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Captured carbon emissions shipped to other states

Oil major expanding business along Gulf Coast BY DAVID J. MITCHELL Staff writer

SpaceX launch in Texas shows La. what’s to come Musk eventually plans 30 liftoffs a day from Vermilion Parish

BY ALEX LUBBEN

Staff writer

STARBASE, Texas — Plumes of vapor burst from the launchpad beneath the rocket, then a flame, pale in the early morning light, visible but silent. The rocket rose steadily. A seagull screeched. People yelled: “Whoa!” and “Go!” Then, as the rocket pierced the clouds, the sound arrived, about 30 seconds after ignition — a fast, pulsing rumble, like the thrum of one car window cracked open on the highway, but much stronger, deep enough to feel in your chest and rattle windows. SpaceX’s Starship — a 40-story, twostage behemoth, the largest and most powerful rocket ever flown — climbed over the Gulf as hundreds watched from the tip of South Padre Island last week. It was the 14th test launch for Starship, and the first time the company would attempt to get the rocket into orbit and deliver working satellites to space. What SpaceX learns from this launch, it will carry with it to Louisiana, where Elon Musk plans to build a $100 billion, 10-launchpad spaceport — several times larger than his Texas site. From Louisiana, he hopes to one day launch rockets at a clip comparable to the pace of de-

STAFF PHOTOS By SOPHIA GERMER

Spectators watch Monday’s SpaceX launch of Starship Flight 14 from the jetties in South Padre Island, Texas. ABOVE: Starship is launched from Starbase. partures from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. And when SpaceX lands in Vermilion Parish, the spaceflight superfans will follow. Some are glad they will soon not have to travel so far. “I want to put down my gun and watch

the launches from the duck blind,” said Kirk Robicheaux, 58, who hunts on his family’s land on White Lake in Vermilion Parish, near Pecan Island, only a few miles from the location of the newly

ä See LAUNCH, page 5A

One of the world’s largest companies has begun employing carbon capture at Louisiana plants — but it is shipping those emissions by pipeline to Texas and Mississippi for now rather than store them here amid local opposition to the technology. The move by ExxonMobil comes as the landscape shifts in Louisiana for carbon capture and storage, once promoted as a promising industry for the state. A movement opposing carbon storage underground has gained steam and includes a broad spectrum of viewpoints, from rural conservatives worried about the effects on their land to environmentalists arguing it is not a responsible way to address climate change. Regardless, petrochemical plants that export their products are under increasing pressure in overseas markets to reduce their carbon footprint, and they are aggressively pursuing carbon capture to stay competitive. Louisiana plants are demonstrating they do not intend to sit on the sidelines. Two months ago, Exxon began siphoning off carbon emissions from Nucor Steel’s iron puriﬁcation plant in St. James Parish, the third such carbon capture project that the oil major has started in Louisiana in the past year and a half, company ofﬁcials said. “Our startup with Nucor is more than a milestone. It is proof that customer demand is growing for scalable solutions that reduce emissions while continuing to deliver the products society depends on,” Dominic Genetti, Exxon senior vice president for carbon capture and storage, said in a statement. “CCS is a critical part of that equation, and ExxonMobil has the infrastructure and experience to help deliver it at scale.” Nearly three years after buying out Denbury and its interstate carbon dioxide pipeline along the western Gulf Coast for close to $5 billion, Exxon has moved steadily into the decarbonization business. It is offering capture and long-term storage services to big industrial clients with heavy emissions. But Exxon’s efforts to build big, underground storage sites in Louisiana have been among the projects facing fierce opposition. That opposition has helped

ä See EXXON, page 6A

Downtown not giving up on pleas to hit pause on bars

The council will act on the request in a letter dated Sept. 11 that Battle could be looming over conditional use permits process quest, was also addressed to City Council she said.

BY ADAM DAIGLE and DEAN BOUDREAUX

Staff writers

The Lafayette City Council could decide this month whether to pause its permitting process for allowing more bars to open downtown. The Downtown Development Authority stepped up its request to

WEATHER HIGH 82 LOW 72 PAGE 6B

Lafayette Parish Mayor-President Monique Boulet for a timeout on granting conditional use permits after a 325-capacity nightclub received approval from Lafayette Consolidated Government’s city zoning commission last month. DDA CEO Kevin Blanchard sent an initial request to the zoning board, which declined. The matter is set to initially go before the City

Council on Tuesday, with a decision possible Oct. 20. Speaking for Boulet on Friday afternoon, Chief Administrative Ofﬁcer Rachel Godeaux said the request arrived after the zoning board recommended approval for Plush Syndicate, which is requesting to open at 201 Jefferson St., Suite B, and use articiﬁcial intelligence bartenders.

“We are going to let that application ﬁnish and then have a discussion openly about this process at the council meeting,” Godeaux said. “Just because we get a request like this doesn’t mean I’m going to suspend everything that’s already in process. I don’t think that’s fair to the applicants.” Blanchard made the plea to zoning board members at that Sept. 21 meeting and submitted the re-

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Chair Kenneth Boudreaux. Not only is the request problematic, he said, but the conditional use permits process has strayed far from its original intent when it was enacted in 2018. He also said downtown is struggling with the number of bars it has now. “Downtown has been closed out of so many decisions in our

ä See PERMIT, page 6A

102ND yEAR, NO. 96

2A ● Sunday, October 4, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Car drives into crowd in Australia, injuring 10

NEWCASTLE, Australia — A vehicle drove into a crowd standing on a road to cheer on the Newcastle Knights rugby team north of Sydney on Saturday, injuring 10 people, including several children, Australian ofﬁcials said. Two of the injured — a 5-yearold girl and a 67-year-old man — were in critical condition, and the other eight were in stable condition at a hospital, according to New South Wales police. Those in stable condition included another 5-year-old girl and a 2-year-old girl. Police said they arrested the 18-year-old man driving the vehicle and were investigating what happened. They said the crash was not believed to be related to terrorism. Thousands had been cheering the team on this week as they trained, Australian Associated Press reported. Another large crowd was on the street Saturday morning to see the team bus off ahead of the rugby league ﬁnals match on Sunday.

Official: 2 scouted U.K. synagogue in bomb plot

LONDON — Two Iranian men conducted surveillance of a Manchester synagogue that was the site of a deadly attack a year ago as part of a plot to bomb it this year, a prosecutor said Saturday. Salam Ahmadyan, 36, and Rahman Salehi, 34, researched attacking the Heaton Park Congregation Synagogue in Manchester in northwest England and the Jewish Museum in nearby Cheetham Hill, the court was told. Ahmadyan and Salehi were arrested last month and charged Friday with engaging in conduct in preparation for terrorist acts. Neither entered a plea during an appearance in Westminster Magistrates’ Court, where Judge Nina Tempia ordered them held until an Oct. 23 appearance at the Central Criminal Court in London. Prosecutor Mark Luckett said the duo were directed by a third person believed to be in Iran who coordinated plans and provided instructions on making a homemade chlorine bomb.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

The remains of medieval ruler Czar Samuel are displayed inside a coffin during a handover ceremony Saturday in Thessaloniki, Greece.

Remains of medieval ruler arrive in Bulgaria

SOFIA, Bulgaria — The remains of medieval ruler Czar Samuel arrived in Bulgaria on Saturday, after decades of negotiations with neighboring Greece. Samuel, or Samuil in Bulgarian, was a warrior emperor who battled the Byzantine Empire to expand his kingdom but was ultimately defeated and died shortly afterward in 1014. He is considered a symbol of Bulgaria’s national identity. The remains, discovered at a Greek border area 60 years ago, were flown to the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, aboard a military aircraft that was escorted by Bulgarian air force fighter jets from the country’s border with Greece. The coffin with the remains arrived at a central square in Sofia, where it was welcomed by thousands of Bulgarians. In a rare show of unity, politicians from all ends of the fragmented political spectrum also paid tribute to the medieval ruler, listening to the national anthem and a 21-gun salute. “Today we Europeans are learning to read history with a desire to belong not only to our homeland, but also to the culture that unites us across the entire European continent,” Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said at the ceremony. A procession accompanied the remains of Czar Samuel to the nearby Church of Saint Sophia, a sixth-century basilica that gave its name to the Bulgarian capital. According to church officials, Samuel was baptized in this church.

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Tennessee’s prisons chief resigning

former U.S. Attorney Ed Stan- update Saturday on her condition at lieved problems with the IV lines Official stepping down that ton would lead a review of what a hospital. They had disclosed Fri- caused the pentobarbital to flow in Pike’s death chamber. day that she was on a ventilator and into her body instead of her bloodafter failed execution happened Stanton previously was named to unconscious in the hours following stream. conduct a review after Lee called the execution attempt and that hosPike was extraordinarily coopof Christa Pike off a different ex- pital staff were trying to clear the erative with the execution team,

BY ED WHITE

Associated Press The head of Tennessee’s prison system is resigning, Gov. Bill Lee announced Saturday, the ﬁrst major staff shake-up since Christa Pike’s stunning failed execution left her unconscious and on a ventilator at a hospital. Frank Strada, commissioner of the Department of Correction, will step down this month, Lee said. Some of the governor’s fellow Republicans and other elected officials had been urging a change in leadership. It was the second time since May that Tennessee has not been able to execute a prisoner who was seemingly moments away from death. The governor also announced

ecution in 2022; he found in that case that Tennessee had not complied with its own lethal injection process. Strada said in a statement that reStrada signing was “in the best interest of Tennesseans” while Stanton’s review is conducted. The state failed to execute Pike despite administering two doses of a lethal drug, pentobarbital. Pike, now 50, was 18 when she and her boyfriend tortured and killed a classmate, Colleen Slemmer, in a jealous rage in 1995. She became one of the youngest women to be sent to death row. There was no immediate response from Pike’s lawyers for an

two doses of pentobarbital. The shocking failure has left both sides of the death penalty debate demanding answers. Lee has ordered an independent review and halted any new executions. Strada said he believes the state “carried out its responsibilities in accordance with the established protocol.” Pike’s legal team welcomed Strada’s departure but said “it does nothing to help Christa now.” “What happened to her Wednesday reﬂects a systemic failure that goes far beyond any one person,” the four-lawyer team said. “We hope the governor’s call for a full, independent review will expose the profound problems within Tennessee’s entire death penalty system.” Pike’s attorneys said they be-

even instructing them to “please try here, please try here” as they tried to insert lines, lawyer Randy Spivey told reporters Thursday. In May, Tennessee stopped the execution of Tony Carruthers after staff placed an IV into his right arm but couldn’t get a secondary IV line. The governor ordered ofﬁcials to wait at least a year before trying to execute him again. Strada took over the Correction Department in January 2023 after serving as deputy director of the Arizona Department of Corrections. In late 2024, he announced that Tennessee was changing its lethal injection protocol and would use only pentobarbital. Four people have been executed in Tennessee since 2025, according to the Correction Department.

Russian attacks kill 6 in Ukraine, damage bridge By The Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine — Russian attacks in Ukraine killed at least six people and damaged Kyiv’s Northern Bridge, suspending trafﬁc and causing tailbacks for a third day in Moscow’s latest effort to disrupt life in the Ukrainian capital. The strike came after two days of Russian assaults forced the full or partial closure of three of Kyiv’s six road bridges over the Dnipro River. Previously, Russia has hit apartment blocks, supermarket warehouses, gas stations and data centers, among other targets. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Saturday it would continue to carry out “mass retaliatory strikes” on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, urging foreign nationals and diplomats to leave the country. It previously issued a similar warning in May. Russia invaded its neighbor more than 41/2 years ago, and there are no concrete signs that a peace settlement might be possible. Fighting along the roughly 780-mile front line snaking through northern, eastern and southern Ukraine has been virtually deadlocked in recent months. Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said the strike on the bridge damaged the road surface and trolley bus cables, forcing traffic to be suspended. He later said two people were wounded in the attack, one of whom was brieﬂy hospitalized. Russia’s Defense Minis-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ANDRII MARIENKO

People clear rubble Friday from a house damaged by a Russian airstrike in Kharkiv, Ukraine. try on Saturday conﬁrmed it was behind the latest attack, claiming the bridge is used to “facilitate troop movements and the logistics of military cargo deliveries” for Ukraine’s armed forces. Videos circulating on social media appeared to show the moment of impact as vehicles crossed the bridge, including footage purportedly recorded by a driver’s dashcam. The aerial war has intensiﬁed, with Kyiv striking Russia’s oil industry and businesses while Moscow has menaced Ukrainian cities with hard-to-intercept ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones. Moldovan President Maia Sandu said Saturday that the war is “danger-

ously reaching” her country, following a spate of airspace incursions. “I condemn Russia’s attack on Ukraine this morning. Its war is dangerously reaching Moldova,” she said in a post on X, adding that ﬁve “Russian air attack weapons, including Banderol missiles and drones, violated our airspace and exploded on our soil.” “Moscow is putting lives at risk across Europe and must be stopped,” she added. Ukraine’s air force said that Moscow overnight launched Banderol cruise missiles — low-cost, jetpowered loitering munitions that Russia uses to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses — at the Odesa

Hospital says 5 people killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza By The Associated Press Israeli strikes overnight in Gaza killed five people, according to Shifa Hospital, where the casualties were taken. Four women were among those killed. A mother and daughter among them were Christians, a minority in Gaza, the hospital said, and the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, expressed condolences. A large fire burned at the site, where the strikes tore a gaping hole in the ground floor of a multistory building. The hospital said that people were still reported missing beneath the debris. Israel’s military didn’t immediately comment, saying it was checking for information. Israeli strikes have killed at least 1,439 Palestinians in Gaza since a ceasefire was reached with the Hamas militant group nearly a year ago, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. Its figures are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. It doesn’t give a breakdown of civilians and militants. Israel says it is targeting Hamas and other militants who pose a threat, and in response to ceasefire violations, including occasional attacks. Meanwhile, Israel’s army said Satur-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JEHAD ALSHRAFI

Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli airstrike on Saturday in Gaza City.

day that it killed the most senior Hamas figure in Gaza and the right hand man to Yahya Sinwar, a chief architect of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel. Ali Ahmed Al-Amoudi was killed in an apartment used by Hamas, said the army. It said he was the deputy chairman for Hamas’ political bureau and that he was involved in decision-making surrounding the group’s attacks that sparked the war. The army said Al-Amoudi took part in an attack in the West Bank in 1993 in which four Israelis were killed and in the killing of an officer the year later in Ramallah. It said that today he is directly involved in rebuilding Hamas’ capabilities to fight.

region, which shares a long land border with Moldova. A loitering munition is designed to hover over an area, searching for targets, and detonate while crashing into them. Russia attacked Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, and nearby areas with drones and guided bombs on Friday and overnight, killing five people and wounding over 40, according to region-

al head Oleh Syniehubov. In nearby Izyum, Russian drone strikes wounded three people, according to the local military administration. It said a drone slammed into an industrial warehouse, while another damaged homes. In Ukraine’s Odesa region, home to multiple Black Sea ports, a sailor was killed and three others wounded after Russian forces struck a civilian cargo ship on Saturday, the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority reported. It said the ship was ﬂying the Liberian ﬂag. In eastern Ukraine, in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region, Ukrainian drones killed two people and wounded two others, according to Kremlin-installed regional head Leonid Pasechkin. Pasechkin said the drones attacked a truck and passenger car driving along a highway, adding all victims were civilians. In Russia, Ukrainian drone strikes killed a civilian and wounded two more in the Belgorod region, in villages just miles from the Ukrainian border, local authorities said Saturday. Associated Press writer Stephen McGrath in Coventry, England, contributed to this report.

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Preston

Tour bus operator

“The future’s happening here in Richland Parish.” Kaycie

Coﬀee shop owner

Lindsay

Food truck owner

$1.6 billion for Louisiana businesses. Catering for 40 people used to be a good week. Now they hit 400. And that’s just the tacos. From coﬀee shops to bus tours, Meta’s Richland Parish investment is already paying oﬀ for businesses across Louisiana.

The future is for everyone. meta.com/BuildingLouisiana

4A ● Sunday, October 4, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Pressure builds on Iran as Trump ups military presence BY PETER MARTIN, PATRICK SYKES, FIONA MACDONALD and SAMY ADGHIRNI Bloomberg News (TNS)

Seven months into war with the U.S., Iran’s leaders are feeling the strain. Inflation in the Islamic Republic is almost 90%, oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz are recovering despite continued Iranian attacks, and President Donald Trump is sending another aircraft carrier and 10,000 sailors and Marines to the region. A U.S. blockade is choking off Iran’s crude exports, while diplomacy remains deadlocked. Even for a regime accustomed to sanctions and economic hardship, that is a punishing combination. The squeeze matters because it could force Iran into a choice: make concessions to try to revive peace talks or escalate a conflict that’s already damaging its economy. Trump’s domestic situation will likely inﬂuence Tehran’s thinking. The U.S. leader also is in a bind, with oil around $100 a barrel and high fuel prices hurting U.S. consumers ahead of November midterm elections. “Everyone has a breaking point, and Iran is no exception,” Bader Al-Saif, assistant professor at Kuwait University, said. He cited Iran’s recent proposal of a sevenday truce and a Bloomberg report that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has suggested restoring access for United Nations nuclear inspectors — in return for sanctions relief — as evidence of the increasing burden. “The irony is that such pressure can yield opposing responses: concessions or a preemptive strike,” he added. Iran’s economic situation is extremely painful but the country is adapting, according to one Tehran official, who asked not to be identiﬁed so they could speak candidly. The Islamic Republic is preparing for a fresh U.S. bomb-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By VAHID SALEMI

Iranian missiles and banners showing portraits of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, right, and the late armed forces commanders, who were killed in Israeli and U.S. strikes, are displayed Monday in a military exhibition commemorating the anniversary of the start of the 1980-88 Iraq-Iran war at Baharestan Square in Tehran. ing campaign, potentially greater than before, but has the ability to respond, the ofﬁcial said. Iran’s biggest source of leverage throughout the war, which began in late February with a U.S. and Israeli bombing campaign on the Islamic Republic, has been its ability to effectively close the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway is a vital conduit for energy and other commodities. The disruption has driven up the price of oil and natural gas and fueled global inflation, imposing a political cost on Trump at home. But Iran’s grip over the waterway — and its ability to constrain Gulf Arab oil exports — is weakening. Saudi crude exports jumped to about 6.1 million barrels a day in September from 3.4 million in August, according to tanker-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. JPMorgan estimates Middle East crude shipments have recovered to 17.5 million barrels a day, or 98% of prewar levels. Still, there is debate about whether Iran still holds the upper hand over the maritime choke point. One se-

nior defense official in the region said Iran retains a large degree of control over the strait. Another senior energy official stressed that Tehran’s grip was loosening, despite frequent hits on vessels. Overnight, a British Navy-sponsored organization said it received a report of a crude-oil tanker being struck by an unknown projectile around four miles off the coast of Oman. All crew members were reported as safe, it said. “Iran’s leverage over the Strait of Hormuz has changed,” said Arman Mahmoudian, a research fellow at the University of South Florida. “The gradual increase in oil shipments suggests the U.S. is finding ways to reassure tanker operators about the safety of transit. At the same time, I think shipping companies are gradually moving beyond the initial panic stage and beginning to accept instability in the Strait of Hormuz as part of the new reality.” Iranian officials see little prospect of a peace deal before the U.S. midterms on

Nov. 3 and believe there’s a high chance of escalation after that, Bloomberg reported earlier this week. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Friday said it’s ready to deliver an “immediate, painful, regret-inducing response” to any aggression by the U.S. or Israel. “Both sides generally want an agreement, but they are moving further apart rather than closer,” Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi, an associate fellow at Chatham House, told Bloomberg Television. With Gulf Arab states’ oil exports rising, she said, “the U.S. feels stronger in the Strait of Hormuz compared to a few weeks ago.” Iran’s fading influence over the strait comes on top of a dire economic situation at home. Soaring inflation is eroding what ordinary Iranians can afford, and the rial has lost about 25% of its value against the dollar in the past two months, making imported goods more expensive. In September, Iran shipped no crude on tankers, according to preliminary Bloomberg estimates. It was the

Brazil’s Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro rally before election

BY MAURICIO SAVARESE and ELÉONORE HUGHES Associated Press

SAO PAULO — Front-runners in Brazil’s presidential race campaigned Saturday in the powerhouse state of Sao Paulo, where a fifth of the nation’s vote is based, seeking to rally supporters and convince the undecided on the eve of Sunday’s election. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, seeking his fourth nonconsecutive term, held his traditional preelection Saturday parade in the metropolis of Sao Paulo. Opposition candidate Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, traveled to the countryside cities of Santa Barbara d’Oeste and Americana. Sao Paulo is Brazil’s heavyweight state, with 46 million residents and an annual gross domestic product of $650 billion. Argentina has around the same. Some 34 million “paulistas,” as those born in the state are known, are eligible to vote. Lula told his supporters near Paulista Avenue, Sao

Paulo’s main artery, that this election represents an existential battle for the nation’s future. “On one side, we have democracy and sovereignty; on the other, barbarism and corruption,” Lula said, echoing key themes of his campaign. Last year, Brazil’s Supreme Court sentenced Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison for attempting a coup after his 2022 electoral defeat to Lula. Observers say he would likely be released from prison if his son wins the election. Lula’s team has also repeatedly cast Flávio Bolsonaro as a threat to Brazil’s sovereignty, pointing to his proximity with U.S. President Donald Trump. Last year, the American leader imposed a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports due to Jair Bolsonaro’s trial, which Trump called a “witch hunt.” Thirty-two-year-old Daniella Fernandes, who works at a public school in Sao Paulo as a secretary, said that, at ﬁrst, she wanted another Workers’ Party politician to

first time that has happened since the start of the war, underscoring the increasing effectiveness of the U.S. blockade on its ports. “For the first time in history, since they started pumping oil, they will have no oil on the water this week,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Friday in an interview with Axios. “They will have no revenues.” Iran is still supplying some Chinese refiners from stockpiles of oil shipped earlier and located in Asia. But those may soon run down, further cutting off the government’s most important source of revenue. Tehran has redirected more trade via land borders and the Caspian Sea, but those routes cannot fully offset the squeeze. State media reported increased truck traffic and delays at crossings with Turkey and Pakistan in September, while the Caspian gives Tehran a sea link to its ally Russia. Washington is broadening its economic pressure. On Thursday, it imposed sanctions on Iran’s largest automakers and several rail companies. Earlier measures on the aviation sector are starting to bite. Iranian flights to the United Arab Emirates were halted in late September as governments and airport operators responded to the threat of secondary sanctions, and flights to Iraq, Turkey and Oman have also been disrupted. The economic burden is especially dangerous for Iran because the war began only weeks after security forces crushed nationwide protests over soaring prices and a collapsing currency, killing thousands of demonstrators. The government is now trying to ease the pressure on its budget without reigniting unrest. In September, officials cut some gasoline subsidies — a measure that sparked deadly protests back in 2019. This week, Tehran’s municipality fixed the prices of 12

essential food items for six months through its network of municipal markets. Trump has shown a renewed appetite for military brinkmanship as the midterms approach. He said this week that heavier strikes on Iran were “possible” after the Nov. 3 vote, while the Pentagon is sending the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier as well as additional forces toward the Middle East. The ship’s arrival could give the U.S. three carrier strike groups in the region, a concentration not seen in the area since the opening phase of the U.S.-led war on Iraq in 2003. It’s unclear, however, whether one of the other carriers will leave once the Roosevelt arrives in the coming weeks. “The U.S. is mirroring Iran’s approach, willing to strike a deal or go back to active combat,” said Kuwait University’s Bader Al-Saif. “But if both sides don’t give in and agree on sequencing and clear concessions, a return to war is inevitable.” Trump has repeatedly threatened attacks he ultimately did not carry out. In July, he vowed to hit bridges and power plants in response to attacks on shipping only to pull back at the last minute. Even so, the approaching midterms and voter disapproval of his handling of the war are giving him an incentive to break the stalemate. Iran may feel it can withstand the pain until Trump buckles. “Questions remain about U.S. willingness to continue this strategy and effort over the long term given the very real strain it’s putting on U.S. naval forces,” said Jonathan Panikoff, a former Deputy National Intelligence Officer for the Near East at the U.S. National Intelligence Council. Iran’s hard-liners “are betting that they can absorb more domestic pain and wait out U.S. engagement in the region,” he said.

Man suspected in plot against U.S.-run base in U.K. released on bail

near the base on Sept. 27 as 25-year-old is armed police officers and army bomb-disposal exdual U.K.-Iranian perts swooped on the rural area. Police later said they national had found a quantity of an

By The Associated Press ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ANDRE PENNER

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for reelection, waves Brazilian and Sao Paulo state flags Saturday during a campaign rally a day ahead of the country’s general election in Sao Paulo. run instead of Lula. But she changed her mind during the campaign. “I wanted some renovation, but Lula is the only one who can appeal to everyone — even those who are not on the left,” said Fernandes, who was wearing several Lula badges on her white shirt. “The Bolsonaros are still strong, Brazil is a conservative country. Only Lula can win this one.” Some 87 miles away from Lula in downtown Sao Paulo, Flávio Bolsonaro was trailed by a long line of supporters kitted out in yellow and green on motorbikes as he made his way on top of a sound truck from Santa Barbara d’Oeste to Americana.

“I’m convinced that we can win in the ﬁrst round,” said Sen. Bolsonaro, who kissed a portrait of his father as the crowd shouted “mito” — a Portuguese word for “legend” that Jair Bolsonaro’s supporters use to refer to him. “So let’s get out of our houses to vote ... because Bolsonaro is going to be president,” Flávio Bolsonaro said. Bolsonaro was accompanied by Sao Paulo state Gov. Tarcísio de Freitas, who was once floated as Bolsonaro senior’s political heir, before Flávio Bolsonaro last December said his father had chosen him to run in the upcoming election.

LONDON — A dual U.K.-Iranian national arrested on suspicion of plotting a terror attack following a security incident at a U.S.-run military air base in England has been released on bail, authorities said Saturday. The 25-year-old man was arrested Thursday in London on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts close to the RAF Fairford air base, which has been used by American bombers to strike Iran. He was the sixth person taken into custody and then released on bail as detectives investigate the incident. British authorities have linked the incident to Tehran. The ﬁve other men were not named, but police said they are all British nationals in their 20s and from London. Scores of residents were evacuated from their homes

accelerant — gasoline — in three vans linked to the ﬁve suspects, but no explosives. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said the U.K. sees “strong indications” that Iran played a part in the incident. He did not provide details about what the suspects were planning or why the U.K. thinks Iran was involved. Iran has denied involvement. It has previously said that it considers any base used to attack its territory a legitimate target. RAF Fairford has been used by American bombers during decades of conﬂicts in the Middle East, including this year’s war with Iran. Top U.S. officials have criticized the decision to grant the five suspects bail, with President Donald Trump saying “I wouldn’t have done that” and Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying a lot of people were “disturbed” by the move.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, October 4, 2026 ● 5A

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LAUNCH

Continued from page 1A announced Starbase Louisiana, SpaceX’s next spaceport. Robicheaux watches every launch online, but this was his ﬁrst in person. “I have my concern about it affecting the ecosystem and the culture,” he said. “But I think it’s worth doing all that just because of what it’ll do for Louisiana. We’re such a poor state right now.”

‘If it blows up, it’s cool’ By the time the countdown starts, a pop-up society has formed around the rocket, with its own subcultures, rituals and monuments. The night before launch, 10 miles from the pad, several men hoisted upright a 50-foot-tall bronze statue of Prometheus, who, in Greek mythology, stole fire from the gods and gave it to the mortals. It was transported here from France by a group of right-wing sculptors whose past work includes $300 plaster busts of Canadian conservative provocateur Jordan Peterson. The titan looms over a misshapen foam-and-fiberglass statue of the SpaceX founder’s head, with an inscription that reads: “Elon Musk aka MemeLord,” inspired by a 2019 drawing that went viral on Reddit. Down the road, past the Border Patrol station, a group of 20-somethings was midway through a marathon livestreaming session, drinking beers on top of a raggedy RV and filming themselves on their phones. Launches draw certain types. Many of the spectators were flight enthusiasts or pilots. There were older folks who recalled the heyday of the space race. Some had come as much for Musk as for the rocket, subscribers to his worldview. Because the launch site is on a public road, spaceflight fans can drive up nearly to the base of the rocket, which is about 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty. In its shadow, a small crowd wearing the tech-worker uniform of plain T-shirts and jeans, some in SpaceX caps, snapped selfies. Previous launch attempts have had mixed results. One rocket exploded as it soared over the Caribbean, dropping rocket parts on beaches and roads in Turks and Caicos and forcing commercial airliners to divert to avoid flaming debris. Another launch attempt blew up part of the launchpad, showering nearby homes with dust and shooting hunks of concrete into the neighboring wildlife refuge. Yet another, a successful test flight, carried the rocket’s first payload into space: a toy banana. SpaceX ran the banana through the federal cargo-approval process as a dry run for the satellites it would launch later. To Musk, each of these attempts was, in its own way, a win. The goal of testing a rocket is to collect data to fine-tune its functioning. Failures are expected. SpaceX engineers have a tongue-in-cheek acronym for that expected outcome: RUD, or rapid unscheduled disassembly. “We’ve got a lot of land with nobody around, and so if it blows up, it’s cool,” Musk said at a news conference in 2018. It’s a line that residents nearby have not forgotten. Musk told Fox News last year that his goal is to “make life multiplanetary,” as an insurance policy for life on Earth. “Eventually, all life on Earth will be destroyed by the sun,” he said. “We do at some point need to be a multiplanet civilization because

Spectators watch from the jetties of South Padre Island, Texas, as Starship launches from Starbase, Texas, on Monday.

STAFF PHOTOS By SOPHIA GERMER

ing to the newly arrived, wealthy workforce. Home values are up. But the area is still visibly poor. Buildings are boarded up and abandoned, and near the plasma center that pays around $100 for a ﬁrst-time donation, residents walk through town wearing blue bandages around their upper arms.

‘Go for orbit’

A shrimp boat travels in Port Isabel Passage as a SpaceX Starship is prepared for a launch near South Padre Island, Texas, on Monday.

Ryan Wycoff makes pancakes out the back of his Tesla Cybertruck as he waits for the launch of the SpaceX Starship Flight 14 on Monday. Earth will be incinerated.” To some in Brownsville, a city of nearly 200,000 people, 20 miles west of the launchpad, Musk’s priorities seems misaligned. “Humanity needs help on Earth first,” said Bekah Hinojosa, a Brownsville resident and the founder of the South Texas Environmental Justice Network. “People in Brownsville need help. So many people I know can’t even make rent.” At the viewing area, the spectators were optimistic about this launch’s chances of success. Around 2 a.m., ﬁve miles from the launchpad, hundreds gathered to wait out the hours until the 75-minute launch window that would begin at 7:15 a.m. Teslas, the electric cars made by another of Musk’s companies, ﬁlled the parking lot. Allen Choi, 34, prepared to see

his first launch. Drawn by the engineering of spaceflight, which he described as marvelous, he took a 14-hour flight from Hong Kong the day before and hadn’t slept at all. Mia Xu, 32, came in from Austin with friends to see the launch, also a first for them. “I would just like to see the future,” she said. Nearby, the livestreamers had parked their RV and were dozing on air mattresses. They had been filming continuously, broadcasting live to the internet since the day before, their cameras trained on themselves even as they slept. Robicheaux, the Pecan Island hunter, has long been a spaceflight fan, said his wife, Erica, 54. “He loves all that techie stuff and automation,” she said. “He brings all that to my house and I’m like, ‘I don’t want that. We’re too stupid

Actually, there is a fountain of youth.

Minutes after liftoff, the stages of the rocket separated. The Super Heavy booster fell back to Earth, igniting its engines over the Gulf’s waters to soften its landing, and splashed down. The upper bulletshaped Ship stage of the rocket, as SpaceX calls it, continued on, propelled by its six engines, until one of them unexpectedly shut down early in its climb through the atmosphere. The Ship was now coasting on a path that would bring it back down to Earth without reaching orbit, unless it fired again. For 20 tense minutes, engineers in SpaceX’s control room at Starbase checked readings. Before launch, they’d stressed caution. They’d only put the Ship in orbit if everything checked out. “The go/no-go poll for orbit has finished,” Dan Huot, SpaceX’s webcast host, told viewers. “We are go for orbit.” The Ship lit an engine and settled into orbit about 170 miles up. It deployed the first 26 operational Starlink V3 satellites — a new version of the internet-supplying satellites that are too large to be transported by SpaceX’s workhorse rocket, the Falcon 9. It was the first working payload that Starship had ever delivered to space. SpaceX cut the flight short, sending the Ship around the planet twice rather than the planned six orbits. It descended toward the Pacific, north of Hawaii, about three hours after liftoff. It landed in the Pacific and exploded. This is what Louisiana can expect, many times over. The company has spent around $7 billion in capital investment in Texas, according to Gilberto Salinas, the president of the Greater Brownsville EDC, an economic development organization. In Louisiana, SpaceX plans to spend $100 billion. Even with all that money coming in, some remain skeptical that locals will see their lives improve. “Louisiana needs help,” said Erica Robicheaux. “But I don’t know if we’ve changed the politician culture enough for us to truly benefit from the money coming in.”

already. People need to think for themselves a little more.’” While Robicheaux is enthusiastic about Starbase Louisiana, Erica’s wary. “Once it’s gone, it’s gone,” she said of the landscape. “Once they build that Starship base, that’s it. We can’t get it back.” Ryan Wycoff, 28, a commercial airline pilot and ﬂight instructor, served pancakes out of the back of his Tesla Cybertruck. This was his 19th launch, and he doesn’t intend to miss any. “If I’m not here, the rocket’s not launching,” he said. He’s created an app, called Visit Starbase, that contains all the info any spectator could need: where to watch the launch, how to get there and when, where to eat in town afterward. He hopes Musk will notice it, and either offer him a job or send him a cease-and-desist. “Either way, he’ll know me,” he said. Though he’s a visitor, he has heard what the people who live here say. “If you talk to the locals, they hate it,” he said. “But it brings in so much money for the local economy.” A recent report from SpaceX estimates that the company has injected $13 billion into the regional economy over two years and employs 4,300 people directly. SpaceX estimates that it has generated $305 million in indirect tax revenue for municipal governments. New restaurants have opened downtown since the company came to town. Sprawling new sub- Email Alex Lubben at alex. divisions have popped up, cater- lubben@theadvocate.com.

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6A ● Sunday, October 4, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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EXXON

An ammonia tank bearing the CF Industries logo sits behind the new CO2 Dehydration and Compression Unit at CF Industries in August 2025.

Continued from page 1A trigger Gov. Jeff Landry’s state moratorium on new injection applications. Exxon has taken customers’ CO2 and shipped it through the former Denbury line to recover oil fields in Texas and Mississippi. CO2 helps push out oil in wells with otherwise played-out or reduced yields. Exxon officials say, however, they are now closing in on a new permit from Texas regulators for a permanent underground storage area near Beaumont, which would mean the company could greatly expand its business along the Gulf Coast, and especially in Louisiana. With the pending permit in Texas, Exxon would have its first permanent storage under new federal rules and only the second allowed in Texas since the state won the power to issue these “Class VI” permits in November. But Genetti said Exxon is working on multiple additional storage permits in Texas and Louisiana, adding that Louisiana has “great geology” for CCS. “Obviously we can’t do these projects without a very robust, but also a very certain and transparent permitting process, and so it’s a big milestone for us to get one done in Texas,” he said. “And I’d like the people of Louisiana to know we’d like to do this in Louisiana, and we have some permits that are progressing through the system in Louisiana.” The state Department of Conservation and Energy, which handles approvals for carbon storage wells, declined to comment on pending permits. Landry, when issuing the moratorium on new applications a year ago, said a pause was needed “to provide a clear road map for citizens and local officials.”

4 million tons per year Texas regulators also faced opposition from nearby landowners in the rural farming community of Cheek, Texas, over concerns about

PERMIT

Continued from page 1A downtown,” he said. “I speak to business owners every day who are worried about their business. There are real-life economic consequences to the decisions that this administration is supporting.”

The current situation Mia Stanford was hopeful when she opened her bar, Le Grenadier, at 522 Jefferson St. in 2024 with hopes of attracting working professionals. But housed between popular young adult night spots like NiteTown, Marley’s and The Office, she saw firsthand how unruly behavior at times overwhelmed security. Fights and underage drinking were common. She saw emergency medical staff pumping stomachs. She even shared a photo of a young woman passed out leaning against the door of her bar with vomit on her clothes. “I never wanted to serve minors — that’s scary to me,” said Stanford, who closed her bar in 2025 due to building’s poor condition. “Their bread and butter is the minor bar. We all know this, and that’s why they’ve got that $20 cover charge. That’s pure proﬁt but to the demise of all of downtown Lafayette.” One bar, she claimed, brings in $8,500 a weekend on cover charges alone.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

groundwater and controlling the large underground CO2 plume, echoing debates in Louisiana. But, following the recommendation from its technical examiners, the state’s Railroad Commission voted 2-1 to grant Exxon three Class VI injection wells. The vote came with criticism from the commission chair, who supported the permit, for what she saw as Exxon’s lack of communication with them and residents. If granted ﬁnal approval in Texas, the so-called Rose project is expected to take 53 million metric tons of carbon dioxide over 13 years. Exxon says it is hopeful for ﬁnal approval by late 2026, though a community group opposed to the plan is preparing to ask for a rehearing, Amid controversy in Louisiana, Exxon has withdrawn or halted some of its proposed storage sites. No remaining ExxonMobil projects that predated the state moratorium are near the top of the list of those seeking a state permit, a state listing shows. The state has already approved three storage permits for other companies prospecting in Louisiana. Nucor and Exxon began CCS

in July, with plans to capture and store up to 800,000 metric tons of CO2 per year. Nucor did not respond to requests for comment. Exxon’s Genetti said he expects further announcements of CCS work starting from more of its seven customers in Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi after the approval of the new storage site in Texas, as well as agreements with new clients. The other two ExxonMobil customers already engaged in carbon capture in Louisiana are CF Industries, which started in July 2025 at its fertilizer plant in Donaldsonville, and the NG3 gas plant in Gillis, which began capture in February. That company processes natural gas from north Louisiana and east Texas for use along the Gulf Coast and for overseas shipment as liqueﬁed natural gas, ExxonMobil says. Collectively, those three Louisiana customers are capturing 4 million tons per year of CO2. While the Trump administration continues to pull back from regulation of greenhouse gases, other nations are moving in the opposite direction as they seek to address climate change. In January,

the European Union fully implemented an import fee on selected products, including fertilizer and hydrogen, that aren’t low carbon. LSU experts have said foreign markets continue to be a growth sector for Louisiana energy products.

According to data obtained by the DDA, downtown bars had 637 incident reports to police between March 2021 and March 2026, with five accounting for 64% of them. The bar with the most incident reports was The Office, 324 Jefferson St., with 203. That was more than the reports from NiteTown and Marley’s combined, which had the second- and third-highest amount, data shows. Last month, Lafayette police and state Alcohol and Tobacco Control cited four Lafayette bars — including NiteTown and Marley’s — for serving underage patrons. Previous reports showed NiteTown was cited last year when a 17-year-old informant paid a doorperson $20 to skip the ID check. On the weekend of Sept. 11-12, the Lafayette Police Department enhanced its patrols during peak nightlife hours and arrested 10 people for urinating in public, cited seven minors for open container violations and three others for underage alcohol violations along with other wrongdoing. Owners of NiteTown and The Office did not respond to requests for comment. “There were times I couldn’t even take my car home,” Stanford said. “The police were chasing somebody on a horse and the street was closed. I got an Uber to go back home, and I got to the bar in the morning and it just smelled like urine and there were open containers everywhere.” The city’s laws allowing busi-

nesses to operate with BYOB permits and patrons to drink outside out of go-cups also need to be addressed, Blanchard said. The BYOB permit allows businesses to operate without obtaining a conditional use permit but requires customers to bring their own liquor, and patrons can be outside with drinks in a cup until midnight, he said. That has allowed people to have what are referred to as tailgate parties, many of which happen inside the Vermilion Street parking garage, DDA board Chair Jaci Russo said. LCG unsuccessfully tried to address the problem by not allowing parking on the garage’s bottom level, she said. “That doesn’t solve the problem — it just moves the trash up to the second floor,” Russo said. “So when we come in on a Monday morning to go to work and pay to park in that garage, it is full of trash and vomit.” Godeaux said she has spoken with some downtown business owners about challenges they have faced, which has led to the increased police presence. Yet she noted the atmosphere downtown is not an emergency level. Lafayette police can handle another late-night venue downtown, police Chief Paul Trouard said Friday. Since July, he said, an extra enforcement detail downtown has produced 56 misdemeanor summonses, 20 traffic citations and 92 parking citations. Bars also pay off-duty officers to

work security, with the number set by each venue’s capacity. “There’s this idea out there that might be a misconception of what downtown nightlife is,” Godeaux said. “Is it packed 100% of the time every single weekend where you’re having violent offenders and all these activities every single weekend? The answer is no. It ebbs and ﬂows.”

‘Don’t want it here’

Matt Rota, a senior policy director with Healthy Gulf, a New Orleans-based nonproﬁt that has been tracking CCS development in Louisiana and Texas, said the region where ExxonMobil’s Rose wells are being proposed between Beaumont and Houston is similar to parts of Louisiana that have seen heavy industrial development. “And there are still the very real concerns about what happens if there is a carbon dioxide pipe leak, whether it’s the Denbury pipe, the Exxon Rose facility or the pipelines that connect them, and we think, similar to all the other CCS projects in Louisiana, that this is being rushed through and that it is in support of building new carbonemitting and polluting industries,” Rota said. Douglas Cormier, president of the Cheek Texas Community Association, said his community is familiar with oil and gas extraction and related industry, with two chemical plants nearby. He said residents understood the enhanced oil recovery model, but worried about the much larger scale being proposed. Residents remained concerned about their drinking water aquifer and long-term monitoring after CO2 injection ends. He said they plan to seek air monitors in case of possible CO2 leaks. Exxon has promised decades of underground monitoring, aboveground seismic modeling of the plume, injection procedures that will keep control of the plume as it grows, and a thick geologic seal over the storage area. Cormier, who retired from a career at a regional water authority, called it a “tough pill” that his Texas community could be getting CO2 one day from plants in Louisiana, where a moratorium is in place, and at least one other state. “We don’t want it here just like they don’t want it in Louisiana right now,” Cormier said.

The “capture” part of CCS typically happens at a plant site, where greenhouse gases produced as part of a chemical or reﬁning process are drawn off and then sent by pipeline in a near-liquid state to an injection well. That’s where the CO2 is supposed to be “sequestered” permanently underground. The federal government incentivizes this process with lucrative tax credits. Critics of CCS have questioned the safety of the pipelines and wells, as well as the certainty with which geologists and other experts assert underground sites can permanently hold the buoyant gas forever. Experts at LSU, in the oil and gas industry and others say those concerns are overstated and the technique is similar to the David J. Mitchell can be enhanced oil recovery process that reached at dmitchell@ has been used for ﬁve decades. theadvocate.com.

LCG vs. DDA

ing DDA’s appeal of a Board of Zoning Adjustment decision for a project at 444 Jefferson St. LCG accused DDA of grossly overstepping its role and referred to it as “merely an advisory board and recommending body” whose role is to collect taxes and help prevent blight downtown. “We are really at our wit’s end downtown,” Blanchard said. “We have heard for two years how we need to shut up, that we don’t have a say, that we don’t have authority and that we don’t speak for anyone. I guess we’re testing that theory out right now because I’m pretty sure I know who I’m speaking for.” Asked if DDA was shut out of the conditional use permit debate in the Sept. 21 zoning board meeting, Godeaux said it is part of the process and can comment on the property. Yet despite Blanchard’s request to halt the process for more discussion over the stipulations, Godeaux said the board had no legitimate reason to deny it partly because the applicants had no previous history as a bar owner. “The situation that I don’t ever want to be put in as a governmental entity is that we’re picking and choosing bars who we like and who we don’t to come downtown — based on color, based on gender, based on any other factors,” she said.

The matter is the latest in what some say is a souring relationship between Boulet’s administration and the DDA. During that zoning board meeting, Blanchard said commissioners spoke with a planning department staffer about possible changes to the conditional use permit process. That is when he claimed city-parish attorney Paul Escott interrupted to say DDA had no authority in the matter and that any discussion about the permit would jeopardize the process. Last month, Boulet announced a list of 33 stakeholders and six partners for the redevelopment of Johnston Street — which is inside the DDA’s boundary — but did not include a DDA representative. Boulet told The Current she “wanted new voices” but still wanted DDA’s participation. In April, Boulet vetoed a council vote that would have partially funded a $1 million downtown redevelopment plan. The most scathing rebuke came Email Adam Daigle at adaigle@ in January in a legal ﬁling involv- theadvocate.com.

