The Acadiana Advocate 09-26-2025

BY MEGAN WYATT andASHLEY WHITE Staffwriters

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is facing a$25 million deficit that will require significant cuts to every division, the interim president shared Thursday with

faculty and staff, as he outlined plans for some cuts andasked for ideas on findingmore efficiencies.

UL interim President Jaimie Hebertrevealed the university’s bleak financial pictureduring aThursday townhallmeeting, which he followed up with an email that noted thatleadershiphas iden-

tified $15 million in reductionsto address the $25 million “structural deficit.”

Auniversityspokesperson would notconfirm Thursdayafternoon whether the cutswould involve layoffs.

Most divisions will reduce operational expenses by 10%. Academic

affairs will reduce expenses by 5%, which Hebert said would limit impact on the university’score mission. No academicprograms have been cutsofar

“Let me be clear: Other divisions absorbed deeper cuts to ensure that the classroom experiencesweprovide ourstudents arepreserved,” Hebert wrote in theemail. “These reductions were strategicand designed to protect

oodwater

BY KASEY BUBNASH Staff writer

There’snothingall thatspecial about Tropical Storm Humberto on itsown. Atypicalstorm developing in what is ahistorically active time of year for the Atlantic basin,Humberto seems likeacut-and-dried case.

Yetsince it formedeast of the LeewardIslands on Wednesday afternoon, hurricane forecasters have warned thattheir predictions for the system could be lessaccurate than usual, spurring calls for vigilance from local meteorologists along the GulfCoast

But it’snot Humberto itself that’sthrowing forecastersand hurricane models for aloop. It’s thestorm’sproximity to atropicalwaveover

ä

STORMS, page 4A

UL facing $25M budget deficit

essential functions.”

Hebert noted that the $15 million in reductions represents only part of the deficit, and he welcomed ideas for finding efficiencies and new revenue streamsasthe “work continues.”Hesaidadministrators and department heads metfor weeks to discuss how to reduce spending.

BY JOSIE ABUGOV Staff writer

When astorm is barreling in from the Gulf, which neighborhoods would be mostlikely to flood and at what depths?And canthatbepredicted quickly with affordable technology?

Ateam of LSU scientists is using artificial intelligence to do just that —and so farhaving success. It is developing anew flood prediction technique that runs exponentially faster than previous models while yielding highly accurate results. The method documents both storm surge and inland flooding fromrainfall. Z. George Xue, a professor in the department of oceanography and coastal scienceand theCenterfor Computation and Techniqueproducesfaster, accurate results,scientistssay ä See FLOOD, page 4A

of eachother, theycan

Although rare,whentwo nearby stormsystems develop, typically

“Please be advised that the 911 system is currently experiencing difficulties

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Pokémon protests DHS’ ‘Gotta Catch ’Em All’

The company behind the wildly popular Pokémon franchise says it doesn’t want its characters used for propaganda.

The Department of Homeland Security uploaded a Pokémonthemed montage of various ICE raids to social media earlier this week.

The Japanese gaming company said the federal agency was not authorized to use its original content. “We are aware of a recent video posted by the Department of Homeland Security that includes imagery and language associated with our brand,” wrote the Pokémon Company International in a statement to The Los Angeles Times. “Our company was not involved in the creation or distribution of this content, and permission was not granted for the use of our intellectual property.”

The posted video included the anime theme song, with the lyrics “Gotta catch ’em all,” playing over segments of federal agents handcuffing people and imagery of a Pokémon character and the Pokéballs used to capture monsters in the game. It concluded with several mock-ups of Pokémon playing cards with photographs of detainees, which included their full names, crimes they have committed and details about their convictions and sentencing.

Springsteen wants Trump on ‘trash heap of history’ NEW YORK Bruce Springsteen is disparaging President Donald Trump once more. This time, he’s doing it in Time magazine. In an interview published Thursday covering a wide range of topics, the Boss lamented that “a lot of people” believe lies told by the commander in chief, but conceded that many Americans are comfortable with the way Trump practices politics. Springsteen and Trump locked horns in May when the 76-yearold rocker opened his European tour by telling his English audience his country “is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration.” Trump, 79, responded on social media by calling the singer “a pushy, obnoxious JERK” who was out of line for insulting a U.S. president on foreign soil. Springsteen told Time he doesn’t pay much attention to his adversary’s comments, but thinks the president should be impeached. “If Congress had any guts, he’d be consigned to the trash heap of history,” Springsteen said. He also complained the Democratic Party doesn’t appear to be the alternative many Americans want. “There is a problem with the language that they’re using and the way they’re trying to reach people,” he claimed Pentagon reduces prior mandate for flu shots

WASHINGTON The Pentagon has stepped back from the policy that requires all troops to get the flu shot every year by introducing exemptions for reservists and proclaiming that the shot is only necessary in some circumstances for all service members, according to a document obtained by The Associated Press. The memo, written by Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg on May 29 and sent to all the military services, says reserve troops now will need to be on active duty for 30 days or more before being required to get an annual flu shot It also says the military will no longer be paying for reservists or National Guard members to get the vaccine on their own time.

Comey indicted on 2 charges

BY ERIC TUCKER and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press

WASHINGTON James Comey was charged Thursday with making a false statement and obstruction in a criminal case filed days after President Donald Trump appeared to urge his attorney general to prosecute the former FBI director and other perceived political enemies.

The indictment makes Comey the first former senior government official to face prosecution in connection with one of Trump’s chief grievances: the long-concluded investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Trump and his supporters have long derided that investigation as a “hoax” and a “witch hunt” despite multiple government reviews showing Moscow interfered on behalf of the Republican’s campaign.

The criminal case is likely to deepen concerns that the Justice Department under Attorney General Pam Bondi, a Trump loyalist, is being weaponized in pursuit of

investigations and now prosecutions of public figures the president regards as his political enemies.

Comey was fired months into Trump’s first administration and has long been a top target for Trump supporters seeking retribution. Comey was singled out by name in a Saturday social media post in which Trump complained directly to Bondi that she had not yet brought charges against him.

The following evening, Trump said in a Truth Social post aimed at the attorney general that department investigations had not resulted in prosecutions. He said he would nominate Lindsey Halligan, a White House aide, to serve as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. She has been one of Trump’s personal lawyers and does not have experience as a federal prosecutor

“We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility,” Trump wrote, referencing the fact that he himself had been indicted and impeached multiple times. “JUSTICE MUST BE

SERVED, NOW!!!” Halligan had rushed to present the case to a grand jury this week.

Prosecutors were evaluating whether Comey lied to Congress during testimony on Sept. 30, 2020, and they had until Tuesday to bring a case before the five-year statute of limitations expired.

Trump has for years railed against both a finding by U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia preferred him to Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election and the criminal investigation that tried to determine whether his campaign had conspired with Moscow to sway the outcome of that race. Prosecutors led by special counsel Robert Mueller did not establish that Trump or his associates criminally colluded with Russia, but they did find that Trump’s campaign had welcomed Moscow’s assistance.

Trump has seized on the fact that Mueller’s investigation did not find that the Trump campaign and the Kremlin colluded, and that there were significant errors and omis-

Report lays out problems in response to Calif. fires

BY CHRISTOPHER WEBER and REBECCA BOONE Associated Press

LOS ANGELES A lack of resources and outdated policies for sending emergency alerts led to delayed evacuation warnings as flames began consuming neighborhoods during deadly Los Angeles-area wildfires in January, according to an outside review

The Independent After-Action Report produced by the consulting firm McChrystal Group was commissioned by Los Angeles county supervisors just weeks after the Eaton and Palisades fires killed more than 30 people and destroyed thousands of homes in and around Pacific Palisades and Altadena.

The report released Thursday says a series of weaknesses, including “outdated policies, inconsistent practices and communications vulnerabilities,” hampered the county’s response.

Interviews with survivors and an Associated Press analysis of available data found evacuation orders for some neighborhoods of Altadena where the Eaton Fire swept through came long after houses burned down. AP reporting also showed similar delays for the Palisades Fire, though the Los Angeles Police Department initially handled evacuation management. The report sheds more light on flaws in the county alert system.

The report cites critical staffing shortages including a high number of sheriff’s deputy vacancies and an under-resourced Office of Emergency Management In addition, first responders and incident commanders were unable to consistently share information due to unreliable cellular connectivity, inconsistent field reporting methods, and the use of various unconnected communication platforms.

“While frontline responders acted de-

cisively and, in many cases, heroically, in the face of extraordinary conditions, the events underscored the need for clearer policies, stronger training, integrated tools, and improved public communication,” the report says.

It is not intended to investigate or assess blame, county officials said in a news release.

“This isn’t about pointing fingers. It’s about learning lessons, improving safety, and restoring public trust,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose district includes Altadena.

The Office of Emergency Management began putting together its staffing plan for predicted heavy winds Jan. 3, four days before the Palisades and Eaton fires ignited. But an experienced staffer had been sent out of town for a training event. That meant several less-knowledgeable staffers were in key positions, according to the report.

They were also working with some new emergency notification software provided by an existing vendor

The review also found that the process to communicate an evacuation decision to the public was slow convoluted and involved multiple leadership roles across county-level departments.

Some of the evacuation alerts required residents to click a separate link to get complete information, hindering messaging. Power outages and cell tower issues further hindered evacuation notices and the fire was moving too fast to keep up, the report found There was no official, standalone preparedness messaging provided by the county

The authors praised the heroism of first responders including sheriff’s deputies and county firefighters who evacuated senior care facilities, led public transit bus drivers through impacted neighborhoods and rescued people from burning homes.

Hegseth abruptly summons all top brass to meeting

By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has summoned the military’s top officers hundreds of generals and admirals — to a base in northern Virginia for a sudden meeting next week, according to three people familiar with the matter

The directive did not offer a reason for the gathering Tuesday of senior commanders of the one-star rank or higher and their top advisers at the Marine Corps base in Quantico. The

people, who described the move as unusual, were not authorized to publicly discuss the sensitive plans and spoke on condition of anonymity The Pentagon’s top spokesman, Sean Parnell, confirmed that Hegseth “will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week.”

Across the military, there are 800 generals and admirals of all ranks. Many command thousands of service members and are stationed across the world in more than a dozen countries and time zones.

The meeting was first reported by The Washington Post.

In May Hegseth ordered that the military cut 20% of its four-star general officers, directed an additional 10% cut from all general and flag officers across the force, and told the National Guard to shed 20% of its top positions.

In February, Hegseth fired Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the Navy’s top officer, and Gen. James Slife, the Air Force’s second highest officer, without explanation. He also relieved the military’s top lawyers.

sions made by the FBI in wiretap applications, to claim vindication. The criminal case against Comey accuses him of having lied to a Senate committee in his 2020 appearance when he said he never authorized anyone to serve as an anonymous source to a reporter about the investigation.

Trump’s administration is trying to cast the Russia investigation as the outgrowth of an effort under Democratic President Barack Obama to overhype Moscow’s interference in the election and to undermine the legitimacy of Trump’s victory Comey’s relationship with Trump was strained from the start and was exacerbated when Comey resisted a request by Trump at a private White House dinner to pledge personal loyalty to the president. That overture so unnerved the FBI director that he documented it in a contemporaneous memorandum. Trump fired Comey in May 2017, an action later investigated by Mueller for potential obstruction of justice.

Parents of girl lost in flood don’t want camp to reopen

BY JIM VERTUNO Associated Press

AUSTIN,Texas The parents of the only girl still missing from the catastrophic July 4 flood that tore through Camp Mystic in Texas are demanding that the camp halt its plans to reopen.

Officials announced this week that they plan to reopen part of the camp next year and build a memorial to the 25 campers and two teenage counselors who died. The body of 8-yearold camper Cile Steward wasn’t recovered.

The reopening plan has drawn fierce complaints from some of the victims’ families, who said they weren’t consulted.

“To promote reopening less than three months after the tragedy — while one camper remains missing — is unthinkable,” CiCi and Will Steward wrote to Camp Mystic officials in a letter released Thursday

“We call on Camp Mystic to halt all discussions of

reopening and memorials,” they wrote. “Instead, Cile must be recovered, and you must fully confront and account for your role in the events and failures that caused the deaths of our daughters.”

Camp Mystic’s owners include the wife and other family members of Dick Eastland, who also died in the flooding.

Camp officials did not respond to an emailed request for comment. The children and counselors who died have become known as “Heaven’s 27.” The letter was signed by CiCi and Will Steward “on behalf of ourselves and other families of the Heaven’s 27.” It wasn’t immediately clear if other victims’ families participated in the letter A spokesperson for the group said the letter speaks for itself. The camp’s planned reopening would not include the area where the victims were swept away

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TrumpsaysXihas approved TikTok deal

By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON

President

DonaldTrump has signed an executive order that he says will allow TikTok to continue operating in the United States in away that meets nationalsecurityconcerns laid out by the law

PresidentJoe Biden signed legislation last year calling for China’sByteDance to sell TikTok’sassets to an American company by early this yearorfacea nationwide ban, but Trump has repeatedly signed orders that have allowed TikTok to keep operating in the U.S. as his administration tries to reach an agreement for the saleofthe social media company

Much is still unknown about the actual dealin the works, but Trump said Thursday that Chinese leader Xi Jinpinghas approved it. Any majorchange to the popular video platform could have ahuge impact on how Americans —particularlyyoung adults and teenagers —consume information online.

TheChineseembassy in Washington didn’timmediately respond to an AP inquiry seekingconfirmation that China has signed off on the proposed framework deal.

About43% of U.S. adults under the age of 30 say they

regularly getnews from TikTok,higher than any other social media app includingYouTube, Facebook and Instagram, according to a Pew Research Center report published Thursday Trump saidinresponse to aquestion at asigning ceremonyThursdaythat he would make the Americancontrolled TikTok “100% MAGA”ifhefelthecould, but he intends for “every philosophy,every policy” to be “treated right.”

Vice PresidentJD Vance saidthe deal ensures that “American investors will actually control the algorithm” that determines thecontent seen on thesocial media app. He said more information aboutthe deal will be revealed in thecoming weeks.

Underthe termsofthe dealthat have so far beenrevealed by the White House, the app will be spun off into a new U.S. joint venture owned by aconsortiumofAmerican investors —including Oracle andinvestment firm Silver Lake Partners.

Though thedetails have yet to be finalized, theinvestment group’stotal stake in thenew venture would be around 80%, while ByteDance isexpected to have a 20% or smaller stake in the entity.The board running thenew platform wouldbe

controlled by U.S. investors. ByteDance will be represented by one person on the board, but thatindividual will be excluded fromany security matters or related committees.

TikTok’snew owners include many whose business or political interests are tied to Trump, including Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and RupertMurdoch, raising questions about whether political influence will be exerted into the platform.

Although he stepped down as Oracle’sCEO morethan a decade ago, Ellison remains heavily involvedaschairman andchief technology officer.Now 81, he could be in line to becomeabehind-the-

Shooterat ICEfacilityhated U.S. government,officials say

BY SEAN MURPHYand COREY WILLIAMS Associated Press

DALLAS The gunman who opened fire on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Dallas hated theU.S.government and wanted to incite terror by killing federal agents, officialssaid Thursday,offering the first hint of amotive in theattack

Citing handwritten notes found at his suburban home, authorities said 29-year-old Joshua Jahn set out to ambush the agency and then fatally shot himself following the assault.

