-4) Lafayette Christian (3-1) at Opelousas (3-1) Lake Charles Prep (4-0) at Lafayette Renaissance (2-2) Centerville (2-2) at Ascension Episcopal (2-2) North Vermilion (4-0) at Erath (2-2) Mamou (2-2) at Rayne (1-3) Acadiana Renaissance (1-3) at Breaux Bridge (0-4) Beau Chene (4-0) at East Beauregard (2-2) Church Point (3-1) at Eunice (4-0) Ville Platte (0-4) at Crowley (1-3) Iota (1-3) at Northwest (2-2) St. Louis (1-3) at Kaplan (3-1) Catholic-PC (3-1) at Catholic-NI (2-2) Oakdale (1-3) at Delcambre (4-0) St. Edmund (2-2) at North Central (3-1) Opelousas Catholic (1-3) at Westminster (1-3) Jeanerette (1-2) at Hanson (2-2) Westminster-Lafayette (4-0) at Vermilion Catholic (0-4)

Odds Sports Betting Line NFL OPEN TODAY 3 2½

O/U UNDERDOG (37½) at CLE

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY Indianapolis 1½ 3½ at BUFFALO 3 6½ at HOUSTON 2½ 3 at CIN 2½ 2½ LA Rams 2½ 3½ Green Bay 1½ 3½ at CHI 8½ 3½ Arizona 7 2½ at BALT 8½ 11½ at MIN 7½ 10½ at SAN FRAN 2½ 2½ at SEATTLE 3 7 Kansas City 5½ 4½ Detroit 3 3½

O/U UNDERDOG (47½) at WASH (48½) New Eng (48½) Dallas (51½)Jacksonville (43½) at PHILA (38½) at TAMPA (43½) NY Jets (44½) at GIANTS (42½) Tennessee (38½) Miami (47½) Denver (42½) Chargers (48½) at VEGAS (50½) at CAR

FAVORITE at N.O.

OPEN TODAY 2½ 2½

O/U UNDERDOG (47½) Atlanta

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY at VA TECH 5½ 2½ Liberty 6½ 6½ Penn State 7 2½

O/U UNDERDOG (54½) Pittsburgh (49½) at DEL (45½) at NWSTRN

Sunday

Monday

College Football Friday

NHL

Friday

FAVORITE at DETROIT at CAROLINA at WINNIPEG at DALLAS at VEGAS

LINE -139 -149 -118 -203 -186

W Buffalo 3 N.Y. Jets 1 New England 1 Miami 0

L 0 2 2 3

T Pct 0 1.000 0 .333 0 .333 0 .000

PF 101 64 36 36

PA 78 61 51 86

Jacksonville Indianapolis Tennessee Houston

W 2 1 0 0

L 1 2 3 3

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .667 .333 .000 .000

PF 82 72 37 54

PA 36 91 59 75

Pittsburgh Baltimore Cleveland Cincinnati

W 2 2 2 2

L 1 1 1 1

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .667 .667 .667 .667

PF 53 92 54 80

PA 60 78 71 63

Kansas City Las Vegas Denver L.A. Chargers

W 3 3 2 0

L 0 0 1 3

T Pct 0 1.000 0 1.000 0 .667 0 .000

PF 88 88 60 44

PA 50 54 70 76

UNDERDOG N.Y Rangers Washington Boston St. Louis Anaheim

LINE +115 +122 -104 +163 +151

Pro basketball WNBA Playoff Glance (x-if necessary) First Round (Best-of-3)

New York 2, Minnesota 0

Sunday, September 27: New York 91, Min-

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Philadelphia N.Y. Giants Dallas Washington

W 2 2 1 1

L 1 1 2 2

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .667 .667 .333 .333

PF 55 46 88 75

PA 69 55 82 92

Carolina New Orleans Atlanta Tampa Bay

W 1 1 1 0

L 2 2 2 3

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .333 .333 .333 .000

PF 89 81 51 62

PA 83 83 68 79

Minnesota Detroit Chicago Green Bay

W 3 2 2 1

L 0 1 1 2

T Pct 0 1.000 0 .667 0 .667 0 .333

PF 71 93 89 56

PA 41 95 53 91

San Francisco Seattle L.A. Rams Arizona

W 3 2 1 1

L 0 1 2 2

T Pct 0 1.000 0 .667 0 .333 0 .333

PF 98 75 61 63

PA 50 50 63 81

South

North

West

Thursday’s Games

Pittsburgh at Cleveland, n

Sunday’s Games

WILD CARD SERIES (Best-of-3)

American League Chicago White Sox 2, Houston 0

Tuesday, Sept. 29: Chicago 6, Houston 3 Wednesday, Sept. 30: Chicago 7, Houston 3

Tuesday, Sept. 29: Atlanta 5, Philadelphia 3 Wednesday, Sept. 30: Philadelphia 4, Atlanta 3, 10 innings Thursday, Oct. 1: Philadelphia (Nola 7-12) at Atlanta (Kerr 0-0), n

San Diego 2, Chicago Cubs 0

Tuesday, Sept. 29: San Diego 8, Chicago 0 Wednesday, Sept. 30: San Diego 4, Chicago 1

DIVISION SERIES (Best-of-5)

Cleveland vs. Chicago White Sox

AMERICAN CONFERENCE East

East

x-if necessary

(TBS, TruTV, HBO Max)

NFL

West

MLB Postseason Glance

American League

Pro football

North

Major League Baseball

National League Atlanta 1, Philadelphia 1

Sunday, October 4: New York at Atlanta, TBA Wednesday, October 7: New York at Atlanta, TBA Friday, October 9: Atlanta at New York, TBA x-Sunday, October 11: Atlanta at New York, TBA x-Wednesday, October 14: New York at Atlanta, TBA

South

Atlanta at New Orleans, 7:15 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 29: New York 9, Boston 0 Wednesday, Sept. 30: New York 9, Boston 2

No. 4 Atlanta vs. No. 8 New York

Friday’s games

Monday’s Games

New York 2, Boston 0

Sunday, September 27: Atlanta 92, Washington 77 Wednesday, September 30: Atlanta 93, Washington 75 Semiﬁnals (Best-of-5)

Thursday’s games

FAVORITE Pittsburgh

Las Vegas 1, Indiana 1

Atlanta 2, Washington 0

All games at 7 p.m.

Thursday

Sunday, September 27: Golden State 104, Dallas 80 Wednesday, September 30: Dallas 108, Golden State 100, OT Friday, October 2: Dallas at Golden State, n

L.A. Chargers at Seattle, 3:25 p.m. Detroit at Carolina, 7:20 p.m.

Indianapolis vs Washington at London, GBR, 8:30 a.m. Arizona at N.Y. Giants, noon Dallas at Houston, noon Green Bay at Tampa Bay, noon Jacksonville at Cincinnati, noon L.A. Rams at Philadelphia, noon N.Y. Jets at Chicago, noon New England at Buffalo, noon Tennessee at Baltimore, noon Miami at Minnesota, 3:05 p.m. Denver at San Francisco, 3:25 p.m. Kansas City at Las Vegas, 3:25 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 3: Chicago at Cleveland, 1 p.m. (TBS/TruTV/HBO Max) Monday, Oct. 5: Chicago at Cleveland, 5 p.m. (TBS/TruTV/HBO Max) Wednesday, Oct. 7: Cleveland at Chicago, TBD (TBS/TruTV/HBO Max) x-Thursday, Oct. 8: Cleveland at Chicago, TBD (TBS/TruTV/HBO Max) x-Saturday, Oct. 10: Chicago at Cleveland, TBD (TBS/TruTV/HBO Max)

San Diego 4, Chicago Cubs 1 Chicago

San Diego

ab r h bi ab r h bi C-Arstrng cf 4 0 0 0 Tatis rf 4 0 00 Bregman dh 4 0 0 0 Harris lf 4 0 00 Busch 1b 2 0 0 0 Bowen lf 0 0 00 T.Taylor ph 1 0 1 0 Machado 3b 4 0 1 0 Ramirez 3b 0 0 0 0 France 1b 4 1 20 Suzuki rf 4 1 1 0 Merrill cf 3 1 20 Happ lf 3 0 0 0 Bogaerts ss 4 1 21 Hoerner 2b 4 0 2 1 Salas c 1 0 01 Shaw 3b-1b 2 0 0 0 Andujar ph 1 0 00 Conforto ph 1 0 0 0 Fermin c 0 0 00 Kelly c 3 0 1 0 Hays dh 1 0 00 Swanson ss 3 0 0 0 Sheets dh 1 1 12 S.Taylor ph-dh 1 0 0 0 Crnenwrth 2b 2 0 0 0 Totals 31 1 5 1 Totals 30 4 8 4 Chicago 000 100 000 — 1 San Diego 020 200 00x — 4 DP_Chicago 0, San Diego 1. LOB_Chicago 7, San Diego 5. 2B_Hoerner (1), France (1), Bogaerts (1). HR_Sheets (1). SB_Merrill (1). SF_Salas (1). IP H R ER BB SO Chicago Gausman L,0-1 3 1⁄3 5 3 3 0 1 Palencia 1 2⁄3 1 1 1 0 2 Peterson 1 2⁄3 1 0 0 0 1 Zeferjahn 1 1⁄3 1 0 0 1 2 San Diego Pivetta 3 1⁄3 3 1 1 2 4 Rodriguez W,1-0 1 2⁄3 0 0 0 1 2 Adam H,1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Morejon H,1 2 1 0 0 0 0 Miller S,1-1 1 1 0 0 0 2 HBP_Rodriguez (Kelly), Palencia (Cronenworth). ABS Challenge_Pivetta (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Gausman (Ball-Confirmed); Pivetta (Ball-Confirmed); Gausman (BallConfirmed). Umpires_Home, Erich Bacchus; First, Chad Fairchild; Second, Bill Miller; Third, Rob Drake; Right, Ramon De Jesus; Left, Clint Vondrak. T_2:50. A_47,513 (40,222).

N.Y. Yankees 9, Boston 2 Boston

New York

ab r h bi ab r h bi J.Jones dh 4 0 0 0 Rice dh 4 1 10 Rutschman c4 0 0 0 Bellinger lf 5 1 24 Contreras 1b2 1 2 1 García 1b 5 1 31 Abreu rf 4 0 0 0 S.Jones rf 5 1 10 Rafaela cf 4 0 0 0 Lombard ss 4 1 11 Durbin 3b 4 0 0 0 Chisholm 2b 3 2 2 0 Sogard 2b 3 1 1 1 Grisham cf 3 1 20

Story ss 3 0 0 0 Wells c 3 1 12 Eaton lf 2 0 1 0 McMahon 3b 3 0 1 1 Duran ph-lf 1 0 0 0 Goldschmidt ph1 0 0 0 Caballero 3b 0 0 0 0 Totals 31 2 4 2 Totals 36 914 9 Boston 000 001 100 — 2 New York 000 116 10x — 9 E_Rutschman (0). DP_Boston 1, New York 0. LOB_Boston 4, New York 7. 2B_Eaton (1). HR_Contreras (1), Sogard (1), García (1), Bellinger (1). SB_Chisholm 2 (2), Grisham (0). SF_Wells (1). IP H R ER BB SO Boston 2 Gray L,0-1 4 ⁄3 6 2 2 0 5 1 Miller ⁄3 2 0 0 0 0 Crochet 0 3 4 4 0 1 1 Whitlock 1 ⁄3 3 3 3 3 1 2 ⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 Gamboa Chapman 1 0 0 0 0 3 New York Fried W,1-0 6 3 1 1 1 6 Warren 1 2⁄3 1 1 1 0 1 1 Headrick ⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 Bednar 1 0 0 0 1 1 Crochet pitched to 4 batters in the 6th. WP_Crochet. ABS Challenge_Gray (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Fried (Ball-Conﬁrmed); Crochet (Ball-Overturned to Strike). Pitch timer violations_Whitlock (pitcher). Umpires_Home, Scott Barry; First, John Libka; Second, Mark Wegner; Third, John Tumpane; Right, Nate Tomlinson; Left, Emil Jimenez. T_2:59. A_49,004 (47,309).

College football Schedule All Times Central (Subject to change)

Thursday, October 1 SOUTHWEST

North Texas (2-2) at Tulsa (3-1), n

FAR WEST

W. Kentucky (1-3) at New Mexico St. (1-3), n

Friday, October 2 EAST

Liberty (3-1) at Delaware (2-2), 6 p.m.

SOUTH

Pittsburgh (4-0) at Virginia Tech (4-0), 6 p.m.

MIDWEST

Penn St. (3-1) at Northwestern (2-1), 7 p.m.

FAR WEST

Montana St. (5-0) at Idaho (0-4), 9:30 p.m.

