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Work begins on ammonia plant

SpaceX plans for La. operation ambitious

Blue Point One facility in Ascension expected to be ready in 2029 BY ANNAKATE FREELAND Staff writer

Dirt has officially been turned on what CF Industries says will be the next generation of fertilizer production — a $3.7 billion ammonia plant designed to expand the nation’s domestic fertilizer supply while capturing the vast majority of its carbon emissions. Ofﬁcials gathered Wednesday morning to break ground on CF Industries’ Blue Point One facility at the RiverPlex Mega Park, about nine miles up the river from its existing plant, which is the world’s largest ammonia and nitrogen production facility. The new project will use autothermal reforming and carbon capture and sequestration technology to produce lowcarbon ammonia. It is expected to be operational in 2029. “Today, we stand on the ground of the next generation of nitrogen manufacturing,” said Chris Bohn, president STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

ä See AMMONIA, page 7A

Guests watch a video announcing the planned SpaceX Starbase Louisiana facility at an event Tuesday in Abbeville.

Experts say spaceport’s success depends on many factors BY ALEX LUBBEN

Staff writer

SpaceX’s plan to build what it calls the world’s largest spaceport on Louisiana’s coast is stunning in its ambition, but questions remain over the timeline, potential litigation, permitting and whether Elon Musk can achieve his lofty goals. If Musk accomplishes what he has set out to do, the new spaceport along an eroding stretch of coastline in Vermilion Parish will represent one of the largest and fastest expansions of space launch capacity in the history of spaceﬂight. In his announcement on Tuesday, he said the site will launch 30 rockets a

“What they say they want to do, they usually end up doing. It usually takes them a lot longer than they say, but they eventually do it. I wouldn’t bet against it.” JONATHAN MCDOWELL, astrophysicist who retired from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics day — as busy as a commercial airport. But while Musk has set a goal for the ﬁrst launch to take place in 2029, close watchers of the aerospace industry said that they anticipate the project will take longer to develop.

“What they say they want to do, they usually end up doing,” said Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist who retired from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and tracks the commercial aerospace industry. “It usually takes them a lot longer than they say, but they eventually do it. I wouldn’t bet against it.” Gov. Jeff Landry and Musk laid out the plans for the new site this week. SpaceX paid $100 million to buy 125,000 acres from the state — land that had been donated by ExxonMobil as part of a settlement in coastal litigation that accused the company of polluting

ä See SPACEX, page 8A

PHOTO By PATRICK DENNIS

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony for CF’s new $4 billion facility in Donaldsonville on Wednesday.

Meta settles lawsuit over social media addiction for $18 billion Murrill says deal will mean more meaningful protections for kids BY BARBARA ORTUTAY, KELVIN CHAN and KAITLYN HUAMANI

Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. — Meta agreed Wednesday to pay up to $18 billion and add stronger child-safety measures to its Facebook and Ins-

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tagram platforms as part of a landmark legal settlement that ended a trial over teen social media addiction and settled claims ﬁled by nearly every state. The settlement resolved a pivotal case years in the making that sought to hold the tech giant accountable for the role its platforms

If approved by the court, the deal will stop an avalanche of litigation by states against Meta, played in undermining children’s although the company still faces mental health. The effort targeted lawsuits from individuals and features designed to hook young school districts throughout the people’s attention. U.S. For the states, the settlement The agreement “institutes real delivers money for mental-health change, real transparency, real programs for kids, including afterprotections for children and teens school or summer activities and across the country,” California At- digital literacy counselors. Advocates cheered the new protorney General Rob Bonta said.

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

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tections, including default time limits and the disabling of features such as “like” counts. But “we cannot truly protect all children and teens until these protections are required on every platform and are permanent — that’s something only Congress can do,” said Sacha Haworth, executive director of The Tech

ä See META, page 7A

102ND yEAR, NO. 58

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Student killed after he went to wrong house

A 22-year-old college student killed by Pennsylvania police responding to a possible burglary had just realized he was at the wrong home and was waiting for friends to come get him when he was shot, his father said Wednesday. Police in Upper Pottsgrove Township, northwest of Philadelphia, responded around 12:30 a.m. Sunday to a 911 call about a possible break-in attempt, according to the Montgomery County district attorney’s office. The office said in a statement that police found Glenwood Pysher IV at the rear of the home and ultimately shot and killed him. Pysher’s father, Glen Pysher, said his son and his friends had visited several bars earlier in the evening and were splitting up to spend the night in two homes when his son took a wrong turn in the woods. Based on what he has been told by his son’s friends, Pysher believes his son mistakenly tried to enter what he thought was his friend’s house. He wasn’t carrying any weapons, just a phone and backpack containing clothing and a few beers, he said. “He tried to open the doorknob and obviously startled the homeowner,” he said. “From what we understand, he announced, ‘Hey! Open the door!’ because he thought he was at his friend’s house.” Pysher then sat down on the back porch and contacted his friends, who realized he was in the wrong place and started to go find him. But minutes later, they saw police and emergency vehicles and figured their friend would be arrested for public drunkenness. Instead, he was shot. A Montgomery County Department of Public Safety dispatch record shows police were dispatched at 12:30 a.m. and arrived at 12:34 a.m. Upper Pottsgrove Township Police Chief Al Werner declined to release any information, including the names of any officers involved in the shooting, until the investigation is complete. The Montgomery County Detective Bureau is investigating the shooting, the district attorney’s office said.

Secret Service officials placed on leave Three U.S. Secret Service officials were placed on administrative leave Tuesday, pending the outcome of an investigation by the agency’s professional standards office. The three were operating in non-law-enforcement capacities and were being investigated for potential misconduct, the agency’s public information office reported. However, the cause for the action remained unclear as the Office of Professional Responsibility was beginning its review. The Secret Service has been under scrutiny as President Donald Trump has been the subject of at least three assassination plots in the past two years. In April, police said an armed man breached security at the Washington Hilton during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, which Trump was attending. The Secret Service has also found itself in the spotlight after other recent incidents.

Cousin of 10-year-old pleads guilty to her killing MADISON, WIS. — The cousin of a 10-year-old Wisconsin girl killed in 2022 pleaded guilty to ﬁrstdegree intentional homicide on Wednesday and was sentenced to life in prison. Lily Peters was riding her bike home from her aunt’s house in Chippewa Falls on April 24, 2022, when Carson Peters-Berger persuaded her to leave a trail and explore the surrounding woods with him, according to the criminal complaint. The girl’s body was discovered the next day. An autopsy determined she had been beaten, strangled and sexually assaulted. Peters-Berger, now 18, was 14 at the time of the killing. He was arrested the day after Peters’ body was found. Chippewa County Judge Steven Gibbs accepted his guilty plea on Wednesday and sentenced him to life in prison.

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Disaster declared for Puerto Rico

from the tree because of a More than 33% of territory under extreme drought, 30% severe green lack of water.

BY DÁNICA COTO

Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The U.S. government announced a drought disaster on Wednesday for more than two dozen cities and towns in Puerto Rico as water woes deepen across the U.S. Caribbean territory, with no relief in sight. More than 33% of Puerto Rico is under extreme drought, and another 30% under a severe drought. July was the driest month on record for San Juan in more than 120 years and the second hottest for the island’s capital. Gov. Jenniffer González said she had formally requested the declaration from the U.S. Department of Agriculture more than two weeks ago. “From the very beginning, we made clear the needs of our farmers,” she said. The declaration covers 26 of

Puerto Rico’s 78 municipalities, including Cabo Rojo, Ponce, Yauco, Aibonito and Lares. The disaster declaration allows farmers and agricultural producers in those regions to access emergency loans. “This is an important step,” Puerto Rico Agriculture Secretary Irving Rodríguez said. “We urge all producers affected by the drought to document their losses.” Naia Seda is among the farmers anxious to apply for ﬁnancial help. She has a 15-acre farm on which she cultivates avocados, plantains, lemons, cassava and other crops. It hasn’t rained since April. Her farm, which she has cultivated since 2009, is crisscrossed with cracks several feet deep. “I’ve never seen something like this on my farm,” she said. Seda lamented how her crops are shriveling and fruits are dropping to the ground before they’ve ripened

because of the unrelenting heat. The irrigation canal that her farm and 300 others in the southwestern municipality of Lajas depend on used to supply water as requested. Seda received that supply three times a week. In June, ofﬁcials limited the amount to once a week. The persistent dry conditions have forced many farmers to halt production as early as May, said Fello Pérez, a Puerto Rico-based technical assistance provider for RAFI, a North Carolina-based nonproﬁt that serves small- to midscale farmers in the U.S. Southeast, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Pérez said in a phone interview that Puerto Rican farmers who work in hydroponics and grow vegetables in soil are among the most affected. Those who cultivate fruits, including coffee, cacao, plantains, and bananas, have seen them fall

“The harvest was ahead of schedule,” he said. Those who breed animals are also affected because they haven’t been able to feed livestock. In a bid to make money, they were selling young bulls at rock-bottom prices, but no one was buying them because of the ongoing drought, Pérez said. Farmers have been losing money since May. One was forced to resume work as a mechanic to make ends meet, he said. Puerto Rico’s governor had declared a state of emergency in late July because of the persistent dry conditions and activated the National Guard to transport, distribute, and purify water. In early August, she announced water rationing measures in certain neighborhoods of San Juan and six other cities. More than 180,000 customers are without water for 48 hours at a time as part of a rotating schedule.

Judge denies Minn. bid to extradite ICE officer from Texas BY VALERIE GONZALEZ

Associated Press

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By NIRANJAN SHRESTHA

Rescuers use an earthmover to carry a victim of flash flooding to safety along the Trishuli River in Nepal’s Nuwakot district on Wednesday.

Hundreds missing after floods in Nepal, China At least 160 killed by surging waters BY NIRANJAN SHRESTHA and SIBI ARASU Associated Press

UDIN DHUNGA, Nepal — Massive flash floods in a border area of Nepal and China on Wednesday killed at least 160 people and left hundreds of tourists, workers and others missing after sweeping through communities and bringing travel in some areas to a halt. Experts said an avalanche from a glacier was the likely cause in the warming Himalaya region. Police in Nepal reported at least 157 dead. China’s state broadcaster CCTV reported at least three dead and 265 missing in the Tibet region’s Gyirong County near the border. Drone footage showed roads destroyed and buildings buried by thundering water the color of wet cement. State news agency Xinhua reported significant casualties. The region’s steep valleys are economic lifelines and travel corridors but precarious ones when disaster strikes. Images showed what appeared to be the second floors of buildings in Nepal’s hard-hit Nuwakot district slathered in mud after the torrent rushed by. Debris hung from tree branches and wires, vehicles were buried and some stunned survivors were caked in mud. There was little time for anyone to flee. “When I reached Dhunge bazaar, in half an hour, the flood came and damaged all the market. People were preparing to go to office then,” resident Shoyam Rajbhandari said. “How many people are

missing or dead, we don’t know.” Officials in Nepal said 403 people, including 341 foreign nationals, were reported missing. Sunil Sharma, a tourism board spokesperson, said 133 were from India on pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a sacred site for Hindus. Also missing were 47 from the United States, 34 from Australia, 33 from Britain and 24 from Canada, he said. The State Department said it was aware of Americans affected. At least 62 missing Nepali citizens were among hundreds of locals trekking in the Gosaikunda Lake area in hard-hit Rasuwa district bordering Tibet’s Gyirong, coinciding with the local festival of Janai Purnima on Friday, Sharma said. Though the current monsoon season is less favorable for trekking in Nepal, it’s a major season for Kailash trekking, which follows the route in Nepal’s Rasuwa district. Nepal police spokesperson Abi Narayan Kafle told The Associated Press at least 28 police officials were missing. Officials warned residents in several districts to stay away from the banks of the Trishuli, Bhotekoshi and Narayani rivers. At least 19 bridges and nearly 25 miles of road were swept away. The Bhotekoshi flooded around 9 a.m. Wednesday, destroying several villages and hydropower projects, officials said. “We have asked both India and China to help us with the rescue efforts,” said government spokesperson Sasmit Pokharel. The U.S. Geological Survey first reported a magnitude 4.4 earthquake early Wednesday, about 41 miles north of Kathmandu, near the border. The USGS later updated to call the shaking a 5.2 magnitude landslide.

Pro-Russian hackers claim cyberattack on Norway’s public digital services By The Associated Press OSLO, Norway — A proRussian hacker group on Wednesday claimed responsibility for a cyberattack that has affected multiple Norwegian government digital services over the past three days. The cyberattack has been ongoing since Monday, said Are Kvistad, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Digitalization Agency (Digdir), the state body in charge of making

Norway’s public services more digital and userfriendly, told The Associated Press. “It’s the biggest attack against Digdir solutions that we have ever experienced,” Kvistad said. The denial-of-service attacks meant that hackers pushed massive traffic toward the agency in order to block services, including one that enables citizens to use one login across multiple public services.

However, the Digdir spokesman said that the agency managed to keep the services running “practically all the time.” In a Telegram post on Wednesday widely reported by Norwegian media, the pro-Russian hacker group Server Killers claimed responsibility for the attack and said it had declared cyber war on Norway after the country renewed its security cooperation with Ukraine on Aug. 23.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas — A federal judge on Wednesday refused to order Texas to extradite an Immigration and Customs Enforcement ofﬁcer charged with shooting a man and lying about it during the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis. U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. wrote in an order that he couldn’t prevent a county sheriff from releasing Christian Castro or order Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to sign his extradition warrant. The Cameron County sheriff said he would release Castro at midnight. Castro is charged in Minnesota with assault and falsely reporting a crime in the Jan. 14 shooting of 24-year-old Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis. Castro is accused of ﬁring a gun through the front door of a Minneapolis home, shooting Sosa-Celis in the leg. Prosecutors say

Castro also falsely accused Sosa-Celis and another man of attacking an ICE ofﬁcer with a broom handle and a snow shovel. After a Minnesota judge issued a nationwide warrant for Castro’s arrest in May, authorities, including Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, arrested Castro in Cameron County on May 29. Minnesota authorities have sought his extradition since his arrest, but he remains in custody in Brownsville, Texas, a city bordering Mexico. Under Texas law and barring extradition, Castro must be released after 90 days of detention, which is Thursday. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison ﬁled a request for a temporary restraining order last week seeking to block Castro’s release or to order his return to Minnesota. Texas attorneys on Tuesday argued the judge could not rule on a decision that’s still pending.

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Judge suspends Iconic character actor Tim Curry dies charges against Star of ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show,’ ‘Spamalot’ was 80

BY MARK KENNEDY

AP entertainment writer Tim Curry, a character actor who created a gallery of delicious, very loony villains for stage and screen, including Dr. Frank-N-Furter in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and the smug concierge in “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” has died. He was 80. Curry, who suffered a stroke in 2012 that put him in a wheelchair, died Tuesday night at his home in Los Angeles, according to his longtime manager and friend Marcia Hurwitz. No cause was disclosed. Known for his arch humor, a puttylike face and gift with voices, Curry earned three Tony nominations — for “Spamalot,” “My Favorite Year” and “Amadeus” — and a Primetime Emmy nod in 1994. “I like playing the more curious corners of the human mind and human behavior, partly because they’re a tad more interesting,” Curry told The Associated Press in 1993. Curry burst onto the scene as the Transylvanian Frank-N-Furter in the sci-fi, cross-dressing rock musical “The Rocky Horror Show,” which premiered in 1973 at the Royal Court Theatre in London. He went with it to Broadway and then starred in the 1975 cult-classic movie alongside Barry Bostwick, Meat Loaf and Susan Sarandon. The show was ahead of its time in terms of its representation of LGBTQ+ characters and has entered the pop culture lexicon for its many iconic and memorable scenes, including the song “The Time Warp,” which has been covered by handfuls of artists, and the often-quoted phrase, “Dammit, Janet!” The show was twice revived on Broadway, most recently in 2026 with Luke Evans playing Frank-N-Furter. “He was a force, a bright fierce flame, an exquisite charm and that rich vocal tone,” Evans wrote on Instagram. “I hope, wherever you are, you’d approve of one more Frank having the time of his life in those heels.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By TINA FINEBERG

Tim Curry, center, appears with cast members from nominated Broadway productions at the 2005 Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New york on June 5, 2005. Curry played King Arthur.

Curry’s take on Frank-N-Furter Curry’s Frank-N-Furter had a posh British accent, but that almost wasn’t the case. He said he tried German and American accents but pivoted after he heard a British woman on a bus talking with her friend. “I met a woman on a bus who said, ‘Do you have a house in town or a house in the country’ and I thought, ‘That’s the voice!’ ” he told LA Magazine in 2015. For many years after the film’s premiere, the British-born actor declined to discuss it. He didn’t participate in activities promoting the film, which morphed into an interactive event at midnight shows. But he later warmed again to the project and embraced it at public events. Asked by LA Magazine how he viewed “Rocky Horror,” he responded: “With a sort of bemused tolerance. It’s neither a blessing nor a curse. I was lucky to get it.” Curry’s Broadway career included starring in Tom Stoppard’s “Travesties” in 1975-76, playing Mozart opposite Ian McKellen’s Antonio Salieri in Peter Shaffer’s “Amadeus” and King Arthur in the 2005 production of “Spamalot.” The New York Times said his “stalwart, plummy-voiced Arthur wears a smile as inflexible as armor.” He also played Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol,” at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in 2001. His screen credits included star-

ring as the child-killing monster in the 1990 miniseries version of Stephen King’s horror novel “It,” as a medical ofﬁcer in “The Hunt for Red October” in 1990 and the double-dealing Cardinal Richelieu in 1993’s “The Three Musketeers” with Kiefer Sutherland, Charlie Sheen and Chris O’Donnell. “Tim Curry was someone I cared deeply about, he was someone I loved working with and I am so lucky to have these memories,” Sutherland said in a statement. In his 2025 memoir, “Vagabond,” Curry warned readers that while there were scraps of his nature in his characters, he was none of them. “The distinctions between who I really am and who I’ve pretended to be as an actor have proven to be a source of great disappointment to some audiences. It has not caused me much personal distress beyond the periodic necessity to deter stalkers,” he wrote.

Life and career began in England Born in Cheshire, England, Curry was the son of a Navy chaplain and a school secretary. He was 12 when his father died and his mother subsequently went to work. Young Tim learned to cook his own breakfast, resulting in a lifelong passion for cooking, and sharpened his humor muscles. “My father was a Methodist chaplain in the Navy, and we moved pretty much every 18 months,” he said. “So I had to make my mark in new

schools and new playgrounds pretty quickly. And a sense of humor is the best way to do that. I was always a kind of mimic, one of those awful, relentless children, I should think.” Acting did not occur to him until his middle teens, when he attended a school for the sons of Methodist ministers. “I was lucky that it was a liberal kind of school; many of them in England are rather Dickensian,” he recalled to the AP. “There was a lot of theater, and I sang, too; I had been singing in church from the age of 7. I had enormous opportunities to express myself in that way. I just got hooked, really.” His training continued in 1965 when he entered the University of Birmingham, at that time one of three English universities with a drama department. “I took an academic course, which I largely ignored, I’m afraid, and just acted all the time,” he said. He then went down to London and talked his way into his first job, “Hair,” in the West End. Curry went on to the more formalized theater of the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Court Theatre, where he was enlisted for “The Rocky Horror Show.”

Other roles He went on to futilely try to stop Macaulay Culkin’s Kevin McCallister from taking advantage of New York’s swanky Plaza Hotel in “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.” Curry also was Wadsworth, the unhinged butler with a secret past, in the quotable “Clue.” He played a wealthy philanthropist in 1995’s “Congo” and a baddie opposite Carol Burnett in the movie “Annie.” “Nobody could play lovable villains better than he could,” Burnett wrote on Instagram. “He was a dear friend. I was blessed to know him.” In later years, Curry lent his baritone voice to many voice-acting roles in children’s TV series, including “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” “The Wild Thornberrys” and “The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius.” He won a Daytime Emmy in 1991 for voicing Captain Hook in “Peter Pan and the Pirates” and earned a Grammy nomination in 2002 for the audiobook of the ﬁrst “Lemony Snicket” novel, “A Series of Unfortunate Events.”

ex-Marine

Former soldier arrested on Trump’s golf course with ammunition BY SAFIYAH RIDDLE Associated Press

TORRANCE, Calif. — A judge on Wednesday suspended criminal charges against a former U.S. Marine arrested at President Donald Trump’s Los Angeles-area golf course with ammunition and a gun in his vehicle. He is undergoing a psychiatric evaluation. Los Angeles County Judge John Lonergan Jr. sent Jeanine John Taele, 38, to a mental health court in Hollywood based on statements he made in a pretrial evaluation indicating he wasn’t mentally fit to stand trial. In the evaluation, Taele falsely insisted he had been a State Department official for 14 years. When Taele was arrested earlier this month, he was seen wearing an earpiece and taking pictures of the golf course where Trump was scheduled to attend a Republican National Committee dinner. The event was at Trump National Golf Course Los Angeles in Rancho Palos Verdes, just south of LA. A search of his pickup truck in the golf course parking lot at the time turned up a loaded 9 mm pistol, binoculars and a badge that read “security protection agent,” according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles. Lonergan expressed particular concern over the 200 pages of Taele’s writings that investigators found following his arrest. The writings included schedules for first lady Melania Trump and members of the president’s Secret Service, as well as detailed lists for surviving “off the grid.” The judge did not say whether the writings included any specific political motives or ideologies. “This case itself is alarming in this day and age with the violence that is creeping into our everyday lives, especially with our partisanship in the political environment” ahead of the midterms, Lonergan said.

Kremlin says CIA director Learn more. Laugh more. held talks with counterparts Live more. Details of Moscow discussions have not been revealed

By The Associated Press The Kremlin said Wednesday that CIA Director John Ratcliffe held talks in Moscow with his intelligence counterparts, a rare and secretive visit at a time when relations with Washington remain strained over Russia’s war in Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Ratcliffe did not meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was informed of the contacts that were “on the intelligence agencies’ level.” “Of course, President Putin is immediately informed of everything,” Peskov added, refusing to say what was discussed. Russian state news agencies reported that a U.S. military plane landed in Moscow’s Vnukovo airport on Tuesday and departed later that day. U.S. President Donald Trump played down the significance of Ratcliffe’s trip, saying it was “sort of semiroutine.” “I hate to disappoint people,” he said on conservative broadcaster Glenn Beck’s radio show Wednesday. A senior Ukrainian official told The Associated Press that Washington informed Kyiv a delegation would be traveling to the Russian capital and asked it to suspend strikes until it left. The official said the request did not apply to all Russian territory, but specifically to Moscow, St. Petersburg and some northern regions. Strikes on other parts of Russia continued, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to talk publicly. CBS News first reported

REUTERS FILE PHOTO By NATHAN HOWARD

President Donald Trump, left, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe speak as they depart a cabinet meeting at Camp David, near Thurmont, Md., on July 31. on the visit.

Relations in ‘profound crisis’ Peskov said that “contacts between intelligence agencies are, in and of themselves, a positive phenomenon, a positive process,” but he stressed that Russia-U.S. relations remain in a “profound crisis.” He added that it was “too early to say” what impact Ratcliffe’s visit would have on the ties between the two countries. Andrei Soldatov, an expert on Russia’s security services, told AP that visits like the one by Ratcliffe do not “happen every year.” Official channels of communication between Moscow and Washington have been kept alive since the 1980s and exist so both sides can talk if American or Russian lives are in danger or for other reasons, Soldatov said. In 2021, Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of Putin’s Security Council, met CIA Director William Burns in Moscow months before Russian forces invaded Ukraine. Burns later met Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russia’s foreign intelligence agency, in Turkey in November 2022 to warn Russia not to deploy a nuclear weapon

in Ukraine. Details of Tuesday’s discussions have not been revealed but such meetings normally take place only when there is a matter of pressing national security and when it is in “American national interests,” Soldatov said. Russia-U.S. relations sank to Cold War lows after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but appeared to warm after Trump returned to ofﬁce. He had promised to end the war swiftly, holding multiple phone calls with Putin and even hosting him in Alaska a year ago. In his radio appearance Wednesday, Trump repeated that he wants to see the Russia-Ukraine war end. Efforts to negotiate a peace deal have largely stalled, with U.S. attention turning to its war with Iran and both Moscow and Kyiv stepping up their long-range attacks on each other. Putin has rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s push for an immediate ceaseﬁre, arguing that Russia wants a comprehensive settlement, not a temporary truce. Russia has proposed to mediate in the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran, Moscow’s important ally in the Middle East.

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4A ■ Thursday,August 27, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

CLASSIFIEDS continued from Public Notices Nat Res Coastal

WBR Public Notices

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WBR Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

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PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE the Louisiana De‐ partment of Conserva‐ tion and Energy, Ofﬁce of Permitting and Compli‐ ance (OPC) has received the following applica‐ tion(s) for a Coastal Use Permit (CUP) in accor‐ dance with La. R.S. 49:214.21 et seq., and the rules of the Coastal Man‐ agement Program. Appli‐ cations for coastal use permits may be in‐ spected at 617 North 3rd Street, Room 1078, Baton Rouge, LA or on the OPC https:// webpage at: www.dce.louisiana.gov/ page/coastalmanagement-publicnotices. Copies are avail‐ able, costs apply. Written comments are solicited from the public and must be received within 25 days of the date of this notice. Comments must be uploaded directly to our electronic record through the OPC web‐ page or mailed to: OPC Administrator, Kyle Balkum, P.O. Box 44487, Baton Rouge, LA 708044487. All comments must contain the appropriate b d h

pp p CUP number and the commenter's full name and contact information. Below are the referenced application(s): ************ CUP NUM‐ BER: P20260408 Name: St. Tammany Parish Govern‐ ment c/o Coastal Envi‐ ronments, Inc. 1260 MAIN STREET BATON ROUGE, LA 70802 Attn: Jennifer Spencer Location: Liv‐ ingston, Saint Mary, Saint Tammany, Tangipahoa Parishes, LA; Lat.: 30-2440.34N, Long.: 90-933.66W (see plats for ad‐ ditional project coordi‐ nates); Description: Pro‐ posed project will re‐ move thirty-four (34) abandoned derelict ves‐ sels from St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, St. Mary, and Livingston Parish by using a crane mounted on extraction barge with vessels being ﬂoated offsite by tug-boat or loaded onto a barge and hauled offsite to be prop‐ erly disposed in an up‐ land, non-wetland loca‐ tion. No excavation or ﬁll required. 198802 Aug. 27, 1t $22.34

WBR Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE --OFFICIAL PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE – RE-ZONING THE TOWN OF BRUSLY, LOUISIANA ORDINANCE NO. 6 OF 2026 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to LA R.S. 33:4724 and 33:4726 to all citizens and all other in‐ terested persons that the Town of Brusly Zoning Commission has held and the Town Council of the Town of Brusly will hold Public Hearings to obtain views regarding the following re-zoning request:

Request: Re-Zoning From C-1 (Light Commercial) To R-4 (Multifamily Residential) Property Address: 102 N. LaBauve Avenue, Brusly Property Owners: Kyle Paul Thibodeaux, Ryan Clifton Fabre, Brad K. Fabre

A PUBLIC HEARING was held by the Town of Brusly Zoning Commis‐ sion relative to the rezoning request. Date: WEDNESDAY, Au‐ gust 26, 2026 Time: 6:30 P.M. A PUBLIC HEARING will be held by the Brusly Town Council relative to the re-zoning request. Date: MONDAY, Septem‐ ber 14, 2026 Time: 6:30 P.M. All hearings will be con‐ ducted in the Council Chambers of the Brusly Town Hall, 601 South Vaughan Drive, Brusly, Louisiana. The proposed re-zoning application is available for inspection at Town Hall during regular ofﬁce hours.

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WBR NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING: CONDEMNA‐ TION Pursuant to Parish Code Chapter 109-42 “Derelict Structures”, the follow‐ ing properties have been condemned by the Parish President. Address: 12429 SECTION RD. PORT ALLEN LA 70767 (File #26-0039) Owner: ORA LEE DAVIS Legal Description: LOT IN NE/4 SEC 24 T6S R10E MEAS 75' X 210' TAKEN FROM THE PROP OF M MATTHEWS JR 7C-6CB87 E159 A PUBLIC HEARING will be held by the West Baton Rouge PARISH COUNCIL to ratify the condemnation order. The owner of the structure may appeal the decision of the Parish President by appearing at this meeting of the PARISH COUNCIL to show cause why the structure should not be condemned. Date: Thursday, Septem‐ ber 10, 2026 Time: 5:30pm Public hearings will be held at the West Baton

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WBR Public Notices Sheriff Sales

y p ber 10, 2026 Time: 5:30pm Public hearings will be held at the West Baton Rouge Parish Govern‐ mental Building, 880 N. Alexander, Port Allen, LA 70767.

p Rouge Courthouse, 850 8th Street, Port Allen, Louisiana on WEDNES‐ DAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2026 at 10:00 A.M., the follow‐ ing described property, to wit:

g p dress of 4640 Viola Farms Drive, Addis, LA 70710

195159-AUG 27-SEP 10 $223

ONE (1) CERTAIN PIECE OR PORTION OF GROUND, together with all the buildings and improve‐ ments thereon, and all of the rights, ways, privi‐ leges, servitudes, appur‐ tenances and advan‐ tages thereunto belong‐ ing or in anywise apper‐ taining, situated in the Parish of West Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, in that subdi‐ vision known as Sugar Mill Plantation, 13th Fil‐ ing, Phase 2, and desig‐ nated on the official plan thereof, on file and of record in the Office of the Clerk and Recorder of the Parish of West Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, as Lot Number Seven Hundred EightyOne (781), said subdivi‐ sion, said lot having such measurements and di‐ mensions and being sub‐ ject to such servitudes as are more particularly describe on said subdivi‐ sion map.

WBR Public Notices Sheriff Sales

SHERIFF’S SALE STANDARD MORTGAGE CORPORATION VS. DANA MICHELLE WILLIAMS DOCKET NO: 50514 18TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT WEST BATON ROUGE PARISH STATE OF LOUISIANA By virtue of a Writ of Seizure and Sale, di‐ rected by the Honorable The Eighteenth Judicial District Court, for the Parish of West Baton Rouge, in the above enti‐ tled and numbered cause, I have seized and proceed to sell by public auction, on the front steps of the West Baton h

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Judge removes Trump mail voting order hurdle Administration can move forward with U.S. Postal Service rule

BY NICHOLAS RICCARDI and LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press

A federal judge on Wednesday lifted a major obstacle to President Donald Trump’s executive order limiting mail voting, even as Democratic state officials filed a new court challenge with the midterm elections fast approaching. The fresh round of legal wrangling comes just two days after the Supreme Court handed down a procedural ruling in Trump’s favor, and could mean the issue lands before the high court again before the pivotal contests for control of Congress. The first mailed ballots are set to be sent out next week. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston agreed to lift an order prohibiting the U.S. Postal Service from carrying out Trump’s order for November’s elections. She wrote that she was “compelled” to do so after the Supreme Court’s conservative majority ruled that a similar injunction she granted in a separate case was premature. Talwani nevertheless said the executive order could unleash “chaos” and referred to it as “likely

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By WILLIAM LIANG

A worker sorts ballots at the L.A. County Ballot Processing Center during the California primary election on June 2 in City of Industry, Calif. A U.S. district judge has lifted an order prohibiting the U.S. Postal Service from carrying out President Donald Trump’s executive order limiting mail voting.

trolled states against the U.S. Postal Service, marked a new phase in the high-stakes litigation. It came after the Supreme Court ruled against them in a separate case, but did not say Trump’s order was legal. The high court majority found the initial Democratic lawsuit was premature, but that was before the A new chapter Republican administration issued The new lawsuit, ﬁled by about a rule governing Postal Service two dozen Democratically con- delivery of mail ballots.

unconstitutional.” The administration can now move forward and implement a Postal Service rule published late Friday. It would require states to follow a uniform envelope style for mail ballots and to give the Postal Service a list of voters eligible to receive them.

Election officials warn it will be impossible to implement before the first wave of mail ballots are sent out next week. “Across the country, states are already deep into preparations for the 2026 elections. Now, at the last moment, the federal government is attempting to meddle in those preparations and potentially threaten countless Americans’ right to vote,” New York Attorney General Letitia James, one of 25 Democratic attorneys general filing the lawsuit, said in a statement. “USPS has no authority to decide who can and cannot vote by mail.” The Trump administration plan faces a third lawsuit originally filed in May in the nation’s capital, though courts there have so far declined to block it. All previous challenges were filed before the administration published its mail ballot rule Friday night. White House spokesperson Lauren Bis on Wednesday said the Postal Service’s proposals were “commonsense measures that protect the security of mail-in ballots” and that the administration would continue to work to implement them to boost “the safety and security of our elections.” The Postal Service said it would not comment because of the pending lawsuit. National Democrats on Tuesday

cited the rule in asking the federal judge in the Washington case to block Trump’s order after he declined to do so last spring, saying the administration at the time had not taken concrete action. In Boston, Talwani also found that the administration had violated a separate injunction she had placed on the Postal Service in drafting the new rule, although she did not take any action against the government. The League of Women Voters originally ﬁled that lawsuit, and on Wednesday they also asked for a new court order blocking the mail voting plan.

On Trump’s radar Trump has long targeted mail voting, which he falsely blames for his 2020 election loss and is disproportionately used by Democrats as a result of Trump’s condemnations. Since returning to power, Trump has tried to claim authority over election rules, saying he thinks Republicans should “take over” vote counting in Democratic areas. He issued his ﬁrst election executive order just months after retaking ofﬁce, attempting to require documentary proof of citizenship to vote, among other changes. He has also been pushing a sweeping election bill that has stalled in the Senate amid opposition from Democrats and even some within his own party.

Testimony concludes in Lindsay Clancy murder trial

Reddington also asked Jury to hear closing Massachusetts, in January tions about Clancy’s ac- in the home without her day, he said. 2023. “Committing the act is not Saathoff about Clancy’s atcount: Did the voice tell her husband, it was important, arguments Thursday Prosecutors say Clancy where to kill the children? in order to carry this out, as curative of the voice,” Saa- tempts to search online for

BY LEAH WILLINGHAM Associated Press

Testimony concluded Wednesday in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, a mother accused of strangling her three young children in a case that has drawn attention to postpartum mental health. Closing arguments are expected to begin Thursday, before the jury begins deliberating. Clancy, 36, has pleaded not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility, with her lawyers arguing she was experiencing postpartum psychosis when she killed 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan Clancy at the family’s home in coastal Duxbury,

planned the killings and understood her actions were wrong. Clancy did not testify during the trial, which is in its ﬁfth week. The defense called 10 witnesses, including some of Clancy’s friends and relatives, while prosecutors called more than 70 witnesses, including her thenhusband. Testifying as the final rebuttal witness for the prosecution, a forensic psychiatrist at the University of Virginia and a senior psychiatrist for the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit said Wednesday that he did not believe Clancy’s account that a voice ordered her to kill the children. Prosecutor Jennifer Sprague asked Dr. Gregory Saathoff a series of ques-

How to kill them? What to use? In what order? Saathoff answered no each time. “Having no instructions as to how to do it, but being able to execute those decisions … that is surprising that she’s able to accomplish all of this without any other kind of direction or plan,” he said. All three children were strangled with exercise bands in the family’s basement before Clancy tried to kill herself while her husband was getting takeout and at a pharmacy on Jan. 24, 2023. Saathoff said her ability to accomplish everything she did without direction indicated Clancy “had control, control of the sequence of what she was doing throughout.” “In the small amount of time that Miss Clancy had

Palestinians walk past a foodaid warehouse damaged in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a nearby house in Deir alBalah, central Gaza Strip, on Wednesday.

well as her suicide, to do this quickly, methodically, and alike,” he said. On Tuesday, Saathoff said he found it unusual that Clancy said the voice stopped once she was done strangling the children, that the voice was constant rather than intermittent and that she never previously reported hearing a voice to her medical providers. She also gave a different timeline to other evaluators about when she ﬁrst heard the voice that

thoff said of the voice stopping abruptly. “I’ve not ever seen that.” Defense attorney Kevin Reddington began his crossexamination of Saathoff on Wednesday by trying to cast doubt on Saathoff’s expertise in postpartum psychosis and portray him as someone closely aligned with law enforcement, questioning him about his work with prisons, the Justice Department and the Virginia attorney general’s ofﬁce.

information about postpartum depression, her visits to multiple maternal and mental health providers, disclosures to her mother and then-husband that she was suicidal and feared that she would harm her children, and calls to a suicide hotline — all attempts that Reddington contended establish Clancy realized something was seriously wrong and made a sincere effort over time to get help.

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Leader in Gaza ceasefire efforts issued warning

BY EDITH M. LEDERER

Associated Press

UNITED NATiONS — The official in charge of President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan for Gaza criticized Israel on Wednesday for its attacks on the war-battered Palestinian territory and warned that the alternative to the U.S. proposal is the next war. Nikolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace high representative, insisted to the U.N. Security Council that Trump’s 20-point plan has not stalled and “has moved from the negotiating table to the engineering table.” The militant group Hamas has agreed to the proposal’s key provision to disarm and turn Gaza over to civilian rule, he said. But Israel’s ongoing strikes since last October’s ceasefire are still killing Palestinians — though much fewer — and Gazans can’t feel that the conflict is

ending, he said. “After three years of war and 20 years of military operations, I ask, will another strike on a munitions depot stop Hamas from rearming or tightening its grip on Gaza?” Mladenov said. “It will not. It only delays the demilitarization that would happen” and obstructs the transfer to a civilian government. A recent U.S. deal with Hamas to disarm was seen as a potential breakthrough to end the war, which was sparked by the militant group’s deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in southern Israel. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his forces won’t withdraw from their current lines in Gaza until Hamas has handed over all its weapons. Mladenov said that at a meeting he took part in last week with Netanyahu and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and adviser, “we went through his government’s concerns one by one and narrowed the areas that still require technical work.” Israel’s deputy U.N. ambassador, Noa Furman, reit-

erated to the Security Council his country’s commitment to Trump’s plan, but stressed that it can’t succeed while Hamas remains armed. He said Israel is working closely with the U.S. to achieve Hamas’ disarmament. The U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Mike Waltz, said concerns about Trump’s plan are being addressed and Hamas’ disarmament will be judged on its actions. Mladenov warned of the distance between the roadmap and what’s happening on the ground, and said if war resumes, there won’t be a roadmap to return to or anything left on the ground to rebuild. “That would not be a setback,” he said. “it would be a point of no return for everyone.” Mladenov stressed the need for political will to overcome the differences and said there is a choice to be made: “A Gaza disarmed, rebuilt and reconnected to the world. Or a Gaza rearmed, divided and in rubble, with a radicalized generation raised inside it and the next war already on the horizon.”

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6A ■ Thursday,August 27, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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General Mills ditches cereals’ artificial colors

General Mills said Wednesday it has removed artificial colors from all its U.S. cereals, including Lucky Charms and Trix. The Minneapolis company has shifted to fruit- and vegetablebased dyes as well as colors derived from spices like turmeric and paprika to give its cereals their customary bright colors. General Mills said 90% of its U.S. retail products are now free of artificial dyes. Products that still contain artificial colors, like some Betty Crocker cake mixes and Fruit Roll-Ups, will transition to natural dyes by the end of 2027, the company said. WK Kellogg, which makes Froot Loops and Apple Jacks, said earlier this month that it will remove artificial colors from all its U.S. cereals by the end of this year. Health advocates have long called for the removal of artificial dyes from foods, citing studies indicating they can cause neurobehavioral problems, including hyperactivity and attention issues, in some children, though the findings have been mixed. Retailers are also forcing companies to act. Earlier this year, Target said it would stop selling cereals that contain artificial colors by the end of May. Walmart has also said it will remove artificial colors from its store brands by January 2027.