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Trump urges calls to senator over daylight saving time a long-standing fixation President pushes ofshared by both men — with Trump making for bill to make it daylightsupporting saving time perand Cotton vociferpermanent; Ark. manent, ously opposed — at a time lawmaker against just weeks before the midterms, when Republicans measure would prefer that the presi-

BY MELISSA GOLDIN and SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press

President Donald Trump on Saturday pressured Sen. Tom Cotton, of Arkansas, to support a bill to make daylight saving time permanent, urging Americans to call what appeared to be the personal cellphone number of Cotton, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. The Sunshine Protection Act passed the House in July, but it faces road- Cotton blocks in the Senate where some Republicans are strongly opposed. Proponents, including the White House, argue that the change would provide more daylight during the Trump times that Americans are most active. Detractors said permanent daylight saving time would lead to darker and potentially more hazardous winter mornings when children will be waiting for school buses and parents will be driving to work in darkness. It was a remarkable escalation on Trump’s part

dent focus on talking about affordability issues and the party’s achievements. Cotton is also up for reelection this November, although that race is not expected to be competitive. Daylight saving time is that period between spring and fall when clocks in most parts of the United States are set one hour ahead of standard time. Not all states observe it — and under the bill, states can opt out of the change if their respective legislatures act to do so before the bill’s enactment. “For some reason, Tom is stopping the Bill and, in the Senate, it’s very easy to do, it only takes one!” Trump wrote on social media, noting that passing the bill would give professional golfers more time on the greens. “So, everyone in Arkansas, a State I love, and won 3 times, the last by 34 points, tell Tom to, GET IT DONE! It will be appreciated by all,” Trump said. Trump included a phone number with an Arkansas area code. The Associated Press called the number,

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By CHARLES KRUPA

President Donald Trump on Saturday pressured Sen. Tom Cotton, of Arkansas, to support a bill to make daylight saving time permanent, urging Americans to call what appeared to be the lawmaker’s personal cellphone number. but no one answered and the voicemail box was full. Cotton, a member of Republican leadership, reiterated his opposition to permanent daylight saving time in a social media post of his own Saturday afternoon. He is not the only GOP senator who opposes the policy, though he has been among the most vocal opponents. “No one likes changing the clock, me included, but Congress has enacted permanent Daylight Savings Time multiple times before and repealed it each time once Americans experienced absurdly late sunrises in the winter,” Cotton wrote. “Arkansans don’t want their kids going to school in the pitch dark, and I’ll always

put Arkansas first.” Trump, who is spending the day at his northern Virginia golf club before traveling to Ohio later Saturday, promptly fired back. “If Tom Cotton were putting Arkansas first, he would give them an extra hour of daylight and, more importantly, they wouldn’t have to run all over their houses, farms, work places, and everywhere else, twice a year, having to change their Clocks, and often forgetting to do so,” Trump said, adding that “that is really putting Arkansas FIRST.” As his motorcade was rolling back to the White House, Trump added that “a table full of very distinguished people just told me that they

HATE, immediately after a mandatory time change, going home at night — and it’s DARK.” “It’s depressing!” Trump continued. “One of the gentleman stated that, ‘I just hate going home in darkness.’ It’s also, in Crime Ridden Blue States, a lot more dangerous to be walking home in the dark!” A 2025 poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that if forced to choose, most Americans would prefer to keep that extra hour of daylight in the evening. Only 12% of U.S. adults favor the current system of daylight saving time, which requires people in most states to change their

clocks twice a year, while 47% oppose it and 40% are neutral. Members of Congress have long been interested in the potential benefits and costs of daylight saving time since it was first adopted as a wartime measure in 1942. The Senate passed a bill four years ago to make daylight saving time permanent, but it stalled in the House. This is not the first time Trump has released personal information about a senator. While competing for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, described Trump as “unfit for office” after Trump denigrated the military service of Sen. John McCain, of Arizona. Trump then released Graham’s personal cellphone number. That prompted a viral video in which the senator dramatically destroyed a series of flip phones. Graham later became a close ally of Trump. In contrast, although they share many of the same policy positions, Trump and Cotton are not known to be close. Cotton, one of the Republican Party’s most prominent national security voices, has advocated for a more hawkish approach on Iran, particularly as Trump entertains pauses in military strikes amid the seven-month war. In Trump’s first term, Cotton was a critic of the president’s attempts at overhauling the nation’s sentencing laws, calling the proposal a “jailbreak.”

Mormon leader blasts sports gambling, prediction markets

President announces $90 payments for seniors on Medicare

BY MATTHEW BROWN and HANNAH SCHOENBAUM

BY MELISSA GOLDIN

President Donald Trump. The Republican’s adminisThe Associated Press tration has argued the platforms such as Kalshi and SALT LAKE CITY — A leader of Polymarket don’t constitute the Church of Jesus Christ gambling and therefore of Latter-day Saints warned shouldn’t be subjected to Saturday that an explosion state gambling bans such as in gambling driven by on- the one enacted this year in line prediction markets and Utah, where the church is sports betting is fostering based. Prediction margreed, particularly among youths, while kets allow wagers producing “nothing on anything from of value.” whether it will rain D. Todd Christofin Los Angeles or if the United States ferson, one of the will go to war. top three leaders of “Or even, if you what is known widecan imagine, the ly as the Mormon Christofferson timing of the Secchurch, said rampant betting among teenag- ond Coming,” Christofferers and young adults is rob- son said Saturday. “Where bing time from their studies do you go to collect on that and relationships as smart- bet?” Opposition to gambling is phones make gambling poscommon among religious sible anywhere. “For us as Latter-day organizations. The MethSaints, overarching all oth- odist Church refers to it as er concerns is the fact that “a menace to society.” The gambling is morally wrong. Southern Baptist ConvenGambling is built on the de- tion, the largest Protestant sire to obtain something for denomination in America, nothing,” Christofferson has condemned gambling said at the faith’s twice-an- several times and in 2025 declared sports gambling nual general conference. The declaration that pre- inconsistent with biblical diction markets are gam- principle. Gambling is forbidden bling puts the conservative church at odds with in Islam and considered a

Associated Press

THE DESERET NEWS PHOTO By TESS CROWLEy

Conferencegoers vote Saturday during the morning session of the 196th Semiannual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City. vice among Hindus. In the Catholic Church, gambling is not in itself a sin, but is considered potentially problematic. For more than a century, Utah kept gambling almost entirely out of the state. There are no casinos, no lotteries and no racetracks that allow bets. The prohibition is rooted in the ideals of Mormons who view gambling as a path to selﬁshness and addiction. “The rise of predictive markets, and the legalization of sports gambling, this is just really taking off all across the country,” said Matthew Bowman, a professor of religion and history at Claremont Graduate University in California. “And a lot of institutions — religious, state and otherwise — are grappling with this problem.”

Saturday’s speech comes as the church has been wading into political issues under President Dallin Oaks, a former Utah Supreme Court justice who became the faith’s top leader last October. Church leaders this year have opposed state ballot measures that would establish rights to abortion in Idaho and Nevada. Yet the institution’s approach to political issues — using public statements and behind-the-scenes lobbying to convey its message — has become more calculated in recent years, Bowman said. The shift followed public blowback to the church’s stance against California’s Proposition 8, a 2008 ballot measure that sought to ban gay marriage. In that case, Bowman said church leaders encouraged its members to get directly involved.

Clerk, son charged in probe of Miss. students’ deaths Both accused of selling illegal kratom products

BY SUDHIN THANAWALA Associated Press

Federal authorities investigating the deaths of two University of Mississippi students have charged a store clerk and his son with selling an illegal kratom product, prosecutors announced Friday. A drug task force in Mississippi had previously urged people to avoid kratom, an herbal substance that acts as a stimulant at low doses and a sedative at high doses, after authorities found packages of kratom derivatives while investigating the deaths on Sept. 21. It is still not clear whether those substances contributed

to either death, but federal prosecutors said both appear consistent with drug overdoses. Two state agencies were working to expedite toxicology reports for the students, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said in a statement last week. Lafayette County Metro Narcotics said Thursday the investigation remained active and additional charges were possible. Bank records show one of the students, Aidan Hamilton, made multiple purchases in September from a vape, tobacco and beer store in Oxford, Mississippi, where the university is located, according to a federal court ﬁling. On Sept. 24, an informant sent to the store by investigators purchased kratombased pills from the clerk, Yahya Mohamed Mosleh, 51, who warned the informant to “be careful taking the pills because people

were dying from them,” U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Michael Dassance said in an afﬁdavit. Authorities later detained Mosleh and his son, Islam Yahya Mosleh, 18, who was working behind the counter, and charged them each with one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Scott Davis, an attorney for the elder Mosleh, and A.E. Harlow, Jr., an attorney for Islam Mosleh, said in emails that they had no comment. The defendants appeared Thursday before a magistrate judge, who ruled there was sufficient evidence to charge them. Kratom, which comes from a tree native to Southeast Asia, is legal at the federal level. But some state and local governments have banned it, and federal au-

thorities have issued warnings about its risks. Proponents say that in its pure, ground-leaf form, kratom is a safe, natural herbal supplement that can help manage pain, anxiety and depression and ease the effects of opioid withdrawal. They say the danger is from kratom derivatives, which are often synthetic and can be highly potent. In August, the DEA banned three kratom-related compounds. In his Sept. 25 afﬁdavit, the DEA agent said one of the banned compounds was listed as an ingredient in products seized from the Oxford store and Hamilton’s room. Hamilton, a freshman from Englewood, Colorado, and the other student who died, Robert Strang, a junior from Atlanta, were found in different locations, one on campus and the other off campus.

President Donald Trump is promising more payments to voters just ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections — this time, to more than 20 million seniors, giving them $90 each to help pay for Medicare premiums. The announcement, made late Friday night by Trump on social media, comes after the president last month said about 1 million people would get rebate checks of $500 for Affordable Care Act premiums. He has also promised on the campaign trail to send every American adult $5,000 if Republicans retain control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections. That pledge — which would require approval from Congress — would likely cost more than $1 trillion, adding to the deficit and worsening inflation. Polls show Americans increasingly blame Trump for the high cost of gasoline and groceries with just 17% approving of his handling of inflation. Trump has sought to shrug off concerns about

affordability, saying the economy is booming. The White House said the $90 payments for seniors will come from the Medicare Improvement Fund, established by Congress in 2008 as ﬂexible funding to improve program operations and payments to health care providers. Medicare Part B enrollees can expect to receive a onetime payment in October, either through direct deposit or by check, the White House said. Total monthly costs for the program — which covers costs like doctor’s visits, ambulance services and lab tests — start around $200 and vary with income. To be eligible, seniors must be living in the U.S. and not be already receiving premium assistance from Medicaid or paying adjusted monthly premiums based on income, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage, a private plan alternative to traditional Medicare coverage, are not eligible for the payment.

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EDUCATION Florida Head Start center teaches in two languages But Trump overhaul would require only one be used: English

would amend that approach. If finalized, the proposal would require Head Start programs to conduct all education in English, though programs could seek waivers and certain Tribal-language instruction would be exempt. BY GISELA SALOMON “A ﬁrm foundation in the Associated Press English language” is critical IMMOKALEE, Fla. — It’s almost to preparing kids for school, noon, and after playing on said the Department of the playground, working Health and Human Services, with clay and washing their which oversees Head Start. hands, the 2-year-olds are Multilingual teaching ready for lunch. The eight children and Toys line shelves in the their Head Start teachers Immokalee classrooms, lapray in English, thanking beled in English and SpanGod for the meal. Then, the ish — helicopters, airplanes, adults bring over several tower builders. Bilingual bowls. signs show shapes in differ“Hoy tenemos arroz.” In ent colors and list children’s Spanish, the teacher an- birthdays. Every day, teachnounces the children are ers sing and read in both lanhaving rice. A little boy guages. grabs a ladle and scoops rice One afternoon, it suddenonto his plate. ly grows dark outside and Both English and Span- thunder rolls. Noticing the ish are core to daily life in preschoolers look worried, a this Head Start preschool teacher explains in English, in Immokalee, Florida — an “When you see it, it’s lightagricultural area about 120 ning. When you hear it, it’s miles northwest of Miami. thunder. What was it?” The center serves more than “Thunder,” a boy responds. 50 children from mostly Another answers in Spanish, Guatemalan families, ages noting the danger: “Es muy six months to 5 years. Most peligroso.” students arrive speaking “Si te cae un rayo muy little or no English. fuerte, te puedes lastimar,” Children who speak a lan- the teacher responds. (If a guage other than English at very strong bolt of lightning home account for at least a hits you, you could get hurt.) third of the enrollment in Then she adds in English: Head Start, a federally fund- “So we don’t go outside.” This is part of Head Start’s ed early childhood program serving roughly 700,000 low- Planned Language Approach income children and their in action. Educators help parents. For decades, Head children learn English while Start has supported these also using the language they kids by hiring multilingual speak at home — not simply teachers to teach them Eng- as an accommodation, but as lish, while using their home a teaching strategy. Research shows skills and languages as a foundation. But an overhaul of Head knowledge developed in a Start’s standards pro- child’s home language can posed by President Donald provide a foundation for Trump’s administration learning English. If a child

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Children look through a book of first words on Sept. 10 at a Head Start preschool in Immokalee, Fla. already knows the word for “yellow” in Spanish, she doesn’t have to completely rediscover the concept behind the color when learning the word in English. Asked for research supporting the proposed English-only requirement, the Department of Health and Human Services pointed to Trump’s executive order designating English as the country’s ofﬁcial language. “The changes set forth in the proposed Head Start rule help achieve these goals by exposing children to English earlier, during a critical time in children’s development,” a department spokesperson said. But education studies don’t back up the administration’s claim, said Michael López, a child psychologist who has led Head Start studies for the federal government.

“There’s really not any credible research basis that suggests that English-only instruction will produce stronger English academic outcomes,” López said. “It’s a mistake. It’s really going back 30 years.” Dual-language instruction produces better academic outcomes, he said, including in subjects like mathematics. In the 1970s, Head Start began requiring centers with signiﬁcant numbers of non-native English speakers to hire at least one staff member ﬂuent in their home language — a regulation still in place today. The Trump administration wants to drop that requirement, saying it could help centers more easily staff classrooms. The language changes are part of a broader effort by

the Trump administration to eliminate or rewrite many federal Head Start requirements for classroom conditions, curriculum and safety. Instead, state and local regulations — which are often more lenient — would apply. The proposed changes do not require a vote in Congress, but the administration is required to seek and consider feedback from the public. Thus far, most comments related to the Englishonly proposal oppose that approach.

Involving parents At Immokalee, teachers give daily notes to parents when they pick up their children, writing in both English and Spanish. Beyond these simple reports are monthly parent meetings, plus four in-person parent-teacher confer-

ences every year — two at the children’s homes and two at school. (Those conferences would become optional under the Trump administration proposal.) In all of these interactions, parents and staff currently speak in Spanish with each other. The executive director overseeing the Immokalee center said she is unsure what the English-only proposal would mean in practice. “I don’t know how you’re going to keep people from … speaking Spanish, because it is the home language,” said Isabel Garcia, who, as executive director of the Redlands Christian Migrant Association, supervises 26 Head Start and Early Head Start locations. “It is important that (family members) feel comfortable understanding what is happening with their child.” HHS told the AP the English-language requirement would apply only to instruction. Head Start teachers could continue using kids’ home languages to explain safety rules or providing comfort, for example — and when communicating and engaging with families, the department said. In fact, the law requires Head Start centers to communicate with parents in a language they understand, “to the extent practicable,” which wouldn’t change. The department acknowledged eliminating requirements for bilingual staffers “may negatively affect communication with non-English speaking families and weaken family engagement.” It suggested using online translation tools. AP education writers Alia Wong and Moriah Balingit contributed reporting.

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LOUISIANA POLITICS Some Republicans starting to question Trump Comments come as midterms approach

action to another taxpayerfunded PSA that blasts Democrats and promotes the Iranian conflict. Trump said Thursday, “I’m not running for office, I’m promoting the country.” WASHINGTON — The most “I’m offended,” said striking thing about the U.S. Senate leaving town early to Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton campaign was all the grous- Rouge, about the PSAs. “Taxpayer dollars should ing Republicans did about not be used for political President Donald Trump purposes.” before going. Cassidy has been more “Now, the White House vocal about where he sees sees it differently, but I Trump and the Rethink there ought to be a rule that publicans failing you can’t — well, since May when he there probably is lost reelection in a a rule — you can’t closed party primary spend public money to Rep. Julia Letlow, to promote yourthe northeast LouisiMark self,” U.S. Sen. John lawmaker Trump Ballard ana Kennedy, R-Madibacked instead of him. Nobody can claim sonville, said Sept. that Kennedy isn’t an 27 on CBS News’ “Face the ardent Trump supporter. Nation.” But he also has been sayHe was talking about a taxpayer-funded “public ing that even his polling in service announcement” that Louisiana shows “people all aired repeatedly during across the political speccollege football games last trum are very unsettled” Saturday. Though the adand that could’ve played ministration called it a PSA, into his chiding Trump on the spot looked an awful like the PSAs last weekend. By Tuesday night, howa Trump commercial for the congressional midterms, in ever, Kennedy took the Senwhich it is more and more ate floor to defend Trump’s looking like Democrats will unpopular military action in win. Iran even as his colleagues “There’s nothing in there angled to pressure the adthat strikes me as out of the ministration, once again, to ordinary or that would mer- come to Congress for a decit any sort of FCC review,” laration of hostilities. Federal Communications It’s rare for any elected Commission Chair Brendan Republican to even mildCarr said Wednesday in rely disapprove of what

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, agreed in an interview with KTAL-TV in Shreveport. He said pretty much the same thing in July during interviews and news conferences. “It’s been a priority and an objective of every administration, for 50 years nearly, to ensure that Iran didn’t have a nuclear capability. Now that’s done. Operation Epic Fury was an epic success. … The world is safer because of it,” Johnson said Tuesday. “But now we’ve got to bring that to a resolution.” Voter confusion is the takeaway from a long series of town halls and voter focus groups in which former ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARK SCHIEFELBEIN Louisiana lieutenant governor and former New OrPresident Donald Trump speaks to reporters Friday on the South Lawn of the White House in leans Mayor Mitch Landrieu Washington before boarding Marine One. has participated during the past year. He has been saycontrol the legislative agenanalysts of congressional ing in op-eds, blogs and to Trump does. campaigns, wrote Thursday influencers that voters are da for the next two years. Plunging poll numbers evening. “Vulnerable GOP still frustrated by their lack Massive leads Trump racked up in 2024 are evapo- candidates could try to dis- of financial progress, not to Just a few weeks ago, a miffed Trump was far more rating in the historically tance themselves from pol- mention all the vitriol that seems to accompany politics dangerous to the careers of Republican Midwest. Even icy decisions by President these days. Republicans elected in red crimson red states like Tex- Donald Trump that have “You can just see people states than any Democratic as, Florida, Ohio and Missis- contributed to the higher struggling to find a better opposition. That dynamic cost of living, like the Iran sippi are seeing previously way. A new thing is being changed in the past week or War or sweeping tariffs. unthinkable movement formed,” Landrieu said in so as a series of polls comBut they also fear alienattoward the Democrats. Long Play Series on You“As gas prices climb missioned for partisans on ing the three-quarters of both sides — along with non- and consumer confidence Republican voters who still Tube that he co-hosted about partisan campaign handicap- plummets, Republican can- give the president a thumbs the changing politics in the up on the economy.” South, adding: “I don’t know pers, and just about every didates for Congress are Still, as the Nov. 3 elecwhat it’s going to be.” commentator with a laptop struggling to prove to vot— declared the strong posers that they feel their eco- tions gets closer, more Email Mark Ballard at sibility that Democrats may nomic pain,” Amy Walter in and more Republicans are calling for Trump to end very well take majorities in the Cook Political Report, mballard@theadvocate. the war with Iran. House both chambers and thereby one of the most respected com.

Ex-congressman discusses ‘politically directed’ prosecution BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

Q&A WITH BOB LIVINGSTON

Bob Livingston, 83, grew up in New Orleans, served in the Navy, graduated from Tulane Law School, became a local prosecutor and won a special election to the United States House in 1977. Over time, he rose in the ranks to chair the Appropriations Committee and was nominated to be speaker, but resigned in February 1999 when he admitted to a marital inﬁdelity. He formed a lobbying company in Washington and moved back to New Orleans in 2022. Livingston wrote “The Rainbow Chaser: The Man Who Gambled for Success and Broke Even,” published this year by Humanix Books. This interview was edited for length and clarity. Talk us through the process of writing “The Rainbow Chaser.” What made you want to write the book in the first place? In February 2023, I got a knock on the door. The FBI wanted to talk to me about a case I had in 2018. We talked for about two hours. They knew a great deal about the person I represented, the then-candidate for the president of Ukraine. I gave

them all the background, answered all the questions. I didn’t think anything about it. The guy agent in a man bun handed me a subpoena for all my records — phone records, documents, computer records — anything we possibly had relating to the representation of (Julia) Tymoshenko. This was an investigation in whether I violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act. I knew damn well I hadn’t. My whole world was turned upside down by these politically directed, ill-motivated prosecutors and FBI agents in the Justice Department under the Biden administration. Why? I am absolutely convinced it was because I was a Republican who had supported President Trump. I was one of many thousands of people they went after, if not hundreds. I fought it. It cost me a fortune. But I didn’t get charged. I saved my reputation. I saved my company. I saved my employees. And I beat them. And not everybody does. The more I thought about it, the more

angry I got, and I started writing this book. It was therapeutic. A lot of people believe that Trump has engaged in lawfare.You don’t agree? I can’t answer yes or no. If he does, then he’s as wrong as the Biden administration was. But nobody was a victim of lawfare more than he was. That whole Russian collusion was bull****. The two impeachment charges were bull****. I think Biden wanted to destroy him so he couldn’t run again. You chose to write honestly about your father’s flaws.Why? Going back in the history of the country, I had a stellar family. It was very successful and inﬂuential at the beginning of this country. But as I write, over the generations, my family went into decline. It culminated with my father making a mess of his life, and he died at 51 of alcoholism. The combination inspired me, probably, to do something better. Compromise has become a dirty word for a lot of elected officials today.Yet you praise compromise.Why? That’s what the Constitution envisions. It’s necessary to run a free republic.

formative president in my lifetime since FDR. Has he misjudged things and been erratic on occasion? Yes. He said we’d be out of Iran in six weeks. It’s been six months, and we’re not out of Iran. I think he misjudged that. Do I question his fundamental cause of not letting the Iranians have nuclear weapons? I totally agree with that. House Speaker Mike Johnson has been criticized for being too submissive to Trump and hasn’t acted enough as an independent leader of a coequal branch of government. What do you think? If he had a margin of 10-15 people, then he’d have the opportunity to be more independent. But with a margin of one, two or three people, he has no latitude. What he’s accomplished in passing some things is incredible considering that he has no margin. You rose through the ranks to chair the powerful House Appropriations Committee and almost became Speaker of the House.What was the key to your rise in Washington? Some people are show horses. Some people are work horses. I’m not a show horse.

were “corrupt to the core.” Why? It wasn’t just my case. I believe my case was example number one. What they did to Trump was paramount. What they did to the J6ers was incredible. I’ve talked to too many people who were just passing by, who were there. A lot of people believed that the elections had been slammed. So they go to Washington and they protest, which is Americans’ fundamental right. In many instances, I’ve seen the ﬁlms, the cops invited them into the Capitol. If STAFF FILE PHOTO they were in the Capitol for By SCOTT THRELKELD three or four minutes, they Former U.S. Rep. Bob got prosecuted. Livingston I’ve seen video of protesters acting very violently. Yes, yes. Maybe a handful. I am upset with the fact that It looked to me like it was more today is very much unlike it was when I was there. When than a handful. I do not defend in the book I was there, I had Democrat those people who were viofriends. Today you don’t see that. It bothers me. The lent. If they were violent, I country is factionalizing. don’t care if they were prosOpen debate and comproecuted. But proportionately, the vast majority of people mise are mandatory for the were just walking by. continuity of this nation. I Any regrets about voting for Dondon’t like anybody who says, “My way or the highway.” ald Trump? As far as I’m concerned, No. I’d vote for him tothey can take the highway day. I acknowledge all of and get the hell out of Conthe complaints about his personality. But I look at gress. You believe that Joe Biden and his his performance. I think he has been the most perattorney general, Merrick Garland,

Email Tyler Bridges at tbridges@theadvocate.com.

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10A ● Sunday, October 4, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Poll shows voters favor Democrats on key issues But survey finds they lack faith in either party to solve problems BY THOMAS BEAUMONT and LINLEY SANDERS Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Aaron Siever was never a single-party voter. But now, the 41-year-old from southwest Virginia is more frustrated than ever with the two political parties whose chief accomplishment, he says, is blaming each other for getting little done. “There’s so much turmoil,” said Siever, a former police ofﬁcer who now guides Civil War battlefield tours. “It really messes up chances of getting anything done. It gets really disgusting.” Voters are deeply dissatisfied with President Donald Trump and his Republican Party heading into the Nov. 3 midterm elections, according to an Associated PressNORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll, and Democrats have built a clear advantage on pressing issues such as the cost of living and healthcare over just a few months. But the survey also points to a bigger problem for both parties: Few registered voters think either party is able to solve important problems or help Americans like them. That undercurrent of cynicism will be a challenge for Democrats and the Republicans, no matter which party controls Congress. Frustration with Republicans is growing, but voters do not appear to think Democrats have a long-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ELLEN SCHMIDT

A voter casts a ballot on Sept. 18 during early voting in Minnesota at the Elections & Voter Services building in Minneapolis. term solution to the country’s problems, either. Voters give Democrats the advantage when it comes to which party would be better to handle the cost of living, an issue that has proved to be a weak spot for Trump. The survey finds that 38% of registered voters say the Democrats would be better for costs, compared with 27% who say that about the Republicans. The issue was about evenly split among U.S. adults in February, with about 3 in 10 saying each party would be better. Democrats have also gained ground on the economy. About 4 in 10 registered voters now pick the Democrats, compared with 26% of U.S. adults in February. These shifts are good news for Democratic candidates who are hammering an increasingly unpopular president — and by extension, his party. Few Americans approve

of Trump’s handling of the cost of living, and views of his performance on the economy are only a little better. Voters appear to view Republicans, in particular, as focused on the wealthy. The survey ﬁnds that about 6 in 10 registered voters say the phrase “focused on helping rich and powerful people” describes the Republican Party “extremely” or “very” well. Only about 3 in 10 registered voters say the same about the Democratic Party. While voters expressed deep dissatisfaction with Republicans, the survey indicates that voters have relatively little conﬁdence Democrats have their problems in mind. Democrats are less likely to be described as corrupt or focused on the wealthy than are Republicans, but not more likely to be seen as focused on ordinary people or capable of solving problems.

Only about 2 in 10 registered voters say that “able to solve important problems” or “focused on helping people like me” describes the Democratic Party “extremely” or “very” well. That is similar to the percentages who say this about the GOP. Democrats are out of power in Washington, and that may contribute to the perception that they are unable to get traction in solving problems. In the last year alone, the federal government partially shut down twice for weeks because of partisan disputes in Congress over spending on healthcare and immigration enforcement. But gridlock has not been exclusive to Republican control. Despite Democratic majorities early in Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration, the party did not achieve its goals on key priorities such as abortion rights, voting rights and raising the minimum wage. Siever is frustrated by what he sees as a commitment to partisanship in Congress at the expense of progress at a time when consumers are paying higher prices for daily necessities such as groceries and gasoline. Driving around the region to lecture and guide tours, his travel costs have soared and led him to raise his prices. “I’ve really become tired of the idea that, if you’re in this party, you have to be loyal to this but, if you’re in that party, you have to be loyal to that,” he said. ”There’s big problems and neither side seems able to ﬁx them.” Meanwhile, 55% of registered voters say the Republican Party is “too extreme.” Some 45% say the

same about the Democratic Party. Voters overall do not see an abundance of moderate sentiment in either party. But they are more likely to say Democrats are “too moderate” than Republicans — a reﬂection of the lack of unity within Democratic Party about its strategy. Slightly fewer than half of Democratic voters say their party is “too moderate,” while a similar share say it is “about right.” That is a sharp contrast with Republican voters, who mostly say their party is “about right.” Voters such as Meagan Ludwig of Milwaukee illustrate the party discontent that has emerged in Wisconsin and other closely contested states this year. Ludwig, a 41-year-old real estate broker, voted for democratic socialist Francesca Hong in the Democratic primary for governor in August, arguing the candidate seemed more committed to a policy agenda aimed at helping working families than Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. Crowley won the primary by a half percentage point — roughly 3,800 votes — illustrating Democrats’ soul-searching in the Upper Midwestern swing state. In the November general election, Ludwig is “reluctant,” but plans to vote for Crowley rather than Republican Tom Tiffany, a congressman. Ludwig hopes that Crowley, if elected, perceives the discontent about his party. “We need to seize the opportunity to boldly enact policies that will improve the lives of Americans,” said Ludwig, who is married and has an elementary school-age child. “I’m tired of us pursuing incremental change.”

U.K.’s Farage ‘not being listened to’ on safety threats, deputy says BY BRIAN MELLEY

sometimes he’s not being believed, not being listened to,” Tice told the BBC. Joshua Kerry, 28, was charged with one count of preparation of terrorist acts, including against Farage, the Crown Prosecution Service said Friday. Authorities did not release ad-

Ann Widdecombe was charged with plotting a terror attack against Farage. Richard Tice said Farage had LONDON — Anti-immigration Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage discussed the risks to his security was ignored when he complained of many times over the years and the threats to his safety, his deputy said charge amounts to a wake-up call. “What’s particularly upsetting Saturday after the man accused of killing former British politician for those of us in and around him is

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ditional information about the charge, but counterterrorism police in August said they had reopened a probe into an alleged ﬁrebomb attack at Farage’s south London home. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood expressed sympathy for Farage and his family.

“I know the new charges made today will be extremely concerning,” Mahmood said on X. “Let no one make any mistake: an attack on anyone in politics is an attack on us all.” Mahmood said she would work to strengthen protections for politicians after Parliament returns from recess on Oct. 12.

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*Offer not available in all areas. Discount applied by retailer representative at time of contract execution and applies to purchase of 4 or more windows and/or entry or patio doors. Buy two (2) windows and/or doors, get the second two (2) windows and/or doors, of equal or lesser value, 50% off. Discount applied to lowest-priced window and/or door products in purchase. Cannot be combined with other offers. To qualify for discount offer, initial contact for a free Window and Door Diagnosis must be made and documented on or before 10/31/26, with the appointment then occurring no more than 10 days after the initial contact. 18-Month Promo Period financing available to well-qualified buyers on approved credit only. During the Promo Period, no payments are required and interest accrues but will be waived if the promo balance is paid in full before the Promo Period expires. Any unpaid balance remaining after the Promo Period, including accrued interest, will be repaid under the terms outlined in the customer’s loan agreement. Not all buyers will qualify. Higher interest rates may apply for customers with lower credit ratings. Financing is not valid with other offers or prior purchases. Renewal by Andersen retailers are neither brokers nor lenders. Any finance terms advertised are estimates only, and all financing is provided by third-party lenders unaffiliated with Renewal by Andersen retailers, under terms and conditions arranged directly between the customer and such lender, all subject to credit requirements. Renewal by Andersen retailers do not assist with, counsel or negotiate financing, other than providing customers an introduction to lenders interested in financing. By responding to this offer, you agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and consent to receive marketing communications from Renewal by Andersen and its affiliates, including calls, prerecorded messages, AI-assisted calls, emails, and text messages (SMS/MMS) at the phone number and email address provided, even if your number is listed on a state or federal Do Not Call registry. Consent is not required as a condition of purchase. Message and data rates may apply. Calls may be recorded. Renewal by Andersen is an independently owned and operated retailer. “Renewal by Andersen” and all other marks where denoted are marks of Andersen Corporation. ©2026 Andersen Corporation. All rights reserved. b Based on Medallia homeowner satisfaction surveys of Renewal by Andersen customers January 2019-December 2025. Average scores between 9 and 10 using Net Promoter Score methodology on all survey questions after design consultation or installation project completed. †It is the only warranty among top selling window companies that meets all of the following requirements: easy to understand terms, unrestricted transferability, installation coverage, labor coverage, geographically unrestricted, coverage for exterior color, insect screens and hardware, and no maintenance requirement. Visit renewalbyandersen.com/nationsbest for details. For J.D. Power 2025 award information, visit jdpower.com/awards.

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The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, October 4, 2026 ● 11A

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Supreme Court to hear major climate change case ty, one of dozens of jurisLitigation involves dictions across the United States suing oil and gas comdevastating panies to help pay for damfrom disasters linked to Colorado wildfire age climate change.

BY LINDSAY WHITEHURST and BRITTANY PETERSON

Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Colo. — Less than an hour after the first warning that a wildfire was headed for her suburban street, Tawnya Somauroo’s Colorado home was in ashes. She has worked tirelessly for nearly five years to rebuild her house and help ensure her neighborhood can withstand the next blaze. But as climate change contributes to more frequent wildfires, she worries that the careful landscaping, metal fencing and flameresistant siding are not enough. “We lost our homes and they left us to figure out for ourselves how to make our neighborhoods safe again,” Somauroo said. “At the end of the day, it comes out of our pockets, you know? And it does feel like maybe the oil and gas industry should have a part in this.” She lives in Boulder Coun-

The case is part of a wave of climate change litigation across the country and the world, with billions of dollars at stake. On Monday, the first day of the Supreme Court’s new term, the justices will hear the Boulder case that could decide the fate of others like it. The city and county of Boulder first sued two oil companies in 2018, years before the fire. They argued that Suncor Energy and ExxonMobil had violated state law by deceiving the public about their contributions to climate change and sought unspecified damages to help cover the cost of worsening disasters. The companies say that a flood of lawsuits in state courts is not the way to deal with the global issue. “The problem is that climate change is caused by pretty much everybody living on earth,” said Phil Goldberg, special counsel for the Manufacturers’ Accountability Project, an industry

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By BRITTANy PETERSON

Tawnya Somauroo leans on a ledge in her new fire-resilient home on Sept. 21 in Louisville, Colo. group. “We need to figure out how to address that. We need to address it in a very meaningful way. This litigation doesn’t do that.” The companies have the backing of the Trump administration. Federal government attorneys say the lawsuits are a backdoor way to regulate heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions

and amount to an unconstitutional power grab. “No one state can superimpose its own regulatory preferences on the rest — least of all to address a global problem that exists almost entirely outside its borders and affects the world at large,” they wrote. The Clean Air Act, they say, allows the federal gov-

ernment, rather than states, to regulate emissions. The Republican administration has largely used that power to roll back environmental regulations. Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency ceded some of its climate authority by repealing rules that limit planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions

from power plants fueled by coal and natural gas. The move could complicate its argument. Boulder says it is not trying to regulate emissions beyond its borders, only holding companies accountable for local costs. “Boulder County and city aren’t trying to change what’s happening in Texas or New York, they’re trying to get compensation for things happening now in Colorado,” said Sam Sankar, senior vice president at Earthjustice, which filed an amicus brief in the case. Climate change was considered a factor in the 2021 Marshall Fire that destroyed Somauroo’s home, after the county’s suit was originally filed. The total damage was estimated at $2 billion. It was the costliest wildfire in Colorado history. “Local county municipal governments play a very important role in helping front line communities adapt to climate change. This case could very well set a precedent,” said Chris Winter, executive director of the Getches-Wilkinson Center, an environmental research group in Colorado.

Residents: Ethiopian forces retake Mekelle airport from Tigrayan fighters BY RODNEY MUHUMUZA and AMIR AMAN KIYARO Associated Press

KAMPALA, Uganda — Ethiopian federal forces have taken the airport in Mekelle, the capital of the northern Tigray region, according to people in the city who spoke to The Associated Press on Satur-

day, reversing a takeover by Tigrayan fighters that prompted the suspension of commercial flights last month. It wasn’t immediately clear when federal forces recaptured Alula Aba Nega Airport. Those who provided the information declined to be identiﬁed for fear of retri-

bution amid uncertainty over who controlled the city. Severe disruptions to internet and cellphone networks have made gathering and verifying information from Tigray difficult. Details of how the airport changed hands, including whether ﬁghting took place there, remained unclear.

“The military is in full control of the airport. That much I can conﬁrm,” an Ethiopian general said on condition of anonymity. Neither the Ethiopian government nor the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, or TPLF, had issued an ofﬁcial statement on the airport’s reported capture. It wasn’t

clear who controlled Mekelle itself. An AP contributor in the city said residents feared looting amid the uncertainty. “Many reports indicate that the government and allied forces have begun to control Tigray’s capital,” said Jalale Getachew Birru, an Ethiopia analyst for ACLED,

an independent global monitor that collects, analyzes and maps data on conﬂict. The AP could not independently verify those reports. TPLF fighters seized the airport on Sept. 23, prompting Ethiopian Airlines to suspend ﬂights to Mekelle and the Tigrayan cities of Axum and Shire.

Bessent says artificial intelligence industry must own its risks, find solutions BY MARÍA PAULA MIJARES TORRES Bloomberg News (TNS)

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent criticized prominent artificial intelligence figures’ warnings about existential risks posed by the technology as alarmist and unhelpful, calling on the industry to police itself and produce solutions.

“I believe that we have to be prepared for every occasion, but on the other side, this alarmism without solutions by some of the AI community, that’s not leadership,” Bessent told Axios in an interview published Saturday. Anthropic PBC Chief Executive Ofﬁcer Dario Amodei, OpenAI chief Sam Altman and xAI Corp.’s Elon Musk

in September called for the industry to slow development of its most advanced models, citing growing risks for humanity. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates also warned the technology is powerful enough to cause “a billion deaths” and called for government regulation. President Donald Trump almost immediately rejected such calls, labeling the

increasingly dire warnings about risk to humanity a “hoax” and insisting the U.S. must push forward to maintain leadership over China — a sentiment that Bessent echoed in his remarks to Axios. “We cannot lose our lead to the Chinese,” he said. “It is the people at the labs who have to accept responsibility, and I agree with that,” Bessent said. “I think the

labs have come around to that way of thinking, too.” In a meeting with top industry executives including Musk, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Meta Platforms Inc.’s Mark Zuckerberg, Palantir Technologies Inc. CEO Alex Karp and OpenAI President Greg Brockman. this week, the U.S. president shot down the idea of new federal regulation.

Legal Notices

The name and address of the liquidator is: MF REALTY, L.L.C. Michael Moncla, Manager 113 Oil Center Drive Lafayette, Louisiana 70503

.theacadianaadvocate.com Employment

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EDUCATION Notice of Vacancy & Request for Applications SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS Lead with vision. Inspire with purpose. Achieve with impact. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: Certified for the position of Superinten‐ dent of Schools or eligible for immedi‐ ate certification to serve as a Superin‐ tendent as reflected on the applicant's certificate or as confirmed in writing by LDOE at the time of appli‐ cation. LDOE confirmation must ac‐ company the completed application. Applicants must be able to serve as Su‐ perintendent alone without the ap‐ pointment of an employee to handle curriculum or other components of the position. SALARY: Negotiated by the Board

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APPLICATION MATERIALS Application materials and complete in‐ structions are available at: www.avoyellespsb.com/employment MAIL APPLICATIONS TO Superintendent Search Avoyelles Parish Schools PO Box 279 Marksville, LA 71351 QUESTIONS For questions regarding the applica‐ tion process, please contact the APS Central Office at 318-253-5892. Equal Employment Opportunity Em‐ ployer. Avoyelles Parish Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, or other prot ected class in employment or the provision of ser‐ vices.

Public Notices

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

STORE.THEADVOCATE.COM

Public Notices Bids/Proposals y Consolidated Govern‐ ment Building, located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, Louisiana, until 2:00 pm Central Time on the 14th day of October, 2026 for the following:

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

2026 SALE OF SCRAP METAL MATERIAL RE-BID #1

Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received either electroni‐ cally at https://www.cen tralbidding.com or in the ofﬁce of the Purchasing Division at the Lafayette lid d

and will, shortly there‐ after, be opened and read aloud in a room lo‐ cated at 705 West Univer‐ sity Avenue, Lafayette, LA. Bids received after

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

the above speciﬁed time for opening shall not be considered and shall be returned unopened to the sender. Bidders may attend the bid opening in person, but are highly encouraged to virtually join the bid openings via Zoom using the following https://us02web. link: zoom.us/j/84601292339? pwd=cXmoGZ8aAXT pDBBubbrb6VIpUd1faL.1 In accordance with Louisiana RS 38:2212. vendors may submit their bid electronically at h b i li d b

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

y the website listed above. Bidders wishing to sub‐ mit their bid electroni‐ cally must ﬁrst be regis‐ tered within LCG Vendor Access at the website listed above. The regis‐ tration process can take some time; therefore, LCG recommends regis‐ tering days in advance of the time that bids are due. It is the sole respon‐ sibility of the bidder to ensure their bid is deliv‐ ered (whether electroni‐ cally via Vendor Access, in person, or via mail) to the Purchasing Division prior to the scheduled date and time of the bid opening. Vendors may request the bid package electronically from An‐ toni Hoyte-Small at ahs‐ mall@lafayettela.gov or by calling (337) 291-8258.

y Management Service list of approved bonding companies which is pub‐ lished annually in the Federal Register, or by a Louisiana domiciled in‐ surance company with at least an A-Rating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide to write individual bonds up to ten percent (10%) of policyholders’ surplus as shown in the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide, or by an insurance com‐ pany in good standing li‐ censed to write bid bonds which is either domiciled in Louisiana or owned by Louisiana resi‐ dents. The bid bond shall be issued by a company licensed to do business in Louisiana and counter‐ signed by a person who is under contract with re‐ siding in this state. The certiﬁed check, cashier’s check, or bid bond shall be given as a guarantee that the bidder shall exe‐ cute the contract, should it be awarded to him, in conformity with the con‐ tract documents within ten (10) days.

Lafayette Consolidated Government

Vendors submitting bids electronically are re‐ quired to provide the same documents as bid‐ ders submitting through the mail as soon as avail‐ able. Only a bid bond, certified check or cashier’s check shall be submitted as the bid se‐ curity. Electronic copies of both the front and back of the check or bid bond shall be included with the electronic bid. Bids must be signed in accordance with LRS Title 38:2212(B)5. A Cor‐ porate Resolution or Cer‐ tificate of Authority au‐ thorizing the person signing the bid is re‐ quired to be submitted with bid. Failure to sub‐ mit a Corporate Resolu‐ tion or Certificate of Au‐ thority with the bid shall be cause for rejection of bid. Copies of the bidding documents are available at the Purchasing Office located at 705 West Uni‐ versity Avenue, Lafayette, LA 70506. Tele‐ phone number (337) 2918263 (Attn: Antoni HoyteSmall). Bidding docu‐ ments shall be available until twenty-four (24) hours before the bid opening date. Each bid shall be accom‐ panied by a certified check, cashier’s check in the amount of $500.00 or bid bond payable to the Lafayette Consolidated Government, the amount of which shall be five percent (5%) of the base bid plus additive alter‐ nates. If a bid bond is used, it shall be written by a surety or insurance company currently on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial i li

No bidder may withdraw his bid for at least fortyﬁve (45) days after the time scheduled for the opening of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the quotation form provided with the speci‐ ﬁcations. Bids will be evaluated by the Purchaser based on the highest responsible and responsive bid sub‐ mitted which is also in compliance with the bid documents. The Lafayette Consolidated Government reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause in ac‐ cordance with LA R.S. 38§2214.B. The Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government strongly encourages the participation of DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) in all con‐ tracts or procurements let by the Lafayette Con‐ solidated Government for goods and services and labor and material. To that end, all contrac‐ tors and suppliers are encouraged to utilize DBEs business enter‐ prises in the purchase or sub-contracting of mate‐ rials, supplies, services and labor and material in which disadvantaged business are available. Assistance in identifying said businesses may be obtained by calling (337) 291-8410. PURCHASING DIVISION

PUBLISH DATES: 09/29/26; 10/04/26 DPR: 1006215 202280 Sept. 29, Oct. 4, 2t $101.26

ATTORNEY: Robert E. Rowe PUBLICATION: Acadiana Advocate Publish Once ADDRESS: 113 Oil Center Drive Lafayette, Louisiana 70503 TELEPHONE: (337) 266-9626 SWORN AND SUBSCRIBED before me this 3rd day of 2026, at September, Parish, Lafayette Louisiana. MF REALTY, L.L.C.

Legal Notices

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 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.

BY:________________ MICHAEL MONCLA, Manager ________________ ROBERT E. ROWE, NOTARY PUBLIC FOR LIFE LA BAR ROLL NUMBER: 11503 PARISH OF LAFAYETTE STATE OF LOUISIANA 202864 Oct. 4 1t $186.20

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

PUBLIC NOTICE --Agenda City Zoning Commission Public Meeting Monday, October 19, 2026 5:30 P.M., or immediately following the conclusion of the Lafayette City Planning Commission, whichever occurs later Community Development and Planning Department 220 West Willow Street, Building C Town Hall Auditorium I. Call to Order

3. Case No. 2026-21-REZ 600 Loire Avenue Rezon‐ ing A request to rezone the subject property, from CH (Commercial-Heavy) to IL (Industrial-Light) lo‐ cated generally north of Salvador Drive, east of Louis Arceneaux Road, and south of Vaucluse Drive.

X. Public Comment XI. Adjournment 202660 Oct. 4 1t $13.54

Public Notices Successions

V. Other Business 1. Director’s Report and review of Lafayette City Council action on mat‐ ters previously consid‐ ered by the Zoning Com‐ mission. 2. LDC Amendments 3. Proposed amendments to Rules of Policy and Procedure i. Add Part IV: City Zoning Commission Policy ii. Add to proposed Part IV: A. The City of Lafayette Zoning Com‐ mission shall defer until the next regular meeting any application appear‐ ing before the Commis‐ sion where the applicant is not in attendance of the meeting where the application is scheduled to be heard.

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;

VI. Adjournment

and

202608 Oct. 4, 14, 18, 3t $63.78

2. 2009 Mercedes Benz 350.

PUBLIC NOTICE --Agenda Lafayette Historic Preservation Commission (LHPC) 3:00 P.M. Thursday, October 15, 2026 Lafayette City-Parish Hall 2nd Floor 705 W. University Avenue Community Development and Planning Department Library

PUBLIC NOTICE --Administrator for the Succession of Mary Fern Cobb Briggs gives notice of his intent to sell via private sale, the follow‐ ing:

Any objections to the sale of the above prop‐ erty can be ﬁled within 7 days with the 15th Judi‐ cial District Court – Parish of Lafayette under probate docket number 20250640, pursuant to LA C.C.P. Art 3282. 202566 Oct. 2-31, 30t $416.10

I. Call to Order II. Visitor Introductions III. Approval of the Min‐ utes — Action Requested. A. January 15, 2026 B. April 16, 2026 IV. Communication

VI. Consideration for Designation None.

IV. New Business

VII. New Business 1. Fatima Church Na‐ tional Register Nomina‐ tion — Brieﬁng by Rox‐ ana Usner and Lafayette Preservation Historic Commission's Report to the State Division of His‐ toric Preservation. 2. Docomomo Nonproﬁt and their plans for Cata‐ loging Acadiana's Mid‐ century Buildings. 3. 2027 Commission cal‐ endar of meeting dates.

