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Alexandria at epicenter of controversial flights

ICE uses small airport for third-country deportations

Louisiana now has access to drug for executions Pentobarbital was used in botched Tennessee execution

BY JOHN SIMERMAN and PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER Staff writers

tation campaign. The number of flights is likely an undercount because the administration sometimes uses untraceable deportations via commercial planes, and there are difficulties confirming flights to some countries. The England Authority, a quasi-governmental body that oversees the airport and its surrounding territory, has faced protests since approving a second U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement staging facility earlier this year, which officials say will hold undocumented women and children who have chosen to be deported. It’s expected to open within days. “These third-country removals are

Early last year, before Louisiana used nitrogen gas for the first time in an execution, a top state prison official testified that lethal injection wasn’t a viable option. With pharmaceutical companies threatening to withhold other medication that the state relied on to treat chronic conditions among inmates, it wasn’t worth the risk, said Seth Smith, chief of operations for the Department of Public Safety and Corrections. “I’m afraid that we would lose our possibility of getting life-saving drugs that we need for other people,” Smith testified in the case of Jessie Hoffman, who was put to death with nitrogen gas less than two weeks later in March 2025. But this week, state officials told a federal judge that obtaining a lethal injection drug, pentobarbital, for executions was not a problem at all. The revelation came as state officials sought to deny death row inmate Todd Wessinger a fresh avenue to challenge his impending execution date. At a status conference Wednesday before U.S. District Judge John deGravelles, a state lawyer “initially stated that pentobarbital is available to the State as an alternative to nitrogen hypoxia and that there is no dispute on this,” according to the court minutes. But the lawyer, Elizabeth Brown, then retracted that statement, saying she didn’t know if the state possessed the drug or whether it would have to disclose it, and she “suggested that its possession of (or ability to obtain) pentobarbital was beyond the scope of this litigation and immaterial to the issues before the court.”

ä See FLIGHTS, page 7A

ä See DRUG, page 6A

STAFF PHOTO BY JAVIER GALLEGOS

Alexandria International Airport is the site of frequent deportation flights, including 39 third-country deportation flights since President Donald Trump took office. BY JAMES FINN and JUSTIN O’CONNOR Staff writers

Long a hub of the federal government’s deportation system, a central Louisiana airport is now the nation’s leader in dispatching controversial “third-country” deportation flights, which the Trump administration uses to haul immigrants to countries where they often have no ties. Of 110 third-country flights since President Donald Trump retook office early last year, 39 departed from the Alexandria International Airport — about 35% of the total. That’s more than any other airport in the country, according to data compiled by ICE Flight Monitor, a watchdog project of Human Rights First, and analyzed by The Times-Picayune | The

Advocate. Deportation flights bound for third countries ramped up dramatically in recent months, despite a legal challenge that has landed before the U.S. Supreme Court. Just between June and September, the number of third-country flights across all U.S. airports was more than double the entire total from 2025. The small Alexandria airport formed the backbone of that surge, dispatching nearly half those flights. So far this year, 34 third-country flights left Alexandria — a nearly sevenfold increase from 2025, based on data through the end of last month. The data shows the extent to which Alexandria has grown into the epicenter of the Trump administration’s mass-depor-

SU’s Faulk diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease NFL Hall of Famer in first season leading Jaguars

Sandeep Thakkar, whose show primarily talks about the disease. Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder of the central nervous system affecting the body’s movement. BY TOYLOY BROWN III Faulk said he’s well physically and Staff writer mentally, as he has been dealing with the Southern University coach Marshall disease for about a year and a half. He Faulk revealed he has been diagnosed ﬁrst realized there was an issue with his with Parkinson’s disease in a podcast in- hand while playing golf. “The rigidity in my hand, just someterview released on Wednesday. Faulk, 53, shared the news on an epi- times after I play a lot or I practice a sode of “Caring Neurologist” with Dr. lot,” Faulk said. “I just thought it was,

WEATHER HIGH 86 LOW 52 PAGE 8B

you know, normal nerves when putting and stuff like that.” He spoke to his doctor about it at one of his two physicals per year after he had the same hand issues when he wasn’t golfing. “I was like, ‘Wow, is that something?’” Faulk said. “‘Is that normal?’ And the doctor was — he literally was like, ‘You need to go get checked.’” Faulk called himself “one of the lucky

STAFF FILE PHOTO BY JAVIER GALLEGOS

Marshall Faulk is in his first season as coach at ä See FAULK, page 6A Southern University.

Business ......................3B Commentary ................7B Opinion ........................6B Classified .....................8D Deaths .........................4B Nation-World................2A Comics-Puzzles .....5D-7D Living............................1D Sports ..........................1C

102ND YEAR, NO. 115

2A n Friday, October 23, 2026 n theadvocate.com n The Advocate

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

7.0 quake hits Tibet, killing 16, injuring 32 BEIJING — A magnitude 7 earthquake hit China’s Tibet region on Thursday evening, killing at least 16 people, injuring 32 and collapsing hundreds of homes in the northern regional city of Nagqu, official media said. Search and rescue efforts continued following the collapse of at least 339 homes, the Nagqu media office said, citing city government officials. Among the injured, 11 people were in serious condition and the other 21 sustained minor injuries, the media office said. Rescue teams from police and fire departments were building tents to house people displaced by the quake. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake occurred at 10:33 p.m., with its epicenter 119 miles east-northeast of Nagqu, in a sparsely populated, highaltitude area of northern Tibet.

Josephine brings winds to Eastern Seaboard MIAMI — Josephine, which forecasters described as a “powerful extratropical low” system with tropical storm-force winds, remained offshore in the Atlantic on Thursday but brought impacts including coastal ﬂooding and gale-force winds to the Eastern Seaboard. Large swells that could create life-threatening surf and rip current conditions were possible along the coast up to Atlantic Canada, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in an advisory. Josephine had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph. It was centered about 235 miles eastsoutheast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, moving northeast at 17 mph. The hurricane center said Josephine was forecast to continue moving away from the United States and remain south of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. It was expected to continue gaining strength and become “a powerful extratropical cyclone with hurricane-force winds.” Tropical Storm Vance was well off Mexico’s southern coast and was forecast to intensify and become a hurricane and then a major hurricane by the weekend.

Pentagon puts limits on troops’ betting WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has issued a new directive telling troops they cannot use “nonpublic information” to make bets on prediction markets. “Our enemies watch movements in these markets,” Hegseth wrote in a memo dated Tuesday and reviewed by The Associated Press. “When an American Service member, intelligence professional, or other Department civilian engages in a ﬁnancial transaction on a military outcome, they create a signal.” The one-page document, which was reported earlier by CBS News, comes months after a U.S. Special Forces soldier involved in the military operation to capture then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was charged with using classified information about the mission to win more than $400,000 on the prediction market Polymarket. The memo stresses that troops are forbidden from using both classified and unclassified but nonpublic information to make trades on platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi. It says violators could be subject to administrative punishment and criminal charges.

MAHA adviser Means leaves administration WASHINGTON — Calley Means, a top adviser to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and a chief advocate for the Make America Healthy Again movement, resigned from his Trump administration role Thursday. In a statement, Means said he “leaves with tremendous respect” for President Donald Trump and Kennedy. He did not say why he was leaving. Means used his perch at the Department of Health and Human Services to attack the nation’s leading physician groups, federal agencies and government scientists, claiming they only protect their own interests. Means is the brother of wellness inﬂuencer, author and entrepreneur Dr. Casey Means.

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Trump ordered to sit for deposition

can alter the trial schedule, position could be recorded on video President has accused BBC of defamation case and the defense said it would be but only for attorneys, meaning it

BY DAVID FISCHER

Associated Press

MIAMI — A federal judge on Thursday ordered President Donald Trump to sit for a deposition in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC by Dec. 11. The order from U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett came as lawyers for the British broadcaster complained that Trump had delayed his appearance in his own lawsuit. Charles Tobin, attorney for the BBC, said that with two months left in the discovery period, “we still haven’t been able to depose the plaintiff.” Meanwhile, it remained uncertain whether former special counsel Jack Smith would be allowed to sit for a deposition. Federal rules require current and former employees to receive permission from agency heads before testifying in court cases. Smith has requested permission but has not

received an answer, and the judge ruled that the department must respond to him by Nov. 2. In arguments about Trump’s deposition, Tobin noted there had been an agreed-upon date of Oct. 16, but Trump had canceled it for a “matter of national importance.” He said the Republican president was in fact campaigning in Georgia that day. “He was participating in party politics and prioritized that over sitting for the deposition,” Tobin said. Lett said Trump must sit for a deposition by Dec. 11, or face sanctions up to dismissal of his lawsuit — unless the discovery period is extended by the presiding judge. Discovery, where lawyers for both sides exchange documents and other evidence, is scheduled to end Dec. 18, and the BBC’s attorneys want to make sure they have Trump’s deposition before that deadline. Lett said only the presiding judge assigned to the

open to scheduling the deposition at a later time if the trial schedule was also changed. Trump, who has often avoided depositions, filed his lawsuit against the BBC last December. He accused the publicly funded broadcaster of defamation as well as deceptive and unfair trade practices related to a documentary, “Trump: A Second Chance.” The BBC acknowledged that filmmakers spliced together quotes from different sections of the speech Trump delivered to his supporters on Jan. 6, 2021, before the storming of the U.S. Capitol, to make it seem he was directly urging violence. The broadcaster apologized over the editing, and the head of the BBC and its top news executive both resigned. But the BBC has denied Trump’s claims that it defamed him. Trump’s attorneys also argued against recording his deposition on video, asking for only a court reporter. The judge ruled that the de-

wouldn’t be released to the public. To bolster its defense, the broadcaster subpoenaed former special counsel Jack Smith earlier this month. Trump’s lawyers have argued that there is no good reason for Smith, who is not a party to the case, to appear. The BBC has said Smith has extensive knowledge of what happened that day. Earlier in the hearing, Tobin, the BBC lawyer, argued that Smith has not objected to being deposed for this case, meaning the only objection is coming from Trump. Tobin said the BBC is not trying to relitigate the events of Jan. 6, but Smith is one of the leading experts in what happened that day, and his deposition could lead the BBC to evidence that could help their case. Trump’s lawyer, Alejandro Brito, said Smith has no personal knowledge of Trump’s Jan. 6 speech or Trump’s state of mind when he gave it. All of Smith’s knowledge about the case is secondhand, Brito argued.

Frat suspended at University of Ariz.

chapter to comply Student alleges Arizona with any investigation. Phi Epsilon does assault by 2 men not“Sigma tolerate sexual assault

BY MIKELLA SCHUETTLER Associated Press

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY SOPHIE BATES

Smoke billows after a fire Wednesday caused evacuations at Brookdale Senior Living in Clinton, Miss.

Fire destroys Miss. senior living center, killing two BY DAVE COLLINS and LAURA TURBAY Associated Press

Two people were killed and dozens were rescued when a fire tore through a Mississippi senior living center that was home to more than 100 residents, authorities said Thursday. Firefighters were called to the blaze in Clinton, about 10 miles northwest of Jackson, at about 5 p.m. Wednesday, and multiple wings of the center were on fire, Clinton Mayor Will Purdie said at a news conference. “It’s with a heavy heart that I share with you that two residents lost their lives in that fire,” Purdie said. Clinton’s fire chief, Levius Buckley, said staff at the Brookdale Clinton center got about 85 residents out of the facility safely and firefighters helped get another 10 to 15 out. He said at least four people were taken to hospitals. All surviving residents were either with relatives or at other facilities on Thursday, Purdie said. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Buckley said the center’s sprinkler system was working at the time. An 82-year-old man and an 82-year-old woman were confirmed dead after the fire at the senior living facility, according to Hinds County Coroner Jeramiah Howard.

The mayor credited firefighters and Brookdale Clinton staff with saving lives. Authorities searched the site through the night to account for everyone. “Last night, I was once again reminded of the strength of this community through its overwhelming response,” Purdie said. Portions of the center were destroyed by the blaze. Although several wings remain standing, they won’t be habitable for some time, Buckley said. It took about three hours to get the fire under control, and firefighters remained there into the early morning hours. Residents who were led to safety were bused to a church, where a crowd of people who appeared to be residents’ family members or loved ones waited outside Wednesday. WLBT-TV showed images of a handful of older people sitting across the street and watching as bright orange flames and black smoke stretched into the sky. One of them was in a wheelchair and the others had walkers or other mobility aids. One also had a small dog. The roof of the building was partially collapsed, as firefighters sprayed the building. A spokesperson for Brookdale Senior Living said Thursday that company staff are heartbroken over the deaths of the two residents.

Ariz. has rare tornado outbreak BY JESSICA HILL and WUFEI YU Associated Press

PHOENIX — Yet more severe weather struck Thursday as the Four Corners region surveyed blown-away roofs, trees knocked onto homes and power lines downed from overnight tornadoes that injured one person. The injuries weren’t life threatening but rare for an area better known for scalding heat. But this fall has been unusually soggy in the Southwest with El Niño conditions that have sent one tropical system after another in from the Paciﬁc, causing the Grand Canyon and surrounding deserts to rage with ﬂoods. Now, golf-ball-size hail and tornadoes join the mix. National Weather Service meteorologists suspect at least three tornadoes touched down as storms swept across central Arizona late Wednesday. The nasty weather hit during Lenna Landy’s yoga routine in Overgaard, Ari-

zona, a community of about 3,000 people 140 miles northeast of Phoenix. Landy had ignored alerts about a possible tornado, but then the storm struck. “It was like Zeus-was-angry kind of level, of thunder cracks,” Landy said. The power went off, her house shook and Landy couldn’t find her glasses. “If this is my end, I won’t see it coming,” she recalled thinking. “The scariest part was just like, how quickly it came on,” Landy said. The storm peeled off nearby roofs, shattered windows and blew a shed into a home, she said. A spruce tree in her yard was split in half. Still more severe weather, including large hail, struck Thursday with much of Arizona under tornado and flood watches. Similar weather soaked New Mexico, while swaths of Utah and Colorado were under flood watches and warnings. Tornadoes are somewhat but not exceptionally unusual in Arizona.

The University of Arizona has suspended a fraternity’s activities after a female student alleged two men sexually assaulted her at the fraternity’s house in August. The Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter at the southern Arizona school was already on probation, but the university said it has now imposed an activities suspension, stating the fraternity poses a risk to the university community. An investigation into the allegations continues. “It has been determined that your organization presents a substantial risk to members of the university community,” said Associate Dean of Students Whitney Mohr in a letter sent to the fraternity on Wednesday. The local chapter did not respond to calls or emails, but the national fraternity organization said it had ordered members of the

or sexual misconduct. The Fraternity has suspended those involved while the investigation proceeds,” Brian Warren, chief executive ofﬁcer of Sigma Phi Epsilon, said in a statement Tuesday. It didn’t elaborate on the identities of those involved or their connection to the fraternity. The female student told investigators that she consensually kissed a man and was drinking on the night of Aug. 26, but then woke up to two men sexually assaulting her in the fraternity house, according to search warrant records dated Sept. 9 and published Monday night by KOLDTV in Tucson. She told police she remembers feeling one man’s breath on her face and had trouble swallowing the next morning due to possible strangulation, according to the records. The next day, she reported the incident to police and underwent a forensic exam at a hospital.

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American surprised by release from Russia BY LEKAN OYEKANMI and THOMAS PEIPERT

Russian missiles pound Kyiv, kill 4 as “weaponizing Moscow says over describe winter.” Since Oct. 11, Russia has 800 Ukrainian launched 170 strikes on critical energy drones downed Ukraine’s facilities, Zelenskyy said.

BY DEREK GATOPOULOS

Associated Press

SAN ANTONIO — The younger sister of Stephen Hubbard, the U.S. citizen freed Wednesday after spending more than four years in a Russian prison, said her brother didn’t realize he was being released until he was put aboard a plane and saw the American ﬂag. “He didn’t know why he was being taken from the prison to Moscow, and he may have thought he was going to his death,” Patricia Hubbard Fox said during an interview Thursday in San Antonio, where her brother was taken for evaluation. “He’s been kind of laughing a lot,” she added. “Like relief laughing. ‘Oh my God, you know, I’m free. This is really happening.’” President Donald Trump said he had asked Russian President Vladimir Putin during a phone call earlier this month to free Hubbard, a 74-yearold retired teacher from Michigan. Hubbard was accused of fighting alongside Kyiv’s forces after Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country in 2022. In 2024, he was sentenced in closed court proceedings to nearly seven years in prison. The U.S. government under the Biden administration had designated Hubbard as wrongfully detained, and his legal team also disputed the Russian allegation, saying he was not involved in any military activity. Hubbard Fox said her brother was starved and beaten so severely in prison that some of his fellow inmates from Ukraine had to carry him. “The only English they knew was ‘Die, American. Die,’” she said of the Russian guards. “And that just made him mad enough to not die, you know? ‘I’ll show them.’ I’m so proud of him.” Hubbard, a U.S. Air Force veteran, taught English overseas and retired in 2012 to Cyprus, where one of his sons is an Orthodox Christian priest. He later moved to Ukraine to be with a woman he had met, his lawyers said, and remained in the country after the relationship ended. He was living there at the time of Russia’s invasion. Hubbard Fox said she didn’t know where her brother was until a woman in Ukraine tracked her down after seeing a prison roster with his name on it. “God doesn’t answer prayers immediately sometimes, but he always answers my prayer,” Hubbard Fox said. “And I said, ‘Jesus, get him home.’”

KYIV, Ukraine — Russia bombarded Kyiv with ballistic missiles in an hourslong nighttime barrage, while the Russian military said Thursday that its air defenses intercepted over 800 drones ﬁred by Ukraine at Moscow and other cities. At least four people were killed in Ukraine and dozens of others were wounded, officials said, in the attacks that began only hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed “in principle” Wednesday to resume threeway negotiations between Russia, Ukraine and the United States. “Russia has not changed the way it wages this war, and it is taking no steps that would signal a genuine desire to end it,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said after the barrage. Putin’s consent came in talks in St. Petersburg with U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, who spoke of a “new momentum” toward peace after meeting Tuesday with Zelenskyy in Norway. The talks are supposed to start sometime after Nov. 10. No date was set. The U.S. has proposed the United Arab Emirates as a possible location for the new talks, said Zelenskyy, who has said only a meeting of leaders can end the deadlock.

170 strikes in about a week Russia’s aerial attacks hit 12 regions of Ukraine overnight, killing at least four people and wounding scores of others, including ﬁve children, Zelenskyy said on social media Thursday. Two women, ages 50 and 60, were killed and dozens of other people were wounded in a Russian strike on a market in Lozova, in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, said Oleh Syniehubov, head of the regional military administration. Another person was killed in other strikes on Kharkiv, the State Emergency Service said. The Ukrainian capital endured a noisy night as 21 ballistic missiles came in three waves, Zelenskyy said, smashing apartment buildings, energy facilities, a railway station and the Kyiv subway system, shopping malls and businesses. One person was killed in Kyiv. The Russian attack on Kyiv included three ballistic missiles carrying cluster munitions — bombs that open in the air and release scores of smaller bomblets, Zelenskyy said. Ukrainians are bracing for the bitterly cold months ahead as the recent escalation in Russian attacks targets the power grid to deny civilians heat, light and running water. Ukraine says Russia is stockpiling ballistic missiles for an annual campaign Ukrainians

Putin mulls attending G20 The Ukrainian leader has pleaded with Washington to supply more Patriot airdefense ammunition to stop the missiles, and to heap more sanctions on Russia to pressure Moscow to pursue peace. Instead, Trump has agreed with Putin to import diesel from Russia and waived heavy sanctions on Moscow, while U.S. ofﬁcials say Patriot ammunition is in short supply. “Russia is clearly taking ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY EFREM LUKATSKY advantage of the slowdown A woman looks at her apartment Thursday after a Russian missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine. in air defense supplies from our partners,” Zelenskyy said. “It is equally clear that nian soldiers, were returned ers of war said Thursday. ber of a parliamentary group when some partners ease the to Ukraine in an exchange, Russia received 25 bodies overseeing the exchanges pressure on Russia, it only Ukraine’s agency for prison- of Russian soldiers, a mem- told the RBC news outlet. reinforces Putin’s belief that his goals are within reach.” Western analysts say Putin wants to cut out Europe and Kyiv and negotiate Ukraine’s future directly with Washington. The Trump administration has also disparaged Europe. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that Putin had received an invitation to attend the G20 summit in Miami in December but hasn’t yet decided whether to go.

Trump envoy chided Witkoff, the Trump envoy who met Wednesday with Putin in St. Petersburg, was harshly criticized in Ukraine and the U.S. for praising the Russian leader as a “humanitarian” after he released a retired American teacher who was imprisoned on charges of ﬁghting as a mercenary in Ukraine. Assassination attempts against Putin’s foes — routinely denied by the Kremlin — have been common during his decades in power. Aerial strikes have killed thousands of civilians and hundreds of thousands of soldiers on both sides. The latest “brutal” Russian attacks demonstrate “what Russian ‘humanism’ truly sounds like,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on social media. “Appeasement, servility, and ﬂattery will not stop this war. Only strength will.”

Russia downs drones Russia’s Defense Ministry said that air defenses overnight downed 808 Ukrainian drones, with two people reported wounded. Moscow’s Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that 630 of the drones were fired toward the Russian capital between late Wednesday and early Thursday. Moscow airports temporarily restricted air trafﬁc overnight. The Russian military hit facilities involved in making and storing drones and cruise missiles, as well as striking transport infrastructure in Kyiv, the Defense Ministry said. In other developments, the bodies of 252 people, said by Russia to be Ukrai-

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La. high court rejects moves in Murrill case

to investigate Murrill. The probe White agreed to drop the indictrecused. Tug-of-war concerns indictment records judges They also asked the court to centered on letters the attorney ment three weeks later at the urg-

BY JOHN SIMERMAN

name an “independent custodian of records.” They argued that White has refused to properly answer a pair of public records requests and is conﬂicted. The court found both requests premature. The decisions suggest the court sees another path to resolving issues White has raised about her ability to comply with public records requests while maintaining grand jury secrecy, and complaints from Murrill’s lawyers that White shouldn’t be the one to decide which records are public. Gov. Jeff Landry and Murrill have said they suspect nefarious political influence on the grand jury, which White and Williams say acted on its own in seeking

probe plays out. The court wrote that White lacked standing, without explanation. Chief Justice John Weimer, in a concurrence, wrote that northshore District Attorney Collin Sims, who the court appointed to oversee the State Police probe, could serve as custodian of those records instead. Murrill’s lawyers have pressed for emails and other communication in civil lawsuits against White and District Attorney Jason Williams. The high court also turned away a request by Murrill’s attorneys, Blake Arcuri and Laura Cannizzaro Rodrigue, to appoint an outside judge to oversee the public records cases, after three civil court

Staff writer

The Louisiana Supreme Court has turned away competing requests by lawyers for Attorney General Liz Murrill and the special prosecutor who led the grand jury that indicted her in their tugof-war over records amid a Louisiana State Police investigation into how the charges against Murrill unfolded. The court on Wednesday denied a request by the special prosecutor, former Orleans Parish Criminal Court Judge Laurie White, to provide her with a lawyer and to stop Murrill’s lawyers from suing her for records while the criminal

general sent in May to Mayor Helena Moreno, Williams and five City Council members. Murrill said in the letters that the New Orleans officials risked their elected posts by flouting the Legislature to back an election and appointment of an interim head to a newly unified Court Clerk’s Office in the city. The interim choice, former Judge Calvin Johnson, “would face personal exposure for fines or imprisonment,” Murrill wrote. Seven weeks later, the criminal grand jury charged Murrill with 16 counts of public intimidation and malfeasance in office, sparking political repercussions. Murrill said she was only doing her job.

ing of the city ofﬁcials whom the grand jury deemed victims. The records lawsuits that Murrill’s attorneys have ﬁled against White and Williams seek emails and other communications among city officials and others about the origins of the felony charges. Though they were dropped, Murrill has said she may sue for malicious prosecution. A state lawyer asked the Louisiana Supreme Court in August to appoint a special prosecutor to oversee a Louisiana State Police investigation into Murrill’s indictment, including possibly seating a grand jury in Orleans Parish. The court named Sims and appointed retired Appeals Court Judge Robert Chaisson to preside over it.

Man gets 30 years for smuggling tragedy that killed 53 in Texas BY JAMIE STENGLE

trying to ﬂee poverty or violence in Central America and Mexico. “It was clear that they suffered tremendously in their last few hours on this earth,” U.S. Attorney Justin Simmons told reporters. The trailer’s air conditioning malfunctioned and would not blow cool air to the people trapped inside during the sweltering, threehour ride in June 2022 from the border city of Laredo to San Antonio, authorities said. Prosecutors have said migrants paid up to

the deadliest smuggling attempts along the U.S.-Mexico border. Miranda Orozco, 50, was sentenced to 30 years in prison after admitting to arranging travel and accommodations for two people who died and another who was seriously injured. Nearly 20 people in the U.S. and Guatemala have been convicted since the discovery of the abandoned trailer full of bodies horriﬁed communities accustomed to seeing their young people leave,

Associated Press

A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced a Guatemalan man extradited to the U.S. over his role in a 2022 human smuggling attempt that ended in the deaths of 53 migrants who had been transported in a sweltering tractor-trailer in Texas. U.S. and Guatemalan prosecutors called Rigoberto Ramon Miranda Orozco’s sentencing another step toward justice in one of

$15,000 each to be taken across the U.S. border. When the abandoned trailer was opened on a remote San Antonio back road, 48 migrants were dead. Another 16 were taken to hospitals, where ﬁve more died. Simmons said investigators found clothing passengers had shed to cool off and claw marks on the trailer’s walls. “They were literally trying to claw their way out,” he said. Twenty-one of those who died

were from Guatemala, Simmons said. Miranda Orozco’s attorney, Alfonso Cabanas Jr., called the sentence “very tough.” Last year, Felipe Orduna-Torres, described by prosecutors as the leader of the smuggling operations inside the U.S., was sentenced to life in prison in the U.S. Armando Gonzales-Ortega, his top assistant, was sentenced to 83 years. Sentencing dates have been set for more people, including the truck’s driver.

Family of Miss. boy says video shows killing by police was not justified BY JACK BROOK

accused of shoplifting. The Mississippi Attorney General’s Office said its review found the fatal shooting was a justified use of force. “The word ‘justified’ has haunted me,” Kohen’s maternal grandmother, Veronica Roberson, said during the news conference. “There’s no justification for that.” Roberson said she found out from reading the news that the state had cleared the officer, and she also saw parts of the video that had been leaked online Wednesday. She called the lack of notice

about 40 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee. The video included footage from the camera worn by the Senatobia police ofﬁcer who shot and killed Kohen. Kohen would have celebrated his second birthday in early November, civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Kohen’s family, said Thursday. Earlier this week, a state investigation cleared Sgt. Hunter Foster of criminal wrongdoing in the shooting that happened as he and other ofﬁcers chased two women

Associated Press/Report for America The family of a 1-year-old boy who was fatally shot when a police officer fired into a moving vehicle in Mississippi said Thursday they do not believe the shooting was justified after reviewing videos from officers’ body-worn cameras at the scene. Kohen Wiley’s close relatives watched the footage shot during the June 14 encounter in a Walmart parking lot in Senatobia,

from the attorney general's ofﬁce and the leak of the footage a “slap in the face” to her family. Crump said the officers' response — running at the vehicle with guns drawn to apprehend alleged shoplifters — was excessive and reckless. Kohen’s mother, Vellesiya Wiley, previously denied that she and her friend stole diapers from the store and they have not been charged, according to state and county court records. “Diapers are something a mother

needs for a child. Diapers should never cost a baby their life,” Crump said. “This decision sends a message that a Black baby boy, his life, is not as valuable as the white diapers that he is wrapped in.” Martin Zummach, an attorney representing Foster, has said the footage vindicates his client because he was in danger from the moving vehicle and had “no choice” but to ﬁre his gun. “She came right at Hunter Foster and the other ofﬁcer and he had to shoot his weapon,” Zummach said.

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Mixed messages on Ukraine’s limits to Starshield access Recent efforts to throttle Ukraine’s access to satellite systems have created a blame game of sorts among Trump administration ofﬁcials and their allies, who have offered mixed messages about what led to the sudden restrictions on Kyiv’s ability to intercept Russian strikes. The limitations placed on Starshield — SpaceX’s military-grade version of the Starlink satellite internet service and the backbone of Ukraine’s drone operations and communication — last week alarmed the country’s military and government ofﬁcials, with commanders reporting lost drones and disrupted missions. After days of handwringing, President Donald Trump asserted Thursday that the service is running again at full speed. However, a senior European official familiar with the situation on the ground Rubio and Hegseth in Ukraine said Thursday Trump that nothing has changed in Over the last week, Trump Rubio has insisted that the the operation of Starshield, has repeatedly told report- Trump administration and the

Trump says he ‘heard something about’ Justice probe into ally Lewandowski By The Associated Press

Musk Musk, leader of the company behind Starlink and Starshield, last week put the onus on the Trump administration. “Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,” he wrote Oct. 14 on X. “Starlink is a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX. Usage of Starlink is limited to civilian or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive

military action, as doing so would be inappropriate for a commercial company,” Musk added.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy Shortly after the systems failed to work, Zelenskyy said that there were no similar restrictions in European Union countries and that they apply only to Ukraine. “In other words, this is a planned operation,” he said. In an interview Wednesday on “Fox & Friends,” Zelenskyy said that Starlink connectivity is still limited in Ukraine and that he was told by Rubio he would work to “unblock” the slowdown. Amiri reported from New York and Arhirova from Kyiv, Ukraine. Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani, Seung Min Kim, Konstantin Toropin, Matthew Lee and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report.

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was Noem’s lead adviser while at the department, where he appeared to play an outsized role even though his position was supposed to have a limit on days worked. An attorney for Lewandowski, Adam Trigg, wrote in a texted comment to The Associated Press that “Mr. Lewandowski has not been contacted by the Justice Department regarding any investigation, and he denies any wrongdoing when he was proudly serving his country in a voluntary capacity.” The Washington Sun reported that some records requests from the department during Lewandowski’s time there were denied due to an ongoing criminal probe.

to Musk’s company. “We haven’t pulled anything back,” Hegseth told reporters, before adding that “there are terms of service that ultimately need to be complied to.” He offered no elaboration on what terms of service Ukraine needed to comply with.

GUARANTEE O

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump told reporters that he had “heard something about” the Department of Justice investigating allegations that Corey Lewandowski proﬁted off his past role as an adviser at the Department of Homeland Security, after media reports of an investigation surfaced Thursday. Lewandowski, who worked at the agency as a special government employee during Kristi Noem’s tenure as Homeland Security secretary, was a longtime ally of Trump. The details of the allegations against Lewandowski aren’t yet clear, though the president said

Thursday after a report in The Wall Street Journal that he had heard of the probe. The president notably didn’t defend Lewandowski, who was his ﬁrst campaign manager in 2016. “I don’t know exactly what it is,” Trump told reporters. “All I know is, I want my people to be honest. And if they’re not going to be honest, they have to be prosecuted.” He added, “I’ll have my DOJ go and do whatever they have to do.” The Wall Street Journal reported that the probe was launched after a referral from the DHS inspector general, which included details about Lewandowski’s time at the agency. Lewandowski

U.S. government more broadly had nothing to do with interruptions to Ukraine’s access to crucial satellite data. Speaking to reporters in India on Wednesday, Rubio said for the third time in four days that any throttling of network access to Ukraine was not directed or ordered by Trump or anyone else in his administration. He suggested, though, that the owner of the system — Musk — may have been involved. “The president has nothing to do with the decisions that are made by Starlink and Starshield and by Mr. Musk. That’s a private company. The president doesn’t run that company and can’t direct that company to do anything,” Rubio said. Hegseth has echoed Rubio’s comments, denying on Tuesday any American role in slowing down the satellite internet service while also pushing the responsibility

ers that he didn’t order restrictions on a satellite communications system used by Ukraine’s military, causing its drones to lose speed. The president also earlier doubted the disruption came from Musk, formerly a close adviser and frequent companion. “Well, I don’t know if it was anybody, but it wasn’t me, and I don’t think it was Elon,” Trump said Friday. “And from what I understand, it’s the same as it’s always been.” On Thursday, Trump appeared to confirm that the service had been down and claimed that it was once again working at optimal speeds. The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk had agreed to lift restrictions, and Trump demurred when asked if he had requested to lift the cap. “You know, whether I called or whether somebody else called, doesn’t make any difference,” Trump told reporters. “I guess the bottom line, he put it back.”

Associated Press

with its speed cap still set at about 100 mph. Ukraine has not received a clear ofﬁcial explanation of who ordered the restrictions or why, according to the ofﬁcial, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal announced a new inquiry into how the technologies were slowed down for Ukraine’s defense systems. Questions have percolated since last week about who ordered the interruptions to the Elon Musk-made satellite internet system that Ukraine has relied on for years to counter Moscow’s attacks. Trump has maintained that he didn’t make the call. Vice President JD Vance has hinted at White House coordination with Musk, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have denied any administration involvement. Here are the players in their own words:

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6A n Friday, October 23, 2026 n theadvocate.com n The Advocate

FAULK

Continued from page 1A ones” who got the diagnosis early and said he’s not in poor spirits because it’s something that can be managed through treatment, comparing it to recovering from injuries during his NFL career. The Jaguars’ first-year coach said he has become more active and is sleeping more since beginning treatment. While life has remained normal, he still experiences rigidity in his hands, but the condition has not worsened. “The little tremors that I get, you know, they are what they are,” Faulk said. “I just pay attention to my gait, you know, while I walk, when I’m working out, my ability to balance. It’s still where it is.” The podcast host asked Faulk if he shared his diagnosis with family and friends. “I haven’t really had the conversation with them about it,” he said. “If it comes a time to where my lifestyle changes, then I will. Then

DRUG

Continued from page 1A The judge, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, disagreed, according to the court record. After he “encouraged the parties to work together to resolve many of the factual issues such as the availability of pentobarbital,” more details emerged. “Defense counsel clariﬁed that the State does not have pentobarbital on hand, but, if Wessinger chooses that as an option, pentobarbital is readily available within the time frame necessary for an execution.” Wessinger argues that execution by single-drug lethal injection pentobarbital would pose less risk of cruel and unusual punishment, which is forbidden by the U.S. Constitution, compared with nitrogen gassing. The state’s formal response was to agree to kill Wessinger with only pentobarbital if he chose it. Corrections Secretary Gary Westcott, who is empowered to select the execution method among those

lll

was introduced as Southern’s new coach Dec. 1. Before leading the program, he was the running backs coach at Colorado. He was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2011 after a 12year career, notching 12,279 yards rushing, 6,875 yards receiving and 136 total touchdowns. The former second overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft is one of two running backs in the league’s history with at least 12,000 rushing and 5,000 career receiving yards. The other tailback is Marcus Allen. Faulk was a Super Bowl XXIV champion with the then-St. Louis Rams and was The Associated Press NFL MVP that season. He is a seven-time Pro Bowler and a three-time All-Pro. He was also a major part of the Rams’ “Greatest Show on Turf” offense. After his STAFF FILE PHOTO BY JAVIER GALLEGOS playing career, he became an anaMarshall Faulk, a New Orleans native and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, is in his first year as coach lyst at NFL Network. Faulk attended Carver High of the Southern Jaguars. School in New Orleans and then starred at San Diego State Unithat conversation could be had. I’m Faulk said he wants to advocate said that people shouldn’t limit versity. In three seasons with the functioning. I’m good. You know, I for people to seek help if they ex- themselves because there are mul- Aztecs, he rushed for 4,589 yards — 6 yards per attempt — and 57 just think I caught it early. I’m in a perience symptoms, regardless of tiple avenues to treatment. good place.” how much money they have. He Faulk, a New Orleans native, touchdowns across three seasons.

authorized in state law, wrote in an afﬁdavit that he was ceding the choice to Wessinger. “The only way Plaintiff will be executed by nitrogen hypoxia is if he voluntarily declines to elect pentobarbital and thus voluntarily agrees to be executed by nitrogen hypoxia,” state lawyers wrote. State ofﬁcials and attorneys for Wessinger were mum after the closed-door status conference. Attorney General Liz Murrill declined to comment about what’s changed with the state’s ability to access lethal injection drugs, citing the litigation. “Our statement is that if Wessinger’s preferred method is pentobarbital, we will accommodate that request,” she said.

