The Advocate 09-29-2025

Gift shop managerMelissa Sampson-Barbin is reflected throughamodel of aNativeAmerican burialwherethe bodyissurrounded by aperson’smostbeloved belongingsatthe Tunica-BiloxiCultural and Educational Resources Center

Restoration of dignity

Hundreds of Native American remainspulledfromLa. graves stillnot returned to tribes

BY HALEYMILLER |Staff writer

In 1968, aLouisianaprison guard unearthed over 100skeletonsand sacred objects at agrave sitein West Feliciana Parish, exposing them to the light for the first time in centuries. He kept the items, preciouspieces of handmade Tunica pottery andtradedEuropean goods. Those could be sold. He tossed theremains into the Mississippi River Outof1.5 tons of recovered materials from the grave robbing, “the humanremains could fit intoashoebox,” saidEarl BarbryJr.,the historicpreservation officer for the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana. “The guy that desecratedthe graves really didn’tfind any monetary value, so he just discarded theremains.”

There aremorethan 1,700 bodies and parts of bodies that, like the Tunica-Biloxi’sancestors, were disturbed and disinterred by archaeologists, government officials and collectors in Louisiana across the19th and 20thcenturies. Many landed in the collectionsofuniversities, museums and government agencies. But over the past few decades, there hasbeen growingrecognition amongarchaeologists and the public that human remains buried by tribes should notbeartifacts or subjects of scientificstudy, and must be returnedtotheir descendants. The paradigm shift led to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.

ä See DIGNITY, page 5A

Canadian boycotts hurtingLa. tourism

NungesserasksTrump to apologizefor rhetoric

BY JOANNA BROWN |Staff writer

Every year,well over 100,000 Canadians cross the border on their way down to Louisiana to visit, eat, dance and enjoy this outpost of Francophoneculture in the United States. Many of themcomefromthe Maritime Provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, whereCajun families trace their ancestry.This fall, Ray Trahan was expectingbusloads of Maritime tourists to arrive forLe Grand Réveil Acadien, or Great AcadianAwakening, which takes place every five years and provides aweeklong deep dive intoAcadian history,culture, food, music and art

Faith, service, expertise touted in race

BY MATT BRUCE |Staff writer

Earlyvoting in Louisiana’smunicipal elections kicked off this weekend and poll workersfor oneofEast Baton Rouge Parish’shotly contested races waved campaign signs near City Hall, urging motorists along GovernmentStreet to vote fortheir chosen candidates. Four hopefuls are vying to becomethe nextjudge in the capital city-based 19thJudicialDistrict Court. Dele Adebamiji will appear on the ballot alongside fellow attorneys VernonW.Thomas, Elzie Alford Jr.and Veronica “Vicky” Jones in aspecial election. The primary will be Oct. 11, and if no candidate eclipses 50% of the votes, the top twovotegettersadvance to aNov 15 runoff. Thehopefulsare campaigning in asubdistrict that state lawmakers vastly enlarged earlier this year.After listening to hours of argumentsand testimony during aSept. 9hearing inside thedistrict courthouse, retired 1st Circuit Court of AppealsJudge Jewel Welch denied abid to revert to the old voting map for the upcoming election. The 1stCircuitaffirmed Welch’sdecisionina ruling Wednesday The winner will finish the final 13 months

LouisLambert helped draft currentstate constitution

STAFF FILE PHOTO By

BRAD BOWIE

ä See TOURISM, page 3A People danceat FestivalsAcadiens et Créoles at Girard Park in Lafayette on Oct. 15, 2022. Following President Donald Trump’stariffs and remarks about Canada becoming the 51stU.S.state, Canadians have cancelledtravel plans to the U.S. and Louisiana.

BY TYLER BRIDGES |Staff writer

Louis Lambert, whohad along and productive career in the state Senate and the Public Service Commission during the heydayofpopulist Democrats in Louisiana but whofell achingly short in the 1979 governor’srace, losing by only ahandful of votes, died Saturday,according to theRev.RodneyWood, a family friend. Lambert died in Sorrento of liver cancer at age 84 after survivingthree previous bouts of cancer “I’mafighter,” he saidweeksearlier. “I’m astrongRoman Catholic. Iput my faith in Christ.”

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Taliban frees U.S. citizen from Afghan prison

ISLAMABAD The Taliban on Sunday freed a U.S. citizen from an Afghan prison, weeks after they said they had reached an agreement with U.S. envoys on a prisoner exchange as part of an effort to normalize relations.

The deputy spokesperson for the Taliban Foreign Ministry Zia Ahmad Takal, identified the man as Amir Amiri. He did not say when Amiri was detained, why, or where.

An official with knowledge of the release said Amiri had been detained in Afghanistan since December 2024 and was on his way back to the U.S. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the details with the media.

Qatar facilitated Amiri’s release in the latest diplomatic achievement resulting from its security partnership with the U.S. that has secured the freedom of four other Americans from Taliban detention this year

The energy-rich nation on the Arabian Peninsula also helped in releasing a British couple who were imprisoned for months.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed Amiri’s release, saying it marked the administration’s determination, reinforced by President Donald Trump’s recent executive order, to protect American nationals from wrongful detention abroad

Police: Shooting in N.C. ‘highly premeditated’

SOUTHPORT, N.C. — A mass shooting that shattered the evening tranquility of a picturesque seaside town in North Carolina was a “highly premeditated” attack that left three people dead and five injured, police said Sunday. The suspect who allegedly carried out the attack on a waterfront bar was in custody Nigel Edge, 40, of Oak Island, is accused of opening fire Saturday night from a boat into a crowd gathered at the American Fish Company in Southport, a historic port town about 30 miles south of Wilmington, Police Chief Todd Coring said.

At a news conference Sunday, Coring said the location was “targeted,” but he did not elaborate.

Authorities said Edge piloted a small boat close to shore, which was lined with bars and restaurants, stopped briefly and fired. He then sped away Roughly half an hour after the shooting, a U.S. Coast Guard crew spotted a person matching the suspect’s description pulling a boat from the water at a public ramp on Oak Island. The person was detained and turned over to Southport police for questioning officials said.

Edge is charged with three counts of first-degree murder, five counts of attempted firstdegree murder and five counts of assault with a deadly weapon. He could face additional charges, Coring said.

Russian attack on Kyiv kills 4, wounds 10 KYIV, Ukraine — Russia unleashed a barrage of drones and missiles on Ukraine overnight into Sunday, killing at least four people, with Kyiv suffering the heaviest assault. This is the first major bombardment since an air attack on Ukraine’s capital left at least 21 people dead last month

Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Administration, confirmed Sunday’s casualties via Telegram and said that 10 others were wounded in the attack, which targeted civilian areas across the city A 12-year-old girl was among the dead. Thick black smoke could be seen rising from a blast near the city center Russia fired a total of 595 exploding drones and decoys and 48 missiles, Ukraine’s air force said Sunday Of those, air defenses shot down or jammed 566 drones and 45 missiles.

4 dead in church shooting, fire

Authorities say gunman rammed doors in pickup, set building ablaze

BY ISABELLA VOLMERT and COREY WILLIAMS Associated Press

GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP Mich. At least four people were killed and eight injured when a gunman in a pickup truck smashed through the doors of a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel in Michigan during a Sunday service attended by hundreds, opened fire and set the building ablaze. Police shot and killed the suspect, authorities said.

The attack occurred at about 10:25 a.m The gunman got out of the four-door pickup with two American flags in the truck and started shooting, Police Chief William Renye told reporters. He apparently used gas to start the fire and also had explosive devices but it wasn’t clear if he used them, said James Dier of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Authorities identified the shooter as Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, of the neighboring small town of Burton.

The FBI is leading the investigation and considered it an “act of targeted violence,” said Ruben Coleman, a special agent in charge for the

People gather Saturday at a reunification area at the

authorities say a gunman opened fire at The Church

Jesus

Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Mich. Officials said at least four people were killed and eight others hurt.

bureau.

Officers responding to a 911 call were at the church within 30 seconds and killed the shooter about eight minutes later, Renye said. After the suspect left the church, two officers pursued him and “engaged in gunfire,” the chief said.

Renye said people inside the church during the attack were “shielding children” and “moving them to safety.”

Flames and smoke could be seen pouring from the large church for hours before the blaze was put out. The bodies of two of the victims were found as authorities searched the debris, Renye said.

He said authorities had yet to make it though the entire church and that more victims could be found. One of the wounded people was in critical condition Sunday evening and the seven others were stable.

Renye said “some” people were unaccounted for, but he didn’t have an exact number

Michigan State Police Lt. Kim Vetter said bomb threats were made at other churches in the area after officers shot and killed Sanford. No bombs were found and police were investigating the threats.

The motive not yet clear Investigators were searching

Sanford’s residence but authorities did not say what they found or provide any additional details about him, including whether he was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church.

Sanford served in the Marines from June 2004 through June 2008, working as an automotive mechanic and vehicle recovery operator, according to military records obtained by The Detroit News. He was deployed to Iraq from August 2007 through March 2008 and had the rank of sergeant.

It was the latest of many shooting attacks on houses of worship in the U.S. over the past 20 years, including one in August that killed two children during Mass at the Church of the Annunciation in Minneapolis. It also was the second mass shooting in the U.S. in less than 24 hours. On Saturday night, a man in a boat opened fire on a crowd in Southport, North Carolina, killing three and injuring five.

President Donald Trump said in a social media post that he was briefed on the Michigan shooting and applauded the FBI for its response. Local authorities said the FBI was sending 100 agents to Grand Blanc Township, a community of roughly 40,000 people outside Flint.

“PRAY for the victims, and their families. THIS EPIDEMIC OF VIOLENCE IN OUR COUNTRY MUST END, IMMEDIATELY!” Trump wrote.

Mo. governor signs Trump-backed redistricting plan

Map aims to help win another Republican U.S. House seat

BY DAVID A. LIEB Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri Gov Mike Kehoe signed a new U.S. House map into law Sunday as part of President Donald Trump’s plan to try to hold on to a narrow Republican majority in next year’s congressional election.

Kehoe’s signature puts the revised districts into state law with a goal of helping Republicans win one additional seat. But it may not be the final action. Opponents are pursuing a referendum petition that, if successful, would force a statewide vote on the new map.

They also have brought several lawsuits against it. U.S. House districts were redrawn across the country after the 2020 census to account for population changes. But Missouri is the third state this year to try to redraw its districts for partisan advantage, a process known as gerrymandering.

Republican lawmakers in Texas passed a new U.S. House map last month aimed at helping their party win five additional seats. Democratic lawmakers in California countered with their own redistricting plan aimed at winning five more seats, though it still needs voter approval Other states also are considering redistricting. Each seat could be critical, because Democrats need to gain just three seats to win control of the House, which would allow them

Netanyahu: Israel, U.S. working on ceasefire plan

Gaza death toll tops 66,000

BY SAMY MAGDY, MELANIE LIDMAN and GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO Associated Press

TELAVIV,Israel — On the eve of meeting with President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel is working on a new ceasefire plan with the White House, but details are still being sorted out Netanyahu has come under heavy international pressure to end the war, especially during the ongoing offensive in Gaza City The death toll in the Israel-Hamas war has topped 66,000 Palestinians, Gaza’s Health Ministry said Sunday In Monday’s White House meeting, Trump is expected to share a new proposal for ending the conflict

“We’re working on it,” Netanyahu told Fox News Sunday’s “The Sunday Briefing.” “It’s not been finalized yet, but we’re working with President Trump’s team, actually as we speak, and I hope we can — we can make it a go.”

Arab officials briefed on the plan say the 21-point proposal calls for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages held by Hamas within 48 hours and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the proposal has not been formally announced.

Netanyahu has vowed to continue fighting until Hamas, whose Oct. 7, 2023, at-

to obstruct Trump’s agenda and launch investigations into him.

Trump is trying to stave off a historic trend in which the president’s party typically loses seats in midterm elections. Republicans currently hold six of Missouri’s eight U.S. House seats The new map targets a seat held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver by shaving off portions of his Kansas City district and stretching the rest of it into Republican-heavy rural areas. It reduces the number of Black and minority residents in Cleaver’s district, which he has represented for two decades after serving as Kansas City’s first Black mayor Cleaver has denounced the redistricting plan for using Kansas City’s Troost Avenue — a street that has long segregated Black and White residents as one of the di-

tack triggered the war, is destroyed But he repeated an offer to allow Hamas operatives to leave Gaza as part of a deal ending the conflict

“If they finish the war, release all the hostages, we let them out,” he said.

Trump has so far stood behind Israel. But the U.S. leader has shown signs of impatience lately, particularly after Israel struck the headquarters of Hamas’ political leadership in Doha Qatar earlier this month. Ceasefire talks have stalled since, despite growing international and domestic protests.

Key Western allies have joined a list of countries recognizing a Palestinian state over Israeli objections The European Union is considering sanctions and there are growing moves for a sports and cultural boycott against Israel.

A defiant Netanyahu told fellow world leaders Friday at the U.N. General Assembly that his nation “must finish the job” against Hamas in Gaza, where 48 hostages are still held captive, around 20 of them believed by Israel to be alive.

Trump’s ceasefire proposal would include the release of all hostages within 48 hours and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Palestinian enclave, according to three Arab officials briefed on the plan. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing talks, said the proposal is not final and changes are highly likely

viding lines for the new districts. Kehoe has defended the new map as a means of boosting Missouri’s “conservative, common-sense values” in the nation’s capital.

“Missourians are more alike than we are different, and our values, across both sides of the aisle, are closer to each other than those of the congressional representation of states like New York, California, and Illinois. We believe this map best represents Missourians, and I appreciate the support and efforts of state legislators, our congressional delegation, and President Trump in getting this map to my desk,” Kehoe said in a statement. Kehoe signed the new law during an event that was closed to the public.

Opponents are gathering petition signatures seeking to force a statewide referendum on the new map.

From 1972 to 2004,except for two years, Lambert served in either the Senateor on the Public Service Commission, and he served as one of the delegates who in 1973 drafted the currentstate constitution. Lambert became ahousehold figure in Louisiana during the 1979 governor’s race, coming up short in arace won by David Treen, aRepublican.

Yearslater, Lambert described the narrow defeatas “traumatic.”

“I owned aFord tractor,” he said. “For acouple of months, Ibush hogged to get it out of my head. Ihad abig pasture in Prairieville.”

Lambert wanted to run for governor again, but his path was blocked in the three succeeding elections by the presence of the preeminent populist Democrat of his era: four-term Gov.Edwin Edwards.

“(Lambert) was aman of conviction,” said Marty Chabert, Lambert’sseatmate in the state Senate who also servedwith him on the LSU Board of Supervisors. “He worried about everybill, and he worried about his people.”

Starting outasa page

Lambert grew up in Sorrento in Ascension Parish. His father ran afive-anddime cornerstore,allowing customers who couldn’tpay the full amount at the timeof purchase to settle up at the end of the month when they received their paychecksor welfare checks.

Lambert had the best grades in his high school civics class and was rewarded by becoming apage

TOURISM

Continued from page1A

Thefree event, happening Oct. 11-18 in locations around Acadiana, has the feel of afamily reunion. Reunions for various Landrys, Breauxs, Heberts, Guidrys and other Cajun families are planned for thatweek, which is happening concurrently with Festivals Acadiens et Créoles in Lafayette from Oct.10-12.

Cajuns and Acadians for decades have gathered to experience andcelebrate their shared culture, and these events are specially designed to highlight those connections. But this year, U.S. tariff policies and PresidentDonald Trump’s rhetoric —early this year, Trump suggestedthat Canada should become the51st state —have led to achange of plans for some Canadian travelers.

Anumber of Canadians appear to be boycotting U.S. travel entirely—and according to Lt. Gov Billy Nungesser’s office, Canada representsLouisiana’s largest international tourismmarket.In2024, Canadians spent nearly$194 million visiting Louisiana.

at theState Capitol for three weeks.Herode aGreyhound bus to and from Baton Rouge each day

Lambert enjoyedthe work and political atmosphere so much that he wrotehis congressman to askfor an appointment as apage inCongress. When the call came, Lambert was told he had to be in Washington, D.C., the next day.

His parents hurriedly bought him asuit or two in Geismar and took him to the airport for his first plane ride. In Washington, Lambert lived in adormlikesetting with theother pageswhile theycompleted their high school studies. Then-Sen JohnF.Kennedy wasthe commencementspeaker at his 1958 graduation. ThenVice President Richard Nixon handed outthe diplomas. Lambert remainedfor a timeinWashington witha job provided by then-Sen. Allen Ellender,ofLouisiana He operated asenators-only elevator at the Capitol. On his first day, though, stillgetting the hang of the old-fashioned equipment,heaccidentally closedthe door on Ellender “It scared him, but it scared me more than him,” Lambert remembered Back home, Lambert attended LSU and was acceptedintothe university’s lawschool. But he couldn’t afford to go.Instead,he taught school and drove a bus while he attendedLoyola Law School in NewOrleans at night.

Awildelection

While working as an attorney in Ascension Parish, Lambert was elected to the stateSenatein1972, as adelegate to theconstitutional convention ayear later and to the Public Service Com-

“Canadians love to come visitus. Theyrealizewe’re related, they’re surprised that we’ve kept our French culture alive, andthey love to gobackand talk about it. What’s going on right now will never stop that. But I think it’s going to be alittle while beforethese tour companies are able to find 40 to 50peopletoget on a bus and come down. I’mnot apolitical guy —but Ican understand how they feel.”

Le Grand Réveil will takeplaceas sc heduled nex t month, as will Festivals Acadiens et Créoles, just without many of the Canadian cultural and governmentalorganizations that have traditionally participated. Pat Mould,program directorfor Festivals Acadiens, saidthat L’AcadieNew Brunswick, an Acadian and Francophone advocacy group that regularly participates, is not coming this year

“I had atour operator from New Brunswick call me and say he didn’t even have enough for half abus,” said Trahan. “The bus fromNovaScotia canceled. As of right now,I’m not sureif we have any dignitaries coming.”

mission in 1974. Over the next severalyears, Lambert made aname opposing rate increases proposed by electricity companies and by raising concernsabout the safetyofnuclear power

In 1979, Lambert ranfor governor,attempting to achieve the same feat as Huey Long, JimmieDavis and John McKeithen, who hadused the PSCasa launching padfor theGovernor’s Mansion.

Lambert joineda competitivefield seeking to replace the popularEdwards, who was completing his secondterm as governorand couldn’trun for reelection.

Besides Lambert, the majorDemocrats were: Lt. Gov JimmyFitzmorris,Secretary of State Paul Hardy,Speaker of the HouseBubba Henry and state Sen. EdgarMouton of Lafayette. Treen, amember of Congress, was leading aRepublican Party effort trying to reverse decades of Democratic control.

Lambert, 38, was an energetic candidate,flying around the state on asmall plane owned by afriend, shaking hands andgiving stump speeches at every

president’sremarks, which Nungesser also experienced first-hand during a promotionaltourinCanada this month. The lieutenant governor recently met with tourism partners fromToronto to Quebec, and spoke franklyabout what he heard from his Canadiancounterparts.

“What really shocked me is that no one Imet with is sending peopletoAmerica. The airlines arepulling theiradvertising. The bloggers aren’t talking aboutit. The travel agents aren’t booking folks.” Nungessersaid, “People werevery courteous. Nobody was nasty. But at dinners withthe agentsand tour operators, they said, ‘Welove Louisiana. But we’renot coming back until that guy’sout of office or he apologizes.’”

stop.

On election night, complete but unofficial returns showed thatTreen led with 21.6%ofthe vote,followed by Fitzmorris with20.6% and Lambert20.5%.Only1,149 votes separated thelatter twomen out of 1.36 million votes cast

Three days later,after thevoting machines had been opened foramoreexact tally,the official returns showed that Lambert had edged pastFitzmorris by 2,500 votes and was slated to face Treen in the runoffsix weeks later.Fitzmorrissued to overturn the result, saying voting irregularities had put Lambert in second place. But athree-day trialaffirmed the vote.

Lambert returned to the campaign trail, but Treen won asqueaker by 8,500 votesand became thefirst Republican governor since thepost-Civil WarReconstructionEra Later,Lambert blamed his defeat on two factors. One was that Fitzmorris, Hardy, Henry and Mouton all endorsed Treen —and went on to get high-profile jobsinthe Treen administration,Lam-

inErath, where Perrinisaccustomedtowelcomingvisitors fromall over theworld. He also regularly works with tour operators in the Maritimes, andsaid that onerecentcallwith aguide in Nova Scotia exposed the emotions of the moment “He’sbrought many tourists to Louisiana and France, and thought he’d have no trouble getting agroup for Festivals Acadiens and Le Grand Réveil —but no takers,” Perrin said. “Healmost started crying on the phone

bert noted.

LouisLambert, running for Louisiana governor in 1979, speaksto constituents in Lafayette. The longtime political figure in the state died Saturday at age84.

He also noted that Edwards said his wife,Elaine, planned to vote for Treen,and while the outgoing governor gave an endorsement for Lambert,itwas so tepidthat Lambert’smedia consultant, Roy Fletcher,saidtheyhad to patch together Edwards’ comments to produce acampaign ad.

Lambert later said Edwards also worked quietly behind the scenes to boost Treen.

“Everyone in politics knew he was trying to get Treen in so he could run against him four years later,” Lambert said.

Edwards crushed Treen in 1983, quipping during the race that the only way he could lose was if he was caughtinbed with adeadgirl or alive boy DecadesinLa. government

Lambert returned to practicing law and serving on the PSC. Completing 18 years in office, he didn’trun forreelection in 1992.

“He was apioneer on oversight of utility companies,” Fletcher said. “Truly, he madeadifference on the

with me. He said, ‘Canadians look at America like the Statue of Liberty —abeautifulwoman, representing everything good.Now it’s a monster, athreat to us. And that’ssad.’” Trumpmay not followinQueen Elizabeth’sfootsteps with aformal apology,but Nungessersaidhe’sworking to smooth things over regardless, because Canadiantourismdollars areimportant for Louisiana cities.

“It’svery tough for politicians to admit when they’re

“They usually come. They haven’t indicated areason for not coming now, butit’sreally odd,” said Mould. “A bunch of mayors thatwere supposed tocomealsokind of canceled at the last minute.

“Now that Ithink aboutit, Iusually get emails from Canadian tourists. And I’ve gottena lotof emails thisyear from all over the country,but I’m not receiving any from Canada.”