2. Case No. 2026-20-REZ 107 Felicie Drive Rezon‐ ing A request to rezone the subject property, from RS-1 (Residential SingleFamily) to MN-1 (MixedUse Neighborhood) lo‐ cated generally north of Johnston Street, west of Felicie Drive, and south

ing.

III. Approval of the Minutes September 21, 2026

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that MF REALTY, L.L.C. through its duly autho‐ rized Manager, Michael Moncla, 113 Oil Center Lafayette, Drive Louisiana 70503, intends to liquidate and wind up all the affairs of EN‐ LAFAYETTE, TOURAGE L.L.C. out of court.

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

of Patricia Street.

V. Consideration for Nomination None.

NOTICE OF INTENT TO DISSOLVE ENTOURAGE LAFAYETTE, L.L.C.

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

II. Chair’s Opening Remarks

1. Case No. 2026-18-REZ 302 Pershing Avenue Re‐ zoning A request to rezone the subject property, from RS-1 (Residential SingleFamily) to MN-1 (MixedUse Neighborhood) lo‐ cated generally north of East Foch Street, east of Marne Street, and south of Pershing Avenue.

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

“There’s a belief that there should be tremendous selfregulation, and we automatically have regulation with the Department of Justice, the FBI, all of that, but the self-regulation is very important,” Trump told reporters at the time. He instead endorsed using outside auditors to assess AI systems’ safety in a nonbinding accord with Silicon Valley leaders.

VIII. Old Business None. IX. Other Business Commission Housekeep‐ i

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12A ● Sunday, October 4, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Ex-Chicago mayor visits Abbeville school

Rahm Emanuel, former White House chief of staff, mayor of Chicago and U.S. ambassador to Japan, chats with Vermilion Parish school system administrators and faculty Thursday at LeBlanc Elementary in Abbeville.

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

It was a regular day at LeBlanc Elementary School in Abbeville, with French immersion students answering questions and math classes working through problems. Then Rahm Emanuel walked through the door. The former Chicago mayor, White House chief of staff to former President Barack Obama and U.S. ambassador to Japan visited LeBlanc Elementary on Thursday as part of a tour he initiated to learn

STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

more about Louisiana’s recent gains in student achievement. Emanuel began his tour Wednesday in New Orleans, where he visited two public schools and held a town hall meeting. He said he wanted to see ﬁrsthand what Louisiana is doing differently after students across the state made unusual gains following the pandemic. The interest was sparked in part by a 2025 report from Education Scorecard that found Louisiana was the only state in the country to surpass its pre-COVID reading levels.

Louisiana students also have surpassed their 2019 performance levels in math. Vermilion Parish offered Emanuel a closer look at how those gains are playing out inside a school. LeBlanc Elementary serves about 550 pre-K through ﬁfth grade students and has focused on high-dose tutoring, early literacy intervention and the Zearn K-8 math curriculum as it works to accelerate student learning. The Louisiana Department

ä See SCHOOL, page 2B

Concert to benefit UL music students

Event features Dustin Dale Gaspard BY JA’KORI MADISON

Staff writer

A concert featuring “The Voice” alum Dustin Dale Gaspard will raise money for scholarships and other financial assistance for music students at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Friends of Music Acadiana and the UL School of Music will present “Boots, Bayous, and Blues” at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 16 in Gilfry-Ducrest Auditorium in Angelle Hall. Gaspard will headline the concert with songwriter and musician Tanner Bingaman and The Angelle AllStars. Margaret Ruffin, vice president of Friends of Music Acadiana, said the nonprofit’s mission is to help music students stay in school by providing scholarships, grants and awards. “The scholarships that are given to the music students makes the biggest difference in the world,” Ruffin said. “Sometimes it’ll make the difference of whether or not a student can stay in school another semester or year.” Friends of Music Acadiana has operated as an independent nonprofit since the late 1990s and works closely with the School of Music. Scholarships are awarded based on merit and financial need. The organization awarded about $24,000 in scholarships last year, Ruffin said. It also provides grants and awards to help students cover expenses associated with pursuing opportunities outside the classroom. The organization holds two major fundraisers each year, one in the fall and one in the spring. Previous fundraisers have included receptions featuring music students, a Christmas tour of homes and other events. This year’s fundraiser marks the first time Friends of Music Acadiana has presented a concert of this scale, Ruffin said. “We want to promote the music; it’s the culture of Acadiana,” Ruffin said. “We want to help the next generation of talent stay in school, pursuing their dream and not worry about working three jobs or sitting out a semester.” Ruffin said supporting music students also helps sustain the region’s broader musical and cultural community. The concert will feature a mix of rhythm and blues, soul, country and soft rock. General admission tickets are $60, and doors open at 7 p.m. A $100 VIP ticket includes reserved orchestra seating, reserved campus parking and a meet-andgreet reception from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Blue Room in Angelle Hall. Guests can meet Gaspard, Bingaman and members of The Angelle All-Stars. The reception will include hors d’oeuvres, wine, Champagne, soft drinks and water, as well as photo opportunities More information and tickets are available at FriendsOfMusicAcadiana.org or by calling (337) 739-4084. Email Ja’kori Madison at jakori. madison@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTOS By BRAD KEMP

Floats roll down the street during the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s 2026 homecoming parade at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium on Saturday in Lafayette.

GETTING THE PARTy STARTED

University of Louisiana at Lafayette President Ramesh Kolluru tosses beads to the crowd during the homecoming parade. TOP RIGHT: Students cheer and wave to the crowd during the homecoming parade at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium. BOTTOM RIGHT: Members of Alpha Delta Pi sorority cheer during the UL homecoming parade. ä More homecoming photos. PAGE 2B

Lafayette jury convicts Lake Charles man of rape

the 15th Judicial District AttorThe trial began Monday. an hour. Mandatory sentence ney’s The District Attorney’s Ofﬁce Ofﬁce said Thursday. Haney said the jury deliberated Shannon Everett Morris, 38, for about an hour and reached a said Morris beat the woman in is life in prison faces a mandatory life sentence unanimous verdict Wednesday the face when she grabbed for

BY DEAN BOUDREAUX

at hard labor without the possibility of parole, probation or suspension of sentence under state A Lafayette Parish jury has law. Judge Michele Billeaud has convicted a Lake Charles man of not set a sentencing date, but eight counts of ﬁrst-degree rape Assistant District Attorney Alan in a January 2025 attack on a Haney said it is expected somewoman in her home near Duson, time in October.

Staff writer

afternoon. Prosecutors said Morris, a stranger to the woman, parked a stolen Jeep behind her home shortly after 9 a.m. Jan. 31, 2025, and walked in through an unlocked back door. They said he held her at gunpoint for nearly

the gun. Her daughter became alarmed by text messages that did not sound like her mother and sent the family to check on her. When Morris opened the door, the woman ﬂed and called

ä See CONVICTED, page 2B

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Where’s Cannon’s Heisman Trophy? LSU star gave it to friend; it’s now back with family

BY MATTHEW McNAMARA Louisiana State University

With an acclaimed new twohour documentary, LSU football great Billy Cannon is having a moment. Not that he ever really left the headlines eight years after his death. But the new Louisiana Public Broadcasting bio ﬁlls in a lot of blanks. The counterfeiting charges, his financial struggles and his years of redemption at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. But one detail is not fully settled. What happened to the Heisman Trophy he won after this 89-yard punt return in 1959? Wasn’t it at TJ Ribs, the Baton Rouge restaurant for many years before it changed hands? Was the trophy sold? Or does LSU have it in a trophy case on campus? When Cannon’s legal and financial troubles started to mount in the early ‘80s, so did the rumors about its whereabouts. He sold it, he lost it, he gave it to LSU or, according to one published account, he hid it in his garage. Bunnie Cannon, a daughter of Billy Cannon, recalls hearing all the talk. “A journalist asked Billy where the trophy was,” Bunnie said. “And he jokingly quipped ‘it was under a carport under a bunch of oily rags.’ The journalist published the story and made people actually believe he did not care about it,” she said in an interview. In fact, Billy Cannon cared a great deal. He was determined that the U.S. government, which was after him for back taxes and other misdeeds, not get a hold of it. “My father did not want the IRS to get the trophy, so he loaned it to his friend and LSU supporter, T.J. Moran, in the 1980s,” Bunnie Cannon said. It was a handshake deal, never put in writing, and both men agreed the trophy would be returned to the Cannon family at its request. Moran owned TJ Ribs and put the trophy on display in his restaurant. Moran later died and gave the restaurant to his son, Burke, who sold it. It remains open — but without the trophy. Its absence only increased speculation about the where-

PROVIDED PHOTO

Billy Cannon poses with his Heisman Trophy in 1959.

abouts of the trophy. Most people believe the trophy was given to LSU. Owen Morris, an LSU student and sports fanatic, believed Cannon sold his trophy to cover the money he owed for his crimes. “I have been wondering where it is now, since it used to be at TJ Ribs.” It turns out Baton Rouge actually has two Heisman trophies. Following the 1966 season, seven years after Cannon won, The Downtown Athletic Club and later the Heisman Fund began awarding two trophies, one to the player and one to the school, and it retroactively gave all past winners a replica for the college to keep. Hence, LSU’s trophy in its football operations facility is a copy. True to the handshake deal, the original Heisman that then-Vice President Richard Nixon presented to Billy Cannon is in Bunnie Cannon’s home. LSU has borrowed the real one periodically. There is one key difference between the two statues. The one given to Billy Cannon is sterling silver, not bronze like all the others. Cannon’s was the exception, as his trophy commemorated the 25th year of the Heisman award. “There will never be another one like it,” Bunnie Cannon said. “The ownership of the trophy resides with the Cannon family, and the memorial trust in his name,” she said, referring to her father. “The trophy is in a trust for 100 years and cannot be sold unless the items are together and the family agrees.”

STAFF PHOTOS By BRAD KEMP

The Pride of Acadiana Marching Band participates in the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s homecoming parade at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium on Saturday in Lafayette.

Cajun homecoming

ABOVE LEFT: Miss UL Lafayette Bailey Nguyen waves to the crowd during UL’s homecoming parade on Saturday. ABOVE: The homecoming court toasts the crowd. LEFT: Members of Tri Sigma sorority cheer during the parade.

This story was reported and written by a student with the support of the nonproﬁt Louisiana Collegiate News Collaborative, an LSU-led coalition of eight universities funded by the Henry Luce and John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur foundations.

SCHOOL

Continued from page 1B of Education reported in July that students in districts using Zearn Math scored about six points higher on the LEAP assessment than students in comparable districts that did not use the curriculum. Zearn uses a “Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract” approach designed to help students build mathematical understanding. “You know, we’ve had a lot of growth since COVID. We made a huge commitment to high dose tutoring, which is still in place today, and I think that’s one of the reasons that we caught up a lot faster than the rest of the nation,” Vermilion Parish Superintendent Tommy Byler told Emanuel. Byler showed Emanuel around the school alongside Principal DeEtte Bigot, Rachelle Brown, district supervisor for French immersion, and Kimberly Etie, assistant superintendent for curriculum and federal programs. The tour gave Emanuel a look at some of the practices district leaders credit for

Kim Etie, center, assistant superintendent of curriculum, leadership and federal programs for the Vermilion Parish school system, speaks with Rahm Emanuel, left, on Thursday at LeBlanc Elementary in Abbeville. At right is school Principal De Ette Bigot.

STAFF PHOTOS By LESLIE WESTBROOK

LeBlanc Elementary Principal De Ette Bigot leads Rahm Emanuel, former White House chief of staff, mayor of Chicago and U.S. ambassador to Japan, into a classroom with Vermilion Parish school system Superintendent Tommy Byler, right, Thursday at the school in Abbeville. the parish’s academic gains, including the continued use of intensive tutoring and a focus on early literacy. “The state also made a commitment to the science of reading. I know you’ve

been to Mississippi and seen some of that impact there, and I think teaching our teachers to really learn how to teach reading has been an important thing,” Byler told Emanuel.

He has made education a central focus of his national travels this year as he weighs whether to run for president in 2028. He has traveled to Mississippi and other states to examine education pro-

cameras recorded the Jeep in the driveway for the full hour, and DNA linked MorContinued from page 1B ris to the woman. “What this verdict does tell her, and every survivor 911, prosecutors said. Lafayette Parish sher- watching, is that when you iff’s deputies found Morris come forward, this office hiding in Duson about 20 will stand with you and see it minutes later, the District through,” District Attorney Attorney’s Ofﬁce said. Pros- Don Landry said in a stateecutors said surveillance ment.

Two other women testiﬁed about attacks by Morris earlier that morning, prosecutors said. Haney said one was kidnapped in Iowa in Calcasieu Parish. The other was a Dollar General manager in Rayne. Haney said Morris was fleeing those attacks and randomly chose the woman’s home.

Haney said the Jeep was stolen from a Burger King in Crowley, in Acadia Parish. He said his office has not decided whether to file charges there. Prosecutors waited for the Lafayette trial to conclude so the time limit for filing would not start running, he said. Haney said charges are pending against Morris in

CONVICTED

grams and talk about what he believes can be replicated nationally. In May, he said he was “very seriously” considering a presidential run but was not ready to make an announcement. At LeBlanc, Emanuel said the lesson he was taking away was less about one particular program and more about consistency. “The constant focus on teacher training, the discipline around the curriculum, the consistency — it really starts there,” he said. “Both Louisiana and Mississippi

Calcasieu Parish, but he did not know their status. Landry credited the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Ofﬁce, Detective Bianca Guidry and the Duson Police Department with the investigation. Email Dean Boudreaux at dean.boudreaux@ theadvocate.com

are showing massive gains in reading. You guys have ﬁgured out math, and they talked about the Zearn model and the consistency of it, and the culture that’s built around that. That’s what I’m taking away.” Email Joanna Brown at joanna.brown@ theadvocate.com.

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THE GULF COAST Popular N.O.-based restaurant closes Bay St. Louis location

The Peter Anderson Festival returns to downtown Ocean Springs, Miss., each November. SUN HERALD FILE PHOTO By HANNAH RUHOFF

BY MARTHA SANCHEZ Staff writer

Mississippi Coast to host fall, Halloween events BY MARTHA SANCHEZ Staff writer

The Mississippi Coast hosts dozens of Halloween-themed events each fall. And even as the summer tourist season slows, many of the region’s attractions still lure visitors from Louisiana. Here’s a list of some of the Coast’s most popular fall attractions and events.

Pumpkin patches The Mississippi Coast features several popular pumpkin patches each year. Options near the Louisiana state line include Trinity Episcopal Church in Pass Christian and Southern Promiseland Farm in Kiln. Visitors to Biloxi can also enjoy pumpkin patches at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer and Lemoyne Boulevard Baptist Church.

friendly costume party in downtown Bay St. Louis that includes hundreds of revelers dressed up as witches, warlocks and wizards. It takes place during the day on Oct. 24. On the other end of the coast, the Witches Ride of Ocean Springs hosts an annual parade of bikes, golf carts and walkers dressed as witches and warlocks. Participants decorate bicycles and wear elaborate costumes while handing out treats to spectators. It takes place the evening of Oct. 24 through downtown Ocean Springs.

Southern Promiseland Farm Southern Promiseland Farm in Kiln, Miss. features a 10-acre corn maze, hayrides, farm animals, concessions and a pumpkin patch. Admission is $10, and children ages two and under are admitted for free. The farm is cash-only. 1212 Raygan Lane, Kiln, Miss. Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays Sept. 26 through Nov. 1. See website for additional availability.

line and about an hour outside of New Orleans. The farm’s website says zinnias and sunﬂowers began blooming in September. The farm encourages visitors to wear closed-toe shoes and bring a bucket, clippers, garden gloves, drinks and snacks. Admission is $18, and children ages 11 and younger are admitted for free. Tickets can be purchased in advance on the Coastal Ridge Farm website or with cash at the gate. 27290 Road 221, Picayune, Miss. 9 a.m. to sunset through October, closed Wednesdays. Check website for seasonal availability.

The Bay St. Louis location of Barracuda Taco Stand has closed for the season as the summer tourism boom begins to decline on the Mississippi Coast, and it’s unclear if or when the restaurant will reopen. Barracuda’s owner Brett Jones conﬁrmed Tuesday that the Bay St. Louis location closed after Labor Day. The popular taco spot started serving customers in Bay St. Louis in late 2024. Jones said the restaurant has posted a sign on its door informing customers of the closure. A listing on Google also says the restaurant is temporarily closed. “We’re grateful to the Bay St. Louis community for their support,” Jones said in a text message. Barracuda Bay St. Louis sits in the heart of the Mississippi Coast city, on a popular stretch of Second Street near antique shops, Creole Creamery and Mockingbird Cafe. The closure came just before one of the busiest weeks

of the year in southern Mississippi: An annual October car show called Cruisin’ The Coast that draws thousands of visitors from around the country. The closure comes as many restaurants face seasonal challenges in Bay St. Louis, which ﬁlls with visitors each summer and grows quieter during the winter months. Several other restaurants — including the barbecue spot Murky Waters and the seafood spot Tripletails Restaurant — have closed this year. Some restaurateurs in the area have also said they are challenged by food costs. Jones did not explain what led to the decision to close for the season, but said the location does not have a reopening date. “We’re evaluating our options for Bay St. Louis, so we can’t give a deﬁnitive answer right now,” he said. Barracuda’s original location opened in 2019 on Tchoupitoulas Street in New Orleans, and the restaurant has also expanded to Algiers Point, Baton Rouge and Huntsville, Ala. The other locations are open as usual, Jones said.

Peter Anderson Festival

The Peter Anderson Festival in Ocean Springs is the largest arts festival in Mississippi. It allows artists to showcase works to thousands of visitors, who can view crafters painting, sculpting and working on pottery at booths that Halloween parades, parties line the streets. The festival is now in its 48th The Boo in the Bay parade in Bay year. It began as a way to honor PeSt. Louis, Miss., features golf carts, Jeeps and classic cars decorated in ter Anderson, who founded Ocean Halloween themes. It takes place Coastal Ridge Farm Springs’ Shearwater Pottery workat 5:30 p.m. Oct. 17 in Old Town Coastal Ridge Farm offers ﬁelds shop in 1928. Bay St. Louis. of wildﬂowers available to pick in 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 7-8 in downThe Witches Walk is a family- Picayune — just north of the coast- town Ocean Springs, Miss.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By IAN MCNULTy

Barracuda Taco Stand owner Brett Jones said Tuesday that the Bay St. Louis location closed after Labor Day.

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

OUR VIEWS

More degrees mean more opportunity for Louisiana residents

The Board of Regents recently reported that more than half of Louisiana adults now hold some credential beyond high school. That’s likely due to an increased focus among educators in the state to push dual enrollment and other programs that get young people connected early with training and education that can lead to highpaying jobs. In 2026, the share of adult population holding what is known as a “credential of value” in the state reached 54%, after steadily improving since 2019, when it was 44.2%. While Louisiana stlll lags the national average of 55% of adults who have education beyond a high school diploma, this growth is encouraging. After Louisiana officials identified educational attainment as a severe gap in the state’s ability to develop a highly skilled workforce, they put together goals aimed at getting every high schooler information about their options for more education. Right now, they are far exceeding those goals. Last year, for instance, the state graduated 85,000 students with credentials or degrees, a number officials had not expected to hit until 2030. That indicates to us that future generations are realizing that higher education and advanced training can be a pathway to a better life. The Board of Regents says the state should reach a 60% educational attainment rate by 2030. We know much work remains. There is still too big a gap between students at predominantly Black universities and predominantly White ones in graduation rates. And access to post-high school programs can differ between wealthy and high-poverty areas. Still, the new numbers show that Louisiana has a comprehensive plan to solidify education gains in recent years that goes beyond secondary school. It hopefully sets the state up for a future where more young people are prepared for the jobs of the future. That can only happen, though, with continued investment in higher education. For every positive advance we note — for instance, the state Department of Education said Louisiana posted the highest rate of growth in the nation in high scores on Advanced Placement exams, which often lead to college credit — we see a familiar downside, such as fewer Louisiana students having access to AP courses than their peers in other states. We know funding for higher education in our state is always precarious, but these trends should make it clear that we need to change that reality. Similarly, our community and technical colleges, which are serving a growing population of students, need to be treated like the important players they are. Expanding access to postsecondary education will only accelerate the positive momentum we’re seeing. One thing is evident: Louisiana students, when given the opportunity, can excel beyond our wildest dreams. It’s our job to make sure they have that opportunity.

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Happy blessed Fulton J. Sheen Day! Blessed Sheen Day didn’t grab the headlines like last week’s nor’easter or Xi Jinping’s White House visit, but it marks something important. On Sept. 24, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen was raised to the status of “Blessed” in the Catholic Church, advancing him on the possibility of eventually being a canonized saint. Sheen taught philosophy at my alma mater, the Catholic University of America, for 23 years, 34 books and Kathryn published brought an unapologetiJean cally Catholic worldview Lopez to newspaper op-ed pages from 1949-1977. But he’s probably most famous for his work on television, hosting “Life Is Worth Living” and “The Fulton Sheen Program,” which brought his message to millions of viewers each week in the 1950s and ’60s If Sheen is saint material, it can’t simply be because he proved to have a commanding enough presence to provide Milton Berle some competition. Yes, he had a sense of humor, a great voice and a pleasant appearance. But it was the something more that made the difference, that makes him more than a celebrity or talking head: It was the Holy Spirit within that sanctiﬁed him. Sheen was a teacher. He knew his material and could talk about it. But it’s the embodiment of the material that made the difference. “Your Life Is Worth Living” is a collection of transcripts of audio recordings from Sheen, ﬁnally published in 2001. Its words will remind you of the truth of its title. “Every day of my priestly life I pray for the power of the Holy Spirit. The power that is not

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By KATE MUNSCH

Worshippers gather for the beatification of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen on Sept. 24 at the Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis. human, not physical, not intellectual; rather, a power coming solely from living the Christ life, the power to inﬂuence people, the power to impress you with the divinity of the Holy Spirit.” There he was giving you a little window into his show prep. There was no teleprompter. He did not write a script. He prayed. He knew his stuff, but he asked the Holy Spirit for the words. There really is no way of knowing everyone Sheen reached through television. But Sheen wasn’t in it for power or inﬂuence. If he made any converts, it’s because God was using Sheen as an instrument. He remained a humble man bringing a message of good news, no matter his platform. “If I have given you any deeper comprehension and closer understanding of

the beautiful love of the Trinity,” Sheen wrote, “I trust you will, in gratitude, sometime say a little prayer to the Holy Spirit for me that I may more in mind, heart, and body show forth the Spirit of Christ.” We would all be blessed if we prayed for each other in similar ways and remembered to be grateful for the gift of life, in all its wonder and sadness. We might not all be Catholics. We won’t all be named saints. But blessings will abound. Sheen shows us that. His legacy can be perpetual blessed days — ones in which we wake up knowing our unworthiness, and yet living it in joy, knowing it’s worth it because it does not rely on us alone. Email Kathryn Jean Lopez at klopez@nationalreview.com.

Tips can lead to interesting news stories The conversation we have with read- the information with other sources. Not all tips will lead to a news story, ers can yield tips that require more reporting or can enhance the reporting but all will get considered. Sometimes, the best tips are about issues that raise we are currently doing. We often get letters from readers that recount expe- questions about accountability and transparency in government that resoriences they’ve had or issues they’ve noticed in their neighborhoods. Those nate with a large swath of the public. letters get forwarded to the approBut there also may be good stories from a conﬂict or controversy in priate editors. We also have a neighborhood or local group. email addresses where readAnd there are also personal tragers can submit tips at newstips@theadvocate.com and edies and triumphs that make good human interest stories. nolanewstips@theadvocate. Tips about someone who is sellcom. The best tips include as Arnessa ing a product or service generally much detail as possible, inGarrett go to our advertising department, however — unless it’s so unusual cluding names, dates and that it becomes newsworthy. other basic information. While Tipsters should disclose as well if they the person who sends a tip can choose have an economic interest in the subwhether to stay anonymous, we like to have as much information as possible. ject they want us to pursue. And we like to know how the tipster acWhen reporters are chasing stories quired the information. Of course, any on trends in the news or issues that are controversial, they may seek out reporter will thoroughly verify any tips we receive and seek to corroborate sources in the public with direct expe-

rience related to their reporting. They can issue what are called callouts online, asking for people who would like to talk about their experiences for a story. These tips can help make somewhat dry data about a topic come to life for readers. So our readers are often an important part of our journalism, and that’s why we always urge you to tell us when you see something interesting. Turning to our letters inbox for Sept. 17-24, we received 36 letters. There were no huge trends this week, with the biggest category of letters being miscellaneous. We got three letters on LSU sports, and two letters on our coastal issues. Otherwise it was a rather quiet week. So drop us a line if you have a news tip. You could help us report the next front-page story. Arnessa Garrett is Managing Editor | Opinion Page Editor. Email her at arnessa.garrett@theadvocate.com.

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COMMENTARY A productive Congress? Scalise has a reasonable point. Despite multitudinous critics, maybe the fishermen to comply with federal regulacurrent Congress actually is being quite tions. It directs the National Oceanic and productive. Atmospheric Administration to launch a That was the message from House Macentralized website to map and promulgate jority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, in vessel guidelines, marine protected areas, fishing regulations and restrictions and a Sept. 20 post on social media. other information. “This week,” Scalise wrote, “@HouseThat new law won’t ever make network GOP passed 76 pieces of legislation, including bills to: protect Americans from costly news, but Louisiana sportsmen certainly will benefit. climate mandates; crack down on Also regarding fisheries, S. 283, fraud and protect taxpayer dollars; which passed both the House and hold Russian and Iran accountable.” Senate in slightly different form As it turns out, Scalise is largely but seems sure to be sent to the right, and he provided numerous president soon, will protect local additional details in another post. commercial fishermen and diners Congress can go months without acQuin by making it easier to identify iltually passing bills, but all the while Hillyer it could be doing the preparation legal importation of foreign, somework, holding committee hearings, times-less-healthy seafood. traversing parliamentary procedure. Then, Numerous other bills that have passed the suddenly, near the end of a fiscal year, all House only, but seem destined to pass the that work can reach fruition. Senate and become law, range from efforts The media usually focuses on controto protect seniors from phone and Internet scammers to ones giving tax relief to vicversial, big-picture bills, but much of Congress’ work involves smaller efforts to tims of fraud — and ones aimed at strengthhelp ordinary Americans find opportuniening electric grids and helping recover critical minerals domestically, thus reducties or navigate — sometimes literally — federal regulations. ing dependence on foreign suppliers. Take a bill chosen almost at random from In a phone interview, Scalise celebrated Scalise’s list, one that President Donald numerous bills he called “very bipartiTrump signed into law on Sept. 25. A bisan,” including the so-called SPEED Act, awaiting Senate action, that he said would partisan effort by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, cut red tape by being “really focused on and Maine’s Angus King, an independent allowing America to build things quicker who caucuses with Democrats, S. 759 will … expedite those kind of processes” so make it far easier for honest boaters and

that, for example, “Louisiana could move more energy around the country through pipelines.” He said the reforms, if passed, “would have an immediate impact on people’s lives, on lowering costs.” Scalise also mentioned a healthcare cost transparency bill he expects to become law, and he insists Republicans still aren’t getting enough credit for more controversial laws such as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which not only extended and expanded tax cuts but also cracked down on — indeed, essentially eliminated — illegal border crossings. Far more under the radar, he touted the passage of “over 20 Congressional Review Act” bills that allow Congress to “reverse costly red tape” by overturning agency regulations Congress never intended to authorize. The biggest of those, he said, was a Biden-era rule giving California a “waiver” so it could impose especially restrictive emissions standards on cars. The standards were so stringent, he said, that “this California emissions standard that they were going to try to make go national, if we did not stop it, would have basically said you can’t make cars in America that use gasoline. Think about the implications of that. That was going to happen. We passed a bill to reverse it.” (That law remains unenforced, due to an ongoing court battle.) Meanwhile, Louisiana certainly has ben-

efited from the 119th Congress. Most notably, Louisiana likely will get $47 million more annually (of $150 million for all Gulfof-Mexico states) from the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act, to be used for coastal restoration. And offshore revenues will continue to flow because Scalise secured language mandating 30 Gulf lease sales over the next 15 years. Louisiana also surely will see rewards from national allocations of $450 million for maritime workforce development programs, $750 million to support the domestic industrial base through supplier development and $250 million for advanced manufacturing processes that will help Louisiana’s shipbuilding industry. Other Louisiana beneficiaries of significant funding will be the Joint Reserve Base New Orleans in Belle Chasse, multiple flood abatement projects around Lake Pontchartrain and various projects in Tangipahoa and Ascension parishes and Grand Isle. And more. All in all, even if some of us can justly complain of some things this Congress has done and others it left undone, the reality is that it is doing a considerable amount of good, in areas where few people are looking. Credit, now, where due. Email Quin Hillyer at quin.hillyer @theadvocate.com

Kennedy’s claptrap degrades Senate. Who will call him out? In the years since his spection. For how that works, look to tacular rise to power at the side of Johnson’s colleague in the upper chamber, U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, Donald Trump, I’ve often thought back to the ﬁrst time I interviewed R-Madisonville. That Kennedy likes to call House Speaker Mike Johnson, Rpeople names is not news. Ever Benton, in 2017. since he discovered the power of He was a lowly freshman cona hokey accent and a glib insult, gressman then, and the topic he Kennedy’s been recycling wanted to talk about was lines like “it must suck to civility in public life. He be that dumb,” which he’s was for it. aimed at targets ranging In fact, Johnson was so from Nancy Pelosi, confor it that he wrote out a “Commitment to Civility” sidered the most effective which 46 of out of 52 fellow House speaker in modern newbies — Republican and Stephanie times, to Michigan Senate Grace Democrat — signed. candidate Abdul El-Sayed, Let’s just say that that a Rhodes Scholar. idea didn’t take. These may not be Some folks might have missed the least civil times in Congress, Kennedy’s latest master class in but they could compete. incivility, during last week’s SenAnd if it’s true that Johnson ate Judiciary Committee hearing doesn’t seem particularly enthutargeting former special counsel Jack Smith — if only because he siastic about the state of affairs, was overshadowed by his colit’s also true that he’s done nothing to change the culture. Rather league Eric Schmitt. The Missouri than scold the man who has turned senator spectacularly ﬂubbed an political dialogue into a neverattempt to nail Smith as a “perending stream of personal attacks, jurer” and a “dirtbag” for alleghe’s taken Trump loyalty to the edly lying about not attending an extreme. On the occasions when NBA Hawks in Atlanta, when in he’s asked about some latest offact he was watching Caitlin Clark fense, he tends to claim ignorance and the Iowa Hawkeyes compete in Maryland. or dismiss the question as inapSmith’s alleged original sin, of propriate. course, is that he built a strong Grinning and bearing the incienough criminal case against vility is one way to stay in the big Trump after his attempt to overguy’s graces, I guess. Another is to embrace the turn the 2020 election that he won politics of character assassinaa grand jury indictment.

he’s an idiot. He’s a bottom feeder in the Washington swamp. He’s a political operative masquerading as a prosecutor. He’s the kind of Washingtonian who would unplug your life support to charge his cellphone.” I mean, who says things like that? Would any of the rest of us still have a job if we talked that way at work? Where’s H.R. when you need it? OK, OK, you could argue that politicians have long used congressional hearings not to fact-ﬁnd but to grandstand, and ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By MARIAM ZUHAIB that attacking witnesses to score Sen. John Kennedy, R-Madisonville, center, speaks with a reporter on points is a feature, not a bug. Fair April 14 in Washington. point, even if it feels like the pretense of that civility Johnson once Kennedy and other senators in believes in the Tooth Fairy and the claimed to champion has become a big joke. the room were victims of the atEaster Bunny. He suggested bias It’s also fair to point out that tack on the Capitol Trump instigat- because Smith sought telephone our system has righted itself beed as part of that scheme, which is records only from Republicans Trump was talking to during the something you’d think they might fore, most famously when lawyer period under investigation. Smith want to talk about. If so, you’d Joseph Welch took the air out of responded that Democrats weren’t U.S. Sen. Joe McCarthy’s 1950s think wrong. in on the scheme to overturn Joe Instead, Kennedy insinuated communist witch hunt with these Biden’s win, and noted that Repub- words: “Have you no sense of dethat Smith was “bitterly disappointed” that Trump had beaten licans who cared about law and or- cency, sir, at long last?” Hillary Clinton, based on the fact Kind of makes you wonder where der were his strongest witnesses. that his wife had made a “glowing Kennedy wrapped up the line of today’s version of Welch is — and saccharine-sweet documentary” questioning with another of his go- also whether anyone who consulted about Michelle Obama. Smith their conscience and spoke from to gems: “You make me want to responded that he was there to a position of principle could even throw up in my mouth.” talk about his work, not his family, compete with all the claptrap And afterward in a Fox News and noted that he’d joined the ﬁrst interview, he offered up this take around politics these days. Trump administration. on the witness: “I’m sure Jesus Kennedy drilled him with ridicu- loves him. But everyone else who Email Stephanie Grace at believes in the rule of law thinks sgrace@theadvocate.com. lous questions about whether he

Donald Trump is on the ballot in November’s election “Please pretend that I am running,” a “hoax” and proclaimed on Truth Social, President Donald Trump told Republicans “The only control or ‘guardrails’ that AI at their recent convention in Dallas. needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High Well, no one has to pretend. Democrats IQ!) PRESIDENT, and the U.S.A. has that, agree completely. They also want voters to in spades!” view the November elections as a referenIn 2000, George W. Bush famously camdum on Trump’s presidency. paigned as “a uniter, not a divider,” but Both sides have good reasons Trump takes exactly the opposite apto follow these similar campaign proach. His strategy has always been strategies. But in the end, both to maximize the turnout of his True can’t be right. One party is making Believers. The real danger to Repuba better bet than the other — and licans is not that those Red Hats will today, the odds strongly favor the back Democrats, but that they’ll stay Democrats. home. Steve Trump’s reasoning is clear. He “Right now, there is a substantial Roberts remains by far the most dominant enthusiasm gap, with Democrats far and magnetic figure in American more enthusiastic about voting in the politics, and MAGA Nation, his core base midterms than Republicans,” GOP pollster of support, is much more loyal to him perWhit Ayres told USA Today. “So, anything that can close that gap would help Republisonally than to a party or a set of policies. Playing on his potent appeal is the best can candidates.” way to motivate support for Republican But Republicans cannot close that enthucandidates. siasm gap by running on Trump’s record, King Louis XIV of France is credited since only one-third of voters approve of with the famous (likely apocryphal) statehis economic policies, according to an avment “L’etat, c’est moi,” or “I am the state.” erage of national polls, and only 26% supAnd Trump is increasingly acting the same port his handling of inflation. So as the Dalway, converting every issue into one of las convention graphically demonstrated, personal influence or devotion. they are left with one option: fear. Run a Recently, for example, he dismissed risscare campaign that cries: “The other guys ing concerns about artificial intelligence as are worse.”

Red-baiting has long been part of American politics, and it’s back in full force. Republican convention speakers used the words “communist” and “socialist” as often as possible. Sen. Tim Scott, of South Carolina, described Democratic candidates as the most “dangerous, radical and frankly, weird” in American history. Sen. Ted Cruz, of Texas, went even further, linking two international conspiracies together and warning that the Democratic Party was now dominated by a “red-green alliance: communists and Islamists coming together.” Fearmongering has worked before, and it could work again. Democrats did Republicans a huge favor by nominating leftists in some key races, especially the Senate contest in Michigan, and the party is hardly more popular than Trump. Fiftysix percent of Americans view the Democrats negatively, and 48% consider them “extreme,” according to CBS News. That’s why the Democrats are so eager to make the election about Trump, not them. Trump has always been far more effective as an outsider than an insider, nurturing grievances instead of defending records. He’s run for president three times, and only lost when he was the incumbent. And no matter how much he tries to blame

the country’s problems on Joe Biden, he is the president, and voters hold him responsible for breaking two of his most popular promises: ending wars and reducing prices. As the conﬂict with Iran continues with no end in sight, gas prices have skyrocketed again to over $4.30 a gallon. Diesel has risen even faster, up to more than $6.25 a gallon, which is crushing farmers and boosting the price of every service — from air travel to food deliveries — that must pay elevated fuel costs. All these failed promises and frustrated voters are taking a huge toll on Trump’s reputation. In a recent Economist/YouGov survey, 60% of Americans say Trump isn’t honest and trustworthy, and 58% say he doesn’t have the temperament to be president. And 3 out of 5 say the president doesn’t care about people like them. When voters were given a list of 13 words and asked to pick one that described Trump, the greatest number, 52%, chose “dangerous.” Only 24% selected “honesty,” 18% “steady” and 17% “inspiring.” No wonder Democrats want voters to think Trump is on the ballot. Email Steven Roberts at stevecokie@ gmail.com.

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6B ● Sunday, October 4, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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TODAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Showers and a heavier t-storm

A brief shower or two

Sunshine and a few clouds

Partly sunny, a stray t-storm

Sun and areas of high clouds

Partly sunny; showers at night

HIGH

LOW

HIGH

82° 72°

LOW

HIGH

81° 69°

LOW

87° 69°

Beaumont 82/72 Port Arthur 81/73

Baton Rouge 82/72

Lake Charles 82/71

New Orleans 81/75 Houma 81/73

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

Hattiesburg 79/71

Alexandria 80/69

Lafayette 82/72

10s

20s

30s

40s

50s

LOW

HIGH

LOW

82° 68°

YESTERDAY

TODAY

READING 35 MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

Lafayette through 5 p.m. Saturday

Jackson 81/70 Many 79/66

HIGH

88° 67°

TEMPERATURE

Longview 85/64

-0s

LOW

Monroe 84/67

Shreveport 84/66

-10s

HIGH

85° 67°

Today, most of southwest Louisiana is under a slight risk of excessive rainfall that could lead to some measure of flash flooding. Expect a mostly cloudy, warm, humid and breezy day with scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms. Rainfall totals of 1 to 2 inches are possible, with up to 3 inches likely through early Monday. Temperatures this afternoon will rise to the mid-80s. Rainfall chances will fall to about 20% tomorrow. If you’re tailgating for the Saints game, an isolated shower is possible.

60s

70s

80s

90s 100s 110s

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

Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today NEW

OCT 10

City

Austin Boston Dallas Fairbanks Honolulu Las Vegas Louisville Miami Nashville

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

88°/75° 85°/65° 86°/68° 96° in 1900 47° in 1929

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

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

HIGH

FT.

2:23p 8:17a 2:42a 4:54a 4:15a 3:22a 5:23a

1.0 2.2 2.5 2.2 1.7 2.2 2.1

7:03 a.m. 6:50 p.m. 12:41 a.m. 3:14 p.m.

FIRST

OCT 18

84 63 82 43 88 97 78 90 81

TODAY Lo

70 56 67 29 75 75 54 79 56

FULL

t c pc pc pc s s t pc

NOV 1

MON. Lo

85 71 84 44 86 95 74 90 81

64 46 60 31 73 73 48 77 50

LOW

2:09a 8:58p 3:54p 8:20p 4:16p 2:35p 5:18p

0.00” 0.44” 0.44” 46.60” 49.14”

FT.

HIGH

0.0 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.2

FT.

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

s pc s c r s s t s

LOW

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

FT.

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

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

City

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

81 91 66 99 71 71 79 94 91

TODAY Lo

75 75 58 79 52 63 51 72 77

r t r s s t s s t

83 87 72 99 63 77 73 95 87

1:08p 2:01p 2:48p 3:30p 4:10p 4:51p 5:34p

MON. Lo

75 74 49 77 41 54 50 71 75

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

N O R T H A M ER I CA’S

Ranked #1 in customer satisfaction by ACSI®.*

34 48 48 35 27 22 17

SAT. 24-HOUR STAGE CHANGE

8.96 24.21 25.63 10.37 6.05 4.58 3.33

-0.88 +0.89 +1.90 +1.13 +0.58 +0.62 -1.47

20.19

-1.35

-1.64

+0.06

18 29 8

-1.29 9.76 3.22

none none +0.10

13 15

1.41 0.58

+0.02 -0.04

47 34 29 20 12 6

9.61 6.58 5.14 4.92 3.90 2.67

+0.73 +0.60 +0.15 +0.43 +0.10 -0.05

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data as of 7 a.m. Saturday

t t s s pc pc s s t

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

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OCT 25

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‘DOMECOMING’

LIVES ON Twenty years later, sights, sounds and smells remain from New Orleans’ iconic game

ä Falcons at Saints 7:15 MONDAy, ESPN

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

Everybody carries something with them from that day 20 years ago that would be impossible to shed even if they wanted to — sounds, colors, smells, emotions seared into their being from the day the Superdome reopened after Hurricane Katrina. These things are readily accessible, and they pour forth alongside the memories of that game, when Steve Gleason’s blocked punt announced what everyone in the building and in the city was feeling — we aren’t going anywhere.

For Leroy Mitchell, it’s two contrasting images. The first he sees whenever he visits his local dry cleaner, where it hangs on the wall as a reminder: A giant ray of sunlight streaming through the wreckage that was the Superdome’s roof, illuminating the scene of human suffering below. The second he personally witnessed and will never forget: Densely packed among thousands of New Orleanians waiting to get inside and watching the black

ä See SAINTS, page 3C

Saints safety Steve Gleason celebrates with teammate Omar Stoutmire following a blocked punt and score against the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 25, 2006, at the Superdome. STAFF FILE PHOTO By SCOTT THRELKELD

OFFICIAL NEWS PARTNER OF THE LOUISIANA RAGIN’ CAJUNS

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S u n d ay, O c t O b e r 4, 2026

RED WOLVES

RECORD: 4-1 UP NEXT: AT LA. TECH, 6:30 P.M. SATURDAy, ESPN+

HIGH DRAMA

1cn

Tigers avoid pain in rout of McNeese BY JON BLAU Staff writer

Business was handled Saturday in Tiger Stadium. No. 11 LSU (4-1) beat McNeese State 63-14 in the nonconference finale. Sam Leavitt, dealing with a hamstring injury, still played nearly an entire half, completing 18 of 23 passes for 176 yards, three touchdowns and one pick. He helped LSU record the second-most yards in a game in program history with 731, just shy of the record 746 gained versus Rice in 1977. The Tigers defense allowed two first downs on McNeese’s first drive — and then didn’t allow another until late in the third quarter. More importantly, LSU appeared to be unscathed by injuries as it prepares to finish the rest of its Southeastern Conference slate, which resumes in Lexington, Kentucky, as the Tigers visit the Wildcats (4-1) after their overtime win over South Carolina. Now the question is whether LSU can finish October as well as it started, all the way through matchups with Kentucky, Mississippi State and Auburn and into a bye week that could allow star tight end Trey’Dez Green to return on the other side of it. There’s a slight chance linebacker Whit Weeks could, too. In the meantime, LSU coach Lane Kiffin received the respite he desired from a nine-game SEC schedule. But he didn’t hold Leavitt back completely despite the quarterback playing hurt last week through a win

ä See LSU, page 3C

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

UL quarterback Lunch Winfield gets off a pass against Arkansas State defensive end McKinley McShan during their game Saturday at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium. The Cajuns won 23-20.

Cajuns win Sun Belt opener with clutch drive, walk-off FG BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

A defensive showdown in the first half turned into a seesaw battle after halftime. The UL Ragin’ Cajuns got the last big swing with a Tony Sterner 37-yard field goal as time expired for a 2320 homecoming victory over Arkansas State on Saturday at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium. The Cajuns (4-1, 1-0) drove 73 yards on 13 plays in 3:54 to set up Sterner for the game-winner. UL had to overcome a holding flag that spoiled quarterback Lunch Winfield’s 14-yard run to the 21 with 39

seconds left, but he responded with a 15-yard run to get back into ﬁeld goal range. Winﬁeld was 18-of-21 passing for 189 yards while also rushing for 64 yards and a score on 14 carries. JJ Garner led the UL running backs with 78 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. Arkansas State quarterback Trey Owens did most of his damage with his arm, completing 20 of 31 passes for 206 yards and a TD. After a poor second quarter, the Cajuns opened the second half with a 10-play, 52-yard drive in 5:51 but had

ä See CAJUNS, page 3C

STAFF PHOTO By PEARL SPURLOCK

McNeese safety Morris Taylor tries to stop LSU running back Harlem Berry on Saturday at Tiger Stadium. Berry logged 125 yards on 15 carries in LSU’s 63-14 win.

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

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BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS On TV

AUTO RACING 3:30 p.m. NHRA Midwest Nationals FOX 4:30 p.m. NASCAR Cup: South Point 400 USA WOMEN’S COLLEGE SOCCER 11 a.m. Michigan at Indiana BTN 2 p.m. Oklahoma at Texas SECN 2:30 p.m. Florida St. at Clemson ACCN WOMEN’S COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL noon Missouri at LSU SECN 12:30 p.m. Georgia Tech at N. Carolina ACCN 1 p.m. Indiana at Rutgers BTN 2 p.m. Colorado at Baylor ESPN 3 p.m. Illinois at Oregon BTN 4 p.m. Iowa St. at Arizona St. ESPN 5 p.m. Wisconsin at Minnesota BTN 7:30 p.m. Kentucky at Florida ESPN GOLF 11 a.m. Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic GOLF

2 p.m. 4 p.m. 7 p.m.

