Issuu

ON VIEW THROUGH FEBRUARY 14

Second Nature 10

11 12 1

2 3

7 6

Japanese Rinpa Paintings from the Gitter-Yelen Collection

DID YOU REMEMBER TO TURN YOUR CLOCKS BACK AN HOUR?

N O L A.C O M

S U N D AY, N OV E M B E R 1, 2026

SKIMMING

THE SURFACE

Tons of tiny pieces of plastic are polluting the Gulf as health implications are still emerging

$2.50X

Landry a prominent figure in LSU’s football program Governor reveals details in hiring of Lane Kiffin BY ALYSE PFEIL and JON BLAU Staff writers

The story of Gov. Jeff Landry’s involvement in LSU football, as he tells it, begins with a tiger. The St. Martinville native was awed by the school’s live mascot growing up, and he believed tens of thousands of LSU fans would also enjoy seeing Mike roll out onto the ﬁeld in his cage before the game. That’s why Landry pushed to revive the tradition, dismiss- Landry ing concerns from LSU’s veterinary school and animal rights groups about the feline’s well-being. “Why is it OK for Colorado to have a bison? Why is it OK for Texas to have a longhorn? Why is it OK for Georgia to have a bulldog?” Landry said recently. “It’s a bunch of loudmouth people that believe that they know what an animal feels.” Ever since that move in his ﬁrst year as governor, Landry has become a recurring, prominent character in the story of LSU

ä See LANDRY, page 10A

STAFF FILE PHOTO BY BRETT DUKE

A discarded plastic bottle lies on the beach as participants search for debris during a Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program beach cleanup on Elmer’s Island near Grand Isle earlier this year.

Nathaniel Klumb tosses a piece of plastic to be collected later during a cleanup along Monte Sano Bayou in East Baton Rouge Parish.

Third in a series

BY DAVID J. MITCHELL

Staff writer

A small band of workers combed the sand at a popular spot along Louisiana’s coast, and it didn’t take them long to ﬁnd what they were seeking. Beyond the shallow marshes plied by egrets and just over the dunes at Elmer’s Island Wildlife Refuge, the crew scooped up plastic tubing, plastic bags, plastic utensils and plastic bottles. They weren’t only seeking plastic trash. But for a long time now, plastic garbage has accounted for the vast majority of what they ﬁnd — pointing to the slowly accumulating crisis of microplastics, the leftover, tiny bits of broken-down plastic trash. “The tide rises again tomorrow morning; the same amount of trash is back,” said Emily Braud, a volunteer and marine debris coordinator for the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program. “You have to think of it on the positive side, as we’re making a difference. We’re stopping these big plastics from becoming microplastics.” Her crews have collected 1,124 bags of trash so far this year, but the total amounts to a drop in the ocean — in a very real sense. Just beyond the sandy shores of Elmer’s Island, the Gulf of Mexico has

WEATHER HIGH 79 LOW 71 PAGE 8B

STAFF PHOTO BY JAVIER GALLEGOS

SEA OF

TROUBLES become an epicenter of microplastics and nanoplastics pollution, infecting everything from oysters and shrimp to sensitive coral reefs and the sediments of Louisiana coastal bays. The tiny bits come from the slow degradation of plastic bottles, bags and other items that underpin modern life. Also in the mix are paint ﬂecks, tire particles and nurdles, a lightweight intermediate product made by many facilities along the Gulf Coast

and Mississippi River. They form the raw material for many plastic objects. The consequences on human and ecological health of all those tiny particles are not yet clear. Concerning evidence is emerging, however, and scientists are warning that more study is needed to gauge the severity of the problem. Fed by the Mississippi and other rivers that course through urban and industrial areas, the Gulf acts as a sink for microplastics and nanoplastics, their smaller cousin. A team led by an LSU researcher found nearly a decade ago that microplastics concentrations in the Gulf were among the highest in the world.

ä See SKIMMING, page 6A

Northshore DA probes how Murrill was indicted Collin Sims says he will do a 'thorough job'

BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer

Northshore District Attorney Collin Sims was already plenty busy. Since taking ofﬁce in 2023, he has overseen more than 9,000 felony prosecutions in his 125-person office and formed two task forces with state and federal agencies. He began prosecuting the mayor of Bogalusa. He is a regular Sims attendee at St. Tammany political events. And he’s been relentless in pursuing funding for northshore public safety agencies. But in August, he added another big

Business ......................1E Deaths .........................3B Nation-World................2A Classified ..................... 2F Living............................1D Opinion ........................6B Commentary ................7B Metro ...........................1B Sports ..........................1C

ä See SIMS, page 7A

14TH YEAR, NO. 81

2A F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F nola.com F The Times-Picayune

lll

Judge dismisses Trump suit against Wall Street Journal

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Fire at Miss. police department investigated

A fire Saturday morning damaged the building of a beleaguered police department in Mississippi that has drawn outrage from the community in recent months after an officer shot and killed a 1-year-old. It was unclear what caused the fire at the headquarters of the Senatobia Police Department and whether it was intentionally set. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and local agencies are investigating. The Associated Press has reached out to the fire department, police department, and the Tate County Sheriff’s Office for comment. Firefighters were dispatched to the city’s police department at 4:58 a.m. to respond to smoke in the building, the Senatobia Fire Department said in a statement, and crews were able to quickly knock out the fire. There were no details on the damage. The Senatobia Police Department ignited anger in the community of 8,000 after an officer fired into a vehicle and killed 1-year-old Kohen Wiley in June while investigating a shoplifting call at a Walmart. Wiley, who is Black, was in the vehicle with his mother, who was unharmed, and her friend, who was seriously injured. The two women denied having stolen anything, and no charges have been filed against them.

1 killed in shooting at Spirit Halloween store

A targeted shooting inside a Spirit Halloween store in Northern California left a pregnant woman dead and six other people wounded, police said. Gunfire rang out at about 8:30 p.m. Friday inside the store, which sells Halloween costumes and decor, at the Solano Town Center in Fairfield, the city police department said Saturday in a statement on Facebook. The shooting “stemmed from a targeted incident involving one suspect,” police said. The woman who died was identified by police as Constance Hages, 31, and family members told authorities she was pregnant. Three male victims ages 16, 19 and 32 were in critical condition, and a 23-year-old man was hospitalized in critical but stable condition. Two other men, ages 19 and 43, were treated for gunshot wounds and released from the hospital. No arrests have been made. Authorities said they were reviewing video and other evidence “to identify the individual responsible for this heinous act of violence.” The department said no additional information would be released at this time.

Telescope on verge of plunging back to Earth

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — An aging NASA telescope is barely clinging to space after a failed rescue effort left it tottering lower and lower. The U.S. Space Force predicts the Swift Observatory will come crashing down on or around Friday. Most of the 1½-ton telescope is expected to burn up in the atmosphere. But a handful of pieces made of denser-than-lead tungsten and some mirror parts could survive reentry, according to NASA’s Brad Cenko, the mission’s chief scientist. Any surviving wreckage will most likely plunge into the ocean. But swaths of Africa, Australia, India, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America are within the reentry zone. The Space Force is tracking the telescope’s dwindling path. Its cosmic cremation has the Swift team mourning yet full of gratitude for the observations the telescope made during its 22 years in orbit. Swift blasted off on Nov. 20, 2004, to search for some of the biggest explosions in the universe: gamma ray bursts and supernovas. “We’ve known this day would come since before Swift was launched. At least in low-Earth orbit, what goes up must come down. And that end is catastrophic,” said Pennsylvania State University’s John Nousek, an astronomer who led the control team.

Litigation concerned Epstein birthday letter story BY DAVE COLLINS ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY EMMA DA SILVA

A protester breaks chunks of stone into smaller pieces on Saturday amid clashes with police during a protest over living costs and education in Paris.

France sees third week of protests

said that he lives in a state-run stuYouth-led demonstrations dent, dent residence where “there are damp all along the bottom of my walls, rally over living costs, stains whole sections peeling off, cockroaches everywhere, rats.” education An information technology worker

BY TOM NOUVIAN and KIRSTEN GRIESHABER Associated Press

PARIS — Hundreds of thousands of protesters inspired by frustrated high school students took to the streets across France on Saturday in a third consecutive weekend of demonstrations over living costs and education. Youth-led protests were also held elsewhere in Europe, including in Germany and Portugal. France’s protests were overwhelmingly peaceful, with whimsical Halloween costumes lightening the mood, but gatherings in Paris and other cities ended in clouds of tear gas and scattered ﬁres set by small groups on the margins. About 70,000 police and gendarmes were deployed across the country after French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez warned of a “very high risk” of disorder, especially after dark on Halloween. Paris marches were rerouted to the capital’s edge to protect stores, government buildings and touristed areas in the city center. France’s government estimated that 320,000 people protested nationwide Saturday, fewer than in previous protests but still a signiﬁcant turnout. Mass protests on Oct. 17 that deteriorated into some of France’s worst rioting in years drew 550,000 people around France, and demonstrations on Oct. 24 drew 410,000, according to government estimates. Organizers’ turnout estimates are higher. Authorities in France reported more than 560 arrests nationwide by Saturday night. Police had arrested thousands of people following riots and looting that marred marches the previous two Saturdays. In the main Paris march, each group carried its own banner: high school students, climate activists and people angry about the cost of living. Corentin Cabreux, a 21-year-old stu-

protested in solidarity with the students and her mother, who was struggling with a minimum wage job. A gray-haired woman carried a sign reading ‘’The Old are Fed Up Too.’’ Halloween costumes reflected the mood. Cléo Farenc, a 30-year-old gallery assistant, came dressed as a beheaded Marie-Antoinette. “It’s about embodying a figure of power who was brought down by the people,” she said. “It’s a very strong symbol in French culture.’’ The rallies in France were started last month by high school students protesting neglected buildings, teacher shortages and a university admissions system seen as unfair to disadvantaged students. Labor unions and others angry at the leadership of President Emmanuel Macron joined in with a variety of demands. On Saturday, the crowd streamed along the Boulevards des Maréchaux, avenues that ring the edge of Paris, in a march that was joyful for hours. Techno music blasted from speakers, and some marchers went trick-or-treating. A police helicopter hovered overhead as the sun set slowly over the city. Later, clashes broke out near Porte de Charenton, where the march ended. Protesters hurled glass bottles and fireworks at police. Officers responded with volleys of stun grenades and tear gas. The blasts echoed through the streets, and smoke filled the air as dusk fell. Many peaceful marchers turned back, coughing, their eyes streaming with tears, and left the march, some scattering into the nearby Bois de Vincennes, one of the largest parks in Paris. While the vast majority of protesters have been peaceful, groups of troublemakers routinely target police with fireworks and projectiles. Police use tear gas, dispersion grenades, water cannons and other tactics that have resulted in severe injuries.

Iran: Response to attack would have no ‘geographic limits’ agreed to lift its blockade of Iranian ports, release frozen Iranian assets and waive Iran’s supreme leader threatened an sanctions on Iranian oil sales, among othimmediate response to a potential attack er conditions. That was rejected. — one without “geographic limits” — as In an interview with Qatar-based broaddiplomatic efforts continue in an effort to caster Al Jazeera, Araghchi said that Iran avoid a return to all-out war. isn’t planning to meet with U.S. ofﬁcials, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mo- but called recent U.S. efforts toward jtaba Khamenei said that “any kind and “broader dialogue” a positive step. Araghchi said a decision on whether level of threat” from the U.S. or Israel negotiations will be direct or should face an immediate reONFLICT indirect would be made “once sponse, one without geographic CO Washington agrees to Iran’s conlimits, the official IRNA news IN THE T agency reported. MIIDDLE ditions.” State media said that KhameMeanwhile, the head of Iran’s EAST AST Supreme National Security Counnei, who hasn’t been seen publicly since the war began with U.S. cil said “the tone has completely and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, made the changed” from the U.S. and called it a comments while meeting with military “very good sign.” chiefs. He also called for an updated list Maj. Gen. Mohsen Rezaei told state of potential U.S. and Israeli targets. television that he hasn’t responded to the Khamenei became supreme leader af- letter from Vice President JD Vance, and ter the opening strikes killed his father. gave no details about it. Rezaei singled out an important change He has met with a series of senior ofﬁcials in recent weeks, according to state to one of Iran’s conditions: Ships on a remedia. opened Strait of Hormuz would have to Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Abbas travel on a route agreed upon by Iran and Araghchi said that a new proposal has Oman. And “everyone passing through been reached with mediators that would this waterway will do so under Iranian shorten the time to fully reopen the Strait management.” of Hormuz to two days. He said that IraHe said that Iran awaits the latest U.S. nian diplomats were in Qatar for discus- response. Separately, Rezaei warned on X that any attack would bring “devastating sions. Araghchi last month proposed reopen- blows on the aggressor using new weaping the waterway within a week if the U.S. ons.”

By The Associated Press

Associated Press

Saying the president was “grasping at straws,” a federal judge on Saturday threw out Donald Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and media mogul Rupert Murdoch over a story reporting on his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles in Miami dismissed the suit with prejudice, ruling that the president did not prove the defendants made defamatory statements with actual malice as required by law. The ruling said the lawsuit had attempted to “manufacture” ﬂaws in the Journal’s investigative reporting. When a case is thrown out “with prejudice,” it cannot be reﬁled again and the dismissal is permanent and incontrovertible. The dismissal is a blow to Trump and his administration, which have both pursued adversarial relationships with news organizations during his second term. In addition to the Journal, he is embroiled in lawsuits involving the BBC, The Associated Press and — most recently — CNN, MS NOW and Politico, which are suing him for restored access after he banished them from the White House in mid-September. Trump has denounced media outlets that write things to which he objects and frequently calls them “fake news” and insults their journalists. The lawsuit against the Journal was over a story it published last year describing a sexually suggestive letter and drawing that the paper said bore Trump’s name and was included in a 2003 album compiled for Epstein’s 50th birthday. The letter was reportedly

collected by disgraced British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell as part of a birthday album for Epstein years before he was first arrested in 2006 and subsequently had a falling-out with Trump. The letter bearing Trump’s name includes text framed by the outline of what appears to be a handdrawn naked woman and ends with, “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret,” according to the newspaper. Trump denied writing it and called the story “false, malicious, and defamatory.” The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Miami, accused the paper and its reporters of having “knowingly and recklessly” published “numerous false, defamatory, and disparaging statements,” which, it alleged, caused “overwhelming financial and reputational harm” to the president. Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. Gayles previously dismissed the suit in April, saying Trump had failed to make the argument that the article was published with the intent to be malicious. But he gave the president a chance to file an amended complaint, which he did in May. In Saturday's ruling, the judge cited the Supreme Court's landmark 1964 ruling in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan. That decision made it harder for public figures to win libel lawsuits because it requires proof that a media outlet knowingly published something false or showed a reckless disregard for the truth. “The Amended Complaint falls short of pleading actual malice,” Gayles wrote. “Indeed, the allegations regarding malice are conclusory, vague, sometimes inconsistent with the Article, and often irrelevant to whether Defendants knew or should have known that the statements in the Article were purportedly false.”

GET IN TOUCH Customer Service: HELP@THEADVOCATE.COM or 504-529-0522 News Tips / Stories: NEWSTIPS@THEADVOCATE.COM Obituaries: 225-388-0289 • Mon-Fri 9-5; Sat 10-5; Closed Sun Advertising Sales: 504-636-7421 • Mon-Fri 8-5 Classiﬁed Advertising: 225-383-0111 • Mon-Fri 8-5 Subscribe: nola.com/subscribe E-Edition: nola.com/eedition Archives: nola.newsbank.com The Times-Picayune (USPS 18530) is published by Capital City Press at 840 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130 and at additional mailing offices. Periodicals postage paid at New Orleans, LA. ISSN: 2379-0008. Capital City Press, proprietor. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Times-Picayune, Circulation Accounting, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588. Newspaper carriers are independent contractors and not employees of Capital City Press.

All home delivery subscription sales are non-refundable. Should you discontinue your subscription during term, the subscription will end with the expiration date on your subscription, and there will not be a refund of a prorated amount. Subscribers who purchased their subscription before Feb. 1, 2023 and wish to cancel can request a refund of a remaining balance at https://www.nola.com/app/forms/refund-request-form/. Refunds are considered on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of Capital City Press, LLC or its designee. All subscriptions purchased that include a special edition will have the special edition value deducted prior to any refund provided to subscriber upon cancellation of service. Standard subscription rates may be effective upon renewal. All standard subscriptions include digital access and e-Edition, a digital replica of the printed Advocate edition(s). The apps are free for tablets and smartphones. Smartphone apps may not be supported on all devices. The Times-Picayune standard subscription rate is $80.89 per 4-week period, plus tax. Standard digital subscriptions include e-Edition with the rate of $31.15 per 4-week period, plus tax starting 1/1/25. Special editions included in home delivery subscriptions are 1/30/26, 3/11/26, 4/15/26, 5/27/26, 7/8/26, 8/19/26, 9/30/26 11/26/26, 1/22/27, 3/10/27, 4/14/27, 5/26/27, 7/14/27, 8/18/27, 9/29/27 and 11/25/27 and are billed at $6.23 each. The Thanksgiving Day edition will be billed at your regular Thursday rate plus $6.23. To opt out of special edition delivery, email help@theadvocate.com or call 225-388-0395. By opting out of special editions you will not receive that day’s newspaper. Thanksgiving Day is not a special edition and opting out for that edition isn’t permitted. Prices shown are in U.S. dollars. Prices subject to change. Other restrictions may apply. We no longer provide credit for temporary delivery stops of 14 days or less. During a temporary delivery stop donations are made to our News in Education program. This program provides newspapers and digital access to schools across Louisiana. This program is paid for by sponsors and temporary stops so that students may use the newspaper for educational purposes in the classroom. During a temporary delivery stop of the print edition subscribers have unlimited digital access to theadvocate.com, nola.com and the apps for tablet and smartphone. Seasonal delivery times from August 2025 through February 2026 will extend to 8:00 a.m. on weekends. Subscribers may also choose to access our digital replica e-Edition of the printed Advocate, Times Picayune and Acadiana Advocate only. As a highly valued customer, we also value your privacy. All personal information collected by The Advocate will be used for administration and customer verification; it may be used for promotional purposes in accordance with The Advocate’s privacy policy. Please refer to our policy located at https://www.theadvocate. com/new_policy/ for information regarding the collection, use and disclosure of personal information. By providing your phone number and email address you agree that we can call or email you to confirm delivery service, satisfaction and/or sales promotions as they may occur from The Times-Picayune. The Times-Picayune: 840 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA 70130 St. Tammany Bureau (NEWS only): 321 New Hampshire St., Covington, LA 70433 • 985-276-5054

lll

The Times-Picayune F nola.com F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F 3A

Iran targeted U.S. air defenses in Mideast bases AP analysis shows Tehran then struck aircraft, buildings

consulting firm Armament Research Services. A radar was hit in Jordan and said to be destroyed. It was one of only 13 possessed by the Army globally, manufacturer Raytheon said. Budget documents show each costs about half a billion dollars. Another radar in Qatar was damaged signiﬁcantly, but it is unclear if it was destroyed. Purchased by the Gulf country in a 2013 deal valued at $1.1 billion, it appears to have been the only one in the region. Hitting such sites was likely “intended to disrupt and PHOTO PROVIDED BY AIRBUS DS degrade the U.S. and allies’

BY M. REO, SAMY MAGDY and KONSTANTIN TOROPIN

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Iran’s strikes on more than two dozen U.S. bases in the Middle East focused on early-warning systems before hitting aircraft and buildings, causing billions of dollars in equipment damage, according to an Associated Press analysis. The AP independently verified damage to American targets using satellite imagery from multiple providers and spoke to four regional officials who were briefed or have firsthand knowledge of what was hit. The AP found that, through August, more than 115 drone or missile strikes claimed by Iran or Iranian-backed militias damaged or destroyed structures on 26 military bases and other sites with U.S. equipment. The AP found that Iran initially focused its attacks on aircraft hangars and systems that detect incoming strikes, clearing the way for further strikes on warehouses, troop housing and more. The damage has significantly reshaped the American foothold in the Middle East, with two regional officials saying the U.S. has moved many of its assets out of the Persian Gulf. That includes aircraft, air defense systems, communications systems and other equipment crucial to base operations, one of those officials said. The impact of the damage raises questions about American defenses in the region as President Donald Trump considers new strikes after Tuesday’s midterm elections and Tehran has vowed major retaliation. A return to hostilities threatens additional costly damage to bases, which would heighten uncertainty about whether the United States will choose to rebuild its bases and equipment in the region when the war ends. The AP’s analysis offers new insight into Iran’s strategy for its retaliation and what precisely has been damaged on U.S. bases during the eight-month war, going beyond the details

A satellite image taken over Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait on July 24 shows the result of numerous strikes on a section of the base. that have been released in independent reviews, including from the Pentagon’s inspector general. It found that from April 1 to June 30, Iranian strikes had damaged and destroyed hundreds of buildings and other structures on U.S. bases. Such assessments provide the only overall snapshot because the Trump administration and the U.S. military have provided few details about the toll of the conﬂict on people and equipment, even putting measures in place to impede outside review, such as delays in the release of satellite images. U.S. Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East, has refused to comment on or specify damage to bases or equipment, usually citing the need for operational security. The command did not comment for this story. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell asserted that U.S. “forces and bases are well protected and America’s military is stronger than ever.” “Our service members in CENTCOM have everything they need to continue their historic success ensuring Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon,” Parnell said in a statement to the AP. Most of the Iranian attacks have been in Kuwait, while U.S. sites in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also have been targeted, the analysis of satellite imagery shows. The deadliest known strike on U.S. troops in the Iran war was in Kuwait, where six soldiers were killed in a

drone attack at Port Shuaiba on March 1. Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait was struck at least 30 times, damaging or destroying at least 15 aircraft hangars, numerous warehouses and 10 buildings near a residential area. Camp Buehring, also in Kuwait, faced even heavier losses. While Iranian attacks made most of its hangars inoperable, gathering places for troops sustained much more damage because the base had limited aircraft. Its gym was destroyed in March and a store for troops to buy products on the base was hit in late July. A strike also has severely damaged the garage and dining room there, according to the two regional ofﬁcials. They and two others, who are regional military officials, spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive details about the damage to bases. While strikes were much heavier against Iran, American materiel losses were inevitable, said Raphael Cohen, director of the National Security Program at the RAND School of Public Policy. The way wars are fought today makes all militaries “susceptible to large-scale, cheap drone attacks,” he said. “This should be a wake-up call for the United States,” Cohen said. Iran launched its response to the war with accurate attacks on systems meant to detect and thwart incoming strikes, then broadened its targets to buildings and equipment that made U.S. bases useful and habitable.

ability to respond to further strikes,” Jenzen-Jones said. After hitting the radars, Iran launched more than 50 successful strikes on 18 locations with U.S. military equipment in the ﬁrst month of the war, prioritizing areas with aircraft. Iran damaged refueling aircraft, communication systems, fuel bunkers and troop accommodations at various bases, the two regional ofﬁcials said. An Iranian strike on Prince Sultan Air Base in March damaged the back half of a Boeing E-3 Sentry surveillance aircraft and another hit a CIA unit at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh.

Time for your next chapter?

Iran destroyed enclosures protecting U.S. radar systems at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait and Naval Support Activity Bahrain within the ﬁrst two days of the war’s start in late February. Additionally, Iran hit portable radars at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia and Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. Iran prioritized striking at the backbone of the U.S. air defense system, targeting key early-warning radars that are difﬁcult and expensive to repair or replace, said N.R. Jenzen-Jones, director of the technical intelligence

Let Seniors Real Estate Specialist®

DONNA PISANI

Help make downsizing, selling & buying stress free with compassionate, expert guidance throughout the process.

504-491-2783

Call today for a no obligation consultation! Servicing the Greater New Orleans & Northshore Areas

donna@reverealtors.com Licensed in LA & MS

504-300-0700 | 4827 Prytania St. | NOLA 70115

! s u h t i w l l o r e m o C Sunday, November 15 | 12:00 - 3:00 p.m. Fulton Alleyy | 600 Fulton Street

HOUSTON

ICE agent charged in hitting man with car to turn himself in BY CYBELE MAYES-OSTERMAN and JACK BROOK Associated Press/ Report for America

A federal immigration ofﬁcer charged with aggravated assault after he ran over a Mexican man with his car in Houston will turn himself in on Monday, according to his attorney. Mario Alberto Morales, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, struck Miguel Parra Hernandez, a 48-year-old construction worker, with his unmarked SUV on Oct. 10, as he chased Parra Hernandez through a parking lot. A grand jury indicted Morales on Friday on a felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Morales is planning to turn himself in at a courthouse sometime on Monday, David Lindenmuth, his attorney, told The Associated Press. Lindenmuth previously told the AP that the incident was “clearly just an accident” and that local officials had “invented a crime out of thin air.” Parra Hernandez broke his leg and is recovering at a rehabilitation facility while in federal custody, Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare told reporters on Friday. ICE has said Parra Hernandez ran in front of Morales’ car. Previously released surveillance camera video shows Morales’ vehicle drive over a median and strike Parra Hernandez as he runs away.

2026

Teare played footage from Morales’ body camera on Friday that showed the agent making sharp turns with his steering wheel. He then stops and exits the vehicle and turns toward Parra Hernandez, who is lying on the ground, screaming. “I was coming in, and I hit him with the car,” Morales can be heard saying after another ICE agent arrives. Parra Hernandez told deputies that he fled the traffic stop when Morales started pulling on a mask, and Morales “threw the car” at him, according to a Harris County Sheriff’s Office incident report reviewed by the AP. Morales told deputies that he did not brake before he hit Parra Hernandez, but that he did not intentionally strike him, according to the report.

ome roll some strikes and showcase your competitive side in the game parlor with delicious bites and foxy cocktails while you enjoy live music from the PHUNKY MONKEYS.

Plus, Kinfolk Brass Band will bring the energy with a lively New Orleans second line, and you don’t want to miss out on the auction and raffle, offering fantastic items and experiences up for grabs. Come roll with us and make a meaningful impact in the fight against Parkinson’s disease! All net funds raised from this event will go directly towards the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Disease Research, of which 100% is dedicated to medical therapies and research for a cure.

JOIN US!

Scan this QR code for more information and tickets or go to: give.michaeljfox.org/tfnola26

EPILEPSY AWARENESS WALK SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7

epilepsyaa.org

Shelter 2 - Lafreniere Park

SCAN TO REGISTER

4A F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F nola.com F The Times-Picayune

lll

Paxton and Talarico tussle for Texas Senate seat Trump campaigns via telephone

BY BILL BARROW Associated Press

Texas was not expected to be an epicenter of midterm elections that could reshape the ﬁnal chapters of Donald Trump’s second presidency. But Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico began making closing arguments Saturday in a tossup U.S. Senate race that has become a key measure of voters’ frustration with Trump’s leadership and his loyalists in the Republican Party. Talarico hammered Paxton, the longtime state attorney general who has weathered indictment and impeachment and garnered Trump’s endorsement, as an especially corrupt example of a rotten political system. “This election is about whether you want a senator who puts money in your pocket or who puts money H H H in his own,” Talarico said in Houston. Paxton, who defeated Republican Sen. John Cornyn in this year’s GOP primary with Trump’s help, answered in Fort Worth by painting Talarico, a state lawmaker, seminarian and former teacher, as too liberal for Texas. And each painted the other as front men for dangerous ﬁgures. “The left in this country keeps getting more and more radical,” Paxton said, arguing Talarico would be lackey for Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, the New Yorker who would set the chamber’s agenda if Democrats win a majority. For Talarico, the shadow opponent is Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, who has spent more than $150 million of his own money to help Paxton keep pace with Talarico’s fundraising. “It’s David vs. Goliath,” said Talarico, invoking the biblical story of the shepherd who slays a giant. “The people of Texas are my slingshot.” The closing sprint in Texas comes as early voting nears its conclusion in several states. Early balloting totals were approaching 50 million heading into the weekend. About 112 million voted in total in the 2022 midterm

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY LM OTERO

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY SAM CRAFT

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton pauses while speaking Saturday during a campaign event in Fort Worth, Texas.

Senate candidate and Texas state Rep. James Talarico, a Democrat, speaks during a ‘Clear Eyes, Full Hearts’ tour campaign rally Friday at Aggie Park in College Station, Texas.

elections. The president was stepping away from in-person rallies Saturday in favor of virtual events. He was scheduled to call into six tele-rallies after spending the morning and early afternoon at the golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Trump’s MAGA Inc., super PAC said that telerallies were lined up for races in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Michigan H H H and two separate calls for Florida. The White House released few details on what to expect, but the president generally participates in such calls — a departure from his rally speeches, which often stretch for 90-plus minutes. “Answer your phones, and ENJOY!” Trump posted Saturday on his social media site. Trump has spent the closing weeks of October traveling across the country, including in states he won comfortably in each of his three campaigns. On Sunday, he is set to hold rallies in Iowa and Kansas that were scheduled, pulled down and then rescheduled. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who would become speaker if Democrats win a House majority, was in Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District campaigning with former Rep. Elaine Luria, who is in a rematch with Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans. Luria lost her seat to Kiggans four years ago. “We’re going to ﬁght hard each and every day for an affordable America,” Jeffries said. He hammered Republicans for ﬁlling a “graveyard of broken promises” and repeated his pledge to hold

At the same time, Trump has leaned into anti-Muslim rhetoric, focusing in particular on Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul ElSayed, who faces Republican Mike Rogers in one of this year’s most competitive Senate races. On Saturday, the president posted on social media an Islamophobic cartoon of a man with a ﬂaming torch knocking on the door of the United States after setting ﬁre to countries in Europe. Paxton, beset by years of controversy, has followed a similar script of dire warnings and issued them again Saturday. “I’m not exaggerating when I say, if we lose Texas, we lose America,” Paxton said. He urged Republicans to match enthusiastic early voting turnout from Democrats. Then he made one more entreaty. “Pray for our Texas,” he said. “Pray for me.”

ELECTION

votes on reversing Republicans’ healthcare cuts, pass sweeping voting rights laws and limit Trump’s military actions on Iran. “Beginning on day one, we’re going to hold the crooks accountable,” he said, previewing aggressive oversight of the Trump administration. He speciﬁcally named Trump’s Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, who has rankled Democrats and Republicans with his overhaul of military leadership and dismissals of top generals and other officers, among other actions. “In the majority, one of the ﬁrst things we are going to do is run Pete Hegseth out of town,” Jeffries said, drawing perhaps the loudest roar of his 11-minute speech. The southeast Virginia district is among the most competitive in a House battleground map. Democrats are targeting at least 60 seats. Trump won many of those by double digits in 2024. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, answered in a Michigan tossup district with dystopian claims about Democrats. “It’s a spiritual battle,” the outspoken conservative Christian speaker said, suggesting Republican voters owe it to a higher power to vote. “I know God does not hold us responsible for the results, but he does hold us responsible to be faithful in our duty,” Johnson said, framing Democrats as a godless party. “These are Marxists, socialists, communists. It’s their ideology,” he said. “The communists, as you know, murdered tens of millions of innocent people in the 20th century alone. That is not who we are in America, and it will not happen on our watch.”

As enthusiastic as Democrats have been about their prospects, they are still having to navigate internal divisions in El-Sayed’s Michigan race. He and his former primary rival Haley Stevens were expected to campaign together on Sunday with Rep. James Clyburn, but that is in doubt. After Stevens renewed her criticism of El-Sayed, his campaign is no longer welcoming her to events, according to a person familiar with the matter who

ONLINE AUCTION LOW G STARTSIN! BID

requested anonymity to discuss internal matters. However, Antjuan Seawright, a Clyburn adviser, said the congressman was still inviting both to join him for church on Sunday morning. Stevens and her spokesperson did not respond to texts asking whether she was still planning to attend. Stevens has been demanding that El-Sayed condemn an advertisement linking U.S. support for Israel to rising grocery prices and also address concerns about his past rhetoric that has concerned some Jewish voters. Campaigning in Sterling Heights, Michigan, El-Sayed said again Saturday that “we ought to keep our money here to invest in schools here, in infrastructure here, rather than sending it somewhere else to drop a bomb somewhere else.” He also alluded to how much Stevens and her supporters outspent him in the primary. “They might as well have set their money on ﬁre, because we beat them anyway,” he said.

9 LA PROPERTIES THROUGHOUT NEW ORLEANS & KENNER, LA

Comm. Lots, Res. Lots, Doubles, & Homes D.Gilmore LA Lic.#447

ONLINE BIDDING NOV. 5 - 11

A Helping Hand: How Gregory Ricks built a career guiding others through life’s ﬁnancial changes

Rubio says U.S. government did not facilitate Bolsonaro’s flight By The Associated Press ATLANTA — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that the Trump administration did not facilitate defeated presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro’s departure to the U.S. after he left Brazil following his election defeat to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Bolsonaro arrived in Miami on Wednesday, a day after the State Department said that Bolsonaro and his family will be granted U.S. visas after his weekend loss in a hotly contested race that bucked a trend of conservative electoral results in Latin America. “We didn’t facilitate anything,” Rubio told reporters in Atlanta, where top diplo-

mats from the Group of 20 largest world economies were gathered. “We had word that he had arrived in the United States. He had previously held a visa, and the president made a decision to allow him to enter the country,” Rubio said, adding that the U.S. government was not “involved directly in any of the moves that were made.”

20+ schools from Orleans and Jefferson Parishes

Charter Schools

ADMISSIONS FAIR

Giving families direct access to programs, representatives, and admissions info for grades PK–12, all in one place.

Thurs., Nov. 5 - 5:30-7:30pm Hynes-Lakeview School

990 Harrison Ave., NOLA

FREE EVENT Register Now gnocollaborative.com

By Stevie Cavalier Licciardi | stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com This article is brought to you by Gregory Ricks Total Wealth.

Sometimes life changes unfold in small, measured moments. Other times, they arrive with hurricane force. Regardless of how quickly they come, these moments test the strength of a support system—and reveal how vital financial guidance can be alongside emotional, mental and physical support during times of hardship. “I became involved in the financial services industry while in college. However, when my father passed away unexpectedly, I saw how my mother struggled with financial decisions,” said Gregory Ricks, founder, CEO and wealth advisor at Gregory Ricks Total Wealth. “That experience is what truly shaped my awareness of the need for financial advisors and their importance in the life of a family.” A Vision for Wealth Advising In 2011, after more than a decade of experience in the financial services industry, Ricks opened a wealth advisory firm to serve families in Metairie and the greater New Orleans area. His initial vision was modest: a small office, a few administrative staff members and Ricks as the sole wealth advisor. “However, once I had reached my goal, one of my mentors and friends told me very plainly, ‘Greg, if you can do this, then why can’t you do more?’” Ricks said. “His encouragement shifted my perspective and led me to open offices in Mandeville and Gulfport.” Today, Gregory Ricks Total Wealth operates three offices and has a team of financial advisors serving families across the Gulf Coast region. According to Ricks, five to seven credentialed financial advisors work with clients, and the team meets every Friday to review client situations and collaborate on appropriate strategies. This team-based approach allows clients to benefit not only from the guidance of an individual financial professional, but also from the

collective knowledge and experience of the broader team. “Sometimes people see seeking wealth advice as chasing ‘hot tips,’ but as financial guides, we are in it for the long haul. We work with our families to navigate changes throughout their lives,” Ricks said. “We develop an understanding of the family’s goals and values, and together we build a financial plan that is tailored to them.” Building a Radio Presence When the opportunity to host a live radio show first arose more than 16 years ago, Ricks was daunted by the idea of venturing into an unfamiliar medium. “However, another mentor-friend of mine told me, ‘If you do this, it will change your life.’ And so, I did—and he was right. It did change my life,” Ricks said. Hosting a radio show and answering financial questions for a wide audience expanded Ricks’ vision for promoting financial literacy in the community. His show, Winning at Life with Gregory Ricks, airs on WRNO News Talk 99.5 FM and WBUV News Talk 104.9 FM on Saturday mornings from 10AM to 12PM. A Steady Hand Through Change From conversations on the radio to planning with individual families, Ricks’ work returns to the lesson that first shaped his career: financial decisions do not happen apart from life’s challenges. They unfold alongside them. Although his vision has grown beyond that first small office, the mission remains personal. The team at Gregory Ricks Total Wealth works to help families understand their options and navigate life’s changes with greater confidence and support. For more information about Gregory Ricks Total Wealth, or to schedule an in-person or virtual appointment, visit gregoryricks.com.

This article is meant to be general and is not investment or financial advice or a recommendation of any kind. Please consult your financial advisor before making financial decisions. For more detailed information, contact a financial advisor with Gregory Ricks Total Wealth. Investment advisory products and services made available through AE Wealth Management, LLC (AEWM), a Registered Investment Adviser. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. Any media logos and/or trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners and no endorsement by those owners of Gregory Ricks & Associates is stated or implied. Radio airtime is paid for by Gregory Ricks & Associates. 4600749 - 10/26

lll

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, November 1, 2026 ✦ 5A

6A F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F nola.com F The Times-Picayune

lll

Microplastic data gaps in Louisiana Researchers and volunteers have searched coastlines along the Gulf for microplastics and nurdles over the past decade, but in Louisiana, significant gaps remain. LA.

MISS.

Baton Rouge

TEXAS

Mobile

ALA.

GA.

Pensacola

Houston

New Orleans

Corpus Christi

FLA. Tampa

Microplastics and nurdles

Sarasota

Over 1,000

Miami

101–1,000

The Gulf

31–100

MEX.

1–30 None recorded Sources: NOAA NOAA; N NurdlePatrol.org dl P l

SKIMMING

Continued from page 1A The mounting problem is among a list of perils facing the Gulf, which President Donald Trump has renamed the Gulf of America. The states along its shores are confronting challenges ranging from rapidly warming waters to pollution and the effects of industrialization. Microplastics have received less attention than many of those issues and remain an unregulated pollutant. Awareness is growing of their potential public health implications. Researchers are also understanding that with so much plastic already loose in the environment and continuing to break down into ever smaller particles, microplastics could have a long tail of impacts extending for years, even if all pollution were to stop today. “The more we keep polluting the environment with plastics, the more these smaller sizes are going to accumulate,” said University of Southern Mississippi researcher Kristina Mojica, a marine microbial ecologist studying nanoplastics in the Gulf. “They aren’t going to just disappear. They last for thousands of years.”

The ‘Plastic Age?’ Located about 100 miles off the coast of Galveston, Texas, Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is supposed to protect sensitive and ecologically important coral reefs in the northern Gulf. But recent findings show marine life there is sharing space with plastic trash. In mid-2025, a cleanup of just one of the sanctuary’s remote coral communities, known as Stetson Bank, pulled in about 2,000 pounds of trash, said Michelle Johnston, the sanctuary’s superintendent. Microplastics have been found in the reefs’ lionfish and embedded in the coral themselves. She described the impact of marine debris, including plastic fishing gear and lost nets, on the Gulf coral reefs and other sites in the U.S. marine sanctuary system. “So this isn’t just an aesthetic issue. It’s a fundamental threat to the integrity of our ecosystems,” Johnston said at a recent conference in Galveston. Believed to be entering the environment in a significant way for around 80 years, microplastics have even started to leave their own fossil record, a 2019 study found. They’re in the snows of Antarctica, near the peak of Mount Everest and in the dung of its rambling yaks. Closer to home, they’ve been found in Gulf oysters and shrimp, in Florida manatees in Tampa Bay, and 1,300 other creatures of the sea, land and air. They are in humans and their unborn children. Jennifer Brandon, an oceanographer who led the study that found fossilized microplastics in sediment off the southern California coast, said the current era may become known as the “Plastic Age” — referring to previous prehistoric ages of copper and iron. Exactly how much plastic enters the oceans each year is the subject of varying estimates. Totals range between 11 and 23 million metric tons, according to estimates from the United Nations, Pew Charitable Trusts and Ocean Conservancy. Those totals are expected to double or more by 2040. That is the weight of roughly 110 to 230 Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, according to NASA. A 2020 study by Ole Miss researchers found the Mississippi was carrying 87 to 129 trillion microplastic particles per day by the time its waters passed near New Orleans. Other work through a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration survey in 2019 found microplastics in fish, shrimp and

Staff S ff graphic h

other crustaceans living almost a mile under the Gulf off the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Former Ole Miss researcher Kendall Wontor and others working with her are believed to be the first to document microplastics in oysters off the coast of Mississippi. Wontor said Gulf oysters are seen as “keystone” species, building up reefs that create undersea communities, breaking up storm surge and cleaning seawater through their filter feeding. In Wontor’s 2023 study, the greatest concentrations of microplastics were tightly stuck to outer portions of the oyster meat. Smaller amounts were also inside the digestive system. The sampled oyster meat had between 13 to 302 microplastic particles per shucked oyster, mostly in sizes that were smaller than a grain of salt and a bit bigger than a white blood cell. Tests included reefs as far west as Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. The highest concentrations were found in oysters inside bays versus farther out, as well as south of Biloxi, the most urbanized area draining toward the sampled reefs, her paper found. “The most common plastics are so widespread that I think if they’re affecting Mississippi oysters, they’re probably affecting Louisiana ones as well,” Wontor said. It’s not clear that a study of microplastic concentrations in Louisiana oysters has been published. LSU officials, including through the SeaGrant program and AgCenter, were unable to point to any by university researchers. A year before Wontor’s research was published, an analysis of 29 other studies that documented microplastic contamination worldwide found 94% of the oysters sampled, whether wild-caught or grown through aquaculture, contained microplastics. Aquaculture oysters had lower concentrations. Mojica, the USM researcher looking at nanoplastics, has a study pending publication that has looked again at Mississippi Sound oysters, using a newer, more sensitive detection method than Wontor applied. Early results of the water surrounding those reefs have found micro- and nanoplastic concentrations much higher than what Ole Miss researchers had found a few years ago. Mojica said her paper will also reveal elevated levels in the oys-

CUBA

STAFF PHOTO BY JAVIER GALLEGOS

Nathaniel Klumb strains to pull a tire buried under mud out of the water during a cleanup along Monte Sano Bayou in East Baton Rouge Parish.

ters themselves. Given her pending results, she was asked if she would eat raw oysters. “Oh, hell no,” she said with a laugh.

Plastics in food? What it all means for human health is only beginning to be unveiled. Studies have shown microplastics may be linked to heart attacks, strokes, dementia, fatty liver disease, infertility and colorectal cancer. They may also affect processes known to promote cancer growth, though direct causation remains unclear. Tens to hundreds of times smaller than 1 micrometer, which is about half the length of a bacterium, nanoplastics are feared for their potential toxicity because their small size allows them to inﬁltrate the body at the cellular level. The question of harm is also complicated by the sheer variety of microplastics, which are made up of thousands of chemicals and have varying sizes, and by the number of methods developed to test for them. Microplastics can also carry other pollutants, including heavy metals. “It’s many things, so the question becomes: Which one are you talking about now? And I think that makes it hard to pin down a relationship between exposure and adverse effect,” said David Hala, a marine biologist at Texas A&M University in Galveston who studies microplastics. But the widespread nature of microplastics and potential impact on the food supply make it a continuing area of concern for researchers. A 2024 study that found microplastics in wild-caught Gulf shrimp also identified them in many other kinds of store-bought protein, including steak, pork loin, ground beef, chicken breast, chicken nuggets, breaded shrimp and tofu. The study, produced by researchers from the University of Toronto and the advocacy group Ocean Conservancy, concluded U.S. adults may eat up to 3.8 million microplastic particles per year from the proteins tested, based on average consumption rates. The study also revealed that microplastics aren’t just a problem in the oceans and farm pastures, but suggested they probably affect other layers of food production.

In the study, the wild-caught white shrimp, Alaskan pollock and chicken breast had some of the lowest concentrations of microplastics among the proteins examined. Once proteins were processed, the microplastic concentrations went up by several orders of magnitude. Breaded, frozen shrimp, frozen fish sticks made of Alaskan pollack and chicken nuggets had among the highest concentrations. Madeleine Milne, the lead researcher of that study, said the intent of the work was not to tell people what to eat but to raise awareness of a problem for the global food system. “We don’t yet know what the risk of microplastic exposure is, so I think more research is needed before we can say what impacts microplastics are having in our bodies,” said Milne, who works now as a University of Toronto lab manager and does contract work for the Ocean Conservancy. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it is monitoring the research on microplastic contamination in food but doesn’t regulate it. “If the FDA determines that levels of microplastics or nanoplastics cause food to be unsafe, the agency will take action as appropriate,” it said in a statement. In April, federal officials announced a $144 million initiative to solicit research to better quantify microplastics in the water and human body, determine how the most harmful microplastics enter and move through the body, and find ways to remove them. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also announced plans to add microplastics and other unregulated pollutants to a safe drinking water listing that flags them for study and potential regulation. “Americans deserve clear answers about how microplastics in their bodies affect their health,” Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said in a statement at the time. A handful of governors, state attorneys general and a collection of environmental groups wanted EPA to bump up the level of scrutiny even further and make water providers test for microplastics. This summer, EPA proposed adding 30 other pollutants to that list but left off microplastics. Agency officials said the state of the technology lacked validated methods to produce consistent

STAFF PHOTO BY BRETT DUKE

Nicole Prejean, from left, Dylan Biffle and Jarred Whitrack collect litter along Elmer’s Island near Grand Isle during a Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program beach cleanup.

nationwide monitoring data. State health officials say they are following EPA’s lead and aren’t carrying out investigative monitoring of microplastics in drinking water. State officials added that there are “no enforceable limits for microplastics in drinking water or the environment” and “no existing analytical data on microplastics from public water systems in Louisiana.” “Because public health risks from microplastics are understood to be chronic rather than acute — requiring long-term exposure to pose a threat — the regulatory process is focused on foundational science,” said Amy Whitehead, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Health. For animals, plastics and other marine debris have been known for years to entangle turtles and sea birds or fill up their stomachs with non-nutritious plastics. Researchers are still learning about the long-term effects. A 2025 study by LSU toxicologist Ahmed Abdelmoneim found that short-term exposure to chemicals leaching from extremely heavy concentrations of microplastics can affect the growth and activity of freshwater zebrafish larvae, including from the chemical associated with plastic bottles, polyethylene terephthalate, or PET. Zebrafish serve as a test proxy for many kinds of aquatic and other vertebrates, including humans. Abdelmoneim said the next phase is to test how plastic leaching may carry other contaminants adsorbed within microplastic particles, like toxic heavy metals. “I think the main thing is that plastic pollution is a serious problem that everyone should do their best to limit, and that chemicals are released from plastic materials and deserve attention when assessing plastic pollution,” he said.

‘They think it’s food’ In some states, advocates have won bans on single-use plastics. But other states have adopted laws blocking attempts at those kinds of bans, including Texas, Mississippi and Florida. The oil and gas and petrochemical industries, which see plastics as a growth sector, have promoted advanced chemical recycling, along with traditional recycling efforts, as a path out of the problem. But critics contend their benefits are questionable and, even taken at face value, won’t tackle the scale of the plastic waste problem that can only be solved by reducing plastics production. The chief federal agency tracking microplastics and other trash in the oceans, the Marine Debris Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, declined to comment for this story. Back at Elmer’s Island, a frequent piece of plastic trash found there underscored the global reach of the problem. White and yellow chlorine and vinegar bottles have been washing ashore from around 1,300 miles away for years. The Macier bottles are made in the Dominican Republic and used heavily in Haiti. Once the bottles reach Louisiana, they frequently have diamond-shaped bites from sea turtles mistaking them for jellyfish. Nicole Prejean, a massage therapist, has been cleaning up the island’s beaches for more than four years. She said she does the contract job for a side gig and a mental break in nature. But Prejean said those distinctive bottles, which she calls “turtle-bite bottles,” and all the other plastic trash she finds on the beach are disheartening. “Because the animals, they’re hungry. They think it’s food. They don’t know better,” she said. “They’ve eaten plastic, and it’s not pleasant to look at.” David J. Mitchell can be reached at dmitchell@theadvocate.com.

lll

SIMS

comment. But Sims pointed to his prosecution of former St. Tammany Sheriff Jack Strain, a Republican, saying, “I’ve investigated public corruption. I have no pattern for how I go about it.” Former northshore District Attorney Warren Montgomery put Sims in charge of prosecuting Strain, who was convicted of child sex crimes.

Continued from page 1A assignment, the highestprofile one yet: the Louisiana Supreme Court named him special prosecutor in the criminal investigation of how Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill came to be indicted by an Orleans Parish grand jury. As the special prosecutor, Sims will have the power to call a grand jury in New Orleans and potentially indict top city officials if he finds wrongdoing. The assignment puts Sims, a former federal prosecutor who has made a name for himself as an exacting and aggressive district attorney on the northshore, into one of the biggest legal and political fights in the state. In interviews, Sims acknowledged that his role as special prosecutor places him under a spotlight, but said he’d be focused on the facts. “Whether I’m the person they want or don’t want — and I’m sure there’s a lot of concern, criticism from the general public — I hope the ones who know me, know I’m going to do a thorough job,” Sims said. “I’m not going to be pressured by anything, or anyone.” According to several Republican political observers, including longtime northshore political consultant James Hartman, the appointment is a potentially fraught one, but could position Sims for bigger roles in the future. “It lays the groundwork for political advancement,” Hartman said. Sims, a graduate of St. Paul’s in Covington and later Loyola Law School, has quickly begun the inquiry. Last month he sent out a dozen letters to Murrill and top city officials like Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams and Mayor Helena Moreno, explaining his appointment and telling them he might subpoena them for information. He’s in the “early stages of information gathering,” he said, and in the process of receiving information from subpoenas. So far, he said, “I haven’t really had any resistance yet from anybody.” He said he hasn’t yet called a grand jury. He said his team, which includes his top assistant district attorneys, Doug Freese and Elizabeth Authement, and two former FBI agents who now work as contractors, are taking precautions “beyond the scope of a normal investigation.” A Republican who worked with Murrill last year on the first death penalty case in the state in 15 years, Sims said, “If there’s no criminal culpability, there’s no criminal culpability.” “I am not one to be leaned on by anyone. If my career ends this next term, oh well. It’s just the way that it is,” Sims said. “I think this review is important in general because you’re talking about one of the most powerful tools that’s at any prosecutor’s disposal,” he said, referring to grand juries. Sims’ appointment came after Gov. Jeff Landry ordered state police to conduct an investigation into Murrill’s July 2 indictment on 16 counts of public intimidation and malfeasance. Landry and Murrill, both Republicans, have claimed politics influenced the grand jury’s decision to indict Murrill, while Williams and other Democratic city officials have said the jury acted on its own. The New Orleans political class has largely been silent about Sims’ appointment. “In New Orleans, he’s not known,” said New Orleans pollster and sociologist Silas Lee. “Once you get past political labels, party affiliation, people are just not aware of him.” Williams did not respond to a request for comment. Multiple City Council members also declined to comment. In September, City Attorney Charline Gipson said that if Sims’ investigation is “conducted with integrity and in accordance with the law,” it will confirm that city officials were not involved in the grand jury’s investigation into Murrill. Mayor Moreno’s spokesperson declined to comment further.

The Times-Picayune F nola.com F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F 7A

Time in New Orleans

STAFF FILE PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD

Collin Sims, district attorney for Washington and St. Tammany parishes, is heading the investigation into Liz Murrill’s indictment by an Orleans Parish grand jury.

STAFF FILE PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER

Gov. Jeff Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill speak outside the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit in New Orleans on Aug. 5. Landry and Murrill also haven’t commented on Sims’ appointment, but Murrill’s attorney, Laura Cannizzaro Rodrigue, said in a statement last month they “trust that the process will bring transparency to the people of Louisiana.” A spokesperson for Murrill declined to comment. Some former federal prosecutors who worked with Sims said he’ll be relentless in pursuing the case, but they expect him to keep partisan politics out of it. “If there were crimes committed, he is the type of prosecutor who will do everything to discover evidence of that,” said Myles Ranier, an attorney who worked with

Sims in the U.S. Attorney’s Ofﬁce in New Orleans. “But if there is no crime committed, I think he will very comfortably not pursue any charges.”

‘Front and center’ While Sims is little known in New Orleans, he’s never been more prominent across Lake Pontchartrain, where he grew up and was just reelected without opposition as the district attorney for St. Tammany and Washington parishes. Sims, 45, has risen in the last decade from a littleknown federal prosecutor to one of the most visible politicians in St. Tammany, according to interviews with

a dozen northshore lawyers and politicians. The parish’s budget issues in particular have placed Sims “front and center” among politicians in the parish, said state Rep. Kim Carver, R-Mandeville. Last year, facing budget cuts, Sims investigated the St. Tammany Parish Mosquito Abatement District for the parish’s transparency committee. The mosquito district argued it was a conﬂict of interest and ﬁled a complaint with the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board against him, which never got taken up. But he said he was doing it because even if he wasn’t the right person, no one else in the parish was willing to. This fall, he’s backed two candidates for judge on the northshore in the Tuesday election. And he also hasn’t shied away from a high-profile case in Washington Parish, where his prosecution of Bogalusa Mayor Tyrin Truong, a Democrat, over alleged malfeasance in office, has sparked skepticism among some residents. Longtime Bogalusa activist Fate Ferrell said he thought Sims was targeting Truong while ignoring other lawbreaking Washington Parish politicians. Truong, who has denied the allegations, declined to

“He was a well-prepared lawyer,” Willard recalled of Sims, though he didn’t remember the specific case. Years later, as a federal prosecutor in New Orleans, Sims had his first real conversation with his predecessor, the former District Attorney Montgomery. He contacted Montgomery and told him how to go on the attack against his opponent in the 2014 district attorney’s race. After Montgomery won, he made Sims his criminal chief. That was 2015, and he’s been in the northshore District Attorney’s Office since. Sims has shaped his office in many ways since, but he’s kept a memento from Montgomery, who died in 2023 — a fading piece of yellow legal paper taped onto his office’s bathroom wall. On it were quotes from former Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit bribery, wire fraud and theft. Scrawled by Montgomery, it warned of the things that can get politicians in trouble, like being “ego-driven” and having “a sense of entitlement.” The final phrase was underlined. It read: “You get desensitized!!!” “You do have to worry about that last part, right?” said Sims.

Before working in St. Tammany, Sims spent time in New Orleans and met some of the key players in the Murrill indictment. While in law school at Loyola, he considered becoming an FBI agent, but working at the Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office in law school helped interest him in prosecution. He attended law school with Rodrigue, Murrill’s attorney, and said they were “friends,” before later clarifying that “it’s a professional acquaintance.” Rodrigue did not respond to a request for comment. After graduating from law school in 2006, he went to the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office, where he met Williams, who was then a defense attorney. Sims noted that Williams was the defense attorney on the first jury trial he ever prosecuted, a drug case before Judge Benedict Willard that Sims Email Willie Swett at willie. swett@theadvocate.com. said ended in a conviction.

C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S !

TO ELEANOR FARNSWORTH 2026

Named one of the City Business Power 50, “The Most Influential People in New Orleans for 2026 in their profession.

ST. TAMMANY PARISH ASSESSOR’S OFFICE PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

UNDERSTANDING THE PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

The November 3, 2026, ballot includes several proposed constitutional amendments related to Louisiana property tax laws. AMENDMENT NO. 1

DISABLED VETERAN EXEMPTION FOR SURVIVING SPOUSES

A YES Vote Would: • Allow a qualifying surviving spouse to transfer the disabled veteran property tax exemption one time to a new primary residence that qualifies for homestead exemption. A NO Vote Would: • Keep current law, which does not allow the exemption to be transferred to a subsequent homestead.

AMENDMENT NO. 2

PRESERVING AUTHORIZED MILLAGE RATES

Allows a taxing authority to continue using a lower millage rate without permanently losing the ability to return to a previously higher authorized rate. A YES Vote Would: • Eliminate the current “use it or lose it” provision, allowing a taxing authority to keep a lower millage rate without permanently losing a previously authorized maximum rate. A NO Vote Would: • Keep current constitutional provisions in place, that a taxing authority can permanently lose access to a previously authorized maximum rate if it is not raised (rolled up) before the next reassessment.

AMENDMENT NO. 6

ADDITIONAL SPECIAL EXEMPTION FOR SENIORS Authorizes an additional special exemption for homeowners age 65 and older who qualify for the Special Assessment Level, effective January 1, 2028.

A YES Vote Would: • Allow a parish or municipality to provide an additional property tax exemption for homeowners age 65 and older who qualify for the Special Assessment Level. Equivalent Fair Market Value: Ages 65–68: $60,000 Ages 69–72: $120,000 Ages 73–76: $180,000 Ages 77–80: $240,000 Age 81 and older: $300,000

AMENDMENT NO. 9

INCREASE THE INCOME LIMIT FOR THE ASSESSMENT FREEZE

A YES Vote Would: • Increase the annual adjusted gross income limit used to qualify for the Assessment Freeze from $102,700 to $150,000 beginning January 1, 2027, with annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) adjustments thereafter. A NO Vote Would: • Keep the current income limit in place, with annual CPI adjustments.

A NO Vote Would: • Keep the current law unchanged, with no additional exemption.

We are here to serve you. EARLY VOTING October 20–27, 2026 (excluding Sunday) ELECTION DAY November 3, 2026

ST. TAMMANY PARISH ASSESSOR

Louis Fitzmorris, CLA

8A F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F nola.com F The Times-Picayune

lll

Attorneys for Alaska call DOJ lawsuit ‘meritless’ race, writing that there is confused by the presence The New York Times this should immediately dismiss The Department of Justice Lawyers urge judge ate “no reason for this Court to of a second candidate on the week reported that internal this lawsuit with prejudice issued a wave of subpoenas this meritless law- ballot with the same name as texts and posts appear to and allow state officials to and announced it was conto dismiss attempt entertain her main rival, Republican show the Democrats’ cam- conduct the general election ducting a criminal investisuit any longer.” to stop Senate The scathing filing from Sen. Dan Sullivan. paign was involved in re- — including ballot count- gation in the case as the adThe Department of Justice cruiting the second Sullivan, ing and certiﬁcation — free ministration has stepped up the state’s Attorney Genrace certification eral’s Office comes as U.S. on Friday added a request a retired school teacher in from unwarranted federal its use of its legal powers to

BY NICHOLAS RICCARDI and BECKY BOHRER Associated Press

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Alaska’s Republican-run state government on Saturday urged a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed at President Donald Trump’s direction to stop the certiﬁcation of a possible Democratic win in that state’s pivotal U.S. Sen-

District Court Judge Sharon L. Gleason set a deadline of Saturday for arguments over whether she should dismiss the lawsuit without even a hearing. The complaint from the U.S. Department of Justice has been roundly criticized by election law experts and demands that the judge halt certiﬁcation of a possible win by Democrat Mary Peltola until it is determined whether voters were

that the judge separate all ballots showing votes for the second Dan Sullivan until it can be determined whether voters were fooled into wasting their votes for a spoiler candidate. In its Saturday filing, Alaska said this was “both disturbing and impossible.” It added there would be no way to do that without violating voter privacy. Trump also demanded that Peltola be prosecuted after

CALIFORNIA

Filing: Over 40% of names on list of alleged noncitizens not on voter rolls BY NICHOLAS RICCARDI Associated Press

WASHINGTON — More than 4 in 10 names flagged as possible noncitizen voters in California by the Trump administration cannot be found on the state’s voter rolls, according to a legal filing Saturday by an immigrant-rights group. It’s the first outside analysis of a list that the Department of Justice has used to threaten prosecution of election officials. The analysis also found that thousands of U.S. citizens appear to be flagged as ineligible to vote on the government’s list. The contention was made in a filing by two data analysts at the University of California, Los Angeles. They analyzed the 20,930 names that the department demanded that California election officials treat as possible illegal voters by separating their ballots during the vote count on Election Day. Multiple judges have rejected the demand as unconstitutional and a threat to democracy, and local and state officials have said the list appears riddled with errors. The breadth of the problems with the list was outlined in Saturday’s filing. It describes an analysis by two members of UCLA’s Voting Rights Project, who filed a lawsuit challenging it with the Los Angeles-based Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, or CHIRLA. The research found that 8,880 of the names, representing 42% of the entire list, do not correspond to anyone in California’s current voter file. It also found at least 22 are U.S. citizens, and many more may correspond to those of confirmed citizens. “The expert analysis further makes clear that the mandated voter list endangers a significant number of eligible California voter,” said the filing, which was cosigned by Xavier Becerra, the Democratic candidate for California governor and an adviser to the UCLA Voting Rights Project. The Trump administration

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO BY JAE C. HONG

Ballots are sorted on June 3, the day after California’s primary election, at the Los Angeles County Ballot Processing Center in City of Industry, Calif. had objected to sharing the list, calling it a “fishing expedition” and noting that it included sensitive information. On Saturday, President Donald Trump bemoaned the legal rulings against his effort to force California to separate votes from the individuals his administration labels suspected noncitizens, even though one came from a judge he himself nominated. In a social media post, Trump claimed his Justice Department found “20,000, but potentially Hundreds of Thousands, and maybe even Millions,” of fraudulent votes, “and the Court has just ruled against it. Why would they reject fixing Election Fraud?” The Trump administration has also urged Washington state to remove what it says were 400 possible noncitizens on its rolls, though state election officials there say that list is also unreliable and includes one voter who cast ballots in the 1990s. The Justice Department has also warned California election officials they could face criminal liability if they let noncitizens vote and issued subpoenas of election offices there. Election officials have complained that the Trump administration has confronted them with lists of possible illegal voters at the last minute before Election Day, with no time to conduct the painstaking investigation required by law before remov-

ing someone from the rolls. Multiple lawsuits have been filed to stop the administration from continuing to threaten local election officials. On Friday, a federal judge in California ordered the Justice Department to stop sending demands to state officials, a decision the Trump administration appealed Saturday. Several counties in the state had run quick checks of the Trump list and found numerous errors. Saturday’s broader analysis was possible because a federal judge on Friday ordered the Trump administration to share the list with the plaintiffs in the case. CHIRLA and the UCLA project sued the Homeland Security Department in early October to prevent it from using federal immigration data to challenge state voter rolls. The lawsuit cited examples in other states where the federal government’s data has been proven to mistakenly include thousands of citizens. The case argued that the data-matching methods risk disenfranchising or deterring citizens from voting. On top of that, plaintiffs argued, the lists could disproportionately target naturalized citizens who are legally entitled to vote. Applying the government’s methodology, the UCLA researchers found that nearly 7,500 naturalized citizens in the state were “highly likely” to be incorrectly flagged as ineligible.

the remote fishing village of Petersburg, onto the ballot. But the state filing notes that the two Sullivans are distinguished from each other on the ballot — the senator is listed as a Republican and the incumbent, while the other simply as “Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.” “State officials carefully designed the ballot to minimize voter confusion,” Alaska officials wrote. “The Court

interference.” The Trump administration argued that a preamble to the 1990s law governing voter registration gave it the responsibility for ensuring states maintained the “integrity” of federal elections. It has said it’s simply trying to combat fraud by preventing the Democrat from being declared the victor in a race that could determine which party controls the U.S. Senate.

support Trump’s side in the midterm election. Peltola has denied involvement in the presence of the second Sullivan on the ballot. The Times report was based on interviews with her former campaign manager, texts and contributions from a political group backing Peltola to an out-of-state Democratic consultant who recruited the second Sullivan.

Virginia, D.C. sue over arch BY GARY FIELDS Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The legal challenges to President Donald Trump’s proposed memorial arch are mounting, with the District of Columbia and Virginia suing in federal court Saturday as the administration says construction could begin as early as next week. There are now three lawsuits calling for a halt to potential work on a monument that would rise 250 feet on a patch of grass off the bridge that spans the Potomac River, connecting the city with Arlington National Cemetery. That would make the arch 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty is from its base to the top of the torch. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan is already considering issuing an order to halt the project until the original lawsuit against the Trump administration by three Vietnam War veterans and an architectural historian is resolved. She held a hearing Friday but did not immediately act, though she said she would move expedi-

tiously. In the latest lawsuit, two attorneys general, Brian Schwalb of Washington and Jay Jones of Virginia, argue that “as soon as Defendants break ground on this project, they will inflict irreparable harm on both the District and Virginia. The Arch site sits at the center of a major traffic artery between the District and Virginia, in the monumental core of the capital, on an island that straddles the Potomac River. During the three-year period of construction, the Arch project will inevitably snarl traffic between the jurisdictions, produce pollution and stormwater runoff in the Potomac, interfere with emergency services, and pose numerous other challenges. ‘’ As the original plaintiffs have, they also are seeking a temporary restraining order that would slow the administration’s plans to move ahead imminently with construction. “The Triumphal Arch in Memorial Circle is going to be one of the most iconic landmarks not only in Washington, D.C., but through-

out the world,” said White House spokesperson Davis Ingle in an email. “It will serve as a gateway to Arlington National Cemetery for veterans, the families of the fallen, and all Americans alike, serving as a visual reminder of the noble sacriﬁces borne by so many American heroes throughout our 250 year history so we can enjoy our freedoms today.”