Nitrogen vs. pentobarbital Wessinger ﬁled his lawsuit last month to prevent the state from killing him with nitrogen gas, arguing it’s unconstitutionally cruel. As an alternative, he offered single-drug pentobarbital. His lawsuit was ﬁled weeks before the botched Sept. 30 execution of Christa Pike by the same method in Tennessee. Pike survived

two doses of the drug and spent 10 days in the hospital before being discharged back to prison. A report this week in the local newspaper there, The Tennessean, found that the state has spent nearly $1.2 million on lethal execution drugs since the start of 2023. Less is known about Louisiana’s procurement of either nitrogen gas or lethal drugs. Other than a required review by the state inspector general for potential financial conﬂicts with lawmakers, the same law that expanded Louisiana’s execution methods in 2024 — adding nitrogen gas and relegalizing electrocution — cloaked their procurement in secrecy. Wessinger was sentenced to death for killing two employees during a 1995 robbery at a Baton Rouge restaurant. He has fought his death sentence for decades. A federal appeals court recently denied him. Among the 55 prisoners on Louisiana’s death row, Wessinger is considered closest to an execution date. Earlier this month, Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore said he plans to apply for a death warrant. Once signed by

a judge, the order would set the date, time and location for the state to execute Wessinger. The death warrant would be submitted to Baton Rouge District Judge Gail Horne Ray’s courtroom, but Murrill’s office has a pending motion to recuse the judge from the case. Ray and other judges have an active civil lawsuit against the state in which Murrill’s ofﬁce is a defendant. Murrill has argued that the plaintiff judges in that case should not be allowed to rule on any cases — including Wessinger’s — that involve the attorney general. Corrections ofﬁcials declined to comment this week when asked about how the state plans to acquire lethal injection drugs.

Drug company ultimatums In his testimony in federal court last year, Smith said the agency had received “multiple correspondence” from various drug companies prohibiting the use of their products for lethal injections. “They all told us the same thing,” Smith testiﬁed. “If we get caught using one of their drugs, they are no longer going to supply drugs we

need to treat people.” He added that those ultimatums from drug companies did “not have an expiration date.” Other states have obtained pentobarbital by routing around drug manufacturers and using compounding pharmacies that use raw ingredients to make drugs. Compounded pharmaceuticals do not require approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Oklahoma was the ﬁrst state to authorize executions by nitrogen gas as states struggled to acquire lethal injection drugs. Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Arkansas followed, though only Alabama and Louisiana have used the gas in executions so far. Alabama was the ﬁrst to try nitrogen gas, using it for seven executions before the Atlanta-based 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in June barred its use to kill double murderer Jeffery Lee. Alabama turned last month to lethal injection instead to execute Lee. Louisiana modeled its nitrogen gas execution protocol after Alabama’s. Wessinger’s federal case has its next court date scheduled for Nov. 2.

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The Advocate n theadvocate.com n Friday, October 23, 2026 n 7A

FLIGHTS

Continued from page 1A sinister in every respect,” said Stephanie AlvarezJones, a southeast regional attorney for the National Immigration Project, who represents people marked for removal to third countries. “Alexandria is a cornerstone in this sinister project.” Alvarez-Jones described the airport as being almost impossible to get communications into or out of, despite being a hub for removals and transfers. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security defended the program as a key public safety measure in a statement by an unnamed spokesperson. “Third-country removals are an essential public safety tool that remove the most dangerous criminal illegal aliens from our streets,” the spokesperson said. Third-country deportations were rare under past administrations. But during Trump’s second term, a surge in flights and land transports have led to more than 25,000 deportees arriving in nations they’ve mostly never visited, based on potentially conservative estimates from Human Rights First and Refugees International, two nonpartisan human rights advocacy groups. Federal data suggests a far smaller number of deportees, about 16,000, have arrived in third countries under the current administration. Watchdog groups who rely on foreign government records and other sources have disputed that tally. Trump’s State Department has struck agreements with nearly three-dozen countries’ governments to receive third country nationals. The terms vary, but the deals typically involve payment from the U.S. in exchange for holding deportees. Some agreements say the country on the receiving end will hold third-country deportees in prisons, while others allow deportees to

STAFF FILE PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents patrol New Orleans Louis Armstrong International Airport earlier this year. apply for asylum. In the worst cases, deportees have reported enduring prisonlike conditions. In an Equatorial Guinea hotel, deportees told The New York Times they were hooded, bound, beaten and pushed down a stairway for telling the outside world about a lack of food and water. In other countries, deportees are held in maximum-security prisons or forced to sleep on detention center benches. England Authority Executive Director Ralph Hennessy has defended the agency’s work with ICE, noting that its contracts have spanned presidential administrations of both political parties. “The majority of these protesters are trying to be very vocal about something that they don’t have the full picture of, or if they do, they just don’t like it,” he said in a recent interview. The scale of Alexandria’s

role in third-country deportations appears comparable only to the airport in Harlingen, Texas, which has dispatched about 30% of thirdcountry flights from the U.S. since Trump retook office. Most flights from Harlingen have landed in Costa Rica. Alexandria, in contrast, has sent third-country flights to 22 nations across five continents. DHS declined to respond to specific questions about the program. The U.S. State Department, which negotiates the deals with thirdcountry governments to accept deportees, did not respond to multiple inquiries. “Illegal aliens being sent to a third country receive notice and assurances prior to their removal, and the Department of State is given diplomatic assurances from destination countries that the illegal aliens being removed there will be safe,” the unnamed DHS spokesperson said.

Flights mostly to Africa Watched by federal agents, six immigrants shufﬂed across a dark stretch of tarmac before dawn on Aug. 31. A plane waited for them at the Alexandria airport. They didn’t know their destination. “I asked the ofﬁcer, ‘Where am I going?’” said a woman who was in the group of six after being held for weeks inside Richwood Correctional Center in north Louisiana. “He said, ‘You’re going to the beach.’” With the shackled detainees aboard, the ICE-chartered Bombardier CRJ-200 took off at 6:29 a.m. from Alexandria, records show. It landed two hours later in Miami to refuel, then again in Puerto Rico. In an interview, the woman, whom The Times-Picayune | The Advocate is not naming because she fears retaliation by officials in her home country, said she

probed for answers about where they were headed while in the air. “I asked, ‘What’s the process after this?’” said the woman, whom U.S. officials marked for third-country removal because her ethnicity and religion put her at risk of torture in her home country. “(An ICE agent) said, ‘We’re just going to hand you over to the St. Lucia government.’” The jet landed at 6:44 p.m. local time in St. Lucia, a tiny Caribbean nation with an agreement to accept thirdcountry nationals from the Trump administration. The woman said she had never been to the island long favored by beach vacationers. An ICE spokesperson declined to respond to specific questions about the St. Lucia flight. The flight to St. Lucia is the only one of its kind to date, according to the ICE Flight Monitor data. More frequent destinations of the

third-country flights include Equatorial Guinea, which has received five planes carrying third-country nationals from Alexandria since the start of the administration. Cameroon and Eswatini have each received four, according to ICE Flight Monitor. In August of this year, 16 ICE-chartered flights dispatched immigrants to third countries. Most took off from Alexandria. The surge in flights since April comes as the legality of Trump’s third-country deportations remains undecided. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on the issue in December, after a federal appeals court in Boston found that the practice violated several elements of the law. Twice, the high court has granted stays to prevent the lower court’s ruling from going into effect, at least tempo-

ä See FLIGHTS, page 8A

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FLIGHTS

not to travel there at all. Among them: Central AfContinued from page 7A rican Republic, the Congo and Uganda, each of whom have each accepted a single rarily allowing the Trump third-country flight from administration to continue Alexandria. The State Dethe flights. partment has issued Level 4 Deportees to third coun- “Do Not Travel” advisories tries generally come from for those countries citing nations whose strained dip- threats including terrorism, lomatic ties to the U.S. pose kidnapping and potential challenges in organizing exposure to Ebola. deportation flights, such as Unknown destination Cuba. Others, the U.S. governThe woman deported to St. ment acknowledges, could Lucia, a bartender who had be tortured if they return to also worked for the local government in Los Angeles their home nations. In those cases, attorneys County, said ICE agents arfor some ICE detainees rested her in July at New have argued that third- Orleans Louis Armstrong country removals could still International Airport when result in their clients being she arrived for the Tales re-deported to home coun- of the Cocktail conference. tries where they face grave (Conference organizers did risks. Attorneys made that not respond to an inquiry argument in Louisiana about the case.) As she battled illness in federal courts on behalf of Ibrahim Mohammed, a ICE detention, the woman 43-year-old Ethiopian man retained New Orleans imwhom ICE tried deporting migration attorney Jeremy this spring to Eswatini, and Jong to try to help secure later to Equatorial Guinea. her release. She was deA member of the Amhara ported before Jong could ethnic minority, Moham- accomplish that. In an inmed, who is represented by terview, Jong said the case the National Immigration highlighted how the threat Project, testified in federal of immigration enforcecourt in Baton Rouge that ment has eroded New Orhe feared being deported leans’ reputation for hospito a third country lest its tality. governments return him to “People getting arrested Ethiopia. by ICE when they’re on Vernon Liggins, the senior their way to New Orleans ICE official who ordered to go to a conference should Mohammed’s arrest, would trigger alarm bells for evnot answer a judge’s ques- ery elected leader here,” tions about whether the Jong said. “If they want to government agreements keep New Orleans a good with Eswatini and Equato- place to visit, they are going rial Guinea would prevent to have to make sure that Mohammed from being re- ICE is not around here.” At St. Lucia’s Hewanorra turned to Ethiopia. A federal judge later held International Airport, the Liggins in contempt in the country’s government ofcase, finding agents under ficials greeted the six dehis supervision repeatedly portees and debriefed them. violated Mohammed’s due- Jong’s client said they were process rights. given a meal of mac and Of 22 countries to receive cheese, vegetables and rice. third-country nationals They visited a doctor. from Alexandria, 18 have DHS officials have cast elevated travel advisory third-country deportations levels assigned by the State as a punishment reserved Department — warnings for criminals. But Saint Luto U.S. citizens to exercise cian officials have issued caution while traveling to public statements assuring a country or, in some cases, the public that third-coun-

Flags fly next to the control tower of Alexandria International Airport at England Airpark. try deportees are closely vetted before the island agrees to take them, including for potential criminal histories. The woman aboard the St. Lucia ﬂight told the Times-Picayune | The Advocate that she has no criminal record. Public records show she has not been cited or accused of a crime in the United States. She said she and the other deportees have encountered far better conditions than those reported by other third-country deportees. They are housed in apartments and go shopping together, she said. She is set to receive a work permit from the St. Lucia government in the coming weeks. Still, her future is uncertain. “They’re treating her well now,” said Jong, her attorney. “What I worry about is when whatever money the U.S. is giving St. Lucia runs out — what happens then? Do they send her back to her country of birth, where she runs a signiﬁcant risk of being killed?”

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Trump backs Ramaswamy on controversial ad Estranged mother of Ohio Democrat featured in ad

BY JULIE CARR SMYTH Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The backlash over an Ohio campaign advertisement attacking Amy Acton, the Democratic nominee for governor, spread beyond the state’s borders Thursday, causing fresh headaches for Republicans with less than two weeks until the midterm elections. The latest episode began when Gov. Mike DeWine criticized Vivek Ramaswamy, a fellow Republican that he endorsed as his successor, for running an ad featuring Acton’s estranged mother criticizing her. Acton’s mother lost custody of her children decades ago after her husband was indicted for raping Acton as a child. Acton But President Donald Trump took the opposite approach hours later, posting on social media that Ramaswamy’s ad was “hitting pay dirt” and questioning DeWine’s loyalty to the party. Trump’s stance only hardened throughout the day. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said, “Amy Acton’s mother said horrible things about Amy Acton” and “she’s fair game.” And at a campaign rally in Iowa, Trump regaled the crowd with a story about how Ramaswamy called him to ask for advice. “You’ve got to ride with it,” Trump recalled telling Ramaswamy, a biotech billionaire and former presidential candidate. Trump expressed jealousy that he didn’t have such a strong ad to run during his own campaigns. “I told him to leave it up and look upstairs and say: ‘Thank you, God, very much. I appreciate it,’” Trump added. “I only wish I could have had an ad like that against somebody.” Trump’s aggressive defense of Ramaswamy practically guarantees that more of his party’s candidates will face questions about the issue at a moment when they already risk being dragged

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY JACQUELYN MARTIN

President Donald Trump listens as gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speaks at a campaign rally at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown, Ohio, on Oct. 12. down by the president’s low popularity. Rep. Ashley Hinson, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Iowa, was asked about it before appearing with Trump at the rally. She told ABC News the ad is “absolutely terrible” and “I think they should take the ad down.” Ramaswamy’s campaign has said it plans to spend $4 million to show the ad online and on television.

Not pulling endorsement The controversy has became the latest test of the bounds of acceptable political discourse. In western Michigan, former Republican Rep. Fred Upton said the ad had spread throughout his community as people heard about it on the radio and television or were asked about it by others. “They asked me about it at the bank today,” Upton said, adding that the ad “speaks horribly of the gutter politics that some rely on.” An influential Ohio Republican, former Rep. Jim Renacci, posted a lengthy essay on social media overnight suggesting that “the floor may have just fallen out from under the Republican campaign for Ohio Governor” and urging everyone in the party to distance themselves from it. Ohio U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, who is being challenged by former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, said he would not have run the ad. So did Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who is running for state auditor. At a gathering with reporters at the Ohio Statehouse on Thursday, DeWine recalled the painful experiences of rape victims he dealt with

as a county prosecutor and state attorney general. “It’s wrong to run this ad,” he said. “And, even at this late time — my wife, Fran, saw the ad just run this morning on TV — I would just urge the Ramaswamy campaign to take this down.” The governor stopped short of pulling his backing for Ramaswamy. DeWine recalled that a previous line of attack by the Acton campaign had mentioned Ramaswamy’s mother, and the governor said that was also wrong because “family members have always historically been off limits.” However, DeWine noted that the topic was never used in a multimillion-dollar ad campaign. Acton’s criticism cited an investigative report into Geetha Ramaswamy’s role at a pharmaceutical company run by her son, whom Acton and Democrats described as “hiring his own mother to manipulate clinical trial data.” The Ramaswamy campaign called those claims “slanderous.” “Governor DeWine is correct that the ﬁrst and only candidate to attack the mother of her opponent in this race was Amy Acton,” Ramaswamy spokesperson Connie Luck said in a statement, adding, “We refuse to accept the media’s double standards.”

her children after their stepfather, Arthur’s husband, was indicted on a charge of rape involving Acton. The abuse allegedly happened from December 1976 to April 1978. Cledith Arthur failed to show for a court appearance and became a fugitive. Donna Arthur remained married to him until his death in 2004. Acton’s campaign on Tuesday posted a video of her brother, who supported her backstory about living in a tent and being abused. Republican Vice President JD Vance, an Ohio native son, expressed disgust with Republicans “whining” about the ad while he visited the state on Wednesday. Amid the turmoil, Ohio Republican Party Chairman Alex Triantafilou posted what sounded like a warning, or a threat. “The ﬁnal days of a tough

campaign are always the paign because of the ad. best time to find out who Associated Press is really with you and who reporters Joey Cappelletti just posts and pretends,” he contributed from wrote. “Yes — we are keepWashington and Thomas Beaumont contributed ing score.” The quote was from Sioux City, Iowa. followed by a winking-eye emoji. While Republicans are at odds over the ad, Democrats have rallied to support Acton. “Child abuse and sexual assault should never be weaponized to score partisan points,” Democratic Governors Association spokesperson Izzi Levy said. “Governor DeWine is right — Vivek Ramaswamy’s ad is beyond troubling, and he should take it down immediately and apologize to survivors everywhere and all those hurt by this reprehensible attack.” Illinois first lady MK Pritzker said she donated THEADVOCATE.COM/SUBSCRIBE $500,000 to Acton’s cam-

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Vance voices support The Ramaswamy campaign video features Acton’s birth mother, Donna Arthur, calling her “a liar” and insinuating she has mental health issues. Acton, Ohio’s COVID19-era health director, has made no secret of facing homelessness and abuse as a child. Arthur lost custody of

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A 71-year-old man was killed early Thursday morning after a self-driving Tesla struck him as he was crossing Interstate 80 in Vallejo, the California Highway Patrol said. Ofﬁcers responded to a report of a crash on the westbound freeway around 2:35 a.m. Thursday, CHP said. When emergency responders arrived, they found the

man’s injuries had been fatal. The Tesla driver, a 26-yearold man from San Francisco, told authorities the vehicle had been operating in full self-driving autonomous mode at the time of the crash, CHP said. The driver “was cooperative and remained on scene,” CHP said, and provided officers with footage of the crash captured on the Tesla’s dashboard camera. CHP said its preliminary review of the video shows the

Tesla traveling in the second lane at about 70 mph, when the man walked into the freeway from its right shoulder. He began crossing freeway lanes toward the center divide, stepping directly into the Tesla’s path. The video captures the brakes being applied and the car veering left to attempt to swerve around the pedestrian, CHP said. “Despite these evasive actions, the right front portion of the Tesla struck the individual,” CHP said.

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10A ■ Friday, October 23, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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LSU to increase game day safety Stricter measures include crowd control BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer

After a brawl following LSU’s homecoming game Saturday that ended with the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Ofﬁce deploying pepper balls, LSU is ramping up crowd control on game days. “I want to be clear that the behavior I witnessed this weekend is

unacceptable and does not reﬂect the excellence that LSU strives to demonstrate in all we do,” LSU President Wade Rousse said in a statement Thursday. “Everyone attending an LSU football game should be able to enjoy the traditions that make Tiger fans proud.” The stricter measures will include enhanced foot and mobile patrols, with more intense moni-

toring of locations known for large gatherings. LSU will also establish “CLEAR distinctions” between what the university calls traditional tailgating and largescale gatherings with DJs and live bands that arise during and after game time, a statement from the university said. The statement emphasized that student tailgates must end one hour before kickoff. People who violate LSU policy or the law may “face removal

from campus,” with university disciplinary action or criminal enforcement where applicable, the statement said. The university will also focus on maintaining safe pedestrian routes and enhancing reporting resources for those who observe dangerous behavior, the statement said. “I recognize that large, uncontrolled crowds and disruptive behavior can negatively impact an

otherwise enjoyable experience for fans, and that has to stop, now,” Rousse said. “The overwhelming majority of our visitors to campus simply want to enjoy LSU with their family and friends.” The ﬁght broke out between several women around 4:30 p.m. Saturday and was encouraged by the crowd, police said. The incident occurred near the Enchanted Forest, Pentagon and Greek Theater, according to LSU.

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STAFF PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON

A skateboarder spins around at the top of a ramp at BREC’s Extreme Sports skate park at the Perkins Road Community Park in Baton Rouge on Saturday.

St. Francisville man accused in case of missing excavator The man who was a suspect in the disappearances of two women is facing a new charge after a missing excavator was found near his property. Thomas Morris, 44, was charged on a count of illegal possession of stolen things over $25,000 after an excavator — a machine used for digging — was found CRIME on his acquaintance’s property. BLOTTER Morris was already staff incarcerated in the reports West Feliciana Jail on a count of second-degree kidnapping, false imprisonment and illegal possession of a stolen ﬁrearm. West Feliciana Parish Sheriff Brian Spillman said the Baton Rouge Water Co. reported the excavator missing at the same time Morris was working there. According to the bill of information, Morris knew or had good reason to believe the excavator was stolen and was worth over $25,000. Morris was previously in jail on a $500,000 bail, but that bail was revoked after the illegal possession of stolen things charge. Spillman said Morris is tied to the disappearances of Madison ReNae Allen, 32, and Stephanie Hevia, 38, who were both last seen with him. Allen

ä See BLOTTER, page 2B

Appeal declined in DA funding lawsuit Four cities won't be added to litigation

which challenged a lower-court decision against adding the four cities to Moore’s litigation, which aims to get more funding for the East Baton Rouge BY QUINN COFFMAN Parish District AttorStaff writer ney’s Office. The appeal was the Four cities in East Baton Rouge Parish — St. George, Baker, parish government’s Zachary and Central — won’t be last attempt to add other part of District Attorney Hillar parish municipalities to Moore’s ongoing lawsuit against the lawsuit, potentially Moore the city-parish alleging his office requiring them to share the burden of keeping the Disis underfunded. The Louisiana Supreme Court trict Attorney’s Office funded. declined Wednesday to hear Now, the case will likely return an appeal from the city-parish, to the district court level and

continue with the city-parish as the sole defendant. Moore sued in April to compel the city-parish to approve his latest budget request of $22.6 million, saying he had “exhausted all other avenues” to obtain the funding for his ofﬁce. In May, voters rejected by a wide margin a tax Moore pitched that would have cost the average homeowner about $5 each month. Over the summer, attorneys for the city-parish successfully

argued that other parish municipalities should join the suit as fellow defendants, and Judge Tarvald Smith ruled that those cities weren’t paying their fair share. Smith cited “fundamental fairness” as his reasoning for forcing the other cities to join. Moore has said he never wanted to drag in other cities and that the law clearly places funding responsibility on the parish alone. He won at the state 1st Circuit

ä See LAWSUIT, page 2B

Speed limit on Nicholson lowered after two deaths Boulevard to Brightside Drive. LSU student, fiancé titMallett said DOTD, local law and the city-parish fatally struck on road enforcement are reviewing additional safety

BY BLAKE LESCHBER

measures to put in place. Construction currently lines the 5000 block of Nicholson — where the The speed limit on Nicholson couple was hit — due to an inDrive near Tigerland has been progress project. The speed limit change is in lowered after an LSU student and her fiancé were fatally struck on the area where LSU student Leah Fonte and her fiancé, Shane the road this week. Rodney Mallett, public infor- Hirstius, both 21, were struck mation officer for the Louisiana early Sunday morning while Department of Transportation walking on the shoulder by a veand Development, said the speed hicle driven by 20-year-old Mia limit was lowered Wednesday ä See SPEED LIMIT, page 2B from 45 to 35 mph from Bob Pet-

Staff writer

Construction barriers line the southbound lane near the 5000 block of Nicholson Drive in Baton Rouge on Monday. STAFF PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON

2B n Friday, October 23, 2026 n theadvocate.com n The Advocate

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Proposed RV park courts SpaceX workers Property in Vermilion Parish pending regulations

BY KRISTIN ASKELSON Staff writer

A proposed RV park near Kaplan is already advertising monthly spaces to workers expected to build SpaceX’s proposed $100 billion spaceport in coastal Vermilion Parish, adding a new dimension to the parish’s debate over how to regulate RV parks ahead of the anticipated development boom. The Rocket Farm, a proposed “contractor campground” on Farmer Road about 30 miles from the planned launch site, is advertising 17 RV spaces, including 14 for monthly rentals. The business is accepting reservations for $700 a month and marketing the property specifically to contractors working on the spaceport. “Your Home Base 30 Miles From

the Pad — Built for the Crews Building the Future,” the business says on its website. The property is being marketed as a long-term campground with full-hookup RV sites, metered electricity, level pull-through pads and free Starlink Wi-Fi. It offers multi-spot RV lot leases specifically tailored for industrial subcontractors and SpaceX crews. The website also touts the location’s proximity to downtown Kaplan. But the land sale for the proposed park has not closed and remains pending. Brison McPhail, identified as the owner in Louisiana Secretary of State business records, lists the property’s address as his own. The business was filed with the Secretary of State on Sept. 23. The plans come as the Vermilion Parish Police Jury considers new regulations for RV parks, including a proposed 50-space limit and a requirement that parks bordering residential neighborhoods install privacy fencing at their own expense. The measures remain under con-

sideration as jurors weigh how to accommodate anticipated growth while preserving the parish’s longstanding approach of allowing development in unincorporated areas without traditional zoning restrictions. The proposed SpaceX spaceport could bring thousands of construction workers and high-paying jobs to the region, increasing demand for housing and putting pressure on roads and other public infrastructure. Parish Administrator Keith Roy has argued that limits on RV parks are needed to protect neighboring property owners and prevent trafﬁc problems as new parks are developed. “Do you really want hundreds of RVs next to your house?” Roy asked during an earlier discussion of the proposal. “You need to protect the future for landowners as well. If everybody’s trying to go into the same spot, it’s going to block off trafﬁc.” The proposed ordinance would prohibit RV parks from offering

more than 50 on-site spaces and require privacy fencing for parks next to residential neighborhoods. Jurors have also been reviewing RV regulations in neighboring areas, including Cameron Parish, to see how other communities handle camper density and conﬂicts with nearby landowners. The proposal has drawn objections from jurors who question whether the parish should impose restrictions on one type of development while leaving other land uses largely unregulated. Council member Scott Broussard, a critic of the proposal, questioned whether residential subdivisions would face similar limits. “If they put up a subdivision, are we going to tell them how many houses they’re allowed to put up?” Broussard asked. Broussard also argued that developers building new subdivisions near existing RV parks should be responsible for installing privacy fences if they want them. “They come in developing knowing that there’s an RV park next

door,” he said. “It’s really on them to build that privacy fence if they want it.” Broussard has argued that the parish’s lack of zoning restrictions is part of what makes it attractive to businesses such as SpaceX. A 2014 parish resiliency report discussed the possibility of introducing zoning ordinances in unincorporated areas, but the parish ultimately did not pursue those plans. The potential spaceport development has renewed questions about whether the parish has the regulations and staffing needed to manage a surge in construction and new businesses. The parish’s permit office, for example, is staffed by one person. “One person’s definitely not going to be enough to staff that office,” Broussard said during an earlier discussion. “The time to get things together is now.” The Police Jury has not finalized the proposed RV park regulations. Email Kristin Askelson at kaskelson@theadvocate.com.

Four N.O. restaurants now have Michelin Stars Many more get new honors

BY IAN McNULTY Staff writer

The constellation of Michelin Stars in New Orleans has shifted and expanded. Michelin released its 2026 guide Wednesday night during an event in Nashville, doling out its coveted stars and a larger selection of “recommended restaurants” and Bib Gourmand restaurants rated for good value. The regional American South guide now includes 265 restaurants over a six-state area, including Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. Dakar NOLA, the Senegalese tasting menu restaurant that started as a communal pop-up just a few years ago, earned its ﬁrst star rating. “Food is a language for me, that’s how I communicate with the world,” said Dakar NOLA chef and co-owner Serigne Mbaye from the stage in Nashville. “We cook to nurture the world. That’s the … reason why we do it,” he said. The restaurant from Mbaye and business partner Efﬁe Richardson is unique and has been a magnet for national and international accolades, practically since opening. It made a big step this year with a new location to rise to the next level. Michelin took note. Among the oldest and most prestigious of dining awards, the Michelin Guide announced the accolades during a live event at Nashville’s Pinnacle music hall,

where many chefs, restaurateurs and staff gathered. This is the second year for Michelin’s regional guide for the American South, which is updated annually. In the Michelin system, restaurants can gain or lose recognition from year to year, building suspense for the annual reveal. There are now 38 New Orleans restaurants across a broad range of styles that are included in the Michelin Guide, up from 32 last year. Local restaurants that retained previous star rankings are SaintGermain and Zasu, each at one star, and Emeril’s Restaurant, at two stars — the only two-star rated restaurant in the American South guide. Dakar NOLA was one of just three new restaurants in the region to join the guide at the onestar level. The others are Uberto Restaurant in Gay, Georgia, and So. Fox in Atlanta. One category is “recommended” restaurants, which are endorsed by Michelin but not at the star level or with the value proposition of a Bib Gourmand winner. Six New Orleans restaurants were added to the recommended list, joining 17 that made the list in 2025 (one from last year’s list, 34 Restaurant & Bar, subsequently closed). The new additions are: n Casimiro, the casual Mexican breakfast and lunch cafe in the Bywater n Crustacean Club, the seafood tasting menu in the French Quarter n Evviva, the Italian restaurant in Faubourg Marigny n Feliciana, the French restaurant in Covington

n Jewel of the South, the upscale tavern in the French Quarter n Saint Claire, the French/ Louisiana restaurant in Algiers. In addition, Maringouin in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, was added to the recommended list. Another level is Bib Gourmand, an award for what Michelin calls “simpler style of cooking” at the “best value for money restaurants.” One New Orleans restaurant joined the 11 listed in the ﬁrst year: Safta’s Table, the neighborhood Mediterranean restaurant from chef Alon Shaya and his Pomegranate Hospitality company, which opened earlier this year. His other restaurant, Saba, retained its listing on the Bib Gourmand list. Regionally, Elsie’s Plate & Pie in Baton Rouge and St. Francisville Inn & Restaurant in St. Francisville were again on the recommended list. On the Gulf Coast, The Noble South in downtown Mobile is on the Bib Gourmand list again, while in coastal Mississippi White Pillars in Biloxi and the tasting menu restaurant Vestige in Ocean Springs were on the recommended list once more.

How Michelin works Michelin stars and reviews were created a century ago by the French tire company of the same name. They were a European institution until relatively recently, when a global expansion began. The first U.S. guide, for New York, appeared in 2005. Since then, its range has been gradually expanding one state or group of

cities at a time. The brand now partners with city and state tourism agencies and other groups to help finance its work. It selects areas to expand coverage based on this backing and its own assessment that an area has enough destination-worthy restaurants. That practice has drawn some criticism in the industry, though Michelin has maintained that once it enters a market, its culinary judgments and editorial decisions remain independent. New Orleans & Co., the city’s tourism sales and market agency, and the Louisiana Office of Tourism are two of the local groups from the region that partnered with Michelin on the new guide, providing financial support. The Michelin Guide explains that restaurants are assessed for stars on five criteria: “quality products; the harmony of flavors; the mastery of cooking techniques; the voice and personality of the chef as reflected in the cuisine; consistency between each visit and throughout the menu.” This Michelin Guide American South covers restaurants in a sixstate area: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Atlanta restaurants, which Michelin has covered since 2023, are also now grouped in this guide. Bib Gourmand restaurants in New Orleans: n Acamaya (modern Mexican) n Cochon (modern Cajun) n Cochon Butcher (sandwiches and charcuterie) n Domilise’s Po-Boys & Bar (poboys)

Abby Lee Miller to lead dance workshop in Baton Rouge is headed to Louisiana to lead walk through the steps of a profesTickets range from $39 to $99 Choreographer known ity a dancers workshop, hosted by sional audition, and give you the leg with four options: VIP Dancer, Dance Project. Miller up you need to stand out from the Dancer, VIP Observer and Dancer for TV appearances Cangelosi will lead dancers in a warmup and competition.” Observer. Separate tickets are also

BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer

Abby Lee Miller of “Dance Moms” fame is coming to Baton Rouge. Do you have what it takes to get to the top of the pyramid? The dance instructor, choreographer and television personal-

SPEED LIMIT Continued from page 1B

Dawson. Fonte was pronounced dead at the scene, while Hirstius was transported to a hospital in

BLOTTER

Continued from page 1B is believed to have gone missing in November 2023, while Hevia was last seen in March 2025 in St. Francisville. Deputies and other agencies searched Morris’ West Feliciana property for eight days. They found no human remains but submitted potential evidence for analysis. Evidence was also found at his house in Zachary. On July 19, deputies responded to a St. Francisville store where a woman reported that she was

combination routine from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 1 at Thrive Academy, 2585 Brightside Drive. Miller shared a post on Instagram to announce the event. “I’ll see you all for my dance class and Abby Lee Spills the Tea,” the post states. “Whether you’re a fan or a dancer, we’re going to learn,

The class is open to dancers ages 8 to 22 across all levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced. Every dancer will be given the opportunity to take a photograph with Miller and learn all of her top audition secrets in class. She’ll go over warmup, acrobatics, technique and more.

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

critical condition and died. Police said Dawson was driving south on Nicholson Drive in a 2016 Nissan Rogue when the vehicle veered off the roadway and struck the two pedestrians. She drove away from the scene and parked at the Circle K on Bright-

side Drive. She then contacted police about being involved in a crash but did not provide an accurate account of the crash, authorities said. Dawson was arrested and booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on counts of oper-

ating a vehicle while intoxicated, reckless operation of a vehicle, hit and run resulting in serious bodily injury or death, vehicular homicide and vehicular negligent injuring. She appeared Monday in the 19th Judicial District Court, and her bail was set at $229,000.

taken against her will from MonOn May 12, 2024, police were tana to St. Francisville, and Mor- dispatched to 2779 N. Lark St. in ris would not let her leave or use reference to a call from a witness in Texas who said a woman was her phone. shot. When they arrived, officers entered and detected a foul odor. Police then found the body of an unknown woman in the advanced A man accused of killing a wom- stages of decomposition on the an in 2024 allegedly video-called a living room floor. Detectives witness after the incident, show- said they found dry blood on the floors, one shell casing and one ing the victim’s body. Joseph Solar III, 37, was arrest- live round, but no gun. The woman ed by U.S. marshals and booked was later identified through fininto the East Baton Rouge Parish gerprints as Bridget Boutwell, 37. Prison on a count each of manThe witness told police that Soslaughter, obstruction of justice lar contacted him via video call in and failure to report the commis- the first week of May 2024 to show him that Boutwell was dead with a sion of certain felonies.

gunshot wound to the neck. Solar traveled to Texas about two weeks later and told the witness that the shooting was an accident, and he had discarded the gun somewhere in Texas, according to the arrest affidavit. On Sept. 2, 2026, police were given a video recording of Solar and the witness. In the video, Solar shows Boutwell’s body lying on the floor with a gunshot wound to the neck, and she was still recognizable as a human being, police said. Solar has a criminal history including aggravated battery, aggravated assault with a firearm and domestic abuse, police said.

Man accused of killing woman in 2024

available for an “Abby Lee Spills The Tea” Q&A event. Dance teachers who bring eight students or more will attend for free. Visit events.leapevents.com/ event/baton1 for more information.

n Dooky Chase’s Restaurant (Creole) n Hungry Eyes (modern eclectic) n LUFU NOLA (Indian) n Mister Mao (pan Asian) n Parkway Bakery & Tavern (poboys) n Saba (modern Israeli) n Safta’s Table (Mediterranean) n Turkey and the Wolf (sandwiches) n Michelin-recommended restaurants in New Orleans n Addis NOLA (Ethiopian) n Atchafalaya (contemporary Creole) n August (contemporary Creole) n Casimiro (Mexican) n Clancy’s (Creole) n Compère Lapin (modern Caribbean) n Crustacean Club (seafood tasting menu) n Evviva (Italian) n Feliciana (French) n Galatoire’s (French Creole) n Herbsaint (modern American/ Louisiana) n Jewel of the South (Louisiana) n Killer Po-boys (sandwiches) n The Kingsway (Asian prix ﬁxe) n La Petite Grocery (contemporary Creole) n Molly’s Rise and Shine (breakfast) n Osteria Lupo (regional Italian) n Patois (contemporary Creole) n Pêche Seafood Grill (seafood) n Saffron NOLA (upscale Indian) n Saint Claire (French/Louisiana) n • Willie Mae’s NOLA (Creole).

Email Ian McNulty at imcnulty@ theadvocate.com.

LAWSUIT

Continued from page 1B Court of Appeal in August, with the judges panel saying that state law places a mandatory duty on the parish government to fund the District Attorney’s Office but does not place that same duty onto municipalities. That decision was upheld this week by the Supreme Court. Moore has repeatedly contended that his office is underfunded compared to other district attorneys in Louisiana. In recent years, the mayorpresident and Metro Council allocated additional funding — between $7 million and $8 million — to the District Attorney’s Office, though it was less than $22 million Moore said would bring him up to par with his Louisiana peers. Email Quinn Coffman at quinn.coffman@theadvocate. com.

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Video game developer BioWare shuts down

Video game publisher Electronic Arts is shutting down the popular and influential game development studio BioWare after more than three decades. The upcoming “Mass Effect” game, the fifth since 2007, has been canceled. BioWare announced the closure on social media Wednesday following a report by Bloomberg that also said the company is laying off 400 people, including about 50 at BioWare. The Redwood Shores, California-based maker of popular titles like “Battlefield” and “The Sims” closed the $55 billion sale of its business to Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund PIF, investment firm Silver Lake Partners and Affinity Partners, which is run by President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, in August. Representatives for EA did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on the layoffs. “What generations of BioWare built together is something to celebrate and remember,” the studio said via social media. “These games became so much more because you played them, debated your choices, fell in love with characters, and made these worlds your own.” BioWare built its reputation on immersive role-playing adventures, from sword-and-sorcery fantasies like “Baldur’s Gate” and “Dragon Age” to science fiction epics like “Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic” and “Mass Effect.” But its effort to branch out into multiplayer shooters, 2019’s “Anthem,” steered away from the studio’s strength as a creator of compelling single-player narratives. It failed to find the sort of loyal audience that keeps online hits like “Fortnite” and “Overwatch” humming.