The shooting at daybreak Wednesdaytargeted the ICE office building, including avan in agated entryway that held detainees.One detainee was killed, and two otherswerecritically wounded.NoICE personnel were hurt.

Jahn “specificallyintended to kill ICE agents,”firing at vehicles carryingICE personnel, federal agents and detainees. “He also fired multiple shotsinthe windows of theoffice building where numerousICE employees do their jobs every day,” said Joseph Rothrock, agent in chargeofthe FBI’s Dallas field office.” Jahn’snotes indicated “that he didnot expect to survive this event,” Rothrock said. “He wanted to cause terror.”

The gunman, who authorities said fired indiscriminately from anearby rooftop, was involved in a“high degreeofpre-attack planning,” FBI Director Kash Patel said on the social platform X. Patelquoted anote that said:“Hopefully this will give ICEagents real terror,to think, is there asniper with AP rounds on that roof?” The note used an apparent abbreviation for armor-piercing bullets.

The attack happened as heightened immigration enforcement has generated abacklash against ICE agents and stirredfear in immigrant communities across the country

The assailant appeared to have acted alone. Nancy Larson, the acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas, said investigators discovered the notes at Jahn’s residence.Another note said, “Yes, it was just me.” Other notes were sharply criticalofICE agents and indicated he hopedto avoid hurting any detainees.

Investigators have not foundthatthe gunman was amember of anyparticulargroup or entity,Larsonsaid. And while hebroadly wrote about hatred of the federal government, he did not mentionany federal agencies other than ICE, she said

The gunman had also downloaded adocument titled “DallasCountyOffice of Homeland Security &EmergencyManagement” containing alist of Homeland Security facilities, Patel said.

Hours beforethe shooting, the assailant conducted multiple internet searchesfor ballistics information andvideo of the assassination of conservative activistCharlie Kirk on aUtah university campus this month, Patel said. Last month, the man searched for apps thattracked the presence of ICE agents, he added.

Jahn legally obtainedthe bolt-actionrifle used in the shooting in August, Rothrock said. He “alsoacknowledgedthe potential for other casualties,”Rothrock said.

“He knew with ahigh likelihood ICE detainees would be transported that morning in the exact location where he was facing from his perch” atop the roof.

Following ICE procedures, thedetainees were restrained inside the van, said Marcos Charles, field officedirector of enforcement andremoval operations for ICE.

Authorities have not released the names of thevictims.

On July 4, attackersinblack,militarystyleclothing opened fire outside the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, southwest of Dallas, federal prosecutors said Onepolice officer was wounded.Atleast 11 people havebeen charged in connection with the attack.

Days later,a man with an assault rifle fired dozens of rounds at federal agents leaving a Border Patrol facility in McAllen. The man identified as Ryan Louis Mosqueda, injured arespondingpolice officer before authorities shot and killed him.

Associated Press journalists Jack Brook in New Orleans, Mike Balsamo in New York, Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington, SophiaTareen in Chicago and TimSullivan in Minneapolis contributed to this report.

scenesmedia power player, having alreadyhelpedfinanceSkydance’srecently completed $8 billion merger withParamount,a deal engineered by his son, David.

TikTok users could now “getthe editorial policies of thepeople whonow have control of the company,” said David Greene, civil liberties director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

“It won’tbe100% MAGA. The question is howitwill treat criticism of him and people he likes.

The recommendation algorithm that has steered millions of users into an endless stream of video shorts has been central in the security debate over TikTok.China

previouslymaintained the algorithmmustremainunderChinese controlbylaw

But aU.S. regulation that Congress passed with bipartisan supportsaidany divestmentofTikTok must mean the platform cut ties with ByteDance.

American officials previously warned the algorithm —which is acomplexsystem of rules and calculations that platforms use to deliver contenttoyourfeed —is vulnerable to manipulation by Chineseauthorities,who can use it to shape messaging on the platform in away that’s difficult to detect, but no evidencehas ever been presented by U.S. officials showing thatChina hasattempted to do so.

Although thedetails remain unclear,aTrump administration official said that alicensed copy of the ByteDancecreated algorithm —retrainedsolelywithU.S data —will power the new U.S. versionofthe app. Administration officials say this retraining effort will nullify anyrisk of Chinese interference and influence.

Vance said “wewanted to keep TikTok operating” but address security concerns so that “Americans can use TikTok but useitwithmore confidence than they had in the past.”

Young peopleespecially “really wanted this to happen,” Trumpsaid during the signing ceremony That makes it unclear if the U.S. version of TikTok will be adifferent experience than what users in the rest of the worldare used to.Any noticeable changes made to a social media platform’sservice raises the risk of alienating its audience, said JasmineEnberg, an analyst for the research firm eMarketer In aprimeexample of how achange of control can reshapea once-popular social mediaplatform, billionaire ElonMusktriggered an almostimmediate backlash after he completed his takeover of Twitter nearly three years ago.

ButMuskmadeextremely visiblechanges,including changing its name to X, pulling back on its content moderation and adding exclusive features forpaid subscribers. The changes that gradually occurwhile different data is fedinto the U.S. copy of TikTok’salgorithmcould be subtle and unnoticeable to mostofits audience.

“Social media is just as much aboutthe culture as it is the technology,and how users will take to new ownership and potentially anew version of theapp is still an open question,”Enberg said.

The fiscal news comes after a shake-up of top administrators at the university that happened around the time that auditsquestioned UL’s financial picture. The Louisiana legislative auditor in late springflagged problems with university finances that included late billing over three consecutive years, which UL blamed on staffing shortages andturnover. And another auditearlier this year revealed a$12.6 million deficit in UL’s Athletic Department.

FLOOD

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Technology,saidthe newmethod could assist disaster managers during storms andhelpanalyze longer-term risk patterns.

The results of six yearsofresearch were published in July in the journal Natural Hazards. The team of professors, postdoctoral students and graduate students received federal support from theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Society,the U.S. Geological Survey and NASA for the project.

The new system offers“apromisingstrategytoovercome the trade-off between speed and accuracy in floodpredictions,”the paper states, by combining two typesofmethods:a slower but more accurate model, and afaster AI model with lower accuracy

This hybrid method relies on theaccurate, but computationally intensive, models that Xue’s team previously created.The result, called the Prediction-to-Map, is flooding predictions that are 100,000 fasterthan the previous models, Xue said.

Hebert was namedinterim in July after President Joseph Savoie announced he was stepping down

ayear before his contract was up. Savoie now servesasthe university’spresident emeritus. Jerry Luke LeBlanc, UL’s vice president of finance and administration, resignedabruptly in May

Edwin Litolff is serving as interim vice president of finance for UL

During his first address to UL stakeholders last month, Hebert said the administration’stop pri-

oritiesare fiscal stability andprocess efficiency Hebert said he will share more updates and answer questions next week at atownhallwiththe general Staff Council from 3p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the Student Union’sBayou Bijou Theater Universities across the state are contending with potentialeffects of budget cuts.

Heavyrains flooded the Jefferson Street underpass on April 24.

Abudget deficit at the University of New Orleans from declining enrollment ledtolayoffs,furloughs, buildingclosures andmore.LSU also implemented ahiring freeze in thespringamid threatstofederal higher education funding from President Donald Trump’s administration.The LSUhiring freeze wasexpectedtoend over the summer

This new hybrid model has only been done on thegreater Houston area, but the intensive numerical modelshave been run for the Louisiana and Texas Gulf Coasts.

“Forthe longer term, we planto adapt this AI model into the entire Gulf Coast, but that depends on what kind of resources we have,” Xuesaid.

In addition to expanding the coverage area,the LSUteam eventually wants to “downscale” the project, which means zooming intoahyperlocal area —like asinglestreet or neighborhood —topredict flooding during an extreme weather event. Gathering thisinformation is “totally different” thanregional modeling, Xue said, andrequiresmoredataand different algorithms, among other information.

911

Continued from page1A

Parish Sheriff’s Office, in astatement released just before 2p.m. Thursday

Most parishes were affected,including servicesinLafayette Parish, according to astatementfrom

STORMS

Continued from page1A

theCaribbean. With just about 750 miles between theircenters, thesystems could work together to create somethingrarelyseen on our side of the globe:the Fujiwhara effect.

Aphenomenon more commonly seen in the Pacific Ocean, the Fujiwhara effect occurs whentwo tropical cyclones movesoclose together that they begin to rotate around acommon midpoint, according to the National Weather Service

It’saneffect that ColoradoState University hurricane researcher PhilKlotzbach said canbea headache for forecasters, making storm trajectories significantly less predictable.

“When you get these twostorms that are in close proximity, they canbasically kind of steer each other,” Klotzbach said.

That opens up aworld of possibilities for the storms, from wonky tracks to total mergers.When it comes to Humberto and its neighbor,Klotzbach said there are still alot of questions as to how exactly they’ll interact, if at all.

Thestudy driveshomethe point that fast andaffordable flood modelsare becoming increasingly important for local officials.

“Asglobal exposure to floods is projected to rise, the demand for rapid and accurate flood prediction becomescrucial for effective

“You can imagineifeach of the simulations use 500 computersrunning for one hour,then nobody can afford that,” Xue said. “But if you use the AI model,that’sone laptop for4 seconds.We migrate thatinto asupercomputer and we can generatetens of thousands of scenarios.”

Lafayette Consolidated Government.Texts to 911 are still active.

Theoutage was caused by the cutting of a911 fiber line somewhere in Mississippi, said authoritieswith the Orleans Parish Communication District, whoadded that afixisexpectedtobemade in the next few hours.

decision-making andrisk mitigation,” it states.

The scientists used 2021’sHurricane Nicholas, aCategory 1storm thathit the Houstonarea, to test theaccuracy of theirmodels. The AI prediction method used theexpensive data from theLSU team’s past numericalmodels, as well as “real data,” Xue said, suchasriver gauges and buoys.

More specifically,the scientists

created oneAImodel trainedexclusively on real data to predict flood depths at certain points. Another AI modeltrained on theteam’sprevious numerical model was used to mapflood depths at thesame points. As the researchershad hoped, the novel prediction method corresponded to the actual flooding of thestorm near GalvestonBay.In fact, it was moreaccurate than the existing model.

This is one avenue where the technical modelers may collaborate with social scientists to help Gulf Coast communities during storms, explainedJim Spencer,a professor of architecture and urbanplanning at LSUwho is working with Xue on aseparate Gulf Coast resilience project.

“Flood is not just afunction of naturalevents,”Spencer said. “Flood is afunctionofthe infrastructure that’sput in place. …If we don’tcombine those two aspects, we can’treallysay whose house is going to get flooded.”

“There is no indication that this is malicious,”saidKarlFasold, executive director of the Orleans Parish Communication District, who was told to expect aresolution“within the next few hours.”

But, he said, one thing is for sure:

“These Fujiwhara cases are abear to forecast.

In September 2001, hurricaneresearcher Brian McNoldywatched as Tropical Storm Henriette and Hurricane Gilpractically collided in the Pacific Ocean, spiraling within afew hundredmiles of each other. Henriette, the larger but weaker storm, was swallowed by Gil shortly after that.

“Henriette was atropical storm most noteworthy for the manner of its demise ”forecasterswith the National Hurricane Center wrote in areport on thestorm days after itsabsorption.

That’scertainly what McNoldy, nowasenior research associate at theUniversity of Miami,remembers mostabout the storm.Hewas so fascinated by the interaction between Henriette and Gil, the so-calledFujiwhara effect, that he wentontoco-author aresearch paper about “theclassification of binary tropical cyclone-likevortex interactions.”

It’s safetosay that’sall alittle toocomplicated forour purposes, but McNoldy said the general idea is thatthe Fujiwhara effect can takemanyforms and play out in a whole spectrumofscenarios Named for theJapanese me-

In Lafayette Parish, 911 service was restored about 3:45 p.m., according to astatementfrom Lafayette Consolidated Government. The911 CommunicationsDis-

teorologist who first wroteabout thephenomenon in 1921, the Fujiwhara effect broadly describes howtwo vortices that come close together interact andinfluence each other’s motions. It can involve any kind of vortex, not just ahurricane. Andthe interactions vary greatly,McNoldy said.

Sometimes theybumptogether nudging one another along. Sometimes one flings the other into an entirely different direction, an eerie ideawhen we’re thinking about hurricanes.Sometimes,likewith Gil and Henriette, one absorbs the other.Theydon’t always dance around each other in clean circles, McNoldy said, though that is sometimes thecase.

How vortices interact is based on their strength, size and proximity,and when it comes to forecastingstorms, allthose ever-changing variables and their many potential consequences make for abig challenge.

“It definitely complicates the forecast,” McNoldy said.

While it’sstill unclear whether Humbertoand its neighboring systemwill truly reach theFujiwhara effect,their proximityhas already impacted the accuracy of hurricane model guidance and NHCforecasts.

trict alerted LCG and the Lafayette Parish Office of Homeland Security and EmergencyPreparedness at 1:45 p.m.Thursday

The outage did not affect all parishes, but was “impacting most of Louisiana,” according to astatement from theLivingston Parish Sheriff’s Office.

During the outage, several parishes and cities have provided alternative numbers foremergency services.

The NHC’slatest forecast track showsHumberto reaching major hurricane strength by Monday as it moves northwest, passing east of Bermuda. But forecasters said Thursday theyhavelower than normal confidence in the storm’s track duetoits potential interactionwith the system nearby New Orleans-based meteorologist Scot Pilié said Humberto and theneighboring system are probably the most complicated duohe’s tracked in the last five seasons.

“Model guidance is struggling,” Pilié said on Wednesday afternoon. “The latest models that just came out this morning are all over theplace in terms of both systems’ intensity andboth systems’ tracks.”

Some show Humberto becoming the dominant system, others show the opposite. Trackruns show the storms curving out to seawithout touching land, hitting the U.S. East Coast or making circles throughthe Caribbean. Some model runs even show ascenario where one system is flung into the Gulf,though Pilié said Louisiana isn’tlikely to take a hit—the Gulf Coastwill be shielded by dry air and wind shear for the next week or so. The challenge liesintrying to figure out whetherthe storms

An emergency alert wassent to smartphone users in Lafayette Parish at 2:10 p.m.Thursday alerting residents to the issue. Agencies from RapidesParish, St. Tammany Parish, Hancock County,Mississippi, andPike County,Mississippi, also reported 911 outages.

will developataround thesame time and which will becomedominant, as Pilié said is usually the case.

“I think it’sgoing to be really interesting to see how it plays out,” he said.

It’s notevery daythattwo Atlantic tropical systems of similar size and strength get close enough for the Fujiwhara effect to even be athought. It’smore likely to happen in the Pacific, which is a larger and, if you can imagine, a more prolific body of water when it comes to storms.

