The Advocate 10-08-2026 by The Advocate

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Louisiana keeping close eye on Gulf

Area hopes to be spared on busy tourism weekend BY MIKE SMITH, STEPHANIE RIEGEL in the Gulf, but its projected path indicated the state could be spared and JUSTIN MITCHELL

the worst — a huge relief ahead of a busy tourism weekend. Tropical Storm Isaias came as Louisiana is keeping a close eye on what is expected to become the somewhat of a surprise for Gulf season’s ﬁrst hurricane on Thurs- Coast residents more accustomed day as it churns and strengthens to bracing for hurricanes earlier Staff writers

While last-minute shifts cannot be ruled out, forecasts from the National Hurricane Center in the season. But the Gulf’s warm on Wednesday put Isaias’ track waters are helping supply Isaias significantly to the east of Louiwith the momentum it needs to co- siana’s coast. The center of the alesce into what forecasters said forecast cone was located around is likely to be a Category 2 storm, the Alabama-Florida border, while and even near Category 3, before it a hurricane watch was in effect makes landfall late Friday or early from Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, to Indian Pass, Florida. Saturday.

BLIGHT FIGHT

But the effects are not limited to the cone, and Louisiana may not be spared entirely. A tropical storm watch was issued from the Jefferson/Plaquemines Parish line to west of Bay St. Louis. A storm surge watch was also in effect from the mouth of the Mississippi River all the way to

ä See GULF, page 7A

Entergy makes case for new data center power plants Opponents question costs of expansion at hearing BY SAM KARLIN and MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writers

STAFF PHOTOS BY JAVIER GALLEGOS

East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sid Edwards walks by an excavator as it tears down a portion of the blighted OYO Hotel on Mead Road after a news conference on Wednesday.

Amid ongoing legal battles, EBR begins demolition of abandoned hotel

Entergy and opponents of its plans to build enough power to service a massive expansion of Meta’s north Louisiana data center disagreed Wednesday during the start of a multiday hearing over whether the company should spend billions on seven new proposed power plants and other infrastructure. Entergy has already reached a settlement with the staff of the Louisiana Public Service Commission over its plans, which include constructing seven new gas-fired power plants in Richland and Pointe Coupee parishes, along with transmission lines, solar farms and batteries. An administrative law judge heard arguments Wednesday over whether the deal should be approved, and the Louisiana Public Service Commission will ultimately vote later this year on whether to OK the settlement. The case puts Louisiana at the center of a national debate over artificial intelligence, the data centers being built to support the technology and the massive amounts of electric infrastructure necessary to power them. Entergy CEO Phillip May testified Wednesday that the proposal for the data center expansion,

ä See ENTERGY, page 7A

BY BLAKE LESCHBER Staff writer

The city-parish has begun taking down the abandoned OYO Hotel near the intersection of Interstate 12 and Sherwood Forest Boulevard, a crucial step in the ongoing battle in to demolish blighted property. The property at 10920 Mead Road has been in decline for several years and abandoned for at least two years, Mayor-President Sid Edwards said. Rachael Lambert, East Baton Rouge director of development, said there are legal battles about ownership in Baton Rouge courts, but no one has taken care of the property. “I have pleaded with each one of (the owners) to take care of the asset that they are all ﬁghting over, and that has been met with crickets,” Lambert said. Even before the OYO was abandoned, the discount hotel had been an issue for police, with frequent reports of robberies, drug overdoses, pros-

WEATHER HIGH 92 LOW 68 PAGE 6B

Lane Regional closing labor and delivery unit BY ANNAKATE FREELAND

The pool at the blighted OYO Hotel is filled with and surrounded by litter and broken glass. titution and assault. From January 2021 to April 2022, law enforcement went to the property 523 times — a rate of more than one call a day. That culminated in April 2022 with a fatal shooting at the hotel, which led the Metro Council to pass a law overhaul-

ing hotel and motel permitting. The new ordinance gave the parish the right to revoke a property’s permit if there were too many emergency calls to the hotel.

ä See BLIGHT, page 8A

Staff writer

Lane Regional Medical Center, which recently laid off doctors and cut services, says it will close its labor and delivery unit Sunday, ending delivery services at the Zachary hospital. The hospital announced the closure Wednesday. Following the move, Drs. Joshua Best, Samantha Bland and Nikki Gautreaux will leave Lane Regional’s labor and delivery unit and join the medical staff at Woman’s Hospital on

Business ......................6A Commentary ................5B Nation-World................2A Classified .....................6D Deaths .........................3B Opinion ........................4B Comics-Puzzles .....3D-5D Living............................1D Sports ..........................1C

ä See LANE, page 8A

102ND YEAR, NO. 100

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FROM WIRE REPORTS

Drone strike kills 4 in Sudan’s Blue Nile state

CAIRO — A drone strike hit homes and a mosque in Sudan on Wednesday, killing at least four women and wounding dozens of other people, a rights group said. Emergency Lawyers, which tracks the conﬂict, blamed the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces for the attack in the Hijra neighborhood of Damazin, the capital of southeastern Blue Nile province. The RSF has been at war with the Sudanese military for more than three years. The group called for those responsible for the strike and other attacks on civilians to be held accountable. There was no immediate comment from the RSF. The strike came days after an airstrike hit two World Food Programme trucks in South Kordofan province, killing a driver, said Denise Brown, the U.N. resident and humanitarian coordinator for Sudan. The convoy was hit in Dilling, an area that has faced repeated attacks by the RSF and its ally, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North, Brown said. The trucks were clearly marked as humanitarian vehicles, had all required travel permits and were carrying “lifesaving assistance to vulnerable populations,” she said.

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Senators push for swift action

the law’s implementation. Bipartisan effort asks administration to tackle Russian sanctions ward With the bipartisan push, Sha-

BY LISA MASCARO

AP congressional correspondent WASHINGTON — Nearly a month after President Donald Trump signed a sweeping Russian sanctions bill named after Lindsey Graham into law, bipartisan leadership in the Senate is urging the administration to clamp down more quickly on the flow of financial resources fueling the war against Ukraine. In a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the senators said the most urgent priority for the U.S. must be to tackle the “shadow fleet” of tankers that Moscow is using to transport oil and bypass America’s sanctions. They also pushed for a halt of Russia’s emerging satellite system that Ukraine has warned could prove devastating with real-time bombing attacks this winter. “Every day that passes without maximum economic pressure al-

lows Moscow to sustain this military escalation,” wrote Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Republican Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. The senators note that the bulk of the law’s provisions go into effect Oct. 18, the end of the administration’s 30-day review period. The Trump administration has remained mostly quiet since the passage of the bill with large bipartisan majorities in the House and Senate after Graham’s sudden death, with lawmakers urged ahead by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump has been expected to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose birthday is Wednesday, to discuss a possible case of plague at a Siberian research institute. The sanctions package had been a year in the making but was sud-

denly rushed to passage after Graham, the long-serving South Carolina senator, died in July of a likely torn aorta after a whirlwind trip to a NATO summit in Turkey and a stopover in Kyiv. Senators had been negotiating a bipartisan bill that could win robust support but it was only when Graham received the nod of approval from Trump in the days around the senator’s overseas trip that it gained momentum. Zelenskyy had also been pushing the U.S. to act, and he arrived in the Senate after a visit at the White House late in the evening before a key vote that advanced the package. The House gave ﬁnal approval to the bill, sending it to Trump’s desk, but Democrats in both chambers warned that they doubted the president would use the vast tools available to slap back at Russia. In the month since, momentum appears to have stalled without public steps from the administration to-

FBI says it stopped a terror attack at Mall of America

Ex-Marine to face death penalty in mass shooting

BOLIVIA, N.C. — A prosecutor announced Wednesday that he would seek the death penalty against a former Marine charged in a mass shooting last year that left three people dead and several others wounded. “We are not blind to who this defendant is,” Brunswick County District Attorney Jon David said of defendant Nigel Max Edge. “He served this country in Iraq as a Marine, suffered a traumatic brain injury, and has struggled with serious mental illness. Those facts are important and they were weighed, but must be balanced against the circumstances of the crime.” Authorities allege Edge piloted a small motorboat up to a dockside cocktail bar in Southport on Sept. 27, 2025, and opened fire with a short-barreled semiautomatic rifle. He faces three counts of first-degree murder, as well as multiple attempted murder and weapons charges. In April, Superior Court Judge Jason Disbrow ordered Edge to undergo psychiatric treatment after it was determined he was unable to understand his legal proceedings enough to help his lawyers. Defense attorney Matthew Geoffrion filed a motion to continue Wednesday’s hearing, arguing that the extent of Edge’s brain injury will likely make it impossible for him to stand trial. Edge was shot multiple times during a firefight in Iraq, including once in the head.

Militants attack military base in Nigeria

ABUJA, Nigeria — Islamic State group-affiliated militants attacked a military base in Nigeria’s northeast, killing several Nigerian soldiers, military officials said Wednesday. The Islamic State West Africa Province, or ISWAP, attacked the base in the Kukawa area of Borno state on Tuesday, the Nigerian military said in a statement. Troops repelled the assault, but an unspecified number of soldiers were killed, according to the military. It said “over 25 terrorists” were killed and ammunition was recovered in a counteroffensive. A senior military officer told The Associated Press that 10 soldiers were killed in the attack. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters. Capt. Mohammed Goni, a military spokesperson, said militants attacked troops of 101 Special Forces Battalion “in large numbers from four different flanks.” “Supported by the Air Component, the troops overwhelmed the terrorists, inflicted heavy casualties and forced the surviving elements to flee in disarray,” Goni said.

heen and Wicker in their letter sent late Tuesday are urging the administration to take several specific steps to impose the sanctions regime. Many of the steps are aligned with goals pushed by the Ukrainians. The senators, who were both key to the bill’s passage, said it’s most crucial for the U.S. to focus on the several hundred rogue tankers that are able to “transport Russian oil with impunity and thereby provide the Kremlin a financial lifeline.” It’s also, imperative, they wrote, “that the administration paralyze the global financial networks that allow Russia to evade our sanctions.” They said the Kremlin continues to “move billions of dollars through networks that shield it from scrutiny.” They urged the administration to focus specifically on overseas bank branches, including in Shanghai, and “a growing network of Kyrgyz financial institutions” they said serve as clearinghouses for sanctioned capital.

man who needed to Agents sold teen young be watched,” U.S. Attorney Rosen said. Agents an assault rifle Daniel “were able to detect a

BY ELLEN SCHMIDT and GENE JOHNSON Associated Press

NATIONAL PARKS SERVICE FILE PHOTO BY RON KERBO

Congress passed the Chiricahua National Park Act with bipartisan support. The legislation would create the Chiricahua National Park in Arizona.

Rocky ‘wonderland’ poised to be next park Bill to create Chiricahua National Park preserves tribal access

BY MATTHEW BROWN Associated Press

An area of towering rock spires in southeastern Arizona known among Native Americans as the Land of StandingUp Rocks is poised to become the nation’s newest national park. Legislation to create Chiricahua National Park is expected to be transmitted to the White House in coming days for President Donald Trump’s signature. It passed Congress with bipartisan backing and would be the 64th national park. The 19-square-mile site is within the historical territory of the Chiricahua Apache tribes. It was designated a national monument in the 1920s to preserve hundreds of pinnacle-shaped rocks formed from an ancient volcanic eruption. “We’re the Grand Canyon state, so we know about this kind of landscape,” Rep. Juan Ciscomani, House sponsor of the Chiricahua National Park Act, said Wednesday. “It’s hard to compare anything to the Grand Canyon, but Chiricahua holds its own. This is something that really hasn’t been discovered.” National Park Service officials de-

clined to say if new staff would be hired to address an expected increase in visitors as the new designation elevates the site’s proﬁle. For centuries the site of the proposed park was home to the Apache, nomadic tribes who often resisted European newcomers to North America. They continued clashing with settlers until surrendering to U.S. troops in 1886 and being forcibly removed to the San Carlos Apache reservation. The bill creating Chiricahua National Park preserves tribal access for traditional ceremonies. It allows temporary public closures within the park to protect those cultural uses, although Ciscomani said speciﬁcs have not been decided. San Carlos Apache tribal leaders did not take a formal position on the national park designation, a spokesperson said Wednesday. In response to questions from The Associated Press, the tribe provided its 2024 testimony before Congress, where San Carlos Apache Deputy Attorney General Justine Jimmie asked for uninterrupted access to the site. “National parks have become so packed with tourists,” Jimmie said. “In contrast, we go to our cultural areas in what are now parks to seek sanctuary, pray, and perform ceremonies.” Early settlers called the site Wonderland of Rocks. The name Chiricahua comes from the surrounding mountains.

Flight attendants’ union ﬂags safety concerns over Washington arch BY GARY FIELDS Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The union representing thousands of ﬂight attendants said Wednesday it has safety concerns about President Donald Trump’s proposed triumphal arch that will be on ﬁnal approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Association of Flight Attendants-CWA President Sara Nelson said the 250-foot arch compounds multiple safety concerns that she said have gone unaddressed from a deadly January 2025 crash over the Potomac River that killed 67 people. Nelson also criticized Trump’s plan to turn the arch into “a top grade

military complex” able to host drones and snipers while storing ammunition. “DCA is already stretched to its limit, we do not need an obstacle taking up space in our ﬂight path,” said Nelson. “Nor should commercial aviation have to dodge military drones, missiles or snipers while attempting to take off or land at Washington National Airport. Safety ﬁrst always.” Nelson’s statement on behalf of the union, which represents 55,000 flight attendants across 20 airlines, joins the voices of an assemblage of veterans’ groups, Congress members and others with safety concerns and complaints about the memorial’s threat to historic and symbolic sightlines between different landmarks in Washington, D.C.

MINNEAPOLIS — FBI agents thwarted a terror attack by a teenager on the Mall of America after monitoring him for nearly two years and ultimately supplying him with the AK-47 he planned to use, authorities said Wednesday. The 18-year-old had been on the FBI’s radar since December 2024, when he began trading messages with a confidential informant. A criminal complaint says he initially expressed an interest in traveling to Somalia to ﬁght for al-Shabab militants. As his plans to instead attack the mall solidiﬁed, the complaint says, agents sold him the gun and ammunition on Tuesday and arrested him on the spot. “This was a radicalized

threat, and disrupt it, before the defendant carried out his intention to kill, in his words, maybe 30 to 60 people.” Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud was arrested Tuesday in a public park in Richﬁeld, several miles northwest of the Mall of America, after he paid $600 to an undercover FBI employee posing as a member of the Islamic State group for the rifle and 200 rounds of ammunition, the agency said. According to an FBI agent’s sworn complaint, Mohamud repeatedly affirmed in chat messages to the informant that he intended to attack and kill non-Muslims at the mall on Oct. 24, the date of a scheduled arts celebration by the Hmong community, Minnesota’s largest Asian ethnic group.

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Scientists win chemistry Nobel Okinawa governor Discoveries about wants discipline for mirrored molecules led to many drugs U.S. military in Japan BY ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN, KOSTYA MANENKOV and STEFANIE DAZIO

Official requested details of ongoing training after murder linked to Marine

Associated Press

STOCKHOLM — Scientists Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai won the Nobel Prize in chemistry Wednesday for untangling mysterious mirror images in molecules, a discovery that has been used to develop countless drugs and transformed modern medicine. Many molecules come in versions that look alike but are not exactly identical, like right and left hands. Kagan, who is from France, and Soai, from Japan, found ways to make chemistry pick a side, describing and designing reactions to produce the desired mirror image. “The medicines we have today would not be possible without this chemistry,” said Rigoberto Hernandez, president of the American Chemical Society. Soai was shopping at a neighborhood supermarket when he heard he had won. “I’m very excited to receive the very nice news,” Soai told the Nobel committee and journalists by phone. “Of course, this is one of the most exciting days in my life.”

Discovery enabled medicines Mirror images of the same molecule can have different properties. For example, one version of the chemical carvone smells like mint, while the other has a whiff of caraway, a spice often used in rye bread. The alternate versions can also behave differently when interacting with other chemicals. When designing drugs to treat diseases, scientists are choosy about which mirror image they use. They want the version of a molecule to treat a cold, not one that will make the sniffles worse. In the 1980s, Kagan’s work showed there might be a way to design reactions to produce one form of a molecule over the other. Years later, Soai perfected the process. He created the first-ever chemical reaction to efficiently produce only one of a molecule’s mirror images, in what’s now known as the Soai reaction.

BY MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press

TT NEWS AGENCY PHOTO BY FREDRIK SANDBERG

Portraits of Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai are shown on a screen as they are awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in chemistry at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, Sweden, on Wednesday. “This is probably the coolest experiment in organic chemistry,” said Peter Somfai, a member of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry. Kagan, 95, is affiliated with the Université Paris-Sud in Orsay, France. Soai, 76, is affiliated with the Tokyo University of Science. The Nobel committee described their work as a feat never previously achieved by anyone “other than life itself.” The French Academy of Sciences, where Kagan is a member, congratulated him, as did French President Emmanuel Macron, who called the prize “an immense source of pride for the country” and “a recognition befitting a lifetime of research.” “It might be difficult to say that this drug, or that drug, was developed using this,” Somfai said. “I would say all of them, because we use this as a tool, we use this as an understanding, how to develop catalysts, how they function.” Life, too, prefers one mirror image over the other. DNA twists to the right, and the proteins in human bodies are made of mostly left-handed building blocks. In addition to developing better medicines or perfumes, deciphering the mirror images of molecules can help scientists understand the chemical architecture of life, said chemist Holden Thorp, editor-inchief of the journal Science. “There are still fascinating as-

pects that remain unknown and surely more yet to be discovered,” Soai said at a news conference hosted by his university in Tokyo. “I hope to do what I can, however modestly, to contribute to help advance research in this ﬁeld.” Japan’s largest newspaper, Yomiuri, distributed an extra edition with a headline proclaiming “Nobel Prize Mr. Soai,” with a big photo of the scientist. The papers quickly disappeared as office workers picked them up on their way home.

More prizes still to be awarded The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the winner in Stockholm. Last year, three scientists won the chemistry Nobel for their development of new molecular structures that can trap vast quantities of gas inside, laying the groundwork to potentially suck greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere or harvest moisture from desert environments. This year’s prizes began with the Nobel for medicine, awarded Monday to three scientists whose work led to a tool that uses light to help unravel how the brain works. The physics award announced Tuesday recognized a scientist’s efforts to demystify a rare group of neutrinos. The literature prize is set to be awarded Thursday. After Friday’s peace prize is awarded, the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences will be announced Monday.

DNC sues administration Complaint alleges taxpayer-funded ads violate propaganda law

BY ALI SWENSON Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Democratic National Committee on Wednesday sued President Donald Trump’s administration for recent television advertisements that promoted his political message while costing taxpayers millions of dollars. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, alleges that the ads are illegal government-sponsored propaganda and accuses Trump of personally directing them. It asks the court to declare the ads illegal and

stop the use of federal funds to pay for them. Trump has faced bipartisan backlash for the ads, which glorify him and echo his campaign pitch as voters cast early ballots with the midterm elections less than a month away. The spots, which began airing in September, already have cost more than $12 million to run, according to the media tracking ﬁrm AdImpact, and a total of $20 million in Homeland Security Department funding has been tapped to pay for them. Responding Monday to the criticism, Trump defended the ads as “positive promotion for our Great U.S.A.” but said he’d pay for them using his MAGA Inc. super PAC going forward. But on Tuesday, the ﬁfth ad in the campaign began airing with the notice “paid for

by the U.S. Government,” promoting Trump’s military actions in Venezuela earlier this year. The same day, Trump made it clear he hasn’t committed to reimbursing any money that has already been spent, telling reporters “we’ll decide.” DNC Chair Ken Martin said in a statement that Trump is misusing taxpayer dollars in “a last-ditch attempt to save Republicans in November.” “Americans deserve better than to have their hardearned tax dollars used for Trump’s illegal schemes,” he added. A person familiar with the campaign who was not authorized to speak publicly said the ad buys placed prior to Trump’s pledge to start paying for them with his super PAC will end this week. Then, outside groups will begin to pay, the person said.

Attorney: Pike angry, confused after surviving execution attempt BY KIM CHANDLER and KRISTIN M. HALL Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Christa Pike was “angry and confused” in the hours after regaining consciousness following Tennessee’s failed execution attempt, ﬁrst asking, “Where am I?” her lawyer said Wednesday. Pike, believed to be the ﬁrst person to survive after receiving lethal injection drugs during an execution, stunningly woke up as plans were being made to remove her from life support, just six days after she was strapped to a gurney in the death chamber, said attorney Randy Spivey. “But on Tuesday, to the shock of everyone ... Christa woke up and began talking,” Spivey said.

Pike, who was sentenced to death for the 1995 beating and stabbing death of classmate Colleen Slemmer, is aware of what happened to her, at least up to a point, Spivey said. Many questions remain, though, about her prognosis for recovery and whether Tennessee will make another attempt to execute Pike, now age 50. Her lawyers said Wednesday that she has suffered enough and want the governor to commute her sentence. A judge in Nashville told the state on Wednesday to save evidence from the execution attempt as Pike’s attorneys try to ﬁnd out more. The failed execution on Sept. 30 has renewed scrutiny of how states carry out the death penalty, in particular the use of lethal injec-

tion. Texas was set to carry out Wednesday the first execution in the U.S. since Tennessee attempted to put Pike to death.

TOKYO — The governor of Okinawa demanded Wednesday that Japan’s central government do more to ensure effective discipline among U.S. service members on the southern island following the arrest of a U.S. Marine on accusations that he robbed and murdered a local woman. Gov. Genta Koja, in Tokyo for the ﬁrst time since taking ofﬁce a week ago, conveyed Okinawa’s outrage in his meeting with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, asking her government for further efforts to reduce the burden of hosting U.S. military bases on the small island. “Okinawa has requested preventive measures every time similar crimes were repeated in past, and now we have this case again,” Koja told Takaichi in a guest room at the Prime Minister’s Office packed with reporters. “I must say past disciplinary measures and human rights education implemented by the U.S. military have not worked at all,” Koja said. People in Okinawa have long opposed the heavy U.S. military presence on the island and complained about noise, pollution and crime related to American bases, though some have come to see its strategic value due to what is widely viewed as a growing threat from China. Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballard, a 20-year-old Ohio native belonging to the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, was arrested over the weekend on suspicion of strangling Anna Yagi,

39, at a hotel and stealing her wallet and backpack. He has denied the allegations, according to Japanese media. Takaichi said she regretted the “heinous crime” and shared the outrage. Noting the new disciplinary measures announced by the U.S. military Tuesday, Takaichi said she expected the American government to take subsequent steps. Japan and the U.S. will discuss “how to implement preventive measures that are effective,” she said. Hours earlier, the U.S. military in Okinawa announced a 48-hour pause of all military operations for training through noon on Friday, as well as restricting the ability of troops to leave their base and prohibiting consumption of alcohol. Lt. Gen. Benjamin Watson, commander of III Marine Expeditionary Force, wrote in a letter posted Tuesday on X that episodes like these “demand we pause for reflection” and that serving on the Japanese island “comes with responsibility.” U.S. troops on Okinawa will be under a curfew from midnight to 5 a.m. for 30 days following the two-day training period, Watson said. Koja said he appreciated prompt response from the Japanese and U.S. governments to the murder case “as a sign they both took the case seriously.” However, he will need to see details of the ongoing training, he said, and requested the Japanese involvement to make U.S. disciplinary measures more effective. A majority of the more than 50,000 U.S. troops stationed in Japan under a bilateral security agreement are based on the island. Earlier Monday, Koja made the same request in his meeting with Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi.

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Pike faces a long recovery Pike’s legal team said she still can’t move her arms or swallow and has some cognitive confusion. She also has pneumonia and a blood clot in her arm, Spivey said. Her hands were extremely swollen when they saw her Tuesday in the hospital, shackled to a bed, he added. Her prognosis remains unclear and she has a long road to recovery, he said. “She is angry and confused about everything right now,” Spivey said during a news conference following a court hearing about preserving evidence.

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U.N. health agency wants more details from Russia Authorities deny death caused by pneumonic plague

Record payout secured for laborers in Milan

BY JAMEY KEATEN

BY COLLEEN BARRY

Associated Press

GENEVA — A top ofﬁcial with the World Health Organization said Wednesday it doesn’t know how a lab worker in Siberia died, and she urged Russia to provide more information about a case that prompted global concerns about suspected pneumonic plague. Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO director of Epidemic and Pandemic Management, said the U.N. health agency doesn’t know what the “causative agent” was behind the woman’s Friday death, which unconﬁrmed reports in Russia blamed on pneumonic plague — a less common but severe form of plague that can spread from person to person. In its tersely worded statements, Russia’s public health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, does not link the case to pneumonic plague, saying only that the lab worker had contracted pneumonia of “unknown” origin and that “extensive” testing found no evidence her illness was caused by any of the pathogens she worked with at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East. “We don’t understand how she was infected,” Van Kerkhove said. “We need information in a timely way. We need regular information. We need answers to the follow-up of the questions that we have asked.” “We have posed these questions to our colleagues in the Russian Federation. In fairness, they have responded. We’ve gone back with more questions,” she said. The comments suggested the U.N. health agency has more questions than answers about the situation at the lab, which focuses on plague and was founded about a century ago to study the disease in Siberia, where it occurs naturally in wild animals.

Little information released Russian authorities have kept a

Associated Press

PROVIDED PHOTO

Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East workers conduct lab tests in 2019.

“They’re sharing it a little bit with our people. We expect them to share it a lot with our people,” Trump said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier Wednesday that a Putin-Trump call hasn’t been set yet but could be organized quickly. Asked if the incident was a sign that plague might be developed as a bioweapon, Trump said, “We don’t think so. We’re going to find out soon enough, but we don’t think so.” When asked if the situation was similar to dealing with China on COVID-19 in his ﬁrst term, Trump suggested Russia was staying relatively quiet, just as China did before the virus turned into a pandemic. “China didn’t say much and Russia is not saying much either, but they do say they have it very much under control,” he said. Dr. Erica Schwartz, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the threat to the U.S. “is extremely low.” She travel from that area of Russia to the U.S. each year is limited — and mostly comes through New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. Preventive measures underway Government agencies are workU.S. President Donald Trump said ing “to make sure that we know he would discuss the issue during a exactly if anyone from that area call with Russian President Vladi- comes into the United States,” mir Putin because Wednesday is Schwartz said during a Wall Street the Kremlin leader’s 74th birthday. Journal health forum Wednesday.

tight lid on information about the case, which has been surrounded by secrecy. While it has raised global concerns, Russian state TV and other national state-controlled media have largely steered clear of the subject. Some news outlets withdrew earlier reports about the case. Rospotrebnadzor said Sunday the lab worker was diagnosed with “pneumonia of unknown etiology,” meaning its origin was not known. A state TV station in Irkutsk reported she died Friday in a hospital in Shelekhov, a town just outside Irkutsk. Officials have quarantined that hospital and were monitoring the worker’s contacts. Russia has said the pneumonia initially presented as a “typical” acute respiratory viral infection, the WHO has said, acknowledging that pneumonia is commonplace. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Russian authorities had indicated that no case of plague had recently been reported in the Irkutsk region, and that they had placed about 200 contacts in quarantine.

Interpol environmental operation nets 233 arrests Targets were illegal mining, logging and wildlife trafficking

MILAN — Foreign workers building the vast new U.S. consulate compound in Milan signed agreements at a Milan hotel Wednesday securing payouts averaging $50,400 each for alleged labor abuses while working for an American construction company. More than 60 laborers, mostly from India, signed the deals Wednesday to receive their share of a nearly $35 million settlement agreed last month with Alabamabased Caddell Construction. The signings began Tuesday. Prosecutors say it is the largest settlement ever for labor exploitation in Europe. Each worker signed a document seen by The Associated Press agreeing not to discredit Caddell and not to disclose the individual payments. Caddell said in the document that the settlement was not an admission of liability. Individual payments are to be made within 30 days of the signing. The workers saw the potentially life-changing sum in blackand-white for the first time at the signings — with the highest reaching nearly $101,000, said Francesco Brigatti, the court-appointed administrator working to return the consulate construction site to legality. The payouts combine unpaid overtime, reimbursement for housing illegally deducted from their pay and hefty damages personally sought by investigating Prosecutor Paolo Storari, Brigatti said. “The damages component alone amounts to 60–70% of the overtime total,” Brigatti said, well above the 10% to 30% that he said is more customary in such cases. Dilip Ram, a 43-year-old mason

from India, has worked at the Milan consulate site for more than two years. He said the money would go a long way to helping his family of ﬁve back home in the Indian state of Bihar. “Things are better now than before … we get more rest now,” Ram said, after signing the deal. “This has led to a lot of change. This settlement will be good. Because the workers had troubles, that’s why this settlement has been applied.” Over two days, 115 workers signed the deals, with the procedure continuing next week. Prosecutors say workers were paid less than $2 an hour, were illegally docked money for housing and denied overtime for working up to 10 hours a day, six days a week. They also were allegedly subjected to threats and not given proper medical care when they were injured on the job. Most of the workers were from India, but also Nigeria, Kenya and Bangladesh. Workers from India reported having to pay $5,600 to recruiters to get the jobs, but the settlement did not directly address abuses in India, where prosecutors could not investigate, ofﬁcials said. The investigation against Caddell remains open, pending the payouts, which are expected to be completed by February. Two managers under investigation for extortion and facilitating illegal immigration remain under house arrest. Caddell’s settlement includes about $12.5 million for Italy’s social security coffers and workplace injury insurance. Under the deal, the workers are also getting permits to work in Italy even off the Caddell site. Caddell, a major contractor for U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide, said in June that it was cooperating fully with Italian authorities, reviewing its global subcontractors and consultancies for compliance with labor laws, and working with authorities to protect workers on the project.

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Associated Press

BOGOTA, Colombia — An international crackdown on environmental crime across Latin America and the Caribbean led to 233 arrests and uncovered links between large-scale Amazon deforestation and companies across several continents, the international police organization Interpol said Wednesday. The two-month operation targeted illegal logging, gold mining and wildlife trafficking across nine countries, identifying some 148,000 acres of illegally cleared forest — an area 10 times the size of Manhattan Island. But investigators increasingly focused beyond the people cutting trees, mining gold or trafficking animals to the companies, financial networks and international buyers suspected of profiting from environmental destruction. In one investigation originating in Colombia, authorities had identified 11 foreign companies suspected of involvement in clearing more than 128,500 acres of protected Amazon forest. Interpol said intelligence gathered during the latest operation uncovered links to another 161 companies and 65 people across several continents. Investigators found suspected permit fraud and the alleged use of shell companies and foreign investment mechanisms, Interpol said. Colombian authorities arrested 16 people and seized digital evidence, while Interpol issued international notices seeking information or action involving suspects linked to the network. “Following the money,

Workers allegedly exploited while building U.S. consulate sign deals

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO BY GUADALUPE PARDO

Members of the Peruvian Navy destroy a dredge used for illegal mining near the Malinowski River in the Tambopata National Reserve in Puerto Maldonado, Peru, in August. whether from an illegal gold mine in Panama to a buyer in North America, Europe or Asia, helps a case move beyond the individuals physically harvesting the timber, handling the animal or extracting the gold,” Krandall Gullock, head of Interpol’s Regional Bureau for Central America, said in a statement.

Deforestation, pollution Environmental crime has become increasingly intertwined with organized crime across Latin America, particularly in remote forest regions where illegal mining, logging and wildlife trafﬁcking can exploit the same routes and financial networks used for other illicit commodities. Gold is particularly attractive to criminal groups because of its high value, portability and ease of sale. Illegal mining has expanded across parts of the Amazon as gold prices have risen, driving deforestation and contaminating rivers with mercury and other toxic substances. In August, The Associated Press accompanied Peruvian security forces raiding illegal gold mines advancing into the Tambopata National Reserve in the Amazon. Authorities there are increasingly trying to target not only mining equipment but the financial networks behind

the operations, as miners frequently return after raids. Earlier this year, nearly 200 people were arrested in the ﬁrst coordinated crossborder operation targeting illegal gold mining involving Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana and Suriname. The latest Interpol operation underscored the scale of the chemicals feeding the trade. In Costa Rica, authorities seized about 4.6 metric tons of cyanide and 11 containers of mercury, both used in gold extraction. Mercury is highly toxic and can contaminate rivers, wildlife and people, while cyanide can also cause severe environmental damage if improperly handled or released.

Wildlife trafficking The crackdown, known as Operation Madre Tierra VIII, ran from June 1 to July 31 and involved Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama. More than 330 cases were reported, with 312 people identiﬁed as suspected of involvement in environmental crimes. Wildlife trafficking was another major focus this year. Authorities recovered more than 1,000 live animals, including endangered Bengal tigers, lions, jaguars, ocelots, parrots and macaws.

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Rubio urges Europe to strengthen Administration proposes alliance, defend Western values fee for international students to work in U.S.

BY MATTHEW LEE, DEREK GATOPOULOS and FARNOUSH AMIRI

the fee as a response to fraud and $70K rule latest abuse of the visa program, which called a “pipeline for cheap foreffort to lower foreign iteign labor.” enrollment The public has 60 days to com-

Associated Press

ATHENS — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a sweeping speech against the backdrop of the Acropolis in Athens, called for the nations of the West to return to their civilizational roots and restore the values that drove the rise of Europe and North America to global dominance for centuries. In Greece to discuss deepening economic, energy and security cooperation, Rubio made the case for nationalism while emphasizing the importance of global alliances during a dramatic speech about ancient civilization that appeared to reflect his political aspirations beyond being America’s top diplomat. Rubio aimed to remind listeners of qualities he says were born in Greece and later defined the West, such as curiosity, courage, ambition, a restless spirit of exploration and a drive to discover the unknown. “It has become fashionable today to believe that enlightened foreign policy means prioritizing the ‘global community’ over one’s own people,” Rubio said. “And I think here, too, we have much more to learn from the men of ancient Greece. They knew that there was nothing selfish or wrong about loyalty to your nation, nor anything selfish or wrong about fighting to defend its interests above all else.”

U.S. pursues ‘national power’ In his current role, Rubio is seen by many as the gentle face of the Trump administration and has been frequently dispatched to clarify or otherwise address concerns about the president’s frequently undiplomatic statements. He is on the second leg of a threenation tour of NATO allies that has already taken him to Iceland and will end in Portugal on Thursday, aiming to reassure U.S. partners that the Trump administration is committed to their success and security despite what has been an often brusque approach to traditional friends that has stirred unease. “We must strengthen an alliance capable of confronting threats of our age. And we can,” Rubio said

BY ANNIE MA and HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH AP education writers

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY MARK SCHIEFELBEIN

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks at the Pnyx hill, where ancient Athenians held democratic assemblies, in Athens, on Wednesday. Wednesday, maintaining that the U.S. administration wanted Europe to join its bold vision of the future. He also was clear, however, about the United States acting in its own interests around the world. “We will either choose to act now, or lose the choice to act at all,” he said. “Under President Trump, the United States has made its choice. We choose the unapologetic pursuit of national power.” Rubio warned European countries that the decisions made in the next decade “will determine whether the West maintains its place at the head of the world, or resigns itself to a future of atrophy and servitude and decline.” But he also argued that despite “passions” having strained U.S.Europe relations, allied countries must work to “rebuild our institutions and our alliances to face these threats together.” The Trump administration has repeatedly accused countries in Europe of backsliding on their traditional values and democratic principles by stiﬂing the free speech of conservatives and falling short on commitments to international partners like the United States. Many of those countries have rejected the complaints and accused the U.S. under Trump of being guilty of similar behavior and worse with its staunch anti-immigration stance that some believe is racist.

Presidential overtones The tone and tenor of Rubio’s remarks, the symbolic backdrop and the State Department’s hiring of a local television crew to provide different angles of the speech, including a camera-mounted swiveling crane, were more reﬂective of a stump speech during a presidential campaign than a public address while on a diplomatic trip. The former Republican senator, who previously ran for the White House in 2016, touched on the history of Western civilization while making mention of his own family’s immigration journey, at one point marveling how a son of Cuban immigrants could become the U.S. secretary of state. “Two and a half centuries after the founding of the American Republic, halfway across the world from where I stand now, I stand here today as the Secretary of State of that Republic, and as the great-grandson of settlers who arrived in the New World from Spain,” Rubio said. “I stand here to testify to a debt that no lapse of time, no distance of space, can ever extinguish.” Along with Vice President JD Vance, Rubio is seen as one of the leading contenders to assume Trump’s mantle at the top of the Republican Party, which faces stiff challenges in next month’s congressional midterm elections.

WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday proposed a $70,000 fee for international students seeking to work in the United States, the latest effort from the Trump administration to crack down on foreign enrollment. A proposed rule would require schools to pay the fee for every student who participates in the optional practice training program, known as OPT, which allows students to work in jobs related to their major during or after their time in school. Students are generally eligible for one year of work post-graduation, though certain science, technology, engineering and math majors are eligible for an additional two years. Schools would be required to pay the $70,000 for each new student’s initial application to the program, and a $30,000 fee for each renewal.

Change would be a blow American colleges and universities heavily recruit students from overseas as a source of tuition revenue. Tech companies and other industries also hire many international students for technical roles. The OPT program allows international students to gain hands-on experience and ﬁll labor shortages in high-demand STEM ﬁelds, said Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA, an association that represents international education. “Driving away the talents, perspectives, and aspirations of international students will only hurt American innovation, economic growth, workforce development, and global leadership,” Aw said in a written statement. In a statement, DHS described

ment on the proposal before DHS can ﬁnalize it and put it into effect. The proposal also could face legal challenges from higher education groups or business associations that could delay it.

Pressure on students The proposed rule is part of its wider efforts to crack down on immigration and reshape higher education. Last year, the Republican administration began suddenly terminating the legal status of thousands of international students, detaining and deporting many of them. This summer, the administration ﬁnalized a rule that sought to prevent international students from staying in the U.S. for more than four years without approval from the federal government. The move drew swift backlash from higher education leaders who said it would increase the burden on schools and noted that many programs are longer than four years by design. A federal court prevented the rule from taking effect in September. Doug Rand, a former senior adviser at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services during the Biden administration, predicted that the fee would be struck down in the courts, as was a $100,000 fee for the H-1B work visas that many tech companies and universities rely on to ﬁll openings for skilled jobs. The Trump administration is now trying a different way to raise the fee for the visas to more than $100,000. Rand said fees are not the answer. “When we educate international students at our universities, and they want to work and apply their talents here after graduating, of course we should embrace them — not use an exorbitant fee as a pretext to send them packing,” Rand said in an email.

Nepal ends search for thousands of ﬂood victims BY BINAJ GURUBACHARYA Associated Press

KATHMANDU, Nepal — The families of thousands of people who remain missing in Nepal weeks after catastrophic floods devastated the country have expressed mixed feelings after the government said this week that it is stopping the search for victims. The office of Prime Minister Balendra Shah decided on Monday that search and rescue operations for victims of the Aug. 26 floods will cease. Instead, authorities will concentrate on rehabilitation and reconstruction including restoring roads and bridges cut off by floods, particularly in remote areas where damaged infrastructure has made aid deliveries difficult. Rescuers have so far recovered the bodies of at least 1,455 people, but 5,285 others remain missing, including hundreds of foreign nationals. The government estimates reconstruction and recovery will cost $4.77 billion. Nearly 33,000 people have been affected and about 7,500 homes were damaged or destroyed. Hopes for finding survivors were briefly revived after two Nepalese workers were rescued from an underground tunnel at the Trishuli hydropower project on Sept. 4, and again two days later when rescuers found a Chinese man at the same location. Families of victims have held protests and vigils in Nepal, calling for search efforts to be improved. “I am so angry at the government for giving up on search and rescue with thousands of people still missing. I just don’t understand how they can do that when we still have hope left that our loved one can still be found,” said Usha Khatri, who has spent days searching for her husband in multiple towns

where the river flows and bodies have been recovered. During her ongoing search she has checked

photos of bodies that were recovered but buried for preservation until identiﬁcation is made.

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NEW YORK — U.S. stocks pulled back from their record on Wednesday. The S&P 500 slipped 0.2%, a day after topping its prior alltime high set in August. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 341 points, or 0.7%, while the Nasdaq composite fell 0.2% from its own record. Stocks felt pressure as yields swung in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed as high as 5.36% in the morning, up from 5.27% late Tuesday and near its highest level since 2002. Higher yields put downward pressure on prices for stocks and other investments. They can also slow the economy by making it more expensive for everyone to borrow money. But the 10-year yield eased back to 5.28% later in the day after the U.S. Treasury sold $39 billion of 10-year Treasury notes at an auction, where the median yield was less than 5.26%. Yields also swung with oil prices, which continue to yo-yo amid uncertainty about when the war with Iran will allow the industry to return to normal. The price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, topped $102 in the morning before falling back later in the day and eventually settling at $100.20, down 0.4%. That’s below the nearly $110 it cost last month, but it remains well above its $72 price from before the war began.