Comcast planning significant jobs cuts

Comcast Corp. is planning a significant number of job cuts as part of an overall restructuring of its cable-TV, broadband and wireless businesses, according to people familiar with the company’s thinking. The reorganization is designed to put Comcast in a stronger position to operate as an independent company after it spins off the NBCUniversal businesses next year, said the people, who asked to not be identified because the plans haven’t been made public. The cuts, which could start to be announced in a matter of weeks, are aimed at creating a more nimble workforce and freeing up cash to invest in more growth opportunities, among other long-term goals. The Philadelphia-based media and telecom conglomerate has been losing cable-TV subscribers for some time as customers cut the cord in favor of streaming options. More recently, Comcast has also been shedding internet customers with rivals such as AT&T Inc., T-Mobile US Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. pushing attractively priced fiber optic or fixed wireless connections.

Las Vegas Strip signs: Tipping not required

Digital marquees on the Las Vegas Strip have a new message: “When watching a performance or taking a photo, tipping is not required.” The signs from Clark County are being put up for “public safety,” said a representative from the county. Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft , directed visitors to look for nearby law enforcement or call 911 if they felt harassed in an X post on Saturday. Street performers and costumed individuals have been a mainstay on the Strip, looking to tourists to kick over extra cash for watching a performance or taking a picture with them. Recently, showgirl impersonators on the Strip became the subject of a viral video after a picture led to a brawl.

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Insurance costs continue to climb Survey shows American workers paying more than last year

BY FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press

WASHINGTON — People who rely on employer-sponsored health insurance paid more for their coverage this year, with employees at small businesses and their employers especially squeezed by the surging costs, according to a new survey by healthcare research nonproﬁt KFF. The 2026 Employer Health Benefits Survey, released Thursday, found that covered workers were paying hundreds of dollars more toward their premiums this year compared with last year. The costs

were particularly pronounced for employees at small businesses made up of 10 to 99 workers who typically shoulder a larger share of their insurance costs than those at bigger companies. Rising healthcare costs have emerged as an important issue for voters in the midterm elections and are part of broader affordability concerns. An AP-NORC poll conducted in October found that about 7 in 10 registered voters call healthcare “one of the most important issues” in this election. Almost 157 million Americans under retirement age rely on employer-sponsored healthcare coverage. According to the KFF study, employers report that workers are paying on average $7,471 annually toward the premiums for employer-sponsored family health ben-

eﬁts this year, which is up roughly 9%, or $621, from last year. “Workers are paying a bigger chunk this year,” said Matthew Rae, associate director of KFF’s Program on the Health Care Marketplace, “which also brings up the issue of affordability.” President Donald Trump has tried to make healthcare affordability part of his midterms pitch, saying that his most-favored nation prescription drug pricing would reduce costs and promising rebates for some Americans. But other steps taken by Trump’s Republican administration have raised costs for some, and the survey indicates that many are seeing their health insurance expenses climb without clear improvements in beneﬁts. The impact could be felt more

acutely among small businesses, which employ roughly 62.3 million people, or 45.9% of private-sector workers, according to the Small Business Administration. Covered workers at smaller firms contributed an average of $9,687 in 2026 toward family coverage, compared with $6,840 at firms with 200 or more workers, the survey says. In 2025, they paid roughly $8,900, compared with about $6,200 for larger firms, the report said. The survey found that covered workers at smaller firms contribute an average of 37% of the premium for family coverage, compared with 25% at larger firms. And 32% of covered workers at small firms are enrolled in plans in which they must pay more than half the family premium, compared with just 6% at larger companies.

Sharp drops for AI stocks overwhelm markets worldwide as oil prices jump Meta says it hit 'major milestones'

BY STAN CHOE and ALEX VEIGA AP business writers

NEW YORK — The latest shudder for stocks in the artificial-intelligence industry pulled markets lower worldwide on Thursday, while oil prices hit their highest levels since May on worries about the war with Iran. The weakness for tech stocks was so overwhelming that it masked strength for the rest of the U.S. market, where the majority of stocks actually rose. AI-related stocks have been swinging on worries that their boom may be under threat because of how expensive it’s become to borrow money to build data centers and buy more AI chips. Lam Research, whose equipment and services help make semiconductors, reported gains in profit and revenue for the summer that were slightly stronger than analysts expected, for example. Usually, that helps boost a stock’s price, but Lam Research’s tumbled 11.8%. The global tide against AI stocks knocked Nvidia down 4.4%. Because the chip giant is the largest company on Wall Street by total value, movements for its stock carry more weight on the S&P 500 than any other, and it was the single strongest force pulling the index lower. CoreWeave, which has borrowed money to buy Nvidia’s AI chips that it rents out to customers over the cloud, has been particularly shaky in recent weeks because of worries about its debt. It dropped 10.1%. The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil leaped 4% to $113.17 after touching its highest level in five months. It’s shot up from less than $97 at the start of the month on uncertainty about when the war with Iran will allow the global energy industry to return to normal. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury tumbled to 4.97% from 5.13% late Wednesday and from more than 5.30% earlier this month. That’s a major move for the bond market. Thursday’s drop in yields came even as another report suggested the U.S. economy may be doing better than economists expected. It said fewer U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week, which

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO BY JEFF CHIU

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks during the Meta Connect conference Sept. 23 in Menlo Park, Calif. Zuckerberg said this week that more than 10 million people in the U.S. and Canada have set up accounts for Muse.

business is strong, and we’re seeing velocity across the board.” Meta said the number of daily active users on its “family of apps” — Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp — grew 3% from a year earlier to an average of 3.64 billion. And during a call with analysts, ZuckerMeta earnings berg noted that more than 10 million people Meta Platforms lost 7% after reporting in the U.S. and Canada have set up accounts stronger revenue for the latest quarter for Muse, the personal artificial intelligence than analysts expected, though its profit fell agent the company launched in August. short. The company behind Facebook and Instagram also said it’s creating a new class Mortgage rates fall of stock to raise money to pay for AI investMortgage rates fell this week for the first time since late August, easing some of the ments and other expenses. Meta reported net income of $9.86 billion, pressure on prospective homebuyers facing or $3.83 per share, for the July-September higher borrowing costs on home loans. The benchmark 30-year fixed-rate mortperiod. Revenue grew 26% to $64.60 billion, up from $51.24 billion in the prior-year quar- gage dropped to 7.32% from 7.40% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. ter . “We hit major milestones this quarter to- One year ago, the average rate was 6.19%. Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate ward delivering personal superintelligence for everyone — including launching Muse mortgages, often sought by borrowers refiand Muse Wonder, our first frontier model,” nancing a home loan, also eased this week. said CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a statement. That average rate slipped to 6.68% from “Our investments are paying off, the core 6.71% last week. A year ago, it was at 5.44%.

could signal that layoffs remain low across the country. Procter & Gamble, Lockheed Martin and CSX were among the latest companies to join the list of those topping proﬁt expectations for the summer, and gains for their stocks helped limit the market’s losses Thursday.

Cheese revenue lost as protest torpedoes output

enough to end the protest. “Yesterday, no mozzarella was sures to help truckers and farmers Italy’s production of The disruption is particularly produced,” Saccani said, explain- face higher fuel costs, bringing ﬁbuffalo mozzarella halted damaging to buffalo mozzarella ing it was a “3 million-euro block nancial aid to those two groups to a

BY GIADA ZAMPANO Associated Press

ROME — A truckers’ protest in southern Italy has halted the production of the famed buffalo mozzarella, causing an estimated loss of 3 million euros in just 24 hours as the milk cannot reach dairies in the Naples region and the ﬁnished cheese cannot reach customers, an ofﬁcial said. The weeklong strike by truck drivers over the high cost of diesel driven up by the Iran war has also blocked deliveries of other basic goods to supermarkets and left gas pumps empty in much of southern Italy. The government approved new tax breaks for truckers Thursday, but it was too early to tell whether they were

because the production of the protected cheese depends on a tightly timed supply chain. Buffaloes have to be milked regardless of whether dairies are operating, while production rules require that their milk be turned into mozzarella within 60 hours. Buffalo mozzarella is softer, creamier and richer than cow’smilk mozzarella. Pier Maria Saccani, director of the Consortium for the Protection of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP, said that about 1 million liters of buffalo milk produced on Wednesday couldn’t be turned into mozzarella because of the transport blockade. The consortium oversees production standards and protects the designation of origin of the cheese in Italy and abroad.

in 24 hours” — a loss of about 3.4 million dollars. Farmers typically have only enough capacity to hold the fresh milk until dairy trucks collect it and cannot store large quantities for extended periods. “So this blockade has obviously caused panic among farmers, who say, ‘Where are we going to put it?’” Saccani added. The dairies making mozzarella cannot afford to accumulate a highly perishable product if trucks are unable to deliver it to customers. Several dairies have remained closed as a result, Saccani said, describing the situation as a “complete production blockade.” During an extraordinary Cabinet meeting on Thursday, the Italian government led by Premier Giorgia Meloni approved new mea-

combined 540 million euros in tax credits, up from 434 million euros. Some farmers have resorted to feeding part of the unused milk to their animals because they have nowhere to send it, Saccani said, adding that the transport disruption is also threatening supplies of animal feed and diesel needed to keep farms operating. “It’s a very, very complex and delicate situation,” he said. Buffalo mozzarella is an important industry in the Campania region, where the city of Naples is located, and in neighboring areas of southern Italy. Saccani said that in 2025, the production of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP totaled just under 58,000 metric tons, with about 37% of production exported. France is its largest foreign market.

4B ■ Friday, October 23, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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Obituaries Baham, Marie Cutrer

Marie Cutrer Baham passed away on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at the age of 91. She is survived by her sons, David Michael Baham of Houston, TX, and Ralph Nolan Baham of Dallas, TX. Marie is preceded in death by her husband, Oner J. Baham; daughter, Janice Baham Fetty; parents, Elbert Cutrer and Leona Cutrer; siblings, Velma Chapman, Clarice Bahm, Ruth Dykes, Albert Cutrer, and Ambrose Cutrer; and numerous nieces, nephews, and friends. Visitation will be at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, 445 Marquette Ave., Baton Rouge, LA, on Saturday, October 24, 2026, from 9am until the Mass of Christian Burial at 10am. Burial will immediately follow at Greenoaks Memorial Park. The family would like to extend a special thanks to her friends and caregivers at Heritage Manor, for taking care of our mother for the last five years.

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1941, in Lafayette, Louisiana, passed away peacefully on October 15, 2026, at age 85. A devoted mother, Mere, and GrandMere, she shared a lifetime of faith, laughter, and unconditional love for her family. The beloved wife of the late Leon Rudolph Fabre Sr., Maddie was the loving mother of Jackie Melancon (Glenn) of Sherman, Texas; Brian Fabre (Andrea); Michelle Boudreaux (Tim); and the late Lee Fabre. She leaves behind ten grandchildren, seven greatgrandchildren, and five siblings who will cherish her memory.

A 1959 graduate of Mt. Carmel Academy in Lafayette, Maddie devoted her life to serving others. As a kindergarten teacher at Luling Elementary School, she made learning joyful and secured grants for a mentoring program supporting positive male role models. She also served faithfully at Holy Family Catholic Church, earning the Archdiocese of New Orleans' Order of St. Louis IX Award. In retirement, she volunteered at St. Charles Parish Hospital's gift shop and supported student scholarships through bake sales. Maddie expressed her love through cooking and gathering family around the table. Her kitchen was a place of delicious food, laughter, storytelling, and cherished Cajun traditions. Guided by her faith, she fed the hungry, welcomed strangers, comforted the sick, and lifted spirits with her humor and kindness. Her legacy of faith, generosity, and devotion to family will live on in all who knew her. Visitation and Funeral Mass will be held Saturday, October 24, at Holy Family Catholic Church in Luling. The Rosary begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by visitation until 11 a.m. and Funeral Mass at 11 a.m. Interment will be Monday, October 26, at 11 a.m. at Calvary Cemetery in Lafayette.

wife Jayla, Abby Genre Madere and husband Ian, Anna Thibodeaux, and Mary Beth Thibodeaux; great-nephew and nieces, Ashton Genre, Ava Genre and Elizabeth Alleman. Paul was preceded in death by his parents, Alfred "Al" and Virgie Gilbert Genre. Paul was a member of the Knights of Columbus Council 2875 in Port Allen. Paul was an alumni of Holy Family Catholic School, Port Allen High and LSU. He was an avid LSU fan. Paul loved his family, music, and was passionate about cooking for others. He had a great sense of humor that will be missed by all who knew him. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Holy Family Church or School.

Riley, Julian

Entered into eternal rest at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center on October 6, 2026. He was a 19-year-old native and resident of Zachary, Louisiana. Viewing at Union Antioch Baptist Church on Saturday, October 24, 2026 at 9:00 am until Celebration of Life Service at 11:00 am conducted by Pastor Benjamin Groover; interment at Azalea Rest Cemetery. Survivors include his parents, Sierra Coates(Lance Davis) and Julian Riley, Sr.; other relatives and friends.

Shields, Sarah Marie

Sarah Marie Shields passed away on July 10, 2026, age 67, at her home in San Franciso, CA. She was a graduate of Stanford Law School; spending her career in the area of environmental law. Sarah had a keen interest in art, which provided a beautiful balance to a rigorous legal career. She will be remembered not only as a formidable advocate for the environment but as a true connoisseur of life and creativity. She was preceded in death by her parents, Adam and Nancy (Small) Shields. She is survived by her siblings: Mike (Sandy) Shields, Tim (Kathy Holmes) Shields, and Jennifer Shields; nieces Lisa (Joshua) Major and Iris Holmes (Mike Grundler) and great-nephew Gavin (Spirit) Mitchell. A private celebration of life will be held on October 24, 2026 in Centreville, MS. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Parkinson's Foundation in her honor.

When you need the news

Thomas, Sean

Sean Thomas, 59, passed away on October 17, 2026. Born December 17, 1966, Sean lived in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. A man of steady devotion

Genre, Paul G.

How to place an Obituary Notice

Bourg, April Lynette

EMAIL:

obits@theadvocate.com OR CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION:

April Lynette Bourg, born on February 23, 1971, to Clay Mark Bourg, Jr. and Cynthia Johnson Bourg, was a native and lifelong resident of Port Allen, Louisiana. She passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at Baton Rouge General Bluebonnet. Visitation will be at Wilbert Funeral Home in Port Allen on Sunday, October 25th, from 2 p.m. until religious services at 4 p.m., conducted by Rev. Ritchie Edmonds. Cremation will follow. April is survived by her daughters, Christyl Bourg Pearce and her husband, Kyle, and Baylee Angelle Rabalais and her husband, Connor; her mother, Cynthia Johnson Bourg; her cherished grandchildren, Kason and Korbyn Pearce; her sister, Bridgette Bourg Langlois and her husband, Michael; and her brother, Clay "Trés" Bourg, III, and his wife, Jamie. She was blessed with numerous nieces and nephews whom she loved dearly. April was preceded in death by her beloved father, Clay Mark Bourg, Jr.; her paternal grandparents, Clay Mark Bourg, Sr. and Juette Fussell Bourg; and her maternal grandparents, Mary Lou Johnson and James Richard Johnson. Visit www.wilbertservices.com to view obit and guest book.

Paul G. Genre passed away at his home in Denham Springs on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at the age of 62. He was a native of Port Allen. Paul was a Center of Plate (COP) Specialist Category Manager with Performance Food Group. Visitation will be at Holy Family Catholic Church in Port Allen on Saturday, October 24th, from 8:30 a.m. until Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m., celebrated by Rev. Jerry Martin. Entombment will follow in St. John the Baptist Catholic Church Mausoleum in Brusly. Pallbearers will be Jim Arceneaux, Taylor Sarradet, Kirby "Joey" Thibodeaux Jr, John Graff, Adam Genre and Bruce LeJeune. Paul is survived by his two sons, Tyler Richard Genre and Andrew Paul Genre; siblings, Adrian R. Genre and wife Tonya, Alison G. Thibodeaux and husband Kirby "Joey" Jr; nieces and nephews, Adam Genre and

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

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and dependable strength, Sean was known for his outgoing spirit, his tireless work ethic, and the way he could bring laughter into any room. He believed in showing up—especially for those he loved—and his presence was a source of comfort and confidence in every season of life. His humor, resilience, and unwavering love left a lasting mark on all who knew him, and the memories he created will be held close for years to come. Sean is survived by two daughters: Ashley Taylor and her spouse Dustin Taylor, and Victoria Thomas and her partner Colby Leger; and their mother D'Wanda Thomas. He is also survived by three grandchildren: Dylan Woods, Adalyn Woods, and Hudson Taylor; his brother Andrew Thomas and his spouse Tonya Thomas; his nephew Chase Thomas and his partner Brianna Montou; his mother Beryl Thomas; cousins in England and South Carolina and his beloved dog Bandit, who he loved very much. Visitation will be held at Greenoaks Funeral Home on October 24, 2026, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. A re-

ception will follow at Greenoaks Reception Center beginning at 2:00 pm. Though Sean will be deeply missed, the love he gave and the laughter he shared will endure. His lessons, his steadfast heart, and his spirit will be carried forward by those who loved him—forever loved, forever missed, and never forgotten.

Toussaint; children, Jordan (Tamron) Toussaint, Charity Jones, Faith Jones, and Blake (Jessica) Holloway; siblings, Aundria Toussaint and Ernest (Rosalyn) Toussaint; and his 9 beloved grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his father, Ernest Toussaint, Jr., as well as his paternal and maternal grandparents. Derrick enjoyed golfing, fishing, dining locally with his wife, family, fellowship with his church family and traveling.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Friday, October 23, 2026 ■ 5B

Toussaint, Derrick

Derrick Toussaint, loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend, passed away with his family at Lane Memorial on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at the age of 58. He was a resident of Zachary, LA, and a native of Baton Rouge, LA. Funeral services will be held Thursday, October 29, at Oasis Christian Church at 10:00 AM. Viewing will take place prior to the service from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM. Derrick is survived by his loving wife, Theresa Toussaint; mother, Joyce

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

Cassidy should block FDA’s evasive nominee

aimed at changing childhood vacOn Sept. 24, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions cine recommendations, including Committee held its first a call to give the measles, hearing on Dr. Heidi mumps and rubella vacOverton, President Doncine as three separate shots. She called the order ald Trump’s nominee to “a historic action.” lead the Food and Drug There is no medical case Administration. U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, Margot for those changes. Decades who chairs the commitAnderson of research show the MMR vaccine is safe and effectee, rightly questioned GUEST her about her record, her tive. Splitting it up adds COLUMNIST views and how she would red tape and costs for famirun the agency. He could lies, creates more doctor be a deciding vote on whether she visits and undermines trust in a is confirmed. As a physician here vaccine that works. in Louisiana, I urge him to reject And it comes as measles outher nomination. breaks across the country are the The FDA’s decisions reach my worst in more than three decades. patients every day. We rely on Doctors are already working to them to keep our food supply rebuild confidence in vaccines, safe, which especially matters in and we need an FDA commisa state like ours where food is so sioner who will help, not one who central to our culture and econcreates more confusion. Cassidy, himself a physician, omy. We count on them to make sure the medicines we prescribe, has seen this. Before the hearing, he said publicly that Overton’s acthe vaccines we recommend and the devices we use are safe and tive role in the vaccine order calls effective. And we trust that their into question her commitment to decisions will follow the evidence, sound science and to protecting not politics. children’s health, and that this That is why Overton’s record is alone is “almost disqualifying.” extremely concerning. I agree. She recently stood beside the The hearing did little to nothing president in the Oval Office as he to alleviate those concerns. When announced an executive order Cassidy asked Overton what she’d

this administration.” We’ll find out in time if he’s right. But for now we know that legacies are shaped by choices, and as Cassidy prepares to leave office at the end of this term, I hope he’ll consider his legacy. He voted to confirm Kennedy as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services even after expressing his concerns, ultimately helping to install him as part of an administration that has failed to stanch a deadly measles outbreak. Confirming a commissioner who further undermines vaccine access would only make that legacy worse. I appreciate that Cassidy has ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY MARIAM ZUHAIB already raised his concerns about Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, talks with Dr. Heidi Overton before Overton and asked some tough her nomination hearing to become the commissioner of Food and Drug questions. But I hope he’ll look Administration at the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions past her answers, or rather her (HELP) Committee on Capitol Hill on Sept. 24. non-answers, remember her dangerous record on vaccines and ultimately vote against this do if Trump or Health and Human Throughout the committee hearServices Secretary Robert F. Ken- ing, she dodged questions on criti- nomination. From one physician to another, nedy Jr. pushed her to scale back cal health issues from vaccines the childhood vaccine schedule, to tobacco and vape usage among from a constituent to my senaOverton deflected, saying she children, all while filling the time tor, I urge Cassidy to vote no on would “follow the law” and statuwith platitudes — seemingly to Overton. avoid discussing real issues. tory requirements. Cassidy recently warned that Dr. Margot Anderson is a pediatShe wouldn’t firmly say that the ongoing measles outbreak is Trump was wrong when he ric infectious disease specialist in called the MMR vaccine “lethal.” “going to be a terrible legacy for New Orleans.

When employers and educators work together, state wins

Louisiana is attracting historic levels Technical Community College has supof investment. We hear announcements ported STEM education and helped edualmost weekly: billions of dollars, new cators connect classroom learning with facilities and thousands of jobs promised the skills and technologies shaping Louisiacross energy, advanced manufacturing, ana’s workforce. technology and other industries. In northeast Louisiana, Meta is The momentum is undeniable, partnering with Louisiana Delta and so is the sense of possibility. Community College to prepare But the more important question residents for careers connected is what comes next. to its Richland Parish data center, The success of these investincluding scholarships for data ments will be measured by more Richard center-related training. In Ascension Parish, River than dollars spent or jobs anNelson Parishes Community College is nounced. It will be measured by GUEST working with Hyundai to develop whether Louisianans are prepared COLUMNIST the workforce needed for its new to seize the opportunities they cremanufacturing facility, aligning ate and build better lives because training with the skills required for adof them. For too long, talented Louisianans have vanced manufacturing. believed they had to leave home to ﬁnd The companies, industries and regions opportunity. Families have watched chilare different, but the principles are the same: Workforce development works best dren and grandchildren move elsewhere when employers and educators build the because they could not see a future for pathway together. themselves here. For many, the deciThat work means helping students see sion to stay or leave is not simply about where they would rather live. It is shaped career possibilities earlier, creating techby where they can ﬁnd the education, nical training tied to high-value employcareers and economic security to build a ment and giving working adults opporlife. tunities to build new skills and advance Today, we have a chance to change that without putting their lives on hold. story. Our colleges are uniquely positioned to Doing so will require more than attract- make those connections. They understand the communities they serve, work diing investment. Employers need skilled people, and Louisianans need clear, afrectly with employers and can respond as economic and workforce needs evolve. fordable pathways to the careers those When industry and education work investments create. together, employers gain a skilled workThe Louisiana Community & Technical College system helps connect the two. force, communities retain talented people Each year, nearly 130,000 students turn to and families gain greater economic stabilour colleges for education and training, ity. demonstrating the demand for accessible We have an extraordinary opportunity pathways to opportunity across Louisiana. to make economic growth mean someAcross our 12 colleges, partnerships thing lasting for those of us who call this with long-standing employers and comstate home. If we successfully connect education panies making major new investments and opportunity, Louisiana will gain more in Louisiana are aligning education and than a skilled workforce and a stronger training with the needs of a changing economy. More Louisianans will have the economy. In Baton Rouge, ExxonMobil and Baton freedom to choose Louisiana — not beRouge Community College have worked cause they lack alternatives, but because together to prepare residents for highthey see a future worth building here. demand industrial careers, including through the North Baton Rouge Industrial Richard Nelson is the president of the Training Initiative. In southwest LouisiLouisiana Community & Technical Colana, ExxonMobil’s work with SOWELA lege system.

With big investments come big pollution risks As Elon Musk and AI companies rushed and all aerospace companies from some to establish operations in Louisiana, you taxes and preventing Louisiana residents had to wonder: Why would some of the from suing if they are harmed by noise, world’s wealthiest companies move to a vibrations, heat exhaust and sonic booms. state that annually ranks among the naNot to be outdone, Vermilion Parish extion’s poorest, least educated and most empted SpaceX from billions in property polluted? taxes over the next 25 years in Well, those are some of the reaexchange for $25 million annually from the company. sons why. Landry and other state politiPoor states are easy targets for wealthy companies because, descians then agreed to the comperate to attract higher-paying pany’s requirement for nondisjobs, they offer dramatic incenclosure agreements so the people Bob tives like eliminating taxes and Marshall they represent will never know what other parts of their futures reducing environmental regulaGUEST were compromised. Then, to tions. But the resulting costs to COLUMNIST seal the secrecy forever, Landry human health and environmental signed another law exempting impacts can make those deals big SpaceX from public records laws. losers. And these high-tech industries are also And poorly educated populations livpolluters. ing paycheck to paycheck can be shortn Texas and the EPA fined SpaceX for sighted. Politicians often say that voters aren’t worried about what might happen repeatedly ignoring Clean Water Act in a decade; they’re worried about paying regulations and routinely discharging next month’s rent. They’re right, so they tens of thousands of gallons of industrial get reelected. wastewater laced with toxins including That combination is a reason poor mercury into adjacent wetlands. n It’s being sued for degrading surstates are always among the most polluted. America’s five most polluted states rounding wetlands in a national wildlife — Louisiana, New Mexico, Mississippi, refuge. n Records show a single SpaceX launch Arkansas and West Virginia — are also among the poorest. releases as much as 3,300 tons of methFinally, a poorly educated and economi- ane into the air and thousands of gallons cally depressed population is usually ripe of industrial wastewater into wetlands. Since 2023, it launched and tested only for the politics of demagoguery. Their 700 rockets. It plans to launch 30 a day politicians convince them that anyone — thousands a year — over the marshes against the deal really hates them, their of southwest Louisiana. What will those culture and their futures. totals be? That’s long been a winning playbook n Massive data centers under construcin Louisiana for polluting industries. Oil and gas arrived on the coast in the tion carry large environmental risks as 1930s promising riches to a poor state. well, especially to public water supplies. When the oil played out, they left behind And like SpaceX, no one is sure just what thousands of leaking wells and more than the state has given up because officials 10,000 miles of canals eviscerating the bargained for us under nondisclosure wetlands and playing a major role in our agreements. existential coastal crisis. I’m not against bringing high-tech and Petrochemical companies joined the pa- space industries to Louisiana — but only if the risks are made public and verified rade as well, gifting the state with some by independent science agencies. of the nation’s most dangerous air. Ask yourself this: Would you take mediAlong the way, attempts to stop the carnage were blocked by demagoguing cine from a doctor who signed an NDA politicians. with the drug company not to reveal its The same game plan has played out side effects? with the arrival of SpaceX and data cenEven poorly educated people with low incomes who are choking on pollution ters. And this time residents don’t know know better than that. exactly what they are giving up and how they might suffer. Bob Marshall is a Pulitzer Prize-winning Gov. Jeff Landry pushed the LegislaLouisiana environmental journalist. ture to approve laws exempting SpaceX

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The Advocate n theadvocate.com n Friday, October 23, 2026 n 7B

COMMENTARY DIALOGUE ON RACE VOTING RIGHTS AND REDISTRICTING WITH PRESS ROBINSON

‘My hopes are not the same’ Civil rights pioneer Press Robinson explains how Callais case has changed the voting landscape

Civil rights pioneer Press Robinson Sr., was the featured speaker at a recent gathering of the group Dialogue on Race Louisiana, part of a national nonprofit begun in Baton Rouge in 1994 to foster honest discussions about racism and the systems that support it. Robinson delivered remarks on voting rights and redistricting. At 89, he said he hopes a new generation can take the baton in the civil rights struggle. Maxine Crump, founder and CEO of Dialogue on Race, introduced Robinson. The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity. CRUMP: In 1957, a young college student who had just turned 21 walked into the registrar’s office carrying more than a request for a voter’s card. He carried determination. He carried the quiet belief that his voice mattered. Before he could be registered, the clerk handed him a section of the U.S. Constitution to read aloud. After only a few lines, the clerk stopped him and said, “That’s enough.” In that moment, he received his registration card, but he recognized that this practice was only used when Black citizens showed up to register to vote. He recognized the injustice. For citizens who were White, registering to vote was treated as a basic right, which it is. That day taught him something he would never forget: Voting is your voice, dignity, justice and the power of a community to be heard. He came to understand that democracy is strongest when every voice has a fair chance to speak, and every vote has a fair chance to count. The young man I just talked about became Dr. Press L. Robinson Sr., a man whose life has been shaped by courage, service and an unwavering commitment to justice. Dr. Robinson served as the lead plaintiff in Robinson v. Callais, a key redistricting case at the center of the national conversation surrounding Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, working alongside the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Before that fight, though, he had led the federal lawsuit that challenged East Baton Rouge Parish’s discriminatory at-large voting system. After that victory, he became the first African American elected to the East Baton Rouge School Board in 1980, where he served 22 years, including three terms as board president. His commitment to service has shaped generations of students and colleagues. During 42 years with the Southern University System, he served as professor of chemistry, vice chancellor of academic affairs and chancellor at Southern University at Shreveport and New Orleans, Dr. Robinson often reminds us that history repeats itself, yet his life reminds us of something just as powerful. History can be challenged, redirected and transformed when people come together. The following are excerpts from Robinson’s remarks.

On redistricting People often talk about redistricting and voting rights as separate issues. But in reality, they’re inseparable. And together, they sit at the intersection of law, politics, democracy and civil rights. At ﬁrst glance, redistricting sounds like something that might be left to statisticians, lawyers or state legislators. And I understand that. That’s because we hear terms like population data, district boundaries, geographic compactness, apportionment and election maps. So it’s natural that people would think in those terms. Yet, I’m here to tell you that re-

STAFF PHOTO BY JAVIER GALLEGOS

Press Robinson Sr. speaks during The Dialogue on Race and Redistricting on Oct. 15. districting is fundamentally about political power. It’s about deciding which voters are grouped together, which communities are represented together and ultimately, which voters have a meaningful — note the word meaningful — opportunity to elect representatives of their choice. Unfortunately today, our politicians are selecting their voters, when voters should be selecting their politicians. So they got it backward, y’all. We need to straighten that out. We need to change that.

On the Callais case And of course, I have to just mention that when the Supreme Court made its decision on April 29, 2026, in the Callais case — which began, of course, as Robinson v. Ardoin, changed over to Robinson v. Landry when (Nancy) Landry was elected secretary of state, and is now Louisiana v. Callais — that was our suit. I had the opportunity to serve as the plaintiff in that suit. Now on paper, the process of redistricting is pretty straightforward. People move, populations change, district boundaries change. But the thing that you must remember is that when districts are redrawn, the distribution of political power is redrawn. That’s why the Constitution and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and decades of Supreme Court decisions placed legal limits on how these lines could be drawn.

On political power To understand this relationship between redistricting and voting rights, we must understand a very simple principle: Votes matter, not only because they are cast, but because of how electoral systems translate those votes into representation. Voters can have the formal right to cast a ballot and still face barriers to meaningful representation because of dilution, such as packing and cracking. Now, when you pack voters, you put them all in one district. And when you crack them, you spread them out

over several districts so that their votes may not even count. This is exactly what’s being done in Louisiana today as related to the U.S. House districts. Black voters are concentrated in District 2 and literally sprinkled out in the other ﬁve districts so that they cannot have a signiﬁcant impact on who’s elected.

On House District 2 Louisiana, as you probably well remember, created a congressional map with two majority-Black districts to comply with Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and a federal court order. A federal court in Baton Rouge told them they had to redraw it. And the most conservative court perhaps in the United States, the Fifth Circuit, told them they had to redraw and provide two districts. But the United States Supreme Court, which had for years upheld these principles, in Louisiana v. Callais, stripped away the effectiveness of Section 2. April 29, 2026. I’ll never forget it. My hopes were high until then. I’m still in the ﬁght, but my hopes are not the same. And it did so by ruling that the map that the state of Louisiana came up with was a racial gerrymander. In other words, that it used race improperly. Now I won’t go into all of … whatever went on with the governor, why he did what he did and why that district ran from Baton Rouge to Shreveport. They certainly weren’t the [maps] that we proposed. We had districts that were much more compact. And as a matter of fact, the districts that we presented reached all of the milestones of the law. But the governor had other ideas. With Sections 2 and 5 both gutted, the Voting Rights Act of ‘65 is now, today, as we speak, for all practical purposes, completely demolished. And as Supreme Court Justice [Elena] Kagan says, it’s a dead letter. In other words, no provisions remain except the Constitution itself, which protects voters’ rights to an equal opportunity to participate politically and, under the

relevant legal framework, to elect representatives of their choice.

On what’s at stake So what will become of Black voting rights and representation in America? This is what could happen and seems to be happening unless we change it. The country could be headed toward the largest ever decline in representation by Black members throughout the political spectrum. The largest ever. With protection of the collective voting power of racial minorities no longer readily available once the maps are drawn, Black representation is destined to decrease dramatically — not only in the U.S. Congress, but for local elections, state elections. Remember there’s still a suit in federal court about redistricting the Louisiana Legislature. That has not been resolved yet, but you can bet the gerrymandering will be in full force in that process. With representation by Black members decreasing, a National Public Radio analysis has found that the Section 2 ruling could put 15 House districts currently represented by Black members of Congress at risk. The advocacy groups Fair Fight Action and Black Voters Matter estimate that as much as 11% of the Hispanic caucus could be lost and close to 200 Democratic-held state legislative seats mostly representing majority Black districts in the South could be eliminated. That’s what’s before us. That’s the possibility. Many states are moving to try to make that happen. This prospective state of ofﬁceholding harkens back to the days of Jim Crow. Let’s be real about it. That’s where it’s trying to go. We may not see the return of racist poll taxes, Black codes, literacy tests, the jelly bean test and other such voter restrictions. But we are witnessing more modern tactics, such as proof of citizenship when registering to vote, voter identiﬁcation to cast a ballot, limits on when and how voters can mail their ballots in, relocation of poll-

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE ARE OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the

ing places, reduction of the number of polling places and mail-in ballot [dropoff] sites, purging voter rolls, threats of violence and intimidation — even by our own government. But we can’t let that stop us from going to the polls and voting.

On the way forward Let us remember that voters of color deserve an equal voice in our democracy and that racism in America unfortunately is still alive and well. We must avoid being fooled by the specious claim that discrimination no longer exists. The Supreme Court’s decision in Callais is a direct frontal attack on African American voting rights, constitutionally protected rights of Blacks that were earned with much suffering and sacrifice by our ancestors. Callais is not over yet. The Supreme Court remanded it to the three-judge panel in Shreveport. And on Oct. 27, there’s gonna be a hearing because the Callais plaintiffs don’t want any majority-Black district in Louisiana, so they’re going to claim that District 2 is a racial gerrymander and ask the court to declare such. Because of the diminished legal protection, we must now fight as we did in the ’60s and ’70s. We must demand new voting rights legislation, continue the struggle in the courts. Every vote from us is a vote for us. Let us stay in lockstep, informed, prepared and ready for the participation we deserve. I urge Blacks and other minorities — and all of us — let nothing keep you from committing to the fight and adopting the following mantra: We will not tire, we will not falter and we will not fail. For a fuller transcript of Robinson’s remarks, go to our website and click on the Opinions tab. For more information on the Dialogue on Race series, go to dialogueonrace.org. Dr. Press Robinson’s memoir, “Pressing Forward: My Life as a Baton Rouge Community Pioneer,” is available from LSU Press at lsupress.org.

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

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TODAY

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Warm with plenty of sunshine

Plenty of sunshine

Sunny to partly cloudy

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84° 50°

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83° 54°

Beaumont 86/61 Port Arthur 84/65

Baton Rouge 86/52

Lake Charles 86/55

New Orleans 82/61 Houma 83/54

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

Hattiesburg 85/48

Alexandria 86/50

Lafayette 86/54

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83° 53°

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Baton Rouge through 5 p.m. Thursday

Jackson 85/52 Many 87/47

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Monroe 86/48

Shreveport 86/52

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86°/49° 79°/56° 79°/51° 90° in 1941 39° in 1976

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

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

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3:11a 9:45p 3:51a 10:26p 4:35a 11:13p 5:26a ---6:24a 12:39p 7:29a 1:45p 8:39a 2:55p

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

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data as of 7 a.m. Thursday

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MISSISSIPPI STAGE STAGE CHANGE Memphis 34 2.70 -0.85 Vidalia-Natchez 48 22.70 -0.20 Red River Landing 48 25.00 -0.10 Baton Rouge 35 10.70 -0.20 Donaldsonville 27 6.10 -0.20 Reserve 22 4.71 -0.14 New Orleans 17 3.60 -0.13 OHIO Cairo 40 17.42 -0.51 COMITE Near Olive 19 -1.86 -0.12 AMITE Near Darlington 18 -1.35 none Denham Springs 29 9.66 +0.01 Port Vincent 8 2.63 -0.19 TICKFAW Montpelier 13 2.44 none Holden 15 0.56 +0.02 ATCHAFALAYA Simmesport 47 9.81 -0.13 Melville 34 6.65 -0.20 Krotz Springs 29 5.06 -0.23 Butte La Rose 20 4.74 -0.09 Bayou Sorrel 12 3.20 -0.20 Morgan City 6 2.37 -0.05

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

Today 9:22a Saturday 10:03a Sunday 10:48a Monday 11:40a Tuesday 12:09a Wednesday 1:13a Thursday 2:23a

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UNHLTHY SENS 0.00” 0.00” 3.48” 46.38” 51.36”

0.5 3:29a 0.4 1.5 9:16a 1.1 2.0 7:05a 1.2 1.4 11:05a 0.7 0.9 4:36a 0.8 1.2 2:40a 1.0 1.1 5:38a 0.9

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Expect another beautiful day in southeast Louisiana. Expect a mostly sunny and warm Friday with a light breeze. Temperatures this afternoon are about average, rising to the mid-80s. Our winds will remain northeast at 5 to 10 mph, much lighter than the winds in Paris, France, where they are blowing at 20 to 30 mph. There is no rainfall in the forecast today and none expected this weekend. While that is good news for your outdoor activities, everyday without rain, our drought conditions could get worse.