But Pilié said there’snot as much room in the Atlantic basin, and the storms that do form tend to do so in an orderly fashion. Those tropical waves that so often develop into hurricanes typically moveoff Africa’scoast every three to four days, one after another, making it hard for two of themtopairupand strengthen simultaneously

“So this is very unusual,” Pilié said,“notonlyina globalsensebut especially in the Atlantic.”

The mostlikely scenario is that one of the systems intensifies at afaster rate, becoming the dominant storm and eventually absorbing the other.Usually,hesaid, one wins out.

Trump, Erdoganmeet

U.S. mightsoon lift banonF-35 jetsales to Turkey, aNATOally

BY AAMER MADHANI Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump heldtalks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House on Thursday and signaled that the United States might soon lift its hold on sales of advanced fighter jets to Ankara.

During Trump’sfirstterm, the U.S. removed Turkey,a NATO ally,from its flagship F-35 fighter jet program after Turkey purchasedanair defense system from Russia. U.S. officials worried that Turkey’suse of Russia’s S-400 surface-to-air missile system could be used to gatherdata on thecapabilities of the F-35 and that the informationcould end up in Russian hands.

Trump started his two-hour meeting with Erdogan by offering hope that aresolution to thematter could be found during the leaders’ talks.

“He needs certain things, and we need certain things, and we’re going to come to aconclusion. You’ll know by the end of the day,” Trump said. The president added to Erdogan, “And Ithink you’ll be successful with buying the things” you would “like to buy.”

The president, in abrief exchange with reportersas he bidfarewelltoErdogan, called it a“good meeting” butdid notoffer further details. Trump later called the meeting “very conclusive on so many different things” and said announcements from bothcountries about the discussions would be coming out later It was Erdogan’sfirst trip

to the White House since 2019. The two leaders forged what Trump has described as a“very good relationship” during his first term.

Over the years, U.S. officials have cited concerns about Turkey’s human rights record under Erdogan and the country’s ties with Russia. Tensions betweenTurkey and Israel,another important American ally,over Gaza and Syria have made relations difficult with Turkeyattimes.

Trump, in remarksbefore reporters,focused hisconcernsonTurkey’scontinued economic relationship with Russia. Turkey has beenone of the biggest buyers of Russian fossil fuel since theEuropean Union announcedin early 2023 it would boycott most Russianseaborne oil.

After their meeting,the U.S.presidentsaid he believed that Erdogan would stop buying oil from Russia —not that Turkey’sleader had directly committed to doing so during their discussion

“I don’twant to saythat” Erdogan agreed to stop the purchases,“but if Iwant himto, hewill,” Trumpsaid.

Trump addedthatErdogan is respected by both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine President Volody-

myrZelenskyy.“Ithink he could have abig influence if he wants to,” Trump said. The push on Erdoganto become more engaged in pressuring Putincomes after Trump earlierthis week said he believedUkraine could win back all territory lost to Russia in thewar

Erdogan has made clear he is eager to see thehold on F35s lifted, telling Trump that he cameprepared to “thoroughly discuss” theissue

DemocraticPresident Joe Biden’sadministration kept Erdogan, whohas served as president since 2014 and was prime minister for more thana decade before that, at an arm’s length during Biden’sfour years in office. Thereluctancetoengage deeply was borne out of Turkey’srecord of democratic backsliding as well as Ankara’sclose ties to Moscow Opposition parties and human rightsorganizations have accused Erdoganof undermining democracy and curbing freedom of expression during hismore than twodecadesinpower. International observers say thatbaselessinvestigations andprosecutions of human rightsactivists, journalists, opposition politicians and others remaina persistent problem in Turkey

RFKJr. vows newstudy that couldrestrictabortiondrug

BY DAVE GOLDINER Newyork Daily News (TNS)

HealthSecretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.isvowing to carry out anew government study of abortion medication that could lead to further restrictions on thedrug that is themain method of ending pregnancies nationwide.

Thecontroversial Trump administrationofficial told agroup of Republican states thatthe Food and Drug Administration will probe whether mifepristone should face newguidelines for use in abortions even though it has been declared safe and effective for years.

“(We) will conduct a study of thesafety of the current (safety protocol) in order to determine whether

modifications are necessary,” Kennedy wrote in the letter dated last week and first reported by ABC.

“(Itwill) reviewofthe evidence, including real-world outcomes and evidence, relating to the safety and efficacy of the drug.”

Mifepristone is used in more than 60% of all abortions carried out in the U.S. and is by farthe mostcommon method of pregnancy termination,especially in most Republican statesthat have effectively outlawed surgical abortion.

One of the key changes could be to require doctors to see patients in person to prescribe mifepristone, which would amount to a ban on sending the drug by mail. That would prevent women in red states from ending pregnancies in any

way unless they werewilling andable to leavetheir homestate to see adoctor Some redstates like Texashavealsooutlawed receiving abortion medication by mail from doctors in other states, but Democratic states have countered with shield lawsprotecting doctors from being prosecuted in other states.

Kennedy,who has mostly drawncriticism forhis skepticism aboutvaccines, cited aquestionable study carried out by an anti-abortion grouptoclaim that mifepristone may be more dangerous than previously thought.

Mainstream medical groups saythe drug has been used millions of times by American women and has proven safe and effective over decades of use.

BY SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press

WASHINGTON The White House is telling agencies to prepare large-scale firings of federal workersif thegovernmentshuts down next week.

In amemo released Wednesday night, the Office of Management and Budget said agencies should consider areduction in force for federal programs whose funding would lapse next week, is nototherwise funded andis“not consistent withthe President’spriorities.” That would be amuch more aggressive step than in previous shutdowns, when federal workers not deemed essential were furloughed but returned to their jobs onceCongress approved government spending.

Areduction in force would not only lay off employees but eliminate their positions, which would trigger yetanother massive upheaval in a

federalworkforce that has alreadyfaced majorrounds of cuts this year due to efforts from the Department of Government Efficiency andelsewhere in theTrump administration

Once any potential government shutdown ends,agencies are asked to revise their reduction in forceplans “as needed to retain the minimal number of employees necessary to carry out statutory functions,” according to the memo, which wasfirst reportedbyPolitico. This move fromOMB significantly increases the consequences of apotential government shutdown next week and escalates pressure on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Thetwo leaders have keptnearlyall oftheir Democratic lawmakers united againsta clean funding bill pushed by Republicans that would keepthe federal government operating for

seven moreweeks, demanding immediate improvements to health care in exchange for their votes.

“Wewill not be intimidated by your threat to engage in mass firings,”Jeffries wrote in apost on X. “Get lost.”

Jeffries called Russ Vought, the head of OMB, a “malignant political hack.”

Schumer saidinastatementthat theOMB memo is an “attempt at intimidation” and predicted the “unnecessary firings will either be overturnedincourt or the administration will endup hiring theworkers back.”

OMB plays point in managing federal government shutdowns, particularly planning forthemahead of time. Past budgetoffices have also posted shutdown contingency plans —which would outline which agency workers would stay on the jobduring agovernment shutdown andwhich would be furloughed —onits website, but this one has not.

BRIEFS FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

Starbucks to close hundreds of stores

Starbucks said Thursday it’s closing hundreds of stores in the U.S., Canada and Europe and laying off 900 nonretail employees as it focuses more of its resources on a turnaround

The Seattle coffee giant said store closures would start immediately Starbucks said affected baristas will be offered severance packages and transfers to other locations where possible.

The company wouldn’t give a number of stores that are closing, but the bulk of the closures appear to be in the U.S. and Canada Starbucks said it expects to have 18,300 North American locations when its fiscal year ends on Sunday As of June 29, the company had 18,734 locations.

Starbucks said it will notify nonretail employees whose positions are being eliminated early Friday In a letter sent to employees Thursday, Niccol said a review of the company’s stores identified locations where the company doesn’t see a path to financial stability or isn’t able to create the physical environment customers expect. Those stores are being closed.

Starbucks said it expects to spend $1 billion on the restructuring, including $150 million on employee separation benefits and $850 million related to the physical store closing and the cost of exiting leases

Spotify removes millions of ‘spammy’ AI tracks

Spotify has removed more than 75 million AI-generated “spammy” music tracks from its platform over the past 12 months, the company said Thursday, stepping up its crackdown on unauthorized AI-generated use of artists’ voices.

The Swedish audio company said it would improve its enforcement of impersonation violations, launch a new spam filtering system and work with partners to label tracks that incorporate AI.

“We envision a future where artists and producers are in control of how or if they incorporate AI into their creative processes,” Spotify said in a post on its website on Thursday “As always, we leave those creative decisions to artists themselves while continuing our work to protect them against spam, impersonation, and deception, and providing listeners with greater transparency about the music they hear.”

The push comes as tech platforms are grappling with how to handle the significant increase in AI-generated content. While some creators have embraced the new tech tools, others say their businesses are hurting from people who have used AI to impersonate them without their permission.

Wall Street stumbles for third straight loss

NEW YORK — Wall Street stumbled to a third straight loss on Thursday as U.S. stocks gave back more of their big gains for the year so far The S&P 500 fell 0.5% and marked its longest losing streak in more than a month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 173 points, or 0.4%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 0.5%.

Stocks felt pressure from reports showing the U.S economy may be stronger than economists thought. While that’s encouraging news for workers and for people looking for jobs, it could make the Federal Reserve less likely to cut interest rates several times in the coming months.

A stronger-than-expected economy could remove some of the Fed’s urgency, particularly because cuts to rates carry the risk of worsening inflation that’s already stubbornly high. If the Fed doesn’t cut rates as often as investors expect, it would empower criticism that the U.S stock market is too expensive after rising so much, so quickly

“Buckle up,” warned Jonathan Krinsky, chief market technician at financial services firm BTIG.

FTC says company duped customers into enrolling in Prime

BY SALLY HO Associated Press

SEATTLE Amazon has reached

a historic $2.5 billion settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, which said the online retail giant tricked customers into signing up for its Prime memberships and made it difficult for them to cancel after doing so.

The Seattle company will pay $1 billion in civil penalties the largest such fine in the agency’s history for a rule violation — and $1.5 billion will be paid back to consumers who were unintentionally enrolled in Prime, or were deterred from canceling their subscriptions, the agency said Thursday

The surprise settlement comes just days after the trial began in U.S. District Court in Seattle this week. At the heart of the case is

the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act, a 2010 law designed to ensure that people know what they’re being charged for online.

FTC officials said Amazon had its back against the wall and the consumer refund amount exceeded even the agency’s expert projections.

“I think it just took a few days for them to see that they were going to lose. And they came to us and they paid out,” said Chris Mufarrige, director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection, on the settlement negotiations.

Amazon, however, said it was confident it would win case but that it chose to resolve it quickly instead of going through potentially years of trial and appeals. The company admitted no wrongdoing in the case, which was first filed two years ago.

Certain Prime customers who are eligible for automatic refunds of up to $51 include those who may have signed up for a membership via the company’s “Single Page Checkout,” among other links,

between June 23, 2019, to June 23, 2025. Those customers will be reimbursed within 90 days of the settlement order

Amazon is also on the hook to set up a claims process for more than 30 million customers who may have been affected by the other issues at the heart of the FTC case, including its cancellation process.

Amazon Prime provides subscribers with perks that include faster shipping, video streaming and discounts at Whole Foods for a fee of $139 annually, or $14.99 a month.

It’s a key and growing part of Amazon’s business, with more than 200 million members. In its latest financial report, the company reported in July that it booked more than $12 billion in net revenue for subscription services, a 12% increase from the same period last year That figure includes annual and monthly fees associated with Prime memberships, as well as other subscription services such as its music and e-books platforms. The FTC said Amazon deliberate-

ly made it difficult for customers to purchase an item without also subscribing to Prime. In some cases, consumers were presented with a button to complete their transactions which did not clearly state it would also enroll them in Prime, the agency said. Getting out of a subscription was often too complicated, and Amazon leadership slowed or rejected changes that would have made canceling easier, according to an FTC complaint.

The process requires the customer to affirm on three pages their desire to cancel membership. As part of the settlement terms, Amazon is prohibited from misrepresenting the terms of the subscriptions. It must fully disclose the costs to be incurred and obtain the customer’s express consent for the charge. For example, it must have a clear option for customers to accept or decline a Prime subscription being offered during a purchase, avoiding potentially confusing language such as: “No thanks, I don’t want free shipping.”

BY PAUL WISEMAN AP economics writer

WASHINGTON An uptick in consumer spending helped the U.S. economy expand at a surprising 3.8% from April through June, the government reported in a dramatic upgrade of its previous estimate of second-quarter growth.

U.S. gross domestic product the nation’s output of goods and services — rebounded in the spring from a 0.6% first-quarter drop caused by fallout from President Donald Trump’s trade wars, the Commerce Department said Thursday The department had previously estimated second-quarter growth at 3.3% and forecasters had expected a repeat of that figure.

The first-quarter GDP drop, the first retreat of the U.S. economy in three years, was mainly caused by a surge in imports — which are subtracted from GDP as businesses hurried to bring in foreign goods before Trump could impose sweeping taxes on them. That trend reversed as expected in the second quarter: Imports fell at a 29.3% pace, boosting April-June growth by more than 5 percentage points. Consumer spending rose at a 2.5% pace, up from 0.6% in the first quarter and well above the 1.6% the government previously estimated. Spending on services advanced at a 2.6% annual pace, more than double the government’s previous estimate of 1.2%.

“The U.S consumer remained a lot stronger than many thought, even in the midst of a stock market sell-off and a lot of trade uncertainty,” Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Cred-

BY MATT OTT Associated Press

WASHINGTON U.S jobless claim applications fell to their lowest level in two months last week as layoffs remain low despite mounting evidence of a softening labor market.

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits for the week ending Sept. 20 fell by 14,000 to 218,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday Analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet had forecast 235,000 new applications. Though layoffs remain historically low, recent government data has raised concerns about the health of the American labor mar-

it Union, posted on social media.

A category within the GDP data that measures the economy’s underlying strength came in stronger than previously reported as well, growing 2.9% from AprilJune, up from 1.9% in the first quarter and in the government’s previous estimate. This category includes consumer spending and private investment, but excludes volatile items like exports, inventories and government spending.

But private investment fell, including a 5.1% drop in residential investment. Declining business inventories took more than 3.4 percentage points off secondquarter growth.

Spending and investment by the federal government fell at a 5.3% annual pace on top of a

5.6% drop in the first quarter

Stephen Stanley, chief U.S. economist at Santander, noted that GDP growth averaged 1.6% in the first half of 2025 and consumer spending 1.5% — “not great but much better than initially thought.” Since returning to the White House, Trump has overturned decades of U.S. policy in support of freer trade. He’s slapped double-digit taxes tariffs on imports from almost every country on earth and targeted specific products for tariffs, too, including steel, aluminum and autos. Trump sees tariffs as a way to protect American industry, lure factories back to the United States and to help pay for the massive tax cuts he signed into

law July 4.

But mainstream economists

— whose views Trump and his advisers reject — say that his tariffs will damage the economy raising costs and making protected U.S. companies less efficient. They note that tariffs are paid by importers in the United States, who try to pass along the cost to their customers via higher prices. Therefore, tariffs can be inflationary though their impact on prices so far has been modest.