Saturday’s games EAST

Syracuse (1-2) at UConn (2-2), 11 a.m. Wagner (1-3) at CCSU (0-3), 11 a.m. Brown (1-1) at Rhode Island (2-3), 11 a.m. Merrimack (2-3) at Yale (1-1), 11 a.m. Princeton (1-1) at Columbia (2-0), 11 a.m. Fordham (1-4) at Lehigh (5-0), 11 a.m. Mercyhurst (1-4) at LIU Brooklyn (0-5), 11 a.m. Cornell (1-1) at Georgetown (0-3), 11:30 a.m. Richmond (4-1) at Lafayette (1-3), 11:30 a.m. W. Michigan (2-2) at Buffalo (2-2), noon Elon (4-1) at New Hampshire (1-4), noon Morgan St. (3-1) at Villanova (2-3), noon Towson (0-5) at Monmouth (NJ) (3-2), noon Penn (1-1) at Dartmouth (0-2), 12:30 p.m. Norfolk St. (3-2) at Robert Morris (2-2), 1 p.m. Delaware St. (3-2) at Albany (NY) (2-3), 2:30 p.m. E. Michigan (2-3) at UMass (4-0), 2:30 p.m. Sacred Heart (1-3) at Maine (1-4), 2:30 p.m. NC A&T (1-4) at Bryant (3-1), 5 p.m. Colgate (4-1) at Harvard (2-0), 6 p.m. Indiana (4-0) at Rutgers (1-3), 7 p.m.

SOUTH

Stanford (2-2) at Wake Forest (3-1), 11 a.m. Notre Dame (4-0) at North Carolina (2-1), 11 a.m. Alabama (4-0) at Mississippi St. (4-0), 11 a.m. Vanderbilt (3-1) at Georgia (4-0), 11:45 a.m. Marist (2-2) at Stetson (1-3), noon Valparaiso (1-3) at Morehead St. (1-3), noon St. Thomas (Minn.) (4-1) at Presbyterian (1-3), noon Mercer (3-2) at VMI (0-5), 12:30 p.m. The Citadel (1-3) at SC State (5-0), 1 p.m. Wofford (2-3) at Furman (2-3), 1 p.m. Alcorn St. (3-2) at Grambling St. (2-2), 2 p.m. Prairie View (2-3) at MVSU (1-4), 2 p.m. Hampton (1-4) vs. Howard (1-3) at Washington, D.C., Md., 2 p.m. Samford (1-3) at UAB (2-2), 2:30 p.m. Louisville (2-2) at NC State (2-2), 2:30 p.m.

Holy Cross (1-4) at William & Mary (2-3), 2:30 p.m. Auburn (3-1) at Tennessee (3-1), 2:30 p.m. Memphis (3-1) at Charlotte (0-4), 2:30 p.m. Virginia (3-1) at Florida St. (2-2), 2:30 p.m. Chattanooga (3-2) at ETSU (3-2), 2:30 p.m. Old Dominion (1-3) at Georgia St. (3-1), 2:30 p.m. Marshall (3-1) at James Madison (4-0), 2:45 p.m. Alabama St. (3-1) at Bethune-Cookman (2-2), 3 p.m. Kentucky (3-1) at South Carolina (2-2), 3:15 p.m. New Haven (1-4) at Austin Peay (4-1), 4 p.m. Jackson St. (4-0) vs. Alabama A&M (4-1) at Mobile, Ala., 4 p.m. Campbell (4-1) at NC Central (2-3), 5 p.m. Gardner-Webb (1-4) at Charleston Southern (2-2), 5 p.m. North Alabama (3-2) at E. Kentucky (1-3), 5 p.m. Tennessee Tech (4-0) at W. Carolina (2-3), 5 p.m. Texas Southern (1-3) at FAU (3-1), 5 p.m. Ark.-Pine Bluff (2-2) at Southern U. (2-3), 6 p.m. Louisiana-Monroe (0-4) at South Alabama (2-2), 6 p.m. Georgia Southern (1-3) at Coastal Carolina (1-3), 6 p.m. Miami (4-0) at Clemson (3-1), 6:30 p.m. Temple (1-3) at South Florida (4-0), 6:30 p.m. Army (2-1) at Louisiana Tech (1-2), 6:30 p.m. McNeese St. (2-3) at LSU (3-1), 6:45 p.m. Arkansas St. (2-2) at Louisiana-Lafayette (3-1), 7 p.m.

MIDWEST

Middle Tennessee (2-2) at Kansas (1-2), 11 a.m. Michigan (3-1) at Minnesota (3-1), 11 a.m. West Virginia (3-1) at Iowa St. (2-2), 11 a.m. Michigan St. (2-2) at Wisconsin (3-1), 11:30 a.m. Dayton (3-0) at Drake (1-3), noon Murray St. (1-4) at North Dakota (4-1), 1 p.m. Toledo (3-1) at Ball St. (1-3), 1 p.m. Indiana St. (2-3) at South Dakota (3-2), 2 p.m. Akron (1-3) at Cent. Michigan (2-2), 2:30 p.m. Ohio (2-2) at Kent St. (2-2), 2:30 p.m. Florida (4-0) at Missouri (3-1), 2:30 p.m. Wyoming (2-2) at N. Dakota St. (4-0), 2:30 p.m. Bowling Green (0-4) at Miami (Ohio) (2-2), 2:30 p.m. Ohio St. (3-1) at Iowa (4-0), 2:30 p.m. Maryland (2-2) at Nebraska (4-0), 3 p.m. Tennessee St. (1-3) at W. Illinois (2-3), 3 p.m. Purdue (1-3) at Illinois (2-2), 3:15 p.m. Youngstown St. (3-2) at S. Illinois (3-2), 4 p.m. S. Dakota St. (4-1) at Illinois St. (4-1), 6 p.m.

SOUTHWEST

Boston College (2-2) at SMU (3-1), 11 a.m. UCF (3-1) at Houston (3-1), 11 a.m. Incarnate Word (2-2) at Stephen F. Austin (5-0), 5 p.m. UT Rio Grande Valley (2-2) at East Texas A&M (1-4), 6 p.m. UTSA (3-1) at Rice (1-3), 6 p.m. Chicago State (1-4) at Tarleton St. (4-0), 6 p.m. Northwestern St. (0-5) at Lamar (3-1), 6 p.m. Arkansas (2-2) at Texas A&M (2-2), 6 p.m. Nicholls (2-3) at Houston Christian (2-3), 6 p.m. BYU (3-0) at TCU (2-2), 6 p.m. West Florida (3-1) at Abilene Christian (1-4), 7 p.m.

FAR WEST

Navy (1-2) at Air Force (2-1), 11 a.m. California (2-2) at UNLV (2-2), 2:30 p.m. Davidson (2-3) at San Diego (1-3), 3 p.m. N. Colorado (2-3) at Montana (4-1), 3 p.m. UTEP (1-3) at New Mexico (3-1), 3 p.m. Oregon St. (2-2) at Colorado St. (2-2), 5 p.m. Washington (3-1) at Southern Cal (4-1), 6:30 p.m. Texas Tech (4-0) at Colorado (2-2), 6:30 p.m. Utah St. (1-3) at Boise St. (3-1), 6:30 p.m. Weber St. (2-3) at Cal Poly (3-2), 7 p.m. S. Utah (1-4) at Utah Tech (0-5), 7 p.m. N. Arizona (3-2) at Idaho St. (4-0), 7 p.m. Fresno St. (3-1) at Washington St. (1-3), 8:30 p.m. E. Washington (1-4) at UC Davis (3-2), 9:30 p.m. Baylor (3-1) at Arizona St. (2-1), 9:30 p.m. Texas State (2-2) at San Diego St. (1-3), 9:30 p.m. Cincinnati (4-0) at Arizona (3-1), 10 p.m.

Sunday’s games FAR WEST

San Jose St. (2-2) at Hawaii (1-3), 11 p.m.

4C ● Friday, October 2, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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SAINTS NOTEBOOK

Saints RB Etienne out until at least Week 9 BY LUKE JOHNSON and MATTHEW PARAS

Staff writer

New Orleans Saints running back Travis Etienne will miss the next four games after the team placed him on injured reserve Thursday. Etienne, who signed a four-year contract with New Orleans this offseason, injured his hamstring during a 16-yard run against the Las Vegas Raiders last week. He’d been dealing with a hamstring injury in the week leading up to the Raiders game. Because the Saints’ open date falls on Week 8 this season, Etienne will not be eligible to return to the team until it hosts the Cleveland Browns on Nov. 8. New Orleans will be without him for games against the Falcons, Vikings, Giants and Steelers. “It’ll take a little while,” coach Kellen Moore said. “Obviously we felt like it’ll be at least four weeks, and we’ll see how this thing progresses.” The Saints signed wide receiver Kevin Austin to the active roster from the practice squad in a corresponding move. Etienne is coming off his best game as a Saint, rushing for 57 yards and adding another 13 as a receiver before he left the game. He’d gotten off to a relatively slow start in New Orleans while splitting duties with Alvin Kamara

LSU

and Kendre Miller the first two weeks, rushing for 130 yards on 30 carries while adding 51 yards on 11 receptions out of the backfield. New Orleans already had three other running backs on the active roster in Kamara, Miller and undrafted rookie free agent C.J. Donaldson, who figure to see an increased workload while Etienne is recovering. “Fortunately for us, we’ve got some guys who have played some football,” Moore said. “I think Alvin and Kendre will handle that load really well, and C.J. has found his specific role. … I feel like we’re in a good place.” After being limited to just 22 yards on his 16 touches in his season debut against Baltimore, Kamara bounced back last week, rushing for 36 yards on his nine carries with a long of 11. Despite making the splash signing of Etienne this offseason, the Saints went into this season anticipating there would be times when they’d need to lean on other backs — and Moore said he feels fortunate to have brought Kamara back.

Las Vegas Raiders last week with their respective injuries. Werner is off to the best start of his career for New Orleans, recording a sack, two tackles for loss and a pass breakup in addition to 21 tackles while splitting time with Danny Stutsman. Elliss re-joined the Saints this offseason after spending the last three seasons with Atlanta, and he’s ﬁt seamlessly in coach Brandon Staley’s defense through three weeks, leading the Saints with 24 tackles and is tied for the team lead with ﬁve quarterback hits. Safety Julian Blackmon, another defensive starter, was a limited participant with a calf injury. It wasn’t all bad news for the Saints: receiver/return specialist Barion Brown (hamstring) and defensive lineman Christen Miller (toe), both members of the team’s 2026 draft class, returned to practice in a limited capacity after missing all of last week. Cornerback Martin Emerson (shoulder), who has rotated in for starter Quincy Riley at times this season, was a full participant in Thursday’s practice. More injuries Atlanta did not have a single Both of the Saints’ starting line- player miss practice for injury backers — Pete Werner (stinger) and reasons. The only players listed on Kaden Elliss (calf) — did not partici- the Falcons practice report Thurspate in practice. Neither did edge day were linebacker Divine Deablo defenders Carl Granderson (ankle) and defensive end Samson Ebukam, and Anfernee Jennings (knee), both of both of whom were limited with whom left the Saints’ loss to the hamstring injuries.

we called it ‘Trinidad Magic,’ ” Kifﬁn said, “whenever he went into scrimmages, all of the sudden, these things happen. And Landen has done the same thing. He really performs really well.” Clark has completed seven of his 15 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown this season, while rushing 16 times for 83 yards and three scores. Longstreet, on the other hand, has logged only seven snaps — all at the tail end of LSU’s Week 1 win over Clemson. The Tigers prepared for that matchup by holding a mock game in Tiger Stadium the week prior. Longstreet was LSU’s backup quarterback, while Clark was the scout team signal-caller — the one in charge of mimicking Clemson’s starting quarterback. Kiffin said that Clark “ran around all day long” in the mock game and “made some plays” against LSU’s ﬁrst-team defense, a unit that ranks third among FBS teams in total defense through four weeks. The Clark-led unit even scored more against the Tigers than Clemson’s actual offense did when the two teams met for the real thing to open the season,

according to what Kiffin told the ABC broadcast of the game. At the time, Clark was LSU’s third-string quarterback. “He kind of earned his spot back,” Kiffin said. And now, Clark could be on the verge of making his first FBS start. Kiffin said on Monday that he didn’t know if Leavitt would play on Saturday, but he did say he’d be ”extremely” careful with how he managed his injury throughout the week. Four LSU starters, including kick returner Phillip Wright, have already suffered significant injuries. Kiffin doesn’t want to add Leavitt to that list. Not in a game that the Tigers can win handily without him. So Saturday could be a nice time for him to turn to Clark, the littleknown, small-school transfer who reminds him, in some ways, of the one he brought to Ole Miss last year. “I’m happy for him,” Kiffin said, “and it’s a good weapon to have, obviously, regardless of Sam’s health.”