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Fed minutes: Rate hike likely Another increase expected this year to combat inflation

BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER

AP economics writer

WASHINGTON — Most Federal Reserve ofﬁcials expect that another interest rate increase will likely be needed this year to combat inﬂation, according to minutes released Wednesday from the central bank’s most recent meeting. The officials unanimously

agreed that inﬂation was still elevated and had not made much progress toward their 2% target in recent months, the minutes said. The Fed increased its key interest rate at the Sept. 15-16 meeting by a quarter-point to about 3.9%, its ﬁrst increase in three years. The increase defied President Donald Trump’s repeated calls for the Fed to cut rates and prompted the president to criticize the Fed’s rate-setting committee, though he still expressed support for Chairman Kevin Warsh, whom he appointed earlier this year. The rate increase comes as Americans are

already struggling with high costs for groceries, gas and housing, and as affordability has taken on a leading role in the upcoming midterm elections, just seven weeks away. Longer-term interest rates for mortgages and other borrowing have also jumped in the past few months for a range of reasons, including rising government debt, heavy borrowing by tech firms to finance data center construction, climbing oil and gas prices, and signs that growth and inflation remain elevated. The Fed’s rate hike has likely played only a limited

role in the increase. Still, key policymakers have said since the meeting that the Fed can take some time to monitor the economy and the impact of last month’s rate hike before making another move. Wall Street investors now forecast the Fed will keep its rate unchanged at its next meeting Oct. 28-29, according to futures pricing, and raise it when they meet in December. Philip Jefferson, vice chair of the Fed’s board of governors, said last week that policymakers “will need to come to our own judgement, which may take more time.”

Joby Aviation hit with $116.9 million verdict A federal jury reached a verdict last week in the latest lawsuit surrounding the burgeoning market for electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. The jury in Tampa, Florida, found that air taxi startup Joby Aviation owes roughly $116.9 million to aviation supplier Aerosonic after it allegedly breached a confidentiality agreement and mishandled trade secrets. Aerosonic sued Joby last year after selling it air data probes that measure pressure around an aircraft. The Clearwater, Florida-based supplier claimed that Joby used its proprietary designs and data to develop its own probes. Joby shares, which have shed more than 55% so far this year, were were down a further 2.25% at $5.64 at midday Wednesday. According to Aerosonic’s complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Joby developed its in-house data probes in about two years. Aerosonic said the development process would have taken around a decade if Joby hadn’t relied on the supplier’s trade secrets.

Trump administration investigates Wells Fargo Housing ofﬁcials from President Donald Trump’s administration are launching an investigation into Wells Fargo over efforts to improve Black homeownership, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. The Department of Housing and Urban Development sent a letter to the bank’s chief executive, Charlie Scharf, saying it is going to look into whether the bank violated fair-lending laws by favoring Black or other minority homeowners, WSJ reported. HUD did not provide a comment as of Wednesday afternoon. Wells Fargo declined to comment. While the new federal probe looks into whether minority buyers received preferential terms, earlier reports this year focused on claims that minority applicants were unfairly turned away. In April, Americans for Financial Reform’s Education Fund released a study stating that the bank’s mortgage rejection rates for minorities in Charlotte and North Carolina far outpaced those of White applicants.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY ELLEN SCHMIDT

Diesel averaged $6.30 per gallon across the country on Wednesday, more than 70% higher than one year ago, according to motor club AAA.

Dyed diesel order will offer little relief, farmers and truckers say Trump expands use of fuel reserved for off-road work

BY SARAH RAZA and MAE ANDERSON Associated Press

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Farmers, truckers and economists say a move to cut taxes on diesel will provide little relief from record-high fuel prices that have soared since the U.S. attacked Iran months ago. Industry groups said they appreciate President Donald Trump’s executive order expanding the use of a diesel now reserved for off-road work, but farmers already have access to the fuel and many have already wrapped up harvest. Truckers will struggle to navigate differing state rules. “In the context of diesel prices that are over $2 more than they were last year, it just doesn’t come close to closing that wound,” said Matt Perdue, president of the North Dakota Farmers Union. With less than a month to go before the November election, diesel prices continue to hit record highs as some farmers transport their crops for processing and others rush to complete their fall harvest. Many have been feeling the squeeze as costs for

inputs like diesel, fertilizer and seed have soared thanks to reﬁnery constraints and supply disruptions amid the Iran war. Diesel averaged $6.30 per gallon across the country on Wednesday, more than 70% higher than one year ago, according to motor club AAA. The executive order defers the $0.24 federal tax per gallon of regular diesel, used for road projects, until the end of the year. Most states also levy their own tax on diesel. “Dyed” diesel is the same as regular diesel, except for its red dye to help law enforcement enforce penalties for on-road use. It’s already allowed for off-road purposes like farming equipment, such as tractors and combines, as well as construction and heating uses. Savings can compound if states take similar actions; many have eased restrictions or waived taxes on dyed diesel, including South Dakota and Iowa. Perdue said North Dakota has waived the tax on regular diesel. But where the state decision is focused on farmers, he believes the federal decision would largely beneﬁt those on other levels of the supply chain. Farmers who will see the most benefit are those who haul their own product, like livestock or fresh produce, on public roads.

Those who have already wrapped up harvesting won’t see savings. “Most of our diesel use is behind us,” said Perdue, who grows spring wheat, durum and canola on his family farm. Both trucking companies and independent truckers may not see much relief either. The effect is likely to be negligible for big trucking companies because the order is on a federal level and states make their own rules, Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, wrote in a social media post. “The largest diesel users are the least likely to use dyed diesel,” he wrote. “A national carrier crossing ﬁve or six states in a day faces enormous risk with a patchwork of rules, legal in one state, and subject to ﬁnes in the next.” Many states exempt road diesel from sales tax but apply sales tax to dyed diesel instead, he said. Easing limits on red-dyed diesel will likely have a minimal effect for small truckers, who pay for fuel up front, said Todd Spencer, president and CEO of trade group the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association. He estimates every $1 increase per gallon in fuel costs independent truckers about $400 more per week.

Walmart drone deliveries coming to Seattle, Denver BY ALEX HALVERSON The Seattle Times (TNS)

A massive retailer plans to bring aerial drone delivery to the Seattle area next year and no, it’s not Amazon. Walmart announced Monday that it will expand its drone delivery service to two new metro areas in 2027: Seattle and Denver. The company is aiming to offer drone delivery from more than 270 stores across the country, though it did not give a timeline. Using drones from Wing, a subsidiary of Google-parent Alphabet, Walmart already offers the service in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta, Houston and Orlando metro

areas. It’s unclear how many Seattlearea Walmart stores will offer the service, but a Monday news release from Wing featured Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell. “Innovation is a part of our way of life in Federal Way and around the Puget Sound. We look forward to Walmart and Wing’s drone delivery service bringing the region an incredible new convenience,” Ferrell said. It’s also likely Tacoma residents will see Walmart bags buzzing overhead next year. Permit applications ﬁled in September with the city of Tacoma describe new fencing and storage for “drone delivery operations,” at the Walmart

Supercenter off State Route 16. Similar permit applications were ﬁled in Federal Way as well. There are no Walmart stores within Seattle’s city limits. Wing said its drones can reach up to 60 mph and can carry up to 5 pounds. Once drone delivery is available in an area, Walmart app customers will automatically see drone delivery as an option. Walmart isn’t the only retailer expanding drone delivery service, but it may beat its ﬁerce rival Amazon to the punch in the Seattle area. Amazon currently serves 10 metro areas with Prime Air, its drone delivery program. Most of those locations are spread across

Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska and Texas, but the company said in August that it plans to reach 500 cities and towns by the end of 2026. The company received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration in 2024 that allowed it to signiﬁcantly expand its drone delivery program. A key part of the approval was allowing Amazon to operate its drones outside of an operator’s direct line of sight. As delivery drones take up more air space, the U.S. Government Accountability Office flagged concerns over how drones will communicate with each other and other aircraft and recommended the FAA set additional guidelines.

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The Advocate n theadvocate.com n Thursday, October 8, 2026 n 7A

ENTERGY

Continued from page 1A known as Hyperion, is a “transformational investment” for Louisiana and has plenty of protections for ratepayers. May also disclosed for the first time the amount of power Meta will use, 4,500 megawatts, representing roughly four times the amount of power the city of New Orleans uses. Entergy had closely guarded the figure, over objections from opponents who said it was crucial to understanding whether Entergy’s plans are prudent. “We are in a power-first world where speed to power is what will drive who wins economic opportunity for their communities,” May said at the hearing Wednesday. “This is an opportunity to change the trajectory of the state’s economy for generations to come.” Nonprofit and advocacy groups, including the Alliance for Affordable Energy, the Sierra Club and the Union of Concerned Scientists, have argued against the settlement. They have warned Entergy’s plans could force residents to pick up the tab on unnecessary power bills if Meta leaves at the end of the 20year contract. Susan Miller, an attorney for the Alliance for Affordable Energy and the Union of Concerned Scientists, noted that some critics argue “data centers are being overbuilt,” will not be profitable and could be a liability in the future. “Has Entergy looked into that at all?” she asked May. “I don’t know that we have exactly looked into that,” May said, countering that Meta receives revenue from sources unrelated to AI. May has argued the contract Meta signed protects ratepayers by ensuring Meta pays for its power even if it leaves early. Melanie Verzwyvelt, the Public

GULF

Continued from page 1A Yankeetown, Florida. Surge predictions from the river’s mouth to Ocean Springs were in the range of 3 to 5 feet, while other areas closer to the storm’s center could expect 5 to 7 feet. Local ofﬁcials were monitoring it but largely holding off on any major decisions before more is known about Isaias’ eventual landfall. While of course not wishing harm on any other state, organizers were hopeful of avoiding disruption to a weekend scheduled to feature sold-out hotels and major events, from pro wrestling to a big ophthalmology convention and the SaintsVikings game in the Superdome on Sunday. A pageant of other festivals and other fundraisers in the New Orleans area were also on the agenda, including Blues and Barbecue, the opening weekend of Oktoberfest at Deutches Haus, Gentilly Fest, Hispanic Heritage Month at Lafreniere Park and the National Fried Chicken Festival, which was rescheduled from last weekend due to rain. There is also the roster of less official events long scheduled to take place during what is typically one of the city’s most pleasant times of the year. Engaged couples, for example, have

STAFF PHOTO BY PEARL SPURLOCK

Phillip May, CEO of Entergy Louisiana, participates in a hearing for Meta’s proposed data center expansion on Wednesday in Baton Rouge. Service Commission’s chief administrative law judge, is overseeing the case and is expected to issue a report on the proceedings. The PSC, made up of elected members who have largely supported the Meta data center, will have the ultimate power to approve or reject the plans. A host of states have issued moratoriums on data centers as national polls show public opinion swinging against them, but Gov. Jeff Landry, most of the PSC and many other elected officials in Louisiana have continued to embrace them. Landry released a video Tuesday in front of Hut 8’s data center being built in St. Fran-

cisville, touting it as an economic development win. May, of Entergy, said in an editorial board meeting this week with The Times-Picayune | The Advocate that he’s conﬁdent regulators will ultimately approve Entergy’s plans. Those include infrastructure for a multibillion-dollar expansion of Meta’s data center in Richland Parish, bringing the cost of Meta’s data center to $50 billion. The settlement reached by Entergy and the PSC staff, submitted into the record in late September, lets Entergy bypass the traditional rules for building new power plants to speed up the build out. If the settlement gets the green-

booked churches, reception halls and restaurants for weddings long in advance. As of Wednesday morning, hotel occupancy in the more than 26,000 rooms downtown was projected to top 98% Friday night and 99% on Saturday. “Honestly, it kept me up last night,” said Walt Leger III, president and CEO of New Orleans & Co., the city’s tourism marketing ofﬁce. “This is a big weekend for us, but it is continuing to look a little more promising … with the track heading more to the east.”

tral U.S. Gulf Coast extending from far southeastern Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle,” hurricane center forecaster Eric Blake wrote. A convergence of factors were helping produce a strong hurricane at such a relatively late date. While wind shear related to the El Nino weather pattern has helped limit hurricane formation this season, the Gulf’s surface temperatures are also considerably warm — near records for this time of year, forecasters said. The warm water and lighter wind shear were expectWarm Gulf waters ed to allow Isaias to rapidly The center’s forecast at 4 intensify. Forecasts were p.m. Wednesday showed Isa- showing shear increasing ias with maximum winds of later in the week. 65 mph while moving eastnortheast at around 8 mph. ‘Good news for us’ It is expected to become There were few major a hurricane on Thursday, closures in Louisiana by then reach peak strength Wednesday evening. The with around 110 mph winds state Department of Wildon Friday as it turns north. life and Fisheries said it was Wind shear is expected closing Elmer’s Island Wildto increase before Isaias life Refuge near Grand Isle makes landfall, tearing into at noon Thursday as a prethe hurricane’s structure, caution. though it is likely to remain Otherwise, ofﬁcials in Ora Category 1 or 2 storm as leans, Plaquemines, St. Berit moves ashore, forecast- nard and St. Tammany — all ers said. If the track holds, under tropical storm watchlower Plaquemines Parish es to varying degrees — could still see significant kept a close eye and waited. rainfall and wind. “We are closely monitor“From Friday through the ing the storm and staying weekend, the system is ex- weather aware as the syspected to produce rainfall tem continues to develop,” amounts of 3 to 7 inches, St. Bernard Parish governwith localized totals up to ment said in a statement. 10 inches, across the cen- “Current forecasts show

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light, Entergy can move forward with building seven new gas-ﬁred power plants, three battery storage systems and other infrastructure without being required to go through a bid process typically required to ensure the utility is choosing the lowest-cost option. Three of the power plants will be depreciated over 32 years, meaning customers could be on the hook for several billion dollars in costs if Meta leaves after the 20-year contract is up. Entergy argues the company would still need those power plants for the entire system because of plant retirements in the coming decades. Four of the ﬁve members of the

Isaias tracking farther east, but we could still see some rain and gusty winds in St. Bernard Parish.” President Donald Trump was scheduled to attend the Alabama-Georgia game on Saturday night in Tuscaloosa. When asked if he would still attend on Wednesday, Trump indicated he was unaware of the hurricane but wouldn’t want to take the

PSC have previously voted in support of Entergy’s plans for Meta’s data center, while Democratic Commissioner Davante Lewis has raised concerns about the plans and whether residents will be on the hook for costs at the end of the contract. Entergy’s plans to support Meta’s data center have already caused controversy in north Louisiana and beyond. The company is using expropriation laws to try to buy up properties around where it wants to build massive transmission lines, a move that has prompted backlash from landowners. Entergy and Public Service Commissioner Mike Francis held a town hall last week in Jena at which dozens of landowners complained about Entergy’s plans. Entergy’s proposed acquisition of a gas-ﬁred power plant in Texas called Cottonwood drew a rebuke in June from a consultant for the PSC, who analyzed the deal and found it would effectively mean residents foot the bill for some of Meta’s power needs. Meta and Entergy denied the consultant’s report. Plans for the Cottonwood plant are now on pause. May declined to offer an update on the status of the deal Tuesday. Meta and other tech companies have promised to pay for their own power needs, and Landry has sought to quell voter concerns through an executive order. The order makes it a requirement for companies to pay for their own power in order to gain access to a lucrative tax break Landry and state lawmakers approved for data centers. So far, data center developers here have claimed $39 million in sales tax rebates through the new program, according to data provided by the Louisiana Department of Revenue in response to a public records request. The number is expected to grow into the billions in the coming years.

focus away if emergency preparedness is necessary. “We’ll have to see. I hadn’t heard about a hurricane,” he said at a White House event. While late August is a cursed timeframe for south Louisiana when it comes to destructive hurricanes — Katrina, Laura and Ida hit then, to name a few — October is not without precedent. Hurricane Zeta, for

example, sped across southeast Louisiana after making landfall as a Category 3 on Oct. 28, 2020. This time, hopeful signs were accumulating, at least as far as Louisiana is concerned. “This is good news for us,” said nola.com meteorologist Damon Singleton. “The cone doesn’t even include southeast Louisiana anymore.”

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BLIGHT

Continued from page 1A On Wednesday, a demolition crew began tearing down the carport at the front of the hotel. Edwards said that while crews cannot demolish the whole property until environmental tests are completed, he wants them to start taking down small portions to “send a message.” The hotel consists of several buildings, which could take a few weeks to take down, Edwards said. “This is much more of a difficult problem than it appears,” East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore said. “Most citizens would say, ‘Just take a look at it, come and tear it down, let’s get the bulldozers to work.’ It’s much more difficult than that, going through ownership with different members that own pieces of the property.” Moore said he has been going to the property since 2022 to see the problems. He said his office has filed nuisance abatements — a legal process that intends to remove harmful activities that affect property use — against OYO Hotels in the area. Police Chief T.J. Morse said blight can create environments for crime to run rampant. He said since January 2024, the Baton Rouge Police Department has responded to more than 30 incidents at the site, including thefts, drug overdoses, sexual offenses, assaults and burglaries.

LANE

Continued from page 1A Monday. Six full-time employees in the labor and delivery unit were laid off, said Jon Hirsch, a spokesperson for Lane Regional. Four of them have already found other jobs, he said. About 350 babies are delivered annually in the Lane Regional labor and delivery unit, Hirsch said. “We recognize the importance of the Labor and Delivery unit to the families who have relied on Lane for generations,” CEO Frank Corcoran said. “At the same time, the volume of deliveries made it increasingly difﬁcult for Lane to sustain the service independently.

Police Chief T.J. Morse speaks during a news conference Wednesday at the OYO Hotel.

ary 2025. More than 200 buildings were demolished in 2025 and that number has gone up this year, Edwards said. At the same time, higher ﬁnes have been applied for property neglect. William Daniel, assistant chief administrative officer, said the city-parish will be assessing a $1,000 ﬁne per day for the condition of the Mead Road property. Daniel said it will cost well over $1 million to tear down the hotel.

Last month Edwards announced a list of 10 high-priority Baton Rouge properties that he is targeting to “eliminate blight and improve neighborhoods” and will begin knocking down soon. The OYO Hotel was at the top of that list, followed by the former Purina plant on Tecumseh Street and the high-rise hotel on Wooddale Boulevard. Edwards said that in the future, he would want to redevelop the blighted properties, but he said the buildings cannot stand as they are in their current condition. He hopes to get blighted properties torn down more quickly after they are abandoned. “If it was up to me, I would blow up every one of these damn properties today,” Edwards said. “We want to redevelop properties, but to me, these properties are in a condition where they’ve got to come down.”

have plagued hospitals around the country, especially those serving rural communities — more than 100 rural hospitals have closed in the past decade, according to the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform. Since 2008, at least 12 Mississippi hospitals have closed, putting pressure on some Louisiana hospitals. In July, Lane said it was seeking a partner that could help it hire more doctors, expand services and increase revenue long term. At the time, the hospital said it remained ﬁnancially stable. In August, Lane Regional laid off 14 employees, including doctors, medical staff and administration and said it would discontinue its allergy, asthma and immunology services due to low patient vol-

ume. The hospital attributed the cuts to high operating costs, declining reimbursement rates and rising labor costs. Hirsch said Lane remains in discussions with other healthcare organizations about potential strategic afﬁliations involving other areas of the hospital’s operations. More than 850 people work at Lane Regional, making it the largest employer in Zachary. In August 2025, the hospital expanded to serve more patients with a $90 million patient tower with 48 rooms. That bumped Lane up to 187 beds. The expansion also brought along new services like critical care and neurology to an area that local ofﬁcials say is medically vulnerable.

STAFF PHOTOS BY JAVIER GALLEGOS

Dozens of rooms are filled with trash and lack exterior walls at the blighted OYO Hotel on Mead Road. A few hours before Wednesday’s news conference to discuss the demolition, a fire broke out on the second floor of the OYO, Baton Rouge Fire Chief Michael Kimble said. Fire crews arrived at the hotel at 6:31 a.m., and smoke and flames were visible from an open area on the second floor, according to Billy Zachary, spokesperson for the Fire Department. After knocking down the fire from the ground,

crews made their way upstairs to extinguish remaining hot spots and evacuate the people living in the building. About 15 homeless people were living in the hotel. The fire is being investigated. The occupants of the hotel are being connected with mental health and addiction recovery services, Edwards said. This demolition is one part of Edwards’ continuing ﬁght against blight since he took ofﬁce in Janu-

This transition gives women access to delivery services through Woman’s while preserving prenatal care in Zachary.” Lane Regional and Woman’s are also discussing an arrangement under which Woman’s would assume ownership and operation of the outpatient OB-GYN clinic. The clinic would remain at its current location on Lane’s campus and continue providing women’s health, prenatal and postpartum care. “Woman’s mission is to improve the health of women and infants,” said Rene Ragas, president and CEO of Woman’s Hospital. “Each year, we proudly care for hundreds of women and families from Zachary and neighboring communities. We are honored to expand our support for the physicians and staff who serve

“The volume of deliveries made it increasingly difficult for Lane to sustain the service independently. This transition gives women access to delivery services through Woman’s while preserving prenatal care in Zachary.” FRANK CORCORAN, Lane Regional Medical Center CEO this community and, most importantly, to ensure patients continue to have access to care.” Lane Regional had denied rumors in recent weeks that the labor and delivery unit would close. The hospital has been under ﬁnancial strains. Financial issues

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1bN

Grants to boost La. school security

Program awards $5M for campus safety upgrades BY CHARLES LUSSIER Staff writer

Twenty-three schools in the Baton Rouge region are among 119 across Louisiana that recently received state grants of up to $50,000 to upgrade security on their campuses. The grants program, now in its fourth year, awards roughly $5 million each year to cover physical improvements to school buildings, such as new doors or fences, updat-

ing emergency plans and better training for staff. The latest awards, announced in mid-September, are drawn from a pool of nearly 600 applicants who applied in spring 2025. A total of 117 schools were initially given money in summer 2025 from that same pool of applicants. The grants are given out each year by the Louisiana Center for Safe Schools. The center, which opened in 2023, was created by

the state Legislature in the wake of the deadly shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, which killed 21 people and injured 17 more. The Baton Rouge region’s 23 awardees are the most in the state, followed by 20 in northeast Louisiana and 19 in the New Orleans area. “We’re trying to make sure it’s fair across the state,” said Robert Martin, the director of the center.

In the Baton Rouge region, Ascension, East Baton Rouge and Livingston parishes have ﬁve schools each that won awards, followed by four each in Iberville and Pointe Coupee parishes. The winners are a mix of traditional public, charter and private schools. Originally part of the Louisiana Governor’s Ofﬁce of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, this year the school safety center was transferred to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement. The price tag for the last batch of

119 school safety awards is $5.4 million. They average $45,488, ranging from as little as $7,500 to as much as $50,000. Martin said demand for the grants each year is much higher than available funding. He said the more improvements schools make now, the lower the potential for danger when security incidents arise later. “Our goal is to protect everyone as much as we can; we are looking forward to growing this program,”

ä See SECURITY, page 2B

ELECTION

BLOWN AWAY

Judge’s seat draws three Hopefuls tout backgrounds

BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

STAFF PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON

A BREC worker uses a leaf blower to clear leaves and other debris from the parking lot area of the Raising Cane’s Dog Park at City-Brooks Community Park in Baton Rouge on Thursday.

Grand jury indicts man on ﬁrst-degree murder Suspect accused of killing Ja’Derrius Minnieweather BY OLIVIA TEES and QUINN COFFMAN Staff writers

The man who allegedly killed 15-year-old Ja’Derrius Minnieweather and dumped his body in a trash bin was indicted on a firstdegree murder charge Wednesday afternoon. Maurice Parms, 51, was also indicted in an unrelated case, which included charges of second-degree rape, two counts of indecent behavior of a juvenile, trafficking a child for sexual purposes and computer-aided solicitation of a minor. Parms was arrested June 20 on a count of first-degree murder in Minnieweather’s death. The rape case involves a 16-year-old girl. Criminal defense attorney Thomas Damico will represent Parms. Minnieweather was last seen alive around 2 a.m. June 5 on

ä See GRAND JURY, page 2B

LSU women’s basketball event kicks off season Supporters meet team, buy coach’s outfits

ReAzalia Allen

BY JAN RISHER

rules for this particular team — communicate, condition and a reminder of the season’s theme, “Today matters.”

Allen says she was inspired to pursue law by the attorneys who coached her in mock trial while she was in high school. She attended LSU for both undergrad and law school, and was the ﬁrst Black woman elected as execu- Allen tive secretary of the LSU Law Student Bar Association. She started at the bankruptcy law ﬁrm Simon Fitzgerald before becoming a staff attorney at the 19th Judicial District Court in 2016. There, she worked under Judge Trudy White for six years, gaining experience assisting the judge with her mostly criminal docket, Allen said. When White transferred to handling civil matters, one program that Allen remained on was the reentry court, which helped inmates housed in state prison learn a trade like welding, automotive maintenance or HVAC work. As judge, Allen said she wants to create a program to assist inmates

ä See SEASON, page 2B

ä See JUDGE, page 2B

Staff writer

On Tuesday night, more than 600 people gathered on the floor of the Pete Maravich Assembly Center for an event called “The Premiere.” The event’s goal was to help the LSU women’s basketball team kick off the season, have supporters meet the team and raise money for name, image and likeness licensing. Coach Kim Mulkey said the event, which has been held just after the season ended in years past, was moved to the preseason to ensure all of the players are able to participate — with some players moving to the pros as soon as the season ends and others potentially entering the transfer portal. The evening included dinner, drinks, a silent auction and LSU-themed retail, including a booth called “Kim’s Closet” with an array of outﬁts and sweaters for sale straight from Mulkey’s closet. Most were LSU-themed Queen of Sparkles pieces. Mulkey spoke to the crowd,

Three Baton Rouge attorneys are running for the criminal judge seat that became open after former Judge Tiffany Foxworth-Roberts was removed from the bench. The seat is one of three active district judge races in a year when a large portion of current judges have aged off the bench. ReAzalia Allen, A.J. Sabine and Vernon Thomas are candidates for the Division M criminal docket seat, which is being held by temporary Judge Bonnie Jackson. The Louisiana Supreme Court removed Foxworth-Roberts from the bench in December for misconduct, ﬁnding she lied about her military service, an insurance claim and more. Election Day is Nov. 3, and a runoff would be held Dec. 12 if none of the candidates gets a majority of the vote. Division M is one of seven judicial sections elected from the ﬁrst judicial subdivision, which covers downtown, central and northern Baton Rouge, as well as a the northern section of the parish west of the Comite River.

PROVIDED PHOTO BY KRISTEN YOUNG

LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey kicks off ‘The Premiere’ at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Tuesday. Mulkey introduced her 11-woman roster to more than 600 supporters while raising money for name, image and likeness deals. saying that she has big expectations for this season. She shared her standing seven rules of excellence, starting with “play hard” and “be on time,” followed by her three

2B ■ Thursday, October 8, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

lll

Deputy arrested on count of third-degree rape She told the responding officer An East Baton Rouge Parish sheriff’s deputy, who is no lon- that she went with another person to a nightclub in the ger with the department, 2600 block of Plank Road was arrested Tuesday on before noon on Saturday a count of third-degree CRIME celebrate her cousin’s rape, Baton Rouge police BLOTTER to birthday, and met McDowrecords say. Rashie McDowell, 40, staff ell for the first time there. who had worked in the reports She showed investigaCorrections Division tors a series of text messince 2018, was terminatsages between herself and ed after the office learned of his McDowell that began Monday pending arrest, a Sheriff’s Office evening, after the birthday celespokesperson said. bration, according to the warrant The police investigation began for McDowell’s arrest. after a woman went to Woman’s At one point, the victim texted, Hospital on Monday and reported “Don’t get no bright ideas!” a sexual assault, the affidavit said. McDowell answered, “You took

care of me already.” The victim replied, “How so?” and texted again later, asking for an explanation that she never got from him, arrest records show. In interviews with police, McDowell admitted that he had seen the victim have several drinks throughout the birthday celebration, the afﬁdavit said. He also admitted to ofﬁcers that he had sexual intercourse with the woman inside a vehicle outside the nightclub, knowing she was intoxicated. The woman reported to police that she didn’t remember the sexual act and did not consent to

Moves targeting Sulphur JUDGE mayor withdrawn

Continued from page 1B

Council member seeks state investigation BY MEGAN WYATT

Staff writer

Sulphur City Council member Danny DiPetta is withdrawing two items on next week’s agenda that would have targeted Mayor Jacob Stutes, but DiPetta said he still plans to ask the state attorney general to investigate the administration’s hiring and firing practices. DiPetta said Wednesday, a day after the City Council agenda was published online, that he is pulling two items he was set to introduce. They included a formal statement of no confidence in Stutes’ administration and a resolution that would have reaffirmed the council’s commitment to “transparent, accountable, and lawful government.” DiPetta said the council is facing legal scrutiny but declined to elaborate in an interview Wednesday. “I’m not trying to be evasive,” DiPetta said. “I’m trying to be defensive.” He said, though, he plans to move forward with introducing another resolution to ask the Louisiana attorney general and other authorities to review and investigate the possible violations of law related to the city administration’s hiring and firing practices. The move comes amid escalating tensions among the mayor, the council and other city officials just three months after they took office. All six elected officials are new to their positions. Stutes issued a statement Wednesday defending his administration. “I understand that people in Sulphur are frustrated,” he wrote in a statement to The Advocate | The Times-Picayune. “They are watching city government become consumed by conflict, accusations and political theater when there are serious issues that need attention. But my focus is not on name-calling or personal attacks. My focus is on city business.”

His response came the day after the newspaper reported on the agenda and the council members’ responses to a digital billboard that depicted them as clowns and called them “little mayor wannabes.” The mayor said he did not authorize, purchase or coordinate the billboard and does not know who paid for it. Stutes said his administration has been working on infrastructure needs, water leaks, open work orders, staffing challenges, public records, financial accountability and “concerns that were formally reported to the proper authorities.” “Any lawful review of city government should be based on facts, records and the city charter, not rumors, social media pressure or personal grievances,” Stutes wrote. “I respect the role of the City Council, and I expect the council to respect the role of the mayor and the voters who chose this administration. The people of Sulphur elected me to move this city forward, and that remains my focus.” Multiple city employees have departed in recent weeks, including Sulphur Fire Chief Rusty Naquin, who cited turmoil at City Hall, and Stutes’ chief of staff, Alexis Nabours. Nabours has also been under scrutiny by some council members since her name appeared in a protective order that Stutes’ wife filed against him. Stutes’ wife, Teresa, recently filed for divorce and sought a protective order, alleging that the mayor choked and strangled her. Teresa Stutes also alleged in court filings that she had asked her husband to stop seeing Nabours. Nabours denied having a romantic relationship with the mayor and described a hostile work environment at City Hall in a Tuesday interview with The Advocate. A judge last week dismissed the emergency protective order. Stutes has not publicly addressed the court allegations in detail. The next City Council meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at 401 Arena Road, a larger venue than the council typically uses.

in starting their own businesses after release, which would sidestep the issue of employers being reluctant to hire those with a criminal record, and create more inmatefriendly businesses. “I feel that if people could channel their energy into doing something that they love … if they channel that and their gifts make room for them, then that is something that I feel could curtail recidivism,” she said. Since 2016, Allen has been in private practice under the moniker “Attorney SouthernBelle,” focusing on intellectual property. She also works as an assistant district attorney at the 19th Judicial District Family Court and as an adjunct law professor at Southern University. In 2021, she was named one of the American Bar Association’s “Top 40 Young Lawyers.”

A.J. Sabine Jr. Sabine said he became curious about practicing law after reporting on a murder trial in South Carolina while working as a broadcast journalist there. “It inspired me,” he said. “To me, there was a fascination there, a Sabine curiosity there, that I felt the only way to really slake that lust for information was to get into it, and the more I read, the more I researched the more I

SECURITY

Continued from page 1B he said. “We are trying to take proactive solutions as much as we can to protect the state.” Schools winning grants will be reimbursed for eligible costs. They have to complete projects within a set amount of time, usually about 12 months. In some cases, the grants are the sole source of money for the project, while in other cases, the school district pairs the grant with other money. The East Baton Rouge Parish school system, the state’s secondlargest traditional district, has two winning schools located in the parish: Belfair Montessori Magnet School and BR FLAIM — short for Baton Rouge Foreign Language Academic Immersion Magnet. Both schools are using the money to modernize entryways with new management systems for school

GRAND JURY

Continued from page 1B

PROVIDED PHOTO BY KRISTEN YOUNG

Anna Minaeva, a 17-year-old newcomer from Russia, stole the show at LSU women’s basketball ‘The Premiere’ event at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Tuesday. She charmed the crowd with her take on the wonders of attending tailgating and a sideline view of the most recent LSU football game.

SEASON

Continued from page 1B After her opening remarks, Mulkey introduced the team. The 11-woman roster took the stage and then answered questions. Anna Minaeva, a 17-year-old newcomer from Russia, stole the show. She charmed the crowd with her take on the wonders of attending tailgating and a sideline view of an LSU football game. Returning guard MiLaysia Fulwiley discussed her 3-on-3 play this summer with LSU teammate

Mikaylah Williams. They teamed up with South Carolina’s Joyce Edwards and Oklahoma’s Sahara Williams to win a gold medal for Team USA. ZaKiyah Johnson said not only does she plan to bring top-level basketball this season but she also plans to bring more style and perhaps a new hair color for every game. The evening ended with a live auction. A prized game-day parking space went for $10,000, and a ride down Victory Hill on the Mardi Gras Mike ﬂoat before the LSU-Texas football game topped out at $12,000.

Bradley Street in the Foster and Winbourne area, police said. He was reportedly killed June 5, and his body was subsequently dumped into the East Baton Rouge Parish Landfill in Zachary by a garbage truck, police said. After a nearly six-week search of the 400-acre landfill, his remains were found on Aug. 18 and tested positive through DNA evidence the following day. District Attorney Hillar Moore said he believes the indictment would have been possible even without Minnieweather’s remains being located, but could have potentially been more difficult. “It just verifies that in fact it happened, and it solidifies a bunch of the other facts that the investigators were able to determine, compared to when you have a death and there’s just no body ever found,” Moore said. “That takes out any kind of doubt that a juror may potentially have.” Recovering Minnieweather’s remains required the help of several other law enforcement agencies

it, the afﬁdavit said.

Department Violent Crimes Unit at (225) 389-4869 or Crime Stoppers at (225) 344-7867.

Police identify 19-year-old killed in shooting Police: Man killed in Police have identiﬁed the teenWednesday shooting ager who was dropped off at a

hospital Tuesday afternoon with multiple gunshot wounds. Julian Riley, 19, was taken into immediate emergency surgery upon arrival, but died at the hospital. Police have no suspect or motive at this time. Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact the Baton Rouge Police

A man was killed in a shooting Wednesday morning along Beechwood Drive near Byron Avenue, Baton Rouge police conﬁrm. Police received the call at 5:09 a.m. and the Coroner’s Office responded to the scene at 5:30 a.m. The man’s identity has not been released.

loved it. (Especially) the ability to help people when they’re at their worst.” Sabine later came to Baton Rouge, working briefly for WAFB, and covering the trial of serial killer Derrick Todd Lee. Sabine graduated from Southern University Law Center in 2013 and opened a private practice soon afterward. He has held his private practice open while also pursuing other roles, including working as a staff attorney under Judge Janice Clark beginning in 2016. He got his experience with criminal law after moving to work as staff attorney under Judge Will Jorden. “I think I have the most wellrounded background of any other candidate just simply because I have not always been a lawyer, and whatever experience I brought from my journalism career certainly lends itself well into being a lawyer, and of course, being a judge,” Sabine said. For the past four years, Sabine has worked as counsel for the Louisiana Department of Insurance. At a recent candidate panel he said it was a difficult decision to leave that more stable position behind in exchange for a chance at the judgeship. Sabine told the audience that it was worth it to “make a change in this community.” Thomas described his father, a neighborhood criminal defense attorney in New Orleans, as his first hero. His ability to practically help those who couldn’t afford it inspired a young Thomas to pursue the law. After following his father’s foot-

steps to Southern University Law Center, Thomas took up a role as a public defender in Baton Rouge for five years beginning in 2012. Thomas Thomas highlighted his varied experience as an attorney, not only opening a private criminal defense practice of his own and working as a staff attorney for two local judges, but also following up those years by joining the U.S. Army’s Judge Advocate General Corps, providing basic legal assistance to soldiers and assisting in prosecutions. On top of those professional experiences on all sides of the courtroom, Thomas said he has the unique experience of surviving a 2008 stabbing and seeing the judicial system from the point of view of a victim. “If I had to hang my hat on everything, I think it’s the fact that I’ve seen it from all different angles, so I can give a very objective understanding about where everyone is coming from,” Thomas said, describing it as a “360” perspective that most attorneys can’t attest to having. Like Allen, he has an intention to begin a new program to combat inmate recidivism, based on the idea of partnering with local labor unions to refer and vet released inmates for apprenticeships and employment. Thomas said he has this program largely worked out already, having received positive responses from the AFL-CIO, which also has endorsed him.

visitors as well as purchasing new communication equipment, signs and cameras. Last year, the parish school system had nine winners — four elementary, two middle and two high schools. They’ve used the money — $50,000 each — to make improvements to their security, including installing new alarms, doors, gates and fences. To qualify, applicants had to submit school maps, ﬂoor plans, site safety assessments, emergency plans and an inventory of the safety measures they were already using. The other three schools in East Baton Rouge Parish earning security grants are Baker High and Baton Rouge Ochsner Discovery, both charter schools, and Sacred Heart of Jesus School, a private school. Across Louisiana, 81 of the winning schools are traditional public schools, 25 are private schools and 13 are charter schools. Charter schools are public schools run privately via charters, or contracts. The ﬁve schools in Ascension Par-

ish receiving school safety grants this year are Ascension Christian Elementary, Ascension Christian High, Ascension Diocesan Regional, St. Amant High and East Ascension High. In Livingston Parish, the winning schools are Doyle High, French Settlement High, Live Oak Junior High, North Corbin Junior High and Springﬁeld Middle. In Iberville Parish, the schools receiving grants are Dorseyville Elementary, Iberville Elementary, North Iberville Elementary and Plaquemine High. In Pointe Coupee Parish, the winning schools are False River Academy, Rosenwald Elementary, Rougon Elementary and Upper Pointe Coupee Elementary. Applications will begin in the spring for the next set of school safety grants. Martin said his ofﬁce is developing standards over time for the kind of products and improvements it is willing to support. “We want to make sure we are not wasting funds,” he said.

including specialty teams from the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana National Guard. In talking to police, Parms admitted he had met Minnieweather at a residence on Bradley Street on June 4. Parms said they met only brieﬂy and he left soon after the encounter. However, police said security footage contradicted Parms’ account and showed him riding from the scene of the crime on a bicycle that is similar to one used by Minnieweather. Based on their investigation, police detectives believe Minnieweather was caught in a confrontation with Parms, where he was killed in the struggle, according to a warrant for Parms’ arrest. It is believed that Parms stashed the body, that he threw away evidence, came back to retrieve the evidence and possibly the victim’s body and transported them elsewhere in his truck. As police were investigating Minnieweather’s disappearance, detectives came into contact with a 16-year-old female friend of his. Using a search warrant for her phone, police found messages between the girl and Parms, as well as several Cash App payments from Parms to the girl. The teen told police she had

met up with Parms multiple times at his home and his white truck and black SUV. She told police Parms would take her to stores and buy things for her as well as send her payments through Cash App. An arrest warrant was issued for Parms on June 10 for counts of indecent behavior with juveniles and computer-aided solicitation of a minor. Moore said the grand jury poured over evidence all day Wednesday before reaching its conclusion. “This is our ﬁrst step in the prosecution of this case, and we look forward to getting justice for this family and the community,” he said. Parms’ arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 15.

Vernon Thomas

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Funerals Today Brown, Joseph

St. Anne’s Catholic Church, Sorrento at 11:00am.

Patin, Mary

St. Mary’s Catholic Church at Noon.

Vick, Wayne

Greenoaks Funeral Home, Baton Rouge at 2:00pm.