FDA approves landmark pancreatic cancer drug WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved a groundbreaking new drug for advanced pancreatic cancer, offering U.S. patients a more effective treatment against one of the deadliest types of cancer. FDA ofﬁcials gave expedited approval to the ﬁrst-of-a-kind pill, called daraxonrasib, which blocks a mutated protein that fuels tumor growth in more than 90% of pancreatic cancer cases. It’s an approach that previously eluded drugmakers for decades. The daily pills will be sold by Revolution Medicines under the brand name Rasonque. Patients taking the drug nearly doubled their survival time, with fewer severe side effects, in a study that randomly assigned them to receive the experimental treatment or more chemotherapy. The companyfunded study enrolled 500 patients whose metastatic, or spreading, cancer had quit responding to prior treatment. Patients getting the new treatment lived for a median of 13.2 months compared with 6.7 months for chemotherapy recipients. Side effects included skin rash, mouth sores, diarrhea and other digestive issues. “This is not a cure, it’s one more option for these patients,” said Dr. Pashtoon Kasi of City of Hope Orange County, a California-based cancer center. “But it’s the best option we’ve ever had.” The new drug targets mutations in the RAS gene family that normally regulates cell growth. What are known as KRAS mutations are especially critical in fueling pancreatic cancer. But a structure that made it hard for drugs to stick to the mutated proteins meant this cancer driver was long considered “undruggable.”

Uber adds parental monitoring of teens Parents and guardians can now access live video of their teens as they take an Uber. The San Francisco ride-hailing company has added the new feature to its teen accounts program, designed to ensure safety and transparency when younger riders are traveling alone. The video will be recorded using the driver’s front-facing phone camera, which offers a view of the backseat. The driver needs to have video enabled for the livestream to be available. Only the teen’s parent or guardian will have access to the video, Uber said, and it will not be available to view after the trip ends.

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Army to spend $2B on nuclear microreactors BY JENNIFER McDERMOTT and MATTHEW DALY Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army announced Wednesday that it plans to add nuclear microreactors at five military bases as a reliable source of energy independent of the commercial electric grid. The announcement comes as the Trump administration pushes hard to develop the next generation of nuclear power, including billions in loans for large nuclear reactors to meet skyrocketing power demand from data centers and a pilot program to boost advanced reactor designs and projects for military and civilian use. No nuclear microreactors are supplying

power to the commercial electric grid in the United States today. Five companies selected by the Army will be awarded up to $2.2 billion in total over ﬁve years to own, construct and operate the microreactors, if they hit set milestones along the way for their performance. Army and industry ofﬁcials say microreactors offer a resilient power source for critical infrastructure at military installations in case the grid fails. Reactors can run for years without refueling. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said the awards will accelerate the military’s ability “to deliver safe, reliable baseload power directly to our installations. We are building the energy resilience necessary

to project combat power globally, without relying on potentially vulnerable external grids,” he said. The grants are part of the Army’s “Janus Program” launched last year to deliver next-generation nuclear energy. Officials hope to push nuclear development forward so that advanced reactor designs move beyond experiments and prototypes to provide power for years to come. This will be the “spear tip,” said Jeff Waksman, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment. Critics of building more nuclear reactors say they’re too expensive and riskier than other energy sources. Waksman said these reactors will shut down safely in case

of a failure, they’re small and the Army wouldn’t add them to installations without being certain they are safe. He said the Army is working on a deal with the Energy Department to remove radioactive waste, and there won’t be any longterm storage on these installations. Ofﬁcials know that delivering nuclear power to a military base will be a challenge, so they picked ﬁve companies in case one or more fail, Waksman said. The selected companies are: Antares Nuclear at Fort Bragg in North Carolina; BWXT at Fort Campbell in Kentucky; General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems at Fort Hood in Texas; Radiant Industries at Fort Benning in Georgia; and Westinghouse Government Services at Fort Drum in New York.

U.S., Canada deeply intertwined on trade despite Trump comment U.S. president says country does not need its neighbor

BY ROB GILLIES Associated Press

TORONTO — U.S. President Donald Trump says his country does not need Canada. But every day, roughly 4 million barrels of Canadian crude oil flow south, helping fuel American cars, trucks and airplanes and supply U.S. industry. And oil is only the beginning. Canada also supplies aluminum, potash to U.S. farms and parts for an auto industry built on both sides of the border. “WE DON’T NEED CANADA, THEY NEED US!” Trump posted this week, repeating his long-running claim. Yet Trump has imposed a 50% tariff on Canadian aluminum while acknowledging this week that the United States badly needs the CANADIAN PRESS PHOTO By JACQUES BOISSINOT metal. “This country desperately needs aluminum,” Trump said. “We don’t have it. We Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, center, speaks at the Davie shipyard in Levis, Quebec, get it all from Canada for the most part, and on Monday. Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and we need it badly.” The contradiction underscores how deeply Procurement, left; Quebec Premier Christine Frechette, second from right; and Quebec the two economies remain intertwined — Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy and Minister Responsible for Maritime Strategy and how much could be at stake if Trump’s Bernard Drainville look on. trade war reaches more of the energy, maEnergy more than accounted for last rejected the approach, saying his province terials and supply chains that the U.S. still year’s $48.3 billion goods deficit. Without “cannot and will not support” export tariffs relies on Canada to provide. energy, the United States would have run a on resources. Moe said Saskatchewan is on Canada fuels American industry trade surplus. track to supply about half the world’s potash After trade talks collapsed last Friday, the and warned that taxing exports could cost Canada is the United States’ second-largest trading partner after Mexico and energy is U.S. imposed 50% tariffs on about $20 bil- Canadian jobs, raise fertilizer prices on both at the heart of that relationship. lion worth of Canadian goods. The measures sides of the border and push U.S. buyers toThe two countries exchanged about $872 cover only about 5% of Canadian exports to ward suppliers such as Belarus. billion in goods and services last year. Ca- the United States and exclude energy. “This would be a tremendously flawed polinadian crude imports equal nearly 20% of cy on behalf of Canadians,” Moe said. total U.S. petroleum consumption, according Energy exports considered as leverage Trump’s ambassador has disputed the idea to the U.S. Energy Information AdministraFor now, using oil as a weapon in trade that the United States needs nothing from its negotiations remains a remote possibility. neighbor. tion, part of the Department of Energy. “America has a tremendous amount of Daniel Béland, a political-science profes- Alberta Premier Danielle Smith opposes resor at McGill University, said Trump’s claim stricting energy exports, arguing that doing things where we have a need,” Ambassador Pete Hoekstra said in June. Pointing to Canathat the United States does not need Canada so would hurt her province. is “absolutely false,” citing U.S. reliance on But former Alberta Premier Jason Kenney dian fertilizer supplies, he added: “We need Canadian oil and natural gas and deeply in- said Canada should not rule out export taxes potash.” on oil, fuel or potash if Trump escalates furtegrated industries such as autos. Much of Canada’s crude flows to Midwest ther. Such retaliation “would affect Repub- Cars go back and forth in production refineries built to process its heavy oil into licans who drive F-150s and lay fertilizer on Then there are cars. Canada and the Unitgasoline, diesel and jet fuel. their farm fields,” Kenney said. ed States have built an integrated auto indusEnergy also explains much of the U.S. trade “They should be mindful that if they really try in which parts can cross the border up to deficit with Canada, which Trump frequently want to escalate, it will not end well for the six times before final assembly, according to cites as evidence of an unfair relationship. American economy two months before mid- the Canadian government. The White House this week portrayed the term elections,” he said. Trump said Monday that his administrarelationship in starkly negative terms, sayOntario Premier Doug Ford cited Canadian tion would impose 50% tariffs on Canadian ing Canada had taken roughly $50 billion a commodities as leverage, accusing Trump cars, trucks and auto parts starting Jan. 1 — year from the United States over the past of “putting out fake news” about the United after the November midterm elections. That means a tariff aimed at Canada can decade. Much of that gap reflects U.S. pur- States not needing Canada. He called potash chases of Canadian energy, which helps pow- used by U.S. farmers “one of the most pow- land in Michigan or Ohio. Tax Canadian aluer the U.S. economy. And Canada’s heavy erful tools we have” and said Washington minum and an American automaker may crude typically trades at a discount to U.S. would have to turn to suppliers such as Rus- pay more for metal. Tax Canadian parts and benchmark oil, according to the U.S. Energy sia if Canada redirected shipments. the cost of assembling an American vehicle Information Administration. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe strongly can rise.

Inflation gauge remains elevated during Iran conﬂict, trade fights Many Americans are still struggling with higher costs BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer

WASHINGTON — An inflation measure closely watched by the Federal Reserve stayed elevated last month in the latest sign that many Americans are still struggling with higher costs. Stubbornly high prices are shaping up to be a key issue in the midterm elections, now just 10 weeks away, particularly as the Iran war keeps gas prices high, President Donald Trump is threatening new

tariffs on Canada and China, and spending on AI infrastructure has pushed up the cost of computers, gaming consoles, and semiconductors. Inflation remained high in July even as gas prices fell, partly because the cost of services, including health care, utilities, and financial services, jumped. The Commerce Department’s Wednesday report showed that prices rose 3.7% in July compared with a year earlier, the same as June. Inflation has worsened since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in late February, when it stood at 2.9%. It’s noticeably above the Fed’s target of 2%. Wednesday’s figures are from the personal consumption expendi-

tures price index, a separate gauge from the more widely followed consumer price index, which was reported earlier this month. The PCE index is running hotter than the CPI, partly because it puts much less weight on rental costs, which have been cooling steadily in recent months. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core inﬂation was also unchanged at 3.3% in July. It had fallen to 2.6% before President Donald Trump imposed sweeping tariffs in April 2025. On a monthly basis, overall prices rose 0.2% from June to July, after declining 0.1% the previous month and jumping 0.5% in May. Core prices also moved up 0.2% from June to July, up from 0.1% in

the previous month. Many economists have noted that the PCE index has been pushed higher by the way it calculates the cost of ﬁnancial advice, as well as how it measures prices for software and computer accessories. At the same time, the PCE also likely captures some business-related spending on software, even though it should only focus on consumer spending, analysts say. As a result, the Commerce Department has said it plans to adjust those measurements, among others, starting next month. Economists, who largely agree with the changes, forecast that they will reduce annual PCE inﬂation by 0.2 percentage point or so.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Thursday, August 27, 2026 ■ 7A

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AMMONIA

The project is a joint venture between CF Industries, JERA Co. and Mitsui & Co. JERA Co. is Japan’s largest power generation company and a major global energy provider involved in fuel procurement, electricity generation, and wholesale gas and power. Mitsui & Co. is a major Japanese general trading and investment company. CF Industries owns a 40% share, equal to 560,000 metric tons of ammonia, which could support up to 6.7 million acres of corn production to produce 1.2 billion bushels of corn in the United States. JERA Co. and Mitsui & Co. hold 35% and 25% shares in the joint venture.

Continued from page 1A and CEO of CF Industries. “This facility is built to serve people. It will grow access to reliable domestic nitrogen supply for American farmers to feed this world.” The project comes as federal and state ofﬁcials have placed renewed emphasis on increasing domestic fertilizer production and reducing the nation’s reliance on imported fertilizer. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said Wednesday that the U.S. currently imports roughly 50% of the 20 million tons of fertilizer used each year. Ammonia is a key building block of nitrogen fertilizer. Increasing domestic ammonia production could give American farmers greater access to fertilizer produced in the U.S., reducing the country’s reliance on imports. “If we lose the ability to feed and fuel ourselves as a nation, we will no longer know freedom,” Rollins said. Rollins noted that the permitting process lasted only about 45 days, crediting the speed to the Trump administration. “The president has activated not just me on this issue, but our entire Cabinet, and this is a top priority

META

Continued from page 1A Oversight Project. The settlement will be paid out over 10 years. California will get the largest sum of at least $1.5 billion, but several other states will still collect hundreds of millions of dollars each over the decade. The settlement “will put an end to these dangerous practices and deliver meaningful relief that will protect children from online harm,” Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones said. Meta said in a blog post that it was “building on our longstanding efforts to empower parents and support teens.” “Ensuring teens have a safe and productive experience on our platforms is an absolute imperative for Meta,” the company said. “We want to get this right for parents and teens, and that’s why we partnered with state attorneys general to set a new industry standard.” The company urged competitors TikTok and YouTube to adopt similar safety measures. The $18 billion settlement is a fraction of Meta’s 2025 revenue of $201 billion. Meta shares closed up about 1% Wednesday, although they rose as much as 4% during the day. The agreement cuts short an ongoing court case involving California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey, which were among 29 states that sued Meta in 2023. The federal trial kicked off last week in Oakland, California, where Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg had been among the witnesses expected to take the stand. The lawsuit accused Meta of contributing to the youth mental health crisis by deliberately designing fea-

Carbon capture Blue Point One is expected to capture, compress and dehydrate approximately 2.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, a byproduct of most ammonia production. PHOTO By PATRICK DENNIS Blue Point One is intended to U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, R-Baton Rouge, speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony for CF’s new $4 billion have the lowest environmental impact. More than 95% of the fafacility in Donaldsonville on Wednesday. Blue Point Complex is a multibillion-dollar low-carbon blue ammonia cility’s carbon dioxide emissions production facility under development in Ascension Parish by CF Industries and international partners. will be captured and permanently stored underground rather than to make fertilizer more afford- groundbreaking represents,” she nomic Development announced CF released into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide captured anIndustries’ decision to go forward able and more available for our said. with the project, ﬁrst proposed in nually at Blue Point One will be nation’s farmers, both today with 2022. It is estimated to create 3,900 transported and permanently sesome short-term steps we’re tak- Joint venture ing but most importantly for the In April 2025, Gov. Jeff Landry construction jobs over four years questered by carbon capture comlong term, which is what today’s and ofﬁcials from Louisiana Eco- and 103 permanent full-time jobs. pany 1PointFive.

tures that addict children to its platforms and hiding them from the public. The case also argued that Meta violated federal laws by routinely collecting data on children under 13 without their parents’ consent. The cases in other states had been expected to go to trial later, but are now resolved. The settlement covers 48 states, as well as Washington, D.C., and some U.S. territories. The only two states to be excluded are New Mexico, which went to trial in its case against Meta and won earlier this year, and Florida, where the attorney general said the settlement was not tough enough on Meta. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier wrote on X that the “payouts are peanuts compared to the profound harms Meta’s profitdriven addictive features inflicted on kids.” Louisiana was one of the plaintiff states in the lawsuit. “This is the largest consumer protection settlement for the state of Louisiana outside of the big tobacco settlement from the 1990s,” Attorney General Liz Murrill said Wednesday. Murill said the lawsuit asserted unfair and deceptive trade practice claims “that go specifically to how Meta’s algorithms worked and how they were targeting youth.” She said the settlement will result in “some very meaningful protections for kids” as well as a substantial payout. The first payment Louisiana gets will be about $17 million, out of a total of roughly $180 million coming to the state over 9 years. Murill said most of those funds must be put toward “remediation” for harms caused by Meta’s “addictive applications.” She said she wants that money to be put toward law enforcement efforts combatting child sex

predators online, educating parents and children about online safety including social media addiction, and mental health treatment and research. Under the proposed settlement, Meta agreed to adopt a series of safety features, including two-hour daily time limits that can only be disabled with a parent’s permission and pauses for children using Instagram and Facebook. The company will eliminate push notiﬁcations during weekday school hours and bring in “robust” ageassurance measures and “age-appropriate” content controls to prevent bullying and harmful material about eating disorders and selfharm. There will be stronger and more user-friendly parental controls and limits on social comparison features such as “like” counts. An independent auditor will assess how Meta is implementing the safety features and how effective they are. The company said 30% of the settlement amount — about $5.3 billion — will be released to states only if rivals YouTube and TikTok meet two conditions: implementing similar safety features, including a one-hour daily time limit, a nighttime block and age-assurance measures; and paying the same amount, split between the two companies. Neither YouTube owner Google nor TikTok responded to requests for comments. Meta ofﬁcials declined to comment on whether they had conversations with their competitors about those conditions, but said they intentionally designed the agreement with the states to incentivize the rest of the industry to follow suit. Some of the safety measures Meta will implement,

like disabling cosmetic surgery and extreme makeup ﬁlters, made sense regardless of whether competing platforms do the same, Meta said. Other features, like the overnight block, will function better if they are established across the board, the company said. If industry peers sign on to the agreement, Meta will implement stronger defaults for teens’ daily time limit and the length of time for “night mode.” The federal lawsuit was the result of an investigation led by a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Tennessee and Vermont. It followed newspaper reports, first by The Wall Street Journal in 2021, that found the company

knew about the harm Instagram can cause teenagers — especially teen girls — when it comes to mental health and body image issues. Meta has since added a host of safety features to Instagram, including separate accounts for teenagers with stronger protections around messaging and privacy, along with content restrictions. But child-safety advocates and experts, along with some former Meta employees, have long contended that the features are little more than window dressing. Arturo Béjar, a former Meta engineering director who testiﬁed last week in the Oakland trial, called the settlement a “signiﬁcant milestone” but warned that it should not be interpreted as an “all clear” sign that Instagram is now safe for

children. “The agreement has a big problem in that it allows Meta to define harm,” Béjar said in an interview. He urged the court to address that “because it’s one thing to say, ‘Yeah, you only get like two hours of alcohol or two hours of cigarettes a day,’ but it’s still as bad for you because of what’s getting delivered.” Parents and advocates celebrated the settlement as a moment of accountability for Meta. Victoria Hinks, mother of Alexandra “Owl” Hinks, who died by suicide at age 16, said she was satisﬁed with the terms “as long as they enforce it properly.” “It felt like today finally something was done,” she said outside the Oakland courthouse. “I feel like justice is possible.”

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8A ■ Thursday,August 27, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

SPACEX

Continued from page 1A wetlands and contributing to land loss. Musk said he intends to spend $100 billion to turn the site into a spaceport. The project will bring at least 3,000 permanent jobs, possibly as many as 10,000, to the region, according to SpaceX’s president and COO Gwynne Shotwell. The company said it intends to break ground in 2027. Landry compared the deal to the Louisiana Purchase in his remarks on Tuesday. “In 1803, Louisiana gave America a continent,” he said. “Today, Louisiana and SpaceX will give America the stars.” If it achieves what it sets out to do, it will be the busiest, if perhaps not the largest, spaceport in the world. “In terms of the number of launches per day, there’s no question,” McDowell said. He noted that by area, the Russia-operated Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan covers far more ground, and that other spaceports have had more active launchpads operating in the past.

‘Launching a skyscraper’ The Vermilion site solves a problem for SpaceX, giving the company a launch pathway over the Gulf to put satellites into a northsouth orbit. That’s the orbit the company needs for some of the government satellites it transports, as well as for orbital data centers, which SpaceX has been promoting to provide computing power for artificial intelligence from space. The launch site would give SpaceX “what they desperately needed and didn’t have,” McDowell said. And the country’s two busiest spaceports, at Cape Canaveral in Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, are running out of room. The site also has easy access to natural gas, which is necessary for rocket fuel, and has access to canals

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justiﬁes it.

What SpaceX’s Louisiana spaceport could look like

The regulatory process

Gov. Jeff Landry announced plans for Elon Musk's commercial aerospace company to build a massive spaceport in Louisiana. The project could reshape the coastline in lower Vermilion Parish. ROCKET SPECS: SpaceX’s Starship is the world’s most powerful rocket. Both of its rocket stages, the Super Heavy booster and the Starship spacecraft, are fully reusable. It is 400 feet tall.

FACILITIES: In Texas, SpaceX built a rocket assembly facility, called Starfactory, about a mile from the launchpad.

Lafayette area of Louisiana is about 50 miles inland

WHAT WE KNOW: SpaceX says it will invest $100 billion to build a spaceport in coastal Louisiana.

Five or more launchpads may be built.

LAUNCH PAD AREA: Launching Starship requires specially designed launchpads capable of handling the powerful rocket.

Rocket launches have an impact on the environment. Explosions and debris can damage fragile habitats.

The Gulf

The project is expected to create 3,000 permanent jobs over 10 years. Elon Musk said he wants to launch 30 rockets per day from the site.

Sources: SpaceX, staff research

that can be used to transport heavy equipment. But one limiting factor that could slow the project down: SpaceX’s largest rocket, which it calls Starship, is not operational yet. The rocket is a 400-foot-tall behemoth that is designed to carry over 100 tons of payload into orbit. “You can’t just look at Starship as just a rocket,” Kimberly Siversen Burke, director of governmental affairs with Quilty Space, a Florida firm that provides data and financial consulting services to aerospace and defense companies. “It’s

Staff graphic by DAN SWENSON

like you’re launching a skyscraper.” She called it “an engineering marvel.” SpaceX has conducted 13 test ﬂights so far, with another one planned for next month. Until the rocket is up and running, SpaceX can’t launch orbital data centers or a new version of its Starlink satellites into space, which beam internet access down to Earth. “There’s ‘space time’ and there’s ‘Elon time,’ ” Burke said. “You have to add the Elon factor to any timeline he gives you.” Musk is known for mak-

ing overambitious pronouncements. In 2011, he said he hoped to put humans on Mars within 10 to 20 years. To McDowell, 30 launches a day, or nearly 11,000 a year, may be one such claim. The company performed a record number of launches of its workhorse rocket, the Falcon 9, last year: 170. “I’m still very skeptical they can do three Starship launches a day from the same pad,” McDowell said. “They’re a long way off from showing they can do that.” McDowell also questioned

Burke also doubts that the first Starship launch from Louisiana’s spaceport will happen on schedule in 2029. “Will they start construction in ’27? I think that’s going to come down to where all of the litigation falls,” she said, referring to anticipated environmental lawsuits over the project. But President Donald Trump’s administration and the Louisiana Legislature have moved to limit how much litigation SpaceX could face. The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed a rule change that would waive 13 federal environmental laws for commercial aerospace development, and Trump issued a memo last week promoting new launch sites. The Legislature passed a package aimed at courting SpaceX, including a law limiting citizens’ ability to sue space companies. Some locals and environmental groups are already beginning to mobilize to slow that rollback. “We need the process of permitting that the federal government offers,” said Rebecca Triche, executive director of the Louisiana Wildlife Federation. Her group submitted comments on the rule change, opposing it. McDowell recognizes the need for additional launch capacity and understands the demand that SpaceX is trying to address. But the lack of regulation and SpaceX’s cornering of the aerospace industry — the company did nearly 10 times as many launches as its closest competitor — makes him uneasy. “It’s a good capability for the nation and the world to have,” he said, “modulated by the concern of all of that power going to this one company, and the lack of regulation around it.”

whether there would be enough satellites to fill all those rockets. It is not yet clear whether SpaceX and other companies can build satellites fast enough to justify that many launches. “In the next decade, I ﬁnd it hard to believe that the satellite production capacity, and the amount of money going in, will support payloads for 30 launches a day,” he said. He expects a slower buildup. The company might start with two pads, grow to Email Alex Lubben at ﬁve, and reach 10 “maybe 10 alex.lubben@theadvocate. years from now,” if demand com.

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T h u r s d ay, au g u s T 27, 2026

1BN

River Center naming rights renewed Site’s revamp will begin soon

BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER

Staff writer

STAFF PHOTOS By PEARL SPURLOCK

The Board of Regents approves an anti-hazing policy during a meeting at the Claiborne Building on Wednesday. Urania Wilson had advocated for the strengthened policy on behalf of her son, Caleb Wilson.

La. strengthens anti-hazing policy

The Raising Cane’s River Center will keep its name for at least another year, while interim management is set to take over operations soon and ofﬁcials prepare to begin the facility’s redevelopment. The East Baton Rouge Metro Council approved a one-year extension Wednesday for the naming rights with Raising Cane’s and ASM Global/Legends Global, which will pay $418,500 for the facility’s branding. In tandem with the re-up, the council also approved the temporary takeover of the River Center’s management by Visit Baton Rouge along with an agreement with tourism guru Christopher “Butch” Spyridon who will consult on the upcoming redevelopment project. At a news conference earlier this month, Mayor-President Sid Edwards

Move made in honor of Caleb Wilson

ä See RENEWED, page 2B

ST. GEORGE

Mayor negotiating rideshare contract

BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer

Louisiana’s higher education board strengthened the antihazing policy for college campuses across the state Wednesday, including a requirement that any organization connected to a hazing incident that leads to a student’s death be permanently banished. “It’s really hard because we don’t want to see another child’s life taken or even hurt for that matter,” Caleb Wilson’s mother, Urania Wilson, said to the board. “I know Louisiana can be the leader for the country in this bill, and I just want to thank you all.” The Board of Regents amended its uniform anti-hazing policy to incorporate the Caleb Wilson Hazing Prevention Act, passed by the Legislature this spring. Wilson, 20, was a Southern University student who died in an alleged fraternity hazing ritual in February 2025. He had been pledging the Omega Psi Phi fraternity chapter at Southern, his parents said. As part of the ritual, pledges were said to have been lined up to receive punches from fraternity brothers, police said. Wilson was reportedly hit four times before seizing and collapsing to the ﬂoor. In the wake of Wilson’s death, ﬁve men were indicted

City Council would control budget

Urania Wilson attends a Board of Regents meeting on Wednesday where the board approved an anti-hazing policy that Wilson had advocated for on behalf of her son, Caleb Wilson, a Southern University student who died in an alleged fraternity hazing ritual in 2025. on various charges connected to the incident, including one charged with manslaughter. The state established the Caleb Wilson Hazing Prevention Task Force in 2025 to evaluate the effectiveness of Louisiana’s anti-hazing law and how institutions can prevent and respond to incidents. In May, Gov. Jeff Landry signed the Caleb Wilson Hazing Prevention Act into law. The new law, now adopted into the Board of Regents policy, updated reporting and education requirements at the institutional level. Schools must work closely with law enforcement following a credible tip regarding a

hazing incident and provide an online reporting system that allows people to submit anonymous reports of suspected hazing. Student organizations must complete at least two hours of hazing prevention training each year. In addition, schools are required to maintain a webpage that informs the public which organizations are facing disciplinary sanctions and why they have been sanctioned. The policy also mandates that an incident leading to a student’s death results in the permanent banishment of the organization. The Board of Regents on Wednesday recognized Urania

Wilson for working to change how the state addresses hazing. “We know it’s tough, but we want to thank you for continuing to be an advocate,” board member Darren Mire said. Commissioner of Higher Education Kim Hunter Reed said Urania Wilson was a “steadfast champion” for the bill in honor of her son. “She’s been here every step of the way,” Reed said. “Showing up is hard, but it is necessary. When we see her, it reminds us of a higher calling to protect students.” Email Haley Miller at haley.miller@theadvocate. com.

BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD

Staff writer

The city of St. George is making progress in implementing its discounted Uber ride proposal after the City Council approved a measure that allows the mayor to begin negotiating the rideshare program agreement. At Tuesday’s meeting, the City Council approved a resolution for Mayor Dustin Yates to finalize an agreement Yates with Uber for its “St. George On the Go Rideshare Pilot Program.” The council would have to approve any funding for the program. The proposed initiative would last at least one year, provide discounted citywide rides and capture data to inform the city about where residents

ä See RIDESHARE, page 2B

Dunn asks Baton Rouge judge to throw out grand jury indictment Arguments similar to those used by Cole BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER Staff writer

Baton Rouge Metro Council member Cleve Dunn Jr. is asking a judge to throw out his January grand jury indictment brought by Attorney General Liz Murrill, using arguments similar to those

that his former colleague As of Wednesday mornLaMont Cole made last ing, a motion by Dunn week. had not yet been filed in In a statement Tuesday, the court record, but his Dunn’s lawyers, state attorneys’ comments are Rep. Edmond Jordan and broadly similar to those Harry Daniels, argued made in Cole’s filing last that only District Attorney Friday that challenged the Hillar Moore is authorized Dunn validity of the grand jury’s to bring the case unless proceeding and ensuing certain strict conditions are met, charges. which they contend were not sat“The Constitution says the elected District Attorney brings these isﬁed.

cases — not the attorney general — unless the law is followed to the letter. That didn’t happen here,” Jordan and Daniels wrote in the statement. In response to Cole’s motion to quash Friday, Moore said the grand jury was properly formed and evidence was appropriately presented. “We do not ﬁnd any irregularities in the selection or formation of the grand jury, or any action taken by

the grand jury that’s contrary to any law or statute,” Moore said. “My ofﬁce did not participate in the investigations.” A co-defendant in Dunn’s case, Jay Colar, also filed a motion to quash Wednesday, arguing that Murrill had the right to investigate but Moore should have brought the indictment, rather than the attorney general.

ä See INDICTMENT, page 2B

2B ■ Thursday, August 27, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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BR-area restaurants must repay employees Labor laws violated, federal agency says

BY IANNE SALVOSA

Staff writer

Three Baton Rouge-area sushi restaurants were required to pay back more than $100,000 to employees after they were found to have violated federal minimum wage and overtime regulations, the U.S. Department of Labor said Monday. Umami Japanese Bistro in Baton Rouge and Geisha, Sushi with a Flair in Prairieville and Denham Springs were found violating federal minimum wage and overtime regulations. The violations, which

involved 36 employees, resulted in $101,125 of returned wages and $2,325 in penalties. The restaurant owners had servers at Umami share their tips with nontipped kitchen staff, violating the Fair Labor Standards Act. The servers collectively received $66,000 back in wages and $7,450 in tips. The owners also omitted overtime pay to Geisha employees and were required to pay $27,000 back to affected staff. Tien Le, one of the three restaurants’ owners, said the labor law violations were a result of maintaining dated restaurant practices. The three restaurants have adopted new systems to accommodate federal laws requiring businesses to let tipped employees keep all

of their received tips and receive overtime pay when appropriate, he said. He does not know how the U.S. Department of Labor became aware of the violation, he said. “This can help some restaurants owners who don’t know the laws,” Le said. “It’s a costly lesson for us.” Le has owned Geisha, Sushi with a Flair for 15 years and bought Umami, formerly called Hello Sushi, a few years ago. Umami workers were already tipping the kitchen staff 3.5% of their tips, so the new owners maintained the practice and were unaware it violated the Fair Labor Standards Act, Le said. Geisha, Sushi with a Flair serv-

ers do not share tips with nontipped kitchen staff. The lack of overtime pay was because many of the employees are salaried and in managerial roles, Le said, which do not receive overtime pay. The investigation began in the second half of 2025 and examined the restaurants’ pay practices from April 2023 to April 2025. Le said the ownership group has already paid the U.S. Department of Labor, which will distribute the back wages to affected employees. Le, Phuc Nguyen and Michael Tran own Umami Japanese Bistro; Le, Tran and Thanh Binhmai own Geisha Prairieville; Le and Tran own Geisha Denham Springs, according to secretary of state records.

The three restaurants are locally lauded for their culinary offerings. “The FLSA violations found at these restaurants are far too common in the service industry,” said Troy Mouton, wage and hour division district director in New Orleans for the Labor Department. “Employers who claim a tip credit must ensure that they comply with the rules involving tipped employees, and they also must demonstrate that overtime is paid properly to those who have earned it.” The Labor Department regularly investigates pay practice violations and recovers lost or denied wages for employees. Email Ianne Salvosa at ianne. salvosa@theadvocate.com.

Tiger Tuba Kent returns to play with LSU marching band At 67, retiree will again take the field

BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer

Kent Broussard, at 67 years old, will play the tuba again for the LSU Golden Band from Tigerland this football season. Back in purple and gold for another year, the retiree known as Tiger Tuba Kent will attend classes this semester and be a part of the 325-member Tiger Band. Originally from LaPlace, the former accountant and vice presi-

dent of Sazerac Co. played in the band at Riverside High School for four years and then for Southeastern Louisiana University for four years, graduating in 1980. But as an LSU Tiger fan, he always wondered what it would be like to march on the ﬁeld in Death Valley. Last season, he fulfilled his dream and also caught the attention of the entire country, appearing on ”The Kelly Clarkson Show” and ESPN’s “College GameDay.” He is taking a quieter path this season — in an effort to be out of the spotlight. “I am making a point this semester to not provide any interviews,”

Kent Broussard, a tuba player in The Golden Band from Tigerland, marches down Victory Hill before a game on Sept. 13, at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. Broussard will return to play again this season.

Broussard texted. “It got a little crazy last year. I would like to concentrate on my semester coursework and being the best bandmate that I can be.” Although Broussard may not welcome media attention this semester, students will still see him in class and around campus — and fans can still look for the older gentleman playing the tuba walking down the hill pregame and during halftime shows. Broussard started classes Monday.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

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

Sazerac buys assets of defunct Ky. distillery Spirits giant continues growth in bourbon

BY JONAH MEADOWS Staff writer

Sazerac Co. secured a major increase in its bourbon-making capacity at happy hour prices, completing the purchase of a Kentucky distillery that collapsed under the weight of its debts after just 15 months of operations. Garrard County Distilling Co. opened in Lancaster, Kentucky, in January 2024 with the promise of more than $250 million of investment and the potential of producing up to 150,000 barrels of bourbon per year. But when the distillery’s Atlanta-based owners defaulted on loans it took out to build the facility, with its two column stills and 40,000 square feet of barrel warehouse space on 210 acres of land, a Sazerac-controlled entity was able to take over the debt and acquire its assets at auction for just $20 million. The move gives the New Orleans-based owners of Sazerac a fourth production site in Kentucky. Sazerac, which shares its name with New Orleans’ ofﬁcial cocktail and is co-headquartered

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Continued from page 1B need transportation, according to the city’s proposal. The pilot program is currently projected to serve approximately 1,500 to 2,000 riders. “There’s no dollars allocated to this right now,” Yates said. “There’s no ﬁnal proposal right now; all this does is authorize us to get to that point, but before we get to that point, the public will be very well aware of what that

RENEWED

Continued from page 1B praised the team that has been put together to plan the center’s revamp. Edwards and others say the vision for the new facility includes a 350-room headquarters hotel, a more than 29,000-squarefoot ballroom and meeting rooms, and a 40,000-square-foot ﬂex hall for conventions. Spyridon, who will be paid $525,000 over two years to consult, recently said a timeline for developer selection hasn’t been decided yet but said he wants someone who will “invest in the city” rather than make their money and leave.

in Metairie and Louisville, has been controlled by the Goldring family since the 1940s, and billionaire chairman Bill Goldring is a prominent local philanthropist. The privately-held spirits giant behind the Buffalo Trace, Weller, Fireball and Southern Comfort brands continues to expand in the bourbon sector, despite concerns of an oversupply of aging whiskey and declining demand from younger drinkers. Sazerac President and CEO Jake Wenz said the company currently has almost 3,000 workers based in Kentucky and plans to hire more as it extends its production operations to the new facility. “Even with all the investments we have made to expand, we need more supply to keep up with demand, and the addition of the Lancaster facility gives us valuable distilling capabilities to support that growth,” Wenz said in a statement announcing the acquisition. The distillery purchase marks another round of Sazerac’s investments in its Kentucky capabilities. Last year, it completed a decadelong $1.2 billion expansion of its Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, roughly doubling its capacity there. And since 2020, it has spent about $50 million in improvements to the

Barton 1792 Distillery in Bardstown and $40 million at The Glenmore Distillery in Owensboro, according to the company.

Getting ‘back to work’ Atlanta-based spirits company Staghorn began ﬁlling barrels in January 2024 at Garrard County Distilling, with plans to build up two dozen aging warehouses by the end of the decade. At the time, it already had nearly 17,000 barrels of bourbon aging on-site. But there were soon signs of trouble. The master distiller it hired in was ousted after less than two weeks. Staghorn’s founder left the business. County records showed unpaid property taxes and a contractor’s lien on the property. And by April 2025, production had been halted and the distillery had been taken over by a court-appointed receiver. Sazerac was the sole bidder at a court-ordered auction earlier this year. Kentucky House Speaker Pro Tempore David Meade said in a release that Sazerac’s investment shows there’s still confidence in the state’s bourbon industry. “This acquisition brings new opportunity to an impressive facility that already represents a signiﬁcant investment in our region,” Meade said. “Seeing Sazerac put this facility back to

work is a positive development for Garrard County and another opportunity to strengthen one of our Commonwealth’s signature industries.” Sazerac spokesperson Cory McCauley said the company is evaluating what to do with the whiskey inventory currently aging at its new facility and expects to begin production there soon — though it may be making more than just Kentucky bourbon. “Our current focus is on integrating Garrard County Distilling into Sazerac’s operations and utilizing the facility’s existing capabilities to support production needs across our portfolio,” McCauley said in an email. With self-reported drinking rates dipping to all-time lows and stocks at Kentucky’s whiskey-aging warehouse reaching record highs, the whiskey business had been facing serious post-pandemic headwinds. Revenue from American whiskey fell by 1% in 2025, though other spirits suffered more signiﬁcant declines. The only spirits showing a year-on-year increase of any kind were ready-to-drink premixed cocktails. That’s an area where Sazerac has focused in recent years, with its purchase of BuzzBallz in 2024, Svedka Vodka and its line of hard seltzers in 2025 and Dirty Shirley canned cocktails in 2026.

INDICTMENT

proposal looks like.” Currently, the plan is to launch the program between late October and early November. Participants would be able to receive up to 10 subsidized rides per month, with the city providing 50% off, capped at $10 per discounted ride. The program would be funded by St. George and the Uber Transit Innovation Fund. City ofﬁcials have said the cost could range from $250,000 to $500,000, as the city would pay only for rides used. The city would also receive an additional $50,000 grant from

Uber. The City Council would control the initiative’s budget, and the program would be paused if funding ran out, according to council member Drew Murrell. He said council members would continuously monitor the program over the year, and if it is not successful, the council would end it. Murrell said he believes it will boost economic activity at local businesses, as the program will accept only rides within city limits. “We want to be different; let’s do it,” Murrell said.

Visit Baton Rouge’s interim role will not be to handle day-to-day management of the facility. Jill Kidder, CEO of VBR, said an Request for Proposal will go out for contractual management related to the River Center’s operations, and start the process to select a company to manage it long term. “We’re going to go quickly with the RFP,” Kidder said, as the current management agreement with Legends Global goes to the end of the year. She added that Legends will have a chance to place a bid and possibly continue managing the facility. Formal planning to revamp the River Center began under Edwards’ predecessor, Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome, af-

ter decades of discussions about updating the facility. Council member Carolyn Coleman, whose district is home to the River Center, called the agreements with VBR and Spyridon a “big step” in getting the ball rolling toward redevelopment. “Everybody in Baton Rouge understands that River Center needs to be revamped,” she said. “Any time you want to take something to the next level, you got to make sure that you’re bringing together all the right people to help. And we think that we’ve done that.”

Prosecutors say Dunn took a kickback after he helped steer a $50,000 public transit contract to Colar. The council member faces charges of theft, money laundering, public bribery and more. Dunn and Colar both pleaded not guilty. Last week, Cole’s attorneys filed a motion to quash his Aug. 5 indictment, questioning whether Moore submitted a written request for Murrill’s office to get involved in the grand jury’s proceedings, which they say is required by law. Addressing what some have called “damning” text messages point to a potential bribery conspiracy, Cole said Murrill’s office took “innocent” messages out of context, “weaponized them” and “wrapped them in a garment of criminal narrative.” Cole is accused of receiving kickbacks for steering a contract to his friend. He faces charges of conspiracy to commit bribery, money laundering and malfeasance in office. Dunn and Cole are among 10 people who have been charged in a sweeping investigation into alleged corruption in City Hall.

Email Patrick Sloan-Turner at patrick.sloan-turner@ theadvocate.com.

Continued from page 1B

Detectives investigating death of Baton Rouge woman Baton Rouge police detectives are investigating the death of a woman after a potential stabbing on Cypress Road. Faun Reese, 54, was found dead in her residence at around 2:50 p.m. on Tuesday, from possible stab injuries, police said. A second person was found inside the residence CRIME and transported BLOTTER to the hospital staff in serious condireports tion. This is an ongoing investigation, and anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Violent Crimes Unit at (225) 389-4869 or Crime Stoppers at (225) 344-7867.

LSU student arrested in threatening online post An LSU student was arrested Tuesday night after an online post was made threatening a shooting during an on-campus event, according to LSU Police. Devriana Thomas, 18, of LaPlace, was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on a count of terrorizing/menacing. LSU Police learned of the threat, which was posted to Instagram about 8 p.m. Tuesday, during a celebration of life for the late Skip Bertman, former LSU baseball coach, at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Investigators learned Thomas had posted a picture from the Student Union with the text, “im bout to shoot up the school im so irritated,” according to an LSU Police incident report. During the interview with officers that followed, Thomas admitted to posting the image, saying she was upset about not being able to receive a package at the Student Union. The threat didn’t have a noticeable impact on the ceremony, according to Scott Rabalais, a sports columnist for The Advocate.

