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Historic New Orleans church marks a long-delayed Hurricane Ida homecoming

‘WE WERE TESTED’

La. farmers question what they can afford

Rising fuel costs, low profits put squeeze on state’s harvest BY MEGAN WYATT Staff writer

STAFF PHOTOS By ENAN CHEDIAK

St. Augustine Catholic Church celebrates its 185th anniversary in its newly renovated sanctuary in Treme on Sunday. BY BOB WARREN

Eddie Lewis III’s sugar cane crop looks better than it has in years, but he’ll be lucky if he breaks even by the end of the harvest. Diesel prices have nearly doubled since he created his budget last winter. Fertilizer costs are up 20%. And a new, invasive pest known as the pasture mealybug has led to an unexpected $25,000 pesticide bill. Lewis estimates that he’s already $200,000 over his $1 million budget. He has cut labor, held off on equipment purchases and is rethinking how many ﬁelds to replant across his 1,000 acres in Lafayette, Iberia and Vermilion parishes. But there’s only so much he can cut before cost-saving measures affect the success of his crop. “You just took a strong, beautiful crop and dropped it from an A-minus to probably a Dplus, C-plus crop,” Lewis said. “And that’s because of the costs associated with raising this crop, protecting this crop.” Farmers across Louisiana say they’re blowing their budgets on higher fuel and fertilizer prices, and the temporary state and federal diesel tax relief orders have done little to ease their burdens.

ä See FARMERS, page 6A

Staff writer

The severely bent iron cross affixed to the cupola of St. Augustine Catholic Church bore testament to Hurricane Ida’s ferocious winds and became a symbol of the devastation the powerful storm left in its wake across New Orleans and south Louisiana. But, at least initially, parishioners thought their beloved and historic place of worship, so long a fixture in the Treme neighborhood, had dodged a big bullet in the 2021 storm. “We even had Mass the Sunday after the hurricane,” the Rev. Emmanuel Mulenga recalled. Those hopes would evaporate days later, after rainstorms passing across the region revealed that Ida had inflicted extensive damage to the roof. As the water poured in, it left the church’s interior in ruins, Mulenga said. Few could envision the road it would put parishioners on as they watched repairs at their church stretch on for years beneath a web of scaffolding and sheets of plastic. “There is a spirit of perseverance here,” Mulenga said of the congregation, which quickly moved Mass to the adjoining church hall after Ida. But, he acknowledged, “We were tested.” That long road to recovery hasn’t been forgotten, but on Sunday morning, during a joyous Mass at the church at the corner of Gov. Nicholls and Henriette Delille streets,

ELECTION H

The church spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on renovations after damage from Hurricane Ida caused flooding in its sanctuary. New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno, center, speaks at St. Augustine Catholic Church on Sunday.

had withheld for months as the vote neared and the leaders’ strategies in the Middle East WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Presi- diverged. Netanyahu Trump said in a post on social Trump dent Donald Trump on Sunday endorsed embattled Israeli media that Netanyahu “has Minister, and an even greater Prime Minister Benjamin Ne- been a Great Warrior Prime Partner for Peace in combatAssociated Press

WEATHER HIGH 75 LOW 64 PAGE 6B

AI, data centers play role in Louisiana Senate race Davis has aggressive regulation agenda; Letlow offers fewer specifics

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

ting the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Israelis are set to vote Oct. 27 in the ﬁrst national elections since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The absence of an endorsement was a setback for the Likud politician, who had billed

ä See NETANYAHU, page 7A

ä See SENATE, page 7A

Trump endorses Netanyahu for prime minister reelection BY MICHELLE L. PRICE

Democrat Jamie Davis and Republican U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, the two candidates vying for Louisiana’s open U.S. Senate seat, are taking different approaches to addressing heightened public concerns about artificial intelligence and the data centers that pow- Davis er the technology. Davis, whose odds of winning the heavily Republican state in November are slim, has sought to draw a sharp contrast on the issue by releasing an aggressive, detailed agenda to regulate AI companies that includes a mora- Letlow torium on new data centers. Letlow, whose trades in tech company stock have drawn scrutiny, has been less speciﬁc — but she says her approach would balance

ä See CHURCH, page 4A

late in his reelection Close allies face tanyahu campaign, a coveted boost of Trump’s populardiverging strategies because ity but one that the American

Classified .....................7D Deaths .........................3B Nation-World................2A Comics-Puzzles .....3D-6D Living............................1D Opinion ........................4B Commentary ................5B Metro ...........................1B Sports ..........................1C

14TH yEAR, NO. 68

2A F Monday, October 19, 2026 F nola.com F The Times-Picayune

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Trump says he will close golf course in D.C. for renovations

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Driver in deadly soccer field crash released

WICHITA, Kan. — A woman who drove a pickup truck onto a soccer field during a weekend youth game in Kansas, killing two people and injuring 10 others, has been released without charges as the investigation continues, police said Sunday. The 34-year-old woman was released pending results of toxicology tests and a mechanical examination of the vehicle in the aftermath of Saturday’s crash. Her name hasn’t been made public. “Our officers and investigators will continue working to understand exactly what happened,” Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan said, noting that no charges have been filed to date. The woman had one child playing soccer on another field at the Stryker Sports Complex in northeast Wichita when Saturday’s crash occurred, a police statement said. The statement said two of her other children were with her in the pickup truck when it struck multiple children and adults. According to a preliminary investigation, the Chevrolet pickup was parked in a parking space near the soccer fields before it drove onto one of the fields. Police identified those killed at the scene as Cole Adrian, 6, and Nicholas Schafer, 35, both of McPherson, Kansas. They were not related. Ten others ranging from 5 years old to 68 were taken to area hospitals with injuries described as nonserious.

Service member dies after rappelling fall SAN ANTONIO, Texas — A military service member has died after he fell hard as he rappelled from the ceiling to midfield before a University of Texas at San Antonio football game where the military was honored. Nellis Air Force Base Public Affairs said the service member assigned to the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2, was taken Saturday to a local hospital, where he later died. An investigation was underway into what led up to the incident at UTSA’s annual Salute to Armed Forces and Veterans game against Navy. A video of the fall that was posted on social media showed the man, in combat fatigues, quickly descending to the ground feet first. The fall occurred with fans in the stands and a band assembled nearby on the field. He was treated on the field for several minutes and taken away on a gurney. In a statement after the game, UTSA offered counseling service contacts for students and said: “We are deeply saddened by the incident that occurred at the start of tonight’s game. Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the soldier who was affected, his family and his military colleagues.” The man, whose identity was not immediately released, was one of four military service members who were scheduled to participate in the pregame rappelling demonstration.

Cattle truck overturns in Kansas City

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Dozens of cattle spilled onto a street in Kansas City, Missouri, when a semitractor-trailer plunged off a highway overpass in the city’s downtown area and onto a car early Sunday, shutting down some roads and setting off a search for the traumatized animals that survived. The accident occurred shortly before 3 a.m. and the roundup of surviving cattle continued into the early afternoon, authorities said. The driver of the truck and the driver of a vehicle the truck landed on sustained minor injuries and were treated at local hospitals, they said. Kansas City Police Sgt. Phil DiMartino said that between 45 and 60 of the 120 to 130 cattle carried by the truck were killed when the tractor trailer overturned and fell from the westbound I-70 curve over SB I-35. Dozens of other cows ﬂed the crash scene, resulting in other crashes and more calls to the police from the public, he said.

Announcement comes despite legal challenges

BY MICHELLE L. PRICE Associated Press

CANADIAN PRESS PHOTO By JOHN ULAN

Emergency crews and military personnel gather Saturday at the Wainwright Health Centre as injured military members are treated after a fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, outside of Wainwright, Alberta.

Blaze at Canadian military base kills 4 Officials say at least 39 hospitalized BY ROB GILLIES

Associated Press

EDMONTON, Alberta — Four Canadian service members were killed and 39 people injured, including 19 critically, when a fast-moving fire overtook soldiers conducting live-fire combat training at a military base in Alberta, officials said Sunday. Maj. Gen. Wade Rutland said military officials knew about the fire for hours but believed it was sufficiently contained to allow training to continue before winds suddenly shifted, sending flames racing toward the soldiers. “The fire was a kilometer away when the wind shifted. That is not normal for a fire to move a kilometer in 36 seconds,” he said at a news conference in Edmonton. Rutland said a commander at the scene told him soldiers went from seeing no fire to having flames upon them in less than a minute. The fire broke out Saturday during high-intensity combat training involving Charlie Company of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. About 84 soldiers were split between a grenade range and an area where they practiced attacks on simulated enemy positions. The fire swept into the second training area. Rutland said investigators had not determined what ignited the grass fire. He said the battalion was preparing for rapid deployment to global crises and a mission to reinforce Canadian troops in Latvia next spring. The military identified those killed as Sgt. Morgan Wong of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment and Privates Shaun Farrell, Aidan Goulding and Hayden Lykkemark of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. All four were serving with the battalion, based in Edmonton. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said 39 people were receiving medical care.

Sayeh Zielke, chief executive of Acute Care Alberta, said 19 were in critical condition, eight were stable and 12 were ambulatory and receiving treatment for less serious injuries. Smith said some suffered severe burns and could face weeks or months of intensive treatment. Prime Minister Mark Carney described the incident as one of the worst peacetime tragedies for Canada’s military on domestic soil. He ordered flags lowered to halfstaff on federal buildings nationwide. Carney said the families of those killed had been notified. Those affected included regular forces personnel, reservists and soldiers from bases across Canada. Alberta health officials said patients were transferred from Wainwright to four hospitals — the University of Alberta Hospital and Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary and Red Deer Regional Hospital. Alberta officials said they had lifted the “Code Orange” emergency activated at several hospitals Saturday night to mobilize staff and beds for the casualties. The response involved 22 ground ambulances, six airplanes and two helicopters, with assistance from neighboring Saskatchewan. Smith said all patients had been accounted for and no further patients were awaiting transport. Wainwright Mayor Bruce Pugh said the town’s small hospital was not designed to handle a mass-casualty incident but praised local medical personnel. Rutland confirmed that military searchand-rescue technicians parachuted into Wainwright to reinforce the emergency response. Pugh said their red parachutes were illuminated by flares as they descended shortly before midnight. Cathy Keane, a mayoral candidate in Ontario, said her eldest son was among those critically injured. “As a mother, right now I need to be with my son and family,” she wrote on Facebook, saying she was traveling to Alberta. Rutland said the fire ignited in the military training area, where multiple exercises were underway, and spread rapidly in unusually strong winds.

St. Petersburg oil sites set ablaze in Ukrainian attack Kyiv launches more than 1,000 drones at Russia

By The Associated Press Ukrainian strikes set an oil export terminal and a depot ablaze in St. Petersburg on Sunday as Kyiv launched more than 1,000 drones at Russia in one of its largest aerial attacks of the war. The strikes came as tensions between Ukraine and Washington deepened, with President Donald Trump criticizing Kyiv’s attacks on Russian oil infrastructure and the prospect of further U.S. sanctions against Moscow still uncertain. Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said waiving sanctions against Russia would strengthen Putin’s war effort. He also said U.S.-Ukraine intelligence sharing had resumed after being “blocked for some period of time.” Trump told reporters late Saturday that they did not know what his decision on further sanctions against Russia would be, despite signing an executive order Friday night waiving planned restrictions, citing U.S. national interests. Zelenskyy said that while he trusted Trump, siding with Moscow would be

a tragedy and a “historic mistake” for Washington. “People want to forget what’s going on. But we can’t give this possibility to forget, or to change reality, or to change the truth,” Zelenskyy said. “We can’t compare me and Putin. He’s aggressor. He occupied us. He killed adults and children, his soldiers. He’s a terrorist. And that’s why I hope that President Trump will be very clear with this position.” Later Sunday, Zelenskyy said on social media that he had spoken with U.S. presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner about the results of an Oct. 9 meeting between U.S. and Ukrainian negotiating teams in Miami, as well as “next steps in diplomacy.” One person was killed and five others were wounded in the St. Petersburg attack, which sparked fires at the Petersburg Oil Terminal and the city’s Ruchi oil depot, local Gov. Alexander Beglov said. A logistics center belonging to Russian retailer Ozon and a data center operated by Russian tech giant VK were also targeted, the companies confirmed. Russia’s Defense Ministry said Sunday that its forces had destroyed 1,015 Ukrainian drones over 15 Russian regions, the annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea and the Black Sea.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump on Sunday announced plans to close a historic public golf course in the nation’s capital for 15 months and redevelop it despite an ongoing court challenge to his longsought renovation. Trump posted on social media about his intent to shutter the East Potomac Golf Course, not far from the White House, starting Nov. 15 to make it “one of the Best and Most Spectacular Golf Courses anywhere in the World.” A judge last week, however, ordered a halt to his redevelopment plans until at least Oct. 26 after scolding the government for starting a large-scale tree removal at the course over a holiday weekend while providing little notice to the court or the plaintiffs trying to stop the makeover. Trump did not acknowledge the legal fight in his post, which included an artist’s rendering for the course redesign. “When completed, it will be open to the Public while, at the same time, designed to the Highest Level of Golf and able to hold World Class Tournaments such as the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship, the Ryder Cup, and the Presidents Cup,” Trump wrote. Democracy Forward, which is representing the plaintiffs challenging his renovation plans, responded by saying that the course is part of a national park and recreation facility that is meant for everyone to enjoy. “Our litigation is intended to protect this community jewel for the people and communities it serves and we will continue to work with our plaintiffs to defend it from unlawful and harmful intrusion,” Skye Perryman, the president and CEO

of the group, said in a statement. The judge in the case took notice of Trump’s online message and ordered the government to notify her by 8 p.m. EDT Sunday whether its position had changed from a court filing Friday that said “at most” Trump has given “preliminary thought” to the rebuilding plan and “there is no ﬁnal agency action.” Trump, a golf aﬁcionado who plays often, had already announced plans to makeover the links as part of his broader push to renovate and refurbish places around Washington, including the White House and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Many of his projects, including plans for a huge ballroom at the White House, the installation of his own name on the Kennedy Center and construction of a massive arch, have been challenged in courts. The 106-year-old park and course has been the subject of many emergency hearings as the president has sought to renovate it. While it has been open to Washingtonians of all income levels, opponents of Trump’s plans to turn it into a high-end course have argued it will alter the character of the space and make it less affordable to people. Trump in his post echoed arguments he has made to justify his plans to remake the Kennedy Center, arguing it is in such dangerous condition that it needs to close. “The current Course is old, broken, dilapidated, and of no further use or effect. It is in very poor condition, with falling, dangerous, and disease infested trees and, importantly, a collapsing and hazardous seawall,” Trump wrote. Debris from the demolition of the White House East Wing to make way for his ballroom project has also been dumped on the grounds. The National Park Service has said the debris tested positive for lead, chromium and other toxic metals.

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French leader condemns rioters after protests Macron decries those who ‘sought to bring down the Republic’

BY SYLVIE CORBET and ALEXANDER TURNBULL Associated Press

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday voiced the public’s “anger” and “shame” over rioting and looting during nationwide protests against rising living costs and poor conditions in schools. At least 2,400 people were arrested. Macron echoed other government ofﬁcials in blaming much of the violence on farleft activists, accusing them of attacking police and public buildings to foment chaos. “Those who looted will have to pay for the damage, and those who sought to bring down the Republic will be held accountable,” Macron said in a televised address to the nation. He denounced “unrestrained violence” by “insurrectionist elements from

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By EMMA DA SILVA

A man tries to extinguish a fire Sunday during clashes between protesters and police in Paris. radical far-left groups, joined by numerous criminals.” Macron earlier held an emergency meeting with senior government ofﬁcials, a day after masked groups set ﬁres and attacked city halls in several cities. He said he had instructed prefects to work with mayors to protect public buildings and businesses in the coming weeks, including by banning protests when necessary. Flames engulfed the 19thcentury City Hall in the city of Limoges, in central France, causing its roof to

collapse and nearly destroying the building. In Paris, hundreds of protesters gathered again on Sunday at the Place de la République amid a heavy police presence. Ofﬁcers used tear gas as tensions flared sporadically in the neighborhood, with small groups of people trying to set bicycles and trash bins on ﬁre. “The right to protest is a fundamental right. Deliberately and collectively sowing disorder through violence is not,” Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez wrote on X, cit-

Paris police said 855 people were arrested in the capital region. Prosecutors said 557 remained in police custody. “I am actually stunned by the level of destruction and violence that was expressed,” said government employee Marie Peyreigne, 57, wondering what had led to the mayhem. Parisians inspecting the damage photographed the partially dismantled base of the square’s central monument, a statue of Marianne, a symbol of France. Jean Foissy, 74, said he had wanted to join the protest but encountered “a wall of riot police and ﬁres everywhere” and returned home. “I was very scared,” he said. “I’ve been a Parisian since I was born, so when I got here, it almost made me want to cry because I ﬁnd it so bad, it hurts me.” Margaux Eude, 26, said she supported the protest movement but “didn’t think it would escalate like this.” “It’s the troublemakers who came, and it breaks my heart because it delegitimizes the movement,” she said. Political leaders traded ac-

ing the looting of hundreds of businesses across the country. Authorities estimated Saturday’s marches had a turnout of about 550,000, while organizers put it at 800,000. Demonstrators answered calls from a labor union, student organizations and activists hoping to revive the “yellow vest” movement, which emerged in 2018 to protest social injustice. Mass protests in France are often marred by violence on the fringes of otherwise peaceful marches, leading to clashes with police. The arrest tally reported Sunday approached the nearly 2,000 recorded nationwide during a single day of yellow vest protests in December 2018. Paris police said one person died of a heart attack, without providing details. The Paris prosecutor’s ofﬁce said it was investigating. Dislodged cobblestones, shattered storefronts and broken glass littered the area around Paris’ Place de la République on Sunday. Looting and damage were also reported in other tourist and shopping districts.

cusations over Saturday’s violence ahead of next spring’s presidential election. Far-right leader and presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen criticized Macron’s centrist government as “exhausted, disoriented and seemingly incapable of doing anything other than commenting on its own powerlessness,” in a video posted on social media. Far-left contender JeanLuc Mélenchon accused Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu of “playing with ﬁre,” alleging that “by banking on degradation, you have only succeeded in uniting all youths and workers’ unions.” President Donald Trump posted “France is burning!” on his Truth Social platform, apparently linking the unrest to “the immigration of people from an entirely different world.” “Close your Borders and take control, before it is too late!” he wrote. French authorities and police have not linked immigrants to the rioting. Macron, speaking about troublemakers, asked: “How can French people do this to France?”

Hurricane Trudy lashes Mexico’s Pope tells faithful he will gradually Pacific coast with rain and winds resume duties after cancer surgery By The Associated Press MIAMI — Hurricane Trudy lashed parts of Mexico’s Paciﬁc coast with heavy rain and strong winds Sunday but the storm was forecast to weaken rapidly and authorities discontinued warnings for the coast of Mexico. The Category 2 storm had maximum sustained winds of 100 mph and was moving northwest at 6 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Trudy’s center was expected to remain near the Mexican coast through Sun-

day evening before passing south of the Baja California Peninsula on Monday and Tuesday. The hurricane center said that Trudy was expected to weaken rapidly later Sunday but “interests in southwestern and west-central Mexico, as well as Baja California Sur, should continue to monitor” its progress. Earlier, the Mexican navy urged mariners and coastal residents to exercise extreme caution, citing high waves, heavy rain and the risk of rising rivers, ﬂooding and landslides.

Authorities in Colima said the risks remained low but warned that heavy rainfall could cause damage because successive storms had already saturated the ground along the Pacific coast. Trudy was expected to bring 4-8 inches of rain through the weekend, with isolated totals of around 12 inches along and near the coast in Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco. The hurricane center warned of potentially life-threatening ﬂooding and mudslides, especially in areas with steep terrain.

BY COLLEEN BARRY and TRISHA THOMAS Associated Press

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV thanked thousands of faithful in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday for their prayers while he was hospitalized for an operation to remove a malignant tumor, and said he plans to gradually return to his usual duties. The crowd erupted in cheers when the pontiff showed himself in the window overlooking the square, where a week ago on the same occasion of the tradi-

tional Angelus blessing he revealed that a nodule had been located on his lung, and that it would be surgically removed. ’’Now that this delicate phase is behind me, I will gradually resume my activities, always with God’s help and your prayers,” Leo said, his voice sounding strong four days after the lower lobe of his right lung was removed. The pontiff said the experience of the last week “has made me feel especially close to those facing illness and inﬁrmity.” He told the

faithful that he had ‘’truly felt your support,’’ and expressed ‘’particular gratitude to the doctors, nurses and all the staff at Gemelli hospital’’ where he was treated. The pope paused for a moment and waved to the crowd before retreating into his apartment in the Apostolic Palace.

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CHURCH

Continued from page 1A it was formally put into the past as the large crowd celebrated a return to their beloved sanctuary and St. Augustine’s 185th anniversary. “We came this far by faith,” Mulenga told the worshippers, echoing a theme of the celebration. “Our faith has sustained us. Hopefully, there will be another 185 years.” The church, after hundreds of thousands of dollars in work — Mulenga didn’t have an exact ﬁgure — had actually begun hosting Mass again earlier this summer, when the congregation decided the hurricane repairs were ﬁnished enough that they could move back in, Mulenga said. (The cross had been repaired in late 2024 and put back onto the cupola.) Large patches of missing white plaster still mark the church walls. And a skin of scaffolding covered in plastic netting covers much of the front of the church. But things were close enough to get back home, parishioners said. “Nobody wanted to wait,” longtime parishioner Monique Brierre said of getting back into the sanctuary. “It was like coming home.” Brierre, 68, was married in St. Augustine in 1989. Her son was baptized there decades ago. And when she and her husband divorced years ago, St. Augustine was where she found strength and support. “Home for me is St. Augustine,” said Brierre, who was born in Haiti, grew up in Shreveport and, except for several years after Hurricane Katrina, has lived in New Orleans for 40 years. “This church is my family.”

STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

The cross on the steeple at St. Augustine Catholic Church was blown over by Hurricane Ida in 2021. The cross was not repaired until late 2024.

STAFF PHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK

The choir sings during the 185th anniversary celebratory Mass at St. Augustine Catholic Church on Sunday.

‘War of the pews’ St. Augustine, widely recognized as the oldest Black Catholic parish in the U.S., has long been a favorite of locals and tourists alike for its lively, music-filled Masses — people celebrating birthdays or anniversaries are often asked to stand and are serenaded by the choir and congregation — and the welcoming, diverse crowd STAFF PHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK that fills its pews. Like other historic New Orleans Queen Kalindah Laveaux places an offering at the Tomb of churches, it has a fascinatthe Unknown Slave after the 185th anniversary celebratory ing story to tell. Mass at St. Augustine Catholic Church. In 1841, free people of color received permission from Bishop Antoine Blanc toric Preservation. Mulenga But for all of the converto raise money and build a also praised the church’s re- sions that might come in new church, named in honor lationship with the Friends the future, Sunday was a of St. Augustine of Hippo, a of Tremé Culture nonprofit. day for taking a step back patron saint of the Ursuline and giving thanks, he told ‘We can’t pray it away’ Sisters. It was built on land the crowd. The process that was once part of the Like some other church- wasn’t easy, he said. vast plantation redeveloped “The government has es, St. Augustine faces a by Claude Treme. landscape of changing de- rules. FEMA has rules. In“That must have been mographics that has im- surance has rules,” Mulensuch an undertaking at the pacted its long declining ga said. time,” said Linda Harris, But, he added, “God made membership, and money of New Orleans, a longtime will continue to be a fac- it possible for us to come STAFF PHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK tor. Mulenga said there are this far.” parishioner and former church secretary. “Can you The Rev. Emmanuel Mulenga speaks during the 185th anniversary celebratory Mass at St. around 280 members at the imagine?” church, and he doesn’t anAugustine Catholic Church in Treme on Sunday. The church was also the ticipate much growth. scene of the “War of the And in early 2006, after ing nearby and decided to and Pelicans owner Gayle “We can’t pray it away. Pews” in the 1840s, which the Archdiocese of New check out St. Augustine on Benson, Terry and Lynette And we can’t ignore it,” Muparishioners still pridefully Orleans announced plans Sunday morning. Dufrene, Miriam Gonzales lenga said. “We will have to talk of today. to close it and merge with “We sat there and then the and a $200,000 grant from have some tough conversaPews inside the church nearby St. Peter Claver, the music started,” Cass said. the National Trust for His- tions.” were “sold” to congregation rectory was the scene of a “I’ve never felt so spiritumembers as a way to help 19-day occupation by oppo- ally alive. I said this will raise money. Free people of nents. The closure plan was be my parish when I move color purchased here.” later scuttled. pews not only He did move to New Or“It’s very imporTrusted by more than 1 million homeowners “The for themselves, tant to the city,” leans, and he did become a government Mulenga said, not- parishioner. but also for the has rules. enslaved. White “This church is welcoming St. Augustine’s parishioners folcontinued legacy ing. It’s for everyone,” HarFEMA as an integrated ris said. “No matter what lowed suit, purhas rules. community. “It be- race, no matter gender, chasing pews as Insurance no matter your economic well, but in much longs to the city.” has rules. BEFORE LeafFilter AFTER LeafFilter smaller numbers, N e w O r l e a n s means.” God made it M a y o r H e l e n a Mulenga said insurance a church history on its website possible for Moreno attended and money from the Fed** We install year-round - Exp 12/31/26 says. us to come Sunday’s Mass eral Emergency Manage“The slaves sat a n d p r e s e n t e d ment Agency helped cover * this far.” on the outer aisles, the church with a the hurricane work, and he so that’s where I proclamation. noted the work of the ArchTHE REV. sit to honor them,” “This church has diocese of New Orleans and EMMANUEL said Brierre, withstood many Regal Construction, the MULENGA whose usual spot storms,” she said, Covington-based company Stainless steel for Mass is on the drawing applause doing the repairs. micromesh left side of the when she added Mulenga said that the sanctuary facing the altar. that she knows it will be church has had to come St. Augustine was the around for another 185 out of pocket for more than uPVC frame worship place of Henriette years. $500,000 for the repairs that Delille, a French-speaking New and longtime parish- weren’t covered by insur1 Custom fit to your new or woman of African descent ioners alike say St. Augus- ance or FEMA. existing gutters who founded the Sisters of tine has remained true to The damage from Ida the Holy Family to provide the spirit of its founding came a couple of years after care and shelter for orphans nearly 200 years ago. the church had embarked before dying of tuberculoBlake Cass said he was on a $2.5 million fundraising sis in 1862 at age 50, as well teaching at a college in campaign for church mainas such notable people as Maine four years ago when tenance and upkeep. 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FARMERS

because of the LNG boom. “We’re having issues moving equipment, moving rice strictly because of the traffic,” Vail said, noting that there have been multiple fatal crashes on La. 27 so far this year. “It’s becoming more and more dangerous.”

Continued from page 1A High energy costs have driven up inflation, making everyday life more expensive. The consumer price index rose 3.7% last month compared to a year ago, the U.S. Labor Department said this week. Rice, crawfish and cattle farmers in Louisiana are also contending with other struggles to make ends meet: drought, saltwater intrusion and higher irrigation costs. They’ve led to difficult tradeoffs. A young sugar cane and vegetable farmer in southeast Louisiana had to postpone improvements to tractor sheds and is considering scaling back more laborintensive crops, despite his passion for growing healthier foods for his community. A farmer in northeast Louisiana had to pay double for seed because of a late freeze in March that forced him to replant his entire corn crop. Across the state, farmers also say they are worried about the future of their land, as Louisiana public officials embrace industries with large footprints in oncerural areas, including liquefied natural gas facilities, solar farms, data centers and a new space complex. Lewis, 43, is a fifth-generation Acadiana farmer but wonders how much longer he can carry on the family legacy. He left his stockbroker job when he was 28 to take over the farm when his dad, just 49, had a fatal heart attack in the fields. Lewis said he’s considered the possibility of selling farmland, especially as developers show interest in properties near SpaceX’s planned launch facility and spaceport in Vermilion Parish. “Every day I bleed. Every day I cry,” he said. “And the sweat — of course you sweat; that’s a given. The sweat don’t stop.”

Not an overnight issue

STAFF PHOTOS By LESLIE WESTBROOK

Eddie Lewis III keeps an eye on the sugar cane harvest as it is loaded into trucks at Lewis Farms in youngsville.

Grass is burned away from cut sugar cane before it is harvested at Lewis Farms in youngsville.

‘No one can plan for that’ Louisiana agricultural economists and industry officials say the financial strain on farmers has been growing for years. This year’s increase in input costs, primarily driven by the Iran war’s effect on fuel and fertilizer prices, has made it harder for farmers to recover their expenses, even with many of the state’s crops performing well and commodity prices rising. “The gains that we’ve seen in market prices have not even begun to offset the rise in mainly fuel and fertilizer prices that producers have bought in 2026,” said Michael Deliberto, an associate professor at the LSU AgCenter. Farmers are accustomed to weather, market and production risks, Deliberto said, but sudden increases in production costs are difﬁcult to absorb when growers have already committed to planting and have limited control over what they’ll earn at harvest. Direct production costs for sugar cane rose from $543 per acre in January to $643 per acre in August, according to the LSU AgCenter. Costs rose from $740 to $830 for corn, $780 to $930 for rice and $465 to $507 for soybeans. For irrigated crops, including corn and rice, fuel prices can have a more dramatic impact because farmers must run pumps to keep their ﬁelds watered. “When you have input costs that go up hundreds of dollars per acre, no one can plan for that,” Deliberto said. “And that’s just going to take its cut out of the margin at the end of the day.”

‘A risky way to earn a living’ Homer Leger began farming rice and crawfish full time this year on about 1,200 acres of leased land in Calcasieu Parish. Leger, 50, expects to finish the year about $20,000 short of what he needs to cover his costs and plans to return to the bank for an additional loan to make ends meet. He left an oilfield service company to do this work. “It seems like every time you get to step in the right direction, something’s trying to jerk you off the lad-

Eddie Simon III, a thirdgeneration sugar cane farmer, stands with sugar cane at Lewis Farms in youngsville.