Obituaries Anderson, Edna Victoria 'Vicky'

Edna Victoria "Vicky" Anderson on was born on February 7,1941 and died peacefully in her home in Whitmar Acres on October 6, 2026. She was 85 years old and a lifelong resident of Hammond, Louisiana. Her parents were Victor Gordon Anderson and Edna Blanche White Anderson. Vicky was an unforgettable force to all who knew her. She was a graduate of Southeastern Laboratory High School and Southeastern Louisiana University where she earned a bachelor's degree in English and a master's degree Plus 30 in Special education. While in undergraduate school Vicky served as head cheerleader at Southeastern. She worked as a teacher in the Tangipahoa Parish public school system for 28 years. She loved spending time with her family at their camp in Manchac, dancing and water skiing. Legend has it that she taught half the population of Hammond how to ski. Formerly married to Gordon Wright Matheny, they had one daughter, Sabra Michelle. Vicky was forever the life of the party and was a third-generation faithful member of First Presbyterian Church of Hammond. She adored her nieces and nephews and participated joyfully in their endeavors. Vicky and her daughter Sabra shared an exceptionally loving bond throughout Vicky's life. Vicky was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Winnifred "Doots" Anderson Reno (Jack), her brother Victor Gordon Anderson, Jr., and his wife Eloise Goudeau Anderson. She is survived by her beloved daughter Sabra Matheney and Sabra's husband Dylan Turner whom she loved as a son, her brother Joseph Thomas "Tom" Anderson (Donna Gay Borden), and multiple generations of exceptional nieces and nephews. Sabra would like to thank Vicky's loving neighbor, Monika Somnerfield, caregiver Kitty Carter, the staff of Richard Murphy Hospice House, her caring physician Dr. Leonard Traenor, and the nurses and staff of Modern Hospice for their collective TLC of Vicky. Visitation with the family will take place at First Presbyterian Church of Hammond on Saturday October 10 from 9:00am until 11:00am with a brief service immediately following. The family requests that memorial donations be directed to Richard Murphy Hospice House or First Presbyterian Church of Hammond, Louisiana. Arrangements have been entrusted to Harry McKneely & Son Funeral Home and Crematory of Hammond and Ponchatoula.

Aucoin, Janice Turner

Janice Turner Aucoin passed away on August 28, 2026, surrounded by her family. Born on March 27, 1941, in Opp, Alabama, she was the daughter of Euel and Audrey Turner. She graduated from Andalusia High School and went on to earn a bachelor's degree in education from the University of Southern Mississippi in just three years, proudly playing in the "Pride of Mississippi Drum Line" along the way. After college, Janice moved to Port Neches, Texas, to begin her teaching career at Pease Elementary. It was

there that she met the love of her life, Waldon "Don" Aucoin. They married on December 28, 1963, beginning a beautiful life together filled with adventure and deep devotion that spanned more than six decades. Don's career with Texaco took the couple and their two daughters to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1980 and later to Aurora, Colorado, in 1986, where they remained until retirement. Through every move, Janice and Don made it a priority to return home to their families for holidays and school breaks, keeping family traditions alive and ensuring their home was always filled with love and laughter. In 1999, Janice and Don downsized, purchased the first of several motorhomes, and took to the open road. For more than a decade, they traveled across the country to attend Newmar rallies, explored remote placeslearning firsthand that you can put an RV on a ferryand shared the wonders of the country with their grandchildren. Being grandparents was one of the greatest joys of their lives, a role they cherished and spoke of with immense pride. In 2011, Janice and Don made their final move back to Baton Rouge, thrilled to be closer to family and to leave snow shovels and icy sidewalks behind for good. Janice's hands were rarely still, and she was happiest when serving others. She lovingly sewed Halloween costumes and matching dresses for her daughters, cross-stitched personalized Christmas stockings and birth announcements, and crocheted blankets for every new baby. A talented cake decorator, she ensured that no birthday was complete without one of her beautifully detailed creations, each made sweeter by the love baked into every recipe. Blessed with a natural green thumb, she loved her garden and her flowers and was always ready to share a special bloom with a friend. Janice served as historian for the Precious Moments Club for nearly a decade, sharing her love of creativity, collecting, and honoring life's milestones. She was also a passionate sports fan. In the '80s and '90s, she cheered for her daughters through countless soccer and softball tournaments, braving freezing rain, blistering heat, terrible sock-line tans, and even a foul ball to the face that left her with a black eye for weeks. Her ultimate sports devotion, however, belonged to the Colorado Rockies. A fiercely loyal fan, she religiously tuned in to every game, regardless of their record, cheering them on right up until her final days. Faith and fellowship were central to Janice's life. Baptized in the Baptist faith in 1949 and received into the Catholic Church in 2009, she found her church home at St. Joseph's Cathedral, where she was an active member of the Ladies of the Cathedral. She welcomed parishioners through the Coffee and Donut Committee, supported newcomers through the RCIA program, and volunteered every Monday to assist with collection counts while catching up with her friends. Janice poured her heart into church traditions—baking hundreds of Italian fig cookies and lamb-shaped cakes for St. Joseph's Day, helping with Grands Day, and contributing at least five cakes each year to the parish bake sale. Janice was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 62 years, Waldon "Don" Joseph Aucoin; her daughter, Malissa Anne Aucoin Gore; and her parents, Euel and Audrey Turner. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Melinda and Phillip Parker; eight grandchildren, Malissa "Missy" Gore, Sadie (Andrew) Williams, Joseph "Joey" Gore, Magen Gore, Lance Hightower, Kaitlyn Parker, Logan Parker, and Weston Parker; one greatgranddaughter, Lucy Williams; her sister, Malissa Turner; her brother, Euel Thomas Turner Jr. (Beth); and numerous nieces, nephews, and extended family members, all of whom she loved dearly. A celebration of Janice's life and love will be held on Saturday, October 10, 2026, at St. Joseph's Cathedral, 401 Main Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m., followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. An inurnment will follow at Resthaven Gardens of Memory, 11817 Jefferson Highway, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she will be laid to rest and forever by Don's side. Though Janice will be deeply missed, her legacy lives on through the family she treasured, the faith she shared, the di i h d d

traditions she created, and the countless lives she touched with her generosity, creativity, and love. Family and friends may sign the online guestbook or leave a personal note to the family at www.resthav enbatonrouge.com

Brignac, Paula

Paula Brignac, born in Baton Rouge and a cherished resident of Denham Springs, passed away on September 30, 2026, at the age of 68. Paula's life was filled with simple pleasures, most notably her love for reading and the cherished moments she shared with her beloved children and grandchildren. Her loving spirit touched everyone who knew her and will be profoundly missed. She is lovingly remembered by her husband of 46 years, Jeffrey Brignac; her children, Katie Ferriss (Thomas IV) and Kodi Brignac (Chelsea); and her grandchildren, Camille and Thomas Ferriss V, Joseph, Aubrey, Evie, and Andrew Brignac. Paula was preceded in death by her devoted parents, Hubert and Doris Fabre. Relatives and friends are invited to join the family on Friday, Oct 9th, 2026 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Denham Springs for a visitation from 10-11:00AM with mass following at 11:00AM. In lieu of flowers, our family asks that donations be made to Launch Pediatric Therapy Center in Denham Springs, Louisiana, in Paula's memory. Launch meant so much to her grandson, Joseph, and helped him thrive. Supporting her grandchildren was one of Paula's greatest joys, and honoring her by giving back to Launch is a beautiful reflection of her loving, generous spirit.

ed in death by her parents, Alice DesOrmeaux and Philip DesOrmeaux; as well as her dear aunt, Myrtle "Nancy" Hanks. Above all else, Mary Anne loved her family. She treasured every minute spent with them and found her greatest happiness simply being together. Whether she was cooking a meal, celebrating a special occasion, or just enjoying the company of those she loved, Mary Anne was happiest when surrounded by her family. Caring for them brought her tremendous joy, and her love for them was evident in everything she did. Mary Anne was a woman of deep faith and a devoted parishioner of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church. Her faith was an important part of her life, and she especially enjoyed participating in Bible studies and sharing fellowship with her faith-filled friends. Mary Anne never met a stranger. Her warmth, kindness, and genuine interest in others made people feel immediately welcome in her presence. She had a remarkable ability to make friends wherever she went and will be remembered by many for her generous spirit and joyful personality. A gifted jeweler, Mary Anne specialized in jewelry repair and design. Her creativity and artistic talent extended far beyond her work. She loved painting, refinishing furniture, decorating, and taking on anything that allowed her to use her gift of artistry. Her creativity could be seen throughout her home and in the many beautiful things she created with her own hands. Mary Anne lived a life centered on faith, family, friendship, and creativity. She loved deeply, created beautifully, and brought warmth to the lives of those around her. Her family and friends will miss her dearly and will forever carry with them the love, joy, and memories she gave so freely. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Funeral Mass at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, October 12, 2026, at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church. A Visitation will be held at Resthaven Funeral Home on Sunday, October 11, 2026, beginning at 12:30 p.m. until 2:30 p.m., with a rosary beginning at 2:00 p.m. Burial will follow Funeral Mass on Monday, October 12, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. at Woodlawn Cemetery in Crowley, LA. Family and f i d i h li

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Thursday, October 8, 2026 ■ 3B

friends may sign the online guestbook or leave a personal note to the family at www.resthavenbatonroug e.com.

Gentile Sr., Andrew Joseph 'A.J.'

Gentile, Madeline Janette Achee

Madeline Janette Achee Gentile, a native of Lacompte, Louisiana and resident of Lobell, Louisiana, passed away on September 24, 2026, at the age of 87. Just 4 days after her husband of 63 years passed away. Madeline is survived by her son, Andrew J. Gentile Jr. (Connie Fairchild); grandchildren, Frank Scott Gentile Jr. (Lauren Duncan), Andrew J. Gentile III, Samantha Gentile and Samuel J. Gentile; great-grandchildren, Draco, River and Kara Gentile; sisters, Lucille Achee Genusa, Sandra Achee LeBlanc and Linda Achee; brother, Frank Achee. Madeline was preceded in death by her husband, Andrew Joseph "A.J." Gentile Sr.; son, Frank Scott Gentile Jr.; parents, Louis August and Gladys Neal Achee; brothers, Louis and Larry Achee; brothers-inlaw, Biaggio Genusa and Jimmy LeBlanc; sister-inlaw, Juanita Achee. Visitation at Holy Family Catholic Church in Port Allen on Saturday, October 10th, from 9 a.m. until Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m., celebrated by Rev. Jerry Martin.

Andrew Joseph "A.J." Gentile Sr., a native and lifelong resident of Lobdell, Louisiana, passed away on Monday, September 21, 2026, at the age of 87. He was a proud Marine Veteran. Semper Fi. Andrew is survived by his wife of 63 years, Madeline Janette Achee Gentile; son, Andrew J. Gentile Jr. (Connie Fairchild); grandchildren, Frank Scott Gentile Jr. (Lauren Duncan), Andrew J. Gentile III, Samantha Gentile and Samuel J. Gentile; great-grandchildren, Draco, River and Kara Gentile; sister, Anita Gentile Bonfanti, Nettie Gentile Louis and Mary Grace Gentile. Andrew was preceded in death by his son, Frank Scott Gentile Sr.; parents, Sam and Mary Attuso Gentile; sister, Lillian Gentile Young; brothers-in-law, Charlie Young, Louis Bonfanti and Nick Louis. Visitation at Holy Family Catholic Church in Port Allen on Saturday, October 10th, from 9 a.m. until Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m., celebrated by Rev. Jerry Martin.

Guth, Paul S.

Dr. Paul S. Guth,died on October 1, 2026, in New Orleans of natural causes at the age of 95.B_orn on May 29, 1931, in New York.

See more DEATHS, page

Byrd, Henry M.

Louisiana needs in-depth, solutions-driven, public service journalism more than ever. Henry M. Byrd I, a re‐ tired educator and busi‐ nessman, was born on De‐ cember 14, 1935, and passed away on October 2, 2026. He is survived by his six daughters, Debra Byrd Elouise Byrd (Mason), Auzenne (Horace), Patricia Byrd Irving (Ronald), Jackie Byrd Brown, Nannetta Byrd Respone, and Andrea Byrd (Melvin); one stepdaugh‐ ter, Mckeyba Green; and one son, Henry Byrd II (Lisa). Services will be held at Hall Davis & Sons Fu‐ Services, 1160 neral Louisiana Ave., Port Allen, Saturday, October 10, 2026 at 10am. Visitation at 9am.

Champney, Mary Anne DesOrmeaux

Mary Anne DesOrmeaux Champney passed away on October 3, 2026, surrounded by the love of the family she cherished so deeply. Mary Anne is survived by her beloved husband, Steven Champney; her son, Steven Wilton "Will" Champney, Jr. and his wife, Maddie; her daughter, Mary Catherine Champney; her brother, Philip DesOrmeaux, II; and her sister, Olivia DesOrmeaux. She was preced-

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4B n Thursday, October 8, 2026 n theadvocate.com n The Advocate

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

OUR VIEWS

Legislature shouldn’t leave Southern in the dark Our state’s historically Black colleges and universities are a jewel in our higher education system, one that has managed to shine over the years even with fewer resources and a lack of attention from state leaders. However, at Southern University’s main campus in Baton Rouge, recent power outages have put that neglect front and center and, we hope, will spur legislators to ﬁnally give the school the funds it needs for long-overdue infrastructure upgrades. The problems began in the spring but appear to have become more frequent over the past month. On Sept. 1, campus operations were disrupted for the day when power went out at several buildings. Then days later, a blown transformer at the Clark Activity Center caused a campuswide power outage that disrupted the start of the semester. Classes were forced to go online and some students had to leave residence halls. Power was later restored, but last week, during Homecoming festivities, sporadic outages were again reported. These disruptions have affected students in myriad ways. Imagine trying to complete college assignments, study for midterms, meet with professors or even do daily chores in your dorm room without electricity. It goes without saying that keeping the lights on is one of the basics we owe students at our state’s public universities. And there is no scenario in which we could imagine students 20 minutes away at LSU being forced to endure similar conditions for as long. So what’s going on? Southern Chancellor John Pierre points to aging electrical infrastructure amid a recent campus expansion that put new strains on the grid. Southern has started making ﬁxes to transformers and switches and other vital parts, spending $1.7 million so far to address the issues. But it’s only a temporary solution. In the long term, the university will need $50 million in upgrades to accommodate its future needs, including for a 97,000-square-foot, $68 billion sciences complex set to be completed in January. Southern says it will go to the Louisiana Legislature in the spring for the infrastructure money, and we urge lawmakers not to hesitate to write the check. We recall last session, when the Southern University System requested $19 million for infrastructure, legislators kicked the can down the road, instead giving Southern $6.6 million in one-time money that went to other priorities. But now, here we are, down the road. And Southern students don’t have reliable electricity on campus. The disparities in funding for Southern, the nation’s only HBCU system, and the predominantly White LSU system have been thoroughly reported on. These infrastructure issues put the matter in stark relief. We know as an institution, Southern will keep on keeping on. It has served students across generations facing even greater challenges — but it deserves to know the state won’t leave it in the dark.

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

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

YOUR VIEWS

In-person doctor care vital for safe pill abortion

Fight cuts to SNAP program that aids hungry in Louisiana Millions of Americans are facing an impossible situation. They were receiving SNAP — Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — benefits because they qualified under strict government rules. And then that changed. Maybe they had to reapply and got tripped up by new paperwork requests. Or their child turned 14, so their work requirement altered. There are all kinds of reasons, but since July 2025, 5 million Americans have lost their SNAP benefits, 2 million of them children. And 82,000 of those kids are from Louisiana. SNAP is our nation’s most powerful anti-hunger program, helping over 635,000 Louisianans buy groceries amid today’s affordability crisis. Most stay on the program less than a year. Families are losing their benefits after Congress made sweeping cuts to SNAP last year. And it’s about to

get much worse as major structural changes go into effect, putting an unprecedented cost burden on states. Here in Louisiana, we’re facing a potential bill of more than $300 million to keep SNAP running come next October, and — like many families around the kitchen table — we’re going to have to make trade-offs from other essentials to pay that bill. Keep in mind, we’re living in the state with the highest poverty level in the nation, nearly double the national level. Any trade-off to pay any bill is going to come at a high, painful cost. Congress has an opportunity to reverse or delay the most harmful cuts to SNAP before the end of the year. Tell our leaders in Congress that folks in Louisiana are willing to ﬁght to keep this program in place to ensure that families and children won’t go hungry.

The newspaper ran a front-page story on Oct. 1 regarding Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill asking the U.S. Supreme Court to revoke abortion “shield laws” in California, New York and Massachusetts. This action by Louisiana and two other states would end the legal protection of practitioners in other states for prescribing and providing the abortion pills, mifepristone and misoprostol, to women in Louisiana seeking pregnancy termination. Regardless of one’s stance on abortion, the interstate provision of drugs by mail is fraught with problems. Interrupting the direct doctorpatient relationship can be serious. Life-threatening problems may arise with pill-induced terminations. It is estimated that 1 in 10 cases of pill-induced abortion will require further hospitalization or acute medical care for complications such as bleeding, retained fetal tissue and infection. Women with ectopic/tubal pregnancies may experience fatal internal hemorrhage. It was reported earlier this year that as many as 28 women have died after taking the “safe pill” combination since 2000. (Further analysis however, reveals that 10 of these deaths may have been from other causes.) Being under the care of a personal physician when treating pregnancy termination issues is far safer than treatment by a telemarketer. The same holds true for the treatment of cardiovascular disease, hypertension and infections such as pneumonia. Placing a stethoscope upon a patient’s chest is far superior to any treatment provided through the U.S. Postal Service. For this reason, we are against the out-of-state provision of any medications without oneon-one supervision by a healthcare provider.

RHONDA JACKSON director, No Kid Hungry Louisiana New Orleans

Now may be the time to contemplate judgment What if Jesus spoke the absolute truth when he explained: “Whatever you do to the least among you, that you do unto me”? And commanded: ”Forgive one another, as I have forgiven you?” What if the Prophet Muhammad shared his spiritual gifts when he said “Helping the needy brings a person closer to God” and, “He is not a believer who eats his ﬁll and lets his neighbor go hungry?” And, what if Buddha did possess the key to happiness then shared, “If you want to be happy, practice compassion?”

And, what if the 2.8 billion people who believe in reincarnation are actually right? What if we really do have to be born again and live the very same life we subject others to live? Would we question our judgments, such as our refusal to compensate those innocent and exonerated after suffering decades in Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola’s death row? I believe now may be the time to contemplate our actions and our fate.

CATHERINE ALTAZAN Port Allen

Kennedy should try being a good public servant TO SEND US A LETTER, SCAN HERE

Watching Sen. John Kennedy attempting to smear an exemplary public servant makes me wonder why Kennedy doesn’t try being an exemplary public servant. It has to be easier than contorting himself beyond recognition. Kennedy’s histrionics are an embarrassment to America. They only serve to outline the stark contrast between ethical behavior and — well, his behavior.

Kennedy should give up this insane effort to defend Trump’s actions and work to remove Trump from ofﬁce now. Dump all of Trump’s embarrassingly incompetent and malevolent minions. Kennedy should represent his constituents — real people, not corporations and dollars. Sen. Kennedy, be better. Do your job!

JOHN E. HEVRON JR., M.D. BENNIE NOBLES, M.D. THOMAS KENNEDY, M.D. New Orleans

PHILIP CHERRY Mandeville

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The Advocate n theadvocate.com n Thursday, October 8, 2026 n 5B

COMMENTARY Prosecutors keep persecuting exonerated man from Monroe

A mind-boggling, never-ending “murder” case in Monroe has reached a point where a long-standing idea again has relevance. Namely, it should be easier to penalize abusive prosecutors and investigators. Today, abusive law enforcement continues in the case of Jimmie “Chris” Duncan, released last November after 32 years imprisonment — 27 years on death row — for an alleged rape and murder that not only did he surely not commit, but that probably didn’t take place at all. Now, astonishingly, even after both a new trial judge and the Quin unanimous verdict of the Hillyer Louisiana State Supreme Court has found, after all these years, that Duncan is “factually innocent” of rape and murder, Ouachita Parish District Attorney Robert Tew has reopened the case. With Duncan finally a free man with a good job, Tew reportedly has threatened to exhume the body — after 33 years!! — of deceased toddler Haley Oliveaux. The mind reels at the sheer cruelty of persecuting Duncan, not to mention the cruelty to members of both sides of Oliveaux’s family, including her mother, who all say they firmly believe Duncan is innocent. Three earlier columns here have discussed this case, in which the 23-month-old daughter of Duncan’s then-girlfriend drowned in a partly filled bathtub while in Duncan’s care. Duncan says he was washing dishes in a nearby room for several minutes, only to return and find Haley dead. For years, Duncan’s defenders have noted that little Haley had suffered a series of seizures in the weeks before her death. Doctors specifically had told Haley’s mother, Allison Statham, not to leave her unattended in a bath because another seizure could cause drowning, but Statham said she never passed that message to Duncan. Famed investigative reporter Radley Balko — who has written about this case on and off for 19 years — has noted that a doctor back then also had diagnosed Haley with something called Stevens-Johnson syndrome, which can

PROVIDED PHOTO

Jimmie Duncan, second from left, with family and friends at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola.

lead to exactly the conditions on the girl’s posterior that prosecutors alleged were a sign of rape. Still, nothing else about her condition indicated rape or abuse of any sort, and there was no blood or other indicators of violence anywhere in or near the house and no cleaning agents that could have been used to wash away evidence. The main supposed physical evidence of a crime (other than negligence) came from “bite mark analysis,” which is now recognized as a pseudoscience. In little Haley’s case, the bite-mark pronouncements were made by two doctors who by now have been widely discredited, and whose testimonies in nine cases led to convictions since overturned by subsequent, hard-evidence ﬁndings. And that’s just part of the large set of ﬁndings that helped exonerate Duncan from Kafkaesque injustice. Anyway, after state Supreme Court justices this year wrote scathingly of the injustice perpetrated for years against Duncan, most decent people would want the wrongfully imprisoned man to keep building his new life in

freedom. But not Tew and his investigators. On Sept. 16, police showed up at the door of Statham, the mother, demanding a DNA sample. They want new samples from Duncan, too. They previously lost the old “rape kit” that was used in the case. And, according to both Statham and the lawyers pleading Duncan’s case, the prosecutors say they will exhume Haley’s corpse, if necessary. After a Sept. 30 court hearing on the matter, District Court Judge Jessica Williams gave each side until Oct. 16 to file briefs in favor or denying the demand for new DNA. This is insane. What, after 33 years, can DNA show now that wasn’t available in 1999? And why put the entire family of the deceased toddler through the added, gut-wrenching trauma of digging up the girl’s corpse? This is abusive. And it’s part of a major problem in the American justice system. Prosecutors, and sometimes investigators, possess vast powers with almost no consequences for misuse. For 18 years I’ve written about prosecutorial abuse and “overcriminalization,” one of the few subjects on whose problematic nature the conservative Heritage Foundation and the liberal American Civil Liberties Union long agreed. Examples are legion, including at least several in Louisiana. Even when malicious investigations or prosecutions don’t result in indictments, they can cost the target huge amounts of money, not to mention reputation, to defend against. In civil courts, lawyers can be heavily penalized for filing frivolous or “nuisance” cases. In criminal courts, it is extremely rare and difficult to punish rogue prosecutors. That must change. Exactly how to change it is unclear, but a group called Protect Ethical Prosecutors is trying. Chris Duncan’s case should be Example One of why PEP deserves to succeed. And Judge Williams should deny the prosecutors’ abusive fishing expedition. Email Quin Hillyer at quin.hillyer@ theadvocate.com.

Grim prognosis for the post-literate future Supposed menaces multiply rapidly not just unwilling; they are unable to as technologies — smartphones, articomprehend sophisticated, nuanced narratives. As deep reading becomes, ficial intelligence — mutate. But the Marriott says, a “rare, even esoteric most menacing development involves accomplishment,” our culture no exotic technology, so it is disbecomes unmoored “from regarded. its foundations in the written But not by James Marriott. word.” This British thinker warns us: Marriott thinks the “digital An artifact that enabled moderbombardment” from smartnity — skepticism, rationality, science, democracy — is now of George phones is “the major culprit” rapidly dwindling importance. in producing “a post-literate Will This artifact, which onlookers future that resembles the presaid “addicted” its early adoptliterate past: mystical, tribal and autocratic.” He might, however, be ers, was: the book. insufficiently pessimistic. So, read one. This one: Marriott’s Yes, “the moronic inferno of social slender “The New Dark Ages: The media” partly explains the “fading of Death of Reading and the Dawn of the the written word.” Post-Literate Society.” But perhaps a large and growing In the 18th century, suddenly many people began to read widely, especially majority is pathetically nostalgic for what was, until recently, normal: the books. Although it was not until late mental lassitude of pre-literate people in the next century that adult literacy who flinch from the imaginative and became nearly universal in North Atcreative act of immersive reading. lantic nations, in the previous century, Such reading is demanding. It is a kind reading spread far beyond the minusof work. It is, however, exhilarating becule sliver of society that could read, or afford, books. cause it is not passive. It is the opposite Print culture involved what Marriott of what screens offer their enervated, calls “the imaginative and participaglassy-eyed grazers. The invention of writing emancipated tory quality of reading.” This “astonishingly recent phenomenon,” he says, humanity from enslavement to memfostered the rising prestige of reason, ory. Societies without vibrant writing and the retreat of superstition. cultures are timid, hidebound, uncuriEngaging with the printed word in ous. “When we write our ideas down book form, Marriott writes, “changed we externalise part of our minds,” how people thought.” Long-form prose Marriott says. Written, ideas can be strengthened the mental muscles nec“analysed, challenged and improved.” Print culture, a still brief and perhaps essary for prolonged concentration on arguments and complexities: Readers, ending chapter in the human story, deMarriott says, began to question remocratized information, which hitherto ceived ideas: “Where does power come had been controlled by the powerful. from? How should we classify whales? Imagine how augmented their power will be when they do not need to bother How do we know the Bible is true?” rationing information to an uninterToday, numerous literature professors report that they formerly exested, nonreading public. “It is difficult,” Marriott writes, “to pected students to read a novel a week, but no longer assign such masterpieces appreciate how central reading was once to almost every aspect of life.” as George Eliot’s “Middlemarch” or When the novelist Victor Hugo died James Joyce’s “Ulysses.” Students are

in 1885, 2 million Parisians filled the streets. When the heroine of Samuel Richardson’s 1740 novel “Pamela” married, Marriott says, church bells rang across England. But Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), who flourished when reading did, nevertheless said, “People in general do not willingly read if they can have anything else to amuse them.” Today, Marriott says, amusement “has been blitzed by the food-blender forces of the algorithm to its most easily digestible form.” To gauge the leakage of complexity and nuance from our culture, compare the lyrics of Cole Porter with those of Justin Bieber. Or note, as the Economist has, that sentences in popular books have become shorter by almost a third since the 1930s. Marriott recalls that in the 1950s, Lionel Trilling’s collection of literary essays, “The Liberal Imagination,” sold more than 100,000 copies. Bestselling novels in the 1960s included Saul Bellow’s “Herzog” and Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s “The Leopard.” “On the page,” Marriott says, “invective quickly becomes tedious.” On screens, “intransigence and madness” proliferate. We are attempting “to run a democracy without a grown-up conversation.” We are learning this: Reason, tolerance and progress are contingent, not inherent, facets of humanity’s story. Is it possible, Marriott wonders, “to run the most advanced civilisation in the history of the planet with the intellectual apparatus of a pre-literate society”? He notes that, in proposing a grotesquely gargantuan Arc de Trump, “the first post-literate president reached instinctively for a visual style that defined autocratic politics before the age of mass literacy.”

Cutting off a parent doesn’t have to mean cruelty An in-law, age 95 and on her deathbed, was having some ﬁnal conversations. She brought up a memory of her own mother, who had lost a 2-year-old daughter to a childhood disease. When she misbehaved as a child, the elderly woman recalled, “My mother would say, ’I wish you had died instead of Alice.”’ She Froma then tried to reason that her Harrop mother, enduring a hard life on an Indiana farm, was probably just expressing grief. Possibly true, but the hurt haunted the surviving daughter until her last breath, nearly a century after the words were spoken. A trend has grown in recent years of children cutting off one or both allegedly toxic parents from all contact. My in-law had endured an extreme example of verbal abuse. But she grew up in a culture where family members were triple knotted together. Despite it all, a faded photograph of the cruel matriarch always hung in her parlor. Nowadays, Americans seem to place more value on individual happiness and self-esteem. Older children who cut contact with their parents will cite abuse, ranging from emotional to physical to sexual. Some remain incensed that their parents never apologized for past meanness or that they continue to bully, belittle and invade their privacy. The trend has ignited a countermovement of estranged parents who afﬁx blame on ex-spouses, therapists and the children themselves. A study at Ohio State University found that nearly 80% of the estranged mothers surveyed believed that an ex-husband or son- or daughter-in-law had turned a child against her. These complaints sometimes seem fair in the eyes of outside observers. Sometimes they do not. Same goes for the children who are ghosting a parent. A Connecticut mother named Laura Wellington has built a media empire upon her rage. Her Facebook group is called “Doormat Mom No More.” She does TikToks, wrote a book and was featured in People magazine. As Wellington tells the story, her daughter uninvited her to her wedding in Australia. Wellington then messaged the groom to say that she was taking back an earlier blessing of the marriage. (Adding a martyred touch, she also wished the couple well.) And she’s railed against her daughter as an “ungrateful little bastard.” Reading Wellington does not automatically elicit sympathy. Many such parents accuse their children of being “spoiled,” citing the enormous sums spent on their education, sports and cultural enrichment. However, some success-driven parents show little patience for offspring wired differently. They see children as extensions of themselves who must excel in all competitions. Interestingly, indulged children frequently resent their upbringing. Parents who shielded children from everyday challenges often raise adults unable to solve their own problems. When they do wrong, their parents cover up for them. True story: A man in his 30s living in his own apartment called his mom, three states away, when he needed an electrician. An electrician magically arrived at his door. “The safest way to make a child unhappy is to accustom him to get everything he wants,” French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau wrote 264 years ago. Austrian psychiatrist Alfred Adler expanded on that idea in the 20th century. He said that the “pampered child” is often resentful toward a mother who indulged him. The children tend not to connect their anger at being spoiled, but rather on what they saw as the parent’s insistence on invading their space or hovering, which may also be the case. Skilled therapists can help in reconciling the warring parties. To succeed, everyone’s ears must be open and overactive egos parked in the garage. In the end, this must be said: Parting ways with cruel people, parents included, can be a form of self-preservation. Froma Harrop is on X, @FromaHarrop. Email her at fharrop@gmail.com.

Email George Will at georgewill@washpost.com.

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6B ■ Thursday, October 8, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

TODAY

FRIDAY

Partly sunny and less humid

Mostly cloudy

HIGH

LOW

92° 68°

SATURDAY

HIGH

89° 68°

LOW

77° 60°

HIGH

LOW

88° 65°

Beaumont 92/69 Port Arthur 91/70

Baton Rouge 92/68

Lake Charles 92/68

New Orleans 86/75 Houma 86/72

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

Hattiesburg 89/65

Alexandria 94/64

Lafayette 91/67

10s

20s

30s

40s

50s

TUESDAY

Warm with plenty of sunshine

Very warm with clouds and sun

HIGH

LOW

HIGH

89° 67°

We continue to follow Isaias as it makes its way across the Gulf. It is expected to intensify further and make landfall on the Gulf coast well east of New Orleans late on Friday. Otherwise, expect a mostly sunny to partly cloudy, hot and breezy day. Temperatures this afternoon will rise to the upper 80s to low 90s. Winds are out of the northeast at 10 to 15 mph. There is no significant rain in the forecast today. There is a Storm Surge Watch, a Small Craft Advisory and a Tropical Storm Watch in effect.

LOW

91° 66°

TEMPERATURE Jackson 91/62

Many 94/60

MONDAY

YESTERDAY

TODAY

READING 40 MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

Baton Rouge through 5 p.m. Wednesday

Monroe 95/60

Longview 92/60

-0s

SUNDAY

Cloudy and not as Sunny and warmer warm

LOW

Shreveport 93/62

-10s

lll

60s

70s

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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

Atlanta Austin Boston Charlotte Chicago Dallas Denver Houston Las Vegas

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

90°/70° 84°/62° 91°/72° 94° in 2024 42° in 1935

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

9:00p 5:04a 3:27a 5:49a 11:09a 9:59a 12:17p

7:02 a.m. 6:42 p.m. 5:00 a.m. 5:30 p.m.

FIRST

OCT 18

85 91 73 85 71 88 84 93 98

TODAY Lo

66 64 53 61 51 66 56 67 75

FULL

pc pc pc s pc s s s s

NOV 1

80 91 69 77 70 90 85 91 97

FRI. Lo

62 62 50 59 59 65 55 67 74

FT.

LOW

0.00” 0.00” 1.04” 46.38” 48.92”

FT.

HIGH

0.6 5:05a 0.4 1.4 8:34a 1.3 2.1 7:43a 1.4 1.6 11:28a 1.0 1.1 6:12p 0.9 1.4 4:10p 1.1 1.3 7:14p 1.1

pc pc s pc pc s s t s

FT.

--3:09p 3:08p 5:33p 10:43p 9:53p 11:51p

LOW

FT.

----- --1.6 9:46p 1.1 2.2 8:03p 1.1 1.5 11:48p 0.9 0.9 --- --1.2 --- --1.2 --- ---

City

3:44a 4:25a 5:07a 5:53a 6:43a 7:36a 8:31a

TODAY

Los Angeles 93 Miami 89 Nashville 88 New York City 74 Philadelphia 78 Phoenix 103 St. Louis 83 San Francisco 77 Seattle 70

68 79 54 54 54 81 59 57 55

10:17p 10:58p 11:41p ---12:55p 1:48p 2:44p

s t s s s s s pc pc

86 91 88 70 74 104 89 71 63

4:06p 4:47p 5:30p 6:16p 7:07p 8:01p 8:57p

FRI. Lo

68 78 63 54 53 79 63 59 47

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

s t s s s s s pc sh

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

DEATHS continued from Paul was a man of deep intellect and steady purpose, and he devoted himself to learning, service, and the thoughtful pursuit of knowledge. He was guided by a sincere love of family, a respect for tradition, and a lifelong commitment to understanding the world around him. Paul earned his PhD from Hahnemann Medical School.His professional life included the study of the pharmacology of hearing for 40 years at Tulane Medical School, an area in which he applied his talents with focus and care. Those who knew him professionally remember not only his intelligence, but also his integrity and his calm, measured approach to every challenge. One of his proudest accomplishments is the founding with Skip Dempesy and Barbara M Phee of the charter school, New Orleans Math and Science High School. He was also a member of the Jewish faith, and his beliefs were an important part of the life he built. His values were reflected in the way he treated others, in the dignity with which he carried himself, and in the enduring importance he placed on learning. Outside of his professional and personal commitments, Paul found great joy in sailing. An avid sailor, he appreciated the discipline of the craft, and the peace that came from time spent at sea. Sailing offered him competition, adventure and reflection, and it remained one of the enduring pleasures of his life. Paul is survived by his four sons, Douglas, Gregory, Bradley, and Derek, who will remember him with love and gratitude. He also leaves behind his grandchildren, Nicholas Guth, Amanda Lucas, Leo Guth, Pablo Guth, and Jacob Guth and Mason Guth, each of whom carries forward a part of his legacy. His family will remember his wisdom, his humor, and the quiet encouragement he offered so generously throughout the years. Those who loved Paul will remember a man of remarkable steadiness and grace, one whose life was filled with accomplishment. He leaves behind a legacy of scholarship, scientific enquiry and warmth that will continue

to be felt by all who knew him. His memory will remain a source of comfort and inspiration, and his life stands as a testament to a long life well lived. A visitation will be held at 9:00 AM on 2026-10-09 at E.J. Fielding funeral home, 2260 W. 21st Ave.

LeBlanc, Lenora Truxillo

Lenora passed away at her home in Port Allen on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at the age of 96. She was a resident of Port Allen and retired WBR Parish school teacher. Visitation will be at Holy Family Catholic Church in Port Allen on Friday, October 9th, from 8:30 a.m. until eulogy at 10:20 a.m. with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. Entombment will follow in St. John the Baptist Catholic Church Mausoleum in Brusly. View and sign guestbook at www.wilbertservices.com.

Montero, Susan Landry

Susan Landry Montero passed away on Thursday, October 1, 2026, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. Susan was born December 22, 1946, to Rufus Joesph Landry, Sr. and Mariella "Beedy" Triche Landry. She attended Assumption High School, graduating in 1965. She was married to Samuel "Buddy" Montero, Jr. until his death in 2011. Susan loved to read and spend time outdoors. She enjoyed gardening, fishing, and spending time at her camp in Grand Isle. She loved being surrounded by her family. Susan was married to Buddy in 1968 and moved to North Carolina while he completed his enlistment in the United States Marine Corp. They then returned home to Assumption Parish where she lived for most of her adult life. Susan and Buddy raised three children: Cherie, Chuckie and Ryan. She was preceded in death by parents, Rufus and Beedy Landry, her in-laws, Samuel Montero, Sr. and Katherine LeBlanc Montero, her husband, Buddy, two brothers, Rufus "Doofy" Landry, Jr. and Kenneth "Nute" Landry, Sr., and brother-in-law, Rick Falgout. She is sur-

vived by children, Cherie (Donald) Albro, Chuckie Montero, Ryan (Michele) Montero, grandchildren, Alycia LeBlanc (Tripp), Grant Montero (Amy), Matthew Albro, Declan Albro and Samantha Montero, daughter-in-law, Jenny Montero, three great grandchildren, her siblings Michael Landry (Gwen), Philip Landry (Bernadette), Stephen Landry, Sr. (Carrie), Kathy Yelverton (Jim), and Mark Landry (Kayte), sister-in-law Kitty Lou Falgout, and many special nieces, nephews and cousins. The family would also like to thank the doctors, nurses, and other caregivers who helped Susan in her final years of life, including the staff at Thibodaux General Rehabilitation Hospital, Baton Rouge General Prairieville and Bluebonnet, and Sunrise of Baton Rouge, especially "her Laura." And finally, special thanks to her sister, Kathy, and her "little friend," Paydan St. Romain, who cared for her deeply up until her passing. There will be a private mass and burial at St. Anne Catholic Church in Napoleonville at a later date where she will be laid to rest in her family's tomb, reuniting her with her love, Buddy. In lieu of flowers, the family ask that donations be made to MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Waters, Thomas John 'Tom'

Dr. Thomas John "Tom" Waters passed away October 2, 2026, at age 82. Born in Alton, Illinois, Tom was a proud alumnus of Marquette High School. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi. An accomplished psychologist and educator, he served as Director of

GOOD

SOURCE: LOUISIANA DEQ AND AIRNOW.GOV

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

Today 9:55a Friday 10:36a Saturday 11:19a Sunday 12:28p Monday 12:31a Tuesday 1:24a Wednesday 2:19a

LAST

OCT 25

GOOD

PRECIPITATION

Psychological Services at East Louisiana State Hospital, as a school psychologist with East Baton Rouge Parish Schools, and taught at LSU, Southern University and Baton Rouge Community College. A devout Catholic and accomplished pianist, organist and singer, Tom had a lifelong passion for music, theater and performing. He loved history, learning and animals, especially his dogs, whom he encouraged to sing along! Outgoing and generous, he never met a stranger and loved entertaining family and friends. Above all, he cherished his beloved wife, Joyce, with whom he shared nearly 60 years of marriage, and his family. He was preceded in death by his wife, Joyce Elaine Bates Waters, and parents, Henry "Tom" Waters and Mary Jane Beiser Waters. He is survived by his only child, Wendy Wa-

FLOOD STAGE

34 48 48 35 27 22 17

WED. 24-HOUR STAGE CHANGE

2.30 25.40 27.60 12.90 7.80 6.21 5.10

-1.13 -0.76 -1.00 -0.10 +0.30 +0.33 +0.42

22.65

+4.11

-1.46

+0.14

18 29 8

-1.17 10.12 3.17

-0.16 -0.28 -0.09

13 15

2.67 0.89

-0.20 +0.22

47 34 29 20 12 6

10.94 7.37 5.87 5.26 4.20 2.60

-0.33 -0.50 +0.10 -0.45 none +0.03

data as of 7 a.m. Wednesday

ters Boyle (Jim), and grandson, James Boyle, of Baton Rouge; sister, Mary Wauneta Waters; brothers, Marc Waters (Decia) and Mike Waters (Julene); and nieces, Lauren and Molly, of Alton, Illinois. Visitation will be Friday, October 9, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. at St. George Catholic Church in Baton Rouge, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at noon and interment in the St. George Mausoleum. Those wishing to honor Tom's memory may donate to St. Vincent de Paul, Catholic Charities or a charity of their choice. Arrangements by Church Funeral Services & Crematory. Comments can be made at www.churchfu neralservices.com.

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How to place a Memorial Ad An “In Memory Of” ad, is a way to pay tribute to your loved one. This remembrance is often printed on the anniversary of a loved one’s death. The deadline is two days prior to the day you want your ad to appear. TO PLACE A MEMORIAL AD GO TO: obituaries.theadvocate.com, click submit an obituary and select create a memoriam.