AP P

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SPORTS

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

Fulwiley stars in LSU’s ﬁrst exhibition game BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

Something clicked for MiLaysia Fulwiley at the tail end of last season. Just look at her numbers. As LSU inched closer to March, they shot up — to the point at which it was clear the former South Carolina transfer was playing the best basketball of her career. Now, Fulwiley is back for her senior season, and she’s hoping to take that hot streak and turn it into something more permanent. So far, so good: Fulwiley picked up where she left off on Thursday, when the LSU women’s basketball team hosted the University of North Texas at Dallas in its ﬁrst exhibition game of the 2026-27 season. In the Tigers’ 159-31 win, Fulwiley scored a game-high 32 points, assisted 17 shots and stole seven possessions after shooting 12 of 18 from the ﬁeld and 7 of 11 from 3-point range.

F R I D AY, O C T O B E R 23, 2026

1CN

SAIN T S VS. S T EEL ERS • 8:30 A .M. SUNDAY • NF L N

NFL had plenty to change at Paris’ Stade de France to host Saints

FRENCH QUARTERS

ä See EXHIBITION, page 4C

PROVIDED PHOTO BY NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Saints quarterback Tyler Shough tours the Stade de France on Thursday as the team finalized preparations for Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Saint-Denis, France.

PARIS — When Alvin Kamara mentioned where the New Orleans Saints were playing in Paris the other day, STAFF PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU guard MiLaysia Fulwiley goes for a layup against UNT Dallas on Thursday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

the few people with him responded the same way. They told him that Stade de France was the country’s nicest stadium. “I’m deﬁnitely excited for the scenery and to be a part of it,” Kamara said. “It’s the ﬁrst NFL game being played in France.” One step onto the grounds of the massive 81,338-seat stadium makes it clear why Stade de France was

Pels’ Mosley era begins with loss to Pacers, but grit is there

so highly recommended. Opened in 1998, the all-purpose facility still looks modern enough — but carries a rich history that includes hosting some of the country’s most iconic events. From France winning the 1998 FIFA World Cup to a dramatic 2007 Rugby World Cup to serving as a main hub of the 2024 Paris Olympics, Stade de France has become an integral part of Paris, much like the Caesars Superdome is to New Orleans. ä See SAINTS, page 4C

There will come a day when Jamahl Mosley gets to reflect on his coaching journey that has now landed him in New Orleans. There were a few reminders Wednesday, particularly text messages from friends, as he prepared to make his debut as the Pelicans’ head coach. But Mosley isn’t looking back. He’s locked in on the now, trying to breathe life into a team that has Rod been lifeless the past two Walker seasons. “Obviously the journey changes as far as where ä Pelicans you are, what you’ve at Jazz done,” Mosley said before 8:30 P.M. the season opener against FRIDAY, GCSEN the Indiana Pacers. “It’s great to reflect and look back. The reality is we’re here now. This is the moment we need to be in, celebrating this moment.” And for most of the game, it looked as if there would be something to celebrate. The Pelicans showed all that grit and toughness that Mosley had talked about since being hired before fizzling out in a 123-120 loss. A team whose staple is going to be its defense held the Pacers to just 18 points in the second quarter, outscoring the Pacers by 17 points in the period to build

RB Jones indispensable to LSU’s offense

ä See WALKER, page 4C

ä See LSU, page 4C

Once a low-profile transfer, sophomore tailback now one of SEC’s top ball carriers BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

STAFF PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU running back Dilin Jones cuts away from the Mississippi State defense in the first quarter on Saturday at Tiger Stadium.

For coach Lane Kiffin, the most gratifying part of dipping into the transfer portal is pulling out pleasant surprises. Each year, Kiffin and his staff are trying to find players such as LSU running back Dilin Jones. The portal entrants who fly under the radar and then prove that more teams should’ve spent more time trying to scoop them up. “I really like those stories,” Kiffin said. And the first-year LSU coach certainly has one in Jones, the transfer tailback whose emergence this season as one of the top ball carriers in the Southeastern Conference has been as noteworthy as it is surprising. Jones was once a highly rated recruit, but he didn’t do much with the 92 carries he received over two years at Wisconsin. In the offseason, 247Sports didn’t even include him in its list of the top 50 transfer running backs of the cycle. Neither did On3, the recruiting service that said the

ä LSU at Auburn 11 A.M. SATURDAY,ABC redshirt junior was the 54th-best tailback to enter his name into the portal in 2026. So, Jones was quite a find for Kiffin and his staff. Only three SEC running backs have rushed for more yards this season than Jones, who has 566 yards and five touchdowns on 128 carries. The Wisconsin transfer isn’t just benefiting from the Kiffin scheme either. He’s picking up yards for himself. Just two SEC tailbacks have forced more missed tackles than Jones has through seven games (33), according to Pro Football Focus data, and only three have rushed for more yards after contact (445). Add those impressive numbers to what Jones has done as a pass catcher out of the backfield — his 190 receiving yards rank ninth among all FBS running backs — and you’ll see why a former low-profile transfer has become one of the LSU’s most indispensable offensive players ahead of a Week 8 road game against Auburn (11 a.m., ABC). Jones does a little bit of everything for LSU.

2C n Friday, October 23, 2026 n theadvocate.com n The Advocate

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BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS On TV

AUTO RACING 11:30 a.m. NASCAR Truck: Qualifying FS2 12:30 p.m. Formula 1: Practice APPLETV 3 p.m. NASCAR Truck: RV Stop 225 FS2 4 p.m. Formula 1: Practice APPLETV 10:55 p.m. Grand Prix of Australia FS2 COLLEGE FOOTBALL 4 p.m. NC Central at Delaware St. ESPN2 6 p.m. UMass at UConn CBSSN 6 p.m. Duke at Virginia ESPN 6 p.m. Yale at Penn ESPNU 7:30 p.m. Army at Tulsa ESPN2 8 p.m. Air Force at Wyoming CW 9:30 p.m. NC State at Stanford ESPN MEN’S COLLEGE HOCKEY 6 p.m. Merrimack at Notre Dame NBCSN

IN BRIEF

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

MEN’S COLLEGE SOCCER North Carolina at Duke ACCN WOMEN’S COLLEGE SOCCER 5 p.m. Stanford at North Carolina ACCN WOMEN’S COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL 6 p.m. Indiana at Ohio St. BTN 6 p.m. Texas A&M at Georgia SECN 8 p.m. Washington at Wisconsin BTN 8 p.m. Ole Miss at Auburn SECN GOLF 6:30 a.m. Genesis Championship GOLF noon PGA: Bermuda Championship GOLF 3 p.m. Stifel Charity Classic GOLF 9 p.m. BMW Ladies Championship GOLF GYMNASTICS 12:30 p.m. World Artistic Championships NBCSN 7 p.m.

HORSE RACING America’s Day at the Races FS2 2026 Breeders Crown FS1 MLB WORLD SERIES 7 p.m. Tampa Bay at Milwaukee FOX NBA 6 p.m. New York at Boston PRIME 8:30 p.m. New Orleans at Utah GCSEN 8:30 p.m. Houston at San Antonio PRIME NHL 7 p.m. Montreal at Chicago NHLN MEN’S SOCCER 8:15 a.m. Al Nassr at Al Faisaly FS2 1:55 p.m. Middlesbrough at Bolton CBSSN 2 p.m. Nottingham at Ipswich USA TENNIS 10 p.m. Osaka-WTA TENNIS 1 p.m. 7 p.m.

Surprising Rays-Brewers showdown

Steelers fan event in Paris canceled following protests PARIS — A weekend event for Pittsburgh Steelers fans in Paris has been canceled because of security concerns following recent street protests in the French capital. The NFL and the team both said Thursday that the event — at a bar in the Bastille neighborhood — was off. The announcement came a day after league commissioner Roger Goodell said he has a high comfort level in the the teams playing in Paris amid recent civil unrest. More demonstrations could be in store this weekend in the capital and elsewhere around France. “Preparations for Sunday’s NFL Paris game at Stade de France continue as planned,” it added, “with the NFL working closely with local authorities and partners on all operational and security matters.”

BY RONALD BLUM

AP baseball writer

MILWAUKEE — The Miz will try to whiz his famous fastball by batters on baseball’s biggest stage, opening a new-look World Series between teams guaranteed to produce a first-time champion. Jacob Misiorowski brings his record-setting heat to the mound for the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night when he throws the first pitch of the best-of-seven championship against the Tampa Bay Rays, a matchup of modest-money marvels who bumped off glamorous rivals with a throwback baseto-base style. “Forrest Gump, everyone,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Thursday, introducing his ace to the assembled media. “I’m still fresh to this and have no idea what the hell is going on,” Misiorowski said a few minutes later. Few predicted this pairing of pennant winners when the season opened March 25. The first World Series with robot umpires is the first since 1980 between teams seeking their first championship and also could be the first with a 104 mph pitch — thanks to Misiorowski — and the first to be played totally indoors. “I’m excited to see two great teams that play the game a little differently than maybe it’s been played the last decade or so,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. Milwaukee is in the Series for the second time after a 44-year absence — an appropriate number given that it was the jersey of the Cream City’s most famous baseball player, Hank Aaron, who became a star with the Milwaukee Braves in the 1950s and ended his career with the expansion Brewers in the 1970s. Both teams fell short in previous Series trips, the Brewers losing to St. Louis in 1982 and the Rays to Philadelphia in 2008 and to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020. Not since the Phillies beat Kansas City in 1980 have two teams met seeking their first title. The time before that was in 1920.

Misiorowski likely to set record Misiorowski, a 24-year-old righthander in his ﬁrst full major league season, is a starting pitcher like no other. He threw 1,115 pitches of 100 mph or higher this year — shattering the old high of 673 since tracking began in 2008, by Jordan Hicks in 2018. His fastest pitch was 105.5 mph to the Chicago Cubs’ Pete Crow-

JJ Watt signs multi-year deal with CBS as analyst

JJ Watt thought the call he was getting from David Berson on Monday was about potentially breaking Jim Nantz’s hand while doing a demonstration during the Buffalo Bills-Las Vegas Raiders game. Not only did Nantz turn out to be ﬁne, although a bit sore, but the chairman of CBS’ and Skydance’s Sports Division had better news to deliver. He was making Watt the permanent lead analyst for CBS Sports’ NFL coverage. The announcement was made Thursday morning along with Watt signing a multi-year agreement. Watt joined play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson after Tony Romo went on leave following his July 23 arrest in Wisconsin.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY MARK J. TERRILL

Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Garrett Mitchell celebrates his solo home run during Game 4 of the NL Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Oct. 15 in Los Angeles. ä Rays at Brewers. 7 P.M. FRIDAY, FOX

Armstrong on June 27, and he appears likely to break the 101.1 mph record for a Series starter by the New York Mets’ Noah Syndergaard in 2015 and possibly the overall Series high of 103.2 mph by Cubs reliever Aroldis Chapman to Cleveland’s Coco Crisp in Game 2 of 2016. Misiorowski didn’t finish the ﬁfth inning in either of his ﬁrst two postseason starts this year. Batters have swung at 94 of his 182 postseason pitches and fouled off 51 — 28% of pitches and 54% of swings. “He hasn’t been as crisp,” Murphy said. “They’re obviously looking at an area. They’re trying to exploit everything. He’s exposed, like all these guys get at some point.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY PHELAN M. EBENHACK

Tampa Bay Rays’ Junior Caminero celebrates a two-run home run against the Cleveland Guardians during Game 6 of an AL Championship Series on Oct. 19 in St. Petersburg, Fla.

said. “You can win a baseball game so many different ways.” Rays batters had the fewest strikeouts among the 30 teams and Tampa Bay’s 45 sacrifice bunts were the most among American League teams since 2015. “I was a little discouraged for the last 10 or 15 years in the way the game had gone as far as relying on the home run, not worrying about strikeouts,” said Hall of Famer Robin Yount, a star of the ’82 Brewers. “The game today looks like they’re starting to really focus on playing baseball again.”

Small-payroll champion

This marks the first time since 1991 that both Series teams are in the bottom half of payrolls: the Brewers were 19th as of Aug. 31 and the Rays 25th. Milwaukee, MLB’s smallest market, could become the first small-market chamThrowback offenses pion since Kansas City in 2015. The In an age where power bats usu- Rays rank 15th in market size. To reach the Series, the Brewally rule, Milwaukee scored a major league-low 32.1% of its runs ers swept the deep-pocketed, twoon homers and Tampa Bay was time champion Dodgers in the NL second-lowest at 34.4%, according Championship Series and the Rays swept the New York Yankees in an to the Elias Sports Bureau. “It’s cool that you don’t have to AL Division Series. The highest-paid player in the be that team to hit 170 home runs a game or whatever,” Misiorowski Series, Brewers outfielder Chris-

tian Yelich, was 44th overall in the majors on opening day. Yandy Díaz, who earns most among the Rays, ranked 154th.

Robot umps changing games Batters have succeeded on 63% of challenges during the postseason in the first year of the Automated Ball-Strike System, winning 40 of 63 appeals to the robot umps. That is up from 49% during the regular season. Catchers’ 58% success rate in the playoffs (58 of 99) is down a tick from 59% during the regular season and pitchers are 1 for 1 — Tampa Bay’s Grifﬁn Jax made the only challenge. The 60% overall rate is up from 54% in the regular season. Tampa Bay’s batters have yet to make a postseason challenge. Milwaukee’s have won 4 of 7, including a perfect 2 for 2 by Jake Bauers. Brewers catcher William Contreras has won 60% (12 of 20) and Rays catcher Liam Hicks 67% (8 of 12).

Rest vs. rust Milwaukee will have had seven days off going into the opener. While teams with less rest are 1515 in the Series since Wild Card Era started in 1995, they are 12-4 since 2009.

Dream guard Howard wreaks havoc with 5 steals BY DOUG FEINBERG

ä Golden State at Atlanta.

ATLANTA — Rhyne Howard has been a ball hawk for Atlanta on the defensive end all season long, leading the WNBA in steals. She’s upped her play in the WNBA Finals. Howard had five steals on Wednesday night in Atlanta’s 97-71 rout of the Golden State Valkyries in Game 3. That came after she had six steals in the Game 2 victory. She’s the ﬁrst player in WNBA history to have consecutive games with ﬁve or more steals. “On the other side you have one of the better scorers (Gabby Williams) in the postseason, so I just needed to make her life hard, take her shots away, take her looks away, get in the passing lanes and making sure that they’re not getting anything easy, as opposed to what we’re trying to get on the offensive end,” said Howard, who averaged 2.3 steals this season. Howard and the Dream have been locked in defensively the entire series so far. Even in the Game 1 loss they only gave up 68 points. They just didn’t force as many turnovers. On Wednesday, Atlanta

turned 17 Golden State turnovers into 22 points. “We’re No. 1 in a lot of categories, and that ﬁrst game we didn’t show why,” Howard said. “So I think Game 2 and Game 3 today, we showed why we were No. 1 in those categories not only in the postseason, but in the games leading up.” Golden State guard Veronica Burton knows the Valkyries need to do better taking care of the basketball, especially when Howard is around. “She’s long. I think she’s deceptively long, and she has good instincts,” Burton said. “We’ve got to take care of the ball more when she’s in the gaps.” Howard also had her offense going in the victory with 16 points, four assists and four rebounds. She had 17 points combined in the ﬁrst two games. The All-Star was more aggressive getting to the basket instead of settling for 3-pointers. Howard had 10 free throw attempts while only attempting two 3-pointers.

AP basketball writer

NOON, SATURDAY, NBC.

Forward Gayle cleared to play 5th season at Michigan

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Roddy Gayle has been cleared to play a fifth season of college basketball for No. 16 Michigan, according to Wolverines coach Mike Boynton. Gayle, who is from Niagara Falls, New York, said he was told on Wednesday that a judge in his home state made the latest ruling to pave the way for him to play. Gayle is expected to play for the defending champion Wolverines against No. 10 Houston in an exhibition game on Sunday in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The 6-foot-5 guard is among a slew of players who have joined lawsuits across the country after the NCAA instituted sweeping changes to its eligibility rules, allowing five years of competition over a five-year period.

Davidson, Yooshida tied for 1st in LPGA South Korea

GWANGJU, South Korea — Karis Davidson had six birdies in eight holes but bogeyed her ninth Thursday for a 6-under 66 and was tied for the ﬁrst-round lead at the LPGA’s BMW Ladies Championship. Davidson, who started on the 10th hole Thursday, was level with Yuri Yoshida on the Pine Beach Golf Links southwest of Gwangju. Davidson and Yoshida are both seeking their first wins on the LPGA Tour. No. 3-ranked Haeran Ryu shot 67 and was tied for third. Her round included a chip-in birdie from off the 5th green. Also tied for third were Americans Lucy Li and Lauren Coughlin and European Solheim Cup player Julia Lopez Ramirez.

NASCAR fines Smith $50K for ramming car after race

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY SANTIAGO MEJIA

Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard, left, moves the ball while defended by Golden State Valkyries forward Kayla Thornton during WNBA Finals Game 3 on Wednesday in Atlanta.

NASCAR issued a $50,000 fine to Cup Series driver Zane Smith after he rammed Carson Hocevar’s car during a post-race cool-down lap Sunday at Phoenix Raceway after ignoring orders to refrain from such antics. NASCAR vice president of racing communications Mike Forde said on the “Hauler Talk” podcast that Smith and Hocevar had been warned back in July not to engage in any post-race contact following a run-in at Chicagoland Speedway. NASCAR elected not to fine drivers Michael McDowell and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. after similar post-race contact on Oct. 11 at Charlotte Motor Speedway following the checkered flag. There is precedence for such a fine. In 2024, NASCAR fined Bubba Wallace $50,000 for hitting Alex Bowman on the cool-down lap after the Chicago Street Race.

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The Advocate n theadvocate.com n Friday, October 23, 2026 n 3C

Two former AP Players

of the Year headline AP All-America team BY DOUG FEINBERG AP basketball writer

PHOTO BY THOMAS B. SHEA

Southern players sing the school song after defeating Prairie View on Oct. 10 at Panther Stadium in Prairie View, Texas.

Players-only meeting was a ‘turning point’ for Southern BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

Before Southern executed Marshall Faulk’s vision better than it had all season, the team held a players-only meeting. Star safety Herman Brister revealed the heart-to-heart talk was a “turning point” four days before his team’s 14-point win over Prairie View, the reigning Southwestern Athletic Conference champions. “I think guys really listened to each other,” he said at Tuesday’s media availability. “We kind of figured out what we needed to be successful, and it kind of showed on the field on Saturday.” Trey Holly, who leads the Southwestern Athletic Conference in rushing yards (673) and is second in carries (139), said the meeting helped everyone get “on the same page.” Faulk hopes this newfound clarity among his players holds and helps Southern (3-4, 1-2 SWAC) in its next contest against Texas Southern (1-5, 0-3 ) at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Reliant Stadium in Houston. Both programs are coming off bye weeks. Southern’s first-time coach has acknowledged he’s learning each week how to better prepare his group. This includes holding players to a high standard in all aspects. That has happened through public criticism of special teams performances and player effort,

especially in the Jaguars’ 41-10 homecoming loss to Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Faulk has also enforced his standard through his actions, sidelining several significant players for conduct detrimental to the team in that last defeat and not starting Holly in the first quarter of the season opener due to “disciplinary reasons.” As much as Faulk can do as a coach, he said that an impact on a team’s growth in a year is playerdriven. Players must re-emphasize the staff’s message to each other. In the Jaguars case, players are tasked with performing with the fervor of a team with championship aspirations. If a player doesn’t deliver that effort, Faulk expects his players to call that out as much as coaches would. “They set the standard based on how they go out,” Faulk said. “If somebody dips below the standard, you check ‘em and make sure that they’re doing it the way you want them to do it. The players get to set that. Like I want that for them.” The players-only meeting centered on accountability. Brister, who had 10 tackles and two interceptions against Prairie View, said the goal is to continue making strides to be the “player-led team” Faulk wants. This includes leadership on and off the field. “Not only out on the field, (but) the off-the-field issues as well,” Brister said. “Those off-the-field issues affect us on the field as well

ä Southern at Texas Southern. 2 P.M. SATURDAY, SWACTV.

when we don’t have the guys and the bodies that we need to go long games in four quarters.” Starting quarterback Christian Johnson was one of the players out for Southern’s blowout loss to UAPB due to detrimental conduct. After Prairie View, he lamented his on-field absence and vowed not to miss a game again. Not only does his staff expect better, but his teammates are demanding he, just like everyone else, be responsible for the sake of the program that wants to be successful after a twowin season last year. Faulk was pleased with the meeting’s results, seeing it as meaningful growth for his players in the last ﬁve games of the season. He’s learning to what extent games are a mixture of what his staff preaches throughout a week and what players are able to execute when the whistle blows on Saturdays. “The minute that the game starts, I got to stand on the sideline,” Faulk said. “I’m not standing behind them. I can’t blow my whistle to stop it. I can’t make them run. They have to police each other, and that’s what I saw in the game against PV. That’s what I saw: accountability with each other. Being able to have your teammate say something to you, and it’s not a ﬁght. It’s like, okay, I got it. Cool. Let me step up.”

Struggling Texas QB Manning says he’ll be ‘letting it rip’ against Ole Miss BY JIM VERTUNO AP sportswriter

AUSTIN, Texas — Arch Manning leading No. 19 Texas against No. 7 Ole Miss was supposed to be weeklong family stroll down memory lane. Grandfather Archie Manning was a Hall of Fame quarterback for the Rebels. So was Super Bowlwinning uncle Eli. And Saturday night is the first meeting of the programs since Texas moved from the Big 12 to the Southeastern Conference. But the memories have been undercut by Arch Manning’s struggles this season, and questions of whether he could be benched for backup KJ Lacey after consecutive losses to unranked opponents that sent Texas tumbling from No. 1. Steve Sarkisian said he’s sticking with Manning as the starter, but acknowledged, “I need to see a better version of Arch.” Manning promised he’s ready to do that. No more hesitation in pass protection or finding receivers. He’s going to play fast and free and have fun. “I’m gonna die on the hill of letting it rip,” Manning said. Sarkisian has faced criticism of his own. He is the architect and play caller of a Texas offense that ranks among the bottom third in the SEC and hasn’t scored more than three touchdowns since the ﬁrst game of the season. Texas (4-2, 1-2 SEC) has lost consecutive regular-season games for the ﬁrst time since 2021. A third loss would likely doom the Longhorns’ chances of making the College Football Playoff. Rebels coach Pete Golding dismissed the criticism of Manning and the turmoil on the Texas sideline over Sarkisian’s play calling. He remembers the quarterback and team that rallied to beat thenNo. 1 Ohio State back on Sept. 12.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY ERIC GAY

Texas quarterback Arch Manning looks to make a pass against Florida during a game Saturday in Austin, Texas. ä Ole Miss at Texas. 6:30 P.M. SATURDAY, ABC.

dominant game wrecker with 10 ½ sacks this season but may not play because of a high ankle sprain. His top backup, Richard Wesley, is out with an injury. Texas will miss Simmons while defending a Rebels offense that boasts a triple threat in Chambliss, running back Kewan Lacy and wide receiver Deuce Alexander.

“Somehow it’s been lost that they beat the No. 1 team in the country and they were the No. 1 team in the country,” Golding said. “Arch is still an elite player. They’ve got elite skill and a really good coach.” Ole Miss (5-1, 3-1) has regrouped from a surprising blowout loss to Rebels defense much improved Florida and appears to be humming Ole Miss ranks 108th nationally again behind quarterback Trinidad in total defense but smothered MisChambliss. souri last week in a 31-3 victory. Florida’s defense was ranked last Lacey is on deck in the SEC last week but still held Sarkisian may have to make an in- Texas under 300 total yards and game decision if Manning struggles mostly shut down Texas’ explosive again. Lacey was a four-star recruit plays. out of Alabama, where he ranks among that state’s high school ca- Third quarter a scoring problem reer passing leaders. The sophomore Texas hasn’t scored a third-quarhas played in two games in mop-up ter touchdown over the last five duty this season but hasn’t played games. The Longhorns have kicked since Sept. 19 against UTSA. He is just two ﬁeld goals in the quarter 7-of-8 passing with no touchdowns. over that span. Against Florida last week, the Texas offense had the ball Texas star Simmons injured for just six plays and gained eight The All-American has been a total yards in the third quarter.

UConn’s Sarah Strong and USC’s JuJu Watkins, who have won The Associated Press Player of the Year award the last two years headline the preseason AP All-America women’s college basketball team released Thursday. They were joined by Vanderbilt guard Mikayla Blakes, Texas forward Madison Booker and Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo. Strong earned 30 votes from the 31-member national media panel that chooses the AP Top 25 each week. Hidalgo and Booker each received 28 votes. Blakes had 27 and Watkins 26. It’s the third consecutive year that Hidalgo and Booker were honored as preseason picks. Strong, the reigning AP Player of the Year, averaged 18.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and shot 58.2% from the field as a sophomore forward to help the Huskies reach the Final Four a year after they won their 12th national championship. “She was national player of the year, you know, and it’s pretty hard to get that much better,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “But it’s not that hard to get better at some things that she wants to get better at. And I think what we’ll see is a much more aggressive Sarah, much more intentional, much more understanding.” Watkins is coming back after missing last year while recovering from an ACL tear in her right knee that she suffered in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. The talented guard earned AP Player of the Year honors that season as a sophomore. Watkins is healthy and ready to go. “We are obviously excited for JuJu to be back on the court,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said.

“She has worked so hard both on and off the court, and the joy and talent she brings to college basketball is a great thing not only for our team, but for anyone who is a fan of the game.” Hidalgo has been a ﬁxture on the All-America team and is coming off another fantastic season. The Notre Dame senior guard averaged 25.3 points — third best in the country — and 5.6 steals last season. “I don’t focus on the numbers ever,” Hidalgo said. “All the numbers I put up last year was never about me saying, ‘OK, I’m going to get this amount of points and this amount of steals.’ I go out every single game and play every game like it’s my last, and the numbers just come with how I play.” Blakes led the nation in scoring with 27 points per game and was even better in Southeastern Conference play (30.5). She knows the more confidence she helps her teammates build keeps her from being the focal point. “My role is going to change,” Blakes said. “We have a lot of good scorers this year and really a lot of good players. So I feel like doing whatever the team needs me to do and continue to read defenses really well.” Booker averaged 18.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists last season to help the Longhorns reach the Final Four for a second straight season. “In my mind, Madison Booker is the best player in the country,” Texas coach Vic Schaefer said. “Every night when we take the ﬂoor, I feel pretty good about that.” Strong, Blakes and Booker were all first-team All-Americans last spring while Hidalgo was on the second team. The AP began releasing a preseason AllAmerica team before the 1994-95 season.

As QB Hurts recovers, Eagles must ﬁnd path to playoffs without him BY DAN GELSTON AP sportswriter

PHILADELPHIA — Jalen Hurts has been around the Eagles’ facility and could still be a resource for new No. 1 quarterback Tanner McKee or any other teammate who wants to talk to him. He’s just not likely taking any more snaps this season — and the Eagles face a tough road to the playoffs without him. Philadelphia can at least move on to Monday night’s game against Dallas without Hurts’ playing status serving as a lingering question mark. Hurts is on injured reserve and expected to miss the rest of the season after a blood clot in his left calf traveled to his lungs. The Eagles and agent Nicole Lynn said Monday that Hurts has deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli. His treatment involves blood thinners, and Hurts will not be allowed to participate in any football activities until he is off them. Hurts was six games into his fifth season as Philadelphia’s starting quarterback. He was Super Bowl MVP when the Eagles won it all two years ago. Hurts was injured when he took a cleat to his calf area on Oct. 4 in a game against the Los Angeles Rams. Commissioner Roger Goodell said this week the NFL welcomed an investigation into the Eagles’ handling of Hurts’ blood clots after the players’ union asked for one. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni declined on Thursday to answer questions about a potential investigation. So where does that leave the Eagles? Philadelphia (2-4) has lost four consecutive games for the ﬁrst time since 2020. They play in one of the worst divisions in the NFL and have three straight NFC East games ahead that could determine their fate. The Giants are just 3-2-1 and are in ﬁrst place, easily catchable with enough time left in the season to earn the automatic playoff spot that comes with winning a division — no mat-

ter how bad a record. The path starts now.

Everything is on the table Sirianni said after Sunday’s loss to Carolina that “everything’s on the table” when it comes to trying to fix the offense. Well, everything but finding a new offensive coordinator. Sirianni said beleaguered offensive coordinator Sean Mannion was still the play-caller. He otherwise offered few specifics on what could change against Dallas. Mannion was hired away from Green Bay in January and is the Eagles’ fifth offensive coordinator in five seasons. The Eagles have scored only 58 points during their four-game losing streak and have not hit 300 yards of total offense since Week 2.

How does McKee fit in? McKee has had a bit of an odd season starting from training camp when the Eagles brought in veteran Andy Dalton to challenge for the backup job. McKee was seemingly slow to adjust to Mannion’s new system and lost his grip on the backup job to Dalton. Dalton threw one pass — an interception — in a loss at Chicago and was eventually cut. McKee also only had two days of first-team reps headed into the Carolina game and has now had a full week to prepare headed into Monday night. McKee finished 26 of 45 for 215 yards and a touchdown against the Panthers in the first meaningful start of his fouryear career. Mannion said McKee was a good fit for the offense. “I think he’s really sharp mentally; he’s accurate, he gets the ball out of his hands quickly,” Mannion said. “I think he does all the things that you ask of a quarterback in terms of his presnap operation, and being able to use his cadence (and) being able to handle things at the line of scrimmage if you need adjustments. I think he’s strong in a lot of those areas, and I think it opens up some things for us offensively.”

4C n Friday, October 23, 2026 n theadvocate.com n The Advocate

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LSU

SAINTS NOTES

Continued from page 1C

STAFF PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER

Chase Young, center, talks with teammates as he puts on his helmet during practice on Wednesday in Versailles, France.

Saints grateful for week to adjust to European time zone BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

VERSAILLES, France — Ryan Wright has been part of several NFL teams to make a trip across the Atlantic Ocean and play a football game, but this week is also a bit of a new experience. The New Orleans Saints punter flew in on Monday with the rest of his teammates, and he will finally be fully acclimated to a European time zone by the time kickoff arrives this Sunday. “On a shorter week, you just kind of have to deal with it; you’ve got to man up and play the game,” Wright said. “Whereas when we’re here for the entire week, you get a couple days to get acclimated and have a true normal week. Either way you’ve still got to play the game and the goal is to win.” The Saints flew out of New Jersey a few hours after beating the New York Giants last Sunday, arriving in France Monday morning. While there are some other considerations with the Saints holding exclusive marketing rights in France, this is also how the team has typically operated when it has come to international games. And if the football reasons behind it weren’t obvious, they became clear when hearing the players speak after practices this week. “Today was the first day I felt normal; every other day was a struggle,” said defensive back Martin Emerson Thursday, his fourth day in France. “I felt kind of delusional; I was so tired,” running back Kendre Miller said. Cam Jordan, the Saints’ 37-year-old

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C Now, the Saints will also be part of the history. But for the game to happen, France’s iconic stadium had to be tailored to the precise setup that has made the NFL a well-oiled machine over the years. Details, big and small, have to be just right. “It’s always going to have challenges whenever you have an American sport in a European stadium,” said Jon Barker, the NFL’s global head of major events and international games. “There’s going to be things that we have to do. We have to change

WALKER

Continued from page 1C a 66-56 halftime lead. That lead was 92-86 heading into the fourth quarter. Yves Missi showed that he can be the inside presence the Pels need, ﬁnishing with 13 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocked shots. “I thought Yves was incredible,” Mosley said. “Absolutely incredible.” Zion Williamson, who has worked all offseason on improving his 3-point shot, buried his second trey of the night at the halftime buzzer, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Williamson shot just four 3-pointers all last season. He shot that many Wednesday. Seven different players scored in double ﬁgures, showing just how deep the Pels are. It’s so deep that Herb Jones, the team’s best

edge rusher, was especially happy to arrive early. Speaking to reporters after the team’s ﬁrst practice Wednesday afternoon, he tried to conceptualize the idea of playing a game 48 hours after arrival. “I would not lie to you, it wouldn’t have happened,” Jordan said. “I would’ve been out there looking like a jellyﬁsh.” Of course, the players getting their bodies synced up with the local time zone is not a guaranteed predictor of success. The Saints know that from their past trip abroad. In 2022, New Orleans spent the entire week in London only to lose 28-25 to the Minnesota Vikings, who’d arrived the Friday before the game. It’s worth noting that Minnesota went 13-4 that season. Wright was on that Vikings team, and he converted a 4th and 2 by throwing a pass to Josh Nailor for 13 yards on a fake punt.

hits. He also made two tackles for loss and wore the green dot on his helmet as the relayer of the defensive play calls. The defense as a whole struggled without Elliss’ presence in the lineup, giving up

His runs keep the offense ahead of the chains, which allows the unit to engage its tempo. When defenses blitz quarterback Sam Leavitt, he blocks free rushers. When the Tiger receivers don’t come open, he flares out and gives Leavitt an easy completion. And when Jones gets the ball in his hands, he’ll probably use either his strength or his agility to evade tacklers. “I don’t even know how some people can tackle him in space,” Leavitt said after LSU’s win over Mississippi State on Saturday. “He does an incredible job of making the first guy miss on checkdowns and making explosive plays for me. It’s super easy for me to just check the ball down and go get a first down.” Leavitt has made those kinds of plays a staple of the LSU offense in recent weeks. Jones caught more passes in his past two games (15) than he did in his first five (11). He had seven catches for 84 yards in the Tigers’ Week 6 loss to Kentucky and eight catches for 64 yards in their Week 7 win over Mississippi State.

EXHIBITION

Continued from page 1C

Jones has now officially run for more yards in seven games than LSU’s leading rusher, Caden Durham, did all last season. In 2025, the Tigers rushed for only 104 yards per game, which ranked 104th among FBS teams. This year, Jones has helped LSU run for 196 yards per game. That rate ranks 32nd in the nation and fourth in the SEC. Only South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia have picked up more yards on the ground than the Tigers. And Kiffin’s offense still has room to improve. LSU averaged only 2.8 yards per carry in its last two games. It rushed for 94 yards against Kentucky and 90 against Mississippi State. The quick passes to Jones have become an extension of the ground game – a counterattack to use against defenses that load up to stop the run. Opponents didn’t respect LSU’s rushing attack last season. Now they have to, in large part because Jones has emerged as Kiffin’s latest transfer portal success story. “Dilin’s done great,” Kiffin said. “Really made a lot of people miss in the run game, and he’s been very helpful in the pass game. “He’s a really good player. Really glad he’s here.”

assists. LSU also earned double-digit scoring outputs from a pair of newcomers who came off the bench: Florida transfer Laila Reynolds and freshman Lola Lampley. Reynolds tallied 20 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals, while Lampley notched 13 points and three steals. But Fulwiley was the star of the first half. She scored 17 of her 32 points in the first two quarters after finding plenty of opportunities to display her signature flair and craftiness. Mikaylah Williams drove the lane and found Fulwiley open for a corner 3 to begin the scoring barrage. Then Johnson stole a possession and bounced a pass to her down to the paint, where she glided into an open layup. Fulwiley later flipped a no-look bounce pass from the lane and out to Jada Williams, who stepped back into an open 3-pointer. Then, in the second half, she paused a fast break to flip a pass behind her head and back to a trailing Johnson, who converted a layup that gave LSU two of the 61 points it scored on the fast break. Those are the kinds of plays Fulwiley was making in the last 10 games LSU played last season — and the ones the Tigers will need her to deliver throughout her senior year if they want to reach the Final Four for the first time since they won their national championship in 2023. That push won’t begin until Nov. 2, when LSU opens its season with a home game against Southeastern Louisiana.