The unpredictable way that Trump has imposed the tariffs announcing and suspending them, then coming up with new ones — has left businesses bewildered, contributing to a sharp deceleration in hiring.

ket, leading the Federal Reserve to cut its key interest rate by a quarter-point last week. The rate cut is a sign that the central bank’s focus has shifted quickly from inflation to jobs as hiring has ground nearly to a halt in recent months. Lower interest rates can spur growth and hiring as individuals and businesses benefit from reduced borrowing costs. The catch is that it can also exacerbate inflation, which remains above the Fed’s 2% target. Stubborn inflation could make future interest rate decisions tricky for the Fed, whose dual mandate is to support full employment in the labor market while keeping inflation at bay

Earlier this month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics issued a massive preliminary revision of U.S job gains for the 12 months ending in March, revealing that the labor market has not been as strong as previously thought.

The BLS’ revised figures showed that U.S. employers added 911,000 fewer jobs than originally reported in the 12 months ending in March 2025. Job gains were shown to be tapering long before President Donald Trump rolled out his far-reaching tariffs on U.S. trading partners in April.

The department issues the revisions every year, with final revisions due in February 2026. The updated figures came after

the agency reported earlier this month that the economy generated just 22,000 jobs in August, well below the 80,000 economists were expecting.

Earlier this month, the government reported that U.S. employers advertised 7.2 million job openings at the end of July the first time since April of 2021 that there were more unemployed Americans than job postings. The July employment report, which showed job gains of just 73,000 and included huge downward revisions for June and May, sent financial markets spiraling and prompted Trump to fire the head of the BLS, which compiles the monthly data.

Womanwho triedtokillPresident Ford dies

BY JILL LEOVY and STEVE MARBLE Los Angeles Times (TNS)

Sara Jane Moore, the former psychiatric patient whotried to assassinate PresidentGeraldFord, died Wednesday at anursing home in Franklin, Tennessee,according to The New York Times.

Moore, who retreated to North Carolina after serving 32 years in federal prisonbut then was jailed again late in life, was 95. Acauseof death was not reported.

As shocking as Moore’s attempt to kill the president was,itseemed alittle less so during the frenetic 1970s. On Sept. 22, 1975, Moore tried to assassinate PresidentGerald Ford in front of the fashionable St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco. She was the second would-beassassin to confront the 38th president in the space of amonth.

Her bullet missed, thanks to the quick reflexesofaformer Marine standing next to her,and Moore would spend the next32years behind bars. The attempt came just17days afteraMansonfollower in anun’s habit, Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, pointed agun at President Fordin Sacramento. It was never clear whether she tried to pull the trigger

GeraldFord on Sept.22, 1975.

Born Sara Jane KahnonFeb 15, 1930, in Charleston, West Virginia, Moorehad been an aspiring actress and nurse before finding work as abookkeeper.She married five times, was estranged from her family,and abandoned three of her children.Afourth remained in her care at thetimeofthe attempted

assassination. Hererratic behavior had cost her jobs, and she had been treated for mental illness numeroustimes. She was in her mid-40s, divorced and living in Danville, outside San Francisco, when she went towork in 1974 as abookkeeper for People in Need. The organization had been set up to distribute food in response to ransom demands by the Symbionese Liberation Army, the extreme leftistgroup which had kidnappedPatty Hearstinearly 1974 and shortly after engaged in afurious gun battlewithLos Angeles police, one of the longest shootouts in U.S. history Hearsthad been arrested afew days before the assassination attempt. Theday before, the 45-yearold Moorehad been detained by San Francisco police officers who seized agun from her. She made avague threat and the Secret Servicewas alerted,but agents concluded she was not dangerous and released her Moore immediately bought a .38-caliber revolver

Wearing polka-dotslacks, she wenttothe hotel whereFord was speaking to theWorld Affairs Council. She waited outside, and raised her arm to fire when the

president emerged at 3:30p.m

OliverSipple, adisabled former Marine standing next to her,saw the weapon and deflected her arm just as the gun wentoff.

The bullet went over thepresident’s head, ricocheted and injured ataxi driver.The president’ssecurity detail rushed to the airport, and Ford was whisked out of California as fast as possible.

After her arrest, acquaintances said Moore was very concerned that people would assume she was mentally ill. She alluded often to her political motives for trying to kill Ford. Reporterseagerly interviewedher to learnmore, but she never seemed able to clearly explain her political agenda. Herlawyers were preparing a defense related to her mental condition when sheabruptly pleaded guilty,against their advice.She wasgiven alifesentence with a possibility of parole. Moore’sattemptprompted Senate scrutiny of presidential security

“AmIsorry Itried?” Moore said at hersentencing. “Yes and no. Yes, because it accomplished little except to throw away the rest of my life, although Irealize there are those who think that’sthe one goodthingresulting from this.

Manconvicted in string of shootingsthatkilled8

BY JACQUES BILLEAUD and SEJAL GOVINDARAO Associated Press

PHOENIX An Arizonajury convicted aman Thursday on eight murder charges for astring of fatal shootings in metro Phoenix that targeted random victims and the defendant’s mother and stepfather over athreeweek span in 2017.

The jury in Phoenix also found Cleophus Cooksey Jr., 43, guiltyofcrimes includingkidnapping,sexual assault and armed robbery.The sentencing portion of the trialbegins Monday Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty

The victims in Phoenix and nearby Glendale included Cooksey’smother and stepfather,asecurity guard walking to his girlfriend’s apartment and awoman whose body was foundinan alley after she was sexually assaulted. Cooksey,anaspiring musician, knew some of thevictims but wasn’t ac-

quainted with others,policesaid.Authorities never offered amotive.

Cookseylooked down at thedefense table as the verdict was read. He’d maintained his innocence throughout the trial that began in May

Thekillings started fourmonths after Cooksey was releasedfromprison on amanslaughter conviction for his participation in a2001 stripclubrobbery in which an accomplice was fatally shot.

The firstvictims, Parker Smith, 21, and Andrew Remillard, 27, were found Nov.27, 2017, and hadbeen fatally shot while sitting in avehicle in aparkinglot. Five days later,security guardSalimRichards, 31, was shot to deathwhile walking to hisgirlfriend’s apartment.

Over the next two weeks, Latorrie Beckford,29, and Kristopher Cameron,21, were killed in separateshootings at apartment complexes in Glendale, andthe bodyofVillanueva, 43, was foundnaked from thewaistdown

in an alley in Phoenix.Authorities say Villanueva was sexually assaulted and that Cooksey’sDNA was found on her body Finally,onDec. 17, 2017, Cooksey answeredthe doorwhenofficers respondedtoashots-fired call at his mother’sapartment and told officers who had noticed alarge amount of bloodthere that he had cuthis hand andthathewas theonlyone home. Police say when an officer triedtodetain him, Cooksey threatened to slit the officer’s throat. Rene Cooksey,56, and Nunn, 54, were found dead. On the sofa in the living room, investigators said they found Richards’ gun, which was later linkedtothe killings of Beckford, Cameron and Villanueva. The keys to Villanueva’svehiclealsowerefound there, and police say Cooksey was wearing Richards’ necklace when he was arrested. Cooksey’strial was repeatedly delayed by thepandemic.

And no, I’m notsorry Itried, because at the time it seemed acorrect expression of my anger.” Moore madeheadlines briefly in 1979 whenshe escaped briefly from the Federal Reformatory for Women at Alderson, West Virginia by climbing a12-foot fence. Otherwise, her prison years were uneventful. She was reported to fill hertime withneedlepoint and bookkeeping duties, andwas paroledin2007 at theage of 77 from alow-security federalfacilityfor women in Dublin, east of San Francisco. Her parole was essentially grandfatheredbyfederal rulesthat have since been tightened. Moore wasjailed again in early 2019 when shewas detainedat JFK Airport fortraveling outside the country without telling parole officials.Friendssaidshe hadbecome ill in Israel,forcing herto stay longer than she intended. She was released six months later Moore maintainedthatshe had notbeen influenced by Fromme’s assault on Ford. Fromme was paroled in 2009 and moved to upstate New York, largely disappearing. Both women were depicted in the Stephen Sondheim musical “Assassins,” which wonaTony Award in 2004.

near Alaska again

BY AAMERMADHANI Associated Press

WASHINGTON U.S. fighter jets scrambled to identify and intercept four Russianwarplanesflying near Alaska, the North American Aerospace Defense Commandsaid Thursday It’sthe third time in about a month andthe ninth time this year NORAD hasreported such an incident involving Russianaircraft flying near Alaska. This latest incident happened Wednesday NORAD said in astatementissued early Thursday that it detected and tracked two Tu-95s and twoSu-35s operating in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification

Nine U.S. aircraft —an E-3 Sentry command and control aircraft, four F-16s and four KC-135 tankers —scrambled to positively identifyand interceptthe Russian jets, NORAD said. The Russian aircraft remainedininternational airspace anddid notenter American or Canadian sovereign airspace, it said. Such Russianactivity near Alaska occurs regularly and is not seen as athreat, it added in its statement. The incident comes after President Donald Trump said Tuesdayhebelieved Ukraine could win back all territory lost to Russia.

EL EC TI ON 20 25

Millagerenewalsfor property taxesonballot

Vermilionville,

riverhealthand road maintenancealsotobedecided

BY ASHLEY WHITE Staff writer

Lafayette Parishvoters will decidein two separate fallelectionswhether to renew parishwide property taxes that help fund schools, Vermilionville and keeping the river clean,and road maintenance and public health.

The millage renewals that helpfund the Lafayette Parish school system and Bayou VermilionDistrict will appear on the Oct. 11 ballotand the millages that help fund Lafayette Consolidated Government will appear on the Nov.15 ballot. Representativesfromall threegroups spoke at apanel hosted by the Lafayette League of Women Voters on Wednesday and stressed the importance of renewing the millages.

Lafayette voters will decide whether to renew four separate millages. These millages have to be renewed by voters every 10 years for agencies to continue collecting the funding

The millages up for renewal are:

n ALafayette Parish school system millage of 7.79mills

n ABayou VermilionDistrict millage of 0.75 mills

n ALafayette Consolidated Govern-

ment road and bridge maintenance millageof4.47 mills

n ALafayette Consolidated Government public health andsafety millage of 3.81 mills.

The LPSS millage generates about $20 million annually forthe school district, said School Boardmember Roddy Bergeron. The existing property tax thatvoters willbeasked to renew has existed for 50 years.

Themoney collected goes towardthe district’sgeneral fund and helps with operations and maintenance. That includes teacher salaries, transportation costsand utilities for the district’s46 campuses. The money collected from thattax notonly funds traditional public schools, it “follows” astudent if they are enrolled in acharter school, Bergeron said.

TheBayou VermilionDistrictmillagegenerates morethan $2 million annually.Ithelps fund Vermilionville, the living history museum that attracts about60,000 visitors each year,including tourists and school children.

It also helps fund “bayou operations,” said BradyMcKellar, themanagingdirector of the Bayou Vermilion District. That meansworking to prevent it from returning to its 1980s reputation as the

most polluted body of waterinNorth Americathrough cleanup andconservation efforts.

“Weconsider ourselvesnot only stewards of culture and environment,” McKellar said, “but stewardsofstructures thatare ours to protect, and stewards of education that we can bring to families and to children and to visitors.”

Thetwo LCG road andbridges maintenance millage generates about $12.7 million annuallyand thepublichealth andsafety millagegeneratesabout $10.8 million annually

They fund what Mayor-President Monique Boulet called “very basic services” for the parish. The first goes toward roadway servicing, bridge replacement and grass mowingfor public areas. The second goes toward drainage, the animal shelter,rural firedepartments and theCoroner’sOffice.

“They are very critical,” she said. “They are fundamental to ourpublic works and our drainage requirements.”

If the millage renewals fail, all three entities will have one more chance to bringthe millages back to votersfor reconsideration beforethe millages expire.

Butifthe millages expire, it’ll be detrimental tooperations, all three organizations’ leaders said.

“It would be fairly disastrous,” said McKellar.“We would have to make a lot of cuts.”

Lack of sewage capacity stifles growth

Downtown to benefit from newliftstation

BY STEPHENMARCANTEL Staff writer

Downtown and its surrounding neighborhoods’ lack of sewagecapacity has stifled growth in Lafayette’surban core, essentially placing amoratorium on development, according to city leaders. Conversations about addressing the problemdateback to the 2010s. Throughout the process, aquick-fix project addressedanimmediate need forhousing in the area, but it never sought to bring longer-term solutions to the city’scapacity issues and beleaguered, aging sewage lines.

Anew $17million sewage lift station from Lafayette Utilities System aims to bring somemuch-needed breathing room to downtown, adding capacity for 2,000 residential units, LUS’ Director Jeff Stewart said. The project is expected to host a groundbreaking in the upcoming weeks, with construction scheduledto take at least ayear to complete. Twodevelopers have paid to reserve capacity since the project’sannouncement. Oneofthe developers is the

Breeze to launch international flightsfrom NewOrleans

Firstnonstop service will be to Cancun

BY ANTHONY McAULEY Staff writer

Breeze Airwayswill launch itsfirst international flights from New Orleans next year after winning federal certification as aU.S. flag carrier,making it thefirstairline in more than adecade to complete the FAA’srigorous process. The Utah-based carrier,founded by JetBlue and Azul creator David Neeleman, will begin seasonal nonstop service to Cancun,Mexico, on Feb. 7, 2026, pending finalapprovals, the airline announced Thursday.Fares start at $99 one way,with service initially scheduled on Saturdays through mid-May

ä See GROWTH, page 4B ä See BALLOT, page 4B

ä See BREEZE, page 4B

JasonAldeantakes on gators before hisCajundome show

Countrystarsnags 10-footer, hangs outatlocal bar

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

CountrystarJason Aldean got adose of real Louisiana country life yesterday,thanks to Gov.Jeff Landry and Liz Higginbotham, the owner of alittle bar out on the levee in Catahoula.

Red’sLevee Bar,acommunity institution for bayoudwellers since 1952, is about a40-minute drive from Lafayette. Red’sisnestled deep in gator territory,only 10 miles up the roadfrom theBayou Benoit boat launch near Lake Fausse State Park. That’swhere the governor hosts his annual ga-

tor hunt and political fundraiser, near theLandry family camp.

Aldean came to Louisiana from Nashvillethis week, ahead of his Lafayette show on Thursday night at the Cajundome. Thestar is in the middle of his“Full Throttle”tour, and his team decided he needed a little under-the-radarrecreation this week.

Afew years ago, Higginbotham metAldean’sfather,Barry Aldean, during anight out at her bar.Amutual friend had brought thesenior Aldean down to Red’s, which is noted forits authentic, swampy vibe outonthe edge of the Atchafalaya Basin.

“Westarted planning this months ago, becauseJason hadnever done an alligatorhunt,” said Higginbotham. She personally asked

Jason Aldean, left,and Barry Aldean kneel with several of the alligators theygot during ahunt on BayouBenoit near Coteau Holmes on Wednesday.