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TUESDAY, AUG. 25, 2026 PICK 3: 9-8-4 PICK 4: 4-1-0-5 PICK 5: 4-9-1-5-0 MEGA MILLIONS: 7-10-47-48-50 MEGA BALL: 14 Unofficial notification, keep your tickets.

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Funerals Today Hale, Lester

Creed, Sarah Anne Munson

First Pentecostal Church, Denham Springs at noon.

Martin, Phyllis

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Zachary, La at 12:30pm.

Pitcher Chrisentery, Frankie

True Light Baptist Church, 3836 North Street, Baton Rouge at 11:00am.

Thevenot, Christopher

St. Mark Catholic Church, 42021 Hwy 621, Gonzales, LA at 11am.

Obituaries Bowen, Patricia Ashley Vickery

Patricia Ashley Bowen, age 74, peacefully passed away on Friday, August 21, 2026. She was preceded in death by her father, Walter Vickrey, and mother, Gladys Campbell. She leaves behind to cherish her memory her son, Brandon John Bowen and her husband, Michael John Bowen. They were married in 1985 at Our Lady of Prompt Succor church in Chalmette, Louisiana. Patricia was also a beloved aunt to Danny Bowen and his wife, Courtney; Tommy Hoke and his wife, Leigh; Ben Homra and his wife, Aimee; Matthew Cuter and his wife, Mairin. She is also survived by her three sisters-in-law, Phyllis (Gretta) Bowen, Barbara Brown and Elizabeth Bowen; her brother-in-law, Patrick Bowen; and a host of great-nieces and greatnephews. Patricia graduated from Archbishop Shaw High School and Respiratory Therapy School and later graduated with honors from LSU School of Nursing. After 30 years of service at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, she was forced to retire early from nursing following Hurricane Katrina. She worked nights and weekends not for herself, but to give her family the opportunity for a better life. Caring for others was simply who Patricia was. The Bowen family moved to Baton Rouge after Hurricane Katrina, where Patricia began working as a Case Manager until her retirement in 2021. Throughout her life, Patricia gave of herself freely and often put the needs of others before her own. She was unselfish in every facet of her life and rarely thought twice about making a personal sacrifice if it meant helping someone she loved. Her compassion knew few limits, and her empathy and kindness extended not only to people, but to animals as well. She had a special love for her dogs Max, Pearl, Lily, and, of course, Izzy. Patricia's life was defined not by what she received from others, but by what she was willing to give. She spent her life caring for others, putting their needs before her own, and asking for very little in return. Her kindness, generosity, and willingness to sacrifice for the people she loved will be among the greatest parts of her legacy. We wish to thank all of the staff at Baton Rouge General Hospital, specifically the nurses and doctors within the ICU-B unit on the 2nd floor, for the excellent care and kindness they provided to Patricia. Relatives and friends are invited to St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 11441 Goodwood Blvd. Baton Rouge, LA 70815, on Saturday, August 29, 2026, for a visitation from 12 PM until the Funeral Mass at 1 PM.

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Sarah Anne Mills Munson Creed passed peacefully from this life on August 22, 2026, surrounded by her husband, children, and grandchildren. A lifelong resident of Baton Rouge, Sarah Anne attended Bernard Terrace Elementary School, University Laboratory School, and University High School, where she formed friendships that would last a lifetime and met her future husband, Kipp. While at UHigh, she was a member of the homecoming court, queen of the May Court, a cheerleader, and a sponsor. Sarah Anne graduated from LSU with a B.S. in Education and was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority. For many years, she remained active in the Kappa Alumnae Association, serving on the house committee. Sarah Anne was a devoted lifelong member of First Presbyterian Church, where she served on the Restoration and Stewardship committees. Her faith was at the center of her life and shaped the way she loved her family, served her community, and cared for others. Throughout her life, Sarah Anne was involved in many social and civic organizations and causes that were dear to her. She was a member of Cypress Club, Decorators, and Fais Do Do. She was presented by the Baton Rouge Assembly in 1964 and was queen of Achilles in 2005. She enjoyed playing tennis and golf with her friends at the Baton Rouge Country Club. She was a proud member of the National Society of Colonial Dames, and Friends of Sulgrave Manor. She was also a longtime member and sustainer of the Junior League of Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge Bar Auxiliary, and Baton Rouge Green. She generously supported causes including Magnolia Mound, Baton Rouge Green, and Girl Scouts. From an early age, Sarah Anne had a special love for animals. Growing up, much of her spare time was spent caring for and riding her beloved horse, Dixie, on the family's farm, ChugChug. When she was just five years old, she rode Dixie in a parade down Third Street. She also loved landscaping and gardening. No matter the season, you could find her outside working in her yard, planting, replanting, and making everything around her more beautiful. But of all the things Sarah Anne did in her life, nothing mattered more to her than her family. Sarah Anne shared 51 wonderful years of marriage with her beloved husband, Kipp. Together, they built a life filled with love, family, friendship, faith, and more than a few adventures. Their enduring love and devotion to one another was an example to their children, grandchildren and those that knew them. Sarah Anne loved to travel, especially to Europe. As part of their wedding vows, she made Kipp promise to take her to Europe every year—and he did. Their travels eventually took them all over the world. To her grandchildren, she was simply "Lovie." And being Lovie was one of the greatest joys of her life. There was almost nothing she would not do for her family. She babysat grandchildren, attended their countless school programs, sporting events, activities, and celebrations, and made sure she was present for the moments that mattered. She planned trips and adventures for her children and grandchildren and delighted in creating memories for them. Because they especially loved beaches, boats, and the water, she took them on countless trips to Orange Beach, the Florida Keys, the Bahamas, and Hawaii. She exemplified Proverbs 31:28-29: "Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also praises her. Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all." Sarah Anne's love extended far beyond her immediate family. She had a remarkable ability to make the person in front of her feel as though they were the most important person in the world. She remembered the details, showed up when it mattered, and gave generously of her time, attention, and love. h i h

She was woven into the lives of so many people, and she will be missed every day. While she is gone from our sight, her words, traditions, faith, and presence are engraved on the hearts of those who loved her. Her family's greatest hope is to honor her by carrying forward what she taught them: to love deeply, give generously, show up for the people you love, celebrate life's special moments, and make the ordinary beautiful. She is survived by her devoted husband of 51 years, Richard Creed, Jr. "Kipp"; her son, Richard Creed III; her daughter, Katherine Creed Gold; her son-in-law, Brooks Gold; her grandchildren, Brooks Creed Gold and Sarah Gale Gold; and her sisters, Susan Pipes Munson and Mary Katherine McKee; along with numerous nieces and nephews and friends too numerous to count. She was predeceased by her father, William Warren Munson; her mother, Sarah Pipes Munson; and her brother-in-law, Raymond McKee. Visitation will be held on Friday, August 28th at the First Presbyterian Church one hour before the funeral service at 11:00 a.m. Following the service, the family will host a private reception for relatives and close friends at the Baton Rouge Country Club. A private burial will be held at a later date at Young's Cemetery in Plains, Louisiana.

Crouch, Gwen Davis

Gwendolyn "Gwen" Davis Crouch passed away peacefully at home on August 18, 2026. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana on February 1, 1940, she grew up in the close-knit community of Gramercy. After graduating from Lutcher High School, she moved to Baton Rouge to attend Louisiana State University, where she got a degree in early education. She began and ended her teaching career in the Baton Rouge area where she devoted 35+ years to teaching elementary school. Her passion for teaching and commitment to her students earned her the honor of Teacher of the Year, a recognition that reflected the lasting impact she made in the classroom in the lives of the many students she taught. Gwen shared a love story of nearly 63 years with her husband, Melvin "Tony" Crouch. They built a life rooted in love, faith, commitment and devotion to one another and family. They were rarely seen apart, often walking hand in hand - a simple reflection of the deep love and companionship they shared throughout their life together. As proud LSU graduates, they remained devoted Tiger fans throughout their lives, holding season tickets to multiple LSU sports. She was the beloved mother of Erin and Eddie, cherished grandmother of Ryan, Amanda, Lincoln, Brodie, and Kameron, and doting great grandmother of Florence and Margot. Her house was full of love and became the gathering place for family, holidays, celebrations, and everyday moments. Gwen cherished the friendships she made throughout her life, career and while participating in Seniors on the Go, BREC Busy Bodies, her church community, amongst many others. The family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Gerald Miletello and the oncology team at Our Lady of the Lake, Dr. William Russell and the team at Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Hospice Baton Rouge for the compassion, kindness, and support they provided. Gwen is survived by her husband, Melvin "Tony" Crouch; children, Erin Crouch Ferguson (Darrell) and Edwin "Eddie" Crouch (Dollie); grandchildren, William "Ryan" Ferguson, Amanda Ferguson Frazier (Cameron), Lincoln Crouch, Brodie Crouch, and Kameron Eckland; greatgrandchildren, Florence Frazier and Margot Frazier; siblings, John "Bud" Davis (Judy), and Judy Davis Stamper. She is preceded in death by her parents, Stark Livingston Davis Jr. and Nita Marie Rivoire Davis. Visitation will be held at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 12424 Brogdon Ln., Baton Rouge, LA 70816, on Saturday, August 29, 2026, f il h

from 9:00 a.m. until the Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. Interment will follow at Resthaven Gardens of Memory.

Finkelstein, Connie Beverly Spiller

Connie Beverly Spiller Finkelstein, beloved mother, grandmother, greatgrandmother, sister, friend, and companion, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on May 31, 2026, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She was 94 years old. Connie was born on July 4, 1931, in Holden, Louisiana to Seigle Bruce Spiller and Lola Mae Durbin Spedale. Throughout her long and beautiful life, Connie was devoted to her family and friends. She had a remarkable gift for making people feel welcomed, valued, and loved. She possessed a natural grace and elegance, coupled with a warmth and generosity that made everyone in her presence feel at home. Those who knew Connie will remember her kindness, her warmth, her beautiful smile, and her extraordinary hospitality. Connie was preceded in death by her parents, Seigle Bruce Spiller and Lola Durbin Spedale; her daughter, Dr. Brenda Williams Walker; her grandson, Ronald Lucas Chaisson; and her husband, Gerson Finkelstein. She is survived by her daughter, Belinda Joanne King; her brother, Bryant "Sonny" Spiller; her granddaughters, Jami Joanne DeBernard, Mittie Babette Roger, and Constance Savannah Walker Kill; eight cherished greatgrandchildren; and her loving partner of 20+ years, Lucas Orihuela. Connie leaves behind a legacy of love, beauty, generosity, and grace. Her life touched many and she will be deeply missed. Celebration of Life to take place at The Chapel, 9611 Siegen Lane, Baton Rouge, Saturday, August 29, 2026, at 11 AM.

Honoré III, Paul Benny

Paul Benny Honoré III was born to Rosie and Paul Jr. on December 2, 1954 and departed this mortal life on August 19, 2026. He spent his life defying the odds and proving that children with Cerebral Palsy can lead rich, full lives. Paul was a gifted artist, movie aficionado, and ordained minister. He was generous of spirit and loved telling stories and jokes. He will be deeply missed. Visitation is 9am Friday, August 28th at Resting Place Funeral Home (7840 Florida Blvd.), followed by 10am funeral services and family-only graveside memorial. In lieu of flowers/repast, the family requests donations to Cerebral Palsy Foundation or McMains Children's Developmental Center.

Landry, Joyce

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Thursday,August 27, 2026 ■ 3B

joy came from spending time with her children, grandchildren, and greatgrandchildren. She also enjoyed working crossword puzzles, playing cards, and visiting the casino. A woman of strong Catholic faith, Joyce attended weekly Mass at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church and was a member of the Altar/Rosary Society. Joyce married Ronald R. "Ronnie" Landry on August 4, 1956, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Paulina, Louisiana. Together, they built a life centered around faith and family. She is survived by her children, Kyle Landry (Darnell), Karen Millet (David), and Kevin Landry (Beth); grandchildren, Susan Leger, Ricky, Shane, Michael Millet, Amy Baker, Christopher, Steven, Mark Landry, and Michelle Dawson; and numerous great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister, Iris Poche; and brothers, Eddie Louque, Alvin Louque Jr., and Gary Louque. Joyce was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Ronald R. "Ronnie" Landry; her parents, Alvin Francis Louque Sr. and Felonise Uranie Lambert Louque; sisters, Elaine Breaud and Judith Dubose; and brothers, Francis Louque, Lynn Louque, and Harry Louque. The family would like to extend a special thank-you to Joyce's caregivers for the kindness, compassion, and devoted care they provided to her. Visitation will be held at Ourso Funeral Home, 13533 Airline Hwy, Gonzales, Louisiana 70737, on August 28, 2026, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. A Funeral Service will be held at Our Lady of Sorrows Roman Catholic Church, 3475 N Sherwood Forest Dr, Baton Rouge, LA 70814, on August 29, 2026, at 9:00 am. Final resting place is St. Peter Catholic Church, 1550 LA-44, Reserve.

Langlois, Hilary Joseph

Hilary Joseph Langlois, Jr. departed this earthly life on Tuesday, August 25, leaving behind a remarkable legacy of friendship, knowledge, generosity, and devotion to family. He spent seventy-six years nurturing not only the land he loved but also meaningful relationships with the countless people whose lives he touched along the way. A lifelong resident of Pointe Coupee Parish, Hilary is survived by his companion, Sharon Phenald; his children, Melanie Elizabeth Langlois of Oscar, Antoine "Andy" Ewing Langlois (Kristie) of Ventress, and Alicia Adair Sadden (Jason) of Jarreau; and his cherished granddaughters, Jaci Sadden Fairchild (Dustin), Ali Langlois and Adair Sadden and Sharon's grandchildren Ethan Phenald, Logan Phenald, and Jordyn Landrum. He is also survived by his siblings, Thomas Christopher Langlois (Patsy) of Ventress and Helen Claire Langlois of New Roads and special friends Wendal Olinde, Roddy Tassin and Randy Vosburg. He was preceded in death by his parents, Hilary Langlois, Sr. and Claire Patin Langlois, his grandparents Antoine and Lizzie Hess Langlois and Sam and Mammie Lorio Patin, his special friends Johnny Hornsby and Raymond Guidroz as well as Sharon's children Scott Phenald and Faith Varnado. Hilary graduated from Catholic of Pointe Coupee where he distinguished himself as an outstanding Hornet athlete. He later earned a degree in

Agriculture from Northwestern State University. His deep roots in the agricultural heritage of Pointe Coupee Parish led him to what would become both a passion and an enduring legacy: pecan grafting. At his beloved family property, affectionately known as Pointe Coupee, Hilary devoted countless hours to nurturing trees, sharing knowledge, and teaching others the art and science of pecan grafting. What began as a hobby became one of the greatest joys of his life as he became a talented expert in the field. Respected throughout the Southern United States for his knowledge and skill, Hilary conducted workshops, collaborated with researchers, and contributed to industry publications. His work in pecan grafting earned him recognition among both his peers and leading experts in the field. He was featured in numerous magazines and informational bulletins and proudly appeared on the cover of Pecan South magazine, highlighting the exceptional harvests and agricultural excellence of Pointe Coupee Parish. He was humbled in 2023 when his peers and constituents inducted him into the Louisiana Pecan Growers Association Hall of Fame. Yet of all his accomplishments, Hilary took the greatest pride in being a loving father, devoted friend, mentor, and steward of the land. His wisdom extended far beyond pecan trees. Much like the trees he patiently tended to, he planted seeds of encouragement, knowledge, kindness, and perseverance in the lives of those around him. He found immense satisfaction in watching others grow and succeed, knowing he had played a small part in their journey. Possessing an extraordinary gift for conversation, Hilary never met a stranger. He genuinely enjoyed learning about people, discovering common connections, and making others feel valued and appreciated. Whether teaching a grafting workshop beside the mighty Mississippi River or visiting the local library, Hilary was known for striking up a conversation and leaving with a new friend. He possessed a rare ability to connect people, stories, and generations. Just as he carefully joined branches to create stronger trees, he connected families, friends, and communities through genuine interest, warmth, and goodwill. The legacy of Hilary Joseph Langlois, Jr. will live on through the family he loved, the friendships he cherished, the knowledge he shared, and the countless trees that stand today as living reminders of his life's work. Though he will be deeply missed, his influence will continue to bear fruit for generations to come. Visitation will be conducted at Niland's Funeral Home in New Roads on Friday, August 28 from 8:30 am-11:30 am followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at noon at St. Mary's Catholic Church. The interment will follow at St. Mary's Cemetery. Pallbearers who will honor Hilary's life will be Bill Holloway, Huey Guerin, John Beatty, Kyle Langlois, Ethan Phenald and Logan Phenald. The family would like to extend a very special thank you to Pointe Coupee Hospice and Hilary's nurses Jackie Genusa and Courtney Bello. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Janell Legier LaCombe Memorial Fund, Inc.

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The Advocate’s Obituary Department Labor Day Holiday Hours Due to the Labor Day Holiday, our offices will be closed Monday, Sept. 7th, 2026.

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Joyce Louque Landry, born September 15, 1937, in Convent, Louisiana, passed away surrounded by the love of her family. Joyce attended Lutcher High School and devoted her life to her family as a loving homemaker. Her greatest

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Louisiana welcomes the promise of SpaceX It was an announcement that would have been hard to fathom just a few years ago — one of the world’s most valuable companies on the cutting edge of new technology is choosing to make Louisiana a major hub of its operations. But that’s exactly what happened Tuesday when Gov. Jeff Landry announced that SpaceX is planning to invest $100 billion to build a spaceport in Vermilion Parish that could create 3,000 permanent high-paying jobs. More importantly, it puts our state at the center of a highly competitive industry that aims to shape the future of our nation and the world. Landry said the project, to be called Starbase Louisiana, would be as transformational as the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, which opened new routes to westward ultimately expanding our country’s footprint from sea to shining sea. This time, all eyes are looking upward. “Today, Louisiana will give America the stars,” Landry said. It will be the fourth and largest spaceport for SpaceX, which has launch sites in Texas, Florida and California. The company’s owner and world’s richest man, Elon Musk, says more spaceports are necessary as the company looks to aggressively build out a network of Starlink communications satellites and eventually create data centers in space to power artificial intelligence. The company says it plans to launch 100,000 communications satellites into lowEarth orbit by 2030. It’s all heady stuff, to be sure. But here in Louisiana, we also like to keep our focus on the facts on the ground. The deal came together after much secrecy, and residents in Vermilion Parish have a right to be concerned about what officials promised the company in conversations shielded by nondisclosure agreements. The area where Starbase Louisiana will be located is near Pecan Island, part of our fragile coastal wetlands, home to migratory birds and other endangered species. The deal came together because Exxon Mobil transferred 130,000 acres to the state as a settlement to lawsuits over its activities that harmed our coast. SpaceX purchased the land for $100 million. Hunters and fishers are now worried about the effect rocket launches will have on their way of life. Then there’s the regulatory environment. To sweeten the deal, the Legislature passed a series of incentives and protections for the company last session, including exemption from some public records laws. The Federal Aviation Administration is also now looking to exempt the space industry from important environmental regulations. All that is to say, there are many questions that deserve an airing before we rush into a headlong embrace of the project. We trust Gov. Landry and Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois when they say they represented to SpaceX that Louisiana wants a partner for long-term prosperity. And we were encouraged by what we heard from the company’s President and COO Gwynne Shotwell on Tuesday. Far from ignoring or running away from the environmental impact questions, she promised town halls with residents. And her words seemed to indicate that the company understands what a unique place this is. “We don’t want this land just to survive. We want it to thrive while becoming a launchpad to humanity’s greatest venture,” she said. While we’d like to see more details around what the company will contribute to our coastal issues, it was a good first step that the company has committed $25 million to the Community Foundation of Acadiana for projects that help manage the growth that is coming to the area. We know economic development means change and adaptation. We welcome SpaceX and its ambitions for our communities and our nation. We fervently hope that these early days full of promise are borne out by what is to come. If SpaceX proves to be a good neighbor, Louisiana stands ready to support the mission — all the way to the stars.

YOUR VIEWS

act against Put on your historian’s Doourvoters better interests? hat and look at Iran war Years ago, in an outdoor market in Mexico, I stopped to buy a straw hat. The vendor quoted 50 pesos. Having heard that bargaining was expected, I offered 40. He picked up the hat, examined it thoughtfully, and said, “I’m sorry. I made a mistake. The price is actually 60 pesos.” After hard bargaining, I ﬁnally bought the hat — for 55 pesos. That story comes to mind as President Donald Trump scrambles to negotiate an end to the war with Iran, eager to return to the status quo that existed before he started it. But the leverage has jumped sides. Having demonstrated their willingness to absorb military and economic pressure, the Iranians have little incentive to accept our terms.

After all is said and done, if Louisiana voters elect Julia Letlow to replace Bill Cassidy in the U.S. Senate, that proves our state deserves the ignominious ranking of the worst state in the country in which to live. That would definitely prove it, in my opinion. As sociologist Arlie Hochschild points out in the longitudinal research study she conducted over a five-year period and states aptly in her book “Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right,” Louisianans tend to vote against their own better interests. She compliments the residents of our state as being extremely hospitable, warm, friendly and inviting. She remains confounded by the voting patterns of people of our fabulous state, and rightly so. The reason, she concludes, is that Louisianians want their children to have what they assess as a higher standard of living. And if that means destroying “Sportsman’s Paradise,” so be it. The cost of putting more money in their offspring’s pockets now justifies the probable disastrous repercussions and consequences down the road. Come on, people! We are better than that!

America goes into wars believing our overwhelming strength guarantees victory. We underestimate our opponent’s commitment and resilience. History teaches the same lesson every time: From Vietnam to Iraq to Afghanistan, wars are easy to start and excruciatingly costly — in blood and treasure — to ﬁnish. Trump is many things, but he is no student of history. He believed he could outsmart the Iranians. He couldn’t. He believed he could outlast them. He couldn’t. He believed he could out-negotiate them. He couldn’t. He is discovering that, like buying a straw hat, the person who wants the deal the most pays a higher price.

AARON SHIPPER New Orleans

‘Drill, baby, drill’ not enough, yet progress on renewable energy has been blocked I found it fascinating that Cal Thomas favorably quoted two Democratic presidents in his recent column questioning why we can’t solve the problem of our dependence on foreign oil (“Cal Thomas: Why can’t we ﬁx the oil problem?”). The quotes refer to our ability as a nation to do the hard things when we work together. What the column didn’t address is that we can’t solve the problem because the GOP is unwilling to work together with the Democrats. It’s “my way or the highway,” as the expression goes. They are myopic about the issue of energy independence. “Drill, baby, drill” will not get us there. We need all resources, including renewable energy. Yet the Republicans have

stymied all progress on that front. The Trump administration paid roughly $4 billion (yes, that’s billion with a B) of our tax money in settlements to stop the clean energy wind turbine projects granted by President Biden’s administration. No more tax breaks or subsidies for solar power or for electric and hybrid vehicles. Louisiana has seen ﬁrsthand the devastation of fossil fuels from land loss, rising sea levels, stronger hurricanes and oil leaks. So yes, let’s work together to solve this problem by electing people who have the vision to do the hard things. The current administration is not up to the task.

CAROL POOLEY Donaldsonville

Trump’s moves on private sector unprecedented Despite what President Donald Trump tells us, a heckler yelling “pedophile protector” does not make the heckler a communist. The core principle of communism is government ownership of all property, including resources and the means of production. This makes our current president the most communist one in our nation’s history. Under his orders, our government has acquired ownership stakes in Intel and 29 other companies (so far.) The government also owns a “golden share” of U.S. Steel, giving the president veto power over corporate decisions. He’s issued executive orders dictating defense contractor dividends and employee-compensation policies, as well as rates charged by credit card companies, policies normally reserved for the owners of the companies. No other president has done so much to materially advance this principle of communism in our country.

PATTY SPINALE New Orleans

Another reason to reverse into a parking spot I read with interest the article in Monday’s Living section regarding the reasons for backing into parking spaces (“Why do so many people in Louisiana back into parking spaces, especially trucks?”). I didn’t realize, although it makes sense, that emergency and military vehicles were speciﬁcally advised to do so. However, I think that the article missed one other very important reason. Until vehicles were equipped with

rear cross-trafﬁc alert systems, if you were parked facing inward between two trucks or SUVs, you couldn’t tell what was coming behind you until you were almost all the way out of the parking space. No problem, you say? Well, think about how many times you get honked at by another vehicle driving through a parking lot like they are on Airline Highway.

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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Thursday,August 27, 2026 ■ 5B

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COMMENTARY Some in La. say political violence can be justified, and that’s scary basketball, the New Orleans Pelicans I was happy to see that a large majority of Louisianans don’t believe po- and Saints, food and weather. Maybe litical violence is a good thing. For any they have different political views and things are cool as long as they don’t reason. That’s a good thing. talk politics. I really don’t want to live in a place Here’s the survey question that got where people think that violently me: harming property or people is OK to “Do you think it is ever justified achieve political goals. for citizens to resort to violence in According to the 2026 Louiorder to achieve political goals?” siana Common Ground SurThere were 5.45% of responvey researched and compiled by the Public Affairs Redents who said they would “presearch Council of Louisiana fer not to say.’“ and LSU’s Reilly Center at Prefer not to say? Oh my. Will the Manship School of JourThat’s troubling. At a miniSutton nalism, about 70% of us don’t mum, I count them in the next believe political violence is group. ever a good idea. That’s lower than a There are 10.4% among us who are similar 2025 YouGov survey showing “not sure.” I thought people would that 72% of Americans don’t believe have a clear point of view on this one. those actions are justified. I wish our Whether I like it or not, yes to vionumber was higher, but I’ll take it. lence. Or no to violence. Makes me The Louisiana pollsters were careful wonder what kinds of violence they to include respondents reflecting our might think is OK. state’s demographics. For instance, I’m disappointed in the “prefer not the survey included 31.5% Black to say” and “not sure” groups. This participants and the Black population next group really upset me. They in our state is 30-33%, depending on scare me. whose number you use. They included Though 70% of us say political vioDemocrats, Independents, Republilence is “never justified,” more than 14% say, “Yes, violence can sometimes cans and people who don’t identify be justified.” with a political party. Fourteen percent! There’s a lot of good information in Can you believe that? If there are the survey, including good news. 14% who think that type of action is Pollsters asked about polarization OK, it’s quite likely we’re working and found that we’re not as polarized with, living with, going to church with, as we might think. grocery shopping with or otherwise The survey found that Louisianans are more interested in politics than in in contact with people in favor of vioother states. It found that a good num- lence. That doesn’t feel good, Unfortunately, we’re not unusual. ber of us talk with people with differAccording to the YouGov survey, ent political views. The survey didn’t nationally 11% of those polled think ask what those people talk about, so maybe it’s LSU football, LSU women’s violence can sometimes be justified.

Another 11% said they are not sure and 5% said prefer not to say. Across the country, that means a total of 27% who either don’t want to say or believe political violence is OK at least some of the time. In Louisiana, that number adds up to nearly 30% who won’t say, are uncertain or think political violence can be justified. That’s mind-blowing. I don’t get it. My mind immediately went to Jan. 6 and what happened that day. Some continue to say it was a “peaceful protest” and a “day of love.” No, it wasn’t. Maybe some there wanted to believe that that was what it would be, but the insurrection was anything but peaceful and full of love. Within a few days after the political violence, several people were dead and scores of people were injured, including more than 150 officers. Within a few months, four responding officers committed suicide. The property damage was more than $2.5 million. Is that the type of political violence that’s OK? I know this nation was formed after the 1769-1770 Boston Massacre and the 1775 battles of Concord and Lexington, but the first happened because the Brits were violently abusive and the latter started with a peaceful tax protest. Of course, we had a Civil War essentially fighting over whether slavery was OK. There have been moments in our history when violence occurs, but I’d like to think none of that would start with people thinking, sure, it’s OK. Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.

With fondness for Kim Jong Un, Trump sends the wrong message It’s hard to believe that Kim Jong Un is really this charming. President Donald Trump touted his fond relationship with the North Korean dictator in a Truth Social post calling for scaling back a long-running annual military exercise with the South Koreans. “Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un,” Trump wrote, “I am not happy with the fact that the United States has, long ago, agreed to participate in Joint Military Exercises with South Rich Korea.” According to Lowry Trump, the exercises “send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile, to a Country that, as long as Donald Trump has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful.” Then he added that South Korea had recently declined to take a role in the Iran war, clearly irking Trump, as he subsequently explained to reporters at the White House. The joint exercises have been a key element of the U.S.-South Korea military alliance for decades. They are meant to ensure that the two countries are prepared in the event of a North Korean assault, and perhaps now have an added importance given the experience North Korea has gained in highintensity modern warfare by bolstering Russian forces in Ukraine. Much more important than the practical effect of Trump’s fusillade, though, is the signal it sends, yet again, that he is easily disenchanted with longtime allies whose friendship should be considered a strategic boon to the United States. Whether musing about making Canada the 51st state, brieﬂy campaigning to take control of Greenland, imposing tariffs on friend and foe alike or hammering NATO, Trump has been careless of the goodwill of our allies. They need us more than we need them, which means they are willing to put up with a lot, but sowing dissension unnecessarily is a foolhardy game at a time of growing international threats. South Korea has been a treaty ally

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

U.S. President Donald Trump, right, meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Sentosa Island in Singapore in, 2018. since 1953, and is a wealthy, technologically advanced democracy that occupies strategically important ground in Northeast Asia. It is obviously both threatened by and a bulwark against potential North Korean adventurism. Pete Hegseth visited South Korea last year and said, “Our alliance is stronger than ever before, 72 years strong.” He described the inspiring sight of U.S. and South Korean soldiers standing “shoulder to shoulder working together.” South Korea has been committed to increasing its defense spending, to 3.5% of GDP. In light of this, Hegseth subsequently averred, “Model allies that step up, like Israel, South Korea, Poland ... will receive our special favor.” Such assurances by administration ofﬁcials are always subject to change, depending on Trump’s animosities at any given time. It’s certainly true that South Korea owes its existence to us. We fought to preserve its independence at a great cost in blood and treasure during the Korean War, and we have nearly 30,000 troops on the peninsula to deter North Korea from assaulting the South again.

Seoul has lent support to recent U.S. military operations, typically in noncombat roles, but it’s understandable that it wouldn’t be enthused about taking part in an Iran war that hasn’t gone as planned and that has no clear endgame. As for the North, it isn’t our friend. It is ﬁrmly within the China-Russia axis, and has been developing its nuclear and missile arsenal apace. There is no reason to believe that any blandishments from Trump will change its behavior, and Kim has been clear that the U.S. needs to abandon its “obsession” with denuclearization. What we most need from South Korea is for it to be as strong as possible to deter North Korea, and we shouldn’t be lending any credence to its claim that U.S.-South Korean exercises are provocations, or sowing doubt about our commitment to allies. Such diplomatic episodes, though, are an inherent part of Trump’s governance. To paraphrase the Roman writer Publilius Syrus, prosperity makes friends, adversity tries them, and Trump distresses them — unnecessarily.

No good options when it comes to Iran The 60-day ceasefire between the United States and Iran has expired. The war drags on through its sixth month with no peace talks scheduled and no end in sight. Only one conclusion is possible: Donald Trump’s ignorant and egotistical decision to attack Tehran has been a total disaster. None of his stated goals have been achieved, and the administration is so confused that it cannot even agree on what those goals still are. Vice President JD Vance proclaimed on Fox News, Steve goal No. 1 — keep oil and Roberts “That’s gas cheap for Americans all over our country.” But Trump insisted on social media, “The number one Goal is, and always will be, that Iran cannot have, in any way, shape, or form, a Nuclear Weapon.” Trump is a lame duck and focused on his legacy — including that rapidly receding goal of a Nobel Peace Prize. Vance is desperate to run for president in 2028, so he’s concentrating on the political damage caused by the war. But his concern for cheap fuel echoes with empty empathy. In effect, he’s saying the goal of the war is to solve a problem the war itself created. Before the fighting began, gas prices averaged just below $3 a gallon nationally. Now they’re well over $4 a gallon. Trump told a campaign rally that consumers were paying only “a tiny little bit more for your gasoline” — but that’s obviously false. Brown University’s Iran War Energy Cost Tracker estimates the war has cost Americans more than $87 billion in added fuel expenses, or $666 per household. Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, calculates the impact of elevated fuel prices on other expenses — from groceries and travel to homedelivered meals and packages — and figures the real cost of the war is about $1,100 per family. “So it’s consequential,” Zandi told NPR. “It’s adding up, and, you know, it’s really hard on many middle- or lower-income Americans.” No wonder President Trump’s approval rating has dropped to 33% in the latest Reuters/ Ipsos poll, his lowest showing ever. In an Associated Press survey, only 33% think the war with Iran has been “worth fighting,” while 64% say it’s been a mistake. The conflict with Iran has been so devastating because it so blatantly breaks two of Trump’s most prominent promises: avoiding war and reducing prices. His actions have led directly to the hardships Zandi describes, and American consumers — and voters — know that. “For a lot of voters, the war in Iran is linked with the economy,” Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist University Institute for Public Opinion, told the Washington Post. When Iran retaliated by closing down oil shipments, “the price of gas went up. The problem for President Trump and the Republicans is that a lot of what he was elected on seems to not be being fulfilled. So there’s a sense of no rationale for why we went in, and no clear sense of how it’s going, and no indication of how we’re going to get out, which is the opposite of what makes for good politics.” Trump badly miscalculated his ability to bomb Iran into submission, and now U.S. missile supplies are running low. But sending ground troops into the region would be logistically dangerous and politically impossible. What’s left to him are economic weapons — imposing sanctions, tightening trade embargoes, freezing assets — and while Iran’s economy is in dreadful shape, the country’s leaders have demonstrated an almost infinite capacity to withstand punishment. Meanwhile, as Vance tacitly admits, the White House is increasingly vulnerable to economic pressures as the fall elections approach and elevated prices undermine Republican hopes. “Neither side is really ready to finalize a deal. They both think that in a matter of days or weeks, the other side will be more desperate for a deal, so they’ll be able to get more out of it,” Ali Vaez, an Iran expert at the International Crisis Group, told The New York Times. “This is why we are locked into this game of endurance again.” Trump has no good options in Iran and no clear path forward. Or back. He built his own trap, and then he walked right into it. This will be his legacy: far more significant than any arch or pool or ballroom he leaves behind. Email Steven Roberts at stevecokie@gmail. com.

Rich Lowry is on X, @RichLowry.

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6B ■ Thursday,August 27, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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Beaumont 94/76 Port Arthur 90/75

Baton Rouge 85/74

Lake Charles 93/77

New Orleans 87/77 Houma 82/73

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

Hattiesburg 86/72

Alexandria 86/72

Lafayette 88/75

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92° 74°

Monroe 92/73

Shreveport 96/75

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Well, for most of us today, there is a slight risk of excessive rainfall that could lead to some measure of flash flooding in the forecast, so expect a partly to mostly cloudy, hot, humid and breezy day with scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms. Rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch are possible with higher amounts in thunderstorms. Temperatures will rise to the upper 80s to low 90s and heat index values up to 102 are possible. Expect more rain and higher temperatures tomorrow.

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

Today 11:17a 5:06a 11:40p 5:28p Friday 12:01p 5:50a ---- 6:12p Saturday 12:25a 6:36a 12:46p 6:57p Sunday 1:12a 7:23a 1:35p 7:46p Monday 2:03a 8:14a 2:26p 8:38p Tuesday 2:56a 9:09a 3:21p 9:34p Wednesday 3:53a 10:07a 4:20p 10:34p

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Manuel, Glenda Vidrine

Robinson, Dorothy Mae 'Mama'

was also a member of the Sons of the American Revolution and the Canary Islanders Heritage Society of Louisiana. He was devoted to his family, especially to his beloved wife, Marjorie Chustz Smith, with whom he shared 67 years of marriage. He was a loving father and grandfather whose steady presence and example will be deeply missed.

Glenda Vidrine Manuel, born January 11, 1948, passed away on Friday, August 14, 2026, at the age of 78 at Baton Rouge General on Bluebonnet. She was a native of Washington, LA and resident of Brusly. Glenda retired after many years as a library assistant at Holy Family Catholic School. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 29th, at Wilbert Funeral Home, Port Allen from 12:30pm until Rite of Christian Burial at 1:30pm, conducted by Deacon Bob McDonner. Glenda is survived by her children, sons, Brent Manuel and wife Vicky, Scott Manuel and wife Dina; grandchildren, Mya and Carly Manuel, Ryleigh Manuel Becnel and husband Michael, and Brendan Jacob and wife Maeghan; great grandchildren, Eliot and Myer Jacob; siblings, Dianna Wartelle, Sue Penick, Marsha Savant, Toby Cramer and husband John; numerous nieces and nephews. Glenda was preceded in death by husband of 59 years, Wayne Manuel; parents, Edwin "Junior" Jr and Merlyn Johnson Vidrine. Glenda enjoyed spending time with family and friends.

In Loving Memory of Our Beloved Mother, Dorothy Mae Robinson "Mama" She departed this life on August 18, 2026 at the age of 98. Her love was a legacy and her memories will live in our hearts forever. A viewing will be held from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM on August 29, 2026, at New Light Missionary Baptist Church, 650 Blount Rd. BR, LA. 70807

Smith, James Edward 'Jim'

James Edward Smith, P.E., 89, a devoted husband, father, grandfather, engineer, and man of faith passed away on August 24, 2026, surrounded by the love of his family. Born in Abbeville, La on March 19, 1937, he later made Baton Rouge his home. He was a proud graduate of LSU where he was a member of the Tiger Marching Band. He was a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and enjoyed a long and respected career as a mechanical engineer. His Catholic faith was central to his life. He and his family were among the founding families of St. Pius X Catholic Church where he served on the Finance Committee. He was a Lifetime member of the Knights of Columbus. He

He was preceded in death by his parents, K.C. and Doris Smith; his daughter, Laura Smith LeBlanc; his sister, Evelyn Bronson; 2 sisters-in-law, Gayle McGrew and Judy Smith; and his parents-inlaw, Charles and Eunice Chustz. He is survived by his wife, Marjorie Chustz Smith; his daughter Sharon Naquin (Al); and his granddaughter, Blair Naquin; a sister, Ann Lewis (David); 2 brothers, William Smith (Debbie) and Richard Smith; and numerous nieces and nephews.

retired marketing researcher. He is survived by sisters Peggy Boeneke, Corrinne Dickey Bezdek, Eula Garon and Eli Haig; brothers Patrick Womack and Phillip Womack; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, stepfather Paul V. Poche and brother Cleve A. "Bubby" Womack Jr. Relatives and friends are invited to Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church on Friday, August 28,2026 for a visitation beginning at 10:00AM until the Funeral Mass at 11:00AM. A burial is to follow at LA National Cemetery for 1:00PM

Zumo, Brenda Caston

Visitation will be held at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church on Friday, August 28, 2026, from 8:30 AM until the Funeral Mass at 10 AM.