Donald Simon directs the operator of a transloader to drop sugar cane into a hauler at Lewis Farms in youngsville. der,” he said. Many rice farmers in Louisiana are in better shape than their counterparts in neighboring states, including Arkansas and Mississippi, because they can offset some expenses by rotating rice with crawfish. But Leger said it’s not a guaranteed cushion and both rice and crawfish require sufficient rainfall for success, while saltwater intrusion can ruin both crops. Those two elements have hit Brandon Vail especially hard as a fifth-generation farmer who grows rice on about 500 acres and raises about 300 head of cattle in Calcasieu and Cameron parishes. Drought and saltwater intrusion have forced him to rely more heavily on wells that require additional fuel to operate. With expenses running so high, the 41-year-old farmer reduced fertilizer applications on his second rice crop. “You still have to put your fertilizer out,” Vail said. “Or you’re not going to make a crop, and you’re not going to have anything to repay.” A 2025 federal bridge payment helped to cover about 20% of Vail’s budget shortfall. Without it, Vail said he might not have planted this year’s crop. If fuel and fertilizer costs remain high going into the next planting season, Vail said he may reduce his acreage or concentrate on planting only his most productive fields. “I ponder on that every year before I sign a farm loan,” he said. “This is a risky way to make a living.”

A fresh perspective More than 150 miles east in Ascension Parish, Ramaun Fernandez farms about 100 acres of sugar cane and 20 acres of vegetables while attending LSU full time. The agricultural business major and his family also raise chickens, cattle and goats. Fernandez, 19, grew up farming alongside his grandfather, who he described as his “best friend.” Fernandez said he always wanted to farm — and that desire has grown stronger since his grandfather died earlier this year. He’s had to table planned repairs to the farm’s tractor sheds while he’s running about $10,000 over his $250,000 budget. If fuel and fertilizer expenses remain high, he may have to reduce vegetable production, which requires more labor, and plant more sugar cane instead. “If I could get away from sugar cane, I really would,” he said. “I like messing with vegetables that I know can go directly to feed people.” The young, Black farmer hopes to bring a fresh perspective to a ﬁeld that is dominated by older, White men. While doing research for a project at LSU, Fernandez said he learned how differently Black farmers were treated than White farmers when it came to government assistance. His own farm, he said, was denied a USDA land clearing loan.

‘You can’t blame people’ In northeast Louisiana, Garrett Marsh grows corn and soybeans on about

1,700 acres. The third-generation farmer is about 10% over budget on his Madison Parish farm. In addition to fuel and fertilizer costs, he’s also been hit with higher seed costs after a freeze in March forced him to replant his entire corn crop. “I always try to budget on the high side, expecting the worst,” Marsh said. “But we’re still over budget.” Marsh, 45, also worries about the development of

Louisiana had about 25,000 farms as of 2022, according to the most recent USDA Census of Agriculture. That was a 9% decrease from the census ﬁve years earlier. For the majority of Louisiana’s 64 parishes, farming is the top economic driver, according to Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain. “In some parishes, it is the sole economy,” Strain said. “And we have to recognize that and protect it over the entire course of our careers and lifetimes.” Louisiana agriculture is in better shape than much of the country because of the state’s fertile land, wide range of crops and easy access to export facilities, he said. But those strengths don’t eliminate the challenge of farming when expenses continue to outpace the prices farmers receive for their crops. Andy Brown, public policy director for the Louisiana Farm Bureau, said the struggle predates the fuel and fertilizer price spikes. Hurricanes, droughts, weak profit margins and other pressures have contributed to farm consolidation and closures in recent years. “This has not been an overnight issue,” Brown said. “The plight of the farmer has been in decline for some time.” The Farm Bureau has called for more stable trade policy, changes to agricultural labor policy and greater competition among suppliers of farm inputs. Federal assistance is also an important way to help farmers manage the gap between costs and revenues, Brown said. Strain emphasized the importance of reducing fertilizer and fuel costs, expanding agricultural research and protecting farmland. Two recently announced fertilizer production projects in Ascension and Jefferson parishes could eventually reduce farmers’ reliance on fertilizer imports that are driving up costs, Strain said. And the need to protect farmland is nothing new, he said. Farmland has long been endangered by the development of residential subdivisions. Now, it’s the state’s investment in LNG, data centers and a space port. Realistically, Strain said, Louisiana needs to set aside $25 million to $50 million per year to protect its farmland. “Every inch of every acre is precious,” Strain said. “And the bottom line is we have to protect our food supply, and we have to do that by protecting the land that produces the food.”

Meta’s massive artificial intelligence data center in nearby Richland Parish and the effect it could have on his leased farmland. He envisions one day passing down his farm through generations, although he questions the reality of whether it will be possible in the decades ahead. “You can’t blame people for selling their land,” Marsh said. “Because it’s going to be more than they’ll ever make off farming.” Vail, the southwest Louisiana rice and cattle farmer, said he’s worried about the possibility of data centers one day taking up resources like land, water and electricity. He also worries about the added trafﬁc, which has been a problem Email Megan Wyatt at for him in Cameron Parish mwyatt@theadvocate.com.

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SENATE

seize land for transmission lines, among other concerns. Proponents of the project, including Letlow and state leaders like Gov. Jeff Landry, say that Meta’s data center and other large-scale developments mark a sea change for Louisiana’s economy that will create jobs and bring more community investment to the state.

Continued from page 1A economic development with protecting the public and ensuring residents don’t have to pay for data centers’ power needs. In a statement, Davis said he would support liability for AI companies that deploy dangerous technologies and ﬁght to ensure AI isn’t used in autonomous weapons systems. He also said he would back legislation mandating safety reviews of AI models before their release and requiring those models to include “kill switches” in case they need to be shut down. “‘Self-policing’ by these massive AI companies isn’t going to cut it,” Davis said. “Congress has to step in.” Letlow’s campaign did not answer specific questions about whether Letlow would support requiring AI models to have kill switches, liability for AI companies or limiting the use of AI in autonomous weapons. Instead, the campaign released a general statement about Letlow’s stance on AI. “When it comes to artiﬁcial intelligence, Julia believes we must protect Americans, safeguard our national security, and ensure the United States remains the global leader in technological innovation,” the statement said. “She supports a thoughtful approach that addresses legitimate risks without imposing unnecessary regulations that put American businesses and workers at a disadvantage.” Letlow’s campaign also noted the congresswoman supports a bill that would require state utility regulators to consider adopting a standard under which data centers would pay the full

NETANYAHU

Continued from page 1A his tight ties to the Republican president as a selling point for staying in power. “Thank you, President Trump, for the tremendous support and work together,” Netanyahu said in a statement in Hebrew posted on X. “Together we will complete the mission!” His Likud Party attached to the statement a 35-second video showing clips of the two leaders together and Trump praising Netanyahu. It was not immediately clear what impact the endorsement would have on what is expected to be a tight race. Trump is still popular in Israel, but many Israelis, including leading commentators, have expressed disappointment over the inconclusive outcome of the Iran war and Trump’s ceaseﬁre proposal, which fell short of many of the countries’ key goals when they jointly launched the war in February. In his post, Trump again threatened to “soon finish the job” against Iran

Letlow addresses Meta NDA STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Electric infrastructure is seen at the Meta Hyperion data center construction site in Richland Parish on Sept. 2. cost of the power they need to operate. “Julia believes Louisiana has an opportunity to lead in the development of new technologies that bring investment, create goodpaying jobs, and strengthen our economy,” her campaign said. “At the same time, that growth must be done responsibly, with transparency, community input, and protections to ensure Louisiana families and small businesses aren’t left footing the bill for new infrastructure.”

A growing national issue The Louisiana race is an example of how AI and data centers are shaping midterm elections across the country, which will determine which party controls Congress. Nationally, Democrats have been pressing Republicans on the issue, and polls show data centers are unpopular among members of both parties. Fears of AIdriven cyberattacks and recent high-proﬁle instances of AI models breaking out of their controls have also caused alarm. President Donald Trump, who has a close relationship with tech titans like Mark Zuckerberg, has opposed

“unless they change their ways, rapidly,” but added he might not want to if Netanyahu loses the election. “If Israel has the wrong Leader, which would be anyone other than Bibi, America will have to do this work ourselves, and I am not inclined to do so,” Trump said. He said Netanyahu had been “Strong, Brave, and Brilliant in the face of tremendous opposition, including that coming from even Israel, itself.” Trump endorsed Netanyahu in past elections and in November he sent a letter to Israeli President Isaac Herzog asking him to pardon Netanyahu on corruption charges. But Trump’s comments about Netanyahu in recent months had been much more subdued, and he repeatedly demurred when asking if he would back the prime minister. The president, when asked in a Time magazine interview published this month about backing the Israeli leader, said, “I’m not involved in politics anymore,” despite his campaigning for and endorsing U.S. politicians. Trump, especially in his

mandatory restrictions on the technology, arguing such limitations would hinder the U.S. in the AI race against China. Some AI founders have celebrated Trump’s approach, which they expect will increase proﬁts. But in recent months, tech leaders have also called for an AI development slowdown amid concerns that AI could break out of human control and wreak havoc on power grids, ﬁnancial institutions and transportation systems. Researchers and experts say that possibility is becoming stronger; last month, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei warned rogue AI bots could take over the internet within a year. Skeptics say that even when AI agents have gone rogue, they have been following goals set by humans. In Louisiana, AI is a salient issue as Meta seeks to expand its massive data center project in Richland Parish, which is known as Hyperion. The project is controversial: critics worry household customers could end up paying for Meta’s power needs, and landowners have complained that Entergy, the power company that would fuel Hyperion, is using expropriation laws to

In 2024, Letlow signed a nondisclosure agreement with Laidley LLC, a Meta business, as Meta was working on plans for Hyperion; according to a public financial disclosure, she purchased Meta stock in the months that followed, before news of the project became public. As Congress grapples with allegations of insider trading against its members, Letlow has received backlash over her stock trades, which WWNO reported on in August. And in February, when she was fighting to win the Republican primary, she faced criticism from Sen. Bill Cassidy, her opponent, for failing to disclose her stock trades on time. In a statement, Letlow’s campaign said that Letlow “does not direct, execute, approve, or have prior knowledge of any individual trades.” “These transactions were made independently by a third-party investment firm exercising discretionary authority over a managed account, without Congresswoman Letlow’s input or involvement,” the statement said. Previously, Letlow expressed support for legislation that would ban members of Congress from purchasing new stock but that would not prevent them from trading existing stock.

second term, has sought Lebanon was holding back to give his stamp of ap- peace talks with Iran. Beyond Iran, Netanyahu proval to candidates in foreign elections and claimed in August rejected Trump’s credit when they have been successful. He endorsed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in his unsuccessful bid for a ﬁfth term, as well as Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Polish President Karol Nawrocki, and several Latin American leaders. Trump and Netanyahu have been close allies and seemed more aligned than ever in the wake of the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in 2025. But over the course of the nearly eight-month war with Iran this year, they have had disagreements. Trump criticized Israel’s decision to attack a key Iranian gas field in the first weeks of the war. In June, he called Netanyahu “crazy.” Trump also said that he was “a little bit perturbed” as Israel’s ﬁghting with Hezbollah militants in

The statement from Letlow’s campaign also defended her decision to sign an NDA with Meta. “The NDA was utilized to understand the investment’s potential to have a profound impact on Northeast Louisiana,” it said. “Such agreements are common in economic development discussions, with the ultimate goal of securing new investments and creating jobs for the people of Louisiana.” Landry’s administration has used hundreds of NDAs to keep details of major economic development projects secret as it works to bring investment to Louisiana. Dozens of officials and state employees have signed those deals. Proponents say the agreements are helping usher in unprecedented economic growth for the state, while critics describe them as a major blow to government transparency. In a statement, Davis said he does not support ofﬁcials signing NDAs over business deals and pledged never to sign an NDA as a senator; he also said he supports banning members of Congress from trading stocks. “Congress shouldn’t be trading individual stocks while it writes the laws that move those stocks,” Davis said. “A rule that only stops new purchases and lets members keep what they already own is duct tape, and Washington loves duct tape solutions that earn credit without changing anything.”

tions on the technology. Trump has resisted setting such restrictions and said tech companies should self-police AI. He argues a hands-off approach is the best way to make sure the United States has superior AI technology. “Republicans don’t want to get on what they see as the wrong side of the president,” said Brendan Steinhauser, CEO of the Alliance for Secure AI, a nonprofit that works to build bipartisan support in Congress for AI guardrails. “They’re kind of caught between a rock and a hard place, the rock being Donald Trump and the hard place being public opinion.” Trump has endorsed Letlow, helping her oust Cassidy in the Republican primary this year. Steinhauser, who is a Republican and formerly worked as a GOP strategist, said Democrats have generally been stronger on AI and will pass regulations if they win Congress in November. But, he said, some Democrats have been working behind the scenes to slow down legislation because AI is a campaign issue that hurts Republicans. Meanwhile, Louisiana pollster and political adviser John Couvillon has expressed doubts that data centers will cause much trouble for Republicans in the state. “When I do polling asking about the most important issues, data centers are way down near the bottom,” Couvillon said. “It’s kind of the popular issue du jour. I AI’s role in the midterms reserve judgment about the Some political observers electoral potency of it.” The Associated Press consay AI and data centers could cause problems for tributed to this report. Republicans during the midterms, as polls show Email Meghan Friedmann Americans overwhelmingly at meghan.friedmann@ support government regula- theadvocate.com.

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Watchdog: Judges managing workload Faster pace attributed to better investigations

BY MATT BRUCE

The Louisiana State Police presmission found that the court’s judges kept pace with an in- ence in New Orleans through creased workload over the past Troop NOLA, formed in 2024, has With the Orleans Parish Crimi- two years while reducing a back- also increased the number of Orleans Parish cases prosecuted by nal District Court set to absorb log of long-standing cases. Though crime is down in New Attorney General Liz Murrill’s a seismic shift with the loss of three of its 12 felony judges in a Orleans, the independent orga- ofﬁce. “Despite a higher volume of few months, a new report from a nization attributed the rise in criminal justice watchdog shows cases to better police investiga- cases coming into the system, the court has been managing well tions, leading District Attorney they’re maintaining the same with higher caseloads. Jason Williams’ ofﬁce to formally case processing times. That’s a success,” commission President The Metropolitan Crime Com- charge more suspects. Staff writer

Rafael Goyeneche said Friday. “This is a positive report about the performance of the entire court. It shows that the judges are working very efﬁciently to move their dockets through a greater workload from the two years before that.” The commission has been scoring the criminal court’s judges in a study of “judicial efﬁciency” periodically since 2007. The report released Thursday comes as two incumbent judges challenge two others for their seats after the

Legislature targeted the court for cuts. The commission’s report compares the dozen judges by the number of open cases, the share of them that were unresolved after a year and how long it takes to resolve them on average. This year’s report added up the data on a review of more than 4,300 cases in 2024 and 2025. It follows a report last year that exposed a glaring backlog in

ä See PACE, page 6B

Urban League urges residents to vote

BY VIOLET BUCARO Staff writer

New Orleans officials called on residents to advocate for political change as they gathered Oct. 14 to kick off a conference aimed at encouraging voter turnout and advancing civil rights. Urban League of Louisiana, a nonpartisan group that advocates for Black voter turnout, hosted its seventh annual conference at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on Wednesday, urging voters to get to the polls this election season. U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, Mayor Helena Moreno, Urban League President Judy Reese Morse, and its Vice President Charles E.J. Phipps were among the speakers at the ceremony, along with the Convention Center’s CEO, Jim Cook. As dozens of people were greeted at the center, a trio band on hand drums played Funga Alaﬁa, a traditional West African welcome song, and Carter encouraged the crowd to be the change they want to see in their communities ahead of a Nov. 3 election for his and other House seats. Early voting begins Oct. 2027. “You don’t have to be elected to do stuff. You don’t have to have a title to feed somebody hungry,” Carter said. “We are not elected to be kings and queens. We’re not better than you. We’re not smarter than you. We’re simply your representatives. Remind those who you elect who they work for.” Moreno opened the day by thanking the young people at the conference and the Urban League’s organizers. “New Orleans is a city whose history, culture and economic strength has been shaped by generations of Black leaders, entrepreneurs, artists and families,” she said. “We have a big responsibility to honor that legacy by creating even greater opportunities for the next generation of the young people we see right here in this room.” Morse spoke about the Urban League’s mission to educate residents on federal, state and local policies. She said that education gives people the ability to advocate for solutions, which is why, she said, the organization’s conference is free to attend. “We wanted to demystify policy. Too often people hear the word policy, and they assume that it is something that happens somewhere else behind closed doors,” Reese said. “You have a voice, you have a stake, and you have a role to play.” Morse said the conference was focused on four pillar rights that represent the organization’s mission: the right to live well, the right to earn, the right to participate and the right to advocate. “Let us declare that every child deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential. Let us declare

ä See URBAN, page 2B

STAFF PHOTOS By SOPHIA GERMER

JoJo Hermann & Friends perform during NOLA Funk Fest at the Goldring Woldenberg Riverfront Park in New Orleans on Saturday.

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ABOVE: Tony Hall Band with Mahogany Blue performs on the AOS Great Lawn. LEFT: Kayoni, 7, who preferred not to share her last name, dances to JoJo Hermann & Friends.

Slidell to vote on fee renewal Ex-captain accuses Money maintains LSP of discrimination retention ponds BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer

Voters in four neighborhoods east of Slidell will decide on Nov. 3 whether to renew a $253 parcel fee that pays for pumps and levees that help keep the neighborhoods dry. Drainage District No. 4 has been funded by a parcel fee since it was ﬁrst established in 1978 and serves New Kings Point, Pinehurst, Spring Hill and Fox Hollow subdivisions, said district President Tim Asher. “It keeps the streets clear and prevents the homes from ﬂooding,” he said.

The district maintains the system of retention ponds and pumps that clear those neighborhood’s streets when heavy rains come down, Asher said. It also pays for grass cutting and other efforts to prevent erosion on the 5.5-mile levee system that surround the neighborhoods, he said. In 2025 and 2026, the drainage district used the money to clear out its two retention ponds and outﬂow canal, increasing the pond’s water capacity by “twofold,” Asher said. A toilet and a trampoline were among the items that were removed from the ponds, along with lots of vegetation, a drainage district ﬂyer says. The parcel fee will pay to

ä See SLIDELL, page 2B

Suit: Former chief targeted ‘DEI’ employees

BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer

The ﬁrst Black female captain of the Louisiana State Police has sued the agency, alleging that its former superintendent, retired Col. Robert Hodges, discriminated against her based on her age and gender and then retaliated after she raised

concerns. Treone Larvadain filed the lawsuit on Oct. 5 in 19th Judicial District Court in East Baton Rouge Parish alleging Hodges vowed to get rid of “DEI” employees Larvadain after taking over the agency. After Larvadain declined Hodges’ request to be transferred to

ä See CAPTAIN, page 2B

2B ✦ Monday, October 19, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

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Baker man loses $100K in alleged scam Suspect booked in fictional medical marijuana business BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

A Gretna man is accused of misleading a Baker property owner into investing more than $100,000 in a ﬁctional medical marijuana business he wasn’t licensed to open. The property owner didn’t learn the business endeavor was fraudulent until after work was already underway to remodel the building. Kyle Guilbeaux, 54, has been booked on a count of theft greater than $25,000 for checks he received between August 2022 and January 2023. According to the warrant for Guilbeaux’s arrest, he met the property owner in summer 2022, with Guilbeaux claiming to be afﬁliated with a medical marijuana facility in the state and possessing the license to operate

another dispensary. Guilbeaux proposed converting a building on the man’s property into a medical marijuana pharmacy, and the two entered into an arrangement where the property owner would keep 80% of the earnings from the pharmacy, according to the warrant. The man told East Baton Rouge sheriff’s deputies he arranged for multiple contractors to begin demolition on the building, and met with other companies for quotes on remodeling the interior, upgrading the HVAC and electrical systems, paving a drive-thru on the property and installing security cameras. The man allegedly wrote seven checks to Guilbeaux, totaling $109,250, according to the arrest warrant. Some work was performed — with wallpaper, drywall and flooring being removed — but the man said things eventually stopped without explanation. He called a contracted ﬂooring company, and the owner said he never received a down payment to cover the cost of the ﬂooring.

The man told deputies he had given Guilbeaux a check to make that down payment. He learned through a court order that his checks had been credited into an account owned by Guilbeaux, but no transactions had been made for building materials. Instead, transactions were made at Club4Fitness, Walmart, Raising Cane’s, ExxonMobil, Rouses and other businesses, according to the arrest warrant. The man recorded conversations with Guilbeaux and submitted them to deputies. In one, Guilbeaux said he needed $100,000 to show the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy there was enough money to invest in the business. Guilbeaux repeatedly assured the property owner he had a license for the new pharmacy and that this is how business for a new medical marijuana facility is conducted, according to the arrest warrant. Contacting the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy, the property owner learned all state

medical marijuana licenses have been awarded and all sites allowed for the Baton Rouge area have already been established. The board told the man Guilbeaux is not a licensed operator for such a site and is not afﬁliated with one. In a March 2025 meeting with deputies, Guilbeaux said he had received checks from the man for a consulting fee. He allegedly told deputies he had no experience with this kind of business and did not have a license to open a medical marijuana facility. Guilbeaux’s attorneys ﬁled a motion this month ordering the state to deliver evidence against him. “In the sixteen months that this case has been pending the basic evidence of the case, as well as any evidence that supports that charge, has not been produced,” the motion reads. Guilbeaux’s next court date is scheduled for Jan. 12. Email Quinn Coffman at quinn. coffman@theadvocate.com.

Plan sought to track funds from opioid settlement State sends $73.5M to parishes, sheriffs BY DEAN BOUDREAUX

Staff writer

Louisiana is distributing $73.5 million in opioid settlement money to parishes and sheriffs, but questions remain about how the public can track the spending and who will be responsible for making sure the money is being used as intended. At a meeting Wednesday, state officials approved the latest distribution and discussed plans for an opioid ombudsman to advise local governments and a public dashboard to track spending. The discussion comes as the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office compiles local spending data after a May 2025 report found that no entity was tasked with enforcing the terms of the settlements. The money comes from lawsuits against manufacturers and distributors of opioid painkillers and is intended to help address the harm caused by the opioid crisis, including through addiction treatment and other response efforts. The Louisiana Opioid Abatement Task Force and the Opioid Abatement Administration Corp. approved a distribution of about $73.5 million, the sixth annual distribution. Lafayette Parish Mayor-President Monique Blanco Boulet made the motion, which members approved. Curtis Nelson, the task force’s executive counsel, said payments would go out by the end of October or by the second week of November. The task force and corporation distribute the money but do not control how local governments spend it. Officials focused Wednesday on providing guidance and making spending information more accessible. Michael Dupree, public pro-

URBAN

Continued from page 1B that our work should open doors to economic security and generational wealth. Let us declare that every person deserves a meaningful voice in our democracy,” Morse said. Following the morning remarks from Morse, Moreno, Carter and others, a series of panels ran from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., covering topics like Louisiana’s wealth gap, housing access, generational wealth, building Black businesses, policy standards and

tection director for the Louisiana Department of Justice, said Attorney General Liz Murrill supports creating an opioid ombudsman position in her office. The person would be an opioid expert who would visit local governments and sheriffs’ offices to provide technical support and explain what settlement money could be spent on, Dupree said. Local officials can now ask the Attorney General’s Office whether a proposed use qualifies, and the office responds by letter. Dupree offered an example of the questions it receives: “Can we build a cafeteria?” He said the office is modeling the position on Arizona, which has a dedicated opioid ombudsman who “travels around the state.” The proposed position would provide guidance but would not have authority to enforce settlement terms or compel local governments to change their spending. Dupree said the office is exploring ways to pay for the position, including cooperative endeavor agreements. Nelson said the task force has reserve money that could help fund it. “It’s not a matter of if we’re going to bring on the ombudsman,” Nelson said. Franckiewicz said reserves and expected receipts would cover the costs for at least the next 10 years. Officials did not provide a salary, total cost or start date. Dupree said the Attorney General’s Office also plans to update its website with frequently asked questions and a portal explaining allowable uses for settlement funds. Kristen Jacobs, a performance audit manager with the Legislative Auditor’s Office, gave the first public progress report on Senate Concurrent Resolution 22, which asks the auditor to prepare a written, nonevaluative report on settlement spending.

The report is due March 12, and Jacobs said it could be completed sooner. Her office has received expenditure data from every sheriff and all but two parishes. The report will categorize spending according to the settlement agreement and is intended to be easier to understand, Jacobs said. It also will include a fact sheet for each parish showing total allocations, unspent money and high-level spending, alongside state opioid death and hospitalization figures. Sheriffs are not required to file annual spending reports, Nelson said. Jacobs said the auditor’s request is for a one-time report. Boulet said the progress “settles some of the anxiety” over how money is being spent. Jacobs said the auditor’s office also collected feedback from parishes and sheriffs and may offer the task force recommendations on annual reporting. Rep. Annie Spell, a co-sponsor of the resolution, said in written responses that its goal is “to establish a factual baseline, not assign blame.” Once the information is available, the Legislature “will be better equipped to determine whether additional oversight or accountability measures are necessary,” she said. Danny Bonin, of the We Save Lives Coalition, urged the panel earlier in the meeting to create a public dashboard. “This is everybody’s money,” he said. Nelson said the panel has received at least two quotes and is seeking more. One vendor, which he said works with Mississippi and Oklahoma, quoted $46,500 to build the site and $7,000 a year to host it. Nelson said he wants flexibility to spend up to $100,000 if another vendor offers more features. Members did not vote on the proposal. Nelson said he would seek at least two more quotes

before the end of the month and bring a vendor recommendation to the corporation for approval. The first vendor’s pricing is valid through Nov. 12, Nelson said. He estimated the site could be running in about 90 days. Under the proposal, parishes would upload spending reports through a portal rather than submitting spreadsheets, and the system would generate the dashboard, Nelson said. “We need to automate reporting,” he said. The dashboard also could show the sheriffs’ share of the money, even though sheriffs do not ﬁle annual spending reports, Nelson said. “I think we need to have a dashboard fairly quickly,” Boulet said. Neither the proposed ombudsman nor the dashboard would give the state new authority to enforce the settlement’s spending requirements. Dr. Peter Croughan, of the Louisiana Department of Health, briefed the panel on programs that could be relevant to local efforts to address opioid addiction. He said 68 of 71 hospitals have signed up to launch a bridge program, which starts emergency room patients on addiction medication and connects them with follow-up care. Project M.O.M., which serves pregnant and postpartum women, now has nine navigators, one for each region. He also cited a Lake Charlesarea behavioral health agency that used settlement money to open a medication-assisted treatment urgent care clinic, calling it a “great example of evidence-based use of opioid settlement dollars.” The panel’s next joint meeting is scheduled at 10 a.m. Feb. 18. Nelson said he expects the auditor’s team to share a draft of its report with the task force well before then.

more. There were musical energy resets and artistic workshops between panel sessions. Urban League will also host a gala celebration at the Convention Center on Thursday. Carter said developers seeking to expand businesses in Louisiana must take into account the desires of underserved communities. He referenced the state’s recent investments into data centers and AI technology. Carter said the community needs to be looped in on the state’s infrastructure decision-making. Meta is building a 3,200-acre “Hyperion” data center in Richland Parish — where some resi-

dents have long used the land for rural life — while Elon Musk’s SpaceX is building a rocket launch site in Vermillion Parish. State and local ofﬁcials negotiated both projects in secret with the companies, and did not announce plans to the public until the deals were ﬁnalized. Gov. Jeff Landry has said that companies expect nondisclosure agreements so they can negotiate and that other states don’t need to know what Louisiana has in the works. “We cannot build multi-billiondollar facilities without talking to the neighbors,” Carter said. “We cannot celebrate billions of dollars of investment

while nearby families struggle to pay their utility bills. … We cannot build centers that build things and send things to the moon, and ignore the people on the ground in close proximity.” Phipps, Urban League’s vice president, said many of Louisiana’s young people are fleeing the state to find opportunity elsewhere. Phipps told the crowd not to accept that as the status quo, but rather, he encouraged a fight for change. “This conference is an opportunity for you to declare that we can imagine, that we can demand, that Louisiana can and should be different,” he said.

CAPTAIN

Continued from page 1B lead a women’s prison, the lawsuit alleges Hodges proceeded to “harass” and demote her, ultimately forcing her resignation. Hodges is running for St. Tammany Parish sheriff in the Nov. 3 election. His campaign issued a statement on social media saying the allegations are false. “From day one as superintendent, I put the most qualified person in every position. … There was no DEI at state police, and there will be no DEI in the St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office. Period,” the post said, referring to programs designed to promote diversity, equity and inclusion. Larvadain first joined the State Police in 2006 as one of the only Black women in the agency, the lawsuit says. During her tenure, she served in various departments, including the Bureau of Investigations, and as an instructor at the training academy. Larvadain became the first African American woman to be a captain in 2020, the lawsuit says, and she was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel, the second highest rank, in July 2023. After being appointed State Police superintendent by the governor in 2024, Hodges repeatedly said to Larvadain in front of other State Police employees that “DEI” was over and “DEI” employees would not stay at State Police, the lawsuit alleges. Hodges then tried to transfer Larvadain to lead the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, and the lawsuit alleges he said it was “because she is a woman.” After she declined because she wanted to stay at the Bureau of Investigations, he proceeded to remove her duties and opportunities at the police force, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit alleges Hodges told her there wasn’t a place for her among command staff, all of whom were men, and that he sometimes had her subordinates provide reports on her unit instead of her. This “resulted in petitioner being deliberately ostracized, alienated, and made the laughing stock of LSP,” the lawsuit says. After demoting her to the rank of major to work on a “special project,” Hodges made her wear the uniform with the demoted rank visible on it at least three days a week, and her pay was cut by $34,000 a year, the lawsuit says. Larvadain said she was ultimately forced to resign on May 3, 2026, with significantly lower retirement pay. The lawsuit states Larvadain filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which in September declined to proceed further with an investigation and made “no determination” on what further investigation might find about the allegations, allowing Larvadain to proceed with her litigation. State Police said Saturday afternoon that it does not comment on pending litigation, but noted the “no finding” conclusion by the EEOC. After an appointment by Gov. Jeff Landry, Hodges began serving as head of state police in 2024, before retiring after more than 30 years in the agency. Hodges declared his candidacy in early August, and his campaign as of earlier this month had raised the most money of all four candidates. Hodges’ campaign post did not address any of the lawsuit’s specific claims. “This lawsuit is frivolous, and it will fail,” the post said.