SPORTS

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

Saints prepare for historically blitz-heavy Vikings

T h u r s d ay, O c T O b e r 8, 2026

1cN

L S U A T K E N T U C K Y • 6 P. M . S A T U R D A Y • E S P N

GREEN D O T T E RY

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

There is no secret about what is in store for Tyler Shough and the New Orleans Saints offense this Sunday: Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is going to have a creative pressure plan ready, and he’s going to use ä Vikings at it over and over again. Saints NOON “Everyone knows their theme as far as their ability SUNDAY, FOX to pressure the quarterback and blitz,” Saints coach Kellen Moore said. “They do an excellent job, better than anyone in this league.” This is Flores’ fourth season as the Vikings defensive play-caller, and his defense is on track to lead the NFL in blitz rate for the fourth consecutive season. But even for a blitz-heavy play-caller such as Flores, what he’s doing this year represents a new frontier. Through four weeks, the Vikings are blitzing on an astounding 67.9% of their defensive snaps. It is far and away the highest blitz percentage by any NFL team this

ä See SAINTS, page 4C

LSU linebacker TJ Dottery flexes after making a play against Louisiana Tech in the first quarter on Sept. 12 at Tiger Stadium. STAFF PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU shifts leadership duty to Ole Miss transfer after Weeks’ injury BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer TJ Dottery wore the green dot at Ole Miss last year. That meant Dottery was responsible for relaying defensive play calls from Pete Golding, the Ole Miss STAFF PHOTO BY PEARL SPURLOCK

LSU men’s basketball coach Will Wade speaks at a Rotary Club of Baton Rouge meeting on Wednesday at Drusilla Place Catering.

LSU coach Wade keeps faith in ‘unconventional’ roster build

defensive coordinator who was promoted to head coach in the postseason after Lane Kiffin left for LSU. Through a radio installed in his helmet, the linebacker acted as an extra coach on the field for the defense. “Pete is a great coach,” Kiffin said. “He has a lot of information in his system, so Pete is amazing at this. He (gave) so much information to TJ. At times, it was great because TJ could tell everybody else what to do.” But it wasn’t always great for TJ himself. With so much information being spouted at him, Kiffin said it was harder for Dottery to play fast and free. That’s why when Dottery left Ole Miss this offseason and reunited with Kiffin in Baton Rouge, LSU decided not to give him the green dot. ä See LSU, page 3C

Kentucky outcome will reveal much about ’26 LSU

Tigers likely to be shorthanded in exhibition BY TOYLOY BROWN III

Staff writer

Among the quips, laughter and applause, Will Wade addressed the topic everyone was itching to know more about. Who is on his LSU basketball team? The new coach, who previously led the program from 2017-22, expressed confidence his “unconventional” roster will be set for the season opener. “I believe that on November 3, we will roll out there with every player eligible that is within those guidelines, that’s within the SEC guidelines,” Wade said. “And I believe all the international kids, all the fifth-year kids, will be eligible.” Wade spoke to members and guests of the Rotary Club of Baton Rouge about his team during a 30-minute talk Wednesday, then answered a few questions for the audience without speaking to the media. With an official roster of just four players since June, LSU will play its first of three exhibitions at 6:30 p.m. Thursday against McNeese State at Townsley Law Arena in Lake Charles.

ä See WADE, page 6C

STAFF PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU coach Lane Kiffin waits for the offense to return to the sideline in the third quarter of a game against McNeese on Saturday at Tiger Stadium.

If Saturday’s LSU-Kentucky game at LSU. Never mind. Everyone loves an underdog. were decided by a popularity poll, “Upset” is perhaps the favorite the Tigers would lose. word in our national sports lexiIn a rout. You don’t have to be Knute con. This matchup fits that definiRockne to know why. To most coltion to a T. But it’s more than that. A nation lege football zealots outside of Louiwaits for — or more directly siana, LSU is the evil empire. prays for — LSU and Kiffin Led by Lane Kiffin, who is to fail. And this is certainly a Darth Vader in a white visor. pass/fail matchup. Kentucky is the plucky Both teams come in 4-1. little engine that could, led Kentucky is 2-1 in the Southby 37-year-old first-year coach Will Stein, who looks eastern Conference; LSU is Scott like he just stepped out of 1-1. The Tigers are more than Rabalais a touchdown favorite to go the prom and onto the sideto Lexington, Kentucky, and lines. In basketball terms, win for the first time since, the preferred language of Wildcats fans, UK is Hickory from believe it or not, the Bluegrass Mir“Hoosiers” and LSU is mighty acle in 2002. Thanks to the inexpliSouth Bend Central. cable former SEC football schedule If this was men’s basketball, LSU format, the Tigers are making only would be the bright little upstart their third trip to Lexington since that everyone would pull for against then (2007, 2021). the Kentucky monolith. ä See RABALAIS, page 3C Oh, that’s right. Will Wade is back

2C ■ Thursday, October 8, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

lll

IN BRIEF

BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS On TV

COLLEGE FOOTBALL 6 p.m. Missouri St. at W. Kentucky CBSSN 6 p.m. Sam Houston St. at Liberty ESPNU 6:30 p.m. South Florida at UTSA ESPN 6:30 p.m. S.Alabama at Arkansas St. ESPN2 WOMEN’S COLLEGE SOCCER 6 p.m. Virginia at Notre Dame ACCN 6 p.m. Alabama at Florida SECN 9:30 p.m. Illinois at Southern Cal BTN

MEN’S COLLEGE HOCKEY Niagara at Notre Dame NBCSN WOMEN’S COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL 5:30 p.m. Nebraska at Indiana BTN 7:30 p.m. Wisconsin at Illinois BTN GOLF 7 a.m. Open de España GOLF 2 p.m. Korn Ferry Championship GOLF 10 p.m. PGA: Baycurrent Classic GOLF 6 p.m.

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

HORSE RACING America’s Day at the Races FS2 MLB 7 p.m. Cleveland at Chicago White Sox TBS NBA PRESEASON 6:30 p.m. Washington at New York NBATV 9:30 p.m. Sacramento at L.A. Lakers ESPN2 NFL 7:15 p.m. Tampa Bay at Dallas PRIME TENNIS 11 p.m. Beijing Quarterfinals TENNIS noon

Bench gets Pels going in first exhibition The New Orleans Pelicans played their preseason opener Tuesday night, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-110 in a game played in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was the first Rod Walker glance of the Pelicans under new coach Jamahl Mosley, who was celebrating his 48th birthday. Here are ﬁve things we learned about the Pelicans during the exhibition game.

there is still plenty of work to be done on that end. The starters didn’t have much success slowing down OKC. That should probably be expected after just six practices. The Pelicans trailed 67-52 at halftime, and the Thunder torched the Pels on 3-pointers, knocking down 10 of its first 13 3-pointers and 13 of 21 in the first half (61.9%). Most of those were clean looks that defensive-minded teams don’t allow. The defense wasn’t pretty for the starting five. “A lot of it was the breakdown of individual defense,” Mosley said. “Now we’re having to force help. And now there’s rotations. And that’s why OKC shot the heck out of the ball for the entire game.”

Who’s starting? The starters Tuesday were Dejounte Murray, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy, Zion Williamson and Yves Missi. Mosley said at Saturday’s practice not to read too much into the lineups seen at practice or in these exhibition games. He reiterated that point during pregame Tuesday night. Despite those words, I’d expect the starting ﬁve Tuesday night to be the same one used when the Pelicans host the Indiana Pacers on Oct. 21 in the season opener. The starters didn’t play particularly well against an OKC squad that didn’t suit up any of its core players (two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Alex Caruso were among the ones who didn’t play for the Thunder). The OKC starting five consisted of Jared McCain, Bennett Stirtz, Ajay Mitchell, Aday Mara and former Pelican player Kenrich Williams. It would have been good to see the Pelicans starters handle business against that OKC unit, but they didn’t.

Zion from 3 One of the more interesting parts of practice has been watching how much time Zion Williamson has spent shooting 3-pointers. But would that translate to the games? Williamson attempted only four 3-pointers last season. It didn’t take long to get an answer. Williamson’s first 3-point attempt came at the 10:48 mark of the first quarter, but he missed it. His second attempt came in the first two minutes of the third quarter. He drained that one and ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY JOEY JOHNSON finished the night 1-for-2 shooting from long distance. New Orleans Pelicans guard Jordan Poole, center, shoots past Just seeing that he’s willing to Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell, left, during a game on take those shots is a plus.

Tuesday in Tulsa, Okla. Poole and his fellow reserves sparked the Pelicans to a 116-110 win in the exhibition.

the NBA. The unit of Jeremiah Fears, Jordan Poole, Bennedict Mathurin, Saddiq Bey and Derik Queen sparked an 18-0 run in the third quarter that helped the Pels climb back after they trailed by The bench squad as many as 24 points. One of the I probably should have listed highlights was Fears defending this one ﬁrst because the second and forcing a shot-clock violaunit ﬂipped the game. tion. The Pelicans have a chance to Every player on the bench had have one of the better benches in a positive plus/minus ratio. None

Free-throw woes

The Pelicans got to the freethrow line often, which is a good thing — until the misses started racking up. The Pels were 13 of 21 in the first half from the line and finished 34 of 47. Hitting more of these would make things much easier. Defensive struggles Next up: Thursday preseason One of the main reasons Mos- game at the Miami Heat. ley was hired was because he can help the Pelicans improve defen- Email Rod Walker at rwalker@ sively, but the first game showed theadvocate.com. of the starters did. Mathurin led the Pels with 13 points to go with five rebounds. Fears, Murphy and Williamson scored 12 each. Queen finished with 10 points and nine rebounds.

Collier faces a big choice about returning to Lynx BY DAVE CAMPBELL AP sportswriter

MINNEAPOLIS — Napheesa Collier had a particularly late start to her eighth season with the Minnesota Lynx, following surgery on both ankles that delayed her 2026 debut until just before the All-Star break. After an abruptly disappointing finish for the Lynx in the WNBA playoffs, the smoothshooting and defensively tough forward the team has tried to build a title contender around is uncertain to return. Collier will be one of the most prominent players in the league to enter free agency before the 2027 season, along with Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell and Las Vegas Collier Aces guard Jackie Young. Collier signed a oneyear contract with Minnesota following the new collective bargaining agreement that brought a surge of higher salaries to the sport’s biggest stars. “Whatever she decides, we’re both going to be OK,” head coach and president of basketball operations Cheryl Reeve said after the Lynx were swept in two games by the New York Liberty in the ﬁrst round of the playoffs. Collier was drafted with the sixth overall pick in 2019 out of Connecticut, two years after the Lynx won their last of four WNBA championships. “What ‘Phee’ has given this franchise, we’re super proud of. And we’re super proud of the work we’ve poured into her,” Reeve said. “If she lands on being

here, great. And if there’s something better for her, that’s life.” Collier, for her part, was not ready to dive into such a major decision during her exit interview session with reporters so soon after the last game. “I can tell you that I love it here. I love the organization. I love my team and everything like that, but I just haven’t had the time to give that any thought,” said Collier, who was limited to 16 games during the regular season and watched WNBA Rookie of the Year Olivia Miles carry the club in her absence. The five-time All-Star and 2024 Defensive Player of the Year award winner had plenty of adjustments to make once she rejoined the lineup, with a true point guard in Miles and veteran Courtney Williams moving to the shooting guard spot. After the Lynx lost Game 1 to the Liberty, Reeve said she thought Collier needed to be more assertive on offense, one of many shortcomings for them in the series. Collier is eager for a full offseason to work on her game without the rehabilitation process dominating her time. The 30-year-old expressed confidence that the Lynx with their current core are good enough to win a title, despite a second straight early exit from the playoffs as the No. 1 seed. But there’s a possibility they’ll take their next swing without her. “Of course I don’t want that to be my last game with ‘Phee,’ and she knows that, but I also want her to figure out what this next chapter looks like for her and make the best decision for her,” teammate Kayla McBride said. “I want that to be here of course, but I just want her to choose her.”

Rahm says he is through with any form of LIV Golf

Spanish star Jon Rahm won’t be part of the next version of LIV Golf, dealing a setback to the beleaguered circuit as it tries to emerge from bankruptcy and forge a new path without the ﬁnancial muscle of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. John Beck, the attorney Rahm hired for LIV’s bankruptcy proceedings, said during a Wednesday hearing in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of New Jersey that Rahm reviewed the proposed terms of LIV 2.0 and decided he would not be participating in 2027. Rahm, a Masters and U.S. Open champion and the last player to be No. 1 in the world before Scottie Scheffler, was among the biggest and most stunning acquisitions by LIV Golf at the end of 2023 when he was the reigning Masters champion.

Gauff cites ‘no energy’ in loss at China Open

Coco Gauff said she had “no energy” in her loss to Elise Mertens at the China Open on Wednesday. The 6-3, 6-3 defeat to a player Gauff had beaten in all ﬁve of their previous matchups came days after she had received what she described as an “insane” amount of racist comments on social media after a controversial point in the preceding round. Later Wednesday, the Wuhan Open announced that Gauff withdrew from the upcoming tournament. It quoted Gauff, the defending champion, as saying: “After a long year, my body needs some time to rest and recover.” Against the 19th-ranked Mertens, Gauff dropped her serve four times, committed 34 unforced errors and had eight double faults.

Eagles O-lineman Jurgens heads to Ravens for picks

The Philadelphia Eagles traded offensive lineman Cam Jurgens to the Baltimore Ravens on Wednesday for second- and ﬁfth-round draft picks. Philadelphia receives a ﬁfth-round selection in 2027 and a secondrounder in 2028. Baltimore also gets a seventh-rounder in 2027 in the deal. The 27-year-old Jurgens has played center and guard, and the Ravens can use help at both. Baltimore’s top three options at center are out with long-term injuries. The Ravens moved rookie guard Vega Ioane over to center, but now guard Andrew Vorhees is also injured. Minter said Jurgens has been going through concussion protocol and is expected to be ready next week. Jurgens was a Pro Bowler the past two seasons.

Ravens QB Jackson misses practice with injured ankle

AP PHOTO BY DANIEL VARNADO

Atlanta guard Jordin Canada, front, dribbles against New York guard Pauline Astier during Game 2 of the WNBA semifinals on Wednesday in Atlanta.

Lamar Jackson missed practice for the Baltimore Ravens on Wednesday, three days after injuring his ankle. Jackson also wasn’t available before practice when he usually talks. “There is a lot of time between now and Sunday,” coach Jesse Minter said. “To Lamar’s credit, he is getting a lot of treatment and doing things. There will be a point later in the week where we will ﬁgure out kind of where it is at.” Jackson’s ankle rolled under an opposing player near the end of the ﬁrst half Sunday, and he did not return. Baltimore plays at Atlanta on Sunday night. Tyler Huntley is Jackson’s backup. He led the Ravens to wins over Chicago and Green Bay last season.

Reese scores 23 as Dream beat Liberty in overtime Texans head coach Ryans BY ALAN COLE

Associated Press ATLANTA — Angel Reese scored 23 points, Naz Hillmon made the goahead layup with 20.8 seconds left in overtime and the Atlanta Dream beat the New York Liberty 101-98 on Wednesday night to take a 2-0 lead in the WNBA semifinals. Reese scored six of her team’s 13 points in overtime. She made two free throws with 4.3 seconds left after Sabrina Ionescu overthrew a pass as Atlanta moved within one win of its first WNBA Finals appearance since 2013. Jordin Canada also scored 23 points and had eight assists for the Dream, who won Game 1 92-82. Breanna Stewart scored 35 points for the Liberty, including 25 in the first half. She missed a desperation attempt on the final play.

New York hosts Game 3 on Friday. With the Liberty trailing 86-80 with under two minutes remaining in regulation, Ionescu cut the deficit in half with a deep 3-pointer. An Atlanta shot clock violation with 31 seconds remaining opened the door for the Liberty to get closer, and Stewart hit a quick layup in traffic to make it 86-85. After New York fouled to extend the game, Reese knocked down both free throws to give the Dream an 88-85 advantage with 14.5 seconds left. Marine Fauthoux knocked down the game-tying 3-pointer with 10.3 seconds to go, boiling the game down to one final Atlanta possession. Rhyne Howard’s midrange floater rimmed out just before the buzzer, sending the game to overtime. Reese scored six of Atlanta’s 13 overtime points.

to call defensive plays

Houston coach DeMeco Ryans is taking over defensive play-calling duties for the winless Texans. Ryans announced Wednesday that he’d take over calling plays from defensive coordinator Matt Burke as the 0-4 Texans prepare to visit the winless Titans. “I’m going to take over the playcalling for the defense, and I’m going to make sure that communication is right,” Ryans said. “If our guys are saying communication is not right, then ultimately it falls on me.” The Houston defense has taken a huge step back this season after leading the NFL in yards allowed (277.2) and ranking second in points given up (17.3) last season. This season the Texans are allowing 343.8 yards and 27.3 points a game.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Thursday, October 8, 2026 ■ 3C

lll

LSU

Continued from page 1C Star linebacker Whit Weeks held the role instead, but after he suffered a right leg injury against Texas A&M, Kiffin and defensive coordinator Blake Baker handed the green dot back to Dottery. This Saturday against Kentucky (6 p.m., ESPN) will be his second week back in the role. “It seemed to work fine,” Kiffin said. “We didn’t re-discuss it after the (McNeese State) game because it seemed like there was no problems with it.” Since reassuming the green dot role, Dottery doesn’t believe the responsibility has slowed him down on the field. Working with a group of players who understand their assignments has made his job easier. “There’s a little bit more communication,” Dottery said. “But it hasn’t been anything to slow me down.” Having a new voice in his ear hasn’t been a problem, either. “Blake, I think his knowledge for the game is awesome, and his knowledge for the position as well,” Dottery said. “Him actually (having played) (line)backer, it’s just been awesome.” What hasn’t helped Dottery and the defense is missing Weeks’ presence on the field. He had 23 total tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss before his third-quarter injury against the Aggies. Junior Davhon Keys, who also replaced Weeks last season while he was dealing with an ankle in-

jury, has ﬁlled in next to Dottery at linebacker. Dottery believes Keys and his backup, Tylen Singleton, have traits that can help mask what the defense is missing without Weeks, including what Weeks brought to the defense as the green dot. Keys was one of the leading tacklers in the Southeastern Conference a year ago and is a strong rotational player in his own right. Singleton had ﬁve tackles, including a tackle for loss, against McNeese. “I think his instincts of the game and knowledge of pre-recognition of formations and knowing what’s coming is awesome,” Dottery said about Keys. “And his communication (skills).” After facing an overmatched opponent last Saturday, Dottery and the LSU defense will face a stiffer test this weekend in Lexington against a familiar foe, former LSU and current Kentucky offensive coordinator Joe Sloan. Baker is familiar with how Sloan calls plays, having worked on the same staff under Brian Kelly for two seasons in Baton Rouge. How Dottery takes in his directions and gets his teammates on the same page may determine how effective Baker’s game plan is against his former colleague. “We talk about a standard,” Dottery said. “And no matter who’s in on defense, there’s a standard.” Email Koki Riley at koki.riley@theadvocate.com. For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

STAFF PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU linebacker TJ Dottery lines up for a play in the first half against Texas A&M on Sept. 26 at Tiger Stadium.

RABALAIS

Continued from page 1C A loss could deal a fatal blow to LSU’s hopes of returning to the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2019. Sure, LSU could still make it with two losses, but the Tigers would have to run the table after Lexington with four ranked teams — Mississippi State, Alabama, Texas and Tennessee — left to play. Maybe this is the year a 9-3 team finally breaks into the 12-team CFP field, but it’s not something any team should hang its helmet on. This game looks like a referendum on Kiffin and LSU. At least that’s the narrative. “This is the game where we decide whether LSU is up in the upper echelon of the conference, or whether they’re in the middle of the pack in the SEC,” The Athletic’s Ari Wasserman said this week. It’s a lock that the LSU-hating college football nation would relish seeing this Kentucky team beat Kiffin’s team, the man Paul Finebaum called a “con man.” I wouldn’t say Kiffin isn’t feeling the pressure. People can and do say many things about him, but they can’t say he’s anyone’s fool. He knew he would reap that whirlwind when he left Ole Miss last November on the eve of the CFP. The Tigers are a middling 29-23 in SEC play with only one SEC championship game appearance since Joe Burrow stubbed out his national championship victory cigar, but the expectation is still to win big every year. Kiffin gave an interesting quote at his Monday news conference illustrating his confidence in where he sees LSU going. “I feel great about the future,” he said. “I know what that is. We put together this team in that short amount of time without any background with them. I know what next year and the year after will look like. That has nothing to do with how this season is going. I just know it’s

a great combination of all these things coming together. That’s why we came here.” LSU and Kiffin should be judged on his total tenure instead of just this season. But he is who he is, and LSU has spent too much for big expectations not to exist ‚ even with key injuries to star players Whit Weeks, Trey’Dez Green and Dashawn Spears. Wasserman is correct, at least pertaining to this season. And this season, the Tigers are in a glut of seven SEC teams with one conference and overall loss, along with Ole Miss, Missouri, Tennessee, Florida, Mississippi State and Kentucky. Saturday’s Georgia-Alabama loser — assuming that game gets played with a hurricane bearing down on the Alabama coast this weekend — falls into that group as well. The LSU-Kentucky loser falls out of that group. The nine-game SEC meat grinder that Kiffin has harped on is quite real. At most there will be just two unbeaten teams left in the conference after this weekend — the GeorgiaBama survivor and Texas if it beats offensively challenged Oklahoma in Dallas. Looking at the CFP from way too far out, we can break down the field this way: The ACC gets one team in Miami. The Big 12 gets two, right now BYU and Texas Tech. A Group of Six team gets a bid, and that looks like Boise State. Notre Dame should get another. That leaves seven spots between the SEC and Big Ten. The top heavy Big Ten may just get three in, currently Ohio State, Indiana and let’s say Oregon. That leaves four for the SEC. Based on those numbers, you don’t want to be a team with a second loss on its ledger this early. That is the task before LSU. Upper echelon or waiting on next year? Contender or kingmaker? Fortunately for the Tigers, this one won’t be decided on a popular vote, but on the field. For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

STAFF PHOTO BY JAVIER GALLEGOS

Southern linebacker Herman Brister tackles Arkansas-Pine Bluff player Demetirc Whitlock on Saturday at A.W. Mumford Stadium.

Southern preparing starters for special assignments BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

Southern has multiple issues to resolve after losing two Southwestern Athletic Conference games by double digits. But coaches and players agree that the team’s most glaring issue lies on special teams. “What we put on film is that we can’t cover on kickoffs,” linebacker Herman Brister said. “So we gotta really hone in and get those hidden yardages back. We gotta be able to start at the 25 or before the 25 ... on defense.” The Jaguars can’t afford to be dominated in the battle for field position when they face Prairie View (2-4, 2-1 SWAC) at 2 p.m. Saturday in Prairie View, Texas. Southern coach Marshall Faulk revealed after his team’s 41-10 homecoming loss against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday that he’ll use defensive starters during kickoffs and punts. Last game, Southern had six kickoff returns for 79 yards while UAPB had three for 167 yards (55.7-yard average). Southern is 10th in the SWAC in net kickoff yards (33.8), 11th in net punting average (31.2) and the least efficient at extra-point attempts (12 of 17). The most PATs missed last year by a SWAC team was four by Florida A&M (24 of 28). While Faulk didn’t find fault with his kickers in the last game, he saw some players’ effort below his standard, especially on kickoffs. His solution is to remove those individuals and replace them with

ä Southern at Prairie View 3 P.M. SATURDAY, HBCUGOSPORTS

those who have the necessary urgency. “I don’t want to use the word, but I feel like we had some players — I can’t say everybody — some players kind of quit,” Faulk said after the game Saturday. “They tapped out a little bit, and that’s what it looked like today on the ﬁeld. And we don’t subscribe to that. Those people, they will not be here. They will not play here. We are not having that.” Early in the lead-up to the Prairie View game, Faulk has had live reps with starters on kickoffs and punts. While he said things are going well, he also admitted it can be difﬁcult to determine how well things will translate to games. “The thing about special teams — especially in the kickoff return department — until you’re playing someone else, it’s all practice,” he said. “You can go good-on-good offense and defense. But it’s hard to go good-on-good in the special teams department because you have groups of guys that’s going to be starting for you on various special teams. So it’s hard to get that look. But I feel like it’s a good decision.” Faulk isn’t bothered about an increased risk for injuries to starters who are joining special teams coordinator Cameron Rodgers’ group. “Sometimes you stand on the sideline, you can get injured as a coach,” Faulk said. “It’s football.

It’s a violent game. It is what it is. You know, injuries, they happen. I wish we didn’t have as many as we have right now.” Star defensive end Ckelby Givens missed last week after suffering a head injury that was not a “full-blown concussion.” Faulk said he might be able to play Saturday if he’s not too sensitive to light. Starting left tackle Trinidad Wilson, starting defensive end Jordyn Dickerson and backup defensive end Kai Brown were injured last week. Third-string running back Champ Davis is also expected to miss the rest of the month. Faulk expects his healthy players to take advantage of the opportunity, and one way to prove themselves is on special teams. Wide receiver Cam Jefferson said the renewed focus on that phase is noticeable as players were fatigued from practice. “Guys were tired, but at the end of the day, I mean, we got to have those guys that want to give all their effort on special teams,” he said. “Kickoff (on Tuesday), I don’t even know how many reps we did. I mean, guys were tired and everything, but we still going to the ground.” Brister, who is third on the team with 24 tackles, said he sees the improvement in practice. “I think we did a good job (Tuesday), as far as honing in on our mistakes that we made this weekend on special teams,” he said. “I think part of the problem this weekend was a lot of effort … so I think the coaches hounded on it pretty well.”

Longhorns, Sooners bring sputtering offenses to rivalry BY JIM VERTUNO AP sportswriter

AUSTIN, Texas — Top-ranked Texas and Oklahoma square off this week in their annual rivalry, bringing two elite defenses to the Cotton Bowl. They will need them. Offensively, the Longhorns (4-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) and Sooners (2-2, 0-1) have struggled and sputtered through long stretches behind units that were expected to deliver much more punch than the penalties, punts and blooperreel turnovers they have so far. “I see flashes of who we want to be,” said Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, who remains the play-caller in his sixth season with the program. “My biggest critique is the consistency.” Texas enters the game ranked No. 1 for the past month after beating previous No. 1 Ohio State on Sept. 12. But since then, quarterback Arch Manning has been wildly inconsistent, the offensive line has struggled to protect him and penalties have stalled drives. Oklahoma, meanwhile, is searching for anything from struggling quarterback John Mateer to jumpstart a unit that ranks No. 104 nationally and complement a defense that can hold out only so long. Put these teams on the field Saturday and a scene like Oklahoma’s classic 14-3 win in 2001, sealed with Teddy Lehman’s deflected pass interception in the final minutes, may be set for a replay. It might seem a stretch to critique an undefeated No. 1 with the best resume over the first month of the

AP PHOTO BY SARA DIGGINS

Texas quarterback Arch Manning runs the ball during the first half against Tennessee on Sept. 26 in Knoxville, Tenn.

season. But the Texas offense has been anything but the well-oiled machine that was expected from the sum of its expensive parts. Sarkisian used the offseason to load up on transfer playmakers he could sprinkle throughout the offense around Manning. He landed wide receiver Cam Coleman, and running backs Raleek Brown and Hollywood Smothers. And he bragged that the program upgraded at each position. Coleman leads the team in touchdown catches with four but had just one catch in the last game against Tennessee for 30 yards. Brown scored two touchdowns against Tennessee, and he and Smothers have

rushed for 394 total yards. Yet the Longhorns are averaging less than 4.0 yards per attempt and haven’t shown much of a breakaway threat since Smothers went for 45 yards on the ﬁrst play of the season. Manning led the electric 21-point, fourth-quarter comeback against Ohio State but completed just 50% of his passes a week later against Texas-San Antonio. Against Tennessee, Manning was twice penalized for attempting a pass beyond the line of scrimmage. He also was sacked six times, and Texas had eight offensive possessions of six plays or fewer in a game in which the Longhorns totaled just 262 yards. Manning certainly expects more from the offense. Oklahoma made the College Football Playoff last season and the hope was that another year with a healthy Mateer could get the Sooners offense up to par. The hype around him in preseason training camp teed up the expectations. Nothing has worked so far. The Sooners have topped 17 points just once and that came in the opener against UTEP. Mateer has six turnovers, including three on consecutive possessions in a 4113 loss at No. 2 Georgia. One was a fumble near the Bulldogs’ end zone that was returned for a touchdown. Oklahoma coach Brent Venables acknowledged that there were discussions about replacing Mateer at halftime. “The fact that I haven’t performed is disappointing,” Mateer said. “But I’m blessed to play ball today and to get better.”

4C ■ Thursday, October 8, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

Commanders QB Moore: Saints rest Daniels pledges to uninjured WR Olave ‘embrace the brace’ lll

BY MATTHEW PARAS, LUKE JOHNSON and RASHAD MILLIGAN

BY ANDREW GILLIS AP sportswriter

Staff writers

The New Orleans Saints gave Chris Olave a day off from practice Wednesday after he took a hard hit late in Monday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Olave was slow to get up after Falcons linebacker and former LSU standout Harold Perkins hit him with two minutes left, but coach Kellen Moore insisted Wednesday that Olave is not injured and was just rested. The Saints held only a walkthrough in the afternoon, opting for a lighter session in the wake Notebook of the night game. For that reason, Wednesday’s injury report was an estimation, but New Orleans was still down several notable players. In addition to Olave, running back Alvin Kamara (back), wide receiver Barion Brown (thigh), edge rusher Anfernee Jennings (knee) and linebacker Kaden Elliss (calf) all missed practice. Jennings and Elliss were previously injured. In good news for New Orleans, defensive end Carl Granderson (ankle) and tight end Noah Fant (abdomen) participated after missing the Falcons game. Moore was asked several times about Olave’s status, insisting that it was rest and not a knee injury. On Monday, the coach faced questions about the decision to leave Olave in the game given the Saints trailed 45-17. Moore said then that he thought about pulling his starters “a little bit,” but he appreciated his players’ willingness to keep competing. “Just trying to get ourselves an opportunity to just play some clean football at the end of the game,” Moore said when asked why he kept in the starters. Moore said Kamara told the training staff he was dealing with back soreness, which is different from the knee injury that knocked him out of Monday’s contest for a brief stretch.

Give him a hand Tyler Shough showed up on the injury report with a left hand injury, but the quarterback brushed the injury off as nothing to worry about. “I just got it banged up in the game, nothing different than anybody else is dealing with quite honestly,” Shough said. Shough was limited on the Saints’ Wednesday practice participation report. It is not clear when Shough suffered the injury to his non-throwing hand, but Moore said he anticipated Shough would practice

STAFF PHOTO BY BRETT DUKE

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave catches the ball against the Atlanta Falcons on Monday.

served as a core special-teamer in New Orleans. The Saints selected Styles in the fifth round of the 2026 draft out of Ohio State but placed him on injured reserve Sept. 1 with a calf injury. The rookie defensive back Practice window opens is expected to mostly work in on Two young Saints defenders special teams. who opened the season on injured reserve took part in their first Vikings sign OBJ regular-season practice with the Odell Beckham Jr., a New Orleans team Wednesday. native and LSU legend, signed New Orleans opened the 21-day with the Minnesota Vikings pracpractice window for linebacker tice squad on Wednesday. Jaylan Ford and defensive back LoBeckham’s first game could be renzo Styles. Those players are alan immediate homecoming, as lowed to practice with the team the Vikings face the New Orleans for the next three weeks without Saints at noon Sunday in the Caecounting against the roster, but if sars Superdome. the Saints choose to activate one Beckham played for Vikings or both of them, they will have head coach Kevin O’Connell and ofto make a corresponding roster fensive coordinator Wes Phillips move. when he was on the Los Angeles Ford enjoyed a strong training Rams in 2021. Beckham also joins camp, but he suffered an undis- an organization with fellow legclosed injury in the team’s pre- endary LSU receiver Justin Jefferson. The New York Giants cut Beckseason finale. In three preseason games, Ford recorded 14 tackles ham, 33, on Sept. 29 after he had and an interception. He’s also zero catches in three games.

without limitations later in the week. “It’s a shorter week, so I’m obviously sore today, but it’s not going to limit me really at all,” Shough said.

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C season — the Washington Commanders rank second at 44.5% — and is also the highest blitz percentage by a comfortable margin since Next Gen Stats began tracking these rates in 2018. Minnesota is responsible for four of the ﬁve highest blitz rates in single games this season. “(Flores) has always done a phenomenal job of attacking your pressure plans and stressing you and putting you in hot situations,” Moore said. “We’re going to have to deﬁnitely have a good plan for these guys and handle it accordingly. There’s going to have to be different types of ways in which you handle it. It can’t be just one way or they’re going to attack that.” The results speak for themselves. Minnesota leads the NFL in virtually every pressure metric — 16 sacks, 10.3% sack rate and 47.4% pressure rate, according to Next Gen Stats — and it has ridden its hyper aggressive defense to a 4-0 record. The traditional numbers also are impressive through four weeks. The Vikings rank top 10 in every major defensive category, including NFL-best performances on third down (22.6% conversion rate), in the red zone (18.2%) and overall defensive scoring (12.8 points per game). “They’re bringing it on all downs, and they do a good job of mixing it up. It makes it really hard for offenses to get a good feel for it,” Shough said. “And they’re extremely sound, all 11 players play as one.” Shough has navigated the blitz

STAFF PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD

Saints quarterback Tyler Shough looks to make a pass against the Atlanta Falcons during the ﬁrst half on Monday at the Caesars Superdome.

“We’re going to have to deﬁnitely have a good plan for these guys and handle it accordingly. There’s going to have to be different types of ways in which you handle it.” KELLEN MOORE, Saints coach

But through 15 starts, Shough never has faced a team that blitzed on more than 40% of his drop backs — something that will almost certainly change this week. “That’s their formula, and it’s obviously working for them,” Shough said. “We’ve got to be able to handle that and have a plan, and more importantly do our job and focus on that. Don’t ride the roller coaster that they may bring.” That may be easier said than done for a New Orleans team that has struggled to protect its prized young passer in recent weeks. The turning point in the Saints’ loss to the Las Vegas Raiders happened when the Raiders began to heat Shough up in the fourth quarter, generating most of their pressure in that final push when they forced turnovers on four straight possessions. The Atlanta Falcons kept it going all game, pressuring Shough on nearly half of his drop backs Monday (49%), most of which came with four-man pressures. Offensive tackles Asim Richards, who is ﬁlling in for the injured Kelvin Banks, and Taliese Fuaga have struggled. Both are allowing pressures on more than 12% of their pass sets, which puts each in the bottom 10 among their peers. “The game took a course where it became a little bit more of a drop-back game than we’d like,” Moore said. “Tyler, as a result, had to move around the pocket a number of times, faced a few more pressure opportunities than we would’ve liked.”

fairly well this season outside of a rough ﬁrst half in the season opener against Detroit. He’s completed 31 of 48 attempts against the blitz for 275 yards, ﬁve touchdowns and one interception, good for a 105.8 passer rating. He’s also taken seven sacks against the blitz despite posting an NFLquickest 2.42-second average Email Luke Johnson at time to throw. ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

ASHBURN, Va. — Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is back with a newly healed left elbow, a brace to accompany it and, perhaps, a new catchphrase. At his news conference Wednesday ahead of Washington’s matchup with the New York Giants, Daniels relayed his new mentality for this week’s game and potentially the remainder of the season. “I’m going to embrace the brace,” Daniels said. If he starts at home against the Giants (3-1), Daniels would be returning to the lineup three weeks after he dislocated his left elbow when he tried to brace himself on a fall against Dallas in Week 2. It was the second elbow dislocation for Daniels, who missed most of the second half of last season with the same injury. Daniels was listed as a full participant in Wednesday’s practice, indicating he is on track to start. He sported a brace on his left arm during practice that he’ll wear moving forward. The team has also been focused on ways in which Daniels can protect himself as he prepares for his expected return, coach Dan Quinn said before practice. “Think of it like a running back who clasps the ball,” Quinn said. “Rolling to the ground. I thought of him as that player, and that’s the way we explained it. Those are honestly just some practice drills that we’ll be doing today. It’s deﬁnitely something we talk about. We’re going to practice it, and this is him moving forward and how we’ll play.” While making sure he doesn’t put himself in precarious spots is paramount, the brace is meant to offer protection when Daniels needs it to prevent the recurring dislocation. “Just trying to get used to it, it’s kind of part of me now,” Daniels said

of the brace. “For the time being, as long as I’m on that field. Just getting used to it, trying to find the different ways where it’s most comfortable and I’m not really just thinking about it, I’m out there playing.” Daniels later added that he’s still trying to get used to the protection for his arm and find the ways in which it’s most comfortable for him to wear and play effectively with. He wore a different kind of brace last season after he first dislocated the elbow. Giants coach John Harbaugh says his team is preparing for Daniels to start, and players are well aware of the situation. “With the injury he has, we want him to run,” Giants edge rusher Abdul Carter said. “We kind of encourage it, just to see how he reacts. Is he going to play comfortably? Is he going to play normal?” Daniels has completed 56.9% of his passes this season and has thrown for 260 yards through a game and a half. He’s also rushed for 100 yards on 12 carries.

Mariota, McLaurin miss practice The Commanders (1-3) turned to Marcus Mariota in Daniels’ absence. But Mariota suffered an MCL injury in Washington’s loss to the Colts last Sunday in London and was replaced by rookie Athan Kaliakmanis. Mariota will not be placed on injured reserve, Quinn said, though he did not participate in Wednesday’s practice. No matter who is throwing the ball for Washington on Sunday, it’s unclear if receiver Terry McLaurin will return to potentially help out his usual starting quarterback. He popped up on the injury report late last week and missed the game against the Colts with a hamstring injury. McLaurin did not participate in practice on Wednesday. Receiver Stefon Diggs also sat out practice with a hamstring issue.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY ALASTAIR GRANT

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels looks to hand the ball off at practice in Hertfordshire, England, on Friday.

Bengals’ depth tested with WR Chase, Higgins injured BY CHARLIE GOLDSMITH

Associated Press

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Bengals wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins did not participate in practice on Wednesday, and coach Zac Taylor has labeled them each as “day to day” leading up to Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins. Chase is in the concussion protocol, and Higgins has an adductor injury. With No. 3 receiver Andrei Iosivas on injured reserve with a thumb injury and with No. 4 receiver Colbie Young battling a knee injury, the Bengals’ receiver depth is being significantly tested. Dohnte Meyers and Mitchell Tinsley are the Bengals’ top two healthy receivers at the moment. “I don’t have any concerns how we will put the plan together,” Taylor said. “We will make it work and emphasize the guys we think will be available.” Before this season, Meyers spent two years in the Canadian Football League. He had a terrific training camp this summer with the Bengals to make the team, and he opened the season as a depth receiver and primarily as a punt and kick returner. He made the most of the rare chances that he got, which set him up for when he had to step into a much more expanded role following the injuries to Chase and Higgins. “We all are familiar with the offense,” Meyers said. “Whatever play is called, we’re expected to execute. That was the mindset we had on that last drive. It’s unfortunate when you see one of your brothers go down, but it’s next man up. To have his back and fight for him, the best thing you can do is make plays for them.” Meyers made two significant

catches down the stretch on big plays in the fourth quarter last week in the Bengals’ loss to the Jaguars. His speed and understanding of the offense are both assets. “There has been little to no error in terms of assignment alignment,” offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said. “It feels like every time the ball has gone his way, I think with the exception of maybe one play in Pittsburgh, since he’s really shown up in January, whenever the heck it was, he has made plays. So it’s hard to keep a guy like that off the ﬁeld. And now we need him.” Tinsley spent the 2025 season as the Bengals’ No. 4 receiver behind Chase, Higgins and Iosivas. But then in training camp, Meyers beat out Tinsley for the ﬁnal spot in the wide receiver room. Tinsley signed with the Houston Texans’ practice squad. Then when Iosivas and Young were injured in late September, there was an open spot on the Bengals’ 53-man roster and Tinsley re-signed with the team. Along with Meyers, he closed out last week’s game as a starting receiver. “Mitch is here because he’s dependable for us, he’s a really hard worker, takes advantage of his opportunities,” Taylor said. “That’s what we all saw from Mitch. We had really difficult decisions to make with our receiver group at the end of training camp. And unfortunately, we just couldn’t keep enough receivers. But he is a guy we trusted to be on the team.” Young was limited on Wednesday with the knee injury that has kept him out, and his status for Sunday’s game is uncertain. If Young is out, the Bengals would need to further tap into their tight end depth and count on Mike Gesicki and Tanner Hudson to make plays in the passing game.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Thursday, October 8, 2026 ■ 5C

lll

MLB PLAYOFFS

HIGH SCHOOLS

Dodgers clinch NLDS

Several games moved to Thursday BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY COLIN HUBBARD

Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages hits a two-run single off a pitch by Atlanta Braves pitcher Robert Suarez during the seventh inning in Game 4 of their National League Division Series on Wednesday in Atlanta. The Dodgers won 4-1 to win the series 3-1.