Trahan and Mould believe this is thefallout from the

Nungessercalled on Trump to do just that as he wrapped up thetrip, telling news outlets, “Itwould be really nice if thepresident could issue an apology about the 51st state “I think this is going to get worse before it getsbetter,” Nungesser said. “Weran the numbers right beforethe trip, and travel from Canada is down 15 to 20% so far.”

Historian and Acadian activist Warren Perrinknows alittle something about asking for apologies.For years he petitioned Queen Elizabeth II to sign aproclamation apologizing for the mass Acadiandeportation, which shedid in 2003. Perrin has served as president of CODOFIL, which supportsFrench language education in thestate, andhe runs theAcadian Museum

According to Trahan,

PSC with this fight.” Diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1992, Lambert ironically turned to Edwards to give him astate job with health benefits. Edwards gave him ajob in the Governor’sOfficeofIndianAffairs. In 1994, Lambert was elected again to the state Senate and served until 2004, when he resignedtobe appointedbythen-Gov.Mike Fostertothe LSUBoardof Supervisors, aplum perk. “Louis wasa team player forthe Foster administration,” said JayDardenne, then aRepublican senator from Baton Rouge. Lambert servedasthe Senate pro tem —aprestigious but ceremonial position —during Foster’ssecond term. Lambert would later say his proudest accomplishmentasasenator was sponsoring legislation to create theRiverParishesCommunity College.

He ran afinal campaign in 2008 when he lost arace to be district attorney of Ascension, Assumption and St. James parishes. Lambert was inducted into theLouisiana Political Hall of Fame with six others in 2024.

State Sen. Eddie Lambert, R-Prairieville,and Lambert were first cousins; their fathers werebrothers.

Lambert leaves behind his wife, Mary,and three children, Jessica, Michael and John.

Funeral plans are incomplete.

Looking back,Lambert said he relished his political career despite the bumps and bruises he received along the way

“Politics is aroughbusiness,” he said. “You have to be able to takepunchesand land afew.”

wrong,” he said. “The worst thing thathappens to leaders, whether they’re agovernor or president, is that no one tells them when they’ve madeamistake, because youmight need them to do something foryou next week. That’sbad.

“So asking the president to make an apology,Ithink that’sthe right thing to ask Canadians stay longer,they spend more money,they go to threeorfourcities. It probably won’twork, but I feel in my heart I’mgoing to do everything physically possibletotry to heal those relations.”

of former ChiefJudge Wilson Fields’ term. Fields vacated his seat in February to join the 1st Circuit bench.

The East Baton Rouge district court he left behind is on the precipice of what could be amajor overhaul. All 15 judges on the benchwill be up forreelection next year, meaning they must mount campaigns to retain their seats unless they facenoopposition. Four of the judges will be over the age of 70, meaning they’re restricted from seeking another term unless Louisianavoters approve aconstitutional amendmentinApril that proposes to raise the statemandated retirement age for judges to 75.

District judges playcrucial roles as conductors in the criminal court system, settingand denying bails, approving plea agreements and doling out sentences for defendants. They also set the pace,inmanyways, forhow casesproceed.AnAdvocate analysisofhundreds of cases over the past seven years showed it takes an average of three years to resolve murder and manslaughter cases in the district, arate slower than nearly every other Louisiana trial court and lengthier than many cities nationwide grappling withhighhomicide numbers.

The 19th Judicial District Court is ageneral jurisdiction court, which means judges canalsobetasked with handling civil cases and probate matters in addition to criminal dockets. Here is acloser look at what each of the candidates have learned on the campaign trail and what they intend to bring to the bench.

Faith, community Adebamiji, 67, touts acommunity-orientedapproach that leans heavily on his deep ties to East Baton Rouge. The Nigerian native immigrated to Baton Rouge more than 40 years ago and has spent the past 32 years building his legal career in Louisiana. But he said his familiarity with the parish is just as critical as his legal acumen in making him agood judge.

“I think it’sextremely important because you get to feel the pulse of the community,” Adebamiji said. “You get to know wherethe community is hurting because there are too many violent crimes.”

Adebamiji has mounted several runs for judge. His most recent came in 2022 when he lost to District JudgeGailHorne Rayinanotherprimary that featured four candidates. Each time he’srun for office, Adebamiji said, his driving force has been community support.

He spent 101/2 years coaching youth soccer leagues and has played arole in mentoring his former players. He plans to continue that outreach as ajudge, encouraging youth to pursue education and equip themselves with skills and trades.

“It allows me to be able to know people who are real

criminals and people that I knoware just following the wrongcrowd,”hesaidofhis approach.

Whiledevotion to village maybehis lead message, it’sfaith that serves as Adebamiji’sguiding force. He said that as an ordained reverend,hereliesonfaith to be his rudder.

“I just believethatanythingyou’re doing, you shoulddoitlike you’re doing it for God,” he said. “It will allow me to be impartial when Ihaveacase. Anditwill allow me to better use my discretion forthe benefitofthe people

“Follow what the law says, too, and whendiscretion comes, use it in the right way.”

The Louisiana Supreme Courtpublicly reprimanded Adebamiji in 2013, ruling he failedto obey acourtorder to appearin abankruptcy case andchiding him fortrying to practice in Tennessee withoutbeing properly licensedasanattorneyinthat state, according to aconsent decree. The Supreme Court ordered Adebamiji to attend afull dayof ethicstraining.

“I didn’tsteal anyone’s money or anything like that. It was an issue that came up and Iowned up to it,” he said. All-around approach Thomas, 44, comes from a prestigious pedigree. More than 30 of hisfamily members are Southern Universitygraduates and three of them were named to the school’s hall offame.

He is trying to add to that legacy by becoming the parish’snextjudge. The New Orleans native began his legalcareer after graduating from Southern law school. He preaches amantra of service, awareness and compassion.

“I think people want to know that their judges are present,” Thomassaid.

“After youget elected, that you’re still coming into the community speakingtopeople and people can see you. They can put their hands on you. And they want to know that you’re at least giving them avoice before you make your decisions.”

On thecampaign trail, Thomaspromotesa “360-degree perspective on justice,” telling voters he’s prosecuted cases both in themilitary and civilianworld. He’s worked forthe public defender’soffice and handled

civil cases. Thomas has also been astaff attorney for two different district judges, which he saysgave him a behind-the-scenes look at thejudicial interplay among different agencies of the court.

In October 2008, Thomas was stabbedfourtimes during aroad rage incident in downtown BatonRouge and had to be hospitalized three days withinjuries that hadthe potential to be lifethreatening.

“The 360-degree perspectiveallows me to see everything from everyone’spoint of view,”hesaid.“Because I’vebeen where theprosecutorsand defense counselsits. Because I’ve been a survivor,because I’ve been astaff attorney and worked closely with two judges.

“I’veseenitall,I canempathizewitheverybody’s position. Atotal both professional, scholastic andhuman experience that is unique.”

Thomas was publicly reprimanded by the state SupremeCourtin2023 for mishandling his client trust account. Justices ordered Thomas to take aclass at theLouisiana State Bar Association’sTrust Accounting School.

Thomas said it was an accounting blunder that he reported to the Louisiana Bar as soon as he realized what happened.Thomas saidhewrote acheck from theaccount and had forgotten about it by the time thepayee cashed it months later,causing an overdraft to theaccount. He now talks openly about the experience at training conferences and uses the error as alesson for young attorneys.

“Essentially,itwas anegligenceissue.I did it to myself,”hesaid. “I hold myself accountable first. Ihave compassion for people because when Iholdmyself to that higherstandard, Iwould expect the same grace from somebody else.”

Modelfor success

Alford, 50, envisions ajudicial system that’s“responsive to the people”and addresses their concerns.

He, too, is running for public office for the first time. But he said he’snostranger to courthouse operations. Alfordspent years overseeing day-to-day operations at theBaton Rouge City Courthouse as judicial administratorand cityclerkofcourt.

He’salso worked as astaff attorney for multiple judges and said it gave him insights to increaseefficiency and managing his docket.Alford will rely on those trade secrets to manage his docket and keep cases from becoming backlogged, he said.

“We’re elected by the people to do ajob and we have to perform,” he said.

One of Alford’smissions is to make attorneysonall sides feel like theycan be treated fairly in presenting their cases

“What most people are wanting is afairjustice system that’s goingtobeaccountable to the people,” he said. “As afuture judge, I have to understand thatthis is the people’sjustice system and we have to be accountable to them and meet the needs of the community.”

One of the ways Alford hopes to address Baton Rouge crimeisbystarting a specialty court that focuses on mental health. Thecourt would usegrant funding and be staffed by stakeholders from the district attorney and public defenders’ offices, law enforcement, probation officers and the mentalhealth community.Defendants who qualify would undergo counseling to treat theirmental health issues and the program would relyheavily on

sponsors whowould work with participants to provide continuedcare andsupport well after they’ve completed the court’smandates.

“You’ll find —especially fora lotofyour nonviolent crimes —that mental health is akey factor in allofthem,” Alford said. “Being ajudge and serving the people is my passion. It’swhat I’ve done throughout my whole career I’ve always said that if we have ajudicial system that’s responsive to the people, thenwewill have ajudicial systemthat’ssupported by the people.”

Restoringtrust in thecourt

After one of her uncles was severely injuredina bad crash, Jones would drive him and her grandmother to legal appointments at his attorney’slaw firm.

Then ateenager,she witnessedthe attorneys maneuverher uncle’s caseand even got to sit in on some of the inchamber meetings to see the judge in action up close.

Jones, 58, traces her love forthe lawback to that exposure, stokingafire that’s sustained her nearly 35-year career.

“That showed me howimportant an attorney is in your life,” she said. “Then when I met thejudge andsaw how the case concluded, it made

me realize whata big impact ajudge’sruling can have on the whole family.Although my uncle was the only plaintiff,his case affected our whole family.”

Jones, nowinthe throes of herbid to become ajudge, wants to restore some of the public’strust in the justice system. She’sbeen disheartened by some of the concerns she’sheardwhile canvassing communities. Voters say they’re not treated fairly, are frustrated by judges they say are incompetent and feel like they don’tunderstand what’sgoing on when they cometocourt.

Jones said she wants to explain to litigantsinthe courtroom what’sgoing on as proceedings play out in real time to make them feel includedinthe process.

“I want to tell people when we take arecess, this is what we’re taking abreak to do. I’ll be talking to attorneys in the back and then I’ll come back to the bench,” she said. “So they’renot just sitting in acourtroom and feel like,‘OK,the judge went to lunchand just left me sitting here.’

Oneofthe other ways Jones plans to build trust, if she’s elected,isbytrying to convince her colleagues on the bench to establish an advisory council. She and a panel of other judges would meet with acoalition of community leaders quarterly or bimonthly to address the public’sconcerns about the court, getting feedback about changes they could consider.Jones sees it as a way to keep judicial officials connected with the community,foster transparency bolster accessibility and educate the generalpublic. “Havingsounddecisions, setting appropriate bails, considering mental health issues, working to try to rehabilitate people rather than just punish them,” Jones said. “Those arethe things that Ithink will help rebuild thepublic’s faithinthe judicial system. Theywanttosee consistency,they want to see fairness andIbelieve Ican bring all of that.”

There is this belief among some archaeologists in the past, especially, that was like, ‘It was a property law,’ ” said Karla Oesch, collections manager at the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism. “But tribal members think of it like a human rights law When you’re excavating these materials, it’s not items. That’s an individual.”

In 1990, Congress passed NAGPRA, thanks in no small part to the Tunica-Biloxi, who in the 1980s fought in Louisiana courts for the possession of the “grave goods” dug up in West Feliciana.

Their legal victory provided precedent for the sweeping law, which formally protected remains and funerary objects of Indigenous peoples and mandated institutions return them to lineal descendants and tribes.

But nearly 35 years into NAGPRA — a process at one time expected to take only 10 years — repatriation is far from complete and riddled with inefficiencies.

Hundreds of skeletons and fragments of skeletons dug up in Louisiana remain in the stewardship of universities, museums and other agencies as limited funding, confusion over the law and at times reluctance to relinquish remains all slow progress.

Even measuring the law’s success has proved imperfect. Several institutions with Louisiana remains said the federal databases meant to keep track of their holdings don’t accurately reflect their status. For many tribes, completion of NAGPRA is a matter of urgency Repatriation is one step toward restoration of the dignity that was defiled.

“It’s a sorrow in that it was taken out of the ground,” Barbry said, “but relief that

it’s come back to be housed here and taken care of and honored.”

‘Knocking over the crosses’ Under NAGPRA, human remains encompass everything from a single tooth to an entire skeleton, as well as preserved soft tissues. Lineal descendants, Indigenous nations and Native Hawaiian organizations are entitled to request the remains.

Though human remains are a major focus of NAGPRA, the law also mandates the return of certain cultural objects that have been excavated, such as funerary items tied to a tribe’s death rites. Around 17% of these have not been made eligible for return, according to national NAGPRA data.

“I was a guide in a museum for years,” Barbry said.

“I would explain to school groups, the equivalent would be someone running into, if you’re Catholic, a Catholic cemetery, knocking over the crosses, popping open the caskets and just taking the jewelry, the clothing, whatever mementos buried with your relatives, and coming back, putting it on the shelf for the public to view.”

Longer than estimated

In early discussions around NAGPRA, the Congressional Budget Office estimated how long it might take for the country’s institutions to repatriate the remains of tribal ancestors and cultural items.

Maybe 10 years, they thought, according to a Senate Committee of Indian Affairs oversight hearing in February 2022.

Instead, nearly 35 years have elapsed, and around 42% of the remains identified are still pending, per the most recent data released by the National Park Service.

While large and well-funded institutions regularly employ NAGPRA coordinators, smaller organizations — as well as those who do not prioritize repatriation efforts may not. That leaves existing employees, who often have other job responsibilities, stretched thin

ing can be found in northeast Louisiana, where one station archaeologist is responsible for NAGPRA for both the University of Louisiana at Monroe and the Poverty Point World Heritage Site. According to National Park Service inventories, remains representing at least 125 people from Louisiana are held between the two collections.

“I suppose that having a dedicated person would be great, but the finances are just not there,” Greenlee said.

A misleading picture

Further complicating NAGPRA is out-of-date federal data, those familiar with the law said.

Several institutions contacted for this story said the federal database does not accurately reflect how many remains they still hold and what efforts they’ve made to return them.

According to National Park Service inventories, the Yale Peabody Museum in New Haven, Connecticut, holds remains from Louisiana representing at least 110 people.

But a Yale spokesperson said that number is wrong.

“While previous NAGPRA reports and databases indicate that the Peabody has over 100 ancestors from Louisiana within its care, these numbers are incorrect due to an error made in the 1970s,” a statement from the museum said. “The museum has one third of that within its stewardship.”

The same apparent inconsistencies with NAGPRA numbers exist in Louisiana institutions.

The federal inventories show the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism has remains of at least 20 people in its stewardship. Oesch said the true number is closer to 130.

lections. “We’ve consulted on all of this material.”

The National Park Service, which oversees NAGPRA, declined an interview. In response to an email asking about the discrepancies between institutional and federal tallies, the public affairs office said the numbers are updated “in real time” as institutions report new data.

Bittersweet homecoming

On a recent morning in September, Barbry passed shelves of repatriated tribal objects in a walk-in cold storage vault, kept at a safe and dehumidified 65 degrees.

The items, some predating the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas, show the tribe’s educational approach as they continue to receive repatriated materials. Visitors to the Tunica-Biloxi Cultural and Educational Resources Center can view through panes of glass the rows of delicate pottery and tools, even gun barrels, sitting inside the storage room.

“At the time, there was some discussion of how to best preserve and respect the artifacts,” Barbry said. “In some cases, it was like, do we reinter? Or do you hold out to educate?”

“The idea of, first of all, going through an entire facility’s worth of stuff, was very daunting,” Oesch said.

“For some places it’s a lack of priority and also a lack of funding for it.”

Two cases of lack of fund-

Diana Greenlee handles repatriation for both institutions, despite not receiving dedicated funding toward NAGPRA, she said. She works with a volunteer bioarchaeologist to try to determine the origin of the remains, which were mostly obtained in the 1970s, and consult with tribes about return.

She said changes to NAGPRA that took effect in 2024, which imposed stricter deadlines, eliminated the “culturally unidentifiable” category for human remains and required greater reliance on tribal knowledge in the repatriation process. That means the databases will need time to “catch up” with shifting numbers.

“2024 is what really closed that loophole of being able to say stuff was culturally unidentifiable, which is why now we have to give an affiliation to this stuff, which has to come after the consultation,” Oesch said about the department’s current col-

The Tunica-Biloxi set their sights on improving awareness of the issue of grave desecration, as well as promoting their tribal history They operate a museum and hold school tours, bringing kids behind the scenes of their state-of-theart preservation lab that processes the objects of the West Feliciana grave site. They monitor the Federal Register for any notices about new remains or artifacts discovered in the collections of museums and universities. They choose to rebury their human remains in a private ceremony, laying the ancestors to rest without further disturbance. Email Haley Miller at haley.miller@theadvocate. com.

Church closing in on last year of project

Our Lady of Wisdom taking shape on UL’s campus

BY ASHLEY WHITE Staff writer

Anyone driving or walking through the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s campus on East St Mary Street can see the progress that’s been made on the new building for Our Lady of Wisdom Catholic Church.

Ground broke on the church, being built across the street from its current location, in November At the end of July, crews started constructing the steel framework for the building. That framework is nearly done and the church is planning to celebrate with a topping-out ceremony when the last steel beam is placed, on Oct. 6 Watching the process has been exciting for the Rev Patrick Broussard, the church’s chaplain and pastor. He studied civil engineering before entering the priesthood and worshipped in Our Lady of Wisdom while a UL student.

“I’m thrilled about everything. Every new piece of steel they place shows another aspect of the shape and size,” he said. “I walk across the street at least once a day, usually more than that, to see what progress they’ve made. It’s fascinating to me.”

Once the last steel beam is placed, construction will be in the homestretch. The church will celebrate the laying of the cornerstone the week of Thanksgiving. Construction is set to be complete in about a year The old church will need to be deconsecrated and the new building will need to be dedicated, which will likely happen between November 2026 and January 2027.

Being so close to moving into the new church is “surreal” for Mary Hernandez, Our Lady of Wisdom’s executive director of advancement.

“We’ve been at this since 2015,” she said. “There have definitely been some moments in the campaign where we thought, ‘Well, it’ll never happen.’

“When the steel came up, I was like, ‘This is amazing.’ You really get to see it take shape.”

The new church was designed with the ministry in mind, Hernandez said. It will be able to fit about 600 people. The current church seats about 200.

It’ll have a smaller adoration chapel that’ll be open 24 hours a day to registered adorners. A lecture hall will be able to seat about 130 people and can be used by teachers or visiting speakers. A library will house faith-inspired literature of all disciplines. The space will also have four dedicated Bible study rooms and three flex rooms.

A grand hall will be the centerpiece for conferences, wedding receptions and speakers who draw large crowds The church will also have its cafe, where students and staff meet in a less formal setting to study or relax.

The larger facility means students will have more space to propose new programming or outreach events, Broussard said.

“There are times when students say, ‘Father, we should do this,’ or ‘Can we do this?’” he said. “I have to say, ‘We don’t have the space.’ (The new building) means we’ll be able to give them a little more free rein with the creative things they want to do.”

Moving into the new church will be a bittersweet moment for the Our Lady of Wisdom community, Hernandez said. The current building was constructed in 1942 and has been a pillar for many students. But the church needs a large space to accommodate its growing population

“(Students) just can’t wait. It’s really precious to see them be as excited as we are,” she said. “For our seniors, they’re bummed because they’re like, ‘I was hoping I could get in before I graduate. But I’m so glad the students after us will have it.’”

While construction is in the homestretch, so too is the church’s capital campaign to raise funds for the new building. The budget for the new facility, including design, construction and furnishings, is $35 million. About $29.5 million has been raised so far

“We are so blessed. People are so excited about this and it’s been phenomenal,” Hernandez said “We’re inviting everyone to chip in, to give what they can and meet with us about all the ways they can support the project.”

To follow along with the construction project or learn more about donating to the capital campaign, visit ourladyofwisdom.org.

Racket-ready

‘I

Cahow, left, hits with his forehand while playing tennis with Alton Passman at City Park on Friday.

have great trust in God’

James Checchio named next archbishop of New Orleans

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

The bishop from New Jersey began his first day in New Orleans

the day he would be introduced as the city’s archbishop in waiting with an early morning stroll to church

Just a few blocks from the Archdiocese of New Orleans headquarters on Walmsley Avenue, the Rev Patrick Carr was holding his 7 a.m. Wednesday Mass at St. Rita Catholic Church.

The Most Rev James Checchio, who had arrived in the city only the day before from Metuchen, New Jersey poked his head in.

“I was so pleased to see so many people,” said Checchio. “Different ages and diverse backgrounds, people dressed in suits going to work young people.”

It was Checchio’s first stop during a whirlwind visit to his new home. By the end of the day, he had been introduced to New Orleans as the newly named coadjutor archbishop in a ceremony at Notre Dame Seminary He had toured St. Catherine of Siena in Metairie and posed for a picture with hundreds of smiling schoolchildren He had walked the halls of St. Augustine High School He met with a survivor of clergy sexual abuse, held a prayer service for area priests, and then, at day’s end, stopped into Ye Olde College Inn for dinner

Those who know Checchio, 59, the New Jersey native named by Pope Leo XIV to succeed Archbishop Gregory Aymond when he retires in the coming months, say that kind of hands-on, high-energy approach is what New Orleans’ Roman Catholics can expect from their new leader

“You will see him everywhere,” said Justin Fleetwood, president of Holy Cross School in Gentilly, who spent several years at a school in the Diocese of Metuchen, where Checchio has spent the past decade as bishop.

“He did every graduation he prided himself on getting to know all the priests, deacons and other brothers and nuns.”

In his new position, Checchio will need that energy He takes over a local church that has been beset by the longrunning clergy abuse crisis.

There’s the bankruptcy case that scandal spawned, which is expected to cost the church more than $200 million and that Aymond hopes to resolve before handing over the reins. There are aging parishes with century-old churches and dwindling funds for upkeep, a needed renovation of St Louis Cathedral, and the public and civic duties — along with the religious ones — required of an archbishop in a city like New Orleans, where religion remains ingrained in the culture.

There are also, of course, some

The Most Rev. James F Checchio gives a thumbs-up when asked if he’d be willing to become a New Orleans Saints fan during his introduction as the next archbishop of New Orleans on Wednesday.

parishes that are growing, thousands of Catholic schoolchildren to educate and holidays and feast days to celebrate across the nation’s second-oldest diocese, with its 500,000 faithful and 104 parishes.