OPINION

Sellingwater from Toledo Bend couldbenefitLa.

Louisiana is asportsman’s paradise. From duck blinds to bass boats, our state is defined by its natural resources and the people who cherish them. Few places capture that spirit better than Toledo Bend —areservoir that’sbeen asource of pride, recreation and world-classfishing for over 50 years.

It’snowonder that renewed talk of apotential water sale from the Sabine River Authority has stirred strong emotions. Louisianans are passionate about the places that define us, and this idea raises questions about what we’re willing to risk in the name of progress. But as with many emotionally charged issues, the conversation has been fueled by misinformation and misunderstandings. The truth is, thisproposal isn’t about draining the lake, it’s about making smarter use of aresource we already

manage, with every safeguard in place. Theproposed withdrawal is simply reallocating 5% of the water that’salready used for hydropower.Instead of generating $225,000

ayear from energygeneration today,thatsame amount of water could be soldand generate over $7 million ayear for Louisiana’ssharealone. Just as hydropower water

usageiscarefully managed to maintain lake levels, any water salenow or in the futurewould also follow strict safeguards. Maintaining water levels between 168 and 172 feet will remain

apriority,asithas historically,ensuring stable access for boaters, healthy fisheries and strong shoreline property values. Samewater usage. Same commitment to managementplans. Sameprotection for the lake. The only difference? More revenue for Louisiana —without compromising the lake we all love. That’srevenue that could support local infrastructure, reduce reliance on aging systemsand strengthen the region’s future without raising taxes. And none of this happens without rigorous oversight. Federal operating licenses require minimum downstream releases and seasonal safeguards, meaning the lake’susability for fishing, boating and tourism remains intact. Independence Dayboaters, weekend anglers and tournament sponsors can rest assured that preserving the lake’s recreational value is not only alegal requirement but also apriority across all of Louisiana. Every protection remains in place to ensure Louisi-

ana’swater is never sold without broad, transparent approval. These steps aren’t just bureaucratic —they reflect acommitment to thoughtful stewardship. This isn’tachoice between protecting Toledo Bend and pursuing economic opportunity.With thoughtful planning and accountability,wecan continue to preserve the lake’snatural beauty and recreational value while unlocking new benefits for the community Let’smove the conversation past fears and focus on facts. Toledo Bend can remain the samebeloved destination for families and sportsmen —and serve as asmarter,more sustainable resource for Louisiana’s future.

Because in aplace as rich and resilient as ours, the choice isn’tbetween growth and preservation —it’s about achieving both, together

H.N. Goodeaux II is the chairmanofthe Sabine River Authority of Louisiana.

While there is agreat deal of uncertainty regarding tariffs, there is growingbipartisan interest in engaging in reshoring andnearshoring supply chains —implyinga shift of supply chains from Asia back to the United States as wellastoLatin America and the Caribbean Indeed, even as the Trumpadministration announcedhigh tariffs on countries across the globe, Latin America and the Caribbean —with the exceptions of Guyana, the“Troika of Tyranny” and Mexico —were largely spared and only faced the global 10% tariffs placed on all countries. This led Trump’sthen-special envoy for LatinAmerica, Mauricio Claver-Carone, to note that it was a“great day forAmericaand it’sagreat day for the Americas,” at an event the day after tariffs were announced

region.

At thesame time, the region has deep economic and cultural ties with the United States.However,the United States finds itself competing with China across Latin America and theCaribbean. The Americas Trade and Investment Act (Americas Act) —introduced to Congress last year by abipartisan coalition including U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy and currently being revised —could serve as an important accelerant for regional integration.

New Orleansand Louisianaare wellpositioned to takeadvantage of nearshoring and reshoring efforts.

Although the uncertaintyremains, companies in New Orleans —and Louisiana more broadly —could be well positioned to take advantage of shifting tradedynamics However,following the tariff pause, these rates have changed slightly with 24 of the other sovereign states in the Americas still facing the 10% baseline tariff and six facing a15% rate. Brazil (50%), Canada (35%), Mexico(25%) and Nicaragua(18%) face yet higher rates.

TheriseofChina, coupled withthe supply chain disruptions caused bythe COVID-19 pandemic, highlighted theneed forthe United States to diversify andconsolidateits own supply chains. This has led U.S.policymakers to look for opportunities to promote friend-shoring (relocatingsupplychains in countries viewed as allies), nearshoring (relocating supply chains to nearerlocales) and reshoring (returning supplychains to the United States).

Latin America and the Caribbeanare critical regions in these efforts. First,the United States already has deep economic tiesto the region. In fact, 12 of the20countries with which the United States has freetrade agreements are in the Americas (including Canada).

The Americas also export crucial materials to the United States thatcannot beproduced domestically —includingcoffee, lithium(a crucial mineral for the green energy transition) and bananas,a product that built New Orleans’ connection to the region.Additionally,the United States maintains close diplomatic relations with most countries in the

According to theNew OrleansWorld Trade Center,in2023, five of Louisiana’stop 10 import partners were in the Americas Mexico (1), Canada (2), Brazil (3), Chile (6) and Venezuela (9). Additionally,according to theU.S. trade representative, in 2024, Latin America and theCaribbean accounted for approximately aquarter of Louisiana’stotal exports.

Louisiana’sand New Orleans’ long-standing cultural and historic connections to the region canbeleveraged to deepen tourism,investmentand trade while deepening peopleto-people connections to theregion.

Former New Orleans Mayor Chep Morrison referred to the city as the “Gateway to the Americas” and actively sought to promote closer ties between the city and the region even establishing aspecial team within the mayor’soffice to promotecloser ties to Latin America. Today,Louisiana should look for new waystomake this vision areality.

Theeconomic, cultural and historic connectionsthat thecity shareswith the Americas could allow for Louisiana to take advantage of theopportunities presented by thegrowinginterest in nearshoring.

However,uncertaintysurrounding tariffs andthe geopolitical and political risks associated with some countries in theregion mean that companies must carefully navigate these waters —understanding where potential dangers lie and engaging the Americas to maximize shared interestsare crucial. No less important, however,isavoiding getting ensnared in the growing competition between Chinaand theUnited States in the region.

Adam Ratzlaff is thefounder and CEO of Pan-American Strategic Advisors, a consulting firm focused on theWestern Hemisphere.

Louisiana has aproud tradition of leading theway in American energy.Our state haspowered the country for generations and now stands at the forefront of another energy and sustainability revolution: carbon capture andsequestration.But if we allowfear and misinformation campaigns to shape public policy, we risk turning awinning hand into a lostopportunity

The good news is thatLouisiana was one of the first states in thecountry to secure what’s called federal “primacy” for carbon capture regulation. That means our state doesn’thave to relyonWashingtontogreenlight these projects—wecan do it locally and responsibly,with ourown experts and agencies. The industry responded and ourcitizens are benefiting. Today,there’smorethan$20 billion in proposed CCS investment across the state.

In March, Gov.JeffLandry and President Donald Trump announced thearrival of HyundaiSteel Company’sfirst North American steel mill, a$5.8 billion investment in Ascension Parish. Expected to beginconstruction in 2026, the facilitywill createapproximately 1,300 direct jobs —averaging $95,000 annually —and an estimated 4,100 indirect jobsthroughout the region. Notably,this project is only possible because of ourstate’semerging CCS infrastructure, which provides Hyundai with apath to meet global decarbonizationgoalswhile operating in one of the world’smost competitive industrialcorridors. It’s ashining example of how we can grow our economyand reduce emissions, all while strengthening our workforce andcommunities. This kind of momentum doesn’t happen by accident. It’sthe result of smart, forward-looking decisions by state leaders. But momentum is fragile. And lately,it’sbeen at risk.

In themost recent legislative session, awave of proposals emerged that would add newrestrictions, slow permitting andinject confusion into aprocess thathas,sofar,

positionedLouisiana ahead of its peers. While some of these proposals stemfromgenuine concerns, many arefueledbypoliticsand influence from out-of-state activist groups thatare opposed to the oiland gasindustry.If partisanpoliticsormisinformationare allowed to derail CCS in Louisiana, the only real winner will be Texas. Foryears, Louisiana has setthe pace across the Gulf Coast regionwhen it comes to attracting energy andindustrial investment. But that lead is narrowing. While misinformation fuels debate anddelaysinBaton Rouge, neighboring states, especially Texas,are moving quickly to streamline permitting, encourage innovationand attract capital. Mississippi andAlabama aremaking strides, too. If Louisiana continuestocreate uncertainty in the process, we risk falling behind andtaking the region’smomentum down with it. Investors anddevelopers have choices.Theywanttogowhere the rulesare clearand consistent. Texasoffers certainty,speed and strong state support, with its final hearing forCCS primacy quickly approaching andfull approval expected by the endofthe year Louisiana still has achance to lead.Wecan build on our early decisions, talent and momentum, andbecome the national hub for safe, responsible carbonstorage andutilization. Thatwill bring jobs, investment andamoresustainable future. Or we can allowpartisan noise to mire us in confusion and secondguessing, allthe while watching others seize the moment. If Louisiana doesn’tmovedecisively,the jobs, investment andfuture of energy leadership will move without it.

Will Green is thepresident and CEO of theLouisiana Association of Business andIndustry

Suspectexpectedtoplead guilty in murder-kidnappings

DA says he’ll receivelife sentence in exchange

BY BOBWARREN Staff writer

Daniel Callihan, accused of theslayings of aLoranger mother and one of her young daughtersthat stunned aquiet northshore communitymore than a year ago, is expected to be in courtinTangipahoa Parish on Friday morning, where he will plead guilty, authorities say In exchange for his guilty plea in connectionwith the brutal crimes, prosecutors are taking the death penalty off the table, and Callihan will receive asentence of life in prison, according to 21st Judicial District Attorney Scott Perrilloux.

GROWTH

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ownership group behind Hotel Lafayette, an 83-room boutique hotel set to open near Parc Sans Souci at the former Don’sSeafood location, said Ryan Pecot, senior retail leasing and development adviser at Stirling Properties and member of the ownership group.

The creation of the hotel relied heavilyonthe construction of anew lift station, he said.

“Wemet with LUS early and often, and we were hoping the timing would align with them breaking ground

BREEZE

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The New Orleans route is partofBreeze’sinitial wave of internationalexpansion, which also includes flights to Cancun from Norfolk, Virginia, and Charleston, South Carolina. More cities, including Providence, Tampa and Raleigh, areslated to get international flights later in 2026. At Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, whose call sign is MSY themove represents asignificant investment. Breeze currently employs about 140 peopleatMSY,and Chief Commercial Officer Lukas Johnson saidstaffing and operations there will roughly double as the airline shifts its New Orleans fleet from smaller Embraer jets to Airbus A220-300s early next year

“That’swhat’sreally exciting for us —we’re goingto be up about 90% in available seats by March, close to doubling year over year,” Johnson said. “New Orleans will also be one of the firstplaces to see our new A220s, with first-class seating and more internationalcapability.”

AirportdirectorKevin

BALLOT

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Those cuts could include auctioning off historic buildingsand pulling backon river andconservation efforts. For LPSS, the loss of $20 million would meana loss of about $440,000per campus. The boardwould have to lookatmajor cuts to areas such as staffing or non-required curriculum, Bergeron said.

“It would be atremendous gut,” he said. When is voting?

Earlyvotingfor theOct. 11 election is from Sept. 27 to Oct.4,excluding Sunday. Polls are open from 8:30a.m. to 6p.m. at three locations —downtown Lafayette,1010 LafayetteSt.;

“That’sthe plan,” Perrilloux said Wednesday “That was in line with what thefamily wanted.”

Callihan is accused of killing35-year-oldCallie Brunett and her 4-year-old daughter,Erin,who he allegedly kidnapped along with her 6-year-old sister The child’sbodywas found near Jackson, Mississippi, where Callihan was apprehended after alarge-scale search across partsofLouisiana and Mississippi. The older daughter survived andwas foundnearwhere Callihan was caught.

Callie Brunett’sbodywas found inside herhome in theLoranger community in east central TangipahoaonJune 13, 2024. She hadbeen stabbedmultiple times, investigators have said. After he was arrested in Mississippi, Callihan told TV reporters that he had killed Brunettand her

and movingthatproject at thesame time. We kind of broke ground and moved ourproject upward,”Pecot said.

Thelack of sewage capacity has been asignificant hurdlefor developers in the past.

Working closelywith LUS, Pecot said he hasbeen able to find solutions and squeeze out the needed capacity for previous projects, but acknowledged that he’saware of several other developers’ ventures that folded when they were toldthe capacity just wasn’tthere In effect,itled to astandstill in newhousing and commercial space in the area.

“I can tell youifLUS told us, ‘Heyguys, we don’thave

Dolliole said in astatement announcing the new routes that the expansionunderscores the airport’srole as a core part of Breeze’sexpansionplan

“HavingNew Orleansselected as oneoftheir inaugural cities for international service speaks volumes aboutNew Orleans’ position as apremier destination and our airport’sgrowing connectivity,”hesaid

Buckingthe trend

While international travel hasbeen soft globally, Johnsonsaidthat Cancun flights will target U.S.leisure travelers rather than rely on cross-border demand. The routewill also be seasonal, pausing during the slow autumn months beforeresumingfor peak holidayand summer travel periods.

Thecertification marks aturning point forBreeze which launched in 2021 with astrategy of connectingmidsize markets often overlooked by larger carriers. The airline already flies more than300 routes to 81 U.S. cities.

Johnsonsuggested that Breeze could expand its international footprint further if the Cancun routes perform well,namingdestinations such as Montego

the MLK Rec Center, 309 Cora St.; and the East Regional Library,215 La Neuville Road. Polls are open from 7a.m. to 8p.m. on election day, whenvoters will need to report to their specific precinctbased on their address.

Earlyvoting for the Nov. 15 election is from Nov.1-8, excluding Sunday, Nov. 2. All threeearly voting sites in Lafayette Parish will be open from 8:30 a.m. to6 p.m. Pollsare open from 7a.m. to 8p.m. on election day To find avoting precinct, see sample ballots, check voter registration or find other voting information, visit geauxvote.com.

To learn more about the LCG millages,visit lafayettela.gov/millage.Tolearn more aboutthe BayouVermilion District millage, visit

ALDEAN

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daughter. If Callihan pleads guilty as expected Friday morningatthe TangipahoaParish Courthouse in Amite, it will mark the closure of another of themultiple court cases he hasfaced In early August, Callihan pleaded guilty to federal charges connected to the case, kidnapping resulting in death andtransporting a minor acrossstate lines to engage in criminal sexual activity.Hefaces life in prison on thosecharges at his scheduled sentencing on Nov.19before U.S.District Judge Lance Africk. Callihan also faces charges in Mississippi Victoria Cox, who authorities saywas an accomplice also faces charges in Louisiana andMississippi. Kerry Cuccia, Callihan’s attorney,confirmed he would be in court in Amite on Fridaymorning, but declinedtodiscuss specifics.

your sewer capacityuntil 2027,2028,’— that hotel project is dead.” Pecot said, “That’s$20 millionthat’s not going downtown, that’sjust a fact of the matter.”