Pages’ bases-loaded single in seventh lifts L.A. past Atlanta BY CHARLES ODUM AP sportswriter

ATLANTA — With one pivotal swing, Andy Pages sent the Los Angeles Dodgers into the National League Championship Series and transformed his postseason legacy. Pages drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single in the seventh inning to give Los Angeles the lead, and the Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 4-1 on Wednesday night to clinch their NL Division Series. The Dodgers won back-to-back games in Atlanta to take the bestof-ﬁve matchup 3-1 and advance to the NLCS as they seek to become the first National League team to win three straight World Series. Pages lined a full-count pitch from Robert Suarez up the middle to drive in Teoscar Hernández, who singled off starter Tyler Mahle, and pinch-runner Tommy Edman for a 3-1 lead. Di-

dier Fuentes walked pinch-hitter Josue De Paula and Kyle Tucker to load the bases. Edman ran for De Paula. It was an uplifting moment for Pages, who had two hits in the series-clinching win. A year ago, he went 4 for 51 (.078) in the postseason and lost his starting job in the outﬁeld as the Dodgers beat Toronto in the World Series. “I’ve been preparing myself all series for a moment like that, give myself an opportunity, get a good pitch to hit,” Pages said. “And luckily I was able to put a good swing on a pitch.” Max Muncy’s solo shot off Raisel Iglesias in the ninth padded the lead and gave the slugger 19 postseason homers with the Dodgers, extending his franchise record. Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow, making his first start since Sept. 24, allowed only one hit but walked ﬁve batters in 42⁄3

innings. After he issued two walks in the fifth, left-hander Alex Vesia ended the inning on Matt Olson’s groundout to second base. Mahle, a native of Newport Beach, California, who grew up a Dodgers fan, allowed two runs — one earned — in 61⁄3 innings. Michael Harris II hit Glasnow’s first pitch for a single before stealing second and eventually scoring from third on a wild pitch that bounced off catcher Will Smith’s chest protector. The Dodgers pulled even in the second with the help of two Atlanta errors. Shohei Ohtani walked, stole second and advanced to third on catcher Sean Murphy’s errant throw into center field. Muncy’s pop fly into shallow left field was dropped by shortstop Mauricio Dubón for another error, allowing Ohtani to score.

the Braves with 18 walks in the series, and none scored. Atlanta hitters ﬁnished 1 for 23 with runners in scoring position. “The Dodgers had something to do with that,” manager Walt Weiss said. “They’re going for their third straight world championship for a reason. Their arms just keep coming at you. “But that’s the postseason. You never know what you’re going to get. It’s very unpredictable.”

Injury report

Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas was held out after leaving Tuesday night’s 3-1 win during an at-bat in the eighth inning with lower back soreness. Roberts said Rojas would not be available off the bench. Ronald Acuña started in right ﬁeld for Atlanta one day after being moved to designated hitter in Hitting woes for Braves a late lineup change due to right The missed opportunity left knee soreness.

AP baseball writer CHICAGO — Jo Adell and José Ramírez powered Cleveland with a pair of two-out triples, and the Guardians avoided an AL Division Series sweep by cooling off the Chicago White Sox with a 9-3 victory in Game 3 on Wednesday. Adell’s three-run triple gave Cleveland a 4-1 lead in the third inning. Ramírez’s three-bagger drove in Travis Bazzana and Patrick Bailey for a 7-3 advantage in the eighth. “We continued to pile on,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “I think that’s been the difference of the first couple games to today was Game 2, we were able to get a couple runs but weren’t able to add on. But really good job by our guys today.” The Guardians hit two triples in a postseason game for the first time in franchise history. They became the first major league team to accomplish the feat since the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series against the New York Yankees. Adell, Ramírez, Bailey and Brayan Rocchio each had two of the team’s 11 hits — a complete turnaround for the AL Central champions after they managed just three runs and seven hits in the first two games of the series combined. Game 4 is Thursday in Chicago, with the White Sox leading 2-1 in

the best-of-five matchup. Once again, they’ll try to clinch a postseason series at home for the first time since the 1906 World Series against the Chicago Cubs. “Today has nothing to do with tomorrow. Nothing,” White Sox catcher Kyle Teel said. “We come ready to go like we always do tomorrow.” Chicago won its first four games in a surprising postseason appearance after going 60-102 last year. It was backed by a frenzied crowd of 40,590 for the franchise’s first home playoff game since 2021, but there wasn’t much for the fans to cheer in the final innings. The White Sox struck out 19 times and went 2 for 11 with runners in position. Their bullpen faltered after coming up big during their fast postseason start. “I think there was some stuff we could have played better, but they played good, too,” left-hander Hagen Smith said. “It’s a good team, and we’ll come back tomorrow and fight.” Chicago jumped in front on Teel’s RBI double off Daniel Espino with one out in the first. But then Espino fanned Chase Meidroth before Foster Griffin struck out Tristan Peters looking, stranding runners on second and third. Griffin set a franchise record for a reliever with seven strikeouts in 2 2⁄3 innings. The left-hander allowed one run and two hits in his first appearance since Sept. 23.

PREP REPORT Football Thursday’s games All games kick off at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. McKinley at Broadmoor Donaldsonville at Episcopal Dutchtown at Live Oak Catholic vs. Liberty at Olympia Stadium Baker vs. Helix Mentorship Academy at Belaire High Scotlandville vs. Madison Prep at Memorial Stadium Livonia at Beau Chene Lutcher at Berwick Port Allen at Collegiate Baton Rouge Northeast at Dunham Slaughter Community Charter at Springﬁeld Kentwood at Varnado Prairieville at East Ascension Ben Franklin at Central Private St. John at North Iberville Albany at Jewel Sumner Tara at Brusly Walker at St. Amant St. Charles at St. James

Friday’s games

East St. John at Denham Springs, 6 p.m. Istrouma at Belaire East Iberville at Ascension Christian White Castle vs. Southern Lab at A.W. Mumford Stadium, 5 p.m. Plaquemine at St. Michael West St. John vs. Ascension Catholic at Floyd Boutte Memorial Stadium West Feliciana at Parkview Baptist Zachary at Central Catholic-PC at East Feliciana Thrive Academy vs. Capitol at Memorial Stadium Woodlawn at St. Martinville North Vermillion at Glen Oaks University High at Kaplan

Volleyball Tuesday’s results Glen Oaks 3, Tara 0 (25-10, 25-15, 25-22) Central Private 3, North Iberville 25-11, 25-9, 25-8 Ascension Christian 3, St. John 0 (25-9, 25-9, 25-15) East Ascension 3, Brusly 0 (25-19, 25-22, 25-19) Livonia 3, Scotlandville 0 (26-24, 25-14, 25-20) Dunham 3, St. Michael 1 (25-23, 25-17, 16-25, 25-15) University 3, West Feliciana 0 (25-12, 25-17, 25-8)

Adell, Ramírez star as Guardians remain alive, beat White Sox BY JAY COHEN

Several Baton Rouge area high school football games have been rescheduled from Friday to Thursday because of the forecast of rain on Friday. Central Private will now host Ben Franklin at 7 p.m. Thursday. East Ascension’s home game against Prairieville has also been moved to Thursday. North Iberville and St. John will also play Thursday at North Iberville High School. Albany’s road game at Jewel Sumner will now be played Thursday night. St. Amant’s home game against Walker will now kick off on Thursday. Brusly’s home game against Tara will also be moved to Thursday. St. James’ home game against St. Charles has also been moved to Thursday. Kickoff times have been altered for two Friday night games. Southern Lab’s game against White Castle at A.W. Mumford Stadium is now set for a 5 p.m. kickoff. The Denham Springs-East St. John matchup is bumped up to a 6 p.m. kickoff.

Wednesday’s results

Madison Prep 3, Baker 0 (25-7, 25-11, 25-8) Prairieville 3, Woodlawn 0 (25-7, 25-10, 25-2) Slaughter Community Charter 3, Vidalia 0 (25-13, 25-6, 25-10) Central 3, West Feliciana 0 (26-24, 25-14, 25-13) Glen Oaks 3, East Iberville 0 (25-20, 25-13, 25-16) GEO Next Generation 3, McKinley 0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-10) Zachary 3, Denham Springs 1 (25-23, 19-25, 25-18, 25-18)

Thursday’s matches

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY NAM Y. HUH

Cleveland Guardians third baseman José Ramírez celebrates after scoring on a fielder’s choice by Chase DeLauter during the fifth inning in Game 3 of an American League Division Series against the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday in Chicago. The Guardians won 9-3. “Once we got the momentum going on our side, it was tough to stop it,” said Grifﬁn, who came over in a trade with Washington in August. Cleveland rallied in the third against Bryan Hudson, who entered after Sean Newcomb pitched two scoreless innings. Bazzana walked and scored on Steven Kwan’s one-out single to left. Facing Smith with two down and the bases loaded, Adell grounded a high fastball down the ﬁrst-base line for a 4-1 lead. Adell, acquired in an August trade with the Los Angeles Angels, also hit an RBI triple during Cleveland’s 4-3 loss in Game 2. He hit one triple during the regular season in each of the last two years. “It was huge,” Adell said. “Really just proud of how I kind of

cleaned that at-bat up.” Playing in his 48th postseason game — all with Cleveland — Ramírez manufactured an insurance run for the Guardians in the fifth. He doubled, stole third and scored on Chase DeLauter’s grounder to second, beating Teel’s tag with a headfirst slide. Ramírez’s savvy baserunning gave the Guardians a 5-2 lead. The seven-time All-Star went 0 for 6 with two walks in the first two games of the series. The 34-year-old Ramírez also made a diving stop on Miguel Vargas’ bases-loaded smash in the sixth, preserving Cleveland’s 5-3 advantage. “I felt it was a significant shift in momentum in the game when we were able to make that play,” Ramírez said through a translator. “I felt like this is going to be our game.”

Northeast at Catholic-PC, 5 p.m. Slaughter Charter at North Iberville, 5 p.m. Capitol at Southern Lab, 5 p.m. Thrive Academy at St. John, 5 p.m. East St. John at Tara, 5 p.m. LSD at White Castle, 5 p.m. Prairieville at St. Michael, 5:30 p.m. GEO Next Generation at Livonia, 6 p.m. Madison Prep at Scotlandville, 6 p.m. Brusly at Central, 6 p.m. False River at Central Private, 6 p.m. Collegiate BR at East Iberville, 6 p.m. Ascension Christian at Family Christian, 6 p.m. Belaire at Istrouma, 6 p.m. Plaquemine at McKinley, 6 p.m. Liberty at West Feliciana, 6 p.m. University at Woodlawn, 6 p.m.

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SCOREBOARD Odds

Rushers

NFL

Walker, KC Cook, Buf Henry, Bal Taylor, Ind Warren, Pit Tuten, Jac Jeanty, Las Hampton, LAC Pollard, Ten C.Brown, Cin Receivers

Thursday

FAVORITE at DALLAS

Sunday

OPEN TODAY O/U 3½ 8½ (47½)

UNDERDOG Tampa Bay

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG at JACKSONVILLE 1½ 7½ (42½) Philadelphia Houston 3½ 7½ (37½) at TENNESSEE at NEW ENGLAND 8½ 3½ (45) Las Vegas at NY JETS 2½ 1½ (40½) Cleveland at WASHINGTON 2½ 3½ (43½) NY Giants Chicago 3 2½ (45½) at GREEN BAY Minnesota 1½ 1½ (42½) at N.O. at PITTSBURGH 2½ 2½ (44½) Indianapolis Cincinnati 5½ 6½ (42½) at MIAMI Denver 2½ 3½ (42½) at CHARGERS Detroit 8½ 5½ (54½) at ARIZONA at SEATTLE 3½ 3 (46½) San Fran. at ATLANTA 4½ 3½ (43½) Baltimore

Monday

FAVORITE at L.A. RAMS

OPEN TODAY O/U 3 3 (54½)

College football

UNDERDOG Buffalo

Thursday

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG at LIBERTY 13½ 13½ (52½) Sam Hou. at W. KENTUCKY 2½ 2½ (56½) Missouri St. at ARKANSAS ST. 1½ 1½ (60½) S. Alabama at UTSA 6½ 7 (50½) S. Florida

Friday

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U at LOUISVILLE 7½ 3½ (59½) at SAN JOSE ST. 6 6 (43½) at WASHINGTON 1½ 3½ (41½) at UTAH ST. 1½ 5½ (44½) at BYU 14½ 10½ (46½)

Saturday

UNDERDOG Florida St. Wyoming Iowa Wash. St. Iowa St.

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG at BO. GREEN 6½ 7½ (44½) Sacra. St. Arizona 3½ 3 (61½) at WEST VA. Indiana 8½ 7½ (49½) at NEBRASKA Wake Forest 2½ 3½ (59½) at NC ST. at OKLA. ST. 9½ 10½ (53½) UCF at PITTSBURGH 4½ 3½ (47½) N. Carolina at ARMY 6½ 3½ (48½) Tulane at MISSOURI 1½ 3½ (48½) Texas A&M at N’WESTERN 34½ 36½ (52½) Ball St. at FLORIDA 14½ 12½ (60½) S. Carolina at APP. ST. 5½ 9½ (49½) Old Dominion Miami (OH) 2½ 2½ (47½) at UMASS Ole Miss 10½ 8½ (56½) at VANDY E. Michigan 5½ 6½ (52½) at AKRON Virginia Tech 11½ 9½ (53½) at CAL at KANSAS ST. 1½ 2½ (55½) Houston Illinois 2½ 2½ (48½) at MICH. ST. at W. MICHIGAN 13½ 13½ (43½) Kent St. at TOLEDO 17½ 21 (54½) Buffalo Duke 5½ 6½ (44½) at GA. TECH Texas 6½ 7½ (39½) at OKLA. at NOTRE DAME 35½ 38 (54½) Stanford at NORTH TEXAS 24½ 28½ (57½) Charlotte at NAVY 3½ 2½ (48½) Tulsa at OREGON 12½ 11½ (58½) UCLA at OHIO 3½ 3 (46½) C. Michigan at TEMPLE 3 3½ (54½) UConn at E. CAROLINA 9½ 10 (47½) Rice at OHIO ST. 37½ 34½ (56½) Maryland Tennessee 14½ 13½ (51½) at ARKANSAS at OREGON ST. 14½ 14½ (53½) San Diego St. at MARSHALL 2½ 3 (58½) C. Carolina Nevada 9½ 9½ (49½) at UTEP LSU 10½ 8½ (51½) at KENTUCKY at MEMPHIS 16½ 14 (53½) UAB North Dakota St. 1½ 3½ (48½) at UNLV Air Force 12½ 7½ (46½) at N. ILLINOIS at LA. TECH 1½ 3 (47½) UL at VIRGINIA 6½ 9½ (50½) Syracuse at PENN ST. PK 1½ (54½) USC James Madison 10 7½ (51½) at GA. SO. at ALABAMA 2½ 1½ (51½) Georgia Minnesota 5½ 2½ (50½) at PURDUE at UTAH 13½ 15½ (51½) Kansas Boise St. 10½ 6½ (48½)at FRESNO ST. at ARIZONA ST. 17½ 20½ (50½) Hawaii

College football Scores, schedule

Tuesday’s score Troy 55, Southern Miss 34 Wednesday’s games Jacksonville St. 27, Kennesaw St. 26 New Mexico St. (2-3) at FIU (2-2), n Thursday’s games Sam Houston St. (1-3) at Liberty (4-1), 6 p.m. Missouri St. (1-3) at W. Kentucky (1-4), 6 p.m. South Florida (4-1) at UTSA (4-1), 6:30 p.m. South Alabama (3-2) at Arkansas St. (2-3), 6:30 p.m. Friday’s games Columbia (2-1) at Marist (3-2), 6 p.m. Florida St. (3-2) at Louisville (2-3), 6 p.m. Wyoming (2-3) at San Jose St. (3-2), 8 p.m. Iowa (4-1) at Washington (3-2), 8 p.m. Washington St. (1-4) at Utah St. (1-4), 8 p.m. Iowa St. (3-2) at BYU (4-0), 9:15 p.m.

State schedule

Saturday’s games Tulane (2-2) at Army (2-2), 11 a.m. UL (4-1) at Louisiana Tech (2-2), 6:30 p.m. Southern (2-4) at Prairie View (2-4), 2 p.m. Southeastern (3-2) at UTRGV (2-3), 7 p.m. Open dates: Nicholls State, McNeese State, Northwestern State, UL-Monoe

Pro football NFL glance AFC East

Buffalo New England N.Y. Jets Miami South Jacksonville Indianapolis Tennessee Houston North Cleveland Baltimore Pittsburgh Cincinnati West Kansas City Las Vegas Denver L.A. Chargers

NFC East

N.Y. Giants Philadelphia Dallas Washington South Carolina Atlanta New Orleans Tampa Bay North Minnesota Chicago Detroit Green Bay West San Francisco Seattle L.A. Rams Arizona

W 3 2 1 0

L 1 2 3 4

T 0 0 0 0

Pct PF PA .750 127 107 .500 65 77 .250 76 84 .000 46 101

W 3 2 0 0

L 1 2 4 4

T 0 0 0 0

Pct PF PA .750 104 53 .500 102 104 .000 55 83 .000 84 109

W 3 3 2 2

L 1 1 2 2

T 0 0 0 0

Pct PF .750 81 .750 116 .500 77 .500 97

W 4 3 2 0

L 0 1 2 4

T Pct PF PA 0 1.000 118 77 0 .750 115 84 0 .500 74 94 0 .000 67 106

W 3 2 2 1

L 1 2 2 3

T 0 0 0 0

Pct PF PA .750 82 79 .500 75 93 .500 122 112 .250 88 122

W 2 2 1 0

L 2 2 3 4

T 0 0 0 0

Pct PF PA .500 121 109 .500 96 92 .250 105 128 .000 76 96

W 4 3 2 2

L 0 1 2 2

T Pct PF PA 0 1.000 86 51 0 .750 112 65 0 .500 119 127 0 .500 73 105

W 4 3 2 1

L 0 1 2 3

T Pct PF PA 0 1.000 122 64 0 .750 105 73 0 .500 85 83 0 .250 87 117

Thursday’s game

PA 95 96 87 85

Sunday’s games

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

Monday’s game

Buffalo at L.A. Rams, 7:15 p.m.

AFC leaders Burrow, Cin Stroud, Hou Allen, Buf Mahomes, KC Cousins, Las Rodgers, Pit L.Jackson, Bal G.Smith, NYJ D.Watson, Cle Maye, NE

Att 157 151 119 128 144 153 96 117 115 117

Com 112 93 79 82 93 88 68 85 80 73

Benson, Las Wetjen, Pit Wester, Bal Dortch, Buf Noel, Hou M.Jones, NE Dike, Ten Remigio, KC Williams, NYJ Meyers, Cin Kickoff Returners Laube, Las McGowan, Ind R.Sanders, Cle Harvey, Den C.Moore, Bal Wright, Mia Abdullah, Jac Scoring Touchdowns Allen, Buf Henry, Bal Taylor, Ind Walker, KC 8 tied Kicking

No 25 18 13 15 24 22 16 15 16 11 17

Yds 401 352 284 270 270 268 246 233 228 219 219

Avg LG TD 16.0 29 1 19.6 54t 2 21.8 60 2 18.0 40 1 11.3 32 2 12.2 33 0 15.4 59 2 15.5 42 1 14.3 32 2 19.9 55 2 12.9 30 0

NFC

Lg 69 59 81 72 68 62 65 67 62 60

Avg 52.3 51.7 51.4 50.4 49.7 49.4 49.2 49.1 48.7 48.4

No 5 7 7 8 6 7 8 6 5 5

Yds 68 69 65 70 51 59 57 42 31 28

AvgLong TD 13.6 23 0 9.9 17 0 9.3 24 0 8.8 25 0 8.5 17 0 8.4 19 0 7.1 14 0 7.0 27 0 6.2 15 0 5.6 15 0

No 7 11 10 6 8 10 6

Yds 234 324 293 175 229 282 166

Avg LG TD 33.4 53 0 29.5 66 0 29.3 74 0 29.2 37 0 28.6 42 0 28.2 79 0 27.7 35 0

TD Rush 7 7 7 7 6 6 6 4 3 3

Rec Ret Pts 0 0 42 0 0 42 0 0 36 2 0 36 0 0 18

PAT FG 9/10 11/11 9/9 10/10 10/10 9/9 13/13 7/9 11/11 7/9 14/14 6/8 13/14 6/6 7/7 8/8 9/9 7/8 6/6 7/10

Shrader, Ind Gay, Las McPherson, Cin Butker, KC C.Little, Jac Loop, Bal Bass, Buf Szmyt, Cle Fairbairn, Hou Boswell, Pit

Young, Car Goff, Det Shough, NO Stafford, LAR Prescott, Dal Love, GB Purdy, SF Brissett, Ari Hurts, Phi Mayﬁeld, TB Rushers

Avg LG TD 6.2 76 4 6.0 35 3 4.2 32t 7 4.1 24t 6 5.6 35 0 4.6 20 2 3.4 19 0 4.0 17 3 4.1 18 1 3.6 13 1

No Yds 12 627 12 620 16 822 15 756 19 945 18 889 21 1034 18 884 18 876 12 581

Araiza, KC Sanchez, Ind Bojorquez, Cle Cole, Las Crawshaw, Den Johnston, Pit Townsend, Ten Kroeger, Hou McNamara, NYJ Cooke, Jac Punt returners

Quarterbacks

Yds 537 421 374 353 309 277 264 238 221 207

LG 58 59 58 46 55 64 46 56 58 56

Pts 42 39 37 34 32 32 31 31 30 27

Att 162 161 180 162 150 154 113 152 114 96

Com 101 109 121 99 105 87 79 103 68 61

Yds TD Int 1268 9 2 1214 9 0 1203 9 3 1189 6 6 1065 8 1 1041 8 3 1007 11 1 818 6 4 713 7 3 615 2 2

Att 85 80 60 69 61 72 54 56 68 62

Yds 494 353 324 311 306 297 294 241 235 231

Avg LG TD 5.8 59t 4 4.4 21 5 5.4 61t 3 4.5 32 3 5.0 32 3 4.1 20 1 5.4 30 3 4.3 38 1 3.5 13 1 3.7 22 5

Bi.Robinson, Atl Gibbs, Det Monangai, Chi Swift, Chi Hubbard, Car A.Jones, Min Williams, LAR Irving, TB Skattebo, NYG J.Williams, Dal Receivers

No Yds Avg LG TD Lamb, Dal 37 498 13.5 49 4 Olave, NO 35 491 14.0 47 1 Smith-Njigba, Sea 32 481 15.0 82t 6 Adams, LAR 22 390 17.7 64 2 McMillan, Car 26 385 14.8 32t 2 D.London, Atl 20 370 18.5 68 0 Watson, GB 20 331 16.6 81t 4 St. Brown, Det 31 303 9.8 34 5 Golden, GB 18 274 15.2 45 2 Mi.Wilson, Ari 25 258 10.3 24 1 Punters No Yds Lg Avg Stout, NYG 16 810 78 50.6 Waitman, SF 11 540 61 49.1 Mann, Phi 19 931 64 49.0 Whelan, GB 18 870 66 48.3 Evans, LAR 14 666 67 47.6 Way, Was 19 897 60 47.2 Fox, Det 15 708 62 47.2 Martin, Car 13 613 61 47.2 Bailey, Atl 13 603 62 46.4 Thorson, Min 10 458 62 45.8 Punt Returners No Yds AvgLong TD Price, Min 9 181 20.1 86t 1 Moore, GB 8 128 16.0 63 0 Branch, Atl 6 83 13.8 25 0 Covey, Phi 10 135 13.5 41 0 Lane, Was 7 84 12.0 19 0 T.Johnson, TB 7 80 11.4 16 0 Turpin, Dal 8 90 11.3 17 0 Raymond, Chi 8 84 10.5 24 0 Smith, LAR 7 69 9.9 19 0 Shaheed, Sea 9 79 8.8 14 0 Kickoff Returners No Yds Avg LG TD K.Johnson, TB 7 214 30.6 48 0 Price, Min 14 423 30.2 68 0 Duvernay, Ari 6 177 29.5 40 0 Melton, GB 6 170 28.3 59 0 Turpin, Dal 15 422 28.1 48 0 Berrios, NYG 5 138 27.6 30 0 Moore, GB 11 302 27.5 43 0 Scoring Touchdowns TD Rush Rec Ret Pts Gibbs, Det 7 5 2 0 42 Smith-Njigba, Sea 6 0 6 0 36 J.Williams, Dal 6 5 1 0 36 Hubbard, Car 5 3 2 0 30 Bi.Robinson, Atl 5 4 1 0 30 St. Brown, Det 5 0 5 0 30 6 tied 4 0 4 0 24 Kicking PAT FG LG Pts Reichard, Min 6/6 12/12 56 42 Fitzgerald, Car 10/13 9/9 53 37 Aubrey, Dal 12/13 8/11 60 36 Bates, Det 14/14 7/7 54 35 McLaughlin, TB 7/7 9/9 59 34 Santos, Chi 13/13 7/8 50 34 Ryland, Ari 9/9 8/9 60 33 Zvada, NYG 5/5 9/9 52 32 Folk, Atl 10/10 6/9 51 28 Stevens, Was 7/9 7/9 57 28

Major League Baseball

Tampa Bay at Dallas, 7:15 p.m.

Quarterbacks

Higgins, Cin Flowers, Bal Boston, Cle Kincaid, Buf Wilson, NYJ Tate, Ten Kelce, KC Tucker, Las Washington, Jac Thornton, KC Washington, Mia Punters

Att 87 70 89 86 55 60 78 59 54 58

Yds TD Int 1171 7 3 1141 5 0 1039 6 3 1037 9 2 1026 11 4 999 7 4 967 6 1 902 5 0 855 6 2 854 4 7

Postseason glance

Cleveland 9, Chicago White Sox 3 Cleveland

Chicago ab r h bi ab r h bi Kwan cf-lf 6 1 1 1 Antonacci dh 2 1 1 1 Ramírez 3b 4 2 2 2 Vargas 3b 4 0 1 0 DeLauter rf 4 1 1 1 Murakami 1b 4 0 0 0 Adell dh 4 0 2 3 Teel c 4 0 1 1 Lowe 1b 2 1 0 0 Meidroth 2b 4 1 1 0 Martínez lf 4 0 0 0 Peters cf 4 0 1 1 Halpin cf 0 1 0 0 B.Montgmry rf 3 1 0 0 Bazzana 2b 2 2 0 0 Grichuk lf 4 0 1 0 Genao 2b 1 0 1 1 C.Montgomry ss3 0 0 0 Bailey c 4 1 2 0 Rocchio ss 4 0 2 1 Totals 35 9 11 9 Totals 32 3 6 3 Cleveland 004 010 022 — 9 Chicago 100 101 000 — 3 DP — Cleveland 1, Chicago 3. LOB — Cleveland 10, Chicago 8. 2B — Ramírez (1), Genao (1), Teel (1), Meidroth (1), Peters (1). 3B — Adell (2), Ramírez (1). SB — Ramírez (1), Rocchio (1). S — Rocchio (1). IP H R ER BB SO Cleveland 2 Espino ⁄3 2 1 1 1 2 Griffin W,1-0 22⁄3 2 1 1 0 7 2 Armstrong H,1 ⁄3 0 0 0 0 1 Cantillo H,1 12⁄3 1 1 1 2 1 1 Gaddis H,1 ⁄3 1 0 0 0 0 Herrin H,1 1 0 0 0 0 3 C.Smith 2 0 0 0 0 5 Chicago Newcomb 2 1 0 0 0 1 1 Hudson L,1-1 ⁄3 2 3 3 1 0 2 H.Smith ⁄3 1 1 1 2 1 Schultz 3 2 1 1 2 1 Davis 1 1 0 0 1 1 Sandlin 1 2 2 2 2 1 Martin 1 2 2 2 2 1 HBP — Griffin 2 (Antonacci,Peters), Gaddis 2 (C.Montgomery,Antonacci). WP — Schultz. ABS Challenge — Griffin (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Hudson (Ball-Confirmed); Hudson (Ball-Confirmed); Griffin (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Smith (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Smith (Ball-Overturned to Strike). Pitch timer violations — Sandlin (pitcher). Umpires — Home, Todd Tichenor; First, Jansen Visconti; Second, Vic Carapazza; Third, Tom Hanahan; Right, Gabe Morales; Left, Cory Blaser. T — 3:16. A — 40,590 (40,241).

L.A. Dodgers 4, Atlanta 1 Los Angeles Atlanta ab r h bi ab r h bi Betts ss 4 0 0 0 Harris cf 3 1 2 0 Freeman 1b 4 0 0 0 Acuña rf 3 0 0 0 Smith c 4 0 0 0 Olson 1b 4 0 0 0 Ohtani dh 3 1 0 0 Albies 2b 4 0 1 0 T.Hernndz lf 4 1 1 0 Baldwin dh 4 0 0 0 Hy.Kim 2b 0 0 0 0 Yastrzemski lf 1 0 0 0 Muncy 3b 4 1 1 1 Thomas ph-lf 1 0 0 0 E.Hrnndz 2b 2 0 0 0 Tellez ph 1 0 0 0 De Paula ph 0 0 0 0 Dubón ss 3 0 0 0 Edman 2b 1 1 0 0 Riley 3b 3 0 0 0 Tucker rf 3 0 1 0 Murphy c 3 0 0 0 Pages cf 3 0 2 2 Totals 32 4 5 3 Totals 30 1 3 0 Los Angeles 010 000 201 — 4 Atlanta 100 000 000 — 1 E — Murphy (1), Dubón (1). DP — Los Angeles 0, Atlanta 1. LOB — Los Angeles 4, Atlanta 7. 2B — Albies (2), Harris (2). HR — Muncy (3). SB — Harris (1). IP H R ER BB SO Los Angeles Glasnow 42⁄3 1 1 1 5 5 2 Vesia ⁄3 1 0 0 0 0 2 Henriquez W,1-0 1 ⁄3 1 0 0 0 0 Scott H,2 1 0 0 0 0 2 Díaz S,2-2 1 0 0 0 0 1 Atlanta 1 Mahle L,0-1 6 ⁄3 3 2 1 1 4 1 Fuentes ⁄3 0 1 1 2 0 1 Suarez ⁄3 1 0 0 0 0 Lee 1 0 0 0 0 1 Iglesias 1 1 1 1 0 0 WP — Glasnow. ABS Challenge — Albies (Strike-Conﬁrmed); Baldwin (Strike-Conﬁrmed). Umpires — Home, Tripp Gibson; First, Jim Wolf; Second, Mike Estabrook; Third, Roberto Ortiz; Right, James Hoye; Left, Chris Guccione. T — 2:54. A — 41,173 (41,149).

Late Tuesday San Diego 4, Milwaukee 3 Milwaukee

San Diego ab r h bi ab r h bi Chourio lf 4 0 0 1 Tatis rf 4 0 0 1 Bauers 1b 4 0 0 0 Merrill cf 4 1 1 0 Contreras c 4 2 3 1 Machado 3b 3 0 1 1 Lara pr 0 0 0 0 France 1b 4 0 0 0 Turang 2b 4 0 1 0 Salas c 3 0 0 0 Yelich dh 4 0 2 1 Bogaerts ss 3 1 1 0 Mitchell cf 4 0 0 0 Harris lf 2 0 0 0 Pratt ss 4 1 2 0 Andujar ph 1 0 0 0 Frelick rf 4 0 1 0 Bowen pr-lf 0 0 0 0 Ortiz 3b 2 0 1 0 Taylor dh 3 1 1 0 Hamiltn 3b 1 0 1 0 Cronenwrth 2b 2 1 2 1 Totals 35 3 11 3 Totals 29 4 6 3 Milwaukee 000 110 100 — 3 San Diego 002 011 00x — 4 E — Pratt (2). DP — Milwaukee 0, San Diego 1. LOB — Milwaukee 11, San Diego 4. HR — Contreras (2), Cronenworth (1). SB — Taylor (1), Merrill (1). SF — Chourio (1). S — Ortiz (1), Cronenworth (1). IP H R ER BB SO Milwaukee May 3 3 2 2 2 3 Romero L,0-1 12⁄3 1 1 1 0 2 Senzatela 1 1 1 0 0 1 Hall 11⁄3 1 0 0 0 1 Uribe 1 0 0 0 0 0 San Diego Pivetta 41⁄3 5 2 2 0 4 1 Adam ⁄3 1 0 0 1 0 Matsui W,1-0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 Rodriguez H,2 1 ⁄3 3 1 1 0 3 King S,1-1 2 1 0 0 2 1 May pitched to 2 batters in the 4th, Senzatela pitched to 3 batters in the 6th, Matsui pitched to 4 batters in the 6th. WP — Hall. ABS Challenge — May (Ball-Confirmed); Pivetta (Ball-Confirmed); Ortiz (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Senzatela (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Contreras (Strike-Confirmed); King (Ball-Confirmed). Umpires — Home, Alfonso Marquez; First, Nic Lentz; Second, Quinn Wolcott; Third, Brennan Miller; Right, Lance Barrett; Left, Nick Mahrley. T — 3:22. A — 47,708 (40,222).

Pro basketball WNBA playoff glance Semiﬁnals

(Best-of-5; x-if necessary)

Golden State 1, Las Vegas 0

Oct. 4: Golden State 71, Las Vegas 60 Wednesday: Las Vegas at Golden State, n Friday: Golden State at Las Vegas, 8:30 p.m. x-Sunday: Golden State at Las Vegas, TBA x-Oct. 14: Las Vegas at Golden State, TBA

Atlanta 2, New York 0

Oct. 4: Atlanta 92, New York 82 Wednesday: Atlanta 101, New York 98, OT Friday: Atlanta at New York, 6:30 p.m. x-Sunday: Atlanta at New York, TBA x-Oct. 14: New York at Atlanta, TBA

Pro hockey

DIVISION SERIES

NHL glance

American League Chicago White Sox 2, Cleveland 1

Detroit 5, Ottawa 3 Buffalo 3, Minnesota 2, OT Toronto 5, Nashville 4, OT Utah 5, New Jersey 3 Carolina 6, Montreal 4 N.Y. Rangers 5, N.Y. Islanders 2 Chicago 4, St. Louis 2 Vegas 6, Seattle 2 Florida 2, Los Angeles 1

(Best-of-5; x-if necessary)

Oct. 3: Chicago White Sox 3, Cleveland 0 Monday: Chicago White Sox 4, Cleveland 3 Wednesday: Cleveland 9, Chicago White Sox 3 Thursday: Cleveland at Chicago White Sox, 7 p.m. (TBS/TruTV/HBO Max) x-Saturday: Chicago White Sox at Cleveland, 4 p.m. (TBS/TruTV/HBO Max)

Tampa Bay 3, N.Y. Yankees 0

Oct. 3: Tampa Bay 1, N.Y. Yankees 0 Monday: Tampa Bay 5, N.Y. Yankees 2 Wednesday: Tampa Bay 4, at New York 3

National League L.A. Dodgers 3, Atlanta 1

Oct. 3: L.A. Dodgers 5, Atlanta 3 Oct. 4: Atlanta 3, L.A. Dodgers 2 Tuesday: L.A. Dodgers 3, Atlanta 1 Wednesday: L.A. Dodgers 4, Atlanta 1

Milwaukee 2, San Diego 1

Oct. 3: Milwaukee 3, San Diego 2 Oct. 4: Milwaukee 4, San Diego 3 Tuesday: San Diego 4, Milwaukee 3 x-Wednesday: Milwaukee at San Diego, n x-Friday: San Diego at Milwaukee, 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday’s games

Wednesday’s games

Colorado at Winnipeg, n Pittsburgh at Washington, n Edmonton at Anaheim, n

Thursday’s games

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

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY YUKI IWAMURA

Not fan-tastic

Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Victor Mesa attempts to catch a ball hit by New York Yankees infielder Anthony Volpe during an American League Division Series game on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium in New York, but a spectator reached over the wall and interfered with the ball in the field of play. After initially calling Volpe’s blast a two-run home run, umpires reviewed the play and ruled it a run-scoring double. The Rays went on to win 4-3 to sweep the series 3-0.

WADE

Continued from page 1C

granted a preliminary injunction on Aug. 24 in his lawsuit against the NCAA. The former Big East Player of the Year fought in court after going undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft, signing a two-way NBA contract and playing in preseason games. Shortly after his injunction, the Southeastern Conference implemented rules preventing member schools from adding players such as Luis who sign an NBA or G League contract. Although Wade didn’t directly discuss Luis, he said he plans on following the rules. “I know everybody thinks we’re like some fly by the seat of our pants,” Wade said. “But look, we’re gonna abide by the SEC and the NCAA rules. We’re not cutting any corners with the SEC rules or their stuff. We’re not cutting any corners with the NCAA rules and what they got going on because they’re sure as hell looking at us, both entities (men’s basketball and football). We’re not trying to bring some sort of undue attention.” Wade has no intentions of repeating this type of roster build next season. He said LSU “took advantage of a loophole” and that this method of taking “calculated risks” gave the team the best chance to compete quickly. “Everybody else took one or two of these kids,” he said. “We took five or six of them. I understand we went a little bit overboard, but everybody else has one or two of them. Nobody’s complaining about them. “I figure if you’re going to dive in, you might as well not dip your toe. Just dive head first and let’s go.” A crowd member asked Wade how much money he had to build his roster in comparison to the reported $50 million Lane Kiffin had for football. While initially resistant, Wade provided a range. “We spent north of 10 (million) and south of 15,” Wade said. “Somewhere in there. That’s going to put us somewhere between nine and ... 12 in the SEC.” The most laughs and claps came from a joke Wade made about NIL four years after being fired for cause by LSU when paying players wasn’t allowed. “We were just a little ahead of our time with NIL,” he said. “Everybody says it’s ‘name, image and likeness.’ I say ‘now it’s legal.’ ”

Wade said about eight players will play against McNeese, including “basically three walkons” as the program waits to learn the fate of other scholarship players. “We’re not going to do anything that sacrifices what we’re trying to do long term,” he said. “The thing (Thursday) is to raise money for McNeese. If we win, that’s great. We lose, not great, but life’s going to move on. It doesn’t go on our record.” Wade didn’t say who’ll play Thursday, but those listed on the roster are senior guard Abdi Bashir (Kansas State), junior guard Divine Ugochukwu (Michigan State), senior forward Mo Dioubate (Kentucky) and fifthyear senior guard Austin Nunez (UTSA). Nunez had a medical redshirt year after playing four games in 2024-25. Wade also said that one or two of his fifth-year players might play against McNeese. Besides Nunez, LSU has a pair of fifth-year UCLA transfer guards in Donovan Dent and Skyy Clark. They were a couple of the more than 70 plaintiffs to gain an additional year of eligibility through a temporary restraining order in a lawsuit filed in California against the NCAA. What will determine the status of their eligibility is a court hearing for a preliminary injunction on Oct. 20. Wade explained that his confidence in his four international signees being available is based on their former overseas teammates at other schools already getting cleared by the NCAA Eligibility Center. “We feel like almost all of them are going to be eligible,” Wade said. “It’s going to be hard to deny our kids when their teammates are eligible, and we know their (international) contracts and their contracts are more than our kids’ contracts. I tend to feel pretty good about our chances.” Wade admits he doesn’t know how long the process will take for 20-year-old Croatian forward Michael Ruzic, 22-year-old Italian-Senegalese wing Saliou Niang, 23-year-old French center Brice Dessert and 24-year-old Israeli center Gilad Levy. The only player Wade didn’t allude to was former St. John’s star RJ Luis, who has been prac- Email Toyloy Brown III at ticing with the team since being toyloy.brown@theadvocate.com

LIVING

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

T h u r s d ay, O c T O b e r 8, 2026

1dN

Vampire’s Blood Cake, Friendly Witches’ Special Spirit, plus a spooky French Quarter tale? Bring Halloween into the kitchen for a scary good time

TNS PHOTO BY LINDA GASSENHEIMER

Portobello Mushroom Panini with Arugula Salad

Bring the restaurant home with paninis BY LINDA GASSENHEIMER Tribune News Service (TNS)

Hot, crispy paninis are a simple dinner that’s warm and welcoming. This vegetarian version features meaty portobello mushrooms tucked into crusty ciabatta bread. Ciabatta is the traditional bread for paninis. Its name comes from the Italian word for “slipper,” a fitting description of its long, rustic shape. You don’t need a special panini press to make this sandwich. Simply place it in a skillet and press it down with a lid or a smaller skillet that fits inside. Continue pressing as it cooks until the bread is golden and crisp and the filling is hot and savory. It’s an easy way to enjoy a restaurant-style sandwich right at home.

PHOTO BY MONICA BELTON/STAFF ILLUSTRATION BY CHRISTOPHER MARTIN

YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE EVERY

Portobello Mushroom Panini Yields 2 servings. Recipe is by Linda Gassenheimer. 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 ciabatta bread (about 8 ounces) 8 ounces sliced portobello mushrooms (about 31⁄3 cups) 1 teaspoon minced garlic ½ cup sliced, canned drained roasted red peppers ½ cup crumbled goat cheese (about 2½ ounces) 8 fresh basil leaves Olive oil spray 1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and add the mushrooms and garlic. Saute 1 minute. Remove to a plate. 2. Cut bread into 2 (5-inch) pieces and slice them open. 3. Spread the mushrooms, garlic and oil over the bottom slices. Place roasted red pepper over the mushrooms. Sprinkle goat cheese over the red pepper and top each one with 4 basil leaves. 4. Cover with the top half of the bread. 5. Heat the same skillet over medium-low heat and spray with olive oil spray. Add the paninis and press down with a lid or bottom of another skillet. Saute 3 minutes. Turn them over and press again. Saute another 3 minutes. The cheese should be melted and the crust golden. Cook a few more minutes, if needed. 6. Divide between 2 dinner plates and cut paninis in half. NUTRITION INFO PER SERVING: 502 calories (34 percent from fat), 18.8 g fat (8.8 g saturated, 5.7 g monounsaturated), 28 mg cholesterol, 21.8 g protein, 62.4 g carbohydrates, 3.9 g ﬁber, 716 mg sodium.