SLIDELL

Continued from page 1B keep clearing the ponds, Asher said. If the five-year renewal is approved, it would generate $300,017 in total, according to the ballot language. Landowners would pay $253 per 10,000 square feet of parcel they own. Asher said that if voters don’t approve the parcel fee this year, the district will put it on the ballot again in 2027. The existing fee expires at the end of 2027.

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OPINION N O L A.C O M/opinions

Like the Saints, Superdome signage has taken a beating

Disturbing to learn Planned Parenthood is reopening It is very disturbing and disheartening to learn that Planned Parenthood, the largest single provider of abortions in the United States, is reopening a center in New Orleans. Planned Parenthood Great Plains intends to facilitate abortions for Louisiana residents by helping girls and women travel to states that permit the killing of unborn human beings, i.e., what they call reproductive healthcare. Before taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood was paused in 2025 due to provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill, it had reached $832 million in 2024, an increase of 50% since 2014. Now that their taxpayer funding has resumed through Medicaid reimbursements, who knows how much of our money Planned Parenthood will be awarded? And why? For what purpose? Spokespersons for Planned Parenthood claim their facilities provide many other services to women. (By the way, the number of these services has sharply declined since 2014, whereas the number of abortions at Planned Parenthood facilities has increased over the same period.) But there are many thousands of other community health clinics that offer these same services! How about offering more prenatal care and adoption referrals for women with unplanned pregnancies (just 1.7% and 0.7%, respectively, of Planned Parenthood’s total services) instead of encouraging such a cynical “solution” to the creation of a new human life? That would be real healthcare and compassion for both mother and baby. Planned Parenthood Great Plains, owner of the facility on Claiborne Avenue, may not be able to perform abortions there, thanks to pro-life laws in Louisiana, but apparently they intend to do their utmost to help Louisiana women get them anyway. Once again, Planned Parenthood is promoting and enabling abortion in Louisiana.

ELISABETH DILLMANN Metairie

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

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

Americans are facing higher prices at the gas pumps in 2026.

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Sacrifice at pump is worth it to stop Iran’s terrorist regime Has entitlement culture destroyed the ability of many to make sane decisions for a more peaceful and prosperous future? Has selfishness promoted an unwillingness to understand how short-term sacrifices can translate into better long-term outcomes? Fuel costs affect our personal mobility, along with increasing the cost of goods due to production and transportation. Iran’s tyrannical regime has been a root cause of higher energy prices. It wants to hold the world hostage through its nuclear ambitions and control of international shipping lanes. This centered their effort for regional and worldwide significance while screeching “Death to Israel. Death to America” for decades. Many Americans were killed through Iran’s terrorist activities. Higher gas prices are a small sacrifice toward ridding the planet of its worst center of terrorism. Through current economic and military actions, this regime will die in time. Oil prices will decline with supply lines unobstructed. Our willingness to look beyond

ourselves and see the future global picture of lower gas prices and peace in the region and around the world should encourage each of us to adjust our habits to this inconvenience. When Democrats were shutting down fossil fuel production for wind and solar alternatives during Biden’s term, gas prices were higher than they are now. What is their solution if given power again? Surrender to Iran or regurgitate past arrangements? Capitulation and appeasement are no answer with Iran’s history. Our American predecessors understood sacriﬁce. They endured it. They adapted to it. They could see the better future ahead through it. May each of us resolve to follow their lead and see this through. Voting accordingly in these midterms will provide greater peace and prosperity in the future for us and the world.

incompetent and led by unchecked radicals in his party or is an arrogant, vindictive egotist in an unchecked position of power. The problem will not be resolved by returning to power those who willingly submit to the demands of political power at the expense of their constituents or by those who have been poisoned by the blue or red Kool-Aid. Before the November elections, please think about how government should work for the greater good of the citizens and vote accordingly. It took a long time to degrade to our current predicament, and it will take a long time and a lot of patience to make the changes necessary to return to an environment of civility that allows polite disagreement with a commitment to work together. I won’t live to see it, but possibly my grandchildren will.

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U.S. should take Trump’s advice Re: “Trump says Ukraine should get a new leader as he blames Zelenskyy for U.S. diesel prices,” Oct. 11. The president is absolutely correct. A leader who gets his country into an unpopular and unnecessary war that causes fuel costs to soar should be replaced. If only our electorate would listen to him!

BOB RIVARD New Orleans

If we loved Will Sutton’s column more, we’d have to marry it

BO BIENVENU Prairieville

If paper can report a game, why not school forum? Since you have become the state’s largest journal, you have become less of a newspaper. On Oct. 11, the newspaper covered the previous Wednesday evening’s forum for School Board candidates (“Baton Rouge school board candidates share their ’superpower’ during forum”). The forum ended at 8:30 p.m. Though I’m glad you reported on it at all, I think this should have been treated as more important to Baton Rouge than as a leftover story. In contrast, Saturday night’s LSU-Kentucky football game went into overtime,

CHAD SHERMAN Marrero

WADE PERRIN Marrero

Vote for government that works for the greater good Letters have been published recently condemning both the Democratic and Republican parties. The fact that Gallup polls ﬁnd that most voters today are unafﬁliated with either party indicates that a majority of voters think neither party deserves their support any longer. Both parties actively pursue the greatest threat to democracy — control. In a system of political control, there is no democracy, no representation of constituents and no legislation for the greater good of citizens. Members of both parties have abrogated their responsibility to govern and seem to have subordinated their principles, values, backbones and constituents to the demands of their respective parties and “their” presidents, thereby eliminating the checks and balances in our system of government. The problem increases by an order of magnitude when the president is either mentally

Can’t get no, can’t get no ... satisfaction! Would you rather hear the Stones or the Benny Benassi version for the Saints game overhead music in the Superdome? I am old school when it comes to music in the Dome for the Saints games. Anything else, “I can’t get no satisfaction!” As far as decibels go, I could do without the clanging and slamming of hands and paraphernalia on the top of the metal signage that is accessible from the front row of the terrace, which produces a sound similar to convicts in prison cells wanting to be released. Noise in the Dome should be by clapping, stomping, yelling, hollering, cowbells, etc., but not by beating on the signage. Just how much forceful, cumulative pounding will the sign’s structure endure? How much will our ears and patience endure? Safety, security, sanity, sobriety, scoring, satisfaction in overhead music: All were lacking at the Monday night game. And of course a “W!”

and so it ended later than expected. Was the write-up of this game postponed until the Monday or Tuesday edition of the newspaper? No, indeed! Instead, there was a Sunday morning headline. You have rightfully editorialized about how the community and the state need to improve in a variety of ways. But your news coverage would not seem to reﬂect or support such priorities. If you can hold up the press for the football game, why not hold it up for a one-time, important political debate?

MARY ANN STERNBERG Baton Rouge

I’ve read many opinion columns over my 81 years. Some I’ve agreed with, others not, but I’ve never enjoyed reading one as much as I did Oct. 6: Will Sutton’s “You might be surprised who is having the most enjoyable sex.” He appears to have the facts, which were enlightening, and he clearly explained the title. Both are typical of his thoughtful, well-written commentaries over the years. What I admire most in this one are his clever references to sex and his positive, respectful and joyous acknowledgement of how wonderful is “the gift of deep physical, mutually satisfying, sexual intimacy.” Thank you, Mr. Sutton.

JOAN ALBRIGHT Metairie

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The Times-Picayune F nola.com F Monday, October 19, 2026 F 5B

COMMENTARY

Guilfoyle never mastered the art of the shakedown

About three weeks before Republicans expect an electoral beating, Donald Trump had to get rid of Kimberly Guilfoyle, his ambassador to Greece. He simply had to. Trump’s money-grabbing corruption was wearing thin even on devoted fans, but the president knew how to wrap his mob-like patter in foggy euphemisms and double meanings. Guilfoyle was not good at it. Not at all. The mob rarely threatens reluctant targets outFroma right. It says things like: Harrop “Nice place you’ve got here. Shame if something happened to it.” Or “Do me a favor,” as in Trump’s 2019 call seeking dirt on Joe Biden from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky: “I would like you to do us a favor, though.” When confronted with an incontrovertible fact, Trump claims ignorance. He said he didn’t know about the $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. As for sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein, Trump said, “I barely knew him.” Trump’s name appears in the Epstein ﬁles more than 38,000 times. This week, Trump almost denied knowing Guilfoyle. “She, I guess, dated my son a long time ago.” Guilfoyle and Donald Trump Jr. had been engaged for about four years. As president, Trump had real power to back up his grifts. Guilfoyle had connections to that power, which she waved around with zero discretion and awe-inspiring vulgarity. At the Davos gathering, Guilfoyle bragged about her buddy-buddy ties to two Greek tycoons who were paying for her luxury travel around Europe. Already a Trump family nuisance, Guilfoyle wasn’t invited to a dinner run by Greek House Davos earlier this year in honor of Trump’s son Eric. She was recorded saying to an American businessman on the guest list: “You know, I can deliver the world to you. Which you deserve. I’m going to make you a lot of f****** money.” She later said in her disjointed way,

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

Kimberly Guilfoyle speaks as President Donald Trump listens at a reception celebrating Greek Independence Day in the East Room of the White House in 2025. “You don’t have the f****** U.S., you know, ambassador to Greece not come. She (the organizer) should be kissing my f****** ass.” All this was reported in The Wall Street Journal, which has become America’s leading journalistic enterprise. The Journal had earlier reported on Guilfoyle’s attempted shakedown of Eric Deters, co-owner of a successful regional pizza chain and unsuccessful candidate in Kentucky for Congress and governor. Deters wanted Guilfoyle’s help with, among other things, stopping an Internal Revenue Service probe into his tax deductions. Guilfoyle texted him with a request to covertly pay off $100,000 she owed on her American Express card: “Honey please I need you to get this done for me today.” If Deters followed through, she also told him, “I will be your Trump ride or die, forever and ever.” Needless to say, Deters was himself no class act. He had been disbarred from practicing law in Kentucky. When he tried to get reinstated, and

ultimately failed, he called members of the state bar association “jokes of human excrement.” When banned from entering the Hamilton County (Ohio) courthouse, Deters threatened on social media to burn the building down. A ﬁne state of affairs the United States ﬁnds itself in. In exchange for a $100,000 payoff, Guilfoyle offers to help a known grifter succeed in his latest grifts via her connections to the kleptocracy theme park known as the Trump administration. Before Trump made her ambassador, he was reportedly annoyed that she was soliciting money from Mar-a-Lago members to invest in her various ventures. He sternly informed Guilfoyle that she was supposed to be raising money for him. When news broke this week that Guilfoyle had “resigned” as ambassador to Greece, Trump told reporters, “I mean, I don’t know. She’s an ambassador ... She was always very nice.” That’s how it’s done. Froma Harrop is on X, @FromaHarrop.

An execution shouldn’t be a show That opinions differed on whether a recruiting tool. the execution of mass murderer Nidal Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist Malik Hasan should be livestreamed at Fort Hood in Texas, shouted “Allahu to a global audience was confounding akbar,” meaning “God is great,” as he to saner minds. There was only one fatally shot 13 people, including a pregrational answer to the public execution nant woman, and wounded 32 others in question: absolutely not. a shooting spree in 2009. He, too, was Even President Donald Trump shot and is paralyzed. Following his agrees. After wrestling with his own conviction and death sentence, Hasan concerns about the livestream, Trump has been residing on death row at Fort on Thursday morning reversed his Leavenworth, Kansas. earlier support of the idea, saying in Few killers are less sympathetic than a social media post: “I think streamHasan. Evidence presented at trial showed that he planned the ating the execution for all to see might have been a strong detertack well in advance, purchasrent for the World to witness ing a semiautomatic handgun how America deals with Terand accumulating ammunition he bought from “Guns Galore.” rorists and SCUM like Hasan The shooting wasn’t treated but, many very good and well as a terrorist attack because, at meaning people would rather Kathleen the time, the Uniform Code of not watch him die, through Parker Military Justice did not have a streaming, or through any other punitive article for “terrorism.” visual device.” Hasan said during a court proceeding Interesting choice of words — “good in 2013 that he was acting in support of and well meaning people.” On both the Taliban and its leadership. sides? Speaking of the devil, the United Though this episode affords Trump States came uncomfortably close to credit where due and a reprieve from becoming peers with Afghanistan and criticism, it has also been a reminder Iran, where public executions are still of the dubious judgment of Defense held. Public executions in the U.S. fell Secretary Pete Hegseth, who, in aninto disfavor after the 1936 hanging of nouncing his idea for the live execution, said in an interview with “Human a Black man, Rainey Bethea, who conEvents Daily”: “We’ll make sure that fessed to raping and killing a 70-yearpeople are able to watch it, that it’s old White woman, Lischia Edwards. public. Because people need to underBethea’s execution in a Kentucky parkstand that … there’s serious conseing lot attracted up to 20,000 spectators who, photos show, seemed poised for a quences for these types of things.” Trump, too, mistakenly thought that a carnival. With social media and other platbroadcast execution would deter future terrorists from attacking Americans forms, billions of people could have when we know otherwise. Terrorists watched Hasan die. The viral impact don’t seem generally dissuaded from of such an event would have been stagattacking their perceived enemies ungering, and the question quickly beder threat of death. As we remember came: What are we doing to ourselves? too well, true believers welcome death And why? In theory, we punish muras a show of devotion to their religious derers to achieve justice, not revenge. beliefs. If anything, Hasan’s public ex- Not for entertainment. If anything, ecution probably would have served as had the livestream come to pass, the

rest of the world would have seen that America’s once-moral core had eroded beyond recognition. This impression is already popular for good reason, but Trump’s decision was bracing and, if only brieﬂy, psychologically stabilizing. Pressure to cancel the broadcast of Hasan’s death had been growing. Somewhat surprisingly, Christendom was divided. Some pastors quoted scripture to justify the live stream. Dallas megachurch pastor Robert Jeffress told CBS News that there was no moral or biblical objection to livestreaming the execution. The Catholic Church voiced objections to this escalation in the culture of death. The idea that billions of people could have tuned in to Hasan’s execution was especially alarming, knowing that children and teens would have been among them. Tech-savvy minors may be accustomed to video violence, but watching a real man being killed in real time is an entirely different experience. Tens of millions of people have watched the shooting of Christian activist Charlie Kirk. The video was available across social media, including Truth Social. The effects are not yet known, but this sort of “entertainment” can’t be good for anyone, adults included. Numbing ourselves to brutality becomes an adaptive mechanism to protect the psyche from further violence. But such numbing can also dissociate the developing mind from the real-life consequences of violence. Hegseth said that having a livestreaming of the Dec. 3 execution at Fort Hood at 1 p.m. on a Thursday — the approximate time and day of the shooting — was a “no-brainer.” I couldn’t agree more. Kathleen Parker is on X at @kathleenparker.

Even hit shows get canceled “President Trump has been saying, ‘Vote as if I was on the ballot,’ and that’s exactly what I’m going to do — not vote,” Brandon Tremaine, a graduate student in Texas who voted for Trump in 2020, told The New York Times. “You do not campaign on being the ticket of peace and start a war of choice that is directly hurting Americans here at home and gotten Americans killed overseas.” Voters like Tremaine pose a huge headache for Republicans. Few Trump supporters are likely to back Democrats next month, but many of them are so disillusioned with the president and his party Steve that they will simply stay home. Roberts “The enthusiasm has to be ginned up among Republicans because turnout is what’s going to determine the outcome of these midterm elections,” GOP strategist Charlie Gerow admitted to Reuters. As CNN reported, “For the GOP, this year’s biggest challenge will be would-be voters who say, ‘I’m frustrated, I’m disappointed, I’m pissed off and I’m not going to bother.’” said Democratic pollster Paul Maslin. “And the I’m-not-goingto-bother voters will be disproportionately (Trump’s) voters, and not ours.” This enthusiasm gap is draining and damaging Republicans. Reuters reports that 48% of voters who backed Democrat Kamala Harris two years ago are “very enthusiastic about voting” this time, while only 30% of Trump voters express similar excitement. Trump voters in western Michigan, a key battleground state, explained their lethargy to the Times: “People are tired,” said Al Pscholka, a former Republican member of the Michigan House of Representatives. “The whole divider-inchief thing, it’s gotten to the point where it’s just exhausting.” Jim Pasek, a retired factory worker, backed Trump twice, but now says: “He’s not making sense. It confuses me, and then I just get disgusted and tune out. ... He’s losing touch with the American people.” The primary reason behind this disappointment is one word: prices. In the latest AP poll, only 17% of Americans approve of how Trump is handling the cost of living, with 82% disapproving. The cost crunch is especially brutal in rural areas, where Trump policies were already punishing farmers through inflated fertilizer costs and lost foreign markets. It’s harvest time, and the diesel fuel that powers agricultural machinery, from combines to trucks, is averaging $6.30 a gallon, a 70% increase since the Iran war began — but it’s much higher in some places. Many of the closest Senate races are in states that depend heavily on agriculture — from Iowa and Nebraska to Texas, Ohio and even Kansas, which hasn’t sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1936. So after insisting all summer that affordability was a “hoax,” Trump has finally admitted how wrong he was. In a move that smells strongly of desperation, the president has announced a deal to buy diesel fuel from Russia. But it’s a typical Trump gesture: an act of political theater, a superficial performance, not a serious policy. Energy experts agree that his deal will have virtually no impact on prices because the amount of fuel he intends to buy accounts for less than one day’s demand. “I cannot overstate how much of a nothing-burger this is,” Rory Johnston, an oil market researcher, said to Reuters. But if Trump’s turnabout won’t affect prices at home, it will deeply damage relations abroad, especially with Ukraine, which continues to battle Vladimir Putin’s invading forces. The president’s hypocrisy is astounding, since just weeks ago he signed a bill punishing other countries that buy Russian oil. Even some loyal Republicans are furious, with four GOP senators joining three Democrats to sign a bipartisan statement that reads: “The United States should not provide Putin with a financial lifeline while Russia continues to kill Ukrainian civilians. The administration must immediately reverse course.” CNN reported from Moscow that “the real benefit” to Russia “isn’t the billions of dollars in fresh revenue. It is the wedge this deal, and the rhetoric around it, drives right through the heart of the Western alliance, which has aimed to isolate Moscow over its war in Ukraine.” “Privately,” observed CNN, “the Kremlin leader must be rubbing his hands with glee.” But Trump doesn’t seem to care. He has always had more admiration, and respect, for Putin than for Ukraine’s leaders — or for his European allies, for that matter. And he is willing to sell them out for his own selfish political gain. But it probably won’t work. Even hit shows eventually get canceled. Trump’s first smash series, “The Apprentice,” ran for 15 seasons before losing its audience. His second series, The President, is now facing the same fate. Email Steven Roberts at stevecokie@gmail. com.

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6B ✦ Monday, October 19, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

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with meteorologist Damon Singleton

TODAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Mostly sunny and pleasant

Sunny and pleasant

Plenty of sun

Plenty of sunshine

Mostly sunny

HIGH

LOW

HIGH

75° 64°

LOW

HIGH

78° 61°

LOW

81° 58°

Beaumont 79/56 Port Arthur 77/60

Baton Rouge 78/53

Lake Charles 79/54

New Orleans 75/64 Houma 77/60

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

Hattiesburg 77/46

Alexandria 77/50

Lafayette 78/54

10s

20s

30s

40s

50s

LOW

HIGH

LOW

82° 63°

YESTERDAY

TODAY

READING 36 MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

New Orleans through 5 p.m. Sunday

Jackson 77/46 Many 79/45

HIGH

81° 62°

TEMPERATURE

Longview 77/46

-0s

LOW

Monroe 78/45

Shreveport 77/47

-10s

HIGH

82° 58°

If you enjoyed the weather this weekend, you’re gonna love it again today. Expect a mostly sunny, mild and breezy day. Temperatures this afternoon will once again be below average, rising only Into the mid70s. Temperatures will inch higher each day until we’re back in the 80s by Wednesday. Winds will be out of the northeast at 10 to 15 mph, so the air will remain dry and the dew points will be low, which means humidity will hardly be noticeable. There is no rain in the forecast today, and we should remain dry for the rest of the week.

60s

70s

80s

90s 100s 110s

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

Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today

HIGH

2:03p 8:22a 2:47a 4:16a 3:49a 3:02a 4:57a

7:05 a.m. 6:26 p.m. 2:43 p.m. 12:34 a.m.

FULL

LAST

NEW

FIRST

OCT 25

NOV 1

NOV 9

NOV 17

City

Atlanta Austin Boston Charlotte Chicago Dallas Denver Houston Las Vegas

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

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

74°/59° 80°/64° 88°/73° 89° in 2016 44° in 1991

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

71 79 57 69 67 77 69 80 81

TODAY Lo

48 53 47 45 45 55 44 54 64

s pc pc s s s s pc s

77 85 60 76 68 80 73 83 80

GOOD

PRECIPITATION

TUE. Lo

51 49 46 47 47 54 48 57 64

s pc pc s pc s pc s pc

FT.

0.8 1.9 2.3 2.0 1.4 1.8 1.7

LOW

2:00a 8:10p 3:49p 7:54p 3:45p 2:09p 4:47p

0.00” 2.44” 2.08” 53.95” 53.04”

FT.

HIGH

0.2 0.5 0.7 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.4

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

FT.

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

SOURCE: LOUISIANA DEQ AND AIRNOW.GOV

LOW

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

FLOOD

FT.

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

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

Today 6:38a 12:26a 7:01p 12:49p Tuesday 7:21a 1:10a 7:44p 1:32p Wednesday 8:02a 1:51a 8:24p 2:13p Thursday 8:40a 2:29a 9:02p 2:51p Friday 9:18a 3:07a 9:41p 3:29p Saturday 9:59a 3:47a 10:22p 4:10p Sunday 10:44a 4:31a 11:09p 4:56p

City

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

85 86 74 63 67 89 71 65 61

TODAY Lo

63 74 43 51 50 71 47 54 47

s pc s s s t s pc c

GOOD

81 84 76 65 71 93 72 68 62

TUE. Lo

65 71 43 48 49 74 47 56 42

SUN. 24-HOUR

MISSISSIPPI STAGE STAGE CHANGE Memphis 34 6.13 +0.38 Vidalia-Natchez 48 24.23 -0.24 Red River Landing 48 26.49 -0.21 Baton Rouge 35 12.20 +0.30 Donaldsonville 27 7.24 +0.75 Reserve 22 5.75 +0.05 New Orleans 17 4.27 -0.33 OHIO Cairo 40 19.98 -2.42 COMITE Near Olive 19 -1.63 +0.02 AMITE Near Darlington 18 -1.36 +0.01 Denham Springs 29 9.68 -0.01 Port Vincent 8 2.40 -0.09 TICKFAW Montpelier 13 1.40 none Holden 15 0.54 -0.02 ATCHAFALAYA Simmesport 47 10.02 -0.40 Melville 34 6.42 -0.52 Krotz Springs 29 5.10 -0.28 Butte La Rose 20 4.34 -0.64 Bayou Sorrel 12 3.40 none Morgan City 6 1.86 -0.27

pc s s pc pc pc s c pc

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

PACE

data as of 7 a.m. Sunday

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Continued from page 1B Section J, then run by veteran jurist Darryl Derbigny. Revelations from that study led the Louisiana Supreme Court to intercede before Derbigny took a leave of absence in May 2025. He never returned to the bench, retiring in August 2025. The Supreme Court appointed two retired New Orleans criminal judges — ﬁrst Calvin Johnson, then Franz Zibilich — with a mandate to shrink the Section J docket. By the time voters elected John Fuller to lead Section J in May, he inherited a docket that had been reduced by two-thirds to about 150 open cases. Section J is among the three court sections that will disappear on Jan. 1. The report points to the impact of court delays on the accused, victims and witnesses, as well as taxpayers and the cost of jailing defendants before trial.

STORE.NOLA.COM

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MATT BRUCE

Judges ranked

Criminal District Court judges stand for photos during the June swearing-in of Judge John Fuller, seated center, The commission ranked Judges Nandi Campbell and Camille Buras inside the Section J courtroom.

one and two, respectively, in overall efficiency, the same as in last year’s study. Campbell, who runs Section G’s docket, led the way in open cases with the lowest average of 125 for 2024 and 2025. Buras was the fastest judge, resolving cases in a median 162 days in her Section H courtroom. Judge Robin Pittman ranked as the court’s third most efficient judge, the report found. Judges Kimya Holmes and Leon Roche, both of whom are running this year, tied in fourth place, according to the commission’s aggregate rankings. Judges Benedict Willard, Marcus Delarge, Angel Harris and Simone Levine each had slightly higher caseloads than the average and landed lower in the commission’s overall rankings for those two years. Judges Tracey Flemings-Davillier and Rhonda Goode-Douglas lagged in the aggregate rankings. The study noted that Flemings-Davillier held the chief judge administrative duties for the two-year study period on top of running her criminal docket. The watchdog group dedicated a page of its report to contrasting Derbigny’s efficiency rates against the other felony judges in the court

but excluded his numbers from its overall calculations as an “extreme outlier that skewed the court’s performance metrics.” Since the last report covering 2022 and 2023, the average number of open cases increased 21%, from 171 cases to 207. The share of cases open longer than a year declined from 36% to 31%, however, while the median time to clear cases remained level at seven months.

Cuts, election loom The report noted that fewer judges next year “will increase felony caseloads and the need for greater judicial efficiency throughout the court.” Cuts are coming elsewhere as well. The District Attorney’s Office is expected to see $1.5 million less from the city budget next year, along with a $500,000 reduction from state lawmakers in prosecutor funding. Officials from Williams’ office did not respond to a request for comment. Danny Engelberg, chief district defender, said the city slashed its funding for his office 31% last year. It’s expected to decline another 8% as the city scrambles to close a roughly $100 million deficit. Engelberg said his office, which repre-

sents roughly 85% of the city’s criminal defendants, is starting to feel the pinch. “Every case is important and everyone involved is super important. So the time needs to be taken to do the work,” Engelberg said. “And if you don’t have the people who have the capacity to do the work, that’s where you may see things going at a different pace.”

Judges weigh in The report comes as several judges jockey for their or others’ seats. Levine, whose Section A was also abolished, is challenging Holmes for hers. Roche vacated his seat and is running against Buras. GoodeDouglas took Roche’s seat. Fuller isn’t running. Holmes did not respond to a request for comment but basked in her ranking on social media. “The numbers speak for themselves,” Holmes said on her campaign Facebook page. Levine defended her performance in a statement, saying the report didn’t account for her strong points as a judge. “My court has centered on people,” Levine said. “It has ranked first and second for the lowest number of incarcerated pretrial de-

tainees, an evaluation not included in this report. And we have prioritized victims’ voices over processing speed.” Roche has told voters he currently has the second lowest caseload, citing monthly docket reports from the court. He trailed only Campbell in the number of cases open more than a year. “Judge Roché has ranked as one of the top performing judges in the court every year he has been on the bench,” Roche’s campaign manager, Tyronne Walker, said in a statement. “He prioritizes moving cases fairly and fast, and currently has the second lowest caseload of any judge on the court because he understands the impact of delayed justice.” Buras expressed pride in having the fastest case resolution times over the two years. “Court docket management is vital to ensuring that the rights of victims and the accused are protected and also saves the system precious resources,” she said. “I have a wellrun court and love teaching new lawyers the importance of proper case calendaring, preparedness and pretrial sessions as fundamental steps to fair and just case resolutions.”

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ROAD TO POSTSEASON: SEC chaos has LSU back in College Football Playoff picture, Page 2C R OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

SPORTS N O L A.C O M

M O N D AY, O C T O B E R 19, 2026

SAINTS

GIANTS

1CN

RECORD: 2-4 UP NEXT: VS. STEELERS, 8:30 A.M. SUNDAy, NFL NETWORK

Following week of criticism, Saints earn giant win over N.y.

LOUD AND CLEAR

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ADAM HUNGER

New Orleans Saints safety Julian Blackmon celebrates after intercepting a pass during the second half against the New york Giants on Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J. The Saints won 34-27 to end a three-game losing skid.