Korn Ferry Tour GOLF Bank of Utah Championship GOLF LPGA: LOTTE Championship GOLF HORSE RACING 8:30 a.m. Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe FS1 noon America’s Day at the Races FS1 3:30 p.m. America’s Day at the Races FS2 MLB 3 p.m. San Diego at Milwaukee FS1 7 p.m. Atlanta at L.A. Dodgers FS1 NFL 8:30 a.m. Indianapolis vs. Washington NFLN noon Jacksonville at Cincinnati CBS noon Dallas at Houston FOX 3:25 p.m. Kansas City at Las Vegas CBS 7:20 p.m. Detroit at Carolina NBC NHL noon Winnipeg at Detroit NHLN

IN BRIEF

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

7 p.m. 7 p.m.

Calgary at Seattle PRIME Florida at Anaheim PRIME MEN’S SOCCER 7:55 a.m. Azerbaijan vs. Lithuania FS2 10:50 a.m. Kosovo vs. Austria FS2 1:30 p.m. Portugal vs. Norway FS2 2 p.m. Louisville City at Hartford ESPN2 4:50 p.m. Trinidad & Tobago vs. Curaçao FS2 6:50 p.m. Costa Rica vs. Haiti FS2 8:50 p.m. Nicaragua vs. Dominican Rep. FS2 WOMEN’S SOCCER 7:55 a.m. London City at Tottenham CBSSN noon Angel City at Gotham ESPN 3 p.m. Denver at Chicago CBSSN TENNIS 10 p.m. Beijing & Tokyo Semifinals TENNIS WNBA PLAYOFFS 1 p.m. New york at Atlanta ABC 3 p.m. Las Vegas at Golden State NBC

GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 25 Missouri routs No. 8 Florida Tigers end 9-game skid against Top 25 opponents

BY DAVE SKRETTA AP sportswriter

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Austin Simmons threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns, Jamal Roberts ran for 211 yards and three more scores, and No. 25 Missouri trounced eighthranked Florida 45-17 on Saturday to snap a nine-game losing streak against ranked opponents. Cayden Lee had eight catches for 110 yards, Donovan Olugbode and Caleb Goodie had TD receptions, and the Tigers piled up 560 yards of offense while giving coach Eli Drinkwitz his ﬁrst regular-season win over a top-10 team in 11 tries with them. Missouri (4-1, 1-1 SEC) collapsed late against Mississippi State last week, but it bounced back by stopping one of the nation’s top offenses. Gators quarterback Aaron Philo threw for 197 yards and a touchdown, but much of that happened as they played from behind. Jadan Baugh, who had been receiving some early Heisman Trophy hype after running for 11 touchdowns over his ﬁrst four games, carried 12 times for only 13 yards, often struggling to even make it back to the line of scrimmage. The Gators (4-1, 2-1), who routed No. 4 Mississippi last week, had been averaging 532.8 yards of offense. They had 325 on Saturday. “We knew a couple of things were coming and still didn’t stop it,” Florida coach Jon Sumrall said. “They played with physicality. Hat’s off to them. They deserved the win. We earned the

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JEFF ROBERSON

Missouri running back Jamal Roberts, left, runs with the ball as Florida safety Lagonza Hayward defends during the first half of a game on Saturday in Columbia, Mo. loss. We have a lot to work on.” The Tigers clearly prioritized bottling up Baugh, the nation’s second-leading rusher, especially after watching him rip off a 12yard gain the first time he touched the ball. He carried 11 more times for exactly 1 yard the rest of the game. Florida evidently didn’t prioritize stopping anything. Simmons was 16 of 21 for 238 yards and his two TDs in the first half alone, slinging the ball to all corners of the field. He hit Olugbode for a 47-yard strike and a 10-3 lead, then delivered Goodie his first career touchdown recep-

tion later in the half. It was a handful of possessions spanning halftime that decided the game, though. The Gators went three-and-out late in the first half, giving the Tigers the ball with 1:33 left, and Blake Craig’s 50-yarder as time expired made it 20-10. Then, after getting the kickoff to start the second half, Roberts added a short touchdown run, the Tigers forced a quick punt, and Craig banged through a 52-yarder to make it 30-10 late in the third quarter. The coup de grâce came on the penultimate play of the quarter,

when Roberts spun out of a pileup and ran 76 yards, getting shoved out at the Florida 2. On the ﬁrst play of the fourth, he slammed into the endzone, and a 2-point conversion made it 38-10. As if the Tigers needed an exclamation mark, Roberts added it with an 80-yard touchdown run a couple of minutes later. By that point, the Tigers were mockingly chomping at the Gators, who have struggled mightily in Columbia over the years. They have now lost four of their last ﬁve games at Faurot Field — though unlike the rest, this one didn’t come down to the wire.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Julian Sayin threw for 324 yards and three touchdowns, two to Jeremiah Smith, and No. 5 Ohio State beat No. 14 Iowa 31-14 on Saturday. Sayin was 20-of-27 passing, and his favorite target was Smith, the nation’s top receiver. Smith had 11 catches for 206 yards, becoming Ohio State’s leader in receptions (207), receiving yards (3,381) and receiving touchdowns (36). Smith caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Sayin with 12 seconds left in the ﬁrst half to give the Buckeyes (4-1, 2-0 Big Ten) a 17-6 lead. Sayin threw a 57-yard touchdown pass to Smith with 6:11 left in the third quarter. Smith struck a Heisman pose toward the Iowa fans in Kinnick Stadium’s north end zone after the catch. Iowa (4-1, 1-1) got its only points on two field goals and Braeden Jackson’s fourth-quarter 2-yard touchdown run. The Hawkeyes were held to just 238 yards as Ohio State, which had 484 yards, had almost a 17-minute advantage in time of possession. NO. 3 NOTRE DAME 37, NORTH CAROLINA 26: In Chapel Hill, North Carolina, CJ Carr threw for four touchdowns and ran for another and third-ranked Notre Dame regained

No. 1-ranked Rybakina loses to Charaeva in China Open

BEIJING — No. 1-ranked Elena Rybakina was ousted from the China Open by No. 118 Alina Charaeva of Armenia in the second round on Saturday. Charaeva held her head in her hands in disbelief after winning 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. “I was just trying to stay really hard mentally and keep believing that at some point I could turn it around again to my side. And I guess I just never stopped believing,” said Charaeva. Rybakina had seven double faults and dropped her serve ﬁve times, the last time to fall behind 4-2 in the third set. In the men’s tournament, top seed and U.S. Open champion Alexander Zverev beat wild card Shang Juncheng 6-0, 6-3 to set up a quarterﬁnal against Novak Djokovic.

control after halftime to beat North Carolina on Saturday. The Fighting Irish (5-0) led 21-14 after the Tar Heels (2-2) turned a goal-line stand into a long touchdown drive right before halftime, then came out of the break with Jaden Jefferson sprinting through the rain for a 98-yard kickoff return for another score. NO. 2 GEORGIA 38, VANDERBILT 14: In Athens, Georgia, Gunner Stockton threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns as Georgia cruised to win over Vanderbilt. Georgia scored an opening drive touchdown for the fourth time this season as Stockton found Landon Roldan for a two-yard TD. A Vanderbilt team led by backup quarterback Blaze Berlowitz showed some fight, answering back two drives later as Berlowitz found Junior Sherrill for a 60-yard touchdown and tied the game 7-all. It was the first first-quarter score for a Georgia opponent all season. The Bulldogs (5-0, 3-0 SEC) had outscored opponents 63-0 in the first quarter through the first four games. NO. 7 ALABAMA 56, NO. 16 MISSISSIPPI ST. 23: In Starkville, Mississippi, Keelon Russell passed for 285 yards and three touchdowns to go with another TD rushing, and Alabama routed Mississippi State in a matchup of previously unbeaten teams. Trae’shawn Brown ran for two touchdowns, Rico Scott caught two scoring passes and Dijon Lee returned an interception 30 yards for a score during a game that saw

Alabama (5-0, 3-0 SEC) reinforce its credentials as contenders. Alabama outgained Mississippi State (4-1, 2-1) 179-18 in yards rushing in its 17th straight victory in the series — the last seven by 23 or more points.. NO. 20 HOUSTON 27, UCF 17: In Houston, Conner Weigman threw for 239 yards and rushed for three secondhalf touchdowns, and Houston rallied to beat Central Florida. Weigman rushed for 50 yards, Re’Shaun Sanford ran for 62 yards and Patrick Overmyer caught six passes for 76 yards for Houston (41, 1-1 Big 12). NO. 21 SMU 25, BOSTON COLLEGE 16: In Dallas, Kevin Jennings threw for two touchdowns and ran for a score and SMU beat Boston College in a soggy defensive struggle. Jennings’ other TD toss also came on a short drive when SMU (4-1, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) returned a punt to the BC 41. After a roughing the passer penalty on third down, Jennings threw a 20-yard scoring pass to Derrick McFall. Kendrick Raphael had a 2-yard TD run. The Eagles (2-3, 0-2) had a chance to get within two points early in the fourth quarter, but Cameron Kossmann dropped a pass when he was wide open and probably would have scored easily on fourth-and-inches from the SMU 8. NO. 17 TENNESSEE 24, AUBURN 14: In Knoxville, Tennessee, DeSean Bishop rushed for a career-high 220 yards and three touchdowns to lead No. 17 Tennessee to a victory over Auburn on Saturday.

SHANGHAI — Top-ranked Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the Shanghai Masters as he deals with a knee problem. Sinner has not played since beating Alexander Zverev in the Wimbledon final. He withdrew from the U.S. Open because of a right knee injury. “Unfortunately, I won’t be able to play at the Rolex Shanghai Masters this year as I had hoped,” the Italian wrote on his Instagram account Saturday. Sinner announced last week that he wouldn’t be able to defend his China Open title in Beijing, saying “my knee is not there where I would like to be and I am not ready to compete yet, but I will do everything possible to be there on court as soon as I can.”

Trail Blazers fire broadcaster for inappropriate old posts

QB Sayin leads No. 5 Ohio State to victory By The Associated Press

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Yankees captain Aaron Judge was left off the roster for New York’s AL Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays while he tries to work his way back from a calf injury. A three-time AL MVP, Judge hasn’t played since Sept. 16. Giancarlo Stanton, who hasn’t played since April 24 because of strained calf muscles in both legs, remained on the 26-man roster for the best-of-ﬁve series starting Saturday. Stanton was active for the Wild Card Series sweep of Boston but didn’t get in the games, which both turned into blowouts. Judge was sidelined by a fractured rib from May 31 to Sept. 8 and played in just seven games before straining his right calf. He was limited to 66 games this season.

No. 1 Sinner withdraws from Shanghai Masters

TOP 25 ROUNDUP

Buckeyes WR Smith breaks three school records

OF Judge left off Yankees’ Division Series roster

Tennessee (4-1, 1-1 in Southeastern Conference) overcame a sluggish start with the help of George MacIntyre replacing Faizon Brandon at quarterback late in the second quarter. The Volunteers trailed 7-3 at intermission. MacIntyre completed his first six pass attempts for 80 yards and ﬁnish 8 of 10 for 86 yards. Auburn (3-2, 1-2) was led by quarterback Byrum Brown with 159 passing yards and a touchdown as well as 107 rushing yards and a touchdown. Brown was intercepted twice and had a fumble. NO. 24 KENTUCKY 35, SOUTH CAROLINA 34, OT: In Columbia, South Carolina, Kenny Minchey threw a 6-yard TD pass to Henry Boyer and a twopoint conversion to Willie Rodriguez as No. 24 Kentucky rallied from 17-0 down to beat South Carolina in overtime on Saturday. The Wildcats (4-1, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) needed to fight back several times. Minchey’s 32yard scoring pass to Nic Anderson late in the third quarter gave them their first lead, 24-20. And after South Carolina retook the lead in the fourth quarter on LaNorris Sellers’ 15-yard TD pass to DJ Black, Minchey led a 66-yard drive that ended with Adam Zouagui’s 29-yard tying ﬁeld goal with 4:13 to play. Sellers again retook the lead in overtime on a 5-yard throw to Maurice Brown in the end zone. But after Minchey’s pass to Boyer, Kentucky didn’t hesitate and connected on the winning conversion pass to Rodriguez open in the back of the end zone.

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland Trail Blazers ﬁred new play-by-play television broadcaster Braiden Bell on Thursday when inappropriate social media posts that he made as a teenager resurfaced just hours after the team announced his hiring. “The Portland Trail Blazers have zero tolerance for racist, sexist, or harmful comments,” the team said in a statement Thursday night. “Social media posts made by our recently announced play-by-play broadcaster are in clear violation of team and league policies, as well as our values and expectations. Therefore, we will not be moving forward with this broadcaster.” Hours after the 29-year-old Bell was hired, posts surfaced that Bell made on his X account in 2012 and 2013.

Niners owner York suspended 6 games after arrest in sting

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The NFL suspended San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York for six games Friday following his arrest earlier this year in a prostitution sting in Ohio. The league announced that York also was ﬁned $500,000 for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. York has not attended any games or league meetings so far this season and was credited with three games served. He is eligible to return on Oct. 20, following the team’s game the previous night against Washington. York said in a statement released by the team that he accepts the punishment given by the league and apologized for his actions. Owners have been previously punished for violating the personal conduct policy.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, October 4, 2026 ● 3C

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CAJUNS

Continued from page 1C to settle for a game-tying, 38-yard field goal from Sterner with 9:04 left in the third to make it 10-10. UL had to power Winfield for 5 yards on fourth-and-2 from the ASU 48 ahead of a 16-yard pass connection with Trenton Chaney to get into field goal range. Special teams continued to struggle for UL, surrendering an 82-yard kickoff return to Chauncy Cobb to set up Clune Van Andel’s 21-yard field goal for a 13-10 ASU lead with 5:08 left in the third. Cobb finished with eight receptions for 65 yards. Garner responded for UL. After runs of 17 and 15 yards, he ended the drive with a 13-yard touchdown run for a 17-13 lead with 14:54 left in the game. By this time, Arkansas State had solved the Cajuns defense, easily going 75 yards on seven plays in 3:06 to retake the lead at 20-17 with 11:48 left to play. Owens hit Cobb for 29 and then 14 yards to set up

LSU

Continued from page 1C over Texas A&M. Leavitt didn’t scramble but he completed 13 of his ﬁrst 15 passes, despite a drop by Winston Watkins streaking wide open down the seam for what would have been a score. Leavitt led two quick touchdown drives anyway. The first traveled 48 yards and was capped by a 1-yard touchdown run by Dilin Jones. The second went 77 yards and finished with a 1-yard toss from Leavitt to converted tight end Roman Mothershed. On Leavitt’s third drive, another on-target throw to Watkins down the seam was dropped. Leavitt’s next attempt to push it down

Solomon Baggett’s 6-yard TD run. The Cajuns threatened to retake the lead by answering with an 11play, 67-yard drive in 6:10. A 23yard reception by Brock Chappell ignited the drive that ended with a 25-yard field goal for a 20-20 tie with 5:38 remaining. The first quarter was mostly a good one for the Cajuns with one huge exception. After the defense forced a turnover on downs at the UL 33 to open the game, a 24-yard completion to Landon Strother reached the Arkansas State 31. Then came the one bad play with running back Darrell Smith ending a 13-yard run with a fumble. It was UL’s eighth fumble and fourth one lost this season. The Cajuns’ second drive covered 66 yards on nine plays in 5:41 for a 7-0 lead. A 36-yard completion to KeDarius Wade was the big play on the drive that ended three plays later on a 2-yard Winfield touchdown run with 1:59 left in the opening quarter. A kicking game flag forced UL’s next drive to begin at its own 7. Still, a 16-yard Steven Blanco run

Stacey Gage took over in the fourth quarter, running through the McNeese defense on touchdown runs of 46 and 39 yards. Jones added 79 yards on 16 carries as the Tigers totaled 367 yards on the ground. LSU even allowed freshman defensive tackle Deuce Geralds, who recorded his ﬁfth sack in as many games, to line up at running back for a direct-snap touchdown run from 1-yard out in the third quarter. The Tigers defense and special teams would have lapses to close the third quarter, though. First, LSU allowed a 28-yard punt return to the Tigers 43, which was immediately followed by a 43-yard touchdown pass from Brady Barrier to Jamaal Levi to make it 49-7. On McNeese’s next drive, an endaround was taken 64 yards up the sideline by Levi, which gave the

All of which made the return to the Superdome so meaningful to Mitchell. He knew it was special in the moment — so special that he altered his usual get up and wore a tuxedo with a Superman shirt underneath along with his usual whistle helmet because “it was red carpet, baby!” He thought about the ray of sunshine coming into the Dome, and he saw the banner drop to let him know that the city was moving back toward something closer to normal, and he was overwhelmed by the sense of community he felt. He cried as he made his way to his seat in Section 111, and he cried when he saw the stadium attendants that feel like family members. And then he got really, really loud. “I felt a sense of community, and it was just all of us in there, and people were just hugging and so happy to see each other,” Mitchell said. “But when the blocked punt happened, I knew deep down inside there was nobody — I don’t care who it was in the history of NFL football, you could put the best of the best teams on the other sideline and we were going to kick their ass. There was no way in hell we were losing that game.” Go back and watch the broadcast of that game near the 13-minute mark of the fourth quarter. There in the front row is a young girl wearing a giant whistle helmet on her head. Mitchell gets emotional thinking about this, too. This was his daughter, Monty, who was 11 years old on the day of that game. He has thought about fatherhood and the things he is passing on to Monty. He has thought about legacy. And when he thinks about that, he recalls the time Monty was caught on camera watching history through a giant helmet. “Man, she grew up on the front rail of the Superdome watching the game with her dad,” Mitchell said. “Then later on, she ended up buying her own seat next to me on that front rail.”

rebuild? Were we worth it?’ Everybody was tired of hearing it, and we were going to say, ‘Yeah, we are worth it.’ “It makes me emotional thinking about it. It was exciting, it was electric, you’re surrounded by all your people again — people that are all going through the same things that you’re going through. “Steve blocked that punt, and you knew that it was going to be a core memory being made in real time. You just knew, right there in that moment. The most beautiful moments in our lives, you don’t plan on, they just happen. You remember them so vividly. I’m never going to forget exactly how I felt in that moment, because you knew it was never going to happen again. “That’s the memory I have from that night, everybody’s got tears in their eyes. You ﬁrst got there and everybody’s asking, ‘How’d you make out? How’s your mom’n’them?’ People you hadn’t seen in a long, long time. And then after that punt, everybody’s got tears in their eyes and we’re hugging and high-ﬁving. It was like a home town just wrapped inside a big city. Everybody’s connected in that moment. I just feel I was very blessed to be there. For me, it reminded me of why I wanted to come back home and rebuild. It put an exclamation point at the end of that sentence. I literally have tears in my eyes just thinking about it.”

Continued from page 1C

LEROY MITCHELL • ‘Whistle Monsta’ Mitchell’s game-day uniform has changed over the years, but it always has included a football helmet that he has fashioned into a large whistle. For a fanbase that is known for its members treating game day like Mardi Gras, Mitchell is one of its most recognizable ﬁgures. He fashions a new whistle for every year, including one he built for the 2005 season. But when

Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

UL wide receiver Landon Strother is tackled by Arkansas State cornerback Noah Flores, center, and linebacker Joe Drew during their Sun Belt game Saturday at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium.

the field to Eugene Wilson was snagged by McNeese defensive back Lorenzell Dubose. But the defense wasn’t going to allow the Cowboys to take any momentum. LSU edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen logged his eighth sack of the season to send McNeese to a three-and-out. LSU then scored touchdowns on its next ﬁve drives. A range of Tigers flashed in a game where there were more opportunities to go around. FreshSTAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON man receiver Corey Barber, a fourstar recruit, had six catches for 76 LSU defensive tackle Deuce yards in extended action, includ- Geralds runs the ball on an ing touchdown receptions of 6 and offensive play for a touchdown 12 yards from Leavitt. Sophomore running back Har- against McNeese on Saturday at lem Berry, a former five-star Tiger Stadium. recruit who has played secondﬁddle to Jones this season, logged an 11-yard touchdown run that put 125 yards on 15 carries, including LSU up 49-0.

SAINTS

cover drop from the countdown banner, signaling the doors were once again open with the words Our Home. Our Team. Be a Saint. Mitchell, who has attended Saints games for more than three decades under the “Whistle Monsta” persona, felt chills going through his body while recalling those memories from 20 years ago. “The contrast in those two things was so overwhelming,” Mitchell said. “It just brought tears to my eyes with joy inside. I knew deep down inside of my heart this was something so special that I would not ever forget it. I knew I was going to remember where I was, regardless of where I was in my life or how I felt at that time.” The New Orleans Saints will play the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night, an homage to the original “Domecoming” game featuring the same rival clubs that played 20 years ago last week. The game, and what transpired in it, represents arguably the most iconic moment in franchise history. Domecoming isn’t just Saints lore. It is one of those moments in space and time that still resides under their skin. It is fresh and visceral after all these years. They can still see the banner drop and feel the goosebumps on their arms. They can still smell the new paint and feel the dust in the bathroom from the freshly installed sheetrock. “It smelled like paint, like a new build,” said Shannon Ockman, the president of the Touchdown Club of New Orleans. “We were all familiar with those smells because we were all rebuilding in some capacity. “... You knew when you were walking in that people had suffered there, greatly. You were wondering how it was going to feel when you walked in. But it just reminded you — at home, I’m suffering. My house is gutted, my house is freshly painted, I got a new roof, I’ve got building supplies all over my back porch right now. We’re all in this together, you know?” Here are their recollections from that day, and the meaning they took away from it.

up the middle was followed by a 17-yard completion to tight end Caden Jensen to reach the 40. The drive stalled, and Arkansas State dominated the rest of the first half. First, the Red Wolves marched 76 yards on 14 plays in 6:40 but settled for a 25-yard field goal by Van Andel with 5:27 left in the second quarter. The Red Wolves defense continued to find answers for the UL offense by forcing a three-andout when a 10-yard completion to Strother was overturned by replay. Arkansas State took full advantage with a 10-play, 68-yard drive in 2:39 to take its first lead of the game. A 24-yarder completion to Hunter Summers set up a 21-yard TD toss to Jaylen Bonelli with 31 seconds left until intermission. The second quarter began with UL owning a 158-57 edge in total yards, but the Red Wolves took a 201-164 cushion into halftime. The Red Wolves were 4 of 8 on third down in the first half, compared to 1 of 3 for UL.

PROVIDED PHOTO By LEROy MITCHELL

Leroy Mitchell, who attends New Orleans Saints games under his ‘Whistle Monsta’ persona, wore a tuxedo to the Saints’ game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 25, 2006.

he packed up and evacuated to Florida days before the storm arrived, the whistle was not one of the things he took with him. When he got into his car to drive east, the whistle was back in his home, resting on top of a table. Mitchell knew he was in trouble when, searching for information about his neighborhood, he saw an image of water obscuring most of Parkway Bakery’s front door. He lost most of his possessions in the storm, but not all. When an upstairs neighbor saw water coming into Mitchell’s home, he went inside to grab some of Mitchell’s belongings. One of the things that neighbor gathered was the whistle. It was partially submerged in the ﬂood. Mitchell eventually got it back and gifted it to his daughter. The water line is still visible. He remembers watching the Saints that year from Florida, and he still gets emotional thinking about how those games made him, for at least a few hours, feel connected to all the other displaced New Orleanians during an otherwise trying time. “We already knew before Katrina how the fans felt about this city and the team, the relationship that they have, and that just solidified it for me when I was displaced,” Mitchell said. “When the game came on, there was a calmness, and I felt other fans in other states. I felt like we were all pulling that rope in tug of war in the same direction. Even though, when it wasn’t a game, it felt like we were pulling in different directions.”

SHANNON OCKMAN • Touchdown Club of New Orleans president Ockman’s ﬁrst game as a seasonticket holder — Section 138, row 6 — was the Domecoming game, but Saints Sundays had been a part of her life for a long time. She was born and raised in New Orleans and describes herself as someone who had to be “rolled down the ramps in the Dome” in a stroller during the 70s. Going into that night, she knew it was going to be different. “It was like a high school reunion where we were all getting back home,” Ockman said. “You just knew that night was going to be bigger than whatever football game was going to be played. We’re going to get our voices back after listening to months of political debate about, ‘Should NOLA

HARRY CONNICK JR. • Musician “I was at that game. It is one of my favorite memories of all time. I remember that play. I remember the feeling I got, which was so past football. We all shared that sentiment. I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that the Saints were the reason that New Orleans started to rebuild. That game in particular was the turning point for New Orleans. The Saints buoyed us through that time.”

FRANK BRIGTSEN • Restauranteur “There was so much uncertainty around our recovery at the time. We desperately needed something. We didn’t know what it was. But when that play happened, we knew that was it. It left us all tingling with excitement and hope and conﬁdence that if that can happen, anything can happen. It was a pivotal moment in New Orleans history. We all felt it. We still feel it. We revere Steve Gleason for giving us that moment.”

HELENA MORENO • Former WDSU anchor, current New Orleans mayor

Cowboys receiver a pair of scores separated by 76 seconds. Even with the second-half lull, the final totals reflected LSU’s ease of victory. The Tigers outgained the Cowboys 731-196. LSU totaled 37 first downs to McNeese’s six. Saturday’s victory marked the most points LSU had scored since a 72-0 win over Grambling on Sept. 9, 2023, and it set a record for offensive plays with 101. Landen Clark relieved Leavitt and completed 7-of-16 passing for 126 yards, and he added a 3-yard touchdown run. Husan Longstreet entered late in the third quarter, both as a quarterback and a punt returner. He completed 6 of 9 for 62 yards. Email Jon Blau at jon.blau@theadvocate.com

gear. I did live shots outside the Superdome, and you could feel that this was about so much more than football. After everything our city had endured, Domecoming was a powerful sign that New Orleans was coming back, that we would rebuild, that our spirit could not be broken and that New Orleans could never be destroyed. I wasn’t able to be inside the Dome that night, so I watched the game on television, and I remember the happy tears. When Steve Gleason blocked that punt and the Dome erupted, it felt like an entire city was releasing everything we had carried since Katrina. Twenty years later, that night still represents the resilience, determination and unbreakable spirit of the people of New Orleans.”

DEANNA GAUTREAUX • Saints season-ticket holder Gautreaux will be there this Monday, her 60th season as a Saints season-ticket holder. She and her husband bought season tickets as recent high school graduates for the inaugural season along with 14 other friends. For that Domecoming game, only 12 of that group remained. When the 77-year-old Gautreaux attends Monday’s game, she will do so as the last surviving member of that friend group. The things that linger with her for 20 years are the noise, both outside and inside the Superdome, and the way her hands hurt from clapping so hard. But it was also the togetherness of the moment. “When you went in, it was just unbelievable,” Gautreaux said. “You got to see all your old friends, the people you sit around, because that’s what makes the game — the people that you sit around, that you’re friends with, that you see every week. “It was just unbelievably loud, and it was just a good feeling all over to be with the people that you know. And to go through that again after waiting and waiting and waiting, that night, I don’t think anybody sat down. We just stood up the whole time.” Those memories have become more dear as her friends and family have passed away. Her husband died last year on Christmas Day. When she goes to the games now, she thinks to herself, “Oh, I’m doing it for y’all.” “The last three or four years have been kind of bad, but I’m still hanging on like everybody else,” she said. “You know, it’s just something that you can’t — you want to be part of that number. You want to be there. You have to be there.” Staff writers Rod Walker, Keith Spera and Ian McNulty contributed to this report

“Twenty years later, I can still remember the feeling of that day. I was working the morning show as an anchor, and from the earliest hours, people were already Email Luke Johnson at ﬁlling the streets in their Saints ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

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

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PREP REWIND FIVE STARS OF THE NIGHT Thomas Carter, Loreauville Carter is emerging as one of the most consistent rushing threats in the Acadiana area. During Thursday’s 32-8 win over Abbeville, Carter exploded for 234 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries.

Keith Guillory, Lafayette Renaissance

Down 21-0 to an undefeated Lake Charles College Prep squad, Guillory ignited a dominating comeback victory by rushing for 267 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries in a 56-34 victory.

Chase Cary, Rayne The Rayne quarterback enjoyed his best game so far this season. Cary rushed for 161 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries. He also completed 5 of 7 passes for 98 more yards and two touchdowns.

Zade Prejean, Westminster-Lafayette

The Chargers’ big-play quarterback ran for 145 yards and three touchdowns on eight carries and connected on all four of his passes for 116 yards and another score.

Collin Rideau, Opelousas The Tigers senior quarterback helped Opelousas slip past Lafayette Christian 28-26 by throwing for 213 yards and a touchdown and running for 92 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries.

GAME OF THE WEEK

STM wallops Lafayette in district win BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

Before visiting Lafayette High had a chance to get settled on the field for St. Thomas More’s homecoming game Friday, the Cougars were already up by two touchdowns. And the Mighty Lions never got any closer the rest of the way, falling 42-7 in the District 3-5A contest at Cougar Stadium. “It was just good execution,” STM coach Jim Hightower said. After a 12-yard completion to William Foreman on the first play of the game, the second play was a perfectly executed hook-andlateral for a quick 7-0 lead just 34 seconds into the game. Quarterback Grayson Hemard connected with Bennett Stelly for 10 yards, then he pitched the ball to running back Landyn Craft, who raced the final 40 yards for the touchdown. “It was the first time this year,” Hightower said. “We kind of saw a soft spot there, and the execution was good.” On the third play of Lafayette’s ensuing drive, it appeared Jaden Celestine was heading for a first down when Cougars linebacker Walker Pugh just took the ball out of his hands and scampered 29 yards for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead with 9:37 left in the first quarter. “I had a blitz on the play, and then I went back to the running back and I just grabbed the ball and ran with it,” Pugh said. “I had maybe done that in practice before, but that was the first time in a game.” After forcing a three-and-out on the Lions’ next possession, Hemard hit Sawyer Watkins on a 28-yard touchdown reception for a 21-0 cushion with 6:19 left in the first frame. “He seems to handle the pressure,” Hightower said of Hemard. “He’s finding the open guys. You know, he threw some darts tonight. We threw a couple that we that we probably could have had. We’re just going to keep trying to work and get those finer points down.” Hemard settled for 5-of-16 passing for 124 yards and two touchdowns. The result of STM’s offensive attack was balanced, with seven ball carriers contributing to the 258yard rushing effort. Backup quarterback Preston

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

St. Thomas More running back Landyn Craft runs in for a touchdown during the Cougars’ 42-7 win over Lafayette High on Friday. Pellerin led the way with 72 yards and a touchdown on just six carries. The touchdown was a 29-yard keeper up the middle for a 28-0 lead with 3:15 left before halftime. That score was sandwiched in between two interceptions in the end zone by Lafayette High’s Brendan Shullaw and Alex Satchell. Six other backs had between 19 and 26 yards rushing for the Cougars, who improved to 4-1. “I think we’ve been a much more balanced offense this year,” Hightower said. “Part of that is the execution, the running backs and

the depth in that backfield. But also, we got a veteran experienced line, and they’re doing a good job of sorting things out what they’re seeing up front. So yeah, I expect us to stay balanced the rest of the way.” Defensively, the Cougars did allow an 18-play, 57-yard drive in 9:06 in the ﬁrst half, but then had to settle for missing a 40-yard ﬁeld goal. In the second half, Lafayette marched 80 yards on 12 plays for its lone score of the night — a 1-yard TD plunge by Celestine.

“The first three games, they scored a lot of points,” Pugh said of Lafayette High. “We wanted to show what our defense can do and shut them out. We did that, but we could have had zero points instead of seven. We made some mistakes and we needed to ﬁx that.” STM’s defense limited Celestine to 42 yards and a score on 15 carries, while Jaiden Portalis led the Lions (3-2) with 47 yards on eight attempts. Quarterback Richmond Saunier was 11-of-16 passing for 119 yards. Pugh said offseason training

helped contribute to his success and the defense’s progress. “I definitely got bigger during the offseason,” Pugh said. “I also got faster and stronger and I just watched ﬁlm and got smarter and played smart, because playing smart is playing good. “We really progressed from Week 1 to Week 4 (on defense). Week 2 was a really bad showing, and we’ve improved from week to week since that game.” Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.

Guillory, LRCA roar back from 21-point deﬁcit in win BY ERIC NARCISSE Staff writer

It has been said that it’s not how you start but how you finish. For Lafayette Renaissance, it wasn’t how the Tigers started but how they responded and then finished. The Tigers (3-2) overcame an early 21-point deficit Friday to defeat Lake Charles College Prep 56-34 in front of a raucous homecoming crowd. “It’s one of those wins that we have been waiting for,” Tigers coach Hunter Landry said. “We’re tired of hearing that we’ve played well against guys, so to go out and beat a quality opponent that’s going to be playing long into the season this year… I’m very happy for our kids.” It looked like the Tigers were overmatched and well on their way to being routed as the Trailblazers scored three touchdowns in the first five minutes of play. USC commit Javon Vital, who finished with eight receptions for 164 yards and rushed for 47 yards and a touchdown, scored on a 43-yard touchdown reception from Drew Vital on the fourth play of the game. After the Tigers fumbled at midfield on their first possession, the

Trailblazers extended their lead to 14-0 on a 43-yard touchdown run by Ayden Carter. After the Tigers went three and out on their next possession, Javon Vital returned the punt for a touchdown to give the Trailblazers a commanding 21-0 lead. “We just told our kids to stay in it,” Landry said. “Keep fighting and take it one play at a time. There was no one play that would be bigger than the other. They just took it one possession at a time, and once we got some things figured out offensively, we were able to put some drives together.” And maybe what the Tigers figured out was to give running back Keith Guillory, who lost the fumble on the first possession, the ball early and often. Guillory proved to be the spark the Tigers needed, as he broke tackles and made would-be tacklers miss en route to leading the charge to a comeback. The sophomore running back capped a 10-play, 70-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 21-7 with 3:23 remaining in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Guillory followed with a 77-yard TD run to pull the Tigers within seven at 2114 with 10:04 left until halftime.

FILE PHOTO By LEE BALL

Lafayette Renaissance running back Keith Guillory, center, ran for 267 yards and two touchdowns in the Tigers’ win over Lake Charles College Prep on Friday. With the defense having found its footing and forcing the Trailblazers to punt, Guillory broke loose for another 77-yard run down to Lake Charles College Prep’s 13yard line. Three plays later, Kennan Brown scored on a 5-yard run to tie the game at 21-21 with 7:18 left in the second quarter. By the time the Tigers’ rally

from a 21-0 deﬁcit was complete, LRCA had outscored the Trailblazers 49-0 to take a 49-21 lead with 4:49 left in the third quarter. Guillory said the team’s mindset was the key to their comeback. “We just stayed calm and remembered our coaches’ pregame talk,” he said. Guillory was nothing short of

spectacular, rushing for 190 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries in the first half. He finished with a game-high 267 yards on 25 carries. “Keith’s a quiet kid. He stays even-keeled,” Landry said. “It starts up front. The big guys did a great job of opening some lanes for him, and when he saw a little bit of daylight, he took it. He knows what to do with the ball in his hands, and our receivers did a good job of blocking on the perimeter.” The Tigers’ offensive line paved the way for LRCA to record 575 yards of total offense, including 416 yards on the ground. Brown, the senior quarterback, displayed his ability as a runner, as well. Brown rushed for 134 yards and a touchdown in 16 carries, while also completing 10 of 16 passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, the Tigers were led by Z’mari Pappillion and Ansinneo Charles, who each had a sack, while Dailon Johnson returned a punt for a touchdown and had an interception. “Hats off to our defensive staff,” Landry said. “To go down 21-0, it could have gone south really quick. But they kept the guys in it, they kept them fighting and we made them earn everything.”

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, October 4, 2026 ● 5C

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PREP REWIND Erath’s explosive offense overpowers North Vermilion

WEEK 5 SUMMARIES

Acadiana 56, New Iberia 7 Team NISH ACAD First Downs 3 17 Yards Rushing -2 315 Yards Passing 123 46 Passes (C-A-HI) 10-22-0 3-6-0 Punts-avg. 6-25 0-0 Fumbles-lost 1-0 0-0 Penalties-yards 2-10 3-5 SCORING SUMMARY New Iberia 0 0 0 7 —7 Acadiana 28 14 7 7 —56 ACAD — Syrian Joseph 15 run (Kick failed) ACAD — Joseph 17 run (Josh Marquez kick) ACAD — Joseph 60 run (Marquez kick) ACAD — James Brown 6 run (Ashton Fontenot run) ACAD — Ashton Barras 5 run (Marquez kick) ACAD — Kacynn Ollison 20 pass from Cohen DiBetta (Marquez kick) ACAD — Javion Rideaux 38 run (Marquez kick) ACAD — Ashton Barras 1 run (Marquez kick) NISH — Shawn Vincent 47 run (Kick failed)

BY MIKE COPPAGE Contributing writer

Erath High scored three straight touchdowns over one stretch that kept the Bobcats comfortably ahead of visiting North Vermilion in a nondistrict parish rivalry game on Friday. The Bobcats (3-2), who never trailed in the 45-20 win, extended a seven-point lead to 42-14 on two TD passes from quarterback Landen DeRouen to Carter Champagne and a run by DeRouen. Two of the scores came during the final four minutes of the first half. DeRouen connected with Champagne from 30 yards away, the defense forced a three-andout and the senior quarterback tacked on a 4-yard keeper for a 35-14 lead at the half. “You’re talking about a kid who is a two-way starter,” coach Eric LeBlanc said of Champagne, who scored another TD by taking a direct snap at the NVHS 6 for a 14-7 lead with 1:03 to go in the first quarter. “He doesn’t come off the field. He’s blocking his tail off, and he starts at safety.” DeRouen completed 11 of 15 passes for 150 yards and rushed for 78 yards on 14 carries. He also recovered a muffed punt that set up the touchdown run by Champagne, who caught five passes for 103 yards. “It’s great to know I’m one of the guys who can get it through the line,” Champagne said of his rushing score. Ean LeBlanc (16 carries, 87 yards) ran for two of the Bobcats’ first three TDs. His 1-yard run opened the scoring at the 8:22 mark of the first quarter. “We have another package that has Ean taking direct snaps,” LeBlanc said. “We have a lot of guys who work hard. Our offensive line play was great. I think we probably rushed for 250 yards.” Andrew Barras kicked a 35yard field goal for the Bobcats, who also got 63 yards rushing on nine carries from Isaiah Meadows. Connor Toups added 51 yards on eight touches. “We made too many mistakes to

Lafayette Renaissance 56, Lake Charles College Prep 34

Team LCCP LRCA First Downs 15 21 Yards Rushing 28-142 52-416 Yards Passing 316 159 Passes (C-A-HI) 18-25-1 11-17-0 Punts-avg. 3-29.6 1-29 Fumbles-lost 1-1 2-1 Penalties-yards 9-73 10-62 SCORING SUMMARY LCCP 21 0 7 6 —34 LRCA 7 28 21 0 —56 LCCP — Javon Vital 43 pass from Dylen Vital (Jarnell Jenks kick) LCCP — Ayden Carter 43 run (Jenks kick) LCCP — D. Vital 65 punt return (Jenks kick) LRCA — Keith Guillory 1 run (Jayden Zeno kick) LRCA — Guillory 77 run (Zeno kick) LRCA — Kennan Brown 5 run (Zeno kick) LRCA — Brenden Miles 52 pass from Brown (Zeno kick) LRCA — Jaymien Zenon 1 run (Zeno kick) LRCA — Ashton Joseph 25 pass from Brown (Zeno kick) LRCA — Dailon Johnson 42 punt return (Zeno kick) LCCP — Kylon Guillory 18 run (Jenks kick) LRCA — Ma’Kye Andrus 1 run (Zeno kick) LCCP — J. Vital 1 run (Kick blocked)

Loreauville 32, Abbeville 8

PHOTO By LEE BALL

Ean LeBlanc celebrates an Erath touchdown during the Bobcats’ win over North Vermilion on Friday. beat a good football team,” NVHS coach Roderick Moy said. “We did what we wanted to do throwing the football. We did not do a good enough job running the ball and being balanced.” The Patriots (4-1) scored on an 86-yard pass from Jaxsen Frederick to Jackson Semien to tie it at 7-7 and cut the deficit to 21-14 on a 76-yarder from Frederick to Jayden Mitchell midway through the second quarter. Frederick completed 10 of 18 passes for 298 yards, with Semien catching five for 187 yards. The Patriots, who ran 16 plays in the first half compared to 40 for the Bobcats, got a combined 73 yards rushing on 17 carries from Avery Stutes and Gage Wise.

Stutes ran for a touchdown in the third quarter. “Erath did a good job shutting down the run in the ﬁrst half, and I think that was the difference,” Moy said. “To be successful, we have to be able to run it and throw it.” North Vermilion, which has four home games over the next five weeks, hosts Glen Oaks of Baton Rouge next week. The Patriots will be at home against district heavyweights Leesville and Lake Charles College Prep. Erath travels to Class 4A Lakeshore next week before hosting Marksville (5-0), which is No. 1 in the Division III nonselect power ratings.

Eunice survives Church Point BY RHETT MANUEL Contributing writer

For four weeks, the Eunice Bobcats had faced very little resistance. Then, an old rival came into town looking to spoil homecoming on Friday — the Church Point Bears. But Bobcats coach Andre Vige had an intuition about his defense and its ability to generate turnovers during practice this week. After the Bobcats jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead, Church Point swung back and gave Eunice everything it had before junior cornerback Xavier Malveaux nabbed a 56-yard pick-six with 8:22 remaining Malveaux in the game. The score allowed the No. 9 Bobcats enough breathing room to win a 35-33 barnburner and keep their perfect season alive. It was another takeaway for a Eunice (5-0) team that has made the turnover battle its calling card this season. Although the Bobcats didn’t win the plus-minus battle against the Bears, they got the one that mattered most in a key spot. “He’s having a sensational year for us,” Vige said of Malveaux. “That’s his fourth interception in ﬁve games. It was a heck of a play, and I’d joked with (defensive coordinator Trenon) Trosclair that I thought (Malveaux)

was going to get a pick-six this week. It was the turning point in the game for us.” Whether it’s luck or resilience, it was the type of play that swings nip-tuck football games. “Big games like this come down to like four or ﬁve plays,” Church Point coach Rob Pool said. “You never know when they’re going to happen. (Eunice) made them tonight and we didn’t. “I thought our kids played with effort and didn’t quit. But we’ve got to do a better job when we fall behind.” Church Point battled back into a 21-14 halftime lead after Eunice ﬂew out the gates with an 83-yard completion from quarterback Beau Brown to Brighton Laday that set up the game’s opening touchdown, a 2-yard sneak by Brown with 9:26 left in the opening quarter. The Bobcats, who have used a two-quarterback system all season with Brown and fellow junior Isaiah Joseph, set up a second touchdown when Joseph connected with Laday on a 23-yard pass to set up another Brown sneak to stretch Eunice’s lead to 14-0. Church Point didn’t fold. Instead, it gave Eunice its hardest punch it had seen all year with a 21-point second quarter in which Blathon Citizen rushed for a pair of touchdowns and gave his team a 21-14 halftime lead. Coming out of the locker room, Church Point (3-2) forced a second Brown interception when Kylen Monroe jumped a route to potentially extend the Bear lead.

When the drive stalled, it gave the Bobcats life when Joseph sneaked the ball in from 4 yards out to tie the game with 4:44 left in the third quarter. “The ﬁrst drive of the second half is a big deal for us,” Pool said. “We got a stop but then went three-and-out. We’ve got to string some plays together and get out of the shadow of the goalpost.” When Church Point adjusted to Eunice’s bread-and-butter plays, Vige and staff looked at ﬁlm at halftime and made a key adjustment in moving to a counterbased offense. “We looked at it in the locker room and thought we could do some damage with it,” Vige said. That adjustment proved crucial, as senior running back Devontre Williams found several chunk runs that gave Eunice momentum and kept drives alive. “We knew they thrived on the buck sweep and jet plays,” Pool said. “They’ve killed teams all year with it. We did a good job with those, but they killed us with the counters tonight.” After losing 13 games the past two seasons, and several by one score, the Bobcats were maybe overdue to win a close one like Friday’s game. “We kept our composure tonight,” Vige said. “You heard our older guys encouraging at halftime. There was another half to play. They didn’t panic and did what they were supposed to do. We wouldn’t have had that resilience in past years, but we found it tonight.”