In an interview Wednesday Checchio was remarkably candid about the task ahead of him, and how difficult it has been to process the sudden turn his vocation has taken. He learned of his appointment less than two weeks ago.

“My first thought was of what I’d be leaving, everything I love,” he said. “So was I happy? No.”

“But I am pleased to come,” he added. “And I know it is going to be fine. Something new is tough. But I have great trust in God. And the people here are wonderful.”

An experienced leader

A firm date hasn’t been set for when Checchio will take over from Aymond, who was born and raised in New Orleans before returning to the city as its archbishop.

Like most of the New Orleans archbishops from the past century who were not from New Orleans, Checchio will bring an outsider’s perspective to the job. He’ll also bring extensive academic and professional credentials He has an MBA from LaSalle University and a doctorate in canon law from St. Thomas Aquinas University in Rome. He spent a decade running the Pontifical North American College in Rome, a prestigious seminary, and served as the bishop of Metuchen, a prosperous bedroom community 30 miles south of New York City, for the past nine years.

Those who know him say his experience will serve him well. He is a skilled administrator and masterful fundraiser, said the Rev Patrick Broussard, chaplain at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, who was a student at the North American College in Rome when Checchio was rector

“He is also humble, likable and personable,” Broussard said. “He sort of has it all.”

He’s an early riser and tries to walk 3 miles every morning. In his spare time, he likes to read and watch sports on TV In New

Jersey, he would unwind on visits to the Jersey Shore with his family. In his remarks last week, Checchio made football jokes, referring to his time several years ago as chaplain of the Philadelphia Eagles and holding up a Saints football signed by the team that was given to him by Gayle Benson. He also vowed to work to grow the local church and asked for the prayers of his new community

“I pledge to you, the church of New Orleans, my love and my daily prayers as we labor together to build up this historical portion of the people of God,” he said.

‘I grew to love it’

Checchio was born in Camden, New Jersey, in 1966 and grew up in a nearby suburb with two older sisters and a younger brother He went to the parish grammar school, where his mom volunteered in the cafeteria. His dad was a stockbroker who helped out with the parish Men’s Club.

“Anything they were doing at the parish hall, getting the tables out, setting the chairs up, we’d be on the cleanup crew, you know, us kids,” Checchio said in the interview last week. “It was just part of, part of what you did, you know?”

Checchio was a good student at Paul VI High School, the private, coed high school he attended in nearby Haddonfield. He discerned his vocation in college, while a student at the University of Scranton, and said his parents were supportive. His mom’s sister was a cloistered nun in upstate New York and he had a cousin in the priesthood.

He was ordained in 1992 and spent several years studying in Rome, returning to his hometown Diocese of Camden to work as a parish priest and, later, administrator In the early 2000s, he was again sent to Rome and, after just two years, was promoted to the prestigious position of rector of the North American College. He loved it, he says, but was grateful in 2016 when Pope Francis granted his request to return home. He thought he’d be going back to Camden near his mother, now 88, and siblings, and had

a nice sabbatical all planned out. Instead, he was appointed to be the new bishop of Metuchen, about 75 miles away “I grew to love it,” he said. “After so many years in Rome, my mom felt like I was in her backyard. I’d be able to go home on Sundays for dinner and drive back in the next morning.”

Then, on Sept. 17, Checchio got a call. He was being reassigned and would be leaving New Jersey to become the new archbishop in New Orleans. He said he was stunned and does not know how he was chosen for the position. Confronting clergy abuse

Checchio will assume his new role as coadjutor archbishop in mid-November. It’s a position not uncommon in the church, that will place him alongside Aymond, serving for an undetermined transitional period as he learns the ropes.

Aymond reached the mandatory retirement age of 75 last November, but asked then-Pope Francis to allow him to stay on until the bankruptcy is resolved. With the case now winding down, Aymond said last week he will be tying up those many loose ends while Checchio performs more of the public-facing and pastoral duties in the parish.

Though he will be focused on the future of the archdiocese, Checchio acknowledged that the painful legacy of the clergy abuse crisis is something that will be ever-present. A generation younger than Aymond, Checchio came of age in a church where clergy sex abuse was more openly discussed and dealt with than in decades past.

During his years in Metuchen, he removed several priests from ministry after allegations of abuse surfaced, according to media reports. And he apologized to survivors and their families for the cover-up of one of the most notorious abusers in his area, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the first bishop of Metuchen in the early 1980s.

Checchio declined to discuss his conversation last week with a local abuse survivor but said the brief meeting was “moving, very moving.”

Of the crisis more generally he said, “It is a horrible part of our history and one that needs attention and work.”

Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@theadvocate. com.

Shutdown standoff deepensbeforemeeting

BY FATIMA HUSSEIN and MARYCLAREJALONICK Associated Press

WASHINGTON TopSenate Democrat Chuck Schumer and Republican Majority Leader John Thune are digging in aheadofthisweek’s deadline to keep the government open, showing little evidence of budging even as both sides have agreed to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday Republicans sayDemocrats need to help them pass asimple extension of government funding by Tuesday night to avoid ashutdown and they will not agree to negotiate until after it’sapproved. Democrats say they want immediate talks on health care, and they are willing to shut down the government if they don’tget concessions.

Ashutdown is “totally up to the Democrats,” Thune, R-S.D., said in an interview that aired Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

“The ball is in their court,” Thune said. “There is abill sitting at the desk in the Senate rightnow,wecould pick it up todayand pass it, that has been passed by the House that will be signed into law by the president to keepthe government open.” Schumer,D-N.Y., said on the same program that “it’s up to them” whether Republicans will negotiate when

pass the legislation.

Schumer said Democrats need “a serious negotiation” at the White Housemeeting with Trump andthe four top congressional leaders, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., andHouse Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton.

Trumplastweek abruptly canceled aplanned meeting withDemocratsafter “reviewing the details of the unserious andridiculous demands” of Democrats, Trump said on social media.

Schumer said therescheduledWhite Housemeetingis “a good firststep.”

program which go to lowand middle-income people, areset to expire at the end of the year andopenenrollment starts in November.

Some Republicans are open to extending thetax credits, but not without changes. Thune said Sunday that the program is “desperately in need of reform” and“is fraught with waste, fraud, and abuse. There are so many people who don’t even know they have coverage, because the payments are madedirectly to the insurance company.”

thetwo sides meet at the White House on Monday “God forbid the Republicans shut the government down,” Schumer said. “The American people will know it’sontheir back.”

TheSenatestandoffis just thelatest in annual disagreements over funding, but hopes aredimming for aquickresolution. Democrats have suggested they are more willing than ever to allowashutdown as they face demandsfromtheir base voters to fight harder against Trump and the Republican-led Congress. Some even arguethat ashutdown might not make much difference becauseTrump has slashed so manygovernment jobs already

“We’re hearing from the Americanpeoplethat they

need help on health care,” Schumer said. “And as for these massive layoffs, guess what?Simple, one-sentence answer:they’re doing it anyway.”

The Senateisexpected to vote on the House-passed bill to extendgovernment funding on Tuesday,ahead of the 12:01 a.m. Wednesday deadline to avert ashutdown.The bill would keep the government open for another seven weekswhile Congressfinishes its annual spending bills.

Republicans will likely need at leasteight Democrats to approve ashorttermfix, as Republican Sen. RandPaulofKentuckyis expected to vote against it. MajorityRepublicans hold 53 seats and they need 60 votes to enda filibusterand

Tropical StormImeldaforms

By The Associated Press

MIAMI

Tropical Storm

Imelda formed Sunday and is expected to become ahurricane on aforecast track curving away from theU.S. East Coast early this week.

The storm dumped rain and churned up seas near the Bahamas andCuba and even briefly prompted atropical storm watch on astretchof Florida’sAtlantic coast Meanwhile, Hurricane

Typhoon Bualoi makes landfall in Vietnam

BY ANIRUDDHA GHOSAL Associated Press

HANOI, Vietnam Vietnam evacuated thousands of people from its central and northern provinces Sunday as Typhoon Bualoi racedtoward the country faster than expected and made landfall in the earlyhours of Monday The storm came ashore in northern coastal province Ha Tinh and forecasters said it would move inland before weakening as it pushed northwest toward the hilly regionsofHaTinh and neighboring Nghe An. Bualoi has left at least 20

Humberto weakened slightly but remained apowerful Category 4storm further out inthe Atlantic, threatening Bermuda. TheBermuda Weather Service issued atropical stormwatch, meaning tropicalstorm conditions were possible on theisland nation within 48 hours.

About4 p.m., Imelda was about 55 miles south-southwest of the northwest Bahamas and about 355 miles

southeast of Cape Canaveral in Brevard County,Florida, theNational Hurricane Center in Miami said.

Imelda was headed north at 9mph, bearing topsustained winds of 40 mph. The hurricane center said the stormwas expected to move acrossthe central andnorthwesternBahamas through Sundaynight andthenspin east-northeast away from the southeastern U.S. by midweek

stranded on a fishing boat by Typhoon BualoiinQuang Tri, Vietnam.

people dead in the central Philippinessince Friday, mostly from drownings and falling trees, and knocked out power in several towns and cities, officials said. It forced about 23,000 families to evacuate to more than 1,400 emergency shelters. In Vietnam, thetyphoon was expected to bringwinds of upto83mph, storm surges of more than3.2 feetand heavy rains that could triggerflashfloods and landslides. State mediareported that more than 347,000 families had lost powerbecause of the storm. Strong gusts rippedoff corrugatediron

roofs along the highway and toppled concrete pillars. In PhongNha commune, about 28 miles from DongHoi,residents described“terrible gusts” of wind and pounding rain.

“Noone dares to go out,” resident Le Hang told state media VNExpress.

Authorities grounded fishing boats in the northern and central regions and ordered evacuations. State media reported coastal cityDaNang plannedtorelocate more than210,000 people, while Hue to its north prepared to move more than 32,000 coastal residentstosafer ground.

Trumptospeak at meetingof topmilitaryleaders,sourcesays

BY CHRIS MEGERIAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON President

Donald Trump will speak at a hastily called meeting of top military leaders on Tuesday, according to aWhite House official.

Hundreds of generalsand admirals— seniorcommanders of the one-star rankor higher and their top advisers —have been summoned by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth from alloverthe world to the MarineCorps base in Quantico, Virginia, with little notice. The White House official

was not authorized to discuss thepresident’splans before apublicannouncement about his attendance and spokeon condition of anonymity

Trump told NBC News in an interviewSunday that they wouldbe“talking about how well we’re doing militarily,talking aboutbeing in great shape, talking about a lotofgood, positive things.” News about the meeting broke Thursday,and no reason was initially provided for the unusual gathering. Trump didn’tseem to know about itwhen first asked by reporters during anOvalOfficeappearance.

“I’ll be there if they want me, but why is it such abig deal?” Trump said. The official said thepresident’sparticipation was not part of the original planfor the meeting but that he decided thathewanted to go.

Trump’s participation in the meeting raises the likelihood of apoliticized event in front of anonpartisan audience of military leaders For example, he delivered campaign-style remarks to uniformedpersonnel at FortBragg in NorthCarolina in June,attacking his Democratic predecessor,Joe Biden.

“Now if thepresident at this meeting is going to rant and just yell at Democrats and talk about all his alleged grievances and saythis, that and the otherthing, we won’t get anything done.But my hope is it will be aserious negotiation,” Schumer said. Ahead of thelast potentialgovernment shutdown in March, manyDemocrats called on Schumer to resign afterheprovided support forRepublicanstokeep the government open.

Democrats nowfear among other things, that Republicanswillallow Affordable CareAct tax credits expire that have made health insurance more affordable formillionsofpeoplesince the COVID-19 pandemic Informally known as Obamacare, taxcredits for the expandedhealthcoverage

The White House has raisedthe possibility of massfirings across the federal government if thereis ashutdown. Trump’sWhite House told agencies to prepare large-scalelayoffs of federalworkers if the government shuts down.

Johnson told CNN’sState of the Union that Trump “wants to bring in the leaders to comeinand act like leadersand do the right thing forthe American people.” Johnsonsaid“the only thing we are trying to do is buy alittletime”with ashort-term extension to finish the appropriations process.

“It’sfine to have partisan debates and squabbles but you don’thold the people hostagefor theirservices to allowyourself political cover and that’swhat Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries are doing right now.”

By The Associated Press

NEW YORK New York

City MayorEric Adams ended his struggling reelection campaign Sunday,anacknowledgment thathewas no longer a credible contender after a year of scandal andpolitical turmoil.

In avideo released on socialmedia, Adams spoke proudly of his tenure as mayor.But he said his now-dismissed federal corruptioncase left voters wary of him, and “constant media speculation” about his future made it impossible to raise enough money to run aserious campaign.

“Despite all we’ve achieved, Icannot continue my reelection campaign,” he said. Adams did not endorse any of the remaining candidatesinthe race, but he warnedof“insidious forces”using local governmentto“advance divisive agendas.”

“Thatisnot change, that is chaos,” Adams said. “Instead, Iurge New Yorkers to choose leaders not by what theypromise, but by what they have delivered.” Adams’ capitulation could potentially provide a lift to the campaign of former Gov.AndrewCuomo, afellow centristwho portrayed himself as the only

candidateabletobeat the DemocraticParty’snominee, state Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani.

It is unclear,though, whether enough Adams supporters will shift their allegiances to Cuomo to make adifference.

Mamdani, 33, would be thecity’syoungest and most liberal mayor in generations if elected. He beat Cuomo decisively in the Democratic primary by campaigning on apromise to try to lower the cost of living in one of the world’s most expensive cities.

In astatement after Adams’ announcement, Mamdani took aim at Cuomo, who is trying to make apolitical comeback after resigning thegovernor’s office after being accused of sexual harassment by multiple women.

“New York deserves better than trading in onedisgraced,corrupt politician for another.On November 4th, we are going to turn the page on the politicsofbig money and small ideasand delivera government every New Yorkercan be proud of,” Mamdani said.

Cuomo, in astatement on social media,praised Adamsfor “putting the well-being of New York City ahead of personal ambition.”

We need a ‘Jaws’ for climate change

Fifty years ago,Iwent to see the movie “Jaws.” It was terrifying. That summer,Iwent with my family to Destin, Florida, forour vacation. To my parents’ dismay, Iwouldn’tgoanywhere near the water,beitalake, abayou or even aswimming pool. Come to think of it, no one did. We were allconvinced agreat whiteshark waslurking in the shallows. Steven Spielberg had createdthe ultimate bogeyman. Today,our state (and theworld) is facing an existential threat, one far more ominous than amarauding, toothy fish. Our coastline is disappearing at an alarming rate. Soon, the waters from the Gulf will be lapping at the levees surrounding our sinking city. In comparison, the folks from Amity Island had it good. They also had asinglevillain (accompanied by achilling score) to rally against. Meanwhile, we have amenagerie of suspects. They include fossilfuels, levees and canals, natural subsidence, invasive species, deforestation, short-sighted politicians (“Drill baby,drill!”) and bovine flatulence.

Solutions are far more complicated as well.Wecan’t just stay out of the water or shoot ascuba tank from the bow of asinking boat. We are addictedtoproducts made from oil, windmills kill birds, the “undeveloped” world wants to develop, changeishard and even New Orleans’ finest chefs can’tconvince people to eat nutria. In 2006, Al Gore tried to convince us of an “inconvenient truth.”Today, Greta Thunberg and Sir David Attenboroughare speaking out to unite different generations. But we still haven’t foundour own,much-needed Jaws.

FOLWELL DUNBAR NewOrleans

Let’smaketraffic violations apriority

Whatever happened to thegood old days when ayellow traffic light meant slow down, not speed up? Ithink the traffic cameras really taught us to be more aware. I noticedthat red light running was occurring less. What is wrong with fining drivers for traffic violations? There certainly aren’t enough cops to do the job

ELIZABETH MILES NewOrleans

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR

YOUR VIEWS

Conditions at ICEcenters have been well documented

While Iapplaud letter writer EarlPratz’s interest inconditions in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement prisons, he is wrong to suggest that the people detained there have access to adequatefood, medical care and legal materials, and that they are only held there for short periods of time. Hisinformation appears to come from brief toursofthree of the nine ICE prisons in Louisiana. Thesetours are conducted by theforprofit contractors who runthe prisons for the federal government. They present a rosy picture, but what really goes on inside is very different. In 2024, the ACLU published areport on Louisiana ICE detention centers based on dozens of on-site visitsover atwo-year period (2022-2024), involving individual and group interviews and areview of available documentation of abuses at these facilities. It concluded that these prisons systematically deny people’sbasic rights, including minimally nutritious food, potable drinking water,basic hygiene supplies,language access, access to legal materials, protection

from extreme temperatures and outdoor time. It documented physical, verbal and sexual abuseand abuse of solitary confinement. Detainees were often denied or were given ineffective medical care.

Theseconditions have probably gotten worse since thereport was written. It dealt with conditions that existed before the currentadministration dismantled the limited oversight of existing and newfacilities, by closing the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman, the Office for Civil Rightsand Civil Libertiesand the Immigration Detention Ombudsman. Mostpeople in these facilities(except Alexandria, where people are held just prior to deportation)languish there for months. People should seek out and listentothe stories of people who have beenheld in immigration detention and to others who have visited detainees and spent time helping them.

Thesedetention centers are unnecessary, cruel and astainonour country NELL HAHN Lafayette

AI provides opportunity, butalsorisks

Artificial intelligence is driving an economic revolution acrossthe country, and Louisiana is no exception

Over thenext six months, AI adoption in our state is projected to rise by 6%, signaling amajor shift across industries. From individuals usingAIathometosmall businesses streamlining operations and large corporations investing in research, this technology is reshaping how we work and compete.

Landry, Trumphave putfocus on public safety,and it’s working

Once again, it seemslike all eyes across the country are on the Crescent City Gov. Jeff Landry’saggressive stance against crime in NewOrleans has thus farbeen adefining feature of his administration, and I applaud the governor forthe progress that he’sbeen able to makein just afew short years. As recently as 2022, New Orleans witnessed an astonishing 265 murders, the highest since the chaos following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and 2006. Landry waselected in part because of his promise to combat this surge of violence, and since his victory, Louisiana has passed into law numerous criminal justice reforms. The results are evident: New Orleans is on pace forits lowest murder rate since the 1960s, with a 29% drop in overall crime through mid-2025 and historic declines in violent incidents. However,the city still ranks among the mostdangerous in the United States, with persistent issues like aggravated assaults and aviolent crime rate farexceeding the national average. President Donald Trump’srecent suggestion to deploy the National Guard or other federal forces to New Orleans, not unlike his deployment of the National Guard into Washington, D.C., is sorely needed in New Orleans.

Landry has welcomed this support, emphasizing his commitment to reducing crime statewide, with an emphasis on New Orleans. A partnership between state and federal law enforcement will accelerate our progress toward apermanent decrease in violent crime in the Big Easy

The governor’scritics may decry this as overreach, but with crime still much too high, decisive action is needed. Landry and President Donald Trumpare prioritizing the safety of this great city over politics. Let’srally behind them to reclaim our streets. RAYGRIFFIN

AREWELCOME.HEREARE OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name and the writer’scity of residence.The Advocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address and phone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@theadvocate.com. TO SEND US ALETTER SCAN HERE

Recognizing this potential, Louisianain February launched a$50 million initiative focused on AI research and development. This investmentisattracting new businesses,creating jobs and fueling growth. With technology already contributing $6 billion to Louisiana’s economy,that number will only grow. For the state’snearly 500,000 small businesses, access to AI is agame changer —helpingthem improve efficiency,expand andcompete.

But America’srole as the world’sinnovation leader is not guaranteed. Foreigncompetitors, most notably China, are pouring trillions into research and infrastructure to seize the lead in AI, semiconductors, and quantumcomputing.

After reading his opinion, Imust thank Riley Hagan III. Igraduated from Louisiana Tech in 1975. The four years Iattended Tech, our football team was 44-4. Only losing four games in four years was quite phenomenal. Let’snot forget the women’sbasketball

If we saddle our innovators with one-sizefits-all restrictions or anti-innovation mandates, we risk stifling the very ecosystem that defines American competitiveness. Instead, policymakers should advance balanced policies that accelerate innovation. That meansstrengthening domestic chip manufacturing, supporting STEM education, and encouraging partnerships between small businesses, research institutionsand the privatesector Public-privatecollaborations, like the one here in Louisiana, show how government and industry can work together to create opportunitywhile protecting our technological edge. If Beijing’smodel of surveillance and censorship shapes thefuture of AI, we risk embedding authoritarian standards into the digital infrastructure of the21st century Congress must act now to protect innovation, empower America’ssmall businesses and ensure our nation, not China, sets the rules of thedigital age.

REP. MICHAEL MELERINE state representative, District6 Shreveport

team while Iwas there and after.After graduating and living in New Orleans forthe past 50 years, there has been very little ever written about Louisiana Tech sports. It was

Getting COVIDvaccine harderthankstoGOP nannystate

My wife and Iare in our 80s and vulnerable to the COVIDvirus. We have been attempting, unsuccessfully,for almost two weeks to obtain aprescription from our Ochsner primary care physician to enable us to get vaccinated. Iamsure this has been due to the confusion created by our insightful governor and the Republicans in Congress and the White House. The supposedly “small government” Republicans apparently think it is “small government” to control individuals’ access to necessary health care. Gov. Jeff Landry has every right to refuse to be vaccinated, but he has no business interfering in my ability to tend to my and my wife’shealth.

FRED SCHWAB NewOrleans

CREEPYCALLERS

With Halloween justa fewweeks away,did youeverwonder what these creepycharacters do therest of theyear?

So, what’sgoing on in this cartoon? youtell me.Bewitty, funny, crazy,absurd or snarky —just trytokeepitclean.There’sno limit on the number of entries.

Thewinning punchline will be lettered into theword balloon andrun on Monday,Oct. 6inour print editions and online. In addition, the winner will receive asignedprint of the cartoon along with acool winner’sT-shirt! Some honorablementions will also be listed.

To enter,email your entries to cartooncontest@ theadvocate.com

DON’T FORGET! All entries must include your name, home address and phonenumber.Cell numbersare best.

Thedeadline forall entriesismidnight,Thursday, Oct.2

Send in your punchline treatsand win!

Good luck! Walt

Will theN.Y.mayor’s race spoil otherDemocraticvictories?