Arugula Salad Yields 2 servings. Recipe is by Linda Gassenheimer. 3 cups washed, ready-to-eat salad 2 cups fresh arugula 2 tablespoons reduced-fat salad dressing 1. Place salad in a bowl. Add arugula. Toss with dressing. 2. Divide in half and serve on the dinner plates with the panini. NUTRITION INFO PER SERVING: 28 calories (41 percent from fat), 1.3 g fat (0.1 g saturated 0.4g monounsaturated), 1 mg cholesterol, 1.5 g protein, 3.7 g carbohydrates, 1.8 g ﬁber, 16 mg sodium.

Kevin Belton

RECIPES ä Vampire’s

Blood Cake ä Friendly Witches’ Special Spirit

rowing up in New Orleans, my cousins and I were constantly in and out of each other’s houses, a rotating cast of characters moving through the city as if we owned it. My cousin Lorna was always part of that crew, but she moved away years ago. Recently, she has come back home. She says it’s because she missed New Orleans, but I think maybe she missed all of us, the family dinners and the shared stories and the way this city gets into your blood and won’t let go. As I think about Halloween, New Orleans and my cousin Lorna (who loves dessert and beverages), this story came to me.

Lorna and the midnight mask Lorna had always loved the masks in the shop windows along Royal Street, the elaborate Mardi Gras creations with peacock feathers and glittering sequins. But she’d never noticed the small shop tucked between a praline shop and an antique dealer until Halloween night. The sign above the door read: Madame Laveau’s Masks — Since 1835. ä See HALLOWEEN, page 2D

Cider Cup cocktail a Prohibition-era classic Cider Cup Cocktail, RECIPE 2D

VORACIOUS/ ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY CAITLIN BENSEL

BY TIFFANIE BARRIERE Voracious

This spin on the Cider Cup is from my cocktail book “Good Spirits”; the original drink has roots going back to the early 20th century. In Jacques Straub’s 1914 book, “Drinks,” cider, brandy, curaçao, maraschino liqueur, pineapple and citrus fruits came together like a pre-Prohibition party in a glass. During Prohibition, when

bartenders had to get scrappy, cider-based cocktails like the Cider Cup gained real traction — lower-proof, easy to disguise, but still full of ﬂavor and ﬁnesse. Over in the U.K., the Cider Cup became a staple of British garden parties — light, cold and fruity, perfect for warm afternoons. This version takes its cues from Julian Anderson’s bar at the Montana Club, in Helena,

ä See COCKTAIL, page 2D

2D ■ Thursday, October 8, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

lll

Leaving food out for wildlife

PHOTOS BY MONICA BELTON

Vampire’s Blood Cake Serves 15. FOR THE CHERRY SAUCE: 1 pound fresh or frozen cherries, pitted ½ cup sugar ½ cup water 2 tablespoons cornstarch ¼ teaspoon kosher salt FOR THE CAKE: Cooking spray 1 cup sugar 1½ sticks butter, softened ½ teaspoon kosher salt 3 large eggs, room temperature 2 teaspoons almond extract 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided 1¾ cups buttermilk, room temperature, divided FOR THE TOPPING: 1½ cups heavy cream 3 tablespoons powdered sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1. Start the cherry sauce, which can be made one day ahead. In a small pot, combine cherries, sugar, water, cornstarch and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook, mashing occasionally, until cherries are broken down and mixture is thickened, about 2 minutes. 2. Remove from heat and

let cool. Using an immersion blender (or standard blender), puree until smooth. 3. After cooling, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before using. 4. Start preparing the cake. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 13-by-9-inch pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper, letting some of it hang over on two sides. 5. In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in another large bowl, using an electric mixer), beat sugar, butter and salt on mediumhigh speed until pale and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. 6. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend after each addition, then add almond extract, baking powder and baking soda. Beat 45 seconds more to ensure they are totally combined. 7. Add half of the flour and half of the buttermilk to the egg mixture. Mix on low speed until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in remaining flour and buttermilk. Pour batter into prepared pan. 8. Bake cake until risen

HALLOWEEN

I feel everything has Dear Miss Manners: When my friend of over 50 years changed, but I cannot exand I lived only plain to her why I an hour and a half cannot spend time from each other, with her at her I spent a great home when I travel deal of time at her back. What should house. This includI do? Gentle reader: One ed spending time Judith can understand the with her husband, Martin feeling that honorand we all got along MISS very well. ing the promise MANNERS But on their 45th to your friend’s wedding anniversahusband is a test ry, which was my last time of your own word, not his right to make such a reto visit as I was moving away, her husband proposi- quest. But there is a limit to tioned me. I said no, twice. what can be expected of Then he asked that I not say anything to her. I said I such a promise, given in a moment of surprise. If wouldn’t.

Friendly Witches’ Special Spirit could hear conversations from blocks away, smell the river and night-blooming jasmine and something ancient in the city’s bones. She felt powerful. Conﬁdent. Free. Lorna danced through the French Quarter as if she owned it. She spoke to strangers with easy charm, moved through crowds like water. At a bar on Frenchmen Street, a jazz singer called her up on stage. Lorna had never sung in public, but with the mask on, a voice like honey and smoke poured out. The crowd erupted. Hours passed like minutes. She wandered down Esplanade Avenue, through the Garden District where mansions dreamed behind iron gates. She felt connected to everything, the living city and the dead one beneath it. Then she saw the sky lightening over the river. Panic seized her. She had to get the mask off before dawn. She ran back toward Royal Street, but the streets had rearranged themselves. Nothing looked familiar. She turned down Dauphine, then Chartres, then streets with no names. The sun broke over the horizon. Lorna tore the mask from her face. It crumbled to dust in her hands. She stood gasping in an alley off Decatur Street, feeling ... different. Lighter somehow.

1. Fill a tall glass with ice. Add gin, then top off with sparkling lemonade. 2. Very carefully and slowly pour curaçao into the glass, letting it settle on the bottom. 3. Garnish with rosemary. It wasn’t until she got back to the house and was asked what was wrong that Lorna realized what the mask had taken. She couldn’t remember her own face. She looked in the mirror and saw features that were familiar but distant, like a photograph of someone she used to know. She knew her name, her history, her life, but when she tried to picture herself, there was only a blank space where her reﬂection should be in her memory. The mask had shown her who she could be. In exchange, it had taken who she was. For weeks, Lorna searched Royal Street for the shop, but it was never there. Sometimes, late at night, she dreams of the mask, dancing through the French Quarter, powerful, free and not quite human. And when she wakes, she can’t remember if the face in the dream was hers or someone else’s entirely. Kevin Belton is resident chef of WWL-TV and has taught classes in Louisiana cooking for 30 years. The most recent of his four cookbooks, “Kevin Belton’s Cookin’ Louisiana: Flavors from the Parishes of the Pelican State,” was published in 2021. Email Chef at chefkevinbelton@gmail. com.

Handmade gifts Dear Heloise: The reader could consider the handmade wine rack as a “storage rack” instead. Depending on the style, it can hold soda and water bottles, toilet paper, plants, or craft items (like skeins of yarn). There are many possibilities for a thoughtful handmade item, even if it happens to look like a wine rack. — Alice, via email Alice, yes, and your suggestions are very good. So many readers have asked why he made a wine rack for a couple who don’t drink. Of course, I don’t actually know, but maybe he thought they’d ﬁnd another use for it. Or maybe it was just a loving gift that was made with his own hands for two people he cared about. I’ve always liked handmade gifts, and I imagine that many people do, too. — Heloise Send a hint to heloise@ heloise.com.

your friend asks why you are suggesting meetings that exclude the husband, you can eventually say that your friendship is with her, not him. Miss Manners realizes this invites a direct question, but in doing so it clears your conscience: If your friend poses that question, you can now answer it; if she does not, it is reasonable to conclude that she knew something of her husband’s character all along. Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com.

TODAY IN HISTORY

Serves 1.

Ice 3 ounces Empress 1908 Indigo Gin 3 ounces sparkling lemonade ½ ounce Blue Curaçao 1 fresh rosemary sprig

Beverly, I agree with you. Respecting the family’s wishes is really the best way to go because they usually know what the person wanted at their funeral anyways. — Heloise

This will ruin the friendship

Friendly Witches’ Special Spirit

Continued from page 1D A bell chimed as she entered. The shop stretched back impossibly far, deeper than the building’s exterior suggested. Masks covered every wall, hundreds of them, each unique. Some were beautiful. Others were grotesque. All of them seemed to watch her. “Welcome, cher.” An old woman emerged from the shadows, wearing a purple tignon headwrap. Her eyes were the color of the Mississippi at midnight, dark and full of secrets. “I’m just looking,” Lorna said. “Everyone who comes here is looking for something,” the woman replied. Lorna’s eyes fell on a mask hanging alone on the far wall, exquisite porcelain painted in ivory and gold with delicate ﬁligree around the eyes. Unlike the others, this mask seemed to glow. “How much?” Lorna heard herself ask. The old woman’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. “That one shows you who you really are. Who you could be. But there’s a price.” “I have money.” “Not that kind of price, child. You wear this mask from midnight until dawn on All Hallows’ Eve, and it will grant you one night as your truest self. But when you take it off at sunrise, you must leave something behind.” “Leave what behind?” “Whatever the mask decides you can spare.” Lorna should have walked away, but she thought about her life, the job that barely paid rent, the loneliness of being new to the city, and the feeling that she was pretending to be someone she wasn’t. “I’ll take it,” she said. At exactly midnight in Jackson Square, she put on the mask. The world transformed. Colors became vivid. Sounds sharpened. She

and firm to the touch, 25 to 35 minutes. While still warm, using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes all over the cake, spacing about 1 inch apart and forming a grid of about 12-by-8 holes. 9. Set aside ¼ cup of cherry sauce for serving. Using a small spoon or a piping bag, fill holes with the remaining cherry sauce. Sauce may soak into the cake after sitting for a few minutes, leaving room for more sauce. Continue to fill the holes as much as possible. 10. Let cool completely, then cover and refrigerate overnight. 11. Prepare the topping. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, whip cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until medium peaks form. 12. Using the overhanging parchment paper, remove the chilled cake from the pan. 13. Spread whipped cream over the cake. With a wooden spoon, poke holes in the whipped cream to resemble fangs, then fill with reserved cherry sauce. Splatter cake with remaining cherry sauce as desired.

animals. If it’s left out, Dear Heloise: I don’t know wildlife can get at it, as where you live, but it’s well as stray cats and dogs. a violation of municipal A great many cities also law in many counties and have “trap, neuter and recommended publicrelease” programs to help safety policies to leave stray cats and dogs. out “safe drinking (If everyone would water” for wildlife. spay and neuter This is harmful for their pets, the stray many reasons. For population of aniexample, it breeds mosquitoes that mals would dimincarry potentially ish significantly.) life-threatening dis- Hints from However, I do Heloise understand your eases, destructively concerns and don’t alters the survival think food and water should instincts and patterns of be left out in excess. And I wild animals, and attracts definitely agree with your wildlife that threatens claim about scrubbing pet neighboring pets and people (especially seniors and bowls thoroughly. — Heloise small children). In lieu of flowers In short, it feels compassionate, but you’re harming Dear Heloise: A long time the wildlife that you think ago, there was a discussion you’re helping and potenin your column about sendtially hurting your neighing flowers to a funeral. If the obituary says “in lieu bors. At minimum, people of flowers,” they shouldn’t need to realize that tossing out “old” water and replen- be sent. Usually, a charity is listed where a donation ishing the bowl does nothcan be made to in the deing to prevent mosquitoes from hatching. The females ceased’s name instead. glue nearly invisible eggs There could be religious above the waterline, so restrictions about flowers, outside containers must be or the family only wants thoroughly scrubbed every their own there. No matday. — Lisa G., in Los Angeles ter what the reasons are, Lisa, there’s a lot of the family’s wishes should debate about leaving out be respected. — Beverly, in food and water for stray Wisconsin

By The Associated Press Today is Thursday, Oct. 8, the 281st day of 2026. There are 84 days left in the year. Today in history: On Oct. 8, 1871, the Great Chicago Fire began; more than 300 people died and more than 17,000 structures were destroyed during the three-day blaze. Also on this date: In 1862, Union forces beat back a Confederate offensive in the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky’s biggest and bloodiest engagement of the Civil War, leading to hundreds of casualties but ensuring the state would remain under Northern control. In 1956, Don Larsen pitched the only perfect game in a World Series as the New York Yankees beat the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 5, 2-0. In 1967, Bolivian forces wounded and captured guerrilla leader Ernesto

“Che” Guevara, who was attempting to spark a revolution in the South American country. He was executed the next day. In 1997, scientists reported that NASA’s Mars Pathﬁnder had yielded what could be the strongest evidence yet that Mars might once have been hospitable to life. In 2005, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake on the Pakistan-India border killed an estimated 86,000 people. In 2016, Hurricane Matthew made landfall on the South Carolina coast, triggering heavy ﬂooding and several deaths in the Carolinas only days after a devastating rampage through the Caribbean where it killed more than 500 people in Haiti alone and others elsewhere. In 2022, an explosion caused the partial collapse of a bridge linking the Crimean Peninsula with Russia, damaging an important supply artery for

the Kremlin’s war effort in southern Ukraine. In 2024, two pioneers of artiﬁcial intelligence — Canadian John Hopﬁeld and American Geoffrey Hinton — won the Nobel Prize in physics for helping create the building blocks of machine learning. Today’s Birthdays: Actor Paul Hogan is 87. Comedian Chevy Chase is 83. Author R.L. Stine is 83. Actor Sigourney Weaver is 77. Musician Robert “Kool” Bell (Kool & the Gang) is 76. Producer-director Edward Zwick is 74. NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott is 71. Comedian Darrell Hammond is 71. Actor Kim Wayans is 65. Gospel singer CeCe Winans is 62. Olympic gold medal swimmer Matt Biondi is 61. Actor Karyn Parsons is 60. Singerproducer Teddy Riley is 59. Actor Matt Damon is 56. Actor-TV host Nick Cannon is 46. Singer-songwriter Bruno Mars is 41. Actor Angus T. Jones is 33.

Cider Cup Cocktail Recipe is from “Good Spirits” by Tiffanie Barriere. 2 tablespoons superfine sugar ½ ounce water Dash Angostura bitters (optional) 1 ounce fresh lemon juice 1 ounce white curaçao ½ ounce cognac or brandy 1 pint hard cider, chilled Ice cubes, for serving (optional)

COCKTAIL

Continued from page 1D Montana, where the drink became more reﬁned and intentional with fewer fruit juices and a touch of brandy to make it more cozy.

1. Start with a pint or stemmed beer/cider glass and add the superﬁne sugar and water to dissolve it. Give it a swirl with your barspoon to make a quick syrup right in the glass. 2. Here is where you add the Angostura bitters if you’d like that extra layer of spice ﬂavor. Add the lem-

on juice, then pour in the white curaçao and a splash of cognac or brandy. 3. Stir gently to bring it all together. Now top it off with a pint of ice-cold hard cider, pouring slowly to keep those bubbles bright. Add a little ice if you want it extra cold. That’s it — simple, smart, and refreshing.

Make sure that your cider is really cold. If using a can, toss it in the fridge for a few hours, or even the freezer for a bit. A little slush isn’t harmful at all. Serving this one on ice is also A-OK! Calvados can sub in for the cognac or brandy for less sweetness, or rum (light or aged) for

more sweetness. Optional add-ins for seasonal or signature ﬂair: Add mint, rosemary or thyme for a garden vibe; use seasonal fruits like sliced apples, pears or citrus wheels for more texture and aroma; in the fall, add a touch of cinnamon or cardamom for spice.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Thursday, October 8, 2026 ■ 3D

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FrAnK And erneSt

roSebUdS

zItS

zodIAC LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Refuse to let laziness take over when action is necessary if you plan to excel. Inspiration will manifest if you surround yourself with people from different backgrounds. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Play by the rules, and give your best performance. Rely on your attributes, intelligence and the ability to outmaneuver the competition fairly. That's how you win and why others respect you. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Get comfortable where you are. Home is where the heart is, and spending more time there will give you a sense of belonging. Do-it-yourself home improvements will give you a boost. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Refuse to let outsiders upset you or lead you astray. Be willing to walk away from people and situations that compromise integrity or accelerate your stress. Pay attention to investments. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Take a back seat and observe. Gathering information will position you for advancement. Set yourself up for financial freedom by having high standards. Take your time and be yourself. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Pay attention to your spending habits, investments and how well you take care of yourself. It's important to get your finances and lifestyle in order if you want to get ahead mentally and physically. ARIES (March 21-April 19) Set your sights on your goal, and don't look back. How you approach what you want to achieve

will set the stage for how much you accomplish. Push for the maximum return. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Agree only to what's possible. Getting caught in someone else's dream can set you back. Look inward and consider how to improve your profile and your image. Find the peace you desire. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Pick up the pace, and rise and shine. It's a new day, and your actions, dedication and curiosity will help you achieve whatever you set out to do. Home improvements won't please everyone. CANCER (June 21-July 22) Think twice before you agree to attend an event. You will gain access to better ideas and solutions through talks with individuals rather than sitting in a crowded room listening to one person pontificate. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Put your energy where it counts. Arguing is a waste of time, but putting in the effort and taking care of unfinished business will be gratifying. Focus on relieving stress. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Speak from the heart and resolve issues. A kind gesture will help restore a misunderstanding. You don't need to change; you need to adjust to allow everyone in your life the same freedom you want. The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

For better or For WorSe WonderWord

peAnUtS

SALLY Forth

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

TODAy'S CLUE: E EQUALS I

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon FAMILY CIrCUS

dooneSbUrY

4D ■ Thursday, October 8, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

CurTiS

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

BaBY BLueS

BLondie

THe wiZard oF id

nea CroSSwordS

La TimeS CroSSword

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Thursday, October 8, 2026 ■ 5D

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B.C.

Bridge BY PHILLIP ALDER F. Scott Fitzgerald said, “All good writing is swimming under water and holding your breath.” That is an interesting concept. I wonder how he typed while swimming. When the card play has finished, the contract will either be underwater or have floated safely ashore. If it has been defeated, though, declarer should not worry about how far it has sunk, as long as he took his best shot to make the contract. (Yes, if you are playing in a pair event scored by matchpoints, that is not necessarily true.) In this deal, South is in three no-trump. After West leads the diamond king, how should declarer swim? North’s jump-shift rebid guarantees extra values and forces to game. South starts with six top winners: four hearts, one diamond and one club. In addition, he hopes to take either four club tricks or three clubs and one spade. First, South should hold up dummy’s diamond ace until at least the second round to confirm the split. Yes, it is likely to be 6-0 or 5-1 because otherwise West would probably have led a different suit (presumably spades). Declarer takes the second trick with dummy’s diamond ace, cashes his hearts and runs the club 10. East wins with his king and shifts to a low spade. What should South do?

garfield

Pearls Before swiNe

hagar the horriBle

If West has the spade ace, the contract will drown. So declarer should play his spade king. Here, it wins and the contract comes up for air. But if the king loses, South has potentially gone down two instead of down one — a small price to pay for trying to collect a vulnerable game bonus. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

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

PiCKles

Previous answers:

mallard fillmore

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

toDAY’s WoRD — BEDAZZLE: bih-DAZ-ul: Enchant; fascinate.

Bizarro

marmaduKe

Average mark 18 words Time limit 25 minutes Can you find 22 or more words in BEDAZZLE? YEstERDAY’s WoRD — sEntIEnt seen seine sent sine site snit stein stent stet stint nene

nest nine teen tenet tennis tense tent test tine tint inset

intense intent

loCKhorNs hidato Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

today’s thought “What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits toward me?” Psalms 116:12

Do you ever think like this? Think it over. — G.E. Dean

6D ■ Thursday, October 8, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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Preferred Qualifications • Doctorate • Advanced (APRN)

Practice

Certification

To apply to this posting, click on the following link: http://careers.lsuhsc. edu/cw/en-us/ job/497443lApplicationSubSourceID=

classiﬁeds.theadvocate.com | 225-383-0111 or toll free 800-960-6397 Announcements ANYONE knowing the whereabouts of any property owner, heir or other related person, in regard to the properties listed below, please contact the East Baton Rouge CityParish, Department of Development – Neighborhood Revitalization Ofﬁce at 225-389-8680. 5653 BEECH ST RIO LINDO, INC, C/O JOHN A E DAVIDSON 1130 ROSENWALD RD C B DAVIS 5224 SYCAMORE ST THE ESTATE OF ALFRED J BRADY 4036 TUSCARORA ST SANDRA VERONICA LARA RAMIREZ 968 N 23RD ST BETTE BARANCO BLAND GREGORY T AND RAPHAEL A BARANCO SR. 2556 DAYTON ST PHARES FISHER 311 S 21ST ST DEBRA DENISE MILLS 4106 UNCAS ST SANDRA NETTLES 854 N DONMOOR AVE BATON ROUGE MULTI-FAMILY HOLDINGS, LLC 11384 CATALPA DR CHAD ERIC CHRISTY 5103 WOODLYN DR KEJAMLEA R HOWELL 2255 E SMILEY AVE JESSIE LEE WILLIAMS 2331 JEFFERSON AVE EVLIN STERLING 2847 ADAMS AVE PREPETUAL PROPERTIES, II LLC 3235 SYCAMORE ST CEDRIC LAMPTON 4265 WOODLAWN AVE CHERRIE R LEWIS 6424 SILVERLEAF AVE DEANDRE M AGNEW 7522 MAPLEWOOD DR THE ESTATE OF CHARLIE EDWARD BOWERS 4026 TUSCARORA ST GERALDINE ROSS GALLOWAY CLECELAND, JR AND CHARLES JAMES WALLACE 2720 TECUMSEH ST BAHC PROPERTIES, LLC 8155 ALBERT DR TIMOTHY LANE JOINER 2116 LOUISIANA AVE QUENTIN WARNER 6545 SUMRALL DR JAMAL OVETE 5111 LINDEN ST JAMES HOWARD CARR 6456 CALLAHAN ST GERTIE B HOUSTON 2828 ILLINOIS ST ADDIE L BRYANT 2803 CONVENTION ST EVA MAE BUCKNER 3105 SLATE ST ECLECTIC BUILDERS, LLC 4871 BEECH ST DELISA MORRISON 9798 AVENUE C JOHN H SMITH, SR 818 MALLARD ST LIBERTY BANK & TRUST COMPANY 5044 CLAYTON ST ROBERT CHARLES DUHE' 4057 MADISON AVE DARLINGTON COURAGE IDUSUYI 3036 OSWEGO ST CONNIE DENTS 9838 SCENIC HWY THE ESTATE OF MARY GEAN HALFORD 9188 SCOTLAND AVE JAMES GRAY 10481 BIRCHWOOD DR STEELES SMALL REPAIR, LLC 2057 70TH AVE GWENDA STEWART STEVENS 5521 S LEIGHTON DR KATIE N MULE 1548 GWEN DR JOHN JEFFREY SEIGEL III 2343 ERIE ST MITCHELL FAMILY LIVING TRUST 9566 RAINFORD RD BAYOU ENTERPRISES II, LLC 2040 PICKETT AVE

Public Notices

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

PUBLIC NOTICE --ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Sealed bids are re‐ quested by Iberville Parish Council from gen‐ eral contractors for con‐ struction of: PROJECT NAME: North Iberville Community Center New Pavilion 75700 Rosedale Road Rosedale, LA 70772 Bids will be received at the Iberville Parish Coun‐ cil Meeting Room, Sec‐ ond Floor of the Iberville Parish Courthouse Build‐ ing, 58050 Meriam Street, Plaquemine, Louisiana 70764 until: 2:00 PM, LOCAL TIME November 5, 2026 at which time and place the bids will be publicly opened and read aloud. Bidders have the option to submit their bids elec‐ tronically through cen‐ tralbidding.com or by submitting hard copies to the owner at the ad‐ dress above. Complete Bid Documents for this project are avail‐ able in electronic form. They may be obtained from centralbidding.com or they may be obtained without charge and with‐ out deposit obtained electronically from Fu‐ sion Architects, APC at biddocs@fusionapc.com. Printed copies are not available from the De‐ signer, but arrangements can be made to obtain them through most re‐ prographic ﬁrms. Plan holders are responsible for their own reproduc‐ tion costs. Questions about this procedure shall be directed to the Designer at: Fusion Architects, apc. 3488 Brentwood Drive, Suite 101 Baton Rouge, LA 70809 All Bids must be accom‐ panied by a bid security equal to 5 percent of the base bid and all additive alternates in the form of a certiﬁed check, cashier’s check or bid bond. A MANDATORY PRE-BID CONFERENCE will be held at the job site located at Iberville Parish 75700 Rosedale Road, Rosedale, LA 70772 on October 22nd, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. Attendance at this PreBid Conference is Mandatory to submit a bid. Contract, if awarded, will be on the basis stated in the Instructions to Bid‐ ders. No bid may be with‐ drawn for a period of 45 days after bid opening except as provided by law. Bidders must meet the requirements of the State of Louisiana Con‐ tractor’s Licensing Law, R. S. 37:2151 et seq. Iberville Parish Council reserves the right to award the project on whatever basis is in the interest of the Owner and to accept or reject any or all bids and to waive technicalities and

RICHARD LEONIDAS BILES, III 1628 STARBOARD DR EMERSON DOMINGUEZ MOLINA 8271 STERN AVE KENDALL VONKEITH FONTENOT 3126 MADISON AVE LEONARD HOLLINS, JR 5465 LINDEN ST ANGEL D BONILLA VELASQUEZ 5061 WASHINGTON AVE STAACY LAMONT ELLIS 3928 SCARBOROUGH DR THE ESTATE OF TERRY G & CAROLYN M CRAWFORD 1592 SNIPE ST CHERYL A GREEN 1082 SWAN AVE HARRELL W LONDON 4640 GLEN OAKS DR THOMAS & SONS ENTERPRISES OF LOUISIANA, INC 3731 CANYONLAND DR TONY INVESTMENT PROPERTIES, LLC / TONY DO 2125 69TH AVE FREDRICK J BOUDREAUX 7522 MAPELWOOD DR THE ESTATE OF CHARLES EDWARD BOWERS 3030 72ND AVE JOHNNIE MAE ANDERSON FAURE CO SHANNONNE CRYER 1570 79TH / 1520 79TH & PELICAN PROPERTIES INVESTMENTS INC JESSE JAMES GLASPER JR. 12533 LA MARGIE AVE B & E INVESTMENT PROPERTIES LLC 9085 N PARKVIEW DR RODNEY MICHAEL BRANDENBERG 10374 N HARVEY THE ESTATE OF EDWARD P SMILEY III 1727 JADE AVE TERRY LEWIS BROWN 1976 FOUNTAIN AVE SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIR 1885 FOUNTAIN AVE MARY BETH COTE' 202976-Oct 3-9, 7t $3,734.86

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Cierra Jones is requested to contact Attorney Raushanah S. Hunter in reference to a pending legal matter at (225) 356-5252. 203131-Oct 6-8, 3t $85.90 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Janez Thomas is requested to contact Attorney Raushanah S. Hunter in reference to a pending legal matter at (225) 356-5252. 203126-Oct 6-8, 3t $85.90 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Leonard Sutton Broussard please contact attorney Larry McAlpine at 225-317-1956. 203371-Oct 8-10, 3t $64.90 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Merick Lalin is requested to contact Attorney Raushanah S. Hunter in reference to a pending legal matter at (225) 356-5252. 203129-Oct 6-8, 3t $85.90 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Oliver Cage, II is requested to contact Attorney Raushanah S. Hunter in reference to a pending legal matter at (225) 356-5252. 203127-October 6-8, 3t $88 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Wendell Lenoir Sr. please contact attorney Larry McAlpine at 225-3171956. 203377-Oct 8-10, 3t $64.90

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informalities. Chris Daigle, Parish President Iberville Parish Adv: 10/08/2026 10/15/2026 10/22/2026 202719 Oct. 8, 15, 22, 3t $156.55 PUBLIC NOTICE --ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Sealed bids will be re‐ ceived for Northwestern State University by the NSU Purchasing Office and shall be directed to Northwestern State Uni‐ versity, Business Affairs – Purchasing Section, St. Denis Hall, 200 Sam Sib‐ ley Dr., Natchitoches, LA 71497. The deadline for receipt of bids is 2:00 PM on October 29, 2026, at which time bids will be opened and read aloud in a public meeting in St. Denis Hall Conference Room. FOR: SB #7678 NSU Prudhomme Hall Demolition PROJECT NUMBER: 01-107-24-05 JLCB No. 223, WBS No. F.01004741 Bid documents may be obtained without charge and without deposit by contacting the NSU Pur‐ chasing Office at pur‐ chasing@nsula.edu. Printed copies are not available from the De‐ signer, but arrangements can be made to obtain them through most re‐ prographic firms. Plan holders are responsible for their own reproduc‐ tion costs. Questions about this procedure shall be directed to the Designer at: Newman Marchive Incorporated 2800 Youree Drive, Suite 310 Shreveport, La 71104 318-219-1814 Brady@Newmaninc.com

All bids shall be accom‐ panied by bid security in an amount of five per‐ cent (5.0%) of the sum of the base bid and all al‐ ternates. The form of this security shall be as stated in the Instructions to Bidders included in the Bid Documents for this project. The successful Bidder shall be required to fur‐ nish a Performance and Payment Bond written as described in the Instruc‐ tions to Bidders included in the Bid Documents for this project. A PRE-BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Facilities & Plant Operation Rm. 126 998 South Jefferson St., Natchitoches, LA 71497 Bids shall be accepted from Contractors who are licensed under LA. R.S. 37:2150-2166 for the classification of Building Constructions or Rigging, House Moving, Wreaking, and Dismantling (Classi‐ fication 1.10). Bidder is required to comply with provisions and require‐ ments of LA R.S. 38:2212(B)(5). No bid may be withdrawn for a pe‐ riod of forty-five (45) days after receipt of bids, except under the provisions of LA. R.S.

Home Services DIRECTV- All your entertainment. Nothing on your roof! Sign up for Directv and get your ﬁrst three months of Max, Paramount+, Showtime, Starz, MGM+ and Cinemax included. Choice package $84.99/mo. Some restrictions apply. Call DIRECTV 1-866-734-0452 IF YOU WORKED WITH LESTER MALVEO IN THE 70S OR 80S PLEASE CALL ME 205-335-9553. 202729-Oct 3-30, 28t $439.40

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

38:2214. The Owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause. In ac‐ cordance with La. R.S. 38:2212(B)(1), the provi‐ sions and requirements of this Section; and those stated in the bidding documents shall not be waived by any entity. When this project is fi‐ nanced either partially or entirely with State Bonds or financed in whole or in part by federal or other funds which are not readily available at the time bids are received, the award of this Con‐ tract is contingent upon the granting of lines of credit, or the sale of bonds by the Bond Com‐ mission or the availabil‐ ity of federal or other funds. The State shall incur no obligation to the Contractor until the Con‐ tract Between Owner and Contractor is fully exe‐ cuted. Facility Planning and Control is a participant in the Small Entrepreneur‐ ship (SE) Program (the Hudson Initiative) and the Veteran-Owned and Service-Connected Dis‐ abled Veteran-Owned (LaVet) Small Entrepre‐ neurships Program. Bid‐ ders are encouraged to consider participation. Information is available from the Office of Facility Planning and Control or on its website at https:// www.doa.la.gov/doa/ fpc/. If you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to participate in this meeting, please con‐ tact Cheryl Schilling at Cheryl.Schilling@la.gov or (225) 342-6060 as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled meeting. STATE OF LOUISIANA DIVISION OF ADMINISTRATION FACILITY PLANNING AND CONTROL MATTHEW H. BAKER, DIRECTOR JULY 2026 201801 Sept. 24, Oct. 1, 8, 2026 3t $182.05

PUBLIC NOTICE --ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Sealed bids will be re‐ ceived for the State of Louisiana by the Division of Administration and shall be directed to the Office of Facility Planning and Control, 1201 North Third Street, Claiborne Office Building, Suite 7160, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70802 or P.O. Box 94095, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70804-9095. The deadline for receipt of bids is 2:00 PM on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at which time bids will be opened and read aloud in a public meeting in the Claiborne Office Building, Conference Room 1-145. FOR: Lock and Key System Replacement Buildings 1-8 Department of Corrections Headquar‐ ters Baton Rouge, Louisiana PROJECT NUMBER: 01-107-24-03, F.01004678 Complete Bidding Docu‐ ments for this project are available in electronic form. They may be ob‐ tained without charge d i h d i f

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Public Notices Bids/Proposals g and without deposit from www.centerlinebidco nnect.com. Printed copies are not available from the Designer but arrangements can be made to obtain them through most repro‐ graphic firms. Plan hold‐ ers are responsible for their own reproduction costs. Questions about this pro‐ cedure shall be directed to the Designer at: Ritter Maher Architects, LLC 2987 Government Street Baton Rouge, LA 70806 Telephone: 225-383-4321 E-mail: cthibodaux@ rittermaher.com All bids shall be accom‐ panied by bid security in an amount of five per‐ cent (5.0%) of the sum of the base bid and all al‐ ternates. The form of this security shall be as stated in the Instructions to Bidders included in the Bid Documents for this project. The successful Bidder shall be required to fur‐ nish a Performance and Payment Bond written as described in the Instruc‐ tions to Bidders included in the Bid Documents for this project. A PRE-BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, October 27, 2026 at Department of Correc‐ tions Headquarters, Facility Services Office, 504 Mayflower Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70802. Bids shall be accepted from Contractors who are licensed under LA. R.S. 37:2150-2166 for the classification of Building Construction. Bidder is required to comply with provisions and require‐ ments of LA R.S. 38:2212(B)(5). No bid may be withdrawn for a pe‐ riod of forty-five (45) days after receipt of bids, except under the provisions of LA. R.S. 38:2214. The Owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause. In ac‐ cordance with La. R.S. 38:2212(B)(1), the provi‐ sions and requirements of this Section and those stated in the bidding documents shall not be waived by any entity. When this project is fi‐ nanced either partially or entirely with State Bonds or financed in whole or in part by federal or other funds which are not readily available at the time bids are received, the award of this Con‐ tract is contingent upon the granting of lines of credit, or the sale of bonds by the Bond Com‐ mission or the availabil‐ ity of federal or other funds. The State shall incur no obligation to the Contractor until the Con‐ tract Between Owner and Contractor is fully exe‐ cuted. Facility Planning and Control is a participant in the Small Entrepreneur‐ ship (SE) Program (the Hudson Initiative) and the Veteran-Owned and Service-Connected Dis‐ abled Veteran-Owned (LaVet) Small Entrepre‐ neurships Program. Bid‐ ders are encouraged to consider participation. Information is available from the Office of Facility Planning and Control or on its website at https:// d l d

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Public Notices Bids/Proposals p www.doa.la.gov/doa/ fpc/. If you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to participate in this meeting, please con‐ tact Cheryl Schilling at Cheryl.Schilling@la.gov or (225) 342-6060 as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled meeting. STATE OF LOUISIANA DIVISION OF ADMINISTRATION FACILITY PLANNING AND CONTROL MATTHEW H. BAKER, DIRECTOR 203192 Oct. 8, 15, 22, 2026 3t $165.63 PUBLIC NOTICE --ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Sealed bids will be re‐ ceived for the State of Louisiana by the Division of Administration and shall be directed to the Office of Facility Planning and Control, 1201 North Third Street, Claiborne Office Building, Suite 7160, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70802 or P.O. Box 94095, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70804-9095. The deadline for receipt of bids is 2:00 PM on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at which time bids will be opened and read aloud in a public meeting in the Claiborne Office Building, Conference Room 1-145. FOR: New College of Business Southern University Baton Rouge, Louisiana PROJECT NUMBER: 19-616-26-01, F.19002383 Complete Bidding Docu‐ ments for this project are available in electronic form. They may be ob‐ tained without charge and without deposit from www.centerlinebidco nnect.com. Printed copies are not available from the Designer but arrangements can be made to obtain them through most repro‐ graphic firms. Plan hold‐ ers are responsible for their own reproduction costs. Questions about this pro‐ cedure shall be directed to the Designer at: Williams Architecture LLC / Coleman Partners Architects, LLC, AJV 700 N. 10th Street, Suite 350 Baton Rouge, LA 70802 Telephone: (225) 938-0421 E-mail: marcus@ williams-arch.com All bids shall be accom‐ panied by bid security in an amount of five per‐ cent (5.0%) of the sum of the base bid and all al‐ ternates. The form of this security shall be as stated in the Instructions to Bidders included in the Bid Documents for this project. The successful Bidder shall be required to fur‐ nish a Performance and Payment Bond written as described in the Instruc‐ tions to Bidders included in the Bid Documents for this project. A PRE-BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD at 10:00 AM on Wednes‐ day, October 28, 2026 at Southern University, Physical Plant, 515 James L. Hunt Street, Baton

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Rouge, LA 70813. Bids shall be accepted from Contractors who are licensed under LA. R.S. 37:2150-2166 for the classification of Building Construction. Bidder is required to comply with provisions and require‐ ments of LA R.S. 38:2212(B)(5). No bid may be withdrawn for a pe‐ riod of forty-five (45) days after receipt of bids, except under the provisions of LA. R.S. 38:2214. The Owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause. In ac‐ cordance with La. R.S. 38:2212(B)(1), the provi‐ sions and requirements of this Section and those stated in the bidding documents shall not be waived by any entity. When this project is fi‐ nanced either partially or entirely with State Bonds or financed in whole or in part by federal or other funds which are not readily available at the time bids are received, the award of this Con‐ tract is contingent upon the granting of lines of credit, or the sale of bonds by the Bond Com‐ mission or the availabil‐ ity of federal or other funds. The State shall incur no obligation to the Contractor until the Con‐ tract Between Owner and Contractor is fully exe‐ cuted. Facility Planning and Control is a participant in the Small Entrepreneur‐ ship (SE) Program (the Hudson Initiative) and the Veteran-Owned and Service-Connected Dis‐ abled Veteran-Owned (LaVet) Small Entrepre‐ neurships Program. Bid‐ ders are encouraged to consider participation. Information is available from the Office of Facility Planning and Control or on its website at https:// www.doa.la.gov/doa/ fpc/. If you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to participate in this meeting, please con‐ tact Cheryl Schilling at Cheryl.Schilling@la.gov or (225) 342-6060 as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled meeting. STATE OF LOUISIANA DIVISION OF ADMINIS‐ TRATION FACILITY PLANNING AND CONTROL MATTHEW H. BAKER, DI‐ RECTOR 202384-OCT 8-15-22-3T $161.34

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FOR: Re-Roof High School, Vocational Ed. and Dorm #4 Buildings and Walkways Louisiana School for the Deaf and Visually Im‐ paired Baton Rouge, Louisiana PROJECT NUMBER: 19656-26-02, F.19002700 & 01-107-24-04, F.01004774 (Supplement) Complete Bidding Docu‐ ments for this project are available in electronic form. They may be ob‐ tained without charge and without deposit from www.centerlinebidco nnect.com. Printed copies are not available from the Designer but arrangements can be made to obtain them through most repro‐ graphic firms. Plan hold‐ ers are responsible for their own reproduction costs. Questions about this pro‐ cedure shall be directed to the Designer at: Ziler Architects, A Professional Architec‐ tural Corporation 101 Calco Blvd. Lafayette, LA 70503 Telephone: 337-269-6326 E-mail: sean@zilerarchit ects.net All bids shall be accom‐ panied by bid security in an amount of five per‐ cent (5.0%) of the sum of the base bid and all al‐ ternates. The form of this security shall be as stated in the Instructions to Bidders included in the Bid Documents for this project. The successful Bidder shall be required to fur‐ nish a Performance and Payment Bond written as described in the Instruc‐ tions to Bidders included in the Bid Documents for this project. A PRE-BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, October 27, 2026 at Louisiana School for the Deaf and Visually Im‐ paired, Operations Building Con‐ ference Room 113, 2888 Brightside Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70820. Bids shall be accepted from Contractors who are licensed under LA. R.S. 37:2150-2166 for the classification of Building Construction or Roofing and Sheet Metal, Siding. Bidder is required to comply with provisions and requirements of LA R.S. 38:2212(B)(5). No bid may be withdrawn for a period of forty-five (45) days after receipt of bids, except under the provisions of LA. R.S. 38:2214. The Owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause. In ac‐ cordance with La. R.S. 38:2212(B)(1), the provi‐ sions and requirements of this Section and those stated in the bidding documents shall not be waived by any entity. When this project is fi‐ nanced either partially or entirely with State Bonds or financed in whole or in part by federal or other funds which are not readily available at the time bids are received, the award of this Con‐ tract is contingent upon the granting of lines of credit, or the sale of bonds by the Bond Com‐ mission or the availabil‐ ity of federal or other funds. The State shall incur no obligation to the il h

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Public Notices Bids/Proposals

g Contractor until the Con‐ tract Between Owner and Contractor is fully exe‐ cuted.

y the right to reject any or all bids, and to waive any informalities.