New Orleans survives furious rally to beat Giants, snap losing skid

Saints get much-needed victory, head to France on high note

BY LUKE JOHNSON

much ballyhooed first-ever game in EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — You never know when a game — or a season — Paris. “We’re going to enjoy this momight turn. In the New Orleans Saints’ 34-27 ment and this win on that flight,” win Sunday over the New York Giveteran guard David Edwards said. “It’s going to be historic, maybe one ants, it turned in the blink of an eye of the greatest trips of our and the swipe of an arm by lives.” Isaiah Stalbird on a routine All wins in the NFL are and seemingly innocuous important, but this one was kickoff return in the final more critical than most. The minutes before halftime. Saints were coming off a In an instant and the dispiriting string of home amount of time it took for Jeff losses to the Raiders, Falcons Oscar Delp to recover the Duncan and Vikings that sparked fan fumble, the Saints went from discontent and spurred owndowntrodden to uplifted. The takeaway ignited their sideline and er Gayle Benson to put the team on triggered a run of 34 unanswered alert with an uncharacteristic midpoints that buried the Giants and season statement. carried the Saints to just their sec“It’s a great feeling to win just in general, but also to get out of the ond win of the season, snapping a slump that we were in,” tight end three-game losing streak and buoying morale as the club prepared ä See DUNCAN, page 5C to travel across the Atlantic for a

Staff writer

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The sight of New York Giants fans streaming for the exits with 11:31 remaining in Sunday’s game was as good a sign as any that the New Orleans Saints received the message. What transpired after that moment proved they may still have a way to go. Days after owner Gayle Benson publicly criticized her team’s recent performance in the midst of a three-game losing streak, the Saints built a huge lead and then survived a furious fourth-quarter rally to beat the New York Giants 34-27. At one point, the Saints went on a 34-0 run to take a 34-10 lead, then held as the Giants scored the game’s ﬁnal 17 points behind backup quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

McCarthy, who threw for a whopping 243 yards in the fourth quarter, ﬁred incomplete on a fourth-and-1 from the Saints’ 14-yard line to seal the outcome. “You’re never going to apologize for winning in the NFL,” quarterback Tyler Shough said. “Doing that as a team felt really good. Our process was there, our play style was there, (but) we’ve got to put that away earlier as a team and we know that.” To snap their skid, the Saints (24) found answers that have eluded them in recent weeks. The run game ﬁnally found its footing, gashing the Giants for 175 yards on the ground. New Orleans mostly took care of the football when on offense, and the defense made New York pay for its mistakes by forcing four turnovers of its own. A special-

ä See SAINTS, page 4C

2C F Monday, October 19, 2026 F nola.com F The Times-Picayune

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BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS On TV 3 p.m. 6 p.m.

COLLEGE GOLF Abilene Christian Intercollegiate GOLF MEN’S COLLEGE SOCCER UCLA at Northwestern BTN

MLB POSTSEASON ALCS: Cleveland at Tampa Bay TBS NFL 7:15 p.m. Washington at San Francisco ABC MEN’S SOCCER 2 p.m. Coventry City at Tottenham USA 7 p.m.

IN BRIEF

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

WOMEN’S SOCCER 9:45 a.m. Spain vs. Mexico 12:45 p.m. U.S. vs. Samoa TENNIS 9:30 p.m. ATP & WTA WNBA PLAYOFFS 7 p.m. Atlanta at Golden State

FS2 FS2

Reddick wins in Phoenix as Chase race tightens

Tennis

AVONDALE, Ariz. — Tyler Reddick had a late surge on Sunday to earn his sixth win of the season in a NASCAR playoff race at Phoenix Raceway, rising up the Cup Series standings to give himself a shot at the championship. He’s not the only one who beneﬁted from Kyle Larson’s bad day. Reddick, Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe were among the drivers who are leaving the desert in much better position to win a title than when they arrived. Reddick’s No. 45 Toyota overtook Briscoe with 17 laps left and held on for the win, shaking up NASCAR’s postseason with three races to go. Larson — who started Sunday with a 49-point lead in the Cup Series standings — is now just ﬁve points ahead of Christopher Bell heading into Talladega next week.

CNBC

SEC chaos keeps LSU in CFP hunt BY JON BLAU Staff writer

Something LSU coach Lane Kifﬁn said a week ago bears repeating. “This year in the SEC, I really feel like you can win every game on the schedule,” Kifﬁn said, “and we can lose every game on the schedule.” The Tigers’ dominant 31-0 win over Kamario Taylor-less Mississippi State may have failed to demonstrate the parity of the transfer portal era. But practically every other SEC game this past Saturday did. No. 1 Georgia lost 27-24 at home to unranked Auburn. No. 6 Alabama, a week after losing to Georgia, picked up a second SEC loss at No. 14 Tennessee, 2610. No. 7 Texas, fresh off a Red River Rivalry defeat to Oklahoma, added insult to injury with a 27-24 loss to Florida, a program that recently skydived out of the top 25. Meanwhile, LSU’s road losses to No. 7 Ole Miss and No. 12 Kentucky — by a combined nine points — don’t look so bad. The Wildcats just dumped Oklahoma to improve to 4-1 in SEC play, tying Georgia atop the standings. The Rebels, who were blown out by Florida three weeks ago, just waxed No. 13 Missouri 31-3. If there’s any year a 9-3 SEC team could be in line for a College Football Playoff berth, this could be it. With no undefeated team in the Big Ten or SEC other than UCLA, No. 18 LSU’s path to the postseason may have just widened. But the Tigers’ road is also covered by landmines.

No looking past Auburn Not so long ago, it seemed LSU’s means for redemption would come after the bye week. If the Tigers could beat both Alabama and Texas in Tiger Stadium, they would have two signature wins to override a couple of disappointing

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU coach Lane Kiffin waits with his team to run out of the tunnel for the game against Mississippi State on Saturday in Tiger Stadium. road losses. It’s both good and bad that the No. 13 Crimson Tide and No. 19 Longhorns, each with two SEC losses, appear more beatable than ever. Those could be wins if tight end Trey’Dez Green and linebacker Whit Weeks return for LSU in one or both of those games. But the contest right before LSU’s bye might be just as important. Auburn, which just beat Georgia, will play host to its fellow Tigers in Jordan-Hare Stadium. LSU is riding an eight-game losing streak in SEC road games. Auburn has won nearly 76 percent of its home games all-time despite a 19-19 mark over the past ﬁve seasons, but Jordan-Hare Stadium should be energized after what ﬁrst-year coach Alex Golesh and his squad accomplished in Athens, Georgia. Quarterback Byrum Brown, who followed Golesh from South Florida, rushed for 115 yards on the Bulldogs’ defense. Auburn’s defense picked off Gunner Stockton twice and forced a fumble to lodge an upset.

It remains to be seen how Auburn manages the emotional high of this past Saturday, but Nick Saban called Jordan-Hare Stadium “haunted” because of how many missed kicks, interceptions for touchdowns and last-second scores seem to shape contests there. The chaos of the SEC has served LSU a resume-building opportunity before November, but it means passing through one of the conference’s most chaotic venues unscathed.

Rethinking November

bye week on the most shocking of three-game losing streaks. The Tide scored 56 points on Mississippi State to open October — and then scored 27 points total against Georgia and Tennessee. Texas has posted identical 2724 losses to unranked Oklahoma and Florida and still has to play Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Missouri before making a trip to Baton Rouge. There’s no telling where the Longhorns will stand come Nov. 14, but LSU’s trip to Neyland Stadium on Nov. 21 is building intrigue. The now-No. 11 Volunteers have held every conference opponent to 20 points or fewer so far. LSU’s final opponent of the regular season, Arkansas, just claimed its ﬁrst SEC win, 31-21, over Vanderbilt. That should still be a win for LSU, but nothing’s guaranteed.

What happens next? Really, it’s anyone’s guess how LSU navigates the chaos. The most optimistic script has Sam Leavitt, now the SEC’s passing yvbardage leader, on a continued upward trajectory as he ﬁnds his rhythm in an offense that was signiﬁcantly remade in the transfer portal. Pair Leavitt with Green postbye, fortify LSU’s defense with Weeks at some point, and it’s possible there is enough chaos elsewhere in the SEC that LSU slips up versus Alabama, Texas or Tennessee and still makes the CFP at 9-3. There’s also a world where LSU doesn’t survive Auburn, Alabama and Texas are on an upswing when they visit Tiger Stadium, and Tennessee’s offense develops to better complement a standout defense. In that scenario, the Tigers could be 8-4 or 7-5. Strap in, because LSU’s last handful of SEC games could make for a wild ride.

Nothing changes from LSU’s perspective, because the Tigers have to win as much as possible to not submit themselves to the CFP selection committee’s roulette wheel. But a three-game stretch against Alabama, Texas and Tennessee is suddenly harder to read on a scale of difﬁculty. Alabama will either recover this coming weekend against a Texas A&M squad that’s limped out to a 1-3 start in SEC play, or Kaleb Email Jon Blau at jon.blau@ DeBoer’s crew will head into a theadvocate.com

Miami is No. 1 in AP poll for 1st time since ’02 AP TOP 25 POLL

BY ERIC OLSON

Associated Press

Miami is No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since 2002, No. 2 BYU has its highest ranking since its 1984 national championship season and Notre Dame and Georgia stayed in the top five Sunday after both lost close games. The wildest and wackiest week of the college football season so far saw five of the top seven teams lose — a first in the AP poll’s 90-year history. Miami and BYU were the biggest beneficiaries of the chaos and were joined by Ohio State in a tightly bunched top three. The Hurricanes took over the top spot from Georgia, which lasted one week at No. 1 after losing to Auburn at home. The Bulldogs were the second No. 1 team in two weeks — Texas was the other — to lose to an unranked opponent. Miami survived end-of-game drama to beat rival Florida State in double overtime and stay unbeaten. The Hurricanes’ two-spot jump made them No. 1 for the first time since the 2002 season ended in the national championship game against Ohio State. The Hurricanes received 40 of the 70 first-place votes from the media voting panel and were just 22 points ahead of BYU, which won a thriller at home over Notre Dame. The Cougars got 20 firstplace votes and were 26 points ahead of Ohio State. The Buckeyes got nine first-place votes and were well ahead of No. 4 Notre Dame and No. 5 Georgia. Miami is the first No. 1 team from the Atlantic Coast Conference team since Clemson in 2020. Other than Clemson, there had not been another ACC team ranked No. 1 since Florida State in 2014. BYU went into its game against Notre Dame as a 10.5-point underdog and came out with a 28-24 win to go 6-0 for a third straight year. Since their championship season 42 years ago, the Cougars hadn’t

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By LyNNE SLADKy

Rec. Pts. Prv. 1. Miami (FL) (40) 6-0 1697 3 2. BYU (20) 6-0 1675 8 3. Ohio State (9) 6-1 1649 4 4. Notre Dame 6-1 1395 2 5. Georgia 6-1 1382 1 6. Indiana 6-1 1370 5 7. Ole Miss 5-1 1360 9 8. Texas Tech (1) 6-0 1336 10 9. UCLA 6-0 1159 12 10. Utah 6-0 1153 11 11. Tennessee 6-1 1151 14 12. Kentucky 6-1 932 15 13. Alabama 5-2 870 6 14. Houston 6-1 785 20 15. Iowa 5-1 747 17 16. USC 6-1 592 19 17. Wake Forest 6-1 574 21 18. LSU 5-2 529 22 19. Texas 4-2 440 7 20. Florida 5-2 355 NR 21. Boise State 5-1 295 23 22. Missouri 5-2 290 13 23. SMU 5-1 265 24 24. Northwestern 5-1 254 25 25. Arizona 5-1 136 NR Others receiving votes: Oklahoma State 128, Oregon 79, Auburn 61, James Madison 52, Mississippi State 30, New Mexico 6, Oregon State 3.

Miami running back Javian Mallory, center, celebrates with offensive lineman Ben Congdon after scoring a touchdown during a game against No. 14 Houston has its highest Florida State on Saturday in Miami Gardens, Fla. ranking since it was No. 11 at midbeen higher than No. 4 in a poll or in the top ﬁve since 1996. Every single spot in the Top 25 has a new team this week, but only two teams dropped out of the rankings. A wholesale shakeup of the top 10 did not happen largely because Notre Dame, Georgia and No. 6 Indiana had built-up capital with their 6-0 starts, plus the losses by the Fighting Irish and Hoosiers were against top-10 opponents. Indiana, which lost at home to Ohio State, was followed by Ole Miss, Texas Tech, UCLA and Utah. Texas Tech received the remaining ﬁrst-place vote. Alabama’s loss at Tennessee dropped the Crimson Tide seven spots to No. 13 and Texas plummeted 12 rungs to No. 19 after its home loss to Florida.

In and out In: No. 20 Florida, which dropped out last week after consecutive lopsided losses, is back after going to Texas and handing the Longhorns a second loss in a row. In: No. 25 Arizona, which had an open date, has four straight double-digit wins since losing to

BYU and makes its season debut in the poll. Out: Oklahoma State’s loss at Houston brought an end to the Cowboys’ three-week run in the poll. Out: Mississippi State got bounced for the 31-0 loss at LSU that followed a 23-point home loss to Alabama.

season in 2016.

Conference call

SEC (9 ranked teams): No. 5 Georgia, No. 7 Ole Miss, No. 11 Tennessee, No. 12 Kentucky, No. 13 Alabama, No. 18 LSU, No. 19 Texas, No. 20 Florida, No. 22 Missouri. Big Ten (6): No. 3 Ohio State, No. 6 Indiana, No. 9 UCLA, No. 15 Iowa, No. 16 USC, No. 24 Northwestern. Big 12 (5): No. 2 BYU, No. 8 Texas Poll points Tech, No. 10 Utah, No. 14 Houston, n The last time the SEC’s top No. 25 Arizona. ACC (3): No. 1 Miami, No. 17 Wake team in the rankings — it’s No. 5 Georgia this week — was behind Forest, No. 23 SMU. Pac-12 (1): No. 21 Boise State. teams from each of the other powIndependent (1): No. 4 Notre Dame. er conferences was Dec. 3, 2023, when Alabama was No. 5 behind teams from the Big Ten (Michi- Ranked vs. ranked gan), Pac-12 (Washington), Big 12 No. 7 Ole Miss at No. 19 Texas: The (Texas) and ACC (Florida State). Rebels have found their footing n The last time the top two after that 24-point loss to Florida, teams lost in the same week in outscoring Vanderbilt and Misthe regular season was 2017, when souri by a combined 83-20. The No. 1 Alabama lost to Auburn and Longhorns are reeling and might No. 2 Miami lost to Pittsburgh on have a new QB this week. Thanksgiving weekend. No. 14 Houston at No. 10 Utah: The n The last time unranked teams Cougars have beaten one ranked knocked off No. 1s in consecutive team each of the past three weeks was 1990. Miami hosts un- seasons and will go for a secranked Pitt on Saturday. ond against an unbeaten Utah n No. 9 UCLA has matched its team that escaped Colorado as a highest ranking since 2022, and 15.5-point favorite.

Davidovich Fokina wins biggest title yet in China SHANGHAI — Alejandro Davidovich Fokina rallied from a set and a break down to beat Rafael Jodar 1-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 and win the Shanghai Masters on Sunday, securing his third title of the year and biggest yet of his career. The 25th-seeded Spaniard had lost the first five finals of his career, including the Monte Carlo Masters in 2022. His other titles this year came on grass in Mallorca in June and at the Chengdu Open in China last month. Both were ATP 250 tournaments. He clutched the Shanghai trophy tightly and then kissed it. Davidovich Fokina was close to going out of the tournament, saving a match point in the third round against three-time U.S. Open semifinalist Frances Tiafoe.

Singh wins on PGA Tour Champions at age 63 CARY, N.C. — Vijay Singh became the second-oldest player to win on the PGA Tour Champions on Sunday when the 63-year-old Fijian closed with a 3-under 69 for a twoshot victory in the SAS Championship. Singh made four birdies in a sixhole stretch around the turn to get in front of a crowded leaderboard and then left the mistakes to everyone else while closing with six straight pars to win by two over Ernie Els. Bernhard Langer is the only other player older than Singh to win on the 50-and-older circuit. Langer won at age 67, and the German has ﬁve other Champions Tour titles at 64 or older. Els closed with a 69 and was runner-up.

Chacarra wins, leaps over Reed in Race to Dubai NEW DELHI — Eugenio Chacarra won the DP World India Championship by two strokes on Sunday to maintain a late-season surge that has lifted the Spanish golfer atop the Race to Dubai standings on the European tour. After a third-place ﬁnish at the French Open and a second place at last week’s Spanish Open, Chacarra got his third win of the season by completing a 9-under 63 early Sunday and then shooting 70 to ﬁnish on 21-under par for the week at Delhi Golf Club. Chacarra jumped ahead of Patrick Reed into first place in the season-long Race to Dubai that will culminate next month and crown the European tour’s top player of the year. Reed (69) was tied for 23rd on 8-under par.

Yin triumphs in LPGA Shanghai tournament SHANGHAI — Ruoning Yin made a four-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole to break out of a back-nine tie with third-round leader Hye-Jin Choi and win the LPGA Shanghai tournament by one stroke on Sunday. Choi and Yin were tied for the lead after 10 holes and remained level through the 15th hole at Sheshan Golf Club. Yin missed a 10-foot birdie putt on 15 but made no mistake a hole later to move to 10-under, a stroke ahead of Choi with two holes to go. It was the seventh LPGA tournament win for China’s Yin, who won the Shanghai event in 2024 and a major at the Women’s PGA Championship in 2023. Yin ﬁnished with a 72-hole total of 11-under 277 while Choi had a 71 Sunday.

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The Times-Picayune F nola.com F Monday, October 19, 2026 F 3C

St. Aug overcomes Surprising BYU takes top slow start vs. Jesuit spot after chaotic weekend BY CHRISTOPHER DABE

Staff writer

St. Augustine’s offense is hard to stop. But for much of the first half Saturday, the Purple Knights made things harder on themselves. A holding penalty in the red zone and an incomplete fourth-down pass ended a 16-play drive that lasted nearly seven minutes without producing points. The missed opportunity helped Jesuit head into Late halftime trailing by Saturday just four points. St. Augustine’s early struggles didn’t last. The Purple Knights scored touchdowns on the next four possessions and pulled away for a 45-17 victory at Tad Gormley Stadium. “I think in the first half we were a little bit sloppy,” St. Augustine coach Robert Valdez said. “We weren’t playing the way we needed to be playing. I think the kids did a good job regrouping and made the plays.” Quarterback Jaelle Noble accounted for 314 yards of total offense and threw two touchdown passes to Ray’Quan Williams. Patrick Robinson ran for three touchdowns, and Khlil Lewis added another. The victory kept undefeated St. Augustine (7-0, 4-0 District 9-5A) tied with Edna Karr atop the Catholic League standings. St. Augustine pulled away in the second half, scoring four touchdowns as Jesuit lost two fumbles and threw an interception. The Blue Jays also turned the ball over on downs near midfield. St. Augustine’s Peyton Thomas broke up a fourth-and-2 slant pass intended for Tulane commitment Ja’ir Burks. Thomas later intercepted a pass in the fourth quarter, setting up another Purple Knights TD. For Jesuit (5-2, 2-2), the fumble was the most damaging of its turnovers. “I think that was it,” Jesuit coach Ryan Manale said. “We blinked right there. They scored quickly and often after that.” Jesuit’s Hayes Mestayer caught five passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns, one from each quarterback, Sully Sullivan and Mani Vandenweghe. His 72-yard touchdown reception came on the first

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

Dear reader, ﬁve of the country’s top eight teams lost this week for the ﬁrst time in the history of the AP Top 25 poll. Let’s dive into the results of the wreckage.

Week 7 poll STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

St. Augustine’s Jaelle Noble, left, celebrates his touchdown with Ray’Quan Williams against John Curtis on Sept. 26. St. Augustine 45, Jesuit 17

Team JES SA First Downs 13 22 Yards Rushing 19-18 35-241 Yards Passing 218 234 Passes (C-A-HI) 12-20-1 18-26-0 Punts-avg. 2-38 1-25 Fumbles-lost 2-1 0-0 Penalties-yards 1-5 10-100 SCORING SUMMARY Jesuit 7 3 0 7 — 17 St. Augustine 14 0 23 8 — 45 SA: Patrick Robinson 4 run (Darren Coates kick) JES: Hayes Mestayer 72 pass from Sully Sullivan (Charlie Corbello kick) SA: Ray’Quan Williams 4 pass from Jaelle Noble (Coates kick) JES: Corbello 25 ﬁeld goal SA: Robinson 3 run (Coates run) SA: Khlil Lewis 24 run (Coates kick) SA: Williams 32 pass from Noble (Jay May run) SA: Robinson 5 run (Christpher Dupuy pass from May) JES: Mestayer 44 pass from Mani Vandenweghe (Corbello kick)

play after St. Augustine took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. Later in the half, Jesuit kicker Charlie Corbello made a 25-yard field goal with six seconds remaining, capping a drive aided by St. Augustine penalties for roughing the passer and pass interference. After a sloppy first half, St. Augustine cleaned up its play and pulled away. Noble completed 18 of 26 passes for 203 yards while running 10 times for 111. Robinson ran 12 times for 50 yards while sharing carries with Lewis, who ran eight times for 67 yards. The Purple Knights will host Brother Martin on Friday at Gormley before facing Karr in a rematch of last season’s state championship game on Oct. 31, also at Gormley. Jesuit will face John Curtis on Friday at Strawberry Stadium in Hammond.

1. BYU, 2. Ohio State, 3. Notre Dame, 4. Georgia, 5. Miami, 6. Ole Miss, 7. Indiana, 8. Texas Tech, 9. Tennessee, 10. Alabama, 11. Houston, 12. Arizona, 13. UCLA, 14. LSU, 15. Kentucky, 16. Mississippi State, 17. Utah, 18. Florida, 19. Texas, 20. Missouri, 21. Auburn, 22. Oklahoma State, 23. Oregon, 24. Wake Forest, 25. Northwestern Just missed: Nebraska, Iowa, Boise State and Southern Cal Newcomers: Tennessee, Florida and Auburn Dropped from last week: Nebraska, Iowa and Boise State

A shocker at the top I shocked myself on Saturday night by putting BYU at No. 1 in my poll, but I couldn’t ﬁnd another team with a better case for the top spot. Somebody had to take Analysis the mantle after Georgia inexplicably lost to Auburn, and the Cougars’ win over Notre Dame was more than good enough to clear that bar. A controversial ending, thanks to more suspect refereeing, took some of the spectacle out of the Cougars’ accomplishment, but it was still a signature win over a top-5-caliber team. Combine that with a strong win over Arizona — another top-15 team in my book — and an undefeated record, and BYU has a resume worthy of No. 1. Even without star running back LJ Martin, BYU has no clear weakness, which makes this a top-ﬁve team even before you look at the resume. The eye test (or style points, whatever you want to call it) matters when so many upsets and general chaos have muddied the waters of who’s good and who’s not on paper.

The rest of my top 5

Kiffin no longer a fan of ﬁeld-storming BY JON BLAU Staff writer

Lane Kiffin used to love fieldstormings in college football, which mainly featured happy fans rushing the field to celebrate with their team. The vibes were positive. “A problem has become that they’re different than they used to be,” said Kiffin, who was recently followed off of Kentucky’s field by college-aged males raising a middle finger with one hand and recording with another. “A lot of that’s because of the phones,” Kiffin added. “Everybody wants their moment.” After another field storming at Tennessee after a win over thenNo. 6 Alabama, Kiffin was asked Sunday for his feelings on the mob celebration. He’s soured on them. “What we used to have was just fans having fun with each other and excited and going to try to find their team. And now that’s not really the case, a lot of them, because everybody’s got their phones and they all want their moment. So let us go see if we can get a coach or a player to say something back and run right into them and hold the phone in their face and all that,” Kiffin said. “I think the reasoning for it has changed and what happens,” he said. “So it’s not really a safe event because of that.” Kiffin commended the Southeastern Conference and “certain schools” within the league for trying to prevent field-stormings. Ole Miss held back its fans after a 32-24 win over LSU, which was Kiffin’s return to Oxford, Mississippi, after six years coaching the Rebels. There wasn’t much resistance on Oct. 10 in Lexington, Kentucky, when Wildcat fans stormed the field after a 35-34 overtime win over LSU. There were fans trailing Kiffin, flipping him the bird. Others confronted LSU players.

The SEC has instituted a $500,000 fine against a school, payable to the school’s opponent, when a field is rushed. “It’s a matter of how serious does the school actually really take it,” Kiffin said. “Or do they say, which I get too, ‘Hey man, $500,000 (fine) but we beat a top 10 team, it’s worth it.” Kiffin was on the happier end of a field rush in 2024 when Ole Miss beat then-No. 2 Georgia in Oxford, Mississippi. But Kiffin asked reporters to go back and watch his reaction. “I was mad when they rushed the field,” Kiffin said, “because it’s just not what we’re supposed to do.” This season, Kiffin has found himself at the center of an unrelated controversy surrounding SEC rules. He tried adding multiple seniors who were made eligible for a fifth season of NCAA competition after they brought a lawsuit in a Baton Rouge court. But the SEC instituted a fine equal to 50% of a sport’s budget and a half-season suspension of a team’s coach if athletes were rostered who previously signed with NFL teams. Kiffin ultimately decided not to roster tight end Dae’Quan Wright, who had been in training camp with the Browns, and defensive tackle Zxavian Wright, who was with the Saints but never practiced because of an injury. But Kiffin remains a defendant in a lawsuit filed by the SEC in federal court because of the back-andforth. The SEC has alleged LSU officials demonstrated a lack of “institutional control.” “I don’t know, wasn’t there a big uproar about people not following SEC rules? If you didn’t, there’s gonna be all this?” Kiffin asked Sunday, seemingly referring back to his own dustup with the conference. “But then in these instances,” he added about field-stormings, “it doesn’t matter?”

Ohio State was my No. 2 team after beating Indiana on the road this week, despite losing quarterback Julian Sayin by the end of the game. The Buckeyes’ loss to Texas stopped them from being No. 1, but beating the Hoosiers and dominating everyone else they’ve played made coach Ryan Day’s team a worthy No. 2. Notre Dame follows Ohio State after losing to BYU on the road. That loss alone wasn’t enough to drop the Irish — a case could be made that the referees robbed them of a comeback win in one of the toughest environments in the sport — but they haven’t beaten a ranked team, even if they’ve mostly dominated everyone else they’ve faced. They proved on Saturday that they’re a top-five team; it just wasn’t enough to put them in the top two. Georgia dropped to No. 4 after its bizarre loss to Auburn. The performance was so out of character from what we saw in the first six weeks that I didn’t want to punish the Bulldogs too harshly — dominating everyone else and beating Alabama on the road is top-five caliber stuff — but falling to Auburn in your own backyard has consequences, even if the Tigers are probably better than we thought they were heading into the week. The last spot in my top five was a fight between Miami and Ole Miss. The undefeated Hurricanes would’ve taken the spot easily (and maybe would’ve been even higher than No. 5) with another impressive performance over an unimpressive Florida State. But instead, the Seminoles took Miami to double overtime. Ole Miss, on the flip side, dominated a Missouri team we might’ve all overrated heading into this week. It already has a win over LSU on the books; all that’s holding the Rebels back is a blowout loss to Florida and, in hindsight, a not-so-great close

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By TyLER TATE

ByU tight end Roger Saleapaga makes a catch against Notre Dame on Saturday in Provo, Utah. win over a three-loss Louisville. I gave the nod to Miami in the end. I was tempted to punish the Hurricanes after this week’s lackluster showing, but they dominated their ﬁrst ﬁve opponents — including ranked Wake Forest — and haven’t been pushed around the way Ole Miss was against Florida. The eye test also slightly favors Miami, in my opinion.

SEC chaos I’ll admit it. I was too harsh on Tennessee last week by taking the Volunteers out of the poll after their extremely underwhelming win over Arkansas. In hindsight, I might’ve been too negative about their offense, which stepped up big time this week when the Volunteers upset Alabama. Tennessee beating a top-10 team (Alabama) while suffering its only loss to Texas was enough to push the Volunteers all the way into my top 10. The eye test came in handy, since Tennessee’s win wasn’t a mere fluke. The Volunteers dominated Alabama in the second half and won fairly easily against a Crimson Tide team that has looked unstoppable this season — outside of the close Georgia loss. As for Alabama, Saturday’s loss wasn’t enough to drop it out of the top 10. The loss came on the road to a quality team, and the Tide’s only other defeat came to a top-five team in Georgia. Alabama has already demolished two top-20 teams, Mississippi State and Kentucky. This is still a top-10 team in this voter’s eyes. Meanwhile, figuring out what to do with Mississippi State, LSU, Kentucky, Florida, Texas, Missouri and even Auburn was much more complicated. Whichever way you slice it with these teams, you will create a contradiction. Think Florida should be ahead of Texas after beating the Longhorns on the road? Well, the Gators also got blown out by Missouri and three-loss South Carolina. Does that mean Missouri definitely should be ahead of Florida? Well, Florida has two quality wins (Ole Miss and Texas) over Missouri’s one (Florida), and the Tigers were blown out by Ole Miss this week, 31-1, the same team that was crushed by Florida just a few weeks ago. I can do this all day with these SEC teams. Ranking these middle-of-the-pack SEC teams properly is impossible, especially after Auburn pulled off the upset of the season over Georgia in Athens. LSU was the first team in this sinister seven because the eye test is super strong — blowouts in all of its wins and stretches of quality play on both sides of the ball (look at how accurately Sam Leavitt is throwing it these days) — and the Tigers’ losses came by a combined nine points on the road to a pair of top-16 teams. Unlike Alabama this week, LSU didn’t get its rear handed to itself against Kentucky. The Tigers were the better team and only lost because they beat themselves. Kentucky and Mississippi State were the next two teams (in that order) after the Wildcats won again on the road over Oklahoma and the Bulldogs fell a bit in the poll after I overrated them last week (it turns out beating Missouri at home is a good but

SPORTS

24/7

not great win). It’s hard to know what to do with Mississippi State with quarterback Kamario Taylor and running back Fluff Bothwell both being out with injuries. As for Kentucky, the Wildcats have a win over LSU, three road SEC victories and their only loss came to Alabama. The eye test doesn’t love them — they aren’t winning these games very convincingly — but the resume suggests they need to be ahead of more up-and-down teams like Texas and Florida. Florida was next because the Gators beat Texas on the road and have that Ole Miss win in their pocket. I think the Longhorns’ victory over Ohio State trumps the latter accomplishment, but losing to Oklahoma is worse than losing to South Carolina (like Florida did) and, again, Florida won the head-to-head matchup. Placing Missouri behind those two teams seems like malpractice since the Tigers blew out Florida. But after that win, Missouri doesn’t have much going for itself. Coach Eli Drinkwitz’s team lost to Mississippi State on the road, got blown out by Ole Miss, and has been frustratingly inconsistent on offense. I still placed the Tigers ahead of Auburn since they have one fewer loss and a nice win in their own right, but I don’t think Auburn is far behind. Auburn has the much better win (Georgia), even if it lost to Florida and Tennessee and came a yard away from losing to Baylor. Outside of this weekend, Auburn’s offense has been fairly lifeless.