So far, Golding is averaging 39.7 yards on 18 punts, including nine Continued from page 1C inside the 20. “I feel like I’ve handled it well so far,” Golding said. “Obviously, it’s on elevators for about three years. still all very new to me, so there’s alSo I would fix them when they ways something for me to work on. “Everyone here has been really broke down and then towards the end, I was just building them and welcoming. I never had any problems with any coaches, any teaminstalling new ones.” And yes, on road trips so far, mates; everyone’s really embraced Golding’s teammates have asked if me.” he can repair the elevators if they Injury report get stuck. “Maybe not, if I’m inside one,” he UL’s weekly Wednesday injury laughed. update included some really bad As for football, the biggest ad- news and some potentially really justment was learning the rules good news. — quite different than Australian The really bad news is redshirt Rules Football. sophomore linebacker Conor To help prepare him for Ameri- McPherson — the defense’s leadcan football, Golding used to wear ing tackler — is out for the season a football helmet while watching with an “upper body injury,” UL games on TV while sitting on his coach Michael Desormeaux said. couch. “He had to have surgery this “Australian Rules is a continu- week,” Desormeaux said. “You ous game — think soccer,” he said. know, I’m a ... I’ll talk about it at “Here, I’ve got to be ready and I another time, but he’ll be out for may not go in to punt or I may go the rest of the season.” in to punt. The other bad news on the medi“Here, the interesting thing is, cal front for the Cajuns is that you’re not constantly going, you’re right guard Matt Broussard is also not always warm, so you just got to out for the game. keep your mind in the game, even “He’ll probably be out a couple of when you might not be used.” weeks,” Desormeaux said. Perhaps the most confusing The good news is redshirt junior part is understanding the rules wide receiver Shelton Sampson is — particularly what draws a flag. “probable” to play in Saturday’s “I remember in the spring 7 p.m. homecoming game against game, we had an extra point Arkansas State. where a flag was thrown,” Gold“Unless something happens in ing said. “I turned to (kicker) the next couple of days, he’ll be Tony (Sterner) and said, ‘What’s ready to go,” Desormeaux said. going on here? Is it us or is it Also, defensive tackle Brodrick them?’ I just didn’t want to run Stewart is expected to play Saturoff the field when I still needed to day as well. be on the field. “Obviously, getting those guys “Just learning the rules, espe- back is a good thing,” Desormeaux cially the flags, and all the differ- added. ent names for the same penalties The depth chart also included has been interesting.” redshirt freshman Trenton Chaney

for a second straight week, as well as Caden Jensen at tight end. With no McPherson, the linebacker depth will be tested. Redshirt junior Micah Johnson will step in as the new starter, but redshirt sophomore Ethan Veal and redshirt senior Kailep Edwards could also see snaps, as well as redshirt senior transfer Princeton Malbrue and true freshman Harrison Kidder. “I think Kailep is getting closer to being back to 100%,” Desormeaux said. “It’ll probably be more Harrison and Ethan ﬁlling in a little bit more. “It will definitely be hard to replace the way he played,” Desormeaux said.

Continued from page 1C practices, then carried those strides into preseason camp — to the point at which he could even beat out the Southern Cal transfer and former five-star recruit Husan Longstreet for LSU’s back-up job. LSU has already found opportunities to put Clark onto the field. He’s played 59 snaps so far — and not all of them have come at the end of blowout wins. Kiffin and his staff used Clark as a decoy for two red-zone plays in the Tigers’ Week 3 loss to Ole Miss. Then they subbed him in for Leavitt in the third quarter of their Week 4 win over Texas A&M and called an option play that he could use to show off his speed and agility. Clark faked a handoff and crept toward the line of scrimmage, looking for a hole to run through. When nothing materialized, he lunged backward and scampered to his left, dodging one would-be tackler and accelerating away from another for a 4-yard score. “In the same way with Trinidad,

CAJUNS

Email Reed Darcey at reed. darcey@theadvocate.com.

Ashton made Wright move No coach instructed him to do it. UL redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Ashton Wright decided to lose weight before this season. “No, it was my decision,” said the 6-4, 298-pounder. “I just wanted to feel loose and like myself, like when I was in high school again ... much faster. I think it’s impacted me in a good way.” Defensive line coach Dennis Thomas concurs. “Ashton’s been doing really well,” Thomas said. “He’s really starting to hit his stride. He started camp a little slow, but he’s moving much different. Being much lighter, he’s moving better and playing better. He’s always been strong.” Wright said he could tell he was moving faster when he returned to spring ball. “We work on blocks every day,” Wright said. “I’m really able to run to the ball and I’m playing more physical with my hands.” Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@theadvocate.com.

SAINTS

actually crossed the goal line in the middle of the pile. ButContinued from page 1C terworth did acknowledge no “clear and obvious” angle existed — but that’s why the inireports dating back to the 2024 tial call of a touchdown stood, season, when the Pro Football rather than it be overturned. Writers Association (PFWA) be- The league didn’t have the evigan posting them on its website. dence to overturn the call. “The key here is the ruling on No team other than the Saints has had three straight games featur- the field is a touchdown,” Buting a pool report, and an NFL terworth said. Since 2024, the Saints are just spokesperson said in that no such 2-5 in games that have prompted feat occurred in 2023, either. That makes the Saints a true a pool report. But interestingly, outlier. But as tempting as it may of those contests, four of the be to invoke conspiracies of the calls in question appeared to NOLA No-Call, it should be noted have benefitted New Orleans, that the Saints are tied for the regardless of the win-loss rethird-most games involving a sult. Last season, the New England pool report since 2024 — which doesn’t put them at the center of Patriots had a 61-yard touchdown called back due to a latecontested calls. That distinction seemingly arriving flag, determined to be would belong to the Detroit Lions offensive pass interference. and the Philadelphia Eagles, who Two weeks later, after a Rashid are tied with a league-high nine Shaheed fumble, the Tampa Bay pool-report games. The Saints Buccaneers also saw a touchand the Pittsburgh Steelers fol- down wiped off the board when an official on the other side of low with seven. Even then, a pool report hardly the field blew his whistle bemeans the call in question swung cause he thought the runner was down. a game. Then in a DeTake the 2025 “I thought cember 2024 loss NFC championship Shough’s intent to the Commandbetween the Eaers, the game gles and Washingwas he threw it clock at the Superton Commanders. forward.” dome inadvertentThough that game ly stopped with was a 55-23 blowCHASE YOUNG, nine seconds reout for the Eagles, Saints defensive end, maining — a pivotreferee Shaun Hoon a fumble call on Saints al error that gave chuli found himself QB Tyler Shough the Saints time to explaining why the score a last-second Commanders were touchdown and a threatened with the chance to win the referees awarding a score to Philadelphia after line- game (New Orleans would fail backer Frankie Luvu intention- the 2-point attempt). So how does the league deterally dove offside twice in a row in an attempt to stop the Eagles’ mine which official speaks with tush push. The warning had no ef- a reporter? According to a league spokesfect on the outcome, but the oddity of the sequence warranted an person, Butterworth — who joined the NFL in May 2024 — explanation, nonetheless. Still, as transparent as the pro- handles all inquiries in which cess can be, the explanations instant replay has jurisdiction. sometimes do little to ease the For calls governed more by onfield play, such as personal foul heightened emotions involved. After Sunday’s game, Butter- penalties or, say, a missed pass worth told a pool reporter that interference call, the game’s Shough’s fumble was confirmed lead referee would handle the because “the quarterback clear- interview. Not every controversial play ly lost control of the ball before his hand was coming forward.” triggers a pool report, either. In Detroit weeks earlier, But- Despite Rams cornerback Josh terworth said Goff had already Wallace’s disputed pass interference on Denver’s Pat Bryant, started his throwing motion. But in the locker room Sunday, no pool report followed Sunday Saints players kept questioning night’s game between the Los the difference between the rul- Angeles Rams and the Denver Broncos because no one submitings. “I thought Shough’s intent was ted a request. That didn’t stop people from he threw it forward,” defensive end Chase Young said, making noting the irony. “Well coach (Sean) Payton fia jab at the league’s explanation that took away the pass rusher’s nally got his PI call!” tweeted sack on Goff and negated a former Rams and LSU tackle Andrew Whitworth, now an anatouchdown fumble recovery. Despite both calls being criti- lyst for Amazon. “I say we call cal, the Saints will be the first it even!” Pool reports have been around ones to acknowledge that those rulings aren’t the reason they since the 1978 season, according have two losses on their record. to the league. And there, New New Orleans also can’t afford to Orleans — the city, anyway — dwell on the past with a crucial was involved, too. Super Bowl XII — held at the Monday Night Football showdown with the Atlanta Falcons Superdome — marked the first game in which the league allooming. In some instances, the pool re- lowed the press to designate ports even favor New Orleans. one reporter to discuss controversial calls with game officials Just ask Baltimore. In New Orleans’ Week 2 upset afterward. What a coincidence. win over the Ravens, Shough’s go-ahead touchdown triggered a pool report after it was hard Email Matthew Paras at matt. to tell whether the quarterback paras@theadvocate.com

PELS

Continued from page 1C

cans+, allows us to pair first-class Pelicans’ coverage with broad accessibility throughout our region, giving fans more flexibility in how they watch. Building on last season’s significant viewership growth, we look forward to expanding our reach and giving more fans the opportunity to watch, follow and connect with the team.” The FOX 8 coverage begins with the Oct. 21 season opener at home against the Indiana Pacers. Some of the other games among the 20 that will air on Fox 8 include: the Dec. 31 game against the Los Angeles Lakers; the Jan. 28 game against LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers; and the March 23 game against the New York Knicks, last season’s NBA champions. For the third straight season, WWL Radio (870 AM/105.3 FM) will handle the radio broadcast. Todd Graffagnini enters his eighth season as the play-by-play announcer for the radio broadcast. Color analyst John DeShazier is in his fifteenth season. Gus Kattengell, who will host the pregame, halftime and postgame shows for radio, is in his third season. The radio broadcast will carry all 82 games and the four preseason games. The Pelicans begin preseason play Tuesday on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Cubs, Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Hawks. Kalia Butler joins the organization as a team reporter for the television broadcast and the team’s digital platforms. Butler previously served this season as the sideline reporter for the WNBA’s Chicago Sky and is the host of Locked on Women’s Basketball. Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network, the ofﬁcial television home of Pelicans basketball, will broadcast 80 of the team’s 82 games. The other two games — the Pelicans’ two January games in Europe against the San Antonio Spurs — will be streamed on Amazon Prime. All locally televised Pelicans games will also be available via streaming on Pelicans+. In addition, 20 of the regular season games will also be simulcast locally on FOX 8. Fans outside of the Pelicans’ regional market can access games via NBA League Pass. “We are committed to delivering a high-quality broadcast experience that brings Pelicans basketball to as many fans as possible across the Gulf Coast,” Pelicans’ president Dennis Lauscha said in a press release. “Our partnership with Gray Media and FOX 8, complemented by Email Rod Walker at rwalker@ streaming access through Peli- theadvocate.com.

Note for note The Black Jacket Symphony Presents Def Leppard’s “ H y s t eria” r elives t he exper ienc e of the English ro ck band’s f our th album in it s ent ir et y. A lso, a full set of the b and ’s greatest hits a t 7 :3 0 p .m. F r i d ay at t he River Center Thea tre for Perfor ming Ar ts. $45.10 and up. theatre.rai singcanesriver cent er.com .

LIVING

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

F r i d ay, O c t O b e r 2, 2026

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‘INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE’

With Ultra HD release, director talks ﬁlm’s impact

Check in on Mike the Tiger. Listen to the sounds of Live After Five. View the stars. Or take a trip through history. All are available for free in the area. | STAFF FILE AND PROVIDED PHOTOS

BY JOHN WIRT

Contributing writer

In the 1994 film adaptation of New Orleans native Anne Rice’s novel “Interview with the Vampire,” a 20th-century vampire disdains Anglo-Irish novelist Bram Stoker’s famous vampire tale, “Dracula.” “The vulgar fictions of a demented Irishman,” Louis de Pointe du Lac tells a young reporter. Neil Jordan, the Oscar-winning Irish director of “Interview with the Vampire,” wrote the “demented Irishman” line for the genuine vampire Brad Pitt portrays in the film. “I thought,” Jordan said from his home in Dublin, Ireland, “if there was a vampire in the 20th century, that’s what he would think.” And contrary to Stoker’s imagined vampire, Jordan said with a chuckle, Louis loves crosses and garlic.

WEEKEND WONDERS

PROVIDED PHOTO FROM WARNER BROS.

Neil Jordan, right, directs Kirsten Dunst’s Claudia in ‘Interview with the Vampire.’

Jordan spoke on the occasion of the September release of the first 4K, ultra high-definition, Blu-ray edition of “Interview with the Vampire.” His other films include “The Crying Game,” “The Butcher Boy,” The End of the Affair” and, starring future “Oppenheimer” Oscar winner Cillian Murphy, “Breakfast on Pluto.” Jordan took the helm of “Interview with the Vampire” after his Oscar and BAFTA wins for 1992’s “The Crying Game.” His pre-“Interview with the Vampire” history also includes reading Stoker’s London- and Transylvania-set gothic horror story, “Dracula,” during his Dublin childhood. “Not only did I read Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula,’ I grew up beside Bram Stoker’s house,” Jordan recalled. “To get to my local cinema, the Fairview, we had to pass the Crescent, an 18th-century crescent (housing development) of peeling, crumbling houses. It terriﬁed the life out of me. I would go to see vampire movies in the cinema and be terriﬁed for days, having to walk by Bram Stoker’s house.” Before “Interview with the Vampire,” most horror movies “were made on the cheap,” Jordan said. “And most vampire movies were made as ghoulish jokes.” On the contrary, Jordan’s adaptation of Rice’s book of vampires in the New World — a $60 million production starring Pitt

ä See 'VAMPIRE', page 6C

Music to movies, tai chi to Mike the Tiger, 12 free things to do around the area BY JUDY BERGERON

the Tiger, dive into the fun and don’t worry about funds.