WEEK 6 SCHEDULE Thursday’s games

Friday’s games

Rayne (2-3) at Leesville (4-1) Northside (1-4) at Lafayette Renaissance (3-2) Livonia (1-3) at Beau Chene (5-0) Eunice (5-0) at Ville Platte (0-5) Northwest (3-2) at Mamou (2-3) Opelousas Catholic (1-4) at JS Clark (3-2) Ascension Episcopal (3-2) at WestminsterLafayette (5-0) Vermilion Catholic (0-5) at Central Catholic (3-2)

Acadiana (4-1) at Barbe (5-0) Sam Houston (2-3) at Lafayette (3-2) St. Thomas More (4-1) at New Iberia (1-4) Teurlings (0-5) at Acadiana Renaissance (2-3) West St. Mary (3-2) at Lafayette Christian (3-2) Sulphur (4-1) at Southside (2-3) Glen Oaks (1-4) at North Vermilion (4-1) Cecilia (3-2) at Breaux Bridge (0-5) Carencro (1-4) at Opelousas (4-1)

Menard (0-5) at Church Point (3-2) Crowley (2-3) at Iota (1-4) Abbeville (2-3) at Notre Dame (5-0) Erath (3-2) at Lakeshore (2-3) University Lab (3-2) at Kaplan (4-1) Woodlawn-BR (3-2) at St. Martinville (2-3) Delcambre (5-0) at Catholic-NI (3-2) Franklin (3-1) at Loreauville (3-2) Sacred Heart (5-0) at St. Edmund (3-2) Westminster (2-3) at Berchmans (2-3) Jeanerette (2-2) at Port Barre (0-5)

Team LOR ABB First Downs 16 10 Yards Rushing 320 137 Yards Passing 78 27 Passes (C-A-HI) 2-7-0 2-3-0 Punts-avg. n/a n/a Fumbles-lost 1-1 3-3 Penalties-yards 4-20 2-20 SCORING SUMMARY Loreauville 12 0 14 6 —32 Abbeville 8 0 0 0 —8 ABB — Raylon Boudreaux 1 run (conversion good) LOR — Thomas Carter 7 run (run failed) LOR — Wyatt Hazelwood 7 run (run failed) LOR — Carter 34 run (Andrew Chambers kick) LOR — Deuce Lewis 71 pass from Hazelwood (Chambers kick) LOR — Carter 10 run (kick failed)

Northwest 23, Iota 14

Team IOTA NWEST First Downs 4 13 Yards Rushing 46 133 Yards Passing 76 125 Passes (C-A-HI) 8-20-1 9-21-0 Punts-avg. 7-41 5-36 Fumbles-lost 3-3 1-1 Penalties-yards 3-15 8-97 SCORING SUMMARY Iota 0 0 14 0 —14 Northwest 7 3 6 7 —23 NWEST — Frederick Nimer 11 run (Gavon Fontenot kick) NWEST — Fontenot FG NWEST — Nimer 1 run (kick failed) IOTA — 2 run (conversion failed) IOTA — 37 run (conversion good) NWEST — Nimer 1 run (Fontenot kick)

Notre Dame 27, Cecilia 24

Team CEC NDHS First Downs 11 15 Yards Rushing 33-236 42-260 Yards Passing 85 63 Passes (C-A-HI) 8-19-1 3-9-0 Punts-avg. 2-26 4-30.2 Fumbles-lost 2-1 3-2 Penalties-yards 7-45 9-55 SCORING SUMMARY Cecilia 7 0 0 14 —21 Notre Dame 10 7 0 7 —24 CEC — Braylon Calais 46 fumble return (Aiden Landry kick) NDHS — Braxton Meche 50 run (Ty Savant kick) NDHS — Savant 25 FG NDHS — Luke Frank 43 pass from Parker Menard (Savant kick) CEC — Calais 33 run (Landry kick) NDHS — Menard 2 run (Savant kick) CEC — Calais 64 run (Landry kick)

Opelousas 28, Lafayette Christian 26

Team LCA OPEL First Downs 8 20 Yards Rushing 118 191 Yards Passing 41 213 Passes (C-A-HI) 5-9-4 8-25-1 Punts-avg. 3-51.5 4-23.3 Fumbles-lost 1-1 0-0 Penalties-yards 8-85 12-100 SCORING SUMMARY Lafayette Christian 13 0 0 13 —26 Opelousas 6 8 6 8 —28 OPEL — Collin Rideau 4 run (run failed) LCA — Sky Ryan 85 Kickoff return (Jude Fairchild kick) LCA — Wyatt Whitney 24 pass from Ty Hill (kick failed) OPEL — Jayden Owens 25 pass from Rideau (Marley Richard pass from Rideau) OPEL — Joseph Clue 25 run (run failed) OPEL — Safety OPEL — Rideau 9 run (run failed) LCA — Kyzer White 63 run (Fairchild kick) LCA — Kale Simon 29 INT return (run failed)

Rayne 35, Mamou 21 Team First Downs

MAM 11

RAY 17

Yards Rushing 105 261 Yards Passing 79 98 Passes (C-A-HI) 3-8-0 5-7-0 Punts-avg. n/a n/a Fumbles-lost 2-2 1-1 Penalties-yards 6-34 12-98 SCORING SUMMARY Mamou 0 6 15 0 —21 Rayne 6 16 6 7 —35 RAY — Chase Cary 6 run (kick failed) RAY — Syncere Smith 22 pass from Cary (Cary run) MAM — Kevin Jason 38 run (kick failed) RAY — Cary 1 run (Smith pass from Cary) MAM — Branigan Berzas 1 run (Kevin Jason pass from Berzas) RAY — Smith 41 pass from Cary (kick failed) MAM — Zamaurri Brown 3 run (Tom Hausch kick) RAY — Cary 3 run (Austin Goins kick)

Sam Houston 28, Southside 14 Team SSIDE SH First Downs 19 14 Yards Rushing 258 271 Yards Passing 150 129 Passes (C-A-HI) 11-24-1 5-9-0 Punts-avg. 4-41.8 5-46.6 Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0 Penalties-yards 4-29 3-30 SCORING SUMMARY Southside 0 7 0 7 —14 Sam Houston 14 7 7 0 —28 SH — Drake Johnson 29 pass from Brody Anderson (Brycen Kayode kick) SH — Markeithon Simon 18 run (Kayode kick) SSIDE — Parker Dies 35 run (Jackson Fontenot kick) SH — Simon 3 run (Kayode kick) SH — Anderson 13 ru n (Kayode kick) SSIDE — Kollen Francois 24 pass from Jayden Moncrieffe (Fontenot kick)

St. Edmund 56, North Central 6 Team STE NC First Downs 18 5 Yards Rushing 91 19 Yards Passing 255 58 Passes (C-A-HI) 16-19-0 4-13-2 Punts-avg. 0-0 2-29.5 Fumbles-lost 0-0 5-0 Penalties-yards 6-26 7-71 SCORING SUMMARY St. Edmund 14 22 14 6 —56 North Central 0 0 0 6 —6 STE — Cooper Berzas 10 run (run failed) STE — Berzas 25 INT return (Bryer Guillory pass from Camdyn Loewer) STE — Guillory 23 pass from Loewer (Nathan Driggs run) STE — Loewer 3 run (pass failed) STE — Guillory 25 pass from Loewer (Loewer run) STE — Safety STE — Jackson Landry 30 pass from Loewer (run failed) STE — Xander Langlinais 20 pass from Trip Fontenot (run failed) NC — Deontre Jackson 20 run (run failed) STE — Fontenot 1 run (run failed)

St. Thomas More 42, Lafayette 7 Team LAF STM First Downs 13 19 Yards Rushing 88 258 Yards Passing 130 124 Passes (C-A-HI) 12-17-0 5-17-3 Punts-avg. 2-26.5 0-0 Fumbles-lost 3-0 1-0 Penalties-yards 5-40 5-50 SCORING SUMMARY Lafayette 0 0 7 0 —7 St. Thomas More 21 7 7 7 —42 STM — Landyn Craft 40 lateral pass from Bennett Stelly (Jack Fontenot kick) STM — Walker Pugh 29 fumble return (Fontenot kick) STM — Sawyer Watkins 28 pass from Grayson Hernard (Fontenot kick) STM — Preston Pellerin 29 run (Fontenot kick) STM — Conner Baer 20 run (Pierce Perret kick) LAF — Jaden Celestine 1 run (Damian Rubio kick) STM — James Lyons 5 run (Fontenot kick)

Westgate 43, Carencro 0 Team CAR WGATE First Downs 7 14 Yards Rushing 25 207 Yards Passing 22 142 Passes (C-A-HI) 2-3-0 8-11-0 Punts-avg. 3-26.66 1-31 Fumbles-lost 3-2 0-0 Penalties-yards 10-82 12-128 SCORING SUMMARY Carencro 0 0 0 0 —0 Westgate 21 8 14 0 —43 WGATE — Joshua John 32 pass from Noah Antoine (kick failed) WGATE — Cayden Lancelin 23 pass from Antoine (John run) WGATE — Lancelin 29 pass from Antoine (Lewald Vallot kick) WGATE — John 10 run (John run) WGATE — Laiken Hypolite 47 run (Vallot kick) WGATE — Zyier Stokes 52 run (Vallot kick)

Westminster-Lafayette 55, Vermilion Catholic 25 Team WCAL VC First Downs 27 9 Yards Rushing 383 65 Yards Passing 116 182 Passes (C-A-HI) 4-4-0 5-11-1 Punts-avg. 0-0 3-27.3 Fumbles-lost 2-0 0-0 Penalties-yards 7-52 0-0 SCORING SUMMARY Westminster-Lafayette 7 28 7 13 —55 Vermilion Catholic 6 0 6 13 —25 WCAL — Andre Greene 4 run (Zade Prejean kick) VC — Trevin Hebert 7 pass from Cruz Hebert (Kick failed) WCAL — Zade Prejean 43 run (Prejean kick) WCAL — Pierce Gable 35 run (Prejean kick) WCAL — Prejean 59 run (Prejean kick) WCAL — Gable 28 int. return (Prejean kick) WCAL — Graham Hebert 59 pass from Prejean (Prejean kick) VC — Hebert 8 pass from Beckett Brantley (Kick blocked) WCAL — Ethan Simon 3 run (Prejean kick) VC — Hebert 53 pass from Brantley (Pass failed) WCAL — Prejean 7 run (Kick failed) VC — Brantley 2 run (Henry Bertrand kick)

FRIDAY’S SCORES Abramson 32, Varnado 6 Acadiana Renaissance 21, Breaux Bridge 14 Alexandria 51, Liberty 6 Airline 32, Natchitoches Central 29 Ascension Catholic 51, Assumption 8 Ascension Episcopal 47, Centerville 0 Avoyelles 52, Block 0 B.T. Washington 54, Lincoln Prep 6 Barbe 59, Sulphur 7 Basile 34, Oberlin 0 Bastrop 48, General Trass 36 Baton Rouge Episcopal 16, Albany 2 Beau Chene 34, East Beauregard 26 Beekman 56, Madison 0 Ben Franklin 54, Springﬁeld 30 Benton 31, C.E. Byrd 28 Bossier 34, Southwood 12 Bunkie 52, Kinder 15 Caldwell Parish 48, St. Frederick 21 Calvary Baptist 52, Loyola Prep 24 Catholic High 37, Madison-Ridgeland 14 Cedar Creek 22, North Webster 21 Central 42, Ouachita Parish 21 De La Salle 57, Willow School 18 DeRidder 48, Westlake 15 Delta Charter 50, Delhi Charter 15 Destrehan 36, East St. John 0 Dutchtown 9, Prairieville 6 East Ascension 28, Walker 24 East Feliciana 30, Parkview Baptist 20 Episcopal 16, Albany 2 Erath 45, North Vermilion 20 Eunice 35, Church Point 33 Evangel Christian 46, Captain Shreve 0 Franklin Parish 38, Huntington 36 Glenbrook 57, North Caddo 33 Hannan 38, St. Thomas Aquinas 14 Independence 39, Istrouma 30 Iowa 41, South Beauregard 7 Jeanerette 68, Hanson Memorial 0 Jennings 48, Washington-Marion 15 Jesuit 33, Holy Cross 6 Jonesboro-Hodge 38, Arcadia 18

Kaplan 48, St. Louis 23 Karr 25, Brother Martin 21 LaSalle 38, Montgomery 36 Lafayette Renaissance 56, LCCP 34 Lake Arthur 50, Covenant Christian 20 Lakeside 40, Plain Dealing 0 Leesville 37, Many 15 Lutcher 54, Franklinton 41 Mangham 40, West Ouachita 21 Marksville 54, Pineville 43 Minden 21, Woodlawn (SH) 14 Neville 10, West Monroe 0 Catholic-New Iberia 31, Catholic-PC 6 North DeSoto 56, Shreveport Northwood 13 Northeast 36, Capitol 10 Northwest 23, Iota 14 Opelousas 28, Lafayette Christian 26 Parklane Aca., Miss. 37, Dunham 7 Plaquemine 42, Brusly 36 Port Allen 26, Glen Oaks 20 Rayne 35, Mamou 21 Rayville 38, Magnolia Excellence 0 Red River 30, Logansport 24 Richwood 61, Lakeview 6 Rosepine 59, Delhi 12 Sam Houston 28, Southside 14 Southern Lab 62, East Iberville 6 St. Charles Catholic 33, Riverside 23 St. James 42, L.B. Landry 6 St. John 28, White Castle 0 St. Martin’s 56, Thomas Jefferson 24 St. Mary’s 23, Winnﬁeld 14 St. Thomas More 42, Lafayette 7 Sterlington 57, Oak Grove 34 University 28, Teurlings Catholic 7 Vidalia 46, D’Arbonne Woods 13 Vinton 56, LaGrange 6 Welsh 44, DeQuincy 7 West Feliciana 40, St. Helena 0 Westminster Christian 7, Opelousas Catholic 0 Woodlawn (BR) 14, Donaldsonville 13 Zachary 56, St. Amant 28

6C ● Sunday, October 4, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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MLB POSTSEASON ROUNDUP

Dodgers’ Skubal dominates in NLDS opener The Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Tarik Skubal tossed six dominant innings in triple-digit heat, Teoscar Hernández, Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy homered, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 5-3 in Game 1 of their NL Division Series on Saturday. Skubal, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, allowed one run and two hits, struck out seven and walked two while starting a postseason game at home for the ﬁrst time in his career. His previous playoff starts were all on the road for the Detroit Tigers, who traded him to the two-time defending World Series champions just before the Aug. 3 deadline. Skubal’s 63 strikeouts are the second-most in a pitcher’s first seven postseason appearances behind Bob Gibson’s 74. Hernández and Tucker each hit a two-run homer against the Braves’ bullpen. Atlanta’s rotation got upended during its three-game NL Wild Card Series win over Philadelphia, with the Braves using ace Chris Sale in relief in the deciding game. The Braves managed just four hits. Sean Murphy’s twostrike, 421-foot homer leading off the sixth left them trailing 2-1. Ronald Acuña singled leading off the ninth against re-

ASSOCIATED PRESS MARK J. TERRILL

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal works against an Atlanta Braves batter during the first inning of Game 1 of a National League Division Series on Saturday in Los Angeles. liever Tanner Scott, who then served up a 432-foot homer to Ozzie Albies, cutting the lead to 5-3. Scott then got two outs before Evan Phillips induced a groundout by Austin Riley with a runner aboard to earn

the save. Braves starter Dylan Dodd tossed three scoreless innings and gave up only singles to Shohei Ohtani in the ﬁrst and Mookie Betts in the third. The Dodgers broke through

against Atlanta’s bullpen in the fourth. Losing pitcher Victor Mederos walked Freddie Freeman before serving up Hernández’s 431-foot shot to left-center, making it 2-0. Still bothered by nagging arm and knee issues, Ohtani batted second behind Betts and lined to second with a runner on to end the third and ﬂied out with a runner on in the ﬁfth. Tucker went deep in the sixth and Muncy added a solo shot off AJ Smith-Shawver two batters later, extending the lead to 5-1. WHITE SOX 3, GUARDIANS 0: In Cleveland, Munetaka Murakami hit a two-run homer, five Chicago pitchers combined for a threehitter and the White Sox beat the Cleveland Guardians in Game 1 of their AL Division Series on Saturday. Colson Montgomery added an RBI double for the White Sox, who have won nine of their last 11 games dating back to the regular season. Chicago advanced to the division series after sweeping Houston in the wild card series. Cleveland — which won its third straight AL Central title by one game over the White Sox — had the bases loaded with two outs the third and fourth innings, but couldn’t get any runs across. The White Sox went with a bull-

pen game for the second time in three postseason contests. It worked again as the pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts. Bryan Hudson (1-0) got the win and Grant Taylor got the save, going four innings and striking out six while allowing two hits. Starter Hagen Smith retired the first eight Cleveland hitters before walking Brayan Rocchio, Steven Kwan and José Ramírez to load the bases with two outs in the third. Bryan Hudson came in and got Chase DeLauter to line out to left. The Guardians didn’t get their first hit until Travis Bazzana’s line-drive double down the right-field line with two outs in the fourth. Austin Hedges drew a walk to load the bases again before Rocchio lined out to right. After Miguel Vargas lined a base hit to left to lead off the fourth, Murakami drove a first-pitch elevated sinker 440 feet into the rightfield stands for his first postseason home run. Montgomery extended the advantage to 3-0 in the seventh with a double down the left-field line to drive in Kyle Teel. Cleveland starter Parker Messick (0-1) allowed two runs on four hits in 4 1/ 3 innings. The rookie lefthander struck out six and walked two.

SCOREBOARD Odds

Las Vegas Denver L.A. Chargers

Sports Betting Line NFL

East

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG Indianapolis 1½ 4½ (46½) at WASH LA Rams 2½ 3½ (42½) at PHILA Green Bay 1½ 3½ (39½) at TAMPA at CHICAGO 8½ 3½ (43½) NY Jets at CINCINNATI 2½ 2½ (51½) Jax at BUFFALO 3 6½ (49½) New Eng Arizona 7 2½ (44½) at GIANTS at BALTIMORE 8½ 11½ (42½) Tennessee at HOUSTON 2½ 3 (48½) Dallas at MINNESOTA 7½ 9½ (38½) Miami Kansas City 5½ 4½ (47½) at VEGAS at SEATTLE 3 7 (42½)LA Chargers at SAN FRAN 2½ 2½ (48½) Denver Detroit 3 3½ (51) at CAR

Monday

MLB

OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG 2½ 2½ (48) Atlanta

Sunday

National League FAVORITE LINE at MILWAUKEE -215 at LA DODGERS OFF

NHL

Sunday

FAVORITE LINE at DETROIT -115 at N.Y RANGERS -143 at SEATTLE -144 Florida -139 Vegas -239

UNDERDOG San Diego Atlanta

LINE +174 OFF

UNDERDOG Winnipeg Utah Calgary at ANAHEIM at VANCUVER

LINE -107 +117 +119 +115 +190

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

New York 2, Minnesota 0

Golden State 2, Dallas 1

Sunday, September 27: Golden State 104, Dallas 80 Wednesday, September 30: Dallas 108, Golden State 100, OT Friday, October 2: Golden State 77, Dallas 73

Las Vegas 2, Indiana 1

Sunday, September 27: Las Vegas 102, Indiana 85 Tuesday, September 29: Indiana 99, Las Vegas 89 Thursday, October 1: Las Vegas 94, Indiana 83

Atlanta 2, Washington 0

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

Sunday, October 4: Las Vegas at Golden State, 3 p.m. Wednesday, October 7: Las Vegas at Golden State, 8:30 p.m. Friday, October 9: Golden State at Las Vegas, 8:30 p.m. x-Sunday, October 11: Golden State at Las Vegas, TBA x-Wednesday, October 14: Las Vegas at Golden State, TBA

No. 4 Atlanta vs. No. 8 New York

Sunday, October 4: New York at Atlanta, 1 p.m. Wednesday, October 7: New York at Atlanta, 6:30 p.m. Friday, October 9: Atlanta at New York, 6:30 p.m. x-Sunday, October 11: Atlanta at New York, TBA x-Wednesday, October 14: New York at Atlanta, TBA

NFL Glance AMERICAN CONFERENCE 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

Cleveland Baltimore Cincinnati Pittsburgh

W 3 2 2 2

L 1 1 1 2

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .750 .667 .667 .500

PF 81 92 80 77

PA 95 78 63 87

Kansas City

W 3

L 0

T Pct 0 1.000

PF 88

PA 50

West

54 70 76

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

W San Francisco 3 Seattle 2 L.A. Rams 1 Arizona 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 Sunday’s Games

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

Major League Baseball MLB Postseason Glance x-if necessary

DIVISION SERIES

(Best-of-5) x-if necessary

American League

(TBS, TruTV, HBO Max)

Chicago White Sox 1, Cleveland 0

Saturday, Oct. 3: Chicago White Sox 3, Cleveland 0 Monday, Oct. 5: Chicago White Sox at Cleveland (Williams 14-8), 4 p.m. (TBS/TruTV/ HBO Max) Wednesday, Oct. 7: Cleveland at Chicago White Sox, 4 p.m. (TBS/TruTV/HBO Max) x-Thursday, Oct. 8: Cleveland at Chicago White Sox, 5 p.m. (TBS/TruTV/HBO Max) x-Saturday, Oct. 10: Chicago White Sox at Cleveland, 5 p.m. (TBS/TruTV/HBO Max) Saturday, Oct. 3: N.Y. Yankees at Tampa Bay, n Monday, Oct. 5: N.Y. Yankees (Schlittler 14-6) at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m. (TBS/TruTV/HBO Max) Wednesday, Oct. 7: Tampa Bay at N.Y. Yankees, 8 p.m. (TBS/TruTV/HBO Max) x-Thursday, Oct. 8: Tampa Bay at N.Y. Yankees, 8 p.m. (TBS/TruTV/HBO Max) x-Saturday, Oct. 10: N.Y. Yankees at Tampa Bay, 8 p.m. (TBS/TruTV/HBO Max)

National League (FOX, FS1)

L.A. Dodgers vs. Atlanta

Saturday, Oct. 3: Atlanta at L.A. Dodgers (Skubal 12-7), n Sunday, Oct. 4: Atlanta at L.A. Dodgers, 8 p.m. (FOX/FS1) Tuesday, Oct. 6: L.A. Dodgers at Atlanta, 6 p.m. (FOX/FS1) x-Wednesday, Oct. 7: L.A. Dodgers at Atlanta, 6 p.m. (FOX/FS1) x-Friday, Oct. 9: Atlanta at L.A. Dodgers, 7 p.m. (FOX/FS1) Saturday, Oct. 3: San Diego (Ray 13-8) at Milwaukee (Misiorowski 16-5), 7:38 p.m. (FOX/FS1) Sunday, Oct. 4: San Diego (King 12-10) at Milwaukee (Henderson 11-3), 3 p.m. (FOX/FS1) Tuesday, Oct. 6: Milwaukee at San Diego, 9:30 p.m. (FOX/FS1) x-Wednesday, Oct. 7: Milwaukee at San Diego, 10 p.m. (FOX/FS1) x-Friday, Oct. 9: San Diego at Milwaukee, 4:30 p.m. (FOX/FS1)

Chicago White Sox 3, Cleveland 0 Chicago

Cleveland

ab r h bi Meidrth 2b 4 0 0 0 Kwan cf Grichuk lf 2 0 0 0 Ramírez 3b Peters ph-lf 2 0 1 0 DeLauter rf Vargas 3b 2 1 1 0 Adell dh Murakmi 1b 4 1 2 2 Martínez lf Pham dh 2 0 0 0 Fry 1b Antonacci dh10 0 0 Lowe ph-1b Doyle cf 4 0 0 0 Bazzana 2b Teel c 3 1 0 0 Hedges c B.Mtgmry rf 3 0 0 0 Bailey ph-c C.Mtgmry ss3 0 2 1 Rocchio ss

Totals 30 3 6 3 Totals 29 0 3 0 Chicago 000 200 100 — 3 Cleveland 000 000 000 — 0 DP_Chicago 1, Cleveland 3. LOB_Chicago 4, Cleveland 7. 2B_C.Montgomery (1), Bazzana (1), Lowe (1). HR_Murakami (1). IP H R ER BB SO Chicago 0 0 0 3 4 H.Smith 2 2⁄3 1 Hudson W,1-0 ⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 2 Hicks H,1 ⁄3 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 0 1 0 Kay H,1 1 1⁄3 Taylor S,1-1 4 2 0 0 0 6 Cleveland Messick L,0-1 4 1⁄3 4 2 2 2 6 2 Espino ⁄3 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 2 Sabrowski 1 2⁄3 1 Gaddis ⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 Herrin 1 0 0 0 0 1 C.Smith 1 0 0 0 0 1 ABS Challenge_Messick (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Vargas (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Taylor (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Taylor (Ball-Overturned to Strike). Umpires_Home, Cory Blaser; First, Gabe Morales; Second, Todd Tichenor; Third, Jansen Visconti; Right, Tom Hanahan; Left, Vic Carapazza. T_2:49. A_34,287 (34,788).

L.A. Dodgers 5, Atlanta 3 Atlanta

Cleveland 27, Pittsburgh 24

Milwaukee vs. San Diego

Pro football

North

88 60 44

Tampa Bay vs. N.Y. Yankees

No. 2 Golden State vs. No. 3 Las Vegas

South

0 1.000 0 .667 0 .000

Monday’s Games

Sunday, September 27: New York 91, Minnesota 75 Tuesday, September 29: New York 87, Minnesota 71

East

0 1 3

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Sunday

FAVORITE at N.O.

3 2 0

ab r h bi 3 0 00 3 0 00 4 0 00 4 0 00 4 0 00 1 0 00 2 0 10 4 0 10 1 0 00 1 0 10 2 0 00

ab r h bi ab r h bi Baldwin dh 4 0 1 0 Betts ss 3 0 10 Acuña rf 4 1 1 0 Ohtani dh 4 0 10 Albies 2b 3 1 1 2 Smith c 4 0 00 Olson 1b 4 0 0 0 Freeman 1b 3 1 10 Harris cf 4 0 0 0 T.Hernández lf 4 2 2 2 Dubón lf-ss 3 0 0 0 E.Hernández lf 0 0 0 0 Riley 3b 4 0 0 0 Tucker rf 4 1 22 Murphy c 3 1 1 1 Pages cf 4 0 00 Ha.Kim ss 1 0 0 0 Muncy 3b 4 1 11 Thomas ph-lf10 0 0 Edman 2b 2 0 00 Totals 31 3 4 3 Totals 32 5 8 5 Atlanta 000 001 002 — 3 Los Angeles 000 203 00x — 5 LOB_Atlanta 4, Los Angeles 6. HR_Murphy (1), Albies (1), T.Hernández (1), Tucker (1), Muncy (1). SB_Tucker (1). IP H R ER BB SO Atlanta Dodd 3 2 0 0 0 4 1 Mederos L,0-1 ⁄3 2 2 2 1 0 2 Smith-Shawver 2 ⁄3 3 3 3 2 2 Suter 2 1 0 0 0 3 Los Angeles Skubal W,1-0 6 2 1 1 2 7 Stewart 1 0 0 0 0 1 Vesia 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 Scott ⁄3 2 2 2 0 0 1 Phillips S,1-1 ⁄3 0 0 0 1 0 ABS Challenge_Harris (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Riley (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Dodd (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Pages (Strike-Confirmed); Murphy (Strike-Confirmed); Olson (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Suter (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Acuña (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Phillips (BallConfirmed). Umpires_Home, Roberto Ortiz; First, Chris Guccione; Second, James Hoye; Third, Tripp Gibson; Right, Mike Estabrook; Left, Jim Wolf. T_2:44. A_50,194 (56,000).

Hockey NHL Glance EASTERN CONFERENCE Boston Florida Montreal Toronto Ottawa Detroit Buffalo Tampa Bay

GP W L OT Pts GF 2 2 0 0 4 7 2 1 0 1 3 4 1 1 0 0 2 3 2 1 1 0 2 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 3 1 0 1 0 0 1

GA 3 4 2 4 0 2 6 5

N.Y. Rangers Pittsburgh Columbus Washington New Jersey Carolina Philadelphia N.Y. Islanders

GP W L OT Pts GF 3 2 1 0 4 7 1 1 0 0 2 7 1 1 0 0 2 6 1 1 0 0 2 5 1 1 0 0 2 3 2 0 1 1 1 2 2 0 1 1 1 2 1 0 1 0 0 1

GA 4 0 3 2 2 6 10 2

Metropolitan Division

WESTERN CONFERENCE Central Division Utah Colorado St. Louis Minnesota Winnipeg Nashville Dallas Chicago Paciﬁc Division

GP W L OT Pts GF 1 1 0 0 2 6 1 1 0 0 2 8 1 1 0 0 2 4 1 1 0 0 2 3 1 0 0 1 1 3 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 2

Friday’s Games

N.Y. Rangers 2, Detroit 0 Washington 5, Carolina 2 Boston 4, Winnipeg 3, OT St. Louis 4, Dallas 0 Anaheim 4, Vegas 3

GA 0 4 0 1 4 3 4 11

GP W L OT Pts GF GA Edmonton 2 1 0 1 3 14 13 Seattle 1 1 0 0 2 6 1 Anaheim 1 1 0 0 2 4 3 San Jose 1 1 0 0 2 4 3 2 1 1 0 2 8 6 Vegas Vancouver 2 1 1 0 2 13 14 Los Angeles 1 0 1 0 0 4 8 Calgary 1 0 1 0 0 1 6 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Top three teams in each

Beijing Purse: $9,415,725 Surface: Hardcourt outdoor Results Saturday from China Open at National Tennis Center (seedings in parentheses):

Women’s Singles

SOUTH

Round of 64 Donna Vekic (30), Croatia, def. Zhu Lin, China, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2. Coco Gauff (3), United States, def. Camila Osorio, Colombia, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-2. Elise Mertens (13), Belgium, def. Katie Volynets, United States, 6-0, 4-6, 7-5. Ann Li (21), United States, def. Ashlyn Krueger, United States, 6-4, 6-2. Maria Sakkari (25), Greece, def. Storm Hunter, Australia, 6-2, 6-2. Jelena Ostapenko (24), Latvia, def. Paula Badosa, Spain, 7-6 (5), 7-5. Iga Swiatek (8), Poland, def. Gao Xinyu, China, 6-2, 6-3. Elina Svitolina (6), Ukraine, def. Katerina Siniakova, Czechia, 1-6, 6-4, 6-2. Kamilla Rakhimova, Russia, def. Leylah Fernandez (23), Canada, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. Zheng Qinwen, China, def. Anna Kalinskaya (15), Russia, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 3-0, ret. Belinda Bencic (9), Switzerland, def. Anastasia Zakharova, Russia, 6-1, 7-6 (3). Iva Jovic (10), United States, def. Harriet Dart, Britain, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. Xinran Sun, China, def. Cristina Bucsa (27), Spain, 6-4, 7-5. Marie Bouzkova (18), Czechia, def. Kimberly Birrell, Australia, 6-4, 6-4. Sonay Kartal, Britain, def. Wang Xinyu (31), China, 6-3, 6-2.

MIDWEST

Auto racing

FAR WEST

NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400 Lineup

Saturday’s Games

Carolina at Philadelphia, 6 p.m. Chicago at Buffalo, 6 p.m. Montreal at Pittsburgh, 6 p.m. Ottawa at Toronto, 6 p.m. Seattle at Edmonton, 6 p.m. Utah at Columbus, 6 p.m. Washington at Tampa Bay, 6 p.m. New Jersey at N.Y. Islanders, 6:30 p.m. Boston at Minnesota, 7 p.m. Dallas at Nashville, 7 p.m. St. Louis at Colorado, 8 p.m. Calgary at Vancouver, 9 p.m. Los Angeles at San Jose, 9 p.m.

Sunday’s Games

Winnipeg at Detroit, noon Utah at N.Y. Rangers, 5 p.m. Calgary at Seattle, 7 p.m. Florida at Anaheim, 7 p.m. Vegas at Vancouver, 8 p.m.

College football

Los Angeles

Atlantic Division

division and two wild cards per conference advance to playoffs.

Major scores Fridayy’s games EAST

Liberty 30, Delaware 14 Pittsburgh 35, Virginia Tech 33 Northwestern 34, Penn St. 13 Idaho 35, Montana St. 34

Saturday’s games EAST

Albany (NY) 28, Delaware St. 3 CCSU 45, Wagner 14 Cornell 35, Georgetown 14 Dartmouth 14, Penn 10 E. Michigan 38, UMass 14 LIU Brooklyn 27, Mercyhurst 24 Lehigh 34, Fordham 0 Monmouth (NJ) 41, Towson 40 Morgan St. 38, Villanova 35 New Hampshire 30, Elon 23 Princeton 35, Columbia 7 Rhode Island 13, Brown 10 Richmond 40, Lafayette 31 Robert Morris 33, Norfolk St. 31 Sacred Heart 24, Maine 16 Syracuse 42, UConn 41, OT W. Michigan 20, Buffalo 17 Yale 41, Merrimack 24

SOUTH

Alabama 56, Mississippi St. 23 Austin Peay 42, New Haven 17 ETSU 14, Chattanooga 3 Florida St. 38, Virginia 7 Georgia 38, Vanderbilt 14 Georgia St. 42, Old Dominion 10 Grambling St. 63, Alcorn St. 59 Holy Cross 41, William & Mary 14 Howard 27, Hampton 13 James Madison 45, Marshall 17 Kentucky 35, South Carolina 34, OT MVSU 28, Prairie View 27 Marist 28, Stetson 14 Memphis 59, Charlotte 8 Mercer 54, VMI 3 NC State 31, Louisville 28 Notre Dame 37, North Carolina 26 Presbyterian 55, St. Thomas (Minn.) 21 Tennessee 24, Auburn 14 The Citadel 34, SC State 31 UAB 33, Samford 14 Valparaiso 37, Morehead St. 3 Wake Forest 57, Stanford 3 Wofford 32, Furman 25

MIDWEST

Bowling Green 24, Miami (Ohio) 20 Cent. Michigan 41, Akron 17 Drake 30, Dayton 22 Iowa St. 45, West Virginia 42 Kansas 55, Middle Tennessee 0 Minnesota 20, Michigan 14 Missouri 45, Florida 17 N. Dakota St. 28, Wyoming 0 Nebraska 48, Maryland 23 North Dakota 55, Murray St. 28 Ohio 13, Kent St. 10 Ohio St. 31, Iowa 14 Purdue 24, Illinois 17 South Dakota 44, Indiana St. 14 Toledo 39, Ball St. 24 W. Illinois 28, Tennessee St. 21 Wisconsin 31, Michigan St. 3 Youngstown St. 28, S. Illinois 16

SOUTHWEST

Houston 27, UCF 17 SMU 25, Boston College 16

FAR WEST

Air Force 14, Navy 9 Montana 36, N. Colorado 14 New Mexico 61, UTEP 7 San Diego 63, Davidson 14 UNLV 39, California 31

Tennis WTA China Open Results Saturday

At National Tennis Center

After Saturday qualifying; race Sunday

At Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas. Lap length: 1.50 miles (Car number in parentheses) 1. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 186.787 mph. 2. (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota, 186.677. 3. (20) Christopher Bell, Toyota, 186.220. 4. (19) Chase Briscoe, Toyota, 186.136. 5. (45) Tyler Reddick, Toyota, 186.111. 6. (5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 185.861. 7. (2) Austin Cindric, Ford, 185.287. 8. (24) William Byron, Chevrolet, 185.230. 9. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 185.077. 10. (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 185.027. 11. (7) Daniel Suárez, Chevrolet, 184.862. 12. (60) Ryan Preece, Ford, 184.433. 13. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 184.426. 14. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford, 184.049. 15. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 183.924. 16. (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 183.755. 17. (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 183.755. 18. (71) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 183.755. 19. (16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 183.511. 20. (12) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 183.480. 21. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota, 183.187. 22. (35) Riley Herbst, Toyota, 183.125. 23. (22) Joey Logano, Ford, 183.113. 24. (41) Cole Custer, Chevrolet, 182.599. 25. (97) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet, 182.519. 26. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Chevrolet, 181.971. 27. (34) Todd Gilliland, Ford, 181.849. 28. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 181.720. 29. (10) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 181.372. 30. (38) Zane Smith, Ford, 181.281. 31. (88) Connor Zilisch, Chevrolet, 180.632. 32. (42) John H. Nemechek, Toyota, 180.349. 33. (33) Austin Hill, Chevrolet, 179.671. 34. (51) Cody Ware, Chevrolet, 178.459. 35. (21) Josh Berry, Ford, .000. 36. (4) Noah Gragson, Ford, .000.

Transactions Major League Baseball

American League NEW YORK YANKEES — Activated LHP Ryan Weathers. National League ATLANTA BRAVES — Activated LF Lane Thomas. Activated RHPs AJ Smith-Shawver and JR Ritchie. LOS ANGELES DODGERS — Activated DH Josue De Paula. SAN DIEGO PADRES — Activated RHP Randy Vásquez. Placed RHP Walker Buehler on the paternity list.

FOOTBALL

National Football League CAROLINA PANTHERS — Placed WR Xavier Legette on injured reserve. MIAMI DOLPHINS — Signed RB Carlos Washington Jr. to the active roster.

HOCKEY

National Hockey League FLORIDA PANTHERS — Placed C Aleksander Barkov on long-term injured reserve. NASHVILLE PREDATORS — Recalled G Matthew Murray from Milwaukee (AHL). PITTSBURGH PENGUINS — Activated C/RW Benjamin Kindel from injured reserve. Placed C/LW David Gustafsson on waivers. SEATTLE KRAKEN — Activated RW/C Mackie Samoskevich from injured reserve. Placed RW Jacob Melanson on injured reserve.

LOUISIANA INSPIRED: Robin Barnes’ new TV docuseries explores La. culture 5D

LIVING

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

S u n d ay, O c t O b e r 4, 2026

1dn

Jan Risher

On the freedom of being unnoticed When I told a friend that I have come to believe I could be a great spy, she said, “You’d have to change your glasses.” Maybe so. But I still believe that at this point in life I could be a good spy — maybe not great. But good. Here’s why: When I’m out and about on my own, no one is paying much attention to me. I know this because I have proof. This spring, I walked into a tiny bar in Clarksdale, Mississippi. I knew The Black Keys were performing and that the show was sold out, but I thought I was just walking into the bar. When I opened the door, the sound did one of those Doppler effects, almost like I was walking into another dimension. The ticket person and I nodded at each other. I took three steps and there they were: The Black Keys, playing their hearts out on a stage the size of my dining room table. What’s a girl to do? I knew I was somewhere I wasn’t supposed to be, but I leaned against the wall and started watching. The Black Keys. In Red’s Blues Club. In Clarksdale. I was overwhelmed with the Delta-ness of it all. The moment had the air of magic, and I couldn’t force myself to walk out. Two minutes later, a friend of mine walked in through the same door as I had. She walked over and stood beside me. Worth noting that she is a stunning brunette. She looked like she had just stepped out of a magazine. I looked more like I had just stepped out of my car — after a long trip. The ticket person noticed. Then, apparently, she noticed me, too. We were asked to leave. Let me acknowledge that leaving was the right thing to do from the get-go, and my mother would likely say I should be ashamed of myself for not leaving the moment I realized I was somewhere I didn’t have the privilege of being. But I was transﬁxed and knew that the moment was so full it couldn’t last long. I was right. But being outside wasn’t bad either. My friends were there, and the mood was right. That night — and so many other moments over the years — made me reconsider something I had believed for a long time: that people were paying attention to me. Turns out, I was wrong.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

Taylor James, left, and her sister Sutton load up a wagon with pumpkins at Poche’s Pumpkin Patch and Maze in 2023 in Lafayette.

Fall’s finest

As autumn arrives in Acadiana, now is the time to plan family fun with pumpkins, hayrides and more BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer

The fall season brings with it cooler weather, seasonal food and plenty of activities for families and friends to enjoy across Acadiana. Whether it’s picking pumpkins with photo opportunities and food trucks, working through mazes, visiting a zoo after dark, exploring nature or attending community festivals, there is plenty to choose from around the city. Some events are free, while others charge admission or have additional costs for pumpkins and activities. Here are seven fall activities and destinations to check out. STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

Poche’s Patch & Maze

Costumed visitors Mike McCullough pushes Brycen followed by Amanda n 930 Guilbeau Road, Lafayette McCullough and yvette Winkhans, right, during Boo at the Zoo while Poche’s Patch & Maze returns to visiting Zoosiana in 2022 in Broussard. Lafayette from Oct. 1 through Nov. 1. The family attraction includes a giant maze, book walk, photo stations, children’s obstacle courses, inﬂatable animals, culvert slides, family games and a pumpkin patch. Admission is $10 per person, with pumpkins available for an additional $5. The 2026 public hours are 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays

and Sundays. Field trips are also kin picking and purchasing, pumpavailable by appointment during kin painting, food trucks, music, the week. children’s games, face painting, Children’s Museum of Acadiana activities and seasonal photo opportunities. The patch operates on weekends n 3302 Moss St., Lafayette in October, open 4 to 7 p.m. Friday Parc De Oaks is hosting its pump- and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and kin patch from Oct.9-25. ä See FALL, page 6D The free event includes pump-

Parc De Oaks Pumpkin Patch

ä See SPY, page 6D

GRAB YOU A CUP OF AMBITION

Before death, Dolly Parton partnered with Community Coffee Dolly Parton and her Cup of Ambition Community Coffee brings together Parton’s love of coffee and her unmistakable spirit in a coffee line she helped create. PROVIDED PHOTO

Staff report Dolly Parton’s Cup of Ambition, the late icon’s new coffee line and a dream of hers more than 40 years in the making, is now ofﬁcially available for purchase nationwide. Developed in partnership with family-owned Community Coffee in Louisiana, the collection brings together Parton’s love of coffee and her

unmistakable spirit in a coffee line she helped create. “I thought the Cup of Ambition would be a fantastic name for a coffee brand, and I’ve been working towards this for over 40 years,” Parton said in a news release back in June when she was visiting Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop. “This is just one of those dreams that’s taken a little longer than I thought it might, but we’ve got it and it’s

working. I can’t wait for you to try it. But I couldn’t be more happy with it. Community Coffee has been a fantastic partner for me and I like the way they think.” Following its debut at Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop in June, the coffee line is now available for nationwide shipping on cupofambition.com,

ä See DOLLY, page 6D

2D ● Sunday, October 4, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Laurie Godshall, Diane Dempsey Legnon and Beth Marceaux

Stephanie Patton, Connie Castille and Pat Hebert

FALLING INTO FANTASTIC

The Hilliard Art Museum at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette was the place to be on Friday, Sept. 18, for Fall at the Hilliard: Opening Preview. The Kris Wartelle members’ preview party and the public viewing party were both packed with art lovers and Hillard supporters celebrating three new exhibitions now on display. Matthew Day Jackson: Yesterday’s Tomorrow dazzled crowds in the main gallery with its multi-media installation that included paintings and sculpture. The scene portraying three rooms of a home with large paintings and warm lighting was one of our favorites. For sculpture lovers, Curtis Patterson: Persistent

Vision, a retrospective by the Louisiana native sculptor, was a bright, modern display of fascinating metal pieces in bronze and steel. The exhibit includes a nod to the improvisational nature of jazz music. If you love photography, you will want to check out Century in Focus: 20th Century Photography by Women, featuring Dorothea Lange, Helen Levitt, and Debbie Fleming Caffery. The selections are from the Hilliard’s permanent collection. Members and guests enjoyed cocktail fare in the Hilliard’s indoor and outdoor spaces, which is truly one of the most beautiful settings in Lafayette. A perfect place to celebrate art, beauty, and one of Lafayette’s best cultural treasures.

Calvin, Katrina and Dorenia Jenkins and Jaidynn Tyler Frank Clavelle III and Brian Bolton

PHOTOS By KRIS WARTELLE

Francis Pavy and Chuck Boudreaux

Kathryn Scurlock and Terese Reggie

The Rev. Msgr. Keith Joseph DeRouen and Lucy Begnaud

Sandra and Sonny Launey

Jonathan and Ashlie Boelkins

Beau and Matthew Emory

Raymond and Stephanie Goodrich, Carolyn French, Mike Huber and Judy Corne Mark Guidry, Rebecca Guidry and James Klock

Employee worried about being overlooked for promotion Dear Harriette: Over the years, I have become extremely speciﬁc with my scheduling, which encouraged me to also become extremely efﬁcient at work. I try to get all my work done within work hours. I generally leave work Harriette at 5 p.m. on the Cole dot. I am not doing SENSE AND essential or lifeSENSITIVITy saving work, so I no longer feel the need to overextend myself by staying late to prove my dedication to my superiors. Despite being a trusted voice and leader in my department, recently, my director mentioned that I may be passed over for a

major promotion because I’m always “the ﬁrst person out the door.” During my work hours, I outwork my peers, I support them and I provide mentorship and guidance, but because they take longer doing their work, they may be up for a promotion. How is that fair? — Work Hours Dear Work Hours: Every business has its customs, commonly known as “corporate culture.” These are the unwritten rules about how people interact, what they wear, how they spend time after work, what they talk about and when they arrive and leave. Your productivity seems to be fueled by your desire to follow a 9-to-5 schedule. If your company does not follow that drumbeat, your efforts are not in sync with

theirs. Being efﬁcient is only part of the secret sauce of moving up in an organization. You have to be willing and interested in being a team player, being available at the same times as your peers — and more important, with your bosses. What you are doing now may seem like showing people up or being eager to leave because you have something more important to do. Neither option will help you grow with the company. Dear Harriette: My friend is going through an extremely tough time with a guy who’s mistreating her. They’ve had a casual but intimate relationship for over a year now. Her guy mentioned early on that he was not ready to be in a serious relationship, but they still moved

forward with each other — dating publicly, sharing friend groups, being physically intimate, etc. Now, he seems ready to move on, and he’s been ignoring my friend and ﬂirting with other women when they are out together with friends. My friend is an accomplished and bright young woman, and it hurts me to see her conﬁdence breaking because of a man who doesn’t value her. I try to encourage her to move on, but she seems stuck. Sometimes she calls me crying or panicking after another argument with him, and I simply don’t know how to help. What would you say to your friend? — Moving On Dear Moving On: It’s one thing to want to be casual — even though

he hasn’t been — and another thing entirely to be disrespectful. This guy ignoring your friend and ﬂirting with other women around her is unacceptable — period. Take his behavior as a sign that he has checked out. No need to wait for him to tell her in words. It’s her turn to tell him goodbye. Remind her that as she kicks him out of her heart, she should make it clear that she does not appreciate his dishonorable behavior. It would have been way more mature to tell her that he was ready to end the relationship. Send questions to askharriette@ harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, October 4, 2026 ● 3D

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TRAVEL

As the weather cools, head to the outdoors Check out five places to enjoy camping season

trails, mountain biking trails, a full-service marina and more. Try a sunset cruise, snorkeling trip, guided hike or birding tour. In the winter, guests can participate in eagle watch tours on DeGray Lake.