Other notes SEC chaos cost Iowa and Boise State spots in the poll. Iowa doesn’t have an impressive win and struggled to beat Iowa State and Michigan — two unspectacular teams — even if the Hawkeyes’ only loss came to Ohio State. Boise State’s only defeat came on the road to an Oregon team that was much healthier then than it is now, but the Broncos haven’t played a Power Four conference team since then and struggled to beat Fresno State two weeks ago. Iowa and Boise State don’t have bad resumes. I just can’t justify putting them in the poll over Auburn, Tennessee or Florida when all three teams have at least one win that dwarfs any victory Iowa or Boise State has. Finally, Nebraska and Oregon battled for the last spot in my poll. Both teams slipped to the bottom of my rankings last week and met in Eugene late Saturday night. Oregon won, despite probably playing the wrong quarterback for three quarters, and now has wins over USC, Boise State and Nebraska — all of whom barely missed my rankings this week. Nebraska has lost to Indiana and Oregon by a combined six points, but the Huskers’ lack of quality wins is what kept them out of the poll. Even if Northwestern — my No. 25 team — hasn’t beaten anyone great either, the Wildcats’ impressive ground game and dominant performances over Colorado and Penn State were enough for me to take them over Nebraska. Again, the eye test played a part here. Nebraska was my last team out.

4C F Monday, October 19, 2026 F nola.com F The Times-Picayune

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SAINTS 34, GIANTS 27

BY THE NUMBERS

SAINTS NOTEBOOK

New Orleans Saints 34, N.Y. Giants 27 New Orleans N.Y. Giants

0 7

10 3

17 0

7 — 34 17 — 27

First Quarter NYG—Tracy 17 pass from Winston (Zvada kick), 5:14. Drive: 12 plays, 93 yards, 6:44. Key Plays: Winston 11 pass to Likely on 3rd-and-5; Mooney 20 run; N.Harris 2 run on 3rd-and-3; Winston 3 run on 4th-and-1; Winston 24 pass to Likely. N.Y. Giants 7, New Orleans 0. Second Quarter NYG—FG Zvada 34, 2:27. Drive: 10 plays, 39 yards, 4:24. Key Plays: Winston 2 run on 3rdand-1; Winston 18 pass to Nabers. N.Y. Giants 10, New Orleans 0. NO—FG Carlson 58, 1:18. Drive: 8 plays, 16 yards, 1:09. Key Plays: Brown kick return to New Orleans 44; Shough 12 pass to Olave on 3rd-and-6. N.Y. Giants 10, New Orleans 3. NO—Lance 2 pass from Shough (Carlson kick), :01. Drive: 5 plays, 28 yards, 1:10. Key Play: Shough 25 run. New Orleans 10, N.Y. Giants 10. Third Quarter NO—Kamara 31 pass from Shough (Carlson kick), 12:21. Drive: 6 plays, 79 yards, 2:39. Key Plays: Lance kick return to New Orleans 21; Donaldson 17 run; Kamara 11 run. New Orleans 17, N.Y. Giants 10. NO—Shough 1 run (Carlson kick), 5:43. Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 4:49. Key Plays: K.Miller 11 run; Shough 10 pass to Olave. New Orleans 24, N.Y. Giants 10. NO—FG Carlson 51, 1:12. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 3:04. Key Plays: Emerson 12 interception return to New Orleans 38; Kamara 15 run; Shough 4 pass to Kamara on 3rd-and-8. New Orleans 27, N.Y. Giants 10. Fourth Quarter NO—Olave 18 pass from Shough (Carlson kick), 11:31. Drive: 2 plays, 21 yards, 00:48. Key Play: Blackmon 21 interception return to N.Y. Giants 21. New Orleans 34, N.Y. Giants 10. NYG—Tracy 5 run (Likely pass from McCarthy), 7:00. Drive: 6 plays, 52 yards, 2:31. Key Play: McCarthy 27 pass to Nabers. New Orleans 34, N.Y. Giants 18. NYG—Likely 24 pass from McCarthy (pass failed), 5:06. Drive: 3 plays, 73 yards, 00:48. Key Play: McCarthy 49 pass to C.Jones. New Orleans 34, N.Y. Giants 24. NYG—FG Zvada 41, 2:04. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 1:55. Key Plays: McCarthy 11 pass to Fields; McCarthy 13 pass to Nabers; McCarthy 46 pass to Nabers; McCarthy 17 pass to C.Jones. New Orleans 34, N.Y. Giants 27. A—82,905. NO NYG FIRST DOWNS 18 23 Rushing 9 5 Passing 7 16 Penalty 2 2 THIRD DOWN EFF 4-15 4-14 FOURTH DOWN EFF 1-1 1-2 TOTAL NET YARDS 319 461 Total Plays 68 72 Avg Gain 4.7 6.4 NET YARDS RUSHING 175 84 Rushes 38 20 Avg per rush 4.605 4.2 NET YARDS PASSING 144 377 Sacked-Yds lost 0-0 5-18 Gross-Yds passing 144 395 Completed-Att. 16-30 25-47 Had Intercepted 0 3 Yards-Pass Play 4.8 7.25 KICKOFFS-EndZone-TB 7-1-1 6-1-0 PUNTS-Avg. 7-42.0 5-54.2 Punts blocked 0 0 FGs-PATs blocked 0-0 0-0 TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE 221 145 Punt Returns 5-68 4-33 Kickoff Returns 4-113 5-112 Interceptions 3-40 0-0 PENALTIES-Yds 7-52 10-73 FUMBLES-Lost 1-1 1-1 TIME OF POSSESSION 31:02 28:58 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING—New Orleans, K.Miller 20-70, Donaldson 6-39, Kamara 7-34, Shough 5-32. N.Y. Giants, McCarthy 2-26, Mooney 1-20, Tracy 6-18, Singletary 4-14, Winston 3-4, N.Harris 4-2. PASSING—New Orleans, Shough 16-30-0-144. N.Y. Giants, McCarthy 11-21-1-243, Winston 14-26-2-152. RECEIVING—New Orleans, Olave 4-43, Vele 3-42, Kamara 2-35, Delp 2-10, Lance 2-9, K.Miller 2-0, Brown 1-5. N.Y. Giants, Nabers 12-165, Likely 6-99, C.Jones 2-66, Tracy 2-27, Fields 2-19, Singletary 1-19. PUNT RETURNS—New Orleans, Brown 5-68. N.Y. Giants, C.Jones 4-33. KICKOFF RETURNS—New Orleans, Brown 2-66, Lance 2-47. N.Y. Giants, C.Jones 3-67, Tracy 2-45. TACKLES-ASSISTS-SACKS—New Orleans, Emerson 7-0-0, Riley 6-0-0, Werner 5-6-1, Blackmon 2-2-0, J.Reid 2-2-0, Jordan 2-0-0, Granderson 1-4-1.5, Broughton 1-3-0, Stutsman 1-3-0, Young 1-2-1.5, T.Wilson 1-2-0, Sanker 1-1-0, Wooden 1-0-1, Ford 1-0-0, McKinstry 0-1-0, C.Miller 0-1-0, Rumph 0-1-0. N.Y. Giants, Holland 6-3-0, Edmunds 5-4-0, Reader 5-2-0, Washington 4-0-0, Reese 3-2-0, Phillips 3-1-0, Thibodeaux 2-3-0, Banks 2-2-0, Jamison-Travis 2-0-0, S.Harris 1-2-0, Newsome 1-2-0, Pinnock 1-1-0, Alexander 1-0-0, N.Jones 1-0-0, Ford 0-2-0. INTERCEPTIONS—New Orleans, Emerson 2-19, Blackmon 1-21. N.Y. Giants, None. MISSED FIELD GOALS—New Orleans, Carlson 55. OFFICIALS—Referee Alex Kemp, Ump Brandon Ellison, HL Mike Carr, LJ Rusty Baynes, FJ Sean Petty, SJ Jim Quirk, BJ Scott Helverson, Replay Julie Johnson.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By FRANK FRANKLIN II Saints quarterback Tyler Shough hands the ball off to running back C.J. Donaldson during the first half of a game against the New york Giants on Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J.

Report: Shough playing with broken hand bones BY LUKE JOHNSON, MATTHEW PARAS AND ZACH EWING Staff writers

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — During a post-game news conference last week, a reporter asked New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough if he had a broken bone in his left hand. “I’m not even sure I can answer that,” Shough said. That non-denial was, in effect, exactly what it appeared to be. According to an ESPN report, Shough is playing with two broken bones in his left hand, an injury that occurred during the Saints’ blowout loss against the Atlanta Falcons last Monday night. Including Sunday’s game against the New York Giants — against whom he threw for 144 yards and three touchdowns while adding 32 yards and a touchdown on the ground — Shough has played the last three games with a glove covering his left hand. The second-year quarterback has repeatedly said the injury to his non-throwing hand has not affected his play, though it has altered how he’s had to go about doing his job. Under normal circumstances, Shough would be able to hand the ball off with both of his hands depending on the direction of the

run. But since the injury, he’s had to use his right hand exclusively for handoffs, including run plays to the right side of the formation where he’d typically use his left hand. “It’s just something to manage throughout the weeks,” Shough said. “Like I said before, it hasn’t really affected me. It’s getting better every single day; that’s the biggest thing. I’ll continue to manage it. It doesn’t affect me throwing; it doesn’t affect a lot of that stuff, just a couple handoffs changing up.” Shough has been a full participant in practice for most of the past two weeks.

Injury update Sunday’s game wasn’t an ideal homecoming for Cesar Ruiz. The Saints offensive lineman, playing near his hometown of Camden, New Jersey, suffered a knee injury in the ﬁrst half against the Giants and did not return. Rookie Jeremiah Wright replaced Ruiz at right guard. Ruiz got hurt late in the first half. He was not on the ﬁeld for New Orleans’ final drive of the second quarter, which Shough hit Bryce Lance for a touchdown on fourth down to tie the game at 10. Ruiz has started 88 of 94 games in his seven-year career, all with the Saints. Coach Kellen Moore said the team will await an MRI before

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C teams unit that has been performing poorly made huge contributions in the kicking game, return game and in coverage. “We talked about the ball going into the game; we created four turnovers, we gave the one away, which was a critical one,” coach Kellen Moore said. “We talked about the physicality we have to play with; that was an objective of ours, and to rush for 175 (yards) was an important part for us.” To get there, the Saints needed a jolt out of their regular early-game struggles. The Saints’ first five drives netted just 55 yards of offense. Shough was erratic, completing just seven of his first 18 passes. Penalties torpedoed one drive when backup left tackle Asim Richards was penalized for holding on consecutive plays. Kicker Daniel Carlson missed a 55-yard field goal at the end of the Saints’ most promising drive. Even when the Saints finally got on the scoreboard, it felt like a missed opportunity: Rookie Barion Brown returned a kick 41 yards to set up a short field near the end of the half, but New Orleans settled for a 58-yard Carlson field goal with 1:18 remaining in the first half. The spark the team desperately needed came in the form of spe-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ADAM HUNGER

Saints wide receiver Bryce Lance celebrates a touchdown during the first half against the New york Giants on Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J. cial-teams ace Isaiah Stalbird on the ensuing kickoff, when he met Giants kick returner Charlie Jones like a heat-seeking missile. Stalbird separated Jones from the ball, and rookie tight end Os-

car Delp recovered the loose ball. It was as if a dam broke free after that play, with the New Orleans offense roaring to life to seize control of the game. Shough ripped off a 25-yard run

it speaks on the severity of Ruiz’s injury. Moore said defensive back KoolAid McKinstry missed most of the second half with a migraine. Martin Emerson ﬁlled in for McKinstry in the starting lineup and filled the box score, recording a pair of interceptions and four pass breakups.

Paris tumult With protests becoming more frequent and violent in France over the past week, the NFL gave a new statement Sunday to address safety concerns ahead of the New Orleans Saints’ imminent visit to Paris for the league’s ﬁrst game there. “We continue to work closely with local authorities and partners on all operational and security matters,” the NFL said in a statement to Front Ofﬁce Sports. “We are also providing the two clubs with regular updates. There’s been no disruption or impact at league sites.” The Saints also released a statement. “We concur with the NFL’s statement and are planning to play the game,” said Greg Bensel, the team’s senior vice president of communications. “In addition to working closely with the NFL, we have also maintained daily security updates with our security partners in France. Members of

on the first play after the fumble recovery, setting New Orleans up at the goal line, where he would eventually find Bryce Lance for a game-tying touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal. That was the start of three consecutive touchdown drives for the Saints, who scored on six of seven drives in the middle portion of the game to take a commanding lead. They got contributions from Alvin Kamara, who looked like he’d turned back the clock, making three defenders miss on a 31-yard touchdown catch. Shough took one in on his own from a yard out, then looked like he iced the game with an 18-yard scoring strike to Chris Olave. The defense also pitched in, sacking Giants starter Jameis Winston four times and picking him off twice. Winston’s final interception set up the Olave score that gave the Saints a 34-10 lead. The fans began to leave the game, and Moore yanked some of his starters. The Giants looked like they were doing the same, inserting McCarthy into the lineup. The game was far from over. McCarthy threw an interception of his own, but he stayed aggressive, connecting on several explosive passes against the Saints defense, including gains of 49 to Jones and 46 to former LSU star Malik Nabers, who finished with 165 yards on 12 catches. Running back Tyrone Tracy started the comeback with a 5-yard touchdown run on third-and-2.

our football operations staff and internal security team have been on the ground in France for the past few days, and there has been no disruption or impact at any of our team sites.” The Saints will leave for Paris on Sunday evening, after their game against the New York Giants and a team dinner, with their flight arriving in France on Monday morning. They are scheduled to face the Pittsburgh Steelers at 3:30 p.m. Paris time (8:30 a.m. CT) next Sunday. Reports from France say more than half a million people have participated in some form of protest, with the demonstrations aimed to address rising living costs and poor school conditions. Some protests have turned violent, with demonstrators looting stores and setting fires, including to public buildings. French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly held an emergency meeting with officials Sunday and was set to address the public on the matter. Police have used tear gas and water cannons and have arrested at least 1,800 people in connection with the protests, including more than 800 in the Paris area. The Saints-Steelers game is set for the Stade de France, in the north Paris suburb of St. Denis.

New Orleans put its offensive starters back in, but the Saints were starting to get overwhelmed. McCarthy closed the gap further with a 24-yard touchdown pass to tight end Isaiah Likely. New York decided to cut the lead to seven by kicking a field goal on a fourthand-6 play, trusting the defense to get another stop. New York had an opportunity to tie the game or take the lead when it forced the Saints to go three-andout inside the game’s final two minutes. The Giants took over at their own 29-yard line with 57 seconds remaining, trailing by seven and with no timeouts remaining. McCarthy evaded pressure in the backfield on the first play of the drive, finding a wide-open gap in the Saints’ defense for a 28-yard scramble, then he hit Likely for a gain of 23 on the next play to push the ball inside the Saints’ 25. But the Giants rally fizzled when McCarthy’s fourth-and-1 pass with 12 seconds remaining sailed high and out of bounds over Likely’s outstretched hands. “Somewhere in there, the foot got off the gas pedal and the Giants came back in it,” defensive end Cam Jordan said. “I mean, kudos to them for being a tenacious team. We got to be able to snuff that fire.” New Orleans was scheduled to take an overnight flight to Paris, where it will take on the Pittsburgh Steelers next week. Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

The Times-Picayune F nola.com F Monday, October 19, 2026 F 5C

SAINTS 34, GIANTS 27 lll

THREE AND OUT: ROD WALKER’S TOP THREE TAKEAWAyS FROM SAINTS’ WIN OVER GIANTS

OFF THE MAT The Saints showed some fight, although they almost ruined it with what would have been a titanic fourth-quarter collapse. The Saints were in a bad place before Sunday. They had lost three straight home games. Things were so bad that owner Gayle Benson expressed her disappointment at a luncheon Tuesday. There was uncertainty whether Kellen Moore and Mickey Loomis would survive if things didn’t get better. Both morale and execution were low, and it was unclear if Moore could fix it. The Saints, despite falling into a 10-0 hole in the first half, showed the type of grit that had been missing the past three weeks. This felt like a must-win, and they answered the call.

THE ALVIN OF OLD Alvin Kamara showed he still has something left in the tank. It’s understandable if you questioned that after his 10th season got off to such a rocky start. Entering Sunday, he had just 86 rushing yards and 41 receiving yards. On top of that, he’s dealt with a back injury that kept him out of some recent practices. He even had to go to the injury tent briefly in the first half Sunday. But he re-entered the game and showed glimpses of his old self with a magnificent 31-yard reception where he eluded tacklers as only he can. On the play, he became the sixth player in NFL history to reach 5,000 rushing yards and 5,000 receiving yards.

ON TO FRANCE The long flight to Paris would have felt even longer with four straight losses. Instead, they fixed some of the things that needed to be fixed. A team that wasn’t forcing many turnovers all of a sudden did (three interceptions, one forced fumble). An offense that was ranked 29th in rushing all of a sudden found some success (175 rushing yards). Special teams stepped up, too. Daniel Carlson booted a 58-yard field goal that was followed by the Saints forcing a fumble on the ensuing kickoff. That got the Saints going. The fact that this game came down to the final play after the Saints led by 24 is a bit concerning. But the desperate Saints will take a win any way they can get it.

RESULTS

Sept. 13

31-30

Sept. 20

24-17

Sept. 27

35-27

Oct. 5

45-24

Oct. 11

23-13

Oct. 18

34-27

Oct. 25 Steelers 8:30 a.m.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By FRANK FRANKLIN II

Saints tight end Oscar Delp, center, celebrates with teammates Julian Blackmon, left, and Decamerion Richardson after a fumble recovery during the first half against the New york Giants on Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J.

‘A REAL IMPACT’

Stalbird’s forced fumble pivotal in Saints win BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — It mattered little to Isaiah Stalbird that a blocker met him immediately as the ball landed in the arms of New York Giants returner Charlie Jones. From 35 yards out, the New Orleans Saints linebacker just started running. And Jack Kelly, the Giants linebacker tasked with stopping Stalbird, couldn’t do jack. After five yards, Stalbird easily shed the pesky blocker. And with Jones in sight, Stalbird crashed in with the urgency owner Gayle Benson had desperately wanted to see. As Stalbird’s helmet made contact, Jones somersaulted in the air — with the jarred-loose ball directly above him. Oscar Delp recovered, and the Saints suddenly had life. If the Saints ultimately turn around their season, Stalbird’s forced fumble may be remembered as a pivotal turning point — one that captured the heightened sense of desperation following Benson’s remarks aimed at New Orleans’ “unacceptable” poor start. But even if the rest of the season doesn’t unfold the way the Saints want — and Sunday’s finish gave plenty of reasons to doubt that a switch has been flipped — Stalbird’s turnover was enough to dramatically change the Saints’ 34-27 wild win over the Giants. Down 10-3 with 1:18 left in the

second, the Saints capitalized on the turnover and scored another touchdown to tie it at halftime. The Saints scored 34 unanswered points — which, of course, was undermined by a chaotic fourth quarter that saw the Giants almost pull off an improbable comeback. But the Saints still needed to show they were listening to Benson’s message. And Stalbird came through in a big way. “We needed some type of spark, either offense, defense or special teams,” Stalbird said. “That really swung it.” It was only right that Stalbird was the man involved. Since joining New Orleans as an undrafted free agent in 2024, Stalbird has developed into a special-teams ace. He has lived up to the Saints’ initial projections when the team’s scouts labeled him a “37” entering the draft. That’s New Orleans’ tag for elite special teams prospects, numbered after Steve Gleason. At the Greater New Orleans Quarterback Club this past week, Benson mentioned Gleason — specifically how she was disappointed that the team was blown out on the game celebrating the 20th anniversary of Gleason’s blocked punt after Hurricane Katrina. She called out her coaches, players and executives to fix the mess they found themselves in. The Saints have a long way to go before they’ve truly fixed their season. But Sunday was a start. Delp didn’t notice the ball had popped in the air, but he jumped on it once he saw it on the ground. Bodies soon collapsed on him, and the rookie tight end felt hands from all over trying to pry it from him, including from teammate Chris Rumph. “I was like, ‘Nope, this one’s mine,’” Delp said with a smile.

Delp said the play also reflected what makes Stalbird special. Before the kick, the linebacker told the rookie to anticipate a double team. And so when the Giants tried to do exactly as Stalbird predicted, Delp ran right around the blockers. That evasion gave Delp room to jump on the ball. There was also Stalbird’s physical strength. Having the speed and power to drive Kelly back in seconds, then pivot into a violent collision with the returner, also required a skill set not everyone can replicate. Delp is a rookie but said he’s never seen anyone at any level approach special teams as seriously as Stalbird does. “That dude has a real impact on this team,” Delp said. The impact continued to be felt in the ensuing snaps. Just one play later, quarterback Tyler Shough took off for a 25-yard gain. Then, on fourth-and-goal from the 2, Shough hit a wideopen Bryce Lance for the tying touchdown. Edge rusher Cam Jordan said Stalbird’s forced fumble was an “inspiring-type play.” And the defense looked inspired. They followed up Stalbird’s turnover by forcing three more — all interceptions, picking off Jameis Winston twice and backup J.J. McCarthy once. Then, disaster nearly struck. The Saints gave up 289 yards in the fourth and gave up 17 unanswered points in the final seven minutes. But they held on thanks to an end-zone stop. The final margin was a touchdown — a score Stalbird helped create. “From a juice perspective, Stal works harder than anybody in the building,” Shough said. Email Matthew Paras at matt.paras@theadvocate.com

Nov. 8 Browns Noon

Nov. 15 Panthers Noon

Nov. 22 at Bears Noon

Nov. 29 at Bengals Noon

Dec. 6 Packers Noon

Dec. 13 at Panthers Noon

Dec. 20 at Buccaneers Noon

DUNCAN

Continued from page 1C Juwan Johnson said. “The biggest thing is just getting back on track, winning games that are ahead of us. I think that was something that was our intention going into it, knowing that this is a game that we got to win to start something.” The Saints can thank a bunch of unsung heroes for the morale-boosting win. Veteran cornerback Martin Emerson Jr., who was thrust into duty by Kool-Aid McKinstry’s migraine and recorded the ﬁrst two-interception game of his career. Kendre Miller and CJ Donaldson, the undrafted rookie running back,

who led a punishing ground-andpound offense that racked up a season-high 175 rushing yards. Bryce Lance, the rookie wide receiver who recorded the first touchdown catch of his career. And, of course, Stalbird, who picked a pristine time to record the first forced fumble of his young career. Stalbird’s takeaway occurred on the kickoff after Daniel Carlson’s 58-yard field goal and enlivened the Saints’ sideline, which had experienced very little to get excited about in the game’s first 28 minutes. Instead of going into halftime trailing for the 18th time in 23 games under Kellen Moore, the Saints went in tied — and with all the momentum. They rode the wave of positive energy into the third

quarter, where they scored two touchdowns and a ﬁeld goal to take a commanding 27-10 lead into the fourth quarter. The Giants made it interesting by scoring 17 points behind backup quarterback J.J. McCarthy, but in the end, it was too, too late. The Saints might have wanted to give the other game ball to Giants quarterback Jameis Winston, who seemed to be honoring his gameweek proclamation that his heart and soul were with the Who Dat Nation. Winston played like he wanted the Saints to win, greasing the skids on the Giants’ implosion with two interceptions and four sacks. “Big picture, it was huge, because we deﬁnitely needed a win coming off losing three games in a row,” Stalbird said. “That was our mind-

set. Now we just need to keep this momentum going.” The last thing the Saints needed was to ﬂy to France for a week of pomp and circumstance surrounding the historic game while mired in a four-game losing skid. Now, they can breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy the week with family and teammates. “Yeah, this (win) makes it a whole lot better,” Johnson said. “I think everybody will have good morale going into this week.” The morale will be even better if they can beat the Pittsburgh Steelers and turn the road trip into a season-changing two-game winning streak. Email Jeff Duncan at jduncan@theadvocate.com.

Dec. 27 Arizona Noon

Jan. 3 Falcons Noon

TBD Buccaneers TBD

6C F Monday, October 19, 2026 F nola.com F The Times-Picayune

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NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE Titans use special teams for 1st win of season By The Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS — The Tennessee Titans defense shut down mistakeprone Indianapolis in the second half, the special teams made two game-changing plays in the fourth quarter and Joey Slye made two field goals in the final 2½ minutes to rally the Colts from a 13-0 halftime deficit for their first win of the season, 26-20. “Now this feels good!” running back Tony Pollard shouted as he left the field as the remaining Indianapolis fans serenaded the home team with a loud chorus of boos. The victory snapped a six-game losing streak in the series, gave firstyear coach Robert Saleh his first win with the franchise and allowed the Titans (1-5) to get out of the winless column in the standings. The defense forced three turnovers and had six sacks, Chimere Dike’s 58-yard punt return early in the fourth quarter set up the tying score and Oluwafemi Oladejo’s 14yard return of a blocked punt gave the Titans their first lead with 10:17 to play. Slye’s 49-yard field goal with 2:03 left gave Tennessee the lead for good and he sealed it with a 44-yarder with 43 seconds to go after the Colts turned it over on downs. To Saleh, the win was more of a relief than a celebration. Cam Ward was 11 of 22 for 102 yards, with one TD and one interception as Tennessee finished with a season-high scoring total. Pollard rushed 19 times for 76 yards and rookie Carnell Tate had six catches for 70 yards and his first TD reception. For Indy (2-4), it was another frustrating day. Tennessee’s rally began when Jeffery Simmons forced a Taylor fumble on the first play of the second half. That set up Slye’s 29-yard field goal to make it 13-3. He added a 56-yarder with 3:21 left in the third to make it 13-6. That’s when the Titans special teams went to work. Ward took advantage of the long punt return by connecting with Tate for an 8-yard score to tie it. Then after forcing a punt on Indy’s next possession, James Williams Sr. broke free and blocked Rigoberto Sanchez’s punt, which Oladejo scooped

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ZACH BOLINGER

Tennessee Titans safety Amani Hooker, center, intercepts a pass during a game against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday in Indianapolis. up and scored on for 20-13 lead. Indy tied the score on Taylor’s 4-yard run, but a 36-yard pass interference penalty on cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt helped the Titans move into position for Slye’s go-ahead kick. Jones got one last chance, but he couldn’t connect on either desperation heave in the waning seconds. BEARS 31, FALCONS 23: In Atlanta, Caleb Williams completed his ﬁrst 12 passes in his return from a hamstring injury, D’Andre Swift ran for two touchdowns and the Chicago Bears beat the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Williams was both mobile and accurate in his impressive return for the Bears (4-2). He opened the game by completing 6 of 6 passes for 64 yards, including a 14-yard scoring pass to Colston Loveland, on Chicago’s opening drive. The Falcons didn’t score again until Penix found Kyle Pitts on a 10yard scoring pass in the fourth quarter. Penix then completed a pass to Branch for the 2-point play. PANTHERS 25, EAGLES 14: In Philadelphia, Bryce Young hit Tommy Tremble for a touchdown and Carolina’s tight end went into full Rocky Balboa mode.

Tremble feigned two rights and then delivered an uppercut with his left hand for a pantomime knockout of a Panthers teammate in an endzone celebration. The once-mighty Philadelphia Eagles — two seasons removed from a Super Bowl championship — have suddenly turned into an NFL punching bag. Young threw for 281 yards and two touchdowns to Tremble, and Chuba Hubbard ran for 120 yards and a score to lead the Panthers past the injury-riddled Eagles on Sunday. STEELERS 26, BUCCANEERS 19 OT: In Tampa, Florida, Aaron Rodgers shrugged off a slow start to lead four fourth-quarter scoring drives, then finished off a 12-play, 70-yard march with a 7-yard TD throw to Germie Bernard to give the Steelers the lead for good with 3:15 remaining in OT. Rookie Jalon Daniels drove the Bucs (1-5) to midfield on the ensuing possession, but Tampa Bay could only get as close as the Steelers 48 before Jalen Ramsey sacked the undrafted free agent on fourth down for an 11-yard loss to end the game. Rodgers finished 33 of 49 passing. He was sacked five times in the first three quarters and also tossed a

first-quarter interception that led to the first of four field goals by Tampa Bay’s Chase McLaughlin. CARDINALS 18, RAMS 16: In Inglewood, California, Chad Ryland kicked his sixth field goal a 43-yarder as time expired, and the Arizona Cardinals rallied for a stunning victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. Punter Ethan Evans kicked a goahead extra point after Colby Parkinson caught a touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford with 47 seconds to play for the vaunted Rams (2-4), who struggled all day before mounting a desperate final scoring drive. But the Cardinals immediately moved 36 yards into field goal range on Jalen Brooks’ long reception and an unnecessary roughness penalty on Josh Wallace. Three snaps later, Ryland buried his final kick to seal a shocking upset for Arizona (2-4), a double-digit underdog. BROWNS 13, RAVENS 10: In Cleveland, Deshaun Watson shook off three quarters of ineffective play to connect with Jerry Jeudy for a 33-yard gain that set up Andre Szmyt’s 37yard field goal on the final snap, and the Browns rallied past the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

The Browns (4-2) trailed 10-0 early and had all of 107 yards entering the fourth quarter before a late fumble by Baltimore’s Derrick Henry shifted the momentum to set the stage for their latest and perhaps most impressive — in results if not in process — victory so far. PATRIOTS 26, JETS 19: In Foxborough Massachusets, The mantra in New England’s locker room under Mike Vrabel has been to never apologize for a win. So no one was feeling bad about the Patriots improving to 2-0 in the AFC East after their victory over the New York Jets on Sunday. Drake Maye threw three touchdown passes, New England overcame losing three offensive linemen and Charles Woods came up with Geno Smith’s first interception of the season in the fourth quarter to help the Patriots hold on for a win. BILLS 33, RAIDERS 30: In Las Vegas, Josh Allen passed for 255 yards and two touchdowns, using his improvisational brilliance to tie the Bills’ career TD passing record, and Buffalo held off the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders (3-3), who have lost three in a row, had rallied to tie it at 23-all. James Cook rushed for a 3-yard touchdown with 4:43 left to put the Bills (5-1) ahead for good. Tyler Bass added a 38-yard field goal with 1:56 remaining for what turned out to be a crucial two-possession lead. Allen equaled Hall of Famer Jim Kelly’s franchise record of 258 TD passes in the third quarter, escaping almost a sure sack by shot-putting a 12-yard pass to Keon Coleman. CHIEFS 22, CHARGERS 6: In Kansas City, Missouri, Kenneth Walker ran for 128 yards and two touchdowns, Patrick Mahomes finished with 272 yards passing and the Kansas City Chiefs remained one of the NFL’s final three unbeatens with a victory over the injury-plagued Los Angeles Chargers. Xavier Worthy had seven catches for 73 yards and Travis Kelce hauled in five passes for 53, helping the Chiefs (5-0) survive without injured wide receivers Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton while keeping the struggling Chargers (0-6) winless. Kansas City joined San Francisco and Minnesota — both 5-0 and on their bye — as the league’s only unbeaten teams.