Online Bidding

NOVEMBER 11-17 815 N. ROBERTSON, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70116 • 2 story, Treme Home • 1,918 SF • 3 BR, 2.5 BA • Near French Quarter • Off-Street Parking

5133 LAKEVIEW CT, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70126 $25,000 Starting Bid • 1,414 SF Townhome • 3 BR, 2.5 BA • Off-Street Parking • Rented for $1,600/Mo. Visit Our Website for Details D. Gilmore LA Lic. #447

svngilmoreauction.com | 504-468-6800

DESTREHAN PLANTATION 54th Annual

FALL FESTIVAL

November 14-15, 2026 9 AM - 4 PM

150+ Arts & Crafts Booths Antiques Food Court Children’s Activities Live Music House Tour $8 Adults & Teens

Free 12 & Under

House Tours: Additional $15

Free 12 & Under

FREE PARKING

13034 River Road Destrehan, LA 70047 (985) 764-9315 www.destrehanplantation.org

WE HAVE YOUR BEST INTEREST IN MIND.

% 4.10 APY *

FOR A 5 - MONTH CD

% 4.00 APY *

FOR AN 11- MONTH CD

*ANNUAL PERCENTAGE YIELD (APY)

UCBANKING.COM/PROMOTIONS 1.866.505.3736

*Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of 09/18/2026 and may change at any time. This offer applies for new money only. A $1,000 minimum deposit is required to open and earn the stated APY. Interest will be paid at maturity. Penalty may be imposed for early withdrawal which could reduce earnings. At maturity, the 5-month CD will automatically renew for the 6-month term at the current rate in effect at the time of renewal. At maturity, the 11-month CD will automatically renew for the 12-month term at the current rate in effect at the time of renewal. CDs opened online have a maximum deposit limit of $500,000. Rate applies to consumer accounts only and excludes public entities, brokerage, and institutional deposits.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, November 1, 2026 ✦ 9A

lll

FRESH DEALS delivered to your inbox. Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

@robertfreshmarket

OPEN 7AM TO 9PM • 7 DAYS A WEEK • PRICES GOOD 10/28/26 - 11/3/26 ARABELLA STORE ONLY • OPEN 7AM TO 8PM

SAVE EVEN MORE! SEE OUR FULL AD AT ROBERTFRESHMARKET.COM OR PICK UP A FLYER IN-STORE MEAT & SEAFOOD

PRODUCE

USDA Prime USDA Choice Trimmed T-Bone Whole Tenderloins Free! Steaks

USDA Prime Whole Brisket

Sanderson Farms Boneless Skinless Breast Fillets

$19.99

$5.99

$2.99

lb.

80% Lean Ground Chuck

$9.99

lb.

USDA Chuck Shoulder Roast

$3.99

lb.

$5.99

$1.49

Mild, Hot, or Green Onion 2lb

$7.99

John Morrell Sliced Bacon 12oz

Our Own Cedar Plank Smoked Salmon

15oz

$2.49

ea.

Selected 12 Pack 12oz Cans or 8 Pack 12oz Bottles

2/$13 RAGÚ Spaghetti Sauce

Charmin Essentials Soft or Strong Bath Tissue

$4.88

ea.

Selected 23.9-24oz Original, Simply, Chunky, or Hearty

Wonder Hamburger Community or Hot Dog Buns or Coffee Selected Nature’s Own 11-12oz Red Bags or Butter Bread 10 Count Single Serve

$2.89

$4.88

2/$5

$6.99

Blue Plate Squeeze Mayonnaise

Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce

Hormel Chili No Beans

Excludes Angus Chili Selected 15oz

Bush’s Mild Kidney or Pinto Chili Beans

$3.88

$1.88

2/$4

2/$3

ea.

Selected 18oz

ea.

Selected 18oz

ea.

8 Count 13-15oz or 20oz

Oui French Style Yogurt Selected 5oz

$4.59

5/$5

2/$8

$3.88

Milo’s Tea Sweet, Unsweet, or Zero Sugar

Kraft Velveeta Cheese Loaf

Selected Gallon

$3.49

ea.

32oz

ea.

$10.99

$14.99

Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc

Espolòn Tequila Reposado

$14.99

$28.49

Blue Moon Belgian White

Corona Extra

$8.99

$17.99

Gnarly Barley Jucifer IPA

High Rise THC Seltzers

$10.69

$12.99

ea.

750ml

ea.

6 Pack Bottles

ea.

Selected 59oz Carton

12 Pack Bottles

ea.

6 Pack Cans

4 Pack

ea.

BAKERY

ea.

Lean Cuisine Entrées, Bowls, or Pizzas

Ore-Ida Fries Crinkle or Golden

Decorated Halloween Cupcakes

Fresh Baked Pistolettes

2/$6

$5.99

$1.99

Selected 6-11.5oz

$7.49

750ml

ea.

Minute Maid Premium Orange Juice

ea.

Erath Pinot Noir

ea.

Selected Se lected 16oz Cans

Selected 18.7-31.5oz

Matua Sauvignon Blanc

ea.

750ml

ea.

DiGiorno Rising Crust, Thin Crust, or Pizzeria Pizza

Selected 16oz

$9.99

ea.

DAIRY & FROZEN CoolBrew Coffee

$7.50 750ml

Bounty Essentials Select-A-Size or Print Paper Towels

ea.

6 Mega Rolls

97¢

4 Rolls

$4.99

750ml

Selected 14.5-15oz

2/$6

69¢

3lb Bag

Casillero del Angeline Diablo Cabernet Chardonnay 750ml Sauvignon

lb.

Libby’s Canned Vegetables

Selected 7.5-8oz Bags

Sweet Gala Apples

WINE & SPIRITS

$10.99

ea.

Zapp’s or Golden Flake Potato Chips

Farm Fresh Bell Peppers

lb.

ea.

GROCERY Coca-Cola Fridge Packs

$1.59

lb.

Ball Park Franks

$2.49

ea.

$1.99

lb.

$2.99

ea.

Baby Back Pork Ribs

Sold in a Twin Pack

Sweet Juicy Bartlett or D’Anjou Pears

6oz

lb.

Boston Butt Pork Roast

lb.

Manda Smoked Sausage

Family Pack

Sweet Blackberries or Raspberries

Selected 5lb Bag

6 Pack

ea.

6 Pack

ea.

GOOD TO GO White Queso Dip Pair with our in-house made tortilla chips.

$5.99

lb.

ARABELLA 899-9283

Our Own Homemade Chili

Daniele Italian Brand Gourmet Pack

BelGioioso Parmesan

$4.99

$9.99

$3.99

lb.

CARROLLTON 488-0536

LAKEFRONT 282-3428

5oz

ea.

MARIGNY 262-8888

OLD METAIRIE 831-6682

25 Count

ea.

W. ESPLANADE 885-7005

WE DELIVER - ROBERTFRESHMARKET.COM

Fresh Chicken k Tenders with w BBQ Sauce

$29.9 $29.99

ea.

LAKEVIEW GROCERY

801 Harrison Avenue | 504-293-1201

10A F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F nola.com F The Times-Picayune

lll

LANDRY

spectively. A standoff over those players led the conference to sue LSU in federal court and accuse Louisiana ofﬁcials of interfering.

Continued from page 1A athletics, especially over the past several months. Too prominent in the eyes of the Southeastern Conference, which accused the Louisiana governor and attorney general of overly involving themselves in the affairs of the Tigers’ football program when Lane Kiffin sought to add athletes who previously signed with NFL teams. Because the SEC says LSU has lost “institutional control” over its athletic department, the conference has threatened to expel the school from the league via a federal lawsuit. In a recent 40-minute interview with The Advocate | The TimesPicayune, Landry vigorously defended his role and offered new details about his most high-profile interventions. Everything from the live tiger, to essentially firing an LSU athletic director during a news conference, to helping recruit and then publicly defending Kiffin — he says he’s done it all to make sure the state’s flagship university succeeds. “A governor that ignores LSU,” Landry said, “is not a governor that cares about the state of Louisiana.”

Lawsuits and SEC controversy

STAFF FILE PHOTO BY HILARY SCHEINUK

Gov. Jeff Landry poses with LSU fans at Rocco’s before the finals in the College World Series between LSU and Coastal Carolina in Omaha, Neb., on June 21, 2025.

Louisiana politics and LSU Before he became the most powerful man in the state, Landry says he was “in the room” — actually, at a hunting camp — when Nick Saban was hired away from Michigan State by LSU. Landry was 28 at the time and remembers hearing that ex-LSU coach Bill Arnsparger talked to Saban and told him, “Listen, you do all you want at Michigan State. You can win a national championship at LSU, and it’ll be the funnest place you ever worked in your life. As long as you win.” It was a conversation Landry, who attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and got his law degree from Loyola, would remember a quarter century later when he became the top politician in Louisiana. It’s a state where governors have been known to involve themselves in LSU football. The “Kingfish” Huey Long drew up plays and nursed injured LSU athletes back to health. John McKeithen hosted recruits at the Governor’s Mansion. Bobby Jindal publicly urged LSU not to fire Les Miles in 2015, though the national title-winning coach was canned the following year. John Bel Edwards befriended Ed Orgeron, and Orgeron backed the governor’s reelection bid in 2019. Landry’s first intersection with the state’s biggest athletics brand stoked controversy. At least one LSU official, exProvost Roy Haggerty, testified under oath that Landry ordered then-President William Tate to put a live tiger on the field, despite strenuous objections from the veterinary school that cares for Mike. Haggerty said he left LSU in 2025 because he was uncomfortable with the governor’s “involvement” in athletics. Landry said he never met Haggerty and wouldn’t know him if he “walked in and bit me in the back.” The governor acknowledged he had a “back-and-forth” with the then-dean of LSU’s veterinary school, but he ultimately understood why LSU’s current tiger mascot, Mike VII, couldn’t make an appearance at the game. Instead, Landry backed a plan to rent a different tiger from Florida named Omar Bradley that appeared at the LSU-Alabama game in 2024. “I watched … the interest of the people who pulled their iPhones out to see that tiger,” Landry said. “If you were offended by it, you would not want to record it.” Some alumni found the incident embarrassing. But the true embarrassment, in Landry’s eyes, came a year later after a home loss to Texas A&M. “Next thing I know, I get a call in the morning that they fired the coach. And I said, ‘Well, send me the contract.’ And I look at the contract, and the contract placed the state of Louisiana on the hook. OK? And then I start digging and I start looking around and say, ‘OK, let’s look at this athletic director,’” Landry recalled. Scott Woodward was to blame, Landry concluded — not just for the $54 million buyout Brian Kelly was owed, but for athletics costs spiraling out of control due to name, image and likeness payments to players, and for a men’s basketball team that had gone down the drain. Landry said he wanted LSU to fire Woodward, but the school worked out a deal with him instead. “I told them they should fire him. They should have fired him. They should have not let him leave with $6 million,” Landry said. “I wanted

STAFF PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU coach Lane Kiffin walks up the sideline during a break in the game against McNeese at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge on Oct. 3.

STAFF FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON

Governor Jeff Landry throws out the first pitch before the LSU game against Florida at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge on March 22, 2024. him ﬁred because of the trail of ﬁnancial destruction that he left.” That frustration led to a news conference that went viral. “I had lost my mind because I was watching a virtual train wreck in slow motion,” Landry said. “I do not like to lose. I do not like failure. And I said we’re just not gonna do that again.” Rumors swirled that Landry’s antipathy for Woodward, who was hired during the administration of Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards and has ties to famed Democratic strategist James Carville, stemmed from partisan politics. Landry said he was unaware of Woodward’s political leanings. “You think honestly that if we were winning and that the program was doing great, I’d say we’re getting rid of this person because he’s a Democrat?” Landry said, incredulous. “I don’t care who they are. Just go win. That’s what I want.” Woodward did not respond to a request for comment.

Lane Kiffin hire

cussion,” he said. “We had like a five-minute phone call.” During that call, the governor relayed what Arnsparger told Saban about LSU being a fun job — as long as you win. “I told Lane the same thing,” Landry recalled. “I said, ‘I think it’d be great. Everybody wants you here, we’d love to have you.’” LSU inked Kiffin to a seven-year deal worth $94 million, paying out $13 million annually plus bonuses for winning games in the postseason. If he’s fired, he’s owed 80% of the remainder of his deal. Kelly’s deal at LSU was for 10 years, $100 million. Landry contends the two contracts are fundamentally different because, if Kiffin is fired, the Tiger Athletic Foundation, not LSU, has to pay his buyout. Donors promised to pay for Kelly’s buyout, but Landry says that wasn’t guaranteed since it wasn’t in the contract. “They think there’s always some billionaire on the other side willing to stroke a check,” Landry said. “I said, well, ‘OK, do we have one?’ We still don’t have one.” When asked if he gave his “blessing” to move forward with Kiffin’s deal, Landry said, “I did.” “Any governor should, because the governor should really be looking at this contract, especially if it puts the taxpayer at risk,” Landry said. “I have a fiduciary responsibility to the citizens, right? LSU is a public university. I think people forget that.”

In the aftermath, LSU needed a football coach who could win a national title. Landry said he didn’t tell the university how to accomplish that — only that he had two requirements for the coach’s contract. “I said, ‘Hey guys, y’all go get us a coach, whoever y’all think,” Landry recalled. “All I said was, ‘I want it front-loaded, and I don’t want the state of Louisiana on the hook.’” The search committee initially had three people in mind, Landry A national name said, but they told him, “We really Ever since, Landry has courted would like Lane.” national attention for his role in “There was a point in time in LSU athletics. which Lane wanted to have a disHe hopped on ESPN personality

Pat McAfee’s show right after his viral comments about Woodward and was bluntly asked if he “runs” LSU and was the “boss” because of the power he seemed to wield. Landry then explained to McAfee that the university’s governing board is made up of members whom he appoints. Kiffin spoke at his introductory news conference about the “unique, great” call he had with Landry. They stayed in touch because Jordan Seaton, a left tackle who transferred from Colorado, swung by the governor’s mansion on his recruiting visit to Baton Rouge. In August, the governor hosted LSU’s top 40 boosters at his mansion as they heard from LSU president Wade Rousse about a financial plan for the university’s sports teams. In a recent federal lawsuit, the SEC said there was “great concern” among the 15 other SEC member schools that Kiffin coordinated with the athletes’ attorneys in their eligibility cases with the “support and involvement” of Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill. They refute those claims. Murrill said the SEC “is just making it up.” Landry said it’s “great for clicks,” but there were no strategy sessions between Kiffin and the governor. Landry insists whatever involvement he has in athletics is meant to ensure LSU and all of Louisiana’s higher education systems are on a trajectory toward success. He said he doesn’t go to team practices, and he’s rarely on the field during games. “If Lane wants to text me, he’s welcome to. I don’t go over there. I don’t say, ‘Hey, maybe you should sit Sam Leavitt today.’ I don’t do any of that,” Landry said. “This is about the bigger picture of making LSU such a powerful brand that it becomes a high tide that lifts all boats here in Louisiana.” Kiffin has expressed a similar sentiment. “He doesn’t tell us what to do. He’s not in charge of us,” Kiffin said. “He’s just excited. He just wants LSU football to win, because when LSU football wins and wins with style, man, the state feels good on Sunday mornings.” There have been mostly good vibes in Kiffin’s first season, sitting at 6-2 with a pair of road losses by a combined nine points. The SEC has just been displeased with Kiffin, and vice versa, since he tried to add a pair of former Ole Miss starters, Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, who spent time with the Browns and Saints, re-

The SEC noted in its lawsuit that Murrill sat at the plaintiffs’ table when Wright, Harris and dozens of other athletes were granted a fifth season of NCAA eligibility in a Baton Rouge courtroom. It also noted that she said “Geaux Tigers” on her way into the hearing. But that doesn’t lay a legal foundation, Murrill said, to claim she’s worked “hand in glove” with the plaintiffs in the case or that she coordinated with the governor to help Kiffin. “It’s fiction,” Murrill said. “They have no evidence because it doesn’t exist.” Landry, too, forcefully denied the accusation that he helped the players or Kiffin with the eligibility case. “Oh my God, no. Like, you think they’d call me, and I said, ‘Let me tell you how we’re going to do this,’” he said. “I get it. It’s great for clicks.” Murrill says the state of Louisiana has a right to be involved in eligibility cases because universities are arms of the state that enter into contracts with athletes — and universities risk “enormous financial consequences” for running afoul of SEC and NCAA rules. “We have an obligation to deal with them fairly,” Murrill said of college athletes, “and to make sure that the rules are fair and predictable.” The SEC has also accused LSU of failing to have institutional control over its sports programs. But the conference’s legal filings haven’t provided clear evidence aside from Kiffin and basketball coach Will Wade’s previous statements about rostering ex-pros, along with Murrill and Landry’s social media posts defending them. Rousse, a defendant in the suit, said LSU has “full institutional control” over its athletics program, but he declined to answer additional questions, citing the SEC’s ongoing lawsuit against LSU officials. The SEC declined to comment for this story. Emails were sent to the presidents’ offices for all 15 SEC schools or their spokespersons — and none responded to comment. “You think that those universities are aggravated and antagonized because of me? No, no, no. They’re afraid of Lane Kiffin. They’re afraid of Will Wade,” Landry said. “They’re afraid of LSU’s dominance. That’s what this is; this is about money. And we’re gonna win.”

Sports and politics While controversy simmers between Louisiana, the SEC and other member schools, there are Louisianans willing to question Landry’s motivations. “Whether it’s the state Legislature or it’s LSU, he likes to be in charge, and he likes to call the shots,” said Rolfe McCollister, an LSU alumnus who served on the Board of Supervisors under Republican Govs. Buddy Roemer and Bobby Jindal and who has been an outspoken critic of Landry. “The negative national attention that his involvement has garnered is evidence that the governor has overstepped his bounds, and I believe that the decisions should be those of the LSU Board of Supervisors,” McCollister said. “The governor certainly may have had opinions they express, but none of them were ever on Fox News talking about what LSU was going to do.” Others argue Landry’s involvement is entirely warranted. “LSU is absolutely important to the state of Louisiana in every facet. The better LSU does, the better Louisiana does,” said Rémy Starns, a current member of the Board of Supervisors. “Any governor should be involved in supporting and promoting LSU. Period. Full stop.” Bob Mann, a former political staffer for Democratic Gov. Kathleen Blanco and LSU professor who has written a book about Huey Long’s dealings with LSU, has been critical of Landry. He said the current governor could have delegated responsibility for athletics rather than intervening as he has. At the same time, Mann acknowledged Louisiana centralizes power in its executive branch. “There’s just an expectation that Baton Rouge is expected to have all the answers. The governor is expected to be involved in everything,” Mann said. Landry is, by no means, singular in his interest in LSU. “LSU football is our ofﬁcial state religion,” Mann said, “and smart politicians wanna be in good with the church.” Email Alyse Pfeil at alyse.pfeil@ theadvocate.com and Jon Blau at jon.blau@theadvocate.com.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, November 1, 2026 ✦ 11A

lll

Happy

Geaux PRICES VALID 10/28/26 – 11/3/26

Halloween

save

BREAUXMART.COM

5 GREAT LOCATIONS | OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK WHILE SUPPLIES LAST | THANK YOU FOR SHOPPING LOCAL

Meat + SEAFOOD USDA T-BONE STEAKS FAMILY PACK

BABY BACK PORK RIBS

SANDERSON FARMS BONELESS BREASTS

BALL PARK FRANKS

$299

2/$5

$499

BARTLETT, DANJOU, RED OR BOSC PEARS

FRESH EXPRESS SHREDDED LETTUCE

NATURE'S BEST CREOLE SEASONING

$159

$100

$299

$1199

15 OZ SELECTED

FAMILY PACK

WRIGHT’S SMOKED SAUSAGE

12 OZ SELECTED

produce RUSSET POTATOES

BLACKBERRIES OR RASPBERRIES

5 LB BAG

6 OZ

$189

$299

8 OZ

FINE CUT 15 OZ

grocery SWEET BABY RAY'S BBQ SAUCE

RAGIN CAJ’N ROUX

$189

WISH•BONE DRESSING

18 OZ

15 OZ

IDAHOAN INSTANT POTATOES

LIBBY’S CANNED VEGETABLES

HORMEL TAMALES

HORMEL CHILI

$299

$149

$100

$179

$189

SWANSON BROTH

LEA & PERRINS QUAKER WORCESTERSHIRE INSTANT SAUCE GRITS

ROTEL TOMATOES

BLUE PLATE SQUEEZE MAYONNAISE

16 OZ

4-4.1 OZ

15 OZ

14.5-15 OZ

14.5 OZ

15 OZ

10 OZ

9.8 OZ

18 OZ

$289

$119

$389

$249

$119

$299

BOUNTY ESSENTIALS TOWELS

RED PARTY CUPS

PLANTER’S PEANUTS

NABISCO SALTINE’S

KELLOGG’S POP-TARTS

HAWAIIAN PUNCH

$449

$399

$249

$299

$279

NESTLE PURE LIFE WATER

FOOD CLUB SOFT DRINKS

MONSTER ENERGY

DR PEPPER BRANDS

COMMUNITY COFFEE

ZAPP’S CHIPS VARIETY BOX

4 COUNT

24 PACK HALF LITER

16 OZ

SELECTED 6 COUNT

16 OZ

12 COUNT

128 OZ

50 COUNT

12 PACK 12 OZ CANS

4 PACK

24 PACK 12 OZ CANS

$10

11-12 OZ OR 12 COUNT

BRIOCHE HOT DOG BUNS

BETTER CHEDDAR DIP

6 COUNT

18 COUNT

breaux to geaux

bakery CUPCAKES

2/$13 $1399 OR

dairy MILO'S TEA

MINUTE MAID ORANGE JUICE

128 OZ

BORDEN CHUNK OR SHREDDED CHEESE

59 OZ

6 OZ

$499

$449

$999

2/$7

wine + spirits ALEX SIN ZIN

GHOST TEQUILA

750 ML

$999

ORE-IDA POTATOES

750 ML

$2699

$189

frozen

CROWN ROYAL

750 ML

$399

5LB BAG

$2399

ORE-IDA TATOR TOTS

$699

$799

SNO-BALLS TO GO!

BAGEL BITES

$499

$239

8 PACK

7.4 OZ 9 COUNT

METAIRIE 504-885-5565 | RIVER RIDGE 504-737-8146 | GARDEN DISTRICT 504-262-6017 | CHALMETTE 504-262-0750 | BELLE CHASSE 504-393-1012 LIMITS MAY APPLY. NOT ALL ITEMS WILL BE AVAILABLE. NO RAINCHECKS. Due to limited availability and fluctuations in our supply chains, we may experience shortages. Supplies are based on availability. Thank you for understanding. Not Responsible for Typographical or Image-based Errors. Please Recycle. Quantity Rights Reserved.

12A F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F nola.com F The Times-Picayune

lll

Evacuees reunite with family at Ukraine-Belarus border BY DEREK GATOPOULOS and EFREM LUKATSKY Associated Press

CHERNIHIV REGION, Ukraine — Evacuees from Russian-occupied Oleshky crossed into Ukrainian-held territory Saturday in a major rescue operation carried out under the most significant truce since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine 4½ years ago. Evacuees wrapped in blue and yellow Ukrainian flags stepped off buses at the Ukrainian-Belarusian border and reunited with family members. Volunteers with hand-drawn welcome signs handed out coffee to the weary travelers who had traveled by bus and plane through Russia and Belarus. Residents of nearby villages lined the highway waving flags and flashlights to greet the convoy. Tetiana Leonidivna, 71, thanked the Ukrainian soldiers who helped her to flee. “We love them, we love them,” she said through tears. “We know that they are protecting us. And a deep bow to them, and a deep bow to their parents, for having such children. I am proud, I am simply proud.” The ceasefire in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region began early Tuesday and was expected to continue through Sunday evening. The White House has said U.S. first lady Melania Trump helped to broker the localized deal, while Pope Leo XIV pressed Russia and Ukraine to allow

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY EFREM LUKATSKY

Residents of Oleshky react Saturday after being evacuated from their Russian-occupied hometown as they cross the Belarus-Ukraine border in Chernyhiv region, Ukraine. aid deliveries and evacuations. Relatives and volunteers with the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders and World Central Kitchen welcomed the evacuees as they arrived at the border, ready to provide aid and food, including for their pets. Holding a cigarette between shaking fingers, 48-year-old Ivan Yevhenovych described his last months in Oleshky. “It was very difficult. There were a lot of drones. It was hard to move around the streets,” he said. “Since spring, there hasn’t really been any staple food left.

People had a little bit of their own reserves. We are thrifty people.” He said land mines or drone strikes were killing residents every day. An estimated 2,000 people remained in Oleshky when the temporary truce took hold. They were offered the choice of being evacuated to Ukrainian- or Russian-held territory, or remaining in the city with replenished food and medical supplies. “Many people stayed behind and didn’t want to leave,” Yevhenovych said. “Some for their houses, some for their animals.” Ukrainian authorities,

seeking to protect those who remained and safeguard future humanitarian missions, have not said how many residents evacuated Oleshky and have restricted details of their route. Melania Trump posted on social media Friday that the humanitarian convoy could safely evacuate more than 750 people. Liza Paliy, 19, waited at the border for her father, whom she last saw more than 2½ years earlier when she ﬂed the occupied city with her mother and sister. “We thought at that time that it would be a month, two maximum, and we would return, but unfortunately, two

years have already passed,” she said. Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, hailed the humanitarian mission a win. “This is an extremely important moment. Behind us are difficult negotiations, agreements, preparations, and an enormous amount of work. But most importantly, the people who waited so long to be rescued are finally safe,” he said in an online post. Lubinets said evacuees ranged in age from just over a year old to 94, and they brought pets, including dogs, cats, a parrot and a raccoon. He said he hoped the Oleshky truce can be replicated elsewhere, saying it “could form the basis of a new mechanism for responding to the most difficult humanitarian crises.” Yana Lantratova, Russia’s human rights commissioner, said both sides have agreed to conduct regular humanitarian missions in and around Oleshky. Lubinets did not mention this development. “The mission has concluded, but, unfortunately, living conditions in Oleshky remain extremely difficult,” she said. “We will make every effort to support those residents who have made the decision to stay.” Some Oleshky evacuees who chose to move to Russian-occupied territory were taken to a temporary shelter in Simferopol, Lantratova said. The city is in Ukraine’s

Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014. “After everything they have endured and a long journey, it is essential for these people to rest, recover, and feel cared for. However, support should not be limited to just a roof over their heads and a hot meal,” she said in a social media post. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday welcomed U.S. approval of Ukraine’s purchase of 500 PAC-3 Patriot interceptors but urged partners to also supply weapons from existing stocks, saying the newly authorized U.S. weapons could take years to arrive. “Right now, the Russians are attacking our energy infrastructure every single day. In just these past two weeks of October, there have already been more than 30 Russian strikes on critical parts of our power grid,” Zelenskyy wrote on X. The Trump administration said Friday that it had approved a proposed $2.1 billion sale of Patriot air defense interceptors, after Kyiv had accused the Pentagon of delaying deliveries of the vital munition needed to stop Russian ballistic missiles. The State Department said 500 Patriot missiles would be purchased for Ukraine with donations from Canada, Germany and Norway through a U.S. program and that no American funds were involved.

G20 foreign ministers end meeting U.K. leader hints at apology for without consensus on key issues country’s role in slave trade BY MATTHEW LEE AP diplomatic writer

ATLANTA — Top diplomats from the Group of 20 largest world economies wrapped up two days of talks Saturday without reaching consensus on several critical global security issues after divisions, notably over Russia’s war with Ukraine, visibly overshadowed the start of the Atlanta meeting and impacted its outcome, too. As a result, the group did not release a joint communiqué but relied on a chairman’s statement summarizing the talks that Secretary of State Marco Rubio released after the meetings closed. That statement made no mention of any agreements reached. Rather, it referred to a list of priorities, from energy and food security to freedom of navigation, that G20 members determined were important to solve. “I wouldn’t pretend to you today that we are close to ﬁnding universally accepted solutions to these problems,” Rubio told reporters at a news conference marking the end of the meetings. “But,” he said, “I do think that among the G-20 represented here are countries that are working together to solve some of them, par-

ticularly in the realm of supply chains and critical minerals.” Rubio had said the first day of the session was “very productive.” On Saturday, he hosted sideline talks with his counterparts from Australia, India and Japan before leading the ﬁnal G20 event that focused on freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red, Black and South China seas. “I made clear to our partners that secure supply chains are essential for growth,” Rubio said in a social media post on X. “Critical trade routes including the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb Strait must remain secure and open to commerce. And we must continue to strengthen and expand critical mineral supply chains to protect our future.” At a reception for G20 participants Friday night, Rubio sounded optimistic. “Together, I think that we are mapping a vibrant, dynamic, and bold economic future, one that will pioneer new horizons for the entire world,” he said. Rubio had opened the talks Friday with an appeal for unity, but then canceled the traditional group photo of the foreign ministers. European diplomats ob-

jected to the inclusion of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and threatened to boycott or walk out of the snapshot. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, who was representing his country for the first time as a guest at a G20 meeting, said he was not surprised by the failure to reach consensus. “We have wars going on, and we have participants in those wars around the table, so it’s very difﬁcult to agree on a common line,” he said. Other participants in the meetings, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the private talks, said all had agreed to try to overcome their differences despite the long odds and to work to make next month’s summit of G20 leaders hosted by President Donald Trump in Florida a success. These diplomats said a chair’s statement had long been the plan because of the deep differences among the attendees, including over the Russia-Ukraine war, the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, U.S. tariffs and Chinese moves in the South China Sea. All have contributed to spikes in the global cost of fuel as well as uncertainty about trade.

But Burnham rejects calls for reparations

BY DANICA KIRKA Associated Press

LONDON — U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham says his government will consider apologizing for the ﬁrst time for its role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade, but has rejected calls for the country to pay reparations. Writing in the Guardian on Saturday, Burnham said Britain needed to acknowledge its “complicated history” in order to protect the Commonwealth, an association of 56 independent nations that grew out of the British Empire. Burnham travels to Antigua and Barbuda in the Caribbean next week for a meeting of Commonwealth leaders, which he hopes will bolster the U.K.’s relations with nations in Africa and the Caribbean, many of which were former colonies. “For years, those members of the Commonwealth affected by the slave trade have asked for an honest conversation about the legacies of slavery,” Burnham

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY THOMAS KRYCH

Britain’s Prime Minister Andy Burnham leaves 10 Downing St. on Wednesday to attend the weekly Prime Ministers’ Questions session in parliament in London. said. “By sticking our heads in the sand, we have damaged the ability of the Commonwealth to function.” Burnham said his government is offering to begin a “structured dialogue” with those affected by slavery and will listen to calls for a formal apology by the British state, which benefited hugely from the slave trade before it was outlawed in 1833 — the British Empire was arguably founded on it. “I do not think that British people today can be held liable for historical wrongs, however heinous, that happened in a different age under different laws and in which they played no per-

sonal part,” Burnham said. Instead, the prime minister said, he wants to address the issues that face the Commonwealth and other nations today, including high levels of debt faced by many developing countries. Burnham said he would work with other wealthy nations and investors to help vulnerable countries pay off their debts over a longer period and at lower interest rates. To help move this initiative forward, former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, a champion of debt relief for developing nations, will attend the Commonwealth meeting, he said.

Buy Now... Pay Later

FREE*

Swiss Colony® Credit: Payments from $10 a Month!

16 Assorted Chocolates Tin ($44.98 value) PLUS our 24 Petits Fours free* with ﬁrst purchase!

Get this!

Plus this!

Add Item #AX1346 to your cart or ask for it when you call. 16 Assorted Chocolates - 6.25 oz. net wt.

27 Favorites

Always a hit! A high-quality, fun variety of snack-size treats. (2 lbs. 1.5 oz. net wt.) • Summer Sausages • Wisconsin Cheeses • Petits Fours & Tortes

4499

• Bonbons • Mustards • Preserves ...and more!

24 Petits Fours - 10.5 oz. net wt.

*$8.99 minimum merchandise order required. If sent with other items, NO additional delivery fee. If free item sent alone, add $3.99 delivery fee. Offer not valid with any other promotion or voucher. One (1) free offer on ﬁrst order in 2026 per customer. Expires 12/15/26.

Order Now!

Item AR4807 Add your free item!* AX1346

3999

Savings End Dec. 15th!

Best

Seller!

24-HOUR ORDERING: Call 844-347-2370

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, November 1, 2026 ✦ 13A

lll

Locations

JOIN US FOR

Steak Night

ESPLANADE 504-322-2595 CARROLLTON 504-766-0972 FILMORE 504-218-7048 ARABI 504-266-2059 METAIRIE 504-835-5979 JEFFERSON 504-503-0900

THURSDAYS 3-7PM @ JEFFERSON, ARABI, FILMORE, AND METAIRIE

CANSECOS.COM

Best COLD CUTS PRICES In Town!

Come Save Today!

Sara Lee Ham or Turkey

Butterball Turkey

Butterball Cajun Turkey

Chisesi’s Pride Ham

Manda Ham

Chopped Ham

Manda Roast Beef

$10

Genoa Salami

Cotto Salami

Bologna

Luncheon Meat

Liver Cheese

Manda Hog Head Cheese

Yellow or White American Cheese

Pepperjack or Mild Cheddar Cheese

Provolone Cheese

Colby Jack Cheese

Swiss Cheese

LIMITS MAY APPLY. NOT ALL ITEMS WILL BE AVAILABLE. NO RAINCHECKS. NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL OR IMAGE-BASED ERRORS. THANK YOU FOR UNDERSTANDING.

14A F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F nola.com F The Times-Picayune

lll

EDUCATION

Smaller colleges starting football programs They hope to boost enrollment as student shortage looms BY ERIC OLSON

AP college football writer A bagpiper in a kilt led hundreds of Azusa Pacific University students and the school president into the Cougars’ stadium before kickoff against Whittier College earlier this season, a sun-splashed celebration of what once were two of the biggest brands in California small-college football. Azusa Pacific had dropped the sport in 2020 after 55 years and Whittier in 2022 after 115 years, mainly for financial reasons. The two are back on the field, not in a full reembrace of the sport’s tradition and what it can do to enhance campus culture, but for another reason: Administrators saw an opportunity to bump shrinking enrollment numbers, a problem shadowing hundreds of colleges and universities across the country. Football rosters, after all, can number about 100 players and the sport is seen as a popular marketing anchor. The two schools are among 10 four-year colleges and universities that started or restarted programs this season, the most in a single year since 2013, according to the National Football Foundation. Seven schools have announced plans to start programs in 2027 or later. Azusa Pacific won the 1998 NAIA Division I championship and became a full NCAA Division II member in 2013. The Cougars made playoff appearances in 2016 and ’18, but a decline in the number of West Coast Division II football schools made travel too costly. School president Adam Morris said he approached athletic director Gary Pine about restarting football five years ago. A $1 million private gift funded startup costs, and the school moved from Division II to Division III and joined a South-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY WALLY SKALIJ

Azusa Pacific’s Damar Smith concentrates before an NCAA Division III college football game against Whittier College in Glendora, Calif. ern California-based conference. “Yes, it’s an opportunity to grow enrollment and there is some ﬁnancial upside to the decision,” Morris said. “Really, it’s a great opportunity to touch the lives of 110 young men who will leave this place to go out into this community and have an impact in a signiﬁcant way.” APU’s on-campus fall enrollment is 1,900, down 46% from 3,359 in fall 2020. APU brought in 652 freshmen (49 were on the football roster) and transfer students to campus this fall, up 19% from a year ago. The online learning program raises enrollment to 6,000.

A new revenue stream On the same day Azusa Pacific and Whittier returned to the field, Mount Mercy University in Iowa played its first home game. More than 1,000 fans showed up, many tailgating, and, in a nod to the Mustangs’ NAIA champion men’s bowling team, some wore T-shirts reading: “Mount Mercy. A bowling school with football.” As much as any small college, Mount Mercy has used athletics to drive enrollment, which numbers 1,450 this fall. Some 60-70% of the student body participates in one of

22 sports Mount Mercy offers. The football team brought about 100 more male students to campus. A local family foundation provided startup costs, including $2.1 million for a 9,000-squarefoot football building that includes a weight room, athletic training space, coaches’ ofﬁces and meeting rooms. The facility rates among the best in the NAIA. While administrators describe how a football team can bring a sense of community to a campus and enhance student life, athletic director Paul Gavin acknowledged the underlying motivation was to generate revenue, whether from students who want to play for the Mustangs or from those who want to attend a college that has a team. “There’s no doubt if football is done right, if you stay within budgets and ﬁnancial constraints and scholarship limitations, it’s a cash cow from a tuition revenue and then from auxiliary income from housing and meal plans, not to mention philanthropy,” Gavin said. “If you do it right, people will come. If you don’t, you can have the adverse aspect. ” U.S. high school graduation peaked at an estimated 3.9 million

in 2025, according to the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. It’s projected to decrease by 2041 to an estimated 3.4 million, a drop of nearly 13%, because of a falling birth rate. College enrollment is projected to follow suit. Many small private colleges already have been been hit by severe enrollment drops coming out of the pandemic. A number of schools have added sports in hopes of boosting enrollment — Adrian College in Michigan launched more than two dozen a generation ago and is now up to more than 50 — but football is often considered an anchor sport. It is also expensive. Research has shown that adding football may not be the solution colleges hope it will be. A 2024 University of Georgia study looked at 36 small colleges that added football between 200416. Researchers examined how starting a program affected enrollment, demographics and net tuition and fee revenue compared with schools that did not start a program. Aside from a one-year jump in male enrollment tied to bringing in football players, overall enrollment patterns were similar to those at nonfootball schools. Factoring in costs of operating the program, tuition revenue per student did not increase even the ﬁrst year at the new football schools. The study did ﬁnd positive impacts on student life. Welch Suggs, one of the study’s authors and an associate professor of journalism and mass communication at Georgia, noted the study was done over a period of growth in higher education. “What it says to me is if a school is adding football right now, it’s one of several last-ditch efforts to try to maintain enough enrollment to keep the doors open, because this year’s graduating high school class is going to be the smallest in a generation in terms of sending students to college,” Suggs said. In all, 62 four-year college foot-

ball programs have been added or restarted in the last decade. The net gain is 56 because three of those programs shut down and three of the schools closed. In the 10 years before that, from 2006-16, a total of 10 four-year schools with football closed and three dropped their programs, according to the NFF.

A heyday remembered The return of football at Azusa Pacific and Whittier has been greeted with much fanfare by alumni who remember the schools’ heydays. Christian Okoye, the 250-pound “Nigerian Nightmare,” played for APU in the 1980s before he became a beloved Kansas City Chiefs running back and the 1989 NFL rushing leader. Pro Football Hall of Fame coaches George Allen and Don Coryell started their careers at Whittier, and President Richard Nixon was a lineman for the Poets. Whittier’s original football program dated to 1907, and the move to drop football along with lacrosse and golf in 2020 saved money but cost the school many of the 120 athletes who were affected. When school President Kristine Dillon arrived in 2023, alumni immediately asked for football’s return and raised more than $800,000 in initial funding. The reintroduction of football has helped increase enrollment from 764 in 2024 to 905 this fall, with 41% of students playing a sport. Dillon noticed a change in the campus vibe once the fall semester started. Her house is on campus, and she started noticing cheerleaders outside her window practicing almost every night. “We’ve got more students as a percentage living on campus, so the level of activity in clubs and our version of fraternities and sororities is growing,” Dillon said. “I’ll give at least some credit to the growth football has had, not just for enrollment but for the sense of a lively campus.”

No more cleaning out your gutters Trusted by more than 1 million homeowners

explore Wisconsin flavor

Pick your free gift! + 24 Petits Fours

(a $19.99 value)

BEFORE LeafFilter

We install year-round - Exp 12/31/26

Save up to*

oﬀ

Financing that ﬁts your budget!1

AFTER LeafFilter

Choose your gift of Butter Toffee or Cheddar Cheese...plus we’ll throw in a gift of 24 Petits Fours (10.5 oz.)! Free with your order of $50 or more when you

America's #1 gutter g tter protection!

order by December 15!

Item number:

FX13301 Mellow, tangy Classic Cheddar! 9 oz. net wt.

Item number:

FX13300

Handcrafted Wisconsin Butter Toffee

9.5 oz. net wt. **TERMS OF FREE GIFT OFFER: When placing your $50 minimum order (excluding shipping, processing and applicable taxes) by mail, phone or web, use item number FX13301 or FX13300 to receive your Free Gift. If your Free Gift is sent with other gifts to an address, there is NO additional delivery charge. If it’s the only item sent to an address, please include $3.99 for shipping and processing. Limit one per customer per year, please. Offer is not valid in conjunction with any other offer, promotion or voucher. Cash value $00.00. Offer good through December 15, 2026.

24 - HOUR ORDERING: 833 - 603 -1389 Order Now

Stainless steel micromesh

Item: FL13911

4399

3899

Savings End Dec. 15th!

Best

uPVC frame

Seller!

Custom ﬁt to your new or existing gutters

Call today for a FREE estimate & inspection!

CHEESE AND SAUSAGE COMBO

1-844-304-8973 | Promo Code: 561

**The leading consumer reporting agency conducted a 16 month outdoor test of gutter guards in 2010 and recognized LeafFilter as the “#1 rated professionally installed gutter guard system in America.. 1Subject to credit approval. Ask for details. *Promotional offer includes 15% off plus an additional 10% off for qualified veterans and/or senior for those who qualify. One coupon per household. No obligation estimate valid for 1 year. Offer valid at time of estimate only. †See Representative for full warranty details. DC 420223000087, AZ ROC 344027, AR 0366920926, CA 1035795, CT HIC.0671520, FL CBC056678, ID RCE-51604, IA C127230, LA 559544, MD MHIC164488, MA 213292, MI 262300331, 262300330, 262300329, 262300328, 262300318, 262300173, MN IR2025810524, MT 266192, NE 50145-24, NV 0086990, NJ 13VH13285000, NM 408693, ND 47304, OR 218294, PA PA179643, RI GC-41354, TN 10981, UT 10783658-5501, VT 174.0000871, VA 2705169445, WA LEAFFLH763PG, WV WV056912, WI 537-DCFRR

Ready for any occasion, this box holds an abundance of good eating. Our best natural cheeses—Colby, Brick, Sharp Cheddar and Monterey Jack —are ready for munching. Combine them with the trio of Italian, Original and Garlic summer sausages, and a party awaits! 2 lbs. 3 oz. net wt.

Introducing EZ Checking Open Online Today!

4 No transaction limits 4 No monthly service fees with eStatements 4 No monthly minimum balance required

Scan to learn more!

| InvestarBank.com Account offered online only. Minimum to open $100. No transaction limits. No minimum balance requirement. No monthly service fee with eStatement enrollment. A $2 monthly paper statement fee applies if the account is not enrolled in eStatements.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, November 1, 2026 ✦ 15A

lll

NOLA CANNABIS CO.

BOURBON ST. IS NOW OPEN! Bourbon’s going green. Celebrate the French Quarter’s first real, tested THC cannabis dispensary! 433 Bourbon Street, New Orleans, LA 70130 NOLACANNABISDISPENSARY.COM

Get access to medical cannabis in minutes! It’s free and easy for anyone 21+ to get access to medical cannabis with a medical recommendation through GoodCannaNow.

Here’s how it works: STEP 1:

Quick clinician phone call STEP 3:

Get certiﬁed in minutes!

READY? LET’S GO!

Scan here to get cannabis access fast! GOODCANNANOW.COM

VISIT OUR OTHER LOCATIONS: C A R R O L LTO N

KENNER

M E TA I R I E

TC H O U P I TO U L AS

W E ST B A N K

1407 S Carrollton Ave, New Orleans, LA 70118

100 W Airline Highway, Kenner, LA 70062

5055 Veterans Blvd, Metairie, LA 70006

1667 Tchoupitoulas St, Ste. B, New Orleans, LA 70130

1544 Manhattan Blvd, Harvey, LA 70058

16A F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F nola.com F The Times-Picayune

lll

THE GULF COAST Parrotheads seek ‘Margaritaville’ vibes in Gulf Shores Their mission is to ‘keep the party going’

‘Enjoying life’

BY MARTHA SANCHEZ Staff writer

GULF SHORES,Ala. — The brass band’s beat swept across the sandy waterfront parking lot, and the crowd of retirees sprang into action. Drinks in hand, dressed like pirates and parrots, they began swaying and whooping as part of their annual pilgrimage to honor the man whose songs have long soothed their troubles — Jimmy Buffett. They came by the hundreds this fall to Gulf Shores, self-proclaimed Parrotheads from around the country on a quest to preserve Buffett’s spirit three years after his death. They call their mission “partying with a purpose.” And now many say they’re beginning to view it as an urgent calling as they age and the world around them grows more turbulent. “It makes us feel good,” said Judy Worsham, 82, from Padre Island, Texas. She sparkled in a lei, large bejeweled sunglasses and a pink rancher’s hat that read “beach cowgirl.” “We have to keep the party going,” her friend, Lori Parker, chimed in. Another fan slipped past them through the crowd. “Yes, we do!” he replied.

‘Draws us together’ Their ranks include old beach bums and musicians, retired engineers and lawyers, baby boomers and northerners escaping the oncoming winter blues. They hail from nearly 200 fan clubs across the country, from Louisiana to Minnesota, Arizona to Maine. These days, they call themselves “Deadheads with a 401(k).” Their story begins on the Gulf Coast. Buffett, whose music start-

STAFF PHOTOS BY DAVID GRUNFELD

Parrotheads pose for a photo while Sunny Jim plays his island music on the Mermaid Stage at The Hangout in Gulf Shores, Ala., during the 34th annual Meeting of the Minds convention on Oct. 24.

A Parrothead displays a flag featuring Jimmy Buffett and a parrot during a second-line at LuLu’s in Gulf Shores, Ala. ed captivating many in the 1970s, grew up on the shores of Mobile, Alabama. The region’s rollicking old ways seeped into his songs, and his ties here endure. The National Maritime Museum of the Gulf in Mobile recently opened a permanent exhibition in his honor. And the second-line the Parrotheads held in Gulf Shores paraded through Lulu’s, a restaurant founded by Buffett’s little sister, Lucy.

Now, even as the Gulf Coast’s population grows with newcomers, and beach escapes get more crowded and expensive, Parrotheads still embrace the region’s laid-back vibe. They dance and day drink at beaches and dive bars. Some travel in RVs. They lean on each other and are proud that their events draw thousands of dollars for all kinds of charitable causes. But even Parrotheads can sense that the spirit of the coast is shifting. The organization’s leaders moved the annual convention, called Meeting of the Minds, to Gulf Shores four years ago after their longtime location in Key West, Florida, grew too expensive. They’ll be on the move again next year, to a Margaritavillebrand hotel in Florida’s Fort Myers Beach. And they sound determined to get a younger crowd hooked on Buffett’s spirit as they emerge from a long mourning of

his passing with a new sense of resolve. “It’s a challenge, but we have a lot of people who are really dedicated to it,” said Mike McHugh, who stumbled into a Parrothead meeting at a bar in Lake Charles two decades ago and joined on the spot. Now living in Texas, he answers to the nickname “Matey Mike” and plays tropical rock gigs because, he says, he is “not one to retire and sit in a rocking chair.” He speaks of Buffett’s music with reverence. “There’s so much contention between people,” McHugh said as he rested at a shaded picnic table near the beach. “Jimmy’s music and all that, it really draws us together. It gives us something in common.” He took a smoke and grinned. “If more people plugged into Jimmy’s music, we’d all just chill out!” he said.

The topic often crosses the mind of Vincent MacQueen, who was recently elected vice president of Parrot Heads in Paradise, the fan base’s national organization. He wants to work with the entertainment company Live Nation, Buffett’s Margaritaville business empire and other national civic groups to spread the word about Parrothead clubs. “It’s not just listening to music, it’s about friendship,” he said. Expansion is crucial for the group’s future. MacQueen said membership — once as high as 25,000 — has dipped to about 20,000 since Buffett’s death. A few local chapters have also closed down. “This organization did go through shock and grieving,” MacQueen said. But “I think the organization is starting to understand that we have our own identity.” Many have come to view their clubs as family, and an oasis from the world’s troubles. There is no stress, no daily grind and no stoking of political divisions. There is only good company, cold drinks and the soft rock of beach music. “It’s what he wanted — it’s just enjoying life,” said Dan Paradis, a retired shipbuilding technician from New Gloucester, Maine. He wore a Hawaiian shirt and sat on a barstool listening to a trop-rock band on stage at The Hangout, an open-air beach venue where club organizers held this year’s convention. “Life’s too short,” Paradis said, pausing to glance towards the music. “It is too short. Things happen too quick. And before you know it, it’s done.” The song crescendoed, like a mantra, as he spoke. “Five o’clock, ﬁve o’clock forever…” the band sang over and over. Hands in the air, the crowd joined in.

Why you need dental insurance in retirement. Many Americans are fortunate to have dental coverage for their entire working life, through employer-provided benefits. When those benefits end with retirement, paying dental bills out-of-pocket can come as a shock, leading people to put off or even go without care. Simply put — without dental insurance, there may be an important gap in your healthcare coverage.

When you’re comparing plans ...  Look for coverage that helps pay for major services. Some plans may limit the number of procedures — or pay for preventive care only.  Look for coverage with no deductibles. Some plans may require you to pay hundreds out of pocket before benefits are paid.  Shop for coverage with no annual maximum on cash benefits. Some plans have annual maximums of $1,000.

Medicare doesn’t pay for dental care.1

Previous dental work can wear out.

That’s right. As good as Medicare is, it was never meant to cover everything. That means if you want protection, you need to purchase individual insurance.

Even if you’ve had quality dental work in the past, you shouldn’t take your dental health for granted. In fact, your odds of having a dental problem only go up as you age.2

Early detection can prevent small problems from becoming expensive ones. The best way to prevent large dental bills is preventive care. The American Dental Association recommends checkups twice a year.

Treatment is expensive — especially the services people over 50 often need. Consider these national average costs of treatment ... $274 for a checkup ... $299 for a filling ... $1,471 for a crown.3 Unexpected bills like this can be a real burden, especially if you’re on a fixed income.

1 “Medicare & You,” Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2025. 2 “Aging changes in teeth and gums”, medlineplus.gov, 4/17/2022. 3 FairHealth, Inc. National average dental fees. Data current as of July 2025; subject to change.

DENTAL Insurance from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company, Inc.

Get help with big bills! Go to any dentist you want Helps pay for over 400 procedures

“Absolutely love” “I absolutely love my dental insurance. My dental ofﬁce ﬁles the claims, leaving me with very little balance to pay.” Dorothy P., TN

No deductible, no annual maximum

Get your FREE Information Kit! Call or Scan today

1-844-806-4781

Dental50plus.health/Picayune

Product/features not available in all states. Contact us for complete details about this insurance solicitation. To find a network provider, go to physiciansmutual.com/ find-dentist. This specific offer not available in CO, KS, NY, OR – call 1-800-969-4781 or respond for a similar offer in your state. Certificate C254/B465, (ID: C254ID; PA: C254PA); Insurance Policy P154/B469 (GA: P154GA; OK: P154OK; TN: P154TN).

6371

Call 504-553-1235 to schedule your free quote today!

lll

The Times-Picayune F nola.com F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F 17A

LOUISIANA POLITICS Johnson questions polls going into final campaign days

Louisiana gets credit rating upgrade

cies who evaluate the financial strength and creditworthiness of state governments believe the Louisiana Legislature’s budget policy is on the right track,” DeVillier said. Gov. Jeff Landry called the upgrade “major news” on social media, saying he remains “committed to treating Louisiana tax dollars with the fiscal responsibility they deserve.” AA is the second-highest tier in Fitch’s rating system, below AAA. Fitch’s report praises the state’s fiscal policy, saying it is flexible enough to address budget challenges. But it also notes that the state’s economy continues to be more heavily concentrated in natural resource production and processing, such as the oil and gas industry, than other states. It also flags potential hurdles like sharp cuts to federal programs like Medicaid and the looming expiration of part of the state sales tax.

Credit ratings agency Fitch Ratings has upgraded Louisiana’s bond rating, potentially making it easier for the state to borrow money with lower interest rates. The agency upgraded the state from AA- to AA, and upgraded its ratings outlook from “positive” to “stable.” The ﬁrm cited changes the Legislature made to state tax policy in 2024, which eliminated a projected structural budget gap. Speaker of the House Phillip DeVillier and Senate President Cameron Henry trumpeted the upgrade in a news release last week. Kenner is getting $20 million “This news means the world’s from the federal Economic Deleading credit ratings agenvelopment Administration to im-

Kenner, airport get $20M for wastewater

includes shipping

YOU WANT OMAHA STEAKS

REG. $49.99 + $18.99 S&H

BURGERS on $89+ MILY PRO FA

100%

GUARANTEE O

WILL LOVE

shipping

OmahaSteaks.com/Deluxe4173 | 1.833.448.0781

Call 866-795-6534 or visit HaleGroves.com/H7YF37 Mention Code H7YF37 for your savings on Item #483X

*35% savings valid through 11:59pm ET 01/31/27. Valid for orders by mail, phone, fax or online. Not valid on previous purchases. Not valid with any other offer or discount. No substitutes. Order by Dec. 19, 2026 for GUARANTEED Christmas delivery. Limit 7 per customer.

SINCE 1947 - HALE GROVES, VERO BEACH, FL 32966

8 FREE Omaha Steaks Smash Burgers (3.2 oz.) 82792CDJ PACKAGE PRICE $89

SMASH E IS

+$9.99

2 Bacon-Wrapped Filet Mignons (5 oz.) 2 Butcher’s Cut Top Sirloin Filets (5 oz.) 4 Air-Chilled Boneless Chicken Breasts (4 oz.) 4 Boneless Pork Chops (5 oz.) 4 Classic Jumbo Franks (3 oz.)

GET 8 FREE

Butcher’s Deluxe Package

NOW

Tim Hardy, chair of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System Board of Supervisors, has been named vice chair of the Association of Community

THE BEST

35% *

#483X | Share fresh-from-the-grove fruit and sweet snacks with friends and family. Handpicked at peak perfection, this gift box brings sunshine and sweetness to every delivery.

College board chair gets national leadership role

College Trustees’ board of directors. The organization represents more than 6,500 board leaders of more than 500 community college systems. He will serve on the board’s executive committee, which guides the organization’s strategic direction. He was previously the board’s secretary-treasurer. “I’m very grateful for the opportunity to continue serving ACCT in this capacity,” Hardy said. “The decisions made by community college governing boards have lasting implications for the students, institutions and communities we serve. With that responsibility comes an obligation to lead thoughtfully, advocate effectively and ensure that our colleges remain responsive to changing needs. I’m particularly proud to ensure Louisiana has a voice in shaping the national policies and priorities that affect our colleges and the people who depend on them.” Hardy has served on the LCTC board since 2011, and Gov. Jeff Landry named him board chair in 2024. The board oversees the state’s 12 community and technical colleges.

WHEN YOU WANT

S AV E

Hale Select Deluxe Gift Box

prove wastewater collection and treatment systems, U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy said in a news release. The money will help pay for improvements needed for the next phase of expanding the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, which is expected to create thousands of new jobs and signiﬁcant economic development. “The investment in Kenner’s wastewater infrastructure is an investment in the future Cassidy of Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and the state of Louisiana,” Cassidy said in a news release. “That means more jobs, more private investment, and more opportunity.”

Tuesday is Election Day, when voters across the country will determine which party controls the U.S. House and Senate. It’s a big election in Louisiana, which will select a new senator and six house members. Voters across the state will also decide whether to approve 10 amendments to the state and Capitol constitution pick new members Buzz of the Public SerSTAFF vice Commission, REPORTS which regulates utilities. There are also a host of local elections for ofﬁces like judge, district attorney and school boards, among many others. Turnout for early voting was unusually high, particularly among Black voters. That has led some political observers to wonder whether Democrats could make some of the races more competitive than they have been in recent years, when Republicans have dominated.

Polls are open Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. You can ﬁnd your polling place, what is on your ballot, and other information online at geauxvote.com. The Advocate | The Times-Picayune will be covering election results live as they come in on Tuesday night. You can follow along at theadvocate.com or nola.com, and expect full coverage of the results in Wednesday’s edition.

What to know going into Election Day

reservations, such as imposing tariffs and refusing to extend the tax credit subsidies on which many families rely to buy health insurance, Carter said Thursday. All this optimism comes from polls showing big leads for Democratic candidates that Johnson says underestimates GOP preferences. Against odds at the time, Johnson correctly predicted a GOP trifecta in 2024. Polls also were wrong about Republicans in 2016 and Democrats in 2020. The polls are “even further off this time because more and more Republicans are unwilling to participate in these surveys,” Johnson said. “They don’t want to give their information to someone on the phone,” Johnson told Fox News on Monday. Johnson isn’t just whistling past the graveyard. Politico reported Friday that only a fourth of the nation thought polls are accurate. Nate Cohn, the New York Times chief political analyst, wrote he sees four possible outcomes — all of which turn ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY SETH WENIG on how accurate pollsters have been identifying which side’s votU.S. Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., left, listens as Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, talks during a news conference ers will turn out and cast ballots. during a campaign stop in Orangeburg, N.Y., last week. “The wave appears big enough that Democrats seem likely to take the (House) chamber unMississippi is in play. Both forton-based analytical firm, founded as are many of the legislative “victories” trumpeted by the by Shreveport native Charlie mer Vice President Kamala der almost any scenario short Cook, are treated almost like Gos- Republicans. Particularly vexing Harris and President Donald of a polling error larger than in for voters is an unpopular and un- Trump have campaigned there. 2016 or 2020. The big question is pel by political types from both In Alaska, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, whether they can win a large masides. declared war against Iran, which R-Alaska, replaced Louisiana Sen. jority,” he wrote in the New York “We are moving another dozen caused high fuel prices and inflaBill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, as House race ratings toward Demo- tion rates. Times Thursday. He added that, the “Republicans’ worst senator” to win the Senate, Democrats will Democrats found traction in crats, and we now project that in Trump’s opinion after she enhave to take at least two seats in they will flip 12 to 25 seats, giving ruby red states like Ohio, Iowa and Texas. them as many as 240 seats in the dorsed the Democratic candidate states Trump won by double digThe Democratic candidate for House,” Cook wrote Friday. for governor. its in 2024. Republicans have the structural the U.S. Senate in North Carolina U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, of New “Not even the largest waves in is poised to replace a Republican advantage of having more seats Orleans, who likely will be the memory would make the Demoincumbent, and that may also specifically drawn to include Louisiana delegation’s only crats plainly favored to win such happen in South Carolina. mostly GOP voters, with only Democrat come January, blames reliably Republican states,” Cohn Democrats are spending money Trump. small numbers of Democratic wrote. “That might take a tsuin Kansas and Pennsylvania consupporters. Plus, the GOP has “His gross behavior forces nami.” billions of dollars more to spend people to reevaluate giving him gressional districts that Trump than Democrats. a pass on some of these policy isEmail Mark Ballard at won by 20 points in 2024. But Trump is deeply unpopular, Some Democrats think even sues,” for which they may have mballard@theadvocate.com.

WASHINGTON — While campaigning for embattled Republican incumbents last week, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson assured reporters the lower chamber would certify Tuesday’s congressional midterm election results even if the GOP lost the majority and thus control of President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda. Ever sunny, Johnson said the polls are wrong, Republicans will defy history and overwhelming odds to win the 218 seats necessary to maintain the majority and his job controlling the House along with his number two, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, RMark Jefferson. Ballard The Benton Republican’s bold assertions were widely dismissed as optimistic. This being politics, Johnson could also be correct after votes are counted Tuesday night. Still, the Republican road to victory is steep. Even Louisiana’s Senate race is more competitive than previously thought. “Louisiana showed excellent Black voter turnout, to the point where Rep. Julia Letlow, R-Baton Rouge, could be in a tighter-thanexpected race with farmer Jamie Davis (the Democratic candidate from Tensas Parish). Trump also announced a tele-rally with Letlow for the Monday before the election,” Sabato’s Crystal Ball wrote Friday. The respected analysts are affiliated with the University of Virginia. They moved the Louisiana Senate race from “Solid Republican” to the less reaffirming “Likely Republican.” “Control of the Senate remains up for grabs,” where Democrats need to flip four GOP seats, the bipartisan Cook Political Report with Amy Walters reported Friday. Reports from the Washing-

IC: H7YF37

Ask for 8 FREE smash burgers on $89+ orders with offer 82792CDJ

Savings shown over aggregated single item base price.The 10% discount will be applied at checkout when selecting a subscription order on qualifying products. Standard shipping will be applied on all shipments. Offer does not include upgraded shipping charges and is limited to the contiguous United States. Minimum purchase of $89 or more per shipping address to qualify for free gift to that address. Gift Cards, Certiﬁcates, Wine, Last Minute Gifts, Gift Baskets, Caviar, and Custom Cuts do not count toward the minimum free gift requirements. Your free gift will ship per address and must ship with an order. 1 free gift per shipping address. While supplies last. This offer cannot be combined with any other offer and is not valid on pending or prior purchases. Limit of 2 on select items at these exclusive prices. Items may be substituted due to inventory limitations. Other restrictions may apply. Sales are subject to OmahaSteaks.com/terms-of-use. Expiration 12/31/26. | 26M10423 | Omaha Steaks, LLC

18A ✦ Sunday, November 1, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6 SYDNEY AND WALDA BESTHOFF SCULPTURE GARDEN PATRON PARTY | 7 PM – 8 PM | GARDEN PARTY | 8 PM – 11 PM NVC CHAIR

EVENT CHAIRS

JENNIFER ROWLAND

BENJAMIN CONWAY | OLIVIA MARKS

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS PRESENTING

BENEFACTOR

CONTRIBUTOR

RESTAURANTS

MAC AND ELLEN BALL

ALVIN R. ALBE, JR AND VIRGINIA BOULET

CRESCENT CITY STEAK HOUSE

DR. AND MS. C.N. BARRILLEAUX

NOTHING BUNDT CAKES

BEN BAGERT AND KATHY SINGLETON

LEAD ANONYMOUS EUGENIE AND JOSEPH JONES FAMILY FOUNDATION

GOLD WALDA BESTHOFF AND THE STEINER FAMILY

VALERIE BESTHOFF BENJAMIN CONWAY AND DANIEL EDWARDS MELISSA DOVIE FISHMAN HAYGOOD, LLP OWEN GROSSMAN, MD. GREGORY HOLT AND LUCY BURNETT RAY LAGASSE ANNE S. KOCK

SILVER KEITH FOX AND TOM KEYES

JEILA MARTIN KERSHAW KATIE AND GRAY STREAM

ELIZABETH A. BOH RENE J. L. FRANSEN AND EDWARD C. BONIN ANN DUFFY AND JOHN SKINNER BETHANY AND BJORN FORFANG ANNETTE GUUDER AND PAUL KNIGHT MARK AND MIRA LIPPARD

JAMES KOCK

MAGNOLIA POOLS AND SUPPLY

THE MARKS FAMILY FOUNDATION

RICHARD AND LISA ROBBINS

KAY MCARDLE

MARTY SIMS AND JONATHAN SZYMANSKI

CAMILLE PATTI AND ASSOCIATES

STAFFORD TILE & STONE

JANIS VAN MEERVELD AND CHARLIE CERISE

HON. AND MRS. RAYMOND STEIB, JR

JULIA AND BO SANDERS

MRS. DAWN AND DR. MIKE SMITH

ROBYN AND ANDREW SCHWARZ

KENYA AND TOD SMITH

SCRIBA

BRONZE EISNERAMPER CATHERINE AND DAVID EDWARDS JAY AND MIGGY MONROE SUSANNE AND DAVID PURVIS

LELE AND BRENT WOOD

LOVE COCKTAIL CHALLENGE & LIBATIONS

MESSINA’S CATERING & EVENTS GALATOIRES RESTAURANT SAINT JOHN CAFE DEGAS BARRACUDA PICNIC PROVISIONS & WHISKEY SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY CATERING CAFE NOMA

JEFFERSON • NEW ORLEANS • ST. TAMMANY • RIVER PARISHES

METRO ST. BERNARD • TANGIPAHOA • PLAQUEMINES

N O L A.C O M

S U N D AY, N OV E M B E R 1, 2026

1BN

Fewer students sign up for aftercare Enrollment drops after price raised, data reveals

The enrollment drop comes after the district’s School Board raised the weekly price families pay by $10 to cover the cost of higher pay for aftercare staff. Now, board members who opposed the fee hike say it’s made the program unBY ELYSE CARMOSINO affordable to some families. Staff writer Almost 900 fewer students preSeveral hundred fewer Jef- registered for after-school proferson Parish students this year grams this year, an 18% decline signed up for the district’s paid compared to last school year, acaftercare program, which three cording to the data, which also schools ended due to low partici- shows a 7% drop in students atpation, new data provided by the tending the programs. Estelle Elementary School, Terrytown district show.