After missing each of the past three games with a calf injury, Saints linebacker Kaden Elliss said he will be ready to play in the Saints Week 7 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. “It was tough to not get to play the game you love with the guys you love for the city you love,” Elliss said. “But at the end of the day I’m thankful to be back and I’m excited.” Elliss was one of the Saints’ priciest acquisitions this offseason, and he was showing why in his ﬁrst three games. He hadn’t yet recorded a sack, but he was a major part of the New Orleans pass rush, recording ﬁve quarterback

The day before the Saints beat the New York Giants to snap a three-game losing skid, they had a special visitor in their team meeting: New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson. The Most Valuable Player in last season’s NBA Finals received the invite because of his connection to the team’s sports psychologist. Saints coach Kellen Moore has also interacted with Brunson in the past during his time with the Philadelphia Eagles, and he welcomed the opportunity to have a star from another sport present at the team meeting. Brunson was apparently content to simply be an observer to the Saints’ process and did not address the team.

“It’s my second year here,” Fulwiley said, “so I kind of feel like I know what needs to be done now, and now it’s just up to me to go out there and execute what my coaches need me to do.” Fulwiley started the game and wound up logging a team-high 31 minutes — a few more than she likely would have had to play had the Tigers not been missing two of their 11 players: freshman center Anna Minaeva and senior forward Noa Morro. Both newcomers watched the tune-up from the bench. Minaeva is dealing with a quad injury, coach Kim Mulkey said, and LSU hopes to have her back on the floor by Monday. Morro is out until at least late November with a stress fracture in her shin. LSU’s five starters — Fulwiley, Jada Williams, Mikaylah Williams, ZaKiyah Johnson and Grace Knox — each logged more than 20 minutes. The Tigers were playing an NAIA program founded in 2020, but they still looked sharp. They didn’t have to shake off any rust or work through any sloppiness. The starters rattled off 21 straight points before the overmatched Trailblazers even made their first shot. Mikaylah Williams, a star senior, finished with 22 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and 11 steals. Johnson added 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Knox chipped in 21 points and Jada Williams tallied 12 points and seven

the ﬁeld. We have to change the locker rooms. We have to change some of our camera platforms. … But we’re in great shape today. “If you want to play this game tomorrow, let’s go.” By now, the NFL has become more than equipped to handle the necessary work. France is the ninth foreign country to host an NFL game, the latest part of an international slate that began in 2007. Some venues have held up better than others. The ﬁeld tends to get the most scrutiny. Just this season, the playing surface in Brazil for a Sept. 27 game between the Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens became a major talking point after comments from a local soccer star torched the conditions in the

lead-up to the contest. The league also once moved a game from Mexico City in 2018 because of the field’s poor quality. In Paris, NFL field director Nick Pappas expressed confidence Thursday that Stade de France’s field would be up to standard. But work, as always, had to be done. Because the stadium typically hosts soccer matches, the league has had to re-stitch the grass to better suit NFL players. There needs to be stability and traction, Pappas said. “There are different attributes that are needed for a soccer-specific field versus an NFL-specific field,” he said. “A lot of that is due to soccer is very much a ball-onthe-ground sport, right? So the planarity and smoothness of how

a ball rolls on the soccer pitch is critical to their gameplay. … Our athletes are typically larger, typically faster, applying more force to the ground. “Getting that footing is really imperative,” he added. Other areas Pappas and his team have had to alter and monitor include accounting for rain in this week’s forecast, as well as covering the nine-lane athletic track that circles the field. Locker rooms have been expanded — now capable of holding the size of an NFL roster. The stadium’s eighth floor, once a hospitality area, has been converted to coaches’ booths, an instant replay area and other operations. Some fixes are temporary. The booths will be removed after the

event so the hospitality area can be restored. But the cables and channels that the league’s operations installed — so coaches and other staff can talk to each other during the game — will remain. That will make it easier for if — and more like, when — the NFL comes back to Paris. “We’re not just here to play a game and then leave,” Barker said. “This is a long-term investment for us. This is a very important market for us. We’re opening ofﬁces here, and our plan is to play many, many games in France. So we’re looking forward to the ﬁrst one.”

defender, came off the bench for the ﬁrst time since his rookie season. The Pelicans probably could have at least used him in the closing lineup when they couldn’t get enough stops. But in the end, a Pacers team that was in the NBA Finals two seasons ago prevailed. Their two superstars, Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, delivered time and time again late. The Pelicans, as has often been the case the last few years, were unable to ﬁnish. “I feel like we are right there and that we are going to make that turn,” Williamson said. “But it’s tough saying it when, respectfully, I feel like we’ve dealt with that the past two or three years. I’ve said it before. It’s hard to win in this league. So if we want to win, that’s just a hurdle we’ve got to get over.” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle has no doubt Mosley will be able to get the Pelicans over that hump.

Mosley worked as an assistant for seven years under Carlisle while he was the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. Carlisle watched closely what Mosley did the last ﬁve years as head coach of the Orlando Magic. “He totally changed the culture in Orlando,” Carlisle said. “He took that team from being a team that was not known as having any kind of disposition or physicality or that kind of attitude and turned them into a monster defensive team. A very physical team. He’s going to do the same thing here.” There were some positive signs. The Pels outrebounded the Pacers 50-42. They got to the free-throw line 37 times and knocked down 34 of them. Derik Queen gave some valuable minutes off the bench with 10 points and 10 rebounds. But most importantly, the effort was there. “Guys are buying into how hard they need to play and how they have to communicate with one another,”

Mosley said. “This is Game 1.” That’s what fans should remember. This was just the first of 82 games. Despite it being a game the Pelicans let slip away, it won’t define the season. Eventually, though, the Pels will have to figure out who their own Siakam or Haliburton is. They will need someone to take them across the finish line during crunch time. That’ll be up to Mosley to figure that out. In Orlando, his teams had success in crunch time. In a league where the line between wins and losses is usually razor thin, he’ll need to have that same crunch time success in New Orleans. If he does, he can breathe life into basketball here as he did in Orlando when he got the Magic into the playoffs the past three seasons. For now, Mosley is far too busy to look back on his past success. “Right now it’s with the Pelicans,” Mosley said. “And (with) this group of guys and these

coaches and this organization is where you’re excited to be and the journey you’re about to embark on.” Ideally, he would have started off with a win. His players would have, too. Especially in a game they feel like they controlled. “I’m just p***** off that we didn’t get that win,” said Dejounte Murray. “I wanted that win for us, the fans and obviously for him. But we’ll get it sooner than later.” Mosley will make sure they keep plugging away, much like Wednesday’s halftime act. Red Panda, who rides a unicycle while flipping bowls from her leg to the top of her head, had a few bowls crash to the floor towards the end of her act. But she stayed persistent as the Smoothie King Center crowd cheered her on. She finished strong. The Pelicans didn’t. But in their first game under Mosley, it looks like he can get them pointing in the right direction.

Ready to go

Attendance report Kicker Daniel Carlson, who remained in the United States after the Giants game to be present for the birth of his child, was still not in attendance during the period of Thursday’s practice that was open to the media. Veteran defensive tackle Davon Godchaux continued to take his regular Thursday rest day, and offensive guard Cesar Ruiz also continued to miss practice with a knee injury that he suffered against the Giants. Ruiz and rookie receiver Jordyn Tyson attended practice as spectators.

MVP visit

Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com

The Advocate n theadvocate.com n Friday, October 23, 2026 n 5C

FRIDAY NIGHT RUNDOWN lll

FOUR DOWNS: Jackson Reyes looks ahead to Friday’s football games.

DISTRICT TITLE HOPES Several games played this week offer major district title implications. West Feliciana (7-0) and University High (5-2) are both unbeaten in District 7-3A play. The winner will likely decide the district champion. Catholic High will also look to stay unbeaten in District 4-5A play against an explosive Central team.

POWER RATINGS A note in the latest update of the LHSAA’s power ratings is No. 1 seed East Feliciana. The Tigers are 6-1 and currently hold the top seed in the Division IV nonselect bracket. East Feliciana still has three games left, including a notable Week 9 matchup against perennial power Kentwood, which is unbeaten at 7-0.

HAVEN BACK Dunham star quarterback Elijah Haven returned from a shoulder injury in Week 7 against Donaldsonville. Haven has been out after an injury suffered in Week 2. His return is massive for a Dunham side that is 4-3 overall. He’s also three touchdown passes away from tying Brock Berlin’s career passing touchdown record (145).

STATE TITLE REMATCH A top game outside of the Baton Rouge area this week is Riverside (6-1) hosting Ascension Catholic (7-0). The battle is a rematch of last year’s Division IV select state title game. This game will also play a factor in power ratings. The Bulldogs sit at No. 1 in the Division IV select power ratings, while the Rebels are No. 2.

Happy he chose football Ascension Catholic LB Daigle returns to lead 7-0 Bulldogs BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer

STAFF PHOTO BY PEARL SPURLOCK

Madison Prep quarterback Jacobe Shannon races to the end zone on a 67-yard run on the first play from scrimmage against St. Michael on Thursday night at St. Michael. The Chargers won 30-3.

MPA shuts down St. Michael

BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer

When Madison Prep needed its defense to step up against St. Michael, the unit answered the call. The Chargers allowed only an early field goal and held St. Michael to 99 total yards in a 30-3 win at Warrior Stadium. Madison Prep also forced three turnovers and got two safeties. Madison Prep’s stingy defense helped the Chargers defeat St. Michael 30-3 on Thursday night at Warrior Stadium. “We can be stingy when we want to be,” coach Landry Williams said about his defense. “We believe in our guys. Holding each other accountable, and rallying together as a team.” Meanwhile the Madison Prep offense had its way, particularly on

WEEK 8 REPORT Thursday’s scores Area

Southern Lab 1, Thrive 0 (forfeit) Madison Prep 32, St. Michael 3 Baker 62, Morris Jeff 0 East Feliciana 50, Central Private 6

Statewide

Franklin 35, Delcambre 0 Grand Lake 35, Elton 0 Higgins 20, East Jefferson 14 Jennings 41, South Beauregard 14 Jonesboro-Hodge 36, Montgomery 6 Karr 48, Chalmette 14 Neville 57, West Ouachita 6 Ouachita Christian 51, St. Frederick 7 Pine 20, Amite 14

Friday’s games

All games at 7 p.m. Highland Baptist at Ascension Christian Belaire at Glen Oaks Woodlawn at Zachary East Iberville at White Castle Tara vs. McKinley at Olympia Stadium Parkway at East Ascension Central vs. Catholic at Memorial Plaquemine at Broadmoor Walker at Live Oak St. Amant at Prairieville Helix Mentorship at Istrouma Slaughter Charter at Northeast Port Allen at Parkview Baptist West Feliciana at University High Springﬁeld vs. Donaldsonville at Floyd Boutte Memorial Stadium North Iberville at Ben Franklin Denham Springs at Dutchtown Liberty at Northside Scotlandville at Brusly Livonia at Carencro Pope John Paul II at Albany Vandebilt Catholic at Lutcher Patterson at St. James Episcopal at Dunham Ascension Catholic at Riverside Catholic-PC at Kentwood

Volleyball scores Slaughter Charter def. Capitol 25-12, 25-16, 25-9 Istrouma def. Northeast 25-14, 19-25, 25-16, 25-18 Southern Lab def. North Iberville 2514, 25-4, 25-5 Family Christian def. White Castle 26-24, 25-16, 25-18 St. John def. East Iberville 25-6, 25-7, 25-7 Livonia def. Plaquemine 25-12, 25-17, 25-18 Catholic-P.C. def. False River 25-14, 25-15, 25-23

the ground with 343 yards rushing. Quarterback Jacobe Shannon found a hole to the right on the game’s first play and exploded for a 67-yard touchdown run. He finished with 142 yards passing on 13-of-16 attempts with an interception. Shannon also rushed for two TDs. St. Michael (6-2) answered with a field goal on its next drive. Madison Prep (6-2) struggled to finish on drives in the first half. Four of its six first-half drives started either at midfield or in St. Michael territory. The Chargers reached the red zone midway through the first, but consecutive sacks by Champ Williams and a holding call helped St. Michael force a turnover on downs. Another drive stalled after consecutive false starts forced a punt. The Chargers accumulated 11 pen-

alties through two quarters. After another punt, Madison Prep reached St. Michael’s 33 before Shannon tossed a pick. The Chargers drove down the field late in the first half but ran out of time as halftime hit. The only other first-half score came in the second quarter after Madison Prep’s defense swarmed Gavin Romero in the end zone for a safety. St. Michael managed just 54 total yards of offense in the first half. The Chargers led 9-3 at the half. Madison Prep forced a punt to start the third and then erased its early offensive struggles on its first drive of the second half. The Chargers moved down the field for a touchdown in just four plays. J’on Profit capped a 76-yard drive with a 26-yard touchdown run. St. Michael drove past midfield,

looking to respond on the ensuing drive. Caden Levingston took a hard hit on a scramble and left the game midway through the third. His backup, Cole Vallery, was sacked on second down and threw an interception to Chris Barber on third down. Madison Prep capitalized with a 9-play, 61-yard drive, capped off by a 22-yard touchdown run after Harlem Turner bulldozed through defenders into the end zone late in the third. Vallery threw his second interception on the ensuing drive to Landon Johnson. Shannon added an exclamation point with a 24yard scamper into the end zone to make it 30-3 in the fourth. Barber caught his second interception of the game, and JaMyris Allen sacked Vallery for a safety in the ﬁnal minute on St. Michael’s last two drives of the game.

FRIDAY NIGHT’S TOP MATCHUPS WEST FELICIANA AT UNIVERSITY HIGH

7 p.m. University High (5-2) will host West Feliciana (7-0) in a game that could decide the District 7-3A title. Quarterback Knox Kiffin and company have found their groove, with the Cubs winning five straight games since an 0-2 start. The Saints are still unbeaten with a high-flying offense that has scored 40 or more points in all but one game this year.

PARKWAY AT EAST ASCENSION

7 p.m. Panther Stadium While most teams are in the thick of District 5-5A play, East Ascension has one more nondistrict game against Parkway (4-3). The Spartans (6-1) are No. 6 in the Division I nonselect power ratings and could boost that ranking against 20thranked Shreveport team. A win would also be EA’s fifth straight.

EPISCOPAL AT DUNHAM

7 p.m. Dunham (4-3) looks to meet its preseason expectations with star quarterback Elijah Haven back under center. The Tigers will have a big test against Episcopal (5-2), which has won four straight games after a 1-2 start. Both sides are unbeaten in District 9-2A play, and the winner will take a big step toward a district title.

Entering his junior season, Ascension Catholic’s John Rob Daigle had to make a decision. Would he continue playing football or stick to just baseball? Coach Taylor James knew Daigle had plenty of reasons to hang up his cleats and stay focused on the diamond. When James took over the football program in 2025, he became Daigle’s third coach in as many seasons. “He was at that point as a high school kid where he was like, ‘Golly, I’ve got to prove myself to another coach over again,’ ” James said. “He was at a crossroads. Luckily, he decided to stick with it.” That decision has paid off for both Daigle and the team. In 2025, the linebacker totaled 160 tackles and the Bulldogs reached the Division IV select title game. This year, Daigle, now a senior, has 87 tackles and the team is 7-0. “I told him when it happened,” James said of the 5-foot-11, 185-pounder. “I said, ‘Dude, I hate to break it to you, man, but you’re a great baseball player, but you’re an even better football player.’ He’s an unbelievable player. In the old-school terms, he’s a beast out there.”

Defensive leader Daigle is the “Mike” linebacker on defense. The responsibility for making sure everyone is lined up correctly before each play. “It’s a hard task,” James said. “A hard ask for a high school kid to be responsible for somebody else because most of them still get woken up, and they have to remember to brush their teeth in the morning. James understands the challenge of asking a young player to take on that challenge, but he knows Daigle can handle it. James likened Daigle to players in college and the NFL who have a green dot, which signals which players have radio communication with coaches. “He’s an extremely smart and savvy football player,” James said. “He is very aware of what everybody is supposed to be doing, and it all goes around him.” Another wrinkle for Daigle is tweaks to the defensive scheme to better ﬁt the team’s personnel. Another challenge James said he’s met head-on. “I think that speaks volumes for him, and his willingness to do whatever it takes to be successful,” James said. “He’s about as steady of a competitor as you can imagine.” Daigle said he’s continued to add speed and agility to his skill set. Balancing his job on defense and making sure everyone else is where they need to be can be a lot on one player. For Daigle, that’s just how he likes it. Whether it’s giving rides to practice for teammates or aligning the defensive line, he’s there for his team. “I like being a center where I can guide and help my teammates,” Daigle said. “I like that accountability.”

THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH CAIDEN BELLARD

RB, University High, Jr. The Cubs running back, a transfer from Lafayette Christian, has put up big numbers in his past five games. The junior three-star recruit has totaled almost 500 yards rushing and seven total touchdowns during U-High’s winning streak.

BRYSON SMITH

LB, Denham Springs, Sr. The Yellow Jackets linebacker has put up massive numbers this year. The 5-foot-11, 205-pound senior has 98 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss, two sacks and one interceptionin achoring the Denham Springs defense this season.

MARCUS WATSON

WR, Central, Sr. The Wildcats receiver is a threat any time he has the ball in his hands. The three-star Houston commitment has 617 yards receiving and eight TDs on 37 receptions this year. Watson is one of the most explosive athletes in the state this year.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Ascension Catholic linebacker John Rob Daigle, left, and defensive linemen Kole Folse bring down a Riverside runner during last season’s state championship game.

6C ■ Friday, October 23, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

lll

SCOREBOARD Odds

Murphy III 31:33 4-11 1-1 0-4 1 2 11 Willi’son 32:08 7-16 6-6 1-3 3 3 22 Missi 29:55 5-6 3-4 7-14 5 3 13 Fears 20:56 2-10 3-4 1-3 1 3 8 Murray 34:21 9-18 3-3 2-3 7 2 23 Bey 23:37 4-9 3-3 0-5 0 1 13 Queen 18:05 2-4 6-6 1-10 1 3 10 Mathurin 17:52 3-7 5-6 1-3 2 3 11 Jones 16:54 2-4 0-0 1-2 0 3 5 Poole 14:39 0-4 4-4 0-2 3 1 4 Totals 240:00 38-89 34-37 14-49 23 24 120 Percentages: FG .427, FT .919. 3-Point Goals: 10-30, .333 (Bey 2-4, Williamson 2-4, Murphy III 2-5, Murray 2-5, Jones 1-1, Fears 1-5, Mathurin 0-3, Poole 0-3). Team Rebounds: 6. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: 6 (Missi 3, Murray 3). Turnovers: 14 (Murray 4, Williamson 3, Bey 2, Fears, Jones, Missi, Poole, Queen). Steals: 11 (Williamson 3, Missi 2, Murray 2, Queen 2, Jones, Mathurin). Technical Fouls: None. Indiana 38 18 30 37 — 123 New Orleans 31 35 26 28 — 120 A — 17,232 (16,867). T — 2:24.

NFL Sunday FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG Pittsburgh 1½ 3½ (44½) at NEW ORL. at CAROLINA 1½ 3 (44½) Tampa Bay Cleveland 3 1½ (37½) at TENNESSEE at NY JETS 2½ 4½ (39½) Miami San Francisco 4½ 2½ (49½) at ATLANTA at HOUSTON 5½ 10½ (42½) NY Giants at MINNESOTA 3 6½ (41½) Indianapolis at BALTIMORE 3½ 1½ (49½) Cincinnati Denver 7½ 4½ (43½) at ARIZONA at DETROIT 1½ 3½ (53½) Green Bay LA Rams 8½ 4½ (48½) at LAS VEGAS at SEATTLE 3 2½ (42½) Kansas City

Monday

FAVORITE Dallas

OPEN TODAY O/U 3 4½ (44½)

UNDERDOG at PHILA.

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U at VIRGINIA 6½ 2 (47½) at UCONN 15½ 14½ (50½) at TULSA 1½ 2½ (54½) Air Force 5½ 5½ (45½) NC State 7½ 6½ (55½)

UNDERDOG Duke UMass Army at WYOMING at STANFORD

College football Friday

Saturday

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG LSU 6½ 7 (51½) at AUBURN at MIAMI (FL) 23½ 20½ (48½) Pittsburgh at N’WESTERN 16½ 16½ (58½) Rutgers Indiana 6½ 7½ (41½) at MICHIGAN at TOLEDO 2½ 3½ (46½) W. Michigan at TCU 6½ 10½ (56½) West Virginia Texas Tech 11½ 10½ (56½) at CINCINNATI at SMU 17½ 18½ (55½) Cal at FAU 10½ 8½ (51½) Rice Baylor 2½ 2½ (53½) at KANSAS at KENT STATE 3½ 3 (46½) Akron Miami (OH) 1 3 (40½) at C. MICHIGAN Oregon 13½ 8½ (50½) at ILLINOIS at UCLA 13½ 14½ (43½) Michigan State North Texas 1½ 2½ (63½) at NAVY at ALABAMA 2½ 13½ (50½) Texas A&M Oklahoma 2½ 5½ (44½) at MISS. ST. BYU 9½ 6½ (43½) at UCF at GA. TECH 5½ 5½ (50½) Boston College at BUFFALO 4½ 3 (44½) Bowling Green at S. CARO. 2½ 2½ (50½) Tennessee Iowa 2½ 7 (40½) at MINNESOTA Hawaii 7 4½ (47½) at N. ILLINOIS at BALL STATE 9½ 14½ (51½) Sacramento St. Kansas State 2½ 2½ (55½) at ARIZONA ST. at TROY 17½ 13½ (50½) UL-Monroe at OHIO 9½ 11½ (48½) E. Michigan at NEVADA 5½ 6½ (46½) San Jose State at LA. TECH 8½ 13½ (45½) Old Dominion UL 10½ 9½ (52½) at SO. MISS Boise State 16½ 13½ (52½) at WASH. ST. San Diego St. 1½ 1½ (63½) at COLO. ST. Georgia State 1½ 2½ (58½) at ARK. ST. at CLEMSON 1½ 2½ (49½) Virginia Tech at OKLA. ST. 14½ 13½ (56½) Colorado at N. CARO. 9½ 8½ (46½) Syracuse at ARIZONA 10 10 (51½) Iowa State at KENTUCKY 9½ 10½ (52½) Vanderbilt USC 1½ 3 (50½) at WISCONSIN at TEXAS ST. 9½ 13½ (61½) Utah State at TEXAS 9½ 3½ (54½) Ole Miss UTSA 4 2½ (51½) at TULANE at NEW MEX. 3½ 4½ (41½) N. Dakota St. at UTAH 5½ 6½ (56½) Houston

NBA

FAVORITE TODAY O/U UNDERDOG at MILWAUKEE 1½ (237½) Chicago at BOSTON 2½ (223½) New York Toronto 5½ (236½) at WASH. Minnesota 1½ (237½) at ORLANDO at INDIANA 6½ (236½) Dallas Atlanta 2½ (226½) at CHARLOTTE at MIAMI 1½ (236½) Detroit at UTAH 2½ (241½) New Orl. at SAN ANT. 6½ (227½) Houston at LA LAKERS 9½ (228½) L.A. Clippers Portland 7½ (232½) at SACRA. at GOLDEN ST. 3½ (235½) Memphis

MLB

World Series FAVORITE at MILWAUKEE

LINE UNDERDOG -194 Tampa Bay

LINE +158

Pro football NFL glance AFC East

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

NFC East

N.Y. Giants Philadelphia Dallas Washington South Carolina Atlanta New Orleans Tampa Bay North Minnesota Chicago Green Bay Detroit West

W 5 4 2 0

L 1 3 4 5

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .833 .571 .333 .000

PF 197 160 112 70

PA 171 143 122 132

W 4 2 2 1

L 2 4 4 5

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .667 .333 .333 .167

PF 154 144 144 84

PA 104 164 143 129

W 4 4 4 3

L 2 2 2 2

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .667 .667 .667 .600

PF 106 137 156 128

PA 122 128 132 109

W 5 4 3 0

L 0 2 3 6

T Pct 0 1.000 0 .667 0 .500 0 .000

PF PA 140 83 114 125 162 162 90 151

W 3 2 2 1

L 2 4 4 4

T 1 0 0 1

Pct .583 .333 .333 .250

PF 136 106 151 132

PA 140 137 159 172

W 3 2 2 1

L 2 4 4 5

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .600 .333 .333 .167

PF 146 142 152 119

PA 123 153 178 138

W 5 5 4 3

L 0 2 2 2

T Pct 0 1.000 0 .714 0 .667 0 .600

PF PA 109 64 180 143 127 125 164 148

Pelicans schedule

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY NAM Y. HUH

Bear-ing down

Chicago Bears running back D’Andre Swift escapes a tackle attempt by New England Patriots linebacker Robert Spillane as Swift rushes for a touchdown during the first half of Thursday night’s game in Chicago. The game ended after press time. Rushers Walker, KC Cook, Buf Henry, Bal Taylor, Ind Warren, Pit Tuten, Jac Pollard, Ten Allen, NYJ Jeanty, Las Hampton, LAC

Receivers

Att 106 117 130 122 84 94 87 74 98 80 No 32 27 35 26 28 24 17 29 17 22

Flowers, Bal Higgins, Cin Wilson, NYJ Washington, Jac Bowers, Las Tucker, Las Boston, Cle Tate, Ten Noel, Hou Collins, Hou

Punters

Yds 665 627 534 492 460 388 349 314 313 289 Yds 471 423 418 416 382 371 345 344 334 323 No 14 22 31 26 28 32 23 25 18 19

Araiza, KC Cole, Las Bojorquez, Cle Johnston, Pit Townsend, Ten Crawshaw, Den Kroeger, Hou Scott, LAC Wishnowsky, NE Cooke, Jac

Punt returners

Avg 6.3 5.4 4.1 4.0 5.5 4.1 4.0 4.2 3.2 3.6 Avg 14.7 15.7 11.9 16.0 13.6 15.5 20.3 11.9 19.6 14.7

LG TD 76 6 35 6 32t 7 24t 7 50t 1 20 2 18 1 22t 2 19 1 17 3 LG TD 54t 2 29 1 32t 3 51t 4 29 3 44t 3 60 3 33 1 52 2 45 3

Yds Lg Avg 733 69 52.4 1114 72 50.6 1558 81 50.3 1286 62 49.5 1381 65 49.3 1568 68 49.0 1107 67 48.1 1198 60 47.9 857 73 47.6 904 60 47.6

Dike, Ten Williams, NYJ Dortch, Buf M.Jones, NE Wester, Bal Noel, Hou Wetjen, Pit Meyers, Cin Remigio, KC Washington, Jac

No 9 9 12 10 10 9 10 7 9 8

Yds 115 98 121 98 91 74 69 41 51 28

Avg Long TD 12.8 58 0 10.9 20 0 10.1 25 0 9.8 19 0 9.1 24 0 8.2 17 0 6.9 17 0 5.9 15 0 5.7 27 0 3.5 12 0

Davis, Buf Laube, Las Abdullah, Jac R.Sanders, Cle C.Moore, Bal McGowan, Ind Wright, Mia

No 10 12 13 10 8 15 12

Yds 310 357 382 293 229 426 335

Avg 31.0 29.8 29.4 29.3 28.6 28.4 27.9

Kickoff returners

SCORING Touchdowns

Allen, Buf Henry, Bal Walker, KC Taylor, Ind Cook, Buf Chase, Cin Freiermuth, Pit Gesicki, Cin Tuten, Jac Washington, Jac

TD Rush 8 8 8 7 8 6 7 7 6 6 4 0 4 0 4 0 4 2 4 0

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

PAT 12/13 18/20 14/14 15/15 12/12 16/17 16/16 14/15 14/14 8/9 8/9

Kicking

NFC leaders Quarterbacks

LG TD 70 0 53 0 53 0 74 0 42 0 66 0 79 0

Rec Ret Pts 0 0 48 1 0 48 2 0 48 0 0 42 0 0 36 4 0 24 4 0 24 4 0 24 2 0 24 4 0 24 FG 18/18 13/13 14/15 13/14 13/17 10/12 10/13 10/13 10/10 12/13 12/13

LG Pts 58 66 49 57 59 56 58 54 58 51 60 46 64 46 50 44 58 44 54 44 56 44

TD Int 11 6 11 4 10 5 11 2 12 0 14 2 12 5 9 6 7 7 7 5

Stafford, LAR Love, GB Prescott, Dal Young, Car Goff, Det Purdy, SF Shough, NO Brissett, Ari Darnold, Sea Winston, NYG

Att Com 249 164 226 135 246 163 201 121 191 128 171 119 235 153 234 156 149 90 158 90

Yds 1794 1684 1639 1549 1485 1460 1443 1328 1033 957

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

Yds 641 504 452 426 410 398 393 350 324 317

Avg LG TD 5.8 59t 4 4.8 22 7 4.7 72 2 4.8 32 4 4.2 20 2 4.2 32 6 4.9 30 4 4.5 16 7 5.4 61t 3 3.7 22 7

Monday’s game

Receivers

Att 111 105 96 89 97 94 80 77 60 85

Thursday, Oct. 29

Smith-Njigba, Sea Olave, NO Lamb, Dal D.London, Atl Watson, GB Golden, GB Nabers, NYG Adams, LAR McMillan, Car Pickens, Dal

No 49 43 48 31 29 30 41 30 32 33

Yds 717 580 577 550 538 501 494 480 471 428

Avg LG TD 14.6 82t 7 13.5 47 2 12.0 49 4 17.7 68 0 18.6 81t 6 16.7 50 3 12.0 46 2 16.0 64 4 14.7 32t 2 13.0 53 1

San Francisco Seattle Arizona L.A. Rams

W 6 3 2 2

Thursday’s game

L 0 3 4 4

T Pct 0 1.000 0 .500 0 .333 0 .333

PF 177 148 126 135

PA 110 122 178 138

Chicago 30, New England 24

Sunday’s games

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

Carolina at Green Bay, 7:15 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 1

Arizona at Dallas, noon Atlanta at Tampa Bay, noon Baltimore at Buffalo, noon Cleveland at Pittsburgh, noon Indianapolis at Jacksonville, noon Las Vegas at N.Y. Jets, noon Minnesota at Detroit, noon Tennessee at Cincinnati, noon L.A. Chargers at L.A. Rams, 3:05 p.m. Kansas City at Denver, 3:25 p.m. New England at Miami, 3:25 p.m. Philadelphia at Washington, 7:20 p.m. Open: Houston, N.Y. Giants, New Orleans, San Francisco

Monday, Nov. 2

Chicago at Seattle, 7:15 p.m.

AFC leaders

Quarterbacks Stroud, Hou Cousins, Las Allen, Buf Rodgers, Pit Lawrence, Jac Maye, NE Burrow, Cin G.Smith, NYJ Mahomes, KC Jones, Ind

Att Com 219 143 213 135 171 114 233 143 184 120 183 117 189 135 177 122 158 105 218 130

Yds 1714 1582 1504 1487 1480 1463 1361 1336 1309 1290

TD Int 9 1 14 5 9 4 12 5 14 4 11 7 11 3 7 1 9 3 4 6

Rushers

Punters

No 23 25 21 17 28 19 19 33 20 18

Stout, NYG Whelan, GB Bailey, Atl Taylor, Chi Way, Was Evans, LAR Fox, Det Mann, Phi Waitman, SF Martin, Car

Punt returners

Price, Min Moore, GB Covey, Phi Raymond, Chi C.Jones, NYG Turpin, Dal T.Johnson, TB Branch, Atl Shaheed, Sea Brown, NO

No 11 8 14 12 10 9 10 8 12 12

Yds 1195 1242 1036 838 1365 918 908 1574 947 838

Yds 238 128 177 147 114 100 105 83 118 104

Lg 78 75 67 63 60 67 65 65 61 61

Avg 52.0 49.7 49.3 49.3 48.8 48.3 47.8 47.7 47.4 46.6

Avg Long TD 21.6 86t 1 16.0 63 0 12.6 41 0 12.3 24 0 11.4 23 0 11.1 17 0 10.5 16 0 10.4 25 0 9.8 31 0 8.7 23 0

Kickoff returners Price, Min K.Johnson, TB Duvernay, Ari Moore, GB Turpin, Dal Melton, GB Shaheed, Sea

No 17 12 13 11 21 8 16

Gibbs, Det J.Williams, Dal McCaffrey, SF Smith-Njigba, Sea Hubbard, Car Swift, Chi Watson, GB

TD Rush 9 7 8 7 7 7 7 0 6 4 6 6 6 0

Ryland, Ari McLaughlin, TB Reichard, Min Myers, Sea Zvada, NYG Bates, Det Fitzgerald, Car Santos, Chi Aubrey, Dal Smack, GB

PAT 12/12 11/11 8/8 14/15 9/9 20/20 11/15 18/18 14/15 11/13

SCORING Touchdowns

Kicking

Yds 506 339 366 302 574 218 436

Avg 29.8 28.3 28.2 27.5 27.3 27.3 27.3

LG TD 68 0 48 0 40 0 43 0 48 0 59 0 39 0

Rec Ret Pts 2 0 54 1 0 48 0 0 42 7 0 42 2 0 36 0 0 36 6 0 36 FG 14/16 14/14 15/15 12/13 13/16 8/8 11/11 8/11 9/12 10/13

LG Pts 60 54 59 53 56 53 57 50 56 48 54 44 53 44 50 42 60 41 59 41

Major League Baseball World Series glance Best-of-7; x-if necessary; All games at 7 p.m.

Milwaukee vs. Tampa Bay

Friday: Game 1: Tampa Bay at Milwaukee (Misiorowski 16-5) Saturday: Game 2: Tampa Bay at Milwaukee Monday: Game 3: Milwaukee at Tampa Bay Tuesday: Game 4: Milwaukee at Tampa Bay x-Wednesday, Oct. 28: Game 5: Milwaukee at Tampa Bay x-Friday, Oct. 30: Game 6: Tampa Bay at Milwaukee x-Saturday, Oct. 31: Game 7: Tampa Bay at Milwaukee

College football Scores, schedule Tuesday’s scores

East

Conference All Games W L PF PA W L PF Jackson St. 3 1 131 107 6 1 264 Ala. A&M 3 1 184 100 6 2 321 BCU 2 1 67 79 4 3 199 Alabama St. 3 2 129 91 4 3 180 MVSU 2 2 95 136 3 5 142 Florida A&M 1 2 66 94 2 5 132

PA 152 160 204 125 273 238

Conference All Games W L PF PA W L PF Prairie View 3 2 155 122 3 5 198 Grambling 2 2 153 179 4 3 257 Alcorn St. 2 2 193 195 4 4 335 UAPB 1 2 107 84 3 3 197 Southern 1 3 72 120 3 4 162 Texas South. 0 3 88 133 1 5 150

PA 246 275 296 188 243 280

West

Sun Belt Conference East

Conference All Games W L PF PA W L PF J. Madison 4 0 167 83 7 0 300 Ga. Southern 2 1 78 66 3 4 171 App. St. 1 1 38 42 4 2 177 Georgia St. 1 1 64 59 4 2 219 Marshall 1 2 58 85 4 3 152 Co. Carolina 1 2 83 87 2 5 183 Old Dom. 1 3 55 114 2 5 124

PA 112 161 131 144 215 181 188

Conference All Games W L PF PA W L PF La. Tech 2 0 56 31 4 2 200 UL 2 1 87 58 5 2 210 So. Alabama 2 1 121 104 4 3 246 Troy 1 1 61 67 3 3 146 Arkansas St. 1 2 92 92 3 4 192 So. Miss 0 2 47 78 1 5 145 UL-Monroe 0 2 35 76 0 6 120

PA 147 135 227 153 186 196 247

West

Pro basketball NBA glance EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division

Philadelphia Toronto New York Brooklyn Boston Southeast Division

New Mexico St. 30, Sam Houston State 24

Atlanta Washington Charlotte Orlando Miami Central Division

Liberty 34, Kennesaw State 6 Appalachian State 34, James Madison 31, OT East Carolina (3-3) at Memphis (5-2), n

Detroit Indiana Cleveland Milwaukee Chicago

Delaware 61, Missouri State 38 Marshall 20, South Alabama 13 Middle Tennessee 26, FIU 23

Wednesday’s score

Thursday’s games SOUTH

Friday’s games EAST

Southwest Division

SOUTH

Houston Memphis Dallas San Antonio New Orleans Northwest Division

NC Central (2-5) at Delaware St. (4-3), 4 p.m. Yale (3-2) at Penn (2-3), 6 p.m. UMass (4-3) at UConn (3-3), 6 p.m. Duke (4-2) at Virginia (4-3), 6 p.m.