Womack, Paul Ladd

Paul Ladd Womack, a native of Baton Rouge and a resident of Denham Springs, died Aug. 18, 2026. He was 78. He was born Sept. 10, 1947, to Cleve A. Womack Sr. and Ida Poche Womack. He was a 1965 graduate of Redemptorist High School and majored in accounting at LSU, earning his Master's of Business Administration in 1987. He served in the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant and was a

WED. 24-HOUR

STAGE STAGE CHANGE MISSISSIPPI Memphis 34 13.90 -0.27 Vidalia-Natchez 48 28.10 +1.14 Red River Landing 48 29.10 +1.00 Baton Rouge 35 12.90 +1.00 Donaldsonville 27 6.70 +0.60 Reserve 22 5.20 +0.47 New Orleans 17 3.60 +0.04 OHIO Cairo 40 27.99 -1.19 COMITE Near Olive 19 -1.48 -0.04 AMITE Near Darlington 18 -1.02 -0.17 Denham Springs 29 10.38 -0.22 Port Vincent 8 1.68 +0.26 TICKFAW Montpelier 13 2.60 -0.06 Holden 15 0.93 -0.17 ATCHAFALAYA Simmesport 47 11.47 +0.35 Melville 34 7.45 +0.19 Krotz Springs 29 5.92 +0.38 Butte La Rose 20 5.17 +0.02 Bayou Sorrel 12 3.30 -0.10 Morgan City 6 1.98 +0.04

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found them. While her physical presence has left us, her spirit carries for‐ ward in the lives of those she touched and the countless heartfelt memo‐ ries she created. Brenda is survived by her loving daughter, Shain Hunter; grandchildren: beloved Kimberly Searcy (Patrick), Brittney Fajoni, Alisha Fa‐ joni, Karen Craft, Telly Hunter, Jr. (Leah), Serena Hunter, Paige Wilkinson (Ryan), Savanna Richard‐ (Flash), Kiresten son Hunter and Telisha Hunter; Norma Jean siblings, Minter, and David Caston, Sr. and son-in-law, Jason Schlatre. She is also sur‐ vived by a host of greatnieces, grandchildren, cousins and nephews, friends. She is preceded in death by her long-time partner, Harold Manuel; parents, Johnny Caston, Sr. and Lula Mae Lewis Cas‐ ton; her son, Shawn Fajoni; daughter, Shan Schlatre; sister, Judy Kinchen, and her brother Johnny Caston,

data as of 7 a.m. Wednesday

Jr. Friends and relatives are invited to join the family in celebrating her life on Sat‐ urday, August 29, 2026 at Seale Funeral Home in Den‐ ham Springs for a visita‐ tion from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM with service beginning at 12:00 PM. A graveside service will follow at Gardens of Resthaven Memory at 1:30 PM.

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When you need the news. Wherever you read the news. Brenda Caston Zumo, departed this world on Au‐ gust 20, 2026, in Denham a cherished Springs, sister, grand‐ mother, mother, and friend whose love left a lasting imprint on all who had the privi‐ of knowing her. lege was born in Brenda Panama Canal, Panama to Johnny Caston Sr. and Lula Mae Lewis Caston. She served her community for over 20 years as a talented barber, owning Brenda’s Beauty and Barber Shop on Evangeline Street in Baton Rouge. To know Brenda was to know joy: she lighthearted brought humor wherever she went, always quick with a joke and ready to share a smile. Brenda’s early years as an “army brat” gave her a spirited outlook on life and the ability to adapt with and resilience. grace Above all, family was the center of her life, a source joy, laughter, and of strength. Those who knew and loved Brenda will for‐ ever remember her as a source of joy, a woman who left everyone just a bit happier than when she

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

T h u r s d ay, au g u s T 27, 2026

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SEC dials up ex-pro penalties League threatens fines, suspension of coaches

The SEC would suspend a program’s coach for half the season if he or she rosters a former professional athlete, sources confirmed to The Advocate. The conBY JON BLAU Staff writer ference also will impose a fine equal to half that proSankey If LSU football coach Lane Kiffin and men’s gram’s operating budget, basketball coach Will Wade follow through sources said, and revoke the member inwith their plans to enroll ex-pros, the SEC stitution’s voting privileges. would deliver a heavy-handed response. During the 2025 fiscal year, LSU football The question is whether that blow would had an operating budget of just under $51 land or whether LSU would have a way to million. The men’s basketball program sat deflect it. around $11 million.

Southern safety Brister could not leave home

making teams better, and they’re going to play from the ruling. Why aren’t we recruiting them?’ ” Kiffin said Monday. “Because you may end up playing against them.” Kiffin said he’s not generally in favor of players returning to the college ranks after signing pro contracts, but he considers this year a special case because of the NCAA’s handling of a new eligibility model that allows athletes to play five seasons in five years. Everyone currently in college will get to play five seasons, but the NCAA didn’t offer the high school Class of 2022 grads an extra

LSU hasn’t been the only school recruiting former professional athletes, but the Tigers have been at the forefront. Kifﬁn landed former Ole Miss tight end Dae’Quan Wright and defensive tackle Zxavian Harris just days after a court granted a temporary restraining order against the NCAA, allowing Wright and Harris to play ﬁfth seasons. Wright suited up for the Browns this preseason, while Harris signed with the Saints in May but was sidelined by a foot injury and released on Aug. 8. “I wouldn’t like to be my boss that hired me and then come to say, ‘Hey, here’s these guys going around the country, playing,

ä See SEC, page 4C

‘A TRUE FORCE’

BY TOYLOY BROWN III

Staff writer

Marshall Faulk was prepared for Herman Brister to leave Southern. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound safety has the physical tools, stats and past FBS experience at Air Force in 2023 as a redshirt freshman. He heard from bigger football programs offering NIL deals that would tempt any Southwestern Athletic Conference player in the era of roster fluidity. “It was some sizable money, and I told him, I said, ‘Herm, you got ä Southern to go,’ ” Faulk said. “ ‘This vs: Alabama is life-changing money for you and your family.’ ” State 2 P.M. Brister knew the financial SATURDAy, ESPNU gains that awaited him had he left, but when weighing the pros and cons of entering the transfer portal after Southern’s lifeless 2-10 season in 2025, he remembered something: The sweetness of turning around the Southern program and bringing it back to prominence is better than anything he could hope to achieve elsewhere during his redshirt junior season. The Southern Lab product, who has the tattoo “family” across his left forearm, recalled his roots. He is Baton Rouge born and bred, the next in a lineage of Southern athletes with his last name, including his uncle, Willie Brister, who played tight end for the New York Jets from 1974-75. Herman Brister Jr. knows that doing anything for the Southern community means more. “Growing up on the campus, going to high school on the campus, this is home,” said Brister Jr., the director at Southern Lab and former Southern University football and track and field athlete. “It’s tough to put a price tag on playing in front of family, playing in front of friends, playing in front of your hometown.” Brister is a preseason All-SWAC first-team defensive selection after having 61 total tackles (38 solo) in 11 games last season. He also had 1.5 tackles for loss, five pass breakups, two quarterback hurries and one forced fumble. What made his decision to return easier was the hiring of Faulk. Playing for a Hall

ä See SOUTHERN, page 4C

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU baseball legend Ben McDonald holds up an ‘L’ while speaking at LSU’s celebration of the life of Skip Bertman on Tuesday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

Friends, family, former players celebrate Bertman’s life

hat becomes a legend most? In Skip Bertman’s case, it was the stories, the love, the tears and, yes, plenty of laughter on display Tuesday night inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. And rope. Little snippets of white rope handed out to those attending the celebration

of life for Bertman, the legendary LSU baseball coach and athletic director who died Aug. 14 at 88. The mantra “Hold the rope” was Bertman’s signature phrase. It referred to the trust and belief he

instilled in his players to have in each other. Hundreds of those Bertman players were in the PMAC on Tuesday night, joined by people such as Gov. Jeff Landry, Mayor-President Sid Edwards and Kathy Miles, wife of former football coach Les Miles whom Bertman hired. No longer the boys of summer, most of the ex-LSU players were a little grayer, a little older but nonetheless drawn by a common bond with and affection for the architect of what remains college baseball’s most enduring modern dynasty. “It’s all of our jobs to hold the rope,” said current LSU coach Jay

Scott Rabalais Johnson, one of several speakers to take the podium backed by white and gold versions of Bertman’s No. 15 LSU jersey. “I love you, coach.” Five of Bertman’s players were chosen to carry the ﬁve College World Series championship trophies into the arena won under Bertman:

Rick Greene (1991), Todd Walker (1993), Warren Morris (1996), Patrick Coogan (1997) and Brad Cresse (2000). Seeing some of LSU’s greatest players carrying the embodiment of some of LSU’s greatest baseball moments brought back vivid memories of Bertman and what the man from Miami Beach, Florida, did for his adopted school and state. Rabbi Sarah Smiley of the United Jewish Congregation of Baton Rouge encouraged everyone in attendance to turn memories of Bertman into

ä See RABALAIS, page 3C

Legal experts debate teeth of SEC’s new rule BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Southern safety Herman Brister stretches during warm-ups ahead of practice on Aug. 1 at the team’s practice field.

A legal battle could be brewing in the SEC. In a way, it’s already begun. And LSU is on the front lines of the fight. It has been since Aug. 19, when a Baton Rouge judge awarded a temporary restraining order to a group of roughly 30 athletes who filed suit in search of a fifth year of eligibility. That ruling paved the way for coach Lane Kiffin to start adding former NFL players to his first LSU roster — and for the SEC to pass a new rule aimed at prohibiting him and other

coaches from doing so. Kifﬁn isn’t alone. Texas signed a center who participated in NFL minicamps this past summer, and the Kentucky men’s basketball program added a forward who played in NBA Summer League games. But LSU is driving most of the chaos. The Tigers hope to add at least three players to their football team before the season kicks off Sept. 5, and two of them appeared on NFL rosters in August: tight end Dae’Quan Wright and defensive tackle Zxavian Harris. Neither player is eligible to play for LSU under the new SEC rule, which was passed Tuesday evening.

But will they challenge the new measure? And if they did, could it hold up in court? The Advocate discussed those questions with ﬁve legal experts who each outlined how college athletics reached this point — and what may lie ahead.

SEC’s new rule Sam Ehrlich, a former lawyer and Boise State professor who researches legal aspects of the sports industry, generally thinks that conference-speciﬁc rules can hold up.

ä See LEGAL, page 4C

H 2C ■ Thursday, August 27, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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Scheffler targets Tour Championship ä Tour Championship.

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

10 A.M. THURSDAy, ESPN.

ATLANTA — Scottie Scheffler is having another big season going into the final tournament of the year at the Tour Championship. He picked up a $23 million bonus last week as the leading player in the FedEx Cup. His PGA Tour earnings are over $20 million for the fourth consecutive year. And that’s not the full measure. Scheffler loves to play when he’s at home in Dallas, whether that’s at Royal Oaks or any other course in town. That often involves Si Woo Kim, who said earlier this year of their one-sided money matches, “He calls me ATM.” Kim isn’t alone. “Si Woo’s getting a lot of hard grief losing to Scottie. I’ve never beaten Scottie in Dallas,” Gary Woodland said Wednesday. “He asked me if I hand him money every time he sees me. Fortunately, that’s been the case.” Woodland now lives in South Florida but has returned to working with Randy Smith, the Hall of Fame teacher who has taught Scheffler since he was a boy. He occasionally goes to Dallas for what Woodland calls “training camp.” The last such trip was right before Scheffler ended a seven-month drought by winning the FedEx Cup playoffs opener by eight shots. “I was giving him a hard time that he couldn’t handle the presASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MIKE STEWART sure,” Woodland said. “He parred the last three holes and shot 60 Scottie Scheffler works out in the putting area during a practice round one day. That didn’t work out for on Wednesday in Atlanta. Si Woo and I. He’s hard to beat out For now, it’s up for grabs. Tom- chance to end the 26-year reign of here. He’s really hard to beat in Dallas.” my Fleetwood had not won on the Tiger Woods atop the PGA Tour’s PGA Tour all year in 2025 until career earnings list. He is in a What’s at stake capturing his first title on U.S. tight race with U.S. Open chamNow the “out here” is East Lake soil at just the right time — the pion Wyndham Clark for PGA for the Tour Championship, the Tour Championship, making him Tour player of the year. Scheffler has won the award the most lucrative event of the sea- the FedEx Cup champion. That could fall to someone like last four years, and while his conson. The winner of the 30-man field claims a $10 million prize in Patrick Cantlay, whose runner- sistency is the standard in today’s official money from a $40 million up finish got him into East Lake, game — five runner-up finishes to or a dozen others yet to win this go with two victories — Clark alpurse. That will change in two years week. It’s a 72-hole shootout for ready has three wins, including when the PGA Tour overhauls a big prize. the major and last week’s BMW But there’s more at stake for Championship. its schedule and ends with a two-week Tour Championship of Scheffler this week than just Scheffler said he is 95% healed more money, and it’s not his from hand, foot and mouth dismatch play on two courses.

ease that caused blisters on his hands, feet and throat last week in St. Louis. He had a hard time gripping the club. He tied for 12th. East Lake has not been a course where he can show up and perform well, not like the TPC Scottsdale or Augusta National or Muirfield Village. He finished out of the top 12 the first three times he was at East Lake, and the year he left with the trophy (2024), it was only because he started the tournament with a lead under the old “starting strokes” format.

On the range But he’s rarely out of the mix on any course, a credit to how he practices with purpose. Schefﬂer loves practice almost as much as competition. He jokingly said earlier this year that his ashes should be spread on the range at Royal Oaks “because that’s where I spend all my time.” “One thing I’ve learned over the course of my career is just bringing a certain type of intensity to each round,” Scheffler said. “I was born being competitive, and I love being able to compete and play out here, and it’s something I don’t take for granted. “That’s why I say if I show up at a tournament, I’m not showing up for any other reason,” he said. “It’s not a warmup. It’s not an obligation. I’m showing up to try to compete and do my best.” Woodland has seen it in his trips to Dallas. He says he has learned more watching Scheffler than “probably anybody out here in a long time.” “It’s amazing being with Randy, but it’s amazing for me to practice with Scottie, as well, and watch how he goes about his business and watch what he does,” Woodland said. “I spend as much time with him as I can for sure.” And then they usually head out to the course for a money game, $100 a hole. “I’ve had to go to the ATM a couple times playing him in Dallas,” Woodland said.

Big 12 latest conference to ban former NFL players BY STEPHEN HAWKINS AP sportswriter

The Big 12 Conference on Wednesday followed the Southeastern and Big Ten conferences in banning players who were on NFL rosters from returning to college. The decision by the Big 12 came a day after rulings by the SEC and Big Ten. Earlier Wednesday, the NFL made it clear that players who leave the NFL to return to college won’t be allowed to come back to the league this season. NFL executive Troy Vincent reiterated the longstanding policy at the league’s meetings Wednesday, saying any player who returns to college would not be eligible to play in the NFL until 2027. Atlantic Coast Conference leaders were also discussing the topic this week. At least two players who signed with NFL teams as undrafted free agents this offseason were hoping to return to college and play at No. 11 LSU. Tight end Dae’Quan Wright originally signed with Philadelphia as an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi following the draft. He was waived by the Eagles on Aug. 10 and claimed by Cleveland the following day. He spent about two weeks with the Browns without playing in an exhibition game before being waived on Monday. He cleared waivers Tuesday and now wants to go to LSU to play for his former Ole Miss coach, Lane Kifﬁn. Defensive lineman Zxavian Harris signed with New Orleans in May as an undrafted free agent out of Ole Miss and participated

eligibility. The ruling gives the NCAA a win in ongoing litigation across the nation in federal and state courts involving college athletes who contend they should get a fifth year of competition under revised NCAA eligibility rules adopted in June. Washington, who transferred to Tennessee, and the other plaintiffs are now ineligible, pending resolution of the NCAA’s appeal of the lower court’s ruling. Washington was the lead plaintiff in a complaint filed July 6 by the Texas Trial Group seeking the injunction. Others included Chendall Weaver, last at Texas; A.J. Storr of Mississippi; Jason Edwards of Providence; and Daniel Egbuniwe of St. Bonaventure. ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CAROLyN KASTER The NCAA also has won stays of injunctions in Ohio and New Cleveland Browns tight end Dae’Quan Wright warms up before an NFL Jersey state courts and in a fedpreseason game against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday in Cleveland. eral court in Colorado. in the offseason program. He was placed on the non-football injury list at the start of training camp in July and was waived Aug. 8. He wasn’t claimed by any team and also wants to go back to college to play for Kiffin. Both players entered the NFL draft because they had used up their four years of eligibility. The NCAA announced a rule change in June allowing players who began college in 2023 or later to have five years to play five years of sports in college. That rule didn’t apply to Wright and Harris, who entered college in 2022 but they are among the players who have sued the NCAA, arguing they’re being deprived of education and potential name, image and likeness benefits by be-

ing excluded from the rule. Cal football general manager Ron Rivera said Wednesday he hopes the ACC joins the Big Ten and SEC in turning away former pros. “I think when somebody makes a decision, goes in a certain direction, I think they’ve made their decision,” said Rivera, a former NFL player and coach. “I’m disappointed that people are looking for ways to cheat the system or beat the system.”

Tennessee basketball case Meanwhile, in Tennessee, the state’s Court of Appeals put on hold an order that would have given former Vanderbilt player Jalen Washington and 18 other basketball players a ﬁfth year of

Castellanos commits to Texas Tech The Big 12 decision Wednesday came shortly after quarterback Tommy Castellanos said he has committed to Texas Tech for this season. The 12th-ranked Red Raiders are the defending Big 12 champions and among the favorites again this season. Castellanos, who played last season at Florida State, last Friday was among 10 athletes granted a temporary restraining order by a Kentucky judge to get a ﬁfth season of college football. Castellanos, a freshman at UCF in 2022, went undrafted by the NFL four months ago before a tryout as a receiver with the Miami Dolphins during their rookie minicamp. But he never made an NFL roster.

Fever-Sky most watched WNBA game since 1997 The Indiana Fever-Chicago Sky game Sunday averaged 3.31 million viewers on NBC and Peacock to make it the most-watched regular-season WNBA game since the league’s inaugural season in 1997. It also was the third-most watched regular-season game ever and peaked at 3.82 million viewers. That is behind only the June 21-22, 1997, opening weekend games that featured the New York Liberty-Los Angeles Sparks (5.04 million) and Charlotte StingPhoenix Mercury (3.59 million), also both on NBC. Caitlin Clark and the Fever continue to be the league’s top draw. They also have set all-time viewing records this season for games on CBS, ESPN and Amazon Prime Video.

Giants receiver Austin out for season with torn ACL EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Losing Calvin Austin to a season-ending knee injury means the New York Giants will be without a receiver who was expected to have a big role on offense. The 27-year-old has a torn ACL in his right knee and is expected to miss the season, a person with knowledge of the injury told The Associated Press on Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the team had not revealed the extent of the injury. Austin was having a strong camp and preseason with two catches for 24 yards in exhibition play last week at Miami and many more in practice from Jaxson Dart as one of the starting quarterback’s most popular options.

Williams sisters will play doubles in U.S. Open

NEW YORK — Serena and Venus Williams are teaming up again at the U.S. Open. The sisters will play doubles at the tournament after receiving a wild card Wednesday into the event they won twice. Serena Williams returned to tennis this summer after a four-year absence, and the sisters were set to play at Wimbledon before Serena had to withdraw after injuring her knee in her singles loss. They played in the Cincinnati Open, losing in the ﬁrst round. The Williams sisters won the 1999 and 2009 U.S. Open doubles titles and are 27-7 in their nine appearances. The ﬁrst round of the women’s doubles tournament begins Sept. 3.

Big Ten commissioner Petitti receives 5-year extension

ROSEMONT, Ill. — Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti received a ﬁveyear contract extension Wednesday by unanimous approval of the conference’s leadership. “Tony has provided outstanding vision for the conference through extremely turbulent times,” said Pamela Whitten, Indiana president and chair of the Big Ten’s Council of Presidents and Chancellors. “We’re thankful for his leadership and appreciate his spirit of innovation and collaboration as we continue to navigate the changing landscape of college sports.” Petitti oversaw the Big Ten’s expansion from 14 to 18 teams with the additions of Oregon, Southern California, UCLA and Washington in 2024.

LIV Golf begins layoffs without Saudi funding LIV Golf has informed employees their jobs will end next week as the league begins life without Saudi funding, downsizing operations as it pursues an agreement with a lead investor to reshape the league for next year. It was not clear how many or what percentage of employees are being laid off. LIV ended its fifth season last week outside Indianapolis, one week earlier than expected. The staff reduction was not a surprise. LIV Golf learned in April the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia would end financial backing after this season. LIV in July filed a notice under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act that indicated layoffs were likely.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Thursday,August 27, 2026 ■ 3C

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Pels, bucket-getter Mathurin agree to deal BY ROD WALKER Staff writer

In what has been an offseason with very few roster moves, the New Orleans Pelicans ﬁnally are making one. The Pelicans have agreed to a deal with shooting guard Bennedict Mathurin, a source conﬁrmed to The Times-Picayune on Wednesday. According to ESPN, it will be a two-year deal worth $16 million with a player option for the second year. The deal won’t be completed right away. The Pelicans already have 15 players under contract after signing former LSU standout Trendon Watford last week. According to sources, the team is exploring a corresponding move that would open a roster spot to sign Mathurin while also staying under the salary-cap apron. Mathurin was originally drafted by the Indiana Pacers with the sixth overall draft pick in the 2022 draft. He spent his first 31/ 2 seasons with the Pacers, helping them reach the NBA Finals in the 2024-

25 season. He scored 27 points in Game 3 to give Indiana a 2-1 series lead over Oklahoma City, which eventually won the series in seven games. He was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in February. In his home debut in L.A., he came off the bench and tied his career-high with 38 points. Mathurin is averaging 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists for his career. He averaged a career-best 17.6 points last season. His scoring ability checks one of the boxes the Pelicans needed. The Pelicans now have eight players on their roster who averaged double digits in points last season. That includes ﬁve players who averaged at least 15 points per game. Those five players are Trey Murphy (21.5), Zion Williamson (21), Saddiq Bey (17.7), Dejounte Murray (16.7) and Mathurin. Mathurin’s signing is the biggest roster move the Pelicans have made this offseason. They drafted St. Augustine alum Jaron Pierre in the second round in June and signed Watford last week. Other

than that, the only major change was the hiring of Jamahl Mosley as head coach. The Pelicans still need help with rebounding and rim protection. Joe Dumars, the executive vice president of basketball operations, spoke about the team’s quiet offseason earlier this month in an interview with The Times-Picayune. He also talked about the roster. “I think if we are healthy, we have a good roster,” Dumars said. “I believe in the players we have. But two things can be true at the same time. You can believe in your roster and you can continue to look to get better. So that’s what I’m doing. I believe in the roster, but I’m still looking for us to get better.” The Pelicans open the season at home Oct. 21 against the Pacers as Mathurin gets to face the team that drafted him. Mathurin scored 23 points and 17 points in his two games against the Pacers last season after he was traded to the Clippers. Email Rod Walker at rwalker@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

New Orleans Pelicans center Daniel Theis, left, plays defense as Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin attacks the basket during a game at the Smoothie King Center on Nov. 1, 2024. The Pelicans agreed with Mathurin to a two-year deal worth $16 million on Wednesday.

Moore adds a new set of eyes Moore says ‘a lot’ of for Saints’ game management Saints’ starters to sit BY MATTHEW PARAS

Staff writer

Last year, as he was building out his staff, New Orleans Saints coach Kellen Moore was recommended to spend time with Mike Martinez. Since 2023, Martinez had been the assistant to the head coach — meaning he worked with Dennis Allen and then Darren Rizzi in what was essentially a chief-of-staff role. Martinez was young and spoken highly of, but Moore had never heard of him when general manager Mickey Loomis made the suggestion. So over the next few days, they got to know each other. Three days in, Moore discovered Martinez had been keeping a secret. The 29-year-old never mentioned he was from Boise, Idaho — the place where Moore had become a college football legend. “He didn’t lead with the whole, ‘Hey, I’m a Boise guy, you know, blah blah blah,’” Moore said. “I kind of fell into it a couple days later and it made me like him even more.” After one season of working together, Moore is ready to add to Martinez’s plate. The 29-year-old will now be the coach’s latest set of eyes to help with challenging calls, penalty trends and other game-management aspects that Moore has to monitor. The Saints officially promoted Martinez to game management coordinator in the offseason, the latest step up for the Idaho native who joined the organization in 2020. Previously on the sideline on game days, Martinez has moved upstairs to the coaches’ box — where he works with senior offensive assistant Scott Linehan and Saints’ analytics staffers to consult Moore. “It’s a good collection,” Moore said. “Mike spends a lot of time with me, so he’s around all these game management meetings and all these conversations. And so it allows us to just add another player to that team aspect there. And so it’s been really good.” In his first year, Moore’s game management wasn’t always smooth. The coach drew criticism in his very ﬁrst game when he didn’t use

RABALAIS

Continued from page 1C action “so the legacy he began to see in his own life will continue for many years to come.” Of that, there is little doubt. “He made baseball great,” said Herb Vincent, Southeastern Conference associate commissioner and an LSU graduate. “No longer did baseball have to be a loss leader in the athletic departments across the Southeastern Conference. Athletic directors saw if you invested in facilities and invested in people, they too could have winning teams; they too could have big crowds; they too could have championships.” Bertman’s Tigers weren’t the ﬁrst SEC team to win the College World Series. That was Georgia in 1990. But since then, half of the CWS titles have been won by SEC teams, with eight of those trophies coming back to Baton Rouge. “Skip Bertman’s ﬁngerprints are all over that remarkable suc-

SAINTS ADD TWO VETERAN DBS

With injuries in the secondary, the New Orleans Saints have signed a pair of defensive backs. The Saints announced Wednesday they have added veterans Michael Davis and David Long, both of whom have experience under defensive coordinator Bradley Staley.The signings came as cornerbacks Quincy Riley (groin) and Lorenzo Styles (calf) were sidelined. Davis, 31, spent last season with the Saints, appearing in 11 games. He played just nine defensive snaps and was more of a contributor on special teams as he became a gunner on punts. Long is coming off a brief stint with the New york Giants. He played in only one game last season, being elevated from the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad. In seven seasons, the former 2019 third-rounder has appeared in 80 games with 12 starts. Long started his career with the Los Angeles Rams, overlapping with Staley in 2020. Matthew Paras

ä Saints at Cowboys.

7 P.M. FRIDAy,WAFB

studying the league as a whole. “Every offseason you go through a lot of that, just to improve game management, situational football, decision making,” Moore said. “There’s plenty of decisions you have to make in the games.” Also new this year, the NFL will allow teams to designate someone on staff other than the head coach to throw the red challenge flag. But Moore plans to keep that responsibility. Instead, he’ll have one more voice — Martinez’s — in his ear on game days. During the week, Martinez will maintain his duties as assistant to the head coach — organizing schedules and performing other administrative tasks. But his new role involves putting together research projects for the coaching staff and keeping them updated on that week’s officiating crew, rule changes and other points of emphasis. He’ll mainly do all this behind the scenes. Martinez declined an interview request, but Moore was more than happy to expand on the promotion. “Mike’s kind of around it already,” Moore said. “This allows us to just create a really good rhythm during the week.”

any of his timeouts before halftime in a one-score loss to the Arizona Cardinals. He occasionally threw the challenge flag in questionable moments (Week 9 vs. the Rams). Or he curiously didn’t throw it at all, like when he passed on challenging a bad spot in a Dec. 8 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Specifically on challenges, Moore had only two calls overturned on the six flags he threw in 2025. The 33.3% hit rate fell below a league average that reportedly falls between 42-44%. Analytically, Moore graded out better in models that tracked fourthdown decision-making. According to RBSDM, the Saints ranked seventh in situations that called to go for it “when they should.” ESPN had the Saints gaining the ninthmost win probability on fourth downs that its model called to go for it, but graded New Orleans lower (No. 22) on what teams did best at making “optimal decisions.” The Saints, of course, have their own internal metrics that they rely on, which can differ from the other recommendations. Regardless, there were growing pains. After the season, Moore spent Email Matthew Paras at time reviewing all his decisions and matt.paras@theadvocate.com

cess,” Vincent said. “Skip was one of the most influential people in the history of the SEC.” Certainly one of the best storytellers, a distinctive speaker who inspired countless imitations. Two stories about Bertman stood out, the first coming from arguably his greatest player, Ben McDonald. The All-America pitcher turned broadcaster told a tale of Bertman’s legendary ability to foresee what would happen in a game. McDonald was charting a game in the dugout one day as freshman pitcher Paul Byrd took the mound. Byrd would go on to become one of LSU’s winningest pitchers and play 14 seasons in the major leagues. But on this day, Bertman knew he would struggle out of the gate and scripted exactly how it would happen. “He (Bertman) said, ‘Paul Byrd is going to give up two runs in the first inning,’ ” McDonald said. “ ‘He’ll walk the first batter. The next guy’s going to get a base hit. He’ll strike a guy out, but then somehow the runners are going to end up at second and third with

against Cowboys BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

Kellen Moore had kept his plans close to the vest about whether he would play the New Orleans Saints’ starters in the preseason. But after Wednesday’s practice at Yulman Stadium, the Saints coach ﬁnally revealed his intent: The starters won’t see action. Mostly. Moore said “a lot“ of the starters will sit out again for Friday’s preseason finale against the Dallas Cowboys, meaning New Orleans will conclude the exhibition season without the majority of the ﬁrst team taking a single in-game rep before Week 1. Moore concluded that the Saints were better off avoiding injury risks since the team got extended work throughout training camp. New Orleans participated in three joint practices against three different teams this month, giving the starters high-quality reps in competitive environments. He said the three practices resulted in 145 snaps. The Saints had to be thoughtful about the choice, given the heavy number of injuries the team suffered during camp. According to Sharp Football Analysis, a website that tracks camp injuries, the Saints suffered the second-most injuries this summer behind only the San Francisco 49ers. New Orleans has witnessed season-ending injuries to defensive lineman Bryan Bresee (ACL) and guard Dillon Radunz (ACL), while watching several others (Jordyn Tyson, Quincy Riley, Cam Jordan and Alvin Kamara) suffer damage that likely will xtend into the start of the season. New Orleans, too, felt like it got good work from the joint practices. On Aug. 13, the Jacksonville Jaguars rolled into town to give New Orleans an opportunity to pit itself against an AFC team

base, so he got the out at first base, but runners were on second and third. And don’t you know the fivehole hitter hit a base hit right up the middle and two runs scored. “I just threw the clipboard up in the air. I was standing there looking at coach and he looks at me and says, ‘McDonald. Thirty years. I’ve seen it all … twice.’ ” Current LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry, an assistant AD during Bertman’s athletic directorship from 2001-08, said Skip, whose name was Stanley, STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON had nicknames for everyone. For Bertman, because of his success LSU baseball coach Jay Johnson and Jewish heritage, his nickspeaks at LSU’s celebration of the name around the department was life of Skip Bertman on Tuesday at “The Chosen One.” Cut to LSU’s 2002 football game the PMAC. at Kentucky. Cue the “Bluegrass Miracle,” Marcus Randall’s twicetwo outs. Then they’ll get a base tipped 75-yard Hail Mary touchhit and two runs will score.’ down pass to Devery Henderson “Paul Byrd walked the first batto win 33-30. Bertman and LSU’s ter on four pitches. The next batentourage — including his wife ter got a base hit. He strikes out Sandy (who died in 2025), Ausberthe three-hole hitter, but then the ry and then assistant athletic difour-hole hitter hits a little squibrector Dan Radakovich — were in ber right back to Paul Byrd. The a suite above the end zone where only play he had was over at first

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough watches a preseason games from the sidelines on Aug. 15 against Jacksonville. It appears Shough and most of the Saints’ starters won’t get a snap in any preseason games. that won 13 games last year. Days later, the Saints traveled west for two separate sessions against the Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams. Against Dallas, multiple ﬁghts erupted on a heated day, leading the NFL to issue a $500,000 ﬁne to both clubs. Tensions simmered against the Rams, giving the Saints a chance to test themselves against the team heavily favored to win the Super Bowl this season. Moore has indicated the preseason is valuable as a tune-up. Last year, when the Saints were conducting a quarterback competition, Moore used all three contests to play most of the starters. This season has resulted in a different path. Email Matthew Paras at matt.paras@theadvocate.com

Henderson scored. “Dan and I are hugging each other, jumping up and down,” Ausberry said. “Skip is standing there saying, ‘I am the chosen one!’ We looked at each other and said, ‘Wow, he must be the chosen one.’ ” Bertman was seriously special. Through his acumen as a coach, motivator and promoter, he gave countless LSU fans and his family so much to be thankful for. Bertman’s three surviving daughters — Lori, Jodi and Jan — took the podium to end the evening, along with Ezra Pate, son of Bertman’s daughter Lisa Pate who died in 2012. Lori Bertman spoke for the family, relating a call she got after her father’s passing from tennis great Billie Jean King. “(She) called me and said, ‘Your father was a true force, Lori. A true force,’ ” Lori Bertman said. “Thank you for making us feel safe and loved, and teaching us that winning was about much more than baseball.” As they left the podium, they were still holding the rope.

4C ■ Thursday, August 27, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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LSU picks its players to wear Nos. 7, 18 BY JON BLAU Staff writer

Lane Kifﬁn didn’t abandon LSU’s tradition of special numbers, but his ﬁrst season will feature some different kind of choices. LSU’s No. 18 will be worn by an offensive lineman, Braelin Moore, for just the second time in program history. Meanwhile, the No. 7 won’t be worn by one Tiger Moore but two: tight end Trey’Dez Green and linebacker Whit Weeks. Because he’s an offensive lineman, Moore will continue to wear his No. 61 uniWeeks form to conform with NCAA numbering rules. He also will sport a jersey patch with the No. 18, which honors the LSU player who most exudes leadership and good character. The only other time LSU awarded an offensive lineman the No. 18 was during the 2019 season when Lloyd Cushenberry received the honor. Cushenberry, who currently plays for the Buffalo Bills, was also a center. In 2019, the Tigers went undefeated and won a national title with Joe Burrow at quarterback and Ed Orgeron on the sideline as

er Harold Perkins. Campbell’s No. 7 was a jersey patch, as well, so this season will mark the first time since the tradition started with cornerback Patrick Peterson in 2008 that players on both sides of the ball will don a No. 7 uniform. Green has long been considered the frontrunner to inherit the number from Perkins. At 6-foot7, 237 pounds, the former basketball player has many athletic advantages. The SEC coaches voted Green first-team all-conference this preseason, and The Associated Press voters made the junior a preseason All-American. “I don’t got a lot to say, but that guy should wear No. 7, in my opinion,” said offensive lineman Bo Bordelon, who was in the No. 18 discussion. “He’s a playmaker, ballplayer.” Weeks, who was also considered a candidate for No. 18, is certainly a playmaker on the defensive side of the ball. The senior was voted a first-team All-SEC preseason player by the conference coaches despite being limited by injuries in 2025. As a sophomore, Weeks was a first-team All-SEC selection with 125 tackles, which ranked eighth all-time in LSU history. That inSTAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON cluded 10 tackles for loss, along LSU tight end Trey’Dez Green races upfield after a catch during drills on Friday at practice. Green will be one of with 3.5 sacks, two forces fumbles, an interception and six quartertwo players wearing No. 7 this season. back hurries. The only other time two LSU during the 2024 season when Brian coach. Orgeron returned to LSU this season as a special assistant players wore No. 7 — a signifier of Kelly awarded it to both offensive Email Jon Blau at the team’s top playmaker — was tackle Will Campbell and lineback- jon.blau@theadvocate.com to recruiting and defense.

LEGAL

Southern safety Herman Brister runs a drill during practice on Aug. 5 at the team’s practice field.

Continued from page 1C

Herman is to attack the football as much as he attacks bodies, because the football is where the payday is for him. And once I get him to understand that and to see the ball as much as he sees people ... he’ll become the player for us that we want.” Lyght is excited to unleash Brister in the second and third levels of his defense. Brister is ready for his role, and he expects to play an even more aggressive brand of football, delivering a season that will make himself and his family proud. After his dad played at Southern, he joined coach Pete Richardson’s staff as a running backs coach from 2000-01. Herman Brister Sr. was a track athlete at Southern, and Brister’s uncle was a standout Southern tight end. The Brister legacy was a weight Brister felt at times growing up on the Southern campus, but his dad made sure he knew that he would always have the family’s love regardless of his athletic success. “I emphasize to him that he’s his own man,” Brister Jr. said. “I know we carry the same name, but we don’t wear the same shoe size, so he has to walk in his own lane and develop his own path. And there’s no pressure for me or his family to perform.” Playing in the NFL is one of Brister’s goals, just like any football-obsessed kid. In the meantime, a SWAC championship after ﬁnishing as a runner-up in 2024 is the prize he is ﬁxated on. That is what drives him to train twice a day and crush extra game tape. Southern, which hasn’t won a conference title since 2013, is the only place Brister wants the fruits of his labor to come to fruition. “I don’t want to leave any stone unturned,” he said. “Knowing that we didn’t go out there last year and give it all that we have, and we didn’t have the result that we wanted to have last year. I wanted to come back and bring some light to the city.”

The key is competition. The more some rules differ from league to league, the more likely it is that the college sports world can withstand the antitrust lawsuits that have slowly eroded the NCAA’s authority to write and enforce its policies across the last five years. “If you don’t like the Big Ten rule,” Ehrlich said, “you can go to the SEC or you can go to the Pac-12 or the MAC or anything else, and those can be considered reasonable substitutes within this market. “So, I think long term, the conference rules are gonna be fine.” But what if the conferences have some of the same rules? That’s where things can get “real, real wacky,” Ehrlich said, especially for the 2022 high school athletes trying to land fifth seasons of eligibility through the courts. Plaintiff attorneys could lump the SEC, the Big Ten or another conference into a lawsuit against the NCAA, and if they do, then a judge could rule that the conferences are acting in concert with the NCAA and are thus subject to the same legal standards. On Wednesday, a Texas judge granted a temporary restraining order to a Texas A&M basketball player who’s played in the NBA G League. In the ruling, the judge chose not to draw a distinction between the NCAA and the SEC, potentially giving the lawyers who represent Wright, Harris and the other Louisiana plaintiffs a blueprint for challenging the league’s new eligibility rule banning former professional players from competition. New Yorks sports lawyer Ryan Mulvaney thinks that conference rules are “just another avenue ripe for litigation.” “That’s no different than the issue involving the NCAA,” he said. “If conferences are announcing that (rule), whether now or midseason, I would suspect you’d see orders to show cause be filed, if not joining the conferences with the NCAA or, depending upon what relief has already been provided, against the conferences.” It’s important to point out that the NCAA has picked up a few legal wins recently. The big one was a stay issued last Friday in a Colorado class-action suit. Others have come via state courts in New Jersey, Ohio and Tennessee. Louisiana could be next. That

injunction against the NCAA from a Baton Rouge court despite entering the NBA draft as a junior, signing a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz, being traded to the Boston Celtics and playing in three preseason games. In Luis’ court case, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey submitted an afﬁdavit Aug. 13 in support of NCAA rules against pros returning. College sports have been on a slippery slope through the NIL era. Once athletes were being paid, the NCAA allowed Europeans who were paid to play in pro leagues an avenue to participate. Now, pros

from American leagues are bouncing back to colleges. On Tuesday, the conference’s schools voted unanimously to enact a rule against athletes rejoining college programs after they declared for the NFL, NBA or WNBA drafts without withdrawing, or if they signed a contract or were rostered by any of those leagues or their affiliates. That includes any professional football league, including the UFL. SEC schools empowered Sankey to “enforce this expectation with penalties” when the new rules were announced. The penalties unveiled Wednesday are similar

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

SOUTHERN

Continued from page 1C of Fame player from Louisiana is a chance that he didn’t take lightly. The same is true for being coached by defensive coordinator Todd Lyght. Brister has etched in his memory that Lyght is a 12-year NFL defensive back and one-time Pro Bowler. Brister Jr. said his son probably memorized his coach’s career interception mark of 37. Brister embodies the hunger that Faulk wants to see. The Southern coaching staff is grateful for his attentiveness and how he leads teammates. “Really good leadership,” Lyght said of Brister. “He’s a guy that leads by example, but he’s not afraid to get vocal and challenge his teammates, which we really like.” Brister’s intangibles pair nicely with his physical attributes. While known as a sure-handed tackler, his greatest strength is an ability to apply what he learns from film on the field. Aaron Sutton, his defensive coordinator at Southern Lab, said his former safety was a field general. His impact in the box and in coverage was Tyrann Mathieu-esque during the Kittens’ run to a Division IV state championship in 2021. “(He has) that instinct of being able to know where to be, the right place to be at all times,” Sutton said. “When you think about an elite player, that honey-badger effect. I make it right, even when it’s wrong.” The next step Faulk wants to see from Brister is forcing more turnovers. “Herman has the body type, he has the mental toughness and also the smarts to play at the next level,” Faulk said. “What we have to do as a staff is to get him there, to show him the little things. He’s a big hitter, he’s a guy who likes to make a splash. My intent for

SEC

Continued from page 1C year. If the NCAA had offered them eligibility, Kiffin argues many of them never would have jumped to the pro ranks. “It’s really wrong to be critical of these kids,” Kiffin said. “They were granted a fifth year by a judge saying that they were wronged by the NCAA and that they should have had the fifth year all along.” Wade has recruited former St. John’s and UMass guard RJ Luis, who recently won a preliminary

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By GARy MCCULLOUGH

Ole Miss defensive tackle Zxavian Harris rushes against Duke during the second half of the Gator Bowl on Jan. 2, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. Harris was poised to join LSU for a fifth season, but an SEC rule passed on Tuesday is likely to prevent that.