In the past, capacity upgrades have beenquickly outpacedbyoverwhelming demand.In2021, theLafayette Public TrustFinance Authority, thenhelmed by Kevin Blanchard, put up around $1 million to construct alift stationfor downtown, said Blanchard, nowCEO of the Downtown Development Authority

Several housingdevelopments, including the Monroe andMunicipalapartments, reservedmuch of the capacity immediately, said Stewart.

Bay and Punta Cana as logical next steps. He also noted thatturmoil among larger budget airlines could give Breeze opportunities to grow in New Orleans, where it has quickly become one of theairport’s larger operators. In recent months, several ultra-low-costcarriers have shown signs of distress tightening capacity,cutting routes or restructuring underfinancial strain.Spirit Airlines, for example, has said it will furlough around one-thirdofits flight attendants andreduce its schedule by 25% starting in November as part of abankruptcy restructuring plan. Suchturbulenceputs pressure on smaller carriers, and Johnson is wagering Breeze can capitalize by filling gaps left behind in key markets like New Orleans.

Changing charterplans

Johnsonalso pointedtothe airline’sactive charter business in New Orleans, particularly with sports teams Breeze continues to operatecharters for colleges and professional franchises using its Embraer fleet, though Johnsonsaidthe mixwill change as those aircraft are retired. The newer Airbus A220s, with first-class seat-

bayouvermiliondistrict.org

To learn moreabout the LPSS millage, visit www lpssonline.com

Email Ashley White at ashley.white@ theadvocate.com.

LOTTERY WEDNESDAY, SEPT.24, 2025 PICK 3: 9-6-8

PICK 4: 4-6-3-4

PICK 5: 9-8-8-0-9 EASY 5: 12-16-18-25-37 LOTTO: 8-12-13-16-18-40

Landry,who knewher father,toset aside afew tags for Aldean to go hunting in thearea.

“He lined up acouple of his hunters to bring us out, and we killed about 10 all altogether.Jason’swas 10 feet, 5inches,” she said.

The gatorhunt, with Higginbotham, Jason and Barry Aldean and othersin theirparty, ledtoanafternoon hanging outatHigginbotham’shouse. Aldean thenmade an appearance at Red’s,whereHigginbotham’sregulars were astonished to see thefamous singer It was an afternoon of laidback funfor Aldean. Higginbotham said, “He came behind the barand we pretended he was bartending. He visited with people and said it was along time since he had been in alittledive bar like that.”

Eventually,wordgot out that Aldean hadbeen seen at Red’s,and he called it an early night. Stars have found

This lift station project is larger than theLPTFA’s lift station and should be able to meet demand fora longer period; however,itremains atemporary solution.

“If I’m doingmyjob, it’s not gonna last that long,” Blanchard said, “And also, it’sserving sucha large area of the city. It’snot just downtown. We have housing needs everywhere.”

Leakylines

Lafayette isn’tunique in itsaging infrastructure, but someofits oldest sewage lines exist around downtown and itsneighborhoods

They’re old, cracked and leaking, Stewart said, allowing rain and groundwater to

ing andhighercosts,are expected to shift the charter focustoward marquee events,high-profile teams and concerts

That shiftalsomeanssome earlier contracts haveended. Acharterdeal Breezesigned threeyearsago withTulane University’s nonfootball sports teams is no longer in operation, though Johnson emphasized the airline remainsactiveinthe sports travel market and is pursuing other opportunities.

their wayout to Red’sLevee Bar before, which Higginbotham says hasbeenfeatured in movieslike “The Apostle” with Robert Duvall, and “In The ElectricMist”with Tommy Lee Jones. Shesaidthatitwas hard to keep the visit secret from her customers, but she was happy to provide Aldean and his father with asimple day outonthe water wherehe could just be himself “I’mjust like,wow,thatactually happened,” she said. “He sat underneath my patio and ate with us and talked with us. It wasareally great day.”

intrude. For astate known for its torrential downpours, it poses aserious challenge to Lafayette’scapacity issues.

“Wedon’thave problems on drydays. We have problems when it rains. We have tons of cracks andbreaksnot only in our system but the private service lines as well.”

Stewartsaid, “Putting anew lift station and force main in the ground only masks what the true issues are.”

Fixing public sewage lines may not be simple,but it’s a whole lot easier than trying to repair privately owned lines, which state lawforbids,Stewart said,unlesshe can prove it provides apublic benefit.

Looking ahead, he said Breeze is lining up charter work tied to major global events,including theFIFA Club World Cup matches scheduled in theU.S. next summer.Thatbusiness, combinedwithcontracts from majorcollege programs and entertainment acts, will keep NewOrleans centraltoBreeze’scharter operations even as the company’sbusiness model evolves.

“We’re still planning on

It’ssomething he’s currently working on, but said he saidheishopeful onesolution might be coming soon. Lafayette wasrecently selected as afinalist in the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ 2025 Mayors Challenge, with achancetowin $1 million, for its proposal to increase the city’ssewage capacity

Theproposed projectisto streamline sewage pipe repairs on private properties by creating apublic-private partnership to manage and repair leaks at no cost to owners and increase sewage system capacity Email StephenMarcantel at stephen.marcantel@ theadvocate.com.

doing tons of sports charters out of New Orleans in the first quarter next year,” Johnson said. Email AnthonyMcAuley tmcauley@theadvocate. com.

SAINTS AT BILLS • NOON

MISSED CONNECTIONS

Cajuns QB Beale feeling more comfortable as starter

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

UL redshirt freshman quarterback Daniel

Beale knows the Ragin’ Cajuns didn’t win the game against Eastern Michigan.

But he also felt — and saw on film this week — the progress he made as a young starting quarterback during UL’s 34-31 loss to the Eagles.

“I was seeing the field really well back there in the pocket,” said Beale, whose Cajuns open Sun Belt play against Marshall at 7 p.m. Saturday at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium.

“I felt very comfortable and relaxed going through my reads. It lets you know that you can do this.”

It required a roughing-the-passer penalty to extend the drive, but Beale took advantage by connecting with Shelton Sampson for 44 yards to set up the game-tying touchdown with 47 seconds left to play

“That’s a high-pressure situation down by seven and got to score. It brings a whole bunch of confidence for this offense and for this whole team.”

Some might say there was nowhere to go but up after UL’s two quarterbacks combined for 2-of-14 passing for just 4 yards in the loss at Missouri.

But for a young quarterback only making his third start, the progress comes in leaps and bounds.

“It is starting to slow down tremendously, just being able to know what’s happening, what our guys are doing,” Beale said. In the loss, Beale improved to 20-of-33 passing for 222 yards with two interceptions and no touchdowns.

“I thought he played a whole lot better for us,” UL coach Michael Desormeaux said. “He looked like he was settling in. That’s

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

Early in the New Orleans Saints’ Week 2 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Spencer Rattler had a golden opportunity to connect on an explosive touchdown pass.

Chris Olave began in the slot to the right of the Saints formation but motioned to the outside position on the far left. After the snap, the San Francisco secondary dropped into a Cover 4 zone, with four defenders each responsible for a deep quarter of the field.

Olave and tight end Juwan Johnson ran double posts from the left side of the play, with Johnson drawing the safety into the middle of the field, leaving Olave with a one-on-one Olave beat his man easily with a head fake to the pylon and was open in the end zone — but Rattler’s throw drifted too far toward the sideline and fell incomplete.

Plays like this help explain some of the early season

numbers the Saints offense is putting up: New Orleans has been the least explosive offense in the NFL through three weeks, but especially in the passing game, but it’s not for lack of trying.

“We’ve had opportunities; we’ve not accomplished them,” said Kellen Moore, head coach and offensive play-caller

New Orleans has just one completion of more than 25 yards this season a 39-yarder to Rashid Shaheed against the 49ers on the same drive as the missed connection between Rattler and Olave. Every other team has at least two, and the Saints’ opponent this week, the Buffalo Bills, has amassed eight already

The Saints are the only team in the NFL that doesn’t have a receiver averaging better than 10 yards per catch. Backup tight end Jack Stoll, with two catches for 21 yards, is the only player on the team to have crossed

Ole Miss safety Ryan to face former team LSU in SEC clash

Former Tiger ‘can’t wait’ to play against former teammates

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

When Sage Ryan arrived at LSU, a path to becoming the next Patrick Peterson, Tyrann Mathieu or Derek Stingley seemed within reach.

Ryan was a five-star recruit in the Class of 2021, according to the 247Sports Composite. The Lafayette Christian star was the No. 2 safety in the nation and one of two five-star recruits from Louisiana.

His cousin, running back Kevin Faulk, and uncle, linebacker Trev Faulk, were also All-Americans at LSU. Ryan bled purple and gold and had the résumé to potentially join his relatives as an LSU legend.

But that’s not what happened.

In four seasons in Baton Rouge, Ryan earned a starting role but never became the star player many believed he could be, eventually transferring to Ole Miss after

anchoring a struggling LSU secondary the last two seasons.

“Things didn’t kind of work out the way that we all wanted them to,” Kevin Faulk said. “We all expected it to, but I always tell friends, relatives (and) family, it’s not what you think it’s going to be when you get there. There’s a lot of work involved. There’s a lot of things that happen out of our control.”

Ryan’s history with LSU sets up an interesting dynamic for him this weekend when the Tigers travel to Ole Miss on Saturday to take on the Rebels (2:30 p.m., ABC).

“I can’t wait,” Ryan said to Ole Miss reporters in April. “I’m seeing red already I can’t wait to go against my former teammates, like Aaron Anderson and all of them. And my guy (quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is) back there, so it’s going to be fun.” Through four contests, Ryan has played an important role within Ole Miss’ defense.

He’s started every game at safety, racking up seven total tackles and allowing six receptions for 49 yards on 10 targets, according to Pro Football Focus. Ryan isn’t the only Ole Miss player looking for revenge on Saturday Along with Ryan, the Rebels also have former Tigers edge rusher Da’Shawn Womack and running back Logan Diggs, but Ryan is the only starter among them. Womack has played 112 snaps on defense in his first year at Ole Miss this season, according to PFF Diggs has 13 carries for 117 yards through four games.

“Sage is a really savvy player that’s played a lot, plays a lot of different spots,” Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said, “and so we’re pleased to have him, and he’s great to be around and a really good team guy.” Ryan’s decision to transfer didn’t surprise Faulk. He respects his cousin’s decision to leave the Tigers for the Rebels — even if he is an LSU person for life.

“There’s a lot of things that we do that we

ä See LSU, page 3C

10

6p.m.Detroit

9p.m.Seattle

1p.m.SVBremen at Bayern Munich ESPN2

7:55 p.m.Leon ClubLeon at JuarezFS2 TENNIS

9p.m.Tokyo-ATP &Beijing TENNIS WNBA

6:30 p.m.Playoffs:Las VegasatIndianaESPN2

8:30 p.m.Minnesota at Phoenix ESPN2

Notre Damequarterback DrewLejeune and the Pioneers are playing in one of the featured games of theWeek

state champion CatholicHighofNew Iberia.

No shortage of storylines

Week 4schedule

filled with several intriguing matchups

ready have moreregular-season losses than the program’s endured in four years, but it’s still a good testfor the Bobcats.

athree-game winning streak in the District 4-4A opener against Rayne.

Jets QB Fields practices, couldstartvs. Dolphins

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. JustinFields is back on the practice field for the New York Jets and could return for aMonday night matchup in Miami.

The quarterback remained in the concussion protocol Thursday,but wasprogressing toward potentially playing against the Dolphins in primetimeasboth teams look for their first victory this season.

“If he’scleared, he’sthe starter,” coach Aaron Glenn said. Fields waslisted by the team as afull participant while practicing forthe first timesince suffering a concussion in the Jets’ loss to Buffalo in Week 2.

Thequarterback will have two more full practices on Fridayand Saturday to prepare. An independent neurologist must determine if he can play

Alcaraz to headline tennis event at Marlins’ ballpark

MIAMI— Top-ranked tennis player

Carlos Alcaraz will headline the Miami Invitational later this year —a one-day exhibition that marks the first tennis event ever held at the Miami Marlins’ home ballpark. Scheduledfor Dec.8atloanDepot Park, the one-timeevent will also feature No. 42 João Fonseca, No. 4Amanda Anisimova andNo. 33 Emma Raducanu.

The invitationalwill include twosingles matches, each bestof-three sets with a10-point tiebreaker deciding athird set. Anisimova,a U.S. Open andWimbledonfinalist thisyear, will face the 2021 U.S. Open champion Raducanu. Afterthat, six-time major champion Alcaraz will take on the 19-year-old Fonseca, Brazil’stop-ranked singles player. It’ll be the first meetingbetween Alcaraz and Fonseca.

Sixers guard McCain suffersthumb injury

Jared McCain suffered atorn ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb during aworkout on Thursday,the 76ers confirmed.

Kevin Foote

With three games playedand district play starting in several leaguesaround the Acadiana area, it’stime get abetter idea how the area races will shake outthis season. There’snoshortage of storylines heading into Week 4. Check outWeek 4area prep football scoreboard with stat leaders First, there’s several turnaround opportunities on this week’sschedule. Teams like Acadiana, Carencro and St. Thomas Morehavebeen playing many of the state’selite teams in the early going. As aresult, their combined record is 2-7.

The Wreckin’ Rams get a prime opportunity to turn that around against winless New Iberia, while the Golden Bears’ defense stillneeds to be on high alert against high-flying Barbe (1-2).

The Cougars, meanwhile, are still on the rough early phase of their schedule with Neville in

(1-2) at Teurlings (3-0) Catholic-NI (3-0) at NotreDame (2-1) Lafayette Christian (3-0) at Shaw (1-2)-Brandon Erath (3-0) at Vermilion Catholic (1-2) Barbe (1-2) at Carencro (1-2)

Northside (2-1) at North Vermilion(0-3)

LB Landry (0-3) at Lafayette Renaissance (3-0)

Ascension Episcopal (3-0) at Rosepine (0-3)

Breaux Bridge (1-2) at Kaplan (2-1)

Central-BR (3-0) at Cecilia (1-2)

St. Martinville (2-1) at Parkview (0-3)

Opelousas (0-2) at Alexandria(3-0) Mamou (2-1) at Church Point(2-1)

Kinder (3-0) at Eunice (1-2)

Crowley (1-2) at Ville Platte (0-3)

Iota (0-3) at PinePrairie (0-3)

Jennings (1-2) at Northwest (0-3)

Menard(2-1) at Abbeville (0-3)

Beau Chene (0-3) at Berchmans (1-2) Highland Baptist (0-3) at Basile (0-3) Westminster (3-0) at Catholic-PC(3-0) North Central (3-0) at St. Edmund (3-0)

Opelousas Catholic (3-0) at Sacred Heart (3-0)

town Friday Seewho the top 10 rushers, passers, receiversare in area Then there’sthe prove-it group of teams.

Erath, Lafayette High, Delcambre andNorth Central are all off to exciting 3-0 starts.