Losing trackof environmental health matters

What would you do if your primary care doctor said you were in perfect health but hadjust canceled annual tests including bloodwork, an EKG, X-rays and even the biopsy aconcerned oncologist had ordered?

You’d change doctors, of course, and quickly Unfortunately,wemust wait three years to change the person in charge of the nation’senvironmental health —President Donald Trump —even though he’s been guilty of malpractice since reclaiming the presidency in January

Isay that because Trump has been canceling research programs at federal agencies needed to monitor the nation’senvironmentalhealth and provide needed regulations. These are the medical checkups the nation has long relied on to keep you and your children safe from a growing list of environmental risks, from toxic cancer-causing pollution to the rising impacts of climate change.

Trump’sattacks began in July when his EPA director,Lee Zeldin, announced he wasdisbanding that agency’sOffice of Research and Development and laying off as many as 1,000 chemists, biologists and other researchers. That office does the independent research that uncovers threats to human health andprovides the legal justification for environmentalregulations. Under Trump’sEPA reorganization, research will nowbedirected by different offices led by political appointees who decide whatcan be investigated and how

According to Zeldin, this new EPAwill adhere to the long-held desire by many industries that their profits and the nation’seconomy should have equal status with pollution control in deciding environmental regulations. He will oversee “commonsense policies supporting clean air,land, and water for all Americans while unleashing American energy,revitalizing domestic manufacturing, cutting the cost of living for families, and growing innovationand entrepreneurialism.”

As just one example of the philosophy in action, federal officials have not made public the list of hazardous materials present at Smitty’s, apetroleum products plant in Tangipahoa that caught fire last month, citing aconcern over revealing “confidential business information.”

But Trump wasjust getting warmedupand quickly turned his attention to eviscerating climate research —knowledge critical to coastal areas struggling to adapt to rapidly rising sea levels, such as south Louisiana.

Four upcoming elections are worth watching. The first is the mayoral primary in New Orleans on Oct.11. Then, on Nov.4,voters will go tothe polls in New York City,Virginia and New Jersey.Each race has itsown mix of implications. The New Orleans election is more of alocal personality contest thana national partyorideological battle. But voters in New York City and New Orleans have something in common:They’re less enthused about their mayoral electionchoices than getting rid of unpopular incumbents.Mayors Eric Adams and LaToya Cantrell have terrible job ratings, and most voters can’twait for them topack their bags. Topcandidates in New Orleans are state Sen. Royce Duplessis, at-large City Council member Helena Moreno andDistrict ECity Council member Oliver Thomas. All Democrats. One wild card is Republican Frank Janusa. As aconservative alternative, he could do better than expected, although Republican voter registration is less than 10% and few thinkhecan win. Moreno maintains awide lead and is running the best campaign. Her opponents have to take votes from her while they move votes to themselves, a tricky and expensive maneuver

Thebig question is whether Moreno canwin without arunoff.

The answer is yes, she can; polls now have her at 50% or higher.But we still don’tknow what happens in the final days. Will voter turnout play an unforeseen role? Will somebody surge, or fumble, at theend?

New York’smayoral election is ademolition derby,much more tempestuous than the New Orleans race. State legislator Zohran Mamdani is theDemocratic nominee and general election front-runner.His opponentsinclude a former New York governor,Andrew Cuomo, andthe current mayor,Adams. If this was acontest for Most Controversial,itwould be athree-way tie. Adamsisrunning as an independent; his Democratic basecracked up when he played footsy with the Trump administration on immigration and his federal criminal indictment was dropped. Cuomo, wholost the Democratic primary to Mamdani, is running on the “Fight and Deliver” party line. Republican nominee CurtisSilwa leads the anti-crime group Guardian Angels. TheSuffolk Universitypoll puts Mamdani ahead with 45%, followed by Cuomo (25%), Silwa (9%)and Adams (8%). An independent,Jim Walden, has 4%.

Cuomo badly wanted Silwa, Adams and Waldentodrop out, hoping to unify the anti-Mamdanivote. Butthat hasn’t happened.

Mamdani has been endorsed by powerful Democrats, from New York Gov Kathy Hochul, VermontSen. Bernie Sanders and former Vice President Kamala Harris to Massachusetts Sen. ElizabethWarren, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-CortezCortez and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Some of Mamdani’sendorsements, however,have been shotgun weddings. More than afew Democrats fear his victory will harden national perceptions of theirparty as too far left. They’re alsoworried about his anti-

Israel views.It’swhy Democratic congressional leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, both New Yorkers, have yet to endorse.

Voters in Virginia and New Jersey, two Democraticleaning states, will elect governors. Virginia now has aRepublican governor and New Jersey had an unexpectedly close gubernatorial election four yearsago. In Virginia, thelatest polls show Democratic U.S. Rep.Abigail Spanberger leading Republican Lt. Gov.Winsome Earle-Sears. In New Jersey,Democratic U.S. Rep.Mikie Sherrill is running ahead of Republican Jack Ciattarelli. Winning bothgubernatorial races ordinarily would be abright featherin theDemocratic cap. Butthe New York City election, on thesame day,may blot it Mamdani struck achordbyfocusing on affordability.But skeptics see the issueasafoundational effort to redistributewealth with more government, more bureaucracy,more spending and more taxes. That’swhy Mamdani’s brand of “democratic socialism” is seen by some as being alittletoo close to communism. Democratic candidates in Senateraces next year —especially in Georgia, Michigan, Maine, Ohio and North Carolina —don’tneed that millstonetocarry If Mamdani wins, Republicans will have theperfect foil, aposter boy for progressive governance. Andthat may have national consequences beyond this fall’selections.

Ron Faucheux is anonpartisan political analyst, pollster and writer based in Louisiana.

To that end, Trump’sEPA is preparing to rescind the agency’s2009 finding that six greenhouse gas emissions, including carbondioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride are harmful to human health. That finding, which survived court challenges, provided the authority for awhole range of air pollution regulations as well as grants for industries to begin shifting to renewable energy.Byeliminating that scientific finding, Trump can put an end to most of the progress the nation hasmade to reduce emissions —something critical if we have any chance of slowing the sealevel rise threatening to swallow our sinking coastal zone. Incredibly,EPA staffers told The New York Times“climate regulations are whatpose the true threat to public health and welfare, because they increase the price of new vehicles and leave fewer choices for car buyers.”

Trump continued his waronclimate research by:

n Ordering the end of more than 100 climate studies.

n Telling NASA to end programs using satellites to measure carbon dioxide.

n Stripping previous National Climate Assessments from the NASA website.These reports are required by Congress to be presented every four to five years, but the Trump administration has been ignoring many rules.

n Removing years of climate research from government websites, sending scientists around the world rushing to download andsave reports and data.

Trump’sadministration and his congressional allies are actually celebrating whatcriticsare calling a“waronscience,” painting researchers as left-leaning environmentalists looking for ways to stifle industry.But this is much worse It is an unprecedented warnot just on science, but the facts that science producesand that ademocracy needs to gained consensus for important decisions.

It’saclassic tactic by authoritarians and dictators to silence any critics by controlling the flow of facts.

By canceling the research, he can tell us our environmental health is fine and we’re facing no threats, even that regulations are the problem, not the solution.

And he has made sure we won’thave the facts to disagree.

Bob Marshall, aPulitzer Prize-winning Louisiana environmental journalist, can be reached at bmarshallenviro@gmail.com

Eventduring the month of March! During this event, we will be offering these FREE services:

•FREE Hearing Consultations

•FREE Video Otoscope Exam: Hearinglossorjust earwax?

•FREE Clean &Check on currenthearing aids

•FREE Baseline Audiogram Assessment

•FREE Familiar Voice Test

•FREE Demo of Audibel’s latest hearing technology!

AreYou or Anyone YouKnow Experiencing the Following?

1. Asking people to speak up or repeat themselves?

2. Turning theTVuploud tounderstandwhat is being said?

3. Ringing or noises in your ears?

Audibelis NOW Offering...

•Hearingaids at NO COST to those who qualify!•

• That’s Right...No Co-Pay!NoExamFee! No AdjustmentFee! If youhavethiscard, youmay qualifyfor free hearing

Call

Saints running back Kendre Millercarries the ball to the end zone for atouchdownasBuffalo Bills cornerbackChristian

game SundayinOrchardPark, N.y.The Saints lost 31-19.

N.O. hangstough in loss to Bills, butMoore erastarts0-4

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y.— Kellen Moore pacedthe sideline, foldedhis play sheet and grabbed atablet to tryand see what went wrong. For most of the afternoon,the New Orleans Saints coach’steam hung tough aweek aftergetting blown out. But in theheat of Sunday’sgame againstthe Buffalo Bills, Mooredid not seem interested in moral victories. He wanted an actual win, and aturnoverondowns late in the fourth quarter made that increasingly more difficult. And Moore did not get his wish. Facing one of the bestteams in the NFL, the Saints lost 31-19 as New Orleans fell to 0-4 on theseason. TheSaints ultimatelycouldn’tslow

down Bills quarterback Josh Allen enough, with the reigning MVP completing 72.7% of his passesfor 209 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for another 48 yards on four attempts (before three late kneeldowns). New Orleansquarterback Spencer Rattler,bycontrast, made plays withhis legs (sixcarries, 49 yards),but his arm was held in check as hethrew for only 126 yards on 18of-27 passing.

“While there are positiveswithin this,the ultimategoal has yet to be achieved in agame,”Moore said “And so we’restrivingfor that and we didn’tget there.”

That ultimate goal, of course, is to win.

Butthe Saints’ responseinBuffalo

ä See SAINTS, page 4B

Saints return from Buffalo with loss,aglimmerofhope

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y —You knew it. The oddsmakers in Vegas knew it. Everybody not wearing aNew OrleansSaints uniform Sunday knew it The Saints’ chances of walking out of Highmark Stadium withawin against one of the best teams in theNFL, led byone of the league’sbest players, were much closer to “none” than to “slim.”

Yes, theSaints played well for themost part. They didn’tembarrass themselves like they did seven days ago in Seattle, when it looked like the wheels of the Kellen Moore era had already completely fallen off. The Saints’ effort in this loss to theBuffalo Bills was much better

than that one. But as Saints defensive end Cam Jordan reminded us after the game, there are no moral victories in the NFL. The only thing that matters is what the scoreboard says. This timeitread “Bills 31, Saints 19,” which looked and sounded and felt so much better than the 44-13 beatdownagainst the Seahawks. “Isthis considered bouncing back?” Jordan asked rhetorically.“Losing is not bouncing back. At the end of the day,it’sthe samefeeling. We’ve got to find away to get in the ‘W’ column.” The Saints haven’tbeen in that column since December,when

ä See WALKER, page 5B

Europe repeats as Ryder Cup champ

Americans try to rally but come up short

BY DOUG FERGUSON Associated Press

FARMINGDALE, N.Y Staked to the largest lead in history, Europe fully expected to win the Ryder Cup on Sunday The surprise was how much emotion poured out of the team on a final day that produced a furious American charge and, ultimately, another Irish hero.

What looked to be only a matter of time before the European celebration was on turned into nervous glances at the scorecard as the unruly crowd at Bethpage Black finally had a U.S. team to cheer for instead of against. It went from looking impossible to improbable to just maybe. And then Shane Lowry, who endured so much abuse from a hostile and vulgar New York crowd, had the last word. He holed a 6-foot birdie putt against Russell Henley to earn the half-point Europe needed to make sure it kept that 17-inch gold chalice.

He couldn’t contain himself, pumping his fists and spinning around the green and squeezing every teammate he could find He recalled telling his caddie as they walked up the 18th fairway, “I have a chance to do the coolest thing in my life here.”

“The Ryder Cup means everything to me,” Lowry said.

Ditto for all of Europe. Even a closer call than imagined did not take away from a reminder who dominates these matches. Europe has won 11 times in the past 14 Ryder Cups, and this was its fifth time winning on U.S. soil in the last 10 tries.

“They’ll be talking about this team for a long time,” Luke Donald said after joining Tony Jacklin (1985 and 1987) as the only European captains to win back to back Tyrrell Hatton, unbeaten in four matches, earned a halve against

Collin Morikawa that made Eu-

rope an outright winner

The final score — Europe 15, United States 13 — was the only real surprise.

“Shoutout to the Americans,”

Donald said, his players draped in flags of their home countries.

“We knew they’d be tough. I didn’t think they would be this tough on Sunday They fought so hard, and all the respect to them.

“This means a lot, obviously, to me and the team We came here knowing that the task was going to be very difficult. Couldn’t be more proud of these guys — what they’ve gone through, how they come together, how they’re playing for history, how they’re playing for the people that came before them and now they’ll be talked (about) for generations to come.”

The Americans at least showed

a pulse and made their opponents sweat more than anyone imagined, storming back from a seven-point deficit. No team ever won from more than four points behind going into the 12 singles matches.

There was a moment where a comeback actually looked possible.

Cameron Young and Justin Thomas won matches on the 18th hole. Bryson DeChambeau charged from 5 down to earn a halve. Scottie Scheffler avoided getting blanked by winning his heavyweight match against Rory McIlroy

“Obviously this is an extreme long shot,” Thomas said. “I’m glad Cam and I could finish like that to at least give us a little hope.”

Another point came from Xander Schauffele in the shortest

match of the day, 4 and 3, over Jon Rahm. U.S. Open champion

J.J. Spaun won his match. Except for Ludvig Åberg taking down Patrick Cantlay, there was no European blue anywhere to be found. All they needed was a half-point. That’s when Lowry came through He was 2 down with four holes to play when he birdied three of the last four, none more memorable than the last one.

His final putt will put him alongside other Irishmen who have produced Ryder Cup heroics — Graeme McDowell at Celtic Manor in 2010, Darren Clarke and his emotional week at The K Club, Paul McGinley at The Belfry in 2002.

“We gave it a good fight, that’s for sure,” U.S. captain Keegan Bradley said.

Boston, Mitchell lead Fever in win over Aces

BY MICHAEL MAROT Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS All-Star cen-

ter Aliyah Boston finished with 24 points and 14 rebounds and Kelsey Mitchell scored 25 points to help the Indiana Fever avoid elimination in the WNBA semifinals with a 90-83 victory over the second-seeded Las Vegas Aces on Sunday

The best-of-five series is now tied 2-2 with a winner-take-all Game 5 set for Tuesday in Las Vegas. The winner faces fourthseeded Phoenix. Sixth-seeded Indiana closed it out after Las Vegas mistakenly called an extra timeout with 30.1 seconds left in the game The ensuing technical foul gave Indiana one free throw and possession of the ball, which forced Las Vegas to foul after the ball was inbounded The Fever made all three free throws to extend the lead to 87-77.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DOUG MCSCHOOLER

Indiana Fever forward Aliyah Boston, center, reacts after being fouled during Game 4 of a WNBA playoff semifinal game against the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday in Indianapolis.

in Game 3. Wilson had her 17th career playoff 30-point game to move within one of the league record that is shared by Diana Taurasi and Breanna Stewart. She became the seventh player in league history to hit the 1,000-point mark in her playoff career with 1,024 and added nine rebounds, four steals, three blocks and three assists.

MERCURY 86 LYNX 81: In Phoenix, Alyssa Thomas scored 23 points, DeWanna Bonner made two key 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and the Phoenix Mercury overcame a 13-point deficit in the final period to beat the short-handed Minnesota Lynx and advance to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2021. Phoenix will face the IndianaLas Vegas winner in the championship series.

Ohtani hits 55th homer of season, breaks own record

SEATTLE Shohei Ohtani set a career high with his 55th home run of the season Sunday breaking his own franchise record for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The two-way superstar hit a 412foot solo shot to center field off Seattle Mariners left-hander Gabe Speier, boosting Los Angeles’ lead to 5-0 in the seventh inning.

Ohtani had 54 home runs last season, his first with the Dodgers. His most in six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels was 46 in 2021.

The Dodgers did not have a 50-homer season before Ohtani reached the mark last season.

The 31-year-old Ohtani has 102 RBIs, reaching 100 for the third time. On the mound, the right-hander is 1-1 with a 2.87 ERA in 14 starts following his return from elbow surgery

DC Grantham fired amid Oklahoma St. shake-up

STILLWATER, Okla. — Oklahoma State fired first-year defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and replaced him with quality control staff member Clint Bowen on Sunday, five days after head coach Mike Gundy was let go. The school announced Grantham’s dismissal a day after a 45-27 home loss to Baylor in which the Cowboys surrendered 612 total yards. Gundy hired Grantham away from the New Orleans Saints last December Grantham had been the Saints’ defensive line coach for two years and previously was a defensive coordinator in the NFL, Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference.

The Cowboys rank last in the Big 12 Conference and 130th in the nation in total defense.

Gauff holds off Fernandez to advance at China Open

BEIJING French Open winner Coco Gauff was forced to go the distance against Leylah Fernandez before closing out a tight three-setter 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 on Sunday to advance to the third round at the China Open. The defending champion and a firm crowd favorite in Beijing overcame a second-set stumble and then struggled to serve out the match in the third, before breaking Fernandez in the 12th game of the deciding set to clinch it.

Gauff will next face No. 16 Belinda Bencic or Australian Priscilla Hon. In earlier matches Sunday, Eva Lys beat No. 10 Elena Rybakina 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 and American McCartney Kessler was leading Barbora Krejcikova 1-6, 7-5, 3-0 when the Czech player retired from the match.

Guardians’ Fry recovering from hit-by-pitch to face

David Fry was lucky to be walking around the Cleveland Guardians clubhouse Sunday before a game against the Texas Rangers.

Fry was walking around joking with teammates five days after being hit in the face on a 99 mph fastball from Detroit’s Tarik Skubal during the sixth inning of Tuesday’s game. The 29-year-old designated hitter and catcher squared around to try to bunt when the pitch struck him in the face.

The Fever used their “Stranger Things” uniforms perhaps trying to send a message it wouldn’t let the high-powered Aces run roughshod over a team still missing four key, injured players — Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald. Boston and Mitchell then de-

“It was a good old-fashioned mistake,” Aces coach Becky Hammon explained after the game. The television broadcast also showed Hammon telling her team in a late huddle they had two timeouts and a reset timeout remaining. She reiterated that point after the game.

livered it by leading the Fever to their third straight elimination-game victory in this year’s playoffs. They won the final two games against Atlanta after losing Game 1 in the best-of-three first-round series.

The Aces were led, as usual, by four-time league MVP A’ja Wilson, who had 31 points after a poor shooting performance

The Mercury won the final three games of the best-of-five semifinal series. The top-seeded Lynx were playing without Cheryl Reeve, who was suspended for Game 4 because of her behavior and comments toward officials in Game 3. Minnesota also was without AllStar guard Napheesa Collier, who suffered an ankle injury near the end of the Game 3 loss.

Elliott steals Kansas Speedway race in wild OT finish

BY JENNA FRYER AP

— Hamlin dropped from the lead to seventh on a slow pit stop that put Bubba Wallace in position to win the race. A red-flag stoppage for Zane Smith flipping his car set up the final overtime restart and Wallace was holding tight in a door-to-door battle with Christopher Bell for the victory Then Hamlin came from nowhere to catch Wallace, who drives for the team Hamlin coowns with Michael Jordan, and Wallace scraped the wall as he tried to hold off his boss. That’s when Elliott suddenly entered the frame and smashed Hamlin in the

door to get past him for his second win of the season. Elliott joins Ryan Blaney as the two drivers locked into the third round of the playoffs. The field will be cut from 12 drivers to eight after next week’s race in Concord, North Carolina. Hamlin finished second, his JGR teammates Bell and Chase Briscoe were third and fourth and Wallace wound up fifth. Elliott, in a Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, was the only nonToyota driver in the top five. Reddick races Tyler Reddick raced Sunday

and finished seventh, hours after his wife disclosed on social media their newborn son has been ailing for several months Alexa Reddick posted she was in the cardiovascular intensive care unit at a North Carolina hospital with Rookie, the couple’s second son who was born in May, working on improving his “heart function.” She wrote she had been seeking medical care for Rookie for some time without getting any concrete answers for what appeared to be “signs of heart failure that were being missed.” “Always trust your mom gut,” she added.

Fry’s face is still swollen and there are stitches in his nose. He will have a follow-up appointment on Thursday, but is not expected to need surgery

“The ball started cutting in on me and got me pretty good at a moment where it’s just so fast that there’s no way to get out of the way,” Fry said.

Alcaraz advances to Japan Open semifinal

Carlos Alcaraz comfortably defeated Brandon Nakashima 6-2, 6-4 to reach the semifinals of the Japan Open with his 65th match win of the season to equal his personal-best tally in a single season, according to the ATP Tour “It’s great to go through, to play another semifinal,” the 22-year-old Alcaraz said. “It’s special because it’s the first time I am playing here in Japan and here in Tokyo, so to reach the semifinals in my first appearance is something great.” Now 50-3 since April, Alcaraz will next

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

NFL ROUNDUP

Hurts throws 2 TDs in Eagles win over Bucs

By The Associated Press

TAMPA, Fla. — The Philadelphia Eagles used a fake tush push, another special teams touchdown and a late defensive stop to stay undefeated.

Jalen Hurts tossed two touchdown passes, Sydney Brown returned a blocked punt for a score and the Eagles beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-25 on Sunday for their 20th victory in 21 games.

The only loss in that span for the reigning Super Bowl champions was against Washington last December in a game Hurts left with a concussion in the first half.

Chase McLaughlin’s 65-yard field goal for Tampa Bay on the final play of the first half was the longest in NFL history in an outdoor stadium.

Playing with an injured biceps that limited in him in practice

this week, Baker Mayfield had TD passes of 77 yards and 72 yards but threw an interception on first down from the Eagles 11 with his team down 31-23 midway through the fourth quarter

The Bucs had another chance with the ball at Philadelphia’s 40 and just under two minutes left But Mayfield was sacked by Moro Ojomo and a fourth-and-9 pass went for only 2 yards

Eagles punter Braden Mann ran out of the bounds for a safety to end the game.

STEELERS 24, VIKINGS 21: In Dublin, Kenneth Gainwell ran for 99 yards and two touchdowns and Pittsburgh held on to beat Minnesota in Ireland’s first regular-season NFL game.

DK Metcalf had five catches for 126 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown for the Steelers, who improved to 3-1 going into their bye week.

The Steelers victory gave quarterback Aaron Rodgers his first international win and capped a Rooney family homecoming in front of a decidedly pro-Steelers crowd of 74,512 at Croke Park. Rodgers was 18 for 22 for 200 yards and the touchdown to Metcalf.

TEXANS 26, TITANS 0: In Houston,

rookie Woody Marks had a touchdown reception and ran for another score as Houston beat Tennessee for its first win this season.