N.O. lauded for finance efforts

JEFFERSON PARISH Elementary and Harry S. Truman Middle School shut down their aftercare programs entirely. School Board members attributed the closures to fewer registrations, saying many families at those schools could no longer afford the fee. They say the drop in aftercare participation could potentially leave some children unsupervised after school. “You have to ask yourself the question: What are those children

doing?” said District 5 representative Clay Moise, one of three board members who voted against the fee increase last year. “Are they walking home? Are they latchkey kids?” In a statement, district spokesperson Kaela Lewis said Estelle’s aftercare program was “financially unsustainable” after years of declining enrollment and Terrytown’s program saw inconsistent participation. Truman, which did not offer aftercare last school year, tried to relaunch the program this year but also struggled with low enrollment.

The programs provide students with afterschool supervision, typically including time for homework, snacks and play. Many working parents rely on afterschool programs as a lower-cost alternative to private child care. In March 2025, the School Board raised the weekly fee families pay for aftercare to $45 per child. The additional revenue allowed participating schools to increase hourly pay for aftercare staff, which was aimed at addressing a worker

ä See AFTERCARE, page 3B

BAG IT UP

But city still has work to do, BGR says

BY BEN MYERS Staff writer

New Orleans’ finances are stronger under Mayor Helena Moreno’s administration, but there is still room for improvement, according to a new Bureau of Governmental Research report. After inheriting a budget deficit, Moreno’s team raised quick cash and spent less. The city is closing the year with a small cash surplus. At the same time, there aren’t reliable funding sources for things like firefighter pensions; the city is using debt instead of revenue to pay some salaries, and the city’s bond ratings remain weak, the independent public policy watchdog noted. “City leaders deserve credit for steering New Orleans through a very difficult year,” BGR CEO Rebecca Mowbray said in a statement. But: “The city still needs a longterm plan to fund its services and infrastructure without relying on one-time money,” she said. The administration has defended its practice of using bond funds to pay the salaries of 50 new public works staffers, an unusual arrangement in New Orleans. “Previously we had people to help fix streets, and in some cases, other infrastructure, and they were paid for with recurring funds,” said Andrew Tuozzolo, special counsel to Moreno, at a community meeting in Gentilly on Wednesday. “What the mayor has been able to do is shift those costs to bond funding, which has saved us money.” In a statement on Friday, city Chief Administrative Officer Joe Giarrusso said the Moreno administration is poised to achieve a structurally balanced budget “far faster

ä See FINANCES, page 3B

STAFF PHOTOS BY ENAN CHEDIAK

Brod Bagert passes out candy to trick-or-treaters in the Bayou St. John neighborhood of New Orleans on Saturday.

Rami, 7, and Josephine Ackerman, 9, wait on their porch for trick-or-treaters.

Jenny Bagert, left, passes out candy to D’Juan Brown, center, and Kirstie Love.

Job of ‘night mayor’ is about more than bar crawls

swung right to talk in a qui- complaints and police incidents, Michael Ince helps pair eter room where a few people sat obtain grant funding, navigate city drinking in green leather booths regulations and troubleshoot the New Orleans nightlife near a bar. “Our speakers are myriad problems that come with too big,” Clement told Ince. Ince, running a business that caters to a succeed

BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer

The first stop of the night was DBA on Frenchmen Street. Michael Ince, known as New Orleans’ “night mayor,” was going on a bar crawl. Ince greeted DBA’s owner, a man named Brad Clement, and the duo sauntered into the music venue. The first thing they noticed was sound: the amplified voice of New Orleans R&B singer Vegas Cola. STAFF PHOTO BY ENAN CHEDIAK Were the speakers too loud? The people packed into the narrow Michael Ince, the director of the Office of Nighttime Economy, speaks to space around the stage in the main a member of the Department of Public Works about traffic on Frenchmen room didn’t seem to mind. But Clement wasn’t so sure. The Street in New Orleans on Oct. 23.

whose office helped DBA get a $5,000 “Tune Up” grant to help the bar’s acoustics, encouraged Clement to keep talking. Ince wasn’t on any ordinary bar crawl. He might have been mistaken for a bar fly, in jeans and a flat-brimmed hat, but there was no glass of Jack Daniels in his hand. He was sober. He was there to listen. He was on the job. Ince is the Director of New Orleans’ Office of Nighttime Economy, sometimes referred to as the “night mayor.” He describes his office as a “small but mighty” team of two people (a third beloved member of the team recently left) who help New Orleans’ restaurants and bars respond to noise

nighttime crowd. The nighttime crowd forms a crucial part of the city’s culture and economy. Of the $11 billion in tourism spending in New Orleans last year, about 40% was spent at nighttime establishments, said Ali Bustamante, an economist at LSUNO, who studies economic development and employment trends. Relative to the size of the economy, the Orleans region employs twice as many nighttime workers as the national average, he said, including over 4,000 bartenders. But the nighttime economy also faces challenges, like gentriﬁcation and displacement, underin-

ä See MAYOR, page 2B

2B F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F nola.com F The Times-Picayune

lll

Study examines if military is low on testosterone

cautious direction. The researchers analyzed sion, fatigue, low sex drive examine the relationship be- tion and less physical trainBut scientists are more Their research letter, data from the Military and reduced muscle and tween physical and mental ing, some of those stressors in the Journal of Health and Nutrition Exam- bone mass — might be far performance and testoster- reduced, then they may see worried data will published the American Medical As- ination Study, a health and less signiﬁcant than the data one concentrations. normal testosterone concenA variety of factors could trations.” sociation, illuminates the nutrition assessment of ac- suggests at ﬁrst glance. Hybe misinterpreted limitations of relying on a tive duty service members pogonadism affects 1%-3% contribute to a man presentThe scientists said they

BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer

About 1 in 4 men in the U.S. Army may have a morning testosterone level falling below a commonly used threshold, a new paper from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center found. But the scientists warn that those numbers tell a complicated story. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth issued a memorandum in July mandating testosterone deﬁciency screenings for military personnel aged 30 and older, linking testosterone concentrations with the performance of servicemen on the battleﬁeld. But the Louisiana scientists say their results point in a

single measurement of testosterone at a single point in time — and then using that number to diagnose men as clinically testosterone deficient, they explain. Hegseth “There’s a lot of things that need to be considered if you’re going to institute a policy for testosterone screening,” Stephen Hennigar, associate professor at Purdue University and former associate professor at Pennington, said. “Most organizations don’t recommend a single testosterone measurement to diagnose low testosterone.”

they conducted between August 2024 and January 2026 at five U.S. Army installations. The scientists revisited the data from their study, evaluating the testosterone concentrations they observed in 479 male participants via a blood draw. The scientists estimated that 25.7% of active-duty male Army personnel have a testosterone level below 300 nanograms per deciliter, a frequently used clinical standard. By the CDC’s yardstick — less than 264 nanograms per deciliter — 14.7% would qualify as low testosterone. But they hypothesize that the rates of true, diagnosable hypogonadism — a condition that can cause depres-

of the general civilian population and is likely similarly distributed among servicemen, said researcher Claire Berryman, a former associate professor at Pennington who is now at Purdue. The scientists emphasized that symptoms must be present for a diagnosis — not merely the concentration level. Even then, they said, there are several steps before a doctor would recommend hormone therapy like creams or injections. “You have to consider the symptoms and do repeat laboratory testing, do a physical medical history and then consider the benefits and risks of therapy,” Berryman said. She said they next want to

ing with low testosterone, Berryman said. Lower levels of the hormone were more commonly found in obese men and men over 30, the study found. In addition, the stress on the body from serving in the military might affect the concentration of testosterone observed in a single test, the researchers said. “A big thing in the military is that it can be sleep deprivation, inadequate nutrition, so if they’re in an energy deﬁcit, strenuous physical training,” Berryman said. “Basically, if they’re in some kind of training or operational scenario, they could present with low testosterone concentration. But then if they got appropriate sleep and adequate nutri-

were concerned their results could be misused to argue that clinical testosterone deﬁciency is a prevalent issue among service members. Their overarching study was funded by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command. “We just try to keep reiterating that this is a single measurement,” Berryman said. “Any actual diagnosis of hypogonadism or testosterone deﬁciency has to be combined with repeat laboratory testing; there has to be symptoms present, maybe assessment for underlying medical conditions.” Email Haley Miller at haley.miller@theadvocate. com.

Seasoning’s greetings

Youngsters enjoy riding on the Cliff Hanger spinning ride during the C’est Bon Seasoning Festival at Pelican Park on Saturday in Carencro.

STAFF PHOTOS BY BRAD KEMP

Rusty Noel shakes some Rusty’s Seasoning for Everything on some chicken during the third annual C’est Bon Seasoning Festival at Pelican Park on Saturday in Carencro. Visitors to the festival could enjoy carnival rides, music, arts and crafts vendors, and a seasoning showdown.

MAYOR

Continued from page 1B vestment in night workers, and corporate consolidation, Ince’s ofﬁce noted in its 2025 strategic plan. That’s part of where Ince’s job comes in. “It’s a once-ina-lifetime opportunity to represent those businesses and the workers that make them up,” he said. To do it right, Ince said, “you have to hear it, smell it, experience it.”

Improving nightlife By day, Ince clocks into his ofﬁce in the stately Gallier Hall on St. Charles in the Central Business District and mans the phone lines. By night, he stalks the city’s nighttime corridors, Bourbon Street, Frenchmen Street and St. Claude. He hears out noise-addled residents’ complaints. He chats with musicians and workers. He tries to help a key facet of the city’s culture and economy run smoothly. “He has a tolerance for actually being out there in the evenings, weekdays and weeknights,” Robert Henig Bell, who is the community projects manager in Ince’s ofﬁce, said of Ince. Ince, for his part, says he is a bureaucrat who just really loves nightlife. He grew up in Florida and moved to New Orleans in late 2009 to be an urban planner. In the past, he’s worked for the

Kaylee Cormier, left, of Bayou Buds Seasoning, hands a sample to Felicia O’Bryan on Saturday.

Clement got, meanwhile, were done in partnership with Loyola University and funded by the nonproﬁt New Orleans Tourism and Cultural Fund. They’ve helped businesses adjust their sound in response to complaints. But the money can be used for other things, too. Clement, whose bar is not too close to residents, has so far bought $1,500 worth of earplugs for staff, he said, and a sound expert from Loyola has examined his bar. “I don’t say to them, turn it down, turn it off. I say, ‘Work with me,’” Ince said. After DBA, and a quick stop at Hi-Ho Lounge for its grand reopening at its old spot on St. Claude, Ince made his way to Tuff Break Loser’s Lounge, which has STAFF PHOTO BY ENAN CHEDIAK found itself in a tough spot Michael Ince, the director of the Office of Nighttime Economy, leads a group from the after a nearby landlord

Department of Public Works by a bike rack on Frenchmen Street in New Orleans on Oct. 23.

city of Kenner, and in the four years before working for the city of New Orleans, he worked for Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, helping run the state’s tourism ofﬁce. “He’s passionate about what he’s doing, and I tell everybody that works for me, ‘we can learn things and we’ll make mistakes, but if you don’t have a passion for it, it ain’t going to work,’” Nungesser said of Ince in an interview.

ing nighttime parking for workers and responding to noise complaints that pit businesses against residents. In August, the office launched a discount parking program for workers on Frenchmen and in the French Quarter. “I just parked in the parking lot. Wouldn’t have been able to do that before Mike took place,” Clement said at DBA. His office has also worked with businesses affected by ‘Work with me’ Decatur Street construction, Since starting at the night- and Ince hopes to improve time office in 2023 and tak- pedestrian safety in the busing over as director in 2024, iest nighttime corridors. His Ince has focused on expand- colleague Bell said they’re

also focused on helping businesses during the off-peak summer months, such as through the “Districts After Dark” initiative. The Tune Up grants that

LOTTERY

FRIDAY, OCT. 30, 2026 PICK 3: 0-6-7 PICK 4: 8-4-0-6 PICK 5: 3-2-2-2-5 MEGA MILLIONS: 5-10-38-49-68 MEGA BALL: 17

Unofficial notification, keep your tickets.

complained about its food pop-ups. But before he could go inside, he ran into a hotel operator having a mini Miller High Life and smoking a cigarette. The operator, who asked not to be named because she works for a large corporation, said her boss asked her earlier that day about getting some permits to fix a balcony. She told him, “Yeah, it’s ﬁne, I’ll call Mike.” After an hour or so at the lounge, Ince was ready to call it. He’d been up since early that morning. He walked back to his pickup truck to head home to his family. It was not long before midnight. Email Willie Swett at willie.swett@theadvocate. com.

LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN WATER QUALITY Source: scienceforourcoast.org PONCHATOULA

COVINGTON MADISONVILLE

Reporting Site Enterococci (MPN)* * Most probable number of of bacteria per 100 milliliters of water Enterococci Rating GOOD POOR N/A based on Beach Action Value (BAV) in EPA’s 2012 RWQC

MANDEVILLE

LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN

Bayou Castine

Bayou St. John

New Canal Lighthouse

109

Laketown Bonnabel Boat Launch 9

NORCO

KENNER

PEARL RIVER

Tchefuncte River Bogue Falaya 15 River

235

JEFFERSON

LACOMBE

Fontainebleau Beach

Old Beach

Northshore Beach

137

Pontchartrain Beach

224

Seabrook Harbor

METAIRIE NEW ORLEANS

CHALMETTE

SLIDELL

lll

FINANCES

Continued from page 1B than anyone expected.” “Mayor Moreno demanded urgency on ensuring the city is on sound financial footing. The City of New Orleans is far stronger ﬁnancially today than it was before she took ofﬁce,” Giarrusso said.

A shaky fiscal start The report acknowledges the dire budget scenario Moreno inherited. Botched budgeting under former Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration led to the city’s inability to make payroll late last year. Moreno and City Council members convinced the state Bond Commission to let New Orleans borrow $125 million to pay its employees and fulfill other obligations. But city leaders and the state’s Legislative Auditor both said the city would eventually need another loan to get out of its mess. Though Moreno later sought commission approval for another $110 million loan, state officials, at odds with the city over numerous matters, refused the second request. The administration was forced to squeeze the general fund to make the original loan payment by June 1. The plan was to stretch payments on a new loan over 16 years. Making matters worse, the general fund was further squeezed by $50 million in unbudgeted employee benefits costs. The Moreno administration solved the cash crunch by collecting reserve funds from external agencies, recouping overdue federal grant reimbursements and demanding payments on old debts from the Sewerage & Water Board. Those steps filled the cash hole and caused the city to gain a small surplus of $6.8 million, BGR said. But they also caused onetime funding sources in this year’s budget to triple, from $74 million to $223 million, representing nearly a quarter of all revenue, according to BGR. The one-time funds kept the city afloat this year, but continued reliance on them is unsustainable, BGR said. “As they look to the future, city leaders must make further progress toward long-term structural balance. This will take continued financial discipline, planning and accountability,” the report said.

Bond rating at issue

by the three major ratings agencies over the last year. The lower a municipality’s bond rating is, the more expensive it is for them to incur debt. Despite the shaky bond ratings, city officials have recently upheld bonding capacity as a stopgap. Voters approved $510 million in new bonds last year, and the Moreno administration sold the first tranche of $185 million earlier this year. BGR cautioned against overreliance on bond dollars, which the city is using for regular street maintenance and to meet its charter-mandated allocation to the Housing Trust Fund. Meanwhile, BGR said the city needs to come up with $20 million in annual funding for the Firefighters’ Pension and Relief Fund. “The city must plan to address other unfunded costs and obligations that stand in the way of a long-term structurally balanced budget,” the report said. This year’s cash crunch differed from the crisis last year in one key respect: this time around, the city had a reserve fund of more than $100 million, thanks to the sale of nine years of Caesars New Orleans Casino lease payments. That was enough to ensure the city holds enough in reserve to cover two months of operating costs, which is a minimum standard in the government finance industry. But BGR said a disaster-prone city like New Orleans should have even more. “Higher reserves are essential to restoring the city’s credit rating,” the report said. “This effort is crucial to taxpayers as the city continues to issue and spend new long-term bonds approved by voters last fall for infrastructure, drainage, and affordable housing projects.” Improved bond ratings will also depend on less reliance on one-time funding, which is reduced to 2% of Moreno’s $763 million budget proposal for next year. The budget also includes $77 million in cuts to essential services, including a low-barrier homeless shelter that houses 300 people a night and Mardi Gras parade cleanup. Moreno wants to restore those and a few other items with property tax increases that would generate a little more than $20 million. The property tax measure requires a two-thirds council vote to move forward. A vote is scheduled for Thursday. A vote on the 2027 city budget must occur before Dec. 1. BGR did not take a position on the tax increase.

New Orleans Area Deaths Abry, Louise Carmouche, Nolan Collie, Linda Davis, Gina Drolla Jr., F. Joseph Ferrier, Marie Gerding, Charles Hall, John Hartsell, Stephen Howard, Linda Long, Joyce Manint, Linda Ragas, Diana Ryan, Jacqueline Skinner, Robert Smith, Myra Snyder, Arthur Soyez, Kenneth Viguerie, Raoul

E Jefferson Garden of Memories Hall, John Howard, Linda

New Orleans Greenwood Gerding, Charles Lake Lawn Metairie Abry, Louise Drolla Jr., F. Joseph Ferrier, Marie Long, Joyce Ryan, Jacqueline Skinner, Robert Snyder, Arthur Soyez, Kenneth

St Tammany EJ Fielding

Collie, Linda

West Bank Mothe Hartsell, Stephen

Obituaries Abry, Louise Makofsky

BGR also points out the city’s bond ratings, which remain at weak investment Email Ben Myers at grade but have a negative bmyers@theadvocate. outlook after downgrades com.

AFTERCARE

Continued from page 1B shortage. District 6 representative Michael Pedalino, who proposed the increase, said the goal was to attract more workers to the district’s aftercare programs. Parents at Airline Park Academy in Metairie had raised alarms about stafﬁng shortages at the school, which had to put some students on a waitlist because it couldn’t meet the high demand. Pedalino also said that the district needed to strengthen its aftercare services to compete with private schools and prevent more families from leaving Jefferson Parish schools, which faces declining enrollment. The district’s loss of more than 2,000 students between 2024 and 2025 could also have contributed to the reduction in afterschool registrations. Pedalino stood by the decision to raise the fee, saying in an interview that some schools’ aftercare programs were in danger of shutting down if they couldn’t bring in more staff. “Not doing anything was not an option,” he said.

Some families hit hard

cluding the three that discontinued their programs, saw declines in aftercare registration and attendance this year, according to the district’s data. Seven schools, including Airline Park, saw increases in enrollment and attendance. Another six schools saw a mix of both. Some board members warned last year that higher fees could disproportionately affect schools with large populations of low-income families. The share of economically disadvantaged students at the three schools that shut down their afterschool programs ranges from 86% to 90%, well above the district’s 77% average. Chad Nugent, the board’s District 8 representative who voted in favor of the increase, said he views enrollment drops in afterschool programs as a temporary setback. He argued that, as long as the district doesn’t impose another cost increase, some families will return to the program. “In our personal lives, if the cost of something goes up, we try to make cuts” elsewhere, Nugent said. “I think our families will adjust to it, and I think our numbers, in some ways, will normalize.”

About 65% of the 37 Email Elyse Carmosino schools that offered after- at ecarmosino@ care last school year, in- theadvocate.com.

Barré, and her husband, Daniel C. Barré; and her son, Herman Gregory (Greg) Abry, and his wife, Michelle B. Abry. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Alyssa Barré Bourgeois (Blake), Julia Barré Reuther (Mark), Monique Abry Knoepfler (Eric), Thomas H. Abry (Katherine), and Patrick H. Abry (Stephanie); and her great-grandchildren, Brady Bourgeois, Bryce Bourgeois, James Reuther, Casey Reuther, Adrian Reuther, Vivienne Abry, and Eloise Knoepfler. Louise was a graduate of Sacred Heart of Jesus High School and Loyola University New Orleans. She taught second grade at Bienville Elementary School for several years. She also generously gave her time volunteering at the schools attended by her children, including Kehoe-France, St. Mary's Dominican High School, and Jesuit High School. A devoted Catholic, Louise was a longtime parishioner of St. Rita of Cascia Church, where she faithfully served as a lector, Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, and sacristan. In recognition of her dedicated service to the Church, she was awarded the St. Louis Medallion by the Archdiocese of New Orleans in 2006. Her faith was an important part of her life, guiding her actions and inspiring her commitment to serving others. Throughout her life, Louise found joy in reading, music—particularly classical music—and gardening. She especially enjoyed visiting New Orleans City Park, where she appreciated the beautiful landscaping, gardens, and artwork of Enrique Alférez. Among her cherished memories was a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, an experience that reflected the importance of her Catholic faith. She possessed a warm and loving spirit and found her greatest happiness in the company of her family. She took great pride in her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, cherishing the moments they shared together. Louise will be remembered for her gentle nature, her steadfast Catholic faith, and the quiet grace with which she lived her life. Her love and example will remain a lasting gift to her family and to all who were blessed to know her. The family extends heartfelt gratitude to her loving caregivers: Lindsey, Gaynell, Latricia, Jasmine, and Carol. Relatives and friends are invited to attend services held at St. Rita Catholic Church, 7100 Jefferson Hwy., Jefferson, LA on Monday, November 9, 2026. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m., followed by a Funeral Mass at noon. Interment will follow. In Lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Louise's memory to St. Mary's Dominican High School or Notre Dame Seminary.

Louise Makofsky Abry, age 91, a longtime resident of Harahan, Louisiana, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family on October 27, 2026. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Herman Joseph Abry; her parents, Herman Thomas Makofsky, Sr., and Imelda McAvoy Makofsky; her older brother, Herman Thomas (Mac) Makofsky, Jr.; and her younger brother, Donald C. Makofsky, Sr.

Carmouche, Nolan Joseph

Nolan Joseph Carmouche Jr.78, passed away October 28, 2026. His

The Times-Picayune F nola.com F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F 3B

kindness and loving heart will be forever cherished by his children Nolan Carmouche III and Chantel Walker; grandchildren Ashlee Antunez, Kayla Brecheen,VaughnCarmouc he, Jacob Carmouche, and Jackie Carmouche; along with many great-grandchildren and siblings. Reunited with his beloved late wife Louisa. At peace and forever loved

Collie, Linda Catherine Fortner

Linda Catherine Fortner Collie went to her eternal home on October 14, 2026. She was 72 years old. She was born on January 11, 1954, in New Orleans, Louisiana, to the late Alice H. Fortner and Edward W. Fortner. Linda is survived by her son, Michael E. Collie and his wife, Shawntelle; grandson, Jesse Robinson (Erin); and sister, Carol A. Fortner. She was predeceased by her beloved daughter, Erin M. Collie. Linda was a resident of Covington, Louisiana. She was employed for many years by Utilities Inc. of Louisiana and retired in 2025. She graduated from Abramson High School and attended UNO. Linda's love for people was always reflected in her sense of humor, teasing, and laughter. She loved family gatherings, the mountains, and her dogs. She cherished her lifelong friendships. She enjoyed the company of her coworkers. Linda will be remembered for her loving, generous, Christian heart. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Celebration of Life at 10:00 AM on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at Waldheim Church, 77067 Highway 21, Covington, Louisiana. Reception in the fellowship hall directly after, all are welcome. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in her memory to a local animal rescue. Your kindness will help provide care and shelter to animals in need, a meaningful way to honor her memory. E.J. Fielding Funeral Home of Covington, Louisiana, is honored to be entrusted with Ms. Collie's funeral arrangements. Her family invites you to share thoughts, memories, and condolences by signing an online guestbook at www.ejfieldingfh.com.

Davis, Gina R

community member, Gina dedicated her life to caring for others. Her greatest joy was her children, Paige and Trent. Her legacy of love, strength, and kindness will forever live on in the hearts of all who knew her. A funeral service will be held from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM on 2026-11-07 at Second Mt. Olive Baptist Church, 2108 St. Anthony Street.

Drolla Jr., F. Joseph

F. Joseph "Joe" Drolla Jr., was born July, 30, 1940 and died October 23rd, 2026 at the age of 86. He is preceded in death by his parents, F. Joseph Drolla Sr. and Genevieve Clark Drolla, and his son David Joseph Drolla. Joe is survived by his wife Terry, his daughter, Dana Drolla Manly, his son-in-law David Michael Manly, and their daughter Alexis Manly Campbell. He was loved by his step children, James Aime, Jr. (Diana), Richelle Aime Dinwiddie (Jonathan) and Danielle Aime Joffrion ( Shane). He was a role model for his step grandchildren, Claire Dinwiddie Branstetter (Robby), Paxton Dinwiddie, Andrew Dinwiddie, Gabrielle Joffrion, Madeline Joffrion, William Joffrion, and Alcee Aime. A New Orleanian all of his life, Joe attended and graduated from St. Mary of the Angels Grammar School, Holy Cross high School, University of Notre Dame, and Loyola Law School, earning a Juris Doctorate and practicing law for 59 years. He loved being a lawyer; he used to say that he wanted to die at his desk! He was devoted to his clients, and was respected by his business associates. He was a member of the New OrleansBirmingham Psychoanalytic Center for many years where he served as President and Treasurer. He loved his friends and was still playing handball every weekend with his "old" handball buddies and enjoying Wednesday nights at Ye Old College Inn with his Holy Cross classmates, and Friday nights with dear friends. Most of all, Joe was a man of conviction, a man of honor, a man of truth, a man of the law, a man who took care of those he loved and cared about , a man of his word, a man who cherished his family, a man who knew that it was his time. A funeral mass will be celebrated on Saturday, November 7, 2026 at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home at 1:00 p.m. Visitation will begin at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, a memorial may be made to Holy Cross High School or the New Orleans Birmingham Psychoanalytic Center. To view and sign the family guestbook, please visit lakelawnmetairie.com

Our beloved mother, Gina R. Davis, passed away on October 16, 2026, at age 46. A devoted mother, compassionate healthcare professional, and generous

Louise is survived by her daughter, Emily A.

How to place an Obituary Notice EMAIL:

obits@theadvocate.com OR CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION:

225-388-0289

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

Instant shade at the touch of a button.

Call 1-877-361-0825 now to

Enjoy more quality time with family and friends. Up to 10-Year Limited Warranty.

4B ✦ Sunday, November 1, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune Ferrier, Marie Marcelle

lll

Hall, John J.

Street, Marrero, uisiana, on Saturday, November 7th, 2026, at 11 a.m. with visitation from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Private Interment will follow at a later date. MOTHE Funeral Home has been entrusted with funeral arrangements. The family kindly invites you to share thoughts, fondest memories, and condolences online at www.MotheFunerals.com

Marie Marcelle Ferrier died on October 1, 2026 in New York City. She was born on June 7, 1939 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Marcelle was the youngest of the eight children born to Marie Augusta ("Minette") Cecile Menard and Leon Henri Ferrier, Jr. Marcelle graduated from the Academy of the Sacred Heart and attended Newcomb College. She worked in one of the city's bond firms before moving to New York City. In New York she worked in the securities business and in the legal profession. She was a member of the choir and senior women's ministry at St. Monica's Parish and beloved neighbor to all at her apartment building. Marcelle is survived by her sisters Marie Mignon Parker (the late Thomas A. II) and Marie Claire Stahel (Harry C.) both of New Orleans. She is also survived by her special niece, Valerie Verhunce Bowden of Tampa, Florida, who devoted herself selflessly to caring for Marcelle in her last years, and numerous other loving nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and five siblings: Leon III, Rev. Francis Ferrier, S.J., Edouard, Marie "Minette" Verhunce and Marie Marguerite Smith. Marcelle's funeral Mass was celebrated at St. Monica Catholic Church in New York City on October 7, 2026. A Graveside Service will be held at Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans, Louisiana in the Ferrier tomb on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 11:00 A.M. at which family and friends are welcome. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Marcelle's memory to the Academy of the Sacred Heart, 4521 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana 70115 or to the charity of one's choice.

Gerding, Charles R. 'Charlie'

Charles "Charlie" R. Gerding Jr. passed away on October 27, 2026, after a seven-year battle with cancer. He was born in New Orleans on February 8, 1944, to the late Charles R. Gerding Sr. and Mary Louise Gerding. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Lynn Latapie Gerding; his two children, Charles R. Gerding Ill and Mary Gerding Crenshaw (Les); and his sister, Linda Gerding Breun (late Raymond). He was preceded in death by his sister, Eileen Gerding Latapie (Alan). He served in the U.S. Army and was a member of IBEW Local 130 for 60 years. Charlie could often be found in his garage playing his drums and listening to '50s music while enjoying an ice-cold beer. He enjoyed fishing and wildlife, as well as spending time with his pets. To honor Charles' wishes, there will be no funeral service.

Gerding Jr., Charles R.

IBEW, Local Union 130 members this is to notify you of the passing of our Brother Member Charles R. Gerding, Jr., a 60 -year member on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. To honor his wishes, there will be no funeral service.

John J. Hall, age 75, passed away peacefully on October 22, 2026. A longtime resident of the French Quarter and Old Metairie, John was a man of compassion and kindness. Born in Mobile, Alabama on April 30, 1951 to the late Hamilton and Buenos Hall, John pursued a career in respiratory therapy and was an avid photographer. After 45 years, he retired from Ochsner Hospital to enjoy a full life with his late husband, John, their dogs, and his many friends and family. He was deeply loved by all who knew him and will be a sorely missed member of the "stooping" community in the Quarter. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Memorial Services at Garden of Memories Funeral Home & Cemetery, 4900 Airline Drive Metairie, LA 70001 on Monday, November 2, 2026. Visitation will begin at 11:00 am with words of remembrance at his final resting place at 12:00 noon. Online condolences may be offered at www.garden ofmemoriesmetairie.com.

Hartsell, Stephen Todd

Stephen Todd Hartsell passed away peacefully on Monday, October 19, 2026, at the age of 60. He was born in Marrero, Louisiana, on June 29th, 1966 to the late Patricia "Pat" and William "Bill" Hartsell. He is the husband of the late Peggy "Peglis" Hartsell, and loving partner Karen Breaux in his later years; the father of Jared Hartsell (Jasmine), and Maycee Hartsell; and the brother of Arthur "Art" Hartsell (Peggy), Kirk Hartsell (Darla), Bruce (the late Patti), John Hartsell, and Michael Hartsell (Stacey). He is also survived by his nieces, nephews, cousins, and wonderful lifelong friends. A native of Marrero, and proud resident of Marrero, Louisiana, for most of his life but also a resident of Columbus, Georgia, for over 9 years, Stephen graduated from Shaw High School, in 1985. Stephen began his professional career as an electrician was successful and well respected as an Electrician in the New Orleans area as well as in Columbus. Stephen was loving, compassionate, and most of all a very caring person to all. He enjoyed spending time outdoors fishing, and when the fish weren't biting, he spent time reflecting on life. He was an avid and dedicated fisherman. However, his true passion was spending time with his loving family and friends. Stephen was unique and irreplaceable, well respected and liked, and will be deeply and dearly missed by all who knew and loved him. His spirit and tender nature will remain in the many memories of his cherished friends and family until they meet him again. The family expresses their deepest gratitude to the outstanding care provided by Ochsner Hospital. In lieu of flowers, please consider prayers and contributions in memory of Stephen Hartsell to help his children move forward in life. A GoFundMe account has been created: https://gofund.me/0d78c7 e3e Relatives and friends are invited to attend the funeral mass at Immaculate Conception Church, 4401 Seventh Street, Marrero, Louisiana,

Howard, Linda Rivere

Linda Rivere Howard passed away peacefully on October 27, 2026, surrounded by her loving family, at the age of 84. She was born on December 26, 1941, in New Orleans, Louisiana, and was the second of five children born to the late Nicholas and Myrtle "Tiny" Rivere. Linda was preceded in death by her beloved husband, William "Bill" Howard, Jr.; and her siblings, Edwin "Sonny" Rivere, Silvia Gayle Rivere Lightell, and Joan Rivere. She is survived by her sister, Dianne Shapiro (Stephan); her half-sister, Aline Bartolome (Virgil); and her children, Colonel Dr. Daniel Bordelon, Dana Thompson (Gerald), Dianna Bordelon, Dawn Bordelon, and Desiree' Bordelon. She also leaves behind her grandchildren, Michael Jacobs (Irina), M'liss Bordelon (Joey), Nicholas Bordelon, Jacob Bordelon, Alyssa Bordelon, and Aleksander Farr; and her great-grandchildren, Karina and Lee Jacobs. She will also be remembered by numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends. Born and raised in New Orleans, Linda found great joy in volunteering at St. Catherine of Siena throughout her children's childhood. She loved dancing with her Forever Friends, playing card games and Cootie, preparing the St. Joseph's Altar, and, above all, spending time with her family and friends. Relatives and friends are invited to attend services on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at Garden of Memories Funeral Home, 4900 Airline Drive, Metairie, Louisiana 70001. Visitation will begin at 11:00 AM, with services at 1:00 PM. Interment will follow in Garden of Memories Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Linda's memory to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Long, Joyce Eiserloh

ing nship she cherished throughout her life. Joyce was preceded in death by her husband of 32 years, William Anthony Long, Jr.; her parents, Leonard Eiserloh and Myrtle Muro Eiserloh; her daughters, Lisa Marie Long Sanchez and Janice Laurie Long; her sister, Rosemarie Lee; and her brothers, John "Bubby" Eiserloh and Ronald Eiserloh. She is survived by her daughter, Linda Long Bellocq (Jerry); her sons, William A. Long III (Eileen), Leonard M. Long (Melanie), and Daniel J. Long (Stacey); 18 grandchildren; and 18 great-grandchildren, all part of a large and loving family. Visitation will be held on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Boulevard, New Orleans, from 10:00 a.m. until the Memorial Mass begins at 11:00 a.m. Graveside inurnment will follow at Metairie Cemetery. Joyce will be remembered for her love of family, her treasured friendships, and the many memories she created with those fortunate enough to share in her life.

Manint, Linda Maria

Linda Maria Manint, 73, passed away peacefully and free of pain on October 15, 2026, following a brief battle with Cancer. While her diagnosis came just weeks before her passing, Linda's strength, grace, and devotion to her family remained unchanged. She leaves behind a legacy of love, a deep passion for education, and a lifetime of cherished traditions. Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Linda carried the spirit of her hometown with her wherever she went. She earned her undergraduate degree from Loyola University New Orleans and went on to complete her Master's degree in Education from the University of New Orleans in 1984.

Linda was a die-hard fan of the New Orleans Saints—though her devotion was so intense that she was often far too nervous to actually sit and watch them play. Linda was a woman of routines, she remained a faithful subscriber to TV Guide Magazine, never missed her daily CBS soap operas, loved getting her hair done, and thoroughly enjoyed her coffee treats. She kept a daily log writing down everywhere she ate, capturing the simple pleasures of each day—including her weekly Thursday lunches with John's parents, William (Bill) and Silua Goodwin, where she always lovingly made sure Bill got dessert before lunch was done. She worked tirelessly throughout her life and was boundlessly generous, always wanting to make sure her loved ones had everything they needed. Among her favorite ways to relax was taking cruises or going anywhere with family, including away soccer tournaments; though her family did not get to take one final voyage with her, they will be setting sail on a cruise in her honor to celebrate her remarkable life. Above all else, Linda loved to spoil her family. She was her grandchildren's biggest fan—whether she was taking them to dance class, watching them perform, reading with them or passionately cheering on Preston and Mason at their soccer and football games. Expressing her love through written words was non-negotiable for Linda; she insisted on sending cards for every occasion to every family member. Demonstrating her unwavering love and selflessness, even in her last week of life, she made sure to personally sign birthday cards for Miles and John. She was preceded in death by her parents, Doris Fleury Manint and Henry P. Manint, and her sister, Cheryl Palao. Linda is survived by her daughter, Monique Goodwin, and son-in-law, John Goodwin; her beloved grandchildren, Preston Chartier, Mason Chartier, Miles Goodwin, and Elliana Goodwin; her niece, Melissa Palao Acosta; her

Family and friends are invited to attend a service celebrating Linda's life on October 7th at 11AM at Lifeway Church in Celina, Texas. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you bring or send a card or note sharing a favorite memory of Linda or words of encouragement for her family. A memorial service will be held from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM on 2026-11-07 at Lifeway Church Celina, 11000 Co Rd 58.

Ragas, Diana

Diana Ragas passed away on Tuesday October 27, 2026 at the age of 89. Beloved wife of the late Thomas Ragas, Jr. Loving mother of Thomas "Tommy" Ragas, Tracy Chauvin (the late Ricky), Allison Shuey (Kevin), Kevin Ragas (Celeste), and Jon Ragas (Tricia). Grandmother of Jordan Banerjee (Prannoy), Spencer Ragas, Evan Luke (Margaret), Alexander Davis (Kristi), Rebecca Fuselier (Tyler), Jessica Doerneman (Eric), Jacob Ragas, Matthew Ragas (Jourdan), Alexandria Ragas, and Myles Ragas. Great-grandmother of Thomas, Abigail, Amelia and Anthony Luke, Remy Banerjee, Ayden Colar, Blayze Davis, Adair Fuselier, Danielle and Emmet Doerneman, Athena and Becky Jelks, and Annalise Ragas. Daughter of the late Peter Aiena and Madeline Owens Aiena. Sister of Peter Aiena, Darlene Pericone, the late Daniel Aiena. Also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. Family and Friends are

Teaching was in Linda's blood, rooted in a proud family tradition started by her mother. As the older sister, Linda paved the way in education, inspiring her younger sister, Cheryl, to follow in her footsteps and dedicate her life to teaching as well. Even after relocating to Celina, Texas, three years ago—where she could have easily retired to enjoy a quiet life at home—Linda chose to continue her life's work at the Best Brains tutoring center, where she spent her final three years doing what she loved most. Her heart for learning extended to her own family: every summer, she made sure her grandchildren were equipped with Summer Bridge workbooks to keep them sharp and ready for the next school year.

STAY IN THE HOME YOU LOVE WITH A STILTZ HOMELIFT

NOW WITH

Joyce Eiserloh Long, age 95, passed away peacefully at her home on Sunday, October 25, 2026. Born in New Orleans, she was a longtime resident of Metairie. Joyce was a graduate of McDonogh 31 and worked as the bookkeeper at Bill Long's Bakery & Delicatessen. She was actively involved in her community, serving as a member of the St. Dominic Knights of Columbus Auxiliary and the St. Dominic Cub Scouts, as well as a Girl Scout leader. Joyce found happiness in life's simple pleasures and treasured the companionship of family and friends. She especially enjoyed weekly lunches with friends, playing cards in good company, and caring for her beloved dogs. She also loved to travel and embraced every opportunity to see the world. Over the years, she visited nearly every state in the United States, as well as Canada and Mexico. Many of those journeys were shared with family and friends, reflecting the close relationships

nephew, Elman Palao III; her great-nieces, Isabella Acosta, Ava Grace Acosta, and Aria Thompson; as well as a host of extended family members and dear friends.

$555 OFF LIMITED TIME OFFER

Our home elevators can ﬁt in almost any home

A Stiltz Homelift is a safe, attractive, & affordable alternative to stairlifts. It requires no supporting walls, has a small footprint and uses less power power than a coffee maker.

Affordable Small Footprint Full Safety Features Low Power Consumption Freestanding Design Wheelchair Accessible Fast Installation Full Warranty

For a FREE BROCHURE or no-obligation home visit

Call 1-844-813-0691

lll

invited to attend a Visitation and Funeral Mass on Monday, November 9, 2026, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, located at 2130 Rectory St. Paulina, Louisiana 70763. Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. The Funeral Mass will begin at 12:00 p.m., and burial will follow immediately afterward at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Paulina, Louisiana.

Ryan, Jacqueline 'Jackie' Johnson Freund

Jacqueline (Jackie) Johnson Freund Ryan passed away peacefully after a very full and eventful 99 years. She was born in Clarksburg, WV on August 7, 1927, but resided in Baltimore, MD for most of her life. In her later years, she moved to Satellite Beach, FL, (spending days at the beach, enjoying good times with her beloved cousins, and always having a paint brush in hand.) In her late 80's she moved to New Orleans to join her niece, great niece and nephew; She reveled in the birth of 6 great, great nieces and nephews. No matter what life brought, Jackie soldiered on with faith and grace, sharing her adaptable, generous and joyful spirit with the many, many friends she made along the way. She is proceeded in death by her beloved son, John Cameron Freund, who she cherished and adored, as well as other loved ones. She is survived by her niece, Jacqueline Manson Yancey (Richard), her great niece, Cameron Yancey Adams (Pierce), her great nephew, Richard "Hunter" Yancey IV (Kristie) and her great, great nieces and nephews. The family would like to extend special thanks to staff members of Poydras Home who took her best interests to heart for the last 11 years. A private family burial will take place at a later date.

Skinner, Robert John

Robert John Skinner, a lifelong attorney, passed away on October 20, 2026, surrounded by his family. John graduated from Jesuit High School in 1954 and Loyola University School of Law in 1961. He was a partner at Baldwin Haspel Burke & Meyer. During his legal career, he served as a court crier for United States District

Judge J. Skelly Wright, an agent for First National American Title Insurance, and an approved closing attorney for various federal programs. An exceptionally talented pianist, John had a lifelong passion for music and particularly enjoyed playing Chopin's FantaisieImpromptu and Scott Joplin's The Entertainer. He loved opera, a good gin martini, and spending time in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, where he made wonderful memories taking his children fishing and crabbing. Above all, he was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather who took great pride and joy in his family. John and Louvin shared more than 60 years of marriage and were deeply devoted to one another. Her tireless and loving care for him in his later years reflected the enduring bond and partnership they shared throughout their lives. John was preceded in death by his mother, Freda Heffron Skinner Everett; his father, Robert Joseph Skinner; his stepfather, James P. Everett; his brother, Edward King Skinner; and his sister, Ruth Helena Skinner. He is survived by his wife, Louvin Hitt Skinner; his four daughters, Stephanie Skinner Leefe (David), Johanna Margaret Skinner, Caroline Helena Skinner, and Susannah Skinner Pedalino (David); and his granddaughters, Haley Grace and Harper Ruth Pedalino. The family wishes to thank the staff at Laurel Senior Living for their kindness, compassion, and support. Visitation will be held at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home on Thursday, November 5, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., followed by a funeral mass at 2:00 p.m. To view and sign the family guestbook, please visit lakelawnmetairie.com

Smith, Myra Bergeron Wust Susie

It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of Myra (Susie) Bergeron Wust Smith, age 78, on October 11, 2026 after a courageous battle with cancer. She was born on April 20, 1948 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Susie was preceded in death by her son John P. Wust; husbands Neil F. Wust Sr. (1st), and Kevin M. Smith (2nd); parents Desire and Rose Mary Bergeron; brother John P. Bergeron Sr. She is survived by her children, Neil F. Wust Jr. (Karen), Troy A. Wust (Crystal), Anya W. Odom (Chris), Sean M. Smith Sr. (Eave); grandchildren, Justina, John Paul, Alizé, Jaycedi, Tanner, Tucker, Kevin II, Sean Jr., and Noah; great grandchildren, Valerie, Dutch, Novalee, Darbii, Gannon, Brynnleigh, and Preston; siblings, Denise Reaves, Terry Bergeron, and Desie Bergeron.

Please join us for a celebration of life. Sat., November 7th, 2026 at 12:00 pm. Rummel Building (Knights of Columbus hall), 2107 Paris Road Chalmette, la 70043.

Snyder, Arthur Burgess

family guestbook, please visit lakelawnmetairie.com

Soyez, Kenneth G.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, November 1, 2026 ✦ 5B

the United States and around the world, creating memories and experiences that he cherished throughout his life. Visitation will be held at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70124, on November 4, 2026, from 9:30 am to 11:00 am. A Funeral Service will follow at 11:00 am. Kenneth will be laid to eternal rest at St. Charles Borromeo Cemetery, 13396 River Rd, Destrehan, LA 70047. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you donate to the St. Charles Parish Animal Shelter.

Arthur Burgess Snyder died peacefully at home on Monday morning, October 26, 2026, at the age of 74. A native of Elmira, NY, he lived in New Orleans, Louisiana. Arthur is survived by his loving wife of 49 years, Laurene Lagonegro; his son, John Arthur Snyder; and his adoring grandchildren, Liam Snyder (father William) and Clementine Snyder (father John). He is also survived by his brother, Steve Snyder; his nephew, Geoffrey; his niece, McKenzie; his sister and brother-in-law, Clare and George Ferenczy; their children, Luke, Abigail, Zeb and Eli Ferenczy; and many cousins in Elmira and Florida. He was preceded in death by his son, William Edward Snyder; his parents, Jean and William Snyder; and his sister-inlaw, Virginia (Ginny) Snyder. For 29 years, Arthur devoted himself to teaching art at Edna Karr High School. Also serving as head coach of the varsity soccer team until the late 1990's. Upon leaving Edna Karr in 2005, he spent 4 years teaching at Alice Harte Elementary, shaping young lives with steady guidance, patience, and genuine care until he retired in 2009. He also taught art at Tulane's Ripples summer camp for a number of years, extending that same thoughtful encouragement beyond the school year and into the wider community. A kind and giving man, Arthur was known for going out of his way to help others, offering his time and attention with quiet constancy. To generations of students, he was known as "King Bob," a name spoken with affection and respect, reflecting the warmth he brought into the classroom and the lasting impact he made, often providing and opening his classroom to any student in need of a place of refuge were they ever in need. His passion was steadfast in the arts. Arthur was a talented painter and illustrator. His main passion being music—especially the blues—and he loved all things New Orleans. Over the years, he spent many, many happy days at Jazz Fest, routinely saving his sick days for that time, where the sounds and spirit of the city he cherished surrounded him. His absence leaves a profound and enduring emptiness for those who loved him, and his memory will remain a source of gratitude, comfort, and pride. Visitation will begin at 10:00am on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, followed by a funeral service at 12:00pm. To view and sign the f il b k l

Safety that lets you enjoy the little things. Call Now to Redeem Over $230 in Savings!

1 (877) 542-1978

Kenneth G. Soyez, aged 74, passed away on October 28, 2026. Born July 10, 1952, he grew up in Chalmette, Louisiana. He later moved to Destrehan, Louisiana, where he was surrounded by his loving family.

Viguerie, Raoul Francois

Ken earned a Bachelor of Engineering from Louisiana State University and went on to build a distinguished career as a Petroleum Engineer working for Shell, Odeco, Murphy Oil, and Crescent Technical Services. For 28 years, Ken was married to his devoted wife, Jennifer Soyez, and together they built a family. He is survived by his children, Chris Soyez (Tara) and Jeffrey Soyez; his step-children, Jessica Ortego (Barrett) and Steven Wofford (Andrea); his brother, David Soyez (Michelle); and his grandchildren, Mason Soyez (10), Tyler Beaver (25), Peyton Ortego (17), Reagan Ortego (15), Odin Wofford (6), and Gunnar Wofford (3). Ken treasured the time he spent with family and friends, especially gathering around long dinners, crawfish boils, and sporting events. He found peace and happiness in the simple pleasures of life, whether tending to his garden, relaxing on the beach, or enjoying the outdoors with his beloved cat and dogs. An avid fisherman, Ken loved spending time on the water and in nature. As a longtime LSU season ticket holder, there was perhaps no place he loved more than Saturday night in Tiger Stadium, cheering on the Tigers. His passion for travel took him across

Viguerie; his father's wife, the late Rosemary Lee Viguerie; his sister, Asta Viguerie Cotonio, and her husband, the late Theodore "Teddy" Cotonio; and his stepsister, the late Patricia "Patty" O'Neill Palmer, and her husband, the late Robert Palmer. He is survived by nieces and nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews, extended family, and dear friends. Puddie, as his family called him, spent a lifetime in service to others, both through his work as an educator and his years with the Christian Brothers. His teaching career included time in China. He enjoyed photography and was known within his family as a favorite uncle. He will be remembered with great affection by those whose lives he touched and will be deeply missed.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on November 14th, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. at Queen of Heaven Catholic Church, located at 5310 Claremont Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110. Interment will follow at Mount Calvary Cemetery.

Raoul François Viguerie Jr. (formerly know as Brother Wayne, FSC), a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, spent much of his life in Tucson, Arizona, and Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was preceded in death by his parents, Raoul François Viguerie Sr. and Asta Johannessen

In Loving Memory of

DOROTHY CLEMENT LAQUE June 1, 1935 - November 2, 2016

You are loved and missed so much! We miss your smile, laugh, jokes, cooking...We miss everything about you. Great memories are remembered often. On your 10th anniversary, Until we meet again with you and dad!

Love always, Terry, Jeﬀ, Bert, Patti, Grandchildren, Great Grandchildren, Family & Friends

6B F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F nola.com F The Times-Picayune

lll

OPINION N O L A.C O M/opinions

ELECTION H

Election Day is Tuesday. Are you ready? The midterm elections are upon us. And despite all the polls, predictions and punditry, the only thing that matters is what the final vote tally says. And that’s why we all must take our responsibility to vote seriously. Our elections are free and fair. A functioning democracy demands that we all participate. With the early voting period ending last Tuesday, we saw the long lines and the heard conversations online and in public forums. We have given our readers comprehensive reporting on the candidates and issues that matter. Now it’s up to you to decide. Election Day is Nov. 3. The midterms will decide the balance of power in Congress and scores of local races. Louisiana has 10 constitutional amendments on the ballot. If you haven’t taken advantage of early voting or mail-in voting, you still have time to prepare. Go to the Secretary of State’s geauxvote.com website to review your sample ballot. Know where your polling location is and make a plan to vote. We expect polling places will be crowded, so bring your patience to the ballot box. And as always, we urge you to be kind and considerate to your poll workers. They make all of this possible. To aid in your preparation, we are republishing our recommendations on the constitutional amendments here in a short version you can bring with you to the polls. For more on our reasoning, go to our website. We will be with you on election night and beyond to provide up-to-date returns, analysis and reactions. Happy voting! Our recommendations for Louisiana Constitutional amendments: Amendment 1: Allows a one-time transfer of a property tax exemption for surviving spouse of a disabled veteran. No. We generally oppose expanding property tax exemptions on principle. All must contribute to the costs of government. Amendment 2: Allows taxing authority to continue lower millage rate without losing ability to adjust to max rate. Yes. We believe this will allow local governments to have more flexibility. Amendment 3: Prohibits release on bail for defendants who have been convicted of certain offenses against a child. No Judges should have discretion to determine who poses a risk to the public. Amendment 4: Sets a lifetime term limit on a person who has served as governor more than one and one-half terms. No Louisiana’s current law limiting governors to two consecutive terms has proved sufficient. Amendment 5: Authorizes retirement systems to apply funds to any unfunded accrued liability, not only the oldest. Yes This will allow state government to operate more efficiently. Amendment 6: Authorizes extension of an additional property tax exemption for owners who are 65 or older. No All should contribute to funding government, and this could shift the burden to younger homeowners. Amendment 7: Authorizes the use of public funds to identify, inventory, remove, or replace certain water lines. Yes This would free up federal money available for removal of lead pipes. Amendment 8: Prohibits expropriation of property by a foreign adversary or an agent of a foreign adversary. No This is a solution in search of a problem, and doesn’t need to be in the constitution. Amendment 9: Increases the income limit to qualify for the special assessment level for a homestead exemption. No We adhere to our principles of limiting expansion of tax exemptions. Amendment 10: Allows property tax exemption of rehabilitated blighted property under conditions provided by law. No Even for worthy goals, we must reject increasing exemptions to property taxes.

4 8 8

4 8

4 8 8 8

La. right to fight Kalshi claims in lawsuit as “swaps” in federal law and thus When is placing a bet not gambling? should not be regulated like gambling. Apparently, when you call it a “swap.” Instead, they argue, they can At least, that’s the contenonly be overseen by the federal tion of a lawsuit filed Oct. 23 Commodity Futures Trading in a Louisiana federal court by Commission, as they are now. prediction market platform Prediction markets’ popularity Kalshi. The suit seeks to prehas exploded among sports betvent the state from exerting any control over its services, tors, who can wager on games, Faimon player performances or other arguing that what it offers Roberts outcomes. Some estimates put are “contracts” or “swaps” between individuals, and theresports betting at 90% of predicfore aren’t gambling. tion markets’ volume. If the suit is successful, it would be And since they are not subject to a hit to Louisiana’s regulatory power, Louisiana’s regulations, some regulaand potentially its pocketbook. It also tions are ignored. raises an interesting broader question: For example, Louisiana set 21 as the Should regulation of businesses like minimum age to gamble. But anyone 18 Kalshi rely on how the company deor over can buy and sell contracts on scribes its product or how that product Kalshi. In August, a pair of new state laws is used by the consumer? Let me explain. As sports betting has targeted “gambling by computer” and proliferated, especially through smart- and makes companies that process payments for and provide other serphone apps, states that allow it have passed regulations and levied taxes on vices to prediction markets subject to the proceeds. Gaming companies like civil and criminal penalties. Kalshi’s FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars and oth- suit specifically cites this as the reason ers have abided by those rules and paid for its filing. Kalshi’s argument is straightforthe local taxes. Then came Kalshi, Polymarket and ward: Their federal regulation under other prediction markets. Prediction the CFTC preempts any regulation by markets allow participants to buy and states. Kalshi has filed more than 20 sell “contracts” on a wide variety of similar suits. events, from the timing of Iran war atLouisiana’s position is also disarmtacks to the outcome of political races. ingly simple: No matter what they call Kalshi contends these contracts qualify it, it’s gambling.

“They literally will let people bet on anything you can think of,” Attorney General Liz Murrill said earlier this year. Murrill is not the only one making this argument. Officials in Utah, New York, Nevada and Ohio are among those who’ve sought to limit prediction markets. Murrill and her allies are right: Despite prediction markets’ technology base and canny legal definitions, their product relies on wagering. That’s why it makes sense to leave regulation with the states. States have a keen interest in regulating gambling, both from a financial and public health perspective. But good sense doesn’t always make winning legal arguments. Columbia Law School Professor Joshua Mitts, who specializes in technology and financial law, told me that Kalshi’s position is a strong one. “This kind of swap does seem to encompass these contracts,” he said. As such, they should be regulated by the CFTC and not the states, he said. The question appears headed for the Supreme Court, Mitts added. I asked him if he thought Louisiana and the other states could win there. He urged me not to swap on it. Email Faimon A. Roberts III at froberts@theadvocate.com.

Time to remember what gratitude gives us an opportunity. As the calendar turns to November, So our reader question for November thoughts naturally turn to the holidays is: What are you grateful for in your that are fast approaching. Thanksgivcommunity over the past year? It can ing is one of my favorite holidays bebe a person, place or thing. It can be cause it makes us stop and remember something that happened or something all that we have to be grateful for. We count our blessings as we share a meal that didn’t happen. We sometimes get letters with our loved ones, and somefrom people who are grateful how it makes all of our experifor small kindnesses shown to ences over the past year come them by strangers. More often into focus. than not, it’s out-of-towners Even if you have had hardships who have been blessed by the or disappointments, there’s usually one or two things that you Arnessa hospitality of our residents and can look upon with gratitude. Garrett want to say thank you. But it shouldn’t take outsidAnd taking the time to note those bright spots can give us encourers to recognize the bounty we have in Louisiana. Drop us a line agement. at letters@theadvocate.com and send In the Opinions section, we have on occasion asked readers to respond to a a thank you for the blessings in your question. We haven’t done it in a while, community. If we get enough letters, but I think the upcoming holiday offers we’ll devote a page to the responses.

If not, they’ll run in our regular letters section. Sharing what you are grateful for may invite others to realize how fortunate they are to be a part of your community. Turning to our letters inbox for Oct. 22-29, we received 52 letters. Voting was at the top of the list of your concerns, with four letters on the subject. The ongoing war in Ukraine and the U.S. role in it prompted three letters. The issue of artiﬁcial intelligence in general led two of you to write, and in addition there were two letters speciﬁc to data centers. Also getting attention was the Saints season and the treatment of detainees in ICE custody, with two letters on each topic. Arnessa Garrett is Managing Editor | Opinion Page Editor. Email her at arnessa.garrett@theadvocate.com.

FIVE-TIME WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE

KEVIN HALL

President & Publisher

RENE SANCHEZ

ARNESSA GARRETT Managing Editor/ Opinion

JUSTIN MITCHELL

VP/News, Executive Editor

Managing Editor/ Audience

KARYN KEARNEY

HANK STUEVER

EVP/Strategic Partnerships

Managing Editor/ Enterprise

FRED KALMBACH

JENNIFER BROWN

JERRY DICOLO

EMMA DISCHER

Managing Editor

Managing Editor, New Orleans

KRISTIN ASKELSON Managing Editor, Acadiana

BARBARA LEADER Managing Editor, Shreveport

Senior Editor Senior Editor

ANDREA GALLO Senior Editor/ Investigations

JESSICA WILLIAMS Senior Editor

ROGER HOLMES

CHASE HEATHERLY

Executive VP, Operations

Chief Revenue Ofﬁce

ASHLEY WHITCHER

VP/ Consumer Sales

VP/IT

JIM MYERS

VP/Finance

ROBERT STOLL

VP/Distribution

KYLE WHITFIELD

GEORGES MEDIA GROUP JOHN D. GEORGES Owner

JUDI TERZOTIS

ROBERT YOUNG

Chief Executive Ofﬁcer

LOU HUDSON

Editorial Page

General Manager/ Advertising VP/ Majors & Nationals

DAN SHEA

Chairman

ARNESSA GARRETT STEPHANIE GRACE WILL SUTTON QUIN HILLYER FAIMON ROBERTS

lll

The Times-Picayune F nola.com F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F 7B

COMMENTARY Why details need to be in state’s constitution “delegated” power to expropriate Most Louisianans instinctively land, for “just compensation,” would want to help widows (or for (supposedly) public use. The widowers) of disabled veterans, amendment would prohibit any and most would want to keep such companies that are agents of the communist “agents” (as defined by Chinese or Putin-friendly law) of one of those forRussian oligarchs away from water and power eign adversaries from systems. using that expropriation Two questions on the power. Quin ballot on Tuesday ask if Amendment opponents those instincts should say it is unnecessary — Hillyer be enshrined in the state that it would be consticonstitution. On principle, tutional detritus, aimed Louisiana’s constitution already is at imaginary problems. Sure bloated, with far too many smallenough, no such expropriation by detail amendments already — so adversaries has ever occurred in maybe the answer is no. Louisiana, and supporters of the Upon further review, though, amendment have been unable to the best answer on both is yes. point to a single other state which For widowed spouses, what’s (in the words of the Pelican Instiat issue is commonsensical fairtute think tank) “bars adversarylinked private condemnation in ness. With regard to foreign its constitution or statutes.” adversaries, well, forewarned is Nonetheless, we all know inforearmed. Take the latter issue first. stances where significant harm Amendment 8 would prohibit could have been avoided via private companies affiliated with preventative measures. And nations that federal law officially corporate agents of foreign addeems a “foreign adversary” — a versaries in several prominent short list most notably including places across the country have China and Russia — from exprobought land near military bases, while other adversarial agents priating private property. have provided components for In Louisiana, certain sorts of U.S. energy grids that, critics say, private companies such as utilities, pipelines and railroads enjoy could leave the grids vulnerable

to hostile action. Meanwhile, with public ofﬁcials throughout Louisiana signing nondisclosure agreements regarding major industrial investors, it’s easy to imagine that the state could stumble unintentionally into leaving energy or water supplies susceptible to mischief. Finally, there are those of us who think expropriation powers in general are too broad, so almost any new restriction on expropriation, even piecemeal, is welcome. Other than having extra verbiage in the state constitution, there’s no downside to this amendment, but (on the upside) it could help protect against the catastrophe of foreign sabotage against our power, water, or other necessities. That’s why Amendment 8 is warranted: Better safe than sorry. Then there’s Amendment 1, which slightly modiﬁes a special property tax homestead exemption for surviving spouses of disabled veterans. Currently, the special exemption stays with the spouse only when remaining in the same home after the veteran’s death. The amendment would allow a one-time transfer of that exemption, at no greater value

than the original exemption, to a new abode. This one is tricky. Plenty of “good government” reformers believe taxes should be low but broad-based, with few or no exemptions. In general, this is wise. The more often a government creates special exemptions to taxes, the more often other people will seek their own special exemptions for “good causes” galore. In addition to complicating the tax code and necessitating higher rates for everyone else who isn’t in a special category, this approach also gives elected ofﬁcials the power to pick winners and losers – or, sometimes, to reward allies or punish adversaries. Nonetheless, against these good arguments against Amendment 1, basic reasonableness and fair play argue in its favor. Consider that this amendment wouldn’t expand the numbers of people getting special exemptions, but would merely extend existing exemptions to new circumstances. The people of Louisiana already have adjudged that veterans with service-related disabilities, and their surviving spouses, merit extra property-tax exemptions.

Yet when the veteran dies, the survivor’s needs for living space may be reduced, while the costs of maintaining the same-sized home may be unsustainable. Everybody knows that senior citizens, even without disabilities, often “downsize” their living quarters when a spouse dies. This amendment would just ensure that it won’t be cost-prohibitive — via suddenly higher property taxes — for the spouse of a disabled veteran to do so by buying a different, smaller home. The size of the exemption, and thus of the “loss” to potential proceeds for the government’s treasury, would remain no greater. The rest of the population would suffer no adverse consequences. But the surviving spouse could move into a different home better suited to the spouse’s new circumstances. In sum, Amendment 1 is one small but admirable way Louisiana can fulﬁll the motto of the national Department of Veterans Affairs, taken from Abraham Lincoln: “to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan.” Email Quin Hillyer at quin. hillyer@theadvocate.com

What Senate race could mean for Landry It’s entirely fair to view Tuescocted the new primary system; or if she loses to Democrat Jamie day’s U.S. Senate ﬁnale as a test Davis, a long-shot possibility; or of Trumpism in Louisiana. if she emerges with a narrowerU.S. Rep. Julie Letlow, the than-expected victory, Republican nominee runan increasingly plausible ning with President Donald scenario — her fate Trump’s “Complete and will tell us much about Total Endorsement,” as he Trump’s strength or dilikes to say, entered the race at his urging, then won minishment. a two-stage GOP primary Stephanie And that’s not all it will on the strength of his name, reveal. Grace which she invoked at every If the election is a test possible opportunity. of Trump’s brand as Now that his name is not quite much as Letlow’s, it’ll also tell what it was, even in reliably red us something about the political Louisiana, Letlow’s taking a stab strength of another politician: at reaching beyond the MAGA Gov. Jeff Landry. coalition. But it’s awfully late in It’s true that Trump gets all the the process to change the subject attention. And it’s true that his from the larger-than-life presifury at outgoing incumbent Bill Cassidy over the senator’s 2021 dent to herself. vote to convict him following So no matter what happens his second impeachment drove Tuesday — whether Letlow wins Trump’s intense interest in a handily, as originally expected when Louisiana Republicans con- race that is unlikely to change

the overall balance of partisan power. A third thing that’s true is that Landry has his ﬁngerprints all over Letlow’s campaign. This is Letlow’s campaign, and how to run it has been her choice. But Landry has been there every step of the way. Another Republican who coveted the seat, state Treasurer John Fleming, insisted Landry encouraged Trump to back Letlow, which the governor denied. But it’s undeniable that, from the earliest days of the campaign, Landry has been hitting up donors for contributions to Letlow’s effort. He endorsed her, and set about early on to land her the state Republican Party endorsement — although he later wound up playing defense and helping dissuade the party’s executive committee from backing Fleming.

Also, Landry’s political operation is closely tied to the effort, led by Kyle Ruckert, the governor’s former chief of staff and now a general consultant and campaign strategist for Letlow’s campaign, and Courtney Guastella, a fundraiser who’s worked with Landry. So while the results will say plenty about both Trump and Letlow, they will also take the measure of the governor’s political muscle. This is not a scenario that’s worked out well for him in the recent past. Yes, Landry easily won his own election over a lackluster ﬁeld in 2023, but his subsequent efforts to convince voters to drastically alter the state constitution went down in ﬂames. One poll earlier this year pegged his approval rating at 43%. A 2025 poll put him at 39%,

after he’d made a raft of early, aggressive moves such as the creation of party primaries, which other polls show are unpopular. But it’s Tuesday’s results that will act as an opener to next year’s governor race, when Landry is planning to seek a second term. With Trump, as usual, sucking up all the oxygen, Louisiana voters probably won’t be thinking about that much when they make their choices for Senate Tuesday. Still, the outcome will set the tone for the 2027 electoral cycle, and a poorer-than-expected showing for Letlow would not only reﬂect on Landry but embolden his opponents. And unlike this year, it’ll be all on him. Email Stephanie Grace at sgrace@theadvocate.com.