TheBobcats havealready survived an early revenge test with Loreauville, butnow face a parish rivalinVermilion Catholic. Yes, the Screamin’ Eagles al-

BYERIC NARCISSE Staff writer

Acoach’sdream.

That’sone of the best ways to describe Catholic High of New Iberia’sOwenMorris, asenior runningback whohas played an instrumental role in the Panthers’ success since his arrivaloncampus. “As acoach, he is what youenvision aplayer being,” coach Matt Desormeaux said. “You never have to fuss at him for disciplinary problems or because of grades. He just doeseverything the right way.” Athree-yearstarter forthe Panthers, Morris has established himself as aleader on and offthe field On the field, Morris, who played soccer as afreshman, is athreesport athlete —football, baseball and track and field —atCatholicN.I. and he has excelled at all of

them.

“The thingaboutOwen is you don’thave to tellhim anything more than once,” said Desormeaux,whose Panthers will travel to face Notre Dame at 7p.m. Friday in Crowley.“If he makes amistake, he’sgoing to correct it immediatelyand it won’t happen again. He learns quickly.”

Morris is equally committed to his academics. Desormeaux said Morris has only made one Binhigh school and has a3.95 GPA.

“Owen just goesout to work every day,” he said. “He doesn’t complain.Hejust goes out and does what is asked of him. He’s veryblue-collar. If we needhim to go onscout team, he will do it.”

Morris, who hurt is ankle in thesecond quarter in theseason-opening win over Vermilion Catholic that caused him to sit out

Awin over Southside for the MightyLions in coach Stephen Hearen’sfirst season would be huge obviously,but so would a competitive showing against the Sharks.

In his first season at Delcambre, coach Cory Brodie is already enjoying some success behind thearea’ssecond-leading rusher in Hugo Morales.

On Friday,the Panthers entertain a2-1 Vinton squad. The Panthers haven’twon more than fivegames since 2009, so afourth winbefore October would be ahugestep forward for the program.

North Central has surprised many with a3-0 start to the season. Friday brings about the Hurricanes’ biggest test of the season against St. Edmund (3-0) in Eunice. This is thefirst 3-0 start in North Central’shistory.The Hurricanes haven’twon more than three games in the last two decades. Then there’sthe Comeaux Spartans. What astarttothe season it could be for coach Marquis Newsome’ssquad. With the33-game losingstreak now in therearview mirror,the area’sleadingrusher Jaden Celestinenow has Comeauxinsearch of

On paper,the mostpromising matchup could be in Crowley where theNotre Dame Pioneers get arematch with Catholic High of New Iberia. It was last year’s42-28 winover thePioneers that really got some to begin giving the Panthers a real shot on their waytoastate championship.

Catholic still looking to find itself alittle bit, while Notre Dame is one nail-biting loss to Teurlings away from areally impressive 3-0 start.

There’salso afew hidden gems in the Week 4schedule.

If you remember,coach John Thompson took over the Kaplan Pirates just as August camp was beginning, so he had alot of catching up to do.

So far,things have gone pretty well with a2-1 start heading into Friday’shome matchup with Breaux Bridge (1-2).

Also falling under the radar for some is apotential 3-1 start for St. Martinville in its first season under new coach Garrett Kreamer against winless Parkview

The area’sbest matchup with theleast amount of fanfare, though, is likely in the Class 1A ranks where Westminster travels to Catholic of Pointe Coupee in a battle of unbeaten District 5-1A clubs.

Week 2, returnedwith astrong rushing performance against Patterson.Morrisfinishedwith agame-high 94 yards and one touchdown on just eight carries, while also catching one pass for 13 yards.

“Itwas anormal game really,” Morrissaid. “I have to give it up to my offensive line. My offensive line played well and gave me somegood holes to run through.”

DesormeauxcitedMorris agilityand quickness” as keys to his success.

“He changesdirection fast,” Desormeauxsaid. “He’s pretty quick.He’sexplosive andhehas theability to get to top speed pretty fast.” Morris’ also prides himself on doing whatever his team needs.

“Owen isn’ ta frai d, ” Desormeaux said. “Hesquats400 pounds and bench presses more than 225pounds, so he’sastrong

kid. He’snot afraid to block in the running game or in the passing game. He’svery physical.”

The Panthers are the reigning DivisionIII select state champions, and if they’re going to repeat Morris understands thereisgoing to be morepressure on him

“There’s alwayspressure,” Morris said. “My coaches have helped me with taking thatpressure off. They have putmeinthe bestplaces to succeed. It’salso not much pressure when you have 10 other guys that will do anything for you.”

Andwhile Morris and his teammates are focusingonone game at atime, it’snosecret he has lofty expectations forhimself andthe Panthers

“Team-wise, Iwant to win the district and state championships,” Morris said. “But individually,Iwould like to rush for1,500 yards.

It is anotherinjury setback for McCain, who last season was an early Rookie of the Year frontrunnerbeforehesuffereda torn meniscus in his left knee in midDecember.Heaveraged 15.3 points while shooting 38.3% from 3-point range in 23 games before theinjury. McCainwas viewed as apotential starter alongside Tyrese Maxey and/or abackup point guard option after recovering from knee surgery

The Sixers stated that McCain and the team are “consulting with specialists on next steps, and further updates will be provided as appropriate.”

UEFAmoves toward vote to suspend Israel

GENEVA— European soccer body UEFAismoving toward avote to suspend its member federation Israel over thewar in Gaza,people familiar with the proposal told The Associated Press on Thursday Amajority of UEFA’s20-memberexecutive committeeisexpected to support anyvote in favor of suspending Israeliteams from international play,two sources told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject. Such astepwould prevent Israeli national and club teamsfrom playing in international competitions, includingnextyear’sWorld Cup. Israel’s men’steam is set to resume its World Cupqualifying campaign in two weeks. It is unclear whether world soccer body FIFA will supportexcludingIsrael.

UCLA enlistssports execs in searchfor newcoach UCLA is turning to 2028 Los AngelesOlympicorganizing committeechairman Casey Wasserman and Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters in its search for ahead football coach Along with athletics director Martin Jarmond, they are two of the six-member search committee announced Thursday that is seekinga replacementfor DeShaun Foster,who wasfired on Sept. 14 after the team’s 0-3 start. Former Golden State Warriors generalmanager BobMyers,10year NFL player EricKendricks andErin Adkins,UCLA executive senior associate athletics director, are also on the committee. Wasserman, Peters, Myers and Kendricks all areUCLA alumni.

Countrycomes to BR

Rising countryartist and LSUstudent TimothyWayne makes his LiveAfterFive debut from 5p.m. to 8p.m. FridayatRhorer Plaza. 200 St. Louis St. He’ll be joined by the Baton Rouge-based Lauren Lee Band’srock, blues and Americana blend. The outdoor concertisfree. Also, food vendorsand children’sactivities.

LIVING

On the prowl

Mid-City Prowlers

finishsecond albumand prepare forrelease show

BY JOHN WIRT Contributing writer

It’sa story that repeats itself acrossgenerations

Andrew Hill is one example. When he wasa kid in Colorado Springs, Colorado,his father taught him to love rock ’n’roll. Hill’sdad “indoctrinated” him in theBeatles, Fleetwood Mac and more 1960s and ’70s music. Adecade later at Whitman CollegeinWashington state, Hill discovered another principal influence, the 1990s alt-country of Wilco, the Jayhawks and Whiskeytown.

Moving to Louisiana in 2009 to pursue amaster’sdegreein French at LSU, Hill found simpatico alt-country fans in the Baton Rouge music community

JOHNSON

PHOTO By

James Hyfield plays as the Mid-City Prowlers rehearse on Sept. 8inBaton Rouge.

“In alt-country,”the 38-yearold singer,songwriterand bandleadersaid recentlyat an LSU-area coffee shop, “I heard alot of almost ’60s sounds, the jangly old Byrds sound. Ilike the heartfelt nature of that sound, the pedalsteel guitarand fiddle instrumentation.”

Hill’s alt-county andclassic rock roots flavor the Mid-City Prowlers, theband he formedin 2019. Thegroup plays itsmadeby-humans original music in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and beyond.

The Mid-CityProwlers’album-release show for their second album, “Here Be Monsters,” is Thursday,Oct.2,at the Mid-City Ballroom, and before that, they’ll perform on Friday at Red Stick Music Studio. Prowler Alex V. Cook produced and engineered the project at his studio in Mid City

ä See PROWLERS, page 6C

MID-CITY PROWLERS

6:30 p.m. Friday l Red Stick Music Studio, 3809 Government St. l Free l facebook.com/p/Mid-CityProwlers-100082880005057

MID-CITY PROWLERS/ DANNY WILDCARD

9p.m.Thursday, Oct. 2 l Mid-City Ballroom, 136 S.Acadian Thruway l $10, advance; $12, door l midcityballroom.com

CENTER STAGE

Opera Louisianespotlightssopranoswhile Sullivan TheaterstagesOscar Wilde’soldie butgoodie

‘OVER THE TOP’

An Opera Louisiane performance

3p.m.Sunday l Manship Theatre, Shaw Center for the Arts, 100 Lafayette St. l $50 l operalouisiane.com

‘THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST’

Friday-Sundayand Thursday-Sunday, Oct. 2-5 l 2p.m Sundays; allother shows, 7:30 p.m.Additional 2p.m.performance on Saturday, Oct. 4 l Sullivan Theater,8849 Sullivan Road, Central l sullivantheater.com

SBY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer

opranos will takethe Manship Theatre spotlight when Opera Louisiane opens its 2025-26 season with “Over the Top” on Sunday Why “Overthe Top”? Well, the three sopranosinthis show areknown for their high-flying voices. That’s usually thecase with coloraturasopranos Coloratura is when asinger “colors” asolo with elaborate vocalornamentation. It happens with such characters as the Queen of the Night in Mozart’s“The Magic Flute.”

The characters arebig in voice and “overthe top” in personality,and the threesopranos in this program —Rainelle Krause, Kelly Curtin and Sarah McHan— are knownfor suchperformances. “Wecollaborated withthe sopranos on this, andweput

Krause Curtin

together somethingfun,” said Michael Borowitz, the opera company’smusic director.“It’s going to be aconcert, but we’re using the Manship’sbig movie screen,sowe’llhavealot of backdrop projections, along with the supertitles. So, it’snot going to feel like aconcert— it’sgoing to feel like ashow.” McHan is making her Opera Louisiane debut in this show. This past spring, she sang nearly 100 performances as the Queenofthe NightinThe AtlantaOpera Studio tourproduction of “The MagicFlute,”and over the summer,she reprised herQueen of the Nightwiththe Janiec Opera Company at Brevard Music Center

She is working on her master’sdegree in music at LSU. Meanwhile, Curtin is known not only forher extraordinary vocalism, but forher abilitytoplayboth comedicand

ä See THEATER, page 6C

and GEORGE VARGA The San DiegoUnion-Tribune (TNS)

Sheeran has announced his 2026 tour forNorth America. The singer-songwriter,whose

FRIDAY LIVE MUSIC: Cane River Pecan Company Pie Bar, New Iberia, 5 p.m.

FRIDAY NIGHT JAM: La Maison de Begnaud, Scott, 6 p.m.

CRENSHAW LARSON DUO: Adopted Dog Brewing, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

DUSTIN DALE GASPARD: Prejean’s, Broussard, 6 p.m.

JULIE WILLIAMS: Charley G’s, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Jim Deggy’s, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Naq’s-n-Duson, Duson, 6 p.m.

NICOLE MARIE: SHUCKS!, Abbeville, 6:30 p.m.

JC MELANCON: Silver Slipper, Arnaudville, 7 p.m.

DE VILLAINS: The Loose Caboose, Lafayette, 7 p.m.

MAJOR HANDY: Whiskey & Vine, Lafayette, 7 p.m.

SUPERCOLLIDER (IMPROV

COMEDY): Cité des Arts, Lafayette, 7:30 p.m.

JOHN CICO: NUNU Arts & Culture Collective, Arnaudville, 7:30 p.m.

CEDRIC WATSON & BIJOU

CREOLE: Hideaway on Lee, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Randol’s Cajun Restaurant, Breaux Bridge, 8 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: The Barrel of Broussard, Broussard, 8 p.m.

THE EIGHTIES EXPERIENCE: Toby’s Lounge, Opelousas, 8:30 p.m.

VERMILLIONAIRES: Rock ’n’ Bowl, Lafayette, 9 p.m.

SATURDAY

CAJUN JAM: Moncus Park, Lafayette, 9 a.m.

TROUBADOUR: SHUCKS!, Abbeville, 6:30 p.m.

DREW LANDRY: Adopted Dog Brewing, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

JULIE WILLIAMS: Charley G’s Lafayette, 6 p.m.

LATE BLOOMIN’: Prejean’s, Broussard, 6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Jim Deggy’s, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Naq’s-n-Duson, Duson, 6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Randol’s Cajun Restaurant, Breaux Bridge, 6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: O’Darby’s Pub & Grill, Carencro, 6 p.m.

TROY BREAUX QUARTET: Whiskey & Vine, Lafayette,

7 p.m.

CHRIS HIMEL AND OUTBOUND: Silver Slipper, Arnaudville, 7 p.m.

BAYOU BEATS: Pat’s Atchafalaya Club, Henderson, 7 p.m.

GENO DELAFOSE & FRENCH

THEATER

Continued from page 5C

dramatic roles with realism and great timing. For most of the 2023-24 season, Curtin performed as a guest entertainer for Princess Cruises, serving as the opera diva in the company’s production of “Encore!” and providing opera “edu-tainment” in her own solo performance introducing opera and operetta to new audiences in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

This season, she is performing with Shreveport Opera and will make appearances with Maryland Opera and the Helena Symphony in concert performances. Finally, Krause, known for her pristine, fiery coloratura, brings an unflinching ferocity coupled with a deeply truthful humanity to the stage.

This season, she is reprising her celebrated Königin in company débuts with The Metropolitan Opera, Santa Fe Opera, St. Louis Symphony and Opera Atelier, and will present a number of Mozart arias in concert with English National Opera.

“This is a very interesting idea, because we hear all the time these really famous soprano arias either on TV, on commercials and on movies,” said Paul Groves, the company’s general director “And so we hear these things all the time, and I feel that these high-flying soprano arias are more sportive, like something you might see at a track meet or an amazing basketball move or something like that. And it really excites the audience. I wanted to have an opening show that people could really get excited about, a show that’s fun. So we put together all of this, and it’s going to be fantastic.”

Sullivan’s ‘Earnest’

Sometimes, it’s good to return to the classics, especially when it’s a beloved

Bridge, 2 p.m.

ROCKIN’ BOOGIE: La Poussiere Cajun Dancehall, Breaux Bridge, 8 p.m.

RUSTY X STEP: O’Darby’s Pub & Grill, Carencro, 8 p.m.

COLBY LATIOLAIS AND AMBUSH: Lakeview Park, Eunice, 8 p.m.