“If you don’t like the Big Ten rule, you can go to the SEC or you can go to the Pac-12 or the MAC or anything else, and those can be considered reasonable substitutes within this market.” SAM EHRLICH, former lawyer and Boise State professor case has another hearing scheduled for Monday that could determine whether the plaintiffs get a longer-lasting decision on their eligibility.

A new normal?

tention,” he said. “But it’s not an issue for the future.” Others, such as Tulane law professor Gabe Feldman and Illinois sports lawyer Mitch Gilfillan, agree with Brandt. They think the NFL issue will resolve itself fairly quickly, but Feldman worries that more litigation aimed at different eligibility rules could throw college sports into even more turmoil. “This won’t happen next year because everybody will have the full five years,” Feldman said. “So this is probably just a one-year anomaly, but absent federal legislation, there’s nothing to stop an athlete from suing next time to say, ‘Well, I want a sixth year. Why am I only getting five?’ ” Said Gilfillan: “They did not foresee, or maybe they did foresee, what the fallout could possibly be, and obviously they’re suffering the consequences.” Consequences such as the SEC finding itself at odds with one of its member schools right as football season begins. That’s where things stand, as of Wednesday, for Kiffin’s LSU team — a program that positioned itself to benefit from the court rulings that are plunging the college sports world into chaos.

All five experts agreed that the NCAA likely won’t have to worry about NFL players returning to college football beyond this year. The issue, they said, originates from the NCAA’s decision not to grandfather 2022 high school athletes into its new age-based eligibility rules in June. Andrew Brandt, an NFL executive turned Villanova professor and author, pointed out that the NFL rookies trickling back into college football are just trying to play the fifth year that was given to everyone else. “They’ll have to figure out what to do with these five to 10 players Email Reed Darcey at reed. this year that are getting all the at- darcey@theadvocate.com.

to those instituted by the Big Ten, which just updated its guidelines to prevent former NFL players from signing with member institutions. According to multiple reports, LSU abstained from voting on the SEC’s new penalties, which received a 15-0 vote in favor. The lingering question is whether LSU will follow through and enroll these athletes because it’s unclear whether the courts could provide Wright, Harris and Luis cover. Darren Heitner, an attorney representing Wright and Harris, noted in a Tuesday night social

media post that the temporary restraining order in Louisiana applies to “all persons acting in concert or participation with” the NCAA. “The SEC is no stranger. It is at a minimum a participant,” Heitner wrote, referencing Sankey’s affidavits in recent eligibility lawsuits. “If the SEC now attempts to keep players off the field after they terminate their pro deals, the SEC is also acting in concert with the NCAA. And a judge in Louisiana may find it to be in contempt.” Email Jon Blau at jon.blau@theadvocate.com

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Thursday, August 27, 2026 ■ 5C

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THE VARSITY ZONE FOOTBALL PRE VIEW n DISTRICT 5-5A

District of parity

Easy outs hard to find in recent years BY CHARLES SALZER Contributing writer

Ever since Livingston and Ascension parishes joined up to form their own district, the term “any given night” has been an appropriate description of the way their teams compete. Last year, Denham Springs and East Ascension tied for the district championship with one loss apiece. It was the fourth time in four years that the district championship had been shared. Denham Springs will need to rebound from graduation losses, but East Ascension returns much of its team and has the experience needed to compete for another title. The Spartans’ only loss last season came at the hands of Prairieville, which illustrates how treacherous the path to a district title can be. “This is one of the toughest districts in the state,” East Ascension coach Brock Matherne said. “You’ve got to buckle up and compete every week if you want to be in the running at the end, but I also think its the type of district you want to be in if your goal is to make a run in the state playoffs. It prepares you for that.” The Spartans have production returning in all three phases. No one illustrates that better than do-it-all senior Jeremyah Merriweather. Last year, he saw offensive action at wide receiver, running back and some as a Wildcat quarterback. He also played defensive back and returned kickoffs and punts. Other key returners are quarterback Zaylen Smith, who is healthy after battling injuries last year; wide receiver Jayden

Baton Rouge-area jamboree schedule Thursday Battle on the Bluff

(at A.W. Mumford Stadium) Belaire vs. Broadmoor, 5:30 p.m. Woodlawn vs. Madison Prep, 6:45 p.m. Tara vs. Northeast, 8 p.m.

Red Stick Rumble

STAFF FILE PHOTO By CHRIS PARENT

East Ascension quarterback Zaylen Smith jumps into the end zone for a touchdown during a game against Denham Springs on Sept. 26 at Spartan Stadium in Gonzales. Ursin; and defensive linemen Jhavion Johnson and King Short. Micah Levy, an honorable mention all-state performer at defensive back, will move to linebacker. Among the challengers for East Ascension will be Prairieville, which lost only a handful of starters from last year’s team that went 3-3 in the district. The Hurricanes are ﬁelding a team for only the third year, but many of their starters have been with the program the entire time. One of the important pieces for Prairieville is Skyler Kelly, a dual-threat quarterback who will beneﬁt from an offensive line that returns four starters. On defense, the three-year starters include lineman Daniel Williams, linebacker Stantyen Dellapasse and safety Cade Hebert.

6 p.m. at Amite Springﬁeld vs. Independence, 6:30 p.m. at Loranger Hammond at Live Oak, 6:45 p.m. Westminster Christian at Ascension Christian, 7 p.m. North Iberville at Plaquemine, 7 p.m. Dutchtown at Prairieville, 7 p.m.

Friday

Battle on the Bluff

Central Private Jamboree

Other games

(at St. Michael High) Ascension Catholic vs. White Castle, 6:30 p.m. Riverside at St. Michael, 8 p.m.

(at Central Private) Slaughter Community Charter vs. St. John, 6:30 p.m. Northlake Christian at Central Private, 7:30 p.m. Assumption at Port Allen, 6 p.m. Albany at Ponchatoula, 6 p.m. Kentwood vs. Southern Lab,

Denham Springs Last year: 8-3 (second round), 5-1 in 5-5A East Ascension Last year: 8-4 (second round), 5-1 in 5-5A St. Amant Last year: 7-4 (first round), 3-3 in 5-5A Dutchtown Last year: 5-5 (first round), 3-3 in 5-5A Prairieville Last year: 5-6 (first round), 3-3 in 5-5A Live Oak Last year: 3-6, 2-4 in 5-5A Walker Last year: 1-9, 0-6 in 5-5A

FIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH

(at A.W. Mumford Stadium) McKinley vs. Istrouma, 6 p.m. Liberty vs. Scotlandville, 7:15 p.m. Glen Oaks vs. Capitol, 8:30 p.m.

(at Parkview Baptist) Brusly vs. Episcopal, 6 p.m. Dunham at Parkview Baptist, 7:30 p.m.

LOOKING BACK

St. Michael Jamboree

East Iberville Jamboree

(at East Iberville) Helix Mentorship Academy vs. Thrive Academy, 5:30 p.m.

Last year’s Dutchtown team fielded its smallest senior class since coach Guy Mistretta arrived 10 years ago. The upside is the Griffins will return a lot of experienced players from a squad that went 5-4 in the regular season. “We got a lot of playing time in for some young kids, and we return over 20 guys that started at least five games,” Mistretta said. “That said, we weren’t up to our standards last year finishing at .500. We return a lot of experience, but we’ve got to get a lot better, as well.” Quarterback Owen Fletcher and wide receiver Derrick Walker-Vice will be among the leaders. Carter Hedden, a running back last season, will shift to tight end. Denham Springs is breaking in a new quarterback in sophomore Devin Kinchen. He

Baker at East Iberville, 6:30 p.m.

East Ascension Jamboree

(at East Ascension High) Central at East Ascension, 6 p.m. Central vs. St. Amant, 7 p.m. St. Amant at East Ascension, 8 p.m.

River Parish Jamboree

(at Destrehan High) Hahnville vs. St. James, 6 p.m. Lutcher at Destrehan, 8 p.m.

Other games

Collegiate Baton Rouge vs. Carver, 6 p.m. at Joe Brown Stadium in New Orleans Alexandria at Zachary, 7 p.m. University High at Catholic-BR, 7 p.m. East Feliciana at West Felciana, 7 p.m. Donaldsonville vs. Opelousas Catholic, 7 p.m. at St. Edmund High Denham Springs at Walker, 7:30 p.m.

didn’t put up big numbers in last week’s scrimmage against Zachary, but he showed poise against what is expected to be a solid Broncos defense. “That’s a kid that we’ve always known was coming down the pipeline,” Denham Springs coach Brett Beard said. “He’s a Denham kid that has a chance to be a big part of our success for a long time. He’s got a lot to learn, but I love the way he handled himself (against Zachary). He just needs to play.” St. Amant and Live Oak also will have holes to ﬁll at quarterback. St. Amant’s Cooper Babin and Live Oak’s Cayden Jones, now a preferred walkon at LSU, both put up big numbers last year. The ability of their successors will determine the chances each team has at making a name for itself.

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW 1. In the four years since the Livingston Parish and Ascension Parish Class 5A schools became members of the same district, no school has won an outright championship. Denham Springs, Dutchtown and St. Amant have all shared multiple titles while Walker and East Ascension have a share of one. 2. When Prairieville opened its doors two years ago, the school jumped right into Class 5A competition, and the school has adapted quickly. The Hurricanes

Jourden Hickerson RB | St. Amant, Sr. He rushed for more than 1,100 yards and 21 touchdowns as a junior, when he was named to the all-district and All-Metro teams. Cash Davis WR | Live Oak, Sr. An all-district and All-Metro selection, Davis set a Live Oak record with more than 1,200 receiving yards. He was the first player in program history to surpass 1,000 yards in a single season. Micah Levy DB | East Ascension, Sr. Levy had a decorated junior season earning all-district and All-Metro honors along with an honorable mention Class 5A all-state pick. Skyler Kelly QB | Prairieville, Sr. A dual-threat quarterback, Kelly accounted for 22 touchdowns last year, 11 passing and 11 rushing. He will be an important part of the equation if Prairieville is a factor in the district race. Trey Seals WR | Denham Springs, Sr. The top returning receiver for the yellow Jackets, Seals’ junior season included twotouchdown games against Walker and Live Oak, when he caught nine passes for more than 100 yards.

handed East Ascension its only district loss last season and contended for the championship before finishing at 3-3. 3. Walker will open the season looking to end a nine-game losing streak. The Wildcats opened last season with a win over Ponchatoula but didn’t record a victory again. The losing skid is the longest for Walker since a run of eight games that spanned the last seven of the 2020 season and the first contest of 2021. 4. The bloodlines are strong for Live Oak wide receiver Cash Davis. His father, Chris Davis, played at

LSU and Southern, where he was one of the leading receivers on the Jaguars’ 2003 HBCU national championship team that went 12-1. His brother, Chris Davis Jr., is a freshman wide receiver at Grambling. 5. The district will have plenty of new faces at quarterback. Denham Springs, Live Oak and St. Amant all must replace starters who were responsible for the district’s most productive seasons a year ago. East Ascension and Prairieville have the best chance at continuity with the return of Zaylen Smith and Skyler Kelly, respectively.

These area D-linemen look to dominate in trenches BY JACKSON REYES

Staff writer

Maison Smith, U-High, Sr.

The Cubs will look to replace defensive lineman Lamar Brown, who was the top-ranked recruit in the nation last season and is now at LSU. One candidate to help ﬁll his role is Smith. The 6-3, 278-pound lineman is a three-star UL commitment.

The Baton Rouge area features talented edge rushers and defensive tackles across all five classes. With the high school football season coming soon, it’s time to take a look at some of the best players along the defensive line who will terrorize opposing of- Jairius Jones, Plaquemine, Sr. fenses this year. The Green Devils feature an exThe following list includes 10 de- citing edge rusher in Jones. The fensive linemen to watch for this 6-3, 205-pound senior is a threestar recruit committed to South season. Alabama. He ﬁnished 2025 with 40 Jayden Vessell, Catholic, Sr. tackles, 10.5 sacks, three forced The Bears should have one of the fumbles and a pick-six. best defensive fronts in the state. Leading the charge is Vessell, a Jaydon Garnett, Central, Sr. 6-foot-2, 230-pound edge rusher. The Wildcats are loaded deThe three-star Oklahoma State fensively heading into 2026. On commitment totaled 32 tackles the defensive line, Garnett made and eight for loss in 2025. He of- plays every game in 2025. The 6-1, fers plenty of explosiveness and 225-pound edge ﬁnished his junior year with 47 tackles, nine tackles speed. for loss, eight sacks, 28 QB hurries Jack Stokes, Catholic, So. and one forced fumble. One exciting name to watch for a potential breakout year is Stokes. Champ Williams, St. Michael, Jr. The Bears sophomore offers St. Michael returns several startgreat size at 6-3, 245 pounds. He ers on defense, including electric also holds several notable college edge rusher Williams. The 6-5, offers, including Florida State, 224-pound edge rusher amassed 62 Vanderbilt and UNLV. total tackles, 16 tackles for loss and

two forced fumbles last season.

Daniel Williams, Prairieville, Sr. As Prairieville continues its rise as a football program, Williams has been an integral part to its success. The 6-4, 235-pound edge totaled 31 total tackles, nine for loss, two sacks and ﬁve pass deﬂections.

Darius Mack, Madison Prep, Sr. Madison Prep features one of the best defensive fronts in the state. Mack, a 6-2, 235-pound senior, was a force on the edge. He amassed 14.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss in 2025. He also forced two fumbles last year.

Jamyris Allen, Madison Prep, Sr. The Chargers also feature another talented lineman in Allen. The 6-3, 305-pound tackle is a force. The Nicholls State commitment totaled 21 tackles for loss, six sacks, three forced fumbles and one interception.

Matthew King, East Feliciana, Jr. King, a junior, lived in the backfield last season. His sophomore season featured 14 sacks, 68 total tackles, three tackles for loss and three forced fumbles. The 6-foot, 195-pound edge is always a good bet to wreck a game.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

Central quarterback Jacori Platt readies to throw under pressure from Catholic High defensive lineman Jayden Vessell on Oct. 17 at Wildcat Stadium.

6C ■ Thursday, August 27, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

lll

SCOREBOARD Odds Thursday

LINE +126 -107 LINE -103 +183 -108 OFF LINE OFF

Pro football NFL glance Thursday’s games

Pittsburgh at Buffalo, 6 p.m. New England at Cleveland, 7 p.m. San Francisco at Las Vegas, 7 p.m. L.A. Rams at L.A. Chargers, 9 p.m.

Friday’s games

Washington at Baltimore, 5 p.m. Atlanta at Miami, 6 p.m. Houston at Carolina, 6 p.m. N.Y. Giants at N.Y. Jets, 6:30 p.m. Tampa Bay at Jacksonville, 6:30 p.m. Arizona at Green Bay, 7 p.m. Cincinnati at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. New Orleans at Dallas, 7 p.m. Seattle at Kansas City, 7 p.m. Minnesota at Denver, 8 p.m.

Saturday’s games

Detroit at Indianapolis, noon Chicago at Tennessee, 5 p.m.

College football Thursday’s games EAST

Maine (0-0) at Towson (0-0), 5 p.m. Stony Brook (0-0) at Delaware St. (0-0), 5 p.m. Lafayette (0-0) at Georgetown (0-0), 6 p.m.

SOUTH

Ohio Dominican (0-0) at Morehead St. (0-0), 5 p.m. S. Illinois (0-0) at West Florida (0-0), 6 p.m. MVSU (0-0) at Nicholls (0-0), 6 p.m. Gardner-Webb (0-0) at Austin Peay (0-0), 6 p.m. Chattanooga (0-0) at West Georgia (0-0), 6 p.m. Houston Christian (0-0) at Southeastern (0-0), 6 p.m. Concord (0-0) at Davidson (0-0), 6 p.m. Glenville St. (0-0) at Elon (0-0), 6 p.m. Anderson (SC) Trojans (0-0) at Furman (0-0), 6 p.m. Virginia-Wise (0-0) at Presbyterian (0-0), 6 p.m. E. Illinois (0-0) at Murray St. (0-0), 6 p.m. Cent. Arkansas (0-0) at UT Martin (0-0), 6:30 p.m. Louisiana College (0-0) at Northwestern St. (0-0), 7 p.m.

MIDWEST

Mercyhurst (0-0) at Youngstown St. (0-0), 5 p.m. Charleston Southern (0-0) at Lindenwood (Mo.) (0-0), 6 p.m. Northwestern (IA) (0-0) at W. Illinois (0-0), 6 p.m. Winona St. (0-0) at St. Thomas (Minn.) (0-0), 6 p.m. S.D. Mines (0-0) at Drake (0-0), 6:30 p.m. LIU Brooklyn (0-0) at North Dakota (0-0), 7 p.m.

Friday’s games

EAST Colgate (0-0) at Fordham (0-0), 5 p.m. William & Mary (0-0) at Villanova (0-0), 5 p.m. Marist (0-0) at New Haven (0-0), 5 p.m. Rhode Island (0-0) at Merrimack (0-0), 5 p.m. New Hampshire (0-0) at Albany (NY) (0-0), 6 p.m. FAR WEST Weber St. (0-0) at N. Colorado (0-0), 8 p.m. Idaho (0-0) at Cal Poly (0-0), 9 p.m.

Saturday’s games

EAST Robert Morris (0-0) at Wagner (0-0), 11 a.m. Lehigh (0-0) at Holy Cross (0-0), 2:30 p.m. Bryant (0-0) at Stonehill (0-0), 5 p.m. Howard (0-0) vs. Alabama A&M (0-0) at Atlanta, 6:30 p.m. SOUTH Alabama St. (0-0) vs. Southern (0-0) at Birmingham, Ala., 2 p.m. NC State (0-0) at Virginia (0-0), 2:30 p.m. Campbell (0-0) at ETSU (0-0), 4:30 p.m. Bucknell (0-0) at Richmond (0-0), 5 p.m. The Citadel (0-0) at Wofford (0-0), 5 p.m. Savannah St. (0-0) at SC State (0-0), 5 p.m. Morgan St. (0-0) at NC A&T (0-0), 5 p.m. Winston-Salem (0-0) at Norfolk St. (0-0), 5 p.m. Va. Lynchburg (0-0) at Hampton (0-0), 5 p.m. Stephen F. Austin (0-0) at McNeese St. (0-0), 6 p.m. Miles (0-0) at Alcorn St. (0-0), 6 p.m. East Texas A&M (0-0) at Mercer (0-0), 6 p.m. E. Kentucky (0-0) at W. Carolina (0-0), 6 p.m. New Mexico St. (0-0) at Florida St. (0-0), 6 p.m. Monmouth (NJ) (0-0) at Tennessee Tech (0-0), 6 p.m. North Alabama (0-0) vs. Samford (0-0) at Huntsville, Ala., 6 p.m. Albany St. (Ga.) (0-0) at Florida A&M (0-0), 6 p.m. Clark Atlanta (0-0) at Grambling St. (0-0), 6 p.m. Jackson St. (0-0) at Tennessee St. (0-0), 7:30 p.m. MIDWEST Fairmont St. (0-0) at Dayton (0-0), 11 a.m. Georgetown (0-0) at Butler (0-0), 12 p.m. Lawrence Tech Blue Devils (0-0) at Valparaiso (0-0), 1 p.m. CCSU (0-0) at South Dakota (0-0), 2 p.m. Jacksonville St. (0-0) at N. Dakota St. (0-0), 4:30 p.m. SE Missouri (0-0) at Indiana St. (0-0), 5 p.m. Sacramento St. (0-0) at E. Michigan (0-0), 5:30 p.m. Stetson (0-0) at S. Dakota St. (0-0), 6 p.m. St. Francis (Ill.) (0-0) at Illinois St. (0-0), 6 p.m. SOUTHWEST TCU (0-0) vs. North Carolina (0-0) at Dublin, 11 a.m. NC Central (0-0) at Texas Southern (0-0), 6 p.m. Okla. Panhandle St. (0-0) at Incarnate Word (0-0), 6 p.m. Abilene Christian (0-0) at Lamar (0-0), 7 p.m. Ark.-Pine Bluff (0-0) vs. Morehouse (0-0) at Little Rock, Ark., 6 p.m. Texas-Permian Basin (0-0) at UT Rio Grande Valley (0-0), 7 p.m. Prairie View (0-0) at Tarleton St. (0-0), 8 p.m. FAR WEST San Jose St. (0-0) at Southern Cal (0-0), 2 p.m. UC Davis (0-0) at Portland St. (0-0), 2 p.m. E. Washington (0-0) at N. Arizona (0-0), 4 p.m. VMI (0-0) at Idaho St. (0-0), 5 p.m. Hawaii (0-0) at Stanford (0-0), 6 p.m. S. Utah (0-0) at Montana (0-0), 8 p.m. Memphis (0-0) at UNLV (0-0), 9 p.m. Montana St. (0-0) at Utah Tech (0-0), 9 p.m.

Pro tennis US Open results Wednesday

At The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center New York Purse: $5,438,400 Surface: Hardcourt outdoor

Men’s singles

East Division

Qualiﬁcation Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera (31), Chile, def. Genaro Alberto Olivieri, Argentina, 6-3, 6-1. Daniel Rincon, Spain, def. Jordan Lee, United States, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1. Andrea Guerrieri, Italy, def. Joel Schwaerzler, Austria, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1. Jurij Rodionov (21), Austria, def. Frederico Ferreira Silva, Portugal, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1. Aziz Dougaz, Tunisia, def. Kyrian Jacquet (10), France, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. Jacob Fearnley (4), Britain, def. Luka Pavlovic, France, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-4. Vilius Gaubas (14), Lithuania, def. Marco Cecchinato, Italy, 6-4, 6-3. Coleman Wong (2), Hong Kong, China, def. Lukas Neumayer, Austria, 6-3, 6-3. Cristian Garin (24), Chile, def. Elias Ymer, Sweden, 6-2, 7-6 (5). Grigor Dimitrov (25), Bulgaria, def. Timofey Skatov, Kazakhstan, 7-6 (5), 6-4. Dusan Lajovic (30), Serbia, def. David Jorda Sanchis, Spain, 7-5, 7-6 (2). Otto Virtanen (9), Finland, def. Jack Pinnington Jones, Britain, 2-6, 7-6 (6), 6-3. Mackenzie McDonald (28), United States, def. Thiago Seyboth Wild, Brazil, 6-4, 6-4. Toby Samuel (7), Britain, def. Billy Harris,

Mississippi Valley State at Nicholls State

WHEN: 6 p.m. Thursday WHERE: Strawberry Stadium (7,408), Hammond ONLINE: ESPN+ RECORDS: Both teams 0-0 LATEST LINE: SLU by 30½ SERIES: SLU leads 9-1 LAST MEETING: SLU won 38-14 in 2025. NOTES: The two teams open the season with a Southland Conference game in a series dominated by the Lions. ... The Lions, picked to ﬁnish second in the SLC, are ranked No. 19 in the Stats Perform FCS preseason poll. SLU is one of three Southland schools (Stephen F. Austin No. 13 and Lamar No. 20) in the Top 25. ... SLU coach Frank Scelfo is the dean of Southland football coaches with a 53-40 record in eight seasons, including four FCS playoff appearances. ... HCU is led by third-year coach Jason Bachtel, who served as the team’s offensive coordinator before being promoted. His record is 7-17 at HCU. ... The Huskies signed just one transfer this season in contrast to signing 18 in 2025.

WHEN: 6 p.m. Thursday WHERE: John L. Guidry Stadium (12,800), Thibodaux ONLINE: ESPN+ RECORDS: Both teams 0-0 LATEST LINE: Nicholls by 30½ SERIES: Nicholls leads 2-0 LAST MEETING: Nicholls won 66-0 in 2024. NOTES: This is the second straight season the Colonels have opened on Week 0. Last season, they upset then No. 4 Incarnate Word 20-6 to start the year. ... After starting the season 1-6 last season, Nicholls won three of its last five to finish 4-8. ... The Delta Devils finished 2-10 last season, but ended the year on a strong note by upsetting Florida A&M 35-31. ... The Delta Devils are led by second-year coach Terrell Buckley, a former Florida State great and 14-year NFL veteran. ... Nicholls signed 44 players to its 2026 recruiting class. The class has 22 players from Louisiana, 14 from Mississippi, two each from Alabama, Georgia and Texas, one from Florida and one from Canada.

Women’s singles

Qualiﬁcation Elena Pridankina, Russia, def. Rebecca Marino, Canada, 6-2, 6-4. Robin Montgomery, United States, def. Jeline Vandromme (26), Belgium, 7-5, 6-3. Mariam Bolkvadze, Georgia, def. Alevtina Ibragimova, Russia, 6-4, 6-3. Zheng Qinwen (14), China, def. Clara Burel, France, 6-1, 7-5. Anouk Koevermans, Netherlands, def. Linda Klimovicova, Poland, 6-3, 7-5. Carson Branstine, Canada, def. Linda Fruhvirtova, Czechia, 6-4, 7-5. Polina Iatcenko, Russia, def. Lucia Bronzetti (7), Italy, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. Gabriela Knutson, Czechia, def. Dominika Salkova (11), Czechia, 6-3, 6-1. Andrea Lazaro Garcia (31), Spain, def. Mai Hontama, Japan, 5-7, 7-6 (6), 6-1. Lucrezia Stefanini (28), Italy, def. Madison Brengle, United States, 6-2, 6-3. Julieta Pareja, United States, def. Iryna Shymanovich, Belarus, 6-4, 6-2. Mia Ristic, Serbia, def. Francisca Jorge, Portugal, 6-1, 6-3. Susan Bandecchi, Switzerland, def. Viktoria Hruncakova, Slovakia, 6-3, 6-2. Ekaterine Gorgodze, Georgia, def. Despina Papamichail, Greece, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2). Harriet Dart (29), Britain, def. Kristina Penickova, United States, 5-7, 6-0, 6-3. Himeno Sakatsume (23), Japan, def. Tyra Caterina Grant, Italy, 5-7, 6-2, 6-3. Arantxa Rus, Netherlands, def. Suzan Lamens, Netherlands, 6-3, 6-4. Yuan Yue (13), China, def. Julia Avdeeva, Russia, 6-3, 6-2. Bianca Andreescu, Canada, def. Veronika Podrez (24), Ukraine, 6-0, 6-3. Lucie Havlickova, Czechia, def. Moyuka Uchijima (2), Japan, 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (6). Nao Hibino, Japan, def. Anna Siskova, Czechia, 6-4, 6-2. Tamara Zidansek, Slovenia, def. Guiomar Maristany Zuleta de Reales, Spain, 7-5, 6-3. Martyna Kubka, Poland, def. Marina Bassols Ribera (21), Spain, 6-3, 6-2. Mary Stoiana (17), United States, def. Katie Swan, Britain, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-3. Heather Watson, Britain, def. Angela Fita Boluda, Spain, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (5). Francesca Jones (3), Britain, def. Mona Barthel, Germany, 7-6 (3), 1-6, 6-2. Joanna Garland, Taiwan, def. Priscilla Hon, Australia, 6-3, 6-4. Storm Hunter, Australia, def. Yeon Woo Ku, South Korea, 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-0. Kristina Liutova (16), Russia, def. Lola Radivojevic, Serbia, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4. Darja Semenistaja (4), Latvia, def. Alexandra Shubladze, Russia, 7-6 (5), 6-4. Elvina Kalieva (8), United States, def. Soﬁa Costoulas, Belgium, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Vendula Valdmannova, Czechia, def. Aliaksandra Sasnovich (25), Belarus, 5-7, 6-3, 6-1.

Mixed doubles

Semiﬁnals Belinda Bencic, Switzerland, and Flavio Cobolli (4), Italy, def. Gael Monﬁls, France, and Elina Svitolina, Ukraine, 4-5 (7), 4-1, 10-5.

WTA Abierto Monterrey results Wednesday

At Club Sonoma Monterrey, Mexico Purse: $1,206,446 Surface: Hardcourt outdoor

Women’s singles

Round of 16 Ann Li (5), United States, def. Maria Timofeeva, Russia, walkover. Darja Vidmanova, Czechia, def. Cristina Bucsa (8), Spain, 6-4, 7-5. Elise Mertens (2), Belgium, def. Panna Udvardy, Hungary, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3.

Women’s doubles

Quarterﬁnals Maia Lumsden, Britain, and Maria Kozyreva, Russia, def. Miyu (1994) Kato, Japan, and Anna Danilina (4), Kazakhstan, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 10-3. Xu Yifan, China, and Maya Joint, Australia, def. Katarzyna Piter, Poland, and Janice Tjen, Indonesia, 7-6 (6), 1-6, 10-8.

Pro basketball WNBA Glance EASTERN CONFERENCE x-Atlanta x-Indiana x-New York x-Washington Chicago Toronto Connecticut

W 25 25 23 22 15 11 9

L 13 14 15 15 23 26 27

Pct GB .658 — .641 ½ .605 2 .595 2½ .395 10 .297 13½ .250 15

x-Minnesota x-Golden State x-Las Vegas Dallas Portland Phoenix Los Angeles Seattle

W 31 26 26 22 15 13 13 7

L 8 11 13 16 22 24 25 31

Pct GB .795 — .703 4 .667 5 .579 8½ .405 15 .351 17 .342 17½ .184 23½

WESTERN CONFERENCE

x-clinched playoff spot Tuesday’s games

Connecticut 87, Chicago 81 Dallas 96, Portland 78 Washington 94, Phoenix 84

Wednesday’s games

Golden State 89, Connecticut 64 Toronto at Seattle, n

Thursday’s games

Golden State at New York, 7 p.m. Washington at Phoenix, 9 p.m.

Soccer MLS glance Eastern Conference Nashville Inter Miami CF Chicago New England Charlotte FC Cincinnati New York City FC New York Orlando City Toronto FC D.C. United Atlanta Philadelphia CF Montréal Columbus

W L 15 2 11 4 11 6 10 7 9 7 8 6 7 8 7 9 7 11 5 7 5 7 6 12 5 10 5 10 5 11

Western Conference

T Pts 4 49 6 39 3 36 4 34 5 32 7 31 6 27 5 26 3 24 9 24 9 24 3 21 6 21 6 21 5 20

W 79 75 73 65 64

Tampa Bay New York Boston Toronto Baltimore

Houston Christian at Southeastern Louisiana

Britain, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. Shintaro Mochizuki (6), Japan, def. Braden Shick, United States, 6-4, 6-1. Harry Wendelken, Britain, def. Remy Bertola, Switzerland, 5-7, 7-6 (4), 6-4. Dalibor Svrcina (8), Czechia, def. Alexis Galarneau, Canada, 7-6 (3), 6-2. Nishesh Basavareddy (32), United States, def. Luka Mikrut, Croatia, 6-2, 6-4. Francesco Passaro, Italy, def. Tom Gentzsch (29), Germany, 7-6 (4), 6-4. Arthur Gea (1), France, def. Clement Chidekh, France, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-2. Rei Sakamoto, Japan, def. Alexandre Muller (23), France, 6-3, 6-3. Hugo Gaston (3), France, def. Andre Ilagan, United States, 6-1, 6-3. Kei Nishikori, Japan, def. Michael Antonius, United States, 6-4, 6-4. Christopher O’Connell (17), Australia, def. Nicolai Budkov Kjaer, Norway, 7-5, 6-4. Yunchaokete Bu (11), China, def. Borna Gojo, Croatia, 6-4, 6-4. Zsombor Piros (12), Hungary, def. Daniil Glinka, Estonia, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4. Liam Draxl, Canada, def. Andrew Johnson, United States, 6-4, 6-2. Lloyd Harris, South Africa, def. Henrique Rocha (15), Portugal, 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (10). Tristan Schoolkate, Australia, def. Seongchan Hong, South Korea, 6-4, 7-6 (6). Pablo Llamas Ruiz (18), Spain, def. Vitaliy Sachko, Ukraine, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (11). Federico Cina, Italy, def. Hugo Dellien (27), Bolivia, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5. Colton Smith, United States, def. Jerome Kym, Switzerland, 7-6 (2), 2-6, 6-4.

National League

American League

THURSDAY’S STATE CAPSULES

MLB American League FAVORITE LINE UNDERDOG at N.Y YANKEES -156 Houston Kansas City -115 at TORONTO National League FAVORITE LINE UNDERDOG Colorado -120 at WASHINGTON Milwaukee -234 at N.Y METS LA Dodgers -114 at ATLANTA at SAN FRAN. OFF Arizona Interleague FAVORITE LINE UNDERDOG at ST. LOUIS OFF Baltimore

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

GF GA 43 17 49 40 37 26 33 26 38 32 49 47 35 30 31 43 34 51 31 37 28 36 25 36 31 38 29 39 30 36

W L T Pts GF GA Vancouver 12 4 4 40 45 18 Houston 12 7 2 38 30 26 Los Angeles FC 10 7 5 35 36 22 San Jose 10 8 3 33 39 33 FC Dallas 9 6 6 33 38 34 St Louis City 9 6 6 33 30 27 Colorado 9 11 1 28 30 28 Real Salt Lake 8 8 4 28 34 32 Portland 8 9 4 28 38 37 Minnesota United 7 7 7 28 27 29 San Diego FC 7 8 6 27 37 32 LA Galaxy 6 8 8 26 27 32 Seattle 7 9 4 25 22 27 Austin FC 5 10 6 21 26 40 Sporting Kansas City 4 14 3 15 20 51 NOTE: Three points for victory, one point for tie.

Pct .594 .568 .549 .485 .485

GB — 3½ 6 14½ 14½

W 69 68 64 62 59

L 63 66 69 71 75

Pct .523 .507 .481 .466 .440

GB — 2 5½ 7½ 11

Milwaukee Chicago St. Louis Pittsburgh Cincinnati

W 66 66 64 52 52

L 67 67 70 81 82

Pct .496 .496 .478 .391 .388

GB — — 2½ 14 14½

Los Angeles San Diego Arizona San Francisco Colorado

Central Division Chicago Cleveland Minnesota Detroit Kansas City

West Division Houston Texas Seattle Athletics Los Angeles

Tuesday’s games

Detroit 4, Tampa Bay 1 Kansas City 5, Toronto 3 Boston 7, Miami 3, 11 innings Houston 9, N.Y. Yankees 7 Baltimore 13, St. Louis 1 Chicago White Sox 11, Texas 7 Athletics 4, Minnesota 2 Seattle 4, Philadelphia 1 Cleveland 8, L.A. Angels 6, 10 innings

Wednesday’s games

Tampa Bay 3, Detroit 0 Philadelphia 6, Seattle 0 Cleveland 4, L.A. Angels 3 Miami 4, Boston 0 Toronto 3, Kansas City 0 N.Y. Yankees 9, Houston 3 Chicago White Sox 10, Texas 5 Baltimore 8, St. Louis 7 Minnesota at Athletics, n

Sunday’s games

New York City FC 1, New England 1, tie Atlanta 2, Sporting Kansas City 1

Saturday’s gaes

Chicago at Seattle, 3:30 p.m. Charlotte FC at Atlanta, 6:30 p.m. New England at Columbus, 6:30 p.m. Los Angeles FC at D.C. United, 6:30 p.m. CF Montréal at Miami, 6:30 p.m. Philadelphia at New York, 6:30 p.m. New York City FC at Toronto FC, 6:30 p.m. San Jose at Houston, 7:30 p.m. Vancouver at Sporting Kansas City, 7:30 p.m. Orlando City at Minnesota, 7:30 p.m. Cincinnati at Nashville, 7:30 p.m. Real Salt Lake at Colorado, 8:30 p.m. Austin FC at Portland, 9:30 p.m. LA Galaxy at San Diego FC, 9:30 p.m.

Sunday, August 30

FC Dallas at St Louis City, 6 p.m.

Transactions BASEBALL

Major League Baseball American League ATHLETICS — Reinstated RHP Chris Roycroft. Optioned RHP Hayden Juenger to Las Vegas (PCL). KANSAS CITY ROYALS — Sent RHP Tony Gonsolin on a rehab assignment to Omaha (IL). LOS ANGELES ANGELS — Recalled LF Bryce Teodosio and RHP Trevor Martin from Salt Lake (PCL). Optioned LHP Blake Weiman to Salt Lake. Sent LF Wade Meckler on a rehab assignment to Rancho Cucamonga (CAL). Placed OF Gustavo Campero on the 10-day IL. NEW YORK YANKEES — Agreed to terms with RHP Michael Fulmer on a contract. Recalled RHP Elmer Rodríguez from Scranton/WilkesBarre (IL). Optioned RHP Bradley Hanner to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Placed RHP Fernando Cruz on the 15-day IL. Transferred RHP Kervin Castro from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL. TAMPA BAY RAYS — Sent RF Victor Mesa Jr. on a rehab assignment to Durham (IL). National League ATLANTA BRAVES — Claimed RHP Ricky Vanasco off waivers from Detroit. Optioned Vanasco to Gwinnett (IL). MIAMI MARLINS — Selected the contract of LHP Patrick Monteverde from Jacksonville (IL). Optioned LHP Cade Gibson to Jacksonville. PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES — Sent LHP Tanner Banks on a rehab assignment to Lehigh Valley (IL). SAN DIEGO PADRES — Recalled RHP David Morgan from El Paso (PCL). Placed RHP Jeremiah Estrada on the 15-day IL, retroactive to Aug. 25. SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS — Selected the contract of RHP Braxton Roxby from Sacramento (PCL). Placed RHP Adrian Houser on the 15-day IL. Transferred LHP Carson Whisenhunt from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL. WASHINGTON NATIONALS — Recalled RHP Luis Perales from Rochester (IL). Optioned RHP Jake Bird to Rochester. Sent LHP DJ Herz on a rehab assignment to Rochester.

FOOTBALL

National Football League BALTIMORE RAVENS — Signed LB Michael Barrett. Waived LB Reid Williford. Placed C Danny Pinter on injured reserve. BUFFALO BILLS — Signed C Sincere Haynesworth. Waived WR Mac Dalena. CLEVELAND BROWNS — Waived TE Brenden Bates from injured reserve and DE Benton Whitley. DENVER BRONCOS — Signed DT Israel Antwine and T Foster Sarell. Released DB Taylor Rapp. Waived WR Kyre Duplessis. DETROIT LIONS — Released WR Cedrick Wilson. HOUSTON TEXANS — Signed DE Derek Parish. Placed DE Dylan Horton on injured reserve. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS — Signed DB Kenneth Harris. Waived CB Mekhi Blackmon. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS — Acquired G Joshua Ezeudu from the New York Giants in exchange for a 2028 seventh-round draft pick. Waived T Kellen Diesch. MIAMI DOLPHINS — Signed RB Coleman Bennett. Waived/injured TE Cole Turner.

Atlanta Philadelphia Miami Washington New York

W 78 74 68 62 60

L 55 60 66 73 73

Pct .586 .552 .507 .459 .451

GB — 4½ 10½ 17 18

W 82 76 66 65 63

L 51 58 67 70 71

Pct .617 .567 .496 .481 .470

GB — 6½ 16 18 19½

W 80 72 71 54 52

L 53 62 63 79 81

Pct .602 .537 .530 .406 .391

GB — 8½ 9½ 26 28

Central Division

West Division

Tuesday’s games

Colorado 3, Washington 1 Atlanta 4, L.A. Dodgers 3 Boston 7, Miami 3, 11 innings N.Y. Mets 3, Milwaukee 2, 10 innings Baltimore 13, St. Louis 1 Pittsburgh 1, San Diego 0 San Francisco 3, Cincinnati 1 Seattle 4, Philadelphia 1 Arizona 5, Chicago Cubs 4

Wednesday’s games

Arizona 2, Chicago Cubs 0 Philadelphia 6, Seattle 0 San Diego 3, Pittsburgh 0 Cincinnati 10, San Francisco 9 Miami 4, Boston 0 Colorado 13, Washington 1 Milwaukee 8, N.Y. Mets 1 Atlanta 6, L.A. Dodgers 5 Baltimore 8, St. Louis 7

Thursday’s games

Baltimore (Rogers 9-8) at St. Louis (TBD), 1:15 p.m. Houston (Wesneski 3-1) at N.Y. Yankees (Cole 7-6), 6:05 p.m. Kansas City (Cameron 8-8) at Toronto (Arrighetti 7-6), 6:07 p.m.