It’s the third time the Texans have shut out a team and the first time since blanking the Titans 29-0 on Nov 28, 2010 The Titans were shut out for the first time since a 16-0 loss at Denver on Oct. 13, 2019.

C.J. Stroud threw for 233 yards and two touchdowns as the Texans scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter Sunday to put the game away and match their TD total in the previous three games combined

FALCONS 34, COMMANDERS 27: In Atlanta, Michael Penix Jr bounced back from his worst NFL start, Bijan Robinson had a career-high 181 yards from scrimmage as Atlanta beat short-handed Washington.

The Falcons (2-2) were coming off a 30-0 loss to the Panthers in which Penix and the offense were totally ineffective. Against the Commanders (2-2), Penix completed 20 of 26 passes for a career-high

313 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Robinson had 75 rushing yards on 17 carries, including a nifty 14-yard touchdown run where he broke multiple tackles. He also had four catches for 106 yards, the highlight being a 69-yard catch-and-run in the third quarter that set up Penix’s TD toss to Kyle Pitts.

PATRIOTS 42, PANTHERS 13:In Foxborough, Massachusetts, Marcus Jones had an 87-yard punt return for a touchdown, Drake Maye added two touchdown passes and ran for another, and New England rolled to a win over Carolina. TreVeyon Henderson and Antonio Gibson added touchdown runs and Jones had a 61-yard punt return that set up another TD to help the Patriots (2-2) avoid their fifth straight 1-3 start.

A week after turning the ball over five times in a loss to Pittsburgh, the Patriots were turnover-free while going 4 for 4 in the red zone.

LIONS 34, BROWNS 10: In Detroit, Jared Goff threw two touchdown passes to Amon-Ra St. Brown, Ka-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ADAM HUNGER

New york Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers cries out after suffering an injury during the second quarter of a game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday in East Rutherford N.J

Giants’ WR Nabers carted off against Chargers with knee injury

BY DENNIS WASZAK JR. AP pro football Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD,N.J Jaxson Dart and the New York Giants could be without Malik Nabers for a while — and perhaps the rest of the season. The star wide receiver was carted from the field with an injured right knee in the second quarter of the Giants’ 21-18 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday

“Don’t have much on the injury front,” coach Brian Daboll said after the game. “I haven’t talked to the trainers yet.” The fear is it could be a serious injury to Nabers’ ACL, which would be a significant blow to the Giants’ offense.

“Obviously, prayers to him,” Dart said. “I don’t think we know exactly what happened, so he’s going to be one of my first phone calls to check on him. Malik’s one of one. So when you have a guy like

that on the field, you have all the confidence in the world that he can just be a dominant game-changer.” Dart, making his first NFL start, launched a deep pass down the right sideline — a free play after the Chargers’ Troy Dye jumped offside toward a streaking Nabers. The wide receiver’s right leg appeared to buckle as he went up to try to catch the pass, which fell incomplete.

Former LSU standout Nabers went down at the Chargers 7 with 6:12 left before halftime, immediately grabbed at his right leg and was clearly in pain. Trainers rushed out to attend to Nabers, who was on the receiving end of Dart’s first NFL completion earlier in the game.

Several of Nabers’ teammates, including benched quarterback Russell Wilson, surrounded him before he was lifted onto the cart. Nabers had his hands over his head as the cart sped away, but

he then raised his right arm to acknowledge the Giants fans cheering for him.

The team ruled Nabers out for the rest of the game in the third quarter, and the Giants were awaiting the results of tests.

“Obviously it hurts, because the worst part of this game is injuries,” Dart said. “You hate to see your teammate, your brother, go down and look in pain like that. But I’m just going to be praying for him and I got his back through it all.”

Dart also dealt with a few injury issues in his starting debut, but said he was “good” after the win.

The quarterback was listed with a hamstring injury coming out of halftime, but continued to play

On New York’s opening drive of the third quarter, he took a big hit after a 39-yard run — that was negated by a holding penalty — and was checked for a concussion. He missed two plays, but was cleared and returned to the game.

in the third quarter

The Colts also had a 53-yard rushing TD by Jonathan Taylor taken off the board by a holding call on Mitchell with 2:15 to play

JAGUARS 26 49ERS 21: In Santa Clara, California, Parker Washington had Jacksonville’s first punt return touchdown in eight seasons and the Jaguars opportunistic defense delivered four more takeaways in a victory over San Francisco.

Former Niners star Arik Armstead’s strip-sack of Brock Purdy with less than three minutes to play sealed the win for the Jaguars (3-1).

The Jaguars have generated at least three takeaways in all four games this season, and have four more takeaways than they had in the entire 2024 season. They turned those into 17 points against the 49ers (3-1) highlighted by Travis Etienne’s 48-yard run one play after Dennis Gardeck forced a fumble by Luke Farrell in the second quarter

lif Raymond returned a punt 65 yards for another score and Detroit beat Cleveland.

The Lions (3-1) intercepted Joe Flacco twice in the first half and scored 20 straight points for a 13-point lead at halftime. Detroit forced Flacco to fumble in the fourth, setting up another touchdown.

The Browns (1-3) opened with an 88-yard, 13-play touchdown drive then had 44 yards with three punts and two turnovers the rest of the half. They finished with 249 yards of offense, gaining an average of 3.8 yards per play

RAMS 27, COLTS 20: In Inglewood, California, Tutu Atwell caught an 88-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford with 1:33 to play, and Los Angeles rallied to end Indianapolis’ unbeaten start to the season with a victory

Daniel Jones passed for 262 yards for the Colts (3-1), but Indy couldn’t overcome receiver Adonai Mitchell’s mind-boggling fumble right before he crossed the goal line with what was about to be a 76-yard touchdown reception

CHIEFS 37,RAVENS 20: In Kansas City Missouri, Patrick Mahomes threw for 270 yards and four touchdowns while outdueling Lamar Jackson, who left in the second half with a right hamstring injury, and Kansas City routed beat-up Baltimore. Xavier Worthy returned from a shoulder injury to catch five passes for 83 yards, igniting a Chiefs offense that had been struggling to find its footing without the speedster and his suspended teammate, Rashee Rice, early in the season. BEARS 25, RAIDERS 24: In Las Vegas, Josh Blackwell blocked a 54-yearold field-goal attempt by Daniel Carlson in the final minute to preserve a fourth-quarter rally led by Caleb Williams, and Chicago stunned Las Vegas.

After D’Andre Swift’s 2-yard touchdown run with 1:34 left put the Bears (2-2) in front, Geno Smith led the Raiders (1-3) into position for Carlson’s kick with 38 seconds left. Blackwell came in nearly untouched from the left side, dived and deflected the ball. He raced down the field in celebration as teammates chased him.

Higgins, Engram look to turn their seasons around

BY ARNIE STAPLETON AP pro football Writer

DENVER Both the Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos are trying to tap into a key offensive power source when they square off Monday night in the Mile High City

Wide receiver Tee Higgins is off to a slow start after signing a four-year, $115 million contract extension with the Bengals (2-1) last spring with just seven catches for 104 yards in three games.

“I know it’s going to come my way,” Higgins said. “I’ve always been like that. When the ball comes my way, I’ve just got to make a play on it. I’ve got to take advantage of every opportunity I get.”

That’s exactly how tight end Evan Engram feels.

Engram was one of Denver’s big free agent signings last offseason and was billed as the coveted “ joker ” in coach Sean Payton’s offense, the versatile playmaker who can exploit matchups in the middle of the field.

Yet, Engram had three catches on four targets in the opener and just two targets and one catch in and Week 2, tallying a total of just 33 yards with no touchdowns. He missed last week’s loss to the Chargers with a bad back.

Engram was a full participant in practice all week and Payton indicated there wasn’t any lingering health issues for Engram: “He’s doing well. He’s full. He’s playing.”

Engram could be key to the Broncos (1-2) ending a two-game skid in which they’ve lost on walkoff field goals after never trailing in the fourth quarter

“Listen, I think there are certainly matchups third down, red zone come to mind — but with him on the field, we’re a better offense,” Payton said. As are the Bengals when Higgins is more involved.

So far, Higgins has been targeted 14 times compared to Ja’Marr Chase’s 27.

Last week, Higgins caught just one of two passes thrown his way for 15 yards in a 48-10 drubbing

at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings in their first game since franchise quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a toe injury that required surgery

“That’s the thing about our guys, there’s not an ego involved in any of this,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said.

“There’s been games before where some of our main guys have caught a ball or have been targeted once. They know the next game might be 12 targets and 10 catches.”

A trip to Denver might just be the elixir for Higgins, who caught 11 passes for 131 yards and three TDs in the Bengals’ 30-24 overtime win over the Broncos in Cincinnati last December

Of course, that was cornerback Riley Moss’s first game back from a knee injury He’s healthy now and playing pretty well opposite reigning AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II, who will spent plenty of time covering Chase on Monday night.

“When you look at that game on the road, obviously there were some completions, but we competed and played those guys,” Payton said. “We didn’t score enough. He’s doing well. He’s had a great week.” A dearth of targets for Higgins is one of just many concerns in Cincy’s offense.

Jake Browning has already thrown five interceptions in the seven quarters he has played and the Bengals are averaging only 2.4 yards per carry Lead back Chase Brown is getting hit behind the line of scrimmage on nearly 80% of his carries and is averaging just 2 yards per rush so far

The Broncos have their own offensive issues. Second-year quarterback Bo Nix is off to a slow start and his footwork and mechanics haven’t been consistently clean. Last week he overthrew wide-open receivers on deep routes three times in Denver’s 23-20 loss to the Chargers.

BY

BILLS31, SAINTS 19

THENUMBERS

Sanker showsplaymakingability

Josh Allen pass.

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

ORCHARD PARK,NY— BuffaloBills

CS

RUSHING—New Orleans, Kamara15-70, Miller 11-65, Rattler6-49, Shaheed 2-5. Buffalo, Cook 22-117, Allen 7-45, R.Davis 1-3, Ty.Johnson 1-0, Moore 1-0.

PASSING—New Orleans, Rattler 18-27-0-126, Olave 0-1-1-0. Buffalo, Allen 16-22-1-209.

RECEIVING—New Orleans, Shaheed 4-47, Kamara4-2,Johnson3-28, Cooks 3-22, Olave 3-20, Stoll 1-7. Buffalo, Shakir 5-69, Coleman 3-45, Cook3-18, Palmer 2-25,Kincaid 1-28, Hawes1-15, Samuel 1-9.

PUNT RETURNS—New Orleans, Shaheed

1-10. Buffalo, Shakir1-6.

KICKOFF RETURNS—New Orleans, Jones

5-134. Buffalo, Samuel 3-82, Ty.Johnson 1-13.

TACKLES-ASSISTS-SACKS—New Orleans, McKinstry 7-0-0, Davis 5-2-0, Granderson

5-0-1, Sanker 4-1-0, Jordan 4-0-1,Riley 4-0-0, Taylor 3-1-0, Werner 3-0-0, Bresee 2-1-1, Shepherd1-2-0, Yiadom 1-2-0, Reid 1-0-0, Boyd 0-1-0, Godchaux 0-1-0. Buffalo, White 7-0-0, Bernard4-2-0,Bishop 4-1-0,Benford

4-0-0, Ta.Johnson 4-0-0,Williams 3-3-0, Strong 3-0-0,Rapp 2-1-0, Rousseau 2-1-0, Walker 2-1-0,Epenesa 2-0-1, Thompson

2-0-0, Bosa 1-2-1, D.Jones 1-2-1, Phillips 1-10, Andreessen1-0-0, Lewis 1-0-0, Sanders

0-1-0. INTERCEPTIONS—New Orleans, Sanker 1-0. Buffalo, Bishop 1-4.

MISSED FIELD GOALS—None.

OFFICIALS—Referee Land Clark, Ump Mark Pellis, HL TomStephan, LJ Jeff Hutcheon

FJ Jabir Walker,SJDominique Pender, BJ Courtney Brown, ReplayGerald Frye

SAINTS

was still significant in the big picture. Thiswas aSaintsteamthat, just aweek ago, looked unprepared, undisciplined and unfocused inSeattle.ToMoore, it was important to see players stick together in atime of challenging circumstances. But the response was also important for Moore: This week represented the clearest test yet of his coaching tenure. He tookthe blamefor what happened against the Seahawks, and even though first-year coaches are generally awardedpatience, it was important to establish thatMoore could be an effective leader and rally his team.

The Saints’ preparation —and effort—saidalotaboutthewayMoore goes about the job. The 37-year-oldis the first to admit he’s nota screamer —but there are other waystoget the most out of ateam.

To start the week, Moore gathered the team’sleadership council —a committee comprising of 12 or so players that thecoach meets with when needed. And the Seahawks’ drubbing warranted ameeting. Tackle Taliese Fuaga, one of the leaders in the group,saidMoore

receiver Khalil Shakir hauled in a screen pass, spun out of atackle attemptfrom New OrleansSaints linebacker Demario Davis,and only had one mantobeat to theend zone.

Saintsrookie safety JonasSanker did not anticipatethe angle at which Shakir would spin out of Davis’ tackle attempt, and Sanker did not make the play. Shakirran through Sanker’sarms andoutraced the Saints defense to the endzonefor a43-yard touchdown on theBills’ opening drive.

It was atough start to the day for New Orleans, but things got better— and therest of the game may have suggested the Saints have found animpact player in Sanker.

The Saints selected Sanker with thesecondoftwo third-round picks in this year’s NFL draft. He was not supposedtoplaythis big of arole this early,but aseasonendinginjuryto Julian Blackmon forced him into the starting lineup.

Sunday was Sanker’sthird start, and probably his best: He recorded five tackles, broke up three passes and becamethe first player this season to intercepta

sought feedback and fosters a player-led culture, one that demands accountability.That’swhy, in one of the practices this week, it was Fuaga who got animated after afalse start penalty.

“Atfirst,itwas like, ‘Eh,it’sall right,’ but then Iyelled,” Fuaga said.

“I’m not the biggest yeller,but if I have to be, Ihave to be.”

Afteraveraging10.3penalties pergame through thefirst three outings, theSaints committed only four penalties against theBills. In some ways, they were still costly Aroughing-the-kicker penalty in thefourth quarter,for instance, sealed Buffalo’swin. But the Saints showed noticeable improvement when it mattered, and only one of thefourflagswas on the offense.

How theSaints attacked the Bills also said somethingabout Moore. Despitebeing ashotgun-heavy pass team to start theseason,the coach pivoted. He rightfully recognized that the Bills had one of the league’sworstrushingdefenses and that his offense could benefit fromabetter run game. Andso, the Saints adjustedbyrelying on under-center formations and looks from thepistol. Thechange worked —and it was amainreason the Saints were even in Sunday’sgame at all.

Theinterception came at abig time, with the Saints trailing 14-7 and Buffalo backed up deep in its own territory.Allentried heaving apass deep downfield to Keon Coleman —and likely would’ve connected had it not been for Sanker, who closed agap in aremarkably short amount of timetobeat Coleman to theball. “It was awesome,” Saintscoach KellenMoore said. “Jonas is aplayer that we thinkveryhighly of. He played in some really contested situations, battled,playing against someofthe (NFL’s)premier players.”

Ruiz injured

Just when the Saints finally got their regular startingfive on the field at offensive line, another one went down withaninjury before the team even gottothe halftime break.

Right guard Cesar Ruiz was blocking downfield lateinthe second quarterwhenquarterback Spencer Rattler rolled into the back of his legs after getting tackled on ascramble. Ruiz collapsed to the turf at HighmarkStadium,and theSaints medical staff quickly went out to the field to check on him Ruiz gingerly walked off the field and eventually took the in-

New Orleans rushedfor aseason-high 189 yards on 34 carries. Theduo of Alvin Kamaraand Kendre Miller took advantage of theclearedlanes ahead of them, with the latter rushing for an 18yard touchdown on New Orleans’ opening drive. It also helped that for thefirst time this season,the Saints hadtheir normal offensive line, as guardTrevor Penning returned from a month-long absence due to atoe injury. The game plan prevented the game from becoming a trackmeet, especially when the Bills scored twotouchdowns— first a43yard,catch-and-run from Khalil Shakir andthena 1-yard rush from James Cook —with relativeease. But to upsetanelite team like Buffalo, theSaints couldn’tafford to leavethe door open. Andtoo often,they did just that. Take alook at how theSaints defendedAllen. For the first time this season, the Saintspicked off the quarterback when rookie Jonas

jury cart to thelocker room at the halftime break. Officially,hewas declared questionabletoreturn, butRuiznever returned to the contest. After the game, he greeted his teammates at theentrancetothe locker room with aprotective boot on his foot.

Moore did nothaveanupdate on Ruiz’s injury after the game.

Undrafted rookie Torricelli Simpkins took Ruiz’sspot in the lineup at right guard. Lastweek,Simpkins started forthe Saints at left guard in place of the injured Trevor Penning,who made his season debut Sunday in Buffalo.

Switching from left to right is nota big deal forSimpkins, who was used to doing his pass sets to either side alreadyafter playing center in college. But the first few weeks have taught him avaluable lesson.

“My roleistobeready when somebody goes down,” Simpkins said. “When my number is called, Ihave to be ready, and these last two weeks have shownthat you have to be prepared to go in.”

Milestones

With asack of Allen in the second quarter,Saints defensive end Cam Jordan addeda couple of new milestones to his career highlight list.

Sanker came flyingfor the interception. ButNew Orleans punted on thefollowing possession, and Allen would not make the same mistakeagain. Late, when the Saints needed astop, Allenstuck thedagger with apivotal two-play sequence: He rushed for27yards, making several defenders miss, and then threw a 28-yard touchdown to tight end Dalton Kincaid.

“... Last week we didn’tplaywell enough to even make it aremotely close game, and that we need to improve. The results aren’tthere right now,but keep trusting the process and they willcome.”

ERIK McCOy, Saints center

The Saints, by contrast, missed their chances to swing the game. With 8:56 left, Rattler’sgo-ahead touchdowntowide receiver Brandin Cooks was reversed whenofficials determined the pass hit the ground before the catch. And the Saints squandered atwo-possession stretch near theend of thefirst half and into thethird quarter At the 5-yard line before the half, theSaints attempted to execute the Philly Special, atrick play that involves awide receiver throwing to the quarterback on areverse. But Buffalo read the route perfectly andsafetyColeBishopintercepted

The sack wasthe 124th of Jordan’scareer,moving him into sole possession of 20th place on the NFL’s all-timerecord books. Allen, who was namedthe Most Valuable Player in theNFL last year,also became aunique trivia answer: He was the 50th NFL quarterback Jordan has sacked in his career AndJordanwas joinedbya teammate in afairly exclusive club Sunday,with Davis becoming the ninth active NFLplayer to start his 200th game. Of the active players with 200 career starts, Davis and Jordan are the only teammates. Davis became the110th NFL player ever to hit that number Odds andends

Safety Justin Reid and defensive back Alontae Taylor (shoulder) were both checkedout in thebluemedical tent on the Saints sideline Sunday,but both returned to finish the game …Wide receiver Devaughn Vele (hip) was active forSunday’s game butdid notplaymuch. Moore said someofthat had to do with the Saints’ tempo offense approach …Rookie corner Quincy Riley entered thegame in thefirst half andappeared to play themajorityofthe defensivesnaps.Moore said that was by design and not as aresponse to anybody’splay

wide receiver Chris Olave. Then to start the third, the Saints went three-and-out. Twochances to take the lead, zero points. The trick play,inparticular,may open Moore up to criticism. Why even botherwith the call in that spot? When asked, the coach said the Bills gave the “right look” and he felt good about the play Nitpicking individual play calls, however,matters little in the largercontext. The Saints’ season will largely be judgedonwhether Mooreisthe right coach forthe team in thelongterm. And on a day when his team was 141/2-point underdogs, Moore managed to ease whatever concerns emerged from the weekprior

“He’s big on theneutral mindset, trying to take the emotion out of things andjust state the facts, centerErik McCoysaid. “And the facts were that last weekwedidn’t play wellenough to even makeita remotely close game, and that we need to improve.” And Moore’smindset after Sunday’sloss?

“The resultsaren’tthere right now,but keep trusting the process and they will come,” McCoy said. Email Matthew Parasatmatt. paras@theadvocate.com

THAT’S MUCH BETTER

1

Aloss is aloss,but in the hyper-competitive NFL, that’sasclose to amoral victory as you’re going to see.After an embarrassingeffortinSeattle last week, the Saints ranthe ball extremely well and put ascare intothe Super Bowl favorites. Fora moment, it evenlooked likethe Saintshad takenafourthquarter lead on aSpencerRattler to Brandin Cooks touchdown pass, but the play was overturned,and Josh Allen took overfrom there. Still, it’s clear this Saintsteam is still fighting for KellenMoore and that betterdaysmay be ahead.

BILLS31, SAINTS

RATTLING ON

2

Second-year quarterback Spencer Rattler is now0-10 as astarter in the NFL. He threwfor only125 yards Sunday, but he also ran fora career-high 49 yards and kept the NewOrleans offense in the game against adifficult opponent.As the losses mount, do the Saints stick with Rattler for their two-game homestand against the Giants and Patriots, or do they turntorookie Tyler Shough? My vote is to stick with Rattler,atleast fornow.He’seliminatedmanyofthe mistakes in hisgame,and he deservesmore chances to getthat elusivevictory

DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENT

3

Containing Allen and the Bills is nevereasy,and the first twoBuffalo drives confirmed that.Both were easy touchdowns.Afterward,however, the Saints’ defense showeda lot of growth, sacking Allen three times and forcing theBills’ firstturnoverofthe year That was an interception fromrookie safety Jonas Sanker, whoisturninginto akey playeralready.Therewere mistakes —missed tackles, abrutal dropped interception from Pete Werner and along Allen scramble in the

quarter— but again, this is thetype of fight youwant to see fromBrandon Staley’sdefense

MISSEDOPPORTUNITY

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

room where Kellen Moore addressed agroup of reporters, theBuffalo Bills were celebrating their fourth consecutive win to start the 2025 regular season, whilethe New Orleans Saints rookie head coach spent another Sunday searching for the right words.

The Saints have been right therein three of their four losses, and yet they have not found away to get the job done. Or,asMooreput it, “the ultimate goal has yet to be achieved.

The reasons have been varied. There have been penalties. There has been poor execution in critical situations. And, of course,there was that blowout loss in Seattle that happened last week, where everything went wrong. Sunday against Buffalo, it was missed opportunities. Believe it or not, aSaintsteamthatmanyhad pegged as oneofthe worst in theNFL coming into the season was hanging tough on the road against aBuffalo team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations.