Staff writer

The first Sunday of the month falls this weekend and that means seven downtown Baton Rouge attractions will fling open their doors, welcoming visitors with free admission. These include Louisiana Art & Science Museum, Old State Capitol, Old Governors’ Mansion, Magnolia Mound Museum + Historic Site, LSU Museum of Art, Cary Saurage Community Arts Center and LSU Center for River Studies. But that’s only the beginning of free events to be found around the city this weekend. Live music to a kids movie, tai chi to a visit to Mike

FRIDAY

LIVE AFTER FIVE: 5 p.m-8 p.m., Rhorer Plaza, 200 St. Louis St. Outdoor concert featuring the party/dance band After 8. Bring lawn chairs and enjoy live music, and a whole lot of dancing. downtownbr.org/live-after-ﬁve/. FAMILY STORY TIME: 5 p.m.-5:30 p.m., second ﬂoor, River Center Branch, 250 North Blvd. Designed for toddler, preschool and elementary ages along with their families. ebrpl.com. GLOW IN THE PARK: 6 p.m.-7 p.m., Perkins Road Community Park, 7122 Perkins Road. Ready … set … glow! Gather friends and family for glowin-the-dark team-based kickball. Ages 7+. Register in person or online at brec.org/form/glow-in-the-park-

kickball-perkins. LECTURE AND EVENING SKY VIEWING: 7:30 p.m.-10 p.m., BREC Highland Road Park Observatory, 13800 Highland Road. Talk is on “The Kordylewski Clouds.” Afterward, see the majesty of the night sky. for those 6 and up. hrpo.lsu.edu/events.

SATURDAY

STRONG & CALM WARRIOR YOGA: 8 a.m.-9:30 a.m., USS Kidd Veterans Memorial & Museum, 305 S. River Road. Brandi Hanson (Yoga with Brandi) teaches the monthly, all-abilities class. Tailored to support veterans, active military, ﬁrst responders and their families, while staying open to all. Bring your own mat. usskidd.com.

ä See WEEKEND, page 6C

Southern Screen Fest offers ﬁlms, events, workshops Staff report Festival passes are now on sale for the 16th annual Southern Screen Festival in Lafayette Nov. 19-22. In addition, the submission deadline has been extended to Thursday for its fourth annual Student Film Showcase. Southern Screen offers four days of ﬁlms, educational sessions,

social events and opportunities to connect with ﬁlmmakers, artists and other creative professionals. Lafayette Three levels of festival passes are available — general festival, industry and student — and provide admission to all festival screenings, sessions and social events: n Discounted industry passes

for individuals working in film, music, radio, comedy, podcasting, writing and other creative storytelling fields; n Discounted student passes for students with a valid student ID; n Screening passes or sessions passes for attendees interested in specific programming. Those unable to attend in person can purchase a virtual pass for ac-

cess to select online events. Passholders may also purchase a VIP wristband, which includes access to the festival’s VIP lounge, as well as food and drinks at all socials. Tickets to individual events will go on sale Nov. 1 and remain available throughout the festival weekend. For passes and

ä See SCREEN, page 6C

6C ● Friday, October 2, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Purchase a coffee filter separator Dear Heloise: The thing else that conbest way to separate tains the insect eggs. coffee filters is by You should also find using a kitchen gada place to store these bags where insects get called … wait for are less likely to find it … a coffee filter separator. Available Hints from them or hide in them, Heloise such as a plastic bin at major retailers, with a lid. online, or at your Next, scrub the area where favorite grocery store, it the plastic bags were with looks like a large plastic hot water and soap. Then tweezer with rubber tips. spray the area with insectiAnd it works every time! — Dan, in Charlottesville,Virginia cide and let it dry. If the insects no longer appear there, Bug infestation consider returning the bags (that are hopefully now in a Dear Heloise: Thank you for bin with a lid) back to their your great column! What original place. — Heloise would you do about insect eggs that seem to hatch in Home canning turned fun a stash of paper bags? — Perplexed, in Dallas Dear Heloise: I’m very worPerplexed, you didn’t say ried about food safety in this which insect, but you’ll very country. With so many peolikely have to toss out your ple being dismissed from stash of paper bags and any- their jobs in food inspection,

I feel like I need to do more to protect my family. So, my husband and I planted a huge kitchen garden in our backyard this past summer, and we’ve started canning our food. You wouldn’t believe how good homegrown food is when it’s ripened to its peak freshness! I bought a hydrator to preserve banana chips, strawberries, and other foods that we use as snacks. We don’t use chemicals, and I feel like this is the best way to keep everyone healthy and happy. In addition to all this, the canning process is a family affair, and we’ve turned the work into a fun time with our children. — MaryAnn and Jake, in Provo, Utah Send a hint to heloise@ heloise.com.

SHOWS TO WATCH — ACADIANA AREA FRIDAY

LATIN MUSIC FESTIVAL: Parc International, Lafayette, 10 a.m. LIVE MUSIC: Cane River Pecan Company Pie Bar, New Iberia, 5 p.m. DOWNTOWN ALIVE! FEATURING LETRAINIUMP: Parc San Souci, Lafayette, 6 p.m. ELLIOT CARLOSS: Adopted Dog Brewing, Lafayette, 6 p.m. KEVIN NAQUIN + MARK LATIOLAIS + JAMEY BEARD: Naq’sn-Duson, Duson, 6 p.m. LIVE MUSIC: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m. LIVE MUSIC: Jim Deggy’s Brick Oven Pizza & Brewery, Lafayette, 6 p.m. LIVE MUSIC: Prejean’s, Broussard, 6 p.m. JAKE KNOTT: SHUCKS!, Abbeville, 6:30 p.m. NIKKI NEEDHAM: Buck & Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 6:30 p.m. FRIGHTMARE ON MAIN STREET: The Hot Sauce House on Main, New Iberia, 7 p.m. “A DOLL’S HOUSE” BY HENRIK IBSEN (HERZOG): Cité des Arts, Lafayette, 7:30 p.m. CAMERON NELSON: The Barrel of Broussard, Broussard, 8 p.m. PASSENGER ELEVEN: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 8 p.m. RUBEN MORENO: Hideaway on Lee, Lafayette, 8 p.m. SAFESPACE R&B: Artmosphere, Lafayette, 8:30 p.m. VERMILLIONAIRES: Rock ’n’ Bowl de Lafayette, Lafayette, 9 p.m.

SATURDAY

DON FONTENOT BAND: Fred’s, Mamou, 8 a.m. GENO DELAFOSE & ROCKIN BOOGIES: Buck & Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 8:30 a.m. CAJUN JAM: Moncus Park, Lafayette, 9 a.m. SATURDAY MORNING JAM SESSIONS: The Savoy Music Center, Eunice, 9 a.m. LATIN MUSIC FESTIVAL: Parc International, Lafayette, 10 a.m. CAJUN JAM: Tante Marie, Breaux Bridge, 11 a.m. MUSIC MOSAIC — A

LIVE MUSIC: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m. BLUEGRASS JAM: Cité des Arts, Lafayette, 6:30 p.m.

TODAY IN HISTORY By The Associated Press Today is Friday, Oct. 2, the 275th day of 2026. There are 90 days left in the year. Today in history: On Oct. 2, 1967, Thurgood Marshall joined the U.S. Supreme Court as its ﬁrst African American justice; he would serve on the bench for 24 years until his retirement in 1991. Also on this date: In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson had a serious stroke at the White House that left him paralyzed on his left side. In 1942, the RMS Queen Mary, an ocean liner carrying thousands of American soldiers as a converted troop ship during World War II, accidentally rammed and sank the escort ship HMS Curacoa in the North Atlantic, killing over 300 crew members aboard the Curacoa. In 1944, German troops crushed the 2-month-old Warsaw Uprising, during

which a quarter of a million people were killed. In 1970, one of two chartered twin-engine planes flying the Wichita State University football team to Utah crashed into a mountain near Silver Plume, Colorado, killing 31 of the 40 people on board. In 1968, as many as 300 people were massacred at a student protest in Mexico City’s Tlatelolco plaza in what the government initially reported as a lawful suppression of a violent riot just 10 days before the Summer Olympics’ Opening Ceremony. In 2006, an armed milk truck driver took a group of girls hostage in an Amish schoolhouse in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, killing five of them and wounding five others before taking his own life. In 2016, Hall of Fame baseball broadcaster Vin Scully signed off for the last time, ending 67 years behind the mic for the Dodgers as he called a 7-1

loss to the Giants in San Francisco. In 2018, U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of Saudi Arabia’s government, was killed by Saudi Arabian ofﬁcials at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. In 2020, stricken by COVID-19, President Donald Trump was injected with an experimental drug combination at the White House before being ﬂown to a military hospital, where he was given remdesivir, an antiviral drug. Today’s birthdays: Singersongwriter Don McLean (“American Pie”) is 81. Fashion designer Donna Karan is 78. Actor Avery Brooks is 78. Photographer Annie Leibovitz is 77. Singer-actor Sting is 75. Actor Lorraine Bracco is 72. R&B singer Freddie Jackson is 70. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa is 63. Singer-songwriter Gillian Welch is 59. Actor-talk show host Kelly Ripa is 56. Actor Efren Ramirez is 53.

TUESDAY

INVISION/AP PHOTO BY RICHARD SHOTWELL

Grammy Award-winning country artists Brooks & Dunn bring their ‘Neon Moon Tour’ to the Cajundome in Lafayette on Thursday. Tickets start at $49. YEAR OF SOUND AND PLACE — MELISSA STEVENSON: Children’s Museum of Acadiana, Lafayette, noon CAJUN FRENCH MUSIC JAM: Vermilionville Living History Museum & Folklife Park, Lafayette, 1 p.m. “AMERICA AT 250”: Heymann Center, Lafayette, 2 p.m. CAJUN ROOTS: Cypress Cove Landing, Breaux Bridge, 3 p.m. DOYLE & JACOB TAUZIN: Naq’s-n-Duson, Duson, 6 p.m. FRANK & JON: Cafe Sydnie Mae, Breaux Bridge, 6 p.m. LIVE MUSIC: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m. LIVE MUSIC: Jim Deggy’s Brick Oven Pizza & Brewery, Lafayette, 6 p.m. LIVE MUSIC: Prejean’s, Broussard, 6 p.m. PAUL PIAZZA: Adopted Dog Brewing, Lafayette, 6 p.m. SUGAR JAM: Sugar Mill Pond, Youngsville, 6 p.m. BUDDY ANDREWS & THE BRANDED: Buck & Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 6:30 p.m. THE ENVIES TRIO: SHUCKS!, Abbeville, 6:30 p.m. FRIGHTMARE ON MAIN STREET: The Hot Sauce House on Main, New Iberia, 7 p.m. GENO DELAFOSE: Pat’s Atchafalaya Club, Henderson, 7 p.m. “A DOLL’S HOUSE” BY HENRIK IBSEN (HERZOG): Cité des Arts, Lafayette, 7:30 p.m. AMIS DU TECHE: Hideaway on Lee, Lafayette, 8 p.m. BLAKE LUQUETTE: The Barrel of Broussard, Broussard, 8 p.m. DUSTIN SONNIER & THE WANTED: Lakev-

SCREEN

Continued from page 5C additional information, visit southernscreen.org/attend. Meanwhile, Southern Screen is giving Acadiana students an additional week to complete and submit their ﬁlms. Presented in partnership with the Lafayette Parish School System and Acadiana Center for the Arts, the showcase is open to students in grades 6-12 throughout Acadiana. This year’s theme is “The American Dream: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” For generations, the American Dream has represented

iew Park, Eunice, 8 p.m. LIVE MUSIC: The Barrel of Broussard, Broussard, 8 p.m. THE GOOD DUDES + THAT BAD: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 8 p.m. SEMI-CHARMED: Rock ’n’ Bowl de Lafayette, Lafayette, 9 p.m.

SUNDAY

PATCH AT THE PARK FESTIVAL 2026: Youngsville Sports Complex, Youngsville, 10 a.m. AMIS DU TECHE: Cafe Sydnie Mae, Breaux Bridge, 10:30 a.m. LIVE MUSIC: Tante Marie, Breaux Bridge, 11 a.m. LES FRERES MICHOT: Prejean’s, Carencro, 11:30 a.m. JAMBALAYA ACOUSTIC MUSIC JAM: Tom’s Fiddle & Bow, Arnaudville, 12:30 p.m. BAL DU DIMANCHE — FOREST HUVAL: Vermilionville Living History Museum & Folklife Park, Lafayette, 1 p.m. “A DOLL’S HOUSE” BY HENRIK IBSEN (HERZOG): Cité des Arts, Lafayette, 2 p.m. STEVE RILEY & C-4: Cypress Cove Landing, Breaux Bridge, 3 p.m. SHADOW ROAD BAND FEATURING KYLE DUGAS: Pat’s Atchafalaya Club, Henderson, 4:30 p.m. CURLEY TAYLOR & ZYDECO TROUBLE: Rock ’n’ Bowl de Lafayette, Lafayette, 5 p.m. LIVE MUSIC: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m. FILLES ET PÈRES: Hideaway on Lee, Lafayette, 7 p.m.

MONDAY

PATRICIO LATINO SOLO: Cafe Habana City, Lafayette, 11 a.m.

the belief that a better future is possible through vision, determination and hard work. In recognition of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence, students are invited to create a short film exploring what the American Dream means to them. Students may submit individually or in groups of two or three. Groups may include students from different schools and grade levels. Films must be between 30 seconds and five minutes long, and only online submissions will be accepted. Selected films will be presented during the festival. For complete guidelines or to submit a film, visit southernscreen.org/studentfilm-showcase.