BY ELIZABETH DEAL Staff writer

Lake Ouachita State Park

People are almost always surprised to find out that I enjoy tent camping. It wasn’t until I met my husband that I tried it and immediately learned that I love nothing more than being off in the woods, next to a campfire, near water whenever possible. We have camped in state parks, national forests and privately owned locations. We usually hike one or two trails and kayak, canoe or swim in a river or lake during the spring and summer. Some campgrounds offer mountain biking and horseback riding too. I prefer camping when it’s warm. He likes it cold. So October is the perfect month to camp for us both. We mainly do car camping, where campsites are numbered — each with a place to park, a flat-ish area for setting up a tent, a picnic table, a fire ring and sometimes a park-style barbecue pit. We don’t sleep in our car, though you can. There’s also primitive camping where there is no access to potable water, electricity, restrooms or showers, and some people find their own sites by carrying gear and backpacking into a natural area. RV camping, on the other hand, has electric and sewer hookups. Glamping, a totally different style, is becoming more widely available, with yurts, teepees and other interesting styles that require no setup. There’s an actual bed and sometimes heat and air conditioning available. Most campgrounds have a pit toilet, if not a flush one. But the fact that there’s no air conditioning or heat, and there may or may not be cell service, a restroom or a shower, doesn’t faze me. It’s all part of the off-the-grid fun. My husband, who also camps in Missouri at least twice a year with his friends, owns all the gear we need: a tent, a camp stove, cooking

5451 Mountain Pine Road, Mountain Pine, Arkansas Lake Ouachita State Park features 93 campsites, eight fully equipped cabins with kitchens and four camper cabins. Visitors can enjoy the lake, which includes 40,000 acres of water, along with swimming, scuba diving, boating, kayaking and fishing. Interpretive programs, like guided hikes, eagle cruises and kayak tours, and offered year round. The Caddo Bend Trail and Dogwood Trail are available.

Lake Catherine State Park Primitive car-camping at Lake Ouachita in Arkansas. and eating utensils, a water filter, warm sleeping bags, sleeping mats, headlamps, flashlights, lighters, coolers, tarps, ropes, a canopy and string lights. And we always pack water jugs, ice, coolers, bug spray, sunscreen, water shoes, hats, towels, blankets, pillows, rain gear, trash bags, paper towels, toilet paper and a first aid kit. My preference is staying in a large tent where I can stand up, over the one-person very-small tent we started out in. I always want to look at the moon and stars through the screen ceiling of the tent, but I’m outvoted. My husband puts the rain-fly cover on the tent because, well, you just never know. It’s rained in the middle of the night more times than I can count. And he says it keeps the tent warmer for sleeping. Unless there’s a fire ban, you’ll want to bring fire starter and purchase wood at the camp store or a convenience store near the campsite. Typically you can’t bring firewood into or out of a campsite to prevent the spread of invasive in-

sects and plant diseases. Planning ahead is key when it comes to food, especially if you’re out of reach of a grocery or restaurant. We use a camp stove for cooking (or just warming up) simple meals; some people bring small barbecue pits. You could also warm up a pre-prepared one-pot meal in a skillet over the fire if you’re careful. Tent camping is inexpensive, usually around $10 to $50 a night, and making a reservation is recommended. Of course, when tent camping, people are subject to the actions of their neighbors. It’s not uncommon to hear a party with laughter and loud music on the weekends. On a perfect night, all I can hear are sounds of crickets, the fire and the lapping water nearby. Here are five places I recommend to enjoy camping.

Caney Lakes Recreation Area, Kisatchie National Forest 3288 U.S. 79, Homer, Louisiana Beaver Dam campground on

STAFF PHOTO By ELIZABETH DEAL

1200 Catherine Park Road, Hot Springs, Arkansas Lake Catherine is one of five lakes in the Ouachita Mountain region. The state park offers 20 cabins, 70 campsites, six primitive tent sites, one yurt, picnic sites, playgrounds, hikes, lake tours and more. A women’s outdoor weekend is scheduled for Oct. 9-11, when participants will connect with nature and join in on activities for all experience levels. Admission is $125. Call (501) 844-4176 for more information.

the shores of Upper Caney Lake has waterfront, wooded, and open sites and full water/sewer/electric hookup sites, with a fishing pier and rentals for canoes, kayaks, and paddle boats. You can hike or bike the Sugar Cane National Recreation Trail which was named for the crop that was once cultivated here in addition to cotton. There is a swim beach which Lucky’s Caddo River Canoe opens the Friday before Memorial Sweetgum Lane, Glenwood, ArDay weekend and closes the Tues- kansas Are you up for a float down the day after Labor Day. river? Lucky’s Caddo River CaDeGray Lake State Park noe offers float trips with tubes, State Park Entrance Road, Bis- canoes, kayaks and rafts, along with fishing and camping. Three marck, Arkansas DeGray Lake State Park, near cabins, tent camping and RV sites Hot Springs and Little Rock, has are available for guests. Rules of the river include: fastenover 100 campsites ranging from walk-in tent sites, Class AAA sites ing cooler lids, attaching and using with full hookups and three yurts a mesh litter bag, using a floating to rent. holder for beverages and leaving The park features an 18-hole all glass containers at home. golf course with a driving range and practice green, an 18-hole disc Email Elizabeth Deal at golf course, two beaches, basket- elizabeth.deal@theadvocate. ball and tennis courts, five hiking com.

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER By Christopher Elliott

Customer billed an extra $670 on prepaid overseas trip I paid in full for an Overseas Adventure Travel trip to Spain and Portugal almost a year in advance. I did this specifically to take advantage of the Good Buy program, which OAT advertises as a way to “secure your trip’s price and protect yourself from cost increases.” A few months later, Air France canceled our original flight. OAT rebooked us on Delta, but then it mailed me an invoice for an additional Christopher $670 for customized airfare. I called and spoke Elliott with a representative who told me the fee was for a seating upgrade to Delta Comfort+. Since I wanted the extra legroom, I paid it. When we got to the airport, the gate agent told us we were in standard coach.

No Comfort+ seats were ever reserved. When I returned home and asked for a refund, OAT changed its story. First, it said the $670 was an “excess” charge.Then, it admitted its agent gave me “incorrect information” about the seat upgrade, but claimed the $670 was actually to cover the cost of the more expensive Delta flight. I pointed to Section 7 of OAT’s own terms and conditions, which says the company cannot increase airfare costs for Good Buy customers who have paid in full. OAT told me that clause applies to “other things” but not airfare, and that the $670 was simply “correcting an error.” OAT offered me a $670 credit toward a future trip, but after this experience, I don’t trust the company. I want my money back. Does the Good Buy plan actually mean anything, or can OAT charge me whatever it wants? — Michael Hughes, Burnsville, Minn.

Overseas Adventure Travel should have honored its contract with you. When a company offers a price lock as an incentive for customers to hand over thousands of dollars months — or even years — in advance, that agreement isn’t a suggestion. It’s a binding promise. Section 7 of OAT’s agreement says the company reserves the right to increase the trip price due to changes in airfares “unless you pre-paid according to the terms of the Good Buy Plan prior to the cost increase going into effect.” You paid in full 10 months before your departure date. OAT shouldn’t have passed that cost on to you. Beyond the contract, there are

TODAY IN HISTORY By The Associated Press Today is Sunday, Oct. 4, the 277th day of 2026. There are 88 days left in the year. Today in history: On Oct. 4, 1957, the Space Age began as the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, into orbit. Also on this date: In 1777, Gen. George Washington’s troops launched an assault on the British at Germantown, Pennsylvania, resulting in heavy American casualties and the retreat of Washington’s Continental Army. In 1927, sculptor Gutzon Borglum began construction on what is now Mount Rushmore National Memorial. In 1965, Pope Paul VI became the first pope to visit the Western Hemisphere as he addressed the U.N. General Assembly. In 1970, rock singer Janis Joplin was found dead in her Hollywood hotel room at

age 27. In 2001, a Russian airliner flying from Israel to Siberia was accidentally downed by a Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile over the Black Sea, killing all 78 people aboard. In 2002, “American Taliban” John Walker Lindh received a 20-year sentence after a sobbing plea for forgiveness before a federal judge in Alexandria, Virginia. (He was released from prison in May 2019.) In 2004, the SpaceShipOne rocket plane broke through Earth’s atmosphere to the edge of space for the second time in five days, capturing the $10 million Ansari X prize aimed at opening the final frontier to tourists. In 2010, a vast release of red toxic sludge from an aluminum oxide plant in Hungary flooded three towns, killing eight people and injuring more than 220 others. The highly alkaline sludge burned the skin of some victims while others

federal protections to consider. The U.S. Department of Transportation is very clear: once a ticket is fully purchased and the transaction is complete, an airline — and by extension, the agent acting on its behalf — is generally prohibited from increasing the price. You did the right thing by keeping a meticulous record of your correspondence. When a company agent tells you a fee is for a seat upgrade, and it turns out to be for a price hike it wasn’t allowed to charge you in the ﬁrst place, “oops” isn’t a valid defense. When you hit a wall like this, you should always appeal the initial rejection to an executive. I list the OAT executive contacts

on my advocacy site, Elliott.org. A polite, ﬁrm email to an executive often works better than a dozen frustrating calls to a frontline agent who is reading from a script. The company conducted a full internal review after I made them aware of your case. A spokesperson for OAT told us that the team processed a refund of the $670 in question. It also apologized to you for the “confusion.” Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a nonproﬁt organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him on his site.

YEARS

were swept away in the flood and drowned. In 2017, four U.S. Army Green Berets and four Nigerian soldiers were killed during an ambush of a joint U.S.-Nigerian mission outside the village of Tongo Tongo, Niger. U.S. officials later said a local affiliate of the Islamic State militant group bore responsibility for the attack. Today’s birthdays: Baseball Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa is 82. Actor Susan Sarandon is 80. Actor Armand Assante is 77. Actor Christoph Waltz is 70. Singer Jon Secada is 65. Actor Liev Schreiber is 59. Actor Abraham Benrubi is 57. Actor Alicia Silverstone is 50. Actor Caitríona Balfe is 47. Actor Rachael Leigh Cook is 47. Actor Melissa Benoist is 38. NBA All-Star Derrick Rose is 38. Actor Dakota Johnson is 37. Actor Ryan Lee is 30. Actor Ella Balinska is 30. Singer Lunay is 26

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4D ● Sunday, October 4, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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BOOKS

Underground metal bands shine ‘Rough Beast’ highlights N.O. groups

BETWEEN THE PAGES WITH ADRIAN VAN yOUNG

BY RIEN FERTEL Contributing writer

“Rough Beast,” by Adrian Van Young, Black Lawrence Press, 330 pages. Adrian Van Young is one dark dude. Over two short story collections, a novel and a picture book playfully titled “Vampire Pool Party,” the New Orleansand Paris-based writer has taken his goth-horror sensibilities to nightmarish, and often morbidly humorous, extremes. Search out his deliciously macabre story “The Roux,” about a father unable to step away from the stove, whisking, whisking, whisking away until he is consumed by his own gumbo. Van Young’s newest novel, “Rough Beast,” takes readers into the depraved underbelly of New Orleans’s black metal music scene, its beer-soaked bars and opiate-sludged flophouses. It follows Sammy Singerman, bassist for Bethlehem — a group with a sordid history, more than one doomed interband romance and a solidly heavy sound. When its charismatic frontman is murdered, Sammy sets out to solve the mystery and avoid getting swallowed by the scene, in what Van Young calls a “crust punk ‘Great Gatsby.’ ” This interview was edited for length and clarity. Your last several books have been categorized as horror, and though “Rough Beast” has elements of the grotesque, it’s more noir, crime-oriented. Tell me what went into writing a murder mystery. I do consider it a genre shift. I’ve always been a huge crime and noir fiction fan, but it’s always something that I’ve read and admired from afar. It takes a certain kind of insider’s knowledge of that genre to really make it effective. So I guess it was actually a confidence thing. I’m good at writing a descriptive sentence that’s evocative, good at giving people the shivers, but crime fiction has to be several things at once. Noir has to take this misanthropic, pessimistic view of human nature, has to create a web-work plot, keep readers guessing, has to have strong characterization. The language has to be snappy. I read a lot of crime fiction when I was writing “Rough Beast” and gave myself over to it fully. In a city that’s renowned for its music scene, which has an untold number of venues and has had a very strong metal scene for decades, why does it still feel so hidden and underground? It’s huge. New Orleans is known for its heavy music scene, which this book is immersed in. Part of it is underground and part of it’s not. There’s a huge concert coming up at UNO Arena in November called the Great NOLA Trendkill. It’s all the very famous New Orleans metal bands who have the socalled New Orleans sound — this kind of sludgy, bayou, riffy metal, including Pantera, Down, Eyehategod, Crowbar and Corrosion of Conformity. But then there’s another side of the New Orleans scene, which is much more underground. It’s sort of queer, a lot more politically engaged, a lot more gender fluid and a lot more, oddly, partial toward women. There are certainly women in the more mainstream metal scene, but in

PROVIDED PHOTO

Author Adrian Van young

the underground one, it’s much more likely that you will get a show with half women, half men. It’s a lot more allied with crust-punk, punk rock and indie rock. It’s sort of a mélange of those scenes. That is very much the scene the book is about — this very speciﬁc, crusty, NOLA metal community. If you don’t mind playing favorites, could you recommend a band or two from that scene? The ﬁrst one that comes to mind is Avowal, a sludge band, kind of like Eyehategod, but more glacial and melancholy and extremely heavy. Another band I’ve been very into recently is SLOWHOLE. They’re almost My Bloody Valentinelike, combining elements of grunge and indie rock and doom metal to create this feedbackdrenched and screamy sound. There was an amazing band that I ran into early on in my research named Cauche Mar, which is French for nightmare. They were one of the strangest bands that I encountered, but really one of the best. This is very hard to imagine, but they had elements of salsa, classical string instruments, hardcore punk and black metal woven all

PROVIDED PHOTO By JIMMy HUBBARD

New Orleans-based sludge metal band Crowbar together. In the book, you write about the aesthetic crossover between pagan black metal and Black Mardi Gras. Say more. This is a larger discussion about the narrator, a young,

well-to-do White kid from a Maryland suburb. He has these transplant notions about New Orleans, very romantic, that I had once when I moved here in 2013. I was very much trying to

reflect these connections he was trying to make of his experience. The element of masking — of putting on a theatrical display, of embracing darkness and decay, to some extent, and celebrating it — has some distinct crossovers with Black Mardi Gras. The only reason that I would hesitate to put them on the same playing field is because pagan black metal has been hounded by such an iniquitous history: racism, ethnonationalism and other stuff. But if you look at the aesthetics, side by side, it’s pretty remarkable. When you moved to New Orleans, did the city feel like the dark place you might have wanted it to be then, and is it still a scary place today? Yeah, definitely. I have always been somewhat of a goth, and I was not disappointed by the extent to which New Orleans lived up to all my gothic fanboy fantasies. Just the way it looks, the resplendent decay of the city, the degree to which it welcomes outcasts and weirdos and people obsessed with the arcana and the occult. In so many ways it completely lived up to my expectations. I still think that that is a very strong undercurrent in the city. I have never felt like a weirdo in New Orleans. There was an ongoing joke about me rolling up to pick my kids up at their schools wearing these hideous metal T-shirts with disemboweled unicorns. But to everybody’s credit, nobody blinked an eye. You can be a visibly underground or countercultural person in New Orleans, with some very extreme flourishes to your style. Do what you wanna is a real thing, and that applies to the occult weirdos in the city, too. Blue Cypress Books, 8123 Oak St., New Orleans, will host Van Young for a “Rough Beast” launch party on Oct. 13. Rien Fertel is the author of four books. He recently won his fifth Best Critical Review Award from the New Orleans Press Club.

THIS WEEK’S BESTSELLERS FROM PUBLISHERS WEEKLY HARDCOVER FICTION

1. “The Thoroughbreds” by Hilderbrand/Cunningham 2. “Dead Beat” by Leigh Bardugo 3. “Hollow Bones” by Jodi Picoult 4. “The Calamity Club” by Kathryn Stockett 5. “The Altar of Pergamon” by Jonathan Cahn 6. “Exit Party” by Emily St. John Mandel 7. “The Emperor’s Enemy (deluxe ed.)” by Jasmine Mas 8. “Eldritch (deluxe ed.)” by Keri Lake 9. “Yesteryear” by Caro Claire Burke 10. “We Chase Shadows” by Richard Osman

HARDCOVER NONFICTION

1. “Protocols” by Andrew D. Huberman 2. “The Art of Gravity Falls” by Hirsch/ Renzetti 3. “Oversharing” by Cortney LaCorte 4. “Pokémon Deluxe Character Guide” by Alex Irvine 5. “Making Peace with What I Can’t Control” by Lysa TerKeurst 6. “F*ck Failure” by Benny Blanco 7. “Lost in Space” by Tyson/Walker 8. “This Oak House” by Annie MeyersShyer 9. “Veg Everything” by Tanya Sichynsky 10. “Confronting America” by O’Reilly/Hammer

TRADE PAPERBACK

1. “Theo of Golden” by Allen Levi 2. “Grim Tidings” by B.K. Borison 3. “Dungeon Crawler Carl” by Matt Dinniman 4. “Verity” by Colleen Hoover 5. “The Women” by Kristin Hannah 6. “Brain Damage” by Freida McFadden 7. “Murdoku” by Manuel Garand 8. “Shield of Sparrows” by Devney Perry 9. “The Killer Isn’t Alice” by Iris Starling 10. “Wild Dark Shore” by Charlotte McConaghy

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, October 4, 2026 ● 5D

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LOUISIANA INSPIRED

Musical roots spark a docuseries Robin Barnes spotlights La. culture

BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer

Robin Barnes, affectionately known as the “Songbird of New Orleans,” is an award-winning vocalist, songwriter and Louisiana State Music Ambassador whose work celebrates the traditions and sounds of her hometown. Raised in New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward in a family of musicians, she grew up surrounded by gospel, jazz, funk, R&B, second-line traditions and Creole culture. After a health scare, Barnes wanted to leave her family’s oral tradition for her daughter, so she spent three years doing the research for that as she made “Louisiana Love,” her debut full-length album. Her latest project takes her from the stage to being in front of the camera. Inspired by working on her album, Barnes brought her cultural discovery to a television docuseries, “Discovering Home with Robin Barnes,” airing in three installments on WLAE on Oct. 4, 11 and 18. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. What inspired you to to go on this journey of “Discovering Home?” Tell me a little bit about your show and what it means to you. I couldn’t have come up with a better title because it really is discovering home. It’s for my daughter. I need to leave her more than just music. I needed to create a visual for her, and honestly, for all of us. So I decided to learn more about the places that I know as home and discover more of Louisiana and more of the culture completely. And so I dove in. I’m a self-funding little artist. I’ve got three cities: Lafayette, Lake Charles and New Orleans. It was such a humbling experience because to take such a major feat — all I know is music, and now

I am creating a TV show. How did you find the people to talk to and know where to go? I would never have the audacity to just learn from Google. I’m going to learn from the elders. … I spent three years researching the people that I wanted on the album, and I say that because I wanted the culture bearers to bless this album. Those are the people I leaned on because those were the right people to teach me about our culture. So every single episode, I was so lucky I was able to call on some of the artists that I performed with on the album. The people did not know me, so I’m like this girl from New Orleans going, “Hi. I want to do this project, and it means a lot to me. I want to learn everything right. Can you teach me?” That’s why you really see the love on the show and the music. The warmth and the love that our culture really has is so humbling. I went to these different cities where people don’t know who I am, but literally now I can call them all my cousins because we all bonded on what we care about. We care about the people. We care about the food. We care about the music. But more importantly, we care about life. We care about celebrating life to the fullest. What were some other moments that surprised you during filming? I’m from New Orleans, and I think I know so much. Going into Acadiana, I had no idea about the history and storytelling of the Black Creole cowboy, and I get to go into a sea of hundreds of them riding horses. I’m in the thick of it. Then I get to learn how to cook gravy and rice with Jourdan Thibodeaux. In the last episode, everyone gets to ﬁnd out a little bit about more of the women that inspired me — the eldest daughters in my family. Because we have everything through oral tradition, we’ve never found one of those particular ancestors. The last episode was insane to ﬁnd this ancestor. It was a miracle

that means a lot. How did you actually get a crew together? What was the process of getting it to air? The ﬁrst person I worked with, Brandon Guichard, asked who I was making it for, and I told him it’s for my family and the world. He said yes. And then my friend Drake LeBlanc, who is a Black Creole cowboy and a ﬁlmmaker, said he wanted to help. It was the three of us. I’ve been a state music ambassador for New Orleans and Louisiana for a minute. I get to travel the world and talk about our city and our state. They trusted me enough to support the idea, and the seasoning Slap Ya Mama and Visit Lake Charles also partnered with us. How can readers watch if they are not in New Orleans? My YouTube page, Robin Barnes, will have it streaming. I wanted to make it accessible to everyone. It’s just a joy to share. PROVIDED PHOTO By CHANSEy AUGUSTINE

Singer Robin Barnes stands next to the sign for her new docuseries, ‘Discovering Home,’ at its screening at the New Orleans Jazz Museum on Sept. 22. how it happened. Since this was your first visual media project, how did filming go? We spent a year and a half ﬁlming, and throughout it all, I was thinking I had cancer. The idea of mortality is the reason why the people see the drive in me to make all this happen. Because in my mind, I didn’t know if I had enough time. And it’s something powerful to think about we’re gonna be someone’s ancestor one day. That’s why I feel this charge about being a part of the generation that’s about preserving the culture, but more importantly, I really feel this stewardship to be a part of bridging of our culture. Can you elaborate on that idea of “bridging our culture?” Bridging New Orleans to Louisiana because it’s been so separate. I feel like every single person you could pick them up and put them in New Orleans, or you could pick

Mars platform

someone up from New Orleans and put them in Lake Charles, and it would be the same feeling, the same warmth, the same laugh, the same food. I really want to be part of creating this beautiful tapestry of who and what our culture is. What is inspiring you now? As a native daughter of Louisiana, I am grateful that my family passed everything down through eldest daughters. But it was very warm to me to ﬁnd so many of our culture bearers were excited about women. “Big Chief” Monk Boudreaux has one song on my album called “Hands Up.” I listen to it every morning because it is so hard to do all this on my own as an independent artist. He says something in the beginning of this song like, “Get yourself together and bring this to the world. Show people who you are, and where you come from, and believe me, you are the one.” To have a native daughter be told

Email Joy Holden at joy.holden@ theadvocate.com.

Nominate someone extraordinary for our 2026 Inspirit Awards Know someone in Louisiana who is making a positive difference? We’re looking nominees for our 2026 Inspirit Awards — people of any age who do their best to make their local community a better place, whether in their work, at schools, in organizations or in neighborhoods. Nominate someone at nola.com/ site/forms/the_inspirit_award by Sunday, Nov. 1. Recipients will be announced in December. Be sure to include details and examples of how you think their efforts can inspire others. We’re eager to share their stories.

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

reaches historic 1-billion barrel milestone

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

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

shell.us/louisiana | #PoweringProgress

6D ● Sunday, October 4, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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‘IT STARTED OFF AS A JOKE, AND IT HAS GROWN LEGS’

Meet Lady Who Dat, a Saints superfan known across the U.S. BY TAMMY BARNEY Contributing writer

Whistle Monsta, Da Pope, Umbrella Man, Mack the Quack and Who Dat Clown are known for their elaborate costumes and unmistakable game-day personalities at New Orleans Saints games. But there’s one super fan who stands out for something else: her voice. Lady Who Dat is a familiar name to listeners of NFL Radio’s “Movin’ the Chains Show” between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. each day. About 15 years ago, Renee Sackett was listening in when the familiar voices of fans from around the league began taking over the airwaves. Trucker Bob came on ﬁrst, talking about trafﬁc. Then came Doctor Falcon, who spent his time talking about his Atlanta Falcons. He was followed by Mr. Panther, who had plenty to say about his Carolina Panthers. Then it was her turn. “They asked who I was,” Sackett recalled. “And it just came out: ‘Lady Who Dat.’ ” That spur-of-the-moment introduction quickly became the name by which her fans would come to know her. “It started off as a joke, and it has grown legs,” Sackett said. The radio hosts “like my sense of humor. They like that I know what I’m talking about. I know far more

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Renee Sackett, known as Lady Who Dat, poses for a portrait outside the Caesars Superdome before the Saints take on the Raiders on Sept. 27. about football than most men do.” A native of New Orleans, Sackett credits the boy next door with teaching her about sports when she was a young girl. “My very best friend was John. He was very athletic. He taught me how to throw a football, how to run slants and other patterns,” she said. Sackett played football with the Lakeshore neighborhood boys, even though some of them didn’t want a girl on the team. But John, who played quarterback, wasn’t having it. He said if she couldn’t play, he wouldn’t play either.

John was good at quarterback, so Sackett played too. Because Sackett’s parents were not into sports at the time, they didn’t even know New Orleans was getting an NFL team in the late 1960s. Sackett learned about the team from John. Before long, her family was attending Saints home games at Tulane Stadium, where their favorite game-day fare was “burgers, dogs, Coca-Colas and Doritos.” And while many Saints fans like to say they were there on Nov. 8, 1970, when Tom Dempsey kicked his record-setting, game-winning

field goal of 63 yards, Sackett actually witnessed it. “We were behind 16-17,” Sackett said. “Most people thought we were going to lose, because we always did. So they went home early. There may have only been 10,000 people in the stands when he kicked the field goal.” Sackett moved away from New Orleans and bought her first season tickets in her 20s. She eventually gave them up, but bought another set in 2007 while living in Maryland. Since then, she has attended every Saints home game and usually makes it to two away games each season. She even traveled to London when the Saints played there and plans to make the trip to Paris later this month. “As soon as the Saints schedule comes out, I start booking flights to New Orleans,” said Sackett, who now lives in Boca Raton, Florida. She moved there after retiring in 2011 from a career in software sales. She goes to home games with her 88-year-old mother, Rochelle, or her nephew, Justin. Of course, Lady Who Dat went to the 2010 Super Bowl in Miami, when the Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts 31-17. She almost didn’t make it. Her flight was scheduled for Friday morning, but a friend urged her to leave Thursday because a major snowstorm was headed toward Maryland. Sackett took her

FALL

Email Tammy Barney at tlcbarney@gmail.com.

Residents enjoy the Pumpkin Patch at Parc de Oaks in Lafayette in 2025. Some of the activities included pumpkin painting, pumpkin bowling and the Kids’ Zone with games, face painting, virtual reality gaming trailer.

Continued from page 1D Sunday. Parking is limited, and organizers encourage carpooling.

Patch at the Park

n 801 Savoy Road, Youngsville

Youngsville’s Patch at the Park returns Oct. 4 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Youngsville Sports Complex Amphitheater. The fall festival will include pumpkins, hayrides, inflatables and jumps, games, crafts, live entertainment, food vendors and activities for all ages. Children 12 and younger will receive a free small pumpkin. Admission is $10, and children younger than 2 receive free admission with a paying adult.

Boo at the Zoo

STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

n 5601 Highway 90 E., Broussard

Zoosiana in Broussard will celebrate Halloween throughout October with Boo at the Zoo. Daily activities include a batthemed scavenger hunt, photo opportunities and a trick-or-treat bag for children 12 and younger. Families also can visit the zoo’s regular attractions, including the carousel, train, gem mine, playground and animals. Regular zoo admission applies. Admission is $21.95 for ages 1354, $20.95 for seniors 55 and older and $15.95 for children ages 3-12. Children 2 and younger and zoo

advice. “On Friday at 8 a.m., all ﬂights were canceled until Sunday,” Sackett said. “I would have missed the Super Bowl!” After the Saints won, Sackett and her family traveled by limo and “Who-Datted” through South Beach until 5 a.m. Though radio listeners don’t know what Lady Who Dat looks like, they know the name. When they discover that Sackett is the woman behind the voice on the radio, they get almost as excited as if they were meeting a Saints player. Sackett remembers meeting a Green Bay Packers fan when the Saints played the Packers in Jacksonville, Florida, because the New Orleans area was recovering from Hurricane Ida. During their conversation about football and NFL Radio, she mentioned that she was Lady Who Dat. “He got so excited and shouted to his buddies: ‘Hey, this is Lady Who Dat! This is the one I was talking about!’ ” Sackett laughed when she recalled the encounter. She may not wear the elaborate costumes or paint her face in black and gold, but after decades of following the Saints, Lady Who Dat has become a character all her own — known for her voice, her humor and her knowledge of the game.

members get in free.

Spooktacular S.T.E.A.M. Fest

n 201 E. Congress St., Lafayette

The Children’s Museum of Acadiana will host its Spooktacular S.T.E.A.M. Fest 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 3. The Halloween-themed event combines the museum’s hands-on activities with science, technology, engineering, arts and math programming. General admission

costs $14 while CMA members are $7 per person. Tickets are available through the Children’s Museum of Acadiana.

FIN-tastic Fall Fest Weekend

Halloween Art & Nature Festival Camp Margaritaville RV Resort

n 1055 N. Barn Road, Henderson

This year’s theme is “Creatures of the Night,” with programming centered on art, music, science, nature, folklore and Halloween. The event takes place across the 30-acre nature reserve and sculpture park and includes hands-on activities, performances, wildlife and nighttime programming. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Registration is required for some sessions due to limited space.

1050 Andrew Gautreaux Road, in Breaux Bridge will host its FINArnaudville tastic Fall Fest Weekend Oct. 2. through Oct. 11. Atelier de la Nature in ArnaudThe family event will include fall- ville will host its free Halloween Email Ja’kori Madison at jakori. themed activities and Halloween Art and Nature Festival on Oct. 31. madison@theadvocate.com. n

DOLLY

SPY

communitycoffee.com, TikTok Shop and other major retailers online, including amazon.com and walmart.com. Available in light, medium and dark roast varieties, the collection offers a cup for every Parton fan and coffee lover. It’s available for preorder in K-Cup pods and available now in ground coffee. The collaboration between Parton and Community Coffee began with a shared appreciation for quality coffee, family and community. Cup of Ambition reflects that connection, bringing together Parton’s vision for her first coffee line with Community Coffee’s expertise in crafting coffee since 1919. “Dolly had a warmth that made you feel like you’d known her forever,” said Donna Saurage, thirdgeneration owner of Community Coffee, in a news release. “We connected over our love of family, serving our communities and bringing people together, and it was a true joy to help make her dream of a Cup of Ambition coffee become a reality.” Parton brought her Cup of Ambition coffee to life on camera in July 2026, filming three commercials for the brand and shared in her own words on what the coffee line meant to her. The animation was illustrated by Katie Reed of She Got Good and Monica Woodward of Happy Web Co., animated by Joel Rob-

Or at least, they weren’t paying nearly as much attention as I had imagined. That realization has been surprisingly liberating. Most of us spend a lot of time believing that people are noticing — that we are being watched. We worry about our hair, our shoes, our clothes, the way we just tripped a little bit on the edge of that carpet, the stupid thing we said yesterday and how many people noticed that we said it. Meanwhile, everyone else is busy worrying about their own hair, their own shoes, their own walk and the ridiculous thing they said or the carpet edge that almost had them spilling down the hall. The truth is, most people are not watching us. They are living their own lives. Once I understood that, I stopped worrying so much about whether anyone was watching. I can sit in a sports bar by myself and watch the game, and no one wonders why. I can ask the obvious question. I can laugh too loudly at my own joke in the grocery store. I can walk into a room without ﬁrst wondering how I look walking into the room. The world keeps moving right along. And that realization has turned out to be a pretty serious kind of freedom. Which brings me back to spying.

Continued from page 1D

touches. The resort’s October calendar also includes live music during the weekend. Additional Halloweenthemed weekends begin Oct. 16, with pumpkin-themed activities designed to be family-friendly.

Continued from page 1D

PROVIDED PHOTO

Dolly Parton and Donna Saurage visited to chat about Parton’s Cup of Ambition collaboration with Community Coffee.

ertson of Fourthcrown, directed by TK McKamy, produced by Olly Rowland of NOZ Entertainment, colored by Rodney Williams of Big Finish and video edited by Adam Davis of CTK Enterprises. Every cup of Cup of Ambition coffee helps support Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and its mission to inspire a love of reading in children from birth to age 5. Community Coffee will serve as the anchor funding partner for Lafayette Parish, expanding its commitment to early childhood literacy in Louisiana. Consumers can also join in supporting the mission by making an optional donation to Imagination Library at checkout on cupofambition.com.

STAFF PHOTO By JAN RISHER

Red’s Blues Club is a legendary juke joint in Clarksdale, Miss. A spy’s job has two parts: Go unnoticed. Notice everything. Some spies also need a third part, which involves kung fu or special knife skills. The third part could be my downfall in the world of espionage. I’ve been practicing the second part for most of my life — long before I got into journalism, which involves a lot of sitting in the back of rooms, writing down what people say and watching what they do with their hands when they don’t know what to say next. The ﬁrst part, apparently, took care of itself and may be one of the strange gifts of getting older.

So, I go about my business of noticing things. I notice the couple in the next booth — arguing while speaking through their teeth. I notice the woman who has been reading the same page for 20 minutes. I notice who lights up when somebody walks into a room and who winces just a bit when they move their left elbow. And every now and then, the world gives me something extraordinary to notice. Like The Black Keys playing in a tiny juke joint in Clarksdale. Same glasses. Email Jan Risher at jan.risher@ theadvocate.com.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, October 4, 2026 ● 7D

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DINING SCENE Stylish brasserie is one of N.O.’s top restaurants The one word that kept coming to mind was sumptuous. We were seated at a corner table with scallopbacked, velvet banquettes forming a cove in the small dining room at MaMou. We’d already Ian dazzled by McNulty tyy abeen progression of WHAT’S first-course dishes, COOKING starting with the bread, a perfectly pretzeled bâtard loaf with smoked butter. When the flounder arrived, everyone at the table had to have a good look, not to snap photos for the ’gram, but just to admire the delicate beauty of its structure, draped with a sauce dappled with caviar, crowned with a crisp Parmesan tuile, looking like the tiara. Then the forks descended, and we devoured it. The room itself was a visual delight, all Art Nouveau swoops and swirls and flowers hung from the coffered ceiling. The flowers are artificial; the transporting feeling is very real. MaMou has earned a following in the four years since chef Tom Branighan opened it with sommelier Molly Wismeier. It’s grown into one of the most consistently excellent and exciting restaurants for modern cuisine in New Orleans. Yet it still feels under the radar. That accentuates the pleasure of bringing someone there to dine for the first time and watching their delight as character and flavors of this small, luxurious epicurean den sink in. MaMou is also that increasing rarity in the restaurant world, a place with both style and substance in equal measure.

MAMOU

942 N. Rampart St., (504) 3814557 Dinner from 5 p.m.Wed.-Sun. crabstick salad, the type most often eaten on the sofa at home rather than at the sushi bar. But MaMou’s version elevates it to a dish of omakase-level precision. It starts with blue crab claw meat wrapped with slices of tuna glistening with citrusy yuzu oil. Drag these bundles through an aioli that resembles creamy wasabi, but is more delicate with fermented citrus flavor and a hint of truffle. Were these served as a passed hors d’oeuvres at a party, I would be a high risk for whipping out the whole tray. The steak tartare reworks the dish’s traditional accoutrements like linear modern art. A seam of savory, creamy Chantilly sauce with the kick of Dijon hems the gleaming beef, next to a line of finely minced capers. Combine a bit of each to make small bites on the caraway-flecked cracker for a burst of flavor.

Classics, elevated Some MaMou dishes are more about the straight-ahead satisfaction of a classic dish done precisely, as it should be. The côte de boeuf, served with pommes purée, is an idealized STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER rendition of steak and potatoes. Tom Branighan, chef and owner of MaMou restaurant in the French It is the classic French treatment Quarter, prepares his poisson a la Florentine. of a regal, bone-in rib eye steak, richly marbled, and it’s ideal for Artistry, execution yond looks. The service is polished sharing around the table (the price varies by the size of cut). The potatoo — conﬁdently knowledgeable Dishes bring intricate artistry, and comfortably welcoming. though it is technique and executoes, thick with cream and cheese, Lustiness and delicacy share the slip from the spoon like a sauce. tion that make them so good and plate across the menu. Shrimp risotto is another exammemorable. The tuna crudo plays with the The small, 44-seat brasserie is a ple. The creamy texture is the right idea of comfort food sushi, the type vehicle for the sweet and charred vision from the Belle Epoque era that runs heavy on the mayo-laden ﬂavor of the shrimp, while tiny radParis. But the experience goes be-

ishes land like arrows of fresh ﬂair. A newer dish, the Cornish hen “piccata,” is an elevation of rustic comfort food. The buttery sauce around the roasted bird zings with lemon and tart capers between fregola sarda, the pearl-shaped pasta with a bounce to the bite and a whiff of toasty smoke.

Wine and roses Desserts are the one underwhelming act of the performance, and I miss the baba au rhum that was once ﬂambéed tableside. Still, typically I go so big on the early courses that the simple, and well-made, lemon Madeleines tie a bow nicely on the meal, maybe with an amaro (MaMou is where I discovered the wonderful Traiteur amaro, made in the 9th Ward by the unrelated brand Mamou Spirits). MaMou is a restaurant for wine lovers, with a list focused on France and other Old World producers. The entire inventory is kept in glass-fronted wine cellar displays in the dining room, some of which double as decanting tables. It brings wine into the room in a prominent but unpretentious way. The restaurant’s name might conjure the Evangeline Parish town Mamou, famous for its Cajun music and Mardi Gras traditions. But this MaMou is a nickname for the chef’s great-grandmother. Bits of family history are embedded in the decor, from the chef’s love of auto racing and culinary antiques. This restaurant feels personal while bringing a unique expression of modern Continental cuisine in New Orleans. With so much else clamoring for attention in the restaurant world, is it still possible to be quietly fabulous? MaMou makes the case in the French Quarter.

Cake pan, electric knife can make freezing corn quicker, easier Dear Heloise: My mother froze a lot of corn, and she used these two easy tricks: After she blanched the corn, she would set the ear of corn on an angel food Hints from cake pan and use Heloise an electric knife to cut off the kernels. This made cutting off the kernels quicker and easier. And the pan

caught the kernels, so there was less mess. — Michelle R., via email

Clean the dryer vent Dear Heloise: Regarding the recent letter about leaving the dryer on, it’s most likely the lintclogged vent that caused the fire, not leaving the house with the dryer going. Follow the instructions, clean the lint filter after every use, and clean the vent pipe annually. Don’t use a flexible

vent pipe, except for very short runs that connect the rigid vent pipe to the machine. — Scott R., in Northampton, Massachusetts Scott, personally, I’m obsessed with cleaning the lint in my dryer. However, from time to time, many people forget to clean out the dryer lint that collects over repeated use. I wish manufacturers would put a warning on dryers to help the public remember

how dangerous collected lint can be. — Heloise

Online auction service Dear Heloise: Clearing out a house with an online auction service was so much easier than hauling everything to a charity. Also, the fees that we paid employed the photographers and stagers, and we still made a little money. The funny part was when the

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The name and address of the liquidator is: MF REALTY, L.L.C. Michael Moncla, Manager 113 Oil Center Drive Lafayette, Louisiana 70503

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NOTICE TO BIDDERS

2026 SALE OF SCRAP METAL MATERIAL RE-BID #1

Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received either electroni‐ cally at https://www.cen tralbidding.com or in the ofﬁce of the Purchasing Division at the Lafayette lid d

and will, shortly there‐ after, be opened and read aloud in a room lo‐ cated at 705 West Univer‐ sity Avenue, Lafayette, LA. Bids received after

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Lafayette Consolidated Government

PUBLISH DATES: 09/29/26; 10/04/26 DPR: 1006215 202280 Sept. 29, Oct. 4, 2t $101.26

ATTORNEY: Robert E. Rowe PUBLICATION: Acadiana Advocate Publish Once ADDRESS: 113 Oil Center Drive Lafayette, Louisiana 70503 TELEPHONE: (337) 266-9626 SWORN AND SUBSCRIBED before me this 3rd day of September, 2026, at Lafayette Parish, Louisiana. MF REALTY, L.L.C.

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BY:________________ MICHAEL MONCLA, Manager ________________ ROBERT E. ROWE, NOTARY PUBLIC FOR LIFE LA BAR ROLL NUMBER: 11503 PARISH OF LAFAYETTE STATE OF LOUISIANA 202864 Oct. 4 1t $186.20

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

ing. X. Public Comment XI. Adjournment 202660 Oct. 4 1t $13.54

Public Notices Successions

V. Other Business

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

1. Director’s Report and review of Lafayette City Council action on mat‐ ters previously consid‐ ered by the Zoning Com‐ mission. 2. LDC Amendments 3. Proposed amendments to Rules of Policy and Procedure i. Add Part IV: City Zoning Commission Policy ii. Add to proposed Part IV: A. The City of Lafayette Zoning Com‐ mission shall defer until the next regular meeting any application appear‐ ing before the Commis‐ sion where the applicant is not in attendance of the meeting where the application is scheduled to be heard.

1. The immovable estate home and property lo‐ cated at 311 Sunny Lane, Lafayette, Louisiana 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 public records of Lafayette, Louisiana;

VI. Adjournment

and

202608 Oct. 4, 14, 18, 3t $63.78

2. 2009 Mercedes Benz 350.

Administrator for the Succession of Mary Fern Cobb Briggs gives notice of his intent to sell via private sale, the follow‐ ing:

I. Call to Order II. Visitor Introductions III. Approval of the Min‐ utes — Action Requested. A. January 15, 2026 B. April 16, 2026 IV. Communication

VI. Consideration for Designation None.

IV. New Business

VII. New Business 1. Fatima Church Na‐ tional Register Nomina‐ tion — Brieﬁng by Rox‐ ana Usner and Lafayette Historic Preservation Commission's Report to the State Division of His‐ toric Preservation. 2. Docomomo Nonproﬁt and their plans for Cata‐ loging Acadiana's Mid‐ century Buildings. 3. 2027 Commission cal‐ endar of meeting dates.

of Patricia Street.

III. Approval of the Minutes September 21, 2026

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that MF REALTY, L.L.C. through its duly autho‐ rized Manager, Michael Moncla, 113 Oil Center Drive Lafayette, Louisiana 70503, intends to liquidate and wind up all the affairs of EN‐ TOURAGE LAFAYETTE, L.L.C. out of court.

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

V. Consideration for Nomination None.

NOTICE OF INTENT TO DISSOLVE ENTOURAGE LAFAYETTE, L.L.C.

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

Send a hint to heloise@heloise. com.