Democrats celebrate early gains, but mission continues up their ground game to get more Louisiana Democrats, you may of their voters out on Election have a problem. Day. I’m thrilled that across the Some Democrats are board, without exagpopping high fives, cheergeration, our state’s early voting numbers were ing and laughing. Some Reastounding. More Demopublicans aren’t smiling, but they’re certain they crats, more Republicans will hold their own and and more Black voters pull off the biggest of wins cast ballots during the Oct. Will because that’s what has 20-27 early voting period Sutton — happened for decades in than in the early voting Louisiana: Republicans period in any previous win statewide. midterm election. Several demographers and If Democratic gubernatorial pollsters have said that while candidate Shawn Wilson saw this Democratic U.S. Senate nominee turnout when he ran against Republican gubernatorial candidate Jamie Davis is doing much better Jeff Landry, we’d likely be calling than anticipated and making his challenge to Republican U.S. Rep. Wilson “Gov. Wilson.” Julia Letlow a tighter race, they More Democrats voted early won’t say Davis can win. than Republicans, and Black As this newspaper’s Tyler voters surpassed their share of registered voters (which stands at Bridges reminded us recently, more than 31%), with an early vot- the last time a Black man won ing percentage of more than 34%. statewide elected office was 150 years ago. Across Louisiana, this looks good. More than 527,000 voters But the election is not over. showed up in Louisiana. More Democratic Party officials are than 54,000 voters showed up in ecstatic with the early returns, and they’re not stopping. They’ve East Baton Rouge Parish. Caddo Parish had more than 25,000 votidentified hundreds of precinct organizers in 50 parishes to ers. More than 48,000 voted in increase the turnout in places Orleans Parish. More than 27,000 where voters are more likely to early votes were counted in Lasupport their candidates — if they fayette. Calcasieu Parish had can get them to the polls. Despite more than 19,000 voters. early success, Democrats were Among early voters, the party busy in Caddo this week, ramping breakdown was 222,806 regis-

They are disgusted that Gov. Jeff Landry and the state Legislature conspired in a mid-decade redistricting to gerrymander away the state’s second majority Black district, the 6th Congressional seat held by U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields until the year ends. The problem is that, as many Democrats and as many Black voters showed up during early voting, it may not be enough. I’ve looked at the parish-by-parish numbers. There are parishes with large numbers of Black voters who did not add to the success. There are parishes with successful increases, but so far it doesn’t appear enough to win in a state where most people vote for the person with an “R” by their name. And that could be a critical STAFF PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER failure. When the astronauts who were en route to the moon on the Actor Wendell Pierce points to the early voting sign outside City Hall Apollo 13 mission in 1970 called during a get-out-the-vote rally in New Orleans last week. down to report, “Houston, we have a problem,” it was nearly 56 hours into the mission after they tered Democrats, 206,278 regison the president, even when they had blasted off successfully. They tered Republican and 93,387 desknow he’s wrong. And that’s not never made it to their destination. even factoring in the devastatignated as No Party. It’s imposDemocrats, Black voters and sible to know whether No Party ing impact of the U.S. Supreme those who want change may need voters favored Democrats or Court’s gutting of the Voting to remember that. Enthusiasm Republicans, but without a party Rights Act. after launch may not be enough. afﬁliation accounted for, 27.8% Though there’s an undeniable Davis and others still have to land of the electorate. I suspect most Blacklash, these aren’t Black isthis thing. of them are looking for a change sues. These are concerns held from the antics of President Don- by many Americans. And they increasingly feel that the political Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ ald Trump and a Republican U.S. theadvocate.com. Congress that hasn’t pushed back system is rigged against them.

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

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

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCAN HERE

8B F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F nola.com F The Times-Picayune

lll

with meteorologist Damon Singleton

TODAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

A thunderstorm in spots

Cloudy with a shower

Considerable cloudiness

A shower and thunderstorm

Mostly sunny and less humid

Sunny and nice

HIGH

LOW

HIGH

79° 71°

LOW

HIGH

79° 71°

LOW

81° 69°

HIGH

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

Beaumont 83/70 Port Arthur 83/71

Baton Rouge 82/69

Lake Charles 84/69

10s

20s

30s

Houma 82/71

40s

50s

YESTERDAY

TODAY

READING 55 MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

60s

70s

80s

90s 100s 110s

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

NOV 1

City

Atlanta Austin Boston Charlotte Chicago Dallas Denver Houston Las Vegas

HIGH

11:47a 5:47a 12:44a 2:11a 1:39a 1:46a 2:47a

FT.

FIRST

NOV 9

61 86 60 68 66 82 64 85 68

TODAY Lo

56 67 48 53 56 68 45 70 53

c pc s pc c c pc pc r

NOV 24

MON.

73 86 71 72 64 84 53 84 70

57 70 51 52 61 65 40 73 53

FT.

HIGH

pc c pc c c c sh c s

FT.

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

City

5:39a 5:33a 6:21a 7:03a 7:41a 8:19a 8:59a

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

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

72 83 62 62 63 71 65 64 53

11:53a 11:46a 12:09a 12:51a 1:30a 2:08a 2:48a

TODAY Lo

56 75 55 49 45 60 59 50 37

LOW

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

FT.

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

6:07p ---5:59p ---6:45p 12:33p 7:25p 1:14p 8:03p 1:52p 8:41p 2:30p 9:21p 3:10p

r t r pc pc r c s pc

GOOD

SOURCE: LOUISIANA DEQ AND AIRNOW.GOV

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

Today Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

FULL

NOV 17

LOW

0.73” 3.17” 3.70” 54.68” 54.66”

0.9 12:40a 0.0 2.2 6:23p 0.3 2.4 1:19p 0.2 2.0 5:39p 0.1 1.6 1:41p 0.1 2.1 12:06p 0.1 1.9 2:43p 0.1

6:15 a.m. 5:14 p.m. 11:44 p.m. 12:49 p.m. NEW

MODERATE

PRECIPITATION

79°/71° 76°/58° 70°/49° 89° in 2016 35° in 1993

Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today LAST

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

LOW

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

New Orleans 79/71

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

Hattiesburg 76/65

Alexandria 82/67

Lafayette 83/70

HIGH

79° 61°

New Orleans through 5 p.m. Saturday

Jackson 76/66 Many 81/65

LOW

77° 63°

TEMPERATURE

Longview 81/65

-0s

LOW

Monroe 79/67

Shreveport 80/67

-10s

HIGH

77° 63°

Like yesterday, we have rain in the forecast today, just not as high a chance. Expect a partly to mostly cloudy, warm, humid and breezy day with some scattered rainfall. Temperatures this afternoon will rise to the upper 70s to the low 80s. Our winds will remain easterly at 5 to 15 mph, so a breezy day is what you can expect. If you remembered to move your clocks back one hour last night, you know sunset is one hour earlier. Rain and storms will return Tuesday into Wednesday.

76 84 70 67 67 75 69 65 54

MON. Lo

57 75 60 52 47 60 66 54 46

s t c pc pc s c pc pc

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

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

FLOOD STAGE

34 48 48 35 27 22 17

SAT. 24-HOUR STAGE CHANGE

-3.55 17.14 20.69 8.55 5.11 3.85 3.05

-0.56 -0.46 -0.66 -0.35 -0.11 +0.14 -1.29

11.80

+0.53

-1.92

-0.23

18 29 8

-1.37 9.61 3.04

none -0.02 +0.15

13 15

1.35 0.52

+0.01 none

47 34 29 20 12 6

7.53 5.16 3.90 3.99 3.60 2.48

-0.17 +0.02 -0.20 +0.18 none +0.09

data as of 7 a.m. Saturday

A bounty of books Twins James and Charles Marino learn to make paper at the Louisiana Book Festival on Saturday in Baton Rouge.

STAFF PHOTOS BY PEARL SPURLOCK

ABOVE: Paola Farrell has her photo taken by her husband, Danny, in the State Library of Louisiana during the Louisiana Book Festival on Saturday in Baton Rouge.

RIGHT: Katie Hunter looks at a book during the Louisiana Book Festival on Saturday in Baton Rouge. She attended with her husband Howard Hunter, who edited ‘Conversations with Jason Berry.’

Golf carts may soon be allowed on Donaldsonville streets BY ANNAKATE FREELAND Staff writer

Donaldsonville residents have been driving golf carts around town without formal authorization, but city ofﬁcials are working to legalize their use on municipal streets. The City Council approved an ordinance Tuesday that allows golf carts on municipal roads and sets rules for drivers. Before the ordinance can be fully implemented, the city says it will need to establish permit procedures, obtain decals for the carts and install the required road signs. Law enforcement has already

pulled over some residents for driving golf carts, city officials say. “So now they can feel comfortable knowing that it’s legal,” Council Chair Charles Brown Sr. said. “I felt bad every time I was doing it, because here I am supposed to be upholding it. I’m a part of a legislative body, and of course we’re enforcing the law, and I’m breaking the law.” The city is also working to address how golf carts can cross state highways. City Attorney Spencer Long said legislation would be needed to authorize those crossings, but approval likely would not come until next year.

carts cannot be operated on sidewalks or pedestrian pathways. It also does not authorize the use of lawn mowers, tractors, fourwheelers, all-terrain vehicles, utility terrain vehicles, go-karts, electric scooters, electric bicycles or other off-road vehicles. Each golf cart must be registered with the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections, Ofﬁce of Motor Vehicles, as Rules and regulations required by state law. Operators must be at least 16 The ordinance allows golf carts that comply with state law to op- years old and have a valid driver’s erate on municipal streets under license. They must also follow trafDonaldsonville’s jurisdiction, pro- ﬁc laws. Golf carts may be operated durvided the streets have speed limits of 35 miles per hour or less. Golf ing daylight and nighttime hours. “That’s really the only main hurdle right now: being able to go from one part of town to the other. As is, you are stuck where you’re at unless you want to break the law and cross the state highway,” he said. The council must also establish permit and renewal fees through a resolution. Under the ordinance, the fee cannot exceed $75.

The ordinance limits the number of occupants to the number of designated passenger seats. No passenger may ride on someone else’s lap, including children. Passengers also cannot stand or ride on the rear, sides, roof, running board or other parts of a cart not designed for passengers. The council may prohibit or restrict golf cart use on any municipal street, or part of a street, when it determines restrictions are reasonably necessary for trafﬁc control or public safety. Anyone convicted of violating the ordinance may face a ﬁne of $100 to $500, imprisonment for up to six months, or both.

OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

SPORTS

N O L A.C O M

S U N D AY, N OV E M B E R 1, 2026

1CN

HIGH MARKS

For the most part, LSU is making grade in Kiffin’s first season BY JON BLAU Staff writer

Lane Kiffin hasn’t “thought twice” about his decision to leave Ole Miss for LSU. He said as much this week on the Brandon Walker College Football Show, sitting at 6-2 and 15th in the AP poll despite a roster that was somewhat hastily constructed because many of Kiffin’s ä Alabama assistants were with at LSU. the Rebels during a College Football Play2:30 P.M. SATURDAY, ABC off run. “We didn’t know our current players on the team previous,” Kiffin said. “So as crazy as it sounds, we will always have better rosters than we do this year. And I know that sounds crazy because we have one of the best. But that’s just gonna be the case. “By the way that we recruit, the way that we (evaluate), and the players that wanna come to LSU that, at times, at other places, you weren’t able to get.” Kiffin is feeling confident eight games into his LSU tenure. How should the Tigers feel about their performance with a pivotal November slate between them and the CFP? Let’s dish out some grades.

Quarterbacks: B+ Sam Leavitt, who missed his ﬁrst spring at LSU after season-ending foot surgery in the fall, needed time to settle in. He was too quick to scramble early on and, even though some bad luck was involved, he threw eight picks in his ﬁrst six games.

ä See MARKS, page 6C

STAFF PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU running back Dilin Jones gets a big run against McNeese State on Oct. 3 in Tiger Stadium.

STAFF PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER

Saints quarterback Tyler Shough throws to running back Kendre Miller during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday in Paris.

BY THE NUMBERS Statistics paint clear picture of Saints’ sluggish start BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

Numbers can’t account for everything, but they can paint a picture of how the New Orleans Saints arrived at the bye week with a 2-5 record. New Orleans was optimistic entering the season, and much of that hope was centered around a young quarterback and the strong 2025 finish. That hope looked warranted through two weeks, when the Saints played Detroit tough in an overtime loss and then secured an impressive road win against the Ravens in Week 2. Things have unraveled since. New Orleans is 1-4 since that Ravens win, and its lone victory in that ﬁve-game stretch left more questions than answers after the Saints nearly blew a 24-point lead in the ﬁnal nine minutes against the New York Giants.

passer rating on such passes a year ago. Those are difficult passes that are generally hard to complete. The most accurate deep ball passer in the NFL this season (minimum 10 attempts) has been Jets quarterback Geno Smith, who is completing 58.8% of his throws of 20 34.3 or more yards. The most conShough has been one of the cerning thing is that Shough few bright spots, but there is has missed opportunities with one area in particular that he’s some errant throws when restruggled: On pass attempts ceivers were open downﬁeld. that travel 20 or more yards He’s remained an excelASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO BY STEPHANIE SCARBROUGH The Saints are getting the strong play they hoped to get out of quarterback Tyler Shough, and their other star players are living up to their billing. But the rest of the team has left plenty to be desired. Here are eight numbers that have told the story up to this point.

Saints defensive end Chase Young sacks Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson on Sept. 20 in Baltimore.

downﬁeld, he’s completed just 7 of 25 attempts (28%) for 243 yards with zero touchdowns and two interceptions. That adds up to a 34.3 passer rating, about 40 points lower than his

lent passer on intermediate attempts (10-19 air yards), where his 126.3 passer rating ranks fourth among qualiﬁed NFL passers. If he can improve his deep ball efﬁciency, the of-

ä Browns at Saints. NOON NOV. 8, CBS

fense could ﬁnd another gear.

32.7% The Saints have accumulated 171 rushing attempts through the ﬁrst seven games this season. Nearly a third of those attempts (56 of 171, or 32.7%) have been snuffed out for a gain of 1 or fewer yards — a ﬁgure that does not take into account a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs. Kendre Miller has been one of the least explosive backs in football this season, generating just 2.8 yards per carry. Of his 57 rushing attempts, 20 (35.1%) have gone for 1 yard or fewer, and nine (15.8%) have lost yardage.

ä See SAINTS, page 6C

Pelicans use familiar script to down Hawks, get second win New Orleans feasts on Atlanta turnovers in runaway victory BY LES EAST

Contributing writer The recipe that produced the New Orleans Pelicans’ first victory of the season worked for a second consecutive game. The Pelicans mixed together a swarming defense that produced a franchise-record 40 points off of turnovers and a balanced offense to beat the visiting Sacramento Kings 132120 on Thursday. They came back Saturday and scored 34 points off turnovers and rode five double-figure scorers to a 121-99 victory over the Atlanta Hawks in the Smoothie King Center. Saddiq Bey scored 25 points, Jeremiah Fears had 20, Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy had 15 each, and Herb Jones added 11 for the Pelicans (24), who will visit the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night. All but one of the 12 Pelicans who

played scored while Dejounte Murray (birth of his son), Jordan Poole (ankle injury) and Yves Missi (knee) remained sidelined. Pelicans coach Jamahl Mosley said after the victory Thursday night that he was most pleased with his team getting 32 assists on 50 field goals. It had another strong effort Saturday by getting 27 assists on 43 field goals. Former Pelicans guard CJ McCollum scored 14 points in his first game against his former team, Jalen Johnson and Asa Newell had 13 each, Kingston Flemings and Nickeil Alexander-Walker had 12 each, Lu Dort added 11 and Aaron Wiggins scored 10 to lead the Hawks (3-4). Atlanta made just 8 of 46 on 3-pointers (17%) and New Orleans took just 17, making seven for 41%. The Pelicans shot 57% from the floor overall. It

was the first time New Orleans took fewer than 20 3-pointers in a game since April 1, 2023, when it took 17 against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Pelicans had a 63-48 lead after a first half in which they led by double figures for all but the first eight minutes, but McCollum scored the first five points of the third quarter to trim the margin to 10. Fears and Williamson scored on consecutive layups, and Karlo Matkovic — who finished with a game-high 10 rebounds — later added a 3-pointer that extended the lead to 74-55. The lead reached 20 on two occasions before New Orleans held a 92-74 lead at the end of the third quarter. The Pelicans expanded the lead to as many as 28 points in the fourth quarter. Their defense, which had 18 steals

ä See PELICANS, page 6C

STAFF PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER

Atlanta Hawks guard Aaron Wiggins dribbles the ball in front of New Orleans Pelicans guard Saddiq Bey on Saturday night at the Smoothie King Center.

2C F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F nola.com F The Times-Picayune

lll

BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS On TV AUTO RACING 1 p.m. NASCAR Cup: Martinsville NBC 2 p.m. F1: Ciudad de México APPLETV 4 p.m. NHRA Las Vegas Nationals FS1 MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL 8:30 a.m. Notre Dame vs. Villanova FOX WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL 11 a.m. Notre Dame vs. Villanova FS1 MEN’S COLLEGE HOCKEY 7:30 p.m. Michigan at Ohio St. BTN WOMEN’S COLLEGE SOCCER noon Arkansas at Kentucky ESPNU noon Ole Miss at Texas A&M SECN 3 p.m. Florida St. at Miami ACCN WOMEN’S COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL 11 a.m. Georgia Tech at Louisville ACCN noon Texas A&M at Texas ABC 1 p.m. Boston College at North Carolina ACCN

Sovereignty regroups to win Breeders’ Cup Classic BY GARY B. GRAVES

Associated Press

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Sovereignty surged past Knightsbridge in the stretch and held off The Puma to win the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic by 1¾ lengths on Saturday, one year after missing the marquee race because of a fever. Ridden by Junior Alvarado, Sovereignty was in the hunt at the final turn and overtook his stablemate on the outside of four horses. He then withstood charges from defending Classic winner Forever Young and The Puma before going on to his second consecutive victory. Last year’s Kentucky Derby, Belmont and Travers Stakes winner covered 1¼ mile in 2 minutes, 0.36 seconds at Keeneland, giving Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott his third Classic victory and first since 2011. Last year’s top overall horse and 3-yearold paid $5.94, $4.16 and $2.94 at the season-ending World Championships. The Puma returned $11.22 and $6.10 while Knightsbridge paid $3.76. Next were Japan-bred T O Password and Forever Young, the 8-5 favorite who sought a second consecutive Classic victory. He faded after running among the leaders. Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Golden Tempo was never a factor, running last for much of the race and finishing sixth. In Saturday’s other races at Keeneland: n Nitrogen won the $2 million Distaff by two lengths with Kentucky Derbywinning jockey Jose Ortiz aboard, a year after a runnerup finish at Del Mar. n Jockey Kendrick Carmouche and trainer Miguel Clement got their first Breeders’ Cup victories as Deterministic held off favorite Notable Speech by ¾ of a length in the $2 million Mile. n Japan-based favorite T O Elvis rallied to chase down Englishman in the final 1/16 to win the $2 million Sprint and give jockey Ryusei Sakai his second Breeders’ Cup victory. n Further Ado came on down the stretch and dueled Owen Almighty side by side before winning the $1 million Dirt Mile at the wire in a photo finish. The favorite started on the rail and was fifth on the backstretch before finding room outside to draw even with Owen Almighty. n Kathynmarissa overtook Gimme a Nother in the stretch to win the $2 million Filly & Mare Turf, paying $13.24 at 5-1 odds for her third consecutive victory. n Favorite Ways and Means surged from fourth on the backstretch to the lead by the final turn and pulled away to win the $1 million Filly & Mare Sprint opener by 6¼ lengths over Foie Gras. Chad Brown’s 5-year-old mare earned her third consecutive victory and eighth in 14 career starts.

1 p.m. 2 p.m. 2 p.m. 3 p.m. 4 p.m. 5 p.m.

Ohio St. at Illinois BTN Tennessee at Missouri ESPN2 Oklahoma at Auburn SECN Maryland at Washington BTN Mississippi St. at Alabama SECN Wisconsin at UCLA BTN FIGURE SKATING 11 a.m. Grand Prix of Figure Skating NBC 2 p.m. Grand Prix of Figure Skating NBCSN GERMAN LEAGUE BASKETBALL 11 a.m. Baskets Bonn vs. ALBA Berlin NBATV GOLF 11:30 a.m. PGA Tour: Mexico Open GOLF 2 p.m. Simmons Bank Championship GOLF HORSE RACING 10:30 a.m. America’s Day at the Races FS1 11 a.m. America’s Day at the Races FS2 MARATHON 7 a.m. New York City Marathon ESPN2

IN BRIEF

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

NFL noon Cleveland at Pittsburgh noon Atlanta at Tampa Bay 3:25 p.m. Kansas City at Denver 7:20 p.m. Philadelphia at Washington NHL noon Winnipeg at Carolina 5 p.m. Edmonton at N.Y. Rangers MEN’S SOCCER 7:55 a.m. Blackpool at Sheffield 10:30 a.m. Arsenal at Liverpool 10:30 a.m. Hamburger at Frankfurt 1 p.m. Colorado at Lexington 5 p.m. Phoenix at New Mexico 8:30 p.m. Houston at Portland WOMEN’S SOCCER 8:45 a.m. Ghana vs. Japan 3 p.m. Utah at Gotham TENNIS 9 a.m. Vienna-ATP

CBS FOX CBS NBC NHLN NHLN CBSSN NBCSN USA CBSSN CBSSN FS1 FS2 ESPN TENNIS

Larson isn’t counting on clinching at Martinsville The Associated Press

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — With NASCAR history waiting to be made Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, Kyle Larson acknowledges being tempted by the tantalizing possibility of wrapping up the Cup Series title. But he isn’t counting on becoming the first driver in 23 years to clinch the championship before the season finale. “There are some really good drivers here, so I don’t anticipate clinching anything,” Larson said Saturday before practice and qualifying at Martinsville. “I just want to have a good day and not give up too much before next week. “It’s tough not to look at that and see what could be done this weekend, but what our team does really well is staying focused. Not being too relaxed but also trying not to put too much pressure on yourself. That is what has pushed us through the Chase.” Larson has pushed his championship rivals to the brink with two races remaining. The Hendrick Motorsports star opened a 73-point lead over Denny Hamlin with a lastlap rally for his first victory at Talladega Superspeedway, his third win through eight of 10 races in the Chase. If Larson leaves Martinsville with a 77-point margin, he will be assured of a second consecutive Cup title and his third overall. According to NASCAR analytics firm Racing Insights, Larson is a 92.3% favorite to win the championship this season, which will conclude Nov. 8 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Only seven of 16 drivers in the Chase remain eligible for the title, and only three are within 100 points of Larson — Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Hamlin, Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe. Hamlin leads active drivers at Martinsville in wins (six), top-five finishes (22) and laps led (3,014). It’s been a stressful Chase for Hamlin, who began as

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY BUTCH DILL

Kyle Larson, top right, celebrates with his children Owen, Audrey and Cooper after his win in a NASCAR Cup Series auto race on Oct. 25 in Talladega, Ala.

ä NASCAR Martinsville Speedway. we have nothing to lose, so now 1 P.M. SUNDAY, NBC.

the top seed and favorite to win his first Cup championship but has managed only two top fives, with a best of third. He was in a relaxed mood Saturday while conceding the likelihood that his No. 11 Toyota will again come up short after losing the title to Larson in a heartbreaker at Phoenix Raceway last year. “It’s the first weekend where there’s truthfully little pressure because the expectations are just so low,” said Hamlin, who finished second in the March 29 race at Martinsville while leading 292 laps. “Everyone believes that it’s kind of a foregone conclusion, and I’m not saying they’re wrong by any means. It’s just what have we got to lose at this point? It doesn’t matter to me at this point in my career if I finish second or fifth in the points, so it’s low pressure, high opportunity for the 11 team.” Bell, a 2022 Martinsville winner who is 74 points behind Larson, described it as “throwing Hail Marys” to win the season’s final two races. “We know that’s the only way forward,” Bell said. “In reality,

the pressure is off.” Briscoe, who trails Larson by 79 points as the only other driver with multiple wins in the Chase, said he will be more aggressive with bumping his way through the field at Martinsville, a 0.526-mile oval that is the shortest track on the circuit. But moving the competition aside could be trickier after NASCAR removed energyabsorbing foam and softened bumper structures to discourage slam tactics with the highly durable Next Gen car. Larson has learned to avoid trouble at Martinsville since joining Hendrick Motorsports, which has a record 31 wins at the track. He has been ninth or better with six top fives over the past eight races at Martinsville. A strong result Sunday could make him the first Cup champion to clinch early since Matt Kenseth in 2003, the last season before NASCAR switched to determining the champion over the final 10 races. Larson also could become the first back-toback champion since Jimmie Johnson won five in a row for Hendrick in 2006-10. “It would definitely be an amazing accomplishment for sure,” Larson said.

Keselowski able to explore NASCAR rides, will sell stake in RFK Racing The Associated Press MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Brad Keselowski has been granted permission to pursue other NASCAR opportunities for the 2027 season and will sell his 20% equity stake in Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing. Keselowski announced a month ago that he was leaving the Cup Series team he joined as a driver, competition executive and part-owner five years ago, but he had been restricted from Keselowski exploring rides with other teams despite his driving contract expiring after the 2026 season. He said the team granted him a verbal release Saturday, an hour before his news conference at Martinsville Speedway, and he is allowed to drive for any team or manufacturer in NASCAR next season.

“Now that I’ve been granted the release, I can meaningfully engage in the opportunities that exist. I was more or less taking phone calls and unable to do much with them.” Keselowski wants to remain in the Cup Series but said he also would be open to racing full time in the Craftsman Truck Series, which would give him a shot at becoming the ﬁrst champion in NASCAR’s top three national series. He has some longtime ties with Dodge, which reentered the truck series with its Ram brand this season and is mulling a move into the Cup Series next year. Keselowski won the 2012 Cup championship with Dodge in the manufacturer’s most recent season at NASCAR’s premier level. His late father, Bob, also had a Dodge-afﬁliated truck team. Keselowski has driven the past 14 seasons for Ford with Team Penske, and RFK and said he would consider driving for any manufacturer next season.

“I have not had a meaningful discussion with Dodge or Ram,” he said. “I’m certainly very openminded to it. I haven’t given up on continuing a relationship with Ford, along with Chevrolet and Toyota. Everything’s on the table right now.” Keselowski said he was conﬁdent of continuing a NASCAR national series career that began in 2004. “But there’s a level of uncertainty for sure,” he said. “Nothing comes easy in this sport. We’re going to have to grind really hard to get a deal done for next year.” Keselowski has 36 Cup victories, most recently at Darlington Raceway in May 2024. He has only six top-10 ﬁnishes in 34 starts this season but believes he can still be a winner in NASCAR as a driver, manager and team owner. “To not be able to race would be devastating to me,” he said. “This is my life and career. I’m not ready to be done.”

LSU hoops gets pledge from five-star center Xavier Young, a five-star center in the Class of 2028, has committed to LSU men’s basketball and will reclassify to the Class of 2027, he announced on Saturday. Young is the No. 4 center and No. 11 player nationally in the 2028 class, per the 247Sports Composite. LSU beat out finalists Michigan, Tennessee, Maryland and TCU for his services. He joins a loaded 2027 LSU recruiting class that is currently the No. 1 class in the nation, per the 247Sports Composite. Coach Will Wade has landed commitments from five-star point guard Reese Alston, five-star guard King Gibson and two-sport star Ahmad Hudson, who is a five-star tight end and a top basketball recruit. Alston committed to LSU on Thursday. Gibson pledged Oct. 4.

Astros hire Flores to replace Brown as general manager

HOUSTON — The Houston Astros hired St. Louis Cardinals executive Randy Flores as general manager Friday. Flores replaces Dana Brown, who was let go in August with his contract set to expire at the end of the season. The Astros also need to hire a manager this offseason — Joe Espada’s contract was not renewed after the AL West champions were swept by the Chicago White Sox in their Wild Card Series. The 51-year-old Flores becomes the 15th general manager in franchise history. He had been serving as St. Louis’ assistant general manager of amateur and pro acquisition. The former major league pitcher joined the Cardinals’ front office as director of scouting in 2015 and spent eight seasons (2019-26) as an assistant GM with the club.

Venus Williams loses doubles semifinal in Guangzhou Open

GUANGZHOU, China — Venus Williams has lost in her first WTA Tour semifinal in eight years. The 46-year-old Williams and her Indonesian playing partner Janice Tjen lost to Polina Kuderemetova and Maria Timofeeva 6-4, 6-7 (8), 10-6 in the Guangzhou Open doubles semifinals on Saturday. It marked Williams’ first WTA Tour doubles semifinal appearance since the 2016 Rio Olympics and Wimbledon, and her first tour semifinal since 2018 at Indian Wells, California. Williams was given wild-card entries in both singles and doubles for the WTA 250 tournament in Guangzhou. She lost in singles 6-2, 6-2 on Tuesday to Lilli Tagger in the first round. Williams has lost 16 straight singles matches on tour going back to July 2025.

Fernandez advances to Tokyo final with win over Rakhimova

TOKYO — Leylah Fernandez has advanced to her third WTA final of the year, with a chance to win her second tournament. The Canadian beat Kamilla Rakhimova 7-5, 6-3 Saturday in the semifinals of the WTA’s Pan Pacific Open tennis tournament. In Sunday’s final, Fernandez will play third-seeded Diana Shnaider, who beat teenager Mia Pohankova in the second semifinal Saturday 6-4, 7-6 (7). Fernandez beat Talia Gibson in straight sets to win the Singapore Open in September. She lost to Elena Rybakina in straight sets in the Ningbo Open final last week. Fernandez advanced to the semifinals when top-ranked Rybakina withdrew from their quarterfinal on Friday, handing the Canadian a walkover.

Suns forward Brooks ejected for kicking player in groin

PHOENIX — Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks was ejected Friday night in a 127-120 loss to the Denver Nuggets for kicking Jamal Murray in the groin. Brooks attempted a turnaround jumper in the third quarter with Murray guarding, and when Brooks fell backward he kicked his right leg forward, making contact with Murray. Brooks was called for an offensive foul and Murray was writhing in pain on the court for a few moments before eventually getting up and staying in the game. The ofﬁcials reviewed the play and upgraded the foul to a Flagrant 2, which is an automatic ejection. Brooks was leading the Suns with 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting at the time of his ejection.

lll

The Times-Picayune F nola.com F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F 3C

OUTDOORS

Hunting grounds wither in dry spell FISHING RESULTS

BY JOE MACALUSO Contributing writer

Junior Southwest Bassmasters

Whatever rain falls across our state this weekend won’t be enough to bring enough water to ponds, marshes, fields and forests for the upcoming duck, goose and modern firearms seasons for deer. Through Friday, south Louisiana had been through more than 20 days without measurable rainfall, which meant squirrel hunters Notebook were forced to change tactics to have success in the woods. It was too dry to amble without making a sound through dry leaves and twigs, so hunters scouted for cuttings and staked out cover enough to wait for squirrels to come to them. During October’s special blackbellied whistling duck season, waterfowl hunters reported finding dried-up marsh ponds and that the number of BBW ducks made for good hunts, but the prospect of finding water in the marshes for the big duck season was troublesome. And, the big duck season begins Saturday with a special youths and honorably discharged veterans weekend in advance of the first segment of a 60-day season coming the following weekend. Several deer hunters contacted said there was enough rain to produce good mast crops this year, but the lack of recent rains has left food plots dry and withered.

The commission Strange with duck and deer seasons getting ready to hit full stride, the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission will discuss major freshwater and saltwater fishing items for its 9:30 a.m. meeting Thursday at the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge on Grand Chenier Highway in Grand Chenier. On the freshwater side, the LWFC will consider declaring an emergency and setting up a notice to “adjust largemouth bass regulations on Bussey Brake Reservoir.” The saltwater issue is Wildlife and Fisheries’ marine biologist Jason Adriance reviewing procedures and management changes

MANY — Age-group results from the two-day Junior Southwest Bassmasters-Denham Springs’ October tournament held on Toledo Bend with anglers, their hometowns (when available), number of bass weighed in parentheses (5-bass limit), total weight in pounds and big-bass winners:

FIRST DAY 15-18 Age Group: 1, Aiden Giluso, Hammond (5) 16.78 pounds. 2, Blake LeRay, Brusly (5) 9.36. 3, Landin Sholty, Denham Springs (3) 4.37. Big Bass: Giluso, 7.02 pounds. 11-14 Age Group: 1, Lane LeRay, Brusly (5) 11.66. 2, Khloe Morales, French Settlement (3) 4.77. 3, Hunter Carlson, Holden (1) 4.2. Big Bass: Carlson, 4.2. 7-10 Age Group: 1, Remington Lobell, French Settlement (5) 9.99. 2, Charles Leonard, New Roads (2) 5.08. 3, Nathaniel Watts, Livingston (1) 2.31. Big Bass: Leonard, 3.58. Adult Division: 1, Henry Giluso, Hammond (5) 16.78. 2, Deric Morales, French Settlement (5) 11.68. 3, Ron LeRay, Brusly (5) 11.66. Big Bass: Jake Richard, Port Allen, 3.52.

SECOND DAY 15-18 Age Group: 1, Aiden Giluso, Hammond (3) 8.17. 2, Landin Sholty, Denham Springs (4) 6.37. 3, Blake LeRay, Brusly (3) 6.16. Big Bass: LeRay, 3.09. 11-14 Age Group: 1, Reid Leonard, Walker (4) 6.52. 2, Hunter Carlson, Holden (3) 6.21. 3, Lane LeRay, Brusly (2) 4.64. Big Bass: Grayson Canezaro, Rosedale, 3.98. 7-10 Age Group: 1, Remington Lobell, French Settlement (3) 6.59. 2, Nathaniel Watts, Livingston (1) 1.8. Big Bass: Lobell, 3.5. Adult Division: 1, Ricky Carlson, Holden (5) 15.5. 2, Kerry Lobell, French Settlement (5) 13.8. 3, Joey Leonard, Walker (5) 8.37. Big Bass: Carlson, 4.99.

PROVIDED PHOTO

that a payback should only be triggered if a) state landings exceed the catch limit by more than 10%; b) the state exceeds its limit more than once in three years; c) the state has an overage of any amount while the total private recreational landings from all states exceed the total private recreational catch limit.

Champions

What a haul

James Davis got the Southwest Louisiana High-Powered Club championship off and running last Sunday by taking Slow Fire Standing event with a score of 93, including one bull’s-eye, followed by winning Rapid Fire Sitting out compromising state manage- with a 100 score, which pushed ment of this sector when it comes him to the club’s 2026 champion with a total score of 488-12X. to red snapper. Other winners included Gary In past years, a state was penalized for the number of pounds Schwabe, Rapid Fire Prone, 99-2X; that state exceeded for its annual Dwayne Vidrine, Slow Fire Prone, catch limit. The penalty — called 199-7X & Expert Class, 481-13X; a “payback” — was to reduce the Michael Burke, Master Class, 477catch limit by that excess the fol- 15X; Tony Geeck, Sharpshooter/ Marksman Class, 415-13X; and, lowing ﬁshing year. This new recommendation is Mason D’Antoni, Juniors, 474-9X.

Aiden Giluso brought in the heaviest single-day stringer in the Junior Southwest Bassmasters’ annual trip to Toledo Bend. Giluso won the 15-18 age group with a 16.78-pound, five-bass haul including the big bass, the 7.02 pounder he’s holding in his left hand. The young anglers had to work through a 14-inch minimum-size limit, and Giluso backed up his first-day catch with a winning 8-pound stringer on the second day. “related to spotted (speckled) seatrout and red drum (redﬁsh),” along with his report on landings and sampling done for these two species. The commission is scheduled to learn the 2027 Louisiana Waterfowl Conservation Stamp Competition winner along with taking public comment. The meeting’s live audio/vid-

eo stream will be available via Zoom.

Red snapper During its meeting last week, the Gulf Council took ﬁnal action changing its approach to postseason accountability measures for private recreational red snapper. The change will mean more ﬂexibility on the council’s part with-

CALENDAR THURSDAY

LA. WILDLIFE & FISHERIES COMMISSION MEETING: 9:30 a.m., Wildlife and Fisheries’ Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge, 5476 Grand Chenier Highway, Grand Chenier. JUNIOR SOUTHWEST BASSMASTERS MEETING: 7 p.m., Seminar Room, Bass Pro Shops, Denham Springs. Boys & girls age-group bass tournaments for ages 7-10, 11-14 & 15-18 anglers. Call Jim Breaux, 225-7723026.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY

SALTWATER CATCH & EAT: Galliano Inn headquarters, Golden Meadow. Red Stick Fly Fishers event. Fishing along La. 1. Friday catch/eat supper. Email Randy Leonpacker: RMLeonpacr@bellsouth.net REDFISH CUP: Fisherman’s Wharf, Port Aransas, Texas. Daily weigh-ins 2:45 p.m. Website: bassmaster.com

SATURDAY

NSCA REGISTERED SPORTING CLAYS: Bridge View Gun Club, Port Allen.

HUNTING SEASONS

DUCKS/WEST ZONE: Nov. 7-8, special youth-only & veterans-only weekend. RAILS/GALLINULES: Nov. 7-Jan. 6, statewide. DUCKS/EAST ZONE: Nov. 14, special youth-only & veterans-only day. DUCKS/WEST ZONE: Nov. 14-Dec. 6, ﬁrst segment. DEER/PRIMITIVE FIREARMS: Nov. 1420, State Deer Areas 1, 4, 5, 6 & 9. GEESE/EAST & WEST ZONES: Nov. 14Dec. 6. Includes Canada, blue, snow & Ross’ & specklebellies. Take of Canada geese prohibited in portions of Cameron & Vermilion parishes. DOVES: North Zone: Through Nov. 15; South Zone: through Nov. 29.

DEER/MODERN FIREARMS: Through Nov. 29, State Deer Areas 3, 7, 8 & 10, still-hunt only. DEER/MODERN FIREARMS: Through Dec. 9, with or without dogs. SNIPE: Through Jan. 10, ﬁrst split, statewide. DEER/ARCHERY: Through Jan. 15, State Deer Areas 3, 7, 8 & 10; through Jan. 31, State Deer Areas 1, 2, 4 either-sex take allowed; through Feb. 15, State Deer Areas 5, 6 & 9. RABBITS/SQUIRRELS: Through Feb. 28, statewide, private lands only & selected wildlife management areas.

AROUND THE CORNER

NOV. 9 — RED STICK FLY FISHERS PROGRAM: 7 p.m., Bluebonnet Regional Library, 9200 Bluebonnet Blvd., Baton Rouge. Open to the public. Email Brian Roberts: roberts. brian84@gmail.com. Website: rsff.

Three Rangers decline options Pederson, Higashioka, Junis eligible for free agency

FISHING/SHRIMPING

SHRIMP: Fall inshore season open statewide; all outside waters open. OPEN RECREATIONAL SEASONS: Gray triggerfish; lane, blackfin, queen & silk snappers & wenchmen among other snapper species; all groupers except closed for goliath & Nassau groupers in state/federal waters. CLOSED SEASONS: Recreational & commercial flounder (through Nov. 30); recreational & commercial greater amberjack; private recreational, state & federal charters red

snapper; blueﬁn tuna; gag, goliath & Nassau groupers in state/federal waters.

LDWF UPDATES

CLOSED: Portion of Dobbs Bay Road (Richard Yancey WMA, water control structure construction); Hope Canal Road/boat launch (Maurepas Swamp WMA, levee construction); Reserve Relief Canal Boat Launch by order of Corps of Engineers (Reserve Relief Pump Station construction) with alternate launch locations at Pete’s Landing, the Akers boat ramp & Bonnet Carré Spillway boat launch. DRAWDOWNS: Henderson Lake (through Nov. 2); Cheniere Lake (through Nov. 15); Clear-Smithport Lake (through Nov. 16); Lake Bistineau (through Nov. 30); Chicot Lake & Grand Bayou Reservoir (through Jan. 4); Vernon Lake (through Jan. 5). EMAIL: jmacaluso@theadvocate.com

IRS Back Taxes Got You Worried? These guys helped so much!! Helped me navigate my unfortunate situation with such ease. A BIG thank you... A huge blessing.

“

By The Associated Press ARLINGTON, Texas — Designated hitter Joc Pederson, catcher Kyle Higashioka and right-hander Jakob Junis declined their mutual options with the Texas Rangers, the team said Saturday. All three became eligible for free agency. Pederson, 34, turned down an $18 million option that did not include a buyout, part of a $37 million, two-year contract. The two-time All-Star hit .235 with 26 homers and 53 RBIs in 136 games. He did not play after Sept. 12, when he fractured his left wrist when hit by a pitch.

org NOV. 11 — BUGS & BEERS: 6:30 p.m., Skeeta Hawk Brewing, 455 N. Dorgenois St., New Orleans. Casual fly tying. Open to public. Email A.J. Rosenbohm: ajrosenbohm@gmail. com. Website: neworleansflyfishers. com

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO BY JEFFREY PHELPS

Texas Rangers designated hitter Joc Pederson bats against the Milwaukee Brewers on Aug. 30 in Milwaukee. Higashioka, 36, declined a $7 million option and gets a $1 million buyout, completing a $13.5 million, two-year contract. He hit .218 with seven homers and 18 RBIs in 56 games this year. He played his last major league game on July 20 because of a right ﬂexor strain. Junis turned down a $5

million option and receives a $1.25 million buyout as part of a $4 million, oneyear contract. The 34-yearold was 1-3 with a 3.64 ERA in 52 relief appearances. He didn’t pitch between June 29 and July 18 because of hip impingement and between July 28 and Aug. 15 because of a left adductor strain.

- Catherine

Our Tax Professionals will get you on the phone with the IRS in minutes for FREE. We will help negotiate the best solution for your tax challenge. At PRIORITY TAX, WE'VE GOT YOUR BACK!

CALL NOW FOR FREE CONSULTATION!

888.518.9361 Priority Tax is a private company that identifies qualified consumers who require tax assistance. They are not the IRS, nor a State Taxing Authority. They are not a debt relief company or attorney referral service. Costs and results will vary. RESULTS ARE NOT GUARANTEED. Hiring a tax resolution company is an important decision and should not be based solely on advertisements. There is no charge for a consultation. Call for complete details.

4C F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F nola.com F The Times-Picayune

lll

TULANE 38, CHARLOTTE 31 THREE AND OUT: GUERRY SMITH GIVES HIS TOP THREE TAKEAWAYS FROM TULANE’S ESCAPE AT CHARLOTTE

WHAT WE LEARNED Tulane saved its season for at least another week. For the third time in four victories, the Green Wave trailed late in the fourth quarter before finding a way to win. This time, it came in the form of a fake punt stopped a yard short of a clinching first down, a dramatic two-minute drive that ended on a tying TD with 10 seconds left, a fourth-and-goal sneak for a TD in overtime, and four defensive stops in a row from inside the 5-yard line. As was the case the other times, Tulane has a ton to clean up, but it has a burgeoning star in freshman QB Trace Johnson.

TRENDING NOW A banged-up defense that is getting gouged on the ground. A week after giving up 223 yards rushing to Texas-San Antonio, the Wave allowed the 49ers to run for 216 — the most they have gained against an FBS opponent in two years under coach Tim Albin, and monstrously different from the minus-3 they amassed against Tulane last November. From Khamani Alexander’s 44-yard TD run in the second quarter to Henry Rutledge’s career-best 121 yards on 22 carries, the Wave has issues that need to be fixed pronto. It will be no easy task without injured linebacker Chris Rodgers and tackle Kam Hamilton, but it has to be done.

FINAL THOUGHTS The potential on offense is high the rest of the way. Johnson spread the ball around to seven players on Tulane’s first eight plays during a picture-perfect 92-yard opening drive, and he was doing it again on the next series before what coach Will Hall termed a “bonehead” interception.Tulane has three dangerous running backs with different skill sets in Johnnie Daniels, Maurice Turner and Jaylin Lucas, 11 receivers who caught a pass on Friday and an excellent short-yardage QB in Dagan Bruno. Even an injury-plagued offensive line played better with freshman guard Tylan George starting for the first time.Tulsa will have plenty to prepare for next Saturday.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY NELL REDMOND

Tulane quarterback Trace Johnson carries the ball against Charlotte on Friday in Charlotte, N.C. The Wave won 38-31.

‘Dude is special’ Freshman QB Johnson showed poise under pressure for Green Wave

BY GUERRY SMITH Contributing writer

After watching 18-year-old freshman Trace Johnson lead a dramatic comeback win at Charlotte on Friday night, Tulane coach Will Hall praised him profusely. Aside from a bad interception in the second quarter, Johnson was nearly flawless in his third start, going 28 of 36 for 284 yards. He led a 15-play, 92-yard touchdown drive on the Green Wave’s opening series and guided the offense to three touchdowns and a field goal on its final five possessions. The last two ended in a tying touchdown pass with 10 seconds left in regulation, then the goahead score in overtime after Johnson connected with wide receiver Destyn Hill for 11 yards on third-and-goal from the 12. “I’m going to say he has ice water in his veins,” Hall said. “I love coaching him. Man, the dude is special, and our guys

rallied around him. When he’s in the game, our kids just feel like we’re going to win. He’s got something about him that I’ve seen in my past. Whatever that is that nobody knows how to bottle up, he’s got it.” Johnson’s calmness in a pressure cooker of a game the Wave could not afford to lose was evident from the start, when he completed nine of his first 10 passes and also moved the chains on a third-down scramble. The lone incompletion was a laser through double coverage that Hill dropped for what would have been a big gain. Then, when Tulane needed to go 61 yards in the final 1:52 to send the game into overtime, Johnson kept his cool. He checked to a handoff to Johnnie Daniels that gained 33 yards on third-and-5 early in the drive and scrambled 6 yards to the Charlotte 11 for a first down on third-and-4 with 30 seconds left, setting up his easy scoring toss to tight end Cam Roberts two plays later. Never mind Charlotte’s 1-7 record. The 49ers were coming off a 38-31 win at Temple, and Johnson knew what a season-saving victory could mean. Rather than falling to 3-5 overall and 1-3 in the American Conference, Tulane is back to .500 in both categories during the easi-

est stretch of its schedule. “It’s big time,” he said. “We need to just keep this momentum and let’s keep this thing going because we can.” Johnson was quick to spread around the credit, just as he distributed the ball, completing passes to six wide receivers, three running backs and two tight ends. His completion percentage (77.8%) was the highest for a Tulane starter since Darian Mensah went 18 of 22 (81.8%) against South Florida in 2024, and the best for anyone completing 20 or more passes since Michael Pratt went 27 of 34 (79.4%) against East Carolina in 2022. “We executed well,” Johnson said. “We ran the ball really well tonight (183 yards on 34 carries), and our receivers made plays when they needed to be made. I’m just super excited for our guys. We stepped up.” Johnson also pointed out how Tulane overcame its injuries upfront. The starting offensive line had three sophomores (center Gavin Marks, and tackles Dominic Steward and Reese Baker), redshirt freshman guard Gresham Perry and true freshman guard Tylan George, who started for the ﬁrst time. The young group allowed zero sacks.

Johnson even exhibited maturity beyond his years after his interception, a floater down the sideline into double coverage that gave Charlotte life when the Wave was on the verge of going up 14-0. Cornerback Jameel Croft dropped back into zone coverage unexpectedly before making an easy grab. “I thought the corner did something and he didn’t,” Johnson said. “I thought it was man. I was upset at myself, but I flushed it in about five seconds. I knew we had to go win the game. I got over it quick.” He completed his next six passes and 12 of his next 13 after spending nearly nine minutes of game time on the sideline while Charlotte had three consecutive possessions because of a fumbled kickoff return and a Tulane kickoff return for a touchdown. Hall lauded his final throw, an 11-yarder to Hill near the sideline that allowed the Wave to go for the touchdown on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line rather than settling for a field goal. “He was backed up in third and really long and they had six or seven people at the line of scrimmage,” Hall said. “He left the play on, went through his progression and hit his second read to get us down to the 1.”

Hall gives coach’s insight into crucial situations BY GUERRY SMITH Contributing writer

With all of the drama in Tulane’s 38-31 comeback win at Charlotte on Friday night, there were plenty of talking points as coach Will Hall celebrated a desperately needed result. Here are several of the key questions and his explanation for the thought process. 1. Was the decision to go for it on fourth-and-goal at the 1 on the first possession of overtime automatic? A stop virtually would have guaranteed a loss, but a field goal would have given the 49ers a chance to win with a touchdown. “No hesitation right there,” Hall said. “I’ve been doing this for a long time, and when you get into a situation like that, to kick a field goal and (let) them have the ball second at their place, you’re really putting your team at a disadvantage. We had to go for that.” 2. Charlotte jumped offsides on the fourth-and-goal play, moving the ball a half-yard closer to the goal line. Did that make a difference in short-yardage quarterback Dagan Bruno sneaking — which he did for a touchdown — or handing the ball off to Johnnie Daniels? “It was our plan all the time to draw them offsides,” Hall said. “You know from a half-yard away, a quarterback sneak is virtually impossible to stop. Our kids executed well. Dagan checked to the quarterback sneak. He’s a winner and a tough guy.” 3. Was the punt return unit expecting Charlotte to fake a punt on fourth-and-4 from the Tulane 42 with 1:58 left in regulation? Getting a first down would have allowed the 49ers to run out almost all of the clock on the next three plays. Charlotte gunner Khamani Alexander went in motion from the far right, took a forward flip from the upback and tried to go around the left side. Garrett Mmahat tackled him a yard shy of the sticks. Hall lauded special teams coordinator Chris Forestier. “We actually worked that look this week (in practice),” Hall said. “Chris found that from their past several years ago. When they motioned that guy across, Mmahat saw it coming and he started screaming fake, and we checked out into our fake defense. We did a good job on that side corralling it. Mmahat ran it down and got it to the ground.” Hall added as Tulane waited for Charlotte’s decision during the two-minute timeout, Forestier had the punt return team together on the sideline while defensive coordinator Tayler Polk had the defense ready, and the field goal block team was ready in case the 49ers attempted a 60-yarder. When the punter went on the field, the coaches opted for the punt return team rather than the defense. “I didn’t want them to punt it down there and let the clock bleed and down us on the 1-yard line because they have a good pooch punter,” Hall said. “I wanted to field the punt to save time, and the way they were getting it off, we couldn’t get a block in time.” 4. Hall appeared hot when he addressed quarterback Trace Johnson as he came to the sideline after a run up the middle on third-and-9 from the Charlotte 14 picked up 5 yards, forcing the Wave to settle for a field goal that cut the deficit to 31-24 with 6:29 left. What was he saying? “There was a lot going on with that play,” Hall said. “That play could have been an explosive for a touchdown, but I was just dadgum mad we didn’t get it. I wasn’t necessarily mad at Trace. That was his check for that look. We’ve probably got to have something better as coaches for that particular time, but we’ve got the numeric numbers to hit that right through the middle and score.”

lll

The Times-Picayune F nola.com F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F 5C

COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAME OF THE WEEK

SEC ROUNDUP

takes Indiana slips past Minnesota in OT Georgia advantage of BY MICHAEL MAROT

4 turnovers to beat Florida

AP sportswriter

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana coach Curt Cignetti always believed in backup quarterback Grant Wilson. When the seventh-year player got his chance Saturday, he delivered. Wilson took over for the injured Josh Hoover in the second half and threw a 25-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime to help No. 4 Indiana rally for a 23-16 victory over Minnesota. The defense closed out the win by sacking Minnesota quarterback Drake Lindsey on fourth down to end it. “This is entertainment, so I thought we’d bring some entertainment to this game,” Cignetti joked. “Minnesota played great and we just made some plays, but this team just finds a way (to win).” Indiana (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten) needed overtime for the second straight week to avoid a damaging second loss as it tries to repeat as national champions. Last week, the Hoosiers won 13-6 at Michigan. This one appeared to be over when the Golden Gophers (53, 3-2) took a 16-13 lead with 19 seconds left on Luke Drzewiecki’s career long 60-yard field goal. But Charlie Becker’s 33-yard catch on the next play from scrimmage set up Paddy McAteer for a career-long 60-yarder to tie the score as time expired. It marked the second season in Big Ten history that multiple field goals of 60 or more yards were made — and it happened in the same game. For Minnesota, it was a crushing blow after leading most of the game on the road and on national television. Instead, the Gophers fell to 0-13 against defending national champs, and they still have beaten Top 25 opponents in back-to-back weeks since 1956.

The Associated Press

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY DOUG MCSCHOOLER

Minnesota running back TJ Thomas, center right, leaps away from a tackle by Indiana defensive back Preston Zachman, left, during a game on Saturday in Bloomington, Ind. “They made some big-time plays, and we did everything we could to put ourselves in position to win,” Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said. “But our kids never blink, never back down. We expected to win this game. That’s a hurt locker room in there.” Indiana pulled Hoover at halftime after he took a big shot on his second interception of the season, and two late replay reviews overturned potential game-winning situations — one erased a go-ahead TD pass, the other took away an interception that would have put Indi-

may have been even worse the offense Saturday. It started with a 5-yard running into the kicker penalty on the first punt of the game though Fleck argued it should have been a 15yard roughing the kicker call. Billy Gowers’ punts of 15 and 27 yards in the first half set up Minnesota’s first two scores as the Gophers took a 10-7 halftime lead. And Nico Radicic had a 52yard field goal blocked, missed a 31-yard field goal wide left and never got to try a 27-yarder Not so special with 9:11 left in regulation beIndiana’s not so special teams cause of a bad snap.

ana deep in Minnesota territory with 2:59 left in regulation. Wilson was 9-of-17 for 156 yards and one score after Hoover went 8-of-19 for 119 yards with one TD and the interception in the ﬁrst half. Becker caught eight passes for 149 yards and the decisive score. Quarterback Drake Lindsey led Minnesota by going 20 of 37 with 120 yards and one TD. Javon Tracy had seven receptions for 40 yards.

TOP 25 ROUNDUP

Castellanos gets start to help Texas Tech best Arizona The Associated Press LUBBOCK, Texas — Tommy Castellanos threw two touchdown passes and ran for 117 yards and a score as the starter over Will Hammond, and No. 13 Texas Tech beat No. 22 Arizona 34-26 on Saturday in a matchup that was pivotal to the Big 12 title and College Football Playoff hopes of both teams. J’Koby Williams ran 64 yards for a decisive touchdown and finished with 175 yards as the Red Raiders (7-1, 4-1 Big 12) tied a school record with their 13th consecutive home victory a week after a loss to Cincinnati that led to the benching of Hammond. Noah Fifita finished with 417 yards passing and a 94-yard touchdown to Isaiah Mizell, who had 182 yards receiving for his third consecutive game with at least 100 yards — the first three of the sophomore’s career. The Wildcats (6-2, 3-2) had a five-game winning streak stopped while losing freshman receiver R.J. Mosley to an apparently serious left leg injury. Both teams entered the game tied for second in the Big 12 behind undefeated No. 6 Utah. NO. 5 NOTRE DAME 35, NAVY 13: In Foxborough, Massachusetts, CJ Carr passed for 210 yards and two touchdowns, and Nolan James added TD runs of 52 and 23 yards to help No. 5 Notre Dame pull away for its ninth straight victory over Navy. James finished with nine carries for 107 yards. Jonaz Walton added a 3-yard touchdown run, and Jerome Bettis had a 31-yard TD catch for the Fighting Irish (7-1), who successfully bounced back after their road loss at BYU two weeks ago. Quarterback Jackson Gutierrez rushed 28 times for 110 yards for the Midshipmen (2-6), who haven’t won a game in the long-running series since 2016. SYRACUSE 30, NO. 19 SMU 27: In Syracuse, New York, Steve Angeli hit little-used tight end

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY ANNIE RICE

Texas Tech quarterback Tommy Castellanos, left, runs with the ball as Arizona defensive lineman Tre Smith attempts to tackle him during a game on Saturday in Lubbock, Texas. Noah Meyers on a 2-yard scoring strike with 17 seconds to go and Syracuse defeated No. 19 SMU. The Orange (4-4, 2-4 ACC) got the ball on their own 32-yard line with 3:36 remaining while trailing 27-23. Angeli led Syracuse on an 11-play drive capped by Meyers’ second career touchdown for the Orange. Meyers, a transfer from Western Kentucky, had six receptions for 73 yards entering the game. It was Syracuse’s first win over a ranked team since Nov. 30, 2024. IOWA 30, NO. 25 WISCONSIN 0: In Iowa City, Iowa, Hank Brown threw for 222 yards and two touchdowns, and Iowa’s defense shut out No. 25 Wisconsin for the second consecutive year. The Hawkeyes (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten), eighth in the nation in scoring defense, posted their third shutout of the season. They held the Badgers (5-3, 3-2) to 235 yards, including 52 rushing yards, in a game reminiscent of last season’s 37-0 victory.

NO. 14 WAKE FOREST 51, VIRGINIA 7: In Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Ty Clark scored on three short runs, Gio Lopez threw a touchdown pass and Connor Calvert kicked three ﬁeld goals Saturday as No. 14 Wake Forest posted a runaway win over Virginia to stretch its winning streak to ﬁve. Wake Forest (7-1, 4-1 ACC) posted the second biggest margin of victory over the Cavaliers (4-5, 2-4 ACC) in the 54-game history of the series. In their last four games, the Demon Deacons have surrendered four touchdowns while scoring 187 points. OREGON 34, NO. 20 NORTHWESTERN 26: In Eugene, Oregon, Dylan Raiola completed 22 of 31 passes for 336 yards and three touchdowns to help Oregon rally to beat No. 20 Northwestern. Raiola made his second straight start for the Ducks (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) with Dante Moore ruled out for the season. Aidan Chiles was 22 of 38 for 281 yards and a touchdown for Northwestern (6-2, 3-2). He ran

for 93 yards and another TD late in the second quarter, his 10th of the season. NO. 8 BYU 27, ARIZONA STATE 20: In Provo, Utah, Bear Bachmeier threw for 236 yards and a touchdown to lead No. 8 BYU to a victory over Arizona State. The Cougars (7-1, 4-1 Big 12) shut out the Sun Devils in the fourth quarter to pull away for the win. After Matthias Dunn put BYU ahead for good on a 45-yard field goal, Sione Moa punched it in from a yard out to seal the victory with 2:09 left. Cardae Mack totaled 170 allpurpose yards to lead Arizona State. Jake Fette threw for 166 yards and two touchdowns. The Sun Devils (4-4, 2-3) lost to a Top-10 opponent on the road for the third time this season. NO. 7 UCLA 27, NEVADA 0: In Pasadena, California, Ty Dieffenbach threw for one touchdown and scored another, and seventh-ranked UCLA’s defense forced three interceptions in the first quarter in a rout of Nevada to improve to 8-0 for the first time since 2005. It was UCLA’s first shutout at the Rose Bowl since beating Oregon 16-0 on Nov. 24, 2007. The Bruins had been favored by 22½ points over the Wolf Pack (3-5). UCLA punctuated the game with its fourth interception in the final seconds by defensive back Ty Lee. NO. 6 UTAH 49, CINCINNATI 25: In Cincinnati, Devon Dampier threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns and No. 6 Utah extended the nation’s longest active winning streak with a victory over Cincinnati. The Utes (8-0, 5-0, Big 12) have won 14 straight games, longest active streak in FBS and their longest since winning 16 straight from Dec. 20, 2007, to Sept. 12, 2009. The Utes are 8-0 for the first time since 2010 and have won 10 consecutive Big 12 games. The Bearcats (5-3, 2-3) were coming off an upset of previously unbeaten Texas Tech.

ATLANTA — Chris Cole returned a fumble recovery 66 yards for a touchdown and No. 3 Georgia took advantage of four turnovers by No. 17 Florida to beat the Gators 27-8 on Saturday. Tramell Jones, Florida’s second quarterback, fumbled when sacked by Quintavius Johnson late in the ﬁrst half. Cole picked up the loose ball and scored on his second long fumble return of the season. Cole also scored on an 85-yard return in Georgia’s 41-13 win over Oklahoma on Sept. 26. Georgia (7-1, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) enjoyed a strong recovery from its last-second 27-24 loss to Auburn on Oct. 17. Florida (5-3, 3-3) was unable to deliver a second-straight win over a top 10 team following its 27-24 upset of No. 7 Texas. Georgia outrushed Florida 21748 in gaining its sixth consecutive win in the rivalry. Aaron Philo struggled in his return as Florida’s starting quarterback after missing the Texas game with a right shoulder injury. Philo was benched after throwing two interceptions, including one on an underhanded heave when pressured that was picked off by Ellis Robinson. Philo’s second interception was high but through the hands of Eric Singleton and picked off by Demello Jones. Jones suffered his own turnover woes. After having his fumble returned for a touchdown with only 29 seconds remaining in the ﬁrst half, he led a long thirdquarter drive end when his pass from the Georgia 3 intended for Singleton was intercepted in the end zone by cornerback Braylon Conley. NO. 12 OLE MISS 45, AUBURN 15: In Oxford, Mississippi, Trinidad Chambliss threw for 263 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another and No. 12 Ole Miss pulled away for a win over Auburn. Leading 17-15, Chambliss had a 26-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter to give Ole Miss a nine-point lead. He added a 6-yard TD pass to Caleb Cunningham and a 28-yarder to Horatio Fields in the fourth quarter for Ole Miss (6-2, 4-2 SEC). Chambliss was 22 of 34 passing and rushed for 65 yards on seven carries. Backup quarterback Deuce Knight scored on a 17-yard run to complete a 21-point fourth quarter for the Rebels. Brown was 25-for-38 for 195 yards and a touchdown passing and rushing for Auburn (4-4, 2-4). SOUTH CAROLINA 42, OKLAHOMA 25: In Norman, Oklahoma, LaNorris Sellers passed for 301 yards and three touchdowns, and South Carolina’s defense limited Oklahoma to 118 yards and 10 points through three quarters of a win on Saturday. Sellers, who also ran for 96 yards and two scores, threw touchdown passes of 84 yards to DJ Black and 79 yards to Mazeo Bennett to help South Carolina (53, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) build a 35-10 lead on the way to its third straight win. The offense came to life for Oklahoma (4-4, 2-3) in the fourth quarter, with John Mateer throwing a pair of scoring passes to Ivan Carreon to help the Sooners cut into the lead.

AP PHOTO BY COLIN HUBBARD

Florida quarterback Aaron Philo throws an interception during a game against Georgia on Saturday in Atlanta.

6C F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F nola.com F The Times-Picayune

lll

Analysts see QB Leavitt as toss-up for NFL draft

BY KOKI RILEY

MARKS

Continued from page 1C But things are starting to click for the Arizona State transfer. Leavitt has completed 75% of his passes in his last ﬁve contests, and he has nine touchdowns to just one pick in his last three outings. He leads the SEC in passing yards with 2,173. If he stays in rhythm, he easily could have an A by season’s end.

Staff writer

Running backs: B+

When Todd McShay watches Sam Leavitt, he sees one of the most talented quarterbacks eligible for this year’s draft class. McShay, an NFL draft analyst at The Ringer, admires Leavitt’s arm talent and ability to make off-platform throws. He loves that the LSU quarterback isn’t afraid to launch balls into tight windows and can extend plays with his legs. McShay believes Leavitt is one of the best quarterbacks in a deep 2027 draft class. But does McShay believe he should forgo his final year of eligibility and declare for the draft this winter? “Knowing the history of the NFL drafting quarterbacks,” McShay said, “and the correlation between game experience and long-term NFL success ... I’d love to see him back for another year, and we could all wait for the 2028 draft. He’s definitely heading into a trajectory of being an early first-round pick.” But Leavitt’s play over the last few weeks has him in a position where his NFL future could start a year early, placing him in the conversation as a potential first- or secondround pick. Leavitt has completed at least 70% of his passes in each of his last five games, throwing 14 touchdown passes in that span. Gunner Stockton of Georgia is the only Southeastern Conference quarterback with a higher Total QBR than Leavitt this season. “Most of the grades that I heard from NFL scouts coming into the season were in that second-round range,” Dane Brugler, an NFL draft analyst for The Athletic, said. “Based on the first month of the season, I think that seems maybe a little generous, but he’s playing more on that level lately.” Leavitt’s first few performances at LSU weren’t always pretty. He threw an interception in each of his first six games, including three against Louisiana Tech. He struggled to align his feet with his upper-body mechanics, leading to inaccurate throws. He was too eager to bail on his reads and rely on his legs to make plays. But since he suffered a hamstring injury against Texas A&M in Week 4, Leavitt’s mechanics have improved, and he’s been more willing to stay in the pocket and progress through his reads. “(The injury) kind of forced him to remove that from the forefront of his mind, ‘Well, if it’s not there, I’m just going to (run),’ ” McShay said. “ ‘(Instead) I’ve gotta go through my reads. “I’ve got to stay patient in this pocket. I can trust what the read is and where my eyes should go.’ ” Whether this uptick in production leads to Leavitt leaving for the NFL this winter comes down to two things. How does he perform against Alabama, Texas and Tennessee — the three best defenses on the schedule? And what happens to the rest of this year’s talented but inconsistent quarterback class? Oregon’s Dante Moore, Texas’ Arch Manning and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers have been discussed as potential first-round picks, but they’ve all struggled enough

Dilin Jones has been the workhorse. Not only does the Wisconsin transfer have 657 yards rushing but he also has 217 receiving. He’s also a plus pass protector. It’s typical for one back to carry the load in Kifﬁn’s offense, but it is slightly disappointing LSU hasn’t found a reliable complement to Jones. Harlem Berry and Stacy Gage totaled 235 yards versus McNeese State but have combined for 133 the rest of the year. Caden Durham, who has 36 yards, was LSU’s No. 2 back against Auburn.

