Why have all staff and faculty at McNeese had to forgo raises for the last three years under the guise that “all must tighten their belts during these tough times,” yet football coaches were granted raises?

McNeese State University spokeswoman Candace Townsend said raises for coaches “must come from private sources or outside income.”

“Funds used to provide these football coaches raises were generated during the 2010 football season when McNeese had the opportunity to play both the University of Missouri and LSU,” she wrote in an email.

“In a regular football season the Cowboys generate revenue by playing only one NCAA Division I or BCS football team.”

She said part of the $350,000 payout the school received from the University of Missouri game went to provide the raises.

“The belt tightening in all areas of the University has allowed McNeese to weather three years of budget reductions without employee layoffs or implementing furloughs,” she wrote.

• Online: www.mcneese.edu.

TURKEY DAY PAPERS TO HAVE ALL INSERTS

I noticed when I pick up the American Press at different locations, it doesn’t have all the sales papers in it. I travel Lake Charles just thinking that all the sale papers are going to be in there. Why aren’t they?

Advertisers try to target readers in specific areas, so they ask that the sales circulars be placed in home-delivered papers distributed in certain parts of town.

Rack newspapers contain only those sales sheets that are left over after subscribers’ papers have been stuffed.

The Thanksgiving Day edition, however, is an exception to that rule: Each paper distributed that day will contain every sales sheet.

The Informer answers questions from readers each Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. It is researched and written by Andrew Perzo, an American Press staff writer. To ask a question, call 494-4098, press 5 and leave voice mail, or email informer@americanpress.com.

Coach Matt Viator calls out to a player during the morning practice Tuesday.

Brad Puckett