LIVE MUSIC: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m. TERRY HUVAL & FRIENDS: Prejean’s Restaurant, Lafayette, 6 p.m. KIDS’ CAJUN JAM NIGHT: Jeaux Biffs, Breaux Bridge, 6:15 p.m. GREENLIGHT SESSIONS OPEN MIC: The Jefferson Street Greenroom, Lafayette, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

DULCIMER JAM: St. Landry Visitor Center, Opelousas, 10 a.m. LIVE MUSIC: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m. MERCREDI SHOW FEATURING MICHAEL SCOTT BOUDREAUX: Pelican Park, Carencro, 6 p.m. WANTED WEDNESDAY KARAOKE NIGHT: The Barrel of Broussard, Broussard, 6 p.m. CAJUN JAM: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

THURSDAY

LADIES NIGHT WITH DJ DONOVAN IN THE MIX: Cowboys Nightclub, Scott, 6 p.m. LIVE MUSIC: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m. BROOKS AND DUNN: Cajundome, Lafayette, 7 p.m. JADDER: The Loose Caboose, Lafayette, 7 p.m. THE HAS BEANS: Hideaway on Lee, Lafayette, 7 p.m. KARAOKE PARTY — PANDA ENTERTAINMENT: Black Bull, Youngsville, 8 p.m. RAY ABSHIRE & COURTNEY GRANGER TRIBUTE FEATURING JIMMY BREAUX & FRIENDS: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

Compiled by Marchaund Jones. Want your venue’s music listed? Email info/photos to showstowatch@ theadvocate.com. The deadline is noon FRIDAY for the following Friday’s paper.

Southern Screen is a multi-disciplinary arts organization that supports and celebrates creative professionals and their work. The festival provides a platform for emerging and innovative storytellers of all types to showcase their craft and share their creativity. It features film screenings, live music, creative writing, podcasts, community and industry workshops, networking mixers, parties and more. Its mission is to move beyond traditional ﬁlm and music festivals and expose guests and the community to the endless possibilities of art and entertainment. For more information about the 2026 Southern Screen Festival, visit southernscreen.org.

FILE PHOTO BY MORGAN WERTHER

Strong & Calm Warrior Yoga starts at 8 a.m. Saturday at the USS Kidd Veterans Memorial & Museum. The free class is open to all levels.

WEEKEND

Continued from page 5C LOUISIANA BLACK BEAR: 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Greenwell Springs Branch Library, 11300 Greenwell Springs Road. Louisiana Wildlife & Fisheries’ tour of the taxidermied black bear along with paw print and skull replicas. Take a photo with the bear and get free information about the state mammal. ebrpl. com. AUTHOR BOOK PREMIERE EVENT: 2 p.m.-5 p.m., Room 102, Main Library at Goodwood, 7711 Goodwood Blvd. Meet children’s book author Kiyoko Hairston (“Freeda’s Fabniﬁcent Feet”). There will be an activity for children and a talk by the author. Free. ebrpl.com. SATURNIAN OPPOSITION: 9:15 p.m.-11:25 p.m., Highland Road Park Observatory, 13800 Highland Road. With the Earth and Saturn now the

closest they will be to each other this year, here’s your chance, weather permitting, to view “The Ringed Planet.” observatory@brec.org or (225) 768-9948.

SUNDAY

MYSTERY KIDS MOVIE: 12:30 p.m. and 1:50 p.m., Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. Sensory-friendly screening of a surprise kids ﬁlm. Also, crafts and activities with LSU Museum of Art in the lobby. manshiptheatre.org. FREE FIRST SUNDAY: Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 100 S. River Road; Old State Capitol, 100 North Blvd.; Old Governors’ Mansion, 502 North Blvd.; Magnolia Mound Museum + Historic Site, 2161 Nicholson Drive; LSU Museum of Art, 100 Lafayette St.; Cary Saurage Community Arts Center, 233 St. Ferdinand St.; and LSU Center for River Studies, 100 Terrace Ave. Free admission to all exhibits and installations, plus reduced-price entry to

LASM’s Irene Pennington Planetarium shows. GROUP TAI CHI CLASS: 6 p.m.-7 p.m., Main Library at Goodwood, 7711 Goodwood Blvd. With the Tai Chi Club, explore the yin and yang of mind-body and ﬁnd the way of nature in tai chi. Wear ﬂat shoes and comfortable clothes. ebrpl.com.

ANYTIME

MIKE THE TIGER HABITAT: Between Tiger Stadium and the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, LSU. Visit the famed live Bengal tiger, the mascot for all LSU Athletics teams. He resides in a $3.7 million, 15,000-square-foot environment that includes lush planting, a live oak tree, a waterfall and a stream evolving from a rocky backdrop overﬂowing with plants and trees. mikethetiger.com/.

Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@theadvocate. com.

‘VAMPIRE’

Continued from page 5C alongside Tom Cruise as Lestat de Lioncourt — gave him “an opportunity to expand the universe of a vampire film,” Jordan said. To realize his vision for Louis and Lestat’s darkly beautiful environs, Jordan collaborated closely with the film’s Italian set designer-artist Dante Ferretti and French cinematographer Philippe Rousselot. The film shot in New Orleans and at nearby plantations, in San Francisco, Paris and London. “I said, ‘We’re going to take 18th-century New Orleans and Paris and 20thcentury San Francisco,” Jordan said, “and turn the whole world into a beautiful mausoleum. And we did.” Launching production in New Orleans in October 1993, Jordan found more than everything he needed. “It was the most beautiful experience shooting there,” he said. “Also, the most haunting experience, because we were shooting constantly at night. And it was this strange haunted environment. It was almost like the entire of the city believed in vampires.” Jordan had minimal contact with Rice, the late local novelist who published “Interview with the Vampire,” the first of her 30 bestselling novels, in 1976.

PROVIDED PHOTO FROM WARNER BROS.

Tom Cruise, left, and Brad Pitt star in 1994’s ‘Interview with the Vampire.’ “She asked me to make the movie,” the director recalled. “We spoke on the phone several times. I went to meet her in her strange house in New Orleans. She was surrounded by strange statues. But when I started making the movie, she took exception to the casting of Tom Cruise. So, we didn’t speak until she’d seen the ﬁlm. When she liked it, we became friends again.” After Rice and her devoted readers vehemently opposed Cruise as Lestat and Pitt as Louis, Jordan felt relief when the author ultimately expressed her approval. “But a lot of that stuff is people creating these dramas, so more people will read their books and go to see their movies,” he said. “It seemed a bit fake to me. I just wanted to make the

best version I could of that beautiful book that she’d written.” An international hit, “Interview with the Vampire” earned $105.2 million domestically and $223.6 worldwide. Jordan, the director of 26 films and author of a dozen books, anticipates his next film will be an adaption of his 2023 novel, “The Well of Saint Nobody.” His latest novel, this year’s “The Library of Traumatic Memory,” has yet to be published in the U.S. “It’s a tough time for filmmaking,” he said of the movie business. “A lot of directors are struggling, but I’ve got several films I want to make. I don’t want to stop.” Email John Wirt at j_ wirt@msn.com.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Friday, October 2, 2026 ● 7C

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zodIAC LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Take in information. Having an open mind, a good imagination and a creative mindset will help you outmaneuver anyone who wants to challenge you. Live life your way. Avoid overspending. scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Get involved in conversations that will help you grow, understand the dynamics a choice and what's possible. Choose to take the road less traveled and to learn as you go. sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Stick close to home and make adjustments that are conducive to reaching your goals. Opportunity is within reach if you explore what the requirements are to pursue something you'd love to do for a living. cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Put your expertise to the test. Listen to those who oppose you, but don't shift your trust to someone else. It's time to rely on yourself and to build confidence by taking control. AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Proceed with caution. Choose your words and actions carefully. Stick to the truth, and don't let mixed emotions lead to misinterpretation of what's possible and what isn't. PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Pay attention to what's going on at home and with your finances. Coming up with a budget and living within your means will put your mind at ease and position you for better opportunities. ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Refuse to let your emotions infiltrate domestic matters that can disrupt meaningful relationships. Think twice before you criticize or com-

plain about something without sufficient information. tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Zigzag through ups and downs. Drama, anger and overreactions will cost you if you don't think before you act. Don't allow stubbornness to take over, causing you to look bad or end up in a weak position. GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Point your energy in a direction that leads to personal growth and greater awareness of what you want to achieve. Socializing with people who have something to offer will be rewarding. cAncER (June 21-July 22) Let your intuition guide you. Taking your time, listening and understanding what's important to those you deal with personally and professionally will help you offer what's necessary to get what you want. LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Distance yourself from situations that can cause problems at home. Change your routine, and avoid senseless arguments that can lead to poor decisions. A little discipline will go a long way. VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Gather information so you can understand the dynamics of a situation before you get involved. Express only what's necessary, and try to find common ground to avoid disputes that might cost you personally or financially. The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

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8C ● Friday, October 2, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Friday, October 2, 2026 ● 9C

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B.C.

Bridge By PHILLIP ALDER Publilius Syrus, in the first century B.C., was a Syrian slave brought to Italy, but by exhibiting wit and intelligence, he was released and educated by his master. Syrus said, “A gift in season is a double favor to the needy.” The last four columns featured deals in which the declarers tried to maximize their chances of making their contracts. But sometimes a defender should take a page from those declarers’ books. In this deal, East is defending against four hearts. West leads the club seven. East wins with his queen and cashes the club ace, West following with the two to show that he started with a doubleton. What should East do next? After East opened one club, South had enough points to make a takeout double, planning to bid hearts on the next round to show his strong hand-type. But he feared that the opponents would carry the auction uncomfortably high in spades before he could mention his suit. The defense looks so easy: Lead a third club. West will win the trick by ruffing, return a diamond to East’s ace for down one, and perhaps another club will effect a trump promotion. In this deal, though, that backfires badly. Declarer wins the third trick in the dummy, draws trumps and claims.

garfield

Pearls Before swiNe

hagar the horriBle

Before getting greedy, East should cash his diamond ace. Here, West signals with his seven to show the diamond king. East leads another diamond for down one. But if West discourages in diamonds, East returns to clubs, hoping that West has a heart higher than dummy’s seven. © 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 — MAtRons: MAY-truns: Married women.

Bizarro

marmaduKe

Average mark 24 words Time limit 40 minutes Can you find 36 or more words in MATRONS? yEstERDAy’s WoRD — tEnsoR tenor tern tone tore torn nest noes nose note noter senor

sent snore snort sone sore sort steno stern stone stoner store

onset rent rest rose rote

loCKhorNs hidato Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

today’s thought “Righteousness exalts a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” Proverbs 14:34

God has spoken. Will we listen? G.E. Dean

10C ● Friday, October 2, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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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, 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

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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. 201953 Sept. 28-Oct. 8, 11t $1,405.06

PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE OF SPECIAL ELECTION Pursuant to the provi‐ sions of a resolution adopted by the Lafayette City Council (the "Gov‐ erning Authority"), act‐ ing as the governing au‐ thority of the City of Lafayette, State of Louisiana (the "City"), on August 4, 2026, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a special election will be held within the City on SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2026, and that at the said election there will be submitted to all regis‐ tered voters in the City qualiﬁed and entitled to vote at the said election under the Constitution and Laws of the State of Louisiana and the Consti‐

tution of the United States, the following propositions, to-wit: PROPOSITION NO. 1 OF 4 (RECREATION) (MILLAGE CONTINUA‐ TION) Shall the City of Lafayette, State of Louisiana (the "City"), continue to levy a 2.01 mills tax on all property subject to taxation in the City (an estimated $3,810,000 reasonably ex‐ pected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year), for a period of 10 years, beginning with the year 2029 and ending with the year 2038, for the purpose of maintain‐ ing and operating the playgrounds, recreation centers and other recre‐ ation activities within the City, said millage to represent a 0.09 mills in‐ crease (due to reap‐ praisal) over the 1.92 mills tax authorized to be levied through the year 2028 pursuant to an elec‐ tion held on April 28, 2018? PROPOSITION NO. 2 OF 4 (PUBLIC BUILDINGS) (MILLAGE CONTINUA‐ TION)