SOUTHWEST

Army (4-2) at Tulsa (4-3), 7:30 p.m.

FAR WEST

State schedule

Saturday’s games

LSU (5-2) at Auburn (4-2), 11 a.m. Southern (3-4) at Texas Southern (1-5), 2 p.m. Nicholls (2-5) at Northwestern St. (0-7), 2 p.m. Louisiana-Monroe (0-6) at Troy (3-3), 3 p.m. Old Dominion (2-5) at Louisiana Tech (4-2), 4 p.m. UL (5-2) at Southern Miss (1-5), 4 p.m. Southeastern (4-3) at Stephen F. Austin (7-0), 5 p.m. UTSA (6-1) at Tulane (3-3), 7 p.m.

American Conference

Conference All Games W L PF PA W L PF UTSA 3 0 85 72 6 1 226 North Texas 2 0 95 54 4 2 253 Army 3 1 121 86 4 2 209 Memphis 2 1 114 52 5 2 248 UAB 2 1 67 75 4 3 163 FAU 1 1 62 86 4 2 210 East Carolina 1 1 45 42 3 3 141 Tulane 1 1 48 37 3 3 123 South Florida1 2 65 72 5 2 186 Tulsa 1 2 108 96 4 3 203 Temple 1 2 65 72 2 5 180 Charlotte 1 2 56 140 1 6 134 Navy 1 3 118 126 2 4 169 Rice 0 3 43 82 1 6 119

PA 189 175 120 156 172 189 143 130 106 157 196 284 155 203

Conference All Games W L PF PA W L PF 4 1 168 88 6 1 301 4 1 139 147 6 1 229 3 1 91 61 6 1 234 3 1 143 96 5 1 225 3 2 177 104 5 2 275 3 2 159 174 5 2 277 2 2 124 73 5 2 283 2 2 99 85 5 2 218 2 2 101 107 4 2 161 2 2 95 145 4 2 195 1 2 68 71 4 2 181 1 2 53 86 3 3 128 1 3 67 100 4 3 206 1 3 124 144 3 3 226 1 3 72 124 3 4 147 0 4 67 142 3 4 165

PA 111 181 103 143 150 198 111 137 131 171 107 109 120 153 187 208

Conference All Games W L PF PA W L PF S.F. Austin 4 0 166 60 7 0 286 Lamar 3 1 160 101 5 2 211 HCU 3 1 116 84 4 3 221 Southeastern 2 2 117 99 4 3 199 UIW 2 2 132 105 3 4 246 McNeese St. 2 2 88 110 3 4 178 UTRGV 2 3 101 105 3 4 161 E.Texas A&M 2 3 113 145 2 5 128 Nicholls 1 3 51 149 2 5 98 NW St. 0 4 70 156 0 7 133

PA 91 170 178 198 220 200 150 210 289 327

SEC

Georgia Kentucky Tennessee Ole Miss Alabama Florida LSU Missouri Auburn Miss. St. Texas Oklahoma Texas A&M S. Carolina Arkansas Vanderbilt

Southland Conference

SWAC

L 0 0 1 1 1

Pct 1.000 1.000 .000 .000 .000

GB — ½ 1½ 1½ 1½

W 1 1 1 0 0

L 0 0 0 1 1

Pct 1.000 1.000 1.000 .000 .000

GB — — — 1 1

W 1 1 0 0 0

L 0 0 1 1 1

Pct 1.000 1.000 .000 .000 .000

GB — — 1 1 1

W 1 1 0 0 0

L 0 0 1 1 1

Pct 1.000 1.000 .000 .000 .000

GB — — 1 1 1

W 1 1 1 0 0

L 0 0 0 1 0

Pct 1.000 1.000 1.000 .000 .000

GB — — — 1 ½

W 1 1 0 0 0

L 0 0 1 1 1

Pct 1.000 1.000 .000 .000 .000

GB — — 1 1 1

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Portland Oklahoma City Minnesota Utah Denver Paciﬁc Division

Air Force (5-1) at Wyoming (4-3), 8 p.m. NC State (3-3) at Stanford (3-4), 9:30 p.m.

W 2 1 0 0 0

L.A. Clippers L.A. Lakers Golden State Sacramento Phoenix

Wednesday’s scores

Washington 128, Milwaukee 116 Atlanta 132, Orlando 125 Charlotte 110, Brooklyn 103 Minnesota 131, Miami 106 Toronto 135, Chicago 92 Memphis 123, Utah 103 Indiana 123, New Orleans 120 Houston 128, Dallas 110 Portland 124, Phoenix 83 L.A. Clippers 121, Sacramento 96 L.A. Lakers 127, Golden State 105

Thursday’s games

Philadelphia 114, Cleveland 106 Denver at Oklahoma City, n

Friday’s games

Chicago at Milwaukee, 3 p.m. Atlanta at Charlotte, 6 p.m. Dallas at Indiana, 6 p.m. Minnesota at Orlando, 6 p.m. New York at Boston, 6 p.m. Toronto at Washington, 6 p.m. Detroit at Miami, 7 p.m. Houston at San Antonio, 8:30 p.m. New Orleans at Utah, 8:30 p.m. L.A. Clippers at L.A. Lakers, 9 p.m. Memphis at Golden State, 9 p.m. Portland at Sacramento, 9 p.m.

Indiana 123, New Orleans 120 Late Wednesday

FG FT Reb INDIANA Min M-A M-A O-T A PFPTS Oubre Jr. 27:44 2-5 0-0 0-2 3 3 4 Siakam 35:17 13-23 3-8 2-8 1 3 30 Zubac 33:38 7-12 2-4 4-15 0 5 16 Haliburton 33:31 8-15 5-5 0-2 12 0 23 Nembhard 33:40 6-10 6-7 0-2 9 4 18 Toppin 24:42 7-12 2-3 1-3 1 3 20 Walker 18:31 1-6 0-0 0-6 2 2 3 Jackson 15:31 2-3 2-2 1-4 1 0 6 Sheppard 12:10 1-3 0-0 1-1 0 4 3 Nance Jr. 5:14 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 2 0 Totals 240:00 47-90 20-29 9-43 29 26 123 Percentages: FG .522, FT .690. 3-Point Goals: 9-30, .300 (Toppin 4-9, Haliburton 2-6, Sheppard 1-2, Siakam 1-3, Walker 1-3, Nance Jr. 0-1, Nembhard 0-3, Oubre Jr. 0-3). Team Rebounds: 9. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 4 (Zubac 2, Oubre Jr., Walker). Turnovers: 13 (Walker 4, Haliburton 3, Nembhard 2, Siakam 2, Oubre Jr., Zubac). Steals: 9 (Jackson 3, Toppin 2, Haliburton, Nembhard, Oubre Jr., Siakam). Technical Fouls: Haliburton, 7:08 fourth. N.O.

Min

FT Reb

M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS

October 21 vs. Indiana Pacers L 123-120 23 at Utah Jazz 8:30 p.m. 24 at Denver Nuggets 8 p.m. 28 vs. Denver Nuggets 7 p.m. 29 vs. Sacramento Kings 7 p.m. 31 vs. Atlanta Hawks 6 p.m. November 2 at Memphis Grizzlies 7 p.m. 4 vs. Utah Jazz 7 p.m. 6 vs. Minnesota T’wolves 7 p.m. 8 at LA Clippers 8 p.m. 9 at Golden State Warriors 9 p.m. 11 vs. Brooklyn Nets 7 p.m. 13 vs. Memphis Grizzlies 7 p.m. 14 vs. Denver Nuggets 6 p.m. 16 vs. Golden State Warriors 7 p.m. 18 vs. Detroit Pistons 7 p.m. 20 at Oklahoma City Thunder 7 p.m. 21 at San Antonio Spurs 7 p.m. 23 vs. Phoenix Suns 7 p.m. 27 at LA Clippers 8:30 p.m. 29 at Portland Trail Blazers 5 p.m. 30 at Sacramento Kings 9 p.m. December 2 vs. Los Angeles Lakers 7 p.m. 13 at Sacramento Kings 8 p.m. 14 at Los Angeles Lakers 9 p.m. 16 vs. New York Knicks 7 p.m. 18 vs. Sacramento Kings 7 p.m. 20 vs. San Antonio Spurs 6 p.m. 21 vs. Memphis Grizzlies 7 p.m. 23 vs. Oklahoma City Thunder 7 p.m. 26 at Brooklyn Nets 5 p.m. 28 at Toronto Raptors 6:30 p.m. 30 at Detroit Pistons 6 p.m. 31 vs. Los Angeles Lakers 7 p.m. January 2 vs. Miami Heat 6 p.m. 4 vs. Dallas Mavericks 7 p.m. 6 vs. Portland Trail Blazers 7 p.m. 8 vs. Orlando Magic 7 p.m. 10 at Miami Heat 5 p.m. 14 vs. San Antonio Spurs 1 p.m. 17 vs. San Antonio Spurs 9:30 a.m. 20 vs. Oklahoma City Thunder 7 p.m. 22 vs. Dallas Mavericks 7 p.m. 25 vs. Cleveland Cavaliers 7 p.m. 27 at Houston Rockets 7:30 p.m. 28 vs. Philadelphia 76ers 7 p.m. 30 at Cleveland Cavaliers 6:30 p.m. February 1 at Philadelphia 76ers 6 p.m. 2 at Orlando Magic 6 p.m. 4 at Washington Wizards 6 p.m. 6 at Chicago Bulls 7 p.m. 8 at Indiana Pacers 6 p.m. 10 at Atlanta Hawks 6 p.m. 12 vs. Houston Rockets 7 p.m. 14 vs. LA Clippers 1 p.m. 16 at Portland Trail Blazers 9 p.m. 17 at Golden State Warriors 9 p.m. 25 vs. Phoenix Suns 7 p.m. 27 at Phoenix Suns 8 p.m. March 1 vs. Utah Jazz 7 p.m. 3 at Houston Rockets 7:30 p.m. 5 vs. Milwaukee Bucks 7 p.m. 6 at Memphis Grizzlies 7 p.m. 8 at Minnesota Timberwolves 7 p.m. 10 at Charlotte Hornets 6 p.m. 12 vs. Toronto Raptors 7 p.m. 13 at Dallas Mavericks 7 p.m. 16 vs. Minnesota Timberwolves 7 p.m. 18 vs. Charlotte Hornets 7 p.m. 19 vs. Houston Rockets 7 p.m. 21 at Boston Celtics 2:00 p.m. 23 at New York Knicks 6:30 p.m. 26 at Dallas Mavericks 7 p.m. 28 vs. Boston Celtics 6 p.m. 31 at Milwaukee Bucks 7 p.m. April 3 at Oklahoma City Thunder 4 p.m. 5 vs. Washington Wizards 7 p.m. 6 at Denver Nuggets 8 p.m. 8 at Utah Jazz 8 p.m. 11 vs. Chicago Bulls 5 p.m.

WNBA Finals

(x-if necessary); (Best-of-7) Atlanta 2, Golden State 1 Saturday: Golden State 68, Atlanta 64 Monday: Atlanta 79, Golden State 65 Wednesday: Atlanta 97, Golden State 71 Saturday, Oct. 24: Golden State at Atlanta, noon Monday, Oct. 26: Atlanta at Golden State, 7 p.m. x-Thursday, Oct. 29: Golden St. at Atlanta, TBA x-Saturday, 31: Atlanta at Golden St., TBA

Atlanta 97, Golden State 71 Late Wednesday

GOLDEN STATE (71) Thornton 0-1 0-0 0, Zandalasini 4-8 1-2 13, Stokes 1-3 0-0 2, Burton 1-7 0-0 3, Williams 5-18 2-3 15, Amihere 0-1 0-0 0, Salaun 5-7 0-3 13, Charles 0-1 3-4 3, Jocyte 0-0 0-0 0, Gueye 1-5 4-4 6, Chen 1-5 0-0 2, Hayes 6-13 1-1 14. Totals 24-69 11-17 71. ATLANTA (97) Hillmon 6-10 0-1 15, Howard 4-11 7-10 16, Reese 7-12 5-5 21, Canada 4-10 2-3 10, Gray 2-8 4-6 8, Kone 2-2 0-0 5, Bonner 3-4 0-1 7, Okot 1-1 1-1 3, Borlase 5-10 1-2 12, Paopao 0-1 0-0 0, Walker-Kimbrough 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 34-69 20-29 97. Golden State 15 25 17 14 — 71 Atlanta 23 23 25 26 — 97 3-Point Goals — Golden State 12-30 (Zandalasini 4-6, Salaun 3-4, Williams 3-8, Burton 1-4, Hayes 1-4, Chen 0-1, Gueye 0-1, Stokes 0-1, Thornton 0-1), Atlanta 9-22 (Hillmon 3-5, Reese 2-2, Kone 1-1, Bonner 1-2, Borlase 1-2, Howard 1-2, Paopao 0-1, Canada 0-3, Gray 0-4). Fouled Out — None. Rebounds — Golden State 34 (Stokes 11), Atlanta 37 (Reese 12). Assists — Golden State 19 (Williams 8), Atlanta 26 (Canada 8). Total Fouls — Golden State 21, Atlanta 17. A — 17,099 (18,118) Florida at Pittsburgh, n N.Y. Rangers at Toronto, n Nashville at Boston, n San Jose at Ottawa, n Los Angeles at N.Y. Islanders, n Vegas at St. Louis, n Winnipeg at Dallas, n Carolina at Edmonton, n Minnesota at Calgary, n Detroit at Vancouver, n Utah at Seattle, n

Friday’s games

Montreal at Chicago, 7 p.m. Tampa Bay at Colorado, 8 p.m.

Transactions BASEBALL American League KANSAS CITY ROYALS — Sent RHPs Alec Marsh, Mason Black, Easton McGee, Alex Lange and Connor Seabold outright to Omaha (IL). FOOTBALL National Football League ARIZONA CARDINALS — Claimed OT Albert Reese off waivers from Carolina. Waived TE Shawn Bowman. Signed TE Shawn Bowman to the practice squad. Released OL Austin Deculus from the practice squad. ATlANTA FALCONS — Released DB Malcolm DeWalt IV. BALTIMORE RAVENS — Signed LB Carl Jones Jr. to the practice squad. Released C Andre James from the practice squad. DETROIT LIONS — Signed WR DeAndre Carter to the active roster. Signed S Myles Bryant to the practice squad. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS — Placed OT Josh Simmons on injured reserve. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS — Placed G Alijah Vera-Tucker on injured reserve. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES — Signed RB Jaydon Blue, G Evan Neal and LB Anfernee Orji to the practice squad. Waived TE E.J. Jenkins. PITTSBURGH STEELERS — Placed DE Sebastian Joseph-Day on injured reserve. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS — Activated RB Zach Charbonnet from the PUP list.

BOO AT THE ZOO

THE ULTIMATE WHODUNIT

The annual Halloween celebration at BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo continues from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last entry at 4 p.m.) Saturday and Sunday. Look for festive activities, live entertainment, princess and character meet-and-greets, and seasonal treats. Regular admission applies. brzoo.org.

The traveling production “Clue Live on Stage!” will take place at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the River Center Theatre for Performing Arts. A mansion. A murder. A mystery. Murder and blackmail are on the menu when six mysterious guests assemble at Boddy Manor for a night they’ll never forget! $57.30 and up. ticketmaster.com.

LEARN AND SAMPLE

The Louisiana Bourbon Fest will offer an afternoon of educational seminars and an evening of tastings on Saturday at L’Auberge Casino Hotel. Tailgating will start at 11 a.m. and the grand tasting will be at 7 p.m. $100 and up (designated driver, $50). louisianabourbonfest.com.

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

‘NIGHT OF THE LIVING LADYRAT’ With Bozo Red, Scab Labor and Snowmiser

8 p.m. Friday l Manship Theatre’s Hartley/Vey Studio Theatre, 235 North Blvd. l $15 l manshiptheatre.org

F R I D AY, O C T O B E R 23, 2026

1DN

Country singersongwriter Trace Adkins says he’s performed many shows in Louisiana over the last 30 years. | PROVIDED PHOTO BY ANGELEA YODER

Bozo Red headlines show for new album, label debut BY JOHN WIRT

Contributing writer Friday night’s music at the Manship Theatre’s Hartley/Vey Studio Theatre celebrates two debuts. “Night of the Living Ladyrat” is an album release show for Bozo Red and an introduction to the new local label Ladyrat Records. Bozo Red tops the threeband bill with labelmates Scab Labor and Snowmiser. Bozo Red’s “40 Gallons and a Mule,” available earlier this month in the digital format, will be on sale Friday for the ﬁrst time as a vinyl record album. “I’ve always wanted to release a vinyl record,” Bozo Red’s John Wiese said of that resurrected method of distributing recorded music. “It’s legitimizing, a more complete dedication to the physical medium aspect of things. That’s what we’re trying to get across.” Bozo Red features singerbassist Wiese, singer-guitarist Heath Soniat and drummer Mike Naquin. Co-frontmen Wiese and Soniat sing lead for the songs they write individually. It’s easy to tell who’s who. Wiese’s frenzied songs are ﬁt for a headbangers’ ball. Soniat crafts more conventional but still heavy songs, including the album’s only slower-tempo

ä See SHOW, page 2D

‘IT IT IS STILL A THRILL’

Trace Adkins is set to headline Boots on the Bayou in Gonzales, a return to his home state BOOTS ON THE BAYOU

BY JUDY BERGERON

Staff writer

rganizers say it’s time to dust off your boots. The two-day country music festival Boots on the Bayou is back in Gonzales this weekend, with country superstar and Louisiana native Trace Adkins (“This Ain’t No Thinkin’ Thing,” “Ladies Love Country Boys,” “You’re Gonna Miss This”) headlining the festival’s ﬁrst night on Saturday. Veteran country artist Brantley Gilbert closes out the fest on Sunday night. Taking place at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center, the lineup also features Justin Moore, Priscilla Block, Drew Green, The Hip Abduction, Ben Ragsdale, Parish County Line, KG & The Bad Habits, Pants Party,

Saturday and Sunday l Lamar-Dixon Expo Center, 9039 S. St. Landry Ave., Gonzales l $59, one-day general admission pass; $109, two-day general admission pass; VIP and VIP Platinum experiences also available l botbmusic.com Willie Pake, Sami G and Chase Tyler. In addition to all the live music, BOTB also offers Cajun food, tailgating and camping in an authentic Louisiana festival experience, organizers say. Adkins, 64, grew up in Sarepta and attended Louisiana Tech University. Before his homecoming show on Saturday, he talked about his decades of performing, his acting sideline, and even LSU wom-

en’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey. This interview has been edited for clarity and length. You’ll be headlining Boots on the Bayou this weekend. Do you recall the first time you returned to your home state as a headliner? Does performing in Louisiana add a layer of sentimentality to it? I don’t recall the ﬁrst show, but I have performed many shows in Louisiana over the last 30 years. It is still a thrill to get to return even now. Growing up in Sarepta, when did you realize you had a musical gift? How did you go about pursuing that and why did you go in the country music direction? I am not sure I ever looked upon it as a gift. It’s just something I have always done. I used to stand beside my grandaddy in church and listen

ä See ADKINS, page 2D

PROVIDED ALBUM COVER ART

Local artists who focus on La.’s nature to stage exhibit BY ROBIN MILLER

Saturday in the park. As indicated by the title, all artwork is being exStaff writer hibited outdoors as a way to highFour Baton Rouge-based artists, light nature in Louisiana, while also each with a love for Louisiana’s placing emphasis on its state parks. natural landscape, are gathering The project began with artists at Fontainebleau State Park in Leslie Charleville, known for her Mandeville to celebrate this love gyotaku alligator prints, and muthrough an exhibit of their work. ralist Ellen Ogden, whose vibrant The show, titled “Plein Wild,” paintings often depict Louisiana which plays on the “plein air” or landscapes. open air method of painting, began ä See EXHIBIT, page 3D Thursday and continues through

GREATER BATON ROUGE STATE FAIR Through Sunday, Nov. 1

l Airline Highway Park/

Fairgrounds, 16072 Airline Highway l 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday and noon10 p.m. Saturday-Sunday l $15, general public on Friday, Saturday and Sunday; free, children under 48 inches tall (ride coupons and wristbands sold separately) l For a full list of activities and schedule, visit gbrsf.com

Official sounds off on what to expect at fair BY JUDY BERGERON

ing, alluding to the fact that fairs usually have livestock, and thus, some less-than-pleasant It was two weeks from smells. the Greater Baton Rouge That’s a minor inconveState Fair’s opening day and chairman Cliff Barnience, though, compared to all the fun of a state fair. ton’s voice exuded calm- Barton Cracking jokes and ratness. “You know what the difference tling off fair stats and attractions between a festival and a fair is?” as if he does it in his sleep, BarBarton began the riddle. ä See FAIR, page 2D “It’s the smell,” he said, laugh-

Staff writer

2D n Friday, October 23, 2026 n theadvocate.com n The Advocate

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SHOW

Continued from page 1D

GETTY IMAGES PHOTO BY JOHN SHEARER

Country singer-songwriter and Louisiana native Trace Adkins performs at the 2017 CMA Music Festival in Nashville.

ADKINS

Continued from page 1D to him sing the bass parts so I was just copying him. As for choosing country music, I recall hearing the great Ed Bruce (“You’re the Best Break This Old Heart Ever Had”) on a TV show. I was able to sing along with him so I ﬁgured I might as well do what he did and sing country songs. Having a role in “Deepwater Horizon” probably brought back recollections of your time on an oil rig and your close call. Is that why you sought out or were sought out for the film? I don’t think my oil rig experience was the reason I got the role. My character was a grieving father so it wasn’t necessary. But I did get to rough up Mark Wahlberg a little! Fans loved you on the series “Monarch”? Any plans for another TV role? Nothing is in the works but I am always looking. I’m sure we’ll hear some of your classic songs at BOTB, but might we get to listen to any new tunes? Are you doing any songwriting of late? We may do a couple new things but folks want to hear the hits so I give them what they want. I am going into the studio in a few weeks with Scott Hendricks producing so I hope to have some new stuff out early in 2027. For someone who’s never seen you in concert, what can they expect? How long is your typical festival appearance? A greatest hits show with a few cover tunes mixed in. My show is typically about 90 minutes long. You’ve done a few duets. Is there anyone on your shortlist to collaborate with? I have been fortunate to do some cool duets. Snoop Dogg, Melissa Etheridge, Pitbull, Keb’ Mo’ and Stevie Wonder added some cool harmonica on a song. There was someone else that I did a few songs with but I can’t remember who it was. Oh yeah … Blake Shelton. Considering that Kim Mulkey now coaches LSU’s Lady Tigers basketball team, we have to ask about this “crush” rumor. Tell us that story. Do you two still keep up with each other? When I was at Louisiana Tech, Kim was a rock star. I would see her around cam-

FAIR

Continued from page 1D STAFF FILE PHOTO BY HEATHER McCLELLAND

Country artist Brantley Gilbert, seen here at a past Bayou Country Superfest, will headline Boots on the Bayou in Gonzales on Sunday.

MUSICAL LINEUP

since the beginning of your career and where do you see it going? Probably the biggest change is how music is consumed. There was no Spotify or Apple Music when I started. You recorded an album and then went on the road in an attempt to convince radio to play your music. The fans bought physical product and you hopefully sold a bunch. Now, all of that has changed. Country music as a genre has always evolved which is why it has been around so long. I don’t see that changing any time soon.

SATURDAY n 2 p.m. - Gates open n 3 p.m. - Parish County Line n 4:30 p.m. - Ben Ragsdale n 6 p.m. - Drew Green n 7:30 p.m. - Justin Moore n 9 p.m. - Headliner Trace Adkins SUNDAY n 1 p.m. - Gates open n 1:30 p.m. - Pants Party n 3 p.m. - KG & The Bad Habits n 4:30 p.m. - The Hip Abduction n 6 p.m. - Priscilla Block n 7:30 p.m. - Headliner Brantley Gilbert Also featuring Willie Pake, Sami G and Chase Tyler

Arkansas-born artist Moore, 42, will open up for Adkins at BOTB. His number-one singles include “Small Town USA,” “You Look Like You Need a Drink” and “Somebody Else Will.” “This is going to be fun! One of the ﬁrst tours I ever did was with Trace, and it’s gonna be pretty cool to run it back with him at a big festival,” said Moore. “My wife is from south Louisiana, so it’s special for us to get to come back and play for all the great country music fans down there. Being from Arkansas, Moore said he’s always enjoyed Louisiana’s food and music. “We’ll probably play some really old stuff from our catalog, along with some hits and some fun new tunes. It should be a fun party,” he said. For more, go to botbmusic. com.

pus but never had the nerve to speak with her. Years later, we reconnected and have stayed in contact ever since. She is still a rock star. What led to your getting involved with the Wounded Warrior Project and what do you want people to know about the organization? I am not sure how I became involved with WWP but I have worked with them for two decades. Probably every show there will be someone who tells me about how WWP helped them or a family member. An honorable organization. Do you still have family in Louisiana? Yes, my mom, my brother Clay and my daughter Sarah as well as grandchildren, and nephews. All in or Email Judy Bergeron at around Sarepta. jbergeron@theadvocate. How has country music changed com.

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ton makes the fair sound like a well-oiled machine. But it is in fact, a big deal and there’s a year of planning involved. “It takes a village,” longtime volunteer Barton said of the 11-member board and 100 or so other volunteers behind the scenes. And behind the fair itself is its philanthropic arm, a foundation which has returned close to $5 million to the community through grants, scholarships and sponsorships for organizations involved with families, children and quality of life. Back to the fun, Barton shared that there will be a new pig racing group on the

and striped chef’s pants. Blues music, Wiese said, is the foundation of everything he does. His ﬁrst in-person exposure to blues was a performance by Louisiana-born blues star Buddy Guy at the Baton Rouge Blues Festival. Later, he participated in the weekly blues jams at Phil Brady’s Bar & Grill. But broader musical interests compelled Wiese beyond blues. “I loved the Chicago-style blues, but the bass playing is constricting,” he said. “That’s why I got into original music, the local DIY, doit-yourself scene.” Boza Red’s album, recorded at the local Studio Dudio, as well as Ladyrat Records, are DYI, grassroots projects. Wiese, Conner Guiberteau and Brian Domingue founded Ladyrat Records with idealistic goals in mind. “It’s not just people making noise for the sake of noise,” he said. “These people have passion. When we ﬁnd that quality in people, we want to put it on record. Our only thing is, don’t punch down and don’t only be in it for fame.”

scene this year, Wild Beals Speedway. The company will not only be bringing speeding pigs, but also racing goats and ducks. “On the weekends, we will have Louisiana Snake ID who will be talking to people about snakes and showing different snakes in cages,” Barton said. The chairman said Tina Miser, the Human Cannonball, also is expected to draw crowds. Among the acts and activities scheduled for return engagements are: n The one-man band Washboard Willie, who circulates the fairgrounds performing daily; n Strolling magician Tim Spinoso, who demonstrates his tricks to visitors daily; n A caricature artist; n Face painting done by

clowns; n Stage entertainment; n Agriculture shows; n A student volunteer awards ceremony; n Oyster shell painting; n Special events including a Lego competition. And that’s just a start. For a complete schedule of events and entertainment, go to gbrsf.com. “But when you stop and consider for $15, you can stay all day. You can see the Human Cannonball, you can see the pig racing, there’s a lot you can see for that,” Barton said in explaining that despite the rising expense of producing the fair, the base gate admission hasn’t risen. Weekday discounts also are available. Ride coupons and wristbands are an extra charge. For more ticket info, visit etix.com.

Email John Wirt at j_ wirt@msn.com.

A word from Justin Moore

Stop cleaning-out your gutters this season

Heavy leaves

track, a near ballad with psychedelic overtones. Wiese has named Bozo Red’s music “junk rock.” “We’re in the punk scene, but I don’t think we sound punk-like,” he said. “And I didn’t like calling it rock. That’s such a plain term. I call it ‘junk rock’ because it’s a little wonky. The rhythms are different and my lyrics are a tad strange.” Wiese’s songwriting inspirations include beat poets Bob Dylan and Captain Beefheart. “Captain Beefheart liked the sound of the words,” he said. “He didn’t care much about the meaning. It’s almost impressionistic.” Bozo Red’s songs, while recognizable as rock songs, do exceed the expected. “That’s something I am proud of,” Wiese said. “Not necessarily proud of the songs’ difﬁculty, but their inventiveness.” Unusual, too, Wiese’s bass, rather than taking a supporting role, plays prominently in the band’s arrangements. “It’s a little bit more for-

ward in my songs,” he said. “And the bass is what the rest of the song is assembled around.” Wiese’s introduction to the bass guitar came via a video clip of The Who, featuring bassist John Entwistle ripping through “My Generation” in a 1967 episode of “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.” Gonzo bassist Les Claypool (Primus, Claypool Lennon Delirium) and abrasive post-rock singer-shredder Jack White are two more inﬂuences. “Jack White also loves the acoustic blues realm and garage rock,” Wiese said. “Things he’s done, they’re honest and raw. I like his school of thought. He’s not very digital in his creating. It feels real. The same with Bob Dylan.” Wiese’s theatrical background influences Bozo Red’s performances. “My parents had me on a stage in the second grade,” he said. “I always found myself in comic relief roles.” On stage with Bozo Red, Wiese complements his frenetic stage presence by donning a ﬂoor-length red coat, a British soldier’s World War II helmet, combat boots

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SHOWS TO WATCH — BATON ROUGE AREA FRIDAY

THE MICHAEL FOSTER PROJECT: Live After Five, Rhorer Plaza, 5 p.m. KILEY MCDONNEL: The Colonel’s Club, 5 p.m. BRENT ARMSTRONG: Danny’s Dive Bar, 6 p.m. STUDIO4: T’Quilas Bar and Grill, Denham Springs, 6 p.m. UNITED WE JAM: El Paso Mexican Grill, Denham Springs, 6 p.m. DRAMA KINGS: Pedro’s Tacos & Tequila Bar, 6 p.m. TAYLOR RAE DUO: Drago’s Seafood Restaurant, 6 p.m. MIKE HOGAN: BLDG 5, 6 p.m. WITCH-CRAFT WITH IZZY AND ANDREW: Bayou Artisan Oasis, 6 p.m. DEJAVU: Lagniappe Restaurant, 6:30 p.m. ALLISON COLLINS TRIO: Bin 77 Bistro & Sidebar, 7 p.m. LEE SERIO BAND: The Legacy, 7 p.m. THE LONGNECK SOCIETY: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 7 p.m. KILLER QUEEN: L’Auberge Event Center, 8 p.m. MY FRIENDS AND ME BAND: The Red Barn Tavern, Prairieville, 8 p.m. BEN HERRINGTON: The Colonel’s Club, 8 p.m. A-BOMB KARAOKE: Big Dog Saloon, Denham Springs, 8 p.m. HENRY TURNER JR. & THE ALLSTARS: Henry Turner Jr.’s Listening Room, 8 p.m. KARAOKE NIGHT: Backstreet Lounge, 8 p.m. T-BOYS & JUST US: Coop’s on 621, Gonzales, 8 p.m. KARAOKE NIGHT: Tiger Tavern, Gonzales, 9 p.m. CLARENCE THE ENTERTAINER: Locals Bar & Kitchen, Central, 9 p.m. BRIAN & THE BANDITS: Sandy’s Daiquiris, Port Allen, 9 p.m. REGENERATION: Ice House Tap Room, 9 p.m. ORPHAN ANNIE BAND: Fat Cat Saloon, Prairieville, 9 p.m. I-10 BOUND BAND: Fred’s on the River, Prairieville, 9 p.m.

SATURDAY

FIREFLY UNDER THE MOON — BRYCE BROUSSARD: Chatsworth Plantation, St. Gabriel, 4 p.m. LEE SERIO BAND: Greater Baton Rouge State Fair, 5 p.m. IAN WEBSTER DUO: Sullivan’s Steakhouse, 5:30 p.m. KENNY ACOSTA: Central City Steak & Seafood, 5:30 p.m. FLOYD BROWN TRIBUTE BAND: El Paso Mexican Grill, Denham Springs, 6 p.m. POSTER CHILD: Le Chien Brewing Company, Denham Springs, 6 p.m. THE PADLOCKS: T’Quilas Bar and Grill, Denham Springs, 6 p.m. UNITED WE JAM: Pedro’s Tacos & Tequila Bar, 6 p.m. STUDIO4: Curbside Burgers, 7 p.m. CHRIS OCMAND: Bin 77 Bistro & Sidebar, 7 p.m. TAYLOR RAE DUO: Copa — Cruzan Creole, Gonzales, 7 p.m. DAMON KING & BO JAMISON: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 7 p.m. ACOUSTIC NIGHT W/HENRY TURNER JR.: Henry Turner Jr.’s Listening Room, 8 p.m. SATURDAY NIGHT KARAOKE: Charlie’s Lounge, Port Allen, 8 p.m. JULIAN PRIMEAUX: Fat Cat Saloon, Prairieville, 9 p.m.

SUNDAY

ERIC BASKIN: Watermark Hotel, 10 a.m. JUSTIN BURDETTE TRIO: Superior Grill-Government, 11 a.m. THE ERIC WHITFIELD EXPERIENCE: Crowne Plaza Executive Center, 11 a.m.

DOWNBEAT LOUISIANA DUO: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 11 a.m. LAID BACK BRUNCH: Red Stick Social Club, noon RHETT GUILLOT: Locals Bar & Kitchen, Central, noon BRYCE BROUSSARD: Reno’s on the River, Port Allen, 1 p.m. LEE SERIO BAND: St. George Parish Fair, 2 p.m. THE MOJOES: VFW Post 3693, Gonzales, 2 p.m. RYAN FORET: Fred’s on the River, Prairieville, 3 p.m. CELEBRATING DEBBIE LANDRY: Ice House Tap Room, 4 p.m. SONGWRITER SUNDAY: La Divina, 5 p.m. BARFLY ENTERTAINMENT: El Paso Mexican Grill, Denham Springs, 6 p.m. OPEN MIC JAM: Fat Cat Saloon, Prairieville, 7 p.m. KARAOKE WITH DJ ALEX: Churchill’s, 7 p.m. KARAOKE PARTY: The Edge Bar at L’Auberge Casino, 8 p.m. CLARENCE THE ENTERTAINER — R&B MEETS COUNTRY: Locals Bar & Kitchen, Central, 9 p.m.

MONDAY

KATIE KENNY DUO: Superior Grill-Government, 6 p.m. BILLY WAYNE: T’s Country, Denham Springs, 6 p.m. MONDAY NIGHT KARAOKE: Spanky’s Daiquiris, 7 p.m. KARAOKE WITH PRESTIGE WORLDWIDE: The Karaoke Bar, Walker, 8 p.m. CLARENCE THE ENTERTAINER: Good Times Bar, Denham Springs, 9 p.m.

TUESDAY

GARRETT REMSON: Bin 77 Bistro & Sidebar, 5:30 p.m. BARFLY KARAOKE: El Paso Mexican Grill, Denham Springs, 6 p.m. CHRIS LEBLANC DUO: Superior Grill-Government, 6 p.m. THE EDDIE SMITH BAND: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 6:30 p.m. CLARENCE THE ENTERTAINER — TACO TUESDAY: The Karaoke Bar, Walker, 9 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

WINE DOWN WEDNESDAY: Mason’s Grill, 5:30 p.m. PETER SIMON: BLDG 5, 5:30 p.m. LSU SCHOOL OF MUSIC OPEN JAZZ JAM: Classic Vinyls, 6 p.m. BRENT ARMSTRONG: Danny’s Dive Bar, 6 p.m. RACHAEL HALLACK & ERIC CANTRELLE: Superior GrillGovernment, 6 p.m. KIRK HOLDER: Bin 77 Bistro & Sidebar, 6:30 p.m. ANDY PIZZO TRIO: Hayride Scandal, 7 p.m. SINGER SONGWRITER OPEN MIC: Coop’s on 621, Gonzales, 7 p.m. PRESTIGE KARAOKE: The Karaoke Bar, Walker, 8 p.m. JAM WITH THE EDDIE SMITH BAND: La Daiquiris, 8 p.m. DRUNK KARAOKE: Capital Park Bar and Grill, 8 p.m. KARAOKE PARTY W/DJ ALEX: The Edge Bar at L’Auberge Casino, 8 p.m. WEDNESDAY KARAOKE: The Silly Rabbit Comedy Club, 8 p.m. DJ DANIE: Double D’s Daiquiris, Denham Springs, 8 p.m. JAM NIGHT: O’Hara’s Irish Pub, 8:30 p.m. KARAOKE BY BECCALICIOUS: The Vineyard, 9 p.m. SHUT UP & SING KARAOKE: Chelsea’s Live, 9 p.m.