Colorado (Hughes 0-5) at Washington (Irvin 2-8), 12:05 p.m. Baltimore (Rogers 9-8) at St. Louis (TBD), 1:15 p.m. Milwaukee (Misiorowski 13-5) at N.Y. Mets (Manaea 4-5), 6:10 p.m. L.A. Dodgers (Yamamoto 12-7) at Atlanta (Sale 12-9), 6:15 p.m. Arizona (TBD) at San Francisco (TBD), 8:45 p.m.

WILD CARD GLANCE American League New York Boston Cleveland Texas Toronto Baltimore Minnesota Seattle Detroit

W 74 73 68 66 65 64 64 64 62

L 57 60 66 67 69 68 69 70 71

Pct .565 .549 .507 .496 .485 .485 .481 .478 .466

WCGB +7½ +5½ — 1½ 3 3 3½ 4 5½

National League Chicago Philadelphia San Diego Arizona Miami St. Louis Pittsburgh Reds Nationals

W 76 74 72 71 67 66 65 63 62

L 58 60 62 63 66 67 70 71 72

Pct .567 .552 .537 .530 .504 .496 .481 .470 .463

WCGB +4 +2 — 1 4½ 5½ 7½ 9 10

BOX SCORES

Wednesday, August 19

Cincinnati 2, New York City FC 1 CF Montréal 2, Columbus 1 New England 3, D.C. United 0 Nashville 1, New York 0 Chicago 2, Orlando City 1 Miami 2, Philadelphia 2, tie Charlotte FC 3, Toronto FC 3, tie St Louis City 1, Sporting Kansas City 1, tie Atlanta 2, Minnesota 1 Colorado 1, Los Angeles FC 0 FC Dallas 4, Real Salt Lake 3 Austin FC 2, Seattle 1 LA Galaxy 1, San Jose 0 Portland 3, San Diego FC 1 Houston 1, Vancouver 0 Saturday, August 22 Charlotte FC 3, D.C. United 1 Seattle 1, Cincinnati 1, tie Toronto FC 2, Miami 1 LA Galaxy 2, CF Montréal 2, tie Chicago 1, New York 1, tie Orlando City 2, Real Salt Lake 1 Nashville 3, Columbus 2 St Louis City 2, Houston 1 Philadelphia 1, Austin FC 1, tie Vancouver 5, FC Dallas 0 Portland 1, Los Angeles FC 1, tie San Diego FC 3, Colorado 0 Minnesota 5, San Jose 1

East Division

L 54 57 60 69 68

Philadelphia 6, Seattle 0 Philadelphia Seattle ab r h bi ab r h bi Schwar. dh 5 2 2 3 Ward rf 4 00 0 Turner ss 5 0 0 0 Arozarena lf 3 0 1 0 Harper rf 4 1 2 2 Rodríguez cf 4 0 0 0 Hill rf 0 0 0 0 Raleigh dh 4 00 0 Arraez 2b 4 0 0 0 Wisdom 1b 4 00 0 Bohm 1b 4 0 1 0 J.Crawford ss 2 0 0 0 Stott 3b 4 1 3 0 Wilson 3b 3 00 0 Marsh lf 3 1 0 0 Pereda c 2 01 0 Realmuto c 4 0 1 0 Rodden 2b 3 00 0 Ju.Crawf. cf 4 1 1 1 Totals 37 6 10 6 Totals 29 0 2 0 Philadelphia 240 000 000 — 6 Seattle 000 000 000 — 0 LOB—Philadelphia 5, Seattle 5. 2B— Schwarber (16), Stott (26), Harper (26). HR—Harper (27), Schwarber (40). IP H R ER BB SO Philadelphia Luzardo W,12-5 7 1 0 0 3 9 Mayza 1 0 0 0 0 1 Duran 1 1 0 0 0 2 Seattle Woo L,9-9 4 5 6 6 1 5 Ferrer 1 1 0 0 0 0 Bazardo 1 2 0 0 0 1 Speier 1 0 0 0 0 1 Vargas 2 2 0 0 0 3 WP—Luzardo, Vargas. ABS Challenge—Woo (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Crawford (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Harper (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Bazardo (Ball-Confirmed); Raleigh (StrikeConfirmed); Marsh (Strike-Confirmed). Umpires—Home, Chad Fairchild; First, Bill Miller; Second, Chad Whitson; Third, Brian Walsh. T—2:29. A—33,642 (47,929).

Cleveland 4, L.A. Angels 3 Cleveland Los Angeles ab r h bi ab r h bi Kwan cf-lf 5 0 2 1 Neto ss 3 1 1 1 Bazzana 2b 3 1 2 2 Trout dh 2 0 0 1 Ramírez dh 4 0 2 0 Grissom 1b 4 0 1 0 Adell rf 4 0 0 0 Moore 2b 1 0 0 0 Bailey c 0 0 0 0 Siri lf 4 0 0 0 N.Lowe 1b 3 0 2 1 J.Lowe rf 3 1 1 0 Martín. lf-rf 3 0 0 0 Guzman 3b 2 1 0 0 Genao 3b 4 0 1 0 Heineman c 3 0 0 0 Hedges c 3 0 0 0 d’Arnaud ph 1 0 0 0 DeLauter ph 1 0 1 0 Teodosio cf 2 0 0 0 Halpin pr-cf 0 1 0 0 Peraza ph 1 0 0 0 Rocchio ss 4 2 2 0 Totals 34 4 12 4 Totals 26 3 3 2 Cleveland 000 010 012 — 4 Los Angeles 120 000 000 — 3 E—Cantillo (2). DP—Cleveland 2, Los Angeles 2. LOB—Cleveland 9, Los Angeles 6. 2B—Rocchio (19), Kwan (16). SB—Ramírez (31), J.Lowe (6). SF—Bazzana 2 (5), Trout (2). IP H R ER BB SO Cleveland Cantillo 6 2 3 2 7 1 0 0 1 Herrin 11⁄3 0 0 2 ⁄3 0 0 0 1 1 Gaddis W,2-3 Sabrowski S,1-3 1 1 0 0 0 1 Los Angeles 2 1 1 4 Rodriguez 5 ⁄3 7 1 1 0 3 Peralta H,1 11⁄3 1 1 Murphy H,4 1 1 0 0 1 1 Watson L,1-1 BS,2-4 1 3 2 2 1 0 HBP—Cantillo (Neto), Rodriguez (Martínez). T—2:41. A—25,161 (45,517).

N.Y. Yankees 9, Houston 3 San Diego 3, Pittsburgh 0 Pittsburgh

San Diego ab r h bi ab r h bi Horwitz 1b 5 0 2 0 Tatis rf 4 0 00 Lowe 2b 2 0 0 0 Cronenw. 2b 3 0 1 1 Reynolds dh 4 0 1 0 Machado 3b 4 1 1 0 Valdez rf 4 0 1 0 France 1b 3 0 10 Cruz cf 3 0 0 0 Merrill cf 3 1 21 Gonzales 3b 3 0 0 0 Rengifo lf 3 0 11 Mangum lf 3 0 0 0 Bowen lf 1 0 00 Flores c 4 0 0 0 Sheets dh 3 0 00 Gonzalez ss 2 0 0 0 Bogaerts ss 3 0 00 Triolo ph-ss 2 0 1 0 Fermin c 2 1 10 Totals 32 0 5 0 Totals 29 3 7 3 Pittsburgh 000 000 000 — 0 San Diego 010 100 01x — 3 E—Gonzales (15). DP—Pittsburgh 1, San Diego 0. LOB—Pittsburgh 10, San Diego 6. 2B—Merrill (21), Cronenworth (10). 3B— Merrill (3). SB—Fermin (1). IP H R ER BB SO Pittsburgh 1 2 3 Chandler L,6-9 52⁄3 4 2 0 0 1 Bachar 11⁄3 0 0 2 ⁄3 3 1 1 2 1 Yates 1 ⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 Murdock San Diego Vásquez W,10-6 5 1 0 0 2 2 Hart H,7 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 ⁄3 0 0 0 1 1 Canning H,1 2 ⁄3 1 0 0 0 2 Matsui H,8 Rodriguez S,2-6 2 2 0 0 0 2 HBP—Canning (Mangum). ABS Challenge—Vásquez (Ball-Conﬁrmed); Gonzales (Strike-Overturned to Ball). Umpires—Home, Mark Ripperger; First, Shane Livensparger; Second, Dan Merzel; Third, Dan Bellino. T—2:48. A—40,413 (40,222).

Houston New York ab r h bi ab r h bi Peña ss 4 0 0 0 Grisham cf 5 1 1 0 Alvarez dh 4 0 1 0 Rice dh 2 3 1 1 Paredes 3b 3 1 0 0 García 1b 5 3 3 2 Altuve 2b 3 1 1 1 Bellinger lf 5 1 1 2 Varsho cf 4 1 2 1 Lombard ss 5 0 0 1 Walker 1b 4 0 0 1 Jones rf 4 0 1 1 Trammell lf 3 0 0 0 Chisholm 2b 3 1 3 1 Velázqu. ph 1 0 0 0 Wells c 3 0 2 0 Smith rf 2 0 0 0 Caballero 3b 4 0 1 0 Wade ph-rf 0 0 0 0 Vázquez c 3 0 0 0 Totals 31 3 4 3 Totals 36 9 13 8 Houston 100 100 100 — 3 New York 200 100 42x — 9 E—Walker (2), Lombard (6). DP—Houston 1, New York 1. LOB—Houston 4, New York 8. 2B—Altuve (17), Varsho (22), Bellinger (22), Chisholm (16). HR—Varsho (10), Rice (35), García (28). SB—Chisholm (36). IP H R ER BB SO Houston 2 3 5 Lambert 52⁄3 7 3 1 Teng ⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 1 ⁄3 5 4 4 1 1 Sousa L,1-3 2 1 3 De Los Santos 12⁄3 1 2 New York Rodríguez 6 3 3 3 2 6 Blackburn W,6-2 1 1 0 0 1 2 Fulmer 1 0 0 0 0 1 Hill 1 0 0 0 0 1 Rodríguez pitched to 1 batter in the 7th. ABS Challenge—García (Strike-Confirmed); Jones (Strike-Confirmed); Lambert (Ball-Confirmed); Lambert (Ball-Confirmed); Rodríguez (BallOverturned to Strike); De Los Santos (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Walker (Strike-Overturned to Ball). Pitch timer violations—De Los Santos (pitcher). Umpires—Home, Steven Jaschinski; First, John Tumpane; Second, Adam Hamari; Third, Clint Vondrak. T—2:56. A—40,269 (47,309).

THIS DATE IN BASEBALL Aug. 27 1897 — Roger Bresnahan, later a Hall of Fame catcher, made his major-league debut as a pitcher for the Washington Senators by shutting out the St. Louis Browns 3-0. 1911 — Ed Walsh of the Chicago White Sox pitched a 5-0 no-hitter against the Boston Red Sox. Walsh struck out eight and walked one. 1937 — Brooklyn’s Fred Frankhouse pitched a rain-shortened no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds. The game was stopped with two out in the eighth inning with the Dodgers leading 5-0. 1977 — Toby Harrah and Bump Wills of the Texas Rangers hit back-to-back inside-thepark home runs on consecutive pitches in the seventh inning in an 8-2 victory over New York at Yankee Stadium. 1978 — Joe Morgan of the Cincinnati Reds hit his 200th career home run to become the ﬁrst player in major league history to have 200 homers and 500 stolen bases. 1982 — Rickey Henderson of Oakland broke Lou Brock’s 1974 record of 118 stolen bases in a season and stole three more bases

in the Athletics’ 5-4 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. It gave Henderson 122 thefts in 127 games. 1999 — Vladimir Guerrero’s hitting streak was halted at 31 games by Cincinnati’s Ron Villone in the Reds’ 4-1 win over Montreal. Guerrero went 0-for-2 with an intentional walk against Villone, ending the majors’ longest hitting streak since 1987. 2005 — Jeff Kent became the first player to hit 300 home runs as a second baseman in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 8-3 win over Houston. The homer was the 325th of his career. 2010 — Florida led off a game with back-toback homers for the first time in franchise history in a 7-1 victory over Atlanta. Cameron Maybin hit the first pitch of the game into the left-field seats. Logan Morrison then connected off Tommy Hanson for his first major league home run. 2011 — Justin Verlander became the majors’ first 20-game winner, grinding through six innings in the Detroit Tigers’ 6-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins. Verlander (20-5) became the first pitcher to win 20 games before the end of August since Arizona’s Curt Schilling in 2002.

Beat the heat with no-cook tomato sauce

LIVING

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

T h u r s d ay, au g u s T 27, 2026

1dN

BY MERYL FEINSTEIN Voracious

When tomatoes are at their peak — and it’s too hot to turn on the oven — this simple, no-cook sauce from my cookbook “Pasta Every Day” is what I come back to time and again. It’s often called pomodoro crudo and served with very thin spaghetti, though you’ll ﬁnd many variations, including those with onions, capers, olives and local cheese. In that spirit, don’t hesitate to make this your own. You can use any ﬂavorful tomato here, from heirloom to plum to cherry. Remove the skins and seeds of the larger varieties if you’d like, or keep it rustic and leave them intact (I prefer the latter). The pasta will soak up the garlicky tomato juices over time, meaning it makes for great (dare I say better?) leftovers and picnic fare.

VORACIOUS PHOTO By NICO SCHINCO

No-Cook Tomato & Basil Sauce

Serves 4 (enough for about 22 ounces of fresh pasta or 16 ounces of dried pasta). 2¼ pounds ripe, small tomatoes 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1½ loosely packed cups fresh basil leaves, roughly torn, plus more for serving

Crab-Stuffed Mirliton

Kosher salt 1 ⁄3 to ½ cup high quality extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving Finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano, for serving (optional)

STAFF PHOTOS By SOPHIA GERMER

1. Prepare the sauce: Halve or quarter the tomatoes and combine with the garlic and basil in a large serving bowl. Season generously with salt, then drizzle in the oil. Stir to combine. 2. Leave the sauce to sit, covered, for at least 1 hour, ideally in a warm, sunny place. 3. Cook your pasta of choice to your liking — this is not a time for undercooking and finishing in the sauce. 4. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir to combine. Finish with another drizzle of oil, more basil and a shower of cheese if you’d like. If you can bear it, let the pasta marinate in the sauce for 15 minutes before serving. TIP: If using larger tomatoes, I often peel and seed them before chopping. To do so, bring a pot of water to a boil and fill a large bowl with ice water. With a paring knife, score the bottoms of the tomatoes with a small “X,” just piercing the skin. Drop them into the water and cook until the skin near the “X” starts to loosen, about 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the ice bath. When the tomatoes are cool, peel away the skins. Remove the pulp and seeds and roughly chop the flesh.

The end of Louisiana summer calls for easy meals BY LIZ WILLIAMS Contributing writer

ENCUMBERED BY CUCUMBERS?

Recipes for when your garden just keeps giving

MORE RECIPES PAGE 2D ä No-knead Yeast Bread (ABOVE) ä Savory Fruit Salad ä Tahini Salad Dressing

I’m going to see how long I can keep up in-house before I start handing out cucumbers like they’re candy to all my friends. Recipes, Last year, I brought 2D cucumbers everywhere I went for about a month. My friends would laugh when I showed up with a plastic bag with giant green batons poking out. Spoiler alert: I made it four days before the cukes started piling up in my fridge. The rate at which cucumbers grow is honestly astonishing. I had plans

ä See CUCUMBERS, page 2D

Liz Williams TIP OF THE TONGUE

made with only whole wheat flour, and contains sesame seeds that lend a nutty sweetness. Eat it with dinner or toasted for breakfast with butter, goat cheese or marmalade. Add it to your “make often” list because it’s so useful. And the fruit salad is a snap. It is made to be versatile, with what’s available at the grocery store or nearest farmer’s market. And if you have something growing in your backyard, even better. The dish is designed to be beautiful and flexible. It is perfect for the bounty of summer, but works all year round. The recipe includes avocado, mango, papaya, cantaloupe and tomatoes. But you could add fresh figs, dates, apricots,

ä See SUMMER, page 2D

Crab-Stuffed Mirliton

BY JESS FLEMING Pioneer Press (TNS)

s August comes to a close and we look to Labor Day and a new school year, ﬁnding recipes that are tasty and easy becomes more important. One of my favorite quick foods is stuffed mirliton. I’m happy to eat it stuffed with shrimp or even crawﬁsh, but crab is my favorite. When I was a young teen, I used to go crabbing in Lake Pontchartrain with my father. The whole family would stuff ourselves on boiled crabs. After dinner, my mother and I would pick all of the remaining crabs for freezing, which often end up in a stuffed mirliton. Her Sicilian background meant lots of Parmesan cheese packed into that backyard squash of New Orleans. The prepared stuffed mirlitons also freeze very well for when there’s no time to cook. The whole wheat bread is not only easy, but delicious. You can make it without kneading, only needing to wait for it rise. It’s

Makes 8 stuffed halves. 4 mirlitons 8 tablespoons butter or olive oil, or a combination of the butter and olive oil 2 large onions, finely chopped 1½ cup picked over crabmeat, free from any cartilage 1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon parsley, minced 1 teaspoon thyme 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 cups fresh bread, soaked in water and squeezed almost dry ½ cup grated Parmesan, more reserved for sprinkling the tops of the stuffed mirliton

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. 2. Boil the mirlitons until tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. 3. Cut them in half and scoop out the centers with a spoon, making sure to leave enough of a wall on the mirliton half to keep its shape. Remove and discard the seed. 4. . Place the butter or oil in a deep frying pan. When it begins to shimmer, add the pulp of the mirliton. Saute for ﬁve minutes, mashing the pulp. 5. Add the onions, sauteing until the onions begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the salt, parsley, thyme and

Italian seasoning, and simmer for 20 minutes more, stirring occasionally. 6. Add the pepper and the bread for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in the grated Parmesan. Make sure that the stufﬁng in uniformly mixed. 7. Stuff the mirliton boats and place them on a parchment lined baking pan. Sprinkle the tops with more Parmesan. 8. Cook in the oven for 20 minutes or until the cheese begins to brown. Remove from the oven, and place onto a platter and serve.

2D ■ Thursday,August 27, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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TODAY IN HISTORY By The Associated Press Today is Thursday, Aug. 27, the 239th day of 2026. There are 126 days left in the year. Today in history: On Aug. 27, 1883, the island volcano Krakatoa erupted with a series of cataclysmic explosions. The explosions (which could be heard 3,000 miles away) and resulting tsunamis in Indonesia’s Sunda Strait claimed some 36,000 lives in Java and Sumatra. Also on this date: In 1964, the film “Mary Poppins” had its world premiere in Los Angeles, California. In 1979, British war hero Lord Louis Mountbatten and three other people, including his 14-year-old grandson Nicholas, were killed off the coast of Ireland in a boat explosion claimed by the Irish Republican Army. In 1990, blues musician Stevie Ray Vaughan and four others were killed in a helicopter crash near East Troy, Wisconsin. In 2001, Israeli helicopters fired a pair of rockets through office windows in the West Bank city of Ramallah, killing senior PLO leader Mustafa Zibri. In 2005, coastal residents jammed freeways and gas stations as they rushed to avoid Hurricane Katrina, which was headed toward New Orleans.

Grilled Red Curry Salmon Bowl

In 2008, Barack Obama was nominated for president by the Democratic National Convention in Denver, becoming the first Black presidential nominee from a major political party. In 2025, a shooter opened fire with a rifle through the windows of a Catholic church in Minneapolis and struck some of the nearly 200 children celebrating Mass during the first week of school, killing two children and wounding 17 people. The attacker shot dozens of rounds toward the children seated in pews at the Annunciation Catholic School; police said he later died by suicide. Today’s Birthdays: Author William Least Heat-Moon is 87. Actor Tuesday Weld is 83. Actor G.W. Bailey is 82. Rock musician Alex Lifeson (Rush) is 73. Actor Peter Stormare is 73. Rock musician Glen Matlock (The Sex Pistols) is 69. Golfer Bernhard Langer is 69. Gospel singer Yolanda Adams is 65. Fashion designer and filmmaker Tom Ford is 65. Actor Chandra Wilson is 57. Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Thome is 56. Rapper Mase is 51. Actor Sarah Chalke is 50. Actor Aaron Paul is 47. Actor Patrick J. Adams (TV: “Suits”) is 45. Singer Mario is 40. Actor Alexa PenaVega is 38. Singer-songwriter Kim Petras is 34. U.S. Olympic and WNBA basketball star Breanna Stewart is 32.

Not a compliment, not an insult Dear Miss Manners: Friends and fectly proper, you can deny any strangers often say to me, “Your accusations of sarcasm so long as hair is really long.” While the delivery has not laid it this is better than “you on too thickly. look tired,” it is still not Dear Miss Manners: How do exactly a compliment, so you politely deter strangI don’t feel right saying ers from forcing you into a “thank you.” conversation with them? Is there anything more My husband and I were Judith interesting to say than on vacation and while in Martin a restaurant, a table next “yes, it is”? MISS Gentle reader: There are to us full of elderly ladies MANNERS many more interesting latched onto us. They kept responses. But as you are talking to us through our asking Miss Manners, she takes entire meal and we weren’t able you to mean that you are seeking to talk to each other at all. an answer that will return the We didn’t want to be rude and slight you feel you have suffered wouldn’t hurt their feelings for without being caught doing so. anything, but we had no time As she is less convinced than alone. They followed along with yourself that any insult was inon us on every part of the resort we visited! tended, she is going to arm you In waiting rooms at the doctor’s with a butter knife instead of a steak knife: something less sharp ofﬁce, I’ve had people ask me to minimize the damage inﬂicted. what was wrong with me, and one woman was unzipping her jeans Say, “How kind of you to noto show my husband and me her tice.” As this response is per-

surgical scar! Luckily the nurse called for me and we rushed to the back. We are kind, friendly people, but don’t care to be approached by too-familiar strangers. Gentle reader: Be polite without being effusive, and responsive without being expansive: Give a brief answer, followed by returning to the conversation at your own table. Miss Manners admits to assuming that most people eventually recognize such social cues. Your unzipped lady may require an energetic, “I think you want to show that to the doctor!” Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, www. missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

PIONEER PRESS/TNS PHOTO By JESS FLEMING

CUCUMBERS Continued from page 1D

to make tzatziki to go with our family-favorite chicken gyros this week, too, but family birthdays, events and concerts got in the way. Still, if you’re dealing with an overload of cukes, perhaps these recipes will help you out of your pickle. If not, bring your veggies to the bar. I promise your friends will be happy to take some home.

Grilled Red Curry Salmon Bowls

Serves 4.

FOR THE SALMON: 4 salmon filets 2 tablespoons jarred red curry paste 2 tablespoons coconut milk Juice of half a lime 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated FOR THE CUCUMBER SALAD: 1 tablespoon lime juice ½ tablespoon fish sauce 1½ tablespoons rice vinegar 2 teaspoons sugar Kosher salt, to taste 1 English cucumber, thinly sliced ¼ red onion, thinly sliced 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped 1 tablespoon chopped Thai basil (regular works too) FOR THE COCONUT RICE: 1 cup coconut milk 1 cup water 1 cup basmati rice, rinsed and drained ¼ teaspoon kosher salt FOR THE YOGURT SAUCE: ½ cup plain Greek yogurt ¼ cup coconut milk ¼ cup Thai (or regular) basil Salt to taste Lime wedges, sliced Thai basil and thinly sliced avocado for serving

5. Preheat the grill to high. Oil the grill grates and grill the salmon, skin-side down, for 8-10 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 130 F. 6. Assemble bowls: Place a quarter of the rice in each bowl, topping with cucumber salad and salmon. Garnish with yogurt sauce, lime wedges, sliced Thai basil and avocado. Serve immediately.

Refrigerator Pickles 1 English cucumber, thinly sliced 1 cup vinegar 1 cup water 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon sugar Several large sprigs of dill Two garlic cloves, smashed 1 teaspoon peppercorns 1. Bring water, vinegar, salt and sugar to a boil in a small pot. 2. Place dill, garlic and peppercorns in the bottom of a quartsized mason jar. Add the cucumbers, then pour the hot brine into the jar. 3. Let the pickles sit for 30 minutes, then eat immediately or refrigerate for up to a week.

Cucumber Agua Fresca 2 English cucumbers, cut into large chunks ½ cup sugar 6 cups water A large handful of mint leaves Juice of two limes or more to taste Mint and lime slices for garnish

1. Place cucumbers, sugar, water and mint in a blender. Blend on high speed until smooth. 2. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and pour the contents of the blender through the strainer. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to push the solids around and get as much liquid as possible into the bowl. 1. Mix curry, coconut milk, lime 3. Add lime juice to taste. Fill juice and ginger. Pour over the glasses with ice, pour the agua ﬁsh. Let it sit while you prepare fresca over. Garnish with mint the rest of the recipe. and lime slices. 2. Prepare coconut rice: Bring coconut milk, water and salt to a boil. Add rice, return to a boil, give the pot a quick stir and re1 English cucumber, diced 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced duce the heat to low. Cover and 1 green onion, minced simmer for 18-20 minutes. Leave 1 teaspoon olive oil cover on and let sit until the rest ¼ cup cilantro, chopped of the recipe is ready to plate. 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice 3. Make cucumber salad: Whisk Tajin seasoning, to taste together lime juice, fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a 1. Combine everything but the medium bowl. Add cucumber, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro and Thai Tajin in a small bowl. 2. Stir, then add Tajin to taste. basil and toss to combine. 4. Make yogurt sauce: Combine Serve on tacos, with tortilla chips yogurt, coconut milk, Thai basil or on burrito bowls, which is how we ate it. and salt in a small bowl.

Cucumber Salsa

STAFF PHOTOS By SOPHIA GERMER

Savory Fruit Salad

SUMMER

Continued from page 1D strawberries and any fruit that you have on hand. You could garnish it with hardboiled eggs with just-set yolks and shaved prosciutto, serve it with focaccia, and turn it into a brunch dish. Everything about these recipes is flexible. If you have no crab meat, use another seafood or ground ham or loose summer sausage without a casing. If you don’t have sesame seeds, use flax or sunflower or whatever seeds you have on hand. And once you begin to think that way, your dinner table will zing with new combinations! Liz Williams is founder of the Southern Food & Beverage Museum in New Orleans. Listen to “Tip of the Tongue,” Liz’s podcast about food, drink and culture, wherever you hear podcasts. Email Liz at lizwillia@ gmail.com.

Crab-Stuffed Mirliton Makes 8 stuffed halves. 4 mirlitons 8 tablespoons butter or olive oil, or a combination of the butter and olive oil 2 large onions, finely chopped 1½ cup picked over crabmeat, free from any cartilage 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon parsley, minced 1 teaspoon thyme 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 cups fresh bread, soaked in water and squeezed almost dry ½ cup grated Parmesan, more reserved for sprinkling the tops of the stuffed mirliton 1. Preheat oven to 375 F. 2. Boil the mirlitons until tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. 3. Cut them in half and scoop out the centers with a spoon, making sure to leave enough of a wall on the mirliton half to keep its shape. Remove and discard the seed. 4. Place the butter or oil in a deep frying pan. When it begins to shimmer, add the pulp of the mirliton. Saute for five minutes, mashing the pulp. 5. Add the onions, sauteing until the onions begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the salt, parsley, thyme and Italian seasoning, and

No-knead yeast Bread simmer for 20 minutes more, stirring occasionally. 6. Add the pepper and the bread for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in the grated Parmesan. Make sure that the stufﬁng in uniformly mixed. 7. Stuff the mirliton boats and place them on a parchment lined baking pan. Sprinkle the tops with more Parmesan. 8. Cook in the oven for 20 minutes or until the cheese begins to brown. Remove from the oven, and place onto a platter and serve.

the top of the pan, place it into a 425 F oven for 30 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 400 F and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan and cool for 2 hours on a wire rack. (You may paint the bread on all sides, while it is hot, with a light coating of olive oil for additional ﬂavor.) 7. Once you have mastered this bread, you could experiment with different seeds or a mixture of seeds. Once the bread is cool, it slices nicely, when cut with a serrated bread knife.

No-knead Yeast Bread

Savory Fruit Salad

3½ teaspoons active dry yeast (do not use instant yeast) 1¾ cup warm water 1 teaspoon molasses, cane syrup or maple syrup 2 teaspoons salt 3½ cups whole wheat flour 2 tablespoons olive oil, and more to grease the pans ½ cup sesame seeds

1 cantaloupe, seeded, peeled and sliced 1 large mango, peeled and sliced 1 large avocado, peeled and sliced 2 large tomatoes, sliced 1 papaya, peeled, seeded and sliced (You may add or substitute fruits like watermelon, honeydew melon, kiwis, etc.) Seeds from 1 pomegranate ½ cup pistachio nuts Tahini salad dressing (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. 2. In a large bowl, add the yeast, warm water and molasses. Allow the yeast to proof. It should take about 10 minutes for it to get foamy. 3. Add the ﬂour and the oil and stir with a large spoon. The dough will be very wet and shaggy. 4. Add the sesame seeds and stir well to distribute them throughout the dough. 5. Set aside and grease the pan, using a large nonstick loaf pan or a greased cast iron casserole. Pour the dough into the loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap. Set in a warm place. 6. Check the bread after 45 minutes. If it has risen to just above

1. Arrange the fruit on the plate in a pleasing way. Drizzle the dressing on the fruit. Sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds and the nuts. Serve.

Tahini Salad Dressing 3 tablespoons tahini ¼ cup toasted sesame oil 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar Water as needed 1. Blend the ﬁrst 3 ingredients together in a small bowl, stirring with a spoon. If the mixture seizes, use the water, one tablespoon at a time to thin it. When you have reached the consistency that you like, drizzle over the fruit.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Thursday,August 27, 2026 ■ 3D

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FrAnK And erneSt

roSebUdS

zItS

For better or For WorSe

zodIAC VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Stop worrying. Start addressing matters of concern to put your mind at ease. Address joint ventures and shared expenses to ensure your emotional and financial safety. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Step out and explore. Expand your circle, interests and goals. A change of scenery will offer a different perspective regarding your options. Consider how you can use your skills in a unique and helpful way. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Pay attention to money and medical matters. Soul-searching will help you determine what's best for you. Refuse to let anyone goad you into something you don't want to do. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Stop talking and start doing. Living up to your promises will be easier than trying to avoid the people counting on you for something. Be up-front and discuss what you can and cannot do. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Be careful not to let confusion or misinformation turn into loss. Avoid impulsive action or walking away from situations or unfinished business that will cause stress and worry if left undone. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) You've got more options than you realize. Invest in self-improvements that will help you get ahead financially. Don't let anger or ego stand between you and what's in your best interest. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Ask questions, listen, and consider the response others offer, then think about how you want to

move forward. You have more options and time than you realize. ARIES (March 21-April 19) The power is in what you finish, not what you allude to doing next. Be true to yourself, and turn yourthoughtsanddreamsintosomething concrete. Frustration will surface. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Stick to the truth, and direct your energy smartly. Offering too much or too little will deter others from pitching in. A heartfelt rendition based on facts will convince those you need on your team to join forces. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Put emotions aside and focus on learning, researching and bringing about positive change. Consider obscure options that allow you the wiggle room necessary to do things differently. CANCER (June 21-July 22) Take your time, get details and proceed with caution. Someone will offer inaccurate information. Check the facts, and choose avenues and people you trust to honor their promises. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Tone it down. Having a poor attitude will put you in a vulnerable position. Don't buy into someone else's dream or make mistakes you'll have to pay for. Think twice before you purchase something sight unseen. The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

WonderWord

peAnUtS

SALLY Forth

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

TODAy'S CLUE: E EQUALS I

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon FAMILY CIrCUS

dooneSbUrY

4D ■ Thursday,August 27, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

CurTiS

Hi and LoiS

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

BaBY BLueS

BLondie

THe wiZard oF id

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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Thursday,August 27, 2026 ■ 5D

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B.C.

Bridge BY PHILLIP ALDER Michelangelo said, “The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short, but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark.” At the bridge table, though, sometimes you must decide between setting your sights high or low. How does that apply to this deal? South is in three no-trump and West leads a fourth-highest spade six. What happens after that? South starts with seven top tricks: one spade (given the first trick), three hearts, two diamonds and one club. He hopes that the club finesse is working. But even if it loses, West might not find the right defense. South takes East’s spade jack with his king, leads a heart to dummy’s king, and runs the club 10. It loses, but West is now in a quandary. Who has the spade queen? East would have played the jack at trick one with either only the jack or the queen-jack. And South would have won with his king, whether or not he also had the queen. If South still has the spade queen and another spade, West needs to shift to a diamond in the hope that his partner can win with the ace and return a spade through South. But if East has the spade queen, that suit can be run now. Should West play his partner for a queen or an ace? Do not be greedy; set your sights low. West should cash the spade ace. Perhaps

garfield

Pearls Before swiNe

hagar the horriBle

South started with king-queen-doubleton. Here, though, East should throw (unblock) his queen under partner’s ace. By applying the Rule of Eleven at trick one (11 - 6 = 5), East should know that South started with only one spade higher than the six, the king he has already played. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

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

PiCKles

Previous answers:

mallard fillmore

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

toDAY’S WoRD — ERuPtS: ih-RUPTS: Bursts from restraints.

Bizarro

marmaduKe

Average mark 15 words Time limit 25 minutes Can you find 22 or more words in ERUPTS? YEStERDAY’S WoRD — IMBRuED idem imbrue imbue mire berm bide bier bird bred bride brim

brume buried rebid ride rime rude rued umber emir erbium demur

dime dire drib drub drum dumb dumber

loCKhorNs hidato Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

today’s thought “For as the lightning, that lightens out of the one part under heaven, shines to the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.” Luke 17:24 Jesus is coming back. Get ready. — G.E. Dean

6D ■ Thursday,August 27, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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classiﬁeds.theadvocate.com | 225-383-0111 Announcements ANYONE knowing the whereabouts of any property owner, heir or other related person, in regard to the properties listed below, please contact the East Baton Rouge CityParish, Department of Development – Neighborhood Revitalization Ofﬁce at 225-389-8680. 8034 KINGFISHER AVE JESSEE J DEMER 859 GOOSE ST EDDIE ADAMS BROWN 4449 CANNON ST THE ESTATE OF LEROY L FRANKLIN, SR JOANN H FRANKLIN 4188 MOHICAN ST ONE HUNDRED FOLD II, LLC 5238 WINBOURNE AVE MELISSA A HEATLEY 3247 SHELLEY ST TARRON R AND DENISE JAMES 3128 CHIPEWA ST JOHN T ROBINSON 1021 S 15TH ST EDDIE ROY SPEARS 822 N 28TH ST CAREY L FORD 2427 KAUFMAN ST ANGELA MACHEN 4936 LINDEN ST JAMES A GILMORE, JR 3062 EATON ST NEW FOUNDATION, LLC 1154 N ACADIAN THWY E LOURETTA MILTON 865 N 39TH ST ESTELLA NICHOLAS 3609 CLAYCUT RD JAMES MURRAY WATSON 2237 YAZOO ST JOSEPH WILLIAMS 8227 BAYOU FOUNTAIN AVE PALMETTO 24, LLC NORTHWEST REGISTEREDED AGENT LLC 5763 HARTFORD AVE JESSIE B STEWART 1375 KENNON DR ROY YOUNGBLOOD 3468 RIDGEMONT DR TRAVIS THOMAS 9749 SPIKE RIDGE AVE RHONDA PENNINGTON VIOLA 4588 CORAL DR JAYDEN MARTINEZ 5215 SYCAMORE ST SCHORTEN PLACE, INC

C/O ROY HEBERT, CPA 1965 72ND AVE TTDS INVESTMENTS, LLC 2033 CURTIS ST JAMES BYRD JR 9677 JONES ST / 9665 JONES ST JONES STREET REDEVELOPMENT, INC 1150 SHERWOOD FOREST BLVD TRIBE OF MOSES IRREVOCABLE (FOREIGN) SPENDTHRIFT TRUST 1576 SWAN AVE CMG REAL ESTATE FUND, LLC 4987 PACKARD ST LEVI BRADLEY 6150 LOTUS ST THE ESTATE OF MADIE C WRIGHT LANGLEY 9410 GREENWELL SPRINGS RD MOUTAIN PORTFOLIO OWNER LA 2, LLC C/O BLUE OWL REAL ESTATE CAPITAL 2806 EATON ST TAYLOR WILLIAMS 2924 72ND AVE THE ESTATE OF RICHARD R GRADNEY, SR 205 SONORA ST MICHAEL MATROODNEJAD 6833 VAN GOGH AVE MARJOE SANCHEZ HOLMES, SR 3517 CHIPPEWA ST CAB ENTERPRISES, INC 3874 CHIPPEWA ST AARON ARDOIN 2536 DAYTON ST RICHARD AND GLADYS TAYLOE WALLS 205 TAFT ST LILLIE MAE K EDWARDS 1455 W ROOSEVELT FPH S 16TH ST, LLC 2872 INDIANA ST CHARLES E WILLIAMS TORLIEF ERIC WILLIAMS 7750 GREENWELL SPRINGS RD BUILDERS CENTER, INC C/O GATEWAY PROPERTIES, INC 2956 WASHINGTON AVE THE CHARLES EDWARD HOLLIS SEPARATE PROPERTY TRUST 2738 MICHELLI AVE EARNEST ROBERTSON 1715 N 24TH ST MARY L ALEXANDER 2803 DUKE ST RARE PROPERTIES, LLC 1734 W CATALPA DR CHASITY ROTINA BLAKES 2503 TORREY PINE DR DWAYNE N HINTON, JR 845 ELIZABETH DR THE ESTATE OF ROSE ETHELDA MACLEAN 10723 RED OAK DR RYAN CHASE LOCICERO

THE CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT will be closed on NDAY, SEPTEMBER 7th MONDAY in observance of

LABOR DAY

And will be observing the following Early Deadline: Deadline: Display Ads Thursday 9/3 @ 3pm

Run Date Tuesday 9/8 Wednesday 9/9

905 N 38TH JAMES BERNARD ROBERTSON 9154 REDBUD ST LAURIE ANN MCNEIL 738 N ACADIAN THWY E LILLIAN K GARNER 5241 MONARCH AVE HUGHES CONSULTANT GROUP LLC 425 E BUCHANAN ST VIOLET SCOTT RUSSELL 2816 75TH AVE FELICIA ANN MYLES 4237 PROVOST ST CARY WESTON 2880 PLANK RD ARTHUR G MURRAY 2960 MADISON AVE DAVID J EVERITT 3115 MONROE AVE KELVIN L TURNER 6265 GREENWELL SPRINGS RD ETHEL HARRIS 4265 WOODLAWN AVE CHERRIE R LEWIS 2108 THOMAS RD TOMMIE E SMITH 12844 WARFIELD ST GWENDOLYN FAYE CAGE 2693 VANDERBILT DR GOULD PROPERTIES OF BATON ROUGE, LLC BRIAN E GOULD 1855 KANSAS ST IRMA FUENTES 1847 KANSAS ST EUGENE NILES PRESTLEY 1960 HELM DR KENDALL VONKEITH FONTENOT 786 FAWN LAKE DR SHANDA RENEE TROTTER 6765 AUTUMN AVE FRED MARVIN BUTLER, SR 4582 STEARNS ST FELTON WHICKER 2966 69TH AVE ROSA MOORE 2219 70TH AVE ADRIAN J SPURLOCK 4639 EVANGELINE ST DAVID J EVERITT 1984490Aug 22-28, 7t $4,271.62 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Brooke Martinez, please contact Attorney Jason May at (225) 9557255. 198661-Aug 26-28, 3t $64.90 Advertising Looking to promote your services or find a new hire? Deliver your classified message statewide for as little as $265 per week through the Louisiana Press Association’s Classified Network. Pre-payment required. To learn more, email advertising@lapress.com or call 225-344-9309.