They were soclose,afact thatmatters littleinthe NFL, where themargins are often paper-thin. Moore effectively capturedthe separator between the haves and the have-nots that was on display Sunday in Highmark Stadium: “Wedidn’tmake enough plays when it mattered most, and theymade some plays,” Moore said.

Moore had his own hand in that.

The Saints will have plenty of moments to choose from in Sunday’sloss that could have changed their fortunes Thejust off-target pass to Brandin Cooks in the end zone thatfellincomplete; letting Josh Allen get loose for a27-yard scamper to effectively put the game away late on third down; watching adefensive stopturn to dust becauseofa penalty —this week being aroughing-the-kicker penalty after forcing apunt. But the most egregious missed opportunity the Saints had came in the second quarterwhen the plucky Saints found themselves with achance to take the lead just before halftime. It wasan especially prime opportunity because New Orleans wasset toreceivethe opening kickofthe second half.And it’sespecially memorable because of howthe Saints let it slip out of their hands.

New Orleans seized somemomentum when it sacked Bills MVP quarterback Josh Allenontwo consecutive plays, pushing theBills’ punting unit back to itsown 7-yardline. TheSaintsbegan their ensuing drive already inside Buffaloterritory with achancetoerase a 14-10 deficit.

But after acouple of big Rattler runs pushed theSaintsinside theBuffalo 5, theSaints made the curious decision to take the ball out of his hands. On third-and-goal, New Orleans called its version of thefamed “Philly Special” play the Eagles used to win a SuperBowl. The Saints versionfeatured areverse to Chris Olave, who would then throw the ball to Rattler in the end zone. They got the look they wanted from Buffalo, Mooresaid. They had practiced the play for weeks and came away pleased with theoperation. Even

after the game, some had no issue with idea behind the play in that moment

“I love the play call,” center Erik McCoy said. “I do. It’sfrustrating.”

Frustrating because theplay did not work out as intended. Olave, who had never thrown apassina gamesetting —neither as apro nor as acollegian at Ohio State —got rid of the ball as soon as he sawaninklingofpressure, floating it towarda well-covered Rattler near thegoal line.

Bills safety Cole Bishoppicked off the pass and ended the scoring threat

The deficit remained at four “It was what it was,” Rattler said. “It was atough play.Chris isn’taquarterback,and Idon’t putthe blame on him.”

Later,Rattler added: “I trustKellen to call the right play. We hadthe right look, and the play looked great the last twoweeks we reppedit. Iwas ready to catch it in the end zone. Itrust what

Kellen’scalling.”

Facing asimilar situation later in the game, the Saints reversed the roles and Rattler fired a3-yard touchdown to Olave.

The game did not comedown to a single playordecision, but aseriesof them that moreoften tilted in the Bills’ favor —which could also be said about the losses to the Cardinals and 49ers earlier this season.

The Saints areclose. Nowthey’ve gottofigureout how to turn closeinto something that matters.

“We’re in it. It’svery frustrating for allofour guys to feel like you’re that close,” Mooresaid. “You’vegot to feel the taste of it,feel the taste of executing in those critical situations and… find waystowin one of these.”

Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

Bryan Breseeblocked afield goal to preserve avictoryagainst theNew York Giants. The Saints, 0-4 this season, have now losteightgames in arow.The only team with alonger losing streak is the Tennessee Titans, who lost their 10th straight game Sunday.

The Saints’ 0-4 start shouldn’treally come as asurprise Once they couldn’tclose the deal on their first two gamesinthe Superdome against the ArizonaCardinals and the San Francisco 49ers,in fact, an 0-4 start seemed inevitable. When the NFL released theschedule in May,most of us marked these back-to-back trips to the West Coast and then theEast Coast as losses Now things getabit more urgent. The Saints return home Sunday to host the Giantsand theNew England Patriots. The playingfield should be more eveninthat one. That wasn’tthe case Sunday.The Bills (4-0) are one of the eliteteams in the NFL. They will be one of thelast teams standing in the AFC comeplayoff time in January.They looked the part Sunday,scoring on their first two drives and looking like they were well on their way to covering the 161/2-point spread the Vegas oddsmakers set initially

the Buffalo Bills on Sunday in

TheSaints, like they have done in three of their first fourgames, hung around andmadeitrespectable. A14-10 halftime deficit almost felt likeawin.The biggest missed opportunity came at theend of the first half,whenthe Saintstried a trick play that saw receiver Chris Olaveattempt apass to quarterback Spencer Rattler.The pass was picked off,robbing the Saints of taking some momentum going into the half. “I love the play call,” center Erik McCoysaid.“Ido. It’s frustrating.

Guy made agreat play.But it would have been nice to come out with seven (points) right there.” Hindsight is 20/20. If the play worked and the Saints had won, it would have been thebiggest play call in Moore’syoung head coaching career.But it didn’tand instead became thelatest missed opportunity for the Saints. Truthbetold, it probably wouldn’t have mattered Buffalo rarely loses in its own stadium.The Bills’quarterback, last year’s MVPJosh Allen,doesn’tlet them.

Sunday wasBuffalo’s14th straight winatHighmark Stadium

The Saints, meanwhile, are still looking to get winNo. 1for Moore and Rattler,who’snow 0-10 as astarter

There weresome signs of improvementonSunday.The Saints, who came into the gametied forthe league lead in penalties, committed just four Kicker Blake Grupe madeboth his field goals, including aseason-best 54-yarder.The Saints ran the ball better than they have all season.

It wasn’tenough.

“Either way it goes, I’mnot in a great mood,” McCoy said. “A blowout loss or aregular loss, it still counts as aloss in the loss column.”

Still, Alvin Kamarasays the Saints are “trending up.”

We’ll findout if that’strue next week when the Giants come to New Orleans. The Saints desperately need to winthat one forfans to start believing again.

Sunday felt like astep in the right direction, despite what the scoreboard said.

“While there are positives in this, the ultimate goal has yet to be achieved in games,” Moore said. “So we are striving forthat and we need to get there.”

Indeed, they do.

And it needs to start next weekin the Dome.

Email RodWalkerat rwalker@theadvocate.com.

rst quarter of agameagainst Ole Miss on SaturdayatVaught-Hemingway StadiuminOxford, Miss.

Tigeroffense’s issues at forefrontduringbye week

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

Garrett Nussmeier didn’t see his left tackle get beat. But he certainly felt it, once he was drilled, then sandwiched between an Ole Miss rusher and his own right tackle.

The quarterback that emerged from that hit —which foiled the first drive of LSU’s24-19lossto the No. 4Rebels on Saturday didn’tlook like the one who dealt the No. 13 Tigers asharp winover Southeastern Louisianathe week prior.Some of his passes fluttered. Others sailed. Toomanyfloated into double or triple coverage down the field, away from open receivers underneath.

One of those passes turned into an interception,Nussmeier’sthird of the season.

“I’m going to bang my head on the wall about it for awhile,”he said.

Once again, Nussmeier’shealth is aquestion for LSU. But it’sfar from the only one —the Tigers now have anumber of offensive problems to address in the open date betweentheir loss to Ole Miss and their Oct. 11 home game against South Carolina.The win over Florida exposed those concerns, and the loss to the Rebels strengthened them.

Just how many of LSU’s issues are fixable? And is Nussmeier’s torso injury one of them?

“Look, all Ican tell youishe’s healthy,” coach Brian Kelly said on Saturday.“Andagain,I think he would tell you —just like Tyree Adams would tell you, just like Chris Hilton would tell you, Bauer

Sharp would tell you —weneed to play betterand moreconsistent on the offensive side of the ball.”

Last season, LSU fielded the SEC’sseventh-best scoring offense. The Tigers could’ve been more productive on that side of the ball, except they never found a way to unlock adependable rushing attack, they didn’tturn enough red-zone tripsintotouchdowns, and Nussmeier threw too many interceptions —12, to be exact.Only three FBSpassers tossed more.

But LSU could at least lean on an efficient passing attack last year.Its offenseconverted third downs at the sixth-highest rate in the country,and by the end of the season,Nussmeier had completed 58 passes of more than 20 yards. That total was the10th highest in the nation.

Thedifferencenow? The Tigers have many of thesameoffensive problems they had in 2024, and Nussmeier isn’tthrowing well enough tomask them.

The second-year starterisboth attempting and completing fewer passes of at least 20 yards thanhe did last season, according to Pro FootballFocus, even though the rate at which he’sfaced pressure on his dropbacks has dipped from 28% to21%. Through five games, Nussmeier has thrown more passes behind thelineofscrimmage (40) than he has between 10 and 19 yards downfield (35).

TheLSU offense hasshrunk, which has hurt its abilitytosustain drives.Ingames against Clemson, Florida and Ole Miss, theTigers pickeduponly 10 of the 36 third downs (28%) they faced.

“We’ve been areally good third-

down team,” Kelly said. “Wehave to be better on thirddown. And that’snot justGarrett. We’ve got to getopen. Our coaches (have) gottoget our guys in aposition where they can make some plays.”

There’sanurgencytoimprove. LSU hassix SECopponents left on itsschedule, andfour of those foes are ranked. Three of the four —No. 5Oklahoma, No. 6Texas A&Mand No.10Alabama —slotted in ahead of the Tigers in the latestAPPoll.

The Crimson Tide has one of the nation’s30best scoring defenses, andthe Sooners have one of its five best scoring defenses. LSU has to play both of those teams on the road,and it can’tafford to drop both games. Athird loss would likely bump theTigers off the College Football Playoff bubble.

So it’simportant that LSU uses the first of its two bye weeksto find answersonoffense.

Will thetime off help theTigers or hurt them?

“I think it can go either way,” Nussmeier said. “I think you’ll tell themakeup of our team from it. I think if we choosetogodown and feel sorry for ourselves, we won’t finishwherewewant to.

“I think that if we do what Ibelieve we will do andworkharder at it andcome at this bye week withanopportunity to trytofix what we’re struggling (with), I think it’ll help us.”

Email Reed Darcey at reed. darcey@theadvocate.com. For more LSU sportsupdates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

Newteamtakes No.1 in AP poll

OXFORD,Miss. Once again, chaos has reigned supremeinthe world of college football.

Alabamaupset Georgia on the road. Oregon proved that it was anational title contender after beatingPenn State in Happy Valley.LSU took astep backward at Ole Miss.

Let’stouch on all of that and morethrough the lens of my latest AP poll.

My AP poll afterWeek5

Breaking down LSU, OleMiss andNotre Dame

1. Oregon, 2. Miami, 3. Ohio State, 4. PennState, 5. Texas A&M,6.Oklahoma, 7. Texas, 8. Texas Tech, 9. Georgia, 10. Alabama, 11. Notre Dame, 12. Ole Miss, 13. Indiana, 14. Tennessee, 15. Michigan, 16. LSU, 17. Missouri, 18. Mississippi State, 19. Vanderbilt, 20. Illinois, 21. Arizona State, 22. Florida State, 23. TCU, 24. Iowa State, 25. Southern Cal

Just missed: Auburn, Georgia Tech, Washington, Nebraska Anew No.1

Oregon needed double overtime to beat Penn State, but the Ducks proved they were the better team on Saturday night.

Quarterback Dante Moore outplayed veteran Penn State signal-caller Drew Allar,Oregon accumulated 148 moreyards of offense and the Ducks decisively wonthe timeofpossession battle. Andthey did it all while taking down my No.1team heading into the week in arguably the mosthostile environment in the country Did Oregon prove it’sbyfar thebest team in college football this week? No, but no team deserved the spot moreafter this week than the Ducks. As for Penn State, the NittanyLions dropped to No.4in part because of their struggling passing attack.Combine that with Miami and Ohio State holding better resumes thus far, and that’swhy Penn State slid behind those teams.

Georgiaahead of Alabama?

Ihad trouble figuring out what to do with Alabamaand Georgia. On the one hand, Alabama outplayed the Bulldogs, and Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson was excellent despite receiving minimal help from his running game.

Butonthe other hand, Alabamaalso lost to Florida State, and the Seminoles didn’tdothe Tide anyfavors this week when they lost to Virginia. Georgia, meanwhile, still holds astrong road winover Tennessee despite losing to Alabama.

The lowsAlabamadisplayed against Florida State were just enough formetokeep them behind Georgia in my poll, despite this week’sresult.

LSU’s struggles on offense, combined with its twobest wins aging like spoiled milk, meant that the Tigers weregoing to take ahit in my poll when they lost and struggled as they did against Ole Miss on the road. Meanwhile, the Rebels shot up in my rankings, but Icouldn’t place them over Notre Dame after the Fighting Irish clobbered Arkansas on the road this weekend. When Ole Miss faced the Razorbacks at homeafew weeks back, they only wonby six and were outgained and outpossessed by Arkansas. Notre Dame may have two losses, but they wereagainst twotop-5 teams in my poll by a combined four points. Even if Istill have questions about the defense, it’shard to look at the Irish and not see that they’re a top-15 caliber team.

Othernotes

The final score was very deceiving in Texas A&M’swin over Auburn. Despite winning by just six, the Aggies held Auburn to zero third-downconversions, racked up 237 moretotal yards and had the ball forover eight moreminutes. It wasadominant showing, which, combined with the Notre Dame road win, suggests that the Aggies are probably the best team in the SEC at the moment. Mississippi State shot up my ballot after taking Tennessee to overtime this week. Couple that result with the Bulldogs’ win over Arizona State, and it’sclear to me that they’re one of the 25 best teamsinthe nation. Ihave questions surrounding Tennessee’sdefense even as its offense continues to soar Georgia losing this weekdidn’t do it any favors, but through five weeks, it’sdifficult to argue that the Volunteers have looked worse than Michigan or LSU. Filling out the last fewspots in my poll this week was amajor challenge. Florida State’sloss to Virginia was very ugly,but Alabama beating Georgia this weekstill gave the Seminoles’ resume enough of aboost to keep them ranked. TCU’sloss to ASU didn’tdissuade me frommystance that the Horned Frogs have an interesting team. They outplayed ASU for most of the night, and that game was on the road. Besides Mississippi State’s performance and Illinois earning abig winover USC, Ihad trouble finding unranked teams that were worthy of sliding into the top 25. Washington didn’t do enough against Ohio State to earn aspot. Louisville and BYU struggled against weakcompetition. Kansas suffered acostly loss to Cincinnati, and Nebraska didn’tplay this week.

Email Koki RileyatKoki Riley@theadvocate.com.

Jaguarslooktostepupplayerleadership, motivation

BYTOYLOYBROWN III

Staff writer

The Southern locker room was supposed to be upbeat at halftime

The Jaguars had possession on Jackson State’s19-yard line with 1:41 leftinthe second quarter, leading 13-10 against the No. 1 team in BOXTOROW’snational HBCU media and coaches poll. What followed was an interception, aroughing-the-kicker penalty that kept Jackson State’soffense on the field and a51-yard touchdown bomb. The score gave the Tigers afour-point halftime lead in their eventual 38-13 victory over Southern on Saturday at A.W Mumford Stadium. The atmosphere in the Southern (1-4, 0-1 SWAC) locker room before the second half was not what Southern running back and LSU transfer Trey Holly wanted to walk into.

“I mean, there’sa bunchofheads down going into halftime,” Holly said. Holly,who had a73-yardrushing touchdown at the 10:33markof the second quarter,said the team’s mindset should’ve been oneprepared to bounce back. Southern didn’tplay like that was the case, and Holly said the onus for the lackluster energy is on the players. “Keepingeachother motivated,” Holly said. “I feel like abunch of

heads weredown. Our leaders got to stepup. …And if we want to win this championship, this got to be a player-led team. Coaches can’tdo it for you.” Southern started the second half with possession, and that opening drive was the closest it gottoscor-

ing range for theremainder of the game. The Jaguars reached the 34yard line of Jackson State(3-1, 1-0). On third and1 at the34, firsttime starting quarterback Ashton Strother handedthe ball off to tailback Mike Franklin for a run up the middle. The 6-foot-2,

225-pound senior was stonewalled fornogain. Southern went for it on fourth down and gave it to Franklin again up the middle and he lost ayard on the carry Southern’soffenseentered a tailspin. Thedefense couldn’tkeep Jackson State out of the end zone

as it scored 21 second-half points. TheJaguars weren’t abletorecapture the excitement at home that allowedthemtoholdaleadfor 10 minutes in the first half Southern safety Herman Brister, whoreturned from injury and had eight tackles, said the poor play snowballed and agreed with Holly on the need forleaders to step up.

Strother,who finished the game completing 50% of his passes for 120 yards and an interception, said the decline in the team’sperformance after his turnover didn’t demoralize thegroup. However, he said he should’ve been better

“No, (it) didn’ttake the life out of us,” said the junior transfer from Coahoma CommunityCollege “Wejust simply didn’texecute. We didn’tdoour job, and Ididn’tdomy jobasleader of the team, and, you know,executing at my position.”

Coach Terrence Gravessaid his team will fix its issues on the field and is “not gonna lay down.” His players said they have no intentions of it.

“There’sa lot of football left to be played,” Brister said. “Westill got the same goal that we had to begin the season. Winthe SWAC championship, go to the Celebration Bowl.

“Wego1-0 each week, we back where we wanttobe. To be honest, (this is)the samepositionwewas in last year.”

Oregon movestoNo. 2behindOhioSt.

BY ERIC OLSON AP collegefootball writer

Oregon moved up to No

2inThe Associated Press college footballpoll on Sunday,Mississippi earned its highest ranking since2015, Alabama jumped backinto the top 10 and Virginia was in theTop 25 forthe first time in six yearsinthe wake of avolatileweekend in which four top-10 teams lost.

Ohio State won at Washington and remains No. 1 for the fifth straight week

The Buckeyes received 46 first-place votes,six fewer than aweekago,and their 37-point lead over Oregon is the closest margin between the top two teams since thepreseasonpollin mid-August.

Oregon’stwo-overtime

win at Penn State earned the Ducks 16 first-place votes, 15 more than last week, and gave them their highest ranking since they wereNo. 1for two months last year Miami, whichhad an open date, slipped one spot to No. 3and was followed by Mississippi and idle Oklahoma.

The No. 4Rebels got anine-

rung promotionfor beating LSU and have their highest ranking since they were No. 3inlate September 2015. LSU fell to No. 13, swapping places with Mississippi. Texas A&M, Penn State, Indiana, Texas and Alabamaround out thetop 10. Alabama, whichhad been out of thetop 10 since losing its openeragainstFlorida Statebytwo touchdowns, has won three straight afterbeating Georgia for the

10th time in 11 meetings and ending the Bulldogs’ 33-game home winstreak. No. 12 Georgiahas its lowest ranking since it was No. 12 on Dec. 6, 2020. It’s just

the second poll the Bulldogs have been outofthe top10 since 2021.

The losses by PennState, LSUand Georgiamarked the first time since 2016 that

three top-five teamslost the same week in the regular season. Florida State’sloss at Virginia was the latest development in anup-and-downsea-

sonfor the Seminoles. They wentfrom unranked to No. 14 for beating ‘Bama, were in the top 10 for three weeks andplunged10spots to No. 18 this week.

LSUneeds Nussmeiertohelpstrugglingattack

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

OXFORD,Miss. Garrett

Nussmeier dropped back to pass on second and 4. LSU needed to score Trailing Ole Miss17-7 in thethird quarter,fifthyear senior wide receiver Chris Hilton was wideopen streaking down the right sideline. This was the Tigers’ opportunityto put points on the board. In years past, this would have been an easy touchdown for LSU. But that

wasn’t the case.Nussmeier underthrew the pass intended for Hilton. The play resulted in apass interference call against Ole Miss, and eventually ledtoa39-yard field goal, but it could have been much more. The throw was emblematic ofwhat has been a frustrating start to the season for Nussmeier, who has been dealing with atorso injury since the preseason. LSU coach Brian Kelly mentioned the ailmentafterLSU’swin

over Florida in Week 3, but said on Saturday thathe’s 100%

“Look, allI can tellyou is (this), he’s healthy,” Kelly said.

Nussmeier was also asked about his healthafterthe game but declined to commentonthe matter

“I’m notgoing to answer any questions about my healthright now,” Nussmeier said. “Right now, obviously,I’m frustrated about the loss, and we’re going to get back and watchthe tape.Find ways

Storylines to watchatMedia Days

BY TIM REYNOLDS AP basketball writer

Welcome back, NBA.

The phenomenonknown as media day —when NBA teams pull on their uniforms, pose for photos and field questions from reporters on the eve of their firsttraining camp practices of the season —happens on Monday for 25 of the league’s30teams. (Brooklyn, New York, New Orleans, Phoenix and Philadelphiaall had Media Day last week and were allowed to start their camps early to prepare for overseaspreseason games.)

Some of thestorylines to watch on Monday: LeBron’s future

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is going to break Vince Carter’srecord and play in his 23rdNBA season, alongevity mark that probably isn’tgoing to be caught anytime soon— though it should be noted that the Los Angeles Clippers’ Chris Paul is going into his 21st season and Philadelphia’sKyle Lowry is starting his 20th season. Thus begins the annual watch: Is this the end for James?

He’ll be asked the question in some form on Monday, and whatever he says —yes, no or otherwise —will be big news. He’snot under contract for next season, and there will likely be speculation at times this season aboutwhether he’ll finish this year with the Lakers or will he ask to be traded elsewhere.

It’shard to envision that James —who has given no indicationsthathewould want a“farewell tour” type of season —willcommit to adefinitive plan for his future. And remember, it’s not like he’sgot nothing left in the tank. The 40-year-old James (he turns41onDec. 30) is stillanelite-level player with numbers that baffle

Tatum’stime

logic for aman hisage.He averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists last season. Nobody over theage of 32, other than James,has ever done that in NBA history

TheKawhi situation

What will Kawhi Leonard say? Probably not much, but this is certainly going to be a mediaday subplot The Clippers’ standout —along with his team, and team owner Steve Ballmer —are all part of an NBA investigation into whether salary cap rules werecircumvented by Leonard enteringintoanendorsement deal witha former sponsor of theteam.

The NBA has said it will not rush to any judgment in its probeofthe matterand hashired outside counsel to figure it all out.The NBA opened its investigation earlier this month into whether a$28 million endorsement contract between Leonard andAspirationFund Adviser,LLC —a company that filed forbankruptcy earlier this year— broke league rules,following areportby journalist Pablo Torre.

The Clippers have strongly denied that any rules were broken and saidthey welcomed the league’sinvestigation.