THURSDAY

2 DOMESTIC 1 IMPORT: BLDG 5, 5:30 p.m. KYBALION: El Paso Mexican Grill, 6 p.m.

WEREWOLF: Rock N Rowe, Perkins Rowe, 6 p.m. MIKE ESNEAULT: Stab’s Prime Steak and Seafood, 6 p.m. STONEMORE: T’Quilas Bar and Grill, Denham Springs, 6 p.m. JOVIN WEBB: Pedro’s Tacos & Tequila Bar, 6 p.m. THE ERIC WHITFIELD EXPERIENCE: Thai Kitchen, 6 p.m. BRANDON NICHOLSON: Superior Grill-Government, 6 p.m. RHETT ANTHONY GLINDMEYER: Bin 77 Bistro & Sidebar, 6:30 p.m. THE BISHOP ELLIS TRIO: Hayride Scandal, 7 p.m. DREAM IN HARMONY CONCERT: Ingleside United Methodist Church, 7 p.m. SMOKEHOUSE PORTER HOSTS THE WORLD’S LONGEST-RUNNING BLUES JAM: Phil Brady’s Bar & Grill, 8 p.m. LIVE MUSIC THURSDAYS: Gino’s Restaurant, 8 p.m. KARAOKE MEETS COMEDY: Rufﬁns II — The Clubhouse, 8 p.m. HENRY TURNER JR. AND FLAVOR BAND: Henry Turner Jr.’s Listening Room, 8 p.m. BARFLY KARAOKE: Brickyard South, 8 p.m. OPEN MIC NIGHT: Frankie’s Dawg House, 8 p.m. A-BOMB KARAOKE: Big Dog Saloon, Denham Springs, 9 p.m. KARAOKE THURSDAYS: O’Hara’s Irish Pub, 9 p.m. CLARENCE THE ENTERTAINER — THROWBACK THURSDAY: Good Times Bar, Denham Springs, 9 p.m. KARAOKE WITH DJ MIKE: Ice House Tap Room, 9 p.m.

OUTLYING FRIDAY

TODD O’NEILL BAND/JAMES AND TAYLOR MCCANN: Hammond Live, Railroad Park, Hammond, 5:30 p.m. LAUREN CMIEL: Big J’s Side Porch, Clinton, 6 p.m. THE PADLOCKS: Los Caravantes, Plaquemine, 6 p.m. BRYCE BROUSSARD: Sarita’s Grill & Cantina, Maurepas, 6 p.m. KEEPIN’ TIME: T’Quilas Bar and Grill, Zachary, 6 p.m. THE DRUNK UNCLES: Ware House Saloon, Maurepas, 9 p.m.

SATURDAY

THE HONKY TONK PLAYBOYS: The Francis Southern Table & Bar, St. Francisville, 6 p.m. WHISKEY BENT: Ware House Saloon, Maurepas, 9 p.m.

SUNDAY

T-BOYS & JUST US: Manny’s Bar, Maurepas, 2 p.m. EDDIE SMITH: DiCarlo’s Food and Spirits, Maurepas, 3 p.m. 3RD STREET BAND: Boopalu’s, Springﬁeld, 3 p.m. KENNY FIFE: Morley Marina, Brusly, 4 p.m.

The Advocate n theadvocate.com n Friday, October 23, 2026 n 3D

EXHIBIT

Continued from page 1D “Ellen and I showed our work in an exhibit last year at the Julien Poydras Museum and Arts Center in New Roads,” Charleville said. “It was in a historical building, but we felt that in this show, the work, itself, belongs in the environment that inspires it. We wanted to show our love for our state parks.”

Joining forces In the meantime, Charleville and Ogden joined forces with biologist-artist Ashley Ferguson and Madeline Ellis, artist, founder and owner of Mimosa Handcrafted, to put together “Plein Wild.” “We were not only artists who have a deep appreciation for our state and its nature, but artists who lift each other up,” Charleville said. “There is no competition among us — we’re friends, and we support one another in our work.” The artists hope the exhibit will be an annual event, each year at a different state park. For “Plein Wild” at Fontainebleau, hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. each day with a closing celebration at 3 p.m. Saturday. “Louisiana State Parks also has launched their passport program, and this would be a perfect time for visitors to take advantage of that,” Charleville said. “Fontainebleau will also waive the entrance fee for all students who mention the show at the gate during the exhibition.” Charleville has gained statewide recognition for her gyotaku alligator prints, which incorporate the Japanese art form of pressing ink or paint on marine animals to create a life-sized likeness of the creature. The method became popular in the mid-1800s as a practical way to record exact species before photography. The method evolved into a detailed, ﬁne art technique, which also honors and shows respect

PROVIDED PHOTO

Madeline Ellis, founder and owner of Mimosa Handcrafted, will launch this piece during ‘Plein Wild’ at Fontainebleau State Park in Mandeville. to the creature. Charleville often travels with the state’s alligator hunters and ﬁshermen and makes prints of their catches at the end of the ride. She’ll have eight pieces in the show, including one collaborative piece with Ogden, who will have 13 paintings.

Botanical presses

cited to participate. In an attempt to blend art and science and add a little bit of an educational component where I can teach people about the plants and how they relate to each other in these environments, I try to tell that story through botanical press pieces.” All of the components of Ferguson’s pieces were gathered at Fontainebleau. Finally, Ellis will feature a new Mimosa piece incorporating a Louisiana alligator, palmettos, cattails and a crawfish. The show will mark the debut of the piece, which will be a new offering at her store. All pieces in this show will be for sale, along with 50 canvas bags with smaller art pieces donated by the artists. “One hundred percent of the sales of the canvas bags will go back to the park,” Charleville said.

Ferguson, who is just beginning her art career with native botanical presses, will have three pieces on display. “I was a biologist my whole life and still am very much a biologist,” she said. “And I started a business called Roots Floral, where we preserve wedding and memorial bouquets.” But she also has a love for Louisiana’s outdoors, especially when it comes to Fontainebleau State Park. “I love Fontainebleau, and I used to take water quality samples there,” she said. “So, I am the least experi- Email Robin Miller at enced by far in the artist romiller@theadvocate. world, and I was just ex- com.

SHADE. PRIVACY. COMFORT. AT THE TOUCH OF A BUTTON.

WEDNESDAY

DANO’S KARAOKE: Ware House Saloon, Maurepas, 8 p.m.

THURSDAY

AVERAGE JOE’S: Sidelines Grill, Zachary, 6 p.m. BRYCE BROUSSARD: Canal Bank Club, Maurepas, 6 p.m. LIVE MUSIC THURSDAY: Lil Daddy’s, Plaquemine, 7 p.m. PRESTIGE WORLDWIDE: Fancy’s, Holden, 8 p.m.

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

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4D n Friday, October 23, 2026 n theadvocate.com n The Advocate

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AROUND BATON ROUGE FRIDAY-SATURDAY

and learn; all levels welcome. Free. https:// www.facebook.com/ groups/882781911820103. TRIVIA NIGHT: 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m., Court to Table, 7477 Burbank Drive. courttotable.com.

EVENING SKY VIEWING: 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., BREC Highland Road Park Observatory, 13800 Highland Road. See the majesty of the night sky, for those 6 and up. hrpo. lsu.edu/events.

WEDNESDAY

SATURDAY

RED STICK FARMERS MARKET: 8 a.m. to noon, Fifth and Main streets, downtown. Farm-fresh produce and goods, including wine, seafood, plants, ﬂowers, prepared and baked items and more. breada.org. CORN MAZE AT BURDEN: 9 a.m., noon and 2:30 p.m., LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens, 4560 Essen Lane. A two-hour adventure for all ages, including a maze, hayrides, bounce pad, pumpkin patch, petting farm and more. $16.78 and up. https://lsuagcenterbg. ticketspice.com/cornmaze-at-burden-2026. FAMILY-HOUR STARGAZING: 10 a.m., Irene W. Pennington Planetarium at the Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 100 S. River Road. Learn about the stars and constellations in the local nighttime sky, followed by an all-ages show. lasm.org. GREATER BATON ROUGE MODEL RAILROADERS: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Republic of West Florida Historical Museum, 3406 College St., Jackson. Electric trains of all sizes will be running on ﬁve different layouts. Free admission and parking. MANSHIP ON THE MOVE!: 1 p.m.-5 p.m., Wilshire Drive, Ogden Park neighborhood. A Manship Theatre stage at the Ogden Park Prowl offering music, theatre, literary and art programming. Free. manshiptheatre.org. ART BREAK: ART AS AN ACT OF FREEDOM: 2 p.m.-4 p.m., LSU Museum of Art, 100 Lafayette St. A wellness-focused program for teens and adults. Make a sculpture inspired by the work of David Butler, whose cutouts and dynamic forms remind one that freedom is something one can shape with their own hands. Music by Rayne Jackson. Free.

STAFF FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON

It’s the final Saturday of daytime sessions for Corn Maze at Burden. Times are 9 a.m., noon and 2:30 p.m. at the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens, 4560 Essen Lane. $16.78 and up. lsumoa.com. FALL FLOWER PRESSING: A TWO-PART BOTANICAL WORKSHOP: 2 p.m.-4 p.m., LSU Hilltop Arboretum, 11855 Highland Road. $60, Hilltop members; $75, general public. Space limited; Advance registration required at www.hilltop.lsu.edu/ MONTHLY CONTRA DANCE: 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., St. Alban’s Chapel, corner of Highland Road and Dalrymple Drive. Newcomer instruction at 2:45 p.m. Singles and couples welcome. $7 per person; free for ﬁrsttimers. louisianacontrasandsquares.com or (225) 803-9194.

Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. Film screening presented by the Baton Rouge Area Foundation. Free. manshiptheatre.org. EAT THE BOOT END-OFAN-ERA BLIND BACKYARD BBQ: 3 p.m.-6 p.m., Jay Ducote’s backyard, Kenilworth neighborhood. Food, friends, tunes, libations and more. $125. tickettailor.com.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY

TUESDAY

YELLOW LEAF ARTS FESTIVAL: Commerce Street at Burnett Road, St. Francisville. Artists, musicians, writers, actors, poets can enjoy exhibits from artists and craftspeople along with live music and art activities. artsforallwestfeliciana.com/event-details/ yellow-leaf-art-festival. BASF’S KIDS’ LAB: 11 a.m.-3:45 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m.-3:45 p.m. Sunday, Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 100 S. River Road. Explore the science of chemistry during 45-minute handson workshops for young scientists ages 6-12 and their accompanying adults. Included in regular admission. lasm.org.

SUNDAY

“A LESSON BEFORE DYING”: 2 p.m., Manship

MONDAY

TRUNK OR TREAT: 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m., Greenwell Springs Road Regional Branch Library, 11300 Greenwell Springs Road. Costumes welcome but not required. (225) 2744440.

DISCOVER NATURE PROGRAM: BATS & BREWS: 6 p.m.-8 p.m., LSU Hilltop Arboretum, 11855 Highland Road. An evening of science, stewardship and locally crafted beer. $15, students, Friends of Hilltop members and Louisiana Master Naturalist members; $20, general public. Advance registration encouraged at www.lsu.edu/hilltop. GHOST STORIES IN THE GALLERIES: LSU Museum of Art, 100 Lafayette St. An evening of spooky storytelling inspired by the art on view. Ages 16+ only. Free. Costumes welcomed. Space limited; register at https://www. lsumoa.org. BATON ROUGE CHESS CLUB: 6 p.m.-8 p.m., La Divina Italian Cafe, 3535 Perkins Road, Unit 360. A chance to play

RUN KREWE: 6 p.m.-8 p.m., meeting at The Main Lobby, 668 Main St. Free. https://www.heylo.com.

THURSDAY

RED STICK FARMERS MARKET: 8 a.m. to noon, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Road. Farm-fresh produce, goods and more. facebook.com/ redstickfarmersmarket. FIFOLET HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL PUB CRAWL: 6 p.m., various locations, downtown Baton Rouge. Kickoff to the 10/31 Consortium’s annual spooky celebration. $45. https://1031consortium. com/ﬁfolet/. SPIRITS OF LOUISIANA: 6:30 p.m., Old State Capitol, 100 North Blvd. Experience the glamour and allure of French nightlife at this annual gala. Dress: haute couture to masquerade. Must be 21+ to attend. $100. louisianaoldstatecapitol.org. ERNEST J. GAINES AWARD FOR LITERARY EXCELLENCE: 6:30 p.m., Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. A Baton Rouge Area Foundation presentation honoring Rob Franklin for his debut novel, “Great Black Hope.” Free; RSVP at manshiptheatre.org. WEEKLY COMMUNITY BIKE RIDE: 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m., Geaux Ride, 601 Laurel St. Including use of one glow-in-the-dark bicycle, glow-in-the-dark accessories, complimentary water and lead tour guide with music. Free. geauxridebikes.com. KARAOKE, TRIVIA, BINGO AND MORE: 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., Brickyard South Bar + Patio, 174 South Blvd. Presented by BarFly Entertainment. Free to play. facebook.com/ brickyardsouth.

ONGOING

ANN CONNELLY FINE

TODAY IN HISTORY By The Associated Press

In 1995, a Houston jury convicted Yolanda Saldivar of murdering Tejano singToday is Friday, Oct. 23, the 296th day of 2026. There ing star Selena; Saldivar are 69 days left in the year. was sentenced to life in Today in history: prison with the possibility On Oct. 23, 1983, 241 U.S. of parole and remains in service members, most of prison. them Marines, were killed in In 2001, Apple released a suicide truck-bombing at the iPod. An estimated 450 the U.S. Marine Corps barmillion iPod devices were racks at Beirut International sold before the line was disAirport in Lebanon, while a continued in 2022. near-simultaneous attack on In 2002, Chechen rebels French barracks in Beirut stormed a Moscow theater killed 58 paratroopers. and took about 800 hostages, Also on this date: demanding that Russian In 1915, an estimated forces withdraw from 25,000 women marched on Chechnya. Russian special Fifth Avenue in New York forces raided the theater on City in support of women’s Oct. 26; most of the rebels suffrage. and 120 hostages were killed. In 1944, the Battle of In 2004, a magnitude 6.8 Leyte Gulf began; the largearthquake rocked central Japan, killing at least 68 est naval battle of World people and injuring thouWar II resulted in a major Allied victory against Japa- sands amid massive power nese forces, paving the way outages, scattered ﬁres for the retaking of the Phil- and damage to buildings, bridges and highways. ippines.

In 2020, the rival factions in Libya’s civil war signed a permanent ceaseﬁre after years of ﬁghting that had split the North African country in two. While the truce ended large-scale warfare, the country remained divided between east and west. Today’s birthdays: Film director Philip Kaufman is 90. Advocate and humanitarian Graça Machel is 81. Film director Ang Lee is 72. Jazz singer Dianne Reeves is 70. Country singer Dwight Yoakam is 70. Activist and philanthropist Martin Luther King III is 69. Film director Sam Raimi is 67. Comedic musician “Weird Al” Yankovic is 67. Rock musician Robert Trujillo (Metallica) is 62. Actor Ryan Reynolds is 50. R&B singer Miguel is 41. Actor Emilia Clarke is 40. Actor Margaret Qualley is 32. NFL defensive end Nick Bosa is 29.

ART: 1670 Lobdell Ave. Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Free. (225) 9277676 or annconnelly.com. ART GUILD OF LOUISIANA: Independence Park Theatre, 7800 Independence Blvd. “Autumn Judged Show 2026,” through Nov. 11. Classes: Classes are held at AGL Park Studio, 2490 Silverest Ave. artguildlouisiana.org. BATON ROUGE GALLERY CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY ART: 1515 Dalrymple Drive. New works by Ross Jahnke, Brian Kelly, Leslie Koptcho, Lauren Cardenas and John Alleyne, through Sunday. Hours: Noon-6 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. batonrougegallery.org. CAPITOL PARK MUSEUM: 660 N. Fourth St. “We the People,” a living portrait of 21st-century American identity through nearly 200 paired photographs by Steven G. Smith shown across two giant screens, together measuring about 12 feet high and 36 feet wide, through June. “Grounds for Greatness: Louisiana and the Nation” and “Experiencing Louisiana: Discovering the Soul of America,” both permanent exhibits. (225) 342-5428 or louisianastatemuseum.org. CARY SAURAGE COMMUNITY ARTS CENTER SHELL GALLERY: 233 St. Ferdinand St. “Counted: Picture the Power Volume II,” a project of the Power Coalition Arts Framework, through Dec. 4. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. artsbr.org. ELIZABETHAN GALLERY: 680 Jefferson Highway. Call (225) 924-6437 or follow the gallery’s Facebook page. KNOCK KNOCK CHILDREN’S MUSEUM: 1900 Dalrymple Drive. Offering interactive exhibits, programs and resources that inspire children to become creative problem solvers and lifelong learners. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday and Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.6 p.m. Thursday, and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday; closed Monday. https:// knockknockmuseum.org. LOUISIANA ART & SCI-

ENCE MUSEUM: 100 S. River Road. “Reﬂections: The Art of George Rodrigue,” through Jan. 24. “Louisiana Couture: The Legacy of San Carlin,” through Jan. 3. “Preserving Paradise: The Vision of C.C. Lockwood,” through fall 2027. (225) 344-5272 or lasm.org. LSU’S BARNES OGDEN ART & DESIGN COMPLEX GALLERY: 31 S. Campus Drive. Rotating exhibitions of LSU College of Art & Design students, faculty, and alums work, and visiting artists and designers. (225) 578-5400. design.lsu.edu. LSU’S LAURA AND CLARK BOYCE GALLERY: Julian T. White Hall, 297 Field House Drive. Rotating exhibitions of LSU College of Art & Design students, faculty and alums work. (225) 578-5400 or design. lsu.edu. LSU MUSEUM OF ART: Shaw Center for the Arts, 100 Lafayette St. “The South’s Most Elusive Artist: Walter Inglis Anderson,” through Jan. 3. “Southern Gothic: Literary Intersections with Art from The Johnson Collection,” through Jan. 3. “The Folk Art Gallery,” through June 30. (225) 389-7200 or lsumoa.org. LSU TEXTILE & COSTUME MUSEUM: Human Ecology Building, Tower Drive, LSU campus. “Stitches in Time: Quilts & Fashion,” exploring the enduring dialogue between quilt making and dress, through Jan. 15. (225) 578-5992 or email textile@lsu.edu. LSU VET MED LIBRARY: Skip Bertman Drive. “32nd International Exhibition on Animals in Art,” featuring 60 works celebrating animals through a variety of artistic styles, perspectives, and media, through Nov. 6. MAGNOLIA MOUND MUSEUM + HISTORIC SITE: 2161 Nicholson Drive. Guided and self-guided tours. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. brec. org/facility/MagnoliaMound. MANSHIP THEATRE JONES WALKER FOYER: 100 Lafayette St. Free and open during regular Shaw Center building

hours unless there is a private event. OLD GOVERNOR’S MANSION: 502 North Blvd. Open for tours. See a hidden staircase, the grand ballroom, a water-cooled solarium, the Rose Garden and a replica of the Oval Ofﬁce. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Free admission. oldgovernorsmansion.com. OLD STATE CAPITOL: 100 North Blvd. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, plus Free First Sunday. “Reimagining America: The Maps of Lewis & Clark,” through Nov. 28. “Excursions, Expeditions, and Discoveries: A Young Nation Expands & Reimagining America: The Maps of Lewis & Clark,” through Dec. 18. Free. louisianaoldstatecapitol. org. FRANK HAYDEN HALL VISUAL ART GALLERY: Southern University. Student work, faculty showcases, alumni homecoming exhibitions, and traveling contemporary art exhibitions focusing on African American art and history. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free. https://www.subr.edu/ subhome/96. USS KIDD VETERANS MUSEUM: 305 S. River Road. Displays of a variety of artifacts that celebrate veteran and naval military history. Note: Vessel is in Houma for dry dock repairs. usskidd.com. WEST BATON ROUGE MUSEUM: 845 N. Jefferson Ave., Port Allen. “What the Fox Knows,” 30-plus watercolor paintings by artist Kathy Miller, through Nov. 22. “Brusly: Where Everyone Knows Your Name,” through Dec. 23. (225) 336-2422 or westbatonrougemuseum.org.

Compiled by Judy Bergeron. Have an open-to-thepublic event you’d like to promote? Email details to red@theadvocate. com. Deadline is 5 p.m. Friday for the following Friday’s paper.

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DRE#01901536 This website is a marketing and information program that sends all inquiries to state-licensed real estate professionals.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Friday, October 23, 2026 ■ 5D

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FrAnK And erneSt

roSebUdS

zItS

zodIAC LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) You are stepping into new territory. Keep your eyes wide open and your money and possessions in a safe place. Ditch pie-in-the-sky ideas that offer little gain and take up plenty of your valuable time. scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Doing too much too fast will backfire. Slow down; refuse to get wrapped up in someone else's ideas, problems or scams. Distance yourself from negativity, and cling to people and projects that help you grow. sAGITTARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Let the creative juices flow, and start building the life you want to live. Separate yourself from those heading in a different direction, and align yourself with those who share your vision. cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) You have more maneuverability than you realize. Don't sit tight when you can reach out and communicate with people who have traveled the path you want to take. AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) You are overdue for a change of pace. Gear up and get ready to engage in what's available, and discover what works best for you. Don't sit back when action is necessary. PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Invest in and take better care of yourself. Let go of whatever is holding you back, and head in a direction that offers hope for a better future. Avoid financial and health issues tied to stress. ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Keep the momentum flowing. Start conversa-

tions, share your thoughts and recognize who and what will help you reach your goal. Transitions can be favorable if cultivated properly. TAuRus (April 20-May 20) Slow down, be methodical and press forward with questions, adjustments and caution when agreeing to requests. Focus on quality, content and separating yourself from any competition you encounter. GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Raise questions, embrace change and align yourself with those who have something of interest to share. Put your energy into emerging as the best version of yourself and offering what you can to those in need. cAncER (June 21-July 22) Don't waste your time and energy on situations you have no control over. Concentrate on what makes you happy, creative pursuits that soothe your soul and spending time with those who enrich your life. LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Keep life simple, conversations factual and offers doable. Refuse to let ego or power plays put you in a vulnerable position. Domestic problems will surface if you don't hold up your end of a bargain. VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Thinking ahead and talking to experts will point you in the right direction. Avoid snap decisions. Protect your reputation. Offer only what's feasible. 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

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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.

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6D ■ Friday, October 23, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

CurTiS

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

BaBY BLueS

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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Friday, October 23, 2026 ■ 7D

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B.C.

Bridge By PHILLIP ALDER MarkTwainwrote,“Hismoneyistwice tainted: ‘taint yours and ‘taint mine.” ‘Taint that just the case! It is great to get twice the money for one piece of work. At the bridge table, as we saw yesterday, that is sometimes possible in the bidding. I pointed out that a jump-shift response by a passed hand is fit-showing: length in that suit and partner’s suit. That was in an uncontested auction. When the opponents sail in, I like to use fit-jumps even by an unpassed hand. I jump as high as I am willing to drive the auction. In this deal, after South opens one diamond and West overcalls one heart, North jumps to two spades, showing a limited hand with five spades and fourplus diamonds. (With a stronger hand, North could jump to three spades.) The auction then proceeds to five diamonds by South. West leads the heart ace and shifts to his trump. East wins and plays a club. How should South continue after guessing well to win with his club ace? Declarer needs three dummy entries: one to take the spade finesse, one to ruff out East’s spade king, and one to reach the established spade winners. Those entries are a heart ruff, the diamond queen and the diamond six — did you see the necessity for South not to play

garfield

Pearls Before swiNe

hagar the horriBle

his diamond five at trick two? Then you can bring home the contract with four spades, five diamonds, one club and the heart ruff. Note that if North initially responds one spade, East would jump to four hearts and leave both North and South wondering what to do. © 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 — AMnEsIc: am-NEE-sik: One who has lost memory.

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Average mark 29 words Time limit 40 minutes Can you find 36 or more words in AMNESIC? yEsTERDAy’s WoRD — EFFIcAcIous face fiasco ficus fief fife fisc focus fuse cafe case cause

ciao cisco coca coif cuff accuse office safe sauce scoff scuff

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today’s thought “The ear that hears the reproof of life stays among the wise. He that refuses instruction despises his own soul: but he that hears reproof gets understanding.” Proverbs 15:31-32 What kind of person are you? — G.E. Dean

8D ■ Friday, October 23, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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Announcements Anyone knowing the whereabouts of any ofﬁcer or registered agent of Superior Professional Services, LLC, contact Carlin Chambliss: (225)2701209. 204713-Oct 22-24, 3t $73.30 ANYONE knowing the whereabouts of any property owner, heir or other related person, in regard to the properties listed below, please contact the East Baton Rouge CityParish, Department of Development – Neighborhood Revitalization Ofﬁce at 225-389-8680. 250 W WASHINGTON ST FRED MODIES 456 JENNIFER JEAN DR ODIGWE SELIX MOKOGWU 2728 SHERWOOD ST FRANCIS J MARION 2703 HURON ST DRUCILLA HAMILTON TROY HARRIS 1717 AMOS ST LINDA LENOIR 3151 IROQUOIS ST PERCY WILSON 5730 FAIRFIELDS AVE ALINE WALKER ROGERS 915 N 44TH ST DONOVAN DJ BOATNER 2584 COLLEGE DR JUST THE TOOF OF US ON COLLEGE, LLC 13833 RAMPART CT ARMEDIA HAMILTON PAYTON 11928 SUNRAY AVE NICE FRAMES, LLC 8255 THELMA ST TAMMY BROWN 10126 AVENUE I THE ESTATE OF MATTIE MCCRAY PAYNE 10120 AVENUE I DORETHA P REYNOLDS C/O JOHN SIMMONS 5002 SHAMROCK BLVD GARY LANE SULLIVAN, SR 5120 SHELLEY ST D'WAYNE L RUFFIN 12041 PROVINCE PL CHEUNG C WONG 5118 STEARNS ST HENRY DAWSON 3780 TOPEKA ST CYPRUS HOLDINGS, LLC 3301 N SHERWOOD FOREST DR JOHN O EJIM 3004 FAIRFIELDS AVE HOLLINS HOUSING, LLC LEONARD HOLLINS JR. 10642 STANLEY AUBIN LN RICHARD ABNER IAN CURTIS-SMITH 3925 CLAYTON ST TOMMIE ROME 12112 CARDIGAN AVE JOSEPH SAMUEL COLLINS 6113 SHILOH ST WILLIE T VARISTE, JR 2675 FARRAR ST LEE ROBERTSON C/O LUBERTHA A BROCK 525 ELMER AVE KAREN DENISE DANIELS WILLIAMS 149 GRETA AVE ALPHONSO OTIS POTTER, III 2646 COLLEGE DR HOUSE OF GOD OF BATON ROUGE, INC 4101 UNCAS ST JACKSON SERVICES, LLC 13611 KATHERINE AVE L.C. BANKS, JR 248 GLORIA D CHRISTINE PONDER; MONTRELL WILLIAMS; TYQUAN WILLIAMS; KALANI MY BLESSING WILLIAMS 13289 OLD HAMMOND HWY MOUNTAIN PORTIFOLIO OWNER LA 2, LLC 6337 KINCAID AVE EDDIE SMITH 3015 SENECA ST HELEN HAYES BRADLEY 2973 SENECA ST JERRY L BAKER JR

3158 FAIRFIELDS AVE MY TEAM R & R, LLC 4121 O'DELL ST EUDORA TONITA BELL 7076 PERIMETER DR MARIE JAMES LAVERGNE 1020 ARCADIA DR JACALYN DAVIS DIXON 516 CARRIAGE WAY NATALIA GUSTAFSON 3134 OTTAWA DR SHEMEEKA RENAY TAYLOR 8571 RUSH AVE LAIL HAMILTON SHAW III 8603 RUSH AVE GAVIN ELLIS 14832 OLD HAMMOND HWY 14728 OHH, LLC 4867 OSBORNE AVE JAMES NATHAN MARLOW 4829 FREY ST AMANDA C TROSCLAIR 2960 BROWNLEE ST AARON STEVENS 3922 ELM DR LATONYA DENEEN MATTHEWS 3124 CARMEN DR MELEISCHA LAUREN COCHRAN 6032 BLACKBERRY ST CAROLINE N EGBELU 3105 LORRAINE ST ROBERT N NEWMAN 10362 AVENUE D STUDENT ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS FOR SUCCESS, INC 9524 SWINGALONG AVE SENOVIAE MCINTYRE 10124 GERALD DR LISO TERRELL THOMAS, SR 11052 TAMS DR STERLING JORDAN, JR 1537 N MARQUE ANN DR FELECIA WASHINGTON

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of any succession representative of Elizabeth Jenkins York, contact Carlin Chambliss: (225)270-1209. 204714-Oct 22-24, 3t $67.00 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of any succession representative of Joseph Frederick, Jr., contact Carlin Chambliss: (225)270-1209. 204702-Oct 22-24, 3t $67.00

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p 500 Airport Service Boulevard, Suite 104 Lake Charles, Louisiana 70607 P: (337) 477-6051

until: bid due November 12, 2026 @ 2:00 PM at which time and place the Bids will be opened and read. Questions are due November 3, 2026. Evidence of authority to submit the bid shall be required in accordance with R.S. 39:1594 C.(4). Specifications may be obtained from the Pur‐ chasing Office. The right is reserved to reject any or all bids and to waive informalities. LSU New Orleans is an equal opportunity/affir‐ mative action employer. 204659-OCT 23-1T $35.91 PUBLIC NOTICE --Advertisement for the American Press Request for Qualifications The Airport Authority of Airport District No. One of Calcasieu Parish (hereinafter referred to as LCH or the Authority) seeks Statements of Qualifications (SOQ) from qualified, interested consulting firms to pro‐ vide professional plan‐ ning, engineering, and advisory services related to the assessment, feasi‐ bility, and conceptual de‐ velopment of a microgrid system at Lake Charles Regional Airport (LCH). This project aims to eval‐ uate and identify sitespecific distributed en‐ ergy resources and sys‐ tem configurations needed to ensure unin‐ terrupted critical airport operations during disas‐ ter preparation, re‐ sponse, and recovery events. The selected consultant will be expected to fur‐ nish all services required to supplement the Au‐ thority in the provision of planning, feasibility analysis, conceptual de‐ sign, and implementa‐ tion strategy develop‐ ment, in accordance with applicable FAA, LA DOTD, FEMA, and State of Louisiana requirements. For a copy of the Request for Statements of Qualifi‐ cations, interested firms should email Heath Allen, Executive Director, at rfp@flylch.com, and ref‐ erence RFQ MICROGRID2026 Proposals will be ac‐ cepted until 3:00 p.m., CST on November 2, 2026, addressed to: Courier/Hand Delivery: Mr. Heath Allen, CM Executive Director Lake Charles Regional Airport i i

BATON ROUGE Garage Sale - October 23-24th, 8a-5p 3912 GARDEN VIEW DR. Christmas, household, kitchen, Women's Plus & Petite Clothing, lots of misc. CASH ONLY. NO EARLBIRDS!

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

BATON ROUGE GRAYWOOD ESTATE SALES 9345 Hilltrace Avenue

Mail Delivery: Mr. Heath Allen, CM Executive Director Lake Charles Regional Airport P.O. Box 5820 Lake Charles, LA 70606 To run: Friday, October 9, 2026 Friday, October 16, 2026 Friday, October 23, 2026 (S) Heath Allen ______________ Heath Allen, Executive Director 203386 Oct. 9, 16, 23, 2026, 3t $743.88

PUBLIC NOTICE --INVITATION FOR PROFES‐ SIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES The City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge invites qualified engineering firms to sub‐ mit a Statement of Quali‐ fications for the follow‐ ing project: Monte Sano Bayou Wa‐ tershed Project MOS-08 Park Vista Neighborhood Drainage Improvements Project No. 26-DR-US-0027 R F Q No. 26-ES-DTD-006 Estimated Project Cost: $2,400,000.00 Engineering Fee to Be Ne‐ gotiated Statements of Qualifica‐ tions for this project shall be submitted on USB Drive, not paper copies. The selection meeting will be held via (Web access). Statements of Qualifica‐ tions shall be prepared as pdf files on City-Parish Form CPES Standard (DATED: REV. 03/12/20). Interested firms should register and download an electronic copy of the official Request for Quali‐ fications (RFQ) package from the City-Parish Web https://brprojects. Site com/. Those firms that have obtained the official RFQ package for this pro‐ ject from the web site will receive notice of changes in RFQ Addenda and information issued by the City-Parish Engi‐ neer and Surveyor Selec‐ tion Board. The firm se‐ lected for this project will be required to exe‐ cute the City-Parish's standard contract for En‐ gineering Services. Any questions or problems related to the download of the RFQ package should be directed by email to Mr. Daniel P.E., via Rosenquist, email to drosenquist@ brla.gov. One USB drive with pdf files of the Statement of Qualifications (Standard Form CPES) shall be de‐ livered to the Chief De‐ sign and Construction Engineer, Public Works and Planning Center 1100 Street, Baton Laurel Rouge, Louisiana 70802. Statements of Qualifica‐ tions for this project will be accepted until 4:00 PM, Local Time, Novem‐ ber 5th, 2026. Statements of Qualifica‐ tions that have not been

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

received by the above aforementioned date and time will be rejected. Ad‐ ditionally, failure to sub‐ mit all of the information on Standard Form CPES (DATED: REV. 03/12/20) shall be considered nonresponsive and may re‐ sult in the Qualification being re‐ Statement jected. Engineering and Land Surveying firms must be with the registered Louisiana State Board of Registration for Profes‐ Engineers and sional Land Surveyors, in accor‐ dance with LA RS 37:689. A copy of the current Certificate(s) of Registra‐ tion shall be attached to each Statement of Quali‐ fications (Standard Form CPES). Failure to be reg‐ istered in good standing with the aforementioned Board will result in the Qualification Statement being rejected. The City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge has established a Socially and Economi‐ Disadvantaged cally Enterprise Business (SEDBE) program in ac‐ cordance with Revised Statute RS 33:2233.4. It is the policy of the Parish to ensure that Eligible Enterprises Business (EBE’s), certified in ac‐ cordance with the Parish program, have an equal opportunity to receive and participate in parish contracts. All Firms shall make good faith efforts to achieve a minimum EBE participation goal of 25% of the total value of the engineering contract. The members of the En‐ gineer and Surveyor Se‐ lection Board request that all consultants, subconsultants, contractors, vendors or others in‐ volved with this project not contact any Board Member concerning this project during the selec‐ process period, tion which shall extend from the date of this notice until a selection is made. The members of the En‐ gineer and Surveyor Se‐ lection Board request that the firms name their pdf files in a common format, PrimeName Pro‐ jectNameFirstWord.pdf to assist in their review process. For example, “Acme Engineers Nichol‐ son.pdf”. The members of the En‐ gineer and Surveyor Se‐ lection Board also re‐ quest that the firms sub‐ mit revised Form CPES (DATED REV. 03/12/20) only, unless otherwise stated or required by the instructions. All un-au‐ thorized attachments or embellishments may be removed and discarded prior to distribution of statements to the Board Members. Responses to this RFQ will be collected, com‐ piled, and delivered to Board members on or be‐ fore November 10th, 2026 so that they may review them and prepare for the selection meeting. The Selection Board will meet via the webinar confer‐ encing tool on November 19th, 2026 at 4:00 PM to select a firm, and two al‐ ternates, for the services advertised herein. To at‐ tend the meeting as an observer please register f h i h i

Baton Rouge Real Estate For Sale HOUSE BACK ON MARKET! COMPLETELY UPDATED! 5723 Hartford Ave. $145,000 P & I $869 Approx. Glen Oaks S/D Off Greenwell St., 3BR 1.5BA, w/New C H/A New Light Fixtures & Windows Newly Painted Int/Ext, & Ceramic Flr thru out Call Charles for your showing 225-266-4078 Roy Carter Realty 225-357-6436

FRIDAY 10/23 SATURDAY 10/24 SUNDAY 10/25 MONDAY 10/26

9am-4pm 9am-4pm 9am-4pm 9am-2pm

graywoodestatesales.com BATON ROUGE Kenilworth Neighborhood Sale Saturday, October 24 6:30am-2pm A map of the included homes can be found on Kenilworth Social Accounts

Windows & Doors WINDOW & DOOR OVERSTOCK SALE! October 26-30 at Holmes Building Materials, 7835 Airline Highway, Baton Rouge, LA 70815. Shop discounted windows and doors for your upcoming projects. Limited quantities available while supplies last!