Public Notices

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

PUBLIC NOTICE --ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Bids will be received by the Office of Purchasing, Room 213 Thomas Boyd Hall, Louisiana State Uni‐ versity and Agricultural and Mechanical College 70803 until 11:00 AM on Tuesday, September 15, 2026 ** Refer to www.centerl inebidconnect.com for bid submission instruc‐ tions. All bids must be submitted via email to lsubids@lsu.edu ** ANY PERSON REQUIRING SPECIAL ACCOMMODA‐ TIONS SHALL NOTIFY LOUISIANA STATE UNI‐ VERSITY, OFFICE OF PUR‐ CHASING OF THE TYPE(S) OF ACCOMMODATION RE‐ QUIRED NOT LESS THAN SEVEN (7) DAYS BEFORE THE BID OPENING. FOR: Furnish Labor and Materials for LSU-Shreve‐ port Administration Building Registrar’s Of‐ fice Renovation LSU SOLICITATION NUMBER: RFQ-0000002888 Complete Bidding Docu‐ ments for this project may be obtained from: www.centerlinebidco nnect.com. Printed copies are not available from the Designer, but arrangements can be made to obtain them through most repro‐ graphic firms. Contractors unable to access bidding docu‐ ments at www.centerl inebidconnect.com should contact Prevot Design Services 601 Spring Street Shreveport, Louisiana 71101 Phone: 318-227-9244 Contact: Mark Prevot Email: mprevot@prevotd esign.com All bids must be accom‐ panied by bid security equal to five percent (5%) of the sum of the base bid and all alter‐ nates, and must be in the form of a certified check, cashier’s check or Bid Bond Form written by a surety company licensed to do business in Louisiana, signed by the surety’s agency or attor‐ ney-in-fact. Surety must be listed on the current U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Man‐ agement Service list of approved bonding com‐ panies as approved for an amount equal to or greater than the amount for which it obligates it‐ self in the Bond, or must be a Louisiana domiciled insurance company with at least an A- rating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide. If surety qualifies by virtue of its Best’s list‐ ing, the amount of the Bond may not exceed ten percent of policyholders’ surplus as shown in the latest A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide. The Bid Bond shall be in favor of the Louisiana State Uni‐ versity and Agricultural d h i l ll

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

y g and Mechanical College, and shall be accompa‐ nied by appropriate power of attorney. No Bid Bond indicating an oblig‐ ation of less than ﬁve percent (5%) by any method is acceptable.

g g credit, the sale of bonds by the Bond Commission or the commitment of federal funds. The Uni‐ versity shall incur no obligation to the Con‐ tractor until the Contract Between Owner and Con‐ tractor is fully executed.

The successful Bidder shall be required to fur‐ nish a Performance and Payment Bond written by a company licensed to do business in Louisiana, in an amount equal to 100% of the Contract amount. Surety must be listed currently on the U.S. Department of Trea‐ sury Financial manage‐ ment Service List (Trea‐ sury List) as approved for an amount equal to or greater than the con‐ tract amount, or must be an insurance company domiciled in Louisiana or owned by Louisiana resi‐ dents. If surety is quali‐ fied other than by listing on the Treasury list, the contract amount may not exceed fifteen percent of policyholders’ surplus as shown by surety’s most recent financial state‐ ments filed with the Louisiana Department of Insurance and may not exceed the amount of $500,000. However, a Louisiana domiciled in‐ surance company with at least an A- rating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide shall not be subject to the $500,000 limitation, provided that the con‐ tract amount does not exceed ten percent of policyholders’ surplus as shown in the latest A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide nor fifteen percent of policyholder’s surplus as shown by surety’s most recent financial state‐ ments filed with the Louisiana Department of Insurance. The Bond shall be signed by the surety’s agent or attor‐ ney-in-fact. A PRE-BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD

Friday, August 28, 2026, 9:00AM LSU-Shreveport, 1 University Place, Administration Building, Chancellors Conference Room. 241 Shreveport, LA 71115 Bids shall be accepted from Contractors who are licensed under LA. R.S. 37:2150-2163 for the classiﬁcation of BUILD‐ ING CONSTRUCTION. Bid‐ der is required to comply with provisions and re‐ quirements of LA R.S. 38:2212 (A)(1)(c). No bid may be withdrawn for a period of thirty (30) days after receipt of bids, ex‐ cept under the provi‐ sions of LA. R.S. 38:2214. The Owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause. In ac‐ cordance with La. R.S. 38:2212 (A)(1)(b), the pro‐ visions and requirements of this Section, those stated in the advertise‐ ment for bids, and those required on the bid form shall not be considered as informalities and shall not be waived by any public entity. When this project is ﬁ‐ nanced either partially or entirely with State Bonds or federal funds, the award of this Contract is contingent upon the granting of lines of di h l f b d

196878 Aug. 13, 20, 27, 3t $204.24 PUBLIC NOTICE --ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Project: DELGADO COMMUNITY COLLEGE WESTBANK, BUILDING 1 AND 2 ROOFING AND WINDOW WIND MITIGATION 2600 GENERAL MEYER AVE. NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA 70119 Contract Project R0031505

No./Delgado No.: 40006-

Sealed bids will be re‐ ceived by the Delgado Community College Pur‐ chasing Office, O’Keefe Administration Building, located at 501 City Park Avenue (Build‐ ing 37), New Orleans, Louisiana 70119 until 2:00 p.m. Central Time on Wednesday, September 16, 2026. All bids which have been duly received will be publicly opened in the Purchasing Depart‐ ment and, except as pro‐ vided in LSA-R.S. 37:2163, read aloud. Late bids will not be accepted. Description of the pro‐ posed work: Membrane Roofing and Window Replacement in Building 1 and Metal Roofing and Window Re‐ placement in Building 2. Pursuant to LSA-R.S. 37:2163, Licensed Con‐ tractors may secure Bid‐ ding Documents from the Purchasing Depart‐ ment of Delgado Commu‐ nity College (purchas‐ ingdept@dcc.edu) lo‐ cated at 501 City Park Av‐ enue, New Orleans, LA 70119 until 24 hours prior to bid opening. An ac‐ count Log-in will be provided to the Bidder giving access to an online service to obtain pdf’s of the Construction Documents. Licensed Contractor shall submit evidence of Louisiana State License and Li‐ cense number. Questions about this pro‐ cedure shall be directed to the Designer at: N-Y Associates, Inc. 2750Lake Villa Drive Metairie, LA 70003 Telephone: 504-885-0500 mbuisson@nE-mail: yassociates.com (Michael Buisson) A mandatory pre-bid conference will be held at the Delgado Westbank Campus in the Building 5 Auditorium located at 2600 General Meyer Av‐ enue, New Orleans, LA 70114, on Friday, August 28, 2026, at 2:00PM. local time.

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Employment

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BUSINESS OPERATIONS

Positions Available: * Accounting * Bookkeeper * Account Coordinator * Finance * Payroll Officer * Sales Representatives * Customer Service * Business Admin Representative

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As part of our ongoing expansion, we are seeking part-time, work-fromhome candidates. The position offers a monthly salary of $1,300, in addition to benefits, and requires minimal time commitment. The role involves just 2-3 hours of internet access per week.

BATON ROUGE ESTATE SALES Graywood Estate Sale Sensational Estate Sale 11915 Parkbrook Dr 70816

Interested candidates may reach out via email at michelle.appliedit@gmail.com for further information

Fri-Sun 9am-4pm Mon 9am-2pm

Baton Rouge Real Estate For Sale EDUCATION NOTICE OF VACANCY Applications are being accepted for the following position(s): Athletic Trainer/Teacher LOCATION District Wide STARTING SALARY $72,607 - $88,987 Range based on teacher salary plus coaching supplement. Actual pay level will depend on verified years of experience. APPLICATION PROCEDURE Anyone interested in being considered for this position should submit an ap‐ plication @ www.ipsb.net JOIN OUR TEAM DEADLINE FOR APPLYING Until filled or September 3, 2026 All IPSB employees must pass a crimi‐ nal records check. The Iberville Parish School System is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Merchandise Classic Ranger Fishing Boat 115 hp motor, trolling motor $15,000.00 225933-9262 jimwalzak49@att.net

AKC long hair miniture Dachshunds Shots and wormed $800.00 985-2220577 rio.remi@yahoo.com DOGS AKC Rottweiler puppies. 2 females. $500 each, with papers. 225-284-2027 225-577-3982

Bids shall be accepted from Contractors who are licensed under LA. RS.37:2150-2192 for the classification of Building Construction. Bidder shall certify that he is li‐ censed under the provi‐ sions of LSA-R.S. 37:2150 et seq. and show his license number on the bid enve‐ lope. Except as other‐ wise provided in LSA-R.S. 37:2163, any bid that does not contain the contractor’s certification and show the contrac‐ tor’s license number on the bid envelope shall be automatically rejected, shall be returned to the Bidder stamped “Re‐ jected” and shall not be read aloud. Any Bidder who submits a bid for a type of construction for which he is not properly licensed shall be acting in violation of LSA-R.S. 37:2163 and shall be sub‐ ject to all provisions for violations and penalties thereof. Any interested person may object to the licensing classification of this public project in ac‐ cordance with LSA-R.S. 37:2163D. The successful Bidder will be required to fur‐ nish a Performance Bond guaranteeing faithful performance and a Labor and Materials Payment Bond guaranteeing the payment of all bills and obligations arising from the performance of the contract. Sureties will be required to meet qualifications set forth in LSA-R.S. 38:2218 and R.S. 38:2219 as applicable, and as set forth in the Contract Doc‐ uments. Delgado Community Col‐ lege reserves the right to reject any or all bids, to waive any and all informalities, and to re‐ ject nonconforming, nonresponsive, or condi‐ tional bids whichever is in the best interest of Delgado Com‐ munity College. Publish: Advocate (Baton Rouge and New Orleans) 8/13/26, 8/20/26 & 8/27/26

Type of Bid: Bids shall be on a lump-sum basis. Segregated bids will not be accepted.

197173-aug 13-20-27-3t $209.50

Bids security in the amount of ﬁve percent (5%) of the total bid

CLASSIFIEDS WORK

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PUBLIC NOTICE --ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Sealed bids will be re‐ ceived for the State of Louisiana by the Coastal Protection and Restora‐ tion Authority, 150 Ter‐ race Avenue, 4th Floor Conference Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 until 2:00 P.M., Tuesday October 6, 2026. ANY PERSON REQUIRING SPECIAL ACCOMMODA‐ TIONS SHALL NOTIFY THE COASTAL PROTECTION AND RESTORATION AU‐ THORITY OF THE TYPE(S) OF ACCOMMODATION RE‐ QUIRED NOT LESS THAN SEVEN (7) DAYS BEFORE THE BID OPEN‐ ING. FOR: Humble Canal Hydrologic Restoration Project Cameron Parish, Louisiana PROJECT NUMBER: ME-0011 Complete Bid Documents for this project are avail‐ able in electronic form. They may be obtained without charge and with‐ out deposit http://coastal.la. from gov/resources/rfps-rsiqscontracts/bids/. Printed copies can also be ob‐ tained from: COASTAL PROTECTION AND RESTORATION AUTHORITY (CPRA) 150 Terrace Avenue Baton Rouge, LA 70802 Attn: Kayla Causey E-mail: cpra.bidding@la.gov Phone: (225) 342-7308 Fax: (225) 800-5599 All bids shall be accom‐ panied by bid security in an amount of five per‐ cent (5.0%) of the sum of the base bid and all al‐ ternates. The form of this security shall be as stated in the Instructions to Bidders included in the Bid Documents for this project. The successful Bidder shall be required to fur‐ nish a Performance and Payment Bond written as described in the Instruc‐ tions to Bidders included in the Bid Documents for this project. A NON-MANDATORY PRE-BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD at 1:00 PM on Tuesday, September 15, 2026 at 635 Cajundome Blvd., Lafayette, LA 70506 Contact Brent Bouy at (337)482-0682 if assis‐ tance is needed for the Non-Mandatory Pre-Bid Conference. It is the responsibility of all potential bidders to visit the Project Site to assess the location, lo‐ gistics, and site condi‐ tions prior to bidding. Bids shall be accepted from Contractors who are licensed under LA. R.S. 37:2150-2192 for the classification Heavy Con‐ struction or Dredging and/or Specialty Classifi‐ cation: Coastal Restora‐ tion & Habitat Enhance‐ ment. In accordance with LA. R.S. 37:2165(C), anyone objecting to the classification must send

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PETS • SUPPLIES • SERVICES • OBITUARIES • LOST & FOUND

must accompany each Bid. A certiﬁed or cashier’s check or a bid bond is acceptable bid security. If bid bond is used, it shall be writ‐ ten by a surety or insurance com‐ pany currently on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Man‐ agement service list of approved bonding companies which is published annu‐ ally in the Federal Regis‐ ter, or by a Louisiana domiciled in‐ surance company with at least an A-rating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide to write individual bonds up to ten percent of policy‐ holders’ surplus as shown in the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide. (LSA-R.S. 38:2218.C).

MOBILE HOME 14'X74', 3BR/2BA Asking $2000. With Storage Shed $2500. Must move from Site. Call 225-802-5069

HOUSE

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Public Notices Bids/Proposals

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY Selling Business only not building. Don't have enough workers to run. Has great potential in Reeve's shopping center. Has all equipment needed to boil crawﬁsh, fry seafood plates amongst other foods with warmer in front. Asking price 50k negotiable and rent is needed to negotiate with landlord. Call or Text Steve 225-341-9235

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Pets / Pet Services Directory

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

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Garage Sales

Requirements: * Must be computer literate * Must have 2-3 hours of internet access per week * Must be efficient and dedicated

CEMETERY PLOTS 2 Burial Plots in Baton Rouge, Green Oaks Memorial. Sec 17, Lots 146-2 & 146-4, Side by Side. $4300 each, negotiable 803-215-0456.

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

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

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Miscellaneous End your tax worries today. Let us make your tax problem our priority. Scared, stuck with high tax amounts? Our A+ tax professionals can help. Call for a FREE consultation. Call Priority Tax now 1877-249-9376.

As always, you may place your ad 7 days a week, 24 hours a day online at www.theadvocate.com or call Monday – Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

(225) 383-0111

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WORKS Public Notices Bids/Proposals

a certiﬁed letter to both the Louisiana State Li‐ censing Board for Con‐ tractors and CPRA at the address listed above. The letter must be received no later than ten (10) working days prior to the day on which bids are to be opened.

Cameron-Creole FOR: Freshwater Introduction Cameron Parish, Louisiana

The Owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause. In ac‐ cordance with La. R.S. 38:2212(B)(1), the provi‐ sions and requirements of this Sec‐ tion; and those stated in the bidding documents shall not be waived by any entity. When this project is ﬁ‐ nanced either partially or entirely with State Bonds or ﬁnanced in whole or in part by federal or other funds which are not readily available at the time bids are received, the award of this Con‐ tract is contingent upon the granting of lines of credit, or the sale of bonds by the Bond Com‐ mission or the availabil‐ ity of federal or other funds. The State shall incur no obligation to the Contractor until the Con‐ tract between Owner and Contractor is fully exe‐ cuted. Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority is a participant in the Small Entrepreneurship (SE) Program (the Hudson Ini‐ tiative) and the VeteranOwned and Service-Con‐ nected Disabled VeteranOwned (LaVet) Small En‐ trepreneurships Pro‐ gram. Bidders are encouraged to consider participation. Informa‐ tion is available from Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority or on its website at http://www.coastal.la. gov/. STATE OF LOUISIANA, COASTAL PROTECTION AND RESTORATION AUTHORITY MICHAEL HARE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 198539 Aug. 27, Sept. 3, 10, 2026 3t $199.21 PUBLIC NOTICE --ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Sealed bids will be re‐ ceived for the State of Louisiana by the Coastal Protection and Restora‐ tion Authority, 150 Ter‐ race Avenue, 4th Floor Conference Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 until 2:00 P.M., Tuesday, September 29, 2026. ANY PERSON REQUIRING SPECIAL ACCOMMODA‐ TIONS SHALL NOTIFY THE COASTAL PROTECTION AND RESTORATION AU‐ THORITY OF THE TYPE(S) OF ACCOMMODATION RE‐ QUIRED NOT LESS THAN SEVEN (7) DAYS BEFORE THE BID OPENING.

MOBILE HOME 1, 2 & 3 BR mobile homes, $675 & up 6061 Plank Rd. CALL 225-978-4653 ROOMS FOR RENT Furnished Rooms. $125/wk. $500/mo. 225-933-7560

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Bidder is required to comply with provisions and requirements of LA R.S.38:2212(B)(5). No bid may be withdrawn for a period of forty-ﬁve (45) calendar days after re‐ ceipt of bids, except under the provisions of LA. R.S. 38:2214.

HOUSE Baker: 3BR/1.5BA, 1440 sqft, front porch, carport, backyard $1050/month $500/deposit. No Pets. Call 225-329-7911

PROJECT NUMBER: CS-0049 Complete Bid Documents for this project are avail‐ able in electronic form. They may be obtained without charge and with‐ out deposit from http:// coastal.la.gov/resources/ rfps-rsiqs-contracts/ bids/. Printed copies can also be obtained from: COASTAL PROTECTION AND RESTORATION AUTHORITY (CPRA) 150 Terrace Avenue Baton Rouge, LA 70802 Attn: Shabrion Hawkins E-mail: cpra.bidding@la.gov Phone: (225) 342-7310 Fax: (225) 800-5599 All bids shall be accom‐ panied by bid security in an amount of five per‐ cent (5.0%) of the sum of the base bid and all al‐ ternates. The form of this security shall be as stated in the Instructions to Bidders included in the Bid Documents for this project. The successful Bidder shall be required to fur‐ nish a Performance and Payment Bond written as described in the Instruc‐ tions to Bidders included in the Bid Documents for this project. A NON-MANDATORY PRE-BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD at 10:00 AM on Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 635 Cajundome Blvd., Lafayette, LA 70506. Contact Brent Bouy at (337) 482-0682 if assis‐ tance is needed for the Non-Mandatory Pre-Bid Conference. It is the responsibility of all potential bidders to visit the Project Site to assess the location, lo‐ gistics, and site condi‐ tions prior to bidding. Bids shall be accepted from Contractors who are licensed under LA. R.S. 37:2150-2192 for the classification Heavy Con‐ struction and/or Spe‐ cialty Classification: Coastal Restoration and Habitat Enhancement. In accordance with LA. R.S. 37:2165(C), anyone ob‐ jecting to the classifica‐ tion must send a certi‐ fied letter to both the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors and the CPRA at the ad‐ dress listed above. The letter must be received no later than ten (10) working days prior to the day on which bids are to be opened. Bidder is required to comply with provisions and requirements of LA R.S.38:2212(B)(5). No bid may be withdrawn for a period of forty-five (45) calendar days after re‐ ceipt of bids, except under the provisions of LA. R.S. 38:2214. The Owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause. In ac‐ cordance with La. R.S. 38:2212(B)(1), the provi‐ sions and requirements of this Section; and those stated in the bidding documents shall not be

Automotive Auto Dealerships are NOT WELCOME TO CALL ME

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

waived by any entity. When this project is fi‐ nanced either partially or entirely with State Bonds or financed in whole or in part by federal or other funds which are not readily available at the time bids are received, the award of this Con‐ tract is contingent upon the granting of lines of credit, or the sale of bonds by the Bond Com‐ mission or the availabil‐ ity of federal or other funds. The State shall incur no obligation to the Contractor until the Con‐ tract between Owner and Contractor is fully exe‐ cuted. Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority is a participant in the Small Entrepreneurship (SE) Program (the Hudson Ini‐ tiative) and the VeteranOwned and Service-Con‐ nected Disabled VeteranOwned (LaVet) Small En‐ trepreneurships Pro‐ gram. Bidders are en‐ couraged to consider participation. Informa‐ tion is available from Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority or on its website at http:// www.coastal.la.gov/. STATE OF LOUISIANA, COASTAL PROTECTION AND RESTORATION AUTHORITY MICHAEL HARE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 198489 Aug. 27, Sept. 3, 10, 2026 3t $194.92 PUBLIC NOTICE --Advertisement Request for Qualifications The Airport Authority of Airport District No. One, Calcasieu Parish re‐ quests proposals from qualified, interested firms to provide profes‐ sional Architectural and Engineering Services. The project will consist of furnishing all services required to supplement the Authority in the pro‐ vision of design, bidding, and construction admin‐ istration services related to its Airport Traffic Con‐ trol Tower redevelop‐ ment program at the Lake Charles Regional Airport. For a copy of the Request for Statements of Qualifications, inter‐ ested firms should send a request to rfp@flylch. com reference RFQ ENG2026. Proposals will be ac‐ cepted until 3:00 p.m., CST on September 30, 2026, addressed to: Courier/Hand Delivery: Mr. Heath Allen, CM Executive Director Lake Charles Regional Airport 500 Airport Service Boulevard, Suite 104 Lake Charles, Louisiana 70607 P: (337) 477-6051 Mail Delivery: Mr. Heath Allen, CM Executive Director Lake Charles Regional Airport P.O. Box 5820 Lake Charles, LA 70606

To run: Thursday, August 27, 2026 Thursday, September 3, 2026 Thursday, September 10, 2026

(S) Heath Allen ______________ Heath Allen, Executive Director 198278 Aug. 27, Sept. 3, 19, 2026 3t $629.13 PUBLIC NOTICE --Advertisement Request for Qualifications The Airport Authority District No. One, Cal‐ casieu Parish (here‐ inafter LCH) seeks State‐ ment of Qualifications (SOQ) from qualified in‐ terested firms to provide development and man‐ agement of financing, planning, administration, and design services re‐ lated to its capital im‐ provement program at the Lake Charles Re‐ gional Airport (LCH). The selected consultant will be expected to furnish all services required to sup‐ plement the Authority in the undertaking and planning related to its program. For a copy of the Request for State‐ ments of Qualifications, interested firms should email Heath Allen, Execu‐ tive Director at rfp@ flylch.com reference RFQ PLN-2026 Proposals will be ac‐ cepted until 3:00 p.m., CST on September 30, 2026, addressed to: Courier/Hand Delivery: Mr. Heath Allen, CM Executive Director Lake Charles Regional Airport 500 Airport Service Boulevard, Suite 104 Lake Charles, Louisiana 70607 P: (337) 477-6051 Mail Delivery: Mr. Heath Allen, CM Executive Director Lake Charles Regional Airport P.O. Box 5820 Lake Charles, LA 70606

To run: Thursday, August 27, 2026 Thursday, September 3, 2026 Thursday, September 10, 2026

(S) Heath Allen ____________________ Heath Allen, Executive Director 198275 Aug. 27, Sept. 3, 10, 2026 3t $629.13

PUBLIC NOTICE --Clover NOLA, Inc. invites qualiﬁed vendors to sub‐ mit a bid for grounds ser‐ vices for our three New Orleans campuses: Clover Academy at the i (

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Thursday,August 27, 2026 ■ 7D

lll

Legal Notices

VBR-232 Lafayette, Inc. (Public Benefit Corporation) August 11, 2026 A scheduled Special Board Meeting of VBR-232 Lafayette, Inc. was held jointly with Visit Baton Rouge Board of Directors on Tuesday, August 11, 2026 at 359 Third Street at 12:00 pm. Present: Mary Stein Claude Reynaud Marty Engquist Gary Jupiter Absent: Scott Michelet Present but not participating in formal action: Rowdy Gaudet, VBR Board Member Robyn Merrick, VBR Board Member Stephen Hightower, VBR Board Member Janice DeLerno, VBR Board Member Jeremy Fontenot, VBR Board Member Gary Patureau, VBR Board Member Karen Soniat, VBR Board Member Jill Kidder, Staff Lauralyn Maranto, Staff Danielle Prejean, Staff Emily Mastrantonio, Staff Geraldine Bordelon, Staff Stacy Simon, Staff Laura Cating, Staff Lisa Clary, Staff Shaun Toups, Government Consultants, Inc. Stokes McConnell, Breazeale, Sachse Angie Adolph, Kean Miller Ianne Salvosa, The Advocate Chuck Elkins, Legal Counsel Henry Olinde, Legal Counsel Elizabeth Zeigler, Hancock Whitney Bank Joshua Brumfield, Renasant Bank Jamie Burgess, Renasant Bank Robert Bond, Renasant Bank Claude Reynaud called the meeting to order and opened the meeting for public comment. In regard to information relative to the 232 Lafayette Street project, Angie Adolph presented the following Bond Resolution. A voice vote was taken and it was voted on by the Visit Baton Rouge board of directors with a unanimous vote in favor of the Resolution: RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION PROVIDING FOR INCURRING OF DEBT, AND THE ISSUANCE AND DELIVERY OF $7,000,000 REVENUE BONDS, SERIES 2026, OF VISIT BATON ROUGE, PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE, STATE OF LOUISIANA, PRESCRIBING THE FORM AND TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SUCH BONDS, AND DESIGNATING THE DATE, DENOMINATION, AND TIME AND PLACE OF PAYMENT THEREOF; AND PROVIDING FOR OTHER MATTERS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH. WHEREAS, Visit Baton Rouge, Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana is a body politic and corporate and a political subdivision of the State of Louisiana (the “Issuer”) created pursuant to Article VI, Sections 19 and 30 of the Louisiana Constitution of 1974, as amended, and Sections 4574 and 4574.16 of Title 33 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended; and WHEREAS, the Issuer’s revenues are primarily generated by hotel occupancy taxes levied on the occupancy of hotel, motel, and overnight camping facilities within the City of Baton Rouge and the Parish of East Baton Rouge; and WHEREAS, the Issuer adopted a resolution on July 25, 2024, giving preliminary approval to incurring of debt and issuance of the Bonds for the purpose of financing the purchase and renovation of an historical unoccupied building located at 232 Lafayette Street in downtown Baton Rouge (the “Project”), providing certain terms of said Bonds, making application to the State Bond Commission for approval of said Bonds; retaining certain professionals, and providing for other matters in connection therewith; and WHEREAS, the Issuer adopted a resolution on May 22, 2025, authorizing the Issuer to create a public benefit corporation, apply for state historic tax credits, and sell any state historic tax credits in connection with the historic rehabilitation and renovation of 232 Lafayette Street; and WHEREAS, the Issuer adopted a resolution on August 28, 2025, supplementing the May 22, 2025, resolution to further authorize and direct the Issuer to take such actions and enter such agreements, including cooperative endeavor agreements, sales, transfers, conveyances, contributions, financing arrangements, assignment and assumption agreements, leases, and other agreements, as may be necessary or desirable to complete the historic rehabilitation and renovation of 232 Lafayette Street and facilitate the application and sale of State Historic Tax Credits; and WHEREAS, the Issuer adopted a resolution on March 26, 2026 authorizing the review of offers to purchase the Bonds and selection of purchaser and terms for the Bonds; and WHEREAS, the Issuer solicited offers to purchase the Bonds from accredited investors on April 16, 2026, which offers were submitted to the Issuer on May 12, 2026; and WHEREAS, the Issuer accepted the Offer to Purchase Bonds submitted by Renasant Bank on May 14, 2026; and WHEREAS, pursuant to the authority conferred by the Act, hereinafter defined, and the applicable provisions of other constitutional and statutory authority, the Issuer now deems it in the public interest to authorize the issuance and delivery of its Seven Million Dollars ($7,000,000) of Revenue Bonds, Series 2026 (the “Bonds”), to mature no later than fifteen (15) years from the date of their issuance, for the purpose of financing the Project, including applying for, obtaining, and selling State Historic Tax Credits, and paying costs of issuance of the Bonds; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Board of Directors of the Issuer, acting as the Governing Authority of the Issuer, that: SECTION 1. Definitions. As used herein, the following terms shall have the following meanings, unless the context otherwise requires: “Act” means Section 1430 of Title 39 of Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended. “Audited Financial Statements” means the financial statements prepared for each Fiscal Year of the Issuer prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and examined by a certified public accountant. “Bond” or “Bonds” means the Issuer’s Revenue Bonds, Series 2026, authorized by this Resolution, in the total aggregate principal amount of Seven Million Dollars ($7,000,000), whether initially delivered or issued in exchange for, upon transfer of, or in lieu of any Bond previously issued. “Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, or Sunday or a day on which banking institutions are required or authorized to remain closed in the Parish of East Baton Rouge, Louisiana. “Bond Register” has the meaning stated in Section 4. “City” means the City of Baton Rouge, Parish of East Baton Rouge. “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. “Contingent Obligations” means, as to any Person, any contingent obligation calculated in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles, and in any event shall include (without duplication) all indebtedness, obligations or other liabilities of such Person which in effect assume, endorse, guarantee, or provide for the payment or performance of any indebtedness, obligation or other liability, whether or not contingent, of any other Person in any manner, whether directly or indirectly. “Costs of Issuance” means all expenses incurred in connection with the authorization, sale, issuance and delivery of the Bonds and costs relating to the application for State Historic Tax Credits. “Executive Officer” means, individually, the Chair, Vice Chair, or the Secretary-Treasurer of the Governing Authority. “Fiscal Year” means the one-year accounting period ending December 31st of each year, or such other period as may be designated by the Governing Authority as the fiscal year of the Issuer. “Governing Authority” means the Board of Directors of the Issuer, acting as the governing authority of the Issuer. “Government Securities” means direct obligations of, or obligations the principal of and interest on which are unconditionally guaranteed by the United States of America, which are non-callable prior to their maturity, may be United States Treasury obligations such as the State and Local Government Series and may be book-entry form. “Interest Only Period” means interest will be payable monthly on the 1st day of each month, beginning September 1, 2026, through August 1, 2028. “Issuer” means Visit Baton Rouge, Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana. “Outstanding” when used with respect to any Bond means, as of the date of determination, all Bonds theretofore issued and delivered under this Resolution, except: 1. Bonds for which payment or redemption sufficient funds have been theretofore deposited in trust for the owners of such Bonds, provided that if such Bonds are to be redeemed, irrevocable notice of such redemption has been duly given or provided for pursuant to this Resolution or waived.

Legal Notices

2. Bonds in exchange for or in lieu of which other Bonds have been registered and delivered pursuant to this Resolution. 3. Bonds alleged to have been mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen, which have been paid as provided in this Resolution or by law; and 4. Bonds for the payment of the principal (or redemption price, if any) of and interest on which money or Government Securities of both are held in trust with the effect specified in this Resolution. “Owner” or “Owners” when used with respect to any Bond means the Person in whose name such Bond is registered in the Bond Register, initially the Purchaser. “Parish” means the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana. “Paying Agent” means Hancock Whitney Bank including its successors or assigns. “Paying Agent Agreement” means the Paying Agent Agreement by and between the Issuer and the Paying Agent on date of delivery of the Bonds. “Payment Date” means the first Business Day of each month and the date on which principal and/or interest on the Bonds shall be payable, commencing on September 1, 2026. “Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof. “Project” means the purposes for which the Bonds are issued, namely for the purpose of financing the purchase and renovation of an historical unoccupied building located at 232 Lafayette Street in downtown Baton Rouge, including applying for, obtaining, and selling State Historic Tax Credits, and paying costs of issuance of the Bonds. “Project Fund” means the fund described in Section 9. “Purchaser” means Renasant Bank, a state banking association organized and existing under laws of the State of Mississippi, including its successors or assigns. “Record Date” for the payment due on any Payment Date means the 15th calendar day of the month preceding each Payment Date. “Redemption Price” means, when used with respect to a Bond, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed plus accrued interest to the redemption date. “Resolution” means this resolution authorizing the issuance and sale of the Bonds. “State Historic Tax Credits” means tax credits authorized pursuant to Section 6019 of Title 47 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes, as amended. SECTION 2. Authorization of Bonds; Maturities. In compliance with the terms and provisions of the Act and other constitution and statutory authority, there is hereby authorized the incurring of an indebtedness of Seven Million Dollars ($7,000,000) for, and on behalf of, and in the name of the Issuer, for the purpose of financing the Project, and paying costs of issuance of the Bonds, for which this Governing Authority does hereby authorize the issuance of its Seven Million Dollars ($7,000,000) Revenue Bonds, Series 2026. The Bonds shall be in fully registered form, shall be dated the date of delivery thereof, and shall be initially issued as a single certificate numbered R-1. The Bonds shall be dated August 14, 2026, shall bear interest at a rate of 4.448% per annum, are payable in installments at the times and the dates set forth in Exhibit A to the Bond Form as set forth in Section 5 hereof, and shall become due and payable and mature on August 1, 2041, but no later than fifteen (15) years from the date thereof. Installments of principal and interest on the Bonds shall be payable to the Paying Agent who shall make payments to the Owners at the stated maturity or redemption date upon surrender of the Bonds to the Paying Agent at the Paying Agent’s corporate trust office in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Each Bond delivered under this Resolution upon transfer of, in exchange for, or in lieu of any other Bond shall carry all the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, which were carried by such other Bond, and each such Bond shall bear interest (as herein set forth) so neither gain nor loss in interest shall result from such transfer, exchange or substitution. SECTION 3. Redemption Provisions. In the event that the Issuer elects not to proceed with the Project, the Bonds shall be callable for redemption, in whole or in part at the option of the Issuer, at any time prior to December 31, 2026, upon payment of the Redemption Price. The Bonds shall be callable for redemption, in whole or in part at the option of the Issuer at any time on or after August 1, 2033 upon payment of the Redemption Price. Notwithstanding such redemption provisions, the Bonds are also subject to prepayment/redemption in an amount not to exceed Three Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($3,500,000) on or before August 1, 2028, at the Redemption Price. Such prepayment/ redemption is payable from: (i) all or a portion of the proceeds received from the sale of State Historic Tax Credits after the certification of construction expenses; (ii) all or a portion of the proceeds received by the Issuer from the sale of the Issuer’s current office building; or (iii) any other available funds of the Issuer. Official notice of such call of any of the Bonds for redemption shall be given by means of first class mail, postage prepaid, by notice deposited in the United States mails not less than thirty (30) days prior to the redemption date addressed to the Owner of each Bond to be redeemed at his address shown on the Bond Register. SECTION 4. Registration and Transfer. The Issuer shall cause a Bond Register to be kept at the office of the Paying Agent or Registrar setting forth the name and address of each Owner of the Bonds. The Bonds shall be fully registered as to principal and interest by the Issuer, and no transfer or assignment shall be valid unless made on the Bond Register and similarly noted on the back of the Bonds. Upon such transfer or assignment, the transferor or assignor shall surrender such Bonds for transfer on said registration records and verification of the endorsements made on the Bonds. The Bonds shall initially be registered in the name of the Purchaser, with any transfer or assignment occurring only upon execution by the Purchaser of an assignment in the form attached to the Bonds. SECTION 5. Form of Bonds. The Bonds and the endorsements to appear thereon shall be in substantially the form of Exhibit A hereto. SECTION 6. Execution of Bonds. The Bonds shall be signed by the Chairman, Vice Chairman, or Secretary/Treasurer or any of them for, on behalf of, and in the name of the Issuer, which signature may be either manual or facsimile. The Executive Officers are further authorized to execute or cause to be executed and delivered all documents, certificates, receipts, letters and opinions required to be executed by the Issuer or deemed necessary or advisable to implement the issuance and delivery of the Bonds or the acquisition and renovation of the Project or to facilitate the sale of the Bonds. SECTION 7. Pledge and Dedication of Revenues. The Bonds are hereby secured by and payable from all available revenues of the Issuer, including, but not limited, a pledge of hotel occupancy tax revenues received by the Issuer, after payment of statutory, necessary, and usual charges related to the collection of such tax in each of the fiscal years during which the Bonds are outstanding. The tax revenues are received by the Issuer pursuant to tax elections held on November 3, 1998, and December 14, 2017, and distributed pursuant to Local Services Agreements between the Issuer and the Parish of East Baton Rouge and the City of Baton Rouge. The Issuer does hereby covenant and agree to budget annually a sufficient sum of money to pay the principal and interest on the Bonds and the issue of which it forms a part as the same respectively become due, and to collect other revenues within the limits prescribed by law sufficient to pay the principal of and the interest on the Bonds after the payment in such years of all such statutory, necessary, and usual charges. SECTION 8. Parity Certificate. The Issuer shall issue no other bonds, or obligations of any kind or nature payable from or enjoying a lien on the general revenues having priority over or parity with the Bonds except that additional Bonds may hereafter be issued on a parity with the Bonds under the following conditions: 1. The Bonds herein authorized or any part thereof, including the interest thereon, may be refunded, and the refunding Bonds so issued shall enjoy complete equality of lien with the portion of the Bonds which is not refunded. The refunding Bonds shall continue to enjoy whatever priority of lien over subsequent issues may have been enjoyed by the Bonds refunded; provided, however, that if only a portion of the Bonds outstanding is so refunded and the refunding Bonds require total principal and interest payments during any year in excess of the principal and interest which would have been required in such year to pay the Bonds refunded thereby, then such Bonds may not be refunded without the consent of the Owner of the unrefunded portion of the Bonds issued hereunder (provided such consent shall not be required if such refunding Bonds meet the requirements set forth in clause 2 of this Section); 2. Junior and subordinate Bonds may be issued without restriction; and 3. The Issuer shall be in full compliance with all covenants and undertakings in connection with the Bonds and there must be no delinquencies in payments required to be made in connection therewith. SECTION 9. Application of Proceeds: Project Fund. The Executive Officers are hereby empowered, authorized and directed to do any and all things necessary and incidental to carry out all of the provisions of this Resolution. From the amounts received upon sale of the Bonds, all principal proceeds shall be deposited into a fund separate and apart from the general funds of the Governing Authority, namely, the “Visit Baton Rouge 232 Lafayette Project Fund” (the “Project Fund”) hereby created to be held by a designated fiscal agent of the Issuer. Disbursements shall be made from the Project Fund for the purpose of paying the costs of the Project, including such payments, loans, and distributions as required to apply for, obtain, and sell State Historic Tax Credits, and paying the costs of issuance of the Bonds. SECTION 10. Budget; Audit; Insurance. As long as any Bond is outstanding and unpaid in principal or interest, the Issuer shall prepare and adopt a budget prior to the beginning of each Fiscal Year and shall furnish a copy of such budget within thirty (30) days after its adoption to the Purchaser; the Issuer shall also furnish a copy of such budget to the Owner of any Bond who requests the same. Not later than six (6) months after the close of each Fiscal Year, the Issuer shall cause an audit of its books and accounts to be made by the Legislative Auditor or an