See agenda documents at: http://www.lafayettela.gov/obcouncil/default.aspx REGULAR MEETING LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL 705 W. University Avenue, Ted A. Ardoin City-Parish Council Auditorium TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2026 5:30 p.m. AGENDA CALL TO ORDER 1. Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance 2. COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENTS 3. EXECUTIVE/MAYOR-PRESIDENT’S REPORT A) Budget to Actual Comparison of Major City Funds – August 2026 Preliminary B) Audit Findings Update – September 2026 EXECUTIVE SESSION 4. Discussion of settlement offer concerning prospective litigation In Re Brian Hudgins relative to a Transit Bus Incident on 4/19/25 REPORT AND/OR DISCUSSION ITEM 5. LPSS Updates (Kenneth Boudreaux) INTERGOVERNMENTAL & COMMUNITY PARTNER PRESENTATION 6. City of Lafayette Economic Development Report by Mandi Mitchell, Lafayette Economic Development Authority President & CEO (Kenneth Boudreaux & Mayor-President) ORDINANCES FOR FINAL ADOPTION 7. CO-075-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Council authorizing the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government to sell at public auction and public internet auction surplus vehicles, equipment and other miscellaneous movable property which are no longer needed for public purposes, as per the attached list (public auction and public internet auction). (Finance) 8. CO-079-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Council amending the FY 25/26 operating and capital budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government by transferring $20,000 from the City Council District 2 Capital appropriation (Fund 4850) to the Lafayette Police Department (LPD) for the acquisition of furniture for its Precinct 2 offices at the Lafayette Utilities System Customer Service Center on West Congress Street. (Andy Naquin) 9. CO-080-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget and adjusting the manning tables of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government to increase the hourly pay rate of various positions per Civil Service recommendation. (Fiber) 10. CO-081-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Council declaring the South Meyers Drive/Huntington Park Outfall Improvements Project a public necessity and authorizing the acquisition of the necessary rights-of-way, immovable property and other property rights requisite to the construction of said project, either on an amicable basis or through the proper use of the expropriation process if necessary. (CID) 11. CO-082-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget and manning tables of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government by using prior year fund balance in the amount of $940 for salary adjustments within the Utilities Department. (Utilities) 12. CO-083-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Council, acting in their capacity as the governing authority of the City of Lafayette, providing for the abandonment of a ten (10’) foot x ten (10’) foot utility niche, located on Lot 3-A of the C. Paul Hillard, et al. Subdivision, located at 205 Ambassador Caffery Parkway, and authorizing the Lafayette Mayor-President to execute an Act of Abandonment in order to effectuate the abandonment on behalf of the City of Lafayette. (CD&P) JOINT ORDINANCES FOR FINAL ADOPTION 13. JO-034-2026 A joint ordinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council authorizing the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government to sell at public internet auction surplus equipment and other miscellaneous movable property which are no longer needed for public purposes, as per the attached list (public internet auction). (Finance) 14. JO-042-2026 A joint ordinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 manning tables of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government by increasing the hourly rate of the Risk and Insurance Manager position within the Office of Finance & Management, Risk Management Division. (Finance) 15. JO-043-2026 A joint ordinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating and capital budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government by adjusting the manning tables and reallocating funds towards the Temporary Employees Account and transferring $194,000 from Public Art Capital Projects within the Planning Division of Community Development and Planning into the International Trade Division within the office of the Chief Administrative Officer. (CAO)

Legal Notices

Shall the City of Lafayette, State of Louisiana (the "City"), continue to levy a 1.18 mills tax on all property subject to taxation in the City (an estimated $2,230,000 reasonably ex‐ pected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year), for a period of 10 years, beginning with the year 2028 and ending with the year 2037, for the purpose of maintain‐ ing and operating public buildings of the City, said millage to represent a 0.05 mills increase (due to reappraisal) over the 1.13 mills tax authorized to be levied through the year 2027 pursuant to an election held on April 29, 2017? PROPOSITION NO. 3 OF 4 (STREETS, ROADS AND ALLEYS) (MILLAGE CONTINUA‐ TION) Shall the City of Lafayette, State of Louisiana (the "City"), continue to levy a 1.35 mills tax on all property subject to taxation in the City (an estimated $2,560,000 reasonably ex‐ pected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year), for a period of 10 years, beginning with the year 2029 and ending with the year 2038, for the purpose of the main‐ tenance of the public streets, roads and alleys within the City, said mill‐ age to represent a 0.06 mills increase (due to reappraisal) over the 1.29 mills tax authorized to be levied through the year 2028 pursuant to an elec‐ tion held on April 28, 2018? PROPOSITION NO. 4 OF 4 (PUBLIC SAFETY MAINTE‐ NANCE) (MILLAGE CONTINUA‐ TION) Shall the City of Lafayette, State of Louisiana (the "City"), i l

Legal Notices

y continue to levy a 3.33 mills tax on all property subject to taxation in the City (an estimated $6,310,000 reasonably ex‐ pected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year), for a period of 30 years, beginning with the year 2028 and ending with the year 2057, for the purpose of operating, maintaining and support‐ ing the Police and Fire Departments of the City, including pension and re‐ tirement liabilities, said millage to represent a 0.05 mills increase (due to reappraisal) over the 3.28 mills tax authorized to be levied through the year 2027 pursuant to an election held on Novem‐ ber 15, 1997? The said special election shall be held at the polling places for the fol‐ lowing precincts, which polls will open at seven o'clock (7:00) a.m. and close at eight o'clock (8:00) p.m., in accor‐ dance with the provi‐ sions of La. R.S. 18:541, to wit: PRECINCTS 07(PART) 09(PART) 10(PART) 11(PART) 12(PART) 13(PART) 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24(PART) 25(PART) 30(PART) 31(PART) 32(PART) 33(PART) 34(PART) 35(PART) 38(PART) 39(PART) 40 41 42 43 44

45 46 47 48 49 50(PART) 51 52 53 54(PART) 55(PART) 56 57 58 59(PART) 60 63 64(PART) 65 66 67(PART) 68 69 70 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86(PART) 87 88 89 90 91(PART) 92(PART) 93(PART) 94 95(PART) 96(PART) 97(PART) 104(PART) 105(PART) 109(PART) 112(PART) 113(PART) 115(PART) 117(PART) 120(PART) 121(PART) 125(PART) 126(PART) 127(PART) 128(PART) 130(PART) The polling places for the precincts in the City are hereby designated as the polling places at which to hold the said election, and the Commissioners-

16. JO-044-2026 A joint ordinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating and capital budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government by transferring funds from various accounts to the Preliminary Engineering account and appropriating within the Capital Improvements Department to create project account. (CID) 17. JO-045-2026 A joint ordinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government by adjusting the manning tables and increasing the hourly pay rate of one (1) Public Information Specialist position within the Capital Improvements Department. (CID) 18. JO-046-2026 A joint ordinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council authorizing a Memorandum of Understanding between University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government to comply with the requirement for written agreement between agencies sharing responsibility for the obligations outlined in the general permit for discharges from small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems. (CID) 19. JO-047-2026 A joint ordinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council, acting in their capacity as the governing authority of the City of Lafayette and the Parish of Lafayette, respectively, providing for the abandonment of a portion of a ten (10’) foot utility easement and associated niches, located on Lot 17-B of the McComb addition BLA Block 14, Lots 17-A & 17-B Subdivision, at 212 North Chestnut Street, and authorizing the Lafayette MayorPresident to execute an Act of Abandonment in order to effectuate the abandonment on behalf of the City of Lafayette, and Parish of Lafayette, and the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government. (CD&P) APPEAL 20. Appeal of the decision by the Office of Alcohol & Noise Control for TRUTH located at 114 McKinley Street, Lafayette, LA; 70503 a. Alcohol Violation dated May 3, 2026. b. Alcohol Violation dated May 17, 2026. c. Alcohol Violation dated May 17, 2026. ANNOUNCEMENT OF VACANCIES ON BOARDS/COMMISSIONS 21. A vacancy exists on the Keep Lafayette Beautiful Committee for a two-year term as of August 11, 2026. 22. A vacancy will exist on the Keep Lafayette Beautiful Committee for a two-year term effective December 1, 2026. 23. A vacancy will exist on the Lafayette Airport Commission for a fouryear term effective 11-01-2026. 24. A vacancy will exist on the Lafayette Parish Bayou Vermilion District Board as of 10-01-2026, this is a four-year term. 25. A vacancy exists on the Board of Zoning Adjustment for the remainder of a three-year term through January 30, 2029. This is an alternate appointment. Applicants must own property in the Parish of Lafayette and reside within the City of Lafayette. Individuals wishing to submit a resume for the above volunteer vacancies must be a registered voter and a resident of Lafayette Parish. Yearly ethics training for all appointees is required as is financial disclosure under certain circumstances. Resumes are to be forwarded to Joseph Gordon-Wiltz, Clerk of the Council, P.O. Box 4017-C, Lafayette, LA 70502 or emailed to BCLafayette@LafayetteLA. gov no later than noon, Tuesday, October 20, 2026 with appointment(s) to be made at the Tuesday, November 10, 2026 Regular Meeting of the Lafayette City Council. CONSIDER APPOINTMENT(S) BY THE COUNCIL, AS A WHOLE, TO BOARDS/COMMISSIONS 26. Appointment of ____________________ to the Lafayette Parish Bayou Vermilion District Board for the remainder of a four-year term expiring September 30, 2027. Applicants must be black citizens of the Parish of Lafayette. 27. Appointment of ____________________ to the Lafayette Public Trust Financing Authority as of 11-01-2026, this is a five-year term. APPOINTMENT(S) BY COUNCILMEMBER(S), MAYOR-PRESIDENT, AND/OR OTHER DIRECT APPOINTING AUTHORITIES

Appointing Authority 28. MayorPresident

Appointee Name and Address Joel Bacque’ Rue Beauregard Lafayette, LA

Board, Commission and/ or Legal Agency Board of Zoning Adjustment

Effective Term Unexpired 5-year term

Effective Date 10-06-2026 thru 06-302028

INTRODUCTORY ORDINANCES 29. CO-084-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Council amending the FY 25/26 operating and capital budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government by adjusting various capital projects in Fund 6500 American Rescue Plan/21-City and Fund 1010 General Fund-City Fund to expedite spending of the ARPA grant funds. (Finance) 30. CO-085-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Council amending the FY 25/26 operating & capital budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government to provide for adjustments of revenue and appropriation estimates. (Finance)

The estimated cost of this election as deter‐ mined by the Secretary of State based upon the provisions of Chapter 8-A of Title 18 and actual costs of similar elections is $88,000. Notice is further given that a portion of the monies collected from the taxes described in the Propositions shall be remitted to certain state and statewide retirement systems in the manner required by law.

Legal Notices

g g g thority of the Parish of Lafayette, State of Louisiana (the "Parish"), on August 4, 2026, NO‐ TICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a special election will be held within the Parish on SATURDAY, DE‐ CEMBER 12, 2026, and that at the said election there will be submitted to all registered voters in the Parish qualiﬁed and entitled to vote at the said election under the Constitution and Laws of the State of Louisiana and the Constitution of the United States, the fol‐ lowing propositions, towit:

g p 0.21 mills increase (due to reappraisal) over the 2.91 mills tax authorized to be levied through the year 2026 pursuant to an election held on Novem‐ ber 8, 2016?

PROPOSITION NO. 1 OF 5 (BOND)

The said special election will be held in accor‐ dance with the applica‐ ble provisions of Chapter 5, Chapter 6-A and Chap‐ ter 6-B of Title 18 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended, and other con‐ stitutional and statutory authority, and the ofﬁ‐ cers appointed to hold the said election, as pro‐ vided in this Notice of Special Election, or such substitutes therefor as may be selected and designated in accor‐ dance with La. R.S. 18:1287, will make due re‐ turns thereof to said Governing Authority, and NOTICE IS HEREBY FUR‐ THER GIVEN that the Gov‐ will erning Authority meet at its regular meet‐ ing place, the Council Au‐ ditorium, 705 West Uni‐ versity Avenue, Lafayette, Louisiana, on TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2027, at 5:30 P.M., and shall then and there in open and public session proceed to examine and canvass the returns and declare the result of the said special election. All registered voters of the City are entitled to vote at said special election and voting machines will be used.

Shall the Parish of Lafayette, State of Louisiana (the "Parish"), incur debt and issue not exceeding $77,000,000 of general obligation bonds, in one or more series, to run not exceeding 30 years from the date thereof, to bear interest at rates not exceeding 7% per annum, and to be payable from ad valorem taxes to be levied and collected in the manner provided by Article VI, Section 33 of the Louisiana Constitution of 1974, as amended, and other constitutional and statutory authority, for the purposes of con‐ structing, acquiring and improving public infra‐ structure, including pub‐ lic roads, highways and bridges, and related drainage to address commuter congestion in the Parish, title to which shall be in the public, with no estimated in‐ crease in the millage rate to be levied in the ﬁrst year above the 1.85 mills currently being levied to pay the general obliga‐ tion bonds of the Parish?