Receivers/tight ends: B+ Tight end Trey’Dez Green was on pace for a breakout season before he was shelved by a knee injury. He’s had at least 50 yards in all four of his games this season, including his return versus Auburn last weekend. In Green’s absence, wideout Jackson Harris has emerged, racking up 517 of his 634 yards over the last month. Those are two major positives for a receiving corps that has room to grow. Winston Watkins has 487 yards but has dropped some passes.

Offensive line: B

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY BUTCH DILL

LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt looks to pass during the first half against Auburn on Oct. 24 in Auburn, Ala.

“Most of the grades that I heard from NFL scouts coming into the season were in that second-round range. Based on the first month of the season, I think that seems maybe a little generous, but he’s playing more on that level lately.” DANE BRUGLER, NFL draft analyst for The Athletic that they could return to school next year. Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker has flashed immense potential but lacks experience relative to his peers. Southern Cal’s Jayden Maiava, Minnesota’s Drake Lindsey, Missouri’s Austin Simmons, Miami’s Darian Mensah, Notre Dame’s CJ Carr and Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss could all be picked in the first couple of rounds, but they are not viewed as slam-dunk prospects. Leavitt likely sits with the second group of quarterback prospects, but his exact standing is unclear, especially given the uncertainty surrounding which quarterbacks will declare for the draft. “Of the guys that have that ability to go in or out, (Leavitt) is one of the ones I’m kind of earmarking (where) I’m kind of 50-50 on,” Fran Duffy, an NFL draft analyst for ALLCITY Network, said. “Whereas Arch, I’m kind of leaning towards him going back. Dante Moore, I kind of think I’m leaning towards him going back now that he’s out for the year. LaNorris Sellers, I think I’d probably lean toward him going back to school.” If Leavitt stays at LSU for a second season, McShay believes his development could mirror what happened to Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix. Daniels parlayed a second season at LSU into a Heisman Trophy and the No. 2 overall pick in the draft. Nix’s second year at Oregon made him a Heisman finalist and a first-

rounder. Joe Burrow’s second year at LSU turned him into a Heisman winner and the No. 1 overall pick. But staying for an extra season in college hasn’t always paid off. Moore passed up the chance to become a top-10 pick in last year’s draft, then suffered a season-ending concussion four games into this season. Nagging oblique and abdominal pain stripped Garrett Nussmeier from what could’ve been a resumeboosting fifth year in college. McShay is aware of these cautionary tales, and Brugler acknowledges that the guessing game with this year’s quarterback class could change the calculus of Leavitt’s decision. But McShay has always believed quarterback prospects should develop in college and make sure they’re as ready as possible for the NFL before making the leap. “I’m texting Lane (Kiffin) this summer, how excited I was to get to see Sam in that system, and to know what Lane has been able to do for quarterbacks in his history,” McShay said. “And just most recently with Jaxson Dart. Like, what was Jaxson Dart before he became firstround draft pick Jaxson Dart? What was Trinidad Chambliss before, and what is he now? “And I’ve always thought that the best plan for Sam is a two-year plan in Baton Rouge.”

It had six steals among the Hawks’ eight turnovers, leading to 16 New Orleans points, in the first period. Continued from page 1C Atlanta shot just 30% from the floor, including 2 of 11 on 3-pointers, while against the Kings, finished with 15 the Pelicans shot 56%, including 3 of 9 on 3-pointers, in taking a 35-18 lead at against the Hawks. New Orleans picked up where it left the end of the first quarter. Bey made a jumper to start the secoff against Sacramento.

ond-quarter scoring before the Hawks crept within 41-31 on a 3-pointer by Wiggins. Williamson made a layup to complete a 9-0 run that pushed the lead back to 18. Dyson Daniels scored Atlanta’s ﬁnal four points to help it trim the lead to 63-48 at halftime.

PELICANS

SAINTS

2.55 seconds

According to NexGenStats, Shough has been pressured on 106 of his 288 drop-backs. While the Getting Travis Etienne back in overall 35.8% pressure rate isn’t the mix should help, but this prob- bad compared to the rest of the lem is too big to rely on one player NFL — it’s right in the middle of the pack — the problem has been as the solution. with quick pressure. 54.5% On average, opposing defenses New Orleans has faced a third- are generating pressure within and-7 or longer on 54.5% (54 of 99) 2.55 seconds of the snap. That is of its third-down attempts. Only the seventh-fastest time to pressix teams have faced more situa- sure allowed in the NFL. tions where they needed 7 or more +55.2 yards to convert third downs. While New Orleans has been efNew Orleans certainly wanted to fective converting those plays — it have rookie receiver Jordyn Tyson has converted 9 of 20 third downs on the ﬁeld by this point, but Chris between 7 and 9 yards — consis- Olave and Devaughn Vele have tently being in third-and-long is formed one of the better 1-2 wide not a healthy place for an offense receiver punches in the NFL in his to operate. That is especially true absence. Olave ranks among the NFL since the Saints have issues proleaders in receptions and receivtecting Shough.

Continued from page 1C

The offensive line doesn’t receive glowing marks from Pro Football Focus. Only center Braelin Moore ranks in the top 50 at his position with a season grade of 70.9. The average of the LSU front ﬁve is a 62.2, including a 65.3 from left tackle Jordan Seaton. While this hasn’t been an overly dominant unit, LSU ranks ﬁfth in the SEC in both sacks allowed (13) and rushing yards per game (192). That’s a massive improvement for a program that ranked dead-last in the SEC in rushing in 2025.

Defensive line: AKiffin wants edge rushers who can change a game with a quarterback takedown, and Princewill Umanmielen and Jordan Ross have been worth the investment. Umanmielen is second in the SEC with 8.5 sacks, along with a team-high 12 tackles for loss. Ross has five sacks to go with 9.5 tackles for loss. Both have 29 quarterback pressures. Deuce Geralds, a freshman, has flashed the most on the interior with 25 tackles, five sacks and five tackles for loss. Kiffin wants to see more consistency inside, but LSU is tops in the SEC in run defense, allowing 83.4 yards per game. They’ve been good enough.

Linebackers: AWhit Weeks and TJ Dottery had the makings of one of the top linebacker duos in the country, but Weeks went down with a lower-leg injury versus Texas A&M. Dottery has kept pace with a team-high 60 tackles. He has an 85.9 defensive grade from PFF, which ranks 20th nationally among linebackers. Davhon Keys doesn’t offer as much as Weeks in coverage, but he’s been a solid run-stopper with 43 tackles.

Secondary: ALSU hasn’t always been tested because Clemson, Texas A&M and Auburn aren’t elite passing teams, but Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and Kentucky QB Kenny Minchey had some success. LSU ranks ﬁfth in the SEC and 28th nationally with seven interceptions, as well as 19th in the country in pass defense, allowing just under 173 yards per contest. Sophomore DJ Pickett is not only a rare cover corner at 6-foot-4 but also has been physical in run support. Safety Ty Beneﬁeld has been versatile, featuring in the tackle box with Dashawn Spears out. Tamarcus Cooley has been reliable on the back end.

Specialists: C+ Kifﬁn would prefer not to see Scott Starzyk attempt nine ﬁeld goals of 30 yards or less, but at least he made eight of those chip shots when LSU settled. Starzyk split two deeper kicks in the opener, making a 49-yarder and missing from 48. It hasn’t been the best year for Grant Chadwick. LSU ranks 124th nationally in net punting, pushing its opponents back an average of 35.8 yards. It doesn’t help the grade that LSU gave up a 55-yard punt return for a TD at Kentucky.

Email Koki Riley at koki.riley@ theadvocate.com.

ing yards, and he is on pace to shatter the career-best numbers he posted last season. Vele has served as an ideal complement to Olave’s slashing style, giving the Saints a big-bodied possession receiver whom they can lean on to move the chains and make plays in the low red zone. Olave and Vele have combined to post +55.2 Expected Points Added, more than the combined total for Bengals stars Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins (+54.2).

48 Defensively, the Saints have allowed exactly 24 explosive plays in both the pass and run games, with explosive plays being deﬁned as passes that gain 20 or more yards and runs that gain 10 or more yards. Only four teams have allowed more explosive runs than the Saints through seven weeks, and

STAFF PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU safety Tamarcus Cooley, left, celebrates an interception against McNeese State on Oct. 3 in Tiger Stadium.

only three have allowed more explosive pass plays. Put it all together, and the Saints are allowing more explosive plays than any other NFL franchise. This has been one of the more disappointing aspects of the defensive performance this season, because it was one of its strengths a year ago. If the Saints maintain their current pace, they will allow 116 explosive plays. Last season, that number was 96.

7 Chase Young entered the bye week with seven sacks, half a sack behind Houston star Will Anderson’s league-leading total. Young became the 13th player in Saints history to record seven sacks through the team’s first seven games.

2-0, 0-5 Sometimes the simplest stats of-

fer the easiest explanations. When the Saints have won the turnover battle, they are 2-0. Those takeaways were crucial in both of those victories, as the Saints won by one possession each time. When the Saints have lost the turnover battle, they are 0-5. Again, turnovers have loomed large in those games. New Orleans blew an 11-point lead against Las Vegas by turning it over on four straight fourth-quarter possessions; it turned it over inside the Steelers 5-yard line last week in a game it lost by six; it had a minus-2 turnover margin against Detroit in a game it lost by one in overtime; it turned it over deep in its own territory against the Vikings and Falcons when the games were still close. Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@ theadvocate.com.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, November 1, 2026 ✦ 7C

lll

Lawyers assess LSU eligibility cases ä LSU UNO at LSU.

BY TOYLOY BROWN III

Staff writer

7 P.M. TUESDAY, SECN+

Will Wade admitted he took a “calculated risk” in crafting an LSU roster that currently has six players who weren’t guaranteed eligibility. “I understand we went a little bit overboard, but everybody else has one or two of them,” Wade said at the Rotary Club of Baton Rouge on Oct. 7. “I figure if you’re going to dive in, you might as well not dip your toe. Just dive head first and let’s go.” The risk mostly paid off as five of those six players have nothing preventing them from playing in the season opener against LSU New Orleans on Nov. 3. Gilad Levy, a 7-foot-3 center from Israel, is the only one remaining not cleared. To better understand if those five players will remain eligible for the remainder of the season, The Advocate spoke to two lawyers. Attorney Emily Staker of Christine Brown and Partners answered questions related to the UCLA fifth-year transfer guards Donavan Dent and Skyy Clark. Attorney Don Jackson, the principal of The Sports Group who has more than 30 years of experience in sports law, discussed the process of getting the three LSU overseas players he represented

cleared to play college basketball. Those players are Croatian center Michael Ruzic, French center Brice Dessert and Italian-Senegalese wing Saliou Niang. Jackson, who has a track record of helping international athletes gain eligibility, didn’t represent Levy.

Fifth-year transfers Dent and Clark received court rulings that effectively extended their eligibility for the upcoming season through separate lawsuits in California and Kentucky, respectively. But the NCAA has shown it will work to appeal every ruling that isn’t in its favor. “They want power over college athletics,” Staker said of the NCAA. “They see that if they don’t zealously pursue this and try and enforce their eligibility rules as aggressively as possible, there is a serious risk of schools, athletes getting the impression that if they don’t like an NCAA rule, they can run to the court and have the court change it.” This motivation is why Staker, a Washington state-licensed attor-

ney of seven years, expected the NCAA to move quickly to request a stay and appeal in these cases where fifth-year players gained eligibility. On Friday, it tried to do that in Clark’s lawsuit, which granted a temporary injunction for a fifth season to more than 30 plaintiffs on Oct. 16. The Kentucky Court of Appeals denied the NCAA’s request for an emergency stay that would’ve made Clark ineligible to play. Its hope for an appeal will continue before a three-judge panel. Staker said nothing is stopping the NCAA from continuing to go through a similar attempt to stay and appeal Dent’s lawsuit and others across the country. Wade is aware the eligibility status of his likely starting backcourt could fluctuate depending on a court decision, he said Thursday. He was asked whether there is a contingency plan if one or both miss time. “We’re all in at this point,” Wade said. “We’ve been all in since the day school started, so I mean, there’s no contingencies. We are what we are at this point. So look, we’ve got everybody eligible for now, and you know we’ll certainly see how all that shakes out.”

International players Wade saide the majority of his team is permanently eligible, including his three international commitments the NCAA cleared. Ruzic, 20, was granted eligibility three hours before the team’s ﬁrst exhibition against McNeese State on Oct. 8. Niang, 22, and Dessert, 23, were cleared Oct. 20 and played in the Tigers’ last exhibition against Florida State on Oct. 24. Their lawyer doesn’t foresee the trio’s eligibility status changing. “No, I couldn’t imagine any circumstance where that occurred,” Jackson said. International athletes have to be verified by the NCAA Eligibility Center, which determines whether a prospective athlete can play college sports in the U.S. The decision is primarily based on academic and amateurism certiﬁcation, Jackson said. Jackson has worked with many athletes who have gone through the process, including Turkish center Omer Yurtseven, who joined NC State in 2016, and Guinean forward Mamadi Diakite, who arrived at Virginia the same year and helped the Cavaliers win the national championship in the 201819 season. Jackson also represented Nige-

rian center Charles Bassey, who played for current LSU associate head coach Rick Stansbury at Western Kentucky beginning in 2018. Part of the challenge in getting the LSU players cleared stemmed from inconsistencies in the NCAA Eligibility Center’s cost-benefit analysis on athletes. “The whole interpretive process has changed in effect three times during this one certification cycle,” Jackson said. He said that the amount of money an international player made playing professionally has been a factor in the NCAA’s process of deeming amateurism. Jackson said players can retain their amateur status as long as the compensation they receive “balances out” their actual expenses. Those necessary expenses can include training costs and out-of-pocket medical expenses. Levy is the only LSU player on the roster unable to play in the opener. Wade explained why he expects the 24-year-old to be cleared. “He was in the military, so there’s a military exemption,” Wade said. “What he looks like on paper, you can subtract three years from that in terms of eligibility is concerned. We’ve turned in the last of his stuff. I anticipate he’ll be ﬁne.”

SCOREBOARD Holes-in-one

Saturday, October 17: Golden State 68, Atlanta 64 Monday, October 19: Atlanta 79, Golden State 65 Wednesday, October 21: Atlanta 97, Golden State 71 Saturday, October 24: Golden State 67, Atlanta 62 Monday, October 26: Golden State 64, Atlanta 55 Thursday, October 29: Atlanta 80, Golden State 69 Saturday, October 31: Golden State 68, Atlanta 63

Kevin Reed

Course: The University Club Hole: No. 16 Yardage: 126 yards Club: Pitching wedge Witnesses: Brad Bourg, Earl Lanoix, Ed Cancienne

Doug McMillan

Course: The University Club Hole: No. 8 Yardage: 135 yards Club: 8 iron Witness: Matt McCollister

NBA Glance EASTERN CONFERENCE

Carl Goode

Course: The University Club Hole: No. 16 Yardage: 136 yards Club: 11 wood Witnesses: Frank Schroeder and Mike Beckers

Atlantic Division

Odds

FAVORITE OPEN at PITT 6½ at CIN 6½ at DETROIT 4½ at TAMPA 4½ at NY JETS 1½ at JAX 4½ at BUF 2½ at DAL 10½ at LA RMS 3½ Kansas City 1½ New Eng 7 at WASH 2½

TODAY O/U UNDERDOG 3½ (39½) Cleveland 12½ (46½) Tennessee 3½ (45½) Minnesota 2½ (43½) Atlanta 1½ (45½) Las Vegas 9½ (46½) Indianapolis 3 (54½) Baltimore 7 (54½) Arizona 6½ (45½) LA Chargers 1½ (40½) at DENVER 7 (43½) at MIAMI 5½ (40½) Phila

FAVORITE OPEN at SEATTLE 4½

TODAY O/U UNDERDOG 3 (46½) Chicago

Monday

NBA

Sunday

FAVORITE at ORLANDO at INDIANA at GOLDEN STATE at LA LAKERS

L 1 1 2 4 5

Pct GB .833 — .800 ½ .600 1½ .333 3 .000 4½

Atlanta Washington Charlotte Orlando Miami

W 3 3 3 2 2

L 3 3 3 3 4

Pct GB .500 — .500 — .500 — .400 ½ .333 1

Detroit Cleveland Indiana Milwaukee Chicago

W 5 3 2 1 1

L 1 2 4 4 5

Pct GB .833 — .600 1½ .333 3 .200 3½ .167 4

Memphis Houston Dallas San Antonio New Orleans

W 5 5 4 3 1

L Pct GB 0 1.000 — 1 .833 ½ 2 .667 1½ 2 .600 2 4 .200 4

Oklahoma City Portland Minnesota Denver Utah

W 4 3 4 3 1

L 1 1 2 2 4

Pct GB .800 — .750 ½ .667 ½ .600 1 .200 3

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

W 4 3 1 1 0

L 2 3 3 4 5

Pct GB .667 — .500 1 .250 2 .200 2½ .000 3½

Central Division

WESTERN CONFERENCE Southwest Division

Northwest Division LINE OFF OFF OFF OFF

O/U (OFF) (OFF) (OFF) (OFF)

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Sunday

FAVORITE Villanova High Point

NHL

LINE 7½ 6½

Sunday

FAVORITE LINE at CAROLINA -267 at WASHINGTON -113 Utah -163 at N.Y RANGERS -120 at ANAHEIM OFF

UNDERDOG Boston Brooklyn LA Clippers Toronto

WNBA Playoff Glance Finals

Golden State 4, Atlanta 3

Paciﬁc Division

UNDERDOG at NOTRE DAME at LIBERTY

UNDERDOG Winnipeg Minnesota at PHILA Edmonton Ottawa

Pro basketball (Best-of-7)

W 5 4 3 2 0

Southeast Division

Sports Betting Line NFL Sunday

Philadelphia Boston Toronto New York Brooklyn

LINE +217 -106 +137 +101 OFF

Friday’s Games

Washington 95, Charlotte 79 Detroit 110, Brooklyn 94 Philadelphia 98, New York 93 Orlando 121, Toronto 114 Boston 125, Chicago 111 Minnesota 127, L.A. Clippers 101 Miami 145, Indiana 125 Dallas 116, Houston 111 Denver 127, Phoenix 120 Golden State 112, L.A. Lakers 95

Saturday’s Games

Portland 112, Utah 90 Philadelphia 109, Charlotte 104 New Orleans 121, Atlanta 99

EAST

Cleveland at Milwaukee, n Minnesota at San Antonio, n Sacramento at Memphis, n Oklahoma City at Houston, n

Dartmouth 24, Harvard 14

SOUTH

Baylor 41, UCF 9 Tulane 38, Charlotte 31, OT

Sunday’s Games

Boston at Orlando, 2:30 p.m. Brooklyn at Indiana, 4 p.m. L.A. Clippers at Golden State, 7:30 p.m. Toronto at L.A. Lakers, 8 p.m.

FAR WEST

Sacramento St. 31, Kent St. 10

Saturday’s games EAST

New Orleans 121, Atlanta 99 ATL

Reb

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

Daniels 27:13 3-6 2-3 2-4 3 1 8 J.Johnsn 27:56 5-11 2-2 0-7 4 3 13 Okngwu 27:54 3-12 0-0 5-10 1 5 6 A-Wlkr 28:46 3-12 6-6 2-2 1 1 12 McCollum24:23 5-9 2-2 2-2 2 3 14 Dort 28:34 3-9 4-5 0-3 0 3 11 Flemings 24:39 4-8 3-3 1-2 6 3 12 Wiggins 22:51 4-11 0-0 0-2 1 2 10 Newell 18:44 5-11 2-2 2-4 1 0 13 Kispert 4:34 0-1 0-0 0-0 1 0 0 F-Smith 3:04 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Landale 1:22 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Totals 240:00 35-9121-23 14-36 20 21 99 Percentages: FG .385, FT .913. 3-Point Goals: 8-46, .174 (McCollum 2-5, Wiggins 2-7, Flemings 1-2, J.Johnson 1-3, Newell 1-6, Dort 1-7, Finney-Smith 0-1, Kispert 0-1, Daniels 0-2, Okongwu 0-5, Alexander-Walker 0-7). Team Rebounds: 3. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 4 (Dort, J.Johnson, Okongwu, Wiggins). Turnovers: 19 (J.Johnson 4, AlexanderWalker 3, Flemings 3, McCollum 3, Daniels 2, Wiggins 2, Newell, Okongwu). Steals: 11 (Flemings 4, Daniels 3, AlexanderWalker, Dort, McCollum, Wiggins). Technical Fouls: Flemings, 3:04 fourth. FG FT Reb

NOLA

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

Murphy 28:58 4-10 6-6 0-5 5 2 15 Willimsn 30:06 5-8 5-8 3-6 4 2 15 Matkovic 18:10 3-4 0-0 1-10 1 3 8 Fears 30:41 9-12 1-2 0-5 7 3 20 Jones 24:48 5-10 0-0 2-3 2 4 11 Bey 25:54 9-13 6-7 1-6 1 1 25 Queen 22:55 3-6 2-2 2-8 4 1 8 Mathurin 19:02 2-5 2-2 0-1 2 1 7 Watford 17:54 2-4 3-4 0-4 0 1 7 McGwns 15:24 0-2 3-4 0-0 1 1 3 A.Johnson 3:04 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Reese 3:04 1-1 0-0 1-1 0 2 2 Totals 240:00 43-7628-35 10-49 27 21 121 Percentages: FG .566, FT .800. 3-Point Goals: 7-17, .412 (Matkovic 2-2, Bey 1-2, Fears 1-2, Jones 1-3, Mathurin 1-3, Murphy III 1-3, McGowens 0-1, Watford 0-1). Team Rebounds: 10. Team Turnovers: 2. Blocked Shots: 4 (A.Johnson, Matkovic, McGowens, Murphy III). Turnovers: 23 (Bey 3, Fears 3, Queen 3, Williamson 3, Mathurin 2, Matkovic 2, Murphy III 2, Watford 2, A.Johnson, Jones, Reese). Steals: 15 (Bey 4, Williamson 3, McGowens 2, Fears, Jones, Matkovic, Murphy III, Queen, Watford). Technical Fouls: Reese, 3:04 fourth. Atlanta 18 30 26 25 — 99 New Orleans 35 28 29 29 — 121 A_15,366 (16,867).

College football Major scores

Valkyries win WNBA Finals

FAR WEST

Albany (NY) 45, Campbell 35 Brown 36, Penn 17 CCSU 49, Robert Morris 14 Colgate 37, William & Mary 0 Duquesne 41, New Haven 14 Holy Cross 33, Richmond 14 Illinois 20, Maryland 17 Lehigh 31, Bucknell 30 Merrimack 19, Wagner 14 Michigan 28, Rutgers 21 Monmouth (NJ) 34, Bryant 21 Notre Dame 35, Navy 13 Penn St. 31, Purdue 17 Princeton 21, Cornell 20 Rhode Island 14, Maine 13, OT Sacred Heart 32, Stony Brook 31 Stonehill 34, Mercyhurst 28 Syracuse 30, SMU 27 Towson 44, Hampton 13 Villanova 44, Lafayette 21 Yale 26, Columbia 8

SOUTH

Alabama A&M 31, Alabama St. 28 Alcorn St. 52, MVSU 17 Butler 27, Presbyterian 10 Chattanooga 24, VMI 10 Coastal Carolina 31, Georgia St. 20 Dayton 44, Stetson 34 Delaware St. 36, Norfolk St. 33 Drake 45, Morehead St. 35 Duke 47, Boston College 2 E. Illinois 45, UT Martin 16 East Carolina 17, Temple 9 Georgia 27, Florida 8 Georgia Southern 19, Appalachian St. 3 Liberty 49, FIU 10 Louisiana Tech 35, South Alabama 20 Louisville 52, Stanford 24 Marshall 36, Old Dominion 23 McNeese St. 16, Nicholls 3 Mercer 28, The Citadel 19 Mississippi 45, Auburn 15 NC A&T 13, Elon 10 NC Central 34, Howard 0 NC State 31, California 10 Samford 10, Wofford 9 South Florida 30, UAB 10 Southern Miss. 35, Louisiana-Monroe 21 Southern U. 42, Florida A&M 14 Tennessee Tech 24, ETSU 17 W. Carolina 27, Furman 26 W. Illinois 42, Charleston Southern 35 Wake Forest 51, Virginia 7

MIDWEST

Gardner-Webb 34, SE Missouri 10 Illinois St. 35, Murray St. 14 Indiana 23, Minnesota 16, OT Iowa 30, Wisconsin 0 Lindenwood (Mo.) 27, Tennessee St. 0 N. Dakota St. 31, UTEP 7 N. Iowa 45, Indiana St. 23 S. Dakota St. 31, South Dakota 21 St. Thomas (Minn.) 35, Davidson 7 Utah 49, Cincinnati 25 W. Michigan 23, Bowling Green 10 Youngstown St. 31, North Dakota 28

SOUTHWEST

Friday’s games

Ark.-Pine Bluff 63, Bethune-Cookman 21 East Texas A&M 10, SE Louisiana 7 Incarnate Word 66, Northwestern St. 14 North Alabama 14, Cent. Arkansas 9 South Carolina 42, Oklahoma 25 Stephen F. Austin 37, Houston Christian 6 TCU 22, Kansas 16 Texas Tech 34, Arizona 26

Abilene Christian 59, West Georgia 0

Air Force 35, UConn 26 BYU 27, Arizona St. 20 Chicago State 80, Fort Lauderdale Eagles 17 Colorado 27, Kansas St. 24, OT Idaho 38, Portland St. 14 Idaho St. 34, Utah Tech 27 Montana 42, E. Washington 33 Montana St. 61, Cal Poly 7 N. Arizona 34, S. Utah 27 New Mexico 21, San Jose St. 16 Oregon 34, Northwestern 26 San Diego 41, Marist 40 San Diego St. 26, Washington St. 20 UCLA 27, Nevada 0 Utah St. 31, Colorado St. 14 Weber St. 38, UC Davis 14

Tulane 38, Charlotte 31, OT

Tulane 7 7 7 10 7 — 38 Charlotte 0 24 0 7 0 — 31 First Quarter TULN_J.Daniels 2 run (Helmke kick), 5:14. Second Quarter CHAR_Alexander 44 run (Bui kick), 10:12. CHAR_FG Bui 48, 8:39. TULN_TJ.Smith 95 kickoff return (Helmke kick), 8:26. CHAR_Barnes 22 pass from Harrell (Bui kick), 4:01. CHAR_Eley 16 pass from Harrell (Bui kick), :49. Third Quarter TULN_J.Daniels 2 run (Helmke kick), 5:19. Fourth Quarter CHAR_Eley 1 run (Bui kick), 10:52. TULN_FG Helmke 27, 6:29. TULN_C.Roberts 11 pass from T.Johnson (Helmke kick), :10. First Overtime TULN_Bruno 1 run (Helmke kick), :00.

A_8,106.

TULN CHAR First downs 23 26 Total Net Yards 467 455 Rushes-yards 34-183 43-216 Passing 284 239 Punt Returns 0-0 2-21 Kickoff Returns 3-142 1-54 Interceptions Ret. 0-0 1-15 Comp-Att-Int 28-36-1 23-36-0 Sacked-Yards Lost 0-0 3-16 Punts 3-53.333 3-41.667 Fumbles-Lost 1-1 1-0 Penalties-Yards 8-59 5-25 Time of Possession 26:13 33:47 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING_Tulane, J.Daniels 13-99, Lucas 4-30, Turner 6-26, T.Johnson 7-22, Bruno 2-3, Dugar 2-3. Charlotte, Rutledge 22-121, Alexander 7-55, Harrell 12-34, Barnes 1-5, Eley 1-1. PASSING_Tulane, T.Johnson 28-36-1-284. Charlotte, Harrell 23-36-0-239. RECEIVING_Tulane, Hill 6-51, BrownStephens 5-49, Z.Lewis 3-55, J.Daniels 3-24, C.Roberts 2-20, Turner 2-15, Mitchell 2-10, Richardson 2-8, Lucas 1-37, Mmahat 1-9, D.Johnson 1-6. Charlotte, Barnes 8-66, Rutledge 4-79, Eley 3-45, Hampton 3-30, Dawyot 2-15, Mauldin 2-0, Alexander 1-4. MISSED FIELD GOALS_Tulane, Helmke 42.

Cleaner, safer water for healthier living.

Reduce contaminants in your homes water and enjoy the beneﬁts of whole home ﬁltration.

– Softer, cleaner water. – Removes over 99% of harmful contaminants. – One-day installation.

Better Water in 3 Simple Steps

1. Schedule an appointment

2. Get a custom water analysis

3. One-day installation

Save up to

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY TONY AVELAR

Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese moves the ball against Golden State Valkyries center Kiah Stokes during the first half of Game 7 of the WNBA Finals on Saturday in San Francisco. The Valkyries won 68-63.

“As a mom with two young daughters, and a doula who stresses the importance of hydration, providing my family and clients with safer, cleaner water is very important to me. I’m grateful for companies like Leaf Home that understand my needs and can provide the right solutions.”

Emmy Robins

Homeowner

25% oﬀ

A custom whole-home water system*

Schedule your free in-home water test

1 (855) 456-5212 Promo: 402 - Exp: 12/31/26 *Promotional offer includes 15% off plus an additional 10% off for qualified veterans and/or seniors. One coupon per household. No obligation estimate valid for 1 year. MI 262100627, MN PC799379, NC 87823, L.33946, PA PA172050, TX 44085, WI 1423690

8C F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F nola.com F The Times-Picayune

lll

COLLEGE BASKETBALL LSU New Orleans looking to take next step under Hollowell BY SPENCER URQUHART Staff writer

STAFF FILE PHOTO BY ENAN CHEDIAK

Tulane guard KJ Greene goes up for a layup last season against UAB at Devlin Fieldhouse.

Tulane hopes to avoid issues at point guard BY GUERRY SMITH Contributing writer

The touted newcomers could not shoot straight in the Tulane men’s basketball team’s exhibition win against Spring Hill on Wednesday, but coach Ron Hunter enters his eighth season with a bigger concern. When the Green Wave takes the court against Tennessee-Martin on Monday night in the season opener, he wants to see much better play from junior point guard KJ Greene. Hunter was counting on Greene and starting center Tyler Ringgold, the two key holdovers, to be steadying forces as four important transfers found their footing. Ringgold was solid, scoring 22 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in the exhibition, but Green tallied ﬁve points with zero assists in 15:15 after also struggling in a closed scrimmage against Southern two weeks earlier. Normally loathe to give freshmen heavy playing time, Hunter turned to freshman Noah Mister in the second half and watched him score eight points with four assists and two steals. “He (Mister) is playing really well, and KJ’s not,” Hunter said. “I don’t like playing freshmen, and he made some defensive mistakes, but when you get the ball in his hands he makes things happen. He breaks things down and gets open shots for guys. “His minutes will continue to in-

ä UT Martin at Tulane. 7 P.M. MONDAY, ESPN+

crease. We gotta address the point guard position. That’s our biggest thing.” Hopefully for the Wave, Greene’s recent slip is just a blip. After spending two years as star point guard Rowan Brumbaugh’s backup, he believes he is ready to step into the starting role after Brumbaugh’s transfer to SMU. “Playing behind somebody like Rowan who’s so good and so talented will only help me,” Greene said a day before facing Spring Hill. “I saw how much care he took of his body and how much work he put in.” Greene averaged 4.4 points in 14.8 minutes last year, shooting only 35.8% overall while going 9 of 40 from 3-point range. Whether or not he improves as a shooter, he needs to prove he can take care of the ball and get good looks for his teammates. Hunter assumes they will knock down those open shots at a high rate despite the dismal showing against Spring Hill, when transfers TJ Nadeau, Ryan Blount and Carson Schwieger went 1 of 14 from behind the arc after all hitting better than 40% on 3s last year at their previous schools. Nadeau, who started along with Greene and UL-Monroe transfer

Krystian Lewis in the backcourt, contributed in other ways with eight rebounds and four assists as Tulane won 108-97. He shot 49% from the floor and 46.7% from 3-point range for Detroit Mercy as a sophomore last season, averaging 13.8 points, so his 4-of-15 shooting night on Wednesday should be an anomaly. “Even though I shot the ball really well (at Detroit), I feel I can shoot more,” he said. “The offense here will allow me to get more attempts up, which is a huge part of why I came here.” Blount, who averaged 16.2 points as a sophomore at Division II Tampa last season, ﬁnished with a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) off the bench against Spring Hill despite going 0 of 3 from outside. “I’d be more frustrated if these guys had never made shots before,” Hunter said. “We’ll be able to score. We’ve just got to stop people.” To that end, he started Georgia State transfer Joah Chappelle at forward after labeling him the most pleasant surprise in preseason practice. Chapelle, a 6-foot-8 junior, had 13 points and six rebounds in 19 minutes. “He gets you those extra possessions,” Hunter said. “Offensive rebounds are his specialty. He’s athletic and he blocks shots, but he is a tremendous rebounder. We took him as kind of an insurance policy, but his super power is something we desperately need.”

Tulane women welcome clean slate after disappointing season BY DARRELL WILLIAMS Contributing writer

For Tulane women’s basketball coach Ashley Langford, this season represents a clean slate of sorts. The Green Wave dragged through a spirit-sapping 11-20 campaign last season. That followed an encouraging 17-13 record in her first season as head coach. Langford’s third season will tip off Monday when Tulane hosts Texas Southern, the first of five consecutive home games. Langford said her positive outlook stems from eight new players. “We didn’t shoot well, didn’t shoot well from the (3-point line), turned the ball over too much, and we didn’t win the rebounding battle,” Langford said about her team last season. “So, it was a lot of statistical things. I don’t think we had much chemistry on the court, either, and all that goes together.” Langford said she has recruited players who fit her style of play. “All of our guards can shoot; that was our focus in the offseason, to get guards who can shoot, stretch the floor, take care of the ball and make good decisions,” Langford said. Two holdovers who were brought in last season, senior guards Kanija Daniel and Jayda Brown, could be

ä Texas Southern at Tulane.

4 P.M. MONDAY, ESPN+

critical to the Wave’s success. The 5-foot-10 Daniel averaged 11.6 points per game, was selected to the American Conference allnewcomer team and is a preseason second-team all-conference pick this season. Brown, at 6 feet, averaged 5.8 points but shot 40.9%, third best on the team, and is being counted on to help rebound. Langford said that duo was not as consistent as she wanted last season. “That’s the difference in their roles this year,” Langford said. “They’re seniors now. They can’t not show up. That happened a lot last year. It’s not just about them making shots; they have to show up with the same intensity defending, rebounding and connecting (with teammates). “The team is following them now.” The key to the season will be playing more physical, Langford said. “To me, that’s the question mark,” she said. “Can we do that consistently this season. I think we’re pretty talented offensively. Every team we’ve had here has been good defensively, but if we don’t get the physicality, it will be tough to get anything done (rebounding) or de-

fensively. We need to be conﬁdent turning our culture around.” Langford is expecting strong contributions from guards Khadee Hessian, a 5-9 transfer from Georgetown, and freshmen Ja’Kyah Smith and Kennedy Simpson. Another key could be the return of sophomores Shiloh Kimpson and Sadie Shores. Both are out injured. Shores, 5-10, missed most of last season due to a lower-leg injury. Her toughness and shooting were sorely missed, Langston said. Kimpson gained experience as the backup point guard last season. The Green Wave’s “bigs” are expected to be a big upgrade from last season. Junior Edina Strausz, 6-3 and a transfer from Davidson, heads the list as a “very skilled” post player. Joining her are Makayla Carter, a 6-2 forward transfer from Nevada; Madison Gordon, a 6-2 sophomore holdover from last season; and Nataliyah Gray, a 6-3 sophomore transfer from Mississippi State. “We have forwards now who are long and athletic,” Langford said. “So now we have three (new) forwards who are at least 6-2 and Madison Gordon returning. “We have more size on the front line. (Carter) plays super hard and she can defend any position, and just her motor is impressive.”

The LSU New Orleans men’s basketball team improved its win total by 11 games last season, and Privateers coach Stacy Hollowell is aiming higher this year. Hollowell, entering his third season coaching LSU New Orleans, led the Privateers to the Southland Conference tournament last year after they won just four games in his ﬁrst Hollowell season. The Privateers finished 15-18 in the regular season and were 12-10 during SLC play. This year’s LSU New Orleans roster has a different look with 13 new players, but there were plenty of other changes surrounding the program this offseason as the university transitioned to the LSU system with a new name and purple and gold colors. “This is a new year, a new opportunity, a new rebranded university,” Hollowell said. “They’re doing things the right way. Our goal is to improve on what we did last year. We brought in a great group of guys that we can build a culture with and build for the future with.” LSU New Orleans hired a pair of big names this offseason to help boost the program in former NBA player Ervin Johnson and former LSU coach John Brady. Johnson, an LSU New Orleans alum whose jersey No. 40 is retired by the university, is an assistant coach on Hollowell’s staff. Brady, the last coach to lead LSU to the Final Four, is a senior adviser. “The leadership that we’ve gotten has changed what we’ve been able to do in such a positive way,” Hollowell said. “To bring Ervin back means a lot to me. He’s taken all that knowledge and wisdom he’s gained and given that back to our guys. Then you add John Brady. To have that kind of leadership and veteran success

ä LSU UNO at LSU. 7 P.M. TUESDAY, SEC+

on your staff is huge.” LSU New Orleans returns four players from last season. Kedrick Osby, a 6-foot-7 senior forward, is among the four returnees. Osby, who saw increased playing time in the second half of last year, scored 18 points on 6 of 11 shooting in an exhibition game against Southern Miss on Oct. 21 that the Privateers won 82-72. “This year’s team, we play harder, we’re going to be faster and we play as a team,” Osby said. “I feel like we’re going to have a really good season.” The other three returners are guard Jamal Chretien and forwards Enzo Boudouma and Eze Nwakamma. Boudouma averaged 5.3 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. “I would expect (Osby) and Enzo to take a step for us this year,” Hollowell said. “Jamal is shooting the ball well.” Transfer guards Nick Jones and Khalil Singleton are the top candidates to start at guard. Jones, a Wagner transfer who averaged 14.9 points per game last season, will be the point guard. Singleton, a Canisius transfer who averaged 13.9 points per game, will play shooting guard. “Nick Jones can get up the ﬂoor and is athletic,” Hollowell said. “Khalil Singleton really shoots the ball. Those guys, in some ways, mimic the two guys that we had (last year at guard).” Solomon Ominu, a 6-8 junior, will play in the post. The Midland College transfer pulled down a team-high 13 rebounds in the exhibition against Southern Miss. The Privateers lost their top post players from last season in MJ Thomas and Churchill Abass but brought in a pair of 6-10 transfers Jonathan Price and Jaydon Awe. “We got some big guys who can come in and compete,” Hollowell said. “They’re growing into what we do, and we’re growing with them.”

LSU UNO women start anew after rough season BY SPENCER URQUHART

Staff writer

The changes that the LSU New Orleans women’s basketball program has undergone reﬂect the start of a new era for Privateers’ athletics after the university changed its name this year. he LSU New Orleans women overhauled their roster after ﬁnishing 3-27 last season and missing the Southland Conference tournament. The Privateers, who return just one player from last year’s team, brought in 10 transfers and three freshmen. This year’s roster was assembled with an increased budget as a result of the university becoming part of the LSU system. “This entire transition to (the LSU system) has allowed us to expand our way of recruiting,” coach Trelanne Powell said. “Just the (LSU) brand helps us get the attention that we would not have before. We’re super excited to be able to recruit a different brand of kid, and that’s what we’ve done. We feel revived.” Fifth-year senior Mackenzie Joseph is the lone returnee. Joseph missed all of last season while rehabbing a torn ACL she suffered during her junior year. Joseph anticipates being healthy to begin what will be her last season of college basketball. The 5-foot-11 Joseph is expected to play a key role at forward and is capable of playing at center or guard. “The rehab process (after the ACL injury) was long and a little hard at times,” Joseph said. “Being this is my third year (with LSU New Orleans), I know what (coach Powell) expects. I’m taking on the role of helping the team get on faster with her. (Having new teammates) has been fun.” Transfer forward Sh’Ryah Wright is ticketed for a big role

ä LSU UNO at Arkansas. 6:30 P.M. MONDAY, SECN+

once she returns from an offseason injury that required surgery. The 6-foot junior transferred from Coffeyville Community College. Another forward that’s expected to contribute is 6-foot freshman Rhian Comrey. An LSWA All-State selection last year at Prairieville High School, Comrey averaged 23 points and 13.4 rebounds per game as a senior. “We’re expecting(Comrey) to come in and play huge minutes for us even though she’s a freshman,” Powell said. “She does not carry herself as a freshman on the court.” Tajenae Gooden, a 5-10 transfer from McLennan Junior College, is expected to be a go-to scorer at guard. A junior, Gooden averaged 13.6 points per game at McLennan. “Tajenae has shown that she is a high-level scorer,” Powell said. “She’s deﬁnitely going to lead us in our guard area.” Other guards include Southwestern College transfer Ari Mason, who averaged 18.6 points per game last season. Triton College transfer Jadaya Branch averaged 11.6 points per game last year. Center Gabby Edo, a 6-3 senior and Temple College transfer, is expected to start in the post after averaging 10 rebounds per game last season. Florida Southwestern transfer Destinie Gordon is another player who will see minutes down low. “The girls that came in have hit the ground running,” Powell said. “We couldn’t be more proud of this group. We’ve got a great group of kids that are competitors that have come from winning programs.”

The Times-Picayune F nola.com F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F 9C

lll

WEEK 8

SUNDAY Browns at Steelers Noon, CBS

ON TV THIS WEEK

SUNDAY Falcons at Buccaneers Noon, Fox

SUNDAY Chiefs at Broncos 3:25, CBS

SUNDAY Eagles at Commanders 7:20 p.m., NBC

MONDAY Bears at Seahawks 7:15 p.m., ESPN

STANDINGS, SCORES & SCHEDULE AFC East

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

NFC East

N.Y. Giants Dallas Philadelphia Washington South Carolina Atlanta Tampa Bay New Orleans North

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY JOHN LOCHER

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen celebrates after the team’s win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Oct. 18 in Las Vegas. The Bills face the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

TOP TOPICS FOR WEEK 8

QBs Jackson, Allen to face off Discussions can get heated when debating whether Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson is the better NFL quarterback. It’s a debate that has raged since the two were selected in the first round of the 2018 draft. Allen has an opportunity to move the needle Sunday when the AFC East-leading Buffalo Bills (5-1) host the Baltimore Ravens (43). Though the quarterbacks are 2-2 in head-to-head regular-season meetings in their career, Allen is 2-0 in the playoffs. Jackson has the edge in being a two-time MVP versus Allen winning the honor once. Jackson will return after missing the past three games while injured.

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Rare battle for LA arrives Although the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers share a stadium, they don’t share a rivalry. The NFL schedule puts these teams together once every four years, and they have neither the long history nor the recent animus necessary to make Sunday’s meeting into a true crosstown showdown. But the Rams (3-4) realize they will face a desperate bunch of roommates as the Chargers are 0-6 in a start that makes the Rams’ early stumbles look minor. After beginning the season with legitimate aspirations for a third straight playoff berth, the Chargers are the NFL’s only winless team and its lowest-scoring squad.

Tackling key for Broncos vs. Chiefs Keep an eye on whether Chiefs RB Kenneth Walker can get going against the Denver run defense. The Broncos missed a whopping 28 tackles in the teams’ season opener, allowing 247 yards after contact. Walker gained 173 yards on the ground in that game. That included 144 yards after contact as Denver’s 29.8% missed tackle rate was the third-worst in an NFL game since 2018, and their 247 missed tackle yards allowed were the most by any defense in that same span, according to Next Gen Stats. Walker was shut down last week by the Seattle Seahawks for his first bad game in Kansas City.

Falcons, Bucs look to step up Welcome to the NFC South, where inconsistency and seemingly disastrous starts to this season have not undermined the aspirations of the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After all, it is a division won by teams finishing with losing records two of the past four seasons, including a year ago when Carolina, the Falcons and Bucs all went 8-9. Atlanta (3-4) and Tampa Bay (2-5) face off on Sunday with hopes of bolstering bids to take control of a wideopen race. Each of the last six games between the division rivals has been decided by six or fewer points.

Unlikely ﬁrst-place duel in AFC North Time to find out if the Cleveland Browns are for real. Maybe the Pittsburgh Steelers, too. A month after the Browns pulled off a last-second home victory over their longtime rivals, Cleveland (5-2) heads two hours south to Pittsburgh (5-2) with first place in the AFC North on the line. The Steelers are 24-1 in the regular season at home against Cleveland since Acrisure Stadium opened in 2001. Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson leads the league in passer rating (132.2) and completion rate (73.2%) in the final two minutes of the first and second halves this season. He has led five fourth-quarter, gamewinning drives.

GAME OF THE WEEK

Stingy Vikings face high-octane Lions BY LARRY LAGE AP sportswriter

DETROIT — The Minnesota Vikings are the NFL’s only unbeaten team thanks to their stingy defense and stellar special teams. If their low-scoring offense doesn’t get in gear in the Motor City on Sunday, it might be tough for the NFC North leaders to keep up with the high-octane Detroit Lions. Minnesota (6-0) is allowing a league-low 12.3 points per game and Detroit (4-2) is averaging 30.7 points, ranking behind only Buffalo. Something has got to give at Ford Field. “You want to play the best, you want to beat the best,” Lions quarterback Jared Goff said. “You want to have these opportunities to show what you’re made of. “I think they’re the best in the

league right now on paper and certainly present a ton of challenges, and it’ll be fun to try to solve those challenges.” The last time the NFL had a matchup of teams giving up 13 or fewer points and scoring 30-plus points a game in Week 8 or later was in 2019 when Baltimore’s high-scoring offense beat New England’s stout defense to hand the Patriots their first loss that season. Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray said his confidence in the offense will never waver because of the players around him, and he believes a breakout performance is coming. “We’ve just got to end the drive with touchdowns instead of kicking field goals,” Murray said. That has not happened much lately. Minnesota has scored just four

touchdowns over the last five games and is averaging just 1½ offensive touchdowns per game, the second-lowest average in the NFL. The Lions, meanwhile, are rolling with Goff playing as well as any NFL quarterback with one of the league’s best running back (Jahmyr Gibbs) and pair of receivers (Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams) along with standout tight end Sam LaPorta and a solid offensive line. The Lions, coming off a win over Green Bay in their ﬁrst division game of the season, are well aware that the game against Minnesota is potentially pivotal in the NFC North race. “If you can’t get ﬁred up for this and for the competition of it and in the division, I mean, I don’t know what you can get excited for,” Detroit coach Dan Campbell said. “This is as good as it gets.”

Minnesota Chicago Detroit Green Bay West San Francisco Seattle L.A. Rams Arizona

W 5 4 2 1

L 1 3 5 5

T 0 0 0 0

Pct PF PA Home Away .833 197 171 2-1-0 3-0-0 .571 160 143 3-0-0 1-3-0 .286 137 150 1-2-0 1-3-0 .167 98 157 0-2-0 1-3-0

AFC NFC Div 3-1-0 2-0-0 0-1-0 4-1-0 0-2-0 2-0-0 2-2-0 0-3-0 0-2-0 1-3-0 0-2-0 1-0-0

W 4 2 2 1

L 2 5 5 6

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .667 .286 .286 .143

PF PA Home Away 154 104 3-1-0 1-1-0 154 180 1-2-0 1-3-0 165 170 0-4-0 2-1-0 108 156 0-4-0 1-2-0

AFC NFC Div 3-2-0 1-0-0 0-1-0 1-4-0 1-1-0 1-1-0 2-3-0 0-2-0 2-1-0 1-4-0 0-2-0 1-1-0

W 5 5 4 4

L 2 2 2 3

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .714 .714 .667 .571

PF 133 153 163 169

PA Home Away 146 3-0-0 2-2-0 138 3-0-0 2-2-0 122 1-1-0 3-1-0 167 1-2-0 3-1-0

AFC 3-2-0 2-2-0 3-2-0 2-2-0

NFC Div 2-0-0 2-0-0 3-0-0 1-1-0 1-0-0 1-1-0 2-1-0 0-2-0

W 5 5 3 0

L 1 2 4 6

T 0 0 0 0

Pct PF PA Home Away .833 143 103 3-0-0 2-1-0 .714 144 141 3-0-0 2-2-0 .429 183 197 1-3-0 2-1-0 .000 90 151 0-3-0 0-3-0

AFC 5-0-0 2-1-0 2-3-0 0-4-0

NFC Div 0-1-0 3-0-0 3-1-0 1-1-0 1-1-0 1-1-0 0-2-0 0-3-0

W 4 3 2 1

L 2 4 5 4

T 1 0 0 1

Pct .643 .429 .286 .250

PF 163 189 127 132

PA Home Away 161 3-1-0 1-1-1 180 1-2-0 2-2-0 175 1-3-0 1-2-0 172 1-1-1 0-3-0

AFC 2-0-0 1-1-0 1-1-0 0-1-0

NFC Div 2-2-1 1-0-1 2-3-0 2-1-0 1-4-0 1-1-0 1-3-1 0-2-1

W 3 3 2 2

L 4 4 5 5

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .429 .429 .286 .286

PF 178 171 162 162

PA Home Away 193 1-2-0 2-2-0 173 1-3-0 2-1-0 151 0-4-0 2-1-0 194 0-4-0 2-1-0

AFC 0-1-0 0-2-0 0-3-0 1-2-0

NFC Div 3-3-0 1-1-0 3-2-0 1-1-0 2-2-0 1-0-0 1-3-0 0-1-0

W 6 5 4 5

L 0 2 2 3

T Pct 0 1.000 0 .714 0 .667 0 .625

PF PA Home Away 125 74 3-0-0 3-0-0 180 143 3-1-0 2-1-0 184 165 3-0-0 1-2-0 171 164 3-1-0 2-2-0

AFC 2-0-0 2-0-0 1-1-0 1-0-0

NFC Div 4-0-0 2-0-0 3-2-0 0-2-0 3-1-0 1-0-0 4-3-0 1-2-0

W 6 4 3 2

L 1 3 4 5

T 0 0 0 0

PF 197 168 170 142

AFC 2-0-0 3-1-0 1-2-0 1-1-0

NFC Div 4-1-0 3-0-0 1-2-0 1-1-0 2-2-0 0-2-0 1-4-0 1-2-0

Pct .857 .571 .429 .286

PA Home Away 139 4-0-0 2-1-0 125 3-1-0 1-2-0 159 1-3-0 2-1-0 208 0-3-0 2-2-0

WEEK 8

WEEK 9

Thursday’s game Green Bay 27, Carolina 19 Sunday’s games 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’s game Chicago at Seattle, 7:15 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 5 Jacksonville at Baltimore, 7:15 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8 Cincinnati vs Atlanta at Madrid, ESP, 8:30 a.m. Cleveland at New Orleans, noon Dallas at Indianapolis, noon Denver at Carolina, noon Detroit at Miami, noon L.A. Rams at Washington, noon N.Y. Giants at Philadelphia, noon N.Y. Jets at Kansas City, noon Houston at L.A. Chargers, 3:05 p.m. Arizona at Seattle, 3:25 p.m. Green Bay at New England, 3:25 p.m. Las Vegas at San Francisco, 3:25 p.m. Tampa Bay at Chicago, 7:20 p.m.. Monday, Nov. 9 Buffalo at Minnesota, 7:15 p.m.

NFL BRIEFS

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

David Banks - FR165605 AP New England Patriots running back Treveyon Henderson (32) catches a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots in Chicago, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026.

Patriots missing 3 offensive players

Chargers put safety James on IR list

The New England Patriots will be without a trio of offensive players for Sunday’s AFC East matchup against the Miami Dolphins. The Patriots downgraded receiver A.J. Brown (ankle/ knee), running back TreVeyon Henderson (illness) and offensive tackle Marcus Bryant (ankle) to out for the game. All three had been listed as questionable. It is a setback for Brown, who was injured in the season opener and spent the next four games on injured reserve with a high-ankle sprain. He played in each of the past two games.

The Los Angeles Chargers placed safety Derwin James on injured reserve with a hamstring injury on Saturday. The Pro Bowl safety hasn’t played since a loss at Buffalo on Sept. 27. The move wasn’t unexpected after coach Jim Harbaugh said this week that James suffered a setback in his rehab and recovery. James will have to sit out a minimum of four games for the Chargers (0-6), who face the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. The Chargers signed cornerback Isas Waxter to the active roster.

Raiders activate WR Bech for Jets game

Commanders DL Payne suffers a foot injury

The Raiders activated wide receiver Jack Bech off injured reserve Saturday, paving the way for him to play when Las Vegas visits the New York Jets on Sunday. He and Dont’e Thornton should be in the lineup to provide a potential boost to a Raiders receiving group that has struggled outside of Tre Tucker. Bech broke his left forearm Sept. 27 at New Orleans in his return to his home state. His brother, Tiger, was killed in a New Year’s Day attack in 2025 in the French Quarter, and Bech had hoped to pay tribute with a strong performance in that game.

Washington Commanders defensive lineman Daron Payne suffered a significant foot injury at practice on Friday, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. X-rays showed that it was a “signiﬁcant” injury, the person said. Payne’s status for Sunday’s game against the Eagles was downgraded to out on Friday night by the team. He has started all six of Washington’s games so far this season and has 14 combined tackles with one sack. The nine-year veteran has played 136 games during his career.

10C F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F nola.com F The Times-Picayune

lll

THE VARSITY ZONE

John Curtis snaps skid, blanks Holy Cross BY SPENCER URQUHART Staff writer

The John Curtis defense made sure the Patriots’ five-game losing streak against District 9-5A opponents came to an end on Saturday against Holy Cross. John Curtis held Holy Cross to 74 yards of offense in a 26-0 win on a rainy afternoon at Muss Bertolino Stadium. Patriots senior defensive backs Prentice Mackyeon and Craig Connor each had interceptions in Saturday’s win that ended the string of losses to district opponents. Cole Schmidt, a junior, kicked a 27-yard field goal on John Curtis’ first drive of the game, and the Patriots built a sizable lead before halftime after scoring three touchdowns in the second quarter. “I can’t say enough about the defense,” John Curtis coach J.T. Curtis said. “They gave us great field position and opportunities to make some plays. I thought we took advantage of it when we had the opportunity, and it gave us a chance to get a little cushion early.” Mackyeon’s interception oc-

curred early in the second quarter and gave John Curtis the ball at the Holy Cross 17-yard line. The Patriots put together a five-play scoring drive that was capped off with a 1-yard touchdown run by sophomore Brock Bergeron. “I felt like we found that conﬁdence and trust in each other and put it on the ﬁeld today,” Mackyeon said. “On the (interception), I just saw the quarterback’s eyes go toward the receiver, so I dove and used my length and made the play.” John Curtis scored another touchdown on its next possession. Jaden Keelan, a standout safety who also sees time at running back, took a carry around the right side for a 51-yard touchdown. “We’re going to have Jaden Keelan as well as (sophomore defensive back) Jaden Turner on offense to help us some,” J.T. Curtis said. “Hopefully we’re getting a feel for who we are (on offense) and continue that as the season progresses.” John Curtis was facing a fourthand-long on its next drive but was able to capitalize after Patriots quarterback London Padgett

STAFF FILE PHOTO BY JOHN MCCUSKER

Prentice Mackyeon, right, shown during a game last season, had an interception for John Curtis on Saturday. found Jarvis Stevenson in the end zone from 28 yards out. Stevenson’s leaping grab gave his team a 24-0 lead. Padgett, a junior, completed 9 of 16 passes for 104 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions while adding 30 rushing yards on nine

carries. Stevenson, also a junior, caught two passes for 45 yards. John Curtis scored its two last points in the third quarter after Patriots freshman Khaidyn Woods sacked Holy Cross sophomore quarterback Garrett Chittenden in the end zone for a safety.

John Curtis freshman Anthony Gabriel led the Patriots in rushing, ﬁnishing with 86 yards on 11 carries. Keelan had 73 yards rushing on six carries, and Patriots senior tight end Caden Battard was the leading receiver with three catches for 48 yards. Holy Cross rotated Chittenden and senior Cooper Odle at quarterback. The duo combined for 34 yards and two interceptions on 5 of 14 passing. John Curtis (3-6, 1-5) will return to Bertolino next Friday to close out the regular season against district foe Chalmette. Holy Cross (3-6, 1-5) will conclude its regular season next Friday at Tad Gormley Stadium against Brother Martin. “We want to continue to try to push forward and get a little momentum going into the playoffs,” J.T. Curtis said. “We’ve got a big game next week against Chalmette. There’s nobody in this (district) you can overlook.” John Curtis entered Saturday ranked No. 14 in the Division I select power ratings according to the LHSAA website. Holy Cross was ranked No. 12 in Division I select.

FOOTBALL REPORT Week 9 schedule Thursday’s scores Area

District 8-5A John Ehret 35, Warren Easton 18 District 9-4A Abramson 48, McMain 28 District 10-3A Booker T. Washington 26, Haynes 22 District 11-3A Sophie B. Wright 52, Thomas Jefferson 0 District 11-2A Newman 45, Country Day 35

Statewide

Abramson 48, McMain 28 Booker T. Washington 26, Haynes 22 Brusly 42, Broadmoor 12 Carencro 57, Beau Chene 15 Central Catholic 29, Centerville 28 DeRidder 52, St. Louis 6 Delta Charter 52, Lena Northwood 26 Ehret 35, Easton 18 Elton 53, Gueydan 20 Glenbrook 50, Lincoln Preparatory School 34 Iowa 57, Washington-Marion 27 Kaplan 43, Abbeville 32 Loreauville 28, West St. Mary 0 Merryville 66, Oberlin 22 New Iberia Catholic 40, Franklin 33 Newman 45, Country Day 35 Parkview Baptist 49, Collegiate-B.R. 0 S. B. Wright 52, Thomas Jefferson 0 Shreveport Northwood 56, Southwood 20 Southern Lab 40, St. John 0 St. Mary’s 67, Ringgold 28 Union Parish 42, Beekman 6 Walker 43, Albany 13 Ville Platte 12, Basile 6 West Monroe 48, Peabody 0

Friday’s scores Area

District 6-5A Covington 41, Ponchatoula 21 Hammond 47, Fontainebleau 7 Mandeville 20, Northshore 17 St. Paul’s 45, Slidell 38 District 7-5A Zachary 31, Destrehan 21 Hahnville 24, Thibodaux 20 East St. John 38, Central Lafourche 12 District 8-5A Bonnabel 12, Higgins 8 District 9-5A Brother Martin 27, Chalmette 21 Jesuit 37, Rummel 33 District 7-4A Lakeshore 37, Hannan 35 Salmen 42, Franklinton 26 District 9-4A Kennedy 60, Carver 0 District 10-4A Belle Chasse 44, Young Audiences 0 Shaw 48, Kenner Discovery 0 District 8-3A Pope John Paul II 35, Bogalusa 32 District 9-3A St. Charles 49, Lutcher 24 District 10-3A De La Salle 41, Sarah T. Reed 35 District 10-2A Amite 1, Northlake Christian 0 (forfeit) District 10-1A Ascension Catholic 42, South Plaquemines 0 District 11-3A Patrick Taylor 31, Cohen 0 Nondistrict Riverside 54, Catholic-PC 6 Ascension Catholic 69, Fisher 7 Pearl River 44, Morris Jeff 0 Willow 55, Ben Franklin 0

Statewide

Acadiana 42, Southside 34 Acadiana Christian def. Thrive, forfeit Alexandria 61, Ouachita Parish 21 Ascension Christian School 69, Fisher 7 Ascension Episcopal 42, Vermilion Catholic 0 Avoyelles 66, Port Barre 0 Baker 47, Istrouma 8 Barbe 62, New Iberia 14 Baton Rouge Catholic 49, Woodlawn (BR) 12 Baton Rouge Episcopal 55, Springﬁeld 12 Block 46, Pine Prairie 0 Bunkie 49, Grant 14 Caldwell Parish 21, Richwood 0 Calvary Baptist Academy 56, Magnolia Excellence 0 Cecilia def. Livonia, forfeit Central - B.R. 61, Liberty 0 Covenant Christian Academy 51, Houma Christian 0 Denham Springs 41, East Ascension 38 Donaldsonville 41, Northeast 18 Dunham 63, Slaughter 13

DOWNLOAD

Hendrix Hill of Newman, left foreground, flips through the air as Country Day’s Baxter Parker, right, defends on Thursday. E.D. White 48, South Lafourche 27 East Feliciana 22, Kentwood 6 East Iberville 34, North Iberville 8 East Jefferson 42, Riverdale 14 Erath 42, St. Martinville 14 Eunice 57, Crowley 14 Evangel Christian Academy 52, Airline 42 Franklin Parish 55, West Ouachita 26 Hahnville 24, Thibodaux 20 Hanson Memorial 56, Highland Baptist 21 Haynesville 29, Cedar Creek 20 Helix Mentorship Academy 30, Glen Oaks 14 Homer 68, Plain Dealing 0 Huntington 32, Benton 6 Independence 47, St. Helena 20 Iota 35, Mamou 13 Jeanerette 26, Westminster Christian (LAF) 19 Jennings 42, Winnﬁeld 8 Lafayette 31, Sulphur 14 Lafayette Christian 49, Delcambre 0 Lake Arthur 38, Welsh 26 Lake Charles College Prep 48, RHS 30 Lakeside 48, Red River 18 Leesville 55, Jena 40 Logansport 65, Montgomery 22 Loyola Prep 47, North Webster 0 Madison Prep 34, Plaquemine 7 Mandeville 20, Northshore 17 Mangham 55, Delhi Charter 0 Mansﬁeld 50, Many 21 Marksville 40, Buckeye 34 McKinley 14, Scotlandville 0 NDHS 43, Kinder 0 Natchitoches Central 27, Haughton 14 Neville 45, Tioga 14 North DeSoto 35, B.T. Washington 20 North Vermilion 49, LaGrange 14 Northside 32, Acadiana Renaissance

DOWNLOAD

Charter 10 Northwest 35, Church Point 7 Oak Grove 46, D’Arbonne Woods 8 Oakdale 42, Holy Savior Menard 6 Opelousas Catholic 52, North Central 14 Ouachita Christian 58, General Trass 0 Parkway 49, C.E. Byrd 35 Patterson 52, Berwick 29 Pine 20, St. Thomas Aquinas 0 Prairieville 35, Live Oak 17 Rayville 24, Ferriday 18 Rosepine 26, East Beauregard 14 Ruston 49, Pineville 14 Sacred Heart 28, DeQuincy 0 Saint Paul’s 45, Slidell 38 South Beauregard 42, Westlake 13 South Terrebonne 66, Morgan City 22 St. Amant 31, Dutchtown 21 St. Frederick Catholic 49, Delhi 8 St. James 35, Vandebilt Catholic 14 St. Michael 42, Tara 8 St. Thomas More 49, Sam Houston 24 Sumner 41, Loranger 14 Terrebonne 28, H.L. Bourgeois 3 University 63, Port Allen 12 Vidalia 46, Madison 0 Vinton 47, Pickering 0 West Feliciana 49, Belaire 6 Westgate 21, Lafayette Renaissance 0 Westminster 21, St. Edmund Catholic 8 White Castle def. Capitol, forfeit Woodlawn (SH) 22, Bossier 6 Zachary 31, Destrehan 21

Saturday’s scores District 9-5A John Curtis 26, Holy Cross 0 Edna Karr vs. St. Augustine, n

DOWNLOAD

John Curtis 26, Holy Cross 0 Team HC JC First Downs 5 19 Yards Rushing 17-40 46-243 Yards Passing 34 104 Passes (C-A-HI) 5-14-2 9-16-0 Punts-avg. 5-26 1-42 Fumbles-lost 2-1 2-1 Penalties-yards 3-30 9-70 SCORING SUMMARY Holy Cross 0 0 0 0 — 0 John Curtis 3 21 2 0 — 26 JC: Cole Schmidt 27 ﬁeld goal JC: Brock Bergeron 1 run (Schmidt kick) JC: Jaden Keelan 51 run (Schmidt kick) JC: Jarvis Stevenson 28 pass from London Padgett (Schmidt kick) JC: Khaidyn Woods safety sack

Week 10 schedule All games 7 p.m. unless noted

Nov. 5 games L.B. Landry vs. Sophie B. Wright at Pan American, 3:30 p.m. De La Salle vs. Haynes at Yenni, 6:30 p.m. Thomas Jefferson vs. Patrick Taylor at Memtsas, 6:30 p.m. Bonnabel vs. Warren Easton at Pan American Jesuit vs. Edna Karr at Morris F.X. Jeff St. Stadium Loranger vs. Morris Jeff at Joe Brown

Nov. 6 games Rummel vs. St. Augustine at Gormley, 3:30

DOWNLOAD

STAFF PHOTO BY BRETT DUKE

p.m. Abramson vs. Kennedy at Pan American Brother Martin vs. Holy Cross at Gormley Central Lafourche at Hahnville Chalmette vs. John Curtis at Bertolino Destrehan at H.L. Bourgeois East Jefferson at Country Day Franklinton at Prairieville Hammond at Ponchatoula Hannan at Salmen Higgins vs. Riverdale at Yenni Jewell Sumner at Pope John Paul II Kenner Discovery at Ben Franklin Mandeville at Fontainebleau McMain vs. McDonogh 35 at Morris F.X. Jeff Sr. Stadium Newman at Covenant Christian Northshore at Slidell Pearl River at Lakeshore Riverside at West St. John Sarah T. Reed vs. Booker T. Washington at Pan American St. Charles at Vandebilt St. Martin’s at South Plaquemines St. Paul’s at Covington St. Thomas Aquinas at Northlake Christian Terrebonne at East St. John West Jefferson vs. John Ehret at Memtsas Willow at Belle Chasse Young Audiences at Shaw

Nov. 7 games Houma Christian vs. Fisher at Memtsas, 11 a.m. Jefferson Rise vs. Cohen at Pan American, 11:30 a.m. Open date: Carver

ONE great state FOUR great apps

LOUISIANA INSPIRED: From the UK to N.O., story behind family’s 1-ton phone booth 7D

LIVING

N O L A.C O M

S U N D AY, N OV E M B E R 1, 2026

1DN

Taking his shot From ‘I Play Rocky’ to ‘Sterling Point,’ how Jay Duplass went from a Metairie youth to a Hollywood star

BY LESLIE CARDÉ Contributing writer

The cast of the Broadway musical ‘The Lion King’ performs onstage.