Legal Notices

independent firm of certified public accountants showing the receipts and disbursements made by the Issuer during the previous Fiscal Year. Such audit shall be available for inspection by the Owner of any Bond, and a copy of such audit shall be furnished to the Purchaser. Each such audit, in addition to whatever matters may be thought proper by the accountant to be included therein, shall include the following: 1. A statement in detail of the income and expenditures of the Issuer for such Fiscal Year. 2. A balance sheet as of the end of such Fiscal Year. 3. The accountant’s comments regarding the manner in which the Issuer has carried out the requirements of this Resolution, and the accountant’s recommendations for any changes or improvements in the operation of the Issuer or the method of keeping the records relating thereto. 4. A list of the insurance policies in force at the end of the Fiscal Year, setting out as to each policy, the amount of the policy, the risks covered, the name of the insurer and the expiration date of the policy. 5. An analysis of additions, replacements and improvements to the physical properties of the Issuer. Until such time as the construction of the Project is complete, the Issuer will maintain with insurance companies builder’s risk or property insurance with respect to all parts of the Project affected by or involved in such construction (including any equipment or other personal property so affected or involved) to such extent as is necessary to provide for full payment of the costs of restoring or replacing the property damaged or destroyed or, if insurance to such extent is not available, to the extent of the full insurable value of such parts of the Project. Upon completion of the Project, the Issuer will maintain with insurance companies acceptable to Purchaser in its reasonable discretion, workmen’s compensation insurance, liability insurance and insurance on the property, assets and business at least in such amounts and against such risks as are usually insured against by Persons engaged in similar businesses. In addition to the insurance information to be provided annually in 4 above, Issuer will furnish Purchaser with current certificates for all such insurance within fifteen (15) days after Issuer obtains or changes any such insurance coverage or provider. SECTION 11. Application of Proceeds. The Executive Officers are hereby empowered, authorized and directed to do any and all things necessary and incidental to carry out all of the provisions of this Resolution, to cause the necessary Bonds to be printed, issued and executed, and to affect delivery thereof as hereinafter provided. The proceeds derived from the sale of the Bonds, except the amount required to pay the Costs of Issuance of the Bonds, shall be deposited into the Project Fund by the Issuer with its fiscal agent bank or banks to be used only for the purposes for which the Bonds are issued. Costs of Issuance shall be paid directly from the proceeds of the Bonds to the persons to whom such payments are owed. Accrued interest, if any, shall be deposited in the Project Fund to be applied to the first interest payment. SECTION 12. Bond Contract. The provisions of the Resolution shall constitute a contract between the Issuer, or its successor, and the Owner or Owners from time to time of the Bonds, and any such Owner or Owners may at law or in equity, by suit, action, mandamus or other proceedings, enforce and compel the performance of all duties required to be performed by the Governing Authority or the Issuer as a result of the issuance of the Bonds. No material modification or amendment of this Resolution, or of any Resolution amendatory hereof or supplemental hereto, may be made without the consent in writing of the Owners of a minimum of two-thirds (2/3) of the aggregate principal amount of the Bonds then outstanding; provided, however, that no modification or amendment shall permit a change in the maturity or redemption provisions of the Bonds, or a reduction in the rate of interest thereon, or in the amount of the principal obligation thereof, or affecting the obligation of the Issuer to pay the principal of and the interest on the Bonds as the same shall come due from the revenues appropriated, pledged and dedicated to the payment thereof by this Resolution or reduce the percentage of the Owners required to consent to any material modification or amendment of this Resolution, without the consent of the Owners of 100% of the aggregate principal amount of the Bonds then outstanding. SECTION 13. Severability; Application of Subsequently Enacted Laws. In case any one or more of the provisions of this Resolution or of the Bonds is deemed by a court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal or invalid, this Resolution and the Bonds shall be construed and enforced as if such illegal or invalid provisions had not been contained therein. Any constitutional or statutory provisions enacted after the date of this Resolution which validate or make legal any provision of this Resolution and/or the Bonds which would not otherwise be valid or legal, shall be deemed to apply to this Resolution and to the Bonds. SECTION 14. Legal Obligations; Recital of Regularity. The Bonds shall constitute legal, binding and valid obligations of the Issuer and shall be the only representation of the indebtedness as herein authorized and created. This Governing Authority having investigated the regularity of the proceedings had in connection with the Bonds and having determined the same to be regular, the Bonds shall contain the following recital, to-wit: “It is certified that this Bond is authorized by and is issued in conformity with the requirements of the Constitution and statues of the State of Louisiana.” SECTION 15. Notices to Owners. Wherever this Resolution provides for notice to the Owners of the Bonds of any event, such notice shall be sufficiently given (unless otherwise herein expressly provided) in writing and mailed, first class postage prepaid, to each Owner of such Bond, at the address of such Owner as it appears in the Bond Register. In any case where notice is given by mail, neither the failure to mail such notice to any particular Owner, nor any defect in any notice so mailed, shall affect the sufficiency of such notice with respect to all other Bonds. Where this Resolution provides for notice in any manner, such notice may be waived in writing by the Owner or Owners entitled to receive such notice, either before or after the event, and such waiver shall be the equivalent of such notice. Waivers of notice by Owners shall be filed with the Issuer, but such filing shall not be a condition precedent to the validity of any action taken in reliance upon such waiver. SECTION 16. Cancellation of Bonds. All Bonds surrendered for payment, redemption, transfer, exchange or replacement, if surrendered to the Issuer, shall be promptly canceled by it. The Governing Authority may dispose of such Bond as directed in writing by the Issuer. SECTION 17. Discharge of Resolution; Defeasance. If the Issuer shall pay or cause to be paid, or there shall pay or cause to be paid, or there shall otherwise be paid to an Owner, the redemption price of all Bonds outstanding, at the times and in the manner stipulated in this Resolution, then the pledge of the money, securities, and funds pledged under this Resolution and all covenants, agreements, and other obligations of the Issuer to the Owner shall thereupon cease, terminate, and become void, discharged and satisfied. Any security or securities used for defeasance of the Bonds must be approved by the Purchaser and be of such maturities and interest payment dates and bearing such interest as will, without further investment or reinvestment of either the principal amount thereof or the interest earnings therefrom, be sufficient for the payment of such Bonds, at their maturity or redemption date, of the principal thereof, together with the redemption premium, if any, and interest accrued to the date of maturity or redemption. SECTION 18. Events of Default; Remedies; Acceleration. Each of the following events is hereby declared to be an “Event of Default”: (a) the payment of any installment of interest on any of the Bonds shall not be made when the same shall become due and payable; (b) the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, on any of the Bonds shall not be made when the same shall become due and payable, whether at maturity or by proceedings for redemption or by acceleration or otherwise; (c) default by the Issuer in the due and punctual performance of any other of the covenants, conditions, agreements and provisions contained in the Bonds or the Resolution to be performed by the Issuer, if such default shall continue for thirty (30) days after written notice specifying such default and requiring the same to be remedied shall have been given to the Issuer; or (d) insolvency or bankruptcy or inability of the Issuer to pay its debts as they become due. Upon the occurrence of an Event of Default, the Purchaser shall have all the rights and remedies as may be allowed by law or this Resolution, including but not limited to, acceleration of the maturity of all Bonds, or suit at law or in equity to enforce or enjoin the action or inaction of the Issuer under the provisions of this Resolution. In such event, the Purchaser may declare the Bonds then outstanding immediately due and payable, and such Bonds shall become and be immediately due and payable, anything in such Bonds to the contrary notwithstanding, and there shall be due and payable on the Bonds an amount equal to the principal amount of all the Bonds then outstanding plus all interest accrued thereon and which will accrue thereon to the date of payment. SECTION 19. Disclosure Under SEC Rule 15c2-12. It is recognized that the Issuer will not be required to comply with the continuing disclosure requirements described in the Rule 15c2-12(b) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (17-CFR Section 240.15c212(b)), by virtue of an exception contained therein. SECTION 20. Arbitrage. The Issuer covenants and agrees that to the extent permitted by the laws of the State of Louisiana, it will comply with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and any amendment thereto (the “Code”) in order to establish, maintain and preserve the exclusion from “gross income” of interest on the Bonds under the Code. The Issuer further covenants and agrees that it will not take any action or permit any action within its control to be taken, or permit at any time or times any of the proceeds of the Bonds or any other funds of the Issuer to be used directly or indirectly in any manner, the effect of which would be to cause the Bonds to be “arbitrage bonds” or would result in the inclusion of the interest on any of the Bonds in gross income under

8D ■ Thursday,August 27, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate Legal Notices

Legal Notices

the Code, including, without limitation, (i) the failure to comply with the limitation on investment of Bond proceeds, or (ii) the failure to pay any required rebate or arbitrage earnings to the United States of America, or (iii) the use of the proceeds of the Bonds in a manner which would cause the Bonds to be “private activity bonds.” The Executive Officers are hereby empowered, authorized and directed to take any and all action and to execute and deliver any instrument, document, or certificate necessary to effectuate the purposes of this Section. SECTION 21. Qualified Tax Exempt Obligations. The Bonds are designated as “qualified tax-exempt obligations” within the meaning of Section 265(b)(3) of the Code; in making this designation, the Issuer finds and determines that: (a) the Bonds are not “private activity bonds” within the meaning of the Code; and (b) the reasonably anticipated amount of qualified tax-exempt obligations which will be issued by the Issuer and all subordinated entities in calendar year 2026 does not exceed $10,000,000. SECTION 22. Publication; Recordation. A copy of this Resolution shall be published immediately after its adoption in one issue of the official journal of the Issuer and a certified copy shall be filed and recorded in the Mortgage Records of the Parish of East Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Public Notices Bids/Proposals y Main Campus (1600 Con‐ stance St.) Patrick Taylor Campus (901 Richard St.); and Educare New Orleans (3801 St. Bernard Ave.). Refer to the attached SCOPE OF WORK for de‐ tails on-line. Regis‐ ter/place bid on line as the below link. https://www.beaconbid. com/solicitations/clovernew-orleans The contract term is Sep‐ tember 28, 2026, through September 27, 2027, with the option to renew yearly for up to three ad‐ ditional years. Proposals are due by 12:00 p.m. (noon) Central time on September 14, 2026. A Mandatory site visit will be held on Tuesday, September 1st, 2026, at Clover's Main Campus, at 1600 Constance Street, New Orleans, LA., 70130, at 10:00am followed by the Taylor and Educare campuses. Any relative questions as it relates to the bid solicitation and or the scope of work, please post your ques‐ tions in the bid portal questions section. Interested vendors may submit online using this platform; proposals may also be submitted by hand or postal mail and shall be delivered be‐ tween the hours of 9:00 am and 3:00 pm Central Time (CT), Monday through Friday, at: Clover NOLA, Inc. Attn: George Patterson 1600 Constance Street New Orleans, LA 70130 198720-aug 27-1t $176.53 PUBLIC NOTICE --INVITATION TO BID Sealed bids for construc‐ tion of the following pro‐ ject will be received by the City of Bastrop, (hereinafter referred to as “Owner”). Bids will be received by the Owner, until 10:00 AM (local time) on August 31, 2026 at which time all bids re‐ ceived will be publicly opened and read aloud at the office located at 202 East Jefferson, Bas‐ trop, LA 71220. No bids will be received after the above time and date. STATE PROJECT NO. H. XXXXXX Morehouse Memorial Airport, More‐ house Parish. Morehouse Memorial Air‐ port – Drainage Improve‐ ments & Utility Reloca‐ tion $335,000.00 PROPOSAL GUARANTY: Five Percent (5%) of Base Bid Amount. PROJECT ENGINEER: Volk‐ ert, Inc., 114 Venable Lane, Monroe, Louisiana 71203, Telephone (318) 388-1422, Project Man‐ ager – Clinton C. Patrick, P.E., P.L.S. PRE BID CONFERENCE: To be held on August 19,2026 @ 10:00 at City of Bastrop meeting room, 202 East Jefferson, Bas‐ trop, LA 71220. This con‐ ference is not manda‐ tory. CONTRACT DOCUMENTS: Upon deposit of $100.00 for each set or request a link for an electronic set of plans and specs in PDF format. Bids must be submitted on forms provided, must be prepared in accor‐ dance with the "Project Specifications" and must include all information required by the bid form. Failure to comply with these requirements will result in rejection of the bids. Contract Docu‐ ments will not be issued later than 24 hours prior to the hour and date set for opening bids. Written requests for plans and bid forms should be sent to Volkert, Inc., 114 Venable Lane, Monroe, Louisiana 71203 to the attention of Chris W. Patrick. Drawings, specifications and contract documents were prepared by Volk‐ ert, Inc., 114 Venable Lane, Monroe, Louisiana 71203. The bid package may be examined in the office of Volkert, Inc., 114 Venable Lane, Monroe, Louisiana 71203. All Prime Bidders MUST obtain copies of Bidding Documents from Volkert, Inc., located at 114 Ven‐ able Lane, Monroe, Louisiana, upon receipt of a $100 deposit for each set of paper documents or request a link for an electronic set of plans and specs in PDF format. Prime Bidder is defined as licensed “Heavy Con‐ struction” Contractors bidding this job as such. Deposits on the first set of documents furnished bona fide prime bidders shall be fully refunded upon return of the docu‐ ments no later than ten days after receipt of bids. On other sets of documents furnished to bidders, the deposit less the actual cost of repro‐ duction, shall be re‐ funded upon return of the documents no later than ten days after re‐ ceipt of bids. Each proposal shall be accompanied by Bid Bond, a Cashier's Check or Certified Check in the amount not less than that specified above and shall be made payable to the City of Bastrop, with‐ out conditions. This shall be given as a guarantee that the Bidder will exe‐ cute the Contract, if it be awarded to him, in con‐ formity with the contract documents. The bidder must com‐ plete the Past Criminal Convictions of Bidders (Attestations) form. The bidder must also provide an affidavit attesting that public contract was not secured through em‐ ployment or payment of solicitor (see Non Collu‐ sion Declaration) form.

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

By submitting a bid/pro‐ posal under this solicita‐ tion, the bidder or offeror certiﬁes that neither it nor its principals are presently debarred or suspended by any Fed‐ eral department or agency from participa‐ tion in this transaction.

tively ensure that any contract entered into pursuant to this adver‐ tisement, [select disad‐ vantaged business enter‐ prises or airport conces‐ sion disadvantaged busi‐ ness enterprises] will be afforded full and fair op‐ portunity to submit bids in response to this invita‐ tion and will not be dis‐ criminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.

The successful Bidder to whom the contract is awarded will be required to furnish a performance and payment bond ac‐ ceptable to the City of Bastrop, in the amount of one hundred percent (100%) of the contract in conformity with the Con‐ tract Documents. The contractor for the con‐ tract shall purchase and maintain such insurance as will protect him/board from claims which may arise out of, or result from the contractor's ex‐ ecution of the work, whether such execution be by himself or by any subcontractor or by any‐ one directly or indirectly employed by any of them or by anyone from whose acts any of them may be liable. Federal Requirements: This project is federally funded and federal provi‐ sions and requirements apply. Federal provisions made part of, but not limited to this contract include: Buy American Preference, Foreign Trade Restriction, Davis Bacon, Affirmative Action, Gov‐ ernmentwide Debarment and Suspension, Govern‐ mentwide Requirements for Drug-free Workplace. The Contractor agrees to comply with 49 USC § 50101, which provides that Federal funds may not be obligated unless all steel and manufac‐ tured goods used in AIP funded projects are pro‐ duced in the United States, unless the Fed‐ eral Aviation Administra‐ tion has issued a waiver for the product; the prod‐ uct is listed as an Ex‐ cepted Article, Material Or Supply in Federal Ac‐ quisition Regulation sub‐ part 25.108; or is included in the FAA Nationwide Buy American Waivers Is‐ sued list. Notice of Requirement for Affirmative Action to Ensure Equal Employ‐ ment Opportunity: 1. The Offeror’s or Bid‐ der’s attention is called to the “Equal Opportu‐ nity Clause” and the “Standard Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Construction Contract Specifications” set forth herein. 2. The goals and timeta‐ bles for minority and fe‐ male participation, ex‐ pressed in percentage terms for the Contrac‐ tor’s aggregate work‐ force in each trade on all construction work in the covered area, are as fol‐ lows: Timetables Goals for minority partic‐ ipation for each trade: 6.5% These goals are applica‐ ble to all of the Contrac‐ tor’s construction work (whether or not it is Fed‐ eral or federally as‐ sisted) performed in the covered area. If the Con‐ tractor performs con‐ struction work in a geo‐ graphical area located outside of the covered area, it shall apply the goals established for such geographical area where the work is actu‐ ally performed. With re‐ gard to this second area, the Contractor also is subject to the goals for both its federally in‐ volved and non-federally involved construction. The Contractor’s compli‐ ance with the Executive Order and the regula‐ tions in 41 CFR Part 60-4 shall be based on its im‐ plementation of the Equal Opportunity Clause, specific affirma‐ tive action obligations required by the specifi‐ cations set forth in 41 CFR 60-4.3(a) and its ef‐ forts to meet the goals. The hours of minority and female employment and training must be substantially uniform throughout the length of the contract, and in each trade, and the Contractor shall make a good faith effort to employ minori‐ ties and women evenly on each of its projects. The transfer of minority or female employees or trainees from Contractor to Contractor or from project to project for the sole purpose of meeting the Contractor’s goals shall be a violation of the contract, the Executive Order and the regula‐ tions in 41 CFR Part 60-4. Compliance with the goals will be measured against the total work hours performed. 3. The Contractor shall provide written notifica‐ tion to the Director of the Office of Federal Con‐ tract Compliance Pro‐ grams (OFCCP) within 10 working days of award of any construction sub‐ contract in excess of $10,000 at any tier for construction work under the contract resulting from this solicitation. The notification shall list the name, address, and telephone number of the subcontractor; employer identification number of the subcontractor; esti‐ mated dollar amount of the subcontract; esti‐ mated starting and com‐ pletion dates of the sub‐ contract; and the geo‐ graphical area in which the subcontract is to be performed. 4. As used in this notice and in the contract re‐ sulting from this solicita‐ tion, the “covered area” is City of Bastrop, Louisiana, Morehouse Parish. Title VI Solicitation Notice: The City of Bastrop, in accordance with the pro‐ visions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 252, 42 USC §§ 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby noti‐ fies all bidders or offer‐ ors that it will affirma‐

Successful Bidders are required to submit to the Owner, the following documents within 10 days of bid opening: Statement of Bidder’s Qualifications Certification of Bidder Regarding EEO Demonstration of Good Faith Efforts Letter of Intent - DBD Bidders Assurance of DBE Participation DBE Good Faith Effort Documentation Attestations Affidavit Non Collusion Declaration Bidders are notified that the award of the contract shall be by the Owner and that construction administration and in‐ spection will be per‐ formed by the Engineer and final acceptance will be made by the Owner upon recommendation of the Engineers and sub‐ ject to approval by the FAA. Liquidated damages for delay will be in the amount of five hundred dollars ($500.00) per day for delays other than those caused by adverse weather conditions, acts of God, acts of delay caused by scheduling of operation by the Engi‐ neer or the Owner ad‐ verse to the interest of the contractor. Bids must be submitted on the Standard Form of Proposal included herein and the successful bid‐ der will be required to execute the Owner's Standard Form of Con‐ tract for Construction, together with the perfor‐ mance bond and pay‐ ment bond, within ten (10) days after formal award of the contract. No bids may be withdrawn for a period of forty five (45) days after the time schedule for the opening of bids. The Owner reserves the right to reject any or all bids for just cause. The contractor shall dis‐ play his Contractor's Li‐ cense Number promi‐ nently on the outside of the envelope. At the time and place stipulated, all proposals on hand will be opened and read aloud. Any proposal received after the specified day and hour will be returned unopened. No bids, after being sub‐ mitted, may be with‐ drawn after the sched‐ uled time for opening of bids. /s/_________________ Honorable Mark Moore, Sr., Mayor City of Bastrop PUBLISHED: Ouachita Citizen – Au‐ gust 6, 2026, August 18, 2026, August 20, 2026 and August 27, 2026 Baton Rouge Advocate – August 6, 2026, August 18, 2027, August 20, 2026 and August 27, 2026 196487 Aug. 6, 18, 20, 27, 2026 4t $716.48

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE --August 6, 2026 Notice is hereby given that Livingston Council on Aging intends to apply for a federal grant for operating assistance and/or capital assistance to provide Rural Public Transportation of a non-emergency, ambula‐ tory nature for the FY 2027-2028 program year. The application for assis‐ tance is pursuant to the NonUrbanized Area Formula Program of 49 CFR 5311. Services will generally be between 7:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.� Monday through Friday, in the area encompassing Liv‐ ingston Parish, Louisiana. Transit ser‐ vices are provided with‐ out regard to race, color, and national origin in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Written comments on the proposed services may be sent within 15 days to 949 Government St., Den‐ ham Springs, LA 70726, and to the Program Manager, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, P.O. Box 94245, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9245. Comments must be received by Au‐ gust 21, 2026. 195962-aug 6-27-2t $291.62 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE OF INTENT OFFICE OF PERMITTING AND COMPLIANCE ENGINEERING DIVISION In accordance with the laws of the State of Louisiana and the partic‐ ular reference to the pro‐ visions of La R.S. 30:4, and the provisions of Statewide Order No. 29M-3 (LAC 43:XVII, Subpart 5) as amended and adopted by the Ofﬁce of Permitting and Compli‐ ance of the State of Louisiana,

lll

Legal Notices

SECTION 23. Headings. The headings of the various sections hereof are inserted for convenience of reference only and shall not control or affect the meaning of the provisions hereof. SECTION 24. Effective Date. This Resolution shall become effective immediately. The foregoing Resolution having been submitted to a vote, the vote resulted as follows:

Member

Yes

Abstain

Absent

Rowdy Gaudet, Chairman

Legal Notices

Janice Delerno Jeremy Fontenot Karen Soniat, Ph.D. Marty Engquist Adopted by the Board of Directors of Visit Baton Rouge, Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana at a special meeting of the said Board of Directors after being duly noticed on the 11th day of August, 2026. __________________________ Rowdy Gaudet, Chairman

Stephen Hightower, Vice Chairman Robyn Merrick, Secretary/ Treasurer

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned.

Gary Jupiter, Jr. Gary Patureau 198672-681173-Aug. 27-1t $ 820.26

Claude Reynaud, Jr.

Legal Notices

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

Gulf Energy Storage Services, Inc. 1080 Eldridge Parkway, Suite 500 Houston, TX 77077

thirty (30) days prior to the date of the public sale, and again, no more than seven (7) days prior to the date of the public sale.

5310 and/or 5311) for the following:

p p hereto as Schedule A set‐ ting forth the rate and duration of the tax; and

g y p this Ordinance which would not otherwise be valid or legal, shall be deemed to apply to this Ordinance.

y an ad valorem tax of ten (10) mills on the dollar of assessed valuation of all property subject to taxa‐ tion within the geo‐ graphic boundaries of the City of Baker, State of Louisiana, for a period of ten (10) years, beginning with the year 2027 and ending with the year 2036, for the purpose of providing funds for salaries for third engine personnel and increasing salaries and beneﬁts for all employees of the Fire Department of the City who are members of the Municipal Fire and Police Civil Service System.

will be applying to the Office of Permitting and Compliance, Engineering Division for a permit to drill a Class III solutionmining well in the Napoleonville Salt Dome. A salt cavern will be cre‐ ated and the brine gener‐ ated from the solution mining will be used to create a variety of indus‐ trial- and consumer-use products. The proposed well and salt cavern will be in Sec‐ tion 041, Township 12S, Range 13E, Napoleonville Field, Assumption Parish, Louisiana and will be identified as Louisiana Salt, LLC No. 008. The well will be drilled to a depth of 7,300 feet. The top of the solution-mined cavern is proposed to be at 2,250 feet with the base at 7,300 feet within the salt. Once submitted, the ap‐ plication will be available for inspection from 8:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Monday through Friday in the En‐ gineering Division Office, 8th Floor, LaSalle Build‐ ing, 617 North Third Street, Baton Rouge, LA. Interested parties may request to receive notice when the application is submitted, be included on the public notice or public hearing mailing list, or address other public participation re‐ lated questions by con‐ tacting the Engineering Division by calling 225342-7591, by e-mail to in‐ jection-mining@la.gov, or by mail to: Office of Permitting and Compliance Engineering Division PO Box 94275 – Capitol Station Baton Rouge, LA 708049275 When corresponding, please reference the name of the applicant, the well name and num‐ ber, the well serial num‐ ber, if applicable, and the salt dome. 198692 Aug. 27, 1t $285.74 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROP‐ ERTY LOCKETT, ROBERT THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐ TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THE FOL‐ LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN WEST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA MAY BE TERMINATED BY SALE OF THE PROPERTY AT PUBLIC AUCTION IF YOU DO NOT TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW. PROPERTY DESCRIPTION: Lot P-11, containing 0.369 acres, being partition of Abe & Janie Parker Property 53A-73 CB410 E6 CB415 E28 (MB3 E45) Improve‐ ments thereon bear Mu‐ nicipal No. None. Parcel Number: 305319007300 West Baton Rouge Parish, State of Louisiana Tax sale title to the above-described prop‐ erty has been adjudi‐ cated to the Parish of West Baton Rouge for failure to pay taxes, by act recorded June 28, 2021, at Book 602, Page 72, Instrument No. 202100054934, of the con‐ veyance records of West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. You have been identified as a person who may have an inter‐ est in this property. TERMS OF SALE: Date and time of public sale: Tuesday, September 29, 2026, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Central Time Online www. bidding: bid4assets.com/WestBat onRougeTaxSales Written bids: Written bids will be accepted through the Bid4Assets offline bid‐ ding process. The re‐ quired bid deposit must be received and fully funded no later than 4:00 p.m., Central Time, on Fri‐ day, September 25, 2026, and a completed Offline Bid Form must be re‐ ceived no later than 12:00 p.m., Central Time, on Monday, September 28, 2026. Bid4Assets staff will enter the bidder's maximum authorized bid into the auction system as a proxy bid, which will bid on the bidder's be‐ half up to, but not ex‐ ceeding, the stated maxi‐ mum amount. Minimum bid: $3,598.90, represent‐ ing taxes, interest, penal‐ ties, fees and costs, to‐ gether with the costs of notification and publica‐ tion Other terms of sale: The property is being sold subject to the re‐ demptive period pro‐ vided by law. The prop‐ erty is sold as is, where is, without representa‐ tion or warranty of title, condition, merchantabil‐ ity, fitness for ordinary or a particular purpose, ac‐ cess, acreage, bound‐ aries, zoning, occupancy, environmental condition, or suitability for develop‐ ment. Neither the Parish nor Bid4Assets guaran‐ tees that title is clear, marketable, or insurable or that the purchaser will obtain immediate pos‐ session. Each bidder is solely responsible for in‐ vestigating the legal de‐ scription, ownership record, taxes, assess‐ ments, liens, privileges, mortgages, servitudes, rights-of-way, occu‐ pancy, access, zoning, code violations, environ‐ mental conditions, and any other matter affect‐ ing the property or the interest offered. Bidders should obtain indepen‐ dent legal, title, tax, sur‐ vey, and other profes‐ sional advice before bid‐ ding. TAX COLLECTOR: Sheriff Jeff Bergeron West Baton Rouge Parish Post Office Box 129 / 850 Eighth Street Port Allen, Louisiana 70767 (225) 343-9234 This notice is published pursuant to La. R.S. 47:2202 and 47:2203 in The Advocate, the official journal of the Parish of West Baton Rouge. This advertise‐ ment shall be published twice: once at least

198770 Aug. 27, Sept. 23, 2026 2t $746.04 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE the Louisiana De‐ partment of Conserva‐ tion and Energy (DCE), Office of Permitting and Compliance (OPC) has received the following application for an AfterThe-Fact (ATF) Coastal Use Permit (CUP) in ac‐ cordance with the State and Local Coastal Re‐ sources Management Act of 1978, as amended, (Louisiana R.S. 49:214.21214.41), and the rules and regulations of the Coastal Resources Pro‐ gram. As per Louisiana R.S. 49:214.36.N.2, notice is being provided that a Draft ATF Permit has been issued for review. The draft ATF permit as well as the application for the unauthorized work including drawings may be inspected at 617 North 3rd Street, LaSalle Building, Room 1078, Baton Rouge, LA or on the OPC web page at: http://denr.louisiana. gov/index.cfm?md=pag ebuilder&tmp=home& pid=591. Copies may be obtained upon payment of cost of copying. Writ‐ ten comments, including suggestions for modifi‐ cations or objections to the draft permit and stat‐ ing the reasons thereof, are being solicited from the public. Comments must be received within fifteen (15) days of the date of publication of this notice. Comments should be uploaded to our electronic record, but may be mailed, faxed or emailed to the desig‐ nated OPC Reviewer. All comments must contain the appropriate applica‐ tion number and the commenter's full name and contact information. Any person may request, in writing, within the comment period speci‐ fied in this notice, that a State or Federal public hearing be held to con‐ sider this application. Re‐ quests for public hear‐ ings shall state, with par‐ ticularity, the reasons for holding a public hearing and must contain the name and contact infor‐ mation of the requester. CUP Number P20200612 ATF Amended; Enlink Processing Services, LLC: 10280 Highway 75, River Road, Geismar, LA 70734; Attn: Ronald McCabe; C/O Geosyntec Consul‐ tants, 2600 CitiPlace Court, Suite 500, Baton Rouge, LA 70808; Attn: Spencer Carnado; Loca‐ tion: Assumption Parish: Lat 30-01-7.64 N Long 9108-1.36 W; Highway 69 just north of Highway 70 in Belle Rose, LA; De‐ scription: Unauthorized brine leak resulting in 7.96 acres of cypress swamp mortality. Appli‐ cant has mitigated for all permanent damages. 198622 Aug. 27, 2026 1t $28.34 PUBLIC NOTICE --PUBLIC NOTICE OF FACILITY CLOSURE Post Trauma Institute of Louisiana, LLC hereby provides public notice that it is voluntarily dis‐ continuing New Start In‐ tensive Outpatient Pro‐ gram (IOP) and services provided under its Louisiana Department of Health Behavioral Health Service Provider (BHSP) license, effective 9/15/2025. No patients have re‐ ceived services under the programs subject to this closure since the fourth quarter of 2024. Post Trauma Institute of Louisiana is not closing. The organization will continue to provide ser‐ vices authorized under the applicable profes‐ sional licenses of its physicians and thera‐ pists. This notice applies only to the discontinua‐ tion of services provided under the organization's LDH Behavioral Health Service Provider license. Records for individuals who previously received services through the pro‐ grams subject to this clo‐ sure will continue to be maintained in accor‐ dance with applicable state and federal recordretention and confiden‐ tiality requirements. Individuals seeking ac‐ cess to their records may contact: New Start IOP c/o Post Trauma Institute of Louisiana, LLC P.O. Box 83814, Baton Rouge, LA 70884 Phone: 225-751-5412 Email: office@mypsych network.com Requests for records should include sufficient information to identify the individual and the services received. Records will be released only in accordance with applicable authorization, privacy, and confidential‐ ity requirements. This notice is being pub‐ lished in connection with the voluntary closure and surrender of the ap‐ plicable Louisiana De‐ partment of Health Be‐ havioral Health Service Provider license. 198722 Aug. 27, 2026 1t $222.45 PUBLIC NOTICE --PUBLIC NOTICE OPPOR‐ TUNITY FOR REQUESTING A PUBLIC HEARING All interested persons are hereby advised that the Livingston Council on Aging has applied to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and De‐ velopment for project funding under Federal Transit Administration (Section

PROJECT: Livingston Council on Aging is preparing to replace ex‐ isting equipment to con‐ tinue transportation services in the Parish. Further de‐ tails relative to the pro‐ ject are available from Stephanie Landry, 949 Government St., Denham Springs, LA 70726, (225) 664-9343. Interested persons are advised that they may request that a public hearing be conducted to provide a means for the public to express their views rela‐ tive to the proposed pro‐ ject on the probable social, economic, and en‐ vironmental effects in‐ volved. In lieu of request‐ ing a public hearing, interested persons may submit their comments in writing. Written requests for a public hearing and/or submittal of comments must be postmarked on or before September 8, 2026, and should be addressed to: Stephanie Landry, 949 Government St., Denham Springs, LA 70726. Should a public hearing be re‐ quired, a public notice will be published stating the date, time, and loca‐ tion of the hearing. 195967-AUG 6-27-2T $372.94 PUBLIC NOTICE --PUBLIC NOTICE OPPOR‐ TUNITY FOR REQUESTING • A PUBLIC HEARING All interested persons are hereby advised that the Livingston Council on Aging has applied to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and De‐ velopment for project funding under Federal Transit Administration (Section 5310 and/or 5311) for the following: PROJECT: Livingston Council on Aging is preparing to replace ex‐ isting equipment to con‐ tinue transportation services in the Parish. Further de‐ tails relative to the pro‐ ject are available from Stephanie Landry, 949 Government St., Denham Springs, LA 70726, (225) 664-9343. Interested persons are advised that they may request that a public hearing be conducted to provide a means for the public to express their views rela‐ tive to the proposed pro‐ ject on the probable social, economic, and en‐ vironmental effects in‐ volved. In lieu of request‐ ing a public hearing, interested persons may submit their comments in writing. Written requests for a public hearing and/or submittal of comments must be postmarked on or before August 21, 2026, and should be addressed to: Stephanie Landry, 949 Government St., Denham Springs, LA 70726. Should a public hearing be required, a public notice will be pub‐ lished stating the date, time, and location of the hearing. 195964-AUG 6-27-2T $383.16 PUBLIC NOTICE --The Louisiana Ofﬁce of State Parks is requesting proposals for a PublicPrivate Partnership pro‐ ject to design, construct, and operate a high-qual‐ ity recreational vehicle campground and related amenities. For more in‐ formation go to opportu‐ nitiesinlouisiana.com. 192994-jul 2-aug 31-t

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

PUBLIC NOTICE --The following Ordinance which was previously in‐ troduced in written form at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Baker, State of Louisiana on July 14, 2026, a Notice of Public Hearing having been published in the ofﬁcial journal and which public hearing was held in ac‐ cordance with said pub‐ lic notice, was offered by Council Member Dunn and seconded by Council Member Young: ORDINANCE 2026-25 An Ordinance directing the levy and collection of an ad valorem tax of ten (10) mills on the dollar of assessed valuation of all property subject to taxa‐ tion within the geo‐ graphic boundaries of the City of Baker, State of Louisiana, for a period of ten (10) years, beginning with the year 2027 and ending with the year 2036, for the purpose of funds for providing salaries for third engine personnel and increasing salaries and beneﬁts for all employees of the Fire Department of the City who are members of the Municipal Fire and Police Civil Service System. WHEREAS, under the provisions of Article VI, Section 27 of the Louisiana Constitution of 1974, as amended, and other constitutional and statutory authority, in‐ cluding an election held in the City of Baker, State of Louisiana (the “City”) on Saturday, June 27, 2026, the City Council of the City of Baker, State of Louisiana (the “Govern‐ ing Authority”), as gov‐ erning authority for the City, desires to levy and collect the ad valorem tax as authorized at the election by virtue of the favorable passage of the proposition attached h d l h

WHEREAS, in compliance with the provisions of said authority and other applicable constitutional and statutory authority, an election was held in the City on Saturday, June 27, 2026, to autho‐ rize the levy and collec‐ tion of the ad valorem tax, it is now the desire of the City to levy the ad valorem tax and to pro‐ vide for the collection thereof and other mat‐ ters in connection there‐ with as hereinafter pro‐ vided in this Ordinance. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Govern‐ ing Authority, that: SECTION 1. Pursuant to the authority of an elec‐ tion held in the City on Saturday, June 27, 2026, there be and there is hereby levied within the geographic boundaries of the City for the pur‐ poses stated in the proposition attached hereto as Schedule A, an ad valorem tax of ten (10) mills on the dollar of assessed valuation of all property subject to taxa‐ tion in the City, begin‐ ning with the year 2027 and ending with the year 2036, for the purpose of providing funds for salaries for third engine personnel and increasing salaries and beneﬁts for all employees of the Fire Department of the City who are members of the Municipal Fire and Police Civil Service System, all in the manner and sub‐ ject to the provisions and terms of those portions of Title 33 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended, applicable to property taxes levied by the City. SECTION 2. That the ad valorem tax described in Section 1 above shall be levied, assessed, im‐ posed, collected, paid and enforced according to law. SECTION 3. The obliga‐ tions and rights of tax‐ payers in connection with the ad valorem tax levied hereby shall be as provided by the provi‐ sions of law applicable to ad valorem taxes levied by the City. SECTION 4. If any one or more of the provisions of this Ordinance shall for any reason be held to be illegal or invalid, such il‐ legality or invalidity shall not affect any other pro‐ vision of this Ordinance, but this Ordinance shall be construed and en‐ forced as if such illegal or invalid provisions had not been contained herein. Any constitu‐ tional or statutory provi‐ sion enacted after the date of this Ordinance which validates or makes legal any provision of hi di hi h

SECTION 5. Upon adop‐ tion, this Ordinance shall be published in full in one (1) issue of The Ad‐ vocate and shall be recorded in the mortgage records of the East Baton Rouge Parish Clerk of Court. SECTION 6. The Clerk of the Governing Authority be and she is hereby au‐ thorized, empowered and directed to take any and all such action as may be necessary to carry into effect the pro‐ visions of this Ordinance. SECTION 7. This Ordi‐ nance shall immediately take effect upon adop‐ tion. This Ordinance having been submitted to a vote, the vote thereon was as follows: YEAS: Collins, Dunn, Mur‐ phy, Vincent, Young NAYS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None WHEREUPON, this Ordi‐ nance was declared to be adopted by the City Council of the City of Baker, State of Louisiana, on this, the 28th day of July, 2026. SCHEDULE A PROPOSITION Shall the City of Baker, State of Louisiana (the “City”) be authorized to levy and collect a special ad valorem tax of ten (10) mills on all property subject to taxation in the City (an estimated $937,180 reasonably ex‐ pected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year) (the “Tax”) for a period of ten (10) years, beginning with the year 2027 and ending with the year 2036, the proceeds of the Tax to be used en‐ tirely and exclusively to provide funds for salaries for third engine personnel and increasing salaries and beneﬁts for all employees of the Fire Department of the City who are members of the Municipal Fire and Police Civil Service System? STATE OF LOUISIANA PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE I, the undersigned Clerk of the City Council of the City of Baker, State of Louisiana (the “Govern‐ ing Authority”), acting as the governing authority of the City of Baker, State of Louisiana, do hereby certify that the foregoing constitutes a true and correct copy of an Ordi‐ nance adopted by the Governing Authority on July 28, 2026, directing the levy and collection of d l f

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have subscribed my ofﬁ‐ cial signature of the City Council of the City of Baker, State of Louisiana on this, the 28th day of July, 2026. /s/ Angela Canady Wall Angela Canady Wall, Council Clerk (SEAL) 198484 Aug. 27, 1t $128.48

Public Notices Successions

PUBLIC NOTICE --19TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH # P-115611 SEC 23 SUCCESSION OF BEATRICE BOVA NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO SELL IMMOVABLE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN to any interested person, including a credi‐ tor of the estate, a Peti‐ tion for Authority to sell the immovable property owned by this estate will be submitted to the Court. Louisiana law gives any successor or interested person a lim‐ ited delay period to op‐ pose what the Petition and its supporting docu‐ ments allege or propose and the reasons for the opposition, seven (7) cal‐ endar days from the last newspaper publication date of this notice. If the clerk of court does not receive any proof of op‐ position after the legal delay ends, the Court may grant the Petition without changes. 196586 Aug, 6, 27, 2t $55.44

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The Livingston Parish Council will conduct a public hearing for all persons or their representatives desiring to be heard on the assessment of real and personal property as assessed by the Assessor in accordance with the fair market or use valuation. Said public hearing shall begin on September 8, 2026, at the office of the Livingston Parish Council located in the Governmental Building at 20355 Governmental Boulevard, Livingston, Louisiana, and shall end on September 22, 2026. Persons wishing to protest should do so orally or by certified letter before the close of business on September 3, 2026. On September 10, 2026, at the hour of five o’clock (5:00) p.m., the Livingston Parish Council shall meet for the purpose of certifying the assessment lists, together with any changes in connection therewith.

Publication Dates: Livingston Parish News 8/27/26 & 9/3/26

The Advocate 8/27/26 & 9/3/26

197324-677109-aug 27-sept 3-2t $ 812.50

PUBLIC NOTICE City of Zachary

The purpose of this message is to inform the public that the City of Zachary has buried gas pipelines throughout the gas service area that provide safe reliable energy to its customers. The City of Zachary maintains these pipelines to a high standard, and they are considered reliable. A Damage Control Program (line markers) and an Emergency Plan for responding to an emergency has been established and the City works closely with Fire and Emergency Response Personnel. Prior to any excavation in and around any gas facilities contact either of the numbers below.

One-Call System 1 (800) 272-3020 or 811 Help Us Keep You Safe

How to Recognize a Natural Gas Leak Natural gas leaks may be detected by one of the following indications on or near our pipelines right-of-way: 1. A gaseous or hydrocarbon odor. (Smell of rotten eggs) 2. A blowing or hissing sound. 3. Dust blowing from a hole in the ground. 4. Continuous bubbling in one spot in wet or flooded area. 5. Dead vegetation (grass, shrubs, or trees.) 6. Abnormally dry or hardened soil. 7. Fire apparently coming from the ground or burning above the ground. CAUTION: Gas that has accumulated in a confined space is subject to EXPLOSION. Please stay away from immediate area of any suspected gas leak and contact the City of Zachary Gas Maintenance Department! Never tum on or off switches or use a flashlight or phone in the presence of a gas smell. NOTE: The City of Zachary does not maintain buried piping between the gas meter and the house or business. The customer is responsible for maintaining and repairing this section of gas piping from leakage. These buried gas lines should be checked periodically for leakage. If you need additional information, suspect a natural gas leak or in case of an emergency concerning a City of Zachary System gas main or service line, immediately call:

City Office (225) 654-0201 (24 hour) 198767-681524-Aug. 27-1t $ 69.30