Injuries area huge story entering this season. Eastern Conference championIndiana will be without Tyrese Haliburton for theentirety of this season after he tore his AchillesinGame 7of the NBA Finals, Portland has Damian Lillard back but isn’tsurewhen he can play after his own Achilles tear, and Dallas is waiting to see when Kyrie Irving’ssurgically repaired ACLwill be readyfor hisreturn to the floor

And then there’sJayson Tatum, who tore his Achilles during last season’splayoffs.

Butthe Bostonstarhas been dropping hints in recent days that it might not be wise to rule him out for theseason

“I just want everybody to know Iappreciate thelove and support,” Tatumsaid in aYouTube video he posted over the weekend, one that included snippets of him going through what he said was his third on-court workout since the surgery “It’sbeen alongjourney but I’m working my tail off to getback,toget healthy for the love of thegame obviously andthenfor the fans that supportmeand theteam.”

to getbetter.”

LSUlost24-19 to OleMiss on Saturday,and Nussmeier’sstruggles playedalarge partinthe defeat

Thefifth-yearsenior completed 21-of-34 passesfor 197 yards. He only completed twopasses of more than 20 yards andconnected with receivers on just half of his final 12 throws of the game.

Amonghis mistakes was an interception he threw with 14:16leftinthe first half. With LSU driving in

Ole Miss territory andleading 7-3, Nussmeier’spass intended forseniorwide receiver BarionBrown was intercepted by Wydell Williams at the Rebels’ 12-yard line

“I’m going to bang my head on the wall about it for awhile,” Nussmeier said, “but, as Isaid, we’ve gotto move on.”

Physically,heseemed hobbled throughout the night, getting up gingerly and moving slowly after getting hit.

Nussmeier’sphysical status wasn’tthe only thing that plagued LSU’s offense against the Rebels. The Tigers only ranthe ball for57 yardson22carries.Their receivers had trouble getting open downfield. On third down, they only convertedtwice. But for LSU’soffense to reach its potential, it needs ahealthy Nussmeier.He was the second-year starter expected to follow in the footsteps of Jayden Daniels andJoe Burrow.

PROVIDED PHOTOSFROMBATON

CHANGE IN MOTION

Staff report

The Baton Rouge Ballet Theatrewillkickoff its 2025-26 season with“Lagniappe,” at 7p.m. Oct. 2, in the Baton Rouge Magnet HighSchoolAuditorium, 2825 Government St.

This opener willbeanadded program to the theater’sseason, which usually consistsofthreeprograms, hence the title, “Lagniappe,” which is Cajun for “a little something extra.” The showwill feature bothbeloved balletclassicsand company premieres of brand-new contemporary works choreographed by Joan Rodriguez Hernandez of Body Traffic andShannon Greyson, BatonRouge nativeand current instructor at USC’sGlorya Kaufman School of Dance in LosAngeles. “Lagniappe”will alsofeature Baton Rouge BalletTheatrealumna, Adrienne Simmons, asavery special guest artist. Simmonsspentmanyyears training with the Dancers’ Workshop and received manyprincipal roles

Adrienne Simmons will be the guest performer in Baton RougeBallet Theatre’sproduction‘Lagniappe.’

throughout herBaton Rouge Ballet career after which she received dual bachelor’sdegrees in theater and businessfrom theUniversity of New Orleans.

She continues to train, dance and performwithseveral companies in the New Orleans area while finishing her master’s degree last December Simmonswill be performing in aduetwithcompany member Ty’Juan Bovie, choreographed for them and performed in aCOVIDera virtual program. This is the first time excerptsfrom “Washington Square” will be seen live on stage.

She will alsoperform an excerpt from “New York Man,” a15-minute solo work she created andpremiered lastyear.The full piece is adance-centric multimedia performance that blends movement styles with documentary footage and audio.

TheBaton Rouge Ballet Theatre, underthe direction of Rebecca Acosta andJonnaCox,isa nonprofit organization chartered in 1960 to promote andassistthe advancement of classical and contemporary dance by maintaining a performing company,presenting

Nick Saban’sformerBRmansion up forsale

Howcan Imaintain my sense of wellbeing aftermydiagnosis of dementia?

The definition of “well-being” includes the good or satisfactory condition of existence; a state characterized by health, happiness and prosperity The notion of well-being is part of the missionand philosophy of The Eden Alternative, which asserts that no matter how old we are or whatchallenges we live with, life is about continuing to grow.The Eden Alternative identifies seven domains of well-being, whichis the focus of the book, “Dementia Beyond Disease,” written by Dr.AlPower.Inthis book, Power explains the importance of living the seven domains for an overall sense of well-being in life. These seven domains include identity,growth, meaning, connectedness, security autonomyand joy One of the basic proponents of well-being is having and keeping that sense of identity; your personhood, that others understand and acknowledge you and preserve that which you are at all times. Youhave a history to preserve and to be respected and you should uphold it as such for as long as you can and let others know how important it is to you. Youneed to know that you are still valued and that your feelings matter Growth is another domain to well-being. Youare continually expanding and evolving, and you will continue to develop. As Power puts it in one of his presentations, “As long as you are breathing, growth is possible.” Make sure to continue to do meaningful activities in your lifeas“meaning” is another important domain. This meaning and purpose speaks to your personal history and values and what is significant and sacred to you in your life. Being in “relationships” is vital for people with dementia, for isolation may only accelerate the progression of the disease. Keep connected and engaged to those around you and embrace that belonging in your environment. The late Dr.Richard Taylor,who suffered from younger onset Alzheimer’s, was often perplexed at the exclusion by his close friends. After Taylor’sdiagnosis, one friend told him that he didn’tcall him anymore because he didn’tknow what to say.Dr. Taylor told his friend, “Just say ‘Hello.’”Itis so important to maintain those vital relationships and healthy social interactions.

Autonomy is acentral domain for well-being for it means having choice and control in your life. Make your financial and healthcare plans and desires known to others and be vigilant in your self-determination. The seventh domain does not need an explanation, because it is “joy.”Everyone deserves great pleasure,contentment and happiness in their lifetime,and adiagnosis of dementia should notdiminish or erasethat. Aperson’swell-being is affected by manydifferent

Skin conditionrequiresfurther exploration

Dear Doctors: For almost two months now,I’ve had bumpson the back, sides and crown of my head. They itch all the time —and even more when Iget hot.When Iscratch,Isee white or brown flakes. My dermatologist insists it’sdermatitis. He has prescribed clobetasoland antihistamines, but theydonothing. Neither does UV light treatment. How can Iget the help Ineed?

Dear reader: Youhave our sympathy forthe situation youhave described. We see thisasacase of your symptoms being treated without aclear understanding of the root cause. This can result in delayed, incorrect or missed diagnoses.Atbest, you, thepatient, continue dealing with uncomfortablesymptoms. At worst,itcan

Dr.Elizabeth Ko Dr.Eve Glazier ASK THE DOCTORS

lead to serious health problems depending onthe root cause. Let’sbegin with dermatitis. Dermatitis is ageneral term for inflammation of the skin. It can happenwhensomethingcauses the skintorally theimmune system.There are several possible causesofthisresponse. It could be anirritant in the environment,an allergen or agenetic

difference that affects the skin’s response. Symptomsinclude itching, redness, rash, bumps, dry or scaly patches, and peeling or flaking skin. In moreserious cases, it can cause athickening of the skin. It can even trigger blisters You’ve been asked to try treatments for several of these possible causes of dermatitis. Clobetasol is avery strong topical medication. It’soften prescribed for eczema, psoriasis and other inflammatory conditions. The UV light box can ease symptoms by slowing abnormal cell growth. This treatment can help in some types of plaque psoriasis. Antihistamines would help if your symptomswere from an allergy Since you have had no change in your symptomsintwo months,

Acongressman walks into acoffee shop

Dear Miss Manners: Iwas at acoffeehouse in my neighborhood on aSaturday morning when my congressional representative took aseat two tables over.Ihad seen him there before, but refrained from approaching him or speaking with him. Icould tell from his informal clothing that he was trying to fit in and not be noticed. But because he took aseat close by,Ithought Iwould try to say something about apolitical issue that’sbeen on my mind. He quickly cut me off, explaining that he was just there to eat something. I apologized and assured I would not bother him further

it seems it’stimetolook beyond these possible causes. Youdescribed alocalized condition,only in areas of hair growth. We wonder if your doctor has discussed the possibility of ascalpbased fungal infection, such as dandruff or folliculitis? In these instances, we would recommend that our own patients try using an antifungal shampoo. If that provides anyrelief from your symptoms, it would be agood starting point. This could lead to additionaltreatments, such as other topical or even oral antifungal medications. We weren’table to include a portion of your letter that mentioned you had askin biopsy that came back negative. We wonder if, rather than abiopsy,this was a

skin scraping for ringworm? If so, ringworm tests can produce false negatives. Aretest for ringworm using acombination of methods would be agood idea. Aretest should include apolymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. APCR test can detect fungal DNA. As we often tell our readers and our own patients, you can also always get asecond opinion. A different doctor may have wider experience with your condition and bring afresh approach.

Sendyour questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla. edu, or write: Ask theDoctors c/oUCLA HealthSciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd.,Suite1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024.

By The Associated Press

Today is Monday Sept.29, the 272nd day of 2025. There are 93 days left in the year

Iwas so embarrassed that Ihaven’t returned to that coffeehouse. Idon’t want him to see me andthink that I’m stalking him. But I’ve been going to that coffeehouse for years, andhehas only recently started going there. Is it OK for me to return there? Gentle reader: He is not running for reelection,ishe?

Actually,Miss Manners agrees that recognizable peopleshouldnot have to engage with strangers when they are off duty.A quickcompliment is usually appreciated,but you were proposingapolitical discussion. Nevertheless, it is an important part ofalegislator’s

job to listen to theviews of constituents. He was foolish, as well as rude, to dismiss you so curtly.He could have said, “I want to hear your views, but this is not the time or place to have adiscussion.” Then he could have suggested that you visit his office, writea letter or attend aforum. There is no reason for you to avoid the coffee shop. Perhaps it will present an opportunity for the politician to apologize to you. Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners. com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail com; or through postal mailtoMiss Manners, Universal Uclick,1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Protocol foreatingrefrozenmeats

Dear Heloise: Iread aletter in your column about eating chicken that was stored unwrapped. At the end of your answer,you said never to refreeze meats, fowl or seafood after they’ve been thawed out. I had abutcher tell me years ago that it was OK to do, and I’ve been doing it since then without aproblem. —Sharon

Todayinhistory: On Sept.29, 1954, Willie Mays of theNew York Giants made arunning, overthe-shoulder catch of a ball hit by VicWirtz of the Cleveland Indians in Game 1ofthe 1954 World Series; “The Catch” would become one of the most famous plays in baseball history

Also on this date:

In 1789, Congress officially established aregular army under theU.S. Constitution.

In 1938, British,French, German and Italian leaders concluded the Munich Agreement,which was aimed at appeasing Adolf Hitler by allowing Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia’sSudetenland.

In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed an act creating the National Endowment for theHumanities and the National Endowment for theArts.

In 1982, Extra-Strength

Tylenol capsules laced with deadly cyanide claimed the first of seven victimsin the Chicago area; the case, which led to legislation and packaging improvements to deter product tampering, remains unsolved.

In 1988, the U.S. space shuttle program resumed after a32-month suspension following the 1986 Challenger disaster with the launch of Discovery, carrying acrew of five astronauts, from the John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Discovery’screw deployed asatellite and conducted science experiments before returning to Earth with alanding on Oct. 3atEdwards Air Force Base in California.

In 2005, John G. Roberts Jr.was sworn in as the nation’s17th chief justice after winning Senate confirmation.

In 2017, TomPrice resigned as President Donald Trump’ssecretary of Health and Human Services amid investigations into his use of costly charter flights forofficial travel at taxpayer expense.

In 2018, Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, agreed to pay atotal of $40 million to settle agovernment lawsuit alleging that Musk had duped investors with misleading statements about aproposed buyout of the company In 2021, ajudge in Los Angeles suspended Britney Spears’ father from the conservatorship that had controlled her lifeand money for13years, saying the arrangement reflected a“toxic environment.”

Today’sbirthdays: Former NASA administrator and ex-Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., is 83. ActorIan McShane is 83. JazzmusicianJean-Luc Ponty is 83. NobelPeace Prize laureateLech Walesa, formerpresident of Poland, is 82. RetiredTVjournalist andsportscasterBryant Gumbelis77. Olympic gold medal runnerSebastianCoe is 69. Rock musician Les Claypool is 62. ActorZachary Levi is 45. ActorChrissy Metz (TV:“This Is Us”) is 45. ActorKelly McCreary (TV:“Grey’sAnatomy”) is 44. Football Hall of Famer Calvin Johnsonis40.

Hints from Heloise

G.,inTucson, Arizona Sharon, refreezing meat, poultryand seafood maynot kill you,but there will be some changes. If you have thawed out themeat in the refrigerator,it’susually safe enoughtoconsume. Butthe changes in the product will result in meat that is drier andtougher and has less flavor

Bacteria will also multiply.Refreezing meat does not kill bacteria; it only makes bacteria become dormant.Once the meat is thawed out again, the bacteria will get busy multiplying.

So, it’s up to you whether you want toconsume foods that have been thawed out once, then refrozen. —Heloise Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

The home at 6326 Highland Road features aresort-style pool.

SABAN

Continued from page1C

access to the main home, guest quarters and back acres. With six bedrooms and seven bathrooms, the main house features alimestone and iron staircase, woodflooring, intricate crown molding, chef’s kitchen, sunroom, game room and more. Additional featuresinclude awhole housegenerator workoutroom,guest quarters and three-car garage. Outside, there’sa covered entertaining pavilion, fullservice caterer’skitchen, lighted sports court, resortstyle pool and LSU-designed landscaping.

With a20% down payment, theestimated monthly payment is $27,396 per month with a30-year fixed loan. As of Sept.24, thehouse hasbeen on the marketfor 134 days. Visit realtor.comtosee the full listing.

Email Lauren Cheramie at lauren.cheramie@ theadvocate.com.

Continued from page1C

Tickets are $23 and can be purchased by visiting batonrougeballet.org/lagniappe/. BALLET

GUIDE

Continued from page1C

ahigh-quality season, and providing dance education and community outreach.

factors. Ourlife experiences and theenvironment have aprofoundeffect on making us who we are. Maintain theseven domains of well-beingand keep a gratitude journal in theprocess. It can giveyou asense

of stability and peace with your dementia diagnosis.

Dana Territo is an Alzheimer’s advocate and author of “What My Grandchildren Taught Me About Alzheimer’s Disease.” She hosts“The Memory Whisperer.” Emailher at thememorywhisperer@ gmail.com.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct 23) Before you jump into something of interest, do your research. Taking a chance will ultimately prove to be a valuable learning experience. Keep your overhead low and your plans simple.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Arguing is a waste of time. Actions are the quintessential route to getting the results you want. Mix a little discipline with ingenuity, and something good will transpire.

sAGITTARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) If you need change, think outside the box, and don't be afraid to do things differently. Learn how to accept the inevitable and protect what's important to you.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Look for opportunities; diversify and put your energy into getting ahead, prosperity and avoiding extravagance and temptation. It's up to you to control an outcome by paying attention.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Tidy up loose ends. Chat with a headhunter or agency that offers insight into what's available and how to tailor and market your skills to fit today's professional needs.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Pay attention, study trends and work to keep up with the times Enhance your skill set, refine your resume and position yourself to capitalize on opportunities that arise while networking.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Honesty is the best policy, especially when you are looking inward and need to give

yourself a reality check. Trust your instincts, believe in yourself and follow through with a positive attitude.

TAuRus (April 20-May 20) Take advantage of any opportunity you get to deal with institutions or people in a position of power. Engage with others and share your message, and you can make a difference.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Change requires your input. Focus on what you want to modify with a "learn as you go" attitude as you connect with those who can guide you. Participation is in your best interest.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) It is best to do less but deliver more. The impression you leave will make a difference when you want something in return. Avoid hasty decisions or engaging in joint ventures.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) You have choices, and it's essential to look out for your welfare. Be kind to yourself; avoid self-criticism and reach for the stars. Choose peace and love over negativity.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Concentrate on health, diet and physical fitness. A positive change of attitude will stimulate your need to feel and do your best. Let positive actions lead the way.

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. The object is to place thenumbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box containsthe samenumber onlyonce. The difficulty level of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Saturday’s Puzzle Answer

By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

Jack Benny said, “It’snot so much knowingwhen to speak, as when to pause.”

At thebridge table, it’s oftennot so muchknowing when to play, as when to pause forthought.That applies in particularattrickone.Themorethinkingat trickone,thebetteryouwillplay,whether you are the declarerora defender In today’s deal, how should South play in five heartsafterWest leads the diamond king?

The bidding wasshort but exciting. East’s four-spade opening bid would have usually been based on an eightcard suit, but wasunderstandablesince he wasnonvulnerable. However,South had an easy five-heart overcall. West wondered about six diamonds,but knew it would be awild action. (Sixdiamonds doubledcanbedefeatedbyseventricks, minus 1,700.)

Now to thisdifficult declarer-play problem.Given the opening lead, South has only 10 toptricks: seven hearts, one diamond and two clubs.Yes,the club jack might drop singleton or doubleton butthatisunlikely.Andassumingitdoes notappear,howcandeclarerpossiblyget home? There is one chance: South must find West with theclub jack. And, even harder to realize, declarer must not win the first trick.

Let’s assumeWest continues withthe diamond queen. South ruffs in hishand, draws trumps,cashes theclub ace, and overtakes the club queen withdummy’s king. Then he continues withthe club 10, pitching aspade from his hand. West takes the trick, but mustgive the lead back to the dummy and allow declarer to discard hislasttwo spades ©2025 by NEA,Inc., dist.

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

wuzzles

Each Wuzzle is awordriddlewhich creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON

Previous answers:

word game

InsTRucTIons: 1. Words must be of fourormore letters. 2.

ToDAy’s

Timelimit

next day Johnsees Jesus coming to him, and said, Behold the LambofGod,which takes away the sin of the world.” John1:29

IBERVILLE PARISH COUNCILMINUTES PUBLIC HEARING, TUESDAY,AUGUST 19, 2025 PROPOSED ORDINANCE

The Parish Council of IbervilleParish, State of Louisiana, held aPublic Hearing in the Council Meeting Room, 58050 Meriam Street, Plaquemine, Louisiana, on the 19th day of August, 2024 at 6:00 P.M. pursuanttoa Notice of Public Hearing published on the21st day of July,2025 in The Advocate and posted on the Iberville Parish website.

The Council Chairman, Matthew H. Jewell,called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. followed by the roll call with the following CouncilMembers in attendance: Shalanda L. Allen, District 1;Chasity B. Easley; District 2; Thomas E. Dominique, Sr District 3; Freddie Frazier, Sr District4;Steve C.Smith District 5; Raheem T. Pierce, District 6; Nadia Jenkins, District 7; Hunter S. Markins, Distr ct 8; Chasity Martinez, District 10; Charles Dardenne, District 11; Matthew H. Jewell, District 12; Bart B. Morgan, District 13.

Absent: Bradford.

Matthew Jewell arrived after roll call

Chief Administrative Officer-DwayneBoudreaux, Chief Operating OfficerRandall Dunn, and Legal Counsel- Scott Stassi werealso in attendance.

Mr.Dunn read the following ordinances in entirety

ORDINANCE 1 ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE ACCEPTANCE OF A PARCEL OF LAND LOCATED ON PLAZADRIVE FROM A&D MEDICAL,LLC BY ACT OF DONATION

The floor was opened to comments andquestions. There was no opposition to this ordinance from thepublic.

Therebeing no further business to be conducted,the hearingwas adjourned at 6:03 p.m.

/s/ MACY W. OURSO /s/ STEVE C. SMITH COUNCIL CLERK COUNCIL CHAIRMAN

IBERVILLE PARISH COUNCILMINUTES REGULAR MEETING, TUESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2025

The Parish Council of Iberville Parish,State of Louisiana, met in Regular Session, in the Council MeetingRoom, 2ndFloor,Courthouse Building, 58050 Meriam Street, Plaquemine, Louisiana, on the19thday of August, 2025.

The Council Chairman, Steve C. Smith, called themeeting to order at 6:30 p.m. followed by the roll call with the following CouncilMembers in attendance: Shalanda L. Allen, District 1;Chasity B. Easley;District 2; ThomasE.Dominique, Sr., District 3;FreddieFrazier,Sr.,District 4; Steve C. Smith, District 5; Raheem T. Pierce, District 6; Nadia Jenkins, District 7; Hunter S. Markins, District 8; Terry J. Bradford, District 9;Chasity Martinez District 10; Charles Dardenne, District 11; Matthew H. Jewell, District 12; Bart B. Morgan, District 13.

Absent: None.

Parish President- Chris Daigle, Chief Administrative Officer-Dwayne Boudreaux, Chief Operating Officer-Randall Dunn, and Legal CounselNedi Morgan werealso in attendance.

Aquorum was present and due notice had been posted and published in The Advocate newspaper on the15th day of August, 2024.The Pledge of Allegiance followed

Council Chairman Smith calledfor anyonewantingtomake public comments to registerwith the Clerk. No oneregistered tospeak.

ADDENDUM

Upon amotion by Councilman Dardenne, seconded by Councilwoman Allen it was moved to add an Executive Session on to the agenda under 15-ADiscussions discuss alegal matter.The motion having been duly submitted to avote was duly adopted by thefollowingyea and nay votes on roll call:

YEAS: Allen, Easley,Dominique, Frazier,Pierce, Jenkins, Markins, Bradford, Martinez, Dardenne, Jewell, Morgan.

NAYS: None.

ABSTAIN: None.

ABSENT:None.

The motion was declared adopted by theChairman.

PRESENTATIONS AND APPEARANCES

A) Resolution of Condolence for Jerry Mendoza

•Parish President Chris Daigle read the Resolution of Condolence to the family of Jerry Mendozaand presented it to his family.Jerry’swife Doris Mendoza thanked the Council for the recognition of her husband who served as the Parish’s Range Master at theIbervil eParish Firing Range.

B) Presentation by VanguardRenewables

•Ben Cooper with VanguardRenewablescame beforethe Council, he stated that thecompany has been around for 11 years and currently have 7operating facilities inNew England. VanguardRenewables takes food waste from going into landfills to create fertilizer for fields and beddingfor animals. This process is away to preserve agriculturebytransforming organic waste. The proposed facility in Iberville will sit on 25 acres, will contain two digester tanks, therewill be 15-25trucks making deliveriesdaily.Proposed construction start wouldbe thespring of 2025. Acopyofthe presentation is available upon requestinthe Parish Council Office.