Facility Planning and Control is a participant in the Small Entrepreneur‐ ship (SE) Program (the Hudson Initiative) and the Veteran-Owned and Service-Connected Dis‐ abled Veteran-Owned (LaVet) Small Entrepre‐ neurships Program. Bid‐ ders are encouraged to consider participation. Information is available from the Office of Facility Planning and Control or on its website at https:// www.doa.la.gov/doa/ fpc/. If you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to participate in this meeting, please con‐ tact Cheryl Schilling at Cheryl.Schilling@la.gov or (225) 342-6060 as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled meeting. STATE OF LOUISIANA DIVISION OF ADMINIS‐ TRATION FACILITY PLANNING AND CONTROL MATTHEW H. BAKER, DI‐ RECTOR 202394-OCT 8-15-22-3T $169.08 PUBLIC NOTICE --ADVERTISMENT September 30, 2026 PUBLIC NOTICE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS Sealed bids will be re‐ ceived by the Purchasing Department, GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY, Gram‐ bling, La. On October 20, 2026 at 2:05, P.M. for: “50018-270005” HVAC Labor Services. At which time and place the bids will be publicly opened and read aloud. Any bid received after closing time will be returned un‐ opened. Copies of the specifica‐ tions may be obtained in electronic format by vis‐ the State of iting Louisiana, Office of State Purchasing, LaPAC Web Site, https://wwwcfprd. doa.louisiana.gov/osp/ lapac/dspBid.cfm?sea rch=department& term=53 Copies of speci‐ fications are on file in the Office of the Director of Purchasing, GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY, Gram‐ bling, La. To obtain a copy of the specifica‐ tions from Grambling State University, call (318)-274-3280 or e-mail walkere@gram.edu. Bids must be returned to the Purchasing Office at purchasingbids@gram. edu by the due date and time referenced. Bids must be submitted on the forms enclosed with the bid specification, and in strict conformity with the intent of same with‐ out modifications. Bids must be signed in ink, dated, and title of person signing the bid should be shown on the bid. Evidence of General Lia‐ bility Insurance, Auto Li‐ ability Insurance, and Workers Compensation Insurance required for this contract. No bid may be withdrawn after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids for at least thirty (30) days. The University reserves h i h j

Evidence of authority to submit the bid shall be required in accordance with R.S. 38:2212(B)(5) and/or R.S. 39:1594(C)(4). An Equal Opportunity Employer. GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY GRAMBLING, LOUISIANA Erin Walker Director of Purchasing TO APPEAR: 9/30/2026 BID DUE: 10/20/2026 202854 Oct. 6, 8, 13, 2026 3t $85.89 PUBLIC NOTICE --CAPITAL REGION PLANNING COMMISSION REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY (CEDS) DIGITAL PLATFORM DEVELOPMENT The Capital Region Plan‐ ning Commission (CRPC) invites qualified firms or consultant teams to sub‐ mit proposals to design, build, deploy, and docu‐ ment a new CRPC-owned Digital Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) plat‐ form. The selected Consultant will work collaboratively with CRPC staff to create a modern, responsive, accessible, data-driven web platform for CRPC’s 11-parish Economic De‐ velopment District. The platform will present re‐ gional economic condi‐ tions, strategic priorities, performance measures, maps, charts, tables, and narrative content, and will be designed so CRPC staff can maintain and update content without dependence on a propri‐ etary vendor platform. The scope includes Digi‐ tal CEDS platform design and development; migra‐ tion and organization of CRPC-owned or other‐ wise authorized CEDS content; development of an interactive Data Cen‐ ter; an AI-enabled quickfacts/query capability subject to CRPC ap‐ proval; administrator training and documenta‐ tion; and twelve (12) months of post-launch maintenance and techni‐ cal support. The platform must be re‐ sponsive and optimized for desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. All work must comply with applic‐ able federal, state, and local requirements asso‐ ciated with CRPC’s U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) funding and the require‐ ments contained in the full RFP. Offerors must meet the minimum qualifications and address all evalua‐ tion criteria and submis‐ sion requirements con‐ tained in the full RFP, which will be available www.crpcla.org/ at: public-notices. The total consultant bud‐ get is negotiable up to a maximum not-to-exceed amount of $14,000. The proposed price must in‐ clude all required ser‐ vices, including Digital CEDS platform develop‐ d d l

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Thursday, October 8, 2026 ■ 7D

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8D ■ Thursday, October 8, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate Public Notices Bids/Proposals p p ment and deployment, a fully functional AI-en‐ abled chatbot, and twelve (12) months of post-launch mainte‐ nance and technical sup‐ port. Respondents shall sub‐ mit three (3) bound hard copies and one (1) elec‐ tronic PDF copy of the proposal by 4:00 p.m. CDT on October 28, 2026 to: Capital Region Planning Commission Attn: Shaharia Jaman Bhuiyan, Economic Development Specialist 14734 S. Harrell’s Ferry Rd. Baton Rouge, LA 70816 Email: sbhuiyan@crpcla. org Written questions must be submitted to sb‐ huiyan@crpcla.org by 4:00 p.m. CDT on October 14, 2026. Responses to questions and any ad‐ denda will be posted by CRPC. Proposers are re‐ sponsible for reviewing all issued addenda be‐ fore submission. 203251 Oct. 8, 2026 1t $63.92

PUBLIC NOTICE --SECTION 00100 ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Sealed bids or electronic bids are requested by East Baton Rouge Parish School Board from gen‐ eral contractors for the construction of: PROJECT NAME: Former Broadmoor Middle School Site SCHOOL: Former Broadmoor Middle School PROJECT NO.: 920.002 Sealed Bids will be re‐ ceived at the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board, EBR Food and Nu‐ trition Program, ATTN: CSRS-TILLAGE Program Manager, 3000 North Sherwood Forest Blvd., Building A, Conference Room 51 Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70814, until: 2:00 PM, LOCAL TIME, No‐ vember 3, 2026 at which time and place the bids will be publicly opened and read aloud. Bidders have the option to submit their bids elec‐ tronically by using Bea‐ con Bid. Complete Bid Documents may be obtained elec‐ tronically at: https:// www.beaconbid.com/sol icitations/east-batonrouge-schools

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

There is no cost associ‐ ated with collecting the documents. These docu‐ ments will not be pro‐ vided in any other way than as described here. The successful Bidder is allowed 365 calendar days to complete the Project from the com‐ mencement date stated in the Agreement or a Notice to Proceed. Liqui‐ dated damages will be assessed at $500.00 for each consecutive calen‐ dar day for which the work is not substantially complete and $500.00 for each consecutive calen‐ dar day beginning the 46th day after the date of Substantial Completion for which all of the work listed on the punch list is not complete. The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board has adopted a Fair Share Pro‐ curement Policy with a goal of at least twenty (20%) percent participa‐ tion by MWBEs. The pol‐ icy and goal apply to this project. The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board is an Equal Opportunity Em‐ ployer. Therefore, all re‐ spondents are encour‐ aged to utilize minority participation to the ex‐ tent possible through the use of small, disadvan‐ taged, and womenowned businesses as consultants. Bid Documents may be reviewed at the office of CSRS-Tillage Program Management, 3000 North Sherwood Forest Blvd., Building A, Room 51 Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70814, F.W. Dodge Plan Room, iSqFt, Construct‐ Connect, or Reed Con‐ struction Data. Bids must be accompa‐ nied by a bid security equal to five percent (5%) of the base bid and include all additive alter‐ nates in the form of a certified check, cashier’s check or bid bond. A bid bond shall be written by a company that complies with the provisions of La. R.S. 38:2218C. The successful bidder is required to furnish a Per‐ formance Bond in an amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the contract amount and a Payment Bond in an amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the contract amount written by a company that complies with the provisions of La. R.S. 38:2219 and on the East Baton Rouge School Board's Forms included

lll

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

in the ments.

Bidding

Docu‐

A PRE-BID CONFERENCE will be held at 10:00 AM on October 20, 2026, at the EBRPSS Nutritional Program, 3000 N Sher‐ wood Forest Blvd, Build‐ ing A Rm 35. Attendance at this Pre-bid Confer‐ ence is Mandatory, and bidders must be seated prior to 10:00 AM in order to submit a bid. The apparent low bidder must complete and de‐ liver to CSRS-Tillage Pro‐ gram Management at the address stated above within ten (10) calendar days after the date of the opening of the Bids- the sworn affidavit required to comply with La. R.S. 38:2212.10 regarding an employee status verifica‐ tion system, the signed no-conviction affidavit required by La. R.S. 38:2227, the non-collu‐ sion affidavit required by La. R. S. 38:2224, and other required docu‐ ments as specified in the Bidding Documents. No bid may be withdrawn for a period of 45 days after the date of the bid opening except as pro‐ vided by law. Bidders must meet the requirements of the State of Louisiana Con‐ tractor’s Licensing Law, R.S. 37:2151 et seq. NOTE: BIDS SHALL ONLY BE ACCEPTED FROM CON‐ TRACTORS WHO ARE LI‐ CENSED UNDER LOUISIANA CONTRAC‐ TORS LICENSING LAW FOR THE MAJOR CLASSI‐ FICATION OF BUILDING CONSTRUCTION. East Baton Rouge Parish School Board reserves the right to award the project on whatever basis is in the interest of the Owner and to accept or reject any or all bids and to waive technicali‐ ties and informalities as allowed by law. Shashonnie Steward, President East Baton Rouge Parish School Board LaMont Cole, Superintendent East Baton Rouge Parish School Board LEGAL AD TO RUN: 10/2, 10/8, 10/15 DATE: September 24, 2026 END OF SECTION Project Schedule The Owner intends to ad‐ here to the following schedule, subject to modifications at Owner’s sole discretion if in best

OFFICIAL NOTICE OF THE INTENT TO LEVY SALES AND USE TAXES WITHIN THE DELMONT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT AS DESCRIBED HEREIN NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Commissioners (“District Board” or “Board”), the governing authority of Delmont Economic Development District (“District”), will meet in open and public session and hold a public hearing at Charles R. Kelly Community Center, 3535 Riley Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70805 on October 15, 2026 at one o’clock (1:00) p.m., to hear any objections to the proposed levy of the New Tax. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN to all citizens and to all other interested persons of the intention of the Delmont Economic Development District, an economic development district that was formed by the adoption of an Ordinance of the Metropolitan Council for the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge (“City-Parish”) on August 12, 2026 with boundaries set forth below (the “District”), and the District Board intends the levy and collection of a two (2%) percent sales and use tax upon the sale at retail, the use, the lease or rental, the consumption and storage for use or consumption of tangible personal property and on sales of services within the boundaries of the District (“New Tax”) commencing on January 1, 2027, as authorized by La. R.S. 33:9038.39 for the purposes of paying all or a portion of the costs associated with the Projects. The District has boundaries generally described as follows: DELMONT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT LEGAL DESCRIPTION Commencing at the intersection of the westerly right-of-way line of Plank Road and the northerly right-of-way line of Evangeline Street common with southeasterly corner of Lot 18-A, Block 16, Delmont Place Subdivision, said corner being Point of Beginning; thence westerly along the northerly right-of-way line of Evangeline Street to the southwesterly corner of Lot 18-A, Block 16, Delmont Place Subdivision; thence northerly departing the northerly right-of-way line of Evangeline Street along the westerly property line of said Lot-18-A to the northwesterly corner of said Lot 18-A common with southwesterly corner of Lot 18-B, Block 16, Delmont Place Subdivision; thence northerly along the westerly property line of said 18-B to the southerly right-of-way line of Byron Street common with the northwesterly corner of said Lot 18-A; thence easterly along the southerly right-of-way line of Byron Street to a point and corner opposite the southwesterly corner of Lot 26, Block15, Delmont Place Subdivision; thence northerly to the northerly right-of-way line of Byron Street common with the southwesterly corner of Lot 26, block 15, Delmont Place Subdivision; thence departing said right-of-way along the westerly property line of said Lot 26 to the northwesterly corner of said Lot 26 common with the southwestern corner of Lot 18, Block 15, Delmont Place Subdivision; thence easterly along the northerly property line of said Lot 26 to the southwesterly corner of Lot 22, Block 15; thence northerly along the westerly property lines of Lots 22, 21 and 20, Block 15, to the southerly right-of-way line of Sycamore Street common with the northwesterly corner of said Lot 20, Block 15; thence northerly to the northerly right-of-way line of Sycamore Street common with the southwesterly corner of Lot 26, Block14, Delmont Place Subdivision; thence northerly along the westerly property line of said 26 to the northwesterly corner of said Lot 26 common with the southwesterly corner of Lot 18, Block 14 and Lot 17, Block 14, and the northeasterly corner Lot 27, Block 14, Delmont Place Subdivision; thence westerly along the northerly property lines of Lots 27 through 34, Block 14, Delmont Place Subdivision to a point and corner being the northwesterly corner of said Lot 34; thence southerly along the westerly property line of said Lot 34 to a point and corner being the northeasterly corner of Lot 35, Block 14, Delmont Place Subdivision; thence westerly along the northerly property lines of Lots 35 through 38, Block 14, Delmont Place Subdivision to a point and corner being the northwesterly corner of said Lot 38 common with the easterly property line of Lot 39, Block 14, Delmont Place Subdivision; thence northerly along the easterly property line of said Lot 39 to a point and corner being the northeasterly corner of said Lot 39; thence westerly along the northerly property lines of Lots 39 through 42, Block 14, Delmont Place Subdivision to a point and corner being the northwesterly corner of said Lot 42 common the easterly rightof-way line of Longfellow Drive; thence northeasterly along the eastern right-of-way line of Longfellow Drive to a point and corner common with the northerly right-of-way line of Kelvin Street and the southwesterly corner of Lot 8-A Delmont Place Subdivision, Block 11; thence easterly along said right-of-way line of Kelvin Street to a point and corner being the southeasterly corner of Lot 8-A, Block 11, Delmont Place Subdivision; thence northerly departing said right-of-way along the easterly property line of said Lot 8-A to a point and corner being the northeasterly of said Lot 8-A being common with the southerly right-of-way line of Riley Street; thence easterly along the said right-of-way line of Riley Street to a point and corner being opposite the southwesterly corner of Lot 7-A, Block 10, Delmont Place Subdivision; thence departing the southerly right-ofway line of Riley Street northerly to the southwesterly corner of Lot 7-A, Block 10, Delmont Place Subdivision, common with the northerly rightof-way line of Riley Street; thence departing said right-of-way northerly along the westerly property line of Lot 7-A, Delmont Place Subdivision to a point and corner being the northwesterly corner of said Lot 7-A; thence easterly along the northerly property line of said Lot 7-A to a point and corner being the southwesterly corner of Lot 21, Block 10, Delmont Place Subdivision; thence northerly along the westerly property line of said Lot 21, Block 10 to a point and corner being the southwesterly corner of Lot 19, Block 17, Hollywood Subdivision’ thence easterly along the southerly property line of said Lot 19, Block 17, Hollywood Subdivision to a point and corner being the southeasterly corner of said Lot 19, common with the southwesterly corner of Lot 22, Block 17 Hollywood Subdivision; thence northerly along the westerly property lines of Lots 22, 21 and 20, Block 17, Hollywood Subdivision to a point and corner being the northwesterly corner of Lot 20, Block 17, Hollywood Subdivision being common with the southerly right-of-way line of Hollywood Street; thence departing said right-of-way of Hollywood Street northerly to a point and corner being the southwesterly corner of Lot 28, Block 18, Hollywood Subdivision, being common with the northerly right-of-way line of Hollywood Street; thence northerly along the westerly property line of Lots 28 and 27, Block 18, Hollywood Subdivision to the southerly property line of Lot 26, Block 18, Hollywood Subdivision, common with the a northwesterly corner of said

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

interest to the Project: 1St Advertisement of the Request for Proposals 10/02/2026 2nd Advertisement of the Request for Proposals 10/08/2026

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

3rd Advertisement of the Request for Proposals 10/15/2026

inquiries by 2:00PM CST 10/22/2026

Mandatory Pre-Proposal Conference 10/20/2026 Deadline to submit

Deadline for Owner’s response to inquiries 10/28/2026 Deadline for Submission of Proposals

NOTICE OF SPECIAL ELECTION Pursuant to the provisions of a resolution adopted on August 12, 2026 by the Metropolitan Council of the Parish of East Baton Rouge and City of Baton Rouge (the “Metropolitan Council”), acting as the governing authority of the Chaneyville Fire Protection District No. 7 of the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana (the “District”), NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a special election will be held in the District on SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2026, and that at the said election there will be submitted to all registered voters of the District, qualified and entitled to vote at the said election under the Constitution and laws of the State of Louisiana and the Constitution of the United States of America, the following proposition, to-wit: PROPOSITION Shall the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, on behalf of the Chaneyville Fire Protection District No. 7 of the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana (the “District”), be authorized to renew the levy and collection of a ten (10) mills ad valorem tax on the dollar of assessed valuation on all property subject to taxation within the boundaries of the District (the “Tax”) (an estimated $144,000 is reasonably expected at this time to be collected from the levy of the Tax for an entire year), for a period of ten (10) years, commencing with the tax collection for the year 2028, to and including the year 2037, and shall the avails or proceeds of said Tax (after paying reasonable and necessary expenses of collecting and administering the Tax) be used entirely and exclusively for the development, operation and maintenance of the fire protection facilities of the District and paying the costs of obtaining water for fire protection purposes, including charges for fire hydrant rentals and service, within the District? The said special election will be held at the following polling places situated within the corporate limits of the District, which polls will open at seven (7:00) o’clock a.m., and close at eight (8:00) o’clock p.m., in compliance with the provisions of Section 541 of Title 18 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended (La. R.S. 18:541), to-wit:

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

11/3/2026 Anticipated announce‐ ment of successful Proposer 11/3/2026 Anticipated commence‐ ment of Construction Phase

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

Services November 2026 Anticipated date of substantial completion December 2027 202647 Oct. 2, 8, 15, 2026 3t $288.21

The Interlocal Purchas‐ ing System (TIPS) has posted procurement so‐ licitations at www.tipsusa.com for the following categories:

02/008 (PART OF)

Gas Utility District 1, 10633 Zachary-Deerford Road, Zachary

02/026 (PART OF)

Grace Baptist Church, 4626 Rush Drive, Zachary

The polling places set forth above and situated within the corporate limits of the District be and the same are hereby designated as the polling places in which to hold the said special election, and the Commissionersin-Charge and Commissioners, respectively, shall be those persons designated according to law pursuant to Section 1286(A) or Section 1286.1, as the case may be, of Title 18 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended. A portion of the monies collected from the Tax shall be remitted to certain State and statewide retirement systems in accordance with the provisions of Subtitle 1 of Title 11 of Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended (La. R.S. 11:82). In accordance with La. R.S. 18:1285(A)(1)(a)(v), the estimated cost of holding the election will be $10,600.00. The said special election will be held in accordance with the applicable provisions of Chapter 6-A and Chapter 6-B of Title 18 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended, and other constitutional and statutory authority supplemental thereto, and the officers appointed to hold the said election, as provided in this Notice of Special Election, or such substitutes therefor as may be selected and designated in accordance with Section 1287 of Title 18 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended (La. R.S. 18:1287), will make due returns thereof to the Metropolitan Council, and NOTICE IS HEREBY FURTHER GIVEN that said Metropolitan Council will meet at its regular meeting place, Third Floor, City Hall, Room 348, 222 St. Louis Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2027, at FOUR (4:00) O’CLOCK P.M., and will then and there in open and public session proceed to examine and canvass the returns and declare the result of the special election. All registered voters in the District are entitled to vote at said special election and voting machines will be used thereat. THUS DONE AND SIGNED at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on this, the 12th day of August, 2026. /s/ Brandon Noel President Pro Tempore

WARD/PRECINCT

LOCATION

02/006A (PART OF)

Northeast Elementary School, 13801 Pride Port Hudson Road, Pride

02/006B (PART OF)

Northeast Elementary School, 13801 Pride Port Hudson Road, Pride

02/007A (PART OF)

Gas Utility District 1, 10633 Zachary-Deerford Road, Zachary

02/007B (PART OF)

Gas Utility District 1, 10633 Zachary-Deerford Road, Zachary

203089-694573-oct 8-15-22-29-4t $ 690.28

Lot 27; thence westerly along the southerly property line of said Lot 26, to a point and corner being the southwesterly corner of said Lot 26; thence northerly to the northwesterly corner of said Lot 26, common with the southerly property line of Village Park Subdivision; thence easterly along the southerly property line of Village Park Subdivision to the southwesterly corner of Lot 2, Village Park Subdivision; thence northerly to the southerly right-of-way line of Amarillo Street common with the northwestern corner of Lot 2, Village Park Subdivision; thence easterly continuing along the southerly right-of-way line of Amarillo Street to the northeasterly corner of Lot 2, Village Park

the southeasterly corner of said Lot A-3-A-2 common with the northerly right-of-way line of Lateral of Monte Sano Bayou; thence westerly along the southerly property line of said Lot A-3-A-2 to a point and corner opposite the northeasterly corner of Lot 1-A-2, Maurice Place; thence southerly to the northeasterly corner of said Lot 1-A-2 common with the southerly right-of-way line of Lateral of Monte Sano Bayou; thence westerly along the northerly property line of Lot 1-A-2, Maurice Place to the northwesterly corner of Lot 1-A-2; thence southerly along the westerly property line of said Lot 1-A-2 common with the easterly property line of Lot 1-A-1, Maurice Place to the southeasterly corner of Lot 1-A-1; thence westerly along the southerly property line of Lot 1-A-1 to the eastern rightof-way line of Plank Road common with the southwesterly corner of Lot 1-A-1 and the northwesterly corner of Lot 2-A-1, Maurice; thence southerly along the eastern right-of-way line of Plank Road to the southwesterly corner of Lot 2-A-1 Maurice Place and the northwesterly corner of Lot 3 Maurice Place common with said right-of-way; thence easterly along the northerly property line of Lot 3, Maurice Place to the northeasterly corner of said Lot 3; thence; thence southerly along the easterly property line of said Lot 3 to the southeasterly corner of said Lot 3 common with the northeasterly corner of Lot 4-A, Maurice Place; thence southerly along the easterly property line of said Lot 4-A to the southeasterly corner of said Lot 4-A; thence westerly along the southerly property line of said Lot 4-A to the northeasterly corner of Lot 9-A-X, Maurice Place; thence southerly along the easterly property line of said Lot 9-A-X to the northerly right-of-way line of Hollywood Street common with the southeasterly corner of said Lot 9-A-X; thence westerly along the northerly right-of-way line of Hollywood Street to a point and corner opposite the northeasterly corner of Lot 8-A, Block 1, St. Gerard Place; thence departing said right-of-way southerly to the southerly right-of-way line of Hollywood Street common with the northeasterly corner of Lot 8-A, Block 1, St. Gerard Place; thence departing said right-of-way line southerly along the east property line of said Lot 8-A, Block 1, to the southeasterly corner of said Lot 8-A,Block 1; thence westerly to the northwesterly corner of Lot 18, Block 1, St. Gerard Place; thence southerly along the westerly property line of said Lot 18 to the northerly right-of-way line of St. Katherine Ave., common to the southeasterly of said Lot 18, Block 1; thence departing said right-of-way southerly to the southerly right-of-way line of St. Katherine Ave. opposite the southerly corner of Lot 18, Block 1, St. Gerard Place; thence westerly along said right-of-way line to the intersection of the southerly right-of-way line of St. Katherine Ave. with the easterly right-of-way line of Plank Road; thence southerly along the easternly right-of-way line of Plank Road to the intersection of easterly right-of-line of Plank Road and the southerly right-of-way line of St. Gerard Ave. thence easterly along the southerly right-of-way line of St. Gerard Ave. to the northeasterly corner of Lot 1,Block 8, St. Gerard Place; thence southerly along the easterly property line of Lots 1, 2, 3, Block 8, St. Gerard Place, projected to a point and corner on the northerly property line of Lot 3, Block 1, Schorten Place; thence westerly along said Lot 3, Block 1 to the northeasterly corner of Lot 1, Block 1, Schorten Place; thence southerly along the easterly property line of Lot 1 and Lot 2, Block 1, Schorten Place to the northerly right-of-way line of Lorraine Street common with the southeasterly corner of said Lot 2, Block 1, Schorten Place; thence southerly to the southerly right of way of Lorraine Street common with Lot 3, Block 2, Schorten Place, thence departing said rightof-way along the easterly property line of said Lot 3 to the southeasterly corner of said Lot 3 common with the northwesterly corner of Lot 11, Block 2, Schorten Place; thence easterly along the northerly property line of said Lot 11 to the northeasterly corner of said Lot 11; thence southerly along the easterly property line of said Lot 11 to the northerly right-of-way line of Beech Street common with the southeasterly corner of Lot 11, Block 2, Schorten Place; thence westerly along said right-of-way line to a point and corner opposite the northeasterly corner of Lot 1, Block 3, Schorten Place; thence departing said right-of-way line southerly to the southerly right-of-way line Beech Street common to the notheasterly corner of Lot 1, Block 3, Schorten Place; thence departing said right-ofway line southerly along the easterly property line of said Lots 1, 2, 17 and 18, Block 3, Schorten Place to the northerly right-of-way line of Sycamore Street common with the southeasterly corner of Lot 18, Block 3, Schorten Place; thence departing said right-of-way line to the southerly right-ofway line of Sycamore Street common with the northeasterly corner of Lot 3, Block 4, Schorten Place; thence easterly along said right-of-way line to the northeasterly corner of Lot 1, Block 4, Schorten Place; thence southerly departing said right-of-way along the easterly property lines of Lots 1 and 2, Block 4, Schorten Place and Lot 3, Block “C”, North Highlands Estates, to the northerly right-of-way line of Byron Street common with the south easterly corner of said Lot 3, Block “3”; thence southerly departing said right-of-way line to a corner on the southerly right-of-way line of Byron Street; thence westerly along said right-of-way to the northeasterly corner of Lot 21, Block “D” North Highlands Estates; thence southerly departing said right-of-way line along the easterly property lines of Lots 21 and 27, Block “D”, North Highlands Estates to the northerly right-of-way line of Evangeline Street common with the southeasterly corner of Lot 27, Block “D”, North Highlands Estates; thence westerly along said right-of-way line to a corner opposite the northeasterly corner of Lot 48, Block “E”, North Highlands Estates; thence southerly departing said right-of-way line to the southerly right-of-way line of Evangeline Street common with the northeasterly corner of said Lot 48, Block “E”; thence southerly departing said right-of-way along the easterly property lines of Lot 48 and 47 Block “E”, North Highlands Estates to the southeasterly corner of said Lot 47; thence westerly along the southerly property line said Lot 47 to the easterly right-of-way line of Plank Road common with the southwesterly corner of said Lot 47; thence northerly along the easterly right-of-way line of Plank Road to the a point and corner common to the easterly right-of-way line Plank Road and the northerly right-of-way line of Evangeline Street; thence westerly departing said point and corner to a point and corner being common with the westerly right-of-way line of Plank Road and the northerly right-of-way line of Evangeline Street and the southeasterly corner of Lot 18-A, Block 16, Delmont Place said point and corner being the Point of Beginning.

Subdivision; thence northerly to the northerly right-of-way line of Amarillo Street common with southwesterly corner of Lot 10, Village Park Subdivision; thence northerly along the westerly property lines of Lots 10 & 13, Village Park Subdivision to the southerly right-of-way line Vaughn Drive common with the northwesterly corner of Lot 13, Village Park Subdivision; thence northerly to the northerly right-of-way line of Vaughn Drive common with the southwesterly corner of Lot 22 Village Park Subdivision and the southeasterly corner of Lot 21, Village Park Subdivision; thence continuing westerly along the northerly right-of-way line of Vaughn Drive to the southwesterly corner of Lot 21; thence northerly along the westerly property line of Lot 21 to the northwesterly corner of Lot 21, Village Park Subdivision; thence easterly along the northerly property lines of Lots 21& 22, Village Park Subdivision; thence northerly along the easterly property line if Lot 25, Village Park Subdivision to the southerly right-of-way line of Greenwell Street common with the northeasterly corner of Lot 25, Village Park Subdivision; thence northeasterly to the westerly right-of-way line of Plank Road common with the northerly right-of-way line of Monte Sano Bayou; thence northeasterly along the westerly right-of-way line of Plank Road to the southerly rightof-way line of J.H. Cooney Drive; thence westerly along the southerly right-of-way line of J.H. Cooney Drive to a corner opposite the southwesterly corner of Tract Y-1-A-2 of the J.H. Cooney Property; thence northerly along the westerly property line of said Tract Y-1-A-2 to the northwesterly of said Tract Y-1-A-2 common to the southwesterly corner of Tract Y-1-A-1-B of the J.H. Cooney Property; thence northerly along the westerly property line of said Tract Y-1-A-1-B to the northwesterly corner of said Tract Y-1-A-1-B; thence easterly along the northerly property line of said Tract Y-1-A-1-B to the northeasterly corner of said Tract common with the northwesterly corner of Tract “X” of the J.H. Cooney Tract; thence easterly along the northerly property line of said Tract “X” to the westerly right-of-way line of Plank Road common with the northeasterly corner of Tract “X” of the J.H Cooney Property; thence northerly along the westerly right-of-way line of Plank Road to the southeasterly corner of an unnumbered 0.79 acre lot of the Original W.P. Denham Tract common with the northerly right-of-way line of Cannon Street; thence departing the right-of-way line of Plank Road westerly along the northerly right-of-way line of Cannon Street to the southwesterly corner of the of said 0.79 acre lot; thence departing said right-of-way of Cannon Street northerly to the northwesterly to the southerly right-of-way line of Vergie Street common with the northwesterly corner of said 0.79 acre lot; thence departing said right-of-way northerly to the southerly right-of-way line of Vergie Street; thence easterly along said right-of-way to the southwesterly corner of Lot 6 of the W.P. Denham Tract; thence departing said right-of-way line of Vergie Street along the westerly property line of Lots 6 thru 1, common with the southerly right-of-way line of Harriet Street; thence departing said right-of-way northerly to the northerly right-of-way line of Harriet Street, common with the southwesterly corner of Lot 3, Joseph Digirolamo Property; thence departing said right-of-way northerly along the westerly property line of Lots 3 thru 1 of the Joseph Digirolamo Property to the northwesterly corner of Lot 1; thence easterly to the westerly right-of- line way line of Plank Road common with the northeasterly corner of said Lot 1; thence departing said right-of-way easterly to the easterly right-of-way line of Plank Road; thence northeasterly to the northeasterly corner of Tract A-1 of the Denham Tract common with said right-of-way; thence departing said right-of way southerly to the southeasterly corner of said Tract A-1 common with the northeasterly corner of Tract B-1 of the Denham Tract; thence southerly along the easterly property line of said Tract B-1 to the northerly right-of-way line of Dawson Drive, common with the southeasterly corner of said Tract B-1; thence westerly along the northerly right-of-way line of Dawson Drive to a point and corner opposite the northeasterly corner of Lot 2-B-2, Denham Place common with the southerly right-of-way line of Dawson Drive; thence southerly to the southerly right-of-way line of Dawson Drive common with the northeasterly corner of said Lot 2-B-2; thence departing said right-of-way line of Dawson Drive southerly along the easterly property line of Lot 2-B-2 to the southeasterly corner of Lot 2-B-2, Denham Place; thence easterly along the northerly property line of Lot 4-A being a portion of Denham Place and Fairview Place to the northeasterly corner of said Lot 4-A; thence southerly along the easterly property line of said Lot 4-A to the northerly right-ofway line of Cannon Street common with the southeasterly corner of said Lot 4-A; thence westerly along said right-of-way to a point and corner common to said right-of -way opposite the northeasterly corner of Lot 3, Langlois Place; thence departing said right-of-way southerly to the southerly right-of-way line of Cannon Street common with the northeasterly corner of Lot 3 Langlois Place; thence departing said rightof-way southerly along the easterly property line of Lots 3 thru 1, Langlois Place to the southeasterly corner of Lot 1, Langlois Place; thence easterly to the northeasterly corner of Lot 5-A, Denham Tract; thence southerly to the southeasterly corner of said Lot 5-A; thence westerly to the northeasterly corner of Lot Y, Denham Tract; thence southerly to the northerly right-of-way line of Denham Street, common with the southeasterly corner of said Lot “Y”; thence westerly along said right-ofway to a point and corner common to said right-of-way opposite the northeasterly corner of Lot “A” Denham Tract; thence departing the northerly right-of-way line of Denham Street, southerly to the southerly right-of-way line of Denham Street, common with the northeasterly corner of Lot ”A” Denham Tract; thence departing said right-of-way southerly along the easterly property line of said Lot “A” to the southeasterly corner of said Lot “A”, common with the northerly property line of Lot A-3-A-1-A, Plank Road Village; thence easterly along the northerly property line of Lot A-3-A-1-A to the northeasterly corner of Lot A-3-A-1-A, Plank Road Village; thence southerly along the easterly property line of said Lot A-3A-1-A to the southeasterly corner of said Lot A-3-A-1-A common with the northeasterly corner of Lot A-3-A-2 Plank Road Park; thence southerly to

ATTEST: /s/ Ashley Beck Council Administrator/Treasurer

202138-691829-Oct. 1, 8-2t $ 1,064.50

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Thursday, October 8, 2026 ■ 9D

lll

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

261001 Uniforms and Pro‐ motional Attire, Acces‐ sories, and Services 261002 Energy and Water Efﬁciency Goods and Services (2 Part with JOC) 261003 Technology Solu‐ tions, Products, and Ser‐ vices The proposal is due and will be opened on No‐ vember 19th, 2026, at 3:00 pm local time. Call 866839-8477 for problems with website or ques‐ tions. 201954-oct 1-8-2t $178.98

PUBLIC NOTICE -- The Louisiana Ofﬁce of the State Museum is re‐ questing proposals for a Public-Private Partner‐ ship project to design, build, furnish, operate, and maintain an in‐ door/outdoor café at the New Orleans Jazz Mu‐ seum. For more informa‐ tion go to opportuni‐ tiesinlouisiana.com. 202696-oct 2-20-t $93.29

Public Notices Conservation

ine=True Interested parties may submit written com‐ ments on the draft per‐ mit and application or re‐ quest a public hearing. Written comments con‐ cerning the application must be received by the Department of Conserva‐ tion and Energy no later than 4:30 P.M., November 11, 2026. Submit all com‐ Samantha ments to: Chamkha, Ofﬁce of Per‐ mitting and Compliance, 617 North 3rd Street, 8th Floor, Baton Rouge, LA 70802. Comments may also be e-mailed to info@ la.gov. Please reference: Calumet Princeton Reﬁn‐ ing, LLC Class I, Applica‐ tion Numbers 25127 and 25128. All persons having inter‐ est in the aforesaid shall take notice thereof. By order of: Dustin H. Davidson Department of Conservation and Energy 202721 Oct. 8, 2026 1t $67.35 PUBLIC NOTICE ---

PUBLIC NOTICE --VOUCHER #26-007776 TO BE PUBLISHED – LEGAL 10/08/2026 THE ADVOCATE BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA NOTICE In accordance with R.S. 38:2212, the following has been deemed an emer‐ gency and authorization of the expenditure of funds is justiﬁed as an emergency involving public safety. The condi‐ tions and circumstances requiring this emergency purchase is for runway repair at the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Air‐ port. The amount of this expenditure is $148,000 and issued to Ameriseal of Ohio Inc., 200 Weller Dr., Smithville, OH 44677 203213-oct 8-1t $11.84

Public Notices Conservation

PUBLIC NOTICE Department of Conservation and Energy Office of Permitting and Compliance Calumet Princeton Refining, LLC Noncommercial, Nonhazardous Class I Waste Disposal Wells Application No. 25127 & 25128 Bossier Parish, Louisiana Pursuant to provisions of the laws of the State of Louisiana and particu‐ larly Title 43 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950 as amended, and provisions of Statewide Order No. 29-N-1, notice is hereby given that the Depart‐ ment of Conservation and Energy has prepared a Draft Permit for the ap‐ plication referenced below. Calumet Princeton Refining, LLC 10234 Hwy 157 Princeton, LA 71067 Calumet Princeton Refin‐ ing, LLC has applied to the Department of Con‐ servation and Energy for a permit to continue op‐ erating two existing Non‐ commercial, Nonhaz‐ ardous Class I Waste Dis‐ posal Wells in Section 33, Township 19 North, Range 11 West, of Bossier Parish for dis‐ posal of industrial, non‐ hazardous liquid wastes. The maximum cumula‐ tive monthly injection volume for the current injection interval is 4,243,806 gallons. The ex‐ isting wells are identified as Calumet Injection Well No. 002 and Calumet Waste Disposal Well No. 003. Waste water dis‐ posal is proposed to con‐ tinue at a depth of 790 feet to 1,060 feet from Kelly Bushing (kb) within a disposal zone of 790 feet to 1,060 feet from kb. The base of the lower‐ most underground source of drinking water (USDW) at this specific facility location occurs at an approximate depth of 280 feet kb, determined from a well log of Well SN 972554. A copy of the draft per‐ mit (Order), fact sheet, application or other in‐ formation concerning the application may be ob‐ tained by request in writ‐ ing to Samantha Chamkha, Office of Per‐ mitting and Compliance, Engineering Division, 617 North 3rd Street, 8th Floor, Baton Rouge, LA 70802 or by calling (225) 342-5515. The Draft Per‐ mit and fact sheet are also available for inspec‐ tion at the above men‐ tioned address, Rm. 817, between 8:00 A.M. and 4:30 P.M., Monday through Friday. In addi‐ tion, the application package is available for viewing on the Louisiana Department of Conserva‐ tion and Energy website at the following web ad‐ dress: https://sonlite.dnr.state. la.us/dnrservices/ redirectUrl.jsp?dDocnam e=23400277&showInl

Legal Notices

NOTICE the Louisiana De‐ partment of Conserva‐ tion and Energy, Office of Permitting and Compli‐ ance (OPC) has received the following applica‐ tion(s) for a Coastal Use Permit (CUP) in accor‐ dance with La. R.S. 49:214.21 et seq., and the rules of the Coastal Man‐ agement Program. Appli‐ cations for coastal use permits may be in‐ spected at 617 North 3rd Street, Room 1078, Baton Rouge, LA or on the OPC https:// webpage at: www.dce.louisiana.gov/ page/coastalmanagement-publicnotices. Copies are avail‐ able, costs apply. Written comments are solicited from the public and must be received within 25 days of the date of this notice. Comments must be uploaded directly to our electronic record through the OPC web‐ page or mailed to: OPC Administrator, Kyle Balkum, and P.O. Box 44487, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-4487. All comments must contain the appro‐ priate CUP number and the commenter's full name and contact infor‐ mation. Below are the referenced applica‐ tion(s): *************** CUP NUMBER: P20260720 Name: Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Govern‐ ment c/o GIS Engineering 197 ELYSIAN DR. HOUMA, LA 70363 Attn: Kodi Babin Location: Terrebonne Parish, LA; Lat. 29-3417.11N, Long 90-4144.01W; Section 12 T17 R17; 1892 Industrial Blvd Houma, 70363 Descrip‐ tion: Proposed construc‐ tion of a 400 cfs. pump station to assist in storm water drainage and flood control. Flooding has been occurring in the low-lying residential areas of the drainage basin to the north of the bayou. The proposed pump station will be con‐ structed adjacent to the existing 310 cfs. facility, which will remain func‐ tional during and after construction of the new pump station. The 400 cfs. pump station has been designed for a 25year storm event, with the intent to provide ad‐ ditional pumping capac‐ ity to the 600 acre water‐ shed allowing for more effective control of water levels in Woodlawn Bayou. Approx. 4,583 CY of excavation and 4,975 CY of fill will be required (271 CY concrete, 214 CY crushed stone/gravel, 205 CY rock, 3,156 CY hauled in dirt, and 1,129 CY of native material ex‐ cavated and placed onsite). 203324-oct 8-1t $27.49

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE --***CORRECTED*** CSAL Charter Schools, Inc. Board of Directors Annual Board Retreat Monday, October 12, 2026 4962 Florida Blvd. Baton Rouge, LA 70806 203261-oct 8-1t $36.14 PUBLIC NOTICE --Be it known that Sharon Carroll Green, the biolog‐ ical mother of Dylan Scott Green is applying for Continuing Tutorship. Any person who objects to said appointment must petition the court and show cause before the 21st Judicial District Court for the Parish of Livingston in accordance with Louisiana law. Any‐ one person who believes they are an interested person in this matter, please contact Attorney ALLISON B. COSTANZA, at (225) 664 4335 or acostanza@bhalawﬁrm. com. 203322 Oct. 8, 2026 1t $91.77

Place a Classified ad?