/s/ Joseph Gordon-Wiltz JOSEPH GORDON-WILTZ, LAFAYETTE CLERK OF THE COUNCIL

Shall the Parish of Lafayette, State of Louisiana (the "Parish"), continue to levy a special tax of 3.12 mills on all property subject to taxa‐ tion in the Parish (an es‐ timated $9,050,000 rea‐ sonably expected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year), for a period of 10 years, beginning with the year 2027 and ending with the year 2036, for the purpose of the maintenance and support of the public li‐ brary of Lafayette Parish and its branches, said millage to represent a ill i (d

202926-oct 2-9-16-23-4t $323.84 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE OF SPECIAL ELECTION Pursuant to the provi‐ sions of a resolution adopted by the Lafayette Parish Council (the "Gov‐ erning Authority"), act‐ ing as the governing au‐ h i f h i h f

PROPOSITION NO. 2 OF 5 (LIBRARY) (MILLAGE CONTINUA‐ TION)

PROPOSITION NO. 3 OF 5 (MINIMUM SECURITY DE‐ TENTION & CORREC‐ TIONAL FACILITY) (MILLAGE CONTINUA‐ TION) Shall the Parish of Lafayette, State of Louisiana (the "Parish"), continue to levy a 2.21 mills tax on all property subject to taxation in the Parish (an estimated $6,410,000 reasonably ex‐ pected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year), for a period of 10 years, beginning with the year 2028 and ending with the year 2037, for the purpose of the main‐ taining, operating and improving the minimum security detention and correctional facility, said millage to represent a 0.15 mills increase (due to reappraisal) over the 2.06 mills tax authorized to be levied through the year 2027 pursuant to an election held on Novem‐ ber 18, 2017? PROPOSITION NO. 4 OF 5 (JUVENILE DETENTION) (MILLAGE CONTINUA‐ TION) Shall the Parish of Lafayette, State of Louisiana (the "Parish"), continue to levy a 1.25 mills tax on all property subject to taxation in the Parish (an estimated $3,620,000 reasonably ex‐ pected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year), for a period of 10 years, beginning with the year 2029 and ending with the year 2038, for the purpose of acquiring, improving, operating and maintaining the juvenile detention and juvenile rehabilitation facilities in the Parish, said millage to represent a 0.08 mills increase (due to reap‐ praisal) over the 1.17 mills tax authorized to be levied through the year 2028 pursuant to an elec‐ tion held on April 28, 2018? PROPOSITION NO. 5 OF 5 (COURTHOUSE & JAIL COMPLEX) (MILLAGE CONTINUA‐ TION) Parish of Shall the Lafayette, State of Louisiana (the "Parish"), continue to levy a 2.51 mills tax on all property bj i i h

31. CO-086-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Council authorizing the Lafayette Mayor-President to enter into a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement between the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government, the Louisiana Department of the Treasury and the State of Louisiana concerning Act 961 of the 2026 Regular Legislative Session of the Louisiana Legislature and amending the FY 25/26 capital budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government by increasing revenues in the amount of $10,000 received from the State of Louisiana Department of the Treasury and appropriating within the Lafayette Police Department to acquire special response gear upgrades that includes helmets, gloves, shields, batons, protective padding riot gear, body armor. (Mayor-President) 32. CO-087-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Council authorizing the Lafayette Mayor-President to enter into a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement between the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government, the Louisiana Department of the Treasury and the State of Louisiana concerning Act 961 of the 2026 Regular Legislative Session of the Louisiana Legislature and amending the FY 25/26 capital budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government by increasing revenues in the amount of $220,000 received from the State of Louisiana Department of the Treasury and appropriating within the Lafayette Police Department in support of the initial development phase of a new canine training facility for the Lafayette Police Department supported by the Lafayette Consolidated Government, the requested funds will cover land acquisition, land surveys, site fencing, and preliminary project costs; the primary outcome will be a fully prepared site ready for facility construction and obstacle course installation. (Mayor-President) 33. CO-088-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Council authorizing the Lafayette Mayor-President to enter into a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement between the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government, the Louisiana Department of the Treasury and the State of Louisiana concerning Act 3 of the 2026 Regular Legislative Session of the Louisiana Legislature and amending the FY 25/26 capital budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government by increasing revenues in the amount of $100,000 received from the State of Louisiana Department of the Treasury and appropriating within the Lafayette Police Department to acquire patrol ballistic shields, increase onsite equipment storage such as hats, duty belts, batons, baton holders, OC spray, OC spray holder, handcuffs, handcuff cases, and rain gear and holsters. (Mayor-President) 34. CO-089-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Council authorizing the Lafayette Mayor-President to enter into a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement between the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government, the Louisiana Department of the Treasury and the State of Louisiana concerning Act 3 of the 2026 Regular Legislative Session of the Louisiana Legislature and amending the FY 25/26 capital budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government by increasing revenues in the amount of $100,000 received from the State of Louisiana Department of the Treasury and appropriating within the Lafayette City Marshal’s Office to acquire a mobile metal detector system for the safety of school and specialized events, a trailer for the purpose of transporting the agency’s 4x4 all-terrain vehicle, and automated external defibrillators (AEDS). (Mayor-President) 35. CO-090-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Council authorizing and accepting the donation to the City of Lafayette from Link & Learn, LLC of certain internet access equipment previously contributed by Link & Learn, LLC to the former cooperative endeavor agreement by and among the Lafayette Parish School Board, Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government, and Link & Learn, LLC. (Fiber) 36. CO-091-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Council authorizing the Lafayette Mayor-President to enter into a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement by and between the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, Public Safety Services, Office of State Fire Marshal, Fire and Emergency Training Academy and the City of Lafayette concerning fire and emergency training. (Fire) 37. CO-092-2026 An ordinance of the Lafayette City Council amending the FY 25/26 operating and capital budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government by increasing revenues in the amount of $177,954.54 in FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program funds received from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, as well as transferring $17,795.46 in capital outlay funds from the Lafayette Fire Department to serve as a local match, and appropriating within the Community Development and Planning Department for Lafayette Fire Department firefighter cancer screenings. (CD&P) JOINT INTRODUCTORY ORDINANCES 38. JO-048-2026 A joint ordinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government to provide for adjustments of revenue and appropriation estimates. (Finance) 39. JO-049-2026 A joint ordinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government by authorizing the transfer of $200,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds within the Community Development and Planning Department to the Housing Loans Program. (CD&P) ADJOURN IN ACCORDANCE WITH LA. R.S. 42:14(E) AS ENACTED BY ACT NO. 393 OF 2023 AND THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, PLEASE CONTACT JOSEPH GORDON-WILTZ, COUNCIL CLERK, AT (337) 291-8810 DESCRIBING THE ASSISTANCE THAT IS NECESSARY, IF SPECIAL ASSISTANCE AND/OR ACCOMMODATIONS ARE NEEDED. 202722-693551-oct 2-1t $ 337.37

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Friday, October 2, 2026 ● 11C

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Legal Notices

p p y subject to taxation in the Parish (an estimated $7,280,000 reasonably ex‐ pected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year), for a period of 10 years, beginning with the year 2028 and ending with the year 2037, for the purpose of the main‐ taining, operating and improving the Lafayette Parish Courthouse Com‐ plex, said millage to rep‐ resent a 0.17 mills in‐ crease (due to reap‐ praisal) over the 2.34 mills tax authorized to be levied through the year 2027 pursuant to an elec‐ tion held on November 18, 2017?

p tion and voting machines will be used.

The said special election shall be held at each and every polling place in the Parish, which polls will open at seven o'clock (7:00) a.m. and close at eight o'clock (8:00) p.m., in accordance with the provisions of La. R.S. 18:541. The polling places for the precincts in the Parish are hereby designated as the polling places at which to hold the said election, and the Com‐ missioners-in-Charge and Commissioners, re‐ spectively, shall be those persons designated ac‐ cording to law. The estimated cost of this election as deter‐ mined by the Secretary of State based upon the provisions of Chapter 8-A of Title 18 and actual costs of similar elections is $111,500. Notice is further given that a portion of the monies collected from the taxes described in the Propositions shall be remitted to certain state and statewide retirement systems in the manner required by law. The said special election will be held in accor‐ dance with the applica‐ ble provisions of Chapter 5, Chapter 6-A and Chap‐ ter 6-B of Title 18 of the Revised Louisiana Statutes of 1950, as amended, and other con‐ stitutional and statutory authority, and the ofﬁ‐ cers appointed to hold the said election, as pro‐ vided in this Notice of Special Election, or such substitutes therefor as may be selected and in accor‐ designated dance with La. R.S. 18:1287, will make due re‐ turns thereof to said Governing Authority, and NOTICE IS HEREBY FUR‐ THER GIVEN that the Gov‐ Authority will erning meet at its regular meet‐ ing place, the Council Au‐ ditorium, 705 West Uni‐ Avenue, versity Lafayette, Louisiana, on TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2027, at 4:30 P.M., and shall then and there in open and public session proceed to examine and canvass the returns and declare the result of the said special election. All registered voters of the Parish are entitled to vote at said special elec‐ i d i hi

/s/ Joseph Gordon-Wiltz JOSEPH GORDON-WILTZ, LAFAYETTE CLERK OF THE COUNCIL 202949-OCT 2-9-16-23-4T $279.24 PUBLIC NOTICE --THE FOLLOWING DEVELOPMENTS ARE PROPOSED FOR REVIEW BY THE LAFAYETTE PARISH PLANNING COMMISSION ON OCTOBER 12, 2026 5:00 P.M. 220 WEST WILLOW STREET BUILDING B* CDP AUDITORIUM APPROVAL OF MEETING ACTION SUMMARY RATIFICATION OF HEAR‐ ING EXAMINER ACTIONS Lodias Roy Partition, Tracts 6C-1-A, 6C-2 & 6C-3 Andre Savoie Subdivi‐ sion, Tracts 2-A-1 & 2-B-1 Lodias Roy Partition, Tracts 6B-1-A, 6B-2, & 6B3 Hebert, Joseph W., Lot 2A Bo Broussard Subdivi‐ sion, Parcels 1 & 2 Michael Cormier & Lynn Naquin, Tract 2-A NEW DEVELOPMENTS 1. 2026-57-PC: Oak & Iron, LLC, Phase II, Tract 4-D Plat Location: 200 Blk of Hapsburg Ln, Lafayette Parish Proposed Use: 1 Residen‐ tial Lot Surveyor: Jared Normand 2. 2026-58-PC: Highpointe Farms Plat Location: 720 Austin Rd, Lafayette Parish Proposed Use: 240 Resi‐ dential Lots Surveyor: Adam Meche 3. 2026-59-PC: Evergreen Estates Plat Location: 500 Blk of Piat Rd, Lafayette Parish Proposed Use: 213 Resi‐ dential Lots Surveyor: Adam Meche OTHER BUSINESS 1. LDC Amendments FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT 291-8000 * ALTERNATE MEETING LOCATION IS 220 W. WIL‐ LOW STREET, BUILDING C – TOWN HALL AUDITO‐ RIUM 202507 Oct. 2 1t $15.47

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

y Auditorium TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2026 5:30 p.m. or immediately following the Lafayette City Council regular meeting (whichever occurs later).

p cles, equipment and miscellaneous other movable property which are no longer needed for public purposes, as per the attached list (public auction and public inter‐ net auction). (Finance)

AGENDA

6. PO-043-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating and capital budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated by transferring ment $3,210.23 from the Parish Council District 5 Capital Appropriation to Caren‐ cro Volunteer Fire De‐ partment within Section 4190 Parishwide Fire Pro‐ tection for the purchase of structural ﬁreﬁghting coat and protective pants with thermal liners and related accessories. (AB Rubin)

g operating and capital budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government by adjusting the manning tables and reallocating funds to‐ wards the Temporary Employees Account and $194,000 transferring from Public Art Capital Projects within the Plan‐ ning Division of Commu‐ nity Development and Planning into the Inter‐ national Trade Division within the ofﬁce of the Chief Administrative Ofﬁ‐ cer. (CAO)

CALL TO ORDER RESOLUTION 1. R-LPPA-171 A resolu‐ tion of the Lafayette Pub‐ Power Authority lic (LPPA) naming and des‐ ignating the ﬁrm of Kolder, Slaven & Com‐ pany, LLC, as indepen‐ dent auditors for the LPPA audit in accordance with Section 2-09 of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment Home Rule Charter. (Kenneth Boudreaux) ADJOURN IN ACCORDANCE WITH LA. R.S. 42:14(E) AS EN‐ ACTED BY ACT NO. 393 OF 2023 AND THE AMERI‐ CANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, PLEASE CONTACT JOSEPH GORDON-WILTZ, COUNCIL CLERK, AT (337) 291-8810 DESCRIBING THE ASSISTANCE THAT IS NECESSARY, IF SPECIAL ASSISTANCE AND/OR AC‐ COMMODATIONS ARE NEEDED 202723 Oct. 2 1t $13.33 PUBLIC NOTICE --See agenda documents at: http://www.lafayettela. gov/obcouncil/default. aspx REGULAR MEETING LAFAYETTE PARISH COUNCIL 705 W. University Avenue, Ted A. Ardoin City-Parish Council Auditorium TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2026 4:30 p.m. AGENDA CALL TO ORDER 1. Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance 2. COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENTS 3. EXECUTIVE/MAYORPRESIDENT’S REPORT A) Budget to Actual Com‐ parison of Major Parish Funds – August 2026 Pre‐ liminary B) Audit Findings Update – September 2026 REPORT AND/OR DISCUSSION ITEM

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

4. LPSS Updates (Donald Richard)

See agenda documents at: http://www.lafayettela. gov/obcouncil/default. aspx SPECIAL MEETING LAFAYETTE PUBLIC POWER AUTHORITY 705 W. University Avenue, Ted A. Ardoin City-Parish Council di i

ORDINANCES FOR FINAL ADOPTION 5. PO-039-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette Parish Council authoriz‐ ing the Lafayette CityParish Consolidated Gov‐ ernment to sell at public auction and public inter‐ net auction surplus vehi‐ l i d