C) Master plan presentation by Franklin Associates

•Perry Franklin withFranklin Associates came beforethe Council to give abrief update on theonwork they aredoingtoupdate the Mater Plan forIbervilleParish. Thereare multiple faces to creating anew Master Plan and over the next 18 months him and his team areplanningtowork closely with the Counciland the Community to develop aplan to enhance Iberville Parish forthose generationsinthe future.Their goal is to identify the needs and opportunities throughoutthe Parish and provide recommendations for thedevelopment of acohesive mater planthat best serves Iberville. Acopyofthe presentation is available upon request in theParish Council office.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Upon amotion by Councilwoman Jenkins, seconded by Councilman Markins,itwas moved to wave the reading of the minutes of July15, 2025 and approve as written. The motion havingbeen duly submitted to avote was duly adopted by the followingyea and nay votes on roll call:

YEAS: Allen, Easley,Dominique, Frazier, Pierce, Jenkins, Markins, Bradford, Martinez, Dardenne, Jewell, Morgan.

NAYS: None.

ABSTAIN: None.

ABSENT:None.

The motion was declared adopted by theChairman.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

President Daigle reported on thefollowing:

•Hestated that he wanted to recognize the following employees fortheir years of service; Beverly Landry-Fleming for 29 years of service, Brandon Canellafor 27years of service, Melissa Businelle for27years of service, Charles Edwardsfor 25years of service, Stanley Richardson for 10 years of service, and Andre Rileyfor 5 years of service. He also introduced Ben Bello as the new Director of Planning and Development and Latroya Handyasthe new Director of Community Development.

•Shaun Bordelon came beforethe Counciland stated that he wanted to create arecruitmentcampaign to get morevolunteers for area fire departments and other emergency services. The video that was presented will be will be shared on social mediaand other platforms.

•The HWY 1drainage project is still on hold duetothe conflict with theCity of Plaquemine’swater line. The2 new Boom Trucks are getting the final load testing done andshould be deliveredsoon. Thework on to close Lacroix street in White Castleshould resume soon to complete that project. Thenew

sales tax numbers. OLDBUSINESS

ORDINANCE IPC# 012-25

ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE ACCEPTANCE OF APARCEL OF LAND LOCATED ON PLAZA DRIVE FROM A&D MEDICAL, LLC BY ACT OF DONATION

WHEREAS,the Iberville Parish Council (the “Parish”) is the governing body for the Parish of Iberville; and WHEREAS,A& DMedical, LLC, desires to donate aparcel of land to the Parish, which parcel of land will be used for the benefitofthe citizens and residents of the Parish of Iberville; and WHEREAS,the Parish desires to accept A&D’s donation of the land.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED,bythe Iberville Parish Council, at its regular council meeting held on the 19th day of August, 2025, that: (1)The Iberville Parish Council hereby accepts the donation of the tract of land described as:

Two(2) certain lots or parcels of ground, lying, being and situated inthe City of Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville, Louisiana, and being designated as LOT NUMBERS TEN (10) AND ELEVEN (11) of WILBERTPLAZA on amap of survey prepared by Alton F. Anderson, Registered Land Surveyor,dated June 25, 1994, entitled “Wilbert Plaza Being the Resubdivision of Lot 38 of Belleview Farms, Section 45, T9S-R12E, Iberville Parish, Louisiana.” Said Lots 10 and11are contiguous, all as will morefully appear by reference to said map of survey,aprint of which is of recordinBook 474, Entry

129 of the Conveyance Records of Iberville Parish, Louisiana; and (2) The Iberville Parish Council hereby directs and authorizes its Parish President to execute the documents necessary to effectuate the donation of thetract of land.

The foregoing ordinance which was previously introduced at the meeting of the Iberville Parish Council on July 15, 2025 and acopy thereof having been published in the official journal on July 21, 2025 the public hearing on this ordinance held on the 19th day of August, 2025, at 6:00 p.m., in the Council Meeting Room, 58050 Meriam Street, Plaquemine, Louisiana, wasbrought up for final passage with amotion by Councilman Markins, andseconded by Councilwoman Jenkins, having been duly submitted to a vote, the ordinance was duly adopted by the following yea and nay vote on roll call:

YEAS: Allen, Easley,Dominique, Frazier,Pierce, Jenkins, Markins, Bradford, Martinez, Dardenne, Jewell, Morgan.

NAYS: None.

ABSTAIN: None.

ABSENT:None.

The ordinance was declared adopted by the Chairman on the 19th day of August, 2025.

NEW BUSINESS

A) Motion to reschedule the September 16, 2025 Council Meeting to Tuesday,September 23, 2025

Upon amotion by Councilman Frazier,seconded by Councilwoman Martinez,itwas moved to reschedule the September 16, 2025 Council Meeting to Tuesday,September 23, 2025. The motion having been duly submitted to avote was duly adopted by the following yea and nay votes on roll call:

YEAS: Allen, Easley,Dominique, Frazier,Pierce, Jenkins, Markins, Bradford, Martinez Dardenne, Jewell, Morgan.

NAYS: None.

ABSTAIN: None.

ABSENT:None.

The motion was declared adopted by the Chairman on August 19, 2025.

B) Introduction of Ordinances

1. Ordinancetoadopt uniformwater and sewer rates within the Parish of Iberville. Set for Public Hearing on September 23, 2025

2. Ordinance to amend the 2025 Tourism Special Revenue fund budget in the amount of $70,000 from the State of Louisiana Department of CultureRecreation and Tourism. Set for Public Hearing on September 23, 2025

3. Ordinance to amend Section 11-1 of Article 1ofChapter 11 of the compiled Ordinances of Iberville Parish, relative to the permissible height of grass and weeds. Set for Public Hearing on September 23, 2025

Upon amotion by Councilman Dominique, seconded by Councilman Bradford, it was moved that apublic hearing be held on Tuesday September 23, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. on the introduced ordinance.

The motion having been duly submitted to avote, was duly adopted by the following yea and nay votes on roll call:

YEAS: Allen, Easley,Dominique, Frazier,Pierce, Jenkins, Markins, Bradford, Martinez Dardenne, Jewell, Morgan.

NAYS:None.

ABSTAIN: None.

ABSENT:None.

The motion was declared adopted by the Chairman on August 19, 2025.

RESOLUTION COMMITTEE REPORT

The Resolution Committee met on Tuesday,August 19, 202 at 6:04 p.m., followed by the roll call with the following Resolution Committee Members only in attendance: Jewell, Dardenne, Pierce, Jenkins, Markins, Martinez, Frazier,Morgan, Dominique.

Absent: None.

The following resolution was read aloud by Mr.Dunn:

A) Approve Resolution authorizing the Parish President to Proceed with the Iberville Resilient Communities’ InfrastructureProgram (RCIP) Disaster Recovery Program application, now designated as the“Seymourville Community Drainage Improvements” Project Councilman Pierce made arecommendation to forwardthe resolution to the regular meeting, seconded by Councilwoman Jenkins. The recommendation having been duly submitted to avote was duly adopted by the following yea and nay votes on roll call by Resolution Committee Members only:

YEAS: Jewell Dardenne, Pierce, Jenkins, Markins, Martinez,Frazier, Morgan, Dominique.

NAYS:None. ABSTAIN: None. ABSENT:None.

The recommendation was declared adopted by the Chairman to forward these itemstothe regular meeting.

B) Approve Resolution to declarea2016 Dodge Ram truck as surplus property and provide transfer Town of White Castle Councilwoman Martinez made arecommendation to forwardthe resolution to the regular meeting, seconded by Councilman Pierce. The recommendation having been duly submitted to avote was duly adopted bythe following yea and nay votes on roll call by Resolution Committee Members only:

YEAS: Jewell Dardenne, Pierce, Jenkins, Markins, Martinez,Frazier, Morgan, Dominique.

NAYS:None. ABSTAIN: None.

ABSENT:None. The recommendation was declared adopted by the Chairman to forward these items to the regular meeting.

C) Approve

ABSTAIN:

ABSENT:None.

the Parish of Iberville, State of Louisiana and providing for other matters in connection therewith

Councilman Frazier made arecommendation to forwardthe resolution to the regular meeting, seconded by Councilman Pierce. The recommendation having been duly submitted to avote was duly adopted by the following yea and nay votes on roll call by Resolution Committee Members only:

YEAS: Jewell, Dardenne, Pierce, Jenkins, Markins, Martinez, Frazier, Morgan, Dominique.

NAYS: None.

ABSTAIN: None.

ABSENT:None.

The recommendation was declared adopted by the Chairman to forward these items to the regular meeting.

During the Regular Meeting: RESOLUTION IPC #2025-027 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PARISH PRESIDENT TO PROCEED WITH THE IBERVILLE RESILIENT COMMUNITIES’ INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM (RCIP) DISASTER RECOVERY

WHEREAS,the Parish of Iberville has been awarded Community Development Block Grant –Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds through the Resilient Communities InfrastructureProgram (RCIP), administered by the State of Louisiana, Office of Community Development (OCD); and WHEREAS,itisnecessary under the RCIP to formally select and name aspecificproject for application development and implementation; and WHEREAS,the Parish has identified critical drainage needs in the Seymourville community that align with the objectives of the RCIP; NOW,THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Iberville Parish Council hereby authorizes the Parish President, or his designee, to proceed with the development and submission of the RCIP application for the project now formally designated as the “Seymourville CommunityDrainage Improvements”project;

The above resolution was duly adopted in regular session on this 19th day of August, 2025 by the following votes on roll call:

YEAS: Allen, Easley,Dominique, Frazier,Pierce, Jenkins, Markins, Bradford, Martinez, Dardenne, Jewell, Morgan.

NAYS: None.

ABSTAIN: None.

ABSENT:None.

The resolution was declared adopted by the Chairman on the 19th day of August, 2025.

RESOLUTION IPC #2025-028

RESOLUTION TO DECLARE A2016 DODGE RAM TRUCK AS SURPLUS PROPERTY AND PROVIDE TRANSFER TOWN OF WHITE CASTLE

WHEREAS,The Parish of Iberville, through is Parish Council, has been requested to declareassurplus moveable property,one (1) 2016 Dodge Ram Truck, VIN 3C6TR5HTXGG177182, which is no longer required for use by the Parish and should be declared surplus property WHEREAS,L.A. R.S. 49:125 provides that apolitical subdivision is authorized to sell surplus movable property at apublic auction/sale, or pursuant to the LA Constitution of 1974, Article 7, Section 14, as amended, which provides that pursuant to awritten agreement, the donation of the use of public equipment by apolitical subdivision upon request of another political subdivision for the safety of the public is authorized to exercise. (LA Const. Art. 7, Sec 14).

WHEREAS,the Town of White Castle has requested the donation of a surplus truck for use to ensurethe public safety of the citizens of White Castle. WHEREAS,pursuant to an intergovernmental agreement, the Parish Council shall transfer the 2016 Didge Ran truck, VIN 3C6TR5HTXGG177182 to the Town of White Castle for use withing the Town of White Castle. NOW,THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED,bythe Iberville Parish Council as follows: “That the used 2016 Dodge Ram truck, VIN 3C6TR5HTXGG177182, be declared as surplus movable property and transferred to the Town of White Castle to be used for Public Safety according to the law”

The above resolution was duly adopted in regular session on this 19th day of August, 2025 by the following votes on roll call:

YEAS: Allen, Easley,Dominique, Frazier,Pierce, Jenkins, Markins, Bradford, Martinez, Dardenne, Jewell, Morgan. NAYS: None.

ABSTAIN: None. ABSENT:None.

The resolution was declared adopted by the Chairman on the 19th day of August, 2025.

RESOLUTION IPC #2025-029

RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PURCHASE OF NATURAL GAS FROM THE LOUISIANA MUNICIPAL NATURAL GAS PURCHASING AND DISTRIBUTION AUTHORITY,D/B/A LOUISIANA MUNICIPAL GAS AUTHORITY (“LMGA”); APPROVING THE EXECUTION AND DELIVERYOFA GAS SALES CONTRACT

sources Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC and TheState of Louisiana, throughthe State Mineral& Energy Board OperatingAgreement for HydrocarbonStorage in St.LandryParish Docket No.OMR-25-01 In accordance with the lawsofthe Stateof Louisiana,and with ref‐erencetothe provisions ofTitle 30 of the Louisiana Revised Statutesof1950, particu‐larly La.R.S.30:6asre‐quiredbyLa. R.S. 30:209; and as authorized by the State Mineral& Energy Board on July 9th, 2025, a publichearing will be heldinthe town hall meetingroom,405 N. Washington Street Washington,St. Landry Parish at 11:00 a.m. on October17th, 2025. At such hearing, public commentswillbeheard and received relative to the entryofanOperating Agreement forcontinued storage underground of hydrocarbons beneath State property in the WashingtonField Gas Storage Area,comprised ofapproximately31 acres of BayouWauksha (also knownasBayou Waxia)inSection 64 Township4 South, Range 4 East,St. Landry Parish Louisiana Anypersonhavinganin‐terestinthe subjectmat‐ter of thehearing shall beentitledtobeheard Please access OMR’s Special Noticesand An‐nouncements webpage at http://www.dnr louisiana.gov/index.cfm/ page/168 foradditional information regarding thismeetingincluding a copyofthe proposed agreement.The Operat‐ing Agreementissubject tochangeand considera‐tionfor finalapproval by the StateMineral andEn‐ergyBoard at oneofits upcomingmeetings In addition,written com‐ments maybeemailed to OMR@la.govormailedto Office of MineralRe‐sources,PostOffice Box 2827, BatonRouge Louisiana 70821‐2827 to bereceivedonorbefore October 17th, 2025 Pleasereference Docket No. OMR-25‐01 in your comments

Allparties having an in‐teresthereinshall take noticehereof. In accordance with the Americans with Disabili‐tiesAct,ifyou need as‐sistanceoraccommoda‐tionfor themeeting, pleasecontact DENR’s ADA Coordinator, Maranda Rispone, at 225342-9088, Maranda. Rispone2@la.gov,or https://www.dnr louisiana.gov/index.cfm/ page/510 160296-SEPT 29-1T $57.63

selec‐tion criteria,isavailable at http://www.opportu nitiesinlouisiana.com. It mayalsobepickedup between 9a.m.and 4 p.m. weekdays at theOf‐fice of StatePark, Capitol Annex, ThirdFloor,1051 NorthThird Street,Baton Rouge, LA,70802. Written Proposalsmustbere‐ceived by StateParks at this addressnolater than 4:00 p.m. CT onFri‐day, October31, 2024. StateParks will continue itscommitmenttoen‐sure allprojectspromote ourmission statement, have community sup‐port,and supportoflocal andstate electedoffi‐cials. StateParks also commitstonot proceed with anyprojectsthat will be detrimentaltothe localcommunity or any localbusiness. Allinquiries concerning theRFI should be submit‐ted in writingtothe Issu‐ingOfficer, BrettSan‐difer, at bsandifer@crt. la.gov 157442-SEP10-OCT9 $579.96

IBERVILLEPARISHCOUN‐CILADVISORYBOARD FORPLANNING& DEVEL‐OPMENT MINUTES REGULARMEETING, TUESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2025

TheAdvisoryBoard for Planning& Development ofthe IbervilleParish, State of Louisiana, metin Regular Session, in the Council MeetingRoom, 2nd Floor,Courthouse Building, 58050 Meriam Street,Plaquemine, Louisiana,onthe 19th day of August,2025. Advisory BoardChair‐man Dunn called the meetingtoorder at 5:15 p.m.followedbythe roll callwiththe following members in attendance: Randy LaPrairie, Randall Dunn, MaxieGray, Coun‐cilwomanShalanda Allen Councilman ThomasDominique, CouncilmanBartMorgan, CouncilwomanChasity Easley.

Absent:Simpson CatherineSimpson ar‐rived after roll call (5:22 p.m.) Aquorumwas present and duenoticehad been published on the14th day of August,2025 in The Advocate,and on the IbervilleParishwebsite Others present: Parish Engineer,SenecaTous‐sant.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES Upon amotionbyAllen and seconded by LaPrairie,the Advisory Board votedtosuspend the readingofthe min‐utesofJuly15, 2025 and approve as is Yeas:All present. Nays:None. Absent:Simpson

The motion wasdeclared adoptedbythe Advisory Board. NEWBUSINESS

a. Introduction of re-sub‐division forTrennyBar‐bato b. Introduction of re-sub‐division forJohnW.Blan‐chard On amotionbyDo‐minique, seconded by Allen, theAdvisoryBoard votedtoset theseitems forhearing on Septem‐ber23, 2025.

Yeas:All present.

Nays:None. Absent:Simpson Themotionwas declared adoptedbythe Advisory Board. OLDBUSINESS A. CONSIDERATIONOF RE-SUBDIVISION FOR PATRICKISHMAEL On amotionbySimpson seconded by LaPrairie, theAdvisoryBoard voted to approveasis. Thesur‐veywas prepared by Bradford Engineering and Services,LLC.The map reflects thesurvey and subdivisionofLot I2,Lot I-1-A, LotI-1-B,the LAHwy R/Wand the Levee andBatture into Lot I-1-A-1and LotI-2-A, located in Section59& 68, T-9- S, R-13-E, South‐eastLandDistrict, West ofthe Mississippi River, IbervilleParish, Stateof Louisiana forPatrick & Maria Ishmael.

Yeas:All present. Nays:None. Absent:None. Themotionwas declared adopted by theAdvisory Board

B. CONSIDERATIONOF RE-SUBDIVISIONFLOYD CAMPBELL

On amotionbyEasley, secondedbyMorgan, the AdvisoryBoard votedto approve as is.The survey was prepared by Brad‐fordEngineeringand Ser‐vices,LLC.The maps re‐flectthe survey of LotFC1,intoLot FC-1-A andLot FC-1-B, locatedinSec‐tions 43, 44, 45 T-9- S, R11-E, SoutheastLandDis‐trict,Westofthe Missis‐sippi River, Iberville Parish, StateofLouisiana for FloydCampbell. Yeas:All present. Nays:None. Absent:None. Themotionwas declared adopted by theAdvisory Board ADDENDUM None DISCUSSIONS None ADJOURNMENT Therebeing no further business, it wasmoved byAllen, andseconded byEasley, to adjournat 5:29p.m Yeas:All present. Nays:None. Absent:None.

Themotionwas declared adopted by theAdvisory Board /s/ MACY W. OURSO COMMISSIONCLERK /s/ RANDALLDUNN COMMISSIONCHAIRMAN

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE theLouisiana De‐partmentofNatural Re‐sources,Office of Coastal Management (OCM) hasreceivedthe following applications for After-The-Fact Coastal UsePermits (CUP) in accordance with the Stateand Local Coastal ResourcesMan‐agement Actof1978, as amended,(La.R.S 49:214.21-214.41),and the regulations of the Coastal ResourcesPro‐gram. Applications for the proposed work may beinspected at 617 N. 3rd Street,Room 1076 Baton Rouge, LA or on the OCMweb page at: http://dnr.louisiana gov/ index.cfm?md=pagebui lder&tmp=home& pid=591. Copies maybe obtaineduponpayment ofcostofcopying.Writ‐ten comments, including suggestions formodifi‐cations or objections to the proposed work and stating thereasons thereof,are beingso‐licited from thepublic. Commentsmustbere‐ceivedwithin25daysof the date of publicationof thisnotice. Comments shouldbeuploadedto our electronic record,but may be mailed, faxed or emailedtothe desig‐nated OCMReviewer. All commentsmustcontain the appropriateapplica‐tionnumberand the commenter's full name and contactinformation Any person mayrequest inwriting,withinthe comment period speci‐fied in this notice,that a State or Federalpublic hearing be held to con‐sider this application. Re‐questsfor public hear‐ingsshall state, with par‐ticularity, thereasons for holding apublichearing and must containthe nameand contactinfor‐mationofthe requester, and should be sent to: OCM;P.O.Box 44487 Baton Rouge, LA 708044487; Phone: 225-3427591; Fax: 225-342-9439 CUPNumberP20250666 ATF; HilcorpEnergyCom‐pany:111 Travis Street Houston,TX77002; Attn: Lee Murphy;C/O Bran‐don Muller,965 Beaure‐gardParkway,Covington LA70433; Attn:Brandon Muller; Location:Iberia Parish: Lat29-27-34.30N Long91-56-51.30W;Just south of MarshIsland; Description:Unautho‐rized commencementof the plugging andaban‐donment of approxi‐mately32wells andvari‐ous flowlinesassociated withthe Mound PointOil & Gas field. Whileall workwillbeinopen water,water bottoms may be temporarilydis‐turbedbythe activities Anadministrative penalty maybeissued for theunauthorized commencementofthis activity. CUPNumber P20250273 ATF; Julie Daigle: 5458 Highway308 Napoleonville,LA70390; Attn:Julie Daigle;Loca‐tion: Assumption Parish: Lat29-54-3.67N Long 9111-10.61; Sec31, T13SR13E;800 ShellBeach Road, Pierre Part,LA 70339;

Verett; De‐scription:Unauthorized clearingand fillingofad‐ditionalportionsofprop‐ertypreviouslyexcluded and unpermittedfor ac‐tivities. Compensatory mitigationisrequiredfor all permanentimpacts to wetlandsand an admin‐istrative penaltymay be issued

I, RileyJohnFurraka John RyalsFurraka RileyJ.Furr, have been convictedof14:81.1Pornography Involving Juveniles. Date Convicted: 10/1/2012. 14:81 -Indecent Behavior

ROBINVANESSA JONESaka RobinPerry Jonesaka RobinPerry akaRobin Thomas aka Robin JonesThomas, have been convictedof 14:93.5- Sexual Battery of theInfirmed.Date Convicted: 9/15/2004. My Addressis: 9242 W CHANADIA

160133-SEP29-1T $64.40

SHOWCASE

September 29 -October 3

The East BatonRougeParish Public SchoolsSystemwill begin taking applications for Magnet Programs forthe 2026-2027 school year beginningOctober6

Submitall required documents to the first-choiceprogram within seven(7) days.

Iuploaded allrequired documents and signed the signaturepageelectronically.

Iopted to hand-deliver allrequired documents to the first-choiceprogram shown on the signaturepage within seven(7) days.

Iscanned and emailed allrequired documents to the first-choiceprogram shown on the signaturepage within seven(7) days.