II. Chair’s Opening Remarks

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

auctioneer came to meet us; he literally brought stuff back in the house from the trash bin, telling us that these items would sell. — M.A., via email M.A., what a clever idea! I hadn’t heard of an online auction for clearing out a house before, but I can already see the advantages. — Heloise

VIII. Old Business None. IX. Other Business Commission Housekeep‐ i

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List of jurors randomly drawn and to serve for the term beginning on October 12, 2026: ABRAHAM, RACHEL EDEN ADAMS, JAMES ALBRECHT, LARRY STEVEN ALEXANDER, KYLIE ALLEMAN, GRACIE GAIL ALLEN, ANTHONY EDWARD ALMANASRAH, MOHAMAD D A ALTDORFER, LARISSZA RATKAI ALTMAN, RAY EDWARD ANDERSON, HEATHER ROUGEAUX ANDERSON, JOSHUA TRAVIS ANDREW, ROBERT C ANDRUS, DERRICK J ANSLEM, MARY V ANSLEY, RANDALL ARCENEAUX, SHIRLEY MAE ARMSTEAD, FRANK ALFRED ARSEMENT, BRIAN K ARZOLA, NATALIA MARIE ATKINS, DONALD G AUCOIN, GLENDA W AUGUSTUS, JORDAN KIYONE BABIN, JAQUAE JAMALL BABINEAUX, AMBER RENEE BAILEY, CHRISTOPHER B BALL, GABRIELLE FRANCES WELTY BARNIDGE, JACKIE R BAUDOIN, NATALIE BROOKE BAY, SAJJAD BAZER, GAVIN TRENT BEAUGH, TERRY J BELLARD, JESSICA SHAY BENOIT, JANNA LYNNE BENOIT, NATHANIEL PAUL BENOIT, KIMBERLY VIATOR BENTON, MEGAN MILLET BERNARD, TAMMY MARIE BERNARD, KENNETH BERNARD, IRVIN J BERTRAND, SHANTELL BERTUCCINI, THOMAS V BESSON, SPENCER THOMAS BLANCHARD, HAYDEN DANIEL BLANCHARD, INEZ B BOB, JOHN RAY BOBINOX, BRIAN KEITH BOLER, HEATHER FALON BON, MARK ANTHONY BONNET, DONALD R BONVILLAIN, JESSICA WEAR BOOTHE, NICOLE ELIZABETH BORDELON, SCOTT THOMAS BOUDREAUX, LEANDREAN JANEE BOUDREAUX, CORY MICHAEL BOUDREAUX, LEJEUNE DESTINY DEE BOURGEOIS, MARY ANN RAGGIO BOURQUE, JEREMY BOUTIN, LYNELL SUIRE BOUTIN, PATRICIA G BOUTTE, CLARISSA WILLIAMS BOUTTE, JOSHUA JOHN BOYD, GERALDINE BOYLES, JESSICA RENEE BRASSEAUX, LAUREN LANDRY BREAUX, KELLY SUIRE BREAUX, VALARIE DANIELLE BREAUX, ELWOOD J BREAUX, MITCHELL JAMES BRIGGS, LETHA S BRITT, HAYDEN LEIGH BROUSSARD, TIMOTHY J BROUSSARD, EFFIE S BROUSSARD, MARY ELIZABETH BROUSSARD, EUPHAMEND BROUSSARD, MICHAEL G BROUSSARD, DELONCELETTA RENEE BROUSSARD, SONJA L BROUSSARD, JULIE ANNE BROWN, JERARD KEITH BRUNO, LARENZA TANYA NICOLE BURKE, CLIFFORD THOMAS BURRELL, BRENNAN ANTHONY BURROW, GLORIA G CAMET, ORAN W CAMPOS, CARLOS S CARMOUCHE, PATRICK JOSEPH CARMOUCHE, LAYLA ELAINE CARROLL, JEFFERY PAUL CARSON, TANIA RUTH CARTER, BETSY MARIE CARTER, SISSY GRAPES CHACHERE, BLAKE ANTHONY CHAISSON, CHRISTINA NICOLE CHAISSON, NANETTE ANN CHAMPAGNE, ROBERT J CHAMPAGNE, JAKE TYLER CHANEY, LANDON PATRICK CHARLES, MARCELLA M CHATMAN, CLINT CHAVEROBALTIERRA, JOSHUA JOEL CHEVALIER, BRANDON BOREL CHIASSON, MARY JANE P CHRETIEN, JUSTON JAKOBE CLINTON, LILY ELAINE COMEAUX, MATTHEW JAMES CORMIER, RAYLAN J CORMIER, ASHLEY MARIE RAE CORMIER, CENRIA SHANETTE ANN COSTA, CONNOR JUDICE COURCIER-CAIN, SUSAN COURVILLE, GABRIEL EDWARD CREDEUR, JULIA W CUCHENS, CORI ANDREW DAIGLE, CHELSEA NICHOLE DAIGLE, STEPHEN CARY DANIEL, GRETCHEN NEUNER DARKALIL, RANA S DARNELL, WYATT JAMES DARVILLE, COREY D DAY, COLT WESTON DEAN, RENEE NICOLE DEBLANC, TEDDY JOHN DECLOUET, JANENNE C DECOU, THERESA G DECUIR, KEATON OKELLY DEGEYTAIR, VICTORIA ALYS DELAHOUSSAYE, DONNA GREER DELHOMME, DANA F DEROUEN, SEBASTIAN COE DESHOTELS, RYAN ANDREW DIMMICK, STEPHEN M DODD, KAREN LOUISE DOGAY, DEVON JUDE DOMINGUE, ANNE KATHERINE DOMINIQUE, MICHAEL W DOUANGMAVONGSA, VIENGSAK DOWDY, ROBERT DEAN DRAGON, MARGARET W DUCOTE, KRISTEN DEFELICE DUFFY, DANIEL JOSEPH DUGAS, JIMMIE LEE DUGAS, MONIQUE J DUGAS, LINDA B DUHON, MARY DAYNA DUPUIS, BENJAMIN WADE EISNER, HERMAN R ELDRIDGE, BREIGH MICHELLE ELZIERE, KARINE ESKANO, ANTHONY ESTILETTE, LUCILLE EUBANKS, CATHERINE A FALGOUT, MEAGAN FOGLEMAN FARRIS, CHELSEA NICOLE FAULK, NAKIELLI AMBIANCE FIJACKO, JOSIP FISCHER, KARL FLUGENCE, ROBERT FOLSE, KENNETH FONTENOT, JOSHUA PAUL FONTENOT, DAVID A FONTENOT, JEROD KENT FONTENOT, VICKEY FONTENOT, MONICA H

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FOREMAN, PATRICK ROSS FOSTER, BRETT NICHOLAS FRANCIS, COREY JAMAL FRANCIS, JANINE YOLINDA FRANCIS, CYNTHIA M LINTON FRANCIS, ERIC W FRANCIS, ARSENIO JANARIUS FRAZIER, LARRY FREDETTE, ETHAN RICHARD FRIEDEN, ALLISON LYN FUSILIER, KENNETH B FUSILIER, PAUL H GAAR, HENRY HOUSTON GACHASSIN, HANNAH TRAHAN GAHISAN, ELMERII MAGTUBA GALLIEN, CORRIE RUTH GARBER, BRANDI J NORTON GARY, LEEALLEN JAMES GARY, NEAL GARY, LOUIS B GASPARD, CLEVELAND GASPARD, KALEN PAUL GAUVIN, MELODY A GEORGE, NEDIA W GEORGE, WILTON LEE GERALD, KRISTIAN M GERARD, CHARLES K GILLIAM, CHRISTIAN JAWAN GIROUARD, LUKE AARON GLAUDE, KEENAN ANTHONY GOFF, PAMELA MCNUTT GONZALEZ, KOREY ALEXANDER GONZALEZ, ALISON RAE GONZALEZAGUILLON, MARIA GORDON, KIMBERLY ANN GRANGER, STARLYN M GREENE, ANSLEE DANIELLE GREENWOOD, SHEENA LESHAY GRESSETT, PAMELA JEAN GRIFFIN, LINTON JOSEPH GUIDRY, LACI S GUIDRY, PHENA CARTER GUIDRY, LYNDSEY NICOLE GUIDRY, ZELIE BOURG GUILLOT, PAUL MICHAEL HANKS, BARTON D HANKS, BRICELYN PAIGE HANO, BRIAN KEITH HANSON, TREVOR BLANE HARRINGTON, GLENN S HARRISON, NYLA KAKOU HEBERT, ALAINA GABRIELLE HEBERT, DARRELL A HEBERT, CHANDRA L HEBERT, RYAN RENE HEBERT, ARDEN MAE HENRY, CHRISTINE HENRY, JAZMAN Y HERNANDEZ, MARISELDA HERNANDEZ, GENEVIEVE JOANN HESS, SCOTT ANTHONY HIGGINBOTHAM, DEBRA ANN HILBURN, LAURIE RASBERY HILL, JANICE R HILL, HEIDI CADIERE HUNT, TANESHA NAJON HUTCHINSON, DAKOTAH MORIAH ISAAC, JAVONIS ONTRIEL JACKSON, GLENN JACOBS, NITA R JACOKES, WILLIAM SCOTT JACQUES, GEORGE J JAQUA, MICHELLE SANCHEZ JOHNSON, TIFFANY FRANCE JOHNSON, CUTLER CORY JOHNSON, MICHELLE LYNN JONES, ANNE JONES, LEON PAUL JOSEPH, CYNQUITHIA KAYSHA MONIQUE JOSEPH, SHONA JUDICE, DAVID MICHAEL KAISER, IRENE NEVA KANE, MEGAN ELIZABETH KATELY, CANDICE JENEE KELLAR, ALEXANDER KYLE KEOHAVONG, REBECCA NAPHANHENG KEYS, CETOIS PAUL KRATZER, EVIA A KUON, DYLAN JOHN LABBE, AMBER RENEE LAINE, STEPHEN C LALANDE, SUSAN S LANCON, JOSEPH HUGHES LANDRY, DENA J LANDRY, JASPER W LANDRY, GERALD LANDRY, ALICE J LANGE, KRISTIN ANNE LANGLINAIS, RHONDA M LAPLACE, JOSHUA ADAM LARIVE, PHILLIP JAMES LATIOLAIS, DUSTIN JAMES LAURENT, JEANELLE M LEBLANC, KATELYN GRACE LEDEE, MADISON JORDAN CHRISTOPHER LEDESMAGARCIA, RAFAEL LEDET, LAUREN MICHELLE LEDOUX, JACQUELINE MACKENZIE LEDOUX, KAYLEE KAMILLE LEGER, DARLA M LEGER, JOHN GLEN LEGERE, AUDREY SONNIER LEMAIRE, REBECCA M LEMAIRE, CAMERON JAY LEMOINE, MEGAN BROUSSARD LEMOINE, BEAU DOUGLAS LENH, ADAM HOANG LAP LEOPAUL, JASON RIED LEVEQUE, LAURA J LEVY, SHATAVIA JANAE LEWELLYN, BRENDA J LEWIS, KAYLEB DEVON LIAO, XIXI LITTLE, ELIZABETH TROMP LIVING, JOHN PHILLIP LOUVIERE, KIMBERLY G MACQUINN, RENE M MAKIN, GABRIEL THOMAS MALAGARIE, ELLEN MICHAEL MALBROUGH, JOSEPH SOSTHENE MANUEL, KEVIN L MANUEL, CORNELIA BARRA MANUEL, JAMES G MARCEL, REBECCA ANN MARKS, BRIAN D MARSH, EVAN CHRISTOPHER MARSH, CHERYL L MARTINEZ, ROSARIO GARCIA MARTINEZ, FIDENCIO ANTONIO MATEO, ROLANDO MAYARD, SCOTTY P MCCARTHY, GRAHAM WILLIAM MCCARTNEY, NANCY G MCCLURG, JASON LOUIS MCGEE, COREY LANE MCGHEE, JASON ARVELL MEAUX, RICHARD P MECHE, LANDON ALLEN MELANCON, BOBBIE JOSEPH MELANCON, JUANITA F MELANCON, ALISON REED MENARD, NORWOOD J MEYERS, JOANN W MILLER, MILDRED C MILLER, JUDY ANN MILLER, JULIANNE MILLER, DEBRA S MITCHELL, PAYTON KRISTIAN MOORE, DEVIN DON MOORE, DYONNE A MOREAU, LEE HERBERT MOULEDOUS, CARRIE B MOURET, JANICE M MOUTON, DAVID LORIS MOUTON, DESHONTAE SHARAE MURTLAND, TAJ

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200519-686988-oct 4-1t $ 529.20

NFL deals, building wraps fuel Elmwood printer’s growth 9E

Longstanding Crowley rice mill navigates challenges 3E

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

S u n d ay, O c t O b e r 4, 2026

1en

PICK OF

PEPPERS

Louisiana Pepper Exchange turned a hot commodity into a side hustle, then a global enterprise

Chris White is moving his company, Louisiana Pepper Exchange, into the former Schwegmann’s distribution center in St. Rose. After renovations, the company will move operations making hot sauces and pepper products from its facility in New Orleans near the Mississippi River.

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

Louisiana businessman Chris White isn’t afraid to change things up. Since the 2016 Great Flood damaged his Baton Rouge house, for instance, he and his family have lived in ﬁve different places, including a recent stint in a former French Quarter church that was converted into a luxury apartment. That same willingness to embrace the new has helped White grow his business, Louisiana Pepper Exchange, from a side hustle into a global enterprise earning tens of million in annual revenue and, by the entrepreneur’s estimation, closing in on the

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

IDEAS &

INNOVATION

ä See EXCHANGE, page 2E

Jalapeños, habanero peppers, chili peppers, ghost peppers and more hot pepper varieties GETTy IMAGES PHOTO

‘AI is carrying the U.S. economy,’ says forum speaker State, national energy leaders discuss sector ‘Hyperscalers’ in the spotlight The most-heard buzzword at this shifts back to fossil fuels and nuclear power year’s conference was “hyperBY RICH COLLINS

Staff writer

When Tulane University hosted its inaugural Future of Energy Forum in 2024, the event centered on how Louisiana’s energy sector ﬁts into a world trying to balance growing power demand with concerns about the environment. While the event’s logo still features a stylized globe sprouting green leaves, this year’s forum, which featured many speakers from the Trump and Landry administrations, underscored how the energy industry — both in

Louisiana and nationwide — has shifted the conversation from renewables and clean energy back to fossil fuels and next-gen nuclear. Driving the discussions during the three-day forum, which was held Sept. 28-30 on campus, was the need for more energy to power the country’s artiﬁcial intelligence data center boom. Panelists also talked about Louisiana’s robust LNG sector, the future of Venezuelan oil, nuclear innovation and streamlining the regulatory process. Here are some takeaways from this year’s event:

scaler,” a term that describes tech giants like Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Meta that are spending billions on data centers and other infrastructure to support cloud computing, AI and more. There’s good reason for the focus. In the two years since news of Meta’s $50 billion Hyperion data center in Richland Parish leaked at the ﬁrst Future of Energy Forum two years ago, Big Tech has become the state energy industry’s biggest new customer. At least ﬁve data center projects are in the

PROVIDED PHOTO By CHERyL GERBER

Will Baldwin, from left, James Martin, Madelyn Smith and state Rep. Joseph Orgeron speak during a panel on offshore wind at Tulane ä See ENERGY, page 2E University’s Future of Energy Forum on Tuesday.

2E ● Sunday, October 4, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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EXCHANGE

down and distribution. For nearly a decade, he ran this business alongside his work selling flexitanks to many types of customers, but in 2018, he decided to focus on the pepper business. In particular, he wanted to grow the market for pepper mash beyond hot sauce makers. “I thought the rest of the food manufacturing world should have access to this as well,” he said. “It is the most authentic pepper ingredient on the planet.”

Continued from page 1E $100 million mark by the end of the decade. While not a household name like Tabasco, Crystal or other famous Louisiana-born pepper sauce brands, the 16-year-old company is gaining ground behind the scenes as White has parlayed his patented idea for shipping pepper mash more efficiently into a multifaceted enterprise that sells pepper products to other hot sauce manufacturers, food companies and restaurants. Louisiana Pepper Exchange helped create a ghost pepper-flavored sandwich at a popular fastfood joint a couple years ago. It makes all the hot sauce used at a national chain restaurant known for its spicy chicken wings. And it manufactures and packages marinades and dressings for wellknown brands. For the last eight years, the company has grown briskly while operating out of a 25,000-squarefoot facility near in New Orleans’ Lower Garden District. But White is making changes again. Last year, he moved the business’s executive office and test kitchen to the first floor of the New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute in the Warehouse District. And now he’s investing $10 million to stand up a 100,000-square-foot production facility in a former Schwegmann’s distribution center in St. Rose. The investments, which come three years after White spent $22 million to build a pepper mash storage and fermentation facility in New Mexico, are a sign that the entrepreneur sees opportunities ahead based on the continued strength of Americans’ embrace of spicy foods even as food manufacturers overall are slumping. “I’m betting on vertical integration,” White said during a recent interview. “As consumers have embraced more flavor and heat in their food, the supply chain that supports that was very fragmented, but because of our intellectual property, my engineering and logistics background, and the experts we have, we can do a lot of this under one roof.”

Expansion in N.M., New Orleans

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

New railroad tracks are being laid behind the St. Rose warehouse under renovation for Louisiana Pepper Exchange operations.

Solve a problem, start a business Before he created Louisiana Pepper Exchange, White was an executive at Chemetec, a Baton Rougeborn business founded by his father that supplies pumps, agitators, mixers and other equipment to industrial customers and food manufacturers, including the McIlhenny Co., the Louisiana-based maker of Tabasco hot sauces. The seeds for his own venture were planted in 2000, when McIlhenny asked White to devise a way to customize a then-new type of packaging called a “flexitank” so it could ship its pepper mash — crushed peppers combined with salt — more efficiently and affordably from Latin America and other destinations. Flexitanks are essentially heavy-duty plastic bags that fill an entire 20-foot shipping container and are used to transport liquids like oils, juices and syrups in bulk. “Pepper mash is such a difficult product to handle, because it’s fermenting in transit, causing sepa-

ENERGY

Continued from page 1E planning stage or under construction in the state, representing a collective $80 billion in spending with billions more dedicated to power generation. The topic came up at nearly all the Tulane event’s panels. During one, the founders of several nuclear power startups discussed the possibility of using on-site small modular reactors at data centers. At another, an investor said capital will keep ﬂowing to hyperscalers as long as they maintain their audiences with products like Meta’s new Muse, an AI app that can book airline tickets, cancel subscriptions and handle other tasks. Jonathan Krautmann, a partner at Rubric Capital, took it a step further, explaining that what the hyperscalers are doing for Louisiana’s economy is happening nationwide. “AI infrastructure is carrying the U.S. economy right now, and in the absence of that, we’d probably already be in a deep recession,” Krautmann told the forum audience Monday afternoon. “That should not gloss over the real concerns that are going to show up in the midterms. The onus is on hyperscalers to show consumers that they’re not just coming for your job and your water and your farmland and to show them the beneﬁts of agentic AI.”

Louisiana Pepper Exchange has operating out of a 25,000-squarefoot facility near in New Orleans’ STAFF FILE PHOTOS By SOPHIA GERMER Lower Garden District for the last Workers test out ideas in the bottling area at Louisiana Pepper Exchange eight years. in New Orleans in 2022. ration of solids and liquids,” White said. “That’s why it was mostly shipped in smaller drums, barrels and totes for many years.” An engineer by training, White devised a system that uses bursts of air to keep the product moving, letting it separate in transit and then agitating it back to a homogeneous state. After four years of trial and error — and “a lot of being covered in pepper,” he said — his team ﬁled for a patent in 2004. The new solution was welcomed by McIlhenny, which has used hundreds of flexitanks annually

for more than two decades, but it also made pepper mash more accessible to the hundreds of new hot sauce makers that have emerged in the last 15 years. “I was just trying to solve Tabasco’s problem, and when that system worked, they allowed me to patent it,” White said. “I am very thankful for that. We started shipping for Tabasco and then eventually for a lot of other people.”

Nuclear’s new image

and other breakthroughs unrelated to power generation. Panelists also shared enthusiasm for the emergence of small modular reactors although they acknowledged that the decentralized infrastructure would create new safety and security concerns.

Many baby boomers and Gen Xers are skeptical of nuclear power because of well-documented disasters, the danger of nuclear waste and the high cost of building, maintaining and securing reactors. But the sector is going through a major image makeover this decade, as its ability to produce energy without creating carbon emissions makes it a potential part of the solution to lower emissions overall. The Trump administration’s changes to regulations and new tax incentives are encouraging entrepreneurs and investors to make bets on nuclear, and Matt Krozak, the director for strategy and policy development at the Nuclear Energy Institute, told forum attendees there’s been a “remarkable sea change” in the nuclear energy policy environment overall. “Over the last decade, advocates have made an effort to explain why it’s important,” he said. “We have seen the public conversation evolve, and our public support is higher now than it’s ever been when we look at the Gallup surveys.” In Louisiana, two nuclear power startups have announced plans for the state, and during Monday’s panel, Chris Wright, a director at the Idaho National Laboratory, touted the possibility of using nuclear reactors to create synthetic fuels, isotopes for cancer research

Selling peppers for the first time While still working full-time at Chemetec, White partnered with a

More Venezuelan oil in La.? After the United States’ military action in Venezuela in January, which led to the U.S. gaining more control of the South American country’s oil industry, there was talk about Louisiana’s refineries seeing an increase in the oil from the region, but experts at the energy forum said don’t expect any radical changes anytime soon. One reason is the poor condition of the country’s oil infrastructure. “To describe it as ‘delayed maintenance’ might be very kind,” said Matthew Goitia, president of Peaker Energy and Pelorus Terminals, during a panel about the topic. “When you look at that current state of the pipelines and terminals, the maintenance wasn’t there. It all has to be uprooted and redone.” Another problem is that many of the engineers, pipe ﬁtters, cutters and other experts with knowledge of the reﬁneries left the country years ago. “Those who could left during the Chavez regime, and we have been beneficiaries of that huge intellectual knowledge and operational skill set,” he said. “It’s going to take almost an entire generation

ﬂexitank manufacturer and spent several years supplying the packaging to customers. He called this new business Gray Hog Industries, a reference to his time studying at West Point before his U.S. Army career. In 2010, though, a small hot sauce company founder contacted White, hoping to buy a small amount of pepper mash. And that’s when inspiration struck to sell the product himself. White launched Louisiana Pepper Exchange that year and started bringing peppers into a small facility in Baton Rouge for break-

to rebuild that efﬁciency.” Panel moderator Eric Smith said that even if additional Venezuelan oil could be efﬁciently extracted and shipped to Louisiana, there isn’t an existing infrastructure to move it to other parts of the country that need it. “We need to be a little more introspective than we’ve been so far in trying to assume that there’s a market in the U.S.,” Smith said. “We can’t take massive amounts of crude from Venezuela without having some sort of a massive rebuilding of our own pipeline infrastructure here in the U.S.”

Wind energy is down but not out

While Louisiana Pepper Exchange was born out of an idea to improve the way peppers are transported over water, the company’s biggest expansion to date happened on land. In 2023, White partnered with farmers and processors in northern Mexico to grow peppers. The same year, the company opened a pepper mash storage and fermentation facility in New Mexico for product coming across the border. The place has 120 tanks that together can store 30 million pounds of mash. “It’s so huge, it looks like an oil refinery,” White said. Now, the expansion continues in Louisiana. In May, White signed a 15-year lease for the former Schwegmann’s distribution center, with plans to move there from the 25,000-square-foot warehouse near the Uptown Walmart that it has occupied since 2018. Last week, White gave a tour of the new space, where two industrial food mills, still wrapped in plastic and resting on wood pallets, were the first equipment to arrive. Eventually, they will be joined by 20 giant storage tanks and other food-processing infrastructure. The side of the building facing Airline Highway has multiple loading docks for 18-wheelers, which will bring pepper mash from the Port of New Orleans to the site for processing. Out back, workers are building a new railroad track that will haul finished product to customers. White said the site will be operational before the end of the year. Louisiana Pepper Exchange also will continue to lease space on the first floor of NOCHI, just off Harmony Circle, to house executive offices and a test kitchen that’s used to create new products for food companies and restaurants. An on-site chef and food scientist will help visiting company executives find their way around the test kitchen with a view of a streetcar stop just outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. “We entertain a lot,” White said. “New Orleans is an important sales tool, so it’s great for us to be walkable to great restaurants as we meet with partners.” White said he hopes activities at all of his company’s new facilities will help him grow company sales of “value-added” products. That’s because turning pepper mash into purees, finished hot sauces, marinades and more increases its value. It’s all part of his vision to bring together efficient farming, transportation, fermentation, processing and manufacturing of the ingredient that’s key to consumers’ desires for heat and flavor in their food. Said White: “We’re really the only vertically integrated pepper company in the world.”

to be complete next year. Edison Chouest Offshore built the ECO Liberty service and operations vessel for Empire Wind, a collection of 54 turbines capable of powering a half-million homes, according to the developer. “The last time I checked, there were at least four Louisiana-built vessels at work on projects in the East Coast,” said Madelyn Smith, program manager at the Southeastern Wind Coalition, an advocacy organization. “Each one of these ships is an engineering marvel in itself and represents hundreds of millions of dollars that are being spent here in Louisiana to service that industry.” Even though offshore wind is on pause, two onshore wind projects in the state are working their way through the approval process: Mt. Joy in Morehouse Parish and Cajun Prairie in St. Landry and Evangeline parishes. “If Louisiana can position itself to be a hub for manufacturing, logistics and transportation for onshore wind, we have the potential to position ourselves to service a broader regional market,” said Smith, who believes Louisiana should take a cue from Virginia, which built a local supply chain for its ongoing $11 billion offshore wind project. “That really has created a lot of support from companies that are getting those contracts,” she said.

On President Donald Trump’s first day in office for his second term, he ordered a pause on federal offshore wind leasing and permitting. A few months later, he ended federal tax credits for new wind and solar projects. Those actions essentially froze investment in the industry for future projects, but they didn’t shut down existing offshore wind farms or stop all ongoing projects from being finished. On the East Coast, there are now six offshore farms either complete or partially complete. Two more are under construction. Louisiana shipbuilders have been key contributors to some of these efforts, including the decade-old Block Island Wind Farm off the coast of Rhode Island and the Empire Wind offshore wind Email Rich Collins at rich. farm near New York, which is due collins@theadvocate.com.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, October 4, 2026 ● 3E

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

Crowley rice mill ‘a chain link in a massive chain’ BY ADAM DAIGLE

Acadiana business editor Along Mill Street in Crowley, there was a time where 13 rice mills operated to serve local farmers and the local economy. Now there are only two, one of which is Falcon Rice Mill, which co-owner Robby Trahan never envisioned he would oversee. His father ran the family business that dates back to 1942, while Trahan was living in Texas and working as a certiﬁed public accountant. But in 2011, when Trahan nudged his father about what his long-term plans were, he decided to move back to Louisiana. He, his sister Christine and their spouses bought the business to allow their father to retire. Trahan soon discovered his accounting background did not make it an easy transition into operating the business. “If you ran this place like dollars and cents, it probably wouldn’t work because we’re a chain link in a massive chain,” Trahan said. “The farmers need an outlet to sell their product, and we need farmers for the supply. We’re all like a water hose — the stuff has to move.” In this week’s edition of Talking Business, Trahan talks about issues facing the rice industry, his history with the mill and the status of its $6 million expansion at Falcon, maker of Cajun Country Rice and other brands. This interview has been edited for clarity. How has the weather been for the farmers this year? It’s been a bit of a dry summer. Has that been beneficial? Growing conditions have been fairly good this year for our guys. In the South, we do have a smaller crop, probably one of the smallest crops we’ve had since the 1980s between Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. There was a little bit of reduction here in Louisiana, but Arkansas was

STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

Co-owner Robbie Trahan took over Falcon Rice Mill in Crowley with his sister in 2011 after living in Texas. ‘I’ve been around a lot of places, and there are not many places that are unique. We have something pretty special with our culture here,’ he said.

Q&A WITH ROBBy TRAHAN

FALCON RICE MILL CO-OWNER

down at least 30% to 40%. They were increasing acreage a couple years ago, and the price of rice just dropped. What has the overall yield looked like so far? This year is fairly good. I wouldn’t say it’s our best yielding crop ever, but it’s not bad. It’s better than last year, and the milling yields are better, too. We’re making more head rice from this rice than we did last year. So that’s good. The millings have been kind of off the last couple of years. The head rice

numbers are better — down here at least. What’s causing that? I think the weather was pretty good for them this year. Last year we had rains at the wrong time or dryness at the wrong time. This year I don’t think we had any of that. And our guys plant pretty good varieties down here for the most part. Typically, when you have hybrids and things like that, the millings could go down, but our guys don’t do as much of that as they do in other areas.

The rising cost of diesel is hurting several industries across the country. How are your business and farmers dealing with it? The price of rice is getting higher, which is great, but then their diesel costs are so high and their fertilizer costs are so high. So it’s just a double-edged sword. And even on our end, it’s one thing when a mill adjusts prices for commodities, which is ﬁne, but every single bucket is being affected. So it’s not fun, and customer don’t like it because prices are going up across the board on the groceries. When that happens, people don’t buy as much. How is the industry faring in the export business? What kind of headwinds is it facing with other countries exporting a cheaper product?

When we have a normal crop in all the states, we’ll export half of that rice. The exports have been down. They’ll export to Haiti and Iraq, but the problem with Iraq is you either have to ship it through the Strait of Hormuz, or they’re talking about now shipping it to Jordan and then trucking it across, which is really risky. Then it jumps the price. Then you’ll hear about bad players, India and (other countries), they can dump rice onto customers. They can ship rice into Mexico cheaper than we can ship it to, which doesn’t make sense. Speaking of international trade, how have tariffs affected the expansion of the mill? We ordered the stuff (for our expansion) back in December, and the next thing you know we have a tariff on the stuff coming. I didn’t know that was in play when we ordered it. Now we recently just got it refunded. It’s in the upper tens of thousands. It’s not quite $100,000, but it’s pretty close to it. Did tariffs make exporting rice more challenging? The U.S. exports a good bit of rice in Mexico and Canada, and a lot of that is because of the NAFTA agreement. When you start tarifﬁng those guys, they can get cheaper rice somewhere else. At one time, the U.S. had 80% of the market share in Mexico, and I think it’s down to like 25% to 30%. Tariffs really harm the amount of rice that we’re going to grow because it’s not good for export. Take me back to when you took over the mill from your dad. What drew you back? Nobody wants to move away if you don’t have to, right? This is a pretty unique place. I’ve been around a lot of places, and there are not many places that are unique. We have something pretty special with our culture here. Email Adam Daigle at adaigle@ theadvocate.com.

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4E ● Sunday, October 4, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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ACROSS THE REGION

Tunica-Biloxi Tribe to launch prediction market app BY TIMOTHY BOONE Staff writer

Through a partnership with sports betting company Kalshi, the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana is set to launch a prediction market app, making it the first tribe to enter the fast-growing sector. The app will allow customers to bet on real-world events, such as weather forecasts, political races and Oscar winners through SaltTrade Derivatives, a new tribal business that harkens back to the Tunica-Biloxi’s history as salt traders. The app will allow customers to buy and sell contracts with other consumers, tied to the outcome of an event. Marshall Pierite, chair of the Marksville-based Tunica-Biloxi, said the venture came out of a conversation he overheard involving leaders of other tribes who were concerned about the impact that prediction markets could have on their gambling operations. Pierite said he sees the prediction market, which is expected to see its trading volume hit $410 billion this year, as Goliath and tribal gaming as David. But he said he isn’t looking to challenge the sector. “We wanted to see how we can work together to be a part of a changing industry and utilize our experience and expertise as one of the first tribes to be involved in small-dollar lending and one of the first involved in financial literacy,” he said. Pierite said he began to research prediction markets, trying to find out as much as he could about the industry and making sure that the tribe wouldn’t miss out on the financial opportunities it was creating. He sees this as a way to merge tribal entrepreneurship with cut-

PROVIDED PHOTO By TUNICA-BILOXI TRIBE OF LOUISIANA

The Tunica-Biloxi Cultural and Educational Resources Center is located in Marksville. Through a partnership with Kalshi, the Tunica-Biloxi are launching a prediction market app, making it the first tribe to enter the fast-growing sector. ting edge technology. About six or seven months ago, the Tunica-Biloxi approached Kalshi about ﬁnding a way to work together, Pierite said. Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour said in a statement his company was proud to partner with the TunicaBiloxi. “The debate can no longer be reduced to prediction markets on one side and tribes on the other,” Mansour said. “What’s clear is that regulated national infrastructure and tribal entrepreneurship can develop together — and one does not have to lose for the other to win.”

Kalshi will provide the infrastructure for the app and set odds. The tribe will market the prediction site to it consumers, Pierite said. Financial details about the arrangement were not disclosed, along with revenue projections. The SaltTrade Derivatives app is set to launch in the next 90 days, Pierite said. People in every state except Louisiana will be able to bet on events. Pierite said the tribe purposely decided not to operate the prediction market in Louisiana because the tribe “didn’t want people

knocking on our doors” to place a trade. The tribe does plan to open a physical ofﬁce for SaltTrade on its lands. But SaltTrade will be separate from all of its current businesses, such as the Paragon Casino Resort. Prediction markets are controversial. Some states have filed suits against Kalshi and Polymarket in an attempt to regulate their activities. There have also been concerns about insider trading and the role the markets play in causing gambling addiction. But Pierite said anything that challenges the status quo is going

to generate controversy. “We know we were going to take criticism because people don’t like change,” he said. “But we believe in the vision and the strategy we’re creating with Kalshi and SaltTrade.” Pierite said he sees the Kalshi partnership as paving the way for future agreements with the 575 federally recognized tribes. “In every industry, it takes one person to be courageous enough to do it and others will follow,” he said. Email Timothy Boone at tboone@theadvocate.com.

“The debate can no longer be reduced to prediction markets on one side and tribes on the other. What’s clear is that regulated national infrastructure and tribal entrepreneurship can develop together — and one does not have to lose for the other to win.” TAREK MANSOUR, CEO of sports betting company Kalshi

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NATION & WORLD Malaysia campaigns to boost its pungent durian BY KANIS LEUNG Associated Press

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysia is pushing to take durian, whose powerful smell delights its lovers and repels its haters, beyond its roadside stalls and family orchards to convince fans of the spiky fruit that its varieties are worth seeking out. Devotees savor durians like wine. For Malaysian ones, the taste of their rich and creamy flesh varies widely across types. Some are prized for their sweet custard and fruity notes, others for a hint of bitterness, an alcohol tinge or even a peanut butter ﬂavor. Malaysians’ efforts to elevate the industry can be found in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, at a center devoted exclusively to the fruit and the growing variety of products made from it. At the Kuala Lumpur Durian Experience Centre, near the landmark Petronas Twin Towers, visitors venture into a replica durian orchard to discover the fruit’s culture and history. In another room, a theater show draws laughter. Downstairs, visitors enjoy platters and egg tarts crafted from it. Launched this summer after an investment of nearly $2 million, the two-story center spans about 20,450 square feet and is open daily. Its durian shop welcomes guests from morning to midnight. Its founder, Edison Ang, said the center targets both local customers and tourists, especially those from China, the world’s biggest durian importer. He said Chinese palates have long been inﬂuenced by Thai durian culture. “What we actually hope for now is not to get people who don’t eat durian to start eating durian,” he said. “Instead, we hope consumers who are already eating durian from

other countries will switch to Malaysian durian.” In 2025, China imported 1.87 million tons of fresh durian worth $7.5 billion, with volume jumping over six times in the past decade, according to its customs data. Thailand’s earlier entry helped it secure over half that market by value in 2025. Malaysia, which began exporting fresh durian to China in 2024, was dwarfed. But for the first half of 2026, the value of China’s fresh durian imports from Malaysia quadrupled compared with the same period last year, pointing to rapid growth. Unlike their rivals, Malaysian growers typically do not harvest early, instead collecting only naturally ripened fruit caught in nets or ropes as they fall. That’s the industry’s biggest advantage and also its biggest weakness, Ang said, as sellers have to race against time because the fruit’s shelf life is at most two to three days. Any delays would affect its quality. When his stock was held up for several days during customs checks, his refund rate climbed, he said. Durian sales are also sensitive to economic conditions, said Leron Yee, founder of DKing, whose business covers both export and domestic markets. When the Chinese economy performs well, his business improves, but if the buying power of Chinese consumers falls, he needs to find alternative markets, he said. “It is a luxury, not a necessity,” he said. Businesses are finding opportunities in what the fruit can become. Yee’s business sells durian paste, durian-flavored chocolate and mochi — and even mooncakes ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival. DurianBB founder Adrian Choy’s company offers durian

ice cream, desserts and dried durian at a cafe, alongside coffee flavored with the Musang King variety and other items. His brand also offers guided farm tours. In July, Choy’s brand went a step further and launched a durian flower perfume that smells sweet and floral. Choy said branching into other products is important because it will add value to the food itself and differentiate his business, even when others compete on price. “Food is food,” he said. “You cannot sell it like 50% more because your branding is different.” Across China, durian specialty shops have mushroomed, with some specializing in Malaysian varieties. In Beijing, the Jiang Sir durian shop sells platters priced roughly between about $44 to $150, depending on the weight of the pulp and the varieties chosen. Its employee, Hou Yuxin, welcomed the growing number of similar shops and brushed off pressure from competition, saying it would help boost the market for Malaysian durians. She noted many people now want to enjoy durians during their trips to Malaysia. Back at Ang’s center in Kuala Lumpur, Henry Zhang was one of them. Zhang, a visitor from Shanghai who started eating durian during his university days, saw a durian no bigger than his palm for the first time. He said Malaysian ones were creamier than those from Thailand and had different flavors. He was impressed by the center offering more than just the fruit. “I may still eat durians from other countries. But after eating them, I may miss Malaysian ones even more,” Zhang said.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS By VINCENT THIAN

A customer poses beside a giant durian display at a durian stall in Petaling Jaya, on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The country is pushing to take durian, whose powerful smell delights its lovers and repels its haters, beyond its roadside stalls and family orchards to convince fans of the spiky fruit that its varieties are worth seeking out.

Workers unload durians at a durian farm collection point in Karak, Pahang state in Malaysia.

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The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, October 4, 2026 ● 7E

NATION & WORLD

Dollywood’s billionaire owners plot future without Parton BY DEVON PENDLETON

Bloomberg News (TNS)

Since it opened in 1986, Dollywood has been both a monument to Dolly Parton and a bustling venue where visitors can wander through a replica of the tworoom log cabin where the singersongwriter grew up and munch on Parton loaves of her fragrant cinnamon bread between thrill rides. Now the Tennessee theme park’s legacy rests in the hands of a lowkey billionaire family. Following Parton’s death in late August at age 80, her longtime partner and Dollywood’s co-owner, Herschend Entertainment, has assumed the role of overseeing and growing the venue, which was molded in the entertainer’s image near her birthplace in the Smoky Mountains. Her impact will keep unfolding in the years ahead as the park is in the middle of a $500 million expansion with rides and amenities that were all Partonapproved. “We want to honor her by continuing to make Dollywood what she intended it to be,” said Chris Herschend, chair of Herschend Entertainment and a third-generation member of the family that owns the closely held business. He spoke in a videoconference from his ofﬁce in front of shelves stuffed with children’s books, surplus from Parton’s Imagination Library. “Nobody could replace Dolly. She was one of one.” In Herschend, Parton found a partner that shared her mix of business savvy and social responsibility, said Robert Niles, founder and editor of Theme Park Insider. Herschend offers a range of perks to its 22,000 employees, or “hosts,” from proﬁt sharing to free tuition, while donating 1% of its top-line revenue to charity. “Dolly was a businesswoman; it’s not like she was some altruistic saint; she hustled every day of her

DREAMSTIME/TNS PHOTO By JOE HENDRICKSON

Following Dolly Parton’s death in late August at age 80, her longtime partner and Dollywood’s co-owner, Herschend Entertainment, has assumed the role of overseeing and growing the Pigeon Forge, Tenn., venue, which was molded in the entertainer’s image near her birthplace in the Smoky Mountains. life,” Niles said. “But she treated her customers with respect and delivered value.” The success of Dollywood has allowed Herschend to expand signiﬁcantly. The suburban Atlantabased company now owns and runs 10 other U.S. theme parks as well as water parks, resorts, campgrounds, aquariums, a jeeptouring operation and the Harlem Globetrotters. Moody’s estimated the company generated around $1.2 billion in revenue last year. Based on that and other financial information, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index values the business at at least $1.7 billion. It’s entirely owned by the Herschends, who declined to comment on the valuation. Herschend declined to say how large a stake Parton owned in the park but said “considerations” had been made in advance to ensure it would continue as usual following her death. Located in the town of Pigeon Forge (population 6,600), Dollywood sprawls over 165 wooded acres and boasts roller coasters,

numerous music stages, a pair of World War II-era steam trains and a dedicated Dolly museum whose facade is dominated by a glittering pink butterﬂy. In 2024, the most recent year available, it drew 3.1 million visitors, according to the Themed Entertainment Association, making it the 18th-most visited U.S. theme park on a list dominated by Disney attractions. Among seasonal theme parks — Dollywood is open mid-March through early January — it ranks among the top three and is the biggest ticketed tourist venue in Tennessee. The Herschend family business traces back to the early 1950s when Chris’ grandparents — Hugo, a door-to-door vacuum salesman and his wife, Mary, a librarian — came across a cave while on a trip through Missouri. On a whim, they bought the cave and turned it into a tourist attraction. After Hugo’s death in 1955, Mary continued to run the site with her sons Jack and Pete, and expanded it to include a reconstructed 1880s mining town, which they named Silver Dollar

City. After the 1970s oil embargo curtailed road-tripping visitors, the brothers decided to broaden their geography and bought a second park, a small destination in the Smokies that they rebranded as Silver Dollar City, Tennessee. When Parton announced in an interview with Barbara Walters that she wanted to open a theme park in her Tennessee hometown of Sevierville — just up the road from Silver Dollar — “it was like a shot, not an invitation,” Herschend recalled. “It was perceived by us as ‘Oh Lord, we’ve got to ﬁgure this out.’” As it turns out, Parton was a regular visitor to Silver Dollar, where she’d bring her nieces and nephews and set them loose with pocket money. Coincidentally, the mother of the park’s general manager at the time worked at the post ofﬁce with the mother of Parton’s tour bus driver. The moms brokered an introduction and the GM pitched Parton on collaborating after catching up with her at one of her concerts. Convincing Herschend board

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members of the merits of teaming with Parton wasn’t easy, Herschend said. They were wary of some hotshot celebrity running roughshod over the organization. A board member from Nashville, Tennessee, brokered the deadlock and cast the deciding vote, according to Herschend. “He said, ‘Y’all don’t understand,’” Herschend said. “’This is not like most people; she’s one in a billion and you’ve got to do this deal.’” Parton’s talent for storytelling and connecting with people informed both the feel of the park and the speciﬁc attractions, most of which nod to local culture, like stages featuring bluegrass bands and Appalachian roots music, blacksmithing demonstrations and the Lumberjack Lift tower climb. Boosting the region was a major motivation for her founding the park, which is the county’s largest employer and was estimated in 2021 to generate $1.8 billion annually for the local economy. Her business instincts affected the Herschend group in other ways, as well. She encouraged the company to open a resort near Dollywood years ago — a suggestion Herschend said they resisted given it wasn’t their expertise. “She was patient with us as we explained over and over again why we weren’t willing to do it,” Herschend said. Eventually they gave in and the hotel — the Dollywood DreamMore Resort and Spa — was an immediate success, he said. They now have two with a third Dolly Parton-branded hotel under construction in Nashville. In the wake of Parton’s death, Dollywood’s president announced the park’s plans to honor the singer posthumously, including new features like a cascading waterfall with a guitar sculpture next to the park’s existing chapel. “The thing that made Dollywood work was the trust between Dolly and our family and the mutual conﬁdence that each would kind of do our part,” Herschend said. “And Dolly always over-delivered.”

8E ● Sunday, October 4, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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BUSINESS BRIEFS

Metal Shark to build ships for Vietnam

Iberia Parish-based Metal Shark Boats will build 13 patrol boats for Vietnam, with an option for more. The company will build 45-foot welded aluminum vessels that will enhance the country’s maritime security and law enforcement capabilities, company officials said. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Metal Shark built 24 Deﬁant military patrol boats for the Vietnam Coast Guard between 2017 and 2020. The deal will also strengthen its partnership between the U.S. and Vietnam after the U.S. arms embargo was lifted in 2016. The 13 Deﬁant-class patrol boats will be built at Metal Shark’s Jeanerette facility and will share a platform with vessels operating with U.S. and partner-nation military forces worldwide.

Accelerate Northside registration opening The fall session of Accelerate Northside for small businesses and start-ups will begin this week. The six-week session put on by the Louisiana Entrepreneurship & Economic Development Center will be Thursday to Nov. 12. It is designed to help entrepreneurs create and grow their businesses, LEED ofﬁcials announced. Registration is $25 thanks to a sponsorship from the Lafayette Economic Development Authority. The program is valued at $450. To register, visit bit.ly/acceleratenorthside. The program includes training, mentorship opportunities with successful entrepreneurs, one-on-one consulting during and after the program and connections to community resources. Walkups are welcome on the ﬁrst day if space is available.

Jim Deggy’s has likely closed its doors Jim Deggy’s Brick Oven

Pizza & Brewery has apparently closed its doors for good after just over two years in business in downtown Lafayette. Multiple attempts to reach owner owner Paul Averett were unsuccessful, but Acadiana News First cited employees in a report that the restaurant shut down after it closed on Saturday night. Multiple social media posts also indicated it was closing. An employee verified the closing in a Facebook post, noting they were “devastated to be closing. Thank you for coming.” The Pineville-based pizzeria opened with fanfare and hype with hopes of bringing life to that end of downtown Lafayette. The space had been vacant for about three years after Dat Dog closed. Averett was optimistic when he announced in September 2023 his plans to open a Lafayette location after choosing it over Bossier City. It featured hand-tossed 10-inch pizzas cooked in a brick oven over a wood ﬁre along with wings and salads, in-house-brewed craft style beers and cocktails.

New eatery to open in Blu Basil site An Asian restaurant that has been in Lafayette for over a decade has apparently closing. Blu Basil Asian Fusion, 5451 Johnston St., in the Time Plaza shopping center closed and will be replaced by a Vietnamese restaurant, according to online posts and Developing Lafayette. The new restaurant, Sen Viet Kitchen & Bar, will likely open next month and offer authentic Vietnamese dishes along with Japanese and Korean items and Cajun-Asian items, Developing Lafayette reported. Blu Basil dates back to early 2015 when it opened in the former Chung King space as Blu Basil Wine & Grill, a Vietnamese restaurant owned by Tam Nguyen that was the sister restaurant to Saigon Noodles.

BUILDING PERMITS Issued Sept. 23-29

Commercial alterations

BAR: 109 General Mouton Ave., description, new entryway into The Bulldog; applicant, Bulldog; contractor, Slaughter Construction Co.; $2,500. CHURCH: 415 Robley Drive, description, buildout for church ofﬁce; applicant, Holy Cross Catholic Church; contractor, DEL Construction; $75,000. OTHER: 128 Paige St., Duson; description, none listed; applicant, M/T Electrical Service; contractor, Brad Maloz; $18,000. RESTAURANT: 101 Gerald Drive, description, build out for Manisup restaurant; applicant, BHA; contractor, Ocmand Construction Co.; $827,304.

New commercial

SCHOOL: 2416 Louisiana Ave.,

description, Paul Breaux Elementary School; applicant, RHH Architects; contractor, J.B. Mouton; $51 million. RESIDENTIAL: 95 Settlers Trace, buildings 3-10; description, The Oaks Townhome Development; applicant, Ladd Naquin; contractor, Bulliard Construction; $2.2 million. RESTAURANT: 101 Gerald Drive, description, site and shell for Manisup restaurant; applicant, BHA; contractor, Ocmand Construction Co.; $1.5 million.

Commercial demolition OTHER: 1102 Walker Road, description, none listed; applicant and contractor, Pellerin & Son; $7,236.