7. PO-044-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating and capital budgets of the Lafayette City-Parish Govern‐ Consolidated ment by authorizing the use of PY Fund Balance of the Juvenile Detention Facility (Fund 2650) in the amount of $187,749 and combining with existing funds and appropriating within the Office of the Chief Administrative Offi‐ cer, Juvenile Detention Division, to fund safety improvements at the Ju‐ venile Detention Home. (CAO) 8. PO-045-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government by adjusting the manning tables and increasing the hourly pay rate of one (1) Cement Mason position within the Traffic, Roads, and DepartmentBridges Streets Division. (TR&B) JOINT ORDINANCES FOR FINAL ADOPTION 9. JO-034-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council authorizing the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government to sell at public internet auction surplus equipment and miscellaneous other movable property which are no longer needed for public purposes, as per the attached list (public internet auction). (Fi‐ nance) 10. JO-042-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 manning tables of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment by increasing the hourly rate of the Risk and Insurance Manager position within the Office of Finance & Manage‐ ment, Risk Management Division. (Finance) 11. JO-043-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 i d i l

12. JO-044-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating and capital budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government by transfer‐ ring funds from various accounts to the Prelimi‐ Engineering ac‐ nary count and appropriating within the Capital Im‐ provements Department to create project ac‐ count. (CID) 13. JO-045-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment by adjusting the manning tables and in‐ creasing the hourly pay rate of one (1) Public In‐ formation Specialist po‐ sition within the Capital Depart‐ Improvements ment. (CID) 14. JO-046-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council authorizing a Memoran‐ dum of Understanding between University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Lafayette City-Parish Govern‐ Consolidated ment to comply with the requirement for written between agreement agencies sharing respon‐ sibility for the obliga‐ tions outlined in the gen‐ eral permit for dis‐ charges from small Mu‐ nicipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems. (CID) 15. JO-047-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council, acting in their capacity as the governing author‐ of the City of ity Lafayette and the Parish Lafayette, respec‐ of tively, providing for the abandonment of a por‐ tion of a ten (10’) foot utility easement and as‐ sociated niches, located on Lot 17-B of the Mc‐ Comb addition BLA Block 14, Lots 17-A & 17-B Sub‐ division, at 212 North Chestnut Street, and au‐ thorizing the Lafayette Mayor-President to exe‐ cute an Act of Abandon‐ ment in order to effectu‐ ate the abandonment on behalf of the City of Lafayette, and Parish of and the Lafayette, City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment. (CD&P) APPEAL

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

16. Appeal of Notice of Judgment of Condemna‐ tion and Order of Demoli‐ tion: 213 Adaline St., Carencro, LA 70520 A.A.B. Case #26-1311 ANNOUNCEMENT OF VACANCIES ON BOARDS/COMMISSIONS 17. A vacancy will exist on the Keep Lafayette Beautiful Committee for a two year term effective December 1, 2026. 18. A vacancy will exist on the Lafayette MayorAwareness President’s Committee on Citizens with Disabilities for a three-year term thru No‐ vember 1, 2029. Appli‐ cants must be disabled or have disabled life ex‐ perience. 19. A vacancy will exist on the Lafayette Water‐ District North works Board as of November 1, 2026, this is a ﬁve-year term. Applicants shall be a resident and property owner within the District boundaries. 20. A vacancy will exist on the Lafayette Parish District Waterworks South Board for a ﬁveyear term thru November 1, 2031. Applicants shall be a resident and prop‐ erty owner within the District boundaries.

Individuals wishing to submit a resume for the above volunteer vacancy must be a registered voter and a resident of Lafayette Parish. Yearly ethics training for all ap‐ pointees is required as is disclosure financial under certain circum‐ stances. Resumes are to be forwarded to Joseph Gordon-Wiltz, Clerk of the Council, P.O. Box 4017 C, Lafayette, LA 70502 or emailed to BCLafayette@ LafayetteLA.gov no later than noon, Tuesday, Oc‐ tober 20, 2026 with ap‐ pointment(s) to be made at the Tuesday, Novem‐ ber 10, 2026 Regular Meeting of the Lafayette Parish Council. CONSIDER APPOINT‐ MENT(S) BY THE COUN‐ CIL, AS A WHOLE, TO BOARDS/COMMISSIONS 21. Appointment of _______________ to the Lafayette Parish Bayou Vermilion District Board as of October 1, 2026 for a four-year term. 22. Appointment of _______________ to the Lafayette Parish Water‐ District South works Board as of October 1, 2026, this is a five-year term. Applicants shall be a resident and property owner within the District boundaries. 23. Appointment of _______________ to the Parish Planning and Zon‐ ing Commission for the remainder of an unex‐ pired five-year term thru January 6, 2030. APPOINTMENT BY COUN‐ CIL MEMBERS, MAYOR-

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

PRESIDENT AND/OR ANY OTHER DIRECT APPOINT‐ ING AUTHORITY 24. Appointing Authority: Parish District 4 John Guilbeau Appointee Name and Ad‐ dress: Patti Carter Board, Commission and/or Legal Agency: Lafayette Recreation Ad‐ visory Commission Effective Term: 4-year term Effective Date: 11-01-2026 INTRODUCTORY ORDINANCES 25. PO-046-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette Parish Council amending Ordinance No. PO-0332026 to authorize the reallocated funding therein to also be used for the purchase of a res‐ cue vehicle rather than for the purchase of a washer and dryer. (Don‐ ald Richard) 26. PO-047-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating and capital budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated by transferring ment $15,950 from the Parish Council District 5 capital to the appropriation Parks, Arts, Recreation & Culture Department for interior miscellaneous designs and improve‐ ments. (AB Rubin) 27. PO-048-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating & capital budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment to provide for ad‐ justments of revenue and appropriation estimates. (Finance) 28. PO-049-2026 An ordi‐ nance of the Lafayette Parish Council authoriz‐ ing the Lafayette MayorPresident to enter into a Endeavor Cooperative Agreement between the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment, the Louisiana De‐ partment of the Treasury the State of and Louisiana concerning Act 3 of the 2026 Regular Leg‐ islative Session of the Legislature Louisiana and amending the FY 25/26 capital budget of the Lafayette City-Parish Govern‐ Consolidated ment by increasing rev‐ enues in the amount of $40,000 received from the State of Louisiana De‐ partment of the Treasury and appropriating within the Community Develop‐ ment and Planning De‐ partment (8166) as an ex‐ ternal appropriation for Lafayette Parish the Sheriff’s Ofﬁce for Milton Community Center crime cameras located within community park the named Picard Park Funds will be used to purchase and install the surveil‐ lance camera equipment throughout the park and connect to the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Ofﬁce Real Time Crime Center. (Mayor-President) JOINT

INTRODUCTORY

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

ORDINANCES 29. JO-048-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment to provide for ad‐ justments of revenue and appropriation estimates. (Finance) 30. JO-049-2026 A joint or‐ dinance of the Lafayette City Council and the Lafayette Parish Council amending the FY 25/26 operating budget of the City-Parish Lafayette Govern‐ Consolidated ment by authorizing the transfer of $200,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds within the Community Development and Plan‐ ning Department to the Housing Loans Program. (CD&P) COMMENT(S) FROM THE PUBLIC 31. Comments from the public on any other mat‐ ter(s) not on an agenda and are within the leg‐ islative power of the Lafayette Parish Council. ADJOURN IN ACCORDANCE WITH LA. R.S. 42:14(E) AS EN‐ ACTED BY ACT NO. 393 OF 2023 AND THE AMERI‐ CANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, PLEASE CONTACT JOSEPH GORDON-WILTZ, COUNCIL CLERK, AT (337) 291-8810 DESCRIBING THE ASSISTANCE THAT IS NECESSARY, IF SPECIAL ASSISTANCE AND/OR AC‐ COMMODATIONS ARE NEEDED. 202720 Oct. 2 1t $117.73

Public Notices Successions

Parish of Lafayette under probate docket number 20250640, pursuant to LA C.C.P. Art 3282. 202566 Oct. 2-31, 30t $416.10 PUBLIC NOTICE --SUCCESSION OF THOMAS PELLERIN 15TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PROBATE DOCKET NO.: 20170594 LAFAYETTE PARISH, LOUISIANA NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR AUTHORITY FOR PRIVATE SALE OF IMMOVABLE PROPERTY NOTICE IS GIVEN THAT, RACHELLE PELLERIN COURVILLE, the Adminis‐ tratrix of the Succession of Thomas Pellerin has petitioned this Court for authority to sell by pri‐ vate sale to Marcus Nov‐ ell Webb the Succes‐ sion’s interest in the fol‐ lowing described immov‐ able property located in Lafayette Parish: One-half (1/2) interest in 2.10 acres, more or less, designated as Lot Num‐ ber One (1), Block 4 of the Palms Subdivision, Parishf, Lafayette Louisiana, having a mu‐ nicipal address of 300 Guidry Road, Lafayette, LA 70506. for a price of $37,500 per acre for the Succession’s interest. The Order granting such authority may be issued after the expiration of seven (7) days from the date of the last publica‐ tion of this Notice. Any Opposition to the Appli‐ cation must be ﬁled prior to the issuance of the Order. 202571 Oct. 2, 3, 2t $64.86

PUBLIC NOTICE --Administrator for the Succession of Mary Fern Cobb Briggs gives notice of his intent to sell via private sale, the follow‐ ing: 1. The immovable estate home and property lo‐ cated at 311 Sunny Lane, Louisiana Lafayette, 70506, Being the same property acquired by Mary C. Briggs by Cash Sale from Jeanie Slay Mellinger dated April 29, 1994, recorded on May 2, 1994, under instrument no. 1994-00016195 of the records of public Lafayette, Louisiana;

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and 2. 2009 Mercedes Benz 350. Any objections to the sale of the above prop‐ erty can be ﬁled within 7 days with the 15th Judi‐ cial District Court –

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12C ● Friday, October 2, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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TODAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

A heavy t-storm this afternoon

Humid with heavy thunderstorms

Showers and a heavier t-storm

Humid with a shower or two

Mostly sunny

Mostly sunny, a stray t-storm

HIGH

LOW

HIGH

91° 74°

LOW

HIGH

84° 73°

LOW

82° 72°

Beaumont 90/76 Port Arthur 90/77

Baton Rouge 91/74

Lake Charles 90/74

New Orleans 88/77 Houma 87/76

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

Hattiesburg 88/72

Alexandria 92/72

Lafayette 91/74

10s

20s

30s

40s

50s

LOW

HIGH

LOW

86° 64°

Lafayette through 5 p.m. Thursday

Jackson 91/72 Many 91/70

HIGH

85° 69°

TEMPERATURE

Longview 86/72

-0s

LOW

Monroe 92/73

Shreveport 89/74

-10s

HIGH

83° 66°

Today, we’re under a marginal risk of excessive rainfall that could lead to some measure of flash flooding. Expect a partly to mostly cloudy, very warm and breezy day with scattered showers and thunderstorms. Depending on the timing of the rainfall, highs this afternoon could be anywhere from the mid-80s to low 90s. With higher humidity, temperatures could feel close to 100. More rain and storms are expected tomorrow along with an increased risk of flash flooding.

60s

70s

80s

90s 100s 110s

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

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

Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today LAST

OCT 3

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

HIGH

12:01p 6:01a 3:33a 3:22a 1:50a 1:00a 2:58a

7:02 a.m. 6:52 p.m. 11:33 p.m. 1:29 p.m. NEW

FIRST

OCT 10

City

Austin Boston Dallas Fairbanks Honolulu Las Vegas Louisville Miami Nashville

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

90°/74° 86°/66° 90°/67° 96° in 1900 39° in 1920

TODAY

80 83 79 35 87 96 75 89 87

70 56 68 20 76 74 57 80 66

FULL

OCT 18

t sh sh pc sh s r t t

OCT 25

78 69 74 41 88 95 70 89 76

SAT. Lo

71 51 69 29 74 74 59 79 67

t s sh pc sh s t t t

FT.

LOW

YESTERDAY

TODAY

READING 39 MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

GOOD

PRECIPITATION

0.21” 0.21” 0.15” 46.37” 48.85”

FT.

HIGH

1.0 --- --2.3 7:07p 0.4 2.5 1:14p 0.1 2.1 5:26p 0.2 1.8 2:00p 0.1 2.3 12:27p 0.1 2.2 3:02p 0.1

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

FT.

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

SOURCE: LOUISIANA DEQ AND AIRNOW.GOV

LOW

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

FT.

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

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

Today Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

City

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

4:50a 11:06a 5:21p 11:37p 5:54a 12:09p 6:25p ---6:53a 12:39a 7:23p 1:08p 7:47a 1:33a 8:14p 2:01p 8:35a 2:22a 9:00p 2:48p 9:18a 3:06a 9:42p 3:30p 9:59a 3:48a 10:21p 4:10p

TODAY Lo

88 90 88 96 71 91 68 91 89

77 76 61 76 49 69 51 71 77

t t sh s r s r s t

83 90 73 98 68 80 72 97 89

SAT. Lo

75 75 59 78 53 64 54 72 77

t t pc s pc t pc s t

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

N O R T H A M ER I CA’S

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

FLOOD STAGE

34 48 48 35 27 22 17

THU. 24-HOUR STAGE CHANGE

11.00 21.40 22.80 8.80 5.70 3.56 4.30

-0.34 +2.19 +1.90 +0.90 +0.50 +0.28 +1.39

23.71

-2.25

-1.70

+0.04

18 29 8

-1.31 9.72 2.78

none -0.01 +0.33

13 15

1.36 0.57

none -0.01

47 34 29 20 12 6

7.84 5.20 4.18 3.96 3.30 2.57

+0.60 +0.56 +0.14 +0.49 +0.20 -0.22

data as of 7 a.m. Thursday

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