1-800-960-6397

Legal Notices

g ______ y of _____ 2026, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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.

NOTICE On September 30, 2026 Susan Bonnett Bour‐ geois, Secretary of Louisiana Economic De‐ velopment, determined that records pertaining to an active negotiation for the purpose of retain‐ ing, expanding, or at‐ tracting economic or business development in the state, referred to as Project Conclave, shall be conﬁdential until con‐ clusion of the negotia‐ tion, in accordance with La.R.S.44:22.

201952-SEP 28-OCT 8-11T $1,405.06 PUBLIC NOTICE --Notice is hereby given that the DeSoto Parish Police Jury, 101 Franklin Street, Mansfield, LA 71052, has applied for a 401 Water Quality Certifi‐ cation to clear, grade, ex‐ cavate, and place fill to construct a new landfill cell at the Mundy Landfill at 2712 US-84 in Mans‐ field, DeSoto Parish. The DeSoto Parish Police Jury is applying to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Office of Environmental Services for a Water Quality Certification in accordance with statu‐ tory authority contained in the LAC 33:IX.1507.A-E and provisions of Section 401 of the Clean Water Act. Comments concerning this application can be filed with the Water Per‐ mits Division within ten days of this notice by ref‐ erencing WQC 260810-01, AI 19803 to the following address: Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality Water Permits Division P.O. Box 4313 Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4313 Attn: Water Quality Certifications Comments may be sub‐ mitted by email to DEQWaterQualityCertifica‐ tions@la.gov. A copy of the application is available for inspec‐ tion and review at the LDEQ Public Records Center at 602 North Fifth Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70802, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The available information can also be accessed electronically on the Electronic Docu‐ ment Management Sys‐ tem (EDMS) on the LDEQ public website at www. deq.louisiana.gov. 203323-oct 8-1t $201.53 PUBLIC NOTICE --Notice is hereby given that the Ouachita Parish School Board, located at 1600 North 7th Street, West Monroe, LA 71291, has applied for a 401 Water Quality Certifica‐ tion to clear, grade, exca‐ vate, and place fill to construct an elementary school and associated infrastructure at 5855 U.S. Highway 165 in Rich‐ wood, Ouachita Parish. The Ouachita Parish School Board is applying to the Louisiana Depart‐ ment of Environmental Quality, Office of Environ‐ mental Services for a Water Quality Certifica‐ tion in accordance with statutory authority con‐ tained in the LAC 33:IX.1507.A-E and provi‐ sions of Section 401 of the Clean Water Act. Comments concerning this application can be filed with the Water Per‐ mits Division within ten days of this notice by ref‐ erencing WQC 260708-01, AI 251906 to the following address: Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality Water Permits Division P.O. Box 4313 Baton Rouge, LA 708214313 Attn: Water Quality Certifications Comments may be sub‐ mitted by email to DEQWaterQualityCertifica‐ tions@la.gov. A copy of the application is available for inspec‐ tion and review at the LDEQ Public Records Center at 602 North Fifth Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70802, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The available information can also be accessed electronically on the Electronic Docu‐ ment Management Sys‐ tem (EDMS) on the LDEQ public website at www. deq.louisiana.gov. 203382 Oct. 8, 2026 1t $206.60

OPEN HOUSE PUBLIC MEETING STATE AND FEDERAL AID PROJECT NO. H015104 GREENWELL SPGS RD @ MORGAN RD INTERSECT IMP EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH Forte & Tablada Inc. is conducting an open house public meeting for the proposed Greenwell Springs Rd. (LA 37) @ Morgan Rd. Intersection Improvement project. The proposed project would consist of replacing the existing traffic signal-controlled three-way intersection with a multi-lane roundabout. The purpose of the meeting is to provide information about the project and to obtain input from interested parties. There will be a continuous multi-media presentation about the project, and additional project information will be available. Representatives from Forte & Tablada Inc. will be available at the open house to answer questions and discuss issues related to the project. Verbal and written comments on the project can be submitted at the meeting. Comments can also be mailed to the address shown below, postmarked by December 5th, 2026. The public meeting has been scheduled as follows:

Public Notices Successions

203034 Oct. 7, 8, 9, 2026 3t $44.86

Public Notices Successions

PUBLIC NOTICE --19TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE STATE OF LOUISIANA PROBATE NO. P-116467 DIV. 22 IN THE MATTER OF THE SUCCESSION OF JANITH LYNN MILLER ******************* NOTICE OF FIRST AND FINAL TABLEAU OF DIS‐ TRIBUTION NOTICE IS GIVEN to the creditors of this Suc‐ cession and to all other interested persons, that a First and Final Tableau of Distribution has been ﬁled by Michael Miller, the administrator of this Succession, with his peti‐ tion praying for homolo‐ gization of the Tableau and for authority to pay debts of the Estate listed thereon and distribute Estate assets as de‐ scribed therein; and that and Final the First Tableau of Distribution can be homologated after the expiration of seven (7) days from the date of the publication of this notice. Any opposi‐ tion to the Petition and First and Final Tableau of Distribution must be ﬁled prior to homologization. Signed this ______ day f i

_________________ Deputy Clerk of Court East Baton Rouge Parish 203327 Oct. 8. 9, 2026 2t $65.54 PUBLIC NOTICE --LEGAL NOTICE IS GIVEN that Justin Vaughn, Ex‐ ecutor of the Succession of CARL CHRISTOPHER VAUGHN, Probate No. # P-117008 DIV: 22, 19th JDC, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, has ap‐ plied for authority to sell at private sale the Dece‐ dent’s immovable prop‐ erty situated in East Baton Rouge Parish iden‐ tified as LOT NUMBER NINE (9) of BARKLEY PLACE SUBDIVISION, FIRST FILING for no less the sum of ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY-FOUR THOU‐ SAND AND 00/100 ($174,000.00) DOLLARS, less expenses, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the petition. Any opposition to the proposed sale must be filed within seven (7) days from the date of the last publication of this notice. Additional details are contained in filings available at the Clerk of Court for East Baton Rouge Parish. 203312 Oct. 8, 28, 2026 2t $51.38

WBR Public Notices

WBR Public Notices Bids/Proposals

PUBLIC NOTICE - -REQUEST FOR BID JUNK REMOVAL SERVICES West Baton Rouge Parish is requesting proposals from qualiﬁed contrac‐ tors to provide junk re‐ moval and disposal ser‐ vices at 6013 Choctaw Road, Brusly, LA 70719. Proposals will be re‐ ceived until October 22, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. It is the responsibility of ll i bidd

WBR Public Notices Bids/Proposals p y all prospective bidders to visit the project site prior to submitting a proposal. Site visits are necessary to properly assess the lo‐ cation, logistics, scope of work, and existing site conditions. Proposals may be sub‐ mitted online to Premise@wbrcouncil.org. Questions regarding the bid should be directed to: Ofﬁce of Community Planning & Development 880 N. Alexander Avenue, Port Allen, LA 70767 Tele‐ phone: 225-336-2434 202248-oct 1-8-15-3t $41.61

WBR Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEAR‐ ING West Baton Rouge Public Notice Notice Is Hereby Given To All Citizens Of The Parish Of West Baton Rouge, State Of Louisiana, And To All Other Interested Persons, Of The Introduc‐ tion At The Regular Meet‐ ing Of The West Baton Rouge Parish Council Of The Proposed Ordi‐ nance(s) Introduced By Title September 24, 2026 As Set Forth Hereinafter. An Ordinance To Amend And Reenact The West Baton Rouge Parish Code Of Ordinances, Part III (“Uniﬁed Development Code”), Chapter 106 (“Site Planning”), Article V (“Yard/Setback, Open Space And Common Area Requirements”), Sections 106-126 Thru 106-128 (In‐ dustrial Site Develop‐ ment Regulations) To Fencing Requirements. A PUBLIC HEARING will be held by the West Baton Rouge Zoning Commission relative to the rezoning requests. Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2026 Time 5:30 pm

A PUBLIC HEARING will

NOTICE OF SPECIAL ELECTION Pursuant to the provisions of a resolution adopted on August 12, 2026 by the Metropolitan Council of the Parish of East Baton Rouge and City of Baton Rouge (the “Metropolitan Council”), acting as the governing authority of the Pride Fire Protection District No. 8 of the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana (the “District”), NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a special election will be held in the District on SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2026, and that at the said election there will be submitted to all registered voters of the District, qualified and entitled to vote at the said election under the Constitution and laws of the State of Louisiana and the Constitution of the United States of America, the following proposition, to-wit: PROPOSITION Shall the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, on behalf of the Pride Fire Protection District No. 8 of the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana (the “District”), be authorized to renew the levy and collection of a fifteen (15) mills ad valorem tax on the dollar of assessed valuation on all property subject to taxation within the boundaries of the District (the “Tax”) (an estimated $385,000 is reasonably expected at this time to be collected from the levy of the Tax for an entire year), for a period of ten (10) years, commencing in the year 2028, and annually thereafter, to and including the year 2037, and shall the avails or proceeds of said Tax (after paying reasonable and necessary expenses of collecting and administering the Tax) be used entirely and exclusively for the development, operation and maintenance of the fire protection facilities of the District and paying the costs of obtaining water for fire protection purposes, including charges for fire hydrant rentals and service, within the District? The said special election will be held at the following polling places situated within the corporate limits of the District, which polls will open at seven (7:00) o’clock a.m., and close at eight (8:00) o’clock p.m., in compliance with the provisions of Section 541 of Title 18 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended (La. R.S. 18:541), to-wit: WARD/PRECINCT

LOCATION

02/006A (PART OF)

Northeast Elementary School, 13801 Pride Port Hudson Road, Pride

02/006B (PART OF)

Northeast Elementary School, 13801 Pride Port Hudson Road, Pride

02/007A (PART OF)

Gas Utility District 1, 10633 Zachary-Deerford Road, Zachary

02/007B (PART OF)

Gas Utility District 1, 10633 Zachary-Deerford Road, Zachary

NOTICE OF SPECIAL ELECTION Pursuant to the provisions of a resolution adopted on April 22, 2026 by the Metropolitan Council of the Parish of East Baton Rouge and City of Baton Rouge (the “Metropolitan Council”), acting as the governing authority of the Brownsfield Fire Protection District No. 3 of the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana (the “District”), NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a special election will be held in the District, on SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2026, and that at the said election there will be submitted to all registered voters of the District, qualified and entitled to vote at the said election under the Constitution and laws of the State of Louisiana and the Constitution of the United States of America, the following proposition, to-wit: PROPOSITION Shall the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, on behalf of the Brownsfield Fire Protection District No. 3 of the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana (the “District”), be authorized to renew the levy and collection of a five (5) mills ad valorem tax on the dollar of assessed valuation on all property subject to taxation within the boundaries of the District (the “Tax”) (an estimated $207,000 is reasonably expected at this time to be collected from the levy of the Tax for an entire year), for a period of ten (10) years, commencing with the tax collection for the year 2029, to and including the year 2038, and shall the avails or proceeds of said Tax (after paying reasonable and necessary expenses of collecting and administering the Tax) be used entirely and exclusively for the development, operation and maintenance of the fire protection facilities of the District and paying the costs of obtaining water for fire protection purposes, including charges for fire hydrant rentals and service, within the District? The said special election will be held at the following polling places situated within the corporate limits of the District, which polls will open at seven (7:00) o’clock a.m., and close at eight (8:00) o’clock p.m., in compliance with the provisions of Section 541 of Title 18 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended (La. R.S. 18:541), to-wit:

WBR Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

WBR Public Notices Sheriff Sales

be held by the West Baton Rouge Parish Council relative to the re‐ zoning requests.

Public hearings will be held at the West Baton Rouge Parish Govern‐ mental Building, 880 N. Alexander, Port Allen, LA 70767

Recorder of said Parish and State, as Lot Number eight Hundred Fifty-One (851), said subdivision, said lot having such size, shape and dimensions and being subject to such servitudes as are shown on said map.

Date: Thursday, October 22, 2026 Time 5:30 pm Public hearings will be held at the West Baton Rouge Parish Govern‐ mental Building, 880 N. Alexander, Port Allen, LA 70767 ALL MEETING INFORMA‐ TION INCLUDING MIN‐ UTES AND VIDEOS CAN BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE WBRPARISH.ORG UNDER THE AGENDA AND MIN‐ UTES TAB. Ordinances in full can be found on our website under Notice of Public Hearings…… https:// www.wbrparish.org/720/ Notice-of-PublicHearings

Publish The Advocate Three (3) Times: 10/1/2026, 10/8/2026, and 10/15/2026 202464 Oct. 1, 8, 15, 2026 3t $96.18

PUBLIC NOTICE --Public Notice West Baton Rouge Parish Zoning Commission Master Plan Change Request: Rezone from C1.4 to I-1 with waiver on rear setback. Applicant: Landsource, Inc-Michael Davis Owner: CAP Industrial Park I, LLC Address: 2070 Commer‐ cial Drive, Port Allen, LA 70767 Property Description: PJ #26-0026: as described by the WBR Assessor site: TRACT G-3-C-2-B-3-B CONT 13.700 AC IN SEC 93 T7S R12E 52-128 The West Baton Rouge Zoning Commission will hold a PUBLIC HEARING relative to the rezoning request. Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2026 Time: 5:30 pm The West Baton Rouge Parish Council will hold a PUBLIC HEARING relative to the rezoning request. Date: Thursday, October 22, 2026 Time 5:30 pm

WEST BATON ROUGE PARISH P&Z COMMIS‐ SION ALL MEETING INFORMA‐ TION INCLUDING MIN‐ UTES AND VIDEOS CAN BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE WBRPARISH.ORG UNDER THE AGENDA AND MIN‐ UTES TAB. Ordinances in full can be found on our website under Notice of Public Hearings…… https:// www.wbrparish.org/720/ Notice-of-PublicHearings 200524-OCT 1-8-15-3T $69.90

WBR Public Notices Sheriff Sales

SHERIFF’S SALE NEWREZ, LLC D/B/A SHELLPOINT MORTGAGE SERVICING VS. LESLIE A. WASHINGTON

Terms of Sale: Cash to the highest bidder WITH‐ OUT beneﬁt of appraise‐ ment and according to law. Attorney for the Plaintiff: Halliday, Watkins & Mann, P.C., 1505 N. 19th Street, Monroe, LA 71201, (801) 355-2886 Judicial Advertise‐ ment(s) will appear in THE ADVOCATE on the date(s) of: SEPTEMBER 10, 2026 and OCTOBER 8, 2026. JEFF BERGERON, SHERIFF PARISH OF WEST BATON ROUGE DELAUNE, BY: ANGIE CIVIL DEPUTY $54.03

DOCKET NO: 50893 18TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT WEST BATON ROUGE PARISH STATE OF LOUISIANA By virtue of a Writ of Seizure and Sale, di‐ rected by the Honorable The Eighteenth Judicial District Court, for the Parish of West Baton Rouge, in the above enti‐ tled and numbered cause, I have seized and proceed to sell by public auction, on the front steps of the West Baton Rouge Courthouse, 850 8th Street, Port Allen, Louisiana on WEDNES‐ DAY, OCTOBER 14, 2026 at 10:00 A.M., the following described property, to wit: One (1) certain lot or par‐ cel of ground, together with all the buildings and improvements thereon, situated in the Parish of West Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, in that sub‐ division known as Sugar Mill Plantation, 14th Fil‐ ing, and being desig‐ nated on the official plan of said subdivision, on file and of record in the Office of the Clerk and

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02/008 (PART OF)

Gas Utility District 1, 10633 Zachary-Deerford Road, Zachary

02/033 (PART OF)

Gas Utility District 1, 10633 Zachary-Deerford Road, Zachary

ATTEST: /s/ Ashley Beck Council Administrator/Treasurer

203087-694569-Oct. 8, 15, 22, 29-4t $ 690.28

02/014A (PART OF)

Northwestern Middle School, 5200 E Central Avenue, Zachary

02/014B (PART OF)

Northwestern Middle School, 5200 E Central Avenue, Zachary

02/015 (PART OF)

GEO Prep Baker School, 5300 Bentley Drive, Baker

02/017A (PART OF)

Baker Town Hall, 3325 Groom Road, Baker

02/017B (PART OF)

Baker Town Hall, 3325 Groom Road, Baker

02/025A (PART OF)

Park Ridge Academic Magnet School, 5905 Groom Road, Baton Rouge

02/025B (PART OF)

Park Ridge Academic Magnet School, 5905 Groom Road, Baton Rouge

The polling places set forth above and situated within the corporate limits of the District be and the same are hereby designated as the polling places in which to hold the said special election, and the Commissionersin-Charge and Commissioners, respectively, shall be those persons designated according to law pursuant to Section 1286(A) or Section 1286.1, as the case may be, of Title 18 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended. A portion of the monies collected from the Tax shall be remitted to certain State and statewide retirement systems in accordance with the provisions of Subtitle 1 of Title 11 of Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended (La. R.S. 11:82). In accordance with La. R.S. 18:1285(A)(1)(a)(v), the estimated cost of holding the election will be $41,500.00. The said special election will be held in accordance with the applicable provisions of Chapter 6-A and Chapter 6-B of Title 18 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended, and other constitutional and statutory authority supplemental thereto, and the officers appointed to hold the said election, as provided in this Notice of Special Election, or such substitutes therefor as may be selected and designated in accordance with Section 1287 of Title 18 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended (La. R.S. 18:1287), will make due returns thereof to the Metropolitan Council, and NOTICE IS HEREBY FURTHER GIVEN that said Metropolitan Council will meet at its regular meeting place, Third Floor, City Hall, Room 348, 222 St. Louis Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2027, at FOUR (4:00) O’CLOCK P.M., and will then and there in open and public session proceed to examine and canvass the returns and declare the result of the special election. All registered voters in the District are entitled to vote at said special election and voting machines will be used thereat. THUS DONE AND SIGNED at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on this, the 22nd day of April, 2026.

Thursday, November 5th, 2026 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Central City Hall 11530 Sullivan Road Central, LA 70818

WARD/PRECINCT

LOCATION

02/003 (PART OF)

Brownsfield Volunteer Fire Station, 6850 Kent Drive, Baker

02/009A (PART OF)

Should you require special assistance, due to a disability, to participate in this public meeting, please contact Forte & Tablada Inc. by mail at the address shown below, or by telephone at 225.927.9321, at least five working days prior to the meeting.

Park Ridge Performing Arts Academy, 5903 Groom Road, Baker

02/009B (PART OF)

Park Ridge Performing Arts Academy, 5903 Groom Road, Baker

02/010A (PART OF)

Foster Road Baptist Church, 11333 Foster Road, Baton Rouge

Forte & Tablada Inc. Corporate Office 9107 Interline Avenue Baton Rouge, LA 70809

02/010B (PART OF)

Foster Road Baptist Church, 11333 Foster Road, Baton Rouge

ATTEST:

02/012A (PART OF)

Brownfields Elementary School, 11615 Ellen Drive, Baton Rouge

/s/ Ashley Beck Council Administrator/Treasurer

02/012B (PART OF)

Brownfields Elementary School, 11615 Ellen Drive, Baton Rouge

203291-695207-Oct. 8, 22-2t $ 1,050.00

Municipal Address is: 4667 Trial Drive, Addis, LA 70710

/s/ Brandon Noel President Pro Tempore

203075-694537-Oct. 9, 15, 22, 29-4t $ 801.16

10D ■ Thursday, October 8, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate Legal Notices

Legal Notices

NOTICE OF SPECIAL ELECTION Pursuant to the provisions of a resolution adopted on August 12, 2026 by the Metropolitan Council of the Parish of East Baton Rouge and City of Baton Rouge (the “Metropolitan Council”), acting as the governing authority of the City of Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana (the “City”), NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a special election will be held in the City on SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2026, and that at the said election there will be submitted to all registered voters of the City, qualified and entitled to vote at the said election under the Constitution and laws of the State of Louisiana and the Constitution of the United States of America, the following proposition, to-wit: PROPOSITION Shall the City of Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana (the “City”), under the provisions of Article VI, Section 30(A) of the Louisiana Constitution of 1974, and other constitutional and statutory authority, be authorized to renew the levy and collection of a 0.87 mills ad valorem tax on the dollar of assessed valuation on all property subject to taxation within the boundaries of the City (the “Tax”) (an estimated $2,400,000 is reasonably expected at this time to be collected from the levy of the Tax for an entire year), for a period of ten (10) years, commencing with the tax collection for the year 2028, and annually thereafter, to and including the year 2037, and shall the proceeds of said Tax (after paying the reasonable and necessary expenses of collection and administering the Tax) be used entirely and exclusively to provide funds to enable the City of Baton Rouge to provide a three-platoon police system in the Police Department of the City of Baton Rouge? The said special election will be held at the following polling places situated within the corporate limits of the City, which polls will open at seven (7:00) o’clock a.m., and close at eight (8:00) o’clock p.m., in compliance with the provisions of Section 541 of Title 18 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended (La. R.S. 18:541), to-wit: WARD/PRECINCT LOCATION 01/001 Fire Station #12, 555 Government Street, Baton Rouge 01/002A Melrose Elementary School, 1348 Valcour Drive, Baton Rouge 01/002B Melrose Elementary School, 1348 Valcour Drive, Baton Rouge 01/003 South Blvd. FLAIM, 802 Mayflower Street, Baton Rouge 01/004 New St. John Missionary Baptist Church, 1455 South Street, Baton Rouge 01/005A Alaska Street Recreation Center, 3014 Alaska Street, Baton Rouge 01/005B Alaska Street Recreation Center, 3014 Alaska Street, Baton Rouge 01/006 Greater New Bethel Baptist Church, 110 S. 19th Street, Baton Rouge 01/007 The Dufrocq School, 330 S. 19th Street, Baton Rouge 01/008 Catholic High School, 855 Hearthstone Drive, Baton Rouge 01/009 Sherwood Middle Magnet School, 1020 Marlbrook Drive, Baton Rouge 01/010A Park Elementary Medical Academy, 2680 Bogan Walk, Baton Rouge 01/010B Park Elementary Medical Academy, 2680 Bogan Walk, Baton Rouge 01/011 (PART OF) Cadillac Street Park Recreation Center, 6117 Cadillac Street, Baton Rouge 01/012A McKinley Senior High School, 7600 Boone Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/012B McKinley Senior High School, 7600 Boone Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/013 City-Parish Office Building, 1755 Florida Street, Baton Rouge 01/014A Belfair Montessori Magnet, 4451 Fairfields Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/014B Belfair Montessori Magnet, 4451 Fairfields Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/015A Greater New Guide Baptist Church, 3445 Fairfields Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/015B Greater New Guide Baptist Church, 3445 Fairfields Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/016 Community School For Apprenticeship Learning, 1555 Madison Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/018 (PART OF) Community School For Apprenticeship Learning, 1555 Madison Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/019 Rosenwald Learning Center, 2611 Dayton Street, Baton Rouge 01/020A Belaire High School, 12121 Tams Drive, Baton Rouge 01/020B Belaire High School, 12121 Tams Drive, Baton Rouge 01/021 Rosenwald Learning Center, 2611 Dayton Street, Baton Rouge 01/022 Evangeline Fire Station #3, 3142 Evangeline Street, Baton Rouge 01/023 (PART OF) Delmont Elementary School, 5300 Douglas Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/024 Seelos Hall – St. Gerard Church, 5249 Maple Drive, Baton Rouge 01/025 Seelos Hall – St. Gerard Church, 5249 Maple Drive, Baton Rouge 01/026 Belfair Montessori Magnet School, 4503 Winbourne Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/027 Istrouma High School, 3730 Winbourne Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/028 Belfair Montessori Magnet School, 4503 Winbourne Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/029 Istrouma High School, 3730 Winbourne Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/030 EBR Readiness Elementary School, 1645 N. Foster Drive, Baton Rouge 01/031A Brookstown Middle Magnet Academy, 4375 E. Brookstown Drive, Baton Rouge 01/031B Brookstown Middle Magnet Academy, 4375 E. Brookstown Drive, Baton Rouge 01/032A Dr. Martin Luther King Community Center, 4142 Gus Young Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/032B Dr. Martin Luther King Community Center, 4142 Gus Young Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/033 Independence Recreation Center, 7500 Independence Blvd., Baton Rouge 01/034A Goodwood Special Education Center, 6550 Sevenoaks Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/034B Goodwood Special Education Center, 6550 Sevenoaks Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/035 Westdale Middle School, 5620 Claycut Road, Baton Rouge 01/036 Melrose Elementary, 1348 Valcour Drive, Baton Rouge 01/037A EBR Virtual Academy, 241 Edison Street, Baton Rouge 01/037B EBR Virtual Academy, 241 Edison Street, Baton Rouge 01/038A The Dufrocq School, 330 S. 19th Street, Baton Rouge 01/038B The Dufrocq School, 330 S. 19th Street, Baton Rouge 01/039 Westdale Heights Magnet, 2000 College Drive, Baton Rouge 01/040 Catholic High School, 855 Hearthstone Drive, Baton Rouge 01/041A Trinity Episcopal School, 1823 Stanford Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/041B Trinity Episcopal School, 1823 Stanford Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/042A Southdowns Elementary School, 2050 Hood Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/042B Southdowns Elementary School, 2050 Hood Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/043 Highland Elementary School, 280 Sunset Blvd., Baton Rouge 01/044 LSU Laboratory School, 45 Dalrymple Drive-LSU Campus, Baton Rouge 01/045 Eva Legard Center, 408 E. Polk Street, Baton Rouge 01/046 LSU Laboratory School, 45 Dalrymple Drive-LSU Campus, Baton Rouge 01/047A McKinley Senior High School, 7600 Boone Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/047B McKinley Senior High School, 7600 Boone Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/048A Baton Rouge Center for Visual and Performing Arts, 2040 S. Acadian Thruway, Baton Rouge 01/048B Baton Rouge Center for Visual and Performing Arts, 2040 S. Acadian Thruway, Baton Rouge 01/049A LaSalle Elementary School, 8000 LaSalle Avenue, Baton Rouge

lll

Legal Notices 01/049B

Legal Notices

LaSalle Elementary School, 8000 LaSalle Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/050 Arlington Academy, 6125 Winbourne Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/051 Dr. Leo S. Butler Community Center, 950 Lorri Burgess Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/052A Broadmoor Elementary School, 9650 Goodwood Blvd., Baton Rouge 01/052B Broadmoor Elementary School, 9650 Goodwood Blvd., Baton Rouge 01/053A Broadmoor High School, 10100 Goodwood Blvd., Baton Rouge 01/053B Broadmoor High School, 10100 Goodwood Blvd., Baton Rouge 01/054 Villa Del Rey Elementary School, 9765 Cuyhanga Parkway, Baton Rouge 01/055A Christa McAuliffe Center, 12000 Goodwood Blvd., Baton Rouge 01/055 B Christa McAuliffe Center, 12000 Goodwood Blvd., Baton Rouge 01/056 Glasgow Middle School, 1676 Glasgow Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/057 BREC Milton Womack Recreation Center, 6201 Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge 01/058A Interdenominational Faith Assembly Church, 5050 Greenwell Street, Baton Rouge 01/058B Interdenominational Faith Assembly Church, 5050 Greenwell Street, Baton Rouge 01/059 FLAIM Magnet School, 4510 Bawell Street, Baton Rouge 01/060A Sherwood Middle Magnet School, 1020 Marlbrook Drive, Baton Rouge 01/060B Sherwood Middle Magnet School, 1020 Marlbrook Drive, Baton Rouge 01/061 Belfair Montessori Magnet School, 4503 Winbourne Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/062 Arlington Academy, 6125 Winbourne Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/063A EBR Readiness Elementary School, 1645 N. Foster Drive, Baton Rouge 01/063B EBR Readiness Elementary School, 1645 N. Foster Drive, Baton Rouge 01/064 Westdale Middle School, 5620 Claycut Road, Baton Rouge 01/065 (PART OF) Westdale Heights Magnet, 2000 College Drive, Baton Rouge 01/066A BREC Perkins Road Community Park, 7122 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge 01/066B BREC Perkins Road Community Park, 7122 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge 01/067 St. Francis Xavier School, 1150 South 12th Street, Baton Rouge 01/069A Highland Elementary School, 280 Sunset Blvd., Baton Rouge 01/069B Highland Elementary School, 280 Sunset Blvd., Baton Rouge 01/070A Park Forest Elementary School, 10717 Elain Drive, Baton Rouge 01/070B Park Forest Elementary School, 10717 Elain Drive, Baton Rouge 01/071A Twin Oaks Elementary School, 819 Trammel Drive, Baton Rouge 01/071B Twin Oaks Elementary School, 819 Trammel Drive, Baton Rouge 01/072A Cedarcrest-Southmoor Elementary School, 10187 Twin Cedars Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/072B Cedarcrest-Southmoor Elementary School, 10187 Twin Cedars Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/073A University View Academy, 3113 Valley Creek Drive, Baton Rouge 01/073B University View Academy, 3113 Valley Creek Drive, Baton Rouge 01/074A Tara High School, 9002 Whitehall Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/074B Tara High School, 9002 Whitehall Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/075A Magnolia Woods Elementary School, 760 Maxine Drive, Baton Rouge 01/075B Magnolia Woods Elementary School, 760 Maxine Drive, Baton Rouge 01/076 (PART OF) Brightside Fire Station, 3150 Brightside Drive, Baton Rouge 01/077A (PART St. Mark United Methodist Church, 6217 Glen Oaks OF) Drive, Baton Rouge 01/077B (PART St. Mark United Methodist Church, 6217 Glen Oaks OF) Drive, Baton Rouge 01/078A Park Forest Middle School, 3760 Aletha Drive, Baton Rouge 01/078B Park Forest Middle School, 3760 Aletha Drive, Baton Rouge 01/079 (PART OF) LaSalle Elementary School, 8000 LaSalle Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/080A (PART Drusilla Lane Park Recreation Center, 2546 Drusilla OF) Lane, Baton Rouge 01/080B (PART Drusilla Lane Park Recreation Center, 2546 Drusilla OF) Lane, Baton Rouge 01/081A BREC Flannery Road Park Recreation Center, 801 S. Flannery Road, Baton Rouge 01/081B BREC Flannery Road Park Recreation Center, 801 S. Flannery Road, Baton Rouge 01/082A Park Forest Middle School, 3760 Aletha Drive, Baton Rouge 01/082B Park Forest Middle School, 3760 Aletha Drive, Baton Rouge 01/083A Northdale Academy, 10755 Cletus Drive, Baton Rouge 01/083B Northdale Academy, 10755 Cletus Drive, Baton Rouge 01/084 (PART OF) Cadillac Street Park Recreation Center, 6117 Cadillac Street, Baton Rouge 01/085A BREC Howell Place Gym, 7717 Howell Boulevard, Baton Rouge 01/085B BREC Howell Place Gym, 7717 Howell Boulevard, Baton Rouge 01/086A Scotlandville Middle Magnet School, 9147 Elm Grove Garden Drive, Baton Rouge 01/086B Scotlandville Middle Magnet School, 9147 Elm Grove Garden Drive, Baton Rouge 01/087A Twin Oaks Elementary School, 819 Trammel Drive, Baton Rouge 01/087B Twin Oaks Elementary School, 819 Trammel Drive, Baton Rouge 01/088 Labelle Aire Elementary School, 12255 Tams Drive, Baton Rouge 01/089 (PART OF) Forest Community Park Recreation Center, 13900 S. Harrells Ferry Road, Baton Rouge 01/090A Forest Community Park Recreation Center, 13900 S. Harrells Ferry Road, Baton Rouge 01/090B Forest Community Park Recreation Center, 13900 S. Harrells Ferry Road, Baton Rouge 01/091A (PART EBR Readiness Middle School, 10337 Elm Grove OF) Garden, Baton Rouge 01/091B (PART EBR Readiness Middle School, 10337 Elm Grove OF) Garden, Baton Rouge 01/092A EBR Readiness Middle School, 10337 Elm Grove Garden, Baton Rouge 01/092B EBR Readiness Middle School, 10337 Elm Grove Garden, Baton Rouge 01/093 Glen Oaks Park Elementary School, 5656 Lanier Drive, Baton Rouge 01/094 1st Presbyterian Church of Scotlandville, 1246 Rosenwald Road, Baton Rouge 01/095A (PART Crestworth Elementary School, 11200 Avenue F, OF) Baton Rouge 01/095B (PART Crestworth Elementary School, 11200 Avenue F, OF) Baton Rouge 01/096 Villa Del Rey Elementary School, 9765 Cuyhanga Pkwy., Baton Rouge 01/097 (PART OF) Department of Public Works East Lot, 1505 Central Thruway, Baton Rouge 01/098A Wedgewood Elementary School, 2330 Aspenwood Drive, Baton Rouge 01/098B Wedgewood Elementary School, 2330 Aspenwood Drive, Baton Rouge 01/099A (PART Parkview Elementary School, 5660 Parkforest OF) Drive, Baton Rouge 01/099B (PART Parkview Elementary School, 5660 Parkforest OF) Drive, Baton Rouge 01/100A (PART F G Clark Activity Center, 163 Southern University OF) Place, Baton Rouge 01/100B (PART F G Clark Activity Center, 163 Southern University OF) Place, Baton Rouge 01/101A (PART Progress Elementary School, 855 Progress Road, OF) Baton Rouge

Legal Notices

01/101B (PART Progress Elementary School, 855 Progress Road, OF) Baton Rouge 01/102 (PART OF) Brightside Fire Station, 3150 Brightside Drive, Baton Rouge 01/103A Lake Sherwood Village, 4101 Plaza Tower Drive, Baton Rouge 01/103B Lake Sherwood Village, 4101 Plaza Tower Drive, Baton Rouge 01/104A Independence Recreation Center, 7500 Independence Blvd., Baton Rouge 01/104B Independence Recreation Center, 7500 Independence Blvd., Baton Rouge 01/105 LaSalle Elementary School, 8000 LaSalle Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/106 Glasgow Middle School, 1676 Glasgow Avenue, Baton Rouge 01/107 (PART OF) Wildwood Elementary School, 444 Halfway Tree Road, Baton Rouge 02/001A (PART Glen Oaks Park Elementary School, 5656 Lanier OF) Drive, Baton Rouge 02/001B (PART Glen Oaks Park Elementary School, 5656 Lanier OF) Drive, Baton Rouge 02/009A (PART Park Ridge Performing Arts Academy, 5903 Groom OF) Road, Baker 02/009B (PART Park Ridge Performing Arts Academy, 5903 Groom OF) Road, Baker 02/011 (PART OF) Sharon Hills Elementary School, 6450 Guynell Drive, Baton Rouge 02/022A (PART Alternative Center At Beechwood, 2555 Desoto OF) Street, Baton Rouge 02/022B (PART Alternative Center At Beechwood, 2555 Desoto OF) Street, Baton Rouge 02/024 (PART OF) Alsen BREC Recreation Center, 601 Old Rafe Mayer Road, Baton Rouge 02/025A (PART Park Ridge Academic Magnet School, 5905 Groom OF) Road, Baton Rouge 02/025B (PART Park Ridge Academic Magnet School, 5905 Groom OF) Road, Baton Rouge 03/005 (PART OF) Audubon Baton Rouge School, 7800 Innovation Park Drive, Baton Rouge 03/010 (PART OF) Lutheran Church of Our Savior, 3555 Jones Creek Road, Baton Rouge 03/011 (PART OF) Fire Station, 11010 Coursey Blvd., Baton Rouge 03/012A (PART Riveroaks Elementary School, 950 Fontainbleau OF) Drive, Baton Rouge 03/012B (PART Riveroaks Elementary School, 950 Fontainbleau OF) Drive, Baton Rouge 03/017A (PART Westminster Elementary School, 8935 Westminster OF) Drive, Baton Rouge 03/017B (PART Westminster Elementary School, 8935 Westminster OF) Drive, Baton Rouge 03/018A (PART Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors, OF) 14101 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge 03/018B (PART Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors, OF) 14101 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge 03/020A (PART Ben Burge Park, 9350 Antigua Drive (at Elvin Drive), OF) Baton Rouge 03/020B (PART Ben Burge Park, 9350 Antigua Drive (at Elvin Drive), OF) Baton Rouge 03/021A (PART Southeast Middle School, 15000 S. Harrells Ferry OF) Road, Baton Rouge 03/021B (PART Southeast Middle School, 15000 S. Harrells Ferry OF) Road, Baton Rouge 03/023A (PART Wildwood Elementary School, 444 Halfway Tree OF) Road, Baton Rouge 03/023B (PART Wildwood Elementary School, 444 Halfway Tree OF) Road, Baton Rouge 03/024A (PART North Sherwood Forest Park Recreation Center, OF) 3140 N. Sherwood Forest, Baton Rouge 03/024B (PART North Sherwood Forest Park Recreation Center, OF) 3140 N. Sherwood Forest, Baton Rouge 03/027A (PART Cedarcrest-Southmoor Elementary School, 10187 OF) Twin Cedars Avenue, Baton Rouge 03/027B (PART Cedarcrest-Southmoor Elementary School, 10187 OF) Twin Cedars Avenue, Baton Rouge 03/028A (PART Fairwood Branch Library, 12910 Old Hammond OF) Highway, Baton Rouge 03/028B (PART Fairwood Branch Library, 12910 Old Hammond OF) Highway, Baton Rouge 03/029A (PART Westminster Elementary School, 8935 Westminster OF) Drive, Baton Rouge 03/029B (PART Westminster Elementary School, 8935 Westminster OF) Drive, Baton Rouge 03/031A (PART Westminster Elementary School, 8935 Westminster OF) Drive, Baton Rouge 03/031B (PART Westminster Elementary School, 8935 Westminster OF) Drive, Baton Rouge 03/039 (PART OF) Jefferson Terrace Elementary School, 5601 Upton Drive, Baton Rouge 03/042 (PART OF) North Sherwood Forest Park Recreation Center, 3140 N. Sherwood Forest, Baton Rouge 03/048A (PART St. George Fire Department Admin Office, 14100 OF) Airline Highway, Baton Rouge 03/048B (PART St. George Fire Department Admin Office, 14100 OF) Airline Highway, Baton Rouge 03/050A (PART Louisiana School For The Deaf, 2888 Brightside OF) Drive, Baton Rouge 03/050B (PART Louisiana School For The Deaf, 2888 Brightside OF) Drive, Baton Rouge 03/051 (PART OF) Drusilla Lane Park Recreation Center, 2546 Drusilla Lane, Baton Rouge 03/052A (PART BREC Perkins Road Community Park, 7122 OF) Perkins Road, Baton Rouge 03/052B (PART BREC Perkins Road Community Park, 7122 OF) Perkins Road, Baton Rouge 03/055A (PART BREC Mayfair Park, 655 S. Sabine Drive, Baton OF) Rouge 03/055B (PART BREC Mayfair Park, 655 S. Sabine Drive, Baton OF) Rouge 03/057 (PART OF) Audubon Baton Rouge School, 7800 Innovation Park Drive, Baton Rouge 03/059 (PART OF) Lutheran Church of Our Savior, 3555 Jones Creek Road, Baton Rouge 03/069A (PART Louisiana School For The Deaf, 2888 Brightside OF) Drive, Baton Rouge 03/069B (PART Louisiana School For The Deaf, 2888 Brightside OF) Drive, Baton Rouge 03/072 (PART OF) Eastside Volunteer Fire Station, 15094 Old Hammond Highway, Baton Rouge 03/074 (PART OF) The Claiborne At Baton Rouge, 9511 Creekview Drive, Baton Rouge The polling places set forth above and situated within the corporate limits of the City be and the same are hereby designated as the polling places in which to hold the said special election, and the Commissionersin-Charge and Commissioners, respectively, shall be those persons designated according to law pursuant to Section 1286(A) or Section 1286.1, as the case may be, of Title 18 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended. A portion of the monies collected from the Tax shall be remitted to certain State and statewide retirement systems in accordance with the provisions of Subtitle 1 of Title 11 of Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended (La. R.S. 11:82). In accordance with La. R.S. 18:1285(A)(1)(a)(v), the estimated cost of holding the election will be $155,200.00. The said special election will be held in accordance with the applicable provisions of Chapter 6 and Chapter 6-A of Title 18 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended, and other constitutional and statutory authority supplemental thereto, and the officers appointed to hold the said special election, as provided in this Notice of Special Election, or such substitutes therefor as may be selected and designated in accordance with Section 1287 of Title 18 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended (La. R.S. 18:1287), will make due returns thereof to the Metropolitan Council, and NOTICE IS HEREBY FURTHER GIVEN that said Metropolitan Council will meet at its regular meeting place, Third Floor, City Hall, Room 348, 222 St. Louis Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2027, at FOUR (4:00) O’CLOCK P.M., and will then and there in open and public session proceed to examine and canvass the returns and declare the result of the special election. All registered voters in the City are entitled to vote at said special election and voting machines will be used thereat. THUS DONE AND SIGNED at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on this, the 12th day of August, 2026.

ATTEST:

/s/ Brandon Noel President Pro Tempore

/s/ Ashley Beck Council Administrator/Treasurer

203088-694570-oct 8-15-22-29-4t $ 3,351.40