BATON ROUGE SAVE UR $$$$! NL’s Comin…with the biggest sale of the year! Forget the rest… We’ve got the Best!! DENHAM SPRINGS Neighborhood Garage Sale LePlace Subdivision Vincent Road Saturday, October 24th 7am - 12pm GREENWELL SPRINGS 16234 Comanche Indian Mound Subdivision Friday 7am-4pm, Saturday 7am-3pm Men, teenage boy & girl clothes, kitchenware, home decor, furniture, outdoor & exercise equipment. CASH ONLY!

GREENWELL SPRINGS Multi Family Sale 6507 Bridgeport Dr Friday & Saturday 7am-3pm

PRINT ADVERTISING WORKS

BATON ROUGE 2724 Theodosia Drive Friday & Saturday 8am-4pm Sofa, 2 arm chairs, New counter height table & chairs, large patio table, women's golf set, dishes & glassware, DVDs, wood picture frames & wall decor & lots of Vintage items.

HOUSE

HOME FOR SALE 8200 LA, 14,000 TA under roof. 4 Acres $990,000 More land available if needed. Owner will spend up to $90,000 for remodeling. 225 405-5229

https://attendee. gotowebinar.com/ register/702832727325340 4246 After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing infor‐ mation about joining the webinar. You can attend via phone using an Audio Connection at: United States (Toll Free): United 1-877-309-2074 1-213-929-4231, States: Access Code: 434-430-297 The City-Parish Engineer and Surveyor Selection Board reserves the right to reject all submittals in response to this Request for Qualifications. CITY OF BATON ROUGE AND PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE SID EDWARDS MAYOR-PRESIDENT FRED E. RAIFORD DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE 204663-oct 23-1t $108 PUBLIC NOTICE --INVITATION FOR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES The City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge invites qualified engineering firms to sub‐ mit a Statement of Quali‐ fications for the follow‐ ing project: SALES TAX STREET AND ROAD REHABILITATION PROGRAM DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION SUPERVISION AND IN‐ SPECTION SERVICES Project No. 26-CE-ST-0028 R F Q No. 26-ES-DTD-007 Statements of Qualifica‐ tions for this project shall be submitted on USB Drive, not paper copies. The selection meeting will be held via (Web access). Statements of Qualifica‐ tions shall be prepared as pdf files on City-Parish Form CPES Standard (DATED: REV. 03/12/20). Interested firms should register and download an electronic copy of the official Request for Quali‐ fications (RFQ) package from the City-Parish Web https://brprojects. Site com/. Those firms that have obtained the official RFQ package for this pro‐ ject from the web site will receive notice of changes in RFQ Addenda and information issued by the City-Parish Engi‐ neer and Surveyor Selec‐ tion Board. The firm se‐ lected for this project will be required to exe‐ cute the City-Parish's standard contract for En‐ gineering Services. Any questions or problems related to the download of the RFQ package should be directed by email to Mr. Daniel P.E., via Rosenquist, email to drosenquist@ brla.gov. One USB drive with pdf files of the Statement of Qualifications (Standard Form CPES) shall be de‐ livered to the Chief De‐

ROOMS FOR RENT Live-In Care for the Elderly in my home. $750/month, everything included. Call 225-377-6818

Automotive

ACREAGE 5 Acre Lots for Sale. Houses Only. $175,000. Call Lattie 225-405-5229

2019 Ford Explorer XLT Front Wheel Drive, 3.5 Liter V6 Engine, 6 Speed Auto, Ruby Red Metallic $10,000.00 OBO 225-278-3625 FJMUSCAR@BELLSOUTH.NET

Baton Rouge Rental APARTMENT 3060 N. Acadian Thrwy (Wtr/Swr Pd) 1BR/1BA, Rent $500, Dep $100 225-357-6436

Place a Classified ad?

1-800-960-6397

Pets / Pet Services Directory PETS • SUPPLIES • SERVICES • OBITUARIES • LOST & FOUND

PLACE YOUR PET SERVICES INFORMATION IN THE PET SERVICES DIRECTORY TODAY! • IT IS FAST AND EASY! • CALL 225-383-0111

AKC Toy Poodle Puppies 10 weeks, vet checked, first set of shots. $1,000.00 504-598-6407 angcelino@gmail.com

p g for the EBR Parish Engi‐ neer's Selection Board meeting at:

1975 North Vega Drive Large 3BR/2BA with central A/H, LR, den. Rent $1200 Deposit $500 225-357-6436

NEWLY UPDATED! 6726 PINE ISLAND AVE. Forest Heights S/D Off Mickens Rd, 3BR 2BA, with Central H/A Freshly Painted Int./Ext. New Ceramic Flooring thru out & New Kit Countertop Enclosed Screen Patio, Rear Dbl Carport with Storage Shed & Fenced backyard Call Charles for Your Showing 225-266-4078 Roy Carter Realty 225-357-6436

BATON ROUGE 6 Families!! 5360 Shakespeare Drive Friday-Saturday 7am-until Lots of Everything! Furniture, Household, etc.

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

HOUSE

CATS Siamese kittens, males, 9 weeks. Very sweet & Playful. Litter trained. Indoor home only. $500. 985-542-1681

225-388-0111

APARTMENT 655 North St Subsidized Efﬁciency Apartments cpabr.org 225-383-5551 TDD/TTY 711 RELAY

ROOMS FOR RENT Furnished Rooms. $125/wk. $500/mo. 225-933-7560

BATON ROUGE 4866 Drusilla Drive Saturday 8am-until Household, tools, garden, clothes, decor, some furniture.

Looking for the right hire?

APARTMENT AREA 5 1BR $600, 2BR $700 Tigerland. $500 Deposit. 225-475-1737

MOBILE HOME 1, 2 & 3 BR mobile homes, $675 & up 6061 Plank Rd. CALL 225-978-4653

THE BEST OF THE BEST ESTATE SALE

Garage Sales

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

for: yearly service con‐ tract for International Travel Insurance

BATON ROUGE GARAGE SALE Huge Estate Sale 921 Woodgate Blvd. Antiques, Collectibles, Corvette, Loaded Tool room, See pics at estatesales.net

SILVER BUY & SELL SILVER & GOLD 225-933-9711 229 CAPITOL STREET DENHAM SPRINGS

IF YOU WORKED WITH LESTER MALVEO IN THE 70S OR 80S PLEASE CALL ME 205-335-9553. 202729-Oct 3-30, 28t $439.40

ZACHARY Multi Family Garage Sale 111 Fairwinds Avenue Saturday 7am-2pm Something for Everyone! Clothes, shoes, dinnerware & more.

BATON ROUGE Garage Sale 9065 Alma Drive, Off Drusilla Saturday 7am-2pm Furniture, clothing, jewelry, household.

CEMETERY PLOTS GreenOaks Memorial Park: Section 15, Lot 147, Spaces 1&2. $12,200 Firm. Text/LM 225-587-5728

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BID Sealed Bids will be re‐ ceived by the Purchasing Ofﬁce, LSU New Orleans, Admin. Annex Bldg, RM LAKESHORE 1004G,2000 DR, LAKE FRONT CAM‐ PUS, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70148.

Merchandise

204351-October 20-26, 7t $3,205.66

Public Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

BATON ROUGE ESTATE SALE Huge Estate Sale 921 Woodgate Blvd. Antiques, Collectibles, Corvette, Loaded Tool room, See pics at estatesales.net

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

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

sign and Construction Engineer, Public Works and Planning Center 1100 Street, Baton Laurel Rouge, Louisiana 70802. Statements of Qualiﬁca‐ tions for this project will be accepted until 4:00 PM, Local Time, Novem‐ ber 5th, 2026.

fore November 10th, 2026 so that they may review them and prepare for the selection meeting. The Selection Board will meet via the webinar confer‐ encing tool on November 19th, 2026 at 4:00 PM to select a ﬁrm, and two al‐ ternates, for the services advertised herein. To at‐ tend the meeting as an observer please register for the EBR Parish Engi‐ neer's Selection Board meeting at:

Statements of Qualifica‐ tions that have not been received by the above aforementioned date and time will be rejected. Ad‐ ditionally, failure to sub‐ mit all of the information on Standard Form CPES (DATED: REV. 03/12/20) shall be considered nonresponsive and may re‐ sult in the Qualification being re‐ Statement jected. Engineering and Land Surveying firms must be with the registered Louisiana State Board of Registration for Profes‐ Engineers and sional Land Surveyors, in accor‐ dance with LA RS 37:689. A copy of the current Certificate(s) of Registra‐ tion shall be attached to each Statement of Quali‐ fications (Standard Form CPES). Failure to be reg‐ istered in good standing with the aforementioned Board will result in the Qualification Statement being rejected. The City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge has established a Socially and Economi‐ Disadvantaged cally Enterprise Business (SEDBE) program in ac‐ cordance with Revised Statute RS 33:2233.4. It is the policy of the Parish to ensure that Eligible Enterprises Business (EBE’s), certified in ac‐ cordance with the Parish program, have an equal opportunity to receive and participate in parish contracts. All Firms shall make good faith efforts to achieve a minimum EBE participation goal of 25% of the total value of the engineering contract. The members of the En‐ gineer and Surveyor Se‐ lection Board request that all consultants, subconsultants, contractors, vendors or others in‐ volved with this project not contact any Board Member concerning this project during the selec‐ process period, tion which shall extend from the date of this notice until a selection is made. The members of the En‐ gineer and Surveyor Se‐ lection Board request that the firms name their pdf files in a common format, PrimeName Pro‐ jectNameFirstWord.pdf to assist in their review process. For example, “Acme Engineers Nichol‐ son.pdf”. The members of the En‐ gineer and Surveyor Se‐ lection Board also re‐ quest that the firms sub‐ mit revised Form CPES (DATED REV. 03/12/20) only, unless otherwise stated or required by the instructions. All un-au‐ thorized attachments or embellishments may be removed and discarded prior to distribution of statements to the Board Members. Responses to this RFQ will be collected, com‐ piled, and delivered to Board members on or be‐

PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS The City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge will receive elec‐ tronic or paper bids for the construction of the

CKC YORKIES vet checked shot worming meet in Gulfport $750.00 334-467-3416

DOGS CKC Registered Rat Terrier & Teddy Roosevelt Terrier Pups Available $200. (985) 217-2950

Looking for the right hire?

225-388-0111 Public Notices Bids/Proposals

following project: CORA DRIVE SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT CITY-PARISH PROJECT No. 24-EN-HC-0025 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Portland cement con‐ crete sidewalks, ADA ramps, striping, drive‐ ways, storm drainage and related items of work. There will be no pre-bid conference. Electronic or sealed bids will be received until 2:00 p.m. Local Time, TUES‐ DAY, NOVEMBER 17TH, 2026 by the Purchasing Division, Room 826, City Hall, 222 Saint Louis Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802. No bids will be received after 2:00 p.m. on the same day and date. Bid Openings can be in person or via teleconfer‐ ence. Teleconference Call-in In‐ formation Join by phone +1-408-418-9388 United States Toll Access code: 263 373 080 (followed by the # but‐ ton) Alternate numbers to call if number above is not available, which may occur due to network traffic (use the same Ac‐ cess Code, followed by the # button): United States Toll (Boston) +1-617-315-0704 United States Toll (Chicago) +1-312-535-8110 United States Toll (Dallas) +1-469-210-7159 United States Toll (Denver) +1-720-650-7664 United States Toll (Jacksonville) +1-904-900-2303 United States Toll (Los Angeles) +1-213-306-3065 Electronic bids and elec‐ tronic bid bonds for the solicitation will be down‐ loaded by the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge, Pur‐ chasing Division. Beginning as soon as feasible after the bid closing time all elec‐ tronic bids will be down‐ loaded and publicly read aloud along with all paper bids received, if any, in 806 of City Hall immediately after the 2:00 p.m. bid closing. Bids, amendments to bids, or request for with‐ drawal of quotations, re‐ ceived after time speci‐ fied for bid opening shall not be considered for any cause whatsoever. Bids shall be firm for a period of sixty (60) days from the date of the opening of bids and no bid shall be withdrawn for any reason during this period of time ex‐ cept as allowed per R.S. 38:2214.C. Official Bid Documents are available at Central Bidding (www.central bidding.com). Electronic Bids may be submitted at Central Bidding (www. centralbidding.com). For questions related to the electronic bidding l ll

Public Notices Bids/Proposals g process, please call Cen‐ tral Bidding at 225-8104814. Paper copies of the plans, specifications and contract documents are on file and may be ob‐ tained from the Public Works and Planning Cen‐ ter located at 1100 Laurel St., Engineering Division, Room 137 or Post Office Box 1471, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70821, upon payment of Ten Dollars ($10.00). (Make checks payable to the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge.) Fees for plans, specifica‐ tions and contract docu‐ ments are to cover the cost of reproduction and are non-refundable in ac‐ cordance with Louisiana Revised Statutes. A Certified Check or Cashier's Check, payable to the Parish of East Baton Rouge or a satis‐ factory Bid Bond exe‐ cuted by the Bidder and an acceptable surety, in an amount equal to five percent (5%) of the total bid, shall be submitted with each bid. Bids shall be received electronically via www. centralbidding.com or on solicitation bid forms furnished by the City of Baton Rouge and Parish East Baton Rouge, and only those bids shall be received by the CityParish which is submit‐ ted by those Contractors in whose names the so‐ licitation bid forms and/or specifications were issued. In no event shall paper solicitation forms be issued later than twenty-four (24) hours prior to the hour and date set for receiv‐ ing proposals. The City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge has established a Socially and Economi‐ cally Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (SEDBE) program in ac‐ cordance with Revised Statute RS 33:2233.4. It is the policy of the Parish to ensure that Eligible Business Enterprises EBE’s, certified in accor‐ dance with the Parish program, have an equal opportunity to receive and participate in parish contracts. For this project the EBR Parish Purchasing office has directed a review of the scope of work and has established a mini‐ mum EBE goal of 13% of the contract amount. All Bidders shall achieve this goal or demonstrate good faith efforts to achieve the goal. Good faith efforts include meeting this EBE goal or providing documentation demonstrating that the Bidder made sufficient good faith efforts in at‐ tempting to meet this goal. Only EBE firms cer‐ tified under the Parish SEDBE Certification Pro‐ gram at the time of sub‐ mittal of the bid will count toward this EBE goal. To be considered responsive, the apparent low bidder must submit EBE Forms 1, 1A, and 2, and Letters of EBE Certi‐ fication, as appropriate within 10 days after bid opening All Contractors bidding on this work shall com‐ ply with all provisions of the State Licensing Law for Contractors, R.S.

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

37:2150-2163, as amended, for all public contracts. It shall also be the responsibility of the General Contractor to as‐ sure that all subcontrac‐ tors comply with this law. If required for bid‐ ding, Contractors must hold an active license is‐ sued by the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors in the classi‐ HIGHWAY, ﬁcation of STREET AND BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION, and must show their license number on the face of the bid envelope and the Uniform Public Works Bid Form. In accordance with La. R.S. 38:2214 (B) the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause. In accor‐ dance with La. R.S. 38:2212 (A)(1)(b), the pro‐ visions and requirements of this Section, those stated in the advertise‐ ment for bids, and those required on the bid form, shall not be considered as informalities and shall not be waived by any public entity. For additional informa‐ tion please contact George Chike, P.E. at gchike@brla.gov. or William Wall, P.E., Project Manager at Billy.Wall@ waggonereng.com. 203993 Oct. 16, 23, 30, 2026, 3t $324.31 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS The City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge will receive elec‐ tronic or paper bids for the construction of the following project: CORA DRIVE SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT CITY-PARISH PROJECT No. 24-EN-HC-0025 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Portland cement con‐ crete sidewalks, ADA ramps, striping, drive‐ ways, storm drainage and related items of work. There will be no pre-bid conference. Electronic or sealed bids will be received until 2:00 p.m. Local Time, TUES‐ DAY, NOVEMBER 17TH, 2026 by the Purchasing Division, Room 826, City Hall, 222 Saint Louis Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802. No bids will be received after 2:00 p.m. on the same day and date. Bid Openings can be in person or via teleconfer‐ ence. Teleconference Call-in In‐ formation Join by phone +1-408-418-9388 United States Toll Access code: 263 373 080 (followed by the # but‐ ton) Alternate numbers to call if number above is not available, which may occur due to network trafﬁc (use the same Ac‐ cess Code, followed by the # button): United States Toll

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Friday, October 23, 2026 ■ 9D

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10D ■ Friday, October 23, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate Public Notices Bids/Proposals

(Boston) +1-617-315-0704 United States Toll (Chicago) +1-312-535-8110 United States Toll (Dallas) +1-469-210-7159 United States Toll (Denver) +1-720-650-7664 United States Toll (Jacksonville) +1-904-900-2303 United States Toll (Los Angeles) +1-213-306-3065 Electronic bids and elec‐ tronic bid bonds for the solicitation will be down‐ loaded by the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge, Pur‐ chasing Division. Beginning as soon as feasible after the bid closing time all elec‐ tronic bids will be down‐ loaded and publicly read aloud along with all paper bids received, if any, in 806 of City Hall immediately after the 2:00 p.m. bid closing. Bids, amendments to bids, or request for with‐ drawal of quotations, re‐ ceived after time speci‐ fied for bid opening shall not be considered for any cause whatsoever. Bids shall be firm for a period of sixty (60) days from the date of the opening of bids and no bid shall be withdrawn for any reason during this period of time ex‐ cept as allowed per R.S. 38:2214.C. Official Bid Documents are available at Central Bidding (www.central bidding.com). Electronic Bids may be submitted at Central Bidding (www. centralbidding.com). For questions related to the electronic bidding process, please call Cen‐ tral Bidding at 225-8104814. Paper copies of the plans, specifications and contract documents are on file and may be ob‐ tained from the Public Works and Planning Cen‐ ter located at 1100 Laurel St., Engineering Division, Room 137 or Post Office Box 1471, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70821, upon payment of Ten Dollars ($10.00). (Make checks payable to the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge.) Fees for plans, specifica‐ tions and contract docu‐ ments are to cover the cost of reproduction and are non-refundable in ac‐ cordance with Louisiana Revised Statutes. A Certified Check or Cashier's Check, payable to the Parish of East Baton Rouge or a satis‐ factory Bid Bond exe‐ cuted by the Bidder and an acceptable surety, in an amount equal to five percent (5%) of the total bid, shall be submitted with each bid. Bids shall be received electronically via www. centralbidding.com or on solicitation bid forms furnished by the City of Baton Rouge and Parish East Baton Rouge, and only those bids shall be received by the CityParish which is submit‐ ted by those Contractors in whose names the so‐ licitation bid forms and/or specifications were issued. In no event shall paper solicitation forms be issued later than twenty-four (24) hours prior to the hour and date set for receiv‐ ing proposals. The City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge has established a Socially and Economi‐ cally Disadvantaged Business Enterprise ( ) i

lll

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

p (SEDBE) program in ac‐ cordance with Revised Statute RS 33:2233.4. It is the policy of the Parish to ensure that Eligible Business Enterprises EBE’s, certiﬁed in accor‐ dance with the Parish program, have an equal opportunity to receive and participate in parish contracts.

p & concrete pavements, asphalt patching w/ overlay, concrete curb, and related work

For this project the EBR Parish Purchasing office has directed a review of the scope of work and has established a mini‐ mum EBE goal of 13% of the contract amount. All Bidders shall achieve this goal or demonstrate good faith efforts to achieve the goal. Good faith efforts include meeting this EBE goal or providing documentation demonstrating that the Bidder made sufficient good faith efforts in at‐ tempting to meet this goal. Only EBE firms cer‐ tified under the Parish SEDBE Certification Pro‐ gram at the time of sub‐ mittal of the bid will count toward this EBE goal. To be considered responsive, the apparent low bidder must submit EBE Forms 1, 1A, and 2, and Letters of EBE Certi‐ fication, as appropriate within 10 days after bid opening All Contractors bidding on this work shall com‐ ply with all provisions of the State Licensing Law for Contractors, R.S. 37:2150-2163, as amended, for all public contracts. It shall also be the responsibility of the General Contractor to as‐ sure that all subcontrac‐ tors comply with this law. If required for bid‐ ding, Contractors must hold an active license is‐ sued by the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors in the classi‐ HIGHWAY, fication of STREET AND BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION, and must show their license number on the face of the bid envelope and the Uniform Public Works Bid Form. In accordance with La. R.S. 38:2214 (B) the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause. In accor‐ dance with La. R.S. 38:2212 (A)(1)(b), the pro‐ visions and requirements of this Section, those stated in the advertise‐ ment for bids, and those required on the bid form, shall not be considered as informalities and shall not be waived by any public entity. For additional informa‐ tion please contact George Chike, P.E. at or gchike@brla.gov. William Wall, P.E., Project Manager at Billy.Wall@ waggonereng.com. 203993 Oct. 16, 23, 30, 2026, 3t $

PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS The City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge will receive elec‐ tronic or paper bids for the construction of the following project: SALES TAX STREET AND ROAD REHABILITATION PROGRAM PROJECT 21-7 STREETS IN TARA, OX‐ FORD PLACE, SHERWOOD FOREST BLVD, DARRYL DR, BARD, & OAK KNOLL CITY-PARISH PROJECT NO. 25-AO-ST-0026 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This project consists of rehabilitation of asphalt &

Electronic or sealed bids will be received until 2:00 p.m. Local Time, TUES‐ DAY _ Nov 3rd, 2026 by the Purchasing Division, Room 826, City Hall, 222 Saint Louis Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802. No bids will be received after 2:00 p.m. on the same day and date. Bid Openings can be in person or via teleconfer‐ ence. Teleconference Call-in In‐ formation Join by phone +1-408-418-9388 United States Toll Access code: 263 373 080 (followed by the # but‐ ton) Alternate numbers to call if number above is not available, which may occur due to network traffic (use the same Ac‐ cess Code, followed by the # button): United States Toll (Boston) +1-617-315-0704 United States Toll (Chicago) +1-312-535-8110 United States Toll (Dallas) +1-469-210-7159 United States Toll (Denver) +1-720-650-7664 United States Toll (Jacksonville) +1-904-900-2303 United States Toll (Los Angeles) + 1-213-306-3065 Electronic bids and elec‐ tronic bid bonds for the solicitation will be down‐ loaded by the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge, Pur‐ chasing Division. Beginning as soon as feasible after the bid closing time all elec‐ tronic bids will be down‐ loaded and publicly read aloud along with all paper bids received, if any, in 806 of City Hall immediately after the 2:00 p.m. bid closing. Bids, amendments to bids, or request for with‐ drawal of quotations, re‐ ceived after time speci‐ fied for bid opening shall not be considered for any cause whatsoever. Bids shall be firm for a period of sixty (60) days from the date of the opening of bids and no bid shall be withdrawn for any reason during this period of time ex‐ cept as allowed per R.S. 38:2214.C. Official Bid Documents are available at Central Bidding (www.central bidding.com). Electronic Bids may be submitted at Central Bidding (www. centralbidding.com). For questions related to the electronic bidding process, please call Cen‐ tral Bidding at 225-8104814. Paper copies of the plans, specifications and contract documents are on file and may be ob‐ tained from the Public Works and Planning Cen‐ ter located at 1100 Laurel St., Engineering Division, Room 137 or Post Office Box 1471, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70821, upon payment of Ten Dollars ($10.00). (Make checks payable to the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge.) Fees for plans, specifica‐ tions and contract docu‐ ments are to cover the cost of reproduction and are non-refundable in ac‐ cordance with Louisiana Revised Statutes. A

Certiﬁed

Check

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Cashier's Check, payable to the Parish of East Baton Rouge or a satis‐ factory Bid Bond exe‐ cuted by the Bidder and an acceptable surety, in an amount equal to five percent (5%) of the total bid, shall be submitted with each bid. Bids shall be received electronically via www. centralbidding.com or on solicitation bid forms furnished by the City of Baton Rouge and Parish East Baton Rouge, and only those bids shall be received by the CityParish which is submit‐ ted by those Contractors in whose names the so‐ licitation bid forms and/or specifications were issued. In no event shall paper solicitation forms be issued later than twenty-four (24) hours prior to the hour and date set for receiv‐ ing proposals. The City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge has established a Socially and Economi‐ cally Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (SEDBE) program in ac‐ cordance with Revised Statute RS 33:2233.4. It is the policy of the Parish to ensure that Eligible Business Enterprises EBE’s, certified in accor‐ dance with the Parish program, have an equal opportunity to receive and participate in parish contracts. For this project the EBR Parish Purchasing office has directed a review of the scope of work and has established a mini‐ mum EBE goal of 8.8% of the contract amount. All Bidders shall achieve this goal or demonstrate good faith efforts to achieve the goal. Good faith efforts include meeting this EBE goal or providing documentation demonstrating that the Bidder made sufficient good faith efforts in at‐ tempting to meet this goal. Only EBE firms cer‐ tified under the Parish SEDBE Certification Pro‐ gram at the time of sub‐ mittal of the bid will count toward this EBE goal. To be considered responsive, the apparent low bidder must submit EBE Forms 1, 1A, and 2, and Letters of EBE Certi‐ fication, as appropriate within 10 days after bid opening All Contractors bidding on this work shall com‐ ply with all provisions of the State Licensing Law for Contractors, R.S. 37:2150-2163, as amended, for all public contracts. It shall also be the responsibility of the General Contractor to as‐ sure that all subcontrac‐ tors comply with this law. If required for bid‐ ding, Contractors must hold an active license is‐ sued by the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors in the classi‐ HIGHWAY, fication of STREET AND BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION, and must show their license number on the face of the bid envelope and the Uniform Public Works Bid Form. In accordance with La. R.S. 38:2214 (B) the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause. In accor‐ dance with La. R.S. 38:2212 (A)(1)(b), the pro‐ visions and requirements of this Section, those stated in the advertise‐ ment for bids, and those required on the bid form, shall not be considered as informalities and shall not be waived by any bli i

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

public entity.

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

For additional informa‐ tion please contact Dan Rosenquist drosen‐ quist@brla.gov, 225-3893186. 203210 Oct. 9, 16, 23, 2026 3t $322.30

PUBLIC NOTICE --PUBLISHED – LEGAL October 16, 23, 30 2026 BIDS TO BE OPENED: November 17, 2026 THE ADVOCATE BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS The City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge for the Greater Baton Rouge Airport Dis‐ trict, will receive elec‐ tronic or paper bids for the construction of the following project: Runway 13/31 Title: Safety Area & RPZ Im‐ provements - Phase III Demolition Location: Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. Type: Demolition Project Program Manager: Air‐ port Management Group, LLC Project Engineer: Meyer Engineers, Ltd. There will be a MANDA‐ TORY Pre-Bid Conference held on November 9, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. in the 1st floor conference room at the Baton Rouge Metro‐ politan Airport Terminal Building. Electronic and sealed paper bids for construc‐ tion of the following pro‐ ject will be received until 2:00 p.m. on November 17, 2026, by the Purchas‐ ing Division, Room 826, City Hall, 222 Saint Louis Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70802. No bids will be received after 2:00 pm on the same day and same date. Bid Openings may be at‐ tended in person or via teleconference. Teleconference Call-In In‐ formation: Join by phone: +1 (408) 418-9388 (United States Toll) Access code: 263 373 080# (Enter the access code followed by the # key.) Alternate Call-In Num‐ bers If the primary number is unavailable due to net‐ work traffic, bidders may use any of the following alternate numbers and enter the same access code (263 373 080#): Boston: +1 (617) 315-0704 Chicago: +1 (312) 5358110 Dallas: +1 (469) 210-7159 Denver: +1 (720) 650-7664 Jacksonville: +1 (904) 900-2303 Los Angeles: +1 (213) 306-3065 Access Code for All Num‐ bers: 263 373 080# Beginning at 2:00 p.m. all electronic bids will be downloaded and publicly read aloud on the 8th floor in Room 826, City Hall, 222 Saint Louis Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802, immedi‐ ately following the bid opening. Bidders or their authorized representa‐ tives are invited to at‐ tend in person or by tele‐ conference using the in‐ formation provided above.

Electronic bids and elec‐ tronic bid bonds for the solicitation shall be sub‐ mitted through www.Cen tralBidding.com. The City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge, Purchasing Divi‐ sion will download all electronic bids and bid bonds received. Only bids submitted by contractors to whom the solicitation and/or speci‐ fications were issued shall be considered. In no event shall paper solici‐ tation forms be issued later than twenty-four (24) hours prior to the date and time set estab‐ lished for receipt of bids. Electronic bids and elec‐ tronic bid bonds must be submitted through www. CentralBidding.com prior to the bidding deadline. Bids or amendments to bids received after time specified for bid open‐ ings shall not be consid‐ ered for any cause what‐ soever. Withdrawal of bids shall be in accor‐ dance with RS 38:2214. C. Copies of Contract Docu‐ ments for review or for use in preparing bids may be obtained from Meyer Engineers, Ltd., 4937 Hearst Street, Suite 1B, Metairie, LA 70001 (504) 885-9892), upon de‐ posit of $50.00 (refund‐ able) for a hard copy set and/or $25.00 (non-re‐ fundable) for an elec‐ tronic set on USB Flash Drive. Deposits on the first set of documents furnished bona fide prime bidders will be re‐ funded upon return of the documents in good condition no later than ten (10) days after re‐ ceipt of bids. On other sets of documents fur‐ nished to prime bidders and, on all sets, fur‐ nished to subcontractors the full deposit will be re‐ funded upon return of the documents in good condition no later than ten days after receipt of bids. Each bid must be accom‐ panied by a certified check, cashier’s check, or bidder’s bond in an amount equal to five per‐ cent (5%) of the total amount bid and shall be made payable to the City of Baton Rouge. The bidder is advised that the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge are an Equal Opportunity Em‐ ployer. Therefore, the Bidder is encouraged to utilize minority participa‐ tion in this contract to extent possible through the use of small, disad‐ vantaged and womenowned businesses as suppliers or subcontrac‐ tors. Bidders should be aware that award of this con‐ tract is contingent upon receipt of a grant or grants from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the State of Louisiana Department of Transportation and De‐ velopment - Office of Avi‐ ation, along with the se‐ curing of other required approvals. Project num‐ bers will be assigned upon approval by the FAA. 1) Policy: It is the policy of the Department of Transportation (DOT) that Disadvantaged Busi‐ ness Enterprises as de‐ fined in 49 CFR Part 26 shall have the maximum opportunity to partici‐ pate in the performance of contracts financed in whole or in part with Federal funds. 2) Baton Rouge Metropol‐ itan Airport has estab‐ li h d i d d

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

p lished a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program in accor‐ dance with regulations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, 49 CFR Part 26. It is the policy of the Baton Rouge Metro‐ politan Airport to ensure that DBEs, as defined in 49 CFR Part 26, have an equal opportunity to re‐ ceive and participate in DOT-assisted contracts. All Respondents or Pro‐ posers shall make good faith efforts, as defined in Appendix A of 49 CFR Part 26, to utilize DBE participation on the pro‐ ject. Until further notice – currently, contractors are not required to com‐ plete Forms A, B, C. 3) The proposed Contract is under and subject to Executive Order 11246 of September 24, 1965, and to the Equal Opportunity Clause. The Bidder’s (Proposer’s) attention is called to the “Equal Op‐ portunity Clause” and the “Standard Federal Equal Employment Op‐ portunity Construction Contract Specifications” set forth in the Project Manual. 4) The Bidder (Proposer) must supply all the infor‐ mation required by the bid or proposal forms. The Bidders will be re‐ quired to submit a Certi‐ fication of Nonsegre‐ gated Facilities, and to notify prospective Sub‐ contractors of the re‐ quirements of such Certi‐ fication as Notice to Sub‐ contractors appears in the Project Manual. 5) Women will be af‐ forded equal opportunity in all areas of employ‐ ment. However, the em‐ ployment of women shall not diminish the stan‐ dards or requirements for the employment of minorities. 6) For contracts for $50,000 or more, a Con‐ tractor having 50 or more employees, and his Sub‐ contractors having 50 or more employees and who may be awarded a subcontract of $50,000 or more, will be required to maintain an affirmative action program within 120 days of the com‐ mencement of the con‐ tract. 7) Compliance Reports. Within 30 days after award of this contract, the Contractor shall file a compliance report (Stan‐ dard Form 100) if: a) The Contractor has not submitted a com‐ plete compliance report within 12 months preced‐ ing the date of Award; and b) The Contractor is within the definition of “employer” in Para‐ graphs 2e (3) of the in‐ structions included in Standard Form 100. The Contractor shall re‐ quire the Subcontractor on all-tier subcontracts, irrespective of dollar amount, to file Standard Form 100 within 30 days after award of the sub‐ contract if the above two conditions apply. Stan‐ dard Form 100 will be fur‐ nished upon request. 8) Buy American Provi‐ sion. The proposed Con‐ tract is subject to the Buy American Provision under Section 9129 of the Aviation Safety and Ca‐ pacity Expansion Act of 1990. Details of such re‐ quirements are con‐ tained in the Project Manual. 9) All Contractors bid‐ ding on this work shall comply with all provi‐ sions of the State Licens‐ ing Law for Contractors, R.S. 37:2150-2163, as amended, for all public contracts. It shall also be the responsibility of the General Contractor to as‐ sure that all subcontrac‐ tors comply with this law. If required for bid‐ ding, Contractors must h ld i li i

g hold an active license is‐ sued by the State of Louisiana Licensing Board for Contractors in the classiﬁcation of Building Construction and must show their li‐ cense number on the face of the bid envelope and the Uniform Public Works Bid Form. The City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause. In accor‐ dance with La. R.S. 38:2212 (A)(1)(b), the pro‐ visions and requirements of this Section, those stated in the advertise‐ ment for bids, and those required on the bid form, shall not be considered informalities and shall not be waived by any public entity. 203481-oct 16-23-30-3t $410.49

PUBLIC NOTICE --River Parishes Commu‐ nity College is seeking bids for a CDL Backing Training Pad. To obtain bid package, please visit https://wwwcfprd.doa. louisiana.gov/osp/lapac/ dspBid.cfm?search=dep artment&term=4. The following bids are open: #40005-FY27-013 204248 Oct. 19- Nov. 5, 2026 18t $98.64

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE --ELOS Environmental, LLC on behalf of National Water Infrastructure is requesting authorization to construct an influent pipeline, centralized wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and an ef‐ fluent force main to con‐ vey and discharge treated effluent from the newly constructed facil‐ ity located in the City of Geismar, Louisiana, within Ascension Parish. The US Army Corps of En‐ gineers (USACE) will be accepting public com‐ ments on the project until November 11, 2026. To further review or pro‐ vide comments, addi‐ tional information and plans on the proposal may be obtained at the following website:www. mvn.usace.army.mil/ missions/regulatory/ public-notices (see Ref#: MVN-2022-00246-CJT). If you have any questions, please contact Jaimie Thompson with the USACE, Regulatory Divi‐ sion at (504) 862-1489 or jaimie.l.thompson@ usace.army.mil.

Public Notices RFQ

PUBLIC NOTICE --10/13/2026 ADVERTISEMENT FOR QUALIFICATIONS – DE‐ SIGN-BID-BUILD GENERAL CONTRACTOR SERVICES LDCC – Campus Develop‐ ment 9805 Uptown Drive, Bas‐ trop, LA The Louisiana Commu‐ nity and Technical Col‐ leges System Facilities Corporation will be re‐ ceiving Statement of Qualifications, not later than 2:00 p.m., November 12, 2026 at the following address: Westwood Professional Services Attention: Mike Richard, Project Manager 8555 United Plaza Boule‐ vard Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70808 Responses to the Re‐ quest for Qualifications (RFQ) must be submitted according to the require‐ ments listed in the RFQ. Interested firms must obtain an official RFQ package via email from the Project Manager, Mike Richard, at mike. richard@westwoodps. com. This includes all correspondence regard‐ ing this RFQ. Only those firms that have obtained the official RFQ package from West‐ wood will be considered by the LCTC System Facil‐ ities Corporation. Late or incomplete submissions may not be accepted. The Louisiana Commu‐ nity and Technical Col‐ lege System Facilities Corporation does not dis‐ criminate on the basis of race, color, national ori‐ gin, gender, disability, age, veteran status, or genetic information in its programs and activities. LOUISIANA COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COL‐ LEGES SYSTEM Dr. Chandler LeBoeuf Executive Vice President Advertisement Dates Friday, October 16, 2026 Friday, October 23, 2026 Friday, October 30, 2026 203942-oct 16-23-30-3t $69.60

ORDER PAGE REPRINTS ANYTIME

203540-oct 12-nov 12-32t $3,468.52 PUBLIC NOTICE --Public Hearings will be held at Zachary City Hall 4700 Main St. during a regular meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission meetingMonday, November 02, 2026 – 6:00 p.m. and the City Council meeting Tuesday – November 24, 2026 - 6:30 p.m. for the for the purpose indi‐ cated: Final Plat - Americana Crossing 21104 Barsket Road 204385-OCT 21-23-3T $47.41

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