Niners QB Purdy poised to take over Fairbairn’s last-second top spot on career passer rating list GAME OF THE WEEK

49-yard FG gives Texans win over Jacksonville BY KEN MAGUIRE AP sportswriter

LONDON — Trying to seal a desperately needed win, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud threw an interception in the end zone and gave the Jacksonville Jaguars another chance on Sunday. Jacksonville tied the game at 3131, but Stroud didn’t stress about it. “His mindset was ’Hey, I got you Coach, don’t worry about it,” Houston coach DeMeco Ryans said. With just under two minutes left, Stroud led a drive to set up Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 49-yard field goal as time expired and the Texans won 34-31 on the slick grass of Wembley Stadium. “When a player tells me that, that just gives me the confidence that I need,” Ryans said. “He responded in an outstanding way.” Stroud threw three touchdown passes and Marvin Harrison made his debut for the Texans (2-4) as Houston earned back-to-back wins to gain ground on the AFC Southleading Jaguars (4-2). Cam Little’s 60-yard field goal had tied the game — a week after his 57-yarder won it for Jacksonville against the Eagles at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium — after Travis Hunter intercepted Stroud’s pass in the end zone. Hunter also hauled in a 7-yard touchdown pass at the other end — becoming just the fifth player in the Super Bowl era, including the playoffs, to both score a touchdown and intercept a pass in the same game. “Just made a mistake,” Stroud said of Hunter’s pick. “I’ve learned in my life I’ve got to flush my failures and flush my successes and just move on. Our defense did a great job holding them to three points, and then gave me the ball back, and went down and had a game-winning drive.” Stroud said he appreciated hearing words of support from Ryans and his

teammates. “What they did for me in that moment really meant a lot,” he said. Tight end Foster Moreau caught two touchdown passes from Stroud, who also connected with Jaylin Noel for a 13-yard score in the third quarter for a 24-14 lead. Moreau scored on a 6-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter and a 1-yarder just before the end of the half. Penalties dogged the Jaguars for a third straight week. They were flagged for too many men on the field on a Houston punt — extending a Texans drive that ended with Noel’s touchdown. Trevor Lawrence threw four touchdown passes, including a pair to Bhayshul Tuten. His 1-yard pass to rookie tight end Nate Boerkircher cut Houston’s lead to 24-21. Houston responded with Jawhar Jordan’s 25-yard touchdown run to restore a 10-point lead, 31-21, late in the third quarter. Two-way star Hunter, who scored his first NFL touchdown at Wembley a year ago, snagged his second when he hauled in a pass over the middle to reduce Houston’s lead to 31-28 in the fourth quarter. Hunter’s interception led to Jacksonville’s drive and Little’s gametying field goal. Stroud completed 24 of 34 passes for 312 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. The interception was his first of the season. Harrison, who joined the Texans this week in a trade with Arizona, made three catches for 34 yards. Woody Marks had 15 carries for 56 yards, the first running back to break 40 yards in a game this season against Jacksonville. Lawrence finished 24 of 41 for 306 yards, four TDs and an interception. The Texans were at 2-4 at this point last season and finished 12-5 to earn a wild-card playoff spot.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy talks to reporters following a game against the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 11 in Seattle.

BY JOSH DUBOW

AP pro football writer SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Brock Purdy has been one of the league’s most efficient quarterbacks in the NFL since stepping into the role for the San Francisco 49ers as a seventhround rookie in 2022. With five more pass attempts, he will take his place on top of the alltime leaderboards. Purdy comes into this week with a 105.4 passer rating over his first 1,495 career attempts in the regular season and will qualify for the NFL’s all-time leaderboards when he hits the 1,500 attempt threshold. Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson is the current leader at 102.7 with Purdy set to take over the No. 1 spot when the 49ers (5-0) take on the Washington Commanders (1-3-1) at home on Monday night. Don’t expect Purdy to celebrate the milestone or make a point to check out the leaderboard when the game ends. “I guess it’s a good thing,” Purdy said. “But at the same time, I’m not getting done with games going, ‘All right, was my rating at least 100 and something?’ I could really care less about that. It’s more so, did I do my job well for my teammates? Did I compete and do everything I could to help this team win? I know it sounds cheesy, but that’s the reality. That’s what I’m thinking about and it’s what matters. I guess that maybe reflects, though, playing pretty good quarterback play, so I’m not trying to act like it’s nothing. But, it is cool.” Purdy said much of the credit also goes to his coaches and teammates, who have helped him be so productive ever since being taken with the last pick of the 2022 draft. The passer rating stat was created in the 1970s to create a single number to grade quarterbacks from different eras. The rating uses four statistics — completion percentage, yards per attempt, touchdown passes and interceptions — to give a number on a scale of 0 to 158.3. The rating favors more modern

AP PHOTO By LINDSEy WASSON

ä Commanders at 49ers. 7:15 P.M. MONDAy, ABC, ESPN.

quarterbacks as the current style of play has led to a higher completion percentage and far fewer interceptions than when the stat was created. Only one of the top 25 current players on the leaderboard — Hall of Famer Steve Young — began his career more than 30 years ago, with players such as Jimmy Garoppolo and Tua Tagovailoa ranking ahead of all-time greats such as Joe Montana and Dan Marino. Coach Kyle Shanahan said he believes passer rating is an “overrated stat” and praised Purdy for his willingness to do things that help the team but harm his rating, such as throwing the ball away to avoid a sack. “I think the coolest thing about Brock is I don’t think he even knows that stuff goes to passer rating,” Shanahan said. “Brock competes so much. The only time Brock gets off of running stuff is when we’re down and stuff and he thinks he has to make a play and he’ll put himself in harm’s way and throw picks just to give us a chance to get back in it. Brock is such an unselﬁsh player in that way and I think every way, every week Brock plays to do what it takes to win. Sometimes that’s being aggressive. Sometimes it’s not. But, he plays to win, which is so amazing

that he has a rating like that.” Purdy will also take over the No. 2 spot on the all-time leaderboard for pass yards per attempt. Purdy’s current average of 8.63 is second only to Hall of Famer Otto Graham’s 9.0. Graham’s number includes four seasons in the All-America Football Conference that now ofﬁcially count on the NFL leaderboard. It would be at 8.62 only for the years when Graham played in the NFL. Purdy is coming off his lowest passer rating of the season after posting a 92.5 in last week’s 32-29 win at Seattle that was his ﬁrst game below the 100 mark this season. But in many ways, it was one of his more impressive games coming against one of the league’s top defenses and with two drives for goahead scores in the fourth quarter. Purdy was 9 for 10 for 96 yards on those drives, after struggling to move the ball for most of the game. “It wasn’t perfect and it was pretty ugly at times,” offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said. “But the way he played in the fourth quarter when it mattered most, I think he threw a pick, late in the third quarter. And then it almost felt like from then on out, Brock wasn’t going to be denied. He made really aggressive throws. He made plays with his legs. He avoided some sacks. He was a competitor out there and he made plays. He’s done that throughout his career. ... In the fourth quarter when he needed to just step it up, he did.”

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Well-traveled Scwhieger is fitting in at Tulane BY GUERRY SMITH

Contributing writer

Playing for his fourth school in four years, 6-foot-9 Tulane transfer forward Carson Schwieger balks at the narrative of the never-satisfied modern athlete. Happy with what he hopes will be his final destination, he explains his constant changes were not always by choice and made sense logically. He was “encouraged to leave” at the end of his redshirt freshman year in 2023-24 at Wright State. He played with his twin brother, Cooper, at Valparaiso in 2024-25, and Cooper (now at Florida State) transferred to Wake Forest after leading the team in scoring. Schwieger finally became a starter last year at Queen’s University, and the opportunity to move up a level was too good to pass up after he averaged 10.1 points for an NCAA tournament team. Considering he spent one season at a prep academy after graduating from Blue Valley Southwest High School in Overland Park, Kansas, Tulane is his sixth landing spot in six years. “A lot of people talk about how many times I’ve transferred, but they don’t always know the whole picture,” he said. Moving around is really not as crazy as maybe some people think. Basketball is the same. It’s pretty consistent with practice, weights, school everywhere I go. It’s just a new environment.” The early signs are that this could be a perfect fit for his skills. Coach Ron Hunter loaded up on proven 3-point shooters in his lat-

est transfer class, and Schwieger sank six treys in a recent scrimmage against Northwestern State. He hit 92 last year at Queen’s — 24 more than any player for Tulane managed. The Green Wave ranked 289th out of 365 Division I teams in 3-point shooting percentage (.321), contributing to a disappointing eighth-place finish in the American Conference. Schwieger and fellow transfers Ryan Blount (Tampa) and TJ Nadeau (Detroit Mercy) all would have led the Wave in 3s. “If you look at the better teams I’ve ever had, we’ve always had great 3-point shooting teams,” Hunter said. “We wanted to get guys that could make shots. We’ve had a lot of shooters before, but they didn’t make them. Carson made them in the NCAA tournament.” He hit a pair in a 104-71 firstround loss to No. 2 seed Purdue, scoring five of 15th-seeded Queen’s first seven points while making his first two shots before the Boilermakers inevitably pulled away. It was a nice cap to a season in which he drained five or more 3s five times, including a 7-of-10 explosion on his way to 29 points against North Florida. The highlight, though, was Queen’s run through the Atlantic 10 tournament as the No. 3 seed to clinch an NCAA tournament berth in the first year it was eligible for one. The Royals beat regular-season champion Central Arkansas in overtime of the championship game. “Man, that was some of the most fun I’ve ever had,” Schwieger said. “You can’t really explain how elec-

tric it is. You dream about something like that your whole life. Getting to March Madness, let alone starting in it, was a ton of fun. I hope this group of guys gets to experience it this year.” Tulane would have to exceed expectations dramatically to reach its ﬁrst NCAA tournament since 1994-95. The league’s coaches tabbed the Wave 10th out of 13 teams before this week’s American Conference media days, but Schwieger likes what he saw in the scrimmage. “We have a lot of unselﬁsh guys, and they just made the right plays,” he said. “I had a good night. I was hitting my shots because they were giving me good passes and making me look good.” Hunter’s son, newly promoted full-time assistant RJ Hunter, recruited Schwieger to Tulane and made an immediate good impression. “He seemed really down to earth, and he really understood the ins and outs of basketball,” Schwieger said. “He understands the mental stuff, and when I came down here the coaches were all great and the environment was great. They didn’t seem like they were putting on a show just for me. That was a big deal for me.” His only hesitation was adjusting to New Orleans after stops in Fairborn, Ohio, Valparaiso, Indiana and Charlotte, North Carolina. “It’s different than anywhere I’ve ever been, but I love it down here,” he said. “I heard a lot of mixed reviews because I have a lot of friends who come down here on trips, but it’s great. It’s only crazy if you want it to be crazy.”

OKC’s SGA could become a back-to-back-to-back MVP BY TIM REYNOLDS AP basketball writer

Bill Russell. Wilt Chamberlain. Larry Bird. That’s the full list of those who managed to win three consecutive NBA Most Valuable Player awards. Nobody has pulled off that feat in 40 years, and the star power not on that list — names like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — speaks to how difﬁcult it is to accomplish. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder has a chance to get there this season, whether he wants to or not. His focus — as it has been in past years as well — is on winning and on championships, not on anything of the individual variety. “I’ve just got to be the best player I can be for this basketball team, win as many games as possible,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “That kind of recipe for me in the past has kind of worked, and I’ve been fortu-

nate to win two in a row. No different for me going into this season.” He is the best player on the team that is essentially the co-favorite, along with the San Antonio Spurs, to win the NBA championship. He’s collected more than 75% of the ﬁrst-place MVP votes over the last two seasons, and his scoring average of 32 points per game is tops in the NBA over that span. He doesn’t think he’s been at his peak yet, either. “I feel like I’m a better basketball player, more versatile as a basketball player,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “In better shape, too.” Thunder general manager Sam Presti has been around Hall of Fame players. He sees the traits in Gilgeous-Alexander, saying in his preseason news conference last month that greats at that level have “something that separates them from the others that makes them uniquely different.” “He has the baseline stuff of his work ethic, his discipline, his char-

acter, things that you have to have to be a consistent elite performer in the NBA or anywhere,” Presti said. “But his emotional awareness and regulation is superior, in my opinion. It’s extraordinary. His view is layered. He doesn’t live in a passfail world, and I think that’s part of what’s allowed him to come kind of from the back of the pack as a lightly recruited college player to this ascent.” Leadership, to Gilgeous-Alexander, is far more important than trophies. “It’s something that I’ve been intentional with, but also just I think naturally it’s just grown because I’ve grown as a man,” he said. “Becoming a father has helped with that. You’re an example for somebody every day and it’s a little bit different in the real world, but it’s essentially the same thing. You lead by example — and it’s hard to get people to follow you if you don’t do the right things and you don’t walk the walk.”

The Times-Picayune F nola.com F Monday, October 19, 2026 F 7C

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JEFF CHIU

Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby Williams, right, shoots against Atlanta Dream guard Jordin Canada during Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Saturday in San Francisco.

Valkyries star forward Williams keeps track of everything for late game BY JANIE MCCAULEY

ä Dream at Valkyries.

SAN FRANCISCO — Late in games, Gabby Williams starts counting. She constantly computes math in her head, all while handling the pressure of being the one to regularly take big shots for the Golden State Valkyries. Better Williams than coach Natalie Nakase, that’s for sure. “What’s her obsession with math?” Nakase inquired when told about Williams’ process. “I don’t do math. I do more like coverages and schemes and seeing people’s energy and more connectivity with our group. That’s all Gabby. I’m not that smart. I’m not doing math out there. I didn’t do math since the UCLA days.” Whatever it is that Williams does, it’s working well during her ﬁrst playoff run with the Valkyries after coming to the Bay Area for just this: a chance at a championship. Golden State leads the Atlanta Dream 1-0 in their best-of-seven WNBA Finals. Even members of Golden State’s athletic training staff have noticed Williams making her mental notes down the stretch. The veteran guard scored 26 points in a 68-64 Game 1 win Saturday, missing her initial four shots before scoring 16 of her 26 points in the second quarter. She was the only Valkyries player in double ﬁgures as Golden State shot 32.1% and 7 of 33 from 3-point range. “Yeah, same thing, doing math,” Williams explained of her mindset. “One of our trainers, she was like, ‘In the fourth quarter, you always do this thing and I know you’re going to start taking over, you look at the clock.’ And I’m like: ‘Yeah, I’m counting. I’m counting possessions, I’m counting points, what do we need now, what’s the most timely time to go.’ “I think it’s just like the best way to kind of take the pressure off things, too, is just to break them down possession by possession.”

The Dream had been outstanding down the stretch during their first two series, both sweeps, to reach the franchise’s fourth finals. Yet Atlanta is still yet to win a finals game. Coach Karl Smesko can’t wait for his team to find a way to bounce back Monday night. Atlanta shot 2 for 19 in the fourth quarter. “I just think we need to maintain how we want to play for a whole four quarters. We had a couple dry spells where we just weren’t working together as well as you need to against this defense. They are not just going to give you easy shots,” he said. “So we are going to need to work together to create these advantages.” Execution is especially challenging in the hostile environment that is Golden State’s deafening “Ballhalla” sellout home crowd — with rally towels waving and thunder sticks cracking all game long. While Smesko was pleased with how the Dream handled the noise, he will challenge his players to communicate even better next time out. “I thought the environment was great. I thought the crowd was great. They were loud. They were cheering at all the right times,” Smesko said. “But I think when we had a breakdown, it was something that we worked on and we just would have a miscommunication or something like that. ... When we have an opportunity to finish a game, we’ve just got to do it.” Nakase challenged her team’s loyal, violet-loving fans once more to bring all their energy again Monday. “Great job but hey, level up, right? Like we’ve got to go Game 2, it has to be better. We’re going to ask more from our players. So I’d say, check for Game 1,” she said. “Let’s get a better Game 2. Rest and recover, Ballhalla. Careful what you drink tonight.”

AP sportswriter

7 P.M. MONDAy, USA.

Rasmussen shines as Rays beat Guardians in Game 5 BY JOE REEDY AP sportswriter

CLEVELAND — Drew Rasmussen allowed one run over seven innings for his second postseason win, Tampa Bay’s offense kept on constant pressure and the Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 Sunday night to take a 3-2 lead in the AL Championship Series. The Rays have won the last two games and will try to capture their third AL pennant and first since 2020 on Monday at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. “Momentum is big in this sport and we have it -- and we’re going to keep it,” outfielder Jonny DeLuca said. Since the ALCS expanded to seven games in 1985, road teams winning Game 5 for a 3-2 lead have won the series four of five times. Game 7 if needed would be Tuesday, and the World Series starts Friday at NL champion Milwaukee. Rasmussen gave up four hits, walked one and struck out six. “The way he limited anything was really, really impressive,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “He got in rhythm with the fastball. A lot of power to everything. Then the depth on the changeup throughout the outing was a big pitch for him.” Tampa Bay scored single runs in each of the first three innings, the first two off Parker Messick and

AP PHOTO By DAVID J. PHILLIP

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen celebrates a win over Cleveland Guardians in Game 5 of an AL Championship Series on Sunday in Cleveland.

the third against Tim Herrin. The Guardians scored in the seventh but stranded runners in the eighth and ninth innings. Cleveland has not won an ALCS when trailing 3-2 while the Rays are 58-27 at home this year, including the postseason. The Guardians are seeking their ﬁrst World Series title since 1948. “We know we’ve got our work cut out for us. It’s a really good team and

a really good team when they play at home, especially,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “We know this is going to be tough but if there’s a group I’m betting on to get this done, it’s our guys.” Rasmussen had given up two runs over six innings in the opener. After Chase DeLauter’s two-out single in the ﬁrst, the 31-year-old right-hander retired nine straight batters and allowed only one other baserunner through the sixth. “Ras has done it all year, shutting them down like he did tonight,” shortstop Taylor Walls said. “Sometimes it’s a little boring when he’s mowing guys down, but it was fun tonight because Cleveland was putting the ball in play. Credit to them for doing that and giving us the chance to make plays.” Rasmussen said the biggest change was he was able to command his changeup better. He used it only 12 times in Game 1, but threw it 27 times on Sunday, includng 21 for strikes. “We were able to attack with the change-up a lot more tonight than we did, like I said, in Game 1. The ability to drive the cutter to the top I thought was also another strength,” said Rasmussen, who is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA in three postseason starts, striking out 23 and walking three. Cam Booser and Tyler Wells worked the eighth, with Wells strik-

ing out José Ramírez to strand a runner. Bryan Baker came in for the ninth and converted his 35th straight save chance, his fifth of this postseason. Jo Adell was on second base when Travis Bazzana hit a game-ending groundout. Tampa Bay’s leadoff hitter reached base in the first four innings — scoring in the first three frames — and six times overall. Rays’ leadoff batters have reached in 10 of 14 innings dating to Saturday. Yandy Díaz had three hits while Aranda and Liam Hicks both had two hits and drove in a run. Díaz scored on a bases-loaded walk by Messick to Jonny DeLuca in the first inning. Díaz led off with a line-drive double over center fielder Petey Halpin that rolled to the wall. Aranda’s single drove in Ben Williamson for a 2-0 lead in the second, and Hicks looped a curveball from Herrin to center to score Chandler Simpson in the third. “I think we took advantage of getting ourselves in some favorable counts and getting some big hits,”

Cash said. “We probably left some opportunities out there, and then they go to the bullpen, and it’s really challenging to piece together big innings when they’re mixing and matching from the third or fourth inning, whatever it was, on.” Steven Kwan had two of Cleveland’s five hits and made two fine defensive plays: He threw out Walls trying to score from second base on Jonathan Aranda’s fourth-inning single to left and made a leaping catch at the center-field wall on Victor Mesa’s eighth-inning drive, saving a run. Cleveland finally threatened in the seventh when Kwan and Ramírez singled to put runners at the corners and DeLauter grounded an RBI single between first and second. Messick had the shortest outing of his big league career and didn’t make it past the third inning for the second time in four postseason starts. The 25-year-old left-hander went two innings and allowed two runs, five hits and three walks over two innings, throwing just 34 of 57 pitches for strikes.

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LSU has plenty to show in fall scrimmages BY KOKI RILEY

out the weekend. At the plate, he smashed fellow freshman righthander Cooper Sides’ hanging slider 113 mph into the right-ﬁeld bleachers on Thursday before toeing the mound Friday and showcasing a mid-90s fastball and a knockout slider. He also played right ﬁeld during Sunday’s scrimmage. At 5-foot-11 and 201 pounds, Nawrocki’s tantalizing two-way potential makes him one of the most interesting players in recent program history.

Staff writer

LSU baseball has played six scrimmages this fall and will play another weekend of intrasquad games this week before heading to Biloxi, Mississippi, for two games against Samford over Halloween weekend. Here are five takeaways from Thursday, Friday and Sunday’s scrimmages at Alex Box Stadium.

Watters, Evans haven’t suited up Watters — a Notre Dame transfer — hasn’t played at all this fall because of a minor upper-body injury, coach Jay Johnson told the Advocate on Sunday. Johnson believes he could return to action for the last few weeks of the fall. After arriving in Baton Rouge as coach Johnson’s top portal bat, Watters hit .362 with a 1.057 onbase plus slugging percentage last season. With Watters sitting out, Oregon transfer Angel Laya didn’t play Friday or Sunday, and Tulane transfer Jason Wachs took at-bats but didn’t see the field Friday. Freshman Malachi Washington also didn’t play on Sunday after working at second and third base on Thursday and Friday. On the mound, Evans hasn’t thrown a pitch through the first two weeks of fall. Johnson said on Sunday that he’ll make his ﬁrst appearance this fall on Nov. 1. During his September news conference, Johnson ruled out Cooper Moore for the fall and said freshman left-hander Logan Schmidt won’t throw until November.

Hood impresses

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU first baseman/outfielder Dominic Santarelli waits on a pitch during an intrasquad scrimmage on Sunday at Alex Box Stadium.

Freshmen flash potential It was a big weekend for outfielder Dominic Santarelli and left-handed pitcher/outﬁelder Lucas Nawrocki. Santarelli blasted an oppositefield home run into left field on Sunday at 110 mph. Off the bat, it looked like he had roped a double into the left-center gap, but he hit it so hard the ball kept rising in-

stead. Santarelli’s power is his calling card, but he’s not a heavy-footed power hitter despite being 237 pounds. He showcased his surprising speed on Thursday by turning a routine single into a double. He could probably play in center ﬁeld if LSU needed him there in a pinch. Nawrocki, meanwhile, was quite literally all over the ﬁeld through-

Hood, a right-handed transfer from Gonzaga, is expected to contend for a starting rotation spot this fall after striking out 78 batters in 541/ 3 innings and holding hitters to a .162 batting average last season. During Friday’s scrimmage, he showed why he was so dominant as a freshman a year ago. Hood threw three hitless innings, keeping hitters off balance with a fastball up to 95 mph, a curveball, a changeup and a slider. He wasn’t afraid to throw his changeup against hitters on both sides of the plate, and his slider was particularly devastating against righties. His fastball velocity had waned by the third inning, but Hood’s success isn’t predicated on how hard he throws. Hood punishes the strike zone, has excellent command and his wide arsenal lets him get hitters out on both sides of the plate. But it certainly wouldn’t hurt if he could maintain his ﬁrst-inning velocity further into outings.

day, tossing three hitless innings and recording six strikeouts. He pounded the strike zone with a low90s fastball, and he got hitters to chase his slider out of the bottom of the zone. Another freshman, left-hander Braxton Beaty, also threw on Sunday and hit 95 mph with his fastball, at least three to four mph harder than what he threw in high school. But, uncharacteristically, his command was off. Expect that to improve by the start of the season. South Florida right-handed transfer Kaden Smith showed quality stuff on Friday — fastball up to 95 mph and two breaking balls that are good enough to get hitters to swing through — but his control was poor, and it looks like his delivery is going to be difﬁcult for him to repeat, likely making these control problems hard to ﬁx.

Position player notes

Johnson hasn’t been afraid to move Jack Ruckert around this fall, as the sophomore second baseman played third base, left ﬁeld and catcher this weekend. Fall is the perfect time to test whether guys can play certain spots, and Johnson has always prioritized positional versatility. That’s what he seems to be doing with Ruckert. Besides Ruckert, Eddie Yamin has mostly played outfield, and John Pearson has gotten plenty of reps at ﬁrst base. LSU also continues to shift Texas State transfer Dawson Park between shortstop and third base. Park had a big day Thoughts on new pitchers at the plate Friday, going 3 for 3 Freshman right-hander Coleton with a home run and driving in Brady dominated hitters on Sun- two runs.

SCOREBOARD Odds Sports Betting Line NFL Monday

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG at SAN FRAN 5½ 7½ (52½)Washington

College Football Tuesday

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG at FLA INTL 10½ 10½ (45½) M. Ten at DEL 2½ 2½ (52½) Missouri St S. Alabama 2½ 2½ (62½) at MRSHLL

Wednesday

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG New Mex St 2½ 2½ (45½)at SAM HOU

Thursday

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG Liberty 9½ 10½ (48½) at KNSW ST J. Madison 12½ 10½ (57½) at APP ST at MEMPHIS 10½ 9½ (53½) E. Carolina

Friday

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG at VIRGINIA 6½ 2½ (47½) Duke at UCONN 15½ 16½ (47½) UMass at TULSA 1½ 1½ (52½) Army Air Force 5½ 6½ (44½) at WYMNG NC State 7½ 7½ (55½) at STNFRD

Saturday

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG at FLA ATL 10½ 10½ (58½) Rice at TCU 6½ 7 (59½) West Va LSU 6½ 6½ (50½) at AUBURN at TOLEDO 2½ 3½ (45½) W. Mich at MIA (FL) 23½ 22½ (51½) Pittsburgh at NWSTRN 16½ 16½ (58½) Rutgers at SMU 17½ 17½ (52½) Cal Indiana 6½ 8½ (42½) at MICH at C. MICH 1 1½ (43½) Miami (OH) at KENT ST. 3½ 3½ (43½) Akron Oregon 13½ 11½ (50½) at ILLINOIS Tennessee 2½ 2½ (49½) at S. CAR at BUFFALO 4½ 4½ (43½) B. Green at UCLA 13½ 12½ (47½) Michign St. North Texas 1½ 1½ (61½) at NAVY at GA TECH 5½ 4½ (50½) B. College at ALABAMA 2½ 15½ (51½) Texas A&M Hawaii 7 6½ (46½) at N. ILL at BALL ST. 9½ 9½ (50½) Sac St Iowa 2½ 5½ (40½) at MIN Oklahoma 2½ 2½ (45½) at MISS ST at OHIO 9½ 9½ (49½) E. Michigan at TROY 17½ 17½ (50½) UL Monroe at NEVADA 5½ 5½ (45½) San Jose St at LA TECH 8½ 8½ (45½) Old Dom Louisiana 10½ 10½ (52½) at S. MISS Boise State 16½ 14 (50½) at WASH ST San Diego St. 1½ 3½ (59½) at CSU at CLEMSON 1½ 2½ (49½) Va Tech Georgia St. 1½ 1½ (55½) at ARKA ST at UNC 9½ 9½ (44½) Syracuse at KENTUCKY 9½ 11½ (51½) Vanderbilt USC 1½ 2½ (49½)at WISCNSN at TEXAS 9½ 3½ (52½) Ole Miss at TEXAS ST 9½ 8½ (59½) Utah State UTSA 4 4 (50½) at TULANE at NEW MEX 3½ 4 (45½) Ndsu

MLB

Monday

American League FAVORITE LINE at TAMPA BAY OFF

UNDERDOG Cleveland

LINE OFF

Pro basketball WNBA Playoff Glance (x-if necessary) Finals (Best-of-5)

Golden State 1, Atlanta 0

Saturday, October 17: Golden State 68, Atlanta 64 Monday, October 19: Atlanta at Golden State, 7 p.m. Wednesday, October 21: Golden State at Atlanta, 7 p.m. Saturday, October 24: Golden State at Atlanta, noon x-Monday, October 26: Atlanta at Golden State, TBA x-Thursday, October 29: Golden State at Atlanta, TBA x-Saturday, October 31: Atlanta at Golden State, TBA

Major League Baseball MLB Postseason Glance LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES (Best-of-7)

American League

(TBS, TruTV, HBO Max)

Tampa Bay 3, Cleveland 2

Monday, Oct. 12: Game 1: Cleveland 7, Tampa Bay 3 Tuesday, Oct. 13: Game 2: Tampa Bay 3, Cleveland 1 Thursday, Oct. 15: Game 3: Cleveland 3, Tampa Bay 2 Friday, Oct. 16: Game 4: Tampa Bay (Martinez 15-6) at Cleveland (Armstrong 2-1), ppd. to Oct. 17

Saturday, Oct. 17: Game 4: Tampa Bay7, Cleveland 3 Sunday, Oct. 18: Game 5: Tampa Bay 3 Cleveland, 1 Monday, Oct. 19: Game 6: Cleveland at Tampa Bay, 8:08 p.m. x-Tuesday, Oct. 20: Game 7: Cleveland at Tampa Bay, 8:08 p.m.