New residential

213 LASA LANE, DUSON: Carlie Clark, $232,500. 106 MIZELLE ST.: Seth Menard, $345,875.

Fool’s Take: Attention chocoholics Hershey (NYSE: HSY) is an iconic consumer staples stock focused on confections and other snacks. Although the company has been expanding its business to include items like popcorn and pretzels, of its most imporMotley one tant products remains Fool chocolate. It’s an affordable luxury that consumers love, and Hershey’s sales seem to keep rising. In the second quarter, Hershey reported consolidated net sales up 6.6% year over year to $2.8 billion. A shocking rise in cocoa prices, a key input in making chocolate, is a concern, and investors worry it could hurt Hershey. But Hershey isn’t sitting still; it’s controlling the things it can. Cocoa is a commodity, and Hershey has to take the price volatility in stride. It has been raising prices, cutting costs and attempting to improve its business efficiency. (It also briefly cut the cocoa content of some products, though it has since reversed that decision.) Eventually, cocoa prices will normalize. Investors, however, have treated the stock as if cocoa prices will remain inflated

120 GIDEON ROAD, YOUNGSVILLE: Redemptive Construction, $334,375. 114 GIDEON ROAD, YOUNGSVILLE: Redemptive Construction, $335,875. 116 ANCESTRAL ROAD, CARENCRO: Square One Development, $407,000. 302 KELLOGG AVE.: Bailey Home Builders, $284,875. 117 BETRILLO COURT: DSLD, $281,875. 118 GRENADINE DRIVE: Manuel Builders, $268,125. 111 BEXLEY COURT: DSLD, $253,000. 307 BRATTLE COURT: DSLD, $233,250. 221 CYPRESS RESERVE LANE, YOUNGSVILLE: Tekton Development, $114,625. 227 CYPRESS RESERVE LANE, YOUNGSVILLE: Tekton Development, $114,000. 225 CYPRESS RESERVE LANE, YOUNGSVILLE: Tekton Development, $114,750. 223 CYPRESS RESERVE LANE,

YOUNGSVILLE: Tekton Development, $114,000. 229 CYPRESS RESERVE LANE, YOUNGSVILLE: Tekton Development, $114,625. 805 BROYLES ST., UNIT 204, YOUNGSVILLE: Tekton Development Group, $164,340. 805 BROYLES ST., UNIT 203, YOUNGSVILLE: Tekton Development Group, $190,000. 805 BROYLES ST., UNIT 202, YOUNGSVILLE: Tekton Development Group, $164,340. 805 BROYLES ST., UNIT 201, YOUNGSVILLE: Tekton Development Group, $190,000. 805 BROYLES ST., UNIT 200, YOUNGSVILLE: Tekton Development Group, $164,340. 110 EVERMORE DRIVE, YOUNGSVILLE: DSLD, $109,500. 309 FERN GROVE, YOUNGSVILLE: Gulf South Builders, $600,000. 119 BAYFIELD DRIVE, YOUNGSVILLE: Manuel Builders, $275,120.

forever. Even in that situation, costs would get passed on to consumers over time. Chocolate is way too popular for people to simply stop eating it. So one way or another, Hershey is likely to return to growth, making now a good time to buy in. Hershey’s forward-looking price-to-earnings ratio was recently 18, below its ﬁveyear average of 24, suggesting an undervalued stock. (The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Hershey.)

fair company at a wonderful price.” n 1977: In discussing how he evaluates stocks: “We want the business to be (1) one that we can understand, (2) with favorable long-term prospects, (3) operated by honest and competent people, and (4) available at a very attractive price.” n 1997: “Only those who will be sellers … in the near future should be happy at seeing stocks rise. Prospective purchasers should much prefer sinking prices.” n 2013: “My advice to the trustee (of my estate) could not be more simple: Put 10% of the cash in shortterm government bonds and 90% in a very low-cost S&P 500 index fund. (I suggest Vanguard’s.) I believe the Warren Buffett built Berkshire trust’s long-term results from this Hathaway into a trillion-dollar busipolicy will be superior to those atness before retiring as CEO at the end of 2025, after 60-some years. tained by most investors — whether He’s famous for his annual letters to pension funds, institutions or inshareholders, which are known for dividuals — who employ high-fee being readable, educational and even managers.” entertaining. You can read most of In 1962, before taking over Berkthem at berkshirehathaway.com. shire, Buffett also wrote: “I think Here are a few tidbits: you can be quite sure that over the n 1996: “You don’t have to be an next ten years there are going to be a few years when the general market expert on every company, or even is plus 20% or 25%, a few when it is many. You only have to be able to minus on the same order, and a maevaluate companies within your circle of competence. The size of that jority when it is in between. I haven’t circle is not very important; knowing any notion as to the sequence in its boundaries, however, is vital.” which these will occur, nor do I think n 1989: “It’s far better to buy a won- it is of any great importance for the derful company at a fair price than a long-term investor.”

Fool’s School: Lessons from Warren Buffett

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The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, October 4, 2026 ● 9E

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MADE IN LOUISIANA Growing printer keeps its eye on the big picture Elmwood-based company counts casinos, Saints among clients

Planning for growth

BY GRACE MAYER Staff writer

Industrial-size machines create a cacophony of whirring and humming inside Crystal Clear Imaging Production’s warehouse in Elmwood — the sound of printers, laminators and sewing machines putting brand logos and images onto sturdy signs, weather-resistant tarps and yards of vinyl that will be stuck onto the sides of skyscrapers. During particularly busy periods — which is often for CCI, now that football season is underway — the machines may run 24 hours a day for weeks on end. “Super Bowls, especially, are insane,” said John Davidson, 58, the company’s chief financial officer. “It’s exhausting.” CCI’s 35-person team is known as one of the largest sports graphics and marketing materials companies in the country — and experts in executing large-scale projects. Locally, it has been known for putting wraps on downtown New Orleans skyscrapers and the Caesars Superdome. But it took about a decade of pivots and lucky breaks before CCI broke into the sports business — landing deals with the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans and the Superdome in 2005 — that the company found its sweet spot and embarked on a growth trajectory that continues more than two decades later. Today, CCI prints between 300 and 400 jobs a month, including signs, billboards, and wall and building graphics, from its 25,000-squarefoot facility. Sales, which neared $8.5 million last year, are on track to grow 10% this year. If the company hadn’t landed those deals in the wake of Hurri-

PROVIDED PHOTO By CCI PRODUCTIONS

A large format printer runs at CCI Productions in Elmwood. cane Katrina, CEO Arthur Boisfon- fell through. “We basically put our houses up taine said, “We’d be starving. It was to buy this printer,” Boisfontaine all about the pivot to sports.” said. “We bought that machine for Growing the business that contract, and then that contract In 1999, Boisfontaine was work- didn’t happen.” Boisfontaine made a quick pivot. ing for a former printing company in the area but was young, rest- He started calling local casinos — less and eager to branch out on his and hit the jackpot: The business own. He approached his childhood began printing and laminating marfriend, John Davidson, the com- keting materials and wraps for slot pany’s chief financial officer, who machines for a handful of casinos. was working for a law firm at the Within six years, the company was time, with an idea born more out of working with casinos across the Gulf Coast. instinct than strategy. “He came to my house and said, ‘Look, I don’t know how to run a Casinos to sports stadiums business, but I can sell it,’” DavidIn 2005, when Katrina hit, promptson said. ing casinos to close and wiping out They each put $10,000 of their much of CCI’s business, the comown money into the business, start- pany had to change course again, ing small by working out of David- printing yard signs and other work son’s home. They printed CD covers for contractors who were competwith a handful of small copiers they ing for construction and rebuilding purchased, and gradually worked projects. As commercial clients up to bigger projects, including ve- received insurance settlements to rebuild, they would upgrade office hicle wraps. They soon landed a sizable con- spaces — which included new intetract with New Orleans that al- rior and exterior signage from CCI. Then, in December 2005, the lowed CCI to crystalize a long-term vision for the business. They bought Saints announced they were returna $400,000 printer and signed a ing to the city after briefly moving five-year lease for their first office to San Antonio following Katrina. space in Elmwood. The printer, Boisfontaine landed a meeting with which could do large-scale prints the Saints’ executive team and got a roughly the size of a sofa, was sit- contract. He chalks up persistence ting in their new, sparsely furnished in his sales pitch with winning the 2,500-square-foot office when things work.

CCI’s art department, a small room walled off from its larger warehouse space, begins each project by creating mock-ups of visuals for its clients. From there, concepts get turned into product. From a mounted wooden table the size of a semitruck, workers roll out and measure materials, from Plexiglas to vinyl to fabric. Those materials are then fed into one of the dozen industrial-size machines inside CCI’s printing facility, including latex printers, fabric printers, flatbed machines that print directly onto signs, liquid lamination and sewing machines. All the machines are denoted with various superhero names, such as Iron Man and the Bumblebee the Transformer, a hulking yellow printer that is used for CCI’s largest project, including 20-story building wraps. From the warehouse, an inhouse team will then transport and install the signage for clients. While business is brisk, CCI is facing the same headwinds battering lots of small businesses. Supply chain shortages for ink, which is made of petroleum and other chemicals that are sourced from different countries, are driving up costs. Shipping routes have changed amid international conﬂicts, which have caused delays and shortages. CCI is working on stocking up with vendors to avoid delays. “We have a big job in here right now that we’re trying to get done, and we had to wait ﬁve days to get ink,” Davidson. “Usually we have them the next morning.” As it plans for future growth, CCI is looking beyond Louisiana, where 60% of its clients are located. Boisfontaine said the company is particularly interested in healthcare and festivals, two sectors with untapped potential. “We see opportunity outside of New Orleans, too,” Boisfontaine said. “We’re going to utilize our platform to really attack some of that.”

He was equally as dogged about winning work with the Superdome, a separate account that required restoring signage and branding at the stadium, which weathered substantial damage from Katrina. “I kept showing up at the Superdome every day and ﬁnally one of the guys was like, just give this guy something,” Boisfontaine said. “We wound up winning the business to really redo 80% of all the Superdome.” They were huge accounts for CCI, which enabled Boisfontaine and Davidson to purchase and move into their current office space in Elmwood, a stout black building stretching more than 25,000 square feet a few blocks behind the Elmwood Shopping Center. Since then, CCI has worked with numerous sports teams around the country, including the Las Vegas Raiders, San Francisco Giants and Denver Broncos. The company also regularly does work for Nike and Adidas. It has printed materials for Super Bowls, NCAA National Championships and MBA All-Star games. “We’ve beneﬁted because there’s a lot of movement from team to team and with the management personnel,” Davidson said. “Now, we have people that worked with the Saints who are all over the country, Email Grace Mayer at grace. and they all call us.” mayer@theadvocate.com.

Working What’s

in Greater New Orleans business

with Michael Hecht President & CEO GNO Inc.

New Orleans = New Energy Last month, two alternative energy companies selected New Orleans for their new headquarters: Australian battery materials maker Sicona in New Orleans East, and advanced nuclear developer Applied Atomics in Bywater. For decades, oil and gas have made Louisiana a global energy leader, and today that same expertise is attracting cutting-edge energy technologies. Under the state’s all-of-the-above strategy, batteries, nuclear, hydrogen, renewables, and more are growing alongside traditional energy. Sicona’s path to New Orleans began on a 2025 business mission to Australia, where GNO, Inc., World Trade Center New Orleans, and Louisiana Economic Development met with the company. Sicona later acquired local battery materials startup ADVANO and is bringing production to the New Orleans Regional Business Park, located across from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility, while keeping research activity at LSU New Orleans Research and Technology Park. Sicona’s New Orleans East facility is expected to produce enough material for more than 3 million battery cells, with applications ranging from data center backup systems to drones and defense. Said Sicona Founder and CEO Christiaan Jordaan: “This is our home now for what we want to do in America.”

You can read more about Sicona here

Applied Atomics, led by two former SpaceX employees, came to Louisiana through its ties to Newlab New Orleans, which GNO, Inc. and partners brought to Louisiana. The company is operating from Newlab’s beta space, while it converts a 18,500-square-foot building on Chartres Street into its headquarters, fabrication shop, and training center. The $8.2 million project will create 41 jobs averaging $121,000. No radioactive materials will be handled or stored at the site. Applied Atomics is

You can read more about Applied Atomics here

coming at a time when Louisiana’s Nuclear Strategic Framework, launched in March, targets related manufacturing, generation, and fuel work. Further, NASA is beginning to explore nuclear power for spaceships. Applied Atomics CEO Ben Kellie told The Advocate, “It’s a great location strategically and a really enjoyable place to be.” More power to you.

A greater choice for business

gnoinc.org

10E ● Sunday, October 4, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Global experience. Louisiana expertise. Gallagher is committed to serving Louisiana, combining client-centric service with global resources. We’re a trusted partner for businesses and individuals seeking insurance, risk management and consulting solutions.

Connect with your local broker today. AJG.com/louisiana | The Gallagher Way. Since 1927.

Make a little salt taste like a lot PAGE 3

DISCOVERy | INNOVATION | LIVING WELL

HEALTH

LOUISIANA

N O L A.C O M & T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M

S U N D AY, O c t O b e r 4, 2026

Molly Kimball 1N

Groups help musicians get health insurance Nonprofits help performers pay premiums

BY OLIVIA ALDRIGE KUT in Austin

STAFF FILE PHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK

Coffee breakdown Is coffee good or bad? It depends, Louisiana expert says.

Contributing writer

Q&A WITH DR. CARL ‘CHIP’ LAVIE

Dr. Carl “Chip” Lavie has been a cardiologist at the John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute in New Orleans since 1989, specializing in preventive cardiology, obesity management, cardiac rehabilitation, exercise physiology, and advanced cardiac imaging. He has been an active researcher with more than 1,900 medical articles. Lavie published his ﬁrst paper on the effects of drinking coffee 15 years ago, at a time when public perception was that caffeine and coffee were bad for you. Is that how you first became interested in the health effects related to coffee consumption? Coffee is one of the most commonly consumed pharmacologically active beverages across the world, with over 50% of Americans above the age of 18 drinking coffee on a daily basis, and another 30% of the population consuming it occasionally. The remarkably high prevalence and frequent consumption of this beverage is a big opportunity, because even small health effects from coffee — positive or negative — could translate into

thing negative about coffee’s effects on us. This narrative suggested that its stimulatory effects could raise blood pressure and cause adverse effects on our health and well-being. But as we engaged in studies, the data we had told a different story: that low to moderate coffee consumption was neutral or potentially even beneﬁcial for cardiovascular health. So it seems like our understanding of coffee has really been on a journey. Middle Eastern doctors appear to have understood that there was something beneﬁcial about consuming coffee for more than a thousand years. But as PROVIDED PHOTO recently as late last century, there was a debate over whether coffee could be ABOVE: Dr. Carl ‘Chip’ Lavie is a raising cancer rates. cardiologist at the John Ochsner Heart The narrative now seems to be shifting back. and Vascular Institute in New Orleans. How long has the medical field understood that TOP: A barista pours a shot of coffee into coffee might be doing something positive for us? a cup in March at Flora in New Orleans. It really has been a recent thing. Maybe 20 or 30 years ago, there was a suggestion that there could be some large effects on public health. It just so happens that for decades, ä See COFFEE, page 2X the public narrative was saying some-

BY MATT HAINES

AUSTIN,Texas — Musician Zack Morgan jokes that when he lost his corporate job in 2015, it was like being pushed off a cliff. For years, he said, he’d been playing both sides of the Austin coin: tech worker by day, funk keyboardist by night. “Maybe this is my sign to try the full-time music thing,” Morgan recalled thinking. “Step one in that was: Get health insurance again.” Austin bills itself as “the Live Music Capital of the World,” but it can be unaffordable for the artists who provide the city with its cultural cachet — and help drive its tourism revenue. Morgan has supported himself by patching together gigs with a number of bands. To help pay for health insurance, he turned to a local nonproﬁt, the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians. “That’s part of being able to make this whole thing work,” Morgan said. HAAM subsidizes the monthly insurance premiums of local musicians who purchase plans through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. To fund the roughly $4 million program, it works with Central Health, a public agency that provides healthcare resources for low-income residents of Austin and surrounding Travis County. Many of the performing artists pay $0 toward monthly premiums. After more than a decade, including through the coronavirus pandemic, the assistance program has become an established and reliable ﬁnancial support for Austin’s musician community. This year, after Congress failed to extend pandemic-era subsidies, premiums skyrocketed for many ACA plans. A recent report found that 5 million people nationwide

ä See MUSICIANS, page 2X

KUT NEWS PHOTO By ySA MENDOZA

Zack Morgan plays keyboard for a number of bands in Austin, Texas. He’s been a full-time musician since 2015. He turned to an Austin nonprofit to help afford health insurance.

More moments. More memories. GET SCREENED Breast Cancer Awareness

Jenny C. | Breast Cancer Patient

2X ● Sunday, October 4, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Man has minimally invasive, robotic-assisted lung surgery The single-port approach Procedure by allows surgeons to operate through a single incision usTulane surgeon ing similar robotic technolaccording to the Mayo is first performed ogy, Clinic. Single-port robotic surgery has been used in in Louisiana other specialties for several

BY MARGARET DeLANEY Staff writer

A Tulane surgeon performed the ﬁrst lung resection in Louisiana, Arkansas or Mississippi using robotic-assisted technology that reduces post-surgical pain and lengthy hospital stays, the university’s school of medicine announced. Dennis O’Neil, 77, was in recovery for colon cancer when imaging found malignant cancer cells in his right lung. He would need a lobectomy, the removal of a section of a lung called a lobe. Instead of performing traditional open surgery, which involves a large incision up the torso and rib-cracking, Dr. Wassim Abi Jaoude performed a minimally invasive technique in July at LCMC’s East Jefferson Hospital using a single port.

years, such as for lymphedema and prostate cancer care. The single port allowed Abi Jaoude to complete the operation through one incision, 3 to 4 centimeters long, below O’Neil’s rib cage. By avoiding the spaces between the ribs, the approach reduces irritation to the nerves along the spaces between ribs and the chest wall. “This advancement represents a major step forward in thoracic oncology,” said Abi Jaoude, assistant professor of cardiothoracic surgery at Tulane University School of Medicine. “By utilizing a single incision, we can offer our patients enhanced surgical precision alongside signiﬁcantly reduced pain and faster recovery times.” Open surgery typically takes between three and six

surgery, including pulmonary lobectomies, in 2025 after a six-month clinical trial period at multiple U.S. institutions. The ﬁrst successful lung resection using robotics was in 2021 in a 70-year-old woman who was operated on for 31/ 2 hours and went home three days later. O’Neil, Louisiana’s first patient, went home two days after his surgery. Bringing the single-port thoracic surgery program to the hospital required months of education, simulation, laboratory training and credentialing for Abi Jaoude. Members of the cardiothoracic operating room team also completed specialized training. “We are still pioneers and KENNy LASS / TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE early adopters,” Abi Jaoude said. “The fact that we are Wassim Abi Jaoude, right, shakes hands with Dennis O’Neil, the patient who became the able to offer this technique first person in Louisiana, Arkansas or Mississippi to undergo a single-port robotic-assisted at East Jefferson through lobectomy for lung cancer. Tulane is a milestone in creating a center of excellence hours because it requires a Early clinical experience hospital stays and faster for thoracic oncology.” larger incision and spread- across major U.S. medical return to baseline activities. ing of the ribs. The in-hos- centers shows reduced postThe FDA cleared the use Email Margaret DeLaney pital stay is usually up to a operative pain, lower nar- of the da Vinci Single-Port at margaret.delaney@ week long. cotic requirements, shorter robotic system for thoracic theadvocate.com.

MUSICIANS

members with an independent insurance agent who helps them find the best health plan for their needs. The nonprofit then offers members a monthly subsidy of $100. The subsidies are a way of keeping Denton’s culture of jazz and “weird art rock” alive, said the collaborative’s president, Jennifer Kapinos. “More and more people were maybe graduating college and leaving and going to find better opportunities in other places,” Kapinos said. “People who had lived here a long time suddenly were finding it harder and harder to afford to be here.” In Austin, other sectors have been watching HAAM’s work. In 2025, Good Work Austin, a nonprofit that advocates for restaurant workers, launched

a small pilot program with Central Health to help local food workers enroll in Sendero plans and cover their premiums. Kit Abney Spelce, vice president of operations for Central Health, said partnering with an advocacy group focused on a particular workforce is key because simply announcing “free insurance for you” doesn’t mean people will sign up. “We are very much dependent on our partner entity to go out and connect with the community, to have that relationship and that trust,” she said. Though premium payments often increase year over year, the 2026 plan year was particularly expensive, increasing by 58% on average. Citing medical and pharmacy costs, Sendero raised rates by an average of 16% for its enrollees. At the same time, Congress allowed the pandemic-era enhanced premium tax credits to expire, reducing the federal subsidies that many marketplace customers relied on. “Our premiums for our members went up 60% from one year to the next,” Blair said. HAAM stepped up its fundraising into 2026, but it wasn’t enough to cover everyone who requested assistance. They had to turn away hundreds of qualiﬁed people. Still, they were able to buffer existing members, said Spelce with Central Health. “We’re going to make sure their monthly premium is paid every month,” she said. Beyond the eligible musicians they turned away in 2026, another population remains out of HAAM’s coverage reach for premium

assistance: Austin’s poorest residents. Under the ACA, the marketplace plans that HAAM helps subsidize are for lowand middle-income earners, but the people with the very lowest incomes — below 100% of the federal poverty level, set at about $15,000 — are supposed to be covered by expanded Medicaid. But Texas is one of 10 states that chose not to expand Medicaid after the ACA became law, so many of the poorest Texans remain uncovered. With no federal subsidies available for that group, HAAM and Central Health have tried to develop separate solutions for this subpopulation. Central Health has its Medical Access Program, an alternative to health insurance that gives low-income, uninsured people access to a network of local care providers. HAAM has also established relationships with primary care providers to serve its uninsured members — but Blair acknowledges it’s not an equivalent beneﬁt to what Medicaid expansion would offer. “It’s not a very sustainable solution, especially when there’s a really good alternative,” Blair said.

people that would most benefit from drinking coffee, and others who would most benefit from avoiding it? I have not reviewed or studied coffee consumption during pregnancy. But, as I mentioned, super-high doses could worsen some heart rhythm disturbances, so people with serious ventricular rhythm disturbances, for example, may be best advised to limit consumption to one to two cups per day. On the other hand, people struggling with obesity or insulin resistance, such as those with metabolic syndrome or Type 2 diabetes could beneﬁt the most from

incorporating coffee consumption into their daily routine. Is all coffee consumption created equal, or are there some do’s and don’ts we should consider? Black coffee is probably better, but the studies do not completely answer this question. It seems obvious that sugar and heavy creams can have adverse effects and could negate some of coffee’s benefits, at least theoretically. If you want milk in your coffee, nonfat milk is probably a smart option. Another thing to think about is that unfiltered coffee is worse than filtered, because unfiltered coffee

preparation methods like with a French press contains higher levels of diterpenes. These compounds signal the liver to produce more LDL cholesterol, which is not a good thing. Is there anything else you want readers to know about how coffee drinking might affect their health? We are still learning a lot, and there are randomized controlled trials that need to be conducted, but what seems increasingly clear is that the beneﬁts of low to moderate coffee and caffeine consumption outweigh the risks. I think that is important information for the public to understand.

Continued from page 1X had dropped the coverage. HAAM helped blunt the impact for its members. It has emerged as a potential model for other cities hoping to make healthcare more affordable for key populations and industries. Texas had the highest uninsured rate among states, with 19% of people age 64 and under uninsured, as of 2024. Even before the launch of the ACA marketplace in 2014, HAAM had spent a decade connecting musicians with free and low-cost care at clinics and hospitals in and around Austin. But roughly 85% of HAAM members remained uninsured, leaving them exposed when traveling to gigs in other cities and states. “When the Affordable Care Act came out, and we knew it was here to stay, it really made sense for us to start getting our musicians fully insured,” said Rachel Blair, HAAM’s chief strategy ofﬁcer. Similar nonproﬁts in other U.S. cities with strong live music cultures, such as Seattle, New Orleans, and Nashville, Tennessee, help musicians get medical care. With the advent of the ACA, some of these organizations began helping musicians navigate the sometimes complex enrollment process for the online marketplaces, though they stopped short of pitching in on premiums. But the team at HAAM recognized that without direct support to help pay premiums, many of their members would still struggle to retain coverage.

KUT NEWS PHOTO By SHUNyA CARROLL

Austin-based Latin-folk singer Gina Chavez plays on the steps of the Texas State Capitol in 2025 for the HAAM Day Music Festival, an annual fundraiser for the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians. “When you think about the average HAAM member making about $30,000 a year, there’s no way that they would be able to spend a third of their income on healthcare,” Blair said. The organization’s membership has grown by 77% to more than 3,300 people since HAAM began offering premium assistance, and more than 90% of members are now insured. To help subsidize costs for members, HAAM partnered with Central Health, which is Travis County’s public hospital district — a type of health agency in Texas charged with using tax dollars to fund safety net healthcare for low-income residents. Central Health also operates the nonproﬁt Sendero Health Plans, which offers marketplace insur-

ance to Travis County residents. To qualify, HAAM members must enroll in one of Sendero’s silver-level, or benchmark, plans. If their income is between one and two times the federal poverty level, Central Health pays the balance of their monthly premium after federal tax credits are applied. For members who fall above that income range, HAAM offers a more limited subsidy, covering 50% of their premium balances. In 2017, HAAM helped set up a similar program in Denton, a college town north of Dallas that has served as a testing ground for successful musicians, from Meat Loaf to Norah Jones. The Denton Music and Arts Collaborative works differently: It connects

COFFEE

Continued from page 1X beneﬁts, but most of the evidence has only been accumulated in the past 15 to 20 years. Part of what confused the data before this was a notable subgroup of our population that were both chain-smoking and very heavy coffee drinkers. This made it look like there were risks related to coffee that should have actually been attributed to smoking. Let’s get to the benefits that have been uncovered.What have you found? Research suggests that coffee can help lower risks of high blood pressure, obesity, atrial ﬁbrillation, stroke and potentially lower risks of cardiovascular diseases including coronary heart disease. The data also shows it may help reduce insulin resistance which could lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes. My focus is on the heart, but research has also linked coffee consumption with a reduction in depression, asthma, certain malig-

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JILL PICKETT

A Brick Street Coffee employee serves up a drink in June at the restaurant in Minden. nancies, liver disease, GI diseases and even in slowing cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Is this a situation where the more coffee we can consume in a day the better? That deﬁnitely wouldn’t be my recommendation. I would suggest somewhere between one to four cups per day. There is some data to suggest that much higher doses

of coffee could be connected to higher mortality rates, at least in young people under age 55. There is also some connection between coffee consumption and an increase in premature ventricular contractions, which are extra abnormal heartbeats that are most often harmless. There seems to be some evidence that, for example, pregnant women should limit the amount of coffee they drink.Are there groups of

This article is from a partnership that includes KUT, NPR, and KFF Health News. KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU The Louisiana Health section is focused on providing in-depth, personal accounts of health in the state.This section looks at medical innovations, health discoveries, state and national health statistics and reexamining tried and true methods on ways to live well.

Health editions will also profile people who are advancing health for the state of Louisiana. Do you have a health story? We want to hear from you. Email margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com to submit health questions, stories and more.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Sunday, October 4, 2026 ● 3X

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Eat Fit Live Fit B R O U G H T TO YO U BY

Molly Kimball RD, CSSD

Salt: how to make a little taste like a lot

alt has become one of those ingredients we’re conditioned to think of as something to eliminate. But sodium isn’t inherently bad. It’s an essential nutrient that helps regulate fluid balance and hydration, and supports normal nerve and muscle function. The key is getting the amount that’s right for you. General guidelines recommend limiting sodium to 2,300 mg daily, and closer to 1,500 mg for many people with high blood pressure. In last week’s column on blood pressure, we explained how sodium isn’t one-size-fits-all. Some of us are more salt-sensitive than others, while someone working or training for hours in Louisiana heat may be losing significant amounts of sodium through sweat. So, if we’re going to use salt, there’s another question worth asking: How can we make a little salt taste like a lot?

Put Salt Where You’ll Taste It

Instead of salting throughout the cooking process, consider building flavor in other ways and strategically using smaller amounts of salt. There’s science behind this. How salt is distributed within a food can influence how salty we perceive it to be. In one study, researchers were able to reduce sodium by up to 25% while maintaining perceived saltiness simply by changing where the salt was positioned within the food. Even the shape of the salt crystals can matter. Research comparing different types of salt found that certain crystal structures, including Maldon sea salt flakes, have up to 17% greater perceived saltiness at the same sodium content. This is one reason I love using flaked sea salt as a finishing salt. Think wholegrain sourdough, toasted and drizzled with olive oil, then finished with just

a few flakes. Those little bursts of saltiness hit your tongue directly rather than dissolving into the entire dish. Chef Meg Bickford, executive chef of longtime Eat Fit partner Commander’s Palace, takes a similar approach in the kitchen. “Our dishes are typically seasoned multiple times throughout the cooking process to build complexity and nuance,” said Bickford. “That seasoning does not always need to include salt.” Instead, she builds flavor through caramelized aromatics, acids, spices and plenty of fresh and dried herbs. “I love acid. I crave it,” said Bickford. Lemon juice is one of her favorites when reducing sodium, along with rice wine and sugarcane vinegars. She also uses an abundance of fresh herbs, including parsley, thyme, tarragon, basil and chives. After building those layers of flavor, Bickford said salt can be added at the very end, giving us greater control over how much ultimately lands in the dish.

Is Sea Salt Actually Lower in Sodium?

A teaspoon of coarse sea salt may contain less sodium than a teaspoon of ﬁnely ground table salt. But that’s mostly

red salt traditionally gets its color from iron-rich volcanic clay, while gray salt picks up different minerals and clay from the salt beds where it’s harvested. Some Hawaiian-style black salts are actually sea salt blended with activated charcoal. And yes, those trace minerals are really in there. Pink Himalayan salt, for example, contains more calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron than ordinary white salt. But we’d have to consume an excessive amount of sodium to obtain nutritionally signiﬁcant quantities of those minerals. So when it comes to specialty salts, use them if you enjoy their ﬂavor, color and texture – but don’t consider them a mineral supplement.

Don’t Forget Iodine

because of density: those larger, irregular crystals don’t pack as tightly, leaving more air between them, compared to the more finely ground salts – so less actual salt fits onto the spoon. Compare them gram for gram, however, and they’re essentially the same in sodium. That’s not to say that specialty salts don’t have other benefits. Pink Himalayan salt gets its color from trace minerals, including iron. Hawaiian

Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD, is a registered dietitian with Ochsner Health and founder of Ochsner’s Eat Fit nonproﬁt initiative. For more wellness content, tune in to Molly’s podcast, FUELED Wellness + Nutrition, and follow @MollykimballRD and @EatFitOchsner on social media. Email nutrition@ochsner.org to connect with Molly or schedule a consult with her team.

There’s one key nutritional difference worth noting: iodized table salt provides iodine, an essential mineral needed to make thyroid hormones. If you’ve completely replaced iodized salt with sea salt, Himalayan salt or other specialty salts, make sure you’re getting iodine elsewhere. Seafood, dairy and eggs can provide it, and many multivitamins contain iodine. The recommended daily amount for most adults is 150 mcg, so check the label.

Bottom Line on Sodium

Finally, keep in mind that our palates can adapt. Research suggests that when we consistently eat less sodium, our preferred level of saltiness can gradually drop as well. The goal doesn’t have to be eliminating salt altogether. Build ﬂavor with acid, herbs, spices and aromatics, and add salt where it delivers the greatest impact. Salt can still have a place at the table – we just don’t need it doing all the work.

Research: Schoolchildren leaving critical thinking to AI dpa (TNS) WASHINGTON — Schoolchildren are dispensing with analytical thinking as they increasingly lean on artiﬁcial intelligence, a fast-changing technology that many teenagers struggle to understand, a new survey shows. The research, published in August by U.S.-based media advice organization Common Sense Media, showed that pupils are forego-

ing “critical thinking” as the use of chatbots in the classroom expands. Around 40% of those asked said they suspected that using AI is not helping them learn, agreeing that relying on chatbots means they generate fewer ideas of their own. Around six in ten of the approximately 1,000 participants that use AI do so to get an answer to their schoolwork, with a quarter not bothering to rephrase the response and 31% changing the wording to

make the response sound like their own. In cases where schools block AI platforms, six in ten pupils turned to personal devices to access chatbots for help with assignments. However, almost three-quarters of those surveyed said they have not been instructed or advised how to use AI “safely.” “Students understand that AI threatens learning, but the reality is that it is too tempting and con-

venient for them to look the other way,” said Common Sense Media chief executive Jim Steyer, who called on adults to provide children with skills to use the technology “responsibly.” Previous research has suggested that adults — including those in elite professions — are as susceptible as teenagers to letting AI do their thinking for them. In 2025, Microsoft found multiple signs of reduced cognitive effort

and less critical thinking in a survey of over 300 knowledge workers. The latest findings were published as another poll showed that, for the first time, a majority of young adults are “more concerned than excited” about AI, with only 10% of under-30’s feeling “excited.” Published by the Pew Research Center, the survey found 52% of all age groups deeming themselves as concerned that AI could lead to mass unemployment.

Study eyes connection between climate change and ER visits BY WILLIAM TONG

The Dallas Morning News (TNS) DALLAS — Across the country, at least a quarter of emergency room visits for heat-related illness may be attributable to human-caused climate change, researchers from Climate Central, a nonproﬁt group, estimate in a new study. Published in the September issue of Climatic Change, a scientiﬁc journal, the researchers’ peer-reviewed analysis suggests climate change contributed to about 27% of heat-related ER visits in the U.S. during warm seasons from 2018 through 2025. Heat-related illness is on the rise across the United States. Yale School of Public Health researchers found that heat-related deaths increased by more than 50% between 2000 and 2020. “Our healthcare system is pretty strained, when we think of emergency medicine in particular,” said Kristina Dahl, vice president for science at Climate Central. “This data is giving us a baseline that we know we’d be building on if we continue warming our planet.” Climate change’s impact on ER visits varies by region, Dahl’s team found. In the Southern Plains area containing Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and New Mexico, the researchers estimated human-caused climate change contributed about 25% to the rate of heat-related ER visits. While climate change generally contributed to a bigger share of the rate in regions with milder

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS/TNS FILE PHOTO By SMILEy N. POOL

A person walks on a warm day in Dallas. Heat-related illness is on the rise across the United States. summers, the South still had a higher absolute rate due to humancaused climate change, researchers wrote. They estimated about 57 of every 100,000 ER visits in the region containing Texas were for climate change-contributed heat illnesses. On average, about 225 of every 100,000 ER visits in the re-

gion were heat-related. Dahl said climate change’s contribution to heat-related illness will likely grow without major human actions to reverse course. To calculate their results, Climate Central scientists estimated what temperatures might have looked like in a world without hu-

man-caused climate change. They used those temperatures to predict rates of ER visits for heat-related illness in the modeled world, and used the difference from actual visit rates as an indicator of climate change’s contributions. Dahl said this method is based on two decades of environmental science,

and that there are well-established relationships between temperature and hospital visits for heatrelated illness. Still, the study’s methodology provides only a rough approximation of climate change’s impact on ER visits, said University of North Texas health professor Kai Zhang. His research group studies the impact of climate change on public health. Humidity and weather variations within the study regions also play a role in ER visit rate estimates, Zhang said. And, because many hospital visits in which excessive heat played a role might be recorded with an alternative main complaint such as cardiovascular disease, official figures on heat-related ER visits are likely undercounts. It’s hard to retroactively determine which specific deaths resulted from human-made climate change, but the broad shifts in weather that we are experiencing will most likely exacerbate not just heat-related, but other illnesses in the U.S., Zhang said. “As a result of changing climate, we will see more and more extreme weather events,” Zhang said. “Extreme heat, extreme cold, hurricanes, flooding.” Dahl hopes her team’s research can help public health systems adapt to changing climate. “Because most heat-related illnesses and deaths are preventable, there’s a lot we can do with this information to help reduce the burden of hot summers,” Dahl said.

4X ● Sunday, October 4, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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CURTIS / by Ray Billingsley

SLYLOCK FOX / by Bob Weber Jr.

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HAGAR THE HORRIBLE / by Chris Browne

ROSEBUDS / by Supr Dee

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM / by Mike Peters

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ZITS / by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE / by Stephan Pastis

wonderword

scrabble grams

word game

directions: Make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. Add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. All the words are in the Official SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

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

todAY's Word — dePArted: dih-PARtid: Having died, especially recently. Average mark 44 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 53 or more words in DEPARTED?

For more information on tournaments and clubs, email NASPA – North American SCRABBLE Players Association: info@scrabbleplayers.org. Visit our website: www.scrabbleplayers.org. For puzzle inquiries contact scrgrams@gmail.com. Hasbro and its logo SCRABBLE associated logo, the design of the distinctive SCRABBLE brand game card, and the distinctive letter tile designs are trademarks of Hasbro in the United States and Canada. ©2026 Hasbro. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

cryptoquote AxyDLBAAxR iS LONgFELLOW One letter stands for another. in this sample, A is used for the three L’s, x for the two O’s, etc. Single letters, apostrophes, the length and formation of the words are all hints. Each day the code letters are different.

AnsWers to ALL PuZZLes Are on inside BAcK PAGe

Sudoku

ken ken instructions: 1 - Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 through 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating. 2 - The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners. 3 - Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner.

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

hidato directions: Complete the grid so that numbers 1–132 connect horizontally, vertically or diagonally.

AnsWers to ALL PuZZLes Are on inside BAcK PAGe

Los angeLes Times sunday Crossword puzzLe — Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis “range oF moTion” By zHouQin BurniKeL aCross 1 Beauty entrepreneur Elizabeth 6 Resort near Snowbird 10 28-Across flow 14 Captain with an ivory leg 18 Frisbee maker 19 Like samosas and wontons 20 Vein contents 21 Spanish “nothing” 22 *Motto of a calligraphy enthusiast? 25 Turning point? 26 Mono- kin 27 Brand of kitchen gadgets 28 Sicilian peak 29 Locale for clam diggers 31 Weapon in Clue 34 *Transgressions included in textbooks? 36 Second chance for a student 38 Canonized Mlle. 39 In the style of 40 Like much music of the 1990s 43 Jaguar’s roar 45 Inexact no. 47 Birds similar to crows 52 *Devoted followers of painter O’Keeffe? 56 Dessert that may have a lattice crust 58 Alfa __: sports cars 59 Cause of a quick blessing 61 College official 62 Chemical suffix 63 Scratchy sound 66 Most twisted 68 Indoor rowers

69 Part of LGBTQ+ 71 *Timepiece worn by a “Star Wars” pilot? 74 Actress Arthur 75 Video file format 77 Country that borders 14 other countries 78 Jekyll’s counterpart 80 __-pitch softball 83 Off the mark 85 Sudden bursts 88 46-Down deliverer 90 Trial version of a puzzle app, e.g. 92 *Dropping hints about the release of a director’s cut, perhaps? 95 Take the wheel 96 Hill worker? 98 User without an account 99 Small ensemble 100 Assn. 102 Hard water? 105 Backspace over 107 *Blueprints for a new wardrobe? 113 Nonconformist 117 Invisible ink? 118 “This instant!” 120 Accessory for a fish tank 121 Versailles monarch 122 Rotary phone part 123 *Like a sawmill without disposal facilities? 127 Walking pace 128 Piece in Azul or mahjong 129 Patronage 130 Spanish boys 131 Concludes 132 Sunrise locale 133 “Hey, c’mere!” 134 Like a haunted house down 1 Just terrible

2 River past Arles 3 Classmate of Beavis 4 AED-trained pro 5 Zero chance 6 __/ace: LGBTQ+ orientation 7 In real time 8 Saw things? 9 Lover of Aphrodite 10 Chop (off) 11 Playground retort 12 Put on a pedestal 13 Criticize harshly 14 Symbols in Egyptian iconography 15 Capital city that’s home to Turtle Tower 16 Embellish 17 Naive ones 19 Series of setbacks, in slang 23 Travel permit 24 Like sprinters 30 In short supply 32 Hip-hop pioneer from Compton 33 Those, in Tijuana 35 Support for a driver 37 Little ones 40 Fantasy monster 41 Very bright 42 “I need a ride home” 44 “I’ll be!” 46 Public address 48 “I’ll be!” 49 Marian Anderson, for one 50 “It’s Too Late” singer Carole 51 Scenographer’s designs 53 Like many horror films 54 Genre for Talking Heads 55 Repeated word in a Doris Day classic 57 Works in a

gallery 60 Concealer target 64 Moo __ shrimp 65 Relay 67 Hesitant around strangers 70 Reach consensus 72 Govt. intel org. 73 Bank deposit? 74 North Atlantic hazard 75 GQ and Cosmo 76 Exam for HS jrs. 77 Reuben bread 79 “Stop right there”

goren Bridge

81 “The Real” cohost Love 82 Approximately 84 Deft 86 “R u kidding!?” 87 Root veggie 89 Subsequently 91 Flower on Mississippi’s state quarter 93 Swarm (with) 94 Christmas and Easter 97 “__ we meet again”

wuzzLes

101 Take turns 103 “Mi __ es su ... “ 104 Catch in a snare 106 Wyoming range, or when read as three parts, how the answers to the starred clues were formed? 107 Sundae topping 108 Like swifts, but not Swifties 109 Prim and proper 110 Hits the brakes 111 Matters of

opinion? 112 Sushi bar bottles 114 Supermodel Shayk 115 “The Weir” playwright McPherson 116 __-face: smooching 119 Social media labels 124 Get in a pool 125 Trivial complaint 126 Shaving brand

super Quiz

Options

Take this Super Quiz to a Ph.D. Score 1 point for each correct answer on the Freshman Level, 2 points on the graduate Level and 3 points on the Ph.D. Level.

South’s jump to three spades showed a maximum with fourcard support. It was possible to be off the ace-king in a red suit, but North was not the type to worry. He blasted into slam after learning that South had three key cards. Zero or three but surely three on the bidding. South won the opening trump lead in hand with the jack and saw that a successful heart finesse would see the contract home safe. A threethree diamond split, or the fall of the 10, would provide 12 tricks without the need for a finesse. South led a spade to the king and a spade back to his ace, drawing trumps. He followed with a low diamond toward the queen, as the contract was always cold if West held the ace of diamonds. West had to duck or give up the twelfth trick, so the queen took the trick. South came back to his hand with ace of clubs to lead a low diamond. West had to duck again, so South took dummy’s jack and cashed the king and queen of clubs, discarding the nine of diamonds from his hand. He led a diamond to West’s ace and West had to lead a heart or give up a ruff-sluff, the contract making either way. Had East been able to win the first

SUBJECT: FAMOUS LINES (Example: Sir Francis Bacon: “_____ is power.” Answer: knowledge.) FRESHMAN LEVEL 1. “To be or not to be, that is the _____.” Answer________ 2. From what film is “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” Answer________ 3. “Call me Ishmael” is from Herman Melville’s “Moby-_____.” Answer________ 4. From what film is “Here’s looking at you, kid”? Answer________ 5. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” is from the novel “_____.” Answer________

diamond and shift to a heart, South would have risen with his ace and cashed all his black-suit winners. He would still have had excellent chances to make his contract, although it would not have been cold. Nicely played! Tannah Hirsch welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, Ny. 14207. E-mail responses may be sent to gorenbridge@ aol.com. © 2026 Tribune Content Agency

ANSWERS TO ALL PUZZLES ARE ON NEXT PAGE

GRADUATE LEVEL 6. Shakespeare: “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely _____.” Answer________ 7. Who said, “I have a dream”? Answer________

8. This saying is often attributed to Winston Churchill: “If you are going through _____, keep going.” Answer________ 9. Forrest Gump: “Life is like a box of _____. You never know what you’re gonna get.” Answer________ 10. Which president said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”? Answer________ PH.D. LEVEL 11. Who said, “I think, therefore I am”? Answer________ 12. Who said, “Speak softly and carry a big stick”? Answer________ 13. Ben Franklin: “Three can keep a secret, if two of them are _____.” Answer________ 14. Alexander Pope: “To err is human; to forgive, _____.” Answer________ 15. Who said, “That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind”? Answer________

zodiaC LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Discipline is your way to completion and the freedom it brings, knowing that you did your best. Don’t let pent-up energy and emotional angst dismantle your calm, leaving room for mistakes and regret. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Live and learn. Don’t trust others to do things for you. Someone will make your life difficult by using pressure tactics to get their way. Stand by your word. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Enjoy what you’ve worked so hard to build. Make your home your retreat, entertain the people who enrich your life,

and cultivate the projects that satisfy you. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Distance yourself from those you can’t count on or trust. Focus on tidying up loose ends and closing doors that no longer offer resources you can use. Rethink your position. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Assess your finances, then consider how to lower your overhead. Setting a strict budget and checking into programs that enhance your earning potential look promising. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) An unexpected change will surprise you. Be open to alternatives, and you’ll

discover a positive path that will encourage you to pursue what makes you happy. Put a budget in place. ARIES (March 21-April 19) Don’t fool yourself into thinking things are what they are not. Put your emotions aside and be realistic, and you’ll discover an outlet that far exceeds your expectations. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Observation is necessary. If temper and stubbornness set in, you’ll face domestic situations and partnership problems that leave you exhausted and in limbo. Be smart, say and do little, and protect your heart.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) A change of plans will favor you. Be open, objective and smart in how you retaliate. Kind but clever responses will help you gain respect and the momentum you require to reach your goal. CANCER (June 21-July 22) Engage in activities and events that touch you intellectually and physically. Anything that can enhance your appearance and boost your spirits will encourage you to interact more with people you find appealing. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Proceed with caution. Don’t start something you can’t finish. Domestic and partner-

ship issues will surface if you are too demanding. Use your Leo charm and make whatever you want others to buy into appealing. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Check out vocations that interest you. Attend seminars, trade shows or events that offer insight into how you can use your skills and attributes in ways more suitable to your lifestyle and enjoyment. The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

dustin / by Steve Kelley & Jeff Parker

Answers to puzzles super quiz 1. Question. 2. "Gone with the Wind." 3. Dick. 4. "Casablanca." 5. "A Tale of Two Cities." 6. Players. 7. Martin Luther King Jr. 8. Hell. 9. Chocolates. 10. Franklin D. Roosevelt. 11. Rene Descartes. 12. Theodore Roosevelt. 13. Dead. 14. Divine. 15. Neil Armstrong.

SCORING: 24 to 30 points — congratulations, doctor; 18 to 23 points — honors graduate; 13 to 17 points — you’re plenty smart, but no grind; 5 to 12 points — you really should hit the books harder; 1 point to 4 points — enroll in remedial courses immediately; 0 points — who reads the questions to you?

Cryptoquote Answer Saturday's Cryptoquote: It is in giving that I connect with others, with the world and with the divine. — Isabel Allende

word GAme Answer dare dart darted date dater dead dear deed deep deer deet depart deter drape drat dread eared

eater pare part parted pate pear peat peer pert petard peter prate predate adder adept aped aper

arete rapt rate read reap reed repeat tape taper tapered tare tarp tear teared teed trade trap

tread tree

sudoKu Answer jumble Answer

Crossword Answers

jeFF mACnelly’s shoe / by Gary Brookins & Susie MacNelly

sCrAbble Answers

FoXtrot / by Bill Amend

wuzzles Answers

Ken Ken Answers

hidAto Answers