PROVIDED PHOTO FROM THE EHRHARDT GROUP

See two N.O. natives in Broadway’s ‘Lion King’ tour

‘GRATEFUL TO BE BACK’ BY VIOLET BUCARO

Staff writer

ew Orleans natives Jennifer Theriot, 35, and Vernon Brooks III, 28, have spent years living out of a few suitcases and a trunk. Touring with Disney’s Broadway musical “The Lion King” means packing light with vacuum-sealed clothes. But there is always room in the luggage for a little New Orleans ﬂavor. Brooks, a dancer who grew up in Metairie, never forgets to pack Crystal Hot Sauce and Tony’s Chachere’s Creole spice blend. Theriot, a singer who grew up on the West Bank and the 9th Ward, makes room for a bag or two of red beans. The Broadway stars are restocking during a three-week run through Nov. 8 at the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans. After long stretches away from home, Brooks is eating oyster poboys at Parasol’s and Theriot is rejuvenating in City Park. “The Lion King” musical has toured North America for 25 years, following its Broadway debut in 1997 and the Disney animated movie in 1994. The show has won six Tony Awards and been seen by more than 100 million theatergoers across 30 global productions. The current Rafiki Tour has been on the road for 8 years and is scheduled to give its ﬁnal performance in August 2027. Theriot

When Jay Duplass took the stage to give his acceptance speech for winning the Celluloid Hero Award at the New Orleans Film Society gala last week, he made sure to say, “I grew up in New Metairie — it’s the part that’s not old, not particularly soulful, and deﬁnitely not elegant.” The self-deprecating quadruple-threat Duplass director, writer, producer and actor has won plenty of awards, but he told the audience right off the top, “Y’all crazy!” The award is the film society’s highest individual honor, celebrating artists whose contributions have left a lasting mark on ﬁlm and New Orleans’ cultural life. Over his career, he’s won 15 awards and received 27 nominations for movies across various categories. He stars in the horror movie “Other Mommy,” which was No. 1 in the U.S. last week and also stars Jessica Chastain. He and brother Mark Duplass produced it, Mark’s wife, Katie Aselton, directed it, and their daughter, Ora, stars — a family affair.

ä See DUPLASS, page 9D

Jan Risher

STAFF PHOTO BY VIOLET BUCARO

Vernon Brooks, left, and Jennifer Theriot move a shadow puppet of Simba backstage at the Saenger Theatre on Oct. 23. has been performing the show for a decade, since the Gazelle Tour in 2002, and Brooks joined more recently in 2023. As cast members of one of Broadway’s longest-running shows, Brooks and Theriot share the goal of bringing the story to life each night. “It’s a duty to take the audience

on a journey,” Brooks said.

‘The real me’ For Brooks, performing at the 100-year-old Saenger Theatre hits a heartstring. It’s a stage he grew up admiring and never imagined he’d dance on.

ä See ‘LION KING’, page 5D

New Orleans is the real me. Especially living in New York, with the hustle and bustle of it, you forget there is a calmness to being back home. Sometimes that’s necessary for the body.” Vernon Brooks, ‘The Lion King’ castmember

Counting cars on a country road I don’t remember ever seeing my maternal grandfather wearing anything other than denim overalls — the kind that had three pockets on the bib. The middle pocket was long and skinny, just right for a pen or pencil. He kept a pencil that he sharpened perfectly with his pocket knife, creating an angular pointy end. The lead was not so thin that the point would break and not so thick that it was clumsy to write with. My grandfather had a third-grade education. His name was a mouthful: Nattie (pronounced like Nate-y) Grover Grannison Greer. Among my friends, he was the only grandfather born in the 1800s — making

ä See QUESTIONS, page 9D

METAIRIE | 7:30PM | WED 18 NOV JEFFERSON PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

BATON ROUGE | 7:30PM | THU 19 NOV RAISING CANE’S RIVER CENTER THEATRE

BOOK NOW: www.atasteofirelandshow.com

2D F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F nola.com F The Times-Picayune

lll

DINING SCENE McHardy’s still a bargain as affordability shrinks ‘It's a struggle,’ popular fried chicken spot owners say

Sizzling sounds erupt as another batch of chicken is dunked in the fryer at McHardy’s Chicken & Fixin’, and the orders come in swiftly over the counter with the weekday lunch rush underway. In the prep room in back, the pace is more measured and methodical. Following an exacting process, each piece of chicken is washed and strips of yellow fat are trimmed away. The chicken is marinated overnight and covered in a Ian McNulty seasoned flour just before cooking. WHAT’S The chicken COOKING is crunchy, less greasy and very flavorful, and each step in the cooking process has been calculated to keep it that way, says Kermit Mogilles, who runs the 7th Ward takeout fried chicken shop with his wife, Alvi, and their son, Rahman. Increasingly critical these days, too, are the calculations the family must make to balance the cost of serving their chicken and the price they charge for it. “Doing something of quality at a cost-effective price is never easy, and it’s more challenging than ever now,” he said. “It’s a struggle.” Opened in 2000, with fried chicken based on a home recipe from Alvi’s mother, McHardy’s has become a low-key institution in New Orleans for an anytime meal, for large orders to feed groups and parties, and for whole fried turkeys for the holidays. It’s also known for affordability, and that’s an inescapable buzzword now from national headlines to the family table as people contend with higher costs. In the restaurant industry, food and labor costs climbed an estimated 35% since 2020, the National Restaurant Association reported earlier this year, putting growing pressure on businesses that typically run on profit margins of between 3% and 5%.

504-913-8665

Turkey time There is an annual bright spot ahead for McHardy’s, with November beginning what’s known at the shop as “fried turkey season.” Though always on the menu, fried turkeys are in high demand for Thanksgiving, and also for office parties and other gatherings continuing through Christmas and New Year’s. Like king cakes for bakeries, fried turkeys are a seasonal boost STAFF PHOTOS BY DAVID GRUNFELD that buoys the whole business. “Thank God for that,” said Alvi. Fried chicken follows a family recipe at McHardy’s Chicken & Fixin’ in New Orleans. “It is our busiest time, and it’s all hands on deck, and it helps us all MCHARDY’S CHICKEN year.” McHardy’s is a Peeps-sized & FIXIN’ player in the fried chicken game, 1458 N. Broad St., (504) 949-0000 which is dominated by national brands with revenues in the bilMon.-Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. lions and commensurately large Note: Thanksgiving fried turkey orders marketing budgets and econoopen Nov. 2 mies of scale for supply chains. These brands also tend to charge more. small change can make a differAt local Popeyes Louisiana ence for people watching their Kitchen outposts, for example, a own finances get squeezed from four-piece order of bone-in chickall corners. “It takes a lot of discipline on en is now $9.99. our part, but we are determined,” At McHardy’s, all the measured Alvi said. “My husband and I both steps in preparation, and the low Rahman Mogilles and his mother, Alvi Mogilles, work the counter at the grew up very poor, so we know prices, have drawn a loyal followfamily’s chicken spot. how to cut back and make sacriing. The shop’s other competitive advantage is character. fices.” 5-piece, then and now Alvi coaches staff on making When presented with higher quired to keep prices down. sure they thank customers for delivery charges and fuel surThe menu board hanging over Back in 2022, I set out on a their business, which is more imMcHardy’s counter is essentially quest to find dishes around New charges for skyrocketing diesel Orleans that could make a satisfy- a multiplication table, with one prices, McHardy’s reduced the portant than ever now, she insists. frequency of deliveries for just And she often has advice for ing meal for $10 or less. It was an baseline price for fried chicken about everything except chicken. customers on how to stretch their arbitrary threshold that produced that changes by quantity, so that “Every time there’s a delivery, dollars further, like combining an some delicious finds, mostly from a 10-piece box is one-tenth the cost of a suitcase-sized 100-piece that’s a charge, we can see that, order of McHardy’s chicken with mom-and-pop takeout joints. order. so that’s something where we can a few groceries for a make-atToday, these spots also provide In 2022, I sampled the smallest save,” Kermit said. home salad or by customizing an a benchmark for how things have order available, a five-piece box. Side dishes that were once order with a mix of larger pieces changed, and how some have Back then it was $7.04. Today, it’s outsourced to a purveyor, like so there’s enough for parents and managed to keep prices down. I the red beans, are now made inkids in one box. revisited all the examples I could on the menu for $8.37. house. “This is a business that has (a few of the restaurants have Fighting inflation After a McHardy’s employee thrived on discretionary income, sadly since closed). moved out of town, Alvi took on but I don’t know if discretionary McHardy’s was a particularly Every penny of that increase her duties rather than hire for the income really exists anymore,” rewarding find, and today it’s also has been analyzed, and in many position. She now arrives earlier Alvi said. “So you have to put a demonstration of the constant cases agonized over, by the proto prep food. Both moves cut yourself in other people’s shoes.” work and increasing struggle reprietors. They know that even a

4827 Prytania St.--NOLA 70115 504-300-0700 Licensed in Louisiana

TONI VAN ZANDT toni@reverealtors.com

overhead, but mean more work. The family business has also diversiﬁed. It now runs McHardy’s Equipment Rental, providing fryers and other kitchen gear. It’s built a niche with church events and local food festivals, where vendors might need the equipment only for a weekend.

Love Where You Live

LETTY ROSENFELD

NEW SEASON, NEW HOME!

GRI, CRS

C: 504-236-6834 • O: 504-866-2785 letty.rosenfeld@compass.com lettyrosenfeld.latter-blum.com

600 PORT OF NEW ORLEANS UNIT 6F ONE RIVER PLACE / FRENCH QUARTER

NEW PRICE

BUY WITH

CONFIDENCE.

SELL WITH

SUCCESS.

TRUST THE

$2,250,000

Elegant 2 Bed, 2.5 Baths, 2,639 Sqft, Corner Unit w/ Panoramic Views of French Quarter & Mississippi River. Combines luxury & location for an unparalleled living experience, oﬀering easy access to worldclass dining, shopping, cultural attractions, & outdoor activities & so much more!

EXPERIENCE.

ENJOY THE RESULTS.

1629 COLISEUM #3 • $405,000 • 1/1 1 AY ND U S EN P O

1-3

Chris Dorion

504.451.4274 Chris@Char-Realty.com 4018 Magazine St. NOLA 70115 504.799.1702

• Co-owners of 5 ofﬁces • Your Local and Global Luxury REALTORS! An independently owned and operated franchisee of BHH Afﬁliates, LLC

FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR NEXT HOME!

Beautiful Victorian condo across from Coliseum Square. Magnificent architectural detailspine flrs, 13’ceilings, 3 gorgeous fireplaces, and carved wood wainscotting on walls and celing. Breathtaking, huge great room, bright and airy newly renovated kitchen, 2 large bedrooms, 2 full baths, gated parking adjacent to condo front door, large pool and treeshaded brick patio. 1330 square feet living area. Come enjoy easy living with plenty of charm!

2100 ST CHARLES AVE 3B • $450,000 W NE

G IN IL ST

2622 LOWERLINE | $799,000

Beautifully renov condo in the prestigious Carol Condominiums. Can be sold fully furnished. It has a lg great rm, large, bright kitchen, 2 spacious bedrooms and 2 full baths. It has expansive windows in all rooms, wood floors throughout, and large closets.The building features a stunning lobby, pool and patio, fitness center, full time on-site manager, valet parking, and security.This is easy living at it’s finest!

3522 VINCENNES PL • $435,000 5870 VICKSBURG | $525,000

CHARMING LAKEVIEW 3BR/2BA W/ OFFICE/ GYM, SPACIOUS DEN & GREAT OUTDOOR LIVING ON A 50X122 LOT!

W NE

ICE PR

2-STORY FRENCH QUARTER CONDO. 2 PRIVATE BALCONIES, GARAGE PARKING, POOL W/ HOT TUB & WATERFALL.

I PR

928 ST. ANN

I PR

$1,890,000 717 TOULOUSE ST.

NG DI N E EP

L SA

1220 HARMONY

$675,000 1022 TOULOUSE BC-22

1410 JACKSON AVE.

L SO Charming 2 story on quiet Uptown street off Fontainebleau Dr. Beautiful renovation with wood floors throughout, 9 foot ceilings, crown molding, and wonderful natural light. The living and dining rooms are extra spacious and sunny, and the kitchen has a large island and breakfast area, and opens to the back patio and yard. The primary bedroom suite is downstairs, with 2 bedrooms and bath up. There’s a 2 car driveway and rear shed. A real gem in a convenient location!

I PR

D TE IS L ST JU

1013 RACE

NEW PRICE

936 CONTI STREET #9 | $425,000

FULLY RENOVATED ARTS & CRAFTS COTTAGE WITH DESIGNER KITCHEN IN QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD. 3BD, METICULOUSLY RESTORED. $5,000 CREDIT TO BUYER FOR RATE BUYDOWN

FANTASTIC LOCATION! 1 BLK TO ST CHARLES, 1 BLK TO NAPOLEON, CORNER LOT, GATED PARKING. $2700 MONTHLY INCOME.

M: 504.251.6400 | O: 504.861.7575

7 93 4 M A P LE S T R E E T, N E W O R LE A N S , L A 70 1 1 8

908 ST. LOUIS STREET $2,800,000 3206 ST. CHARLES AVE. $1,995,000

Charlotte Dorion

504.237.8615 Charlotte@Char-Realty.com Char-Realty.com

1502 GENERAL PERSHING ST | $1,050,000

FRANCHER PERRIN GROUP LUXURY PROPERTIES

TOP PRODUCER with Latter & Blum for over 40 YEARS!

539 BURGUNDY LICENSED BY THE LREC

$445,500

$3,062,500 1530 FIRST

$2,375,000

$1,998,000 918 ST. PHILIP

$1,395,000

$1,550,000

$1,175,000 916 ORLEANS SCAN FOR VIDEO TOURS

$870,000

lll

The Times-Picayune F nola.com F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F 3D

Back to Cool Nell Nolan

SOCIETY Contact: nnolan@theadvocate.com

n Bunny Bonhomie

Grady Hurley, Bill Hines, Deirdre McGlinchey, David Edwards

n Visionary Vibes

PHOTOS BY DENNIS NGUYEN

David Mussafer, Ashley and Tim Francis

“The Paul Tulane Society: Visionary Leaders and Forward-Thinking Philanthropists” headed the invitation that related to the activity, the 2026 induction ceremony and dinner; the hosts, Tulane University President Michael A. Fitts and the Board of Tulane; and the Gallier Hall location. Whereas many guests attending events there are familiar with the second floor, the above awards dinner was on the third one. Business attire was the dress code. For the day before the Paul Tulane Society event, David and Marion Mussafer acted as hosts at “Board of Tulane Lagniappe Gathering” and the Bruno Mars: The Romantic Tour at Caesars Superdome. Scores were thrilled to congregate at the concert as they imbibed Mars’ music. Dinner guests at Gallier Hall initiated their socializing with cocktails in a large reception room, where stand-up tables were covered with shimmery slate-colored cloths or platinum ones centered with arrangements of off-white roses, mini daisies, white hydrangeas, and touches of purplish-blue flowers and greenery. At the end of a spacious hallway, a photo-op area was set up and attendees stepped into a large picture frame for their souvenir shots. At the base of the photographic framing a large gold medallion stated “The Paul Tulane Society.” Larger, but similar, floral centerpieces in soft-gold Paul Revere-style bowls were placed on the dinner tables. Guests sat in gilded chairs to enjoy a Ralph Brennan Catering & Events meal of mixed greens salad, a main course of filet mignon and roasted Gulf shrimp, and a trio of little desserts, including chocolate blackout doberge creations lemon icebox tarts, and pecan tarts. “All delicious,” commented a pleased dinner-goer. Crystal chandeliers Elizabeth Goodyear, Karen shone above. Sanford The above Tulane Board Chair David M. Mussafer, who with spouse Marion committed a gift to enable the creation of the campus’ Mussafer Hall, which opened in 2018, launched the formalities at 7:25 p.m. with a request for the Tulane Paul Society members to stand. The society, the university’s premier giving community, is composed of members who have made a cumulative gift or pledge of $1 million or more to the university. Also on the stage, president Mike Fitts referenced a video about Tulane, its students and its mission, saying to the crowd, “Those opportunities would not exist Bill Goldring, Mike Fitts without people in this room.” Among the scores were members Timothy B. Francis and Ashley McIntire Francis, Elizabeth Dabezies Goodyear and Charles W. “Chip” Goodyear IV, and Virginia Eason Weinmann (and late husband John Giffen Weinmann), who was accompanied by dear friend Kristin Blackwell. Now for the 2026 laurels! Hailed, and roundly applauded, as the 2026 Paul Tulane Society inductees were Estate of James S. Bonnet Jr., MD, Kalispell, Montana; Robert I. Grossman and Elisabeth J. Cohen, both MD, New York, New York; Estate of Barbara Jo Holmes, New Orleans; Jones Walker LLP, (represented by Bill Hines, David Edwards, Grady Hurley, and Deirdre McGlinchey, among others), New Orleans; and Estate of Andrew Orestano, MD, (represented by Mahlon and Karen Sanford), New Orleans. Also, Estate of Sonja B. Romanowski, Richardson, Texas; Estate of Anne Robertson Sellin, Washington, D.C.; William M.Templeton, Dallas, Texas; and David T. Zhang and Yibing Mao, Hong Kong, China. Each inductee was featured with a photo and extensive bio in the large program. Kudos abounded.

n Time Tributes The Oct. 12 issue of Time magazine had a special feature titled Time 100 “The World’s Most Inﬂuential Rising Stars.” Two of them are from New Orleans: Arch Manning, “Living up to the Hype,” of the Manning football royalty, and now playing for the University of Texas, and E.J. Lagasse, a “Culinary Phenom,” who is a lauded chef and coowner of Emeril’s. The sons also rise.

The Historic New Orleans Collection, a museum, research center, and publisher, which just celebrated its 60th anniversary, rounded up members of the Bienville Circle weeks ago to thank them for their PHOTOS BY REAGAN LAQUE sponsorship Darryl and Louellen Berger, Amanda and Ryan Berger of the new exhibit, “Bunny Matthews: His Life, Art, and Obsessions.” In March of 2023, HNOC acquired the archive of Will Bunn “Bunny” Matthews III (1951-2021), a former Times-Picayune Price and Christine music writer, and Leblanc later, a celebrated cartoonist, who creDaniel Hammer, Tracie Haydel ated the loving, laughable Vic and Nat’ly BrousGriffin, Shelby Russ sard. The spouses, owners of a bar and po-boy spot in the Ninth Ward, crack wise and risibly, yat-inﬂected, about the Crescent City and its community. Yeah, you rite! It was to another location that the 2026 Bienville Circle rallied its festive following: the beautifully renovated St. Charles Avenue home of Amanda and Ryan Berger. Urban Earth did the ﬂorals and The NOLA Sweethearts, a trio, purveyed the musical menu. Among those noted were Ryan’s parents, Darryl and Louellen, as well as HNOC President and Richard Dragisic, Bill CEO Daniel Hammer and Klara, Bienville Circle Chair Lisa Brockschmidt Wilson and Peter, HNOC Board President Bonnie Boyd and John, Janet and retired Judge Stanwood Duval, Elizabeth and Chip Goodyear, Randy Haynie and daughter Dayna, Michelle and Jason Leckert, Pierre and Suzie Villere, Sarah Young and daughter Charlotte Henry,Tanya and Trevor Walker, Shelley Winstead, and dozens more, who when not admiring the stunning premises, chatted about the Bunny Matthews exhibit in the Collection’s Tricentennial Wing on Royal Street. The comely crowd also savored the cuisine by Ralph Brennan Catering & Events that included passed appetizers, salads, several main courses, and as dessert, nectar cream ice cream sundaes.

n Accolades The Pitot House, which is located on Moss Street and overlooks Bayou St. John, is a “1799 West Indies-style Creole colonial country house.” It was the site for encomiums on a recent Friday evening. The honoree was Rene Fransen, FASLA, a longtime volunteer and board member of Louisiana Landmarks Society and the Pitot House. Professionally, he is known as an acclaimed landscape architect and design consultant with more than four decades of experience. (In 2020, he transitioned ownership of his ﬁrm to his longtime business partner, John Mills. It is now called Fransen Mills Landscape Architects.) PHOTO BY NELL NOLAN Sally Reeves, whose connection Rene Fransen, Sally Reeves, Eddie Bonin with LLS is extensive, gave the tribute to Rene Fransen, who was joined by his spouse, Eddie Bonin. Congratulations then ﬂowed to Rene as his friends savored the culinary goodies created by Tony Marino, LLS president.

MAke

N E W ORLE O ANS HOME

C CHRIS S AGUGLIA G

504 250 0335 504.250.0335

AgugliA-Homes.COM

LICENSED IN LA NEW ORLEANS, LA 504.300.0700

4D F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F nola.com F The Times-Picayune

lll

TRAVEL

Explore the charm of Abita Springs on foot Northshore town great for a weekend stay

sat outside to enjoy the music. Families were everywhere, and the mood was lively. We ordered a flight of local beers, barbecue crab claws and spinach artichoke dip. Sunday morning we walked over to the Trailhead for the Abita Springs Farmers Market, hosted from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Sunday. There were around 25 vendors, selling everything from bread to vegetables to jams to baked goods, and shoppers milled about despite the heat. To conclude our reunion weekend, we walked over to the Abita Springs Cafe for brunch. Although we had a little wait and a brief rain shower, the cafe is across the corner from Trinity Lutheran Church of Abita Springs, which was built in 1906. We watched people leave from the church service and stand outside and socialize. Once the rain started, some people took refuge within the church and others stood under PHOTOS BY JOY HOLDEN overhangs. The cafe, which is open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day, is warm and Abita Springs cozy inside with wood panelFarmers ing and lots of light. Visitors to Abita Springs who are craving Market is breakfast or brunch food all day open from can retreat to the restaurant for 10 a.m. to 2 omelettes, pancakes, sandwiches, p.m. at the St. French toast and biscuits. I am Tammany Trace a pancake girl, so I ordered the massive eggs and cakes, which Trailhead. comes with two eggs, two pancakes and two pieces of bacon or sausage. I added blueberries as well. The food was fresh and tasty. As our weekend in Abita Springs came to a close, I realdrinks. ized how much I needed time It was dark on our walk back, with my best friend. We spent and we actually spotted fireflies the weekend talking, laughing, along the Trace, which added a walking and reconnecting. A little magic to our evening. walkable weekend in St. TamAfter our hike, we stopped in many Parish can’t be beat. the Abita Brew Pub, 72011 Holly St., on our way back to the hotel. Email Joy Holden at joy.holden@ A local band was playing, so we theadvocate.com.

BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer

In August, my best friend since sixth grade and I met up for a reunion weekend. She lives in Mandeville, and I live in Baton Rouge, so we met in the middle in Abita Springs — 46 miles from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and 75 miles from Baton Rouge. Abita Springs won its fame in the late 1800s as a resort destination due to its natural springs. During this time, some residents ﬂed to St. Tammany Parish to escape deadly summer outbreaks of yellow fever and cholera. The springs are no longer functioning. The town embraces its Choctaw, German, Scots-Irish, African American and French roots through festivals and the Trailhead Museum. We convened at Cured On Columbia at 415 N. Columbia St., Covington, for lunch to start our weekend full of gabbing, laughing, eating and walking. The interior of the restaurant was eclectic — an ideal spot for catching up over a menu of small bites, sandwiches, salads and protein bowls, all sourced with local, fresh ingredients. We shared everything, just like when we were young. We ordered the special — artichokes and lemon served with toasted baguettes — along with the hummus trio, which came with beet, black bean and traditional hummus options served with charred naan bread. For our entree, we split the Cured club sandwich, which had housesmoked chicken, ham, bacon, havarti, lettuce, tomato, pickled onions and a garlic aioli.

The Abita Springs Hotel is a restored 1890s home turned into a hotel. We had so much food left over that we packed it up and brought it to our next stop, the Abita Springs Hotel. We drove for a short 10 minutes from lunch to the hotel. The Abita Springs Hotel is a quaint, two-story guesthouse painted light peach with a wraparound porch. Converted from a restored 1890s home to a boutique hotel, it reminded me of one of the inns in a Nancy Drew mystery. The location is ideal, as the hotel is within walking distance to the Tammany Trace bike path, Abita Brew Pub and the Abita Springs Cafe. Each room includes a balcony, terrace or patio and free use of bicycles. Other short-term rentals on Airbnb.com and vrbo.com are available, but it’s a small selection within the town limits. To start our St. Tammany Trace

adventure, we left the Trailhead and walked to the Abita Springs Brewery, a 1.3-mile walk. Unfortunately, the main trail was closed for maintenance, so we had a pleasant detour through the woods. Too late for tours, we each got a beer, chose a seat and talked as locals wandered in for

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER By Christopher Elliott

Three-hour delay returning rental cost an extra $650 I rented a car through Europcar for a trip to France last summer. I had a voucher through my travel agency that specifically stated that “unlimited mileage is included with this vehicle.” I paid $670 for a 27-day rental. Everything seemed fine until I returned the car at Charles de Gaulle Airport. I was about three hours late because of some local traffic.When received my final bill Christopher Ifrom Europcar, I was Elliott shocked to see a charge of $650 for “additional kilometers.” I contacted my travel agent to point out that my contract promised unlimited miles. After a month of silence and weekly follow-

ups, I finally got a response. My agent told me that because the rental was extended by one day due to my late return, the mileage conditions changed in accordance with the terms and conditions. It claimed that neither the agency nor I decide the amount charged — the rental supplier determines it based on its own pricing policy. I would be happy to pay for one extra day of rental, but $650 for a three-hour delay feels like highway robbery. Europcar has since told me it conducted a “thorough investigation” and considers the matter resolved. Can you help me get a refund for these overcharges? — George Meyer, Fair Oaks, Calif.

Next stop: Europcar. When the front-line agents gave you the brush-off, you could have sent a polite appeal to the executives at Europcar. I publish their names and email addresses on my advocacy site, Elliott.org. So what went wrong here? Vincent Vevaud, a spokesman for Europcar Mobility Group, explained the problem. Your 27-day rental had unlimited mileage, but your three-hour delay pushed the rental to 28 days. “In line with EU regulation, rentals exceeding 27 days fall into a different category than shortterm rental, with different rules applying,” Vevaud said. “Notably, the 28-day rate does not include

because you hit a trafﬁc jam on the way to the airport. I think you might have avoided this by leaving a little earlier for the airport. In France, returning a car more than 29 minutes late often triggers a charge for an entire extra day. Usually, that just means paying a daily rate, but your case hit a regulatory tripwire (I’ll get to the explanation in a minute). You did the right thing by starting a paper trail with your travel adviser and rental agency. Your travel agent should have stepped up to help you, and it didn’t. The agency also failed to respond to my advocacy team’s request for help.

If you reserve a car with unlimited mileage, that feature shouldn’t vanish into thin air just

JODI POWER 504-261-5247

THE POWER TO BUY AND SELL NEW ORLEANS thejoditeamsoldit@yahoo.com

unlimited mileage, but rather 3,750 km, with additional kilometers charged.” The ﬁne print feels like a trap. Because no one clearly warned you that a few extra hours would change the entire structure of your mileage plan, Europcar has agreed to refund the $650. Next time you’re driving in France, remember that the 28th day is the most expensive one you’ll ever buy. Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a nonproﬁt organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him on his site.

SANDY WARD

504-259-2616

Licensed in Louisiana

EACH OFFICE INDEPENDENTLY OWNED & OPERATED.

29 CLEVNER DR.

1056 Elmeer Ave, Metairire, LA 70005 • Licensed in State of Louisiana

OLD ME TA IRIE

LIVING

504-475-1011

NE W PRICE

CONTRACT PENDING

KENNER - $305,000

4 BD • 2 BA • Chateau Estates Lakefront

SOLD 925 OLD LANDING ROAD - COVINGTON $899,000 Completely rebuilt in 2026 by Castillo Builders & Gregory Hackenberg Architechs, this refined Southern Luxury home sits on a 100’x200’ Old Landing lot with four bedrooms, four baths, and two primary suits PENDING 4419 S ROCHEBLAVE ST • NEW ORLEANS $695,000 Beautifully restored circa-1910 Craftsman bungalow in coveted Uptown New Orleans. Thoughtfully renovated in 2022, featuring original hardwoods, historic details, 10-foot ceilings, four bedrooms, office, oversized lot and pool potential.

649 ARIS AVENUE

116 ELIZABETH AVENUE PRICED TO SELL

1801 RIDGELAKE DRIVE • $1,025,000 • Corner Lot, Garage

OLD ME TA IRIE

NEW PRICE • DELIMON CONDO

UP T OWN

NE W • DOUBLES

1 BD 1 BA EACH OFF S T PRKG

METAIRIE - $273,000

500 RUE SAINT ANN • $499,000 2 Beds, 2 Baths, 1st Floor Corner Unit

BUCK T OWN NE W PRICE

OLD JEFFERSON NE OFFW SLTISPRKG T ING

3 BD • 2 BA • 1,289 SF • Near Miss. Levee

810 GERRY DRIVE

1500 W. ESPLANADE #28C

5209-11 TCHOUPITOULAS 5261-63 TCHOUPITOULAS $249,000 $225,000

WA REHS DIST

NE SOLD W • DOUBLES - CONDO

LO T 75 X 150 152 DODGE AVE $240,000

OLD METAIRIE S O L D

S O L D

840 TCHOUPITOULAS #309 • 2/2 • $524,900

1317 WISTERIA DR $329,900

BUCK T OWN

WHS DISTRIC T

S O L D

METAIRIE

3 BD • 2 BA • 1,725 SF • Bdrm + Ba downstairs

NEW PRICE

GROUND FLOOR CONDO

3320 N. ARNOULT RD. #231

S O L D

2732 WHITNEY PLACE #101

PENDING

1375 CHOCTAW AVE 333 JULIA STREET $435,000 $425,000

LAKEVIEW/LAKEWOOD SOUTH

KENNER - $145,500

3 BD • 2 BA • 1,268 SF • New Roof & AC

METAIRIE - $138,500

METAIRIE - $122,000

2712 WHITNEY PLACE #627

2732 WHITNEY PLACE #201

METAIRIE - $114,000

METAIRIE - $99,500

2 BD • 2 BA • 1,000 SF • Gated Comm 356 W. LIVINGSTON AVENUE $1,539,000

NEW PRICE

BUCK T OWN

KENNER - $170,000

1317 OCEAN $329,000

RIVER RIDGE - $249,000

2 BD • 2 BA • 1,382 SF • Open Floor Plan

ME TA IRIE

POOL + GAZEBO VIEW

1 BD • 1 BA • 756 SF

VIEW OF COURTYARD

SOLD

D: 504.722.7640 | O: 504.891.6400 www.TriciaKing.com | Tricia.King@compass.com Uptown - 7934 Maple St., New Orleans Garden District - 2734 Prytania St., New Orleans Licensed in LA

214 E WILLIAM DAVID PKWY $1,230,000

5456 BELLAIRE DRIVE 3520 CLIFFORD DR $775,000 $435,000 • 3/2

1 BD • 1 BA • 756 SF

lll

Jennifer Theriot sings with two puppet birds backstage at the Saenger Theatre.

‘LION KING’

Continued from page 1D “I’m grateful to be back, especially with this job, because I never would have thought that I’d be doing something like this and to be able to bring it home,” he said. “I’m emotional. ... My father passed away at a very young age. I know for a fact that he never dreamt that he’d have a son that would be performing in a show at the Saenger at this caliber.” He takes as many as 15 ﬂights a year for the tour, staying in different cities for weeks or months at a time. But life in New Orleans offers something Brooks’ life in New York doesn’t: carefree camaraderie, hellos from strangers and laissez-faire attitudes that make home feel like home. “New Orleans is the real me,” he said. “Especially living in New York, with the hustle and bustle of it, you forget there is a calmness to being back home. Sometimes that’s necessary for the body.” But Brooks is no stranger to wear and tear. In one scene, he wears a helmet attached to a heavy, spinning wooden gazelle about 4 feet long while circling two more gazelles, one on each arm. He also performs 121 jumps on a steel stage and stomps to the beat of bongos night after night. Brooks began dancing at 13 years old at Bonnabel High School after his soccer coach

Vernon Brooks signs in to go backstage at the Saenger Theatre. encouraged him to take a ballet class. Shortly after, he enrolled at New Orleans Center for Creative Arts High School for contemporary dance. He said New Orleans dance traditions complement the movement style in “The Lion King.” “Coming from down here, second-lining, I know how to release my body.” He has toured with the cast for three years, performing ensemble roles including lead gazelle, hyena, wildebeest, grass and elephant, all while wearing tall puppet heads and heavy costumes. He also hauls large puzzle pieces across the stage that come together to create Mufasa’s face. The musical is known for its animatronic, towering wildebeest puppets, shadow puppetry, moving sets and stilt-walking giraffes. The costumes are just as eye-catching, featuring bright

SHERRY L. OWEN CRS, GRI, SFR, ABR

228-760-2815 • 228-822-9870 OWENSHERRYL@AOL.COM 2208 18TH ST, SUITE B, GULFPORT, MS 39501 WWW.OWENANDCO.COM

HISTORIC FLARE! BAY ST. LOUIS

208 SAINT CHARLES STREET | $1,200,000 5 Beds / 4 Baths / 2,489 Sq.ft. “Ole Town” House with two rental cottages, pool, VRBO does excellent. Walk to the beach or drive your golf cart to downtown from this location!

African textile prints, feathers, tall grass headpieces and intricate beadwork. On tour, professional beaders are on call to repair damaged shells and beads by hand. Nala, Simba’s wife, is stamped with white dots and wears a beaded corset with a zigzag pattern. Playing the character makes Theriot feel empowered. “You really do feel like a warrior,” she said. Theriot also plays Sarabi, Simba’s mother, and understudies Shenzi and Nala, and is an ensemble member.

Under the singing tree Born at Charity Hospital, Theriot grew up singing Whitney Houston and church songs with her great-grandmother. At 16, she moved to New York. Three years later, she found Disney. She has since performed in Broadway productions such as

The Times-Picayune F nola.com F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F 5D

STAFF PHOTOS BY VIOLET BUCARO “The Beauty and the Beast,” volved as a “vacation swing” for “Tarzan,” “Dreamgirls” and shows in the future. “Hairspray.” For now, Theriot’s life looks After years touring the world, like bringing a meaningful she paused performing in 2019 story to life through puppetry, and moved back to New Orleans. dancing in thick, beaded corsets While recovering from a vocal and singing in six indigenous cord surgery that temporarily African languages: Zulu, Xhosa, took away her ability to sing, Sotho, Swahili, Tswana and Conshe found solace beneath an old golese. oak tree in City Park overlook“This is the hardest show I’ve ing the swan boats. Known as ever had to do,” she said. “The the “chime tree,” it gets its name storytelling came naturally, but having to tell a stofrom the large chimes dangling ry with a puppet from its sturdy and my voice, that branches. took a minute.” “I would come For Brooks, here on days that a trained ballet I would feel dedancer, learning how to sing while pressed and jourdancing was a feat. nal. I feel like “I literally started when I would be to learn how to sing here, the windiest Three colorful masks through this show, days would haphang backstage at the and hearing other pen,” she said. “I would be under the Saenger Theatre for ‘The people,” he said. “I Lion King’ musical. think I sound great singing tree.” in the shower, but I During a recent visit to the tree, she reﬂected on was nervous singing out loud.” But the work pays off. For the possibility that this could be her ﬁnal time performing in her Brooks, it’s about bringing the audience a message of hope. hometown. “I sometimes call myself “New Orleans is very ‘Circle of Life,’” she said, referring to an entertainment surrogate,” the signature song composed by Brooks said. “I take on the reElton John and Hans Zimmer. To sponsibility of being a medium her, the song symbolizes home. for the audience and what is beSitting in the shade beneath ing pumped on stage.” the old oak branches, she made Theriot agreed. peace with the fact that her time “It’s our job to take you away with the play may be coming to from your reality for 2 and a a close. “But I’m okay with that. half hours,” she said. “That’s our I did it!” world. That’s what we do.” She wants to focus on her 2-year-old daughter and her fam- Violet Bucaro at violet. ily. Though she hopes to stay in- bucaro@theadvocate.com

6D F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F nola.com F The Times-Picayune

lll

ä For area book events, go to

WWW.NOLA.COM/ENTERTAINMENT_LIFE/ BOOKS

BOOKS La. poet laureate’s work explores nature and city life BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer

“The Rooted and Recurrent” by Gina Ferrara, UL Press, 61 pages

Book ‘compassionately captures’ 1980s AIDS crisis in N.O. through 18 stories BY RIEN FERTEL Contributing writer

“Skylark,” by William Christy Smith, University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press, 246 pages. I’m a sucker for novels set in 1980s New Orleans, a time and place that shaped my earliest years but which I was far too young to fully absorb. Such is the case with William Christy Smith’s debut novel, “Skylark,” a short-story cycle that compassionately captures the 1980s AIDS crisis in New Orleans. Smith’s longtime position as adult programming manager at the Jefferson Parish Public Library has made him a steadfast champion of the local literary scene. Over 18 stories, featuring a sprawling cast of characters, Smith has crafted a book that is surprisingly lighthearted despite its somber subject matter. The novel opens on the shared life of Ruby and Bella, recent retirees from Baltimore who move to New Orleans to grow old and comfortable, “like contented cows in a pasture.” To supplement their income, they take jobs cooking and waiting tables at a gay-friendly Marigny mainstay called the Fork in the Road. The restaurant hosts AIDS support groups, drag shows and the odd bar mitzvah. It’s a prime example of what the urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg famously called a “great good place” — convenient, comfortable public spaces where regulars congregate over conversation and other simple pleasures. It’s also a place destined, after the AIDS-related death of its owner, for the continued guidance of Ruby and Bella, who rechristen the restaurant Skylark, after their preferred weekend activity: excursions to backcountry farmers markets, or what they call skylarking. British slang for silly or frivolous behavior, skylarking aptly describes the Skylark. Comic-tinged banter ﬁlls the front and back of house. Employees and customers dream up mischievous schemes. It’s the type of laid-back, anything-goes eatery where an

William Christy Smith

PROVIDED PHOTO

impatient diner can jokingly shout, “Who do you have to sodomize to get some food around here?” and the bartender knows to quell his gripes with a well-made Sazerac. But beneath that frivolity is the novel’s gloomy through line: each of the characters featured in “Skylark,” apart from Ruby and Bella, is a gay, HIV-positive man who is dying of AIDS and/or grieving a loved one who has recently succumbed to the disease. At the Skylark, these men ﬁnd comfort in food, community and, in a second connective tissue that links these characters’ lives, telling their stories. On Wednesday nights, the restaurant hosts the Lavender Literary Guild, a memoir writing group where the men, and by authorial extension, Smith, explore their rich interior lives on the page. “United by AIDS,” they are a diverse group. A pizza delivery guy, a personal fashion consultant at Godchaux’s department store, a Royal Street gallery owner, a ﬂorist. One unforgettable character named Hope Chest works as a “drag doctor.” She’s on call “to help repair things,” Smith writes. “Like when a girl needs a new drag persona, a new costume, a better wig,” He writes. “‘Lose the bangs.’ ‘Get a different shade of lipstick.’” Helping each other is the key in Smith’s intimate Skylark universe, “an extensive underground

network that flourished and was mostly unknown.” A community of individuals who spend their last days offering succor to the sick, honoring the departed, helping each other in ways big and small and, at times, unquestionably illegal — stealing cremains and rewriting wills, for instance — but always morally just. Smith appropriately bookends the events in “Skylark” between 1983 and 1988, milestone years for AIDS awareness and activism in New Orleans. The Picayune published its first extensive local coverage of the crisis on April 11, 1983, under the headline, “AIDS: Mystery Disorder.” That same year saw the founding of the healthcare organization known as the NO/AIDS Task Force. In May 1988, the AIDS Memorial Quilt was displayed in the former downtown exhibition hall known as Rivergate. Despite the shared fate of his characters, and the harrowing variety of symptoms that causes them so much suffering, Smith gracefully manages to avoid the clichéd “bury your gays” trope, in which queer lives are buried under the weight of tragedy and trauma. His stories exude lived-in quality. They are consoling, much like the comfort food the Skylark serves up. At times, though, I wished the novel felt more in tune with the decade in which it’s set. Sure, there’s a couple references to Tom Selleck’s hairy-chested sex appeal and a prank involving a cache of stolen David Duke bumper stickers, but I wanted a richer portrait of the longgone gay New Orleans of the 1980s in these pages, a city then filled with ungentrified bars and swinging bathhouses. But mostly the novel made me long for my own great good place, something I’ve lacked since moving, three years back, out of the same Marigny neighborhood that the fictional Skylark calls home. May we all be so lucky to find a place like that. Rien Fertel is the author of four books. He recently won his fifth Best Critical Review Award from the New Orleans Press Club.

Louisiana poet laureate Gina Ferrara published “The Rooted and Recurrent,” her sixth collection of poetry, in September. Ferrara, who lives in New Review Orleans and teaches English at Delgado Community College, was honored by the Louisiana Endowment for the expression, helpful gesHumanities in 2025. She tures with my hands/ ready is Poet Laureate through as leaves in the wind/ un2027, serving as Louisihurried words/ strung for my great-grandmother.” ana’s literary ambassador “The Rooted and Reby traveling the state to lead workshops, lectures current” references the and readings. unpredictable weather of “The Rooted and RecurNew Orleans with alludes rent” features 51 poems on to storms and reflections on family losses in Hurnature, memory, living in the city, objects and emoricane Katrina. Her poem “Sunflowers” is a meditations. Ferrara separates the collection into tion after Katrina four sections: “Plantthat expresses memories of her ed,” “Established,” mother’s water“Affixed” and “Prologged piano and liferating” — each how every item one connecting to was a reminder of a larger theme of all that was lost. growth, stability and Ferrara’s poem, attachment. The colFerrara “For the Once Dailection has a strong autumnal tone and ly and Intermiteven includes a poem entent,” precisely captures the mood of a rainy day. titled “November 1st.” She nails the oppressive Ferrara utilizes vivid description of the clouds: language and descriptive “Burdened sky, the color imagery throughout the collection to create a famil- of battleships,/ dangerous iar richness with the south lead, and sullen moods, / unable to hold your weight, Louisiana subject matter. we could smell your warnShe uses an abundance of flower and plant referencings. / You’d sag, nearly touching our heads…” es as well as urban touchFurther on in the poem, stones like iron fences and she has this rhythmic line: sidewalks to capture the “Those days we knew all duality of New Orleans — the synonyms,/ the myriad the wild and the domestic. The poems in “The Root- of ways to describe rain, / our fluencies for the fluid.” ed and Recurrent” are acFerrara does not forcessible and digestible, yet full of depth and a hauntget about the birds and ing echo that remains long their presence in the city, notably the crows. Her after reading. poem “Crows in Hard Ferrara scatters SouthConsonance” integrates ern flora throughout the collection, like in the poem imagery in the following lines: “dark corona without “On Any Given Night:” beginning or end, / their “after the magnolias black plumage an honest opened/ the size of generonyx / holding evidence ous goblets and prayerful of moon glow and lifted hands, / days into May, the luminosity / to give sheen, gardenias bloomed / withdivine shine, nearly oiled, out variation, in shades anointed…” of turned pages and ivory Once again, she calls tusks/… sweet wafts of upon the sensual and saEden obliterating/ decay that always permeated the cred to encapsulate the city.” mood of New Orleans. She uses phrases like Her use of color descrip“goblets and prayerful tions is evident in the poem hands” to entwine magno“Lee’s House on Lesseps.” Contrasting new beige lias with the sacred and builds with the punchy the natural. Similarly, Ferrara’s metaphor of gar- exteriors of New Orleans cottages, Ferrara writes, denias as “turned pages,” “unlike your house, the col“ivory tusks” and “sweet wafts of Eden obliterating/ or of retro starlet lipstick decay that always perme/ flimsy chiffon, a fading scarlet scarf, / grasped beated the city” connotes a powerful scent memory tween fingers just before full of more religious figuflight.” “The Rooted and Recurrative language. Ferrara dips into famrent” collection evokes a weekend in south Louisiily memories in “After the Hemorrhage,” a poem ana with day trips to New about visiting her greatOrleans. This collection grandmother after an illfeels like swinging on a front porch, listening to ness. She uses a different gentle rain while smelling structure and spaces out the stanzas. She recalls the every flower in bloom. experience as a child with poignant phrases like “I’m Email Joy Holden at joy. told to speak loudly/ to use holden@theadvocate.com.

THIS WEEK’S BESTSELLERS FROM PUBLISHERS WEEKLY HARDCOVER FICTION

1. “Threshing Day (Wing and Claw ed.)” by Rebecca Yarros 2. “The Witch (deluxe ed.)” by Freida McFadden 3. “The French Illusion” by John Grisham 4. “The Calamity Club” by Kathryn Stockett 5. “Peck & Peck” by Bonnie Garmus 6. “Threshing Day” by Rebecca Yarros 7. “Partita” by Barbara Kingsolver 8. “Other Worlds Than These” by King/Straub 9. “Hexed (collector’s ed.)” by Emily McIntire 10. “Crossed (collector’s ed.)” by Emily McIntire

HARDCOVER NONFICTION

1. “Contend” by Philip Anthony Mitchell 2. “I’ll Believe in Anything” by Jacob Tierney 3. “In the Shadow of Eight” by Collin Gosselin 4. “The Lost Kitchen, Vol. 3” by Erin French 5. “The Battle for Your Soul” by David Jeremiah 6. “One Helluva Ride” by Michael Douglas 7. “Out of the Shadows” by Jay Stratton 8. “Uniting the States” by Brian Kilmeade 9. “Blockers” by Michael Lewis 10. “The Steps” by Sylvester Stallone

TRADE PAPERBACK

1. “Murdoku” by Manuel Garand 2. “Dungeon Crawler Carl” by Matt Dinniman 3. “Verity” by Colleen Hoover 4. “Chainsaw Man, Vol. 22” by Tatsuki Fujimoto 5. “The Killer Isn’t Alice” by Iris Starling 6. “Brain Damage” by Freida McFadden 7. “Bound and Unbound” by Ali Hazelwood 8. “Carl’s Doomsday Scenario” by Matt Dinniman 9. “Back in Time (Murdoku #2)” by Manuel Garand 10. “Dungeon Crawler Carl, Vol. 2” by Matt Dinniman et al.

lll

The Times-Picayune F nola.com F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F 7D

LOUISIANA INSPIRED Iconic British phone booth lands in N.O. yard Real deal comes from U.K. to U.S. as a seasonal decoration

posed, finding new life as roadside libraries, galleries and flower boxes. So why not as yard décor in New Orleans? John found a company selling kiosks out of York and bought a 1930s-era K6 model consisting of BY KASEY BUBNASH a cast-iron frame and concrete Staff writer base that once stood next to a church in Pitlochry, Scotland. What’s the craziest souvenir Getting it across the pond was you’ve brought home from a trip the easy part. It was the 20 feet overseas? If it weighs less than from the delivery truck to their 1,800 pounds, chances are the yard that was the most trouble. Gharbi family has you beat. “Nobody could wrap their head The bright red phone booths around how to move it,” John that dot the United Kingdom are said. a common sight on London city Thanks to teamwork and a streets, but the relic sitting in the handy forklift, the booth made it family’s front yard on Webster out of its crate and safely into its Street near Magazine is a standnew home that September. The out here in New Orleans. Gharbis gave it a fresh coat of It’s the real deal, too, accordpaint, replaced the glass windowing to John “Jaxxx” and Mallory Gharbi, a keepsake from their panes and installed an LED light, recent year living in the U.K., and it now serves as the ultimate where John was stationed as an decorative centerpiece for every assistant director of operations holiday season. at a military air base in GloucesIt’s haunted by the ghost of tershire. STAFF PHOTO BY ENAN CHEDIAK Queen Elizabeth II during HalThe couple swears the whole John ‘Jaxxx’ Gharbi, upper right, with his wife Mallory and children, RJ, Ollie and Althea Gharbi at their house in loween — her corgis and skeletal thing isn’t as crazy as it sounds. guardsmen at their posts nearby. Uptown in New Orleans that has an 1,800-pound red phone booth in the front yard. “They’re easy to find, believe it It transforms into a snow globe or not,” John said. for Christmas and gets the purple, The Gharbi A Texas native and lieutenant green and gold treatment for Marfamily spent colonel with the Air Force Redi Gras. Often the whole house is about a properly English in theme. serve Hurricane Hunters, John’s month “I just love Halloween, I love work in the U.K. was temporary. refurbishing Christmas, love all the different He and Mallory, who was born seasons,” Mallory said. “We startand raised in Louisiana, had their British already purchased their house phone booth ed brainstorming and we were Uptown when he decided to take like, well, it’s a phone box, let’s go after it was the job in the spring of 2024. So from there and make everything delivered in the couple and their two kids else blend.” September (they welcomed a third this year) The neighbors all love it, too. packed light and rented a fur“Their only disappointment is it 2025. wasn’t blue,” John said. nished home in the U.K. for their The consensus from the passing stay. PROVIDED STAFF PHOTO BY ENAN CHEDIAK public is that the Gharbis should As the family prepared to move PHOTO have made their booth look more back to New Orleans last summer, Ollie Gharbi, 3, plays in the phone booth at his house in New Orleans. like the spacecraft posing as a they discovered their belongings blue police call box from the Britwere well below the 18,000-pound the public in the early 1920s, dethem stand out on the street, acopportunity for free shipping. weight limit allowed by the miliish TV series “Doctor Who.” “And she’s like, ‘No, but what Maybe that’ll be its costume tary for families moving housesigned by architect Giles Gilbert cording to the London Museum. about a phone booth?’” he said. next Halloween. Scott for the U.K.’s General Post The kiosks became largely hold goods. “So that’s kind of how it started.” Office. Though Scott wanted the defunct with the rise of mobile John asked Mallory if she The first of England’s iconic Email Kasey Bubnash at kasey. booths to be silver, the Post Office phones, but many of those that wanted to shop around for some bubnash@theadvocate.com. chose its trademark red to help have survived have been repurfurniture to take advantage of the phone kiosks were introduced to

Mars platform

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

reaches historic 1-billion barrel milestone

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

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

shell.us/louisiana | #PoweringProgress

8D F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F nola.com F The Times-Picayune

ARTS & CULTURE Exhibit features collectors’ Japanese paintings lll

Works of art, scrolls and more on display at NOMA

CALENDAR

There are important things to see in “Second Nature: Japanese Rinpa Paintings from the GitterYelen Collection,” on view at the New Orleans Museum of Art through Feb. 14, 2027. See as in observe, understand, imagine and take away. One big thing is the artwork itself: about 60 Rinpa school scrolls, folding screens and fan paintings dating back to Japan’s Edo Dave period (1615-1868). Walker Largely meditative scenes of nature, the works are sometimes accompanied by poetry. The main exhibit’s works get plenty of space in the gallery so visitors can immerse themselves in each piece’s delicate, elegant execution. For most of the centuries since their creation, the “Second Nature” art was seldom seen outside of private settings. “For most of their lives, what the paintings saw was the inside of a box,” said Lisa RotondoMcCord, NOMA’s deputy director and curator of Asian art. “In Japan, unlike the West certainly, you hung a painting only for a short period of time, which is why they’re in good condition. “So, they’re light-sensitive works. They’re on paper. They’re on silk.” Another takeaway of the exhibit is the symbiosis between private art collectors and a public institution. Most works are from the collection of the late Dr. Kurt A. Gitter and his wife, Alice Yelen Gitter.

A marvelous thing Dr. Gitter, who was an acclaimed retinal surgeon in New Orleans, became interested in Japanese art while stationed in Japan as a medical ofﬁcer in the early 1960s. Eleven works from the collection that Gitter had begun with his ﬁrst wife, Mildred Hyman, were featured in a 1971 NOMA exhibition “New Orleans

PHOTOS BY DAVE WALKER

Kamisaka Sekka’s screen ‘Dancing Figures’ depicts a folk dance against a background of gold leaf. shape or form.”

Extra things “Good Fortune: Japanese Art at NOMA,” an introduction to the donations made by Kurt, Mildred and Alice, is simultaneously on view in the Kurt A. Gitter, M.D. and Alice Yelen Gitter Gallery for Japanese Art on the third floor. One of the first pieces on view there, to the visitors’ right as they enter, is a pre-1971 work. “So, it was a very modest beginning,” Rotondo-McCord said. A painting next to it is an early NOMA acquisition. Next to it is a donation by The exhibit ‘Second Nature: Japanese Rinpa Paintings from the GitterDr. Gitter. “What I’m hoping is that people Yelen Collection,’ is on view at the New Orleans Museum of Art through will see the way in which a collecFeb. 14. tion can grow,” Rotondo-McCord said. “It’s not entirely organic, Collects.” He married Alice, an The exhibit channels the collec- although there is space for the art educator and curator, in 1986. sort of byways. It’s also not linear, tors’ vision. Through the Gitter-Yelen Foun“You see how Kurt came to love right? So, it has a structure, and it flows. Rinpa, how this style — which dation and over five decades, The guest curator for “Second wasn’t the main area of his colNOMA and its visitors have beNature” is Yukio Lippit, the Jefcome remarkable philanthropy lecting at any time during those beneficiaries, with more than 350 50 years — was still a style that frey T. Chambers and Andrea works donated to the museum. spoke to him upon occasion,” she Okamura Professor of the HisBefore 1972, the museum’s Japasaid. tory of Art and Architecture at “When he came across a paintHarvard University. nese art collection numbered only An exhibit catalog, which costs two notable paintings. ing or came across an artist that Rotondo-McCord said that kind he was interested in, irrespective $19.95 and is sold in-store and online at NOMA’s Museum Shop, of direct relationship between a of what he thought the focus of contains illuminating historical collector and an institution is unthe collection was going to be, essays by Lippit and Rotondohe just had to have that work becommon. “It’s a marvelous thing when it happens, as it did to us.” cause it spoke to him in some way, McCord, as well as images and

NEW PRICE $389,000 1773-1775 N DORGENOIS ST. NEW ORLEANS, LA 70119 HISTORIC 1-STORY DOUBLE:

• Liv rms, din rms, Chef Kitchens, 2bds/2 baths, laudry rm per side. • Minutes to Jazz Fest, City Park, Fair Grounds & Popular Eateries • Shored, renovated, wood floors, tall ceilings, 2 driveways, large lot

Lane Lacoy

504-957-5116 504-372-0050

Realtors Licensed in Louisiana

Linda Babineaux 504-957-8014 (c) J. Babineaux 504-813-8460 (c) At Compass Historic Maple Street Office 7934 Maple St. N.O., LA 70118 | 504-861-7575 (O)

KATIE WITRY

Associate Broker/Owner

504.919.8585 katie@wcnola.com

504.291.2022 • www.wcnola.com 3640 Magazine St. NOLA, 70115 Licensed in LA

CE T PRITMEN S U J AD

225 GIROD STREET, UNIT 302 THE WATERBURY CONDOMINIUM WAREHOUSE DISTRICT • $1,495,000

ARTHUR DAVIS’ PRIVATE RESIDENCE FOR SALE!

Rare 3 Bed, 3 Bath 3,862 sqft corner condo designed and owned by renowned architect Arthur Davis. This light-ﬁlled residence features 15 oversized windows, 12-foot ceilings, custom stained glass, expansive entertaining spaces, multiple balconies. Amenities also include 3 indoor parking spaces, rooftop pool and ﬁtness center. All steps from downtown attractions and the French Quarter. A Must See!

text from the exhibit. Dave Walker focuses on behindthe-scenes coverage of the region’s many museums here and at www.themuseumgoer.com. Email Dave at dave@themuseumgoer. com.

SHEILA JULIEN

Historic Home Specialist Associate Broker/Realtor

504-782-8180 sheila.julien@compass.com

840 Elysian Fields Ave New Orleans, LA 70117 Licensed in Louisiana

WOW!!! WOW!!! JUST LISTED

2040-42 ROYAL STREET $440,000

Babineaux & Babineaux, Home Sale Partners

n At 6 p.m.Wednesday, the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience will host a virtual presentation spotlighting Southern Jewish athletes who competed in the 2026 Maccabiah Games in Israel. msje.org. n An opening reception for the exhibit “Beyond the Veil: Voices from the Ursuline Convent” is at 5:30 p.m.Thursday at the Old Ursuline Convent Museum. oldursulineconventmuseum.com. n The Cabildo exhibit “Sportsman’s Paradise: Celebrating Conservation” will open with the annual Founders Ball at 7 p.m. Thursday. Suggested dress is “black tie with bold green hues” and “camo chic inspired by Louisiana marshland.” louisianastatemuseum. org. n At 6 p.m.Thursday , the Ogden Museum of Southern Art will host a “Culture & Cocktails” event titled “Seeing, Seeking and Collecting Vernacular Art,” focusing on the exhibit “The Dream is the Truth.” ogdenmuseum.org. n The Historic New Orleans Collection’s annual Food Forum will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday.This year’s theme: gumbo. hnoc.org. n The exhibits “Great Scott! The Life/Work of Carol Scott” and “Nic[o] Brierre Aziz: Sweet Surrender” open Saturday at the Contemporary Arts Center of New Orleans. cacno.org. n At 6 p.m. Nov. 12, the virtual Friends of the Cabildo Second Thursday Lecture Series will feature Laura Guccione, author of the new book “St. Joseph’s Day in New Orleans.” friendsofthecabildo.org.

GREAT OPPORTUNITY!!! Marigny Triangle 2-level front & back double, 2167 total sq. ft.. Front unit 866 sq. ft., 1 BR, 1 BA LR/DR, Kit..NEEDS WORK. Back unit 1301 sq. ft. 2 BR, 1.5 Ba, LR/DR area, Kitchen, over looking beautiful rear yard. Located in the midst of restaurants, bistros, and a 4 blocks to French Quarter www.lanelacoy.com • lane@lanelacoy.com

Historic Oﬃce | 504-948-3011 840 Elysian Fields Avenue, NOLA 70117

FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR DREAM HOME! NEW LISTING

BEAUTIFULLY FURNISHED

MAKE US AN OFFER WE CAN’T REFUSE!

1817 EIGHTH STREET UPTOWN • $262,000 3 BEDS, 2 BATHS, 1,709 SQFT

1201 CANAL ST. UNIT 561 $229,000 1 BED, 1 BATH, 640 SQ FT

lll

DUPLASS

Continued from page 1D The Duplass brothers ﬁrst came to prominence in 2005 when they produced, directed and wrote “The Puffy Chair,” which won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival. They went on to direct movies like “Jeff, Who Lives at Home” in 2011 that starred Jason Segel and Ed Helms and was set in Baton Rouge. More recently, Jay Duplass has acted in the popular Prime Video series “Sterling Point,” played Michelle Williams’ husband in 2025’s Hulu series “Dying for Sex,” and is now playing the original “Rocky” director in “I Play Rocky,” which screened at the recent New Orleans Film Festival and hits theaters nationwide on Nov. 20. Jay Duplass still remembers being a 4-year-old boy, watching the original “Rocky” movie at a drive-

QUESTIONS

Continued from page 1D him already old when I was born. He died when I was 12. By then, I had begged him and my grandmother for their stories so many times that I could tell most of them myself. To this day, I know stories my cousins have never heard. I asked them everything I could think of. They lived in a small gray house on a road with no name. Long after my grandfather died, 911 came to town and the county named the road after him. I think he would have liked that, but maybe not. He was not one for crowds or attention. By the time I knew him, he spent many of his waking hours in a brown chair that swiveled by a corner window. From there, he had a direct view of the road that ran in front of their home and the barn, garden and cattle pasture across it. From his chair, he read his Bible — a lot. However, in my lifetime, he never went to church. When there was a funeral

The Times-Picayune F nola.com F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F 9D

ing, he read the script. “It was hands down one of the greatest scripts I’d ever read and was sorry I wouldn’t be a part of it. But then I thought, ‘Wait a minute, I’m also an actor!’ Maybe I could play the director within the film.” He got Farrelly’s email address from a friend, and soon the two were talking. Fortunately for Duplass, Farrelly had just seen 2025’s “The Baltimorons” which Jay wrote, directed and produced, and Farrelly was a fan of the film. Duplass got the part of director John Avildsen. And, serendipitously, Farrelly told him he was always hoping he’d find a real director to play that part. PHOTO BY CLAIRE FOLGER/AMAZON MGM STUDIOS Duplass’s scenes with AnFrom left, Jay Duplass as John Avildsen, Anthony Ippolito as Sylvester Stallone and thony Ippolito — who plays AnnaSophia Robb as Sasha Czack in ‘I Play Rocky,’ from Amazon MGM Studios. Sylvester Stallone (the real Sylvester Stallone said: ‘This guy plays me better than in theater on Metairie Road time,” Duplass remem- that I wasn’t directing.” bered. “When I heard they After finding out Peter me’) — are said to be eerily with his mother. “It was one of my first were doing a movie about Farrelly, director of the familiar to what happened memories and that movie the making of the original Academy Award-winning on set of the 1976 movie. “That movie is such a fullbecame my favorite of all ‘Rocky,’ I was very upset “Green Book,” was direct-

circle moment for me,” Duplass said. “It’s why I moved to Hollywood decades ago, because like Rocky, I believed that anything is possible when you believe in yourself.” In the pipeline is a pilot called “Cannibal Lounge” which Jay may direct. And on the horizon is a script in the works with P.J. Byrne, a fellow actor on “I Play Rocky,” that’s called “Kilkenny” and will be shot in Ireland. For a guy who started out wanting to be in a rock band with his brother, he’s found his fame and fortune in ﬁlm, an industry that — like all others — is preparing for the growing use of artiﬁcial intelligence. “As we enter this new era where creativity is being generated by computers, supposedly, I say thank you to the New Orleans Film Society for celebrating actual human creativity.”

processions for. He’s buried nearby at a place called Antioch where his first wife, Lottie May Robinson Greer, is buried. Ephesus didn’t have a cemetery when she died on June 18, 1928. She was 29. They had five children. One of them, a twin, died at birth. Years later, my mom found a hospital receipt from Jackson in her father’s trunk. She’s pretty sure her father’s first wife died because of something about her heart. Beneath her name, the stone reads “Wife of Nattie Grover Greer.”

In 1976, my grandfather was buried beside his ﬁrst wife. In 1991, my grandmother, Mattie Mae Sephton Greer, the mother of his last six children, died at 93. She was buried on his other side. Her stone also reads “Wife of Nattie Grover Greer.” Then it adds one more line: “Married Apr 13, 1929.” I don’t know how many cars followed my grandfather to Antioch. I was riding in one of them.