National League Milwaukee 4, Los Angeles Dodgers 0

Sunday, Oct. 11: Game 1: Milwaukee 2, Los Angeles Dodgers 1 Monday, Oct. 12: Game 2: Milwaukee 7, Los Angeles Dodgers 4 Wednesday, Oct. 14: Game 3: Milwaukee 6, Los Angeles Dodgers 2 Thursday, Oct. 15: Game 4: Milwaukee 6, Los Angeles Dodgers 4

Late Saturday Tampa Bay 7, Cleveland 3 Tampa Bay

Cleveland

ab r hbi ab r h bi Díaz dh 5 2 2 2 Kwan lf-cf 4 1 1 0 Aranda 1b 4 2 3 2 Ramírez 3b 3 0 0 0 Simpson lf 3 0 0 1 DeLauter rf 4 0 1 1 Caminero 3b5 0 1 1 Adell dh 4 0 1 0 Hicks c 2 0 0 0 Lowe 1b 3 0 0 0 Williamsn ph1 0 0 0 Fry ph-1b 1 0 0 0 Mullins cf 1 0 0 0 Bazzana 2b 3 1 2 1 Mesa rf 4 0 1 0 Bailey c 4 1 1 0 DeLuca cf 3 0 0 0 Halpin cf 1 0 0 0 Fortes c 1 0 0 0 Martínez ph-lf 2 0 1 0 Palacios 2b 4 2 3 0 Rocchio ss 3 0 1 1 Walls ss 3 1 1 0 Totals 36 711 6 Totals 32 3 8 3 Tampa Bay 001 001 302 — 7 Cleveland 100 000 200 — 3 E_Bazzana (1), DeLauter (1). DP_Tampa Bay 2, Cleveland 1. LOB_Tampa Bay 6, Cleveland 5. 2B_Díaz (3), Caminero (2). HR_Díaz (1), Bazzana (1). SB_Walls (1), Palacios (1). SF_Simpson (1). S_Walls (1). IP H R ER BB SO Tampa Bay 1 2 3 Martinez W,1-0 5 1⁄3 2 1 2 ⁄3 0 0 0 1 0 Peralta H,1 Seymour 1 4 2 2 0 1 2 ⁄3 1 0 0 0 0 Kelly H,2 1 ⁄3 0 0 0 0 1 Booser H,1 Baker 1 1 0 0 0 1 Cleveland Armstrong 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 5 Grifﬁn 3 2⁄3 4 1 1 ⁄3 1 1 1 2 1 Espino L,0-1 Herrin 1 1 1 1 0 1 Cecconi 1 2 2 1 0 2 2 0 1 Festa 1 1⁄3 2 2 2 ⁄3 1 0 0 0 1 Cantillo Herrin pitched to 1 batter in the 7th. WP_Martinez. Umpires_Home, Mark Ripperger; First, Chad Fairchild; Second, Adam Hamari; Third, Nestor Ceja; Right, Bill Miller; Left, Carlos Torres. T_3:10. A_33,355 (34,788)

Tampa Bay 3, Cleveland 1 Tampa Bay

Cleveland

ab r hbi ab r h bi Díaz dh 5 1 3 0 Kwan lf-cf 4 1 2 0 Mullins pr-dh00 0 0 Ramírez 3b 4 0 1 0 Aranda 1b 5 0 2 1 DeLauter rf 3 0 1 1 Vilade rf 1 0 0 0 Adell dh 3 0 0 0 Mesa ph-rf 3 0 0 0 Lowe 1b 4 0 1 0 Caminero 3b4 0 1 0 Bazzana 2b 4 0 0 0 Mateo pr-2b 0 0 0 0 Bailey c 3 0 0 0 Palacios 2b 0 0 0 0 Halpin cf 2 0 0 0 Simpson lf 3 1 2 0 Martínez ph-lf 1 0 0 0 DeLuca cf 3 0 0 1 Rocchio ss 3 0 0 0 Hicks c 3 0 2 1 Williamson 3b 4 1 1 0 Walls ss 4 0 1 0 Totals 35 312 3 Totals 31 1 5 1 Tampa Bay 111 000 000 — 3 Cleveland 000 001 000 — 1 DP_Tampa Bay 1, Cleveland 2. LOB_Tampa Bay 9, Cleveland 5. 2B_Díaz (4), Simpson (1). SB_Simpson (1), Walls (2). S_Simpson (1). IP H R ER BB SO Tampa Bay Rasmussen W,1-0 7 4 1 1 1 6 2 ⁄3 1 0 0 0 0 Booser H,2 1 ⁄3 0 0 0 0 1 Wells H,1 Baker S,2-2 1 0 0 0 1 0 Cleveland Messick L,0-2 2 5 2 2 2 3 Herrin 1 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Armstrong 1 1⁄3 1 0 0 0 2 Sabrowski 1 2⁄3 1 0 0 1 0 Gaddis 1 2⁄3 1 0 0 0 1 Smith 1 1⁄3 1 0 Herrin pitched to 1 batter in the 4th. ABS Challenge_Messick (Ball-Conﬁrmed); Rasmussen (Ball-Overturned to Strike); DeLauter (Strike-Conﬁrmed). Umpires_Home, Jordan Baker; First, Adam Hamari; Second, Nestor Ceja; Third, Carlos Torres; Right, Mark Ripperger; Left, Bill Miller. T_2:50. A_36,303 (34,788).

Pro football NFL Glance

AMERICAN CONFERENCE East Buffalo New England N.Y. Jets Miami

W 4 4 2 0

L 1 2 4 5

T Pct PF PA 0 .800 164 141 0 .667 136 113 0 .333 112 122 0 .000 70 132

Jacksonville Indianapolis Houston Tennessee

W 4 2 2 1

L 2 4 4 5

T Pct PF PA 0 .667 154 104 0 .333 144 164 0 .333 144 143 0 .167 84 129

Cleveland Pittsburgh Baltimore Cincinnati

W 4 4 4 3

L 2 2 2 2

T Pct PF PA 0 .667 106 122 0 .667 137 128 0 .667 156 132 0 .600 128 109

Kansas City Denver Las Vegas L.A. Chargers

W 4 4 3 0

L 0 2 2 5

T Pct PF PA 01.000 118 77 0 .667 114 125 0 .600 132 129 0 .000 84 129

N.Y. Giants Dallas Philadelphia Washington

W 3 2 2 1

L 2 3 4 3

T Pct PF PA 1 .583 136 140 0 .400 138 136 0 .333 106 137 1 .300 115 149

Carolina Atlanta New Orleans Tampa Bay

W 3 2 2 1

L 2 4 4 5

T Pct PF PA 0 .600 146 123 0 .333 142 153 0 .333 152 178 0 .167 119 138

Minnesota Chicago Green Bay Detroit

W 5 4 3 3

L 0 2 2 2

T Pct PF PA 01.000 109 64 0 .667 150 119 0 .600 104 112 0 .600 164 148

San Francisco Seattle L.A. Rams Arizona

W 5 3 2 1

L 0 3 3 4

T Pct PF PA 01.000 154 93 0 .500 148 122 0 .400 119 120 0 .200 108 162

South

North

West

NATIONAL CONFERENCE East

South

North

West

Thursday’s Games

Denver 17, Seattle 14, OT

Sunday’s Games

Houston 34, Jacksonville 31, London, GBR Carolina 25, Philadelphia 14 Chicago 31, Atlanta 23 Cleveland 13, Baltimore 10 New England 26, N.Y. Jets 19 New Orleans 34, N.Y. Giants 27 Pittsburgh 26, Tampa Bay 19, OT Tennessee 26, Indianapolis 20 Arizona 18, L.A. Rams 16 Buffalo 33, Las Vegas 30 Kansas City 22, L.A. Chargers 6. Dallas at Green Bay, n Open: Cincinnati, Miami, Detroit, Minnesota

Monday’s Games

Washington at San Francisco, 7:15 p.m.

College football Saturday’s games EAST

Albany (NY) 48, Stony Brook 31 Army 56, FAU 24 Boston College 27, Pittsburgh 21 Bryant 17, Maine 14 Buffalo 25, UMass 18, OT CCSU 43, Mercyhurst 40 Charlotte 38, Temple 31 Cornell 48, Lehigh 38 Dartmouth 27, Merrimack 21 Duquesne 14, Stonehill 7 Georgetown 27, Colgate 17 Harvard 30, Holy Cross 7 Howard 31, Morehouse 17 LIU Brooklyn 14, Wagner 9 Lafayette 20, Bucknell 7 Louisville 34, Syracuse 26 Monmouth (NJ) 42, New Hampshire 21 New Haven 26, Robert Morris 15 Princeton 16, Brown 10 Rhode Island 41, Yale 23 Rutgers 37, Maryland 30 Sacred Heart 35, Hampton 21 Villanova 38, Fordham 17 West Virginia 45, Cincinnati 42

SOUTH

Abilene Christian 31, North Alabama 28 Alabama A&M 61, Grambling St. 31 Arkansas 31, Vanderbilt 21 Arkansas St. 23, Southern Miss. 13 Auburn 27, Georgia 24 Austin Peay 24, West Georgia 10 Bethune-Cookman 34, MVSU 14 Campbell 24, Towson 20 Clemson 37, Charleston Southern 0 Davidson 34, Morehead St. 31, OT Jackson St. 27, Florida A&M 17 James Madison 49, Georgia St. 22 LSU 31, Mississippi St. 0 Louisiana Tech 24, Louisiana-Monroe 0 Louisiana-Lafayette 33, Troy 6 McNeese St. 24, Northwestern St. 21

Mercer 31, Samford 21 Miami 43, Florida St. 35, 2OT Mississippi 31, Missouri 3 NC A&T 27, Chicago State 12 North Carolina 24, Duke 20 Presbyterian 47, Stetson 43 SE Louisiana 34, Lamar 31 South Dakota 48, Murray St. 20 South Florida 29, Kent St. 2 Stephen F. Austin 56, Nicholls 0 Tennessee 26, Alabama 10 Tennessee St. 25, Morgan St. 16 Tennessee Tech 49, E. Kentucky 20 UT Martin 17, Gardner-Webb 6 Virginia Tech 34, Georgia Tech 24 West Florida 37, West Alabama 3 Wofford 41, VMI 14

MIDWEST

Ball St. 32, Bowling Green 31, OT Dayton 19, Butler 9 Illinois St. 35, S. Illinois 14 Kansas St. 35, Kansas 24 Lindenwood (Mo.) 20, E. Illinois 13 Marist 27, Drake 22 Miami (Ohio) 34, Akron 14 Michigan 21, Penn St. 18 N. Dakota St. 31, Nevada 17 North Dakota 21, S. Dakota St. 10 Northwestern 24, Michigan St. 21 Ohio St. 19, Indiana 15 SE Missouri 40, W. Illinois 30 Toledo 34, E. Michigan 14 W. Michigan 21, Cent. Michigan 14 Youngstown St. 35, N. Iowa 22

SOUTHWEST

Alabama St. 21, Ark.-Pine Bluff 15 Florida 27, Texas 24 Houston 35, Oklahoma St. 32 Houston Christian 43, East Texas A&M 24 Incarnate Word 41, UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros 16 Kentucky 21, Oklahoma 13 Prairie View 41, Alcorn St. 38 SMU 23, Virginia 13 San Jose St. 24, UTEP 11 TCU 17, Baylor 6 Tarleton St. 49, Cent. Arkansas 35 Texas A&M 41, The Citadel 0 Texas Tech 53, Arizona St. 25 Tulsa 38, Rice 17 UTSA 38, Navy 34

FAR WEST

Air Force 41, UNLV 31 BYU 28, Notre Dame 24 Idaho 42, Montana 35 Montana St. 56, E. Washington 20 N. Arizona 38, Portland St. 25 N. Colorado 28, Cal Poly 18 New Mexico 21, Hawaii 10 Ohio 48, Sacramento St. 7 Oregon 17, Nebraska 14 Oregon St. 48, Washington St. 30 S. Utah 38, UC Davis 17 San Diego 38, Valparaiso 13 San Diego St. 26, Fresno St. 23 Stanford 34, Elon 7 UCLA 17, Wisconsin 7 Utah 27, Colorado 24 Wake Forest 41, California 7 Weber St. 27, Idaho St. 20 Wyoming 41, N. Illinois 23

Auto racing NASCAR Cup Series Freeway Insurance 500 Results Sunday

At Phoenix Raceway Avondale, Ariz. Lap length: 1.00 miles (Start position in parentheses) 1. (6) Tyler Reddick, Toyota, 312 laps, 61 points. 2. (1) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 312, 48. 3. (16) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 312, 39. 4. (5) Christopher Bell, Toyota, 312, 49. 5. (36) Corey Heim, Toyota, 312, 0. 6. (2) Joey Logano, Ford, 312, 51. 7. (14) Daniel Suárez, Chevrolet, 312, 30. 8. (3) Chase Briscoe, Toyota, 312, 44. 9. (11) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 312, 31. 10. (7) Ty Gibbs, Toyota, 312, 27. 11. (9) Josh Berry, Ford, 312, 34. 12. (28) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 312, 25. 13. (30) Noah Gragson, Ford, 312, 24. 14. (13) Todd Gilliland, Ford, 312, 25. 15. (20) Zane Smith, Ford, 312, 22. 16. (18) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 312, 21. 17. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 312, 26. 18. (26) Ryan Preece, Ford, 312, 19. 19. (15) Austin Cindric, Ford, 312, 18. 20. (12) Connor Zilisch, Chevrolet, 312, 17. 21. (10) William Byron, Chevrolet, 312, 21. 22. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford, 312, 15. 23. (21) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 312, 14. 24. (35) Austin Hill, Chevrolet, 312, 0. 25. (29) Erik Jones, Toyota, 312, 12. 26. (25) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet, 312, 11. 27. (27) Cole Custer, Chevrolet, 312, 10. 28. (4) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 311, 21. 29. (34) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 311, 8. 30. (31) Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Chevrolet, 311, 7. 31. (33) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 310, 6. 32. (19) Riley Herbst, Toyota, 308, 5. 33. (32) John H. Nemechek, Toyota, 307, 4. 34. (22) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, accident, 281, 3. 35. (37) Cody Ware, Chevrolet, accident,

220, 2. 36. (8) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 201, 1. 37. (24) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, accident, 155, 1. Race Statistics Average Speed of Race Winner: 103.2 mph. Time of Race: 3 hours, 1 minute, 23 seconds. Margin of Victory: .801 seconds. Caution Flags: 6 for 43 laps. Lead Changes: 21 among 10 drivers. Lap Leaders: R.Blaney 0-46; D.Hamlin 47-50; W.Byron 51-52; J.Logano 53-63; R.Blaney 64; J.Logano 65-68; C.Bell 69-122; J.Logano 123126; J.Berry 127; C.Bell 128-158; R.Blaney 159; J.Logano 160-188; R.Blaney 189; J.Logano 190-225; R.Blaney 226; B.Wallace 227-268; C.Briscoe 269-272; T.Gibbs 273-274; B.Wallace 275-284; R.Blaney 285; C.Briscoe 286-294; T.Reddick 295-312 Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Led, Laps Led): C.Bell, 2 times for 85 laps; J.Logano, 5 times for 84 laps; B.Wallace, 2 times for 52 laps; R.Blaney, 7 times for 51 laps; T.Reddick, 1 time for 18 laps; C.Briscoe, 2 times for 13 laps; D.Hamlin, 1 time for 4 laps; T.Gibbs, 1 time for 2 laps; W.Byron, 1 time for 2 laps; J.Berry, 1 time for 1 lap. Wins: T.Reddick, 6; D.Hamlin, 4; C.Briscoe, 3; R.Blaney, 3; J.Logano, 3; K.Larson, 2; T.Gibbs, 2; C.Elliott, 2; S.Van Gisbergen, 2; C.Bell, 1; C.Hocevar, 1; D.Suárez, 1; R.Preece, 1. Top 16 in Points: 1. K.Larson, 2370; 2. C.Bell, 2365; 3. C.Briscoe, 2346; 4. D.Hamlin, 2339; 5. R.Blaney, 2330; 6. J.Logano, 2326; 7. T.Reddick, 2314; 8. A.Cindric, 2240; 9. T.Gibbs, 2238; 10. C.Elliott, 2221; 11. C.Hocevar, 2212; 12. B.Wallace, 2208; 13. D.Suárez, 2182; 14. W.Byron, 2180; 15. C.Buescher, 2166; 16. R.Preece, 2159. NASCAR Driver Rating Formula A maximum of 150 points can be attained in a race. The formula combines the following categories: Wins, Finishes, Top-15 Finishes, Average Running Position While on Lead Lap, Average Speed Under Green, Fastest Lap, Led Most Laps, Lead-Lap Finish.

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

GP W L OT Pts GF 9 7 2 0 14 34 8 6 2 0 12 25 9 6 3 0 12 24 9 5 2 2 12 30 9 4 3 2 10 27 8 4 3 1 9 27 8 3 3 2 8 20 9 3 4 2 8 29

GA 19 21 23 25 34 30 24 32

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

GP W L OT Pts GF 9 7 1 1 15 34 10 6 3 1 13 28 8 5 3 0 10 28 8 4 3 1 9 24 8 4 4 0 8 25 9 3 5 1 7 29 6 3 3 0 6 17 10 1 6 3 5 14

GA 21 22 24 18 27 33 21 34

Metropolitan Division

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

GP W L OT Pts GF 9 6 3 0 12 33 8 5 2 1 11 36 8 5 2 1 11 26 8 4 2 2 10 23 8 4 3 1 9 20 8 3 2 3 9 23 8 3 4 1 7 27 9 3 6 0 6 21

GA 27 24 20 24 13 24 28 36

Vegas Edmonton Seattle San Jose Anaheim Vancouver Los Angeles Calgary

GP W L OT Pts GF 10 8 2 0 16 42 8 6 1 1 13 37 9 5 3 1 11 35 8 4 3 1 9 22 7 4 3 0 8 22 10 2 7 1 5 30 6 0 4 2 2 12 7 1 6 0 2 14

GA 24 24 31 29 21 45 25 35

Paciﬁc Division

Saturday’s Games

Washington 4, New Jersey 2 Carolina 3, Winnipeg 2 Tampa Bay 4, Vancouver 2 Florida 8, Seattle 3 N.Y. Islanders 4, Toronto 1 Dallas 4, Chicago 0 Montreal 4, Buffalo 3, OT Philadelphia 3, Ottawa 1 Detroit 4, San Jose 3, SO Columbus 1, N.Y. Rangers 0, OT Nashville 5, St. Louis 2 Boston 4, Los Angeles 1 Vegas 6, Pittsburgh 2 Edmonton 6, Utah 2

Sunday’s Games

No games scheduled

Monday’s Games

Anaheim at N.Y. Rangers, 6 p.m. Colorado at Philadelphia, 6 p.m. San Jose at Toronto, 6:30 p.m. Pittsburgh at Utah, 8 p.m.

LIVING

N O L A.C O M

M O N D AY, O C T O B E R 19, 2026

1DN

A century-old 1.6-mile tunnel system runs beneath LSU. The tunnels have produced urban legends through the years, but their real purpose to this day is to transport steam and chilled water to the campus’ buildings. | PROVIDED PHOTO By LSU MAINTENANCE DIVISIONS/FACILITy & PROPERTy OVERSIGHT

‘This is what you do’ Louisiana native took the long way to music career. Now he’s on NBC’s ‘The Voice.’

BY JUDY BERGERON Staff writer

DOWN

BELOW

“Everytime you go away, you take a piece of me with you. If we can solve any problem …,” Bryan Jaymes sang, “then why do we lose so many tears?” With those ﬁrst lyrics to Paul Young’s 1985 pop hit “Everytime You Go Away,” jaws dropped and “The Voice” judges/coaches and audience were mesmerized by Louisiana native Jaymes’ soulful bari-tenor sound. His Sept. 28 blind audition on the NBC singing competition series drew a three-chair turn, with judges Queen Latifah, Riley Green and Adam Levine all indicating interest in having Jaymes join their respective teams. In the end, Team Queen reigned victorious. Choosing Queen Latifah was a no-brainer, the singer, 39, said by phone from Los Angeles, where he’s lived for the last nine years. “She’s always been a part of my life in some way, shape or form. My mom, one of her favorite shows growing up was ’Living Single,’ and she used to watch that all the time,” Jaymes continued. “She was always present in movies, TV, just an iconic ﬁgure in my life.”

What lurks in the depths of the tunnels beneath LSU? The legends are more fun than the truth.

BY ROBIN MILLER | Staff writer

he buzz about LSU’s tunnels usually begins escalating around Halloween. True, there are tunnels running beneath the university, and their mere existence generates fascination — so much that the same stories have been handed down from one student class to the next. They’ve become urban legends. Though Dee Jeffers has heard the stories for decades, she can’t help being curious about the tunnels’ actual purpose. “Why are they really there?” the Baton Rouge reader asked. One legend has the tunnels being built as nuclear fallout shelters during the Cold War. Interesting story, but the tunnels were around way before the United States’ superpower standoff with Russia.

NBC PHOTO By GRIFFIN NAGEL

Baton Rouge native Bryan Jaymes listens to the judges’ critique after his blind audition for ‘The Voice.’

ä See CURIOUS, page 2D

London looks to conserve oldest restaurant’s building BY PAN PYLAS

The Associated Press LONDON — The building that houses London’s oldest restaurant has been donated to Europe’s biggest conservation charity, a move that will, it is hoped, secure one of the U.K. capital’s go-to eateries for centuries to come. Established in 1798 by Thomas Rule as an oyster bar when Europe was in turmoil in the

aftermath of the French Revolution, Rules has survived the British Empire, the Blitz and even plans for a new road layout that would have seen it demolished. Its menu expanded to traditional British fare and the restaurant welcomed generations of high profile figures from Charles Dickens to Charlie Chaplin, David Bowie to

ä See LONDON, page 2D

A view inside Rules, London’s oldest restaurant, which has been donated to Europe’s biggest conservation charity in London. AP PHOTO By ALBERTO PEZZALI

With the show’s Season 30 auditions complete, the battle rounds begin airing at 7 p.m. Monday (also streaming the next day on Peacock). Jaymes will sing again either this week or next, a spokesman for “The Voice” conﬁrmed. In the battles, each coach divides their team into pairs for duets, after which they choose one to move on in the contest and one is sent home, unless they are saved or stolen by a different coach. “I was scared out of my mind. I was absolutely terrified,” Jaymes recalled of his blind audition. “It was one of those things where you just have to feel the fear and do it anyway, but once the music started playing, and once I saw the crowd, I was like, ‘OK, this is what you do.’ ” Jaymes’ parents, James and Terry Windom, of Dallas, were cheering him on backstage with show host Carson Daly, who’s another blast from the singer’s past. “To see Carson Daly from my childhood, my days of watching ‘TRL’ (‘Total Request Live’) on MTV and everything. It was just one of the coolest things I’ve ever done,” he said. Jaymes has been singing since childhood, but said it wasn’t until junior high choir that he realized his gift.

ä See JAYMES, page 2D

2D F Monday, October 19, 2026 F nola.com F The Times-Picayune

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The difference between viral, bacterial pink eye

CURIOUS

Continued from page 1D Then there’s the story about Huey Long. It seems no LSU legend would be complete without incorporating Louisiana’s governorturned-U.S. senator. It’s said that Long used the tunnels as an incognito route to Tiger Stadium during football season. “The story is that one of the tunnels connected LSU to the State Capitol, so he could go to the football games without being seen,” said Brian P. Broussard, LSU’s director of facilities maintenance.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU runs out of the tunnel for the game against Texas A&M on Sept. 26in Tiger Stadium. Contrary to urban legend, this is the only tunnel anyone ever passes through in Tiger Stadium.

ogetic when offering up the explanation to Jeffers’ question about the purpose One rumor is true of the tunnels. “Quick spoiler — the tunLong did use a Baton Rouge tunnel to travel from nels are not an exciting stoPoint A to Point B without ry,” the director of facilities being detected, but that tunmaintenance said. “They’re nothing glamorous or mysnel ran beneath Lafayette Street downtown, connecting terious. There are no hauntthe King Hotel to the Heidel- ings or legends. They were just part of the original berg Hotel, where he kept campus construction.” a suite of rooms. Long and The original tunnel netCastro Carazo, his appointed director of the LSU Tiger work mainly was built Marching Band, collaborated beneath the quadrangle in on all of the school’s ﬁght 1922, followed by a 1927 songs in that suite. extension. The system was One half of the Lafayette drafted into the original street passageway, once campus plans by Theodore known as Peacock Alley for Link, master planner and its blue and green mosaic architect for the university. tiles, now operates as a The quadrangle tunnel speakeasy-themed lounge stretches to LSU’s Pentagon called The Tunnel in what community, then curves becurrently is the Hilton Bahind Hill Memorial Library before stopping at the Jourton Rouge Capitol Center. Locked doors seal the other nalism and Cox Communihalf leading to what is now cations buildings. the Hotel Indigo. Later tunnels were added, And neither Peacock Alrunning from the campus ley nor the LSU tunnels are Powerhouse (which operconnected to the Capitol, ates as the main campus which means the only tunutility and energy plant) to the Barnes Ogden Art nel anyone passed through & Design Complex, then at Tiger Stadium is the one down South Campus Drive the Golden Band from Titoward Highland Road to gerland forms in the north service the Law Center, end zone for the team’s grand entrance on the ﬁeld. Faculty Club and other buildings. Their purpose There are legends of is to transport steam and hauntings inside the tunnels chilled water to and from at LSU. By whom or what? Well, it’s anyone’s guess, but the campus Power House to when looking at some of LSU the university’s buildings. They still do. Facilities Maintenance’s pho“But Huey Long is a much tos, Stephen King’s Pennymore interesting story,” wise would be right at home said Tammy Millican, LSU’s in their damp passages. executive director of FacilThe alien from the “Alien” movie franchise ity & Property Oversight. could even be lurking “And every year, around around the next bend. Halloween, these stories But a more plausible come back.” haunting would be by some Ghost of LSU Past lingering They’re not walkable within the tunnel network The tunnel system runs 1.6 beneath the university’s miles beneath the university. quadrangle, a location that’s “And they’re not walknever been a secret. able,” Broussard said. “If I had to guess, they’re about What was their purpose? 5-by-5 (feet) in dimension. Broussard is almost apol- You would have to crouch

LONDON

Have a question about something in Louisiana that’s got you curious? Email your question to curiouslouisiana@ theadvocate.com. Include your name, phone number and the city where you live.

Going into the restaurant is like stepping back into a London that’s long gone, with the interiors plush and colorful. The menu is rich and in many cases old-school English — fans of steak and kidney pies and guinea fowl and of course the desserts, such as sticky toffee pudding and apple crumble, are unlikely

to be disappointed. The restaurant can accommodate around 90 guests, many of whom come before or after a visit to one of the many theaters and cinemas nearby. There are rooms named after poet John Betjeman, who gave an impassioned speech in defense of the restaurant’s “invisible atmosphere” when London’s then governing authority planned to expand the nearby Strand thoroughfare in 1971 that would have led to the demolition of Rules. There’s also a room named after one of the restaurant’s most loyal customers, writer Graham Greene, who had birthday meals there and featured it in his novel “The End Of The Affair.” The restaurant’s proprietor Ricky McMenemy, who has worked there since 1989, will become a commercial tenant of the National Trust. “As an independent business, it gives us both the security and peace of mind that our home will be in very good hands and be protected and secure going forward,” he said. “Having already established a very amicable working relationship with the Trust, we look forward to another two centuries in this, our home.”

McKinley High School in Baton Rouge in 2005 and atContinued from page 1D tending LSU for a semester, Jaymes moved to Dallas in 2006, ﬁnding a smaller school, “I was seeing the effect MediaTech Institute, which that my voice had on some focuses on the recording of the ladies,” he said. “But I arts. Stints in a succession of still didn’t really take it super cover bands followed, giving seriously until I became an Jaymes experience performadult where I was just locked ing in front of an audience. into the craft of singing.” He currently sings in three After graduating from cover bands in the L.A. area,

is a personal trainer and serves as a worship leader at a Woodland Hills Community Church. “I’ve taken the long way around for sure, but I feel like now, at 39, I’m right where I need to be,” he said. The winner of “The Voice” takes home $100,000 and receives a recording contract. For more, visit https:// www.nbc.com/the-voice.

Continued from page 1D Madonna. King Edward VII would even rendezvous with his lovers there.