AMAZING NUN + NORTHSIDE ERIC & THE SOUTHSIDE PLAYBOYS: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

JOHNNY NICHOLAS: Hideaway on Lee, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

BOBBY DWYER AND HONKY TONK NONC: Toby’s Lounge, Opelousas, 8:30 p.m.

MICHAEL SCOTT BOUDREAUX: Rock ’n’ Bowl, Lafayette, 9 p.m

GERARD DELAFOSE & THE ZYDECO GATORS: Buck & Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 8 a.m.

TROY LEJEUNE BAND: Fred’s, Mamou, 8 a.m.

SATURDAY MORNING JAM SESSIONS: Savoy Music Center, Eunice, 9 a.m.

CAJUN JAM: Tante Marie Breaux Bridge, 11 a.m.

CAJUN FRENCH MUSIC JAM: Vermilionville, Lafayette, 1 p.m.

SUNDAY

GLENN ZERINGUE: Whiskey & Vine, Lafayette, 11 a.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Tante Marie, Breaux Bridge, 11 a.m.

LES FRERES MICHOT: Prejean’s, Carencro, 11:30 a.m.

LE BAL DU DIMANCHE — GERARD DELAFOSE & THE ZYDECO GATORS: Vermilionville, Lafayette, 1 p.m.

DIMANCHE MATIN CAJUN

FAMILY FUN DAY FEATURING

STEVE RILEY AND C4: La Poussiere Cajun Dancehall, Breaux

CAJUN JAM: Bayou Teche

Brewing, Arnaudville, 2 p.m.

FORET TRADITION: Pat’s

Atchafalaya Club, Henderson, 4:30 p.m.

GENO DELAFOSE: Rock ’n’

Bowl, Lafayette, 5 p.m.

DOWNTOWN RISING: Parc International, Lafayette, 5 p.m.

JULIE WILLIAMS: Charley G’s, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

JACK WOODSON AND COMPANY: Silver Slipper, Arnaudville, 7 p.m.

FIRE OF TIERRA: Hideaway on Lee, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

MONDAY

PATRICIO LATINO SOLO: Cafe Habana City, Lafayette, 11 a.m.

ALYSSA MCMURRAY: Charley G’s, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

BLUEGRASS JAM: Cité des Arts, Lafayette, 6:30 p.m.

TUESDAY

JACK WOODSON: Charley G’s, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

PAUL TASSIN: Whiskey & Vine, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

TERRY HUVAL & FRIENDS: Prejean’s Restaurant, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

KILLER KARAOKE: Freetown Boom Boom Room, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

DULCIMER JAM: St. Landry

Visitor Center, Opelousas, 10 a.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Charley G’s, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Park Bistro, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: The Tap Room, Youngsville, 6:30 p.m.

MERCREDI SHOW FEATURING

DUSTIN SONNIER AND THE WANTED: Pelican Park, Carencro, 6 p.m.

CAJUN JAM: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

THURSDAY

LIVE MUSIC: Charley G’s, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Naq’s-n-Duson, Duson, 6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: The Tap Room, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

FOREST HUVAL: Hideaway on Lee, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

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

oldie like “The Importance of Being Earnest.”

Sullivan Theatre will do just that when it opens the Oscar Wilde classic on Friday

Wilde’s comedy may have debuted in 1895, but audiences still love this story of false identities.

At the center of the story are two men, Jack and Algernon, who adopt false identities to escape social obligations and find love. Their deceptions lead to a series of mistaken identities and romantic entanglements culminating in a chaotic reveal which exposes the absurdities of Victorian society

“I did the show as the character Algernon in Lake Charles in 2012, and then I convinced the cast to return in 2014, and we set it in 1987 California,” director Michael Muffoletto said. “And we called it ‘The Importance of, Like, Totally Being Earnest.’”

But Sullivan Theater’s production will be the traditional 19th-century version.

“We decided to keep it traditional and lean into the classic wit of the original play,” Muffoletto said. “And what’s interesting is, while looking over the script again, I found a lot more nuance and characterization, specifically like with the class system and the gender equality In the show, the female characters tend to be more intelligent and kind of control the action, and 100 years ago was kind of unheard of.”

One of those female characters is Cecily, played by Michelle Willis, who sees her character as “very

By The Associated Press

Today is Friday, Sept. 26, the 269th day of 2025. There are 96 days left in the year

Today in history:

On Sept. 26, 1960, the first nationally televised debate between presidential candidates took place as Democrat John F. Kennedy and Republican Richard M. Nixon faced off in Chicago.

Also on this date:

In 1777, British troops occupied Philadelphia during the American Revolution.

In 1954, the Japanese commercial ferry Toya Maru sank during a typhoon in the Tsugaru Strait, claiming more than 1,150 lives.

In 1986, William H.

PROWLERS

Continued from page 5C

The Mid-City Prowlers gestated in the Adult Music Club, a school of rock for grown-ups led by music educator and band whisperer David Hinson. Many local bands have sprung from the innovative program Hinson launched in 2012.

One of Hinson’s teaching phrases inspired the MidCity Prowlers’ moniker In a roomful of guitar players, Hinson instructed Hill, one of those many guitarists, to play “lead prowl.”

“Dave said, ‘You listen and, when there are gaps, play a little solo,’ ” Hill recalled. “That really stuck with me, because it made sense.”

Hill later formed a band of his own for the purpose of performing his songs.

“I want to do my songs my way,” he said.

Hill takes his song-crafting cues from populist troubadour and working-class hero, Bruce Springsteen.

“He’s my favorite,” Hill said “If there’s a message in my music, it’s similar to his message, which is

Michelle Willis, left, is Cicely Cardew and Derek Walle is Algernon Moncrieff in Sullivan Theater’s production of ‘The Importance of Being Earnest.

PROVIDED PHOTO By ABBy RODRIGUE

sure of herself.”

“She’s grown up on her guardian’s estate, and she’s sheltered from the reality of things,” she said. “She’s created this fantasy romance in her head between her and this character named Ernest. And from there, fun and chaos ensues.”

Meanwhile, Meg Jett’s character, Miss Prism, is centered in the real world, where she acts as a voice of reason. Well, at least during the first act.

“She’s Cecily’s tutor, and she comes across as extremely uptight,” Jett said.

“But by the end of the play, she’s completely different because of her interactions and flirtations with the Rev Chasable.”

And speaking of the Rev Chasable, Jon Allen Russo not only plays that role in the second half of the play but the butler in the first half.

“Two different characters are a challenge,” he said. “The last time I did multiple characters on stage was in New Jersey when I played five characters in a play I had people throwing clothes off and on me and slapping mustaches on me. My greatest fear was having a mustache falling off.”

“I would say that this is a play where you can watch it five times and get something different out of it each time,” Muffoletto said. “People keep coming back to this play because they love it. And we’re having fun putting it on stage.”

Email Robin Miller at romiller@theadvocate. com.

TODAY IN HISTORY

Rehnquist was sworn in as the 16th chief justice of the United States, while Antonin Scalia joined the Supreme Court as its 103rd member Rehnquist died in 2005 and Scalia in 2016.

In 2005, Army Pfc. Lynndie England was convicted by a military jury in Fort Hood, Texas, on six of seven counts stemming from the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal.

In 2020, President Donald Trump nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. (Barrett would be confirmed the following month.)

In 2024, Helene, a major Category 4 hurricane, made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region.

that rock ’n’ roll is more than pop music or music to dance to. It’s fulfilling in an almost spiritual way.”

Neil Young, another inimitable artist, is among Hill’s inspirations, too, especially in the vocal department.

Hill’s voice, like Young’s plaintive whine, is on the high side.

“I never liked my voice much,” he said. “But then I leaned into the Neil Youngness of it. I like my voice now.”

Conducive to Hill’s vision for his songs, he’s found that bands don’t just want direction, they crave it.

“It’s good to say ‘This is how I see the song. You should play it this way, versus that way,’ ” he said. Guide his fellow Prowlers though Hill does, he doesn’t take power trips.

“I love the balance between getting creativity from your band members and serving the song that you’ve written,” he explained. “You can do both, and I’m always so honored that I have people who are willing to play my music.”

In addition to singer-lead guitarist Hill, the Mid-City Prowlers are accordion, keyboards, pedal steel gui-

SHEERAN

Continued from page 5C

The opening act has not yet been announced.

Sheeran is a four-time Grammy Award winner and a 17-time nominee.

Sheeran described his most recent album on social media as one that “celebrates love, life, culture, exploring, creativity and technicolor.”

“I’ve loved making this record and the last 6 months have been just what I needed to get back into the swing of things — to reheat my love for pop, and popping up,” he shared on Instagram “It’s an album I’m immensely proud of, and just makes me feel good. I hope it does the same for you.”

Ed Sheeran 2026 North American tour dates:

n JUNE 13: Glendale, Ari-

zona, State Farm Stadium

n JUNE 20: Nashville, Tennessee, Nissan Stadium

n JUNE 25: Milwaukee, American Family Insurance Amphitheater | Summerfest

n JUNE 27: Chicago, Soldier Field

n JULY 4: Denver, Empower Field at Mile High

n JULY 18: Las Vegas, Allegiant Stadium

n JULY 21: San Diego, Petco Park

n JULY 25: Santa Clara, California, Levi’s Stadium

n AUG. 1: Seattle, Lumen Field

n AUG. 8: Los Angeles, SoFi Stadium

n AUG. 15: Minneapolis, U.S. Bank Stadium

n AUG. 21: Toronto, Ontario, Rogers Centre

n AUG. 22: Toronto, Ontario, Rogers Centre

n AUG. 29: Detroit, Ford Field

n SEPT 4: East Rutherford,

It went on to cut a swath across Georgia and South Carolina before triggering historic flooding in North Carolina and Tennessee, causing an estimated $78 billion in damage and 219 deaths.

Today’s birthdays: Country

is 84. Television

Self-taught in guitar and composition, Hill has been making music since he was 7 years old.

“I just loved rock ’n’ roll, so I played along with it and tried to figure it out,” he recalled. “When you really get into something, you want to participate in it. I wanted to write a song because I loved hearing songs.” Hill’s day job is teaching French at LSU.

“So many people here have a French background,” he said of Louisiana. “Most of the time the students are really engaged, and it’s more than just a gen-ed requirement. Many of the students want to learn French because it’s the language their grandparents spoke.” Hill sees parallels in teaching French to college students and leading a band whose other members are all older than he is, in their 40s, 50s and 60s. He creates an encouraging space, he said, “for people to learn in the classroom and perform artistically in a band.

New Jersey, MetLife Stadium

n SEPT 5: East Rutherford, New Jersey MetLife Stadium

n SEPT 19: Philadelphia, Lincoln Financial Field

n SEPT 25: Foxborough, Maine, Gillette Stadium

n SEPT 26: Foxborough, Maine, Gillette Stadium

n OCT 3: Atlanta, Mercedes-Benz Stadium

n OCT 10: Indianapolis, Lucas Oil Stadium

n OCT 17: Charlotte, North Carolina, Bank of America Stadium

n OCT 24: Arlington, Texas, AT&T Stadium

n OCT 29: Hollywood, Florida, Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

n OCT 30: Hollywood, Florida, Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

n NOV. 7: Tampa, Florida, Raymond James Stadium.

ARS

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Clear your head, eliminate what's not necessary and stick to your budget. Reevaluate your goals, dreams and what truly matters to you. Trust your instincts, and abundance will come your way.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Using force will set you back. Let situations flow naturally, and you'll avoid controversy. Look for creative outlets, such as social events that make you think about your future.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Protect your home, possessions and loved ones. Think before you spend on something you don't need. Don't take a risk with your health or offer to do something you know little about.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Pay more attention to your physical and financial well-being. The energy you put toward fitness and investing more time in yourself will pay high dividends.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Fiscal negotiations are in your best interest. A change at home, investing in a space that will help you be more productive or stepping away from someone or a debilitating situation are favored.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Put your energy into something that makes you proud or helps you invest more in yourself and whatyouhavetooffer.Refusetoletemotional matters cost you by leading you to act when you are best off sitting back.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Focus on motivation, productivity and maximizing your day. Express your feelings and intentions, and discuss financial matters with

anyone who can influence how you move forward.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Refuse to let the changes unfolding around you deter your plans. An adjustment may be difficult, but it is essential, so relax and ease into situations with an open mind and a backup plan.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Interactions will open doors and offer insight into something that can change what you do professionally, financially or medically. Exhaust all possibilities before you commit to something that can alter your life.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Channel your energy wisely. Focusing on the moment and what you want to achieve will help distance you from stress. Disciplining yourself in order to work on a creative project will prove interesting.

LEo (July 23-Aug 22) Anger management, along with common sense and open communication,willhelpyougetthingsdone Educate yourself before committing your time, skills or money.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Lookandobserve, but hold off on making a premature move. Do the legwork required to put your mind at ease and save money. Budget for entertainment, and focus on rest, relaxation and reevaluating your next move.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2025 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. Theobject is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

By PHILLIP ALDER

Jeffrey Kluger, a senior writer at Time magazine, said, “Science has yet to isolate the Godiva chocolate or Prada gene, but that doesn’t mean your weakness for pricey swag isn’t woven into your DNA.”

When declarer is in a contract with poor communications, the defenders should work to isolate him in one hand or the other.

In today’s deal, South was in three notrump.WhathappenedafterWestledhis singleton spade?

Eastopenedwithaweaktwo-bid.South made the normal three-heart overcall. Then North wondered about a slam in clubs, but knew that misfits are dangerous. So he cue-bid three spades, asking his partner to bid three no-trump with a spade stopper.

South had seven top tricks: one spade, two hearts, two diamonds and two clubs After winning with his spade ace over East’s queen, declarer should have tried to establish dummy’s clubs, playing three rounds of the suit. Here, he would havecruisedhomewithatleastoneovertrick.

However, the original South crossed to dummy’s diamond ace and played a heart to his jack. West won with his queen and returned a diamond. South understandably finessed dummy’s jack. But now East did very well, winning with his queen, cashing the spade king to cut declarer’s communication with his hand, and shifting to a low club. Declarer won with dummy’s king, cashed the diamond king (more bad news) and club ace, then played

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

Time

$39.95 plus tax&shipping books ship Nov. 14,2025 *cover notfinal foralimited time

Forfive decades, Arthur Hardyhas beenour neighbor,our guide,and the keeper of our Carnival memories.From his Gentillykitchen table in 1977 to receivingthe keytothe city in 2024,Hardy transformed himself from aBrotherMartinbanddirectorintothe man all about MardiGras. Hisannual guidehas reached over 3million readers,but for us locals, Arthur is family, the trustedvoice whogets it right,who rodewithRex after documentingthemfor decades, whostood with us throughthe police strikeof’79,Katrina’saftermath,and everymagical moment in between. This 112-page celebration bringstogether the stories only Arthur could tell, filled with photographs thatcapture the paradesyou remember,the krewesyou cheered for,and themoments thatmadeyou proudtobea part of MardiGras. ArthurHardyhas preservedthe soul of what makesusNew Orleanians, making thisthe perfectholiday gift for anyone whobleeds thepurple,green andgold of MardiGras. Booksship in time for holidaygift-giving!