I never considered why knowing the number was important. It simply was. “Fifty-seven,” he would say. He didn’t have to use his pencil to write the numbers down. He remembered them. If one of his children called later in the day, he would share the news. “Fifty-seven cars drove by PROVIDED PHOTO on their way to the funeral.” Sometimes, there were A photo illustration of Mattie only eight cars. Or 11. Mae Sephton Greer and “He was ﬁguring out how Nattie Grover Grannison popular the person was, I Greer in about 1972, on think,” my mom told me. their front porch swing “He never said that. He only just said the number.” My mom, the youngest of at Ephesus Baptist Church, his 11 children, remembers a half-mile away, he was her dad at Ephesus when usually ready in his chair she was small, sitting up — or on the front porch front in what they called in the swing. He would sit the Amen corner. Then he there and count the cars stopped going. My mom following the hearse, their headlights on as they made doesn’t remember anyone ever asking him why. their way to the cemetery. “I never thought it was I would sit with him as he strange,” she told me, counted, before I could “’cause he sat there and count that high. read his Bible all the time.” I knew better than to disWe both believe he turb him or try to talk while the cars were passing for a stopped going because of something to do with Frank. funeral. I became the selfFrank was my mom’s oldappointed “shusher” if my cousins were visiting and est full brother. He went being rowdy. Back then, to Korea and didn’t come

228-216-7649

amy@amywoodproperties.com Licensed in Mississippi

145 BAY VIEW COURT

228-452-5408

125 DAVIS AVE., STE F PASS CHRISTIAN, MS 39571 AMYWOODPROPERTIES.COM

111 IRONWOOD COVE

BAY ST. LOUIS, MS • $749,500

PASS CHRISTIAN, MS • $679,000

SUCCESSFUL STR IN OLD TOWN

MS WATERFRONT OPPTY

NEW PRICE Fully furnished 3 Bed, 2 Bath, 1,750 Sqft Sought-after Timber Ridge! Beautifully Bungalow w/ room for all of your friends & maintained 3,186 sf home, 4 Bd, 3 Ba, perfect investment opportunity! Walking distance to Old Town Bay St Louis, shops & spacious open living area. Private boat slip restaurants. One-of-a-kind! & dock with direct water access.

Dawnne Keeney 504.650.3912

dawnne.keeney@sothebysrealty.com NEWLY RENOVATED & OASIS POOL

3 BEDROOM CORNER UNIT

4414 BARONNE STREET • $1,350,000 4 Beds / 2.5 Baths / 2,876 SqFt

920 POEYFARRE, UNIT 203 • $550,000 3 Beds / 2 Baths / 1,813 SqFt

WHITE HALL PLANTATION

GARDEN DISTRICT

4 Beds / 4 Full & 2 Half Baths

17523 HWY 418 • $1,796,000

1318 WASHINGTON AVE • $675,000 3 Beds / 2 Baths / 1,618 SqFt

MULTIGENERATIONAL HOME

PANAROMIC RIVER VIEWS

NEW PRICE

623 BONNABEL BLVD. • $619,999 4 Beds / 3 Full & 1 Half Baths

2 CANAL ST., #2505 • $6,200,000 3 Bedrooms / 3,158 SqFt / Penthouse

PARTIALLY BUILT DREAM HOME ON 1 ACRE

OWNER FINANCING

137 MIDAY DRIVE • $1,350,000 8 Beds / 7.5+ Baths / 9,232 SqFt

2830-32 PALMER AVE • $559,000 8 Beds / 4 Baths / 3,458 SqFt

617 Julia Street, New Orleans, LA 70130 | Office 504.944.3605 Each office independently Owned and Operated © 2025 Sotheby’s International Realty. All Rights Reserved. Sotheby’s International ™ is a registered trademark and used with permission. Each Sotheby’s International Realty office is independently owned and operated, except those operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. All offerings are subject to errors, omissions, changes including price or withdrawal without notice. Equal Housing Opportunity.

home. The Army listed him as missing in action. About two years after he went missing, the military sent a letter that said Frank was presumed dead. There was a memorial service at Ephesus. There was no body. The family began to receive a small monthly sum from the military. My mom told me that at some point, a man renting a house near theirs said to my grandfather, “Well, you got your money’s worth out of him.” I had never heard that story. My mom’s voice broke. “Can you imagine anybody saying that?” she said. “I’m surprised Daddy didn’t knock him upside the head, but he never did care for the fella again.” And maybe he stopped going to church. My mom said she wished some of the older ones were still here to ask. They aren’t. She is the last one. I thought I had asked them all the questions. I hadn’t. My grandfather isn’t buried in the cemetery he counted so many funeral

Contact Leslie Cardé at lesliecardejournalist@ gmail.com.

Email Jan Risher at jan. risher@theadvocate.com.

Licensed in Louisiana 138 N Cortez St New Orleans, LA 70119

(504) 210-2014

Parkview Home

Fairgrounds Home

3608 Elaine Place

2810 O’ Reilly Street

$995,000 6 BDRM

5 BATH

$299,000 4,193 SQFT

Great Location Hardwood Floors Deck with Bayou Views Income Potential Off Street Parking

2 BDRM

1 BATH

975 SQFT

Convenient Location Patio Abundant Natural Light Updated Kitchen Off Street Parking

10D F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F nola.com F The Times-Picayune

lll

TODAY IN HISTORY Today is Sunday, Nov. 1, the 305th day of 2026. There are 60 days left in the year. Today in history: On Nov. 1, 1938, in a twohorse match, Seabiscuit defeated the favored Triple Crown winner War Admiral by four lengths in what was dubbed the “Race of the Century” at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. Also on this date: In 1512, Pope Julius II inaugurated Michelangelo’s masterfully painted ceiling of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, which depicted biblical accounts including the creation of the world, the fall of man and the story of Noah. In 1755, a powerful earthquake with an estimated 8.5 magnitude or higher struck Lisbon, Portugal, unleashing a tsunami and raging fires that killed tens of thousands of people. Authorities called it one of the most destructive earthquakes in European history. In 1765, the Stamp Act, passed by the British Parliament, went into effect, prompting stiff resistance from American colonists. In 1800, President John Adams and wife Abigail moved into the still unfurnished and largely unfinished mansion now known as the White House. They lived there less than five months before Thomas Jefferson took office in March 1801. In 1861, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln named Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan General-in-Chief of the Union armies, succeeding Lt. Gen. Winfield Scott. In 1894, Nicholas II became Emperor of Russia, succeeding his late father Alexander III. In 1936, in a speech in Milan, Italy, Benito Mussolini described the alliance between his country and Nazi Germany as an “axis” running between Rome and Berlin. In 1950, two Puerto Rican nationalists tried to force their way into Blair House in

Washington, D.C., in a failed attempt to assassinate President Harry S. Truman. (One of the pair was killed, along with a White House police officer.) In 1952, the U.S. conducted the world’s first test explosion of a thermonuclear hydrogen bomb device at a Pacific atoll, code-named Operation Mike. In 1982, the first Japanese car produced in the U.S. rolled off the assembly line at the Honda manufacturing plant in Marysville, Ohio. In 1989, East Germany reopened its border with Czechoslovakia, prompting tens of thousands of refugees to flee to the West. East Germany would announce Nov. 9 that it was opening its border crossings with West Berlin, prompting the fall of the Berlin Wall. In 1993, the Maastricht Treaty took effect, establishing the European Union and a new era of integration and economic cooperation among its member states. In 1995, peace talks opened in Ohio with leaders of Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia present. (The talks led a month later to the Paris signing of the Dayton Peace Accord, signaling an end to the more than 3-year-old Bosnian war that followed the breakup of the former Yugoslavia.) Today’s Birthdays: Golf Hall of Famer Gary Player is 91. Country singer Bill Anderson is 89. Football Hall of Famer Ted Hendricks is 79. Music producer David Foster is 77. Musician Lyle Lovett is 69. Apple CEO Tim Cook is 66. Rock singer Anthony Kiedis (Red Hot Chili Peppers) is 64. Drummer Rick Allen (Def Leppard) is 63. Actor Toni Collette is 54. Actor-TV host Jenny McCarthy is 54. Actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is 53. Football Hall of Famer Steve Hutchinson is 49. Actor Penn Badgley is 40. Actor Anthony Ramos is 35. Actor Alex Wolff is 29. Rapper NLE Choppa is 24. Actor Jayden Bartels is 22. NBA player Stephon Castle is 22.

Excessive tidying makes guest feel unwelcome Dear Miss Manners: I have just to the same angle as her bookrack, returned from a weekend at a soto compliment it. I had left my small called friend’s home, and talk about cosmetic bag to the left side of her feeling unwelcome. She was on my vanity, but it, too, marred her “disheels “cleaning up” after me all play,” so she stored it underneath, weekend, and I didn’t make a mess! leaving only her cosmetics and perI was given a towel and fume on the top. washcloth. After using I made the guest bed prior them, I neatly hung them to leaving my room each on her towel bar, only to be morning, but on the final later told that they had been morning, the hostess told moved to the laundry room me not to bother as she was to dry. I had evidently upgoing to strip it. While I was Judith showering, she stripped the set her “display” towel bar. Martin sheets from the bed although When I was ready to shower MISS I had not even finished using again, I needed to go to the MANNERS the room to dress or repack. laundry room to get them. I felt very “driven out.” I didn’t have time to iron When people come to my home my clothing prior to leaving, so I for a visit, the guest room is their pressed things as I needed them. private sanctuary. I do not enter I was short for time, so I left my to straighten their things, iron blouse and capri pants folded on their clothes, strip bedding, or rifle the ironing board (which was in the through their belongings. I do not guest room) so that I could press try their cosmetics, uninvited, out them later. of curiosity, and then give them my My hostess pressed them, hung opinion of them and how they comthem up and removed the ironing board eyesore from her “display” pare to the ones that I am using. If guest room. they leave their towel and washcloth My slippers, which I placed peron the towel bar with mine, or their cosmetics on my vanity, that is fine pendicular to the bed, were turned

Dear Heloise: In regard to Jim R.’s cially during the end of summer and office birthday system, I beginning of fall. worked at a place that only If you want to set out fake had 12 employees. flowers out, please consider On the first working day placing sugar water without in January, a small piece dyes in hanging feeders and of paper with everyone’s carefully refreshing them name, birthday, and favorite Hints from with regular cleansing and flavor of cake went into a Heloise fresh sugar water. One site bowl. Everyone would then that has great, simple recidraw a name, and you were pes is Audubon.org. responsible for that person’s cake By the way, I’ve been reading your and card. column for years in The Advocate It was the same concept as Jim’s in Baton Rouge on Sundays. — Jennifer office; you only had to bring one C., via email cake and card once a year, but you got to eat many different flavors of A free puppy cake all year long. Dear Heloise: My son brought home a There were a few that were store- beagle puppy. bought, but most were homemade Someone was handing out puppies since many employees were bakin front of a grocery store and asked him if he wanted one. ers. — The Crawfords, via email My son is 9, and he said, “Sure!” Artificial flowers He placed it in the basket on the Dear Heloise: Some people are filling handlebars of his bike and rode their flower beds or boxes with plas- home. So, now we have a small, cute tic flowers. puppy, and my husband had to have But hummingbirds need real nectar-producing flowers for fuel, espe- a serious conversation with our son

OVER 50? UNLIMITED FOR JUST $35/MONTH.

about accepting gifts from strangers. I’ve never had a dog before. Can you please tell me some of the ﬁrst things I should do? — Tiffany R., in Houston Tiffany, take the puppy to a veterinarian and make sure that the dog has a clean bill of health. He’ll need his shots, and I encourage you to have the dog microchipped. Do not neuter him before he’s 6 months old, but by all means, when the time comes, have this done. (He won’t be tempted to go after other dogs if he’s neutered.) A beagle is a sweet dog breed, and with good food and care, this new family member will be with you for many years. One last thing: Never hit or spank your dog. You’ll just teach him to be afraid of you. Reward him when he does something right and take him to a training class so that he can learn how to be obedient. — Heloise Send a hint to heloise@heloise.com.

FREE Back by Pop SHOW ular De ER P mand! AC K A GE !

1Selling Walk-In Tub

Featuring our Free Shower Package Plus 15% Off

Now relaxing warm bath, or enjoy a convenient refreshing shower while seated or standing with Safe Step Walk-In Tub’s FREE Shower Package! ✓ First walk-in tub available with a customizable shower ✓ Fixed rainfall shower head is adjustable for your height and pivots

Backed by #1 Network Coverage and Customer Satisfaction.*

Ranked #1 in customer satisfaction by ACSI®.*

Email dearmissmanners@gmail. com.

A fun way to do office birthday cakes

N O R T H A M ER I CA’S

100% U.S. BASED CUSTOMER SERVICE.

with me. They are welcome in my home, and I do not enter the room until they have departed. When we would sit and try to talk, I did not start one single sentence that the hostess did not interrupt after about three words. She would then begin talking about something completely different, or about herself — making what I was saying unimportant compared to what she had to say. I ﬁnally stopped conversing, and just sat there shaking my head or answering “yes” or “no.” I felt completely unwelcome there. Gentle Reader: And Miss Manners would understand if you did not rush to see this friend again. Unless it was to drop off all your ironing. Dear Miss Manners: I was always taught to stand for the national anthem. For years, I was involved with equine sports. Should a rider dismount when the anthem plays, or remain mounted? Gentle Reader: No, the horse can stand for both of you.

✓ High-quality tub complete with a comprehensive lifetime warranty on the entire tub ✓ Top-of-the-line installation and service, all included at one

Now you can have the best of both worlds–there isn’t a better,

FREE SHOWER PACKAGE PLUS $1600 OFF FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY

Call Toll-Free 504-384-8384

FAST, RELIABLE NATIONWIDE COVERAGE.

With purchase of a new Safe Step Walk-In Tub. Not applicable with any previous walk-in tub purchase. Offer available while supplies last. No cash value. Must present offer at time of purchase.

Ranked #1 in network coverage by ACSI®.*

Switch & Save Today.

855-337-6197

© 2026 Consumer Cellular, Inc. Terms and Conditions subject to change. Plans shown include $5 credit for AutoPay and E-billing. Taxes and other fees apply. Credit approval required for new service. Cellular service is not available in all areas and is subject to system limitations. For unlimited plans, high-speed data is reduced after 35GB on single-line plans and 50GB of combined usage on multi-line plans for the remainder of your billing cycle. Unlimited data plans only for customers age 50+. Age validation required. *2025 ACSI® Survey of customers rating their own wireless service provider. ACSI® and its logo are registered trademarks of the American Customer Satisfaction Index LLC. For more about the ACSI®, visit www.theacsi.org.

Call Today for Your Free Shower Package

504-384-8384

FINANCING AVAILABLE WITH APPROVED CREDIT CSLB 1082165 NSCB 0082999 0083445 13VH11096000

RNDC leader eyes affordable housing challenges, priority shifts 3E

Drago’s growing grocery store offerings 9E

BUSINESS N O L A.C O M

S U N D AY, N OV E M B E R 1, 2026

1EN

FLEETof

STRENGTH After merger, $1.9 billion northshore offshore services firm pioneers frontier tech

BY JONAH MEADOWS Staff writer

Todd Hornbeck started his offshore services company in Covington nearly 30 years ago with no employees, no boats and no contracts. At the time, deepwater drilling was the new frontier, so he and naval architect Carl Annessa, Hornbeck Offshore Services’ ﬁrst employee, set out to design the next generation of ships to keep up. “We actually engineered the vessels on a kitchen table,” Hornbeck said. “New deepwater designs that had never been done in the history of the world.” Today, following the recent completion of

Hornbeck

IDEAS &

INNOVATION

its merger with Houston-based Helix Energy Solutions Group, Hornbeck Offshore Services has about 3,000 employees, $1.9 billion in revenue and an active fleet of 83 vessels, with two more under construction. The combined company, whose ships and underwater robots effectively serve as the construction crews for offshore oil and gas infrastructure, has operations in six continents and a growing share of its revenue coming from nonoilfield sources like wind farms, underwater fiber-optic cables and military contracts. Not that it has been three decades of smooth sailing for Hornbeck Offshore. Six years ago, following a prolonged slump in oil prices and oversupply of offshore supply vessels, its stock was delisted by the New

York Stock Exchange, which was followed by a brief bankruptcy and a financial restructuring. At the time, it wasn’t clear what course the company would chart. But Hornbeck Offshore reorganized, got rid of some of its older equipment and diversified to go after new, more specialized lines of business. The merger with Helix further broadens its portfolio of surface ships, adding massive floating vessels for maintaining offshore wells and robots for digging underwater trenches and other subsea projects. “Now we combine that into an all-in-one company,” Hornbeck said in an interview following the merger. “We now have the only

ä See OFFSHORE, page 2E

Hornbeck Offshore Services, which has headquarters in Covington and Houston following its merger with Helix Energy Solutions, operates the world’s largest fleet of ships with 250-ton or heavier cranes, according to company officials. PROVIDED PHOTO BY HORNBECK OFFSHORE SERVICES

Levelset founder becomes CEO of another tech company Scott Wolfe sold startup in 2021 for $500M BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

New Orleans tech founder Scott Wolfe, who sold his company Levelset in 2021 for $500 million — one of the largest successful “exits” ever for a local company — is back in the tech business, taking the reins as CEO of AIA Contract Documents, a Washington, D.C.-based company that provides online tools that standardize construction agreements. The move marks a return to dayto-day leadership for a New Orleans native who become one of the city’s biggest tech successes after growing his startup dramatically over a decade and a half before selling it to Procore, a California-based construction tech giant. At the time of the acquisition, Levelset employed nearly 200 people in New Orleans and about double that number worldwide. Since the transaction, Wolfe has

been investing in tech companies and serving on boards, ﬁelding offers from time to time to take on executive leadership roles. But he said he resisted those opportunities until now, when he got “sucked in” by the appeal of his new role. “I found myself compelled by the mission of a business that has so many echoes of what I was passionate about at Levelset,” Wolfe said in an interview last week. “The core product, customer and business model are all very much echoes of what I spent my career on.” AIA, despite being 138 years old, functions in many ways like a PROVIDED PHOTO FROM LEVELSET tech startup, Wolfe said. It has emScott Wolfe, founder and CEO of New Orleans-based Levelset, hugs his braced remote work, for instance, wife, Emily Wolfe, at an event. The construction software company sold in which means Wolfe will be doing his job mostly from his hometown 2021 for $500 million to California-based Procure. with occasional travel for meetings. He said he’s already hired a There are no immediate plans to tions for the company’s advisers, handful of former Levelset employ- open a physical ofﬁce in town, but board members and others. Rob Lalka, a Tulane University ees to work for the company from he plans to add New Orleans to the New Orleans. rotation of regular meeting loca- business professor and head of its

“Levelset was the second biggest exit a New Orleans startup has produced, and he could have stopped there. Successful entrepreneurs like Scott do it because they love solving problems, making lives easier, building teams that work together to achieve something important and that create new value.” ROB LALKA, Tulane University business professor Albert Lepage Center for Entrepreneurship, said Wolfe is back in the game because it’s in his DNA. “Levelset was the second biggest exit a New Orleans startup has produced, and he could have stopped there,” Lalka said. “Successful entrepreneurs like Scott do it because they love solving problems, making

ä See WOLFE, page 2E

2E F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F nola.com F The Times-Picayune

lll

Check on loved ones who may be losing federal beneﬁts

When my brother was receiving federal government benefits, I was his paper person. My brother Mitchell had debilitating seizures because of which Michelle epilepsy, often left him Singletary unable to manTHE COLOR age his medical OF MONEY needs and financial affairs. So, I had to make sure he submitted the right paperwork on time to keep the funds coming that he needed to pay for groceries, housing, transportation and any out-of-pocket medical costs. When an agency claimed something hadn’t been received, I was the one who called and argued that it had been. When Social Security denied his Supplemental Security Income claim, I hired and paid for an attorney who successfully won an appeal. It provided much-needed benefits for my brother, who couldn’t keep a job no matter how hard he tried. His seizures couldn’t be completely controlled by medication. Throughout the process, I was the one who had to make sure the attorney had all the documentation needed for the appeal. For millions of caregivers, that’s their job, too. They help friends or family — sometimes both — navigate the bureaucracy of government benefits that keep food on the table and a roof over their heads. But this task is about to get a whole lot harder. For households relying on the federal safety net, sweeping changes enacted under the Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act have fundamentally reshaped Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. New requirements impose stricter work rules, semiannual check-ins and additional paperwork. It strips benefits from immigrants with legal status, such as refugees and asylum seekers. States will have to choose whether to dip into their own funds to make up for this lost coverage or have their residents go without. I looked at the impact in my home state of Maryland. Up to 80,000 Marylanders may now need to log their work hours to keep their food assistance. On Oct. 1, about 4,500 lawfully present immigrants in the state lost their Medicaid coverage due to new immigration rules related to their immigration status. The timing of these changes exacerbates an already bad situation for many households. With the latest consumer price index report showing inflation ticking up to 3.7%, everyday household budgets are already stretched to a breaking point. People fighting to balance their monthly budgets might overlook policy rule changes, which put them at risk of falling through the cracks. New work requirements and twice-annual renewals go into effect on Jan. 1 and are expected to impact 320,000 Marylanders. The state estimates that up to 152,000 Marylanders on Medicaid may lose coverage. Maryland officials have taken several steps to ensure that residents can hold onto their Medicaid benefits. The state has launched a public aware-

ness campaign. But state outreach can only go so far. That is where the phrase “it takes a village” becomes vital. If you don’t collect food or health benefits yourself, you may know someone who does — an aging parent, a struggling relative working multiple jobs or a neighbor trying to make ends meet. When workingage adults or caregivers get tripped up by administrative red tape, the entire household’s stability collapses, directly threatening the support that vulnerable family members depend on. SNAP rules have changed nationally. Benefit amounts are calculated by subtracting certain basic living costs, such as heating and cooling, from income. Higher deductions mean larger food support. Under the updated rules, households without an elderly or disabled member can no longer automatically claim the standard utility deduction. They must now provide proof of heating or cooling expenses, such as a recent bill, to avoid a cut in aid. Certain people on Medicaid must prove they are working, volunteering in the community, participating in a job training program or attending school for at least 80 hours a month to maintain their coverage. States must implement the Medicaid work requirements by Jan. 1. You might be thinking, what’s wrong with asking people to verify their eligibility? Adding another chore for people who are already stretched to their financial breaking point isn’t a simple inconvenience. It creates an exhausting obstacle for folks who frequently have zero margin for error. Here is how you can help protect your loved ones from losing their benefits: n Remind them to check for official notices: They need to log into their SNAP or Medicaid accounts to verify or update their contact information. This is to ensure they are receiving the official notices about their benefits. n Work with them to use online tools: Point them to state-approved portals to check whether the new rules apply to them and/ or to update their information. For instance, Maryland has a “screener” tool that people can use to see whether the new rules apply to them. n Help them start early to verify if they qualify for an exemption: Work requirements do not apply to everyone. Help your loved ones determine whether they fall into one of the exempt groups, which include those who are disabled or medically frail, parents and caretakers of children under 14 years of age, and people with disabilities. Here is an example text you can send to a loved one right now: “Hey! Just thinking of you during these tough financial times. New federal rules are changing SNAP and Medicaid. Would you like me to help you check if you will be affected?” Families are already stretched thin enough without losing vital benefits. Reach out today. A quick text from you could spare them months of unnecessary financial headaches. Email michelle.singletary@ washpost.com.

WOLFE

Continued from page 1E lives easier, building teams that work together to achieve something important and that create new value.”

On the same page AIA began in 1888 as a committee of the American Institute of Architects, an industry organization that developed standardized construction contracts to help owners, architects and contractors navigate delays, surprise expenses and competing priorities on complex and expensive projects. In recent decades, the company’s paper contracts evolved into a comprehensive suite of digital documents that support more than $100 billion in contact value annually and tens of thousands of users,

PROVIDED PHOTO BY SARONIC TECHNOLOGIES

A Marauder sits in the water at Saronic’s Franklin shipyard. As of October, the company had begun production of a sixth Marauder, with two already in the water.

OFFSHORE

Continued from page 1E ﬂeet in the world that can actually do cradle-to-grave services for our customers.”

Hornbeck 3.0 The post-merger Hornbeck Offshore is essentially the third iteration of the company. The first version, founded by Hornbeck’s father in 1980, grew to operate a fleet of more than 100 vessels before it was acquired by Tidewater, then the market leader, and relocated its headquarters from Galveston, Texas, to New Orleans in 1996. But Hornbeck kept the company’s rights to the name and ventured out on his own the following year to meet the demand for ships to support the drilling of increasingly deep wells, which have gone from depths of 3,000 feet to more than 10,000 feet. By the time it went public in 2004, the revived Hornbeck Offshore had assembled a fleet of about 50 offshore supply vessels, tugboats and barges. The business grew to become one of the largest players in the ultra-deepwater oilfield services sector. But oil prices took a tumble after hitting a peak in 2012, spreading a ripple of red ink across the offshore services sector. From 2015 to 2021, there were more than 600 bankruptcies in North American oil and gas industry. Hornbeck Offshore was not immune. In 2019, the New York Stock Exchange suspended trading of its stock. And shortly after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company filed a prepackaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy, emerging in September 2020 as a private company. Over the following years, the company reorganized its finances, sold about 20 vessels, bought about 25 more, grew its engineering capabilities and expanded its capacity for new markets outside of drilling, including defense contracts. “It gave us the ability to right-size the fleet during a down market and retool for what we know the future market is going to be,” Hornbeck said.

to $70 billion worth of decommissioning work needed on more than 2,700 wells and 500 platforms in the Gulf alone, according to federal estimates. Tyler Gray, director of energy innovation at the LSU Energy Institute and a past president of the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association, said the company’s increasingly diversiﬁed approach helps shield it from sharp shifts in commodity prices. “The revenue becomes expected over a longer period of time,” Gray said. “It’s much more consistent.” Defense contracts are another way Hornbeck has diversified its business. From 2024 to 2025, its revenue from military contracts increased by more than 22% to $142 million. That work includes supporting Navy submarines, with ongoing contracts to service four vessels it sold to the Navy’s Military Sealift Command, a group of civilian-crewed vessels that survey and surveil the ocean, track missiles and serve a range of military and government agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Fleet Forces Command. “Now we have a big, diversiﬁed portfolio of assets that can weather a storm through cycles,” Hornbeck said.

Energy ecosystem

cially nuclear power, robotics and autonomous vessels. To develop the “ships of the future,” Hornbeck said his company is sharing research and development costs with government agencies and customers. In January, it announced a partnership with Saronic, a leading producer of autonomous ships with operations in Louisiana. Hornbeck and Saronic are planning pilot projects using the 180-foot Marauder class of drone ships. The U.S. Navy placed an order for 10 such vessels in September, and Saronic is building a massive $3.2 billion production facility in Texas expected to more than double U.S. shipbuilding capacity. And in May, Boston-based Sea Machines Robots spent nine days in Louisiana to install self-driving controls on one of Hornbeck’s supply ships that set out on an 18-hour autonomous voyage around Hawaii for an U.S. Army test in August. But Hornbeck’s investment in a nuclear energy startup could turn out to be its most ambitious. In August, the company announced it had purchased a stake in Texas-based Deployable Energy, which is developing a 1-megawatt nuclear reactor with a modular design that could be used to power ships, offshore platforms or even floating data centers. While the technology is new, testing is already underway. In June, a demonstration reactor reached “criticality,” meaning a sustained nuclear reaction, after just 155 days and a cost of $8 million, the fastest and lowest-cost nuclear reactor ever developed, according to Deployable Energy CEO Bobby Gallagher. And the Department of Energy has selected Deployable and Hornbeck Offshore to demonstrate the first new nuclear-powered merchant ship since the Eisenhower administration — and the first to be privately financed. “This is not just doing a demonstration for demonstration’s sake,” Gallagher said. “It’s the ability to execute and move the commercial private markets in shipping, and enable the U.S. to become a leader.” The reactor would be installed on a Hornbeck vessel and tested somewhere on the Gulf Coast in late 2027 or early 2028, with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and U.S. Coast Guard monitoring the results. “It’s pretty exciting, but that’s where we’ve been our whole career, pioneering the new frontier of marine applications, whether it’s research or what’s on the forefront today: ultra-deepwater subsea mining,” Hornbeck said. “So don’t be surprised if you see us in those type of markets as well.”

About a third of Hornbeck’s employees are based in Louisiana, split between its Covington headquarters and Port Fourchon, where it operates a 66-acre port facility and a 7,700-metric-ton floating drydock. While Hornbeck’s operations have historically been concentrated in the Gulf of Mexico and off the coast of South America, merging with Helix has expanded its footprint to the North Sea, west Africa, southeast Asia and the west coast of Australia. The merger marks the third multibillion-dollar deal for a Covingtonbased company in a year, following the $3.2 billion purchase of LLOG by UK-based Harbour Energy and Amazon’s $11.6 billion acquisition of satellite firm Globalstar. Russel Richardson, executive director of the St. Tammany Economic Development Corp., said St. Tammany Parish is a natural fit for companies involved in offshore production. Beyond the drill bit “We feel like we’re part of that Following the merger with Helix, Gulf South energy ecosystem,” Hornbeck now gets nearly 60% of Richardson said. “We’ve got a prodrevenue from nondrilling oilfield uct and community to offer. I think services, like plugging and decom- that’s why we see a concentration of missioning old underwater wells, these companies.” and nearly 30% from non-oil and gas business, like offshore wind farms, Nuclear and autonomous rocket launches and fiber-optic caBeyond its efforts to diversify bles on the seafloor. The remainder its revenue streams, Hornbeck comes from traditional drilling ac- Offshore is looking to invest in the ground floor of new technologies tivity. Working on existing wells is a fer- that could soon dominate the mari- Email Jonah Meadows at jonah. tile area for future growth, with up time services landscape — espe- meadows@theadvocate.com.

according to the company. In 2020, AIA sold a majority stake of its contract-document business to True Wind Capital, a San Francisco private equity ﬁrm, to bring in outside capital and technology expertise, according to reports. Last year, another investor — Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, based in New York City — acquired a majority stake in the venture, although AIA retains an ownership interest and a role in overseeing the contract content. The company’s documents are managed by a volunteer committee of 75 attorneys and architects, who debate new provisions for a decade and publish changes once every 10 years. The committee meets three times a year. The business has about 100 fulltime employees and nearly 40 contractors handling tech development, marketing, customer service, sales and ﬁnance.

‘I’ve got a rock in my shoe’ Wolfe’s family has been in the construction industry for generations. His grandfather Thomas Wolfe was a contractor in New Orleans who built the first Popeyes location in Arabi, Wolfe said. His father built many of the New Orleans-area Wagner’s Meat stores and Chicken Box restaurants the family owned. After Hurricane Katrina, Wolfe’s father launched a construction and restoration business. Wolfe, who had just graduated from Loyola University Law School, developed technology to help the family business bid on jobs, schedule crews and perform other tasks. In 2007, he was inspired to launch Levelset, which helps manage the industry’s oftenfraught payment process. “It all came together when I saw the pain around payment and lien

rights and that consumed my career for a while,” he said. Wolfe received an initial investment of $75,000 from the New Orleans Startup Fund and participated in programming provided by startup incubator Idea Village. His company went on to raise tens of millions of dollars more in several investment rounds, including $30 million from an investment fund in 2019. Wolfe sold Levelset in the same year that saw several high-proﬁle and high-dollars “exits” of New Orleans-based tech startups, including Turbosquid and Lucid. The company’s ofﬁce at Josephine and Magazine streets is still active, although with far fewer employees. A half decade after that transaction, Wolfe said taking on the CEO role at AIA was a complicated decision. “I had to decide if I wanted to take on whatever amount of stress

it’s going to carry,” he said. “But, for whatever reason, I’ve got a rock in my shoe to improve the way risk and leverage is used and misused in construction. I need a psychologist to sit down with me to ﬁgure out why I’m passionate about this.” He takes over the company at a time when many in the tech industry worry about how artiﬁcial intelligence is changing things, but Wolfe said companies like Levelset and AIA will remain relevant. “It will be hard for the frontier labs to build what I’m going to build,” he said. “Companies are very unique — and they have DNA the way humans do. It’s hard for them to reverse engineer a problem vs. someone with a real point of view who drills so deep that you can’t replicate it.” Email Rich Collins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com.

lll

The Times-Picayune F nola.com F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F 3E

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

Nonproﬁt navigates shifts to build affordable housing Q&A WITH VANESSA LEVINE

BY GRACE MAYER Staff writer

Renaissance Neighborhood Development Corp., a nonproﬁt developer based in New Orleans, was founded in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to help rebuild 1,000 affordable apartments that were destroyed by the ﬂood. In the two Levine decades since, the subsidiary of Volunteers of America Southeast Louisiana has rebuilt all those destroyed properties and gone on to build nearly 700 more units and single-family homes — with nearly 300 more under construction in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lake Charles and Terrebonne Parish. Among its current projects is Millennium Place, an 80unit, mixed-income apartment complex under construction on Tchoupitoulas Street in the Lower Garden District. Vanessa Levine, the organization’s executive director, has been spearheading many of those projects. She joined RNDC in 2011, after working as an architect in California and volunteering with the San Francisco Housing Action Coalition. She also worked as an architect with the Audubon Nature Institute and coordinated Federal Emergency Management Agency and disaster recovery projects. In this week’s Talking Business, we chatted with Levine about the challenges of getting affordable and mixed-income housing built in New Orleans, and what her team looks for when redeveloping properties and building from the ground up. Responses have been edited for length and clarity. RNDC has expanded beyond building affordable housing. How did it get involved with developing mixed-income projects?

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, RENAISSANCE NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORP. projects. Now it is much more difficult, partly because construction costs and operating costs have increased due to inflation and insurance premiums. At this point, we don’t have the resources we used to have dedicated to housing. One example is that the Office of Community Development would come out with NOFAs (notice of funding availability) annually, which we would apply for to fund new developments. The last time the city of New Orleans issued a NOFA for large multifamily projects, meaning constructing more than four units, was 2023. The state and the city are also prioritizing infrastructure projects right now, and those types of things are important. For us, we have to have a consistent funding source to fill that funding gap for STAFF FILE PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER affordable housing in order to Construction crews work at the site of Millennium Place at Tchoupitoulas keep doing housing here. and Celeste streets in New Orleans on Aug. 10. Since it’s more challenging to secure funding for new housing projects, what are We first began with a goal of you guys doing in the meantime? income. Millennium Properties getting those affordable units We’re currently focused on dosolves both of those problems. that were destroyed during KaMillennium Properties has ing updates to two of our first lowits own board, and the projects income housing developments. trina rebuilt as quickly as we Those two developments are could. Over time, we moved away completed with the subsidiary often qualify for and leverage now outside of their first 15-year from that crisis mode and began the state’s middle-market loan tax credit compliance period. So to grow our portfolio by doing we’re re-syndicating those tax mixed-income tax credit develop- program. One of the latest estimates says the city credits, getting a new tax credit ments. needs 55,000 new affordable housing units investor on them, and renovating In 2014, we made a decision to create our own internal, for-profit constructed.What are the challenges devel- the properties. We’re fortifying roofs, modernproperty management subsidiary, opers face getting these units built? called Millennium Properties Inc. Following Katrina, there were izing the HVAC systems, and upIt was just becoming difficult to a lot of resources for affordable grading kitchens and bathrooms. manage those types of mixedhousing projects. We rely on We’ll finish upgrades to both of income projects, like the MillenLow-Income Housing Tax Credits those properties next month. You need fewer credits and resources nium Place apartments, through a and disaster recovery funding through the state. The city of New to renovate than you would to nonprofit structure. Orleans has annually allocated build new, and preserving these We also found there was a need Community Development Block properties is really important. to develop housing for earners Grants to affordable housing What do you look for when scouting locawho don’t qualify for affordprojects. All of that is extremely able housing — RNDC’s focus tions for building new developments? helpful and critical, because it — but who make between 80% You really start by looking at a fills a funding gap for these and 120% of the area’s median neighborhood. Who’s living in the

Energy like nowhere else America’s next economic boom isn’t just happening anywhere. It’s happening right here where opportunity is made real every day. We champion our home as a place to build a career, a family, and a future. We deliver for everyday life in good times and hard. We advance more affordable, reliable and resilient energy and above all, we ensure progress is shared and felt by everyone. People like nowhere else. Places like nowhere else. Possibilities like nowhere else. Energy like nowhere else.

area? What is the demographic makeup? What’s the income? How much are people paying for rents? Who are their employers? From there, we start to think about: How can we meet demand for affordable housing while keeping our rent as low as we can and still being able to cover operating expenses? It becomes a math problem, really. A lot of times, the more apartments you have, those fixed costs become more efficient. What about for adaptive reuse projects? I’m an architect, so with adaptive reuse, I immediately look at whether or not there’s infrastructure — water and electricity — and the building type. Schools lay out nicely for apartments, because they’re like double-loaded corridors, which is the same efficiency that you would have with housing. Office buildings are often square-shaped. There can end up being a lot of wasted space at the center of those buildings, because you need windows in apartments. You could try to do like a light courtyard in the center of the building, but that becomes expensive and complicated. There is a lot of development potential in New Orleans. We have a good amount of larger historic buildings that could be repurposed as housing, utilizing historic tax credits, the state and federal tax credits and housing tax credits. Acquiring residential properties that are more affordable, putting some investment into those properties and placing affordability restrictions on them — those are all ways to increase affordability and affordable housing. Email Grace Mayer at grace. mayer@theadvocate.com.

4E F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F nola.com F The Times-Picayune

lll

ACROSS THE REGION

Shreveport sits near hot spot for super emitters BY LIZ SWAINE Staff writer

For 17 months in 2025 and 2026, the Planet Labs Tanager 1 satellite trained its NASA-designed spectrometer on northwest Louisiana as part of a UCLA Law methane project, aimed at identifying the largest sources of the potent heattrapping gas. What it found was sobering. Less than 10 miles south of Shreveport was the location of possibly the largest methane release in the U.S. at a midstream site owned by Dallas-based Energy Transfer. This “super emitter” site wasn’t the only one. The UCLA Law study pointed to four more nearby owned by Aethon, Energy Transfer, Black Bear Midstream and Boardwalk Pipeline Partners. The Energy Transfer plume came from a site just off La. 1 near the Caddo Parish line. The land there is ground zero for midstream pipeline facilities for the prolific Haynesville Shale and Bossier Shale natural gas. They are run by Energy Transfer, Momentum/Williams, Kinder Hawk and others. The methane that the Tanager spotted is most known for its remarkable efficiency at trapping heat in the atmosphere. Of all the so-called greenhouse gases, climate scientists consider methane one of the most damaging and believed responsible for up to 25% of global warming. Natural gas is full of methane — it makes up 70% to 90% of natural gas by volume. David Williamson, owner of a geological and environmental consulting company based in Shreveport, has spent most of his career in the energy industry. He said there are several scenarios under which methane can escape. There are miles of pipelines with a lot of joints and connections moving pressurized natural gas. “Every time you add a joint, a pipe or a new connection, a valve or something, you have the potential for leakage. And if people

STAFF FILE PHOTO BY LIZ SWAINE

A Kinder Morgan midstream pipeline facility operates in Red River Parish. aren’t maintaining those things, then you’ve got methane that’s escaping,” he said. Unmaintained older wells, even those that have been capped, can also leak. Williamson said methane is naturally occurring and can also be found in wetlands and swampy areas. Scientists have long studied the amounts of methane belched by cattle, and municipalities across the country turn methane generated by decomposing landﬁll materials into fuel they can use.

Methane equals money Escaping methane equals lost dollars to the companies, said Robert Mills, a Shreveport oil and gas industry veteran. “They have absolutely every incentive in the world to not release any natural gas,” said Mills, of the

midstream companies. “So, economics should be the great policeman in this where you would want to react quickly to a methane release and ﬁx the process to be sure that it doesn’t get out.” Cara Horowitz, executive director of the UCLA Emmett Institute and author of the methane report, said there is no way of knowing for how long or how much oil-and-gasrelated methane has been released into the atmosphere. “There essentially were very few regulations that even paid attention to methane emissions from oil and gas sources,” she said. Those on-again, off-again regulations are being turned to the “off again” position by the Trump administration, which plans to loosen restrictions on methane across the board, from those at super emitter sites to leaks at so-called marginal

wells that produce 7% of the nation’s oil and gas but about half the methane emissions. Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin said loosening the restrictions will save oil and gas producers up to $45 billion. Horowitz countered that the companies could already be making more money by selling the natural gas/methane that is being vented into the atmosphere. “Companies themselves could be saving money if they were taking relatively straightforward steps to tighten up their natural gas supply chain,” she said. “And we’re actually seeing evidence that many of them are starting to do that.”

Haynesville Shale is on the grow Using satellite imagery gathered from Jan. 1, 2025, through June 1,

Working What’s

2026, the UCLA Law Study focused on three prolific energy regions in the U.S.: the Permian Basin in west Texas; the Appalachian Basin along the East Coast; and the Haynesville/Bossier Basin in east Texas, north Louisiana and central Mississippi. Carbon Mapper logged total methane plume count and locations, and UCLA Law determined the operators using publicly available data. There were 91 plumes from 36 sources recorded in northwest Louisiana. The plumes were recorded near Shreveport, Grand Cane, Mansﬁeld, Elm Grove, Frierson, Doyline, Haughton and several other locations. Horowitz said that until the mapping satellites were launched in the last few years, much of the methane pollution was “invisible and undetected,” and estimates of it were woefully inadequate. “Most of those methane emission estimates were based on, you know, imperfect protocols that made a lot of assumptions about how much methane might be leaking from certain kinds of infrastructure,” she said. With the satellite imagery, she said, “For the first time, we really understand the scale of the problem or at least are beginning to.” Whether any regulation is on the horizon, the information gathered is important for both the companies and the public to know, she believes. Horowitz said advocates have been notifying companies on the list and “we began to see that sometimes, companies are just responding on their own accord.” In particular, she said, was Energy Transfer. “If you go look at the satellite data for that source in particular, you’ll see that the last two observations made by satellites of that source show no plume,” she said. “And I think that may be because ... somebody reached out.” Email Liz Swaine at liz.swaine@ theadvocate.com.

with

in Greater New Orleans business

Michael Hecht President & CEO GNO Inc.

New Investment + More Validation A double-dose of good news for you today: First, last week GNO, Inc.’s Startup Noir NOLA initiative hosted its second Venture Voir, an inperson experience that introduces out-of-state venture capital funds, angel groups, and CDFIs to the region’s diverse startups. Investors in major markets don’t historically source deals in the Gulf South, so Venture Voir brings them here to meet founders of color directly. This year’s tour included panels at Newlab New Orleans and the Shop Workspace, a visit to NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility, and a closing dinner where investors sat down with local founders raising capital. Key local partners included Idea Village and Corridor Ventures. In two years, Venture Voir has introduced over 20 out-of-state funds to local startups including: Munivestor, Bea’s Bayou Skincare, Dreamland Koffucha, Codegig, Zenistry Labs, Zokoyo Potty Pal, Kinkz Hair Products and MilestoneMate. Venture Voir also brought Kiva, a crowdfunding platform for small business loans, into the Greater New Orleans market. Unlike equity investment, Kiva contributions are loans, not donations, and lenders are repaid as borrowers make payments.

You can learn more about Startup Noir NOLA here

Next, Area Development released its 2026 Top States for Doing Business last week. Based on a survey of 50 site consultants, the rankings placed Louisiana as #9 overall in the nation and backed up the case Venture Voir made to investors. Louisiana ranked:

•

• •

After falling out of the Top Ten, Louisiana has been back at the top of the rankings for the past two years.

#2 for energy costs #4 for energy availability; grid capacity; and workforce training programs

You can see the full Area Development rankings here

• •

#7 for labor cost competitiveness; water and wastewater capacity; regulatory environment; and property tax environment #8 for business incentives programs #9 for overall speed to market

A greater choice for business

gnoinc.org

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, November 1, 2026 ✦ 5E

lll

BUILD U D A CAREER RIGHT HERE. With Hyundai Steel and other industries coming to the area, people can earn a degree or certification, ob. learn a trade, and get a well-paying jo

Mayor Leroy Sullivan, Donaldsonville, Louisiana

LABOR FORCE

PARTICIPATION

RATE GROWTH means more Louisianans are entering the workforce, creating new opportunities and a stronger talent pool. *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2026

Start Building Your Future OPPORTUNITYLOUISIANA.COM

6E F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F nola.com F The Times-Picayune

lll

ECONOMY

Westinghouse adding more fuel to nuclear revival Electric company also preparing for expected IPO BY ANYA LITVAK

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS) Within the span of a few hours last month, Westinghouse Electric Co. announced a $1 billion new nuclear fuel factory in South Carolina, was named as the technology of choice in a proposal for a mammoth nuclear campus in Kentucky and hosted the undersecretary of energy at its Pennsylvania innovation center. The latest announcements came days after the Nuclear Regulatory Commission renewed the certification for Westinghouse’s marquee large reactor design, AP1000, until 2066, a decision that the commission Chair Ho Nieh said “provides the regulatory foundation for America to move from building individual reactors to deploying them at scale.” Westinghouse, in a statement about the new fuel factory in South Carolina, used similar language, saying it would “enable the effective long-term operation of today’s nuclear ﬂeet and support the industrialization of AP1000 reactors worldwide.” Westinghouse is preparing to go public, its owners Brookﬁeld and Cameco disclosed in July. Its registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission was filed confidentially and has not yet been made public, but industry experts anticipate the initial public offering is imminent. As the date nears, a steady drumbeat of announcements and deals have added momentum to the idea that a nuclear renaissance is upon us and Westinghouse sits in the middle of it. “We’ve made a tremendous amount of progress on nuclear” Kyle Haustveit, the energy undersecretary, said after his visit

THE STATE/TNS FILE PHOTO BY JOSHUA BOUCHER

A mostly complete nuclear reactor towers next to an electric turbine building that is under construction at the Santee Cooper nuclear site on May 19. The facility has most of the parts to finish two Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear reactors. to Westinghouse. The U.S. government and the Department of Energy are working to remove barriers — ﬁnancial, regulatory and other — to ensure the buildout launches as envisioned, he said. The Trump administration has pledged ﬁnancing and permitting support for Westinghouse to enable construction on 10 AP1000 units to begin by 2030. In October, the administration signed an agreement with South Korea as part of a trade deal which provides for South Korea to supply $120 billion for the construction of six AP1000s and two additional reactors using a Korean design. When the units are up and run-

ning, their proﬁts will be split 5050 between the U.S. government and South Korea until the latter is paid back its $120 billion investment plus interest. After that, the profit-sharing would shift to 90-10 in favor of the U.S. government. The potential locations of those AP1000 units haven’t been disclosed. But The Nuclear Co., a South Carolina-based infrastructure firm that formed a few years ago to deliver “on-time, on-budget construction of new nuclear fleets” unveiled its first major project, called Prosperity One. If built with the proposed six AP1000 units, the nuclear power campus in Lewis County, Kentucky, would

be the largest in the country. The project is in the early stages and has not yet filed for NRC licensing. The Nuclear Co. hopes to begin construction in 2028. Further along is a project in Texas being developed by Fermi America. It’s an artificial intelligence data center and power campus called Project Matador, which has already submitted its licensing application to the NRC and engaged with two Korean firms — Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. and Doosan Enerbility Co. — to develop the first of four AP1000 units envisioned for the site. It remains to be seen which AP1000 contract is signed first and when shovels hit the ground,

but the nuclear industry expects a rush of announcements will follow the first as project developers become more confident that the supply chain, labor and capital will show up. “You can’t expect a single reactor to be built when there’s no line of sight,” Haustveit said. “We need to make sure we have a runway for multiple reactors to be built.” Michael Valore, vice president at Westinghouse, is eager for the nuclear industry in the U.S. to go into repetition mode on nuclear reactors, as other countries have. “The United States has not been great at large infrastructure projects,” he said during a panel at the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance’s Nuclear and Industrial Future Conference last week. “We’ve typically said, ‘Wow, that first thing we did was really hard. Let’s just never do that.’ And most other countries that have become adept at building … nuclear, they’re just doing it multiple times.” In Hopkins, South Carolina, Westinghouse’s $1 billion fuel factory will be built on a campus that already houses a nuclear fuel factory with about 1,200 workers who make fuel pellets, rods and assemblies that go into the current fleet of light-water reactors. The current facility opened in 1969. In 2023, Westinghouse began trying to make fuel with slightly higher levels of enriched uranium. Last year, it announced it was the first to place this kind of fuel into an operating reactor, at Plant Vogtle in Georgia, which also houses the only AP1000 reactors ever built in the U.S. The new facility, under construction now and set to open in 2030, will make this more-enriched fuel, Westinghouse said, which promises to last longer and allow nuclear plants to space out their outages. According to the company, the fuel manufactured at its South Carolina facility powers 10% of all electricity in the U.S.

Safe. Reliable. Affordable.

Natural gas is the right energy option for Louisiana. SAFE

540+

Trained technicians monitoring our natural gas distribution systems 24/7.

RELIABLE

1 in 650

Only 1 in 650 natural gas customers will experience an unplanned outage in a given year.

AFFORDABLE

Natural gas is the budgetfriendly energy source – 3x more affordable than electricity.

deltautilities.com

Louisiana born. Louisiana based.

Backed by 950+

600,000 customers

local employees

across the Gulf Coast

lll

TECHNOLOGY

The Times-Picayune F nola.com F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F 7E

Best Buy makes new play for holiday gaming dollars Electronics retailer launches free online platform

Richfield, Minn.based Best Buy announced an online portal that brings news, product announcements and games together in one place.

BY CARSON HARTZOG

The Minnesota Star Tribune (TNS) Ahead of a holiday shopping season packed with new game releases, Best Buy is making a pitch for gamers’ attention — and their next purchases. The Minnesota-based consumer electronics retailer is launching Best Buy Gamers, a free online platform that combines game reviews, personalized recommendations, deals and information about store events. The launch comes as retailers compete for billions of dollars in holiday gaming purchases. New releases can lift sales but leave retailers struggling to match that performance a year later, making it all the more important to capture sales tied to the season’s hottest games and gadgets. U.S. consumers spent about $13.6 billion on video games, consoles and accessories in November and December last year, according to industry tracker Circana. That accounted for roughly 22% of annual video game spending. Longer term, the platform is an effort to make Best Buy part of the gaming experience, not merely a place to buy equipment. “For many, gaming isn’t just about playing. It’s the excitement of following new launches, discovering what’s next and being part of the moments that bring gamers together,” Patrick McGinnis, chief revenue officer at Best Buy, said in a statement. The platform launched in a test phase on Best Buy’s website and app. Customers can create profiles identifying their preferred gaming platforms, devices and genres. It also will feature articles, reviews and videos — including content created specifically for Best Buy — through a partnership with gaming media company IGN.

THE MINNESOTA STAR TRIBUNE/ TNS PHOTO BY GLEN STUBBE

It’s not the ﬁrst time the retailer tions that give members access to cessor debuted in 2013. has made a play for gamers’ wal- a library of games without buying Circana said in a research note earlier this year that purchase inlets. From 2011 to 2018, Best Buy them individually. That shift away from physical tent for the game was the highest ran a gaming subscription service media has left retailers like Best it had recorded and that it could recalled Gamers Club Unlocked. Best Buy said more than 10 mil- Buy and Walmart looking for new sult in increased demand for other gaming-related purchases. lion gamers already shop with the ways to compete in the market. For example, this holiday season Other upcoming releases include retailer annually. Gaming was “Call of Duty: Modern among the biggest contributors to comparaMany game makers also have begun phasing out Warfare 4” and Ninble sales growth in the physical copies of games or eliminated them entirely tendo’s remake of “The company’s February-to- in favor of digital downloads. Some also offer video Legend of Zelda: OcaApril quarter. rina of Time.” In the following quar- game subscriptions that give members access to a But Best Buy Gamlibrary of games without buying them individually. ers will be competing ter, however, its gaming category declined comwith services gamers pared with a year earlier, largely brings a release with the potential already use. For example, Nintendo’s free because Nintendo Switch 2 sales to spur purchases beyond the game itself. Nintendo Today! app delivers boosted the year-earlier period. “Grand Theft Auto VI,” the latest personalized updates, videos and Many game makers also have begun phasing out physical copies of installment of one of the top-selling other content about its games and games or eliminated them entirely game franchises, is scheduled for characters. Steam, a popular tool in favor of digital downloads. Some release in mid-November during among gamers, combines a digital also offer video game subscrip- peak gift-buying season. Its prede- game store with reviews, recom-

mendations and ways to connect with other players. Best Buy Gamers won’t offer an equivalent to Steam’s game-playing service. Instead, it will centralize the latest news from Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft without jumping between each company’s platforms. That breadth could make it useful to households with several devices or parents shopping for a player. An Entertainment Software Association survey found that 54% of adult players consult player reviews before buying a game, while 49% search forums or social media. The broader market offers retailers plenty to compete for. For all of 2025, U.S. consumers spent $60.7 billion on video games. Hardware spending rose 9%, while accessory spending declined but still totaled nearly $3 billion.

LOOKING BEYOND:

Jones Walker on Bias in AI Hiring Tools When AI screens applicants, legal exposure can follow

Beyond Automation. Jones Walker’s Labor & Employment attorneys offer clients one of the largest and most experienced labor and employment law practices in the region. Our attorneys counsel regional and national companies in a variety of industries in all aspects of labor and employment law. We strive to help clients ﬁnd solutions to labor and employment law matters using practical, common-sense approaches. By combining our depth in labor and employment law with Jones Walker’s broad base of capabilities in other practice areas, we address unique workplace and industry situations, giving our clients a distinct advantage not available from small boutique law ﬁrms.

William H. Hines Managing Partner bhines@joneswalker.com 504.582.8000

A recent study by Stanford University’s Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence provides large-scale evidence that artificial intelligence (AI) hiring tools can produce racially disparate Jason Culotta outcomes, raising significant legal risk for employers that increasingly rely on automated screening. The researchers analyzed 4 million job applications across 150-plus employers using the same third-party AI platform. The study found that disparities often emerge only when hiring outcomes are analyzed position by position, the same framework courts apply in disparate impact litigation. It also identified “algorithmic monoculture,” where many employers rely on the same AI vendors, increasing the likelihood of repeated rejections across employers. The study reinforces a key legal reality for employers: They remain responsible for the tools they use. Employers should conduct adverse impact analyses, require transparency from vendors, implement human oversight, maintain documentation, and monitor evolving regulatory requirements. AI may improve efficiency, but without proper safeguards, it can also magnify liability.

201 St. Charles Avenue New Orleans, LA 70170-5100 joneswalker.com

Attorney Advertising. No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other attorneys. LA-26-21186

Scan the QR code to read the full article.

8E ✦ Sunday, November 1, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

PEOPLE IN BUSINESS Staff report South Louisiana businesses and nonprofit groups recently announced the following promotions, new hires and resignations.

New Orleans Tommy Costales has been promoted to director of technology services for the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Costales, who has more than 25 years of experience managing complex technology systems, was first Costales hired by the Convention Center as assistant director of information technology in 2024. Gordon Arata has hired two new

Fool’s Take: Amazon in the cloud

Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) has grown into a company recently worth $2.7 trillion. Yet its shares are still appealingly priced, with a recent forward-looking price-to-earnings ratio of 23, well below Motley its five-year average Fool of 39. The company has multiple strong growth opportunities, particularly related to artificial intelligence. For years, Amazon Web Services — its cloudbased web-hosting business, which now accounts for one-fifth of Amazon’s revenue but much more of its operating profit — has been the big driver of growth for Amazon’s stock. That area of its business remains strong; the segment grew by 37% in the second quarter, while the overall business generated 20% growth in net sales. Not only is AWS looking more promising due to AI, but Amazon has also experienced encouraging growth in its emerging semiconductor chip business. The company reported triple-digit growth (yearover-year) for both its chip business and AWS’s AI business; both are at annual revenue run rates exceeding $25 billion. Amazon is already a behemoth with $776 billion in revenue over

associates in its New Orleans ofﬁce: Zak Barhoush and Bella Meystedt. Barhoush was previously a summer associate at the firm, durBarhoush ing which he researched oil, gas and banking regulation. Meystedt comes to the firm after internships with the Alliance for Affordable Energy Meystedt and the Greenville County Public Defenders ofﬁce in South Carolina.

Tia Starr has been hired as the vice disputes team in the New Orleans of president of physician practices at Woman’s Hospital. Jones Walker. Starr, the coSlaughter, who is founder and colicensed to practice chair of the Young in Louisiana and AlAscension Profesabama, represents businesses and sionals and founder Slaughter high net worth inand past president of the Ascension dividuals as a commercial litigator. Parks Foundation, Starr Baton Rouge comes to the hospiJordan Riggs has been hired as the tal from Option Care Health, where political director of the Louisiana she most recently Association of Business and Indusserved as senior operations director. try, where he will lead its statewide political action committee efforts. Across Louisiana Riggs, who was most recently a digital and public affairs strategist Fran Ortego has for the New York-based public afbeen promoted to office manager of fairs ﬁrm Comella & Co., was preMatthew Slaughter has become a part- viously the digital director for the Ortego JD Bank’s branch in Eunice. ner in the litigation practice group presidential campaign of former Ortego has a decade of experiand a member of the commercial New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

the past four quarters, but it’s still growing, and AI could unlock the next phase of its growth story. The early success of Amazon’s AIpowered conversational shopping assistant, Rufus, is also helping on the e-commerce end. (The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Amazon.)

Fool’s School: Save more, spend less Anyone aiming to sock away more for retirement or reach some other ﬁnancial goal probably needs to save more and/or spend less. Here are a bunch of ways you might do that. n Take a comprehensive inventory of your spending, in part by reviewing bank and credit card statements. This can help you see where you might cut back on your spending, such as by canceling subscriptions you no longer use. n Automate much of your ﬁnancial life, having certain sums automatically sent from your paycheck or bank account into retirement and/or investment accounts. n Spend some time seeking better deals on insurance policies, internet and phone services, credit card interest rates and other recurring expenses. The great deal you found two years ago may no longer be best. n Shift your shopping habits. Don’t view shopping as entertainment or a hobby.

n Invest in some healthy and growing dividend-paying stocks. They’ll regularly provide cash for your ﬁnancial accounts. n Take on a side gig for a short or long while; ideally, it should be one you enjoy. n Eat out (or order in) less often. Just eliminating one $75 restaurant meal per month will save you $900 per year. n Pay off high-interest-rate debt, such as credit card bills, as soon as you can. You’ll end up spending much less in total interest payments. n Call a time-out before making any signiﬁcant purchase. See if you still want it after a week or a month. n Ask for a raise at work — many who ask for one get it. It helps both to deserve a raise and to make a solid case for one. Then, if you can, put any increased money right into your savings.

Ask the Fool: Meet the Magnificent Seven What are the “Magnificent Seven” stocks? — J.H.,West Palm Beach, Florida The “Mag 7” are a group of huge, high-proﬁle technology companies: Google parent Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Facebook parent Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla. There have been many such groupings of stocks over the years. An early one was the “Nifty 50” in the 1960s and 1970s: blue-chip

stocks that included Coca-Cola, General Electric and Xerox. In 2013, the “FANG” acronym debuted to refer to Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google — later expanded to include Apple, becoming FAANG, and then amended again (swapping Microsoft in for Netflix) to become MAMAA: Meta Platforms, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Alphabet. Other groupings that aim to include more artificial intelligence and semiconductor businesses include MANGOS (Meta Platforms, Anthropic, Nvidia, Google parent Alphabet, OpenAI and SpaceX) and BATMMAAN (Broadcom, Apple, Tesla, Microsoft, Meta Platforms, Alphabet, Amazon and Nvidia). Where can I look up historical P/E ratios? — H.S., Henderson, Nevada Multiple financial information sites track historical P/E data. For example, at Morningstar.com, you can search for a company and click on its “Valuation” tab to see the current P/E ratio (and other valuation measures), past years’ P/Es and the five-year average P/E. You might also check out sites such as HistoricalPERatio.com. You’re smart to seek out such numbers because they can put current numbers in perspective, helping you see whether a stock seems undervalued or overvalued. For example, if Scruffy’s Chicken Shack (ticker: BUKBUK) has a current P/E of 12 and its P/E in the past has often been 16 or higher, it’s

ence at the Jennings-based bank, having previously worked as a loan associate and retail loan support specialist.

Guidry

Bordelon

Darren Guidry will become CEO of Home Bank in January, succeeding longtime chief executive John Bordelon, who will retire after 45 years with the Lafayette-based bank. Do you have personnel changes to share or other ideas for our business coverage? Drop us a line at biztips@theadvocate.com.

looking undervalued. (Never base investment decisions on just one or two numbers, though.)

My Dumbest Investment: Misunderstood ‘buy, hold’ My most regrettable investing move happened many years ago, when I misunderstood and misapplied the “buy and hold” philosophy, holding some stocks even after their companies went well and truly bankrupt. Some of my losers included Solazyme, First Marblehead and Walter Energy.With the first two, I got too attached to their stories and ignored the progressively worsening financials.With the last, I was lured by its unsustainably high dividend yield. — S., online The famous “buy and hold” investing adage can indeed be misleading because people shouldn’t just buy stocks and forget about them. It’s better to think of it as “buy TO hold” — so buy aiming to hang on for years (if not decades), but also keep up with your investments. Especially watch for any red flags, such as worsening financials. A steep dividend yield can also be a warning, reflecting a stock that has plunged. (As a stock’s price drops, its dividend yield rises — until, in many cases, a struggling company reduces or eliminates its dividend.) Red flags generally require further research to see what’s going on with the company. Aim to keep your money invested in your best ideas, and sell when you’ve lost confidence.

Erie Roofing Since 1976

After 30 years, Fibrex material is still 2x stronger than vinyl +

$359 OFF Take every window *

Plus $779 OFF every door*

Trust the Nation’s #1 Rooﬁng Contractor

With 0 down, 0 payments, and 0% interest for 24 months* Call us b efore November 30 to schedule your FREE in-home consultation

50% 50 % OFF

10414 Plaza Americana Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70816

FREE ESTIMATE

*Offer not available in all areas. Discount applied by retailer representative at time of contract execution and applies to purchase of 4 or more windows and/or entry or patio doors. To qualify for discount offer, initial contact for a free Window and Door Diagnosis must be made and documented between 11/1/26 and 11/30/26, with the appointment then occurring no more than 10 days after the initial contact. 24-Month Promo Period financing available to well-qualified buyers on approved credit only. During the Promo Period, no payments are required and interest accrues but will be waived if the promo balance is paid in full before the Promo Period expires. Any unpaid balance remaining after the Promo Period, including accrued interest, will be repaid under the terms outlined in the customer’s loan agreement. Not all buyers will qualify. Higher interest rates may apply for customers with lower credit ratings. Financing is not valid with other offers or prior purchases. Renewal by Andersen retailers are neither brokers nor lenders. Any finance terms advertised are estimates only, and all financing is provided by third-party lenders unaffiliated with Renewal by Andersen retailers, under terms and conditions arranged directly between the customer and such lender, all subject to credit requirements. Renewal by Andersen retailers do not assist with, counsel or negotiate financing, other than providing customers an introduction to lenders interested in financing. Call 866-936-0602 for financing costs and terms. Loans for the GreenSky ® consumer loan program are offered and made by federally insured, federal or state chartered financial institutions providing credit without regard to age, race, color, religion, national origin, gender, disability, or familial status. A list of financial institutions currently providing loans through the GreenSky ® Program is available at www.greensky.com/bank-partners. GreenSky Servicing, LLC services the loans on behalf of your lender, NMLS #1416362. www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org. GreenSky ® is a registered trademark of GreenSky, LLC and is licensed to banks and other financial institutions for their use in connection with that consumer loan program. GreenSky Servicing, LLC is a financial technology company that manages the GreenSky ® consumer loan program by providing origination and servicing support to banks and other financial institutions that make or hold program loans. GreenSky, LLC and GreenSky Servicing, LLC are not lenders. All credit decisions and loan terms are determined by program lenders. By responding to this offer, you agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and consent to receive marketing communications from Renewal by Andersen and its affiliates, including calls, prerecorded messages, AI-assisted calls, emails, and text messages (SMS/MMS) at the phone number and email address provided, even if your number is listed on a state or federal Do Not Call registry. Consent is not required as a condition of purchase. Message and data rates may apply. Calls may be recorded. Renewal by Andersen is an independently owned and operated retailer. “Renewal by Andersen” and all other marks where denoted are marks of Andersen Corporation. ©2026 Andersen Corporation. All rights reserved. +Ultimate Tensile Strength. Six window units were tested in a Minnesota home 30 years after installation. Visit renewalbyandersen.com for warranty information. †It is the only warranty among top selling window companies that meets all of the following requirements: easy to understand terms, unrestricted transferability, installation coverage, labor coverage, geographically unrestricted, coverage for exterior color, insect screens and hardware, and no maintenance requirement. Visit renewalbyandersen.com/nationsbest for details. ‡ See Renewal by Andersen® Products and Installation Transferable Limited Warranty for details. For J.D. Power 2025 award information, visit jdpower.com/awards.

Renewal by Andersen Impact Resistant Windows

Award-Winning Roofing and Customer Service

LIMITED TIME OFFER

Installation

SCHEDULE TODAY! Call 1.877.465.0788 • $0 Down Today • Same Day Financing Available • Premium Warranty Protection

Join over 400,000 satisﬁed homeowners with an ultra-durable roof from Erie Home.