Enduring the test of time Now, the four-decade owner of the building that houses Rules, J-P Mayhew, has made the decision to donate 34-35 Maiden Lane in bustling Covent Garden in central London to the National Trust, itself a British institution hailing back to 1895. “There are few restaurants in the world that have endured the test of time like Rules,” Mayhew said Wednesday. “The Trust will protect this place in a way that no one else could, safeguarding its bricks and mortar, its famous interior and its invisible atmosphere, too.” The charity, which seeks to save important sites while opening them up for everyone to enjoy, said that the $14 million donation would secure the future of a building where “kings dined and writers and politicians plotted.” Along with the four-story building, the donation in-

JAYMES

cludes items such as visitor books, menus, caricatures, photographs, stained glass and signs. The gift also includes the annual rent from the ongoing restaurant business, which will go into conservation work each year. The trust described it as a “rare example of living heritage” where both the historic structure and the original use of the building — a restaurant — remain intact. “This place is an outstanding piece of living history, with its corners where kings dined and writers and politicians plotted, and the traditions it kept alive through wars and upheaval,” said Hilary McGrady, directorgeneral of the National Trust. “It has deﬁed the odds to be standing here today, doors still open and treacle sponge still on the menu.”

down to walk in them, and there are some places where you have to crawl.” That idea is scary enough, especially when considering the crawling around that has to be done in safety gear through some occasional water infiltration. Though there aren’t any monsters, the crawl space isn’t totally devoid of scary creatures. “You’ll run into spiders and rats down there,” Millican said. Wait, didn’t Pennywise the Clown manifest into a giant spider at the end of “It”? Shared stories from a 2011 article about the tunnels in LSU’s student newspaper, The Reveille, indicate that even an evil clown couldn’t have deterred some past students from finding a way into the tunnels, especially during the 1970s craze of “Dungeons and Dragons.” But, Broussard said, only LSU maintenance workers are authorized to walk — or crawl — in the tunnels. “We have skilled, professional tradesmen that enter and operate the equipment down there, and they’re all required to wear protective equipment when they’re down there,” Broussard said. “It’s definitely not a place for just people to wonder, and it could be a dangerous situation.” Even if Huey Long was still around, even he wouldn’t be allowed to roam LSU’s tunnels, which should be enough to dispel all the urban legends — until next Halloween.

A special atmospheres

Dear Doctors: My granddaughter got pink eye right before our family reunion. I worried everyone was going to wind up getting it. The doctor said because it was bacterial, antibiotic drops would help clear it up fast. Is bacterial pink eye very different from viral? Aren’t they both contagious? Dear reader: Although most people have heard of pink eye, many don’t realize that the familiar infection can have more than just one cause. Depending on which kind of pathogen is involved, medication may help clear the infection, or the person may simply have to ride it out. For those fortunate enough to have no personal experience with it, pink eye is an inﬂammation of the conjunctiva. That’s the thin, clear membrane that covers the white portion of the eye and lines the inner surface of the eyelid. The conjunctiva helps shield the delicate tissues of the eye from potential irritants and pathogens. It also contributes to the tears and mucus that keep the exposed surfaces of the eye from drying out. A dense network of threadlike capillaries delivers oxygen and nutrients to the conjunctiva. It also plays host to tiny lymphatic vessels, which are involved in immune response.

Dr. Elizabeth Ko Dr. Eve Glazier ASK THE DOCTORS

If the conjunctiva becomes infected by either a bacterium or a virus, the resulting inflammation is known as conjunctivitis. When this occurs, the immune system roars into action. It uses that network of capillaries in the conjunctiva to deliver nutrients and immune cells to the surrounding tissues. This leads to irritation and inflammation that cause the distinctive pink or red color. At the same time, the lymphatic vessels collect and drain away excess fluid and cellular waste. Bacterial and viral conjunctivitis share many symptoms. These include red, swollen, itchy and weepy eyes. However, there is an important difference between the two: When pink eye is caused by bacteria, antibiotic eyedrops can be used. These can often help clear the infection and thus speed recovery. Unfortunately, the same is not true of a viral infection. When a virus is the cause, you have to wait while the immune system

does its job. This typically takes one to two weeks, although some infections last longer. You are correct that viral and bacterial pink eye are each quite contagious. If someone touches their own eye after coming into contact with the contaminated ﬂuid or discharge from an infected person’s eye, they can transfer the bacterium or virus. When someone with an active case of conjunctivitis coughs or sneezes, the tiny droplets they release can reach another person’s eye and cause an infection. Pink eye can also be caused by debris in the eye or an allergy. In those cases, the condition is not contagious. To protect yourself from pink eye, focus on hygiene. Wash your hands before touching your eye. Personal items, such as makeup, washcloths or eyeglasses should not be shared. Any eye drops or solutions used during an infection must be thrown away. If symptoms persist or include pain, sensitivity to light or blurred vision, please seek medical care. Send your questions to askthedoctors@mednet. ucla.edu, or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o UCLA Health Sciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024.

Come to my party! Brink your own drink, costume, gift and fee law of hospitality, so there Dear Miss Manners: My were probably thunderfriend and I were invited to a costume party, so storms the night this party that means I had to make was held. or rent a costume. The People who are charged woman who was hosting for entertainment are not told everyone to bring a guests, but clients. beverage and a gag Miss Manners gift. hears a great deal This might have about the high cost been OK, but she of entertaining, and also said every various schemes guest had to pay $5 being practiced to attend. We are in order to share Judith not teens or college the cost. The traMartin ditional way to do kids, we are all MISS adults. this was reciprocal MANNERS I feel that if you entertaining: Hosts have to charge bore the entire people to attend a party, cost, but then ate out — then you can’t afford it. for free! — when their You should therefore eiguests invited them over in return. ther not have the party or It should be noted that scale it down so you can this did not mean that afford it. I did not attend, nor will each host had to spend the same amount of money. I ever attend a party that Everyone had their own you have to pay to enter. styles and their own budWhat do you think? Gentle reader: That the giv- gets; the point was hospier of this event must not tality itself. So it is a false have done this summer’s excuse to argue that one required reading of “The cannot afford to reciproOdyssey.” She broke Zeus’ cate at the same level.

Another tradition, once common among the young, but which has now spread to all ages, is the cooperative party. The person who coordinates this, and even the person who provides the venue, are no more hosts than anyone else. So cooking and cleaning assignments are negotiable. It is a perversion of this when one person announces they are giving a party and then dictates assignments to their so-called guests. In neither of these customs was money collected, although presumably a cooperative venture could decide to do so instead of having food contributions. Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners. com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail. com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

TODAY IN HISTORY By The Associated Press Today is Monday, Oct. 19, the 292nd day of 2026. There are 73 days left in the year. Today in history: On Oct. 19, 1987, the stock market crashed as the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 508 points, or 22.6% in value (its largest daily percentage loss ever), to close at 1,738.74 on what came to be known as “Black Monday.” Also on this date: In 1781, British forces under Gen. Lord Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, Virginia, as the American Revolution neared its end. In 1914, the First Battle of Ypres began in World War I. In 1960, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested during a sit-down protest at a segregated lunch counter in Atlanta, one of the early demonstrations of the nonviolent civil rights movement that he helped lead. In 1977, the supersonic airliner Concorde made its

first landing in New York City, flying from Paris, France, in three hours and 44 minutes. The flight marked the start of regular commercial Concorde service between Paris and New York. In 2003, Pope John Paul II beatified Mother Teresa during a ceremony in St. Peter’s Square. Mother Teresa, who founded the Missionaries of Charity religious order that helps society’s outcasts, was elevated to sainthood in 2016 by Pope Francis. She died in 1997. In 2005, former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was put on trial by the Iraqi Interim Government, accused of crimes against humanity. Captured by U.S. forces in 2003, Hussein was convicted, sentenced to death and executed by hanging in December 2006. In 2016, in his third and final presidential debate with Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, Republican Donald Trump refused to say he would accept the results of the election if he

were to lose. In 2025, thieves broke into the world-famous Louvre museum in Paris, smashed display cases and fled with more than $102 million worth of crown jewels. The brazen daylight heist took place soon after the morning opening, with visitors already inside, and was one of the highest-profile museum thefts in living memory. Today’s birthdays: Actor John Lithgow is 81. Actor Ken Stott is 72. Singer Jennifer Holliday is 66. Boxing Hall of Famer Evander Holyfield is 64. Filmmaker Jon Favreau is 60. Former first daughter Amy Carter is 59. “South Park” co-creator Trey Parker is 57. Comedian Chris Kattan is 56. Filmmaker Jason Reitman is 49. Actor Gillian Jacobs is 44. Actor Rebecca Ferguson is 43. Rapper Lil Durk is 34. Actor Katie Douglas is 29.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Monday, October 19, 2026 ✦ 3D

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zodIAC LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) If you look for opportunities, you will find them. Check out the want ads, job postings or events that resonate with you, and you'll find something that sparks your interest. scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Take your time, and refuse to let anyone rush you or interfere with what you are trying to accomplish. Use your intellect, physical attributes and skills to achieve what you set out to do. sAGITTARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Let your inquisitive attitude help you open doors. Talk to experts, ask questions, make suggestions and offer hands-on help. Build a strong bond with those you feel connected to through mind, body or soul. cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Live and learn. Pay attention to detail, precision and what everyone around you is contributing. Measure what you are willing to do against what you can get in return. AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) A passionate approach to what you do or want to pursue will help you gain ground. It's OK to have grandiose expectations and vision if you make progress. Keep your plans to yourself. PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Pay attention to your investments, health and legal matters. Knowing what's possible and being aware of how best to protect yourself is up to you. Ask questions and mull over your options. ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Turn your dreams into a reality. Push forward with

discipline, drive and determination, and you will manifest the opportunities to guide you forward. Distance yourself from discord. TAuRus (April 20-May 20) Spend time reflecting on what and who is important to you, and focus on how to protect and nurture what you value most. Take note of what's changing around you. GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Delve into exploring new possibilities, enhancing your skills to help point you in a new direction, or turning your living space into something that makes you want to spend more time at home. cAncER (June 21-July 22) Don't skip the detail. Everything you do or display will be put under a microscope. Be ready to walk those with less vision through your long-term plans with finesse. LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) How you handle domestic situations and those you encounter will determine how well you do. Listen, pay attention to detail and accept criticism with an open mind. Letting ego or upset set in will be counterproductive. VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Speak up, ask questions, learn and apply what you discover to what you do. Put a budget in place, apply ingenuity and stick to your plans. Refuse to let what others do or say distract you. 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: c EQuALs n

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon FAMILY CIrCUS

dooneSbUrY

4D ✦ Monday, October 19, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

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. Saturday’s Puzzle Answer

BaBY BLueS

BLondie

THe wiZard oF id

nea CroSSwordS

La TimeS CroSSword

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Monday, October 19, 2026 ✦ 5D

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Bridge By PHILLIP ALDER Plato said, “He who does not desire power is fit to hold it.” This week, let’s continue our look at deals with two suit fits. When you have two unbalanced fits, say 5-3 and 6-2, which should you choose? The guideline is: When all or most of the tricks must come from the two long suits, select the less evenly divided. This means that 6-2 will be better than 5-3. (This is also one time when a 5-3 fit will be better than a 4-4.) That rule is doubly true when the breaks are bad or you have relatively weak hands. In today’s deal, North-South will be contemplating a sacrifice over four hearts, which would make easily, West taking at least three spades, five hearts and two diamonds. Should North-South pick five clubs or five diamonds? South’s first-round call would cause debate. Many experts would advocate two no-trump, showing at least 5-5 in the unbid suits. But some would prefer two diamonds, bidding the longer suit first and planning to bid clubs next time (at the five-level if necessary) to describe the 6-5. This second plan works better here, because if South intervenes with two no-trump, North will prefer five clubs to

garfield

Pearls Before swiNe

hagar the horriBle

five diamonds. Note, though, that after two rounds of hearts, declarer is in big trouble. The defenders will keep playing on hearts, and five clubs doubled will go down four. In five diamonds doubled, though, West must lead an unlikely club at trick one to get the contract down three. © 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 — TEnDERLy: TEN-der-lee: With consideration and care.

Bizarro

marmaduKe

Average mark 14 words Time limit 20 minutes Can you find 17 or more words in TENDERLY? sATuRDAy’s WoRD — cARDInAL cairn canal canard card carnal clad clan cranial acai acid acrid

aria arid arnica racial radial radian radical raid rail rain rancid

rani rind darn dial drain nada nadir nail laic laid lain

lair lanai land lard liar

loCKhorNs hidato Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

today’s thought “A new commandment I give to you, That you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.” John 13:34-35 This is what our world needs. — G.E. Dean

6D ✦ Monday, October 19, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

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Scrabble GramS dIrectIons: make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. all the words are in the Official sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

Saturday’s Puzzle Answer

jump Start

For more information on tournaments and clubs, email naspa – north american sCraBBlE players association: info@scrabbleplayers.org. Visit our website: www.scrabbleplayers.org. For puzzle inquiries contact scrgrams@gmail.com.

Get fuzzy

Hasbro and its logo sCraBBlE associated logo, the design of the distinctive sCraBBlE brand game card, and the distinctive letter tile designs are trademarks of Hasbro in the United states and Canada. ©2021 Hasbro. all rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content agency, llC.

ken ken

animal crackerS

DuStin

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

Wallace the brave

Drabble

WiShinG Well breWSter rockit

luann

HErE is a plEasanT liTTlE gamE that will give you a message every day. it’s a numerical puzzle designed to spell out your fortune. Count the letters in your first name. if the number of letters is 6 or more, subtract 4. if the number is less than 6, add 3. The result is your key number. start at the upper left-hand corner and check each of your key numbers, left to right. Then read the message the checked figures give you.

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classifieds.nola.com Search & Place Ads Ads Onlines at classifieds.nola.com • Call Monday Us Monday - Friday 8AM - 5PMatat(504) (504)636-7435 636-7435 Search & Place Onlines at classifieds.nola.com - Friday 8AM - 5PM Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Unknown Heirs of Calvin McClintock, please contact Attorney Donald W. North at (225) 505-6714. 204120-Oct 17-19, 3t $73.30

Announcements

River Saint Hotel Restaurant and Bar, LLC DBA/Trade Name: River Saint Hotel Restaurant & Bar is applying to the Ofﬁce of Alcohol & Tobacco Control in the State of Louisiana for a permit to sell beverages of high and low alcohol content at retail in the Parish of St. Tammany at the following address: 71495 Chestnut Street, Covington, La 70433 River Saint Hotel Restaurant and Bar LLC DBA River Saint Hotel Restaurant and Bar Members: Eugene Patrick Gallagher and Chyrl Gallagher 204068 Oct. 19 1t $112.18 United in Marriage and declare their commitment to one another as Husband and Wife.

HEALTH CARE CAREGIVERS NEEDED – METRO NEW ORLEANS Home Instead Home Instead is hiring compassionate, motivated caregivers to help seniors remain safe and independent at home. $13–$15.50/hr | Full & Part-Time | Per‐ sonalized Shifts | Paid Training | Med‐ ical Insurance Requirements: Age 21+, high school diploma/GED, reliable transportation, valid driver's license/ID, and ability to pass background check & drug screen‐ ing. Caregiving experience preferred. Apply today! Interviews within 24–48 hours. Apply at HomeInstead.com/339 Call us at 504-455-4911

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Edward Franklin Bell, his children, heirs, or legatees, please call Peyton B. Burkhalter at (504) 2662044 or send written communication to 2540 Severn Avenue, Suite 129, Metairie, LA 70002 or pete@peytonburkhalterlaw.com. 204054-Oct 15-19, 5t $125

LEGAL Paralegal, defense litigation, billing experience required. Please email resumes to mcurrault@deutschkerrigan.com

Reporting you can trust

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Hung Van Nguyen, 4944 Pentland Dr., New Orleans, LA, please contact N. Kim Nguyen, Attorney, 401 Whitney Ave., #515, Gretna, LA 70056, or (504)218-5946. 204338-Oct 19-20, 2t $71.20

ADVERTISEMENT TO INVITATION TO BID CITY OF NEW ORLEANS SPONSORING DEPARTMENT: NEW ORLEANS RECREATIONAL DEPARTMENT COMMISSION (NORDC) TITLE: FOOTBALL OFFICIALS (Re-Bid) SOURCING EVENT NO.: 4836 TYPE OF SOLICITATION: NON-PROFESSIONAL SERVICES DBE OPPORTUNITY: YES (35%) RELEASED ON: November 19, 2026 DEADLINE TO RESPOND: November 2, 2026 PRE-BID CONFERENCE: N/A Dates are subject to changes via an adden‐ dum posted by the Bu‐ reau of Purchasing on the City’s supplier portal. If this solicitation is fed‐ erally funded, prospec‐ tive bidder/respondent must pay particular at‐ tention to all applicable laws and regulations of the Federal government and the State of Louisiana. The Bureau of Purchas‐ ing uses commodity codes to notify suppliers of the release of a sourc‐ ing event and subse‐ quent modifications via addendum. Note that you would receive those noti‐ fications if you selected the following commodity code(s) before the re‐ lease of the sourcing event: COMMODITY CODE(s): 961-68 The City of New Orleans is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages minorityowned and womenowned businesses, so‐ cially and economically disadvantaged busi‐ nesses and small busi‐ nesses to respond to this solicitation, or to partici‐ pate in subcontracting opportunities pursuant to this solicitation. Any person with disabilities requires special accom‐ modation must contact the buyer listed within the bid no later than seven (7) days prior to bid opening. For more information about this sourcing event, go to www.nola. gov and click on “BRASS Supplier Portal” under “BIDS & CONTRACTS”. Once on the Supplier Por‐ tal, search “Open Events.” Thank you for your inter‐ est in doing business with the City of New Or‐ leans. James C. Simmons, Jr. Chief Procurement Officer Advertising Dates: October 19 and 26, 2026 NOCP 9375 204026-oct 19-26-2t $78.26 PUBLIC NOTICE --Invitation to Bid SEALED PROPOSALS AS LISTED BELOW WILL BE

APARTMENT 3806 LaSalle Street. 1 Block from Freret St. 1 Bedroom 1 Bath, stove, refrigerator & Utilities included. $1000/month. 504-782-7837 APARTMENT 4631 West Metairie Avenue 3 Bedroom Double, 1.5 Bath, Central air/heat. Backyard $1600/month. 504-888-1592

APARTMENT MARINE

Merchandise

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WANT TO BUY Old Records 33's, 45's & 78's. All types of music. Call 985-259-1889

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

RECEIVED BY THE PUR‐ CHASING DEPARTMENT AT: LSU HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER 433 BOLIVAR STREET ROOM 623 NEW ORLEANS, LA 70112 (504) 568-6261

required in accordance with R.S.38:2212(A)(l)(c) and/or R.S. 39:1594(C)(2) (d). AA/EOE

door/outdoor café at the New Orleans Jazz Mu‐ seum. For more informa‐ tion go to opportuni‐ tiesinlouisiana.com.

UNTIL TIMES AND DATES INDICATED, AT WHICH TIME AND PLACE THE PROPOSALS WILL BE PUBLICLY OPENED AND READ: BID TITLE: VERSTEEL BRAND FURNITURE BID NUMBER: 003002 BID OPENING DATE: NO‐ VEMBER 10, 2026 @ 2:00PM ALL INQUIRES AND RE‐ QUESTS FOR SPECIFICA‐ TIONS SHOULD BE AD‐ DRESSED VIA EMAIL TO: MWIL34@LSUHSC.EDU BIDS WILL BE PUBLICLY OPENED AT: LSUHSC-433 BOLIVAR ST. 6TH FLOOR, RM 623C NEW ORLEANS, LA 70112 SPECIFICATIONS MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE PURCHASING DEPART‐ MENT. THE RIGHT IS RE‐ SERVED TO REJECT ANY AND ALL BIDS AND TO WAIVE INFORMALITIES. 204298-OCT 19-1T $40.48 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO BIDDERS SP# 2275 Sealed bids will be re‐ ceived by the Procure‐ ment Section of the Divi‐ sion of Administration, 1201 N. 3rd. St., 2nd. Floor, Suite 2-160, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at 10:00 A.M. for the follow‐ ing: RFx No. 3000026660, *Pro‐ prietary* Towable Vib Roller – DOTD, 11/05/26 RFx No. 3000026706, 12 Foot Reversible Snow‐ plow for Loaders – DOTD, 11/05/26 RFx No. 3000026708, Diesel Hammer with Ex‐ cavator Mounted Mask – DOTD, 11/18/26 Bid proposal forms, in‐ formation and speciﬁca‐ tions may be obtained by accessing the bid num‐ ber in LaPac at www.doa. la.gov/doa/osp/ or from the procurement section listed above. No bids will be received after the date and hour speciﬁed. The right is reserved to reject any and all bids and to waive any infor‐ malities. Amy Vincent Director of State Procurement FAX (225) 342-8688 204156-oct 19-1t $14.05 PUBLIC NOTICE --Proposals will be re‐ ceived until 2:00 p.m. CST on Thursday, November 5, 2026 in the Purchasing Department of Delgado Community College, and thereafter publicly opened for the procure‐ ment of 40006-R0031817 Disinfection Chamber Bid Documents and Ad‐ denda may be down‐ loaded from: https:// wwwcfprd.doa.louisiana. gov/osp/lapac/dspBid. cfm?search=departm ent&term=39 or by emailing Wendy Boesch in the Purchasing Department at purchas‐ ingdept@dcc.edu. Evi‐ dence of authority to submit the bid shall be

202695-oct 2-20-t $93.29

PUBLIC NOTICE --SEWERAGE & WATER BOARD OF NEW ORLEANS Drainage Point Repairs CONTRACT NO. CM 260001 SOLICITATION NO. 2026-SWB-62 The Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans is requesting bids for the restoration of small di‐ ameter drain lines and structures by point re‐ pair at various sites throughout the city of New Orleans. Bid Documents and pro‐ posal forms are available for download on October 19, 2026, at the following websites: SWBNO: https://www2.swbno. org/business_bidspeciﬁc ations.asp LAPAC: https://wwwcfprd.doa. louisiana.gov/OSP/ LaPAC/dspBid.cfm?sea rch=department& term=181 A NON-MANDATORY prebid conference will be held on November 2, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. CDT at the Purchasing Confer‐ ence Room 131, 625 St. Joseph Street, New Or‐ leans, Louisiana or if you are unable to attend this in-person meeting, you can also join via telecon‐ ference call: Microsoft Teams Join: https://teams. microsoft.com/meet/252 286063072715?p=HHT dD3AysV6rKKIjoK Meeting ID: 252 286 063 072 715 Passcode: Wu6fF37S Dial in by phone +1 504-224-8698,, 636465875# United States, New Orleans Find a local number Phone conference ID: 636 465 875# All inquiries shall be di‐ rected to Kimberly Barnes Procurement Spe‐ cialist II, at kbarnes@ swbno.org. The deadline for inquiries is November 5, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. CDT. Bids are due on Novem‐ ber 13, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. Any Bids received after the speciﬁed time will be rejected. Bids will then be publicly opened and read on No‐ vember 13, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. CDT at Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans, 625 St. Joseph Street, Purchasing Con‐ ference Room 131, New Orleans, Louisiana. Microsoft Teams meeting https://teams. Join: microsoft.com/meet/241 383058946825?p=VRT oPBbXzngowZh1ZV Meeting ID: 241 383 058 946 825 Passcode: eT2Xg6p9 Dial in by phone +1 504-224-8698,, 283025432# United States, New Orleans Phone conference ID: 283 025 432# LATE BIDS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Legal Notices

APARTMENT METAIRIE

10,000 Apt Homes and 75 Locations with Studio, 1, 2 & 3 Bedrooms Pools, Access Gates, Garages (504) 360-9347 APARTMENT

MOBILE HOME 3 Bedroom, 2237 Washington Ave, Harvey LA $800/month 504-366-9448

Pets

CATS RAGAMUFFIN & RAGDOLL KITTENS www.CatsByFrancy.com/kittens $1500up! Reg. Shots & Guaranty 337-230-3150

CATS Siamese kittens, males, 9 weeks. Very sweet & Playful. Litter trained. Indoor home only. $500. 985-542-1681 CATS Young Male Cat, Gray Colors, Have too many cats, Looking for another home for him. Please call 504-861-9617 ($50) AKC Miniature Schnauzers AKC miniature schnauzer gorgeous pups has all shots 5043902918 $1,500.00 504-390-2918

METAIRIE 2720 WHITNEY PLACE UNIT #504 • $1,500/Mo 2 Bdrm / 2 Bath Condo. ALL UTILITIES INCLUDED! New Carpet & ﬂrg, quartz countertops in baths. No pets. 2-yr lease. Laundry Rm on 1st ﬂoor. Guard @ night. Sandy Ward * 504-259-2616. Re/Max Living * 504-475-1011. Ea ofc indpntly owned & operated.

Golden Doodle & Retriever DoodleCKC-born 8/18/26-1st shots. 3 females, 1 male. Parents on site. Retriever-AKC-born 9/16/26-4 males, 4 females. Parents on site. $700.00 601-876-8999 Hunting Dog Trained hunting hound dog, house broken $2,500.00 601-3190538

ByWater: 2BR 1BA Elegant Historic Property, Offstreet Parking, Backyard $1000/mo $1000/Dep. 504274-2806 or email jraepropertiesllc@gmail.com APARTMENT ESPLANADE RIDGE The Carson Company, Inc. 2900 Third St., 1Bd/1Ba.................$700 1324 St. Roch St., 2Bds/1Ba..........$795 3119 St. Peter St., 1Bd/1Ba...........$795 1525 Mazant St., 3Bds/1Ba...........$895 3953 Delachaise St. (Up), 3/1.......$950 8940 Dinkins St., 2Bds/1Ba...........$995 2300 N. Broad St., 1Bd/1Ba.........$1135 2441 N. Robertson, 2Bds/1Ba....$1250 8904 Olive St., 3Bds/1Ba.............$1350 5910 Hayne Blvd. Up 4/1.............$1395 2503 S. Dorgenois St., 2/1...(Sec 8 OK) 821-1858 * 822-8432 * 427-4646

GENTILLY 2544 ALLEN TOUSSAINT BLVD. NEWLY RENOVATED!!! 1-2 Bdrm Apts * From $800/mo Parking * Sec Gate 504-209-8054 * 504-454-1333

METAIRIE 3201 RICHLAND AVENUE 1/2 Block off Vets * by Paretti Jaguar 1 Bed * Prkg * Pool * Rent $675/mo 504-320-6958 * 504-454-1333

APARTMENT

METAIRIE 3513 EDENBORN AVENUE Lrg 2 Bed, 1 Bath * $925 * Off St Prkg Blocks from Lakeside 504-982-4040 * 504-885-8060 504-454-1333

APARTMENT N.O. EAST * LITTLE WOODS SPECIAL 7819 SANDS STREET * 3 BD/2 BA Central A & H * Fenced Backyard Sec 8 Welcome. No Deposit. $1,200 504-241-6189 * 504-430-1162

APARTMENT Efﬁciency #E $800. 4327 & 4329 Hollygrove Street: 1 Bedroom. Water Pd $900. 504-313-2192 HOUSE 2 Bedroom Double, $1400/month. 327 S. Cortez St. Off-street parking. Section 8 okay. 504-488-4084

NEWS 24/7 ON

Teacup. POMS. Chihuahuas POODLES Miniature Goldendoodles MALTIPOOS SHIH TZUS. CAVALIER KING CHARLES Call. 504-259-2222 UTD. S/W. Pups. 595-1495. Call 4 pics. 2yr. H. G.

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PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE On October 12, 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 Astrology, shall be conﬁdential until con‐ clusion of the negotia‐ tion, in accordance with La.R.S.44:22. 203799-OCT 16-19-20-3t $44.86 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE On October 12, 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 Golf, shall be con‐ ﬁdential until conclusion of the negotiation, in ac‐ cordance with La.R.S.44:22. 203794-oct 16-19-20-3t $19.86

NEW ORLEANS NEWS ALERTS SAINTS INSIDER WHERE NOLA EATS

PUBLIC NOTICE --To: Dre (last name unknown) “You are hereby notified that a guardianship case has been filed in the cir‐ cuit court for Baltimore County, case no. C-03FM-26-005069. All per‐ sons who believe them‐ selves to be parents of a Female child born on September 10, 2026, in Washington, DC., to Christina Davis (DOB: De‐ cember 20, 1996) Dre Un‐ known (DOB: Unknown) shall file a written re‐ sponse. A copy of the show cause order may be obtained from the clerk’s office at 401 Bosley Avenue, Towson Maryland 21285-6754 and 1-800-938-5802. If you do not file a written objec‐ tion by December 31, 2026, you will have agreed to the permanent loss of your parental rights to this child. 204270-OCT 19-1T $117.28

STAY INFORMED

204142-oct 19-26-nov 2-1t $138.37

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‐

KENNER 2850 IDAHO AVENUE 1 Block to Vets & Williams All Amenities * Pool * Parking Studio/1 Bed Apt * Starting $675/Mo 504-385-5482 * 504-454-1333

APARTMENT

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

204189-OCT 19-1T $34.19

APARTMENT

APARTMENT 2 Bedroom half double, 462 Maple Street, Harvey LA $750/month. 504366-9448

on stories that matter

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Keisha Williams and/any or all occupants of 137 Roselyn Park Pl, New Orleans, Louisiana 70131, please contact Attorney, Yves Gelin at: (504) 638-4007. 204255-Oct 19-21, 3t $92.20

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

APARTMENT Belle Chasse Louisiana GLEN OAKS APARTMENTS 2-and 3 -bedroom 2 bath apartments All appliances included From 944.00 mo. 504-366-4611 EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY Section 8 Welcome

Must hold TWIC card, pass drug test & physical. 985-851-0727 or email: personnel@sontheimeroffshore.com

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Dorothea Wilkinson Montgomery please contact Attorney Edwin A. Lombard at 504-943-7071. 204172-Oct 17-19, 3t $67.00

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

New Orleans Rental

NOW HIRING Galleyhands Night Cooks

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Anthony Davis, Jr., please contact Attorney Tony Dooley at 504-5100286 or tdooley@thedooleylawofﬁce.com. 204316-Oct 17-19, 3t $69.10

Public Notices

FURNITURE La-Z-Boy Ivory, Power wall reclining sofa set with middle console, battery packs & remotes. Perfect condition, 2yrs old. $1500. 985-2221431

APARTMENT 2 Bedroom, $1000/month. Offstreet parking. 1615 N. Derbigny. Section 8 OK. 504-488-4084

Employment

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Alonda Conchata Anderson, l/k/a 914 Leboeuf St., N.O., LA; call Raashand Hamilton, Esq. 504-9401883. 204260-Oct 17-19, 3t $73.30

WANT TO BUY Old toy electric trains, any condition, Lionel Am. Flyer cash paid, 504-452-1000

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NORTHSHORE REPORT INSIDE LOUISIANA POLITICS plus more... nola.com/newsletters

8D ✦ Monday, October 19, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

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