CALL TODAY! 1.877.465.0788 New orders only. Does not include material costs. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Minimum purchase required. Other restrictions may apply. This is an advertisement placedon behalf of Erie Construction Mid-West, Inc (“Erie”). Offer terms and conditions may apply and the offer may not be available in your area. If you call the number provided, you consent to being contacted by telephone, SMS text message, email, pre-recorded messages by Erie or its affiliates and service providers using automated technologies notwithstanding if you are on a DO NOT CALL list or register. Please review our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use on homeservicescompliance.com. All rights reserved. License numbers available at eriehome.com/erielicenses/

lll

The Times-Picayune F nola.com F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F 9E

MADE IN LOUISIANA

Drago’s aims to grow retail product line Gulf South seafood restaurant developing frozen meals to sell with grocers BY GRACE MAYER Staff writer

Drago’s Seafood Restaurant is well-known for oysters and seafood served at its six family-owned and franchise locations in Louisiana and Mississippi. But soon, customers will be able to spot a line of the restaurant’s products in grocery stores. Earlier this year, Drago’s began collaborating with another local company to develop and package its popular barbecue shrimp into a frozen meal. That product hit grocery stores in May, and now Drago’s is being asked for more. The Metairie family business is developing an alfredo shrimp frozen meal as well as a frozen jambalaya dish to add to the lineup, which in addition to the barbecue shrimp dish also includes bottles of its butter garlic sauce. National restaurant chains have long sold frozen versions of their popular offerings at grocery stores, but Drago’s is demonstrating how smaller, family-run restaurants can get in on the act. “The Raising Cane’s sauce, which is selling in grocers around the country, is kind of an equivalent to what we’re trying to do,” Drago’s owner Tommy Cvitanovich, said referring to the Baton Rouge fast-food chain. “It’s a good opportunity to share your product and brand.” Drago’s isn’t the only local restaurant and brand that’s selling its products in grocers. Rouses, which was Drago’s ﬁrst customer for its barbecue shrimp, sells salad dressing from Hanley’s Foods,

PHOTO PROVIDED BY DRAGO’S SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

Drago’s Seafood Restaurant earlier this year launched a frozen barbecue shrimp meal, which is selling in dozens of local grocery stores.

sold in grocers around the country. Momofuku, a New York-based Asian-American restaurant, has a line of home cooking products sold in grocery aisles, including a line of sauces and noodles. “Certainly the grocery store shelves are crowded as it is, so it’s not always an easy strategy. But if you’ve got the brand equity, the right partner manufacturing it for you, and the right retail partner, it can succeed,” said David Henkes, senior principal and head of strategic partnerships at Technomic, an advisory firm focused on the STAFF FILE PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER restaurant, food and beverage inDrago’s Seafood Restaurant owner dustry. “The retail opportunity, done Tommy Cvitanovich assesses right, is exponentially bigger than the oysters at the restaurant in if you’re a $5 (million), $10 million restaurant,” Henkes said. “You Metairie. could see retail products like this based in Baton Rouge, and beignet grow into potentially $100 million.” mix and Creole coffee from Café Restaurant plate to grocery aisle du Monde. Drago’s retail strategy mirrors For almost a decade, Rouses has that of local and regional restau- been selling Drago’s butter garlic rants outside of Louisiana that sauce in all 76 of its stores in Louihave gained national fans and cus- siana, Alabama and Mississippi. tomers through retail products, On average, Rouses sells roughly like Rao’s, a family-owned Ital- 60,000 units per year, a spokesperian restaurant in New York more son said. widely known for pasta sauce jars The local supermarket chain also

uses the sauce in boiled seafood combo meals sold at its seafood counters. Four years ago, Drago’s reached out and pitched the product to Walmart, which shortly thereafter began selling the butter sauce in stores across Louisiana and a few other locations on the Gulf Coast. Cvitanovich and his team began experimenting with creating a spice mix and an oyster kit, the latter of which the restaurant sells directly to customers through its own website. But nothing was ready to go on store shelves. That is until Cvitanovich recently learned of a frozen meal from Prime Shrimp, a ready-to-eat shrimp brand that Laitram, a Harahan-based global manufacturer, launched in 2018. Cvitanovich thought Drago’s, with Prime Shrimp’s help, could take the restaurant’s popular, saucy barbecue shrimp dish and make a frozen meal out of it. James Lapeyre, president and general manager of Laitram Machinery and Prime Shrimp, said his company has developed and commercialized a number of shrimp dishes that are currently selling on the retail market, a process the team was able to replicate for Drago’s own frozen meal. Prime Shrimp and Laitram Machinery, Lapeyre wrote, also have experience preparing, packaging and scaling shrimp products that maintain their ﬂavor. “We went back and forth with Prime Shrimp. We could have gone with a less expensive item, a smaller shrimp, less shrimp, less sauce, all of those things,” Cvitanovich said. “At the end of the day, we said, no, we want this to be the exact same thing that somebody’s going to get in our restaurant.” For Cvitanovich’s part, he sources shrimp for the frozen meals from local Louisiana companies — the same ones that supply his restaurants with shrimp from the Gulf Coast. He hired a graphic designer to create the branding for the frozen

meal boxes and worked with dietitians to nail down the recipe and ingredients. After Prime Shrimp packages the product, Drago’s handles distributing pallets of the frozen meals to local grocers’ warehouses. Just like with the butter sauce, Rouses was Drago’s ﬁrst customer. Early on in the process, Cvitanovich called Rouses leadership who were eager to get another Drago’s product in stores. Since the shrimp meal began selling exclusively at Rouses in May, its stores have sold over 2,000 units, Jordan Clark, seafood director with Rouses, said in a statement.

Growing business Drago’s is ramping up advertising and production for the frozen shrimp meal, which is now selling in at least 20 other local supermarkets, including Associated Grocers locations, Cvitanovich said. Walmart is also taking notice. The retail giant recently approached Drago’s with interest in selling the shrimp meal in stores, Cvitanovich said, and the two are in conversations. The challenge for Drago’s will be preserving restaurant-quality — the ﬂavor proﬁle and freshness — in the frozen meal, said Henkes, the industry expert with Technomic. “The make-or-break for Drago’s is the quality and authenticity of the product in relation to the restaurant,” Henkes said. “It needs to deliver against expectations. Frozen seafood is tough.” Drago’s retail products remain a small part of its overall business — less than 5% of revenue. But that number is growing, Cvitanovich said, and the team is investing more into this segment of the business. “Our butter garlic sauce sales have increased. They’re growing in the double digits on a year-toyear basis,” Cvitanovich said. Email Grace Mayer at grace. mayer@theadvocate.com.

move fast and make things.

Sound Familiar? At Venture Global, we make things happen through innovation. We’re building some of the largest energy facilities in the world right here in Louisiana, and delivering American power with speed and at scale. That’s what deﬁnes Unstoppable Energy.

10E ✦ Sunday, November 1, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

Why Two Louisiana Brokers Made the Move to Gallagher When Parke Ellis and Douglass Mills decided it was time to ﬁnd a partner for their

Ellis describes what that looks like in practice. Every policy comes back to the

ﬁrm, Gillis, Ellis & Baker (GEB), they weren’t short of options. Fifteen ﬁrms came

office, where the team reads it, audits it and returns with a professional opinion on

calling — private equity groups, national brokers and regional players. In the end,

the client’s current program. The aim is straightforward: to help clients understand

there was only one choice.

their risks and make better decisions about their coverage.

“We had competed against Gallagher for years, and frankly, we weren’t sure what

Mentoring brokers to command the room

to expect,” says Ellis, now area executive vice president at Gallagher. “But from the very first meeting, it became apparent that they were, first and foremost, an insurance broking firm with the specialist knowledge, market relationships and depth of expertise to make a real difference for clients.” For Mills, protecting the brokers was an important part of the decision. The firm had been in business for 85 years and was third-generation. The plan had been to sell to the next generation internally. But the firm had grown too large for that to work.

Weekly classes work through policy language line by line — general liability, workers’ comp, cyber, D&O. Senior brokers take newer ones on calls and sit in the first chair while the trainees watch. Brokers who completed the program a few years ago are now doing the same for those behind them. “The pay-it-forward culture we’re seeing from five-year brokers to one- and two-year brokers is really exciting,” says Ellis. Mills challenges first-year brokers to learn every Gallagher tool and capability

“If the next generation of brokers weren’t going to be able to take ownership in

before stepping into conducting a client meeting.

the future, then we wanted to put all of them in the best possible position to have

“It gives brokers a chance to show what they know, add real value in a meeting

the most successful production careers,” says Mills, senior vice president of

and start building the trust that makes clients want to work with them long term,”

Operations at Gallagher. “Fast forward almost seven years, and those brokers

he says.

are all ﬂourishing — with careers none of us could have dreamed of back then.” For anyone considering a career in this ﬁeld, Ellis is clear about what to expect.

Local roots, global reach When Ellis and Mills joined, Gallagher already had around 100 employees in Metairie — they were walking into an established team, not starting from scratch. For prospects and clients alike, that combination of local identity and global

“Age will never be a barrier here,” he says. “At Gallagher, we invest in our people to ensure they’ve the knowledge and conﬁdence to walk into any room and deliver real value for their clients.” It’s a philosophy that has been the key to the success of the GEB merger in

resource is central to every pitch the team makes. It’s a case any out-of-state broker ﬁnds hard to match: “We are in New Orleans,

Louisiana, according to William Jackson, southeast regional president at Gallagher.

we live in their zip code and we understand the complexities of insuring in a

“Parke and Doug came with a clear sense of purpose around talent and

wind-prone area — and behind us is a global organization no other local broker

relationships,” he says. “Our commitment to advising and investing in the next

can offer,” says Ellis. “Clients really do get the best of both worlds.”

generation of brokers has made our Louisiana practice genuinely stronger.” To connect with Gallagher’s Louisiana team, visit ajg.com/louisiana.

A different way of doing business The philosophy Ellis and Mills brought from GEB took root 25 years ago, after a consultant challenged them to name three things that made them different from every other agency in the room. They couldn’t. “We realized that although we felt we were better, when pushed, we couldn’t actually describe how or why,” says Mills. “So, we made a decision: We weren’t going to sell anymore. We were going to win by convincing people there was a better way to buy and structure their insurance.”

Let’s face the future together.

Parke Ellis Regional Chairman Gallagher

Doug Mills Senior Vice President — Operations Gallagher

Scan the code to connect with us.

AJG.com/louisiana | The Gallagher Way. Since 1927.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, November 1, 2026 ✦ 1F

lll

homes.nola.com Search & Place Ads Online at classiﬁeds.theneworleansadvocate.com • Call Us Monday - Friday 8AM - 5PM at (504) 636-7435

OPEN

enviable addresses NEW

HOUSE

LISTING

SUN 12 - 2

NEW

OPEN HOUSE

LISTING

SUN 1-3

3126 Saint Philip Street • Bayou St John

$405,000 GREAT NEW PRICE! Don’t miss the chance to live in a beautiful Victorian condo across from Coliseum Square. Magnificent architectural details in this first-floor condo with 13-ft ceilings, pine floors, exquisite millwork & 3 fireplaces. Enjoy a renovated kitchen, updated baths, 2 large bedrooms, gated off-street parking, large pool & tree-shaded brick patio. 1330 sqft living area. Letty Rosenfeld 504-236-6834 Compass • Uptown Office 504-866-2785

NEW

Elegantly restored Creole maisonette tucked away on Burgundy St., centered around a lush private courtyard. Renovated in 2024 with French drs, exposed beams, custom kitchens, balcony, updated baths, new systems & abundant natural light. Historic charm blended w/ modern luxury near Fr Qtr dining & culture. Adrienne LaBauve • 504-344-0877 Geoffrey Green • 646-407-5435 LaBauve Group / eXp Realty 504-513-3109 X 165

SHOULD YOUR STANDOUT PROPERTY be a

featured home?

Have the prominent position, plus the inside cover of the HOMES REAL ESTATE SECTION!

AT 504-300-6411 OR genderline@theadvocate.com

LISTING

921 Dumaine Street, Unit B • French Quarter $1,020,000 Discover elegance in this exquisite 2nd floor condo with balcony fronting Dumaine Street plus rear gallery overlooking lush courtyard with pool. Handsome wood floors, soaring ceilings, fireplaces, and custom chandeliers enhance gracious interiors. Gourmet kitchen, 2 bedrooms, 3 marble baths, and floor-to-ceiling windows complete this exceptional residence in a coveted location. Eleanor Farnsworth 504-669-0211 Compass • Garden District 504-891-1142

2100 St. Charles Ave, Unit 3B • Garden District $450,000 305 Highland Bluff Drive • Slidell / The Bluffs $1,399,000 Beautifully renovated condo in prestigious Carol Condominiums. Unit can be sold fully furnished. Has a lrg great room, lrg, bright kitchen, 2 spacious bdrms & 2 full baths. Has expansive windows in all rooms, wood floors throughout & lrg closets. Building has a stunning lobby, pool & patio, fitness center, full time onsite manager, valet prkg & security. Easy living at it’s finest! Letty Rosenfeld 504-236-6834 Compass • Uptown Office 504-866-2785

PUT YOUR LISTING HERE!

Timeless European elegance defines this 5 Bed, 5.5 Bath, 5,500+ sqft custom residence featuring a chef’s dream kitchen, formal living & dining rooms, luxurious first-floor primary suite, dedicated office space, rich wood flooring & resort-style pool with outdoor kitchen. 7,000-bottle wine cellar, whole-home generator, exceptional entertaining spaces & 3-car garage complete this private oasis. Adrienne LaBauve • 504-344-0877 Geoffrey Green • 646-407-5435 LaBauve Group / eXp Realty 504-513-3109 X 165

HAVE A HOME THAT’s

ENVIABLE Reach

Call Gwen 504-300-6411

In addition to a showcase home on NOLA.com for 4-weeks. To reserve your FEATURED HOME, contact Gwen Enderline

HOUSE

TRULY ONE OF A KIND

LISTING

415 Burgundy Street • French Quarter Units: 1B • $395,000 / 2A • $449,500 / 3A • $299,000

NEW

OPEN SUN 12 - 2

$399,000 1629 Coliseum Street • Lower Garden District

Charming 2 bed, 3 bath home blends historic character w/ modern flexibility! Features bright living room w/ hardwood floors, high ceilings, abundant natural light, versatile built-ins, separate dining room & updated kitchen, all great for entertaining. Plus a detached studio/office. Enjoy a covered porch, side deck & private courtyard. Newer roof & HVAC. Near City Park & Lafitte Greenway. Adrienne LaBauve 504-344-0877 LaBauve Group / eXp Realty 504-513-3109 X 165

#42,:+2."3";0.7.;0.;1):/;.0(:7.541.0'!*2.;3.0%6,.!&8.4)#3141.$9<<*33*9;'

GET YOUR

VIRTUAL HOME TOUR IN FRONT OF

50,000

PROSPECTIVE BUYERS EVERY WEEK

CONTACT GWEN ENDERLINE AT 504-300-6411 OR GENDERLINE@THEADVOCATE.COM

440,000

monthly readers with a showcase listing on NOLA.com and in our weekly Enviable Addresses section on the Sunday front cover of Real Estate and Saturday InsideOut tabloid. To place your Enviable Address, contact Gwen Enderline

AT 504-300-6411 OR genderline@theadvocate.com

2F ✦ Sunday, November 1, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

New Orleans Real Estate For Sale HOUSE Fox Run House For Sale 3 Bed 2 Baths, Brick Home $210,000.00 601249-9595 dbankston@mepcoop.com

FARM 60 Acre Cow/Horse Farm with 4 barns. Ready to use today. Kentwood, LA $650k. 225-324-4522

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

lll

APARTMENT METAIRIE

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

HOME-DELIVERED

EVERY DAY

APARTMENT

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

HOME STORE PROPERTIES

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

*********************

AVENUE WALK OLD METAIRIE

501 Lake Ave. 1&2 Bds NEW APT HOMES 10' Ceilings, Custom Cabinetry w/ Kitchen Island, Granite Countertops W& D Incld.

Call: 504-455-3939

APARTMENT

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

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

NOLA.COM/SUBSCRIBE

OPEN HOUSE

APARTMENT OLD METAIRIE

APARTMENT

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

APARTMENT Newly Renovated. 2744 Augusta Street 3Br/2Ba Duplex, washer/dryer hookup. 4-car Driveway. Fenced backyard. Sec 8 welcome. 305-5056532

APARTMENT

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

EACH OFFICE IS INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED AGENT IS LICENSED IN THE STATE OF LOUISIANA GENTILLY 2340 WISTERIA STREET, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70122

When you need the news. Wherever you read the news.

$365,000.00

OPEN SUNDAY 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Located in Gentilly, this fully remodeled home features a new roof, HVAC, ductwork, plumbing and electrical. Bright interiors offer refinished original wood floors, a quartz kitchen with a waterfall island, and a primary suite with a walk in closet and updated bath. A spacious yard and patio provide room to entertain, while a driveway and 280 square foot detached garage offer parking and storage.

AARON DARE 504-210-2014

Subscribe today Scan the QR code

CRANE REALTORS

jobs.nola.com Search Place Onlines at jobs.nola.com • Call Us Monday - Friday 8AM 8AM - 5PM at at (504) Search &&Place AdsAds Online at classiﬁeds.theneworleansadvocate.com • Call Us Monday - Friday - 5PM (504) 636-7435 636-7435 More Begin on Your Date of Hire

Announcements 3GTRCVE00AG271870 GMC is stored at 8101 Almonaster Ave, New Orleans, LA, 70126. If all current charges are not paid and vehicle claimed by the owner by November 16, 2026, a Permit to Sell may be obtained. 205503-Oct 31 & Nov 1, 2t $85.20

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Craig Ostarly contact G. Patrick Hand, III, Esq., The Hand Law Firm, 901 Derbigny St, Gretna, LA 70053; Phone: (504) 368-1118. 205505-Oct 31-Nov 2, 3t $90.10 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Raymond Owens, l/k/a 1104 Cobalt Dr, Celina, TX; call Jalen R. Harris, Esq. 334-790-6629. Oct 31-Nov 2, 3t $75.40

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Richard Kelly in connection with I Quadrant Holdings, LLC or the property located at 1915-17 Pleasure St. in New Orleans is asked to contact Attorney Arlene Lombard at 504-483-7777. 205601-Oct 31-Nov 2, 3t $106.90 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Solutions Through Sales, LLC, to contact the Law Ofﬁce of Rudy W. Gorrell @504-553-9588. 205604-Oct 31-Nov 2, 3t $75.40

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of TYREK KELLY please contact Attorney David Motter, 3500 N. Hullen Street, Metairie, LA 70002; 504-388-7005. 205517-Oct 31-Nov 2, 3t $77.50 I am applying for a license to retail alcoholic beverages at Hibachi Grill & Sushi Bar, located at 7105 Jefferson Highway, Harahan, Louisiana. 205399 Oct.31, Nov. 1, 2t $65.60

Employment ENGINEERING PCS Nitrogen Fertilizer, L.P. has opening for Reliability E&I Superintendent in Geismar, LA. Develop, implement, & manage core I&E Reliability programs: Instrument & Electrical Integrity, Safety Instrumented Systems, PM & PDM programs, etc. Background check req. Apply at www.nutrien.com/careers. Req. #35027 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Sr. Analyst (New Orleans, LA). Build metrics, reports & project level dash‐ boards in support of power delivery strategy. Gather & analyze data, ensure data integrity & communicate findings to relevant teams. Mast in Info Man‐ agement, Bus Analytics or closely rel field. 3 yrs' exp in data analytics, to incl a strong backgrnd in each: optimizing bus processes; gathering requiremts & formulating metrics; data visualizatn & present techniques; regression & vari‐ ance analysis; scalable reporting strategies; machine learning method‐ ologies (incl linear regression, decision trees, k nearest neighbor); stakeholder mgmt; team leadership; spreadsheet analytics; data architecture; data flow pipeline developmt; data modelling, wrangling & warehousing; automation pipeline developmt; project/product mgmt fundamentals (incl project cycle, roadmap, project charter, Agile methodology, JIRA, Scrum); Power BI. Proficient in: MS SQL Server (Queries, Views, Stored Procedures, Joins); NoSQL; MySQL; PostgreSQL; Python; Pandas; SQLAlchemy; NumPy; Mat‐ plotlib; PySpark; SSAS; SSIS; SSRS; R; MS Access; MS Office Ste; Advanced Excel (incl Pivot tables, Macros/VBA, Vlookup, Xlookup, index matching, Power Query); Tableau. Excel written & verbal commun skills. Hybrid schedule is an option. Up to 25% domestic travel for business needs. Must send CV & cvr ltr to tbott90@entergy.com or Patricia Bott, Entergy Services, LLC, 639 Loyola Avenue, L-ENT-4C, New Orleans, LA 70113 w/in 30 days, ref Job #2022-058. #LI-DNI #DNI

If anyone knows the whereabouts of Eileen M. Day please contact Atty. Danielle Phillips; 504-345-2377; daniellephillipslaw@gmail.com. 205516-Oct 31-Nov 2, 3t $69.10

Are you energized by building relation‐ ships, meeting goals, and making a real impact in your community? If you're a motivated, outgoing professional who thrives on connecting with people, this is your opportunity to turn your talent into ameaningful career.

What You'll Do • Develop relationships with busi‐ nesses, schools, churches, and com‐ munity organizations • Schedule, plan, and promote blood drives • Generate new opportunities and grow existing accounts • Coordinate and support blood drive events • Help meet collection goals that di‐ rectly impact patient care • Represent a respected community or‐ ganization with a life-saving mission What We're Looking For • Self-motivated, energetic, and goaloriented individuals • Strong communication and relation‐ ship-building skills • Sales, marketing, customer service, or business development experience pre‐ ferred • Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Sales, or a related field preferred • Valid driver's license and reliable transportation required What We Offer * Competitive Guaranteed Salary * Incentive and Bonus Opportunities * Medical, Dental, and Life Insurance Ef‐ fective Day One * Paid Holidays * Paid Time Off * Employer-Contributed Retirement Plan * Supportive Team Environment * The Opportunity to Make a Difference Every Day Apply online at: www.thebloodcenter.org

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE --“Election of Ofﬁcers”

NEWS

24/7

SALES

ACCOUNT REP -

SALES & MARKETING * Guaranteed Base Salary + Unlimited Bonus Incentive Potential * Medical, Dental, Life Insurance &

MISC FOR SALE Antique (Foreign) Tea Pots 10-12 Must See $300 Take All 504-994-7385

MISC FOR SALE Mens gorgeous black & gold Saints jacket, size 2X, must see! $300 (504) 994-7385

At The Blood Center, you'll be the dri‐ ving force behind successful blood dri‐ ves that provide lifesaving blood prod‐ ucts to area hospitals. Every donor you recruit and every blood drive you coor‐ dinate helps save lives throughout our community.

Public Notices

If anyone knows the whereabouts of Roseland Jarrow Smiley please contact Atty. Danielle Phillips; 504345-2377; daniellephillipslaw@gmail.com. 205518-Oct 31-Nov 2, 3t $69.10

Merchandise

JEWELRY/WATCHES Ladies beautiful 10k gold diamond wishbone ring. $300. 504-994-7385

The NAACP New Orleans Branch will be holding their election of ofﬁcers on November 10, 2026, between the hours of 4p.m. – 8 p.m. The elec‐ tion will be provided electronically by the i l fﬁ

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

WANT TO BUY Old Records 33's, 45's & 78's. All types of music. Call 985-259-1889 Furniture for Sale as a group bundle. California King Size Bed(wooden) with Sleep Number Bed Mattresses; chest of drawers(wooden), Printer table with storage compartments; 2 night tables(wooden); Desk(wooden);Leather sofa and leather recliner;coffee table;large side table(wooden);2 wooden chairs and one wine rack. $6,850.00 504-230-2133 barona319@gmail.com JEWELRY/WATCHES Ladies beaut. 10k-14k gold diamond cross & chn $350 504-994-7385

JEWELRY/WATCHES Ladies Beaut. 10k yg Diam. Clustered Heart Ring Must See $350 504-994-7385

CATS RAGAMUFFIN & RAGDOLL KITTENS www.CatsByFrancy.com/kittens $1500up! Reg. Shots & Guaranty 337-230-3150 CATS Young Male Cat, Gray Colors, Have too many cats, Looking for another home for him. Please call 504-861-9617 ($50)

Automotive USED CARS 1992 Isuzu Rodeo V-6, $600. 1987 Plymouth LE, 4 cylinder $100 504-7379226 504-874-2714

Beautiful puppies Ckc Yorkie puppies shots and dewormed 400. $400.00 601-543-4232 bettyparks159@gmail.com CKC YORKIE puppies vet checked shot worming meet in Gulfport $750.00 334-467-3416

DOGS CKC Registered Shih Tzu puppies. 8 weeks, Vet checked, 1st shots $800. 318804-7394

SUBSCRIBE TODAY

JEWELRY/WATCHES Ladies Beautiful 10k Gold Diamond Cluster Ring Must See! $350 (504) 994-7385

Legal Notices

y y NAACP National Ofﬁce through “Election Buddy”. If there are any concerns you may report to 222 N. Roman for as‐ sistance, during the above hours. The monthly meetings are held every second Tues‐ day of the month. Phone: 504-434-8965, NAACP2020no@ Email: gmail.com. 205643-oct 31-nov 1-2t $168.76

7 DAYS A WEEK

Attorney Discipline

Attorney Discipline Joseph P. Rumage, Jr., New Orleans, LA (2026-OB-01310) has been transferred to disability inactive status by order of the Louisiana Supreme Court dated October 15, 2026. JUDGMENT FINAL and EFFECTIVE October 15, 2026. Gist: Mr. Rumage cannot practice law pending further orders from the Court.

205541-702075-nov 1-1t $240.00

Allen Clark Burrell, Jr. of Metairie, has consented to a one year and one day suspension from the practice of law with all but six months deferred, subject to a two year probation. Order FINAL and EFFECTIVE on October 21, 2026. Gist: Respondent pled no contest to misdemeanor battery of a dating partner and pled guilty to reckless operation, thereby violating Rule 8.4(b) of the Rules of Professional Conduct. 205065-700545 Nov. 1, 2026 1t $240.00

GET FULL DIGITAL ACCESS On your phone. On the go.

Interested in Print? Sign up for home delivery of the newspaper in addition to full digital access on your phone, tablet or computer. Access to the daily e-replica of the newspaper is also included.

Subscribe today Scan the QR code CANCEL ANYTIME

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, November 1, 2026 ✦ 3F

lll

RESURFACING Driveways, Sidewalks, Walkways, Blocks & Bricks

GONZALES CONCRETE

Any size job Servicing New Orleans & Northshore area

timmy carter

Sidewalks, Patios, Driveways, etc.

504-913-3318

Ray Gonzales 504-458-7278

GET READY FOR THE HOLIDAYS

RICHARD V. LA CAZE Prop.

QUALITY and SERVICE

La Caze Electric Lic & Ins

Free Estimates Res. Comm. Ind.

Bus. Number 504-236-6045

65 and over 10% discount on labor cost for residential (non-business) related projects

TRIPLE BBB

CONSTRUCTION CO. INC.

504-466-3712

www.hurricanefenceneworleans.com All types of Fences Exclusive Pre-Stained Cedar Fences

R.J. LABORDE CONSTRUCTION RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • REMODELING & NEW CONSTRUCTION

An Affordable Quality Builder for Over 25 Years • Room Additions • Custom Kitchens • Custom Baths

• Carport Enclosures • Garages • Plumbing Repairs

• Window Replacements • New Roofing & Repairs • Concrete Work

Make your holidays a lot easier with the Versa Lift Attic Elevator Prices start at $2795 12 month no interest financing available CALL 504-466-3712 Hurricane Fence and Home Improvement

Pool Enclosures • Patio Covers • Rooﬁng Siding • Glass Rooms • Screen Rooms Sofﬁt • Fascia • Windows & Screens

JAMES H. BALL, SR.

P R ESI D E N T 2158 Kenner Ave. Kenner, LA 70062

504-467-6998 Fax 504-467-6708

Hurricane Fence and Home Improvement is Your JellyFish Lighting Dealer All In One Exterior Lighting Solution Controlled from your smart device anywhere Security-Accent-Holiday-Game Day Lighting Trim - Patio - Landscaping FREE ESTIMATE • 504-466-3712 1 yr no interest financing

Call for Estimates: 504-885-5224 / 504-250-7139 Your Plans or Ours ~ Licensed and Insured

Building Homes & Remodeling

NOW SERVICING THE NORTHSHORE & SOUTHSHORE!

PARTNER WITH PROCESSOR (NO INVESTMENT REQUIRED, YOU DO THE SALES & SHARE PROFITS)

Email resume with past experience in the seafood industry to: shrimpexpert89@gmail.com

REALTOR®

“Connecting You to the Soul of New Orleans One Home, One Neighborhood, One Passion at a Time!”

m 504.239.1481

o 504.861.7575

corinne.fox@compass.com www.compass.com/agents/corinne-fox 7934 Maple St. New Orleans, LA 70118 Licensed by the State of Louisiana

ABLE TREE SERVICE 50+ YEARS LOCAL SERVICE $2 Million Liabilty Insurance • Worker’s Comp NEVER A COMPLAINT TO THE REMOVAL STORM PREP

WE RECYCLE YOUR TREES

TRIMMING STUMP REMOVAL

ee Docto

SHRIMP - CRAWFISH - FISH - OYSTER - CRAB

Corinne Fox

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

Tree Trimming & Removal • Stump Grinding *Must Dial Area Code*

504-341-2006 FREE ESTIMATES!

License and Insured and Professionally trained

To advertise here, please call 225-383-0111 or visit us at servicedirectory.nola.com

50 4 - 828 -1532

When you need the news. Wherever you read the news.

The newspaper of record for New Orleans

subscribe today subscribe.nola.com

4F ✦ Sunday, November 1, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

Everybody has a story.

Louisiana has 64 parishes and about 4.6 million people. That’s 4.6 million stories. I’ll run out of years long before I run out of stories.

“

Your support of local news pays for the afternoon on somebody’s porch, the second visit and the follow-up call. That kind of reporting takes time, and time costs money. Thank you for your support,your postcards and your messages along the way. Hearing from you reminds me that this work is a conversation.

”

Jan Risher Louisiana Culture Editor

Thank you for your supporting local news. Donate today.

START HERE

LOUISIANAJOURNALISMFUND.ORG You can also mail your donation to: 451 Florida St Ste LL 100, Baton Rouge, LA 70801.

Sweet treats to keep on hand PAGE 3

DISCOVERY | INNOVATION | LIVING WELL

HEALTH

LOUISIANA

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

S U N D AY, N OV E M B E R 1, 2026

Molly Kimball 1N

How to maximize your time with your doctor

OILY INFORMATION

Is pricey olive oil really better for your health? BY MATT HAINES Contributing writer

Hardie French and his wife Laura opened Old Metairie Olive Oils and Vinegars last year because they love the fresh, complex flavor of high-quality olive oil. When their favorite New Orleans olive oil purveyor closed during the pandemic, the couple found themselves making regular trips to Mississippi. “We would do these road trips on our days off and pick up bottles and bottles of olive oil for our friends and co-workers,” French remembered, “and one day Laura said, ‘Hey, should we just try to open a store here?’ So we did.” Their shop carries more than 50 flavors of olive oil — fresh, fruity, bitter, peppery — as well as vinegar from around the globe. But it’s not just the taste that draws customers to the store. For many of French’s customers, olive oil is all about the health benefits. “People take it for circulation,

anti-inflammation, protection from Alzheimer’s, help with arthritis, heart health and even more regular bowel movements,” French said. “We have customers who come in regularly and take their two tablespoons each day.” The health beneﬁts of olive oil are well known and are increasingly studied. But some health experts say that all olive oils are not created equal, and that certain production methods which allow for cheaper varieties could be stripping the oil of its healthrelated qualities. French said the public is not fully aware of these differences, but that as more customers are educated, they are drawn to shops like his. “Our prices are comparable to some of the better brands at the supermarket, but of course you can always get cheaper options,” he said. “But it’s not going to taste as good, and it’s not going to be as good for you.”

ä See OLIVE OIL, page 2X

PROVIDED PHOTOS

Hardie French and his wife Laura run Old Metairie Olive Oils and Vinegars.

Fifteen minutes: That’s the average face-to-face time between a patient and their primary care physician. Fifteen minutes to tell your story, answer questions, get examined, review your labs, discuss your medications, and ideally leave with the answer to the question you came for. It’s not a lot of time, and most don’t Dr. Curtis patients use their time Chastain well. Not because DOCTOR they’re careSAYS less, but because nobody has ever taught them how to improve their odds of getting what they need out of the visit. I’m here to help. Here’s what I see almost every day. A patient walks in and starts down a list. Some fatigue. A skin thing they noticed last week. By the time they get to the real reason they came in, the one that’s actually been keeping them up at night, we’re already at minute 12. Try this instead. Walk in and lead with your most important question. Say it out loud. First thing. “I’m worried I might have diabetes.” “I’ve been having chest pain and I need to know if it’s my heart.” “I found something and I need you to look at it.” Whatever it is, say it first. Before anything else. Two things happen when you do this. First, your doctor immediately knows exactly where to focus. No guessing, no working backward through a list of symptoms to find the one that actually matters. It’s already on the table. Second — and this surprises most patients — your question often gets answered faster than you’d expect. Sometimes in the first two or three minutes. That frees up the rest of the visit for everything else. I understand the instinct to ease into it. Nobody wants to walk in and lead with their scariest thought. It feels safer to warm up first, to build a little context, to see how the conversation goes before saying the real thing out loud. But that instinct, understandable as it is, is exactly what eats the clock. If you’ve got more than one thing weighing on you, that’s fine too. Just say so, and rank those things in order of importance. “I have three things, but the chest pain is what I’m most worried about.” That one sentence does more for your visit than anything else you’ll say all day.

ä See DOCTOR, page 2X

Advanced therapies. Coordinated care. Brian Pettiford, MD | Thoracic Surgery

2X F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F nola.com F The Times-Picayune

lll

HEALTH MAKER La. doctor developed a test for ‘innate immunity’ BY MARGARET DeLANEY

them. We treat them with an antibiotic. They go home. Until it happens again.” Barham set out to make a tangible test that puts a patient’s innate immunity in their own hands.

Staff writer

Phenomune, a Baton Rouge-based biotechnology company, launched free athome immune proﬁling kits to 250,000 Louisianans in June thanks to an $8 million investment from the state. The tests, created by rhinologist Dr. Henry Barham, measure bitter taste receptors that he believes may help predict how vulnerable a person may be to upper respiratory illnesses — like RSV or COVID-19. The state legislature financed the multimillion dollar project in its 2025 session in partnership with the Louisiana Department of Health. The pilot program has provided 30,000 innate immunity tests to residents as of late October. “None of this (science) is new. What’s new is that (Barham) was able to create a test kit around it,” Barham said Dr. Evelyn Griffin, Louisiana’s surgeon general. “I might add: a pretty simple, low cost, scalable test kit.” Packaged in a palm-sized white box, the immune tests come with four paper strips behind a multicolored packet. A QR code in the test kit’s packaging downloads a Phenomune phone app. Users are then asked fill out a health profile: age, race, height and weight, daily environment, how many people living under the same roof, smoking use, vaping use, respiratory disease history and more. Users then taste each of the four paper-strip samples and input what they detect — sweet, salty, bitter or no taste — on a scale of 0 to 10. Inside the app, there are links and articles written

OLIVE OIL

Continued from page 1X

Differences in processing

One large difference in the quality of olive oil is in its method of production. Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), which is thought of as the gold standard in olive oil quality, is produced by a method known as first coldpressed. “First” refers to the fact that the olives will be pressed only a single time, ensuring only the purest oil is extracted. Meanwhile, “cold-pressed” ensures that the temperature during olive crushing and processing will not exceed 86 degrees Fahrenheit, protecting the oil’s flavor, antioxidants and nutrients. Refined olive oil, on the other hand, is treated with heat or chemical solvents to remove impurities while creating a more neutral flavor and color. Refined olive oil also uses lower quality, overripe and damaged olives which, when combined with the higher yield produced by multiple “presses” per olive, also means that refined olive oil is less expensive than EVOO. But, while there are certainly some differences in the health qualities associated with EVOO compared to refined olive oil, Amal Kaddoumi, a professor of pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Augusta, said consuming even refined olive oil has many benefits. Kaddoumi co-founded Oleolive, a biotechnology company in Shreveport that has worked to extract compo-

DOCTOR

Continued from page 1X I assure you, my doctor colleagues and I signed up for medical school because we truly want to help people. Meeting your expecta-

‘Another vital sign’

STAFF PHOTO BY PEARL SPURLOCK

Dr. Henry Barham holds a Phenomune test recently at Sinus and Nasal Specialists of Louisiana in Baton Rouge. by Phenomune explaining germ killers in nose hairs, why the body makes mucus, and bacterial signals that “sound an alarm.” There are additional articles about interventions to stay healthy, including drinking enough water, sleeping well, exercising, eating bitter foods, quit smoking and vaping and more. The science, however, is not veriﬁed by federal ofﬁcials. “The statements associated with the Phenomune Test and Service have not bee evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration,” the medical information disclaimer reads on Phenomune’s app. “The Phenomune Test is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.” The Phenomune test results separate patients into three groups: nontasters, tasters and supertasters. Nontasters have a lower expression of bitter taste receptors, and therefore a lower innate immunity. Supertasters have a high expression of bitter taste receptors,

and therefore a higher innate immunity, Barham said. “What we’re dealing with is new technology. It’s like a new discovery,” he said. He believes that the more a person tastes, or the higher expression of bitter test receptors, the higher the innate immune system. “Adaptive immunity is what most people think about when they talk about antibodies, but we have another piece of our immune system called the innate immune system. That’s your ﬁrst line of defense,” said Dr. James White, an otolaryngologist and head-and-neck surgeon in Lafayette who is co-founder and chief clinical ofﬁcer for Phenomune. Barham, originally from Oak Ridge, a Morehouse Parish town with a population of 124, started looking at immunity receptors while in his medical residency in Denver. Ten years later, a pandemic with a novel respiratory virus, COVID-19, gave him and his team of researchers an opportunity to put innate immunity to the test. “(COVID) was the one set-

nents from olive oil to combat diseases such as breast cancer and dementia. “In one clinical trial we took humans classiﬁed with a mild cognitive impairment, which is the step that can sometimes precede Alzheimer’s disease,” Kaddoumi said. “We split the subjects into two groups and gave one group daily doses of extra virgin olive oil for six months while the other group was given reﬁned olive oil for six months.” “At the end of the trial,” she continued, “we retested the subjects for memory function and took new blood samples that measure biomarkers for Alzheimer’s, and do you know what we found? Both groups had enhanced memory, and both groups had reduced biomarkers for Alzheimer’s, regardless of the olive oil they consumed during the test.”

with reductions in cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s.” Kaddoumi and other experts have noted, however, that there are certain benefits present in EVOO that refined olive oils lack. For example, in the clinical trial referenced above, while memory was increased and biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease were reduced in both groups, only the group given EVOO experienced improved brain vascularity, which refers to the dense network of blood vessels that supply blood, oxygen and glucose to the brain while removing metabolic waste that can lead to dementia. Mary Catherine Frances, a dietitian in Covington, said refined olive oil is good but EVOO is better. “What we’re seeing is that the consumption of olive oil — five to seven teaspoons each day — can improve heart and brain health in many interconnected ways,” she said, “and extra virgin olive oil adds some new and important ways that refined olive oils lack.” Those include increased levels of vitamins E and K. But perhaps most important, Frances said, are polyphenols, which are almost completely stripped away in the production of refined olive oil. Polyphenols are a naturally occurring plant compound that functions as powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents, which can protect cells from oxidative stress and lower the risk of chronic disease. “There are countless

Comparing health benefits According to Kaddoumi, one primary beneﬁt that refined olive oil shares with EVOO is the presence of oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid that supports cardiovascular health, improves blood lipid proﬁles — which can lower your risk of heart disease, stroke and arterial damage — and reduces LDL cholesterol, commonly known as “bad” cholesterol. “Olive oil contributes to a healthy gut microbiome and has a potential to improve insulin sensitivity which helps convert blood sugar into energy,” Kaddoumi said. “It also has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. All of this together has associated olive consumption

tions is very important for us, too. So ask for what you want. Not only in medicine but also in business. In life. The people who get the most out of any encounter are the ones who walk in already knowing what they need and say it clearly at the

start. You have 15 minutes. Use them like they matter. Because they do. Dr. Curtis Chastain is a board-certiﬁed internist practicing at FMOL Health in Baton Rouge.

ting where nobody had ever seen this virus, and nobody has any antibodies formed,” White said. “Therefore, we were proposing, or guessing or at least wondering, that the variable responses we were seeing within people (with COVID) had to be due to their innate immune system and not due to antibodies.” Barham recorded the taste receptors and physical reactions to COVID in nearly 2,000 patients in a 2021 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. In that study, 85.5% of patients who scored low for bitter taste receptors, or nontasters, required inpatient hospital care after contracting COVID. Nontasters were significantly more likely than tasters and supertasters to test positive for COVID, to be hospitalized once infected and to be symptomatic for longer, according to the data collected in Barham’s study. “Our typical care model, at least current, is somebody gets sick,” White said. “They come to see us. We assess

The name Phenomune comes from combining “phenotype” and “immune,” according to White. Phenotype is how genetics are expressed in the outside world in combination with external factors like environment, sleep or stress. “A phenotype is more accurate than your genes,” White said. “We always like to joke that my genes would tell you that I had brown hair, but my phenotypic expression of my hair is that it’s falling out.” When creating the test kits, Barham kept education as the primary goal. He wanted all of the information patients needed to be at their ﬁngertips. “The ultimate goal is that the test itself gives people information, but the app is ultimately the heart what it really is,” Barham said. “Patients can, number one, learn about immunity, learn their current level of expression of these receptors, learn ways that they can improve those. Learn things they may be doing that are hurting those, or vice versa, that they’re actually doing well that they don’t even know about.” Innate immunity is changeable, according to White, and various lifestyle choices like sleep and stress and diet can impact their health. “It’s not a one-size-ﬁts-all approach. I think this is one of those tools that allows a more personalized approach and also preventive tool for a large population of people, which I think can really be meaningful in terms of the

PROVIDED PHOTO

One large difference in the quality of olive oil is in its method of production. ways our body comes under stress each day,” Frances explained, “and when it does it produces these atoms or molecules called ‘free radicals’ that wreak havoc on the body and produce oxidative stress that can cause injury to our cells, systemic inﬂammation and even accelerate aging and disease.” “The polyphenols found in extra virgin olive oil can protect us by helping to stabilize those free radicals.”

butter, lard and tropical oils such as coconut and palm for liquid plant oils such as olive oil. Using even reﬁned olive oil can be a good investment in your health. Refined olive oil is not only a less expensive option compared to EVOO, but it can also be better for cooking due its more neutral ﬂavor and higher smoke point. When EVOO reaches its smoke point between 375 to 410 degrees, its nutritional qualities will break down What to look for and cause a change in taste Guidelines from the and smell. French said there are other American Heart Association recommend swapping tips to look for, as well. “It’s important to undersolid saturated fats found in

overall impact on our health as a state, and but potentially as a country,” White said. “We’d love everybody to have it, but we’d also love for our state to be the leader in this.” Although innate immunity results belong to each patient, at minimum, White says LDH could use unidentiﬁed results to create a heat map of where most at-risk populations are in the state. “LDH is very much focused, laser-focused in on making great, fantastic strides in improving health outcomes,” Griffin said. “The idea is to be more interested in prevention and being proactive, to where we could have our citizens more empowered with knowledge about their immune system and in preventive approaches.” Phenomune is set to release a nasal spray this fall that Barham believes will act as a preventive tool for respiratory infections. “We do things like washing our hands and using sanitizer, but we don’t really do things to the prime site where viruses enter our body,” Barham said. The recommendation is to take the test annually to see how lifestyle changes are impacting innate immunity, although the company has yet to determine a price for the test kits once funding from the state runs dry. Beyond nasal sprays, Phenomune is also looking to integrate into health-tracking devices like wearables, but hope the test, at baseline, opens the door for more conversations with primary care providers. “We are hoping to allow providers or practitioners to see this as another vital sign to incorporate into the initial work-up of where patients are starting from an upper-respiratory perspective,” White said.

stand how to navigate an olive oil label,” he said. “You want to make sure what you’re buying is pure olive oil, because some companies try to mix it with other types of non-olive oil without us noticing.” French also said the olive oil should be protected from light and that it is important to look for the “crush date,” which gives the exact month and year when the olives were milled and pressed into oil. Many grocery store brands don’t include this information on their labels. “You definitely want oil that is within two years of its crush date and you should consume it within six months or so after opening,” he said. “As olive oil gets older, it loses its flavor and all of these nutritional qualities we’ve been talking about. It doesn’t get better with age like wine.” Labels at French’s Old Metairie Olive Oils and Vinegars also include polyphenol count for health-conscious shoppers. Of course, this amount of information and attention to detail can be more expensive. “Companies willing to put this information on their labels do it because they are proud of their product,” French said. “Rather than hide things, we want you to make informed decisions. And we’re able to keep our prices about the same as the grocery stores so you can protect your health and your bank account at the same time.”

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

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

lll

The Times-Picayune F nola.com F Sunday, November 1, 2026 F 3X

Eat Fit Live Fit

Molly Kimball RD, CSSD

B R O U G H T TO YO U BY

Sweet treats to keep on hand

a small serving hits the spot, it’s f your house looks anything a satisfying option to keep in like most on the day after Halloween, there’s the freezer. probably no shortage of sugar Peanut Butter Cups within arm’s reach – and and Cookies we’re just getting started! Two of my favorite Halloween candy rolls straight homemade options are our Eat into Thanksgiving desserts, Fit Salted Dark Chocolate Peanut holiday parties, cookie swaps Butter Cups and ridiculously and what can feel like a simple Three-Ingredient Peanut nonstop parade of sweets Butter Cookies. between now and You may remember these New Year’s. from our previous columns. You I’m a big believer in can also find the recipes in the enjoying the foods that free Eat Fit mobile app. are truly special to us, like that homemade fudge your Cereal, But Make grandma makes once a year. It Dessert-y Odds are, that candy sitting This one may sound a little on the counter doesn’t really strange – especially if you don’t fit into that category, but it use protein powder – but it’s can still be oh-so-tempting become one of my favorite simply because it’s there. Salted Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups recipe nighttime sweet snacks. One strategy that works is featured in our Eat Fit Cookbook I mix vanilla protein powder for me is keeping a handful (lately I’ve been using Just of sweet options around that Ice Cream Ingredients Vanilla Bean protein powder) satisfy a craving without a ton of added Rebel ice cream is my current go-to with just enough lower-carb milk or sugar. They’re not substitutes for the treats zero-sugar ice cream. My favorite flavors milk alternative to make a thick, creamy, you really look forward to; they’re for the are Salted Caramel and Natural Vanilla. protein-rich “milk.” everyday weeknight when you’re craving Unlike many lighter ice creams, Rebel uses Then I mix in a higher-protein cereal. a little something sweet, helping you be real cream and egg yolks, giving it the rich, Man Cereal (yes, this is really the name) is more selective when something you really creamy texture we expect from ice cream. one I love, and Cinnamon is my favorite. love comes along. The flip side is that all that cream can It’s crunchy, sweet, and satisfying, with make it high in saturated fat. So while it considerably more protein and less sugar Chocolate may be zero sugar, portions still matter. If than most traditional cereals. LILY’S Chocolate is a longtime staple for me. Their no-added-sugar chocolate bars and baking chips come in dark, milk and white chocolate varieties, plus Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD, is a registered dietitian with seasonal flavors like peppermint and Ochsner Health and founder of Ochsner’s Eat Fit nonprofit pumpkin spice. initiative. For more wellness content, tune in to Molly’s The baking chips are especially handy podcast, FUELED Wellness + Nutrition, and follow when just a small handful is enough to @MollykimballRD and @EatFitOchsner on social media. satisfy a craving. They also work well Email nutrition@ochsner.org to connect with Molly or stirred into warm oatmeal so they melt a schedule a consult with her team. little, or sprinkled over warmed berries.

Candy

I’m not a big candy person myself, but for those who are, SmartSweets and Shameless Snacks offer gummy candies with significantly less sugar than conventional versions. Depending on the product, they use zero-calorie plant-based sweeteners along with fiber, including prebiotic fiber, to deliver the sweetness and chewy texture with a fraction of the sugar.

Fruit – But Make It More Like Dessert

Fruit deserves a place on this list, with one important caveat: If what you really want is salted dark chocolate peanut butter bark, then biting into an apple probably isn’t going to cut it. But sometimes fruit actually does ﬁt the craving, especially when we give it a little more dessert appeal. Blueberries are one of my favorites, even when fresh berries aren’t in season. Buy them frozen (most have no added sugar), then warm or simply thaw them. As they defrost, they release their juices and become almost syrupy. Mix in a little lower-sugar granola like Catalina Crunch, and you’ve got something closer to a shortcut berry crisp than a plain bowl of fruit.

The Bottom Line

None of these are intended to replace the desserts that matter to us. That’s really the point. When something is special, seasonal and absolutely worth it, enjoy it! And for the everyday sweet craving – or that cookie cake sitting in the break room just because it’s there – having a few alternatives on hand can make it easier to pass on the things you don’t really care about and savor the ones you do.

BY THE NUMBERS

WHAT’S THE RATE OF ENDOMETRIOSIS AND OTHER RELATED CONDITIONS?

Endometriosis affects about 10% of reproductive-age women globally and impacts over 6.5 million women in the United States. But receiving a formal diagnosis takes anywhere from four to 12 years from the onset of symptoms, according to the World Health Organization. Among 20-year-old to 49-year-old American women, 6.2% were ever diagnosed with endometriosis, 8.7% with polycystic ovary syndrome and 7.8% with uterine fibroids between 2022 and 2023, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in July. Endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome and uterine fibroids are among the most common gynecological conditions, according to the CDC, and may cause pain, infertility and other symptoms that can negatively impact women’s health and quality of life. n Endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to the uterine lining develops outside the uterus. n Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS (also known as polyendocrine metabolic ovary syndrome or PMOS), is a condition related to a hormonal imbalance where cysts may develop on the ovaries. n Uterine fibroids are noncancerous growths within or on the wall of the uterus. The National Survey of Family Growth tracks current fertility problems — defined as having either infertility or impaired

Women with fertility issues

Perecentage of U.S women between 20 and 49 with current fertility problems who were diagnosed with gynecologic conditions from 2022 to 2023. 50%

45.2%

40%

33% 30%

20%

25.4% 18.6%

17.1%

19%

10%

ENDOMETRIOSIS

POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

UTERINE FIBROIDS Staff graphic

ability to have children — and use of fertility services for women diagnosed and not diagnosed with each gynecologic condition.

Data released by the CDC builds the connection between these gynecologic conditions and infertility. According to CDC data: n A higher percentage of women diagnosed with endometriosis had current fertility problems, at 33%, compared with women not diagnosed with endometriosis, at 18.6%. n A higher percentage of women diagnosed with PCOS had current fertility problems, at 45.2%, compared with women not diagnosed with PCOS, at 17.1%. n A higher percentage of women diagnosed with uterine fibroids had current fertility problems, at 25.4%, compared with women not diagnosed with uterine fibroids, at 19%. Although endometriosis, PCOS and uterine fibroids are risk factors associated with infertility, they are not always the sole cause of fertility problems. The report is based on data from 4,856 female respondents ages 20 to 49 who were asked if they were ever diagnosed with endometriosis, PCOS or uterine fibroids. The National Survey of Family Growth gathers information on pregnancy and births, marriage and cohabitation, infertility, use of contraception, family life, and general and reproductive health. The survey results are used by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and others to plan health services and health education programs, and to do statistical studies of families, fertility and health.

How patients are navigating the U.S. organ transplant system BY LAURAN NEERGAARD AP medical writer

It’s not always patience and luck that get patients off the organ transplant waiting list and into the operating room. Unlike in many areas of medicine, experts say there’s a lot of variation in the U.S. transplant system. Knowing there are differences and what to ask might help. “I had to ask a lot of questions to figure out what it was that I could do to move the needle,” said Katherine Screws of Phoenix, who got a rare intestine transplant after she decided to get on the waiting list at more than one hospital to increase her chances. It can be difﬁcult to learn how to navigate that search, but there’s publicly available information about which hos-

over 49,000 transplants performed in the U.S last year, more people than ever are getting new organs. It’s mostly thanks to over a decade of increases in donations from the deceased, which are recovered by organ procurement organizations, or OPOs. But more organs are needed to meet the demand, and different transplant hospitals have different criteria for who they’ll accept on their waiting list. Sometimes, “if a patient receives a ‘no’ at one place, they can go somewhere else and be successfully transplanted,” said Dr. Syed Ali Different criteria Husain, a kidney specialist There are about 100,000 at NYU Langone Health. Each transplant program’s people on the U.S. transplant list at any given time, waiting list is linked to a the vast majority of whom national automated matchneed a kidney. With just ing system. OPOs enter

pitals perform the most of each type of transplant, plus their waiting times and outcomes. Long used by experts analyzing the transplant system, the Scientiﬁc Registry of Transplant Recipients, or SRTR, database has new patient-friendly tools developed in the hopes that more would-be transplant recipients will use it. “People are making these really high-stakes decisions without understanding the options,” said Dr. Allyson Hart of Minnesota’s Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute, who helped design the tools.

information about viable organs into that system, which generates lists of possible matches at multiple hospitals in order of priority. When the OPO offers an organ, the transplant team must quickly decide if it’s a good choice for that patient or the offer moves to the hospital with the next-in-line candidate. Some hospitals are more conservative than others about which organs they’ll accept, said Husain, who studies such differences. One large study of kidney transplants found “there’s about a 16-fold variation in how quickly a patient will get transplanted at one center versus another,” he said. That’s partly because some surgeons have more experience than others using kidneys with complex anatomy

such as extra arteries, or those from older, sicker donors that still may be better than dialysis for the right patient.

How to find information Typically, a doctor or other health worker points patients to the nearest hospital offering the kind of transplant they need. But the SRTR database allows people to compare transplant centers around the country in multiple ways. Search for a particular organ and a list of the highestto-lowest-volume centers pops up, with dials to show how they perform on such measures as getting a transplant faster, survival on the waiting list and the new organ’s survival. Click on those of interest for more data. For certain organs, there’s

a “personalized decision guide” to customize the search a little more with demographic and medical information that compares outcomes for patients similar to you. It may be important to know, for example, if hospitals you’re considering perform transplants for a lot of older adults or people with certain chronic illnesses, Hart said. There’s more data about kidneys, the most-transplanted organ, and a kidney decision aid also allows adding factors such as blood type and diabetes that play a particular role in those transplants. That tool shows the chances of getting a transplant in the ﬁrst ﬁve years after joining the waiting list, or the alternatives — still waiting or having died or become too sick to get a transplant.

4X ✦ Sunday, November 1, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

Getting screened is the best gift a sister could give GET SCREENED

Sally C. and Anne E. | Lung Cancer Patients

Getting screened today means peace of mind tomorrow. At Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center, you’ll ﬁnd expert cancer care close to home, backed by leading specialists, advanced technology and a partnership with one of the nation’s top cancer centers. If we ﬁnd something, you won’t have to search for answers – you’re already in the right place, with a team ready to guide you every step of the way. It’s a simple step today that your future self will thank you for. Schedule your screening today at ochsner.org/EndCancer.

Lung Cancer Awareness

Sunday November 1, 2026

CURTIS / by Ray Billingsley

SLYLOCK FOX / by Bob Weber Jr.

GET FUZZY / by Darby Conley

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE / by Chris Browne

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM / by Mike Peters

ZIGGY / by Tom Wilson

SALLY FORTH / by Francesco Marciuliano & Jim Keefe

ZITS / by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE / by Stephan Pastis

wonderword

scrabble grams

word game

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

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

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

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

AnsWers to ALL PuZZLes Are on inside BAcK PAGe

todAY's Word — eMPYreAL: em-piREEL: Celestial or sublime. Average mark 49 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 69 or more words in EMPYREAL?

Sudoku

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

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

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

AnsWers to ALL PuZZLes Are on inside BAcK PAGe

Los angeLes Times sunday Crossword puzzLe — Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis “read THaT BaCK To me” By doug peterson aCross 1 Low voice 6 Out of fizz 10 Zoning measure 14 Expressed disdain 19 Room that often has a slanted ceiling 20 Undoer of Othello 21 Son of Noah 22 Absolut rival 23 Bonk? 25 Considerate 26 March 14 observance 27 Classic record label 28 Repetitive sonata movement 29 Trojan hero in a Virgil epic 31 London art gallery 32 Performer honored with a Billboard Icon Award in 2017 34 Laced? 37 One of Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers 39 Inked body art 42 Monopoly token that replaced the iron 43 Corned beef __ 44 Pacer? 49 “Jingle Bells” transport 53 South Pacific island group 54 Picked out, in a way 55 Los Angeles Philharmonic, e.g. 57 “My turn” 59 Sorceress whose aunt is the sorceress Circe 61 Exploits 62 Invalidated 65 Drab? 68 __-Wan Kenobi 69 Cheer syllable

71 Sticky pine product 72 Padmé’s beloved 73 JFK predecessor 74 Ergo? 77 Precisely correct 79 Egyptian cross 80 __ Hall 81 Princess introduced in season four of “The Crown,” familiarly 84 “So much for that plan” 87 Norway home of the Munch Museum 88 Wreck 92 Carpentry tool 93 Gulp? 97 Shortly, shortly 99 She/__ pronouns 100 Consumed 101 Goes (for) 102 Mined? 108 Once-sacred snakes 110 Within 111 Schoolbook 112 Shelter org. 115 Poetic contraction 118 Move like a crab 120 “Voulez-Vous” pop group 121 Rebut? 123 Nondairy spreads 124 Food plan 125 Pet aisle brand 126 Maker of iComfort mattresses 127 Cozy spots 128 Hearing things 129 Doofus 130 Endless expanse down 1 Commanded, quaintly 2 Particle with an electron cloud 3 Philosophy stressing selfcontrol 4 Title for Idris Elba

5 Earthy colour 6 Literary Huckleberry 7 Cheryl of “Charlie’s Angels” 8 Radiant 9 Digit covered by a sock 10 Sent an invitation for 11 Khaki-colored cloth 12 Extend, in a way 13 Punctuation mark that may signal an abrupt change 14 Minced garlic amt. 15 Repairs with thread, as a torn pocket 16 Classic camera brand 17 Make merry 18 One who may watch how-to videos online, for short 24 Vital artery 29 Take __: rest up 30 Save for later 33 Deep conditioning choice for hair 35 Coffee specification 36 __ of Wight 37 Short missions? 38 Residential community org. 40 Dijon companion 41 Lecture series spinoff 45 Giant firebreathing turtle in Japanese monster films 46 Pt. of IRA 47 The Burghers of Calais sculptor 48 Plant with a trunk 50 “Hmm, strange” 51 “Star Wars” bounty hunter shot by Han Solo 52 Hotfoot it 56 Spanish wine

similar to Champagne 58 “Keep this private” docs 59 Stylike 60 Make a long story short? 62 “You cheated!” 63 Congo River tributary 64 Connect (with) 65 Veal or venison 66 “Toy Story” boy 67 Wasn’t honest with

goren Bridge

70 Church song 71 Fashion designer Oscar de la __ 75 Baseball movie with the line “You’re killing me, Smalls!” 76 __ tube 78 Prepare a movie snack, perhaps 81 Baton Rouge sch. 82 Actress and entrepreneur Jessica 83 “__ thou love

wuzzLes

98 Show off 102 “Matlock” actor Ritter 103 “Ratatouille” rat 104 West Wing staffers 105 Leg bone 106 Live coal 107 Former TV drama set in SoCal 109 Final word 113 Sweet start? 114 Soft “Hey, you!” 116 Tiny bit

117 Big fan, in slang 119 Curvy shape 121 In shape 122 Button for making a voice note, briefly

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

I’d rather have an entry North’s slightly aggressive raise led to a reasonable game contract. South was off a trick in each minor suit so he had to hold his trump losers to one. The best way to do that was to double finesse in hearts. He won the opening spade lead with dummy’s ace and led a heart to his jack and West’s king. South won the spade continuation in hand with the king and had to decide what to do. He could cash the ace of hearts and hope that the queen fell, but that was a poor choice against repeating the heart finesse. The problem was that there was no sure entry to dummy. Before falling back on the heart ace, South tried for an entry with one of dummy’s kings. He tried diamonds first as there was less likelihood of an opponent getting a ruff in that suit. He led the queen of diamonds and overtook it with dummy’s king when West played low. He led a heart to his 10, cashed the ace, and claimed 10 tricks, conceding two tricks to East-West. Had East taken the king of diamonds with the

me?”: Juliet 85 Attitude 86 __ Thing: green DC Comics superhero 87 Other, in Oaxaca 89 Place to buy games 90 Matching group 91 Time sheet abbr. 94 Menacing messages 95 Beneficiary 96 Do some school work?

SUBJECT: HETERONYMS A word that is spelled the same but has a different pronunciation and meaning. What heteronym will go in both blanks? (Example: I ____ to allow you to dump that smelly ____ on my property. Answer: Refuse.) FRESHMAN LEVEL 1. We will ____ the new scoring ____ in our files. Answer________ 2. I must ____ to your bringing that filthy ____ into my house. Answer________ 3. It took him a ____ or two to see it because it was so ____. Answer________ 4. I would have given him his birthday ____ but he was not _____. Answer________ 5. The ____ suddenly ____ out of the tree and snatched a worm. Answer________

ace, South would have regained the lead and tried a low club to the king. Only if East had both minorsuit aces would South have to fall back on trying to drop the queen of hearts. Nicely played! Tannah Hirsch welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, Ny. 14207. E-mail responses may be sent to gorenbridge@ aol.com. © 2026 Tribune Content Agency

ANSWERS TO ALL PUZZLES ARE ON NEXT PAGE

GRADUATE LEVEL 6. The plumber said the ____ in the pipes could ____ to health problems. Answer________ 7. I had to ____ my car in

the ____ when it broke down. Answer________ 8. She had to ____ up the garden hose when the ____ began to howl. Answer________ 9. He will ____ and lock the door if the rioters get ____ to his house. Answer________ 10. The little girl with a ____ in her hair will ____ when she meets the queen. Answer________ PH.D. LEVEL 11. The audience was completely ____ with the ____ of the speaker’s presentation. Answer________ 12. I can’t ____ your lateness if your only ____ is that you lost track of time. Answer________ 13. You may need to ____ the ____ to a series of tests to evaluate it. Answer________ 14. The nurse ____ the bandage around the ____. Answer________ 15. The wind continued to ____ the beach, forcing us to move the afternoon ____ indoors. Answer________

zodiaC SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Relax; time is on your side. Refuse to let someone’s enthusiasm trigger you to make a premature decision. Choices tied to your emotions will compromise you financially. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Changes at home that give you greater options to fulfill your dreams will lift your spirits and help you find innovative ways to bring in extra cash or do something that satisfies your soul. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Adjust your plans to fit your budget, and you’ll feel good about what unfolds. A position that interests you isn’t

likely to be as described. Before you sign up for something, ask specific questions. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Build momentum before you press forward. Know what you want and what you are willing to give up. There will always be trade-offs and decisions to make, and looking out for everyone’s best interest will help you. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Change may be your target, but making the right move is more important than doing so instantaneously. Give yourself a break; take time to relax and mull over your options.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Put yourself in the driver’s seat, and power up your plans to meet your demands. It’s time to venture out, try something new, engage in conversations and find out what’s available. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Say what’s on your mind. Refuse to let anyone speak for you. Problems at home and when dealing with competitive people will set you back if you give others the upper hand. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) A domestic change favors you. Do your best to clear a space that offers comfort and productivity and makes you feel good about yourself, your life

and the direction you are heading. CANCER (June 21-July 22) Reroute your plans, and spend time with people who can offer options that are less taxing financially but offer insight into something that has the potential to be just as engaging. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Getting along with others will give you the advantage. If you listen to what transpires and observe how others react, you’ll gain insight into how to appease others to get what matters most to you. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Don’t initiate or force change. Bide your

time, figure out what you want and need, pay attention to detail and consider your timeline. Networking events will shed light on what’s possible. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Don’t limit what you can do. If change is something you desire, find a way to satisfy your needs. Discipline and innovative ideas can help you find a means to an end. The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

dustin / by Steve Kelley & Jeff Parker

Answers to puzzles super quiz 1. Record. 2. Object. 3. Minute. 4. Present. 5. Dove. 6. Lead. 7. Desert. 8. Wind. 9. Close. 10. Bow. 11. Content. 12. Excuse. 13. Subject. 14. Wound. 15. Buffet.

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

Cryptoquote Answer Saturday's Cryptoquote: Was deciding if I should dress as Batman or Spider-Man for Halloween, when I realized I'm a grown man. So, Batman. — Stephen Colbert

word GAme Answer earl early eery male maple mare marl marly meal mealy mere merely pale paler palm palmar palmy pare parley

payee payer peal pear pearl pearly peel peer perm play player plea pram pray prey pyre yare year yelp

yelper rale ramp real realm ream reap reel relay rely remap repay repeal repel replay reply aery alee ampere

ample aper army lame lamer lamp layer leap leer leery leper lyre

sudoKu Answer jumble Answer

Crossword Answers

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

sCrAbble Answers

FoXtrot / by Bill Amend

wuzzles Answers

Ken Ken Answers

hidAto Answers